Variogram-based feature extraction for neural network recognition of logos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pham, Tuan D.

2003-03-01

This paper presents a new approach for extracting spatial features of images based on the theory of regionalized variables. These features can be effectively used for automatic recognition of logo images using neural networks. Experimental results on a public-domain logo database show the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Metabolomics study of Saw palmetto extracts based on 1H NMR spectroscopy.

PubMed

de Combarieu, Eric; Martinelli, Ernesto Marco; Pace, Roberto; Sardone, Nicola

2015-04-01

Preparations containing Saw palmetto extracts are used in traditional medicine to treat benign prostatic hyperplasia. According to the European and the American Pharmacopoeias, the extract is obtained from comminuted Saw palmetto berries by a suitable extracting procedure using ethanol or supercritical carbon dioxide or a mixture of n-hexane and methylpentanes. In the present study an approach to metabolomics profiling using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) has been used as a finger-printing tool to assess the overall composition of the extracts. The phytochemical analysis coupled with principal component analysis (PCA) showed the same composition of the Saw palmetto extracts obtained with carbon dioxide and hexane with minor not significant differences for extracts obtained with ethanol. In fact these differences are anyhow lower than the batch-to-batch variability ascribable to the natural-occurring variability in the Saw palmetto fruits' phytochemical composition. The fingerprinting analysis combined with chemometric method, is a technique, which would provide a tool to comprehensively assess the quality control of Saw palmetto extracts. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of palm oil extraction from Decanter cake of small crude palm oil mill by aqueous surfactant solution using RSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ahmadi Pirshahid, Shewa; Arirob, Wallop; Punsuvon, Vittaya

2018-04-01

The use of hexane to extract vegetable oil from oilseeds or seed cake is of growing concern due to its environmental impact such as its smelling and toxicity. In our method, used Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was applied to study the optimum condition of decanter cake obtained from small crude palm oil with aqueous surfactant solution. For the first time, we provide an optimum condition of preliminary study with decanter cake extraction to obtain the maximum of oil yield. The result from preliminary was further used in RSM study by using Central Composite Design (CCD) that consisted of thirty experiments. The effect of four independent variables: the concentration of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) as surfactant, temperature, the ratio by weight to volume of cake to surfactant solution and the amount of sodium chloride (NaCl) on dependent variables are studied. Data were analyzed using Design-Expert 8 software. The results showed that the optimum condition of decanter cake extraction were 0.016M of SDS solution concentration, 73°C of extraction temperature, 1:10 (g:ml) of the ratio of decanter cake to SDS solution and 2% (w/w) of NaCl amount. This condition gave 77.05% (w/w) oil yield. The chemical properties of the extracted palm oil from this aqueous surfactant extraction are further investigated compared with the hexane extraction. The obtained result showed that all properties of both extractions were nearly the same.

[Repellent activity of plant essential oils against bites of Lutzomyia migonei (Diptera: Psychodidae)].

PubMed

Nieves, Elsa; Fernández Méndez, Janett; Lias, José; Rondón, Maritza; Briceño, Benito

2010-12-01

Natural repellents from plant extracts have demonstrated good efficacy against bites of some insect species. The present study evaluated the repellent effect of essential oils extracted from 8 plants species against bites of Lutzomyia migonei, the Leishmania vector. The essential oils were extracted by steam destillation in Clevenger chamber, from the following plants: Hyptis suaveolens, Pimenta racemosa, Piper marginatum, Monticalia imbricatifolia, Pseudognaphalium caeruleocanum, Espeletia shultzii, Plecthranthus amboinicus and Cinnamomun zeylanicum. Repellency tests were performed under laboratory conditions by the human hand method in cage assays, using female colonies of L. migonei. The more effective oils were tested at variable concentrations on different volunteers. The protection percentage and time were calculated. The results showed what oils of P. caeruleocanum and C. zeylanicum were the most effective. Although P. amboinicus oil also had repellent effect showed an irritant effect. The oils P. marginatum, H. suaveolens and P. racemosa showed no repellent effect, while the rest of oil extracts showed significant repellency in variable degrees. P. caeruleocanum and C. zeylanicum oils provided the 95% protection against bites of L. migonei for 3 h. The P. caeruleocanum oil showed the greatest protection time, with a mean over 4h and 3h at concentrations of 50% and 10% respectively. The results suggest that the P. caeruleocanum oil could represent a potential natural repellent against Leishmania vectors.

Study on electrical current variations in electromembrane extraction process: Relation between extraction recovery and magnitude of electrical current.

PubMed

Rahmani, Turaj; Rahimi, Atyeh; Nojavan, Saeed

2016-01-15

This contribution presents an experimental approach to improve analytical performance of electromembrane extraction (EME) procedure, which is based on the scrutiny of current pattern under different extraction conditions such as using different organic solvents as supported liquid membrane, electrical potentials, pH values of donor and acceptor phases, variable extraction times, temperatures, stirring rates, different hollow fiber lengths and the addition of salts or organic solvents to the sample matrix. In this study, four basic drugs with different polarities were extracted under different conditions with the corresponding electrical current patterns compared against extraction recoveries. The extraction process was demonstrated in terms of EME-HPLC analyses of selected basic drugs. Comparing the obtained extraction recoveries with the electrical current patterns, most cases exhibited minimum recovery and repeatability at the highest investigated magnitude of electrical current. . It was further found that identical current patterns are associated with repeated extraction efficiencies. In other words, the pattern should be repeated for a successful extraction. The results showed completely different electrical currents under different extraction conditions, so that all variable parameters have contributions into the electrical current pattern. Finally, the current patterns of extractions from wastewater, plasma and urine samples were demonstrated. The results indicated an increase in the electrical current when extracting from complex matrices; this was seen to decrease the extraction efficiency. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Impact of atmospheric forcing on heat content variability in the sub-surface layer in the Japan/East Sea, 1948-2009

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stepanov, Dmitry; Gusev, Anatoly; Diansky, Nikolay

2016-04-01

Based on numerical simulations the study investigates impact of atmospheric forcing on heat content variability of the sub-surface layer in Japan/East Sea (JES), 1948-2009. We developed a model configuration based on a INMOM model and atmospheric forcing extracted from the CORE phase II experiment dataset 1948-2009, which enables to assess impact of only atmospheric forcing on heat content variability of the sub-surface layer of the JES. An analysis of kinetic energy (KE) and total heat content (THC) in the JES obtained from our numerical simulations showed that the simulated circulation of the JES is being quasi-steady state. It was found that the year-mean KE variations obtained from our numerical simulations are similar those extracted from the SODA reanalysis. Comparison of the simulated THC and that extracted from the SODA reanalysis showed significant consistence between them. An analysis of numerical simulations showed that the simulated circulation structure is very similar that obtained from the PALACE floats in the intermediate and abyssal layers in the JES. Using empirical orthogonal function analysis we studied spatial-temporal variability of the heat content of the sub-surface layer in the JES. Based on comparison of the simulated heat content variations with those obtained from natural observations an assessment of the atmospheric forcing impact on the heat content variability was obtained. Using singular value decomposition analysis we considered relationships between the heat content variability and wind stress curl as well as sensible heat flux in winter. It was established the major role of sensible heat flux in decadal variability of the heat content of the sub-surface layer in the JES. The research was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (grant N 14-05-00255) and the Council on the Russian Federation President Grants (grant N MK-3241.2015.5)

Long-term variability in sugarcane bagasse feedstock compositional methods: Sources and magnitude of analytical variability

DOE PAGES

Templeton, David W.; Sluiter, Justin B.; Sluiter, Amie; ...

2016-10-18

In an effort to find economical, carbon-neutral transportation fuels, biomass feedstock compositional analysis methods are used to monitor, compare, and improve biofuel conversion processes. These methods are empirical, and the analytical variability seen in the feedstock compositional data propagates into variability in the conversion yields, component balances, mass balances, and ultimately the minimum ethanol selling price (MESP). We report the average composition and standard deviations of 119 individually extracted National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) bagasse [Reference Material (RM) 8491] run by seven analysts over 7 years. Two additional datasets, using bulk-extracted bagasse (containing 58 and 291 replicates each),more » were examined to separate out the effects of batch, analyst, sugar recovery standard calculation method, and extractions from the total analytical variability seen in the individually extracted dataset. We believe this is the world's largest NIST bagasse compositional analysis dataset and it provides unique insight into the long-term analytical variability. Understanding the long-term variability of the feedstock analysis will help determine the minimum difference that can be detected in yield, mass balance, and efficiency calculations. The long-term data show consistent bagasse component values through time and by different analysts. This suggests that the standard compositional analysis methods were performed consistently and that the bagasse RM itself remained unchanged during this time period. The long-term variability seen here is generally higher than short-term variabilities. It is worth noting that the effect of short-term or long-term feedstock compositional variability on MESP is small, about $0.03 per gallon. The long-term analysis variabilities reported here are plausible minimum values for these methods, though not necessarily average or expected variabilities. We must emphasize the importance of training and good analytical procedures needed to generate this data. As a result, when combined with a robust QA/QC oversight protocol, these empirical methods can be relied upon to generate high-quality data over a long period of time.« less

Long-term variability in sugarcane bagasse feedstock compositional methods: Sources and magnitude of analytical variability

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

Templeton, David W.; Sluiter, Justin B.; Sluiter, Amie

In an effort to find economical, carbon-neutral transportation fuels, biomass feedstock compositional analysis methods are used to monitor, compare, and improve biofuel conversion processes. These methods are empirical, and the analytical variability seen in the feedstock compositional data propagates into variability in the conversion yields, component balances, mass balances, and ultimately the minimum ethanol selling price (MESP). We report the average composition and standard deviations of 119 individually extracted National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) bagasse [Reference Material (RM) 8491] run by seven analysts over 7 years. Two additional datasets, using bulk-extracted bagasse (containing 58 and 291 replicates each),more » were examined to separate out the effects of batch, analyst, sugar recovery standard calculation method, and extractions from the total analytical variability seen in the individually extracted dataset. We believe this is the world's largest NIST bagasse compositional analysis dataset and it provides unique insight into the long-term analytical variability. Understanding the long-term variability of the feedstock analysis will help determine the minimum difference that can be detected in yield, mass balance, and efficiency calculations. The long-term data show consistent bagasse component values through time and by different analysts. This suggests that the standard compositional analysis methods were performed consistently and that the bagasse RM itself remained unchanged during this time period. The long-term variability seen here is generally higher than short-term variabilities. It is worth noting that the effect of short-term or long-term feedstock compositional variability on MESP is small, about $0.03 per gallon. The long-term analysis variabilities reported here are plausible minimum values for these methods, though not necessarily average or expected variabilities. We must emphasize the importance of training and good analytical procedures needed to generate this data. As a result, when combined with a robust QA/QC oversight protocol, these empirical methods can be relied upon to generate high-quality data over a long period of time.« less

Enhanced osteoinductive capacity and decreased variability by enrichment of demineralized bone matrix with a bone protein extract.

PubMed

Ramis, Joana M; Calvo, Javier; Matas, Aina; Corbillo, Cristina; Gayà, Antoni; Monjo, Marta

2018-06-28

Osteoinductive capacity of demineralized bone matrix (DBM) is sometimes insufficient or shows high variability between different batches of DBM. Here, we tried to improve its osteoinductive activity by alkali-urea or trypsin treatment but this strategy was unsuccessful. Then, we tested the enrichment of DBM with a bone protein extract (BPE) containing osteogenic growth factors comparing two sources: cortical bone powder and DBM. The osteoinductive capacity (alkaline phosphatase activity) of the obtained BPEs was evaluated in vitro in C2C12 cells. Specific protein levels present in the different BPE was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or by a multiplex assay. BPE from cortical bone powder showed a lack of osteoinductive effect, in agreement with the low content on osteoinductive factors. In contrast, BPE from DBM showed osteoinductive activity but also high variability among donors. Thus, we decided to enrich DBM with BPE obtained from a pool of DBM from different donors. Following this strategy, we achieved increased osteoinductive activity and lower variability among donors. In conclusion, the use of a BPE obtained from a pool of demineralized bone to enrich DBM could be used to increase its osteoinductive effect and normalize the differences between donors.

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

Liu, Richen; Guo, Hanqi; Yuan, Xiaoru

Most of the existing approaches to visualize vector field ensembles are to reveal the uncertainty of individual variables, for example, statistics, variability, etc. However, a user-defined derived feature like vortex or air mass is also quite significant, since they make more sense to domain scientists. In this paper, we present a new framework to extract user-defined derived features from different simulation runs. Specially, we use a detail-to-overview searching scheme to help extract vortex with a user-defined shape. We further compute the geometry information including the size, the geo-spatial location of the extracted vortexes. We also design some linked views tomore » compare them between different runs. At last, the temporal information such as the occurrence time of the feature is further estimated and compared. Results show that our method is capable of extracting the features across different runs and comparing them spatially and temporally.« less

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction of antioxidant compounds from Guava (Psidium guajava L.) leaves using response surface methodology

PubMed Central

Kong, Fansheng; Yu, Shujuan; Feng, Zeng; Wu, Xinlan

2015-01-01

Objective: To optimization of extraction of antioxidant compounds from guava (Psidium guajava L.) leaves and showed that the guava leaves are the potential source of antioxidant compounds. Materials and Methods: The bioactive polysaccharide compounds of guava leaves (P. guajava L.) were obtained using ultrasonic-assisted extraction. Extraction was carried out according to Box-Behnken central composite design, and independent variables were temperature (20–60°C), time (20–40 min) and power (200–350 W). The extraction process was optimized by using response surface methodology for the highest crude extraction yield of bioactive polysaccharide compounds. Results: The optimal conditions were identified as 55°C, 30 min, and 240 W. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl and hydroxyl free radical scavenging were conducted. Conclusion: The results of quantification showed that the guava leaves are the potential source of antioxidant compounds. PMID:26246720

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction of antioxidant compounds from Guava (Psidium guajava L.) leaves using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Kong, Fansheng; Yu, Shujuan; Feng, Zeng; Wu, Xinlan

2015-01-01

To optimization of extraction of antioxidant compounds from guava (Psidium guajava L.) leaves and showed that the guava leaves are the potential source of antioxidant compounds. The bioactive polysaccharide compounds of guava leaves (P. guajava L.) were obtained using ultrasonic-assisted extraction. Extraction was carried out according to Box-Behnken central composite design, and independent variables were temperature (20-60°C), time (20-40 min) and power (200-350 W). The extraction process was optimized by using response surface methodology for the highest crude extraction yield of bioactive polysaccharide compounds. The optimal conditions were identified as 55°C, 30 min, and 240 W. 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl-hydrazyl and hydroxyl free radical scavenging were conducted. The results of quantification showed that the guava leaves are the potential source of antioxidant compounds.

Artificial neural network modelling of the antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds of bananas submitted to different drying treatments.

PubMed

Guiné, Raquel P F; Barroca, Maria João; Gonçalves, Fernando J; Alves, Mariana; Oliveira, Solange; Mendes, Mateus

2015-02-01

Bananas (cv. Musa nana and Musa cavendishii) fresh and dried by hot air at 50 and 70°C and lyophilisation were analysed for phenolic contents and antioxidant activity. All samples were subject to six extractions (three with methanol followed by three with acetone/water solution). The experimental data served to train a neural network adequate to describe the experimental observations for both output variables studied: total phenols and antioxidant activity. The results show that both bananas are similar and air drying decreased total phenols and antioxidant activity for both temperatures, whereas lyophilisation decreased the phenolic content in a lesser extent. Neural network experiments showed that antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds can be predicted accurately from the input variables: banana variety, dryness state and type and order of extract. Drying state and extract order were found to have larger impact in the values of antioxidant activity and phenolic compounds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Statistically Enhanced Model of In Situ Oil Sands Extraction Operations: An Evaluation of Variability in Greenhouse Gas Emissions.

PubMed

Orellana, Andrea; Laurenzi, Ian J; MacLean, Heather L; Bergerson, Joule A

2018-02-06

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with extraction of bitumen from oil sands can vary from project to project and over time. However, the nature and magnitude of this variability have yet to be incorporated into life cycle studies. We present a statistically enhanced life cycle based model (GHOST-SE) for assessing variability of GHG emissions associated with the extraction of bitumen using in situ techniques in Alberta, Canada. It employs publicly available, company-reported operating data, facilitating assessment of inter- and intraproject variability as well as the time evolution of GHG emissions from commercial in situ oil sands projects. We estimate the median GHG emissions associated with bitumen production via cyclic steam stimulation (CSS) to be 77 kg CO 2 eq/bbl bitumen (80% CI: 61-109 kg CO 2 eq/bbl), and via steam assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) to be 68 kg CO 2 eq/bbl bitumen (80% CI: 49-102 kg CO 2 eq/bbl). We also show that the median emissions intensity of Alberta's CSS and SAGD projects have been relatively stable from 2000 to 2013, despite greater than 6-fold growth in production. Variability between projects is the single largest source of variability (driven in part by reservoir characteristics) but intraproject variability (e.g., startups, interruptions), is also important and must be considered in order to inform research or policy priorities.

Optimisation of phenolic extraction from Averrhoa carambola pomace by response surface methodology and its microencapsulation by spray and freeze drying.

PubMed

Saikia, Sangeeta; Mahnot, Nikhil Kumar; Mahanta, Charu Lata

2015-03-15

Optimised of the extraction of polyphenol from star fruit (Averrhoa carambola) pomace using response surface methodology was carried out. Two variables viz. temperature (°C) and ethanol concentration (%) with 5 levels (-1.414, -1, 0, +1 and +1.414) were used to design the optimisation model using central composite rotatable design where, -1.414 and +1.414 refer to axial values, -1 and +1 mean factorial points and 0 refers to centre point of the design. The two variables, temperature of 40°C and ethanol concentration of 65% were the optimised conditions for the response variables of total phenolic content, ferric reducing antioxidant capacity and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl scavenging activity. The reverse phase-high pressure liquid chromatography chromatogram of the polyphenol extract showed eight phenolic acids and ascorbic acid. The extract was then encapsulated with maltodextrin (⩽ DE 20) by spray and freeze drying methods at three different concentrations. Highest encapsulating efficiency was obtained in freeze dried encapsulates (78-97%). The obtained optimised model could be used for polyphenol extraction from star fruit pomace and microencapsulates can be incorporated in different food systems to enhance their antioxidant property. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cortical integrity of the inferior alveolar canal as a predictor of paresthesia after third-molar extraction.

PubMed

Park, Wonse; Choi, Ji-Wook; Kim, Jae-Young; Kim, Bong-Chul; Kim, Hyung Jun; Lee, Sang-Hwy

2010-03-01

Paresthesia is a well-known complication of extraction of mandibular third molars (MTMs). The authors evaluated the relationship between paresthesia after MTM extraction and the cortical integrity of the inferior alveolar canal (IAC) by using computed tomography (CT). The authors designed a retrospective cohort study involving participants considered, on the basis of panoramic imaging, to be at high risk of experiencing injury of the inferior alveolar nerve who subsequently underwent CT imaging and extraction of the MTMs. The primary predictor variable was the contact relationship between the IAC and the MTM as viewed on a CT image, classified into three groups: group 1, no contact; group 2, contact between the MTM and the intact IAC cortex; group 3, contact between the MTM and the interrupted IAC cortex. The secondary predictor variable was the number of CT image slices showing the cortical interruption around the MTM. The outcome variable was the presence or absence of postoperative paresthesia after MTM extraction. The study sample comprised 179 participants who underwent MTM extraction (a total of 259 MTMs). Their mean age was 23.6 years, and 85 (47.5 percent) were male. The overall prevalence of paresthesia was 4.2 percent (11 of 259 teeth). The prevalence of paresthesia in group 3 (involving an interrupted IAC cortex) was 11.8 percent (10 of 85 cases), while for group 2 (involving an intact IAC cortex) and group 1 (involving no contact) it was 1.0 percent (1 of 98 cases) and 0.0 percent (no cases), respectively. The frequency of nerve damage increased with the number of CT image slices showing loss of cortical integrity (P=.043). The results of this study indicate that loss of IAC cortical integrity is associated with an increased risk of experiencing paresthesia after MTM extraction.

Methylation of Brazilein on Secang (Caesalpinia sappan Linn) Wood Extract for Maintain Color Stability to the Changes of pH

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulma, Zeni; Rahayuningsih, Edia; Dwi Wahyuningsih, Tutik

2018-01-01

The stability of natural dyes to the changes of pH is really necessary when the natural dyes are applied either on fabric or food. This research aimed to increase the stability of brazilein, a compound contained within the secang wood extract, to the changes of pH. The methylation process was done by reacting Dimethyl Carbonate (DMC) with the brazilein on the secang wood extract. DMC acts as a substance that substitute hydroxyl group on brazilein. The methylation reaction of brazilein on secang wood extract was operated on a three-necked round-bottomed flask fitted with mercury-sealed stirrer and reflux condenser under 80°C temperature and 250 rpm stirring speed. There were two variables observed in this research; the DMC amount ratio to the amount of secang wood extract and the time of the methylation process. The research showed that at the 1:10 the DMC amount ratio to the amount of wood extract and 8 hours of the methylation process give the better stability of color of the secang wood extract than the variation of the other variables.

Antifungal activity of different neem leaf extracts and the nimonol against some important human pathogens

PubMed Central

Mahmoud, D.A.; Hassanein, N.M.; Youssef, K.A.; Abou Zeid, M.A.

2011-01-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of aqueous, ethanolic and ethyl acetate extracts from neem leaves on growth of some human pathogens (Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus, Candida albicans and Microsporum gypseum) in vitro. Different concentrations (5, 10, 15 and 20%) prepared from these extracts inhibited the growth of the test pathogens and the effect gradually increased with concentration. The 20% ethyl acetate extract gave the strongest inhibition compared with the activity obtained by the same concentration of the other extracts. High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) analysis of ethyl acetate extract showed the presence of a main component (nimonol) which was purified and chemically confirmed by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopic analysis. The 20% ethyl acetate extract lost a part of its antifungal effect after pooling out the nimonol and this loss in activity was variable on test pathogens. The purified nimonol as a separate compound did not show any antifungal activity when assayed against all the six fungal pathogens. PMID:24031718

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Stilbenes from Grape Canes.

PubMed

Piñeiro, Zulema; Marrufo-Curtido, Almudena; Serrano, Maria Jose; Palma, Miguel

2016-06-16

An analytical ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method has been optimized and validated for the rapid extraction of stilbenes from grape canes. The influence of sample pre-treatment (oven or freeze-drying) and several extraction variables (solvent, sample-solvent ratio and extraction time between others) on the extraction process were analyzed. The new method allowed the main stilbenes in grape canes to be extracted in just 10 min, with an extraction temperature of 75 °C and 60% ethanol in water as the extraction solvent. Validation of the extraction method was based on analytical properties. The resulting RSDs (n = 5) for interday/intraday precision were less than 10%. Furthermore, the method was successfully applied in the analysis of 20 different grape cane samples. The result showed that grape cane byproducts are potentially sources of bioactive compounds of interest for pharmaceutical and food industries.

Optimization of supercritical fluid extraction and HPLC identification of wedelolactone from Wedelia calendulacea by orthogonal array design.

PubMed

Patil, Ajit A; Sachin, Bhusari S; Wakte, Pravin S; Shinde, Devanand B

2014-11-01

The purpose of this work is to provide a complete study of the influence of operational parameters of the supercritical carbon dioxide assisted extraction (SC CO2E) on yield of wedelolactone from Wedelia calendulacea Less., and to find an optimal combination of factors that maximize the wedelolactone yield. In order to determine the optimal combination of the four factors viz. operating pressure, temperature, modifier concentration and extraction time, a Taguchi experimental design approach was used: four variables (three levels) in L9 orthogonal array. Wedelolactone content was determined using validated HPLC methodology. Optimum extraction conditions were found to be as follows: extraction pressure, 25 MPa; temperature, 40 °C; modifier concentration, 10% and extraction time, 90 min. Optimum extraction conditions demonstrated wedelolactone yield of 8.01 ± 0.34 mg/100 g W. calendulacea Less. Pressure, temperature and time showed significant (p < 0.05) effect on the wedelolactone yield. The supercritical carbon dioxide extraction showed higher selectivity than the conventional Soxhlet assisted extraction method.

Optimization of supercritical fluid extraction and HPLC identification of wedelolactone from Wedelia calendulacea by orthogonal array design

PubMed Central

Patil, Ajit A.; Sachin, Bhusari S.; Wakte, Pravin S.; Shinde, Devanand B.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this work is to provide a complete study of the influence of operational parameters of the supercritical carbon dioxide assisted extraction (SC CO2E) on yield of wedelolactone from Wedelia calendulacea Less., and to find an optimal combination of factors that maximize the wedelolactone yield. In order to determine the optimal combination of the four factors viz. operating pressure, temperature, modifier concentration and extraction time, a Taguchi experimental design approach was used: four variables (three levels) in L9 orthogonal array. Wedelolactone content was determined using validated HPLC methodology. Optimum extraction conditions were found to be as follows: extraction pressure, 25 MPa; temperature, 40 °C; modifier concentration, 10% and extraction time, 90 min. Optimum extraction conditions demonstrated wedelolactone yield of 8.01 ± 0.34 mg/100 g W. calendulacea Less. Pressure, temperature and time showed significant (p < 0.05) effect on the wedelolactone yield. The supercritical carbon dioxide extraction showed higher selectivity than the conventional Soxhlet assisted extraction method. PMID:25687584

Monitoring the fetal heart rate variability during labor.

PubMed

Moslem, B; Mohydeen, A; Bazzi, O

2015-08-01

In respect to the main goal of our ongoing work for estimating the heart rate variability (HRV) from fetal electrocardiogram (FECG) signals for monitoring the health of the fetus, we investigate in this paper the possibility of extracting the fetal heart rate variability (HRV) directly from the abdominal composite recordings. Our proposed approach is based on a combination of two techniques: Periodic Component Analysis (PiCA) and recursive least square (RLS) adaptive filtering. The Fetal HRV of the estimated FECG signal is compared to a reference value extracted from an FECG signal recorded by using a spiral electrode attached directly to the fetal scalp. The results obtained show that the fetal HRV can be directly evaluated from the abdominal composite recordings without the need of recording an external reference signal.

Supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of seed oil from winter melon (Benincasa hispida) and its antioxidant activity and fatty acid composition.

PubMed

Bimakr, Mandana; Rahman, Russly Abdul; Taip, Farah Saleena; Adzahan, Noranizan Mohd; Sarker, Md Zaidul Islam; Ganjloo, Ali

2013-01-15

In the present study, supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO(2)) extraction of seed oil from winter melon (Benincasa hispida) was investigated. The effects of process variables namely pressure (150-300 bar), temperature (40-50 °C) and dynamic extraction time (60-120 min) on crude extraction yield (CEY) were studied through response surface methodology (RSM). The SC-CO(2) extraction process was modified using ethanol (99.9%) as co-solvent. Perturbation plot revealed the significant effect of all process variables on the CEY. A central composite design (CCD) was used to optimize the process conditions to achieve maximum CEY. The optimum conditions were 244 bar pressure, 46 °C temperature and 97 min dynamic extraction time. Under these optimal conditions, the CEY was predicted to be 176.30 mg-extract/g-dried sample. The validation experiment results agreed with the predicted value. The antioxidant activity and fatty acid composition of crude oil obtained under optimized conditions were determined and compared with published results using Soxhlet extraction (SE) and ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE). It was found that the antioxidant activity of the extract obtained by SC-CO(2) extraction was strongly higher than those obtained by SE and UAE. Identification of fatty acid composition using gas chromatography (GC) showed that all the extracts were rich in unsaturated fatty acids with the most being linoleic acid. In contrast, the amount of saturated fatty acids extracted by SE was higher than that extracted under optimized SC-CO(2) extraction conditions.

Spatial variability of soil total and DTPA-extractable cadmium caused by long-term application of phosphate fertilizers, crop rotation, and soil characteristics.

PubMed

Jafarnejadi, A R; Sayyad, Gh; Homaee, M; Davamei, A H

2013-05-01

Increasing cadmium (Cd) accumulation in agricultural soils is undesirable due to its hazardous influences on human health. Thus, having more information on spatial variability of Cd and factors effective to increase its content on the cultivated soils is very important. Phosphate fertilizers are main contamination source of cadmium (Cd) in cultivated soils. Also, crop rotation is a critical management practice which can alter soil Cd content. This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of long-term consumption of the phosphate fertilizers, crop rotations, and soil characteristics on spatial variability of two soil Cd species (i.e., total and diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (DTPA) extractable) in agricultural soils. The study was conducted in wheat farms of Khuzestan Province, Iran. Long-term (27-year period (1980 to 2006)) data including the rate and the type of phosphate fertilizers application, the respective area, and the rotation type of different regions were used. Afterwards, soil Cd content (total or DTPA extractable) and its spatial variability in study area (400,000 ha) were determined by sampling from soils of 255 fields. The results showed that the consumption rate of di-ammonium phosphate fertilizer have been varied enormously in the period study. The application rate of phosphorus fertilizers was very high in some subregions with have extensive agricultural activities (more than 95 kg/ha). The average and maximum contents of total Cd in the study region were obtained as 1.47 and 2.19 mg/kg and DTPA-extractable Cd as 0.084 and 0.35 mg/kg, respectively. The spatial variability of Cd indicated that total and DTPA-extractable Cd contents were over 0.8 and 0.1 mg/kg in 95 and 25 % of samples, respectively. The spherical model enjoys the best fitting and lowest error rate to appraise the Cd content. Comparing the phosphate fertilizer consumption rate with spatial variability of the soil cadmium (both total and DTPA extractable) revealed the high correlation between the consumption rate of P fertilizers and soil Cd content. Rotation type was likely the main effective factor on variations of the soil DTPA-extractable Cd contents in some parts (eastern part of study region) and could explain some Cd variation. Total Cd concentrations had significant correlation with the total neutralizing value (p < 0.01), available P (p < 0.01), cation exchange capacity (p < 0.05), and organic carbon (p < 0.05) variables. The DTPA-extractable Cd had significant correlation with OC (p < 0.01), pH, and clay content (p < 0.05). Therefore, consumption rate of the phosphate fertilizers and crop rotation are important factors on solubility and hence spatial variability of Cd content in agricultural soils.

Antibacterial, cytotoxicity and anticoagulant activities from Hypnea esperi and Caulerpa prolifera marine algae.

PubMed

Selim, Samy; Amin, Abeer; Hassan, Sherif; Hagazey, Mohamed

2015-03-01

Extracts from 2 algal species (Hypnea esperi and Caulerpa prolifera) from Suez Canal region, Egypt were screened for the production of antibacterial compounds against some pathogenic bacteria. The bacteria tested included Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Aeromonas hydrophila, Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Algal species displayed antibacterial activity. The methanolic extracts showed variable response by producing various zones of inhibition against studied bacteria. The tested Gram-negative bacteria were less affected by studied algal extracts than Gram-positive bacteria. We determined some biopotentials properties such as cytotoxicity and anticoagulant activity of most potent algal active extracts. The secondary metabolites of only Hypnea esperi algal extract effectively prevented the blood clotting to the extent of 120 seconds. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) indicated that all potent tested algal extract C inhibits Bacillus subtilis and Staphylococcus aureus. Minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) was between 1 and 1.4mg/ml. The algal isolates from Egypt have been found showing promising results against infectious bacteria instead of some synthetic antibiotics.

Antioxidant Compound Extraction from Maqui (Aristotelia chilensis [Mol] Stuntz) Berries: Optimization by Response Surface Methodology

PubMed Central

Quispe-Fuentes, Issis; Vega-Gálvez, Antonio; Campos-Requena, Víctor H.

2017-01-01

The optimum conditions for the antioxidant extraction from maqui berry were determined using a response surface methodology. A three level D-optimal design was used to investigate the effects of three independent variables namely, solvent type (methanol, acetone and ethanol), solvent concentration and extraction time over total antioxidant capacity by using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) method. The D-optimal design considered 42 experiments including 10 central point replicates. A second-order polynomial model showed that more than 89% of the variation is explained with a satisfactory prediction (78%). ORAC values are higher when acetone was used as a solvent at lower concentrations, and the extraction time range studied showed no significant influence on ORAC values. The optimal conditions for antioxidant extraction obtained were 29% of acetone for 159 min under agitation. From the results obtained it can be concluded that the given predictive model describes an antioxidant extraction process from maqui berry.

Optimization of mucilage extraction from chia seeds (Salvia hispanica L.) using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Orifici, Stefania C; Capitani, Marianela I; Tomás, Mabel C; Nolasco, Susana M

2018-02-25

Chia mucilage has potential application as a functional ingredient; advances on maximizing its extraction yield could represent a significant technological and economic impact for the food industry. Thus, first, the effect of mechanical agitation time (1-3 h) on the exudation of chia mucilage was analyzed. Then, response surface methodology was used to determine the optimal combination of the independent variables temperature (15-85 °C) and seed: water ratio (1: 12-1: 40.8 w/v) for the 2 h exudation that give maximum chia mucilage yield. Experiments were designed according to central composite rotatable design. A second-order polynomial model predicted the variation in extraction mucilage yield with the variables temperature and seed: water ratio. The optimal operating conditions were found to be temperature 85 °C and a seed: water ratio of 1: 31 (w/v), reaching an experimental extraction yield of 116 ± 0.21 g kg -1 (dry basis). The mucilage obtained exhibited good functional properties, mainly in terms of water-holding capacity, emulsifying activity, and emulsion stability. The results obtained show that temperature, seed: water ratio, and exudation time are important variables of the process that affect the extraction yield and the quality of the chia mucilage, determined according to its physicochemical and functional properties. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of temperature, time, and milling process on yield, flavonoid, and total phenolic content of Zingiber officinale water extract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andriyani, R.; Kosasih, W.; Ningrum, D. R.; Pudjiraharti, S.

2017-03-01

Several parameters such as temperature, time of extraction, and size of simplicia play significant role in medicinal herb extraction. This study aimed to investigate the effect of those parameters on yield extract, flavonoid, and total phenolic content in water extract of Zingiber officinale. The temperatures used were 50, 70 and 90°C and the extraction times were 30, 60 and 90 min. Z. officinale in the form of powder and chips were used to study the effect of milling treatment. The correlation among those variables was analysed using ANOVA two-way factors without replication. The result showed that time and temperature did not influence the yield of extract of Powder simplicia. However, time of extraction influenced the extract of simplicia treated without milling process. On the other hand, flavonoid and total phenolic content were not influenced by temperature, time, and milling treatment.

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction of total saponins from Eclipta prostrasta L. using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Hu, Ting; Guo, Yan-Yun; Zhou, Qin-Fan; Zhong, Xian-Ke; Zhu, Liang; Piao, Jin-Hua; Chen, Jian; Jiang, Jian-Guo

2012-09-01

Eclipta prostrasta L. is a traditional Chinese medicine herb, which is rich in saponins and has strong antiviral and antitumor activities. An ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) technique was developed for the fast extraction of saponins from E. prostrasta. The content of total saponins in E. prostrasta was determined using UV/vis spectrophotometric methods. Several influential parameters like ethanol concentration, extraction time, temperature, and liquid/solid ratio were investigated for the optimization of the extraction using single factor and Box-Behnken experimental designs. Extraction conditions were optimized for maximum yield of total saponins in E. prostrasta using response surface methodology (RSM) with 4 independent variables at 3 levels of each variable. Results showed that the optimization conditions for saponins extraction were: ethanol concentration 70%, extraction time 3 h, temperature 70 °C, and liquid/solid ratio 14:1. Corresponding saponins content was 2.096%. The mathematical model developed was found to fit well with the experimental data. Practical Application: Although there are wider applications of Eclipta prostrasta L. as a functional food or traditional medicine due to its various bioactivities, these properties are limited by its crude extracts. Total saponins are the main active ingredient of E. prostrasta. This research has optimized the extraction conditions of total saponins from E. prostrasta, which will provide useful reference information for further studies, and offer related industries with helpful guidance in practice. © 2012 Institute of Food Technologists®

Electrogeochemical sampling with NEOCHIM - results of tests over buried gold deposits

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leinz, R.W.; Hoover, D.B.; Fey, D.L.; Smith, D.B.; Patterson, T.

1998-01-01

Electrogeochemical extraction methods are based on the migration of ions in an electric field. Ions present in soil moisture are transported by an applied current into fluids contained in special electrodes placed on the soil. The fluids are then collected and analyzed. Extractions are governed by Faraday's and Ohm's laws and are modeled by the operation of a simple Hittord transference apparatus. Calculations show that the volume of soil sampled in an ideal electrogeochemical extraction can be orders of magnitude greater than the volumes used in more popular geochemical extraction methods, although this has not been verified experimentally. CHIM is a method of in-situ electrogeochemical extraction that was developed in the former Soviet Union and has been tested and applied internationally to exploration for buried mineral deposits. Tests carried out at the US Geological Survey (USGS) indicated that there were problems inherent in the use of CHIM technology. The cause of the problems was determined to be the diffusion of acid from the conventional electrode into the soil. The NEOCHIM electrode incorporates two compartments and a salt bridge in a design that inhibits diffusion of acid and enables the collection of anions or cations. Tests over a gold-enriched vein in Colorado and over buried, Carlin-type, disseminated gold deposits in northern Nevada show that there are similarities and differences between NEOCHIM results and those by partial extractions of soils which include simple extractions with water, dilute acids and solutions of salts used as collector fluids in the electrodes. Results of both differ from the results obtained by total chemical digestion. The results indicate that NEOCHIM responds to mineralized faults associated with disseminated gold deposits whereas partial and total chemical extraction methods do not. This suggests that faults are favored channels for the upward migration of metals and that NEOCHIM may be more effective in exploration for the deposits. It defines anomalies that are often narrow and intense, an observation previously made by CHIM researchers. The field tests show that NEOCHIM is less affected by surface contamination. A test over the Mike disseminated gold deposit indicates that the method may not be effective for locating deposits with impermeable cover. Faradaic extraction efficiencies of 20-30%, or more, are frequently achieved with NEOCHIM and the method generally shows good reproducibility, especially in extraction of major cations. However, ions of other metals that are useful in exploration, including Au and As, may be collected in low and temporally variable concentrations. The reason for this variability is unclear and requires further investigation.CHIM is a method of in-situ electrogeochemical extraction developed for the exploration of buried mineral deposits. However, electrode problems like diffusion of acid into the soil were encountered during the use of CHIM. The NEOCHIM electrode was developed to inhibit the diffusion of acid and enable collection of anions or cations. Tests over buried gold deposits showed that NEOCHIM responds to mineralized faults associated with disseminated gold deposits whereas partial and total chemical extraction methods do not. This suggests that faults are favored channels for the upward migration of metals and NEOCHIM may be effective in exploration for the deposits. But ions of metals may be collected in low and variable concentration.

Ultrasound assisted extraction of polysaccharides from Lentinus edodes and its anti-hepatitis B activity in vitro.

PubMed

Zhao, Yong-Ming; Yang, Jian-Ming; Liu, Ying-Hui; Zhao, Ming; Wang, Jin

2018-02-01

The aim of this study was to optimize the extraction process of polysaccharides from the fruiting bodies of Lentinus edodes and investigate its anti-hepatitis B virus activity. The extracting parameters including ultrasonic power (240-320W), extraction temperature (40-60°C) and extraction time (15-25min) was optimized by using three-variable-three-level Box-Behnken design based on the single-factor experiments. Data analysis results showed that the optimal conditions for extracting LEPs were an extraction temperature of 45°C, extraction time of 21min and ultrasonic power of 290W. Under these optimal conditions, the experimental yield of LEPs was 9.75%, a 1.62-fold increase compared with conventional heat water extraction (HWE). In addition, crude polysaccharides were purified to obtain two fractions (LEP-1 and LEP-2). Chemical analysis showed that these components were rich in glucose, arabinose and mannose. Furthermore, HepG2.2.15 cells were used as in vitro models to evaluate their anti-hepatitis B virus (HBV) activity. The results suggest that LEPs possesses potent anti-HBV activity in vitro. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of Extraction Process for Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Activities of Kursi Wufarikun Ziyabit Using Response Surface Methodology and Quantitative Analysis of Main Components.

PubMed

Edirs, Salamet; Turak, Ablajan; Numonov, Sodik; Xin, Xuelei; Aisa, Haji Akber

2017-01-01

By using extraction yield, total polyphenolic content, antidiabetic activities (PTP-1B and α -glycosidase), and antioxidant activity (ABTS and DPPH) as indicated markers, the extraction conditions of the prescription Kursi Wufarikun Ziyabit (KWZ) were optimized by response surface methodology (RSM). Independent variables were ethanol concentration, extraction temperature, solid-to-solvent ratio, and extraction time. The result of RSM analysis showed that the four variables investigated have a significant effect ( p < 0.05) for Y 1 , Y 2 , Y 3 , Y 4 , and Y 5 with R 2 value of 0.9120, 0.9793, 0.9076, 0.9125, and 0.9709, respectively. Optimal conditions for the highest extraction yield of 39.28%, PTP-1B inhibition rate of 86.21%, α -glycosidase enzymes inhibition rate of 96.56%, and ABTS inhibition rate of 77.38% were derived at ethanol concentration 50.11%, extraction temperature 72.06°C, solid-to-solvent ratio 1 : 22.73 g/mL, and extraction time 2.93 h. On the basis of total polyphenol content of 48.44% in this optimal condition, the quantitative analysis of effective part of KWZ was characterized via UPLC method, 12 main components were identified by standard compounds, and all of them have shown good regression within the test ranges and the total content of them was 11.18%.

Feasibility study of a cosmetic cream added with aqueous extract and oil from date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruit seed using experimental design.

PubMed

Lecheb, Fatma; Benamara, Salem

2015-01-01

This article reports on the feasibility study of a cosmetic cream added with aqueous extract and oil from date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruit seed using experimental design. First, the mixture design was applied to optimize the cosmetic formula. The responses (dependent variables) were the spreadability (YSp) and viscosity (YVis), the factors (independent variables) being the weight proportions of the fatty phase (X1), the aqueous date seed extract (X2), and the beeswax (X3). Second, the cosmetic stability study was conducted by applying a full factorial design. Here, three responses were considered [spreadability (Sp), viscosity (Vis), and peroxide index (PI)], the independent variables being the concentration of the date seed oil (DSO) (x1), storage temperature (x2), and storage time (x3). Results showed that in the case of mixture design, the second-order polynomial equations correctly described experimental data. Globally, results show that there is a relatively wide composition range to ensure a suitable cosmetic cream from the point of view of Sp and Vis. Regarding the cosmetic stability, the storage time was found to be the most influential factor on both Vis and PI, which are considered here as indicators of physical and chemical stability of the emulsion, respectively. Finally, the elaborated and commercial cosmetics were compared in terms of pH, Sp, and centrifugation test (Ct).

Treatment for the premenstrual syndrome with agnus castus fruit extract: prospective, randomised, placebo controlled study

PubMed Central

Schellenberg, R

2001-01-01

Objectives To compare the efficacy and tolerability of agnus castus fruit (Vitex agnus castus L extract Ze 440) with placebo for women with the premenstrual syndrome. Design Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group comparison over three menstrual cycles. Setting General medicine community clinics. Participants 178 women were screened and 170 were evaluated (active 86; placebo 84). Mean age was 36 years, mean cycle length was 28 days, mean duration of menses was 4.5 days. Interventions Agnus castus (dry extract tablets) one tablet daily or matching placebo, given for three consecutive cycles. Main outcome measures Main efficacy variable: change from baseline to end point (end of third cycle) in women's self assessment of irritability, mood alteration, anger, headache, breast fullness, and other menstrual symptoms including bloating. Secondary efficacy variables: changes in clinical global impression (severity of condition, global improvement, and risk or benefit) and responder rate (50% reduction in symptoms). Results Improvement in the main variable was greater in the active group compared with placebo group (P<0.001). Analysis of the secondary variables showed significant (P<0.001) superiority of active treatment in each of the three global impression items. Responder rates were 52% and 24% for active and placebo, respectively. Seven women reported mild adverse events (four active; three placebo), none of which caused discontinuation of treatment. Conclusions Dry extract of agnus castus fruit is an effective and well tolerated treatment for the relief of symptoms of the premenstrual syndrome. PMID:11159568

Treatment for the premenstrual syndrome with agnus castus fruit extract: prospective, randomised, placebo controlled study.

PubMed

Schellenberg, R

2001-01-20

To compare the efficacy and tolerability of agnus castus fruit (Vitex agnus castus L extract Ze 440) with placebo for women with the premenstrual syndrome. Randomised, double blind, placebo controlled, parallel group comparison over three menstrual cycles. General medicine community clinics. 178 women were screened and 170 were evaluated (active 86; placebo 84). Mean age was 36 years, mean cycle length was 28 days, mean duration of menses was 4.5 days. Agnus castus (dry extract tablets) one tablet daily or matching placebo, given for three consecutive cycles. Main efficacy variable: change from baseline to end point (end of third cycle) in women's self assessment of irritability, mood alteration, anger, headache, breast fullness, and other menstrual symptoms including bloating. Secondary efficacy variables: changes in clinical global impression (severity of condition, global improvement, and risk or benefit) and responder rate (50% reduction in symptoms). Improvement in the main variable was greater in the active group compared with placebo group (P<0.001). Analysis of the secondary variables showed significant (P<0.001) superiority of active treatment in each of the three global impression items. Responder rates were 52% and 24% for active and placebo, respectively. Seven women reported mild adverse events (four active; three placebo), none of which caused discontinuation of treatment. Dry extract of agnus castus fruit is an effective and well tolerated treatment for the relief of symptoms of the premenstrual syndrome.

Chemical Variability, Antioxidant and Antifungal Activities of Essential Oils and Hydrosol Extract of Calendula arvensis L. from Western Algeria.

PubMed

Belabbes, Rania; Dib, Mohammed El Amine; Djabou, Nassim; Ilias, Faiza; Tabti, Boufeldja; Costa, Jean; Muselli, Alain

2017-05-01

The chemical composition of the essential oils and hydrosol extract from aerial parts of Calendula arvensis L. was investigated using GC-FID and GC/MS. Intra-species variations of the chemical compositions of essential oils from 18 Algerian sample locations were investigated using statistical analysis. Chemical analysis allowed the identification of 53 compounds amounting to 92.3 - 98.5% with yields varied of 0.09 - 0.36% and the main compounds were zingiberenol 1 (8.7 - 29.8%), eremoligenol (4.2 - 12.5%), β-curcumene (2.1 - 12.5%), zingiberenol 2 (4.6 - 19.8%) and (E,Z)-farnesol (3.5 - 23.4%). The study of the chemical variability of essential oils allowed the discrimination of two main clusters confirming that there is a relation between the essential oil compositions and the harvest locations. Different concentrations of essential oil and hydrosol extract were prepared and their antioxidant activity were assessed using three methods (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, Ferric-Reducing Antioxidant Power Assay and β-carotene). The results showed that hydrosol extract presented an interesting antioxidant activity. The in vitro antifungal activity of hydrosol extract produced the best antifungal inhibition against Penicillium expansum and Aspergillus niger, while, essential oil was inhibitory at relatively higher concentrations. Results showed that the treatments of pear fruits with essential oil and hydrosol extract presented a very interesting protective activity on disease severity of pears caused by P. expansum. © 2017 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

Efficacy of plasma-rich growth factor in the healing of postextraction sockets in patients affected by insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Mozzati, Marco; Gallesio, Giorgia; di Romana, Sara; Bergamasco, Laura; Pol, Renato

2014-03-01

To evaluate the efficacy of plasma-rich growth factor (PRGF) in improving socket healing after tooth extraction in diabetic patients. This was a split-mouth study in which each patient also served as the control: the study socket was treated with PRGF, whereas the control socket underwent natural healing. The outcome variables were the Healing Index, residual socket volume, visual analog scale score, postsurgical complications, and outcome of a patient questionnaire. The investigation considered the impact of hyperglycemia, glycated hemoglobin, End Organ Disease Score, and smoking habits. Follow-up included 4 postextraction checkups over a 21-day period. Pairs of correlated continuous variables were analyzed with the Wilcoxon test, independent continuous variables with the Mann-Whitney test, and categorical variables with the χ(2) test or Fisher test. From January 2012 to December 2012, 34 patients affected by insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus underwent contemporary bilateral extractions of homologous teeth. The treatment-versus-control postoperative comparison showed that PRGF resulted in significantly smaller residual socket volumes and better Healing Indices from days 3 to 14. The patients' questionnaire outcomes were unanimously in favor of PRGF treatment. The small sample of patients with glycemia values of at least 240 mg/dL showed worse Healing Index and minor socket decreases. PRGF application after extraction improved the healing process in diabetic patients by accelerating socket closure (epithelialization) and tissue maturation, proving the association between PRGF use and improved wound healing in diabetic patients. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pressurized fluid extraction of essential oil from Lavandula hybrida using a modified supercritical fluid extractor and a central composite design for optimization.

PubMed

Kamali, Hossein; Jalilvand, Mohammad Reza; Aminimoghadamfarouj, Noushin

2012-06-01

Essential oil components were extracted from lavandin (Lavandula hybrida) flowers using pressurized fluid extraction. A central composite design was used to optimize the effective extraction variables. The chemical composition of extracted samples was analyzed by a gas chromatograph-flame ionization detector column. For achieving 100% extraction yield, the temperature, pressure, extraction time, and the solvent flow rate were adjusted at 90.6°C, 63 bar, 30.4 min, and 0.2 mL/min, respectively. The results showed that pressurized fluid extraction is a practical technique for separation of constituents such as 1,8-cineole (8.1%), linalool (34.1%), linalyl acetate (30.5%), and camphor (7.3%) from lavandin to be applied in the food, fragrance, pharmaceutical, and natural biocides industries. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Impact of industrial hammer mill rotor speed on extraction efficiency and quality of extra virgin olive oil.

PubMed

Polari, Juan J; Garcí-Aguirre, David; Olmo-García, Lucía; Carrasco-Pancorbo, Alegría; Wang, Selina C

2018-03-01

Crushing is a key step during olive oil extraction. Among commercial crushers, the hammer mill is the most widely used due to its robustness and high throughput. In the present work, the impact of hammer mill rotor speed on extraction yield and overall quality of super-high-density Arbosana olive oils were assessed in an industrial facility. Our results show that increasing the rotor speed from 2400rpm to 3600rpm led to a rise in oil yield of 1.2%, while conserving quality parameters. Sensory analysis showed more pungency with increased rotation speed, while others attributes were unaffected. Volatile compounds showed little variation with the differences in crusher speed; however, total phenols content, two relevant secoiridoids, and triterpenoids levels increased with rotor speed. Hammer mill rotor speed is a processing variable that can be tuned to increase the extraction efficiency and modulate the chemical composition of extra virgin olive oil. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Differences among heat-treated, raw, and commercial peanut extracts by skin testing and immunoblotting.

PubMed

Maleki, Soheila J; Casillas, Adrian M; Kaza, Ujwala; Wilson, Brian A; Nesbit, Jacqueline B; Reimoneqnue, Chantrel; Cheng, Hsiaopo; Bahna, Sami L

2010-12-01

Peanut allergenicity has been reported to be influenced by heat treatment, yet the commonly available extracts for skin prick testing (SPT) are derived from raw extracts. To assess the effect of heat treatment on the SPT reactivity and specific IgE binding to peanut. Three commercial extracts and 3 laboratory-prepared extracts, including raw, roasted, and boiled, were used for SPT in 19 patients with suspected peanut allergy and in 4 individuals who eat peanut without any symptoms. Serum samples were obtained to measure total IgE in addition to specific IgE binding to the study extracts by immunoblotting. Peanut allergy was confirmed with challenge test unless the individual had a convincing history of a severe reaction. Eleven study participants were considered peanut allergic based on a strong history or positive challenge test result. SPT with the prepared and commercial reagents showed that the boiled extract had the highest specificity (67% vs 42%-63% for the other extracts). The prepared extracts showed similar SPT sensitivity (81%). Three patients with a history of severe reaction and elevated specific IgE levels to peanut to the 3 study extracts had variable SPT reactivity to 1 or more of the commercial extracts. IgE binding to Ara h 2 was found in nearly all patients, regardless of their clinical reactivity. None of the extracts tested showed optimal diagnostic reliability regarding both sensitivity and specificity. Perhaps testing should be performed with multiple individual extracts prepared by different methods. Copyright © 2010 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Therapeutic potentials of Crataegus azarolus var. eu- azarolus Maire leaves and its isolated compounds.

PubMed

Abu-Gharbieh, Eman; Shehab, Naglaa Gamil

2017-04-18

Hyperglycemia is a complicated condition accompanied with high incidence of infection and dyslipidemia. This study aimed to explore the phyto-constituents of Crataegus azarolus var. eu- azarolus Maire leaves, and to evaluate the therapeutic potentials particularly antimicrobial, antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic of the extract and the isolated compound (3β-O-acetyl ursolic acid). Total phenolics and flavonoidal contents were measured by RP-HPLC analysis. Free radicals scavenging activity of different extraction solvents was tested in-vitro on DPPH free radicals. The antimicrobial activity of the ethanolic extract and its fractions as well as the isolated compounds were evaluated in-vitro on variable microorganisms. Animal models were used to evaluate the antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic activities of the ethanolic extract along with the isolated compound (3β-O acetyl ursolic acid). RP- HPLC analysis of the phenolics revealed high content of rutin, salicylic and ellagic acids. Six compounds belonging to triterpenes and phenolics were isolated from chloroform and n-butanol fractions namely: ursolic acid, 3β-O-acetyl ursolic acid, ellagic acid, quercetin 3-O-β methyl ether, rutin and apigenin7-O-rutinoside. Ethanolic extract showed the highest DPPH radical scavenger activity compared to other solvents. Ethanolic extract, hexane fraction, ursolic acid, 3β-O acetyl ursolic acid and quercetin 3-O-methyl ether showed variable antimicrobial activity against E. coli, P. aeruginosa, S. aureus, and C. albicans. Administration of the ethanolic extract or 3β-O acetyl ursolic acid orally to the mice reduced blood glucose significantly in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Ethanolic extract significantly reduced LDL-C, VLDL-C, TC and TG and increased HDL-C in rats. Ethanolic extract and 3β-O acetyl ursolic acid reduced in-vitro activity of pancreatic lipase. This study reveals that Crataegus azarolus var. eu- azarolus Maire has the efficiency to control hyperglycemia with its associated complications. This study is the first to evaluate antihyperglycemic and antihyperlipidemic potentials of 3β-O acetyl ursolic acid.

Hierarchical extraction of urban objects from mobile laser scanning data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Bisheng; Dong, Zhen; Zhao, Gang; Dai, Wenxia

2015-01-01

Point clouds collected in urban scenes contain a huge number of points (e.g., billions), numerous objects with significant size variability, complex and incomplete structures, and variable point densities, raising great challenges for the automated extraction of urban objects in the field of photogrammetry, computer vision, and robotics. This paper addresses these challenges by proposing an automated method to extract urban objects robustly and efficiently. The proposed method generates multi-scale supervoxels from 3D point clouds using the point attributes (e.g., colors, intensities) and spatial distances between points, and then segments the supervoxels rather than individual points by combining graph based segmentation with multiple cues (e.g., principal direction, colors) of the supervoxels. The proposed method defines a set of rules for merging segments into meaningful units according to types of urban objects and forms the semantic knowledge of urban objects for the classification of objects. Finally, the proposed method extracts and classifies urban objects in a hierarchical order ranked by the saliency of the segments. Experiments show that the proposed method is efficient and robust for extracting buildings, streetlamps, trees, telegraph poles, traffic signs, cars, and enclosures from mobile laser scanning (MLS) point clouds, with an overall accuracy of 92.3%.

Inulin rich carbohydrates extraction from Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus L.) tubers and application of different drying methods.

PubMed

Rubel, Irene A; Iraporda, Carolina; Novosad, Rocio; Cabrera, Fernanda A; Genovese, Diego B; Manrique, Guillermo D

2018-01-01

In this study the operational extraction variables to obtain higher yields of inulin from Jerusalem artichoke tubers (JAT), as well as the optimal conditions to obtain a stable and dispersible powdered product by either spray or freeze drying, were studied. With this purpose, the powder yield, moisture content, water activity and flowability or products obtained by different experimental conditions were analyzed. Inulin rich carbohydrates (IRC) extraction was performed from lyophilized and ground tubers employing distilled hot water as solvent. It was proved that the solid:solvent ratio (S:S) was the critical variable in the extraction process, followed by temperature. Thus, the IRC extraction was optimal without ultrasound assistance, at 76°C, employing a S:S of 1:16, during 90min. In addition, the powder obtained by freeze-drying of the IRC extract showed advantages respect to powders obtained by spray-drying regarding the yield and considering that maltodextrin was not necessary as encapsulation agent. In another hand, spray drying process provided IRC powered materials with appropriate flow properties, and taking into account cost and time of production, this method should be considered as an alternative of freeze-drying. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accurate description of charge transport in organic field effect transistors using an experimentally extracted density of states

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roelofs, W. S. C.; Mathijssen, S. G. J.; Janssen, R. A. J.; de Leeuw, D. M.; Kemerink, M.

2012-02-01

The width and shape of the density of states (DOS) are key parameters to describe the charge transport of organic semiconductors. Here we extract the DOS using scanning Kelvin probe microscopy on a self-assembled monolayer field effect transistor (SAMFET). The semiconductor is only a single monolayer which has allowed extraction of the DOS over a wide energy range, pushing the methodology to its fundamental limit. The measured DOS consists of an exponential distribution of deep states with additional localized states on top. The charge transport has been calculated in a generic variable range-hopping model that allows any DOS as input. We show that with the experimentally extracted DOS an excellent agreement between measured and calculated transfer curves is obtained. This shows that detailed knowledge of the density of states is a prerequisite to consistently describe the transfer characteristics of organic field effect transistors.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of maxilla showing sarcomatous change in an edentulous site with a history of tooth extraction following periodontitis: A case report with discussion.

PubMed

Biniraj, K R; Janardhanan, Mahija

2014-05-01

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare tumor of uncertain origin with variable biological behavior ranging from reactive lesions to highly aggressive malignancy. Oral IMTs are extremely rare and only 25 cases had been reported so far. A case of IMT with sarcomatous transformation in an extraction site with a history of tooth extraction following tooth mobility of an upper left molar tooth is presented here. The tooth was extracted following a complaint of gingival swelling and mobility of tooth. Though malignant transformation in IMTs had been documented in the extra oral sites, wide search of associated literature suggests, this is the first case of oral IMT showing malignant change associated with gingiva. The case report attempts to highlight the variant possibilities of tooth mobility other than periodontitis and the importance of assessing the primary cause of such conditions.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of maxilla showing sarcomatous change in an edentulous site with a history of tooth extraction following periodontitis: A case report with discussion

PubMed Central

Biniraj, K. R.; Janardhanan, Mahija

2014-01-01

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) is a rare tumor of uncertain origin with variable biological behavior ranging from reactive lesions to highly aggressive malignancy. Oral IMTs are extremely rare and only 25 cases had been reported so far. A case of IMT with sarcomatous transformation in an extraction site with a history of tooth extraction following tooth mobility of an upper left molar tooth is presented here. The tooth was extracted following a complaint of gingival swelling and mobility of tooth. Though malignant transformation in IMTs had been documented in the extra oral sites, wide search of associated literature suggests, this is the first case of oral IMT showing malignant change associated with gingiva. The case report attempts to highlight the variant possibilities of tooth mobility other than periodontitis and the importance of assessing the primary cause of such conditions. PMID:25024554

Extraction of liver volumetry based on blood vessel from the portal phase CT dataset

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maklad, Ahmed S.; Matsuhiro, Mikio; Suzuki, Hidenobu; Kawata, Yoshiki; Niki, Noboru; Utsunomiya, Tohru; Shimada, Mitsuo

2012-02-01

At liver surgery planning stage, the liver volumetry would be essential for surgeons. Main problem at liver extraction is the wide variability of livers in shapes and sizes. Since, hepatic blood vessels structure varies from a person to another and covers liver region, the present method uses that information for extraction of liver in two stages. The first stage is to extract abdominal blood vessels in the form of hepatic and nonhepatic blood vessels. At the second stage, extracted vessels are used to control extraction of liver region automatically. Contrast enhanced CT datasets at only the portal phase of 50 cases is used. Those data include 30 abnormal livers. A reference for all cases is done through a comparison of two experts labeling results and correction of their inter-reader variability. Results of the proposed method agree with the reference at an average rate of 97.8%. Through application of different metrics mentioned at MICCAI workshop for liver segmentation, it is found that: volume overlap error is 4.4%, volume difference is 0.3%, average symmetric distance is 0.7 mm, Root mean square symmetric distance is 0.8 mm, and maximum distance is 15.8 mm. These results represent the average of overall data and show an improved accuracy compared to current liver segmentation methods. It seems to be a promising method for extraction of liver volumetry of various shapes and sizes.

Optimization of the ultrasound-assisted extraction of anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds in mulberry (Morus nigra) pulp.

PubMed

Espada-Bellido, Estrella; Ferreiro-González, Marta; Carrera, Ceferino; Palma, Miguel; Barroso, Carmelo G; Barbero, Gerardo F

2017-03-15

New ultrasound-assisted extraction methods for the determination of anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds present in mulberries have been developed. Several extraction variables, including methanol composition (50-100%), temperature (10-70°C), ultrasound amplitude (30-70%), cycle (0.2-0.7s), solvent pH (3-7) and solvent-solid ratio (10:1.5-20:1.5) were optimized. A Box-Behnken design in conjunction with a response surface methodology was employed to optimize the conditions for the maximum response based on 54 different experiments. Two response variables were considered: total anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds. Extraction temperature and solvent composition were found to be the most influential parameters for anthocyanins (48°C and 76%) and phenolic compounds (64°C and 61%). The developed methods showed high reproducibility and repeatability (RSD<5%). Finally, the new methods were successfully applied to real samples in order to investigate the presence of anthocyanins and total phenolic compounds in several mulberry jams. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ensembles of NLP Tools for Data Element Extraction from Clinical Notes

PubMed Central

Kuo, Tsung-Ting; Rao, Pallavi; Maehara, Cleo; Doan, Son; Chaparro, Juan D.; Day, Michele E.; Farcas, Claudiu; Ohno-Machado, Lucila; Hsu, Chun-Nan

2016-01-01

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is essential for concept extraction from narrative text in electronic health records (EHR). To extract numerous and diverse concepts, such as data elements (i.e., important concepts related to a certain medical condition), a plausible solution is to combine various NLP tools into an ensemble to improve extraction performance. However, it is unclear to what extent ensembles of popular NLP tools improve the extraction of numerous and diverse concepts. Therefore, we built an NLP ensemble pipeline to synergize the strength of popular NLP tools using seven ensemble methods, and to quantify the improvement in performance achieved by ensembles in the extraction of data elements for three very different cohorts. Evaluation results show that the pipeline can improve the performance of NLP tools, but there is high variability depending on the cohort. PMID:28269947

Ensembles of NLP Tools for Data Element Extraction from Clinical Notes.

PubMed

Kuo, Tsung-Ting; Rao, Pallavi; Maehara, Cleo; Doan, Son; Chaparro, Juan D; Day, Michele E; Farcas, Claudiu; Ohno-Machado, Lucila; Hsu, Chun-Nan

2016-01-01

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is essential for concept extraction from narrative text in electronic health records (EHR). To extract numerous and diverse concepts, such as data elements (i.e., important concepts related to a certain medical condition), a plausible solution is to combine various NLP tools into an ensemble to improve extraction performance. However, it is unclear to what extent ensembles of popular NLP tools improve the extraction of numerous and diverse concepts. Therefore, we built an NLP ensemble pipeline to synergize the strength of popular NLP tools using seven ensemble methods, and to quantify the improvement in performance achieved by ensembles in the extraction of data elements for three very different cohorts. Evaluation results show that the pipeline can improve the performance of NLP tools, but there is high variability depending on the cohort.

Efficient Variable Selection Method for Exposure Variables on Binary Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohno, Manabu; Tarumi, Tomoyuki

In this paper, we propose a new variable selection method for "robust" exposure variables. We define "robust" as property that the same variable can select among original data and perturbed data. There are few studies of effective for the selection method. The problem that selects exposure variables is almost the same as a problem that extracts correlation rules without robustness. [Brin 97] is suggested that correlation rules are possible to extract efficiently using chi-squared statistic of contingency table having monotone property on binary data. But the chi-squared value does not have monotone property, so it's is easy to judge the method to be not independent with an increase in the dimension though the variable set is completely independent, and the method is not usable in variable selection for robust exposure variables. We assume anti-monotone property for independent variables to select robust independent variables and use the apriori algorithm for it. The apriori algorithm is one of the algorithms which find association rules from the market basket data. The algorithm use anti-monotone property on the support which is defined by association rules. But independent property does not completely have anti-monotone property on the AIC of independent probability model, but the tendency to have anti-monotone property is strong. Therefore, selected variables with anti-monotone property on the AIC have robustness. Our method judges whether a certain variable is exposure variable for the independent variable using previous comparison of the AIC. Our numerical experiments show that our method can select robust exposure variables efficiently and precisely.

Radical scavenging activities of Rio Red grapefruits and Sour orange fruit extracts in different in vitro model systems.

PubMed

Jayaprakasha, G K; Girennavar, Basavaraj; Patil, Bhimanagouda S

2008-07-01

Antioxidant fractions from two different citrus species such as Rio Red (Citrus paradise Macf.) and Sour orange (Citrus aurantium L.) were extracted with five different polar solvents using Soxhlet type extractor. The total phenolic content of the extracts was determined by Folin-Ciocalteu method. Ethyl acetate extract of Rio Red and Sour orange was found to contain maximum phenolics. The dried fractions were screened for their antioxidant activity potential using in vitro model systems such as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH), phosphomolybdenum method and nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction at different concentrations. The methanol:water (80:20) fraction of Rio Red showed the highest radical scavenging activity 42.5%, 77.8% and 92.1% at 250, 500 and 1000 ppm, respectively, while methanol:water (80:20) fraction of Sour orange showed the lowest radical scavenging activity at all the tested concentrations. All citrus fractions showed good antioxidant capacity by the formation of phosphomolybdenum complex at 200 ppm. In addition, superoxide radical scavenging activity was assayed using non-enzymatic (NADH/phenaxine methosulfate) superoxide generating system. All the extracts showed variable superoxide radical scavenging activity. Moreover, methanol:water (80:20) extract of Rio Red and methanol extract of Sour orange exhibited marked reducing power in potassium ferricyanide reduction method. The data obtained using above in vitro models clearly establish the antioxidant potential of citrus fruit extracts. However, comprehensive studies need to be conducted to ascertain the in vivo bioavailability, safety and efficacy of such extracts in experimental animals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on antioxidant activity of different polar extracts from Rio Red and Sour oranges.

Processing method and corn cultivar affected anthocyanin concentration from dried distillers grains with solubles.

PubMed

Dia, Vermont P; Wang, Zhaoqin; West, Megan; Singh, Vijay; West, Leslie; de Mejia, Elvira Gonzalez

2015-04-01

Anthocyanins are water-soluble pigments with health benefits and potential use as food colorants. The objectives of this work were to (1) determine optimum parameters for the extraction of anthocyanins from dried distillers grain with solubles (DDGS), (2) develop a method of anthocyanin extraction from DDGS, (3) quantify and identify the extracted anthocyanins, and (4) determine the effect of processing methods and corn cultivars on anthocyanin concentration. DDGS samples were prepared from purple (PC) and dark (DC) corn and processed using conventional enzymes (C) and granular starch hydrolyzing enzymes (GC). Three independent variables (ethanol concentration (0, 12.5, and 25%); liquid-to-solid ratio (30:1, 40:1, 50:1 mL/g); and extraction temperature (4, 22, and 40 °C)) and two dependent variables (anthocyanin concentration and a-value (redness)) were used. Results showed that dark corn DDGS gave anthocyanin concentration higher than that of purple corn. The GC process showed total anthocyanin concentration higher than that of the conventional method of DDGS production. The maximum anthocyanin concentration was obtained at 12.5% ethanol, 40:1 liquid-to-solid ratio, and 22 °C for C-PC [321.0 ± 37.3 μg cyanidin-3 glucoside (C3G) equivalent/g DDGS]. For GC-PC, 25% ethanol, 30:1 liquid-to-solid ratio, and 22 °C gave 741.4 ± 12.8 μg C3G equivalent/g DDGS. For GC-DC, 12.5% ethanol, 40:1 liquid-to-solid ratio, and 40 °C extraction gave 1573.4 ± 84.0 μg C3G equivalent/g DDGS. LC/MS-MS analysis showed that the major anthocyanins were cyanidin-3-glucoside, cyanidin-3-(6″-malonyl) glucoside, and peonidin-3-(6″malonyl) glucoside. In conclusion, anthocyanin extraction from colored corn DDGS can be optimized using 12.5% ethanol, 40:1 mL/g ratio, and 22 °C.

Supercritical fluid extraction from spent coffee grounds and coffee husks: antioxidant activity and effect of operational variables on extract composition.

PubMed

Andrade, Kátia S; Gonçalvez, Ricardo T; Maraschin, Marcelo; Ribeiro-do-Valle, Rosa Maria; Martínez, Julian; Ferreira, Sandra R S

2012-01-15

The present study describes the chemical composition and the antioxidant activity of spent coffee grounds and coffee husks extracts, obtained by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) with CO(2) and with CO(2) and co-solvent. In order to evaluate the high pressure method in terms of process yield, extract composition and antioxidant activity, low pressure methods, such as ultrasound (UE) and soxhlet (SOX) with different organic solvents, were also applied to obtain the extracts. The conditions for the SFE were: temperatures of 313.15K, 323.15K and 333.15K and pressures from 100 bar to 300 bar. The SFE kinetics and the mathematical modeling of the overall extraction curves (OEC) were also investigated. The extracts obtained by LPE (low pressure extraction) with ethanol showed the best results for the global extraction yield (X(0)) when compared to SFE results. The best extraction yield was 15±2% for spent coffee grounds with ethanol and 3.1±04% for coffee husks. The antioxidant potential was evaluated by DPPH method, ABTS method and Folin-Ciocalteau method. The best antioxidant activity was showed by coffee husk extracts obtained by LPE. The quantification and the identification of the extracts were accomplished using HPLC analysis. The main compounds identified were caffeine and chlorogenic acid for the supercritical extracts from coffee husks. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction, HPLC and UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS Analysis of Main Macamides and Macaenes from Maca (Cultivars of Lepidium meyenii Walp).

PubMed

Chen, Shu-Xiao; Li, Ke-Ke; Pubu, Duoji; Jiang, Si-Ping; Chen, Bin; Chen, Li-Rong; Yang, Zhen; Ma, Chao; Gong, Xiao-Jie

2017-12-10

Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), using petroleum ether as the solvent, was systematically applied to extract main macamides and macaenes from Maca hypocotyls. Extraction yield was related with four variables, including ratio of solution to solid, extraction temperature, extraction time, and extraction power. On the basis of response surface methodology (RSM), the optimal conditions were determined to be the ratio of solution to solid as 10:1 (mL/g), the extraction temperature of 40 °C, the extraction time of 30 min, and the extraction power of 200 W. Based on the optimal extraction method of UAE, the total contents of ten main macamides and two main macaenes of Maca cultivated in twenty different areas of Tibet were analyzed by HPLC and UHPLC-ESI-Q-TOF-MS/MS. This study indicated that UAE was able to effectively extract macamides alkaloids from Maca hypocotyls. Quantitative analysis showed that geographical origins, not ecotypes, played a more important role on the accumulation of active macamides in Maca.

Optimization of ultrasound assisted extraction of bioactive components from brown seaweed Ascophyllum nodosum using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Kadam, Shekhar U; Tiwari, Brijesh K; Smyth, Thomas J; O'Donnell, Colm P

2015-03-01

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of key extraction parameters of extraction time (5-25 min), acid concentration (0-0.06 M HCl) and ultrasound amplitude (22.8-114 μm) on yields of bioactive compounds (total phenolics, fucose and uronic acid) from Ascophyllumnodosum. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize the extraction variables for bioactive compounds' yield. A second order polynomial model was fitted well to the extraction experimental data with (R(2)>0.79). Extraction yields of 143.12 mgGAE/gdb, 87.06 mg/gdb and 128.54 mg/gdb were obtained for total phenolics, fucose and uronic acid respectively at optimized extraction conditions of extraction time (25 min), acid concentration (0.03 M HCl) and ultrasonic amplitude (114 μm). Mass spectroscopy analysis of extracts show that ultrasound enhances the extraction of high molecular weight phenolic compounds from A. nodosum. This study demonstrates that ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) can be employed to enhance extraction of bioactive compounds from seaweed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE) methodology for optimization of extraction in natural products.

PubMed

Maulidiani; Rudiyanto; Abas, Faridah; Ismail, Intan Safinar; Lajis, Nordin H

2018-06-01

Optimization process is an important aspect in the natural product extractions. Herein, an alternative approach is proposed for the optimization in extraction, namely, the Generalized Likelihood Uncertainty Estimation (GLUE). The approach combines the Latin hypercube sampling, the feasible range of independent variables, the Monte Carlo simulation, and the threshold criteria of response variables. The GLUE method is tested in three different techniques including the ultrasound, the microwave, and the supercritical CO 2 assisted extractions utilizing the data from previously published reports. The study found that this method can: provide more information on the combined effects of the independent variables on the response variables in the dotty plots; deal with unlimited number of independent and response variables; consider combined multiple threshold criteria, which is subjective depending on the target of the investigation for response variables; and provide a range of values with their distribution for the optimization. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Isolation and characterization of hydrophobic compounds from carbohydrate matrix of Pistacia atlantica.

PubMed

Samavati, Vahid; Adeli, Mostafa

2014-01-30

The present work is focused on the optimization of hydrophobic compounds extraction process from the carbohydrate matrix of Iranian Pistacia atlantica seed at laboratory level using ultrasonic-assisted extraction. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize oil seed extraction yield. Independent variables were extraction temperature (30, 45, 60, 75 and 90°C), extraction time (10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and 35 min) and power of ultrasonic (20, 40, 60, 80 and 100 W). A second order polynomial equation was used to express the oil extraction yield as a function of independent variables. The responses and variables were fitted well to each other by multiple regressions. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: extraction temperature of 75°C, extraction time of 25 min, and power of ultrasonic of 80 W. A comparison between seed oil composition extracted by ultrasonic waves under the optimum operating conditions determined by RSM for oil yield and by organic solvent was reported. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimisation of extraction and sludge dewatering efficiencies of bio-flocculants extracted from Abelmoschus esculentus (okra).

PubMed

Lee, Chai Siah; Chong, Mei Fong; Robinson, John; Binner, Eleanor

2015-07-01

The production of natural biopolymers as flocculants for water treatment is highly desirable due to their inherent low toxicity and low environmental footprint. In this study, bio-flocculants were extracted from Hibiscus/Abelmoschus esculentus (okra) by using a water extraction method, and the extract yield and its performance in sludge dewatering were evaluated. Single factor experimental design was employed to obtain the optimum conditions for extraction temperature (25-90 °C), time (0.25-5 h), solvent loading (0.5-5 w/w) and agitation speed (0-225 rpm). Results showed that extraction yield was affected non-linearly by all experimental variables, whilst the sludge dewatering ability was only influenced by the temperature of the extraction process. The optimum extraction conditions were obtained at 70 °C, 2 h, solvent loading of 2.5 w/w and agitation at 200 rpm. Under the optimal conditions, the extract yield was 2.38%, which is comparable to the extraction of other polysaccharides (0.69-3.66%). The bio-flocculants displayed >98% removal of suspended solids and 68% water recovery during sludge dewatering, and were shown to be comparable with commercial polyacrylamide flocculants. This work shows that bio-flocculants could offer a feasible alternative to synthetic flocculants for water treatment and sludge dewatering applications, and can be extracted using only water as a solvent, minimising the environmental footprint of the extraction process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical composition and Zn bioavailability of the soil solution extracted from Zn amended variable charge soils.

PubMed

Zampella, Mariavittoria; Adamo, Paola

2010-01-01

A study on variable charge soils (volcanic Italian and podzolic Scottish soils) was performed to investigate the influence of soil properties on the chemical composition of soil solution. Zinc speciation, bioavailability and toxicity in the soil solution were examined. The soils were spiked with increasing amounts of Zn (0, 100, 200, 400 and 1000 mg/kg) and the soil solutions were extracted using rhizon soil moisture samplers. The pH, total organic carbon (TOC), base cations, anions, total Zn and free Zn2+ in soil solution were analysed. A rapid bioassay with the luminescent bacterium Escherichia coli HB101 pUCD607 was performed to assess Zn toxicity. The influence of soil type and Zn treatments on the chemical composition of soil solution and on Zn toxicity was considered and discussed. Different trends of total and free Zn concentrations, base cations desorption and luminescence of E. coli HB101 pUCD607 were observed. The soil solution extracted from the volcanic soils had very low total and free Zn concentrations and showed specific Zn2+/Ca2+ exchange. The soil solution from the podzolic soil had much higher total and free Zn concentrations and showed no evidence of specific Zn2+/Ca2+ exchange. In comparison with the subalkaline volcanic soils, the acidic podzol showed enhanced levels of toxic free Zn2+ and consequently stronger effects on E. coli viability.

Optimization protocol for the extraction of 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol from Zingiber officinale var. rubrum Theilade and improving antioxidant and anticancer activity using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Ghasemzadeh, Ali; Jaafar, Hawa Z E; Rahmat, Asmah

2015-07-30

Analysis and extraction of plant matrices are important processes for the development, modernization, and quality control of herbal formulations. Response surface methodology is a collection of statistical and mathematical techniques that are used to optimize the range of variables in various experimental processes to reduce the number of experimental runs, cost , and time, compared to other methods. Response surface methodology was applied for optimizing reflux extraction conditions for achieving high 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol contents, and high antioxidant activity in Zingiber officinale var. rubrum Theilade . The two-factor central composite design was employed to determine the effects of two independent variables, namely extraction temperature (X1: 50-80 °C) and time (X2: 2-4 h), on the properties of the extracts. The 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol contents were measured using ultra-performance liquid chromatography. The antioxidant activity of the rhizome extracts was determined by means of the 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl assay. Anticancer activity of optimized extracts against HeLa cancer cell lines was measured using MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. Increasing the extraction temperature and time induced significant response of the variables. The optimum extraction condition for all responses was at 76.9 °C for 3.4 h. Under the optimum condition, the corresponding predicted response values for 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, and the antioxidant activity were 2.89 mg/g DW, 1.85 mg/g DW, and 84.3%, respectively. 6-gingerol and 6-shogaol were extracted under optimized condition to check the viability of the models. The values were 2.92 and 1.88 mg/g DW, and 84.0% for 6-gingerol, 6-shogaol, and the antioxidant activity respectively. The experimental values agreed with those predicted, thus indicating suitability of the models employed and the success of RSM in optimizing the extraction condition. With optimizing of reflux extraction anticancer activity of extracts against HeLa cancer cells enhanced about 16.8%. The half inhibition concentration (IC50) value of optimized and unoptimized extract was found at concentration of 20.9 and 38.4 μg/mL respectively. Optimized extract showed more distinct anticancer activities against HeLa cancer cells in a concentration of 40 μg/mL (P < 0.01) without toxicity to normal cells. The results indicated that the pharmaceutical quality of ginger could be improved significantly by optimizing of extraction process using response surface methodology.

Effect of pretreatments on isolation of bioactive polysaccharides from spent coffee grounds using subcritical water.

PubMed

Getachew, Adane Tilahun; Cho, Yeon Jin; Chun, Byung Soo

2018-04-01

In this study, we used a novel approach to recover polysaccharide from spent coffee ground (SCG) by combining pretreatments and subcritical water hydrolysis (SCWH). The independent variables which affect SCWH were optimized using response surface methodology. The highest yield of SCG polysaccharides (SCGPSs) (18.25 ± 0.21%) was obtained using ultrasonic pretreatment and SCWH conditions of temperature (178.85 °C), pressure (20 bar), and extraction time (5 min). The extracted SCGPSs showed high antioxidant activity as measured using ABTS + and DPPH radical scavenging assay with IC 50 values of 1.83 ± 0.03 and 2.66 ± 0.13 mg/ml respectively. SCGPSs also showed in vitro hypoglycemic activities. The structural and thermal characterization of the polysaccharide showed that the extracted polysaccharide has a typical carbohydrate features. The results of this study suggested that the extracted polysaccharide could have a potential application in food and related industries. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Microwave-assisted extraction, HPLC analysis, and inhibitory effects on carbonic anhydrase I, II, VA, and VII isoforms of 14 blueberry Italian cultivars.

PubMed

Mollica, Adriano; Locatelli, Marcello; Macedonio, Giorgia; Carradori, Simone; Sobolev, Anatoly P; De Salvador, Roberto F; Monti, Simona M; Buonanno, Martina; Zengin, Gokhan; Angeli, Andrea; Supuran, Claudiu T

2016-01-01

The multi-component fingerprint and the biological evaluation of plant-derived material are indispensable for the pharmaceutical field, in food quality control procedures, and in all plant-based products. We investigated the quantitative content of biologically active compounds (anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid) of microwave-assisted blueberry extracts from 14 different Italian cultivars, using validated high-performance liquid chromatography-photodiode array detector (HPLC-PDA) method and routinely instrument configuration. The carbonic anhydrase (CA, EC 4.2.1.1) inhibition profiles against several pharmacologically relevant CA isoforms of blueberry extracts and some bioactive compounds were also investigated. The various cultivars showed a highly variable content in anthocyanins and chlorogenic acid, and their CA inhibitory effects were also highly variable. Overall these data prove that antioxidant natural products found in blueberries may be useful for designing pharmacological agents in which various CAs are involved, e.g., antiobesity, antitumor, or anticonvulsants agents.

Variability of antioxidant and antibacterial effects of essential oils and acetonic extracts of two edible halophytes: Crithmum maritimum L. and Inula crithmoїdes L.

PubMed

Jallali, Ines; Zaouali, Yosr; Missaoui, Ibtissem; Smeoui, Abderrazek; Abdelly, Chedly; Ksouri, Riadh

2014-02-15

This work aimed to assess the richness of the food halophytes Crithmum maritimum and Inula crithmoїdes on phenolics and essential oils (EOs) and to evaluate the antioxidant and antibacterial potential of these metabolites. Results displayed that extract of I. crithmoїdes possesses considerable contents of phenolic compounds (14.1mg GAE.g⁻¹ DW) related to important antioxidant activities (IC₅₀ = 13 μg ml⁻¹ for the DPPH test) as compared to C. maritimum. C. maritimum EOs composition is dominated by oxygenated monoterpenes, while I. crithmoїdes one is mainly consisted by monoterpene hydrocarbons. EOs have low antioxidant activity as compared to acetone extracts; nevertheless, they show best antimicrobial activity. A significant variability is also depicted between the provenances of each species and depended on the chemical nature of antioxidant and antibacterial molecules as well as the used tests. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Initial evaluation of fruit of accessions of Persea schiedeana Nees for nutritional value, quality and oil extraction.

PubMed

López-Yerena, A; Guerra-Ramírez, D; Jácome-Rincón, J; Espinosa-Solares, T; Reyes-Trejo, B; Famiani, F; Cruz-Castillo, J G

2018-04-15

Persea schiedeana Nees is an underutilized and very little known species whose fruit is consumed in Mesoamerica where it grows wild. This study was carried out to evaluate: 1) the variability of fruit characteristics of different accessions; 2) the effects of centrifugation and microwave treatment on extracting oil from the fruit and on its qualitative characteristics; 3) the nutraceutical characteristics of the fruit and seeds of different accessions. The results showed a large variability in fruit size and oil/dry matter contents among the different accessions. There was a significant relationship between the dry matter and oil contents in the pulp. The combined use of centrifugation and microwave treatments gave high oil extraction yields (67-68%). The oils had good fatty acid composition and antioxidant capacity. The results gave an initial picture about the total phenol contents and antioxidant capacities in the seeds and in the different parts of the fruit. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Statistical optimisation of cell growth and carotenoid production by rhodotorula mucilaginosa

PubMed Central

Maldonade, Iriani R.; Rodriguez-Amaya, Delia B.; Scamparini, Adilma R. P.

2012-01-01

Sequential statistical methods were used to maximise carotenoid production by a strain of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, isolated from the Brazilian ecosystem. Initially, a factorial 25–1 experimental design was used, and the variables were pH and the levels of glucose, yeast extract, MgSO4.7H2O and KH2PO4. The nitrogen source (yeast extract) was the most important variable in enhancing carotenoid production; MgSO4.7H2O and KH2PO4 had a negative influence. The initial pH had no significant effect on carotenoid and cell productions. We further investigated the effects of glucose and yeast extract effects, using a second-order central composite design (CCD) to optimise carotenoid production, which was adequately approximated with a full quadratic equation obtained from a two-factor-2-level design. The analysis of quadratic surfaces showed that after 5 days of cultivation at 25 °C, the maximum carotenoid concentration (745 µg l-1) was obtained with 15 g l-1 of yeast extract and 20 g l-1 of glucose. The maximum carotenoid production (152 µg g-1) was obtained with 5 g l-1 yeast extract and 10 g l-1 glucose. Carotenoid formation was more sensitive to changes in yeast extract concentration than to changes in glucose concentration. Maximum cell production was achieved with 15–17 g l-1 of yeast extract and 15–20 g l-1 of glucose. PMID:24031809

ToF-SIMS PCA analysis of Myrtus communis L.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piras, F. M.; Dettori, M. F.; Magnani, A.

2009-06-01

Nowadays there is a growing interest of researchers for the application of sophisticated analytical techniques in conjunction with statistical data analysis methods to the characterization of natural products to assure their authenticity and quality, and for the possibility of direct analysis of food to obtain maximum information. In this work, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) in conjunction with principal components analysis (PCA) are applied to study the chemical composition and variability of Sardinian myrtle ( Myrtus communis L.) through the analysis of both berries alcoholic extracts and berries epicarp. ToF-SIMS spectra of berries epicarp show that the epicuticular waxes consist mainly of carboxylic acids with chain length ranging from C20 to C30, or identical species formed from fragmentation of long-chain esters. PCA of ToF-SIMS data from myrtle berries epicarp distinguishes two groups characterized by a different surface concentration of triacontanoic acid. Variability in antocyanins, flavonols, α-tocopherol, and myrtucommulone contents is showed by ToF-SIMS PCA analysis of myrtle berries alcoholic extracts.

Microwave-assisted extraction and mild saponification for determination of organochlorine pesticides in oyster samples.

PubMed

Carro, N; García, I; Ignacio, M-C; Llompart, M; Yebra, M-C; Mouteira, A

2002-10-01

A sample-preparation procedure (extraction and saponification) using microwave energy is proposed for determination of organochlorine pesticides in oyster samples. A Plackett-Burman factorial design has been used to optimize the microwave-assisted extraction and mild saponification on a freeze dried sample spiked with a mixture of aldrin, endrin, dieldrin, heptachlor, heptachorepoxide, isodrin, transnonachlor, p, p'-DDE, and p, p'-DDD. Six variables: solvent volume, extraction time, extraction temperature, amount of acetone (%) in the extractant solvent, amount of sample, and volume of NaOH solution were considered in the optimization process. The results show that the amount of sample is statistically significant for dieldrin, aldrin, p, p'-DDE, heptachlor, and transnonachlor and solvent volume for dieldrin, aldrin, and p, p'-DDE. The volume of NaOH solution is statistically significant for aldrin and p, p'-DDE only. Extraction temperature and extraction time seem to be the main factors determining the efficiency of extraction process for isodrin and p, p'-DDE, respectively. The optimized procedure was compared with conventional Soxhlet extraction.

On statistical analysis of factors affecting anthocyanin extraction from Ixora siamensis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mat Nor, N. A.; Arof, A. K.

2016-10-01

This study focused on designing an experimental model in order to evaluate the influence of operative extraction parameters employed for anthocyanin extraction from Ixora siamensis on CIE color measurements (a*, b* and color saturation). Extractions were conducted at temperatures of 30, 55 and 80°C, soaking time of 60, 120 and 180 min using acidified methanol solvent with different trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) contents of 0.5, 1.75 and 3% (v/v). The statistical evaluation was performed by running analysis of variance (ANOVA) and regression calculation to investigate the significance of the generated model. Results show that the generated regression models adequately explain the data variation and significantly represented the actual relationship between the independent variables and the responses. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed high coefficient determination values (R2) of 0.9687 for a*, 0.9621 for b* and 0.9758 for color saturation, thus ensuring a satisfactory fit of the developed models with the experimental data. Interaction between TFA content and extraction temperature exhibited to the highest significant influence on CIE color parameter.

Selecting minimum dataset soil variables using PLSR as a regressive multivariate method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stellacci, Anna Maria; Armenise, Elena; Castellini, Mirko; Rossi, Roberta; Vitti, Carolina; Leogrande, Rita; De Benedetto, Daniela; Ferrara, Rossana M.; Vivaldi, Gaetano A.

2017-04-01

Long-term field experiments and science-based tools that characterize soil status (namely the soil quality indices, SQIs) assume a strategic role in assessing the effect of agronomic techniques and thus in improving soil management especially in marginal environments. Selecting key soil variables able to best represent soil status is a critical step for the calculation of SQIs. Current studies show the effectiveness of statistical methods for variable selection to extract relevant information deriving from multivariate datasets. Principal component analysis (PCA) has been mainly used, however supervised multivariate methods and regressive techniques are progressively being evaluated (Armenise et al., 2013; de Paul Obade et al., 2016; Pulido Moncada et al., 2014). The present study explores the effectiveness of partial least square regression (PLSR) in selecting critical soil variables, using a dataset comparing conventional tillage and sod-seeding on durum wheat. The results were compared to those obtained using PCA and stepwise discriminant analysis (SDA). The soil data derived from a long-term field experiment in Southern Italy. On samples collected in April 2015, the following set of variables was quantified: (i) chemical: total organic carbon and nitrogen (TOC and TN), alkali-extractable C (TEC and humic substances - HA-FA), water extractable N and organic C (WEN and WEOC), Olsen extractable P, exchangeable cations, pH and EC; (ii) physical: texture, dry bulk density (BD), macroporosity (Pmac), air capacity (AC), and relative field capacity (RFC); (iii) biological: carbon of the microbial biomass quantified with the fumigation-extraction method. PCA and SDA were previously applied to the multivariate dataset (Stellacci et al., 2016). PLSR was carried out on mean centered and variance scaled data of predictors (soil variables) and response (wheat yield) variables using the PLS procedure of SAS/STAT. In addition, variable importance for projection (VIP) statistics was used to quantitatively assess the predictors most relevant for response variable estimation and then for variable selection (Andersen and Bro, 2010). PCA and SDA returned TOC and RFC as influential variables both on the set of chemical and physical data analyzed separately as well as on the whole dataset (Stellacci et al., 2016). Highly weighted variables in PCA were also TEC, followed by K, and AC, followed by Pmac and BD, in the first PC (41.2% of total variance); Olsen P and HA-FA in the second PC (12.6%), Ca in the third (10.6%) component. Variables enabling maximum discrimination among treatments for SDA were WEOC, on the whole dataset, humic substances, followed by Olsen P, EC and clay, in the separate data analyses. The highest PLS-VIP statistics were recorded for Olsen P and Pmac, followed by TOC, TEC, pH and Mg for chemical variables and clay, RFC and AC for the physical variables. Results show that different methods may provide different ranking of the selected variables and the presence of a response variable, in regressive techniques, may affect variable selection. Further investigation with different response variables and with multi-year datasets would allow to better define advantages and limits of single or combined approaches. Acknowledgment The work was supported by the projects "BIOTILLAGE, approcci innovative per il miglioramento delle performances ambientali e produttive dei sistemi cerealicoli no-tillage", financed by PSR-Basilicata 2007-2013, and "DESERT, Low-cost water desalination and sensor technology compact module" financed by ERANET-WATERWORKS 2014. References Andersen C.M. and Bro R., 2010. Variable selection in regression - a tutorial. Journal of Chemometrics, 24 728-737. Armenise et al., 2013. Developing a soil quality index to compare soil fitness for agricultural use under different managements in the mediterranean environment. Soil and Tillage Research, 130:91-98. de Paul Obade et al., 2016. A standardized soil quality index for diverse field conditions. Sci. Total Env. 541:424-434. Pulido Moncada et al., 2014. Data-driven analysis of soil quality indicators using limited data. Geoderma, 235:271-278. Stellacci et al., 2016. Comparison of different multivariate methods to select key soil variables for soil quality indices computation. XLV Congress of the Italian Society of Agronomy (SIA), Sassari, 20-22 September 2016.

Rapid metal extractability tests from polluted mining soils by ultrasound probe sonication and microwave-assisted extraction systems.

PubMed

García-Salgado, Sara; Quijano, M Ángeles

2016-12-01

Ultrasonic probe sonication (UPS) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) were used for rapid single extraction of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn from soils polluted by former mining activities (Mónica Mine, Bustarviejo, NW Madrid, Spain), using 0.01 mol L -1 calcium chloride (CaCl 2 ), 0.43 mol L -1 acetic acid (CH 3 COOH), and 0.05 mol L -1 ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) at pH 7 as extracting agents. The optimum extraction conditions by UPS consisted of an extraction time of 2 min for both CaCl 2 and EDTA extractions and 15 min for CH 3 COOH extraction, at 30% ultrasound (US) amplitude, whereas in the case of MAE, they consisted of 5 min at 50 °C for both CaCl 2 and EDTA extractions and 15 min at 120 °C for CH 3 COOH extraction. Extractable concentrations were determined by inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES). The proposed methods were compared with a reduced version of the corresponding single extraction procedures proposed by the Standards, Measurements and Testing Programme (SM&T). The results obtained showed a great variability on extraction percentages, depending on the metal, the total concentration level and the soil sample, reaching high values in some areas. However, the correlation analysis showed that total concentration is the most relevant factor for element extractability in these soil samples. From the results obtained, the application of the accelerated extraction procedures, such as MAE and UPS, could be considered a useful approach to evaluate rapidly the extractability of the metals studied.

Predictive factors of difficulty in lower third molar extraction: A prospective cohort study

PubMed Central

Alvira-González, Joaquín; Valmaseda-Castellón, Eduard; Quesada-Gómez, Carmen; Gay-Escoda, Cosme

2017-01-01

Background Several publications have measured the difficulty of third molar removal, trying to establish the main risk factors, however several important preoperative and intraoperative variables are overlooked. Material and Methods A prospective cohort study comprising a total of 130 consecutive lower third molar extractions was performed. The outcome variables used to measure the difficulty of the extraction were operation time and a 100mm visual analogue scale filled by the surgeon at the end of the surgical procedure. The predictors were divided into 4 different groups (demographic, anatomic, radiographic and operative variables). A descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analysis of the data was performed. Results Patients’ weight, the presence of bulbous roots, the need to perform crown and root sectioning of the lower third molar and Pell and Gregory 123 classification significantly influenced both outcome variables (p< 0.05). Conclusions Certain anatomical, radiological and operative variables appear to be important factors in the assessment of surgical difficulty in the extraction of lower third molars. Key words:Third molar, surgical extraction, surgical difficulty. PMID:27918736

Social determinants of dental treatment needs in Brazilian adults.

PubMed

Roncalli, Angelo Giuseppe; Tsakos, Georgios; Sheiham, Aubrey; de Souza, Georgia Costa; Watt, Richard G

2014-10-23

The chronic cumulative nature of caries makes treatment needs a severe problem in adults. Despite the fact that oral diseases occur in social contexts, there are few studies using multilevel analyses focusing on treatment needs. Thus, considering the importance of context in explaining oral health related inequalities, this study aims to evaluate the social determinants of dental treatment needs in 35-44 year old Brazilian adults, assessing whether inequalities in needs are expressed at individual and contextual levels. The dependent variables were based on the prevalence of normative dental treatment needs in adults: (a) restorative treatment; (b) tooth extraction and (c) prosthetic treatment. The independent variables at first level were household income, formal education level, sex and race. At second level, income, sanitation, infrastructure and house conditions. The city-level variables were the Human Development Index (HDI) and indicators related to health services. Exploratory analysis was performed evaluating the effect of each level through calculating Prevalence Ratios (PR). In addition, a three-level multilevel modelling was constructed for all outcomes to verify the effect of individual characteristics and also the influence of context. In relation to the need for restorative treatment, the main factors implicated were related to individual socioeconomic position, however the city-level contextual effect should also be considered. Regarding need for tooth extraction, the contextual effect does not seem to be important and, in relation to the needs for prosthetic treatment, the final model showed effect of individual-level and city-level. Variables related to health services did not show significant effects. Dental treatment needs related to primary care (restoration and tooth extraction) and secondary care (prosthesis) were strongly associated with individual socioeconomic position, mainly income and education, in Brazilian adults. In addition to this individual effect, a city-level contextual effect, represented by HDI, was also observed for need for restorations and prosthesis, but not for tooth extractions. These findings have important implications for the health policy especially for financing and planning, since the distribution of oral health resources must consider the inequalities in availability and affordability of dental care for all.

Near-infrared Variability in the Orion Nebula Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, Thomas S.; Reipurth, Bo; Wolk, Scott J.; Vaz, Luiz Paulo; Cross, N. J. G.

2015-10-01

Using UKIRT on Mauna Kea, we have carried out a new near-infrared J, H, K monitoring survey of almost a square degree of the star-forming Orion Nebula Cluster with observations on 120 nights over three observing seasons, spanning a total of 894 days. We monitored ˜15,000 stars down to J≈ 20 using the WFCAM instrument, and have extracted 1203 significantly variable stars from our data. By studying variability in young stellar objects (YSOs) in the H - K, K color-magnitude diagram, we are able to distinguish between physical mechanisms of variability. Many variables show color behavior indicating either dust-extinction or disk/accretion activity, but we find that when monitored for longer periods of time, a number of stars shift between these two variability mechanisms. Further, we show that the intrinsic timescale of disk/accretion variability in young stars is longer than that of dust-extinction variability. We confirm that variability amplitude is statistically correlated with evolutionary class in all bands and colors. Our investigations of these 1203 variables have revealed 73 periodic AA Tau type variables, many large-amplitude and long-period (P\\gt 15 days) YSOs, including three stars showing widely spaced periodic brightening events consistent with circumbinary disk activity, and four new eclipsing binaries. These phenomena and others indicate the activity of long-term disk/accretion variability processes taking place in young stars. We have made the light curves and associated data for these 1203 variables available online.

Respiratory-phase domain analysis of heart rate variability can accurately estimate cardiac vagal activity during a mental arithmetic task.

PubMed

Kotani, Kiyoshi; Takamasu, Kiyoshi; Tachibana, Makoto

2007-01-01

The objectives of this paper were to present a method to extract the amplitude of RSA in the respiratory-phase domain, to compare that with subjective or objective indices of the MWL (mental workload), and to compare that with a conventional frequency analysis in terms of its accuracy during a mental arithmetic task. HRV (heart rate variability), ILV (instantaneous lung volume), and motion of the throat were measured under a mental arithmetic experiment and subjective and objective indices were also obtained. The amplitude of RSA was extracted in the respiratory-phase domain, and its correlation with the load level was compared with the results of the frequency domain analysis, which is the standard analysis of the HRV. The subjective and objective indices decreased as the load level increased, showing that the experimental protocol was appropriate. Then, the amplitude of RSA in the respiratory-phase domain also decreased with the increase in the load level. The results of the correlation analysis showed that the respiratory-phase domain analysis has higher negative correlations, -0.84 and -0.82, with the load level as determined by simple correlation and rank correlation, respectively, than does frequency analysis, for which the correlations were found to be -0.54 and -0.63, respectively. In addition, it was demonstrated that the proposed method could be applied to the short-term extraction of RSA amplitude. We proposed a simple and effective method to extract the amplitude of the respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) in the respiratory-phase domain and the results show that this method can estimate cardiac vagal activity more accurately than frequency analysis.

Meta-analysis of correlates of provider behavior in medical encounters.

PubMed

Hall, J A; Roter, D L; Katz, N R

1988-07-01

This article summarizes the results of 41 independent studies containing correlates of objectively measured provider behaviors in medical encounters. Provider behaviors were grouped a priori into the process categories of information giving, questions, competence, partnership building, and socioemotional behavior. Total amount of communication was also included. All correlations between variables within these categories and external variables (patient outcome variables or patient and provider background variables) were extracted. The most frequently occurring outcome variables were satisfaction, recall, and compliance, and the most frequently occurring background variables were the patient's gender, age, and social class. Average correlations and combined significance levels were calculated for each combination of process category and external variable. Results showed significant relations of small to moderate average magnitude between these external variables and almost all of the provider behavior categories. A theory of provider-patient reciprocation is proposed to account for the pattern of results.

Analysis of simulated angiographic procedures. Part 2: extracting efficiency data from audio and video recordings.

PubMed

Duncan, James R; Kline, Benjamin; Glaiberman, Craig B

2007-04-01

To create and test methods of extracting efficiency data from recordings of simulated renal stent procedures. Task analysis was performed and used to design a standardized testing protocol. Five experienced angiographers then performed 16 renal stent simulations using the Simbionix AngioMentor angiographic simulator. Audio and video recordings of these simulations were captured from multiple vantage points. The recordings were synchronized and compiled. A series of efficiency metrics (procedure time, contrast volume, and tool use) were then extracted from the recordings. The intraobserver and interobserver variability of these individual metrics was also assessed. The metrics were converted to costs and aggregated to determine the fixed and variable costs of a procedure segment or the entire procedure. Task analysis and pilot testing led to a standardized testing protocol suitable for performance assessment. Task analysis also identified seven checkpoints that divided the renal stent simulations into six segments. Efficiency metrics for these different segments were extracted from the recordings and showed excellent intra- and interobserver correlations. Analysis of the individual and aggregated efficiency metrics demonstrated large differences between segments as well as between different angiographers. These differences persisted when efficiency was expressed as either total or variable costs. Task analysis facilitated both protocol development and data analysis. Efficiency metrics were readily extracted from recordings of simulated procedures. Aggregating the metrics and dividing the procedure into segments revealed potential insights that could be easily overlooked because the simulator currently does not attempt to aggregate the metrics and only provides data derived from the entire procedure. The data indicate that analysis of simulated angiographic procedures will be a powerful method of assessing performance in interventional radiology.

Microwave assisted extraction of iodine and bromine from edible seaweed for inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry determination.

PubMed

Romarís-Hortas, Vanessa; Moreda-Piñeiro, Antonio; Bermejo-Barrera, Pilar

2009-08-15

The feasibility of microwave energy to assist the solubilisation of edible seaweed samples by tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) has been investigated to extract iodine and bromine. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been used as a multi-element detector. Variables affecting the microwave assisted extraction/solubilisation (temperature, TMAH volume, ramp time and hold time) were firstly screened by applying a fractional factorial design (2(5-1)+2), resolution V and 2 centre points. When extracting both halogens, results showed statistical significance (confidence interval of 95%) for TMAH volume and temperature, and also for the two order interaction between both variables. Therefore, these two variables were finally optimized by a 2(2)+star orthogonal central composite design with 5 centre points and 2 replicates, and optimum values of 200 degrees C and 10 mL for temperature and TMAH volume, respectively, were found. The extraction time (ramp and hold times) was found statistically non-significant, and values of 10 and 5 min were chosen for the ramp time and the hold time, respectively. This means a fast microwave heating cycle. Repeatability of the over-all procedure has been found to be 6% for both elements, while iodine and bromine concentrations of 24.6 and 19.9 ng g(-1), respectively, were established for the limit of detection. Accuracy of the method was assessed by analyzing the NIES-09 (Sargasso, Sargassum fulvellum) certified reference material (CRM) and the iodine and bromine concentrations found have been in good agreement with the indicative values for this CRM. Finally, the method was applied to several edible dried and canned seaweed samples.

Antibacterial activity of some medicinal plants against selected human pathogenic bacteria

PubMed Central

Khan, Usman Ali; Niaz, Zeeshan; Qasim, Muhammad; Khan, Jafar; Tayyaba; Rehman, Bushra

2013-01-01

Medicinal plants are traditionally used for the treatment of human infections. The present study was undertaken to investigate Bergenia ciliata, Jasminum officinale, and Santalum album for their potential activity against human bacterial pathogens. B. ciliata, J. officinale, and S. album extracts were prepared in cold and hot water. The activity of plant extracts and selected antibiotics was evaluated against five bacterial pathogens including Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli using agar well diffusion method. Among the three medicinal plants, B. ciliata extracts displayed potential activity against bacterial pathogens. Cold water extract of Bergenia ciliate showed the highest activity against B. subtilis, which is comparable with a zone of inhibition exhibited by ceftriaxone and erythromycin. J. officinale and S. album extracts demonstrated variable antibacterial activity. Further studies are needed to explore the novel antibacterial bioactive molecules. PMID:24294497

Extraction optimization and influences of drying methods on antioxidant activities of polysaccharide from cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.)

PubMed Central

Li, Ran; Duan, Meng-Ying; Wu, Hong-Xin

2017-01-01

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the extraction condition of polysaccharide from cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum L.) (named CPP). Water to raw material ratio (10–30 mL/g), extraction time (40–80 min) and extraction temperature (60–100°C) were set as the 3 independent variables, and their effects on the extraction yield of CPP were measured. In addition, the effects of drying methods including hot air drying (HD), vacuum drying (VD) and freeze drying (FD) on the antioxidant activities of CPP were evaluated. The results showed that the optimal condition to extract CPP was: water to raw material ratio (15 mL/g), extraction time (61 min), and extraction temperature (97°C), a maximum CPP yield of 6.49% was obtained under this condition. CPP drying with FD method showed stronger reducing power (0.943 at 6 mg/mL) and radical scavenging capacities against DPPH radical (75.71% at 1.2 mg/mL) and ABTS radical (98.06 at 1.6 mg/mL) than CPP drying with HD and VD methods. Therefore, freeze drying served as a good method for keeping the antioxidant activities of polysaccharide from cup plant. The polysaccharide from cup plant has potential to use as a natural antioxidant. PMID:28837625

Evaluation of antioxidant and wound healing potentials of Sphaeranthus amaranthoides Burm.f.

PubMed

Geethalakshmi, R; Sakravarthi, C; Kritika, T; Arul Kirubakaran, M; Sarada, D V L

2013-01-01

Sphaeranthus amaranthoides commonly known as sivakaranthai is used in folklore medicine for the treatment of skin diseases. The antioxidant activity of the extract and its fraction was evaluated by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, total antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic content. The tested plant extracts showed variable degrees of antioxidant activity. In the present study, methanolic extract of the whole plant of S. amaranthoides and a flavonoid fraction obtained from column chromatography were studied for wound healing activity by incorporating the sample in simple ointment base. Wound healing activity was studied in excision wound model in rats, following which, wound contraction, period of epithelization, hydroxyproline content, and collagen levels in the scab were studied. Methanolic extract showed the highest antioxidant effect (72.05%) and diethyl ether extract has the least (29.34%) compared to the standard (74.53%). Treatment of wound with ointment containing 5% (w/w) methanolic extract and 5% (w/w) flavonoid fraction exhibited better wound healing activity than positive control (silver sulfadiazine). Finally, histopathology studies conformed wound healing activity in Sphaeranthus amaranthoides. The methanolic extract and flavonoid fraction exhibited good wound healing activity probably due to the presence of phenolic and flavonoid constituents. The methanolic extract and flavonoid fraction significantly enhanced the rate of wound contraction and the period of epithelialization comparable to silver sulfadiazine.

Evaluation of Antioxidant and Wound Healing Potentials of Sphaeranthus amaranthoides Burm.f.

PubMed Central

Geethalakshmi, R.; Sakravarthi, C.; Kritika, T.; Arul Kirubakaran, M.; Sarada, D. V. L.

2013-01-01

Background. Sphaeranthus amaranthoides commonly known as sivakaranthai is used in folklore medicine for the treatment of skin diseases. Methods. The antioxidant activity of the extract and its fraction was evaluated by using 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity, total antioxidant capacity, and total phenolic content. The tested plant extracts showed variable degrees of antioxidant activity. In the present study, methanolic extract of the whole plant of S. amaranthoides and a flavonoid fraction obtained from column chromatography were studied for wound healing activity by incorporating the sample in simple ointment base. Wound healing activity was studied in excision wound model in rats, following which, wound contraction, period of epithelization, hydroxyproline content, and collagen levels in the scab were studied. Results. Methanolic extract showed the highest antioxidant effect (72.05%) and diethyl ether extract has the least (29.34%) compared to the standard (74.53%). Treatment of wound with ointment containing 5% (w/w) methanolic extract and 5% (w/w) flavonoid fraction exhibited better wound healing activity than positive control (silver sulfadiazine). Finally, histopathology studies conformed wound healing activity in Sphaeranthus amaranthoides. The methanolic extract and flavonoid fraction exhibited good wound healing activity probably due to the presence of phenolic and flavonoid constituents. The methanolic extract and flavonoid fraction significantly enhanced the rate of wound contraction and the period of epithelialization comparable to silver sulfadiazine. PMID:23509751

Optimization of Extraction Conditions for Phenolic Acids from the Leaves of Melissa officinalis L. Using Response Surface Methodology

PubMed Central

Yoo, Guijae; Lee, Il Kyun; Park, Seonju; Kim, Nanyoung; Park, Jun Hyung; Kim, Seung Hyun

2018-01-01

Background: Melissa officinalis L. is a well-known medicinal plant from the family Lamiaceae, which is distributed throughout Eastern Mediterranean region and Western Asia. Objective: In this study, response surface methodology (RSM) was utilized to optimize the extraction conditions for bioactive compounds from the leaves of M. officinalis L. Materials and Methods: A Box–Behnken design (BBD) was utilized to evaluate the effects of three independent variables, namely extraction temperature (°C), methanol concentration (%), and solvent-to-material ratio (mL/g) on the responses of the contents of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid. Results: Regression analysis showed a good fit of the experimental data. The optimal condition was obtained at extraction temperature 80.53°C, methanol concentration 29.89%, and solvent-to-material ratio 30 mL/g. Conclusion: These results indicate the suitability of the model employed and the successful application of RSM in optimizing the extraction conditions. This study may be useful for standardizing production quality, including improving the efficiency of large-scale extraction systems. SUMMARY The optimum conditions for the extraction of major phenolic acids from the leaves of Melissa officinalis L. were determined using response surface methodologyBox–Behnken design was utilized to evaluate the effects of three independent variablesQuadratic polynomial model provided a satisfactory description of the experimental dataThe optimized condition for simultaneous maximum contents of caffeic acid and rosmarinic acid was determined. Abbreviations used: RSM: Response surface methodology, BBD: Box–Behnken design, CA: Caffeic acid, RA: Rosmarinic acid, HPLC: High-performance liquid chromatography. PMID:29720824

Synchrosqueezing an effective method for analyzing Doppler radar physiological signals.

PubMed

Yavari, Ehsan; Rahman, Ashikur; Jia Xu; Mandic, Danilo P; Boric-Lubecke, Olga

2016-08-01

Doppler radar can monitor vital sign wirelessly. Respiratory and heart rate have time-varying behavior. Capturing the rate variability provides crucial physiological information. However, the common time-frequency methods fail to detect key information. We investigate Synchrosqueezing method to extract oscillatory components of the signal with time varying spectrum. Simulation and experimental result shows the potential of the proposed method for analyzing signals with complex time-frequency behavior like physiological signals. Respiration and heart signals and their components are extracted with higher resolution and without any pre-filtering and signal conditioning.

Central composite rotatable design for investigation of microwave-assisted extraction of okra pod hydrocolloid.

PubMed

Samavati, Vahid

2013-10-01

Microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique was employed to extract the hydrocolloid from okra pods (OPH). The optimal conditions for microwave-assisted extraction of OPH were determined by response surface methodology. A central composite rotatable design (CCRD) was applied to evaluate the effects of three independent variables (microwave power (X1: 100-500 W), extraction time (X2: 30-90 min), and extraction temperature (X3: 40-90 °C)) on the extraction yield of OPH. The correlation analysis of the mathematical-regression model indicated that quadratic polynomial model could be employed to optimize the microwave extraction of OPH. The optimal conditions to obtain the highest recovery of OPH (14.911±0.27%) were as follows: microwave power, 395.56 W; extraction time, 67.11 min and extraction temperature, 73.33 °C. Under these optimal conditions, the experimental values agreed with the predicted ones by analysis of variance. It indicated high fitness of the model used and the success of response surface methodology for optimizing OPH extraction. After method development, the DPPH radical scavenging activity of the OPH was evaluated. MAE showed obvious advantages in terms of high extraction efficiency and radical scavenging activity of extract within the shorter extraction time. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Anti-Fatigue Effects of the Unique Polysaccharide Marker of Dendrobium officinale on BALB/c Mice.

PubMed

Wei, Wei; Li, Zhi-Peng; Zhu, Tong; Fung, Hau-Yee; Wong, Tin-Long; Wen, Xin; Ma, Dik-Lung; Leung, Chung-Hang; Han, Quan-Bin

2017-01-18

Dendrobium officinale extract shows potent anti-fatigue effects; however, the active substance responsible for these effects remains undetermined. A glucomannan with a huge molecular size of 730 kDa, called DOP, was identified as the unique authentication marker of this expensive herb. DOP exhibited immunomodulating effects on macrophages and lymphocytes in our previous study. Clinical reports also showed that people with fatigue syndrome have a disturbed immune system. Because DOP is the unique and dominant component of D. officinale , we hypothesize that DOP may also have anti-fatigue activity. The present study aims to evaluate the anti-fatigue activity of DOP on BALB/c mice, with Rhodiola rosea extract as a positive control. DOP and Rhodiola rosea extract were orally administered at doses of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, respectively, for four weeks, and the anti-fatigue activity of DOP on BALB/c mice was evaluated using the weight-loaded swimming test. The contents of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH), creatine phosphokinase (CK), triglyceride (TG), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), lactic acid (LD), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) in serum, glycogen of liver and gastrocnemius muscle were also determined. Their effects on variability of T cells and B cells were determined by using tetrazolium compound (MTS) method. The weight-loaded swimming exercise caused fatigue syndrome, mainly including the decreases of serum SOD/GSH-Px and gastrocnemius glycogen, as well as the increases of LDH, BUN, MDA, CK, TG, and LD in serum. All of these indicators of fatigue were inhibited to a certain extent by both DOP and Rhodiola rosea extract; however, the effects of DOP were much stronger than those of Rhodiola rosea extract. Compared to the positive control, mice dosed with DOP showed increases in endurance, body weight, and food intake. Furthermore, DOP-feeding mice significantly increased the cell variability of T lymphocytes and B lymphocytes, compared with that of mice in control group. This study indicates that the unique and dominant polysaccharide DOP of D. officinale has stronger anti-fatigue activity than Rhodiola rosea extract. As such, DOP has promising potential for pharmaceutical development into health products to reduce fatigue.

Schinus terebinthifolius raddi (Aroeira) and Orbignya phalerata mart. (Babassu) effect in cecorrahphy healing in rats.

PubMed

Scheibe, Christian Lamar; Ribas-Filho, Jurandir Marcondes; Czeczko, Nicolau Gregori; Malafaia, Osvaldo; Barboza, Luiz Eduardo Durães; Ribas, Fernanda Marcondes; Wendler, Eduardo; Torres, Orlando; Lovato, Fernanda Christo; Scapini, João Guilherme Seifert

2016-06-01

To evaluate the effect of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi (aroeira) and Orbignya phalerata Mart. (babassu) in the healing process of cecorrhaphy in rats. : Fifty four rats were used, distributed into three groups randomly: aroeira, babassu and control, which were divided into three subgroups (six animals) according to the time of the deaths (7, 14, 21 days). All underwent the same surgical procedure, cecotomy and cecorrhaphy. The animals in group aroeira and babassu received daily dose of 100 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extract and 50 mg/kg of aquous extract respectively, by gavage. The control group received only saline solution. The parameters evaluated were: macroscopic changes, ,resistance test to air insufflations and histological changes. : All animals showed good healing without infection. All groups presented adhesions between cecum and neighboring organs. The resistance test insufflating of atmospheric air showed progressive increase of pressure according to the days in the aroeira group, and decrease in babassu group, without significant difference. Microscopy showed significant difference in the polymorphonuclear, hyperemia, angiogenesis, fibroblast proliferation and collagen histological variables in the 14th day. : Hydroalcoholic extract of aroeira and the aqueous extract of babassu favored the healing process in cecorrhaphy in rats.

Cardiovascular impact of intravenous caffeine in preterm infants.

PubMed

Huvanandana, Jacqueline; Thamrin, Cindy; McEwan, Alistair L; Hinder, Murray; Tracy, Mark B

2018-05-03

To evaluate the acute effect of intravenous caffeine on heart rate and blood pressure variability in preterm infants. We extracted and compared linear and non-linear features of heart rate and blood pressure variability at two timepoints: prior to and in the two hours following a loading dose of 10 mg/kg caffeine base. We studied 31 preterm infants with arterial blood pressure data and 25 with electrocardiogram data, and compared extracted features prior to and following caffeine administration. We observed a reduction in both scaling exponents (α 1 , α 2 ) of mean arterial pressure from detrended fluctuation analysis and an increase in the ratio of short- (SD1) and long-term (SD2) variability from Poincare analysis (SD1/SD2). Heart rate variability analyses showed a reduction in α 1 (mean (SD) of 0.92 (0.21) to 0.86 (0.21), p < 0.01), consistent with increased vagal tone. Following caffeine, beat-to-beat pulse pressure variability (SD) also increased (2.1 (0.64) to 2.5 (0.65) mmHg, p < 0.01). This study highlights potential elevation in autonomic nervous system responsiveness following caffeine administration reflected in both heart rate and blood pressure systems. The observed increase in pulse pressure variability may have implications for caffeine administration to infants with potentially impaired cerebral autoregulation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Box-Behnken design based statistical modeling for ultrasound-assisted extraction of corn silk polysaccharide.

PubMed

Prakash Maran, J; Manikandan, S; Thirugnanasambandham, K; Vigna Nivetha, C; Dinesh, R

2013-01-30

In this study, ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) conditions on the yield of polysaccharide from corn silk were studied using three factors, three level Box-Behnken response surface design. Process parameters, which affect the efficiency of UAE such as extraction temperature (40-60 °C), time (10-30 min) and solid-liquid ratio (1:10-1:30 g/ml) were investigated. The results showed that, the extraction conditions have significant effects on extraction yield of polysaccharide. The obtained experimental data were fitted to a second-order polynomial equation using multiple regression analysis with high coefficient of determination value (R(2)) of 0.994. An optimization study using Derringer's desired function methodology was performed and the optimal conditions based on both individual and combinations of all independent variables (extraction temperature of 56 °C, time of 17 min and solid-liquid ratio of 1:20 g/ml) were determined with maximum polysaccharide yield of 6.06%, which was confirmed through validation experiments. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Extraction, stability, and separation of betalains from Opuntia joconostle cv. using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Sanchez-Gonzalez, Noe; Jaime-Fonseca, Monica R; San Martin-Martinez, Eduardo; Zepeda, L Gerardo

2013-12-11

Betalains were extracted and analyzed from Opuntia joconostle (the prickly pear known as xoconostle in Mexico). For the extraction, two solvent systems were used, methanol/water and ethanol/water. A three-variable Box-Behnken statistical design was used for extraction: solvent concentration (0-80%, v/v), temperature (5-30 °C), and treatment time (10-30 min). The extraction and stability of betalains from xoconostle were studied using response surface methodology (RSM). Techniques such as UV-vis, column chromatography, and HPLC were employed for the separation and analysis of the main pigments present in the extracts. Maximum pigment concentration (92 mg/100 g of fruit) was obtained at a temperature of 15 °C and a time of 10 min for methanol/water (20:80), whereas maximum stability of the pigment was observed at pH 5 and a temperature of 25 °C. HPLC chromatograms showed the main betalains of the xoconostle characterized were betalain, betanidin, and isobetalain.

Extraction of astaxanthin from Euphausia pacific using subcritical 1, 1, 1, 2-tetrafluoroethane

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Yuqian; Ma, Qinchuan; Wang, Lan; Xue, Changhu

2012-12-01

Euphausia pacific is an important source of natural astaxanthin. Studies were carried out to assess the extractability of astaxanthin from E. pacific using subcritical 1, 1, 1, 2-tetrafluoroethane (R134a). To examine the effects of multiple process variables on the extraction yield, astaxanthin was extracted under various conditions of pressure (30-150 bar), temperature (303-343 K), time (10-50 min), flow rate (2-10 g min-1), moisture content (5.5%-63.61%), and particle size (0.25-0.109 mm). The results showed that the extraction yield increased with temperature, pressure, time and flow rate, but decreased with moisture content and particle size. A maximum yield of 87.74% was obtained under conditions of 100 bar, 333 K, and 30 min with a flow rate of 6 g min-1 and a moisture content of 5.5%. The substantial astaxanthin yield obtained under low-pressure conditions demonstrates that subcritical R134a is a good alternative to CO2 for extraction of astaxanthin from E. pacific.

Truly work-like work extraction via a single-shot analysis.

PubMed

Aberg, Johan

2013-01-01

The work content of non-equilibrium systems in relation to a heat bath is often analysed in terms of expectation values of an underlying random work variable. However, when optimizing the expectation value of the extracted work, the resulting extraction process is subject to intrinsic fluctuations, uniquely determined by the Hamiltonian and the initial distribution of the system. These fluctuations can be of the same order as the expected work content per se, in which case the extracted energy is unpredictable, thus intuitively more heat-like than work-like. This raises the question of the 'truly' work-like energy that can be extracted. Here we consider an alternative that corresponds to an essentially fluctuation-free extraction. We show that this quantity can be expressed in terms of a one-shot relative entropy measure introduced in information theory. This suggests that the relations between information theory and statistical mechanics, as illustrated by concepts like Maxwell's demon, Szilard engines and Landauer's principle, extends to the single-shot regime.

Predictive factors of difficulty in lower third molar extraction: A prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Alvira-González, J; Figueiredo, R; Valmaseda-Castellón, E; Quesada-Gómez, C; Gay-Escoda, C

2017-01-01

Several publications have measured the difficulty of third molar removal, trying to establish the main risk factors, however several important preoperative and intraoperative variables are overlooked. A prospective cohort study comprising a total of 130 consecutive lower third molar extractions was performed. The outcome variables used to measure the difficulty of the extraction were operation time and a 100mm visual analogue scale filled by the surgeon at the end of the surgical procedure. The predictors were divided into 4 different groups (demographic, anatomic, radiographic and operative variables). A descriptive, bivariate and multivariate analysis of the data was performed. Patients' weight, the presence of bulbous roots, the need to perform crown and root sectioning of the lower third molar and Pell and Gregory 123 classification significantly influenced both outcome variables (p< 0.05). Certain anatomical, radiological and operative variables appear to be important factors in the assessment of surgical difficulty in the extraction of lower third molars.

Process optimization and analysis of microwave assisted extraction of pectin from dragon fruit peel.

PubMed

Thirugnanasambandham, K; Sivakumar, V; Prakash Maran, J

2014-11-04

Microwave assisted extraction (MAE) technique was employed for the extraction of pectin from dragon fruit peel. The extracting parameters were optimized by using four-variable-three-level Box-Behnken design (BBD) coupled with response surface methodology (RSM). RSM analysis indicated good correspondence between experimental and predicted values. 3D response surface plots were used to study the interactive effects of process variables on extraction of pectin. The optimum extraction conditions for the maximum yield of pectin were power of 400 W, temperature of 45 °C, extracting time of 20 min and solid-liquid ratio of 24 g/mL. Under these conditions, 7.5% of pectin was extracted. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of crude oil from winter melon (Benincasa hispida) seed using response surface methodology and evaluation of its antioxidant activity, total phenolic content and fatty acid composition.

PubMed

Bimakr, Mandana; Rahman, Russly Abdul; Taip, Farah Saleena; Adzahan, Noranizan Mohd; Sarker, Md Zaidul Islam; Ganjloo, Ali

2012-10-08

In the present study, ultrasound-assisted extraction of crude oil from winter melon seeds was investigated through response surface methodology (RSM). Process variables were power level (25-75%), temperature (45-55 °C) and sonication time (20-40 min). It was found that all process variables have significant (p < 0.05) effects on the response variable. A central composite design (CCD) was used to determine the optimum process conditions. Optimal conditions were identified as 65% power level, 52 °C temperature and 36 min sonication time for maximum crude yield (108.62 mg-extract/g-dried matter). The antioxidant activity, total phenolic content and fatty acid composition of extract obtained under optimized conditions were determined and compared with those of oil obtained by the Soxhlet method. It was found that crude extract yield (CEY) of ultrasound-assisted extraction was lower than that of the Soxhlet method, whereas antioxidant activity and total phenolic content of the extract obtained by ultrasound-assisted extraction were clearly higher than those of the Soxhlet extract. Furthermore, both extracts were rich in unsaturated fatty acids. The major fatty acids of the both extracts were linoleic acid and oleic acid.

Rapid determination of major bioactive isoflavonoid compounds during the extraction process of kudzu (Pueraria lobata) by near-infrared transmission spectroscopy.

PubMed

Wang, Pei; Zhang, Hui; Yang, Hailong; Nie, Lei; Zang, Hengchang

2015-02-25

Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been developed into an indispensable tool for both academic research and industrial quality control in a wide field of applications. The feasibility of NIR spectroscopy to monitor the concentration of puerarin, daidzin, daidzein and total isoflavonoid (TIF) during the extraction process of kudzu (Pueraria lobata) was verified in this work. NIR spectra were collected in transmission mode and pretreated with smoothing and derivative. Partial least square regression (PLSR) was used to establish calibration models. Three different variable selection methods, including correlation coefficient method, interval partial least squares (iPLS), and successive projections algorithm (SPA) were performed and compared with models based on all of the variables. The results showed that the approach was very efficient and environmentally friendly for rapid determination of the four quality indices (QIs) in the kudzu extraction process. This method established may have the potential to be used as a process analytical technological (PAT) tool in the future. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Safe Yield and Climatic Variability: Implications for Groundwater Management.

PubMed

Loáiciga, Hugo A

2017-05-01

Methods for calculating the safe yield are evaluated in this paper using a high-quality and long historical data set of groundwater recharge, discharge, extraction, and precipitation in a karst aquifer. Consideration is given to the role that climatic variability has on the determination of a climatically representative period with which to evaluate the safe yield. The methods employed to estimate the safe yield are consistent with its definition as a long-term average extraction rate that avoids adverse impacts on groundwater. The safe yield is a useful baseline for groundwater planning; yet, it is herein shown that it is not an operational rule that works well under all climatic conditions. This paper shows that due to the nature of dynamic groundwater processes it may be most appropriate to use an adaptive groundwater management strategy that links groundwater extraction rates to groundwater discharge rates, thus achieving a safe yield that represents an estimated long-term sustainable yield. An example of the calculation of the safe yield of the Edwards Aquifer (Texas) demonstrates that it is about one-half of the average annual recharge. © 2016, National Ground Water Association.

Microwave-assisted extraction of rutin and quercetin from the stalks of Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Sieb.

PubMed

Zhang, Fan; Yang, Yi; Su, Ping; Guo, Zhenku

2009-01-01

Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) has been used as one of traditional Chinese medicines for several thousand years. Conventional methods for the extraction of rutin and quercetin from E. alatus, including solvent extraction, Soxhlet extraction and heat reflux extraction are characterised by long extraction times and consumption of large amounts of solvents. To develop a simple and rapid method for the extraction of rutin and quercetin from the stalks of Euonymus alatus (Thunb.) Sieb using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique. MAE experiments were performed with a multimode microwave extraction system. The experimental variables that affect the MAE process, such as the concentration of ethanol solution, extractant volume, microwave power and extraction time were optimised. Yields were determined by HPLC. The results were compared with that obtained by classical Soxhlet and ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE). From the optimised conditions for MAE of rutin and quercetin it can be concluded that the solvent is 50% ethanol (v/v) solution, the extractant volume is 40 mL, microwave power is 170 W and irradiation time is 6 min. Compared with Soxhlet extraction and ultrasonic extraction, microwave extraction is a rapid method with a higher yield and lower solvent consumption. The results showed that MAE can be used as an efficient and rapid method for the extraction of the active components from plants.

Variation in levels of some leaf enzymes.

PubMed

Downton, J; Slatyer, R O

1971-03-01

Several procedures were compared for efficiency in the extraction of certain leaf enzymes (phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase, ribulose 1,5-diphosphate carboxylase and malate dehydrogenase) in Atriplex hastata (a "C3" species exhibiting conventional photosynthetic metabolism), and in A. spongiosa (a "C4" species in which the initial photosynthetic products are C4 dicarboxylic acids). Glycolate oxidase was also assayed in some cases, and Atriplex nummularia and Sorghum bicolor were also used as test material. A simple procedure, involving a mortar and pestle grind with carborundum added to the grinding mixture, was found to be as effective as glass bead grind procedures. In addition, it was more rapid and showed less variability with different operations.Using the carborundum grind procedure, sources of variability in enzyme activity in apparently uniform leaves were compared, as were effects of time of day, leaf age and storage procedure. In general, if apparently uniform leaves could be selected, variability in levels of enzyme activity appeared to be relatively small, not exceeding about 12%. Time of day also appeared to be relatively unimportant for the enzymes examined. However, the ontogentic status of the plant was found to be an important source of variability. Leaf age was also a major source of variability where the activity was expressed on a fresh weight basis, but specific activity (i.e. activity expressed on a protein basis) was relatively constant, at least with the range of species and leaf ages examined here.Storage of fresh samples in liquid nitrogen for 24 h, prior to extraction and assay, led to only a small reduction in activity, but substantial changes occurred if storage was in dry ice or in ice and also where extracts were stored in a deep freeze.

Local variability in metazoan parasites of the pelagic fish species, Engraulis ringens: implications for fish stock assessment using parasites as biological tags.

PubMed

Chavez, Rosa A; Valdivia, Isabel M; Oliva, Marcelo E

2007-06-01

Parasites have been used successfully as biological tags in population studies, mainly in marine fishes, but also in marine mammals, crustaceans and molluscs. Almost all published information dealing with parasites as biological tags evaluates differences between localities. However, local variability in the component community has not been assessed. In this work, we examined whether local variation of the metazoan parasite fauna of Engraulis ringens, extracted from five independent samples from two nearby localities in northern Chile, can be a factor causing bias in stock identification. Our results show that local variability, as estimated by a single sample, may suffice to represent component community variability with no need for replicated data.

Study of InDel genetic markers with forensic and ancestry informative interest in PALOP's immigrant populations in Lisboa.

PubMed

Inácio, Ana; Costa, Heloísa Afonso; da Silva, Cláudia Vieira; Ribeiro, Teresa; Porto, Maria João; Santos, Jorge Costa; Igrejas, Gilberto; Amorim, António

2017-05-01

The migratory phenomenon in Portugal has become one of the main factors for the genetic variability. In the last few years, a new class of autosomal insertion/deletion markers-InDel-has attracted interest in forensic genetics. Since there is no data for InDel markers of Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP) immigrants living in Lisboa, our aim is the characterization of those groups of individuals by typing them with at least 30 InDel markers and to compare different groups of individuals/populations. We studied 454 bloodstain samples belonging to immigrant individuals from Angola, Guinea-Bissau, and Mozambique. DNA extraction was performed with the Chelex® 100 method. After extraction, all samples were typed with the Investigator® DIPplex method. Through the obtained results, allelic frequencies show that all markers are at Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, and we can confirm that those populations show significant genetic distances between themselves, between them, and the host Lisboa population. Because of this, they introduce genetic variability in Lisboa population.

Effects of urbanization on benthic macroinvertebrate communities in streams, Anchorage, Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ourso, Robert T.

2001-01-01

The effect of urbanization on stream macroinvertebrate communities was examined by using data gathered during a 1999 reconnaissance of 14 sites in the Municipality of Anchorage, Alaska. Data collected included macroinvertebrate abundance, water chemistry, and trace elements in bed sediments. Macroinvertebrate relative-abundance data were edited and used in metric and index calculations. Population density was used as a surrogate for urbanization. Cluster analysis (unweighted-paired-grouping method) using arithmetic means of macroinvertebrate presence-absence data showed a well-defined separation between urbanized and nonurbanized sites as well as extracted sites that did not cleanly fall into either category. Water quality in Anchorage generally declined with increasing urbanization (population density). Of 59 variables examined, 31 correlated with urbanization. Local regression analysis extracted 11 variables that showed a significant impairment threshold response and 6 that showed a significant linear response. Significant biological variables for determining the impairment threshold in this study were the Margalef diversity index, Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera taxa richness, and total taxa richness. Significant thresholds were observed in the water-chemistry variables conductivity, dissolved organic carbon, potassium, and total dissolved solids. Significant thresholds in trace elements in bed sediments included arsenic, iron, manganese, and lead. Results suggest that sites in Anchorage that have ratios of population density to road density greater than 70, storm-drain densities greater than 0.45 miles per square mile, road densities greater than 4 miles per square mile, or population densities greater than 125-150 persons per square mile may require further monitoring to determine if the stream has become impaired. This population density is far less than the 1,000 persons per square mile used by the U.S. Census Bureau to define an urban area.

Optimization of ultrasound and microwave assisted extractions of polyphenols from black rice (Oryza sativa cv. Poireton) husk.

PubMed

Jha, Pankaj; Das, Arup Jyoti; Deka, Sankar Chandra

2017-11-01

Phenolic compounds were extracted from the husk of milled black rice (cv. Poireton) by using a combination of ultrasound assisted extraction and microwave assisted extraction. Extraction parameters were optimized by response surface methodology according to a three levels, five variables Box-Behnken design. The appropriate process variables (extraction temperature and extraction time) to maximize the ethanolic extraction of total phenolic compounds, flavonoids, anthocyanins and antioxidant activity of the extracts were obtained. Extraction of functional components with varying ethanol concentration and microwave time were significantly affected by the process variables. The best possible conditions obtained by RSM for all the factors included 10.02 min sonication time, 49.46 °C sonication temperature, 1:40.79 (w/v) solute solvent ratio, 67.34% ethanol concentration, and 31.11 s microwave time. Under the given solutions, the maximum extraction of phenolics (1.65 mg/g GAE), flavonoids (3.04 mg/100 g), anthocyanins (3.39 mg/100 g) and antioxidants (100%) were predicted, while the experimental values included 1.72 mg/g GAE of total phenolics, 3.01 mg/100 g of flavonoids, 3.36 mg/100 g of anthocyanins and 100% antioxidant activity. The overall results indicated positive impact of co-application of microwave and ultrasound assisted extractions of phenolic compounds from black rice husk.

The antioxidative activity of plant extracts in cooked pork patties as evaluated by descriptive sensory profiling and chemical analysis.

PubMed

Nissen, Lise R; Byrne, Derek V; Bertelsen, Grete; Skibsted, Leif H

2004-11-01

Antioxidative efficiency of extracts of rosemary, green tea, coffee and grape skin in precooked pork patties was investigated during storage under retail conditions (10 days, 4 °C, atmospheric air), using descriptive sensory profiling following reheating and quantitative measurements of hexanal, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and vitamin E as indicators of lipid oxidation. The initial oxidative status of pork patties (evaluated by ANOVA) showed a significant lower level of secondary oxidation products and higher levels of vitamin E in patties with extracts incorporated, indicating that the extracts retarded lipid oxidation during processing of the meat. Data analysis for the storage study was based on qualitative overview of sensory/chemical variation by principal component analysis (PCA) and quantitative ANOVA-PLSR for determination of the relationship between design variables (days of chill-storage, extract treatment) versus sensory-chemical variables and PLSR for elucidating the predictive ability of the chemical methods for sensory terms. Lipid oxidation was seen to involve a decrease in perception of meat flavour/odour and a concomitant increase in the off-flavour/odours linseed, rancid. TBARS, hexanal and vitamin E were all significant predictive indices (P<0.05) for the majority of the sensory terms, while vitamin E through negative correlation with TBARS and hexanal displayed its antioxidative effect and thus, its ability to preserve sensory fresh meat flavour/odour. The effect of the various extracts incorporated in the product was clearly related to the degree of lipid oxidation and an overall ranking of the antioxidative efficiency of extracts in declining order became apparent: Rosemary>Grape skin>Tea>Coffee>Reference. Furthermore, the relation between extracts and vitamin E indicated that the extracts, to some extent, interacted with the vitamin and prevented it from degrading. In conclusion, the rosemary extract displayed potential for maintaining sensory eating quality in processed pork products.

Distribution and Taxonomic Significance of Secondary Metabolites Occurring in the Methanol Extracts of the Stonecrops (Sedum L., Crassulaceae) from the Central Balkan Peninsula.

PubMed

Stojanovic, Gordana S; Jovanović, Snežana C; Zlatković, Bojan K

2015-06-01

The present study is engaged in the chemical composition of methanol extracts of Sedum taxa from the central part of the Balkan Peninsula, and representatives from other genera of Crassulaceae (Crassula, Echeveria and Kalanchoe) considered as out-groups. The chemical composition of extracts was determined by HPLC analysis, according to retention time of standards and characteristic absorption spectra of components. Identified components were considered as original variables with possible chemotaxonomic significance. Relationships of examined plant samples were investigated by agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis (AHC). The obtained results showed how the distribution of methanol extract components (mostly phenolics) affected grouping of the examined samples. The obtained clustering showed satisfactory grouping of the examined samples, among which some representatives of the Sedum series, Rupestria and Magellensia, are the most remote. The out-group samples were not clearly singled out with regard to Sedum samples as expected; this especially applies to samples of Crassula ovata and Echeveria lilacina, while Kalanchoe daigremontiana was more separated from most of the Sedum samples.

Sequential ASE extraction of alkylphenols from sediments: Occurrence and environmental implications.

PubMed

Gong, Jian; Xu, Lei; Yang, Yu; Chen, Di-Yun; Ran, Yong

2011-08-30

The occurrence of alkylphenols (APs) including nonylphenol (NP) and octylphenol (OP) in the riverine sediments from the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China was investigated and compared by Soxhlet extraction (S-APs) with dichloromethane and by sequential accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) (A-APs) with 1:6 toluene/methanol, respectively. Concentrations of OP and NP range from <1 to 463ng/g dw and 31-21,885ng/g dw, respectively, demonstrating that the contamination level of APs in the PRD is one of the highest in the world. Moreover, the A-APs contents are highly significantly related to and on average 1.5 times the S-APs contents. For sequential two ASE extractions, APs in the first extract accounts for 82.2-99.2% of their total contents in the sequential two extractions. The correlation analysis shows that S-APs and A-APs are both significantly associated with the contents of total organic carbon (TOC), suggesting that the variable extraction efficiency of these two methods is related to the presence of condensed organic matter in the sediments. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Selective Extraction of Rare Earth Elements from Permanent Magnet Scraps with Membrane Solvent Extraction.

PubMed

Kim, Daejin; Powell, Lawrence E; Delmau, Lætitia H; Peterson, Eric S; Herchenroeder, Jim; Bhave, Ramesh R

2015-08-18

The rare earth elements (REEs) such as neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium were successfully recovered from commercial NdFeB magnets and industrial scrap magnets via membrane assisted solvent extraction (MSX). A hollow fiber membrane system was evaluated to extract REEs in a single step with the feed and strip solutions circulating continuously through the MSX system. The effects of several experimental variables on REE extraction such as flow rate, concentration of REEs in the feed solution, membrane configuration, and composition of acids were investigated with the MSX system. A multimembrane module configuration with REEs dissolved in aqueous nitric acid solutions showed high selectivity for REE extraction with no coextraction of non-REEs, whereas the use of aqueous hydrochloric acid solution resulted in coextraction of non-REEs due to the formation of chloroanions of non-REEs. The REE oxides were recovered from the strip solution through precipitation, drying, and annealing steps. The resulting REE oxides were characterized with XRD, SEM-EDX, and ICP-OES, demonstrating that the membrane assisted solvent extraction is capable of selectively recovering pure REEs from the industrial scrap magnets.

Clinical efficacy of crataegus extract WS 1442 in congestive heart failure NYHA class II.

PubMed

Zapfe jun, G

2001-07-01

In a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical study the clinical efficacy and safety of Crataegus extract WS 1442, standardised to 18.75% oligomeric procyanidines, were investigated in 40 female and male outpatients suffering from congestive heart failure NYHA class II. Following a wash-out period of up to seven days, the patients were randomised to be treated for 12 weeks with either WS 1442 (3 x 1 capsule) or placebo. The primary outcome variable was exercise tolerance determined with bicycle exercise testing; as a secondary outcome variable the difference of the double product was calculated. On average, the exercise tolerance increased by 66.3 W x min (10.8%) in the WS 1442 group while in the placebo group a reduction of 105.3 W x min (16.9%) was measured. This difference between the groups was borderline statistically significant (p = 0.06). During the three month therapy the difference of the double product (heart rate x systolic blood pressure x 10(-2)) decreased by 14.4 mmHg s(-1) (26.8%) in the WS 1442 group and by 1.3 mmHg s(-1) (2.7%) in the placebo group, respectively. Recording of laboratory parameters and adverse events showed that WS 1442 was safe and well tolerated. The data show that Crataegus extract WS 1442 is clinically effective in patients with congestive heart failure corresponding to NYHA class II.

The time-domain behavior of power-law noises. [of many geophysical phenomena

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Agnew, Duncan C.

1992-01-01

The power spectra of many geophysical phenomena are well approximated by a power-law dependence on frequency or wavenumber. A simple expression for the root-mean-square variability of a process with such a spectrum over an interval of time or space is derived. The resulting expression yields the powerlaw time dependence characteristic of fractal processes, but can be generalized to give the temporal variability for more general spectral behaviors. The method is applied to spectra of crustal strain (to show what size of strain events can be detected over periods of months to seconds) and of sea level (to show the difficulty of extracting long-term rates from short records).

EXTRACTING PRINCIPLE COMPONENTS FOR DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS OF FMRI IMAGES

PubMed Central

Liu, Jingyu; Xu, Lai; Caprihan, Arvind; Calhoun, Vince D.

2009-01-01

This paper presents an approach for selecting optimal components for discriminant analysis. Such an approach is useful when further detailed analyses for discrimination or characterization requires dimensionality reduction. Our approach can accommodate a categorical variable such as diagnosis (e.g. schizophrenic patient or healthy control), or a continuous variable like severity of the disorder. This information is utilized as a reference for measuring a component’s discriminant power after principle component decomposition. After sorting each component according to its discriminant power, we extract the best components for discriminant analysis. An application of our reference selection approach is shown using a functional magnetic resonance imaging data set in which the sample size is much less than the dimensionality. The results show that the reference selection approach provides an improved discriminant component set as compared to other approaches. Our approach is general and provides a solid foundation for further discrimination and classification studies. PMID:20582334

EXTRACTING PRINCIPLE COMPONENTS FOR DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS OF FMRI IMAGES.

PubMed

Liu, Jingyu; Xu, Lai; Caprihan, Arvind; Calhoun, Vince D

2008-05-12

This paper presents an approach for selecting optimal components for discriminant analysis. Such an approach is useful when further detailed analyses for discrimination or characterization requires dimensionality reduction. Our approach can accommodate a categorical variable such as diagnosis (e.g. schizophrenic patient or healthy control), or a continuous variable like severity of the disorder. This information is utilized as a reference for measuring a component's discriminant power after principle component decomposition. After sorting each component according to its discriminant power, we extract the best components for discriminant analysis. An application of our reference selection approach is shown using a functional magnetic resonance imaging data set in which the sample size is much less than the dimensionality. The results show that the reference selection approach provides an improved discriminant component set as compared to other approaches. Our approach is general and provides a solid foundation for further discrimination and classification studies.

[Implantation of flakes of castor oil resin in rat dental alveolus].

PubMed

Calixto, R F; Teófilo, J M; Brentegani, L G; Carvalho, T L

2001-01-01

The purposes of the present study were: 1) to investigate the biocompatibility of a natural resin (made of fatty acids extracted from Ricinus communis) implanted in the dental alveolus of rats and 2) to verify any possible interference of that material in the osseous healing following tooth extraction. The resin (AUG-EX, Poliquil Araraquara Polímeros Químicos LTDA, Araraquara--SP) was placed inside de alveoli immediately after extraction of the upper right incisors. The animals were sacrificed 1, 2, 3 and 6 weeks after extraction or extraction + implantation. The hemi-maxillae were decalcified and processed for paraffin embedding. Longitudinal 6-micrometer-thick semi-serial sections stained with hematoxylin and eosin were obtained. Histologic examination showed particles of irregular shape and variable size (700-1200 microns) localized in the medium/cervical alveolar thirds, with a scanty but persistent foreign body reaction. From the second week on, as the relative volume of bone trabeculae increased, it was seen in close contact with the surface of the implanted material in some regions. Histometric analysis (differential point counting method), used to quantify the healing process in the apical third, showed a small but significant decrease (13%-20%) in new bone formation in the implanted rats. In conclusion, the results show that, in spite of its biocompatible nature, the studied resin hinders the post-extration healing process.

Development of Phaleria macrocarpa (Scheff.) Boerl Fruits Using Response Surface Methodology Focused on Phenolics, Flavonoids and Antioxidant Properties.

PubMed

Mohamed Mahzir, Khurul Ain; Abd Gani, Siti Salwa; Hasanah Zaidan, Uswatun; Halmi, Mohd Izuan Effendi

2018-03-22

In this study, the optimal conditions for the extraction of antioxidants from the Buah Mahkota Dewa fruit ( Phaleria macrocarpa) was determined by using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The optimisation was applied using a Central Composite Design (CCD) to investigate the effect of three independent variables, namely extraction temperature (°C), extraction time (minutes) and extraction solvent to-feed ratio (% v / v ) on four responses: free radical scavenging activity (DPPH), ferric ion reducing power assay (FRAP), total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC). The optimal conditions for the antioxidants extraction were found to be 64 °C extraction temperature, 66 min extraction time and 75% v / v solvent to-feed ratio giving the highest percentage yields of DPPH, FRAP, TPC and TFC of 86.85%, 7.47%, 292.86 mg/g and 3.22 mg/g, respectively. Moreover, the data were subjected to Response Surface Methodology (RSM) and the results showed that the polynomial equations for all models were significant, did not show lack of fit, and presented adjusted determination coefficients ( R ²) above 99%, proving that the yield of phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidants activities obtained experimentally were close to the predicted values and the suitability of the model employed in RSM to optimise the extraction conditions. Hence, in this study, the fruit from P. macrocarpa could be considered to have strong antioxidant ability and can be used in various cosmeceutical or medicinal applications.

Validated Method for the Characterization and Quantification of Extractable and Nonextractable Ellagitannins after Acid Hydrolysis in Pomegranate Fruits, Juices, and Extracts.

PubMed

García-Villalba, Rocío; Espín, Juan Carlos; Aaby, Kjersti; Alasalvar, Cesarettin; Heinonen, Marina; Jacobs, Griet; Voorspoels, Stefan; Koivumäki, Tuuli; Kroon, Paul A; Pelvan, Ebru; Saha, Shikha; Tomás-Barberán, Francisco A

2015-07-29

Pomegranates are one of the main highly valuable sources of ellagitannins. Despite the potential health benefits of these compounds, reliable data on their content in pomegranates and derived extracts and food products is lacking, as it is usually underestimated due to their complexity, diversity, and lack of commercially available standards. This study describes a new method for the analysis of the extractable and nonextractable ellagitannins based on the quantification of the acid hydrolysis products that include ellagic acid, gallic acid, sanguisorbic acid dilactone, valoneic acid dilactone, and gallagic acid dilactone in pomegranate samples. The study also shows the occurrence of ellagitannin C-glycosides in pomegranates. The method was optimized using a pomegranate peel extract. To quantify nonextractable ellagitannins, freeze-dried pomegranate fruit samples were directly hydrolyzed with 4 M HCl in water at 90 °C for 24 h followed by extraction of the pellet with dimethyl sulfoxide/methanol (50:50, v/v). The method was validated and reproducibility was assessed by means of an interlaboratory trial, showing high reproducibility across six laboratories with relative standard deviations below 15%. Their applicability was demonstrated in several pomegranate extracts, different parts of pomegranate fruit (husk, peels, and mesocarp), and commercial juices. A large variability has been found in the ellagitannin content (150-750 mg of hydrolysis products/g) and type (gallagic acid/ellagic acid ratios between 4 and 0.15) of the 11 pomegranate extracts studied.

Evaluation and optimization of ethanol production from carob pod extract by Zymomonas mobilis using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Vaheed, Hossein; Shojaosadati, Seyed Abbas; Galip, Hasan

2011-01-01

In this research, ethanol production from carob pod extract (extract) using Zymomonas mobilis with medium optimized by Plackett-Burman (P-B) and response surface methodologies (RSM) was studied. Z. mobilis was recognized as useful for ethanol production from carob pod extract. The effects of initial concentrations of sugar, peptone, and yeast extract as well as agitation rate (rpm), pH, and culture time in nonhydrolyzed carob pod extract were investigated. Significantly affecting variables (P = 0.05) in the model obtained from RSM studies were: weights of bacterial inoculum, initial sugar, peptone, and yeast extract. Acid hydrolysis was useful to complete conversion of sugars to glucose and fructose. Nonhydrolyzed extract showed higher ethanol yield and residual sugar compared with hydrolyzed extract. Ethanol produced (g g(-1) initial sugar, as the response) was not significantly different (P = 0.05) when Z. mobilis performance was compared in hydrolyzed and nonhydrolyzed extract. The maximum ethanol of 0.34 ± 0.02 g g(-1) initial sugar was obtained at 30°C, initial pH 5.2, and 80 rpm, using concentrations (g per 50 mL culture media) of: inoculum bacterial dry weight, 0.017; initial sugar, 5.78; peptone, 0.43; yeast extract, 0.43; and culture time of 36 h.

Green Extraction of Natural Antioxidants from the Sterculia nobilis Fruit Waste and Analysis of Phenolic Profile.

PubMed

Zhang, Jiao-Jiao; Li, Ya; Lin, Sheng-Jun; Li, Hua-Bin

2018-05-02

The waste of Sterculia nobilis fruit was massively produced during food processing, which contains lots of natural antioxidants. In this study, antioxidants in the Sterculia nobilis fruit waste were extracted using the green microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique. The effects of five independent variables (ethanol concentration, solvent/material ratio, extraction time, temperature, and microwave power) on extraction efficiency were explored, and three major factors (ethanol concentration, extraction time, and temperature) showing great influences were chosen to study their interactions by response surface methodology. The optimal conditions were as follows: 40.96% ethanol concentration, 30 mL/g solvent/material ratio, 37.37 min extraction time at 66.76 °C, and 700 W microwave power. The Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity value obtained in optimal conditions was in agreement with the predicted value. Besides, MAE improved the extraction efficiency compared with maceration and Soxhlet extraction methods. Additionally, the phenolic profile in the extract was analyzed by UPLC-MS/MS, and eight kinds of phenolic compounds were identified and quantified, including epicatechin, protocatechuic acid, ferulic acid, gallic acid, p -coumaric acid, caffeic acid, quercetin, and p -hydroxycinnamic acid. This study could contribute to the value-added utilization of the waste from Sterculia nobilis fruit, and the extract could be developed as food additive or functional food.

Solid-phase microextraction set-up for the analysis of liver volatolome to detect livestock exposure to micropollutants.

PubMed

Bouhlel, Jihéne; Ratel, Jérémy; Abouelkaram, Said; Mercier, Frédéric; Travel, Angelique; Baéza, Elisabeth; Jondreville, Catherine; Dervilly-Pinel, Gaud; Marchand, Philippe; Le Bizec, Bruno; Dubreil, Estelle; Mompelat, Sophie; Verdon, Eric; Inthavong, Chanthadary; Guérin, Thierry; Rutledge, Douglas N; Engel, Erwan

2017-05-12

Starting from a critical analysis of a first "proof of concept" study on the utility of the liver volatolome for detecting livestock exposure to environmental micropollutants (Berge et al., 2011), the primary aim of this paper is to improve extraction conditions so as to obtain more representative extracts by using an extraction temperature closer to livestock physiological conditions while minimizing analytical variability and maximizing Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) abundancies. Levers related to extraction conditions and sample preparation were assessed in the light of both abundance and coefficient of variation of 22 candidate VOC markers identified in earlier volatolomic studies. Starting with a CAR/PDMS fiber and a 30min extraction, the reduction of SPME temperature to 40°C resulted in a significant decrease in the area of 14 candidate VOC markers (p<0.05), mainly carbonyls and alcohols but also a reduction in the coefficient of variation for 17 of them. In order to restore VOC abundances and to minimize variability, two approaches dealing with sample preparation were investigated. By increasing sample defrosting time at 4°C from 0 to 24h yielded higher abundances and lower variabilities for 15 and 13 compounds, respectively. Lastly, by using additives favouring the release of VOCs (1.2g of NaCl) the sensitivity of the analysis was improved with a significant increase in VOC abundances of more than 50% for 13 out of the 22 candidate markers. The modified SPME parameters significantly enhanced the abundances while decreasing the analytical variability for most candidate VOC markers. The second step was to validate the ability of the revised SPME protocol to discriminate intentionally contaminated broiler chickens from controls, under case/control animal testing conditions. After verification of the contamination levels of the animals by national reference laboratories, data analysis by a multivariate chemometric method (Common Components and Specific Weights Analysis - ComDim) showed that the liver volatolome could reveal dietary exposure of broilers to a group of environmental pollutants (PCBs), a veterinary treatment (monensin), and a pesticide (deltamethrin), thus confirming the usefulness of this analytical set-up. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction and in-vitro antioxidant activity of polysaccharide from Hibiscus leaf.

PubMed

Afshari, Kasra; Samavati, Vahid; Shahidi, Seyed-Ahmad

2015-03-01

The effects of ultrasonic power, extraction time, extraction temperature, and the water-to-raw material ratio on extraction yield of crude polysaccharide from the leaf of Hibiscus rosa-sinensis (HRLP) were optimized by statistical analysis using response surface methodology. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize HRLP extraction yield by implementing the Box-Behnken design (BBD). The experimental data obtained were fitted to a second-order polynomial equation using multiple regression analysis and also analyzed by appropriate statistical methods (ANOVA). Analysis of the results showed that the linear and quadratic terms of these four variables had significant effects. The optimal conditions for the highest extraction yield of HRLP were: ultrasonic power, 93.59 W; extraction time, 25.71 min; extraction temperature, 93.18°C; and the water to raw material ratio, 24.3 mL/g. Under these conditions, the experimental yield was 9.66±0.18%, which is well in close agreement with the value predicted by the model 9.526%. The results demonstrated that HRLP had strong scavenging activities in vitro on DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Frequency of orthodontic extraction

PubMed Central

Dardengo, Camila de S.; Fernandes, Luciana Q. P.; Capelli, Jonas

2016-01-01

Introduction: The option of dental extraction for orthodontic purposes has been debated for more than 100 years, including periods when it was widely used in treatment, including the present, during which other methods are used to avoid dental extractions. The objective was to analyze the frequency of tooth extraction treatment performed between 1980 and 2011 at the Orthodontic Clinic of Universidade Estadual do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). Material and Methods: The clinical records of 1484 patients undergoing orthodontic treatment were evaluated. The frequency of extractions was evaluated with regard to sex, Angle's classification, the different combinations of extractions and the period when orthodontic treatment began. Chi-square test was used to determine correlations between variables, while the chi-square test for trends was used to assess the frequency of extractions over the years. Results: There was a reduction of approximately 20% in the frequency of cases treated with tooth extraction over the last 32 years. The most frequently extracted teeth were first premolars. Patients with Class I malocclusion showed fewer extractions, while Class II patients underwent a higher number of extraction treatment. There were no statistically significant differences with regard to sex. Conclusion: New features introduced into the orthodontic clinic and new esthetic concepts contributed to reducing the number of cases treated with dental extractions. However, dental extractions for orthodontic purposes are still well indicated in certain cases. PMID:27007762

Antibacterial and glucosyltransferase enzyme inhibitory activity of helmyntostachyszelanica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuspradini, H.; Putri, AS; Mitsunaga, T.

2018-04-01

Helminthostachyszeylanica is a terrestrial, herbaceous, fern-like plant of southeastern Asia and Australia, commonly known as tunjuk-langit. This kind of plant have a medicinal properties such as treatment of malaria, dysentery and can be eaten with betel in the treatment of whooping cough. To evaluate the scientific basis for the use of the plant, the antimicrobial activities of extracts of the stem and leaves were evaluated. The bacteria used in this study is Streptococcus sobrinus, a species of gram-positive, that may be associated with human dental caries. The dried powdered plant parts were extracted using methanol and 50% aqueous extract and screened for their antibacterial effects of Streptococcus sobrinus using the 96 well-plate microdilution broth method. The inhibitory activities of its related enzyme were also determined. The plant extracts showed variable antibacterial and Glucosyltransferase enzyme inhibitory activity while some extracts could not cause any inhibition. It was shown that 50% ethanolics of Helminthostachyzeylanica stem have a potency as anti dental caries agents.

The physicochemical quality and meat microstructure of post laying hen with addition of Biduri (Calotropis gigantea) latex extract

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nuhriawangsa, A. M. P.; Hertanto, B. S.; Kartikasari, L. R.; Swastike, W.; Cahyadi, M.; Rasid, S.

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of extract level of Biduri latex on the meat quality of laying hens. The materials of this research were Biduri latex and thigh meat from hens strain Lohman. The latex was tapped from a young tissue stem and centrifuged for its supernatant. Meats were smeared with latex, punctured and incubated for 30 minutes. Concentrations of latex were 0, 3, 6 and 9% from the weight of meat (w/w). The variables were water, dissolved protein, crude fat content, tenderness and microstructure of meat. The statistical analysis method using ANOVA and if there was a mean difference, Duncan test was used. Descriptive analysis was used for microstructures of meat by comparing its hydrolysis conditions. The study showed that fat had significant difference (P <0.05), dissolved protein and tenderness had very significance (P <0.01). Descriptive analysis showed that there were different compositions of microstructures on meat structure. The fat content increased with addition of 3% latex. The value of dissolved protein increased but tenderness decreased by addition extract of 6% latex. The addition of Biduri latex extract showed that hydrolysis in the microstructure of meat. The addition of 6% latex was the best meat quality.

[Effect of Characteristic Variable Extraction on Accuracy of Cu in Navel Orange Peel by LIBS].

PubMed

Li, Wen-bing; Yao, Ming-yin; Huang, Lin; Chen, Tian-bing; Zheng, Jian-hong; Fan, Shi-quan; Liu Mu-hua HE, Mu-hua; Lin, Jin-long; Ouyang, Jing-yi

2015-07-01

Heavy metals pollution in foodstuffs is more and more serious. It is impossible to satisfy the modern agricultural development by conventional chemical analysis. Laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) is an emerging technology with the characteristic of rapid and nondestructive detection. But LIBS' s repeatability, sensitivity and accuracy has much room to improve. In this work, heavy metal Cu in Gannan Navel Orange which is the Jiangxi specialty fruit will be predicted by LIBS. Firstly, the navel orange samples were contaminated in our lab. The spectra of samples were collected by irradiating the peel by optimized LIBS parameters. The laser energy was set as 20 mJ, delay time of Spectral Data Gathering was set as 1.2 micros, the integration time of Spectral data gathering was set as 2 ms. The real concentration in samples was obtained by AAS (atom absorption spectroscopy). The characteristic variables Cu I 324.7 and Cu I 327.4 were extracted. And the calibration model was constructed between LIBS spectra and real concentration about Cu. The results show that relative error of the predicted concentrations of three relational model were 7.01% or less, reached a minimum of 0.02%, 0.01% and 0.02% respectively. The average relative errors were 2.33%, 3.10% and 26.3%. Tests showed that different characteristic variables decided different accuracy. It is very important to choose suitable characteristic variable. At the same time, this work is helpful to explore the distribution of heavy metals between pulp and peel.

Optimized extraction of polysaccharides from corn silk by pulsed electric field and response surface quadratic design.

PubMed

Zhao, Wenzhu; Yu, Zhipeng; Liu, Jingbo; Yu, Yiding; Yin, Yongguang; Lin, Songyi; Chen, Feng

2011-09-01

Corn silk is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, which has been widely used for treatment of some diseases. In this study the effects of pulsed electric field on the extraction of polysaccharides from corn silk were investigated. Polysaccharides in corn silk were extracted by pulsed electric field and optimized by response surface methodology (RSM), based on a Box-Behnken design (BBD). Three independent variables, including electric field intensity (kV cm(-1) ), ratio of liquid to raw material and pulse duration (µs), were investigated. The experimental data were fitted to a second-order polynomial equation and also profiled into the corresponding 3-D contour plots. Optimal extraction conditions were as follows: electric field intensity 30 kV cm(-1) , ratio of liquid to raw material 50, and pulse duration 6 µs. Under these condition, the experimental yield of extracted polysaccharides was 7.31% ± 0.15%, matching well with the predicted value. The results showed that a pulsed electric field could be applied to extract value-added products from foods and/or agricultural matrix. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry.

Optimization of conditions of solvent-free microwave extraction and study on antioxidant capacity of essential oil from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill.

PubMed

Ma, Chun-hui; Yang, Lei; Zu, Yuan-gang; Liu, Ting-ting

2012-10-15

In this article, solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME) of essential oil from Schisandra chinensis (Turcz.) Baill was studied. A multivariate study based on central composite design (CCD) was used to evaluate the influence of three major variables affecting the performance of SFME. The optimum parameters were extraction time 30 min, irradiation power 385 W and moisture content of the fruits was 68%. The extraction yield of essential oil was 11 ml/kg under the optimum conditions. The antioxidant capacity of essential oils extracted by different methods were determined, and compared with traditional antioxidants. GC-MS showed the different composition of essential oil extracted by hydro-distillation (HD), steam-distillation (SD) and SFME. S. chinensis materials treated by different methods were observed by scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) and thermo-gravimetric analysis (TGA). Micrographs and thermo gravimetric loss provided more evidences to prove SFME of essential oil is more completed than HD and SD. Crown Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Antioxidant activity of Piper nigrum L. essential oil extracted by supercritical CO₂ extraction and hydro-distillation.

PubMed

Bagheri, Hossein; Abdul Manap, Mohd Yazid Bin; Solati, Zeinab

2014-04-01

The aim of this study was to optimize the antioxidant activity of Piper nigrum L. essential oil extracted using the supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO₂) technique. Response surface methodology was applied using a three-factor central composite design to evaluate the effects of three independent extraction variables: pressure of 15-30 MPa, temperature of 40-50 °C and dynamic extraction time of 40-80 min. The DPPH radical scavenging method was used to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the extracts. The results showed that the best antioxidant activity was achieved at 30 MPa, 40 °C and 40 min. The extracts were analyzed by GC-FID and GC-MS. The main components extracted using SC-CO₂ extraction in optimum conditions were β-caryophyllene (25.38 ± 0.62%), limonene (15.64 ± 0.15%), sabinene (13.63 ± 0.21%), 3-carene (9.34 ± 0.04%), β-pinene (7.27 ± 0.05%), and α-pinene (4.25 ± 0.06%). The essential oil obtained through this technique was compared with the essential oil obtained using hydro-distillation. For the essential oil obtained by hydro-distillation, the most abundant compounds were β-caryophyllene (18.64 ± 0.84%), limonene (14.95 ± 0.13%), sabinene (13.19 ± 0.17%), 3-carene (8.56 ± 0.11%), β-pinene (9.71 ± 0.12%), and α-pinene (7.96 ± 0.14%). Radical scavenging activity of the extracts obtained by SC-CO₂ and hydro-distillation showed an EC₅₀ of 103.28 and 316.27 µg mL(-1) respectively. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimisation of supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of essential oil of flowers of tea (Camellia sinensis L.) plants and its antioxidative activity.

PubMed

Chen, Zhenchun; Mei, Xin; Jin, Yuxia; Kim, Eun-Hye; Yang, Ziyin; Tu, Youying

2014-01-30

To extract natural volatile compounds from tea (Camellia sinensis) flowers without thermal degradation and residue of organic solvents, supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) using carbon dioxide was employed to prepare essential oil of tea flowers in the present study. Four important parameters--pressure, temperature, static extraction time, and dynamic extraction time--were selected as independent variables in the SFE. The optimum extraction conditions were the pressure of 30 MPa, temperature of 50°C, static time of 10 min, and dynamic time of 90 min. Based on gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis, 59 compounds, including alkanes (45.4%), esters (10.5%), ketones (7.1%), aldehydes (3.7%), terpenes (3.7%), acids (2.1%), alcohols (1.6%), ethers (1.3%) and others (10.3%) were identified in the essential oil of tea flowers. Moreover, the essential oil of tea flowers showed relatively stronger DPPH radical scavenging activity than essential oils of geranium and peppermint, although its antioxidative activity was weaker than those of essential oil of clove, ascorbic acid, tert-butylhydroquinone, and butylated hydroxyanisole. Essential oil of tea flowers using SFE contained many types of volatile compounds and showed considerable DPPH scavenging activity. The information will contribute to the future application of tea flowers as raw materials in health-care food and food flavour industries. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

Butterbur root extract and music therapy in the prevention of childhood migraine: an explorative study.

PubMed

Oelkers-Ax, Rieke; Leins, Anne; Parzer, Peter; Hillecke, Thomas; Bolay, Hans V; Fischer, Jochen; Bender, Stephan; Hermanns, Uta; Resch, Franz

2008-04-01

Migraine is very common in school-aged children, but despite a number of pharmacological and non-pharmacological options for prophylaxis, randomized controlled evidence in children is small. Evidence-based prophylactic drugs may have considerable side effects. This study was to assess efficacy of a butterbur root extract (Petadolex) and music therapy in primary school children with migraine. Prospective, randomized, partly double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial. Following a 8-week baseline patients were randomized and received either butterbur root extract (n=19), music therapy (n=20) or placebo (n=19) over 12 weeks. All participants received additionally headache education ("treatment as usual") from the baseline onwards. Reduction of headache frequency after treatment (8-week post-treatment) as well as 6 months later (8-week follow-up) was the efficacy variable. Data analysis of subjects completing the respective study phase showed that during post-treatment, only music therapy was superior to placebo (p=0.005), whereas in the follow-up period both music therapy and butterbur root extract were superior to placebo (p=0.018 and p=0.044, respectively). All groups showed a substantial reduction of attack frequency already during baseline. Butterbur root extract and music therapy might be superior to placebo and may represent promising treatment approaches in the prophylaxis of paediatric migraine.

Optimization of sample preparation variables for wedelolactone from Eclipta alba using Box-Behnken experimental design followed by HPLC identification.

PubMed

Patil, A A; Sachin, B S; Shinde, D B; Wakte, P S

2013-07-01

Coumestan wedelolactone is an important phytocomponent from Eclipta alba (L.) Hassk. It possesses diverse pharmacological activities, which have prompted the development of various extraction techniques and strategies for its better utilization. The aim of the present study is to develop and optimize supercritical carbon dioxide assisted sample preparation and HPLC identification of wedelolactone from E. alba (L.) Hassk. The response surface methodology was employed to study the optimization of sample preparation using supercritical carbon dioxide for wedelolactone from E. alba (L.) Hassk. The optimized sample preparation involves the investigation of quantitative effects of sample preparation parameters viz. operating pressure, temperature, modifier concentration and time on yield of wedelolactone using Box-Behnken design. The wedelolactone content was determined using validated HPLC methodology. The experimental data were fitted to second-order polynomial equation using multiple regression analysis and analyzed using the appropriate statistical method. By solving the regression equation and analyzing 3D plots, the optimum extraction conditions were found to be: extraction pressure, 25 MPa; temperature, 56 °C; modifier concentration, 9.44% and extraction time, 60 min. Optimum extraction conditions demonstrated wedelolactone yield of 15.37 ± 0.63 mg/100 g E. alba (L.) Hassk, which was in good agreement with the predicted values. Temperature and modifier concentration showed significant effect on the wedelolactone yield. The supercritical carbon dioxide extraction showed higher selectivity than the conventional Soxhlet assisted extraction method. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of commercial DNA and RNA extraction methods for high-throughput sequencing of FFPE samples.

PubMed

Kresse, Stine H; Namløs, Heidi M; Lorenz, Susanne; Berner, Jeanne-Marie; Myklebost, Ola; Bjerkehagen, Bodil; Meza-Zepeda, Leonardo A

2018-01-01

Nucleic acid material of adequate quality is crucial for successful high-throughput sequencing (HTS) analysis. DNA and RNA isolated from archival FFPE material are frequently degraded and not readily amplifiable due to chemical damage introduced during fixation. To identify optimal nucleic acid extraction kits, DNA and RNA quantity, quality and performance in HTS applications were evaluated. DNA and RNA were isolated from five sarcoma archival FFPE blocks, using eight extraction protocols from seven kits from three different commercial vendors. For DNA extraction, the truXTRAC FFPE DNA kit from Covaris gave higher yields and better amplifiable DNA, but all protocols gave comparable HTS library yields using Agilent SureSelect XT and performed well in downstream variant calling. For RNA extraction, all protocols gave comparable yields and amplifiable RNA. However, for fusion gene detection using the Archer FusionPlex Sarcoma Assay, the truXTRAC FFPE RNA kit from Covaris and Agencourt FormaPure kit from Beckman Coulter showed the highest percentage of unique read-pairs, providing higher complexity of HTS data and more frequent detection of recurrent fusion genes. truXTRAC simultaneous DNA and RNA extraction gave similar outputs as individual protocols. These findings show that although successful HTS libraries could be generated in most cases, the different protocols gave variable quantity and quality for FFPE nucleic acid extraction. Selecting the optimal procedure is highly valuable and may generate results in borderline quality specimens.

Single-dose intra-alveolar chlorhexidine gel application, easier surgeries, and younger ages are associated with reduced dry socket risk.

PubMed

Haraji, Afshin; Rakhshan, Vahid

2014-02-01

Although dry socket (DS) is commonly investigated, many of its risk factors remain highly controversial. In addition, few studies are available to show the preventive effect of chlorhexidine gel on DS. Moreover, multivariable analyses of DS risk factors are scarce, and their interactions have not been assessed previously. Therefore, the simultaneous effect of chlorhexidine gel and 4 DS risk factors and their interactions were analyzed within a multivariable framework. Using a split-mouth randomized clinical trial design, the investigators enrolled a cohort of patients requiring extraction of 2 mandibular third molars. The primary predictor variable was extraction socket treatment status, classified as experimental or standard. Experimental treatment was the insertion of chlorhexidine gel (0.2%) into the extraction socket. Each patient had 1 third molar randomly selected as the treatment site. The contralateral third molar served as the control socket and was treated in the usual manner. The primary outcome variable was DS status, present or absent, assessed on postoperative day 3. Other study variables were categorized as demographic, smoking, and surgical difficulty according to the Pederson scale. Appropriate bivariate and multiple logistic regression statistics were used to measure the association between risk for DS and chlorhexidine gel use, age, gender, smoking, and surgical difficulty and their interactions (α = 0.05). The sample consisted of 90 bilateral extraction sockets in 45 patients (24 men; 21 smokers; mean age, 21.1 ± 2.7 yr). Regression analysis showed that when other factors and their interactions were controlled for, chlorhexidine gel application lowered the risk of DS (odds ratio [OR] = 0.05; P = .004). Increasing age (OR = 2.9; P = .030) was associated with an increased risk for DS. A similar association existed between increased difficulty level of extraction and DS risk (OR = 3.8; P = .051). The effect of gender was marginally significant (P = .091), whereas smoking did not have a significant influence (P = .4). Intra-alveolar application of chlorhexidine gel and practicing less traumatic surgeries are advocated, particularly in older patients. Smoking seems unlikely to affect DS frequency. The role of gender is inconclusive. Copyright © 2014 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microbial community structures in high rate algae ponds for bioconversion of agricultural wastes from livestock industry for feed production.

PubMed

Mark Ibekwe, A; Murinda, Shelton E; Murry, Marcia A; Schwartz, Gregory; Lundquist, Trygve

2017-02-15

Dynamics of seasonal microbial community compositions in algae cultivation ponds are complex. However, there is very limited knowledge on bacterial communities that may play significant roles with algae in the bioconversion of manure nutrients to animal feed. In this study, water samples were collected during winter, spring, summer, and fall from the dairy lagoon effluent (DLE), high rate algae ponds (HRAP) that were fed with diluted DLE, and municipal waste water treatment plant (WWTP) effluent which was included as a comparison system for the analysis of total bacteria, Cyanobacteria, and microalgae communities using MiSeq Illumina sequencing targeting the 16S V4 rDNA region. The main objective was to examine dynamics in microbial community composition in the HRAP used for the production of algal biomass. DNA was extracted from the different sample types using three commercially available DNA extraction kits; MoBio Power water extraction kit, Zymo fungi/bacterial extraction kit, and MP Biomedicals FastDNA SPIN Kit. Permutational analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) using distance matrices on each variable showed significant differences (P=0.001) in beta-diversity based on sample source. Environmental variables such as hydraulic retention time (HRT; P<0.031), total N (P<0.002), total inorganic N (P<0.002), total P (P<0.002), alkalinity (P<0.002), pH (P<0.022), total suspended solid (TSS; P<0.003), and volatile suspended solids (VSS; P<0.002) significantly affected microbial communities in DLE, HRAP, and WWTP. Of the operational taxonomic units (OTUs) identified to phyla level, the dominant classes of bacteria identified were: Cyanobacteria, Alpha-, Beta-, Gamma-, Epsilon-, and Delta-proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Planctomycetes. Our data suggest that microbial communities were significantly affected in HRAP by different environmental variables, and care must be taken in extraction procedures when evaluating specific groups of microbial communities for specific functions. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cassava starch as a stabilizer of soy-based beverages.

PubMed

Drunkler, Northon Lee; Leite, Rodrigo Santos; Mandarino, José Marcos Gontijo; Ida, Elza Iouko; Demiate, Ivo Mottin

2012-10-01

Soy-based beverages are presented as healthy food alternatives for human nutrition. Cassava (Manihot esculenta, Crantz) starch is relatively inexpensive, widely available in Brazil and is broadly used by the food industry due to its desired properties that result from pasting. The objective of this study was to develop soy-based beverages with good sensory quality using native cassava starch as a stabilizer and maintaining the nutritional value that makes this product a functional food. The developed formulations featured a range of cassava starch and soybean extract concentrations, which were tested in a 2² experimental design with three central points. The results of sensory analysis showed that the studied variables (cassava starch and soybean extract concentrations) did not have a significant effect with respect to a 5% probability level. When considering the apparent viscosity, on the other hand, the variables had a significant effect: the increase in soybean extract and cassava starch concentrations caused an increase in the viscosity of the final product. The profile of isoflavones in the tested formulations was similar to the profiles reported in other papers, with a predominance of the conjugated glycosides over the aglycone forms.

Improvement of submerged culture conditions to produce colorants by Penicillium purpurogenum

PubMed Central

Santos-Ebinuma, Valéria Carvalho; Roberto, Inês Conceição; Teixeira, Maria Francisca Simas; Pessoa, Adalberto

2014-01-01

Safety issues related to the employment of synthetic colorants in different industrial segments have increased the interest in the production of colorants from natural sources, such as microorganisms. Improved cultivation technologies have allowed the use of microorganisms as an alternative source of natural colorants. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of some factors on natural colorants production by a recently isolated from Amazon Forest, Penicillium purpurogenum DPUA 1275 employing statistical tools. To this purpose the following variables: orbital stirring speed, pH, temperature, sucrose and yeast extract concentrations and incubation time were studied through two fractional factorial, one full factorial and a central composite factorial designs. The regression analysis pointed out that sucrose and yeast extract concentrations were the variables that influenced more in colorants production. Under the best conditions (yeast extract concentration around 10 g/L and sucrose concentration of 50 g/L) an increase of 10, 33 and 23% respectively to yellow, orange and red colorants absorbance was achieved. These results show that P. purpurogenum is an alternative colorants producer and the production of these biocompounds can be improved employing statistical tool. PMID:25242965

Supercritical fluid extraction of phenolic compounds and antioxidants from grape (Vitis labrusca B.) seeds.

PubMed

Ghafoor, Kashif; Al-Juhaimi, Fahad Y; Choi, Yong Hee

2012-12-01

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) technique was applied and optimized for temperature, CO₂ pressure and ethanol (modifier) concentration using orthogonal array design and response surface methodology for the extract yield, total phenols and antioxidants from grape (Vitis labrusca B.) seeds. Effects of extraction temperature and pressure were found to be significant for all these response variables in SFE process. Optimum SFE conditions (44 ~ 46 °C temperature and 153 ~ 161 bar CO₂ pressure) along with ethanol (<7 %) as modifier, for the maximum predicted values of extract yield (12.09 %), total phenols (2.41 mg GAE/ml) and antioxidants (7.08 mg AAE/ml), were used to obtain extracts from grape seeds. The predicted values matched well with the experimental values (12.32 % extract yield, 2.45 mg GAE/ml total phenols and 7.08 mg AAE/ml antioxidants) obtained at optimum SFE conditions. The antiradical assay showed that SFE extracts of grape seeds can scavenge more than 85 % of 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals. The grape seeds extracts were also analyzed for hydroxybenzoic acids which included gallic acid (1.21 ~ 3.84 μg/ml), protocatechuic acid (3.57 ~ 11.78 μg/ml) and p-hydroxybenzoic acid (206.72 ~ 688.18 μg/ml).

Sono-assisted extraction of alcohol-insoluble extract from Althaea rosea: purification and chemical analysis.

PubMed

Eskandari, Meghdad; Samavati, Vahid

2015-01-01

A Box-Behnken design (BBD) was used to evaluate the effects of ultrasonic power, extraction time, extraction temperature, and water to raw material ratio on extraction yield of alcohol-insoluble polysaccharide of Althaea rosea leaf (ARLP). Purification was carried out by dialysis method. Chemical analysis of ARLP revealed contained 12.69 ± 0.48% moisture, 79.33 ± 0.51% total sugar, 3.82 ± 0.21% protein, 11.25 ± 0.37% uronic acid and 3.77 ± 0.15% ash. The response surface methodology (RSM) showed that the significant quadratic regression equation with high R(2) (=0.9997) was successfully fitted for extraction yield of ARLP as function of independent variables. The overall optimum region was found to be at the combined level of ultrasonic power 91.85 W, extraction time 29.94 min, extraction temperature 89.78 °C, and the ratio of water to raw material 28.77 (mL/g). At this optimum point, extraction yield of ARLP was 19.47 ± 0.41%. No significant (p>0.05) difference was found between the actual and predicted (19.30 ± 0.075%) values. The results demonstrated that ARLP had strong scavenging activities on DPPH and hydroxyl radicals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Universal Temporal Profile of Replication Origin Activation in Eukaryotes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldar, Arach

2011-03-01

The complete and faithful transmission of eukaryotic genome to daughter cells involves the timely duplication of mother cell's DNA. DNA replication starts at multiple chromosomal positions called replication origin. From each activated replication origin two replication forks progress in opposite direction and duplicate the mother cell's DNA. While it is widely accepted that in eukaryotic organisms replication origins are activated in a stochastic manner, little is known on the sources of the observed stochasticity. It is often associated to the population variability to enter S phase. We extract from a growing Saccharomyces cerevisiae population the average rate of origin activation in a single cell by combining single molecule measurements and a numerical deconvolution technique. We show that the temporal profile of the rate of origin activation in a single cell is similar to the one extracted from a replicating cell population. Taking into account this observation we exclude the population variability as the origin of observed stochasticity in origin activation. We confirm that the rate of origin activation increases in the early stage of S phase and decreases at the latter stage. The population average activation rate extracted from single molecule analysis is in prefect accordance with the activation rate extracted from published micro-array data, confirming therefore the homogeneity and genome scale invariance of dynamic of replication process. All these observations point toward a possible role of replication fork to control the rate of origin activation.

Influence of tannin content in Terminalia catappa leaves extracts resulted from maceration extraction on decreasing corrosion rate for mild steel in 1M H2SO4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pramudita, M.; Sukirno; Nasikin, M.

2018-04-01

The ability of natural compounds as corrosion inhibitors is necessary to obtain safe corrosion inhibitors for the environment. The tannin compounds derived from plant extract has the ability to decrease the corrosion rate. The purpose of this research is to find the ability of tannin compounds in Terminalia catappa leaves extracts to decrease corrosion rate on mild steel. Terminalia catappa leaves that have been mashed in ethanol solvent extraction using maceration with the variable time 2.4 and 6 days. Mild steel that has been on the sandpaper and cleaned then soak into the 1 M H2SO4. Terminalia catappa leaves extract concentration used is 0, 250, 500, 500, 750, 1000 ppm, the immersion time is 3.6 and 9 hours. Calculating of corrosion rate is used the weight loss method, the analysis of the tannin concentration using GC-MS. The results indicate that highest tannin content equal to 7.23% in 6 days maceration time. The result showed that the corrosion rate was reduced in the presence of tannin content in Terminalia catappa leaves extract.

Relationship between skin cell wall composition and anthocyanin extractability of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Tempranillo at different grape ripeness degree.

PubMed

Hernández-Hierro, José Miguel; Quijada-Morín, Natalia; Martínez-Lapuente, Leticia; Guadalupe, Zenaida; Ayestarán, Belén; Rivas-Gonzalo, Julián C; Escribano-Bailón, M Teresa

2014-03-01

The relationship between cell wall composition and extractability of anthocyanins from red grape skins was assessed in Tempranillo grape samples harvested at three stages of ripening (pre-harvest, harvest and over-ripening) and three different contents of soluble solids (22, 24 and 26 °Brix) within each stage. Cell wall material was isolated and analysed in order to determine cellulose, lignin, non-cellulosic polysaccharides, protein, total polyphenols index and the degree of esterification of pectins. Results showed the influence of ripeness degree and contents of soluble solids on cell wall composition. Furthermore, principal components analysis was applied to the obtained data set in order to establish relationships between cell wall composition and extractability of anthocyanins. Total insoluble material exhibits the biggest opposition to anthocyanin extraction, while the highest amounts of cellulose, rhamnogalacturonans-II and polyphenols were positively correlated with anthocyanin extraction. Moreover, multiple linear regression was performed to assess the influence of the cell wall composition on the extraction of anthocyanin compounds. A model connecting cell wall composition and anthocyanin extractabilities was built, explaining 96.2% of the observed variability. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Selective Extraction of Rare Earth Elements from Permanent Magnet Scraps with Membrane Solvent Extraction

DOE PAGES

Kim, Daejin; Powell, Lawrence E.; Delmau, Lætitia H.; ...

2015-06-24

In this paper, the rare earth elements (REEs) such as neodymium, praseodymium, and dysprosium were successfully recovered from commercial NdFeB magnets and industrial scrap magnets via membrane assisted solvent extraction (MSX). A hollow fiber membrane system was evaluated to extract REEs in a single step with the feed and strip solutions circulating continuously through the MSX system. The effects of several experimental variables on REE extraction such as flow rate, concentration of REEs in the feed solution, membrane configuration, and composition of acids were investigated with the MSX system. A multimembrane module configuration with REEs dissolved in aqueous nitric acidmore » solutions showed high selectivity for REE extraction with no coextraction of non-REEs, whereas the use of aqueous hydrochloric acid solution resulted in coextraction of non-REEs due to the formation of chloroanions of non-REEs. The REE oxides were recovered from the strip solution through precipitation, drying, and annealing steps. Finally, the resulting REE oxides were characterized with XRD, SEM-EDX, and ICP-OES, demonstrating that the membrane assisted solvent extraction is capable of selectively recovering pure REEs from the industrial scrap magnets.« less

Influence of acquisition frame-rate and video compression techniques on pulse-rate variability estimation from vPPG signal.

PubMed

Cerina, Luca; Iozzia, Luca; Mainardi, Luca

2017-11-14

In this paper, common time- and frequency-domain variability indexes obtained by pulse rate variability (PRV) series extracted from video-photoplethysmographic signal (vPPG) were compared with heart rate variability (HRV) parameters calculated from synchronized ECG signals. The dual focus of this study was to analyze the effect of different video acquisition frame-rates starting from 60 frames-per-second (fps) down to 7.5 fps and different video compression techniques using both lossless and lossy codecs on PRV parameters estimation. Video recordings were acquired through an off-the-shelf GigE Sony XCG-C30C camera on 60 young, healthy subjects (age 23±4 years) in the supine position. A fully automated, signal extraction method based on the Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi (KLT) algorithm for regions of interest (ROI) detection and tracking, in combination with a zero-phase principal component analysis (ZCA) signal separation technique was employed to convert the video frames sequence to a pulsatile signal. The frame-rate degradation was simulated on video recordings by directly sub-sampling the ROI tracking and signal extraction modules, to correctly mimic videos recorded at a lower speed. The compression of the videos was configured to avoid any frame rejection caused by codec quality leveling, FFV1 codec was used for lossless compression and H.264 with variable quality parameter as lossy codec. The results showed that a reduced frame-rate leads to inaccurate tracking of ROIs, increased time-jitter in the signals dynamics and local peak displacements, which degrades the performances in all the PRV parameters. The root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and the proportion of successive differences greater than 50 ms (PNN50) indexes in time-domain and the low frequency (LF) and high frequency (HF) power in frequency domain were the parameters which highly degraded with frame-rate reduction. Such a degradation can be partially mitigated by up-sampling the measured signal at a higher frequency (namely 60 Hz). Concerning the video compression, the results showed that compression techniques are suitable for the storage of vPPG recordings, although lossless or intra-frame compression are to be preferred over inter-frame compression methods. FFV1 performances are very close to the uncompressed (UNC) version with less than 45% disk size. H.264 showed a degradation of the PRV estimation directly correlated with the increase of the compression ratio.

Predicting population survival under future climate change: density dependence, drought and extraction in an insular bighorn sheep.

PubMed

Colchero, Fernando; Medellin, Rodrigo A; Clark, James S; Lee, Raymond; Katul, Gabriel G

2009-05-01

1. Our understanding of the interplay between density dependence, climatic perturbations, and conservation practices on the dynamics of small populations is still limited. This can result in uninformed strategies that put endangered populations at risk. Moreover, the data available for a large number of populations in such circumstances are sparse and mined with missing data. Under the current climate change scenarios, it is essential to develop appropriate inferential methods that can make use of such data sets. 2. We studied a population of desert bighorn sheep introduced to Tiburon Island, Mexico in 1975 and subjected to irregular extractions for the last 10 years. The unique attributes of this population are absence of predation and disease, thereby permitting us to explore the combined effect of density dependence, environmental variability and extraction in a 'controlled setting.' Using a combination of nonlinear discrete models with long-term field data, we constructed three basic Bayesian state space models with increasing density dependence (DD), and the same three models with the addition of summer drought effects. 3. We subsequently used Monte Carlo simulations to evaluate the combined effect of drought, DD, and increasing extractions on the probability of population survival under two climate change scenarios (based on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change predictions): (i) increase in drought variability; and (ii) increase in mean drought severity. 4. The population grew from 16 individuals introduced in 1975 to close to 700 by 1993. Our results show that the population's growth was dominated by DD, with drought having a secondary but still relevant effect on its dynamics. 5. Our predictions suggest that under climate change scenario (i), extraction dominates the fate of the population, while for scenario (ii), an increase in mean drought affects the population's probability of survival in an equivalent magnitude as extractions. Thus, for the long-term survival of the population, our results stress that a more variable environment is less threatening than one in which the mean conditions become harsher. Current climate change scenarios and their underlying uncertainty make studies such as this one crucial for understanding the dynamics of ungulate populations and their conservation.

Quasi-periodic Pulse Amplitude Modulation in the Accreting Millisecond Pulsar IGR J00291+5934

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

Bult, Peter; Doesburgh, Marieke van; Klis, Michiel van der

We introduce a new method for analyzing the aperiodic variability of coherent pulsations in accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars (AMXPs). Our method involves applying a complex frequency correction to the time-domain light curve, allowing for the aperiodic modulation of the pulse amplitude to be robustly extracted in the frequency domain. We discuss the statistical properties of the resulting modulation spectrum and show how it can be correlated with the non-pulsed emission to determine if the periodic and aperiodic variability are coupled processes. Using this method, we study the 598.88 Hz coherent pulsations of the AMXP IGR J00291+5934 as observed with themore » Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and XMM-Newton . We demonstrate that our method easily confirms the known coupling between the pulsations and a strong 8 mHz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in XMM-Newton observations. Applying our method to the RXTE observations, we further show, for the first time, that the much weaker 20 mHz QPO and its harmonic are also coupled with the pulsations. We discuss the implications of this coupling and indicate how it may be used to extract new information on the underlying accretion process.« less

Quasi-Periodic Pulse Amplitude Modulation in the Accreting Millisecond Pulsar IGR J00291+5934

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bult, Peter; van Doesburgh, Marieke; van der Klis, Michiel

2017-01-01

We introduce a new method for analyzing the a periodic variability of coherent pulsations in accreting millisecond X-ray pulsars (AMXPs). Our method involves applying a complex frequency correction to the time-domain lightcurve, allowing for the aperiodic modulation of the pulse amplitude to be robustly extracted in the frequency domain. We discuss the statistical properties of the resulting modulation spectrum and show how it can be correlated with the non-pulsed emission to determine if the periodic and a periodic variability are coupled processes. Using this method, we study the 598.88 Hz coherent pulsations of the AMXP IGR J00291+5934 as observed with the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and XMM-Newton. We demonstrate that our method easily confirms the known coupling between the pulsations and a strong 8 mHz quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) in XMM-Newton observations. Applying our method to the RXTE observations, we further show, for the first time, that the much weaker 20 mHz QPO and its harmonic are also coupled with the pulsations. We discuss the implications of this coupling and indicate how it may be used to extract new information on the underlying accretion process.

Transferable Durability: Enhancing decay resistance of non-durable species with extractives from durable wood species

Treesearch

G.T. Kirker; A.B. Blodgett; S. Lebow; C.A. Clausen

2013-01-01

Extractive content and composition is a vital component of naturally durable woods; however, variability in extractives can limit their usefulness in the field. Two extractive-free, non-durable wood species were pressure treated with ethanol-toluene extractives from 8 durable wood species. Extracted Southern pine, Paulownia and unextracted Southern pine blocks were...

Optimized microwave-assisted extraction of 6-gingerol from Zingiber officinale Roscoeand evaluation of antioxidant activity in vitro.

PubMed

Liu, Wei; Zhou, Chun-Li; Zhao, Jing; Chen, Dong; Li, Quan-Hong

2014-01-01

6-Gingerol is one of the most pharmacologically active and abundant components in ginger, which has a wide array of biochemical and pharmacologic activities. In recent years, the application of microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) for obtaining bioactive compounds from plant materials has shown tremendous research interest and potential. In this study, an efficient microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) technique was developed to extract 6-gingerol from ginger. The extraction efficiency of MAE was also compared with conventional extraction techniques. Fresh gingers (Zingiber officinale Rose.) were harvested at commercial maturity (originally from Shandong, laiwu, China). In single-factor experiments for the recovery of 6-gingerol, proper ranges of ratio of liquid to solid, ethanol proportion, microwave power, extraction time were determined. Based on the values obtained in single-factor experiments, a Box-Behnken design (BBD) was applied to determine the best combination of extraction variables on the yield of 6-gingerol. The optimum extraction conditions were as follows: microwave power 528 W, ratio of liquid to solid 26 mL·g(-1), extraction time 31 s and ethanol proportion 78%. Furthermore, more 6-gingerol and total polyphenols contents were extracted by MAE than conventional methods including Maceration (MAC), Stirring Extraction (SE), Heat reflux extraction (HRE), Ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), as well as the antioxidant capacity. Microwave-assisted extraction showed obvious advantages in terms of high extraction efficiency and antioxidant activity of extract within shortest extraction time. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of ginger powder materials after different extractions were obtained to provide visual evidence of the disruption effect. To our best knowledge, this is the first report about usage of MAE of 6-gingerol extraction from ginger, which could be referenced for the extraction of other active compounds from herbal plants.

Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Fibrin After Mandibular Third Molar Extraction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Al-Hamed, Faez Saleh; Tawfik, Mohamed Abdel-Monem; Abdelfadil, Ehab; Al-Saleh, Mohammed A Q

2017-06-01

To assess the effect of platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) on the healing process of the alveolar socket after surgical extraction of the mandibular third molars. PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Scopus, and relevant journals were searched using a combination of specific keywords ("platelet-rich fibrin," "oral surgery," and "third molar"). The final search was conducted on November 2, 2015. Randomized controlled clinical trials, as well as controlled clinical trials, aimed at comparing the effect of PRF versus natural healing after extraction of mandibular third molars were included. Five randomized controlled trials and one controlled clinical trial were included. There were 335 extractions (168 with PRF and 167 controls) in 183 participants. Considerable heterogeneity in study characteristics, outcome variables, and estimated scales was observed. Positive results were generally recorded for pain, trismus, swelling, periodontal pocket depth, soft tissue healing, and incidence of localized osteitis, but not in all studies. However, no meta-analysis could be conducted for such variables because of the different measurement scales used. The qualitative and meta-analysis results showed no significant improvement in bone healing with PRF-treated sockets compared with the naturally healing sockets. Within the limitations of the available evidence, PRF seems to have no beneficial role in bone healing after extraction of the mandibular third molars. Future standardized randomized controlled clinical trials are required to estimate the effect of PRF on socket regeneration. Copyright © 2017 American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Biochemical characterization of detergent-resistant membranes: a systematic approach

PubMed Central

Babiychuk, Eduard B.; Draeger, Annette

2006-01-01

Lateral segregation of cholesterol- and sphingomyelin-rich rafts and glycerophospholipid-containing non-raft microdomains has been proposed to play a role in a variety of biological processes. The most compelling evidence for membrane segregation is based on the observation that extraction with non-ionic detergents leads to solubilization of a subset of membrane components only. However, one decade later, a large body of inconsistent detergent-extraction data is threatening the very concept of membrane segregation. We have assessed the validity of the existing paradigms and we show the following. (i) The localization of a membrane component within a particular fraction of a sucrose gradient cannot be taken as a yardstick for its solubility: a variable localization of the DRMs (detergent-resistant membranes) in sucrose gradients is the result of complex associations between the membrane skeleton and the lipid bilayer. (ii) DRMs of variable composition can be generated by using a single detergent, the increasing concentration of which gradually extracts one protein/lipid after another. Therefore any extraction pattern obtained by a single concentration experiment is bound to be ‘investigator-specific’. It follows that comparison of DRMs obtained by different detergents in a single concentration experiment is prone to misinterpretations. (iii) Depletion of cholesterol has a graded effect on membrane solubility. (iv) Differences in detergent solubility of the members of the annexin protein family arise from their association with chemically different membrane compartments; however, these cannot be attributed to the ‘brick-like’ raft-building blocks of fixed size and chemical composition. Our findings demonstrate a need for critical re-evaluation of the accumulated detergent-extraction data. PMID:16608442

Biochemical characterization of detergent-resistant membranes: a systematic approach.

PubMed

Babiychuk, Eduard B; Draeger, Annette

2006-08-01

Lateral segregation of cholesterol- and sphingomyelin-rich rafts and glycerophospholipid-containing non-raft microdomains has been proposed to play a role in a variety of biological processes. The most compelling evidence for membrane segregation is based on the observation that extraction with non-ionic detergents leads to solubilization of a subset of membrane components only. However, one decade later, a large body of inconsistent detergent-extraction data is threatening the very concept of membrane segregation. We have assessed the validity of the existing paradigms and we show the following. (i) The localization of a membrane component within a particular fraction of a sucrose gradient cannot be taken as a yardstick for its solubility: a variable localization of the DRMs (detergent-resistant membranes) in sucrose gradients is the result of complex associations between the membrane skeleton and the lipid bilayer. (ii) DRMs of variable composition can be generated by using a single detergent, the increasing concentration of which gradually extracts one protein/lipid after another. Therefore any extraction pattern obtained by a single concentration experiment is bound to be 'investigator-specific'. It follows that comparison of DRMs obtained by different detergents in a single concentration experiment is prone to misinterpretations. (iii) Depletion of cholesterol has a graded effect on membrane solubility. (iv) Differences in detergent solubility of the members of the annexin protein family arise from their association with chemically different membrane compartments; however, these cannot be attributed to the 'brick-like' raft-building blocks of fixed size and chemical composition. Our findings demonstrate a need for critical re-evaluation of the accumulated detergent-extraction data.

Silicone rod extraction followed by liquid desorption-large volume injection-programmable temperature vaporiser-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for trace analysis of priority organic pollutants in environmental water samples.

PubMed

Delgado, Alejandra; Posada-Ureta, Oscar; Olivares, Maitane; Vallejo, Asier; Etxebarria, Nestor

2013-12-15

In this study a priority organic pollutants usually found in environmental water samples were considered to accomplish two extraction and analysis approaches. Among those compounds organochlorine compounds, pesticides, phthalates, phenols and residues of pharmaceutical and personal care products were included. The extraction and analysis steps were based on silicone rod extraction (SR) followed by liquid desorption in combination with large volume injection-programmable temperature vaporiser (LVI-PTV) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Variables affecting the analytical response as a function of the programmable temperature vaporiser (PTV) parameters were firstly optimised following an experimental design approach. The SR extraction and desorption conditions were assessed afterwards, including matrix modification, time extraction, and stripping solvent composition. Subsequently, the possibility of performing membrane enclosed sorptive coating extraction (MESCO) as a modified extraction approach was also evaluated. The optimised method showed low method detection limits (3-35 ng L(-1)), acceptable accuracy (78-114%) and precision values (<13%) for most of the studied analytes regardless of the aqueous matrix. Finally, the developed approach was successfully applied to the determination of target analytes in aqueous environmental matrices including estuarine and wastewater samples. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extraction condition optimization and effects of drying methods on physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) root.

PubMed

Shang, Hongmei; Zhou, Haizhu; Duan, Mengying; Li, Ran; Wu, Hongxin; Lou, Yujie

2018-06-01

This study was designed to investigate the extraction conditions of polysaccharides from comfrey (Symphytum officinale L.) root (CRPs) using response surface methodology (RSM). The effects of three variables including liquid-solid ratio, extraction time and extraction temperature on the extraction yield of CRPs were taken into consideration. Moreover, the effects of drying methods including hot air drying (HD), vacuum drying (VD) and freeze drying (FD) on the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of CRPs were evaluated. The optimal conditions to extract the polysaccharides were as follows: liquid-solid ratio (15mL/g), extraction time (74min), and extraction temperature (95°C), allowed a maximum polysaccharides yield of 22.87%. Different drying methods had significant effects on the physicochemical properties of CRPs such as the chemical composition (contents of total polysaccharides and uronic acid), relative viscosity, solubility and molecular weight. CRPs drying with FD method showed stronger reducing power and radical scavenging capacities against DPPH and ABTS radicals compared with CRPs drying with HD and VD methods. Therefore, freeze drying served as a good method for keeping the antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from comfrey root. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The combination of four analytical methods to explore skeletal muscle metabolomics: Better coverage of metabolic pathways or a marketing argument?

PubMed

Bruno, C; Patin, F; Bocca, C; Nadal-Desbarats, L; Bonnier, F; Reynier, P; Emond, P; Vourc'h, P; Joseph-Delafont, K; Corcia, P; Andres, C R; Blasco, H

2018-01-30

Metabolomics is an emerging science based on diverse high throughput methods that are rapidly evolving to improve metabolic coverage of biological fluids and tissues. Technical progress has led researchers to combine several analytical methods without reporting the impact on metabolic coverage of such a strategy. The objective of our study was to develop and validate several analytical techniques (mass spectrometry coupled to gas or liquid chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance) for the metabolomic analysis of small muscle samples and evaluate the impact of combining methods for more exhaustive metabolite covering. We evaluated the muscle metabolome from the same pool of mouse muscle samples after 2 metabolite extraction protocols. Four analytical methods were used: targeted flow injection analysis coupled with mass spectrometry (FIA-MS/MS), gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS), liquid chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-HRMS), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis. We evaluated the global variability of each compound i.e., analytical (from quality controls) and extraction variability (from muscle extracts). We determined the best extraction method and we reported the common and distinct metabolites identified based on the number and identity of the compounds detected with low analytical variability (variation coefficient<30%) for each method. Finally, we assessed the coverage of muscle metabolic pathways obtained. Methanol/chloroform/water and water/methanol were the best extraction solvent for muscle metabolome analysis by NMR and MS, respectively. We identified 38 metabolites by nuclear magnetic resonance, 37 by FIA-MS/MS, 18 by GC-MS, and 80 by LC-HRMS. The combination led us to identify a total of 132 metabolites with low variability partitioned into 58 metabolic pathways, such as amino acid, nitrogen, purine, and pyrimidine metabolism, and the citric acid cycle. This combination also showed that the contribution of GC-MS was low when used in combination with other mass spectrometry methods and nuclear magnetic resonance to explore muscle samples. This study reports the validation of several analytical methods, based on nuclear magnetic resonance and several mass spectrometry methods, to explore the muscle metabolome from a small amount of tissue, comparable to that obtained during a clinical trial. The combination of several techniques may be relevant for the exploration of muscle metabolism, with acceptable analytical variability and overlap between methods However, the difficult and time-consuming data pre-processing, processing, and statistical analysis steps do not justify systematically combining analytical methods. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction conditions for preparing lignan-rich extract from Saraca asoca bark using Box-Behnken design.

PubMed

Mishra, Shikha; Aeri, Vidhu

2016-07-01

Lyoniside is the major constituent of Saraca asoca Linn. (Caesalpiniaceae) bark. There is an immediate need to develop an efficient method to isolate its chemical constituents, since it is a therapeutically important plant. A rapid extraction method for lyoniside based on microwave-assisted extraction of S. asoca bark was developed and optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Lyoniside was analyzed and quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection (HPLC-UV). The extraction solvent ratio (%), material solvent ratio (g/ml) and extraction time (min) were optimized using Box-Behnken design (BBD) to obtain the highest extraction efficiency. The optimal conditions were the use of 1:30 material solvent ratio with 70:30 mixture of methanol:water for 10 min duration. The optimized microwave-assisted extraction yielded 9.4 mg/g of lyoniside content in comparison to reflux extraction under identical conditions which yielded 4.2 mg/g of lyoniside content. Under optimum conditions, the experimental values agreed closely with the predicted values. The analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated a high goodness-of-fit model and the success of the RSM method for optimizing lyoniside extraction from the bark of S. asoca. All the three variables significantly affected the lyoniside content. Increased polarity of solvent medium enhances the lyoniside yield. The present study shows the applicability of microwave-assisted extraction in extraction of lyoniside from S. asoca bark.

Highly Selective and Considerable Subcritical Butane Extraction to Separate Abamectin in Green Tea.

PubMed

Zhang, Yating; Gu, Lingbiao; Wang, Fei; Kong, Lingjun; Pang, Huili; Qin, Guangyong

2017-06-01

We specially carried out the subcritical butane extraction to separate abamectin from tea leaves. Four parameters, such as extraction temperature, extraction time, number of extraction cycles, and solid-liquid ratio were studied and optimized through the response surface methodology with design matrix developed by Box-Behnken. Seventeen experiments with three various factors and three variable levels were employed to investigate the effect of these parameters on the extraction of abamectin. Besides, catechins, theanine, caffeine, and aroma components were determined by both high-performance liquid chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry to evaluate the tea quality before and after the extraction. The results showed that the extraction temperature was the uppermost parameter compared with others. The optimal extraction conditions selected as follows: extraction temperature, 42°C; number of extraction cycles and extraction time, 1 and 30 min, respectively; and solid-liquid ratio, 1:10. Based on the above study, the separation efficiency of abamectin was up to 93.95%. It is notable that there has a quite low loss rate, including the negligible damage of aroma components, the bits reduce of catechins within the range of 0.7%-13.1%, and a handful lessen of caffeine and theanine of 1.81% and 2.6%, respectively. The proposed method suggested subcritical butane possesses solubility for lipid-soluble pesticides, and since most of the pesticides are attached to the surfaces of tea, thus the as-applied method was successfully effective to separate abamectin because of the so practical and promising method.

Ultrasound Assisted Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Peaches and Pumpkins

PubMed Central

Altemimi, Ammar; Watson, Dennis G.; Choudhary, Ruplal; Dasari, Mallika R.; Lightfoot, David A.

2016-01-01

The ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) method was used to optimize the extraction of phenolic compounds from pumpkins and peaches. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to study the effects of three independent variables each with three treatments. They included extraction temperatures (30, 40 and 50°C), ultrasonic power levels (30, 50 and 70%) and extraction times (10, 20 and 30 min). The optimal conditions for extractions of total phenolics from pumpkins were inferred to be a temperature of 41.45°C, a power of 44.60% and a time of 25.67 min. However, an extraction temperature of 40.99°C, power of 56.01% and time of 25.71 min was optimal for recovery of free radical scavenging activity (measured by 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) reduction). The optimal conditions for peach extracts were an extraction temperature of 41.53°C, power of 43.99% and time of 27.86 min for total phenolics. However, an extraction temperature of 41.60°C, power of 44.88% and time of 27.49 min was optimal for free radical scavenging activity (judged by from DPPH reduction). Further, the UAE processes were significantly better than solvent extractions without ultrasound. By electron microscopy it was concluded that ultrasonic processing caused damage in cells for all treated samples (pumpkin, peach). However, the FTIR spectra did not show any significant changes in chemical structures caused by either ultrasonic processing or solvent extraction. PMID:26885655

Cannabinoids concentration variability in cannabis olive oil galenic preparations.

PubMed

Carcieri, Chiara; Tomasello, Cristina; Simiele, Marco; De Nicolò, Amedeo; Avataneo, Valeria; Canzoneri, Luca; Cusato, Jessica; Di Perri, Giovanni; D'Avolio, Antonio

2018-01-01

Knowledge of the exact concentration of active compounds in galenic preparations is crucial to be able to ensure their quality and to properly administer the prescribed dose. Currently, the need for titration of extracts is still debated. Considering this, together with the absence of a standard preparation method, the aim of this study was to evaluate cannabinoids concentrations variability in galenic olive oil extracts, to evaluate the interlot and interlaboratory variability in the extraction yield and in the preparation composition. Two hundred and one extracts (123 (61.2%) from Bedrocan ® , 54 (26.9%) from Bediol ® , 11 (5.5%) from Bedrolite ® , and 13 (6.5%) from mixed preparations) were analysed by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry, quantifying cannabinoids (THC, CBD, THCA, CBDA and CBN) concentrations. The RSD% of THC and CBD concentrations resulted higher than 50%. Specifically for Bedrocan ® , Bediol ® , Bedrolite ® (5 g/50 ml), these were THC 82%, THC 53% and CBD 91%, THC 58% and CBD 59%, respectively. The median extraction yields were greater than 75% for all preparations. Our results highlighted a wide variability in THC and CBD concentrations that justify the need for titration and opens further questions about other pharmaceutical preparations without regulatory indication for this procedure. © 2017 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Influence of Excipients and Spray Drying on the Physical and Chemical Properties of Nutraceutical Capsules Containing Phytochemicals from Black Bean Extract.

PubMed

Guajardo-Flores, Daniel; Rempel, Curtis; Gutiérrez-Uribe, Janet A; Serna-Saldívar, Sergio O

2015-12-03

Black beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) are a rich source of flavonoids and saponins with proven health benefits. Spray dried black bean extract powders were used in different formulations for the production of nutraceutical capsules with reduced batch-to-batch weight variability. Factorial designs were used to find an adequate maltodextrin-extract ratio for the spray-drying process to produce black bean extract powders. Several flowability properties were used to determine composite flow index of produced powders. Powder containing 6% maltodextrin had the highest yield (78.6%) and the best recovery of flavonoids and saponins (>56% and >73%, respectively). The new complexes formed by the interaction of black bean powder with maltodextrin, microcrystalline cellulose 50 and starch exhibited not only bigger particles, but also a rougher structure than using only maltodextrin and starch as excipients. A drying process prior to capsule production improved powder flowability, increasing capsule weight and reducing variability. The formulation containing 25.0% of maltodextrin, 24.1% of microcrystalline cellulose 50, 50% of starch and 0.9% of magnesium stearate produced capsules with less than 2.5% weight variability. The spray drying technique is a feasible technique to produce good flow extract powders containing valuable phytochemicals and low cost excipients to reduce the end-product variability.

Centrifugal compressor fault diagnosis based on qualitative simulation and thermal parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Yunsong; Wang, Fuli; Jia, Mingxing; Qi, Yuanchen

2016-12-01

This paper concerns fault diagnosis of centrifugal compressor based on thermal parameters. An improved qualitative simulation (QSIM) based fault diagnosis method is proposed to diagnose the faults of centrifugal compressor in a gas-steam combined-cycle power plant (CCPP). The qualitative models under normal and two faulty conditions have been built through the analysis of the principle of centrifugal compressor. To solve the problem of qualitative description of the observations of system variables, a qualitative trend extraction algorithm is applied to extract the trends of the observations. For qualitative states matching, a sliding window based matching strategy which consists of variables operating ranges constraints and qualitative constraints is proposed. The matching results are used to determine which QSIM model is more consistent with the running state of system. The correct diagnosis of two typical faults: seal leakage and valve stuck in the centrifugal compressor has validated the targeted performance of the proposed method, showing the advantages of fault roots containing in thermal parameters.

Classification images reveal decision variables and strategies in forced choice tasks

PubMed Central

Pritchett, Lisa M.; Murray, Richard F.

2015-01-01

Despite decades of research, there is still uncertainty about how people make simple decisions about perceptual stimuli. Most theories assume that perceptual decisions are based on decision variables, which are internal variables that encode task-relevant information. However, decision variables are usually considered to be theoretical constructs that cannot be measured directly, and this often makes it difficult to test theories of perceptual decision making. Here we show how to measure decision variables on individual trials, and we use these measurements to test theories of perceptual decision making more directly than has previously been possible. We measure classification images, which are estimates of templates that observers use to extract information from stimuli. We then calculate the dot product of these classification images with the stimuli to estimate observers' decision variables. Finally, we reconstruct each observer's “decision space,” a map that shows the probability of the observer’s responses for all values of the decision variables. We use this method to examine decision strategies in two-alternative forced choice (2AFC) tasks, for which there are several competing models. In one experiment, the resulting decision spaces support the difference model, a classic theory of 2AFC decisions. In a second experiment, we find unexpected decision spaces that are not predicted by standard models of 2AFC decisions, and that suggest intrinsic uncertainty or soft thresholding. These experiments give new evidence regarding observers’ strategies in 2AFC tasks, and they show how measuring decision variables can answer long-standing questions about perceptual decision making. PMID:26015584

Common risk factors of dry socket (alveolitis osteitis) following dental extraction: A brief narrative review.

PubMed

Rakhshan, V

2018-04-30

Dry socket is a common complication of dental extraction, especially extraction of third molars. Knowledge of the frequent risk factors of alveolitis osteitis is useful in determining high-risk patients, treatment planning, and preparing the patients mentally. The aim of this narrative review was to summarize the common risk factors of dry socket. Unlike surgery difficulty, surgeon's experience, oral contraception use, and oral hygiene which showed stronger evidence, the influences of age, gender, and smoking were rather inconclusive. The case of female or oral contraceptive effect might relate mainly to estrogen levels (when it comes to dry socket) which can differ considerably from case to case. Many risk factors might be actually a combination of various independent variables, which should be targeted instead, in more comprehensive designs. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Polymer-based alternative method to extract bromelain from pineapple peel waste.

PubMed

Novaes, Letícia Celia de Lencastre; Ebinuma, Valéria de Carvalho Santos; Mazzola, Priscila Gava; Pessoa, Adalberto

2013-01-01

Bromelain is a mixture of proteolytic enzymes present in all tissues of the pineapple (Ananas comosus Merr.), and it is known for its clinical therapeutic applications, food processing, and as a dietary supplement. The use of pineapple waste for bromelain extraction is interesting from both an environmental and a commercial point of view, because the protease has relevant clinical potential. We aimed to study the optimization of bromelain extraction from pineapple waste, using the aqueous two-phase system formed by polyethylene glycol (PEG) and poly(acrylic acid). In this work, bromelain partitioned preferentially to the top/PEG-rich phase and, in the best condition, achieved a yield of 335.27% with a purification factor of 25.78. The statistical analysis showed that all variables analyzed were significant to the process. © 2013 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Variability of antioxidant and biological activities of Rhus tripartitum related to phenolic compounds

PubMed Central

Ben Miled, Hanène; Saada, Mariem; Jallali, Ines; Ben Barka, Zaineb; Tlili, Mounira; Alimi, Hichem; Sakly, Mohsen; Ben Rhouma, Khémais; Abderrabba, Manef; Abdelmelek, Hafedh; Tebourbi, Olfa; Ksouri, Riadh

2017-01-01

Rhus species are known in traditional medicine for their therapeutic virtue and their extracts showed numerous important properties including antimalarial, antimicrobial, antiviral, and hypoglycemic and anticonvulsant activities. Rhus tripartitum (Ucria) is a medicinal plant widely used in Tunisia folk medicine against chronic diarrhea and gastric ulcer. This study was designed to examine in vitro and ex vivo antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of four extracts of Rhus tripartitum root cortex with increasing solvent polarity (hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water). HPLC was used to identify and quantify phenolic compounds in Rhus extract. Water extract showed the highest antioxidant activity using oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC method) with 8.95 ± 0.47 µmol Trolox/mg and a cell based-assay with 0.28 ± 0.12 µmol Trolox/mg as compared to the other fractions. Moreover, methanol extract displayed the strongest anti-cancer activity against human lung carcinoma (A-549) and colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (DLD-1) with an IC50 value of 60.69 ± 2.58 and 39.83 ± 4.56 µg/ml (resazurin test) and 44.52 ± 5.96 and 55.65 ± 6.00 µg/ml (hoechst test), respectively. Besides, the highest anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) release, was exhibited by dichloromethane extract with 31.5 % at 160 µg/ml in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The HPLC analysis showed that catechol and kaempferol were the major phenolics. These data suggest the richness of all fractions of Ucria root on interesting bioactive molecules with different polarity and confirm the known traditional therapeutics virtues of this species for the treatment of dysentery, diarrhea and gastric ulcer. PMID:28694749

Variability of antioxidant and biological activities of Rhus tripartitum related to phenolic compounds.

PubMed

Ben Miled, Hanène; Saada, Mariem; Jallali, Ines; Ben Barka, Zaineb; Tlili, Mounira; Alimi, Hichem; Sakly, Mohsen; Ben Rhouma, Khémais; Abderrabba, Manef; Abdelmelek, Hafedh; Tebourbi, Olfa; Ksouri, Riadh

2017-01-01

Rhus species are known in traditional medicine for their therapeutic virtue and their extracts showed numerous important properties including antimalarial, antimicrobial, antiviral, and hypoglycemic and anticonvulsant activities. Rhus tripartitum (Ucria) is a medicinal plant widely used in Tunisia folk medicine against chronic diarrhea and gastric ulcer. This study was designed to examine in vitro and ex vivo antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer activities of four extracts of Rhus tripartitum root cortex with increasing solvent polarity (hexane, dichloromethane, methanol and water). HPLC was used to identify and quantify phenolic compounds in Rhus extract. Water extract showed the highest antioxidant activity using oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC method) with 8.95 ± 0.47 µmol Trolox/mg and a cell based-assay with 0.28 ± 0.12 µmol Trolox/mg as compared to the other fractions. Moreover, methanol extract displayed the strongest anti-cancer activity against human lung carcinoma (A-549) and colon adenocarcinoma cell lines (DLD-1) with an IC 50 value of 60.69 ± 2.58 and 39.83 ± 4.56 µg/ml (resazurin test) and 44.52 ± 5.96 and 55.65 ± 6.00 µg/ml (hoechst test), respectively. Besides, the highest anti-inflammatory activity, inhibiting nitric oxide (NO) release, was exhibited by dichloromethane extract with 31.5 % at 160 µg/ml in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 macrophages. The HPLC analysis showed that catechol and kaempferol were the major phenolics. These data suggest the richness of all fractions of Ucria root on interesting bioactive molecules with different polarity and confirm the known traditional therapeutics virtues of this species for the treatment of dysentery, diarrhea and gastric ulcer.

Robo-Psychophysics: Extracting Behaviorally Relevant Features from the Output of Sensors on a Prosthetic Finger.

PubMed

Delhaye, Benoit P; Schluter, Erik W; Bensmaia, Sliman J

2016-01-01

Efforts are underway to restore sensorimotor function in amputees and tetraplegic patients using anthropomorphic robotic hands. For this approach to be clinically viable, sensory signals from the hand must be relayed back to the patient. To convey tactile feedback necessary for object manipulation, behaviorally relevant information must be extracted in real time from the output of sensors on the prosthesis. In the present study, we recorded the sensor output from a state-of-the-art bionic finger during the presentation of different tactile stimuli, including punctate indentations and scanned textures. Furthermore, the parameters of stimulus delivery (location, speed, direction, indentation depth, and surface texture) were systematically varied. We developed simple decoders to extract behaviorally relevant variables from the sensor output and assessed the degree to which these algorithms could reliably extract these different types of sensory information across different conditions of stimulus delivery. We then compared the performance of the decoders to that of humans in analogous psychophysical experiments. We show that straightforward decoders can extract behaviorally relevant features accurately from the sensor output and most of them outperform humans.

Detergent assisted lipid extraction from wet yeast biomass for biodiesel: A response surface methodology approach.

PubMed

Yellapu, Sravan Kumar; Bezawada, Jyothi; Kaur, Rajwinder; Kuttiraja, Mathiazhakan; Tyagi, Rajeshwar D

2016-10-01

The lipid extraction from the microbial biomass is a tedious and high cost dependent process. In the present study, detergent assisted lipids extraction from the culture of the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica SKY-7 was carried out. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to investigate the effect of three principle parameters (N-LS concentration, time and temperature) on microbial lipid extraction efficiency % (w/w). The results obtained by statistical analysis showed that the quadratic model fits in all cases. Maximum lipid recovery of 95.3±0.3% w/w was obtained at the optimum level of process variables [N-LS concentration 24.42mg (equal to 48mgN-LS/g dry biomass), treatment time 8.8min and reaction temperature 30.2°C]. Whereas the conventional chloroform and methanol extraction to achieve total lipid recovery required 12h at 60°C. The study confirmed that oleaginous yeast biomass treatment with N-lauroyl sarcosine would be a promising approach for industrial scale microbial lipid recovery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Atomic force microscopy and Langmuir-Blodgett monolayer technique to assess contact lens deposits and human meibum extracts.

PubMed

Hagedorn, Sarah; Drolle, Elizabeth; Lorentz, Holly; Srinivasan, Sruthi; Leonenko, Zoya; Jones, Lyndon

2015-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the differences in meibomian gland secretions, contact lens (CL) lipid extracts, and CL surface topography between participants with and without meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Meibum study: Meibum was collected from all participants and studied via Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) deposition with subsequent Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) visualization and surface roughness analysis. CL Study: Participants with and without MGD wore both etafilcon A and balafilcon A CLs in two different phases. CL lipid deposits were extracted and analyzed using pressure-area isotherms with the LB trough and CL surface topographies and roughness values were visualized using AFM. Meibum study: Non-MGD participant meibum samples showed larger, circular aggregates with lower surface roughness, whereas meibum samples from participants with MGD showed more lipid aggregates, greater size variability and higher surface roughness. CL Study: Worn CLs from participants with MGD had a few large tear film deposits with lower surface roughness, whereas non-MGD participant-worn lenses had many small lens deposits with higher surface roughness. Balafilcon A pore depths were shallower in MGD participant worn lenses when compared to non-MGD participant lenses. Isotherms of CL lipid extracts from MGD and non-MGD participants showed a seamless rise in surface pressure as area decreased; however, extracts from the two different lens materials produced different isotherms. MGD and non-MGD participant-worn CL deposition were found to differ in type, amount, and pattern of lens deposits. Lipids from MGD participants deposited irregularly whereas lipids from non-MGD participants showed more uniformity. Copyright © 2014 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Quantitative assessment of tumour extraction from dermoscopy images and evaluation of computer-based extraction methods for an automatic melanoma diagnostic system.

PubMed

Iyatomi, Hitoshi; Oka, Hiroshi; Saito, Masataka; Miyake, Ayako; Kimoto, Masayuki; Yamagami, Jun; Kobayashi, Seiichiro; Tanikawa, Akiko; Hagiwara, Masafumi; Ogawa, Koichi; Argenziano, Giuseppe; Soyer, H Peter; Tanaka, Masaru

2006-04-01

The aims of this study were to provide a quantitative assessment of the tumour area extracted by dermatologists and to evaluate computer-based methods from dermoscopy images for refining a computer-based melanoma diagnostic system. Dermoscopic images of 188 Clark naevi, 56 Reed naevi and 75 melanomas were examined. Five dermatologists manually drew the border of each lesion with a tablet computer. The inter-observer variability was evaluated and the standard tumour area (STA) for each dermoscopy image was defined. Manual extractions by 10 non-medical individuals and by two computer-based methods were evaluated with STA-based assessment criteria: precision and recall. Our new computer-based method introduced the region-growing approach in order to yield results close to those obtained by dermatologists. The effectiveness of our extraction method with regard to diagnostic accuracy was evaluated. Two linear classifiers were built using the results of conventional and new computer-based tumour area extraction methods. The final diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by drawing the receiver operating curve (ROC) of each classifier, and the area under each ROC was evaluated. The standard deviations of the tumour area extracted by five dermatologists and 10 non-medical individuals were 8.9% and 10.7%, respectively. After assessment of the extraction results by dermatologists, the STA was defined as the area that was selected by more than two dermatologists. Dermatologists selected the melanoma area with statistically smaller divergence than that of Clark naevus or Reed naevus (P = 0.05). By contrast, non-medical individuals did not show this difference. Our new computer-based extraction algorithm showed superior performance (precision, 94.1%; recall, 95.3%) to the conventional thresholding method (precision, 99.5%; recall, 87.6%). These results indicate that our new algorithm extracted a tumour area close to that obtained by dermatologists and, in particular, the border part of the tumour was adequately extracted. With this refinement, the area under the ROC increased from 0.795 to 0.875 and the diagnostic accuracy showed an increase of approximately 20% in specificity when the sensitivity was 80%. It can be concluded that our computer-based tumour extraction algorithm extracted almost the same area as that obtained by dermatologists and provided improved computer-based diagnostic accuracy.

Cynodon dactylon extract as a preventive and curative agent in experimentally induced nephrolithiasis.

PubMed

Atmani, F; Sadki, C; Aziz, M; Mimouni, M; Hacht, B

2009-04-01

Cynodon dactylon (Poaceae family) decoction was used in the treatment of kidney stones. However, no scientific study was undertaken so far to demonstrate the beneficial effect of the plant. Thus, the aim of the current study is to evaluate the effect of Cynodon aqueous extract as a preventive and curative agent in experimentally induced nephrolithiasis in a rat model. Ethylene glycol (EG) was used in the experiment to induce calcium oxalate (CaOx) deposition into kidneys. In preventive protocol, Cynodon decoction was administered in the same day with EG to evaluate the ability of the extract to prevent crystal deposition. However, in curative protocol, rats were first rendered nephrolithiasic and then the extract was administered to assess the ability of the plant to eliminate the pre-existing crystal deposition. In both protocols, urinary biochemical and other variables were measured during the course of the study. Crystalluria and renal histology were examined as well. The results showed that, in both protocols, all measured variables were similar for both the rat groups. Nevertheless, urinary biochemical analysis was apparently unaffected by the extract except oxalate in preventive protocol, and calcium, sodium, and potassium in curative protocol which were significantly highly excreted in treated rats compared to untreated animals. Crystalluria was characterized mostly by the presence of large quantities of CaOx monohydrate and CaOx dihydrate particles in untreated rats. However, crystalluria was mainly dominated by the presence of CaOx dihydrate particles with reduced size. The most apparent beneficial effect of Cynodon extract was seen in kidney tissues where reduced levels of CaOx deposition have been noticed especially in medullary and papillary sections from treated rats. We concluded that C. dactylon extract has beneficial effect in preventing and eliminating CaOx deposition into kidneys. Such findings provide a scientific explanation for its use in the treatment of kidneys stones.

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction of bioactive alkaloid compounds from rhizoma coptidis (Coptis chinensis Franch.) using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Teng, Hui; Choi, Yong Hee

2014-01-01

The optimum extraction conditions for the maximum recovery of total alkaloid content (TAC), berberine content (BC), palmatine content (PC), and the highest antioxidant capacity (AC) from rhizoma coptidis subjected to ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) were determined using response surface methodology (RSM). Central composite design (CCD) with three variables and five levels was employed, and response surface plots were constructed in accordance with a second order polynomial model. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) showed that the quadratic model was well fitted and significant for responses of TAC, BC, PC, and AA. The optimum conditions obtained through the overlapped contour plot were as follows: ethanol concentration of 59%, extraction time of 46.57min, and temperature of 66.22°C. Verification experiment was carried out, and no significant difference was found between observed and estimated values for each response, suggesting that the estimated models were reliable and valid for UAE of alkaloids. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Monitoring method of extraction process for Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus based on near infrared spectroscopy and multivariate statistical process control].

PubMed

Xu, Min; Zhang, Lei; Yue, Hong-Shui; Pang, Hong-Wei; Ye, Zheng-Liang; Ding, Li

2017-10-01

To establish an on-line monitoring method for extraction process of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus, the formula medicinal material of Yiqi Fumai lyophilized injection by combining near infrared spectroscopy with multi-variable data analysis technology. The multivariate statistical process control (MSPC) model was established based on 5 normal batches in production and 2 test batches were monitored by PC scores, DModX and Hotelling T2 control charts. The results showed that MSPC model had a good monitoring ability for the extraction process. The application of the MSPC model to actual production process could effectively achieve on-line monitoring for extraction process of Schisandrae Chinensis Fructus, and can reflect the change of material properties in the production process in real time. This established process monitoring method could provide reference for the application of process analysis technology in the process quality control of traditional Chinese medicine injections. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Biomimetic synthesis of silver nanoparticles and evaluation of their catalytic activity towards degradation of methyl orange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manjari Mishra, Pravat; Bihari Pani, Khirod

2017-11-01

This paper described the significant effect of process variables like reductant concentrations, substrate concentration, reaction pH and reaction temperature on the size, morphology and yield of the silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) synthesized using aqueous leaf extract of a medicinal plant Momordica charantia (Bitter guard). By means of UV-vis spectroscopy, XRD analysis, TEM analysis and Fluorescence analysis, it is observed that the reaction solution containing 10-3 M of AgNO3 of pH 5.3  +  10 ml of aqueous leaf extract at normal room temperature, was optimum for synthesis of stable, polydisperse, predominantly spherical AgNPs with average size of 12.15 nm. FT-IR and TEM studies confirmed the stability of AgNPs was due to the capping of phytoconstituents present in the leaf extract. The aqueous solution of leaf extract containing AgNPs showed remarkable catalytic activity towards degradation of methyl orange (MO) in aqueous medium.

Genetic, Biochemical, Nutritional and Antimicrobial Characteristics of Pomegranate (Punica granatum L.)
Grown in Istria

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Summary This study characterises the genetic variability of local pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) germplasm from the Slovenian and Croatian areas of Istria. The bioactive components and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of ethanol and water extracts of different parts of pomegranate fruit were also determined, along with their preliminary nutritional characterisation. Twenty-six different genotypes identified with microsatellite analysis indicate the great diversity of pomegranate in Istria. The pomegranate fruit ethanol extracts represent rich sources of phenolic compounds (mean value of the mass fraction in exocarp and mesocarp expressed as gallic acid is 23 and 16 mg/g, respectively). The ethanol extracts of pomegranate exocarp and mesocarp showed the greatest antimicrobial activity against Candida albicans, Candida parapsilosis, Rhodotorula mucilaginosa, Exophiala dermatitidis and Staphylococcus aureus, and the same water extracts against S. aureus and Escherichia coli. To the best of our knowledge, this study represents the first report of the characterisation of pomegranate genetic resources from Istria at different levels, including the molecular, chemical, antimicrobial and nutritional properties. PMID:28867945

[Cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) hulls: a posible commercial source of pectins].

PubMed

Barazarte, Humberto; Sangronis, Elba; Unai, Emaldi

2008-03-01

Commercial exploitation of cocoa (Theobroma cacao L.) generates a volume of hulls that could be used in the production of pectins on an industrial scale. Therefore, pectins from cocoa hulls were extracted at different pH and temperature conditions, and their main chemical characteristics were evaluated. EDTA at 0.5% was used for the extraction at pHs 3, 4 and 5 and temperatures of 60, 75 and 90 degrees C, under a 3 2 factorial design. The response variables were yield, content of anhydrous galacturonic acid (AGA), content of metoxil, degree of esterification and equivalent weight of the pectins extracted. The strength of the pectic gel was determined with a TA-XT2 texturometer. Strawberry jam was made with the pectin extracted, and its acceptability was determined using a 7-point hedonic scale. The results obtained were as follows: an extraction yield from 2.64 to 4.69 g/100 g; an AGA content between 49.8 and 64.06 g/100 g; a content of metoxil between 4.72 and 7.18 g/100 g; a degree of esterification between 37.94 and 52.20%; an equivalent weight from 385.47 to 464.61 g/equivalent of H+, and a degree of gelation between 28.64 and 806.03 g force. The pectin extracted at pH 4 and 90 degrees C showed a gelation power of 422.16 g force, purity 62.26 g/100 g of AGA, and a yield of extraction of 3.89 g/100 g and allowed to prepare ajam with an average level of liking of "like moderately". Pectins from cocoa hulls show potential application in the food industry, but it is necessary to optimize the extraction parameters to increase its yield.

Experimental design for extraction and quantification of phenolic compounds and organic acids in white "Vinho Verde" grapes.

PubMed

Dopico-García, M S; Valentão, P; Guerra, L; Andrade, P B; Seabra, R M

2007-01-30

An experimental design was applied for the optimization of extraction and clean-up processes of phenolic compounds and organic acids from white "Vinho Verde" grapes. The developed analytical method consisted in two steps: first a solid-liquid extraction of both phenolic compounds and organic acids and then a clean-up step using solid-phase extraction (SPE). Afterwards, phenolic compounds and organic acids were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to a diode array detector (DAD) and HPLC-UV, respectively. Plackett-Burman design was carried out to select the significant experimental parameters affecting both the extraction and the clean-up steps. The identified and quantified phenolic compounds were: quercetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside, kaempferol-3-O-rutinoside, isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside, quercetin, kaempferol and epicatechin. The determined organic acids were oxalic, citric, tartaric, malic, shikimic and fumaric acids. The obtained results showed that the most important variables were the temperature (40 degrees C) and the solvent (acid water at pH 2 with 5% methanol) for the extraction step and the type of sorbent (C18 non end-capped) for the clean-up step.

Comparison of partial least squares and random forests for evaluating relationship between phenolics and bioactivities of Neptunia oleracea.

PubMed

Lee, Soo Yee; Mediani, Ahmed; Maulidiani, Maulidiani; Khatib, Alfi; Ismail, Intan Safinar; Zawawi, Norhasnida; Abas, Faridah

2018-01-01

Neptunia oleracea is a plant consumed as a vegetable and which has been used as a folk remedy for several diseases. Herein, two regression models (partial least squares, PLS; and random forest, RF) in a metabolomics approach were compared and applied to the evaluation of the relationship between phenolics and bioactivities of N. oleracea. In addition, the effects of different extraction conditions on the phenolic constituents were assessed by pattern recognition analysis. Comparison of the PLS and RF showed that RF exhibited poorer generalization and hence poorer predictive performance. Both the regression coefficient of PLS and the variable importance of RF revealed that quercetin and kaempferol derivatives, caffeic acid and vitexin-2-O-rhamnoside were significant towards the tested bioactivities. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) results showed that sonication and absolute ethanol are the preferable extraction method and ethanol ratio, respectively, to produce N. oleracea extracts with high phenolic levels and therefore high DPPH scavenging and α-glucosidase inhibitory activities. Both PLS and RF are useful regression models in metabolomics studies. This work provides insight into the performance of different multivariate data analysis tools and the effects of different extraction conditions on the extraction of desired phenolics from plants. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Assessing the growth of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella in spinach, lettuce, parsley and chard extracts at different storage temperatures.

PubMed

Posada-Izquierdo, G; Del Rosal, S; Valero, A; Zurera, G; Sant'Ana, A S; Alvarenga, V O; Pérez-Rodríguez, F

2016-06-01

The objective of this work was to study the growth potential of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. in leafy vegetable extracts at different temperature conditions. Cocktails of five strains of E. coli O157:H7 and of Salmonella enterica were used. Inoculated aqueous vegetable extracts were incubated at 8, 10, 16 and 20°C during 21 days. Microbial growth was monitored using Bioscreen C(®) . In spinach extract, results showed that for E. coli O157:H7 and Salmonella significant differences (P < 0·05) for μabs (maximum absorbance rate) were obtained. For both pathogens, growth in chard was slightly lower. In contrast, iceberg lettuce and parsley showed the lowest values of μabs , below 0·008 h(-1) . The coefficients of variance (CoV) calculated for the different replicates evidenced that at low temperature (8°C) a more variable behaviour of both pathogens is expected (CoV > 180%). This study provides evidence that aqueous extracts from vegetable tissues can result in distinct growth niche producing different response in various types of vegetables. Finally, these results can be used as basis to establish risk rankings of pathogens and leafy vegetable matrices with relation to their potential growth. © 2016 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Impact of cooked functional meat enriched with omega-3 fatty acids and rosemary extract on inflammatory and oxidative status; a randomised, double-blind, crossover study.

PubMed

Bermejo, L M; López-Plaza, B; Weber, T K; Palma-Milla, S; Iglesias, C; Reglero, G; Gómez-Candela, C

2014-11-01

n-3 fatty acid intake has been associated with inflammatory benefits in cardiovascular disease (CVD). Functionalising meat may be of great interest. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of functional meat containing n-3 and rosemary extract on inflammatory and oxidative status markers in subjects with risk for CVD. A randomised, double-blind, cross-over study was undertaken to compare the effects on the above markers of consuming functional or control meat products. 43 volunteers with at least two lipid profile variables showing risk for CVD were randomly assigned to receive functional meat (FM) or control meat (CM) over 12-weeks with a 4-week wash-out interval before crossover. Functional effects were assessed by examining lipid profile, CRP, PAI-1, TNF-alpha, IL-6, fibrinogen (inflammatory markers), and TBARS, FRAP and 8-iso-PGF2 (oxidative status markers). 33 subjects (24 women) aged 50.7±8.8 years completed the study. In FM treatment, PAI-1, fibrinogen and 8-iso-PGF2 decreased significantly after 12 weeks, while FRAP significantly increased. In contrast, in CM treatment, a significant increase was seen in PAI-1, while FRAP significantly declined. Significant differences were also seen between the FM and CM treatments after 12 weeks in terms of the change observed in PAI-1, FRAP and 8-iso-PGF2 values. No significant differences were seen in anthropometric variables nor were adverse effects reported. The consumption of FM containing n-3 and rosemary extract improved oxidative and inflammatory status of people with at least two lipid profile variables showing risk for CVD. The inclusion of such functional meat in a balanced diet might be a healthy lifestyle option. Copyright AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2014. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

Extracting Behaviorally Relevant Traits from Natural Stimuli: Benefits of Combinatorial Representations at the Accessory Olfactory Bulb

PubMed Central

Kahan, Anat; Ben-Shaul, Yoram

2016-01-01

For many animals, chemosensation is essential for guiding social behavior. However, because multiple factors can modulate levels of individual chemical cues, deriving information about other individuals via natural chemical stimuli involves considerable challenges. How social information is extracted despite these sources of variability is poorly understood. The vomeronasal system provides an excellent opportunity to study this topic due to its role in detecting socially relevant traits. Here, we focus on two such traits: a female mouse’s strain and reproductive state. In particular, we measure stimulus-induced neuronal activity in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) in response to various dilutions of urine, vaginal secretions, and saliva, from estrus and non-estrus female mice from two different strains. We first show that all tested secretions provide information about a female’s receptivity and genotype. Next, we investigate how these traits can be decoded from neuronal activity despite multiple sources of variability. We show that individual neurons are limited in their capacity to allow trait classification across multiple sources of variability. However, simple linear classifiers sampling neuronal activity from small neuronal ensembles can provide a substantial improvement over that attained with individual units. Furthermore, we show that some traits are more efficiently detected than others, and that particular secretions may be optimized for conveying information about specific traits. Across all tested stimulus sources, discrimination between strains is more accurate than discrimination of receptivity, and detection of receptivity is more accurate with vaginal secretions than with urine. Our findings highlight the challenges of chemosensory processing of natural stimuli, and suggest that downstream readout stages decode multiple behaviorally relevant traits by sampling information from distinct but overlapping populations of AOB neurons. PMID:26938460

Extracting Behaviorally Relevant Traits from Natural Stimuli: Benefits of Combinatorial Representations at the Accessory Olfactory Bulb.

PubMed

Kahan, Anat; Ben-Shaul, Yoram

2016-03-01

For many animals, chemosensation is essential for guiding social behavior. However, because multiple factors can modulate levels of individual chemical cues, deriving information about other individuals via natural chemical stimuli involves considerable challenges. How social information is extracted despite these sources of variability is poorly understood. The vomeronasal system provides an excellent opportunity to study this topic due to its role in detecting socially relevant traits. Here, we focus on two such traits: a female mouse's strain and reproductive state. In particular, we measure stimulus-induced neuronal activity in the accessory olfactory bulb (AOB) in response to various dilutions of urine, vaginal secretions, and saliva, from estrus and non-estrus female mice from two different strains. We first show that all tested secretions provide information about a female's receptivity and genotype. Next, we investigate how these traits can be decoded from neuronal activity despite multiple sources of variability. We show that individual neurons are limited in their capacity to allow trait classification across multiple sources of variability. However, simple linear classifiers sampling neuronal activity from small neuronal ensembles can provide a substantial improvement over that attained with individual units. Furthermore, we show that some traits are more efficiently detected than others, and that particular secretions may be optimized for conveying information about specific traits. Across all tested stimulus sources, discrimination between strains is more accurate than discrimination of receptivity, and detection of receptivity is more accurate with vaginal secretions than with urine. Our findings highlight the challenges of chemosensory processing of natural stimuli, and suggest that downstream readout stages decode multiple behaviorally relevant traits by sampling information from distinct but overlapping populations of AOB neurons.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction and bioaccessibility of saponins from edible seeds: quinoa, lentil, fenugreek, soybean and lupin.

PubMed

Navarro Del Hierro, Joaquín; Herrera, Teresa; García-Risco, Mónica R; Fornari, Tiziana; Reglero, Guillermo; Martin, Diana

2018-07-01

The efficient production of saponin-rich extracts is of increasing interest due to the bioactive properties that have being demonstrated for these compounds. However, saponins have a poor bioavailability. In this respect, the knowledge about the bioaccessibility of saponins as a first step before bioavailability has been scarcely explored. In this study, the production of ultrasound-assisted extracts of saponins from edible seeds (quinoa, soybean, red lentil, fenugreek and lupin) was carried out with ethanol, ethanol:water or water. Extraction yield, total saponin (TSC), fat and total phenolics content (TPC) were determined. Then, the bioaccessibility of saponins after the in vitro gastrointestinal digestion of the extracts was determined and the effect of TPC and fat in the extracts on bioaccessibility was evaluated. The highest saponin-rich extracts were obtained by ethanol, being fenugreek and red lentil the richest extracts (12% and 10%, respectively). Saponins from ethanol:water extracts displayed variable bioaccessibility (from 13% for fenugreek to 83% for lentil), but a bioaccessibility closer to 100% was reached for all ethanol extracts. Correlation studies showed that TPC of the extracts negatively affected the bioaccessibility of saponins, whereas fat of the extracts enhanced this parameter. As summary, ultrasound-assisted extraction is shown as an efficient method for obtaining saponin-rich extracts from edible seeds, being ethanol the most advantageous solvent due to the richness of saponins and the successful bioaccessibility from these extracts, likely caused by the co-extracted fat with ethanol. Regardless of the extracts, phenolic compounds or fat may hinder or enhance the bioaccessibility of saponins, respectively. Additionally, an adequate balance between saponins to lipids has shown to be relevant on such an effect. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The optimization of phenolic compounds extraction from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) skin in a reflux system using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Jorge, Aguirre Joya; Heliodoro, De La Garza Toledo; Alejandro, Zugasti Cruz; Ruth, Belmares Cerda; Noé, Aguilar Cristóbal

2013-06-01

To extract, quantify, and evaluate the phenolic content in Opuntia ficus-indica skin for their antioxidant capacity with three different methods (ABTS, DPPH, and lipid oxidation) and to optimize the extraction conditions (time, temperature and ethanol concentration) in a reflux system. The extraction process was done using a reflux system. A San Cristobal II experimental design with three variables and three levels was used. The variables evaluated were time of extraction (h), concentration of ethanol (%, v/v) and temperature (°C). The extraction process was optimized using a response surface methodology. It was observed that at higher temperature more phenolic compounds were extracted, but the antioxidant capacity was decreased. The optimum conditions for phenolic compounds extraction and antioxidant capacity mixing the three methods were as follows: 45% of ethanol, 80 °C and 2 hours of extraction. Values obtained in our results are little higher that other previously reported. It can be concluded the by-products of Opuntia ficus-indica represent a good source of natural antioxidants with possible applications in food, cosmetics or drugs industries.

Extraction optimization of mucilage from Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) seeds using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Nazir, Sadaf; Wani, Idrees Ahmed; Masoodi, Farooq Ahmad

2017-05-01

Aqueous extraction of basil seed mucilage was optimized using response surface methodology. A Central Composite Rotatable Design (CCRD) for modeling of three independent variables: temperature (40-91 °C); extraction time (1.6-3.3 h) and water/seed ratio (18:1-77:1) was used to study the response for yield. Experimental values for extraction yield ranged from 7.86 to 20.5 g/100 g. Extraction yield was significantly ( P  < 0.05) affected by all the variables. Temperature and water/seed ratio were found to have pronounced effect while the extraction time was found to have minor possible effects. Graphical optimization determined the optimal conditions for the extraction of mucilage. The optimal condition predicted an extraction yield of 20.49 g/100 g at 56.7 °C, 1.6 h, and a water/seed ratio of 66.84:1. Optimal conditions were determined to obtain highest extraction yield. Results indicated that water/seed ratio was the most significant parameter, followed by temperature and time.

Analgesic efficacy of lysine clonixinate, paracetamol and dipyrone in lower third molar extraction: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Noronha, Vladimir-Reimar-Augusto-de Souza; Gurgel, Gladson-de Souza; Alves, Luiz-César-Fonseca; Noman-Ferreira, Luiz-Cláudio; Mendonça, Lisette-Lobato; Aguiar, Evandro-Guimarães de; Abdo, Evandro-Neves

2009-08-01

The purpose of this study is to compare the analgesic effect of lysine clonixinate, paracetamol and dipyrone after lower third molar extraction. The sample consisted of 90 individuals with clinical indication for inferior third molar extraction. The mean age of the sample was 22.3 years (DP +/-2.5). The individuals received the medication in unidentified bottles along with the intake instructions. The postoperative pain parameters were measured according to the Visual Analogical Scale (VAS) and the data was evaluated using the Kruskal-Wallis Test and Friedman Test, with the latter used to test different time intervals for each one of the drugs. The final sample consisted of 64 individuals, including 23 males (45.9%) and 41 females (64.1%) The mean age of the entire sample was 22.3 years (+/-2.5). The average length of the procedures was 33.9 minutes (+/-9.8). The distribution of mean values for this variable showed little variance for the different drugs (p=0.07). Lysine Clonixinate did not show any substantial impact on the postoperative pain control when compared to other drugs.

Glucuronoarabinoxylans as major cell walls polymers from young shoots of the woody bamboo Phyllostachys aurea.

PubMed

Zelaya, Víctor Martín; Fernández, Paula Virginia; Vega, Andrea Susana; Mantese, Anita Ida; Federico, Ana Ailén; Ciancia, Marina

2017-07-01

Young shoots of Phyllostachys aurea showed glucuronoarabinoxylans (GAX) as the major hemicellulosic components, being extracted in major amounts with 1M KOH (ratio Xyl:Ara:GlcA, 100:67:8), but also with water, showing a broad structural variability. Mixed linkage glucans were also present, but in minor amounts, mostly concentrated in the 4M KOH extracts, while pectin polymers were very scarce. Arabinogalactan proteins were an important part of water extracts, determined by the presence of the typical arabinogalactan structures (3- and 6-linked Gal p; terminal and 5-linked Ara f), in addition to small amounts of hydroxyproline (2-3% of total protein) and positive reaction to Yariv's reagent. Morphological and anatomical characteristics of young shoots are described, as well as localization of some cell wall components, and related with chemical analysis. A method for determination of uronic acids as their N-propylaldonamide acetates and separation and quantification by GC/MS was adapted for its use with grass cell wall fractions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

An integrated automatic system to evaluate U and Th dynamic lixiviation from solid matrices, and to extract/pre-concentrate leached analytes previous ICP-MS detection.

PubMed

Ceballos, Melisa Rodas; García-Tenorio, Rafael; Estela, José Manuel; Cerdà, Víctor; Ferrer, Laura

2017-12-01

Leached fractions of U and Th from different environmental solid matrices were evaluated by an automatic system enabling the on-line lixiviation and extraction/pre-concentration of these two elements previous ICP-MS detection. UTEVA resin was used as selective extraction material. Ten leached fraction, using artificial rainwater (pH 5.4) as leaching agent, and a residual fraction were analyzed for each sample, allowing the study of behavior of U and Th in dynamic lixiviation conditions. Multivariate techniques have been employed for the efficient optimization of the independent variables that affect the lixiviation process. The system reached LODs of 0.1 and 0.7ngkg -1 of U and Th, respectively. The method was satisfactorily validated for three solid matrices, by the analysis of a soil reference material (IAEA-375), a certified sediment reference material (BCR- 320R) and a phosphogypsum reference material (MatControl CSN-CIEMAT 2008). Besides, environmental samples were analyzed, showing a similar behavior, i.e. the content of radionuclides decreases with the successive extractions. In all cases, the accumulative leached fraction of U and Th for different solid matrices studied (soil, sediment and phosphogypsum) were extremely low, up to 0.05% and 0.005% of U and Th, respectively. However, a great variability was observed in terms of mass concentration released, e.g. between 44 and 13,967ngUkg -1 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Trace element concentration and speciation in selected urban soils in New York City.

PubMed

Burt, R; Hernandez, L; Shaw, R; Tunstead, R; Ferguson, R; Peaslee, S

2014-01-01

A long history of urbanization and industrialization has affected trace elements in New York City (NYC) soils. Selected NYC pedons were analyzed by aqua regia microwave digestion and sequential chemical extraction as follows: water soluble (WS); exchangeable (EX); specifically sorbed/carbonate bound (SS/CAR); oxide-bound (OX); organic/sulfide bound (OM/S). Soils showed a range in properties (e.g., pH 3.9 to 7.4). Sum of total extractable (SUMTE) trace elements was higher in NYC parks compared to Bronx River watershed sites. NYC surface horizons showed higher total extractable (TE) levels compared to US non-anthropogenic soils. TE levels increased over 10 year in some of the relatively undisturbed and mostly wooded park sites. Surface horizons of park sites with long-term anthropogenic inputs showed elevated TE levels vs. subsurface horizons. Conversely, some Bronx River watershed soils showed increased concentrations with depth, reflective of their formation in a thick mantle of construction debris increasing with depth and intermingled with anthrotransported soil materials. Short-range variability was evident in primary pedons and satellite samples (e.g., Pb 253 ± 143 mg/kg). Long-range variability was indicated by PbTE (348 versus 156 mg/kg) and HgTE (1 versus 0.3 mg/kg) concentrations varying several-fold in the same soil but in different geographic locations. Relative predominance of fractions: RES (37 %) > SS/CAR (22 %) > OX (20 %) > OM/S (10 %) > EX (7 %) > WS (4 %). WS and EX fractions were greatest for Hg (7 %) and Cd (14 %), respectively. RES was predominant fraction for Co, Cr, Ni, and Zn (41 to 51 %); SS/CAR for Cd and Pb (40 and 63 %); OM/S for Cu and Hg (36 and 37 %); and OX for As (59 %).

Evaluation of spatial variability of soil arsenic adjacent to a disused cattle-dip site, using model-based geostatistics.

PubMed

Niazi, Nabeel K; Bishop, Thomas F A; Singh, Balwant

2011-12-15

This study investigated the spatial variability of total and phosphate-extractable arsenic (As) concentrations in soil adjacent to a cattle-dip site, employing a linear mixed model-based geostatistical approach. The soil samples in the study area (n = 102 in 8.1 m(2)) were taken at the nodes of a 0.30 × 0.35 m grid. The results showed that total As concentration (0-0.2 m depth) and phosphate-extractable As concentration (at depths of 0-0.2, 0.2-0.4, and 0.4-0.6 m) in soil adjacent to the dip varied greatly. Both total and phosphate-extractable soil As concentrations significantly (p = 0.004-0.048) increased toward the cattle-dip. Using the linear mixed model, we suggest that 5 samples are sufficient to assess a dip site for soil (As) contamination (95% confidence interval of ±475.9 mg kg(-1)), but 15 samples (95% confidence interval of ±212.3 mg kg(-1)) is desirable baseline when the ultimate goal is to evaluate the effects of phytoremediation. Such guidelines on sampling requirements are crucial for the assessment of As contamination levels at other cattle-dip sites, and to determine the effect of phytoremediation on soil As.

Determination of the ultrasound power effects on flavonoid compounds from Psidium guajava L. using ANFIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratu Ayu, Humairoh; Suryono, Suryono; Endro Suseno, Jatmiko; Kurniawati, Ratna

2018-05-01

The Adaptive Neural Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) model was used to predict and optimize the content of flavonoid compounds in guava leaves (Psidium Guajava L.). The extraction process was carried out by using ultrasound assisted extraction (UAE) with the variable parameters: temperature ranging from 25°C to 35°C, ultrasonic frequency (30 - 40 kHz) and extraction time (20 - 40 minutes). ANFIS learning procedure began by providing the input variable data set (temperature, frequency and time) and the output of the flavonoid compounds from the experiments that had been done. Subtractive clustering methods was used in the manufacture of FIS (fuzzy inference system) structures by varying the range of influence parameters to generate the ANFIS system. The ANFIS trainingsconducted wereaimed at minimum error value. The results showed that the best ANFIS models used a subtractive clustering method, in which the ranges of influence 0.1 were 0.70 x 10-4 for training RMSE, 8.11 for testing RMSE, 2.7 % MAPE, and 7.72 MAE. The optimum condition was obtained at a temperature of 35°C and frequency of 40 kHz, for 30 minutes. This result proves that the ANFIS model can be used to predict the content of flavonoid compounds in guava leaves.

Optimization of Pumpkin Oil Recovery by Using Aqueous Enzymatic Extraction and Comparison of the Quality of the Obtained Oil with the Quality of Cold-Pressed Oil

PubMed Central

Roszkowska, Beata; Czaplicki, Sylwester; Tańska, Małgorzata

2016-01-01

Summary The study was carried out to optimize pumpkin oil recovery in the process of aqueous extraction preceded by enzymatic maceration of seeds, as well as to compare the quality of the obtained oil to the quality of cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil. Hydrated pulp of hulless pumpkin seeds was macerated using a 2% (by mass) cocktail of commercial pectinolytic, cellulolytic and proteolytic preparations (Rohapect® UF, Rohament® CL and Colorase® 7089). The optimization procedure utilized response surface methodology based on Box- -Behnken plan of experiment. The optimized variables of enzymatic pretreatment were pH, temperature and maceration time. The results showed that the pH value, temperature and maceration time of 4.7, 54 °C and 15.4 h, respectively, were conducive to maximize the oil yield up to 72.64%. Among these variables, the impact of pH was crucial (above 73% of determined variation) for oil recovery results. The oil obtained by aqueous enzymatic extraction was richer in sterols, squalene and tocopherols, and only slightly less abundant in carotenoids than the cold-pressed one. However, it had a lower oxidative stability, with induction period shortened by approx. 30% in relation to the cold-pressed oil. PMID:28115898

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction of protopine and allocryptopine from stems of Macleaya cordata (Willd) R. Br. using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Zhong, Ming; Huang, Ke-Long; Zeng, Jian-Guo; Li, Shuang; She, Jin-Ming; Li, Guiyin; Zhang, Li

2010-07-01

The purpose of the research was to investigate the multiple response optimizations for the extraction of protopine and allocryptopine from the stems of Macleaya cordata (Willd) R. Br. by using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE). A three-level, three-factor Box-Behnken design of response surface methodology was used to develop response model, and desirability function was employed to optimize the effects of main extraction parameters. Three variables, ethanol concentration (20-80%, v/v), extraction temperature (30-70 degrees C) and solvent/solid ratio (10:1 to 30:1, mL/g), were investigated in this study. The results showed that the optimum parameters of MAE were ethanol concentration of 45.2 % (v/v), extraction temperature of 54.7 degrees C and solvent/solid ratio of 20.4:1 (mL/g). Under these conditions, the extraction yields of protopine and allocryptopine were 89.4 and 102.0%, respectively, and the extracta sicca yield was 12.5%. The combination use of response surface methodology, Box-Behnken design and the appropriate desirability function could provide an insight into a lab-scale MAE process, and help to develop procedures for commercial production of active ingredients from medical plants.

Use of green coating (cork) in solid-phase microextraction for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in water by gas chromatography-electron capture detection.

PubMed

Neves Dias, Adriana; Simão, Vanessa; Merib, Josias; Carasek, Eduardo

2015-03-01

A novel method for the determination of organochlorine pesticides in water samples with extraction using cork fiber and analysis by gas chromatography with electron capture detector was developed. Also, the procedure to extract these pesticides with DVB/Car/PDMS fiber was optimized. The optimization of the variables involved in the extraction of organochlorine pesticides using the aforementioned fibers was carried out by multivariate design. The optimum extraction conditions were sample temperature 75 °C, extraction time 60 min and sodium chloride concentration 10% for the cork fiber and sample temperature 50 °C and extraction time 60 min (without salt) for the DVB/Car/PDMS fiber. The quantification limits for the two fibers varied between 1.0 and 10.0 ng L(-1). The linear correlation coefficients were >0.98 for both fibers. The method applied with the use of the cork fiber provided recovery values between 60.3 and 112.7 and RSD≤25.5 (n=3). The extraction efficiency values for the cork and DVB/Car/PDMS fibers were similar. The results show that cork is a promising alternative as a coating for SPME. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variability of composition and effects of essential oils from Rhanterium adpressum Coss. & Durieu against mycotoxinogenic Fusarium strains.

PubMed

Elhouiti, Fatiha; Tahri, Djilali; Takhi, Djalila; Ouinten, Mohamed; Barreau, Christian; Verdal-Bonnin, Marie-Noëlle; Bombarda, Isabelle; Yousfi, Mohamed

2017-12-01

The antifungal potency of the essential oils of Rhanterium adpressum was evaluated against four mycotoxigenic strains of the genus Fusarium. The essential oils were obtained, separately, by hydro-distillation of the aerial parts of R. adpressum (leaves and flowers). The parts were collected during the period of bloom (3 months) for 3 years. The GC-MS analysis revealed thirty-six compounds for the essential oils, divided into four classes of chemical compounds, with variable percentages according to the month of extraction. The monoterpene hydrocarbons form the main class in these oils. On the other hand, the highest percentages of the oxygenated compounds are observed in the samples collected during the month of May. The direct contact method was used to evaluate the antifungal activity of the essential oils. The activity can be attributed to their relatively high composition of oxygenated monoterpenes. Flowers extract showed strong inhibitory activity, with very interesting concentrations of IC50 and MIC for both tests on solid and liquid medium. The effect of these oils on the production of type B trichothecenes (TCTBs) was evaluated, showing a significant inhibitory effect on TCTBs production, for both extracts (leaves and flowers). The rates of inhibition were 66-97 and 76-100% of FX, 3-ADON and 15-ADON, respectively. The inhibition of fungal biomass and the production of TCTBs depended on the used concentration of the essential oils. These results suggest that the essential oils from R. adpressum are able to control the growth of the tested strains and their subsequent production of TCTB mycotoxins.

A data-driven multiplicative fault diagnosis approach for automation processes.

PubMed

Hao, Haiyang; Zhang, Kai; Ding, Steven X; Chen, Zhiwen; Lei, Yaguo

2014-09-01

This paper presents a new data-driven method for diagnosing multiplicative key performance degradation in automation processes. Different from the well-established additive fault diagnosis approaches, the proposed method aims at identifying those low-level components which increase the variability of process variables and cause performance degradation. Based on process data, features of multiplicative fault are extracted. To identify the root cause, the impact of fault on each process variable is evaluated in the sense of contribution to performance degradation. Then, a numerical example is used to illustrate the functionalities of the method and Monte-Carlo simulation is performed to demonstrate the effectiveness from the statistical viewpoint. Finally, to show the practical applicability, a case study on the Tennessee Eastman process is presented. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Optimization of Bioactive Ingredient Extraction from Chinese Herbal Medicine Glycyrrhiza glabra: A Comparative Study of Three Optimization Models

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaohong; Zhang, Yuyan

2018-01-01

The ultraviolet spectrophotometric method is often used for determining the content of glycyrrhizic acid from Chinese herbal medicine Glycyrrhiza glabra. Based on the traditional single variable approach, four extraction parameters of ammonia concentration, ethanol concentration, circumfluence time, and liquid-solid ratio are adopted as the independent extraction variables. In the present work, central composite design of four factors and five levels is applied to design the extraction experiments. Subsequently, the prediction models of response surface methodology, artificial neural networks, and genetic algorithm-artificial neural networks are developed to analyze the obtained experimental data, while the genetic algorithm is utilized to find the optimal extraction parameters for the above well-established models. It is found that the optimization of extraction technology is presented as ammonia concentration 0.595%, ethanol concentration 58.45%, return time 2.5 h, and liquid-solid ratio 11.065 : 1. Under these conditions, the model predictive value is 381.24 mg, the experimental average value is 376.46 mg, and the expectation discrepancy is 4.78 mg. For the first time, a comparative study of these three approaches is conducted for the evaluation and optimization of the effects of the extraction independent variables. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the combinational method of genetic algorithm and artificial neural networks provides a more reliable and more accurate strategy for design and optimization of glycyrrhizic acid extraction from Glycyrrhiza glabra. PMID:29887907

Optimization of Bioactive Ingredient Extraction from Chinese Herbal Medicine Glycyrrhiza glabra: A Comparative Study of Three Optimization Models.

PubMed

Yu, Li; Jin, Weifeng; Li, Xiaohong; Zhang, Yuyan

2018-01-01

The ultraviolet spectrophotometric method is often used for determining the content of glycyrrhizic acid from Chinese herbal medicine Glycyrrhiza glabra . Based on the traditional single variable approach, four extraction parameters of ammonia concentration, ethanol concentration, circumfluence time, and liquid-solid ratio are adopted as the independent extraction variables. In the present work, central composite design of four factors and five levels is applied to design the extraction experiments. Subsequently, the prediction models of response surface methodology, artificial neural networks, and genetic algorithm-artificial neural networks are developed to analyze the obtained experimental data, while the genetic algorithm is utilized to find the optimal extraction parameters for the above well-established models. It is found that the optimization of extraction technology is presented as ammonia concentration 0.595%, ethanol concentration 58.45%, return time 2.5 h, and liquid-solid ratio 11.065 : 1. Under these conditions, the model predictive value is 381.24 mg, the experimental average value is 376.46 mg, and the expectation discrepancy is 4.78 mg. For the first time, a comparative study of these three approaches is conducted for the evaluation and optimization of the effects of the extraction independent variables. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the combinational method of genetic algorithm and artificial neural networks provides a more reliable and more accurate strategy for design and optimization of glycyrrhizic acid extraction from Glycyrrhiza glabra .

Optimization of microwave-assisted extraction (MAP) for ginseng components by response surface methodology.

PubMed

Kwon, Joong-Ho; Bélanger, Jacqueline M R; Paré, J R Jocelyn

2003-03-26

Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to predict optimum conditions for microwave-assisted extraction-a MAP technology-of saponin components from ginseng roots. A central composite design was used to monitor the effect of ethanol concentration (30-90%, X(1)) and extraction time (30-270 s, X(2)) on dependent variables, such as total extract yield (Y(1)), crude saponin content (Y(2)), and saponin ratio (Y(3)), under atmospheric pressure conditions when focused microwaves were applied at an emission frequency of 2450 MHz. In MAP under pre-established conditions, correlation coefficients (R (2)) of the models for total extract yield and crude saponin were 0.9841 (p < 0.001) and 0.9704 (p < 0.01). Optimum extraction conditions were predicted for each variable as 52.6% ethanol and 224.7 s in extract yield and as 77.3% ethanol and 295.1 s in crude saponins, respectively. Estimated maximum values at predicted optimum conditions were in good agreement with experimental values.

Characterization of Leaf Extracts of Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi by GC-MS and Chemometric Analysis

PubMed Central

Carneiro, Fabíola B.; Lopes, Pablo Q.; Ramalho, Ricardo C.; Scotti, Marcus T.; Santos, Sócrates G.; Soares, Luiz A. L.

2017-01-01

Background: Schinus terebinthifolius Raddi belongs to Anacardiacea family and is widely known as “aroeira.” This species originates from South America, and its extracts are used in folk medicine due to its therapeutic properties, which include antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antipyretic effects. The complexity and variability of the chemical constitution of the herbal raw material establishes the quality of the respective herbal medicine products. Objective: Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the variability of the volatile compounds from leaves of S. terebinthifolius. Materials and Methods: The samples were collected from different states of the Northeast region of Brazil and analyzed with a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The collected data were analyzed using multivariate data analysis. Results: The samples’ chromatograms, obtained by GC-MS, showed similar chemical profiles in a number of peaks, but some differences were observed in the intensity of these analytical markers. The chromatographic fingerprints obtained by GC-MS were suitable for discrimination of the samples; these results along with a statistical treatment (principal component analysis [PCA]) were used as a tool for comparative analysis between the different samples of S. terebinthifolius. Conclusion: The experimental data show that the PCA used in this study clustered the samples into groups with similar chemical profiles, which builds an appropriate approach to evaluate the similarity in the phytochemical pattern found in the different leaf samples. SUMMARY The leave extracts of Schinus terebinthifolius were obtained by turbo-extractionThe extracts were partitioned with hexane and analyzed by GC-MSThe chromatographic data were analyzed using the principal component analysis (PCA)The PCA plots showed the main compounds (phellandrene, limonene, and carene), which were used to group the samples from a different geographical location in accordance to their chemical similarity. Abbreviations used: AL: Alagoas, BA: Bahia, CE: Ceará, CPETEC: Center for Weather Forecasting and Climate Studies, GC-MS: Gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer, MA: Maranhão, MVA: Multivariate data analysis, PB: Paraíba, PC1: Direction that describes the maximum variance of the original data, PC2: Maximum direction variance of the data in the subspace orthogonal to PC1, PCA: Principal component analysis, PE: Pernambuco, PI: Piauí, RN: Rio Grande do Norte, SE: Sergipe. PMID:29142431

Optimization of extraction parameters of pentacyclic triterpenoids from Swertia chirata stem using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Pandey, Devendra Kumar; Kaur, Prabhjot

2018-03-01

In the present investigation, pentacyclic triterpenoids were extracted from different parts of Swertia chirata by solid-liquid reflux extraction methods. The total pentacyclic triterpenoids (UA, OA, and BA) in extracted samples were determined by HPTLC method. Preliminary studies showed that stem part contains the maximum pentacyclic triterpenoid and was chosen for further studies. Response surface methodology (RSM) has been employed successfully by solid-liquid reflux extraction methods for the optimization of different extraction variables viz., temperature ( X 1 35-70 °C), extraction time ( X 2 30-60 min), solvent composition ( X 3 20-80%), solvent-to-solid ratio ( X 4 30-60 mlg -1 ), and particle size ( X 5 3-6 mm) on maximum recovery of triterpenoid from stem parts of Swertia chirata . A Plackett-Burman design has been used initially to screen out the three extraction factors viz., particle size, temperature, and solvent composition on yield of triterpenoid. Moreover, central composite design (CCD) was implemented to optimize the significant extraction parameters for maximum triterpenoid yield. Three extraction parameters viz., mean particle size (3 mm), temperature (65 °C), and methanol-ethyl acetate solvent composition (45%) can be considered as significant for the better yield of triterpenoid A second-order polynomial model satisfactorily fitted the experimental data with the R 2 values of 0.98 for the triterpenoid yield ( p  < 0.001), implying good agreement between the experimental triterpenoid yield (3.71%) to the predicted value (3.79%).

Optimization of antioxidant and antiglycated activities of polysaccharides from Arthrocnemum indicum leaves.

PubMed

Mzoughi, Zeineb; Chaouch, Mohamed Aymen; Hammi, Khaoula Mkadmini; Hafsa, Jawhar; Le Cerf, Didier; Ksouri, Riadh; Majdoub, Hatem

2018-07-01

Central composite design was performed to optimize uronic acid rate, esterification degree, total antioxidant ability and antiglycation capacity of carbohydrates from Arthrocnemum indicum leaves. Three independent variables were opted: extraction temperature, time and ratio (solvent/material). The optimal settings were: extraction temperature of 80°C, time of 288min and (solvent/solid) ratio of 40mL/g. Under these settings, uronic acid rate and esterification degree were 49.29%, 30.24%, respectively, whereas total antioxidant activity and antiglycation capacity was 35.81mg ascorbic acid equivalents/g matter and 69.81%, respectively. Colorimetric assays showed that total sugar and uronic acid contents for polysaccharide were 71.78% and 49.24%, respectively. Furthermore, Preliminary structure study was performed via various methods including FT-IR, NMR and UV-vis analysis. SEC analyzes revealed that polysaccharide had an average molecular weight of 2179kDa. Moreover, GC-MS analyzes showed that extracted polysaccharide was a pectic polysaccharide which formed of arabinose, mannose, galactose, rhamnose, glucose and xylose in the molar percentage of 66.68%, 3.93%, 12.71%, 6.31%, 6.08% and 4.29%, respectively. This results revealed that extracted polysaccharide can be employed as source of natural antioxidants and as possible antiglycated agents. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Statistically extracted fundamental watershed variables for estimating the loads of total nitrogen in small streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kronholm, Scott C.; Capel, Paul D.; Terziotti, Silvia

2016-01-01

Accurate estimation of total nitrogen loads is essential for evaluating conditions in the aquatic environment. Extrapolation of estimates beyond measured streams will greatly expand our understanding of total nitrogen loading to streams. Recursive partitioning and random forest regression were used to assess 85 geospatial, environmental, and watershed variables across 636 small (<585 km2) watersheds to determine which variables are fundamentally important to the estimation of annual loads of total nitrogen. Initial analysis led to the splitting of watersheds into three groups based on predominant land use (agricultural, developed, and undeveloped). Nitrogen application, agricultural and developed land area, and impervious or developed land in the 100-m stream buffer were commonly extracted variables by both recursive partitioning and random forest regression. A series of multiple linear regression equations utilizing the extracted variables were created and applied to the watersheds. As few as three variables explained as much as 76 % of the variability in total nitrogen loads for watersheds with predominantly agricultural land use. Catchment-scale national maps were generated to visualize the total nitrogen loads and yields across the USA. The estimates provided by these models can inform water managers and help identify areas where more in-depth monitoring may be beneficial.

Analyte stability during the total testing process: studies of vitamins A, D and E by LC-MS/MS.

PubMed

Albahrani, Ali A; Rotarou, Victor; Roche, Peter J; Greaves, Ronda F

2016-10-01

There are limited evidence based studies demonstrating the stability of fat-soluble vitamins (FSV) measured in blood. This study aimed to examine the effects of light, temperature and time on vitamins A, D and E throughout the total testing process. Four experiments were conducted. Three investigated the sample matrix, of whole blood, serum and the extracted sample, against the variables of temperature and light; and the fourth experiment investigated the sample during the extraction process against the variable of light. All samples were analysed via our simultaneous FSV method using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry technology. The allowable clinical percentage change was calculated based on biological variation and desirable method imprecision for each analyte. The total change limit was ±7.3% for 25-OH-vitamin D3, ±11.8% for retinol and ±10.8% for α-tocopherol. Vitamins D and E were stable in the investigated conditions (concentration changes <4%) in the pre-analytical and analytical stages. Vitamin A showed photosensitivity in times >48 h with concentration changes of -6.8% (blood) and -6.5% (serum), both are within the allowable clinical percentage change. By contrast, the extracted retinol sample demonstrated a concentration change of -18.4% after 48 h of light exposure. However, vitamin A in the serum and extracted solution was stable for one month when stored at -20°C. Blood samples for vitamins D and E analyses can be processed in normal laboratory conditions of lighting and temperature. The required conditions for vitamin A analysis are similar when performed within 48 h. For longer-term storage, serum and vitamin A extracts should be stored at -20°C.

Influence of premolar extraction or non-extraction orthodontic therapy on the angular changes of mandibular third molars.

PubMed

Durgesh, Bangalore H; Gowda, Kiran H Komari; AlShahrani, Obaid A; Almalki, Ahmad D; Almalki, Waleed D; Balharith, Manea Mohammed S; Motashesh, Nada Yahya H; Alkheraif, Abdulaziz A; Hashem, Mohamed I

2016-11-01

To compare the angular changes of the third molars relative to the occlusal plane and to the second molar long axis in extraction group and compare these changes with a non extraction group. The study included pre and post treatment panoramic radiograph records of 90 subjects treated by first premolar extractions and 90 subjects who had been treated with non extraction orthodontic therapy ( n  = 90). Two angular variables were measured. Firstly, the angle between the long axis of the third molar and the occlusal plane (M3-OP) and secondly, the angle between the long axis of the third molar and the long axis of the second molar (M3-M2). Data were analyzed by paired and student's t -test. The analyzed data to assess the changes in the third molar angulation from pretreatment to post treatment did not vary significantly in both the groups ( p  < 0.05). Both the groups showed decreased angular values. The M3-OP angular difference was (-7.3 ± 2.45) in extraction group as compared to (-5.85 ± 1.77) in non extraction group. The M3-M2 angular difference of (-4.26 ± 3.11) in extraction group and (-2.98 ± 1.74) in non-extraction group was observed. Extraction of premolars did not demonstrate considerable changes on the angulation of the third molars. The factors other than premolar extractions may influence the angulation of the third molars.

Garlic intake lowers fasting blood glucose: meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

PubMed

Hou, Li-qiong; Liu, Yun-hui; Zhang, Yi-yi

2015-01-01

Garlic is a common spicy flavouring agent also used for certain therapeutic purposes. Garlic's effects on blood glucose have been the subject of many clinical and animal studies, however, studies reporting hypoglycemic effects of garlic in humans are conflicting. A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify relevant trials of garlic or garlic extracts on markers of glycemic control [fasting blood glucose (FBG), postprandial glucose (PPG), glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c)]. A meta-analysis of the effect of garlic intake on human was done to assess garlic's effectiveness in lowering glucose levels. Two reviewers extracted data from each of the identified studies. Seven eligible randomized controlled trials with 513 subjects were identified. Pooled analyses showed that garlic intake results in a statistically significant lowering in FBG [SMD=-1.67; 95% CI (-2.80, -0.55), p=0.004]. Our pooled analyses did not include PPG control and HbA1c outcomes. Because only 1 study included in the meta-analysis reported PPG variables and only 2 studies reported HbA1c variables. In conclusion, the current meta-analysis showed that the administration of garlic resulted in a significant reduction in FBG concentrations. More trials are needed to investigate the effectiveness of garlic on HbA1c and PPG.

Features Extraction of Flotation Froth Images and BP Neural Network Soft-Sensor Model of Concentrate Grade Optimized by Shuffled Cuckoo Searching Algorithm

PubMed Central

Wang, Jie-sheng; Han, Shuang; Shen, Na-na; Li, Shu-xia

2014-01-01

For meeting the forecasting target of key technology indicators in the flotation process, a BP neural network soft-sensor model based on features extraction of flotation froth images and optimized by shuffled cuckoo search algorithm is proposed. Based on the digital image processing technique, the color features in HSI color space, the visual features based on the gray level cooccurrence matrix, and the shape characteristics based on the geometric theory of flotation froth images are extracted, respectively, as the input variables of the proposed soft-sensor model. Then the isometric mapping method is used to reduce the input dimension, the network size, and learning time of BP neural network. Finally, a shuffled cuckoo search algorithm is adopted to optimize the BP neural network soft-sensor model. Simulation results show that the model has better generalization results and prediction accuracy. PMID:25133210

Preliminary considerations for extraction of thermal effect from magma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hickox, C. E.; Dunn, J. C.

Simplified mathematical models are developed to describe the extraction of thermal energy from magma based on the concept of a counter-flow heat exchanger inserted into the magma body. Analytical solutions are used to investigate influence of the basic variables on electric power production. Calculations confirm that the proper heat exchanger flow path is down the annulus with hot fluid returning to the surface through the central core. The core must be insulated from the annulus to achieve acceptable wellhead temperatures, but this insulation thickness can be quite small. The insulation is effective in maintaining the colder annular flow below expected formation temperatures so that a net beat gain from the formation above a magma body is predicted. The analynes show that optimum flow rates exist that maximize electric power production. These optimum flow rates are functions of the heat transfer coefficients that describe magma energy extraction.

Optimization of spray drying conditions to microencapsulate cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum) seed by-product extract.

PubMed

da Costa, Russany Silva; Teixeira, Camilo Barroso; Gabbay Alves, Taís Vanessa; Ribeiro-Costa, Roseane M; Casazza, Alessandro A; Aliakbarian, Bahar; Converti, Attilio; Silva Júnior, José O C; Perego, Patrizia

2018-04-16

Cupuassu (Theobroma grandiflorum Schum.) is a popular Amazonian fruit because of its intense aroma and nutritional value, whose lipid fraction is alternatively used in cosmetics. To preserve active principles and ensure their controlled release, extract was microencapsulated by spray drying. Influence of spray-drying conditions on microencapsulation of cupuassu seed by-product extract was investigated according to a 3 3 -Box Behnken factorial design, selecting inlet temperature, maltodextrin concentration and feed flowrate as independent variables, and total polyphenol and flavonoid contents, antiradical power, yields of drying and microencapsulation as responses. Fitting the results by second-order equations and modelling by Response Surface Methodology allowed predicting optimum conditions. Epicatechin and glycosylated quercetin were the major microencapsulated flavonoids. Microparticles showed satisfactory antiradical power and stability at 5 °C or under simulated gastrointestinal conditions, thus they may be used to formulate new foods or pharmaceuticals.

Improve the Recovery of Fermentable Sugar from Rice Straw by Sonication and Its Mathematical Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhattacharyya, Saurav; Dutta, Somenath; Datta, Sidhartha; Bhattacharjee, Chiranjib

2012-08-01

Rice straw is waste renewable agricultural biomass, which contains sufficient amount of fermentable sugars like glucose, galactose fructose, xylose etc. These sugars can be treated with fermentation pathway to produce ethanol. Hydrolysis of pretreated rice straw in dilute sulfuric acid was investigated at different acid concentrations (0.25-0.75 % w/v), and sonication was carried out to improve the extent of sugar extraction. The current work examines the effect of sonication on extraction of total reducing sugar (TRS) and an empirical mathematical model has been established to predict it. Effects of various operating variables of sonication, including amplitude (60-100 %), cycle (0.6-1.0), treatment time (0-15 min) have been analyzed for each acid concentration. Observation shows that on optimization of the sonication conditions (100 % amplitude, 0.8 cycle and 10 min) around 90 % improvement of TRS extraction occurs at 0.5 % (w/v) acid concentration.

[Establishment of the mathematic model of total quantum statistical moment standard similarity for application to medical theoretical research].

PubMed

He, Fu-yuan; Deng, Kai-wen; Huang, Sheng; Liu, Wen-long; Shi, Ji-lian

2013-09-01

The paper aims to elucidate and establish a new mathematic model: the total quantum statistical moment standard similarity (TQSMSS) on the base of the original total quantum statistical moment model and to illustrate the application of the model to medical theoretical research. The model was established combined with the statistical moment principle and the normal distribution probability density function properties, then validated and illustrated by the pharmacokinetics of three ingredients in Buyanghuanwu decoction and of three data analytical method for them, and by analysis of chromatographic fingerprint for various extracts with different solubility parameter solvents dissolving the Buyanghanwu-decoction extract. The established model consists of four mainly parameters: (1) total quantum statistical moment similarity as ST, an overlapped area by two normal distribution probability density curves in conversion of the two TQSM parameters; (2) total variability as DT, a confidence limit of standard normal accumulation probability which is equal to the absolute difference value between the two normal accumulation probabilities within integration of their curve nodical; (3) total variable probability as 1-Ss, standard normal distribution probability within interval of D(T); (4) total variable probability (1-beta)alpha and (5) stable confident probability beta(1-alpha): the correct probability to make positive and negative conclusions under confident coefficient alpha. With the model, we had analyzed the TQSMS similarities of pharmacokinetics of three ingredients in Buyanghuanwu decoction and of three data analytical methods for them were at range of 0.3852-0.9875 that illuminated different pharmacokinetic behaviors of each other; and the TQSMS similarities (ST) of chromatographic fingerprint for various extracts with different solubility parameter solvents dissolving Buyanghuanwu-decoction-extract were at range of 0.6842-0.999 2 that showed different constituents with various solvent extracts. The TQSMSS can characterize the sample similarity, by which we can quantitate the correct probability with the test of power under to make positive and negative conclusions no matter the samples come from same population under confident coefficient a or not, by which we can realize an analysis at both macroscopic and microcosmic levels, as an important similar analytical method for medical theoretical research.

More Tweets, More Votes: Social Media as a Quantitative Indicator of Political Behavior

PubMed Central

DiGrazia, Joseph; McKelvey, Karissa; Bollen, Johan; Rojas, Fabio

2013-01-01

Is social media a valid indicator of political behavior? There is considerable debate about the validity of data extracted from social media for studying offline behavior. To address this issue, we show that there is a statistically significant association between tweets that mention a candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives and his or her subsequent electoral performance. We demonstrate this result with an analysis of 542,969 tweets mentioning candidates selected from a random sample of 3,570,054,618, as well as Federal Election Commission data from 795 competitive races in the 2010 and 2012 U.S. congressional elections. This finding persists even when controlling for incumbency, district partisanship, media coverage of the race, time, and demographic variables such as the district's racial and gender composition. Our findings show that reliable data about political behavior can be extracted from social media. PMID:24312181

Central composite rotatable design for investigation of microwave-assisted extraction of ginger (Zingiber officinale)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fadzilah, R. Hanum; Sobhana, B. Arianto; Mahfud, M.

2015-12-01

Microwave-assisted extraction technique was employed to extract essential oil from ginger. The optimal condition for microwave assisted extraction of ginger were determined by resposnse surface methodology. A central composite rotatable design was applied to evaluate the effects of three independent variables. The variables is were microwave power 400 - 800W as X1, feed solvent ratio of 0.33 -0.467 as X2 and feed size 1 cm, 0.25 cm and less than 0.2 cm as X3. The correlation analysis of mathematical modelling indicated that quadratic polynomial could be employed to optimize microwave assisted extraction of ginger. The optimal conditions to obtain highest yield of essential oil were : microwave power 597,163 W : feed solvent ratio and size of feed less than 0.2 cm.

Atomic force microscopy and Langmuir–Blodgett monolayer technique to assess contact lens deposits and human meibum extracts☆

PubMed Central

Hagedorn, Sarah; Drolle, Elizabeth; Lorentz, Holly; Srinivasan, Sruthi; Leonenko, Zoya; Jones, Lyndon

2015-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the differences in meibomian gland secretions, contact lens (CL) lipid extracts, and CL surface topography between participants with and without meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD). Methods Meibum study: Meibum was collected from all participants and studied via Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) deposition with subsequent Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) visualization and surface roughness analysis. CL Study: Participants with and without MGD wore both etafilcon A and balafilcon A CLs in two different phases. CL lipid deposits were extracted and analyzed using pressure-area isotherms with the LB trough and CL surface topographies and roughness values were visualized using AFM. Results Meibum study: Non-MGD participant meibum samples showed larger, circular aggregates with lower surface roughness, whereas meibum samples from participants with MGD showed more lipid aggregates, greater size variability and higher surface roughness. CL Study: Worn CLs from participants with MGD had a few large tear film deposits with lower surface roughness, whereas non-MGD participant-worn lenses had many small lens deposits with higher surface roughness. Balafilcon A pore depths were shallower in MGD participant worn lenses when compared to non-MGD participant lenses. Isotherms of CL lipid extracts from MGD and non-MGD participants showed a seamless rise in surface pressure as area decreased; however, extracts from the two different lens materials produced different isotherms. Conclusions MGD and non-MGD participant-worn CL deposition were found to differ in type, amount, and pattern of lens deposits. Lipids from MGD participants deposited irregularly whereas lipids from non-MGD participants showed more uniformity. PMID:25620317

Applying Data Mining Techniques to Extract Hidden Patterns about Breast Cancer Survival in an Iranian Cohort Study.

PubMed

Khalkhali, Hamid Reza; Lotfnezhad Afshar, Hadi; Esnaashari, Omid; Jabbari, Nasrollah

2016-01-01

Breast cancer survival has been analyzed by many standard data mining algorithms. A group of these algorithms belonged to the decision tree category. Ability of the decision tree algorithms in terms of visualizing and formulating of hidden patterns among study variables were main reasons to apply an algorithm from the decision tree category in the current study that has not studied already. The classification and regression trees (CART) was applied to a breast cancer database contained information on 569 patients in 2007-2010. The measurement of Gini impurity used for categorical target variables was utilized. The classification error that is a function of tree size was measured by 10-fold cross-validation experiments. The performance of created model was evaluated by the criteria as accuracy, sensitivity and specificity. The CART model produced a decision tree with 17 nodes, 9 of which were associated with a set of rules. The rules were meaningful clinically. They showed in the if-then format that Stage was the most important variable for predicting breast cancer survival. The scores of accuracy, sensitivity and specificity were: 80.3%, 93.5% and 53%, respectively. The current study model as the first one created by the CART was able to extract useful hidden rules from a relatively small size dataset.

Modal recovery of sea-level variability in the South China Sea using merged altimeter data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Haoyu; Chen, Ge

2015-09-01

Using 20 years (1993-2012) of merged data recorded by contemporary multi-altimeter missions, a variety of sea-level variability modes are recovered in the South China Sea employing three-dimensional harmonic extraction. In terms of the long-term variation, the South China Sea is estimated to have a rising sea-level linear trend of 5.39 mm/a over these 20 years. Among the modes extracted, the seven most statistically significant periodic or quasi-periodic modes are identified as principal modes. The geographical distributions of the magnitudes and phases of the modes are displayed. In terms of intraannual and annual regimes, two principal modes with strict semiannual and annual periods are found, with the annual variability having the largest amplitudes among the seven modes. For interannual and decadal regimes, five principal modes at approximately 18, 21, 23, 28, and 112 months are found with the most mode-active region being to the east of Vietnam. For the phase distributions, a series of amphidromes are observed as twins, termed "amphidrome twins", comprising rotating dipole systems. The stability of periodic modes is investigated employing joint spatiotemporal analysis of latitude/longitude sections. Results show that all periodic modes are robust, revealing the richness and complexity of sea-level modes in the South China Sea.

Dynamics and causalities of atmospheric and oceanic data identified by complex networks and Granger causality analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Charakopoulos, A. K.; Katsouli, G. A.; Karakasidis, T. E.

2018-04-01

Understanding the underlying processes and extracting detailed characteristics of spatiotemporal dynamics of ocean and atmosphere as well as their interaction is of significant interest and has not been well thoroughly established. The purpose of this study was to examine the performance of two main additional methodologies for the identification of spatiotemporal underlying dynamic characteristics and patterns among atmospheric and oceanic variables from Seawatch buoys from Aegean and Ionian Sea, provided by the Hellenic Center for Marine Research (HCMR). The first approach involves the estimation of cross correlation analysis in an attempt to investigate time-lagged relationships, and further in order to identify the direction of interactions between the variables we performed the Granger causality method. According to the second approach the time series are converted into complex networks and then the main topological network properties such as degree distribution, average path length, diameter, modularity and clustering coefficient are evaluated. Our results show that the proposed analysis of complex network analysis of time series can lead to the extraction of hidden spatiotemporal characteristics. Also our findings indicate high level of positive and negative correlations and causalities among variables, both from the same buoy and also between buoys from different stations, which cannot be determined from the use of simple statistical measures.

XANES Spectroscopic Analysis of Phosphorus Speciation in Alum-Amended Poultry Litter

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

Seiter,J.; Staats-Borda, K.; Ginder-Vogel, M.

2008-01-01

Aluminum sulfate (alum; Al2(SO4)3{center_dot}14H2O) is used as a chemical treatment of poultry litter to reduce the solubility and release of phosphate, thereby minimizing the impacts on adjacent aquatic ecosystems when poultry litter is land applied as a crop fertilizer. The objective of this study was to determine, through the use of X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy and sequential extraction, how alum amendments alter P distribution and solid-state speciation within the poultry litter system. Our results indicate that traditional sequential fractionation procedures may not account for variability in P speciation in heterogeneous animal manures. Analysis shows that NaOH-extracted Pmore » in alum amended litters is predominantly organic ({approx}80%), whereas in the control samples, >60% of NaOH-extracted P was inorganic P. Linear least squares fitting (LLSF) analysis of spectra collected of sequentially extracted litters showed that the P is present in inorganic (P sorbed on Al oxides, calcium phosphates) and organic forms (phytic acid, polyphosphates, and monoesters) in alum- and non-alum-amended poultry litter. When determining land application rates of poultry litter, all of these compounds must be considered, especially organic P. Results of the sequential extractions in conjunction with LLSF suggest that no P species is completely removed by a single extractant. Rather, there is a continuum of removal as extractant strength increases. Overall, alum-amended litters exhibited higher proportions of Al-bound P species and phytic acid, whereas untreated samples contained Ca-P minerals and organic P compounds. This study provides in situ information about P speciation in the poultry litter solid and about P availability in alum- and non-alum-treated poultry litter that will dictate P losses to ground and surface water systems.« less

Signal extraction and wave field separation in tunnel seismic prediction by independent component analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yue, Y.; Jiang, T.; Zhou, Q.

2017-12-01

In order to ensure the rationality and the safety of tunnel excavation, the advanced geological prediction has been become an indispensable step in tunneling. However, the extraction of signal and the separation of P and S waves directly influence the accuracy of geological prediction. Generally, the raw data collected in TSP system is low quality because of the numerous disturb factors in tunnel projects, such as the power interference and machine vibration interference. It's difficult for traditional method (band-pass filtering) to remove interference effectively as well as bring little loss to signal. The power interference, machine vibration interference and the signal are original variables and x, y, z component as observation signals, each component of the representation is a linear combination of the original variables, which satisfy applicable conditions of independent component analysis (ICA). We perform finite-difference simulations of elastic wave propagation to synthetic a tunnel seismic reflection record. The method of ICA was adopted to process the three-component data, and the results show that extract the estimates of signal and the signals are highly correlated (the coefficient correlation is up to more than 0.93). In addition, the estimates of interference that separated from ICA and the interference signals are also highly correlated, and the coefficient correlation is up to more than 0.99. Thus, simulation results showed that the ICA is an ideal method for extracting high quality data from mixed signals. For the separation of P and S waves, the conventional separation techniques are based on physical characteristics of wave propagation, which require knowledge of the near-surface P and S waves velocities and density. Whereas the ICA approach is entirely based on statistical differences between P and S waves, and the statistical technique does not require a priori information. The concrete results of the wave field separation will be presented in the meeting. In summary, we can safely draw the conclusion that ICA can not only extract high quality data from the mixed signals, but also can separate P and S waves effectively.

Process monitoring using automatic physical measurement based on electrical and physical variability analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shauly, Eitan N.; Levi, Shimon; Schwarzband, Ishai; Adan, Ofer; Latinsky, Sergey

2015-04-01

A fully automated silicon-based methodology for systematic analysis of electrical features is shown. The system was developed for process monitoring and electrical variability reduction. A mapping step was created by dedicated structures such as static-random-access-memory (SRAM) array or standard cell library, or by using a simple design rule checking run-set. The resulting database was then used as an input for choosing locations for critical dimension scanning electron microscope images and for specific layout parameter extraction then was input to SPICE compact modeling simulation. Based on the experimental data, we identified two items that must be checked and monitored using the method described here: transistor's sensitivity to the distance between the poly end cap and edge of active area (AA) due to AA rounding, and SRAM leakage due to a too close N-well to P-well. Based on this example, for process monitoring and variability analyses, we extensively used this method to analyze transistor gates having different shapes. In addition, analysis for a large area of high density standard cell library was done. Another set of monitoring focused on a high density SRAM array is also presented. These examples provided information on the poly and AA layers, using transistor parameters such as leakage current and drive current. We successfully define "robust" and "less-robust" transistor configurations included in the library and identified unsymmetrical transistors in the SRAM bit-cells. These data were compared to data extracted from the same devices at the end of the line. Another set of analyses was done to samples after Cu M1 etch. Process monitoring information on M1 enclosed contact was extracted based on contact resistance as a feedback. Guidelines for the optimal M1 space for different layout configurations were also extracted. All these data showed the successful in-field implementation of our methodology as a useful process monitoring method.

Buccal bone deficiency in fresh extraction sockets: a prospective single cohort study.

PubMed

Barone, Antonio; Ricci, Massimiliano; Romanos, Georgios E; Tonelli, Paolo; Alfonsi, Fortunato; Covani, Ugo

2015-07-01

The purpose of this prospective single cohort study was to evaluate the use of xenograft and collagen membranes in treating full or partial buccal bone defects of fresh extraction sockets in the esthetic zone. Thirty-three patients requiring tooth extraction in the anterior maxillary area and showing a complete or partial buccal bone plate deficiency (more than 2 mm) were consecutively enrolled and treated. Corticocancellous porcine bone and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) with a collagen membrane were used to graft the extraction sockets, and the membranes were left exposed to the oral cavity with a secondary soft tissue healing. The outcome variables were as follows: width of keratinized mucosa, facial soft tissue levels, clinical bone changes (measured with a clinical splint), implant and prosthesis failures, and peri-implant marginal bone changes. All treated sites allowed the placement of implants; the width of keratinized mucosa at the mid-facial aspect showed an increase of 2.3 mm 5 months after the grafting procedure, and its value was 3.2 ± 0.6 mm at 1-year follow-up. The mean values of the facial soft tissue level indicated an increase over time. The bone level showed an improvement of 0.8 ± 0.1 mm and 0.7 ± 0.1 mm at mesial and distal sites, respectively, when compared to the baseline measurements. Finally, in the palatal area, no bone changes were observed. No implant failed during the entire observation period. Findings from this study showed that xenograft and PRF, used for ridge preservation of the extraction sockets with buccal bone plate dehiscence in the esthetic zone, can be considered effective in repairing bone defects before implant placement. The secondary soft tissue healing over the grafted sockets did not compromise bone formation; moreover, the soft tissue level and the width of keratinized gingiva showed a significant improvement over time. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The optimization of phenolic compounds extraction from cactus pear (Opuntia ficus-indica) skin in a reflux system using response surface methodology

PubMed Central

Jorge, Aguirre Joya; Heliodoro, De La Garza Toledo; Alejandro, Zugasti Cruz; Ruth, Belmares Cerda; Noé, Aguilar Cristóbal

2013-01-01

Objective To extract, quantify, and evaluate the phenolic content in Opuntia ficus-indica skin for their antioxidant capacity with three different methods (ABTS, DPPH, and lipid oxidation) and to optimize the extraction conditions (time, temperature and ethanol concentration) in a reflux system. Methods The extraction process was done using a reflux system. A San Cristobal II experimental design with three variables and three levels was used. The variables evaluated were time of extraction (h), concentration of ethanol (%, v/v) and temperature (°C). The extraction process was optimized using a response surface methodology. Results It was observed that at higher temperature more phenolic compounds were extracted, but the antioxidant capacity was decreased. The optimum conditions for phenolic compounds extraction and antioxidant capacity mixing the three methods were as follows: 45% of ethanol, 80 °C and 2 hours of extraction. Values obtained in our results are little higher that other previously reported. Conclusions It can be concluded the by-products of Opuntia ficus-indica represent a good source of natural antioxidants with possible applications in food, cosmetics or drugs industries. PMID:23730555

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of charantin from Momordica charantia fruits using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Ahamad, Javed; Amin, Saima; Mir, Showkat R

2015-01-01

Momordica charantia Linn. (Cucurbitaceae) fruits are well known for their beneficial effects in diabetes that are often attributed to its bioactive component charantin. The aim of the present study is to develop and optimize an efficient protocol for the extraction of charantin from M. charantia fruits. Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for the optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions. RSM was based on a three-level, three-variable Box-Behnken design (BBD), and the studied variables included solid to solvent ratio, extraction temperature, and extraction time. The optimal conditions predicted by the BBD were: UAE with methanol: Water (80:20, v/v) at 46°C for 120 min with solid to solvent ratio of 1:26 w/v, under which the yield of charantin was 3.18 mg/g. Confirmation trials under slightly adjusted conditions yielded 3.12 ± 0.14 mg/g of charantin on dry weight basis of fruits. The result of UAE was also compared with Soxhlet extraction method and UAE was found 2.74-fold more efficient than the Soxhlet extraction for extracting charantin. A facile UAE protocol for a high extraction yield of charantin was developed and validated.

Optimization of Supercritical CO2 Extraction of Fish Oil from Viscera of African Catfish (Clarias gariepinus)

PubMed Central

Sarker, Mohamed Zaidul Islam; Selamat, Jinap; Habib, Abu Sayem Md. Ahsan; Ferdosh, Sahena; Akanda, Mohamed Jahurul Haque; Jaffri, Juliana Mohamed

2012-01-01

Fish oil was extracted from the viscera of African Catfish using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2). A Central Composite Design of Response Surface methodology (RSM) was employed to optimize the SC-CO2 extraction parameters. The oil yield (Y) as response variable was executed against the four independent variables, namely pressure, temperature, flow rate and soaking time. The oil yield varied with the linear, quadratic and interaction of pressure, temperature, flow rate and soaking time. Optimum points were observed within the variables of temperature from 35 °C to 80 °C, pressure from 10 MPa to 40 MPa, flow rate from 1 mL/min to 3 mL/min and soaking time from 1 h to 4 h. However, the extraction parameters were found to be optimized at temperature 57.5 °C, pressure 40 MPa, flow rate 2.0 mL/min and soaking time 2.5 h. At this optimized condition, the highest oil yields were found to be 67.0% (g oil/100 g sample on dry basis) in the viscera of catfish which was reasonable to the yields of 78.0% extracted using the Soxhlet method. PMID:23109854

The impact of inter-annual variability of annual cycle on long-term persistence of surface air temperature in long historical records

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deng, Qimin; Nian, Da; Fu, Zuntao

2018-02-01

Previous studies in the literature show that the annual cycle of surface air temperature (SAT) is changing in both amplitude and phase, and the SAT departures from the annual cycle are long-term correlated. However, the classical definition of temperature anomalies is based on the assumption that the annual cycle is constant, which contradicts the fact of changing annual cycle. How to quantify the impact of the changing annual cycle on the long-term correlation of temperature anomaly variability still remains open. In this paper, a recently developed data adaptive analysis tool, the nonlinear mode decomposition (NMD), is used to extract and remove time-varying annual cycle to reach the new defined temperature anomalies in which time-dependent amplitude of annual cycle has been considered. By means of detrended fluctuation analysis, the impact induced by inter-annual variability from the time-dependent amplitude of annual cycle has been quantified on the estimation of long-term correlation of long historical temperature anomalies in Europe. The results show that the classical climatology annual cycle is supposed to lack inter-annual fluctuation which will lead to a maximum artificial deviation centering around 600 days. This maximum artificial deviation is crucial to defining the scaling range and estimating the long-term persistence exponent accurately. Selecting different scaling range could lead to an overestimation or underestimation of the long-term persistence exponent. By using NMD method to extract the inter-annual fluctuations of annual cycle, this artificial crossover can be weakened to extend a wider scaling range with fewer uncertainties.

IUEAGN: A database of ultraviolet spectra of active galactic nuclei

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pike, G.; Edelson, R.; Shull, J. M.; Saken, J.

1993-01-01

In 13 years of operation, IUE has gathered approximately 5000 spectra of almost 600 Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN). In order to undertake AGN studies which require large amounts of data, we are consistently reducing this entire archive and creating a homogeneous, easy-to-use database. First, the spectra are extracted using the Optimal extraction algorithm. Continuum fluxes are then measured across predefined bands, and line fluxes are measured with a multi-component fit. These results, along with source information such as redshifts and positions, are placed in the IUEAGN relational database. Analysis algorithms, statistical tests, and plotting packages run within the structure, and this flexible database can accommodate future data when they are released. This archival approach has already been used to survey line and continuum variability in six bright Seyfert 1s and rapid continuum variability in 14 blazars. Among the results that could only be obtained using a large archival study is evidence that blazars show a positive correlation between degree of variability and apparent luminosity, while Seyfert 1s show an anti-correlation. This suggests that beaming dominates the ultraviolet properties for blazars, while thermal emission from an accretion disk dominates for Seyfert 1s. Our future plans include a survey of line ratios in Seyfert 1s, to be fitted with photoionization models to test the models and determine the range of temperatures, densities and ionization parameters. We will also include data from IRAS, Einstein, EXOSAT, and ground-based telescopes to measure multi-wavelength correlations and broadband spectral energy distributions.

Split-mouth comparison of physics forceps and extraction forceps in orthodontic extraction of upper premolars.

PubMed

Hariharan, Samyuktha; Narayanan, Vinod; Soh, Chen Loong

2014-12-01

We compared outcome variables (operative complications, inflammatory complications, and operating time) in patients being treated by orthodontic extraction of upper premolars with the Physics forceps or the universal extraction forceps. We organised a single blind, split-mouth clinical trial to compare the outcomes of the 2 groups (n=54 premolars). The Physics forceps group had lower mean (SD) visual analogue scores (VAS) for pain (0.59 (0.57)) on the first postoperative day than the other group (1.04 (0.85)) (p=0.03). There were no other significant differences between the 2 groups in any other variable studied. Copyright © 2014 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Micro-focused ultrasonic solid-liquid extraction (muFUSLE) combined with HPLC and fluorescence detection for PAHs determination in sediments: optimization and linking with the analytical minimalism concept.

PubMed

Capelo, J L; Galesio, M M; Felisberto, G M; Vaz, C; Pessoa, J Costa

2005-06-15

Analytical minimalism is a concept that deals with the optimization of all stages of an analytical procedure so that it becomes less time, cost, sample, reagent and energy consuming. The guide-lines provided in the USEPA extraction method 3550B recommend the use of focused ultrasound (FU), i.e., probe sonication, for the solid-liquid extraction of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons, PAHs, but ignore the principle of analytical minimalism. The problems related with the dead sonication zones, often present when high volumes are sonicated with probe, are also not addressed. In this work, we demonstrate that successful extraction and quantification of PAHs from sediments can be done with low sample mass (0.125g), low reagent volume (4ml), short sonication time (3min) and low sonication amplitude (40%). Two variables are here particularly taken into account for total extraction: (i) the design of the extraction vessel and (ii) the solvent used to carry out the extraction. Results showed PAHs recoveries (EPA priority list) ranged between 77 and 101%, accounting for more than 95% for most of the PAHs here studied, as compared with the values obtained after soxhlet extraction. Taking into account the results reported in this work we recommend a revision of the EPA guidelines for PAHs extraction from solid matrices with focused ultrasound, so that these match the analytical minimalism concept.

Mass transfer coefficient in ginger oil extraction by microwave hydrotropic solution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handayani, Dwi; Ikhsan, Diyono; Yulianto, Mohamad Endy; Dwisukma, Mandy Ayulia

2015-12-01

This research aims to obtain mass transfer coefficient data on the extraction of ginger oil using microwave hydrotropic solvent as an alternative to increase zingiberene. The innovation of this study is extraction with microwave heater and hydrotropic solvent,which able to shift the phase equilibrium, and the increasing rate of the extraction process and to improve the content of ginger oil zingiberene. The experiment was conducted at the Laboratory of Separation Techniques at Chemical Engineering Department of Diponegoro University. The research activities carried out in two stages, namely experimental and modeling work. Preparation of the model postulated, then lowered to obtain equations that were tested and validated using data obtained from experimental. Measurement of experimental data was performed using microwave power (300 W), extraction temperature of 90 ° C and the independent variable, i.e.: type of hydrotropic, the volume of solvent and concentration in order, to obtain zingiberen levels as a function of time. Measured data was used as a tool to validate the postulation, in order to obtain validation of models and empirical equations. The results showed that the mass transfer coefficient (Kla) on zingiberene mass transfer models ginger oil extraction at various hydrotropic solution attained more 14 ± 2 Kla value than its reported on the extraction with electric heating. The larger value of Kla, the faster rate of mass transfer on the extraction process. To obtain the same yields, the microwave-assisted extraction required one twelfth time shorter.

Response surface methodology based extraction of Tribulus terrestris leads to an upsurge of antilithiatic potential by inhibition of calcium oxalate crystallization processes.

PubMed

Kaushik, Jyoti; Tandon, Simran; Gupta, Varun; Nayyar, Jasamrit; Singla, Surinder Kumar; Tandon, Chanderdeep

2017-01-01

Tribulus terrestris has significant antilithiatic efficacy established via both in vitro as well as in vivo studies and is used in numerous anti-urolithiatic herbal formulations viz. Cystone, Uriflow, Uritone and Neeri. However, to fully utilize its antilithiatic potential, the influence of different extraction parameters on antilithiatic ability of T. terrestris aqueous extract needs elucidation. Thus, the current study was undertaken using statistically optimized extraction conditions for aqueous extract preparation. Response surface methodology was employed to observe the influence of three variables i.e. temperature (°C), time (h) and solid: liquid ratio (S: L) on the extraction yield (%) and protein content (mg/g) of T. terrestris aqueous extract. RSM results revealed that the high S:L ratio, low temperature and reduced incubation time were optimal conditions for aqueous extraction. Under such extraction conditions the protein content reached the value of 26.6±1.22 mg/g and the obtained extraction yield was 27.32±1.62%. The assessment of antilithiatic activity of 4 selected extracts (AE1-4), revealed enhanced nucleation and aggregation inhibition of calcium oxalate crystals with AE1 and AE2, which in addition significantly altered the size and morphology of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals compared to AE3 and AE4. In vitro cell culture based studies on renal epithelial cells (MDCK, NRK-52E and PK 15) proved that the AE1 showed higher cytoprotective potency by increasing cell viability as compared to the oxalate treated group. The free radical scavenging activity of aqueous extract lowered the reactive oxygen specie's induced damage and potentially reduced the signals of programmed cell death due to oxalate injury. In addition, modulation of the COM crystal morphology was enhanced by AE1 as compared to AE2. The FTIR and GC-MS analysis of AE1, showed the presence of biomolecules which could aid in the attenuation of lithiatic process. In the light of these results the utility of the RSM approach to fully optimize the antilithiatic potential of T. terrestris cannot be undermined.

Response surface methodology based extraction of Tribulus terrestris leads to an upsurge of antilithiatic potential by inhibition of calcium oxalate crystallization processes

PubMed Central

Kaushik, Jyoti; Tandon, Simran; Gupta, Varun; Nayyar, Jasamrit; Singla, Surinder Kumar; Tandon, Chanderdeep

2017-01-01

Tribulus terrestris has significant antilithiatic efficacy established via both in vitro as well as in vivo studies and is used in numerous anti-urolithiatic herbal formulations viz. Cystone, Uriflow, Uritone and Neeri. However, to fully utilize its antilithiatic potential, the influence of different extraction parameters on antilithiatic ability of T. terrestris aqueous extract needs elucidation. Thus, the current study was undertaken using statistically optimized extraction conditions for aqueous extract preparation. Response surface methodology was employed to observe the influence of three variables i.e. temperature (°C), time (h) and solid: liquid ratio (S: L) on the extraction yield (%) and protein content (mg/g) of T. terrestris aqueous extract. RSM results revealed that the high S:L ratio, low temperature and reduced incubation time were optimal conditions for aqueous extraction. Under such extraction conditions the protein content reached the value of 26.6±1.22 mg/g and the obtained extraction yield was 27.32±1.62%. The assessment of antilithiatic activity of 4 selected extracts (AE1-4), revealed enhanced nucleation and aggregation inhibition of calcium oxalate crystals with AE1 and AE2, which in addition significantly altered the size and morphology of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) crystals compared to AE3 and AE4. In vitro cell culture based studies on renal epithelial cells (MDCK, NRK-52E and PK 15) proved that the AE1 showed higher cytoprotective potency by increasing cell viability as compared to the oxalate treated group. The free radical scavenging activity of aqueous extract lowered the reactive oxygen specie’s induced damage and potentially reduced the signals of programmed cell death due to oxalate injury. In addition, modulation of the COM crystal morphology was enhanced by AE1 as compared to AE2. The FTIR and GC-MS analysis of AE1, showed the presence of biomolecules which could aid in the attenuation of lithiatic process. In the light of these results the utility of the RSM approach to fully optimize the antilithiatic potential of T. terrestris cannot be undermined. PMID:28846699

Factors Influencing Divergent Patterns of Phosphorus Availability in NY and PA Biogeochemical `Hotspots'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saia, S. M.; Hofmeister, K.; Regan, J. M.; Buda, A. R.; Carrick, H. J.; Walter, M. T.

2016-12-01

Anthropogenic alteration of the soil phosphorus (P) cycle leads to subsequent water quality issues in agricultural dominated watersheds. In the humid Northeastern United States (NE US), variably saturated areas can generate surface runoff that transports P and stimulates biogeochemical processes; these hydrologically dynamic locations are often called biogeochemical `hotspots'. Many studies have evaluated nitrogen and carbon cycling in biogeochemical hot spots but few have focused on P. We hypothesized seasonally wet parts of the landscape (i.e., hotspots) have smaller biologically available P pools because runoff events frequently carry away nutrients like P. To test this hypothesis, we generated soil wetness index (SWI) maps from soil (SURRGO) and elevation (LiDAR rescaled to 3 m) data and used these maps to direct seasonal soil sampling near Klingerstown, Pennsylvania (PA) and Ithaca, New York (NY). We collected 5cm deep soil samples in PA (bimonthly) and NY (monthly) along soil moisture gradients for a range of land cover types (forest, fallow, and cropped) from May through October. We measured soil moisture in the field and percent organic matter (OM), pH, and three increasingly strong soil P extractions (dilute-salt-extractable P, oxalate-extractable P, and total-extractable P) in the laboratory. Our results indicated a negative relationship between dilute-salt-extractable P concentrations and SWI in PA and no relationship between these same variables in NY. We also found positive relationships between each of the three P extractions in PA but only a positive relationship between oxalate-extractable P and total-extractable P in NY. Our findings in PA support our hypothesis; namely, less biologically available P (i.e. dilute-salt-extractable P) is found in wetter areas of the landscape. However, divergent P availability patterns in NY point to further complexities and confounding variables in our understanding in soil P processes. Further studies will look into the importance of environmental variables such as OM and pH on P patterns under changing soil moisture regimes. The knowledge gained from this study will improve our understanding of P cycling in biogeochemical hotspots and can be used to improve the effectiveness of agricultural management practices in the NE US.

Quasar spectral variability from the XMM-Newton serendipitous source catalogue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Serafinelli, R.; Vagnetti, F.; Middei, R.

2017-04-01

Context. X-ray spectral variability analyses of active galactic nuclei (AGN) with moderate luminosities and redshifts typically show a "softer when brighter" behaviour. Such a trend has rarely been investigated for high-luminosity AGNs (Lbol ≳ 1044 erg/s), nor for a wider redshift range (e.g. 0 ≲ z ≲ 5). Aims: We present an analysis of spectral variability based on a large sample of 2700 quasars, measured at several different epochs, extracted from the fifth release of the XMM-Newton Serendipitous Source Catalogue. Methods: We quantified the spectral variability through the parameter β defined as the ratio between the change in the photon index Γ and the corresponding logarithmic flux variation, β = -ΔΓ/Δlog FX. Results: Our analysis confirms a softer when brighter behaviour for our sample, extending the previously found general trend to high luminosity and redshift. We estimate an ensemble value of the spectral variability parameter β = -0.69 ± 0.03. We do not find dependence of β on redshift, X-ray luminosity, black hole mass or Eddington ratio. A subsample of radio-loud sources shows a smaller spectral variability parameter. There is also some change with the X-ray flux, with smaller β (in absolute value) for brighter sources. We also find significant correlations for a small number of individual sources, indicating more negative values for some sources.

Bioactive compounds and encapsulation of Yanang (Tiliacora triandra) leaves.

PubMed

Singthong, Jittra; Oonsivilai, Ratchadaporn; Oonmetta-Aree, Jirawan; Ningsanond, Suwayd

2014-01-01

Yanang (Tiliacora triandra) has been known as vegetable and herbal in northeast Thailand and Lao People's Democratic Republic. Extracts from Yanang leaves contain high amounts of polyphenol constituents possessing antioxidant activity. This work investigated bioactive compounds of Yanang extracts prepared by infusion with water, ethanol and acetone. Furthermore, this paper reports the design of the experimental method for optimization of Yanang encapsulation using three independent variables: the ratio of core material (Yanang), to wall material (gum Arabic), gum Arabic concentration and inlet temperature of spray drying on bioactive compounds stability. The stability of bioactive compounds was evaluated using phenolic compounds, total antioxidant, carotenoids and chlorophyll. The study of the bioactivity of Yanang extracts found that extraction with water was the appropriate application. The study of Yanang encapsulation demonstrated that gum Arabic, as coating agents, protected bioactive compounds of Yanang. Optimized condition for the encapsulation was at the ratio of core to wall {1:4}, in gum Arabic concentration 10% (w/v), and inlet temperature at 160▯C. The results show that the bioactive compounds were mainly affected by the ratio of core to wall material. Besides, moisture content and particle size of encapsulation depend on inlet temperature of spray drying, and gum Arabic concentration, respectively. This optimization reveals that the encapsulation process did not lose the bioactive compounds. Yanang extract with water was the main phenolic compound and showed high antioxidant activities. This study demonstrates the potentials of using spray drying process and optimization for the encapsulation of herbal products.

Time series analysis of patients seeking orthodontic treatment at Seoul National University Dental Hospital over the past decade

PubMed Central

Lim, Hyun-Woo; Park, Ji-Hoon; Park, Hyun-Hee

2017-01-01

Objective This paper describes changes in the characteristics of patients seeking orthodontic treatment over the past decade and the treatment they received, to identify any seasonal variations or trends. Methods This single-center retrospective cohort study included all patients who presented to Seoul National University Dental Hospital for orthodontic diagnosis and treatment between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2015. The study analyzed a set of heterogeneous variables grouped into the following categories: demographic (age, gender, and address), clinical (Angle Classification, anomaly, mode of orthodontic treatment, removable appliances for Phase 1 treatment, fixed appliances for Phase 2 treatment, orthognathic surgery, extraction, mini-plate, mini-implant, and patient transfer) and time-related variables (date of first visit and orthodontic treatment time). Time series analysis was applied to each variable. Results The sample included 14,510 patients with a median age of 19.5 years. The number of patients and their ages demonstrated a clear seasonal variation, which peaked in the summer and winter. Increasing trends were observed for the proportion of male patients, use of non-extraction treatment modality, use of ceramic brackets, patients from provinces outside the Seoul region at large, patients transferred from private practitioners, and patients who underwent orthognathic surgery performed by university surgeons. Decreasing trends included the use of metal brackets and orthodontic treatment time. Conclusions Time series analysis revealed a seasonal variation in some characteristics, and several variables showed changing trends over the past decade. PMID:28861391

Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Bacterial and Archaeal Lipid Biomarkers from Anaerobically Digested Sludge

PubMed Central

Hanif, Muhammad; Atsuta, Yoichi; Fujie, Koichi; Daimon, Hiroyuki

2012-01-01

Supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) was used in the analysis of bacterial respiratory quinone (RQ), bacterial phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA), and archaeal phospholipid ether lipid (PLEL) from anaerobically digested sludge. Bacterial RQ were determined using ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC). Determination of bacterial PLFA and archaeal PLEL was simultaneously performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The effects of pressure, temperature, and modifier concentration on the total amounts of RQ, PLFA, and PLEL were investigated by 23 experiments with five settings chosen for each variable. The optimal extraction conditions that were obtained through a multiple-response optimization included a pressure of 23.6 MPa, temperature of 77.6 °C, and 10.6% (v/v) of methanol as the modifier. Thirty nine components of microbial lipid biomarkers were identified in the anaerobically digested sludge. Overall, the SFE method proved to be more effective, rapid, and quantitative for simultaneously extracting bacterial and archaeal lipid biomarkers, compared to conventional organic solvent extraction. This work shows the potential application of SFE as a routine method for the comprehensive analysis of microbial community structures in environmental assessments using the lipid biomarkers profile. PMID:22489140

Optimization of extraction and antioxidant activity of polysaccharides from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge residue.

PubMed

Jiang, Yuanyuan; Wang, Long; Zhang, Li; Wang, Tao; Zhou, Yonghong; Ding, Chunbang; Yang, Ruiwu; Wang, Xiaoli; Yu, Lin

2015-08-01

In this study, the process of extracting polysaccharides from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge residue was optimized by using a Box-Behnken design. Statistical analysis of the results showed that the linear and quadratic terms of the three variables of the extraction process had significant effects. The optimal conditions are as follows: extracting time of 2.6 h, extraction temperature of 89 °C, and ratio of water to raw material of 32 mL/g. Moreover, a new polysaccharide with antioxidant activity [i.e., SMWP-1 (∼5.27×10(5) Da)] was isolated from S. miltiorrhiza residue. The carbohydrate, uronic acid, and protein contents of SMWP-1 were 90.11%, 0.13%, and 0.53%, respectively. The SMWP-1 is composed of glucose, xylose, mannose, and galactose. The preliminary structural characterization of SMWP-1 was determined via Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. This polysaccharide exhibited strong reducing power and free-radical scavenging activities in vitro against 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, superoxide anion, and hydroxyl. Therefore, SMWP-1 can be investigated further as a novel natural antioxidant. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effect of solvent volume ratio and time extraction of glycerol purification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinaga, M. S.; Rico, G.; Nababan, A. N.; Manullang, T. A.

2018-02-01

Glycerol as a byproduct of biodiesel production about 10% of the biodiesel weight. Impurities which contained in the glycerol such as catalyst, soap, methanol, water, salt, and matter organic nonglycerol (MONG) on have a significant effect on the glycerol concentration. So, it is necessary to treat the impurities. The purpose of this study is to know the effect of ethylene glycol to glycerol purification process with acidification method using phosphoric acid aspretreatment process. This research was begun with an acid addition to the glycerol to neutralize the base content and to split the soap content into free fatty acid and salt, which easier separated from glycerol. Then the process was continued with extraction by the solvent ethylene glycol using the variable of test volume ratio (v/v) (1:0,5, 1:1, 1:1,5) and the extraction time (20, 40, and 60 minutes). The results showed that the more volume of solvent used, gave less extraction time to produce high purity of glycerol. The highest purity produced in this study amounted to 90.646% is obtained at the ratio of the volume solvent (v/v) 1:1 with extraction time 60 minutes.

Antioxidant activity and optimization of extraction of polysaccharide from the roots of Dipsacus asperoides.

PubMed

Tan, Li-Hong; Zhang, Dan; Yu, Bao; Zhao, Sheng-Ping; Wang, Jian-Wei; Yao, Ling; Cao, Wei-Guo

2015-11-01

Polysaccharide extraction from Dipsacus asperoides roots (DAP) was proved to possess strong antioxidant activities, including 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-Azobis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activities, inhibiting β-carotene bleaching and strong reducing power. Cell assay demonstrated that the crude DAP possessed antioxidant activity and were effective against H2O2-induced L02 cells injury. Then, response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the ultrasonic extraction of DAP. The optimum variables given by central composite design (CCD) were as follows: ratio of water to raw material, 38.61mL/g; ultrasonic power, 308.68W; extraction time, 38.61min; and extraction temperature, 89°C. Under these conditions, the maximum yield of DAP obtained was 7.12±0.45%. Moreover, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis suggested that the monosaccharide compositions of DAP contained primarily mannose, ribose, glucose, galactose, xylose and arabinose, with a molar ratio of 0.22:0.48:2.29:0.34:1.39:1.41. The results of the present study showed that DAP could be considered as potential sources of natural antioxidants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimisation of the supercritical extraction of toxic elements in fish oil.

PubMed

Hajeb, P; Jinap, S; Shakibazadeh, Sh; Afsah-Hejri, L; Mohebbi, G H; Zaidul, I S M

2014-01-01

This study aims to optimise the operating conditions for the supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) of toxic elements from fish oil. The SFE operating parameters of pressure, temperature, CO2 flow rate and extraction time were optimised using a central composite design (CCD) of response surface methodology (RSM). High coefficients of determination (R²) (0.897-0.988) for the predicted response surface models confirmed a satisfactory adjustment of the polynomial regression models with the operation conditions. The results showed that the linear and quadratic terms of pressure and temperature were the most significant (p < 0.05) variables affecting the overall responses. The optimum conditions for the simultaneous elimination of toxic elements comprised a pressure of 61 MPa, a temperature of 39.8ºC, a CO₂ flow rate of 3.7 ml min⁻¹ and an extraction time of 4 h. These optimised SFE conditions were able to produce fish oil with the contents of lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury reduced by up to 98.3%, 96.1%, 94.9% and 93.7%, respectively. The fish oil extracted under the optimised SFE operating conditions was of good quality in terms of its fatty acid constituents.

Studies on antidyslipidemic effects of Morinda citrifolia (Noni) fruit, leaves and root extracts

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background The objective of present study was to provide the pharmacological basis for the medicinal use of Morinda citrifolia Linn in dyslipidemia using the aqueous-ethanolic extracts of its fruits (Mc.Cr.F), leaves (Mc.Cr.L) and roots (Mc.Cr.R). Results Mc.Cr.F, Mc.Cr.L and Mc.Cr.R showed antidyslipidemic effects in both triton (WR-1339) and high fat diet-induced dyslipidemic rat models to variable extents. All three extracts caused reduction in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in triton-induced dyslipidemia. In high fat diet-induced dyslipidemia all these extracts caused significant reduction in total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), atherogenic index and TC/HDL ratio. Mc.Cr.R extract also caused increase in high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C). The Mc.Cr.L and Mc.Cr.R reduced gain in body weight with a reduction in daily diet consumption but Mc.Cr.F had no effect on body weight and daily diet consumption. Conclusions These data indicate that the antidyslipidemic effect of the plant extracts was meditated through the inhibition of biosynthesis, absorption and secretion of lipids. This may be possibly due partly to the presence of antioxidant constituents in this plant. Therefore, this study rationalizes the medicinal use of Morinda citrifolia in dyslipidemia. PMID:20727145

Studies on antidyslipidemic effects of Morinda citrifolia (Noni) fruit, leaves and root extracts.

PubMed

Mandukhail, Saf-ur Rehman; Aziz, Nauman; Gilani, Anwarul-Hassan

2010-08-20

The objective of present study was to provide the pharmacological basis for the medicinal use of Morinda citrifolia Linn in dyslipidemia using the aqueous-ethanolic extracts of its fruits (Mc.Cr.F), leaves (Mc.Cr.L) and roots (Mc.Cr.R). Mc.Cr.F, Mc.Cr.L and Mc.Cr.R showed antidyslipidemic effects in both triton (WR-1339) and high fat diet-induced dyslipidemic rat models to variable extents. All three extracts caused reduction in total cholesterol and triglyceride levels in triton-induced dyslipidemia. In high fat diet-induced dyslipidemia all these extracts caused significant reduction in total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), atherogenic index and TC/HDL ratio. Mc.Cr.R extract also caused increase in high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C). The Mc.Cr.L and Mc.Cr.R reduced gain in body weight with a reduction in daily diet consumption but Mc.Cr.F had no effect on body weight and daily diet consumption. These data indicate that the antidyslipidemic effect of the plant extracts was meditated through the inhibition of biosynthesis, absorption and secretion of lipids. This may be possibly due partly to the presence of antioxidant constituents in this plant. Therefore, this study rationalizes the medicinal use of Morinda citrifolia in dyslipidemia.

DNA extraction from hair shafts of wild Brazilian felids and canids.

PubMed

Alberts, C C; Ribeiro-Paes, J T; Aranda-Selverio, G; Cursino-Santos, J R; Moreno-Cotulio, V R; Oliveira, A L D; Porchia, B F M M; Santos, W F; Souza, E B

2010-12-21

Wild felids and canids are usually the main predators in the food chains where they dwell and are almost invisible to behavior and ecology researchers. Due to their grooming behavior, they tend to swallow shed hair, which shows up in the feces. DNA found in hair shafts can be used in molecular studies that can unravel, for instance, genetic variability, reproductive mode and family structure, and in some species, it is even possible to estimate migration and dispersion rates in given populations. First, however, DNA must be extracted from hair. We extracted successfully and dependably hair shaft DNA from eight wild Brazilian felids, ocelot, margay, oncilla, Geoffroy's cat, pampas cat, jaguarundi, puma, and jaguar, as well as the domestic cat and from three wild Brazilian canids, maned wolf, crab-eating fox, and hoary fox, as well as the domestic dog. Hair samples came mostly from feces collected at the São Paulo Zoo and were also gathered from non-sedated pet or from recently dead wild animals and were also collected from museum specimens. Fractions of hair samples were stained before DNA extraction, while most samples were not. Our extraction protocol is based on a feather DNA extraction technique, based in the phenol:chloroform:isoamyl alcohol general method, with proteinase K as digestive enzyme.

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of anthocyanins from haskap berries (Lonicera caerulea L.) using Response Surface Methodology.

PubMed

Celli, Giovana Bonat; Ghanem, Amyl; Brooks, Marianne Su-Ling

2015-11-01

Haskap berries (Lonicera caerulea L.) are a rich source of bioactive molecules. As such, the extraction of anthocyanins is important for the development of many value-added products and functional food ingredients. In this paper, the ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of anthocyanins from haskap berries was investigated. Significant independent variables were screened and optimized using Plackett-Burman (PB) and Box-Behnken (BB) designs, respectively. The mathematical model showed a high coefficient of determination (R(2)=0.9396) and the optimum conditions for the extraction were as follows: liquid/solid ratio 25:1 (mL/g), solvent composition of 80% ethanol, addition of 0.5% formic acid, ultrasound bath temperature of 35°C for 20 min. Under these conditions, the total anthocyanin content of 22.73 mg cyaniding 3-glucoside equivalents (C3G)/g dry weight (DW) was consistent with the predicted response of 22.45 mg C3G/g DW from the model (mean error of 1.28%). Five anthocyanins were identified in the optimized extract, namely cyanidin 3,5-diglucoside, cyanidin 3-glucoside, cyanidin 3-rutinoside, pelargonidin 3-glucoside, and peonidin 3-glucoside. Thus, UAE is a suitable technique for the extraction of anthocyanins from haskap berries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of distillation and ultrasound-assisted extraction methods for the isolation of sensitive aroma compounds from garlic (Allium sativum).

PubMed

Kimbaris, Athanasios C; Siatis, Nikolaos G; Daferera, Dimitra J; Tarantilis, Petros A; Pappas, Christos S; Polissiou, Moschos G

2006-01-01

A comparative study of traditional simultaneous distillation extraction (SDE), microwave assisted hydrodistillation extraction (MWHD) and ultrasound-assisted extraction (USE) is presented, for the extraction of essential oils from fresh garlic (Allium sativum) cloves. Each method is evaluated in terms of qualitative and quantitative composition of the isolated essential oil. The highly reactive sulfur molecules of the garlic volatile fraction show variable response to the different isolation methods. The application of ultrasound for the extraction of the essential oil is considered to cause a lesser damage of thermal-sensitive molecules, thus, providing a better approach of the compounds primarily responsible for the characteristic odor and taste of freshly chopped garlic. All heat-involving isolation procedures have been shown to differentiate the volatile-fraction profile as analyzed by GC-MS. Especially when grouping the compounds into cyclic and acyclic, the percentage concentrations drop from 77.4% to 8.7% for the acyclic while that of the cyclic compounds increase from 4.7% to 70.8%. The observed fact may be attributed to the effect of the heat applied, which changes from harsh thermal treatment (SDE) to short time thermal (MWHD) and room-temperature isolation (USE). The use of USE proves to be crucial in order to provide reliable insight into garlic's chemistry.

Phosphorus Concentrations in Sequentially Fractionated Soil Samples as Affected by Digestion Methods

PubMed Central

do Nascimento, Carlos A. C.; Pagliari, Paulo H.; Schmitt, Djalma; He, Zhongqi; Waldrip, Heidi

2015-01-01

Sequential fractionation has helped improving our understanding of the lability and bioavailability of P in soil. Nevertheless, there have been no reports on how manipulation of the different fractions prior to analyses affects the total P (TP) concentrations measured. This study investigated the effects of sample digestion, filtration, and acidification on the TP concentrations determined by ICP-OES in 20 soil samples. Total P in extracts were either determined without digestion by ICP-OES, or ICP-OES following block digestion, or autoclave digestion. The effects of sample filtration, and acidification on undigested alkaline extracts prior to ICP-OES were also evaluated. Results showed that, TP concentrations were greatest in the block-digested extracts, though the variability introduced by the block-digestion was the highest. Acidification of NaHCO3 extracts resulted in lower TP concentrations, while acidification of NaOH randomly increased or decreased TP concentrations. The precision observed with ICP-OES of undigested extracts suggests this should be the preferred method for TP determination in sequentially extracted samples. Thus, observations reported in this work would be helpful in appropriate sample handling for P determination, thereby improving the precision of P determination. The results are also useful for literature data comparison and discussion when there are differences in sample treatments. PMID:26647644

Evaluation of asphalt cement extraction and recovery methods : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-07-01

This study was concerned with the quality of recovered asphalt cement which may be attributable to the method used for extraction or to the Abson recovery. Variables of these procedures such as the time an asphalt cement was exposed to extraction sol...

Effects of Some Indigenous Plants of North Karnataka (India) on Cardiovascular and Glucose Regulatory Systems in Alloxan-Induced Diabetic Rats.

PubMed

Das, Kusal K; Chadchan, Kailash S; Reddy, R Chandramouli; Biradar, M S; Kanthe, Pallavi S; Patil, Bheemshetty S; Ambekar, Jeevan G; Bagoji, Ishwar B; Das, Swastika

2017-11-08

Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus Linn, Pundi), Chick pea (Cicer arietinum Linn, Chana) and Prickly lettuce (Lactuca scariola Linn, Hattaraki) leaves are a few of indigenous plants which are routinely consumed by the people of north Karnataka in the diet. Studies on these plants showed some potential anti-diabetic efficacies. To examine the effect of leaves extracts of Hibiscus cannabinus Linn, Cicer arietinum Linn and Lactuca scariola Linn on cardiovascular integrity, glucose homeostasis and oxygen sensing cell signaling mechanisms in alloxan induced diabetic rats. In vitro and in vivo tests on glucose regulatory systems and molecular markers such as - NOS3, HIF- 1α and VEGF were conducted in alloxan induced diabetic rats supplemented with all the three plant extracts. Electrophysiological analysis (HRV, LF: HF ratio, baroreflex sensitivity, BRS) and histopathogy of myocardial tissues and elastic artery were evaluated in diabetic rats treated with L. scariola linn. Out of these three plant extracts, Lactuca scariola Linn supplementation showed significant beneficial effects on glucose homeostasis and oxygen sensing cell signaling pathways in alloxaninduced diabetic rats. Furthermore, effects of sub chronic supplementation of Lactuca scariola Linn aqueous extracts showed significant improvement in sympatho-vagal balance in diabetic rats by increase of Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and regaining of Baroreflex Sensitivity (BRS). These results were also corroborated with myocardial and elastic artery histopathology of Lactuca scariola Linn supplemented diabetic rats. These findings indicate an adaptive pathway for glucose homeostasis, oxygen sensing cell signaling mechanisms and cardio protective actions in alloxan - induced diabetic rats supplemented with Lactuca scariola Linn extracts. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Ultrasonic-Assisted Extraction of Raspberry Seed Oil and Evaluation of Its Physicochemical Properties, Fatty Acid Compositions and Antioxidant Activities

PubMed Central

Huang, Qun; Wang, Jinli; Lin, Qiyang; Liu, Mingxin; Lee, Won Young; Song, Hongbo

2016-01-01

Ultrasonic-assisted extraction was employed for highly efficient separation of aroma oil from raspberry seeds. A central composite design with two variables and five levels was employed and effects of process variables of sonication time and extraction temperature on oil recovery and quality were investigated. Optimal conditions predicted by response surface methodology were sonication time of 37 min and extraction temperature of 54°C. Specifically, ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) was able to provide a higher content of beneficial unsaturated fatty acids, whereas conventional Soxhlet extraction (SE) resulted in a higher amount of saturated fatty acids. Moreover, raspberry seed oil contained abundant amounts of edible linoleic acid and linolenic acid, which suggest raspberry seeds could be valuable edible sources of natural γ-linolenic acid products. In comparison with SE, UAE exerted higher free radical scavenging capacities. In addition, UAE significantly blocked H2O2-induced intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. PMID:27120053

Antioxidant capacity of different broccoli (Brassica oleracea) genotypes using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay.

PubMed

Kurilich, Anne C; Jeffery, Elizabeth H; Juvik, John A; Wallig, Matthew A; Klein, Barbara P

2002-08-28

Antioxidant capacity of hydrophilic and lipophilic extracts from eight broccoli genotypes was compared using the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay. Each genotype was analyzed for carotenoid, tocopherol, ascorbic acid, and flavonoid content. Results indicate that the antioxidant capacity of hydrophilic extracts ranged from 65.8 to 121.6 micromol trolox equivalents (TE)/g of tissue, and the capacity of lipophilic extracts ranged from 3.9 to 17.5 micromol TE/g. Ascorbic acid and flavonoid content of the hydrophilic extracts did not explain the total variation in antioxidant capacity of those extracts, suggesting either the presence of other antioxidant components that have yet to be identified or that the known antioxidants are producing synergistic effects. The carotenoids did correlate with antioxidant capacity of the lipophilic extracts and accounted for the majority of the variability in that fraction. The variability in hydrophilic and lipophilic antioxidant capacity found among these genotypes suggests that potential efficacy from antioxidants will vary considerably from genotype to genotype.

A comparative study of conventional and supercritical fluid extraction methods for the recovery of secondary metabolites from Syzygium campanulatum Korth.

PubMed

Memon, Abdul Hakeem; Hamil, Mohammad Shahrul Ridzuan; Laghari, Madeeha; Rithwan, Fahim; Zhari, Salman; Saeed, Mohammed Ali Ahmed; Ismail, Zhari; Majid, Amin Malik Shah Abdul

2016-09-01

Syzygium campanulatum Korth is a plant, which is a rich source of secondary metabolites (especially flavanones, chalcone, and triterpenoids). In our present study, three conventional solvent extraction (CSE) techniques and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) techniques were performed to achieve a maximum recovery of two flavanones, chalcone, and two triterpenoids from S. campanulatum leaves. Furthermore, a Box-Behnken design was constructed for the SFE technique using pressure, temperature, and particle size as independent variables, and yields of crude extract, individual and total secondary metabolites as the dependent variables. In the CSE procedure, twenty extracts were produced using ten different solvents and three techniques (maceration, soxhletion, and reflux). An enriched extract of five secondary metabolites was collected using n-hexane:methanol (1:1) soxhletion. Using food-grade ethanol as a modifier, the SFE methods produced a higher recovery (25.5%‒84.9%) of selected secondary metabolites as compared to the CSE techniques (0.92%‒66.00%).

A comparative study of conventional and supercritical fluid extraction methods for the recovery of secondary metabolites from Syzygium campanulatum Korth#

PubMed Central

Memon, Abdul Hakeem; Hamil, Mohammad Shahrul Ridzuan; Laghari, Madeeha; Rithwan, Fahim; Zhari, Salman; Saeed, Mohammed Ali Ahmed; Ismail, Zhari; Majid, Amin Malik Shah Abdul

2016-01-01

Syzygium campanulatum Korth is a plant, which is a rich source of secondary metabolites (especially flavanones, chalcone, and triterpenoids). In our present study, three conventional solvent extraction (CSE) techniques and supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) techniques were performed to achieve a maximum recovery of two flavanones, chalcone, and two triterpenoids from S. campanulatum leaves. Furthermore, a Box-Behnken design was constructed for the SFE technique using pressure, temperature, and particle size as independent variables, and yields of crude extract, individual and total secondary metabolites as the dependent variables. In the CSE procedure, twenty extracts were produced using ten different solvents and three techniques (maceration, soxhletion, and reflux). An enriched extract of five secondary metabolites was collected using n-hexane:methanol (1:1) soxhletion. Using food-grade ethanol as a modifier, the SFE methods produced a higher recovery (25.5%‒84.9%) of selected secondary metabolites as compared to the CSE techniques (0.92%‒66.00%). PMID:27604860

[Application of CWT to extract characteristic monitoring parameters during spine surgery].

PubMed

Chen, Penghui; Wu, Baoming; Hu, Yong

2005-10-01

It is necessary to monitor intraoperative spinal function in order to prevent spinal neurological deficit during spine surgery. This study aims to extract characteristic electrophysiological monitoring parameters during surgical treatment of scoliosis. The problem, "the monitoring parameters in time domain are of great variability and are sensitive to noise", may also be solved in this study. By use of continuous wavelet transform to analyze the intraoperative cortical somatosensory evoked potential (CSEP), three new characteristic monitoring parameters in time-frequency domain (TFD) are extracted. The results indicate that the variability of CSEP characteristic parameters in TFD is lower than the variability of those in time domain. Therefore, the TFD characteristic monitoring parameters are more stable and reliable parameters of latency and amplitude in time domain. The application of TFD monitoring parameters during spine surgery may avoid spinal injury effectively.

Salt Content Determination for Bentonite Mine Spoil: Saturation Extracts Versus 1:5 Extracts

Treesearch

Marguerite E. Voorhees; Daniel W. Uresk

2004-01-01

The reliability of estimating salt content in saturated extracts from 1:5 (1spoil:5water) extract levels for bentonite mine spoil was examined by regression analyses. Nine chemical variables were examined that included pH, EC, Ca++, Mg++, Na+, K+, HCO3-, SO4-, and Cl-. Ion concentrations from 1:5 extracts were estimated with high predictability for Ca++, Mg++, Na+, SO4...

Evaluation of Brazilian Sugarcane Bagasse Characterization: An Interlaboratory Comparison Study

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

Sluiter, Justin B.; Chum, Helena; Gomes, Absai C.

2016-05-01

This paper describes a study of the variability of measured composition for a single bulk sugarcane bagasse conducted across eight laboratories using similar analytical methods, with the purpose of determining the expected variation for compositional analysis performed by different laboratories. The results show good agreement of measured composition within a single laboratory, but greater variability when results are compared among laboratories. These interlaboratory variabilities do not seem to be associated with a specific method or technique or any single piece of instrumentation. The summary censored statistics provide mean values and pooled standard deviations as follows: total extractives 6.7% (0.6%), wholemore » ash 1.5% (0.2%), glucan 42.3% (1.2%), xylan 22.3% (0.5%), total lignin 21.3% (0.4%), and total mass closure 99.4% (2.9%).« less

Exploring Wider Well-Being in the EU-15 Countries: An Empirical Application of the Stiglitz Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Madonia, G.; Cracolici, M. F.; Cuffaro, M.

2013-01-01

We draw on the recommendations of the Stiglitz Report to select a set of economic and social variables that can be used to make cross-country comparisons of wider well-being. Using data for the EU-15 countries for 1999 and 2005, we show how three-way analysis can be used to extract synthetic information from a large data set to determine the main…

Public Mood and Consumption Choices: Evidence from Sales of Sony Cameras on Taobao

PubMed Central

Ma, Qingguo; Zhang, Wuke

2015-01-01

Previous researchers have tried to predict social and economic phenomena with indicators of public mood, which were extracted from online data. This method has been proved to be feasible in many areas such as financial markets, economic operations and even national suicide numbers. However, few previous researches have examined the relationship between public mood and consumption choices at society level. The present study paid attention to the “Diaoyu Island” event, and extracted Chinese public mood data toward Japan from Sina MicroBlog (the biggest social media in China), which demonstrated a significant cross-correlation between the public mood variable and sales of Sony cameras on Taobao (the biggest Chinese e-business company). Afterwards, several candidate predictors of sales were examined and finally three significant stepwise regression models were obtained. Results of models estimation showed that significance (F-statistics), R-square and predictive accuracy (MAPE) all improved due to inclusion of public mood variable. These results indicate that public mood is significantly associated with consumption choices and may be of value in sales forecasting for particular products. PMID:25902358

A new approach developed to study variability in North African dust transport routes over the Atlantic during 2001-2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, L.; Gao, H. W.; Yu, Y.; Yao, X. H.; Gao, Y.; Zhang, C.; Fan, Lei

2017-10-01

We investigated the variability in the North African dust transport routes over the Atlantic (NAD routes) by extracting the dust transport central axis using Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aerosol data for 2001-2015. The results showed that the NAD routes can be classified into two regimes, a southern route centered at the southernmost position of 6.08 ± 1.12°N during November to March and a northern route centered at the northernmost position of 18.21 ± 1.04°N during April to October. In the southern route, large intervariation was correlated with the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), but the ITCZ and NAO jointly explained only 38% of the variation. In the northern route, the ITCZ alone explained 67% of the intervariation. The extracted trends during 2001-2015 exhibited a northward shift of 1.68° for the southern route and of 0.52° for the northern route. The causes for the shift were also examined.

Public mood and consumption choices: evidence from sales of Sony cameras on Taobao.

PubMed

Ma, Qingguo; Zhang, Wuke

2015-01-01

Previous researchers have tried to predict social and economic phenomena with indicators of public mood, which were extracted from online data. This method has been proved to be feasible in many areas such as financial markets, economic operations and even national suicide numbers. However, few previous researches have examined the relationship between public mood and consumption choices at society level. The present study paid attention to the "Diaoyu Island" event, and extracted Chinese public mood data toward Japan from Sina MicroBlog (the biggest social media in China), which demonstrated a significant cross-correlation between the public mood variable and sales of Sony cameras on Taobao (the biggest Chinese e-business company). Afterwards, several candidate predictors of sales were examined and finally three significant stepwise regression models were obtained. Results of models estimation showed that significance (F-statistics), R-square and predictive accuracy (MAPE) all improved due to inclusion of public mood variable. These results indicate that public mood is significantly associated with consumption choices and may be of value in sales forecasting for particular products.

Continuous Monitoring of CH4 Emissions from Marcellus Shale Gas Extraction in South West Pennsylvania Using Top Down Methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sarmiento, D. P.; Belmecheri, S.; Lauvaux, T.; Sowers, T. A.; Bryant, S.; Miles, N. L.; Richardson, S.; Aikins, J.; Sweeney, C.; Petron, G.; Davis, K. J.

2012-12-01

Natural gas extraction from shale formations via hydraulic-fracturing (fracking) is expanding rapidly in several regions of North America. In Pennsylvania, the number of wells drilled to extract natural gas from the Marcellus shale has grown from 195 in 2008 to 1,386 in 2010. The gas extraction process using the fracking technology results in the escape of methane (CH4), a potent greenhouse gas and the principal component of natural gas, into the atmosphere. Emissions of methane from fracking operations remain poorly quantified, leading to a large range of scenarios for the contribution of fracking to climate change. A mobile measurement campaign provided insights on methane leakage rates and an improved understanding of the spatio-temporal variability in active drilling areas in the South West of Pennsylvania. Two towers were then instrumented to monitor fugitive emissions of methane from well pads, pipelines, and other infrastructures in the area. The towers, one within a drilling region and one upwind of active drilling, measured atmospheric CH4 mixing ratios continuously. Isotopic measurements from air flasks were also collected. Data from the initial mobile campaign were used to estimate emission rates from single sites such as wells and compressor stations. Tower data will be used to construct a simple atmospheric inversion for regional methane emissions. Our results show the daily variability in emissions and allow us to estimate leakage rates over a one month period in South West Pennsylvania. We discuss potential deployment strategies in drilling zones to monitor emissions of methane over longer periods of time.

How the variance of some extraction variables may affect the quality of espresso coffees served in coffee shops.

PubMed

Severini, Carla; Derossi, Antonio; Fiore, Anna G; De Pilli, Teresa; Alessandrino, Ofelia; Del Mastro, Arcangela

2016-07-01

To improve the quality of espresso coffee, the variables under the control of the barista, such as grinding grade, coffee quantity and pressure applied to the coffee cake, as well as their variance, are of great importance. A nonlinear mixed effect modeling was used to obtain information on the changes in chemical attributes of espresso coffee (EC) as a function of the variability of extraction conditions. During extraction, the changes in volume were well described by a logistic model, whereas the chemical attributes were better fit by a first-order kinetic. The major source of information was contained in the grinding grade, which accounted for 87-96% of the variance of the experimental data. The variability of the grinding produced changes in caffeine content in the range of 80.03 mg and 130.36 mg when using a constant grinding grade of 6.5. The variability in volume and chemical attributes of EC is large. Grinding had the most important effect as the variability in particle size distribution observed for each grinding level had a profound effect on the quality of EC. Standardization of grinding would be of crucial importance for obtaining all espresso coffees with a high quality. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Interobserver variability in identification of breast tumors in MRI and its implications for prognostic biomarkers and radiogenomics

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

Saha, Ashirbani, E-mail: as698@duke.edu; Grimm, La

Purpose: To assess the interobserver variability of readers when outlining breast tumors in MRI, study the reasons behind the variability, and quantify the effect of the variability on algorithmic imaging features extracted from breast MRI. Methods: Four readers annotated breast tumors from the MRI examinations of 50 patients from one institution using a bounding box to indicate a tumor. All of the annotated tumors were biopsy proven cancers. The similarity of bounding boxes was analyzed using Dice coefficients. An automatic tumor segmentation algorithm was used to segment tumors from the readers’ annotations. The segmented tumors were then compared between readersmore » using Dice coefficients as the similarity metric. Cases showing high interobserver variability (average Dice coefficient <0.8) after segmentation were analyzed by a panel of radiologists to identify the reasons causing the low level of agreement. Furthermore, an imaging feature, quantifying tumor and breast tissue enhancement dynamics, was extracted from each segmented tumor for a patient. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were computed between the features for each pair of readers to assess the effect of the annotation on the feature values. Finally, the authors quantified the extent of variation in feature values caused by each of the individual reasons for low agreement. Results: The average agreement between readers in terms of the overlap (Dice coefficient) of the bounding box was 0.60. Automatic segmentation of tumor improved the average Dice coefficient for 92% of the cases to the average value of 0.77. The mean agreement between readers expressed by the correlation coefficient for the imaging feature was 0.96. Conclusions: There is a moderate variability between readers when identifying the rectangular outline of breast tumors on MRI. This variability is alleviated by the automatic segmentation of the tumors. Furthermore, the moderate interobserver variability in terms of the bounding box does not translate into a considerable variability in terms of assessment of enhancement dynamics. The authors propose some additional ways to further reduce the interobserver variability.« less

Application of latent variable model in Rosenberg self-esteem scale.

PubMed

Leung, Shing-On; Wu, Hui-Ping

2013-01-01

Latent Variable Models (LVM) are applied to Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES). Parameter estimations automatically give negative signs hence no recoding is necessary for negatively scored items. Bad items can be located through parameter estimate, item characteristic curves and other measures. Two factors are extracted with one on self-esteem and the other on the degree to take moderate views, with the later not often being covered in previous studies. A goodness-of-fit measure based on two-way margins is used but more works are needed. Results show that scaling provided by models with more formal statistical ground correlated highly with conventional method, which may provide justification for usual practice.

Extraction and partial characterization of venom from the Colombian spider Pamphobeteus aff. nigricolor (Aranae:Theraphosidae).

PubMed

Estrada-Gomez, Sebastian; Vargas Muñoz, Leidy Johana; Quintana Castillo, Juan C

2013-12-15

We report the first studies of characterization and extraction of the Pamphobeteus aff. nigricolor (Pocock, 1901) (Aranae:Theraphosidae) venom done in Colombia using the electro-stimulation technique previous anesthesia with isofluorane. After each extraction process, a low viscosity, colorless venom was obtained. This venom showed a 1.01 mg/μl density and a pH of 5. The humidity percentage did not show a significance difference between males and females (P > 0.05) with a general media of 77.49 ± 1.74%. In all cases the venom yielded was variable between males and females, with a media of 22.45 ± 5.17 mg (wet weight) and 4.58 ± 0.94 mg (dry weigh), obtaining larger amounts in females, 28.34 ± 7.49 mg and 5.69 ± 1.36 (wet and dry weight respectively). Venom showed a hemolytic activity dependent of enzymatic active phospholipase and neither coagulant nor proteolytic activities were observed. Electrophoretic profile showed a main protein content with a molecular mass below 14 kDa. RP-HPLC venom profile revealed a difference among male and female venom's content where 17 and 21 main fractions were obtained respectively. Three peptides, Theraphotoxin-Pn1a, Theraphotoxin-Pn1b and Theraphotoxin-Pn2a, were identified using HPLC-nESI-MS/MS. These peptides showed a high identity with other peptides found on Theraphosides which are proved to affect voltage-gated calcium channels. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Discriminant Distance Based Composite Vector Selection Method for Odor Classification

PubMed Central

Choi, Sang-Il; Jeong, Gu-Min

2014-01-01

We present a composite vector selection method for an effective electronic nose system that performs well even in noisy environments. Each composite vector generated from a electronic nose data sample is evaluated by computing the discriminant distance. By quantitatively measuring the amount of discriminative information in each composite vector, composite vectors containing informative variables can be distinguished and the final composite features for odor classification are extracted using the selected composite vectors. Using the only informative composite vectors can be also helpful to extract better composite features instead of using all the generated composite vectors. Experimental results with different volatile organic compound data show that the proposed system has good classification performance even in a noisy environment compared to other methods. PMID:24747735

Definition of variables required for comprehensive description of drug dosage and clinical pharmacokinetics.

PubMed

Medem, Anna V; Seidling, Hanna M; Eichler, Hans-Georg; Kaltschmidt, Jens; Metzner, Michael; Hubert, Carina M; Czock, David; Haefeli, Walter E

2017-05-01

Electronic clinical decision support systems (CDSS) require drug information that can be processed by computers. The goal of this project was to determine and evaluate a compilation of variables that comprehensively capture the information contained in the summary of product characteristic (SmPC) and unequivocally describe the drug, its dosage options, and clinical pharmacokinetics. An expert panel defined and structured a set of variables and drafted a guideline to extract and enter information on dosage and clinical pharmacokinetics from textual SmPCs as published by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The set of variables was iteratively revised and evaluated by data extraction and variable allocation of roughly 7% of all centrally approved drugs. The information contained in the SmPC was allocated to three information clusters consisting of 260 variables. The cluster "drug characterization" specifies the nature of the drug. The cluster "dosage" provides information on approved drug dosages and defines corresponding specific conditions. The cluster "clinical pharmacokinetics" includes pharmacokinetic parameters of relevance for dosing in clinical practice. A first evaluation demonstrated that, despite the complexity of the current free text SmPCs, dosage and pharmacokinetic information can be reliably extracted from the SmPCs and comprehensively described by a limited set of variables. By proposing a compilation of variables well describing drug dosage and clinical pharmacokinetics, the project represents a step forward towards the development of a comprehensive database system serving as information source for sophisticated CDSS.

Extracting climate memory using Fractional Integrated Statistical Model: A new perspective on climate prediction

PubMed Central

Yuan, Naiming; Fu, Zuntao; Liu, Shida

2014-01-01

Long term memory (LTM) in climate variability is studied by means of fractional integral techniques. By using a recently developed model, Fractional Integral Statistical Model (FISM), we in this report proposed a new method, with which one can estimate the long-lasting influences of historical climate states on the present time quantitatively, and further extract the influence as climate memory signals. To show the usability of this method, two examples, the Northern Hemisphere monthly Temperature Anomalies (NHTA) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index (PDO), are analyzed in this study. We find the climate memory signals indeed can be extracted and the whole variations can be further decomposed into two parts: the cumulative climate memory (CCM) and the weather-scale excitation (WSE). The stronger LTM is, the larger proportion the climate memory signals will account for in the whole variations. With the climate memory signals extracted, one can at least determine on what basis the considered time series will continue to change. Therefore, this report provides a new perspective on climate prediction. PMID:25300777

Optimization conditions for extracting polysaccharide from Angelica sinensis and its antioxidant activities.

PubMed

Tian, Suyang; Hao, Changchun; Xu, Guangkuan; Yang, Juanjuan; Sun, Runguang

2017-10-01

In this study, polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis were extracted using the ultrasound-assisted extraction method. Based on the results of single factor experiments and orthogonal tests, three independent variables-water/raw material ratio, ultrasound time, and ultrasound power-were selected for investigation. Then, we used response surface methodology to optimize the extraction conditions. The experimental data were fitted to a quadratic equation using multiple regression analysis, and the optimal conditions were as follows: water/raw material ratio, 43.31 mL/g; ultrasonic time, 28.06 minutes; power, 396.83 W. Under such conditions, the polysaccharide yield was 21.89±0.21%, which was well matched with the predicted yield. In vitro assays, scavenging activity of superoxide anion radicals, hydroxyl radicals, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-picry-hydrazyl radical showed that polysaccharides had certain antioxidant activities and that hydroxyl radicals have a remarkable scavenging capability. Therefore, these studies provide reference for further research and rational development of A. sinensis polysaccharide. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An approach for automatic classification of grouper vocalizations with passive acoustic monitoring.

PubMed

Ibrahim, Ali K; Chérubin, Laurent M; Zhuang, Hanqi; Schärer Umpierre, Michelle T; Dalgleish, Fraser; Erdol, Nurgun; Ouyang, B; Dalgleish, A

2018-02-01

Grouper, a family of marine fishes, produce distinct vocalizations associated with their reproductive behavior during spawning aggregation. These low frequencies sounds (50-350 Hz) consist of a series of pulses repeated at a variable rate. In this paper, an approach is presented for automatic classification of grouper vocalizations from ambient sounds recorded in situ with fixed hydrophones based on weighted features and sparse classifier. Group sounds were labeled initially by humans for training and testing various feature extraction and classification methods. In the feature extraction phase, four types of features were used to extract features of sounds produced by groupers. Once the sound features were extracted, three types of representative classifiers were applied to categorize the species that produced these sounds. Experimental results showed that the overall percentage of identification using the best combination of the selected feature extractor weighted mel frequency cepstral coefficients and sparse classifier achieved 82.7% accuracy. The proposed algorithm has been implemented in an autonomous platform (wave glider) for real-time detection and classification of group vocalizations.

Revisiting chlorophyll extraction methods in biological soil crusts - methodology for determination of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll a + b as compared to previous methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caesar, Jennifer; Tamm, Alexandra; Ruckteschler, Nina; Lena Leifke, Anna; Weber, Bettina

2018-03-01

Chlorophyll concentrations of biological soil crust (biocrust) samples are commonly determined to quantify the relevance of photosynthetically active organisms within these surface soil communities. Whereas chlorophyll extraction methods for freshwater algae and leaf tissues of vascular plants are well established, there is still some uncertainty regarding the optimal extraction method for biocrusts, where organism composition is highly variable and samples comprise major amounts of soil. In this study we analyzed the efficiency of two different chlorophyll extraction solvents, the effect of grinding the soil samples prior to the extraction procedure, and the impact of shaking as an intermediate step during extraction. The analyses were conducted on four different types of biocrusts. Our results show that for all biocrust types chlorophyll contents obtained with ethanol were significantly lower than those obtained using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) as a solvent. Grinding of biocrust samples prior to analysis caused a highly significant decrease in chlorophyll content for green algal lichen- and cyanolichen-dominated biocrusts, and a tendency towards lower values for moss- and algae-dominated biocrusts. Shaking of the samples after each extraction step had a significant positive effect on the chlorophyll content of green algal lichen- and cyanolichen-dominated biocrusts. Based on our results we confirm a DMSO-based chlorophyll extraction method without grinding pretreatment and suggest the addition of an intermediate shaking step for complete chlorophyll extraction (see Supplement S6 for detailed manual). Determination of a universal chlorophyll extraction method for biocrusts is essential for the inter-comparability of publications conducted across all continents.

Short term spatio-temporal variability of soil water-extractable calcium and magnesium after a low severity grassland fire in Lithuania.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Paulo; Martin, David

2014-05-01

Fire has important impacts on soil nutrient spatio-temporal distribution (Outeiro et al., 2008). This impact depends on fire severity, topography of the burned area, type of soil and vegetation affected, and the meteorological conditions post-fire. Fire produces a complex mosaic of impacts in soil that can be extremely variable at small plot scale in the space and time. In order to assess and map such a heterogeneous distribution, the test of interpolation methods is fundamental to identify the best estimator and to have a better understanding of soil nutrients spatial distribution. The objective of this work is to identify the short-term spatial variability of water-extractable calcium and magnesium after a low severity grassland fire. The studied area is located near Vilnius (Lithuania) at 54° 42' N, 25° 08 E, 158 masl. Four days after the fire, it was designed in a burned area a plot with 400 m2 (20 x 20 m with 5 m space between sampling points). Twenty five samples from top soil (0-5 cm) were collected immediately after the fire (IAF), 2, 5, 7 and 9 months after the fire (a total of 125 in all sampling dates). The original data of water-extractable calcium and magnesium did not respected the Gaussian distribution, thus a neperian logarithm (ln) was applied in order to normalize data. Significant differences of water-extractable calcium and magnesium among sampling dates were carried out with the Anova One-way test using the ln data. In order to assess the spatial variability of water-extractable calcium and magnesium, we tested several interpolation methods as Ordinary Kriging (OK), Inverse Distance to a Weight (IDW) with the power of 1, 2, 3 and 4, Radial Basis Functions (RBF) - Inverse Multiquadratic (IMT), Multilog (MTG), Multiquadratic (MTQ) Natural Cubic Spline (NCS) and Thin Plate Spline (TPS) - and Local Polynomial (LP) with the power of 1 and 2. Interpolation tests were carried out with Ln data. The best interpolation method was assessed using the cross validation method. Cross-validation was obtained by taking each observation in turn out of the sample pool and estimating from the remaining ones. The errors produced (observed-predicted) are used to evaluate the performance of each method. With these data, the mean error (ME) and root mean square error (RMSE) were calculated. The best method was the one which had the lower RMSE (Pereira et al. in press). The results shown significant differences among sampling dates in the water-extractable calcium (F= 138.78, p< 0.001) and extractable magnesium (F= 160.66; p< 0.001). Water-extractable calcium and magnesium was high IAF decreasing until 7 months after the fire, rising in the last sampling date. Among the tested methods, the most accurate to interpolate the water-extractable calcium were: IAF-IDW1; 2 Months-IDW1; 5 months-OK; 7 Months-IDW4 and 9 Months-IDW3. In relation to water-extractable magnesium the best interpolation techniques were: IAF-IDW2; 2 Months-IDW1; 5 months- IDW3; 7 Months-TPS and 9 Months-IDW1. These results suggested that the spatial variability of these water-extractable is variable with the time. The causes of this variability will be discussed during the presentation. References Outeiro, L., Aspero, F., Ubeda, X. (2008) Geostatistical methods to study spatial variability of soil cation after a prescribed fire and rainfall. Catena, 74: 310-320. Pereira, P., Cerdà, A., Úbeda, X., Mataix-Solera, J. Arcenegui, V., Zavala, L. Modelling the impacts of wildfire on ash thickness in a short-term period, Land Degradation and Development, (In Press), DOI: 10.1002/ldr.2195

Optimization of Microwave-Assisted Extraction Conditions for Five Major Bioactive Compounds from Flos Sophorae Immaturus (Cultivars of Sophora japonica L.) Using Response Surface Methodology.

PubMed

Liu, Jin-Liang; Li, Long-Yun; He, Guang-Hua

2016-03-02

Microwave-assisted extraction was applied to extract rutin; quercetin; genistein; kaempferol; and isorhamnetin from Flos Sophorae Immaturus. Six independent variables; namely; solvent type; particle size; extraction frequency; liquid-to-solid ratio; microwave power; and extraction time were examined. Response surface methodology using a central composite design was employed to optimize experimental conditions (liquid-to-solid ratio; microwave power; and extraction time) based on the results of single factor tests to extract the five major components in Flos Sophorae Immaturus. Experimental data were fitted to a second-order polynomial equation using multiple regression analysis. Data were also analyzed using appropriate statistical methods. Optimal extraction conditions were as follows: extraction solvent; 100% methanol; particle size; 100 mesh; extraction frequency; 1; liquid-to-solid ratio; 50:1; microwave power; 287 W; and extraction time; 80 s. A rapid and sensitive ultra-high performance liquid chromatography method coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry (EIS-Q-TOF MS/MS) was developed and validated for the simultaneous determination of rutin; quercetin; genistein; kaempferol; and isorhamnetin in Flos Sophorae Immaturus. Chromatographic separation was accomplished on a Kinetex C18 column (100 mm × 2.1 mm; 2.6 μm) at 40 °C within 5 min. The mobile phase consisted of 0.1% aqueous formic acid and acetonitrile (71:29; v/v). Isocratic elution was carried out at a flow rate of 0.35 mL/min. The constituents of Flos Sophorae Immaturus were simultaneously identified by EIS-Q-TOF MS/MS in multiple reaction monitoring mode. During quantitative analysis; all of the calibration curves showed good linear relationships (R² > 0.999) within the tested ranges; and mean recoveries ranged from 96.0216% to 101.0601%. The precision determined through intra- and inter-day studies showed an RSD% of <2.833%. These results demonstrate that the developed method is accurate and effective and could be readily utilized for the comprehensive quality control of Flos Sophorae Immaturus.

An Interactive Tool For Semi-automated Statistical Prediction Using Earth Observations and Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaitchik, B. F.; Berhane, F.; Tadesse, T.

2015-12-01

We developed a semi-automated statistical prediction tool applicable to concurrent analysis or seasonal prediction of any time series variable in any geographic location. The tool was developed using Shiny, JavaScript, HTML and CSS. A user can extract a predictand by drawing a polygon over a region of interest on the provided user interface (global map). The user can select the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) precipitation or Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station data (CHIRPS) as predictand. They can also upload their own predictand time series. Predictors can be extracted from sea surface temperature, sea level pressure, winds at different pressure levels, air temperature at various pressure levels, and geopotential height at different pressure levels. By default, reanalysis fields are applied as predictors, but the user can also upload their own predictors, including a wide range of compatible satellite-derived datasets. The package generates correlations of the variables selected with the predictand. The user also has the option to generate composites of the variables based on the predictand. Next, the user can extract predictors by drawing polygons over the regions that show strong correlations (composites). Then, the user can select some or all of the statistical prediction models provided. Provided models include Linear Regression models (GLM, SGLM), Tree-based models (bagging, random forest, boosting), Artificial Neural Network, and other non-linear models such as Generalized Additive Model (GAM) and Multivariate Adaptive Regression Splines (MARS). Finally, the user can download the analysis steps they used, such as the region they selected, the time period they specified, the predictand and predictors they chose and preprocessing options they used, and the model results in PDF or HTML format. Key words: Semi-automated prediction, Shiny, R, GLM, ANN, RF, GAM, MARS

Dispersive nano solid material-ultrasound assisted microextraction as a novel method for extraction and determination of bendiocarb and promecarb: response surface methodology.

PubMed

Khodadoust, S; Ghaedi, M; Hadjmohammadi, M R

2013-11-15

A new extraction method, based on Dispersive Nano-Solid material-Ultrasound Assisted Micro-Extraction (DNSUAME), was used for the preconcentration of the bendiocarb and promecarb pesticides in the water samples prior to high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The properties of NiZnS nanomaterial loaded on activated carbon (NiZnS-AC) are characterized by FT-IR, TEM, and BET. This novel nanomaterial showed great adsorptive ability towards the bendiocarb and promecarb pesticides. The effective variables such as the amount of adsorbent (mg: NiZnS-AC), the pH and ionic strength of sample solution, the vortex and ultrasonic time (min), the ultrasonic temperature (°C), and desorption volume (mL) are investigated by screening 2(7-4) experiments of Plackett-Burman (PB) design. The important variables optimized by using a central composite design (CCD) were combined by a desirability function (DF). At optimum conditions, the method has linear response over 0.0033-10 µg mL(-1) with detection limit between 0.0010 and 0.0015 µg mL(-1) with relative standard deviations (RSDs) less than 5.5% (n=3). The method has been successfully applied for the determination of the bendiocarb and promecarb pesticides in the water samples. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A two-step approach for copper and nickel extracting and recovering by emulsion liquid membrane.

PubMed

Bi, Qiang; Xue, Juanqin; Guo, Yingjuan; Li, Guoping; Cui, Haibin

2016-11-01

The recycling of copper and nickel from metallurgical wastewater using emulsion liquid membrane (ELM) was studied. P507 (2-ethylhexyl phosphonic acid-2-ethylhexyl ester) and TBP (tributyl phosphate) were used as carriers for the extraction of copper and nickel by ELMs, respectively. The influence of four emulsion composition variables, namely, the internal phase volume fraction (ϕ), surfactant concentration (Wsurf), internal phase stripping acid concentration (Cio) and the carrier concentration (Cc), and the process variable treat ratio on the extraction efficiencies of copper or nickel were studied. Under the optimum conditions, 98% copper and nickel were recycled by using ELM. The results indicated that ELM extraction is a promising industrial application technology to retrieve valuable metals in low concentration metallurgical wastewater.

Predicting Ecologically Important Vegetation Variables from Remotely Sensed Optical/Radar Data Using Neural Networks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kimes, Daniel S.; Nelson, Ross F.

1998-01-01

A number of satellite sensor systems will collect large data sets of the Earth's surface during NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) era. Efforts are being made to develop efficient algorithms that can incorporate a wide variety of spectral data and ancillary data in order to extract vegetation variables required for global and regional studies of ecosystem processes, biosphere-atmosphere interactions, and carbon dynamics. These variables are, for the most part, continuous (e.g. biomass, leaf area index, fraction of vegetation cover, vegetation height, vegetation age, spectral albedo, absorbed photosynthetic active radiation, photosynthetic efficiency, etc.) and estimates may be made using remotely sensed data (e.g. nadir and directional optical wavelengths, multifrequency radar backscatter) and any other readily available ancillary data (e.g., topography, sun angle, ground data, etc.). Using these types of data, neural networks can: 1) provide accurate initial models for extracting vegetation variables when an adequate amount of data is available; 2) provide a performance standard for evaluating existing physically-based models; 3) invert multivariate, physically based models; 4) in a variable selection process, identify those independent variables which best infer the vegetation variable(s) of interest; and 5) incorporate new data sources that would be difficult or impossible to use with conventional techniques. In addition, neural networks employ a more powerful and adaptive nonlinear equation form as compared to traditional linear, index transformations, and simple nonlinear analyses. These neural networks attributes are discussed in the context of the authors' investigations of extracting vegetation variables of ecological interest.

Extraction and free radical scavenging activity of polysaccharide from 'Anji Baicha' (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze).

PubMed

Zhang, Zhongshan; Wang, Xiaomei; Li, Jingfen; Wang, Guozhi; Mao, Genxiang

2016-03-01

In this study, the optimization of the extraction conditions of polysaccharide from 'Anji Baicha' (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) (AP) was investigated by response surface methodology (RSM). Three main independent variables (extraction temperature, time, ratio of water to raw material) were taken into consideration. And then the free radical scavenging activities of the sample were investigated including scavenging effects of superoxide and hydroxyl radicals. The RSM analysis showed good correspondence between experimental and predicted values.. The optimal condition to obtain the highest yield of AP was determined as follows: temperature 76.79 °C, time 2.48 h, ratio of water to material 22.53 mL/g. For the free radical scavenging activity, the IC50 values of Vc and AP were 7.78 and 83.25 μg/mL. And for the scavenging effect on hydroxyl radical, that of AP and Vc were 1.80 and 1.69 mg/mL. AP showed excellent antioxidant activity. This exhibited AP had a good potential for antioxidant. The purification and structure needs to be study in further. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Interannual to decadal variability of circulation in the northern Japan/East Sea, 1958-2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stepanov, Dmitry; Stepanova, Victoriia; Gusev, Anatoly

2015-04-01

We use a numerical ocean model INMOM (Institute of Numerical Mathematics Ocean Model) and atmospheric forcing data extracted from the CORE (Coordinated Ocean Reference Experiments) dataset and reconstruct a circulation in the Japan/East Sea (JES) from 1958 to 2006 and its interannual and decadal variability in the intermediate and abyssal layers in the northern JES. It is founded that the circulation is cyclonic over the course of a climatological year. The circulation increases in spring and decreases in autumn. We analyzes the relative vorticity (RV) averaged over the Japan Basin (JB) and show that the variability is characterized by the interannual oscillations (2.3, 3.7 and 4.7 years) and decadal variability (9.5 and 14.3 years). The spectrum structure of the average RV variability does not change with depth; however, the energy of the decadal oscillations decreases in contrast to that of the interannual oscillations. We analyze monthly anomalies of the wind stress curl and sensible heat flux and reveal that interannual variability (3-4 years) of the circulation over the JB result from 4-year variability of the wind stress curl. In contrast, the decadal variability (period of 9.5 years) of the circulation over the JB is generated by both the wind stress curl and the decadal variability in deep convection.

Trend Extraction in Functional Data of Amplitudes of R and T Waves in Exercise Electrocardiogram

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cammarota, Camillo; Curione, Mario

The amplitudes of R and T waves of the electrocardiogram (ECG) recorded during the exercise test show both large inter- and intra-individual variability in response to stress. We analyze a dataset of 65 normal subjects undergoing ambulatory test. We model the dataset of R and T series in the framework of functional data, assuming that the individual series are realizations of a non-stationary process, centered at the population trend. We test the time variability of this trend computing a simultaneous confidence band and the zero crossing of its derivative. The analysis shows that the amplitudes of the R and T waves have opposite responses to stress, consisting respectively in a bump and a dip at the early recovery stage. Our findings support the existence of a relationship between R and T wave amplitudes and respectively diastolic and systolic ventricular volumes.

Comparison of the potency of different brands of Serenoa repens extract on 5alpha-reductase types I and II in prostatic co-cultured epithelial and fibroblast cells.

PubMed

Scaglione, Francesco; Lucini, Valeria; Pannacci, Marilou; Caronno, Alessia; Leone, Claude

2008-01-01

Serenoa repens extract is the phytotherapeutic agent most frequently used for the treatment of the urological symptoms caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia. There are many extracts in the market and each manufacturer uses different extraction processes; for this reason, it's possible that one product is not equivalent to another. The aim of this study was to compare the activity of different extracts of Serenoa repens marketed in Italy. The following extracts were tested on 10 day co-cultured epithelial and fibroblast cells by a 5alpha-reductase activity assay: Permixon, Saba, Serpens, Idiprost, Prostamev, Profluss and Prostil. In order to assess the variability in Serenoa repens products, 2 different batches for each brand were evaluated. All extracts tested, albeit variably, are able to inhibit both isoforms of 5alpha-reductase. However, the potency of the extracts appears to be very different, as well as the potencies of 2 different batches of the same extract. This is probably due to qualitative and quantitative differences in the active ingredients. So, the product of each company must be tested to evaluate the clinical efficacy and bioactivity. Copyright 2008 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of charantin from Momordica charantia fruits using response surface methodology

PubMed Central

Ahamad, Javed; Amin, Saima; Mir, Showkat R.

2015-01-01

Background: Momordica charantia Linn. (Cucurbitaceae) fruits are well known for their beneficial effects in diabetes that are often attributed to its bioactive component charantin. Objective: The aim of the present study is to develop and optimize an efficient protocol for the extraction of charantin from M. charantia fruits. Materials and Methods: Response surface methodology (RSM) was used for the optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) conditions. RSM was based on a three-level, three-variable Box-Behnken design (BBD), and the studied variables included solid to solvent ratio, extraction temperature, and extraction time. Results: The optimal conditions predicted by the BBD were: UAE with methanol: Water (80:20, v/v) at 46°C for 120 min with solid to solvent ratio of 1:26 w/v, under which the yield of charantin was 3.18 mg/g. Confirmation trials under slightly adjusted conditions yielded 3.12 ± 0.14 mg/g of charantin on dry weight basis of fruits. The result of UAE was also compared with Soxhlet extraction method and UAE was found 2.74-fold more efficient than the Soxhlet extraction for extracting charantin. Conclusions: A facile UAE protocol for a high extraction yield of charantin was developed and validated. PMID:26681889

In vitro and in vivo characterization of hazelnut skin prick test extracts.

PubMed

Akkerdaas, Jaap H; Wensing, Marjolein; Knulst, André C; Aalberse, Rob C; Hefle, Susan L; van Ree, Ronald

2003-01-01

Hazelnut allergy ranks among the most frequently observed food allergies. Clinical symptoms range from the oral allergy syndrome to life threatening anaphylaxis. Diagnosis of hazelnut allergy partially relies on in vivo testing by means of skin prick testing (SPT). The aim of this study was to characterize hazelnut SPT extracts both in vitro and in vivo. Hazelnut SPT extracts were investigated for protein concentration and composition. The major hazelnut allergen Cor a 1, lipid transfer protein (LTP) and thaumatin-like-protein (TLP) were monitored by competitive RIA and immunoblotting. SPT extracts (n = 6) were analyzed for skin reactivity and the correlation between the SPT extract protein concentration and the mean skin reactivity (HEIC) was determined in a group of hazelnut-allergic patients (n = 30). For one SPT extract, the threshold level for Cor a 1 was determined in Cor a 1-monosensitized patients (n = 5). Protein concentrations ranged from 0.2-14 mg/ml. Although some proteins were present in most extracts (bands at 10, 22-28, 32 and around 48 kDa), clear differences in composition were observed (both intra- and inter-variability). The concentration of the major hazelnut allergen Cor a 1 differed up to a factor 50 (0.6-32 micrograms/ml). LTP was virtually absent in 3/9 SPT extracts and variable quantities of TLP were detected by immunoblotting. Some patients (6/30) had a false-negative SPT with 3/6 SPT extracts. There was a clear correlation between the protein concentration and the mean HEIC (RPearson = 0.87). The threshold level for Cor a 1 was +/- 3.2 ng/ml as assessed with one of the products investigated. Heterogeneous protein concentration/composition of SPT extracts results in variable skin test responses. The absence of potentially severe allergens like LTP may lead to false-negative SPT results that jeopardize a patient's safety. From these results it can be concluded that there is a strong need for standardization of products for SPT.

The EPOCH Project. I. Periodic variable stars in the EROS-2 LMC database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Dae-Won; Protopapas, Pavlos; Bailer-Jones, Coryn A. L.; Byun, Yong-Ik; Chang, Seo-Won; Marquette, Jean-Baptiste; Shin, Min-Su

2014-06-01

The EPOCH (EROS-2 periodic variable star classification using machine learning) project aims to detect periodic variable stars in the EROS-2 light curve database. In this paper, we present the first result of the classification of periodic variable stars in the EROS-2 LMC database. To classify these variables, we first built a training set by compiling known variables in the Large Magellanic Cloud area from the OGLE and MACHO surveys. We crossmatched these variables with the EROS-2 sources and extracted 22 variability features from 28 392 light curves of the corresponding EROS-2 sources. We then used the random forest method to classify the EROS-2 sources in the training set. We designed the model to separate not only δ Scuti stars, RR Lyraes, Cepheids, eclipsing binaries, and long-period variables, the superclasses, but also their subclasses, such as RRab, RRc, RRd, and RRe for RR Lyraes, and similarly for the other variable types. The model trained using only the superclasses shows 99% recall and precision, while the model trained on all subclasses shows 87% recall and precision. We applied the trained model to the entire EROS-2 LMC database, which contains about 29 million sources, and found 117 234 periodic variable candidates. Out of these 117 234 periodic variables, 55 285 have not been discovered by either OGLE or MACHO variability studies. This set comprises 1906 δ Scuti stars, 6607 RR Lyraes, 638 Cepheids, 178 Type II Cepheids, 34 562 eclipsing binaries, and 11 394 long-period variables. catalog of these EROS-2 LMC periodic variable stars is available at http://stardb.yonsei.ac.kr and at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/566/A43

Determination of oleamide and erucamide in polyethylene films by pressurised fluid extraction and gas chromatography.

PubMed

Garrido-López, Alvaro; Esquiu, Vanesa; Tena, María Teresa

2006-08-18

A pressurized fluid extraction (PFE) and gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID) method is proposed to determine the slip agents in polyethylene (PE) films. The study of PFE variables was performed using a fractional factorial design (FFD) for screening and a central composite design (CCD) for optimizing the main variables obtained from the Pareto charts. The variables that were studied include temperature, static time, percentage of cyclohexane and the number of extraction cycles. The final condition selected was pure isopropanol (two times) at 105 degrees C for 16min. The recovery of spiked oleamide and erucamide was around 100%. The repeatability of the method was between 9.6% for oleamide and 8% for erucamide, expressed as relative standard deviation. Finally, the method was applied to determine oleamide and erucamide in several polyethylene films and the results were statistically equal to those obtained by pyrolysis and gas-phase chemiluminescence (CL).

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from Cratoxylum formosum ssp. formosum leaves using central composite design and evaluation of its protective ability against H2O2-induced cell death.

PubMed

Yingngam, Bancha; Monschein, Marlene; Brantner, Adelheid

2014-09-01

To optimize the processing parameters for phenolic compounds extracted from Cratoxylum formosum ssp. formosum leaves using an ultrasound-assisted extraction and to evaluate its protective ability against H2O2-induced cell death. The influence of three independent variables including ethanol concentration (%), extraction temperature (°C) and extraction time (min) on the extraction yield of phenolic compounds were optimized using a central composite design-based response surface methodology. The obtained extract was assessed for its antioxidant activity by DPPH(•) and ABTS(•)(+) methods. Cellular protective ability against H2O2-induced cell death was evaluated on HEK293 cells using the MTT assay. The optimal conditions to achieve maximal yields of phenolic compounds were ethanol concentration of 50.33% (v/v), temperature of 65 °C, and extractiontion time of 15 min. The yield of phenolic compounds was (40.00±1.00) mg gallic acid equivalent/g dry powder which matched well with the values predicted from the proposed model. These conditions resulted in a higher efficiency concerning the extraction of phenolics compared to a conventional heat reflux extraction by providing shorter extraction time and reduced energy consumption. 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid identified by high performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector-electron spin ionization-mass spectrometry was the major compound in the obtained extract [(41.66±0.07) mg/g plant extract]. The obtained extract showed a strong ability to scavenge both DPPH(•) and ABTS(•)(+) free radicals and exhibited additionally good ability to protect HEK293 cells death against oxidative stress. These results indicate the suitability of ultrasound-assisted extraction for the extraction of phenolic compounds from Cratoxylum formosum ssp. formosum leaves. This phenolic-enriched extract can be used as valuable antioxidant source for health benefits. Copyright © 2014 Hainan Medical College. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The effect of filler addition and oven temperature to the antioxidant quality in the drying of Physalis angulata leaf extract obtained by subcritical water extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susanti, R. F.; Natalia, Desy

2016-11-01

In traditional medicine, Physalis angulata which is well known as ceplukan in Indonesia, has been utilized to cure several diseases by conventional extraction in hot water. The investigation of the Swietenia mahagoni extract activity in modern medicine typically utilized organic solvents such as ethanol, methanol, chloroform and hexane in extraction. In this research, subcritical water was used as a solvent instead of organic solvent to extract the Pysalis angulata leaf part. The focus of this research was the investigation of extract drying condition in the presence of filler to preserve the quality of antioxidant in Swietenia mahagoni extract. Filler, which is inert, was added to the extract during drying to help absorb the water while protect the extract from exposure in heat during drying. The effects of filler types, concentrations and oven drying temperatures were investigated to the antioxidant quality covering total phenol and antioxidant activity. Aerosil and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) were utilized as fillers with concentration was varied from 0-30 wt% for MCC and 0-15 wt% for aerosil. The oven drying temperature was varied from 40-60 oC. The results showed that compare to extract dried without filler, total phenol and antioxidant activity were improved upon addition of filler. The higher the concentration of filler, the better the antioxidant; however it was limited by the homogeneity of filler in the extract. Both of the variables (oven temperature and concentration) played an important role in the improvement of extract quality of Swietenia mahagoni leaf. It was related to the drying time which can be minimized to protect the deterioration of extract from heat. In addition, filler help to provide the powder form of extract instead of the typical extract form which is sticky and oily.

Optimizing preservation protocols to extract high-quality RNA from different tissues of echinoderms for next-generation sequencing.

PubMed

Pérez-Portela, Rocío; Riesgo, Ana

2013-09-01

Transcriptomic information provides fundamental insights into biological processes. Extraction of quality RNA is a challenging step, and preservation and extraction protocols need to be adjusted in many cases. Our objectives were to optimize preservation protocols for isolation of high-quality RNA from diverse echinoderm tissues and to compare the utility of parameters as absorbance ratios and RIN values to assess RNA quality. Three different tissues (gonad, oesophagus and coelomocytes) were selected from the sea urchin Arbacia lixula. Solid tissues were flash-frozen and stored at -80 °C until processed. Four preservation treatments were applied to coelomocytes: flash freezing and storage at -80 °C, RNAlater and storage at -20 °C, preservation in TRIzol reagent and storage at -80 °C and direct extraction with TRIzol from fresh cells. Extractions of total RNA were performed with a modified TRIzol protocol for all tissues. Our results showed high values of RNA quantity and quality for all tissues, showing nonsignificant differences among them. However, while flash freezing was effective for solid tissues, it was inadequate for coelomocytes because of the low quality of the RNA extractions. Coelomocytes preserved in RNAlater displayed large variability in RNA integrity and insufficient RNA amount for further isolation of mRNA. TRIzol was the most efficient system for stabilizing RNA which resulted on high RNA quality and quantity. We did not detect correlation between absorbance ratios and RNA integrity. The best strategies for assessing RNA integrity was the visualization of 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA bands in agarose gels and estimation of RIN values with Agilent Bioanalyzer chips. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Geochemical variability of natural soils and reclaimed minespoil soils in the San Juan Basin, New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gough, L.P.; Severson, R.C.

1981-01-01

An inventory of total-and extractable-element concentrations in soils was made for three areas of the San Juan Basin in New Mexico: (1) the broad area likely to be affected by energy-related development. (2) an area of soils considered to have potential for use as topsoil in mined-land reclamation. and (3) an area of the San Juan coal mine that has been regraded. topsoiled, and revegetated. Maps made of concentrations of 16 elements in area 1 soils show no gradational pattern across the region. Further. these maps do not correspond to those showing geology or soil types. Sodic or saline problems, and a possible but unproven deficiency of zinc available to plants. may make some of the soils in this area undesirable for use as topsoil in mined-land reclamation. Taxonomic great groups of soil in this area cannot be distinguished because each great group tends to have a large within-group variability if compared to the between-group variability. In area 2 the major soils sampled were of the Sheppard. Shiprock. and Doak association. These soils are quite uniform in chemical composition and are not greatly saline or sodic. As in area 1 soils. zinc deficiency may cause a problem in revegetating most of these soils. It is difficult to distinguish soil taxonomic families by using their respective chemical compositions. because of small between-family variability. Topsoil from a reclaimed area of the San Juan mine (area 3) most closely resembles the chemical composition of natural C horizons of soil from area 1. Spoil material that has not been topsoiled is likely to cause sodic-and saline-related problems in revegetation and may cause boron toxicity in plants. Topsoiling has apparently ameliorated these potential problems for plant growth on mine spoil. Total and extractable concentrations for elements and other parameters for each area of the San Juan Basin provide background information for the evaluation of the chemical quality of soils in each area.

Simulation of California's Major Reservoirs Outflow Using Data Mining Technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, T.; Gao, X.; Sorooshian, S.

2014-12-01

The reservoir's outflow is controlled by reservoir operators, which is different from the upstream inflow. The outflow is more important than the reservoir's inflow for the downstream water users. In order to simulate the complicated reservoir operation and extract the outflow decision making patterns for California's 12 major reservoirs, we build a data-driven, computer-based ("artificial intelligent") reservoir decision making tool, using decision regression and classification tree approach. This is a well-developed statistical and graphical modeling methodology in the field of data mining. A shuffled cross validation approach is also employed to extract the outflow decision making patterns and rules based on the selected decision variables (inflow amount, precipitation, timing, water type year etc.). To show the accuracy of the model, a verification study is carried out comparing the model-generated outflow decisions ("artificial intelligent" decisions) with that made by reservoir operators (human decisions). The simulation results show that the machine-generated outflow decisions are very similar to the real reservoir operators' decisions. This conclusion is based on statistical evaluations using the Nash-Sutcliffe test. The proposed model is able to detect the most influential variables and their weights when the reservoir operators make an outflow decision. While the proposed approach was firstly applied and tested on California's 12 major reservoirs, the method is universally adaptable to other reservoir systems.

An imbalance fault detection method based on data normalization and EMD for marine current turbines.

PubMed

Zhang, Milu; Wang, Tianzhen; Tang, Tianhao; Benbouzid, Mohamed; Diallo, Demba

2017-05-01

This paper proposes an imbalance fault detection method based on data normalization and Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) for variable speed direct-drive Marine Current Turbine (MCT) system. The method is based on the MCT stator current under the condition of wave and turbulence. The goal of this method is to extract blade imbalance fault feature, which is concealed by the supply frequency and the environment noise. First, a Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test (GLRT) detector is developed and the monitoring variable is selected by analyzing the relationship between the variables. Then, the selected monitoring variable is converted into a time series through data normalization, which makes the imbalance fault characteristic frequency into a constant. At the end, the monitoring variable is filtered out by EMD method to eliminate the effect of turbulence. The experiments show that the proposed method is robust against turbulence through comparing the different fault severities and the different turbulence intensities. Comparison with other methods, the experimental results indicate the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed method. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Component-resolved evaluation of the content of major allergens in therapeutic extracts for specific immunotherapy of honeybee venom allergy

PubMed Central

Blank, Simon; Etzold, Stefanie; Darsow, Ulf; Schiener, Maximilian; Eberlein, Bernadette; Russkamp, Dennis; Wolf, Sara; Graessel, Anke; Biedermann, Tilo; Ollert, Markus; Schmidt-Weber, Carsten B.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Allergen-specific immunotherapy is the only curative treatment of honeybee venom (HBV) allergy, which is able to protect against further anaphylactic sting reactions. Recent analyses on a molecular level have demonstrated that HBV represents a complex allergen source that contains more relevant major allergens than formerly anticipated. Moreover, allergic patients show very diverse sensitization profiles with the different allergens. HBV-specific immunotherapy is conducted with HBV extracts which are derived from pure venom. The allergen content of these therapeutic extracts might differ due to natural variations of the source material or different down-stream processing strategies of the manufacturers. Since variations of the allergen content of therapeutic HBV extracts might be associated with therapeutic failure, we adressed the component-resolved allergen composition of different therapeutic grade HBV extracts which are approved for immunotherapy in numerous countries. The extracts were analyzed for their content of the major allergens Api m 1, Api m 2, Api m 3, Api m 5 and Api m 10. Using allergen-specific antibodies we were able to demonstrate the underrepresentation of relevant major allergens such as Api m 3, Api m 5 and Api m 10 in particular therapeutic extracts. Taken together, standardization of therapeutic extracts by determination of the total allergenic potency might imply the intrinsic pitfall of losing information about particular major allergens. Moreover, the variable allergen composition of different therapeutic HBV extracts might have an impact on therapy outcome and the clinical management of HBV-allergic patients with specific IgE to particular allergens. PMID:28494206

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds, antioxidants, and anthocyanins from grape (Vitis vinifera) seeds.

PubMed

Ghafoor, Kashif; Choi, Yong Hee; Jeon, Ju Yeong; Jo, In Hee

2009-06-10

Important functional components from Campbell Early grape seed were extracted by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) technology. The experiments were carried out according to a five level, three variable central composite rotatable design (CCRD). The best possible combinations of ethanol concentration, extraction temperature, and extraction time with the application of ultrasound were obtained for the maximum extraction of phenolic compounds, antioxidant activities, and anthocyanins from grape seed by using response surface methodology (RSM). Process variables had significant effect on the extraction of functional components with extraction time being highly significant for the extraction of phenolics and antioxidants. The optimal conditions obtained by RSM for UAE from grape seed include 53.15% ethanol, 56.03 degrees C temperature, and 29.03 min time for the maximum total phenolic compounds (5.44 mg GAE/100 mL); 53.06% ethanol, 60.65 degrees C temperature, and 30.58 min time for the maximum antioxidant activity (12.31 mg/mL); and 52.35% ethanol, 55.13 degrees C temperature, and 29.49 min time for the maximum total anthocyanins (2.28 mg/mL). Under the above-mentioned conditions, the experimental total phenolics were 5.41 mg GAE/100 mL, antioxidant activity was 12.28 mg/mL, and total anthocyanins were 2.29 mg/mL of the grape seed extract, which is well matched with the predicted values.

Hypoxia affects cellular responses to plant extracts.

PubMed

Liew, Sien-Yei; Stanbridge, Eric J; Yusoff, Khatijah; Shafee, Norazizah

2012-11-21

Microenvironmental conditions contribute towards varying cellular responses to plant extract treatments. Hypoxic cancer cells are known to be resistant to radio- and chemo-therapy. New therapeutic strategies specifically targeting these cells are needed. Plant extracts used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can offer promising candidates. Despite their widespread usage, information on their effects in hypoxic conditions is still lacking. In this study, we examined the cytotoxicity of a series of known TCM plant extracts under normoxic versus hypoxic conditions. Pereskia grandifolia, Orthosiphon aristatus, Melastoma malabathricum, Carica papaya, Strobilanthes crispus, Gynura procumbens, Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides, Pereskia bleo and Clinacanthus nutans leaves were dried, blended into powder form, extracted in methanol and evaporated to produce crude extracts. Human Saos-2 osteosarcoma cells were treated with various concentrations of the plant extracts under normoxia or hypoxia (0.5% oxygen). 24h after treatment, an MTT assay was performed and the IC(50) values were calculated. Effect of the extracts on hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) activity was evaluated using a hypoxia-driven firefly luciferase reporter assay. The relative cytotoxicity of each plant extract on Saos-2 cells was different in hypoxic versus normoxic conditions. Hypoxia increased the IC(50) values for Pereskia grandifola and Orthosiphon aristatus extracts, but decreased the IC(50) values for Melastoma malabathricum and Carica papaya extracts. Extracts of Strobilanthes crispus, Gynura procumbens, Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides had equivalent cytotoxic effects under both conditions. Pereskia bleo and Clinacanthus nutans extracts were not toxic to cells within the concentration ranges tested. The most interesting result was noted for the Carica papaya extract, where its IC(50) in hypoxia was reduced by 3-fold when compared to the normoxic condition. This reduction was found to be associated with HIF inhibition. Hypoxia variably alters the cytotoxic effects of TCM plant extracts on cancer cells. Carica papaya showed enhanced cytotoxic effect on hypoxic cancer cells by inhibiting HIF activities. These findings provide a plausible approach to killing hypoxic cancer cells in solid tumors. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A practical approach to Sasang constitutional diagnosis using vocal features

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Sasang constitutional medicine (SCM) is a type of tailored medicine that divides human beings into four Sasang constitutional (SC) types. Diagnosis of SC types is crucial to proper treatment in SCM. Voice characteristics have been used as an essential clue for diagnosing SC types. In the past, many studies tried to extract quantitative vocal features to make diagnosis models; however, these studies were flawed by limited data collected from one or a few sites, long recording time, and low accuracy. We propose a practical diagnosis model having only a few variables, which decreases model complexity. This in turn, makes our model appropriate for clinical applications. Methods A total of 2,341 participants’ voice recordings were used in making a SC classification model and to test the generalization ability of the model. Although the voice data consisted of five vowels and two repeated sentences per participant, we used only the sentence part for our study. A total of 21 features were extracted, and an advanced feature selection method—the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO)—was applied to reduce the number of variables for classifier learning. A SC classification model was developed using multinomial logistic regression via LASSO. Results We compared the proposed classification model to the previous study, which used both sentences and five vowels from the same patient’s group. The classification accuracies for the test set were 47.9% and 40.4% for male and female, respectively. Our result showed that the proposed method was superior to the previous study in that it required shorter voice recordings, is more applicable to practical use, and had better generalization performance. Conclusions We proposed a practical SC classification method and showed that our model having fewer variables outperformed the model having many variables in the generalization test. We attempted to reduce the number of variables in two ways: 1) the initial number of candidate features was decreased by considering shorter voice recording, and 2) LASSO was introduced for reducing model complexity. The proposed method is suitable for an actual clinical environment. Moreover, we expect it to yield more stable results because of the model’s simplicity. PMID:24200041

Topographic models for predicting malaria vector breeding habitats: potential tools for vector control managers.

PubMed

Nmor, Jephtha C; Sunahara, Toshihiko; Goto, Kensuke; Futami, Kyoko; Sonye, George; Akweywa, Peter; Dida, Gabriel; Minakawa, Noboru

2013-01-16

Identification of malaria vector breeding sites can enhance control activities. Although associations between malaria vector breeding sites and topography are well recognized, practical models that predict breeding sites from topographic information are lacking. We used topographic variables derived from remotely sensed Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) to model the breeding sites of malaria vectors. We further compared the predictive strength of two different DEMs and evaluated the predictability of various habitat types inhabited by Anopheles larvae. Using GIS techniques, topographic variables were extracted from two DEMs: 1) Shuttle Radar Topography Mission 3 (SRTM3, 90-m resolution) and 2) the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission Reflection Radiometer Global DEM (ASTER, 30-m resolution). We used data on breeding sites from an extensive field survey conducted on an island in western Kenya in 2006. Topographic variables were extracted for 826 breeding sites and for 4520 negative points that were randomly assigned. Logistic regression modelling was applied to characterize topographic features of the malaria vector breeding sites and predict their locations. Model accuracy was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). All topographic variables derived from both DEMs were significantly correlated with breeding habitats except for the aspect of SRTM. The magnitude and direction of correlation for each variable were similar in the two DEMs. Multivariate models for SRTM and ASTER showed similar levels of fit indicated by Akaike information criterion (3959.3 and 3972.7, respectively), though the former was slightly better than the latter. The accuracy of prediction indicated by AUC was also similar in SRTM (0.758) and ASTER (0.755) in the training site. In the testing site, both SRTM and ASTER models showed higher AUC in the testing sites than in the training site (0.829 and 0.799, respectively). The predictability of habitat types varied. Drains, foot-prints, puddles and swamp habitat types were most predictable. Both SRTM and ASTER models had similar predictive potentials, which were sufficiently accurate to predict vector habitats. The free availability of these DEMs suggests that topographic predictive models could be widely used by vector control managers in Africa to complement malaria control strategies.

Native Silk Feedstock as a Model Biopolymer: A Rheological Perspective.

PubMed

Laity, Peter R; Holland, Chris

2016-08-08

Variability in silk's rheology is often regarded as an impediment to understanding or successfully copying the natural spinning process. We have previously reported such variability in unspun native silk extracted straight from the gland of the domesticated silkworm Bombyx mori and discounted classical explanations such as differences in molecular weight and concentration. We now report that variability in oscillatory measurements can be reduced onto a simple master-curve through normalizing with respect to the crossover. This remarkable result suggests that differences between silk feedstocks are rheologically simple and not as complex as originally thought. By comparison, solutions of poly(ethylene-oxide) and hydroxypropyl-methyl-cellulose showed similar normalization behavior; however, the resulting curves were broader than for silk, suggesting greater polydispersity in the (semi)synthetic materials. Thus, we conclude Nature may in fact produce polymer feedstocks that are more consistent than typical man-made counterparts as a model for future rheological investigations.

Social Network Analysis for Assessing College-Aged Adults' Health: A Systematic Review.

PubMed

Patterson, Megan S; Go Odson, Patricia

2018-04-13

Social network analysis (SNA) is a useful, emerging method for studying health. College students are especially prone to social influence when it comes to health. This review aimed to identify network variables related to college student health and determine how SNA was used in the literature. A systematic review of relevant literature was conducted in October 2015. Studies employing egocentric or whole network analysis to study college student health were included. We used Garrard's Matrix Method to extract data from reviewed articles (n = 15). Drinking, smoking, aggression, homesickness, and stress were predicted by network variables in the reviewed literature. Methodological inconsistencies concerning boundary specification, data collection, nomination limits, and statistical analyses were revealed across studies. Results show the consistent relationship between network variables and college health outcomes, justifying further use of SNA to research college health. Suggestions and considerations for future use of SNA are provided.

Optimization of extraction of high purity all-trans-lycopene from tomato pulp waste.

PubMed

Poojary, Mahesha M; Passamonti, Paolo

2015-12-01

The aim of this work was to optimize the extraction of pure all-trans-lycopene from the pulp fractions of tomato processing waste. A full factorial design (FFD) consisting of four independent variables including extraction temperature (30-50 °C), time (1-60 min), percentage of acetone in n-hexane (25-75%, v/v) and solvent volume (10-30 ml) was used to investigate the effects of process variables on the extraction. The absolute amount of lycopene present in the pulp waste was found to be 0.038 mg/g. The optimal conditions for extraction were as follows: extraction temperature 20 °C, time 40 min, a solvent composition of 25% acetone in n-hexane (v/v) and solvent volume 40 ml. Under these conditions, the maximal recovery of lycopene was 94.7%. The HPLC-DAD analysis demonstrated that, lycopene was obtained in the all-trans-configuration at a very high purity grade of 98.3% while the amount of cis-isomers and other carotenoids were limited. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimisation of gelatin extraction from Unicorn leatherjacket (Aluterus monoceros) skin waste: response surface approach.

PubMed

Hanjabam, Mandakini Devi; Kannaiyan, Sathish Kumar; Kamei, Gaihiamngam; Jakhar, Jitender Kumar; Chouksey, Mithlesh Kumar; Gudipati, Venkateshwarlu

2015-02-01

Physical properties of gelatin extracted from Unicorn leatherjacket (Aluterus monoceros) skin, which is generated as a waste from fish processing industries, were optimised using Response Surface Methodology (RSM). A Box-Behnken design was used to study the combined effects of three independent variables, namely phosphoric acid (H3PO4) concentration (0.15-0.25 M), extraction temperature (40-50 °C) and extraction time (4-12 h) on different responses like yield, gel strength and melting point of gelatin. The optimum conditions derived by RSM for the yield (10.58%) were 0.2 M H3PO4 for 9.01 h of extraction time and hot water extraction of 45.83 °C. The maximum achieved gel strength and melting point was 138.54 g and 22.61 °C respectively. Extraction time was found to be most influencing variable and had a positive coefficient on yield and negative coefficient on gel strength and melting point. The results indicated that Unicorn leatherjacket skins can be a source of gelatin having mild gel strength and melting point.

Antibacterial and Hypoglycemic Diterpenoids from Salvia chamaedryoides.

PubMed

Bisio, Angela; De Mieri, Maria; Milella, Luigi; Schito, Anna M; Parricchi, Anita; Russo, Daniela; Alfei, Silvana; Lapillo, Margherita; Tuccinardi, Tiziano; Hamburger, Matthias; De Tommasi, Nunziatina

2017-02-24

A surface extract of the aerial parts of Salvia chamaedryoides afforded 13 diterpenes (1-13), with seven compounds (1, 3, 4, 7-9, 12) described for the first time. The structures of the new compounds were established using 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic methods, HRESIMS, and ECD data. The potential hypoglycemic effects of the crude extract, fractions, and pure compounds from S. chamaedryoides were investigated by inhibition of α-glucosidase and α-amylase enzymes. The extract and its fractions showed a moderate dose-dependent inhibition; the pure compounds exhibited differential inhibitory activity against these two enzymes. Molecular modeling studies were also performed to suggest the interaction mode of compound 3 in the α-glucosidase enzyme active site. The antimicrobial activity of the purified compounds was investigated against 26 clinical pathogens. No activity was detected for the Gram-negative species tested nor on Candida albicans and C. glabrata, while variable susceptibilities were observed using Gram-positive staphylococcal and enterococcal species.

Evaluation of the effect of yellow konjac flour-κ-carrageenan mixed gels and red koji rice extracts on the properties of restructured meat using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Widjanarko, Simon Bambang; Amalia, Qory; Hermanto, Mochamad Bagus; Mubarok, Ahmad Zaki

2018-05-01

In the present study, the effect of two independent variables, yellow konjac flour-κ-carrageenan (KFC) mixed gels and red koji rice (RKR) extracts for the development of restructured meat product, was investigated using central composite design of response surface methodology (RSM). The assessed physical characteristics were hardness, water holding capacity (WHC), and color (° hue ) of the restructured meat products. The second order regression models with high R 2 value were significantly fitted to predict the changes in hardness, WHC and color. The results showed that the predicted optimum formula of restructured meat were the addition of KFC mixed gels at 10.21% and RKR extracts at 6.11%. The experiments results validate these optimum formula and found to be not statistically different at 5% level. Thus, the RSM was successfully employed and can be used to optimize the formulation of restructured meat.

Optimization of headspace solid-phase microextraction by means of an experimental design for the determination of methyl tert.-butyl ether in water by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection.

PubMed

Dron, Julien; Garcia, Rosa; Millán, Esmeralda

2002-07-19

A procedure for determination of methyl tert.-butyl ether (MTBE) in water by headspace solid-phase microextraction (HS-SPME) has been developed. The analysis was carried out by gas chromatography with flame ionization detection. The extraction procedure, using a 65-microm poly(dimethylsiloxane)-divinylbenzene SPME fiber, was optimized following experimental design. A fractional factorial design for screening and a central composite design for optimizing the significant variables were applied. Extraction temperature and sodium chloride concentration were significant variables, and 20 degrees C and 300 g/l were, respectively chosen for the best extraction response. With these conditions, an extraction time of 5 min was sufficient to extract MTBE. The calibration linear range for MTBE was 5-500 microg/l and the detection limit 0.45 microg/l. The relative standard deviation, for seven replicates of 250 microg/l MTBE in water, was 6.3%.

A direct method of extracting surface recombination velocity from an electron beam induced current line scan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ong, Vincent K. S.

1998-04-01

The extraction of diffusion length and surface recombination velocity in a semiconductor with the use of an electron beam induced current line scan has traditionally been done by fitting the line scan into complicated theoretical equations. It was recently shown that a much simpler equation is sufficient for the extraction of diffusion length. The linearization coefficient is the only variable that is needed to be adjusted in the curve fitting process. However, complicated equations are still necessary for the extraction of surface recombination velocity. It is shown in this article that it is indeed possible to extract surface recombination velocity with a simple equation, using only one variable, the linearization coefficient. An intuitive feel for the reason behind the method was discussed. The accuracy of the method was verified with the use of three-dimensional computer simulation, and was found to be even slightly better than that of the best existing method.

Variability of protein content in calcium oxalate monohydrate stones.

PubMed

Williams, James C; Zarse, Chad A; Jackson, Molly E; Witzmann, Frank A; McAteer, James A

2006-08-01

Urinary stones are heterogeneous in their fragility to lithotripter shockwaves. As a first step in gaining a better understanding of the role of matrix in stone fragility, we measured extractible protein in calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) stones that were extensively characterized by micro-computed tomography (micro CT). Stones were scanned using micro CT (Scanco mCT20, 34 microm). They were ground, and the protein extracted using four methods: 0.25M EDTA, 2% SDS reducing buffer, 9M urea buffer, and 10% acetic acid. Protein was measured using NanoOrange. The SDS extracts were also examined using polyacrylamide electrophoresis (PAGE). Extracted protein was highest with the SDS or urea methods (0.28% +/- 0.13% and 0.24% +/- 0.11%, respectively) and lower using the EDTA method (0.17% +/- 0.05%; P < 0.02). Acetic acid extracted little protein (0.006 +/- 0.002%; P < 0.001). Individual stones were significantly different in extractability of protein by the different methods, and SDS-PAGE revealed different protein patterns for individual stones. Extracted protein did not correlate with X-ray-lucent void percentage, which ranged from 0.06% to 2.8% of stone volume, or with apatite content. Extractible stone-matrix protein differs for individual COM stones, and yield is dependent on the extraction method. The presence of X-ray-lucent voids or minor amounts of apatite in stones did not correlate with protein content. The amounts of protein recovered were much lower than reported by Boyce, showing that these methods extracted only a fraction of the protein bound up in the stones. The results suggest that none of the methods tested will be useful for helping to answer the question of whether matrix content differs among stones of differing fragility to lithotripter shockwaves.

Ion-pair cloud-point extraction: a new method for the determination of water-soluble vitamins in plasma and urine.

PubMed

Heydari, Rouhollah; Elyasi, Najmeh S

2014-10-01

A novel, simple, and effective ion-pair cloud-point extraction coupled with a gradient high-performance liquid chromatography method was developed for determination of thiamine (vitamin B1 ), niacinamide (vitamin B3 ), pyridoxine (vitamin B6 ), and riboflavin (vitamin B2 ) in plasma and urine samples. The extraction and separation of vitamins were achieved based on an ion-pair formation approach between these ionizable analytes and 1-heptanesulfonic acid sodium salt as an ion-pairing agent. Influential variables on the ion-pair cloud-point extraction efficiency, such as the ion-pairing agent concentration, ionic strength, pH, volume of Triton X-100, extraction temperature, and incubation time have been fully evaluated and optimized. Water-soluble vitamins were successfully extracted by 1-heptanesulfonic acid sodium salt (0.2% w/v) as ion-pairing agent with Triton X-100 (4% w/v) as surfactant phase at 50°C for 10 min. The calibration curves showed good linearity (r(2) > 0.9916) and precision in the concentration ranges of 1-50 μg/mL for thiamine and niacinamide, 5-100 μg/mL for pyridoxine, and 0.5-20 μg/mL for riboflavin. The recoveries were in the range of 78.0-88.0% with relative standard deviations ranging from 6.2 to 8.2%. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Role of growth media and chemical enhancers in secondary metabolites production from Aspergillus carbonarius (NRL-369) and their pharmaceutical potentials.

PubMed

Khan, Abid Ali; Bacha, Nafess; Ahmad, Bashir; Cox, R J; Bakht, Jehan

2016-07-01

The present study investigates the effect of different growth media and chemical enhancer on silent genes in Aspergillus carbonarius (NRL-369) for secondary metabolites production and its in vitro biological activities. Results revealed that Aspergillus carbonarius (NRL-369) grown in Czapeak yeast extract broth medium produced more metabolites compared with other media. Chemical epigenetic modifiers (suberoyl-anilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and 5-azacytidine (5-AZA) at concentration of 15mM were effective for the expression of silent genes resulting in increased secondary metabolites production. Secondary metabolites extracted in ethyl acetate and fractionized in n-Hexane showed variable degree of growth inhibitions of the tested microorganisms. Similarly, these samples were also active against brine shrimps and Lemna.

Inferring cardiac phase response curve in vivo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pikovsky, Arkady; Kralemann, Bjoern; Fruehwirth, Matthias; Rosenblum, Michael; Kenner, Thomas; Schaefer, Jochen; Moser, Maximilian

2014-03-01

Characterizing properties of biological oscillators with phase response cirves (PRC) is one of main theoretical tools in neuroscience, cardio-respiratory physiology, and chronobiology. We present a technique that allows the extraction of the PRC from a non-invasive observation of a system consisting of two interacting oscillators, in this case heartbeat and respiration, in its natural environment and under free-running conditions. We use this method to obtain the phase coupling functions describing cardio-respiratory interactions and the phase response curve of 17 healthy humans. We show at which phase the cardiac beat is susceptible to respiratory drive and extract the respiratory-related component of heart rate variability. This non-invasive method of bivariate data analysis for the determination of phase response curves of coupled oscillators may find application in other biological and physical systems.

Accelerated, microwave-assisted, and conventional solvent extraction methods affect anthocyanin composition from colored grains.

PubMed

Abdel-Aal, El-Sayed M; Akhtar, Humayoun; Rabalski, Iwona; Bryan, Michael

2014-02-01

Anthocyanins are important dietary components with diverse positive functions in human health. This study investigates effects of accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) on anthocyanin composition and extraction efficiency from blue wheat, purple corn, and black rice in comparison with the commonly used solvent extraction (CSE). Factorial experimental design was employed to study effects of ASE and MAE variables, and anthocyanin extracts were analyzed by spectrophotometry, high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detector (DAD), and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry chromatography. The extraction efficiency of ASE and MAE was comparable with CSE at the optimal conditions. The greatest extraction by ASE was achieved at 50 °C, 2500 psi, 10 min using 5 cycles, and 100% flush. For MAE, a combination of 70 °C, 300 W, and 10 min in MAE was the most effective in extracting anthocyanins from blue wheat and purple corn compared with 50 °C, 1200 W, and 20 min for black rice. The anthocyanin composition of grain extracts was influenced by the extraction method. The ASE extraction method seems to be more appropriate in extracting anthocyanins from the colored grains as being comparable with the CSE method based on changes in anthocyanin composition. The method caused lower structural changes in anthocaynins compared with the MAE method. Changes in blue wheat anthocyanins were lower in comparison with purple corn or black rice perhaps due to the absence of acylated anthocyanin compounds in blue wheat. The results show significant differences in anthocyanins among the 3 extraction methods, which indicate a need to standardize a method for valid comparisons among studies and for quality assurance purposes. © 2014 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada Journal of Food Science © 2014 Institute of Food Technologists® Reproduced with the permission of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

Heavy metal accumulation in surface sediments at the port of Cagliari (Sardinia, western Mediterranean): Environmental assessment using sequential extractions and benthic foraminifera.

PubMed

Schintu, Marco; Marrucci, Alessandro; Marras, Barbara; Galgani, Francois; Buosi, Carla; Ibba, Angelo; Cherchi, Antonietta

2016-10-15

Superficial sediments were taken at the port of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy), which includes the oil terminal of one of the largest oil refineries in the Mediterranean. Significant trace metal concentrations were found in the whole port area. Sequential extraction of metals from the different sediment fractions (BCR method) showed a higher risk of remobilisation for Cd, which is mostly bound to the exchangeable fraction. Foraminiferal density and richness of species were variable across the study area. The living assemblages were characterized by low diversity in samples collected close to the port areas. Ammonia tepida and bolivinids, which were positively correlated with concentrations of heavy metals and organic matter content, appeared to show tolerance to the environmental disturbance. The sampling sites characterized by the highest values of biotic indices were located far from the port areas and present an epiphytic and epifaunal biocoenosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory efficiency of hyaluronic acid after third molar extraction.

PubMed

Gocmen, Gokhan; Gonul, Onur; Oktay, Nihal Sehkar; Yarat, Aysen; Goker, Kamil

2015-09-01

Hyaluronic acid (HA) has a number of clinical applications in current practice. Therefore, correlation of HA with free radicals and inflammatory cells is clinically important. The purpose of this study is to measure the efficacy of high molecular weight HA on the oxidative stress of oral wounds (glutathione (GSH) and lipid peroxidation (LPO) levels), the inflammatory reaction (leucocytes, collagen and angiogenesis content), pain (visual analogue scale (VAS) records) and trismus (maximum interincisal opening (MIO) records) after third molar (M3) extraction. 40 patients were included in this study. 0.2 ml 0.8% HA was applied immediately after surgery within the HA group (n = 20). Nothing was applied to the control group (n = 20). The primary outcome variables were the changes in the inflammatory reaction (leucocyte, angiogenesis and collagen content), oxidative stress (GSH, LPO) and clinical parameters (VAS, MIO). Results were compared immediately after extraction (T0) and 1 week after surgery (T1). Bivariate analyses were used to assess the differences between the HA and control groups for each study variable. There was a statistically significant difference of leucocyte infiltration and angiogenesis between the groups at T1. The HA group showed less leucocyte infiltration and more angiogenesis than the control group. There was no statistically significant difference in oxidative stress, VAS or MIO levels between the groups. Our results confirm the hypothesis that HA has an anti-inflammatory effect following M3 extraction. However, the oxidative stress levels and clinical outcomes were similar after one week. Further studies examining these parameters at different times are necessary. Copyright © 2015 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Maximum entropy model versus remote sensing-based methods for extracting Oncomelania hupensis snail habitats].

PubMed

Cong-Cong, Xia; Cheng-Fang, Lu; Si, Li; Tie-Jun, Zhang; Sui-Heng, Lin; Yi, Hu; Ying, Liu; Zhi-Jie, Zhang

2016-12-02

To explore the technique of maximum entropy model for extracting Oncomelania hupensis snail habitats in Poyang Lake zone. The information of snail habitats and related environment factors collected in Poyang Lake zone were integrated to set up the maximum entropy based species model and generate snail habitats distribution map. Two Landsat 7 ETM+ remote sensing images of both wet and drought seasons in Poyang Lake zone were obtained, where the two indices of modified normalized difference water index (MNDWI) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) were applied to extract snail habitats. The ROC curve, sensitivities and specificities were applied to assess their results. Furthermore, the importance of the variables for snail habitats was analyzed by using Jackknife approach. The evaluation results showed that the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of testing data by the remote sensing-based method was only 0.56, and the sensitivity and specificity were 0.23 and 0.89 respectively. Nevertheless, those indices above-mentioned of maximum entropy model were 0.876, 0.89 and 0.74 respectively. The main concentration of snail habitats in Poyang Lake zone covered the northeast part of Yongxiu County, northwest of Yugan County, southwest of Poyang County and middle of Xinjian County, and the elevation was the most important environment variable affecting the distribution of snails, and the next was land surface temperature (LST). The maximum entropy model is more reliable and accurate than the remote sensing-based method for the sake of extracting snail habitats, which has certain guiding significance for the relevant departments to carry out measures to prevent and control high-risk snail habitats.

Enhancing interpretability of automatically extracted machine learning features: application to a RBM-Random Forest system on brain lesion segmentation.

PubMed

Pereira, Sérgio; Meier, Raphael; McKinley, Richard; Wiest, Roland; Alves, Victor; Silva, Carlos A; Reyes, Mauricio

2018-02-01

Machine learning systems are achieving better performances at the cost of becoming increasingly complex. However, because of that, they become less interpretable, which may cause some distrust by the end-user of the system. This is especially important as these systems are pervasively being introduced to critical domains, such as the medical field. Representation Learning techniques are general methods for automatic feature computation. Nevertheless, these techniques are regarded as uninterpretable "black boxes". In this paper, we propose a methodology to enhance the interpretability of automatically extracted machine learning features. The proposed system is composed of a Restricted Boltzmann Machine for unsupervised feature learning, and a Random Forest classifier, which are combined to jointly consider existing correlations between imaging data, features, and target variables. We define two levels of interpretation: global and local. The former is devoted to understanding if the system learned the relevant relations in the data correctly, while the later is focused on predictions performed on a voxel- and patient-level. In addition, we propose a novel feature importance strategy that considers both imaging data and target variables, and we demonstrate the ability of the approach to leverage the interpretability of the obtained representation for the task at hand. We evaluated the proposed methodology in brain tumor segmentation and penumbra estimation in ischemic stroke lesions. We show the ability of the proposed methodology to unveil information regarding relationships between imaging modalities and extracted features and their usefulness for the task at hand. In both clinical scenarios, we demonstrate that the proposed methodology enhances the interpretability of automatically learned features, highlighting specific learning patterns that resemble how an expert extracts relevant data from medical images. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Sterile Reverse Osmosis Water Combined with Friction Are Optimal for Channel and Lever Cavity Sample Collection of Flexible Duodenoscopes.

PubMed

Alfa, Michelle J; Singh, Harminder; Nugent, Zoann; Duerksen, Donald; Schultz, Gale; Reidy, Carol; DeGagne, Patricia; Olson, Nancy

2017-01-01

Simulated-use buildup biofilm (BBF) model was used to assess various extraction fluids and friction methods to determine the optimal sample collection method for polytetrafluorethylene channels. In addition, simulated-use testing was performed for the channel and lever cavity of duodenoscopes. BBF was formed in polytetrafluorethylene channels using Enterococcus faecalis, Escherichia coli , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . Sterile reverse osmosis (RO) water, and phosphate-buffered saline with and without Tween80 as well as two neutralizing broths (Letheen and Dey-Engley) were each assessed with and without friction. Neutralizer was added immediately after sample collection and samples concentrated using centrifugation. Simulated-use testing was done using TJF-Q180V and JF-140F Olympus duodenoscopes. Despite variability in the bacterial CFU in the BBF model, none of the extraction fluids tested were significantly better than RO. Borescope examination showed far less residual material when friction was part of the extraction protocol. The RO for flush-brush-flush (FBF) extraction provided significantly better recovery of E. coli ( p  = 0.02) from duodenoscope lever cavities compared to the CDC flush method. We recommend RO with friction for FBF extraction of the channel and lever cavity of duodenoscopes. Neutralizer and sample concentration optimize recovery of viable bacteria on culture.

Ionic liquid-salt aqueous two-phase extraction based on salting-out coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography for the determination of sulfonamides in water and food.

PubMed

Han, Juan; Wang, Yun; Liu, Yan; Li, Yanfang; Lu, Yang; Yan, Yongsheng; Ni, Liang

2013-02-01

Ionic liquid-salt aqueous two-phase extraction coupled with high-performance liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection was developed for the determination of sulfonamides in water and food samples. In the procedure, the analytes were extracted from the aqueous samples into the ionic liquid top phase in one step. Three sulfonamides, sulfamerazine, sulfamethoxazole, and sulfamethizole were selected here as model compounds for developing and evaluating the method. The effects of various experimental parameters in extraction step were studied using two optimization methods, one variable at a time and Box-Behnken design. The results showed that the amount of sulfonamides did not have effect on the extraction efficiency. Therefore, a three-level Box-Behnken experimental design with three factors, which combined the response surface modeling, was used to optimize sulfonamides extraction. Under the most favorable extraction parameters, the detection limits (S/N = 3) and quantification limits (S/N = 10) of the proposed method for the target compounds were achieved within the range of 0.15-0.3 ng/mL and 0.5-1.0 ng/mL from spiked samples, respectively, which are lower than or comparable with other reported approaches applied to the determination of the same compounds. Finally, the proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of sulfonamide compounds in different water and food samples and satisfactory recoveries of spiked target compounds in real samples were obtained.

Optimization of Reflux Conditions for Total Flavonoid and Total Phenolic Extraction and Enhanced Antioxidant Capacity in Pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb.) Using Response Surface Methodology

PubMed Central

Ghasemzadeh, Ali; Jaafar, Hawa Z. E.

2014-01-01

Response surface methodology was applied to optimization of the conditions for reflux extraction of Pandan (Pandanus amaryllifolius Roxb.) in order to achieve a high content of total flavonoids (TF), total phenolics (TP), and high antioxidant capacity (AC) in the extracts. Central composite experimental design with three factors and three levels was employed to consider the effects of the operation parameters, including the methanol concentration (MC, 40%–80%), extraction temperature (ET, 40–70°C), and liquid-to-solid ratio (LS ratio, 20–40 mL/g) on the properties of the extracts. Response surface plots showed that increasing these operation parameters induced the responses significantly. The TF content and AC could be maximized when the extraction conditions (MC, ET, and LS ratio) were 78.8%, 69.5°C, and 32.4 mL/g, respectively, whereas the TP content was optimal when these variables were 75.1%, 70°C, and 31.8 mL/g, respectively. Under these optimum conditions, the experimental TF and TP content and AC were 1.78, 6.601 mg/g DW, and 87.38%, respectively. The optimized model was validated by a comparison of the predicted and experimental values. The experimental values were found to be in agreement with the predicted values, indicating the suitability of the model for optimizing the conditions for the reflux extraction of Pandan. PMID:25147852

Analysis on Difference of Forest Phenology Extracted from EVI and LAI Based on PhenoCams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, C.; Jing, L.; Qinhuo, L.

2017-12-01

Land surface phenology can make up for the deficiency of field observation with advantages of capturing the continuous expression of phenology on a large scale. However, there are some variability in phenological metrics derived from different satellite time-series data of vegetation parameters. This paper aims at assessing the difference of phenology information extracted from EVI and LAI time series. To achieve this, some web-camera sites were selected to analyze the characteristics between MODIS-EVI and MODIS-LAI time series from 2010 to 2014 for different forest types, including evergreen coniferous forest, evergreen broadleaf forest, deciduous coniferous forest and deciduous broadleaf forest. At the same time, satellite-based phenological metrics were extracted by the Logistics algorithm and compared with camera-based phenological metrics. Results show that the SOS and EOS that are extracted from LAI are close to bud burst and leaf defoliation respectively, while the SOS and EOS that are extracted from EVI is close to leaf unfolding and leaf coloring respectively. Thus the SOS that is extracted from LAI is earlier than that from EVI, while the EOS that is extracted from LAI is later than that from EVI at deciduous forest sites. Although the seasonal variation characteristics of evergreen forests are not apparent, significant discrepancies exist in LAI time series and EVI time series. In addition, Satellite- and camera-based phenological metrics agree well generally, but EVI has higher correlation with the camera-based canopy greenness (green chromatic coordinate, gcc) than LAI.

[Study of migratory grief in immigrant patients seen in primary care clinics. Presentation of a migratory grief evaluation questionnaire].

PubMed

de la Revilla, Luis; de los Ríos Álvarez, Ana M; Luna del Castillo, Juan de Dios; Gómez García, Mercedes; Valverde Morillas, Carmen; López Torres, Ginesa

2011-09-01

To validate a questionnaire designed to show the existence of migratory grief (MG) and its dimensions in the immigrant population, and to study its relationship with certain sociodemographic variables. A descriptive, cross-sectional, multicentre study. Consultations in Primary Health Care. The study included 290 Primary Health Care immigrant patients over 18-years old. There were 12 rejections due to, lack of time, absence of a translator, and lack of understanding. An MG questionnaire with 17 questions was employed, carrying out a factor analysis with final extraction of 4 factors explaining 52.1% of overall variance. Sociodemographic variables were collected: gender, age, marital status, nationality, social network, time in Spain, legal and work situation and communication difficulties. Multivariate analysis was performed using the sociodemographic variables. Four factors were found (fear, homesickness, concern and loss of identity), showing that non-communality was < 0.30 and considering that the 4 factors represent the group of variables from the questionnaire. After analysing the correlations between the different factors, it was observed that concern is related to fear and homesickness, this latter being independent from fear. The loss of identity had a low correlation with other factors. Cronbach's alpha showed good consistency in factors 1, 2 and 3. Some sociodemographic variables are associated with the presence of each factor. We present a validated instrument to study and characterise MG, adapted to study the different dimensions of the grief in immigrant population. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Automatic sleep staging using empirical mode decomposition, discrete wavelet transform, time-domain, and nonlinear dynamics features of heart rate variability signals.

PubMed

Ebrahimi, Farideh; Setarehdan, Seyed-Kamaledin; Ayala-Moyeda, Jose; Nazeran, Homer

2013-10-01

The conventional method for sleep staging is to analyze polysomnograms (PSGs) recorded in a sleep lab. The electroencephalogram (EEG) is one of the most important signals in PSGs but recording and analysis of this signal presents a number of technical challenges, especially at home. Instead, electrocardiograms (ECGs) are much easier to record and may offer an attractive alternative for home sleep monitoring. The heart rate variability (HRV) signal proves suitable for automatic sleep staging. Thirty PSGs from the Sleep Heart Health Study (SHHS) database were used. Three feature sets were extracted from 5- and 0.5-min HRV segments: time-domain features, nonlinear-dynamics features and time-frequency features. The latter was achieved by using empirical mode decomposition (EMD) and discrete wavelet transform (DWT) methods. Normalized energies in important frequency bands of HRV signals were computed using time-frequency methods. ANOVA and t-test were used for statistical evaluations. Automatic sleep staging was based on HRV signal features. The ANOVA followed by a post hoc Bonferroni was used for individual feature assessment. Most features were beneficial for sleep staging. A t-test was used to compare the means of extracted features in 5- and 0.5-min HRV segments. The results showed that the extracted features means were statistically similar for a small number of features. A separability measure showed that time-frequency features, especially EMD features, had larger separation than others. There was not a sizable difference in separability of linear features between 5- and 0.5-min HRV segments but separability of nonlinear features, especially EMD features, decreased in 0.5-min HRV segments. HRV signal features were classified by linear discriminant (LD) and quadratic discriminant (QD) methods. Classification results based on features from 5-min segments surpassed those obtained from 0.5-min segments. The best result was obtained from features using 5-min HRV segments classified by the LD classifier. A combination of linear/nonlinear features from HRV signals is effective in automatic sleep staging. Moreover, time-frequency features are more informative than others. In addition, a separability measure and classification results showed that HRV signal features, especially nonlinear features, extracted from 5-min segments are more discriminative than those from 0.5-min segments in automatic sleep staging. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effect of land use on the spatial variability of organic matter and nutrient status in an Oxisol

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paz-Ferreiro, Jorge; Alves, Marlene Cristina; Vidal Vázquez, Eva

2013-04-01

Heterogeneity is now considered as an inherent soil property. Spatial variability of soil attributes in natural landscapes results mainly from soil formation factors. In cultivated soils much heterogeneity can additionally occur as a result of land use, agricultural systems and management practices. Organic matter content (OMC) and nutrients associated to soil exchange complex are key attribute in the maintenance of a high quality soil. Neglecting spatial heterogeneity in soil OMC and nutrient status at the field scale might result in reduced yield and in environmental damage. We analyzed the impact of land use on the pattern of spatial variability of OMC and soil macronutrients at the stand scale. The study was conducted in São Paulo state, Brazil. Land uses were pasture, mango orchard and corn field. Soil samples were taken at 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm depth in 84 points, within 100 m x 100 m plots. Texture, pH, OMC, cation exchange capacity (CEC), exchangeable cations (Ca, Mg, K, H, Al) and resin extractable phosphorus were analyzed.. Statistical variability was found to be higher in parameters defining the soil nutrient status (resin extractable P, K, Ca and Mg) than in general soil properties (OMC, CEC, base saturation and pH). Geostatistical analysis showed contrasting patterns of spatial dependence for the different soil uses, sampling depths and studied properties. Most of the studied data sets collected at two different depths exhibited spatial dependence at the sampled scale and their semivariograms were modeled by a nugget effect plus a structure. The pattern of soil spatial variability was found to be different between the three study soil uses and at the two sampling depths, as far as model type, nugget effect or ranges of spatial dependence were concerned. Both statistical and geostatistical results pointed out the importance of OMC as a driver responsible for the spatial variability of soil nutrient status.

Analysis of potential dynamic concealed factors in the difficulty of lower third molar extraction.

PubMed

Singh, P; Ajmera, D-H; Xiao, S-S; Yang, X-Z; Liu, X; Peng, B

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study was to identify potential concealed variables associated with the difficulty of lower third molar (M3) extractions. To address the research purpose, we implemented a prospective study and enrolled a sample of subjects presenting for M3 removal. Predictor variables were categorized into Group-I and Group-II, based on predetermined criteria. The primary outcome variable was the difficulty of extraction, measured as extraction time. Appropriate univariate and multivariate statistics were computed using ordinal logistic regression. The sample comprised of 1235 subjects with a mean age of 29.49 +/- 8.92 years in Group-I and 26.20 +/- 11.55 years in Group-II subjects. The mean operating time per M3 extraction was 21.24 +/- 12.80 and 20.24 +/- 12.50 minutes for Group-I and Group-II subjects respectively. Three linear parameters including B-M2 height (distance between imaginary point B on the inferior border of mandibular body, and M2), lingual cortical thickness, bone density and one angular parameter including Rc-Cs angle (angle between ramus curvature and curve of spee), in addition to patient's age, profile type, facial type, cant of occlusal plane, and decreased overbite, were found to be statistically associated ( p < or = 0.05) with extraction difficulty under regression models. In conclusion, our study indicates that the difficulty of lower M3 extractions is possibly governed by morphological and biomechanical factors with substantial influence of myofunctional factors. Preoperative evaluation of dynamic concealed factors may not only help in envisaging the difficulty and planning of surgical approach but might also help in better time management in clinical practice.

Influence of material uncertainties on the RLC parameters of wound inductors modeled using the finite element method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lossa, Geoffrey; Deblecker, Olivier; Grève, Zacharie De

2018-05-01

In this work, we highlight the influence of the material uncertainties (magnetic permeability, electric conductivity of a Mn-Zn ferrite core, and electric permittivity of wire insulation) on the RLC parameters of a wound inductor extracted from the finite element method. To that end, the finite element method is embedded in a Monte Carlo simulation. We show that considering mentioned different material properties as real random variables, leads to significant variations in the distributions of the RLC parameters.

Impact of Reconstruction Algorithms on CT Radiomic Features of Pulmonary Tumors: Analysis of Intra- and Inter-Reader Variability and Inter-Reconstruction Algorithm Variability.

PubMed

Kim, Hyungjin; Park, Chang Min; Lee, Myunghee; Park, Sang Joon; Song, Yong Sub; Lee, Jong Hyuk; Hwang, Eui Jin; Goo, Jin Mo

2016-01-01

To identify the impact of reconstruction algorithms on CT radiomic features of pulmonary tumors and to reveal and compare the intra- and inter-reader and inter-reconstruction algorithm variability of each feature. Forty-two patients (M:F = 19:23; mean age, 60.43±10.56 years) with 42 pulmonary tumors (22.56±8.51mm) underwent contrast-enhanced CT scans, which were reconstructed with filtered back projection and commercial iterative reconstruction algorithm (level 3 and 5). Two readers independently segmented the whole tumor volume. Fifteen radiomic features were extracted and compared among reconstruction algorithms. Intra- and inter-reader variability and inter-reconstruction algorithm variability were calculated using coefficients of variation (CVs) and then compared. Among the 15 features, 5 first-order tumor intensity features and 4 gray level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM)-based features showed significant differences (p<0.05) among reconstruction algorithms. As for the variability, effective diameter, sphericity, entropy, and GLCM entropy were the most robust features (CV≤5%). Inter-reader variability was larger than intra-reader or inter-reconstruction algorithm variability in 9 features. However, for entropy, homogeneity, and 4 GLCM-based features, inter-reconstruction algorithm variability was significantly greater than inter-reader variability (p<0.013). Most of the radiomic features were significantly affected by the reconstruction algorithms. Inter-reconstruction algorithm variability was greater than inter-reader variability for entropy, homogeneity, and GLCM-based features.

Improving extraction of fumonisin mycotoxins from Brazilian corn-based infant foods.

PubMed

Sewram, Vikash; Shephard, Gordon S; Marasas, Walter F O; Penteado, Maria Fernanda; de Castro, M

2003-05-01

The current AOAC International methods for the determination of fumonisins have been validated for corn and cornflakes but have produced low recoveries and high variability when applied to processed corn products for infants. Hence, an investigation was undertaken to improve the extraction efficiency for fumonisins by investigating the use of different extraction solvents. Corn-based infant foods containing cornmeal, corn starch, and corn flour were purchased in the city of Campinas, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil, and were analyzed for fumonisins B1 (FB1), B2 (FB2), and B3 (FB3) following extraction with a range of solvents. Comparison of the results from each of the samples indicated that acidified 70% aqueous methanol at pH 4.0 provided the best overall performance, whereas a methanol/boric acid (pH 9.2) mixture displayed poor extraction efficiency. Extraction with acidified 70% aqueous methanol showed seven of eight test samples to be positive for FB1 (range, 30 to 6,127 microg/kg; relative SD, 4.2 to 51.7%), two of eight samples to be positive for FB2 (range, 53 to 1,738 microg/kg; relative SD, 4.5 to 5.3%), and one of eight samples to be positive for FB3 (575 microg/kg). For samples in which extraction with phosphate-buffered mixtures (pH 3) proved superior, the method suffered from poor chromatography due to interfering compounds. The findings indicate that matrix interferences play a significant role in the extractability, cleanup, and chromatography of the fumonisins.

Optimization of vegetable milk extraction from whole and dehulled Mucuna pruriens (Var Cochinchinensis) flours using central composite design.

PubMed

Mang, Dimitry Y; Abdou, Armand B; Njintang, Nicolas Y; Djiogue, Edith J M; Panyo, Emmanuel A; Bernard, Clemence; Ndjouenkeu, Robert; Loura, Benoît B; Mbofung, Carl M F

2016-01-01

Extraction conditions for maximum values of protein yield, protein content, sugar content and dry matter of vegetable milk extracts from dehulled Mucuna cochinchinensis bean flour and whole Mucuna cochinchinensis bean flour were investigated using response surface methodology. A Central Composite Design (CCFD) with three factors: temperature (25 to 95 °C); extraction time (6 to 74 min.) and water to flour ratio (6 to 24 mL/g) were used. Data analysis showed that all the factors significantly (p < 0.05) affected the responses variables. The optimal conditions determined for extraction were temperature 63-66 °C, water to flour ratio 12-13 mL/g and extraction time of 57-67 min. At these optimum points the protein and sugar contents, extraction yield of protein and dry matter were respectively 14.0 g/100 mL, 4.8 g/100 mL, 53.8 g/100 g, 12.1 g/100 g for vegetable milk produced from dehulled M. cochinchinensis bean flour and 6.4 g/100 mL, 3.5 g/100 mL, 50.0 g/100 g and 8.0 g/100 g for vegetable milk extracted from whole M. cochinchinensis bean flour milk. The optimal condition was verified at the optimum points for model validation and the response values were not significantly different from the predicted values.

Efficacy of a comfrey root extract ointment in comparison to a diclofenac gel in the treatment of ankle distortions: results of an observer-blind, randomized, multicenter study.

PubMed

Predel, H G; Giannetti, B; Koll, R; Bulitta, M; Staiger, C

2005-11-01

In the treatment of minor blunt injuries several topical drugs are known to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties. They represent, however, two fundamentally different major pharmacological therapy approaches: the "chemical-synthetical" and the "phytotherapeutical" approach. The main objective of this trial (CODEC_2004) was to compare the efficacy and tolerability of an ointment of Comfrey extract (Extr. Rad. Symphyti) with that of a Diclofenac gel in the treatment of acute unilateral ankle sprain (distortion). In a single-blind, controlled, randomized, parallel-group, multicenter and confirmatory clinical trial outpatients with acute unilateral ankle sprains (n=164, mean age 29.0 years, 47.6% female) received either a 6 cm long ointment layer of Kytta-Salbe f (Comfrey extract) (n=82) or of Diclofenac gel containing 1.16 g of diclofenac diethylamine salt (n=82) for 7 +/- 1 days, four times a day. Primary variable was the area-under-the-curve (AUC) of the pain reaction to pressure on the injured area measured by a calibrated caliper (tonometer). Secondary variables were the circumference of the joint (swelling; figure-of-eight method), the individual spontaneous pain sensation at rest and at movement according to a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the judgment of impaired movements of the injured joint by the method of "neutral-zero", consumption of rescue medication (paracetamol), as well as the global efficacy evaluation and the global assessment of tolerability (both by physician and patient, 4 ranks). In this study the primary variable was also to be validated prospectively. It was confirmatorily shown that Comfrey extract is non-inferior to diclofenac. The 95% confidence interval for the AUC (Comfrey extract minus Diclofenac gel) was 19.01-103.09h*N/cm2 and was completely above the margin of non-inferiority. Moreover, the results of the primary and secondary variables indicate that Comfrey extract may be superior to Diclofenac gel.

Identification of Active Galactic Nuclei through HST optical variability in the GOODS South field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pouliasis, Ektoras; Georgantopoulos; Bonanos, A.; HCV Team

2016-08-01

This work aims to identify AGN in the GOODS South deep field through optical variability. This method can easily identify low-luminosity AGN. In particular, we use images in the z-band obtained from the Hubble Space Telescope with the ACS/WFC camera over 5 epochs separated by ~45 days. Aperture photometry has been performed using SExtractor to extract the lightcurves. Several variability indices, such as the median absolute deviation, excess variance, and sigma were applied to automatically identify the variable sources. After removing artifacts, stars and supernovae from the variable selected sample and keeping only those sources with known photometric or spectroscopic redshift, the optical variability was compared to variability in other wavelengths (X-rays, mid-IR, radio). This multi-wavelength study provides important constraints on the structure and the properties of the AGN and their relation to their hosts. This work is a part of the validation of the Hubble Catalog of Variables (HCV) project, which has been launched at the National Observatory of Athens by ESA, and aims to identify all sources (pointlike and extended) showing variability, based on the Hubble Source Catalog (HSC, Whitmore et al. 2015). The HSC version 1 was released in February 2015 and includes 80 million sources imaged with the WFPC2, ACS/WFC, WFC3/UVIS and WFC3/IR cameras.

Ultrasound assisted combined molecularly imprinted polymer for selective extraction of nicotinamide in human urine and milk samples: Spectrophotometric determination and optimization study.

PubMed

Asfaram, Arash; Ghaedi, Mehrorang; Dashtian, Kheibar

2017-01-01

Ultrasound-assisted dispersive solid phase microextraction followed by UV-vis spectrophotometer (UA-DSPME-UV-vis) was designed for extraction and preconcentration of nicotinamide (vitamin B 3 ) by HKUST-1 metal organic framework (MOF) based molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP). This new material was characterized by FTIR and FE-SEM techniques. The preliminary Plackett-Burman design was used for screening and subsequently the central composite design justifies significant terms and possible construction of mathematical equation which give the individual and cooperative contribution of variables like HKUST-1-MOF-NA-MIP mass, sonication time, temperature, eluent volume, pH and vortex time. Accordingly the optimum condition was set as: 2.0mg HKUST-1-MOF-NA-MIP, 200μL eluent and 5.0min sonication time in center points other variables were determined as the best conditions to reach the maximum recovery of the analyte. The UA-DSPME-UV-vis method performances like excellent linearity (LR), limits of detection (LOD), limits of quantification of 10-5000μgL -1 with R 2 of 0.99, LOD (1.96ngmL -1 ), LOQ (6.53μgL -1 ), respectively show successful and accurate applicability of the present method for monitoring analytes with within- and between-day precision of 0.96-3.38%. The average absolute recoveries of the nicotinamide extracted from the urine, milk and water samples were 95.85-101.27%. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hydrometallurgical separation of rare earth elements, cobalt and nickel from spent nickel-metal-hydride batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, Luiz Eduardo Oliveira Carmo; Mansur, Marcelo Borges

The separation of rare earth elements, cobalt and nickel from NiMH battery residues is evaluated in this paper. Analysis of the internal content of the NiMH batteries shows that nickel is the main metal present in the residue (around 50% in weight), as well as potassium (2.2-10.9%), cobalt (5.1-5.5%), rare earth elements (15.3-29.0%) and cadmium (2.8%). The presence of cadmium reveals that some Ni-Cd batteries are possibly labeled as NiMH ones. The leaching of nickel and cobalt from the NiMH battery powder with sulfuric acid is efficient; operating variables temperature and concentration of H 2O 2 has no significant effect for the conditions studied. A mixture of rare earth elements is separated by precipitation with NaOH. Finally, solvent extraction with D2EHPA (di-2-ethylhexyl phosphoric acid) followed by Cyanex 272 (bis-2,4,4-trimethylpentyl phosphinic acid) can separate cadmium, cobalt and nickel from the leach liquor. The effect of the main operating variables of both leaching and solvent extraction steps are discussed aiming to maximize metal separation for recycling purposes.

Comparison of atmospheric concentrations of currently used pesticides between urban and rural areas during intensive application period in Alsace (France) by using XAD-2® based passive samplers.

PubMed

Liaud, Celine; Schwartz, Jean-Jacques; Millet, Maurice

2017-07-03

XAD-2® passive samplers (PAS) have been exposed simultaneously for 14 days on two sites, one rural and one urban, situated in Alsace (East of France) during intensive pesticides application in agriculture (between March and September). PAS have been extracted and analyzed for current-used pesticides and lindane with an analytical method coupling accelerated solvent extraction (ASE), solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and GC/MS/MS. Results show the detection of pesticides is linked to the period of application and spatial and temporal variabilities can be observed with these PAS during the selected sampling period. The spatial and temporal variability is comparable to the one previously observed by comparing data obtained with PAS with data from Hi.-Vol. samplers in an urban area. Sampling rates were calculated for some pesticides and values are comparable to the data already available in the literature. From these sampling rates, concentrations in ng m -3 of pesticides in PAS have been calculated and are in the same order of magnitude as those obtained with Hi.Vol. sampling during the same period of time.

Automatic age and gender classification using supervised appearance model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bukar, Ali Maina; Ugail, Hassan; Connah, David

2016-11-01

Age and gender classification are two important problems that recently gained popularity in the research community, due to their wide range of applications. Research has shown that both age and gender information are encoded in the face shape and texture, hence the active appearance model (AAM), a statistical model that captures shape and texture variations, has been one of the most widely used feature extraction techniques for the aforementioned problems. However, AAM suffers from some drawbacks, especially when used for classification. This is primarily because principal component analysis (PCA), which is at the core of the model, works in an unsupervised manner, i.e., PCA dimensionality reduction does not take into account how the predictor variables relate to the response (class labels). Rather, it explores only the underlying structure of the predictor variables, thus, it is no surprise if PCA discards valuable parts of the data that represent discriminatory features. Toward this end, we propose a supervised appearance model (sAM) that improves on AAM by replacing PCA with partial least-squares regression. This feature extraction technique is then used for the problems of age and gender classification. Our experiments show that sAM has better predictive power than the conventional AAM.

Recovery of Butanol by Counter-Current Carbon Dioxide Fractionation with its Potential Application to Butanol Fermentation

PubMed Central

Solana, Miriam; Qureshi, Nasib; Bertucco, Alberto; Eller, Fred

2016-01-01

A counter-current CO2 fractionation method was applied as a mean to recover n-butanol and other compounds that are typically obtained from biobutanol fermentation broth from aqueous solutions. The influence of operating variables, such as solvent-to-feed ratio, temperature, pressure and feed solution composition was experimentally studied in terms of separation efficiency, butanol removal rate, total removal and butanol concentration in the extract at the end of the continuous cycle. With respect to the temperature and pressure conditions investigated, results show that the highest separation efficiency was obtained at 35 °C and 10.34 MPa. At these operating conditions, 92.3% of the butanol present in the feed solution was extracted, and a concentration of 787.5 g·L−1 of butanol in the extract was obtained, starting from a feed solution of 20 g·L−1. Selectivity was calculated from experimental data, concluding that our column performs much better than a single equilibrium stage. When adding ethanol and acetone to the feed solution, ethanol was detected in the water-rich fraction (raffinate), whereas the highest concentration of acetone was found in the butanol rich fraction (extract). PMID:28773654

Mixture Design and Doehlert Matrix for the Optimization of the Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Spondias mombin L Apple Bagasse Agroindustrial Residues.

PubMed

Santos Felix, Antonio C; Novaes, Cleber G; Pires Rocha, Maísla; Barreto, George E; do Nascimento, Baraquizio B; Giraldez Alvarez, Lisandro D

2017-01-01

In this study, we have determined, using RSM (mixture design and Doehlert matrix), the optimum values of the independent variables to achieve the maximum response for the extraction of total phenolic compounds from Spondias mombin L bagasse agroindustrial residues in order to preserve their antioxidant activity. The extraction of phenolic compounds, as well as their antioxidant capacity and the capacity to scavenge ABTS, was determined by the modified DPPH method at different periods of time, temperature, velocity of rotation and solvents concentration. We observed that the optimum condition for the highest antioxidant yield was obtained using water (60.84%), acetone (30.31%), and ethanol (8.85%) at 30°C during 20 min at 50 rpm. We have also found that the maximum yield of total phenolics was 355.63 ± 9.77 (mg GAE/100 g), showing an EC 50 of 3,962.24 ± 41.20 (g fruit/g of DPPH) and 8.36 ± 0.30 (μM trolox/g fruit), which were measured using DPPH and ABTS assays. These results suggest that RSM was successfully applied for optimizing the extraction of phenolics compounds thus preserving their antioxidant activity.

A randomised double blind placebo controlled clinical trial of a standardised extract of fresh Crataegus berries (Crataegisan) in the treatment of patients with congestive heart failure NYHA II.

PubMed

Degenring, F H; Suter, A; Weber, M; Saller, R

2003-01-01

A placebo controlled, randomised, parallel group, multicentre trial conducted in accordance with the guidelines of Good Clinical Practice (GCP) shows the efficacy and safety of a standardised extract of fresh berries of Crataegus oxyacantha L. and monogyna Jacq. (Crataegisan) in patients with cardiac failure NYHA class II. A total of 143 patients (72 men, 71 women, mean age of 64.8 (8.0 years) were recruited and treated with 3 times 30 drops of the extract (n = 69) or placebo (n = 74) for 8 weeks. The primary variable for the evaluation of efficacy was the change in exercise tolerance determined with bicycle exercise testing, secondary variables included the blood pressure-heart rate product (BHP). Subjective cardiac symptoms at rest and at higher levels of exertion were assessed by the patient on a categorical rating scale. An overall assessment of efficacy at the final visit was provided by the patient and the investigator. In the ITT population there was a significant increase in exercise tolerance in both groups between visit 1 and visit 3. The difference between the treatment groups was 8.3 watts in favour of the standardised extract of fresh Crataegus berries (p = 0.045). The result is confirmed in the PP population (p = 0.047). Changes in BHP at 50 watts and at comparable maximum load were in favour of Crataegus extract but the results are not statistically significant. The subjective assessment of cardiac symptoms at rest and at higher levels of exertion did not change significantly and the patient and investigator overall assessment of efficacy were similar for the two groups. The medication was well tolerated and had a high level of patient acceptability. The significant improvement, due to the fact that dyspnoea and fatigue do not occur until a significantly higher wattage has been reached in the bicycle exercise testing allows the conclusion that the recruited NYHA II patients may expect an improvement in their heart failure condition under long term therapy with the standardised extract of fresh Crataegus berries.

Microwave-assisted extraction of coumarin and related compounds from Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pallas as an alternative to Soxhlet and ultrasound-assisted extraction.

PubMed

Martino, Emanuela; Ramaiola, Ilaria; Urbano, Mariangela; Bracco, Francesco; Collina, Simona

2006-09-01

Soxhlet extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction (USAE) and microwaves-assisted extraction (MAE) in closed system have been investigated to determine the content of coumarin, o-coumaric and melilotic acids in flowering tops of Melilotus officinalis. The extracts were analyzed with an appropriate HPLC procedure. The reproducibility of extraction and of chromatographic analysis was proved. Taking into account the extraction yield, the cost and the time, we studied the effects of extraction variables on the yield of the above-mentioned compounds. Better results were obtained with MAE (50% v/v aqueous ethanol, two heating cycles of 5 min, 50 degrees C). On the basis of the ratio extraction yield/extraction time, we therefore propose MAE as the most efficient method.

Quantification of phototrophic biomass on rocks: optimization of chlorophyll-a extraction by response surface methodology.

PubMed

Fernández-Silva, I; Sanmartín, P; Silva, B; Moldes, A; Prieto, B

2011-01-01

Biological colonization of rock surfaces constitutes an important problem for maintenance of buildings and monuments. In this work, we aim to establish an efficient extraction protocol for chlorophyll-a specific for rock materials, as this is one of the most commonly used biomarkers for quantifying phototrophic biomass. For this purpose, rock samples were cut into blocks, and three different mechanical treatments were tested, prior to extraction in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). To evaluate the influence of the experimental factors (1) extractant-to-sample ratio, (2) temperature, and (3) time of incubation, on chlorophyll-a recovery (response variable), incomplete factorial designs of experiments were followed. Temperature of incubation was the most relevant variable for chlorophyll-a extraction. The experimental data obtained were analyzed following a response surface methodology, which allowed the development of empirical models describing the interrelationship between the considered response and experimental variables. The optimal extraction conditions for chlorophyll-a were estimated, and the expected yields were calculated. Based on these results, we propose a method involving application of ultrasound directly to intact sample, followed by incubation in 0.43 ml DMSO/cm(2) sample at 63°C for 40 min. Confirmation experiments were performed at the predicted optimal conditions, allowing chlorophyll-a recovery of 84.4 ± 11.6% (90% was expected), which implies a substantial improvement with respect to the expected recovery using previous methods (68%). This method will enable detection of small amounts of photosynthetic microorganisms and quantification of the extent of biocolonization of stone surfaces.

Sub-chronic safety evaluation of the ethanol extract of Aralia elata leaves in Beagle dogs.

PubMed

Li, Fengjin; He, Xiaoli; Niu, Wenying; Feng, Yuenan; Bian, Jingqi; Kuang, Haixue; Xiao, Hongbin

2016-08-01

Aralia elata Seem. (A. elata) is a traditional Chinese medicine to treat some diseases. This investigation aims to evaluate the pharmaceutical safety of the ethanol extract of A. elata leaves, namely ethanol leaves extract (ELE), in Beagle dogs. In sub-chronic oral toxicity study, dogs were treated with the ELE at doses of 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg for 12 weeks and followed by 4 weeks recovery period. During experimental period, clinical signs, mortality, body temperature, food consumption and body weight were recorded. Analysis of electrocardiogram, urinalysis, ophthalmoscopy, hematology, serum biochemistry, organ weights and histopathology were performed. The results showed that both food consumption and body weight significantly decreased in high-dose group. Treatment-related side effects and mortality were observed in high-dose female dogs. Some parameters showed significant alterations in electrocardiogram, urinalysis, serum biochemistry and relative organ weights. These alterations were not related to dose or consistent across gender, which were ascribed to incidental and biological variability. The findings in this study indicated that the no-observed adverse effect level (NOAEL) of the ELE was 100 mg/kg in dogs and provided a vital reference for selecting a safe application dosage for human consumption. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An innovative approach for characteristic analysis and state-of-health diagnosis for a Li-ion cell based on the discrete wavelet transform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jonghoon; Cho, B. H.

2014-08-01

This paper introduces an innovative approach to analyze electrochemical characteristics and state-of-health (SOH) diagnosis of a Li-ion cell based on the discrete wavelet transform (DWT). In this approach, the DWT has been applied as a powerful tool in the analysis of the discharging/charging voltage signal (DCVS) with non-stationary and transient phenomena for a Li-ion cell. Specifically, DWT-based multi-resolution analysis (MRA) is used for extracting information on the electrochemical characteristics in both time and frequency domain simultaneously. Through using the MRA with implementation of the wavelet decomposition, the information on the electrochemical characteristics of a Li-ion cell can be extracted from the DCVS over a wide frequency range. Wavelet decomposition based on the selection of the order 3 Daubechies wavelet (dB3) and scale 5 as the best wavelet function and the optimal decomposition scale is implemented. In particular, this present approach develops these investigations one step further by showing low and high frequency components (approximation component An and detail component Dn, respectively) extracted from variable Li-ion cells with different electrochemical characteristics caused by aging effect. Experimental results show the clearness of the DWT-based approach for the reliable diagnosis of the SOH for a Li-ion cell.

Heterogeneous postsurgical data analytics for predictive modeling of mortality risks in intensive care units.

PubMed

Yun Chen; Hui Yang

2014-01-01

The rapid advancements of biomedical instrumentation and healthcare technology have resulted in data-rich environments in hospitals. However, the meaningful information extracted from rich datasets is limited. There is a dire need to go beyond current medical practices, and develop data-driven methods and tools that will enable and help (i) the handling of big data, (ii) the extraction of data-driven knowledge, (iii) the exploitation of acquired knowledge for optimizing clinical decisions. This present study focuses on the prediction of mortality rates in Intensive Care Units (ICU) using patient-specific healthcare recordings. It is worth mentioning that postsurgical monitoring in ICU leads to massive datasets with unique properties, e.g., variable heterogeneity, patient heterogeneity, and time asyncronization. To cope with the challenges in ICU datasets, we developed the postsurgical decision support system with a series of analytical tools, including data categorization, data pre-processing, feature extraction, feature selection, and predictive modeling. Experimental results show that the proposed data-driven methodology outperforms traditional approaches and yields better results based on the evaluation of real-world ICU data from 4000 subjects in the database. This research shows great potentials for the use of data-driven analytics to improve the quality of healthcare services.

Optimization of Processing Parameters for Extraction of Amylase Enzyme from Dragon (Hylocereus polyrhizus) Peel Using Response Surface Methodology

PubMed Central

Abdul Manap, Mohd Yazid; Zohdi, Norkhanani

2014-01-01

The main goal of this study was to investigate the effect of extraction conditions on the enzymatic properties of thermoacidic amylase enzyme derived from dragon peel. The studied extraction variables were the buffer-to-sample (B/S) ratio (1 : 2 to 1 : 6, w/w), temperature (−18°C to 25°), mixing time (60 to 180 seconds), and the pH of the buffer (2.0 to 8.0). The results indicate that the enzyme extraction conditions exhibited the least significant (P < 0.05) effect on temperature stability. Conversely, the extraction conditions had the most significant (P < 0.05) effect on the specific activity and pH stability. The results also reveal that the main effect of the B/S ratio, followed by its interaction with the pH of the buffer, was significant (P < 0.05) among most of the response variables studied. The optimum extraction condition caused the amylase to achieve high enzyme activity (648.4 U), specific activity (14.2 U/mg), temperature stability (88.4%), pH stability (85.2%), surfactant agent stability (87.2%), and storage stability (90.3%). PMID:25050403

Reasons why erupted third molars are extracted in a public university in Mexico.

PubMed

Medina-Solís, C E; Mendoza-Rodríguez, M; Márquez-Rodríguez, S; De la Rosa-Santillana, R; Islas-Zarazua, R; Navarrete-Hernández, J-D J; Maupomé, G

2014-08-01

The aim of this study was to determine the reasons for which erupted third molars (3M) are extracted in a sample of Mexican patients. A retrospective cross-sectional study was performed on a sample of 83 patients attending exodontia (minor oral surgery) clinics of a public university in Mexico (Autonomous University of Hidalgo State). The outcome variable was the reason for extractions using Kay and Blinkhorn's classification. The independent variables were age, gender, arch and tooth number according to the World Health Organization (WHO). For statistical analysis, we used the Chi-squared test in Stata 9.0. Eighty-three patients underwent 150 3M extractions. Mean age was 38.67 ± 13.96 years, and 71.1% were female. The four reasons for 3M extraction were prosthetic (44.0%), followed by orthodontic (24.7%), dental caries (20.0%) and periodontal disease (11.3%). Differences were observed in the reasons for 3M extractions across age groups (p < 0.05). No significant differences existed between men and women (p > 0.05), or the WHO tooth number (p > 0.05). Women and patients 18 to 34 years of age had erupted 3M extracted more frequently, primarily for prosthetic reasons. The age profile indicated a trend in demand for services that differ from those of overall tooth extractions, but not for the trend across gender.

Horizontal and vertical variability of soil properties in a trace element contaminated area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burgos, Pilar; Madejón, Engracia; Pérez-de-Mora, Alfredo; Cabrera, Francisco

2008-02-01

The spatial distribution of some soil chemical properties and trace element contents of a plot affected by the Aznalcóllar mine spill were investigated using statistical and geostatistical methods to assess the extent of soil contamination. Total and EDTA-extractable soil trace element concentrations and total S content showed great variability and high coefficients of variation in the three examined depths. Soil in the plot was found to be significantly contaminated by As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn within a wide range of pH. Total trace element concentrations at all depths (0-60 cm) were much higher than background values of non-affected soil, indicating that despite the clean-up operations, the concentration of trace elements in the experimental plot was still high. The spatial distribution of the different variables was estimated by kriging to design contour maps. These maps allowed the identification of specific zones with high metal concentrations and low pH values corresponding to spots of residual sludge. Moreover, kriged maps showed distinct spatial distribution and hence different behaviour for the elements considered. This information may be applied to optimise remediation strategies in highly and moderately contaminated areas.

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted extraction of phenolic compounds from grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macf.) leaves via D-optimal design and artificial neural network design with categorical and quantitative variables.

PubMed

Ciğeroğlu, Zeynep; Aras, Ömür; Pinto, Carlos A; Bayramoglu, Mahmut; Kırbaşlar, Ş İsmail; Lorenzo, José M; Barba, Francisco J; Saraiva, Jorge A; Şahin, Selin

2018-03-06

The extraction of phenolic compounds from grapefruit leaves assisted by ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) by means of D-optimal experimental design and artificial neural network (ANN). For this purpose, five numerical factors were selected: ethanol concentration (0-50%), extraction time (15-60 min), extraction temperature (25-50 °C), solid:liquid ratio (50-100 g L -1 ) and calorimetric energy density of ultrasound (0.25-0.50 kW L -1 ), whereas ultrasound probe horn diameter (13 or 19 mm) was chosen as categorical factor. The optimized experimental conditions yielded by RSM were: 10.80% for ethanol concentration; 58.52 min for extraction time; 30.37 °C for extraction temperature; 52.33 g L -1 for solid:liquid ratio; 0.457 kW L -1 for ultrasonic power density, with thick probe type. Under these conditions total phenolics content was found to be 19.04 mg gallic acid equivalents g -1 dried leaf. The same dataset was used to train multilayer feed-forward networks using different approaches via MATLAB, with ANN exhibiting superior performance to RSM (differences included categorical factor in one model and higher regression coefficients), while close values were obtained for the extraction variables under study, except for ethanol concentration and extraction time. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.

Extraction of Antioxidants from Borage (Borago officinalis L.) Leaves-Optimization by Response Surface Method and Application in Oil-in-Water Emulsions.

PubMed

Segovia, Francisco; Lupo, Bryshila; Peiró, Sara; Gordon, Michael H; Almajano, María Pilar

2014-05-06

Borage (Borago officinalis L.) is a typical Spanish plant. During processing, 60% are leaves. The aim of this work is to model and optimize the extraction of polyphenol from borage leaves using the response surface method (RSM) and to use this extract for application in emulsions. The responses were: total polyphenol content (TPC), antioxidant capacity by ORAC, and rosmarinic acid by HPLC. The ranges of the variables temperature, ethanol content and time were 50-90 °C, 0%-30%-60% ethanol (v/v), and 10-15 min. For ethanolic extraction, optimal conditions were at 75.9 °C, 52% ethanol and 14.8 min, yielding activity of 27.05 mg GAE/g DW TPC; 115.96 mg TE/g DW in ORAC and 11.02 mg/L rosmarinic acid. For water extraction, optimal activity was achieved with extraction at 98.3 °C and 22 min, with responses of 22.3 mg GAE/g DW TPC; 81.6 mg TE/g DW in ORAC and 3.9 mg/L rosmarinic acid. The significant variables were ethanol concentration and temperature. For emulsions, the peroxide value was inhibited by 60% for 3% extract concentration; and 80% with 3% extract concentration and 0.2% of BSA. The p-anisidine value between the control and the emulsion with 3% extract was reduced to 73.6% and with BSA 86.3%, and others concentrations had similar behavior.

Expression of anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) single-chain variable fragment (scFv) in Spirodela punctata plants transformed with Agrobacterium tumefaciens.

PubMed

Balaji, Parthasarathy; Satheeshkumar, P K; Venkataraman, Krishnan; Vijayalakshmi, M A

2016-05-01

Therapeutic antibodies against tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) have been considered effective for some of the autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn's diseases, and so on. But associated limitations of the current therapeutics in terms of cost, availability, and immunogenicity have necessitated the need for alternative candidates. Single-chain variable fragment (scFv) can negate the limitations tagged with the anti-TNFα therapeutics to a greater extent. In the present study, Spirodela punctata plants were transformed with anti-TNFα through in planta transformation using Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain, EHA105. Instead of cefotaxime, garlic extract (1 mg/mL) was used to remove the agrobacterial cells after cocultivation. To the best of our knowledge, this report shows for the first time the application of plant extracts in transgenic plant development. 95% of the plants survived screening under hygromycin. ScFv cDNA integration in the plant genomic DNA was confirmed at the molecular level by PCR. The transgenic protein expression was followed up to 10 months. Expression of scFv was confirmed by immunodot blot. Protein expression levels of up to 6.3% of total soluble protein were observed. β-Glucuronidase and green fluorescent protein expressions were also detected in the antibiotic resistant plants. The paper shows the generation of transgenic Spirodela punctuata plants through in planta transformation. © 2015 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Modulations of the surface magnetic field on the intra-cycle variability of total solar irradiance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, J. C.; Kong, D. F.; Li, F. Y.

2018-05-01

Solar photospheric magnetic field plays a dominant role in the variability of total solar irradiance (TSI). The modulation of magnetic flux at six specific ranges on TSI is characterized for the first time. The daily flux values of magnetic field at four ranges are extracted from MDI/ SOHO, together with daily flux of active regions (MF_{ar}) and quiet regions (MF_{qr}); the first four ranges (MF_{1-4}) are: 1.5-2.9, 2.9-32.0, 32.0-42.7, and 42.7-380.1 (× 10^{18} Mx per element), respectively. Cross-correlograms show that MF4, MF_{qr}, and MF_{ ar} are positively correlated with TSI, while MF2 is negatively correlated with TSI; the correlations between MF1, MF3 and TSI are insignificant. The bootstrapping tests confirm that the impact of MF4 on TSI is more significant than that of MF_{ar} and MF_{qr}, and MF_{ar} leads TSI by one rotational period. By extracting the rotational variations in the MFs and TSI, the modulations of the former on the latter at the solar rotational timescale are clearly illustrated and compared during solar maximum and minimum times, respectively. Comparison of the relative amplitudes of the long-term variation show that TSI is in good agreement with the variation of MF4 and MF_{ar}; besides, MF2 is in antiphase with TSI, and it lags the latter by about 1.5 years.

Evidence based study of antidiabetic potential of C. maxima seeds - In vivo.

PubMed

Kushawaha, Devesh Kumar; Yadav, Manjulika; Chatterji, Sanjukta; Srivastava, Amrita Kumari; Watal, Geeta

2017-10-01

In vitro antidiabetic efficacy of Cucurbita maxima seed extract (CMSE) has already been studied in our previous findings. Thus, in order to validate these findings in biological system, in vivo antidiabetic activity of aqueous extract was investigated in normal as well as diabetic experimental models. Variable doses of extract were administered orally to normal and STZ induced mild diabetic rats during fasting blood glucose (FBG) and glucose tolerance test (GTT) studies. In order to determine the extract's antidiabetic potential long-term FBG and post prandial glucose (PPG) studies were also carried out. Most effective dose of 200 mg kg -1 of CMSE decreases the blood glucose level (BGL) in normal rats by 29.02% at 6 h during FBG studies and 23.23% at 3 h during GTT. However, the maximum reduction observed in BGL of mild diabetic rats during GTT the same interval of time was 26.15%. Moreover, in case of severely diabetic rats a significant reduction of 39.33% was observed in FBG levels whereas, in case of positive control, rats treated with 2.5 mg kg -1 of glipizide, a fall of 42.9% in FBG levels was observed after 28 days. Results of PPG level also showed a fall of 33.20% in severely diabetic rats as compared to the positive control showing a fall of 44.2% at the end of the 28 days. Thus, the present study validate the hypoglycemic and antidiabetic effect of CMSE and hence this extract could be explored further for developing as a novel antidiabetic agent.

Cephalometric landmark detection in dental x-ray images using convolutional neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hansang; Park, Minseok; Kim, Junmo

2017-03-01

In dental X-ray images, an accurate detection of cephalometric landmarks plays an important role in clinical diagnosis, treatment and surgical decisions for dental problems. In this work, we propose an end-to-end deep learning system for cephalometric landmark detection in dental X-ray images, using convolutional neural networks (CNN). For detecting 19 cephalometric landmarks in dental X-ray images, we develop a detection system using CNN-based coordinate-wise regression systems. By viewing x- and y-coordinates of all landmarks as 38 independent variables, multiple CNN-based regression systems are constructed to predict the coordinate variables from input X-ray images. First, each coordinate variable is normalized by the length of either height or width of an image. For each normalized coordinate variable, a CNN-based regression system is trained on training images and corresponding coordinate variable, which is a variable to be regressed. We train 38 regression systems with the same CNN structure on coordinate variables, respectively. Finally, we compute 38 coordinate variables with these trained systems from unseen images and extract 19 landmarks by pairing the regressed coordinates. In experiments, the public database from the Grand Challenges in Dental X-ray Image Analysis in ISBI 2015 was used and the proposed system showed promising performance by successfully locating the cephalometric landmarks within considerable margins from the ground truths.

Extracting Forest Canopy Characteristics from Remote Sensing Imagery: Implications for Sentinel-2 Mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gholizadeh, Asa; Kopaekova, Veronika; Rogass, Christian; Mielke, Christian; Misurec, Jan

2016-08-01

Systematic quantification and monitoring of forest biophysical and biochemical variables is required to assess the response of ecosystems to climate change. Remote sensing has been introduced as a time and cost- efficient way to carry out large scale monitoring of vegetation parameters. Red-Edge Position (REP) is a hyperspectrally detectable parameter which is sensitive to vegetation Chl. In the current study, REP was modelled for the Norway spruce forest canopy resampled to HyMap and Sentinel-2 spectral resolution as well as calculated from the real HyMap and Sentinel-2 simulated data. Different REP extraction methods (4PLI, PF, LE, 4PLIH and 4PLIS) were assessed. The study showed the way for effective utilization of the forthcoming hyper and superspectral remote sensing sensors from orbit to monitor vegetation attributes.

Human beta-globin gene polymorphisms characterized in DNA extracted from ancient bones 12,000 years old.

PubMed

Béraud-Colomb, E; Roubin, R; Martin, J; Maroc, N; Gardeisen, A; Trabuchet, G; Goosséns, M

1995-12-01

Analyzing the nuclear DNA from ancient human bones is an essential step to the understanding of genetic diversity in current populations, provided that such systematic studies are experimentally feasible. This article reports the successful extraction and amplification of nuclear DNA from the beta-globin region from 5 of 10 bone specimens up to 12,000 years old. These have been typed for beta-globin frameworks by sequencing through two variable positions and for a polymorphic (AT) chi (T) gamma microsatellite 500 bp upstream of the beta-globin gene. These specimens of human remains are somewhat older than those analyzed in previous nuclear gene sequencing reports and considerably older than those used to study high-copy-number human mtDNA. These results show that the systematic study of nuclear DNA polymorphisms of ancient populations is feasible.

An exploratory clustering approach for extracting stride parameters from tracking collars on free-ranging wild animals.

PubMed

Dewhirst, Oliver P; Roskilly, Kyle; Hubel, Tatjana Y; Jordan, Neil R; Golabek, Krystyna A; McNutt, J Weldon; Wilson, Alan M

2017-02-01

Changes in stride frequency and length with speed are key parameters in animal locomotion research. They are commonly measured in a laboratory on a treadmill or by filming trained captive animals. Here, we show that a clustering approach can be used to extract these variables from data collected by a tracking collar containing a GPS module and tri-axis accelerometers and gyroscopes. The method enables stride parameters to be measured during free-ranging locomotion in natural habitats. As it does not require labelled data, it is particularly suitable for use with difficult to observe animals. The method was tested on large data sets collected from collars on free-ranging lions and African wild dogs and validated using a domestic dog. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Nutrient digestibility of vegetables waste flour on male quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pramono, A.; Primadhani, M. S.; Swastike, W.; Sutrisno, J.

2018-03-01

The aim of this research is to determine the nutrient digestibility of vegetables waste flour on of male quail. Four hundred male quails were divided into four groups with five replications. The experiment is Completely Randomized Design and the data were analyzed by analyses of variants. The experimental diets were P0 = basal diet, P1 = 97% basal diet + 3% vegetables waste flour, P2 = 94% basal diet + 6% vegetables waste flour, and P3 = 91% basal diet + 9% vegetables waste flour. The observed variables were the digestibility of dry matter, crude protein and extract ether. Result showed that of the addition of vegetable waste flour in the diet had no effect on crude protein digestibility (P>0.05), however shown significant effect on dry matter (P <0.01) and extract ether (P <0.01) digestibility.

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of amino acids from grapes.

PubMed

Carrera, Ceferino; Ruiz-Rodríguez, Ana; Palma, Miguel; Barroso, Carmelo G

2015-01-01

Recent cultivar techniques on vineyards can have a marked influence on the final nitrogen content of grapes, specifically individual amino acid contents. Furthermore, individual amino acid contents in grapes are related to the final aromatic composition of wines. A new ultrasound-assisted method for the extraction of amino acids from grapes has been developed. Several extraction variables, including solvent (water/ethanol mixtures), solvent pH (2-7), temperature (10-70°C), ultrasonic power (20-70%) and ultrasonic frequency (0.2-1.0s(-)(1)), were optimized to guarantee full recovery of the amino acids from grapes. An experimental design was employed to optimize the extraction parameters. The surface response methodology was used to evaluate the effects of the extraction variables. The analytical properties of the new method were established, including limit of detection (average value 1.4mmolkg(-)(1)), limit of quantification (average value 2.6mmolkg(-)(1)), repeatability (average RSD=12.9%) and reproducibility (average RSD=15.7%). Finally, the new method was applied to three cultivars of white grape throughout the ripening period. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding the Global Variability in Thermospheric Nitric Oxide Flux Using Empirical Orthogonal Functions (EOFs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flynn, Sierra; Knipp, Delores J.; Matsuo, Tomoko; Mlynczak, Martin; Hunt, Linda

2018-05-01

We present the first-ever global assessment of thermospheric nitric oxide infrared radiative flux (NOF) variability. NOF (W/m2) from 100- to 250-km altitude is extracted from 13.7 years of data from the TIMED satellite, Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) instrument, and decomposed into four empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) and their amplitudes. We determine the strongest modes of NOF variability in the data set and develop a compact model of NOF. The first four EOFs account for 83% of the variability in the data. We illustrate the NOF model and discuss the geophysical associations of the EOFs. The first EOF represents 69% of the total variance and correlates strongly with Kp and solar shortwave flux, suggesting that geomagnetic activity and solar weather account for a large portion of NOF variability. EOF 2 shows annual and seasonal variations, possibly due to annual and seasonal thermospheric composition and temperature changes and may represent the chemical breathing mode of NOF. EOF 3 shows annual variations and correlates with solar energetic particle events and X-flares. EOF 3 may represent winter time solar energetic particle event-enhanced diurnal tide effects. EOF 4 suggests a meridional transport mechanism at the predawn and postdusk equator after strong storms. The EOF uncertainty is verified using cross-validation analysis. Quantifying the spatial and temporal variabilities of NOF using eigenmodes will increase the understanding of how upper atmospheric nitric oxide cooling behaves and could increase the accuracy of future space weather and climate models.

Revealing the inner accretion flow around black holes using rapid variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Axelsson, Magnus

2015-08-01

The geometry of the inner accretion flow of X-ray binaries is complex, with multiple regions contributing to the observed emission. Frequency-resolved spectroscopy is a powerful tool in breaking this spectral degeneracy. We have extracted the spectra of the strong low-frequency quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) and its harmonic in GX339-4 and XTE J1550-564. We compare these to the time-averaged spectrum and the spectrum of the rapid (< 0.1s) variability. Our results support the picture where the QPO arises from vertical (Lense-Thirring) precession of an inhomogeneous hot flow, so that it is softer at larger radii closer to the truncated disc, and harder in the innermost parts of the flow where the rapid variability is produced. This coupling between variability and spectra allows us to constrain the soft Comptonization component, breaking the degeneracy plaguing the time-averaged spectrum and revealing the geometry of the accretion flow close to the black hole. We further show how the upcoming launch of ASTRO-H will allow even more specific regions in the accretion flow to be probed.

Towards the automated analysis and database development of defibrillator data from cardiac arrest.

PubMed

Eftestøl, Trygve; Sherman, Lawrence D

2014-01-01

During resuscitation of cardiac arrest victims a variety of information in electronic format is recorded as part of the documentation of the patient care contact and in order to be provided for case review for quality improvement. Such review requires considerable effort and resources. There is also the problem of interobserver effects. We show that it is possible to efficiently analyze resuscitation episodes automatically using a minimal set of the available information. A minimal set of variables is defined which describe therapeutic events (compression sequences and defibrillations) and corresponding patient response events (annotated rhythm transitions). From this a state sequence representation of the resuscitation episode is constructed and an algorithm is developed for reasoning with this representation and extract review variables automatically. As a case study, the method is applied to the data abstraction process used in the King County EMS. The automatically generated variables are compared to the original ones with accuracies ≥ 90% for 18 variables and ≥ 85% for the remaining four variables. It is possible to use the information present in the CPR process data recorded by the AED along with rhythm and chest compression annotations to automate the episode review.

Latent variable modeling to analyze the effects of process parameters on the dissolution of paracetamol tablet

PubMed Central

Sun, Fei; Xu, Bing; Zhang, Yi; Dai, Shengyun; Shi, Xinyuan; Qiao, Yanjiang

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The dissolution is one of the critical quality attributes (CQAs) of oral solid dosage forms because it relates to the absorption of drug. In this paper, the influence of raw materials, granules and process parameters on the dissolution of paracetamol tablet was analyzed using latent variable modeling methods. The variability in raw materials and granules was understood based on the principle component analysis (PCA), respectively. A multi-block partial least squares (MBPLS) model was used to determine the critical factors affecting the dissolution. The results showed that the binder amount, the post granulation time, the API content in granule, the fill depth and the punch tip separation distance were the critical factors with variable importance in the projection (VIP) values larger than 1. The importance of each unit of the whole process was also ranked using the block importance in the projection (BIP) index. It was concluded that latent variable models (LVMs) were very useful tools to extract information from the available data and improve the understanding on dissolution behavior of paracetamol tablet. The obtained LVMs were also helpful to propose the process design space and to design control strategies in the further research. PMID:27689242

Mutual information-based feature selection for radiomics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oubel, Estanislao; Beaumont, Hubert; Iannessi, Antoine

2016-03-01

Background The extraction and analysis of image features (radiomics) is a promising field in the precision medicine era, with applications to prognosis, prediction, and response to treatment quantification. In this work, we present a mutual information - based method for quantifying reproducibility of features, a necessary step for qualification before their inclusion in big data systems. Materials and Methods Ten patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) lesions were followed over time (7 time points in average) with Computed Tomography (CT). Five observers segmented lesions by using a semi-automatic method and 27 features describing shape and intensity distribution were extracted. Inter-observer reproducibility was assessed by computing the multi-information (MI) of feature changes over time, and the variability of global extrema. Results The highest MI values were obtained for volume-based features (VBF). The lesion mass (M), surface to volume ratio (SVR) and volume (V) presented statistically significant higher values of MI than the rest of features. Within the same VBF group, SVR showed also the lowest variability of extrema. The correlation coefficient (CC) of feature values was unable to make a difference between features. Conclusions MI allowed to discriminate three features (M, SVR, and V) from the rest in a statistically significant manner. This result is consistent with the order obtained when sorting features by increasing values of extrema variability. MI is a promising alternative for selecting features to be considered as surrogate biomarkers in a precision medicine context.

Discrimination of rectal cancer through human serum using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Xiaozhou; Yang, Tianyue; Li, Siqi; Zhang, Su; Jin, Lili

2015-05-01

In this paper, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was used to detect the changes in blood serum components that accompany rectal cancer. The differences in serum SERS data between rectal cancer patients and healthy controls were examined. Postoperative rectal cancer patients also participated in the comparison to monitor the effects of cancer treatments. The results show that there are significant variations at certain wavenumbers which indicates alteration of corresponding biological substances. Principal component analysis (PCA) and parameters of intensity ratios were used on the original SERS spectra for the extraction of featured variables. These featured variables then underwent linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and classification and regression tree (CART) for the discrimination analysis. Accuracies of 93.5 and 92.4 % were obtained for PCA-LDA and parameter-CART, respectively.

Fast and Accurate Multivariate Gaussian Modeling of Protein Families: Predicting Residue Contacts and Protein-Interaction Partners

PubMed Central

Feinauer, Christoph; Procaccini, Andrea; Zecchina, Riccardo; Weigt, Martin; Pagnani, Andrea

2014-01-01

In the course of evolution, proteins show a remarkable conservation of their three-dimensional structure and their biological function, leading to strong evolutionary constraints on the sequence variability between homologous proteins. Our method aims at extracting such constraints from rapidly accumulating sequence data, and thereby at inferring protein structure and function from sequence information alone. Recently, global statistical inference methods (e.g. direct-coupling analysis, sparse inverse covariance estimation) have achieved a breakthrough towards this aim, and their predictions have been successfully implemented into tertiary and quaternary protein structure prediction methods. However, due to the discrete nature of the underlying variable (amino-acids), exact inference requires exponential time in the protein length, and efficient approximations are needed for practical applicability. Here we propose a very efficient multivariate Gaussian modeling approach as a variant of direct-coupling analysis: the discrete amino-acid variables are replaced by continuous Gaussian random variables. The resulting statistical inference problem is efficiently and exactly solvable. We show that the quality of inference is comparable or superior to the one achieved by mean-field approximations to inference with discrete variables, as done by direct-coupling analysis. This is true for (i) the prediction of residue-residue contacts in proteins, and (ii) the identification of protein-protein interaction partner in bacterial signal transduction. An implementation of our multivariate Gaussian approach is available at the website http://areeweb.polito.it/ricerca/cmp/code. PMID:24663061

Daily estimates of the migrating tide and zonal mean temperature in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere derived from SABER data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortland, David A.

2017-04-01

Satellites provide a global view of the structure in the fields that they measure. In the mesosphere and lower thermosphere, the dominant features in these fields at low zonal wave number are contained in the zonal mean, quasi-stationary planetary waves, and tide components. Due to the nature of the satellite sampling pattern, stationary, diurnal, and semidiurnal components are aliased and spectral methods are typically unable to separate the aliased waves over short time periods. This paper presents a data processing scheme that is able to recover the daily structure of these waves and the zonal mean state. The method is validated by using simulated data constructed from a mechanistic model, and then applied to Sounding of the Atmosphere using Broadband Emission Radiometry (SABER) temperature measurements. The migrating diurnal tide extracted from SABER temperatures for 2009 has a seasonal variability with peak amplitude (20 K at 95 km) in February and March and minimum amplitude (less than 5 K at 95 km) in early June and early December. Higher frequency variability includes a change in vertical structure and amplitude during the major stratospheric warming in January. The migrating semidiurnal tide extracted from SABER has variability on a monthly time scale during January through March, minimum amplitude in April, and largest steady amplitudes from May through September. Modeling experiments were performed that show that much of the variability on seasonal time scales in the migrating tides is due to changes in the mean flow structure and the superposition of the tidal responses to water vapor heating in the troposphere and ozone heating in the stratosphere and lower mesosphere.

Aberrant Classopollis pollen reveals evidence for unreduced (2n) pollen in the conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae during the Triassic-Jurassic transition.

PubMed

Kürschner, Wolfram M; Batenburg, Sietske J; Mander, Luke

2013-10-07

Polyploidy (or whole-genome doubling) is a key mechanism for plant speciation leading to new evolutionary lineages. Several lines of evidence show that most species among flowering plants had polyploidy ancestry, but it is virtually unknown for conifers. Here, we study variability in pollen tetrad morphology and the size of the conifer pollen type Classopollis extracted from sediments of the Triassic-Jurassic transition, 200 Ma. Classopollis producing Cheirolepidiaceae were one of the most dominant and diverse groups of conifers during the Mesozoic. We show that aberrant pollen Classopollis tetrads, triads and dyads, and the large variation in pollen size indicates the presence of unreduced (2n) pollen, which is one of the main mechanisms in modern polyploid formation. Polyploid speciation may explain the high variability of growth forms and adaptation of these conifers to different environments and their resistance to extreme growth conditions. We suggest that polyploidy may have also reduced the extinction risk of these conifers during the End-Triassic biotic crisis.

Signal and noise extraction from analog memory elements for neuromorphic computing.

PubMed

Gong, N; Idé, T; Kim, S; Boybat, I; Sebastian, A; Narayanan, V; Ando, T

2018-05-29

Dense crossbar arrays of non-volatile memory (NVM) can potentially enable massively parallel and highly energy-efficient neuromorphic computing systems. The key requirements for the NVM elements are continuous (analog-like) conductance tuning capability and switching symmetry with acceptable noise levels. However, most NVM devices show non-linear and asymmetric switching behaviors. Such non-linear behaviors render separation of signal and noise extremely difficult with conventional characterization techniques. In this study, we establish a practical methodology based on Gaussian process regression to address this issue. The methodology is agnostic to switching mechanisms and applicable to various NVM devices. We show tradeoff between switching symmetry and signal-to-noise ratio for HfO 2 -based resistive random access memory. Then, we characterize 1000 phase-change memory devices based on Ge 2 Sb 2 Te 5 and separate total variability into device-to-device variability and inherent randomness from individual devices. These results highlight the usefulness of our methodology to realize ideal NVM devices for neuromorphic computing.

A PCA aided cross-covariance scheme for discriminative feature extraction from EEG signals.

PubMed

Zarei, Roozbeh; He, Jing; Siuly, Siuly; Zhang, Yanchun

2017-07-01

Feature extraction of EEG signals plays a significant role in Brain-computer interface (BCI) as it can significantly affect the performance and the computational time of the system. The main aim of the current work is to introduce an innovative algorithm for acquiring reliable discriminating features from EEG signals to improve classification performances and to reduce the time complexity. This study develops a robust feature extraction method combining the principal component analysis (PCA) and the cross-covariance technique (CCOV) for the extraction of discriminatory information from the mental states based on EEG signals in BCI applications. We apply the correlation based variable selection method with the best first search on the extracted features to identify the best feature set for characterizing the distribution of mental state signals. To verify the robustness of the proposed feature extraction method, three machine learning techniques: multilayer perceptron neural networks (MLP), least square support vector machine (LS-SVM), and logistic regression (LR) are employed on the obtained features. The proposed methods are evaluated on two publicly available datasets. Furthermore, we evaluate the performance of the proposed methods by comparing it with some recently reported algorithms. The experimental results show that all three classifiers achieve high performance (above 99% overall classification accuracy) for the proposed feature set. Among these classifiers, the MLP and LS-SVM methods yield the best performance for the obtained feature. The average sensitivity, specificity and classification accuracy for these two classifiers are same, which are 99.32%, 100%, and 99.66%, respectively for the BCI competition dataset IVa and 100%, 100%, and 100%, for the BCI competition dataset IVb. The results also indicate the proposed methods outperform the most recently reported methods by at least 0.25% average accuracy improvement in dataset IVa. The execution time results show that the proposed method has less time complexity after feature selection. The proposed feature extraction method is very effective for getting representatives information from mental states EEG signals in BCI applications and reducing the computational complexity of classifiers by reducing the number of extracted features. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Predicting organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations in runoff from peat extraction sites using partial least squares regression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tuukkanen, T.; Marttila, H.; Kløve, B.

2017-07-01

Organic matter and nutrient export from drained peatlands is affected by complex hydrological and biogeochemical interactions. Here partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to relate various soil and catchment characteristics to variations in chemical oxygen demand (COD), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) concentrations in runoff. Peat core samples and water quality data were collected from 15 peat extraction sites in Finland. PLSR models constructed by cross-validation and variable selection routines predicted 92, 88, and 95% of the variation in mean COD, TN, and TP concentration in runoff, respectively. The results showed that variations in COD were mainly related to net production (temperature and water-extractable dissolved organic carbon (DOC)), hydrology (topographical relief), and solubility of dissolved organic matter (peat sulfur (S) and calcium (Ca) concentrations). Negative correlations for peat S and runoff COD indicated that acidity from oxidation of organic S stored in peat may be an important mechanism suppressing organic matter leaching. Moreover, runoff COD was associated with peat aluminum (Al), P, and sodium (Na) concentrations. Hydrological controls on TN and COD were similar (i.e., related to topography), whereas degree of humification, bulk density, and water-extractable COD and Al provided additional explanations for TN concentration. Variations in runoff TP concentration were attributed to erosion of particulate P, as indicated by a positive correlation with suspended sediment concentration (SSC), and factors associated with metal-humic complexation and P adsorption (peat Al, water-extractable P, and water-extractable iron (Fe)).

In vitro Study of Noni Juice Extract Waste (Morinda citrifolia L.) and Pineapple Industrial Wastes (Ananas comosus L. Merr) as Energy Supplement in Dairy Goat Ration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evvyernie, D.; Tjakradidjaja, A. S.; Permana, I. G.; Toharmat, T.; Insani, A.

2018-02-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the potency of noni juice extract waste (Morinda citrifolia L.) and pineapple industrial wastes (Ananas comosus L. Merr) as an energy supplement in dairy goat ration through in vitro study. This study used a complete randomized design with 5 treatments and 3 rumen fluid groups. The treatments were R0 as control (60% Napier grass (NG) + 40% concentrate), R1 (45% NG + 15% noni juice extract waste + 40% concentrate) + R2 (45% NG + 15% noni juice extract waste ammoniated + 40% concentrate), R3 (45% NG + 15% pineapple peel + 40% concentrate), and R4 (45% NG + 15% pineapple crown + 40% concentrate). The variables were totalbacterial population, protozoal population, fermentation characteristic (total VFA and NH3 concentration), and digestibility (dry matter and organic matter).Data were analyzed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) and differences among treatments were determined by orthogonal contrast.The results showed that total VFA concentration was significant increased (P<0.05) by replacing 25% napier grass with noni juice extract waste (R1)or very significant increased(P<0.01) by replacing the grass with pineapple peel (R3). The average increasing of total VFA concentration was 74% compared to control. As conclusions, 15% pineapple peel or 15% noni juice extract waste can use as an energy supplement by replacing 25% of napier grass in lactating dairy goat ration.

Cyclodextrin based polymer sorbents for micro-solid phase extraction followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry in determination of endogenous steroids.

PubMed

Manaf, Normaliza Abdul; Saad, Bahruddin; Mohamed, Mohamed H; Wilson, Lee D; Latiff, Aishah A

2018-03-30

Sorbents were prepared by cross-linking β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) using two different types of cross-linker units at variable reactant mole ratios. The resulting polymers containing β-CD were evaluated as sorbents in micro-solid phase extraction (μ-SPE) format for the extraction of the endogenous steroids testosterone (T), epitestosterone (E), androsterone (A), etiocholanolone (Etio), 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol (5αAdiol) and 5β-androstane-3α,17β-diol (5βAdiol). The best sorbent (C1; cyclodextrin polymer) showed superior extraction characteristics compared with commercial sorbents (C18 and Bond Elut Plexa). Parameters influencing the extraction efficiency of the C1 sorbent such as extraction and desorption times, desorption solvent and volume of sample were investigated. The extracts were separated using a Hypersil Gold column (50 × 2.1 mm, 1.9 μm) under gradient elution coupled to a LC-MS/MS. The compounds were successfully separated within 8 min. The method offers good repeatability (RSD < 10%) and linearity (r 2  > 0.995) were within the range of 1-200 ng mL -1 for T and E, 250-4000 ng mL -1 for A and Etio and 25-500 ng mL -1 for 5αAdiol and 5βAdiol, respectively. The method was applied for the determination of steroid profile of urine from volunteers. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Growth, hydrolases and ultrastructure of Fusarium oxysporum as affected by phenolic rich extracts from several xerophytic plants.

PubMed

Mohamed, Mahmoud S M; Saleh, Ahmed M; Abdel-Farid, Ibrahim B; El-Naggar, Sabry A

2017-09-01

Fusarium oxysporum, the causal agent of rot and wilt diseases, is one of the most detrimental phytopathogens for the productivity of many economic crops. The present study was conducted to evaluate the potentiality of some xerophytic plants as eco-friendly approach for management of F. oxysporum. Phenolic rich extracts from five plants namely: Horwoodia dicksoniae, Citrullus colocynthis, Gypsophila capillaris, Pulicaria incisa and Rhanterium epapposum were examined in vitro. The different extracts showed high variability in their phenolic and flavonoid contents as well as total antioxidant capacity. A strong positive correlation existed between the antifungal activity of the tested extracts and their contents of both total phenolics and flavonoids (r values are 0.91 and 0.82, respectively). Extract of P. incisa was the most effective in reducing the mycelial growth (IC 50 =0.92mg/ml) and inhibiting the activities of CMCase, pectinase, amylase and protease by 36, 42, 58 and 55%, respectively. The high performance liquid chromatography analysis of P. incisa extract revealed the presence of eight phenolic acids along with five polyphenolic compounds. The flavonol, quercetin and its glycosides rutin and quercetrin were the most abundant followed by the phenolic acids, t-cinnamic, caffeic, ferulic and vanillic. P. incisa extract not only affects the growth and hydrolases of F. oxysporum but also induces ultrastructure changes in the mycelium, as revealed by transmission electron microscopy. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the mechanisms underlying the antifungal activity of P. incisa. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemical characterization and extractives composition of heartwood and sapwood from Quercus faginea.

PubMed

Miranda, Isabel; Sousa, Vicelina; Ferreira, Joana; Pereira, Helena

2017-01-01

Heartwood and sapwood of Quercus faginea were evaluated in relation to summative chemical composition and non-polar and polar extracts composition, including an assessment of antioxidant properties (DPPH and FRAP). Twenty trees from two sites in Portugal were analysed. Heartwood had approximately two times more solvent extractible compounds than sapwood (on average 19.0% and 9.5%). The lipophilic extractible compounds were below 1%, and most of them were polar e.g. ethanol-soluble compounds corresponded to 65% of total extractives in heartwood and 43% in sapwood. Lignin content was similar in sapwood and heartwood (28.1% and 28.6% of extractive-free wood respectively) as well as the sugar composition. Site did not influence the chemical composition. The lipophilic extractible compounds from both sapwood and heartwood included mainly saturated fatty acids (23.0% and 36.9% respectively) and aromatic compounds were also abundant in sapwood (22.9%). The ethanol-water extractibles had a high content of phenolic substances (558.0 and 319.4 mg GAE/g extract, respectively of heartwood and sapwood). The polyphenolic composition was similar in heartwood and sapwood with higher content of ellagitannins (168.9 and 153.5 mg tannic acid/g of extract in sapwood and heartwood respectively) and very low content of condensed tannins. The antioxidant activity was very high with IC50 of 2.6 μg/ml and 3.3 μg/ml for sapwood and heartwood respectively, as compared to standard antioxidants (IC50 of 3.8 μg/ml for Trolox). The ferric reducing ability was 2.8 and 2.0 mMol Trolox equivalents/g extract of heartwood and sapwood respectively. The variability between trees was low and no differences between the two sites were found. Q. faginea showed a very good potential for cooperage and other applications for which a source of compounds with antioxidant properties is desirable.

Chemical characterization and extractives composition of heartwood and sapwood from Quercus faginea

PubMed Central

Miranda, Isabel; Sousa, Vicelina; Ferreira, Joana; Pereira, Helena

2017-01-01

Heartwood and sapwood of Quercus faginea were evaluated in relation to summative chemical composition and non-polar and polar extracts composition, including an assessment of antioxidant properties (DPPH and FRAP). Twenty trees from two sites in Portugal were analysed. Heartwood had approximately two times more solvent extractible compounds than sapwood (on average 19.0% and 9.5%). The lipophilic extractible compounds were below 1%, and most of them were polar e.g. ethanol-soluble compounds corresponded to 65% of total extractives in heartwood and 43% in sapwood. Lignin content was similar in sapwood and heartwood (28.1% and 28.6% of extractive-free wood respectively) as well as the sugar composition. Site did not influence the chemical composition. The lipophilic extractible compounds from both sapwood and heartwood included mainly saturated fatty acids (23.0% and 36.9% respectively) and aromatic compounds were also abundant in sapwood (22.9%). The ethanol-water extractibles had a high content of phenolic substances (558.0 and 319.4 mg GAE/g extract, respectively of heartwood and sapwood). The polyphenolic composition was similar in heartwood and sapwood with higher content of ellagitannins (168.9 and 153.5 mg tannic acid/g of extract in sapwood and heartwood respectively) and very low content of condensed tannins. The antioxidant activity was very high with IC50 of 2.6 μg/ml and 3.3 μg/ml for sapwood and heartwood respectively, as compared to standard antioxidants (IC50 of 3.8 μg/ml for Trolox). The ferric reducing ability was 2.8 and 2.0 mMol Trolox equivalents/g extract of heartwood and sapwood respectively. The variability between trees was low and no differences between the two sites were found. Q. faginea showed a very good potential for cooperage and other applications for which a source of compounds with antioxidant properties is desirable. PMID:28614371

Assessing oral bioaccessibility of trace elements in soils under worst-case scenarios by automated in-line dynamic extraction as a front end to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry.

PubMed

Rosende, María; Magalhães, Luis M; Segundo, Marcela A; Miró, Manuel

2014-09-09

A novel biomimetic extraction procedure that allows for the in-line handing of ≥400 mg solid substrates is herein proposed for automatic ascertainment of trace element (TE) bioaccessibility in soils under worst-case conditions as per recommendations of ISO norms. A unified bioaccessibility/BARGE method (UBM)-like physiological-based extraction test is evaluated for the first time in a dynamic format for accurate assessment of in-vitro bioaccessibility of Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in forest and residential-garden soils by on-line coupling of a hybrid flow set-up to inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrometry. Three biologically relevant operational extraction modes mimicking: (i) gastric juice extraction alone; (ii) saliva and gastric juice composite in unidirectional flow extraction format and (iii) saliva and gastric juice composite in a recirculation mode were thoroughly investigated. The extraction profiles of the three configurations using digestive fluids were proven to fit a first order reaction kinetic model for estimating the maximum TE bioaccessibility, that is, the actual worst-case scenario in human risk assessment protocols. A full factorial design, in which the sample amount (400-800 mg), the extractant flow rate (0.5-1.5 mL min(-1)) and the extraction temperature (27-37°C) were selected as variables for the multivariate optimization studies in order to obtain the maximum TE extractability. Two soils of varied physicochemical properties were analysed and no significant differences were found at the 0.05 significance level between the summation of leached concentrations of TE in gastric juice plus the residual fraction and the total concentration of the overall assayed metals determined by microwave digestion. These results showed the reliability and lack of bias (trueness) of the automatic biomimetic extraction approach using digestive juices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In vitro antibacterial activity of seven Indian spices against high level gentamicin resistant strains of enterococci

PubMed Central

Bipin, Chapagain; Chitra, Pai (Bhat); Minakshi, Bhattacharjee

2015-01-01

Introduction The aim of the study was to explore the in vitro antibacterial activity of seven ethanolic extracts of spices against high level gentamicin resistant (HLGR) enterococci isolated from human clinical samples. Material and methods Two hundred and fifteen enterococcal strains were isolated from clinical samples. High level gentamicin resistance in ethanolic extracts of cumin (Cuminum cyminum), cinnamon (Cinnamomum zeylanicum), ginger (Zingiber officinale), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum), cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum Maton) and black pepper (Piper nigrum) were prepared using Soxhlet apparatus. The antibacterial effect of the extracts was studied using the well diffusion method. Statistical analysis was carried out by χ2 test using SPSS 17 software. Results Only cinnamon and ginger were found to have activity against all the isolates, whereas cumin and cloves had a variable effect on the strains. Fenugreek, black pepper and cardamom did not show any effect on the isolates. The zone diameter of inhibition obtained for cinnamon, ginger, cloves and cumin was in the range 31–34 mm, 27–30 mm, 25–26 mm and 19–20 mm respectively. Conclusions Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Z. officinale showed the maximum antibacterial activity against the enterococcal isolates followed by S. aromaticum and C. cyminum. The findings of the study show that spices used in the study can contribute to the development of potential antimicrobial agents for inclusion in the anti-enterococcal treatment regimen. PMID:26322099

Ultrahigh hydrostatic pressure extraction of flavonoids from Epimedium koreanum Nakai

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hou, Lili; Zhang, Shouqin; Dou, Jianpeng; Zhu, Junjie; Liang, Qing

2011-02-01

Herba Epimedii is one of the most famous Chinese herbal medicines listed in the Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, as one of the representatives of traditional Chinese herb, it has been widely applied in the field of invigorate the kidney and strengthen 'Yang'. The attention to Epimedium extract has more and more increased in recent years. In this work, a novel extraction technique, ultra-high hydrostatic pressure extraction (UPE) technology was applied to extract the total flavonoids of E. koreanum. Three factors (pressure, ethanol concentration and extraction time) were chosen as the variables of extraction experiments, and the optimum UPE conditions were pressure 350 MPa; ethanol concentration 50% (v/v); extraction time 5 min. Compared with Supercritical CO2 extraction, Reflux extraction and Ultrasonic-assisted extraction, UPE has excellent advantages (shorter extraction time, higher yield, better antioxidant activity, lower energy consumption and eco-friendly).

Effect of acoustic frequency and power density on the aqueous ultrasonic-assisted extraction of grape pomace (Vitis vinifera L.) - a response surface approach.

PubMed

González-Centeno, María Reyes; Knoerzer, Kai; Sabarez, Henry; Simal, Susana; Rosselló, Carmen; Femenia, Antoni

2014-11-01

Aqueous ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) of grape pomace was investigated by Response Surface Methodology (RSM) to evaluate the effect of acoustic frequency (40, 80, 120kHz), ultrasonic power density (50, 100, 150W/L) and extraction time (5, 15, 25min) on total phenolics, total flavonols and antioxidant capacity. All the process variables showed a significant effect on the aqueous UAE of grape pomace (p<0.05). The Box-Behnken Design (BBD) generated satisfactory mathematical models which accurately explain the behavior of the system; allowing to predict both the extraction yield of phenolic and flavonol compounds, and also the antioxidant capacity of the grape pomace extracts. The optimal UAE conditions for all response factors were a frequency of 40kHz, a power density of 150W/L and 25min of extraction time. Under these conditions, the aqueous UAE would achieve a maximum of 32.31mg GA/100g fw for total phenolics and 2.04mg quercetin/100g fw for total flavonols. Regarding the antioxidant capacity, the maximum predicted values were 53.47 and 43.66mg Trolox/100g fw for CUPRAC and FRAP assays, respectively. When comparing with organic UAE, in the present research, from 12% to 38% of total phenolic bibliographic values were obtained, but using only water as the extraction solvent, and applying lower temperatures and shorter extraction times. To the best of the authors' knowledge, no studies specifically addressing the optimization of both acoustic frequency and power density during aqueous-UAE of plant materials have been previously published. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multicenter Comparative Evaluation of Five Commercial Methods for Toxoplasma DNA Extraction from Amniotic Fluid▿

PubMed Central

Yera, H.; Filisetti, D.; Bastien, P.; Ancelle, T.; Thulliez, P.; Delhaes, L.

2009-01-01

Over the past few years, a number of new nucleic acid extraction methods and extraction platforms using chemistry combined with magnetic or silica particles have been developed, in combination with instruments to facilitate the extraction procedure. The objective of the present study was to investigate the suitability of these automated methods for the isolation of Toxoplasma gondii DNA from amniotic fluid (AF). Therefore, three automated procedures were compared to two commercialized manual extraction methods. The MagNA Pure Compact (Roche), BioRobot EZ1 (Qiagen), and easyMAG (bioMérieux) automated procedures were compared to two manual DNA extraction kits, the QIAamp DNA minikit (Qiagen) and the High Pure PCR template preparation kit (Roche). Evaluation was carried out with two specific Toxoplasma PCRs (targeting the 529-bp repeat element), inhibitor search PCRs, and human beta-globin PCRs. The samples each consisted of 4 ml of AF with or without a calibrated Toxoplasma gondii RH strain suspension (0, 1, 2.5, 5, and 25 tachyzoites/ml). All PCR assays were laboratory-developed real-time PCR assays, using either TaqMan or fluorescent resonance energy transfer probes. A total of 1,178 PCRs were performed, including 978 Toxoplasma PCRs. The automated and manual methods were similar in sensitivity for DNA extraction from T. gondii at the highest concentration (25 Toxoplasma gondii cells/ml). However, our results showed that the DNA extraction procedures led to variable efficacy in isolating low concentrations of tachyzoites in AF samples (<5 Toxoplasma gondii cells/ml), a difference that might have repercussions since low parasite concentrations in AF exist and can lead to congenital toxoplasmosis. PMID:19846633

Heat exposure of Cannabis sativa extracts affects the pharmacokinetic and metabolic profile in healthy male subjects.

PubMed

Eichler, Martin; Spinedi, Luca; Unfer-Grauwiler, Sandra; Bodmer, Michael; Surber, Christian; Luedi, Markus; Drewe, Juergen

2012-05-01

The most important psychoactive constituent of CANNABIS SATIVA L. is Δ (9)-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Cannabidiol (CBD), another important constituent, is able to modulate the distinct unwanted psychotropic effect of THC. In natural plant extracts of C. SATIVA, large amounts of THC and CBD appear in the form of THCA-A (THC-acid-A) and CBDA (cannabidiolic acid), which can be transformed to THC and CBD by heating. Previous reports of medicinal use of cannabis or cannabis preparations with higher CBD/THC ratios and use in its natural, unheated form have demonstrated that pharmacological effects were often accompanied with a lower rate of adverse effects. Therefore, in the present study, the pharmacokinetics and metabolic profiles of two different C. SATIVA extracts (heated and unheated) with a CBD/THC ratio > 1 were compared to synthetic THC (dronabinol) in a double-blind, randomized, single center, three-period cross-over study involving 9 healthy male volunteers. The pharmacokinetics of the cannabinoids was highly variable. The metabolic pattern was significantly different after administration of the different forms: the heated extract showed a lower median THC plasma AUC (24 h) than the unheated extract of 2.84 vs. 6.59 pmol h/mL, respectively. The later was slightly higher than that of dronabinol (4.58 pmol h/mL). On the other hand, the median sum of the metabolites (THC, 11-OH-THC, THC-COOH, CBN) plasma AUC (24 h) was higher for the heated than for the unheated extract. The median CBD plasma AUC (24 h) was almost 2-fold higher for the unheated than for the heated extract. These results indicate that use of unheated extracts may lead to a beneficial change in metabolic pattern and possibly better tolerability. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Learning Probabilistic Inference through Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity.

PubMed

Pecevski, Dejan; Maass, Wolfgang

2016-01-01

Numerous experimental data show that the brain is able to extract information from complex, uncertain, and often ambiguous experiences. Furthermore, it can use such learnt information for decision making through probabilistic inference. Several models have been proposed that aim at explaining how probabilistic inference could be performed by networks of neurons in the brain. We propose here a model that can also explain how such neural network could acquire the necessary information for that from examples. We show that spike-timing-dependent plasticity in combination with intrinsic plasticity generates in ensembles of pyramidal cells with lateral inhibition a fundamental building block for that: probabilistic associations between neurons that represent through their firing current values of random variables. Furthermore, by combining such adaptive network motifs in a recursive manner the resulting network is enabled to extract statistical information from complex input streams, and to build an internal model for the distribution p (*) that generates the examples it receives. This holds even if p (*) contains higher-order moments. The analysis of this learning process is supported by a rigorous theoretical foundation. Furthermore, we show that the network can use the learnt internal model immediately for prediction, decision making, and other types of probabilistic inference.

Learning Probabilistic Inference through Spike-Timing-Dependent Plasticity123

PubMed Central

Pecevski, Dejan

2016-01-01

Abstract Numerous experimental data show that the brain is able to extract information from complex, uncertain, and often ambiguous experiences. Furthermore, it can use such learnt information for decision making through probabilistic inference. Several models have been proposed that aim at explaining how probabilistic inference could be performed by networks of neurons in the brain. We propose here a model that can also explain how such neural network could acquire the necessary information for that from examples. We show that spike-timing-dependent plasticity in combination with intrinsic plasticity generates in ensembles of pyramidal cells with lateral inhibition a fundamental building block for that: probabilistic associations between neurons that represent through their firing current values of random variables. Furthermore, by combining such adaptive network motifs in a recursive manner the resulting network is enabled to extract statistical information from complex input streams, and to build an internal model for the distribution p* that generates the examples it receives. This holds even if p* contains higher-order moments. The analysis of this learning process is supported by a rigorous theoretical foundation. Furthermore, we show that the network can use the learnt internal model immediately for prediction, decision making, and other types of probabilistic inference. PMID:27419214

Design of experiment approach for the process optimisation of microwave assisted extraction of lupeol from Ficus racemosa leaves using response surface methodology.

PubMed

Das, Anup Kumar; Mandal, Vivekananda; Mandal, Subhash C

2013-01-01

Triterpenoids are a group of important phytocomponents from Ficus racemosa (syn. Ficus glomerata Roxb.) that are known to possess diverse pharmacological activities and which have prompted the development of various extraction techniques and strategies for its better utilisation. To develop an effective, rapid and ecofriendly microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) strategy to optimise the extraction of a potent bioactive triterpenoid compound, lupeol, from young leaves of Ficus racemosa using response surface methodology (RSM) for industrial scale-up. Initially a Plackett-Burman design matrix was applied to identify the most significant extraction variables amongst microwave power, irradiation time, particle size, solvent:sample ratio loading, varying solvent strength and pre-leaching time on lupeol extraction. Among the six variables tested, microwave power, irradiation time and solvent-sample/loading ratio were found to have a significant effect (P < 0.05) on lupeol extraction and were fitted to a Box-Behnken-design-generated quadratic polynomial equation to predict optimal extraction conditions as well as to locate operability regions with maximum yield. The optimal conditions were microwave power of 65.67% of 700 W, extraction time of 4.27 min and solvent-sample ratio loading of 21.33 mL/g. Confirmation trials under the optimal conditions gave an experimental yield (18.52 µg/g of dry leaves) close to the RSM predicted value of 18.71 µg/g. Under the optimal conditions the mathematical model was found to be well fitted with the experimental data. The MAE was found to be a more rapid, convenient and appropriate extraction method, with a higher yield and lower solvent consumption when compared with conventional extraction techniques. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Optimization of cellulase-assisted extraction process and antioxidant activities of polysaccharides from Tricholoma mongolicum Imai.

PubMed

Zhao, Yong-Ming; Song, Jin-Hui; Wang, Jin; Yang, Jian-Ming; Wang, Zhi-Bao; Liu, Ying-Hui

2016-10-01

Tricholoma mongolicum Imai is a well-known edible and medicinal mushroom which in recent years has attracted increasing attention because of its bioactivities. In this study, water-soluble polysaccharides were extracted from T. mongolicum Imai by cellulase-assisted extraction and their antioxidant activities were investigated. In order to improve the yield of polysaccharides, four variables, cellulase amount (X1 ), pH (X2 ), temperature (X3 ) and extraction time (X4 ), were investigated with a Box-Behnken design. The optimal conditions were predicted to be cellulase amount of 20 g kg(-1) , pH of 4.0, temperature of 50 °C and extraction time of 127 min, with a predicted polysaccharide yield of 190.1 g kg(-1) . The actual yield of polysaccharides under these conditions was 189.6 g kg(-1) , which matched the predicted value well. The crude polysaccharides were purified to obtain four fractions, and characterization of each was carried out. In addition, antioxidant properties of four polysaccharides assessed by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryldydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl radical-scavenging assays indicated that polysaccharides from T. mongolicum Imai (TMIPs) possessed antioxidant activity in a dose-dependent manner. TMIPs show moderate antioxidant activities in vitro. Therefore it is suggested that TMIPs are potential natural antioxidants for use in functional foods. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

A novel molybdenum disulfide nanosheet self-assembled flower-like monolithic sorbent for solid-phase extraction with high efficiency and long service life.

PubMed

Ran, Fanpeng; Liu, Hongmei; Wang, Xiaoqi; Guo, Yong

2017-07-21

A novel material consisting of molybdenum disulfide (MoS 2 ) nanosheet that self-assemble into flower-like microspheres which aggregate to form a monolithic matrix with a micro or nano-scaled mesopore structure was successfully synthesized and used as an efficient sorbent for solid-phase extraction (SPE) due to its large specific adsorption area and good stability. The extraction properties of the as-prepared sorbent were evaluated by high-performance liquid chromatography with variable wavelength detection (HPLC-VWD) by analyzing four flavonoids (apigenin, quercetin, luteolin, and kaempferol). Under optimal conditions, the LODs and LOQs were found to be in the ranges of 0.1-0.25 and 0.4-0.5μgL -1 , respectively, and wide linear ranges were obtained with correlation coefficients (R) ranging from 0.9991 to 0.9996. Compared with commercial C18 and Alumina-N sorbents, the as-prepared sorbent showed high extraction efficiency at different concentrations of flavonoids. After 100 uses, the extraction ability of the self-assembled MoS 2 nanosheet monolithic sorbent had no evident decline, denoting a long service life. Finally, the SPE-HPLC-VWD method using the as-prepared sorbent was applied to flavonoid analysis in beverage samples with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Patient anxiety and surgical difficulty in impacted lower third molar extractions: a prospective cohort study.

PubMed

Aznar-Arasa, L; Figueiredo, R; Valmaseda-Castellón, E; Gay-Escoda, C

2014-09-01

Encountering patients who are fearful and anxious is common in dental practice and these factors can increase the complexity of dental procedures. A prospective cohort study was performed to assess whether patient anxiety influences the difficulty of impacted lower third molar extraction and to identify other predictive factors of surgical difficulty; 102 extractions done under local anaesthesia were assessed. Several preoperative variables were recorded (demographic, anatomical, and surgical) and patient anxiety was assessed through the use of various questionnaires. Extraction difficulty was measured using the operation time (OT) and a 100-mm visual analogue scale (difficulty VAS) completed by the surgeon. Patients with deep impacted third molars that required bone removal and tooth sectioning showed higher levels of preoperative anxiety. Significant correlations were found between questionnaire scores and the surgical difficulty (OT and difficulty VAS). OT was also related to age, depth of impaction, third molar angulations, proximity of the third molar roots to the mandibular canal, hard and soft tissue coverage, and the need to perform an ostectomy and tooth sectioning. Impacted lower third molar extraction is significantly more difficult in anxious patients. Other demographic, radiological, and surgical factors were also found to be significantly related to the surgical difficulty. Copyright © 2014 International Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Speciation of Se and DOC in soil solution and their relation to Se bioavailability.

PubMed

Weng, Liping; Vega, Flora Alonso; Supriatin, Supriatin; Bussink, Wim; Van Riemsdijk, Willem H

2011-01-01

A 0.01 M CaCl(2) extraction is often used to asses the bioavailability of plant nutrients in soils. However, almost no correlation was found between selenium (Se) in the soil extraction and Se content in grass. The recently developed anion Donnan membrane technique was used to analyze chemical speciation of Se in the 0.01 M CaCl(2) extractions of grassland soils and fractionation of DOC (dissolved organic carbon). The results show that most of Se (67-86%) in the extractions (15 samples) are colloidal-sized Se. Only 13-34% of extractable Se are selenate, selenite and small organic Se (<1 nm). Colloidal Se is, most likely, Se bound to or incorporated in colloidal-sized organic matter. The dominant form of small Se compounds (selenate, selenite/small organic compounds) depends on soil. A total of 47-85% of DOC is colloidal-sized and 15-53% are small organic molecules (<1 nm). In combination with soluble S (sulfur) and/or P (phosphor), concentration of small DOC can explain most of the variability of Se content in grass. The results indicate that mineralization of organic Se is the most important factor that controls Se availability in soils. Competition with sulfate and phosphate needs to be taken into account. Further research is needed to verify if concentration of small DOC is a good indicator of mineralization of soil organic matter.

New design of experiment combined with UV-Vis spectroscopy for extraction and estimation of polyphenols from Basil seeds, Red seeds, Sesame seeds and Ajwan seeds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mabood, Fazal; Gilani, Syed Abdullah; Hussain, Javid; Alshidani, Sulaiman; Alghawi, Said; Albroumi, Mohammed; Alameri, Saif; Jabeen, Farah; Hussain, Zahid; Al-Harrasi, Ahmed; Al Abri, Zahra K. M.; Farooq, Saima; Naureen, Zakira; Hamaed, Ahmad; Rasul Jan, M.; Shah, Jasmin

2017-05-01

New experimental designs for the extraction of polyphenols from different seeds including Basil seed, Red seed, Sesame seeds and Ajwan seeds were investigated. Four variables the concentration and volume of methanol and NaOH solutions as well as the temperature and time of extraction were varied to see their effect on total phenol extraction. The temperature was varied in the range from 25 °C to 200 °C while the time in the range from 30 to 200 minutes. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the extraction parameters. The estimation of polyphenols was measured through phenols reduction UV-Vis spectroscopic method of phosphotungstic-phosphomolybdic acids (Folin-Ciocalteu's reagent). Calibration curve was made by using tannic acid as a polyphenols standard in the concentration range from 0.1 to 10 ppm. The regression line obtained shows the value of correlation coefficient i.e. R = 0.930 and Root mean square error of cross validation (RMSEC) value of 0.0654. The Basil seeds were found containing the highest amount of total phenols i.e. 785.76 mg/100 g. While the Sesame seeds having the least amount i.e. 33.08 mg/100 g. The Ajwan seeds and the Red seeds are containing the medium amounts i.e. 379 mg/100 g and 220.54 mg/100 g respectively.

Response surface methodology based on central composite design as a chemometric tool for optimization of dispersive-solidification liquid-liquid microextraction for speciation of inorganic arsenic in environmental water samples.

PubMed

Asadollahzadeh, Mehdi; Tavakoli, Hamed; Torab-Mostaedi, Meisam; Hosseini, Ghaffar; Hemmati, Alireza

2014-06-01

Dispersive-solidification liquid-liquid microextraction (DSLLME) coupled with electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (ETAAS) was developed for preconcentration and determination of inorganic arsenic (III, V) in water samples. At pH=1, As(III) formed complex with ammonium pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (APDC) and extracted into the fine droplets of 1-dodecanol (extraction solvent) which were dispersed with ethanol (disperser solvent) into the water sample solution. After extraction, the organic phase was separated by centrifugation, and was solidified by transferring into an ice bath. The solidified solvent was transferred to a conical vial and melted quickly at room temperature. As(III) was determined in the melted organic phase while As(V) remained in the aqueous layer. Total inorganic As was determined after the reduction of the pentavalent forms of arsenic with sodium thiosulphate and potassium iodide. As(V) was calculated by difference between the concentration of total inorganic As and As(III). The variable of interest in the DSLLME method, such as the volume of extraction solvent and disperser solvent, pH, concentration of APDC (chelating agent), extraction time and salt effect, was optimized with the aid of chemometric approaches. First, in screening experiments, fractional factorial design (FFD) was used for selecting the variables which significantly affected the extraction procedure. Afterwards, the significant variables were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM) based on central composite design (CCD). In the optimum conditions, the proposed method has been successfully applied to the determination of inorganic arsenic in different environmental water samples and certified reference material (NIST RSM 1643e). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Comparison of ophthalmic sponges and extraction buffers for quantifying cytokine profiles in tears using Luminex technology

PubMed Central

Inic-Kanada, Aleksandra; Nussbaumer, Andrea; Montanaro, Jacqueline; Belij, Sandra; Schlacher, Simone; Stein, Elisabeth; Bintner, Nora; Merio, Margarethe; Zlabinger, Gerhard J.

2012-01-01

Purpose Evaluating cytokine profiles in tears could shed light on the pathogenesis of various ocular surface diseases. When collecting tears with the methods currently available, it is often not possible to avoid the tear reflex, which may give a different cytokine profile compared to basal tears. More importantly, tear collection with glass capillaries, the most widely used method for taking samples and the best method for avoiding tear reflex, is impractical for remote area field studies because it is tedious and time-consuming for health workers, who cannot collect tears from a large number of patients with this method in one day. Furthermore, this method is uncomfortable for anxious patients and children. Thus, tears are frequently collected using ophthalmic sponges. These sponges have the advantage that they are well tolerated by the patient, especially children, and enable standardization of the tear collection volume. The aim of this study was to compare various ophthalmic sponges and extraction buffers to optimize the tear collection method for field studies for subsequent quantification of cytokines in tears using the Luminex technology. Methods Three ophthalmic sponges, Merocel, Pro-ophta, and Weck-Cel, were tested. Sponges were presoaked with 25 cytokines/chemokines of known concentrations and eluted with seven different extraction buffers (EX1–EX7). To assess possible interference in the assay from the sponges, two standard curves were prepared in parallel: 1) cytokines of known concentrations with the extraction buffers and 2) cytokines of known concentrations loaded onto the sponges with the extraction buffers. Subsequently, a clinical assessment of the chosen sponge-buffer combination was performed with tears collected from four healthy subjects using 1) aspiration and 2) sponges. To quantify cytokine/chemokine recovery and the concentration in the tears, a 25-plex Cytokine Panel and the Luminex xMap were used. This platform enables simultaneous measurement of proinflammatory cytokines, Th1/Th2 distinguishing cytokines, nonspecific acting cytokines, and chemokines. Results We demonstrated the following: (i) 25 cytokines/chemokines expressed highly variable interactions with buffers and matrices. Several buffers enabled recovery of similar cytokine values (regulated and normal T cell expressed and secreted [RANTES], interleukin [IL]-13, IL-6, IL-8, IL-2R, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF]); others were highly variable (monocyte chemotactic protein-1 [MCP-1], monokine induced by interferon-gamma [MIG], IL-1β, IL-4, IL-7, and eotaxin). (ii) Various extraction buffers displayed significantly different recovery rates on the same sponge for the same cytokine/chemokine. (iii) The highest recovery rates were obtained with the Merocel ophthalmic sponge except for tumor necrosis factor-α: the Weck-Cel ophthalmic sponge showed the best results, either with cytokine standards loaded onto sponges or with tears collected from the inner canthus of the eye, using the sponge. (iv) IL-5, IL-10, and interferon-α were not detected in any tear sample from four normal human subjects. Twenty-two cytokines/chemokines that we detected were extracted from the Merocel sponge to a satisfactory recovery percentage. The recovery of IL-7 was significantly lower in the extracted Merocel sponge compared to the diluted tear samples. The cytokine/chemokine extraction from tears showed the same pattern of extraction that we observed for extracting the standards. Conclusions Simultaneous measurement of various cytokines using ophthalmic sponges yielded diverse results for various cytokines as the level of extraction differs noticeably for certain cytokines. A second set of controls (standard curves “with sponges”) should be used to delineate the extent of extraction for each cytokine to be analyzed. Many cytokines/chemokines were detected in tear samples collected with the Merocel sponge, including many that have been implicated in ocular surface disease. Luminex detection of cytokine/chemokine profiles of tears collected with Merocel sponges and extracted with buffer EX1 may be useful in clinical studies, for example, to assess cytokine profiles evaluation in ocular surface diseases. PMID:23233782

Comparison of ophthalmic sponges and extraction buffers for quantifying cytokine profiles in tears using Luminex technology.

PubMed

Inic-Kanada, Aleksandra; Nussbaumer, Andrea; Montanaro, Jacqueline; Belij, Sandra; Schlacher, Simone; Stein, Elisabeth; Bintner, Nora; Merio, Margarethe; Zlabinger, Gerhard J; Barisani-Asenbauer, Talin

2012-01-01

Evaluating cytokine profiles in tears could shed light on the pathogenesis of various ocular surface diseases. When collecting tears with the methods currently available, it is often not possible to avoid the tear reflex, which may give a different cytokine profile compared to basal tears. More importantly, tear collection with glass capillaries, the most widely used method for taking samples and the best method for avoiding tear reflex, is impractical for remote area field studies because it is tedious and time-consuming for health workers, who cannot collect tears from a large number of patients with this method in one day. Furthermore, this method is uncomfortable for anxious patients and children. Thus, tears are frequently collected using ophthalmic sponges. These sponges have the advantage that they are well tolerated by the patient, especially children, and enable standardization of the tear collection volume. The aim of this study was to compare various ophthalmic sponges and extraction buffers to optimize the tear collection method for field studies for subsequent quantification of cytokines in tears using the Luminex technology. Three ophthalmic sponges, Merocel, Pro-ophta, and Weck-Cel, were tested. Sponges were presoaked with 25 cytokines/chemokines of known concentrations and eluted with seven different extraction buffers (EX1-EX7). To assess possible interference in the assay from the sponges, two standard curves were prepared in parallel: 1) cytokines of known concentrations with the extraction buffers and 2) cytokines of known concentrations loaded onto the sponges with the extraction buffers. Subsequently, a clinical assessment of the chosen sponge-buffer combination was performed with tears collected from four healthy subjects using 1) aspiration and 2) sponges. To quantify cytokine/chemokine recovery and the concentration in the tears, a 25-plex Cytokine Panel and the Luminex xMap were used. This platform enables simultaneous measurement of proinflammatory cytokines, Th1/Th2 distinguishing cytokines, nonspecific acting cytokines, and chemokines. WE DEMONSTRATED THE FOLLOWING: (i) 25 cytokines/chemokines expressed highly variable interactions with buffers and matrices. Several buffers enabled recovery of similar cytokine values (regulated and normal T cell expressed and secreted [RANTES], interleukin [IL]-13, IL-6, IL-8, IL-2R, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor [GM-CSF]); others were highly variable (monocyte chemotactic protein-1 [MCP-1], monokine induced by interferon-gamma [MIG], IL-1β, IL-4, IL-7, and eotaxin). (ii) Various extraction buffers displayed significantly different recovery rates on the same sponge for the same cytokine/chemokine. (iii) The highest recovery rates were obtained with the Merocel ophthalmic sponge except for tumor necrosis factor-α: the Weck-Cel ophthalmic sponge showed the best results, either with cytokine standards loaded onto sponges or with tears collected from the inner canthus of the eye, using the sponge. (iv) IL-5, IL-10, and interferon-α were not detected in any tear sample from four normal human subjects. Twenty-two cytokines/chemokines that we detected were extracted from the Merocel sponge to a satisfactory recovery percentage. The recovery of IL-7 was significantly lower in the extracted Merocel sponge compared to the diluted tear samples. The cytokine/chemokine extraction from tears showed the same pattern of extraction that we observed for extracting the standards. Simultaneous measurement of various cytokines using ophthalmic sponges yielded diverse results for various cytokines as the level of extraction differs noticeably for certain cytokines. A second set of controls (standard curves "with sponges") should be used to delineate the extent of extraction for each cytokine to be analyzed. Many cytokines/chemokines were detected in tear samples collected with the Merocel sponge, including many that have been implicated in ocular surface disease. Luminex detection of cytokine/chemokine profiles of tears collected with Merocel sponges and extracted with buffer EX1 may be useful in clinical studies, for example, to assess cytokine profiles evaluation in ocular surface diseases.

Sequential fuzzy diagnosis method for motor roller bearing in variable operating conditions based on vibration analysis.

PubMed

Li, Ke; Ping, Xueliang; Wang, Huaqing; Chen, Peng; Cao, Yi

2013-06-21

A novel intelligent fault diagnosis method for motor roller bearings which operate under unsteady rotating speed and load is proposed in this paper. The pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution (PWVD) and the relative crossing information (RCI) methods are used for extracting the feature spectra from the non-stationary vibration signal measured for condition diagnosis. The RCI is used to automatically extract the feature spectrum from the time-frequency distribution of the vibration signal. The extracted feature spectrum is instantaneous, and not correlated with the rotation speed and load. By using the ant colony optimization (ACO) clustering algorithm, the synthesizing symptom parameters (SSP) for condition diagnosis are obtained. The experimental results shows that the diagnostic sensitivity of the SSP is higher than original symptom parameter (SP), and the SSP can sensitively reflect the characteristics of the feature spectrum for precise condition diagnosis. Finally, a fuzzy diagnosis method based on sequential inference and possibility theory is also proposed, by which the conditions of the machine can be identified sequentially as well.

Sequential Fuzzy Diagnosis Method for Motor Roller Bearing in Variable Operating Conditions Based on Vibration Analysis

PubMed Central

Li, Ke; Ping, Xueliang; Wang, Huaqing; Chen, Peng; Cao, Yi

2013-01-01

A novel intelligent fault diagnosis method for motor roller bearings which operate under unsteady rotating speed and load is proposed in this paper. The pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution (PWVD) and the relative crossing information (RCI) methods are used for extracting the feature spectra from the non-stationary vibration signal measured for condition diagnosis. The RCI is used to automatically extract the feature spectrum from the time-frequency distribution of the vibration signal. The extracted feature spectrum is instantaneous, and not correlated with the rotation speed and load. By using the ant colony optimization (ACO) clustering algorithm, the synthesizing symptom parameters (SSP) for condition diagnosis are obtained. The experimental results shows that the diagnostic sensitivity of the SSP is higher than original symptom parameter (SP), and the SSP can sensitively reflect the characteristics of the feature spectrum for precise condition diagnosis. Finally, a fuzzy diagnosis method based on sequential inference and possibility theory is also proposed, by which the conditions of the machine can be identified sequentially as well. PMID:23793021

Thermal effusivity measurement of conventional and organic coffee oils via photopyroelectric technique.

PubMed

Bedoya, A; Gordillo-Delgado, F; Cruz-Santillana, Y E; Plazas, J; Marin, E

2017-12-01

In this work, oil samples extracted from organic and conventional coffee beans were studied. A fatty acids profile analysis was done using gas chromatography and physicochemical analysis of density and acidity index to verify the oil purity. Additionally, Mid-Infrared Fourier Transform Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS) aided by Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to identify differences between the intensities of the absorption bands related to functional groups. Thermal effusivity values between 592±3 and 610±4Ws 1/2 m -2 K -1 were measured using the photopyroelectric technique in a front detection configuration. The acidity index was between 1.11 and 1.27% and the density changed between 0.921 and 0.94g/mL. These variables, as well as the extraction yield between 12,6 and 14,4%, showed a similar behavior than that observed for the thermal effusivity, demonstrating that this parameter can be used as a criterion for discrimination between oil samples extracted from organic and conventional coffee beans. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantification of caffeine, trigonelline and nicotinic acid in espresso coffee: the influence of espresso machines and coffee cultivars.

PubMed

Caprioli, Giovanni; Cortese, Manuela; Maggi, Filippo; Minnetti, Caterina; Odello, Luigi; Sagratini, Gianni; Vittori, Sauro

2014-06-01

Caffeine, trigonelline and nicotinic acid are important bioactive constituents of coffee. In this work, the combination of different water temperatures and pressures in the settings of the espresso coffee (EC) machine was evaluated, to assess how these factors influence how effectively caffeine, trigonelline and nicotinic acid are extracted from both Arabica and Robusta samples. The proposed analytical method, based on a high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system coupled to a variable wavelength detector (VWD), showed good linearity (R²> 0.9985) and good recoveries (71-92%); after validation for three monitored compounds, the method was used to analyze 20 commercial samples. The combination of a temperature of 92 °C and pressure at 7 or 9 bar seems to be the ideal setting for the most efficient extraction of these compounds and consequently for their intake; the compound extracted in the greatest quantity was caffeine, which was in the range of 116.87-199.68 mg in a 25 ml cup of coffee.

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

Wang, Shaobu; Lu, Shuai; Zhou, Ning

In interconnected power systems, dynamic model reduction can be applied on generators outside the area of interest to mitigate the computational cost with transient stability studies. This paper presents an approach of deriving the reduced dynamic model of the external area based on dynamic response measurements, which comprises of three steps, dynamic-feature extraction, attribution and reconstruction (DEAR). In the DEAR approach, a feature extraction technique, such as singular value decomposition (SVD), is applied to the measured generator dynamics after a disturbance. Characteristic generators are then identified in the feature attribution step for matching the extracted dynamic features with the highestmore » similarity, forming a suboptimal ‘basis’ of system dynamics. In the reconstruction step, generator state variables such as rotor angles and voltage magnitudes are approximated with a linear combination of the characteristic generators, resulting in a quasi-nonlinear reduced model of the original external system. Network model is un-changed in the DEAR method. Tests on several IEEE standard systems show that the proposed method gets better reduction ratio and response errors than the traditional coherency aggregation methods.« less

Influences of observation method, season, soil depth, land use and management practice on soil dissolvable organic carbon concentrations: A meta-analysis.

PubMed

Li, Siqi; Zheng, Xunhua; Liu, Chunyan; Yao, Zhisheng; Zhang, Wei; Han, Shenghui

2018-08-01

Quantifications of soil dissolvable organic carbon concentrations, together with other relevant variables, are needed to understand the carbon biogeochemistry of terrestrial ecosystems. Soil dissolvable organic carbon can generally be grouped into two incomparable categories. One is soil extractable organic carbon (EOC), which is measured by extracting with an aqueous extractant (distilled water or a salt solution). The other is soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which is measured by sampling soil water using tension-free lysimeters or tension samplers. The influences of observation methods, natural factors and management practices on the measured concentrations, which ranged from 2.5-3970 (mean: 69) mg kg -1 of EOC and 0.4-200 (mean: 12) mg L -1 of DOC, were investigated through a meta-analysis. The observation methods (e.g., extractant, extractant-to-soil ratio and pre-treatment) had significant effects on EOC concentrations. The most significant divergence (approximately 109%) occurred especially at the extractant of potassium sulfate (K 2 SO 4 ) solutions compared to distilled water. As EOC concentrations were significantly different (approximately 47%) between non-cultivated and cultivated soils, they were more suitable than DOC concentrations for assessing the influence of land use on soil dissolvable organic carbon levels. While season did not significantly affect EOC concentrations, DOC concentrations showed significant differences (approximately 50%) in summer and autumn compared to spring. For management practices, applications of crop residues and nitrogen fertilizers showed positive effects (approximately 23% to 91%) on soil EOC concentrations, while tillage displayed negative effects (approximately -17%), compared to no straw, no nitrogen fertilizer and no tillage. Compared to no nitrogen, applications of synthetic nitrogen also appeared to significantly enhance DOC concentrations (approximately 32%). However, further studies are needed in the future to confirm/investigate the effects of ecosystem management practices using standardized EOC measurement protocols or more DOC cases of field experiments. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cytotoxic activity of plants of family zygophyllaceae and euphorbiaceae.

PubMed

Dastagir, Ghulam; Hussain, Farrukh

2014-07-01

The methanolic and n-hexane extracts of studied plants showed significant toxicity to brine shrimps. The methanolic extract of Fagonia cretica had highest LD50 (117.72) value, while Peganum harmala showed low LD50 value (41.70) compared to n-hexane extract. The methanolic and n-hexane extracts of Tribulus terrestris showed similar LD50 values. The methanolic extract of Chrozophora tinctoria showed low LD50 value than the n-hexane extract. The methanolic extract of Ricinus communis showed highest LD50 value while the n-hexane extract showed lowest LD50 value. The LD50 value less than 100 was obtained for n-hexane extracts of Fagonia cretica, Peganum harmala and Ricinus communis. The n-hexane extracts of these plants also showed the highest toxicity as compare to methanolic extracts. The chemical constituents detected in the present investigation might be responsible for cytotoxic activity.

Detecting and interpreting distortions in hierarchical organization of complex time series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DroŻdŻ, Stanisław; OświÈ©cimka, Paweł

2015-03-01

Hierarchical organization is a cornerstone of complexity and multifractality constitutes its central quantifying concept. For model uniform cascades the corresponding singularity spectra are symmetric while those extracted from empirical data are often asymmetric. Using selected time series representing such diverse phenomena as price changes and intertransaction times in financial markets, sentence length variability in narrative texts, Missouri River discharge, and sunspot number variability as examples, we show that the resulting singularity spectra appear strongly asymmetric, more often left sided but in some cases also right sided. We present a unified view on the origin of such effects and indicate that they may be crucially informative for identifying the composition of the time series. One particularly intriguing case of this latter kind of asymmetry is detected in the daily reported sunspot number variability. This signals that either the commonly used famous Wolf formula distorts the real dynamics in expressing the largest sunspot numbers or, if not, that their dynamics is governed by a somewhat different mechanism.

Tannase production by Paecilomyces variotii.

PubMed

Battestin, Vania; Macedo, Gabriela Alves

2007-07-01

Surface response methodology was applied to the optimization of the laboratory scale production of tannase using a lineage of Paecilomyces variotii. A preliminary study was conducted to evaluate the effects of variables, including temperature ( degrees C), residue (%) (coffee husk:wheat bran), tannic acid (%) and salt solutions (%) on the production of tannase during 3, 5 and 7 days of fermentation. Among these variables, temperature, residues and tannic acid had significant effects on tannase production. The variables were optimized using surface response methodology. The best conditions for tannase production were: temperature (29-34 degrees C); tannic acid (8.5-14%); % residue (coffee husk:wheat bran 50:50) and incubation time of 5 days. The supplementation of external nitrogen and carbon sources at 0.4%, 0.8% and 1.2% concentration on tannase production were studied in the optimized medium. Three different nitrogen sources included yeast extract, ammonia nitrate and sodium nitrate along with carbon source (starch) were studied. Only ammonia nitrate showed a significant effect on tannase production. After the optimization process, the tannase activity increased 8.6-fold.

Predictive model of third molar eruption after second molar extraction.

PubMed

De-la-Rosa-Gay, Cristina; Valmaseda-Castellón, Eduard; Gay-Escoda, Cosme

2010-03-01

Extraction of second permanent molars is an option for providing space in orthodontic treatment. Although many articles have described its impact on the outcome, there are few data on the prognosis of the eruption of the adjacent third molars. The aims of this investigation were to provide predictive models of eruption of third molars after second permanent molar extraction and to validate them. A total of 48 patients (ages, 11-23 years) who had 128 second permanent molars (54 maxillary, 74 mandibular) extracted during orthodontic treatment were followed until eruption of the third molars was complete. A lineal regression model predicted the final angle of the third molars with the permanent first molar by using the variables of initial angle, jaw, and the developmental stage of the third molar. A logistic regression model predicted the probability of correct eruption by using the variables of initial angle, jaw, sex, age, and the developmental stage of the third molar. 2010 American Association of Orthodontists. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chemometric analysis for extraction of individual fluorescence spectrum and lifetimes from a target mixture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hallidy, William H. (Inventor); Chin, Robert C. (Inventor)

1999-01-01

The present invention is a system for chemometric analysis for the extraction of the individual component fluorescence spectra and fluorescence lifetimes from a target mixture. The present invention combines a processor with an apparatus for generating an excitation signal to transmit at a target mixture and an apparatus for detecting the emitted signal from the target mixture. The present invention extracts the individual fluorescence spectrum and fluorescence lifetime measurements from the frequency and wavelength data acquired from the emitted signal. The present invention uses an iterative solution that first requires the initialization of several decision variables and the initial approximation determinations of intermediate matrices. The iterative solution compares the decision variables for convergence to see if further approximation determinations are necessary. If the solution converges, the present invention then determines the reduced best fit error for the analysis of the individual fluorescence lifetime and the fluorescence spectrum before extracting the individual fluorescence lifetime and fluorescence spectrum from the emitted signal of the target mixture.

Immunological variation in Taenia solium porcine cysticercosis: measurement on the variation of the antibody immune response of naturally infected pigs against antigens extracted from their own cysticerci and from those of different pigs.

PubMed

Ostoa-Saloma, Pedro; Esquivel-Velázquez, Marcela; Larralde, Carlos

2013-10-18

Although it is widely assumed that both antigen and host immunological variability are involved in the variable intensity of natural porcine infections by Taenia solium (T. solium) cysticercis and success of immunodiagnostic tests vaccines, the magnitude of such combined variability has not been studied or measured at all. In this paper we report statistical data on the variability of the antibody response of naturally infected pigs against the antigens extracted from the vesicular fluids of their own infecting cysts (variance within pigs) and against antigen samples extracted from cysts of other cysticercotic pigs (variance among pigs). The variation between pigs was greater than the inter-pigs variations, which suggests that a concomitant immunity process prevents the establishment of cysts coming from a subsequent challenge. In so doing, we found that there is not a single antigenic band that was recognized by all hosts and that antigens varied among the cysts within the same pigs as well as among pigs. Our results may be valuable for the improvement of immunodiagnostic tests and of effective vaccines against naturally acquired porcine T. solium cysticercosis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Age-dependent changes from allylphenol to prenylated benzoic acid production in Piper gaudichaudianum Kunth.

PubMed

Gaia, Anderson M; Yamaguchi, Lydia F; Jeffrey, Christopher S; Kato, Massuo J

2014-10-01

HPLC-DAD and principal component analysis (PCA) of the (1)H NMR spectrum of crude plant extracts showed high chemical variability among seedlings and adult organs of Piper gaudichaudianum. While gaudichaudianic acid was the major compound in the adult leaves, apiole and dillapiole were the major compounds in their seedling leaves. By the 15th month of seedling growth, the levels of apiole and dillapiole decreased and gaudichaudianic acid appeared along with two compounds, biosynthetically related to gaudichaudianic acid. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Allergy epidemiology in the St. Louis, Missouri, area. III. Trees.

PubMed

Lewis, W H; Imber, W E

1975-08-01

A population skin-tested with pollen from twelve wind pollinated tree species showed a variable level of allergenicity, particularly among adults. Pollen extracts of Box Elder, Willow and Hickory elicited the highest allergic reactions, Oak, Birch, Sycamore, Black Walnut and Poplar more moderate reactions, while allergens from Cottonwood, Maple, Elm and White Ash were less reactive. Since Box Elder is ubiquitous and produces a strongly positive reaction among adults, it should be included among skin tests of those patients known to be allergic to early spring pollen.

IRAS low resolution spectra of 26 symbiotic stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stencel, Robert E.; Brugel, Edward W.; Goodwill, Michael E.

1990-01-01

Data related to the spectral scans for 26 symbiotic stars are described which were extracted from the IRAS low resolution database. Data from the 8-15- and 15-23-micron bands are merged in a program that scales the longer wavelength and produces a weighted average of the spectral scans for each source. The survey shows that active dust producers can probably be isolated and some theories related to the presence of dust emission features are discussed in terms of source variability for measurements made with low resolution spectra.

[Kriging analysis of vegetation index depression in peak cluster karst area].

PubMed

Yang, Qi-Yong; Jiang, Zhong-Cheng; Ma, Zu-Lu; Cao, Jian-Hua; Luo, Wei-Qun; Li, Wen-Jun; Duan, Xiao-Fang

2012-04-01

In order to master the spatial variability of the normal different vegetation index (NDVI) of the peak cluster karst area, taking into account the problem of the mountain shadow "missing" information of remote sensing images existing in the karst area, NDVI of the non-shaded area were extracted in Guohua Ecological Experimental Area, in Pingguo County, Guangxi applying image processing software, ENVI. The spatial variability of NDVI was analyzed applying geostatistical method, and the NDVI of the mountain shadow areas was predicted and validated. The results indicated that the NDVI of the study area showed strong spatial variability and spatial autocorrelation resulting from the impact of intrinsic factors, and the range was 300 m. The spatial distribution maps of the NDVI interpolated by Kriging interpolation method showed that the mean of NDVI was 0.196, apparently strip and block. The higher NDVI values distributed in the area where the slope was greater than 25 degrees of the peak cluster area, while the lower values distributed in the area such as foot of the peak cluster and depression, where slope was less than 25 degrees. Kriging method validation results show that interpolation has a very high prediction accuracy and could predict the NDVI of the shadow area, which provides a new idea and method for monitoring and evaluation of the karst rocky desertification.

Generic patches containing fentanyl: In vitro equivalence and abuse deterrent evaluation according to EMA and FDA guidelines.

PubMed

Padula, Cristina; Pescina, Silvia; Nicoli, Sara; Santi, Patrizia

2018-02-15

The aim of this work was to characterize in vitro and ex vivo the performances of Durogesic and of two bioequivalent generic products, by evaluating: (a) fentanyl release; (b) fentanyl permeation across porcine skin and (c) fentanyl ease of extraction. Additional characteristics studied are the effect of temperature and skin integrity, applied individually or combined, to check a possible synergism. The two generic patches resulted equivalent to the originator according to the new Guideline. Nevertheless, the same data reported in a different way, i.e. considering the total amount of drug permeated from the whole patch over the application time, highlight differences among the patches. The additional tests performed showed that skin integrity does not represent a barrier for fentanyl permeation across the skin, regardless of the type and complexity of the patch. The effect of temperature resulted critical for two out of three patches, probably due to the different composition and to the different structure. The combination of skin damage and elevated temperature did not produce a synergistic effect. Fentanyl extraction was different for the different products and variable according to the conditions used. The results reported in the present work underline the influence of patch composition and complexity on fentanyl extraction, release and skin permeation, in particular in conditions that can be critical, such as elevated temperature. In particular, the effect of critical variables, such as skin integrity and temperature, should be addressed to in the development of a new or new generic patch and new discriminant tests should be developed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Behavioral bioassays of termite trail pheromones : Recruitment and orientation effects of cembrene-A inNasutitermes costalis (Isoptera: Termitidae) and discussion of factors affecting termite response in experimental contexts.

PubMed

Hall, P; Traniello, J F

1985-11-01

The monocyclic 14-membered ring diterpene, cembrene-A, previously identified as a nasutitermitine trail pheromone, was tested for its effectiveness as a trail pheromone inNasutitermes costalis. Artificial trails prepared from serial dilutions of racemic cembrene-A over a concentration range of 10(-1)-10(-6) mg/ml were ineffective in recruiting termites. Serial dilutions of racemic cembrene-A ranging in concentration from 10(-1) to 10(-5) mg/ml produced an orientation effect. Chiral cembrene-A produced recruitment in soldiers at 10(-1) and 10(-3) mg/ml and was less ineffective in recruiting workers. Soldiers always showed a lower and more variable recruitment response to chiral cembrene-A than to sternal gland extracts. The behavioral response to both chiral and racemic cembrene-A was different in quantity and quality from that observed for sternal gland extract. Based on the results of these behavioral tests, cembrene-A appears to be a generalized nasute orientation pheromone which may show recruitment properties at unnaturally high concentrations.

Optimization and Technological Development Strategies of an Antimicrobial Extract from Achyrocline alata Assisted by Statistical Design

PubMed Central

Demarque, Daniel P.; Fitts, Sonia Maria F.; Boaretto, Amanda G.; da Silva, Júlio César Leite; Vieira, Maria C.; Franco, Vanessa N. P.; Teixeira, Caroline B.; Toffoli-Kadri, Mônica C.; Carollo, Carlos A.

2015-01-01

Achyrocline alata, known as Jateí-ka-há, is traditionally used to treat several health problems, including inflammations and infections. This study aimed to optimize an active extract against Streptococcus mutans, the main bacteria that causes caries. The extract was developed using an accelerated solvent extraction and chemometric calculations. Factorial design and response surface methodologies were used to determine the most important variables, such as active compound selectivity. The standardized extraction recovered 99% of the four main compounds, gnaphaliin, helipyrone, obtusifolin and lepidissipyrone, which represent 44% of the extract. The optimized extract of A. alata has a MIC of 62.5 μg/mL against S. mutans and could be used in mouth care products. PMID:25710523

Salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction and partial least squares regression to assay low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons leached from soils and sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bressan, Lucas P.; do Nascimento, Paulo Cícero; Schmidt, Marcella E. P.; Faccin, Henrique; de Machado, Leandro Carvalho; Bohrer, Denise

2017-02-01

A novel method was developed to determine low molecular weight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in aqueous leachates from soils and sediments using a salting-out assisted liquid-liquid extraction, synchronous fluorescence spectrometry and a multivariate calibration technique. Several experimental parameters were controlled and the optimum conditions were: sodium carbonate as the salting-out agent at concentration of 2 mol L- 1, 3 mL of acetonitrile as extraction solvent, 6 mL of aqueous leachate, vortexing for 5 min and centrifuging at 4000 rpm for 5 min. The partial least squares calibration was optimized to the lowest values of root mean squared error and five latent variables were chosen for each of the targeted compounds. The regression coefficients for the true versus predicted concentrations were higher than 0.99. Figures of merit for the multivariate method were calculated, namely sensitivity, multivariate detection limit and multivariate quantification limit. The selectivity was also evaluated and other polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons did not interfere in the analysis. Likewise, high performance liquid chromatography was used as a comparative methodology, and the regression analysis between the methods showed no statistical difference (t-test). The proposed methodology was applied to soils and sediments of a Brazilian river and the recoveries ranged from 74.3% to 105.8%. Overall, the proposed methodology was suitable for the targeted compounds, showing that the extraction method can be applied to spectrofluorometric analysis and that the multivariate calibration is also suitable for these compounds in leachates from real samples.

White-fruited strawberry genotypes are not per se hypoallergenic.

PubMed

Franz-Oberdorf, Katrin; Eberlein, Bernadette; Edelmann, Kathrin; Bleicher, Philip; Kurze, Elisabeth; Helm, Dominic; Olbricht, Klaus; Darsow, Ulf; Ring, Johannes; Schwab, Wilfried

2017-10-01

The strawberry fruit Fra a 1-proteins are homologues of the major birch pollen allergen Bet v 1 and have essential biological functions in pigment formation during fruit ripening. Patients affected by allergy against birch pollen tolerated fruits of a naturally occurring white-fruited F.×ananassa genotype, which showed reduced levels of Fra a 1 proteins along with enzymes of the anthocyanin pigment pathway. We evaluated the cross-reactive allergenic potential of a number of naturally occurring white- and red-fruited strawberry varieties to detect genotypes with low allergenic reactivity, whose fruit might be tolerated by patients with mild allergy. Protein extracts of 51 different strawberry varieties (Fragaria×ananassa, F. vesca, and F. nilgerensis) were screened by Western blot analysis with a polyclonal Fra a 1.02 antibody. Besides, activation of basophils of eight atopic patients allergic to birch pollen were studied using Bet v 1a and different concentrations of 15 selected strawberry protein extracts out of the 51 strawberry genotypes. Median percentages of activated basophils stimulated by extracts from white- and red-fruited genotypes ranged from 36 to 84% and 44 to 76%, respectively indicating that white-fruited strawberry are not per se hypoallergenic. Protein extracts from white-fruited F. vesca cv. Yellow Wonder showed the lowest cross-reactivity but high biological variability. The knowledge about the allergenic potential of different strawberry genotypes may help to improve food safety and can serve as starting point for the development of red-fruited hypoallergenic strawberry cultivars. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Batch process fault detection and identification based on discriminant global preserving kernel slow feature analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Hanyuan; Tian, Xuemin; Deng, Xiaogang; Cao, Yuping

2018-05-16

As an attractive nonlinear dynamic data analysis tool, global preserving kernel slow feature analysis (GKSFA) has achieved great success in extracting the high nonlinearity and inherently time-varying dynamics of batch process. However, GKSFA is an unsupervised feature extraction method and lacks the ability to utilize batch process class label information, which may not offer the most effective means for dealing with batch process monitoring. To overcome this problem, we propose a novel batch process monitoring method based on the modified GKSFA, referred to as discriminant global preserving kernel slow feature analysis (DGKSFA), by closely integrating discriminant analysis and GKSFA. The proposed DGKSFA method can extract discriminant feature of batch process as well as preserve global and local geometrical structure information of observed data. For the purpose of fault detection, a monitoring statistic is constructed based on the distance between the optimal kernel feature vectors of test data and normal data. To tackle the challenging issue of nonlinear fault variable identification, a new nonlinear contribution plot method is also developed to help identifying the fault variable after a fault is detected, which is derived from the idea of variable pseudo-sample trajectory projection in DGKSFA nonlinear biplot. Simulation results conducted on a numerical nonlinear dynamic system and the benchmark fed-batch penicillin fermentation process demonstrate that the proposed process monitoring and fault diagnosis approach can effectively detect fault and distinguish fault variables from normal variables. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Characterization of metal adsorption variability in a sand and gravel aquifer, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, U.S.A

USGS Publications Warehouse

Fuller, C.C.; Davis, J.A.; Coston, J.A.; Dixon, E.

1996-01-01

Several geochemical properties of an aquifer sediment that control metal-ion adsorption were investigated to determine their potential use as indicators of the spatial variability of metal adsorption. Over the length of a 4.5-m-long core from a sand and gravel aquifer, lead (Pb2+) and zinc (Zn2+) adsorption at constant chemical conditions (pH 5.3) varied by a factor of 2 and 4, respectively. Pb2+ and Zn2+ were adsorbed primarily by Fe- and Al-oxide coatings on quartz-grain surfaces. Per unit surface area, both Pb2+ and Zn2+ adsorption were significantly correlated with the amount of Fe and Al that dissolved from the aquifer material in a partial chemical extraction. The variability in conditional binding constants for Pb2+ and Zn2+ adsorption (log KADS) derived from a simple non-electrostatic surface complexation model were also predicted by extracted Fe and Al normalized to surface area. Because the abundance of Fe- and Al-oxide coatings that dominate adsorption does not vary inversely with grain size by a simple linear relationship, only a weak, negative correlation was found between the spatial variability of Pb2+ adsorption and grain size in this aquifer. The correlation between Zn2+ adsorption and grain size was not significant. Partial chemical extractions combined with surface-area measurements have potential use for estimating metal adsorption variability in other sand and gravel aquifers of negligible carbonate and organic carbon content.

Low frequency sonic waves assisted cloud point extraction of polyhydroxyalkanoate from Cupriavidus necator.

PubMed

Murugesan, Sivananth; Iyyaswami, Regupathi

2017-08-15

Low frequency sonic waves, less than 10kHz were introduced to assist cloud point extraction of polyhydroxyalkanoate from Cupriavidus necator present within the crude broth. Process parameters including surfactant system variables and sonication parameters were studied for their effect on extraction efficiency. Introduction of low frequency sonic waves assists in the dissolution of microbial cell wall by the surfactant micelles and release of cellular content, polyhydroxyalkanoate granules released were encapsulated by the micelle core which was confirmed by crotonic acid assay. In addition, sonic waves resulted in the separation of homogeneous surfactant and broth mixture into two distinct phases, top aqueous phase and polyhydroxyalkanoate enriched bottom surfactant rich phase. Mixed surfactant systems showed higher extraction efficiency compared to that of individual Triton X-100 concentrations, owing to increase in the hydrophobicity of the micellar core and its interaction with polyhydroxyalkanoate. Addition of salts to the mixed surfactant system induces screening of charged surfactant head groups and reduces inter-micellar repulsion, presence of ammonium ions lead to electrostatic repulsion and weaker cation sodium enhances the formation of micellar network. Addition of polyethylene glycol 8000 resulted in increasing interaction with the surfactant tails of the micelle core there by reducing the purity of polyhydroxyalkanoate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mixture design and Doehlert matrix for the optimization of the extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Spondias mombin L Apple Bagasse Agro-industrial Residues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos Felix, Antonio C.; Novaes, Cleber G.; Pires Rocha, Maísla; Barreto, George E.; do Nascimento, Baraquizio B.; Giraldez Alvarez, Lisandro D.

2017-12-01

In this study, we have determined, using RSM (mixture design and Doehlert matrix), the optimum values of the independent variables to achieve the maximum response for the extraction of total phenolic compounds from Spondias mombin L bagasse agroindustrial residues, preserving its antioxidant activity. The assessment with reference to the extraction of phenolic compounds, as well as their capacity to scavenge ABTS and the antioxidant capacity, determined by the modified DPPH method were investigated based on distinct combinations of time, temperature, velocity of rotation and solvents concentration. It was investigated that the optimum condition for the highest antioxidant yield was obtained using water (60.84%), acetone (30.31%) and ethanol (8.85%) at 30 ºC during 20 min at 50 rpm. We have found that the maximum yield of total phenolics was 355.63 ± 9.77 (mg GAE/100 g), showing an EC50 of 3962.24 ± 41.20 (g fruit/g of DPPH) and 8.36 ± 0.30 (µM trolox/g fruit), which were measured using DPPH and ABTS assays. These results suggest that RSM was successfully applied for optimizing the extraction of phenolics compounds preserving its antioxidant activity. This method does not require expensive reagents or high quantities of organic solvents.

Mixture Design and Doehlert Matrix for the Optimization of the Extraction of Phenolic Compounds from Spondias mombin L Apple Bagasse Agroindustrial Residues

PubMed Central

Santos Felix, Antonio C.; Novaes, Cleber G.; Pires Rocha, Maísla; Barreto, George E.; do Nascimento, Baraquizio B.; Giraldez Alvarez, Lisandro D.

2018-01-01

In this study, we have determined, using RSM (mixture design and Doehlert matrix), the optimum values of the independent variables to achieve the maximum response for the extraction of total phenolic compounds from Spondias mombin L bagasse agroindustrial residues in order to preserve their antioxidant activity. The extraction of phenolic compounds, as well as their antioxidant capacity and the capacity to scavenge ABTS, was determined by the modified DPPH method at different periods of time, temperature, velocity of rotation and solvents concentration. We observed that the optimum condition for the highest antioxidant yield was obtained using water (60.84%), acetone (30.31%), and ethanol (8.85%) at 30°C during 20 min at 50 rpm. We have also found that the maximum yield of total phenolics was 355.63 ± 9.77 (mg GAE/100 g), showing an EC50 of 3,962.24 ± 41.20 (g fruit/g of DPPH) and 8.36 ± 0.30 (μM trolox/g fruit), which were measured using DPPH and ABTS assays. These results suggest that RSM was successfully applied for optimizing the extraction of phenolics compounds thus preserving their antioxidant activity. PMID:29354632

Content and Color Stability of Anthocyanins Isolated from Schisandra chinensis Fruit

PubMed Central

Ma, Chunhui; Yang, Lei; Yang, Fengjian; Wang, Wenjie; Zhao, Chunjian; Zu, Yuangang

2012-01-01

In this work, a multivariate study based on Box-Behnken Design was used to evaluate the influence of three major variables affecting the performance of the extraction process of Schisandra chinensis anthocyanins. The optimum parameters were 5.5 h extraction time; 1:19 solid-liquid ratio and 260 r/min stirring rate, respectively. The extraction yield of anthocyanins was 29.06 mg/g under the optimum conditions. Moreover, many factors on the impact of heating, ultrasound, microwave treatment and ultraviolet irradiation on content and color stability of anthocyanins from Schisandra chinensis fruit were investigated. The results show that thermal degradation reaction of anthocyanins complies with the first order reaction kinetics, and the correlation coefficient is greater than 0.9950 at 40–80 °C. Ultrasound and microwave treatment has little effect on the stability of anthocyanins, and the extraction time of ultrasound and microwave should be no more than 60 min and 5 min, respectively. The anthocyanins degradation effect of UVC ultraviolet radiation is greater than UVA and UVB; after 9 h ultraviolet radiation, the anthocyanins content degradation of UVC is 23.9 ± 0.7%, and the ΔE* was changed from 62.81 to 76.52 ± 2.3. Through LC-MS analysis, the major composition of Schisandra chinensis anthocyanins was cyanidin-3-O-xylosylrutinoside. PMID:23203065

Reliability of vascular geometry factors derived from clinical MRA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bijari, Payam B.; Antiga, Luca; Steinman, David A.

2009-02-01

Recent work from our group has demonstrated that the amount of disturbed flow at the carotid bifurcation, believed to be a local risk factor for carotid atherosclerosis, can be predicted from luminal geometric factors. The next step along the way to a large-scale retrospective or prospective imaging study of such local risk factors for atherosclerosis is to investigate whether these geometric features are reproducible and accurate from routine 3D contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance angiography (CEMRA) using a fast and practical method of extraction. Motivated by this fact, we examined the reproducibility of multiple geometric features that are believed important in atherosclerosis risk assessment. We reconstructed three-dimensional carotid bifurcations from 15 clinical study participants who had previously undergone baseline and repeat CEMRA acquisitions. Certain geometric factors were extracted and compared between the baseline and the repeat scan. As the spatial resolution of the CEMRA data was noticeably coarse and anisotropic, we also investigated whether this might affect the measurement of the same geometric risk factors by simulating the CEMRA acquisition for 15 normal carotid bifurcations previously acquired at high resolution. Our results show that the extracted geometric factors are reproducible and faithful, with intra-subject uncertainties well below inter-subject variabilities. More importantly, these geometric risk factors can be extracted consistently and quickly for potential use as disturbed flow predictors.

Gamma-Ray Light Curves And Variability Of Bright Fermi -Detected Blazars

DOE PAGES

Abdo, A. A.

2010-09-22

This paper presents light curves as well as the first systematic characterization of variability of the 106 objects in the high-confidence Fermi Large Area Telescope Bright AGN Sample (LBAS). Weekly light curves of this sample, obtained during the first 11 months of the Fermi survey (2008 August 4-2009 July 4), are tested for variability and their properties are quantified through autocorrelation function and structure function analysis. For the brightest sources, 3 or 4 day binned light curves are extracted in order to determine power density spectra (PDSs) and to fit the temporal structure of major flares. More than 50% ofmore » the sources are found to be variable with high significance, where high states do not exceed 1/4 of the total observation range. Variation amplitudes are larger for flat spectrum radio quasars and low/intermediate synchrotron frequency peaked BL Lac objects. Autocorrelation timescales derived from weekly light curves vary from four to a dozen of weeks. Variable sources of the sample have weekly and 3-4 day bin light curves that can be described by 1/f α PDS, and show two kinds of gamma-ray variability: (1) rather constant baseline with sporadic flaring activity characterized by flatter PDS slopes resembling flickering and red noise with occasional intermittence and (2)—measured for a few blazars showing strong activity—complex and structured temporal profiles characterized by long-term memory and steeper PDS slopes, reflecting a random walk underlying mechanism. The average slope of the PDS of the brightest 22 FSRQs and of the 6 brightest BL Lacs is 1.5 and 1.7, respectively. The study of temporal profiles of well-resolved flares observed in the 10 brightest LBAS sources shows that they generally have symmetric profiles and that their total duration vary between 10 and 100 days. Results presented here can assist in source class recognition for unidentified sources and can serve as reference for more detailed analysis of the brightest gamma-ray blazars.« less

Studies on Coloration and UV Protective Action of Anar Peel (Pomegranate Rind) as an Effective Natural Colorant for Cotton Khadi Fabric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinnur, H. D.; Samanta, Ashis Kumar; Verma, D. K.; Kaware, Runali

2018-06-01

Besides optimization of conditions of colour extraction from dried anar peel, effect of different single and double mordants, dyeing process variables and UV protective action of anar peels (pomegranate rind i.e. Punica granatum L.) as a natural colourant is studied in this work. Mordants used are potash alum, aluminium sulphate and stannous chloride (as metallic salt mordant) and harda (i.e., myrobolan as natural mordant) from natural source. Relevant results indicate that 50:50 ratio of harda plus potash aluminium sulphate at overall 15% application level offers maximum K/S value and overall good colour fastness than any other combination. After finalizing the mordants, dyeing process variables were studied for standardization of conditions for dyeing cotton khadi fabric with aqueous extract of pomegranate rind. The results indicate that standardized conditions for dyeing are (a) dyeing time : 60 min, (b) dyeing temperature: 80 °C, (c) dye bath MLR : 1:30, (d) dye bath pH : 9.0, (e) max dye concentration : 20% and (f) common salt : 3%. Studies of FTIR, UV scan, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) and UV Protection Factor (UPF) characters show a medium to good level of ultraviolet protection. Corresponding reaction mechanism amongst mordant/fibre and dye forming giant complex is also reported.

Mechanisms and evolution of hypoxia tolerance in fish

PubMed Central

Mandic, Milica; Todgham, Anne E.; Richards, Jeffrey G.

2008-01-01

The ability of an organism to acquire O2 from its environment is key to survival and can play an important role in dictating a species' ecological distribution. This study is the first, to our knowledge, to show a tight, phylogenetically independent correlation between hypoxia tolerance, traits involved in dictating O2 extraction capacity and the distribution of a group of closely related fish species, sculpins from the family Cottidae, along the nearshore marine environment. Sculpins with higher hypoxia tolerance, measured as low critical O2 tensions (Pcrit), inhabit the O2 variable intertidal zones, while species with lower hypoxia tolerance inhabit the more O2 stable subtidal zone or freshwater. Hypoxia tolerance is phylogenetically independently associated with an enhanced O2 extraction capacity, with three principal components accounting for 75 per cent of the variation in Pcrit: routine O2 consumption rate; mass-specific gill surface area; and whole blood haemoglobin (Hb)–O2-binding affinity (P50). Variation in whole blood Hb–O2 P50 is strongly correlated with the intrinsic O2-binding properties of the purified Hb while the differences in the concentration of the allosteric Hb modulators, ATP and GTP, provide a Hb system with substantial plasticity for survival in a highly O2 variable environment. PMID:18996831

Studies on Coloration and UV Protective Action of Anar Peel (Pomegranate Rind) as an Effective Natural Colorant for Cotton Khadi Fabric

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sinnur, H. D.; Samanta, Ashis Kumar; Verma, D. K.; Kaware, Runali

2017-10-01

Besides optimization of conditions of colour extraction from dried anar peel, effect of different single and double mordants, dyeing process variables and UV protective action of anar peels (pomegranate rind i.e. Punica granatum L.) as a natural colourant is studied in this work. Mordants used are potash alum, aluminium sulphate and stannous chloride (as metallic salt mordant) and harda (i.e., myrobolan as natural mordant) from natural source. Relevant results indicate that 50:50 ratio of harda plus potash aluminium sulphate at overall 15% application level offers maximum K/S value and overall good colour fastness than any other combination. After finalizing the mordants, dyeing process variables were studied for standardization of conditions for dyeing cotton khadi fabric with aqueous extract of pomegranate rind. The results indicate that standardized conditions for dyeing are (a) dyeing time : 60 min, (b) dyeing temperature: 80 °C, (c) dye bath MLR : 1:30, (d) dye bath pH : 9.0, (e) max dye concentration : 20% and (f) common salt : 3%. Studies of FTIR, UV scan, Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (AAS) and UV Protection Factor (UPF) characters show a medium to good level of ultraviolet protection. Corresponding reaction mechanism amongst mordant/fibre and dye forming giant complex is also reported.

Sinabro: A Smartphone-Integrated Opportunistic Electrocardiogram Monitoring System

PubMed Central

Kwon, Sungjun; Lee, Dongseok; Kim, Jeehoon; Lee, Youngki; Kang, Seungwoo; Seo, Sangwon; Park, Kwangsuk

2016-01-01

In our preliminary study, we proposed a smartphone-integrated, unobtrusive electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system, Sinabro, which monitors a user’s ECG opportunistically during daily smartphone use without explicit user intervention. The proposed system also monitors ECG-derived features, such as heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), to support the pervasive healthcare apps for smartphones based on the user’s high-level contexts, such as stress and affective state levels. In this study, we have extended the Sinabro system by: (1) upgrading the sensor device; (2) improving the feature extraction process; and (3) evaluating extensions of the system. We evaluated these extensions with a good set of algorithm parameters that were suggested based on empirical analyses. The results showed that the system could capture ECG reliably and extract highly accurate ECG-derived features with a reasonable rate of data drop during the user’s daily smartphone use. PMID:26978364

Combined non-parametric and parametric approach for identification of time-variant systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dziedziech, Kajetan; Czop, Piotr; Staszewski, Wieslaw J.; Uhl, Tadeusz

2018-03-01

Identification of systems, structures and machines with variable physical parameters is a challenging task especially when time-varying vibration modes are involved. The paper proposes a new combined, two-step - i.e. non-parametric and parametric - modelling approach in order to determine time-varying vibration modes based on input-output measurements. Single-degree-of-freedom (SDOF) vibration modes from multi-degree-of-freedom (MDOF) non-parametric system representation are extracted in the first step with the use of time-frequency wavelet-based filters. The second step involves time-varying parametric representation of extracted modes with the use of recursive linear autoregressive-moving-average with exogenous inputs (ARMAX) models. The combined approach is demonstrated using system identification analysis based on the experimental mass-varying MDOF frame-like structure subjected to random excitation. The results show that the proposed combined method correctly captures the dynamics of the analysed structure, using minimum a priori information on the model.

Sinabro: A Smartphone-Integrated Opportunistic Electrocardiogram Monitoring System.

PubMed

Kwon, Sungjun; Lee, Dongseok; Kim, Jeehoon; Lee, Youngki; Kang, Seungwoo; Seo, Sangwon; Park, Kwangsuk

2016-03-11

In our preliminary study, we proposed a smartphone-integrated, unobtrusive electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring system, Sinabro, which monitors a user's ECG opportunistically during daily smartphone use without explicit user intervention. The proposed system also monitors ECG-derived features, such as heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV), to support the pervasive healthcare apps for smartphones based on the user's high-level contexts, such as stress and affective state levels. In this study, we have extended the Sinabro system by: (1) upgrading the sensor device; (2) improving the feature extraction process; and (3) evaluating extensions of the system. We evaluated these extensions with a good set of algorithm parameters that were suggested based on empirical analyses. The results showed that the system could capture ECG reliably and extract highly accurate ECG-derived features with a reasonable rate of data drop during the user's daily smartphone use.

Decoding memory features from hippocampal spiking activities using sparse classification models.

PubMed

Dong Song; Hampson, Robert E; Robinson, Brian S; Marmarelis, Vasilis Z; Deadwyler, Sam A; Berger, Theodore W

2016-08-01

To understand how memory information is encoded in the hippocampus, we build classification models to decode memory features from hippocampal CA3 and CA1 spatio-temporal patterns of spikes recorded from epilepsy patients performing a memory-dependent delayed match-to-sample task. The classification model consists of a set of B-spline basis functions for extracting memory features from the spike patterns, and a sparse logistic regression classifier for generating binary categorical output of memory features. Results show that classification models can extract significant amount of memory information with respects to types of memory tasks and categories of sample images used in the task, despite the high level of variability in prediction accuracy due to the small sample size. These results support the hypothesis that memories are encoded in the hippocampal activities and have important implication to the development of hippocampal memory prostheses.

Valx: A system for extracting and structuring numeric lab test comparison statements from text

PubMed Central

Hao, Tianyong; Liu, Hongfang; Weng, Chunhua

2017-01-01

Objectives To develop an automated method for extracting and structuring numeric lab test comparison statements from text and evaluate the method using clinical trial eligibility criteria text. Methods Leveraging semantic knowledge from the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) and domain knowledge acquired from the Internet, Valx takes 7 steps to extract and normalize numeric lab test expressions: 1) text preprocessing, 2) numeric, unit, and comparison operator extraction, 3) variable identification using hybrid knowledge, 4) variable - numeric association, 5) context-based association filtering, 6) measurement unit normalization, and 7) heuristic rule-based comparison statements verification. Our reference standard was the consensus-based annotation among three raters for all comparison statements for two variables, i.e., HbA1c and glucose, identified from all of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes trials in ClinicalTrials.gov. Results The precision, recall, and F-measure for structuring HbA1c comparison statements were 99.6%, 98.1%, 98.8% for Type 1 diabetes trials, and 98.8%, 96.9%, 97.8% for Type 2 Diabetes trials, respectively. The precision, recall, and F-measure for structuring glucose comparison statements were 97.3%, 94.8%, 96.1% for Type 1 diabetes trials, and 92.3%, 92.3%, 92.3% for Type 2 diabetes trials, respectively. Conclusions Valx is effective at extracting and structuring free-text lab test comparison statements in clinical trial summaries. Future studies are warranted to test its generalizability beyond eligibility criteria text. The open-source Valx enables its further evaluation and continued improvement among the collaborative scientific community. PMID:26940748

Valx: A System for Extracting and Structuring Numeric Lab Test Comparison Statements from Text.

PubMed

Hao, Tianyong; Liu, Hongfang; Weng, Chunhua

2016-05-17

To develop an automated method for extracting and structuring numeric lab test comparison statements from text and evaluate the method using clinical trial eligibility criteria text. Leveraging semantic knowledge from the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) and domain knowledge acquired from the Internet, Valx takes seven steps to extract and normalize numeric lab test expressions: 1) text preprocessing, 2) numeric, unit, and comparison operator extraction, 3) variable identification using hybrid knowledge, 4) variable - numeric association, 5) context-based association filtering, 6) measurement unit normalization, and 7) heuristic rule-based comparison statements verification. Our reference standard was the consensus-based annotation among three raters for all comparison statements for two variables, i.e., HbA1c and glucose, identified from all of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes trials in ClinicalTrials.gov. The precision, recall, and F-measure for structuring HbA1c comparison statements were 99.6%, 98.1%, 98.8% for Type 1 diabetes trials, and 98.8%, 96.9%, 97.8% for Type 2 diabetes trials, respectively. The precision, recall, and F-measure for structuring glucose comparison statements were 97.3%, 94.8%, 96.1% for Type 1 diabetes trials, and 92.3%, 92.3%, 92.3% for Type 2 diabetes trials, respectively. Valx is effective at extracting and structuring free-text lab test comparison statements in clinical trial summaries. Future studies are warranted to test its generalizability beyond eligibility criteria text. The open-source Valx enables its further evaluation and continued improvement among the collaborative scientific community.

Pomological Traits, Sensory Profile and Nutraceutical Properties of Nine Cultivars of Loquat (Eriobotrya japonica Lindl.) Fruits Grown in Mediterranean Area.

PubMed

Gentile, C; Reig, C; Corona, O; Todaro, A; Mazzaglia, A; Perrone, A; Gianguzzi, G; Agusti, M; Farina, V

2016-09-01

In this paper the diversity of fruit quality within nine loquat cultivars, including five international affirmed cultivars (Algerie, Golden Nugget, Peluche, Bueno, El Buenet) and four local cultivars (Sanfilippara, Nespolone di Trabia, BRT20 and Claudia), were investigated in order to discriminate the variation in pomological characteristics, sensory profile, and antioxidant properties. Finally, to evaluate potential bioactivity, antiproliferative activity of hydrophilic extracts from loquat fruits was assessed, at dietary relevant concentrations, against three human epithelial cell lines. Even though the international cultivars confirmed an appropriate level of commercial qualities in association to high levels in antioxidant compounds, the local cultivars revealed the best performances in a wide range of chemical-physical and sensory characteristics. Concerning bioactivity, our results indicate that hydrophilic extracts from all tested cultivars showed concentration-dependent antiproliferative activity with a significant variability of effects between different cell lines and between different cultivars. HeLa cells, the most sensitive and hydrophilic extracts from Peluche, showed the highest inhibitory effect followed by Nespolone di Trabia and Claudia. The results of this trial provide useful information on the pomological traits and the not yet known specific nutritional and functional properties of loquat fruits. Our data, besides helping to promote specific local cultivars, could serve to establish a database that will permit to improve the utilization of specific genetic resources in breeding programs.

Statistical optimization of process parameters for inulinase production from Tithonia weed by Arthrobacter mysorens strain no.1.

PubMed

Kamble, Prajakta P; Kore, Maheshkumar V; Patil, Sushama A; Jadhav, Jyoti P; Attar, Yasmin C

2018-06-01

Tithonia rotundifolia is an easily available and abundant inulin rich weed reported to be competitive and allelopathic. This weed inulin is hydrolyzed by inulinase into fructose. Response surface methodology was employed to optimize culture conditions for the inulinase production from Arthrobacter mysorens strain no.1 isolated from rhizospheric area of Tithonia weed. Initially, Plackett- Burman design was used for screening 11 nutritional parameters for inulinase production including inulin containing weeds as cost effective substrate. The experiment shows that amongst the 11 parameters studied, K 2 HPO 4 , Inulin, Agave sisalana extract and Tithonia rotundifolia were the most significant variables for inulinase production. Quantitative effects of these 4 factors were further investigated using Box Behnken design. The medium having 0.27% K 2 HPO 4 , 2.54% Inulin, 6.57% Agave sisalana extract and 7.27% Tithonia rotundifolia extract were found to be optimum for maximum inulinase production. The optimization strategies used showed 2.12 fold increase in inulinase yield (1669.45 EU/ml) compared to non-optimized medium (787 EU/ml). Fructose produced by the action of inulinase was further confirmed by spectrophotometer, osazone, HPTLC and FTIR methods. Thus Tithonia rotundifolia can be used as an eco-friendly, economically feasible and promising alternative substrate for commercial inulinase production yielding fructose from Arthrobacter mysorens strain no.1. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Spatial Variance in Resting fMRI Networks of Schizophrenia Patients: An Independent Vector Analysis

PubMed Central

Gopal, Shruti; Miller, Robyn L.; Michael, Andrew; Adali, Tulay; Cetin, Mustafa; Rachakonda, Srinivas; Bustillo, Juan R.; Cahill, Nathan; Baum, Stefi A.; Calhoun, Vince D.

2016-01-01

Spatial variability in resting functional MRI (fMRI) brain networks has not been well studied in schizophrenia, a disease known for both neurodevelopmental and widespread anatomic changes. Motivated by abundant evidence of neuroanatomical variability from previous studies of schizophrenia, we draw upon a relatively new approach called independent vector analysis (IVA) to assess this variability in resting fMRI networks. IVA is a blind-source separation algorithm, which segregates fMRI data into temporally coherent but spatially independent networks and has been shown to be especially good at capturing spatial variability among subjects in the extracted networks. We introduce several new ways to quantify differences in variability of IVA-derived networks between schizophrenia patients (SZs = 82) and healthy controls (HCs = 89). Voxelwise amplitude analyses showed significant group differences in the spatial maps of auditory cortex, the basal ganglia, the sensorimotor network, and visual cortex. Tests for differences (HC-SZ) in the spatial variability maps suggest, that at rest, SZs exhibit more activity within externally focused sensory and integrative network and less activity in the default mode network thought to be related to internal reflection. Additionally, tests for difference of variance between groups further emphasize that SZs exhibit greater network variability. These results, consistent with our prediction of increased spatial variability within SZs, enhance our understanding of the disease and suggest that it is not just the amplitude of connectivity that is different in schizophrenia, but also the consistency in spatial connectivity patterns across subjects. PMID:26106217

Do spatiotemporal parameters and gait variability differ across the lifespan of healthy adults? A systematic review.

PubMed

Herssens, Nolan; Verbecque, Evi; Hallemans, Ann; Vereeck, Luc; Van Rompaey, Vincent; Saeys, Wim

2018-06-12

Aging is often associated with changes in the musculoskeletal system, peripheral and central nervous system. These age-related changes often result in mobility problems influencing gait performance. Compensatory strategies are used as a way to adapt to these physiological changes. The aim of this review is to investigate the differences in spatiotemporal and gait variability measures throughout the healthy adult life. This systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and registered in the PROSPERO database (no. CRD42017057720). Databases MEDLINE (Pubmed), Web of Science (Web of Knowledge), Cochrane Library and ScienceDirect were systematically searched until March 2018. Eighteen of the 3195 original studies met the eligibility criteria and were included in this review. The majority of studies reported spatiotemporal and gait variability measures in adults above the age of 65, followed by the young adult population, information of middle-aged adults is lacking. Spatiotemporal parameters and gait variability measures were extracted from 2112 healthy adults between 18 and 98 years old and, in general, tend to deteriorate with increasing age. Variability measures were only reported in an elderly population and show great variety between studies. The findings of this review suggest that most spatiotemporal parameters significantly differ across different age groups. Elderly populations show a reduction of preferred walking speed, cadence, step and stride length, all related to a more cautious gait, while gait variability measures remain stable over time. A preliminary framework of normative reference data is provided, enabling insights into the influence of aging on spatiotemporal parameters, however spatiotemporal parameters of middle-aged adults should be investigated more thoroughly. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Countermovement jump height: gender and sport-specific differences in the force-time variables.

PubMed

Laffaye, Guillaume; Wagner, Phillip P; Tombleson, Tom I L

2014-04-01

The goal of this study was to assess (a) the eccentric rate of force development, the concentric force, and selected time variables on vertical performance during countermovement jump, (b) the existence of gender differences in these variables, and (c) the sport-specific differences. The sample was composed of 189 males and 84 females, all elite athletes involved in college and professional sports (primarily football, basketball, baseball, and volleyball). The subjects performed a series of 6 countermovement jumps on a force plate (500 Hz). Average eccentric rate of force development (ECC-RFD), total time (TIME), eccentric time (ECC-T), Ratio between eccentric and total time (ECC-T:T) and average force (CON-F) were extracted from force-time curves and the vertical jumping performance, measured by impulse momentum. Results show that CON-F (r = 0.57; p < 0.001) and ECC-RFD (r = 0.52, p < 0.001) are strongly correlated with the jump height (JH), whereas the time variables are slightly and negatively correlated (r = -0.21-0.23, p < 0.01). Force variables differ between both sexes (p < 0.01), whereas time variables did not differ, showing a similar temporal structure. The best way to jump high is to increase CON-F and ECC-RFD thus minimizing the ECC-T. Principal component analysis (PCA) accounted for 76.8% of the JH variance and revealed that JH is predicted by a temporal and a force component. Furthermore, the PCA comparison made among athletes revealed sport-specific signatures: volleyball players revealed a temporal-prevailing profile, a weak-force with large ECC-T:T for basketball players and explosive and powerful profiles for football and baseball players.

Which factors enhance positive drug reimbursement recommendation in Scotland? A retrospective analysis 2006-2013.

PubMed

Charokopou, Mata; Majer, Istvan M; Raad, Johan de; Broekhuizen, Stefan; Postma, Maarten; Heeg, Bart

2015-03-01

To identify the factors that influence the Scottish Medicines Consortium (SMC) in deciding whether to accept pharmaceutical technologies for use within the Scottish health care system. A database of SMC submissions between 2006 and 2013 was created, containing a range of clinical, economic, and other factors extracted from published health technology assessment reports. A binomial outcome variable was used, defined as the decision to "accept for use" or "not recommend" a technology. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to assess the impact by means of odds ratios (ORs) of the submitted evidence on the recommendation decision. Out of 463 applications, 265 were accepted for use (57%) and 198 (43%) were not recommended for use within National Health Service Scotland. Univariate analyses showed that 13 variables significantly affected the SMC decision. Of these 13 variables, 7 variables were shown to have a meaningful impact in the multivariate analysis. Four of these concerned the outcome of cost-effectiveness analyses; the fact that a submission was supported by a cost-minimization analysis was the strongest positive variable (OR = 10.30) and a submission showing a product not being cost-effective (i.e., incremental cost-effectiveness ratio above £30,000/quality-adjusted life-year gained) was the strongest negative predictor (OR = 0.47). The other variables concerned whether the submission was related to a product indicated for a nervous system disease (OR = 0.41), whether it was indicated for nonchronic use (OR = 1.66), and whether the submission was performed by a big company (OR = 2.83). This study demonstrated that the outcome of cost-effectiveness analyses is an important factor affecting the SMC's reimbursement recommendation decision. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Characterizing the temporal variability of L-band backscatter using dense UAVSAR time-series in preparation for the NISAR mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lavalle, M.; Lee, A.; Shiroma, G. X. H.; Rosen, P. A.

2017-12-01

The NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) mission will deliver unprecedented global maps of L-band HH/HV backscatter every 12 days with resolution ranging from a few to tens of meters in support of ecosystem, solid Earth and cryosphere science and applications. Understanding and modeling the temporal variability of L-band backscatter over temporal scales of years, months and days is critical for developing retrieval algorithms that can robustly extract the biophysical variables of interest (e.g., forest biomass, soil moisture, etc.) from NISAR time series. In this talk, we will focus on the 5-year time series of 60 JPL/UAVSAR polarimetric images collected near the Sacramento Delta to characterize the inter-annual, seasonal and short-scale variability of the L-band polarimetric backscatter for a broad range of land cover types. Our preliminary analysis reveals that backscatter from man-made structures is very stable over time, whereas backscatter from bare soil and herbaceous vegetation fluctuates over time with standard deviation of 2.3 dB. Land-cover classes with larger biomass such as trees and tall vegetation show about 1.5 dB standard deviation in temporal backscatter variability. Closer examination of high-spatial resolution UAVSAR imagery reveal also that vegetation structure, speckle noise and horizontal forest heterogeneity in the Sacramento Delta area can significantly affect the point-wise backscatter value. In our talk, we will illustrate the long UAVSAR time series, describe our data analysis strategy, show the results of polarimetric variability for different land cover classes and number of looks, and discuss the implications for the development of NISAR L2/L3 retrieval algorithms of ecosystem science.

Extraction, Structural Characterization, and Potential Antioxidant Activity of the Polysaccharides from Four Seaweeds

PubMed Central

He, Jinzhe; Xu, Yaoyang; Chen, Hongbo; Sun, Peilong

2016-01-01

Four seaweed polysaccharides were extracted from Sarcodia ceylonensis, Ulva lactuca L., Gracilaria lemaneiformis, and Durvillaea antarctica, respectively, by microwave-assisted extraction. The effect of three significant variables (extraction time, extraction temperature, and the ratio of water to raw material) on the process for extracting polysaccharides was investigated, along with the optimization of the extraction using the response surface method (RSM) with a Box–Behnken design. The polysaccharide structure, monosaccharide composition, degree of sulfation, and molecular weight (MW) distribution were analyzed by infrared (IR) spectrometry, gas chromatography (GC), and high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC). IR spectrometry showed that Sarcodia ceylonensis polysaccharide (SCP), Ulva lactuca L. polysaccharide (ULLP), and Durvillaea antarctica polysaccharide (DAP) were all sulfated polysaccharides and, except Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharide (GLP), all belong to β-pyranosidic polysaccharides. The average molecular weight (MW) of SCP, ULLP, GLP, and DAP was 466, 404, 591, and 482 kDa, respectively. The quantitative and comparative results with external standards indicated that the main monosaccharide in SCP and ULLP was mannose; and GLP and DAP were mainly composed of galactose and glucose, respectively. Then the in vitro antioxidant activity of all of the polysaccharides was evaluated using different assays—2,2–azino –bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6- sulfonate) (ABTS), hydroxyl radical, nitrite scavenging capacity, and reducing power—and the relationship between their antioxidant activity and chemical characteristics were also examined. ULLP presented the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity; ULLP, SCP and DAP also showed a strong effect on the ABTS radical scavenging activity. SCP and ULLP exhibited excellent hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, about 83.33% ± 2.31% and 80.07% ± 2.17%, respectively, at 4 mg/mL. The reducing power of DAP was relatively more pronounced than that of the three other polysaccharides. However, the nitrite scavenging activities of the four seaweed polysaccharides were weaker than other antioxidant activity (ABTS), hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, and reducing power. In addition, GLP exhibited lower activities than the other three samples in all of the tests for the antioxidant activity. PMID:27916796

Extraction, Structural Characterization, and Potential Antioxidant Activity of the Polysaccharides from Four Seaweeds.

PubMed

He, Jinzhe; Xu, Yaoyang; Chen, Hongbo; Sun, Peilong

2016-11-28

Four seaweed polysaccharides were extracted from Sarcodia ceylonensis , Ulva lactuca L., Gracilaria lemaneiformis , and Durvillaea antarctica , respectively, by microwave-assisted extraction. The effect of three significant variables (extraction time, extraction temperature, and the ratio of water to raw material) on the process for extracting polysaccharides was investigated, along with the optimization of the extraction using the response surface method (RSM) with a Box-Behnken design. The polysaccharide structure, monosaccharide composition, degree of sulfation, and molecular weight ( M W ) distribution were analyzed by infrared (IR) spectrometry, gas chromatography (GC), and high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC). IR spectrometry showed that Sarcodia ceylonensis polysaccharide (SCP), Ulva lactuca L. polysaccharide (ULLP), and Durvillaea antarctica polysaccharide (DAP) were all sulfated polysaccharides and, except Gracilaria lemaneiformis polysaccharide (GLP), all belong to β-pyranosidic polysaccharides. The average molecular weight ( M W ) of SCP, ULLP, GLP, and DAP was 466, 404, 591, and 482 kDa, respectively. The quantitative and comparative results with external standards indicated that the main monosaccharide in SCP and ULLP was mannose; and GLP and DAP were mainly composed of galactose and glucose, respectively. Then the in vitro antioxidant activity of all of the polysaccharides was evaluated using different assays-2,2-azino -bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6- sulfonate) (ABTS), hydroxyl radical, nitrite scavenging capacity, and reducing power-and the relationship between their antioxidant activity and chemical characteristics were also examined. ULLP presented the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity; ULLP, SCP and DAP also showed a strong effect on the ABTS radical scavenging activity. SCP and ULLP exhibited excellent hydroxyl radical scavenging activities, about 83.33% ± 2.31% and 80.07% ± 2.17%, respectively, at 4 mg/mL. The reducing power of DAP was relatively more pronounced than that of the three other polysaccharides. However, the nitrite scavenging activities of the four seaweed polysaccharides were weaker than other antioxidant activity (ABTS), hydroxyl radical scavenging capacity, and reducing power. In addition, GLP exhibited lower activities than the other three samples in all of the tests for the antioxidant activity.

Analysis of satellite precipitation over East Africa during last decades

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cattani, Elsa; Wenhaji Ndomeni, Claudine; Merino, Andrés; Levizzani, Vincenzo

2016-04-01

Daily accumulated precipitation time series from satellite retrieval algorithms (e.g., ARC2 and TAMSAT) are exploited to extract the spatial and temporal variability of East Africa (EA - 5°S-20°N, 28°E-52°E) precipitation during last decades (1983-2013). The Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis is applied to precipitation time series to investigate the spatial and temporal variability in particular for October-November-December referred to as the short rain season. Moreover, the connection among EA's precipitation, sea surface temperature, and soil moisture is analyzed through the correlation with the dominant EOF modes of variability. Preliminary results concern the first two EOF's modes for the ARC2 data set. EOF1 is characterized by an inter-annual variability and a positive correlation between precipitation and El Niño, positive Indian Ocean Dipole mode, and soil moisture, while EOF2 shows a dipole structure of spatial variability associated with a longer scale temporal variability. This second dominant mode is mostly linked to sea surface temperature variations in the North Atlantic Ocean. Further analyses are carried out by computing the time series of the joint CCI/CLIVAR/JCOMM Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI, http://etccdi.pacificclimate.org/index.shtml), i.e. RX1day, RX5day, CDD, CDD, CWD, SDII, PRCPTOT, R10, R20. The purpose is to identify the occurrenes of extreme events (droughts and floods) and extract precipitation temporal variation by trend analysis (Mann-Kendall technique). Results for the ARC2 data set demonstrate the existence of a dipole spatial pattern in the linear trend of the time series of PRCPTOT (annual precipitation considering days with a rain rate > 1 mm) and SDII (average precipitation on wet days over a year). A negative trend is mainly present over West Ethiopia and Sudan, whereas a positive trend is exhibited over East Ethiopia and Somalia. CDD (maximum number of consecutive dry days) and CWD (maximum number of consecutive wet days) time series do not exhibit a similar behavior and trends are generally weaker with a lower significance level with respect to PRCPTOT and SDII.

Modeling stress–strain state of rock mass under mining of complex-shape extraction pillar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fryanov, VN; Pavlova, LD

2018-03-01

Based on the results of numerical modeling of stresses and strains in rock mass, geomechanical parameters of development workings adjacent to coal face operation area are provided for multi-entry preparation and extraction of flat seams with production faces of variable length. The negative effects on the geomechanical situation during the transition from the longwall to shortwall mining in a fully mechanized extraction face are found.

Optimization of ultrasound-assisted aqueous two-phase system extraction of polyphenolic compounds from Aronia melanocarpa pomace by response surface methodology.

PubMed

Xu, Yan-Yang; Qiu, Yang; Ren, Hui; Ju, Dong-Hu; Jia, Hong-Lei

2017-03-16

Aronia melanocarpa berries are abundant in polyphenolic compounds. After juice production, the pomace of pressed berries still contains a substantial amount of polyphenolic compounds. For efficient utilization of A. melanocarpa berries and the enhancement of polyphenolic compound yields in Aronia melanocarpa pomace (AMP), total phenolics (TP) and total flavonoids (TF) from AMP were extracted, using ultrasound-assisted aqueous two-phase system (UAE-ATPS) extraction method. First, the influences of ammonium sulfate concentration, ethanol-water ratio, ultrasonic time, and ultrasonic power on TP and TF yields were investigated. On this basis, process variables such as ammonium sulfate concentration (0.30-0.35 g mL -1 ), ethanol-water ratio (0.6-0.8), ultrasonic time (40-60 min), and ultrasonic power (175-225 W) were further optimized by implementing Box-Benhnken design with response surface methodology. The experimental results showed that optimal extraction conditions of TP from AMP were as follows: ammonium sulfate concentration of 0.324 g mL -1 , ethanol-water ratio of 0.69, ultrasonic time of 52 min, and ultrasonic power of 200 W. Meanwhile, ammonium sulfate concentration of 0.320 g mL -1 , ethanol-water ratio of 0.71, ultrasonic time of 50 min, and ultrasonic power of 200 W were determined as optimum extraction conditions of TF in AMP. Experimental validation was performed, where TP and TF yields reached 68.15 ± 1.04 and 11.67 ± 0.63 mg g -1 , respectively. Close agreement was found between experimental and predicted values. Overall, the present results demonstrated that ultrasound-assisted aqueous two-phase system extraction method was successfully used to extract total phenolics and flavonoids in A. melanocarpa pomace.

DNA recovery from soils of diverse composition.

PubMed

Zhou, J; Bruns, M A; Tiedje, J M

1996-02-01

A simple, rapid method for bacterial lysis and direct extraction of DNA from soils with minimal shearing was developed to address the risk of chimera formation from small template DNA during subsequent PCR. The method was based on lysis with a high-salt extraction buffer (1.5 M NaCl) and extended heating (2 to 3 h) of the soil suspension in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide, and proteinase K. The extraction method required 6 h and was tested on eight soils differing in organic carbon, clay content, and pH, including ones from which DNA extraction is difficult. The DNA fragment size in crude extracts from all soils was > 23 kb. Preliminary trials indicated that DNA recovery from two soils seeded with gram-negative bacteria was 92 to 99%. When the method was tested on all eight unseeded soils, microscopic examination of indigenous bacteria in soil pellets before and after extraction showed variable cell lysis efficiency (26 to 92%). Crude DNA yields from the eight soils ranged from 2.5 to 26.9 micrograms of DNA g-1, and these were positively correlated with the organic carbon content in the soil (r = 0.73). DNA yields from gram-positive bacteria from pure cultures were two to six times higher when the high-salt-SDS-heat method was combined with mortar-and-pestle grinding and freeze-thawing, and most DNA recovered was of high molecular weight. Four methods for purifying crude DNA were also evaluated for percent recovery, fragment size, speed, enzyme restriction, PCR amplification, and DNA-DNA hybridization. In general, all methods produced DNA pure enough for PCR amplification. Since soil type and microbial community characteristics will influence DNA recovery, this study provides guidance for choosing appropriate extraction and purification methods on the basis of experimental goals.

Optimization of ultrasonic-assisted extraction of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.) seed oil.

PubMed

Tian, Yuting; Xu, Zhenbo; Zheng, Baodong; Martin Lo, Y

2013-01-01

The effectiveness of ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE) of pomegranate seed oil (PSO) was evaluated using a variety of solvents. Petroleum ether was the most effective for oil extraction, followed by n-hexane, ethyl acetate, diethyl ether, acetone, and isopropanol. Several variables, such as ultrasonic power, extraction temperature, extraction time, and the ratio of solvent volume and seed weight (S/S ratio) were studied for optimization using response surface methodology (RSM). The highest oil yield, 25.11% (w/w), was obtained using petroleum ether under optimal conditions for ultrasonic power, extraction temperature, extraction time, and S/S ratio at 140 W, 40 °C, 36 min, and 10 ml/g, respectively. The PSO yield extracted by UAE was significantly higher than by using Soxhlet extraction (SE; 20.50%) and supercriti cal fluid extraction (SFE; 15.72%). The fatty acid compositions were significantly different among the PSO extracted by Soxhlet extraction, SFE, and UAE, with punicic acid (>65%) being the most dominant using UAE. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

3.0 Tesla MRI in the early evaluation of inferior alveolar nerve neurological complications after mandibular third molar extraction: a prospective study

PubMed Central

Pranno, N; Barchetti, F; Sorrentino, V; Lo Mele, L

2014-01-01

Objectives: To evaluate the use of 3.0 T MRI in the prognosis of inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) sensory disorders after mandibular third molar extraction, in the early post-operative period. Methods: 343 IANs were examined before and 3 days after surgery. Two radiologists evaluated the course of the nerve and the relative signal intensity (RSI). Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to evaluate the interobserver (k = 0.891) and intra-observer variability (ICC = 0.927; 0.914, respectively). The IANs were divided into four groups on the basis of neurosensory disorders recovery time. ANOVA was used to evaluate the differences among the RSIs of the four groups, and multiple comparisons were performed with Tukey's range test. Results: No differences in the course of IANs were found before and after surgery. In 280 IANs, no iatrogenic paraesthesia was found (Group A). 63 IANs showed a neurosensory impairment. 38 IANs showed recovery of post-operative paraesthesia at 3-month follow-up (Group B). 16 IANs showed a full recovery of iatrogenic paraesthesia at 6-month follow-up (Group C). Seven IANs displayed a full recovery at 12-month follow-up and two IANs showed persistence of neurosensory disorders at 18-month follow-up (Group D). The one-way ANOVA results indicated statistically significant difference among all groups (p < 0.05), except between Groups C and D (p = 0.504). Conclusions: The early evaluation of RSI values represents a valid tool to determine the prognosis of IAN sensory disorders after mandibular third molar extraction. PMID:24947977

Colour calibration of a laboratory computer vision system for quality evaluation of pre-sliced hams.

PubMed

Valous, Nektarios A; Mendoza, Fernando; Sun, Da-Wen; Allen, Paul

2009-01-01

Due to the high variability and complex colour distribution in meats and meat products, the colour signal calibration of any computer vision system used for colour quality evaluations, represents an essential condition for objective and consistent analyses. This paper compares two methods for CIE colour characterization using a computer vision system (CVS) based on digital photography; namely the polynomial transform procedure and the transform proposed by the sRGB standard. Also, it presents a procedure for evaluating the colour appearance and presence of pores and fat-connective tissue on pre-sliced hams made from pork, turkey and chicken. Our results showed high precision, in colour matching, for device characterization when the polynomial transform was used to match the CIE tristimulus values in comparison with the sRGB standard approach as indicated by their ΔE(ab)(∗) values. The [3×20] polynomial transfer matrix yielded a modelling accuracy averaging below 2.2 ΔE(ab)(∗) units. Using the sRGB transform, high variability was appreciated among the computed ΔE(ab)(∗) (8.8±4.2). The calibrated laboratory CVS, implemented with a low-cost digital camera, exhibited reproducible colour signals in a wide range of colours capable of pinpointing regions-of-interest and allowed the extraction of quantitative information from the overall ham slice surface with high accuracy. The extracted colour and morphological features showed potential for characterizing the appearance of ham slice surfaces. CVS is a tool that can objectively specify colour and appearance properties of non-uniformly coloured commercial ham slices.

Contact lens deposits, adverse responses, and clinical ocular surface parameters.

PubMed

Zhao, Zhenjun; Naduvilath, Thomas; Flanagan, Judith L; Carnt, Nicole A; Wei, Xiaojia; Diec, Jennie; Evans, Vicki; Willcox, Mark D P

2010-09-01

To correlate clinical responses during contact lens wear with the amount of protein or cholesterol extracted from lenses after wear. Clinical parameters, including adverse response rates and corneal staining, and symptomatology rating during lens wear were collected from a series of clinical tests comprising four different silicone hydrogel lenses with four different multipurpose solutions. To test for correlates, the amount of total protein or cholesterol extracted from lenses after daily wear were compared statistically to clinical parameters. The amount of protein (p = 0.008) or cholesterol (p = 0.01) extracted from lenses was higher for those subjects who showed solution-induced corneal staining. Amount of protein extracted was correlated (p < 0.01) with conjunctival staining (R = -0.23), lens front surface wetting (r = 0.14), and lens fit tightness (R = -0.20). These clinical parameters accounted for 48% of lens protein deposition. The amount of cholesterol extracted from lenses was much more weakly associated with clinical variables. Amount of protein or cholesterol extracted from lenses was not associated with the production of any corneal infiltrative or mechanical adverse event during wear and was only very weakly correlated with insertion comfort of lenses. These results suggest that there may be no physiologically relevant consequence of cholesterol depositing on silicone hydrogel lenses. The amount of protein that deposits onto silicone hydrogel lenses during wear may have more affect on lens performance on-eye. However, the correlations were generally small and may still not indicate any causative relevant physiological response. Further work is required to determine whether there is any direct causative effect to support these correlative findings.

Systematic metabolic profiling and bioactivity assays for bioconversion of Aceraceae family.

PubMed

Park, Jinyong; Suh, Dong Ho; Singh, Digar; Lee, Sarah; Lee, Jong Seok; Lee, Choong Hwan

2018-01-01

Plants are an important and inexhaustible source of bioactive molecules in food, medicine, agriculture, and industry. In this study, we performed systematic liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS)-based metabolic profiling coupled with antioxidant assays for indigenous plant family extracts. Partial least-squares discriminant analysis of LC-MS datasets for the extracts of 34 plant species belonging to the families Aceraceae, Asteraceae, and Rosaceae showed that these species were clustered according to their respective phylogenies. In particular, seven Aceraceae species were clearly demarcated with higher average antioxidant activities, rationalizing their application for bioconversion studies. On the basis of further evaluation of the interspecies variability of metabolic profiles and antioxidant activities among Aceraceae family plants, we found that Acer tataricum (TA) extracts were clearly distinguished from those of other species, with a higher relative abundance of tannin derivatives. Further, we detected a strong positive correlation between most tannin derivatives and the observed higher antioxidant activities. Following Aspergillus oryzae-mediated fermentative bioconversion of Acer plant extracts, we observed a time-correlated (0-8 days) linear increase in antioxidant phenotypes for all species, with TA having the highest activity. Temporal analysis of the MS data revealed tannin bioconversion mechanisms with a relatively higher abundance of gallic acid (m/z 169) accumulated at the end of 8 days, particularly in TA. Similarly, quercetin precursor (glycoside) metabolites were also transformed to quercetin aglycones (m/z 301) in most Acer plant extracts. The present study underscores the efficacy of fermentative bioconversion strategies aimed at enhancing the quality and availability of bioactive metabolites from plant extracts.

DNA extraction for streamlined metagenomics of diverse environmental samples.

PubMed

Marotz, Clarisse; Amir, Amnon; Humphrey, Greg; Gaffney, James; Gogul, Grant; Knight, Rob

2017-06-01

A major bottleneck for metagenomic sequencing is rapid and efficient DNA extraction. Here, we compare the extraction efficiencies of three magnetic bead-based platforms (KingFisher, epMotion, and Tecan) to a standardized column-based extraction platform across a variety of sample types, including feces, oral, skin, soil, and water. Replicate sample plates were extracted and prepared for 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing in parallel to assess extraction bias and DNA quality. The data demonstrate that any effect of extraction method on sequencing results was small compared with the variability across samples; however, the KingFisher platform produced the largest number of high-quality reads in the shortest amount of time. Based on these results, we have identified an extraction pipeline that dramatically reduces sample processing time without sacrificing bacterial taxonomic or abundance information.

Comparison of Two Multifractal Analysis Methods: Generalized Structure Function and Multifractal Spectrum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morato, M. Carmen; Castellanos, M. Teresa; Bird, Nigel; Tarquis, Ana M.

2016-04-01

Soil variability has often been a constant expected factor to take in account in soil studies. This variability could be considered to be composed of "functional" variations plus random fluctuations or noise. Multifractal formalism, first proposed by Mandelbrot (1982), is suitable for variables with self-similar distribution on a spatial domain. Multifractal analysis can provide insight into spatial variability of crop or soil parameters. In soil science, it has been quite popular to characterize the scaling property of a variable measured along a transect as a mass distribution of a statistical measure on a length domain of the studied transect. To do this, it divides it into a number of self similar segments and estimate the partition function and mass function. Based on this, the multifractal spectra (MFS) is calculated. However, another technique can be applied focus its attention in the variations of a measure analyzing the moments of the absolute differences at different scales, the Generalized Structure Function (GSF), and extracting the Generalized Hurst exponents. The aim of this study is to compare both techniques in a transect data. A common 1024 m transect across arable fields at Silsoe in Bedfordshire, east-central England were analyzed with these two multifractal methods. Properties studied were total porosity (Porosity), gravimetric water content (GWC) and nitrogen oxide flux (NO2 flux). The results showed in both methods that NO2 flux presents a clear multifractal character and a weak one in the GWC and Porosity cases. Several parameters were calculated from both methods and are discussed. On the other hand, using the partition function all the scale ranges were used, meanwhile in the GSF a shorter range of scales showed linear behavior in the bilog plots used to estimate the parameters. GWC exhibits a linear pattern from increments of 4 till 256 meters, Porosity showed this behavior from 4 till 64 meters. In case of NO2 flux only from 32 to 256 meters showed it. However, the relation between the mass exponent function and the GSF, found in the literature, was positively verified in the three variables.

Analysis of intraspecific seed diversity in Astragalus aquilanus (Fabaceae), an endemic species of Central Apennine.

PubMed

Di Cecco, V; Di Musciano, M; D'Archivio, A A; Frattaroli, A R; Di Martino, L

2018-05-20

This work aims to study seeds of the endemic species Astragalus aquilanus from four different populations of central Italy. We investigated seed morpho-colorimetric features (shape and size) and chemical differences (through infrared spectroscopy) among populations and between dark and light seeds. Seed morpho-colorimetric quantitative variables, describing shape, size and colour traits, were measured using image analysis techniques. Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy was used to attempt seed chemical characterisation. The measured data were analysed by step-wise linear discriminant analysis (LDA). Moreover, we analysed the correlation between the four most important traits and six climatic variables extracted from WorldClim 2.0. The LDA on seeds traits shows clear differentiation of the four populations, which can be attributed to different chemical composition, as confirmed by Wilk's lambda test (P < 0.001). A strong correlation between morphometric traits and temperature (annual mean temperature, mean temperature of the warmest and coolest quarter), colorimetric traits and precipitation (annual precipitation, precipitation of wettest and driest quarter) was observed. The characterisation of A. aquilanus seeds shows large intraspecific plasticity both in morpho-colorimetric and chemical composition. These results confirm the strong relationship between the type of seed produced and the climatic variables. © 2018 German Society for Plant Sciences and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Optimizing extraction conditions of crude fiber, phenolic compounds, flavonoids and antioxidant activity of date seed powder.

PubMed

Afifi, Hanan S; Hashim, Isameldin B; Altubji, Sabreen I

2017-12-01

The objective of this study was to optimize the extraction conditions of crude fiber, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, and antioxidant activity from date seeds powder, using Response Surface Methodology. A central composite design with four independent variables; concentration of ethanol (X 1  = 25, 50 and 75% v/v), solvent: sample ratio (X 2  = 40:1, 50:1 and 60:1 v/w), temperature (X 3  = 45, 55 and 65 °C), and extraction time (X 4  = 1, 2 and 3 h) and a three level face centered cube design were used. A total of twenty nine experimental runs with five replicates at the central point were used to study the response variables using two extraction cycles. Maximum phenolic compound content (71.6 mg GAE/100 g) was extracted using 50% ethanol solution with 40:1 solvent: sample ratio for 1 h at 55 °C. While the maximum antioxidant activity (55.02 µmol Fe(II)/g) was obtained using similar ethanol concentration and solvent: sample ratio except at lower temperature (45 °C) for 2 h. On other hand, the maximum flavonoids content (455.77 mg CEQ/100 g) was reached by using 50% concentration, 50:1 solvent: sample ratio at 65 °C for 3 h. In contrast, the content of fiber was not affected by the different extraction conditions. Results indicate that using combination of extracted conditions, have a great potential for extracting all depending compounds except crude fiber.

Effects of Andrographis paniculata and Orthosiphon stamineus extracts on the glucuronidation of 4-methylumbelliferone in human UGT isoforms.

PubMed

Ismail, Sabariah; Hanapi, Nur Aziah; Ab Halim, Mohd Rohaimi; Uchaipichat, Verawan; Mackenzie, Peter I

2010-05-14

The effects of Andrographis paniculata and Orthosiphon stamineus extracts on the in vitro glucuronidation of 4-methylumbelliferone (4MU) by recombinant human UGTs, UGT1A1, UGT1A3, UGT1A6, UGT1A7, UGT1A8, UGT1A10, UGT2B7 and UGT2B15 were determined. The potential inhibitory effects of both of the extracts on the activity of each of the UGT isoforms were investigated using 4MU as the substrate. Incubations contained UDP-glucuronic acid (UDPGA) as the cofactor, MgCl(2), cell lysate of respective isoform, and 4MU at the approximate apparent K(m) or S(50) value of each isoform. Final concentrations of Andrographis paniculata and Orthosiphon stamineus extracts used were 0.025, 0.25, 2.5, 25 and 50 microg/mL and 0.01, 0.10, 1.0, 10 and 50 microg/mL respectively. Both extracts variably inhibited the activity of most of the isoforms in a concentration dependent manner. Andrographis paniculata extract was the better inhibitor of all the isoforms studied (IC(50) 1.70 microg/mL for UGT1A3, 2.57 microg/mL for UGT1A8, 2.82 microg/mL for UGT2B7, 5.00 micorg/mL for UGT1A1, 5.66 microg/mL for UGT1A6, 9.88 microg/mL for UGT1A7 and 15.66 microg/mL for UGT1A10). Both extracts showed less than 70% inhibition of UGT2B15, so the IC(50) values were >50 microg/mL. The inhibition of human UGTs by Andrographis paniculata and Orthosiphon stamineus extracts in vitro suggests a potential for drug-herbal extract interactions in the therapeutic setting.

Expanding the occupational health methodology: A concatenated artificial neural network approach to model the burnout process in Chinese nurses.

PubMed

Ladstätter, Felix; Garrosa, Eva; Moreno-Jiménez, Bernardo; Ponsoda, Vicente; Reales Aviles, José Manuel; Dai, Junming

2016-01-01

Artificial neural networks are sophisticated modelling and prediction tools capable of extracting complex, non-linear relationships between predictor (input) and predicted (output) variables. This study explores this capacity by modelling non-linearities in the hardiness-modulated burnout process with a neural network. Specifically, two multi-layer feed-forward artificial neural networks are concatenated in an attempt to model the composite non-linear burnout process. Sensitivity analysis, a Monte Carlo-based global simulation technique, is then utilised to examine the first-order effects of the predictor variables on the burnout sub-dimensions and consequences. Results show that (1) this concatenated artificial neural network approach is feasible to model the burnout process, (2) sensitivity analysis is a prolific method to study the relative importance of predictor variables and (3) the relationships among variables involved in the development of burnout and its consequences are to different degrees non-linear. Many relationships among variables (e.g., stressors and strains) are not linear, yet researchers use linear methods such as Pearson correlation or linear regression to analyse these relationships. Artificial neural network analysis is an innovative method to analyse non-linear relationships and in combination with sensitivity analysis superior to linear methods.

Correlated microtiming deviations in jazz and rock music.

PubMed

Sogorski, Mathias; Geisel, Theo; Priesemann, Viola

2018-01-01

Musical rhythms performed by humans typically show temporal fluctuations. While they have been characterized in simple rhythmic tasks, it is an open question what is the nature of temporal fluctuations, when several musicians perform music jointly in all its natural complexity. To study such fluctuations in over 100 original jazz and rock/pop recordings played with and without metronome we developed a semi-automated workflow allowing the extraction of cymbal beat onsets with millisecond precision. Analyzing the inter-beat interval (IBI) time series revealed evidence for two long-range correlated processes characterized by power laws in the IBI power spectral densities. One process dominates on short timescales (t < 8 beats) and reflects microtiming variability in the generation of single beats. The other dominates on longer timescales and reflects slow tempo variations. Whereas the latter did not show differences between musical genres (jazz vs. rock/pop), the process on short timescales showed higher variability for jazz recordings, indicating that jazz makes stronger use of microtiming fluctuations within a measure than rock/pop. Our results elucidate principles of rhythmic performance and can inspire algorithms for artificial music generation. By studying microtiming fluctuations in original music recordings, we bridge the gap between minimalistic tapping paradigms and expressive rhythmic performances.

Solidification of floating organic droplet in dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction as a green analytical tool.

PubMed

Mansour, Fotouh R; Danielson, Neil D

2017-08-01

Dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME) is a special type of microextraction in which a mixture of two solvents (an extracting solvent and a disperser) is injected into the sample. The extraction solvent is then dispersed as fine droplets in the cloudy sample through manual or mechanical agitation. Hence, the sample is centrifuged to break the formed emulsion and the extracting solvent is manually separated. The organic solvents commonly used in DLLME are halogenated hydrocarbons that are highly toxic. These solvents are heavier than water, so they sink to the bottom of the centrifugation tube which makes the separation step difficult. By using solvents of low density, the organic extractant floats on the sample surface. If the selected solvent such as undecanol has a freezing point in the range 10-25°C, the floating droplet can be solidified using a simple ice-bath, and then transferred out of the sample matrix; this step is known as solidification of floating organic droplet (SFOD). Coupling DLLME to SFOD combines the advantages of both approaches together. The DLLME-SFOD process is controlled by the same variables of conventional liquid-liquid extraction. The organic solvents used as extractants in DLLME-SFOD must be immiscible with water, of lower density, low volatility, high partition coefficient and low melting and freezing points. The extraction efficiency of DLLME-SFOD is affected by types and volumes of organic extractant and disperser, salt addition, pH, temperature, stirring rate and extraction time. This review discusses the principle, optimization variables, advantages and disadvantages and some selected applications of DLLME-SFOD in water, food and biomedical analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Phenolic profiles and their contribution to the antioxidant activity of selected chickpea genotypes from Mexico and ICRISAT collections.

PubMed

Quintero-Soto, Maria F; Saracho-Peña, Ana G; Chavez-Ontiveros, Jeanett; Garzon-Tiznado, Jose A; Pineda-Hidalgo, Karen V; Delgado-Vargas, Francisco; Lopez-Valenzuela, Jose A

2018-06-01

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) genotypes, nine kabuli from Mexico and 9 desi from other countries, were investigated for their phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity (AA). Phenolics in methanol extracts (ME) were analyzed by ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled to diode array detection and mass spectrometry (UPLC-DAD-MS), whereas the AA was measured as Trolox equivalents (TE) by ABTS, DPPH and FRAP methods. Twenty phenolic compounds were identified in the ME and their levels showed a great variability among the chickpea genotypes. Phenolic acids and flavonoids were the most abundant compounds in kabuli and desi genotypes, respectively. The AA values (μmol TE/ 100 g dw) by ABTS (278-2417), DPPH (52-1650), and FRAP (41-1181) were mainly associated with the content of sinapic acid hexoside, gallic acid, myricetin, quercetin, catechin, and isorhamnetin, suggesting they are the main compounds responsible for the AA. The sum of the AA obtained for standards of these compounds evaluated at the concentration found in the extracts accounted for 34.3, 69.8, and 47.0% of the AA in the extract by ABTS, DPPH, and FRAP, respectively. In the AA by DPPH, most of the mixtures of these compounds resulted in synergistic interactions. Three desi genotypes with black seeds (ICC 4418, ICC 6306, and ICC 3761) showed the highest AA and flavonoids content, whereas the most promising kabuli genotypes were Surutato 77, Bco. Sin. 92, and Blanoro that showed the highest values of phenolic acids. These genotypes represent good sources of antioxidants for the improvement of nutraceutical properties in chickpea.

Study of process variables in supercritical carbon dioxide extraction of soybeans.

PubMed

Wilkinson, Nikolas; Hilton, Ramsey; Hendry, Doug; Venkitasamy, Chandrasekar; Jacoby, William

2014-01-01

Soybean flakes were extracted using supercritical carbon dioxide at 48.3 MPa and 80 °C, which is a higher temperature than previously reported. Several operational parameters were explored to determine their effect on extractions. Flakes, as typically used in this industry, provided the best extraction performance. Particle size distributions were created through grinding. Reducing average particle diameters smaller than 0.069 mm had no appreciable effect on increasing extraction efficiencies. Exploration of flow rate indicated that a residence time of less than 60 s for the supercritical carbon dioxide would be sufficient for complete extractions. A solvent mass to load mass ratio of 10:1 was found to be sufficient for extraction of oils from soybean flakes. Increasing moisture in the soybeans led to decreasing extraction efficiency of oils. Finally, soybean hulls had no effect on extraction efficiency. Thus, the de-hulling procedure can be removed from the extraction process without decreasing extraction efficiency.

Environment and genotype effects on the content of dietary fiber and its components in wheat in the HEALTHGRAIN diversity screen.

PubMed

Gebruers, Kurt; Dornez, Emmie; Bedõ, Zoltan; Rakszegi, Mariann; Frás, Anna; Boros, Danuta; Courtin, Christophe M; Delcour, Jan A

2010-09-08

Within the HEALTHGRAIN diversity screen, the variability of the contents of dietary fiber (DF) and components thereof was studied in wheat. Furthermore, the contribution of genotype and environment to this variability was estimated. The levels of total DF (TDF), total nonstarch polysaccharide (TOTNSP), water-extractable nonstarch polysaccharide (WENSP), total arabinoxylan (TOTAX), lignin, and beta-glucan in whole meal, flour, and/or bran varied approximately 1.8-fold. The highest variability was observed for the water-extractable arabinoxylan (WEAX) level in flour and bran (approximately 3.7-fold). Genotype and environment contributed to a similar extent to the variability in TDF, TOTNSP, and TOTAX content in wheat. The observed relatively high impact of genotype-environment interaction suggests that the levels of these constituents are weak breeding parameters. The WENSP level is a more stable parameter as the effect of the interaction term was much less than the impact of genotype. For TOTAX and WEAX in flour, WEAX in bran, beta-glucan in whole meal, and extract viscosity, wheat genotype determined approximately 50% or higher of the variation observed, whereas the impact of the genotype-environment interaction was relatively low. These findings suggest that the health-related and technological functionality of wheat can be directed to a certain extent by selection of appropriate wheat varieties.

Complexity Variability Assessment of Nonlinear Time-Varying Cardiovascular Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valenza, Gaetano; Citi, Luca; Garcia, Ronald G.; Taylor, Jessica Noggle; Toschi, Nicola; Barbieri, Riccardo

2017-02-01

The application of complex systems theory to physiology and medicine has provided meaningful information about the nonlinear aspects underlying the dynamics of a wide range of biological processes and their disease-related aberrations. However, no studies have investigated whether meaningful information can be extracted by quantifying second-order moments of time-varying cardiovascular complexity. To this extent, we introduce a novel mathematical framework termed complexity variability, in which the variance of instantaneous Lyapunov spectra estimated over time serves as a reference quantifier. We apply the proposed methodology to four exemplary studies involving disorders which stem from cardiology, neurology and psychiatry: Congestive Heart Failure (CHF), Major Depression Disorder (MDD), Parkinson’s Disease (PD), and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) patients with insomnia under a yoga training regime. We show that complexity assessments derived from simple time-averaging are not able to discern pathology-related changes in autonomic control, and we demonstrate that between-group differences in measures of complexity variability are consistent across pathologies. Pathological states such as CHF, MDD, and PD are associated with an increased complexity variability when compared to healthy controls, whereas wellbeing derived from yoga in PTSD is associated with lower time-variance of complexity.

[Histomorphometric evaluation of ridge preservation after molar tooth extraction].

PubMed

Zhan, Y L; Hu, W J; Xu, T; Zhen, M; Lu, R F

2017-02-18

To evaluate bone formation in human extraction sockets with absorbed surrounding walls augmented with Bio-Oss and Bio-Gide after a 6-month healing period by histologic and histomorphometric analyses. Six fresh molar tooth extraction sockets in 6 patients who required periodontally compromised moral tooth extraction were included in this study. The six fresh extraction sockets were grafted with Bio-Oss particle covered with Bio-Gide. The 2.8 mm×6.0 mm cylindric bone specimens were taken from the graft sites with aid of stent 6 months after the surgery. Histologic and histomorphometric analyses were performed. The histological results showed Bio-Oss particles were easily distinguished from the newly formed bone, small amounts of new bone were formed among the Bio-Oss particles, large amounts of connective tissue were found. Intimate contact between the newly formed bone and the small part of Bio-Oss particles was present. All the biopsy cylinders measurement demonstrated a high inter-individual variability in the percentage of the bone, connective tissues and Bio-Oss particles. The new bone occupied 11.54% (0-28.40%) of the total area; the connective tissues were 53.42% (34.08%-74.59%) and the Bio-Oss particles were 35.04% (13.92%-50.87%). The percentage of the particles, which were in contact with bone tissues, amounted to 20.13% (0-48.50%). Sites grafted with Bio-Oss particles covered with Bio-Gide were comprised of connective tissues and small amounts of newly formed bone surrounding the graft particles.

Post-depositional redistribution processes and their effects on middle rare earth element precipitation and the cerium anomaly in sediments in the South Korea Plateau, East Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Jeongwon; Jeong, Kap-Sik; Cho, Jin Hyung; Lee, Jun Ho; Jang, Seok; Kim, Seong Ryul

2014-03-01

We sampled two box-core sediments from the slope of the eastern South Korea Plateau (SKP) in the East Sea (Sea of Japan) at water depths of 1400 and 1700 m. Two chemical fractions of extractable (hydroxylamine/acetic acid) and residual rare earth elements (REEs) together with Al, Ca, Fe, Mg, Mn, P, S, As, Mo, and U were analyzed to assess the post-depositional redistribution of REEs. Extractable Fe and Mn are noticeably abundant in the oxic topmost sediment layer (<3 cm). However, some trace elements (e.g., S, As, Mo, U) are more abundant at depth, where redox conditions are different. Analysis of upper continental crust (UCC)-normalized (La/Gd)UCC, (La/Yb)UCC, and (Ce/Ce*)UCC revealed that the extractable REE is characterized by middle REE (MREE) enrichment and a positive cerium (Ce) anomaly, different from the case of the residual fraction which shows slight enrichment in light REEs (LREEs) with no Ce anomaly. The extractable MREEs seem to have been incorporated into high-Mg calcite during reductive dissolution of Fe oxyhydroxides. In the top sediment layer, the positive Ce anomaly is attributed to Ce oxide, which can be mobilized in deeper oxygen-poor environments and redistributed in the sediment column. In addition, differential concentrations of Ce and other LREEs in pore water appear to result in variable (Ce/Ce*)UCC ratios in the extractable fraction at depth.

New design of experiment combined with UV-Vis spectroscopy for extraction and estimation of polyphenols from Basil seeds, Red seeds, Sesame seeds and Ajwan seeds.

PubMed

Mabood, Fazal; Gilani, Syed Abdullah; Hussain, Javid; Alshidani, Sulaiman; Alghawi, Said; Albroumi, Mohammed; Alameri, Saif; Jabeen, Farah; Hussain, Zahid; Al-Harrasi, Ahmed; Al Abri, Zahra K M; Farooq, Saima; Naureen, Zakira; Hamaed, Ahmad; Rasul Jan, M; Shah, Jasmin

2017-05-05

New experimental designs for the extraction of polyphenols from different seeds including Basil seed, Red seed, Sesame seeds and Ajwan seeds were investigated. Four variables the concentration and volume of methanol and NaOH solutions as well as the temperature and time of extraction were varied to see their effect on total phenol extraction. The temperature was varied in the range from 25°C to 200°C while the time in the range from 30 to 200minutes. Response surface methodology was used to optimize the extraction parameters. The estimation of polyphenols was measured through phenols reduction UV-Vis spectroscopic method of phosphotungstic-phosphomolybdic acids (Folin-Ciocalteu's reagent). Calibration curve was made by using tannic acid as a polyphenols standard in the concentration range from 0.1 to 10ppm. The regression line obtained shows the value of correlation coefficient i.e. R=0.930 and Root mean square error of cross validation (RMSEC) value of 0.0654. The Basil seeds were found containing the highest amount of total phenols i.e. 785.76mg/100g. While the Sesame seeds having the least amount i.e. 33.08mg/100g. The Ajwan seeds and the Red seeds are containing the medium amounts i.e. 379mg/100g and 220.54mg/100g respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extraction of Vertical Profiles of Atmospheric Variables from Gridded Binary, Edition 2 (GRIB2) Model Output Files

DTIC Science & Technology

2018-01-18

processing. Specifically, the method described herein uses wgrib2 commands along with a Python script or program to produce tabular text files that in...It makes use of software that is readily available and can be implemented on many computer systems combined with relatively modest additional...example), extracts appropriate information, and lists the extracted information in a readable tabular form. The Python script used here is described in

Supercritical fluid extraction of ginger (Zingiber Officinale Var. Amarum) : Global yield and composition study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fitriady, Muhammad Arifuddin; Sulaswatty, Anny; Agustian, Egi; Salahuddin, Aditama, Deska Prayoga Fauzi

2017-11-01

An experiment to observe the effect of temperature and time process in ginger rhizome-Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) using CO2 as the solvent has been conducted. The ginger rhizome (Zingiber Officinale Var. Amarum) was washed, drained, sliced, sun-dried, and then stored in a sealed bag prior to usage. The temperature and time process variables are each 35, 40, 45°C and 2, 4, 6 hours respectively with the pressure variable are 3500, 4000, and 4500 psi. It is found that the highest yield (2.9%) was achieved using temperature of 40°C and pressure of 4500 psiwith the process time of 4 hours. However, using the curve-fitting method, it is suggested to use 42°C as the temperature and 5 hours, 7 minutes, and 30 seconds (5.125 Hours) as the time process to obtain the highest yield. The temperature changes will affect both solvent and vapor pressure of diluted compounds of the ginger which will influence the global yield and the composition of the extract. The three major components of the extract are curcumene, zingiberene, and β - sesquipellandrene,

SeqFIRE: a web application for automated extraction of indel regions and conserved blocks from protein multiple sequence alignments.

PubMed

Ajawatanawong, Pravech; Atkinson, Gemma C; Watson-Haigh, Nathan S; Mackenzie, Bryony; Baldauf, Sandra L

2012-07-01

Analyses of multiple sequence alignments generally focus on well-defined conserved sequence blocks, while the rest of the alignment is largely ignored or discarded. This is especially true in phylogenomics, where large multigene datasets are produced through automated pipelines. However, some of the most powerful phylogenetic markers have been found in the variable length regions of multiple alignments, particularly insertions/deletions (indels) in protein sequences. We have developed Sequence Feature and Indel Region Extractor (SeqFIRE) to enable the automated identification and extraction of indels from protein sequence alignments. The program can also extract conserved blocks and identify fast evolving sites using a combination of conservation and entropy. All major variables can be adjusted by the user, allowing them to identify the sets of variables most suited to a particular analysis or dataset. Thus, all major tasks in preparing an alignment for further analysis are combined in a single flexible and user-friendly program. The output includes a numbered list of indels, alignments in NEXUS format with indels annotated or removed and indel-only matrices. SeqFIRE is a user-friendly web application, freely available online at www.seqfire.org/.

Extracting Leading Nonlinear Modes of Changing Climate From Global SST Time Series

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhin, D.; Gavrilov, A.; Loskutov, E. M.; Feigin, A. M.; Kurths, J.

2017-12-01

Data-driven modeling of climate requires adequate principal variables extracted from observed high-dimensional data. For constructing such variables it is needed to find spatial-temporal patterns explaining a substantial part of the variability and comprising all dynamically related time series from the data. The difficulties of this task rise from the nonlinearity and non-stationarity of the climate dynamical system. The nonlinearity leads to insufficiency of linear methods of data decomposition for separating different processes entangled in the observed time series. On the other hand, various forcings, both anthropogenic and natural, make the dynamics non-stationary, and we should be able to describe the response of the system to such forcings in order to separate the modes explaining the internal variability. The method we present is aimed to overcome both these problems. The method is based on the Nonlinear Dynamical Mode (NDM) decomposition [1,2], but takes into account external forcing signals. An each mode depends on hidden, unknown a priori, time series which, together with external forcing time series, are mapped onto data space. Finding both the hidden signals and the mapping allows us to study the evolution of the modes' structure in changing external conditions and to compare the roles of the internal variability and forcing in the observed behavior. The method is used for extracting of the principal modes of SST variability on inter-annual and multidecadal time scales accounting the external forcings such as CO2, variations of the solar activity and volcanic activity. The structure of the revealed teleconnection patterns as well as their forecast under different CO2 emission scenarios are discussed.[1] Mukhin, D., Gavrilov, A., Feigin, A., Loskutov, E., & Kurths, J. (2015). Principal nonlinear dynamical modes of climate variability. Scientific Reports, 5, 15510. [2] Gavrilov, A., Mukhin, D., Loskutov, E., Volodin, E., Feigin, A., & Kurths, J. (2016). Method for reconstructing nonlinear modes with adaptive structure from multidimensional data. Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, 26(12), 123101.

Validation of the ICU-DaMa tool for automatically extracting variables for minimum dataset and quality indicators: The importance of data quality assessment.

PubMed

Sirgo, Gonzalo; Esteban, Federico; Gómez, Josep; Moreno, Gerard; Rodríguez, Alejandro; Blanch, Lluis; Guardiola, Juan José; Gracia, Rafael; De Haro, Lluis; Bodí, María

2018-04-01

Big data analytics promise insights into healthcare processes and management, improving outcomes while reducing costs. However, data quality is a major challenge for reliable results. Business process discovery techniques and an associated data model were used to develop data management tool, ICU-DaMa, for extracting variables essential for overseeing the quality of care in the intensive care unit (ICU). To determine the feasibility of using ICU-DaMa to automatically extract variables for the minimum dataset and ICU quality indicators from the clinical information system (CIS). The Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare the values extracted from the CIS with ICU-DaMa for 25 variables from all patients attended in a polyvalent ICU during a two-month period against the gold standard of values manually extracted by two trained physicians. Discrepancies with the gold standard were classified into plausibility, conformance, and completeness errors. Data from 149 patients were included. Although there were no significant differences between the automatic method and the manual method, we detected differences in values for five variables, including one plausibility error and two conformance and completeness errors. Plausibility: 1) Sex, ICU-DaMa incorrectly classified one male patient as female (error generated by the Hospital's Admissions Department). Conformance: 2) Reason for isolation, ICU-DaMa failed to detect a human error in which a professional misclassified a patient's isolation. 3) Brain death, ICU-DaMa failed to detect another human error in which a professional likely entered two mutually exclusive values related to the death of the patient (brain death and controlled donation after circulatory death). Completeness: 4) Destination at ICU discharge, ICU-DaMa incorrectly classified two patients due to a professional failing to fill out the patient discharge form when thepatients died. 5) Length of continuous renal replacement therapy, data were missing for one patient because the CRRT device was not connected to the CIS. Automatic generation of minimum dataset and ICU quality indicators using ICU-DaMa is feasible. The discrepancies were identified and can be corrected by improving CIS ergonomics, training healthcare professionals in the culture of the quality of information, and using tools for detecting and correcting data errors. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

γ-ray telescopes using conversions to e+e- pairs: event generators, angular resolution and polarimetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gros, P.; Bernard, D.

2017-02-01

We benchmark various available event generators in Geant4 and EGS5 in the light of ongoing projects for high angular-resolution pair-conversion telescopes at low energy. We compare the distributions of key kinematic variables extracted from the geometry of the three final state particles. We validate and use as reference an exact generator using the full 5D differential cross-section of the conversion process. We focus in particular on the effect of the unmeasured recoiling nucleus on the angular resolution. We show that for high resolution trackers, the choice of the generator affects the estimated resolution of the telescope. We also show that the current available generator are unable to describe accurately a linearly polarised photon source.

Designing basin-customized combined drought indices via feature extraction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaniolo, Marta; Giuliani, Matteo; Castelletti, Andrea

2017-04-01

The socio-economic costs of drought are progressively increasing worldwide due to the undergoing alteration of hydro-meteorological regimes induced by climate change. Although drought management is largely studied in the literature, most of the traditional drought indexes fail in detecting critical events in highly regulated systems, which generally rely on ad-hoc formulations and cannot be generalized to different context. In this study, we contribute a novel framework for the design of a basin-customized drought index. This index represents a surrogate of the state of the basin and is computed by combining the available information about the water available in the system to reproduce a representative target variable for the drought condition of the basin (e.g., water deficit). To select the relevant variables and how to combine them, we use an advanced feature extraction algorithm called Wrapper for Quasi Equally Informative Subset Selection (W-QEISS). The W-QEISS algorithm relies on a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm to find Pareto-efficient subsets of variables by maximizing the wrapper accuracy, minimizing the number of selected variables (cardinality) and optimizing relevance and redundancy of the subset. The accuracy objective is evaluated trough the calibration of a pre-defined model (i.e., an extreme learning machine) of the water deficit for each candidate subset of variables, with the index selected from the resulting solutions identifying a suitable compromise between accuracy, cardinality, relevance, and redundancy. The proposed methodology is tested in the case study of Lake Como in northern Italy, a regulated lake mainly operated for irrigation supply to four downstream agricultural districts. In the absence of an institutional drought monitoring system, we constructed the combined index using all the hydrological variables from the existing monitoring system as well as the most common drought indicators at multiple time aggregations. The soil moisture deficit in the root zone computed by a distributed-parameter water balance model of the agricultural districts is used as target variable. Numerical results show that our framework succeeds in constructing a combined drought index that reproduces the soil moisture deficit. Moreover, this index represents a valuable information for supporting appropriate drought management strategies, including the possibility of directly informing the lake operations about the drought conditions and improve the overall reliability of the irrigation supply system.

Maximum-Entropy Inference with a Programmable Annealer

PubMed Central

Chancellor, Nicholas; Szoke, Szilard; Vinci, Walter; Aeppli, Gabriel; Warburton, Paul A.

2016-01-01

Optimisation problems typically involve finding the ground state (i.e. the minimum energy configuration) of a cost function with respect to many variables. If the variables are corrupted by noise then this maximises the likelihood that the solution is correct. The maximum entropy solution on the other hand takes the form of a Boltzmann distribution over the ground and excited states of the cost function to correct for noise. Here we use a programmable annealer for the information decoding problem which we simulate as a random Ising model in a field. We show experimentally that finite temperature maximum entropy decoding can give slightly better bit-error-rates than the maximum likelihood approach, confirming that useful information can be extracted from the excited states of the annealer. Furthermore we introduce a bit-by-bit analytical method which is agnostic to the specific application and use it to show that the annealer samples from a highly Boltzmann-like distribution. Machines of this kind are therefore candidates for use in a variety of machine learning applications which exploit maximum entropy inference, including language processing and image recognition. PMID:26936311

Aberrant Classopollis pollen reveals evidence for unreduced (2n) pollen in the conifer family Cheirolepidiaceae during the Triassic–Jurassic transition

PubMed Central

Kürschner, Wolfram M.; Batenburg, Sietske J.; Mander, Luke

2013-01-01

Polyploidy (or whole-genome doubling) is a key mechanism for plant speciation leading to new evolutionary lineages. Several lines of evidence show that most species among flowering plants had polyploidy ancestry, but it is virtually unknown for conifers. Here, we study variability in pollen tetrad morphology and the size of the conifer pollen type Classopollis extracted from sediments of the Triassic–Jurassic transition, 200 Ma. Classopollis producing Cheirolepidiaceae were one of the most dominant and diverse groups of conifers during the Mesozoic. We show that aberrant pollen Classopollis tetrads, triads and dyads, and the large variation in pollen size indicates the presence of unreduced (2n) pollen, which is one of the main mechanisms in modern polyploid formation. Polyploid speciation may explain the high variability of growth forms and adaptation of these conifers to different environments and their resistance to extreme growth conditions. We suggest that polyploidy may have also reduced the extinction risk of these conifers during the End-Triassic biotic crisis. PMID:23926159

Ultrasound-assisted extraction of azadirachtin from dried entire fruits of Azadirachta indica A. Juss. (Meliaceae) and its determination by a validated HPLC-PDA method.

PubMed

de Paula, Joelma Abadia Marciano; Brito, Lucas Ferreira; Caetano, Karen Lorena Ferreira Neves; de Morais Rodrigues, Mariana Cristina; Borges, Leonardo Luiz; da Conceição, Edemilson Cardoso

2016-01-01

Azadirachta indica A. Juss., also known as neem, is a Meliaceae family tree from India. It is globally known for the insecticidal properties of its limonoid tetranortriterpenoid derivatives, such as azadirachtin. This work aimed to optimize the azadirachtin ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE) and validate the HPLC-PDA analytical method for the measurement of this marker in neem dried fruit extracts. Box-Behnken design and response surface methodology (RSM) were used to investigate the effect of process variables on the UAE. Three independent variables, including ethanol concentration (%, w/w), temperature (°C), and material-to-solvent ratio (gmL(-1)), were studied. The azadirachtin content (µgmL(-1)), i.e., dependent variable, was quantified by the HPLC-PDA analytical method. Isocratic reversed-phase chromatography was performed using acetonitrile/water (40:60), a flow of 1.0mLmin(-1), detection at 214nm, and C18 column (250×4.6mm(2), 5µm). The primary validation parameters were determined according to ICH guidelines and Brazilian legislation. The results demonstrated that the optimal UAE condition was obtained with ethanol concentration range of 75-80% (w/w), temperature of 30°C, and material-to-solvent ratio of 0.55gmL(-1). The HPLC-PDA analytical method proved to be simple, selective, linear, precise, accurate and robust. The experimental values of azadirachtin content under optimal UAE conditions were in good agreement with the RSM predicted values and were superior to the azadirachtin content of percolated extract. Such findings suggest that UAE is a more efficient extractive process in addition to being simple, fast, and inexpensive. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Extraction and analysis of adenosine triphosphate from aquatic environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stephens, Doyle W.; Shultz, David J.

1981-01-01

A variety of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) extraction procedures have been investigated for their applicability to samples from aquatic environments. The cold sulfuric-oxalic acid procedure was best suited to samples consisting of water, periphyton, and sediments. Due to cation and fulvic acid interferences, a spike with a known quantity of ATP was necessary to estimate losses when sediments were extracted. Variable colonization densities for periphyton required that several replicates be extracted to characterize acdurately the periphyton community. Extracted samples were stable at room temperature for one to five hours, depending on the ATP concentration, if the pH was below 2. Neutralized samples which were quick frozen and stored at -30°C were stable for months.

Crisis route to chaos in semiconductor lasers subjected to external optical feedback

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wishon, Michael J.; Locquet, Alexandre; Chang, C. Y.; Choi, D.; Citrin, D. S.

2018-03-01

Semiconductor lasers subjected to optical feedback have been intensively used as archetypical testbeds for high-speed (sub-ns) and high-dimensional nonlinear dynamics. By simultaneously extracting all the dynamical variables, we demonstrate that for larger current, the commonly named "quasiperiodic" route is in fact based on mixed external-cavity solutions that lock the oscillation frequency of the intensity, voltage, and separation in optical frequency through a mechanism involving successive rejections along the unstable manifold of an antimode. We show that chaos emerges from a crisis resulting from the inability to maintain locking as the unstable manifold becomes inaccessible.

The Novelty in Fabrication of Poly Vinyl Alcohol/κ-Carrageenan Hydrogel with Lactobacillus bulgaricus Extract as Anti-inflammatory Wound Dressing Agent.

PubMed

El-Fawal, Gomaa F; Yassin, Abdelrahman M; El-Deeb, Nehal M

2017-07-01

Material barrier properties to microbes are an important issue in many pharmaceutical applications like wound dressings. A wide range of biomaterials has been used to manage the chronic inflamed wounds. Eight hydrogel membranes of poly vinyl alcohol (PVA) with κ-carrageenan (KC) and Lactobacillus bulgaricus extract (LAB) have been prepared by using freeze-thawing technique. To evaluate the membranes efficiency as wound dressing agents, various tests have been done like gel fraction, swelling behavior, mechanical properties, etc. The antibacterial activities of the prepared membranes were tested against the antibiotic-resistant bacterial isolates. In addition, the safety usage of the prepared hydrogel was checked on human dermal fibroblast cells. The anti-inflammatory properties of the prepared hydrogel on LPS-PBMC cell inflammatory model were quantified using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). The analysis data of TGA, SEM, gel fraction, and swelling behavior showed changes in properties of prepared PVA\\KC\\LAB hydrogel membrane than pure PVA hydrogel membrane. The antibacterial activities of the prepared membranes augmented in LAB extract-prepared membranes. Out of the eight used hydrogel membranes, the PVAKC4 hydrogel membrane is the safest one on fibroblast cellular proliferation with a maximum proliferation percentage 97.3%. Also, all the used hydrogel membrane showed abilities to reduce the concentration of IL-2 and IL-8 compared with both negative and positive control. In addition, almost all the prepared hydrogel membrane showed variable abilities to downregulate the expression of TNF-α gene with superior effect of hydrogel membrane KC1. PVA/KC/LAB extract hydrogel membrane may be a promising material for wound dressing application and could accelerate the healing process of the chronic wound because of its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

[Establishment of optimun conditions in order to obtain a protein isolate from Chilean Hazelnut].

PubMed

Villarroel, Mario; Zapata, Constanza; Pino, Leonardo; Rubilar, Mónica

2012-03-01

An alternative to solve the problem of the overall deficit of proteins has been the use ofdefatted cakes generated by the extraction of oil from vegetable sources such as rapeseed, soybean, lupin, etc. This process at the same time increases the protein content, making this feasible to be used to enrich some types of food. This is the case of the chilean hazelnut (Gevuina avellana, Mol), monotypic species characterized by their high percentage of oil (50%) and whose defatted cake isolated protein could be used to obtain an isolated protein. For this purpose optimized conditions of extraction of protein were carried out using the surface response methodology (SRM) and a central composite design with three independent variables: time of contact of the cake with the solvent, sample/solvent ratio and pH was used. All variables were controlled at five different levels. The data were subjected to an analysis of regression and ANOVA, the first to determine the polynomial equation and the second to select the control factors with significant effect on the extraction of the protein. The best combination of factors turned out to be: time between 30 and 40 minutes, pH between 9 and 9.5 and a relationship sample/solvent between 1/15 to 1/16 with a final yield of 76%. The physical characteristics were: density 0,504 g/cm3, compaction 43, 34% apparent and pale yellow. Proximal analysis showed a concentration of protein of 76%, 13%, raw fiber carbohydrate 0.68% and oil 1.29%. With regard to the functional properties emphasized water absorption (320 g/100 g), absorption of oil (410 g/100 g) and foaming capacity (221%).

Experimental assessment of the purity of α-cellulose produced by variations of the Brendel method: Implications for stable isotope (δ13C, δ18O) dendroclimatology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brookman, Tom; Whittaker, Thomas

2012-09-01

Stable isotope dendroclimatology using α-cellulose has unique potential to deliver multimillennial-scale, sub-annually resolved, terrestrial climate records. However, lengthy processing and analytical methods often preclude such reconstructions. Variants of the Brendel extraction method have reduced these limitations, providing fast, easy methods of isolating α-cellulose in some species. Here, we investigate application of Standard Brendel (SBrendel) variants to resinous soft-woods by treating samples of kauri (Agathis australis), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and huon pine (Lagarastrobus franklinii), varying reaction vessel, temperature, boiling time and reagent volume. Numerous samples were visibly `under-processed' and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) investigation showed absorption peaks at 1520 cm-1 and ˜1600 cm-1 in those fibers suggesting residual lignin and retained resin respectively. Replicate analyses of all samples processed at high temperature yielded consistent δ13C and δ18O despite color and spectral variations. Spectra and isotopic data revealed that α-cellulose δ13C can be altered during processing, most likely due to chemical contamination from insufficient acetone removal, but is not systematically affected by methodological variation. Reagent amount, temperature and extraction time all influence δ18O, however, and our results demonstrate that different species may require different processing methods. FTIR prior to isotopic analysis is a fast and cost effective way to determine α-cellulose extract purity. Furthermore, a systematic isotopic test such as we present here can also determine sensitivity of isotopic values to methodological variables. Without these tests, isotopic variability introduced by the method could obscure or `create' climatic signals within a data set.

Identification of Cichlid Fishes from Lake Malawi Using Computer Vision

PubMed Central

Joo, Deokjin; Kwan, Ye-seul; Song, Jongwoo; Pinho, Catarina; Hey, Jody; Won, Yong-Jin

2013-01-01

Background The explosively radiating evolution of cichlid fishes of Lake Malawi has yielded an amazing number of haplochromine species estimated as many as 500 to 800 with a surprising degree of diversity not only in color and stripe pattern but also in the shape of jaw and body among them. As these morphological diversities have been a central subject of adaptive speciation and taxonomic classification, such high diversity could serve as a foundation for automation of species identification of cichlids. Methodology/Principal Finding Here we demonstrate a method for automatic classification of the Lake Malawi cichlids based on computer vision and geometric morphometrics. For this end we developed a pipeline that integrates multiple image processing tools to automatically extract informative features of color and stripe patterns from a large set of photographic images of wild cichlids. The extracted information was evaluated by statistical classifiers Support Vector Machine and Random Forests. Both classifiers performed better when body shape information was added to the feature of color and stripe. Besides the coloration and stripe pattern, body shape variables boosted the accuracy of classification by about 10%. The programs were able to classify 594 live cichlid individuals belonging to 12 different classes (species and sexes) with an average accuracy of 78%, contrasting to a mere 42% success rate by human eyes. The variables that contributed most to the accuracy were body height and the hue of the most frequent color. Conclusions Computer vision showed a notable performance in extracting information from the color and stripe patterns of Lake Malawi cichlids although the information was not enough for errorless species identification. Our results indicate that there appears an unavoidable difficulty in automatic species identification of cichlid fishes, which may arise from short divergence times and gene flow between closely related species. PMID:24204918

Optimization of subcritical water extraction parameters of antioxidant polyphenols from sea buckthorn (Hippophaë rhamnoides L.) seed residue.

PubMed

Gong, Ying; Zhang, Xiaofei; He, Li; Yan, Qiuli; Yuan, Fang; Gao, Yanxiang

2015-03-01

Polyphenols was extracted with subcritical water from the sea buckthorn seed residue (after oil recovery), and the extraction parameters were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). The independent processing variables were extraction temperature, extraction time and the ratio of water to solid. The optimal extraction parameters for the extracts with highest ABTS radical scavenging activity were 120 °C, 36 min and the water to solid ratio of 20, and the maximize antioxidant capacity value was 32.42 mmol Trolox equivalent (TE)/100 g. Under the optimal conditions, the yield of total phenolics, total flavonoids and proanthocyanidins was 36.62 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/g, 19.98 mg rutin equivalent (RE)/g and 10.76 mg catechin equivalents (CE)/g, respectively.

A phytochemical comparison of saw palmetto products using gas chromatography and 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy metabolomic profiling

PubMed Central

Booker, Anthony; Suter, Andy; Krnjic, Ana; Strassel, Brigitte; Zloh, Mire; Said, Mazlina; Heinrich, Michael

2014-01-01

Objectives Preparations containing saw palmetto berries are used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). There are many products on the market, and relatively little is known about their chemical variability and specifically the composition and quality of different saw palmetto products notwithstanding that in 2000, an international consultation paper from the major urological associations from the five continents on treatments for BPH demanded further research on this topic. Here, we compare two analytical approaches and characterise 57 different saw palmetto products. Methods An established method – gas chromatography – was used for the quantification of nine fatty acids, while a novel approach of metabolomic profiling using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used as a fingerprinting tool to assess the overall composition of the extracts. Key findings The phytochemical analysis determining the fatty acids showed a high level of heterogeneity of the different products in the total amount and of nine single fatty acids. A robust and reproducible 1H NMR spectroscopy method was established, and the results showed that it was possible to statistically differentiate between saw palmetto products that had been extracted under different conditions but not between products that used a similar extraction method. Principal component analysis was able to determine those products that had significantly different metabolites. Conclusions The metabolomic approach developed offers novel opportunities for quality control along the value chain of saw palmetto and needs to be followed further, as with this method, the complexity of a herbal extract can be better assessed than with the analysis of a single group of constituents. PMID:24417505

A phytochemical comparison of saw palmetto products using gas chromatography and (1) H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy metabolomic profiling.

PubMed

Booker, Anthony; Suter, Andy; Krnjic, Ana; Strassel, Brigitte; Zloh, Mire; Said, Mazlina; Heinrich, Michael

2014-06-01

Preparations containing saw palmetto berries are used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). There are many products on the market, and relatively little is known about their chemical variability and specifically the composition and quality of different saw palmetto products notwithstanding that in 2000, an international consultation paper from the major urological associations from the five continents on treatments for BPH demanded further research on this topic. Here, we compare two analytical approaches and characterise 57 different saw palmetto products. An established method - gas chromatography - was used for the quantification of nine fatty acids, while a novel approach of metabolomic profiling using (1) H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was used as a fingerprinting tool to assess the overall composition of the extracts. The phytochemical analysis determining the fatty acids showed a high level of heterogeneity of the different products in the total amount and of nine single fatty acids. A robust and reproducible (1) H NMR spectroscopy method was established, and the results showed that it was possible to statistically differentiate between saw palmetto products that had been extracted under different conditions but not between products that used a similar extraction method. Principal component analysis was able to determine those products that had significantly different metabolites. The metabolomic approach developed offers novel opportunities for quality control along the value chain of saw palmetto and needs to be followed further, as with this method, the complexity of a herbal extract can be better assessed than with the analysis of a single group of constituents. © 2014 The Authors. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Enzymatic extraction of pectin from artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) by-products using Celluclast®1.5L.

PubMed

Sabater, Carlos; Corzo, Nieves; Olano, Agustín; Montilla, Antonia

2018-06-15

The aim of this study was to optimise pectin extraction from artichoke by-products with Celluclast ® 1.5L using an experimental design analysed by response-surface methodology (RSM). The variables optimised were artichoke by-product powder concentration (2-7%, X 1 ), enzyme dose (2.2-13.3 U g -1 , X 2 ) and extraction time (6-24 h, X 3 ). The variables studied were galacturonic acid (GalA) (R 2 93.9) and pectic neutral sugars (R 2 92.8) content and pectin yield (R 2 88.6). In the optimum extraction conditions (X 1  = 6.5%; X 2  = 10.1 U g -1 ; X 3  = 27.2 h), pectin yield was 176 mgg -1 dry matter (DM). Considering 27.2 h of treatment as the +α value given by the design, the extraction time was increased up to 48 h obtaining a yield of 221 mg g -1 DM. The enzymatic method optimised allows obtaining artichoke pectin with good yield, high GalA (720 mg g -1 DM) and arabinose (127.6mgg -1 DM) contents and degree of methylation of 19.5%. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental criteria for human comfort. A study of the related literature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobson, I. D.

1974-01-01

The data presented has for the most part been extracted from existing in-house and memoranda reports. The variables considered are motion, noise, temperature and pressure. The report is broken down into chapters for each of the environmental variables and criteria proposed based on the existing literature.

Investigation of the Potential Health Benefits as Lipase Inhibitor and Antioxidant of Leopoldia comosa (L.) Parl.: Variability of Chemical Composition of Wild and Cultivated Bulbs.

PubMed

Marrelli, Mariangela; La Grotteria, Stefania; Araniti, Fabrizio; Conforti, Filomena

2017-09-01

There is a great interest in the nutritional value of vegetables and fruits and how the habitat affects nutritive and biological properties. In vitro studies here reported were performed to evaluate the inhibitory activity of formulations from edible plant on pancreatic lipase. The aim of this study was also to evaluate the biovariability of L. comosa (L.) Parl. bulbs from Italy. The wild bulbs were compared with the same cultivated species that are commonly commercialized to identify samples with the best quality for a potential therapeutic application. Hydroalcoholic extract and polar fraction of wild bulbs showed a very important pancreatic lipase inhibitory activity, with IC 50 values of 0.166 ± 0.005 and 0.153 ± 0.005 mg/mL, respectively. In order to characterize the extracts, gas chromatography associated with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis was performed, revealing the predominance of palmitic acid. Phenolic and flavonoid composition was also evaluated. L. comosa extract obtained from wild bulbs demonstrated both antioxidant and anti-obesity activities that might be attributed to a wide range of present phenolic compounds.

A comparison of two methods for determining copper partitioning in oxidized sediments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luoma, S.N.

1986-01-01

Model estimations of the proportion of Cu in oxidized sediments associated with extractable organic materials show some agreement with the proportion of Cu extracted from those sediments with ammonium hydroxide. Data were from 17 estuaries of widely differing sediment chemistry. The modelling and extraction methods agreed best where concentrations of organic materials were either in very high concentrations, relative to other sediment components, or in very low concentrations. In the range of component concentrations where the model predicted Cu should be distributed among a variety of components, agreement between the methods was poor. Both approaches indicated that Cu was predominantly partitioned to organic materials in some sediments, and predominantly partitioned to other components (most probably iron oxides and manganese oxides) in other sediments, and that these differences were related to the relative abundances of the specific components in the sediment. Although the results of the two methods of estimating Cu partitioning to organics correlated significantly among 24 stations from the 17 estuaries, the variability in the relationship suggested refinement of parameter values and verification of some important assumptions were essential to the further development of a reasonable model. ?? 1986.

Optimization of physico-chemical properties of gelatin extracted from fish skin of rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss).

PubMed

Tabarestani, H Shahiri; Maghsoudlou, Y; Motamedzadegan, A; Mahoonak, A R Sadeghi

2010-08-01

Physico-chemical properties of gelatin extracted from rainbow trout (Onchorhynchus mykiss) skin were optimized using response surface methodology (RSM). Central rotatable composite design was applied to study the combined effects of NaOH concentration (0.01-0.21 N), acetic acid concentration (0.01-0.21 N) and pre-treatment time (1-3h) on yield, molecular weight distribution, gel strength, viscosity and melting point of gelatin. Regression models were developed to predict the variables. Predict values of multiple response at optimal condition were that yield=9.36%, alpha(1)/alpha(2) chain ratio=1.76, beta chain percent=32.81, gel strength=459 g, viscosity=3.2 mPa s and melting point=20.4 degrees C. The optimal condition was obtained using 0.19 N NaOH and 0.121 N acetic acid for 3h. The results showed that the concentration of H(+) during pre-treatment had significant effect on molecular weight distribution, melting point and gel strength. The concentration of OH(-) had significant effect on viscosity and for extraction yield, pretreatment time was the critical factor. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A validated UHPLC-tandem mass spectrometry method for quantitative analysis of flavonolignans in milk thistle (Silybum marianum) extracts.

PubMed

Graf, Tyler N; Cech, Nadja B; Polyak, Stephen J; Oberlies, Nicholas H

2016-07-15

Validated methods are needed for the analysis of natural product secondary metabolites. These methods are particularly important to translate in vitro observations to in vivo studies. Herein, a method is reported for the analysis of the key secondary metabolites, a series of flavonolignans and a flavonoid, from an extract prepared from the seeds of milk thistle [Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (Asteraceae)]. This report represents the first UHPLC MS-MS method validated for quantitative analysis of these compounds. The method takes advantage of the excellent resolution achievable with UHPLC to provide a complete analysis in less than 7min. The method is validated using both UV and MS detectors, making it applicable in laboratories with different types of analytical instrumentation available. Lower limits of quantitation achieved with this method range from 0.0400μM to 0.160μM with UV and from 0.0800μM to 0.160μM with MS. The new method is employed to evaluate variability in constituent composition in various commercial S. marianum extracts, and to show that storage of the milk thistle compounds in DMSO leads to degradation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nonlinear heart rate variability measures under electromagnetic fields produced by GSM cellular phones.

PubMed

Parazzini, Marta; Ravazzani, Paolo; Thuroczy, György; Molnar, Ferenc B; Ardesi, Gianluca; Sacchettini, Alessio; Mainardi, Luca Tommaso

2013-06-01

This study was designed to assess the nonlinear dynamics of heart rate variability (HRV) during exposure to low-intensity EMFs. Twenty-six healthy young volunteers were subjected to a rest-to-stand protocol to evaluate autonomic nervous system in quiet condition (rest, vagal prevalence) and after a sympathetic activation (stand). The procedure was conducted twice in a double-blind design: once with a genuine EMFs exposure (GSM cellular phone at 900 MHz, 2 W) and once with a sham exposure (at least 24 h apart). During each session, three-lead electrocardiograms were recorded and RR series extracted off-line. The RR series were analyzed by nonlinear deterministic techniques in every phase of the protocol and during the different exposures. The analysis of the data shows there was no statistically significant effect due to GSM exposure on the nonlinear dynamics of HRV.

Measuring Spatial Variability of Vapor Flux to Characterize Vadose-zone VOC Sources: Flow-cell Experiments

DOE PAGES

Mainhagu, Jon; Morrison, C.; Truex, Michael J.; ...

2014-08-05

A method termed vapor-phase tomography has recently been proposed to characterize the distribution of volatile organic contaminant mass in vadose-zone source areas, and to measure associated three-dimensional distributions of local contaminant mass discharge. The method is based on measuring the spatial variability of vapor flux, and thus inherent to its effectiveness is the premise that the magnitudes and temporal variability of vapor concentrations measured at different monitoring points within the interrogated area will be a function of the geospatial positions of the points relative to the source location. A series of flow-cell experiments was conducted to evaluate this premise. Amore » well-defined source zone was created by injection and extraction of a non-reactive gas (SF6). Spatial and temporal concentration distributions obtained from the tests were compared to simulations produced with a mathematical model describing advective and diffusive transport. Tests were conducted to characterize both areal and vertical components of the application. Decreases in concentration over time were observed for monitoring points located on the opposite side of the source zone from the local–extraction point, whereas increases were observed for monitoring points located between the local–extraction point and the source zone. We found that the results illustrate that comparison of temporal concentration profiles obtained at various monitoring points gives a general indication of the source location with respect to the extraction and monitoring points.« less