Frequency domain fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy system for detecting inflammatory cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yahav, Gilad; Gershanov, Sivan; Salmon-Divon, Mali; Ben-Zvi, Haim; Mircus, Gabriel; Goldenberg-Cohen, Nitza; Fixler, Dror

2018-02-01

Characterizing different pathological states in the cellular level with a high throughput diagnostic tool is one of the main interests today. In previously works, we demonstrated how the frequency domain (FD) fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) technique could be utilized to implement that in variety of examples. Among them was to classify between different chromosomal abnormalities in patients with b-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) and between metastatic cells and inflammation cells in the cerebral spinal fluid of patients with Medulloblastoma. This research describes the use of FD-FLIM system to differentiate between patients diagnosed without any disease (controls) that showed a normal median FLT (2.65+/-0.11ns) and patients diagnosed with inflammation (viruses and bacteria) that showed a prolong median FLT and a larger distribution (3.18+/-0.44ns in viruses and 3.28+/-0.45ns). The study group of this research included 43 samples divided into 4 groups: 9 samples diagnosed with different types of bacteria, 16 samples diagnosed with different types of viruses, 12 samples diagnosed with no any bacteria or virus and 5 samples diagnosed without any disease that served as controls. Furthermore, we studied a group of patients without detection of inflammation that were sick. We found that this group was divided into two groups; one group had the same median FLT as the controls, and the other group had the same median FLT as the inflammatory patients. As a result, we believe the FD-FLIM system can suggest a faster and more accurate diagnostic technique than the methods used today. The correlations of the FLT distribution pattern with the different groups are presented.

Methods for simultaneous detection of the cyanotoxins BMAA, DABA, and anatoxin-a in environmental samples.

PubMed

Al-Sammak, Maitham Ahmed; Hoagland, Kyle D; Snow, Daniel D; Cassada, David

2013-12-15

Blue-green algae, also known as cyanobacteria, can produce several different groups of toxins in the environment including hepatotoxins (microcystins), neurotoxic non-protein amino acids β-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), and 2,4-diaminobutyric (DABA), as well as the bicyclic amine alkaloid anatoxin-a. Few studies have addressed the methods necessary for an accurate determination of cyanotoxins in environmental samples, and none have been published that can detect these cyanotoxins together in a single sample. Cyanotoxins occur in a wide range of environmental samples including water, fish, and aquatic plant samples. Using polymeric cation exchange solid phase extraction (SPE) coupled with liquid chromatography and fluorescence detection (HPLC/FD), and liquid chromatography ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS), these compounds can for the first time be simultaneously quantified in a variety of environmental sample types. The extraction method for biological samples can distinguish bound and free cyanotoxins. Detection limits for water ranged from 5 to 7 μg/L using HPLC/FD, while detection limits for and LC/MS were in the range of 0.8-3.2 μg/L. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantification of aesculin in rabbit plasma and ocular tissues by high performance liquid chromatography using fluorescent detection: application to a pharmacokinetic study.

PubMed

Chen, QiuHong; Zeng, Ying; Kuang, JianChao; Li, Ye; Li, XiaoHui; Zheng, Yu; Hou, Hua; Hou, ShiXiang

2011-04-28

A simple and sensitive high performance liquid chromatography method with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) was described for the determination of aesculin (AL) at low concentrations in rabbit plasma and ocular tissues. After deproteinization by methanol using pazufloxacin mesilate (PM) as an internal standard (I.S.), supernatants were evaporated to dryness at 40°C under a gentle stream of nitrogen. The residue was reconstituted in mobile phase and a volume of 20μL was injected into the HPLC for analysis. Analytes were separated on an Ultimate XB-C18 column (250mm × 4.6mm i.d., 5μm particle size) and protected by a ODS guard column (10mm × 4.0mm i.d., 5μm particle size), using acetonitrile-0.1% triethylamine in water (adjusted to pH 3.0 using phosphoric acid) (12:88, v/v) as mobile phase with a flow rate of 1.0mL/min. The wavelengths of fluorescence detector (FD) were set at 344nm for excitation and 466nm for emission. The lower limit of quantitation (LOQ) for AL was 0.80ng/mL for plasma and vitreous body, 1.59ng/mL for aqueous humor, and 6.55ng/g for iris and 1.66ng/g for retina. The method was used in the study of AL concentrations in plasma and ocular tissues after topical administration of AL eye drops. Crown Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the participation of ferredoxin in oxygen reduction in the photosynthetic electron transport chain of isolated pea thylakoids.

PubMed

Kozuleva, Marina A; Ivanov, Boris N

2010-07-01

The contribution to reduction of oxygen by ferredoxin (Fd) to the overall reduction of oxygen in isolated pea thylakoids was studied in the presence of Fd versus Fd + NADP(+). The overall rate of electron transport was measured using a determination of Photosystem II quantum yield from chlorophyll fluorescence parameters, and the rate of oxidation of Fd was measured from the light-induced redox changes of Fd. At low light intensity, increasing Fd concentration from 5 to 30 microM in the absence of NADP(+) increased the proportion of oxygen reduction by Fd from 25-35 to 40-60% in different experiments. This proportion decreased with increasing light intensity. When NADP(+) was added in the presence of 15 microM Fd, which was optimal for the NADP(+) reduction rate, the participation of Fd in the reduction of oxygen was low, no more than 10%, and it also decreased with increasing light intensity. At high light intensity, the overall oxygen reduction rates in the presence of Fd + NADP(+) and in the presence of Fd alone were comparable. The significance of reduction of dioxygen either by water-soluble Fd or by the membrane-bound carriers of the photosynthetic electron transport chain for redox signaling under different light intensities is discussed.

A Military-Relevant Model of Closed Concussive Head Injury: Longitudinal Studies Characterizing and Validating Single and Repetitive mTBI

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-10-01

processed at FD Neurotechnologies Inc. (Ellicott City, MD, USA). A series of coronal free floating brain sections (40 μm; 960 µm interval from +4.0...axonal damage. Another series of coronal sections was stained using FD NeuroSilverTM Kit II (FD Neurotechnologies Inc., Ellicott City, MD, USA) for... Neurotechnologies Inc for processing and staining. Tissue processing and staining protocols have been optimized for fluorescent staining of AQ4 co

Effectiveness of cross polarized light and fluorescence diagnosis for detection of sub-clinical and clinical actinic keratosis during imiquimod treatment.

PubMed

Ortonne, Jean-Paul; Gupta, Girish; Ortonne, Nicolas; Duteil, Luc; Queille, Catherine; Mallefet, Pascal

2010-07-01

During treatment of actinic keratosis (AK) lesions with imiquimod sub-clinical lesions often become visible. It is, however, unclear whether these sub-clinical lesions would be detectable beforehand. The aim of this pilot study was to compare two techniques, cross polarized light photography (CPL) and fluorescence diagnosis (FD) using methyllevulinic acid and illumination with Wood's lamp for their ability to detect sub-clinical lesions. These findings were also compared with biopsy results taken before and after treatment with imiquimod 5% cream or vehicle. Twelve patients with at least five clinically visible AK lesions in a single contiguous 20 cm(2) area on the head were recruited. Patient eligibility was determined at the screening visit, when they were randomized to treatment. The randomization was 3:1, active to vehicle (nine treated with imiquimod, three with vehicle cream) for a total duration of 24 weeks (six clinic visits). Patients were assessed for baseline AK lesion counts (clinical and sub-clinical) at the screening visit and final counts at week 20. The number of clinically observed AK lesions was significantly lower at week 12 and week 20 compared with baseline following imiquimod treatment versus vehicle. The number of counted lesions were significantly higher using the CPL method compared with clinical counting with imiquimod treatment at baseline (8.3 +/- 3.4 vs 5.8 +/- 1.3; P = 0.027) and week 20 (4.8 +/- 2.4 vs 3.0 +/- 1.7; P = 0.02) but not in the vehicle group. The FD lesion counting method did not show a significant increase in the number of detected lesions compared with clinical analysis in the imiquimod and placebo groups but when comparisons were performed using pooled data (treatments and visits combined) the results were significant. The number of sub-clinical and clinical AK lesions detected during treatment with imiquimod can be better demonstrated using the methods of CPL and FD, but statistical significance was reached only using the CPL method. This is only a preliminary study with a small number of patients and as a result it is difficult to conclude both statistical and clinical significance. However, results were encouraging and indicate that larger studies are needed to demonstrate the relevance of these two new methods for improved detection of clinical and especially sub-clinical AK lesions.

First upper limits on the radar cross section of cosmic-ray induced extensive air showers

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

Abbasi, R. U.; Abe, M.; Abou Bakr Othman, M.

TARA (Telescope Array Radar) is a cosmic ray radar detection experiment colocated with Telescope Array, the conventional surface scintillation detector (SD) and fluorescence telescope detector (FD) near Delta, Utah, U.S.A. Furthermore, the TARA detector combines a 40 kW, 54.1 MHz VHF transmitter and high-gain transmitting antenna which broadcasts the radar carrier over the SD array and within the FD field of view, towards a 250 MS/s DAQ receiver. TARA has been collecting data since 2013 with the primary goal of observing the radar signatures of extensive air showers (EAS). Simulations indicate that echoes are expected to be short in durationmore » (~10 µs) and exhibit rapidly changing frequency, with rates on the order 1 MHz/µs. The EAS radar cross-section (RCS) is currently unknown although it is the subject of over 70 years of speculation. One novel signal search technique is described in which the expected radar echo of a particular air shower is used as a matched filter template and compared to waveforms obtained by triggering the radar DAQ using the Telescope Array fluorescence detector. No evidence for the scattering of radio frequency radiation by EAS is obtained to date. Finally, we report the first quantitative RCS upper limits using EAS that triggered the Telescope Array Fluorescence Detector.« less

First upper limits on the radar cross section of cosmic-ray induced extensive air showers

DOE PAGES

Abbasi, R. U.; Abe, M.; Abou Bakr Othman, M.; ...

2016-11-19

TARA (Telescope Array Radar) is a cosmic ray radar detection experiment colocated with Telescope Array, the conventional surface scintillation detector (SD) and fluorescence telescope detector (FD) near Delta, Utah, U.S.A. Furthermore, the TARA detector combines a 40 kW, 54.1 MHz VHF transmitter and high-gain transmitting antenna which broadcasts the radar carrier over the SD array and within the FD field of view, towards a 250 MS/s DAQ receiver. TARA has been collecting data since 2013 with the primary goal of observing the radar signatures of extensive air showers (EAS). Simulations indicate that echoes are expected to be short in durationmore » (~10 µs) and exhibit rapidly changing frequency, with rates on the order 1 MHz/µs. The EAS radar cross-section (RCS) is currently unknown although it is the subject of over 70 years of speculation. One novel signal search technique is described in which the expected radar echo of a particular air shower is used as a matched filter template and compared to waveforms obtained by triggering the radar DAQ using the Telescope Array fluorescence detector. No evidence for the scattering of radio frequency radiation by EAS is obtained to date. Finally, we report the first quantitative RCS upper limits using EAS that triggered the Telescope Array Fluorescence Detector.« less

Improved coupled-column liquid chromatographic method for the determination of glyphosate and aminomethylphosphonic acid residues in environmental waters.

PubMed

Hidalgo, Carmén; Rios, Carolina; Hidalgo, Manuela; Salvadó, Victòria; Sancho, Juan V; Hernández, Félix

2004-04-30

An existing method for the determination of glyphosate and its main metabolite aminomethylphosphonic acid (AMPA) in water has been improved. It is based on precolumn derivatization with the fluorescent reagent 9-fluorenylmethylcloroformate (FMOC) followed by large-volume injection in a coupled-column LC system using fluorescence detection (LC-LC-FD). The derivatization step was slightly modified by changing parameters such as volume and/or concentration of sample and reagents to decrease the limits of quantification (LOQ) of glyphosate and AMPA to 0.1 microg/l. Additionally, the use of Amberlite IRA-900 for preconcentration of glyphosate, prior to the derivatization step, was investigated; the LOQ of glyphosate was lowered to 0.02 microg/l. Drinking, surface and ground water spiked with glyphosate and AMPA at 0.1-10 microg/l concentrations were analysed by the improved LC-LC-FD method. Recoveries were 87-106% with relative standard deviations lower than 8%. Drinking and ground water spiked with glyphosate at 0.02 and 0.1 microg/l were analysed after preconcentration on the anion-exchange resin with satisfactory recoveries (94-105%) and precision (better than 8%).

First Results from the Telescope Array RAdar (TARA) Detector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myers, Isaac

2014-03-01

The TARA cosmic ray detector has been in operation for about a year and a half. This bi-static radar detector was designed with the goal of detecting cosmic rays in coincidence with Telescope Array (TA). A new high power (25 kW, 5 MW effective radiated power) transmitter and antenna array and 250 MHz fPGA-based DAQ have been operational since August 2013. The eight-Yagi antenna array broadcasts a 54.1 MHz tone across the TA surface detector array toward our receiver station 50 km away at the Long Ridge fluorescence detector. Receiving antennas feed an intelligent DAQ that self-adjusts to the fluctuating radio background and which employs a bank of matched filters that search in real-time for chirp radar echoes. Millions of triggers have been collected in this mode. A second mode is a forced trigger scheme that uses the trigger status of the fluorescence telescope. Of those triggers collected in FD-triggered mode, about 800 correspond with well-reconstructed TA events. I will describe recent advancements in calibrating key components in the transmitter and receiver RF chains and the analysis of FD-triggered data. Work supported by W.M. Keck Foundation and NSF.

Fluorescence diagnostics in oncological gynecology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belyaeva, Ludmila A.; Adamyan, Leila V.; Kozachenko, Vladimir P.; Stratonnikov, Alexander A.; Stranadko, Eugene F.; Loschenov, Victor B.

2003-10-01

The method of fluorescent diagnostics (FD) of tumors is a promising tool that may allow to increase sensitivity of tumor detection especially at initial stages. One of the most promising photosensitizers today is 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) that, actually, is not photosensitizer itself but precursor of protoporphyrin IX (PpIX). This paper deals with cancer diagnostics in gynecology by means of ALA-induced Pp IX laser-fluorescence spectroscopy. The tissue fluorescence spectra in vivo were studied in patients with various pathologies of ovaries, uterine and vulva after 5-aminolevulinic acid administration. It was shown that different pathologies varies in accumulation of Pp IX. Coefficient of fluorescence kf for normal tissue is not high, but exceptions are endometrium and mucous membrane of uterine tubes. Benign tumors of uterus and ovary have low values of kf, but polyps of endometrium exhibit high kf. Optical express-biopsy is important for diagnosis of ovarian cancer and micrometastatic spread. Coefficients of diagnostic contrast were determined for cancer of endometrium, cervical cancer, vulvar cancer.

The Slow Control System of the Auger Fluorescence Detectors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barenthien, N.; Bethge, C.; Daumiller, K.; Gemmeke, H.; Kampert, K.-H.; Wiebusch, C.

2003-07-01

The fluorescence detector (FD) of the Pierre Auger experiment [1] comprises 24 telescopes that will be situated in 4 remote buildings in the Pampa Amarilla. It is planned to run the fluorescence detectors in absence of operators on site. Therefore, the main task of the Slow Control System (SCS) is to ensure a secure remote operation of the FD system. The Slow Control System works autonomously and continuously monitors those parameters which may disturb a secure operation. Commands from the data-acquisition system or the remote operator are accepted only if they do not violate safety rules that depend on the actual experimental conditions (e.g. high-voltage, wind-sp eed, light, etc.). In case of malfunctions (power failure, communication breakdown, ...) the SCS performs an orderly shutdown and subsequent startup of the fluorescence detector system. The concept and the implementation of the Slow Control System are presented.

Bisphenol A and Bisphenol S release in milk under household conditions from baby bottles marketed in Italy.

PubMed

Russo, Giacomo; Barbato, Francesco; Cardone, Eleonora; Fattore, Margherita; Albrizio, Stefania; Grumetto, Lucia

2018-02-01

A simple and sensitive validated analytical method based on liquid chromatography coupled to tandem fluorescence (FD) and ultraviolet (UV) spectrophotometry was applied to monitor the presence of bisphenol A and bisphenol S in plastic baby bottles marketed in Italy. The limits of detection (LOD) were 3.75 ng mL -1 and 80.00 ng mL -1 , and those of quantification (LOQ) were 12.51 ng mL -1 and 260.00 ng mL -1 for BPA (FD detection) and for BPS (UV detection), respectively. BPA was found in only four samples, two samples undergone to microwave heating and two samples undergone to bottle warmer heating either at 40°C or at 80°C. Although the quantities of leached BPA were well below the reference dose for daily intake established by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (4.0 µg kg -1 bw/day), the release of BPA and BPS from these plastic materials should be carefully considered by the government authorities to increase people's awareness on this issue and to protect the most vulnerable population group.

Analysis of Levodopa Content in Commercial Mucuna pruriens Products Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection.

PubMed

Soumyanath, Amala; Denne, Tanya; Hiller, Amie; Ramachandran, Shaila; Shinto, Lynne

2018-02-01

Mucuna pruriens (MP) seeds contain levodopa (up to 2% by weight) and have been used in traditional Indian medicine to treat an illness named "Kampavata," now understood to be Parkinson's disease (PD). Studies have shown MP to be beneficial, and even superior, to levodopa alone in treating PD symptoms. Commercial products containing MP are readily available from online and retail sources to patients and physicians. Products often contain extracts of MP seeds, with significantly higher levodopa content than the seeds. However, MP products have limited regulatory controls with respect to quality and content of active ingredient. The aim of this study was to apply a quantitative method to determine levodopa content in readily available MP products that might be used by patients or in research studies. Levodopa present in six commercial MP products was quantified by solvent extraction followed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to fluorescence detection (FD). Certificates of analysis (COA) were obtained, from manufacturers of MP products, to assess the existence and implementation of specifications for levodopa content. HPLC-FD analysis revealed that the levodopa content of the six commercial MP products varied from 6% to 141% of individual label claims. No product contained levodopa within normal pharmacopeial limits of 90%-110% label claim. The maximum daily dose of levodopa delivered by the products varied from 14.4 to 720 mg/day. COAs were inconsistent in specifications for and verification of levodopa content. The commercial products tested varied widely in levodopa content, sometimes deviating widely from the label claim. These deficiencies could impact efficacy and safety of MP products used by PD patients and compromise the results of scientific studies on MP products. The HPLC-FD method described in this study could be utilized by both manufacturers and scientific researchers to verify levodopa content of MP products.

Telescope Array Low energy Extension: TALE

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ogio, Shoichi

TALE, the Telescope Array Low Energy extension was designed to lower the energy threshold to about 1016.5 eV. TALE has a surface detector (SD) array made up of 103 scintillation counters (40 with 400 m spacing, 36 with 600 m spacing and 27 with 1.2 km spacing) and a Fluorescence Detector (FD) station consisting of ten FD telescopes working with the Telescope Array Middle Drum FD station, which is made up of 14 telescopes. TALE-FD full operation started in 2013 and the SD array was partially-completed with 16 SDs and continues the operation from 2014. We will describe the history and the current status of the detectors and will make a brief report about the FD and the hybrid analysis results. TALE detector will be completed as a hybrid air shower detector in 2018. We will report the technical details of the detectors, the schedule and the expected performances.

Muon Detector R&D in Telescope Array Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nonaka, T.; Takamura, M.; Honda, K.; Matthews, J. N.; Ogio, S.; Sakurai, N.; Sagawa, H.; Stokes, B. T.; Tsujimoto, M.; Yashiro, K.

The Telescope Array (TA) experiment, located in the western desert of Utah, U.S.A., at 39.38° north and 112.9° west, is collecting data of ultra high energy cosmic rays in the energy range 1018-1020 eV. The experiment has a Surface Detector (SD) array surrounded by three Fluorescence Detector (FD) stations to enable simultaneous detection of shower particles and fluorescence photons generated by the extensive air shower. Measurement of shower particles at the ground level, with different absorber thickness, enables a more detailed studies of the experiment's energy scale and of hadron interaction models. In this report, we present a design and the first observation result of a surface muon detector using lead plates and concrete as absorbers.

Deconvolution of ferredoxin, plastocyanin, and P700 transmittance changes in intact leaves with a new type of kinetic LED array spectrophotometer.

PubMed

Klughammer, Christof; Schreiber, Ulrich

2016-05-01

A newly developed compact measuring system for assessment of transmittance changes in the near-infrared spectral region is described; it allows deconvolution of redox changes due to ferredoxin (Fd), P700, and plastocyanin (PC) in intact leaves. In addition, it can also simultaneously measure chlorophyll fluorescence. The major opto-electronic components as well as the principles of data acquisition and signal deconvolution are outlined. Four original pulse-modulated dual-wavelength difference signals are measured (785-840 nm, 810-870 nm, 870-970 nm, and 795-970 nm). Deconvolution is based on specific spectral information presented graphically in the form of 'Differential Model Plots' (DMP) of Fd, P700, and PC that are derived empirically from selective changes of these three components under appropriately chosen physiological conditions. Whereas information on maximal changes of Fd is obtained upon illumination after dark-acclimation, maximal changes of P700 and PC can be readily induced by saturating light pulses in the presence of far-red light. Using the information of DMP and maximal changes, the new measuring system enables on-line deconvolution of Fd, P700, and PC. The performance of the new device is demonstrated by some examples of practical applications, including fast measurements of flash relaxation kinetics and of the Fd, P700, and PC changes paralleling the polyphasic fluorescence rise upon application of a 300-ms pulse of saturating light.

Hybrid Nanotechnologies for Detection and Synergistic Therapies for Breast Cancer

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-01

5%-TCA TCG ATG GAG GTG CAG CTG GTG GAG-3%) and FdSeq1 and ligated into pCR2.1 TOPO. The ClaI/NotI-digested frag- ment was ligated into the ClaI/NotI...binding of each scFv clone (bold line) and the backgrounds of phycoerythrin-conjugated secondary antibodies ( gray ). FIGURE 3. Targeting of fluorescently...of the neuropilin family, is a high affinity receptor for the semaphorins Sema E and Sema IV but not Sema III. Neuron 19: 547–559. Dallas NA, Gray MJ

Co-occurrence of the cyanotoxins BMAA, DABA and anatoxin-a in Nebraska reservoirs, fish, and aquatic plants.

PubMed

Al-Sammak, Maitham Ahmed; Hoagland, Kyle D; Cassada, David; Snow, Daniel D

2014-01-28

Several groups of microorganisms are capable of producing toxins in aquatic environments. Cyanobacteria are prevalent blue green algae in freshwater systems, and many species produce cyanotoxins which include a variety of chemical irritants, hepatotoxins and neurotoxins. Production and occurrence of potent neurotoxic cyanotoxins β-N-methylamino-L-alanine (BMAA), 2,4-diaminobutyric acid dihydrochloride (DABA), and anatoxin-a are especially critical with environmental implications to public and animal health. Biomagnification, though not well understood in aquatic systems, is potentially relevant to both human and animal health effects. Because little is known regarding their presence in fresh water, we investigated the occurrence and potential for bioaccumulation of cyanotoxins in several Nebraska reservoirs. Collection and analysis of 387 environmental and biological samples (water, fish, and aquatic plant) provided a snapshot of their occurrence. A sensitive detection method was developed using solid phase extraction (SPE) in combination with high pressure liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC/FD) with confirmation by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). HPLC/FD detection limits ranged from 5 to 7 µg/L and LC/MS/MS detection limits were <0.5 µg/L, while detection limits for biological samples were in the range of 0.8-3.2 ng/g depending on the matrix. Based on these methods, measurable levels of these neurotoxic compounds were detected in approximately 25% of the samples, with detections of BMAA in about 18.1%, DABA in 17.1%, and anatoxin-a in 11.9%.

Co-occurrence of the Cyanotoxins BMAA, DABA and Anatoxin-a in Nebraska Reservoirs, Fish, and Aquatic Plants

PubMed Central

Al-Sammak, Maitham Ahmed; Hoagland, Kyle D.; Cassada, David; Snow, Daniel D.

2014-01-01

Several groups of microorganisms are capable of producing toxins in aquatic environments. Cyanobacteria are prevalent blue green algae in freshwater systems, and many species produce cyanotoxins which include a variety of chemical irritants, hepatotoxins and neurotoxins. Production and occurrence of potent neurotoxic cyanotoxins β-N-methylamino-l-alanine (BMAA), 2,4-diaminobutyric acid dihydrochloride (DABA), and anatoxin-a are especially critical with environmental implications to public and animal health. Biomagnification, though not well understood in aquatic systems, is potentially relevant to both human and animal health effects. Because little is known regarding their presence in fresh water, we investigated the occurrence and potential for bioaccumulation of cyanotoxins in several Nebraska reservoirs. Collection and analysis of 387 environmental and biological samples (water, fish, and aquatic plant) provided a snapshot of their occurrence. A sensitive detection method was developed using solid phase extraction (SPE) in combination with high pressure liquid chromatography-fluorescence detection (HPLC/FD) with confirmation by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). HPLC/FD detection limits ranged from 5 to 7 µg/L and LC/MS/MS detection limits were <0.5 µg/L, while detection limits for biological samples were in the range of 0.8–3.2 ng/g depending on the matrix. Based on these methods, measurable levels of these neurotoxic compounds were detected in approximately 25% of the samples, with detections of BMAA in about 18.1%, DABA in 17.1%, and anatoxin-a in 11.9%. PMID:24476710

Reliability of Using Retinal Vascular Fractal Dimension as a Biomarker in the Diabetic Retinopathy Detection

PubMed Central

Zhang, Jiong; Bekkers, Erik; Abbasi-Sureshjani, Samaneh

2016-01-01

The retinal fractal dimension (FD) is a measure of vasculature branching pattern complexity. FD has been considered as a potential biomarker for the detection of several diseases like diabetes and hypertension. However, conflicting findings were found in the reported literature regarding the association between this biomarker and diseases. In this paper, we examine the stability of the FD measurement with respect to (1) different vessel annotations obtained from human observers, (2) automatic segmentation methods, (3) various regions of interest, (4) accuracy of vessel segmentation methods, and (5) different imaging modalities. Our results demonstrate that the relative errors for the measurement of FD are significant and FD varies considerably according to the image quality, modality, and the technique used for measuring it. Automated and semiautomated methods for the measurement of FD are not stable enough, which makes FD a deceptive biomarker in quantitative clinical applications. PMID:27703803

Reliability of Using Retinal Vascular Fractal Dimension as a Biomarker in the Diabetic Retinopathy Detection.

PubMed

Huang, Fan; Dashtbozorg, Behdad; Zhang, Jiong; Bekkers, Erik; Abbasi-Sureshjani, Samaneh; Berendschot, Tos T J M; Ter Haar Romeny, Bart M

2016-01-01

The retinal fractal dimension (FD) is a measure of vasculature branching pattern complexity. FD has been considered as a potential biomarker for the detection of several diseases like diabetes and hypertension. However, conflicting findings were found in the reported literature regarding the association between this biomarker and diseases. In this paper, we examine the stability of the FD measurement with respect to (1) different vessel annotations obtained from human observers, (2) automatic segmentation methods, (3) various regions of interest, (4) accuracy of vessel segmentation methods, and (5) different imaging modalities. Our results demonstrate that the relative errors for the measurement of FD are significant and FD varies considerably according to the image quality, modality, and the technique used for measuring it. Automated and semiautomated methods for the measurement of FD are not stable enough, which makes FD a deceptive biomarker in quantitative clinical applications.

Fluorescence diffuse tomography of small animals with DsRed2 fluorescent protein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turchin, I. V.; Plehanov, V. I.; Orlova, A. G.; Kamenskiy, V. A.; Kleshnin, M. S.; Shirmanova, M. V.; Shakhova, N. M.; Balalaeva, I. V.; Savitskiy, A. P.

2006-05-01

Fluorescent compounds are used as markers to diagnose oncological diseases, to study molecular processes typical for carcinogenesis, and to investigate metastasis formation and tumor regress under the influence of therapeutics. Different types of tomography, such as continuous wave (CW), frequency-domain (FD), and time-domain (TD) tomography, allow fluorescence imaging of tumors located deep in human or animal tissue. In this work, preliminary results of the frequency domain fluorescent diffuse tomography (FDT) method in application to DsRed2 protein as a fluorescent agent are presented. For the first step of our experiments, we utilized low-frequency amplitude modulation (1 kHz) of second harmonic of Nd: YAG (532 nm). The transilluminative configuration was used in the setup. The results of post mortem experiments with capsules containing DsRed2 inserted inside the esophagus of a 3-day-old hairless rat to simulate tumor are shown. An algorithm of processing fluorescent images based on calculating the zero of maximum curvature has been applied to detect fluorescent inclusion boundaries in the image. This work demonstrates the potential capability of the FDT method for imaging deep fluorescent tumors in human tissue or animal models of human cancer. Improvement of the setup can be accomplished by using high-frequency modulation (using a 110-MHz acoustooptical modulator).

Frequency domain fluorescent diffuse tomography of small animals with DsRed2-expressed tumors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turchin, Ilya V.; Savitsky, Alexander P.; Kamensky, Vladislav A.; Plehanov, Vladimir I.; Orlova, Anna G.; Sergeeva, Ekaterina A.; Kleshnin, Mikhail S.; Shirmanova, Marina V.

2006-02-01

The main applications of fluorescent proteins (FPs) are monitoring tumor growth, angiogenesis, metastases formation and effects of new classes of drugs. Different types of tomography allow fluorescence imaging of tumors located deep in human or animal tissue. These techniques were used for investigation of the distribution of near-infrared fluorescent probes, but only a few works are devoted to fluorescence tomography in visible light. In this work, preliminary results of the frequency domain fluorescent diffuse tomography (FD FDT) method in application to DsRed2 protein as a fluorescent agent are presented. For the first step of our experiments we utilized second harmonic generation of Nd:YAG laser (532 nm) modulated by low frequency (1 kHz) in the experimental setup. The transilluminative planar configuration was used in the setup. A series of model experiments has been conducted and show good agreement between theoretical and experimental fluorescence intensity. Post mortem experiments with capsules containing DsRed2 and scattering solution introduced into esophagus of rats to simulate tumor formation have been conducted. The results of these experiments show that sensitivity of the setup is sufficient to detect DsRed2 in concentrations similar to those in FP-expressed tumor, but the contrast is not enough high to separate fluorescence of DsRed2 and surrounding tissues. The setup can be significantly improved by utilizing high-frequency modulation (110 MHz using acousto-optical modulator) of the excitation light and precise phase measurements due to difference in fluorescence life-time of FPs and surrounding tissues. An algorithm of processing a fluorescent image based on calculating zero of maximum curvature was employed for detection of fluorescent inclusions boundaries in the image.

Doppler imaging with dual-detection full-range frequency domain optical coherence tomography

PubMed Central

Meemon, Panomsak; Lee, Kye-Sung; Rolland, Jannick P.

2010-01-01

Most of full-range techniques for Frequency Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (FD-OCT) reported to date utilize the phase relation between consecutive axial lines to reconstruct a complex interference signal and hence may exhibit degradation in either mirror image suppression performance or detectable velocity dynamic range or both when monitoring a moving sample such as flow activity. We have previously reported a technique of mirror image removal by simultaneous detection of the quadrature components of a complex spectral interference called a Dual-Detection Frequency Domain OCT (DD-FD-OCT) [Opt. Lett. 35, 1058-1060 (2010)]. The technique enables full range imaging without any loss of acquisition speed and is intrinsically less sensitive to phase errors generated by involuntary movements of the subject. In this paper, we demonstrate the application of the DD-FD-OCT to a phase-resolved Doppler imaging without degradation in either mirror image suppression performance or detectable velocity dynamic range that were observed in other full-range Doppler methods. In order to accommodate for Doppler imaging, we have developed a fiber-based DD-FD-OCT that more efficiently utilizes the source power compared with the previous free-space DD-FD-OCT. In addition, the velocity sensitivity of the phase-resolved DD-FD-OCT was investigated, and the relation between the measured Doppler phase shift and set flow velocity of a flow phantom was verified. Finally, we demonstrate the Doppler imaging using the DD-FD-OCT in a biological sample. PMID:21258488

In vivo real-time monitoring system of electroporation mediated control of transdermal and topical drug delivery.

PubMed

Blagus, Tanja; Markelc, Bostjan; Cemazar, Maja; Kosjek, Tina; Preat, Veronique; Miklavcic, Damijan; Sersa, Gregor

2013-12-28

Electroporation (EP) is a physical method for the delivery of molecules into cells and tissues, including the skin. In this study, in order to control the degree of transdermal and topical drug delivery, EP at different amplitudes of electric pulses was evaluated. A new in vivo real-time monitoring system based on fluorescently labeled molecules was developed, for the quantification of transdermal and topical drug delivery. EP of the mouse skin was performed with new non-invasive multi-array electrodes, delivering different amplitudes of electric pulses ranging from 70 to 570 V, between the electrode pin pairs. Patches, soaked with 4 kDa fluorescein-isothiocyanate labeled dextran (FD), doxorubicin (DOX) or fentanyl (FEN), were applied to the skin before and after EP. The new monitoring system was developed based on the delivery of FD to and through the skin. FD relative quantity was determined with fluorescence microscopy imaging, in the treated region of the skin for topical delivery and in a segment of the mouse tail for transdermal delivery. The application of electric pulses for FD delivery resulted in enhanced transdermal delivery. Depending on the amplitude of electric pulses, it increased up to the amplitude of 360 V, and decreased at higher amplitudes (460 and 570 V). Topical delivery steadily enhanced with increasing the amplitude of the delivered electric pulses, being even higher than after tape stripping used as a positive control. The non-invasive monitoring of the delivery of DOX, a fluorescent chemotherapeutic drug, qualitatively and quantitatively confirmed the effects of EP at 360 and 570 V pulse amplitudes on topical and transdermal drug delivery. Delivery of FEN at 360 and 570 V pulse amplitudes verified the observed effects as obtained with FD and DOX, by the measured physiological responses of the mice as well as FEN plasma concentration. This study demonstrates that with the newly developed non-invasive multi-array electrodes and with the varying electric pulse amplitude, the amount of topical and transdermal drug delivery to the skin can be controlled. Furthermore, the newly developed monitoring system provides a tool for rapid real-time determination of both, transdermal and topical delivery, when the delivered molecule is fluorescent. © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Frequency Spectral Properties of Electrode-Skin Contact Impedance on Human Head and Its Frequency-Dependent Effects on Frequency-Difference EIT in Stroke Detection from 10Hz to 1MHz.

PubMed

Yang, Lin; Dai, Meng; Xu, Canhua; Zhang, Ge; Li, Weichen; Fu, Feng; Shi, Xuetao; Dong, Xiuzhen

2017-01-01

Frequency-difference electrical impedance tomography (fdEIT) reconstructs frequency-dependent changes of a complex impedance distribution. It has a potential application in acute stroke detection because there are significant differences in impedance spectra between stroke lesions and normal brain tissues. However, fdEIT suffers from the influences of electrode-skin contact impedance since contact impedance varies greatly with frequency. When using fdEIT to detect stroke, it is critical to know the degree of measurement errors or image artifacts caused by contact impedance. To our knowledge, no study has systematically investigated the frequency spectral properties of electrode-skin contact impedance on human head and its frequency-dependent effects on fdEIT used in stroke detection within a wide frequency band (10 Hz-1 MHz). In this study, we first measured and analyzed the frequency spectral properties of electrode-skin contact impedance on 47 human subjects' heads within 10 Hz-1 MHz. Then, we quantified the frequency-dependent effects of contact impedance on fdEIT in stroke detection in terms of the current distribution beneath the electrodes and the contact impedance imbalance between two measuring electrodes. The results showed that the contact impedance at high frequencies (>100 kHz) significantly changed the current distribution beneath the electrode, leading to nonnegligible errors in boundary voltages and artifacts in reconstructed images. The contact impedance imbalance at low frequencies (<1 kHz) also caused significant measurement errors. We conclude that the contact impedance has critical frequency-dependent influences on fdEIT and further studies on reducing such influences are necessary to improve the application of fdEIT in stroke detection.

The Frequency Spectral Properties of Electrode-Skin Contact Impedance on Human Head and Its Frequency-Dependent Effects on Frequency-Difference EIT in Stroke Detection from 10Hz to 1MHz

PubMed Central

Zhang, Ge; Li, Weichen; Fu, Feng; Shi, Xuetao; Dong, Xiuzhen

2017-01-01

Frequency-difference electrical impedance tomography (fdEIT) reconstructs frequency-dependent changes of a complex impedance distribution. It has a potential application in acute stroke detection because there are significant differences in impedance spectra between stroke lesions and normal brain tissues. However, fdEIT suffers from the influences of electrode-skin contact impedance since contact impedance varies greatly with frequency. When using fdEIT to detect stroke, it is critical to know the degree of measurement errors or image artifacts caused by contact impedance. To our knowledge, no study has systematically investigated the frequency spectral properties of electrode-skin contact impedance on human head and its frequency-dependent effects on fdEIT used in stroke detection within a wide frequency band (10 Hz-1 MHz). In this study, we first measured and analyzed the frequency spectral properties of electrode-skin contact impedance on 47 human subjects’ heads within 10 Hz-1 MHz. Then, we quantified the frequency-dependent effects of contact impedance on fdEIT in stroke detection in terms of the current distribution beneath the electrodes and the contact impedance imbalance between two measuring electrodes. The results showed that the contact impedance at high frequencies (>100 kHz) significantly changed the current distribution beneath the electrode, leading to nonnegligible errors in boundary voltages and artifacts in reconstructed images. The contact impedance imbalance at low frequencies (<1 kHz) also caused significant measurement errors. We conclude that the contact impedance has critical frequency-dependent influences on fdEIT and further studies on reducing such influences are necessary to improve the application of fdEIT in stroke detection. PMID:28107524

Face detection assisted auto exposure: supporting evidence from a psychophysical study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, Elaine W.; Lin, Sheng; Dharumalingam, Dhandapani

2010-01-01

Face detection has been implemented in many digital still cameras and camera phones with the promise of enhancing existing camera functions (e.g. auto exposure) and adding new features to cameras (e.g. blink detection). In this study we examined the use of face detection algorithms in assisting auto exposure (AE). The set of 706 images, used in this study, was captured using Canon Digital Single Lens Reflex cameras and subsequently processed with an image processing pipeline. A psychophysical study was performed to obtain optimal exposure along with the upper and lower bounds of exposure for all 706 images. Three methods of marking faces were utilized: manual marking, face detection algorithm A (FD-A), and face detection algorithm B (FD-B). The manual marking method found 751 faces in 426 images, which served as the ground-truth for face regions of interest. The remaining images do not have any faces or the faces are too small to be considered detectable. The two face detection algorithms are different in resource requirements and in performance. FD-A uses less memory and gate counts compared to FD-B, but FD-B detects more faces and has less false positives. A face detection assisted auto exposure algorithm was developed and tested against the evaluation results from the psychophysical study. The AE test results showed noticeable improvement when faces were detected and used in auto exposure. However, the presence of false positives would negatively impact the added benefit.

Integrating physically based simulators with Event Detection Systems: Multi-site detection approach.

PubMed

Housh, Mashor; Ohar, Ziv

2017-03-01

The Fault Detection (FD) Problem in control theory concerns of monitoring a system to identify when a fault has occurred. Two approaches can be distinguished for the FD: Signal processing based FD and Model-based FD. The former concerns of developing algorithms to directly infer faults from sensors' readings, while the latter uses a simulation model of the real-system to analyze the discrepancy between sensors' readings and expected values from the simulation model. Most contamination Event Detection Systems (EDSs) for water distribution systems have followed the signal processing based FD, which relies on analyzing the signals from monitoring stations independently of each other, rather than evaluating all stations simultaneously within an integrated network. In this study, we show that a model-based EDS which utilizes a physically based water quality and hydraulics simulation models, can outperform the signal processing based EDS. We also show that the model-based EDS can facilitate the development of a Multi-Site EDS (MSEDS), which analyzes the data from all the monitoring stations simultaneously within an integrated network. The advantage of the joint analysis in the MSEDS is expressed by increased detection accuracy (higher true positive alarms and fewer false alarms) and shorter detection time. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Cherenkov flashes and fluorescence flares on telescopes: New lights on UHECR spectroscopy while unveiling neutrinos astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fargion, D.; Oliva, P.; Massa, F.; Moreno, G.

2008-04-01

Multi-GeV and TeVs gamma sources are currently observed by their Cherenkov flashes on telescopes (as Magic, Hess and Veritas), looking vertically up into the sky. These detectors while pointing horizontally should also reveal the fluorescence flare tails of nearby down-going air-showers. Such air-showers, born at higher (tens of km) altitudes, are growing and extending up to lowest atmospheres (EeVs) or up to higher (few km) quotas (PeVs). These fluorescence signals extend the Cherenkov telescopes to a much higher cosmic ray spectroscopy. Vice versa, as it has been foreseen and only recently observed, the opposite takes place. Fluorescence telescopes made for UHECR detection (as AUGER ones) may be blazed by inclined Cherenkov lights: less energetic but frequent (PeVs) CR are expected to be often detected. Nearly dozens of blazing Cherenkov at EeV should be already found each year in AUGER, possibly in hybrid mode (FD SD, fluorescence and/or surface detector). Many more CR events (tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands) at PeVs energies should blaze Cherenkov lights each year on the AUGER fluorescence telescopes. Their UV filter may partially hide their signals and they cannot, unfortunately, be seen in any hybrid mode. At these comparable energies, the rarest UHE resonant anti-neutrino ν+e interactions in air at MW2/2me=6.3PeV energy offer enhanced W neutrino astronomy showering at air horizon, at ˜90, while crossing deep atmosphere column depth or Earth (Ande) boundaries. However, AUGER fluorescence detector (FD) are facing opposite way. An additional decay channel also rises (after resonant neutrino skimming Earth) via their secondary τ exit in air, by decay in flight via amplified showering: ν+e→W→ν+τ. Moreover, expected horizontal UHE GZK neutrinos ντν at EeVs energy, powered by guaranteed cosmogenic GZK [K.Greisen, Phys. Rev. Lett. 16 (1966) 748; G.T. Zatsepin, V.A. Kuz’min, Zh. Eks. Teor. Fiz., Pis’ma Red. 4 (1966) 144], νμν flavor conversions (in cosmic distances), are also producing penetrating UHE EeV lepton taus that could sample, better and deeper than PeVs ones, the Earth skin. Such almost horizontal and up-going tau showers, originated by UHE astronomical neutrino, may shower and flash by fluorescence and/or Cherenkov diffused lights at AUGER sky in a few years (nearly three). Vice versa, at Hess, MAGIC and VERITAS horizons, at tens or a hundred km distances, the same up-going ττ¯ air-showers might rise via fluorescence. On axis they might blaze (rarely) as a Cherenkov flashes below the horizons, possibly correlated to BL Lac or GRB activity. Also UHE (1 0.1 EeV) GZK τ showering can be observed upward once reflected onto clouds. The geomagnetic splitting may tag the energy as well as the inclined shower footprint as seen in a recent peculiar event in AUGER. Additional stereoscopic detection may define the event origination distance and its consequent primary composition, extending our understanding on UHECR composition.

High Incidence and Levels of Ochratoxin A in Wines Sourced from the United States.

PubMed

De Jesus, Christopher Lawrence; Bartley, Amanda; Welch, Aaron Z; Berry, John P

2017-12-21

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is one of the most prevalent mycotoxin contaminants of food crops. Among the agricultural products consequently contaminated by OTA is wine. In the present study, a sample of wines sourced from the United States was assessed for OTA. Wines were primarily analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) coupled to a liquid-liquid extraction (LLE) technique which was developed and validated as a simplified sample preparation approach. More than 85% of the wines evaluated were found to contain OTA, at levels above the limit-of-detection (LOD = 0.1 µg L -1 ), and 76% were above the limit-of-quantitation (LOQ = 0.3 µg L -1 ) for the LLE/HPLC-FD method. More than two-thirds of the wines above the LOQ were found to exceed 1 µg L -1 . Complementary analysis by HPLC coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) confirmed OTA in 74% of the OTA-positive wines (i.e., >LOQ by HPLC-FD). Overall, both the occurrence and measured levels of OTA were generally high, specifically relative to previous assessments of OTA in wine, and two of the wines were above the only current (European Union) regulatory limit of two parts-per-billion (ppb, ~2 µg L -1 ). Possible trends with respect to geographical region and/or growing climate are noted. As the first assessment of U.S. wines in more than a decade, the overall high occurrence and levels of OTA in wine, and possible geographic and climatic trends, point to a need for regular surveillance of wines, as well as investigation of the relevant contributors to OTA occurrence toward mitigating contamination and exposure risks.

Quantitation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH4) in cocoa and chocolate samples by an HPLC-FD method.

PubMed

Raters, Marion; Matissek, Reinhard

2014-11-05

As a consequence of the PAH4 (sum of four different polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, named benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, and benzo[a]pyrene) maximum levels permitted in cocoa beans and derived products as of 2013, an high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection method (HPLC-FD) was developed and adapted to the complex cocoa butter matrix to enable a simultaneous determination of PAH4. The resulting analysis method was subsequently successfully validated. This method meets the requirements of Regulation (EU) No. 836/2011 regarding analysis methods criteria for determining PAH4 and is hence most suitable for monitoring the observance of the maximum levels applicable under Regulation (EU) No. 835/2011. Within the scope of this work, a total of 218 samples of raw cocoa, cocoa masses, and cocoa butter from several sample years (1999-2012), of various origins and treatments, as well as cocoa and chocolate products were analyzed for the occurrence of PAH4. In summary, it is noted that the current PAH contamination level of cocoa products can be deemed very slight overall.

New developments in electronic reference controls for frequency domain optical sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatni, M. R.; Li, G.; Porterfield, D. M.

2009-05-01

The reference optical path is essential for optical systems which function on the basis of light interference. In the case of frequency domain (FD) fluorescence life-time optrodes, a reference LED is used as a standard for calculating the phase angle. The reference LED is configured so that radiation travels the same length to the detector as that of the fluorescence signal being analyzed. The phase shift, which provides details of fluorescence lifetime, is measured between these two signals - the fluorescence signal and reference LED signal, using a photodetector. We have designed, developed and implemented a FD optrode system without a reference LED. The key requirement of such a system is that phase shifts due to optics at wavelength of fluorescence and electronics have to be calibrated. In the reference-free system, the reference signal comes from the lock-in-amplifier which also drives the excitation LED. The lock-in-amplifier measures the phase shift between the excitation signal and the fluorescence emission signal from the photodetector and is locked at the frequency of modulation of the excitation signal. This insures higher signal to noise ratio and low-noise measurements. The reference-free optrode system removes some constraints on the coupling optics, which help improve the overall performance of the system. After development of electronics, and optimization of coupling optics, the system was calibrated in different oxygen concentration solutions to measure fluorescence intensity and lifetime of the oxygen sensitive dye platinum tetrakis (pentafluorophenyl) porphine (PtTFPP).

Telescope Array measurement of UHECR composition from stereoscopic fluorescence detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stroman, Thomas; Bergman, Douglas; Abu Zayyad, Tareq

2014-03-01

The chemical composition of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) is an important constraint on models of UHECR production and propagation, and must be determined experimentally. A UHECR-induced extensive air shower's longitudinal development is dictated by the energy per nucleon of the primary particle. The observed distribution of atmospheric slant depths (Xmax) is therefore sensitive to the composition, facilitating measurement of the relative abundances of ``light'' (proton-like) and ``heavy'' (iron-like) primary UHECR particles. The Telescope Array (TA) experiment, the northern hemisphere's largest UHECR detector, includes three fluorescence detector (FD) stations that record the longitudinal development of the extensive air showers produced by UHECR arrivals. ``Stereo'' observation of individual showers by multiple FDs tightly constrains the trajectory reconstruction, allowing a precise measurement of Xmax as well as energy. We will present the stereo TA data from six years of operation and progress toward a measurement of chemical composition.

Occurrence of ochratoxin A in wine and beer samples from China.

PubMed

Wu, Jianwei; Tan, Yinfeng; Wang, Yuqi; Xu, Rong

2011-01-01

A total of 125 wine and beer samples, including 42 white, 63 red wine and 20 beer samples, originating from several areas of China were analyzed for ochratoxin A (OTA). An analytical method based on immunoaffinity column (IAC) for clean-up and high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) was used to determine OTA. Positive results were further confirmed by LC-MS-MS. OTA was detected in 22 (17.6%) samples at levels of 0.02-1.18 ng/ml, which were below the EU maximum limit. The mean OTA concentration in red wine was slightly higher than in white wine. This study showed that OTA occurs in wine and beer in China but at levels that pose no danger of significant human exposure to OTA from this source.

[Non-destructive, preclinical evaluation of root canal anatomy of human teeth with flat-panel detector volume CT (FD-VCT)].

PubMed

Heidrich, G; Hassepass, F; Dullin, C; Attin, T; Grabbe, E; Hannig, C

2005-12-01

Successful endodontic diagnostics and therapy call for adequate depiction of the root canal anatomy with multimodal diagnostic imaging. The aim of the present study is to evaluate visualization of the endodont with flat-panel detector volume CT (FD-VCT). 13 human teeth were examined with the prototype of a FD-VCT. After data acquisition and generation of volume data sets in volume rendering technology (VRT), the findings obtained were compared to conventional X-rays and cross-section preparations of the teeth. The anatomical structures of the endodont such as root canals, side canals and communications between different root canals as well as denticles could be detected precisely with FD-VCT. The length of curved root canals was also determined accurately. The spatial resolution of the system is around 140 microm. Only around 73 % of the main root canals detected with FD-VCT and 87 % of the roots could be visualized with conventional dental X-rays. None of the side canals, shown with FD-VCT, was detectable on conventional X-rays. In all cases the enamel and dentin of the teeth could be well delineated. No differences in image quality could be discerned between stored and freshly extracted teeth, or between primary and adult teeth. FD-VCT is an innovative diagnostic modality in preclinical and experimental use for non-destructive three-dimensional analysis of teeth. Thanks to the high isotropic spatial resolution compared with conventional X-rays, even the minutest structures, such as side canals, can be detected and evaluated. Potential applications in endodontics include diagnostics and evaluation of all steps of root canal treatment, ranging from trepanation through determination of the length of the root canal to obturation.

Photosynthetic and Heterotrophic Ferredoxin Isoproteins Are Colocalized in Fruit Plastids of Tomato1

PubMed Central

Aoki, Koh; Yamamoto, Miyuki; Wada, Keishiro

1998-01-01

Fruit tissues of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) contain both photosynthetic and heterotrophic ferredoxin (FdA and FdE, respectively) isoproteins, irrespective of their photosynthetic competence, but we did not previously determine whether these proteins were colocalized in the same plastids. In isolated fruit chloroplasts and chromoplasts, both FdA and FdE were detected by immunoblotting. Colocalization of FdA and FdE in the same plastids was demonstrated using double-staining immunofluorescence microscopy. We also found that FdA and FdE were colocalized in fruit chloroplasts and chloroamyloplasts irrespective of sink status of the plastid. Immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that FdA and FdE were randomly distributed within the plastid stroma. To investigate the significance of the heterotrophic Fd in fruit plastids, Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) activity was measured in isolated fruit and leaf plastids. Fruit chloroplasts and chromoplasts showed much higher G6PDH activity than did leaf chloroplasts, suggesting that high G6PDH activity is linked with FdE to maintain nonphotosynthetic production of reducing power. This result suggested that, despite their morphological resemblance, fruit chloroplasts are functionally different from their leaf counterparts. PMID:9765529

Real-Time Fault Detection Approach for Nonlinear Systems and its Asynchronous T-S Fuzzy Observer-Based Implementation.

PubMed

Li, Linlin; Ding, Steven X; Qiu, Jianbin; Yang, Ying

2017-02-01

This paper is concerned with a real-time observer-based fault detection (FD) approach for a general type of nonlinear systems in the presence of external disturbances. To this end, in the first part of this paper, we deal with the definition and the design condition for an L ∞ / L 2 type of nonlinear observer-based FD systems. This analytical framework is fundamental for the development of real-time nonlinear FD systems with the aid of some well-established techniques. In the second part, we address the integrated design of the L ∞ / L 2 observer-based FD systems by applying Takagi-Sugeno (T-S) fuzzy dynamic modeling technique as the solution tool. This fuzzy observer-based FD approach is developed via piecewise Lyapunov functions, and can be applied to the case that the premise variables of the FD system is nonsynchronous with the premise variables of the fuzzy model of the plant. In the end, a case study on the laboratory setup of three-tank system is given to show the efficiency of the proposed results.

Detection of admittivity anomaly on high-contrast heterogeneous backgrounds using frequency difference EIT.

PubMed

Jang, J; Seo, J K

2015-06-01

This paper describes a multiple background subtraction method in frequency difference electrical impedance tomography (fdEIT) to detect an admittivity anomaly from a high-contrast background conductivity distribution. The proposed method expands the use of the conventional weighted frequency difference EIT method, which has been used limitedly to detect admittivity anomalies in a roughly homogeneous background. The proposed method can be viewed as multiple weighted difference imaging in fdEIT. Although the spatial resolutions of the output images by fdEIT are very low due to the inherent ill-posedness, numerical simulations and phantom experiments of the proposed method demonstrate its feasibility to detect anomalies. It has potential application in stroke detection in a head model, which is highly heterogeneous due to the skull.

Genetic determinism of phenological traits highly affected by climate change in Prunus avium: flowering date dissected into chilling and heat requirements.

PubMed

Castède, Sophie; Campoy, José Antonio; García, José Quero; Le Dantec, Loïck; Lafargue, Maria; Barreneche, Teresa; Wenden, Bénédicte; Dirlewanger, Elisabeth

2014-04-01

The present study investigated the genetic determinism of flowering date (FD), dissected into chilling (CR) and heat (HR) requirements. Elucidation of the genetic determinism of flowering traits is crucial to anticipate the increasing of ecological misalignment of adaptative traits with novel climate conditions in most temperate-fruit species. CR and HR were evaluated over 3 yr and FD over 5 yr in an intraspecific sweet cherry (Prunus avium) F1 progeny, and FD over 6 yr in a different F1 progeny. One quantitative trait locus (QTL) with major effect and high stability between years of evaluation was detected for CR and FD in the same region of linkage group (LG) 4. For HR, no stable QTL was detected. Candidate genes underlying the major QTL on LG4 were investigated and key genes were identified for CR and FD. Phenotypic dissection of FD and year repetitions allowed us to identify CR as the high heritable component of FD and a high genotype × environment interaction for HR. QTLs for CR reported in this study are the first described in this species. Our results provide a foundation for the identification of genes involved in CR and FD in sweet cherry which could be used to develop ideotypes adapted to future climatic conditions. © 2014 INRA. New Phytologist © 2014 New Phytologist Trust.

Simple Common Plane contact detection algorithm for FE/FD methods

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

Vorobiev, O

2006-07-19

Common-plane (CP) algorithm is widely used in Discrete Element Method (DEM) to model contact forces between interacting particles or blocks. A new simple contact detection algorithm is proposed to model contacts in FE/FD methods which is similar to the CP algorithm. The CP is defined as a plane separating interacting faces of FE/FD mesh instead of blocks or particles in the original CP method. The method does not require iterations. It is very robust and easy to implement both in 2D and 3D case.

Curcumin stably interacts with DNA hairpin through minor groove binding and demonstrates enhanced cytotoxicity in combination with FdU nucleotides.

PubMed

Ghosh, Supratim; Mallick, Sumana; Das, Upasana; Verma, Ajay; Pal, Uttam; Chatterjee, Sabyasachi; Nandy, Abhishek; Saha, Krishna D; Maiti, Nakul Chandra; Baishya, Bikash; Suresh Kumar, G; Gmeiner, William H

2018-03-01

We report, based on biophysical studies and molecular mechanical calculations that curcumin binds DNA hairpin in the minor groove adjacent to the loop region forming a stable complex. UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopy indicated interaction of curcumin with DNA hairpin. In this novel binding motif, two ɣ H of curcumin heptadiene chain are closely positioned to the A 16 -H8 and A 17 -H8, while G 12 -H8 is located in the close proximity of curcumin α H. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations suggest, the complex is stabilized by noncovalent forces including; π-π stacking, H-bonding and hydrophobic interactions. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy in combination with molecular dynamics simulations indicated curcumin is bound in the minor groove, while circular dichroism (CD) spectra suggested minute enhancement in base stacking and a little change in DNA helicity, without significant conformational change of DNA hairpin structure. The DNA:curcumin complex formed with FdU nucleotides rather than Thymidine, demonstrated enhanced cytotoxicity towards oral cancer cells relative to the only FdU substituted hairpin. Fluorescence co-localization demonstrated stability of the complex in biologically relevant conditions, including its cellular uptake. Acridine orange/EtBr staining further confirmed the enhanced cytotoxic effects of the complex, suggesting apoptosis as mode of cell death. Thus, curcumin can be noncovalently complexed to small DNA hairpin for cellular delivery and the complex showed increased cytotoxicity in combination with FdU nucleotides, demonstrating its potential for advanced cancer therapy. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Photodynamic therapy and fluorescent diagnostics of skin cancer with radochlorine and photosense: comparing efficacy and toxicity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vakulovskaya, Elena G.; Kemov, Yuriy V.; Zalevsky, Igor D.; Reshetnikov, Andrew V.; Umnova, Loubov V.; Vorozhcsov, Georgiu N.

2004-06-01

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) and fluorescent diagnostics (FD) with Radaclorine (RadaPharma, Russia) (RC) have been provided in 32 patients with T1-4 stage basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and in 81 patients with Photsense. Pharmacocynetic studies with detecting the borders of tumor growth and intensity of accumulation of photosensizers in tumor, normal tissues and visualization have been done by Spectral-fluorescent Complex and spectranalyser LESA-01 (He-Ne-laser, λ=633nm). We've got fluorescence of all tumors and additional fluorescence zones were found, cytological verification of BCC was got in most of cases. The fluorescent signs of RC in normal skin were found till 5 days after injection. As a source of light for PDT we used simeconductive lasers: Milon - λ = 660+2nm, light dose was 200-300 J/cm2 and Biospec (λ+672+2nm), multiple laser surface and interstitial irradiation was performed 24 hours after PS injection with total light dose till 400-600 J/cm2. 2 months after PDT with RC complete response (CR) in 65.6% of cases, partial response-in 34.4% of cases. The efficacy of PDT with PS was higher (CR-84.0%, PR-14.8%). Our experience show pronounced efficacy of PDT with RC for BCC without side effects and very short skin toxicity.

A practical implementation of multi-frequency widefield frequency-domain FLIM

PubMed Central

Chen, Hongtao

2013-01-01

Widefield frequency-domain fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FD-FLIM) is a fast and accurate method to measure the fluorescence lifetime, especially in kinetic studies in biomedical researches. However, the small range of modulation frequencies available in commercial instruments makes this technique limited in its applications. Here we describe a practical implementation of multi-frequency widefield FD-FLIM using a pulsed supercontinuum laser and a direct digital synthesizer. In this instrument we use a pulse to modulate the image intensifier rather than the more conventional sine wave modulation. This allows parallel multi-frequency FLIM measurement using the Fast Fourier Transform and the cross-correlation technique, which permits precise and simultaneous isolation of individual frequencies. In addition, the pulse modulation at the cathode of image intensifier restored the loss of optical resolution caused by the defocusing effect when the voltage at the cathode is sinusoidally modulated. Furthermore, in our implementation of this technique, data can be graphically analyzed by the phasor method while data are acquired, which allows easy fit-free lifetime analysis of FLIM images. Here our measurements of standard fluorescent samples and a Föster resonance energy transfer pair demonstrate that the widefield multi-frequency FLIM system is a valuable and simple tool in fluorescence imaging studies. PMID:23296945

Chemical composition, aroma evaluation, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity of volatile oil extracted from Brassica rapa cv. "yukina" used in Japanese traditional food.

PubMed

Usami, Atsushi; Motooka, Ryota; Takagi, Ayumi; Nakahashi, Hiroshi; Okuno, Yoshiharu; Miyazawa, Mitsuo

2014-01-01

The chemical composition of the volatile oil extracted from the aerial parts of Brassica rapa cv. "yukina" was analyzed using GC-MS, GC-PFPD, and GC-O. A total of 50 compounds were identified. The most prominent constituents were (E)-1,5-heptadiene (40.27%), 3-methyl-3-butenenitrile (25.97%) and 3-phenylpropanenitrile (12.41%). With regard to aroma compounds, 12 compounds were identified by GC-O analysis. The main aroma-active compounds were dimethyl tetrasulfide (sulphury-cabbage, FD = 64), 3-phenylpropanenitrile (nutty, FD = 64), 3-methylindole (pungent, FD = 64), and methional (potato, FD = 32). The antioxidant activity of the aroma-active compounds of the oil was determined using an oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay using fluorescein as the fluorescent probe. The ORAC values were found to be 785 ± 67 trolox equivalents (μmol TE/g) for B. rapa cv. "yukina" oil. The results obtained showed that the volatile oil extracted from the aerial parts is a good dietary source of antioxidants.

Two-photon sensitized recording materials for multilayer optical disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akiba, M.; Goto-Takahashi, E.; Takizawa, H.; Sasaki, T.; Mochizuki, H.; Mikami, T.; Kitahara, T.

2010-06-01

Two types of novel two-photon sensitized recording material writable at 405 nm and 522nm were developed. The fluorescent dye generation type (F-type) material consists of at least two-photon absorption dye (TPAD) and fluorescent dye precursor (FDP), which is non-fluorescent before two-photon recording and fluorescent after two-photon recording due to fluorescent dye generation. The fluorescence quench type (Q-type) material, on the other hand, consists of at least TPAD, fluorescent dye (FD) and fluorescent quencher precursor (QP), which is fluorescent before two-photon recording and the fluorescence intensity is reduced after two-photon recording at the recorded spot due to fluorescent quencher generation. Both types of material showed quadratic dependency of recording light intensity at 522 and 405 nm. A twenty-layer two-photon recording media was fabricated with the Q-type material, and two-photon recording and onephoton fluorescent signal readout was successfully conducted.

A new method to evaluate the unfolding activity of chaperone unit ClpA based on Fe-S cluster disruption.

PubMed

Ohgita, Takashi; Okuno, Takashi; Hama, Susumu; Tsuchiya, Hiroyuki; Kogure, Kentaro

2011-01-01

ATP-dependent proteases unfold their substrates and then refold (via chaperone activity) or degrade (via protease activity) them. The proteases choose between these two activities by selecting their substrates; however, little is known about their substrate selection mechanism. The present study attempts to clarify this mechanism by investigating the role of the Escherichia coli (E. coli) ATP-dependent protease ClpAP. To address this, a reaction system that can measure both chaperone and protease activities simultaneously must be constructed. However, the chaperone activities cannot be evaluated in the presence of protease units. Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is usually used as a model substrate of ClpAP; the fluorescence decrease reflects the degradation of substrates. However, it is difficult to evaluate the chaperone activity of ClpAP using this system, because it cannot distinguish between intact and refolded substrates. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the exact unfolding activity while avoiding restoration of substrate spectroscopic characteristics due to chaperone activity. In this study, E. coli Ferredoxin (Fd) was used as a new model substrate for ClpAP to evaluate its unfolding activity. Intact and refolded substrates may be distinguished by the existence of an Fd Fe-S cluster. To verify this hypothesis, the absorption spectrum of Fd complexed with ClpA, the chaperone unit of ClpAP, was measured. A decrease in two peaks derived from the Fe-S cluster was observed, indicating that the Fe-S cluster of Fd was disrupted by the ClpA chaperone. This reaction system should prove useful to evaluate the exact unfolding activity of ATP-dependent proteases.

Prevalence of Fabry Disease in Familial Mediterranean Fever Patients from Central Anatolia of Turkey.

PubMed

Huzmeli, Can; Candan, Ferhan; Alaygut, Demet; Bagci, Gokhan; Akkaya, Lale; Bagci, Binnur; Sozmen, Eser Yıldırım; Kurtulgan, Hande Kucuk; Kayatas, Mansur

2016-08-01

Fabry disease (FD) is a progressive, X-linked inherited disorder of glycosphingolipid metabolism due to deficient or absent lysosomal alpha-galactosidase A (AGALA) activity. FD and familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) have typical clinical similarities, and both diseases may progress to end-stage renal diseases. In this study, we aimed to determine the prevalence of FD in patients with FMF from Central Anatolia of Turkey. The study group consisted of 177 FMF patients, followed up by the Adult and Pediatric Nephrology Clinic of Cumhuriyet University Hospital. Screening for AGALA activity was performed by the dry blood spot method. Mutation analysis for GLA gene was carried out for patients having an AGALA enzyme activity value lower than the normal reference value. Low AGALA activity was detected in 23 (13 %) patients. Heterozygous GLA gene mutation c.[937G>T] p.[D313Y] was detected in one female patient (0.56 %). The patient was a 53-year-old female with proteinuria and who had undergone left nephrectomy; her glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by scintigraphy was found to be 70 ml/min. She had M694V mutation and no clinical manifestation of FD. In our study, the prevalence rate of FD was found as 0.56 % in FMF patients. The similarities between the symptoms of FMF and FD might lead to a diagnostic dilemma in physicians at countries where FMF is observed frequently. Although the prevalence of FD is rare, physicians should keep in mind that FD has an ambiguous symptomology pattern of FMF.

Comparison of Laser Scanning Diagnostic Devices for Early Glaucoma Detection.

PubMed

Schulze, Andreas; Lamparter, Julia; Pfeiffer, Norbert; Berisha, Fatmire; Schmidtmann, Irene; Hoffmann, Esther M

2015-08-01

To compare the diagnostic accuracy and to evaluate the correlation of optic nerve head and retinal nerve fiber layer thickness values between Fourier-Domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT), confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (CSLO), and scanning laser polarimetry (SLP) for early glaucoma detection. Ninety-three patients with early open-angle glaucoma, 58 patients with ocular hypertension, and 60 healthy control subjects were included in this observational, cross-sectional study. All study participants underwent FD-OCT (RTVue-100), CSLO (HRT3), and SLP (GDx VCC) imaging of the optic nerve head and the retinal nerve fiber layer. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROC) and Bland-Altman analysis were performed. The parameters with the highest diagnostic accuracy were found for FD-OCT cup-to-disc ratio (AUROC=0.841), for SLP NFI (AUROC=0.835), and for CSLO cup-to-disc ratio (AUROC=0.789). Diagnostic accuracy of the best CSLO and SLP parameter was similar (P=0.259). There was a small statistically significant difference between the best CSLO and FD-OCT parameters for differentiating between glaucoma and healthy eyes (P=0.047). FD-OCT and SLP have a similarly good diagnostic ability to distinguish between early glaucoma and healthy subjects. The diagnostic accuracy of CSLO was comparable with SLP and marginally lower compared with FD-OCT.

Neuronal encoding of object and distance information: a model simulation study on naturalistic optic flow processing

PubMed Central

Hennig, Patrick; Egelhaaf, Martin

2011-01-01

We developed a model of the input circuitry of the FD1 cell, an identified motion-sensitive interneuron in the blowfly's visual system. The model circuit successfully reproduces the FD1 cell's most conspicuous property: its larger responses to objects than to spatially extended patterns. The model circuit also mimics the time-dependent responses of FD1 to dynamically complex naturalistic stimuli, shaped by the blowfly's saccadic flight and gaze strategy: the FD1 responses are enhanced when, as a consequence of self-motion, a nearby object crosses the receptive field during intersaccadic intervals. Moreover, the model predicts that these object-induced responses are superimposed by pronounced pattern-dependent fluctuations during movements on virtual test flights in a three-dimensional environment with systematic modifications of the environmental patterns. Hence, the FD1 cell is predicted to detect not unambiguously objects defined by the spatial layout of the environment, but to be also sensitive to objects distinguished by textural features. These ambiguous detection abilities suggest an encoding of information about objects—irrespective of the features by which the objects are defined—by a population of cells, with the FD1 cell presumably playing a prominent role in such an ensemble. PMID:22461769

Chlorophyll fluorescence kinetics, photosynthetic activity, and pigment composition of blue-shade and half-shade leaves as compared to sun and shade leaves of different trees.

PubMed

Lichtenthaler, Hartmut K; Babani, Fatbardha; Navrátil, Martin; Buschmann, Claus

2013-11-01

The chlorophyll (Chl) fluorescence induction kinetics, net photosynthetic CO2 fixation rates P N, and composition of photosynthetic pigments of differently light exposed leaves of several trees were comparatively measured to determine the differences in photosynthetic activity and pigment adaptation of leaves. The functional measurements were carried out with sun, half-shade and shade leaves of seven different trees species. These were: Acer platanoides L., Ginkgo biloba L., Fagus sylvatica L., Platanus x acerifolia Willd., Populus nigra L., Quercus robur L., Tilia cordata Mill. In three cases (beech, ginkgo, and oak), we compared the Chl fluorescence kinetics and photosynthetic rates of blue-shade leaves of the north tree crown receiving only blue sky light but no direct sunlight with that of sun leaves. In these cases, we also determined in detail the pigment composition of all four leaf types. In addition, we determined the quantum irradiance and spectral irradiance of direct sunlight, blue skylight as well as the irradiance in half shade and full shade. The results indicate that sun leaves possess significantly higher mean values for the net CO2 fixation rates P N (7.8-10.7 μmol CO2 m(-2) s(-1) leaf area) and the Chl fluorescence ratio R Fd (3.85-4.46) as compared to shade leaves (mean P N of 2.6-3.8 μmol CO2 m(-2) s(-1) leaf area.; mean R Fd of 1.94-2.56). Sun leaves also exhibit higher mean values for the pigment ratio Chl a/b (3.14-3.31) and considerably lower values for the weight ratio total chlorophylls to total carotenoids, (a + b)/(x + c), (4.07-4.25) as compared to shade leaves (Chl a/b 2.62-2.72) and (a + b)/(x + c) of 5.18-5.54. Blue-shade and half-shade leaves have an intermediate position between sun and shade leaves in all investigated parameters including the ratio F v/F o (maximum quantum yield of PS2 photochemistry) and are significantly different from sun and shade leaves but could not be differentiated from each other. The mean values of the Chl fluorescence decrease ratio R Fd of blue-shade and half-shade leaves fit well into the strong linear correlation with the net photosynthetic rates P N of sun and shade leaves, thus unequivocally indicating that the determination of the Chl fluorescence decrease ratio R Fd is a fast and indirect measurement of the photosynthetic activity of leaves. The investigations clearly demonstrate that the photosynthetic capacity and pigment composition of leaves and chloroplasts strongly depend on the amounts and quality of light received by the leaves.

Fluorescence microscopy techniques for quantitative evaluation of organic biocide distribution in antifouling paint coatings: application to model antifouling coatings.

PubMed

Goodes, L R; Dennington, S P; Schuppe, H; Wharton, J A; Bakker, M; Klijnstra, J W; Stokes, K R

2012-01-01

A test matrix of antifouling (AF) coatings including pMMA, an erodible binder and a novel trityl copolymer incorporating Cu₂O and a furan derivative (FD) natural product, were subjected to pontoon immersion and accelerated rotor tests. Fluorescence and optical microscopy techniques were applied to these coatings for quantification of organic biocide and pigment distribution. Total leaching of the biocide from the novel copolymer binder was observed within 6 months of rotor immersion, compared to 35% from the pMMA coating. In pontoon immersions, 61% of the additive was lost from the pMMA coating, and 53% from the erodible binder. Profiles of FD content in the binders revealed an accelerated loss of additive from the surface of the CDP resulting from rosin degradation, compared to even depletion from pMMA. In all samples, release of the biocide was inhibited beyond the Cu₂O front, corresponding to the leached layer in samples where Cu₂O release occurred.

Modeling EEG fractal dimension changes in wake and drowsy states in humans--a preliminary study.

PubMed

Bojić, Tijana; Vuckovic, Aleksandra; Kalauzi, Aleksandar

2010-01-21

Aim of this preliminary study was to examine and compare topographic distribution of Higuchi's fractal dimension (FD, measure of signal complexity) of EEG signals between states of relaxed wakefulness and drowsiness, as well as their FD differences. The experiments were performed on 10 healthy individuals using a fourteen-channel montage. An explanation is offered on the causes of the detected FD changes. FD values of 60s records belonging to wake (Hori's stage 1) and drowsy (Hori's stages 2-4) states were calculated for each channel and each subject. In 136 out of 140 epochs an increase in FD was obtained. Relationship between signal FD and its relative alpha amplitude was mathematically modeled and we quantitatively demonstrated that the increase in FD was predominantly due to a reduction in alpha activity. The model was generalized to include other EEG oscillations. By averaging FD values for each channel across 10 subjects, four clusters (O2O1; T6P4T5P3; C3F3F4C4F8F7; T4T3) for the wake and two clusters (O2O1P3T6P4T5; C3C4F4F3F8T4T3F7) for the drowsy state were statistically verified. Topographic distribution of FD values in wakefulness showed a lateral symmetry and a partial fronto-occipital gradient. In drowsiness, a reduction in the number of clusters was detected, due to regrouping of channels T3, T4, O1 and O2. Topographic distribution of absolute FD differences revealed largest values at F7, O1 and F3. Reorganization of channel clusters showed that regionalized brain activity, specific for wakefulness, became more global by entering into drowsiness. Since the global increase in FD during wake-to-drowsy transition correlated with the decrease of alpha power, we inferred that increase of EEG complexity may not necessarily be an index of brain activation.

3D printed miniaturized spectral system for tissue fluorescence lifetime measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zou, Luwei; Mahmoud, Mohamad; Fahs, Mehdi; Liu, Rui; Lo, Joe F.

2016-04-01

Various types of collagens, e.g. type I and III, represent the main load-bearing components in biological tissues. Their composition changes during processes like wound healing and fibrosis. Collagens exhibit autofluorescence when excited by ultra-violet light, distinguishable by their unique fluorescent lifetimes across a range of emission wavelengths. Therefore, we designed a miniaturized spectral-lifetime detection system for collagens as a non-invasive probe for monitoring tissue in wound healing and scarring applications. A sine modulated LED illumination was applied to enable frequency domain (FD) fluorescence lifetime measurements under different wavelengths bands, separated via a series of longpass dichroics at 387nm, 409nm and 435nm. To achieve the minute scale of optomechanics, we employed a stereolithography based 3D printer with <50 μm resolution to create a custom designed optical mount in a hand-held form factor. We examined the characteristics of the 3D printed optical system with finite element modeling to simulate the effect of thermal (LED) and mechanical (handling) strain on the optical system. Using this device, the phase shift and demodulation of collagen types were measured, where the separate spectral bands enhanced the differentiation of their lifetimes.

A novel method for quantification of gemcitabine and its metabolites 2',2'-difluorodeoxyuridine and gemcitabine triphosphate in tumour tissue by LC-MS/MS: comparison with (19)F NMR spectroscopy.

PubMed

Bapiro, Tashinga E; Richards, Frances M; Goldgraben, Mae A; Olive, Kenneth P; Madhu, Basetti; Frese, Kristopher K; Cook, Natalie; Jacobetz, Michael A; Smith, Donna-Michelle; Tuveson, David A; Griffiths, John R; Jodrell, Duncan I

2011-11-01

To develop a sensitive analytical method to quantify gemcitabine (2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine, dFdC) and its metabolites 2',2'-difluorodeoxyuridine (dFdU) and 2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine-5'-triphosphate (dFdCTP) simultaneously from tumour tissue. Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumour tissue from genetically engineered mouse models of pancreatic cancer (KP ( FL/FL ) C and KP ( R172H/+) C) was collected after dosing the mice with gemcitabine. (19)F NMR spectroscopy and LC-MS/MS protocols were optimised to detect gemcitabine and its metabolites in homogenates of the tumour tissue. A (19)F NMR protocol was developed, which was capable of distinguishing the three analytes in tumour homogenates. However, it required at least 100 mg of the tissue in question and a long acquisition time per sample, making it impractical for use in large PK/PD studies or clinical trials. The LC-MS/MS protocol was developed using porous graphitic carbon to separate the analytes, enabling simultaneous detection of all three analytes from as little as 10 mg of tissue, with a sensitivity for dFdCTP of 0.2 ng/mg tissue. Multiple pieces of tissue from single tumours were analysed, showing little intra-tumour variation in the concentrations of dFdC or dFdU (both intra- and extra-cellular). Intra-tumoural variation was observed in the concentration of dFdCTP, an intra-cellular metabolite, which may reflect regions of different cellularity within a tumour. We have developed a sensitive LC-MS/MS method capable of quantifying gemcitabine, dFdU and dFdCTP in pancreatic tumour tissue. The requirement for only 10 mg of tissue enables this protocol to be used to analyse multiple areas from a single tumour and to spare tissue for additional pharmacodynamic assays.

Functional Dyspepsia: Advances in Diagnosis and Therapy

PubMed Central

Talley, Nicholas J.

2017-01-01

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a common but under-recognized syndrome comprising bothersome recurrent postprandial fullness, early satiety, or epigastric pain/burning. Epidemiologically, there are two clinically distinct FD syndromes (although these often overlap clinically): postprandial distress syndrome (PDS; comprising early satiety or meal-related fullness) and epigastric pain syndrome. Symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease overlap with FD more than expected by chance; a subset has pathological acid reflux. The pre-test probability of FD in a patient who presents with classical FD symptoms and no alarm features is high, approximately 0.7. Coexistent heartburn should not lead to the exclusion of FD as a diagnosis. One of the most exciting observations in FD has been the consistent finding of increased duodenal eosinophilia, notably in PDS. Small bowel homing T cells, signaling intestinal inflammation, and increased cytokines have been detected in the circulation, and elevated tumor necrosis factor-α levels have been significantly correlated with increased anxiety. Postinfectious gastroenteritis is a risk factor for FD. Therapeutic options remain limited and provide only symptomatic benefit in most cases. Only one therapy is known to change the natural history of FD–Helicobacter pylori eradication. Treatment of duodenal eosinophilia is under investigation. PMID:28452210

Multispectral image fusion based on fractal features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tian, Jie; Chen, Jie; Zhang, Chunhua

2004-01-01

Imagery sensors have been one indispensable part of the detection and recognition systems. They are widely used to the field of surveillance, navigation, control and guide, et. However, different imagery sensors depend on diverse imaging mechanisms, and work within diverse range of spectrum. They also perform diverse functions and have diverse circumstance requires. So it is unpractical to accomplish the task of detection or recognition with a single imagery sensor under the conditions of different circumstances, different backgrounds and different targets. Fortunately, the multi-sensor image fusion technique emerged as important route to solve this problem. So image fusion has been one of the main technical routines used to detect and recognize objects from images. While, loss of information is unavoidable during fusion process, so it is always a very important content of image fusion how to preserve the useful information to the utmost. That is to say, it should be taken into account before designing the fusion schemes how to avoid the loss of useful information or how to preserve the features helpful to the detection. In consideration of these issues and the fact that most detection problems are actually to distinguish man-made objects from natural background, a fractal-based multi-spectral fusion algorithm has been proposed in this paper aiming at the recognition of battlefield targets in the complicated backgrounds. According to this algorithm, source images are firstly orthogonally decomposed according to wavelet transform theories, and then fractal-based detection is held to each decomposed image. At this step, natural background and man-made targets are distinguished by use of fractal models that can well imitate natural objects. Special fusion operators are employed during the fusion of area that contains man-made targets so that useful information could be preserved and features of targets could be extruded. The final fused image is reconstructed from the composition of source pyramid images. So this fusion scheme is a multi-resolution analysis. The wavelet decomposition of image can be actually considered as special pyramid decomposition. According to wavelet decomposition theories, the approximation of image (formula available in paper) at resolution 2j+1 equal to its orthogonal projection in space , that is, where Ajf is the low-frequency approximation of image f(x, y) at resolution 2j and , , represent the vertical, horizontal and diagonal wavelet coefficients respectively at resolution 2j. These coefficients describe the high-frequency information of image at direction of vertical, horizontal and diagonal respectively. Ajf, , and are independent and can be considered as images. In this paper J is set to be 1, so the source image is decomposed to produce the son-images Af, D1f, D2f and D3f. To solve the problem of detecting artifacts, the concepts of vertical fractal dimension FD1, horizontal fractal dimension FD2 and diagonal fractal dimension FD3 are proposed in this paper. The vertical fractal dimension FD1 corresponds to the vertical wavelet coefficients image after the wavelet decomposition of source image, the horizontal fractal dimension FD2 corresponds to the horizontal wavelet coefficients and the diagonal fractal dimension FD3 the diagonal one. These definitions enrich the illustration of source images. Therefore they are helpful to classify the targets. Then the detection of artifacts in the decomposed images is a problem of pattern recognition in 4-D space. The combination of FD0, FD1, FD2 and FD3 make a vector of (FD0, FD1, FD2, FD3), which can be considered as a united feature vector of the studied image. All the parts of the images are classified in the 4-D pattern space created by the vector of (FD0, FD1, FD2, FD3) so that the area that contains man-made objects could be detected. This detection can be considered as a coarse recognition, and then the significant areas in each son-images are signed so that they can be dealt with special rules. There has been various fusion rules developed with each one aiming at a special problem. These rules have different performance, so it is very important to select an appropriate rule during the design of an image fusion system. Recent research denotes that the rule should be adjustable so that it is always suitable to extrude the features of targets and to preserve the pixels of useful information. In this paper, owing to the consideration that fractal dimension is one of the main features to distinguish man-made targets from natural objects, the fusion rule was defined that if the studied region of image contains man-made target, the pixels of the source image whose fractal dimension is minimal are saved to be the pixels of the fused image, otherwise, a weighted average operator is adopted to avoid loss of information. The main idea of this rule is to store the pixels with low fractal dimensions, so it can be named Minimal Fractal dimensions (MFD) fusion rule. This fractal-based algorithm is compared with a common weighted average fusion algorithm. An objective assessment is taken to the two fusion results. The criteria of Entropy, Cross-Entropy, Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) and Standard Gray Scale Difference are defined in this paper. Reversely to the idea of constructing an ideal image as the assessing reference, the source images are selected to be the reference in this paper. It can be deemed that this assessment is to calculate how much the image quality has been enhanced and the quantity of information has been increased when the fused image is compared with the source images. The experimental results imply that the fractal-based multi-spectral fusion algorithm can effectively preserve the information of man-made objects with a high contrast. It is proved that this algorithm could well preserve features of military targets because that battlefield targets are most man-made objects and in common their images differ from fractal models obviously. Furthermore, the fractal features are not sensitive to the imaging conditions and the movement of targets, so this fractal-based algorithm may be very practical.

Diagnostic value of CT, PET and combined PET/CT performed with low-dose unenhanced CT and full-dose enhanced CT in the initial staging of lymphoma.

PubMed

Pinilla, I; Gómez-León, N; Del Campo-Del Val, L; Hernandez-Maraver, D; Rodríguez-Vigil, B; Jover-Díaz, R; Coya, J

2011-10-01

The aim of this paper was to compare the accuracy of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT), positron emission tomography (PET), unenhanced low-dose PET/CT (LD-PET/CT) and full-dose enhanced PET/CT (FD-PET/CT) for the initial staging of lymphoma. One hundred and one lymphoma patients were examined by [18F]FDG-PET/CT including unenhanced low-dose CT and enhanced full-dose CT. Each modality of PET/CT was evaluated by a nuclear medicine physician and a radiologist unaware of the other modality, while the CT and PET images were interpreted separately by another independent radiologist and nuclear medicine physician respectively. The nodal and extranodal lesions detected by each technique were compared with a reference standard. For nodal assessment, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), positive likelihood ratio (LR+), and negative LR (LR-) of LD-PET/CT were 97%, 96%, 98%, 95%, 26 and 0.02 respectively, and those of FD-PET/CT were 97%, 97%, 98%, 95%, 36 and 0.02. These results were significantly better than those of PET (sensitivity 82%, specificity 81%, PPV 88%, NPV 72%, LR+ 4.3, LR- 0.21). Likewise, both PET/CT displayed a higher sensitivity, NPV and LR- than CT (91%, 84%, 0.1 respectively). For organ evaluation, both modalities of PET/CT also had significantly better sensitivity and NPV than that of PET (LD-PET/CT: sensitivity 92%, NPV 90%; FD-PET/CT sensitivity 94%, NPV 92%; PET: sensitivity 70%, NPV 69%). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for bone marrow involvement were 29%, 84%, 45% and 72% respectively for PET, and 29%, 90%, 56%, and 74% for both, LD-PET/CT, and FD-PET/CT. No significant differences were found between LD-PET/CT and FD-PET/CT, but FD-PET/CT detected important incidental findings in 5.9% of patients. PET/CT is an accurate technique for the initial staging of lymphomas without significant differences between LD-PET/CT and FD-PET/CT. FD-PET/CT detects relevant incidental findings that are missed on LD-PET/CT.

Does fluorescence diagnosis have a role in follow up of response to therapy in mycosis fungoides?

PubMed

Bosseila, Manal; Mahgoub, Doaa; El-Sayed, Abeer; Salama, Dina; Abd El-Moneim, Marwa; Al-Helf, Fatma

2014-12-01

Monitoring of tumor burden during mycosis fungoides (MF) treatment, is crucial to adjust therapy accordingly. This is usually achieved through combined by clinical assessment with histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation. To assess the validity of fluorescence diagnosis (FD) in the measurement of response to therapy in early MF, using in comparison flow cytometric technique of skin biopsies for CD4+/CD7- malignant T-cell count before and after therapy. Twenty-two patients of histologically proven early MF (stages Ia, Ib, IIa) were subjected to fluorescence diagnosis of their most affected skin lesion before and after 12 weeks of phototherapy with or without combination therapy. In comparison flow cytometric assessment of skin biopsies for CD4+/CD7- malignant T-cell count was evaluated before and after therapy from skin biopsy of the same lesion. All tested MF lesions showed varying degrees of fluorescence by FD at week zero, with a mean accumulation factor (AF), which is the fluorescence ratio between the tumor tissue and normal skin, of 2.2. After 12 weeks of therapy, the mean AF showed significant reduction to 1.94 (p=0.009). The percent of CD4+/CD7- cells dropped significantly after treatment (p=0.029). No correlation between CD4+/CD7- cell counts and the mean AF could be deduced. In cases of mycosis fungoides, fluorescence diagnosis can represent an effective tool for evaluating the response to therapy. Changes in accumulation factor values can be used for follow-up of therapy in the same patient, but it should not be used as an absolute value. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Functional Inactivation of Putative Photosynthetic Electron Acceptor Ferredoxin C2 (FdC2) Induces Delayed Heading Date and Decreased Photosynthetic Rate in Rice

PubMed Central

Ruan, Banpu; Kang, Shujing; He, Lei; Zhang, Sen; Dong, Guojun; Hu, Jiang; Zeng, Dali; Zhang, Guangheng; Gao, Zhenyu; Ren, Deyong; Hu, Xingming; Chen, Guang; Guo, Longbiao; Qian, Qian; Zhu, Li

2015-01-01

Ferredoxin (Fd) protein as unique electron acceptor, involved in a variety of fundamental metabolic and signaling processes, which is indispensable for plant growth. The molecular mechanisms of Fd such as regulation of electron partitioning, impact of photosynthetic rate and involvement in the carbon fixing remain elusive in rice. Here we reported a heading date delay and yellowish leaf 1 (hdy1) mutant derived from Japonica rice cultivar “Nipponbare” subjected to EMS treatment. In the paddy field, the hdy1 mutant appeared at a significantly late heading date and had yellow-green leaves during the whole growth stage. Further investigation indicated that the abnormal phenotype of hdy1 was connected with depressed pigment content and photosynthetic rate. Genetic analysis results showed that the hdy1 mutant phenotype was caused by a single recessive nuclear gene mutation. Map-based cloning revealed that OsHDY1 is located on chromosome 3 and encodes an ortholog of the AtFdC2 gene. Complementation and overexpression, transgenic plants exhibited the mutant phenotype including head date, leaf color and the transcription levels of the FdC2 were completely rescued by transformation with OsHDY1. Real-time PCR revealed that the expression product of OsHDY1 was detected in almost all of the organs except root, whereas highest expression levels were observed in seeding new leaves. The lower expression levels of HDY1 and content of iron were detected in hdy1 than WT’s. The FdC2::GFP was detected in the chloroplasts of rice. Real-time PCR results showed that the expression of many photosynthetic electron transfer related genes in hdy1 were higher than WT. Our results suggest that OsFdC2 plays an important role in photosynthetic rate and development of heading date by regulating electron transfer and chlorophyll content in rice. PMID:26598971

Robust Fault Detection Using Robust Z1 Estimation and Fuzzy Logic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curry, Tramone; Collins, Emmanuel G., Jr.; Selekwa, Majura; Guo, Ten-Huei (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

This research considers the application of robust Z(sub 1), estimation in conjunction with fuzzy logic to robust fault detection for an aircraft fight control system. It begins with the development of robust Z(sub 1) estimators based on multiplier theory and then develops a fixed threshold approach to fault detection (FD). It then considers the use of fuzzy logic for robust residual evaluation and FD. Due to modeling errors and unmeasurable disturbances, it is difficult to distinguish between the effects of an actual fault and those caused by uncertainty and disturbance. Hence, it is the aim of a robust FD system to be sensitive to faults while remaining insensitive to uncertainty and disturbances. While fixed thresholds only allow a decision on whether a fault has or has not occurred, it is more valuable to have the residual evaluation lead to a conclusion related to the degree of, or probability of, a fault. Fuzzy logic is a viable means of determining the degree of a fault and allows the introduction of human observations that may not be incorporated in the rigorous threshold theory. Hence, fuzzy logic can provide a more reliable and informative fault detection process. Using an aircraft flight control system, the results of FD using robust Z(sub 1) estimation with a fixed threshold are demonstrated. FD that combines robust Z(sub 1) estimation and fuzzy logic is also demonstrated. It is seen that combining the robust estimator with fuzzy logic proves to be advantageous in increasing the sensitivity to smaller faults while remaining insensitive to uncertainty and disturbances.

Cerebral oxygenation in traumatic brain injury; Can a non-invasive frequency domain near-infrared spectroscopy device detect changes in brain tissue oxygen tension as well as the established invasive monitor?

PubMed

Davies, David James; Clancy, Michael; Dehghani, Hamid; Lucas, Samuel John Edwin; Forcione, Mario; Yakoub, Kamal Makram; Belli, Antonio

2018-06-07

The cost and highly invasive nature of brain monitoring modality in traumatic brain injury patients currently restrict its utility to specialist neurological intensive care settings. We aim to test the abilities of a frequency domain near-infrared spectroscopy (FD-NIRS) device in predicting changes in invasively measured brain tissue oxygen tension. Individuals admitted to a United Kingdom specialist major trauma centre were contemporaneously monitored with an FD-NIRS device and invasively measured brain tissue oxygen tension probe. Area under the curve receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) statistical analysis was utilised to assess the predictive power of FD-NIRS in detecting both moderate and severe hypoxia (20 and 10 mmHg, respectively), as measured invasively. 16 individuals were prospectively recruited to the investigation. Severe hypoxic episodes were detected in 9 of these individuals, with the NIRS demonstrating a broad range of predictive abilities (AUROC 0.68-0.88) from relatively poor to good. Moderate hypoxic episodes were detected in seven individuals with similar predictive performance (AUROC 0.576 - 0.905). A variable performance in the predictive powers of this FD-NIRS device to detect changes in brain tissue oxygen was demonstrated. Consequently, this enhanced NIRS technology has not demonstrated sufficient ability to replace the established invasive measurement.

[Distribution of chemical elements in whole blood and plasma].

PubMed

Barashkov, G K; Zaĭtseva, L I; Kondakhchan, M A; Konstantinova, E A

2003-01-01

The distribution factor (Fd) of 35 elements of plasma and whole blood in 26 healthy men and women was detected by ICP-OES. Usilig this parameter the elements were subdivided in 3 pools. 9 of them have Fd higher than 1.5 ("elements of plasma"-Ag, Ca, Cu, In, Li, Na, Se, Si, Sr); 6 have lower than 0.5 ("elements of blood cells"-Fe, K, Mn, Ni, V, Zn), other 20-about 1 ("blood elements"). Fd of all elements depends on ionic radius. Elements of 2nd sub-groups of all groups of Mendeleev's periodic table ("heavy metals") depend on the similar law: "with growing of ionic radius the concentration of elements in plasma enhances". In alkaline metals Fd depends on the opposite law:" with growing of ionic radius of alkaline metal the quantity of elements in blood cells enhance". Dependence of Fd on the value of atomic mass in periods or in exterior electronic cloud (s-, p-, d-, f-) was not established. The table of distribution of all detected elements in whole blood in relation to 8 macroelements (Ca, Mg, K, Na, S, P, Fe, Zn,) is presented, as a basic diagnostic criteria in metal-ligand homeostasis disturbance.

Fault detection for discrete-time LPV systems using interval observers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhi-Hui; Yang, Guang-Hong

2017-10-01

This paper is concerned with the fault detection (FD) problem for discrete-time linear parameter-varying systems subject to bounded disturbances. A parameter-dependent FD interval observer is designed based on parameter-dependent Lyapunov and slack matrices. The design method is presented by translating the parameter-dependent linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) into finite ones. In contrast to the existing results based on parameter-independent and diagonal Lyapunov matrices, the derived disturbance attenuation, fault sensitivity and nonnegative conditions lead to less conservative LMI characterisations. Furthermore, without the need to design the residual evaluation functions and thresholds, the residual intervals generated by the interval observers are used directly for FD decision. Finally, simulation results are presented for showing the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.

Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer of 2,5-bis(5-ethyl-2-benzoxazolyl)-hydroquinone and its OH/OD-isotopomers studied in supersonic jets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peukert, Sebastian; Gil, Michał; Kijak, Michał; Sepioł, Jerzy

2015-11-01

The Excited State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (ESIPT) reactions of dually fluorescent 2,5-bis(5-ethyl-2-benzoxazolyl)-hydroquinone (DE-BBHQ) and its isotopomers have been studied in the supersonic jet applying laser induced fluorescence (LIF) and fluorescence-depletion (F-D) spectroscopy. LIF-spectra measured at photo-tautomeric (red) fluorescence exhibit a characteristic triplet pattern of vibronic bands, which gradually collapses upon successive deuteration. Complementary TDDFT calculations indicate the possibility of 2 consecutive ESIPT reactions yielding an excited state diketo-tautomer. However, concerning this matter the present experimental results are not unambiguous and could be also rationalized without assuming the formation of an additional photo-tautomer.

Detection of the pedogenic magnetic fraction in volcanic soils developed on basalts using frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility: comparison of two instruments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grison, Hana; Petrovsky, Eduard; Kapicka, Ales; Hanzlikova, Hana

2017-05-01

In studies of the magnetic properties of soils, the frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility percentage (χFD%) is often used for the identification of ultrafine magnetically superparamagnetic/stable single-domain (SP/SSD) particles. This parameter is commonly used as an indicator for increased pedogenesis. In strongly magnetic soils, the SP/SSD magnetic signal (mostly bio-pedogenic) may be masked by lithological signals; making pedogenesis hard to detect. In this study, we compare results for the detection of ultrafine SP/SSD magnetic particles in andic soils using two instruments: a Bartington MS2B dual-frequency meter and an AGICO Kappabridge MFK1-FA. In particular, the study focuses on the effect of pedogenesis by investigating the relationship between specific soil magnetic and chemical properties (soil organic carbon and pHH2O). The values of χFD% obtained with the MS2B varied from 2.4 to 5.9 per cent, and mass-specific magnetic susceptibility (χLF) from 283 to 1688 × 10-8 m3 kg-1, while values of χFD% and χLF obtained with the MFK1-FA varied from 2.7 to 8.2 per cent and from 299 to 1859 × 10-8 m3 kg-1, respectively. Our results suggest that the detection of the SP/SSD magnetic fraction can be accomplished by comparing relative trends of χFD% along the soil profile. Moreover, the discrimination between bio-pedogenic and lithogenic magnetic contributions in the SP/SSD fraction is possible by comparing the χFD% and χLF data determined in the fine earth (<2 mm) and the coarse fraction (4-10 mm) samples down the soil profile.

Quantitative real-time PCR-based assessment of tile drainage management influences on bacterial pathogens in tile drainage and groundwater.

PubMed

Liu, Linda; Cloutier, Michel; Craiovan, Emilia; Edwards, Mark; Frey, Steven K; Gottschall, Natalie; Lapen, David R; Sunohara, Mark; Topp, Edward; Khan, Izhar U H

2018-05-15

This study compared the impact of controlled tile drainage (CD) and freely draining (FD) systems on the prevalence and quantitative real-time PCR-based enumeration of four major pathogens including Arcobacter butzleri, Campylobacter jejuni, Campylobacter coli, and Helicobacter pylori in tile- and groundwater following a fall liquid swine manure (LSM) application on clay loam field plots. Although the prevalence of all target pathogens were detected in CD and FD systems, the loads of A. butzleri, C. jejuni, and C. coli were significantly lower in CD tile-water (p<0.05), in relation to FD tile-water. However, concentrations of A. butzleri were significantly greater in CD than FD tile-water (p<0.05). In shallow groundwater (1.2m depth), concentrations of A. butzleri, C. coli, and H. pylori showed no significant difference between CD and FD plots, while C. jejuni concentrations were significantly higher in FD plots (p<0.05). No impact of CD on the H. pylori was observed since quantitative detection in tile- and groundwater was scarce. Although speculative, H. pylori occurrence may have been related to the application of municipal biosolids four years prior to the LSM experiment. Overall, CD can be used to help minimize off-field export of pathogens into surface waters following manure applications to land, thereby reducing waterborne pathogen exposure risks to humans. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[The effect of focused ultrasound on the physicochemical properties of Sarcoma 180 cell membrane].

PubMed

Li, Tao; Hao, Qiao; Wang, Xiaobing; Liu, Quanhong

2009-10-01

This study was amied to detect the changes in the cell membrane of Sarcoma 180 (S180) cells induced by focused ultrasound and to probe the underlying mechanism. The viability of tumor cells was examined at various intensities and different treatment times by ultrasound at the frequency of 2.2MHz. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy were used to detect the loading of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FD500) which signifies the change of membrane permeability. The results showed that after the cells were treated by ultrasound, especially when irradiated for 60s, the number of fluorescent cell, which represented the transient change of membrane permeabilization with cell survival, increased significantly. Then the damage of cell membrane was evaluated by the measurement of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release which became more severe as the radiation time was increasing. The generation of lipid peroxidation was estimated using the Thibabituric Acid (TBA) method after irradiation. The results reveal that the instant cell damage effects induced by ultrasound may be related to the improved membrane lipid peroxidation levels post-treatment. The physicochemical properties of S180 cell membrane were changed by focused ultrasound. The findings also imply an exposure time-dependent pattern and suggest that the lipid peroxidation produced by acoustic cavitation may play important roles in these actions.

Enzyme replacement therapy for Fabry disease: some answers but more questions.

PubMed

Alfadhel, Majid; Sirrs, Sandra

2011-01-01

Fabry disease (FD) is a multisystem, X-linked disorder of glycosphingolipid metabolism caused by enzyme deficiency of α-galactosidase A. Affected patients have symptoms including acroparesthesias, angiokeratomas, and hypohidrosis. More serious manifestations include debilitating pain and gastrointestinal symptoms, proteinuria and gradual deterioration of renal function leading to end-stage renal disease, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and stroke. Heterozygous females may have symptoms as severe as males with the classic phenotype. Before 2001, treatment of patients with FD was supportive. The successful development of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has been a great advancement in the treatment of patients with FD and can stabilize renal function and cardiac size, as well as improve pain and quality of life of patients with FD. In this review, we have provided a critical appraisal of the literature on the effects of ERT for FD. This analysis shows that data available on the treatment of FD are often derived from studies which are not controlled, rely on surrogate markers, and are of insufficient power to detect differences on hard clinical endpoints. Further studies of higher quality are needed to answer the questions that remain concerning the efficacy of ERT for FD.

Acceleration of Monte Carlo SPECT simulation using convolution-based forced detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Jong, H. W. A. M.; Slijpen, E. T. P.; Beekman, F. J.

2001-02-01

Monte Carlo (MC) simulation is an established tool to calculate photon transport through tissue in Emission Computed Tomography (ECT). Since the first appearance of MC a large variety of variance reduction techniques (VRT) have been introduced to speed up these notoriously slow simulations. One example of a very effective and established VRT is known as forced detection (FD). In standard FD the path from the photon's scatter position to the camera is chosen stochastically from the appropriate probability density function (PDF), modeling the distance-dependent detector response. In order to speed up MC the authors propose a convolution-based FD (CFD) which involves replacing the sampling of the PDF by a convolution with a kernel which depends on the position of the scatter event. The authors validated CFD for parallel-hole Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) using a digital thorax phantom. Comparison of projections estimated with CFD and standard FD shows that both estimates converge to practically identical projections (maximum bias 0.9% of peak projection value), despite the slightly different photon paths used in CFD and standard FD. Projections generated with CFD converge, however, to a noise-free projection up to one or two orders of magnitude faster, which is extremely useful in many applications such as model-based image reconstruction.

A Linear Accelerator for TA-FD calibration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shibata, T.; Ikeda, D.; Ikeda, M.; Enomoto, A.; Ohsawa, S.; Kakiha, K.; Kakihara, K.; Sagawa, H.; Satoh, M.; Shidara, T.; Sugimura, T.; Fukushima, M.; Fukuda, S.; Furukawa, K.; Yoshida, M.

The energy of the primary cosmic ray can be calculated from fluorescence photons detected by fluorescence telescope. However, since we can not know the true energy of primary cosmic ray, it is difficult to calibrate between number of photons and energy directly. In TA project, we will create pseudo- cosmic ray events by using accelerated electron beam which is injected in the air. The injected electron beam creates an air shower and fluorescence photons are emitted. We can calibate between electron beam energy which is known exactry and detected photons. We are developping a small linear accelerator (Linac) at High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK) in Japan. The maximum energy is 40MeV, the typical current is 0.16nC, and the intensity per pulse is 6.4mJ. The accuracy of beam energy is less than 1%. The Linac consists of a -100kV pulse type electron gun, a 1.5m pre-buncher and buncher tube, a 2m S-band accelerator tube, a quadrupole magnet, a 90 degree bending magnet, and a S-Band(2856MHz) 50MW high power klystron as RF source. We chekced the performance of the electron beam, energy resolution, beam spread, beam current, and beam loss by PARMELA simulation, and checked the air shower by electron beam and number of the detected photons by detector simulation which are made by GEANT4. In this Spring, we will do the full beam test in KEK. The beam operation in Utah will be started from this Autumn. In this talk, we will report about the results of the beam test and calibration method by this Linac.

Performance and scalability of Fourier domain optical coherence tomography acceleration using graphics processing units.

PubMed

Li, Jian; Bloch, Pavel; Xu, Jing; Sarunic, Marinko V; Shannon, Lesley

2011-05-01

Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) provides faster line rates, better resolution, and higher sensitivity for noninvasive, in vivo biomedical imaging compared to traditional time domain OCT (TD-OCT). However, because the signal processing for FD-OCT is computationally intensive, real-time FD-OCT applications demand powerful computing platforms to deliver acceptable performance. Graphics processing units (GPUs) have been used as coprocessors to accelerate FD-OCT by leveraging their relatively simple programming model to exploit thread-level parallelism. Unfortunately, GPUs do not "share" memory with their host processors, requiring additional data transfers between the GPU and CPU. In this paper, we implement a complete FD-OCT accelerator on a consumer grade GPU/CPU platform. Our data acquisition system uses spectrometer-based detection and a dual-arm interferometer topology with numerical dispersion compensation for retinal imaging. We demonstrate that the maximum line rate is dictated by the memory transfer time and not the processing time due to the GPU platform's memory model. Finally, we discuss how the performance trends of GPU-based accelerators compare to the expected future requirements of FD-OCT data rates.

Fractal dimension and fuzzy logic systems for broken rotor bar detection in induction motors at start-up and steady-state regimes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amezquita-Sanchez, Juan P.; Valtierra-Rodriguez, Martin; Perez-Ramirez, Carlos A.; Camarena-Martinez, David; Garcia-Perez, Arturo; Romero-Troncoso, Rene J.

2017-07-01

Squirrel-cage induction motors (SCIMs) are key machines in many industrial applications. In this regard, the monitoring of their operating condition aiming at avoiding damage and reducing economical losses has become a demanding task for industry. In the literature, several techniques and methodologies to detect faults that affect the integrity and performance of SCIMs have been proposed. However, they have only been focused on analyzing either the start-up transient or the steady-state operation regimes, two common operating scenarios in real practice. In this work, a novel methodology for broken rotor bar (BRB) detection in SCIMs during both start-up and steady-state operation regimes is proposed. It consists of two main steps. In the first one, the analysis of three-axis vibration signals using fractal dimension (FD) theory is carried out. Since different FD-based algorithms can give different results, three algorithms named Katz’ FD, Higuchi’s FD, and box dimension, are tested. In the second step, a fuzzy logic system for each regime is presented for automatic diagnosis. To validate the proposal, a motor with different damage levels has been tested: one with a partially BRB, a second with one fully BRB, and the third with two BRBs. The obtained results demonstrate the proposed effectiveness.

Survey on fall detection and fall prevention using wearable and external sensors.

PubMed

Delahoz, Yueng Santiago; Labrador, Miguel Angel

2014-10-22

According to nihseniorhealth.gov (a website for older adults), falling represents a great threat as people get older, and providing mechanisms to detect and prevent falls is critical to improve people's lives. Over 1.6 million U.S. adults are treated for fall-related injuries in emergency rooms every year suffering fractures, loss of independence, and even death. It is clear then, that this problem must be addressed in a prompt manner, and the use of pervasive computing plays a key role to achieve this. Fall detection (FD) and fall prevention (FP) are research areas that have been active for over a decade, and they both strive for improving people's lives through the use of pervasive computing. This paper surveys the state of the art in FD and FP systems, including qualitative comparisons among various studies. It aims to serve as a point of reference for future research on the mentioned systems. A general description of FD and FP systems is provided, including the different types of sensors used in both approaches. Challenges and current solutions are presented and described in great detail. A 3-level taxonomy associated with the risk factors of a fall is proposed. Finally, cutting edge FD and FP systems are thoroughly reviewed and qualitatively compared, in terms of design issues and other parameters.

Resonance Fluorescence of Many Interacting Adatoms at a Metal Surface.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

we must know the complex function f(d , which can be determined by the Sommerfeld-Hertz vector procedure,2 M 2 1 24 ,+ 2 sp (W p W2 CA) 4 62 {-L...Chem. Phys. 37: 1 (1978). 6. J. H. Eberly, Atomic Relaxation in the Presence of Intense Partially Coherent Radiation Feilds , Phys. Rev. Lett. 37

Advances in Bio-Optical Imaging for the Diagnosis of Early Oral Cancer

PubMed Central

Olivo, Malini; Bhuvaneswari, Ramaswamy; Keogh, Ivan

2011-01-01

Oral cancer is among the most common malignancies worldwide, therefore early detection and treatment is imperative. The 5-year survival rate has remained at a dismal 50% for the past several decades. The main reason for the poor survival rate is the fact that most of the oral cancers, despite the general accessibility of the oral cavity, are not diagnosed until the advanced stage. Early detection of the oral tumors and its precursor lesions may be the most effective means to improve clinical outcome and cure most patients. One of the emerging technologies is the use of non-invasive in vivo tissue imaging to capture the molecular changes at high-resolution to improve the detection capability of early stage disease. This review will discuss the use of optical probes and highlight the role of optical imaging such as autofluorescence, fluorescence diagnosis (FD), laser confocal endomicroscopy (LCE), surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), optical coherence tomography (OCT) and confocal reflectance microscopy (CRM) in early oral cancer detection. FD is a promising method to differentiate cancerous lesions from benign, thus helping in the determination of adequate resolution of surgical resection margin. LCE offers in vivo cellular imaging of tissue structures from surface to subsurface layers and has demonstrated the potential to be used as a minimally invasive optical biopsy technique for early diagnosis of oral cancer lesions. SERS was able to differentiate between normal and oral cancer patients based on the spectra acquired from saliva of patients. OCT has been used to visualize the detailed histological features of the oral lesions with an imaging depth down to 2–3 mm. CRM is an optical tool to noninvasively image tissue with near histological resolution. These comprehensive diagnostic modalities can also be used to define surgical margin and to provide a direct assessment of the therapeutic effectiveness. PMID:24310585

Characterization of the key aroma compounds in dried fruits of the West African peppertree Xylopia aethiopica (Dunal) A. Rich (Annonaceae) using aroma extract dilution analysis.

PubMed

Tairu, A O; Hofmann, T; Schieberle, P

1999-08-01

Application of aroma extract dilution analysis on an extract of the dried fruits of the West African peppertree Xylopia aethiopica obtained by extraction with diethyl ether followed by sublimation in vacuo revealed 28 odor-active compounds in the flavor dilution (FD) factor range of 4-8192, all of which could be identified. The highest FD factor was found for linalol (floral), followed by (E)-beta-ocimene (flowery), alpha-farnesene (sweet, flowery), beta-pinene (terpeny), alpha-pinene (pine needle-like), myrtenol (flowery), and beta-phellandrene (terpeny). Vanillin (vanilla-like) and 3-ethylphenol (smoky, phenolic) showing somewhat lower FD factors (FD = 128) were detected for the first time as constituents of the dried fruit.

Diagnosis and Treatment of the Cardiovascular Consequences of Fabry Disease.

PubMed

Baig, S; Vijapurapu, R; Alharbi, F; Nordin, S; Kozor, R; Moon, J; Bembi, B; Geberhiwot, T; Steeds, R P

2018-06-06

Fabry Disease (FD) has been a diagnostic challenge since it was first recognised in 1898, with patients traditionally suffering from considerable delay before a diagnosis is made. Cardiac involvement is the current leading cause of death in FD. A combination of improved enzyme assays, availability of genetic profiling, together with more organised clinical services for rare diseases, has led to a rapid growth in the prevalence of FD. The earlier and more frequent diagnosis of asymptomatic individuals before development of the phenotype has focussed attention on early detection of organ involvement and closer monitoring of disease progression. The high cost of enzyme replacement therapy at a time of constraint within many health economies moreover, has challenged clinicians to target treatment effectively. This article provides an outline of FD for the general physician and summarises the aetiology and pathology of FD, the cardiovascular (CV) consequences thereof, modalities used in diagnosis, and then discusses current indications for treatment, including pharmacotherapy and device implantation.

Cardiac Phenotype of Prehypertrophic Fabry Disease.

PubMed

Nordin, Sabrina; Kozor, Rebecca; Baig, Shanat; Abdel-Gadir, Amna; Medina-Menacho, Katia; Rosmini, Stefania; Captur, Gabriella; Tchan, Michel; Geberhiwot, Tarekegn; Murphy, Elaine; Lachmann, Robin; Ramaswami, Uma; Edwards, Nicola C; Hughes, Derralynn; Steeds, Richard P; Moon, James C

2018-06-01

Fabry disease (FD) is a rare and treatable X-linked lysosomal storage disorder. Cardiac involvement determines outcomes; therefore, detecting early changes is important. Native T1 by cardiovascular magnetic resonance is low, reflecting sphingolipid storage. Early phenotype development is familiar in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy but unexplored in FD. We explored the prehypertrophic cardiac phenotype of FD and the role of storage. A prospective, international multicenter observational study of 100 left ventricular hypertrophy-negative FD patients (mean age: 39±15 years; 19% male) and 35 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers (mean age: 40±14 years; 25% male) who underwent cardiovascular magnetic resonance, including native T1 and late gadolinium enhancement, and 12-lead ECG. In FD, 41% had a low native T1 using a single septal region of interest, but this increased to 59% using a second slice because early native T1 lowering was patchy. ECG abnormalities were present in 41% and twice as common with low native T1 (53% versus 24%; P =0.005). When native T1 was low, left ventricular maximum wall thickness, indexed mass, and ejection fraction were higher (maximum wall thickness 9±1.5 versus 8±1.4 mm, P <0.005; indexed left ventricular mass 63±10 versus 58±9 g/m 2 , P <0.05; and left ventricular ejection fraction 73±8% versus 69±7%, P <0.01). Late gadolinium enhancement was more likely when native T1 was low (27% versus 6%; P =0.01). FD had higher maximal apical fractal dimensions compared with healthy volunteers (1.27±0.06 versus 1.24±0.04; P <0.005) and longer anterior mitral valve leaflets (23±2 mm versus 21±3 mm; P <0.005). There is a detectable prehypertrophic phenotype in FD consisting of storage (low native T1), structural, functional, and ECG changes. © 2018 The Authors.

[Role of cardiac magnetic resonance in cardiac involvement of Fabry disease].

PubMed

Serra, Viviana M; Barba, Miguel Angel; Torrá, Roser; Pérez De Isla, Leopoldo; López, Mónica; Calli, Andrea; Feltes, Gisela; Torras, Joan; Valverde, Victor; Zamorano, José L

2010-09-04

Fabry disease is a hereditary disorder. Clinical manifestations are multisystemic. The majority of the patients remain undiagnosed until late in life, when alterations could be irreversible. Early detection of cardiac symptoms is of major interest in Fabry's disease (FD) in order to gain access to enzyme replacement therapy. Echo-Doppler tissular imaging (TDI) has been used as a cardiologic early marker in FD. This study is intended to determine whether the cardiac magnetic resonance is as useful tool as TDI for the early detection of cardiac affectation in FD. Echocardiography, tissue Doppler and Cardio magnetic resonance was performed in 20 patients with confirmed Fabry Disease. Left ventricular hypertrophy was defined as septum and left ventricular posterior wall thickness ≥12 mm. An abnormal TDI velocity was defined as (Sa), (Ea) and/or (Aa) velocities <8 cm/s at either the septal or lateral corner. Late phase gadolinium-enhanced images sequences were obtained using magnetic resonance. Twenty patients included in the study were divided into three groups: 1. Those without left ventricular hypertrophy nor tissue Doppler impairment 2. Those without left ventricular hypertrophy and tissue Doppler impairment 3. Those with left ventricular hypertrophy and Tissue Doppler impairment. Late gadolinium enhancement was found in only one patient, who has already altered DTI and LVH. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) is the only diagnostic tool able to provide early detection of cardiac affectation in patients with FD. Magnetic resonance provides information of the disease severity in patients with LVH, but can not be used as an early marker of cardiac disease in patients with FD. However MRI could be of great value for diagnostic stratification. Copyright © 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.

Survey on Fall Detection and Fall Prevention Using Wearable and External Sensors

PubMed Central

Delahoz, Yueng Santiago; Labrador, Miguel Angel

2014-01-01

According to nihseniorhealth.gov (a website for older adults), falling represents a great threat as people get older, and providing mechanisms to detect and prevent falls is critical to improve people's lives. Over 1.6 million U.S. adults are treated for fall-related injuries in emergency rooms every year suffering fractures, loss of independence, and even death. It is clear then, that this problem must be addressed in a prompt manner, and the use of pervasive computing plays a key role to achieve this. Fall detection (FD) and fall prevention (FP) are research areas that have been active for over a decade, and they both strive for improving people's lives through the use of pervasive computing. This paper surveys the state of the art in FD and FP systems, including qualitative comparisons among various studies. It aims to serve as a point of reference for future research on the mentioned systems. A general description of FD and FP systems is provided, including the different types of sensors used in both approaches. Challenges and current solutions are presented and described in great detail. A 3-level taxonomy associated with the risk factors of a fall is proposed. Finally, cutting edge FD and FP systems are thoroughly reviewed and qualitatively compared, in terms of design issues and other parameters. PMID:25340452

Fetal Heart Sounds Detection Using Wavelet Transform and Fractal Dimension

PubMed Central

Koutsiana, Elisavet; Hadjileontiadis, Leontios J.; Chouvarda, Ioanna; Khandoker, Ahsan H.

2017-01-01

Phonocardiography is a non-invasive technique for the detection of fetal heart sounds (fHSs). In this study, analysis of fetal phonocardiograph (fPCG) signals, in order to achieve fetal heartbeat segmentation, is proposed. The proposed approach (namely WT–FD) is a wavelet transform (WT)-based method that combines fractal dimension (FD) analysis in the WT domain for the extraction of fHSs from the underlying noise. Its adoption in this field stems from its successful use in the fields of lung and bowel sounds de-noising analysis. The efficiency of the WT–FD method in fHS extraction has been evaluated with 19 simulated fHS signals, created for the present study, with additive noise up to (3 dB), along with the simulated fPCGs database available at PhysioBank. Results have shown promising performance in the identification of the correct location and morphology of the fHSs, reaching an overall accuracy of 89% justifying the efficacy of the method. The WT–FD approach effectively extracts the fHS signals from the noisy background, paving the way for testing it in real fHSs and clearly contributing to better evaluation of the fetal heart functionality. PMID:28944222

Fabry disease: Review and experience during newborn screening.

PubMed

Hsu, Ting-Rong; Niu, Dau-Ming

2018-05-01

Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disease and is the result of mutation in the α-Galactosidase A gene; such mutations cause a deficiency in α-Galactosidase A enzyme and an accumulation of glycosphingolipid in tissue. Affected males with classic FD have little or no enzyme activity and have an early onset of symptoms and signs, including acroparesthesias, hypohidrosis, angiokeratomas, gastrointestinal dysfunction and/or a characteristic corneal dystrophy during childhood/adolescence. Males with late-onset FD who have residual enzyme activity develop progressive multi-systemic involvement that leads to renal failure and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, as well as cerebrovascular disease; these events mostly occur during the fourth to seventh decades of life. Heterozygous females can develop vital organ damage that in turn causes severe morbidity and mortality; these symptoms may be as severe as those in affected males. For the treatable disease, this review aims to raise awareness of early recognition and further management of FD based on newborn screening. As newborn screening for FD has been implemented worldwide, it allows the early detection of individuals with Fabry mutations. Based on screening studies, the prevalence of the later-onset type FD is much higher than that of classical type FD. Newborn screening studies have also revealed that patients with FD may develop insidious but ongoing irreversible organ damage. The timing of enzyme replacement therapy, which is able to stabilize the progression of disease, is important in order to prevent irreversible organ damage. Therapies that may become available in the future include pharmacological chaperones and substrate reduction therapy, both of which are still under investigation as ways of improving the health of individuals with FD. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Analysis of Photosystem I Donor and Acceptor Sides with a New Type of Online-Deconvoluting Kinetic LED-Array Spectrophotometer.

PubMed

Schreiber, Ulrich; Klughammer, Christof

2016-07-01

The newly developed Dual/KLAS-NIR spectrophotometer, technical details of which were reported very recently, is used in measuring redox changes of P700, plastocyanin (PC) and ferredoxin (Fd) in intact leaves of Hedera helix, Taxus baccata and Brassica napus An overview of various light-/dark-induced changes of deconvoluted P700 + , PC + and Fd - signals is presented demonstrating the wealth of novel information and the consistency of the obtained results. Fd - changes are particularly large after dark adaptation. PC oxidation precedes P700 oxidation during dark-light induction and in steady-state light response curves. Fd reoxidation during induction correlates with the secondary decline of simultaneously measured fluorescence yield, both of which are eliminated by removal of O 2 By determination of 100% redox changes, relative contents of PC/P700 and Fd/P700 can be assessed, which show considerable variations between different leaves, with a trend to higher values in sun leaves. Based on deconvoluted P700 + signals, the complementary quantum yields of PSI, Y(I) (photochemical energy use), Y(ND) (non-photochemical loss due to oxidized primary donor) and Y(NA) (non-photochemical loss due to reduced acceptor) are determined as a function of light intensity and compared with the corresponding complementary quantum yields of PSII, Y(II) (photochemical energy use), Y(NPQ) (regulated non-photochemical loss) and Y(NO) (non-regulated non-photochemical loss). The ratio Y(I)/Y(II) increases with increasing intensities. In the low intensity range, a two-step increase of PC + is indicative of heterogeneous PC pools. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Test-retest reliability of muscle fiber conduction velocity and fractal dimension of surface EMG during isometric contractions.

PubMed

Beretta-Piccoli, Matteo; D'Antona, Giuseppe; Zampella, Cristian; Barbero, Marco; Clijsen, Ron; Cescon, Corrado

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability of muscle fiber conduction velocity (CV) and fractal dimension (FD) obtained from multichannel surface electromyographic (sEMG) recordings. Forty healthy recreationally active subjects (20 men and 20 women) performed two elbow flexions on two trials with a 1 week interval. The first was a 20% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) of 120 s, and the second at 60% MVC held until exhaustion. sEMG signals were detected from the biceps brachii, using bi-dimensional arrays. Initial values and slope of CV and FD were used for the reliability analysis. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values for the isometric contraction at 20% MVC were (-0.09) and 0.67 for CV and FD respectively; whereas the ICC values at 60% MVC were 0.78 and 0.82 for CV and FD respectively. The Bland Altman plots for the two isometric contractions showed a mean difference close to zero, with no evident outliers between the repeated measurements: at 20% MVC 0.001 53 for FD and  -0.0277 for CV, and at 60% MVC 0.006 66 for FD and 0.009 07 for CV. Overall, our findings suggest that during isometric fatiguing contractions, CV and FD slopes are reliable variables, with potential application in clinical populations.

Combined effect of γ-irradiation and bacterial-fermented dextrose on microbiological quality of refrigerated pork sausages

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dussault, D.; Benoit, C.; Lacroix, M.

2012-08-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a concentrated fermented dextrose (FD), a natural antimicrobial product, combined with low dose γ-irradiation (1.5 kGy) on the microbiological quality of fresh pork sausages. Fresh pork sausages containing the FD (0.25%, 0.5% and 0.75%) were prepared in a meat pilot plant and were irradiated using a UC-15A irradiator equipped with a 60Cobalt source. The γ-irradiation treatment alone was able to reduce the initial psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria by more than 2 log CFU/g and kept the lactobacillus population under the detection limit (100 CFU/g). Results also showed that the FD alone was able to extend the shelf life of the sausages from 5 days up to 13 days. At day 13, the FD or irradiation alone showed 2 log CFU/g less mesophilic bacteria than the control. After combining FD and irradiation another reduction of the microbial count of 1 log CFU/g was observed. When combining the irradiation treatment with the FD results it showed a reduced growth rate of the psychrophilic and mesophilic bacteria compared to both treatments alone. This study demonstrated that FD with low dose gamma irradiation act in synergy to reduce the multiplication of the total bacterial flora in fresh sausages.

The Frequency of Fabry Disease among Young Cryptogenic Stroke Patients in the City of Sakarya.

PubMed

Gündoğdu, Aslı Aksoy; Kotan, Dilcan; Alemdar, Murat

2017-06-01

Fabry disease (FD) is known as a rare cause of stroke. Recent studies suggested that FD is an underdiagnosed entity among young stroke patients. We aimed to investigate the frequency of FD in young cryptogenic stroke patients who lived in the City of Sakarya and to define the clinical features that help in recognizing patients with FD. Acute ischemic stroke patients aged 18-55 years who were admitted to our hospital between October 2013 and September 2016 were evaluated for inclusion. Patients with other recognized causes of stroke were excluded. The screening was performed for alpha-galactosidase A (α-Gal A) activity on dried blood spot, and DNA was sequenced for GLA mutation in patients with low plasma α-Gal A activity. Among the 484 acute ischemic stroke patients, 54 (24 male, 44.4%) young cryptogenic stroke patients were enrolled. The α-Gal A activity was detected as low in 3 patients. c.[680G > A] p.[R227Q] missense mutation was identified in 2 male patients. The frequency of FD was calculated as 3.7%. Our research is the first FD screening study in Turkish stroke patients. Our results underlined the importance of considering FD during the etiologic evaluation of young cryptogenic stroke patients as it is a rare but potentially treatable entity. Copyright © 2017 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-Throughput, Protein-Targeted Biomolecular Detection Using Frequency-Domain Faraday Rotation Spectroscopy.

PubMed

Murdock, Richard J; Putnam, Shawn A; Das, Soumen; Gupta, Ankur; Chase, Elyse D Z; Seal, Sudipta

2017-03-01

A clinically relevant magneto-optical technique (fd-FRS, frequency-domain Faraday rotation spectroscopy) for characterizing proteins using antibody-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) is demonstrated. This technique distinguishes between the Faraday rotation of the solvent, iron oxide core, and functionalization layers of polyethylene glycol polymers (spacer) and model antibody-antigen complexes (anti-BSA/BSA, bovine serum albumin). A detection sensitivity of ≈10 pg mL -1 and broad detection range of 10 pg mL -1 ≲ c BSA ≲ 100 µg mL -1 are observed. Combining this technique with predictive analyte binding models quantifies (within an order of magnitude) the number of active binding sites on functionalized MNPs. Comparative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) studies are conducted, reproducing the manufacturer advertised BSA ELISA detection limits from 1 ng mL -1 ≲ c BSA ≲ 500 ng mL -1 . In addition to the increased sensitivity, broader detection range, and similar specificity, fd-FRS can be conducted in less than ≈30 min, compared to ≈4 h with ELISA. Thus, fd-FRS is shown to be a sensitive optical technique with potential to become an efficient diagnostic in the chemical and biomolecular sciences. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Analysis of the relationship between Chalcone Isomerase gene expression level and rutin production in Ficus deltoidea var. deltoidea and F. deltoidea var. angustifolia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najid, Najihah Mohd; Zain, Che Radziah Che Mohd; Zainal, Zamri

2016-11-01

Ficus deltoidea (moraceae) is a herbal plant with medicinal values. Previous studies reported that the F. deltoidea contains a high level of bioactive compounds such as flavonoids. A cDNA encodes for chalcone isomerase was identified from F. deltoidea, designated as FdCHI, which involved in the isomerization of naringenin chalcone to naringenin. Naringenin is a key branch point for the synthesis of rutin, which is believed involved in defense mechanism in the plant. Therefore, we hypothesized that there might be a direct relationship between FdCHI expression level and rutin production in leaves of F. deltoidea var. deltoidea (FDD) and F. deltoidea var. angustifolia (FDA). Our result showed that expression level of FdCHI in leaves FDD was greater than FDA. Analysis of High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) revealed that rutin was only detected in FDA leaves. Based on the results between FdCHI expression and rutin production, this study concluded that there is no relationship between FdCHI expression and rutin production in leaves of FDA and FDD.

New Insights into Amino Acid Preservation in the Early Oceans using Modern Analytical Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, E. T.; Brinton, K. L.; Burton, A. S.; Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; Bada, J.

2015-12-01

Protein- and non-protein-amino acids likely occupied the oceans at the time of the origin and evolution of life. Primordial soup-, hydrothermal vent-, and meteoritic-processes likely contributed to this early chemical inventory. Prebiotic synthesis and carbonaceous meteorite studies suggest that non-protein amino acids were likely more abundant than their protein-counterparts. Amino acid preservation before abiotic and biotic destruction is key to biomarker availability in paleoenvironments and remains an important uncertainty. To constrain primitive amino acid lifetimes, a 1992 archived seawater/beach sand mixture was spiked with D,L-alanine, D,L-valine (Val), α-aminoisobutyric acid (α-AIB), D,L-isovaline (Iva), and glycine (Gly). Analysis by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) showed that only D-Val and non-protein amino acids were abundant after 2250 days. The mixture was re-analyzed in 2012 using HPLC-FD and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (QqQ-MS). The analytical results 20 years after the inception of the experiment were strikingly similar to those after 2250 days. To confirm that viable microorganisms were still present, the mixture was re-spiked with Gly in 2012. Aliquots were collected immediately after spiking, and at 5- and 9-month intervals thereafter. Final HPLC-FD/QqQ-MS analyses were performed in 2014. The 2014 analyses revealed that only α-AIB, D,L-Iva, and D-Val remained abundant. The disappearance of Gly indicated that microorganisms still lived in the mixture and were capable of consuming protein amino acids. These findings demonstrate that non-protein amino acids are minimally impacted by biological degradation and thus have very long lifetimes under these conditions. Primitive non-protein amino acids from terrestrial synthesis, or meteorite in-fall, likely experienced greater preservation than protein amino acids in paleo-oceanic environments. Such robust molecules may have reached a steady state concentration dependent on ocean circulation through hydrothermal systems and synthetic input processes. We are presently trying to estimate this concentration.

New Insights into Amino Acid Preservation in the Early Oceans Using Modern Analytical Techniques

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parker, Eric T.; Brinton, Karen L.; Burton, Aaron S.; Glavin, Daniel P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Bada, Jeffrey L.

2015-01-01

Protein- and non-protein-amino acids likely occupied the oceans at the time of the origin and evolution of life. Primordial soup-, hydrothermal vent-, and meteoritic-processes likely contributed to this early chemical inventory. Prebiotic synthesis and carbonaceous meteorite studies suggest that non-protein amino acids were likely more abundant than their protein-counterparts. Amino acid preservation before abiotic and biotic destruction is key to biomarker availability in paleoenvironments and remains an important uncertainty. To constrain primitive amino acid lifetimes, a 1992 archived seawater/beach sand mixture was spiked with D,L-alanine, D,L-valine (Val), alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (alpha-AIB), D,L-isovaline (Iva), and glycine (Gly). Analysis by high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) showed that only D-Val and non-protein amino acids were abundant after 2250 days. The mixture was re-analyzed in 2012 using HPLC-FD and a triple quadrupole mass spectrometer (QqQ-MS). The analytical results 20 years after the inception of the experiment were strikingly similar to those after 2250 days. To confirm that viable microorganisms were still present, the mixture was re-spiked with Gly in 2012. Aliquots were collected immediately after spiking, and at 5- and 9-month intervals thereafter. Final HPLC-FD/QqQ-MS analyses were performed in 2014. The 2014 analyses revealed that only alpha-AIB, D,L-Iva, and D-Val remained abundant. The disappearance of Gly indicated that microorganisms still lived in the mixture and were capable of consuming protein amino acids. These findings demonstrate that non-protein amino acids are minimally impacted by biological degradation and thus have very long lifetimes under these conditions. Primitive non-protein amino acids from terrestrial synthesis, or meteorite in-fall, likely experienced great-er preservation than protein amino acids in paleo-oceanic environments. Such robust molecules may have reached a steady state concentration dependent on ocean circulation through hydrothermal systems and synthetic input processes. We are presently trying to estimate this concentration.

Angular Distribution of light emission in ELVES events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mussa, Roberto

2017-04-01

The Pierre Auger Observatory, located in Malargüe (Argentina), is the largest facility (3000 kmq ) for the study of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (E>0.3 EeV). The four sites of the Fluorescence Detector (FD) are continuously observing the night sky with moon fraction below 50% (13% duty cycle) with 100 ns time resolution and a space resolution below one degree. Since 2013, the Observatory has implemented a dedicated trigger for the study of ELVES events, produced by lightning activity in Northern Argentina during summer months. A network of ancillary devices (lidars, cloud cameras, weather stations, lightning sensors, E-field mills) complements the FD data to correct for the variation of atmospheric optical properties. This paper will report about the angular distribution of the light emission around the vertical above the lightning source and compare with existing models.

Later Onset Fabry Disease, Cardiac Damage Progress in Silence: Experience With a Highly Prevalent Mutation.

PubMed

Hsu, Ting-Rong; Hung, Sheng-Che; Chang, Fu-Pang; Yu, Wen-Chung; Sung, Shih-Hsien; Hsu, Chia-Lin; Dzhagalov, Ivan; Yang, Chia-Feng; Chu, Tzu-Hung; Lee, Han-Jui; Lu, Yung-Hsiu; Chang, Sheng-Kai; Liao, Hsuan-Chieh; Lin, Hsiang-Yu; Liao, Tsan-Chieh; Lee, Pi-Chang; Li, Hsing-Yuan; Yang, An-Hang; Ho, Hui-Chen; Chiang, Chuan-Chi; Lin, Ching-Yuang; Desnick, Robert J; Niu, Dau-Ming

2016-12-13

Recently, several studies revealed a much higher prevalence of later onset Fabry disease (FD) than previously expected. It suggested that later onset FD might present as an important hidden health issue in certain ethnic or demographic populations in the world. However, the natural history of its phenotype has not been systemically investigated, especially the cardiac involvement. The study analyzed a large-scale newborn screening program for FD to understand the natural course of later onset FD. To date, 916,383 newborns have been screened for FD in Taiwan, including more than 1,200 individuals with the common, later onset IVS4+919G>A (IVS4) mutation. Echocardiography was performed in 620 adults with the IVS4 mutation to analyze the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), and gadolinium-enhanced cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed in 129 patients with FD, including 100 IVS4 adults. LVH was observed in 67% of men and 32% of women older than 40 years. Imaging evidenced significant late gadolinium enhancement in 38.1% of IVS4 men and 16.7% of IVS4 women with the IVS4 mutation but without LVH. Seventeen patients underwent endomyocardial biopsies, which revealed significant globotriaosylceramide substrate accumulation in their cardiomyocytes. Significant cardiomyocyte substrate accumulation in IVS4 patients led to severe and irreversible cardiac fibrosis before development of LVH or other significant cardiac manifestations. Thus, it might be too late to start enzyme replacement therapy after the occurrence of LVH or other significant cardiac manifestations in patients with later onset FD. This study also indicated the importance of newborn screening for early detection of the insidious, ongoing, irreversible cardiac damage in patients with later onset FD. Copyright © 2016 American College of Cardiology Foundation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Histomorphological Spectrum of Duodenal Pathology in Functional Dyspepsia Patients

PubMed Central

Rane, Sharada Raju; Jadhav, Meenal Vitthal

2017-01-01

Introduction Functional Dyspepsia (FD) is one of the most common causes of gastrointestinal symptoms aetiology of which is poorly understood. Aim To study duodenal histomorphological features and their relationship with Helicobacter pylori (H Pylori) infection in patients of FD. Materials and Methods This case control study included 50 cases of FD patients selected according to Rome III criteria and 30 age and sex matched controls. These were subjected to oesophago-gastro-duodenoscopy, rapid urease test for detection of H. pylori on gastric antral biopsy and duodenal biopsy from second part of duodenum for histopathological evaluation by light microscopy. Ten antral urease positive cases of FD with highest Intraepithelial Lymphocyte Count (IEL) were subjected to Immunohistochemistry (IHC). Results Duodenal inflammation was an invariable feature noted in FD. Morphological spectrum consisted of increased IEL in 72%, increased duodenal eosinophils in 92%, presence of focal villous atrophy in 16%, lymphoid aggregates, colonic metaplasia, and duodenal H. pylori infection in 4% each. Gastric H. pylori positivity was noted in 48% cases of FD. Increased duodenal IEL count and duodenal eosinophilia was noted in 75%, 87.5% such cases. Same was noted respectively, with 61.5% and 95.15% cases with gastric H. pylori negativity. In cases of FD, duodenal IEL and eosinophil count in lamina propria showed statistically significant rise when compared with control and had positive correlation with gastric H pylori infection. On IHC, increased expression of CD 8 was noted in duodenal IEL and lymphocytes in lamina propria as compared to CD4. Conclusion Our study provided some insight in pathogenesis of FD and role of H. pylori in its aetiology. PMID:28764169

Fractal-dimension analysis detects cerebral changes in preterm infants with and without intrauterine growth restriction.

PubMed

Esteban, Francisco J; Padilla, Nelly; Sanz-Cortés, Magdalena; de Miras, Juan Ruiz; Bargalló, Núria; Villoslada, Pablo; Gratacós, Eduard

2010-12-01

In the search for a useful parameter to detect and quantify subtle brain abnormalities in infants with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR), we hypothesised that the analysis of the structural complexity of grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM) using the fractal dimension (FD), a measurement of the topological complexity of an object, could be established as a useful tool for quantitative studies of infant brain morphology. We studied a sample of 18 singleton IUGR premature infants, (12.72 months corrected age (CA), range: 12 months-14 months), 15 preterm infants matched one-to-one for gestational age (GA) at delivery (12.6 months; range: 12 months-14 months), and 15 neonates born at term (12.4 months; range: 11 months-14 months). The neurodevelopmental outcome was assessed in all subjects at 18 months CA according to the Bayley Scale for Infant and Toddler Development - Third edition (BSID-III). For MRI acquisition and processing, the infants were scanned at 12 months CA, in a TIM TRIO 3T scanner, sleeping naturally. Images were pre-processed using the SPM5 toolbox, the GM and WM segmented under the VBM5 toolbox, and the box-counting method was applied for FD calculation of normal and skeletonized segmented images. The results showed a significant decrease of the FD of the brain GM and WM in the IUGR group when compared to the preterm or at-term controls. We also identified a significant linear tendency of both GM and WM FD from IUGR to preterm and term groups. Finally, multiple linear analyses between the FD of the GM or WM and the neurodevelopmental scales showed a significant regression of the language and motor scales with the FD of the GM. In conclusion, a decreased FD of the GM and WM in IUGR infants could be a sensitive indicator for the investigation of structural brain abnormalities in the IUGR population at 12 months of age, which can also be related to functional disorders. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Improving Glaucoma Detection Using Spatially Correspondent Clusters of Damage and by Combining Standard Automated Perimetry and Optical Coherence Tomography

PubMed Central

Raza, Ali S.; Zhang, Xian; De Moraes, Carlos G. V.; Reisman, Charles A.; Liebmann, Jeffrey M.; Ritch, Robert; Hood, Donald C.

2014-01-01

Purpose. To improve the detection of glaucoma, techniques for assessing local patterns of damage and for combining structure and function were developed. Methods. Standard automated perimetry (SAP) and frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (fdOCT) data, consisting of macular retinal ganglion cell plus inner plexiform layer (mRGCPL) as well as macular and optic disc retinal nerve fiber layer (mRNFL and dRNFL) thicknesses, were collected from 52 eyes of 52 healthy controls and 156 eyes of 96 glaucoma suspects and patients. In addition to generating simple global metrics, SAP and fdOCT data were searched for contiguous clusters of abnormal points and converted to a continuous metric (pcc). The pcc metric, along with simpler methods, was used to combine the information from the SAP and fdOCT. The performance of different methods was assessed using the area under receiver operator characteristic curves (AROC scores). Results. The pcc metric performed better than simple global measures for both the fdOCT and SAP. The best combined structure-function metric (mRGCPL&SAP pcc, AROC = 0.868 ± 0.032) was better (statistically significant) than the best metrics for independent measures of structure and function. When SAP was used as part of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, AROC scores increased for all metrics, including the best combined structure-function metric (AROC = 0.975 ± 0.014). Conclusions. A combined structure-function metric improved the detection of glaucomatous eyes. Overall, the primary sources of value-added for glaucoma detection stem from the continuous cluster search (the pcc), the mRGCPL data, and the combination of structure and function. PMID:24408977

Stereo Reconstruction of ELVES at the Pierre Auger Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mussa, R.; Tonachini, A. S.

2013-12-01

The Pierre Auger Observatory, located in Malargue (Argentina), is the world's largest facility (3000 km2) for the study of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (E>10^18 eV). The four sites of the Fluorescence Detector (covering a field of view of 30x180 degrees) are continuously observing the night sky with 100 ns time resolution and a space resolution of about 1 degree. In May 2005, the first ELVES candidate was serendipitously observed by the FD, which is designed to detect the electromagnetic component of cosmic ray showers and to reject lightning. Since March 2013, the Auger Observatory has implemented a special trigger dedicated to the detection of ELVES, whose topology (a rapidly evolving ring) is quite different from the one of cosmic ray events. This allows to record events with high efficiency and unprecedented accuracy. The average distance between two eyes, about 40 km, allows stereo imaging of a large fraction of ELVES candidate events. More than 100 ELVES candidates from the first 6 months of data taking will be shown.

Aflatoxin evaluation in ready-to-eat brazil nuts using reversed-phase liquid chromatography and post-column derivatisation.

PubMed

Iamanaka, Beatriz Thie; Nakano, Felipe; Lemes, Daniel Ponciano; Ferranti, Larissa Souza; Taniwaki, Marta Hiromi

2014-01-01

A high-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence (HPLC-FD) method for aflatoxin quantification in brazil nuts was developed. Samples of brazil nuts collected in Brazilian markets were extracted with methanol:water and cleaned using an immunoaffinity column. Aflatoxins were eluted with methanol and a post-column derivatisation was performed with bromine, using a Kobra Cell system. The optimised method for total aflatoxins was sensitive, with detection and quantification limits of 0.05 and 0.25 µg kg⁻¹, respectively. The method was accurate, with recovery values of 87.6%; 85.3% and 85.0% for 0.5, 5.0 and 14.6 µg kg⁻¹ spiked levels, respectively. It was shown that the method was applicable to brazil nuts. From a total of 95 brazil nut samples analysed from 21 São Paulo supermarket samples and 51 Manaus and 23 Belém street markets samples, 37.9% showed detectable levels of aflatoxins and three exceeded the recommended Codex Alimentarius limit of 10 µg kg⁻¹ for ready-to-eat brazil nuts.

High-resolution Fourier-Domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Microperimetric Findings After Macula-off Retinal Detachment Repair

PubMed Central

Smith, Allison J.; Telander, David G.; Zawadzki, Robert J.; Choi, Stacey S.; Morse, Lawrence S.; Werner, John S.; Park, Susanna S.

2009-01-01

Objective To evaluate the morphologic changes in the macula of subjects with repaired macula-off retinal detachment (RD) using high-resolution Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD OCT) and to perform functional correlation in a subset of patients using microperimetry (MP-1). Design Prospective observational case series. Participants Seventeen eyes from 17 subjects who had undergone anatomically successful repair for macula-off, rhegmatogenous RD at least 3 months earlier and without visually significant maculopathy on funduscopy. Methods FD OCT with axial and transverse resolution of 4.5 μm and 10 to 15 μm, respectively, was used to obtain rapid serial B-scans of the macula, which were compared with that from Stratus OCT. The FD OCT B-scans were used to create a 3-dimensional volume, from which en face C-scans were created. Among 11 patients, MP-1 was performed to correlate morphologic changes with visual function. Main Outcome Measures Stratus OCT scans, FD OCT scans, and MP-1 data. Results Stratus OCT and FD OCT images of the macula were obtained 3 to 30 months (mean 7 months) postoperatively in all eyes. Although Stratus OCT revealed photoreceptor disruption in 2 eyes (12%), FD OCT showed photoreceptor disruption in 13 eyes (76%). This difference was statistically significant (P<0.001, χ2). Both imaging modalities revealed persistent subretinal fluid in 2 eyes (12%) and lamellar hole in 1 eye. Among 7 subjects who had reliable MP-1 data, areas of abnormal function corresponded to areas of photoreceptor layer disruptions or persistent subretinal fluid in 5 subjects (71%); one subject had normal FD OCT and MP-1. Conclusions Photoreceptor disruption after macula-off RD repair is a common abnormality in the macula that is detected better with FD OCT than Stratus OCT. A good correlation between MP-1 abnormality and presence of photoreceptor disruption or subretinal fluid on FD OCT demonstrates that these anatomic abnormalities contribute to decreased visual function after successful repair. PMID:18672289

Meta-analysis of the effects of prokinetic agents in patients with functional dyspepsia.

PubMed

Hiyama, Toru; Yoshihara, Masaharu; Matsuo, Keitaro; Kusunoki, Hiroaki; Kamada, Tomoari; Ito, Masanori; Tanaka, Shinji; Nishi, Nobuo; Chayama, Kazuaki; Haruma, Ken

2007-03-01

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is often treated with prokinetic agents; however, the efficacy of prokinetic agents in patients with FD has been questioned recently. The aim of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of the effects of prokinetic agents in patients with FD. Prokinetic agents, including metoclopramide, domperidone, trimebutine, cisapride, itopride and mosapride, used for treatment of FD between 1951 and 2005 were identified. Twenty-seven studies were selected. Difference in the probability of response between the interventional drug and placebo was used as a summary statistic for the treatment effect. Meta-regression analysis was used to detect sources of heterogeneity. In total, 1844 subjects were assigned to an experimental arm, and 1591 subjects were assigned to a placebo arm. Publication bias was ruled out by funnel plot and statistical testing (P = 0.975). In the overall analysis, the summary statistic was 0.295 (95% confidence interval: 0.208-0.382, P < 0.001), indicating that the interventional drug has 30% excess probability of producing a response compared with placebo. The most significant source of heterogeneity was the year of publication (P < 0.001). The data clearly indicate that prokinetic agents are significantly more effective than placebo in the treatment of FD. Although FD is a chronic condition, efficacy was assessed over short periods. Long-term randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm the effect.

Gain monitoring of telescope array photomultiplier cameras for the first 4 years of operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, B. K.; Tokuno, H.; Tsunesada, Y.; Abu-Zayyad, T.; Aida, R.; Allen, M.; Anderson, R.; Azuma, R.; Barcikowski, E.; Belz, J. W.; Bergman, D. R.; Blake, S. A.; Cady, R.; Cheon, B. G.; Chiba, J.; Chikawa, M.; Cho, E. J.; Cho, W. R.; Fujii, H.; Fujii, T.; Fukuda, T.; Fukushima, M.; Hanlon, W.; Hayashi, K.; Hayashi, Y.; Hayashida, N.; Hibino, K.; Hiyama, K.; Honda, K.; Iguchi, T.; Ikeda, D.; Ikuta, K.; Inoue, N.; Ishii, T.; Ishimori, R.; Ivanov, D.; Iwamoto, S.; Jui, C. C. H.; Kadota, K.; Kakimoto, F.; Kalashev, O.; Kanbe, T.; Kasahara, K.; Kawai, H.; Kawakami, S.; Kawana, S.; Kido, E.; Kim, H. B.; Kim, H. K.; Kim, J. H.; Kim, J. H.; Kitamoto, K.; Kitamura, S.; Kitamura, Y.; Kobayashi, K.; Kobayashi, Y.; Kondo, Y.; Kuramoto, K.; Kuzmin, V.; Kwon, Y. J.; Lim, S. I.; Machida, S.; Martens, K.; Martineau, J.; Matsuda, T.; Matsuura, T.; Matsuyama, T.; Matthews, J. N.; Myers, I.; Minamino, M.; Miyata, K.; Murano, Y.; Nagasawa, K.; Nagataki, S.; Nakamura, T.; Nam, S. W.; Nonaka, T.; Ogio, S.; Ohnishi, M.; Ohoka, H.; Oki, K.; Oku, D.; Okuda, T.; Oshima, A.; Ozawa, S.; Park, I. H.; Pshirkov, M. S.; Rodriguez, D. C.; Roh, S. Y.; Rubtsov, G.; Ryu, D.; Sagawa, H.; Sakurai, N.; Sampson, A. L.; Scott, L. M.; Shah, P. D.; Shibata, F.; Shibata, T.; Shimodaira, H.; Shin, J. I.; Shirahama, T.; Smith, J. D.; Sokolsky, P.; Sonley, T. J.; Springer, R. W.; Stokes, B. T.; Stratton, S. R.; Stroman, T.; Suzuki, S.; Takahashi, Y.; Takeda, M.; Taketa, A.; Takita, M.; Tameda, Y.; Tanaka, H.; Tanaka, K.; Tanaka, M.; Thomas, S. B.; Thomson, G. B.; Tinyakov, P.; Tkachev, I.; Tomida, T.; Troitsky, S.; Tsutsumi, K.; Tsuyuguchi, Y.; Uchihori, Y.; Udo, S.; Ukai, H.; Vasiloff, G.; Wada, Y.; Wong, T.; Wood, M.; Yamakawa, Y.; Yamane, R.; Yamaoka, H.; Yamazaki, K.; Yang, J.; Yoneda, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Yoshii, H.; Zhou, X.; Zollinger, R.; Zundel, Z.

2014-12-01

The stability of the gain of the photomultiplier (PMT) camera for the Fluorescence Detector (FD) of the Telescope Array experiment was monitored using an 241Am loaded scintillator pulsers (YAP) and a diffused xenon flasher (TXF) for a selected set of 35 PMT-readout channels. From the monitoring of YAP pulses over four years of FD operation, we found slow monotonic drifts of PMT gains at a rate of -1.7 +1.7%/year. An average of the PMT gains over the 35 channels stayed nearly constant with a rate of change measured at -0.01±0.31(stat)±0.21(sys)%/year. No systematic decrease of the PMT gain caused by the night sky background was observed. Monitoring by the TXF also tracked the PMT gain drift of the YAP at 0.88±0.14(stat)%/year.

Baculovirus display of functional antibody Fab fragments.

PubMed

Takada, Shinya; Ogawa, Takafumi; Matsui, Kazusa; Suzuki, Tasuku; Katsuda, Tomohisa; Yamaji, Hideki

2015-08-01

The generation of a recombinant baculovirus that displays antibody Fab fragments on the surface was investigated. A recombinant baculovirus was engineered so that the heavy chain (Hc; Fd fragment) of a mouse Fab fragment was expressed as a fusion to the N-terminus of baculovirus gp64, while the light chain of the Fab fragment was simultaneously expressed as a secretory protein. Following infection of Sf9 insect cells with the recombinant baculovirus, the culture supernatant was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay using antigen-coated microplates and either an anti-mouse IgG or an anti-gp64 antibody. A relatively strong signal was obtained in each case, showing antigen-binding activity in the culture supernatant. In western blot analysis of the culture supernatant using the anti-gp64 antibody, specific protein bands were detected at an electrophoretic mobility that coincided with the molecular weight of the Hc-gp64 fusion protein as well as that of gp64. Flow cytometry using a fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated antibody specific to mouse IgG successfully detected the Fab fragments on the surface of the Sf9 cells. These results suggest that immunologically functional antibody Fab fragments can be displayed on the surface of baculovirus particles, and that a fluorescence-activated cell sorter with a fluorescence-labeled antigen can isolate baculoviruses displaying specific Fab fragments. This successful baculovirus display of antibody Fab fragments may offer a novel approach for the efficient selection of specific antibodies.

Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry-Olfactometry To Control the Aroma Fingerprint of Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Three Tunisian Cultivars at Three Harvest Times.

PubMed

Ben Brahim, Samia; Amanpour, Asghar; Chtourou, Fatma; Kelebek, Hasim; Selli, Serkan; Bouaziz, Mohamed

2018-03-21

Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry-olfactometry was used for the analysis of volatile compounds and key odorants of three less studied Tunisian olive oil cultivars for the first time. A total of 42 aroma compounds were identified and quantified in extra virgin olive oils. The present study revealed that the most dominant volatiles in olive oil samples qualitatively and quantitatively were aldehydes and alcohols, followed by terpenes and esters. Indeed, chemometric analysis has shown a correlation between chemical compounds and sensory properties. The determination of aroma-active compounds of olive oil samples was carried out using aroma extract dilution analysis. A total of 15 aroma-active compounds were detected in the aromatic extract of extra virgin olive oil, of which 14 were identified. On the basis of the flavor dilution (FD) factor, the most potent aromatic active compound was hexanal (FD = 512) in Fakhari olive oil, (FD = 256) in Touffehi oils, and (FD = 128) in Jemri olive oil.

Prevalence of CADASIL and Fabry Disease in a Cohort of MRI Defined Younger Onset Lacunar Stroke

PubMed Central

Kilarski, Laura L.; Rutten-Jacobs, Loes C. A.; Bevan, Steve; Baker, Rob; Hassan, Ahamad; Hughes, Derralynn A.; Markus, Hugh S.

2015-01-01

Background and Purpose Cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), caused by mutations in the NOTCH3 gene, is the most common monogenic disorder causing lacunar stroke and cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). Fabry disease (FD) due to mutations in the GLA gene has been suggested as an underdiagnosed cause of stroke, and one feature is SVD. Previous studies reported varying prevalence of CADASIL and FD in stroke, likely due to varying subtypes studied; no studies have looked at a large cohort of younger onset SVD. We determined the prevalence in a well-defined, MRI-verified cohort of apparently sporadic patients with lacunar infarct. Methods Caucasian patients with lacunar infarction, aged ≤70 years (mean age 56.7 (SD8.6)), were recruited from 72 specialist stroke centres throughout the UK as part of the Young Lacunar Stroke DNA Resource. Patients with a previously confirmed monogenic cause of stroke were excluded. All MRI’s and clinical histories were reviewed centrally. Screening was performed for NOTCH3 and GLA mutations. Results Of 994 subjects five had pathogenic NOTCH3 mutations (R169C, R207C, R587C, C1222G and C323S) all resulting in loss or gain of a cysteine in the NOTCH3 protein. All five patients had confluent leukoaraiosis (Fazekas grade ≥2). CADASIL prevalence overall was 0.5% (95% CI 0.2%-1.1%) and among cases with confluent leukoaraiosis 1.5% (95% CI 0.6%-3.3%). No classic pathogenic FD mutations were found; one patient had a missense mutation (R118C), associated with late-onset FD. Conclusion CADASIL cases are rare and only detected in SVD patients with confluent leukoaraiosis. No definite FD cases were detected. PMID:26305465

The Novel Multiple Inner Primers-Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (MIP-LAMP) for Rapid Detection and Differentiation of Listeria monocytogenes.

PubMed

Wang, Yi; Wang, Yan; Ma, Aijing; Li, Dongxun; Luo, Lijuan; Liu, Dongxin; Hu, Shoukui; Jin, Dong; Liu, Kai; Ye, Changyun

2015-12-03

Here, a novel model of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), termed multiple inner primers-LAMP (MIP-LAMP), was devised and successfully applied to detect Listeria monocytogenes. A set of 10 specific MIP-LAMP primers, which recognized 14 different regions of target gene, was designed to target a sequence in the hlyA gene. The MIP-LAMP assay efficiently amplified the target element within 35 min at 63 °C and was evaluated for sensitivity and specificity. The templates were specially amplified in the presence of the genomic DNA from L. monocytogenes. The limit of detection (LoD) of MIP-LAMP assay was 62.5 fg/reaction using purified L. monocytogenes DNA. The LoD for DNA isolated from serial dilutions of L. monocytogenes cells in buffer and in milk corresponded to 2.4 CFU and 24 CFU, respectively. The amplified products were analyzed by real-time monitoring of changes in turbidity, and visualized by adding Loop Fluorescent Detection Reagent (FD), or as a ladder-like banding pattern on gel electrophoresis. A total of 48 pork samples were investigated for L. monocytogenes by the novel MIP-LAMP method, and the diagnostic accuracy was shown to be 100% when compared to the culture-biotechnical method. In conclusion, the MIP-LAMP methodology was demonstrated to be a reliable, sensitive and specific tool for rapid detection of L. monocytogenes strains.

Prevalence and characteristics of sleep-disordered breathing in familial dysautonomia.

PubMed

Singh, Kanwaljit; Palma, Jose-Alberto; Kaufmann, Horacio; Tkachenko, Nataliya; Norcliffe-Kaufmann, Lucy; Spalink, Christy; Kazachkov, Mikhail; Kothare, Sanjeev V

2018-05-01

Familial dysautonomia (FD) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by impaired development of sensory and afferent autonomic nerves. Untreated sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) has been reported to increase the risk of sudden unexpected death in FD. We aimed to describe the prevalence and characteristics of SDB in FD. Seventy-five patients with FD (20 adults and 55 children) underwent in-lab polysomnography, including peripheral capillary oxygen saturation (SpO 2 ) and end-tidal capnography (EtCO 2 ) measurements. A t-test and Spearman's correlation analysis were performed to evaluate the impact of age on sleep, occurrence of apneas, SpO 2 and EtCO 2 levels; and to determine the relationship between apneas and SpO 2 /EtCO 2 measurements during different sleep stages. Overall, 85% of adults and 91% of pediatric patients had some degree of SDB. Obstructive sleep apneas were more severe in adults (8.5 events/h in adults vs. 3.5 events/h in children, p = 0.04), whereas central apneas were more severe (10.8 vs. 2.8 events/h, p = 0.04) and frequent (61.8% vs. 45%, p = 0.017) in children. Overall, a higher apnea-hypopnea index was associated with increased severity of hypoxia and hypoventilation, although in a significant fraction of patients (67% and 46%), hypoxemia and hypoventilation occurred independent of apneas. Most adult and pediatric patients with FD suffer from some degree of SDB. There was a differential effect of age in the pattern of SDB observed. In some FD patients, hypoventilation and hypoxia occurred independently of apneas. Therefore, we recommend including EtCO 2 monitoring during polysomnography in all patients with FD to detect SDB. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of a tool to assess adherence to a model of the division of responsibility in feeding young children: using response mapping to capacitate validation measures.

PubMed

Lohse, Barbara; Satter, Ellyn; Arnold, Kristen

2014-04-01

Accurate early assessment and targeted intervention with problematic parent/child feeding dynamics is critical for the prevention and treatment of child obesity. The division of responsibility in feeding (sDOR), articulated by the Satter Feeding Dynamics Model (fdSatter), has been demonstrated clinically as an effective approach to reduce child feeding problems, including those leading to obesity. Lack of a tested instrument to examine adherence to fdSatter stimulated initial construction of the Satter Feeding Dynamics Inventory (fdSI). The aim of this project was to refine the item pool to establish translational validity, making the fdSI suitable for advanced psychometric analysis. Cognitive interviews (n = 80) with caregivers of varied socioeconomic strata informed revisions that demonstrated face and content validity. fdSI responses were mapped to interviews using an iterative, multi-phase thematic approach to provide an instrument ready for construct validation. fdSI development required five interview phases over 32 months: Foundational; Refinement; Transitional; Assurance; and Launching. Each phase was associated with item reduction and revision. Thirteen items were removed from the 38-item Foundational phase and seven were revised in the Refinement phase. Revisions, deletions, and additions prompted by Transitional and Assurance phase interviews resulted in the 15-item Launching phase fdSI. Only one Foundational phase item was carried through all development phases, emphasizing the need to test for item comprehension and interpretation before psychometric analyses. Psychometric studies of item pools without encrypted meanings will facilitate progress toward a tool that accurately detects adherence to sDOR. Ability to measure sDOR will facilitate focus on feeding behaviors associated with reduced risk of childhood obesity.

Evaluation of Central and Peripheral Fatigue in the Quadriceps Using Fractal Dimension and Conduction Velocity in Young Females

PubMed Central

Beretta-Piccoli, Matteo; D’Antona, Giuseppe; Barbero, Marco; Fisher, Beth; Dieli-Conwright, Christina M.; Clijsen, Ron; Cescon, Corrado

2015-01-01

Purpose Over the past decade, linear and non-linear surface electromyography descriptors for central and peripheral components of fatigue have been developed. In the current study, we tested fractal dimension (FD) and conduction velocity (CV) as myoelectric descriptors of central and peripheral fatigue, respectively. To this aim, we analyzed FD and CV slopes during sustained fatiguing contractions of the quadriceps femoris in healthy humans. Methods A total of 29 recreationally active women (mean age±standard deviation: 24±4 years) and two female elite athletes (one power athlete, age 24 and one endurance athlete, age 30 years) performed two knee extensions: (1) at 20% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) for 30 s, and (2) at 60% MVC held until exhaustion. Surface EMG signals were detected from the vastus lateralis and vastus medialis using bidimensional arrays. Results Central and peripheral fatigue were described as decreases in FD and CV, respectively. A positive correlation between FD and CV (R=0.51, p<0.01) was found during the sustained 60% MVC, probably as a result of simultaneous motor unit synchronization and a decrease in muscle fiber CV during the fatiguing task. Conclusions Central and peripheral fatigue can be described as changes in FD and CV, at least in young, healthy women. The significant correlation between FD and CV observed at 60% MVC suggests that a mutual interaction between central and peripheral fatigue can arise during submaximal isometric contractions. PMID:25880369

Folate deprivation induces cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and apoptosis in hippocampal neuron cells through down-regulation of IGF-1 signaling pathway.

PubMed

Yang, Yang; Li, Xi; Sun, Qinwei; He, Bin; Jia, Yimin; Cai, Demin; Zhao, Ruqian

2016-10-01

Folate deficiency contributes to impaired adult hippocampal neurogenesis, yet the mechanisms remain unclear. Here we use HT-22 hippocampal neuron cells as model to investigate the effect of folate deprivation (FD) on cell proliferation and apoptosis, and to elucidate the underlying mechanism. FD caused cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and increased the rate of apoptosis, which was associated with disrupted expression of folate transport and methyl transfer genes. FOLR1 and SLC46A1 were (P<0.01) down-regulated, while SLC19A1 was up-regulated (P<0.01) in FD group. FD cells exhibited significantly (P<0.05) higher protein content of BHMT, MAT2b and DNMT3a, as well as increased SAM/SAH concentrations and global DNA hypermethylation. The expression of the total and all the 3 classes of IGF-1 mRNA variants was significantly (P<0.01) down-regulated and IGF-1 concentration was decreased (P<0.05) in the culture media. IGF-1 signaling pathway was also compromised with diminished activation (P<0.05) of STAT3, AKT and mTOR. CpG hypermethylation was detected in the promoter regions of IGF-1 and FOLR1 genes, while higher SLC19A1 mRNA corresponded to hypomethylation of its promoter. IGF-1 supplementation in FD media significantly abolished FD-induced decrease in cell viability. However, IGF-1 had limited effect in rescuing the cell phenotype when added 24h after FD. Taken together, down-regulation of IGF-1 expression and signaling is involved in FD-induced cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in HT-22 hippocampal neuron cells, which is associated with an abnormal activation of methyl transfer pathway and hypermethylation of IGF-1 gene promoter. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

PrEFiNe Plan: Strategic plan for Fabry diseases in Nephrology.

PubMed

Del Pino, M D; Ortiz, A; Torra, R; Hernandez, D

2016-01-01

Renal failure is one of the main causes of death in patients with Fabry disease (FD). Due to the low prevalence of FD, delayed diagnosis and misdiagnosis, often the correct diagnosis is made when organ damage is already present. Early recognition of the disease would allow the prevention of severe complications and the premature death of patients with FD. We present here the PrEFiNE project, which includes a wide spectrum of activities with the aim of improve knowledge and diagnosis of FD. The project is sponsored by Shire Iberia (http://shireiberica.com/) From January 2016 to the end of 2017 several activities will be carried out, starting with a survey to evaluate current FD knowledge among nephrologists; in addition some studies to assess prevalence of this disease will be performed. One study will include patients receiving dialysis, another study will cover kidney transplant patients, and a pilot study in chronic kidney disease in stage 3-5 predialysis. Also planned is a pharmacoeconomic study to focus on burden of FD. At the same time medical education activities will be conducted both on line and on site. Plan for dissemination will include medical publications and diffusion to media. PrEFiNE Project will finish with the publication of a compilation book on FD in Nephrology including all planned activities and proposing recommendations based on results and detected unmet needs. PrEfiNE Plan will be coordinated by severa scientific committees, one at national level and 10 other regionals comittees, tha will be responsible to ensure the maximum scientific quality of proposed activities. An advisory board will supervise the project. PrEfiNE project will evaluate an action plan focused on improving FD knowledge to make necessary recommendations for an early recognition of the disease. In addition will generate a plan to improve previously undetected needs. Copyright © 2016 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Event-triggered fault detection for a class of discrete-time linear systems using interval observers.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhi-Hui; Yang, Guang-Hong

2017-05-01

This paper provides a novel event-triggered fault detection (FD) scheme for discrete-time linear systems. First, an event-triggered interval observer is proposed to generate the upper and lower residuals by taking into account the influence of the disturbances and the event error. Second, the robustness of the residual interval against the disturbances and the fault sensitivity are improved by introducing l 1 and H ∞ performances. Third, dilated linear matrix inequalities are used to decouple the Lyapunov matrices from the system matrices. The nonnegative conditions for the estimation error variables are presented with the aid of the slack matrix variables. This technique allows considering a more general Lyapunov function. Furthermore, the FD decision scheme is proposed by monitoring whether the zero value belongs to the residual interval. It is shown that the information communication burden is reduced by designing the event-triggering mechanism, while the FD performance can still be guaranteed. Finally, simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Copyright © 2016 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Binary Solvents Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Microextraction (BS-DLLME) Method for Determination of Tramadol in Urine Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography.

PubMed

Kiarostami, Vahid; Rouini, Mohamad-Reza; Mohammadian, Razieh; Lavasani, Hoda; Ghazaghi, Mehri

2014-02-03

Tramadol is an opioid, synthetic analog of codeine and has been used for the treatment of acute or chronic pain may be abused. In this work, a developed Dispersive liquid liquid microextraction (DLLME) as binary solvents-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (BS-DLLME) combined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (FD) was employed for determination of tramadol in the urine samples. This procedure involves the use of an appropriate mixture of binary extraction solvents (70 μL CHCl3 and 30 μL ethyl acetate) and disperser solvent (600 μL acetone) for the formation of cloudy solution in 5 ml urine sample comprising tramadol and NaCl (7.5%, w/v). After centrifuging, the small droplets of extraction solvents were precipitated. In the final step, the HPLC with fluorescence detection was used for determination of tramadol in the precipitated phase. Various factors on the efficiency of the proposed procedure were investigated and optimized. The detection limit (S/N = 3) and quantification limit (S/N = 10) were found 0.2 and 0.9 μg/L, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSD) for the extraction of 30 μg L of tramadol was found 4.1% (n = 6). The relative recoveries of tramadol from urine samples at spiking levels of 10, 30 and 60 μg/L were in the range of 95.6 - 99.6%. Compared with other methods, this method provides good figures of merit such as good repeatability, high extraction efficiency, short analysis time, simple procedure and can be used as microextraction technique for routine analysis in clinical laboratories.

Binary Solvents Dispersive Liquid—Liquid Microextraction (BS-DLLME) Method for Determination of Tramadol in Urine Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Tramadol is an opioid, synthetic analog of codeine and has been used for the treatment of acute or chronic pain may be abused. In this work, a developed Dispersive liquid liquid microextraction (DLLME) as binary solvents-based dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (BS-DLLME) combined with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (FD) was employed for determination of tramadol in the urine samples. This procedure involves the use of an appropriate mixture of binary extraction solvents (70 μL CHCl3 and 30 μL ethyl acetate) and disperser solvent (600 μL acetone) for the formation of cloudy solution in 5 ml urine sample comprising tramadol and NaCl (7.5%, w/v). After centrifuging, the small droplets of extraction solvents were precipitated. In the final step, the HPLC with fluorescence detection was used for determination of tramadol in the precipitated phase. Results Various factors on the efficiency of the proposed procedure were investigated and optimized. The detection limit (S/N = 3) and quantification limit (S/N = 10) were found 0.2 and 0.9 μg/L, respectively. The relative standard deviations (RSD) for the extraction of 30 μg L of tramadol was found 4.1% (n = 6). The relative recoveries of tramadol from urine samples at spiking levels of 10, 30 and 60 μg/L were in the range of 95.6 – 99.6%. Conclusions Compared with other methods, this method provides good figures of merit such as good repeatability, high extraction efficiency, short analysis time, simple procedure and can be used as microextraction technique for routine analysis in clinical laboratories. PMID:24495475

Identification of Aroma-active Compounds in Essential Oil from Uncaria Hook by Gas Chromatography- Mass Spectrometry and Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry.

PubMed

Iwasa, Megumi; Nakaya, Satoshi; Maki, Yusuke; Marumoto, Shinsuke; Usami, Atsushi; Miyazawa, Mitsuo

2015-01-01

The chemical composition of essential oil extracted from Uncaria Hook ("Chotoko" in Japanese), the branch with curved hook of the herbal medicine Uncaria rhynchophylla has been investigated by GC and GC-MS analyses. Eighty-four compounds, representing 90.8% of the total content was identified in oil obtained from Uncaria Hook. The main components i were (E)-cinnamaldehyde (13.4%), α-copaene (8.0%), methyl eugenol (6.8%), δ-cadinene (5.3%), and curcumene (3.6%). The important key aroma-active compounds in the oil were detected by gas chromatography-olfactometry (GC-O) and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA), using the flavor dilution (FD) factor to express the odor potency of each compounds. Furthermore, the odor activity value (OAV) has been used as a measure of the relative contribution of each compound to the aroma of the Uncaria Hook oil. The GC-O and AEDA results showed that α-copaene (FD = 4, OAV = 4376), (E)-linalool oxide (FD = 64, OAV = 9.1), and methyl eugenol (FD = 64, OAV = 29) contributed to the woody and spicy odor of Uncaria Hook oil, whereas furfural (FD = 8, OAV = 4808) contributed to its sweet odor. These results warrant further investigations of the application of essential oil from Uncaria Hook in the phytochemical and medicinal fields.

Multifunctional phosphate-based inorganic-organic hybrid nanoparticles.

PubMed

Heck, Joachim G; Napp, Joanna; Simonato, Sara; Möllmer, Jens; Lange, Marcus; Reichardt, Holger M; Staudt, Reiner; Alves, Frauke; Feldmann, Claus

2015-06-17

Phosphate-based inorganic-organic hybrid nanoparticles (IOH-NPs) with the general composition [M](2+)[Rfunction(O)PO3](2-) (M = ZrO, Mg2O; R = functional organic group) show multipurpose and multifunctional properties. If [Rfunction(O)PO3](2-) is a fluorescent dye anion ([RdyeOPO3](2-)), the IOH-NPs show blue, green, red, and near-infrared fluorescence. This is shown for [ZrO](2+)[PUP](2-), [ZrO](2+)[MFP](2-), [ZrO](2+)[RRP](2-), and [ZrO](2+)[DUT](2-) (PUP = phenylumbelliferon phosphate, MFP = methylfluorescein phosphate, RRP = resorufin phosphate, DUT = Dyomics-647 uridine triphosphate). With pharmaceutical agents as functional anions ([RdrugOPO3](2-)), drug transport and release of anti-inflammatory ([ZrO](2+)[BMP](2-)) and antitumor agents ([ZrO](2+)[FdUMP](2-)) with an up to 80% load of active drug is possible (BMP = betamethason phosphate, FdUMP = 5'-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-monophosphate). A combination of fluorescent dye and drug anions is possible as well and shown for [ZrO](2+)[BMP](2-)0.996[DUT](2-)0.004. Merging of functional anions, in general, results in [ZrO](2+)([RdrugOPO3]1-x[RdyeOPO3]x)(2-) nanoparticles and is highly relevant for theranostics. Amine-based functional anions in [MgO](2+)[RaminePO3](2-) IOH-NPs, finally, show CO2 sorption (up to 180 mg g(-1)) and can be used for CO2/N2 separation (selectivity up to α = 23). This includes aminomethyl phosphonate [AMP](2-), 1-aminoethyl phosphonate [1AEP](2-), 2-aminoethyl phosphonate [2AEP](2-), aminopropyl phosphonate [APP](2-), and aminobutyl phosphonate [ABP](2-). All [M](2+)[Rfunction(O)PO3](2-) IOH-NPs are prepared via noncomplex synthesis in water, which facilitates practical handling and which is optimal for biomedical application. In sum, all IOH-NPs have very similar chemical compositions but can address a variety of different functions, including fluorescence, drug delivery, and CO2 sorption.

Psychoemotional Features of a Doubtful Disorder: Functional Dyspepsia

PubMed Central

Dragos, D; Ionescu, O; Micut, R; Ojog, DG; Tanasescu, MD

2012-01-01

Objective. To delineate the psychological profile of individuals prone to FD-like symptoms (FDLS). Method. A triple questionnaire of 614 items (including psychological and medical ones) was given to 10192 respondents, the results were analyzed by means of Cronbach alpha, and Chi square test, together with an ad-hoc designed method that implied ranking and outliers detecting. Results and conclusions. FDLS appears to be an accompanying feature of many (if not most) human emotions and are more frequent in anxious, timid, pessimistic, discontent, irascible, tense, success-doubting, unexpected-dreading individuals, bothered by persistent thoughts and tormented by the professional requirements and the lack of time. A higher degree of specificity might have: chiefly fear of failure, susceptibility, and tension, secondarily emotivity, fear of unpredictable events, sense of insufficient time, preoccupation with authority factors, and tendency to endure unacceptable situations, and also faulty patience and lack of punctuality. Rumination appears to be the psychological tendency most strongly associated with FD. Nocturnal epigastric pain seems to indicate a submissive nature but a rather responsibilities-free childhood, while early satiety is associated with inclination to work and responsibility and preoccupation with self-image. The superposition of FD symptoms with biliary and esophageal symptoms cast a doubt over the distinctness and even the materiality of the various functional digestive disorders. Abbreviations: ChiSq = chi-square; CrA = Cronbach alpha; OdRa = odds ratio; OdRaCL = OdRa confidence limits; E = exponential (for the sake of legibility we have used the exponential notation throughout this article; i.e. 4E-28 = 4×10-28); ErrProb = probability of error; SS = statistically significant; SD = standard deviation; a / m = the calculations were done by taking into account the average/ maximal score; P / M = psychological / medical category; PaMm / PmMa / PmMm / PaMa = the calculations were done by taking into account the average score for the PsyCt and the maximal score for the MedCt / the maximal score for PsyCt and the average score for the MedCt / and the maximal score for both / and the average score for both; R = the calculations were done for the FD_res category. FD = functional dyspepsia; FD_res / FD_ext = restricted / extended variant of the group of FD items; FDCt = FD category; FDLS = FD-like symptoms; MedCt / MedIt = medical category / item; PsyCt / PsyIt = psychological category / item; PMID:23144666

Frequency domain photothermoacoustic signal amplitude dependence on the optical properties of water: turbid polyvinyl chloride-plastisol system.

PubMed

Spirou, Gloria M; Mandelis, Andreas; Vitkin, I Alex; Whelan, William M

2008-05-10

Photoacoustic (more precisely, photothermoacoustic) signals generated by the absorption of photons can be related to the incident laser fluence rate. The dependence of frequency domain photoacoustic (FD-PA) signals on the optical absorption coefficient (micro(a)) and the effective attenuation coefficient (micro(eff)) of a turbid medium [polyvinyl chloride-plastisol (PVCP)] with tissuelike optical properties was measured, and empirical relationships between these optical properties and the photoacoustic (PA) signal amplitude and the laser fluence rate were derived for the water (PVCP system with and without optical scatterers). The measured relationships between these sample optical properties and the PA signal amplitude were found to be linear, consistent with FD-PA theory: micro(a)=a(A/Phi)-b and micro(eff)=c(A/Phi)+d, where Phi is the laser fluence, A is the FD-PA amplitude, and a, ...,d are empirical coefficients determined from the experiment using linear frequency-swept modulation and a lock-in heterodyne detection technique. This quantitative technique can easily be used to measure the optical properties of general turbid media using FD-PAs.

The atmospheric transparency of Telescope Array experiment from LIDAR

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomida, T.

2011-09-01

UV fluorescence light generated by an air shower is scattered and lost along the path of transmission to the telescope. The main scattering processes are Rayleigh scattering by molecules and scattering by aerosols in an atmosphere. In the Telescope Array Experiment, we make use of LIDAR (LIght Detection And Ranging), which observes the back-scattered light of laser. The LIDAR system is operated before the beginning and after the end of an FD observation, twice a night. The typical transparency of aerosols on clear night is obtained two years observation from September, 2007. The extinction coefficient of aerosols (αAS) at ground level are 0.040-0.013+0.036 km-1. The dependence of typical aerosols on height above ground level (1450 m a.s.l.) can be express by two exponential components as following: αAS(h) = 0.021 exp(-h/0.2)+0.019 exp(-h/1.9). The atmospheric transparency measured with the LIDAR system in TA site is discussed in this paper.

Dendro-dendritic interactions between motion-sensitive large-field neurons in the fly.

PubMed

Haag, Juergen; Borst, Alexander

2002-04-15

For visual course control, flies rely on a set of motion-sensitive neurons called lobula plate tangential cells (LPTCs). Among these cells, the so-called CH (centrifugal horizontal) cells shape by their inhibitory action the receptive field properties of other LPTCs called FD (figure detection) cells specialized for figure-ground discrimination based on relative motion. Studying the ipsilateral input circuitry of CH cells by means of dual-electrode and combined electrical-optical recordings, we find that CH cells receive graded input from HS (large-field horizontal system) cells via dendro-dendritic electrical synapses. This particular wiring scheme leads to a spatial blur of the motion image on the CH cell dendrite, and, after inhibiting FD cells, to an enhancement of motion contrast. This could be crucial for enabling FD cells to discriminate object from self motion.

The organic inventory of primitive meteorites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martins, Zita

Carbonaceous meteorites are primitive samples that provide crucial information about the solar system genesis and evolution. This class of meteorites has also a rich organic inventory, which may have contributed the first prebiotic building blocks of life to the early Earth. We have studied the soluble organic inventory of several CR and CM meteorites, using high performance liquid chromatography with UV fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and gas chromatography-combustion-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GC-C-IRMS). Our target organic molecules include amino acids, nucleobases and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), among others. CR chondrites contain the highest amino acids concentration ever detected in a meteorite. The degree of aqueous alteration amongst this class of meteorites seems to be responsible for the amino acid distribution. Pioneering compound-specific carbon isotope measurements of nucleobases present in carbonaceous chondrites show that these compounds have a non-terrestrial origin. This suggests that components of the ge-netic code may have had a crucial role in life's origin. Investigating the abundances, distribution and isotopic composition of organic molecules in primitive meteorites significantly improves our knowledge of the chemistry of the early solar system, and the resources available for the first living organisms on Earth.

Monitoring of bisphenols in canned tuna from Italian markets.

PubMed

Fattore, Margherita; Russo, Giacomo; Barbato, Francesco; Grumetto, Lucia; Albrizio, Stefania

2015-09-01

Monitoring of food contamination from bisphenols is a necessary process for the consumers' risk assessment. A method for the quali-quantitative analysis of Bisphenol A (BPA), Bisphenol B (BPB), Bisphenol A Diglycidyl Ether (BADGE), and Bisphenol F Diglycidyl Ether (BFDGE), by liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (LC-FD), was performed and validated for their determination in 33 samples of tuna fish, canned in either oil or aqueous medium. Samples were collected in Italian markets. Tuna and the correspondent preservation medium were analyzed separately. Detected levels of bisphenols ranged from 19.1 to 187.0 ng/g in tuna matrix and from 6.3 to 66.9 ng/mL in oil medium. No bisphenols were found in aqueous medium. At least one of the analytes was found in 83% of the tuna samples in oil medium, whereas tuna samples in aqueous medium showed BPA alone in 67% of samples. 21% of the oil medium samples resulted positive for at least one bisphenol. On the basis of measured concentrations and general daily ingestion rate of canned tuna fish, the probable daily intake of BPA for Italian population was calculated. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Rapid Identification of Epicarpium Citri Grandis via Infrared Spectroscopy and Fluorescence Spectrum Imaging Technology Combined with Neural Network].

PubMed

Pan, Sha-sha; Huang, Fu-rong; Xiao, Chi; Xian, Rui-yi; Ma, Zhi-guo

2015-10-01

To explore rapid reliable methods for detection of Epicarpium citri grandis (ECG), the experiment using Fourier Transform Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR/ATR) and Fluorescence Spectrum Imaging Technology combined with Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) Neural Network pattern recognition, for the identification of ECG, and the two methods are compared. Infrared spectra and fluorescence spectral images of 118 samples, 81 ECG and 37 other kinds of ECG, are collected. According to the differences in tspectrum, the spectra data in the 550-1 800 cm(-1) wavenumber range and 400-720 nm wavelength are regarded as the study objects of discriminant analysis. Then principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to reduce the dimension of spectroscopic data of ECG and MLP Neural Network is used in combination to classify them. During the experiment were compared the effects of different methods of data preprocessing on the model: multiplicative scatter correction (MSC), standard normal variable correction (SNV), first-order derivative(FD), second-order derivative(SD) and Savitzky-Golay (SG). The results showed that: after the infrared spectra data via the Savitzky-Golay (SG) pretreatment through the MLP Neural Network with the hidden layer function as sigmoid, we can get the best discrimination of ECG, the correct percent of training set and testing set are both 100%. Using fluorescence spectral imaging technology, corrected by the multiple scattering (MSC) results in the pretreatment is the most ideal. After data preprocessing, the three layers of the MLP Neural Network of the hidden layer function as sigmoid function can get 100% correct percent of training set and 96.7% correct percent of testing set. It was shown that the FTIR/ATR and fluorescent spectral imaging technology combined with MLP Neural Network can be used for the identification study of ECG and has the advantages of rapid, reliable effect.

NESS038C6, a novel selective CB1 antagonist agent with anti-obesity activity and improved molecular profile.

PubMed

Mastinu, Andrea; Pira, Marilena; Pani, Luca; Pinna, Gérard Aimè; Lazzari, Paolo

2012-10-01

The present work aims to study the effects induced by a chronic treatment with a novel CB1 antagonist (NESS038C6) in C57BL/6N diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice. Mice treated with NESS038C6 and fed with a fat diet (NESS038C6 FD) were compared with the following three reference experimental groups: DIO mice fed with the same fat diet used for NESS038C6 and treated with vehicle or the reference CB1 antagonist/inverse agonist rimonabant, "VH FD" and "SR141716 FD", respectively; DIO mice treated with vehicle and switched to a normal diet (VH ND). NESS038C6 chronic treatment (30 mg/kg/day for 31 days) determined a significant reduction in DIO mice weight relative to that of VH FD. The entity of the effect was comparable to that detected in both SR141716 FD and VH ND groups. Moreover, if compared to VH FD, NESS038C6 FD evidenced: (i) improvement of cardiovascular risk factors; (ii) significant decrease in adipose tissue leptin expression; (iii) increase in mRNA expression of hypothalamic orexigenic peptides and a decrease of anorexigenic peptides; (iv) expression increase of metabolic enzymes and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-α in the liver; (v) normalization of monoaminergic transporters and neurotrophic expression in mesolimbic area. However, in contrast to the case of rimonabant, the novel CB1 antagonist improved the disrupted expression profile of genes linked to the hunger-satiety circuit, without altering monoaminergic transmission. In conclusion, the novel CB1 antagonist compound NESS038C6 may represent a useful candidate agent for the treatment of obesity and its metabolic complications, without or with reduced side effects relative to those instead observed with rimonabant. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Ultrastructural Complexity of Nuclear Components During Early Apoptotic Phases in Breast Cancer Cells

PubMed Central

Castelli, Christian; Losa, Gabriele A.

2001-01-01

Fractal morphometry was used to investigate the ultrastructural features of the plasma membrane, perinuclear membrane and nuclear chromatin in SK‐BR‐3 human breast cancer cells undergoing apoptosis. Cells were incubated with 1 μM calcimycin (A23187) for 24 h. Cells in the early stage of apoptosis had fractal dimension (FD) values indicating that their plasma membranes were less rough (lower FD) than those of control cells, while their perinuclear membranes were unaffected. Changes of the chromatin texture within the entire nucleus and in selected nuclear domains were more pronounced in treated cells. This confirms that the morphological reorganization imputable to a loss of structural complexity (reduced FD) occurs in the early stage of apoptosis, is accompanied by the inhibition of distinct enzymatic events and precedes the onset of conventional cellular markers, which can only be detected during the active phases of the apoptotic process. PMID:11790854

Spectrometer calibration for spectroscopic Fourier domain optical coherence tomography

PubMed Central

Szkulmowski, Maciej; Tamborski, Szymon; Wojtkowski, Maciej

2016-01-01

We propose a simple and robust procedure for Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FdOCT) that allows to linearize the detected FdOCT spectra to wavenumber domain and, at the same time, to determine the wavelength of light for each point of detected spectrum. We show that in this approach it is possible to use any measurable physical quantity that has linear dependency on wavenumber and can be extracted from spectral fringes. The actual values of the measured quantity have no importance for the algorithm and do not need to be known at any stage of the procedure. As example we calibrate a spectral OCT spectrometer using Doppler frequency. The technique of spectral calibration can be in principle adapted to of all kind of Fourier domain OCT devices. PMID:28018723

Frequency-domain-independent vector analysis for mode-division multiplexed transmission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Yunhe; Hu, Guijun; Li, Jiao

2018-04-01

In this paper, we propose a demultiplexing method based on frequency-domain independent vector analysis (FD-IVA) algorithm for mode-division multiplexing (MDM) system. FD-IVA extends frequency-domain independent component analysis (FD-ICA) from unitary variable to multivariate variables, and provides an efficient method to eliminate the permutation ambiguity. In order to verify the performance of FD-IVA algorithm, a 6 ×6 MDM system is simulated. The simulation results show that the FD-IVA algorithm has basically the same bit-error-rate(BER) performance with the FD-ICA algorithm and frequency-domain least mean squares (FD-LMS) algorithm. Meanwhile, the convergence speed of FD-IVA algorithm is the same as that of FD-ICA. However, compared with the FD-ICA and the FD-LMS, the FD-IVA has an obviously lower computational complexity.

Automatic multimodal detection for long-term seizure documentation in epilepsy.

PubMed

Fürbass, F; Kampusch, S; Kaniusas, E; Koren, J; Pirker, S; Hopfengärtner, R; Stefan, H; Kluge, T; Baumgartner, C

2017-08-01

This study investigated sensitivity and false detection rate of a multimodal automatic seizure detection algorithm and the applicability to reduced electrode montages for long-term seizure documentation in epilepsy patients. An automatic seizure detection algorithm based on EEG, EMG, and ECG signals was developed. EEG/ECG recordings of 92 patients from two epilepsy monitoring units including 494 seizures were used to assess detection performance. EMG data were extracted by bandpass filtering of EEG signals. Sensitivity and false detection rate were evaluated for each signal modality and for reduced electrode montages. All focal seizures evolving to bilateral tonic-clonic (BTCS, n=50) and 89% of focal seizures (FS, n=139) were detected. Average sensitivity in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients was 94% and 74% in extratemporal lobe epilepsy (XTLE) patients. Overall detection sensitivity was 86%. Average false detection rate was 12.8 false detections in 24h (FD/24h) for TLE and 22 FD/24h in XTLE patients. Utilization of 8 frontal and temporal electrodes reduced average sensitivity from 86% to 81%. Our automatic multimodal seizure detection algorithm shows high sensitivity with full and reduced electrode montages. Evaluation of different signal modalities and electrode montages paces the way for semi-automatic seizure documentation systems. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

78 FR 33842 - Determination and Declaration Regarding Emergency Use of In Vitro Diagnostics for Detection of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-05

... In Vitro Diagnostics for Detection of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) AGENCY... Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). On the basis of this determination, she also... detection of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) pursuant to section 564 of the FD&C Act...

Impact of coexisting irritable bowel syndrome and non-erosive reflux disease on postprandial abdominal fullness and sleep disorders in functional dyspepsia.

PubMed

Futagami, Seiji; Yamawaki, Hiroshi; Shimpuku, Mayumi; Izumi, Nikki; Wakabayashi, Taiga; Kodaka, Yasuhiro; Nagoya, Hiroyuki; Shindo, Tomotaka; Kawagoe, Tetsuro; Sakamoto, Choitsu

2013-01-01

The association between clinical symptoms and sleep disorders in functional dyspepsia (FD)-overlap syndrome has not been studied in detail. The subjects were 139 patients with FD, 14 with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), 12 with nonerosive reflux disease (NERD), and 41 healthy volunteers. Gastric motility was evaluated with the (13)C-acetate breath test. We used Rome III criteria to evaluate upper abdominal symptoms, and Self-Rating Questionnaire for Depression (SRQ-D) scores to determine depression status. Sleep disorders were evaluated with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores. There were no significant differences in age, body-mass index, alcohol intake, and smoking rate between patients with FD alone and those with FD-overlap syndrome. The postprandial abdominal fullness score in patients with FD-NERD-IBS was significantly greater than that in patients with FD-NERD overlap syndrome (p<0.001) or FD alone (p<0.001). The score for the feeling of hunger in patients with FD-NERD-IBS was significantly greater than that in patients with FD alone (p=0.0025), FD-NERD overlap syndrome (p=0.0088), or FD-IBS overlap syndrome (p=0.0057). The heartburn score in subjects with FD-NERD-IBS overlap syndrome was significantly greater than that in subjects with FD alone (p=0.0035) or FD-IBS overlap syndrome (p=0.0026). The Tmax in patients with FD-overlap syndrome or FD alone was significantly higher than that in healthy volunteers. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score in subjects with FD-NERD-IBS overlap syndrome was significantly greater than that in subjects with FD alone. Symptom scores, such as those for postprandial abdominal fullness, heartburn, and the feeling of hunger, in patients with FD-overlap syndromes are significantly greater than those in patients with FD alone. Further studies are necessary to clarify whether various symptoms are related to sleep disorders in patients with FD-NERD-IBS overlap syndrome.

Analysis of L-citrulline and L-arginine in Ficus deltoidea leaf extracts by reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography

PubMed Central

Shafaei, Armaghan; Aisha, Abdalrahim F. A.; Siddiqui, Mohammad Jamshed Ahmad; Ismail, Zhari

2015-01-01

Background: Ficus deltoidea (FD) is one of the native plants widely distributed in several countries in Southeast Asia. Previous studies have shown that FD leaf possess antinociceptive, wound healing and antioxidant properties. These beneficial effects have been attributed to the presence of primary and secondary metabolites such as polyphenols, amino acids and flavonoids. Objective: The aim was to develop a reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography method with ultraviolet detection that involves precolumn derivatisation with O-phthaladehyde for simultaneous analysis of two amino acids L-citrulline and L-arginine in FD leaf extracts. Materials and Methods: An isocratic elution program consisting of methanol: acetonitrile: Water at 45:45:10 v/v (solvent A) and 0.1 M phosphate buffer pH 7.5 (solvent B) at A: B v/v ratio of 80:20 on Zorbax Eclipse C18 SB-Aq column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 μm) were used. The flow rate was set at 1 ml/min and detection was carried out at 338 nm with 30 min separation time. Results: Good linearity for L-citrulline and L-arginine was obtained in the range 0.1-1000 μg/ml at R2 ≥ 0.998. The limit of detection and limit of quantification values for both L-citrulline and L-arginine were 1 and 5 μg/ml, respectively. The average of recoveries was in the range 94.94-101.95%, with relative standard deviation (%RSD) less than 3%. Intra- and inter-day precision was in the range 96.36-102.43% with RSD less than 2%. Conclusion: All validation parameters of the developed method indicate the method is reliable and efficient for simultaneous determination of L-citrulline and L-arginine for routine analysis of FD. PMID:25598632

Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in the Almahata Sitta Meteorite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glavin, Daniel P.; Aubrey, Andrew D.; Callahan, Michael P.; Dworkin, Jason P.; Elsila, Jamie E.; Parker, Eric T.; Bada, Jeffrey L.

2010-01-01

Amino acid analysis of a meteorite fragment of asteroid 2008 TC3 called Almahata Sitta was carried out using reverse-phase liquid chromatography coupled with UV fluorescence detection and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-FD/ToF-MS) as part of a sample analysis consortium. LC-FD/ToF-MS analyses of hot-water extracts from the meteorite revealed a complex distribution of two- to seven-carbon aliphatic amino acids and one- to three-carbon amines with abundances ranging from 0.5 to 149 parts-per-billion (ppb). The enantiomeric ratios of the amino acids alanine, R-amino-n-butyric acid (beta-ABA), 2-amino-2-methylbutanoic acid (isovaline), and 2-aminopentanoic acid (norvaline) in the meteorite were racemic (D/L approximately 1), indicating that these amino acids are indigenous to the meteorite and not terrestrial contaminants. Several other non-protein amino acids were also identified in the meteorite above background levels including alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (alpha-AIB), 4-amino-2- methylbutanoic acid, 4-amino-3-methylbutanoic acid, and 3-, 4-, and 5-aminopentanoic acid. The total abundances of isovaline and alpha-AIB in Almahata Sitta are 1000 times lower than the abundances of these amino acids found in the CM carbonaceous chondrite Murchison. The extremely low abundances and unusual distribution of five carbon amino acids in Almahata Sitta compared to Cl, CM, and CR carbonaceous chondrites may reflect extensive thermal alteration of amino acids on the parent asteroid by partial melting during formation or subsequent impact shock heating. It is also possible that amino acids were synthesized by catalytic reactions on the parent body after asteroid 2008 TC3 cooled to lower temperatures.

SOLID PHASE MICROEXTRACTION SAMPLING OF FIRE DEBRIS RESIDUES IN THE PRESENCE OF RADIONUCLIDE SURROGATE METALS

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

Duff, M; Keisha Martin, K; S Crump, S

2007-03-23

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory currently does not have on site facilities for handling radioactive evidentiary materials and there are no established FBI methods or procedures for decontaminating highly radioactive fire debris (FD) evidence while maintaining evidentiary value. One experimental method for the isolation of FD residue from radionuclide metals involves using solid phase microextraction (SPME) fibers to remove the residues of interest. Due to their high affinity for organics, SPME fibers should have little affinity for most (radioactive) metals. The focus of this research was to develop an examination protocol that was applicable to safe work inmore » facilities where high radiation doses are shielded from the workers (as in radioactive shielded cells or ''hot cells''). We also examined the affinity of stable radionuclide surrogate metals (Co, Ir, Re, Ni, Ba, Cs, Nb, Zr and Nd) for sorption by the SPME fibers. This was done under exposure conditions that favor the uptake of FD residues under conditions that will provide little contact between the SPME and the FD material (such as charred carpet or wood that contains commonly-used accelerants). Our results from mass spectrometric analyses indicate that SPME fibers show promise for use in the room temperature head space uptake of organic FD residue (namely, diesel fuel oil, kerosene, gasoline and paint thinner) with subsequent analysis by gas chromatography (GC) with mass spectrometric (MS) detection. No inorganic forms of ignitable fluids were included in this study.« less

An energy-efficient failure detector for vehicular cloud computing.

PubMed

Liu, Jiaxi; Wu, Zhibo; Dong, Jian; Wu, Jin; Wen, Dongxin

2018-01-01

Failure detectors are one of the fundamental components for maintaining the high availability of vehicular cloud computing. In vehicular cloud computing, lots of RSUs are deployed along the road to improve the connectivity. Many of them are equipped with solar battery due to the unavailability or excess expense of wired electrical power. So it is important to reduce the battery consumption of RSU. However, the existing failure detection algorithms are not designed to save battery consumption RSU. To solve this problem, a new energy-efficient failure detector 2E-FD has been proposed specifically for vehicular cloud computing. 2E-FD does not only provide acceptable failure detection service, but also saves the battery consumption of RSU. Through the comparative experiments, the results show that our failure detector has better performance in terms of speed, accuracy and battery consumption.

An energy-efficient failure detector for vehicular cloud computing

PubMed Central

Liu, Jiaxi; Wu, Zhibo; Wu, Jin; Wen, Dongxin

2018-01-01

Failure detectors are one of the fundamental components for maintaining the high availability of vehicular cloud computing. In vehicular cloud computing, lots of RSUs are deployed along the road to improve the connectivity. Many of them are equipped with solar battery due to the unavailability or excess expense of wired electrical power. So it is important to reduce the battery consumption of RSU. However, the existing failure detection algorithms are not designed to save battery consumption RSU. To solve this problem, a new energy-efficient failure detector 2E-FD has been proposed specifically for vehicular cloud computing. 2E-FD does not only provide acceptable failure detection service, but also saves the battery consumption of RSU. Through the comparative experiments, the results show that our failure detector has better performance in terms of speed, accuracy and battery consumption. PMID:29352282

Differentiation of Forebrain and Hippocampal Dopamine 1-Class Receptors, D1R and D5R, in Spatial Learning and Memory

PubMed Central

Sariñana, Joshua; Tonegawa, Susumu

2017-01-01

Activation of prefrontal cortical (PFC), striatal, and hippocampal dopamine 1-class receptors (D1R and D5R) is necessary for normal spatial information processing. Yet the precise role of the D1R versus the D5R in the aforementioned structures, and their specific contribution to the water-maze spatial learning task remains unknown. D1R- and D5R- specific in situ hybridization probes showed that forebrain restricted D1R and D5R KO mice (F-D1R/D5R KO) displayed D1R mRNA deletion in the medial (m)PFC, dorsal and ventral striatum, and the dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus. D5R mRNA deletion was limited to the mPFC, the CA1 and DG hippocampal subregions. F-D1R/D5R KO mice were given water-maze training and displayed subtle spatial latency differences between genotypes and spatial memory deficits during both regular and reversal training. To differentiate forebrain D1R from D5R activation, forebrain restricted D1R KO (F-D1R KO) and D5R KO (F-D5R KO) mice were trained on the water-maze task. F-D1R KO animals exhibited escape latency deficits throughout regular and reversal training as well as spatial memory deficits during reversal training. F-D1R KO mice also showed perseverative behavior during the reversal spatial memory probe test. In contrast, F-D5R KO animals did not present observable deficits on the water-maze task. Because F-D1R KO mice showed water-maze deficits we tested the necessity of hippocampal D1R activation for spatial learning and memory. We trained DG restricted D1R KO (DG-D1R KO) mice on the water-maze task. DG-D1R KO mice did not present detectable spatial memory deficit, but did show subtle deficits during specific days of training. Our data provides evidence that forebrain D5R activation plays a unique role in spatial learning and memory in conjunction with D1R activation. Moreover, these data suggest that mPFC and striatal, but not DG D1R activation are essential for spatial learning and memory. PMID:26174222

Effect of 5,000 ppm Fluoride Dentifrice or 1,100 ppm Fluoride Dentifrice Combined with Acidulated Phosphate Fluoride on Caries Lesion Inhibition and Repair.

PubMed

Fernández, Constanza E; Tenuta, Livia Maria Andaló; Del Bel Cury, Altair Antoninha; Nóbrega, Diego Figueiredo; Cury, Jaime Aparecido

2017-01-01

High fluoride dentifrice (FD; 5,000 ppm F) has been recommended to arrest root dentine lesions and to control enamel caries in high-risk patients. Also, standard FD (1,100 ppm F) in combination with professional fluoride application has been recommended to control dentine caries, but the effect of this combination on enamel has been considered modest. Considering the lack of evaluation comparing the use of 5,000 ppm FD (5,000-FD) versus acidulated phosphate fluoride (APF) application combined with 1,100 ppm FD (1,100-FD) on the inhibition and repair of caries lesions in both enamel and dentine, we conducted this in situ, double-blind, crossover study of 3 phases of 14 days. In each phase, 18 volunteers wore palatal appliances containing enamel and root dentine specimens, either sound or carious, to evaluate the effect of the treatments on the inhibition or repair of caries lesions, respectively. The treatments were non-FD (negative control), 5,000-FD, or 1 APF gel application on dental specimens combined with 1,100-FD used twice per day (APF + 1,100-FD). The reduction of demineralization and enhancement of remineralization were assessed by surface and cross-sectional hardness. Fluoride concentration was determined on dental specimens and on the formed biofilm. For enamel, APF + 1,100-FD and 5,000-FD did not differ regarding the inhibition of demineralization and repair of caries lesions. However, for dentine the difference between these treatments was inconclusive because while APF + 1,100-FD was more effective than 5,000-FD in caries lesion reduction and repair, 5,000-FD was more effective than APF + 1,100-FD in the reduction of surface demineralization. Therefore, the findings show that the combination of APF + 1,100-FD is as effective as 5,000-FD in enamel inhibition of demineralization and enhancement of remineralization. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Energetic Material Detection by Laser Photofragmentation-Fragment Detection (PF-FD) Spectroscopy

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-08-01

17 19. Wynn, C. M.; Palmacci, S.; Kunz, R. R.; Clow, K.; Rothschild , M. Appl. Opt. 2008, 47, 5767. 20. Angel, S. M. Department of Chemistry and...POWDER MILL RD ADELPHI MD 20783 2 HCs MASSACHUSETTS INST OF TECHLGY M ROTHSCHILD C W WYNN LINCOLN LABORATORY LEXINGTON MA 02420 3 HCs

Demultiplexing based on frequency-domain joint decision MMA for MDM system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Caili, Gong; Li, Li; Guijun, Hu

2016-06-01

In this paper, we propose a demultiplexing method based on frequency-domain joint decision multi-modulus algorithm (FD-JDMMA) for mode division multiplexing (MDM) system. The performance of FD-JDMMA is compared with frequency-domain multi-modulus algorithm (FD-MMA) and frequency-domain least mean square (FD-LMS) algorithm. The simulation results show that FD-JDMMA outperforms FD-MMA in terms of BER and convergence speed in the cases of mQAM (m=4, 16 and 64) formats. And it is also demonstrated that FD-JDMMA achieves better BER performance and converges faster than FD-LMS in the cases of 16QAM and 64QAM. Furthermore, FD-JDMMA maintains similar computational complexity as the both equalization algorithms.

Development of a UAV-mounted Light Source for Fluorescence Detector Calibration of the Telescope Array Experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Motoki; Tameda, Yuichiro; Tomida, Takayuki; Tsunesada, Yoshiki; Seki, Terutsugu; Saito, Yoshinori

We are developing a unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which is called "Opt-copter", carrying a calibrated light source for fluorescence detector (FD) calibration of the Telescope Array (TA) experiment. Opt-copter is equipped with a high accuracy GPS device and a LED light source in the shape of a dodecahedron. A positioning accuracy of the GPS mounted on the UAV is 0.1 m, which meets the requirement for the calibration of the FDs at the distance of 100 m. The light source consists of 12 UV LEDs attached on each side of the dodecahedron, and it is covered with a spherical diffuser to improve the spatial uniformity of the light intensity. We report the status of Opt-copter development and the results of its test at the TA site.

Molecular weight dependence of permselectivity to rat small intestinal blood-lymph barrier for exogenous macromolecules absorbed from lumen.

PubMed

Yoshikawa, H; Takada, K; Muranishi, S

1984-01-01

The permselectivity to the small intestinal blood-lymph barrier for the exogenous macromolecules absorbed from the lumen was investigated using in situ rat closed loop experiment. We chose the fluorescein isothiocyanate-labelled dextran (FD) as macromolecule and lipid-surfactant mixed micelles as an absorption promoter. The mean molecular weights of FDs used were 10500, 17500, 39000 and 64200 (abbreviated: FD10 , 20, 40 and 70). The lymph/plasma ratios of FDs concentrations during 5 h post administration were 0.2-1.2 ( FD10 ), 0.4-1.3 ( FD20 ), 1.3-7.2 ( FD40 ) and 2.6-11.9 ( FD70 ), respectively. The FD40 and FD70 levels in the lymph were significantly higher than those in the plasma. The cumulative amounts (% of the absorbed quantity) of FDs in the lymph from the lumen of the small intestine for 5 h after administration were 0.46% ( FD10 ), 0.51% ( FD20 ), 1.17% ( FD40 ) and 1.89% ( FD70 ), respectively. These findings suggest that the threshold molecular weight of FD for the transfer into the lymphatics with higher level compared to the blood concentration from the lumen across the small intestinal blood-lymph barrier exists between 17500 and 39000.

UPTAKE OF RADIONUCLIDE METALS BY SPME FIBERS

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

Duff, M; S Crump, S; Robert02 Ray, R

2006-08-28

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Laboratory currently does not have on site facilities for handling radioactive evidentiary materials and there are no established FBI methods or procedures for decontaminating high explosive (HE) and fire debris (FD) evidence while maintaining evidentiary value. One experimental method for the isolation of HE and FD residue involves using solid phase microextraction or SPME fibers to remove residue of interest. Due to their high affinity for organics, SPME fibers should have little affinity for most metals. However, no studies have measured the affinity of radionuclides for SPME fibers. The focus of this research wasmore » to examine the affinity of dissolved radionuclide ({sup 239/240}Pu, {sup 238}U, {sup 237}Np, {sup 85}Sr, {sup 133}Ba, {sup 137}Cs, {sup 60}Co and {sup 226}Ra) and stable radionuclide surrogate metals (Sr, Co, Ir, Re, Ni, Ba, Cs, Nb, Zr, Ru, and Nd) for SPME fibers at the exposure conditions that favor the uptake of HE and FD residues. Our results from radiochemical and mass spectrometric analyses indicate these metals have little measurable affinity for these SPME fibers during conditions that are conducive to HE and FD residue uptake with subsequent analysis by liquid or gas phase chromatography with mass spectrometric detection.« less

Fluctuations of the fractal dimension of the electroencephalogram during periodic breathing in heart failure patients.

PubMed

Maestri, Roberto; La Rovere, Maria Teresa; Robbi, Elena; Pinna, Gian Domenico

2010-06-01

The physiological mechanisms responsible for periodic breathing (PB) in heart failure (HF) patients are still debated. A role for rhythmic shifts in the level of wakefulness has been suggested, but their existence has never been proven. In this study we investigated the existence of an oscillation in EEG activity during PB in these patients and assessed its relationship with the ventilatory oscillation. EEG activity was measured by the fractal dimension (FD) and by a spectral technique (weighted mean frequency, WMF) in 17 stable HF patients (mean age +/- SD: 57+/-10 yrs, NYHA class: 2.6 +/- 0.4, LVEF: 24 +/- 6%), with sustained PB during supine rest. The relationship between minute ventilation (MV) signal and FD and WMF was assessed by coherence analysis. Most patients (10/17) showed a well defined oscillation in FD and WMF at the frequency of PB closely linked (coherence > 0.7) with the oscillation of MV. In the remaining patients, neither FD nor WMF showed a clear oscillatory pattern synchronous with MV. Overall, the two EEG-derived parameters showed the same coherence with the ventilatory oscillation (mean coherence +/- SD: 0.65 +/- 0.25 vs 0.66 +/- 0.23, for FD and WMF respectively, p = 0.44). Our results provide evidence that during PB in HF patients, EEG activity often, but not always, fluctuates synchronously with the ventilatory oscillation. These fluctuations can be effectively detected by the fractal dimension, but classical spectral methods provide substantially the same information. Other mechanisms, particularly chemical instability in the respiratory control system, are likely to play a role in the genesis of PB.

High MRI performance fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles for tracking neural progenitor cells in an ischemic mouse model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lu; Wang, Yao; Tang, Yaohui; Jiao, Zheng; Xie, Chengying; Zhang, Haijiao; Gu, Ping; Wei, Xunbin; Yang, Guo-Yuan; Gu, Hongchen; Zhang, Chunfu

2013-05-01

Multifunctional probes with high MRI sensitivity and high efficiency for cell labeling are desirable for MR cell imaging. Herein, we have fabricated fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (fmSiO4@SPIONs) for neural progenitor cell (C17.2) MR imaging. FmSiO4@SPIONs were discrete and uniform in size, and had a clear core-shell structure. The magnetic core size was about 10 nm and the fluorescent mesoporous silica coating layer was around 20 nm. Compared with fluorescent dense silica-coated SPIONs (fdSiO4@SPIONs) with a similar size, fmSiO4@SPIONs demonstrated higher MR sensitivity and cell labeling efficiency. When implanted into the right hemisphere of stroke mice, contralateral to the ischemic territory, a small amount of labeled cells were able to be tracked migrating to the lesion sites using a clinical MRI scanner (3 T). More impressively, even when administered intravenously, the labeled cells could also be monitored homing to the ischemic area. MRI observations were corroborated by histological studies of the brain tissues. Our study demonstrated that fmSiO4@SPIONs are highly effective for cell imaging and hold great promise for MRI cell tracking in future.Multifunctional probes with high MRI sensitivity and high efficiency for cell labeling are desirable for MR cell imaging. Herein, we have fabricated fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (fmSiO4@SPIONs) for neural progenitor cell (C17.2) MR imaging. FmSiO4@SPIONs were discrete and uniform in size, and had a clear core-shell structure. The magnetic core size was about 10 nm and the fluorescent mesoporous silica coating layer was around 20 nm. Compared with fluorescent dense silica-coated SPIONs (fdSiO4@SPIONs) with a similar size, fmSiO4@SPIONs demonstrated higher MR sensitivity and cell labeling efficiency. When implanted into the right hemisphere of stroke mice, contralateral to the ischemic territory, a small amount of labeled cells were able to be tracked migrating to the lesion sites using a clinical MRI scanner (3 T). More impressively, even when administered intravenously, the labeled cells could also be monitored homing to the ischemic area. MRI observations were corroborated by histological studies of the brain tissues. Our study demonstrated that fmSiO4@SPIONs are highly effective for cell imaging and hold great promise for MRI cell tracking in future. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Details of cell internalization of fmSiO4@SPIONs compared with SHU555A, immunofluorescence image of the immature phenotype of labeled C17.2. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr00119a

Extraterrestrial Amino Acids in Ureilites Including Almahata Sitta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burton, A. S.; Glavin, D. P.; Callahan, M. P.; Dworkin, J. P.

2011-01-01

Ureilites are a class of meteorites that lack chondrules (achondrites) but have relatively high carbon abundances, averaging approx.3 wt %. Using highly sensitive liquid chromatography coupled with UV fluorescence and time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-FD/ToF-MS), it was recently determined that there are amino acids in. fragment 94 of the Almahata Sitta ureilite[l]. Based on the presence of amino acids that are rare in the Earth's biosphere, as well as the near-racemic enantiomeric ratios of marry of the more common amino acids, it was concluded that most of the detected amino acids were indigenous to the meteorite. Although the composition of the Almahata Sitta ureilite appears to be unlike other recovered ureilites, the discovery of amino acids in this meteorite raises the question of whether other ureilites rnav also contain amino acids. Herein we present the results of LC-FDlTo.F-MS analyses of: a sand sample from the Almahata Sitta strewn held, Almahata Sitta fragments 425 (an ordinary H5 chondrite) and 427 (ureilite), as well as an Antarctic ureilite (Allan lulls, ALHA 77257).

X-ray excitation fluorescence spectra of the Eu2+-stabilized VK center in alkaline-earth fluoride mixed-crystal systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kawano, K.; Ohya, T.; Tsurumi, T.; Katoh, K.; Nakata, R.

1999-11-01

X-ray excitation fluorescence spectra were investigated for MF2:Eu (M=Ca, Sr, and Ba) and their mixed-crystal systems, Ca1-xSrxF2 and Sr1-xBaxF2 with the same fluorite structure. The UV recombination fluorescence band of the VK center associated with blue emission due to the f-d transition of Eu2+ ions was observed with changing mixture ratios x at room temperature. Two sets of weak spectra due to f-f transitions of Eu3+ ions also appeared in the 500-600-nm wavelength region. The peak wavelengths and the integrated intensities of the observed fluorescence were investigated as a function of the Eu concentration as well as the mixture ratio. For the blue emission of Eu2+, pulsed x-ray excitation resulted in shorter lifetimes (500-800 ns) than optical excitation, suggesting energy transfers between the excited states of VK centers and Eu2+. A kinematical fluorescence mechanism was proposed, taking into account the formation of a close pair of a hopping VK center and an immobile Eu2+ ion followed by an energy transfer from the former to the latter. Based on the calculated fluorescence decay curves best fitted to the response curves by x-ray pulse excitation, the energy transfer rates from VK centers to Eu2+ were estimated.

Living in a digital world: features and applications of FPGA in photon detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arnesano, Cosimo

Optical spectroscopy and imaging outcomes rely upon many factors; one of the most critical is the photon acquisition and processing method employed. For some types of measurements it may be crucial to acquire every single photon quickly with temporal resolution, but in other cases it is important to acquire as many photons as possible, regardless of the time information about each of them. Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy belongs to the first case, where the information of the time of arrival of every single photon in every single pixel is fundamental in obtaining the desired information. Spectral tissue imaging belongs to the second case, where high photon density is needed in order to calculate the optical parameters necessary to build the spectral image. In both cases, the current instrumentation suffers from limitations in terms of acquisition time, duty cycle, cost, and radio-frequency interference and emission. We developed the Digital Frequency-Domain approach for photon acquisition and processing purpose using new digital technology. This approach is based on the use of photon detectors in photon counting mode, and the digital heterodyning method to acquire data which is analyzed in the frequency domain to provide the information of the time of arrival of the photons . In conjunction with the use of pulsed laser sources, this method allows the determination of the time of arrival of the photons using the harmonic content of the frequency domain analysis. The parallel digital FD design is a powerful approach that others the possibility to implement a variety of different applications in fluorescence spectroscopy and microscopy. It can be applied to fluorometry, Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging (FLIM), and Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy (FCS), as well as multi frequency and multi wavelength tissue imaging in compact portable medical devices. It dramatically reduces the acquisition time from the several minutes scale to the seconds scale, performs signal processing in a digital fashion avoiding RF emission and it is extremely inexpensive. This development is the result of a systematic study carried on a previous design known as the FLIMBox developed as part of a thesis of another graduate student. The extensive work done in maximizing the performance of the original FLIMBox led us to develop a new hardware solution with exciting and promising results and potential that were not possible in the previous hardware realization, where the signal harmonic content was limited by the FPGA technology. The new design permits acquisition of a much larger harmonic content of the sample response when it is excited with a pulsed light source in one single measurement using the digital mixing principle that was developed in the original design. Furthermore, we used the parallel digital FD principle to perform tissue imaging through Diffuse Optical Spectroscopy (DOS) measurements. We integrated the FLIMBox in a new system that uses a supercontinuum white laser with high brightness as a single light source and photomultipliers with large detection area, both allowing a high penetration depth with extremely low power at the sample. The parallel acquisition, achieved by using the FlimBox, decreases the time required for standard serial systems that scan through all modulation frequencies. Furthermore, the all-digital acquisition avoids analog noise, removes the analog mixer of the conventional frequency domain approach, and it does not generate radio-frequencies, normally present in current analog systems. We are able to obtain a very sensitive acquisition due to the high signal to noise ratio (S/N). The successful results obtained by utilizing digital technology in photon acquisition and processing, prompted us to extend the use of FPGA to other applications, such as phosphorescence detection. Using the FPGA concept we proposed possible solutions to outstanding problems with the current technology. In this thesis I discuss new possible scenarios where new FPGA chips are applied to spectral tissue imaging.

Nutritional habits in functional dyspepsia and its subgroups: a comparative study.

PubMed

Göktaş, Zeynep; Köklü, Seyfettin; Dikmen, Derya; Öztürk, Ömer; Yılmaz, Bülent; Asıl, Mehmet; Korkmaz, Hüseyin; Tuna, Yaşar; Kekilli, Murat; Karamanoğlu Aksoy, Evrim; Köklü, Hayretdin; Demir, Aslıhan; Köklü, Gülşah; Arslan, Serab

2016-08-01

Research data demonstrating nutritional habits of functional dyspepsia (FD) patients are very limited. This is the first study to evaluate nutritional habits in FD subgroups according to Rome III criteria. Our aim was to evaluate nutritional habits of FD patients and determine the food items that may provoke a dyspepsia symptom. A total of 168 adults with FD and 135 healthy control subjects participated in the study. FD subjects were divided into epigastric pain syndrome (EP-FD), postprandial distress syndrome (PS-FD), mixed (MX-FD) subgroups according to Rome Criteria III. Subjects completed a questionnaire that included a short-form food frequency questionnaire. Furthermore, subjects were asked to list the food items that were causing a dyspepsia symptom. Functional dyspepsia subjects had a slightly higher BMI (26.1 ± 4.97 kg/m(2)) than control subjects (24.6 ± 4.08 kg/m(2)). The most common symptom triggering foods among all the FD groups were fried and fatty foods (27.1%), hot spices (26.4%), and carbonated drinks (21.8%). In FD subgroups, carbonated drinks were more likely to cause a symptom in PS-FD group (37.3%) than MX-FD (25.7%) and EP-FD (22.1%) groups. There was no difference in frequency of main meals and snacks among any of the groups. Fatty and spicy foods and carbonated drinks were the most common symptom triggering food items in FD group. In subgroups, carbonated drinks and legumes were more likely to cause a symptom in PS-FD. Removing these food items during the course of treatment might help alleviate the symptoms.

Fault detection for singular switched linear systems with multiple time-varying delay in finite frequency domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhai, Ding; Lu, Anyang; Li, Jinghao; Zhang, Qingling

2016-10-01

This paper deals with the problem of the fault detection (FD) for continuous-time singular switched linear systems with multiple time-varying delay. In this paper, the actuator fault is considered. Besides, the systems faults and unknown disturbances are assumed in known frequency domains. Some finite frequency performance indices are initially introduced to design the switched FD filters which ensure that the filtering augmented systems under switching signal with average dwell time are exponentially admissible and guarantee the fault input sensitivity and disturbance robustness. By developing generalised Kalman-Yakubovic-Popov lemma and using Parseval's theorem and Fourier transform, finite frequency delay-dependent sufficient conditions for the existence of such a filter which can guarantee the finite-frequency H- and H∞ performance are derived and formulated in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Four examples are provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed finite frequency method.

Hindbrain A2 noradrenergic neuron adenosine 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase activation, upstream kinase/phosphorylase protein expression, and receptivity to hormone and fuel reporters of short-term food deprivation are regulated by estradiol.

PubMed

Briski, Karen P; Alenazi, Fahaad S H; Shakya, Manita; Sylvester, Paul W

2017-07-01

Estradiol (E) mitigates acute and postacute adverse effects of 12 hr-food deprivation (FD) on energy balance. Hindbrain 5'-monophosphate-activated protein kinase (AMPK) regulates hyperphagic and hypothalamic metabolic neuropeptide and norepinephrine responses to FD in an E-dependent manner. Energy-state information from AMPK-expressing hindbrain A2 noradrenergic neurons shapes neural responses to metabolic imbalance. Here we investigate the hypothesis that FD causes divergent changes in A2 AMPK activity in E- vs. oil (O)-implanted ovariectomized female rats, alongside dissimilar adjustments in circulating metabolic fuel (glucose, free fatty acids [FFA]) and energy deficit-sensitive hormone (corticosterone, glucagon, leptin) levels. FD decreased blood glucose in oil (O)- but not E-implanted ovariectomized female rats and elevated and reduced glucagon levels in O and E, respectively. FD decreased circulating leptin in O and E, but increased corticosterone and FFA concentrations in E only. Western blot analysis of laser-microdissected A2 neurons showed that glucocorticoid receptor type II and very-long-chain acyl-CoA synthetase 3 protein profiles were amplified in FD/E vs. FD/O. A2 total AMPK protein was elevated without change in activity in FD/O, whereas FD/E exhibited increased AMPK activation along with decreased upstream phosphatase expression. The catecholamine biosynthetic enzyme dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DβH) was increased in FD/O but not FD/E A2 cells. The data show discordance between A2 AMPK activation and glycemic responses to FD; sensor activity was refractory to glucose decrements in FD/O but augmented in FD/E despite stabilized glucose and elevated FFA levels. E-dependent amplification of AMPK activity may reflect adaptive conversion to fatty acid oxidation and/or glucocorticoid stimulation. FD augmentation of A2 DβH protein profiles in FD/O but not FD/E animals suggests that FD may correspondingly regulate NE synthesis vs. metabolism/release in the absence vs. presence of E. Mechanisms underlying translation of E-contingent A2 neuron responses to FD into regulatory signaling remain to be determined. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Hemodynamic Changes Caused by Flow Diverters in Rabbit Aneurysm Models: Comparison of Virtual and Realistic FD Deployments Based on Micro-CT Reconstruction

PubMed Central

Fang, Yibin; Yu, Ying; Cheng, Jiyong; Wang, Shengzhang; Wang, Kuizhong; Liu, Jian-Min; Huang, Qinghai

2013-01-01

Adjusting hemodynamics via flow diverter (FD) implantation is emerging as a novel method of treating cerebral aneurysms. However, most previous FD-related hemodynamic studies were based on virtual FD deployment, which may produce different hemodynamic outcomes than realistic (in vivo) FD deployment. We compared hemodynamics between virtual FD and realistic FD deployments in rabbit aneurysm models using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. FDs were implanted for aneurysms in 14 rabbits. Vascular models based on rabbit-specific angiograms were reconstructed for CFD studies. Real FD configurations were reconstructed based on micro-CT scans after sacrifice, while virtual FD configurations were constructed with SolidWorks software. Hemodynamic parameters before and after FD deployment were analyzed. According to the metal coverage (MC) of implanted FDs calculated based on micro-CT reconstruction, 14 rabbits were divided into two groups (A, MC >35%; B, MC <35%). Normalized mean wall shear stress (WSS), relative residence time (RRT), inflow velocity, and inflow volume in Group A were significantly different (P<0.05) from virtual FD deployment, but pressure was not (P>0.05). The normalized mean WSS in Group A after realistic FD implantation was significantly lower than that of Group B. All parameters in Group B exhibited no significant difference between realistic and virtual FDs. This study confirmed MC-correlated differences in hemodynamic parameters between realistic and virtual FD deployment. PMID:23823503

Validation of an automated seizure detection algorithm for term neonates

PubMed Central

Mathieson, Sean R.; Stevenson, Nathan J.; Low, Evonne; Marnane, William P.; Rennie, Janet M.; Temko, Andrey; Lightbody, Gordon; Boylan, Geraldine B.

2016-01-01

Objective The objective of this study was to validate the performance of a seizure detection algorithm (SDA) developed by our group, on previously unseen, prolonged, unedited EEG recordings from 70 babies from 2 centres. Methods EEGs of 70 babies (35 seizure, 35 non-seizure) were annotated for seizures by experts as the gold standard. The SDA was tested on the EEGs at a range of sensitivity settings. Annotations from the expert and SDA were compared using event and epoch based metrics. The effect of seizure duration on SDA performance was also analysed. Results Between sensitivity settings of 0.5 and 0.3, the algorithm achieved seizure detection rates of 52.6–75.0%, with false detection (FD) rates of 0.04–0.36 FD/h for event based analysis, which was deemed to be acceptable in a clinical environment. Time based comparison of expert and SDA annotations using Cohen’s Kappa Index revealed a best performing SDA threshold of 0.4 (Kappa 0.630). The SDA showed improved detection performance with longer seizures. Conclusion The SDA achieved promising performance and warrants further testing in a live clinical evaluation. Significance The SDA has the potential to improve seizure detection and provide a robust tool for comparing treatment regimens. PMID:26055336

Calibration of the Auger Fluorescence Telescopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klages, H.; Pierre Auger Observatory Collaboration

Thirty fluorescence telescopes in four stations will overlook the detector array of the southern hemisphere experiment of the Pierre Auger project. The main aim of these telescopes is tracking of EHE air showers, measurement of the longitudinal shower development (Xmax) and determination of the absolute energy of EHE events. A telescope camera contains 440 PMTs each covering a 1.5 x 1.5 degree pixel of the sky. The response of every pixel is converted into the number of charged particles at the observed part of the shower. This reconstruction includes the shower/observer geometry and the details of the atmospheric photon production and transport. The remaining experimental task is to convert the ADC counts of the camera pixel electronics into the light flux entering the Schmidt aperture. Three types of calibration and control are necessary : a) Monitoring of time dependent variations has to be performed for all parts of the optics and for all pixels frequently. Common illumination for all pixels of a camera allows the detection of individual deviations. Properties of windows, filters and mirrors have to be measured separately. b) Differences in pixel-to-pixel efficiency are mainly due to PMT gain and to differences in effective area (camera shadow, mirror size limits). Homogeneous and isotropic illumination will enable cross calibration. c) An absolute calibration has to be performed once in a while using trusted light monitors. The calibration methods used for the Pierre Auger FD telescopes in Argentina are discussed.

Carbon-Type Analysis and Comparison of Original and Reblended FACE Diesel Fuels (FACE 2, FACE 4, and FACE 7)

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

Bays, J. Timothy; King, David L.; O'Hagan, Molly J.

This report summarizes the carbon-type analysis from 1H and 13C{1H} nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR) of Fuels for Advanced Combustion Engines (FACE) diesel blends, FD-2B, FD 4B, and FD-7B, and makes comparison of the new blends with the original FACE diesel blends, FD 2A, FD 4A, and FD-7A, respectively. Generally, FD-2A and FD-2B are more similar than the A and B blends of FD-4 and FD-7. The aromatic carbon content is roughly equivalent, although the new FACE blends have decreased monoaromatic content and increased di- and tri-cycloaromatic content, as well as a higher overall aromatic content, than the original FACEmore » blends. The aromatic components of the new FACE blends generally have a higher alkyl substitution with longer alkyl substituents. The naphthenic and paraffinic contents remained relatively consistent. Based on aliphatic methyl and methylene carbon ratios, cetane numbers for FD-2A and -2B, and FD-7A and -7B are predicted to be consistent, while the cetane number for FD-4B is predicted to be higher than FD-4A. Overall, the new FACE fuel blends are fairly consistent with the original FACE fuel blends, but there are observable differences. In addition to providing important comparative compositional information on reformulated FACE diesel blends, this report also provides important information about the capabilities of the team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in the use of NMR spectroscopy for the detailed characterization and comparison of fuels and fuel blends.« less

Degradation of formaldehyde at high concentrations by phenol-adapted Ralstonia eutropha closely related to pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs.

PubMed

Habibi, Alireza; Vahabzadeh, Farzaneh

2013-01-01

The ability of the phenol-adapted Ralstonia eutropha to utilize formaldehyde (FD) as the sole source of carbon and energy was studied. Adaptation to FD was accomplished by substituting FD for glucose in a stepwise manner. The bacterium in the liquid test culture could tolerate concentrations of FD up to 900 mg L(-1). Degradation of FD was complete in 528 h at 30°C with shaking at 150 rpm (r = 1.67 mg L(-1) h(-1)), q = 0.035 g(FD) g(cell) (-1) h(-1). Substrate inhibition kinetics (Haldane and Luong equations) are used to describe the experimental data. At non-inhibitory concentrations of FD, the Monod equation was used. According to the Luong model, the values of the maximum specific growth rate (μ(max)), half-saturation coefficient (k(S)), the maximum allowable formaldehyde concentration (S(m)), and the shape factor (n) were 0.117 h(-1), 47.6 mg L(-1), 900 mg L(-1), and 2.2, respectively. The growth response of the test bacterium to consecutive FD feedings was examined, and the FD-adapted R. eutropha cells were able to degrade 1000 mg L(-1) FD in 150 h through 4 cycles of FD feeds. During FD degradation, formic acid metabolite was formed. Assimilation of FD, methanol, formic acid, and oxalate by the test bacterium was accompanied by the formation of a pink pigment. The carotenoid nature of the cellular pigment has been confirmed and the test bacterium appeared to be closely related to pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophs (PPFM). The extent of harm to soil exposed to biotreated wastewaters containing FD may be moderated due to the association between methylotrophic/oxalotrophic bacteria and plants.

Esophageal peristaltic defects in adults with functional dysphagia.

PubMed

Ratuapli, Shiva K; Hansel, Stephanie L; Umar, Sarah B; Burdick, George E; Ramirez, Francisco C; Fleischer, David E; Harris, Lucinda A; Lacy, Brian E; DiBaise, John K; Crowell, Michael D

2014-08-01

Functional dysphagia (FD) is characterized by the presence of dysphagia without evidence of mechanical esophageal obstruction, GERD, and histopathology-based esophageal motor disorders. Dysphagia is common in older patients; however, there is a paucity of information regarding the type and frequency of peristaltic abnormalities compared to younger patients. Based on recently validated criteria for classification of weak peristalsis using high-resolution manometry (HRM), we hypothesized that older patients with FD would have more peristaltic defects detected by HRM compared to younger FD patients. A retrospective review of our motility database yielded 65 patients that met inclusion criteria. Patients were divided into two groups based on age (younger: <70 years; older: ≥70 years). Patients were interviewed, completed a quality-of-life questionnaire, and underwent solid-state HRM. The two groups differed in age but in no other demographic characteristics, severity of dysphagia, or quality of life. Dyspeptic symptoms, including nausea (p < 0.001), early satiety (p = 0.01), bloating (p = 0.02), and belching (p = 0.01), were also more prevalent in younger FD patients. Older age was associated with weak peristalsis involving frequent failed peristalsis, small proximal peristaltic defects (2-5 cm), and large proximal peristaltic defects (>5 cm) (p < 0.001). The mean contraction amplitude was also lower in the older group (p < 0.05). These data support the hypothesis that older patients with FD have a higher frequency of peristaltic abnormalities on HRM compared to younger patients. Older age was associated with increased frequency of weak peristalsis with small and large peristaltic defects.

The Tofts model in frequency domain: fast and robust determination of pharmacokinetic maps for dynamic contrast enhancement MRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vajuvalli, Nithin N.; Chikkemenahally, Dharmendra Kumar K.; Nayak, Krupa N.; Bhosale, Manoj G.; Geethanath, Sairam

2016-12-01

Dynamic contrast enhancement magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) is a well-established method for non-invasive detection and therapeutic monitoring of pathologies through administration of intravenous contrast agent. Quantification of pharmacokinetic (PK) maps can be achieved through application of compartmental models relevant to the pathophysiology of the tissue under interrogation. The determination of PK parameters involves fitting of time-concentration data to these models. In this work, the Tofts model in frequency domain (TM-FD) is applied to a weakly vascularized tissue such as the breast. It is derived as a convolution-free model from the conventional Tofts model in the time domain (TM-TD). This reduces the dimensionality of the curve-fitting problem from two to one. The approaches of TM-FD and TM-TD were applied to two kinds of in silico phantoms and six in vivo breast DCE data sets with and without the addition of noise. The results showed that computational time taken to estimate PK maps using TM-FD was 16-25% less than with TM-TD. Normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) calculation and Pearson correlation analyses were performed to validate robustness and accuracy of the TM-FD and TM-TD approaches. These compared with ground truth values in the case of phantom studies for four different temporal resolutions. Results showed that NRMSE values for TM-FD were significantly lower than those of TM-TD as validated by a paired t-test along with reduced computational time. This approach therefore enables online evaluation of PK maps by radiologists in a clinical setting, aiding in the evaluation of 3D and/or increased coverage of the tissue of interest.

Microvascular fractal dimension predicts prognosis and response to chemotherapy in glioblastoma: an automatic image analysis study.

PubMed

Chen, Cong; He, Zhi-Cheng; Shi, Yu; Zhou, Wenchao; Zhang, Xia; Xiao, Hua-Liang; Wu, Hai-Bo; Yao, Xiao-Hong; Luo, Wan-Chun; Cui, You-Hong; Bao, Shideng; Kung, Hsiang-Fu; Bian, Xiu-Wu; Ping, Yi-Fang

2018-05-15

The microvascular profile has been included in the WHO glioma grading criteria. Nevertheless, microvessels in gliomas of the same WHO grade, e.g., WHO IV glioblastoma (GBM), exhibit heterogeneous and polymorphic morphology, whose possible clinical significance remains to be determined. In this study, we employed a fractal geometry-derived parameter, microvascular fractal dimension (mvFD), to quantify microvessel complexity and developed a home-made macro in Image J software to automatically determine mvFD from the microvessel-stained immunohistochemical images of GBM. We found that mvFD effectively quantified the morphological complexity of GBM microvasculature. Furthermore, high mvFD favored the survival of GBM patients as an independent prognostic indicator and predicted a better response to chemotherapy of GBM patients. When investigating the underlying relations between mvFD and tumor growth by deploying Ki67/mvFD as an index for microvasculature-normalized tumor proliferation, we discovered an inverse correlation between mvFD and Ki67/mvFD. Furthermore, mvFD inversely correlated with the expressions of a glycolytic marker, LDHA, which indicated poor prognosis of GBM patients. Conclusively, we developed an automatic approach for mvFD measurement, and demonstrated that mvFD could predict the prognosis and response to chemotherapy of GBM patients.

Directing an artificial zinc finger protein to new targets by fusion to a non-DNA-binding domain.

PubMed

Lim, Wooi F; Burdach, Jon; Funnell, Alister P W; Pearson, Richard C M; Quinlan, Kate G R; Crossley, Merlin

2016-04-20

Transcription factors are often regarded as having two separable components: a DNA-binding domain (DBD) and a functional domain (FD), with the DBD thought to determine target gene recognition. While this holds true for DNA bindingin vitro, it appears thatin vivoFDs can also influence genomic targeting. We fused the FD from the well-characterized transcription factor Krüppel-like Factor 3 (KLF3) to an artificial zinc finger (AZF) protein originally designed to target the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGF-A) gene promoter. We compared genome-wide occupancy of the KLF3FD-AZF fusion to that observed with AZF. AZF bound to theVEGF-Apromoter as predicted, but was also found to occupy approximately 25,000 other sites, a large number of which contained the expected AZF recognition sequence, GCTGGGGGC. Interestingly, addition of the KLF3 FD re-distributes the fusion protein to new sites, with total DNA occupancy detected at around 50,000 sites. A portion of these sites correspond to known KLF3-bound regions, while others contained sequences similar but not identical to the expected AZF recognition sequence. These results show that FDs can influence and may be useful in directing AZF DNA-binding proteins to specific targets and provide insights into how natural transcription factors operate. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Identification of lysosomal and extralysosomal globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) accumulations before the occurrence of typical pathological changes in the endomyocardial biopsies of Fabry disease patients.

PubMed

Hsu, Ming-Jia; Chang, Fu-Pang; Lu, Yung-Hsiu; Hung, Sheng-Che; Wang, Yu-Chen; Yang, An-Hang; Lee, Han-Jui; Sung, Shih-Hsien; Wang, Yen-Feng; Yu, Wen-Chung; Hsu, Ting-Rong; Huang, Po-Hsun; Chang, Sheng-Kai; Dzhagalov, Ivan; Hsu, Chia-Lin; Niu, Dau-Ming

2018-06-06

Evaluation standards and treatment initiation timing have been debated for a long time, particularly for late-onset Fabry disease (FD), because of its slow progression. However, early initiation of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) for FD could be effective in stabilizing the disease progression and potentially preventing irreversible organ damage. We aimed to examine globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) deposits in patients' endomyocardial biopsies to understand the early pathogenesis of FD cardiomyopathy. Immunofluorescent (IF) staining of Gb3 and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 1 (LAMP-1) was performed on endomyocardial biopsies of patients suspected of Fabry cardiomyopathy who had negative or only slight Gb3 accumulation determined by toluidine blue staining and electron microscopic examination. The IF staining results revealed that all patients examined had abundant Gb3 accumulation in their cardiomyocytes, including the ones who are negative for inclusion bodies. Furthermore, we found that early Gb3 deposits were mostly confined within lysosomes, while they appeared extralysosomally at a later stage. A significant amount of lysosomal Gb3 deposits could be detected by IF staining in cardiac tissue before the formation of inclusion bodies, suggesting the cardiomyocytes might have been experiencing cellular stress and damage early on, before the appearance of typical pathological changes of FD during the disease progression.

Improved monoclonal antibodies to halodeoxyuridine

DOEpatents

Vanderlaan, M.; Dolbeare, F.A.; Gray, J.W.; Thomas, C.B.

1983-10-18

The development, method of production, characterization and methods of use of two hybridomas, CIdU-1 (ATCC Accession No. HB-8321) and CIdU-2 (ATCC Accession No. HB-8320), are described. These secrete IgG/sub 1/(K) immunoglobulins that react with halodeoxyuridine (HdU or halodU) such as bromo, chloro, fluoro and iodo deoxyuridine (BrdU, CldU, FdU and IdU), whether these are free in solution or incorporated into single stranded DNA in whole cells. The antibodies do not react with naturally occurring free nucleic acids or with deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA) polymers. These antibodies are suitable for use in enzyme immunoassays for free CldU, FdU, IdU and BrdU and for detecting cells with these nucleotides incorporated into them. The monoclonal antibodies are useful in the detection of the sensitivity of tumor cells to specific chemotherapeutic agents, in the measurement of the rate of cellular DNA synthesis, in the measurement of the rate of proliferation of normal and malignant cells and in the detection of HPRT deficiency in cells. 1 tab.

Age- and sex-related variations in the brain white matter fractal dimension throughout adulthood: an MRI study.

PubMed

Farahibozorg, S; Hashemi-Golpayegani, S M; Ashburner, J

2015-03-01

To observe age- and sex-related differences in the complexity of the global and hemispheric white matter (WM) throughout adulthood by means of fractal dimension (FD). A box-counting algorithm was used to extract FD from the WM magnetic resonance images of 209 healthy adults from three structural layers, including general (gFD), skeleton (sFD), and boundaries (bFD). Model selection algorithms and statistical analyses, respectively, were used to examine the patterns and significance of the changes. gFD and sFD showed inverse U-shape patterns with aging, with a slighter slope of increase from young to mid-age and a steeper decrease to the old. bFD was less affected by age. Sex differences were evident, specifically in gFD and sFD, with men showing higher FDs. Age × sex interaction was significant mainly in the hemispheric analysis, with men undergoing sharper age-related changes. After adjusting for the volume effect, age-related results remained approximately the same, but sex differences changed in most of the features, with women indicating higher values, specifically in the left hemisphere and boundaries. Right hemisphere was still more complex in men. This study is the first that investigates the WM FD spanning adulthood, treating age both as a continuous and categorical variable. We found positive correlations between FD and volume, and our results show similarities with those investigating small-world properties of the brain networks, as well as those of functional complexity and WM integrity. These suggest that FD could yield a highly compact description of the structural changes and also might inform us about functional and cognitive variations.

Polymer blends used to develop felodipine-loaded hollow microspheres for improved oral bioavailability.

PubMed

Pi, Chao; Feng, Ting; Liang, Jing; Liu, Hao; Huang, Dongmei; Zhan, Chenglin; Yuan, Jiyuan; Lee, Robert J; Zhao, Ling; Wei, Yumeng

2018-06-01

Felodipine (FD) has been widely used in anti-hypertensive treatment. However, it has extremely low aqueous solubility and poor bioavailability. To address these problems, FD hollow microspheres as multiple-unit dosage forms were synthesized by a solvent diffusion evaporation method. Particle size of the hollow microspheres, types of ethylcellulose (EC), amounts of EC, polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) and FD were investigated based on an orthogonal experiment of three factors and three levels. In addition, the release kinetics in vitro and pharmacokinetics in beagle dogs of the optimized FD hollow microspheres was investigated and compared with Plendil (commercial FD sustained-release tablets) as a single-unit dosage form. Results showed that the optimal formulation was composed of EC 10 cp :PVP:FD (0.9:0.16:0.36, w/w). The FD hollow microspheres were globular with a hollow structure and have high drug loading (17.69±0.44%) and floating rate (93.82±4.05%) in simulated human gastric fluid after 24h. Pharmacokinetic data showed that FD hollow microspheres exhibited sustained-release behavior and significantly improved relative bioavailability of FD compared with the control. Pharmacodynamic study showed that the FD hollow microspheres could effectively lower blood pressure. Therefore, these findings demonstrated that the hollow microspheres were an effective sustained-release delivery system for FD. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Feasibility of cone beam computed tomography radiomorphometric analysis and fractal dimension in assessment of postmenopausal osteoporosis in correlation with dual X-ray absorptiometry.

PubMed

Mostafa, Raghdaa A; Arnout, Eman A; Abo El-Fotouh, Mona M

The aim of the present study was to assess the feasibility of using mandibular CBCT radiomorphometric indices and box-counting fractal dimension (FD) to detect osteoporosis in post-menopausal females, compare them with the healthy control group and to correlate the findings with the bone mineral density measured by dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). This study consisted of 50 post-menopausal females, with age ranging from 55 to 70 years. Based on their DXA results, they were classified into osteoporotic and control groups. Mandibular CBCT radiomorphomertic indices and FD analysis were measured. Significant differences were found for the CT cortical index scores (CTCI), CT mental index (CTMI) and CT mandibular index (CTI) between the control and osteoporotic groups. The control group showed higher mean values than the osteoporotic group. For FD values, no significant differences were found between the two groups. CBCT radiomorphometric indices could be used as an adjuvant tool to refer patients at risk of osteoporosis for further assessment.

A proteomics method using immunoaffinity fluorogenic derivatization-liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (FD-LC-MS/MS) to identify a set of interacting proteins.

PubMed

Nakata, Katsunori; Saitoh, Ryoichi; Ishigai, Masaki; Imai, Kazuhiro

2018-02-01

Biological functions in organisms are usually controlled by a set of interacting proteins, and identifying the proteins that interact is useful for understanding the mechanism of the functions. Immunoprecipitation is a method that utilizes the affinity of an antibody to isolate and identify the proteins that have interacted in a biological sample. In this study, the FD-LC-MS/MS method, which involves fluorogenic derivatization followed by separation and quantification by HPLC and finally identification of proteins by HPLC-tandem mass spectrometry, was used to identify proteins in immunoprecipitated samples, using heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) as a model of an interacting protein in HepaRG cells. As a result, HSC70 protein, which was known to form a complex with HSP90, was isolated, together with three different types of HSP90-beta. The results demonstrated that the proposed immunoaffinity-FD-LC-MS/MS method could be useful for simultaneously detecting and identifying the proteins that interact with a certain protein. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: List of Telescope Array events with E > 57EeV (Abbasi+, 2014)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, R. U.; Abe, M.; Abu-Zayyad, T.; Allen, M.; Anderson, R.; Azuma, R.; Barcikowski, E.; Belz, J. W.; Bergman, D. R.; Blake, S. A.; Cady, R.; Chae, M. J.; Cheon, B. G.; Chiba, J.; Chikawa, M.; Cho, W. R.; Fujii, T.; Fukushima, M.; Goto, T.; Hanlon, W.; Hayashi, Y.; Hayashida, N.; Hibino, K.; Honda, K.; Ikeda, D.; Inoue, N.; Ishii, T.; Ishimori, R.; Ito, H.; Ivanov, D.; Jui, C. C. H.; Kadota, K.; Kakimoto, F.; Kalashev, O.; Kasahara, K.; Kawai, H.; Kawakami, S.; Kawana, S.; Kawata, K.; Kido, E.; Kim, H. B.; Kim, J. H.; Kitamura, S.; Kitamura, Y.; Kuzmin, V.; Kwon, Y. J.; Lan, J.; Lim, S. I.; Lundquist, J. P.; Machida, K.; Martens, K.; Matsuda, T.; Matsuyama, T.; Matthews, J. N.; Minamino, M.; Mukai, K.; Myers, I.; Nagasawa, K.; Nagataki, S.; Nakamura, T.; Nonaka, T.; Nozato, A.; Ogio, S.; Ogura, J.; Ohnishi, M.; Ohoka, H.; Oki, K.; Okuda, T.; Ono, M.; Oshima, A.; Ozawa, S.; Park, I. H.; Pshirkov, M. S.; Rodriguez, D. C.; Rubtsov, G.; Ryu, D.; Sagawa, H.; Sakurai, N.; Sampson, A. L.; Scott, L. M.; Shah, P. D.; Shibata, F.; Shibata, T.; Shimodaira, H.; Shin, B. K.; Smith, J. D.!; Sokolsk, Y. P.; Springer, R. W.; Stokes, B. T.; Stratton, S. R.; Stroman, T. A.; Suzawa, T.; Takamura, M.; Takeda, M.; Takeishi, R.; Taketa, A.; Takita, M.; Tameda, Y.; Tanaka, H.; Tanaka, K.; Tanaka, M.; Thomas, S. B.; Thomson, G. B.; Tinyakov, P.; Tkachev, I.; Tokuno, H.; Tomida, T.; Troitsky, S.; Tsunesada, Y.; Tsutsumi, K.; Uchihori, Y.; Udo, S.; Urban, F.; Vasiloff, G.; Wong, T.; Yamane, R.; Yamaoka, H.; Yamazaki, K.; Yang, J.; Yashiro, K.; Yoneda, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Yoshii, H.; Zollinger, R.; Zundel, Z.

2017-03-01

The TA is the largest cosmic-ray detector in the northern hemisphere. It consists of a scintillator SD array (Abu-Zayyad et al. 2012NIMPA.689...87A) and three fluorescence detector (FD) stations (Tokuno et al. 2012NIMPA.676...54T). The observatory has been in full operation in Millard Country, Utah, USA (39fdg30N, 112fdg91W; about 1400 m above sea level) since 2008. The TA SD array consists of 507 plastic scintillation detectors each 3 m2 in area and located on a 1.2 km square grid. The array has an area of ~700 km2. The TA SD array observes cosmic-ray-induced extensive air showers with E > ~1 EeV, regardless of weather conditions with a duty cycle near 100% and a wide field of view (FoV). These capabilities ensure a very stable and large geometrical exposure over the northern sky survey in comparison with FD observations that have a duty cycle of ~10%. In this analysis, we used SD data recorded between 2008 May 11 and 2013 May 4. (1 data file).

[Comparison of red edge parameters of winter wheat canopy under late frost stress].

PubMed

Wu, Yong-feng; Hu, Xin; Lü, Guo-hua; Ren, De-chao; Jiang, Wei-guo; Song, Ji-qing

2014-08-01

In the present study, late frost experiments were implemented under a range of subfreezing temperatures (-1 - -9 degrees C) by using a field movable climate chamber (FMCC) and a cold climate chamber, respectively. Based on the spectra of winter wheat canopy measured at noon on the first day after the frost experiments, red edge parameters REP, Dr, SDr, Dr(min), Dr/Dr(min) and Dr/SDr were extracted using maximum first derivative spectrum method (FD), linear four-point interpolation method (FPI), polynomial fitting method (POLY), inverted Gaussian fitting method (IG) and linear extrapolation technique (LE), respectively. The capacity of the red edge parameters to detect late frost stress was explicated from the aspects of the early, sensitivity and stability through correlation analysis, linear regression modeling and fluctuation analysis. The result indicates that except for REP calculated from FPI and IG method in Experiment 1, REP from the other methods was correlated with frost temperatures (P < 0.05). Thereinto, significant levels (P) of POLY and LE methods all reached 0.01. Except for POLY method in Experiment 2, Dr/SDr from the other methods were all significantly correlated with frost temperatures (P < 0.01). REP showed a trend to shift to short-wave band with decreasing temperatures. The lower the temperature, the more obvious the trend is. Of all the REP, REP calculated by LE method had the highest correlation with frost temperatures which indicated that LE method is the best for REP extraction. In Experiment 1 and 2, only Dr(min) and Dr/Dr(min), calculated by FD method simultaneously achieved the requirements for the early (their correlations with frost temperatures showed a significant level P < 0.01), sensitivity (abso- lute value of the slope of fluctuation coefficient is greater than 2.0) and stability (their correlations with frost temperatures al- ways keep a consistent direction). Dr/SDr calculated from FD and IG methods always had a low sensitivity in Experiment 2. In Experiment 1, the sensitivity of Dr/SDr from FD was moderate and IG was high. REP calculated from LE method had a lowest sensitivity in the two experiments. Totally, Dr(min) and Dr/Dr(min) calculated by FD method have the strongest detection capacity for frost temperature, which will be helpful to conducting the research on early diagnosis of late frost injury to winter wheat.

(99m)Tc-MDP bone scintigraphy of the hand: comparing the use of novel cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) and routine NaI(Tl) detectors.

PubMed

Koulikov, Victoria; Lerman, Hedva; Kesler, Mikhail; Even-Sapir, Einat

2015-12-01

Cadmium zinc telluride (CZT) solid-state detectors have been recently introduced in the field of nuclear medicine in cardiology and breast imaging. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the performance of the novel detectors (CZT) compared to that of the routine NaI(Tl) in bone scintigraphy. A dual-headed CZT-based camera dedicated originally to breast imaging has been used, and in view of the limited size of the detectors, the hands were chosen as the organ for assessment. This is a clinical study. Fifty-eight consecutive patients (total 116 hands) referred for bone scan for suspected hand pathology gave their informed consent to have two acquisitions, using the routine camera and the CZT-based camera. The latter was divided into full-dose full-acquisition time (FD CZT) and reduced-dose short-acquisition time (RD CZT) on CZT technology, so three image sets were available for analysis. Data analysis included comparing the detection of hot lesions and identification of the metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, and distal interphalangeal joints. A total of 69 hot lesions were detected on the CZT image sets; of these, 61 were identified as focal sites of uptake on NaI(Tl) data. On FD CZT data, 385 joints were identified compared to 168 on NaI(Tl) data (p < 0.001). There was no statistically significant difference in delineation of joints between FD and RD CZT data as the latter identified 383 joints. Bone scintigraphy using a CZT-based gamma camera is associated with improved lesion detection and anatomic definition. The superior physical characteristics of this technique raised a potential reduction in administered dose and/or acquisition time without compromising image quality.

Characterization of the key aroma compounds in beef and pork vegetable gravies á la chef by application of the aroma extract dilution analysis.

PubMed

Christlbauer, Monika; Schieberle, Peter

2009-10-14

By application of the aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) on an aroma distillate isolated from a freshly prepared, stewed beef/vegetable gravy, 52 odor-active compounds were detected in the flavor dilution (FD) factor range of 4-4096. On the basis of high FD factors in combination with the results of the identification experiments, 3-(methylthio)propanal (cooked potato), 3-mercapto-2-methylpentan-1-ol (gravy-like), (E,E)-2,4-decadienal (deep-fried, fatty), 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone (lovage-like), vanillin (vanilla-like), (E,E)-2,4-nonadienal (deep-fried), and (E)-2-undecenal (metallic) are suggested as key contributors to the aroma of the gravy. To get an insight into the role of the vegetables as sources of gravy odorants, a beef gravy was prepared without vegetables. The AEDA results revealed that, in particular, onions and leek are important sources of gravy aroma compounds, adding particularly the very potent, gravy-like smelling 3-mercapto-2-methylpentan-1-ol to the overall aroma profile. Further compounds that were clearly derived from the vegetables and, thus, are important modifiers of the overall aroma were 4-vinyl-2-methoxyphenol, (E)-beta-damascenone, beta-ionone, 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, and 2-(sec-butyl)-3-methoxypyrazine. Interestingly, none of the key odorants detected in the gravy can be assumed to be formed from a reaction between beef and vegetable constituents. A comparison of the odorants in the beef/vegetable gravy with a gravy prepared according to the same procedure, but substituting beef by pork meat, indicated that most of the aroma compounds were identical-although different in FD factors-but the tallowy smelling 12-methyltridecanal was detected as key odorant only in the beef/vegetable gravy.

68Ga-PSMA-11 Dynamic PET/CT Imaging in Primary Prostate Cancer.

PubMed

Sachpekidis, Christos; Kopka, Klaus; Eder, Matthias; Hadaschik, Boris A; Freitag, Martin T; Pan, Leyun; Haberkorn, Uwe; Dimitrakopoulou-Strauss, Antonia

2016-11-01

The aim of our study is to assess the pharmacokinetics and biodistribution of Ga-PSMA-11 in patients suffering from primary prostate cancer (PC) by means of dynamic and whole-body PET/CT. Twenty-four patients with primary, previously untreated PC were enrolled in the study. All patients underwent dynamic PET/CT (dPET/CT) scanning of the pelvis and whole-body PET/CT studies with Ga-PSMA-11. The evaluation of dPET/CT studies was based on qualitative evaluation, SUV calculation, and quantitative analysis based on two-tissue compartment modeling and a noncompartmental approach leading to the extraction of fractal dimension (FD). A total of 23/24 patients (95.8%) were Ga-PSMA-11 positive. In 9/24 patients (37.5%), metastatic lesions were detected. PC-associated lesions demonstrated the following mean values: SUVaverage = 14.3, SUVmax = 23.4, K1 = 0.24 (1/min), k3 = 0.34 (1/min), influx = 0.15 (1/min), and FD = 1.27. The parameters SUVaverage, SUVmax, k3, influx, and FD derived from PC-associated lesions were significantly higher than respective values derived from reference prostate tissue. Time-activity curves derived from PC-associated lesions revealed an increasing Ga-PSMA-11 accumulation during dynamic PET acquisition. Correlation analysis revealed a moderate but significant correlation between PSA levels and SUVaverage (r = 0.60) and SUVmax (r = 0.57), and a weak but significant correlation between Gleason score and SUVaverage (r = 0.33) and SUVmax (r = 0.28). Ga-PSMA-11 PET/CT confirmed its capacity in detecting primary PC with a detection rate of 95.8%. Dynamic PET/CT studies of the pelvis revealed an increase in tracer uptake in PC-associated lesions during the 60 minutes of dynamic PET acquisition, a finding with potential applications in anti-PSMA approaches.

High MRI performance fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated magnetic nanoparticles for tracking neural progenitor cells in an ischemic mouse model.

PubMed

Zhang, Lu; Wang, Yao; Tang, Yaohui; Jiao, Zheng; Xie, Chengying; Zhang, Haijiao; Gu, Ping; Wei, Xunbin; Yang, Guo-Yuan; Gu, Hongchen; Zhang, Chunfu

2013-05-21

Multifunctional probes with high MRI sensitivity and high efficiency for cell labeling are desirable for MR cell imaging. Herein, we have fabricated fluorescent mesoporous silica-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (fmSiO4@SPIONs) for neural progenitor cell (C17.2) MR imaging. FmSiO4@SPIONs were discrete and uniform in size, and had a clear core-shell structure. The magnetic core size was about 10 nm and the fluorescent mesoporous silica coating layer was around 20 nm. Compared with fluorescent dense silica-coated SPIONs (fdSiO4@SPIONs) with a similar size, fmSiO4@SPIONs demonstrated higher MR sensitivity and cell labeling efficiency. When implanted into the right hemisphere of stroke mice, contralateral to the ischemic territory, a small amount of labeled cells were able to be tracked migrating to the lesion sites using a clinical MRI scanner (3 T). More impressively, even when administered intravenously, the labeled cells could also be monitored homing to the ischemic area. MRI observations were corroborated by histological studies of the brain tissues. Our study demonstrated that fmSiO4@SPIONs are highly effective for cell imaging and hold great promise for MRI cell tracking in future.

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

Qi, Zhi; Pan, Chungen; Lu, Hong

Research highlights: {yields} One recombinant mimetics of gp41 prehairpin fusion intermediate (PFI) consisting of gp41 N46 sequence, foldon and IgG Fc, designated N46FdFc, was expressed. {yields} N46FdFc-induced antibodies in mice that neutralized HIV-1 infection, inhibited PIE7 binding to PFI, blocked gp41 six-helix bundle formation, and suppressed HIV-1 mediated cell-cell fusion. {yields} These findings provide an important clue for developing recombinant gp41 PFI mimetics-based HIV vaccines. -- Abstract: HIV-1 gp41 prehairpin fusion intermediate (PFI) composed of three N-terminal heptad repeats (NHR) plays a crucial role in viral fusion and entry and represents an attractive target for anti-HIV therapeutics (e.g., enfuvirtide) andmore » vaccines. In present study, we constructed and expressed two recombinant gp41 PFI mimetics, designated N46Fd and N46FdFc. N46Fd consists of N46 (residues 536-581) in gp41 NHR and foldon (Fd), a trimerization motif. N46FdFc is composed of N46Fd fused with human IgG Fc fragment as an immunoenhancer. We immunized mice with N46 peptide, N46Fd and N46FdFc, respectively, and found that only N46FdFc elicited neutralizing antibody response in mice against infection by HIV-1 strains IIIB (clade B, X4), 92US657 (clade B, R5), and 94UG103 (clade A, X4R5). Anti-N46FdFc antibodies inhibited PIE7 binding to PFI, blocked gp41 six-helix bundle formation, and suppressed HIV-1 mediated cell-cell fusion. These findings provide an important clue for developing recombinant gp41 PFI mimetics-based HIV vaccines.« less

The Spatial and Seasonal Variability in Fine Mineral Dust and Coarse Mass Concentrations at Remote Sites across the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hand, J. L.; White, W. H.; Hyslop, N. P.; Schichtel, B. A.; Gill, T. E.

2016-12-01

Mineral dust influences air quality, visibility, health, hydrology, heterogeneous chemistry, biogeochemistry, ecology, and climate. The spatial and seasonal variability of fine (PM2.5) mineral dust (FD, mineral particles with diameters less than 2.5 µm) and coarse mass (CM, mass of particles with diameters between 2.5 and 10 µm) were characterized at over 160 rural and remote sites in the United States from the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) network. Monthly, seasonal, and annual means were computed for 2011 through 2014 to investigate the spatial and seasonal variability of FD and CM. Regions with significant FD included the Southwest in spring (≥ 50% contributions to PM2.5 mass) and in the Midwest, Midsouth, and Southeast regions in summer (20-30% of PM2.5 mass). The seasonality of FD and CM decoupled farther from local source regions suggesting long-range transport of FD or non-dust related CM. FD mineralogy was also explored and confirmed the seasonal and regional impacts of long-range transport. Temporal trends in FD from 2000-2014 revealed regions and seasons with significantly increased FD, especially the Southwest during spring months, the central United States during summer and fall, and the Southeast in summer—all regions that were associated with significant contributions of FD to PM2.5 mass. Positive trends in FD contrast negative trends in other major aerosol species over the same time periods, further enhancing the relative importance of FD to PM2.5 mass. Increased levels of FD have important implications for its environmental and climate impacts; mitigating these impacts will require identifying and characterizing source regions and causal mechanisms for dust episodes in order to better inform resource management decisions.

Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings fail to suspect Fabry disease in young patients with an acute cerebrovascular event.

PubMed

Fazekas, Franz; Enzinger, Christian; Schmidt, Reinhold; Grittner, Ulrike; Giese, Anne-Katrin; Hennerici, Michael G; Huber, Roman; Jungehulsing, Gerhard J; Kaps, Manfred; Kessler, Christof; Martus, Peter; Putaala, Jukka; Ropele, Stefan; Tanislav, Christian; Tatlisumak, Turgut; Thijs, Vincent; von Sarnowski, Bettina; Norrving, Bo; Rolfs, Arndt

2015-06-01

Fabry disease (FD) may cause stroke and is reportedly associated with typical brain findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In a large group of young patients with an acute cerebrovascular event, we wanted to test whether brain MRI findings can serve to suggest the presence of FD. The Stroke in Young Fabry Patients (SIFAP 1) study prospectively collected clinical, laboratory, and radiological data of 5023 patients (18-55 years) with an acute cerebrovascular event. Their MRI was interpreted centrally and blinded to all other information. Biochemical findings and genetic testing served to diagnose FD in 45 (0.9%) patients. We compared the imaging findings between FD and non-FD patients in patients with at least a T2-weighted MRI of good quality. A total of 3203 (63.8%) patients had the required MRI data set. Among those were 34 patients with a diagnosis of FD (1.1%), which was definite in 21 and probable in 13 cases. The median age of patients with FD was slightly lower (45 versus 46 years) and women prevailed (70.6% versus 40.7%; P<0.001). Presence or extent of white matter hyperintensities, infarct localization, vertebrobasilar artery dilatation, T1-signal hyperintensity of the pulvinar thalami, or any other MRI finding did not distinguish patients with FD from non-FD cerebrovascular event patients. Pulvinar hyperintensity was not present in a single patient with FD but seen in 6 non-FD patients. Brain MRI findings cannot serve to suspect FD in young patients presenting with an acute cerebrovascular event. This deserves consideration in the search for possible causes of young patients with stroke. URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00414583. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

Confocal Adaptive Optics Imaging of Peripapillary Nerve Fiber Bundles: Implications for Glaucomatous Damage Seen on Circumpapillary OCT Scans.

PubMed

Hood, Donald C; Chen, Monica F; Lee, Dongwon; Epstein, Benjamin; Alhadeff, Paula; Rosen, Richard B; Ritch, Robert; Dubra, Alfredo; Chui, Toco Y P

2015-04-01

To improve our understanding of glaucomatous damage as seen on circumpapillary disc scans obtained with frequency-domain optical coherence tomography (fdOCT), fdOCT scans were compared to images of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber (RNF) bundles obtained with an adaptive optics-scanning light ophthalmoscope (AO-SLO). The AO-SLO images and fdOCT scans were obtained on 6 eyes of 6 patients with deep arcuate defects (5 points ≤-15 db) on 10-2 visual fields. The AO-SLO images were montaged and aligned with the fdOCT images to compare the RNF bundles seen with AO-SLO to the RNF layer thickness measured with fdOCT. All 6 eyes had an abnormally thin (1% confidence limit) RNF layer (RNFL) on fdOCT and abnormal (hyporeflective) regions of RNF bundles on AO-SLO in corresponding regions. However, regions of abnormal, but equal, RNFL thickness on fdOCT scans varied in appearance on AO-SLO images. These regions could be largely devoid of RNF bundles (5 eyes), have abnormal-appearing bundles of lower contrast (6 eyes), or have isolated areas with a few relatively normal-appearing bundles (2 eyes). There also were local variations in reflectivity of the fdOCT RNFL that corresponded to the variations in AO-SLO RNF bundle appearance. Relatively similar 10-2 defects with similar fdOCT RNFL thickness profiles can have very different degrees of RNF bundle damage as seen on fdOCT and AO-SLO. While the results point to limitations of fdOCT RNFL thickness as typically analyzed, they also illustrate the potential for improving fdOCT by attending to variations in local intensity.

ROLES OF ADIPOCYTES AND FIBROBLASTS IN ACTIVATION OF THE ALTERNATIVE PATHWAY OF COMPLEMENT IN INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS IN MICE

PubMed Central

Arend, William P.; Mehta, Gaurav; Antonioli, Alexandra H.; Takahashi, Minoru; Takahashi, Kazue; Stahl, Gregory L.; Holers, V. Michael; Banda, Nirmal K.

2013-01-01

The complement system is involved in mediation of joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis, with evidence suggesting activation of both the classical and alternative pathways (AP). The AP is both necessary and sufficient to mediate collagen antibody-induced arthritis (CAIA), an experimental animal model of immune complex (IC)-induced joint disease. The AP in mice is dependent on MASP-1/3 cleavage of pro-factor D (pro-FD) into mature FD. The objectives of the present study were to determine the cells synthesizing MASP-1/3 and pro-FD in synovial tissue. CAIA was studied in wild-type C57BL/6 mice, and the localization of mRNA and protein for FD and MASP-1/3 in synovial adipose tissue (SAT) and fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) was determined using various techniques, including laser capture micro-dissection (LCM). SAT was the sole source of mRNA for pro-FD. Cultured differentiated 3T3 adipocytes, a surrogate for SAT, produced pro-FD but no mature FD. FLS were the main source of MASP-1/3 mRNA and protein. Using cartilage micro-particles (CMP) coated with anti-collagen mAb and serum from MASP-1/3−/− mice as a source of factor B, pro-FD in 3T3 supernatants was cleaved into mature FD by MASP-1/3 in FLS supernatants. The mature FD was eluted from the CMP, and was not present in the supernatants from the incubation with CMP, indicating that cleavage of pro-FD into mature FD by MASP-1 occurred on the CMP. These results demonstrate that pathogenic activation of the AP may occur in the joint through IC adherent to cartilage and the local production of necessary AP proteins by adipocytes and FLS. PMID:23650618

3'-Azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine induced deficiency of thymidine kinases 1, 2 and deoxycytidine kinase in H9 T-lymphoid cells.

PubMed

Gröschel, Bettina; Kaufmann, Andreas; Höver, Gerold; Cinatl, Jaroslav; Doerr, Hans Wilhelm; Noordhuis, Paul; Loves, Willem J P; Peters, Godefridus J; Cinatl, Jindrich

2002-07-15

Continuous cultivation of T-lymphoid H9 cells in the presence of 3'-azido-2',3'-dideoxythymidine (AZT) resulted in a cell variant cross-resistant to both thymidine and deoxycytidine analogs. Cytotoxic effects of AZT, 2',3'-didehydro-3'-deoxythymidine as well as different deoxycytidine analogs such as 2',3'-dideoxycytidine, 2',2'-difluoro-2'-deoxycytidine (dFdC) and 1-ss-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (Ara-C) were strongly reduced in H9 cells continuously exposed to AZT when compared to parental cells (>8.3-, >6.6-, >9.1-, 5 x 10(4)-, 5 x 10(3)-fold, respectively). Moreover, anti-HIV-1 effects of AZT, d4T, ddC and 2',3'-dideoxy-3'-thiacytidine (3TC) were significantly diminished (>222-, >25-, >400-, >200-fold, respectively) in AZT-resistant H9 cells. Study of cellular mechanisms responsible for cross-resistance to pyrimidine analogs in AZT-resistant H9 cells revealed decreased mRNA levels of thymidine kinase 1 (TK1) and lack of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) mRNA expression. The loss of dCK gene expression was confirmed by western blot analysis of dCK protein as well as dCK enzyme activity assay. Moreover, enzyme activity of TK1 and TK2 was reduced in AZT-resistant cells. In order to determine whether lack of dCK affected the formation of the active triphosphate of the deoxycytidine analog dFdC, dFdCTP accumulation and retention was measured in H9 parental and AZT-resistant cells after exposure to 1 and 10 microM dFdC. Parental H9 cells accumulated about 30 and 100 pmol dFdCTP/10(6) cells after 4hr, whereas in AZT-resistant cells no dFdCTP accumulation was detected. These results demonstrate that continuous treatment of H9 cells in the presence of AZT selected for a thymidine analog resistant cell variant with cross-resistance to deoxycytidine analogs, due to deficiency in TK1, TK2, and dCK.

An implicit spatial and high-order temporal finite difference scheme for 2D acoustic modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Enjiang; Liu, Yang

2018-01-01

The finite difference (FD) method exhibits great superiority over other numerical methods due to its easy implementation and small computational requirement. We propose an effective FD method, characterised by implicit spatial and high-order temporal schemes, to reduce both the temporal and spatial dispersions simultaneously. For the temporal derivative, apart from the conventional second-order FD approximation, a special rhombus FD scheme is included to reach high-order accuracy in time. Compared with the Lax-Wendroff FD scheme, this scheme can achieve nearly the same temporal accuracy but requires less floating-point operation times and thus less computational cost when the same operator length is adopted. For the spatial derivatives, we adopt the implicit FD scheme to improve the spatial accuracy. Apart from the existing Taylor series expansion-based FD coefficients, we derive the least square optimisation based implicit spatial FD coefficients. Dispersion analysis and modelling examples demonstrate that, our proposed method can effectively decrease both the temporal and spatial dispersions, thus can provide more accurate wavefields.

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

Flanagan, Sheryl A., E-mail: sflan@umich.edu; Cooper, Kristin S.; Mannava, Sudha

Purpose: To determine the effect of short hairpin ribonucleic acid (shRNA)-mediated suppression of thymidylate synthase (TS) on cytotoxicity and radiosensitization and the mechanism by which these events occur. Methods and Materials: shRNA suppression of TS was compared with 5-fluoro-2 Prime -deoxyuridine (FdUrd) inactivation of TS with or without ionizing radiation in HCT116 and HT29 colon cancer cells. Cytotoxicity and radiosensitization were measured by clonogenic assay. Cell cycle effects were measured by flow cytometry. The effects of FdUrd or shRNA suppression of TS on dNTP deoxynucleotide triphosphate imbalances and consequent nucleotide misincorporations into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) were analyzed by high-pressure liquidmore » chromatography and as pSP189 plasmid mutations, respectively. Results: TS shRNA produced profound ({>=}90%) and prolonged ({>=}8 days) suppression of TS in HCT116 and HT29 cells, whereas FdUrd increased TS expression. TS shRNA also produced more specific and prolonged effects on dNTPs deoxynucleotide triphosphates compared with FdUrd. TS shRNA suppression allowed accumulation of cells in S-phase, although its effects were not as long-lasting as those of FdUrd. Both treatments resulted in phosphorylation of Chk1. TS shRNA alone was less cytotoxic than FdUrd but was equally effective as FdUrd in eliciting radiosensitization (radiation enhancement ratio: TS shRNA, 1.5-1.7; FdUrd, 1.4-1.6). TS shRNA and FdUrd produced a similar increase in the number and type of pSP189 mutations. Conclusions: TS shRNA produced less cytotoxicity than FdUrd but was equally effective at radiosensitizing tumor cells. Thus, the inhibitory effect of FdUrd on TS alone is sufficient to elicit radiosensitization with FdUrd, but it only partially explains FdUrd-mediated cytotoxicity and cell cycle inhibition. The increase in DNA mismatches after TS shRNA or FdUrd supports a causal and sufficient role for the depletion of dTTP thymidine triphosphate and consequent DNA mismatches underlying radiosensitization. Importantly, shRNA suppression of TS avoids FP-mediated TS elevation and its negative prognostic role. These studies support the further exploration of TS suppression as a novel radiosensitizing strategy.« less

Contrasting Strategies of Alfalfa Stem Elongation in Response to Fall Dormancy in Early Growth Stage: The Tradeoff between Internode Length and Internode Number

PubMed Central

Wang, Zongli; Sun, Qizhong

2015-01-01

Fall dormancy (FD) in alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) can be described using 11 FD ratings, is widely used as an important indicator of stress resistance, productive performance and spring growth. However, the contrasting growth strategies in internode length and internode number in alfalfa cultivars with different FD rating are poorly understood. Here, a growth chamber study was conducted to investigate the effect of FD on plant height, aboveground biomass, internode length, and internode number in alfalfa individuals in the early growth stages. In order to simulate the alfalfa growth environment in the early stage, 11 alfalfa cultivars with FD ratings from one to 11 were chosen and seeded at the greenhouse, and then were transplanted into an artificial growth chamber. The experimental design was a randomized complete block in a split-plot arrangement with three replicates. Plant height, above-ground biomass, internode length, and internode number were measured in early growth stage in all individuals. Our findings showed that plant height and the aboveground biomass of alfalfa did not significantly differ among 11 different FD rated cultivars. Also, internode length and internode number positively affected plant height and the aboveground biomass of alfalfa individuals and the average internode length significantly increased with increasing FD rating. However, internode number tended to sharply decline when the FD rating increased. Moreover, there were no correlations, slightly negative correlations, and strongly negative correlations between internode length and internode number in alfalfa individuals among the three scales, including within-FD ratings, within-FD categories and inter-FD ratings, respectively. Therefore, our results highlighted that contrasting growth strategies in stem elongation were adopted by alfalfa with different FD ratings in the early growth stage. Alfalfa cultivars with a high FD rating have longer internodes, whereas more dormant alfalfa cultivars have a larger number of internodes. There were tradeoffs between internode length and internode number in response to FD in alfalfa, which reflected certain scale-dependence. PMID:26281014

A method for quantifying limbal stem cell niches using OCT imaging.

PubMed

Haagdorens, Michel; Behaegel, Joséphine; Rozema, Jos; Van Gerwen, Veerle; Michiels, Sofie; Ní Dhubhghaill, Sorcha; Tassignon, Marie-José; Zakaria, Nadia

2017-09-01

To evaluate the efficacy of Fourier domain-optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) in imaging and quantifying the limbal palisades of Vogt and to correlate these images with histological findings. The superior and inferior limbal region of both eyes of 50 healthy volunteers were imaged by FD-OCT. Images were processed and analysed using Matlab software. In vitro immunofluorescent staining of a cadaveric donor limbus was analysed to correlate the presence of stem cells in the visualised structures. FD-OCT could successfully visualise limbal crypts and the palisades of Vogt in the limbus region. Fluorescent labelling confirmed the presence of stem cells in these structures. The mean palisade ridge width (Δ PR ) and the mean interpalisade epithelial rete peg width (Δ ERP ) were both of the order of 72 μm, leading to a palisade density (PD) of about 7.4 palisades/mm . A significant difference in Δ PR , Δ ERP and PD was seen between the inferior and superior sides of the right eye and the superior sides of the left and right eye(p<0.05.). A significant influence of iris colour on parameters Δ PR , Δ ERP and PD was found, and of age on PD and Δ ERP (p<0.05). In vivo OCT imaging is a safe and effective modality to image the limbus and can be used to visualise the palisades of Vogt. Image processing using Matlab software enabled quantification and density calculation of imaged limbal palisades of Vogt. This technique may enhance targeted limbal biopsies for transplantation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

The Central Laser Facility at the Pierre Auger Observatory: Studies of the Atmospheric Vertical Aerosol Optical Depth and other Applications to Cosmic Ray Measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medina Hernandez, Carlos Francisco

The two largest observatories in the world dedicated to the study of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) are the Pierre Auger Observatory (Auger) in Mendoza, Argentina and the Telescope Array (TA) in Utah, USA. The measurements of the cosmic ray flux by Auger and TA present a discrepancy at the highest part of the energy spectrum. In this thesis, I study if this discrepancy can be attributed to instrumental effects related to the measurements of the atmospheric aerosol contents in Auger. The Auger Fluorescence Detector (FD) measures the scattered light from laser tracks generated by the Central Laser Facility (CLF) and the eXtreme Laser Facility (XLF) located near the center of Auger, to estimate the vertical aerosol optical depth (tau (z,t)). A good knowledge of tau (z,t) is needed to obtain unbiased and reliable FD measurements of the energy of the UHECR primary particle. The CLF was upgraded substantially in 2013 to improve laser reliability. A substantial part of my Ph.D work is dedicated to building, maintaining and analyzing data from this upgraded facility. The upgraded CLF includes a backscatter Raman LIDAR which independently measures tau (z,t). For the first time in a cosmic ray experiment, two years of measurements of tau (z,t) obtained with the Raman LIDAR are compared with the measurements obtained with the FD. Based on these comparisons, an alternative atmospheric database was created to study its effects on the measurements of the flux as a function of energy. The resulting energy spectrum plot is found to be more compatible with the energy spectrum plot released by TA.

Burden of impaired sleep quality on work productivity in functional dyspepsia.

PubMed

Matsuzaki, Juntaro; Suzuki, Hidekazu; Togawa, Koji; Yamane, Tsuyoshi; Mori, Hideki; Komori, Takahiro; Masaoka, Tatsuhiro; Kanai, Takanori

2018-04-01

Impaired sleep quality is common, and can reduce work productivity in patients with functional dyspepsia (FD). The objective of this article is to evaluate whether there is a direct association between the presence of FD and the severity of impaired sleep quality, and to calculate the economic loss due to the decreased work productivity associated with sleep quality. In Study 1, using a web-based survey completed by workers with and without FD, we evaluated impaired sleep quality, work and daily productivity, and the severity of reflux and bowel symptoms. In Study 2, the association between the presence of FD and the severity of impaired sleep quality was validated in a hospital-based cohort. In both Study 1 and 2, although impaired sleep quality was more frequent in participants with FD than in those without FD, the independent association between the presence of FD and the severity of impaired sleep quality was not observed after adjustment for the severity of reflux and bowel symptoms. FD participants with impaired sleep quality reported additional economic loss of 53,500 Japanese yen/month. Although the association between impaired sleep quality and FD was indirect, concomitant impaired sleep quality could worsen economic loss.

Retinal blood flow detection in diabetic patients by Doppler Fourier domain optical coherence tomography◊

PubMed Central

Wang, Yimin; Fawzi, Amani; Tan, Ou; Gil-Flamer, John; Huang, David

2010-01-01

We present human retinal blood flow investigation for diabetic patients using Doppler Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT). The scanning pattern consisted of two concentric circles around the optic nerve head. The blood flow in one patient with diabetes and no retinpathy and another patient with treated proliferative diabetic retinopathy were measured. The patient without retinopathy showed a total blood flow value at the lower level of the normal range. The flow distribution between superior and inferior retina was balanced. The patient with diabetic retinopathy had a flow value lower than the normal people. Our study shows that Doppler FD-OCT can be used to evaluate the total retinal blood flow in patients with retinal diseases. PMID:19259246

Overdiagnosis of gastro-esophageal reflux disease and underdiagnosis of functional dyspepsia in a USA community.

PubMed

Pleyer, C; Bittner, H; Locke, G R; Choung, R S; Zinsmeister, A R; Schleck, C D; Herrick, L M; Talley, N J

2014-08-01

There is symptom overlap between gastro-esophageal reflux disease (GERD) and functional dyspepsia (FD). We aimed to test the hypothesis that FD cases are now more likely mislabeled as GERD. In subjects from Olmsted County, MN seen at Mayo Clinic: (i) Investigation of GERD and FD diagnosis rates between 1985 and 2009. (ii) Assessment of survey-based upper gastrointestinal symptoms between 1988 and 2009. (iii) Analysis of patients reporting GERD and/or FD symptoms and subsequently receiving a consistent diagnosis of GERD and/or FD during a medical encounter. (iv) Assess the association between PPI use and GERD and/or FD symptoms and between actual diagnoses received. (i) Yearly GERD diagnosis rates rose between 1985 and 2009 (325-1866 per 100 000). FD diagnosis rates rose from 45 in 1985, to 964 in 1999 but decreased to 452 per 100 000 in 2009. (ii) Reported GERD symptoms did not significantly change between three survey waves in the years 1988-2009 (p = 0.052), whereas FD symptoms slightly increased (p = 0.01). (iii) 62.9% of subjects reporting GERD symptoms received a GERD diagnosis, however only 12.5% of subjects reporting FD symptoms received a FD diagnosis. (iv) PPI use was associated with documented GERD diagnosis (p < 0.001), however there was no significant association between GERD symptoms and PPI use (p = 0.078). We have found evidence supporting a systematic bias away from diagnosing FD, favoring a GERD diagnosis. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Cyclopentenyl cytosine increases gemcitabine radiosensitisation in human pancreatic cancer cells

PubMed Central

van Bree, C; Rodermond, H M; Leen, R; Medema, J P; van Kuilenburg, A B P

2008-01-01

The deoxycytidine analogue 2′,2′-difluoro-2′-deoxycytidine (dFdC, gemcitabine) is a potent radiosensitiser, but has limited efficacy in combination with radiotherapy in patients with pancreatic cancer due to acute toxicity. We investigated whether cyclopentenyl cytosine (CPEC), targetting the ‘de novo' biosynthesis of cytidine triphosphate (CTP), could increase dFdC cytotoxicity alone or in combination with irradiation in a panel of human pancreatic cancer cells (Panc-1, Miapaca-2, BxPC-3). To investigate the role of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), the rate-limiting enzyme in the activation of dFdC, human lung cancer cells without (dFdC-resistant SWg) and with an intact dCK gene (dFdC-sensitive SWp) were included. We found that CPEC (100–1000 nmol l−1) specifically reduced CTP levels in a dose-dependent manner that lasted up to 72 h in all cell lines. Preincubation with CPEC resulted in a dose-dependent increase in dFdC incorporated into the DNA only in dFdC-sensitive cells. Consequently, CPEC increased the effectiveness of dFdC (300 nmol l−1 for 4 h) only in dFdC-sensitive cells, which was accompanied by an increase in apoptosis. We also found that CPEC enhanced the radiosensitivity of cells treated with dFdC (30–300 nmol l−1 for 4 h). These results indicate that CPEC enhances the cytotoxicity of dFdC alone and in combination with irradiation in several human tumour cell lines with an intact dCK gene. PMID:18349845

Faculty's Perception of Faculty Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Premkumar, Kalyani; Moshynskyy, Anton; Sakai, Damon H.; Fong, Sheri F. T.

2017-01-01

Faculty Development (FD) is a vital component across the medical education continuum of undergraduate, postgraduate, and continuing medical education. However, the positioning of FD in medical institutions varies widely. The perceptions of faculty on FD should be examined in order to provide effective FD. The perceptions of faculty involved in…

Energy spectrum of ultra-high energy cosmic rays observed with the Telescope Array using a hybrid technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abu-Zayyad, T.; Aida, R.; Allen, M.; Anderson, R.; Azuma, R.; Barcikowski, E.; Belz, J. W.; Bergman, D. R.; Blake, S. A.; Cady, R.; Cheon, B. G.; Chiba, J.; Chikawa, M.; Cho, E. J.; Cho, W. R.; Fujii, H.; Fujii, T.; Fukuda, T.; Fukushima, M.; Hanlon, W.; Hayashi, K.; Hayashi, Y.; Hayashida, N.; Hibino, K.; Hiyama, K.; Honda, K.; Iguchi, T.; Ikeda, D.; Ikuta, K.; Inoue, N.; Ishii, T.; Ishimori, R.; Ito, H.; Ivanov, D.; Iwamoto, S.; Jui, C. C. H.; Kadota, K.; Kakimoto, F.; Kalashev, O.; Kanbe, T.; Kasahara, K.; Kawai, H.; Kawakami, S.; Kawana, S.; Kido, E.; Kim, H. B.; Kim, H. K.; Kim, J. H.; Kim, J. H.; Kitamoto, K.; Kitamura, S.; Kitamura, Y.; Kobayashi, K.; Kobayashi, Y.; Kondo, Y.; Kuramoto, K.; Kuzmin, V.; Kwon, Y. J.; Lan, J.; Lim, S. I.; Lundquist, J. P.; Machida, S.; Martens, K.; Matsuda, T.; Matsuura, T.; Matsuyama, T.; Matthews, J. N.; Minamino, M.; Miyata, K.; Murano, Y.; Myers, I.; Nagasawa, K.; Nagataki, S.; Nakamura, T.; Nam, S. W.; Nonaka, T.; Ogio, S.; Ohnishi, M.; Ohoka, H.; Oki, K.; Oku, D.; Okuda, T.; Ono, M.; Oshima, A.; Ozawa, S.; Park, I. H.; Pshirkov, M. S.; Rodriguez, D. C.; Roh, S. Y.; Rubtsov, G.; Ryu, D.; Sagawa, H.; Sakurai, N.; Sampson, A. L.; Scott, L. M.; Shah, P. D.; Shibata, F.; Shibata, T.; Shimodaira, H.; Shin, B. K.; Shin, J. I.; Shirahama, T.; Smith, J. D.; Sokolsky, P.; Springer, R. W.; Stokes, B. T.; Stratton, S. R.; Stroman, T.; Suzuki, S.; Takahashi, Y.; Takeda, M.; Taketa, A.; Takita, M.; Tameda, Y.; Tanaka, H.; Tanaka, K.; Tanaka, M.; Thomas, S. B.; Thomson, G. B.; Tinyakov, P.; Tkachev, I.; Tokuno, H.; Tomida, T.; Troitsky, S.; Tsunesada, Y.; Tsutsumi, K.; Tsuyuguchi, Y.; Uchihori, Y.; Udo, S.; Ukai, H.; Urban, F.; Vasiloff, G.; Wada, Y.; Wong, T.; Yamakawa, Y.; Yamane, R.; Yamaoka, H.; Yamazaki, K.; Yang, J.; Yoneda, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Yoshii, H.; Zhou, X.; Zollinger, R.; Zundel, Z.

2015-02-01

We measure the spectrum of cosmic rays with energies greater than 1018.2 eV with the fluorescence detectors (FDs) and the surface detectors (SDs) of the Telescope Array Experiment using the data taken in our first 2.3-year observation from May 27, 2008 to September 7, 2010. A hybrid air shower reconstruction technique is employed to improve accuracies in determination of arrival directions and primary energies of cosmic rays using both FD and SD data. The energy spectrum presented here is in agreement with our previously published spectra and the HiRes results.

First upper limits on the radar cross section of cosmic-ray induced extensive air showers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abbasi, R. U.; Abe, M.; Abou Bakr Othman, M.; Abu-Zayyad, T.; Allen, M.; Anderson, R.; Azuma, R.; Barcikowski, E.; Belz, J. W.; Bergman, D. R.; Besson, D.; Blake, S. A.; Byrne, M.; Cady, R.; Chae, M. J.; Cheon, B. G.; Chiba, J.; Chikawa, M.; Cho, W. R.; Farhang-Boroujeny, B.; Fujii, T.; Fukushima, M.; Gillman, W. H.; Goto, T.; Hanlon, W.; Hanson, J. C.; Hayashi, Y.; Hayashida, N.; Hibino, K.; Honda, K.; Ikeda, D.; Inoue, N.; Ishii, T.; Ishimori, R.; Ito, H.; Ivanov, D.; Jayanthmurthy, C.; Jui, C. C. H.; Kadota, K.; Kakimoto, F.; Kalashev, O.; Kasahara, K.; Kawai, H.; Kawakami, S.; Kawana, S.; Kawata, K.; Kido, E.; Kim, H. B.; Kim, J. H.; Kim, J. H.; Kitamura, S.; Kitamura, Y.; Kunwar, S.; Kuzmin, V.; Kwon, Y. J.; Lan, J.; Lim, S. I.; Lundquist, J. P.; Machida, K.; Martens, K.; Matsuda, T.; Matsuyama, T.; Matthews, J. N.; Minamino, M.; Mukai, K.; Myers, I.; Nagasawa, K.; Nagataki, S.; Nakamura, T.; Nonaka, T.; Nozato, A.; Ogio, S.; Ogura, J.; Ohnishi, M.; Ohoka, H.; Oki, K.; Okuda, T.; Ono, M.; Oshima, A.; Ozawa, S.; Park, I. H.; Prohira, S.; Pshirkov, M. S.; Rezazadeh-Reyhani, A.; Rodriguez, D. C.; Rubtsov, G.; Ryu, D.; Sagawa, H.; Sakurai, N.; Sampson, A. L.; Scott, L. M.; Schurig, D.; Shah, P. D.; Shibata, F.; Shibata, T.; Shimodaira, H.; Shin, B. K.; Smith, J. D.; Sokolsky, P.; Springer, R. W.; Stokes, B. T.; Stratton, S. R.; Stroman, T. A.; Suzawa, T.; Takai, H.; Takamura, M.; Takeda, M.; Takeishi, R.; Taketa, A.; Takita, M.; Tameda, Y.; Tanaka, H.; Tanaka, K.; Tanaka, M.; Thomas, S. B.; Thomson, G. B.; Tinyakov, P.; Tkachev, I.; Tokuno, H.; Tomida, T.; Troitsky, S.; Tsunesada, Y.; Tsutsumi, K.; Uchihori, Y.; Udo, S.; Urban, F.; Vasiloff, G.; Venkatesh, S.; Wong, T.; Yamane, R.; Yamaoka, H.; Yamazaki, K.; Yang, J.; Yashiro, K.; Yoneda, Y.; Yoshida, S.; Yoshii, H.; Zollinger, R.; Zundel, Z.

2017-01-01

TARA (Telescope Array Radar) is a cosmic ray radar detection experiment colocated with Telescope Array, the conventional surface scintillation detector (SD) and fluorescence telescope detector (FD) near Delta, Utah, U.S.A. The TARA detector combines a 40 kW, 54.1 MHz VHF transmitter and high-gain transmitting antenna which broadcasts the radar carrier over the SD array and within the FD field of view, towards a 250 MS/s DAQ receiver. TARA has been collecting data since 2013 with the primary goal of observing the radar signatures of extensive air showers (EAS). Simulations indicate that echoes are expected to be short in duration (∼ 10 μs) and exhibit rapidly changing frequency, with rates on the order 1 MHz/μs. The EAS radar cross-section (RCS) is currently unknown although it is the subject of over 70 years of speculation. A novel signal search technique is described in which the expected radar echo of a particular air shower is used as a matched filter template and compared to waveforms obtained by triggering the radar DAQ using the Telescope Array fluorescence detector. No evidence for the scattering of radio frequency radiation by EAS is obtained to date. We report the first quantitative RCS upper limits using EAS that triggered the Telescope Array Fluorescence Detector. The transmitter is under the direct control of experimenters, and in a radio-quiet area isolated from other radio frequency (RF) sources. The power and radiation pattern are known at all times. Forward power up to 40 kW and gain exceeding 20 dB maximize energy density in the radar field. Continuous wave (CW) transmission gives 100% duty cycle, as opposed to pulsed radar. TARA utilizes a high sample rate DAQ (250 MS/s). TARA is colocated with a large state-of-the-art conventional CR observatory, allowing the radar data stream to be sampled at the arrival times of known cosmic ray events. Each of these attributes of the TARA detector has been discussed in detail in the literature [8]. A map showing the TA SD array and the location of the TARA transmitter and receiver is shown in Fig. 1.Section 2 of this paper includes a description of air shower plasmas and possible radio scattering mechanisms. Theoretical and experimental parameters that influence radio scattering are presented and discussed. We justify use of the thin wire model in a radar echo simulation that predicts echo waveforms, which we will subsequently (Section 6) use in placing limits on the air shower radar cross section (RCS). Sections 3 and 4 describe TARA data and offline processing techniques. In Section 5, we describe the signal search using simulated waveforms as matched filter (MF) templates in order to maximize sensitivity. Section 6 describes the procedure for calculating a scale factor to the RCS model described in Section 2, the results of which are used in placing the first quantitative upper limit on the EAS radar cross-section (RCS). In Section 7 we summarize these results and discuss the viability of radar detection of cosmic rays in light of the TARA findings.

21 CFR 74.340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C...-naphthalenesulfonic acid. (2) Color additive mixtures for food use (including dietary supplements) made with FD&C Red...

21 CFR 74.203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.203 FD&C Green No. 3. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD... mixtures for coloring food. (b) Specifications. The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 shall conform to the...

21 CFR 74.706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD...) Color additive mixtures for food use made with FD&C Yellow No. 6 may contain only those diluents that...

21 CFR 74.203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.203 FD&C Green No. 3. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD... mixtures for coloring food. (b) Specifications. The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 shall conform to the...

21 CFR 74.705 - FD&C Yellow No. 5.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.705 FD&C Yellow No. 5. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD... salt. (2) Color additive mixtures for food use made with FD&C Yellow No. 5 may contain only those...

21 CFR 74.706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD...) Color additive mixtures for food use made with FD&C Yellow No. 6 may contain only those diluents that...

21 CFR 74.706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD...) Color additive mixtures for food use made with FD&C Yellow No. 6 may contain only those diluents that...

21 CFR 74.706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD...) Color additive mixtures for food use made with FD&C Yellow No. 6 may contain only those diluents that...

21 CFR 74.340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C...-naphthalenesulfonic acid. (2) Color additive mixtures for food use (including dietary supplements) made with FD&C Red...

21 CFR 74.705 - FD&C Yellow No. 5.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.705 FD&C Yellow No. 5. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD... salt. (2) Color additive mixtures for food use made with FD&C Yellow No. 5 may contain only those...

21 CFR 74.340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C...-naphthalenesulfonic acid. (2) Color additive mixtures for food use (including dietary supplements) made with FD&C Red...

21 CFR 74.203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.203 FD&C Green No. 3. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD... mixtures for coloring food. (b) Specifications. The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 shall conform to the...

21 CFR 74.706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD...) Color additive mixtures for food use made with FD&C Yellow No. 6 may contain only those diluents that...

21 CFR 74.705 - FD&C Yellow No. 5.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.705 FD&C Yellow No. 5. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD... salt. (2) Color additive mixtures for food use made with FD&C Yellow No. 5 may contain only those...

Cognitive Style FD/I: An Important Learner Characteristic for Educational Technologists.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chinien, Chris A.; Boutin, France

1993-01-01

Reviews the literature on the cognitive style field dependent/field independent (FD/FI) and suggests implications for educational technologists in their efforts to address individual differences among learners during the instructional design process that would narrow the differential learning gain between FD and FI learners. Testing for FD/FI is…

Cognitive emotion regulation strategies in patients with functional dyspepsia and healthy controls - A comparative study

PubMed Central

Mazaheri, Mina; Afshar, Hamid; Nikneshan, Shekoufeh; Adibi, Peyman

2016-01-01

Background: Patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) may use specific coping strategies. Hence, the aim of the present study was to compare cognitive emotion regulation strategies in FD patients and healthy controls. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive observational study. The sample consisted of 86 individuals, 43 of whom were patients diagnosed with FD. The patients referred to the psychosomatic disorders clinic, Isfahan, Iran. The comparative sample included 43 healthy controls (without digestive diagnoses) matched with the patients by age and gender. Subjects completed data on demographic factors and cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire. Results: The results indicated that there are significant differences between patients with FD and healthy controls according to using cognitive strategies. Scores of healthy controls in positive reappraisal and acceptance were significantly more than FD patients, and inversely, scores of FD patients in rumination and other-blame were meaningfully more than healthy controls. Conclusion: FD patients apply less adaptive strategies and more maladaptive strategies. It is seemed psychological interventions that focus on reducing maladaptive strategies and increasing adaptive strategies could be effective for FD patients. PMID:28217634

Gene polymorphisms associated with functional dyspepsia.

PubMed

Kourikou, Anastasia; Karamanolis, George P; Dimitriadis, George D; Triantafyllou, Konstantinos

2015-07-07

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a constellation of functional upper abdominal complaints with poorly elucidated pathophysiology. However, there is increasing evidence that susceptibility to FD is influenced by hereditary factors. Genetic association studies in FD have examined genotypes related to gastrointestinal motility or sensation, as well as those related to inflammation or immune response. G-protein b3 subunit gene polymorphisms were first reported as being associated with FD. Thereafter, several gene polymorphisms including serotonin transporter promoter, interlukin-17F, migration inhibitory factor, cholecystocynine-1 intron 1, cyclooxygenase-1, catechol-o-methyltransferase, transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 receptor, regulated upon activation normal T cell expressed and secreted, p22PHOX, Toll like receptor 2, SCN10A, CD14 and adrenoreceptors have been investigated in relation to FD; however, the results are contradictory. Several limitations underscore the value of current studies. Among others, inconsistencies in the definitions of FD and controls, subject composition differences regarding FD subtypes, inadequate samples, geographical and ethnical differences, as well as unadjusted environmental factors. Further well-designed studies are necessary to determine how targeted genes polymorphisms, influence the clinical manifestations and potentially the therapeutic response in FD.

Inhibition of cell signaling by the combi-nitrosourea FD137 in the androgen independent DU145 prostate cancer cell line.

PubMed

Qiu, Qiyu; Dudouit, Fabienne; Banerjee, Ranjita; McNamee, James P; Jean-Claude, Bertrand J

2004-04-01

FD137, a nitrosourea appended to a quinazoline ring, was designed to simultaneously block epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mediated signaling and damage genomic DNA in refractory EGF-dependent prostate tumors. The mixed inhibition of cell signaling and DNA damage by FD137 were determined by Western blotting, RT-PCR, flow cytometry, sulforhodamine B (SRB), and comet assay. FD137 and its metabolite FD110 induced a dose-dependent increase in inhibition of EGF-stimulated EGFR autophosphorylation and this translated into blockade of c-fos gene expression in DU145 cells. FD137 induced significant levels of DNA damage and showed 150-fold greater anti-proliferative activity than BCNU, a classical nitrosourea. In contrast to BCNU, complete inhibition of EGF-induced cell transition to S-phase was observed at concentrations of FD137 as low as 3 microM. FD137 could not only damage DNA, but also significantly block downstream EGFR-mediated signaling. The superior activity of FD137 may be imputable to the combined effect of its mixed EGFR/DNA targeting properties. This novel strategy may well represent a new approach to target nitrosoureas to EGFR-overexpressing carcinomas of the prostate. Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Father-child and mother-child interaction in families with a child feeding disorder: The role of paternal involvement.

PubMed

Atzaba-Poria, Naama; Meiri, Gal; Millikovsky, Maaian; Barkai, Anat; Dunaevsky-Idan, Maayan; Yerushalmi, Baruch

2010-11-01

To date, research about feeding disorder (FD) has focused almost exclusively on the mother-child dyad, ignoring fathers' roles. The current study investigated father-child interactions with children having FD. The sample consisted of 67 children (1-3 years old) and their mothers and fathers. Thirty-four children, diagnosed with a nonorganic-based FD (FD group) and 33 children without an FD (control group) were matched for age, gender, birth order, and maternal education. Data were collected during home visits. Mothers were interviewed about their and the father's involvement in childcare. In addition, mother-child and father-child interactions were videotaped during play and feeding. Both mothers and fathers from the FD group experienced less positive parent-child interactions than did parents in the control group. Furthermore, mothers in the FD group reported greater maternal versus paternal childcare involvement than did control group mothers. Finally, FD group mothers exhibited more parental sensitivity than did fathers during feeing interactions; however, this difference was observed only when coupled with low paternal involvement. In families where fathers were highly involved, no difference was evident in paternal and maternal sensitivity. These findings highlight the importance of fathers' involvement, especially in families with children exhibiting an FD. Copyright © 2010 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health.

The genetics of fat distribution.

PubMed

Schleinitz, Dorit; Böttcher, Yvonne; Blüher, Matthias; Kovacs, Peter

2014-07-01

Fat stored in visceral depots makes obese individuals more prone to complications than subcutaneous fat. There is good evidence that body fat distribution (FD) is controlled by genetic factors. WHR, a surrogate measure of FD, shows significant heritability of up to ∼60%, even after adjusting for BMI. Genetic variants have been linked to various forms of altered FD such as lipodystrophies; however, the polygenic background of visceral obesity has only been sparsely investigated in the past. Recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS) for measures of FD revealed numerous loci harbouring genes potentially regulating FD. In addition, genes with fat depot-specific expression patterns (in particular subcutaneous vs visceral adipose tissue) provide plausible candidate genes involved in the regulation of FD. Many of these genes are differentially expressed in various fat compartments and correlate with obesity-related traits, thus further supporting their role as potential mediators of metabolic alterations associated with a distinct FD. Finally, developmental genes may at a very early stage determine specific FD in later life. Indeed, genes such as TBX15 not only manifest differential expression in various fat depots, but also correlate with obesity and related traits. Moreover, recent GWAS identified several polymorphisms in developmental genes (including TBX15, HOXC13, RSPO3 and CPEB4) strongly associated with FD. More accurate methods, including cardiometabolic imaging, for assessment of FD are needed to promote our understanding in this field, where the main focus is now to unravel the yet unknown biological function of these novel 'fat distribution genes'.

Frequency-domain optical tomographic image reconstruction algorithm with the simplified spherical harmonics (SP3) light propagation model.

PubMed

Kim, Hyun Keol; Montejo, Ludguier D; Jia, Jingfei; Hielscher, Andreas H

2017-06-01

We introduce here the finite volume formulation of the frequency-domain simplified spherical harmonics model with n -th order absorption coefficients (FD-SP N ) that approximates the frequency-domain equation of radiative transfer (FD-ERT). We then present the FD-SP N based reconstruction algorithm that recovers absorption and scattering coefficients in biological tissue. The FD-SP N model with 3 rd order absorption coefficient (i.e., FD-SP 3 ) is used as a forward model to solve the inverse problem. The FD-SP 3 is discretized with a node-centered finite volume scheme and solved with a restarted generalized minimum residual (GMRES) algorithm. The absorption and scattering coefficients are retrieved using a limited-memory Broyden-Fletcher-Goldfarb-Shanno (L-BFGS) algorithm. Finally, the forward and inverse algorithms are evaluated using numerical phantoms with optical properties and size that mimic small-volume tissue such as finger joints and small animals. The forward results show that the FD-SP 3 model approximates the FD-ERT (S 12 ) solution within relatively high accuracy; the average error in the phase (<3.7%) and the amplitude (<7.1%) of the partial current at the boundary are reported. From the inverse results we find that the absorption and scattering coefficient maps are more accurately reconstructed with the SP 3 model than those with the SP 1 model. Therefore, this work shows that the FD-SP 3 is an efficient model for optical tomographic imaging of small-volume media with non-diffuse properties both in terms of computational time and accuracy as it requires significantly lower CPU time than the FD-ERT (S 12 ) and also it is more accurate than the FD-SP 1 .

Food and functional dyspepsia: a systematic review.

PubMed

Duncanson, K R; Talley, N J; Walker, M M; Burrows, T L

2018-06-01

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a debilitating functional gastrointestinal disorder characterised by early satiety, post-prandial fullness or epigastric pain related to meals, which affects up to 20% of western populations. A high dietary fat intake has been linked to FD and duodenal eosinophilia has been noted in FD. We hypothesised that an allergen such as wheat is a risk factor for FD and that withdrawal will improve symptoms of FD. We aimed to investigate the relationship between food and functional dyspepsia. Sixteen out of 6451 studies identified in a database search of six databases met the inclusion criteria of studies examining the effect of nutrients, foods and food components in adults with FD or FD symptoms. Wheat-containing foods were implicated in FD symptom induction in six studies, four of which were not specifically investigating gluten and two that were gluten-specific, with the implementation of a gluten-free diet demonstrating a reduction in symptoms. Dietary fat was associated with FD in all three studies that specifically measured this association. Specific foods reported as inducing symptoms were high in either natural food chemicals, high in fermentable carbohydrates or high in wheat/gluten. Caffeine was associated with FD in four studies, although any association with alcohol was uncertain. Wheat and dietary fats may play key roles in the generation of FD symptoms and reduction or withdrawal eased symptoms. Randomised trials investigating the roles of gluten, FODMAPs (fermentable oligosaccharide, disaccharide, monosaccharide and polyols) and high fat ingestion and naturally occurring food chemicals in the generation of functional dyspepsia symptoms are warranted and further investigation of the mechanisms is now required. © 2017 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

A cross-bridge based model of force depression: Can a single modification address both transient and steady-state behaviors?

PubMed

Corr, David T; Herzog, Walter

2016-03-21

Force depression (FD), the reduction of isometric force following active shortening, is a phenomenon of skeletal muscle that has received significant attention in biomechanical and physiological literature, yet the mechanisms underlying FD remain unknown. Recent experiments identified a slower rate of force redevelopment with increasing amounts of steady-state FD, suggesting that FD may be caused, at least in part, by a decrease in cross-bridge binding rate (Corr and Herzog, 2005; Koppes et al., 2014). Herein, we develop a cross-bridge based model of FD in which the binding rate function, f, decreases with the mechanical work performed during shortening. This modification incorporates a direct relationship between steady-state FD and muscle mechanical work (Corr and Herzog, 2005; Herzog et al., 2000; Kosterina et al., 2008), and is consistent with a proposed mechanism attributing FD to stress-induced inhibition of cross-bridge attachments (Herzog, 1998; Maréchal and Plaghki, 1979). Thus, for an increase in mechanical work, the model should predict a slower force redevelopment (decreased attachment rate) to a more depressed steady-state force (fewer attached cross-bridges), and a reduction in contractile element stiffness (Ford et al., 1981). We hypothesized that since this modification affects the cross-bridge kinetics, a corresponding model would be able to account for both transient and steady-state FD behaviors. Comparisons to prior experiments (Corr and Herzog, 2005; Herzog et al., 2000; Kosterina et al., 2008) show that both steady-state and transient aspects of FD, as well as the relationship of FD with respect to speed and amplitude of shortening, are well captured by this model. Thus, this relatively simple cross-bridge based model of FD lends support to a mechanism involving the inhibition of cross-bridge binding, and indicates that cross-bridge kinetics may play a critical role in FD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Robust and fast characterization of OCT-based optical attenuation using a novel frequency-domain algorithm for brain cancer detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yuan, Wu; Kut, Carmen; Liang, Wenxuan; Li, Xingde

2017-03-01

Cancer is known to alter the local optical properties of tissues. The detection of OCT-based optical attenuation provides a quantitative method to efficiently differentiate cancer from non-cancer tissues. In particular, the intraoperative use of quantitative OCT is able to provide a direct visual guidance in real time for accurate identification of cancer tissues, especially these without any obvious structural layers, such as brain cancer. However, current methods are suboptimal in providing high-speed and accurate OCT attenuation mapping for intraoperative brain cancer detection. In this paper, we report a novel frequency-domain (FD) algorithm to enable robust and fast characterization of optical attenuation as derived from OCT intensity images. The performance of this FD algorithm was compared with traditional fitting methods by analyzing datasets containing images from freshly resected human brain cancer and from a silica phantom acquired by a 1310 nm swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) system. With graphics processing unit (GPU)-based CUDA C/C++ implementation, this new attenuation mapping algorithm can offer robust and accurate quantitative interpretation of OCT images in real time during brain surgery.

Short hairpin RNA suppression of thymidylate synthase produces DNA mismatches and results in excellent radiosensitization.

PubMed

Flanagan, Sheryl A; Cooper, Kristin S; Mannava, Sudha; Nikiforov, Mikhail A; Shewach, Donna S

2012-12-01

To determine the effect of short hairpin ribonucleic acid (shRNA)-mediated suppression of thymidylate synthase (TS) on cytotoxicity and radiosensitization and the mechanism by which these events occur. shRNA suppression of TS was compared with 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdUrd) inactivation of TS with or without ionizing radiation in HCT116 and HT29 colon cancer cells. Cytotoxicity and radiosensitization were measured by clonogenic assay. Cell cycle effects were measured by flow cytometry. The effects of FdUrd or shRNA suppression of TS on dNTP deoxynucleotide triphosphate imbalances and consequent nucleotide misincorporations into deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography and as pSP189 plasmid mutations, respectively. TS shRNA produced profound (≥ 90%) and prolonged (≥ 8 days) suppression of TS in HCT116 and HT29 cells, whereas FdUrd increased TS expression. TS shRNA also produced more specific and prolonged effects on dNTPs deoxynucleotide triphosphates compared with FdUrd. TS shRNA suppression allowed accumulation of cells in S-phase, although its effects were not as long-lasting as those of FdUrd. Both treatments resulted in phosphorylation of Chk1. TS shRNA alone was less cytotoxic than FdUrd but was equally effective as FdUrd in eliciting radiosensitization (radiation enhancement ratio: TS shRNA, 1.5-1.7; FdUrd, 1.4-1.6). TS shRNA and FdUrd produced a similar increase in the number and type of pSP189 mutations. TS shRNA produced less cytotoxicity than FdUrd but was equally effective at radiosensitizing tumor cells. Thus, the inhibitory effect of FdUrd on TS alone is sufficient to elicit radiosensitization with FdUrd, but it only partially explains FdUrd-mediated cytotoxicity and cell cycle inhibition. The increase in DNA mismatches after TS shRNA or FdUrd supports a causal and sufficient role for the depletion of dTTP thymidine triphosphate and consequent DNA mismatches underlying radiosensitization. Importantly, shRNA suppression of TS avoids FP-mediated TS elevation and its negative prognostic role. These studies support the further exploration of TS suppression as a novel radiosensitizing strategy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Influence of functional dentition on satisfaction with oral health and impacts on daily performance among Brazilian adults: a population-based cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Chalub, Loliza Luiz Figueiredo Houri; Ferreira, Raquel Conceição; Vargas, Andréa Maria Duarte

2017-07-11

Dental esthetics, chewing and speech should be preserved in a dentition denominated functional and are closely related to satisfaction with oral health (SOH), impacts caused by oral problems and have a possible association with Oral Health-Related Quality of Life. Thus, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the influence of different concepts of functional dentition (FD) on both SOH and impacts on daily performance (IDP) among Brazilian adults. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 9564 adults (35-44 years). SOH and IDP were evaluated using the Oral Impacts on Daily Performance (OIDP) questionnaire. FD was considered based on four different definitions: I-classification of the World Health Organization (FDWHO = ≥20 teeth); II-well-distributed teeth (WDT = ≥10 teeth in each arch); III-classified by esthetics and occlusion (FD Class5  = sequential presence of one tooth in each arch, ≥10 teeth in each arch, 12 anterior teeth, ≥three posterior occluding pairs [POPs] of premolars and ≥one POP molar bilaterally); and IV-classified by esthetics, occlusion and periodontal status (FD Class6  = FD Class5 plus all sextants with CPI ≤ 3 and/or CAL ≤ 1). The proportion of adults satisfied with oral health and without overall impact (OIDP = 0) was calculated for each definition of FD. Multiple Poisson regression models were adjusted by demographic-socioeconomic characteristics, self-reported oral problems and the use of dental services for each dependent variable. When FD Class5 and FD Class6 were considered a greater proportion of adults reported being satisfied (52.1 and 53.1%, respectively) and have OIDP = 0 (52.4 and 53.3, respectively). In the multiple models, SOH was associated with FD Class5 (RP = 1.21) and FD Class6 (RP = 1.24) and OIDP = 0 was associated with WDT (RP = 1.14) and FD Class6 (RP = 1.21). The greater influence of WDT, FD Class5 and FD Class6 on aspects related to quality of life in comparison to FDWHO demonstrates the need for the establishment of a broader definition of FD that encompasses subjective aspects.

Tissue-Specific Expression of DNA Methyltransferases Involved in Early-Life Nutritional Stress of Chicken, Gallus gallus

PubMed Central

Kang, Seong W.; Madkour, Mahmoud; Kuenzel, Wayne J.

2017-01-01

DNA methylation was reported as a possible stress-adaptation mechanism involved in the transcriptional regulation of stress responsive genes. Limited data are available on effects of psychological stress and early-life nutritional stress on DNA methylation regulators [DNMTs: DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), DNMT1 associated protein (DMAP1), DNMT 3 alpha (DNMT3A) and beta (DNMT3B)] in avian species. The objectives of this study were to: (1) investigate changes in expression of DNMT1, DMAP1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B following acute (AS) or chronic immobilization stress (CS); (2) test immediate effect of early-life nutritional stress [food deprivation (FD) for 12 h (12hFD) or 36 h (36hFD) at the post-hatching period] on expression of DNA methylation regulators and glucocorticoid receptor (GR), and the long-term effect of early-life nutritional stress at 6 weeks of age. Expression of DNMTs and plasma corticosterone (CORT) concentration decreased by CS compared to AS (p < 0.05), indicating differential roles of DNA methylation regulators in the stress response. Plasma CORT at 12hFD and 36hFD birds increased compared to control birds (12hF and 36hF), but there were no significant differences in plasma CORT of 12hFD and 36hFD birds at 6 weeks of age compared to 6 week controls. DNMT1, DMAP1, and DNMT3B expression in the anterior pituitary increased by 12hFD, but decreased at 36hFD compared to their controls (P < 0.05). In liver, DNMT1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B expression decreased by 12hFD, however, no significant changes occurred at 36hFD. Expression of DMAP1, DNMT3A, and DNMT3B in anterior pituitary and DMAP1 and DNMT3A expression in liver at 6 weeks of age were higher in 36hFD stressed birds compared to controls as well as 12hFD stressed birds. Hepatic GR expression decreased by 12hFD and increased by 36hFD (p < 0.05). Expression patterns of GR in the liver of FD stress-induced birds persisted until 6 weeks of age, suggesting the possible lifelong involvement of liver GR in early-life nutritional stress response of birds. Taken together, results suggest that DNA methylation regulator genes are tissue-specifically responsive to acute and chronic stress, and hepatic GR may play a critical role in regulating the early-life nutritional stress response of birds. In addition, the downregulation of DNMT1 and DMAP1 may be one of the adaptive mechanisms to chronic early-life nutritional stress via passive demethylation. PMID:29270191

Progressive Reduction in Central Blood Volume is not Detected by Sublingual Capnography

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

Sam Houston; †Department of Health and Kinesiology , University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, and ‡San Antonio Military Medical Center, Fort...of hypovolaemia with gastrointestinal tonometry. Intensive Care Med 23(3):276 281, 1997. 13. Santoso JT, Wisner DH, Battistella FD, Owings JT

21 CFR 74.2203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2203 FD&C Green No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.203(a)(1) and (b). (b) Uses and restrictions. The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 may be...

21 CFR 74.2203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2203 FD&C Green No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.203(a)(1) and (b). (b) Uses and restrictions. The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 may be...

21 CFR 74.2203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2203 FD&C Green No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.203(a)(1) and (b). (b) Uses and restrictions. The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 may be...

21 CFR 74.2203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2203 FD&C Green No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.203(a)(1) and (b). (b) Uses and restrictions. The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 may be...

Spectroscopic and Redox Studies of Valence-Delocalized [Fe2S2]+ Centers in Thioredoxin-Like Ferredoxins

PubMed Central

Subramanian, Sowmya; Duin, Evert C.; Fawcett, Sarah E. J.; Armstrong, Fraser A.; Meyer, Jacques; Johnson, Michael K.

2015-01-01

Reduced forms of the C56S and C60S variants of the thioredoxin-like Clostridium pasteurianum [Fe2S2] ferredoxin (CpFd) provide the only known examples of valence-delocalized [Fe2S2]+ clusters, which constitute a fundamental building block of all higher nuclearity Fe-S clusters. In this work, we have revisited earlier work on the CpFd variants and carried out redox and spectroscopic studies on the [Fe2S2]2+,+ centers in wild-type and equivalent variants of the highly homologous and structurally characterized Aquifex aeolicus ferredoxin 4 (AaeFd4) using EPR, UV-visible-NIR absorption, CD and variable-temperature MCD, and protein-film electrochemistry. The results indicate that the [Fe2S2]+ centers in the equivalent AaeFd4 and CpFd variants reversibly interconvert between similar valence-localized S = 1/2 and valence-delocalized S = 9/2 forms as a function of pH, with pKa values in the range 8.3-9.0, due to protonation of the coordinated serinate residue. However, freezing high-pH samples results in partial or full conversion from valence-delocalized S = 9/2 to valence-localized S = 1/2 [Fe2S2]+ clusters. MCD saturation magnetization data for valence-delocalized S = 9/2 [Fe2S2]+ centers facilitated determination of transition polarizations and thereby assignments of low-energy MCD bands associated with the Fe−Fe interaction. The assignments provide experimental assessment of the double exchange parameter, B, for valence-delocalized [Fe2S2]+ centers and demonstrate that variable-temperature MCD spectroscopy provides a means of detecting and investigating the properties of valence-delocalized S = 9/2 [Fe2S2]+ fragments in higher nuclearity Fe-S clusters. The origin of valence delocalization in thioredoxin-like ferredoxin Cys-to-Ser variants and Fe-S clusters in general is discussed in light of these results. PMID:25790339

Brainstem Involvement as a Cause of Central Sleep Apnea: Pattern of Microstructural Cerebral Damage in Patients with Cerebral Microangiopathy

PubMed Central

Duning, Thomas; Deppe, Michael; Brand, Eva; Stypmann, Jörg; Becht, Charlotte; Heidbreder, Anna; Young, Peter

2013-01-01

Background The exact underlying pathomechanism of central sleep apnea with Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSA-CSR) is still unclear. Recent studies have demonstrated an association between cerebral white matter changes and CSA. A dysfunction of central respiratory control centers in the brainstem was suggested by some authors. Novel MR-imaging analysis tools now allow far more subtle assessment of microstructural cerebral changes. The aim of this study was to investigate whether and what severity of subtle structural cerebral changes could lead to CSA-CSR, and whether there is a specific pattern of neurodegenerative changes that cause CSR. Therefore, we examined patients with Fabry disease (FD), an inherited, lysosomal storage disease. White matter lesions are early and frequent findings in FD. Thus, FD can serve as a "model disease" of cerebral microangiopathy to study in more detail the impact of cerebral lesions on central sleep apnea. Patients and Methods Genetically proven FD patients (n = 23) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 44) underwent a cardio-respiratory polysomnography and brain MRI at 3.0 Tesla. We applied different MR-imaging techniques, ranging from semiquantitative measurement of white matter lesion (WML) volumes and automated calculation of brain tissue volumes to VBM of gray matter and voxel-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) analysis. Results In 5 of 23 Fabry patients (22%) CSA-CSR was detected. Voxel-based DTI analysis revealed widespread structural changes in FD patients when compared to the healthy controls. When calculated as a separate group, DTI changes of CSA-CSR patients were most prominent in the brainstem. Voxel-based regression analysis revealed a significant association between CSR severity and microstructural DTI changes within the brainstem. Conclusion Subtle microstructural changes in the brainstem might be a neuroanatomical correlate of CSA-CSR in patients at risk of WML. DTI is more sensitive and specific than conventional structural MRI and other advanced MR analyses tools in demonstrating these abnormalities. PMID:23637744

Anatomically related gray and white matter alterations in the brains of functional dyspepsia patients.

PubMed

Nan, J; Liu, J; Mu, J; Zhang, Y; Zhang, M; Tian, J; Liang, F; Zeng, F

2015-06-01

Previous studies summarized altered brain functional patterns in functional dyspepsia (FD) patients, but how the brain structural patterns are related to FD remains largely unclear. The objective of this study was to determine the brain structural characteristics in FD patients. Optimized voxel-based morphometry and tract-based spatial statistics were employed to investigate the changes in gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) respectively in 34 FD patients with postprandial distress syndrome and 33 healthy controls based on T1-weighted and diffusion-weighted imaging. The Pearson's correlation evaluated the link among GM alterations, WM abnormalities, and clinical variables in FD patients. The optimal brain structural parameters for identifying FD were explored using the receiver operating characteristic curve. Compared to controls, FD patients exhibited a decrease in GM density (GMD) in the right posterior insula/temporal superior cortex (marked as pINS), right inferior frontal cortex (IFC), and left middle cingulate cortex, and an increase in fractional anisotropy (FA) in the posterior limb of the internal capsule, posterior thalamic radiation, and external capsule (EC). Interestingly, the GMD in the pINS was significantly associated with GMD in the IFC and FA in the EC. Moreover, the EC adjacent to the pINS provided the best performance for distinguishing FD patients from controls. Our results showed pINS-related structural abnormalities in FD patients, indicating that GM and WM parameters were not affected independently. These findings would lay the foundation for probing an efficient target in the brain for treating FD. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fractal analysis of plaque border, a novel method for the quantification of atherosclerotic plaque contour irregularity, is associated with pro-atherogenic plasma lipid profile in subjects with non-obstructive carotid stenoses.

PubMed

Moroni, Francesco; Magnoni, Marco; Vergani, Vittoria; Ammirati, Enrico; Camici, Paolo G

2018-01-01

Plaque border irregularity is a known imaging characteristic of vulnerable plaques, but its evaluation heavily relies on subjective evaluation and operator expertise. Aim of the present work is to propose a novel fractal-analysis based method for the quantification of atherosclerotic plaque border irregularity and assess its relation with cardiovascular risk factors. Forty-two asymptomatic subjects with carotid stenosis underwent ultrasound evaluation and assessment of cardiovascular risk factors. Total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) plasma cholesterol and triglycerides concentrations were measured for each subject. Fractal analysis was performed in all the carotid segments affected by atherosclerosis, i.e. 147 segments. The resulting fractal dimension (FD) is a measure of irregularity of plaque profile on long axis view of the plaque. FD in the severest stenosis (main plaque FD,mFD) was 1.136±0.039. Average FD per patient (global FD,gFD) was 1.145±0.039. FD was independent of other plaque characteristics. mFD significantly correlated with plasma HDL (r = -0.367,p = 0.02) and triglycerides-to-HDL ratio (r = 0.480,p = 0.002). Fractal analysis is a novel, readily available, reproducible and inexpensive technique for the quantitative measurement of plaque irregularity. The correlation between low HDL levels and plaque FD suggests a role for HDL in the acquisition of morphologic features of plaque instability. Further studies are needed to validate the prognostic value of fractal analysis in carotid plaques evaluation.

Familial Dysautonomia (FD) Human Embryonic Stem Cell Derived PNS Neurons Reveal that Synaptic Vesicular and Neuronal Transport Genes Are Directly or Indirectly Affected by IKBKAP Downregulation

PubMed Central

Kantor, Gal; Cheishvili, David; Even, Aviel; Birger, Anastasya; Turetsky, Tikva; Gil, Yaniv; Even-Ram, Sharona; Aizenman, Einat; Bashir, Nibal; Maayan, Channa; Razin, Aharon; Reubinoff, Benjamim E.; Weil, Miguel

2015-01-01

A splicing mutation in the IKBKAP gene causes Familial Dysautonomia (FD), affecting the IKAP protein expression levels and proper development and function of the peripheral nervous system (PNS). Here we found new molecular insights for the IKAP role and the impact of the FD mutation in the human PNS lineage by using a novel and unique human embryonic stem cell (hESC) line homozygous to the FD mutation originated by pre implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) analysis. We found that IKBKAP downregulation during PNS differentiation affects normal migration in FD-hESC derived neural crest cells (NCC) while at later stages the PNS neurons show reduced intracellular colocalization between vesicular proteins and IKAP. Comparative wide transcriptome analysis of FD and WT hESC-derived neurons together with the analysis of human brains from FD and WT 12 weeks old embryos and experimental validation of the results confirmed that synaptic vesicular and neuronal transport genes are directly or indirectly affected by IKBKAP downregulation in FD neurons. Moreover we show that kinetin (a drug that corrects IKBKAP alternative splicing) promotes the recovery of IKAP expression and these IKAP functional associated genes identified in the study. Altogether, these results support the view that IKAP might be a vesicular like protein that might be involved in neuronal transport in hESC derived PNS neurons. This function seems to be mostly affected in FD-hESC derived PNS neurons probably reflecting some PNS neuronal dysfunction observed in FD. PMID:26437462

[4Fe-4S]-cluster-depleted Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I: a new 3Fe iron-sulfur protein.

PubMed Central

Stephens, P J; Morgan, T V; Devlin, F; Penner-Hahn, J E; Hodgson, K O; Scott, R A; Stout, C D; Burgess, B K

1985-01-01

Fe(CN)6(-3) oxidation of the aerobically isolated 7Fe Azotobacter vinelandii ferredoxin I, (7Fe)FdI, is a degradative reaction. Destruction of the [4Fe-4S] cluster occurs first, followed by destruction of the [3Fe-3S] cluster. At a Fe(CN)6(-3)/(7Fe)FdI concentration ratio of 20, the product is a mixture of apoprotein and protein containing only a [3Fe-3S] cluster, (3Fe)FdI. This protein mixture, after partial purification, has been characterized by absorption, CD, magnetic CD, and EPR and Fe x-ray absorption spectroscopies. EPR and magnetic CD spectra provide strong evidence that the [3Fe-3S] cluster in (3Fe)FdI is essentially identical in structure to that in (7Fe)FdI. Analysis of the extended x-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) of (3Fe)FdI finds Fe scattering at an average Fe...Fe distance of approximately equal to 2.7 A. The structure of the oxidized [3Fe-3S] cluster in solutions of oxidized (3Fe)FdI, and, by extension, of oxidized (7Fe)FdI, is thus different from that obtained by x-ray crystallography on oxidized (7Fe)FdI. Possible interpretations of this result are discussed. PMID:2994040

Cellular Assays for Ferredoxins: A Strategy for Understanding Electron Flow through Protein Carriers That Link Metabolic Pathways.

PubMed

Atkinson, Joshua T; Campbell, Ian; Bennett, George N; Silberg, Jonathan J

2016-12-27

The ferredoxin (Fd) protein family is a structurally diverse group of iron-sulfur proteins that function as electron carriers, linking biochemical pathways important for energy transduction, nutrient assimilation, and primary metabolism. While considerable biochemical information about individual Fd protein electron carriers and their reactions has been acquired, we cannot yet anticipate the proportion of electrons shuttled between different Fd-partner proteins within cells using biochemical parameters that govern electron flow, such as holo-Fd concentration, midpoint potential (driving force), molecular interactions (affinity and kinetics), conformational changes (allostery), and off-pathway electron leakage (chemical oxidation). Herein, we describe functional and structural gaps in our Fd knowledge within the context of a sequence similarity network and phylogenetic tree, and we propose a strategy for improving our understanding of Fd sequence-function relationships. We suggest comparing the functions of divergent Fds within cells whose growth, or other measurable output, requires electron transfer between defined electron donor and acceptor proteins. By comparing Fd-mediated electron transfer with biochemical parameters that govern electron flow, we posit that models that anticipate energy flow across Fd interactomes can be built. This approach is expected to transform our ability to anticipate Fd control over electron flow in cellular settings, an obstacle to the construction of synthetic electron transfer pathways and rational optimization of existing energy-conserving pathways.

Gemcitabine diphosphate choline is a major metabolite linked to the Kennedy pathway in pancreatic cancer models in vivo.

PubMed

Bapiro, T E; Frese, K K; Courtin, A; Bramhall, J L; Madhu, B; Cook, N; Neesse, A; Griffiths, J R; Tuveson, D A; Jodrell, D I; Richards, F M

2014-07-15

The modest benefits of gemcitabine (dFdC) therapy in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are well documented, with drug delivery and metabolic lability cited as important contributing factors. We have used a mouse model of PDAC: KRAS(G12D); p53(R172H); pdx-Cre (KPC) that recapitulates the human disease to study dFdC intra-tumoural metabolism. LC-MS/MS and NMR were used to measure drug and physiological analytes. Cytotoxicity was assessed by the Sulphorhodamine B assay. In KPC tumour tissue, we identified a new, Kennedy pathway-linked dFdC metabolite (gemcitabine diphosphate choline (GdPC)) present at equimolar amounts to its precursor, the accepted active metabolite gemcitabine triphosphate (dFdCTP). Utilising additional subcutaneous PDAC tumour models, we demonstrated an inverse correlation between GdPC/dFdCTP ratios and cytidine triphosphate (CTP). In tumour homogenates in vitro, CTP inhibited GdPC formation from dFdCTP, indicating competition between CTP and dFdCTP for CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT). As the structure of GdPC precludes entry into cells, potential cytotoxicity was assessed by stimulating CCT activity using linoleate in KPC cells in vitro, leading to increased GdPC concentration and synergistic growth inhibition after dFdC addition. GdPC is an important element of the intra-tumoural dFdC metabolic pathway in vivo.

In vivo imaging of the mouse model of X-linked juvenile retinoschisis with fourier domain optical coherence tomography.

PubMed

Xu, Jing; Molday, Laurie L; Molday, Robert S; Sarunic, Marinko V

2009-06-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD OCT) as a noninvasive tool for retinal imaging in the Rs1h-knockout mouse (model for X-linked juvenile retinoschisis). A prototype spectrometer-based FD OCT system was used in combination with a custom optical beam-scanning platform. Images of the retinas from wild-type and Rs1h-knockout mice were acquired noninvasively with FD OCT with the specimen anesthetized. At the completion of the noninvasive FD OCT imaging, invasive retinal cross-sectional images (histology) were acquired from a nearby region for comparison to the FD OCT images. The retinal layers were identifiable in the FD OCT images, permitting delineation and thickness measurement of the outer nuclear layer (ONL). During FD OCT in vivo imaging of the Rs1h-knockout mouse, holes were observed in the inner nuclear layer (INL), and retinal cell disorganization was observed as a change in the backscattering intensity profile. Comparison of the ONL measurements acquired noninvasively with FD OCT to measurements taken using histology at nearby locations showed a degeneration of roughly 30% of the ONL by the age of 2 months in Rs1h-knockout mice relative to wild-type. FD OCT was demonstrated to be effective for noninvasive imaging of retinal degeneration and observation of retinal holes in Rs1h-knockout mice.

21 CFR 74.1101 - FD&C Blue No. 1

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1101 FD&C Blue No. 1 (a) Identity. (1) For ingested drugs, the color additive FD&C Blue No. 1 shall conform in identity to the requirements of § 74.101(a)(1). (2) For externally applied drugs, the color additive FD&C Blue No. 1 shall conform in identity to the requirements of...

21 CFR 74.1303 - FD&C Red No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1303 FD&C Red No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.303(a)(1) and (b). (2) Color additive mixtures for ingested drug used made with FD&C Red No. 3 may...

Frequency Discrimination Deficits in People with Specific Language Impairment: Reliability, Validity, and Linguistic Correlates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McArthur, G. M.; Bishop, D. V. M.

2004-01-01

The reliability and validity of a frequency discrimination (FD) task were tested in 16 people with specific language impairment (SLI) and 16 people with normal spoken language (controls). The FD thresholds of the 2 groups indicated that FD thresholds for 25-ms and 250-ms tones were remarkably stable across 18 months. The FD thresholds were lower…

21 CFR 74.1303 - FD&C Red No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1303 FD&C Red No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.303(a)(1) and (b). (2) Color additive mixtures for ingested drug used made with FD&C Red No. 3 may...

21 CFR 74.1303 - FD&C Red No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1303 FD&C Red No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.303(a)(1) and (b). (2) Color additive mixtures for ingested drug used made with FD&C Red No. 3 may...

21 CFR 74.1303 - FD&C Red No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1303 FD&C Red No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.303(a)(1) and (b). (2) Color additive mixtures for ingested drug used made with FD&C Red No. 3 may...

Changes in non-volatile taste components of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) during different stages of freeze drying and freeze drying combined with microwave vacuum drying.

PubMed

Pei, Fei; Shi, Ying; Gao, Xingyang; Wu, Fangning; Mariga, Alfred Mugambi; Yang, Wenjian; Zhao, Liyan; An, Xinxin; Xin, Zhihong; Yang, Fangmei; Hu, Qiuhui

2014-12-15

Button mushroom slices were dehydrated using freeze drying (FD) or FD combined with microwave vacuum drying (FMVD), and the non-volatile component profiles were studied. The results showed that the level of non-volatile components in button mushroom firstly increased during sublimation of FD/FMVD process and then fell during desorption in FD process and MVD in FMVD process. Compared to FD products, the contents of soluble sugars and polyols in FMVD products were relatively low, whereas the contents of total free amino acids were significantly higher, close to the level of fresh mushroom. However, there was no significant difference in the contents of 5'-nucleotides and organic acids between FD and FMVD products. The equivalent umami concentration (EUC) values for FD and FMVD products did not differ from fresh, indicating that both drying methods could effectively preserve MSG (monosodium glutamate)-like components in button mushroom. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oil detection in a coastal marsh with polarimetric Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramsey, Elijah W.; Rangoonwala, Amina; Suzuoki, Yukihiro; Jones, Cathleen E.

2011-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's airborne Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR) was deployed in June 2010 in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. UAVSAR is a fully polarimetric L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensor for obtaining data at high spatial resolutions. Starting a month prior to the UAVSAR collections, visual observations confirmed oil impacts along shorelines within northeastern Barataria Bay waters in eastern coastal Louisiana. UAVSAR data along several flight lines over Barataria Bay were collected on 23 June 2010, including the repeat flight line for which data were collected in June 2009. Our analysis of calibrated single-look complex data for these flight lines shows that structural damage of shoreline marsh accompanied by oil occurrence manifested as anomalous features not evident in pre-spill data. Freeman-Durden (FD) and Cloude-Pottier (CP) decompositions of the polarimetric data and Wishart classifications seeded with the FD and CP classes also highlighted these nearshore features as a change in dominant scattering mechanism. All decompositions and classifications also identify a class of interior marshes that reproduce the spatially extensive changes in backscatter indicated by the pre- and post-spill comparison of multi-polarization radar backscatter data. FD and CP decompositions reveal that those changes indicate a transform of dominant scatter from primarily surface or volumetric to double or even bounce. Given supportive evidence that oil-polluted waters penetrated into the interior marshes, it is reasonable that these backscatter changes correspond with oil exposure; however, multiple factors prevent unambiguous determination of whether UAVSAR detected oil in interior marshes.

21 CFR 74.1101 - FD&C Blue No. 1

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 1 74.1101 Section 74.1101 Food and... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1101 FD&C Blue No. 1 (a) Identity. (1) For ingested drugs, the color additive FD&C Blue No. 1 shall conform in identity to the requirements of § 74.101(a)(1). (2) For...

21 CFR 82.102 - FD&C Blue No. 2.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 2. 82.102 Section 82.102 Food and... PROVISIONALLY LISTED COLORS AND SPECIFICATIONS Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics § 82.102 FD&C Blue No. 2. The color additive FD&C Blue No. 2 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.102(a)(1...

21 CFR 82.101 - FD&C Blue No. 1.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 1. 82.101 Section 82.101 Food and... PROVISIONALLY LISTED COLORS AND SPECIFICATIONS Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics § 82.101 FD&C Blue No. 1. The color additive FD&C Blue No. 1 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.101(a)(1...

21 CFR 74.1102 - FD&C Blue No. 2.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 2. 74.1102 Section 74.1102 Food and... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1102 FD&C Blue No. 2. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C Blue No. 2 shall conform in identity to the requirements of § 74.102(a)(1). (2) Color additive...

21 CFR 74.1101 - FD&C Blue No. 1

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 1 74.1101 Section 74.1101 Food and... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1101 FD&C Blue No. 1 (a) Identity. (1) For ingested drugs, the color additive FD&C Blue No. 1 shall conform in identity to the requirements of § 74.101(a)(1). (2) For...

21 CFR 82.102 - FD&C Blue No. 2.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 2. 82.102 Section 82.102 Food and... PROVISIONALLY LISTED COLORS AND SPECIFICATIONS Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics § 82.102 FD&C Blue No. 2. The color additive FD&C Blue No. 2 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.102(a)(1...

21 CFR 74.1102 - FD&C Blue No. 2.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 2. 74.1102 Section 74.1102 Food and... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1102 FD&C Blue No. 2. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C Blue No. 2 shall conform in identity to the requirements of § 74.102(a)(1). (2) Color additive...

21 CFR 74.1101 - FD&C Blue No. 1

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 1 74.1101 Section 74.1101 Food and... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1101 FD&C Blue No. 1 (a) Identity. (1) For ingested drugs, the color additive FD&C Blue No. 1 shall conform in identity to the requirements of § 74.101(a)(1). (2) For...

21 CFR 82.101 - FD&C Blue No. 1.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 1. 82.101 Section 82.101 Food and... PROVISIONALLY LISTED COLORS AND SPECIFICATIONS Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics § 82.101 FD&C Blue No. 1. The color additive FD&C Blue No. 1 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.101(a)(1...

21 CFR 82.102 - FD&C Blue No. 2.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 2. 82.102 Section 82.102 Food and... PROVISIONALLY LISTED COLORS AND SPECIFICATIONS Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics § 82.102 FD&C Blue No. 2. The color additive FD&C Blue No. 2 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.102(a)(1...

21 CFR 82.101 - FD&C Blue No. 1.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 1. 82.101 Section 82.101 Food and... PROVISIONALLY LISTED COLORS AND SPECIFICATIONS Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics § 82.101 FD&C Blue No. 1. The color additive FD&C Blue No. 1 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.101(a)(1...

21 CFR 82.102 - FD&C Blue No. 2.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 2. 82.102 Section 82.102 Food and... PROVISIONALLY LISTED COLORS AND SPECIFICATIONS Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics § 82.102 FD&C Blue No. 2. The color additive FD&C Blue No. 2 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.102(a)(1...

21 CFR 82.102 - FD&C Blue No. 2.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 2. 82.102 Section 82.102 Food and... PROVISIONALLY LISTED COLORS AND SPECIFICATIONS Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics § 82.102 FD&C Blue No. 2. The color additive FD&C Blue No. 2 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74.102(a)(1...

21 CFR 74.1102 - FD&C Blue No. 2.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 2. 74.1102 Section 74.1102 Food and... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1102 FD&C Blue No. 2. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C Blue No. 2 shall conform in identity to the requirements of § 74.102(a)(1). (2) Color additive...

Degree Of Diminution In Vagal-Cardiac Activity Predicts Sudden Death In Familial Dysautonomia When Resting Tachycardia Is Absent

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlegel, T. T.; Marthol, H.; Bucchner, S.; Tutaj, M.; Berlin, D.; Axelrod, F. B.; Hilz, M. J.

2004-01-01

Patients with familial dysautonomia (FD) have an increased risk of sudden death, but sensitive and specific predictors of sudden death in FD are lacking. Methods. We recorded 10-min resting high-fidelity 12-lead ECGs in 14 FD patients and in 14 age/gender-matched healthy subjects and studied 25+ different heart rate variability (HRV) indices for their ability to predict sudden death in the FD patients. Indices studied included those from 4 "nonlinear" HRV techniques (detrended fluctuation analysis, approximate entropy, correlation dimension, and PoincarC analyses). The predictive value of PR, QRS, QTc and JTc intervals, QT dispersion (QTd), beat-to-beat QT and PR interval variability indices (QTVI and PRVI) and 12- lead high frequency QRS ECG (150-250 Hz) were also studied. FD patients and controls (C) differed (Pless than 0.0l) with respect to 20+ of the HRV indices (FD less than C) and with respect to QTVI and PRVI (FDBC) and HF QRS- related root mean squared voltages (FDBC) and reduced amplitude zone counts (FD less than C). They differed less with respect to PR intervals (FD less than C) and JTc intervals (FD greater than C) (P less than 0.05 for both) and did not differ at all with respect to QRS and QTc intervals and to QTd. Within 12 months after study, 2 of the 14 patients succumbed to sudden cardiac arrest. The best predictor of sudden death was the degree of diminution in HRV vagal-cardiac (parasympathetic) parameters such as RMSSD, the SDl of Poincare plots, and HF spectral power. Excluding the two FD patients who had resting tachycardia (HR greater than 100, which confounds traditional HRV analyses), the following criteria were independently 100% sensitive and 100% specific for predicting sudden death in the remaining 12 FD patients during spontaneous breathing: RMSSD less than 13 ms and/or PoincarC SD1 less than 9 ms. In FD patients without supine tachycardia, the degree of diminution in parasympathetic HRV parameters (by high-fidelity ECG) predicts incipient death.

Globotriaosylsphingosine (Lyso-Gb3) as a biomarker for cardiac variant (N215S) Fabry disease.

PubMed

Alharbi, Fahad J; Baig, Shanat; Auray-Blais, Christiane; Boutin, Michel; Ward, Douglas G; Wheeldon, Nigel; Steed, Rick; Dawson, Charlotte; Hughes, Derralynn; Geberhiwot, Tarekegn

2018-03-01

Fabry disease (FD) is a multi-systemic X-linked lysosomal disorder caused by the deficient activity of α-galactosidase-A enzyme, which leads to accumulation of glycosphingolipids in various body tissues. The N215S mutation is a known variant of FD, with a late onset cardiac phenotype. Consensus guidelines acknowledged the use of globotriaosylsphingosine (Lyso-Gb 3 ) as a diagnostic marker for classical FD but its utility for cardiac variant FD is not clear. We aim to characterize the clinical features and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of plasma and urinary Lyso-Gb 3 levels in N215S cardiac variant FD patients. Thirty-four FD patients with the late-onset N215S cardiac variant mutation were enrolled along with 62 classical FD patients and 109 healthy controls. Plasma and urinary Lyso-Gb 3 and its analogues were analyzed by LC-MS/MS. Both FD males and females with N215S mutation showed Lyso-Gb 3 levels of (mean ± SEM) 9.7 ± 1.0 and 5.4 ± 0.8 nM, respectively. These levels were significantly higher than healthy control and lower than classical FD patients (p < 0.0001). Plasma Lyso-Gb 3 levels equal to or higher than 2.7 nM yielded a diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100% (AUC = 1, p < 0.0001). Cardiac involvement was frequent with 16/34 (47%) developing left ventricular hypertrophy. Three patients who underwent renal biopsy had the characteristic sphingolipid deposition in the podocytes while 6/19 (32%) had evidence of white matter changes or infarct on brain MRI. Taken together, cardiac variant N215S mutation is rather an attenuated form of classical FD. Plasma Lyso-Gb 3 is a diagnostic hallmark to differentiate N215S variant phenotype from subjects with no FD.

Carbon dioxide effluxes and their environmental controls in sagebrush steppe ecosystems along an elevation gradient in the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lohse, K. A.; Fellows, A.; Flerchinger, G. N.; Seyfried, M. S.

2017-12-01

The spatial and temporal variation of carbon dioxide effluxes and their environmental controls are poorly constrained in cold shrub steppe ecosystems. The objectives of this study were to 1) analyze environmental parameters in determining soil CO2 efflux, 2) assess the level of agreement between manual chambers and force diffusion (FD) soil CO2 efflux chambers, when both measurements are extrapolated across the growing season, and lastly to compare respiration fluxes to modeled ecosystem respiration fluxes. We installed FD chambers at four sites co-located with eddy covariance (EC) towers and soil moisture and temperature sensors along an elevation gradient in the Reynolds Creek Critical Zone Observatory in SW Idaho. FD chamber fluxes were collected continuously at 15-minute intervals. We sampled soil CO2 efflux with manual chambers at plant and interplant spaces in five plots at each site biweekly to monthly during the growing season. The sites included a Wyoming big sagebrush site, a low sagebrush site, a post-fire mountain big sagebrush site, and a mountain big sagebrush site located at elevations of 1425, 1680, 1808 and 2111 m. Climate variation followed the montane elevation gradient; mean annual precipitation (MAP) at the sites is 290, 337, 425, and 795 mm, respectively, and mean annual temperature is 8.9, 8.4, 6.1, 5.4°C. Automated force diffusion chambers detected large differences in carbon dioxide pulse dynamics along the elevation gradient. Growing season carbon dioxide fluxes were 3 times higher at the 425 mm MAP site compared than the lowest elevation sites at 290 and 337 MAP sites and >1.5 higher than the 795 mm MAP site over the same period. Manual fluxes showed similar seasonal patterns as FD chamber fluxes but often higher and greater spatial variability in fluxes than FD chamber fluxes. Plant and interplant flux differences were surprisingly similar, especially at higher elevations. Soil respiration ranged from 0.2-0.48 of ecosystem respiration suggesting that aboveground maintenance costs were relatively high at all of these sites. We conclude that coupled FD chamber, EC tower, and manual estimates hold promise in helping to partition and scale carbon fluxes from the plot to landscape scale.

Financial distress in patients with advanced cancer

PubMed Central

Brosse, Christelle; Rhondali, Wadih; Ruer, Murielle; Monsarrat, Léa; Michaud, Patrick; Schott, Anne Marie; Delgado-Guay, Marvin; Bruera, Eduardo; Sanchez, Stéphane; Filbet, Marilène

2017-01-01

Purpose We examined the frequency and severity of financial distress (FD) and its association with quality of life (QOL) and symptoms among patients with advanced cancer in France. Design In this cross-sectional study, 143 patients with advanced cancer were enrolled. QOL was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer General (FACT-G) and symptoms assessed using Edmonton Assessment System (ESAS) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). FD was assessed using a self-rated numeric scale from 0 to 10. Results Seventy-three (51%) patients reported having FD. Patients reported having FD were most likely to be younger (53.8 (16,7SD) versus 62 (10.5SD), p<0.001), single (33 (62%) versus 40(44%), p = 0.03) and had a breast cancer (26 (36%), p = 0.024). Patients with FD had a lower FACT-G score (59 versus 70, p = 0.005). FD decreased physical (14 versus 18, p = 0.008), emotional (14 versus 16, p = 0.008), social wellbeing (17 versus 19, p = 0.04). Patients with FD had higher HADS-D (8 versus 6 p = 0.007) and HADS-A (9 versus 7, p = 0.009) scores. FD was linked to increased ESAS score (59 (18SD) versus 67 (18SD), p = 0.005) and spiritual suffering (22(29SD) versus 13(23SD), p = 0.045). Conclusion The high rate of patient-reported FD was unexpected in our studied population, as the French National Health Insurance covers specific cancer treatments. The FD was associated with a poorer quality of life. Having a systematic assessment, with a simple tool, should lead to future research on interventions that will increase patients’ QOL. PMID:28545063

Financial distress in patients with advanced cancer.

PubMed

Barbaret, Cécile; Brosse, Christelle; Rhondali, Wadih; Ruer, Murielle; Monsarrat, Léa; Michaud, Patrick; Schott, Anne Marie; Delgado-Guay, Marvin; Bruera, Eduardo; Sanchez, Stéphane; Filbet, Marilène

2017-01-01

We examined the frequency and severity of financial distress (FD) and its association with quality of life (QOL) and symptoms among patients with advanced cancer in France. In this cross-sectional study, 143 patients with advanced cancer were enrolled. QOL was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Cancer General (FACT-G) and symptoms assessed using Edmonton Assessment System (ESAS) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). FD was assessed using a self-rated numeric scale from 0 to 10. Seventy-three (51%) patients reported having FD. Patients reported having FD were most likely to be younger (53.8 (16,7SD) versus 62 (10.5SD), p<0.001), single (33 (62%) versus 40(44%), p = 0.03) and had a breast cancer (26 (36%), p = 0.024). Patients with FD had a lower FACT-G score (59 versus 70, p = 0.005). FD decreased physical (14 versus 18, p = 0.008), emotional (14 versus 16, p = 0.008), social wellbeing (17 versus 19, p = 0.04). Patients with FD had higher HADS-D (8 versus 6 p = 0.007) and HADS-A (9 versus 7, p = 0.009) scores. FD was linked to increased ESAS score (59 (18SD) versus 67 (18SD), p = 0.005) and spiritual suffering (22(29SD) versus 13(23SD), p = 0.045). The high rate of patient-reported FD was unexpected in our studied population, as the French National Health Insurance covers specific cancer treatments. The FD was associated with a poorer quality of life. Having a systematic assessment, with a simple tool, should lead to future research on interventions that will increase patients' QOL.

Evaluation of a UCMK/dCK fusion enzyme for gemcitabine-mediated cytotoxicity

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

Johnson, Adam J.; Brown, Melissa N.; Black, Margaret E., E-mail: blackm@vetmed.wsu.edu

2011-12-09

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Goal was to enhance dFdC cytotoxicity by the creation of a UCMK/dCK fusion enzyme. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The UCMK/dCK fusion enzyme possesses both native activities. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The fusion renders cells equally sensitive to dFdC relative to dCK expression alone. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Dual activities of fusion not sufficient to augment cell dFdC sensitivity in vitro. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Data may warrant the implementation of UCMK mutagenesis studies. -- Abstract: While gemcitabine (2 Prime -2 Prime -difluoro-2 Prime -deoxycytidine, dFdC) displays wide-ranging antineoplastic activity as a single agent, variable response rates and poor intracellular metabolism often limit its clinical efficacy. In an effort to enhancemore » dFdC cytotoxicity and help normalize response rates, we created a bifunctional fusion enzyme that combines the enzymatic activities of deoxycytidine kinase (dCK) and uridine/cytidine monophosphate kinase (UCMK) in a single polypeptide. Our goal was to evaluate whether the created fusion could induce beneficial, functional changes toward dFdC, expedite dFdC conversion to its active antimetabolites and consequently amplify cell dFdC sensitivity. While kinetic analyses revealed the UCMK/dCK fusion enzyme to possess both native activities, the fusion rendered cells sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of dFdC at the same level as dCK expression alone. These results suggest that increased wild-type UCMK expression does not provide a significant enhancement in dFdC-mediated cytotoxicity and may warrant the implementation of studies aimed at engineering UCMK variants with improved activity toward gemcitabine monophosphate.« less

Identifying Neural Patterns of Functional Dyspepsia Using Multivariate Pattern Analysis: A Resting-State fMRI Study

PubMed Central

Liu, Peng; Qin, Wei; Wang, Jingjing; Zeng, Fang; Zhou, Guangyu; Wen, Haixia; von Deneen, Karen M.; Liang, Fanrong; Gong, Qiyong; Tian, Jie

2013-01-01

Background Previous imaging studies on functional dyspepsia (FD) have focused on abnormal brain functions during special tasks, while few studies concentrated on the resting-state abnormalities of FD patients, which might be potentially valuable to provide us with direct information about the neural basis of FD. The main purpose of the current study was thereby to characterize the distinct patterns of resting-state function between FD patients and healthy controls (HCs). Methodology/Principal Findings Thirty FD patients and thirty HCs were enrolled and experienced 5-mintue resting-state scanning. Based on the support vector machine (SVM), we applied multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) to investigate the differences of resting-state function mapped by regional homogeneity (ReHo). A classifier was designed by using the principal component analysis and the linear SVM. Permutation test was then employed to identify the significant contribution to the final discrimination. The results displayed that the mean classifier accuracy was 86.67%, and highly discriminative brain regions mainly included the prefrontal cortex (PFC), orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), supplementary motor area (SMA), temporal pole (TP), insula, anterior/middle cingulate cortex (ACC/MCC), thalamus, hippocampus (HIPP)/parahippocamus (ParaHIPP) and cerebellum. Correlation analysis revealed significant correlations between ReHo values in certain regions of interest (ROI) and the FD symptom severity and/or duration, including the positive correlations between the dmPFC, pACC and the symptom severity; whereas, the positive correlations between the MCC, OFC, insula, TP and FD duration. Conclusions These findings indicated that significantly distinct patterns existed between FD patients and HCs during the resting-state, which could expand our understanding of the neural basis of FD. Meanwhile, our results possibly showed potential feasibility of functional magnetic resonance imaging diagnostic assay for FD. PMID:23874543

Brain White Matter Shape Changes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): A Fractal Dimension Study

PubMed Central

Allexandre, Didier; Zhang, Luduan; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Pioro, Erik P.; Yue, Guang H.

2013-01-01

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disorder. Current diagnosis time is about 12-months due to lack of objective methods. Previous brain white matter voxel based morphometry (VBM) studies in ALS reported inconsistent results. Fractal dimension (FD) has successfully been used to quantify brain WM shape complexity in various neurological disorders and aging, but not yet studied in ALS. Therefore, we investigated WM morphometric changes using FD analyses in ALS patients with different clinical phenotypes. We hypothesized that FD would better capture clinical features of the WM morphometry in different ALS phenotypes than VBM analysis. High resolution MRI T1-weighted images were acquired in controls (n = 11), and ALS patients (n = 89). ALS patients were assigned into four subgroups based on their clinical phenotypes.VBM analysis was carried out using SPM8. FD values were estimated for brain WM skeleton, surface and general structure in both controls and ALS patients using our previously published algorithm. No significant VBM WM changes were observed between controls and ALS patients and among the ALS subgroups. In contrast, significant (p<0.05) FD reductions in skeleton and general structure were observed between ALS with dementia and other ALS subgroups. No significant differences in any of the FD measures were observed between control and ALS patients. FD correlated significantly with revised ALS functional rating scale (ALSFRS-R) score a clinical measure of function. Results suggest that brain WM shape complexity is more sensitive to ALS disease process when compared to volumetric VBM analysis and FD changes are dependent on the ALS phenotype. Correlation between FD and clinical measures suggests that FD could potentially serve as a biomarker of ALS pathophysiology, especially after confirmation by longitudinal studies. PMID:24040000

Intraspecific functional diversity of common species enhances community stability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wood, Connor M.; McKinney, Shawn T.; Loftin, Cynthia S.

2017-01-01

Common species are fundamental to the structure and function of their communities and may enhance community stability through intraspecific functional diversity (iFD). We measured among-habitat and within-habitat iFD (i.e., among- and within-plant community types) of two common small mammal species using stable isotopes and functional trait dendrograms, determined whether iFD was related to short-term population stability and small mammal community stability, and tested whether spatially explicit trait filters helped explain observed patterns of iFD. Southern red-backed voles (Myodes gapperi) had greater iFD than deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), both among habitats, and within the plant community in which they were most abundant (their “primary habitat”). Peromyscus maniculatus populations across habitats differed significantly between years and declined 78% in deciduous forests, their primary habitat, as did the overall deciduous forest small mammal community. Myodes gapperi populations were stable across habitats and within coniferous forest, their primary habitat, as was the coniferous forest small mammal community. Generalized linear models representing internal trait filters (e.g., competition), which increase within-habitat type iFD, best explained variation in M. gapperidiet, while models representing internal filters and external filters (e.g., climate), which suppress within-habitat iFD, best explained P. maniculatus diet. This supports the finding that M. gapperi had higher iFD than P. maniculatus and is consistent with the theory that internal trait filters are associated with higher iFD than external filters. Common species with high iFD can impart a stabilizing influence on their communities, information that can be important for conserving biodiversity under environmental change.

Advanced Electrocardiographic Predictors of Sudden Death in Familial Dysautonomia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solaimanzadeh, I.; Schlegel, T. T.; Greco, E. C.; DePalma, J. L.; Starc, V.; Marthol, H.; Tutaj, M.; Buechner, S.; Axelrod, F. B.; Hilz, M. J.

2007-01-01

To identify accurate predictors for the risk of sudden death in patients with familial dysautonomia (FD). Ten-minute resting high-fidelity 12-lead ECGs were obtained from 14 FD patients and 14 age/gender-matched healthy subjects. Multiple conventional and advanced ECG parameters were studied for their ability to predict sudden death in FD over a subsequent 4.5-year period, including multiple indices of linear and non-linear heart rate variability (HRV); QT variability; waveform complexity; high frequency QRS; and derived Frank-lead parameters. Four of the 14 FD patients died suddenly during the follow-up period, usually with concomitant pulmonary disorder. The presence of low vagally-mediated HRV was the ECG finding most predictive of sudden death. Concomitant left ventricular hypertrophy and other ECG abnormalities such as increased QTc and JTc intervals, spatial QRS-T angles, T-wave complexity, and QT variability were also present in FD patients, suggesting that structural heart disease is fairly common in FD. Although excessive or unopposed cardiac vagal (relative to sympathetic) activity has been postulated as a contributor to sudden death in FD, the presence of low vagally-mediated HRV was paradoxically the best predictor of sudden death. However, we suggest that low vagally-mediated HRV be construed not as a direct cause of sudden death in FD, but rather as an effect of concurrent pathological processes, especially hypoxia due to pulmonary disorders and sleep apnea, that themselves increase the risk of sudden death in FD and simultaneously diminish HRV. We speculate that adenosine may play a role in sudden death in FD, possibly independently of vagal activity, and that adenosine inhibitors such as theophylline might therefore be useful as prophylaxis in this disorder.

Exposure estimate for FD&C colour additives for the US population.

PubMed

Doell, Diana L; Folmer, Daniel E; Lee, Hyoung S; Butts, Kyla M; Carberry, Susan E

2016-05-01

Dietary exposures to the seven food, drug, and cosmetic (FD&C) colour additives that are approved for general use in food in the United States were estimated for the US population (aged 2 years and older), children (aged 2-5 years) and teenage boys (aged 13-18 years) based on analytical levels of the FD&C colour additives in foods. Approximately 600 foods were chosen for analysis, based on a survey of product labels, for the levels of FD&C colour additives. Dietary exposure was estimated using both 2-day food consumption data from the combined 2007-10 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and 10-14-day food consumption data from the 2007-10 NPD Group, Inc. National Eating Trends - Nutrient Intake Database (NPD NET-NID). Dietary exposure was estimated at the mean and 90th percentile using three different exposure scenarios: low exposure, average exposure and high exposure, to account for the range in the amount of each FD&C colour additive for a given food. For all populations and all exposure scenarios, the highest cumulative eaters-only exposures in food were determined for FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5 and FD&C Yellow No. 6. In addition, the eaters-only exposure was estimated for individual food categories in order to determine which food categories contributed the most to the exposure for each FD&C colour additive. Breakfast Cereal, Juice Drinks, Soft Drinks, and Frozen Dairy Desserts/Sherbet (also referred to as Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Sherbet (including Bars, Sticks, Sandwiches)) were the major contributing food categories to exposure for multiple FD&C colour additives for all three populations.

Soybean meal fermented by Aspergillus awamori increases the cytochrome P-450 content of the liver microsomes of mice.

PubMed

Kishida, T; Ataki, H; Takebe, M; Ebihara, K

2000-04-01

The effect of soybean meal fermented by Aspergillus awamori on the acute lethality of acetaldehyde, pentobarbital sleeping time, and cytochrome P-450 content of the hepatic microsomes was studied in mice. Most of the daidzin and genistin in soybean meal (SBM) were converted into the respective aglycones, daidzein and genistein, by fermentation. In experiment 1, mice were fed isonitrogenic test diets with one of the following five protein sources for 28 d: casein, SBM, fermented and hot-air-dried SBM (FSBM-HD), fermented and freeze-dried SBM (FSBM-FD), or methanol-extracted FSBM-FD (FSMB-FD-R). The acute lethality of acetaldehyde in mice fed the FSBM-FD diet was significantly lower than that in mice fed the SBM, FSBM-HD, or FSBM-FD-R diet. In experiments 2 and 3, mice were fed isonitrogenic test diets with one of the following four protein sources for 28 d: casein, SBM, FSBM-FD, and FSBM-FD-R. The pentobarbital sleeping time was significantly shorter and the cytochrome P-450 content was significantly higher in the mice fed the FSBM-FD diet than the respective value in mice fed the other test diets. In experiment 4, mice were fed one of eight diets which contained different levels of aglycone obtained by varying the proportion of FSBM-FD and FSBM-FD-R, for 28 d. The cytochrome P-450 content in hepatic microsomes increased as the dietary level of isoflavonoid aglycones increased, but there was a saturation phenomenon. These results suggest that soy isoflavonoid aglycones are more potent inducers of cytochrome P-450 than isoflavonoid glycosides.

Exposure estimate for FD&C colour additives for the US population

PubMed Central

Folmer, Daniel E.; Lee, Hyoung S.; Butts, Kyla M.; Carberry, Susan E.

2016-01-01

Dietary exposures to the seven food, drug, and cosmetic (FD&C) colour additives that are approved for general use in food in the United States were estimated for the US population (aged 2 years and older), children (aged 2–5 years) and teenage boys (aged 13–18 years) based on analytical levels of the FD&C colour additives in foods. Approximately 600 foods were chosen for analysis, based on a survey of product labels, for the levels of FD&C colour additives. Dietary exposure was estimated using both 2-day food consumption data from the combined 2007–10 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) and 10–14-day food consumption data from the 2007–10 NPD Group, Inc. National Eating Trends – Nutrient Intake Database (NPD NET-NID). Dietary exposure was estimated at the mean and 90th percentile using three different exposure scenarios: low exposure, average exposure and high exposure, to account for the range in the amount of each FD&C colour additive for a given food. For all populations and all exposure scenarios, the highest cumulative eaters-only exposures in food were determined for FD&C Red No. 40, FD&C Yellow No. 5 and FD&C Yellow No. 6. In addition, the eaters-only exposure was estimated for individual food categories in order to determine which food categories contributed the most to the exposure for each FD&C colour additive. Breakfast Cereal, Juice Drinks, Soft Drinks, and Frozen Dairy Desserts/Sherbet (also referred to as Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Sherbet (including Bars, Sticks, Sandwiches)) were the major contributing food categories to exposure for multiple FD&C colour additives for all three populations. PMID:27092991

Altered structural covariance of the striatum in functional dyspepsia patients.

PubMed

Liu, P; Zeng, F; Yang, F; Wang, J; Liu, X; Wang, Q; Zhou, G; Zhang, D; Zhu, M; Zhao, R; Wang, A; Gong, Q; Liang, F

2014-08-01

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is thought to be involved in dysregulation within the brain-gut axis. Recently, altered striatum activation has been reported in patients with FD. However, the gray matter (GM) volumes in the striatum and structural covariance patterns of this area are rarely explored. The purpose of this study was to examine the GM volumes and structural covariance patterns of the striatum between FD patients and healthy controls (HCs). T1-weighted magnetic resonance images were obtained from 44 FD patients and 39 HCs. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis was adopted to examine the GM volumes in the two groups. The caudate- or putamen-related regions identified from VBM analysis were then used as seeds to map the whole brain voxel-wise structural covariance patterns. Finally, a correlation analysis was used to investigate the effects of FD symptoms on the striatum. The results showed increased GM volumes in the bilateral putamen and right caudate. Compared with the structural covariance patterns of the HCs, the FD-related differences were mainly located in the amygdala, hippocampus/parahippocampus (HIPP/paraHIPP), thalamus, lingual gyrus, and cerebellum. And significant positive correlations were found between the volumes in the striatum and the FD duration in the patients. These findings provided preliminary evidence for GM changes in the striatum and different structural covariance patterns in patients with FD. The current results might expand our understanding of the pathophysiology of FD. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

In vivo imaging of the Mouse Model of X-Linked Juvenile Retinoschisis Using Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography

PubMed Central

Xu, Jing; Molday, Laurie L.; Molday, Robert S.; Sarunic, Marinko V.

2009-01-01

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (FD OCT) as a non-invasive tool for retinal imaging in the Rs1h knockout mouse (model for X-linked Juvenile Retinoschisis). Methods A prototype spectrometer based FD OCT system was used in combination with a custom optical beam-scanning platform. Images of the retinas from wild type and Rs1h knockout mice were acquired non-invasively using FD OCT with the specimen anesthetized. At the completion of the non-invasive FD OCT imaging, invasive retinal cross sectional images (histology) were acquired from a nearby region for comparison to the FD OCT images. Results The retinal layers could be identified in the FD OCT images, permitting delineation and thickness measurement of the outer nuclear layer (ONL). During FD OCT in vivo imaging of the Rs1h knockout mouse, holes were observed in the inner nuclear layer (INL) and retinal cell disorganization was observed as a change in the backscattering intensity profile. Comparison of the ONL measurements acquired non-invasively using FD OCT to measurements taken using histology at nearby locations showed a degeneration of roughly thirty percent of the ONL by the age of two months in Rs1h knockout mice relative to wild type. Conclusions FD OCT has been demonstrated for non-invasive imaging of retinal degeneration and observation of retinal holes in Rs1h knockout mice. PMID:19182246

Gemcitabine diphosphate choline is a major metabolite linked to the Kennedy pathway in pancreatic cancer models in vivo

PubMed Central

Bapiro, T E; Frese, K K; Courtin, A; Bramhall, J L; Madhu, B; Cook, N; Neesse, A; Griffiths, J R; Tuveson, D A; Jodrell, D I; Richards, F M

2014-01-01

Background: The modest benefits of gemcitabine (dFdC) therapy in patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are well documented, with drug delivery and metabolic lability cited as important contributing factors. We have used a mouse model of PDAC: KRASG12D; p53R172H; pdx-Cre (KPC) that recapitulates the human disease to study dFdC intra-tumoural metabolism. Methods: LC-MS/MS and NMR were used to measure drug and physiological analytes. Cytotoxicity was assessed by the Sulphorhodamine B assay. Results: In KPC tumour tissue, we identified a new, Kennedy pathway-linked dFdC metabolite (gemcitabine diphosphate choline (GdPC)) present at equimolar amounts to its precursor, the accepted active metabolite gemcitabine triphosphate (dFdCTP). Utilising additional subcutaneous PDAC tumour models, we demonstrated an inverse correlation between GdPC/dFdCTP ratios and cytidine triphosphate (CTP). In tumour homogenates in vitro, CTP inhibited GdPC formation from dFdCTP, indicating competition between CTP and dFdCTP for CTP:phosphocholine cytidylyltransferase (CCT). As the structure of GdPC precludes entry into cells, potential cytotoxicity was assessed by stimulating CCT activity using linoleate in KPC cells in vitro, leading to increased GdPC concentration and synergistic growth inhibition after dFdC addition. Conclusions: GdPC is an important element of the intra-tumoural dFdC metabolic pathway in vivo. PMID:24874484

Detection of superparamagnetic particles in soils developed on basalts using frequency- and amplitude-dependent magnetic susceptibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grison, H.; Petrovsky, E.; Kapicka, A.

2016-12-01

In rock, soil and environmental studies dealing with magnetic methods, the frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility (κFD%) is parameter generally accepted as a tool for identification of ultrafine superparamagnetic (SP) particles. This parameter became an indicator of pedogenic magnetic fraction (increased pedogenesis). Despite the number of studies using this parameter, knowledge about threshold values of κFD% is not clear enough and this parameter may be misinterpreted. Moreover, in strongly magnetic soils, magnetic signal of the SP (mostly pedogenic) minerals may be masked by dominant lithological signal, carried by coarse-grain mineral fraction; therefore, influence of pedogenesis is hard to detect. The aim of this contribution is to compare results in determination of ultrafine SP magnetic particles in soils determined using different instruments: (a) Bartington MS2B dual-frequency meter, and (b) more sensitive AGICO Kappameter MFK1-FA. The values of the κFD % obtained by the Bartington MS2B varied from 0.9 to 5.8% (mass-specific magnetic susceptibility from 119 to 1533 × 10-8 m3/kg) while the AGICO MFK1-FA varied from 3.7 to 8.2% (mass-specific magnetic susceptibility from 295 to 1843 × 10-8 m3/kg). Although both instruments suggest significant portion of SP magnetic particles, the results can't be interpreted using the generally accepted threshold values based on Bartington data. However, our results suggest that relation between the mass-specific magnetic susceptibility and κFD% along whole soil profile may serve as suitable tool in discriminating between lithogenic and pedogenic control of magnetic fraction in the soil profile. Moreover, we propose new concept of identification of SP particles, based on field-dependent magnetic susceptibility. Its behaviour shows distinct features with significant change at amplitudes of about 100 A/m. Below this value, susceptibility decreases with increasing amplitude, reflecting saturation of magnetization due to rotation of SP magnetic moments, while above 100 A/m it increases due to magnetization of MD particles.

Development of a fountain detector for spectroscopy of secondary electrons in scanning electron microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agemura, Toshihide; Kimura, Takashi; Sekiguchi, Takashi

2018-04-01

The low-pass secondary electron (SE) detector, the so-called “fountain detector (FD)”, for scanning electron microscopy has high potential for application to the imaging of low-energy SEs. Low-energy SE imaging may be used for detecting the surface potential variations of a specimen. However, the detected SEs include a certain fraction of tertiary electrons (SE3s) because some of the high-energy backscattered electrons hit the grid to yield SE3s. We have overcome this difficulty by increasing the aperture ratio of the bias and ground grids and using the lock-in technique, in which the AC field with the DC offset was applied on the bias grid. The energy-filtered SE images of a 4H-SiC p-n junction show complex behavior according to the grid bias. These observations are clearly explained by the variations of Auger spectra across the p-n junction. The filtered SE images taken with the FD can be applied to observing the surface potential variation of specimens.

FdC1 and Leaf-Type Ferredoxins Channel Electrons From Photosystem I to Different Downstream Electron Acceptors.

PubMed

Guan, Xiaoqian; Chen, Shuai; Voon, Chia Pao; Wong, Kam-Bo; Tikkanen, Mikko; Lim, Boon L

2018-01-01

Plant-type ferredoxins in Arabidopsis transfer electrons from the photosystem I to multiple redox-driven enzymes involved in the assimilation of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Leaf-type ferredoxins also modulate the switch between the linear and cyclic electron routes of the photosystems. Recently, two novel ferredoxin homologs with extra C-termini were identified in the Arabidopsis genome (AtFdC1, AT4G14890; AtFdC2, AT1G32550). FdC1 was considered as an alternative electron acceptor of PSI under extreme ferredoxin-deficient conditions. Here, we showed that FdC1 could interact with some, but not all, electron acceptors of leaf-type Fds, including the ferredoxin-thioredoxin reductase (FTR), sulfite reductase (SiR), and nitrite reductase (NiR). Photoreduction assay on cytochrome c and enzyme assays confirmed its capability to receive electrons from PSI and donate electrons to the Fd-dependent SiR and NiR but not to the ferredoxin-NADP + oxidoreductase (FNR). Hence, FdC1 and leaf-type Fds may play differential roles by channeling electrons from photosystem I to different downstream electron acceptors in photosynthetic tissues. In addition, the median redox potential of FdC1 may allow it to receive electrons from FNR in non-photosynthetic plastids.

Complementation of a red-light-indifferent cyanobacterial mutant.

PubMed Central

Chiang, G G; Schaefer, M R; Grossman, A R

1992-01-01

Many cyanobacteria alter their phycobilisome composition in response to changes in light wavelength in a process termed complementary chromatic adaptation. Mutant strains FdR1 and FdR2 of the filamentous cyanobacterium Fremyella diplosiphon are characterized by aberrant chromatic adaptation. Instead of adjusting to different wavelengths of light, FdR1 and FdR2 behave as if they are always in green light; they do not respond to red light. We have previously reported complementation of FdR1 by conjugal transfer of a wild-type genomic library. The complementing DNA has now been localized by genetic analysis to a region on the rescued genomic subclone that contains a gene designated rcaC. This region of DNA is also able to complement FdR2. Southern blot analysis of genomic DNA from FdR1 and FdR2 indicates that these strains harbor DNA insertions within the rcaC sequence that may have resulted from the activity of transposable genetic elements. The predicted amino acid sequence of RcaC shares strong identity to response regulators of bacterial two-component regulatory systems. This relationship is discussed in the context of the signal-transduction pathway mediating regulation of genes encoding phycobilisome polypeptides during chromatic adaptation. Images PMID:1409650

FdC1 and Leaf-Type Ferredoxins Channel Electrons From Photosystem I to Different Downstream Electron Acceptors

PubMed Central

Guan, Xiaoqian; Chen, Shuai; Voon, Chia Pao; Wong, Kam-Bo; Tikkanen, Mikko; Lim, Boon L.

2018-01-01

Plant-type ferredoxins in Arabidopsis transfer electrons from the photosystem I to multiple redox-driven enzymes involved in the assimilation of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Leaf-type ferredoxins also modulate the switch between the linear and cyclic electron routes of the photosystems. Recently, two novel ferredoxin homologs with extra C-termini were identified in the Arabidopsis genome (AtFdC1, AT4G14890; AtFdC2, AT1G32550). FdC1 was considered as an alternative electron acceptor of PSI under extreme ferredoxin-deficient conditions. Here, we showed that FdC1 could interact with some, but not all, electron acceptors of leaf-type Fds, including the ferredoxin-thioredoxin reductase (FTR), sulfite reductase (SiR), and nitrite reductase (NiR). Photoreduction assay on cytochrome c and enzyme assays confirmed its capability to receive electrons from PSI and donate electrons to the Fd-dependent SiR and NiR but not to the ferredoxin-NADP+ oxidoreductase (FNR). Hence, FdC1 and leaf-type Fds may play differential roles by channeling electrons from photosystem I to different downstream electron acceptors in photosynthetic tissues. In addition, the median redox potential of FdC1 may allow it to receive electrons from FNR in non-photosynthetic plastids. PMID:29670639

Quantitative understanding of Forbush decrease drivers based on shock-only and CME-only models using global signature of February 14, 1978 event

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

Raghav, Anil; Lotekar, Ajay; Bhaskar, Ankush

We have studied the Forbush decrease (FD) event that occurred on February 14, 1978 using 43 neutron monitor observatories to understand the global signature of FD. We have studied rigidity dependence of shock amplitude and total FD amplitude. We have found almost the same power law index for both shock phase amplitude and total FD amplitude. Local time variation of shock phase amplitude and maximum depression time of FD have been investigated which indicate possible effect of shock/CME orientation. We have analyzed rigidity dependence of time constants of two phase recovery. Time constants of slow component of recovery phase showmore » rigidity dependence and imply possible effect of diffusion. Solar wind speed was observed to be well correlated with slow component of FD recovery phase. This indicates solar wind speed as possible driver of recovery phase. To investigate the contribution of interplanetary drivers, shock and CME in FD, we have used shock-only and CME-only models. We have applied these models separately to shock phase and main phase amplitudes respectively. This confirms presently accepted physical scenario that the first step of FD is due to propagating shock barrier and second step is due to flux rope of CME/magnetic cloud.« less

No increase in prevalence of somatization in functional vs organic dyspepsia: a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Gracie, D J; Bercik, P; Morgan, D G; Bolino, C; Pintos-Sanchez, M I; Moayyedi, P; Ford, A C

2015-07-01

Psychological factors are associated with functional gastrointestinal (GI) disorders. Literature suggests that somatization is associated with functional dyspepsia (FD). However, the relationship between organic dyspepsia (OD), FD, and FD subtypes and somatization is poorly described. We aimed to examine this issue in a cross-sectional study of secondary care patients. Demographic and GI symptom data were collected from 4224 adult patients via the Rome III questionnaire. Somatization data were collected using the patient health questionnaire-12. Mean somatization score and number of somatic symptoms were compared between patients with organic and FD, and between FD subtypes using analysis of variance. The same comparison was undertaken for the proportion of patients reporting individual somatic symptoms. Exactly, 783 patients met criteria for dyspepsia, of whom 231 (29.5%) had organic disease following upper GI endoscopy. Mean somatization scores and number of somatic symptoms were no higher in functional vs OD (p = 0.23; p = 0.19). In addition, while the prevalence of somatization in FD was relatively high, there was no difference in severity of somatization in FD subgroups. Somatization is associated with functional and OD to the same degree. Overall severity of somatization did not appear to vary according to FD subtype. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Current management of functional dyspepsia: impact of Rome III subdivision

PubMed Central

Karamanolis, Georgios P.; Tack, Jan

2012-01-01

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a highly prevalent disease characterized by symptoms originating from the gastroduodenal region in the absence of underlying organic disease. The Rome III consensus made a distinction between meal-induced and meal-unrelated symptoms and proposed subdivision of FD into postprandial distress syndrome and epigastric pain syndrome. The applicability of this subdivision and the impact on management are areas of active research. So far, empirical approaches are still employed for the treatment of FD, although various therapeutic modalities for FD have been explored; acid-suppressive, prokinetic, and fundic relaxant drugs, antidepressants and psychological therapies. FD remains a challenge and presents unmet clinical needs. PMID:24714074

Influence of pre-drying treatments on physicochemical and organoleptic properties of explosion puff dried jackfruit chips.

PubMed

Yi, Jianyong; Zhou, Linyan; Bi, Jinfeng; Chen, Qinqin; Liu, Xuan; Wu, Xinye

2016-02-01

The effects of hot air drying (AD), freeze drying (FD), infrared drying (IR), microwave drying (MV), vacuum drying (VD) as pre-drying treatments for explosion puff drying (EPD) on qualities of jackfruit chips were studied. The lowest total color differences (∆E) were found in the FD-, MV- and VD-EPD dried chips. Volume expansion effect (9.2 %) was only observed in the FD-EPD dried chips, which corresponded to its well expanded honeycomb microstructures and high rehydration rate. Compared with AD-, IR-, MV- and VD-EPD, the FD-EPD dried fruit chips exhibited lower hardness and higher crispness, indicative of a crispier texture. FD-EPD dried fruits also obtained high retentions of ascorbic acid, phenolics and carotenoids compared with that of the other puffed products. The results of sensory evaluation suggested that the FD-EPD was a more beneficial combination because it enhanced the overall qualities of jackfruit chips. In conclusion, the FD-EPD could be used as a novel combination drying method for processing valuable and/or high quality fruit chips.

Comparison of key aroma compounds in five different types of Japanese soy sauces by aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA).

PubMed

Kaneko, Shu; Kumazawa, Kenji; Nishimura, Osamu

2012-04-18

An investigation by the aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) technique of the aroma concentrate from five different types of Japanese soy sauces, categorized according to Japan Agricultural Standards as Koikuchi Shoyu (KS), Usukuchi Shoyu (US), Tamari Shoyu (TS), Sai-Shikomi Shoyu (SSS), and Shiro Shoyu (SS), revealed 25 key aroma compounds. Among them, 3-ethyl-1,2-cyclopentanedione and 2'-aminoacetophenone were identified in the soy sauces for the first time. Whereas 3-(methylthio)propanal (methional) and 3-hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone (sotolon) were detected in all of the soy sauce aroma concentrates as having high flavor dilution (FD) factors, 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol was detected as having a high FD factor in only four of the soy sauces (KS, US, TS, and SSS). Furthermore, 5(or 2)-ethyl-4-hydroxy-2(or 5)-methyl-3(2H)-furanone (4-HEMF) and 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone (4-HDMF), which were thought to be the key odorants in KS, were detected in KS, US, TS, and SSS, but the FD factors widely varied among them. The sensory evaluations demonstrated that the aroma descriptions of a cooked potato-like note and a caramel-like/seasoning-like note were evaluated as high scores with no significant differences among the five soy sauces. On the other hand, a burnt/spicy note was evaluated as having high scores in KS, TS, and SSS, but it was evaluated as having a low score in SS. The comparative AEDA experiments and the auxiliary sensory experiments demonstrated that the five different types of Japanese soy sauces varied in their key aroma compounds and aroma characteristics, and the key aroma compounds in KS might not always be highly contributing in the other types of Japanese soy sauces.

Optimal variable-grid finite-difference modeling for porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xinxin; Yin, Xingyao; Li, Haishan

2014-12-01

Numerical modeling of poroelastic waves by the finite-difference (FD) method is more expensive than that of acoustic or elastic waves. To improve the accuracy and computational efficiency of seismic modeling, variable-grid FD methods have been developed. In this paper, we derived optimal staggered-grid finite difference schemes with variable grid-spacing and time-step for seismic modeling in porous media. FD operators with small grid-spacing and time-step are adopted for low-velocity or small-scale geological bodies, while FD operators with big grid-spacing and time-step are adopted for high-velocity or large-scale regions. The dispersion relations of FD schemes were derived based on the plane wave theory, then the FD coefficients were obtained using the Taylor expansion. Dispersion analysis and modeling results demonstrated that the proposed method has higher accuracy with lower computational cost for poroelastic wave simulation in heterogeneous reservoirs.

Review of FD-TD numerical modeling of electromagnetic wave scattering and radar cross section

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taflove, Allen; Umashankar, Korada R.

1989-01-01

Applications of the finite-difference time-domain (FD-TD) method for numerical modeling of electromagnetic wave interactions with structures are reviewed, concentrating on scattering and radar cross section (RCS). A number of two- and three-dimensional examples of FD-TD modeling of scattering and penetration are provided. The objects modeled range in nature from simple geometric shapes to extremely complex aerospace and biological systems. Rigorous analytical or experimental validatons are provided for the canonical shapes, and it is shown that FD-TD predictive data for near fields and RCS are in excellent agreement with the benchmark data. It is concluded that with continuing advances in FD-TD modeling theory for target features relevant to the RCS problems and in vector and concurrent supercomputer technology, it is likely that FD-TD numerical modeling will occupy an important place in RCS technology in the 1990s and beyond.

Assessment of Fearless Dominance and Impulsive Antisociality via Normal Personality Measures: Convergent Validity, Criterion Validity, and Developmental Change

PubMed Central

Witt, Edward A.; Donnellan, M. Brent; Blonigen, Daniel M.; Krueger, Robert F.; Conger, Rand D.

2009-01-01

This report provides evidence for the reliability, validity, and developmental course of the psychopathic personality traits of Fearless Dominance (FD) and Impulsive Antisociality (IA) as assessed by items from Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ; Patrick, Curtin, & Tellegen, 2002). In Study 1, MPQ-based measures of FD and IA were strongly correlated with their corresponding composite scores from the Psychopathic Personality Inventory-Revised (Lilienfeld & Widows, 2005). In Study 2, FD and IA had relatively distinct associations with measures of normal and maladaptive personality traits. In Study 3, FD and IA had substantial retest coefficients during the transition to adulthood and both traits showed average declines with an especially substantial drop in IA. In Study 4, FD and IA were correlated with measures of internalizing and externalizing problems in ways consistent with previous research and theory. Collectively, these results provide important information about the assessment of FD and IA. PMID:19365767

Gemcitabine treatment of rat soft tissue sarcoma with phosphatidyldiglycerol-based thermosensitive liposomes.

PubMed

Limmer, Simone; Hahn, Jasmin; Schmidt, Rebecca; Wachholz, Kirsten; Zengerle, Anja; Lechner, Katharina; Eibl, Hansjörg; Issels, Rolf D; Hossann, Martin; Lindner, Lars H

2014-09-01

The pyrimidine analogue gemcitabine (dFdC) is frequently used in the treatment of patients with solid tumors. However, after i.v. application dFdC is rapidly inactivated by metabolization. Here, the potential of thermosensitive liposomes based on 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphodiglycerol (DPPG2-TSL) were investigated as carrier and targeting system for delivery of dFdC in combination with local hyperthermia (HT). DPPG2-TSL were prepared by the lipid film hydration and extrusion method and characterized by dynamic light scattering, thin layer chromatography, phosphate assay and HPLC. In vivo experiments were performed in Brown Norway rats with a syngeneic soft tissue sarcoma. Local HT treatment was performed by light exposure. DPPG2-TSL were stable at 37°C in serum and showed a temperature dependent dFdC release >40°C. Plasma half-life of dFdC was strongly increased from 0.07 h (non-liposomal) to 0.53 h (liposomal, vesicle size 105 nm) or 2.59 h (liposomal, 129 nm). Therapy of BN175 tumors with dFdC encapsulated in DPPG2-TSL + HT showed significant improvement in tumor growth delay compared to non-liposomal dFdC without HT (p < 0.05), non-liposomal dFdC with HT (p < 0.01), and liposomal dFdC without HT (p < 0.05), respectively. Gemcitabine encapsulated in DPPG2-TSL in combination with local HT is a promising tool for the treatment of solid tumors. Therefore, these encouraging results ask for further investigation and evaluation.

Investigations of Forbush decreases in the PAMELA experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lagoida, I. A.; Voronov, S. A.; Mikhailov, V. V.

2017-01-01

A phenomenon in cosmic ray physics now called Forbush decrease (FD), or Forbush effect was discovered by S. Forbush in 1937 [1], it is a sudden decrease of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) intensity near the Earth. However, despite of the long term investigations the nature of this phenomenon is still not completely understood. Today this effect is studied mostly by the neutron monitors and muon hodoscopes, which are located on the Earth’s surface. But these monitors can detect only products of GCR interaction with the Earth atmosphere. Satellite detectors allow to obtain more accurate information about the characteristics of FD. Examples of FDs registered by the PAMELA telescope and observed with Oulu neutron monitor are presented. About 10 events with amplitude more than 3% have been registered from 2006 till 2016 with the PAMELA experiment.

Changes in flowering phenology of woody plants in North China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dai, Junhu

2016-04-01

Over the past several decades, abundant evidences proved that the first flowering date of plants in northern hemisphere became earlier in response to climate warming. However, the existing results about impact of climate change on flowering duration are controversial. In this study, we studied temporal trends in first flowering date (FFD), end of flowering date (EFD) and flowering duration (FD) of 94 woody plants from 1963 to 2014 at three stations (Harbin, Beijing and Xi'an) in North China. Meanwhile, we analyzed the relationship between length of flowering periods and temperature using two phenological models (including regression model and growing degree day model). At all stations, more than 90% of observed species showed earlier flowering over time from 1963 to 2014. The average trends in FFD were 1.33, 1.77 and 3.01 days decade-1 at Harbin, Beijing and Xi'an, respectively. During the same period, EFD also became earlier by a mean rate of 2.19, 1.39 and 2.00 days decade-1, respectively. Regarding FD, a significant shortening of FD was observed at Harbin (-0.86 days decade-1), but FD extended by 0.37 and 1.01 days decade-1 at Beijing and Xi'an, respectively. At interspecific level, the plant species with longer FD tend to have stronger trends of FD extension. Through regression analyses, we found more than 85% of time series revealed a significant negative relationship between FFD (or EFD) and preseason temperature. The regression model could simulate the interannual changes in FFD and EFD with the mean goodness of fit (R2) ranging from 0.38 to 0.67, but failed to simulate the FD accurately, as R2 ranging from 0.09 to 0.18. Regarding to FFD and EFD, the growing degree day model could improved R2 of simuation, but also could not simulate FD accurately. Therefore, we concluded that the FFD and EFD advanced notably in recent six decades as a result of climate warming, but the direction of FD changes depended on locations and the species involved. In addition, the conventional phenological models could not explain most parts of interannual variance in FD, partly due superposition of errors caused by simultaneously simulating FFD and EFD. Therefore, the mechanism of FD changes and more drivers of FD such as soil moisture and light need to be further studied.

Agreement between Gonioscopic Examination and Swept Source Fourier Domain Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging

PubMed Central

Nguyen, Donna; Minnal, Vandana R.

2016-01-01

Purpose. To evaluate interobserver, intervisit, and interinstrument agreements for gonioscopy and Fourier domain anterior segment optical coherence tomography (FD ASOCT) for classifying open and narrow angle eyes. Methods. Eighty-six eyes with open or narrow anterior chamber angles were included. The superior angle was classified open or narrow by 2 of 5 glaucoma specialists using gonioscopy and imaged by FD ASOCT in the dark. The superior angle of each FD ASOCT image was graded as open or narrow by 2 masked readers. The same procedures were repeated within 6 months. Kappas for interobserver and intervisit agreements for each instrument and interinstrument agreements were calculated. Results. The mean age was 50.9 (±18.4) years. Interobserver agreements were moderate to good for both gonioscopy (0.57 and 0.69) and FD ASOCT (0.58 and 0.75). Intervisit agreements were moderate to excellent for both gonioscopy (0.53 to 0.86) and FD ASOCT (0.57 and 0.85). Interinstrument agreements were fair to good (0.34 to 0.63), with FD ASOCT classifying more angles as narrow than gonioscopy. Conclusions. Both gonioscopy and FD ASOCT examiners were internally consistent with similar interobserver and intervisit agreements for angle classification. Agreement between instruments was fair to good, with FD ASOCT classifying more angles as narrow than gonioscopy. PMID:27990300

In situ tissue engineering: endothelial growth patterns as a function of flow diverter design.

PubMed

Marosfoi, Miklos; Langan, Erin T; Strittmatter, Lara; van der Marel, Kajo; Vedantham, Srinivasan; Arends, Jennifer; Lylyk, Ivan R; Loganathan, Siddharth; Hendricks, Gregory M; Szikora, Istvan; Puri, Ajit S; Wakhloo, Ajay K; Gounis, Matthew J

2017-10-01

Vascular remodeling in response to implantation of a tissue engineering scaffold such as a flow diverter (FD) leads to the cure of intracranial aneurysms. We hypothesize that the vascular response is dependent on FD design, and CD34+ progenitor cells play an important role in the endothelialization of the implant. Sixteen rabbit aneurysms were randomly treated with two different single-layer braided FDs made of cobalt-chrome alloys. The FD-48 and FD-72 devices had 48 and 72 wires, respectively. Aneurysm occlusion rate was assessed during the final digital subtraction angiogram at 10, 20, 30, and 60 days (n=2 per device per time point). Implanted vessels were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy for tissue coverage, endothelialization, and immuno-gold labeling for CD34+ cells. Complete aneurysm occlusion rates were similar between the devices; however, complete or near complete occlusion was more frequently observed in aneurysms with neck ≤4.2 mm (p=0.008). Total tissue coverage at 10 days over the surface of the FD-48 and FD-72 devices was 56.4±11.6% and 76.6±3.6%, respectively. Endothelial cell growth over the surface was time-dependent for the FD-72 device (Spearman's r=0.86, p=0.013) but not for the FD-48 device (Spearman's r=-0.59, p=0.094). The endothelialization score was marginally correlated with the distance from the aneurysm neck for the FD-48 device (Spearman's r=1, p=0.083) but not for the FD-72 device (Spearman's r=0.8, p=0.33). CD34+ cells were present along the entirety of both devices at all time points. This study gives preliminary evidence that temporal and spatial endothelialization is dependent on FD design. Circulating CD34+ progenitor cells contribute to endothelialization throughout the healing process. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Psychoemotional features of a doubtful disorder: functional dyspepsia.

PubMed

Dragoş, D; Ionescu, O; Micuţ, R; Ojog, D G; Tănăsescu, M D

2012-09-15

To delineate the psychological profile of individuals prone to FD-like symptoms (FDLS). A triple questionnaire of 614 items (including psychological and medical ones) was given to 10192 respondents, the results were analyzed by means of Cronbach alpha, and Chi square test, together with an ad-hoc designed method that implied ranking and outliers detecting. FDLS appears to be an accompanying feature of many (if not most) human emotions and are more frequent in anxious, timid, pessimistic, discontent, irascible, tense, success-doubting, unexpected-dreading individuals, bothered by persistent thoughts and tormented by the professional requirements and the lack of time. A higher degree of specificity might have: chiefly fear of failure, susceptibility, and tension, secondarily emotivity, fear of unpredictable events, sense of insufficient time, preoccupation with authority factors, and tendency to endure unacceptable situations, and also faulty patience and lack of punctuality. Rumination appears to be the psychological tendency most strongly associated with FD. Nocturnal epigastric pain seems to indicate a submissive nature but a rather responsibilities-free childhood, while early satiety is associated with inclination to work and responsibility and preoccupation with self-image. The superposition of FD symptoms with biliary and esophageal symptoms cast a doubt over the distinctness and even the materiality of the various functional digestive disorders.

Ultrafast wavelength multiplexed broad bandwidth digital diffuse optical spectroscopy for in vivo extraction of tissue optical properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torjesen, Alyssa; Istfan, Raeef; Roblyer, Darren

2017-03-01

Frequency-domain diffuse optical spectroscopy (FD-DOS) utilizes intensity-modulated light to characterize optical scattering and absorption in thick tissue. Previous FD-DOS systems have been limited by large device footprints, complex electronics, high costs, and limited acquisition speeds, all of which complicate access to patients in the clinical setting. We have developed a new digital DOS (dDOS) system, which is relatively compact and inexpensive, allowing for simplified clinical use, while providing unprecedented measurement speeds. The dDOS system utilizes hardware-integrated custom board-level direct digital synthesizers and an analog-to-digital converter to generate frequency sweeps and directly measure signals utilizing undersampling at six wavelengths modulated at discrete frequencies from 50 to 400 MHz. Wavelength multiplexing is utilized to achieve broadband frequency sweep measurements acquired at over 97 Hz. When compared to a gold-standard DOS system, the accuracy of optical properties recovered with the dDOS system was within 5.3% and 5.5% for absorption and reduced scattering coefficient extractions, respectively. When tested in vivo, the dDOS system was able to detect physiological changes throughout the cardiac cycle. The new FD-dDOS system is fast, inexpensive, and compact without compromising measurement quality.

Development of a Symptom-Based Patient-Reported Outcome Instrument for Functional Dyspepsia: A Preliminary Conceptual Model and an Evaluation of the Adequacy of Existing Instruments.

PubMed

Taylor, Fiona; Reasner, David S; Carson, Robyn T; Deal, Linda S; Foley, Catherine; Iovin, Ramon; Lundy, J Jason; Pompilus, Farrah; Shields, Alan L; Silberg, Debra G

2016-10-01

The aim was to document, from the perspective of the empirical literature, the primary symptoms of functional dyspepsia (FD), evaluate the extent to which existing questionnaires target those symptoms, and, finally, identify any missing evidence that would impact the questionnaires' use in regulated clinical trials to assess treatment efficacy claims intended for product labeling. A literature review was conducted to identify the primary symptoms of FD and existing symptom-based FD patient-reported outcome (PRO) instruments. Following a database search, abstracts were screened and articles were retrieved for review. The primary symptoms of FD were organized into a conceptual model and the PRO instruments were evaluated for conceptual coverage as well as compared against evidentiary requirements presented in the FDA's PRO Guidance for Industry. Fifty-six articles and 16 instruments assessing FD symptoms were reviewed. Concepts listed in the Rome III criteria for FD (n = 7), those assessed by existing FD instruments (n = 34), and symptoms reported by patients in published qualitative research (n = 6) were summarized in the FD conceptual model. Except for vomiting, all of the identified symptoms from the published qualitative research reports were also specified in the Rome III criteria. Only three of the 16 instruments, the Dyspepsia Symptom Severity Index (DSSI), Nepean Dyspepsia Index (NDI), and Short-Form Nepean Dyspepsia Index (SF-NDI), measure all seven FD symptoms defined by the Rome III criteria. Among these three, each utilizes a 2-week recall period and 5-point Likert-type scale, and had evidence of patient involvement in development. Despite their coverage, when these instruments were evaluated in light of regulatory expectations, several issues jeopardized their potential qualification for substantiation of a labeling claim. No existing PRO instruments that measured all seven symptoms adhered to the regulatory principles necessary to support product labeling. As such, the development of a new FD symptom PRO instrument is supported.

Forbush Decrease events in Lunar Radiation Environment observed by the LRO/CRaTER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sohn, J.; Oh, S.; Yi, Y.; Kim, E.; Lee, J.; Spence, H. E.

2012-12-01

The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) launched on June 16, 2009 has six experiments including of the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation (CRaTER) onboard. The CRaTER instrument characterizes the radiation environment to be experienced by humans during future lunar missions. The CRaTER instrument measures the effects of ionizing energy loss in matter specifically in silicon solid-state detectors due to penetrating solar energetic protons (SEP) and galactic cosmic rays (GCR) after interactions with tissue-equivalent plastic (TEP), a synthetic analog of human tissue. The CRaTER instrument houses a compact and highly precise microdosimeter. It measures dose rates below one micro-Rad/sec in lunar radiation environment. Forbush decrease (FD) event is the sudden decrease of galactic cosmic ray (GCR) flux. The FD event is considered to be caused by exclusion of GCR due to intense interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) structures of interplanetary shock (IP) sheath region and/or the interplanetary coronal mass ejection (CME) following the IP shocks as a shock driver. We use the data of cosmic ray flux and dose rates observed by the CRaTER instrument. We also use the CME list of STEREO SECCHI inner, outer coronagraph and the IMF (Interplanetary CME) data of the ACE/MAG instrument. We examine the origins and the characteristics of the FD-like events in lunar radiation environment. We also compare these events with the FD events on the Earth. We find that whenever the FD events are recorded at ground Neutron Monitor stations, the FD-like events also occur on the lunar environments. The flux variation amplitude of FD-like events on the Moon is approximately two times larger than that of FD events on the Earth. We compare time profiles of GCR flux with of the dose rate of FD-like events in the lunar environment. We figure out that the distinct FD-like events correspond to dose rate events in the CRaTER on lunar environment during the event period.

Tocotrienol Treatment in Familial Dysautonomia: Open-Label Pilot Study.

PubMed

Cheishvili, David; Maayan, Channa; Holzer, Naama; Tsenter, Jeanna; Lax, Elad; Petropoulos, Sophie; Razin, Aharon

2016-07-01

Familial dysautonomia (FD) is an autosomal recessive congenital neuropathy, primarily presented in Ashkenazi Jews. The most common mutation in FD patients results from a single base pair substitution of an intronic splice site in the IKBKAP gene which disrupts normal mRNA splicing and leads to tissue-specific reduction of IKBKAP protein (IKAP). To date, treatment of FD patients remains preventative, symptomatic and supportive. Based on previous in vitro evidence that tocotrienols, members of the vitamin E family, upregulate transcription of the IKBKAP gene, we aimed to investigate whether a similar effects was observed in vivo. In the current study, we assessed the effects of tocotrienol treatment on FD patients' symptoms and IKBKAP expression in white blood cells. The initial daily doses of 50 or 100 mg tocotrienol, doubled after 3 months, was administered to 32 FD patients. Twenty-eight FD patients completed the 6-month study. The first 3 months of tocotrienol treatment was associated with a significant increase in IKBKAP expression level in FD patients' blood. Despite doubling the dose after the initial 3 months of treatment, IKBKAP expression level returned to baseline by the end of the 6-month treatment. Clinical improvement was noted in the reported clinical questionnaire (with regard to dizziness, bloching, sweating, number of pneumonia, cough episodes, and walking stability), however, no significant effect was observed in any clinical measurements (weight, height, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, tear production, histamine test, vibration threshold test, nerve conduction, and heart rate variability) following Tocotrienol treatment. In conclusion, tocotrienol treatment appears significantly beneficial by clinical evaluation for some FD patients in a few clinical parameters; however it was not significant by clinical measurements. This open-label study shows the complexity of effect of tocotrienol treatment on FD patients' clinical outcomes and on IKBKAP expression level compared to in vitro results. A longitudinal study with an increased sample size is required in the future to better understand tocotrienol affect on FD patients.

Radiation concurrent with gemcitabine for locally advanced head and neck cancer: a phase I trial and intracellular drug incorporation study.

PubMed

Eisbruch, A; Shewach, D S; Bradford, C R; Littles, J F; Teknos, T N; Chepeha, D B; Marentette, L J; Terrell, J E; Hogikyan, N D; Dawson, L A; Urba, S; Wolf, G T; Lawrence, T S

2001-02-01

To examine the feasibility and dose-limiting toxicity (DLT) of once-weekly gemcitabine at doses predicted in preclinical studies to produce radiosensitization, concurrent with a standard course of radiation for locally advanced head and neck cancer. Tumor incorporation of gemcitabine triphosphate (dFdCTP) was measured to assess whether adequate concentrations were achieved at each dose level. Twenty-nine patients with unresectable head and neck cancer received a course of radiation (70 Gy over 7 weeks, 5 days weekly) concurrent with weekly infusions of low-dose gemcitabine. Tumor biopsies were performed after the first gemcitabine infusion (before radiation started), and the intracellular concentrations of dFdCTP were measured. Severe acute and late mucosal and pharyngeal-related DLT required de-escalation of gemcitabine dose in successive patient cohorts receiving dose levels of 300 mg/m(2)/wk, 150 mg/m(2)/wk, and 50 mg/m(2)/wk. No DLT was observed at 10 mg/m(2)/wk. The rate of endoscopy- and biopsy-assessed complete tumor response was 66% to 87% in the various cohorts. Tumor dFdCTP levels were similar in patients receiving 50 to 300 mg/m(2) (on average, 1.55 pmol/mg, SD 1.15) but were barely or not detectable at 10 mg/m(2). A high rate of acute and late mucosa-related DLT and a high rate of complete tumor response were observed in this regimen at the dose levels of 50 to 300 mg/m(2), which also resulted in similar, subcytotoxic intracellular dFdCTP concentrations. These results demonstrate significant tumor and normal tissue radiosensitization by low-dose gemcitabine. Different regimens of combined radiation and gemcitabine should be evaluated, based on newer preclinical data promising an improved therapeutic ratio.

Sodium Cromoglycate Prevents Exacerbation of IgE-Mediated Food-Allergic Reaction Induced by Aspirin in a Rat Model of Egg Allergy.

PubMed

Yokooji, Tomoharu; Matsuo, Hiroaki

2015-01-01

Aspirin (ASP)-facilitated absorption of ingested allergens is considered an exacerbating factor in the development of food allergy. Sodium cromoglycate (SCG) is used for the treatment of atopic dermatitis with food allergy, but the efficacy of SCG in ASP-exacerbated food-allergy reactions is unclear. In this study, we evaluated the effect of SCG on ASP-exacerbated food-allergic reactions, as well as allergen absorption, in egg-allergic model rats. Plasma concentrations of ovalbumin (OVA) and fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled dextran (FD-40), a marker for nonspecific-absorption pathways, were measured after oral administration of mixtures of OVA and FD-40 in OVA-unsensitized and OVA-sensitized rats. IgE-mediated allergic reactions were evaluated by measuring changes in rectal temperature and Evans blue dye (EBD) extravasation in the intestine and liver after oral challenge with OVA. The effects of ASP and SCG on such absorption and allergic reactions were also evaluated kinetically. In OVA-sensitized rats, plasma concentrations of OVA and FD-40 were significantly higher than those in unsensitized rats after oral administration. ASP increased the intestinal absorption of OVA and FD-40 via the paracellular pathway, and a lower rectal temperature and higher EBD extravasation were detected in the intestine and liver of OVA-sensitized rats. SCG ameliorated these ASP-facilitated absorptions and allergic reactions in a dose-dependent manner. In particular, high-dose SCG (195.2 μmol/kg) completely inhibited these absorptions and reactions. SCG can prevent ASP-exacerbated allergic reactions in patients with food allergy resulting from inhibition of increases in allergen absorption. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Functional dyspepsia

PubMed Central

Brun, Rita; Kuo, Braden

2010-01-01

Dyspepsia is a common term used for a heterogeneous group of abdominal symptoms. Functional dyspepsia (FD) is the focus of this review. The 2006 Rome III criteria defined FD and its subgroups, postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) and epigastric pain syndrome (EPS). FD is a very common condition with a high prevalence throughout the world, adversely affecting the quality of life of patients. The pathophysiology of FD has been under investigation during the past two decades. Multiple mechanisms such as abnormal gastric emptying, visceral hypersensitivity, impaired gastric accommodation, and central nervous system factors are likely involved. Several tests are available for the assessment of various physiologic functions possibly involved in the pathogenesis of FD, and some of these could be used in clinical practice, helping to understand the abnormalities underlining patients’ complaints. Currently, the possibilities of pharmacological therapy for FD are still limited, however, experience of using prokinetics, tricyclic antidepressants, selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs), and several alternative techniques has been accumulated. The different combinations of alterations in physiologic gastrointestinal and central nervous system functions result in the very heterogeneous nature of FD so combined approaches to these patients could be beneficial in challenging cases. PMID:21180597

Analysis of Texture Using the Fractal Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Navas, William; Espinosa, Ramon Vasquez

1997-01-01

Properties such as the fractal dimension (FD) can be used for feature extraction and classification of regions within an image. The FD measures the degree of roughness of a surface, so this number is used to characterize a particular region, in order to differentiate it from another. There are two basic approaches discussed in the literature to measure FD: the blanket method, and the box counting method. Both attempt to measure FD by estimating the change in surface area with respect to the change in resolution. We tested both methods but box counting resulted computationally faster and gave better results. Differential Box Counting (DBC) was used to segment a collage containing three textures. The FD is independent of directionality and brightness so five features were used derived from the original image to account for directionality and gray level biases. FD can not be measured on a point, so we use a window that slides across the image giving values of FD to the pixel on the center of the window. Windowing blurs the boundaries of adjacent classes, so an edge-preserving, feature-smoothing algorithm is used to improve classification within segments and to make the boundaries sharper. Segmentation using DBC was 90.8910 accurate.

Is the aligning prism measured with the Mallett unit correlated with fusional vergence reserves?

PubMed

Conway, Miriam L; Thomas, Jennifer; Subramanian, Ahalya

2012-01-01

The Mallett Unit is a clinical test designed to detect the fixation disparity that is most likely to occur in the presence of a decompensated heterophoria. It measures the associated phoria, which is the "aligning prism" needed to nullify the subjective disparity. The technique has gained widespread acceptance within professions such as optometry, for investigating suspected cases of decompensating heterophoria; it is, however, rarely used by orthoptists and ophthalmologists. The aim of this study was to investigate whether fusional vergence reserves, measured routinely by both orthoptists and ophthalmologists to detect heterophoria decompensation, were correlated with aligning prism (associated phoria) in a normal clinical population. Aligning prism (using the Mallett Unit) and fusional vergence reserves (using a prism bar) were measured in 500 participants (mean 41.63 years; standard deviation 11.86 years) at 40 cm and 6 m. At 40 cm a strong correlation (p<0.001) between base in aligning prism (Exo FD) and positive fusional reserves was found. Of the participants with zero aligning prism 30% had reduced fusional reserves. At 6 m a weak correlation between base out aligning prism (Eso FD) and negative fusional reserves was found to break (p = 0.01) and to recovery (p = 0.048). Of the participants with zero aligning prism 12% reported reduced fusional reserves. For near vision testing, the strong inverse correlation between base in aligning prism (Exo FD) and fusional vergence reserves supports the notion that both measures are indicators of decompensation of heterophoria. For distance vision testing and for those patients reporting zero aligning prism further research is required to determine why the relationship appears to be weak/non-existent?

Simultaneous determination of thirteen organophosphate esters in settled indoor house dust and a comparison between two sampling techniques.

PubMed

Fan, Xinghua; Kubwabo, Cariton; Rasmussen, Pat E; Wu, Fang

2014-09-01

An analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 13 organophosphate esters (OPEs) in house dust was developed. The method is based on solvent extraction by sonication, sample cleanup by solid phase extraction (SPE), and analysis by gas chromatography-positive chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (GC/PCI-MS/MS). Method detection limits (MDLs) ranged from 0.03 to 0.43 μg/g and recoveries from 60% to 118%. The inter- and intra-day variations ranged from 3% to 23%. The method was applied to dust samples collected using two vacuum sampling techniques from 134 urban Canadian homes: a sample of fresh or "active" dust (FD) collected by technicians and a composite sample taken from the household vacuum cleaner (HD). Results show that the two sampling methods (i.e., FD vs HD) provided comparable results. Tributoxyethyl phosphate (TBEP), triphenyl phosphate (TPhP), tris(chloropropyl) phosphate (TCPP), tri(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(dichloro-isopropyl) phosphate (TDCPP), tricresyl phosphate (TCrP), and tri-n-butyl phosphate (TnBP) were detected in the majority of samples. The most predominant OPE was TBEP, with median concentrations of 31.9 μg/g and 22.8 μg/g in FD and HD samples, respectively, 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher than other OPEs. The method was also applied to the analysis of OPEs in the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) standard reference material (NIST SRM 2585, organic contaminants in house dust). The results from SRM 2585 may contribute to the certification of OPE concentration values in this SRM. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Is the Aligning Prism Measured with the Mallett Unit Correlated with Fusional Vergence Reserves?

PubMed Central

Conway, Miriam L.; Thomas, Jennifer; Subramanian, Ahalya

2012-01-01

Background The Mallett Unit is a clinical test designed to detect the fixation disparity that is most likely to occur in the presence of a decompensated heterophoria. It measures the associated phoria, which is the “aligning prism” needed to nullify the subjective disparity. The technique has gained widespread acceptance within professions such as optometry, for investigating suspected cases of decompensating heterophoria; it is, however, rarely used by orthoptists and ophthalmologists. The aim of this study was to investigate whether fusional vergence reserves, measured routinely by both orthoptists and ophthalmologists to detect heterophoria decompensation, were correlated with aligning prism (associated phoria) in a normal clinical population. Methodology/Principal Findings Aligning prism (using the Mallett Unit) and fusional vergence reserves (using a prism bar) were measured in 500 participants (mean 41.63 years; standard deviation 11.86 years) at 40 cm and 6 m. At 40 cm a strong correlation (p<0.001) between base in aligning prism (Exo FD) and positive fusional reserves was found. Of the participants with zero aligning prism 30% had reduced fusional reserves. At 6 m a weak correlation between base out aligning prism (Eso FD) and negative fusional reserves was found to break (p = 0.01) and to recovery (p = 0.048). Of the participants with zero aligning prism 12% reported reduced fusional reserves. Conclusions/Significance For near vision testing, the strong inverse correlation between base in aligning prism (Exo FD) and fusional vergence reserves supports the notion that both measures are indicators of decompensation of heterophoria. For distance vision testing and for those patients reporting zero aligning prism further research is required to determine why the relationship appears to be weak/non-existent? PMID:22905174

Comparison of Pattern Electroretinography and Optical Coherence Tomography Parameters in Patients with Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension

PubMed Central

Tiryaki Demir, Semra; Oba, Mehmet Ersin; Erdoğan, Ezgi Tuna; Odabaşı, Mahmut; Dirim, Ayşe Burcu; Demir, Mehmet; Can, Efe; Kara, Orhan; Yekta Şendül, Selam

2015-01-01

Objectives: To investigate the correlation of visual field (VF), pattern electroretinography (PERG) and Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) results in patients with ocular hypertension (OHT) and early primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Materials and Methods: The study included 72 eyes of 37 patients with early POAG, 76 eyes of 38 patients with OHT, and 60 eyes of 30 controls. All subjects underwent full ophthalmologic examination, VF assessment with 24-2 Humphrey standard automated perimetry (Swedish Interactive Thresholding Algorithm (SITA)-Standard), retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness measurement with FD-OCT, and PERG P50 and N95 wave latency and amplitude measurements with electroretinography (Nihon Kohden). Results: With the exception of the nasal quadrant, all GCC parameters and RNFL results were significantly lower in the POAG group compared to the OHT and control groups. There was no statistically significant difference between the OHT and control group. PERG amplitudes were lower in the POAG and OHT groups than in the control group. Reduction in N95 amplitude was greater than that of P50 amplitude. No difference was detected in PERG latencies among groups. GCC was significantly correlated with VF and RNFL in the POAG group. Conclusion: Significant thinning of the GCC and RNFL occurs in addition to VF pathologies in patients with early POAG, and these examinations should be concomitantly evaluated. During diagnostic assessment of patients with early POAG, GCC and RNFL analysis by FD-OCT are highly effective. GCC is as reliable as RNLF in the early diagnosis of glaucoma and there is a highly significant correlation between them. Dysfunction of ganglion cells in patients with OHT may be detected earlier using PERG amplitude analysis. PMID:27800239

Characterization of Ferredoxin-Dependent Glutamine-Oxoglutarate Amidotransferase (Fd-GOGAT) Genes and Their Relationship with Grain Protein Content QTL in Wheat

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background In higher plants, inorganic nitrogen is assimilated via the glutamate synthase cycle or GS-GOGAT pathway. GOGAT enzyme occurs in two distinct forms that use NADH (NADH-GOGAT) or Fd (Fd-GOGAT) as electron carriers. The goal of the present study was to characterize wheat Fd-GOGAT genes and to assess the linkage with grain protein content (GPC), an important quantitative trait controlled by multiple genes. Results We report the complete genomic sequences of the three homoeologous A, B and D Fd-GOGAT genes from hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) and their localization and characterization. The gene is comprised of 33 exons and 32 introns for all the three homoeologues genes. The three genes show the same exon/intron number and size, with the only exception of a series of indels in intronic regions. The partial sequence of the Fd-GOGAT gene located on A genome was determined in two durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) cvs Ciccio and Svevo, characterized by different grain protein content. Genomic differences allowed the gene mapping in the centromeric region of chromosome 2A. QTL analysis was conducted in the Svevo×Ciccio RIL mapping population, previously evaluated in 5 different environments. The study co-localized the Fd-GOGAT-A gene with the marker GWM-339, identifying a significant major QTL for GPC. Conclusions The wheat Fd-GOGAT genes are highly conserved; both among the three homoeologous hexaploid wheat genes and in comparison with other plants. In durum wheat, an association was shown between the Fd-GOGAT allele of cv Svevo with increasing GPC - potentially useful in breeding programs. PMID:25099972

Testing flow diversion in animal models: a systematic review.

PubMed

Fahed, Robert; Raymond, Jean; Ducroux, Célina; Gentric, Jean-Christophe; Salazkin, Igor; Ziegler, Daniela; Gevry, Guylaine; Darsaut, Tim E

2016-04-01

Flow diversion (FD) is increasingly used to treat intracranial aneurysms. We sought to systematically review published studies to assess the quality of reporting and summarize the results of FD in various animal models. Databases were searched to retrieve all animal studies on FD from 2000 to 2015. Extracted data included species and aneurysm models, aneurysm and neck dimensions, type of flow diverter, occlusion rates, and complications. Articles were evaluated using a checklist derived from the Animal Research: Reporting of In Vivo Experiments (ARRIVE) guidelines. Forty-two articles reporting the results of FD in nine different aneurysm models were included. The rabbit elastase-induced aneurysm model was the most commonly used, with 3-month occlusion rates of 73.5%, (95%CI [61.9-82.6%]). FD of surgical sidewall aneurysms, constructed in rabbits or canines, resulted in high occlusion rates (100% [65.5-100%]). FD resulted in modest occlusion rates (15.4% [8.9-25.1%]) when tested in six complex canine aneurysm models designed to reproduce more difficult clinical contexts (large necks, bifurcation, or fusiform aneurysms). Adverse events, including branch occlusion, were rarely reported. There were no hemorrhagic complications. Articles complied with 20.8 ± 3.9 of 41 ARRIVE items; only a small number used randomization (3/42 articles [7.1%]) or a control group (13/42 articles [30.9%]). Preclinical studies on FD have shown various results. Occlusion of elastase-induced aneurysms was common after FD. The model is not challenging but standardized in many laboratories. Failures of FD can be reproduced in less standardized but more challenging surgical canine constructions. The quality of reporting could be improved.

Illness Perceptions are Associated with Quality of Life in Patients with Fibrous Dysplasia.

PubMed

Majoor, B C J; Andela, C D; Quispel, C R; Rotman, M; Dijkstra, P D S; Hamdy, N A T; Kaptein, A A; Appelman-Dijkstra, N M

2018-01-01

Fibrous dysplasia (FD) is a rare bone disorder in which normal bone is replaced by fibrous tissue resulting in pain, deformities, pathological fractures or asymptomatic disease. Illness perceptions are patients' cognitions and emotions about their illness and its treatment, which may impact on Quality of Life (QoL). Here, we explore illness perceptions in patients with FD compared to other disorders, identify factors associated with illness perceptions and evaluate their relationship with QoL. Ninety-seven out of 138 eligible patients from the LUMC FD cohort completed the Illness Perception Questionnaire-Revised (IPQ-R) and the Short Form-36 (SF-36). Age, Gender, Skeletal Burden Score (SBS), FGF-23 levels, type of FD and SF-36 scores were analysed for an association with illness perceptions. We observed significant (p < 0.01) differences in patients' illness perceptions between FD subtypes in the domains: identity, timeline acute/chronic and consequences. Patients with craniofacial FD reported to perceive more consequences (p = 0.022). High SBS was associated with perceiving more negative consequences and attributing the cause of FD to psychological factors (p < 0.01), and high FGF-23 levels with attributing more symptoms to the disease and perceiving more consequences (p < 0.01). The IPQ-R domain identity, timeline acute/chronic, timeline cyclical, consequences, emotional representations and treatment control were significantly associated with impairments in QoL. Illness perceptions in patients with FD relate to QoL, differ from those in patients with other disorders, and are associated with disease severity. Identifying and addressing maladaptive illness perceptions may improve quality of life in patients with FD.

The latent structure of the functional dyspepsia symptom complex: a taxometric analysis.

PubMed

Van Oudenhove, L; Jasper, F; Walentynowicz, M; Witthöft, M; Van den Bergh, O; Tack, J

2016-07-01

Rome III introduced a subdivision of functional dyspepsia (FD) into postprandial distress syndrome and epigastric pain syndrome, characterized by early satiation/postprandial fullness, and epigastric pain/burning, respectively. However, evidence on their degree of overlap is mixed. We aimed to investigate the latent structure of FD to test whether distinguishable symptom-based subgroups exist. Consecutive tertiary care Rome II FD patients completed the dyspepsia symptom severity scale. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to compare the fit of a single factor model, a correlated three-factor model based on Rome III subgroups and a bifactor model consisting of a general FD factor and orthogonal subgroup factors. Taxometric analyses were subsequently used to investigate the latent structure of FD. Nine hundred and fifty-seven FD patients (71.1% women, age 41 ± 14.8) participated. In CFA, the bifactor model yielded a significantly better fit than the two other models (χ² difference tests both p < 0.001). All symptoms had significant loadings on both the general and the subgroup-specific factors (all p < 0.05). Somatization was associated with the general (r = 0.72, p < 0.01), but not the subgroup-specific factors (all r < 0.13, p > 0.05). Taxometric analyses supported a dimensional structure of FD (all CCFI<0.38). We found a dimensional rather than categorical latent structure of the FD symptom complex in tertiary care. A combination of a general dyspepsia symptom reporting factor, which was associated with somatization, and symptom-specific factors reflecting the Rome III subdivision fitted the data best. This has implications for classification, pathophysiology, and treatment of FD. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Seasonal, Spatial, and Long-term Variability of Fine Mineral Dust in the United States

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hand, J. L.; White, W. H.; Gebhart, K. A.; Hyslop, N. P.; Gill, T. E.; Schichtel, B. A.

2017-12-01

Characterizing the seasonal, spatial, and long-term variability of fine mineral dust (FD) is important to assess its environmental and climate impacts. FD concentrations (mineral particles with aerodynamic diameters less than 2.5 µm) were estimated using ambient, ground-based PM2.5 elemental chemistry data from over 160 remote and rural Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments (IMPROVE) sites from 2011 through 2015. FD concentrations were highest and contributed over 50% of PM2.5 mass at southwestern sites in spring and across the central and southeastern United States in summer (20-30% of PM2.5). The highest seasonal variability in FD occurred at sites in the Southeast during summer, likely associated with impacts from North African transport, which was also evidenced in the elemental ratios of calcium, iron, and aluminum. Long-term trend analyses (2000-2015) indicated widespread, regional increases in FD concentrations during spring in the West, especially in March in the Southwest. This increase was associated with an early onset of the spring dust season and correlated with the Pacific Decadal Oscillation and the El Niño Southern Oscillation. The Southeast and central United States also experienced increased FD concentrations during summer and fall, respectively. Contributions of FD to PM2.5 mass have increased in regions across the United States during all seasons, in part due to increased FD concentrations but also as a result of reductions in secondary aerosols (e.g., sulfates, nitrates, and organic carbon). Increased levels of FD have important implications for its environmental and climate impacts; mitigating these impacts will require identifying and characterizing source regions and underlying mechanisms for dust episodes.

[Fluorescent signal detection of chromatographic chip by algorithms of pyramid connection and Gaussian mixture model].

PubMed

Hu, Beibei; Zhang, Xueqing; Chen, Haopeng; Cui, Daxiang

2011-03-01

We proposed a new algorithm for automatic identification of fluorescent signal. Based on the features of chromatographic chips, mathematic morphology in RGB color space was used to filter and enhance the images, pyramid connection was used to segment the areas of fluorescent signal, and then the method of Gaussian Mixture Model was used to detect the fluorescent signal. Finally we calculated the average fluorescent intensity in obtained fluorescent areas. Our results show that the algorithm has a good efficacy to segment the fluorescent areas, can detect the fluorescent signal quickly and accurately, and finally realize the quantitative detection of fluorescent signal in chromatographic chip.

Effect of oven drying and freeze drying on the antioxidant and functional properties of protein hydrolysates derived from freshwater fish (Cirrhinus mrigala) using papain enzyme.

PubMed

Elavarasan, Krishnamoorthy; Shamasundar, Bangalore Aswathnarayan

2016-02-01

Fish protein hydrolysate (FPH) was prepared from fresh water fish Cirrhinus mrigala using papain and dried in oven (OD-FPH) and freeze dryer (FD-FPH). The electron micrographs of FD-FPH samples showed porous structure. The browning intensity of OD-FPH samples was higher than the FD-FPH samples. The DPPH (2, 2 Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) free radical scavenging activity and linoleic acid peroxidation inhibition activity of FPH were not affected by oven drying process. The sequential digestion of FPH with pepsin and pancreatin reduced the antioxidant properties in both OD-FPH and FD-FPH samples. The solubility of proteins in OD-FPH was lower at pH 5 while for that of FD-FPH it was at pH 7 with water as solvent. The surface active properties of FD-FPH samples were higher than OD-FPH samples. The oven drying of fish protein hydrolysates may be advocated considering the properties and cost of production.

A robust method of computing finite difference coefficients based on Vandermonde matrix

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yijie; Gao, Jinghuai; Peng, Jigen; Han, Weimin

2018-05-01

When the finite difference (FD) method is employed to simulate the wave propagation, high-order FD method is preferred in order to achieve better accuracy. However, if the order of FD scheme is high enough, the coefficient matrix of the formula for calculating finite difference coefficients is close to be singular. In this case, when the FD coefficients are computed by matrix inverse operator of MATLAB, inaccuracy can be produced. In order to overcome this problem, we have suggested an algorithm based on Vandermonde matrix in this paper. After specified mathematical transformation, the coefficient matrix is transformed into a Vandermonde matrix. Then the FD coefficients of high-order FD method can be computed by the algorithm of Vandermonde matrix, which prevents the inverse of the singular matrix. The dispersion analysis and numerical results of a homogeneous elastic model and a geophysical model of oil and gas reservoir demonstrate that the algorithm based on Vandermonde matrix has better accuracy compared with matrix inverse operator of MATLAB.

Identifying Essential Features of Juvenile Psychopathy in the Prediction of Later Antisocial Behavior: Is There an Additive, Synergistic, or Curvilinear Role for Fearless Dominance?

PubMed Central

Vize, Colin E.; Lynam, Donald R.; Lamkin, Joanna; Miller, Joshua D; Pardini, Dustin

2015-01-01

Despite years of research, and inclusion of psychopathy DSM-5, there remains debate over the fundamental components of psychopathy. Although there is agreement about traits related to Agreeableness and Conscientiousness, there is less agreement about traits related to Fearless Dominance (FD) or Boldness. The present paper uses proxies of FD and Self-centered Impulsivity (SCI) to examine the contribution of FD-related traits to the predictive utility of psychopathy in a large, longitudinal, sample of boys to test four possibilities: FD 1. assessed earlier is a risk factor, 2. interacts with other risk-related variables to predict later psychopathy, 3. interacts with SCI interact to predict outcomes, and 4. bears curvilinear relations to outcomes. SCI received excellent support as a measure of psychopathy in adolescence; however, FD was unrelated to criteria in all tests. It is suggested that FD be dropped from psychopathy and that future research focus on Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. PMID:27347448

The effect of pulsed electromagnetic radiation from mobile phone on the levels of monoamine neurotransmitters in four different areas of rat brain.

PubMed

Aboul Ezz, H S; Khadrawy, Y A; Ahmed, N A; Radwan, N M; El Bakry, M M

2013-07-01

The use of mobile phones is rapidly increasing all over the world. Few studies deal with the effect of electromagnetic radiation (EMR) on monoamine neurotransmitters in the different brain areas of adult rat. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of EMR on the concentrations of dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE) and serotonin (5-HT) in the hippocampus, hypothalamus, midbrain and medulla oblongata of adult rats. Adult rats were exposed daily to EMR (frequency 1800 MHz, specific absorption rate 0.843 W/kg, power density 0.02 mW/cm2, modulated at 217 Hz) and sacrificed after 1, 2 and 4 months of daily EMR exposure as well as after stopping EMR for 1 month (after 4 months of daily EMR exposure). Monoamines were determined by high performance liquid chromatography coupled with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FD) using their native properties. The exposure to EMR resulted in significant changes in DA, NE and 5-HT in the four selected areas of adult rat brain. The exposure of adult rats to EMR may cause disturbances in monoamine neurotransmitters and this may underlie many of the adverse effects reported after EMR including memory, learning, and stress.

Analysis of clinical characteristics of dyspeptic symptoms in Shanghai patients.

PubMed

Li, Xiao Bo; Liu, Wen Zhong; Ge, Zhi Zheng; Zhang, Da Rong; Zhao, Yun Jia; Dai, Jun; Xue, Han Bin; Xiao, Shu Dong

2005-01-01

To improve the management of dyspepsia by analyzing the clinical characteristics of dyspeptic symptoms in patients from Shanghai. 782 patients with functional dyspepsia (FD) or organic dyspepsia (OD) completed a questionnaire about dyspepsia. The questionnaire asked participants to score 12 previously validated common upper abdominal symptoms. The clinical characteristics of dyspepsia including severe symptoms; and the relationship between symptoms and meals were then analyzed. Among the 782 dyspeptic patients, 543 cases (69.4%) were classed as FD and 239 (30.6%) OD. The proportion of males was significantly higher in the OD group. There was no difference in average dyspepsia scores between the 2 dyspeptic groups (21.5 vs 20.4, P > 0.05), but the scores of 'stomach' pain and 'stomach' pain before meals were higher in OD patients than in FD patients (2.65 +/- 1.11 vs 2.16 +/- 0.92, 2.26 +/- 1.26 vs 1.79 +/- 0.92, P < 0.05). In 45.2% of the OD patients and 47.7% of the FD patients, respectively, the severity of symptoms was not related to meals. In subgroups of ulcer-like, dysmotility-like and unspecified dyspepsia, the proportion of patients with symptoms not related to meals was 59.6%, 50.9% and 35.2%, respectively. 2.5% (6/239) of OD patients presented with progressive dysphagia, compared with 2.8% (15/543) of FD patients who presented with intermittent dysphagia. Approximately 8.8% (21/239) of OD patients reported dramatic weight loss accompanied with other severe symptoms, compared with 5.9% (32/543) of FD patients who had no other severe symptoms. A shift in symptom subtypes during the follow-up period was found in 13.8% of FD patients. The infection rate of Helicobacter pylori was higher in the OD group than in the FD group (53.1%vs 42.2%, P < 0.01), but no difference was found among the three subgroups of FD patients (P > 0.05). Halitosis was more often found in dyspeptic patients with H. pylori infection (44.9%vs 17.0% in OD, 47.3%vs 25.4% in FD, P < 0.01). When dyspepsia patients present with 'stomach' pain or 'stomach' pain before meals, a diagnosis of OD should be considered. Intermittent dysphagia, weight loss not accompanied with other severe symptoms, and halitosis (more often seen in patients with H. pylori infection) might be regarded as the relatively unique symptoms of dyspepsia in some FD patients. In FD, we found that the severity of dyspepsia symptoms was not related to meals in half of the patients, and symptom subtypes might shift over time, this adds difficulty to the management of FD.

A review of drug therapy for functional dyspepsia.

PubMed

Chen, Sheng Liang

2013-12-01

The management of functional dyspepsia (FD) is a challenge for gastroenterologists in clinical practice. The eradication of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and the utility of antacids, prokinetics and antidepressants are recommended as treatment choices for FD by consensus. Unlike in Europe and the USA, H. pylori eradication in Asia can lead to a higher proportion of FD patients with symptom relief and a higher symptom response rate to prokinetics. Moreover, response rates to anti-secretory drugs such as proton pump inhibitors deviate considerably from those in the Western world. Digestive enzymes and probiotics have also been reported to be used for the treatment of FD but evidence of their effectiveness is not adequate. Anti-anxiety drugs and antidepressants are reported to have peculiar effects on FD, especially in refractory FD, in which tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors at small doses are most often recommended. When these drugs are selected to treat FD, clinicians should also consider their roles in treating mental disorders as well as the direct effects of neurotransmitters on gastroenterological disorders. However, their effects need to be further verified by prospective double-blinded randomized clinical trials with a large sample size. Distinguishing among different symptom subtypes has limited significance in guiding the medical choice for FD and individualized drug treatment should be recommended in its management. © 2013 Chinese Medical Association Shanghai Branch, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

Folliculitis decalvans: a multicentre review of 82 patients.

PubMed

Vañó-Galván, S; Molina-Ruiz, A M; Fernández-Crehuet, P; Rodrigues-Barata, A R; Arias-Santiago, S; Serrano-Falcón, C; Martorell-Calatayud, A; Barco, D; Pérez, B; Serrano, S; Requena, L; Grimalt, R; Paoli, J; Jaén, P; Camacho, F M

2015-09-01

Folliculitis decalvans (FD) is a rare neutrophilic scarring alopecia that represents a therapeutic challenge for dermatologists. To describe the epidemiology, comorbidities, clinical presentation, diagnostic findings and therapeutic options in a large series of patients with FD. This retrospective multicentre review includes patients diagnosed with FD based on clinical and histopathologic findings. The clinical severity was determined by the maximum diameter of the largest alopecic patch (slight: <2 cm, moderate: 2-4.99 cm, severe: 5 cm or more). Response to therapy was assessed as improvement, worsening or stabilization depending on the clinical symptoms (pruritus and trichodynia), inflammatory signs (erythema, pustules and crusts) and the extension of the alopecic patch. Overall, 82 patients (52 males and 30 females) with a mean age of 35 years were included. No significant comorbidities were present. A family history was present in three males. Severe FD was observed in 17 patients (21%). The independent factors associated with severe FD after multivariate analysis were: onset of FD before 25 years of age and presence of pustules. Oral antibiotics (tetracyclines and the combination of clindamycin and rifampicin) improved 90% and 100% of the patients, with a mean duration of response of 4.6 and 7.2 months respectively. The onset of FD before 25 years of age and the presence of pustules within the alopecic patch were associated with severe FD. Tetracyclines and the combination of clindamycin and rifampicin were the most useful treatments. © 2015 European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology.

Comparative study of flux of FITC-labeled Dextran 4000 on normal (iso)- and hyper-osmolarity in basal side in caco-2 cell monolayers.

PubMed

Ohkubo, Rie; Tomita, Mikio; Hotta, Yoshiyuki; Nagira, Mayuko; Hayashi, Masahiro

2003-01-01

We have shown previously that the flux of fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran 4000 (FD-4) is transported across the Caco-2 cell monolayers in a polarized fashion favoring the basal to apical direction under normal conditions (i.e., isotonic solution in basal side). Furthermore, FD-4 transport may occur via a process that included a certain degree of substrate specificity for polysaccharide and transcytosis. In the present study, we compared the flux of FD-4 in the basal to apical direction (efflux) and the apical to basal direction (influx) in stress conditions (i.e., hyperosmolarity in basal side) to those in normal conditions (i.e., iso-osmolarity in basal side). The efflux of FD-4 was increased by hyperosmolarity in basal side, but the influx was decreased when compared with normal conditions. Neither dextran 10, 000 nor colchicine inhibited the efflux of FD-4 in hyperosmolarity conditions. The inhibition of efflux of FD-4 was observed not by S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine but by sodium nitroprusside and sodium ferrocyanide. These results collectively suggest that hyperosmolarity in basal side accelerates the efflux of FD-4 across the transcellular route but not across the paracellular route in Caco-2 cell monolayers. And it is indicated that cyanide rather than nitric oxide is involved in dysfunction of the FD-4 efflux system irrespective of conditions such as normal osmolarity or hyperosmolarity.

[Effects of fermented cattle dung on the growth and development of Tenebrio molitor larvae].

PubMed

Zeng, Xiang-Wei; Wang, Xia; Guo, Li-Yue; Zhan, Li-Jie; Bo, Wen-Jing; Li, Zhan; Wu, Guang-Lei; Jiang, Gao-Ming

2012-07-01

In order to make use of and industrialize the animal dung from large cattle farms, this paper explored the feasibility of using Tenebrio molitor to digest and utilize cattle dung. Cattle dung was mixed with the conventional feed (65% wheat bran, 30% corn flour, and 5% bean pulp) of T. molitor in definite proportions, and fermented with effective microorganisms (EM). The fermented products containing 60% and 80% of cattle dung (FD1 and FD2, respectively) were selected to feed T. molitor larvae, and the effects of the fermented products on the growth curve, death rate, pupation rate, and antioxidant system of the larvae were compared. Compared with CK (conventional deed), the FD1 made the developmental duration of the larvae prolonged by 10 days and the larvae's death rate upraised somewhat, but made the single larva's total food intake, average body mass, crude fat content, and ratio of unsaturated to saturated fat acids increased by 49%, 28%, 26%, and 32%, respectively (P < 0.05), and the activity of larvae's antioxidant system improved significantly, showing a remarkable adaptability of the larvae to FD1. Unlike FD1, FD2 displayed definite disadvantages in most test growth indicators, as compared with CK, indicating that T. molitor larvae had weak adaptability to FD2. Our findings suggested that using FD1 to feed the 3rd instar of T. molitor larvae would have good practical prospects in industrializing cattle dung.

EEG analysis of seizure patterns using visibility graphs for detection of generalized seizures.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Long, Xi; Arends, Johan B A M; Aarts, Ronald M

2017-10-01

The traditional EEG features in the time and frequency domain show limited seizure detection performance in the epileptic population with intellectual disability (ID). In addition, the influence of EEG seizure patterns on detection performance was less studied. A single-channel EEG signal can be mapped into visibility graphs (VGS), including basic visibility graph (VG), horizontal VG (HVG), and difference VG (DVG). These graphs were used to characterize different EEG seizure patterns. To demonstrate its effectiveness in identifying EEG seizure patterns and detecting generalized seizures, EEG recordings of 615h on one EEG channel from 29 epileptic patients with ID were analyzed. A novel feature set with discriminative power for seizure detection was obtained by using the VGS method. The degree distributions (DDs) of DVG can clearly distinguish EEG of each seizure pattern. The degree entropy and power-law degree power in DVG were proposed here for the first time, and they show significant difference between seizure and non-seizure EEG. The connecting structure measured by HVG can better distinguish seizure EEG from background than those by VG and DVG. A traditional EEG feature set based on frequency analysis was used here as a benchmark feature set. With a support vector machine (SVM) classifier, the seizure detection performance of the benchmark feature set (sensitivity of 24%, FD t /h of 1.8s) can be improved by combining our proposed VGS features extracted from one EEG channel (sensitivity of 38%, FD t /h of 1.4s). The proposed VGS-based features can help improve seizure detection for ID patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of cometary amines in samples returned by Stardust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glavin, D. P.; Dworkin, J. P.; Sandford, S. A.

2008-02-01

The abundances of amino acids and amines, as well as their enantiomeric compositions, were measured in samples of Stardust comet-exposed aerogel and foil using liquid chromatography with UV fluorescence detection and time of flight mass spectrometry (LC-FD/ToF-MS). A suite of amino acids and amines including glycine, L-alanine, β-alanine (BALA), γ-amino-n-butyric acid (GABA), ɛ-amino-n-caproic acid (EACA), ethanolamine (MEA), methylamine (MA), and ethylamine (EA) were identified in acid-hydrolyzed, hot-water extracts of these Stardust materials above background levels. With the exception of MA and EA, all other primary amines detected in cometexposed aerogel fragments C2054,4 and C2086,1 were also present in the flight aerogel witness tile that was not exposed to the comet, indicating that most amines are terrestrial in origin. The enhanced relative abundances of MA and EA in comet-exposed aerogel compared to controls, coupled with MA to EA ratios (C2054,4: 1.0 ± 0.2; C2086,1: 1.8 ± 0.2) that are distinct from preflight aerogels (E243-13C and E243-13F: 7 ± 3), suggest that these volatile amines were captured from comet Wild 2. MA and EA were present predominantly in an acid-hydrolyzable bound form in the aerogel, rather than as free primary amines, which is consistent with laboratory analyses of cometary ice analog materials. It is possible that Wild 2 MA and EA were formed on energetically processed icy grains containing ammonia and approximately equal abundances of methane and ethane. The presence of cometary amines in Stardust material supports the hypothesis that comets were an important source of prebiotic organic carbon and nitrogen on the early Earth.

Fault detection for piecewise affine systems with application to ship propulsion systems.

PubMed

Yang, Ying; Linlin, Li; Ding, Steven X; Qiu, Jianbin; Peng, Kaixiang

2017-09-09

In this paper, the design approach of non-synchronized diagnostic observer-based fault detection (FD) systems is investigated for piecewise affine processes via continuous piecewise Lyapunov functions. Considering that the dynamics of piecewise affine systems in different regions can be considerably different, the weighting matrices are used to weight the residual of each region, so as to optimize the fault detectability. A numerical example and a case study on a ship propulsion system are presented in the end to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed results. Copyright © 2017 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Deep UV laser-induced fluorescence detection of unlabeled drugs and proteins in microchip electrophoresis.

PubMed

Schulze, Philipp; Ludwig, Martin; Kohler, Frank; Belder, Detlev

2005-03-01

Deep UV fluorescence detection at 266-nm excitation wavelength has been realized for sensitive detection in microchip electrophoresis. For this purpose, an epifluorescence setup was developed enabling the coupling of a deep UV laser into a commercial fluorescence microscope. Deep UV laser excitation utilizing a frequency quadrupled pulsed laser operating at 266 nm shows an impressive performance for native fluorescence detection of various compounds in fused-silica microfluidic devices. Aromatic low molecular weight compounds such as serotonin, propranolol, a diol, and tryptophan could be detected at low-micromolar concentrations. Deep UV fluorescence detection was also successfully employed for the detection of unlabeled basic proteins. For this purpose, fused-silica chips dynamically coated with hydroxypropylmethyl cellulose were employed to suppress analyte adsorption. Utilizing fused-silica chips permanently coated with poly(vinyl alcohol), it was also possible to separate and detect egg white chicken proteins. These data show that deep UV fluorescence detection significantly widens the application range of fluorescence detection in chip-based analysis techniques.

Identification of mutations in Colombian patients affected with Fabry disease.

PubMed

Uribe, Alfredo; Mateus, Heidi Eliana; Prieto, Juan Carlos; Palacios, Maria Fernanda; Ospina, Sandra Yaneth; Pasqualim, Gabriela; da Silveira Matte, Ursula; Giugliani, Roberto

2015-12-15

Fabry Disease (FD) is an X-linked inborn error of glycosphingolipid catabolism, caused by a deficiency of the lisosomal α-galactosidase A (AGAL). The disorder leads to a vascular disease secondary to the involvement of kidney, heart and the central nervous system. The mutation analysis is a valuable tool for diagnosis and genetic counseling. Although more than 600 mutations have been identified, most mutations are private. Our objective was to describe the analysis of nine Colombian patients with Fabry disease by automated sequencing of the seven exons of the GLA gene. Two novel mutations were identified in two patients affected with the classical subtype of FD, in addition to other 6 mutations previously reported. The present study confirms the heterogeneity of mutations in Fabry disease and the importance of molecular analysis for genetic counseling, female heterozygotes detection as well as therapeutic decisions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the most odor-active volatiles in fresh, hand-squeezed juice of grapefruit (Citrus paradisi Macfayden).

PubMed

Buettner, A; Schieberle, P

1999-12-01

By application of the aroma extract dilution analysis on an extract prepared from fresh grapefruit juice, 37 odor-active compounds were detected in the flavor dilution (FD) factor range of 4-256 and subsequently identified. Among them the highest odor activities (FD factors) were determined for ethyl butanoate, p-1-menthene-8-thiol, (Z)-3-hexenal, 4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal, 4-mercapto-4-methylpentane-2-one, 1-heptene-3-one, and wine lactone. Besides the 5 last mentioned compounds, a total of 13 further odorants were identified for the first time as flavor constituents of grapefruit. The data confirmed results of the literature on the significant contribution of 1-p-menthene-8-thiol in grapefruit aroma but clearly showed that a certain number of further odorants are necessary to elicit the typical grapefruit flavor.

[Application of a mathematical algorithm for the detection of electroneuromyographic results in the pathogenesis study of facial dyskinesia].

PubMed

Gribova, N P; Iudel'son, Ia B; Golubev, V L; Abramenkova, I V

2003-01-01

To carry out a differential diagnosis of two facial dyskinesia (FD) models--facial hemispasm (FH) and facial paraspasm (FP), a combined program of electroneuromyographic (ENMG) examination has been created, using statistical analyses, including that for objects identification based on hybrid neural network with the application of adaptive fuzzy logic method and standard statistics programs (Wilcoxon, Student statistics). In FH, a lesion of peripheral facial neuromotor apparatus with augmentation of functions of inter-neurons in segmental and upper segmental stem levels predominated. In FP, primary afferent strengthening in mimic muscles was accompanied by increased motor neurons activity and reciprocal augmentation of inter-neurons, inhibiting motor portion of V pair. Mathematical algorithm for ENMG results recognition worked out in the study provides a precise differentiation of two FD models and opens possibilities for differential diagnosis of other facial motor disorders.

21 CFR 74.101 - FD&C Blue No. 1.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.101 FD&C Blue No. 1. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C...] (o-sulfobenzyl) ammonium hydroxide inner salt. (2) Color additive mixtures for food use (including...

21 CFR 74.101 - FD&C Blue No. 1.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.101 FD&C Blue No. 1. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C...] (o-sulfobenzyl) ammonium hydroxide inner salt. (2) Color additive mixtures for food use (including...

21 CFR 74.101 - FD&C Blue No. 1.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.101 FD&C Blue No. 1. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C...] (o-sulfobenzyl) ammonium hydroxide inner salt. (2) Color additive mixtures for food use (including...

21 CFR 74.1203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label of the color additive and any mixtures prepared therefrom... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1203 FD&C Green No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements...

21 CFR 74.2706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Yellow No. 6 shall conform in identity and specifications to the... coloring cosmetics generally in amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling...

76 FR 33809 - The New Brunswick Railway Company; Notices of Exemptions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-09

... 35518; Docket No. FD 35519] The New Brunswick Railway Company; Notices of Exemptions AGENCY: Surface Transportation Board, DOT. ACTION: Notices of exemptions. [Docket No. FD 35520] The New Brunswick Railway Company--Continuance in Control Exemption--Maine Northern Railway Company [Docket No. FD 35518] Maine Northern Railway...

Faculty Development for Educators: A Realist Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sorinola, Olanrewaju O.; Thistlethwaite, Jill; Davies, David; Peile, Ed

2015-01-01

The effectiveness of faculty development (FD) activities for educators in UK medical schools remains underexplored. This study used a realist approach to evaluate FD and to test the hypothesis that motivation, engagement and perception are key mechanisms of effective FD activities. The authors observed and interviewed 33 course participants at one…

21 CFR 74.2706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Yellow No. 6 shall conform in identity and specifications to the... coloring cosmetics generally in amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling...

21 CFR 74.1203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label of the color additive and any mixtures prepared therefrom... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1203 FD&C Green No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements...

21 CFR 74.2706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Yellow No. 6 shall conform in identity and specifications to the... coloring cosmetics generally in amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling...

21 CFR 74.2706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Yellow No. 6 shall conform in identity and specifications to the... coloring cosmetics generally in amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling...

21 CFR 74.1203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label of the color additive and any mixtures prepared therefrom... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1203 FD&C Green No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements...

21 CFR 74.1203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label of the color additive and any mixtures prepared therefrom... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1203 FD&C Green No. 3. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Green No. 3 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements...

Accurate Modeling of Ionospheric Electromagnetic Fields Generated by a Low-Altitude VLF Transmitter

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-08-31

latitude) for 3 different grid spacings. 14 8. Low-altitude fields produced by a 10-kHz source computed using the FD and TD codes. The agreement is...excellent, validating the new FD code. 16 9. High-altitude fields produced by a 10-kHz source computed using the FD and TD codes. The agreement is...again excellent. 17 10. Low-altitude fields produced by a 20-k.Hz source computed using the FD and TD codes. 17 11. High-altitude fields produced

Dental Perspectives in Fibrous Dysplasia and McCune-Albright Syndrome

PubMed Central

Akintoye, Sunday O.; Boyce, Alison M.; Collins, Michael T.

2013-01-01

McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) is a rare multisystem disorder characterized by the triad of polyostotic fibrous dysplasia (PFD), endocrine disorders and café-au-lait skin pigmentation. Ninety percent of MAS patients have FD lesions in the craniofacial area, resulting in significant orofacial deformity, dental disorders, bone pain and compromised oral health. Maxillo-mandibular FD is also associated with dental developmental disorders, malocclusion, and high caries index. There is limited data on the outcomes of dental treatments in maxillo-mandibular FD/MAS patients, because clinicians and researchers have limited access to patients, and there are concerns that dental surgery may activate quiescent jaw FD lesions to grow aggressively. This report highlights current perspectives on dental management issues associated with maxillo-mandibular FD within the context of MAS. PMID:23953425

FGF-23 in fibrous dysplasia of bone and its relationship to renal phosphate wasting

PubMed Central

Riminucci, Mara; Collins, Michael T.; Fedarko, Neal S.; Cherman, Natasha; Corsi, Alessandro; White, Kenneth E.; Waguespack, Steven; Gupta, Anurag; Hannon, Tamara; Econs, Michael J.; Bianco, Paolo; Gehron Robey, Pamela

2003-01-01

FGF-23, a novel member of the FGF family, is the product of the gene mutated in autosomal dominant hypophosphatemic rickets (ADHR). FGF-23 has been proposed as a circulating factor causing renal phosphate wasting not only in ADHR (as a result of inadequate degradation), but also in tumor-induced osteomalacia (as a result of excess synthesis by tumor cells). Renal phosphate wasting occurs in approximately 50% of patients with McCune-Albright syndrome (MAS) and fibrous dysplasia of bone (FD), which result from postzygotic mutations of the GNAS1 gene. We found that FGF-23 is produced by normal and FD osteoprogenitors and bone-forming cells in vivo and in vitro. In situ hybridization analysis of FGF-23 mRNA expression identified “fibrous” cells, osteogenic cells, and cells associated with microvascular walls as specific cellular sources of FGF-23 in FD. Serum levels of FGF-23 were increased in FD/MAS patients compared with normal age-matched controls and significantly higher in FD/MAS patients with renal phosphate wasting compared with those without, and correlated with disease burden bone turnover markers commonly used to assess disease activity. Production of FGF-23 by FD tissue may play an important role in the renal phosphate–wasting syndrome associated with FD/MAS. PMID:12952917

Opposing Patterns of Seasonal Change in Functional and Phylogenetic Diversity of Tadpole Assemblages

PubMed Central

Strauß, Axel; Guilhaumon, François; Randrianiaina, Roger Daniel; Wollenberg Valero, Katharina C.; Vences, Miguel; Glos, Julian

2016-01-01

Assemblages that are exposed to recurring temporal environmental changes can show changes in their ecological properties. These can be expressed by differences in diversity and assembly rules. Both can be identified using two measures of diversity: functional (FD) and phylogenetic diversity (PD). Frog communities are understudied in this regard, especially during the tadpole life stage. We utilised tadpole assemblages from Madagascan rainforest streams to test predictions of seasonal changes on diversity and assemblage composition and on diversity measures. From the warm-wet to the cool-dry season, species richness (SR) of tadpole assemblages decreased. Also FD and PD decreased, but FD less and PD more than expected by chance. During the dry season, tadpole assemblages were characterised by functional redundancy (among assemblages—with increasing SR), high FD (compared to a null model), and low PD (phylogenetic clustering; compared to a null model). Although mutually contradictory at first glance, these results indicate competition as tadpole community assembly driving force. This is true during the limiting cool-dry season but not during the more suitable warm-wet season. We thereby show that assembly rules can strongly depend on season, that comparing FD and PD can reveal such forces, that FD and PD are not interchangeable, and that conclusions on assembly rules based on FD alone are critical. PMID:27014867

Kinetin improves IKBKAP mRNA splicing in patients with familial dysautonomia

PubMed Central

Axelrod, Felicia B.; Liebes, Leonard; Gold-von Simson, Gabrielle; Mendoza, Sandra; Mull, James; Leyne, Maire; Norcliffe-Kaufmann, Lucy; Kaufmann, Horacio; Slaugenhaupt, Susan A.

2011-01-01

Familial dysautonomia (FD) is caused by an intronic splice mutation in the IKBKAP gene that leads to partial skipping of exon 20 and tissue-specific reduction in I-κ-B kinase complex associated protein/ elongation protein 1 (IKAP/ELP-1) expression. Kinetin (6-furfurylaminopurine) has been shown to improve splicing and increase wild-type IKBKAP mRNA and IKAP protein expression in FD cell lines and carriers. To determine if oral kinetin treatment could alter mRNA splicing in FD subjects and was tolerable, we administered kinetin to eight FD individuals homozygous for the splice mutation. Subjects received 23.5 mg/Kg/day for 28 days. An increase in wild-type IKBKAP mRNA expression in leukocytes was noted after eight days in six of eight individuals; after 28 days the mean increase as compared to baseline was significant (p=0.002). We have demonstrated that kinetin is tolerable in this medically fragile population. Not only did kinetin produce the desired effect on splicing in FD patients, but also that effect appears to improve with time despite lack of dose change. This is the first report of a drug that produces in vivo mRNA splicing changes in individuals with FD and supports future long-term trials to determine if kinetin will prove therapeutic in FD patients. PMID:21775922

Discriminant Value of Rome III Questionnaire in Dyspeptic Patients

PubMed Central

Abid, Shahab; Siddiqui, Shaheryar; Jafri, Wasim

2011-01-01

Background/Aim: Rome III criteria has modified the description of functional dyspepsia (FD) and divided this into subgroups. However, the discriminative value of Rome III questionnaire-based diagnosis of FD is yet to be determined. Objectives: To evaluate the Rome III questionnaire for the diagnosis of FD and whether it can discriminate between postprandial distress syndrome (PDS) and epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) in patients with dyspeptic symptoms. Patients and Methods: Consecutive patients, who were not on proton pump inhibitors (PPI), were asked to participate. Patients who have previously established acid peptic disease or predominantly reflux symptoms or having alarm symptoms such as weight loss and hematemesis were excluded. Rome III questionnaire for FD was used to identify the patients as having FD and divide into its subgroups; PDS or EPS. Gastro-duodenal biopsies, liver function tests and ultrasound were done to establish the diagnosis of FD. Results: Out of 272 patients with upper gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms without alarm features, who were enrolled in the study, a total of 191 (70%) fulfilled the criteria of FD based upon Rome III questionnaire. EPS subgroup was found in 109 (57%), PDS in 17 (9%) patients, overlap between EPS and PDS was present in 56 (29%) patients. Nine (5%) patients remained indeterminate. Diagnosis of FD was established in 136/191 (71%) patients only. Gastritis was present in 116 patients (85%), Duodenitis in 44 (32%) and Helicobacter pylori infection in 70 (51%) patients. Among 55 patients (29%) who had organic diseases, EPS was seen in 35 (64%), PDS in 5 (9%) and overlap in 15 (27%) patients. Underlying organic causes were gastric or duodenal ulcers in 14 patients, Barrett esophagus in five, chronic liver disease in seven, gall stones in five, Giardiasis and celiac disease in three each. Gastric carcinoma, Crohns disease and gastric polyps were seen in one patient each. Conclusion: This study indicates that 30% of patients who fulfilled the Rome III criteria for FD actually had organic disease. Almost one-third of patients with functioanl dyspepsia did not qualify for one of the two subgroups of FD of Rome III. There is also a need to further define the Rome III-based subgroups of FD for research purpose. PMID:21372351

The combi-targeting concept: a novel 3,3-disubstituted nitrosourea with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitory properties.

PubMed

Qiu, Qiyu; Dudouit, Fabienne; Matheson, Stephanie L; Brahimi, Fouad; Banerjee, Ranjita; McNamee, James P; Jean-Claude, Bertrand J

2003-01-01

To study the dual mechanism of action of FD137, a 3,3-disubstituted nitrosourea designed to block signaling mediated by the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) on its own and to be hydrolyzed to an inhibitor of EGFR plus a DNA-damaging species. HPLC was used to determine the half-life (t(1/2)) of FD137 and to characterize its derived metabolite FD110. The dual mechanisms of DNA damaging and EGFR tyrosine kinase (TK) targeting were ascertained by the comet assay for DNA damage and by inmunodetection of phosphotyrosine in an ELISA and a whole-cell assay for EGFR-mediated signaling. The antiproliferative effects of the different drugs and their combinations were determined by the sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. In contrast to BCNU, FD137 significantly blocked EGF-induced EGFR autophosphorylation (IC(50) 4 micro M) in the human solid tumor cell line A431. DNA damage induced by FD137 could only be observed after 24 h exposure, but the level of DNA damage remained 3.6-fold lower than that induced by BCNU. This difference was rationalized by the 160-fold greater stability of FD137 when compared with BCNU in serum-containing medium. Further, degradation of FD137 was accompanied by the slow release of FD110, an extremely potent inhibitor of EGFR TK [IC(50) (EGFR autophosphorylation) <0.3 micro M]. The complex properties of FD137 translated into a 55-fold greater antiproliferative activity than BCNU against the EGFR-overexpressing A431 cells that coexpresses the O(6)-alkylguanine transferase (AGT). Depletion of AGT in these cells by the use of O(6)-benzylguanine (O(6)-BG) enhanced their sensitivity to BCNU by 8-fold, but only by 3-fold to FD137. The results overall suggest that the superior antiproliferative activity of FD137 when compared with BCNU may be associated with its ability to behave as a combination of many species with different mechanisms of action. However, the enhancement of its potency by O(6)-BG suggests that its antiproliferative effect was at least partially mitigated by AGT and perhaps it may be largely dominated by its signal transduction inhibitory component.

21 CFR 872.1745 - Laser fluorescence caries detection device.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Laser fluorescence caries detection device. 872... SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES DENTAL DEVICES Diagnostic Devices § 872.1745 Laser fluorescence caries detection device. (a) Identification. A laser fluorescence caries detection device is a laser, a...

Exploiting diurnal variations to evaluate the ISCCP-FD flux calculations and radiative-flux-analysis-processed surface observations from BSRN, ARM, and SURFRAD

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

Zhang, Yuanchong; Long, Charles N.; Rossow, William B.

2010-01-01

Based on monthly-3-hourly and 3-hourly mean surface radiative fluxes and their associated meteorological parameters for 2004 from the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project-FD (ISCCP-FD) and the Radiative Flux Analysis method-Produced Surface Observations (RFA-PSO) for 15 high-quality-controlled surface stations, operated by the Baseline Surface Radiation Network (BSRN), the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Surface Radiation budget network (SURFRAD), this work, goes beyond the previous validation for FD against surface observation by introducing the Meteorological Similarity Comparison Method (MSCM) to make a more precise, mutual evaluation of both FD and PSO products. The comparison results inmore » substantial uncertainty reduction and provides reasonable physical explanations for the flux differences. This approach compares fluxes for cases where the atmospheric and surface physical properties (specifically, the input parameters for radiative transfer model) are as close as possible to the values determined at the observational sites by matching the RFA-produced cloud fraction (CF) and/or optical thickness (Tau), etc., or alternatively, by directly changing the model input variables for FD to match PSO values, and using such-produced matched sub-datasets to make more accurate comparisons based on more similar meteorological environments between FD and PSO. The crucial part is the availability of flux-associated meteorological parameters from RFA-PSO, which was only recently made available that makes this work possible. For surface downwelling shortwave(SW) flux (SWdn) and its two components, diffuse (Dif) and direct (Dir), uncertainty for monthly mean is 15, 15 and 17 W/m 2, respectively, smaller than the separately estimated uncertainty values from both FD and PSO. When applying MSCM by reducing their CF difference, the differences can be reduced by a factor of 2. The strength of MSCM is particularly shown in the comparisons of diurnal variations. For clear sky, reducing the FD values of aerosol optical depth (AOD) by 50% to approximately match the PSO values brings all downward SW flux components into substantial agreement. For cloudy scenes, when both CF and Tau are matched to within 0.1 – 0.25 and ~10, respectively, the majority of the SW flux components have nearly-perfect agreement between FD and PSO. The best restriction differences are not zero indicates the influence of other parameters that are not accounted for yet. For longwave (LW) fluxes, general evaluation also confirms uncertainty values for FD and PSO less than separately estimated. When applying MSCM to CF and surface air temperature, the agreement is substantially improved. For downwelling LW diurnal variation comparison, FD shows good agreement with PSO for both RFA-defined or true clear sky but overestimates the amplitude for cloudy sky by 3-7 W/m 2, which may be caused by different sensitivities to cirrus clouds. For upwelling LW diurnal cycle, the situation is reversed; FD now underestimates the diurnal amplitude for all and clear sky but generally agrees for overcast (CF > 0.7). The combined effect of downwelling and upwelling LW fluxes results in FD's underestimates of the diurnal variation of the net-LW-loss for all the scenes by up to 10 W/m 2, although the daily mean net loss is more accurate. Therefore, in terms of amplitude and phase, both FD and PSO seem to have caught correct diurnal variations.« less

Robust tumor morphometry in multispectral fluorescence microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tabesh, Ali; Vengrenyuk, Yevgen; Teverovskiy, Mikhail; Khan, Faisal M.; Sapir, Marina; Powell, Douglas; Mesa-Tejada, Ricardo; Donovan, Michael J.; Fernandez, Gerardo

2009-02-01

Morphological and architectural characteristics of primary tissue compartments, such as epithelial nuclei (EN) and cytoplasm, provide important cues for cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic response prediction. We propose two feature sets for the robust quantification of these characteristics in multiplex immunofluorescence (IF) microscopy images of prostate biopsy specimens. To enable feature extraction, EN and cytoplasm regions were first segmented from the IF images. Then, feature sets consisting of the characteristics of the minimum spanning tree (MST) connecting the EN and the fractal dimension (FD) of gland boundaries were obtained from the segmented compartments. We demonstrated the utility of the proposed features in prostate cancer recurrence prediction on a multi-institution cohort of 1027 patients. Univariate analysis revealed that both FD and one of the MST features were highly effective for predicting cancer recurrence (p <= 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, an MST feature was selected for a model incorporating clinical and image features. The model achieved a concordance index (CI) of 0.73 on the validation set, which was significantly higher than the CI of 0.69 for the standard multivariate model based solely on clinical features currently used in clinical practice (p < 0.0001). The contributions of this work are twofold. First, it is the first demonstration of the utility of the proposed features in morphometric analysis of IF images. Second, this is the largest scale study of the efficacy and robustness of the proposed features in prostate cancer prognosis.

Freeze-dried stallion spermatozoa: evaluation of two chelating agents and comparative analysis of three sperm DNA damage assays.

PubMed

Olaciregui, M; Luño, V; Martí, J I; Aramayona, J; Gil, L

2016-11-01

During the freeze-drying procedure, sperm DNA might become damaged by both freezing and drying stresses. Sperm DNA status can be detected using well-established assays; however, most techniques are expensive and involve elaborate protocols and equipment. Indirect assessments can provide alternative strategies. The objective of this study was to compare a simple test of DNA status using Diff-Quik (DQ) with two established procedures: acridine orange test (AOT) and sperm chromatin dispersion (SCD) on freeze-dried (FD) stallion spermatozoa. Ejaculated spermatozoa from three stallions were freeze-dried in basic medium supplemented with two different chelating agents: EGTA or EDTA. After rehydration, the spermatozoa were subjected to DNA damage detection using a SCDt, AOT and DQ stain simultaneously. The results showed that the DNA damage levels in the EGTA group were significantly lower than those in the EDTA group. AOT detected a significantly higher proportion of spermatozoa with fragmented DNA than DQ and SCD. The results of the SCD test and DQ stain exhibited a significant positive correlation for DNA fragmentation (r = 0.528), whereas a negative correlation was observed between SCD, DQ and AOT (r = -0.134 and r = -0.332 respectively). The present study shows that both the SCD test and DQ assay are effective methods for detecting FD stallion sperm DNA fragmentation, whereas using of AOT is questionable. © 2016 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Development of a multiplex DNA-based traceability tool for crop plant materials.

PubMed

Voorhuijzen, Marleen M; van Dijk, Jeroen P; Prins, Theo W; Van Hoef, A M Angeline; Seyfarth, Ralf; Kok, Esther J

2012-01-01

The authenticity of food is of increasing importance for producers, retailers and consumers. All groups benefit from the correct labelling of the contents of food products. Producers and retailers want to guarantee the origin of their products and check for adulteration with cheaper or inferior ingredients. Consumers are also more demanding about the origin of their food for various socioeconomic reasons. In contrast to this increasing demand, correct labelling has become much more complex because of global transportation networks of raw materials and processed food products. Within the European integrated research project 'Tracing the origin of food' (TRACE), a DNA-based multiplex detection tool was developed-the padlock probe ligation and microarray detection (PPLMD) tool. In this paper, this method is extended to a 15-plex traceability tool with a focus on products of commercial importance such as the emmer wheat Farro della Garfagnana (FdG) and Basmati rice. The specificity of 14 plant-related padlock probes was determined and initially validated in mixtures comprising seven or nine plant species/varieties. One nucleotide difference in target sequence was sufficient for the distinction between the presence or absence of a specific target. At least 5% FdG or Basmati rice was detected in mixtures with cheaper bread wheat or non-fragrant rice, respectively. The results suggested that even lower levels of (un-)intentional adulteration could be detected. PPLMD has been shown to be a useful tool for the detection of fraudulent/intentional admixtures in premium foods and is ready for the monitoring of correct labelling of premium foods worldwide.

An Inexpensive Kinetic Study: The Reaction of FD&C Red #3 (Erythrosin B) with Hypochlorite

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henary, Maher M.; Russell, Arlene A.

2007-01-01

Kinetics constitutes a core topic in both the lecture and laboratory components of lower- level chemistry courses. While textbook examples can ignore issues of time, temperature and safety, the laboratory can not. Reactions must occur slowly enough to be detected by students, occur rapidly enough for data collection in the few hours assigned to a…

Short initial length quench on CICC of ITER TF coils

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

Nicollet, S.; Ciazynski, D.; Duchateau, J.-L.

Previous quench studies performed for the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) Toroidal Field (TF) Coils have led to identify two extreme families of quench: first 'severe' quenches over long initial lengths in high magnetic field, and second smooth quenches over short initial lengths in low field region. Detailed analyses and results on smooth quench propagation and detectability on one TF Cable In Conduit Conductor (CICC) with a lower propagation velocity are presented here. The influence of the initial quench energy is shown and results of computations with either a Fast Discharge (FD) of the magnet or without (failure of themore » voltage quench detection system) are reported. The influence of the central spiral of the conductor on the propagation velocity is also detailed. In the cases of a regularly triggered FD, the hot spot temperature criterion of 150 K (with helium and jacket) is fulfilled for an initial quench length of 1 m, whereas this criterion is exceed (Tmax ≈ 200 K) for an extremely short length of 5 cm. These analyses were carried out using both the Supermagnet(trade mark, serif) and Venecia codes and the comparisons of the results are also discussed.« less

Forced expirations and maximum expiratory flow-volume curves during sustained microgravity on SLS-1.

PubMed

Elliott, A R; Prisk, G K; Guy, H J; Kosonen, J M; West, J B

1996-07-01

Gravity is known to influence the mechanical behavior of the lung and chest wall. However, the effect of sustained microgravity (microG) on forced expirations has not previously been reported. Tests were carried out by four subjects in both the standing and supine postures during each of seven preflight and four postflight data-collection sessions and four times during the 9 days of microG exposure on Spacelab Life Sciences-1. Compared with preflight standing values, peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) was significantly reduced by 12.5% on flight day 2 (FD2), 11.6% on FD4, and 5.0% on FD5 but returned to standing values by FD9. The supine posture caused a 9% reduction in PEFR. Forced vital capacity and forced expired volume in 1 s were slightly reduced (approximately 3-4%) on FD2 but returned to preflight standing values on FD4 and FD5, and by FD9 both values were slightly but significantly greater than standing values. Forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in 1 s were both reduced in the supine posture (approximately 8-10%). Forced expiratory flows at 50% and between 25 and 75% of vital capacity did not change during microG but were reduced in the supine posture. Analysis of the maximum expiratory flow-volume curve showed that microG caused no consistent change in the curve configuration when individual in-flight days were compared with preflight standing curves, although two subjects did show a slight reduction in flows at low lung volumes from FD2 to FD9. The interpretation of the lack of change in curve configuration must be made cautiously because the lung volumes varied from day to day in flight. Therefore, the flows at absolute lung volumes in microG and preflight standing are not being compared. The supine curves showed a subtle but consistent reduction in flows at low lung volumes. The mechanism responsible for the reduction in PEFR is not clear. It could be due to a lack of physical stabilization when performing the maneuver in the absence of gravity or a transient reduction in respiratory muscle strength.

Identification of the Binding Region of the [2Fe-2S] Ferredoxin in Stearoyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Desaturase

PubMed Central

Sobrado, Pablo; Lyle, Karen S.; Kaul, Steven P.; Turco, Michelle M.; Arabshahi, Ida; Marwah, Ashok; Fox, Brian G.

2008-01-01

Stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturase (Δ9D) catalyzes the O2 and 2e- dependent desaturation of stearoyl-acyl carrier protein (18:0-ACP) to yield oleoyl-ACP (18:1-ACP). The 2e- are provided by essential interactions with reduced plant-type [2Fe-2S] ferredoxin (Fd). We have investigated the protein-protein interface involved in the Fd-Δ9D complex by use of chemical cross-linking, site-directed mutagenesis, steady-state kinetic approaches and molecular docking studies. Treatment of the different proteins with 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide and N-hydroxysuccinimide revealed that carboxylate residues from Fd and lysine residues from Δ9D contribute to the cross-linking. The single substitutions of K60A, K56A, and K230A on Δ9D decreased the kcat/KM for Fd by 4-, 22- and 2,400-fold, respectively, as compared to wt Δ9D and a K41A substitution. The double substitution K56A/K60A decreased the kcat/KM for Fd by 250-fold, while the triple mutation K56A/K60A/K230A decreased the kcat/KM for Fd by at least 700,000-fold. These results strongly implicate the triad of K56, K60 and K230 of Δ9D in the formation of a catalytic complex with Fd. Molecular docking studies indicate that electrostatic interactions between K56 and K60 and carboxylate groups on Fd may situate the [2Fe-2S] cluster of Fd near to W62, a surface residue that is structurally conserved in both ribonucleotide reductase and mycobacterial putative acyl-ACP desaturase DesA2. Owing to the considerably larger effects on catalysis, K230 appears to have other contributions to catalysis arising from its positioning in helix-7 and its close spatial location to the diiron center ligands E229 and H232. These results are considered in the light of the presently available models for Fd-mediated electron transfer in Δ9D and other protein-protein complexes. PMID:16605252

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is not a cause of abdominal complaints in patients with Fabry disease.

PubMed

Vujasinovic, Miroslav; Tepes, Bojan; Vujkovac, Bojan; Cokan Vujkovac, Andreja; Tretjak, Martin; Korat, Vesna

2015-12-01

Fabry disease (FD), also called Anderson-Fabry disease, is the second most prevalent lysosomal storage disorder after Gaucher disease. Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are very common among male and female individuals, although the age of onset is later among female patients. To our best knowledge, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI) has not yet been studied in patients with FD as a possible cause of abdominal complaints. The aim of our study was to determine whether exocrine pancreatic function is impaired in patients with FD. We analysed medical records of patients with FD treated in Fabry Center in Slovenj Gradec General Hospital (Slovenian referral centre for FD) by the evaluation of the following features: gender, age, first symptoms before confirmation of FD diagnosis, time interval between first symptoms and diagnosis, therapy and current abdominal complaints. Diagnosis of FD was established by genetic analysis and confirmation of mutation in the α-galactosidase A gene. Faecal elastase-1 (FE-1) measurements were performed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and the commercial kit ScheBo Biotech, Giessen, Germany. There were 28 adult patients (Slovene, Caucasians) with known FD included in the study: 12 male and 16 female; mean age, 45.6 ± 14.3 (range, 19-75) years. Seventeen patients (63%) were on enzyme replacement therapy (ERT). In seven (25.9%) patients, abdominal complaints (diarrhoea, bloating and feeling of satiety) were present before introduction of ERT. In three out of these seven patients, abdominal complaints resolved after ERT, and in four patients, they were still occasionally present. FE-1 was normal in all patients (547.9 ± 104.5 µg/g). Our results show that exocrine pancreatic function is normal in all patients with FD and is most likely not a cause of abdominal complaints in this group of patients. Nevertheless, EPI still could not be completely excluded as an aetiology factor for GI problems in patients with FD because all our patients with GI problems were treated with ERT. Therefore, a potential effect of ERT on EPI cannot be excluded. Further studies are necessary to determine the aetiology, especially in the group of naïve male patients.

Effects of a Herbal Medicine, Yukgunja-Tang, on Functional Dyspepsia Patients Classified by 3-Dimensional Facial Measurement: A Study Protocol for Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Kim, Juyeon; Park, Jae-Woo; Ko, Seok-Jae; Jeon, Soo-Hyung; Kim, Jong-Won; Yeo, Inkwon; Kim, Jinsung

2017-01-01

Introduction . Functional dyspepsia (FD), a common upper gastrointestinal disease, is difficult to manage because of the limitations of current conventional treatments. Yukgunja-tang (YGJT) is widely used to treat FD in clinical practice in Korea, Japan, and China. However, YGJT significantly improves few symptoms of FD. In Korean medicine, FD is a well-known functional gastric disease that shows difference in the effect of herbal medicine depending on constitution or type of Korean medicine diagnosis. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of YGJT on FD patients classified by 3-dimensional facial measurement using a 3-dimensional facial shape diagnostic system (3-FSDS). Methods . A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, two-center trial will be performed to evaluate the efficacy of YGJT on FD patients. Eligible subjects will be initially classified as two types by 3-dimensional facial measurement using the 3-FSDS. Ninety-six subjects (48 subjects per each type) will be enrolled. These subjects will be randomly allocated into treatment or control groups in a 2 : 1 ratio. YGJT or placebo will be administered to each group during the 8-week treatment period. The primary outcome is total dyspepsia symptom scale, and the secondary outcomes include single dyspepsia symptom scale, proportion of responders with adequate symptom relief, visual analog scale, Nepean dyspepsia index-Korean version, functional dyspepsia-related quality of life, and spleen qi deficiency questionnaire. Discussion . This is the first randomized controlled trial to assess the efficacy of the YGJT on FD patients classified by 3-dimensional facial measurement. We will compare the treatment effect of the YGJT on FD patients classified as two types using the 3-FSDS. The results of this trial will help the FD patients improve the symptoms and quality of life effectively and provide objective evidence for prescribing the YGJT to FD patients in clinical practice. Trial Registration . This trial is registered with Clinical Research Information Service Identifier: KCT0001920, 15 May, 2016.

Effects of feed deprivation on behavioral reactivity and physiological status in Holstein cattle.

PubMed

Bourguet, C; Deiss, V; Boissy, A; Andanson, S; Terlouw, E M C

2011-10-01

The present study evaluated whether feed deprivation can increase reactivity to stressful events, such as those that can occur at slaughter. Therefore, effects of 30 h of feed deprivation on behavior, including reactions to psychological stressors, and physiological status in cattle were determined. Sixteen Holstein cows (Exp. 1) and 32 Holstein heifers (Exp. 2) were either fed (FE) or 30-h feed deprived (FD). Throughout the first day of feed deprivation and during evening feed distribution to control animals, FD heifers and cows were more active than controls (P < 0.05). In Exp. 1, during a feeding test, in response to a sudden air blast arising from the bucket from which the cow was feeding, FD cows showed a longer latency to return to feed (P = 0.0002), spent less time in the bucket air blast zone (P = 0.008) and less time motionless (P = 0.03), and tended to withdraw over a longer distance (P = 0.07) than FE cows. In Exp. 2, during a reactivity test, FD heifers spent more (P = 0.0001) time motionless in response to social isolation than FE heifers. In Exp. 2, one-half of the FE and FD heifers were subjected to an additional physical and psychological stressor just before the reactivity test by driving them for 5 min through a labyrinth. Within heifers subjected to the additional stressor, FD heifers were less accepting of being detained (P = 0.05) and stroked (P = 0.003) by a familiar stockperson in a corner of the test arena. Compared with FE animals, FD heifers and FD cows had greater plasma cortisol concentrations (P < 0.05). Feed-deprived cows also had reduced β-hydroxybutyrate concentrations (P = 0.02) compared with FE cows. Thus, in cattle, FD influenced some of the classical indicators of energy metabolism and exacerbated reactivity to sudden events. In addition, when additional stressors were applied, FD cattle were more reluctant to accept handling. Results indicate that a multifactorial origin of stressors during the slaughter period may synergistically increase psychological stress of cattle.

Genetic, metabolite and developmental determinism of fruit friction discolouration in pear.

PubMed

Saeed, Munazza; Brewer, Lester; Johnston, Jason; McGhie, Tony K; Gardiner, Susan E; Heyes, Julian A; Chagné, David

2014-09-16

The unattractive appearance of the surface of pear fruit caused by the postharvest disorder friction discolouration (FD) is responsible for significant consumer dissatisfaction in markets, leading to lower returns to growers. Developing an understanding of the genetic control of FD is essential to enable the full application of genomics-informed breeding for the development of new pear cultivars. Biochemical constituents [phenolic compounds and ascorbic acid (AsA)], polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity, as well as skin anatomy, have been proposed to play important roles in FD susceptibility in studies on a limited number of cultivars. However, to date there has been no investigation on the biochemical and genetic control of FD, employing segregating populations. In this study, we used 250 seedlings from two segregating populations (POP369 and POP356) derived from interspecific crosses between Asian (Pyrus pyrifolia Nakai and P. bretschneideri Rehd.) and European (P. communis) pears to identify genetic factors associated with susceptibility to FD. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-based linkage maps suitable for QTL analysis were developed for the parents of both populations. The maps for population POP369 comprised 174 and 265 SNP markers for the male and female parent, respectively, while POP356 maps comprised 353 and 398 SNP markers for the male and female parent, respectively. Phenotypic data for 22 variables were measured over two successive years (2011 and 2012) for POP369 and one year (2011) only for POP356. A total of 221 QTLs were identified that were linked to 22 phenotyped variables, including QTLs associated with FD for both populations that were stable over the successive years. In addition, clear evidence of the influence of developmental factors (fruit maturity) on FD and other variables was also recorded. The QTLs associated with fruit firmness, PPO activity, AsA concentration and concentration of polyphenol compounds as well as FD are the first reported for pear. We conclude that the postharvest disorder FD is controlled by multiple small effect QTLs and that it will be very challenging to apply marker-assisted selection based on these QTLs. However, genomic selection could be employed to select elite genotypes with lower or no susceptibility to FD early in the breeding cycle.

Are Locked Facets a Contraindication for Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion?

PubMed

Navarro-Ramirez, Rodrigo; Lang, Gernot; Moriguchi, Yu; Elowitz, Eric; Corredor, Jose Alfredo; Avila, Mauricio J; Gotfryd, Alberto; Alimi, Marjan; Gandevia, Lena; Härtl, Roger

2017-04-01

Extreme lateral interbody fusion (ELIF) has gained popularity as a minimally invasive treatment allowing for indirect decompression of neural elements. However, evidence regarding the influence of facet degeneration (FD) and facet tropism (FT) toward indirect decompression is lacking. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether indirect decompression is impaired by FD and FT in patients undergoing ELIF. Thirty-seven patients undergoing ELIF were included in a retrospective study. Radiographic parameters including disk height, segmental disk angle, foraminal area, FD, FT, and clinical outcome parameters (Oswestry Disability Index and Visual Analog Scale) were measured preoperatively and postoperatively. FD and FT were correlated with radiographic and clinical outcome parameters in order to determine predictors restricting indirect decompression. Thirty-seven patients with a total of 74 levels were analyzed. Clinical and radiographic outcome measures including central canal area (Δ = +17.2 mm 2 ), mean disk height (Δ = +3 mm), and foraminal area (Δ = +9.9 mm 2 ) revealed significant improvement compared with before surgery (P ≤ 0.05). Patients with severe FD (grade 4) were more likely to have FT ≥ 12 degrees (32.3%) than patients without/mild (grades 0 and 1; 10%) or moderate FD (grades 2 and 3; 13%), P ≤ 0.05. FD and FT did not affect disk height restoration, foraminal area, canal surface area, or clinical outcome measures (P ≥ 0.05). Indirect decompression of neural elements in ELIF is not impaired by FD and FT are not relative contraindications in patients undergoing ELIF. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The End of the Line: Can Ferredoxin and Ferredoxin NADP(H) Oxidoreductase Determine the Fate of Photosynthetic Electrons?

PubMed Central

Goss, Tatjana; Hanke, Guy

2014-01-01

At the end of the linear photosynthetic electron transfer (PET) chain, the small soluble protein ferredoxin (Fd) transfers electrons to Fd:NADP(H) oxidoreductase (FNR), which can then reduce NADP+ to support C assimilation. In addition to this linear electron flow (LEF), Fd is also thought to mediate electron flow back to the membrane complexes by different cyclic electron flow (CEF) pathways: either antimycin A sensitive, NAD(P)H complex dependent, or through FNR located at the cytochrome b6f complex. Both Fd and FNR are present in higher plant genomes as multiple gene copies, and it is now known that specific Fd iso-proteins can promote CEF. In addition, FNR iso-proteins vary in their ability to dynamically interact with thylakoid membrane complexes, and it has been suggested that this may also play a role in CEF. We will highlight work on the different Fd-isoproteins and FNR-membrane association found in the bundle sheath (BSC) and mesophyll (MC) cell chloroplasts of the C4 plant maize. These two cell types perform predominantly CEF and LEF, and the properties and activities of Fd and FNR in the BSC and MC are therefore specialized for CEF and LEF respectively. A diversity of Fd isoproteins and dynamic FNR location has also been recorded in C3 plants, algae and cyanobacteria. This indicates that the principles learned from the extreme electron transport situations in the BSC and MC of maize might be usefully applied to understanding the dynamic transition between these states in other systems. PMID:24678667

21 CFR 74.1706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling requirements. (1) The label of the color additive and any mixtures intended... COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Yellow No. 6 shall conform in identity and specifications to the...

21 CFR 74.2304 - FD&C Red No. 4.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2304 FD&C Red No. 4. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Red No. 4 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74... externally applied cosmetics in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label...

21 CFR 74.1340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label of the color additive... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 40 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74...

21 CFR 74.2340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (2) The color additive shall not be exposed to oxidizing or reducing agents that may... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 40 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of...

Teacher-Student Cognitive Style and Achievement in Biology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jolly, Pauline E.; Strawitz, Barbara M.

1984-01-01

Investigated the consequences of teacher-student cognitive style (field dependence- FD and independence- FI) matches and mismatches on student achievement in biology. Results suggest that whereas FI students may be taught by and achieve equally well with either FI or FD teachers, FD students are more successfully taught by FI teachers. (JN)

Emerging pharmacological therapy for functional dyspepsia.

PubMed

Hojo, Mariko; Nagahara, Akihito; Asaoka, Daisuke; Watanabe, Sumio

2013-10-01

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a multifactorial disease with complex underlying pathophysiology. To date, there is no established treatment for FD. This review summarizes recent progress in pharmacological therapy for the disease. A newly developed drug, acotiamide, is expected to improve symptoms of postprandial distress syndrome. Herbal medicines are also expected to become options for FD treatment.

21 CFR 74.2304 - FD&C Red No. 4.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2304 FD&C Red No. 4. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Red No. 4 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74... externally applied cosmetics in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label...

21 CFR 74.2340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (2) The color additive shall not be exposed to oxidizing or reducing agents that may... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 40 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of...

21 CFR 74.2340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (2) The color additive shall not be exposed to oxidizing or reducing agents that may... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 40 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of...

21 CFR 74.1340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label of the color additive... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 40 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74...

21 CFR 74.1706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling requirements. (1) The label of the color additive and any mixtures intended... COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Yellow No. 6 shall conform in identity and specifications to the...

21 CFR 74.2304 - FD&C Red No. 4.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2304 FD&C Red No. 4. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Red No. 4 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74... externally applied cosmetics in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label...

21 CFR 74.1706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling requirements. (1) The label of the color additive and any mixtures intended... COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Yellow No. 6 shall conform in identity and specifications to the...

21 CFR 74.2340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (2) The color additive shall not be exposed to oxidizing or reducing agents that may... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 40 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of...

21 CFR 74.1706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling requirements. (1) The label of the color additive and any mixtures intended... COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1706 FD&C Yellow No. 6. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Yellow No. 6 shall conform in identity and specifications to the...

21 CFR 74.2304 - FD&C Red No. 4.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2304 FD&C Red No. 4. (a) Identity and specifications. The color additive FD&C Red No. 4 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74... externally applied cosmetics in amounts consistent with good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label...

21 CFR 74.1340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label of the color additive... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 40 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74...

21 CFR 74.2340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... manufacturing practice. (2) The color additive shall not be exposed to oxidizing or reducing agents that may... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Cosmetics § 74.2340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 40 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of...

21 CFR 74.1340 - FD&C Red No. 40.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... amounts consistent with current good manufacturing practice. (c) Labeling. The label of the color additive... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1340 FD&C Red No. 40. (a) Identity and specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Red No. 40 shall conform in identity and specifications to the requirements of § 74...

Molecular interactions between photosystem I and ferredoxin: an integrated energy frustration and experimental model

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

Cashman, Derek J.; Zhu, Tuo; Simmerman, Richard F.

2014-08-01

The stromal domain (PsaC, PsaD, and PsaE) of photosystem I (PSI) reduces transiently bound ferredoxin (Fd) or flavodoxin. Experimental structures exist for all of these protein partners individually, but no experimental structure of the PSI/Fd or PSI/flavodoxin complexes is presently available. Molecular models of Fd docked onto the stromal domain of the cyanobacterial PSI site are constructed here utilizing X-ray and NMR structures of PSI and Fd, respectively. Moreover, predictions of potential protein-protein interaction regions are based on experimental site-directed mutagenesis and cross-linking studies to guide rigid body docking calculations of Fd into PSI, complemented by energy landscape theory tomore » bring together regions of high energetic frustration on each of the interacting proteins. Results identify two regions of high localized frustration on the surface of Fd that contain negatively charged Asp and Glu residues. Our study predicts that these regions interact predominantly with regions of high localized frustration on the PsaC, PsaD, and PsaE chains of PSI, which include several residues predicted by previous experimental studies.« less

The two-factor model of psychopathic personality: evidence from the psychopathic personality inventory.

PubMed

Marcus, David K; Fulton, Jessica J; Edens, John F

2013-01-01

Psychopathy or psychopathic personality disorder represents a constellation of traits characterized by superficial charm, egocentricity, irresponsibility, fearlessness, persistent violation of social norms, and a lack of empathy, guilt, and remorse. Factor analyses of the Psychopathic Personality Inventory (PPI)typically yield two factors: Fearless Dominance (FD) and Self-Centered Impulsivity (SCI). Additionally, the Coldheartedness (CH) subscale typically does not load on either factor. The current paper includes a meta-analysis of studies that have examined theoretically important correlates of the two PPI factors and CH. Results suggest that (a) FD and SCI are orthogonal or weakly correlated, (b) each factor predicts distinct (and sometimes opposite) correlates, and (c) the FD factor is not highly correlated with most other measures of psychopathy. This pattern of results raises important questions about the relation between FD and SCI and the role of FD in conceptualizations of psychopathy. Our findings also indicate the need for future studies using the two-factor model of the PPI to conduct moderational analyses to examine potential interactions between FD and SCI in the prediction of important criterion measures.

Fabry disease: A fundamental genetic modifier of cardiac function.

PubMed

Tadevosyan, A

Fabry disease (FD) is an inherited X-linked metabolic storage disorder triggered by abnormalities in the GLA gene at Xq22, which leads to a deficiency in α-galactosidase A and massive accumulation of intralysosomal glycosphingolipids. Cardiac complications are very common in FD and are the main cause of late morbidity, as well as early mortality in both hemizygous men and heterozygous women. There is a need for a multidisciplinary approach to evaluation and management of FD patients as there is a wide range of presentation of FD, which varies with mutation and other organ involvement/dysfunction. An overview of common cardiac involvement and clinical characteristics in FD including: left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), conduction abnormalities and arrhythmias, coronary artery disease and valvular infiltrative myopathy are provided in this review. Current therapeutic approaches such as enzyme replacement therapy as well as the emergence of novel therapeutic options such as gene therapy to optimize disease outcomes in FD patients will be highlighted in this paper. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Forkhead Transcription Factor Fd3F Cooperates with Rfx to Regulate a Gene Expression Program for Mechanosensory Cilia Specialization

PubMed Central

Newton, Fay G.; zur Lage, Petra I.; Karak, Somdatta; Moore, Daniel J.; Göpfert, Martin C.; Jarman, Andrew P.

2012-01-01

Summary Cilia have evolved hugely diverse structures and functions to participate in a wide variety of developmental and physiological processes. Ciliary specialization requires differences in gene expression, but few transcription factors are known to regulate this, and their molecular function is unclear. Here, we show that the Drosophila Forkhead box (Fox) gene, fd3F, is required for specialization of the mechanosensory cilium of chordotonal (Ch) neurons. fd3F regulates genes for Ch-specific axonemal dyneins and TRPV ion channels, which are required for sensory transduction, and retrograde transport genes, which are required to differentiate their distinct motile and sensory ciliary zones. fd3F is reminiscent of vertebrate Foxj1, a motile cilia regulator, but fd3F regulates motility genes as part of a broader sensory regulation program. Fd3F cooperates with the pan-ciliary transcription factor, Rfx, to regulate its targets directly. This illuminates pathways involved in ciliary specialization and the molecular mechanism of transcription factors that regulate them. PMID:22698283

Research of the absorbance detection and fluorescence detection for multifunctional nutrition analyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Zhengyuan; Yan, Huimin; Ni, Xuxiang; Zhang, Xiuda

2017-10-01

The research of the multifunctional analyzer which integrates absorbance detection, fluorescence detection, time-resolved fluorescence detection, biochemical luminescence detection methods, can make efficient detection and analysis for a variety of human body nutrients. This article focuses on the absorbance detection and fluorescence detection system. The two systems are modular in design and controlled by embedded system, to achieve automatic measurement according to user settings. In the optical path design, the application of confocal design can improve the optical signal acquisition capability, and reduce the interference. A photon counter is used for detection, and a high performance counter module is designed to measure the output of photon counter. In the experiment, we use neutral density filters and potassium dichromate solution to test the absorbance detection system, and use fluorescein isothiocyanate FITC for fluorescence detection system performance test. The experimental results show that the absorbance detection system has a detection range of 0 4OD, and has good linearity in the detection range, while the fluorescence detection system has a high sensitivity of 1pmol/L concentration.

Trifluorothymidine exhibits potent antitumor activity via the induction of DNA double-strand breaks.

PubMed

Suzuki, Norihiko; Nakagawa, Fumio; Nukatsuka, Mamoru; Fukushima, Masakazu

2011-05-01

TAS-102 is an oral anticancer drug composed of trifluorothymidine (TFT) and TPI (an inhibitor of thymidine phosphorylase that strongly inhibits the biodegradation of TFT). Similar to 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FdUrd), TFT also inhibits thymidylate synthase (TS), a rate-limiting enzyme of DNA biosynthesis, and is incorporated into DNA. TFT exhibits an anticancer effect on colorectal cancer cells that have acquired 5FU and/or FdUrd resistance as a result of the overexpression of TS. Therefore, we examined the mode of action of TFT-induced DNA damage after its incorporation into DNA. When HeLa cells were treated with TFT, the number of ring-open aldehyde forms at apurinic/apyrimidinic sites increased in a dose-dependent manner, although we previously reported that no detectable excisions of TFT paired to adenine were observed using uracil DNA glycosylases, thymine DNA glycosylase or methyl-CpG binding domain 4 and HeLa whole cell extracts. To investigate the functional mechanism of TFT-induced DNA damage, we measured the phosphorylation of ATR, ATM, BRCA2, chk1 and chk2 in nuclear extracts of HeLa cells after 0, 24, 48 or 72 h of exposure to an IC(50) concentration of TFT, FdUrd or 5FU using Western blot analysis or an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Unlike FdUrd and 5FU, TFT resulted in an earlier phosphorylation of ATR and chk1 proteins after only 24 h of exposure, while phosphorylated ATM, BRCA2 and chk2 proteins were detected after more than 48 h of exposure to TFT. These results suggest that TFT causes single-strand breaks followed by double-strand breaks in the DNA of TFT-treated cells. TFT (as TAS-102) showed a more potent antitumor activity than oral 5FU on CO-3 colon cancer xenografts in mice, and such antitumor potency was supported by the increased number of double-strand breaks occurring after single-strand breaks in the DNA of the TFT-treated tumors. These results suggest that TFT causes single-strand breaks after its incorporation into DNA followed by double-strand breaks, resulting in DNA damage. This effect of TFT on DNA may explain its potent anticancer activity in cancer therapy.

Trifluorothymidine exhibits potent antitumor activity via the induction of DNA double-strand breaks

PubMed Central

SUZUKI, NORIHIKO; NAKAGAWA, FUMIO; NUKATSUKA, MAMORU; FUKUSHIMA, MASAKAZU

2011-01-01

TAS-102 is an oral anticancer drug composed of trifluorothymidine (TFT) and TPI (an inhibitor of thymidine phosphorylase that strongly inhibits the biodegradation of TFT). Similar to 5-fluorouracil (5FU) and 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine (FdUrd), TFT also inhibits thymidylate synthase (TS), a rate-limiting enzyme of DNA biosynthesis, and is incorporated into DNA. TFT exhibits an anticancer effect on colorectal cancer cells that have acquired 5FU and/or FdUrd resistance as a result of the overexpression of TS. Therefore, we examined the mode of action of TFT-induced DNA damage after its incorporation into DNA. When HeLa cells were treated with TFT, the number of ring-open aldehyde forms at apurinic/apyrimidinic sites increased in a dose-dependent manner, although we previously reported that no detectable excisions of TFT paired to adenine were observed using uracil DNA glycosylases, thymine DNA glycosylase or methyl-CpG binding domain 4 and HeLa whole cell extracts. To investigate the functional mechanism of TFT-induced DNA damage, we measured the phosphorylation of ATR, ATM, BRCA2, chk1 and chk2 in nuclear extracts of HeLa cells after 0, 24, 48 or 72 h of exposure to an IC50 concentration of TFT, FdUrd or 5FU using Western blot analysis or an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Unlike FdUrd and 5FU, TFT resulted in an earlier phosphorylation of ATR and chk1 proteins after only 24 h of exposure, while phosphorylated ATM, BRCA2 and chk2 proteins were detected after more than 48 h of exposure to TFT. These results suggest that TFT causes single-strand breaks followed by double-strand breaks in the DNA of TFT-treated cells. TFT (as TAS-102) showed a more potent antitumor activity than oral 5FU on CO-3 colon cancer xenografts in mice, and such antitumor potency was supported by the increased number of double-strand breaks occurring after single-strand breaks in the DNA of the TFT-treated tumors. These results suggest that TFT causes single-strand breaks after its incorporation into DNA followed by double-strand breaks, resulting in DNA damage. This effect of TFT on DNA may explain its potent anticancer activity in cancer therapy. PMID:22977515

Increased resting cerebral blood flow in adult Fabry disease: MRI arterial spin labeling study.

PubMed

Phyu, Po; Merwick, Aine; Davagnanam, Indran; Bolsover, Fay; Jichi, Fatima; Wheeler-Kingshott, Claudia; Golay, Xavier; Hughes, Deralynn; Cipolotti, Lisa; Murphy, Elaine; Lachmann, Robin H; Werring, David John

2018-04-17

To assess resting cerebral blood flow (CBF) in the whole-brain and cerebral white matter (WM) and gray matter (GM) of adults with Fabry disease (FD), using arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI, and to investigate CBF correlations with WM hyperintensity (WMH) volume and the circulating biomarker lyso-Gb3. This cross-sectional, case-control study included 25 patients with genetically confirmed FD and 18 age-matched healthy controls. We quantified resting CBF using Quantitative Signal Targeting With Alternating Radiofrequency Labeling of Arterial Regions (QUASAR) ASL MRI. We measured WMH volume using semiautomated software. We measured CBF in regions of interest in whole-brain, WM, and deep GM, and assessed correlations with WMH volume and plasma lyso-Gb3. The mean age (% male) for FD and healthy controls was 42.2 years (44%) and 37.1 years (50%). Mean whole-brain CBF was 27.56 mL/100 mL/min (95% confidence interval [CI] 23.78-31.34) for FD vs 22.39 mL/100 mL/min (95% CI 20.08-24.70) for healthy controls, p = 0.03. In WM, CBF was higher in FD (22.42 mL/100 mL/min [95% CI 17.72-27.12] vs 16.25 mL/100 mL/min [95% CI 14.03-18.48], p = 0.05). In deep GM, CBF was similar between groups (40.41 mL/100 mL/min [95% CI 36.85-43.97] for FD vs 37.46 mL/100 mL/min [95% CI 32.57-42.35], p = 0.38). In patients with FD with WMH (n = 20), whole-brain CBF correlated with WMH volume ( r = 0.59, p = 0.006), not with plasma lyso-Gb3. In FD, resting CBF is increased in WM but not deep GM. In FD, CBF correlates with WMH, suggesting that cerebral perfusion changes might contribute to, or result from, WM injury. © 2018 American Academy of Neurology.

Evaluating Functional Diversity: Missing Trait Data and the Importance of Species Abundance Structure and Data Transformation

PubMed Central

Bryndová, Michala; Kasari, Liis; Norberg, Anna; Weiss, Matthias; Bishop, Tom R.; Luke, Sarah H.; Sam, Katerina; Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Yoann; Lepš, Jan; Götzenberger, Lars; de Bello, Francesco

2016-01-01

Functional diversity (FD) is an important component of biodiversity that quantifies the difference in functional traits between organisms. However, FD studies are often limited by the availability of trait data and FD indices are sensitive to data gaps. The distribution of species abundance and trait data, and its transformation, may further affect the accuracy of indices when data is incomplete. Using an existing approach, we simulated the effects of missing trait data by gradually removing data from a plant, an ant and a bird community dataset (12, 59, and 8 plots containing 62, 297 and 238 species respectively). We ranked plots by FD values calculated from full datasets and then from our increasingly incomplete datasets and compared the ranking between the original and virtually reduced datasets to assess the accuracy of FD indices when used on datasets with increasingly missing data. Finally, we tested the accuracy of FD indices with and without data transformation, and the effect of missing trait data per plot or per the whole pool of species. FD indices became less accurate as the amount of missing data increased, with the loss of accuracy depending on the index. But, where transformation improved the normality of the trait data, FD values from incomplete datasets were more accurate than before transformation. The distribution of data and its transformation are therefore as important as data completeness and can even mitigate the effect of missing data. Since the effect of missing trait values pool-wise or plot-wise depends on the data distribution, the method should be decided case by case. Data distribution and data transformation should be given more careful consideration when designing, analysing and interpreting FD studies, especially where trait data are missing. To this end, we provide the R package “traitor” to facilitate assessments of missing trait data. PMID:26881747

Social-adaptive and psychological functioning of patients affected by Fabry disease.

PubMed

Laney, Dawn Alyssia; Gruskin, Daniel J; Fernhoff, Paul M; Cubells, Joseph F; Ousley, Opal Y; Hipp, Heather; Mehta, Ami J

2010-12-01

Fabry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by the deficiency of alpha-galactosidase A. In addition to the debilitating physical symptoms of FD, there are also under-recognized and poorly characterized psychiatric features. As a first step toward characterizing psychiatric features of FD, we administered the Achenbach adult self report questionnaire to 30 FD patients and the Achenbach adult behavior checklist questionnaire to 28 partners/parents/friends of FD patients. Data from at least one of the questionnaires were available on 33 subjects. Analysis focused on social-adaptive functioning in various aspects of daily life and on criteria related to the Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders IV (DSM-IV). Adaptive functioning scale values, which primarily measure social and relationship functioning and occupational success, showed that eight FD patients (six female and two male) had mean adaptive functioning deficits as compared to population norms. Greater rates of depression (P < 0.01), anxiety (P = 0.05), depression and anxiety (P = 0.03), antisocial personality (P < 0.001), attention-deficit/hyperactivity (AD/H; P < 0.01), hyperactivity-impulsivity (P < 0.01), and aggressive behavior (P = 0.03) were associated with poorer adaptive functioning. Decreased social-adaptive functioning in this study was not statistically significantly associated to disease severity, pain, or level of vitality. This study shows for the first time that FD patients, particularly women, are affected by decreased social-adaptive functioning. Comprehensive treatment plans for FD should consider assessments and interventions to evaluate and improve social, occupational, and psychological functioning. Attention to the behavioral aspects of FD could lead to improved treatment outcome and improved quality of life. Individuals affected by Fabry disease exhibited social-adaptive functioning deficits that were significantly correlated with anxiety, depression, antisocial behavior, and AD/H problems in a sampling of our male and female patients aged between 18 years and 59 years.

Evaluating Functional Diversity: Missing Trait Data and the Importance of Species Abundance Structure and Data Transformation.

PubMed

Májeková, Maria; Paal, Taavi; Plowman, Nichola S; Bryndová, Michala; Kasari, Liis; Norberg, Anna; Weiss, Matthias; Bishop, Tom R; Luke, Sarah H; Sam, Katerina; Le Bagousse-Pinguet, Yoann; Lepš, Jan; Götzenberger, Lars; de Bello, Francesco

2016-01-01

Functional diversity (FD) is an important component of biodiversity that quantifies the difference in functional traits between organisms. However, FD studies are often limited by the availability of trait data and FD indices are sensitive to data gaps. The distribution of species abundance and trait data, and its transformation, may further affect the accuracy of indices when data is incomplete. Using an existing approach, we simulated the effects of missing trait data by gradually removing data from a plant, an ant and a bird community dataset (12, 59, and 8 plots containing 62, 297 and 238 species respectively). We ranked plots by FD values calculated from full datasets and then from our increasingly incomplete datasets and compared the ranking between the original and virtually reduced datasets to assess the accuracy of FD indices when used on datasets with increasingly missing data. Finally, we tested the accuracy of FD indices with and without data transformation, and the effect of missing trait data per plot or per the whole pool of species. FD indices became less accurate as the amount of missing data increased, with the loss of accuracy depending on the index. But, where transformation improved the normality of the trait data, FD values from incomplete datasets were more accurate than before transformation. The distribution of data and its transformation are therefore as important as data completeness and can even mitigate the effect of missing data. Since the effect of missing trait values pool-wise or plot-wise depends on the data distribution, the method should be decided case by case. Data distribution and data transformation should be given more careful consideration when designing, analysing and interpreting FD studies, especially where trait data are missing. To this end, we provide the R package "traitor" to facilitate assessments of missing trait data.

Psychological factors in patients with peptic ulcerand functional dyspepsia.

PubMed

Faramarzi, Mahbobeh; Kheirkhah, Farzan; Shokri-Shirvani, Javad; Mosavi, Shokofeh; Zarini, Soroush

2014-01-01

The role of psychological factors in peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and functional dyspepsia (FD) has not been clearly determined. In this study the role of conflict management styles, psychiatric symptoms, and alexithymia were assessed in patients with PUD and FD and in the healthy individuals. Ninety subjects [30 PUD (15 women, 15 men), 30 FD (15 women, 15 men), and 30 healthy individuals (15 women, 15 men)] in two endoscopy wards of Babol University of Medical Sciences were evaluated. Three groups were matched with regard to demographic variables. Conflict management styles, psychiatric symptoms, and alexithymia were evaluated by appropriate questionnaires. The patients with PUD reported less mean scores on psychiatric symptoms than the FD patients (depression 12.6±7.5 vs 28±9.5, anxiety 8.2±5.9 vs 18.7±6. obsessive-compulsive disorder 15.7±7.5 vs 21.8±8.4, interpersonal sensitivity 9.5±7.4 vs 16±7, psychoticism 8.03±4.5 vs 14.3±6.3, somatization 12.5±10.8 vs 20.7±8.1, and the total score of psychiatric symptoms 94.4±49.9 vs 160.1±46.6). The mean scores use of unconstructive conflict management styles in PUD patients were lower than FD (dominating 17.7±3.5 vs 20.2±2.7, avoiding 17.5±3 vs 23.8±4.4). Alexithymia symptoms were higher in FD patients than PUD individuals (difficulty in identifying feelings 23.5±6.3 vs 27.8±3.9, difficulty in describing feeling 16.5±4.4 vs 17.3±3.6). The PUD and FD patients had higher scores regarding these variables than the healthy subjects. The results show that both PUD and FD patients experienced more psychiatric symptoms, unconstructive conflict management styles, and alexithymia than the healthy subjects. FD patients had worse psychiatric problems than PUD.

6D.03: FLOW-MEDIATED DILATATION (FMD) AND ENDOTHELIUM-INDEPENDENT DILATATION (EID) IN PATIENTS WITH MULTIFOCAL FIBROMUSCULAR DYSPLASIA: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

PubMed

Khettab, H; Lorthior, A; Niarra, R; Chambon, Y; Jeunemaitre, X; Plouin, P F; Laurent, S; Boutouyrie, P; Azizi, M

2015-06-01

Fibromuscular dysplasia (FD) is a rare idiopathic, segmental, non-atherosclerotic non-inflammatory vascular disease. We previously showed that FD is a general arterial disease with focal exacerbation of the trait. However, whether endothelial dysfunction may be involved in the pathophysiology of FD is unclear. In a cross sectional study, we compared the endothelial function between 50 patients with multifocal FD of renal/carotid arteries confirmed by CT-angiography, 50 essential hypertensive (EH) patients matched for age, sex, ethnicity and BP and 50 healthy subjects (HS) matched for age, sex and ethnicity. Exclusion criteria were: tobacco consumption, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, aspirin or statin treatment. Brachial artery (BA) FMD after release of hand ischemia and glyceryl trinitrate (GTN)-induced EID was measured using a high-resolution radiofrequency-based echotracking system blind to the diagnosis. FD, EH and HS were well matched (52yrs, 85% women, 80% caucasian). SBP was higher in FD (125 ± 15mmHg) and EH (121 ± 12mmHg) than EH (113 ± 10mmHg) despite antihypertensive treatments. BA external diameter was significantly lower in FD than in both HS and EH before, during and after hand ischemia and after GTN. BA intima media thickness (IMT), internal diameter did not differ between the 3 groups. FMD (%) or EID (%) did not significantly differ between the 3 groups. BA flow velocity did not significantly differ in any experimental condition.(Figure is included in full-text article.) : In conclusion, despite showing similar acute vasodilatory responses to flow and GTN, FD patients differed from EH and HS in terms of arterial morphology with smaller BA diameter associated with similar IMT. This paradoxical remodeling may suggest a chronic defect in the endothelium-dependent pathways involved in arterial remodeling in FD patients.

Laser-induced fluorescence detection strategies for sodium atoms and compounds in high-pressure combustors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weiland, Karen J. R.; Wise, Michael L.; Smith, Gregory P.

1993-01-01

A variety of laser-induced fluorescence schemes were examined experimentally in atmospheric pressure flames to determine their use for sodium atom and salt detection in high-pressure, optically thick environments. Collisional energy transfer plays a large role in fluorescence detection. Optimum sensitivity, at the parts in 10 exp 9 level for a single laser pulse, was obtained with the excitation of the 4p-3s transition at 330 nm and the detection of the 3d-3p fluorescence at 818 nm. Fluorescence loss processes, such as ionization and amplified spontaneous emission, were examined. A new laser-induced atomization/laser-induced fluorescence detection technique was demonstrated for NaOH and NaCl. A 248-nm excimer laser photodissociates the salt molecules present in the seeded flames prior to atom detection by laser-induced fluorescence.

RELATIVE CONTRIBUTION OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD BARRIER AND SOLAR WIND SPEED IN ICME-ASSOCIATED FORBUSH DECREASES

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

Bhaskar, Ankush; Vichare, Geeta; Subramanian, Prasad, E-mail: ankushbhaskar@gmail.com

2016-09-10

We study 50 cosmic-ray Forbush decreases (FDs) from the Oulu neutron monitor data during 1997–2005 that were associated with Earth-directed interplanetary coronal mass ejections (ICMEs). Such events are generally thought to arise due to the shielding of cosmic rays by a propagating diffusive barrier. The main processes at work are the diffusion of cosmic rays across the large-scale magnetic fields carried by the ICME and their advection by the solar wind. In an attempt to better understand the relative importance of these effects, we analyze the relationship between the FD profiles and those of the interplanetary magnetic field (B) andmore » the solar wind speed (V {sub sw}). Over the entire duration of a given FD, we find that the FD profile is generally (anti)correlated with the B and V {sub sw} profiles. This trend holds separately for the FD main and recovery phases too. For the recovery phases, however, the FD profile is highly anti-correlated with the V {sub sw} profile, but not with the B profile. While the total duration of the FD profile is similar to that of the V {sub sw} profile, it is significantly longer than that of the B profile. Using the convection–diffusion model, a significant contribution of advection by solar wind is found during the recovery phases of the FD.« less

Continuous cardiac troponin I release in Fabry disease.

PubMed

Feustel, Andreas; Hahn, Andreas; Schneider, Christian; Sieweke, Nicole; Franzen, Wolfgang; Gündüz, Dursun; Rolfs, Arndt; Tanislav, Christian

2014-01-01

Fabry disease (FD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder also affecting the heart. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of cardiac troponin I (cTNI) elevation, a sensitive parameter reflecting myocardial damage, in a smaller cohort of FD-patients, and to analyze whether persistent cTNI can be a suitable biomarker to assess cardiac dysfunction in FD. cTNI values were determined at least twice per year in 14 FD-patients (6 males and 8 females) regularly followed-up in our centre. The data were related to other parameters of heart function including cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI). Three patients (21%) without specific vascular risk factors other than FD had persistent cTNI-elevations (range 0.05-0.71 ng/ml, normal: <0.01). cMRI disclosed late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in all three individuals with cTNI values ≥0.01, while none of the 11 patients with cTNI <0.01 showed a pathological enhancement (p<0.01). Two subjects with increased cTNI-values underwent coronary angiography, excluding relevant stenoses. A myocardial biopsy performed in one during this procedure demonstrated substantial accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in cardiomyocytes. Continuous cTNI elevation seems to occur in a substantial proportion of patients with FD. The high accordance with LGE, reflecting cardiac dysfunction, suggests that cTNI-elevation can be a useful laboratory parameter for assessing myocardial damage in FD.

Characterization of the Potent Odorants Contributing to the Characteristic Aroma of Matcha by Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry Techniques.

PubMed

Baba, Ryoko; Amano, Yohei; Wada, Yoshiyuki; Kumazawa, Kenji

2017-03-31

The odorants contributing to the characteristic aroma of matcha were investigated by analysis of the headspace samples and the volatile fractions prepared by a combination of solvent extraction and the SAFE techniques using three matcha powders of different grades (high, medium, and low). Gas chromatography-olfactometry of the headspace samples (GCO-H) and aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) applied to the volatile fractions revealed 16 (FD factor ≥1) and 39 (FD factor ≥4 3 ) odor-active peaks, respectively. Among them, 14 and 37 of the odorants, most of which were newly detected in matcha, were identified or tentatively identified by GC-MS and GC-O, respectively. By comparing the perceived odorants of three matcha powders, it was revealed that eight compounds with sweet, green, metallic, and floral notes showed high flavor dilution (FD) factors irrespective of the grades. In addition, some odorants were suggested to influence the characteristic aroma of each grade. Furthermore, trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal, one of the potent odorants of matcha, was revealed to exist as a racemic mixture in matcha. This result suggested that trans-4,5-epoxy-(E)-2-decenal is formed by a nonenzymatic reaction in matcha, different from that in black tea, and that the unique manufacturing process of matcha has a close connection with its formation.

21 CFR 74.303 - FD&C Red No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.303 FD&C Red No. 3. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C... are listed in part 73 of this chapter as safe for use in color additive mixtures for coloring foods...

21 CFR 74.303 - FD&C Red No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.303 FD&C Red No. 3. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C... are listed in part 73 of this chapter as safe for use in color additive mixtures for coloring foods...

21 CFR 74.303 - FD&C Red No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Foods § 74.303 FD&C Red No. 3. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C... are listed in part 73 of this chapter as safe for use in color additive mixtures for coloring foods...

21 CFR 74.1706 - FD&C Yellow No. 6.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false FD&C Yellow No. 6. 74.1706 Section 74.1706 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF... safe for use in color additive mixtures for coloring drugs. (b) Uses and restrictions. FD&C Yellow No...

21 CFR 74.1203 - FD&C Green No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false FD&C Green No. 3. 74.1203 Section 74.1203 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR... use in color additive mixtures for coloring drugs. (b) Uses and restrictions. The color additive FD&C...

21 CFR 74.1303 - FD&C Red No. 3.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false FD&C Red No. 3. 74.1303 Section 74.1303 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR... use in color additive mixtures for coloring ingested drugs. (b) Uses and restrictions. FD&C Red No. 3...

21 CFR 74.1101 - FD&C Blue No. 1

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 1 74.1101 Section 74.1101 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR... mixtures for coloring drugs. (b) Specifications. (1) The color additive FD&C Blue No. 1 for use in coloring...

21 CFR 82.101 - FD&C Blue No. 1.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 1. 82.101 Section 82.101 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF CERTIFIED PROVISIONALLY LISTED COLORS AND SPECIFICATIONS Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics § 82.101 FD&C Blue No. 1. The color...

21 CFR 82.101 - FD&C Blue No. 1.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 1. 82.101 Section 82.101 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF CERTIFIED PROVISIONALLY LISTED COLORS AND SPECIFICATIONS Foods, Drugs, and Cosmetics § 82.101 FD&C Blue No. 1. The color...

360-Degree Visual Detection and Target Tracking on an Autonomous Surface Vehicle

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-12-01

the fixed asset on successive passes through the patrol region. For example, Perera and Hoogs (2004) offer a change detection solution that operates... parameters used for the HVAP mission. we marginalize over the conditional dependence on the range: Pkd,j = ∫ ∞ −∞ fd (ρ) fN ( ρ |ρ̂kj , σ 2ρkj ) dρ, (1) where...observation volume and σ is the standard deviation of the innovation.4 To make the parameter a constant, for our application we further simplify with the

Solution 1H NMR determination of secondary structure for the three-iron form of ferredoxin from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus.

PubMed

Teng, Q; Zhou, Z H; Smith, E T; Busse, S C; Howard, J B; Adams, M W; La Mar, G N

1994-05-24

Two-dimensional 1H NMR data have been used to make sequence-specific assignments and define the secondary structure of the three-iron form of the oxidized ferredoxin, Fd, from the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, Pf. Signals for at least some protons were located for 65 of the 66 amino acids in the sequence, in spite of the paramagnetic (S = 1/2) ground state, but not all could be assigned. Unassigned and missing signals could be qualitatively correlated with the expected proximity of the protons to the paramagnetic cluster. The secondary structure was deduced from qualitative analysis of the 2D nuclear Overhauser effect, which identified two antiparallel beta-sheets, one triple-stranded including Ala1-Ser5, Val39-Glu41, and Thr62-Ala66, and one double-stranded consisting of Glu26-Asn28 and Lys32-Glu34, as well as an alpha-helix involving Glu43-Glu54. Three tight type I turns are located at residues Asp7-Thr10, Pro22-Phe25, and Asp29-Gly31. Comparison with the crystal structure of Desulfovibrio gigas, Dg, Fd (Kissinger et al., 1991) reveals a very similar folding topology, although several secondary structural elements are extended in Pf relative to Dg Fd. Thus the beta-sheet involving the two termini is expanded to include the two terminal residues and incorporates a third strand from the internal loop that is lengthened by several insertions in Pf relative to Dg Fd. The double-stranded beta-sheet in the interior of Pf Fd is lengthened slightly due to a much tighter type I turn between the two strands. The helix near the C-terminus is three residues longer in Pf than in Dg Fd, as well as being shifted toward the N-terminus. The disulfide link between the two nonligating Cys residues (Cys21 and Cys48) is conserved in Pf Fd, but the link near the C-terminus is in the middle of the long alpha-helix in Pf Fd, instead of at the N-terminus of the helix as in Dg Fd. The extensions of the beta-sheets and alpha-helix increase the number of main-chain hydrogen bonds in Pf Fd by approximately 8 relative to those in Dg Fd and likely contribute to its remarkable thermostability (it is unaffected by anaerobic incubation at 95 degrees C for 24 h).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Efficacy of a potassium-competitive acid blocker for improving symptoms in patients with reflux esophagitis, non-erosive reflux disease, and functional dyspepsia.

PubMed

Asaoka, Daisuke; Nagahara, Akihito; Hojo, Mariko; Matsumoto, Kenshi; Ueyama, Hiroya; Matsumoto, Kohei; Izumi, Kentaro; Takeda, Tsutomu; Komori, Hiroyuki; Akazawa, Yoichi; Shimada, Yuji; Osada, Taro; Watanabe, Sumio

2017-02-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the efficacy of a potassium-competitive acid blocker (PCAB) named vonoprazan (VPZ) for improving symptoms in patients with reflux esophagitis (RE), non-erosive reflux disease (NERD), and functional dyspepsia (FD). A hospital-based, retrospective study of outpatients in our department (Department of Gastroenterology, University of Juntendo, Tokyo, Japan) between March 2015 and August 2016 was performed. The patients who were experiencing heartburn, acid regurgitation, gastric pain, and/or a heavy feeling in the stomach of at least moderate severity at baseline were treated with 20 mg VPZ once daily for 4 weeks. The patients completed the global overall symptom (GOS) scale to determine their symptom severity at baseline and after the 4 week treatment period. The proportions of patients with RE, NERD, and FD achieving improvement of their symptoms, defined as a GOS scale score of 1 ('no problem') or 2 ('minimal problem'), were evaluated. During 4 weeks of VPZ therapy, changes in the gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) score, which was defined as the total points for heartburn and acid regurgitation on the GOS scale in patients with RE and NERD, and in the FD score, which was defined as the total points for gastric pain and a heavy feeling in the stomach on the GOS scale in patients with FD, were also evaluated. A total of 88 eligible cases were included in the present study, comprising 20 patients with RE, 25 patients with NERD, and 43 patients with FD. The rates of symptomatic improvement in patients with RE, NERD, and FD were 75.0, 60.0, and 48.8%, respectively. For the patients who were first administered VPZ, the rates of symptomatic improvement were 90.9, 66.7, and 58.8% in patients with RE, NERD, and FD, respectively. For those patients who were resistant to 8 weeks of proton pump inhibitor therapy, the rates of symptomatic improvement were 55.6, 53.8, and 42.3% in patients with RE, NERD, and FD, respectively. The GERD score in patients with RE and NERD, and the FD score in FD patients, were decreased after 4 weeks of VPZ therapy (P<0.01). In patients with RE, NERD and FD, the possibility that PCAB may be used as a novel therapeutic drug was suggested. However, the number of study subjects was small; therefore, further, larger and prospective studies are required.

Fractal dimension and lacunarity analysis of mammographic patterns in assessing breast cancer risk related to HRT treated population: a longitudinal and cross-sectional study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karemore, Gopal; Nielsen, Mads

2009-02-01

Structural texture measures are used to address the aspect of breast cancer risk assessment in screening mammograms. The current study investigates whether texture properties characterized by local Fractal Dimension (FD) and Lacunarity contribute to asses breast cancer risk. FD represents the complexity while the Lacunarity characterize the gappiness of a fractal. Our cross-sectional case-control study includes mammograms of 50 patients diagnosed with breast cancer in the subsequent 2-4 years and 50 matched controls. The longitudinal double blind placebo controlled HRT study includes 39 placebo and 36 HRT treated volunteers for two years. ROIs with same dimension (250*150 pixels) were created behind the nipple region on these radiographs. Box counting method was used to calculate the fractal dimension (FD) and the Lacunarity. Paired t-test and Pearson correlation coefficient were calculated. It was found that there were no differences between cancer and control group for FD (P=0.8) and Lacunarity (P=0.8) in crosssectional study whereas earlier published heterogeneity examination of radiographs (BC-HER) breast cancer risk score separated groups (p=0.002). In the longitudinal study, FD decreased significantly (P<0.05) in the HRT treated population while Lacunarity remained insignificant (P=0.2). FD is negatively correlated to Lacunarity (-0.74, P<0.001), BIRADS (-0.34, P<0.001) and Percentage Density (-0.41, P<0.001). FD is invariant to the mammographic texture change from control to cancer population but marginally varying in HRT treated population. This study yields no evidence that lacunarity or FD are suitable surrogate markers of mammographic heterogeneity as they neither pick up breast cancer risk, nor show good sensitivity to HRT.

A Rome III survey of functional dyspepsia among the ethnic Malays in a primary care setting

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Backgrounds The study aimed to survey for FD in a primary care setting in a population known to have an extremely low prevalence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, with the hypothesis that in such a population, dyspepsia should have been relatively less common. Methods The Rome III FD Diagnostic Questionnaire was translated into the Malay language and later tested for reliability. A prospective cross-sectional survey was then performed involving 160 Malay patients attending primary care clinic after informed consent. Patients positive for symptoms of FD were subjected to upper endoscopy and exclusion of H. pylori infection. Univariable and multivariable analyses were used to test for associated risk factors. Results The back-translated questionnaire was similar to the original English version and was reliable (Cronbach Alpha-coefficient 0.85). Of the 160 surveyed subjects, 19 of them (11.9%) had symptoms of FD. With exclusion of erosive diseases (3/160 or 1.9%) from endoscopy, 16 subjects or 10% had FD. None of the 19 subjects were positive for H. pylori infection. Epigastric pain syndrome was present in 11/16 (68.8%) and the rest, overlap with postprandial distress syndrome. With multivariable analysis, a married status (OR = 8.1; 95% CI 1.0-36.5) and positive psychosocial alarm symptoms (OR = 3.8; 95% CI 1.0-14.0) were associated with FD. Of those married subjects, females were more likely to have FD and psychosocial symptoms than men (6.3% vs. 1.9%), P = 0.04. Conclusions FD was more common than one had expected among Malays attending primary care clinic in an area with low prevalence of H. pylori. PMID:23672671

Micro-inflammation in functional dyspepsia: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Du, L; Chen, B; Kim, J J; Chen, X; Dai, N

2018-04-01

Functional dyspepsia (FD) is a gastrointestinal disorder of unknown etiology. Although micro-inflammation appears to be important in the pathogenesis, studies evaluating immune activation in FD have been inconsistent. A systematic review of literature and meta-analysis was performed to compare immunologic cell counts and cytokine levels in the mucosa and peripheral blood of individuals with FD and healthy controls. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane library were searched. Data on immunologic cell counts and cytokines levels among individuals with FD and control groups were extracted and compared by calculating standard mean differences (SMD). Thirty-seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Mast cell (SMD = 0.94, 95%CI 0.26-1.62, P = .007) and eosinophil counts (SMD = 0.36, 95%CI 0.06-0.68, P = .03) in the stomach were increased, among individuals with FD compared to controls. Similarly, mast cell (SMD = 0.66, 95%CI 0.20-1.13, P = 0.005) and eosinophil (SMD = 0.95, 95%CI 0.66-1.24; P < .001) counts in the duodenum were also increased in those with FD compared to controls. In a subgroup analysis, elevated eosinophil counts in the duodenum were observed in both post-prandial distress syndrome (SMD = 0.97, 95%CI 0.46-1.47, P = .0002) and epigastric pain syndrome subtypes (SMD = 1.16, 95%CI 0.48-1.83, P = .0008). No differences in mucosal intraepithelial lymphocyte, enterochromaffin cell, and neutrophil counts, as well as, peripheral interlukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10 levels were observed among individuals with FD and controls. Micro-inflammation in the form of local immune cell infiltration, particularly eosinophils and mast cells, characterizes the pathogenesis of FD. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Innovative online faculty development utilizing the power of social media.

PubMed

Klein, Melissa; Niebuhr, Virginia; D'Alessandro, Donna

2013-01-01

Faculty development (FD) is important for continued professional development, but expense and distance remain challenging. These challenges could be minimized by the free and asynchronous nature of social media (SM). We sought to determine the utility and effectiveness of conducting a national online FD activity on Facebook by assessing participants' perceptions and use and facilitators' challenges. An educational activity of a national FD program was managed on a closed Facebook group. Activities included postings of educational technology goals, abstracting an article, and commenting on peers' postings. Sources of quantitative data included the Facebook postings and the survey responses. Surveys before, after, and 6 months after the activity assessed knowledge, attitudes and self-reported behaviors. Sources of qualitative data were the open-ended survey questions and the content of the Facebook postings. All participants completed the FD activity and evaluations, yielding 38 postings and 115 comments. Before the activity, 88% had a personal Facebook account, 64% were somewhat/very confident using Facebook, 77% thought SM would be useful for professional networking, and 12% had used it professionally. Six months after the activity, professional usage had increased to 35%. Continued use of Facebook for future presentations of this FD activity was recommended by 76%. Qualitative analysis yielded 12 types of Facebook postings and 7 themes related to using SM for FD. Conducting a national FD activity on Facebook yielded excellent participation rates and positive participant impressions, and it affected professional usage. Facebook may become an additional tool in the educator's toolbox for FD as a result of its acceptability and accessibility. Copyright © 2013 Academic Pediatric Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Flat-detector computed tomography evaluation in an experimental animal aneurysm model after endovascular treatment: A pilot study.

PubMed

Ott, Sabine; Gölitz, Philipp; Adamek, Edyta; Royalty, Kevin; Doerfler, Arnd; Struffert, Tobias

2015-08-01

We compared flat-detector computed tomography angiography (FD-CTA) to multislice computed tomography (MS-CTA) and digital subtracted angiography (DSA) for the visualization of experimental aneurysms treated with stents, coils or a combination of both.In 20 rabbits, aneurysms were created using the rabbit elastase aneurysm model. Seven aneurysms were treated with coils, seven with coils and stents, and six with self-expandable stents alone. Imaging was performed by DSA, MS-CTA and FD-CTA immediately after treatment. Multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) was performed and two experienced reviewers compared aneurysm/coil package size, aneurysm occlusion, stent diameters and artifacts for each modality.In aneurysms treated with stents alone, the visualization of the aneurysms was identical in all three imaging modalities. Residual aneurysm perfusion was present in two cases and visible in DSA and FD-CTA but not in MS-CTA. The diameter of coil-packages was overestimated in MS-CT by 56% and only by 16% in FD-CTA compared to DSA (p < 0.05). The diameter of stents was identical for DSA and FD-CTA and was significantly overestimated in MS-CTA (p < 0.05). Beam/metal hardening artifacts impaired image quality more severely in MS-CTA compared to FD-CTA.MS-CTA is impaired by blooming and beam/metal hardening artifacts in the visualization of implanted devices. There was no significant difference between measurements made with noninvasive FD-CTA compared to gold standard of DSA after stenting and after coiling/stent-assisted coiling of aneurysms. FD-CTA may be considered as a non-invasive alternative to the gold standard 2D DSA in selected patients that require follow up imaging after stenting. © The Author(s) 2015.

Proton gradient regulation 5 supports linear electron flow to oxidize photosystem I.

PubMed

Takagi, Daisuke; Miyake, Chikahiro

2018-03-31

In higher plants, light drives the linear photosynthetic electron transport reaction from H 2 O to electron sinks, which is called as linear electron flow (LEF). LEF activity should be regulated depending on electron sinks; otherwise excess electrons accumulate in the thylakoid membranes and stimulate reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in photosystem I (PSI), which causes oxidative damage to PSI. To prevent ROS production in PSI, PSI should be oxidized during photosynthesis, and PROTON GRADIENT REGULATION 5 (PGR5) and PGR like 1 (PGRL1) are important to oxidized PSI. PGR5 and PGRL1 are recognized as a component of ferredoxin-dependent cyclic electron flow around PSI (Fd-CEF-PSI), however there is no direct evidence for the significant operation of Fd-CEF-PSI during photosynthesis in wild-type (WT) plants. Thus, electron distribution by PGR5 and PGRL1 between Fd-CEF-PSI and LEF is still elusive. Here, we show direct evidence that Fd-CEF-PSI activity is minor during steady state photosynthesis by measuring the Fd redox state in vivo in Arabidopsis thaliana. We found that Fd oxidation rate is determined by LEF activity during steady state photosynthesis in WT. On the other hand, pgr5 and pgrl1 showed lower electron transport efficiency from PSI to electron sinks through Fd during steady state photosynthesis. These results demonstrate that electrons are exclusively consumed in electron sinks through Fd, and the phenotypes of pgr5 and pgrl1 are likely caused by the disturbance of the LEF between PSI and electron sinks. We suggest that PGR5 and PGRL1 modulate the LEF according to electron sink activities around PSI. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Tissue-Specific Reduction in Splicing Efficiency of IKBKAP Due to the Major Mutation Associated with Familial Dysautonomia

PubMed Central

Cuajungco, Math P.; Leyne, Maire; Mull, James; Gill, Sandra P.; Lu, Weining; Zagzag, David; Axelrod, Felicia B.; Maayan, Channa; Gusella, James F.; Slaugenhaupt, Susan A.

2003-01-01

We recently identified a mutation in the I-κB kinase associated protein (IKBKAP) gene as the major cause of familial dysautonomia (FD), a recessive sensory and autonomic neuropathy. This alteration, located at base pair 6 of the intron 20 donor splice site, is present on >99.5% of FD chromosomes and results in tissue-specific skipping of exon 20. A second FD mutation, a missense change in exon 19 (R696P), was seen in only four patients heterozygous for the major mutation. Here, we have further characterized the consequences of the major mutation by examining the ratio of wild-type to mutant (WT:MU) IKBKAP transcript in EBV-transformed lymphoblast lines, primary fibroblasts, freshly collected blood samples, and postmortem tissues from patients with FD. We consistently found that WT IKBKAP transcripts were present, albeit to varying extents, in all cell lines, blood, and postmortem FD tissues. Further, a corresponding decrease in the level of WT protein is seen in FD cell lines and tissues. The WT:MU ratio in cultured lymphoblasts varied with growth phase but not with serum concentration or inclusion of antibiotics. Using both densitometry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction, we found that relative WT:MU IKBKAP RNA levels were highest in cultured patient lymphoblasts and lowest in postmortem central and peripheral nervous tissues. These observations suggest that the relative inefficiency of WT IKBKAP mRNA production from the mutant alleles in the nervous system underlies the selective degeneration of sensory and autonomic neurons in FD.Therefore, exploration of methods to increase the WT:MU IKBKAP transcript ratio in the nervous system offers a promising approach for developing an effective therapy for patients with FD. PMID:12577200

Frequency of Fluoride Dentifrice Use and Caries Lesions Inhibition and Repair.

PubMed

Nóbrega, Diego Figueiredo; Fernández, Constanza Estefany; Del Bel Cury, Altair Antoninha; Tenuta, Livia Maria Andaló; Cury, Jaime Aparecido

2016-01-01

The clinical relevance of the frequency of fluoride dentifrice (FD) use on enamel caries is based on evidence. However, the relative effect of FD on reduction of demineralization or enhancement of remineralization is unknown and the effect of frequency on root dentine caries has not been explored. The aim of this double-blind, crossover, in situ study, which was conducted in 4 phases of 14 days each, was to evaluate the relationship between the frequency of FD use and enamel and root dentine de- and remineralization. Eighteen volunteers wore palatal appliances containing enamel and root dentine slabs, either sound or carious. Biofilm accumulation on the slab surface was allowed, and 20% sucrose solution was dripped 3 or 8 times per day on the carious and sound slabs, respectively. Volunteers used FD (1,100 μg F/g) in the frequencies 0 (fluoride-placebo dentifrice), 1, 2 and 3 times per day. The demineralization and remineralization that occurred in sound or carious slabs was estimated by the percentage of surface hardness loss (%SHL) or recovery (%SHR). Loosely (CaF2) and firmly (FAp) bound fluoride concentrations were also determined. The relationship between the variables was analyzed by linear regression. The %SHL, CaF2 and FAp concentrations were a function of the frequency of FD use for enamel and dentine, but the %SHR was a function of the frequency of FD use only for enamel (p < 0.05). The results suggest that demineralization in enamel and root dentine is reduced in proportion to the frequency of FD use, but for remineralization the effect of the frequency of FD use was relevant only to enamel. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

De novo Diagnosis of Fabry Disease among Italian Adults with Acute Ischemic Stroke or Transient Ischemic Attack.

PubMed

Romani, Ilaria; Borsini, Walter; Nencini, Patrizia; Morrone, Amelia; Ferri, Lorenzo; Frusconi, Sabrina; Donadio, Vincenzo Angelo; Liguori, Rocco; Donati, Maria Alice; Falconi, Serena; Pracucci, Giovanni; Inzitari, Domenico

2015-11-01

Cerebrovascular complications are often the first cause of hospitalization in patients with Fabry disease (FD). Screenings for FD among stroke patients have yielded discrepant results, likely as a result of heterogeneous or incomplete assessment. We designed a study to identify FD among adults 60 years of age or younger who were consecutively admitted for acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA) to a stroke neurology service in Italy. Patients with first-ever or recurrent events were included, irrespective of gender, risk factors, or stroke type. We screened male patients using α-galactosidase A enzyme assay, and female patients using DNA sequencing. FD was eventually established after a broad multidisciplinary discussion. We screened 108 patients (61% males, median age: 48 years); 84% of these patients had stroke. De novo FD diagnosis was established in 3 patients (2.8%; 95% confidence interval, .57-8.18): a 59-year-old man with recurrent lacunar-like strokes and multiple risk factors; a 42-year-old woman with recurrent cryptogenic minor strokes; and a 32-year-old woman with recurrent strokes previously attributed to Behçet's disease. Screened patients were systematically asked for typical FD symptoms; each of the de novo patients reported one or more of the following: episodes of hand/foot pain during fever, angiokeratoma, and family history of heart disease. In all of the patients events were recurrent, and lacunar-like infarcts characterized their brain imaging. Prevalence of FD among nonselected adults 60 years of age or younger with acute ischemic stroke or TIA is not negligible. A systematic search for FD in a stroke setting, using a comprehensive clinical, biochemical, and genetic screening protocol, may be worthwhile. Copyright © 2015 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of Eating Attitude and Impairment of Physical Quality of Life Between Tertiary Clinic and Primary Clinic Functional Dyspepsia Outpatients in Japan

PubMed Central

Shimpuku, Mayumi; Futagami, Seiji; Tajima, Natsuki; Yamawaki, Hiroshi; Maruki, Yuuta; Kodaka, Yasuhiro; Nagoya, Hiroyuki; Gudis, Katya; Kawagoe, Tetsuro; Sakamoto, Choitsu

2014-01-01

Background/Aims There is no available data on factors associated with healthcare-seeking behavior for functional dyspepsia (FD) symptoms at either tertiary or primary clinics in Japan. Therefore, we aimed to compare clinical symptoms and life styles such as sleep disorders and eating attitude in FD patients visiting general practitioners at primary clinics with those consulting gastroenterologists at tertiary clinics to clarify healthcare-seeking patterns in Japanese patients. Methods Fifty-one FD outpatients in a tertiary clinic (college hospital), 50 FD outpatients visiting primary clinics and 50 healthy volunteers were enrolled. Clinical symptoms, quality of life, sleep disorders, eating attitude and anxiety were estimated using the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS), Social Functioning-8 (SF-8) test, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) test and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) for FD outpatients and healthy volunteers. Results FD outpatients exhibited higher mean scores of GSRS than healthy volunteers. The SF-8 physical component summary scores in the tertiary clinic group were significantly lower than those in the primary clinic group. GSRS scores were significantly (P < 0.001, P = 0.002) associated with global PSQI scores in FD outpatients as well as with STAI-trait scores (P = 0.006, P = 0.001) compared to healthy volunteers. The frequency of eating between meals in the primary clinic group was significantly (P < 0.05) higher than that in the tertiary clinic group. Conclusions It may be important for clarification of healthcare-seeking behavior to determine the difference in both impairment of physical quality of life and eating attitudes between tertiary clinic and primary clinic FD outpatients in Japan. PMID:25273121

Accelerated SPECT Monte Carlo Simulation Using Multiple Projection Sampling and Convolution-Based Forced Detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Shaoying; King, Michael A.; Brill, Aaron B.; Stabin, Michael G.; Farncombe, Troy H.

2008-02-01

Monte Carlo (MC) is a well-utilized tool for simulating photon transport in single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) due to its ability to accurately model physical processes of photon transport. As a consequence of this accuracy, it suffers from a relatively low detection efficiency and long computation time. One technique used to improve the speed of MC modeling is the effective and well-established variance reduction technique (VRT) known as forced detection (FD). With this method, photons are followed as they traverse the object under study but are then forced to travel in the direction of the detector surface, whereby they are detected at a single detector location. Another method, called convolution-based forced detection (CFD), is based on the fundamental idea of FD with the exception that detected photons are detected at multiple detector locations and determined with a distance-dependent blurring kernel. In order to further increase the speed of MC, a method named multiple projection convolution-based forced detection (MP-CFD) is presented. Rather than forcing photons to hit a single detector, the MP-CFD method follows the photon transport through the object but then, at each scatter site, forces the photon to interact with a number of detectors at a variety of angles surrounding the object. This way, it is possible to simulate all the projection images of a SPECT simulation in parallel, rather than as independent projections. The result of this is vastly improved simulation time as much of the computation load of simulating photon transport through the object is done only once for all projection angles. The results of the proposed MP-CFD method agrees well with the experimental data in measurements of point spread function (PSF), producing a correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.99 compared to experimental data. The speed of MP-CFD is shown to be about 60 times faster than a regular forced detection MC program with similar results.

Relationship between the use of full dentures and mucosal alterations among elderly Brazilians.

PubMed

Freitas, J B; Gomez, R S; De Abreu, M H N G; Ferreira E Ferreira, E

2008-05-01

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of oral mucosal lesions associated with the use of full dentures (FD) among non-institutionalized individuals of 60 or more years of age in a rural Brazilian population. The sample consisted of 344 individuals aged 60 or more from two rural communities of Brazil. Of this total, 146 were FD users and 198 FD, non-users. Angular cheilitis, denture stomatitis and inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia were statistically associated with prosthesis use. Hygiene and integrity of the prosthesis were related to the presence of oral lesions. While inflammatory fibrous hyperplasia was positively related to FD integrity, denture stomatitis was associated with time of use, hygiene status and integrity of FD. The results indicate the need for oral health care programmes for the elderly and show a relationship between time of use, quality and hygiene of oral prostheses with the presence of mucosal lesions.

Common-path Fourier domain optical coherence tomography of irradiated human skin and ventilated isolated rabbit lungs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Popp, A.; Wendel, M.; Knels, L.; Knuschke, P.; Mehner, M.; Koch, T.; Boller, D.; Koch, P.; Koch, E.

2005-08-01

A compact common path Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) system based on a broadband superluminescence diode is used for biomedical imaging. The epidermal thickening of human skin after exposure to ultraviolet radiation is measured to proof the feasibility of FD-OCT for future substitution of invasive biopsies in a long term study on natural UV skin protection. The FD-OCT system is also used for imaging lung parenchyma. FD-OCT images of a formalin fixated lung show the same alveolar structure as scanning electron microscopy images. In the ventilated and blood-free perfused isolated rabbit lung FD-OCT is used for real-time cross-sectional image capture of alveolar mechanics throughout tidal ventilation. The alveolar mechanics changing from alternating recruitment-derecruitment at zero positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) to persistent recruitment after applying a PEEP of 5 cm H2O is observed in the OCT images.

Intrinsic protein fluorescence interferes with detection of tear glycoproteins in SDS-polyacrylamide gels using extrinsic fluorescent dyes.

PubMed

Zhao, Zhenjun; Aliwarga, Yulina; Willcox, Mark D P

2007-12-01

Intrinsic protein fluorescence may interfere with the visualization of proteins after SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis. In an attempt to analyze tear glycoproteins in gels, we ran tear samples and stained the proteins with a glycoprotein-specific fluorescent dye. The fluorescence detected was not limited to glycoproteins. There was strong intrinsic fluorescence of proteins normally found in tears after soaking the gels in 40% methanol plus 1-10% acetic acid and, to a lesser extent, in methanol or acetic acid alone. Nanograms of proteins gave visible native fluorescence and interfere with extrinsic fluorescent dye detection. Poly-L-lysine, which does not contain intrinsically fluorescent amino acids, did not fluoresce.

Intrinsic Protein Fluorescence Interferes with Detection of Tear Glycoproteins in SDS-Polyacrylamide Gels Using Extrinsic Fluorescent Dyes

PubMed Central

Zhao, Zhenjun; Aliwarga, Yulina; Willcox, Mark DP

2007-01-01

Intrinsic protein fluorescence may interfere with the visualization of proteins after SDS-polyacrylamide electrophoresis. In an attempt to analyze tear glycoproteins in gels, we ran tear samples and stained the proteins with a glycoprotein-specific fluorescent dye. The fluorescence detected was not limited to glycoproteins. There was strong intrinsic fluorescence of proteins normally found in tears after soaking the gels in 40% methanol plus 1–10% acetic acid and, to a lesser extent, in methanol or acetic acid alone. Nanograms of proteins gave visible native fluorescence and interfere with extrinsic fluorescent dye detection. Poly-L-lysine, which does not contain intrinsically fluorescent amino acids, did not fluoresce. PMID:18166676

A Graphene Oxide-Based Fluorescent Aptasensor for the Turn-on Detection of CCRF-CEM.

PubMed

Tan, Jie; Lai, Zongqiang; Zhong, Liping; Zhang, Zhenghua; Zheng, Rong; Su, Jing; Huang, Yong; Huang, Panpan; Song, Hui; Yang, Nuo; Zhou, Sufang; Zhao, Yongxiang

2018-04-01

A convenient, low-cost, and highly sensitive fluorescent aptasensor for detection of leukemia has been developed based on graphene oxide-aptamer complex (GO-apt). Graphene oxide (GO) can absorb carboxyfluorescein-labeled Sgc8 aptamer (FAM-apt) by π-π stacking and quench the fluorescence through fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). In the absence of Sgc8 target cell CCRF-CEM, the fluorescence is almost all quenched. Conversely, when the CCRF-CEM cells are added, the quenched fluorescence can be recovered rapidly and significantly. Therefore, based on the change of fluorescence signals, we can detect the number of CCRF-CEM cells in a wide range from 1 × 10 2 to 1 × 10 7  cells/mL with a limit of detection (LOD) of 10 cells/mL. Therefore, this strategy of graphene oxide-based fluorescent aptasensor may be promising for the detection of cancer.

Molecularly imprinted fluorescent hollow nanoparticles as sensors for rapid and efficient detection λ-cyhalothrin in environmental water.

PubMed

Wang, Jixiang; Qiu, Hao; Shen, Hongqiang; Pan, Jianming; Dai, Xiaohui; Yan, Yongsheng; Pan, Guoqing; Sellergren, Börje

2016-11-15

Molecularly imprinted fluorescent polymers have shown great promise in biological or chemical separations and detections, due to their high stability, selectivity and sensitivity. In this work, molecularly imprinted fluorescent hollow nanoparticles, which could rapidly and efficiently detect λ-cyhalothrin (a toxic insecticide) in water samples, was reported. The molecularly imprinted fluorescent sensor showed excellent sensitivity (the limit of detection low to 10.26nM), rapid detection rate (quantitative detection of λ-cyhalothrin within 8min), regeneration ability (maintaining good fluorescence properties after 8 cycling operation) and appreciable selectivity over several structural analogs. Moreover, the fluorescent sensor was further used to detect λ-cyhalothrin in real samples form the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal Water. Despite the relatively complex components of the environmental water, the molecularly imprinted fluorescent hollow nanosensor still showed good recovery, clearly demonstrating the potential value of this smart sensor nanomaterial in environmental monitoring. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A theoretical investigation of single-molecule fluorescence detection on thin metallic layers.

PubMed

Enderlein, J

2000-04-01

In the present paper, the excitation and detection of single-molecule fluorescence over thin metallic films is studied theoretically within the framework of classical electrodynamics. The model takes into account the specific conditions of surface plasmon-assisted optical excitation, fluorescence quenching by the metal film, and detection geometry. Extensive numerical results are presented for gold, silver, and aluminum films, showing the detectable fluorescence intensities and their dependence on film thickness and the fluorescent molecule's position under optimal excitation conditions.

21 CFR 74.1102 - FD&C Blue No. 2.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... ADDITIVES SUBJECT TO CERTIFICATION Drugs § 74.1102 FD&C Blue No. 2. (a) Identity. (1) The color additive FD&C Blue No. 2 shall conform in identity to the requirements of § 74.102(a)(1). (2) Color additive... suitable and that are listed in part 73 of this chapter as safe for use in color additive mixtures for...

21 CFR 74.1102 - FD&C Blue No. 2.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false FD&C Blue No. 2. 74.1102 Section 74.1102 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR... coloring drugs. (b) The color additive FD&C Blue No. 2 for use in coloring ingested drugs shall conform to...

21 CFR 74.2304 - FD&C Red No. 4.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false FD&C Red No. 4. 74.2304 Section 74.2304 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES GENERAL LISTING OF COLOR....1304(a)(1) and (b). (b) Uses and restrictions. FD&C Red No. 4 may be safely used for coloring...

Study Centres: Key to Success of Field Dependent Learners in Africa.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Charles D.

The literature indicates that Field Independent (FI) learners are more likely than Field Dependent (FD) learners to succeed at distance education. The question can be raised: How can distance education serve people in the developing world--most of whom are probably FD? It is the author's opinion that in order for FD learners to succeed at distance…

76 FR 60055 - Draft Guidance for Industry: Applications for Premarket Review of New Tobacco Products...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-28

... Tobacco Control Act amends the FD&C Act and grants FDA authority to regulate the manufacture, marketing... (PMTA) under section 910(b) of the FD&C Act and receive a marketing authorization order under section 910(c)(1)(A)(i) of the FD&C Act prior to marketing the product. The draft guidance is intended to...

Variations on the "Blue-Bottle" Demonstration Using Food Items That Contain FD&C Blue #1

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Staiger, Felicia A.; Peterson, Joshua P.; Campbell, Dean J.

2015-01-01

Erioglaucine dye (FD&C Blue #1) can be used instead of methylene blue in the classic "blue-bottle" demonstration. Food items containing FD&C Blue #1 and reducing species such as sugars can therefore be used at the heart of this demonstration, which simply requires the addition of strong base such as sodium hydroxide lye.

Expression in Escherichia coli and characterization of a recombinant 7Fe ferredoxin of Rhodobacter capsulatus.

PubMed Central

Jouanneau, Y; Duport, C; Meyer, C; Gaillard, J

1992-01-01

The 7Fe ferredoxin of Rhodobacter capsulatus (FdII) could be expressed in Escherichia coli by cloning the fdxA gene coding for FdII downstream from the lac promoter. The expressed recombinant ferredoxin appeared as a brown protein which was specifically recognized in E. coli cell-free extracts by anti-FdII serum. The purified recombinant ferredoxin was indistinguishable from R. capsulatus FdII on the basis of its molecular, redox and spectroscopic properties. These results indicate that the [3Fe-4S] and [4Fe-4S] clusters were correctly inserted into the recombinant ferredoxin. Images Fig. 2. PMID:1325780

Importance of contraction history on muscle force of porcine urinary bladder smooth muscle.

PubMed

Menzel, Robin; Böl, Markus; Siebert, Tobias

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive dataset of porcine urinary bladder smooth muscle properties. Particularly, the history dependence of force production, namely force depression (FD) following shortening and force enhancement (FE) following stretch, was analysed. During active micturition, the circumference of the urinary bladder changes enormously. Thus, FD might be an important phenomenon during smooth muscle contraction. Electrically stimulated, intact urinary bladder strips from pigs (n = 10) were suspended in an aerated-filled organ bath, and different isometric, isotonic, and isokinetic contraction protocols were performed to determine the force-length and the force-velocity relation. FD and FE were assessed in concentric and eccentric contractions with different ramp lengths and ramp velocities. Bladder smooth muscles exhibit considerable amounts of FD and FE. The amount of FD increased significantly with ramp length, while FE did not change. However, FE and FD were independent of ramp velocity. The results imply that smooth muscle bladder strips exhibit similar muscle properties and history-dependent behaviour compared to striated muscles. The provided dataset of muscle properties is important for bladder modelling as well as for the analyses and interpretation of dynamic bladder filling and voiding.

Does football cause an increase in degenerative disease of the lumbar spine?

PubMed

Gerbino, Peter G; d'Hemecourt, Pierre A

2002-02-01

Degenerative disease of the lumbar spine is exceedingly common. Whether any specific activity increases the likelihood of developing degenerative disc disease (DDD) or facet degeneration (FD) has enormous implications. Within the field of occupational medicine there are specific activities, occupations, and morphologic characteristics that have been related to low back pain. Several specific risk factors have been conclusively linked to low back pain, and in particular DDD and FD. Within the sport of American football, there has long been the feeling that many athletes have or will develop low back pain, DDD, and FD. Proving that certain risk factors present in football will predictably lead to an increase in LBP, DDD, and FD is more difficult. At this time, it can be said that football players, in general, increase their risk of developing low back pain, DDD, and FD as their years of involvement with their sport increase. Because specific spine injuries like fracture, disc herniation, and spondylolysis are more frequent in football players, the resulting DDD and FD are greater than that of the general population. The weightlifting and violent hyperextension that are part of American football are independent risk factors for degenerative spine disease.

Functional-diversity indices can be driven by methodological choices and species richness.

PubMed

Poos, Mark S; Walker, Steven C; Jackson, Donald A

2009-02-01

Functional diversity is an important concept in community ecology because it captures information on functional traits absent in measures of species diversity. One popular method of measuring functional diversity is the dendrogram-based method, FD. To calculate FD, a variety of methodological choices are required, and it has been debated about whether biological conclusions are sensitive to such choices. We studied the probability that conclusions regarding FD were sensitive, and that patterns in sensitivity were related to alpha and beta components of species richness. We developed a randomization procedure that iteratively calculated FD by assigning species into two assemblages and calculating the probability that the community with higher FD varied across methods. We found evidence of sensitivity in all five communities we examined, ranging from a probability of sensitivity of 0 (no sensitivity) to 0.976 (almost completely sensitive). Variations in these probabilities were driven by differences in alpha diversity between assemblages and not by beta diversity. Importantly, FD was most sensitive when it was most useful (i.e., when differences in alpha diversity were low). We demonstrate that trends in functional-diversity analyses can be largely driven by methodological choices or species richness, rather than functional trait information alone.

Matrine in association with FD-2 stimulates F508del-cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator activity in the presence of corrector VX809

PubMed Central

Marengo, Barbara; Speciale, Andrea; Senatore, Lisa; Garibaldi, Silvano; Musumeci, Francesca; Nieddu, Erika; Pollarolo, Benedetta; Pronzato, Maria Adelaide; Schenone, Silvia; Mazzei, Mauro; Domenicotti, Cinzia

2017-01-01

Cystic fibrosis is caused by mutations of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene, and the predominant mutation is termed Phe508del (F508del). Therapy for F508del-CFTR patients is based on the use of Orkambi®, a combination of VX809 and VX770. However, though Orkambi leads to an improvement in the lung function of patients, a progressive reduction in its efficacy has been observed. In order to overcome this effect, the aim of the present study was to investigate the role of matrine and the in-house compound FD-2 in increasing the action of VX809 and VX770. Fischer rat thyroid cells overexpressing F508del-CFTR were treated with matrine, VX809 (corrector) and/or with a number of potentiators (VX770, FD-1 and FD-2). The results demonstrated that matrine was able to stimulate CFTR activity and, in association with FD-2, increased the functionality of the channel in the presence of VX809. Based on these results, it may be hypothesized that FD-2 may be a novel and more effective potentiator compared with VX770. PMID:29039559

Opportunities for Fluid Dynamics Research in the Forensic Discipline of Bloodstain Pattern Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Attinger, Daniel; Moore, Craig; Donaldson, Adam; Jafari, Arian; Stone, Howard

2013-11-01

This review [Forensic Science International, vol. 231, pp. 375-396, 2013] highlights research opportunities for fluid dynamics (FD) studies related to the forensic discipline of bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA). The need for better integrating FD and BPA is mentioned in a 2009 report by the US National Research Council, entitled ``Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward''. BPA aims for practical answers to specific questions of the kind: ``How did a bloodletting incident happen?'' FD, on the other hand, aims to quantitatively describe the transport of fluids and the related causes, with general equations. BPA typically solves the indirect problem of inspecting stains in a crime scene to infer the most probable bloodletting incident that produced these patterns. FD typically defines the initial and boundary conditions of a fluid system and from there describe how the system evolves in time and space, most often in a deterministic manner. We review four topics in BPA with strong connections to FD: the generation of drops, their flight, their impact and the formation of stains. Future research on these topics would deliver new quantitative tools and methods for BPA, and present new multiphase flow problems for FD.

Epidermal psoriasiform hyperplasia, an unrecognized sign of folliculitis decalvans: A histological study of 26 patients.

PubMed

Matard, Bruno; Cavelier-Balloy, Benedicte; Reygagne, Pascal

2017-04-01

Follicular hyperkeratosis along with hyperplasia of the follicular and interfollicular epithelia are major histopathological characteristics of hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). The presence of an occasional thickening of lesional skin in some folliculitis decalvans (FD) patients and histological similarities between FD and HS led us to look for epidermal hyperplasia and follicular hyperkeratosis in FD patients. We performed a retrospective histological analysis of 26 patients with FD. We sought to find out whether the presence of hyperplasia of the interfollicular epidermis and of the follicular epithelia could be verified in FD, with reference to the work of von Laffert et al. concerning HS. The main quantitative and qualitative data were: follicular hyperkeratosis (77%), hyperplasia of the interfollicular epidermis (92%) with a psoriasiform aspect (88%), atrophy of the follicular epithelia (85%), plasma cells in infiltrate (92%) in large quantities (42%), follicular microcysts (60%), atrophy of the sebaceous glands (85%) and polytrichia (54%). Epidermal hyperplasia, sometimes psoriasiform and follicular microcysts, are significant histological signs of FD, which have been ignored until now although they seem very common. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Engineering of near IR fluorescent albumin nanoparticles for in vivo detection of colon cancer.

PubMed

Cohen, Sarit; Margel, Shlomo

2012-08-14

The use of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging techniques has gained great interest for early detection of cancer because water and other intrinsic biomolecules display negligible absorption or autofluorescence in this region. Novel fluorescent nanoparticles with potential to improve neoplasm detection sensitivity may prove to be a valuable tool in early detection of colon tumors. The present study describes the synthesis and use of NIR fluorescent albumin nanoparticles as a diagnostic tool for detection of colon cancer. These fluorescent nanoparticles were prepared by a precipitation process of human serum albumin (HSA) in aqueous solution in the presence of a carboxylic acid derivative of the NIR dye IR-783 (CANIR). Tumor-targeting ligands such as peanut agglutinin (PNA), anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibodies (anti-CEA) and tumor associated glycoprotein-72 monoclonal antibodies (anti-TAG-72) were covalently conjugated to the albumin nanoparticles via the surface carboxylate groups by using the carbodiimide activation method. Leakage of the encapsulated dye into PBS containing 4% HSA or human bowel juice was not detected. This study also demonstrates that the encapsulation of the NIR fluorescent dye within the HSA nanoparticles reduces the photobleaching of the dye significantly. Specific colon tumor detection in a mouse model was demonstrated for PNA, anti-CEA and anti-TAG-72 conjugated NIR fluorescent HSA nanoparticles. These bioactive NIR fluorescent albumin nanoparticles also detected invisible tumors that were revealed as pathological only subsequent to histological analysis. These results may suggest a significant advantage of NIR fluorescence imaging using NIR fluorescent nanoparticles over regular colonoscopy. In future work we plan to broaden this study by encapsulating cancer drugs, such as paclitaxel and doxorubicin, within these biodegradable NIR fluorescent HSA nanoparticles, in order to use them for both detection as well as therapy of colon cancer and others.

Improved respirable fraction of budesonide powder for dry powder inhaler formulations produced by advanced supercritical CO2 processing and use of a novel additive.

PubMed

Miyazaki, Yuta; Aruga, Naoki; Kadota, Kazunori; Tozuka, Yuichi; Takeuchi, Hirofumi

2017-08-07

A budesonide (BDS) suspension was obtained via advanced supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO 2 ) processing. Thereafter, the suspension was freeze-dried (FD) to produce BDS particles for dry powder inhaler formulations (scCO 2 /FD processing). The scCO 2 /FD processed BDS powder showed low crystallinity by powder X-ray diffraction and a rough surface by scanning electron microscopy. The respirable fraction of BDS was assessed using a twin impinger and revealed that the amount of the scCO 2 /FD processed sample that reached stage 2 was 4-fold higher than that of the supplied powder. To extend the utility of scCO 2 processing, BDS particles for dry powder inhalers were fabricated by combining the scCO 2 system with various additives. When BDS was processed via scCO 2 /FD in the presence of the novel additive, namely, monoglyceride stearate (MGS), the residual BDS/MGS particles remaining in the capsule and devices decreased, followed by an increase in the respirable fraction of BDS 6-fold higher than with the supplied powder. The scCO 2 /FD processed BDS/MGS particles had a smooth surface, in contrast to the scCO 2 /FD processed BDS particles. A combination of BDS and an appropriate additive in scCO 2 treatment may induce changes in particle surface morphology, leading to an improvement in the inhalation properties of BDS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Distant stereoacuity in children with anisometropic amblyopia.

PubMed

Chung, Yeon Woong; Park, Shin Hae; Shin, Sun Young

2017-09-01

To characterize changes in distant stereoacuity using Frisby-Davis Distance test (FD2) and Distant Randot test (DR) during treatment for anisometropic amblyopia, to determine factors that influence posttreatment stereoacuity and to compare the two distant stereotests. Fifty-eight anisometropic amblyopic patients with an interocular difference of ≥1.00 diopter who achieved the visual acuity 20/20 following amblyopia treatment were retrospectively included. Stereoacuity using FD2 and DR for distant and Titmus test for near measurement were assessed and compared at the initial, intermediate, and final visit. Multivariate regression models were used to identify factors associated with initial and final stereoacuity. The two distant stereotests revealed a significant improvement in distant stereoacuity after successful amblyopia treatment. Distant stereoacuity using FD2 showed the greatest improvement during the follow up period. The number of nil scores was higher in DR than FD2 at each period. In multivariate analysis, better final stereoacuity was associated with better initial amblyopic eye acuity in both distant stereotests, but not in the Titmus test. Comparing the two distant stereotests, final stereoacuity using FD2 was associated with initial stereoacuity and was moderately related with the Titmus test at each period, but final stereoacuity using DR was not. Distant stereoacuity measured with both FD2 and DR showed significant improvement when the visual acuity of the amblyopic eye achieved 20/20. Changes in distant stereoacuity by FD2 and DR during the amblyopia treatment were somewhat different.

Continuous Cardiac Troponin I Release in Fabry Disease

PubMed Central

Schneider, Christian; Sieweke, Nicole; Franzen, Wolfgang; Gündüz, Dursun; Rolfs, Arndt

2014-01-01

Background Fabry disease (FD) is a rare lysosomal storage disorder also affecting the heart. The aims of this study were to determine the frequency of cardiac troponin I (cTNI) elevation, a sensitive parameter reflecting myocardial damage, in a smaller cohort of FD-patients, and to analyze whether persistent cTNI can be a suitable biomarker to assess cardiac dysfunction in FD. Methods cTNI values were determined at least twice per year in 14 FD-patients (6 males and 8 females) regularly followed-up in our centre. The data were related to other parameters of heart function including cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (cMRI). Results Three patients (21%) without specific vascular risk factors other than FD had persistent cTNI-elevations (range 0.05–0.71 ng/ml, normal: <0.01). cMRI disclosed late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) in all three individuals with cTNI values ≥0.01, while none of the 11 patients with cTNI <0.01 showed a pathological enhancement (p<0.01). Two subjects with increased cTNI-values underwent coronary angiography, excluding relevant stenoses. A myocardial biopsy performed in one during this procedure demonstrated substantial accumulation of globotriaosylceramide (Gb3) in cardiomyocytes. Conclusion Continuous cTNI elevation seems to occur in a substantial proportion of patients with FD. The high accordance with LGE, reflecting cardiac dysfunction, suggests that cTNI-elevation can be a useful laboratory parameter for assessing myocardial damage in FD. PMID:24626231

Impaired Inhibitory Force Feedback in Fixed Dystonia.

PubMed

Mugge, Winfred; Schouten, Alfred C; van Hilten, Jacobus J; van der Helm, Frans C T

2016-04-01

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a multifactorial disorder associated with an aberrant host response to tissue injury. About 25% of CRPS patients suffer poorly understood involuntary sustained muscle contractions associated with dysfunctional reflexes that result in abnormal postures (fixed dystonia). A recent modeling study simulated fixed dystonia (FD) caused by aberrant force feedback. The current study aims to validate this hypothesis by experimentally recording the modulation of reflexive force feedback in patients with FD. CRPS patients with and without FD, patients with FD but without CRPS, as well as healthy controls participated in the experiment. Three task instructions and three perturbation characteristics were used to evoke a wide range of responses to force perturbations. During position tasks ("maintain posture"), healthy subjects as well as patients resisted the perturbations, becoming more stiff than when being relaxed (i.e., the relax task). Healthy subjects and CRPS patients without FD were both more compliant during force tasks ("maintain force") than during relax tasks, meaning they actively gave way to the imposed forces. Remarkably, the patients with FD failed to do so. A neuromuscular model was fitted to the experimental data to separate the distinct contributions of position, velocity and force feedback, as well as co-contraction to the motor behavior. The neuromuscular modeling indicated that inhibitory force feedback is deregulated in patients with FD, for both CRPS and non-CRPS patients. From previously published simulation results and the present experimental study, it is concluded that aberrant force feedback plays a role in fixed dystonia.

Heterogeneity of Glucose Metabolism in Esophageal Cancer Measured by Fractal Analysis of Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography Image: Correlation between Metabolic Heterogeneity and Survival.

PubMed

Tochigi, Toru; Shuto, Kiyohiko; Kono, Tsuguaki; Ohira, Gaku; Tohma, Takayuki; Gunji, Hisashi; Hayano, Koichi; Narushima, Kazuo; Fujishiro, Takeshi; Hanaoka, Toshiharu; Akutsu, Yasunori; Okazumi, Shinichi; Matsubara, Hisahiro

2017-01-01

Intratumoral heterogeneity is a well-recognized characteristic feature of cancer. The purpose of this study is to assess the heterogeneity of the intratumoral glucose metabolism using fractal analysis, and evaluate its prognostic value in patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) studies of 79 patients who received curative surgery were evaluated. FDG-PET images were analyzed using fractal analysis software, where differential box-counting method was employed to calculate the fractal dimension (FD) of the tumor lesion. Maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) and FD were compared with overall survival (OS). The median SUVmax and FD of ESCCs in this cohort were 13.8 and 1.95, respectively. In univariate analysis performed using Cox's proportional hazard model, T stage and FD showed significant associations with OS (p = 0.04, p < 0.0001, respectively), while SUVmax did not (p = 0.1). In Kaplan-Meier analysis, the low FD tumor (<1.95) showed a significant association with favorable OS (p < 0.0001). In wthe multivariate analysis among TNM staging, serum tumor markers, FD, and SUVmax, the FD was identified as the only independent prognostic factor for OS (p = 0.0006; hazards ratio 0.251, 95% CI 0.104-0.562). Metabolic heterogeneity measured by fractal analysis can be a novel imaging biomarker for survival in patients with ESCC. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Host culling as an adaptive management tool for chronic wasting disease in white-tailed deer: a modelling study.

PubMed

Wasserberg, Gideon; Osnas, Erik E; Rolley, Robert E; Samuel, Michael D

2009-04-01

Emerging wildlife diseases pose a significant threat to natural and human systems. Because of real or perceived risks of delayed actions, disease management strategies such as culling are often implemented before thorough scientific knowledge of disease dynamics is available. Adaptive management is a valuable approach in addressing the uncertainty and complexity associated with wildlife disease problems and can be facilitated by using a formal model.We developed a multi-state computer simulation model using age, sex, infection-stage, and seasonality as a tool for scientific learning and managing chronic wasting disease (CWD) in white-tailed deer Odocoileus virginianus. Our matrix model used disease transmission parameters based on data collected through disease management activities. We used this model to evaluate management issues on density- (DD) and frequency-dependent (FD) transmission, time since disease introduction, and deer culling on the demographics, epizootiology, and management of CWD.Both DD and FD models fit the Wisconsin data for a harvested white-tailed deer population, but FD was slightly better. Time since disease introduction was estimated as 36 (95% CI, 24-50) and 188 (41->200) years for DD and FD transmission, respectively. Deer harvest using intermediate to high non-selective rates can be used to reduce uncertainty between DD and FD transmission and improve our prediction of long-term epidemic patterns and host population impacts. A higher harvest rate allows earlier detection of these differences, but substantially reduces deer abundance.Results showed that CWD has spread slowly within Wisconsin deer populations, and therefore, epidemics and disease management are expected to last for decades. Non-hunted deer populations can develop and sustain a high level of infection, generating a substantial risk of disease spread. In contrast, CWD prevalence remains lower in hunted deer populations, but at a higher prevalence the disease competes with recreational hunting to reduce deer abundance.Synthesis and applications. Uncertainty about density- or frequency-dependent transmission hinders predictions about the long-term impacts of chronic wasting disease on cervid populations and the development of appropriate management strategies. An adaptive management strategy using computer modelling coupled with experimental management and monitoring can be used to test model predictions, identify the likely mode of disease transmission, and evaluate the risks of alternative management responses.

Real-time Graphics Processing Unit Based Fourier Domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Surgical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Kang

2011-12-01

In this dissertation, real-time Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) capable of multi-dimensional micrometer-resolution imaging targeted specifically for microsurgical intervention applications was developed and studied. As a part of this work several ultra-high speed real-time FD-OCT imaging and sensing systems were proposed and developed. A real-time 4D (3D+time) OCT system platform using the graphics processing unit (GPU) to accelerate OCT signal processing, the imaging reconstruction, visualization, and volume rendering was developed. Several GPU based algorithms such as non-uniform fast Fourier transform (NUFFT), numerical dispersion compensation, and multi-GPU implementation were developed to improve the impulse response, SNR roll-off and stability of the system. Full-range complex-conjugate-free FD-OCT was also implemented on the GPU architecture to achieve doubled image range and improved SNR. These technologies overcome the imaging reconstruction and visualization bottlenecks widely exist in current ultra-high speed FD-OCT systems and open the way to interventional OCT imaging for applications in guided microsurgery. A hand-held common-path optical coherence tomography (CP-OCT) distance-sensor based microsurgical tool was developed and validated. Through real-time signal processing, edge detection and feed-back control, the tool was shown to be capable of track target surface and compensate motion. The micro-incision test using a phantom was performed using a CP-OCT-sensor integrated hand-held tool, which showed an incision error less than +/-5 microns, comparing to >100 microns error by free-hand incision. The CP-OCT distance sensor has also been utilized to enhance the accuracy and safety of optical nerve stimulation. Finally, several experiments were conducted to validate the system for surgical applications. One of them involved 4D OCT guided micro-manipulation using a phantom. Multiple volume renderings of one 3D data set were performed with different view angles to allow accurate monitoring of the micro-manipulation, and the user to clearly monitor tool-to-target spatial relation in real-time. The system was also validated by imaging multiple biological samples, such as human fingerprint, human cadaver head and small animals. Compared to conventional surgical microscopes, GPU-based real-time FD-OCT can provide the surgeons with a real-time comprehensive spatial view of the microsurgical region and accurate depth perception.

Correlation fluorescence method of amine detection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Myslitsky, Valentin F.; Tkachuk, Svetlana S.; Rudeichuk, Volodimir M.; Strinadko, Miroslav T.; Slyotov, Mikhail M.; Strinadko, Marina M.

1997-12-01

The amines fluorescence spectra stimulated by UV laser radiation are investigated in this paper. The fluorescence is stimulated by the coherent laser beam with the wavelength 0.337 micrometers . At the sufficient energy of laser stimulation the narrow peaks of the fluorescence spectra are detected besides the wide maximum. The relationship between the fluorescence intensity and the concentration of amines solutions are investigated. The fluorescence intensity temporal dependence on wavelength 0.363 micrometers of the norepinephrine solution preliminarily radiated by UV laser with wavelength 0.337 micrometers was found. The computer stimulated and experimental investigations of adrenaline and norepinephrine mixtures fluorescence spectra were done. The correlation fluorescent method of amines detection is proposed.

Psychological factors in patients with peptic ulcerand functional dyspepsia

PubMed Central

Faramarzi, Mahbobeh; Kheirkhah, Farzan; Shokri-Shirvani, Javad; Mosavi, Shokofeh; Zarini, Soroush

2014-01-01

Background: The role of psychological factors in peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and functional dyspepsia (FD) has not been clearly determined. In this study the role of conflict management styles, psychiatric symptoms, and alexithymia were assessed in patients with PUD and FD and in the healthy individuals. Methods: Ninety subjects [30 PUD (15 women, 15 men), 30 FD (15 women, 15 men), and 30 healthy individuals (15 women, 15 men)] in two endoscopy wards of Babol University of Medical Sciences were evaluated. Three groups were matched with regard to demographic variables. Conflict management styles, psychiatric symptoms, and alexithymia were evaluated by appropriate questionnaires. Results: The patients with PUD reported less mean scores on psychiatric symptoms than the FD patients (depression 12.6±7.5 vs 28±9.5, anxiety 8.2±5.9 vs 18.7±6. obsessive-compulsive disorder 15.7±7.5 vs 21.8±8.4, interpersonal sensitivity 9.5±7.4 vs 16±7, psychoticism 8.03±4.5 vs 14.3±6.3, somatization 12.5±10.8 vs 20.7±8.1, and the total score of psychiatric symptoms 94.4±49.9 vs 160.1±46.6). The mean scores use of unconstructive conflict management styles in PUD patients were lower than FD (dominating 17.7±3.5 vs 20.2±2.7, avoiding 17.5±3 vs 23.8±4.4). Alexithymia symptoms were higher in FD patients than PUD individuals (difficulty in identifying feelings 23.5±6.3 vs 27.8±3.9, difficulty in describing feeling 16.5±4.4 vs 17.3±3.6). The PUD and FD patients had higher scores regarding these variables than the healthy subjects. Conclusion: The results show that both PUD and FD patients experienced more psychiatric symptoms, unconstructive conflict management styles, and alexithymia than the healthy subjects. FD patients had worse psychiatric problems than PUD. PMID:24778780

Opposing Responses of Bird Functional Diversity to Vegetation Structural Diversity in Wet and Dry Forest.

PubMed

Sitters, Holly; York, Alan; Swan, Matthew; Christie, Fiona; Di Stefano, Julian

2016-01-01

Disturbance regimes are changing worldwide, and the consequences for ecosystem function and resilience are largely unknown. Functional diversity (FD) provides a surrogate measure of ecosystem function by capturing the range, abundance and distribution of trait values in a community. Enhanced understanding of the responses of FD to measures of vegetation structure at landscape scales is needed to guide conservation management. To address this knowledge gap, we used a whole-of-landscape sampling approach to examine relationships between bird FD, vegetation diversity and time since fire. We surveyed birds and measured vegetation at 36 landscape sampling units in dry and wet forest in southeast Australia during 2010 and 2011. Four uncorrelated indices of bird FD (richness, evenness, divergence and dispersion) were derived from six bird traits, and we investigated responses of these indices and species richness to both vertical and horizontal vegetation diversity using linear mixed models. We also considered the extent to which the mean and diversity of time since fire were related to vegetation diversity. Results showed opposing responses of FD to vegetation diversity in dry and wet forest. In dry forest, where fire is frequent, species richness and two FD indices (richness and dispersion) were positively related to vertical vegetation diversity, consistent with theory relating to environmental variation and coexistence. However, in wet forest subject to infrequent fire, the same three response variables were negatively associated with vertical diversity. We suggest that competitive dominance by species results in lower FD as vegetation diversity increases in wet forest. The responses of functional evenness were opposite to those of species richness, functional richness and dispersion in both forest types, highlighting the value of examining multiple FD metrics at management-relevant scales. The mean and diversity of time since fire were uncorrelated with vegetation diversity in wet forest, but positively correlated with vegetation diversity in dry forest. We therefore suggest that protection of older vegetation is important, but controlled application of low-severity fire in dry forest may sustain ecosystem function by enhancing different elements of FD.

Opposing Responses of Bird Functional Diversity to Vegetation Structural Diversity in Wet and Dry Forest

PubMed Central

York, Alan; Swan, Matthew; Christie, Fiona; Di Stefano, Julian

2016-01-01

Disturbance regimes are changing worldwide, and the consequences for ecosystem function and resilience are largely unknown. Functional diversity (FD) provides a surrogate measure of ecosystem function by capturing the range, abundance and distribution of trait values in a community. Enhanced understanding of the responses of FD to measures of vegetation structure at landscape scales is needed to guide conservation management. To address this knowledge gap, we used a whole-of-landscape sampling approach to examine relationships between bird FD, vegetation diversity and time since fire. We surveyed birds and measured vegetation at 36 landscape sampling units in dry and wet forest in southeast Australia during 2010 and 2011. Four uncorrelated indices of bird FD (richness, evenness, divergence and dispersion) were derived from six bird traits, and we investigated responses of these indices and species richness to both vertical and horizontal vegetation diversity using linear mixed models. We also considered the extent to which the mean and diversity of time since fire were related to vegetation diversity. Results showed opposing responses of FD to vegetation diversity in dry and wet forest. In dry forest, where fire is frequent, species richness and two FD indices (richness and dispersion) were positively related to vertical vegetation diversity, consistent with theory relating to environmental variation and coexistence. However, in wet forest subject to infrequent fire, the same three response variables were negatively associated with vertical diversity. We suggest that competitive dominance by species results in lower FD as vegetation diversity increases in wet forest. The responses of functional evenness were opposite to those of species richness, functional richness and dispersion in both forest types, highlighting the value of examining multiple FD metrics at management-relevant scales. The mean and diversity of time since fire were uncorrelated with vegetation diversity in wet forest, but positively correlated with vegetation diversity in dry forest. We therefore suggest that protection of older vegetation is important, but controlled application of low-severity fire in dry forest may sustain ecosystem function by enhancing different elements of FD. PMID:27741290

Influence of the time of day and fasting duration on glucose level following a 1-hour, 50-gram glucose challenge test in pregnant women.

PubMed

Wang, Panchalli; Lu, Mei-Chun; Yu, Cheng-Wei; Yan, Yuan-Horng

2014-01-01

Previous studies have shown that the time of day (TD) of glucose measurement and the fasting duration (FD) influence the glucose levels in adults. Few studies have examined the effects of the TD and FD on the glucose level following a 1-hour, 50-gram glucose challenge test (GCT) in pregnant women in screening for or diagnosing gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). The objective of this study was to investigate the influence of the TD (morning, afternoon, night) and the FD (the time of the last food ingestion as follows: ≤1 hour, 1-2 hours, and >2 hours) by examining their combined effects on the glucose levels following a 50-gram GCT in pregnant women. We analyzed the data of 1,454 non-diabetic pregnant Taiwanese women in a prospective study. Multiple linear regression and multiple logistic regression were used to estimate the relationships between the 9 TD-FD groups and the continuous and binary glucose levels (cut-off at 140 mg/dL) following a 50-gram GCT, after adjusting for maternal age, nulliparity, pre-pregnancy body mass index, and weight gain. Different TD and FD groups were associated with variable glucose responses to the 50-gram GCT, some of which were significant. The estimate coefficients (β) of the TD-FD groups "night, ≤1 hr" and "night, 1-2 hr" revealed significantly lower glucose concentrations [β (95% confidence interval [CI]): -6.46 (-12.53, -0.38) and -6.85 (-12.50, -1.20)] compared with the "morning, >2 hr" group. The TD-FD groups "afternoon, ≤1 hr" and "afternoon, 1-2 hr" showed significantly lower odds ratios (OR) of a positive GCT; the adjusted ORs (95% CI) were 0.54 (0.31-0.95) and 0.58 (0.35-0.96), respectively. Our findings demonstrate the importance of standardizing the TD and FD for the 1-hour, 50-gram GCT. In screening for and diagnosing GDM, the TD and FD are modifiable factors that should be considered in clinical practice and epidemiological studies.

Wavelength-Modulated Differential Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (WM-DPAS): Theory of a High-Sensitivity Methodology for the Detection of Early-Stage Tumors in Tissues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choi, S.; Mandelis, A.; Guo, X.; Lashkari, B.; Kellnberger, S.; Ntziachristos, V.

2015-06-01

In the field of medical diagnostics, biomedical photoacoustics (PA) is a non-invasive hybrid optical-ultrasonic imaging modality. Due to the unique hybrid capability of optical and acoustic imaging, PA imaging has risen to the frontiers of medical diagnostic procedures such as human breast cancer detection. While conventional PA imaging has been mainly carried out by a high-power pulsed laser, an alternative technology, the frequency domain biophotoacoustic radar (FD-PAR) is under intensive development. It utilizes a continuous wave optical source with the laser intensity modulated by a frequency-swept waveform for acoustic wave generation. The small amplitude of the generated acoustic wave is significantly compensated by increased signal-to-noise ratio (several orders of magnitude) using matched-filter and pulse compression correlation processing in a manner similar to radar systems. The current study introduces the theory of a novel FD-PAR modality for ultra-sensitive characterization of functional information for breast cancer imaging. The newly developed theory of wavelength-modulated differential PA spectroscopy (WM-DPAS) detection has been introduced to address angiogenesis and hypoxia monitoring, two well-known benchmarks of breast tumor formation. Based on the WM-DPAS theory, this modality efficiently suppresses background absorptions and is expected to detect very small changes in total hemoglobin concentration and oxygenation levels, thereby identifying pre-malignant tumors before they are anatomically apparent. An experimental system design for the WM-DPAS is presented and preliminary single-ended laser experimental results were obtained and compared to a limiting case of the developed theoretical formalism.

Integrated Fluorescence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tuma, Margaret (Inventor); Gruhlke, Russell W. (Inventor)

1998-01-01

A detection method is integrated with a filtering method and an enhancement method to create a fluorescence sensor that can be miniaturized. The fluorescence sensor comprises a thin film geometry including a waveguide layer, a metal film layer and sensor layer. The thin film geometry of the fluorescence sensor allows the detection of fluorescent radiation over a narrow wavelength interval. This enables wavelength discrimination and eliminates the detection of unwanted light from unknown or spurious sources.

High-Order Accurate Solutions to the Helmholtz Equation in the Presence of Boundary Singularities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Britt, Darrell Steven, Jr.

Problems of time-harmonic wave propagation arise in important fields of study such as geological surveying, radar detection/evasion, and aircraft design. These often involve highfrequency waves, which demand high-order methods to mitigate the dispersion error. We propose a high-order method for computing solutions to the variable-coefficient inhomogeneous Helmholtz equation in two dimensions on domains bounded by piecewise smooth curves of arbitrary shape with a finite number of boundary singularities at known locations. We utilize compact finite difference (FD) schemes on regular structured grids to achieve highorder accuracy due to their efficiency and simplicity, as well as the capability to approximate variable-coefficient differential operators. In this work, a 4th-order compact FD scheme for the variable-coefficient Helmholtz equation on a Cartesian grid in 2D is derived and tested. The well known limitation of finite differences is that they lose accuracy when the boundary curve does not coincide with the discretization grid, which is a severe restriction on the geometry of the computational domain. Therefore, the algorithm presented in this work combines high-order FD schemes with the method of difference potentials (DP), which retains the efficiency of FD while allowing for boundary shapes that are not aligned with the grid without sacrificing the accuracy of the FD scheme. Additionally, the theory of DP allows for the universal treatment of the boundary conditions. One of the significant contributions of this work is the development of an implementation that accommodates general boundary conditions (BCs). In particular, Robin BCs with discontinuous coefficients are studied, for which we introduce a piecewise parameterization of the boundary curve. Problems with discontinuities in the boundary data itself are also studied. We observe that the design convergence rate suffers whenever the solution loses regularity due to the boundary conditions. This is because the FD scheme is only consistent for classical solutions of the PDE. For this reason, we implement the method of singularity subtraction as a means for restoring the design accuracy of the scheme in the presence of singularities at the boundary. While this method is well studied for low order methods and for problems in which singularities arise from the geometry (e.g., corners), we adapt it to our high-order scheme for curved boundaries via a conformal mapping and show that it can also be used to restore accuracy when the singularity arises from the BCs rather than the geometry. Altogether, the proposed methodology for 2D boundary value problems is computationally efficient, easily handles a wide class of boundary conditions and boundary shapes that are not aligned with the discretization grid, and requires little modification for solving new problems.

Association of the Serotonin Receptor 3E Gene as a Functional Variant in the MicroRNA-510 Target Site with Diarrhea Predominant Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Chinese Women.

PubMed

Zhang, Yu; Li, Yaoyao; Hao, Zhenfeng; Li, Xiangming; Bo, Ping; Gong, Weijuan

2016-04-30

The functional variant (rs56109847) in the 3'-untranslated regions (3'-UTR) of the serotonin receptor 3E (HTR3E) gene is associated with female diarrhea predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) in British populations. However, the relationship of the polymorphism both to HTR3E expression in the intestine and to the occurrence of Chinese functional gastrointestinal disorders has yet to be examined. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses were employed to detect polymorphisms among Chinese Han women, particularly 107 patients with IBS-D, 99 patients with functional dyspepsia (FD), 115 patients with mixed IBS and 69 patients with IBS-D + FD. We also assessed microRNA-510 (miR-510) and HTR3Eexpression in human colonic mucosal tissues with immunohistochemistry and other methods. Dual-luciferase reporter assays were conducted to examine the binding ability of miR-510 and HTR3E 3'-UTR. Genotyping data showed the variant rs56109847 was significantly associated with IBS-D, but not with FD, mixed-IBS, or FD + IBS-D. HTR3E was abundantly expressed around the colonic mucosal glands but less expressed in the stroma. miR-510 expression decreased, whereas HTR3E expression increased in the colonic mucosal tissue of patients with IBS-D compared with those in controls. HTR3E expression was significantly higher in patients with the GA genotype than that in patients with the GG genotype. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms disrupted the binding site of miR-510 and significantly upregulated luciferase expression in HEK293 and HT-29 cells. The single-nucleotide polymorphisms rs56109847 led to reduced microRNA binding and overexpression of the target gene in intestinal cells, thereby increasing IBS-D risk in the Chinese Han population. The decreased expression of miR-510 might contribute to IBS-D.

Fractal Dimension Analysis of Subcortical Gray Matter Structures in Schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Sehatpour, Pejman; Long, Jun; Gui, Weihua; Qiao, Jianping; Javitt, Daniel C.; Wang, Zhishun

2016-01-01

A failure of adaptive inference—misinterpreting available sensory information for appropriate perception and action—is at the heart of clinical manifestations of schizophrenia, implicating key subcortical structures in the brain including the hippocampus. We used high-resolution, three-dimensional (3D) fractal geometry analysis to study subtle and potentially biologically relevant structural alterations (in the geometry of protrusions, gyri and indentations, sulci) in subcortical gray matter (GM) in patients with schizophrenia relative to healthy individuals. In particular, we focus on utilizing Fractal Dimension (FD), a compact shape descriptor that can be computed using inputs with irregular (i.e., not necessarily smooth) surfaces in order to quantify complexity (of geometrical properties and configurations of structures across spatial scales) of subcortical GM in this disorder. Probabilistic (entropy-based) information FD was computed based on the box-counting approach for each of the seven subcortical structures, bilaterally, as well as the brainstem from high-resolution magnetic resonance (MR) images in chronic patients with schizophrenia (n = 19) and age-matched healthy controls (n = 19) (age ranges: patients, 22.7–54.3 and healthy controls, 24.9–51.6 years old). We found a significant reduction of FD in the left hippocampus (median: 2.1460, range: 2.07–2.18 vs. median: 2.1730, range: 2.15–2.23, p<0.001; Cohen’s effect size, U3 = 0.8158 (95% Confidence Intervals, CIs: 0.6316, 1.0)), the right hippocampus (median: 2.1430, range: 2.05–2.19 vs. median: 2.1760, range: 2.12–2.21, p = 0.004; U3 = 0.8421 (CIs: 0.5263, 1)), as well as left thalamus (median: 2.4230, range: 2.40–2.44, p = 0.005; U3 = 0.7895 (CIs: 0.5789, 0.9473)) in schizophrenia patients, relative to healthy individuals. Our findings provide in-vivo quantitative evidence for reduced surface complexity of hippocampus, with reduced FD indicating a less complex, less regular GM surface detected in schizophrenia. PMID:27176232

Diversity and strain specificity of plant cell wall degrading enzymes revealed by the draft genome of Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1.

PubMed

Berg Miller, Margret E; Antonopoulos, Dionysios A; Rincon, Marco T; Band, Mark; Bari, Albert; Akraiko, Tatsiana; Hernandez, Alvaro; Thimmapuram, Jyothi; Henrissat, Bernard; Coutinho, Pedro M; Borovok, Ilya; Jindou, Sadanari; Lamed, Raphael; Flint, Harry J; Bayer, Edward A; White, Bryan A

2009-08-14

Ruminococcus flavefaciens is a predominant cellulolytic rumen bacterium, which forms a multi-enzyme cellulosome complex that could play an integral role in the ability of this bacterium to degrade plant cell wall polysaccharides. Identifying the major enzyme types involved in plant cell wall degradation is essential for gaining a better understanding of the cellulolytic capabilities of this organism as well as highlighting potential enzymes for application in improvement of livestock nutrition and for conversion of cellulosic biomass to liquid fuels. The R. flavefaciens FD-1 genome was sequenced to 29x-coverage, based on pulsed-field gel electrophoresis estimates (4.4 Mb), and assembled into 119 contigs providing 4,576,399 bp of unique sequence. As much as 87.1% of the genome encodes ORFs, tRNA, rRNAs, or repeats. The GC content was calculated at 45%. A total of 4,339 ORFs was detected with an average gene length of 918 bp. The cellulosome model for R. flavefaciens was further refined by sequence analysis, with at least 225 dockerin-containing ORFs, including previously characterized cohesin-containing scaffoldin molecules. These dockerin-containing ORFs encode a variety of catalytic modules including glycoside hydrolases (GHs), polysaccharide lyases, and carbohydrate esterases. Additionally, 56 ORFs encode proteins that contain carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs). Functional microarray analysis of the genome revealed that 56 of the cellulosome-associated ORFs were up-regulated, 14 were down-regulated, 135 were unaffected, when R. flavefaciens FD-1 was grown on cellulose versus cellobiose. Three multi-modular xylanases (ORF01222, ORF03896, and ORF01315) exhibited the highest levels of up-regulation. The genomic evidence indicates that R. flavefaciens FD-1 has the largest known number of fiber-degrading enzymes likely to be arranged in a cellulosome architecture. Functional analysis of the genome has revealed that the growth substrate drives expression of enzymes predicted to be involved in carbohydrate metabolism as well as expression and assembly of key cellulosomal enzyme components.

Maximizing the Biochemical Resolving Power of Fluorescence Microscopy

PubMed Central

Esposito, Alessandro; Popleteeva, Marina; Venkitaraman, Ashok R.

2013-01-01

Most recent advances in fluorescence microscopy have focused on achieving spatial resolutions below the diffraction limit. However, the inherent capability of fluorescence microscopy to non-invasively resolve different biochemical or physical environments in biological samples has not yet been formally described, because an adequate and general theoretical framework is lacking. Here, we develop a mathematical characterization of the biochemical resolution in fluorescence detection with Fisher information analysis. To improve the precision and the resolution of quantitative imaging methods, we demonstrate strategies for the optimization of fluorescence lifetime, fluorescence anisotropy and hyperspectral detection, as well as different multi-dimensional techniques. We describe optimized imaging protocols, provide optimization algorithms and describe precision and resolving power in biochemical imaging thanks to the analysis of the general properties of Fisher information in fluorescence detection. These strategies enable the optimal use of the information content available within the limited photon-budget typically available in fluorescence microscopy. This theoretical foundation leads to a generalized strategy for the optimization of multi-dimensional optical detection, and demonstrates how the parallel detection of all properties of fluorescence can maximize the biochemical resolving power of fluorescence microscopy, an approach we term Hyper Dimensional Imaging Microscopy (HDIM). Our work provides a theoretical framework for the description of the biochemical resolution in fluorescence microscopy, irrespective of spatial resolution, and for the development of a new class of microscopes that exploit multi-parametric detection systems. PMID:24204821

Fluorescence spectroscopy of trapped molecular ions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, Kenneth Charles

This thesis describes the development of a unique instrument capable of detecting fluorescence emission from large gas phase molecular ions trapped in a three-dimensional quadrupole ion trap. The hypothesis that has formed the basis of this work is the belief that fluorescence spectroscopy can be combined with ion trap mass spectrometry to probe the structure of gas phase molecular ions. The ion trap provides a rarefied environment where fluorescence experiments can be conducted without interference from solvent molecules or impurities. Although fluorescence was not detected during preliminary experiments, two significant experimental challenges associated with detecting the gas phase fluorescence of ions were discovered. First, gas phase ions were vulnerable to photodissociation and low laser powers were necessary to avoid photodissociation. Since fluorescence emission is directly proportional to laser intensity, a lower laser power limits the fluorescence signal. Second, the fluorescence emission was not significantly Stokes shifted from the excitation. The lack of Stokes shift meant the small fluorescence signal must be detected in the presence of a large amount of background scatter generated by the excitation. Initially, this background was seven orders of magnitude higher than the analytical signal ultimately detected. A specially designed fiber optic probe was inserted between the electrodes of the ion trap to stop light scattered off the outside surfaces of the trap from reaching the detector. The inside surfaces of the ion trap were coated black to further reduce the amount of scattered light collected. These innovations helped reduced the background by six orders of magnitude and fluorescence emission from rhodamine-6G was detected. Pulse counting experiments were used to optimize fluorescence detection. The effects of trapping level, laser power, and irradiation time were investigated and optimized. The instrument developed in this work not only allows for the detection of fluorescent photons, but the sensitivity is high enough for the light to be dispersed and an emission spectrum recorded. The emission spectra of rhodamine-6G and 5-carboxyrhodamine-6G ions reported in this thesis represent the first spectra recorded from large molecular ions confined in a quadrupole ion trap. Finally, anti-Stokes fluorescence from rhodamine-6G was also detected.

Flavin-Based Electron Bifurcation, Ferredoxin, Flavodoxin, and Anaerobic Respiration With Protons (Ech) or NAD+ (Rnf) as Electron Acceptors: A Historical Review

PubMed Central

Buckel, Wolfgang; Thauer, Rudolf K.

2018-01-01

Flavin-based electron bifurcation is a newly discovered mechanism, by which a hydride electron pair from NAD(P)H, coenzyme F420H2, H2, or formate is split by flavoproteins into one-electron with a more negative reduction potential and one with a more positive reduction potential than that of the electron pair. Via this mechanism microorganisms generate low- potential electrons for the reduction of ferredoxins (Fd) and flavodoxins (Fld). The first example was described in 2008 when it was found that the butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase-electron-transferring flavoprotein complex (Bcd-EtfAB) of Clostridium kluyveri couples the endergonic reduction of ferredoxin (E0′ = −420 mV) with NADH (−320 mV) to the exergonic reduction of crotonyl-CoA to butyryl-CoA (−10 mV) with NADH. The discovery was followed by the finding of an electron-bifurcating Fd- and NAD-dependent [FeFe]-hydrogenase (HydABC) in Thermotoga maritima (2009), Fd-dependent transhydrogenase (NfnAB) in various bacteria and archaea (2010), Fd- and H2-dependent heterodisulfide reductase (MvhADG-HdrABC) in methanogenic archaea (2011), Fd- and NADH-dependent caffeyl-CoA reductase (CarCDE) in Acetobacterium woodii (2013), Fd- and NAD-dependent formate dehydrogenase (HylABC-FdhF2) in Clostridium acidi-urici (2013), Fd- and NADP-dependent [FeFe]-hydrogenase (HytA-E) in Clostridium autoethanogrenum (2013), Fd(?)- and NADH-dependent methylene-tetrahydrofolate reductase (MetFV-HdrABC-MvhD) in Moorella thermoacetica (2014), Fd- and NAD-dependent lactate dehydrogenase (LctBCD) in A. woodii (2015), Fd- and F420H2-dependent heterodisulfide reductase (HdrA2B2C2) in Methanosarcina acetivorans (2017), and Fd- and NADH-dependent ubiquinol reductase (FixABCX) in Azotobacter vinelandii (2017). The electron-bifurcating flavoprotein complexes known to date fall into four groups that have evolved independently, namely those containing EtfAB (CarED, LctCB, FixBA) with bound FAD, a NuoF homolog (HydB, HytB, or HylB) harboring FMN, NfnB with bound FAD, or HdrA harboring FAD. All these flavoproteins are cytoplasmic except for the membrane-associated protein FixABCX. The organisms—in which they have been found—are strictly anaerobic microorganisms except for the aerobe A. vinelandii. The electron-bifurcating complexes are involved in a variety of processes such as butyric acid fermentation, methanogenesis, acetogenesis, anaerobic lactate oxidation, dissimilatory sulfate reduction, anaerobic- dearomatization, nitrogen fixation, and CO2 fixation. They contribute to energy conservation via the energy-converting ferredoxin: NAD+ reductase complex Rnf or the energy-converting ferredoxin-dependent hydrogenase complex Ech. This Review describes how this mechanism was discovered. PMID:29593673

Financial Distress and Its Associations With Physical and Emotional Symptoms and Quality of Life Among Advanced Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Delgado-Guay, Marvin; Ferrer, Jeanette; Rieber, Alyssa G; Rhondali, Wadih; Tayjasanant, Supakarn; Ochoa, Jewel; Cantu, Hilda; Chisholm, Gary; Williams, Janet; Frisbee-Hume, Susan; Bruera, Eduardo

2015-09-01

There are limited data on the effects of financial distress (FD) on overall suffering and quality of life (QOL) of patients with advanced cancer (AdCa). In this cross-sectional study, we examined the frequency of FD and its correlates in AdCa. We interviewed 149 patients, 77 at a comprehensive cancer center (CCC) and 72 at a general public hospital (GPH). AdCa completed a self-rated FD (subjective experience of distress attributed to financial problems) numeric rating scale (0 = best, 10 = worst) and validated questionnaires assessing symptoms (Edmonton Symptom Assessment System [ESAS]), psychosocial distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale [HADS]), and QOL (Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-General [FACT-G]). The patients' median age was 60 years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 58.6-61.5 years); 74 (50%) were female; 48 of 77 at CCC (62%) versus 13 of 72 at GPH (18%) were white; 21 of 77 (27%) versus 32 of 72 (38%) at CCC and GPH, respectively, were black; and 7 of 77 (9%) versus 27 of 72 (38%) at CCC and GPH, respectively, were Hispanic (p < .0001). FD was present in 65 of 75 at CCC (86%; 95% CI: 76%-93%) versus 65 of 72 at GPH (90%; 95% CI: 81%-96%; p = .45). The median intensity of FD at CCC and GPH was 4 (interquartile range [IQR]: 1-7) versus 8 (IQR: 3-10), respectively (p = .0003). FD was reported as more severe than physical distress, distress about physical functioning, social/family distress, and emotional distress by 45 (30%), 46 (31%), 64 (43%), and 55 (37%) AdCa, respectively (all significantly worse for patients at GPH) (p < .05). AdCa reported that FD was affecting their general well-being (0 = not at all, 10 = very much) with a median score of 5 (IQR: 1-8). FD correlated (Spearman correlation) with FACT-G (r = -0.23, p = .0057); HADS-anxiety (r = .27, p = .0014), ESAS-anxiety (r = .2, p = .0151), and ESAS-depression (r = .18, p = .0336). FD was very frequent in both groups, but median intensity was double among GPH patients. More than 30% of AdCa rated FD to be more severe than physical, family, and emotional distress. More research is needed to better characterize FD and its correlates in AdCa and possible interventions. Financial distress is an important and common factor contributing to the suffering of advanced cancer patients and their caregivers. It should be suspected in patients with persistent, refractory symptom expression. Early identification, measurement, and documentation will allow clinical teams to develop interventions to improve financial distress and its impact on quality of life of advanced cancer patients. ©AlphaMed Press.

A PDMS-based cylindrical hybrid lens for enhanced fluorescence detection in microfluidic systems.

PubMed

Lin, Bor-Shyh; Yang, Yu-Ching; Ho, Chong-Yi; Yang, Han-Yu; Wang, Hsiang-Yu

2014-02-13

Microfluidic systems based on fluorescence detection have been developed and applied for many biological and chemical applications. Because of the tiny amount of sample in the system; the induced fluorescence can be weak. Therefore, most microfluidic systems deploy multiple optical components or sophisticated equipment to enhance the efficiency of fluorescence detection. However, these strategies encounter common issues of complex manufacturing processes and high costs. In this study; a miniature, cylindrical and hybrid lens made of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) to improve the fluorescence detection in microfluidic systems is proposed. The hybrid lens integrates a laser focusing lens and a fluorescence collecting lens to achieve dual functions and simplify optical setup. Moreover, PDMS has advantages of low-cost and straightforward fabrication compared with conventional optical components. The performance of the proposed lens is first examined with two fluorescent dyes and the results show that the lens provides satisfactory enhancement for fluorescence detection of Rhodamine 6G and Nile Red. The overall increments in collected fluorescence signal and detection sensitivity are more than 220% of those without lens, and the detection limits of Rhodamine 6G and Nile red are lowered to 0.01 μg/mL and 0.05 μg/mL, respectively. The hybrid lens is further applied to the detection of Nile red-labeled Chlorella vulgaris cells and it increases both signal intensity and detection sensitivity by more than 520%. The proposed hybrid lens also dramatically reduces the variation in detected signal caused by the deviation in incident angle of excitation light.

Numerical solution of the wave equation with variable wave speed on nonconforming domains by high-order difference potentials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Britt, S.; Tsynkov, S.; Turkel, E.

2018-02-01

We solve the wave equation with variable wave speed on nonconforming domains with fourth order accuracy in both space and time. This is accomplished using an implicit finite difference (FD) scheme for the wave equation and solving an elliptic (modified Helmholtz) equation at each time step with fourth order spatial accuracy by the method of difference potentials (MDP). High-order MDP utilizes compact FD schemes on regular structured grids to efficiently solve problems on nonconforming domains while maintaining the design convergence rate of the underlying FD scheme. Asymptotically, the computational complexity of high-order MDP scales the same as that for FD.

NF-κB inhibitors that prevent foam cell formation and atherosclerotic plaque accumulation.

PubMed

Plotkin, Jesse D; Elias, Michael G; Dellinger, Anthony L; Kepley, Christopher L

2017-08-01

The transformation of monocyte-derived macrophages into lipid-laden foam cells is one inflammatory process underlying atherosclerotic disease. Previous studies have demonstrated that fullerene derivatives (FDs) have inflammation-blunting properties. Thus, it was hypothesized that FD could inhibit the transformation process underlying foam cell formation. Fullerene derivatives inhibited the phorbol myristic acid/oxidized low-density lipoprotein-induced differentiation of macrophages into foam cells as determined by lipid staining and morphology.Lipoprotein-induced generation of TNF-α, C5a-induced MC activation, ICAM-1 driven adhesion, and CD36 expression were significantly inhibited in FD treated cells compared to non-treated cells. Inhibition appeared to be mediated through the NF-κB pathway as FD reduced expression of NF-κB and atherosclerosis-associated genes. Compared to controls, FD dramatically inhibited plaque formation in arteries of apolipoprotein E null mice. Thus, FD may be an unrecognized therapy to prevent atherosclerotic lesions via inhibition of foam cell formation and MC stabilization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Laughter is not always funny: breath-holding spells in familial dysautonomia.

PubMed

Maayan, Channa; Katz, Eliot; Begin, Michal; Yuvchev, Ivelin; Kharasch, Virginia S

2015-02-01

Familial dysautonomia (FD) is a genetic disease characterized by primary autonomic dysfunction including parasympathetic hypersensitivity. Breath-holding spells (BHS) are believed to be caused by autonomic dysregulation mediated via the vagus nerve and increased in patients with a family history of BHS. Details and understanding of its pathophysiology are lacking. In this retrospective study of patients with FD, the incidence of BHS was higher at 53.3%, compared with previous studies in normal children. Laughter as a precipitating factor for BHS has not been previously reported in FD and occurred in 10% of patients in this study. Lower lung volumes, chronic lung disease, chronic CO2 retention, and inadequate autonomic compensation occur in those with FD leading to a higher incidence and severity of BHS when crying or laughing. Thus, FD may be a good model for understanding manifestations of the autonomic nervous system dysfunction and contribute to our knowledge of BHS mechanisms. © The Author(s) 2014.

Effect of fluorodeoxyuridine on the sedimentation of nucleoids from HeLa cells in sucrose gradients.

PubMed

Synzynys, B I; Brozmanová, J; Saenko, A S

1987-01-01

Sedimentation properties of nucleoids from HeLa cells cultured for 6 or 24 h with 10(-6) M fluorodeoxyuridine (FdUrd) were studied in neutral sucrose gradients. Independently on the presence and concentrations of ethidium bromide in the gradient, nucleoids from FdUrd treated cells sedimented farther than those from untreated cells. However, the maximum relaxation of supercoiled DNA, observed at the concentration of 5 micrograms/ml of ethidium bromide, was significantly lower in cells treated with FdUrd, which indicated that prior incubation with FdUrd did not increase the degree of DNA supercoiling but altered by some way the conformation of DNA in nucleus. Previously we have found, that treatment of HeLa cells with FdUrd resulted in the stimulation of DNA synthesis, which proved to be resistant to ultraviolet and gamma-irradiation. From the present results it is possible to suggest, that alterations of chromatine structure should be included in facilitating of DNA synthesis on DNA template damaged by ultraviolet or gamma irradiation.

Assessing severity of obstructive sleep apnea by fractal dimension sequence analysis of sleep EEG

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J.; Yang, X. C.; Luo, L.; Shao, J.; Zhang, C.; Ma, J.; Wang, G. F.; Liu, Y.; Peng, C.-K.; Fang, J.

2009-10-01

Different sleep stages are associated with distinct dynamical patterns in EEG signals. In this article, we explored the relationship between the sleep architecture and fractal dimension (FD) of sleep EEG. In particular, we applied the FD analysis to the sleep EEG of patients with obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS), which is characterized by recurrent oxyhemoglobin desaturation and arousals from sleep, a disease which received increasing public attention due to its significant potential impact on health. We showed that the variation of FD reflects the macrostructure of sleep. Furthermore, the fast fluctuation of FD, as measured by the zero-crossing rate of detrended FD (zDFD), is a useful indicator of sleep disturbance, and therefore, correlates with apnea-hypopnea index (AHI), and hourly number of blood oxygen saturation (SpO 2) decreases greater than 4%, as obstructive apnea/hypopnea disturbs sleep architecture. For practical purpose, a modified index combining zDFD of EEG and body mass index (BMI) may be useful for evaluating the severity of OSAHS symptoms.

Increased frequency of rhabdomyolysis in familial dysautonomia.

PubMed

Palma, Jose-Alberto; Roda, Ricardo; Norcliffe-Kaufmann, Lucy; Kaufmann, Horacio

2015-11-01

Familial dysautonomia (FD; OMIM # 223900) is an autosomal recessive disease with features of impaired pain and temperature perception and lack of functional muscle spindles. After 3 FD patients presented with rhabdomyolysis in a short time span, we aimed to determine the frequency of rhabdomyolysis is this population. This study was a retrospective chart review of 665 FD patients. Eight patients had at least 1 episode of rhabdomyolysis. Two patients had 2 episodes. The average incidence of rhabdomyolysis in FD was 7.5 per 10,000 person-years. By comparison, the average incidence with statins has been reported to be 0.44 per 10,000 person-years. Mean maximum creatine kinase (CK) level was 32,714 ± 64,749 U/L. Three patients had hip magnetic resonance imaging showing gluteal hyperintensities. Patients with FD have an increased incidence of rhabdomyolysis. We hypothesize that this may result from a combination of absent functional muscle spindles and muscle mitochondrial abnormalities. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Using Fluorescent Viruses for Detecting Bacteria in Water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tabacco, Mary Beth; Qian, Xiaohua; Russo, Jaimie A.

2009-01-01

A method of detecting water-borne pathogenic bacteria is based partly on established molecular-recognition and fluorescent-labeling concepts, according to which bacteria of a species of interest are labeled with fluorescent reporter molecules and the bacteria can then be detected by fluorescence spectroscopy. The novelty of the present method lies in the use of bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria) to deliver the fluorescent reporter molecules to the bacteria of the species of interest.

A new fluorescent enhanced probe based on (E)-9-(2-nitrovinyl)-anthracene for the detection of bisulfite anions and its practical application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, Jianbin; Liu, Yuhong; Zhang, Yan; Zhang, Yongbin; Huo, Fangjun; Yin, Caixia; Wang, Yu; Qin, Liping

2015-07-01

A new fluorescent enhanced probe based on (E)-9-(2-nitrovinyl)-anthracene is developed, which shows high selectivity and sensitivity for the detection of bisulfite anions at Na2HPO4 citric acid buffer solutions (pH 5.0). When addition of HSO3-, the fluorescence intensity is significantly enhanced and the probe displays apparent fluorescence color changes from non-fluorescence to blue under a UV lamp illumination, the solution color also changes from yellow to colorless. The detection limit is determined to be as low as 6.30 μM. This offers another specific colorimetric and fluorescent probe for bisulfite anions detection, furthermore it is applied in detecting the level of bisulfite in sugar samples.

Readily Available Fluorescent Probe for Carbon Monoxide Imaging in Living Cells.

PubMed

Feng, Weiyong; Liu, Dandan; Feng, Shumin; Feng, Guoqiang

2016-11-01

Carbon monoxide (CO) is an important gasotransmitter in living systems and its fluorescent detection is of particular interest. However, fluorescent detection of CO in living cells is still challenging due to lack of effective probes. In this paper, a readily available fluorescein-based fluorescent probe was developed for rapid detection of CO. This probe can be used to detect CO in almost wholly aqueous solution under mild conditions and shows high selectivity and sensitivity for CO with colorimetric and remarkable fluorescent turn-on signal changes. The detection limit of this probe for CO is as low as 37 nM with a linear range of 0-30 μM. More importantly, this probe (1 μM dose) can be conveniently used for fluorescent imaging CO in living cells.

78 FR 64428 - Draft Qualitative Risk Assessment of Risk of Activity/Animal Food Combinations for Activities...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-29

... Preventive Controls, amends the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the FD&C Act) to create a new section 418 with the same name. Section 418 of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 350g) contains requirements applicable to food facilities that are required to register under section 415 of the FD&C Act (21 U.S.C. 350d...

Effective Treatment of Folliculitis Decalvans Using Selected Antimicrobial Agents

PubMed Central

Sillani, Caulloo; Bin, Zhang; Ying, Zhao; Zeming, Cai; Jian, Yang; Xingqi, Zhang

2010-01-01

Folliculitis Decalvans (FD) is a rare neutrophilic infammation of the scalp characterized by painful, recurrent purulent follicular exudation resulting in primary cicatricial alopecia. However, unclear etiology makes FD treatment a difficult task. A wide variety of topical and systemic agents have been tried previously, with varied results. We present here a case series report of a set of 13 patients with FD on antimicrobial therapy. PMID:21188019

Evaluation of Time Domain EM Coupling Techniques. Volume II.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-08-01

tool for the analysis of elec- tromangetic coupling and shielding problems: the finite-difference, time-domain (FD- TD ) solution of Maxwell’s equations...The objective of the program was to evaluate the suitability of the FD- TD method to determine the amount of electromagnetic coupling through an...specific questfiowwere addressed during this program: 1. Can the FD- TD method accurately model electromagnetic coupling into a conducting structure for

Surface-functionalized polymethacrylic acid based hydrogel microparticles for oral drug delivery.

PubMed

Sajeesh, S; Bouchemal, K; Sharma, C P; Vauthier, C

2010-02-01

Aim of the present work was to develop novel thiol-functionalized hydrogel microparticles based on poly(methacrylic acid)-chitosan-poly(ethylene glycol) (PCP) for oral drug delivery applications. PCP microparticles were prepared by a modified ionic gelation process in aqueous medium. Thiol modification of surface carboxylic acid groups of PCP micro particles was carried out by coupling l-cysteine with a water-soluble carbodiimide. Ellman's method was adopted to quantify the sulfhydryl groups, and dynamic light-scattering technique was used to measure the average particle size. Cytotoxicity of the modified particles was evaluated on Caco 2 cells by MTT assay. Effect of thiol modification on permeability of paracellular marker fluorescence dextran (FD4) was evaluated on Caco 2 cell monolayers and freshly excised rat intestinal tissue with an Ussing chamber set-up. Mucoadhesion experiments were carried out by an ex vivo bioadhesion method with excised rat intestinal tissue. The average size of the PCP microparticles was increased after thiol modification. Thiolated microparticles significantly improved the paracellular permeability of FD4 across Caco 2 cell monolayers, with no sign of toxicity. However, the efficacy of thiolated system remained low when permeation experiments were carried out across excised intestinal membrane. This was attributed to the high adhesion of the thiolated particles on the gut mucosa. Nevertheless, it can be concluded that surface thiolation is an interesting strategy to improve paracellular permeability of hydrophilic macromolecules. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

TA×4

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sagawa, Hiroyuki

How cosmic rays obtain energies of about 1020 eV and where they come from are big mysteries in physics. The Telescope Array (TA) is comprised of Surface Detectors (SDs) and Fluorescence Detectors (FDs) located in Utah, U.S.A., and aims to explore the origin of highest-energy cosmic rays. The SD array consists of 507 scintillation detectors arranged on a square grid of 1.2-km spacing, covering approximately 700 km2. The FD telescopes, located at three sites, look over the surface array. Using the first five years of data collected by the surface detectors, we found a cluster of cosmic rays with energies greater than 5.7 × 1019 eV that we call the hot spot. With enhanced statistics, we expect to observe the structure of that hot spot along with other possible excesses, and point sources along with the correlations with extreme phenomena in the nearby universe. We plan to make the area of the TA SD array four times larger to approximately 3,000 km2, by adding 500 SDs on a square grid of 2.08-km spacing. Two FD stations will be built viewing the new SD array. This TA extension that we call TA×4 will greatly accelerate the speed at which we will reach the goals mentioned above, and will enhance cosmic-ray energy spectrum measurement and composition study at the highest energies by TA. At this conference, we present our plan for TA×4.

Effects of Electroacupuncture on Interstitial Cells of Cajal (ICC) Ultrastructure and Connexin 43 Protein Expression in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Functional Dyspepsia (FD) Rats.

PubMed

Zhang, Guoshan; Xie, Shen; Hu, Wei; Liu, Yuer; Liu, Mailan; Liu, Mi; Chang, Xiaorong

2016-06-14

BACKGROUND Gastrointestinal motility disorder is the main clinical manifestation in functional dyspepsia (FD) patients. Electroacupuncture is effective in improving gastrointestinal motility disorder in FD; however, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. It has been demonstrated that interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) are pacemaker cells in the gastrointestinal tract, and the pacemaker potential is transmitted to nearby cells through gap junctions between ICC or ICC and the smooth muscle. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effects of electroacupuncture on ICC ultrastructure and expression of the gap junction protein connexin 43 (Cx43) in FD rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS The animals were randomized into 3 groups: control, model, and electroacupuncture. Electroacupuncture was applied at Zusanli (ST36) in the electroacupuncture group daily for 10 days, while no electroacupuncture was applied to model group animals. RESULTS Ultrastructure of ICC recovered normally in gastric antrum and small intestine specimens was improved, with Cx43 expression levels in these tissues significantly increased in the electroacupuncture group compared with the model group. CONCLUSIONS These findings indicated that electroacupuncture is effective in alleviating ICC damage and reduces Cx43 levels in FD rats, and suggest that ICC and Cx43 are involved in electroacupuncture treatment in rats with FD to improve gastrointestinal motility disorders.

Normal force and drag force in magnetorheological finishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miao, Chunlin; Shafrir, Shai N.; Lambropoulos, John C.; Jacobs, Stephen D.

2009-08-01

The material removal in magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is known to be controlled by shear stress, λ, which equals drag force, Fd, divided by spot area, As. However, it is unclear how the normal force, Fn, affects the material removal in MRF and how the measured ratio of drag force to normal force Fd/Fn, equivalent to coefficient of friction, is related to material removal. This work studies, for the first time for MRF, the normal force and the measured ratio Fd/Fn as a function of material mechanical properties. Experimental data were obtained by taking spots on a variety of materials including optical glasses and hard ceramics with a spot-taking machine (STM). Drag force and normal force were measured with a dual load cell. Drag force decreases linearly with increasing material hardness. In contrast, normal force increases with hardness for glasses, saturating at high hardness values for ceramics. Volumetric removal rate decreases with normal force across all materials. The measured ratio Fd/Fn shows a strong negative linear correlation with material hardness. Hard materials exhibit a low "coefficient of friction". The volumetric removal rate increases with the measured ratio Fd/Fn which is also correlated with shear stress, indicating that the measured ratio Fd/Fn is a useful measure of material removal in MRF.

Normal Force and Drag Force in Magnetorheological Finishing

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

Miao, C.; Shafrir, S.N.; Lambropoulos, J.C.

2010-01-13

The material removal in magnetorheological finishing (MRF) is known to be controlled by shear stress, tau, which equals drag force, Fd, divided by spot area, As. However, it is unclear how the normal force, Fn, affects the material removal in MRF and how the measured ratio of drag force to normal force Fd/Fn, equivalent to coefficient of friction, is related to material removal. This work studies, for the first time for MRF, the normal force and the measured ratio Fd/Fn as a function of material mechanical properties. Experimental data were obtained by taking spots on a variety of materials includingmore » optical glasses and hard ceramics with a spot-taking machine (STM). Drag force and normal force were measured with a dual load cell. Drag force decreases linearly with increasing material hardness. In contrast, normal force increases with hardness for glasses, saturating at high hardness values for ceramics. Volumetric removal rate decreases with normal force across all materials. The measured ratio Fd/Fn shows a strong negative linear correlation with material hardness. Hard materials exhibit a low “coefficient of friction”. The volumetric removal rate increases with the measured ratio Fd/Fn which is also correlated with shear stress, indicating that the measured ratio Fd/Fn is a useful measure of material removal in MRF.« less

Artificial neural networks for retrieving absorption and reduced scattering spectra from frequency-domain diffuse reflectance spectroscopy at short source-detector separation

PubMed Central

Chen, Yu-Wen; Chen, Chien-Chih; Huang, Po-Jung; Tseng, Sheng-Hao

2016-01-01

Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) based on the frequency-domain (FD) technique has been employed to investigate the optical properties of deep tissues such as breast and brain using source to detector separation up to 40 mm. Due to the modeling and system limitations, efficient and precise determination of turbid sample optical properties from the FD diffuse reflectance acquired at a source-detector separation (SDS) of around 1 mm has not been demonstrated. In this study, we revealed that at SDS of 1 mm, acquiring FD diffuse reflectance at multiple frequencies is necessary for alleviating the influence of inevitable measurement uncertainty on the optical property recovery accuracy. Furthermore, we developed artificial neural networks (ANNs) trained by Monte Carlo simulation generated databases that were capable of efficiently determining FD reflectance at multiple frequencies. The ANNs could work in conjunction with a least-square optimization algorithm to rapidly (within 1 second), accurately (within 10%) quantify the sample optical properties from FD reflectance measured at SDS of 1 mm. In addition, we demonstrated that incorporating the steady-state apparatus into the FD DRS system with 1 mm SDS would enable obtaining broadband absorption and reduced scattering spectra of turbid samples in the wavelength range from 650 to 1000 nm. PMID:27446671

Identification of Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) Volatiles and Localization of Aroma-Active Constituents by GC-Olfactometry.

PubMed

Pang, Xueli; Cao, Jianmin; Wang, Dabin; Qiu, Jun; Kong, Fanyu

2017-05-24

For the characterization of chemical components contributing to the aroma of ginger, which could benefit the development of deep-processed ginger products, volatile extracts were isolated by a combination of direct solvent extraction-solvent-assisted flavor evaporation and static headspace analysis. Aroma-impact components were identified by gas chromatography-olfactometry-mass spectrometry, and the most potent odorants were further screened by aroma extract dilution analysis (AEDA) and static headspace dilution analysis (SHDA). The AEDA results revealed that geranial, eucalyptol, β-linalool, and bornyl acetate were the most potent odorants, exhibiting the highest flavor dilution factor (FD factor) of 2187. SHDA indicated that the predominant headspace odorants were α-pinene and eucalyptol. In addition, odorants exhibiting a high FD factor in SHDA were estimated to be potent aroma contributors in AEDA. The predominant odorants were found to be monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes, as along with their oxygenated derivatives, providing minty, lemon-like, herbal, and woody aromas. On the other hand, three highly volatile compounds detected by SHDA were not detected by AEDA, whereas 34 high-polarity, low-volatility compounds were identified only by AEDA, demonstrating the complementary natures of SHDA and AEDA and the necessity of utilizing both techniques to accurately characterize the aroma of ginger.

Engineering of near infrared fluorescent proteinoid-poly(L-lactic acid) particles for in vivo colon cancer detection.

PubMed

Kolitz-Domb, Michal; Grinberg, Igor; Corem-Salkmon, Enav; Margel, Shlomo

2014-08-12

The use of near-infrared (NIR) fluorescence imaging techniques has gained great interest for early detection of cancer owing to the negligible absorption and autofluorescence of water and other intrinsic biomolecules in this region. The main aim of the present study is to synthesize and characterize novel NIR fluorescent nanoparticles based on proteinoid and PLLA for early detection of colon tumors. The present study describes the synthesis of new proteinoid-PLLA copolymer and the preparation of NIR fluorescent nanoparticles for use in diagnostic detection of colon cancer. These fluorescent nanoparticles were prepared by a self-assembly process in the presence of the NIR dye indocyanine green (ICG), a FDA-approved NIR fluorescent dye. Anti-carcinoembryonic antigen antibody (anti-CEA), a specific tumor targeting ligand, was covalently conjugated to the P(EF-PLLA) nanoparticles through the surface carboxylate groups using the carbodiimide activation method. The P(EF-PLLA) nanoparticles are stable in different conditions, no leakage of the encapsulated dye into PBS containing 4% HSA was detected. The encapsulation of the NIR fluorescent dye within the P(EF-PLLA) nanoparticles improves significantly the photostability of the dye. The fluorescent nanoparticles are non-toxic, and the biodistribution study in a mouse model showed they evacuate from the body over 24 h. Specific colon tumor detection in a chicken embryo model and a mouse model was demonstrated for anti-CEA-conjugated NIR fluorescent P(EF-PLLA) nanoparticles. The results of this study suggest a significant advantage of NIR fluorescence imaging using NIR fluorescent P(EF-PLLA) nanoparticles over colonoscopy. In future work we plan to broaden this study by encapsulating cancer drugs such as paclitaxel and/or doxorubicin, within these biodegradable NIR fluorescent P(EF-PLLA) nanoparticles, for both detection and therapy of colon cancer.

[Laser induced fluorescence spectrum characteristics of common edible oil and fried cooking oil].

PubMed

Mu, Tao-tao; Chen, Si-ying; Zhang, Yin-chao; Chen, He; Guo, Pan; Ge, Xian-ying; Gao, Li-lei

2013-09-01

In order to detect the trench oil the authors built a trench oil rapid detection system based on laser induced fluorescence detection technology. This system used 355 nm laser as excitation light source. The authors collected the fluorescence spectrum of a variety of edible oil and fried cooking oil (a kind of trench oil) and then set up a fluorescence spectrum database by taking advantage of the trench oil detection system It was found that the fluorescence characteristics of fried cooking oil and common edible oil were obviously different. Then it could easily realize the oil recognition and trench oil rapid detection by using principal component analysis and BP neural network, and the overall recognition rate could reach as high as 97.5%. Experiments showed that laser induced fluorescence spectrum technology was fast, non-contact, and highly sensitive. Combined with BP neural network, it would become a new technique to detect the trench oil.