Use of doubly labeled water technique in soldiers training for jungle warfare

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

Forbes-Ewan, C.H.; Morrissey, B.L.; Gregg, G.C.

1989-07-01

The doubly labeled water method was used to estimate the energy expended by four members of an Australian Army platoon (34 soldiers) engaged in training for jungle warfare. Each subject received an oral isotope dose sufficient to raise isotope levels by 200-250 ({sup 18}O) and 100-120 ppm ({sup 2}H). The experimental period was 7 days. Concurrently, a factorial estimate of the energy expenditure of the platoon was conducted. Also, a food intake-energy balance study was conducted for the platoon. Mean daily energy expenditure by the doubly labeled water method was 4,750 kcal (range 4,152-5,394 kcal). The factorial estimate of meanmore » daily energy expenditure was 4,535 kcal. Because of inherent inaccuracies in the food intake-energy balance technique, we were able to conclude only that energy expenditure, as measured by this method, was greater than the estimated mean daily intake of 4,040 kcal. The doubly labeled water technique was well tolerated, is noninvasive, and appears to be suitable in a wide range of field applications.« less

Evaluation of a novel educational strategy, including inhaler-based reminder labels, to improve asthma inhaler technique.

PubMed

Basheti, Iman A; Armour, Carol L; Bosnic-Anticevich, Sinthia Z; Reddel, Helen K

2008-07-01

To evaluate the feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of a brief intervention about inhaler technique, delivered by community pharmacists to asthma patients. Thirty-one pharmacists received brief workshop education (Active: n=16, CONTROL: n=15). Active Group pharmacists were trained to assess and teach dry powder inhaler technique, using patient-centered educational tools including novel Inhaler Technique Labels. Interventions were delivered to patients at four visits over 6 months. At baseline, patients (Active: 53, CONTROL: 44) demonstrated poor inhaler technique (mean+/-S.D. score out of 9, 5.7+/-1.6). At 6 months, improvement in inhaler technique score was significantly greater in Active cf. CONTROL patients (2.8+/-1.6 cf. 0.9+/-1.4, p<0.001), and asthma severity was significantly improved (p=0.015). Qualitative responses from patients and pharmacists indicated a high level of satisfaction with the intervention and educational tools, both for their effectiveness and for their impact on the patient-pharmacist relationship. A simple feasible intervention in community pharmacies, incorporating daily reminders via Inhaler Technique Labels on inhalers, can lead to improvement in inhaler technique and asthma outcomes. Brief training modules and simple educational tools, such as Inhaler Technique Labels, can provide a low-cost and sustainable way of changing patient behavior in asthma, using community pharmacists as educators.

An In vitro evaluation of the reliability of QR code denture labeling technique.

PubMed

Poovannan, Sindhu; Jain, Ashish R; Krishnan, Cakku Jalliah Venkata; Chandran, Chitraa R

2016-01-01

Positive identification of the dead after accidents and disasters through labeled dentures plays a key role in forensic scenario. A number of denture labeling methods are available, and studies evaluating their reliability under drastic conditions are vital. This study was conducted to evaluate the reliability of QR (Quick Response) Code labeled at various depths in heat-cured acrylic blocks after acid treatment, heat treatment (burns), and fracture in forensics. It was an in vitro study. This study included 160 specimens of heat-cured acrylic blocks (1.8 cm × 1.8 cm) and these were divided into 4 groups (40 samples per group). QR Codes were incorporated in the samples using clear acrylic sheet and they were assessed for reliability under various depths, acid, heat, and fracture. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, test of proportion. The QR Code inclusion technique was reliable under various depths of acrylic sheet, acid (sulfuric acid 99%, hydrochloric acid 40%) and heat (up to 370°C). Results were variable with fracture of QR Code labeled acrylic blocks. Within the limitations of the study, by analyzing the results, it was clearly indicated that the QR Code technique was reliable under various depths of acrylic sheet, acid, and heat (370°C). Effectiveness varied in fracture and depended on the level of distortion. This study thus suggests that QR Code is an effective and simpler denture labeling method.

An In vitro evaluation of the reliability of QR code denture labeling technique

PubMed Central

Poovannan, Sindhu; Jain, Ashish R.; Krishnan, Cakku Jalliah Venkata; Chandran, Chitraa R.

2016-01-01

Statement of Problem: Positive identification of the dead after accidents and disasters through labeled dentures plays a key role in forensic scenario. A number of denture labeling methods are available, and studies evaluating their reliability under drastic conditions are vital. Aim: This study was conducted to evaluate the reliability of QR (Quick Response) Code labeled at various depths in heat-cured acrylic blocks after acid treatment, heat treatment (burns), and fracture in forensics. It was an in vitro study. Materials and Methods: This study included 160 specimens of heat-cured acrylic blocks (1.8 cm × 1.8 cm) and these were divided into 4 groups (40 samples per group). QR Codes were incorporated in the samples using clear acrylic sheet and they were assessed for reliability under various depths, acid, heat, and fracture. Data were analyzed using Chi-square test, test of proportion. Results: The QR Code inclusion technique was reliable under various depths of acrylic sheet, acid (sulfuric acid 99%, hydrochloric acid 40%) and heat (up to 370°C). Results were variable with fracture of QR Code labeled acrylic blocks. Conclusion: Within the limitations of the study, by analyzing the results, it was clearly indicated that the QR Code technique was reliable under various depths of acrylic sheet, acid, and heat (370°C). Effectiveness varied in fracture and depended on the level of distortion. This study thus suggests that QR Code is an effective and simpler denture labeling method. PMID:28123284

Metabolite pools and carbon flow during C4 photosynthesis in maize: 13CO2 labeling kinetics and cell type fractionation.

PubMed

Arrivault, Stéphanie; Obata, Toshihiro; Szecówka, Marek; Mengin, Virginie; Guenther, Manuela; Hoehne, Melanie; Fernie, Alisdair R; Stitt, Mark

2017-01-01

Worldwide efforts to engineer C 4 photosynthesis into C 3 crops require a deep understanding of how this complex pathway operates. CO 2 is incorporated into four-carbon metabolites in the mesophyll, which move to the bundle sheath where they are decarboxylated to concentrate CO 2 around RuBisCO. We performed dynamic 13 CO 2 labeling in maize to analyze C flow in C 4 photosynthesis. The overall labeling kinetics reflected the topology of C 4 photosynthesis. Analyses of cell-specific labeling patterns after fractionation to enrich bundle sheath and mesophyll cells revealed concentration gradients to drive intercellular diffusion of malate, but not pyruvate, in the major CO 2 -concentrating shuttle. They also revealed intercellular concentration gradients of aspartate, alanine, and phosphenolpyruvate to drive a second phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase (PEPCK)-type shuttle, which carries 10-14% of the carbon into the bundle sheath. Gradients also exist to drive intercellular exchange of 3-phosphoglycerate and triose-phosphate. There is rapid carbon exchange between the Calvin-Benson cycle and the CO 2 -concentrating shuttle, equivalent to ~10% of carbon gain. In contrast, very little C leaks from the large pools of metabolites in the C concentration shuttle into respiratory metabolism. We postulate that the presence of multiple shuttles, alongside carbon transfer between them and the Calvin-Benson cycle, confers great flexibility in C 4 photosynthesis. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology.

Topics in Library Technology: Labeling Techniques *

PubMed Central

Truelson, Stanley D.

1966-01-01

Labels which do not fit on the spines of books should be placed on the upper rather than lower left corner of the front cover, because the upper corner becomes visible first when a volume is tilted from the shelf. None of the past methods of marking call numbers on the spines or covers of books—direct hand lettering by pen, brush, or stylus; affixing cold release characters; embossing by hot type; or gluing labels which are handlettered, typed, or printed—nor even present automatic data processing systems have offered all the advantages of the relatively new Se-Lin labeling system: legibility, reasonable speed of application, automatic protective covering, permanent bonding, and no need for a skilled letterer. Labels seem unaesthetic to some librarians, but their advantages outweigh this consideration. When only one or a few copies of the same call number are required, Se-Lin is the best system now available for libraries marking over 1,000 books a year. PMID:5901359

Technetium-99m labeled red blood cells in the evaluation of hemangiosarcoma

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

Joseph, U.A.; Jhingran, S.G.

Imaging with Tc-99m labeled red blood cells (RBC) is increasingly being used in the detection of acute gastro-intestinal bleeding, especially in patients with intermittent bleeding. A patient is presented in whom the labeled RBC scan was helpful in the incidental discovery of a previously unsuspected probable angiosarcoma of the right femur and adjacent soft tissues of the right hip due to the blood pool or blush effect of the labeled cells. The labeled RBC scan also identified extravasation due to active gastrointestinal bleeding from a previously unknown angiosarcoma of the ascending colon. Thus, the Tc-99m labeled RBC scan was usefulmore » in simultaneously detecting extravasation and blood pool effect at two remote tumor sites in the same patient.« less

3D GRASE PROPELLER: improved image acquisition technique for arterial spin labeling perfusion imaging.

PubMed

Tan, Huan; Hoge, W Scott; Hamilton, Craig A; Günther, Matthias; Kraft, Robert A

2011-07-01

Arterial spin labeling is a noninvasive technique that can quantitatively measure cerebral blood flow. While traditionally arterial spin labeling employs 2D echo planar imaging or spiral acquisition trajectories, single-shot 3D gradient echo and spin echo (GRASE) is gaining popularity in arterial spin labeling due to inherent signal-to-noise ratio advantage and spatial coverage. However, a major limitation of 3D GRASE is through-plane blurring caused by T(2) decay. A novel technique combining 3D GRASE and a periodically rotated overlapping parallel lines with enhanced reconstruction trajectory (PROPELLER) is presented to minimize through-plane blurring without sacrificing perfusion sensitivity or increasing total scan time. Full brain perfusion images were acquired at a 3 × 3 × 5 mm(3) nominal voxel size with pulsed arterial spin labeling preparation sequence. Data from five healthy subjects was acquired on a GE 1.5T scanner in less than 4 minutes per subject. While showing good agreement in cerebral blood flow quantification with 3D gradient echo and spin echo, 3D GRASE PROPELLER demonstrated reduced through-plane blurring, improved anatomical details, high repeatability and robustness against motion, making it suitable for routine clinical use. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Genetic linkage analysis using pooled DNA and infrared detection of tailed STRP primer patterns

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oetting, William S.; Wildenberg, Scott C.; King, Richard A.

1996-04-01

The mapping of a disease locus to a specific chromosomal region is an important step in the eventual isolation and analysis of a disease causing gene. Conventional mapping methods analyze large multiplex families and/or smaller nuclear families to find linkage between the disease and a chromosome marker that maps to a known chromosomal region. This analysis is time consuming and tedious, typically requiring the determination of 30,000 genotypes or more. For appropriate populations, we have instead utilized pooled DNA samples for gene mapping which greatly reduces the amount of time necessary for an initial chromosomal screen. This technique assumes a common founder for the disease locus of interest and searches for a region of a chromosome shared between affected individuals. Our analysis involves the PCR amplification of short tandem repeat polymorphisms (STRP) to detect these shared regions. In order to reduce the cost of genotyping, we have designed unlabeled tailed PCR primers which, when combined with a labeled universal primer, provides for an alternative to synthesizing custom labeled primers. The STRP pattern is visualized with an infrared fluorescence based automated DNA sequencer and the patterns quantitated by densitometric analysis of the allele pattern. Differences in the distribution of alleles between pools of affected and unaffected individuals, including a reduction in the number of alleles in the affected pool, indicate the sharing of a region of a chromosome. We have found this method effective for markers 10 - 15 cM away from the disease locus for a recessive genetic disease.

Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) emission of Scots pine under drought stress - a 13CO2 labeling study to determine de novo and pool emissions under different treatments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lüpke, M.

2015-12-01

Plants emit biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) to e.g. communicate and to defend herbivores. Yet BVOCs also impact atmospheric chemistry processes, and lead to e.g. the built up of secondary organic aerosols. Abiotic stresses, such as drought, however highly influence plant physiology and subsequently BVOCs emission rates. In this study, we investigated the effect of drought stress on BVOCs emission rates of Scots pine trees, a de novo and pool emitter, under controlled climate chamber conditions within a dynamic enclosure system consisting of four plant chambers. Isotopic labeling with 13CO2 was used to detect which ratio of emissions of BVOCs derives from actual synthesis and from storage organs under different treatments. Additionally, the synthesis rate of the BVOCs synthesis can be determined. The experiment consisted of two campaigns (July 2015 and August 2015) of two control and two treated trees respectively in four controlled dynamic chambers simultaneously. Each campaign lasted for around 21 days and can be split into five phases: adaptation, control, dry-out, drought- and re-watering phase. The actual drought phase lasted around five days. During the campaigns two samples of BVOCs emissions were sampled per day and night on thermal desorption tubes and analyzed by a gas chromatograph coupled with a mass spectrometer and a flame ionization detector. Additionally, gas exchange of water and CO2, soil moisture, as well as leaf and chamber temperature was monitored continuously. 13CO2 labeling was performed simultaneously in all chambers during the phases control, drought and re-watering for five hours respectively. During the 13CO2 labeling four BVOCs emission samples per chamber were taken to identify the labeling rate on emitted BVOCs. First results show a decrease of BVOCs emissions during the drought phase and a recovery of emission after re-watering, as well as different strength of reduction of single compounds. The degree of labeling with 13

New pharmacokinetic methods. III. Two simple test for deep pool effect

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

Browne, T.R.; Greenblatt, D.J.; Schumacher, G.E.

1990-08-01

If a portion of administered drug is distributed into a deep peripheral compartment, the drug's actual elimination half-life during the terminal exponential phase of elimination may be longer than determined by a single dose study or a tracer dose study (deep pool effect). Two simple methods of testing for deep pool effect applicable to drugs with either linear or nonlinear pharmacokinetic properties are described. The methods are illustrated with stable isotope labeled (13C15N2) tracer dose studies of phenytoin. No significant (P less than .05) deep pool effect was detected.

Thyroid uptake of (/sup 99m/Tc) pertechnetate during in vivo RBC labeling: incidental diagnosis of hypothyroidism

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

Holmes, K.A.; Ponto, J.A.

1981-09-01

Increased thyroid activity was incidentally observed during an in vivo labeled Tc-99m blood pool scan and subsequent evaluation resulted in a diagnosis of hypothyroidism. Alternate explanations of abnormal thyroid uptake on in vivo labeled blood pool scans were considered and are discussed briefly.

Less label, more free: approaches in label-free quantitative mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Neilson, Karlie A; Ali, Naveid A; Muralidharan, Sridevi; Mirzaei, Mehdi; Mariani, Michael; Assadourian, Gariné; Lee, Albert; van Sluyter, Steven C; Haynes, Paul A

2011-02-01

In this review we examine techniques, software, and statistical analyses used in label-free quantitative proteomics studies for area under the curve and spectral counting approaches. Recent advances in the field are discussed in an order that reflects a logical workflow design. Examples of studies that follow this design are presented to highlight the requirement for statistical assessment and further experiments to validate results from label-free quantitation. Limitations of label-free approaches are considered, label-free approaches are compared with labelling techniques, and forward-looking applications for label-free quantitative data are presented. We conclude that label-free quantitative proteomics is a reliable, versatile, and cost-effective alternative to labelled quantitation. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The superiority of indium ratio over blood pool subtraction in analysis of indium-111 platelet deposition on thoraco-abdominal prosthetic grafts

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

Ripley, S.; Wakefield, T.; Spaulding, S.

1985-05-01

In this investigation platelet deposition in polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE) thoracoabdominal grafts (TAC's) was evaluated using two different semi-quantitative techniques. Ten PTFE TAG's 6 mm in diameter and 30 cm in length were inserted into 10 mongrel dogs. One, 4 and 6 weeks after graft implantation the animals were injected with autologous In-111 platelets labelled by a modified Thakur technique. Platelet imaging in grafts was performed 48 hrs after injection. Blood pool was determined by Tc99m labelled RBC's (in vivo/in vitro technique). Semi-quantitative analysis was performed by subdividing the imaged graft into three major regions and selecting a reference region from eithermore » the native aorta or common iliac artery. Excess platelet deposition was determined by two methods: 1) the ratio of In-111 counts in the graft ROI''s to the reference region and 2) the percent In-111 excess using the Tc99m blood pool subtraction technique (TBPST). Animals were sacrificed 7 weeks after implantation and radioactivity in the excised grafts was determined using a well counter. A positive correlation was found to exist between the In-111 ratio percent analysis (IRPA) and the direct gamma counting (DCC) for all three segments of the prosthetic graft. Correlation coefficients for the thorax, midsegment and abdominal segments were 0.80, 0.73 and 0.48 respectivly. There was no correlation between TBPST and DGC. Using the IRPA technique the thrombogenicity of TAG's can be routinely assessed and is clinically applicable for patient use. TBPST should probably be limited to the extremities to avoid error due to free Tc99m counts from kidneys and ureters.« less

Vascular labeling of the head and neck vessels: Technique, advantages and limitations.

PubMed

Gálvez, Alba; Caraballo, José-Leonardo; Manzanares-Céspedes, María-Cristina; Valdivia-Gandur, Iván; Figueiredo, Rui; Valmaseda-Castellón, Eduard

2017-05-01

Vascular staining techniques have been used to describe the vascular structures of several anatomic areas. However, few reports have described this procedure in the head and neck region. This paper describes a head and neck vascular labeling procedure, and describes some of the technical complications that may occur. Fifteen specimen cadaver heads were prepared. After drying the vascular system, the internal carotid arteries were ligated and a solution with latex and a gelling agent was injected into the internal carotid arteries and external jugular veins. Two different colors were employed to differentiate arteries from veins. A total of 60ml latex was injected into each blood vessel. Subsequently, the specimens were refrigerated at 5°C for a minimum of 24 hours. Finally, a dissection was performed to identify the venous and arterial systems of the maxillofacial region. In most specimens, correct identification of the vascular structures (lingual artery, pterigoyd plexus, and the major palatal arteries, among others) was possible. However, in three heads a major technical problem occurred (the latex remained liquid), making the dissection unfeasible. Other minor complications such as latex obstruction due to the presence of atheromas were found in two further specimens. The vascular labeling technique is a predictable, effective and simple method for analyzing the vascular system of the maxillofacial area in cadaveric studies, including vessels of reduced diameter or with an intraosseous course. This procedure can be especially useful to teach vascular anatomy to dental students and postgraduate residents. Key words: Blood vessels, vascular casting, vascular labeling, head and neck arteries, carotid arteries, jugular veins.

Seasonal patterns of carbon allocation to respiratory pools in 60-yr-old deciduous (Fagus sylvatica) and evergreen (Picea abies) trees assessed via whole-tree stable carbon isotope labeling.

PubMed

Kuptz, Daniel; Fleischmann, Frank; Matyssek, Rainer; Grams, Thorsten E E

2011-07-01

• The CO(2) efflux of adult trees is supplied by recent photosynthates and carbon (C) stores. The extent to which these C pools contribute to growth and maintenance respiration (R(G) and R(M), respectively) remains obscure. • Recent photosynthates of adult beech (Fagus sylvatica) and spruce (Picea abies) trees were labeled by exposing whole-tree canopies to (13) C-depleted CO(2). Label was applied three times during the year (in spring, early summer and late summer) and changes in the stable C isotope composition (δ(13) C) of trunk and coarse-root CO(2) efflux were quantified. • Seasonal patterns in C translocation rate (CTR) and fractional contribution of label to CO(2) efflux (F(Label-Max)) were found. CTR was fastest during early summer. In beech, F(Label-Max) was lowest in spring and peaked in trunks during late summer (0.6 ± 0.1, mean ± SE), whereas no trend was observed in coarse roots. No seasonal dynamics in F(Label-Max) were found in spruce. • During spring, the R(G) of beech trunks was largely supplied by C stores. Recent photosynthates supplied growth in early summer and refilled C stores in late summer. In spruce, CO(2) efflux was constantly supplied by a mixture of stored (c. 75%) and recent (c. 25%) C. The hypothesis that R(G) is exclusively supplied by recent photosynthates was rejected for both species. © 2011 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2011 New Phytologist Trust.

Iron bioavailability studies as assessed by intrinsic and extrinsic labeling techniques

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

Johnson, C.D.

Although soybeans are a rich source of iron and incorporation of soy protein into diets is increasing, the presence of phytate or fiber endogenous to the seeds may inhibit total iron absorption from diets including soy protein. Four studies on iron bioavailability as assessed by intrinsic and extrinsic labeling techniques in rats were completed. The effect of previous dietary protein on the absorption of intrinsically /sup 59/Fe labeled defatted soy flour was determined in rats. The results indicated that the type of dietary protein (animal vs. plant) in pre-test diets would have little influence on iron absorption from a singlemore » soy protein test meal. Therefore, adaptation of soy protein does not improve bioavailability of iron. Soybean hulls were investigated as a source of iron fortification in bread. The results indicated that retention of /sup 59/Fe from white bread baked with soy hulls did not differ from white bread fortified with bakery grade ferrous sulfate. The effect of endogenous soybean phytate on iron absorption in rats was measured using seeds of varying phytate content and intrinsically labeled with /sup 59/Fe. Increasing concentration of phytate in whole soybean flour had no significant effect on iron absorption.« less

Identification of pilin pools in the membranes of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

PubMed Central

Watts, T H; Worobec, E A; Paranchych, W

1982-01-01

The proteins of purified inner and outer membranes obtained from Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains PAK and PAK/2Pfs were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, transferred to nitrocellulose, and treated with antiserum raised against pure pili. Bound antipilus antibodies were visualized by reaction with 125I-labeled protein A from Staphylococcus aureus. The results showed that there are pools of pilin in both the inner and outer membranes of P. aeruginosa and that the pool size in the multipiliated strain is comparable with that of the wild-type strain. Images PMID:6813311

Automatic detection of adverse events to predict drug label changes using text and data mining techniques.

PubMed

Gurulingappa, Harsha; Toldo, Luca; Rajput, Abdul Mateen; Kors, Jan A; Taweel, Adel; Tayrouz, Yorki

2013-11-01

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of automatically detected adverse event signals from text and open-source data on the prediction of drug label changes. Open-source adverse effect data were collected from FAERS, Yellow Cards and SIDER databases. A shallow linguistic relation extraction system (JSRE) was applied for extraction of adverse effects from MEDLINE case reports. Statistical approach was applied on the extracted datasets for signal detection and subsequent prediction of label changes issued for 29 drugs by the UK Regulatory Authority in 2009. 76% of drug label changes were automatically predicted. Out of these, 6% of drug label changes were detected only by text mining. JSRE enabled precise identification of four adverse drug events from MEDLINE that were undetectable otherwise. Changes in drug labels can be predicted automatically using data and text mining techniques. Text mining technology is mature and well-placed to support the pharmacovigilance tasks. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Photosynthetic carbon metabolism in seagrasses C-labeling evidence for the c(3) pathway.

PubMed

Andrews, T J; Abel, K M

1979-04-01

The delta(13)C values of several seagrasses were considerably less negative than those of terrestrial C(3) plants and tended toward those of terrestrial C(4) plants. However, for Thalassia hemprichii (Ehrenb.) Aschers and Halophila spinulosa (R. Br.) Aschers, phosphoglycerate and other C(3) cycle intermediates predominated among the early labeled products of photosynthesis in (14)C-labeled seawater (more than 90% at the earliest times) and the labeling pattern at longer times was brought about by the operation of the C(3) pathway. Malate and aspartate together accounted for only a minor fraction of the total fixed label at all times and the kinetic data of this labeling were not at all consistent with these compounds being early intermediates in seagrass photosynthesis. Pulse-chase (14)C-labeling studies further substantiated these conclusions. Significant labeling of photorespiratory intermediates was observed in all experiments. The kinetics of total fixation of label during some steady-state and pulse-chase experiments suggested that there may be an intermediate pool of inorganic carbon of variable size closely associated with the leaves, either externally or internally. Such a pool may be one cause for the C(4)-like carbon isotope ratios of seagrasses.

A microfluidics-based technique for automated and rapid labeling of cells for flow cytometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patibandla, Phani K.; Estrada, Rosendo; Kannan, Manasaa; Sethu, Palaniappan

2014-03-01

Flow cytometry is a powerful technique capable of simultaneous multi-parametric analysis of heterogeneous cell populations for research and clinical applications. In recent years, the flow cytometer has been miniaturized and made portable for application in clinical- and resource-limited settings. The sample preparation procedure, i.e. labeling of cells with antibodies conjugated to fluorescent labels, is a time consuming (˜45 min) and labor-intensive procedure. Microfluidics provides enabling technologies to accomplish rapid and automated sample preparation. Using an integrated microfluidic device consisting of a labeling and washing module, we demonstrate a new protocol that can eliminate sample handling and accomplish sample and reagent metering, high-efficiency mixing, labeling and washing in rapid automated fashion. The labeling module consists of a long microfluidic channel with an integrated chaotic mixer. Samples and reagents are precisely metered into this device to accomplish rapid and high-efficiency mixing. The mixed sample and reagents are collected in a holding syringe and held for up to 8 min following which the mixture is introduced into an inertial washing module to obtain ‘analysis-ready’ samples. The washing module consists of a high aspect ratio channel capable of focusing cells to equilibrium positions close to the channel walls. By introducing the cells and labeling reagents in a narrow stream at the center of the channel flanked on both sides by a wash buffer, the elution of cells into the wash buffer away from the free unbound antibodies is accomplished. After initial calibration experiments to determine appropriate ‘holding time’ to allow antibody binding, both modules were used in conjunction to label MOLT-3 cells (T lymphoblast cell line) with three different antibodies simultaneously. Results confirm no significant difference in mean fluorescence intensity values for all three antibodies labels (p < 0.01) between the

HCP: A Flexible CNN Framework for Multi-label Image Classification.

PubMed

Wei, Yunchao; Xia, Wei; Lin, Min; Huang, Junshi; Ni, Bingbing; Dong, Jian; Zhao, Yao; Yan, Shuicheng

2015-10-26

Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) has demonstrated promising performance in single-label image classification tasks. However, how CNN best copes with multi-label images still remains an open problem, mainly due to the complex underlying object layouts and insufficient multi-label training images. In this work, we propose a flexible deep CNN infrastructure, called Hypotheses-CNN-Pooling (HCP), where an arbitrary number of object segment hypotheses are taken as the inputs, then a shared CNN is connected with each hypothesis, and finally the CNN output results from different hypotheses are aggregated with max pooling to produce the ultimate multi-label predictions. Some unique characteristics of this flexible deep CNN infrastructure include: 1) no ground-truth bounding box information is required for training; 2) the whole HCP infrastructure is robust to possibly noisy and/or redundant hypotheses; 3) the shared CNN is flexible and can be well pre-trained with a large-scale single-label image dataset, e.g., ImageNet; and 4) it may naturally output multi-label prediction results. Experimental results on Pascal VOC 2007 and VOC 2012 multi-label image datasets well demonstrate the superiority of the proposed HCP infrastructure over other state-of-the-arts. In particular, the mAP reaches 90.5% by HCP only and 93.2% after the fusion with our complementary result in [44] based on hand-crafted features on the VOC 2012 dataset.

Alcoholism Detection by Data Augmentation and Convolutional Neural Network with Stochastic Pooling.

PubMed

Wang, Shui-Hua; Lv, Yi-Ding; Sui, Yuxiu; Liu, Shuai; Wang, Su-Jing; Zhang, Yu-Dong

2017-11-17

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) is an important brain disease. It alters the brain structure. Recently, scholars tend to use computer vision based techniques to detect AUD. We collected 235 subjects, 114 alcoholic and 121 non-alcoholic. Among the 235 image, 100 images were used as training set, and data augmentation method was used. The rest 135 images were used as test set. Further, we chose the latest powerful technique-convolutional neural network (CNN) based on convolutional layer, rectified linear unit layer, pooling layer, fully connected layer, and softmax layer. We also compared three different pooling techniques: max pooling, average pooling, and stochastic pooling. The results showed that our method achieved a sensitivity of 96.88%, a specificity of 97.18%, and an accuracy of 97.04%. Our method was better than three state-of-the-art approaches. Besides, stochastic pooling performed better than other max pooling and average pooling. We validated CNN with five convolution layers and two fully connected layers performed the best. The GPU yielded a 149× acceleration in training and a 166× acceleration in test, compared to CPU.

Application of fluorescently labeled tracer technique for detection of natural active macromolecules in Chinese medicine.

PubMed

Zeng, Qiao-Hui; Zhang, Xue-Wu; Xu, Kai-Peng; Jiang, Jian-Guo

2014-02-01

Active substances in traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) contain not only a variety of small molecules, but also many other macromolecules (TCMMs), such as proteins, peptides and polysaccharides. Active TCMM can achieve good therapeutic effects by regulating the body's overall function with lower side effects. This review summarized the literatures published in recent years on the application of fluorescently labeled tracer technique for detection of natural active macromolecules in TCM. Classified by fluorescent markers, applications of fluorescein, rhodamine, and quantum dots (QDs) in TCMM active tracer are reviewed, and the methods and principles of TCMM fluorescent marker are illustrated. Studies on active TCMMs and their action mechanism are quite difficult due to a multitarget, multicomponent, and multipath system of TCM. However, the development of fluorescently labeled active tracer technique (FLATT) provides this research with new tools. Traditional fluorescent markers have many deficiencies, such as easily quenched, short luminous cycle, and intrinsic toxicity. Relatively, FLATT has many obvious advantages, and its application in TCMM is still at the early stage. In order to improve the overall level of fluorescence labeling in TCMM active tracer, the improvement on FLATT's detection sensitivity and biological affinity is urgent and critical to allow study of these interesting molecules.

Synthetic techniques of radiopharmaceuticals production labeled with C-11 for PET in cardiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dyubkov, V. S.; Ekaeva, I. V.; Katunina, T. A.; Rumyantsev, A. S.; Silchenkov, A. V.; Tuflina, T. V.

2017-01-01

Positron emission tomography (PET) and PET-Computerised Tomography (CT) are unique, non-invasive diagnostic techniques, in which the local, temporal and quantitative distributions of radioactive labelled substances are measured to investigate physiological processes. It is well known that PET centre of Bakulev Scientific Centre for Cardiovascular Surgery is the oldest one in Moscow. During more than fifteen years a large number of patients have received PET scans. Due to main stream of Scientific Centre, emphasis is placed on examining the heart functioning. For the diagnosis innervation of the heart muscle a number of radiopharmaceuticals are used, including PET radiopharmaceuticals such as 11C-CGP 12177, 11C-meta-hydroxyephedrine as well as its synthetic analogues labelled with other PET radionuclides (18F, 68Ga). 11C-meta-hydroxyephedrine is one of the most perspective radiopharmaceutical for an investigation of cardiac receptors function due to required materials availability for a radio synthesis in Russia. The main advantage of proposed 11C-meta-hydroxyephedrine synthesis technique is the use of a catalyst which allows one decrease reaction time from 5 minutes to 30 seconds. Obtained results allow one decrease reaction time of methylation and increase radiochemical and technological yields.

21 CFR 606.121 - Container label.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... prepared in a system that might compromise sterility, the hour of expiration. (ii) If Source Plasma... collection date for each unit in the pool. (5) For Whole Blood, Plasma, Platelets, and partial units of Red... the container label for Source Plasma is not required to list the negative results of serological...

21 CFR 606.121 - Container label.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... prepared in a system that might compromise sterility, the hour of expiration. (ii) If Source Plasma... collection date for each unit in the pool. (5) For Whole Blood, Plasma, Platelets, and partial units of Red... the container label for Source Plasma is not required to list the negative results of serological...

16 CFR Appendix J2 to Part 305 - Pool Heaters-Oil

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... DISCLOSURES REGARDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND WATER USE OF CERTAIN HOME APPLIANCES AND OTHER PRODUCTS REQUIRED UNDER THE ENERGY POLICY AND CONSERVATION ACT (âAPPLIANCE LABELING RULEâ) Pt. 305, App. J2 Appendix J2 to Part 305—Pool Heaters—Oil Range Information Manufacturer's rated heating capacities Range of Thermal...

16 CFR Appendix J1 to Part 305 - Pool Heaters-Gas

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... DISCLOSURES REGARDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND WATER USE OF CERTAIN HOME APPLIANCES AND OTHER PRODUCTS REQUIRED UNDER THE ENERGY POLICY AND CONSERVATION ACT (âAPPLIANCE LABELING RULEâ) Pt. 305, App. J1 Appendix J1 to Part 305—Pool Heaters—Gas Range Information Manufacturer's rated heating capacity Range of Thermal...

16 CFR Appendix J2 to Part 305 - Pool Heaters-Oil

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... DISCLOSURES REGARDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND WATER USE OF CERTAIN HOME APPLIANCES AND OTHER PRODUCTS REQUIRED UNDER THE ENERGY POLICY AND CONSERVATION ACT (âAPPLIANCE LABELING RULEâ) Pt. 305, App. J2 Appendix J2 to Part 305—Pool Heaters—Oil Range Information Manufacturer's rated heating capacities Range of Thermal...

16 CFR Appendix J2 to Part 305 - Pool Heaters-Oil

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... DISCLOSURES REGARDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND WATER USE OF CERTAIN HOME APPLIANCES AND OTHER PRODUCTS REQUIRED UNDER THE ENERGY POLICY AND CONSERVATION ACT (âAPPLIANCE LABELING RULEâ) Pt. 305, App. J2 Appendix J2 to Part 305—Pool Heaters—Oil Range Information Manufacturer's rated heating capacities Range of Thermal...

16 CFR Appendix J1 to Part 305 - Pool Heaters-Gas

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... DISCLOSURES REGARDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND WATER USE OF CERTAIN HOME APPLIANCES AND OTHER PRODUCTS REQUIRED UNDER THE ENERGY POLICY AND CONSERVATION ACT (âAPPLIANCE LABELING RULEâ) Pt. 305, App. J1 Appendix J1 to Part 305—Pool Heaters—Gas Range Information Manufacturer's rated heating capacity Range of Thermal...

16 CFR Appendix J2 to Part 305 - Pool Heaters-Oil

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... DISCLOSURES REGARDING ENERGY CONSUMPTION AND WATER USE OF CERTAIN HOME APPLIANCES AND OTHER PRODUCTS REQUIRED UNDER THE ENERGY POLICY AND CONSERVATION ACT (âAPPLIANCE LABELING RULEâ) Pt. 305, App. J2 Appendix J2 to Part 305—Pool Heaters—Oil Range Information Manufacturer's rated heating capacities Range of Thermal...

A label distance maximum-based classifier for multi-label learning.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaoli; Bao, Hang; Zhao, Dazhe; Cao, Peng

2015-01-01

Multi-label classification is useful in many bioinformatics tasks such as gene function prediction and protein site localization. This paper presents an improved neural network algorithm, Max Label Distance Back Propagation Algorithm for Multi-Label Classification. The method was formulated by modifying the total error function of the standard BP by adding a penalty term, which was realized by maximizing the distance between the positive and negative labels. Extensive experiments were conducted to compare this method against state-of-the-art multi-label methods on three popular bioinformatic benchmark datasets. The results illustrated that this proposed method is more effective for bioinformatic multi-label classification compared to commonly used techniques.

Frozen gene pools - A future for species otherwise destined for extinction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gee, G.F.

1986-01-01

Conclusion: Semen banks and ova and embryo banks can be practical methods to maintain gene pools. Gene pool preservation is desperately needed today due to the rapid decline in number of species and their habitat, a matter that is of concern to.biologists, economists, and politicians worldwide. Techniques are available for the cryopreservation of semen from many animals (and embryos from a few mammals) and adaptations of these techniques to other animals should be possible. A frozen gene pool in conjunction with existing programs makes it possible to preserve gene pools at less cost or in.some cases where no other alternative to extinction existed.

Monkey extensor digitorum communis motoneuron pool: Proximal dendritic trees and small motoneurons.

PubMed

Jenny, Arthur B; Cheney, Paul D; Jenny, Andrew K

2018-05-14

Transverse sections of the monkey cervical spinal cord from a previous study (Jenny and Inukai, 1983) were reanalyzed using Neurolucida to create a three-dimensional display of extensor digitorum communis (EDC) motoneurons and proximal dendrites that had been labeled with horse radish peroxidase (HRP). The EDC motoneuron pool was located primarily in the C8 and T1 segments of the spinal cord. Small motoneurons (cell body areas less than 500 μm 2 and presumed to be gamma motoneurons) comprised about ten percent of the motoneurons and were located throughout the length of the motoneuron pool. Most small motoneurons were oblong in shape and had one or two major dendrites originating from the cell body in the transverse plane of section. The majority of the HRP labeled dendritic trees were directed either superiorly, dorsal-medially to the mid zone area between the base of the dorsal horn and the upper portion of the ventral horn, or medially to the ventromedial gray matter. The longer HRP labeled dendrites usually continued in the same radial direction as when originating from the cell body. As such we considered the radial direction of the longer proximal HRP labeled dendrites to be a reasonable estimate of the radial direction of the more distal dendritic tree. Our data suggest that the motoneuron dendritic tree as seen in transverse section has direction-oriented dendrites that extend toward functional terminal regions. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Probing metabolic processes of intact soil microbial communities using position-specific 13C-labeled glucose

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fairbanks, D. E.; Hungate, B. A.; KOCH, G. W.; Schwartz, E.; Dijkstra, P.

2012-12-01

Soils represent one of the largest carbon pools in the terrestrial biosphere and fluxes into or out of this pool may feedback to current climate change. Understanding the mechanisms behind microbial processes regulating C cycling, microbial turnover, and soil organic matter stabilization is hindered by our lack of understanding of the details of microbial physiology in soils. Position-specific 13C labeled metabolic tracers are proposed as a new way to probe microbial community energy production, biosynthesis, C use efficiency (the proportion of substrate incorporated into microbial biomass), and enables the determination of C fluxes through the various C metabolic pathways. We determined the 13CO2 production from microbial communities within a one hour time frame by adding six isotopomers (1-13C, 2-13C, 3-13C, 4-13C, 5-13C, 6-13C) of glucose in parallel incubations using a young volcanic soil (Pinyon-juniper wood, near Sunset Crater, Flagstaff, Arizona). We compared the measured rates of position-specific 13CO2 production with modeled results based on glucose (1-13C and U-13C) and pyruvate (1-13C and 2,3-13C) incubations. These labeling and modeling techniques may improve our ability to analyze the biochemistry and ecophysiology of intact soil microbial communities.

VERSATILE, HIGH-RESOLUTION ANTEROGRADE LABELING OF VAGAL EFFERENT PROJECTIONS WITH DEXTRAN AMINES

PubMed Central

Walter, Gary C.; Phillips, Robert J.; Baronowsky, Elizabeth A.; Powley, Terry L.

2009-01-01

None of the anterograde tracers used to label and investigate vagal preganglionic neurons projecting to the viscera has proved optimal for routine and extensive labeling of autonomic terminal fields. To identify an alternative tracer protocol, the present experiment evaluated whether dextran conjugates, which have produced superior results in the CNS, might yield widespread and effective labeling of long, fine-caliber vagal efferents in the peripheral nervous system. The dextran conjugates that were evaluated proved reliable and versatile for labeling the motor neuron pool in its entirety, for single- and multiple-labeling protocols, for both conventional and confocal fluorescence microscopy, and for permanent labeling protocols for brightfield microscopy of the projections to the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Using a standard ABC kit followed by visualization with DAB as the chromagen, Golgi-like labeling of the vagal efferent terminal fields in the GI wall was achieved with the biotinylated dextrans. The definition of individual terminal varicosities was so sharp and detailed that it was routinely practical to examine the relationship of putative vagal efferent contacts (by the criteria of high magnification light microscopy) with the dendritic and somatic architecture of counterstained neurons in the myenteric plexus. Overall, dextran conjugates provide high-definition labeling of an extensive vagal motor pool in the GI tract, and offer considerable versatility when multiple-staining protocols are needed to elucidate the complexities of the innervation of the gut. PMID:19056424

13 CFR 120.611 - Pools backing Pool Certificates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pools backing Pool Certificates. 120.611 Section 120.611 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Secondary Market Certificates § 120.611 Pools backing Pool Certificates. (a) Pool characteristics. As set...

13 CFR 120.611 - Pools backing Pool Certificates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Pools backing Pool Certificates. 120.611 Section 120.611 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Secondary Market Certificates § 120.611 Pools backing Pool Certificates. (a) Pool characteristics. As set...

Application of the isotope-dilution principle to the analysis of factors affecting the incorporation of [3H]uridine and [3H]cytidine into cultured lymphocytes. Evaluation of pools in serum and culture media

PubMed Central

Forsdyke, D. R.

1971-01-01

1. Rat lymph-node cells were incubated in serum and medium 199 with [5-3H]uridine or [5-3H]cytidine and acid-precipitable radioactivity was measured. Results were interpreted in terms of an isotope-dilution model. 2. Both serum and medium 199 contained pools that inhibited radioactive labelling in a competitive manner. The serum activity was diffusible and inhibited labelling with [3H]cytidine more than with [3H]uridine; in these respects the activity resembled cytidine (14μm). 3. The pools in serum and plasma were the same size; however, the rate of labelling was greater in plasma, owing to a diffusible factor. 4. Paradoxically, relatively simple media (Earle's salts and Eagle's minimum essential) appeared to have a larger pool than the more complex pyrimidine-containing medium 199; this suggests a contribution to the pool by cells in the simple media. 5. In the absence of pools the average cell was capable of incorporating 2000 radioactive nucleoside molecules/s. PMID:4947658

Sparse feature learning for instrument identification: Effects of sampling and pooling methods.

PubMed

Han, Yoonchang; Lee, Subin; Nam, Juhan; Lee, Kyogu

2016-05-01

Feature learning for music applications has recently received considerable attention from many researchers. This paper reports on the sparse feature learning algorithm for musical instrument identification, and in particular, focuses on the effects of the frame sampling techniques for dictionary learning and the pooling methods for feature aggregation. To this end, two frame sampling techniques are examined that are fixed and proportional random sampling. Furthermore, the effect of using onset frame was analyzed for both of proposed sampling methods. Regarding summarization of the feature activation, a standard deviation pooling method is used and compared with the commonly used max- and average-pooling techniques. Using more than 47 000 recordings of 24 instruments from various performers, playing styles, and dynamics, a number of tuning parameters are experimented including the analysis frame size, the dictionary size, and the type of frequency scaling as well as the different sampling and pooling methods. The results show that the combination of proportional sampling and standard deviation pooling achieve the best overall performance of 95.62% while the optimal parameter set varies among the instrument classes.

A general framework for the regression analysis of pooled biomarker assessments.

PubMed

Liu, Yan; McMahan, Christopher; Gallagher, Colin

2017-07-10

As a cost-efficient data collection mechanism, the process of assaying pooled biospecimens is becoming increasingly common in epidemiological research; for example, pooling has been proposed for the purpose of evaluating the diagnostic efficacy of biological markers (biomarkers). To this end, several authors have proposed techniques that allow for the analysis of continuous pooled biomarker assessments. Regretfully, most of these techniques proceed under restrictive assumptions, are unable to account for the effects of measurement error, and fail to control for confounding variables. These limitations are understandably attributable to the complex structure that is inherent to measurements taken on pooled specimens. Consequently, in order to provide practitioners with the tools necessary to accurately and efficiently analyze pooled biomarker assessments, herein, a general Monte Carlo maximum likelihood-based procedure is presented. The proposed approach allows for the regression analysis of pooled data under practically all parametric models and can be used to directly account for the effects of measurement error. Through simulation, it is shown that the proposed approach can accurately and efficiently estimate all unknown parameters and is more computational efficient than existing techniques. This new methodology is further illustrated using monocyte chemotactic protein-1 data collected by the Collaborative Perinatal Project in an effort to assess the relationship between this chemokine and the risk of miscarriage. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A highly efficient design strategy for regression with outcome pooling.

PubMed

Mitchell, Emily M; Lyles, Robert H; Manatunga, Amita K; Perkins, Neil J; Schisterman, Enrique F

2014-12-10

The potential for research involving biospecimens can be hindered by the prohibitive cost of performing laboratory assays on individual samples. To mitigate this cost, strategies such as randomly selecting a portion of specimens for analysis or randomly pooling specimens prior to performing laboratory assays may be employed. These techniques, while effective in reducing cost, are often accompanied by a considerable loss of statistical efficiency. We propose a novel pooling strategy based on the k-means clustering algorithm to reduce laboratory costs while maintaining a high level of statistical efficiency when predictor variables are measured on all subjects, but the outcome of interest is assessed in pools. We perform simulations motivated by the BioCycle study to compare this k-means pooling strategy with current pooling and selection techniques under simple and multiple linear regression models. While all of the methods considered produce unbiased estimates and confidence intervals with appropriate coverage, pooling under k-means clustering provides the most precise estimates, closely approximating results from the full data and losing minimal precision as the total number of pools decreases. The benefits of k-means clustering evident in the simulation study are then applied to an analysis of the BioCycle dataset. In conclusion, when the number of lab tests is limited by budget, pooling specimens based on k-means clustering prior to performing lab assays can be an effective way to save money with minimal information loss in a regression setting. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A Highly Efficient Design Strategy for Regression with Outcome Pooling

PubMed Central

Mitchell, Emily M.; Lyles, Robert H.; Manatunga, Amita K.; Perkins, Neil J.; Schisterman, Enrique F.

2014-01-01

The potential for research involving biospecimens can be hindered by the prohibitive cost of performing laboratory assays on individual samples. To mitigate this cost, strategies such as randomly selecting a portion of specimens for analysis or randomly pooling specimens prior to performing laboratory assays may be employed. These techniques, while effective in reducing cost, are often accompanied by a considerable loss of statistical efficiency. We propose a novel pooling strategy based on the k-means clustering algorithm to reduce laboratory costs while maintaining a high level of statistical efficiency when predictor variables are measured on all subjects, but the outcome of interest is assessed in pools. We perform simulations motivated by the BioCycle study to compare this k-means pooling strategy with current pooling and selection techniques under simple and multiple linear regression models. While all of the methods considered produce unbiased estimates and confidence intervals with appropriate coverage, pooling under k-means clustering provides the most precise estimates, closely approximating results from the full data and losing minimal precision as the total number of pools decreases. The benefits of k-means clustering evident in the simulation study are then applied to an analysis of the BioCycle dataset. In conclusion, when the number of lab tests is limited by budget, pooling specimens based on k-means clustering prior to performing lab assays can be an effective way to save money with minimal information loss in a regression setting. PMID:25220822

To label or not to label: applications of quantitative proteomics in neuroscience research.

PubMed

Filiou, Michaela D; Martins-de-Souza, Daniel; Guest, Paul C; Bahn, Sabine; Turck, Christoph W

2012-02-01

Proteomics has provided researchers with a sophisticated toolbox of labeling-based and label-free quantitative methods. These are now being applied in neuroscience research where they have already contributed to the elucidation of fundamental mechanisms and the discovery of candidate biomarkers. In this review, we evaluate and compare labeling-based and label-free quantitative proteomic techniques for applications in neuroscience research. We discuss the considerations required for the analysis of brain and central nervous system specimens, the experimental design of quantitative proteomic workflows as well as the feasibility, advantages, and disadvantages of the available techniques for neuroscience-oriented questions. Furthermore, we assess the use of labeled standards as internal controls for comparative studies in humans and review applications of labeling-based and label-free mass spectrometry approaches in relevant model organisms and human subjects. Providing a comprehensive guide of feasible and meaningful quantitative proteomic methodologies for neuroscience research is crucial not only for overcoming current limitations but also for gaining useful insights into brain function and translating proteomics from bench to bedside. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The topology of metabolic isotope labeling networks.

PubMed

Weitzel, Michael; Wiechert, Wolfgang; Nöh, Katharina

2007-08-29

Metabolic Flux Analysis (MFA) based on isotope labeling experiments (ILEs) is a widely established tool for determining fluxes in metabolic pathways. Isotope labeling networks (ILNs) contain all essential information required to describe the flow of labeled material in an ILE. Whereas recent experimental progress paves the way for high-throughput MFA, large network investigations and exact statistical methods, these developments are still limited by the poor performance of computational routines used for the evaluation and design of ILEs. In this context, the global analysis of ILN topology turns out to be a clue for realizing large speedup factors in all required computational procedures. With a strong focus on the speedup of algorithms the topology of ILNs is investigated using graph theoretic concepts and algorithms. A rigorous determination of all cyclic and isomorphic subnetworks, accompanied by the global analysis of ILN connectivity is performed. Particularly, it is proven that ILNs always brake up into a large number of small strongly connected components (SCCs) and, moreover, there are natural isomorphisms between many of these SCCs. All presented techniques are universal, i.e. they do not require special assumptions on the network structure, bidirectionality of fluxes, measurement configuration, or label input. The general results are exemplified with a practically relevant metabolic network which describes the central metabolism of E. coli comprising 10390 isotopomer pools. Exploiting the topological features of ILNs leads to a significant speedup of all universal algorithms for ILE evaluation. It is proven in theory and exemplified with the E. coli example that a speedup factor of about 1000 compared to standard algorithms is achieved. This widely opens the door for new high performance algorithms suitable for high throughput applications and large ILNs. Moreover, for the first time the global topological analysis of ILNs allows to comprehensively

Swimming Pools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ministry of Housing and Local Government, London (England).

Technical and engineering data are set forth on the design and construction of swimming pools. Consideration is given to site selection, pool construction, the comparative merits of combining open air and enclosed pools, and alternative uses of the pool. Guidelines are presented regarding--(1) pool size and use, (2) locker and changing rooms, (3)…

Use of radiocarbon and spectroscopic analyses to characterise soil organic matter pools isolated using different fractionation techniques.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Gemma; Cloy, Joanna; Garnett, Mark; Sohi, Saran; Rees, Robert; Griffiths, Bryan

2015-04-01

Experimental division of soil organic matter (SOM) into functional pools has the potential to improve soil C modelling. Soil physical fractionation techniques seek to quantify these pools, however the fractions isolated vary in number, size, ecological role and composition. The use of different techniques to quantify soil C fractions in different studies presents a question - do similar fractions isolated by different methods fit the same conceptual definition? This study examined a sandy loam from the south-west of Scotland, sampled in summer, which had been under grassland management for at least 20 years. We compared average 14C ages of SOM fractions isolated using three published and frequently applied physical fractionation methods (1) a density separation technique isolating three fractions - free light (FLF) < 1.8 cm 3, intra-aggregate light (IALF) < 1.8 cm-3 after aggregate disruption, and organo-mineral (O-min) > 1.8 g cm 3 (Sohi et al, 2001); (2) a combined physical and chemical separation isolating five fractions: sand and aggregates (S+A) > 63 µm and > 1.8 g cm-3, particulate organic matter (POM) > 63 µm and < 1.8 g cm 3, silt and clay (s+c) < 63 but > 45 µm, residual organic carbon (rSOC) the residue left after s+c is oxidised with NaOCl, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) < 45 µm (Zimmermann et al, 2007); and (3) a hot water extraction method isolating two fractions: water soluble C (WSC) at 20 °C and hot water extractable C (HWEC) at 80 °C (Ghani et al, 2003). The fractions from Method 1 had the most distinct average 14C ages with O-min, FLF and IALF assessed as 206, 1965 and 6172 years before present (BP) respectively. The fractions from Method 2 fell into two age groups, < ~1000 years BP for s+c, rSOC and S+A and > 4000 years BP for DOC and POM. Both Method 3 fractions were dominated by modern C. The average 14C ages of FLF, IALF, DOC and POM were surprisingly higher than the mineral bound fractions, although they made up a relatively small

Metabolic Patterns in Spirodela polyrhiza Revealed by 15N Stable Isotope Labeling of Amino Acids in Photoautotrophic, Heterotrophic, and Mixotrophic Growth Conditions

PubMed Central

Evans, Erin M.; Freund, Dana M.; Sondervan, Veronica M.; Cohen, Jerry D.; Hegeman, Adrian D.

2018-01-01

In this study we describe a [15N] stable isotopic labeling study of amino acids in Spirodela polyrhiza (common duckweed) grown under three different light and carbon input conditions which represent unique potential metabolic modes. Plants were grown with a light cycle, either with supplemental sucrose (mixotrophic) or without supplemental sucrose (photoautotrophic) and in the dark with supplemental sucrose (heterotrophic). Labeling patterns, pool sizes (both metabolically active and inactive), and kinetics/turnover rates were estimated for 17 of the proteinogenic amino acids. Estimation of these parameters followed several overall trends. First, most amino acids showed plateaus in labeling patterns of <100% [15N]-labeling, indicating the possibility of a large proportion of amino acids residing in metabolically inactive metabolite pools. Second, total pool sizes appear largest in the dark (heterotrophic) condition, whereas active pool sizes appeared to be largest in the light with sucrose (mixotrophic) growth condition. In contrast turnover measurements based on pool size were highest overall in the light with sucrose experiment, with the exception of leucine/isoleucine, lysine, and arginine, which all showed higher turnover in the dark. K-means clustering analysis also revealed more rapid turnover in the light treatments with many amino acids clustering in lower-turnover groups. Emerging insights from other research were also supported, such as the prevalence of alternate pathways for serine metabolism in non-photosynthetic cells. These data provide extensive novel information on amino acid pool size and kinetics in S. polyrhiza and can serve as groundwork for future metabolic studies. PMID:29904627

Metabolic Patterns in Spirodela polyrhiza Revealed by 15N Stable Isotope Labeling of Amino Acids in Photoautotrophic, Heterotrophic, and Mixotrophic Growth Conditions.

PubMed

Evans, Erin M; Freund, Dana M; Sondervan, Veronica M; Cohen, Jerry D; Hegeman, Adrian D

2018-01-01

In this study we describe a [ 15 N] stable isotopic labeling study of amino acids in Spirodela polyrhiza (common duckweed) grown under three different light and carbon input conditions which represent unique potential metabolic modes. Plants were grown with a light cycle, either with supplemental sucrose (mixotrophic) or without supplemental sucrose (photoautotrophic) and in the dark with supplemental sucrose (heterotrophic). Labeling patterns, pool sizes (both metabolically active and inactive), and kinetics/turnover rates were estimated for 17 of the proteinogenic amino acids. Estimation of these parameters followed several overall trends. First, most amino acids showed plateaus in labeling patterns of <100% [ 15 N]-labeling, indicating the possibility of a large proportion of amino acids residing in metabolically inactive metabolite pools. Second, total pool sizes appear largest in the dark (heterotrophic) condition, whereas active pool sizes appeared to be largest in the light with sucrose (mixotrophic) growth condition. In contrast turnover measurements based on pool size were highest overall in the light with sucrose experiment, with the exception of leucine/isoleucine, lysine, and arginine, which all showed higher turnover in the dark. K-means clustering analysis also revealed more rapid turnover in the light treatments with many amino acids clustering in lower-turnover groups. Emerging insights from other research were also supported, such as the prevalence of alternate pathways for serine metabolism in non-photosynthetic cells. These data provide extensive novel information on amino acid pool size and kinetics in S. polyrhiza and can serve as groundwork for future metabolic studies.

Metabolic patterns in Spirodela polyrhiza revealed by 15N stable isotope labeling of amino acids in photoautotrophic, heterotrophic, and mixotrophic growth conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Evans, Erin M.; Freund, Dana M.; Sondervan, Veronica M.; Cohen, Jerry D.; Hegeman, Adrian D.

2018-05-01

In this study we describe a [15N] stable isotopic labeling study of amino acids in Spirodela polyrhiza (common duckweed) grown under three different light and carbon input conditions which represent unique potential metabolic modes. Plants were grown with a light cycle, either with supplemental sucrose (mixotrophic) or without supplemental sucrose (photoautotrophic) and in the dark with supplemental sucrose (heterotrophic). Labeling patterns, pool sizes (both metabolically active and inactive), and kinetics/turnover rates were estimated for fifteen of the proteinogenic amino acids. Estimation of these parameters followed several overall trends. First, most amino acids showed plateaus in labeling patterns of less than 100% [15N]-labeling, indicating the possibility of a large proportion of amino acids residing in metabolically inactive metabolite pools. Second, total pool sizes appear largest in the dark (heterotrophic) condition, whereas active pool sizes appeared to be largest in the light with sucrose (mixotrophic) growth condition. In contrast turnover measurements based on pool size were highest overall in the light with sucrose experiment, with the exception of leucine/isoleucine, lysine, and arginine, which all showed higher turnover in the dark. K-means clustering analysis also revealed more rapid turnover in the light treatments with many amino acids clustering in lower-turnover groups. Emerging insights from other research were also supported, such as the prevalence of alternate pathways for serine metabolism in non-photosynthetic cells. These data provide extensive novel information on amino acid pool size and kinetics in S. polyrhiza and can serve as groundwork for future metabolic studies.

A Preferentially Segregated Recycling Vesicle Pool of Limited Size Supports Neurotransmission in Native Central Synapses

PubMed Central

Marra, Vincenzo; Burden, Jemima J.; Thorpe, Julian R.; Smith, Ikuko T.; Smith, Spencer L.; Häusser, Michael; Branco, Tiago; Staras, Kevin

2012-01-01

Summary At small central synapses, efficient turnover of vesicles is crucial for stimulus-driven transmission, but how the structure of this recycling pool relates to its functional role remains unclear. Here we characterize the organizational principles of functional vesicles at native hippocampal synapses with nanoscale resolution using fluorescent dye labeling and electron microscopy. We show that the recycling pool broadly scales with the magnitude of the total vesicle pool, but its average size is small (∼45 vesicles), highly variable, and regulated by CDK5/calcineurin activity. Spatial analysis demonstrates that recycling vesicles are preferentially arranged near the active zone and this segregation is abolished by actin stabilization, slowing the rate of activity-driven exocytosis. Our approach reveals a similarly biased recycling pool distribution at synapses in visual cortex activated by sensory stimulation in vivo. We suggest that in small native central synapses, efficient release of a limited pool of vesicles relies on their favored spatial positioning within the terminal. PMID:23141069

Using the Triple Labelling Technique to apportion N2O Emissions to Nitrification and Denitrification from different Nitrogen Sources at different Water-Filled-Pore-Spaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loick, Nadine; Dixon, Elizabeth R.; Repullo Ruibérriz de Torres, Miguel A.; Ciganda, Veronica; Lopez-Aizpun, Maria A.; Matthews, G. Peter; Müller, Christoph; Cardenas, Laura M.

2017-04-01

Nitrous oxide (N2O) is considered to be an important greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting for approximately 6% of the current global warming. The atmospheric N2O concentration has been increasing since the Industrial Revolution, with soils representing its major source, making the understanding of its sources and removal processes very important for the development of mitigation strategies. In soils N gases are mainly produced via nitrification and denitrification. It is assumed that under dry/aerobic conditions nitrification is the dominant N consuming process, while denitrification becomes dominant under wetter conditions promoting anaerobicity. Nitrification and denitrification may occur simultaneously in different microsites of the same soil but there is often uncertainty associated with which process dominates in a particular soil under specific conditions. N2O predominantly derives from incomplete denitrification of nitrate (NO3-). The existence of different pools of NO3- in soils, namely the native soil pool, and the fertiliser-added one, has been suggested through a series of laboratory incubation experiments (Meijide et al., 2010; Bergstermann et al., 2011) using the denitrification incubation system, DENIS (Cardenas et al., 2003), in which soil cores are incubated under an N-free atmosphere, allowing direct measurements of all emitted N gases (NO, N2O and N2) as well as CO2. A third pool, NO3- produced from nitrification of applied NH4+, can also be a source of N2O via denitrification and also from nitrification. In this study labelling of substrate-N with 15N is used to quantify the underlying gross N transformation rates and link them to N-emissions to identify the production and consumption pathways and temporal dynamics of N2O. In three experiments twelve soil cores each were incubated in the DENIS to measure gaseous emissions, while parallel incubations under the same conditions were set up for destructive soil sampling at 7 time points. Using the triple

A Freeze Substitution Fixation-Based Gold Enlarging Technique for EM Studies of Endocytosed Nanogold-Labeled Molecules

PubMed Central

He, Wanzhong; Kivork, Christine; Machinani, Suman; Morphew, Mary K.; Gail, Anna M.; Tesar, Devin B.; Tiangco, Noreen E.; McIntosh, J. Richard; Bjorkman, Pamela J.

2007-01-01

We have developed methods to locate individual ligands that can be used for electron microscopy studies of dynamic events during endocytosis and subsequent intracellular trafficking. The methods are based on enlargement of 1.4 nm Nanogold attached to an endocytosed ligand. Nanogold, a small label that does not induce misdirection of ligand-receptor complexes, is ideal for labeling ligands endocytosed by live cells, but is too small to be routinely located in cells by electron microscopy. Traditional pre-embedding enhancement protocols to enlarge Nanogold are not compatible with high pressure freezing/freeze substitution fixation (HPF/FSF), the most accurate method to preserve ultrastructure and dynamic events during trafficking. We have developed an improved enhancement procedure for chemically-fixed samples that reduced autonucleation, and a new pre-embedding gold-enlarging technique for HPF/FSF samples that preserved contrast and ultrastructure and can be used for high-resolution tomography. We evaluated our methods using labeled Fc as a ligand for the neonatal Fc receptor. Attachment of Nanogold to Fc did not interfere with receptor binding or uptake, and gold-labeled Fc could be specifically enlarged to allow identification in 2D projections and in tomograms. These methods should be broadly applicable to many endocytosis and transcytosis studies. PMID:17723309

Detection Techniques for Biomolecules using Semi-Conductor Nanocrystals and Magnetic Beads as Labels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chatterjee, Esha

Continued interest in the development of miniaturized and portable analytical platforms necessitates the exploration of sensitive methods for the detection of trace analytes. Nanomaterials, on account of their unique physical and chemical properties, are not only able to overcome many limitations of traditional detection reagents but also enable the exploration of many new signal transduction technologies. This dissertation presents a series of investigations of alternative detection techniques for biomolecules, involving the use of semi-conductor nanocrystals and magnetic beads as labels. Initial research focused on the development of quantum dot-encapsulating liposomes as a novel fluorescent label for immunoassays. This hybrid nanomaterial was anticipated to overcome the drawbacks presented by traditional fluorophores as well as provide significant signal amplification. Quantum dot-encapsulating liposomes were synthesized by the method of thin film hydration and characterized. The utility of these composite nanostructures for bioanalysis was demonstrated. However, the longterm instability of the liposomes hampered quantitative development. A second approach for assay development exploited the ability of gold nanoparticles to quench the optical signals obtained from quantum dots. The goal of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of using aptamer-linked nanostructures in FRET-based quenching for the detection of proteins. Thrombin was used as the model analyte in this study. Experimental parameters for the assay were optimized. The assay simply required the mixing of the sample with the reagents and could be completed in less than an hour. The limit of detection for thrombin by this method was 5 nM. This homogeneous assay can be easily adapted for the detection of a wide variety of biochemicals. The novel technique of ferromagnetic resonance generated in magnetic bead labels was explored for signal transduction. This inductive detection technique lends

Combustion method for assay of biological materials labeled with carbon-14 or tritium, or double-labeled

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huebner, L. G.; Kisieleski, W. E.

1969-01-01

Dry catalytic combustion at high temperatures is used for assaying biological materials labeled carbon-14 and tritium, or double-labeled. A modified oxygen-flask technique is combined with standard vacuum-line techniques and includes convenience of direct in-vial collection of final combustion products, giving quantitative recovery of tritium and carbon-14.

Determination of total concentration of chemically labeled metabolites as a means of metabolome sample normalization and sample loading optimization in mass spectrometry-based metabolomics.

PubMed

Wu, Yiman; Li, Liang

2012-12-18

For mass spectrometry (MS)-based metabolomics, it is important to use the same amount of starting materials from each sample to compare the metabolome changes in two or more comparative samples. Unfortunately, for biological samples, the total amount or concentration of metabolites is difficult to determine. In this work, we report a general approach of determining the total concentration of metabolites based on the use of chemical labeling to attach a UV absorbent to the metabolites to be analyzed, followed by rapid step-gradient liquid chromatography (LC) UV detection of the labeled metabolites. It is shown that quantification of the total labeled analytes in a biological sample facilitates the preparation of an appropriate amount of starting materials for MS analysis as well as the optimization of the sample loading amount to a mass spectrometer for achieving optimal detectability. As an example, dansylation chemistry was used to label the amine- and phenol-containing metabolites in human urine samples. LC-UV quantification of the labeled metabolites could be optimally performed at the detection wavelength of 338 nm. A calibration curve established from the analysis of a mixture of 17 labeled amino acid standards was found to have the same slope as that from the analysis of the labeled urinary metabolites, suggesting that the labeled amino acid standard calibration curve could be used to determine the total concentration of the labeled urinary metabolites. A workflow incorporating this LC-UV metabolite quantification strategy was then developed in which all individual urine samples were first labeled with (12)C-dansylation and the concentration of each sample was determined by LC-UV. The volumes of urine samples taken for producing the pooled urine standard were adjusted to ensure an equal amount of labeled urine metabolites from each sample was used for the pooling. The pooled urine standard was then labeled with (13)C-dansylation. Equal amounts of the (12)C-labeled

Chemical Isotope Labeling LC-MS for High Coverage and Quantitative Profiling of the Hydroxyl Submetabolome in Metabolomics.

PubMed

Zhao, Shuang; Luo, Xian; Li, Liang

2016-11-01

A key step in metabolomics is to perform accurate relative quantification of the metabolomes in comparative samples with high coverage. Hydroxyl-containing metabolites are an important class of the metabolome with diverse structures and physical/chemical properties; however, many of them are difficult to detect with high sensitivity. We present a high-performance chemical isotope labeling liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technique for in-depth profiling of the hydroxyl submetabolome, which involves the use of acidic liquid-liquid extraction to enrich hydroxyl metabolites into ethyl acetate from an aqueous sample. After drying and then redissolving in acetonitrile, the metabolite extract is labeled using a base-activated 12 C- or 13 C-dansylation reaction. A fast step-gradient LC-UV method is used to determine the total concentration of labeled metabolites. On the basis of the concentration information, a 12 C-labeled individual sample is mixed with an equal mole amount of a 13 C-labeled pool or control for relative metabolite quantification. The 12 C-/ 13 C-labeled mixtures are individually analyzed by LC-MS, and the resultant peak pairs of labeled metabolites in MS are measured for relative quantification and metabolite identification. A standard library of 85 hydroxyl compounds containing MS, retention time, and MS/MS information was constructed for positive metabolite identification based on matches of two or all three of these parameters with those of an unknown. Using human urine as an example, we analyzed samples of 1:1 12 C-/ 13 C-labeled urine in triplicate with triplicate runs per sample and detected an average of 3759 ± 45 peak pairs or metabolites per run and 3538 ± 71 pairs per sample with 3093 pairs in common (n = 9). Out of the 3093 peak pairs, 2304 pairs (75%) could be positively or putatively identified based on metabolome database searches, including 20 pairs positively identified using the dansylated hydroxyl standards library

Detection of Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis in tie-stall dairy herds using a standardized environmental sampling technique and targeted pooled samples.

PubMed

Arango-Sabogal, Juan C; Côté, Geneviève; Paré, Julie; Labrecque, Olivia; Roy, Jean-Philippe; Buczinski, Sébastien; Doré, Elizabeth; Fairbrother, Julie H; Bissonnette, Nathalie; Wellemans, Vincent; Fecteau, Gilles

2016-07-01

Mycobacterium avium ssp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is the etiologic agent of Johne's disease, a chronic contagious enteritis of ruminants that causes major economic losses. Several studies, most involving large free-stall herds, have found environmental sampling to be a suitable method for detecting MAP-infected herds. In eastern Canada, where small tie-stall herds are predominant, certain conditions and management practices may influence the survival and transmission of MAP and recovery (isolation). Our objective was to estimate the performance of a standardized environmental and targeted pooled sampling technique for the detection of MAP-infected tie-stall dairy herds. Twenty-four farms (19 MAP-infected and 5 non-infected) were enrolled, but only 20 were visited twice in the same year, to collect 7 environmental samples and 2 pooled samples (sick cows and cows with poor body condition). Concurrent individual sampling of all adult cows in the herds was also carried out. Isolation of MAP was achieved using the MGIT Para TB culture media and the BACTEC 960 detection system. Overall, MAP was isolated in 7% of the environmental cultures. The sensitivity of the environmental culture was 44% [95% confidence interval (CI): 20% to 70%] when combining results from 2 different herd visits and 32% (95% CI: 13% to 57%) when results from only 1 random herd visit were used. The best sampling strategy was to combine samples from the manure pit, gutter, sick cows, and cows with poor body condition. The standardized environmental sampling technique and the targeted pooled samples presented in this study is an alternative sampling strategy to costly individual cultures for detecting MAP-infected tie-stall dairies. Repeated samplings may improve the detection of MAP-infected herds.

Procedures for increasing the use of car pools for work trips.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1979-01-01

This report describes methods and techniques that could be used to increase the use of car pools in Virginia. Two approaches are described. The first employs those methods that serve as an incentive for persons to form car pools, such as preferential...

An Experimental Test of Buffer Utility as a Technique for Managing Pool-Breeding Amphibians

PubMed Central

Veysey Powell, Jessica S.; Babbitt, Kimberly J.

2015-01-01

Vegetated buffers are used extensively to manage wetland-dependent wildlife. Despite widespread application, buffer utility has not been experimentally validated for most species. To address this gap, we conducted a six-year, landscape-scale experiment, testing how buffers of different widths affect the demographic structure of two amphibian species at 11 ephemeral pools in a working forest of the northeastern U.S. We randomly assigned each pool to one of three treatments (i.e., reference, 100m buffer, 30m buffer) and clearcut to create buffers. We captured all spotted salamanders and wood frogs breeding in each pool and examined the impacts of treatment and hydroperiod on breeding-population abundance, sex ratio, and recapture rate. The negative effects of clearcutting tended to increase as forest-buffer width decreased and be strongest for salamanders and when other stressors were present (e.g., at short-hydroperiod pools). Recapture rates were reduced in the 30m, but not 100m, treatment. Throughout the experiment for frogs, and during the first year post-cut for salamanders, the predicted mean proportion of recaptured adults in the 30m treatment was only 62% and 40%, respectively, of that in the reference treatment. Frog sex ratio and abundance did not differ across treatments, but salamander sex ratios were increasingly male-biased in both cut treatments. By the final year, there were on average, only about 40% and 65% as many females predicted in the 100m and 30m treatments, respectively, compared to the first year. Breeding salamanders at short-hydroperiod pools were about 10% as abundant in the 100m versus reference treatment. Our study demonstrates that buffers partially mitigate the impacts of habitat disturbance on wetland-dependent amphibians, but buffer width and hydroperiod critically mediate that process. We provide the first experimental evidence showing that 30-m-wide buffers may be insufficient for maintaining resilient breeding populations of pool

Mathematical-Programming Approaches to Test Item Pool Design. Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veldkamp, Bernard P.; van der Linden, Wim J.; Ariel, Adelaide

This paper presents an approach to item pool design that has the potential to improve on the quality of current item pools in educational and psychological testing and thus to increase both measurement precision and validity. The approach consists of the application of mathematical programming techniques to calculate optimal blueprints for item…

Co-Labeling for Multi-View Weakly Labeled Learning.

PubMed

Xu, Xinxing; Li, Wen; Xu, Dong; Tsang, Ivor W

2016-06-01

It is often expensive and time consuming to collect labeled training samples in many real-world applications. To reduce human effort on annotating training samples, many machine learning techniques (e.g., semi-supervised learning (SSL), multi-instance learning (MIL), etc.) have been studied to exploit weakly labeled training samples. Meanwhile, when the training data is represented with multiple types of features, many multi-view learning methods have shown that classifiers trained on different views can help each other to better utilize the unlabeled training samples for the SSL task. In this paper, we study a new learning problem called multi-view weakly labeled learning, in which we aim to develop a unified approach to learn robust classifiers by effectively utilizing different types of weakly labeled multi-view data from a broad range of tasks including SSL, MIL and relative outlier detection (ROD). We propose an effective approach called co-labeling to solve the multi-view weakly labeled learning problem. Specifically, we model the learning problem on each view as a weakly labeled learning problem, which aims to learn an optimal classifier from a set of pseudo-label vectors generated by using the classifiers trained from other views. Unlike traditional co-training approaches using a single pseudo-label vector for training each classifier, our co-labeling approach explores different strategies to utilize the predictions from different views, biases and iterations for generating the pseudo-label vectors, making our approach more robust for real-world applications. Moreover, to further improve the weakly labeled learning on each view, we also exploit the inherent group structure in the pseudo-label vectors generated from different strategies, which leads to a new multi-layer multiple kernel learning problem. Promising results for text-based image retrieval on the NUS-WIDE dataset as well as news classification and text categorization on several real-world multi

Performance limitations of label-free sensors in molecular diagnosis using complex samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varma, Manoj

2016-03-01

Label-free biosensors promised a paradigm involving direct detection of biomarkers from complex samples such as serum without requiring multistep sample processing typical of labelled methods such as ELISA or immunofluorescence assays. Label-free sensors have witnessed decades of development with a veritable zoo of techniques available today exploiting a multitude of physical effects. It is appropriate now to critically assess whether label-free technologies have succeeded in delivering their promise with respect to diagnostic applications, particularly, ambitious goals such as early cancer detection using serum biomarkers, which require low limits of detection (LoD). Comparison of nearly 120 limits of detection (LoD) values reported by labelled and label-free sensing approaches over a wide range of detection techniques and target molecules in serum revealed that labeled techniques achieve 2-3 orders of magnitude better LoDs. Data from experiments where labelled and label-free assays were performed simultaneously using the same assay parameters also confirm that the LoD achieved by labelled techniques is 2 to 3 orders of magnitude better than that by label-free techniques. Furthermore, label-free techniques required significant signal amplification, for e.g. using nanoparticle conjugated secondary antibodies, to achieve LoDs comparable to labelled methods substantially deviating from the original "direct detection" paradigm. This finding has important implications on the practical limits of applying label-free detection methods for molecular diagnosis.

Total energy expenditure in burned children using the doubly labeled water technique

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

Goran, M.I.; Peters, E.J.; Herndon, D.N.

Total energy expenditure (TEE) was measured in 15 burned children with the doubly labeled water technique. Application of the technique in burned children required evaluation of potential errors resulting from nutritional intake altering background enrichments during studies and from the high rate of water turnover relative to CO2 production. Five studies were discarded because of these potential problems. TEE was 1.33 +/- 0.27 times predicted basal energy expenditure (BEE), and in studies where resting energy expenditure (REE) was simultaneously measured, TEE was 1.18 +/- 0.17 times REE, which in turn was 1.16 +/- 0.10 times predicted BEE. TEE was significantlymore » correlated with measured REE (r2 = 0.92) but not with predicted BEE. These studies substantiate the advantage of measuring REE to predict TEE in severely burned patients as opposed to relying on standardized equations. Therefore we recommend that optimal nutritional support will be achieved in convalescent burned children by multiplying REE by an activity factor of 1.2.« less

Mining FDA drug labels using an unsupervised learning technique--topic modeling.

PubMed

Bisgin, Halil; Liu, Zhichao; Fang, Hong; Xu, Xiaowei; Tong, Weida

2011-10-18

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug labels contain a broad array of information, ranging from adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to drug efficacy, risk-benefit consideration, and more. However, the labeling language used to describe these information is free text often containing ambiguous semantic descriptions, which poses a great challenge in retrieving useful information from the labeling text in a consistent and accurate fashion for comparative analysis across drugs. Consequently, this task has largely relied on the manual reading of the full text by experts, which is time consuming and labor intensive. In this study, a novel text mining method with unsupervised learning in nature, called topic modeling, was applied to the drug labeling with a goal of discovering "topics" that group drugs with similar safety concerns and/or therapeutic uses together. A total of 794 FDA-approved drug labels were used in this study. First, the three labeling sections (i.e., Boxed Warning, Warnings and Precautions, Adverse Reactions) of each drug label were processed by the Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities (MedDRA) to convert the free text of each label to the standard ADR terms. Next, the topic modeling approach with latent Dirichlet allocation (LDA) was applied to generate 100 topics, each associated with a set of drugs grouped together based on the probability analysis. Lastly, the efficacy of the topic modeling was evaluated based on known information about the therapeutic uses and safety data of drugs. The results demonstrate that drugs grouped by topics are associated with the same safety concerns and/or therapeutic uses with statistical significance (P<0.05). The identified topics have distinct context that can be directly linked to specific adverse events (e.g., liver injury or kidney injury) or therapeutic application (e.g., antiinfectives for systemic use). We were also able to identify potential adverse events that might arise from specific

High affinity receptor labeling based on basic leucine zipper domain peptides conjugated with pH-sensitive fluorescent dye: Visualization of AMPA-type glutamate receptor endocytosis in living neurons.

PubMed

Hayashi, Ayako; Asanuma, Daisuke; Kamiya, Mako; Urano, Yasuteru; Okabe, Shigeo

2016-01-01

Techniques to visualize receptor trafficking in living neurons are important, but currently available methods are limited in their labeling efficiency, specificity and reliability. Here we report a method for receptor labeling with a basic leucine zipper domain peptide (ZIP) and a binding cassette specific to ZIP. Receptors are tagged with a ZIP-binding cassette at their extracellular domain. Tagged receptors expressed in cultured cells were labeled with exogenously applied fluorescently labeled ZIP with low background and high affinity. To test if ZIP labeling is useful in monitoring endocytosis and intracellular trafficking, we next conjugated ZIP with a pH-sensitive dye RhP-M (ZIP-RhP-M). ZIP binding to its binding cassette was pH-resistant and RhP-M fluorescence dramatically increased in acidic environment. Thus AMPA-type glutamate receptors (AMPARs) labeled by ZIP-RhP-M can report receptor endocytosis and subsequent intracellular trafficking. Application of ZIP-RhP-M to cultured hippocampal neurons expressing AMPARs tagged with a ZIP-binding cassette resulted in appearance of fluorescent puncta in PSD-95-positive large spines, suggesting local endocytosis and acidification of AMPARs in individual mature spines. This spine pool of AMPARs in acidic environment was distinct from the early endosomes labeled by transferrin uptake. These results suggest that receptor labeling by ZIP-RhP-M is a useful technique for monitoring endocytosis and intracellular trafficking. This article is part of the Special Issue entitled 'Synaptopathy--from Biology to Therapy'. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

13 CFR 120.1704 - Pool Loans eligible for Pooling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., construction or renovation of an aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool; or (iv) To a business covered by... zoos—712130 (“Zoos and Botanical Gardens”). (b) SBA review of a Pool Loan prior to pool formation. SBA...

13 CFR 120.1704 - Pool Loans eligible for Pooling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., construction or renovation of an aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool; or (iv) To a business covered by... zoos—712130 (“Zoos and Botanical Gardens”). (b) SBA review of a Pool Loan prior to pool formation. SBA...

13 CFR 120.1704 - Pool Loans eligible for Pooling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., construction or renovation of an aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool; or (iv) To a business covered by... zoos—712130 (“Zoos and Botanical Gardens”). (b) SBA review of a Pool Loan prior to pool formation. SBA...

13 CFR 120.1704 - Pool Loans eligible for Pooling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., construction or renovation of an aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool; or (iv) To a business covered by... zoos—712130 (“Zoos and Botanical Gardens”). (b) SBA review of a Pool Loan prior to pool formation. SBA...

13 CFR 120.1704 - Pool Loans eligible for Pooling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., construction or renovation of an aquarium, zoo, golf course, or swimming pool; or (iv) To a business covered by... zoos—712130 (“Zoos and Botanical Gardens”). (b) SBA review of a Pool Loan prior to pool formation. SBA...

Learning with imperfectly labeled patterns

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chittineni, C. B.

1979-01-01

The problem of learning in pattern recognition using imperfectly labeled patterns is considered. The performance of the Bayes and nearest neighbor classifiers with imperfect labels is discussed using a probabilistic model for the mislabeling of the training patterns. Schemes for training the classifier using both parametric and non parametric techniques are presented. Methods for the correction of imperfect labels were developed. To gain an understanding of the learning process, expressions are derived for success probability as a function of training time for a one dimensional increment error correction classifier with imperfect labels. Feature selection with imperfectly labeled patterns is described.

[Application of DNA labeling technology in forensic botany].

PubMed

Znang, Xian; Li, Jing-Lin; Zhang, Xiang-Yu

2008-12-01

Forensic botany is a study of judicial plant evidence. Recently, researches on DNA labeling technology have been a mainstream of forensic botany. The article systematically reviews various types of DNA labeling techniques in forensic botany with enumerated practical cases, as well as the potential forensic application of each individual technique. The advantages of the DNA labeling technology over traditional morphological taxonomic methods are also summarized.

Something old, something new: Why models need a multi-pool representation of storage reserves

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richardson, Andrew; Carbone, Mariah

2015-04-01

We know surprisingly little about processes regulating the allocation of photosynthetic assimilates to growth, storage, and other metabolic functions. Storage of nonstructural carbon (NSC, principally sugars and starch) is critically important for woody plants, because these reserves enable sessile, long-lived organisms to tolerate biotic and abiotic stress, including pests, disturbance, and drought. But, critical questions about the size and turnover of these reserves remain unanswered. Labeling studies have generally shown rapid use of new (labeled) NSC and inferred fast mixing between old and new NSC, both of which suggest quick turnover of storage reserves. However, recent studies have shown that some of the reserves stored in stem and root tissue are not only a decade old, but also still available to support new tissue growth following catastrophic disturbance. We characterized the distribution of NSC in the stemwood, branches, and roots of two temperate trees, and we used the continuous label offered by the radiocarbon (14C) bomb spike to estimate the mean age of NSC in different tissues of two temperate trees. NSC in branches and outermost stemwood growth rings had the 14C signature of the current growing season. However, NSC in older above- and below-ground tissues was enriched in 14C, indicating that it was produced from older assimilates. Radial patterns of 14C in stemwood NSC showed strong mixing of NSC across the youngest growth rings, with limited "mixing in" of younger NSC to older rings. Sugars in the outermost 5 growth rings, accounting for two-thirds of the stemwood pool, had a mean age < 1 y, whereas sugars in older growth rings had a mean age > 5 y. Thus, there is not a single, well-mixed "storage pool," and indeed "young" and "old" storage compounds appear to be physically isolated from each other. We will discuss the implications of these results for improving model representation of NSC storage and consumption by forest trees. We will suggest

76 FR 35678 - SPF Labeling and Testing Requirements and Drug Facts Labeling for Over-the-Counter Sunscreen Drug...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-17

... [Docket No. FDA-2011-N-0449] SPF Labeling and Testing Requirements and Drug Facts Labeling for Over-the... testing requirements for over-the-counter (OTC) sunscreen products containing specified ingredients and... techniques, when appropriate, and other forms of information technology. SPF Labeling and Testing...

Pulse labeling of RNA of mammalian cells.

PubMed

Rovera, G; Berman, S; Baserga, R

1970-04-01

When cells from a hypotetraploid strain of Ehrlich ascites tumor are exposed to uridine-(3)H either in vivo or in vitro, the amount of radioactivity incorporated into RNA reaches a maximum within ten minutes, after which any further incorporation stops. (3)H-uridine triphosphate disappears from the acid soluble pool within 30 minutes and the findings indicate that the RNA of these cells can be pulse labeled without the use of any antibiotic or the need of a "chase." The stability of the pulse labeled RNA in the presence of pentobarbital (an inhibitor of RNA synthesis) indicates the virtual absence of RNA breakdown. However, actinomycin D, at a dosage of 250 mug/mouse in vivo and 10 mug/ml in vitro produces breakdown of labeled RNA, thus confirming earlier observations that the drug is not a suitable tool for RNA kinetics determinations. The pulse-labeled RNA leaves the nucleus slowly and some radioactive RNA is still present in the nuclear fraction after 24 hours. Radioactivity begins to appear in cytoplasmic ribosomal RNA after 20 minutes and continues to increase up to six hours.

Analysis of the differentially expressed low molecular weight peptides in human serum via an N-terminal isotope labeling technique combining nano-liquid chromatography/matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

PubMed

Leng, Jiapeng; Zhu, Dong; Wu, Duojiao; Zhu, Tongyu; Zhao, Ningwei; Guo, Yinlong

2012-11-15

Peptidomics analysis of human serum is challenging due to the low abundance of serum peptides and interference from the complex matrix. This study analyzed the differentially expressed (DE) low molecular weight peptides in human serum integrating a DMPITC-based N-terminal isotope labeling technique with nano-liquid chromatography and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (nano-LC/MALDI-MS). The workflow introduced a [d(6)]-4,6-dimethoxypyrimidine-2-isothiocyanate (DMPITC)-labeled mixture of aliquots from test samples as the internal standard. The spiked [d(0)]-DMPITC-labeled samples were separated by nano-LC then spotted on the MALDI target. Both quantitative and qualitative studies for serum peptides were achieved based on the isotope-labeled peaks. The DMPITC labeling technique combined with nano-LC/MALDI-MS not only minimized the errors in peptide quantitation, but also allowed convenient recognition of the labeled peptides due to the 6 Da mass difference. The data showed that the entire research procedure as well as the subsequent data analysis method were effective, reproducible, and sensitive for the analysis of DE serum peptides. This study successfully established a research model for DE serum peptides using DMPITC-based N-terminal isotope labeling and nano-LC/MALDI-MS. Application of the DMPITC-based N-terminal labeling technique is expected to provide a promising tool for the investigation of peptides in vivo, especially for the analysis of DE peptides under different biological conditions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Iron physiological requirements in Chinese adults assessed by the stable isotope labeling technique.

PubMed

Cai, Jie; Ren, Tongxiang; Zhang, Yuhui; Wang, Zhilin; Gou, Lingyan; Huang, Zhengwu; Wang, Jun; Piao, Jianhua; Yang, Xiaoguang; Yang, Lichen

2018-01-01

Iron is a kind of essential trace mineral in the human body, while the studies on its physiological requirement are very limited recently, especially in China. And most studies were performed with the radioisotope tracer technique, which was harmful to health. This study aimed to first get the value of iron physiological requirements in Chinese adults assessed by the stable isotope labeling technique. Forty-four eligible young Chinese healthy adults were randomly recruited from the Bethune Military Medical College (Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China) between January 2010 and March 2011, and 19 subjects were included in the final data analysis. After adaptive diets and observation, subjects received 58 Fe intravenously. The baseline venous blood sample and general information were collected on day 0. Venous blood samples were also collected on day 14, 30, 60, 100, 120, 150, 240, 330, 425, 515, 605, 767, 1155, respectively. The blood samples were acid digested by a Microwave Digestion System and then analyzed by the MC-ICP-MS and Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy to get the abundance of Fe isotopes and the total iron concentration respectively. The circulation rate (the proportion of blood iron to whole body iron) could be calculated by the intake amount, background content and the peak isotope content. When the abundance changed stably, the iron physiological requirement could be calculated by the iron loss in a period of time. The abundance of 58 Fe reached its peak on day 14, and changed stably from day 425. The average circulation rate was 84%, with no significance difference between the 2 genders. The mean iron requirement in females was 1101.68 μg/d, and the mean requirement adjusted by body weight was 20.69 μg/kg.d. For males, the mean iron requirement was 959.9 μg/d, and the requirement adjusted by body weight was 14.04 μg/kg.d. Our study has obtained the data about the iron physiological requirements of Chinese adults using stable isotope labeling technique

Stable Isotope Labeling, in Vivo, of d- and l-Tryptophan Pools in Lemna gibba and the Low Incorporation of Label into Indole-3-Acetic Acid 1

PubMed Central

Baldi, Bruce G.; Maher, Barbara R.; Slovin, Janet Pernise; Cohen, Jerry D.

1991-01-01

We present evidence that the role of tryptophan and other potential intermediates in the pathways that could lead to indole derivatives needs to be reexamined. Two lines of Lemna gibba were tested for uptake of [15N-indole]-labeled tryptophan isomers and incorporation of that label into free indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). Both lines required levels of l-[15N]tryptophan 2 to 3 orders of magnitude over endogenous levels in order to obtain measurable incorporation of label into IAA. Labeled l-tryptophan was extractable from plant tissue after feeding and showed no measurable isomerization into d-tryptophan. d-[15N]tryptophan supplied to Lemna at rates of approximately 400 times excess of endogenous d-tryptophan levels (to yield an isotopic enrichment equal to that which allowed detection of the incorporation of l-tryptophan into IAA), did not result in measurable incorporation of label into free IAA. These results demonstrate that l-tryptophan is a more direct precursor to IAA than the d isomer and suggest (a) that the availability of tryptophan in vivo is not a limiting factor in the biosynthesis of IAA, thus implying that other regulatory mechanisms are in operation and (b) that l-tryptophan also may not be a primary precursor to IAA in plants. PMID:16668112

Characterization of mammalian glucose transport proteins using photoaffinity labeling techniques

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

Wadzinski, B.E.

1989-01-01

A carrier-free radioiodinated phenylazide derivative of forskolin, 3-iodo-4-azidophenethylamido-7-O-succinyl-deacetyl-forskolin (({sup 125}I)IAPS-forskolin), has been shown to be a highly selective photoaffinity probe for the human erythrocyte glucose transported and the glucose transport proteins found in several mammalian tissues and cultured cells where the glucose transport protein is present at a low concentration. The photoincorporation of ({sup 125}I)IAPS-forskolin into these glucose transporters was blocked by D- (but not L-) glucose, cytochalasin B, and forskolin. In addition to labeling the mammalian glucose transport proteins, ({sup 125}I)IAPS-forskolin also labeled the L-arabinose transporter from E. coli. In muscle and adipose tissues, glucose transport is markedly increasedmore » in response to insulin. ({sup 125}I)IAPS-forskolin was shown to selectivity tag the glucose transporter in membranes derived from these cells. In addition, the covalent derivatization of the transport protein in subcellular fractions of the adipocyte has provided a means to study the hormonal regulation of glucose transport. ({sup 125}I)IAPS-forskolin has also been used to label the purified human erythrocyte glucose transporter. The site of insertion has therefore been localized by analysis of the radiolabeled peptides which were produced following chemical and proteolytic digestion of the labeled transport protein.« less

Laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry: Recent progress in matrix-free and label-assisted techniques.

PubMed

Mandal, Arundhoti; Singha, Monisha; Addy, Partha Sarathi; Basak, Amit

2017-10-13

The MALDI-based mass spectrometry, over the last three decades, has become an important analytical tool. It is a gentle ionization technique, usually applicable to detect and characterize analytes with high molecular weights like proteins and other macromolecules. The earlier difficulty of detection of analytes with low molecular weights like small organic molecules and metal ion complexes with this technique arose due to the cluster of peaks in the low molecular weight region generated from the matrix. To detect such molecules and metal ion complexes, a four-prong strategy has been developed. These include use of alternate matrix materials, employment of new surface materials that require no matrix, use of metabolites that directly absorb the laser light, and the laser-absorbing label-assisted LDI-MS (popularly known as LALDI-MS). This review will highlight the developments with all these strategies with a special emphasis on LALDI-MS. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Enhanced Labeling Techniques to Study the Cytoskeleton During Root Growth and Gravitropism

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blancaflor, Elison B.

2005-01-01

Gravity effects the growth and development of all living organisms. One of the most obvious manifestations of gravity's effects on biological systems lies in the ability of plants to direct their growth along a path that is dictated by the gravity vector (called gravitropism). When positioned horizontally, in florescence stems and hypocotyls in dicots, and pulvini in monocots, respond by bending upward whereas roots typically bend downward. Gravitropism allows plants to readjust their growth to maximize light absorption for photosynthesis and to more efficiently acquire water and nutrients form the soil. Despite its significance for plant survival, there are still major gaps in understanding the cellular and molecular processes by which plants respond to gravity. The major aim of this proposal was to develop improved fluorescence labeling techniques to aid in understanding how the cytoskeleton modulated plant responses to gravity.

Traceless affinity labeling of endogenous proteins for functional analysis in living cells.

PubMed

Hayashi, Takahiro; Hamachi, Itaru

2012-09-18

Protein labeling and imaging techniques have provided tremendous opportunities to study the structure, function, dynamics, and localization of individual proteins in the complex environment of living cells. Molecular biology-based approaches, such as GFP-fusion tags and monoclonal antibodies, have served as important tools for the visualization of individual proteins in cells. Although these techniques continue to be valuable for live cell imaging, they have a number of limitations that have only been addressed by recent progress in chemistry-based approaches. These chemical approaches benefit greatly from the smaller probe sizes that should result in fewer perturbations to proteins and to biological systems as a whole. Despite the research in this area, so far none of these labeling techniques permit labeling and imaging of selected endogenous proteins in living cells. Researchers have widely used affinity labeling, in which the protein of interest is labeled by a reactive group attached to a ligand, to identify and characterize proteins. Since the first report of affinity labeling in the early 1960s, efforts to fine-tune the chemical structures of both the reactive group and ligand have led to protein labeling with excellent target selectivity in the whole proteome of living cells. Although the chemical probes used for affinity labeling generally inactivate target proteins, this strategy holds promise as a valuable tool for the labeling and imaging of endogenous proteins in living cells and by extension in living animals. In this Account, we summarize traceless affinity labeling, a technique explored mainly in our laboratory. In our overview of the different labeling techniques, we emphasize the challenge of designing chemical probes that allow for dissociation of the affinity module (often a ligand) after the labeling reaction so that the labeled protein retains its native function. This feature distinguishes the traceless labeling approach from the traditional

Pool Purification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Caribbean Clear, Inc. used NASA's silver ion technology as a basis for its automatic pool purifier. System offers alternative approach to conventional purification chemicals. Caribbean Clear's principal markets are swimming pool owners who want to eliminate chlorine and bromine. Purifiers in Caribbean Clear System are same silver ions used in Apollo System to kill bacteria, plus copper ions to kill algae. They produce spa or pool water that exceeds EPA Standards for drinking water.

Label and label-free based surface-enhanced Raman scattering for pathogen bacteria detection: A review.

PubMed

Liu, Yu; Zhou, Haibo; Hu, Ziwei; Yu, Guangxia; Yang, Danting; Zhao, Jinshun

2017-08-15

Rapid, accurate detection of pathogen bacteria is a highly topical research area for the sake of food safety and public health. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is being considered as a powerful and attractive technique for pathogen bacteria detection, due to its sensitivity, high speed, comparatively low cost, multiplexing ability and portability. This contribution aims to give a comprehensive overview of SERS as a technique for rapid detection of pathogen bacteria based on label and label-free strategies. A brief tutorial on SERS is given first of all. Then we summarize the recent trends and developments of label and label-free based SERS applied to detection of pathogen bacteria, including the relatively complete interpretation of SERS spectra. In addition, multifunctional SERS platforms for pathogen bacteria in matrix are discussed as well. Furthermore, an outlook of the work done and a perspective on the future directions of SERS as a reliable tool for real-time pathogen bacteria detection are given. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Control of Gas Tungsten Arc welding pool shape by trace element addition to the weld pool

DOEpatents

Heiple, C.R.; Burgardt, P.

1984-03-13

An improved process for Gas Tungsten Arc welding maximizes the depth/width ratio of the weld pool by adding a sufficient amount of a surface active element to insure inward fluid flow, resulting in deep, narrow welds. The process is especially useful to eliminate variable weld penetration and shape in GTA welding of steels and stainless steels, particularly by using a sulfur-doped weld wire in a cold wire feed technique.

Exciting Pools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Bradford L.

1975-01-01

Advocates the creation of swimming pool oscillations as part of a general investigation of mechanical oscillations. Presents the equations, procedure for deriving the slosh modes, and methods of period estimation for exciting swimming pool oscillations. (GS)

Multi-atlas segmentation with joint label fusion and corrective learning—an open source implementation

PubMed Central

Wang, Hongzhi; Yushkevich, Paul A.

2013-01-01

Label fusion based multi-atlas segmentation has proven to be one of the most competitive techniques for medical image segmentation. This technique transfers segmentations from expert-labeled images, called atlases, to a novel image using deformable image registration. Errors produced by label transfer are further reduced by label fusion that combines the results produced by all atlases into a consensus solution. Among the proposed label fusion strategies, weighted voting with spatially varying weight distributions derived from atlas-target intensity similarity is a simple and highly effective label fusion technique. However, one limitation of most weighted voting methods is that the weights are computed independently for each atlas, without taking into account the fact that different atlases may produce similar label errors. To address this problem, we recently developed the joint label fusion technique and the corrective learning technique, which won the first place of the 2012 MICCAI Multi-Atlas Labeling Challenge and was one of the top performers in 2013 MICCAI Segmentation: Algorithms, Theory and Applications (SATA) challenge. To make our techniques more accessible to the scientific research community, we describe an Insight-Toolkit based open source implementation of our label fusion methods. Our implementation extends our methods to work with multi-modality imaging data and is more suitable for segmentation problems with multiple labels. We demonstrate the usage of our tools through applying them to the 2012 MICCAI Multi-Atlas Labeling Challenge brain image dataset and the 2013 SATA challenge canine leg image dataset. We report the best results on these two datasets so far. PMID:24319427

Development of isotope labeling liquid chromatography mass spectrometry for mouse urine metabolomics: quantitative metabolomic study of transgenic mice related to Alzheimer's disease.

PubMed

Peng, Jun; Guo, Kevin; Xia, Jianguo; Zhou, Jianjun; Yang, Jing; Westaway, David; Wishart, David S; Li, Liang

2014-10-03

Because of a limited volume of urine that can be collected from a mouse, it is very difficult to apply the common strategy of using multiple analytical techniques to analyze the metabolites to increase the metabolome coverage for mouse urine metabolomics. We report an enabling method based on differential isotope labeling liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) for relative quantification of over 950 putative metabolites using 20 μL of urine as the starting material. The workflow involves aliquoting 10 μL of an individual urine sample for ¹²C-dansylation labeling that target amines and phenols. Another 10 μL of aliquot was taken from each sample to generate a pooled sample that was subjected to ¹³C-dansylation labeling. The ¹²C-labeled individual sample was mixed with an equal volume of the ¹³C-labeled pooled sample. The mixture was then analyzed by LC-MS to generate information on metabolite concentration differences among different individual samples. The interday repeatability for the LC-MS runs was assessed, and the median relative standard deviation over 4 days was 5.0%. This workflow was then applied to a metabolomic biomarker discovery study using urine samples obtained from the TgCRND8 mouse model of early onset familial Alzheimer's disease (FAD) throughout the course of their pathological deposition of beta amyloid (Aβ). It was showed that there was a distinct metabolomic separation between the AD prone mice and the wild type (control) group. As early as 15-17 weeks of age (presymptomatic), metabolomic differences were observed between the two groups, and after the age of 25 weeks the metabolomic alterations became more pronounced. The metabolomic changes at different ages corroborated well with the phenotype changes in this transgenic mice model. Several useful candidate biomarkers including methionine, desaminotyrosine, taurine, N1-acetylspermidine, and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid were identified. Some of them were found in previous

Improving Estimates and Forecasts of Lake Carbon Pools and Fluxes Using Data Assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwart, J. A.; Hararuk, O.; Prairie, Y.; Solomon, C.; Jones, S.

2017-12-01

Lakes are biogeochemical hotspots on the landscape, contributing significantly to the global carbon cycle despite their small areal coverage. Observations and models of lake carbon pools and fluxes are rarely explicitly combined through data assimilation despite significant use of this technique in other fields with great success. Data assimilation adds value to both observations and models by constraining models with observations of the system and by leveraging knowledge of the system formalized by the model to objectively fill information gaps. In this analysis, we highlight the utility of data assimilation in lake carbon cycling research by using the Ensemble Kalman Filter to combine simple lake carbon models with observations of lake carbon pools. We demonstrate the use of data assimilation to improve a model's representation of lake carbon dynamics, to reduce uncertainty in estimates of lake carbon pools and fluxes, and to improve the accuracy of carbon pool size estimates relative to estimates derived from observations alone. Data assimilation techniques should be embraced as valuable tools for lake biogeochemists interested in learning about ecosystem dynamics and forecasting ecosystem states and processes.

Apparatus for draining lower drywell pool water into suppresion pool in boiling water reactor

DOEpatents

Gluntz, Douglas M.

1996-01-01

An apparatus which mitigates temperature stratification in the suppression pool water caused by hot water drained into the suppression pool from the lower drywell pool. The outlet of a spillover hole formed in the inner bounding wall of the suppression pool is connected to and in flow communication with one end of piping. The inlet end of the piping is above the water level in the suppression pool. The piping is routed down the vertical downcomer duct and through a hole formed in the thin wall separating the downcomer duct from the suppression pool water. The piping discharge end preferably has an elevation at or near the bottom of the suppression pool and has a location in the horizontal plane which is removed from the point where the piping first emerges on the suppression pool side of the inner bounding wall of the suppression pool. This enables water at the surface of the lower drywell pool to flow into and be discharged at the bottom of the suppression pool.

3D GRASE PROPELLER: Improved Image Acquisition Technique for Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion Imaging

PubMed Central

Tan, Huan; Hoge, W. Scott; Hamilton, Craig A.; Günther, Matthias; Kraft, Robert A.

2014-01-01

Arterial spin labeling (ASL) is a non-invasive technique that can quantitatively measure cerebral blood flow (CBF). While traditionally ASL employs 2D EPI or spiral acquisition trajectories, single-shot 3D GRASE is gaining popularity in ASL due to inherent SNR advantage and spatial coverage. However, a major limitation of 3D GRASE is through-plane blurring caused by T2 decay. A novel technique combining 3D GRASE and a PROPELLER trajectory (3DGP) is presented to minimize through-plane blurring without sacrificing perfusion sensitivity or increasing total scan time. Full brain perfusion images were acquired at a 3×3×5mm3 nominal voxel size with Q2TIPS-FAIR as the ASL preparation sequence. Data from 5 healthy subjects was acquired on a GE 1.5T scanner in less than 4 minutes per subject. While showing good agreement in CBF quantification with 3D GRASE, 3DGP demonstrated reduced through-plane blurring, improved anatomical details, high repeatability and robustness against motion, making it suitable for routine clinical use. PMID:21254211

Censoring distances based on labeled cortical distance maps in cortical morphometry.

PubMed

Ceyhan, Elvan; Nishino, Tomoyuki; Alexopolous, Dimitrios; Todd, Richard D; Botteron, Kelly N; Miller, Michael I; Ratnanather, J Tilak

2013-01-01

It has been demonstrated that shape differences in cortical structures may be manifested in neuropsychiatric disorders. Such morphometric differences can be measured by labeled cortical distance mapping (LCDM) which characterizes the morphometry of the laminar cortical mantle of cortical structures. LCDM data consist of signed/labeled distances of gray matter (GM) voxels with respect to GM/white matter (WM) surface. Volumes and other summary measures for each subject and the pooled distances can help determine the morphometric differences between diagnostic groups, however they do not reveal all the morphometric information contained in LCDM distances. To extract more information from LCDM data, censoring of the pooled distances is introduced for each diagnostic group where the range of LCDM distances is partitioned at a fixed increment size; and at each censoring step, the distances not exceeding the censoring distance are kept. Censored LCDM distances inherit the advantages of the pooled distances but also provide information about the location of morphometric differences which cannot be obtained from the pooled distances. However, at each step, the censored distances aggregate, which might confound the results. The influence of data aggregation is investigated with an extensive Monte Carlo simulation analysis and it is demonstrated that this influence is negligible. As an illustrative example, GM of ventral medial prefrontal cortices (VMPFCs) of subjects with major depressive disorder (MDD), subjects at high risk (HR) of MDD, and healthy control (Ctrl) subjects are used. A significant reduction in laminar thickness of the VMPFC in MDD and HR subjects is observed compared to Ctrl subjects. Moreover, the GM LCDM distances (i.e., locations with respect to the GM/WM surface) for which these differences start to occur are determined. The methodology is also applicable to LCDM-based morphometric measures of other cortical structures affected by disease.

Tracing photosynthetic carbon in leaves with nanoSIMS after 13CO2 labelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dannoura, Masako; Takeuchi, Miyuki; Kominami, Yuji; Takanashi, Satoru; Kenichi, Yoshimura; Ataka, Mioko

2015-04-01

To understand the carbon allocation of the tree and forest ecosystem, it is important to consider the residence time of carbon in different pools at suitable time scales. For example the carbon used for respiration will stay a few minutes to a few days in the tree, the carbon used for storage or structure of leaves will stay months to years, and the carbon used for wood structure, it will stay over the whole lifespan of the tree. The leaves are the entrance of carbon in trees where it can be used for foliage growth and maintenance or exported to the other organs or the other forest ecosystem compartments. Tracing carbon isotope using NanoSIMS technique is one of useful methods to estimate where and how long the carbon stay in the tree organs. In this study, 13CO2 pulse labelling were conducted and 13C was measured by IRMS to see the amount of C remaining in the leaves with time.NanoSIMS was used to localize where the labelled C remained within the leaf tissue. Twice labelling were done on branches of Quercus serrata at FFPRI(Forest and Forest Products research Institute) in Kyoto, Japan. The first labelling was in 30 April 2012 when the leaves start flushing and the second one was in 29 May 2012 when the leaves were completely deployed. For both labelling experiment, one branch was selected and covered with transparent plastic bag. CO2 concentration was recorded with IRGA and air temperature inside the chamber was monitored. Then 13CO2 was injected into the bag, and after 1 hour, the bag was removed and the branch was again exposed to ambient air. Leaves were collected before and 10-12 times after labelling and their isotope compositions were measured by IRMS. The leaf collected just after labelling and 6 days after labelling were used for NanoSIMS observation. Samples for nanoSIMS were preserved in glutaraldehyde and then embed in epoxy resin. The sliced sample were placed on the silicon wafer and observed by NanoSIMS 50L(Cameca, France). The 13C was highest just

Diving into Cold Pools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van den Heever, S. C.; Grant, L. D.; Drager, A. J.

2017-12-01

Cold pools play a significant role in convective storm initiation, organization and longevity. Given their role in convective life cycles, recent efforts have been focused on improving the representation of cold pool processes within weather forecast models, as well as on developing cold pool parameterizations in order to better represent their impacts within global climate models. Understanding the physical processes governing cold pool formation, intensity and dissipation is therefore critical to these efforts. Cold pool characteristics are influenced by numerous factors, including those associated with precipitation formation and evaporation, variations in the environmental moisture and shear, and land surface interactions. The focus of this talk will be on the manner in which the surface characteristics and associated processes impact cold pool genesis and dissipation. In particular, the results from high-resolution modeling studies focusing on the role of sensible and latent heat fluxes, soil moisture and SST will be presented. The results from a recent field campaign examining cold pools over northern Colorado will also be discussed.

[A New Simple Technique for Producing Labeled Monoclonal Antibodies for Antibody Pair Screening in Sandwich-ELISA].

PubMed

Zaripov, M M; Afanasieva, G V; Glukhova, X A; Trizna, Y A; Glukhov, A S; Beletsky, I P; Prusakova, O V

2015-01-01

A simple and fast method for obtaining biotin-labeled monoclonal antibodies was developed usingcontent of hybridoma culture supernatant sufficient to select antibody pairs in sandwich ELISA. The method consists in chemical biotinylation of antigen-bound antibodies in a well of ELISA plate. Using as an example target Vaccinia virus A27L protein it was shown that the yield of biotinylated reactant is enough to set comprehensive sandwich ELISA for a moderate size panel of up to 25 monoclonal antibodies with an aim to determine candidate pairs. The technique is a cheap and effective solution since it avoids obtaining preparative amounts of antibodies.

Phase sensitive spectral domain interferometry for label free biomolecular interaction analysis and biosensing applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chirvi, Sajal

Biomolecular interaction analysis (BIA) plays vital role in wide variety of fields, which include biomedical research, pharmaceutical industry, medical diagnostics, and biotechnology industry. Study and quantification of interactions between natural biomolecules (proteins, enzymes, DNA) and artificially synthesized molecules (drugs) is routinely done using various labeled and label-free BIA techniques. Labeled BIA (Chemiluminescence, Fluorescence, Radioactive) techniques suffer from steric hindrance of labels on interaction site, difficulty of attaching labels to molecules, higher cost and time of assay development. Label free techniques with real time detection capabilities have demonstrated advantages over traditional labeled techniques. The gold standard for label free BIA is surface Plasmon resonance (SPR) that detects and quantifies the changes in refractive index of the ligand-analyte complex molecule with high sensitivity. Although SPR is a highly sensitive BIA technique, it requires custom-made sensor chips and is not well suited for highly multiplexed BIA required in high throughput applications. Moreover implementation of SPR on various biosensing platforms is limited. In this research work spectral domain phase sensitive interferometry (SD-PSI) has been developed for label-free BIA and biosensing applications to address limitations of SPR and other label free techniques. One distinct advantage of SD-PSI compared to other label-free techniques is that it does not require use of custom fabricated biosensor substrates. Laboratory grade, off-the-shelf glass or plastic substrates of suitable thickness with proper surface functionalization are used as biosensor chips. SD-PSI is tested on four separate BIA and biosensing platforms, which include multi-well plate, flow cell, fiber probe with integrated optics and fiber tip biosensor. Sensitivity of 33 ng/ml for anti-IgG is achieved using multi-well platform. Principle of coherence multiplexing for multi

Human neutrophil kinetics: modeling of stable isotope labeling data supports short blood neutrophil half-lives.

PubMed

Lahoz-Beneytez, Julio; Elemans, Marjet; Zhang, Yan; Ahmed, Raya; Salam, Arafa; Block, Michael; Niederalt, Christoph; Asquith, Becca; Macallan, Derek

2016-06-30

Human neutrophils have traditionally been thought to have a short half-life in blood; estimates vary from 4 to 18 hours. This dogma was recently challenged by stable isotope labeling studies with heavy water, which yielded estimates in excess of 3 days. To investigate this disparity, we generated new stable isotope labeling data in healthy adult subjects using both heavy water (n = 4) and deuterium-labeled glucose (n = 9), a compound with more rapid labeling kinetics. To interpret results, we developed a novel mechanistic model and applied it to previously published (n = 5) and newly generated data. We initially constrained the ratio of the blood neutrophil pool to the marrow precursor pool (ratio = 0.26; from published values). Analysis of heavy water data sets yielded turnover rates consistent with a short blood half-life, but parameters, particularly marrow transit time, were poorly defined. Analysis of glucose-labeling data yielded more precise estimates of half-life (0.79 ± 0.25 days; 19 hours) and marrow transit time (5.80 ± 0.42 days). Substitution of this marrow transit time in the heavy water analysis gave a better-defined blood half-life of 0.77 ± 0.14 days (18.5 hours), close to glucose-derived values. Allowing the ratio of blood neutrophils to mitotic neutrophil precursors (R) to vary yielded a best-fit value of 0.19. Reanalysis of the previously published model and data also revealed the origin of their long estimates for neutrophil half-life: an implicit assumption that R is very large, which is physiologically untenable. We conclude that stable isotope labeling in healthy humans is consistent with a blood neutrophil half-life of less than 1 day. © 2016 by The American Society of Hematology.

A dual isotope approach to isolate soil carbon pools of different turnover times

DOE PAGES

Torn, M. S.; Kleber, M.; Zavaleta, E. S.; ...

2013-12-10

Soils are globally significant sources and sinks of atmospheric CO 2. Increasing the resolution of soil carbon turnover estimates is important for predicting the response of soil carbon cycling to environmental change. We show that soil carbon turnover times can be more finely resolved using a dual isotope label like the one provided by elevated CO 2 experiments that use fossil CO 2. We modeled each soil physical fraction as two pools with different turnover times using the atmospheric 14C bomb spike in combination with the label in 14C and 13C provided by an elevated CO 2 experiment in amore » California annual grassland. In sandstone and serpentine soils, the light fraction carbon was 21–54% fast cycling with 2–9 yr turnover, and 36–79% slow cycling with turnover slower than 100 yr. This validates model treatment of the light fraction as active and intermediate cycling carbon. The dense, mineral-associated fraction also had a very dynamic component, consisting of ~7% fast-cycling carbon and ~93% very slow cycling carbon. Similarly, half the microbial biomass carbon in the sandstone soil was more than 5 yr old, and 40% of the carbon respired by microbes had been fixed more than 5 yr ago. Resolving each density fraction into two pools revealed that only a small component of total soil carbon is responsible for most CO 2 efflux from these soils. In the sandstone soil, 11% of soil carbon contributes more than 90% of the annual CO 2 efflux. The fact that soil physical fractions, designed to isolate organic material of roughly homogeneous physico-chemical state, contain material of dramatically different turnover times is consistent with recent observations of rapid isotope incorporation into seemingly stable fractions and with emerging evidence for hot spots or micro-site variation of decomposition within the soil matrix. Predictions of soil carbon storage using a turnover time estimated with the assumption of a single pool per density fraction would greatly

A novel design for a dual stable isotope continuous labeling chamber: results on labeling efficiency and C and N allocation in Andropogon gerardii

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soong, J.; Stewart, C.; Reuss, D.; Pinney, C.; Cotrufo, F. M.

2010-12-01

The use of stable isotope enriched plant material can provide an unobstructed method of studying ecosystem nutrient dynamics between plants, soil, and atmosphere. However, the production of uniformly labeled perennial plant material is challenging due to plant physiological constraints and the mechanics of building and operating an isotope labeling system. In this study we present the design of a novel dual 13C and 15N continuous isotope labeling chamber located at Colorado State University. The chamber is equipped with automatic controls for CO2 concentration, temperature, and humidity, and has successfully been used to grow and label the tallgrass perennial Andropogon gerardii in pots from rhizomes. Three different nitrogen fertilization levels were applied to assess how substrate availability may alter growth and overall performance in the system. The efficiency of the 13C and 15N labeling chamber, its design and overall performance, as well as a full C, N, 13C, and 15N budget of the aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, and soil will be presented. Solid samples were analyzed on an EA-IRMS, while air samples from the chamber were analyzed using a precon-GC-IRMS system. The dual stable isotope labeled A. gerardii produced from this chamber will be used in a decomposition experiment to quantify the relative contribution of aboveground litter derived C to soil respiration, dissolved organic carbon, and various soil organic matter pools. Based on the results of our A. gerardii 13C and 15N labeling experiment we believe that this chamber design can be used to successfully produce dual stable isotope labeled plants for a wide variety of terrestrial nutrient flux experiments.

Pool spacing in forest channels

Treesearch

David R. Montgomery; John M. Buffington; Richard D. Smith; Kevin M. Schmidt; George Pess

1995-01-01

Field surveys of stream channels in forested mountain drainage basins in southeast Alaska and Washington reveal that pool spacing depends on large woody debris (LWD) loading and channel type, slope, and width. Mean pool spacing in pool-riffle, plane-bed, and forced pool-riffle channels systematically decreases from greater than 13 channel widths per pool to less than 1...

Modulation of mitochondrial function by endogenous Zn2+ pools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sensi, Stefano L.; Ton-That, Dien; Sullivan, Patrick G.; Jonas, Elizabeth A.; Gee, Kyle R.; Kaczmarek, Leonard K.; Weiss, John H.

2003-05-01

Recent evidence suggests that intracellular Zn2+ accumulation contributes to the neuronal injury that occurs in epilepsy or ischemia in certain brain regions, including hippocampus, amygdala, and cortex. Although most attention has been given to the vesicular Zn2+ that is released into the synaptic space and may gain entry to postsynaptic neurons, recent studies have highlighted pools of intracellular Zn2+ that are mobilized in response to stimulation. One such Zn2+ pool is likely bound to cytosolic proteins, like metallothioneins. Applying imaging techniques to cultured cortical neurons, this study provides novel evidence for the presence of a mitochondrial pool distinct from the cytosolic protein or ligand-bound pool. These pools can be pharmacologically mobilized largely independently of each other, with Zn2+ release from one resulting in apparent net Zn2+ transfer to the other. Further studies found evidence for complex and potent effects of Zn2+ on isolated brain mitochondria. Submicromolar levels, comparable to those that might occur on strong mobilization of intracellular compartments, induced membrane depolarization (loss of m), increases in currents across the mitochondrial inner membrane as detected by direct patch clamp recording of mitoplasts, increased O2 consumption and decreased reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation, whereas higher levels decreased O2 consumption and increased ROS generation. Finally, strong mobilization of protein-bound Zn2+ appeared to induce partial loss of Δψm, suggesting that movement of Zn2+ between cytosolic and mitochondrial pools might be of functional significance in intact neurons.

Optimization and validation of FePro cell labeling method.

PubMed

Janic, Branislava; Rad, Ali M; Jordan, Elaine K; Iskander, A S M; Ali, Md M; Varma, N Ravi S; Frank, Joseph A; Arbab, Ali S

2009-06-11

Current method to magnetically label cells using ferumoxides (Fe)-protamine (Pro) sulfate (FePro) is based on generating FePro complexes in a serum free media that are then incubated overnight with cells for the efficient labeling. However, this labeling technique requires long (>12-16 hours) incubation time and uses relatively high dose of Pro (5-6 microg/ml) that makes large extracellular FePro complexes. These complexes can be difficult to clean with simple cell washes and may create low signal intensity on T2* weighted MRI that is not desirable. The purpose of this study was to revise the current labeling method by using low dose of Pro and adding Fe and Pro directly to the cells before generating any FePro complexes. Human tumor glioma (U251) and human monocytic leukemia cell (THP-1) lines were used as model systems for attached and suspension cell types, respectively and dose dependent (Fe 25 to 100 microg/ml and Pro 0.75 to 3 microg/ml) and time dependent (2 to 48 h) labeling experiments were performed. Labeling efficiency and cell viability of these cells were assessed. Prussian blue staining revealed that more than 95% of cells were labeled. Intracellular iron concentration in U251 cells reached approximately 30-35 pg-iron/cell at 24 h when labeled with 100 microg/ml of Fe and 3 microg/ml of Pro. However, comparable labeling was observed after 4 h across the described FePro concentrations. Similarly, THP-1 cells achieved approximately 10 pg-iron/cell at 48 h when labeled with 100 microg/ml of Fe and 3 microg/ml of Pro. Again, comparable labeling was observed after 4 h for the described FePro concentrations. FePro labeling did not significantly affect cell viability. There was almost no extracellular FePro complexes observed after simple cell washes. To validate and to determine the effectiveness of the revised technique, human T-cells, human hematopoietic stem cells (hHSC), human bone marrow stromal cells (hMSC) and mouse neuronal stem cells (mNSC C17

Imaging of cellular spread on a three-dimensional scaffold by means of a novel cell-labeling technique for high-resolution computed tomography.

PubMed

Thimm, Benjamin W; Hofmann, Sandra; Schneider, Philipp; Carretta, Roberto; Müller, Ralph

2012-03-01

Computed tomography (CT) represents a truly three-dimensional (3D) imaging technique that can provide high-resolution images on the cellular level. Thus, one approach to detect single cells is X-ray absorption-based CT, where cells are labeled with a dense, opaque material providing the required contrast for CT imaging. Within the present work, a novel cell-labeling method has been developed showing the feasibility of labeling fixed cells with iron oxide (FeO) particles for subsequent CT imaging and quantitative morphometry. A biotin-streptavidin detection system was exploited to bind FeO particles to its target endothelial cells. The binding of the particles was predominantly close to the cell centers on 2D surfaces as shown by light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and CT. When cells were cultured on porous, 3D polyurethane surfaces, significantly more FeO particles were detected compared with surfaces without cells and FeO particle labeling using CT. Here, we report on the implementation and evaluation of a novel cell detection method based on high-resolution CT. This system has potential in cell tracking for 3D in vitro imaging in the future.

Exome Pool-Seq in neurodevelopmental disorders.

PubMed

Popp, Bernt; Ekici, Arif B; Thiel, Christian T; Hoyer, Juliane; Wiesener, Antje; Kraus, Cornelia; Reis, André; Zweier, Christiane

2017-12-01

High throughput sequencing has greatly advanced disease gene identification, especially in heterogeneous entities. Despite falling costs this is still an expensive and laborious technique, particularly when studying large cohorts. To address this problem we applied Exome Pool-Seq as an economic and fast screening technology in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). Sequencing of 96 individuals can be performed in eight pools of 12 samples on less than one Illumina sequencer lane. In a pilot study with 96 cases we identified 27 variants, likely or possibly affecting function. Twenty five of these were identified in 923 established NDD genes (based on SysID database, status November 2016) (ACTB, AHDC1, ANKRD11, ATP6V1B2, ATRX, CASK, CHD8, GNAS, IFIH1, KCNQ2, KMT2A, KRAS, MAOA, MED12, MED13L, RIT1, SETD5, SIN3A, TCF4, TRAPPC11, TUBA1A, WAC, ZBTB18, ZMYND11), two in 543 (SysID) candidate genes (ZNF292, BPTF), and additionally a de novo loss-of-function variant in LRRC7, not previously implicated in NDDs. Most of them were confirmed to be de novo, but we also identified X-linked or autosomal-dominantly or autosomal-recessively inherited variants. With a detection rate of 28%, Exome Pool-Seq achieves comparable results to individual exome analyses but reduces costs by >85%. Compared with other large scale approaches using Molecular Inversion Probes (MIP) or gene panels, it allows flexible re-analysis of data. Exome Pool-Seq is thus well suited for large-scale, cost-efficient and flexible screening in characterized but heterogeneous entities like NDDs.

Some approaches to optimal cluster labeling of aerospace imagery

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chittineni, C. B.

1980-01-01

Some approaches are presented to the problem of labeling clusters using information from a given set of labeled and unlabeled aerospace imagery patterns. The assignment of class labels to the clusters is formulated as the determination of the best assignment over all possible ones with respect to some criterion. Cluster labeling is also viewed as the probability of correct labeling with a maximization of likelihood function. Results of the application of these techniques in the processing of remotely sensed multispectral scanner imagery data are presented.

Possible effect of biotechnology on plant gene pools in Turkey.

PubMed

Demir, Aynur

2015-01-02

The recent rapid developments in biotechnology have made great contributions to the study of plant gene pools. The application of in vitro methods in freeze storage and DNA protection techniques in fast production studies has made major advances. From that aspect, biotechnology is an indispensable means for the protection of plant gene pools, which includes the insurance of sustainable agriculture and development of species. Besides all the positive developments, one of the primary risks posed by the uncontrolled spreading of genetically modified organisms is the possibility for other non-target organisms to be negatively affected. Genes of plant origin should be given priority in this type of studies by taking into consideration such negative effects that may result in disruption of ecological balance and damage to plant genetic pools. Turkey, due to its ecological conditions and history, has a very important position in terms of plant gene pools. This richness ought to be protected without corrupting its natural quality and natural evolution process in order to provide the sources of species that will be required for future sustainable agricultural applications. Thus, attention should be paid to the use of biotechnological methods, which play an important role especially in the protection and use of local and original plant gene pools.

Possible effect of biotechnology on plant gene pools in Turkey

PubMed Central

Demir, Aynur

2015-01-01

The recent rapid developments in biotechnology have made great contributions to the study of plant gene pools. The application of in vitro methods in freeze storage and DNA protection techniques in fast production studies has made major advances. From that aspect, biotechnology is an indispensable means for the protection of plant gene pools, which includes the insurance of sustainable agriculture and development of species. Besides all the positive developments, one of the primary risks posed by the uncontrolled spreading of genetically modified organisms is the possibility for other non-target organisms to be negatively affected. Genes of plant origin should be given priority in this type of studies by taking into consideration such negative effects that may result in disruption of ecological balance and damage to plant genetic pools. Turkey, due to its ecological conditions and history, has a very important position in terms of plant gene pools. This richness ought to be protected without corrupting its natural quality and natural evolution process in order to provide the sources of species that will be required for future sustainable agricultural applications. Thus, attention should be paid to the use of biotechnological methods, which play an important role especially in the protection and use of local and original plant gene pools. PMID:26019612

Swimming pool granuloma

MedlinePlus

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/001357.htm Swimming pool granuloma To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. A swimming pool granuloma is a long-term (chronic) skin ...

Stated and revealed inequality aversion in three subject pools

PubMed Central

Beranek, Benjamin; Cubitt, Robin; Gächter, Simon

2016-01-01

This paper reports data from three subject pools (n=717 subjects) using techniques based on those of Loewenstein, et al. (1989) and Blanco, et al. (2011) to obtain parameters, respectively, of stated and revealed inequality aversion. We provide a replication opportunity for those papers, with two innovations: (i) a design which allows stated and revealed preferences to be compared at the individual level; (ii) assessment of robustness of findings across subjects from a UK university, a Turkish university and Amazon Mechanical Turk. Our findings on stated aversion to inequality are qualitatively similar to those of Loewenstein, et al. in each of our subject pools, whereas there are notable differences between some of our findings on revealed preference and those of Blanco, et al. We find that revealed advantageous inequality aversion is often stronger than revealed dis-advantageous inequality aversion. In most subject pools, we find some (weak) correlation between corresponding parameters of stated and revealed inequality aversion. PMID:27069847

From antidunes to step-pools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Recking, Alain; Leduc, Pauline

2014-05-01

Step-pools are bed morphologies that are typical in high-gradient streams , recognizable by a staircase-like longitudinal profile resulting from accumulation of cobbles and boulders that are transverse to the channel and alternating with pools containing finer sediments. Within the last two decades step-pools have been the subject of increased efforts to characterize their nature; however their origin is still in debate. Researchers have very soon suspected step-pools to be the residual form of antidunes produced during flooding, but this hypothesis was continuously contested. Other theories has been proposed, considering, that step-pool profile develops a maximum flow resistance, or that pools geometry is controlled by the energy of a falling jet, or that steps form by boulders accumulation in a channel-spanning manner. All these theories gave very satisfying results when compared with experimental data, but does it mean that the antidune theory should we abandoned? We performed new flume experiments on steep slopes to investigate the antidune origin for step-pools. Our experiments showed that step-pools can have several origins, depending on the flow conditions and sediment mixture used. In some circumstances antidunes were well observed but did not produce stable step-pools morphology. In many occasions, step-pools obtained in the flume were isolated step-pools, with no real apparent periodicity. Only a few flow and sediment conditions allowed us to reproduce trains of antidunes which stabilized at the flow recession to produce stable periodical step-pools. These conditions are presented and discussed.

Interactions between pool geometry and hydraulics

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thompson, Douglas M.; Nelson, Jonathan M.; Wohl, Ellen E.

1998-01-01

An experimental and computational research approach was used to determine interactions between pool geometry and hydraulics. A 20-m-long, 1.8-m-wide flume was used to investigate the effect of four different geometric aspects of pool shape on flow velocity. Plywood sections were used to systematically alter constriction width, pool depth, pool length, and pool exit-slope gradient, each at two separate levels. Using the resulting 16 unique geometries with measured pool velocities in four-way factorial analyses produced an empirical assessment of the role of the four geometric aspects on the pool flow patterns and hence the stability of the pool. To complement the conclusions of these analyses, a two-dimensional computational flow model was used to investigate the relationships between pool geometry and flow patterns over a wider range of conditions. Both experimental and computational results show that constriction and depth effects dominate in the jet section of the pool and that pool length exhibits an increasing effect within the recirculating-eddy system. The pool exit slope appears to force flow reattachment. Pool length controls recirculating-eddy length and vena contracta strength. In turn, the vena contracta and recirculating eddy control velocities throughout the pool.

Combination of diOlistic labeling with retrograde tract tracing and immunohistochemistry.

PubMed

Neely, M Diana; Stanwood, Gregg D; Deutch, Ariel Y

2009-11-15

Neuronal staining techniques have played a crucial role in the analysis of neuronal function. Several different staining techniques have been developed to allow morphological analyses of neurons. DiOlistic labeling, in which beads are coated with a lipophilic dye and then ballistically ejected onto brain tissue, has recently been introduced as a useful and simple means to label neurons and glia in their entirety. Although diOlistic labeling provides detailed information on the morphology of neurons, combining this approach with other staining methods is a significant advance. We have developed protocols that result in high quality diOlistically- and retrogradely-labeled or diOlistically-immunohistochemically labeled neurons. These dual-label methods require modification of fixation parameters and the restricted use of detergents for tissue permeabilization, and are readily applicable to a wide range of tracers and antibodies.

Combination of DiOlistic Labeling with Retrograde Tract Tracing and Immunohistochemistry

PubMed Central

Diana Neely, M.; Stanwood, Gregg D; Deutch, Ariel Y.

2009-01-01

Neuronal staining techniques have played a crucial role in the analysis of neuronal function. Several different staining techniques have been developed to allow morphological analyses of neurons. Recently diOlistic labeling, in which beads are coated with a lipophilic dye and then ballistically ejected onto brain tissue, has been developed as a useful and simple means to label neurons and glia in their entirety. Although diOlistic labeling provides detailed information on the morphology of neurons, combining this approach with other staining methods is a significant advance. We have developed protocols that result in high quality diOlistically- and retrogradely-labeled or diOlistically-immunohistochemically labeled neurons. These dual-label methods require modification of fixation parameters and the use of detergents for tissue permeabilization, and are readily applicable to a wide range of tracers and antibodies. PMID:19712695

13 CFR 120.1706 - Pool Originator's retained interest in Pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Pool Originator's retained interest in Pool. 120.1706 Section 120.1706 Business Credit and Assistance SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LOANS Establishment of SBA Secondary Market Guarantee Program for First Lien Position 504 Loan...

Pulse-labelling trees to study carbon allocation dynamics: a review of methods, current knowledge and future prospects.

PubMed

Epron, Daniel; Bahn, Michael; Derrien, Delphine; Lattanzi, Fernando Alfredo; Pumpanen, Jukka; Gessler, Arthur; Högberg, Peter; Maillard, Pascale; Dannoura, Masako; Gérant, Dominique; Buchmann, Nina

2012-06-01

Pulse-labelling of trees with stable or radioactive carbon (C) isotopes offers the unique opportunity to trace the fate of labelled CO(2) into the tree and its release to the soil and the atmosphere. Thus, pulse-labelling enables the quantification of C partitioning in forests and the assessment of the role of partitioning in tree growth, resource acquisition and C sequestration. However, this is associated with challenges as regards the choice of a tracer, the methods of tracing labelled C in tree and soil compartments and the quantitative analysis of C dynamics. Based on data from 47 studies, the rate of transfer differs between broadleaved and coniferous species and decreases as temperature and soil water content decrease. Labelled C is rapidly transferred belowground-within a few days or less-and this transfer is slowed down by drought. Half-lives of labelled C in phloem sap (transfer pool) and in mature leaves (source organs) are short, while those of sink organs (growing tissues, seasonal storage) are longer. (13)C measurements in respiratory efflux at high temporal resolution provide the best estimate of the mean residence times of C in respiratory substrate pools, and the best basis for compartmental modelling. Seasonal C dynamics and allocation patterns indicate that sink strength variations are important drivers for C fluxes. We propose a conceptual model for temperate and boreal trees, which considers the use of recently assimilated C versus stored C. We recommend best practices for designing and analysing pulse-labelling experiments, and identify several topics which we consider of prime importance for future research on C allocation in trees: (i) whole-tree C source-sink relations, (ii) C allocation to secondary metabolism, (iii) responses to environmental change, (iv) effects of seasonality versus phenology in and across biomes, and (v) carbon-nitrogen interactions. Substantial progress is expected from emerging technologies, but the largest challenge

ECS DAAC Data Pools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiebuzinski, A. B.; Bories, C. M.; Kalluri, S.

2002-12-01

, data is inserted via subscriptions based on ECS events, for example, arrival of data matching a specific spatial context. Upon acquisition, these data are written to the Data Pools as well as to the permanent archive. The data is then accessed via a public Web interface, which provides a drilldown search, using data group, spatial, temporal and other flags. The result set is displayed as a list of ftp links to the data, which the user can click and directly download. Data Pool holdings are continuously renewed as the data is allowed to expire and is replaced by more current insertions. In addition, the Data Pool may also house data sets that though not contemporary, receive significant user attention, i.e. a Chernobyl-type of incident, a flood, or a forest fire. The benefits are that users who require contemporary data can access the data immediately (within 24 hours of acquisition) under a much improved access technique. Users not requiring contemporary data, benefit from the Data Pools by having greater archival and processing resources (and a shorter processing queue) made available to them. All users benefit now from the capability to have standing data orders for data matching a geographic context (spatial subscription), a capability also developed under the Synergy program. The Data Pools are currently being installed and checked at each of the DAACs. Additionally, several improvements to the search capabilities, data manipulation tools and overall storage capacity are being developed and will be installed in the First Quarter of 2003.

Vision-based weld pool boundary extraction and width measurement during keyhole fiber laser welding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Masiyang; Shin, Yung C.

2015-01-01

In keyhole fiber laser welding processes, the weld pool behavior is essential to determining welding quality. To better observe and control the welding process, the accurate extraction of the weld pool boundary as well as the width is required. This work presents a weld pool edge detection technique based on an off axial green illumination laser and a coaxial image capturing system that consists of a CMOS camera and optic filters. According to the difference of image quality, a complete developed edge detection algorithm is proposed based on the local maximum gradient of greyness searching approach and linear interpolation. The extracted weld pool geometry and the width are validated by the actual welding width measurement and predictions by a numerical multi-phase model.

Empirical Validation of Pooled Whole Genome Population Re-Sequencing in Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Zhu, Yuan; Bergland, Alan O.; González, Josefa; Petrov, Dmitri A.

2012-01-01

The sequencing of pooled non-barcoded individuals is an inexpensive and efficient means of assessing genome-wide population allele frequencies, yet its accuracy has not been thoroughly tested. We assessed the accuracy of this approach on whole, complex eukaryotic genomes by resequencing pools of largely isogenic, individually sequenced Drosophila melanogaster strains. We called SNPs in the pooled data and estimated false positive and false negative rates using the SNPs called in individual strain as a reference. We also estimated allele frequency of the SNPs using “pooled” data and compared them with “true” frequencies taken from the estimates in the individual strains. We demonstrate that pooled sequencing provides a faithful estimate of population allele frequency with the error well approximated by binomial sampling, and is a reliable means of novel SNP discovery with low false positive rates. However, a sufficient number of strains should be used in the pooling because variation in the amount of DNA derived from individual strains is a substantial source of noise when the number of pooled strains is low. Our results and analysis confirm that pooled sequencing is a very powerful and cost-effective technique for assessing of patterns of sequence variation in populations on genome-wide scales, and is applicable to any dataset where sequencing individuals or individual cells is impossible, difficult, time consuming, or expensive. PMID:22848651

Mapping Neglected Swimming Pools from Satellite Data for Urban Vector Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, C. M.; Melton, F. S.; Reisen, W. K.

2010-12-01

Neglected swimming pools provide suitable breeding habit for mosquitoes, can contain thousands of mosquito larvae, and present both a significant nuisance and public health risk due to their inherent proximity to urban and suburban populations. The rapid increase and sustained rate of foreclosures in California associated with the recent recession presents a challenge for vector control districts seeking to identify, treat, and monitor neglected pools. Commercial high resolution satellite imagery offers some promise for mapping potential neglected pools, and for mapping pools for which routine maintenance has been reestablished. We present progress on unsupervised classification techniques for mapping both neglected pools and clean pools using high resolution commercial satellite data and discuss the potential uses and limitations of this data source in support of vector control efforts. An unsupervised classification scheme that utilizes image segmentation, band thresholds, and a change detection approach was implemented for sample regions in Coachella Valley, CA and the greater Los Angeles area. Comparison with field data collected by vector control personal was used to assess the accuracy of the estimates. The results suggest that the current system may provide some utility for early detection, or cost effective and time efficient annual monitoring, but additional work is required to address spectral and spatial limitations of current commercial satellite sensors for this purpose.

Convenient yet not a convenience sample: Jury pools as experimental subject pools.

PubMed

Murray, Gregg R; Rugeley, Cynthia R; Mitchell, Dona-Gene; Mondak, Jeffery J

2013-01-01

Scholars greatly benefit from access to convenient, inexpensive data sources. Many researchers rely on student subject pools, a practice that raises concern about the "college sophomore problem," or the possibility that findings from student subjects do not generalize beyond the campus. As an accessible, low cost, and heterogeneous data source, some researchers have used subjects recruited from jury pools, which are drawn from randomly-selected citizens required by law to appear for jury duty. In this paper, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this approach. First, we review pragmatic considerations involving access to jury pools, substantive content, the administration of survey-experiments, and the financial costs and benefits of this approach. Next, we present evidence regarding the quality of jury pool samples in terms of response rates, diversity, and representativeness. We conclude that jury pools, given proper attention to their limitations, offer an attractive addition to the viable sources of experimental data. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a "cocktail" of non-tumourous elements is a reliable, quick and easy technique for inferring methylation status in glioblastomas and other primary brain tumours.

PubMed

Burke, Elinor; Grobler, Mariana; Elderfield, Kay; Bond, Frances; Crocker, Matthew; Taylor, Rohan; Bridges, Leslie R

2013-06-10

Our aim was to develop a new protocol for MGMT immunohistochemistry with good agreement between observers and good correlation with molecular genetic tests of tumour methylation. We examined 40 primary brain tumours (30 glioblastomas and 10 oligodendroglial tumours) with our new technique, namely double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a "cocktail" of non-tumour antigens (CD34, CD45 and CD68). We compared the results with single-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA, a recognised molecular genetic technique which we applied as the gold-standard for the methylation status). Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT produced a visual separation of tumourous and non-tumourous elements on the same histological slide, making it quick and easy to determine whether tumour cell nuclei were MGMT-positive or MGMT-negative (and thereby infer the methylation status of the tumour). We found good agreement between observers (kappa 0.76) and within observer (kappa 0.84). Furthermore, double-labelling showed good specificity (80%), sensitivity (73.33%), positive predictive value (PPV, 83.33%) and negative predictive value (NPV, 68.75%) compared to MS-MLPA. Double-labelling was quicker and easier to assess than single-labelling and it outperformed quantitative computerised image analysis of MGMT single-labelling in terms of sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV. Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a cocktail of non-tumourous elements provides a "one look" method for determining whether tumour cell nuclei are MGMT-positive or MGMT-negative. This can be used to infer the methylation status of the tumour. There is good observer agreement and good specificity, sensitivity, PPV and NPV compared to a molecular gold-standard.

Constructed Pools-and-Riffles: Application and Assessment in Illinois.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, D. M.; Dodd, H. R.; Carney, D. A.; Holtrop, A. M.; Whiles, M. R.; White, B.; Roseboom, D.; Kinney, W.; Keefer, L. L.; Beardsley, J.

2005-05-01

The diversity of Illinois' streams provides a broad range of conditions, and thus a variety of restoration techniques may be required to adequately compensate for watershed alterations. Resource management agencies and research institutions in the state have collaborated on a variety of applied research initiatives to assess the efficacy of various stream protection and restoration techniques. Constructed pool-and-riffle structures have received significant attention because they tend to address watershed processes (i.e., channel evolution model) and may benefit biotic communities and processes along with physical habitat. Constructed pools-and-riffles have been applied primarily to address geomorphic instability, yet understanding biological responses can provide further rationale for their use and design specifications. In three stream systems around the state, fish were collected pre- and post- installation of structures, using primarily electrofishing techniques (e.g., electric seine & backpack). In general, within the first five years after installation, changes in fish communities have included a shift from high-abundance, small cyprinid-dominated assemblages to low-density Centrarchidae and Catostomidae assemblages. Changes in macro invertebrates at selected sites included increases in filter feeders and sensitive taxa such as the Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT). Ongoing assessments will be critical for understanding long-term influences on stream ecosystem structure and function.

Vernal Pool Lessons and Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Childs, Nancy; Colburn, Betsy

This curriculum guide accompanies Certified: A Citizen's Step-by-Step Guide to Protecting Vernal Pools which is designed to train volunteers in the process of identifying vernal pool habitat so that as many of these pools as possible can be certified by the Massachusetts Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program. Vernal pools are a kind of…

Morphology of drying blood pools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laan, Nick; Smith, Fiona; Nicloux, Celine; Brutin, David; D-Blood project Collaboration

2016-11-01

Often blood pools are found on crime scenes providing information concerning the events and sequence of events that took place on the scene. However, there is a lack of knowledge concerning the drying dynamics of blood pools. This study focuses on the drying process of blood pools to determine what relevant information can be obtained for the forensic application. We recorded the drying process of blood pools with a camera and measured the weight. We found that the drying process can be separated into five different: coagulation, gelation, rim desiccation, centre desiccation, and final desiccation. Moreover, we found that the weight of the blood pool diminishes similarly and in a reproducible way for blood pools created in various conditions. In addition, we verify that the size of the blood pools is directly related to its volume and the wettability of the surface. Our study clearly shows that blood pools dry in a reproducible fashion. This preliminary work highlights the difficult task that represents blood pool analysis in forensic investigations, and how internal and external parameters influence its dynamics. We conclude that understanding the drying process dynamics would be advancement in timeline reconstitution of events. ANR funded project: D-Blood Project.

Category labels versus feature labels: category labels polarize inferential predictions.

PubMed

Yamauchi, Takashi; Yu, Na-Yung

2008-04-01

What makes category labels different from feature labels in predictive inference? This study suggests that category labels tend to make inductive reasoning polarized and homogeneous. In two experiments, participants were shown two schematic pictures of insects side by side and predicted the value of a hidden feature of one insect on the basis of the other insect. Arbitrary verbal labels were shown above the two pictures, and the meanings of the labels were manipulated in the instructions. In one condition, the labels represented the category membership of the insects, and in the other conditions, the same labels represented attributes of the insects. When the labels represented category membership, participants' responses became substantially polarized and homogeneous, indicating that the mere reference to category membership can modify reasoning processes.

Physical and chemical differences between natural and artificial pools in blanket peatlands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Ed; Baird, Andy; Billett, Mike; Chapman, Pippa; Dinsmore, Kerry; Holden, Joseph

2014-05-01

Natural pools are common features of many northern peatlands. Numerous artificial pools are being created behind dams installed during drain-blocking, a common peatland restoration technique, significantly increasing the area of open water. Natural pools are known to be major sources of GHGs (e.g. Hamilton et al. 1994), but the reasons they are such 'hotspots' is poorly understood. We hypothesize that pools act as 'biochemical reactors' of particulate and dissolved organic carbon (POC and DOC) transported from surrounding peat that is processed into a range of products including CH4 and CO2. Therefore, understanding the processes operating in both natural and artificial pool systems is fundamental to elucidating this hypothesis. Water levels and temperature have been continuously monitored at six natural and six artificial pools within the 'Flow Country' blanket peatland in northern Scotland since May 2013. Bi-weekly sampling of waters from pools, peat matrix through-flow (via piezometers) and surface flow has been conducted for analysis of DOC, POC, DIC, CH4diss and CO2diss, together with GHG flux measurements from pool surfaces and adjacent peat. We show that, to date, pool water levels rapidly respond to rainfall, although artificial pools appear to respond with greater magnitude. For example, over the course of same rainfall event (20-23 June 2013), natural and artificial pool levels increased between 5.3 and 9.8 cm, and 12.5 and 22.6 cm respectively. Temperature measured at c. 5 cm from the base of each pool shows distinct diurnal fluctuations, which are of greater magnitude in all but one of the natural pools compared to the artificial pools: over the same period (20-23 July 2013), the maximum diurnal variation at the artificial pool site was 5.1 °C compared to 9.2 °C within the natural pools. Vegetation cover is generally higher in artificial pools and may have a moderating effect on variations in pool temperature. Results of pool-water DOC analysis from

Boreal peatland pools C release: implication for the contemporary C exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pelletier, L.; Strachan, I. B.; Garneau, M.; Roulet, N. T.

2013-12-01

Peatland ecosystems are considered to be net-sinks for carbon, with long-term accumulation rates ranging between 3 and 71 g C m-2 yr-1. However, the net carbon exchange rates vary significantly across the surface of these ecosystems, both in terms of magnitude and direction of the fluxes. Boreal peatlands are characterized by microforms ranging from dry hummocks, to lawns, to wet hollows and pools, which have distinct physical and chemical properties. While the hummocks and lawns absorb C due to the positive balance between gross primary production (CO2 uptake) and respiration (CO2 and CH4 release), pools represent net sources of carbon to the atmosphere. Annual pool C fluxes have been poorly documented and their contribution to the ecosystem level C budget is often ignored, even if they cover a significant portion of the peatland surface. Furthermore, the net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) of these peatlands remains largely unknown. In this study, we examine the dynamics of the atmospheric exchange of CO2 and CH4 from peatland pools. Dissolved CO2 and CH4 were measured sporadically in five pools using the headspace technique and continuously with an NDIR sensor (CO2 for one pool only) over a 16-month period. Fluxes were calculated using the thin boundary layer model. We measured spring release and growing season (May to October) NEE-CO2 and CH4 fluxes in the same peatland using an eddy covariance tower to see how the presence of pools impacts the contemporary C exchange at the ecosystem level.

Data Pool Description

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-04-29

ASDC Data Pool   Notices   • DataPool will transition from ...  • Use IE7 for FTP sessions: a) Select "View", "Open FTP site in Windows Explorer" or b) Open Windows Explorer and enter the URL for the FTP site in the address bar ...

Radioisotope penile plethysmography: A technique for evaluating corpora cavernosal blood flow during early tumescence

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

Schwartz, A.N.; Graham, M.M.; Ferency, G.F.

1989-04-01

Radioisotope penile plethysmography is a nuclear medicine technique which assists in the evaluation of patients with erectile dysfunction. This technique attempts to noninvasively quantitate penile corpora cavernosal blood flow during early penile tumescence using technetium-99m-labeled red blood cells. Penile images and counts were acquired in a steady-state blood-pool phase prior to and after the administration of intracorporal papaverine. Penile counts, images, and time-activity curves were computer analyzed in order to determine peak corporal flow and volume changes. Peak corporal flow rates were compared to arterial integrity (determined by angiography) and venosinusoidal corporal leak (determined by cavernosometry). Peak corporal flow correlatedmore » well with arterial integrity (r = 0.91) but did not correlate with venosinusoidal leak parameters (r = 0.01). This report focuses on the methodology and the assumptions which form the foundation of this technique. The strong correlation of peak corporal flow and angiography suggests that radioisotope penile plethysmography could prove useful in the evaluation of arterial inflow disorders in patients with erectile dysfunction.« less

Allocation to carbon storage pools in Norway spruce saplings under drought and low CO2.

PubMed

Hartmann, Henrik; McDowell, Nate G; Trumbore, Susan

2015-03-01

Non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs) are critical to maintain plant metabolism under stressful environmental conditions, but we do not fully understand how NSC allocation and utilization from storage varies with stress. While it has become established that storage allocation is unlikely to be a mere overflow process, very little empirical evidence has been produced to support this view, at least not for trees. Here we present the results of an intensively monitored experimental manipulation of whole-tree carbon (C) balance (young Picea abies (L.) H Karst.) using reduced atmospheric [CO2] and drought to reduce C sources. We measured specific C storage pools (glucose, fructose, sucrose, starch) over 21 weeks and converted concentration measurement into fluxes into and out of the storage pool. Continuous labeling ((13)C) allowed us to track C allocation to biomass and non-structural C pools. Net C fluxes into the storage pool occurred mainly when the C balance was positive. Storage pools increased during periods of positive C gain and were reduced under negative C gain. (13)C data showed that C was allocated to storage pools independent of the net flux and even under severe C limitation. Allocation to below-ground tissues was strongest in control trees followed by trees experiencing drought followed by those grown under low [CO2]. Our data suggest that NSC storage has, under the conditions of our experimental manipulation (e.g., strong progressive drought, no above-ground growth), a high allocation priority and cannot be considered an overflow process. While these results also suggest active storage allocation, definitive proof of active plant control of storage in woody plants requires studies involving molecular tools. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A Simulation Based Analysis of Motor Unit Number Index (MUNIX) Technique Using Motoneuron Pool and Surface Electromyogram Models

PubMed Central

Li, Xiaoyan; Rymer, William Zev; Zhou, Ping

2013-01-01

Motor unit number index (MUNIX) measurement has recently achieved increasing attention as a tool to evaluate the progression of motoneuron diseases. In our current study, the sensitivity of the MUNIX technique to changes in motoneuron and muscle properties was explored by a simulation approach utilizing variations on published motoneuron pool and surface electromyogram (EMG) models. Our simulation results indicate that, when keeping motoneuron pool and muscle parameters unchanged and varying the input motor unit numbers to the model, then MUNIX estimates can appropriately characterize changes in motor unit numbers. Such MUNIX estimates are not sensitive to different motor unit recruitment and rate coding strategies used in the model. Furthermore, alterations in motor unit control properties do not have a significant effect on the MUNIX estimates. Neither adjustment of the motor unit recruitment range nor reduction of the motor unit firing rates jeopardizes the MUNIX estimates. The MUNIX estimates closely correlate with the maximum M wave amplitude. However, if we reduce the amplitude of each motor unit action potential rather than simply reduce motor unit number, then MUNIX estimates substantially underestimate the motor unit numbers in the muscle. These findings suggest that the current MUNIX definition is most suitable for motoneuron diseases that demonstrate secondary evidence of muscle fiber reinnervation. In this regard, when MUNIX is applied, it is of much importance to examine a parallel measurement of motor unit size index (MUSIX), defined as the ratio of the maximum M wave amplitude to the MUNIX. However, there are potential limitations in the application of the MUNIX methods in atrophied muscle, where it is unclear whether the atrophy is accompanied by loss of motor units or loss of muscle fiber size. PMID:22514208

An Integrated Spin-Labeling/Computational-Modeling Approach for Mapping Global Structures of Nucleic Acids.

PubMed

Tangprasertchai, Narin S; Zhang, Xiaojun; Ding, Yuan; Tham, Kenneth; Rohs, Remo; Haworth, Ian S; Qin, Peter Z

2015-01-01

The technique of site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) provides unique information on biomolecules by monitoring the behavior of a stable radical tag (i.e., spin label) using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. In this chapter, we describe an approach in which SDSL is integrated with computational modeling to map conformations of nucleic acids. This approach builds upon a SDSL tool kit previously developed and validated, which includes three components: (i) a nucleotide-independent nitroxide probe, designated as R5, which can be efficiently attached at defined sites within arbitrary nucleic acid sequences; (ii) inter-R5 distances in the nanometer range, measured via pulsed EPR; and (iii) an efficient program, called NASNOX, that computes inter-R5 distances on given nucleic acid structures. Following a general framework of data mining, our approach uses multiple sets of measured inter-R5 distances to retrieve "correct" all-atom models from a large ensemble of models. The pool of models can be generated independently without relying on the inter-R5 distances, thus allowing a large degree of flexibility in integrating the SDSL-measured distances with a modeling approach best suited for the specific system under investigation. As such, the integrative experimental/computational approach described here represents a hybrid method for determining all-atom models based on experimentally-derived distance measurements. © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Integrated Spin-Labeling/Computational-Modeling Approach for Mapping Global Structures of Nucleic Acids

PubMed Central

Tangprasertchai, Narin S.; Zhang, Xiaojun; Ding, Yuan; Tham, Kenneth; Rohs, Remo; Haworth, Ian S.; Qin, Peter Z.

2015-01-01

The technique of site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) provides unique information on biomolecules by monitoring the behavior of a stable radical tag (i.e., spin label) using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. In this chapter, we describe an approach in which SDSL is integrated with computational modeling to map conformations of nucleic acids. This approach builds upon a SDSL tool kit previously developed and validated, which includes three components: (i) a nucleotide-independent nitroxide probe, designated as R5, which can be efficiently attached at defined sites within arbitrary nucleic acid sequences; (ii) inter-R5 distances in the nanometer range, measured via pulsed EPR; and (iii) an efficient program, called NASNOX, that computes inter-R5 distances on given nucleic acid structures. Following a general framework of data mining, our approach uses multiple sets of measured inter-R5 distances to retrieve “correct” all-atom models from a large ensemble of models. The pool of models can be generated independently without relying on the inter-R5 distances, thus allowing a large degree of flexibility in integrating the SDSL-measured distances with a modeling approach best suited for the specific system under investigation. As such, the integrative experimental/computational approach described here represents a hybrid method for determining all-atom models based on experimentally-derived distance measurements. PMID:26477260

Quantification of transformation rates of soil amino sugars and amino acids by a novel isotope pool dilution approach via liquid chromatography/high resolution mass spectrometry (LC/HRMS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hu, Yuntao; Zheng, Qing; Noll, Lisa; Zhang, Shasha; Wanek, Wolfgang

2017-04-01

Organic nitrogen transformation processes are the key driver of soil nitrogen availability, strongly affecting the nitrogen turnover and carbon cycling of terrestrial ecosystems. Low molecular weight organic nitrogen compounds (e.g. amino acids and amino sugars) that can be directly utilized by plants or microorganisms are released by the extracellular cleavage of high molecular weight organic nitrogen compounds (e.g. proteins, peptidoglycan, and chitin) by hydrolytic enzymes. This decomposition process is believed to be the rate-limiting step in the soil N cycle. Direct measurements of the in situ transformation rates of these small N compounds is highly challenging but can be realized by applying the isotope pool dilution (IPD) technique, in which the target compound pool is labeled with isotopic tracers and subsequently the dilution of the tracers is measured. We have recently pioneered the development of IPD assays to investigate the in situ flux of proteinaceous amino acids and glucose due to decomposition of organic matter and microbial utilization, but the roles of fluxes of amino sugars and amino acid enantiomers in soil nitrogen transformation processes are still unknown due to the lack of feasible extraction, purification, separation and detection methods. Here we developed a 15N IPD assay by utilizing a novel LC/HRMS (Orbitrap) platform, with the aim to measure transformation rates of amino sugars and amino acid enantiomers. After the tracer experiments soil extracts were purified by solid phase extraction prior to the analysis by MS. The utilization of Orbitrap-HRMS allowed us to resolve the mass signals of unlabeled analytes, and their 15N labeled (tracers) and 13C labeled (internal standards) analogues. The commercially unavailable 15N and 13C labeled amino sugars and amino acid enantiomers were produced from bacterial cell walls after batch culture in labeled growth media. This workflow was validated with soils from two sampling sites, allowing us to

Quenched substrates for live-cell labeling of SNAP-tagged fusion proteins with improved fluorescent background.

PubMed

Stöhr, Katharina; Siegberg, Daniel; Ehrhard, Tanja; Lymperopoulos, Konstantinos; Öz, Simin; Schulmeister, Sonja; Pfeifer, Andrea C; Bachmann, Julie; Klingmüller, Ursula; Sourjik, Victor; Herten, Dirk-Peter

2010-10-01

Recent developments in fluorescence microscopy raise the demands for bright and photostable fluorescent tags for specific and background free labeling in living cells. Aside from fluorescent proteins and other tagging methods, labeling of SNAP-tagged proteins has become available thereby increasing the pool of potentially applicable fluorescent dyes for specific labeling of proteins. Here, we report on novel conjugates of benzylguanine (BG) which are quenched in their fluorescence and become highly fluorescent upon labeling of the SNAP-tag, the commercial variant of the human O(6)-alkylguanosyltransferase (hAGT). We identified four conjugates showing a strong increase, i.e., >10-fold, in fluorescence intensity upon labeling of SNAP-tag in vitro. Moreover, we screened a subset of nine BG-dye conjugates in living Escherichia coli and found them all suited for labeling of the SNAP-tag. Here, quenched BG-dye conjugates yield a higher specificity due to reduced contribution from excess conjugate to the fluorescence signal. We further extended the application of these conjugates by labeling a SNAP-tag fusion of the Tar chemoreceptor in live E. coli cells and the eukaryotic transcription factor STAT5b in NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblast cells. Aside from the labeling efficiency and specificity in living cells, we discuss possible mechanisms that might be responsible for the changes in fluorescence emission upon labeling of the SNAP-tag, as well as problems we encountered with nonspecific labeling with certain conjugates in eukaryotic cells.

Bound Pool Fractions Complement Diffusion Measures to Describe White Matter Micro and Macrostructure

PubMed Central

Stikov, Nikola; Perry, Lee M.; Mezer, Aviv; Rykhlevskaia, Elena; Wandell, Brian A.; Pauly, John M.; Dougherty, Robert F.

2010-01-01

Diffusion imaging and bound pool fraction (BPF) mapping are two quantitative magnetic resonance imaging techniques that measure microstructural features of the white matter of the brain. Diffusion imaging provides a quantitative measure of the diffusivity of water in tissue. BPF mapping is a quantitative magnetization transfer (qMT) technique that estimates the proportion of exchanging protons bound to macromolecules, such as those found in myelin, and is thus a more direct measure of myelin content than diffusion. In this work, we combine BPF estimates of macromolecular content with measurements of diffusivity within human white matter tracts. Within the white matter, the correlation between BPFs and diffusivity measures such as fractional anisotropy and radial diffusivity was modest, suggesting that diffusion tensor imaging and bound pool fractions are complementary techniques. We found that several major tracts have high BPF, suggesting a higher density of myelin in these tracts. We interpret these results in the context of a quantitative tissue model. PMID:20828622

Design of association studies with pooled or un-pooled next-generation sequencing data.

PubMed

Kim, Su Yeon; Li, Yingrui; Guo, Yiran; Li, Ruiqiang; Holmkvist, Johan; Hansen, Torben; Pedersen, Oluf; Wang, Jun; Nielsen, Rasmus

2010-07-01

Most common hereditary diseases in humans are complex and multifactorial. Large-scale genome-wide association studies based on SNP genotyping have only identified a small fraction of the heritable variation of these diseases. One explanation may be that many rare variants (a minor allele frequency, MAF <5%), which are not included in the common genotyping platforms, may contribute substantially to the genetic variation of these diseases. Next-generation sequencing, which would allow the analysis of rare variants, is now becoming so cheap that it provides a viable alternative to SNP genotyping. In this paper, we present cost-effective protocols for using next-generation sequencing in association mapping studies based on pooled and un-pooled samples, and identify optimal designs with respect to total number of individuals, number of individuals per pool, and the sequencing coverage. We perform a small empirical study to evaluate the pooling variance in a realistic setting where pooling is combined with exon-capturing. To test for associations, we develop a likelihood ratio statistic that accounts for the high error rate of next-generation sequencing data. We also perform extensive simulations to determine the power and accuracy of this method. Overall, our findings suggest that with a fixed cost, sequencing many individuals at a more shallow depth with larger pool size achieves higher power than sequencing a small number of individuals in higher depth with smaller pool size, even in the presence of high error rates. Our results provide guidelines for researchers who are developing association mapping studies based on next-generation sequencing. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a “cocktail” of non-tumourous elements is a reliable, quick and easy technique for inferring methylation status in glioblastomas and other primary brain tumours

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Our aim was to develop a new protocol for MGMT immunohistochemistry with good agreement between observers and good correlation with molecular genetic tests of tumour methylation. We examined 40 primary brain tumours (30 glioblastomas and 10 oligodendroglial tumours) with our new technique, namely double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a "cocktail" of non-tumour antigens (CD34, CD45 and CD68). We compared the results with single-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and methylation-specific multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MS-MLPA, a recognised molecular genetic technique which we applied as the gold-standard for the methylation status). Results Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT produced a visual separation of tumourous and non-tumourous elements on the same histological slide, making it quick and easy to determine whether tumour cell nuclei were MGMT-positive or MGMT-negative (and thereby infer the methylation status of the tumour). We found good agreement between observers (kappa 0.76) and within observer (kappa 0.84). Furthermore, double-labelling showed good specificity (80%), sensitivity (73.33%), positive predictive value (PPV, 83.33%) and negative predictive value (NPV, 68.75%) compared to MS-MLPA. Double-labelling was quicker and easier to assess than single-labelling and it outperformed quantitative computerised image analysis of MGMT single-labelling in terms of sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV. Conclusions Double-labelling immunohistochemistry for MGMT and a cocktail of non-tumourous elements provides a "one look" method for determining whether tumour cell nuclei are MGMT-positive or MGMT-negative. This can be used to infer the methylation status of the tumour. There is good observer agreement and good specificity, sensitivity, PPV and NPV compared to a molecular gold-standard. PMID:24252243

Carbon allocation belowground in Pinus pinaster using stable carbon isotope pulse labeling technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dannoura, M.; Bosc, A.; Chipeaux, C.; Sartore, M.; Lambrot, C.; Trichet, P.; Bakker, M.; Loustau, D.; Epron, D.

2010-12-01

Carbon allocation belowground competes with aboveground growth and biomass production. In the other hand, it contributes to resource acquisition such as nutrient, water and carbon sequestration in soil. Thus, a better characterization of carbon flow from plant to soil and its residence time within each compartment is an important issue for understanding and modeling forest ecosystem carbon budget. 13C pulse labeling of whole crown was conducted at 4 seasons to study the fate of assimilated carbon by photosynthesis into the root on 12 year old Pinus pinaster planted in the INRA domain of Pierroton. Maritime pine is the most widely planted species in South-West Europe. Stem, root and soil CO2 effluxes and their isotope composition were measured continuously by tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy with a trace gas analyzer (TGA 100A; Campbell Scientific) coupled to flow-through chambers. 13CO2 recovery and peak were observed in respiration of each compartment after labeling. It appeared sequentially from top of stem to bottom, and to coarse root. The maximum velocity of carbon transfer was calculated as the difference in time lag of recovery between two positions on the trunk or on the root. It ranged between 0.08-0.2 m h-1 in stem and between 0.04-0.12 m h-1 in coarse root. This velocity was higher in warmer season, and the difference between time lag of recovery and peak increased after first frost. Photosynthates arrived underground 1.5 to 5 days after labeling, at similar time in soil CO2 effluxes and coarse root respiration. 0.08-1.4 g of carbon was respired per tree during first 20 days following labeling. It presented 0.6 -10% of 13C used for labeling and it is strongly related to seasons. The isotope signal was detected in fine root organs and microbial biomass by periodical core sampling. The peak was observed 6 days after labeling in early summer while it was delayed more than 10 days in autumn and winter with less amount of carbon allocated

An easy-to-use semiquantitative food record validated for energy intake by using doubly labelled water technique.

PubMed

Koebnick, C; Wagner, K; Thielecke, F; Dieter, G; Höhne, A; Franke, A; Garcia, A L; Meyer, H; Hoffmann, I; Leitzmann, P; Trippo, U; Zunft, H J F

2005-09-01

Estimating dietary intake is important for both epidemiological and clinical studies, but often lacks accuracy. To investigate the accuracy and validity of energy intake estimated by an easy-to-use semiquantitative food record (EI(SQFR)) compared to total energy expenditure (TEE) estimated by doubly labelled water technique (EE(DLW)). TEE was measured in 29 nonobese subjects using the doubly labelled water method over a period of 14 days. Within this period, subjects reported their food consumption by a newly developed semiquantitative food record for 4 consecutive days. Energy intake was calculated using the German Food Code and Nutrition Data Base BLS II.3. A good correlation was observed between EI(SQFR) and EE(DLW) (r = 0.685, P < 0.001). The mean difference between EI(SQFR) and EE(DLW) was -1.7+/-2.6 MJ/day (-14+/-21%, P = 0.002). An underestimation of EI(SQFR) <10% was observed in nine subjects (31%), of 10-20% in six subjects (21%), and of >20% in nine subjects (31%). In five subjects (17%), an overestimation of EI(SQFR) was observed. The easy-to-use semiquantitative food record provided good estimates of EI in free-living and nonobese adults without prior detailed verbal instructions. The presented food record has limitations regarding accuracy at the individual level.

Design of hydrotherapy exercise pools.

PubMed

Edlich, R F; Abidin, M R; Becker, D G; Pavlovich, L J; Dang, M T

1988-01-01

Several hydrotherapy pools have been designed specifically for a variety of aquatic exercise. Aqua-Ark positions the exerciser in the center of the pool for deep-water exercise. Aqua-Trex is a shallow underwater treadmill system for water walking or jogging. Swim-Ex generates an adjustable laminar flow that permits swimming without turning. Musculoskeletal conditioning can be accomplished in the above-ground Arjo shallow-water exercise pool. A hydrotherapy pool also can be custom designed for musculoskeletal conditioning in its shallow part and cardiovascular conditioning in a deeper portion of the pool. Regardless of the type of exercise, there is general agreement that the specific exercise conducted in water requires significantly more energy expenditure than when the same exercise is performed on land.

Reconciling Estimates of Cell Proliferation from Stable Isotope Labeling Experiments

PubMed Central

Drylewicz, Julia; Elemans, Marjet; Zhang, Yan; Kelly, Elizabeth; Reljic, Rajko; Tesselaar, Kiki; de Boer, Rob J.; Macallan, Derek C.; Borghans, José A. M.; Asquith, Becca

2015-01-01

Stable isotope labeling is the state of the art technique for in vivo quantification of lymphocyte kinetics in humans. It has been central to a number of seminal studies, particularly in the context of HIV-1 and leukemia. However, there is a significant discrepancy between lymphocyte proliferation rates estimated in different studies. Notably, deuterated 2H2-glucose (D2-glucose) labeling studies consistently yield higher estimates of proliferation than deuterated water (D2O) labeling studies. This hampers our understanding of immune function and undermines our confidence in this important technique. Whether these differences are caused by fundamental biochemical differences between the two compounds and/or by methodological differences in the studies is unknown. D2-glucose and D2O labeling experiments have never been performed by the same group under the same experimental conditions; consequently a direct comparison of these two techniques has not been possible. We sought to address this problem. We performed both in vitro and murine in vivo labeling experiments using identical protocols with both D2-glucose and D2O. This showed that intrinsic differences between the two compounds do not cause differences in the proliferation rate estimates, but that estimates made using D2-glucose in vivo were susceptible to difficulties in normalization due to highly variable blood glucose enrichment. Analysis of three published human studies made using D2-glucose and D2O confirmed this problem, particularly in the case of short term D2-glucose labeling. Correcting for these inaccuracies in normalization decreased proliferation rate estimates made using D2-glucose and slightly increased estimates made using D2O; thus bringing the estimates from the two methods significantly closer and highlighting the importance of reliable normalization when using this technique. PMID:26437372

Clinical use of indium-111 labeled blood products

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

Loken, M.K.; Clay, M.E.; Carpenter, R.T.

1985-12-01

Following the introduction of In-111 oxine as a label for blood cells by McAffee and Thakur in 1976, these procedures have become increasingly important in the practice of nuclear medicine. Of particular interest are studies involving the use of labeled leukocytes for the detection of focal infection. The clinical utility of labeled platelets is less well developed, although the use of platelets to detect the formation of thrombi in blood vessels and on vascular grafts and prostheses is gaining prominence. This report summarizes the techniques presently employed at the University of Minnesota for the labeling of blood products, and theirmore » clinical use. Consideration also is given to the desired expertise and cost factors involved in the labeling of leukocytes and platelets.43 references.« less

Swimming pool cleaner poisoning

MedlinePlus

Swimming pool cleaner poisoning occurs when someone swallows this type of cleaner, touches it, or breathes in ... The harmful substances in swimming pool cleaner are: Bromine ... copper Chlorine Soda ash Sodium bicarbonate Various mild acids

Design of polymeric immunomicrospheres for cell labelling and cell separation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rembaum, A.; Margel, S.

1978-01-01

Synthesis of several classes of hydrophylic microspheres applied to cell labeling and cell separation is described. Five classes of cross-linked microspheres with functional groups such as carboxyl, hydroxyl, amide and/or pyridine groups were synthesized. These functional groups were used to bind covalently antibodies and other proteins to the surface of the microspheres. To optimize the derivatisation technique, polyglutaraldehyde immunomicrospheres were prepared and utilized. Specific populations of human and murine lymphocytes were labelled with microspheres synthesized by the emulsion of the ionizing radiation technique. The labelling of the cells by means of microspheres containing an iron core produced successful separation of B from T lymphocytes by means of a magnetic field.

Comparative study of label and label-free techniques using shotgun proteomics for relative protein quantification.

PubMed

Sjödin, Marcus O D; Wetterhall, Magnus; Kultima, Kim; Artemenko, Konstantin

2013-06-01

The analytical performance of three different strategies, iTRAQ (isobaric tag for relative and absolute quantification), dimethyl labeling (DML) and label free (LF) for relative protein quantification using shotgun proteomics have been evaluated. The methods have been explored using samples containing (i) Bovine proteins in known ratios and (ii) Bovine proteins in known ratios spiked into Escherichia coli. The latter case mimics the actual conditions in a typical biological sample with a few differentially expressed proteins and a bulk of proteins with unchanged ratios. Additionally, the evaluation was performed on both QStar and LTQ-FTICR mass spectrometers. LF LTQ-FTICR was found to have the highest proteome coverage while the highest accuracy based on the artificially regulated proteins was found for DML LTQ-FTICR (54%). A varying linearity (k: 0.55-1.16, r(2): 0.61-0.96) was shown for all methods within selected dynamic ranges. All methods were found to consistently underestimate Bovine protein ratios when matrix proteins were added. However, LF LTQ-FTICR was more tolerant toward a compression effect. A single peptide was demonstrated to be sufficient for a reliable quantification using iTRAQ. A ranking system utilizing several parameters important for quantitative proteomics demonstrated that the overall performance of the five different methods was; DML LTQ-FTICR>iTRAQ QStar>LF LTQ-FTICR>DML QStar>LF QStar. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Discriminative confidence estimation for probabilistic multi-atlas label fusion.

PubMed

Benkarim, Oualid M; Piella, Gemma; González Ballester, Miguel Angel; Sanroma, Gerard

2017-12-01

Quantitative neuroimaging analyses often rely on the accurate segmentation of anatomical brain structures. In contrast to manual segmentation, automatic methods offer reproducible outputs and provide scalability to study large databases. Among existing approaches, multi-atlas segmentation has recently shown to yield state-of-the-art performance in automatic segmentation of brain images. It consists in propagating the labelmaps from a set of atlases to the anatomy of a target image using image registration, and then fusing these multiple warped labelmaps into a consensus segmentation on the target image. Accurately estimating the contribution of each atlas labelmap to the final segmentation is a critical step for the success of multi-atlas segmentation. Common approaches to label fusion either rely on local patch similarity, probabilistic statistical frameworks or a combination of both. In this work, we propose a probabilistic label fusion framework based on atlas label confidences computed at each voxel of the structure of interest. Maximum likelihood atlas confidences are estimated using a supervised approach, explicitly modeling the relationship between local image appearances and segmentation errors produced by each of the atlases. We evaluate different spatial pooling strategies for modeling local segmentation errors. We also present a novel type of label-dependent appearance features based on atlas labelmaps that are used during confidence estimation to increase the accuracy of our label fusion. Our approach is evaluated on the segmentation of seven subcortical brain structures from the MICCAI 2013 SATA Challenge dataset and the hippocampi from the ADNI dataset. Overall, our results indicate that the proposed label fusion framework achieves superior performance to state-of-the-art approaches in the majority of the evaluated brain structures and shows more robustness to registration errors. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the use of pooled serum, pooled muscle tissue fluid (meat juice) and pooled faeces for monitoring pig herds for Salmonella.

PubMed

Davies, R H; Heath, P J; Coxon, S M; Sayers, A R

2003-01-01

Monitoring for Salmonella in slaughter pigs is important to enable targeted control measures to be applied on problem farms and at the abattoir. The aim of this study was to determine whether pooled serum and meat juice could be used to identify finishing pig herds with a high prevalence of infection. Samples of meat juice, serum, caecal contents, carcase swabs and pooled faeces from pig pens were taken from 20 commercial pig finishing farms and comparisons were made between the results of Salmonella culture, individual ELISA tests on serum and meat juice and pooled samples of serum and meat juice. Salmonella was isolated from samples from 19 of 20 farms. None of the ELISA tests showed a statistically significant correlation with caecal carriage of Salmonella or contamination of carcases. Serum mean optical density (O.D.) from pools of five, 10 or 20 sera showed a significant correlation with the Salmonella status of farm pen faeces. All pooled serum O.D. and sample/positive control ratio results correlated significantly with the results of the conventional individual sample ELISA. There was a statistically significant correlation between the incidence of Salmonella in farm pen pooled faeces and the prevalence of Salmonella in caeca of slaughter pigs. The results show a generally poor correlation between serological and bacteriological results but pooled serum or meat juice samples could be used as a cheaper substitute for serological screening of farms for Salmonella than individual samples. The availability of a cheaper test should allow the costs of Salmonella monitoring of pig farms to be reduced or allow more regular testing to enhance the designation of farm Salmonella risk status.

An introduction to mid-Atlantic seasonal pools

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brown, L.J.; Jung, R.E.

2005-01-01

Seasonal pools, also known as vernal ponds, provide important ecological services to the mid-Atlantic region. This publication serves as an introduction to seasonal pool ecology and management; it also provides tools for exploring seasonal pools, including a full-color field guide to wildlife. Seasonal pools are defined as having four distinctive features: surface water isolation, periodic drying, small size and shallow depth, and support of a characteristic biological community. Seasonal pools experience regular drying that excludes populations of predatory fish. Thus, pools in the mid-Atlantic region provide critical breeding habitat for amphibian and invertebrate species (e.g., spotted salamander (Ambystoma maculatum), wood frog (Rana sylvatica), and fairy shrimp (Order Anostraca)) that would be at increased risk of predation in more permanent waters. The distinctive features of seasonal pools also make them vulnerable to human disturbance. In the mid-Atlantic region, land-use changes pose the greatest challenges to seasonal pool conservation. Seasonal pools are threatened by direct loss (e.g., filling or draining of the pool) as well as by destruction and fragmentation of adjoining terrestrial habitat. Many of the species that depend on seasonal pools for breeding spend the majority of their lives in the surrounding lands that extend a radius of 1000 feet or more from the pools; these vital habitats are being transected by roads and converted to other land uses. Other threats to seasonal pools include biological introductions and removals, mosquito control practices, amphibian diseases, atmospheric deposition, and climate change. The authors recommend a three-pronged strategy for seasonal pool conservation and management in the mid-Atlantic region: education and research, inventory and monitoring of seasonal pools, and landscape-level planning and management.

Tidal Pools--Miniature Oceans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plake, Linda Perry

1977-01-01

A comprehensive discussion of the biological activity in tidal pools is provided. The importance of environmental factors such as oxygen supply, temperature, salinity, and light is detailed. Plants and animals that might be found in a tidal pool are identified and described. (BT)

Development of the laboratory prototype "CavyPool" for assessing treatments and materials for swimming pools.

PubMed

Valeriani, F; Gianfranceschi, G; Vitali, M; Protano, C; Romano Spica, V

2017-01-01

Hygiene and surveillance in swimming pools are established by WHO Guidelines and national laws. Progress in water management and pool construction is revolutionizing the field, introducing new materials, systems, disinfection procedures or monitoring markers. Innovation advances challenge the upgrading of safety and quality in pools and the appropriate implementation of guidelines. In order to provide a device for laboratory test, a prototype was realized and applied to study and compare swimming pool materials and treatments. A pool scale-model was engineered and evaluated by computational fluid dynamics algorithms. An automated real time monitoring assured steady state. Critical control points along the water circuit were made accessible to allow the placing of different biocides or water sampling. Simulations were safely performed in a standard hood. Materials for pool surfaces and pipelines were evaluated for biofilm formation under different disinfection conditions. Adherent microorganisms were assayed by mfDNA analysis using real time PCR. The prototype reached the steady state within 5-25 hours under different conditions, showing chemical, physical and fluid-dynamic stability. A method was optimized for testing materials showing their different response to biofilm induction. Several innovative PVC samples displayed highest resistance to bacterial adhesion. A device and method was developed for testing swimming pool hygienic parameters in laboratory. It allowed to test materials for pools hygiene and maintenance, including biofilm formation. It can be applied to simulate contaminations under different water treatments or disinfection strategies. It may support technical decisions and help policymakers in acquiring evidences for comparing or validating innovative solutions.

10 CFR 36.63 - Pool water purity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Pool water purity. 36.63 Section 36.63 Energy NUCLEAR... § 36.63 Pool water purity. (a) Pool water purification system must be run sufficiently to maintain the conductivity of the pool water below 20 microsiemens per centimeter under normal circumstances. If pool water...

10 CFR 36.63 - Pool water purity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pool water purity. 36.63 Section 36.63 Energy NUCLEAR... § 36.63 Pool water purity. (a) Pool water purification system must be run sufficiently to maintain the conductivity of the pool water below 20 microsiemens per centimeter under normal circumstances. If pool water...

10 CFR 36.63 - Pool water purity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pool water purity. 36.63 Section 36.63 Energy NUCLEAR... § 36.63 Pool water purity. (a) Pool water purification system must be run sufficiently to maintain the conductivity of the pool water below 20 microsiemens per centimeter under normal circumstances. If pool water...

10 CFR 36.63 - Pool water purity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pool water purity. 36.63 Section 36.63 Energy NUCLEAR... § 36.63 Pool water purity. (a) Pool water purification system must be run sufficiently to maintain the conductivity of the pool water below 20 microsiemens per centimeter under normal circumstances. If pool water...

10 CFR 36.63 - Pool water purity.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 10 Energy 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Pool water purity. 36.63 Section 36.63 Energy NUCLEAR... § 36.63 Pool water purity. (a) Pool water purification system must be run sufficiently to maintain the conductivity of the pool water below 20 microsiemens per centimeter under normal circumstances. If pool water...

Labeling and tracking exosomes within the brain using gold nanoparticles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Betzer, Oshra; Perets, Nisim; Barnoy, Eran; Offen, Daniel; Popovtzer, Rachela

2018-02-01

Cell-to-cell communication system involves Exosomes, small, membrane-enveloped nanovesicles. Exosomes are evolving as effective therapeutic tools for different pathologies. These extracellular vesicles can bypass biological barriers such as the blood-brain barrier, and can function as powerful nanocarriers for drugs, proteins and gene therapeutics. However, to promote exosomes' therapy development, especially for brain pathologies, a better understanding of their mechanism of action, trafficking, pharmacokinetics and bio-distribution is needed. In this research, we established a new method for non-invasive in-vivo neuroimaging of mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes, based on computed tomography (CT) imaging with glucose-coated gold nanoparticle (GNP) labeling. We demonstrated that the exosomes were efficiently and directly labeled with GNPs, via an energy-dependent mechanism. Additionally, we found the optimal parameters for exosome labeling and neuroimaging, wherein 5 nm GNPs enhanced labeling, and intranasal administration produced superior brain accumulation. We applied our technique in a mouse model of focal ischemia. Imaging and tracking of intranasally-administered GNP-labeled exosomes revealed specific accumulation and prolonged presence at the lesion area, up to 24 hrs. We propose that this novel exosome labeling and in-vivo neuroimaging technique can serve as a general platform for brain theranostics.

Efficient Thread Labeling for Monitoring Programs with Nested Parallelism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ha, Ok-Kyoon; Kim, Sun-Sook; Jun, Yong-Kee

It is difficult and cumbersome to detect data races occurred in an execution of parallel programs. Any on-the-fly race detection techniques using Lamport's happened-before relation needs a thread labeling scheme for generating unique identifiers which maintain logical concurrency information for the parallel threads. NR labeling is an efficient thread labeling scheme for the fork-join program model with nested parallelism, because its efficiency depends only on the nesting depth for every fork and join operation. This paper presents an improved NR labeling, called e-NR labeling, in which every thread generates its label by inheriting the pointer to its ancestor list from the parent threads or by updating the pointer in a constant amount of time and space. This labeling is more efficient than the NR labeling, because its efficiency does not depend on the nesting depth for every fork and join operation. Some experiments were performed with OpenMP programs having nesting depths of three or four and maximum parallelisms varying from 10,000 to 1,000,000. The results show that e-NR is 5 times faster than NR labeling and 4.3 times faster than OS labeling in the average time for creating and maintaining the thread labels. In average space required for labeling, it is 3.5 times smaller than NR labeling and 3 times smaller than OS labeling.

Model of large pool fires.

PubMed

Fay, J A

2006-08-21

A two zone entrainment model of pool fires is proposed to depict the fluid flow and flame properties of the fire. Consisting of combustion and plume zones, it provides a consistent scheme for developing non-dimensional scaling parameters for correlating and extrapolating pool fire visible flame length, flame tilt, surface emissive power, and fuel evaporation rate. The model is extended to include grey gas thermal radiation from soot particles in the flame zone, accounting for emission and absorption in both optically thin and thick regions. A model of convective heat transfer from the combustion zone to the liquid fuel pool, and from a water substrate to cryogenic fuel pools spreading on water, provides evaporation rates for both adiabatic and non-adiabatic fires. The model is tested against field measurements of large scale pool fires, principally of LNG, and is generally in agreement with experimental values of all variables.

Theoretical Basis for Dynamic Label Propagation in Stationary Metabolic Networks under Step and Periodic Inputs

PubMed Central

Sokol, Serguei; Portais, Jean-Charles

2015-01-01

The dynamics of label propagation in a stationary metabolic network during an isotope labeling experiment can provide highly valuable information on the network topology, metabolic fluxes, and on the size of metabolite pools. However, major issues, both in the experimental set-up and in the accompanying numerical methods currently limit the application of this approach. Here, we propose a method to apply novel types of label inputs, sinusoidal or more generally periodic label inputs, to address both the practical and numerical challenges of dynamic labeling experiments. By considering a simple metabolic system, i.e. a linear, non-reversible pathway of arbitrary length, we develop mathematical descriptions of label propagation for both classical and novel label inputs. Theoretical developments and computer simulations show that the application of rectangular periodic pulses has both numerical and practical advantages over other approaches. We applied the strategy to estimate fluxes in a simulated experiment performed on a complex metabolic network (the central carbon metabolism of Escherichia coli), to further demonstrate its value in conditions which are close to those in real experiments. This study provides a theoretical basis for the rational interpretation of label propagation curves in real experiments, and will help identify the strengths, pitfalls and limitations of such experiments. The cases described here can also be used as test cases for more general numerical methods aimed at identifying network topology, analyzing metabolic fluxes or measuring concentrations of metabolites. PMID:26641860

Tritium labeling of organic compounds deposited on porous structures

DOEpatents

Ehrenkaufer, Richard L. E.; Wolf, Alfred P.; Hembree, Wylie C.

1979-01-01

An improved process for labeling organic compounds with tritium is carried out by depositing the selected compound on the extensive surface of a porous structure such as a membrane filter and exposing the membrane containing the compound to tritium gas activated by the microwave discharge technique. The labeled compound is then recovered from the porous structure.

Measurement of deuterium-labeled phylloquinone in plasma by LC-APCI-MS

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Deuterium-labeled vegetables were fed to humans for the measurement of both unlabeled and deuterium-labeled phylloquinone in plasma. We developed a technique to determine the quantities of these compounds using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry with atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (LC...

Robust Statistical Fusion of Image Labels

PubMed Central

Landman, Bennett A.; Asman, Andrew J.; Scoggins, Andrew G.; Bogovic, John A.; Xing, Fangxu; Prince, Jerry L.

2011-01-01

Image labeling and parcellation (i.e. assigning structure to a collection of voxels) are critical tasks for the assessment of volumetric and morphometric features in medical imaging data. The process of image labeling is inherently error prone as images are corrupted by noise and artifacts. Even expert interpretations are subject to subjectivity and the precision of the individual raters. Hence, all labels must be considered imperfect with some degree of inherent variability. One may seek multiple independent assessments to both reduce this variability and quantify the degree of uncertainty. Existing techniques have exploited maximum a posteriori statistics to combine data from multiple raters and simultaneously estimate rater reliabilities. Although quite successful, wide-scale application has been hampered by unstable estimation with practical datasets, for example, with label sets with small or thin objects to be labeled or with partial or limited datasets. As well, these approaches have required each rater to generate a complete dataset, which is often impossible given both human foibles and the typical turnover rate of raters in a research or clinical environment. Herein, we propose a robust approach to improve estimation performance with small anatomical structures, allow for missing data, account for repeated label sets, and utilize training/catch trial data. With this approach, numerous raters can label small, overlapping portions of a large dataset, and rater heterogeneity can be robustly controlled while simultaneously estimating a single, reliable label set and characterizing uncertainty. The proposed approach enables many individuals to collaborate in the construction of large datasets for labeling tasks (e.g., human parallel processing) and reduces the otherwise detrimental impact of rater unavailability. PMID:22010145

Rank-based pooling for deep convolutional neural networks.

PubMed

Shi, Zenglin; Ye, Yangdong; Wu, Yunpeng

2016-11-01

Pooling is a key mechanism in deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) which helps to achieve translation invariance. Numerous studies, both empirically and theoretically, show that pooling consistently boosts the performance of the CNNs. The conventional pooling methods are operated on activation values. In this work, we alternatively propose rank-based pooling. It is derived from the observations that ranking list is invariant under changes of activation values in a pooling region, and thus rank-based pooling operation may achieve more robust performance. In addition, the reasonable usage of rank can avoid the scale problems encountered by value-based methods. The novel pooling mechanism can be regarded as an instance of weighted pooling where a weighted sum of activations is used to generate the pooling output. This pooling mechanism can also be realized as rank-based average pooling (RAP), rank-based weighted pooling (RWP) and rank-based stochastic pooling (RSP) according to different weighting strategies. As another major contribution, we present a novel criterion to analyze the discriminant ability of various pooling methods, which is heavily under-researched in machine learning and computer vision community. Experimental results on several image benchmarks show that rank-based pooling outperforms the existing pooling methods in classification performance. We further demonstrate better performance on CIFAR datasets by integrating RSP into Network-in-Network. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

In vivo stationary flux analysis by 13C labeling experiments.

PubMed

Wiechert, W; de Graaf, A A

1996-01-01

Stationary flux analysis is an invaluable tool for metabolic engineering. In the last years the metabolite balancing technique has become well established in the bioengineering community. On the other hand metabolic tracer experiments using 13C isotopes have long been used for intracellular flux determination. Only recently have both techniques been fully combined to form a considerably more powerful flux analysis method. This paper concentrates on modeling and data analysis for the evaluation of such stationary 13C labeling experiments. After reviewing recent experimental developments, the basic equations for modeling carbon labeling in metabolic systems, i.e. metabolite, carbon label and isotopomer balances, are introduced and discussed in some detail. Then the basics of flux estimation from measured extracellular fluxes combined with carbon labeling data are presented and, finally, this method is illustrated by using an example from C. glutamicum. The main emphasis is on the investigation of the extra information that can be obtained with tracer experiments compared with the metabolite balancing technique alone. As a principal result it is shown that the combined flux analysis method can dispense with some rather doubtful assumptions on energy balancing and that the forward and backward flux rates of bidirectional reaction steps can be simultaneously determined in certain situations. Finally, it is demonstrated that the variant of fractional isotopomer measurement is even more powerful than fractional labeling measurement but requires much higher numerical effort to solve the balance equations.

POOL WATER TREATMENT AND COOLING SYSTEM DESCRIPTION DOCUMENT

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

V. King

2000-06-19

The Pool Water Treatment and Cooling System is located in the Waste Handling Building (WHB), and is comprised of various process subsystems designed to support waste handling operations. This system maintains the pool water temperature within an acceptable range, maintains water quality standards that support remote underwater operations and prevent corrosion, detects leakage from the pool liner, provides the capability to remove debris from the pool, controls the pool water level, and helps limit radiological exposure to personnel. The pool structure and liner, pool lighting, and the fuel staging racks in the pool are not within the scope of themore » Pool Water Treatment and Cooling System. Pool water temperature control is accomplished by circulating the pool water through heat exchangers. Adequate circulation and mixing of the pool water is provided to prevent localized thermal hotspots in the pool. Treatment of the pool water is accomplished by a water treatment system that circulates the pool water through filters, and ion exchange units. These water treatment units remove radioactive and non-radioactive particulate and dissolved solids from the water, thereby providing the water clarity needed to conduct waste handling operations. The system also controls pool water chemistry to prevent advanced corrosion of the pool liner, pool components, and fuel assemblies. Removal of radioactivity from the pool water contributes to the project ALARA (as low as is reasonably achievable) goals. A leak detection system is provided to detect and alarm leaks through the pool liner. The pool level control system monitors the water level to ensure that the minimum water level required for adequate radiological shielding is maintained. Through interface with a demineralized water system, adequate makeup is provided to compensate for loss of water inventory through evaporation and waste handling operations. Interface with the Site Radiological Monitoring System provides

Impact of food labelling systems on food choices and eating behaviours: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized studies.

PubMed

Cecchini, M; Warin, L

2016-03-01

Food labels are considered a crucial component of strategies tackling unhealthy diets and obesity. This study aims at assessing the effectiveness of food labelling in increasing the selection of healthier products and in reducing calorie intake. In addition, this study compares the relative effectiveness of traffic light schemes, Guideline Daily Amount and other food labelling schemes. A comprehensive set of databases were searched to identify randomized studies. Studies reporting homogeneous outcomes were pooled together and analysed through meta-analyses. Publication bias was evaluated with a funnel plot. Food labelling would increase the amount of people selecting a healthier food product by about 17.95% (confidence interval: +11.24% to +24.66%). Food labelling would also decrease calorie intake/choice by about 3.59% (confidence interval: -8.90% to +1.72%), but results are not statistically significant. Traffic light schemes are marginally more effective in increasing the selection of healthier options. Other food labels and Guideline Daily Amount follow. The available evidence did not allow studying the effects of single labelling schemes on calorie intake/choice. Findings of this study suggest that nutrition labelling may be an effective approach to empowering consumers in choosing healthier products. Interpretive labels, as traffic light labels, may be more effective. © 2015 World Obesity.

Free-Form Region Description with Second-Order Pooling.

PubMed

Carreira, João; Caseiro, Rui; Batista, Jorge; Sminchisescu, Cristian

2015-06-01

Semantic segmentation and object detection are nowadays dominated by methods operating on regions obtained as a result of a bottom-up grouping process (segmentation) but use feature extractors developed for recognition on fixed-form (e.g. rectangular) patches, with full images as a special case. This is most likely suboptimal. In this paper we focus on feature extraction and description over free-form regions and study the relationship with their fixed-form counterparts. Our main contributions are novel pooling techniques that capture the second-order statistics of local descriptors inside such free-form regions. We introduce second-order generalizations of average and max-pooling that together with appropriate non-linearities, derived from the mathematical structure of their embedding space, lead to state-of-the-art recognition performance in semantic segmentation experiments without any type of local feature coding. In contrast, we show that codebook-based local feature coding is more important when feature extraction is constrained to operate over regions that include both foreground and large portions of the background, as typical in image classification settings, whereas for high-accuracy localization setups, second-order pooling over free-form regions produces results superior to those of the winning systems in the contemporary semantic segmentation challenges, with models that are much faster in both training and testing.

Nanoscale Label-free Bioprobes to Detect Intracellular Proteins in Single Living Cells

PubMed Central

Hong, Wooyoung; Liang, Feng; Schaak, Diane; Loncar, Marko; Quan, Qimin

2014-01-01

Fluorescent labeling techniques have been widely used in live cell studies; however, the labeling processes can be laborious and challenging for use in non-transfectable cells, and labels can interfere with protein functions. While label-free biosensors have been realized by nanofabrication, a method to track intracellular protein dynamics in real-time, in situ and in living cells has not been found. Here we present the first demonstration of label-free detection of intracellular p53 protein dynamics through a nanoscale surface plasmon-polariton fiber-tip-probe (FTP). PMID:25154394

47 CFR 13.215 - Question pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Question pools. 13.215 Section 13.215 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL COMMERCIAL RADIO OPERATORS Examination System § 13.215 Question pools. The question pool for each written examination element will be composed of questions...

HYDROLOGY AND LANDSCAPE CONNECTIVITY OF VERNAL POOLS

EPA Science Inventory

Vernal pools are shaped by hydrologic processes which influence many aspects of pool function. The hydrologic budget of a pool can be summarized by a water balance equation that relates changes in the amount of water in the pool to precipitation, ground- and surface-water flows, ...

Self-formed waterfall plunge pools in homogeneous rock

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheingross, Joel S.; Lo, Daniel Y.; Lamb, Michael P.

2017-01-01

Waterfalls are ubiquitous, and their upstream propagation can set the pace of landscape evolution, yet no experimental studies have examined waterfall plunge pool erosion in homogeneous rock. We performed laboratory experiments, using synthetic foam as a bedrock simulant, to produce self-formed waterfall plunge pools via particle impact abrasion. Plunge pool vertical incision exceeded lateral erosion by approximately tenfold until pools deepened to the point that the supplied sediment could not be evacuated and deposition armored the pool bedrock floor. Lateral erosion of plunge pool sidewalls continued after sediment deposition, but primarily at the downstream pool wall, which might lead to undermining of the plunge pool lip, sediment evacuation, and continued vertical pool floor incision in natural streams. Undercutting of the upstream pool wall was absent, and our results suggest that vertical drilling of successive plunge pools is a more efficient waterfall retreat mechanism than the classic model of headwall undercutting and collapse in homogeneous rock.

Eco-engineered rock pools: a concrete solution to biodiversity loss and urban sprawl in the marine environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Firth, Louise B.; Browne, Keith A.; Knights, Antony M.; Hawkins, Stephen J.; Nash, Róisín

2016-09-01

In coastal habitats artificial structures typically support lower biodiversity and can support greater numbers of non-native and opportunistic species than natural rocky reefs. Eco-engineering experiments are typically trialed to succeed; but arguably as much is learnt from failure than from success. Our goal was to trial a generic, cost effective, eco-engineering technique that could be incorporated into rock armouring anywhere in the world. Artificial rock pools were created from manipulated concrete between boulders on the exposed and sheltered sides of a causeway. Experimental treatments were installed in locations where they were expected to fail and compared to controls installed in locations in which they were expected to succeed. Control pools were created lower on the structure where they were immersed on every tidal cycle; experimental pools were created above mean high water spring tide which were only immersed on spring tides. We hypothesised that lower and exposed pools would support significantly higher taxon and functional diversity than upper and sheltered pools. The concrete pools survived the severe winter storms of 2013/14. After 12 months, non-destructive sampling revealed significantly higher mean taxon and functional richness in lower pools than upper pools on the exposed side only. After 24 months the sheltered pools had become inundated with sediments, thus failing to function as rock pools as intended. Destructive sampling on the exposed side revealed significantly higher mean functional richness in lower than upper pools. However, a surprisingly high number of taxa colonised the upper pools leading to no significant difference in mean taxon richness among shore heights. A high number of rare taxa in the lower pools led to total taxon richness being almost twice that of upper pools. These findings highlight that even when expected to fail concrete pools supported diverse assemblages, thus representing an affordable, replicable means of

47 CFR 97.523 - Question pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Question pools. 97.523 Section 97.523 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES AMATEUR RADIO... question pool for each written examination element. Each question pool must contain at least 10 times the...

Statistical optimisation techniques in fatigue signal editing problem

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

Nopiah, Z. M.; Osman, M. H.; Baharin, N.

Success in fatigue signal editing is determined by the level of length reduction without compromising statistical constraints. A great reduction rate can be achieved by removing small amplitude cycles from the recorded signal. The long recorded signal sometimes renders the cycle-to-cycle editing process daunting. This has encouraged researchers to focus on the segment-based approach. This paper discusses joint application of the Running Damage Extraction (RDE) technique and single constrained Genetic Algorithm (GA) in fatigue signal editing optimisation.. In the first section, the RDE technique is used to restructure and summarise the fatigue strain. This technique combines the overlapping window andmore » fatigue strain-life models. It is designed to identify and isolate the fatigue events that exist in the variable amplitude strain data into different segments whereby the retention of statistical parameters and the vibration energy are considered. In the second section, the fatigue data editing problem is formulated as a constrained single optimisation problem that can be solved using GA method. The GA produces the shortest edited fatigue signal by selecting appropriate segments from a pool of labelling segments. Challenges arise due to constraints on the segment selection by deviation level over three signal properties, namely cumulative fatigue damage, root mean square and kurtosis values. Experimental results over several case studies show that the idea of solving fatigue signal editing within a framework of optimisation is effective and automatic, and that the GA is robust for constrained segment selection.« less

Statistical optimisation techniques in fatigue signal editing problem

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nopiah, Z. M.; Osman, M. H.; Baharin, N.; Abdullah, S.

2015-02-01

Success in fatigue signal editing is determined by the level of length reduction without compromising statistical constraints. A great reduction rate can be achieved by removing small amplitude cycles from the recorded signal. The long recorded signal sometimes renders the cycle-to-cycle editing process daunting. This has encouraged researchers to focus on the segment-based approach. This paper discusses joint application of the Running Damage Extraction (RDE) technique and single constrained Genetic Algorithm (GA) in fatigue signal editing optimisation.. In the first section, the RDE technique is used to restructure and summarise the fatigue strain. This technique combines the overlapping window and fatigue strain-life models. It is designed to identify and isolate the fatigue events that exist in the variable amplitude strain data into different segments whereby the retention of statistical parameters and the vibration energy are considered. In the second section, the fatigue data editing problem is formulated as a constrained single optimisation problem that can be solved using GA method. The GA produces the shortest edited fatigue signal by selecting appropriate segments from a pool of labelling segments. Challenges arise due to constraints on the segment selection by deviation level over three signal properties, namely cumulative fatigue damage, root mean square and kurtosis values. Experimental results over several case studies show that the idea of solving fatigue signal editing within a framework of optimisation is effective and automatic, and that the GA is robust for constrained segment selection.

Inverse sampling regression for pooled data.

PubMed

Montesinos-López, Osval A; Montesinos-López, Abelardo; Eskridge, Kent; Crossa, José

2017-06-01

Because pools are tested instead of individuals in group testing, this technique is helpful for estimating prevalence in a population or for classifying a large number of individuals into two groups at a low cost. For this reason, group testing is a well-known means of saving costs and producing precise estimates. In this paper, we developed a mixed-effect group testing regression that is useful when the data-collecting process is performed using inverse sampling. This model allows including covariate information at the individual level to incorporate heterogeneity among individuals and identify which covariates are associated with positive individuals. We present an approach to fit this model using maximum likelihood and we performed a simulation study to evaluate the quality of the estimates. Based on the simulation study, we found that the proposed regression method for inverse sampling with group testing produces parameter estimates with low bias when the pre-specified number of positive pools (r) to stop the sampling process is at least 10 and the number of clusters in the sample is also at least 10. We performed an application with real data and we provide an NLMIXED code that researchers can use to implement this method.

Swimming Pools. Managing School Facilities, Guide 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department for Education and Employment, London (England). Architects and Building Branch.

This guide for schools with swimming pools offers advice concerning appropriate training for pool managers, the importance of water quality and testing, safety in the handling of chemicals, maintenance and cleaning requirements, pool security, and health concerns. The guide covers both indoor and outdoor pools, explains some technical terms,…

Labeling of lectin receptors during the cell cycle.

PubMed

Garrido, J

1976-12-01

Labeling of lectin receptors during the cell cycle. (Localizabión de receptores para lectinas durante el ciclo celular). Arch. Biol. Med. Exper. 10: 100-104, 1976. The topographic distribution of specific cell surface receptors for concanavalin A and wheat germ agglutinin was studied by ultrastructural labeling in the course of the cell cycle. C12TSV5 cells were synchronized by double thymidine block or mechanical selection (shakeoff). They were labeled by means of lectin-peroxidase techniques while in G1 S, G2 and M phases of the cycle. The results obtained were similar for both lectins employed. Interphase cells (G1 S, G2) present a stlihtly discontinous labeling pattern that is similar to the one observed on unsynchronized cells of the same line. Cells in mitosis, on the contrary, present a highly discontinous distribution of reaction product. This pattern disappears after the cells enters G1 and is not present on mitotic cells fixed in aldehyde prior to labeling.

The spatial variability of water chemistry and DOC in bog pools: the importance of slope position, diurnal turnover and pool type

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holden, Joseph; Turner, Ed; Baird, Andy; Beadle, Jeannie; Billett, Mike; Brown, Lee; Chapman, Pippa; Dinsmore, Kerry; Dooling, Gemma; Grayson, Richard; Moody, Catherine; Gee, Clare

2017-04-01

We have previously shown that marine influence is an important factor controlling regional variability of pool water chemistry in blanket peatlands. Here we examine within-site controls on pool water chemistry. We surveyed natural and artificial (restoration sites) bog pools at blanket peatland sites in northern Scotland and Sweden. DOC, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, temperature, cations, anions and absorbance spectra from 220-750nm were sampled. We sampled changes over time but also conducted intensive spatial surveys within individual pools and between pools on the same sampling days at individual study sites. Artificial pools had significantly greater DOC concentrations and different spectral absorbance characteristics when compared to natural pools at all sites studied. Within-pool variability in water chemistry tended to be small, even for very large pools ( 400 m2), except where pools had a layer of loose, mobile detritus on their beds. In these instances rapid changes took place between the overlying water column and the mobile sediment layer wherein dissolved oxygen concentrations dropped from values of around 12-10 mg/L to values less than 0.5 mg/L over just 2-3 cm of the depth profile. Such strong contrasts were not observed for pools which had a hard peat floor and which lacked a significant detritus layer. Strong diurnal turnover occurred within the pools on summer days, including within small, shallow pools (e.g. < 30 cm deep, 1 m2 area). For many pools on these summer days there was an evening spike in dissolved oxygen concentrations which originated at the surface and was then cycled downwards as the pool surface waters cooled. Slope location was a significant control on several pool water chemistry variables including pH and DOC concentration with accumulation (higher concentrations) in pools that were located further downslope in both natural and artificial pool systems. These processes have important implications for our interpretation of

13 CFR 120.1705 - Pool formation requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... requirements. SBA may adjust the Pool characteristics periodically based on program experience and market... a Pool involving a Pool Loan it does not own, it must purchase the Loan Interest it proposes to pool... purchase the Loan Interest and take it into inventory or settle the purchase of the Loan Interest through...

Method of measuring a liquid pool volume

DOEpatents

Garcia, Gabe V.; Carlson, Nancy M.; Donaldson, Alan D.

1991-01-01

A method of measuring a molten metal liquid pool volume and in particular molten titanium liquid pools, including the steps of (a) generating an ultrasonic wave at the surface of the molten metal liquid pool, (b) shining a light on the surface of a molten metal liquid pool, (c) detecting a change in the frequency of light, (d) detecting an ultrasonic wave echo at the surface of the molten metal liquid pool, and (e) computing the volume of the molten metal liquid.

1968 Listing of Swimming Pool Equipment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Sanitation Foundation, Ann Arbor, MI. Testing Lab.

An up-to-date listing of swimming pool equipment including--(1) companies authorized to display the National Sanitation Foundation seal of approval, (2) equipment listed as meeting NSF swimming pool equipment standards relating to diatomite type filters, (3) equipment listed as meeting NSF swimming pool equipment standard relating to sand type…

Immunofluorescence reveals unusual patterns of labelling for connexin43 localized to calbindin-D28K-positive interstitial cells in the pineal gland.

PubMed

Tsao, D D; Wang, S G; Lynn, B D; Nagy, J I

2017-06-01

Gap junctions between cells in the pineal gland have been described ultrastructurally, but their connexin constituents have not been fully characterized. We used immunofluorescence in combination with markers of pineal cells to document the cellular localization of connexin43 (Cx43). Immunofluorescence labelling of Cx43 with several different antibodies was widely distributed throughout the pineal, whereas another connexin examined, connexin26, was not found in pineal but only in surrounding leptomeninges. Labelling apparently associated with plasma membranes was visualized either as fine Cx43-puncta (1-2 μm) or as unusually large pools of Cx43 ranging up to 4-7 μm in diameter or length. These puncta and pools were highly concentrated in perivascular spaces, where they were associated with numerous cells devoid of labelling for markers of pinealocytes (e.g. tryptophan hydroxylase and serotonin), and where they were minimally associated with blood vessels and lacked association with resident macrophages. Astrocytes labelled for glial fibrillary acidic protein were largely restricted to the anterior pole of the pineal gland, where they displayed only fine and sparse Cx43-puncta along their processes. Labelling for Cx43 was localized largely though not exclusively to the somata and long processes of a subpopulation of perivascular interstitial cells that were immunopositive for calbindin-D28K. These cells were often located among dense bundles or termination areas of sympathetic fibres labelled for tyrosine hydroxylase or serotonin. The results indicate that interstitial cells form abundant gap junctions composed of Cx43, and suggest that gap junction-mediated intracellular communication by these cells supports the activities of pinealocytes. © 2017 Federation of European Neuroscience Societies and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How informative are open-label studies for youth with bipolar disorder? A meta-analysis comparing open-label versus randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials.

PubMed

Biederman, Joseph; Petty, Carter R; Woodworth, K Yvonne; Lomedico, Alexandra; O'Connor, Katherine B; Wozniak, Janet; Faraone, Stephen V

2012-03-01

To examine the informativeness of open-label trials toward predicting results in subsequent randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of psychopharmacologic treatments for pediatric bipolar disorder. We searched journal articles through PubMed at the National Library of Medicine using bipolar disorder, mania, pharmacotherapy, treatment and clinical trial as keywords. This search was supplemented with scientific presentations at national and international scientific meetings and submitted manuscripts from our group. Selection criteria included (1) enrollment of children diagnosed with DSM-IV bipolar disorder; (2) prospective assessment of at least 3 weeks; (3) monotherapy of a pharmacologic treatment for bipolar disorder; (4) use of a randomized placebo-controlled design or an open-label design for the same therapeutic compound; and (5) repeated use of the Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) as an outcome. The following information and data were extracted from 14 studies: study design, name of medication, class of medication, dose of medication, sample size, age, sex, trial length, and YMRS mean and standard deviation baseline and follow-up scores. For both study designs, the pooled effect size was statistically significant (open-label studies, z = 8.88, P < .001; randomized placebo-controlled studies, z = 13.75, P < .001), indicating a reduction in the YMRS from baseline to endpoint in both study designs. In a meta-analysis regression, study design was not a significant predictor of mean change in the YMRS. We found similarities in the treatment effects between open-label and randomized placebo-controlled studies in youth with bipolar disorder indicating that open-label studies are useful predictors of the potential safety and efficacy of a given compound in the treatment of pediatric bipolar disorder. © Copyright 2012 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Homogeneous Biosensing Based on Magnetic Particle Labels

PubMed Central

Schrittwieser, Stefan; Pelaz, Beatriz; Parak, Wolfgang J.; Lentijo-Mozo, Sergio; Soulantica, Katerina; Dieckhoff, Jan; Ludwig, Frank; Guenther, Annegret; Tschöpe, Andreas; Schotter, Joerg

2016-01-01

The growing availability of biomarker panels for molecular diagnostics is leading to an increasing need for fast and sensitive biosensing technologies that are applicable to point-of-care testing. In that regard, homogeneous measurement principles are especially relevant as they usually do not require extensive sample preparation procedures, thus reducing the total analysis time and maximizing ease-of-use. In this review, we focus on homogeneous biosensors for the in vitro detection of biomarkers. Within this broad range of biosensors, we concentrate on methods that apply magnetic particle labels. The advantage of such methods lies in the added possibility to manipulate the particle labels by applied magnetic fields, which can be exploited, for example, to decrease incubation times or to enhance the signal-to-noise-ratio of the measurement signal by applying frequency-selective detection. In our review, we discriminate the corresponding methods based on the nature of the acquired measurement signal, which can either be based on magnetic or optical detection. The underlying measurement principles of the different techniques are discussed, and biosensing examples for all techniques are reported, thereby demonstrating the broad applicability of homogeneous in vitro biosensing based on magnetic particle label actuation. PMID:27275824

Method of measuring a liquid pool volume

DOEpatents

Garcia, G.V.; Carlson, N.M.; Donaldson, A.D.

1991-03-19

A method of measuring a molten metal liquid pool volume and in particular molten titanium liquid pools is disclosed, including the steps of (a) generating an ultrasonic wave at the surface of the molten metal liquid pool, (b) shining a light on the surface of a molten metal liquid pool, (c) detecting a change in the frequency of light, (d) detecting an ultrasonic wave echo at the surface of the molten metal liquid pool, and (e) computing the volume of the molten metal liquid. 3 figures.

13 CFR 120.1709 - Transfers of Pool Certificates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Transfers of Pool Certificates... Transfers of Pool Certificates. (a) Transfer of Pool Certificates. A Pool Certificate is transferable. A transfer of a Pool Certificate must comply with Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of...

13 CFR 120.1709 - Transfers of Pool Certificates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Transfers of Pool Certificates... Transfers of Pool Certificates. (a) Transfer of Pool Certificates. A Pool Certificate is transferable. A transfer of a Pool Certificate must comply with Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of...

13 CFR 120.1709 - Transfers of Pool Certificates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Transfers of Pool Certificates... Transfers of Pool Certificates. (a) Transfer of Pool Certificates. A Pool Certificate is transferable. A transfer of a Pool Certificate must comply with Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of...

13 CFR 120.1709 - Transfers of Pool Certificates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 13 Business Credit and Assistance 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Transfers of Pool Certificates... Transfers of Pool Certificates. (a) Transfer of Pool Certificates. A Pool Certificate is transferable. A transfer of a Pool Certificate must comply with Article 8 of the Uniform Commercial Code of the State of...

7 CFR 1006.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Pool plant. 1006.7 Section 1006.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1006.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1131.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pool plant. 1131.7 Section 1131.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1131.7 Pool plant. Pool Plant means a plant or unit of plants specified in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (g) of this section...

7 CFR 1007.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Pool plant. 1007.7 Section 1007.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1007.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1006.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pool plant. 1006.7 Section 1006.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1006.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1124.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pool plant. 1124.7 Section 1124.7 Agriculture... Regulating Handling Definitions § 1124.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or a system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in...

7 CFR 1124.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pool plant. 1124.7 Section 1124.7 Agriculture... Regulating Handling Definitions § 1124.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or a system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in...

7 CFR 1124.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Pool plant. 1124.7 Section 1124.7 Agriculture... Regulating Handling Definitions § 1124.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or a system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in...

7 CFR 1007.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Pool plant. 1007.7 Section 1007.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1007.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1005.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pool plant. 1005.7 Section 1005.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1005.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1007.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pool plant. 1007.7 Section 1007.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1007.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1124.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pool plant. 1124.7 Section 1124.7 Agriculture... Regulating Handling Definitions § 1124.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or a system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in...

7 CFR 1126.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pool plant. 1126.7 Section 1126.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1126.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1126.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Pool plant. 1126.7 Section 1126.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1126.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1005.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Pool plant. 1005.7 Section 1005.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1005.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1131.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Pool plant. 1131.7 Section 1131.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1131.7 Pool plant. Pool Plant means a plant or unit of plants specified in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (g) of this section...

7 CFR 1124.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Pool plant. 1124.7 Section 1124.7 Agriculture... Regulating Handling Definitions § 1124.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or a system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in...

7 CFR 1006.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pool plant. 1006.7 Section 1006.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1006.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1126.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pool plant. 1126.7 Section 1126.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1126.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1006.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Pool plant. 1006.7 Section 1006.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1006.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1005.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pool plant. 1005.7 Section 1005.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1005.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1005.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pool plant. 1005.7 Section 1005.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1005.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1131.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Pool plant. 1131.7 Section 1131.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1131.7 Pool plant. Pool Plant means a plant or unit of plants specified in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (g) of this section...

7 CFR 1006.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pool plant. 1006.7 Section 1006.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1006.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1126.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pool plant. 1126.7 Section 1126.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1126.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1005.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Pool plant. 1005.7 Section 1005.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1005.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1131.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pool plant. 1131.7 Section 1131.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1131.7 Pool plant. Pool Plant means a plant or unit of plants specified in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (g) of this section...

7 CFR 1007.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pool plant. 1007.7 Section 1007.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1007.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1007.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pool plant. 1007.7 Section 1007.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1007.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1126.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Pool plant. 1126.7 Section 1126.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1126.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant specified in paragraphs (a) through (d) of this section, a unit of plants as specified in paragraph (e) of this section, or a plant specified...

7 CFR 1131.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pool plant. 1131.7 Section 1131.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1131.7 Pool plant. Pool Plant means a plant or unit of plants specified in paragraphs (a) through (e) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (g) of this section...

PolSK Label Over VSB-CSRZ Payload Scheme in AOLS Network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Hongwei; Chen, Minghua; Xie, Shizhong

2007-06-01

A novel orthogonal modulation scheme of polarization-shift-keying label over vestigial sideband payload is proposed and experimentally demonstrated over a 43-Gb/s all-optical-label-switching transmission. With this scheme, a high extinction ratio of the label is reached, while a spectral efficiency of 0.8 b/s/Hz is achieved by weakening the imperfection of the high-speed pulse sequence in polarization modulation. Furthermore, this modulation scheme is relatively irrelevant with payload bit rate. The payload and label penalties after 80-km NZDSF fiber transmission and label erasure are 1.5 and 1 dB, respectively. The influence of filter center frequency offset is also investigated. Besides, a label rewriting method is introduced to simplify label processing in intermedia nodes. All these results show that this scheme can be a candidate technique for the next-generation optical network.

A Three-Pool Model Dissecting Readily Releasable Pool Replenishment at the Calyx of Held

PubMed Central

Guo, Jun; Ge, Jian-long; Hao, Mei; Sun, Zhi-cheng; Wu, Xin-sheng; Zhu, Jian-bing; Wang, Wei; Yao, Pan-tong; Lin, Wei; Xue, Lei

2015-01-01

Although vesicle replenishment is critical in maintaining exo-endocytosis recycling, the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Previous studies have shown that both rapid and slow endocytosis recycle into a very large recycling pool instead of within the readily releasable pool (RRP), and the time course of RRP replenishment is slowed down by more intense stimulation. This finding contradicts the calcium/calmodulin-dependence of RRP replenishment. Here we address this issue and report a three-pool model for RRP replenishment at a central synapse. Both rapid and slow endocytosis provide vesicles to a large reserve pool (RP) ~42.3 times the RRP size. When moving from the RP to the RRP, vesicles entered an intermediate pool (IP) ~2.7 times the RRP size with slow RP-IP kinetics and fast IP-RRP kinetics, which was responsible for the well-established slow and rapid components of RRP replenishment. Depletion of the IP caused the slower RRP replenishment observed after intense stimulation. These results establish, for the first time, a realistic cycling model with all parameters measured, revealing the contribution of each cycling step in synaptic transmission. The results call for modification of the current view of the vesicle recycling steps and their roles. PMID:25825223

[Effects of invasive Cenchrus spinifex on nitrogen pools in sandy grassland].

PubMed

Zhang, Ting; Fu, Wei Dong; Zhang, Rui Hai; Song, Zhen; Bai, Chao; Huang, Cheng Cheng; Zhang, Guo Liang

2017-05-18

Cenchrus spinifex is an invasive plant found in large areas of northern China. In this study, we focused on analysis of the effects of C. spinifex on soil nitrogen and plant nitrogen pools in Horqin sandy grassland. In addition, a pot experiment with 15 N tracing techniques was designed to study the biological nitrogen fixation ability of C. spinifex, compared with two native grasses, Elymus dahuricus and Agropyron cristatum. The total soil nitrogen pool in C. spinifex invaded-area increased significantly by 47.5% and 20.8%, and the soil ammonium nitrogen pool decreased significantly by 25.6% and 25.2%, compared with those in bare and native plant Roegneria kamoji areas, respectively. The plant shoot nitrogen pool decreased significantly by 18.7% in C. spinifex compared with native plant R. kamoji. Atom% 15 N, atom% 15 N excess and atom% 15 N weighting excess of C. spinifex were all significantly lower than those of E. dahuricus and A. cristatum. The nitrogen use efficiencies of C. spinifex and E. dahuricus were 48.5% and 47.0%, respectively, and no significant difference was observed. Ndfa of C. spinifex accounted for 60.2%, when growing together with E. dahuricus. These results suggested that the characteristics on the high efficient use for nitrogen of this invasive weed might an ecological adaptation mechanism, leading to successful colonization and spread in Horqin Steppe.

7 CFR 1030.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Pool plant. 1030.7 Section 1030.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1030.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (h) of...

7 CFR 1033.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Pool plant. 1033.7 Section 1033.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1033.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, or a plant specified in paragraph (j) of this...

7 CFR 1032.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pool plant. 1032.7 Section 1032.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1032.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, or a plant specified in paragraph (i) of this...

7 CFR 1030.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pool plant. 1030.7 Section 1030.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1030.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (h) of...

7 CFR 1033.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pool plant. 1033.7 Section 1033.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1033.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, or a plant specified in paragraph (j) of this...

7 CFR 1032.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Pool plant. 1032.7 Section 1032.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1032.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, or a plant specified in paragraph (i) of this...

7 CFR 1033.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Pool plant. 1033.7 Section 1033.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1033.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, or a plant specified in paragraph (j) of this...

7 CFR 1033.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pool plant. 1033.7 Section 1033.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1033.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, or a plant specified in paragraph (j) of this...

7 CFR 1001.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Pool plant. 1001.7 Section 1001.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1001.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant described in paragraph (h) of...

7 CFR 1030.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pool plant. 1030.7 Section 1030.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1030.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (h) of...

7 CFR 1032.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Pool plant. 1032.7 Section 1032.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1032.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, or a plant specified in paragraph (i) of this...

7 CFR 1001.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pool plant. 1001.7 Section 1001.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1001.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant described in paragraph (h) of...

7 CFR 1030.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pool plant. 1030.7 Section 1030.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1030.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (h) of...

7 CFR 1032.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pool plant. 1032.7 Section 1032.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1032.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, or a plant specified in paragraph (i) of this...

7 CFR 1033.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Pool plant. 1033.7 Section 1033.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1033.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, or a plant specified in paragraph (j) of this...

7 CFR 1001.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pool plant. 1001.7 Section 1001.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1001.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant described in paragraph (h) of...

7 CFR 1032.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Pool plant. 1032.7 Section 1032.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1032.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, or a plant specified in paragraph (i) of this...

7 CFR 1001.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Pool plant. 1001.7 Section 1001.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1001.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant described in paragraph (h) of...

7 CFR 1001.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Pool plant. 1001.7 Section 1001.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1001.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant described in paragraph (h) of...

7 CFR 1030.7 - Pool plant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 9 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Pool plant. 1030.7 Section 1030.7 Agriculture... Handling Definitions § 1030.7 Pool plant. Pool plant means a plant, unit of plants, or system of plants as specified in paragraphs (a) through (f) of this section, but excluding a plant specified in paragraph (h) of...

Flow-aggregated traffic-driven label mapping in label-switching networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nagami, Kenichi; Katsube, Yasuhiro; Esaki, Hiroshi; Nakamura, Osamu

1998-12-01

Label switching technology enables high performance, flexible, layer-3 packet forwarding based on the fixed length label information mapped to the layer-3 packet stream. A Label Switching Router (LSR) forwards layer-3 packets based on their label information mapped to the layer-3 address information as well as their layer-3 address information. This paper evaluates the required number of labels under traffic-driven label mapping policy using the real backbone traffic traces. The evaluation shows that the label mapping policy requires a large number of labels. In order to reduce the required number of labels, we propose a label mapping policy which is a traffic-driven label mapping for the traffic toward the same destination network. The evaluation shows that the proposed label mapping policy requires only about one tenth as many labels compared with the traffic-driven label mapping for the host-pair packet stream,and the topology-driven label mapping for the destination network packet stream.

Nutrition Label Viewing during a Food-Selection Task: Front-of-Package Labels vs Nutrition Facts Labels.

PubMed

Graham, Dan J; Heidrick, Charles; Hodgin, Katie

2015-10-01

Earlier research has identified consumer characteristics associated with viewing Nutrition Facts labels; however, little is known about those who view front-of-package nutrition labels. Front-of-package nutrition labels might appeal to more consumers than do Nutrition Facts labels, but it might be necessary to provide consumers with information about how to locate and use these labels. This study quantifies Nutrition Facts and front-of-package nutrition label viewing among American adult consumers. Attention to nutrition information was measured during a food-selection task. One hundred and twenty-three parents (mean age=38 years, mean body mass index [calculated as kg/m(2)]=28) and one of their children (aged 6 to 9 years) selected six foods from a university laboratory-turned-grocery aisle. Participants were randomized to conditions in which front-of-package nutrition labels were present or absent, and signage explaining front-of-package nutrition labels was present or absent. Adults' visual attention to Nutrition Facts labels and front-of-package nutrition labels was objectively measured via eye-tracking glasses. To examine whether there were significant differences in the percentages of participants who viewed Nutrition Facts labels vs front-of-package nutrition labels, McNemar's tests were conducted across all participants, as well as within various sociodemographic categories. To determine whether hypothesized factors, such as health literacy and education, had stronger relationships with front-of-package nutrition label vs Nutrition Facts label viewing, linear regression assessed the magnitude of relationships between theoretically and empirically derived factors and each type of label viewing. Overall, front-of-package nutrition labels were more likely to be viewed than Nutrition Facts labels; however, for all subgroups, higher rates of front-of-package nutrition label viewership occurred only when signage was present drawing attention to the presence and

Life cycle environmental implications of residential swimming pools.

PubMed

Forrest, Nigel; Williams, Eric

2010-07-15

Ownership of private swimming pools in the U.S. grew 2 to 4% per annum from 1997 to 2007. The environmental implications of pool ownership are analyzed by hybrid life cycle assessment (LCA) for nine U.S. cities. An operational model is constructed estimating consumption of chemicals, water, and energy for a typical residential pool. The model incorporates geographical climatic variations and upstream water and energy use from electricity and water supply networks. Results vary considerably by city: a factor of 5-6 for both water and energy use. Water use is driven by aridness and length of the swimming season, while energy use is mainly driven by length of the swimming season. Water and energy impacts of pools are significant, particularly in arid climates. In Phoenix for example pools account for 22% and 13% of a household's electricity and water use, respectively. Measures to reduce water and energy use in pools such as optimizing the pump schedule and covering the pool in winter can realize greater savings than many common household efficiency improvements. Private versus community pools are also compared. Community pools in Phoenix use 60% less swimming pool water and energy per household than subdivisions without community pools.

Label fusion based brain MR image segmentation via a latent selective model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Gang; Guo, Xiantang; Zhu, Kai; Liao, Hengxu

2018-04-01

Multi-atlas segmentation is an effective approach and increasingly popular for automatically labeling objects of interest in medical images. Recently, segmentation methods based on generative models and patch-based techniques have become the two principal branches of label fusion. However, these generative models and patch-based techniques are only loosely related, and the requirement for higher accuracy, faster segmentation, and robustness is always a great challenge. In this paper, we propose novel algorithm that combines the two branches using global weighted fusion strategy based on a patch latent selective model to perform segmentation of specific anatomical structures for human brain magnetic resonance (MR) images. In establishing this probabilistic model of label fusion between the target patch and patch dictionary, we explored the Kronecker delta function in the label prior, which is more suitable than other models, and designed a latent selective model as a membership prior to determine from which training patch the intensity and label of the target patch are generated at each spatial location. Because the image background is an equally important factor for segmentation, it is analyzed in label fusion procedure and we regard it as an isolated label to keep the same privilege between the background and the regions of interest. During label fusion with the global weighted fusion scheme, we use Bayesian inference and expectation maximization algorithm to estimate the labels of the target scan to produce the segmentation map. Experimental results indicate that the proposed algorithm is more accurate and robust than the other segmentation methods.

Iodination of Escherichia coli with chloramine T: selective labeling of the outer membrane lipoprotein.

PubMed Central

Munford, R S; Gotschlich, E C

1977-01-01

Iodination of Escherichia coli cells with chloramine T preferentially labels the free and murein-bound forms of the outer membrane lipoprotein. Iodination for 15 s at 15 degrees C labels the two forms of the lipoprotein almost exclusively, whereas iodination for 60 s at 25 degrees C also labels the other major outer membrane proteins. Chloramine T iodination is a rapid, simple technique for labeling the outer membrane lipoprotein. PMID:400793

Steady-state MRA techniques with a blood pool contrast agent improve visualization of pulmonary venous anatomy and left atrial patency compared with time-resolved MRA pre- and postcatheter ablation in atrial fibrillation.

PubMed

Rustogi, Rahul; Galizia, Mauricio; Thakrar, Darshit; Merritt, Bryce; Bi, Xiaoming; Collins, Jeremy; Carr, James C

2015-11-01

To compare steady-state magnetic resonance angiography (SS-MRA), using a blood pool contrast agent, with the established technique of time-resolved MRA (TR-MRA), in pulmonary vein mapping and left atrial patency. Twenty-one patients (12 males, age 58.3 ± 8.4 years; 9 females; 57 ± 10 years) undergoing pulmonary vein mapping were evaluated with TR-MRA (TWIST) and SS-MRA. Orthogonal measurements and areas for four veins per patient per technique were assessed by Friedman's test. Overall intertechnique mean difference for any pulmonary vein orthogonal measurement and area was 0.02 ± 0.34 cm (P = 0.705), and 0.2 ± 0.08 cm(2) (P < 0.001). Interobserver correlation was strong for diameter and area measurements using the three methods with a range of 0.72-0.94, and 0.87-0.97, respectively. Left atrial appendage image quality score for TR-MRA was significantly lower than the other two methods (P < 0.001). Both observers detected more stenosis on inversion recovery (IR)-True FISP compared to TR-MRA and IR-FLASH. SS-MRA with a blood pool agent compared favorably to the established technique of TR-MRA for quantitative assessment of pulmonary venous anatomy. SS-MRA offers greater spatial resolution than TR-MRA with increased confidence for ruling out left atrial appendage filling defect. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Characterisation of the Permafrost Carbon Pool

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kuhry, P.; Grosse, G.; Harden, J.W.; Hugelius, G.; Koven, C.D.; Ping, C.-L.; Schirrmeister, L.; Tarnocai, C.

2013-01-01

The current estimate of the soil organic carbon (SOC) pool in the northern permafrost region of 1672 Petagrams (Pg) C is much larger than previously reported and needs to be incorporated in global soil carbon (C) inventories. The Northern Circumpolar Soil Carbon Database (NCSCD), extended to include the range 0–300 cm, is now available online for wider use by the scientific community. An important future aim is to provide quantitative uncertainty ranges for C pool estimates. Recent studies have greatly improved understanding of the regional patterns, landscape distribution and vertical (soil horizon) partitioning of the permafrost C pool in the upper 3 m of soils. However, the deeper C pools in unconsolidated Quaternary deposits need to be better constrained. A general lability classification of the permafrost C pool should be developed to address potential C release upon thaw. The permafrost C pool and its dynamics are beginning to be incorporated into Earth System models, although key periglacial processes such as thermokarst still need to be properly represented to obtain a better quantification of the full permafrost C feedback on global climate change.

Emission Computed Tomography: A New Technique for the Quantitative Physiologic Study of Brain and Heart in Vivo

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Phelps, M. E.; Hoffman, E. J.; Huang, S. C.; Schelbert, H. R.; Kuhl, D. E.

1978-01-01

Emission computed tomography can provide a quantitative in vivo measurement of regional tissue radionuclide tracer concentrations. This facility when combined with physiologic models and radioactively labeled physiologic tracers that behave in a predictable manner allow measurement of a wide variety of physiologic variables. This integrated technique has been referred to as Physiologic Tomography (PT). PT requires labeled compounds which trace physiologic processes in a known and predictable manner, and physiologic models which are appropriately formulated and validated to derive physiologic variables from ECT data. In order to effectively achieve this goal, PT requires an ECT system that is capable of performing truly quantitative or analytical measurements of tissue tracer concentrations and which has been well characterized in terms of spatial resolution, sensitivity and signal to noise ratios in the tomographic image. This paper illustrates the capabilities of emission computed tomography and provides examples of physiologic tomography for the regional measurement of cerebral and myocardial metabolic rate for glucose, regional measurement of cerebral blood volume, gated cardiac blood pools and capillary perfusion in brain and heart. Studies on patients with stroke and myocardial ischemia are also presented.

Chemoenzymatic Labeling of Proteins: Techniques and Approaches

PubMed Central

Rashidian, Mohammad; Dozier, Jonathan K.; Distefano, Mark D.

2013-01-01

Site-specific modification of proteins is a major challenge in modern chemical biology due to the large number of reactive functional groups typically present in polypeptides. Because of its importance in biology and medicine, the development of methods for site-specific modification of proteins is an area of intense research. Selective protein modification procedures have been useful for oriented protein immobilization, for studies of naturally-occurring post-translational modifications, for creating antibody-drug conjugates, for the introduction of fluorophores and other small molecules on to proteins, for examining protein structure, folding, dynamics and protein-protein interactions and for the preparation of protein-polymer conjugates. One of the most important approaches for protein labeling is to incorporate bioorthogonal functionalities into proteins at specific sites via enzymatic reactions. The incorporated tags then enable reactions that are chemoselective, whose functional groups are not only inert in biological media, but also do not occur natively in proteins or other macromolecules. This review article summarizes the enzymatic strategies, which enable site-specific functionalization of proteins with a variety of different functional groups. The enzymes covered in this review include formylglycine generating enzyme, sialyltransferases, phosphopantetheinyltransferases, O-GlcNAc post-translational modification, sortagging, transglutaminase, farnesyltransferase, biotin ligase, lipoic acid ligase and N-myristoyl transferase. PMID:23837885

Photoaffinity labeling of the human erythrocyte glucose transporter with /sup 4/H-labelled forskolin

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

Shanahan, M.F.; Edwards, B.M.; Morris, D.P.

1986-05-01

Forskolin, a potent activator of adenylate cyclase, is also known to inhibit glucose transport in a number of cells. The authors have investigated photoincorporation of (/sup 3/H)forskolin into erythrocyte membrane proteins using a technique they previously developed for photolabeling the erythrocyte glucose transporter with cytochalasin B (CB). A 30-40s irradiation of erythrocyte ghosts in the presence of (/sup 3/H)forskolin resulted in a concentration-dependent, covalent incorporation of radiolabel into all of the major membrane protein bands. However, most of the incorporation occurred in only three regions of the gel. Peak 1 was a sharp peak near the top of the gelmore » in the region corresponding to spectrin, peak 2 appeared to be associated with band 3 (approx. 90kDa), and the third region labeled was between 41-60 kDa which corresponds to the region of the glucose transporter. This region appeared to contain several overlapping peaks with the largest incorporation of label occurring around 45 kDa in the area of red cell actin. When photolabeling was performed in the presence of 400 ..mu..M cytochalasin B (8.0 ..mu..M forskolin) the labeling in the 41-60 kDa region was totally inhibited while labeling of the 90 kDa peak was partially blocked. CB had no effect on the photolabeling of peak 1 by forskolin.« less

Absorption, excretion and retention of 51Cr from labelled Cr-(III)-picolinate in rats.

PubMed

Kottwitz, Karin; Laschinsky, Niels; Fischer, Roland; Nielsen, Peter

2009-04-01

The bioavailability of chromium from Cr-picolinate (CrPic(3)) and Cr-chloride (CrCl(3)) was studied in rats using (51)Cr-labelled compounds and whole-body-counting. The intestinal absorption of Cr was twice as high from CrPic(3) (1.16% vs 0.55%) than from CrCl(3), however most of the absorbed (51)Cr from CrPic(3) was excreted into the urine within 24 h. After i.v. or i.p. injection, the whole-body retention curves fitted well to a multiexponential function, demonstrating that plasma chromium is in equilibrium with three pools. For CrPic(3), a large pool exists with a very rapid exchange (T (1/2) = <0.5 days), suggesting that CrPic(3) is absorbed as intact molecule, from which the main part is directly excreted by the kidney before degradation of the chromium complex in the liver can occur. CrCl(3) is less well absorbed but the rapid exchange pool is much smaller, resulting in even higher Cr concentrations in tissue such as muscle and fat. However, 1-3 days after application, the relative distribution of (51)Cr from both compounds was similar in all tissues studied, indicating that both compounds contribute to the same storage pool. In summary, the bioavailability of CrPic(3) in rats is not superior compared to CrCl(3).

Synaptic control of the shape of the motoneuron pool input-output function

PubMed Central

Heckman, Charles J.

2017-01-01

Although motoneurons have often been considered to be fairly linear transducers of synaptic input, recent evidence suggests that strong persistent inward currents (PICs) in motoneurons allow neuromodulatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs to induce large nonlinearities in the relation between the level of excitatory input and motor output. To try to estimate the possible extent of this nonlinearity, we developed a pool of model motoneurons designed to replicate the characteristics of motoneuron input-output properties measured in medial gastrocnemius motoneurons in the decerebrate cat with voltage-clamp and current-clamp techniques. We drove the model pool with a range of synaptic inputs consisting of various mixtures of excitation, inhibition, and neuromodulation. We then looked at the relation between excitatory drive and total pool output. Our results revealed that the PICs not only enhance gain but also induce a strong nonlinearity in the relation between the average firing rate of the motoneuron pool and the level of excitatory input. The relation between the total simulated force output and input was somewhat more linear because of higher force outputs in later-recruited units. We also found that the nonlinearity can be increased by increasing neuromodulatory input and/or balanced inhibitory input and minimized by a reciprocal, push-pull pattern of inhibition. We consider the possibility that a flexible input-output function may allow motor output to be tuned to match the widely varying demands of the normal motor repertoire. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Motoneuron activity is generally considered to reflect the level of excitatory drive. However, the activation of voltage-dependent intrinsic conductances can distort the relation between excitatory drive and the total output of a pool of motoneurons. Using a pool of realistic motoneuron models, we show that pool output can be a highly nonlinear function of synaptic input but linearity can be achieved through adjusting the

Extrinsic labeling method may not accurately measure Fe absorption from cooked pinto beans (Phaseolus vulgaris): comparison of extrinsic and intrinsic labeling of beans.

PubMed

Jin, Fuxia; Cheng, Zhiqiang; Rutzke, Michael A; Welch, Ross M; Glahn, Raymond P

2008-08-27

Isotopic labeling of food has been widely used for the measurement of Fe absorption in determining requirements and evaluating the factors involved in Fe bioavailability. An extrinsic labeling technique will not accurately predict the total Fe absorption from foods unless complete isotopic exchange takes place between an extrinsically added isotope label and the intrinsic Fe of the food. We examined isotopic exchange in the case of both white beans and colored beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) with an in vitro digestion model. There are significant differences in (58)Fe/(56)Fe ratios between the sample digest supernatant and the pellet of extrinsically labeled pinto bean. The white bean digest shows significantly better equilibration of the extrinsic (58)Fe with the intrinsic (56)Fe. In contrast to the extrinsically labeled samples, both white and red beans labeled intrinsically with (58)Fe demonstrated consistent ratios of (58)Fe/(56)Fe in the bean meal, digest, supernatant, and pellet. It is possible that the polyphenolics in the bean seed coat may bind Fe and thus interfere with extrinsic labeling of the bean meals. These observations raise questions on the accuracy of studies that used extrinsic tags to measure Fe absorption from beans. Intrinsic labeling appears necessary to accurately measure Fe bioavailability from beans.

How cold pool triggers deep convection?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yano, Jun-Ichi

2014-05-01

The cold pool in the boundary layer is often considered a major triggering mechanism of convection. Here, presented are basic theoretical considerations on this issue. Observations suggest that cold pool-generated convective cells is available for shallow maritime convection (Warner et al. 1979; Zuidema et al. 2012), maritime deep convection (Barnes and Garstang 1982; Addis et al. 1984; Young et al. 1995) and continental deep convection (e.g., Lima and Wilson 2008; Flamant 2009; Lothon et al. 2011; Dione et al. 2013). Moreover, numerical studies appear to suggest that cold pools promote the organization of clouds into larger structures and thereby aid the transition from shallow to deep convection (Khairoutdinov and Randall 2006, Boing et al. 2012, Schlemmer and Hohenegger, 2014). Even a cold--pool parameterization coupled with convection is already proposed (Grandpeix and Lafore 2010: but see also Yano 2012). However, the suggested link between the cold pool and deep convection so far is phenomenological at the best. A specific process that the cold pool leads to a trigger of deep convection must still to be pinned down. Naively, one may imagine that a cold pool lifts up the air at the front as it propagates. Such an uplifting leads to a trigger of convection. However, one must realize that a shift of air along with its propagation does not necessarily lead to an uplifting, and even if it may happen, it would not far exceed a depth of the cold pool itself. Thus, the uplifting can never be anything vigorous. Its thermodynamic characteristics do help much either for inducing convection. The cold-pool air is rather under rapid recovering process before it can induce convection under a simple parcel-lifting argument. The most likely reason that the cold pool may induce convection is its gust winds that may encounter an air mass from an opposite direction. This induces a strong convergence, also leading to a strong uplifting. This is an argument essentially developed

Current good manufacturing practice in manufacturing, processing, packing, or holding of drugs; revision of certain labeling controls. Final rule.

PubMed

2012-03-20

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is amending the packaging and labeling control provisions of the current good manufacturing practice (CGMP) regulations for human and veterinary drug products by limiting the application of special control procedures for the use of cut labeling to immediate container labels, individual unit cartons, or multiunit cartons containing immediate containers that are not packaged in individual unit cartons. FDA is also permitting the use of any automated technique, including differentiation by labeling size and shape, that physically prevents incorrect labeling from being processed by labeling and packaging equipment when cut labeling is used. This action is intended to protect consumers from labeling errors more likely to cause adverse health consequences, while eliminating the regulatory burden of applying the rule to labeling unlikely to reach or adversely affect consumers. This action is also intended to permit manufacturers to use a broader range of error prevention and labeling control techniques than permitted by current CGMPs.

Glycan reductive isotope labeling for quantitative glycomics.

PubMed

Xia, Baoyun; Feasley, Christa L; Sachdev, Goverdhan P; Smith, David F; Cummings, Richard D

2009-04-15

Many diseases and disorders are characterized by quantitative and/or qualitative changes in complex carbohydrates. Mass spectrometry methods show promise in monitoring and detecting these important biological changes. Here we report a new glycomics method, termed glycan reductive isotope labeling (GRIL), where free glycans are derivatized by reductive amination with the differentially coded stable isotope tags [(12)C(6)]aniline and [(13)C(6)]aniline. These dual-labeled aniline-tagged glycans can be recovered by reverse-phase chromatography and can be quantified based on ultraviolet (UV) absorbance and relative ion abundances. Unlike previously reported isotopically coded reagents for glycans, GRIL does not contain deuterium, which can be chromatographically resolved. Our method shows no chromatographic resolution of differentially labeled glycans. Mixtures of differentially tagged glycans can be directly compared and quantified using mass spectrometric techniques. We demonstrate the use of GRIL to determine relative differences in glycan amount and composition. We analyze free glycans and glycans enzymatically or chemically released from a variety of standard glycoproteins, as well as human and mouse serum glycoproteins, using this method. This technique allows linear relative quantitation of glycans over a 10-fold concentration range and can accurately quantify sub-picomole levels of released glycans, providing a needed advancement in the field of glycomics.

A Global Approach for Quantitative Super Resolution and Electron Microscopy on Cryo and Epoxy Sections Using Self-labeling Protein Tags.

PubMed

Müller, Andreas; Neukam, Martin; Ivanova, Anna; Sönmez, Anke; Münster, Carla; Kretschmar, Susanne; Kalaidzidis, Yannis; Kurth, Thomas; Verbavatz, Jean-Marc; Solimena, Michele

2017-02-02

Correlative light and electron microscopy (CLEM) is a powerful approach to investigate the molecular ultrastructure of labeled cell compartments. However, quantitative CLEM studies are rare, mainly due to small sample sizes and the sensitivity of fluorescent proteins to strong fixatives and contrasting reagents for EM. Here, we show that fusion of a self-labeling protein to insulin allows for the quantification of age-distinct insulin granule pools in pancreatic beta cells by a combination of super resolution and transmission electron microscopy on Tokuyasu cryosections. In contrast to fluorescent proteins like GFP organic dyes covalently bound to self-labeling proteins retain their fluorescence also in epoxy resin following high pressure freezing and freeze substitution, or remarkably even after strong chemical fixation. This enables for the assessment of age-defined granule morphology and degradation. Finally, we demonstrate that this CLEM protocol is highly versatile, being suitable for single and dual fluorescent labeling and detection of different proteins with optimal ultrastructure preservation and contrast.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 21

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. Learn about types of labels.

Advances in stable isotope assisted labeling strategies with information science.

PubMed

Kigawa, Takanori

2017-08-15

Stable-isotope (SI) labeling of proteins is an essential technique to investigate their structures, interactions or dynamics by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. The assignment of the main-chain signals, which is the fundamental first step in these analyses, is usually achieved by a sequential assignment method based on triple resonance experiments. Independently of the triple resonance experiment-based sequential assignment, amino acid-selective SI labeling is beneficial for discriminating the amino acid type of each signal; therefore, it is especially useful for the signal assignment of difficult targets. Various combinatorial selective labeling schemes have been developed as more sophisticated labeling strategies. In these strategies, amino acids are represented by combinations of SI labeled samples, rather than simply assigning one amino acid to one SI labeled sample as in the case of conventional amino acid-selective labeling. These strategies have proven to be useful for NMR analyses of difficult proteins, such as those in large complex systems, in living cells, attached or integrated into membranes, or with poor solubility. In this review, recent advances in stable isotope assisted labeling strategies will be discussed. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of the Chacon Dakota associated pool

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

Walsh, E.N.

1979-01-01

Discovery and development of the Chacon Dakota associated pool is a very important Dakota formation development outside of the basic Dakota gas pool in the San Juan Basin area. Other Dakota formation developments are not of the magnitude as the Chacon Dakota associated pool.

48 CFR 28.304 - Risk-pooling arrangements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Risk-pooling arrangements... CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS BONDS AND INSURANCE Insurance 28.304 Risk-pooling arrangements. Agencies may establish risk-pooling arrangements. These arrangements are designed to use the services of the insurance...

Sequential ordering among multicolor fluorophores for protein labeling facility via aggregation-elimination based β-lactam probes.

PubMed

Sadhu, Kalyan K; Mizukami, Shin; Watanabe, Shuji; Kikuchi, Kazuya

2011-05-01

Development of protein labeling techniques with small molecules is enthralling because this method brings promises for triumph over the limitations of fluorescent proteins in live cell imaging. This technology deals with the functionalization of proteins with small molecules and is anticipated to facilitate the expansion of various protein assay methods. A new straightforward aggregation and elimination-based technique for a protein labeling system has been developed with a versatile emissive range of fluorophores. These fluorophores have been applied to show their efficiency for protein labeling by exploiting the same basic principle. A genetically modified version of class A type β-lactamase has been used as the tag protein (BL-tag). The strength of the aggregation interaction between a fluorophore and a quencher plays a governing role in the elimination step of the quencher from the probes, which ultimately controls the swiftness of the protein labeling strategy. Modulation in the elimination process can be accomplished by the variation in the nature of the fluorophore. This diversity facilitates the study of the competitive binding order among the synthesized probes toward the BL-tag labeling method. An aggregation and elimination-based BL-tag technique has been explored to develop an order of color labeling from the equimolar mixture of the labeling probe in solutions. The qualitative and quantitative determination of ordering within the probes toward labeling studies has been executed through SDS-PAGE and time-dependent fluorescence intensity enhancement measurements, respectively. The desirable multiple-wavelength fluorescence labeling probes for the BL-tag technology have been developed and demonstrate broad applicability of this labeling technology to live cell imaging with coumarin and fluorescein derivatives by using confocal microscopy.

Mass spectrometry–based relative quantification of proteins in precatalytic and catalytically active spliceosomes by metabolic labeling (SILAC), chemical labeling (iTRAQ), and label-free spectral count

PubMed Central

Schmidt, Carla; Grønborg, Mads; Deckert, Jochen; Bessonov, Sergey; Conrad, Thomas; Lührmann, Reinhard; Urlaub, Henning

2014-01-01

The spliceosome undergoes major changes in protein and RNA composition during pre-mRNA splicing. Knowing the proteins—and their respective quantities—at each spliceosomal assembly stage is critical for understanding the molecular mechanisms and regulation of splicing. Here, we applied three independent mass spectrometry (MS)–based approaches for quantification of these proteins: (1) metabolic labeling by SILAC, (2) chemical labeling by iTRAQ, and (3) label-free spectral count for quantification of the protein composition of the human spliceosomal precatalytic B and catalytic C complexes. In total we were able to quantify 157 proteins by at least two of the three approaches. Our quantification shows that only a very small subset of spliceosomal proteins (the U5 and U2 Sm proteins, a subset of U5 snRNP-specific proteins, and the U2 snRNP-specific proteins U2A′ and U2B′′) remains unaltered upon transition from the B to the C complex. The MS-based quantification approaches classify the majority of proteins as dynamically associated specifically with the B or the C complex. In terms of experimental procedure and the methodical aspect of this work, we show that metabolically labeled spliceosomes are functionally active in terms of their assembly and splicing kinetics and can be utilized for quantitative studies. Moreover, we obtain consistent quantification results from all three methods, including the relatively straightforward and inexpensive label-free spectral count technique. PMID:24448447

Integrating machine learning techniques and high-resolution imagery to generate GIS-ready information for urban water consumption studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolf, Nils; Hof, Angela

2012-10-01

Urban sprawl driven by shifts in tourism development produces new suburban landscapes of water consumption on Mediterranean coasts. Golf courses, ornamental, 'Atlantic' gardens and swimming pools are the most striking artefacts of this transformation, threatening the local water supply systems and exacerbating water scarcity. In the face of climate change, urban landscape irrigation is becoming increasingly important from a resource management point of view. This paper adopts urban remote sensing towards a targeted mapping approach using machine learning techniques and highresolution satellite imagery (WorldView-2) to generate GIS-ready information for urban water consumption studies. Swimming pools, vegetation and - as a subgroup of vegetation - turf grass are extracted as important determinants of water consumption. For image analysis, the complex nature of urban environments suggests spatial-spectral classification, i.e. the complementary use of the spectral signature and spatial descriptors. Multiscale image segmentation provides means to extract the spatial descriptors - namely object feature layers - which can be concatenated at pixel level to the spectral signature. This study assesses the value of object features using different machine learning techniques and amounts of labeled information for learning. The results indicate the benefit of the spatial-spectral approach if combined with appropriate classifiers like tree-based ensembles or support vector machines, which can handle high dimensionality. Finally, a Random Forest classifier was chosen to deliver the classified input data for the estimation of evaporative water loss and net landscape irrigation requirements.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 20

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. This section focuses on supplemental labeling.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 22

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. Learn about what labels require review.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 19

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. This section covers supplemental distributor labeling.

Selective Chemical Labeling of Proteins with Small Fluorescent Molecules Based on Metal-Chelation Methodology

PubMed Central

Soh, Nobuaki

2008-01-01

Site-specific chemical labeling utilizing small fluorescent molecules is a powerful and attractive technique for in vivo and in vitro analysis of cellular proteins, which can circumvent some problems in genetic encoding labeling by large fluorescent proteins. In particular, affinity labeling based on metal-chelation, advantageous due to the high selectivity/simplicity and the small tag-size, is promising, as well as enzymatic covalent labeling, thereby a variety of novel methods have been studied in recent years. This review describes the advances in chemical labeling of proteins, especially highlighting the metal-chelation methodology. PMID:27879749

Trihalomethanes in Lisbon indoor swimming pools: occurrence, determining factors, and health risk classification.

PubMed

Silva, Zelinda Isabel; Rebelo, Maria Helena; Silva, Manuela Manso; Alves, Ana Martins; Cabral, Maria da Conceição; Almeida, Ana Cristina; Aguiar, Fátima Rôxo; de Oliveira, Anabela Lopes; Nogueira, Ana Cruz; Pinhal, Hermínia Rodrigues; Aguiar, Pedro Manuel; Cardoso, Ana Sofia

2012-01-01

Characterization of water quality from indoor swimming pools, using chorine-based disinfection techniques, was performed during a 6-mo period to study the occurrence, distribution, and concentration factors of trihalomethanes (THM). Several parameters such as levels of water THM, water and air chloroform, water bromodichloromethane (BDCM), water dibromochloromethane (DBCM), water bromoform (BF), free residual chlorine (FrCl), pH, water and air temperature, and permanganate water oxidizability (PWO) were determined in each pool during that period. Chloroform (CF(W)) was the THM detected at higher concentrations in all pools, followed by BDCM, DBCM, and BF detected at 99, 34, and 6% of the samples, respectively. Water THM concentrations ranged from 10.1 to 155 μg/L, with 6.5% of the samples presenting values above 100 μg/L (parametric value established in Portuguese law DL 306/2007). In this study, air chloroform (CF(Air)) concentrations ranged from 45 to 373 μg/m³ with 24% of the samples presenting values above 136 μg/m³ (considered high exposure value). Several significant correlations were observed between total THM and other parameters, namely, CF(W), CF(Air), FrCl, water temperature (T(W)), and PWO. These correlations indicate that FrCl, T(W) and PWO are parameters that influence THM formation. The exposure criterion established for water THM enabled the inclusion of 67% of Lisbon pools in the high exposure group, which reinforces the need for an improvement in pool water quality.

A high-fidelity approach towards simulation of pool boiling

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

Yazdani, Miad; Radcliff, Thomas; Soteriou, Marios

2016-01-15

A novel numerical approach is developed to simulate the multiscale problem of pool-boiling phase change. The particular focus is to develop a simulation technique that is capable of predicting the heat transfer and hydrodynamic characteristics of nucleate boiling and the transition to critical heat flux on surfaces of arbitrary shape and roughness distribution addressing a critical need to design enhanced boiling heat transfer surfaces. The macro-scale of the phase change and bubble dynamics is addressed through employing off-the-shelf Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) methods for interface tracking and interphase mass and energy transfer. The micro-scale of the microlayer, which forms atmore » early stage of bubble nucleation near the wall, is resolved through asymptotic approximation of the thin-film theory which provides a closed-form solution for the distribution of the micro-layer and its influence on the evaporation process. In addition, the sub-grid surface roughness is represented stochastically through probabilistic density functions and its role in bubble nucleation and growth is then represented based on the thermodynamics of nucleation process. This combination of deterministic CFD, local approximation, and stochastic representation allows the simulation of pool boiling on any surface with known roughness and enhancement characteristics. The numerical model is validated for dynamics and hydrothermal characteristics of a single nucleated bubble on a flat surface against available literature data. In addition, the prediction of pool-boiling heat transfer coefficient is verified against experimental measurements as well as reputable correlations for various roughness distributions and different surface orientations. Finally, the model is employed to demonstrate pool-boiling phenomenon on enhanced structures with reentrance cavities and to explore the effect of enhancement feature design on thermal and hydrodynamic characteristics of these surfaces.« less

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 18

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. This section discusses the types of labels.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 26

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. Learn about mandatory and advisory label statements.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 15

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. Learn about the consequences of improper labeling.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 14

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. Learn about positive effects from proper labeling.

48 CFR 228.304 - Risk-pooling arrangements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Risk-pooling arrangements..., DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE GENERAL CONTRACTING REQUIREMENTS BONDS AND INSURANCE Insurance 228.304 Risk-pooling... Insurance Rating Plan, as a risk-pooling arrangement to minimize the cost to the Government of purchasing...

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 24

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. This page is about which labels require review.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 17

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. See an overview of the importance of labels.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 27

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. See examples of mandatory and advisory label statements.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 23

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. Lists types of labels that do not require review.

Use of blood-pool imaging in evaluation of diffuse activity patterns in technetium-99m pyrophosphate myocardial scintigraphy.

PubMed

Cowley, M J; Mantle, J A; Rogers, W J; Russell, R O; Rackley, C E; Logic, J R

1979-06-01

It has been suggested that diffuse Tc-99m pyrophosphate precordial activity may be due to persistent blood-pool activity in routine delayed views during myocardial imaging. To answer this question, we reviewed myocardial scintigrams recorded 60--90 min following the injection of 12--15 mCi of Tc-99m pyrophosphate for the presence of diffuse precordial activity, and compared these with early images of the blood pool in 265 patients. Diffuse activity in the delayed images was identified in 48 patients: in 20 with acute myocardial infarction and in 28 with no evidence of it. Comparison of these routine delayed images with early views of the blood pool revealed two types of patterns. In patients with acute infarction, 95% had delayed images that were distinguishable from blood pool either because the activity was smaller than the early blood pool, or by the presence of localized activity superimposed on diffuse activity identical to blood pool. In those without infarction, 93% had activity distribution in routine delayed views matching that in the early blood-pool images. The usefulness of the diffuse TcPPi precordial activity in myocardial infarction is improved when early blood-pool imaging is used to exclude persistence of blood-pool activity as its cause. Moreover, it does not require additional amounts of radioactivity nor complex computer processing, a feature that may be of value in the community hospital using the technique to "rule out" infarction 24--72 hr after onset of suggestive symptoms.

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) synthesis, preparation, labeling, and functionalization.

PubMed

Kateb, Babak; Yamamoto, Vicky; Alizadeh, Darya; Zhang, Leying; Manohara, Harish M; Bronikowski, Michael J; Badie, Behnam

2010-01-01

Nanomedicine is a growing field with a great potential for introducing new generation of targeted and personalized drug. Amongst new generation of nano-vectors are carbon nanotubes (CNTs), which can be produced as single or multi-walled. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) can be fabricated as biocompatible nanostructures (cylindrical bulky tubes). These structures are currently under investigation for their application in nanomedicine as viable and safe nanovectors for gene and drug delivery. In this chapter, we will provide you with the necessary information to understand the synthesis of MWCNTs, functionalization, PKH26 labeling, RNAi, and DNA loading for in vitro experimentation and in vivo implantation of labeled MWCNT in mice as well as materials used in this experimentation. We used this technique to manipulate microglia as part of a novel application for the brain cancer immunotherapy. Our published data show this is a promising technique for labeling, and gene and drug delivery into microglia.

RJMCMC based Text Placement to Optimize Label Placement and Quantity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Touya, Guillaume; Chassin, Thibaud

2018-05-01

Label placement is a tedious task in map design, and its automation has long been a goal for researchers in cartography, but also in computational geometry. Methods that search for an optimal or nearly optimal solution that satisfies a set of constraints, such as label overlapping, have been proposed in the literature. Most of these methods mainly focus on finding the optimal position for a given set of labels, but rarely allow the removal of labels as part of the optimization. This paper proposes to apply an optimization technique called Reversible-Jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo that enables to easily model the removal or addition during the optimization iterations. The method, quite preliminary for now, is tested on a real dataset, and the first results are encouraging.

48 CFR 873.114 - Best value pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Best value pool. 873.114... SUPPLEMENTARY REGULATIONS SIMPLIFIED ACQUISITION PROCEDURES FOR HEALTH-CARE RESOURCES 873.114 Best value pool... solicitation. These vendors constitute the best value pool. This determination is within the sole discretion of...

A web-oriented software for the optimization of pooled experiments in NGS for detection of rare mutations.

PubMed

Evangelista, Daniela; Zuccaro, Antonio; Lančinskas, Algirdas; Žilinskas, Julius; Guarracino, Mario R

2016-02-17

The cost per patient of next generation sequencing for detection of rare mutations may be significantly reduced using pooled experiments. Recently, some techniques have been proposed for the planning of pooled experiments and for the optimal allocation of patients into pools. However, the lack of a user friendly resource for planning the design of pooled experiments forces the scientists to do frequent, complex and long computations. OPENDoRM is a powerful collection of novel mathematical algorithms usable via an intuitive graphical user interface. It enables researchers to speed up the planning of their routine experiments, as well as, to support scientists without specific bioinformatics expertises. Users can automatically carry out analysis in terms of costs associated with the optimal allocation of patients in pools. They are also able to choose between three distinct pooling mathematical methods, each of which also suggests the optimal configuration for the submitted experiment. Importantly, in order to keep track of the performed experiments, users can save and export the results of their experiments in standard tabular and charts contents. OPENDoRM is a freely available web-oriented application for the planning of pooled NGS experiments, available at: http://www-labgtp.na.icar.cnr.it/OPENDoRM. Its easy and intuitive graphical user interface enables researchers to plan theirs experiments using novel algorithms, and to interactively visualize the results.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 16

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. Learn about the importance of labels and the role in enforcement.

Relaxation-based distance measurements between a nitroxide and a lanthanide spin label

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jäger, H.; Koch, A.; Maus, V.; Spiess, H. W.; Jeschke, G.

2008-10-01

Distance measurements by electron paramagnetic resonance techniques between labels attached to biomacromolecules provide structural information on systems that cannot be crystallized or are too large to be characterized by NMR methods. However, existing techniques are limited in their distance range and sensitivity. It is anticipated by theoretical considerations that these limits could be extended by measuring the enhancement of longitudinal relaxation of a nitroxide label due to a lanthanide complex label at cryogenic temperatures. The relaxivity of the dysprosium complex with the macrocyclic ligand DOTA can be determined without direct measurements of longitudinal relaxation rates of the lanthanide and without recourse to model compounds with well defined distance by analyzing the dependence of relaxation enhancement on either temperature or concentration in homogeneous glassy frozen solutions. Relaxivities determined by the two calibration techniques are in satisfying agreement with each other. Error sources for both techniques are examined. A distance of about 2.7 nm is measured in a model compound of the type nitroxide-spacer-lanthanide complex and is found in good agreement with the distance in a modeled structure. Theoretical considerations suggest that an increase of the upper distance limit requires measurements at lower fields and temperatures.

Object-Location-Aware Hashing for Multi-Label Image Retrieval via Automatic Mask Learning.

PubMed

Huang, Chang-Qin; Yang, Shang-Ming; Pan, Yan; Lai, Han-Jiang

2018-09-01

Learning-based hashing is a leading approach of approximate nearest neighbor search for large-scale image retrieval. In this paper, we develop a deep supervised hashing method for multi-label image retrieval, in which we propose to learn a binary "mask" map that can identify the approximate locations of objects in an image, so that we use this binary "mask" map to obtain length-limited hash codes which mainly focus on an image's objects but ignore the background. The proposed deep architecture consists of four parts: 1) a convolutional sub-network to generate effective image features; 2) a binary "mask" sub-network to identify image objects' approximate locations; 3) a weighted average pooling operation based on the binary "mask" to obtain feature representations and hash codes that pay most attention to foreground objects but ignore the background; and 4) the combination of a triplet ranking loss designed to preserve relative similarities among images and a cross entropy loss defined on image labels. We conduct comprehensive evaluations on four multi-label image data sets. The results indicate that the proposed hashing method achieves superior performance gains over the state-of-the-art supervised or unsupervised hashing baselines.

Hepatic glucose output in humans measured with labeled glucose to reduce negative errors

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

Levy, J.C.; Brown, G.; Matthews, D.R.

Steele and others have suggested that minimizing changes in glucose specific activity when estimating hepatic glucose output (HGO) during glucose infusions could reduce non-steady-state errors. This approach was assessed in nondiabetic and type II diabetic subjects during constant low dose (27 mumol.kg ideal body wt (IBW)-1.min-1) glucose infusion followed by a 12 mmol/l hyperglycemic clamp. Eight subjects had paired tests with and without labeled infusions. Labeled infusion was used to compare HGO in 11 nondiabetic and 15 diabetic subjects. Whereas unlabeled infusions produced negative values for endogenous glucose output, labeled infusions largely eliminated this error and reduced the dependence ofmore » the Steele model on the pool fraction in the paired tests. By use of labeled infusions, 11 nondiabetic subjects suppressed HGO from 10.2 +/- 0.6 (SE) fasting to 0.8 +/- 0.9 mumol.kg IBW-1.min-1 after 90 min of glucose infusion and to -1.9 +/- 0.5 mumol.kg IBW-1.min-1 after 90 min of a 12 mmol/l glucose clamp, but 15 diabetic subjects suppressed only partially from 13.0 +/- 0.9 fasting to 5.7 +/- 1.2 at the end of the glucose infusion and 5.6 +/- 1.0 mumol.kg IBW-1.min-1 in the clamp (P = 0.02, 0.002, and less than 0.001, respectively).« less

In Situ Live-Cell Nucleus Fluorescence Labeling with Bioinspired Fluorescent Probes.

PubMed

Ding, Pan; Wang, Houyu; Song, Bin; Ji, Xiaoyuan; Su, Yuanyuan; He, Yao

2017-08-01

Fluorescent imaging techniques for visualization of nuclear structure and function in live cells are fundamentally important for exploring major cellular events. The ideal cellular labeling method is capable of realizing label-free, in situ, real-time, and long-term nucleus labeling in live cells, which can fully obtain the nucleus-relative information and effectively alleviate negative effects of alien probes on cellular metabolism. However, current established fluorescent probes-based strategies (e.g., fluorescent proteins-, organic dyes-, fluorescent organic/inorganic nanoparticles-based imaging techniques) are unable to simultaneously realize label-free, in situ, long-term, and real-time nucleus labeling, resulting in inevitable difficulties in fully visualizing nuclear structure and function in live cells. To this end, we present a type of bioinspired fluorescent probes, which are highly efficacious for in situ and label-free tracking of nucleus in long-term and real-time manners. Typically, the bioinspired polydopamine (PDA) nanoparticles, served as fluorescent probes, can be readily synthesized in situ within live cell nucleus without any further modifications under physiological conditions (37 °C, pH ∼7.4). Compared with other conventional nuclear dyes (e.g., propidium iodide (PI), Hoechst), superior spectroscopic properties (e.g., quantum yield of ∼35.8% and high photostability) and low cytotoxicity of PDA-based probes enable long-term (e.g., 3 h) fluorescence tracking of nucleus. We also demonstrate the generality of this type of bioinspired fluorescent probes in different cell lines and complex biological samples.

47 CFR 90.35 - Industrial/Business Pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Industrial/Business Pool. 90.35 Section 90.35 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Industrial/Business Radio Pool § 90.35 Industrial/Business Pool. (a) Eligibility. Persons primarily engaged in any of...

47 CFR 90.35 - Industrial/Business Pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Industrial/Business Pool. 90.35 Section 90.35 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Industrial/Business Radio Pool § 90.35 Industrial/Business Pool. (a) Eligibility. Persons primarily engaged in any of...

47 CFR 90.35 - Industrial/Business Pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Industrial/Business Pool. 90.35 Section 90.35 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Industrial/Business Radio Pool § 90.35 Industrial/Business Pool. (a) Eligibility. Persons primarily engaged in any of...

47 CFR 90.35 - Industrial/Business Pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Industrial/Business Pool. 90.35 Section 90.35 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Industrial/Business Radio Pool § 90.35 Industrial/Business Pool. (a) Eligibility. Persons primarily engaged in any of...

47 CFR 90.35 - Industrial/Business Pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Industrial/Business Pool. 90.35 Section 90.35 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Industrial/Business Radio Pool § 90.35 Industrial/Business Pool. (a) Eligibility. Persons primarily engaged in any of...

48 CFR 873.114 - Best value pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... value pool is expected to exceed the number at which an efficient, timely, and economical competition... that the best value pool can be limited for purposes of making an efficient, timely, and economical... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 5 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Best value pool. 873.114...

7 CFR 1425.17 - Eligible commodity and pooling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Eligible commodity and pooling. (a) A CMA may establish separate loan pools as needed for quantities of a... loan pool as provided in paragraph (e) of this section and the beneficial interest provisions of parts 1421 and 1427 of this chapter. (c) A pool shall be eligible for loans and LDP's if: (1) All of the...

Pool Safety: A Few Simple Rules.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

PTA Today, 1993

1993-01-01

Presents suggestions by the National Swimming Pool Safety Committee on how to keep children safe while swimming. Ideas include maintaining strict adult supervision, pool and spa barriers, and knowledge of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. (SM)

47 CFR 90.20 - Public Safety Pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Public Safety Pool. 90.20 Section 90.20 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Public Safety Radio Pool § 90.20 Public Safety Pool. (a) Eligibility. The following are eligible to hold authorizations in...

47 CFR 90.20 - Public Safety Pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Public Safety Pool. 90.20 Section 90.20 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Public Safety Radio Pool § 90.20 Public Safety Pool. (a) Eligibility. The following are eligible to hold authorizations in...

47 CFR 90.20 - Public Safety Pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Public Safety Pool. 90.20 Section 90.20 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES PRIVATE LAND MOBILE RADIO SERVICES Public Safety Radio Pool § 90.20 Public Safety Pool. (a) Eligibility. The following are eligible to hold authorizations in...

A hydrophobic ionic liquid compartmentalized sampling/labeling and its separation techniques in polydimethylsiloxane microchip capillary electrophoresis.

PubMed

Quan, Hong Hua; Li, Ming; Huang, Yan; Hahn, Jong Hoon

2017-01-01

This paper demonstrates a novel compartmentalized sampling/labeling method and its separation techniques using a hydrophobic ionic liquid (IL)-1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)-imidate (BmimNTf 2 )-as the immiscible phase, which is capable of minimizing signal losses during microchip capillary electrophoresis (MCE). The MCE device consists of a silica tube connected to a straight polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) separation channel. Poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDAC) was coated on the inner surface of channel to ease the introduction of IL plugs and enhance the IL wetting on the PDMS surface for sample releasing. Electroosmotic flow (EOF)-based sample compartmentalization was carried out through a sequenced injection into sampling tubes with the following order: leading IL plug/sample segment/terminal IL plug. The movement of the sample segment was easily controlled by applying an electrical voltage across both ends of the chip without a sample volume change. This approach effectively prevented analyte diffusion before injection into MCE channels. When the sample segment was manipulated to the PDDAC-modified PDMS channel, the sample plug then was released from isolation under EOF while IL plugs adsorbed onto channel surfaces owing to strong adhesion. A mixture of flavin adenine nucleotides (FAD) and flavin mononucleotides (FMN) was successfully separated on a 2.5 cm long separation channel, for which the theoretical numbers of plates were 15 000 and 17 000, respectively. The obtained peak intensity was increased 6.3-fold over the corresponding value from conventional electrokinetic injection with the same sampling time. Furthermore, based on the compartmented sample segment serving as an interim reactor, an on-chip fluorescence labeling is demonstrated. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Existence of life-time stable proteins in mature rats—Dating of proteins’ age by repeated short-term exposure to labeled amino acids throughout age

PubMed Central

Schjerling, Peter; Bornø, Andreas; Holm, Lars

2017-01-01

In vivo turnover rates of proteins covering the processes of protein synthesis and breakdown rates have been measured in many tissues and protein pools using various techniques. Connective tissue and collagen protein turnover is of specific interest since existing results are rather diverging. The aim of this study is to investigate whether we can verify the presence of protein pools within the same tissue with very distinct turnover rates over the life-span of rats with special focus on connective tissue. Male and female Lewis rats (n = 35) were injected with five different isotopically labeled amino acids tracers. The tracers were injected during fetal development (Day -10 to -2), after birth (Day 5–9), at weaning (Day 25–32) at puberty (Day 54–58) and at adulthood (Day 447–445). Subgroups of rats were euthanized three days after every injection period, at different time point between injection periods and lastly at day 472. Tissue (liver, muscle, eye lens and patellar tendon) and blood samples were collected after euthanization. The enrichment of the labeled amino acids in the tissue or blood samples was measured using GC-MS-MS. In muscle and liver we demonstrated a rapid decrease of tracer enrichments throughout the rat’s life, indicating that myofibrillar and cytoskeleton proteins have a high turnover. In contrast, the connective tissue protein in the eye lens and patellar tendon of the mature rat showed detainment of tracer enrichment injected during fetal development and first living days, indicating very slow turnover. The data support the hypothesis that some proteins synthesized during the early development and growth still exist much later in life of animals and hence has a very slow turnover rate. PMID:28957442

Fluorescent Labeling of Proteins.

PubMed

Modesti, Mauro

2018-01-01

Many single-molecule experimental techniques exploit fluorescence as a tool to investigate conformational dynamics, molecular interactions, or track the movement of proteins in order to gain insight into their biological functions. A prerequisite to these experimental approaches is to graft one or more fluorophores on the protein of interest with the desired photophysical properties. Here, we describe procedures for efficient methods used to covalently attach fluorophores to proteins. Alternative direct and indirect labeling strategies are also described.

Measuring the labeling efficiency of pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling.

PubMed

Chen, Zhensen; Zhang, Xingxing; Yuan, Chun; Zhao, Xihai; van Osch, Matthias J P

2017-05-01

Optimization and validation of a sequence for measuring the labeling efficiency of pseudocontinuous arterial spin labeling (pCASL) perfusion MRI. The proposed sequence consists of a labeling module and a single slice Look-Locker echo planar imaging readout. A model-based algorithm was used to calculate labeling efficiency from the signal acquired from the main brain-feeding arteries. Stability of the labeling efficiency measurement was evaluated with regard to the use of cardiac triggering, flow compensation and vein signal suppression. Accuracy of the measurement was assessed by comparing the measured labeling efficiency to mean brain pCASL signal intensity over a wide range of flip angles as applied in the pCASL labeling. Simulations show that the proposed algorithm can effectively calculate labeling efficiency when correcting for T1 relaxation of the blood spins. Use of cardiac triggering and vein signal suppression improved stability of the labeling efficiency measurement, while flow compensation resulted in little improvement. The measured labeling efficiency was found to be linearly (R = 0.973; P < 0.001) related to brain pCASL signal intensity over a wide range of pCASL flip angles. The optimized labeling efficiency sequence provides robust artery-specific labeling efficiency measurement within a short acquisition time (∼30 s), thereby enabling improved accuracy of pCASL CBF quantification. Magn Reson Med 77:1841-1852, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine Magn Reson Med 77:1841-1852, 2017. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2016 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

DiOlistic Labeling of Neurons in Tissue Slices: A Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Methodological Variations.

PubMed

Staffend, Nancy A; Meisel, Robert L

2011-01-01

Fine neuronal morphology, such as dendritic spines, classically has been studied using the Golgi technique; however, Golgi staining is difficult to combine with other histological techniques. With the increasing popularity of fluorescent imaging, a number of fluorescent dyes have been developed that enable the coupling of multiple fluorescent labels in a single preparation. These fluorescent dyes include the lipophilic dialkylcarbocyanine, DiI; traditionally used for anterograde and retrograde neuronal tracing. More recently, DiI labeling has been used in combination with the Gene Gun for "DiOlistic" labeling of neurons in slice preparations. DiI sequesters itself within and diffuses laterally along the neuronal membrane, however once the cell is permeabilized, the DiI begins to leak from the cell membrane. A DiI derivative, Cell Tracker™ CM-DiI, increases dye stability and labeling half-life in permeabilized tissue, however at much greater expense. Here, the DiI and CM-DiI DiOlistic labeling techniques were tested in side-by-side experiments evaluating dye stability within dendritic architecture in medium spiny neurons of the dorsal stratum in both non-permeabilized and permeabilized tissue sections. In tissue sections that were not permeabilized, spine density in DiI labeled sections was higher than in CM-DiI labeling. In contrast, tissue sections that were permeabilized had higher spine densities in CM-DiI labeled neurons. These results suggest that for experiments involving non-permeabilized tissue, traditional DiI will suffice, however for experiments involving permeabilized tissue CM-DiI provides more consistent data. These experiments provide the first quantitative analyses of the impact of methodological permutations on neuronal labeling with DiI.

Refining cotton-wick method for 15N plant labelling.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fustec, Joëlle; Mahieu, Stéphanie

2010-05-01

The symbiosis Fabaceae/Rhizobiaceae plays a critical role in the nitrogen cycle. It gives the plant the ability to fix high amounts of atmospheric N. A part of this N can be transferred to the soil via rhizodeposition. The contribution of Fabaceae to the soil N pool is difficult to measure, since it is necessary for assessing N benefits for other crops, for soil biological activity, and for reducing water pollution in sustainable agriculture (Fustec, 2009). The aim of this study was to test and improve the reliability of the 15N cotton-wick method for measuring the soil N derived from plant rhizodeposition (Mahieu et al., 2007). The effects of the concentration of the 15N-urea labelling solution and of the feeding frequency (continuous or pulses) on the assessment of nitrogen rhizodeposition were studied in two greenhouse experiments using the field pea (Pisum sativum L.) and the non-nodulating isoline P2. The plant parts and the soil were prepared for 15N:14N measurements for assessing N rhizodeposition (Mahieu et al., 2009). The fraction of plants' belowground nitrogen allocated to rhizodeposition in both Frisson pea and P2 was 20 to more than 50% higher when plants were labelled continuously than when they were labelled using fortnightly pulses. Our results suggested that when 15N root enrichment was high, nitrogen rhizodeposition was underestimated only for plants that were 15N-fed by fortnightly pulses, and not in plants 15N-fed continuously. This phenomenon was especially observed for plants relying on symbiotic N fixation for N acquisition; it may be linked to the concentration of the labelling solution. In conclusion, N rhizodeposition assessment was strongly influenced by the 15N-feeding frequency and the concentration of the labelling solution. The estimation of N rhizodeposition was more reliable when plants were labelled continuously with a dilute solution of 15N urea. Fustec et al. 2009. Agron. Sustain. Dev., DOI 10.1051/agro/2009003, in press. Mahieu

Pool Boiling Experiment Has Five Successful Flights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chiaramonte, Fran

1997-01-01

The Pool Boiling Experiment (PBE) is designed to improve understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that constitute nucleate pool boiling. Nucleate pool boiling is a process wherein a stagnant pool of liquid is in contact with a surface that can supply heat to the liquid. If the liquid absorbs enough heat, a vapor bubble can be formed. This process occurs when a pot of water boils. On Earth, gravity tends to remove the vapor bubble from the heating surface because it is dominated by buoyant convection. In the orbiting space shuttle, however, buoyant convection has much less of an effect because the forces of gravity are very small. The Pool Boiling Experiment was initiated to provide insight into this nucleate boiling process, which has many earthbound applications in steamgeneration power plants, petroleum plants, and other chemical plants. In addition, by using the test fluid R-113, the Pool Boiling Experiment can provide some basic understanding of the boiling behavior of cryogenic fluids without the large cost of an experiment using an actual cryogen.

Metabolomics relative quantitation with mass spectrometry using chemical derivatization and isotope labeling

DOE PAGES

O'Maille, Grace; Go, Eden P.; Hoang, Linh; ...

2008-01-01

Comprehensive detection and quantitation of metabolites from a biological source constitute the major challenges of current metabolomics research. Two chemical derivatization methodologies, butylation and amination, were applied to human serum for ionization enhancement of a broad spectrum of metabolite classes, including steroids and amino acids. LC-ESI-MS analysis of the derivatized serum samples provided a significant signal elevation across the total ion chromatogram to over a 100-fold increase in ionization efficiency. It was also demonstrated that derivatization combined with isotopically labeled reagents facilitated the relative quantitation of derivatized metabolites from individual as well as pooled samples.

Recent Progress in Measuring and Modeling Patterns of Biomass and Soil Carbon Pools Across the Amazon Basin

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Potter, Christopher; Malhi, Yadvinder

2004-01-01

Ever more detailed representations of above-ground biomass and soil carbon pools have been developed during the LBA project. Environmental controls such as regional climate, land cover history, secondary forest regrowth, and soil fertility are now being taken into account in regional inventory studies. This paper will review the evolution of measurement-extrapolation approaches, remote sensing, and simulation modeling techniques for biomass and soil carbon pools, which together help constrain regional carbon budgets and enhance in our understanding of uncertainty at the regional level.

Quenching behavior of molten pool with different strategies – A review

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

Shrikant,, E-mail: 2014rmt9018@mnit.ac.in; Pandel, U.; Duchaniya, R. K.

After the major severe accident in nuclear reactor, there has been lot of concerns regarding long term core melt stabilization following a severe accident in nuclear reactors. Numerous strategies have been though for quenching and stabilization of core melt like top flooding, bottom flooding, indirect cooling, etc. However, the effectiveness of these schemes is yet to be determined properly, for which, lot of experiments are needed. Several experiments have been performed for coolability of melt pool under bottom flooding as well as for indirect cooling. Besides these tests are very scattered because they involve different simulants material initial temperatures andmore » masses of melt, which makes it very complex to judge the effectiveness of a particular technique and advantage over the other. In this review paper, a study has been carried on different cooling techniques of simulant materials with same mass. Three techniques have been compared here and the results are discussed. Under top flooding technique it took several hours to cool the melt under without decay heat condition. In bottom flooding technique was found to be the best technique among in indirect cooling technique, top flooded technique, and bottom flooded technique.« less

Profit pools: a fresh look at strategy.

PubMed

Gadiesh, O; Gilbert, J L

1998-01-01

In charting strategy, many managers focus on revenue growth, assuming that profits will follow. But that approach is dangerous: today's deep revenue pool may become tomorrow's dry hole. To create strategies that result in profitable growth, managers need to look beyond revenues to see the shape of their industry's profit pool. The authors define an industry's profit pool as the total profits earned at all points along the industry's value chain. Although the concept is simple, the structure of a profit pool is usually quite complex. The pool will be deeper in some segments of the value chain than in others, and depths will vary within an individual segment as well. Segment profitability may, for example, vary widely by customer group, product category, geographic market, and distribution channel. Moreover, the pattern of profit concentration in an industry will often be very different from the pattern of revenue concentration. The authors describe how successful companies have gained competitive advantage by developing sophisticated profit-pool strategies. They explain how U-Haul identified new sources of profit in the consumer-truck-rental industry; how Merck reached beyond its traditional value-chain role to protect its profits in the pharmaceuticals industry; how Dell rebounded from a misguided channel decision by refocusing on its traditional source of profit; and how Anheuser-Busch made a series of astute product, pricing, and operating decisions to dominate the beer industry's profit pool. The companies with the best understanding of their industry's profit pool, the authors argue, will be in the best position to thrive over the long term.

How to map your industry's profit pool.

PubMed

Gadiesh, O; Gilbert, J L

1998-01-01

Many managers chart strategy without a full understanding of the sources and distribution of profits in their industry. Sometimes they focus their sights on revenues instead of profits, mistakenly assuming that revenue growth will eventually translate into profit growth. In other cases, they simply lack the data or the analytical tools required to isolate and measure variations in profitability. In this Manager's Tool Kit, the authors present a way to think clearly about where the money's being made in any industry. They describe a framework for analyzing how profits are distributed among the activities that form an industry's value chain. Such an analysis can provide a company's managers with a rich understanding of their industry's profit structure--what the authors call its profit pool--enabling them to identify which activities are generating disproportionately large or small shares of profits. Even more important, a profit-pool map opens a window onto the underlying structure of the industry, helping managers see the various forces that are determining the distribution of profits. As such, a profit-pool map provides a solid basis for strategic thinking. Mapping a profit pool involves four steps: defining the boundaries of the pool, estimating the pool's overall size, estimating the size of each value-chain activity in the pool, and checking and reconciling the calculations. The authors briefly describe each step and then apply the process by providing a detailed example of a hypothetical retail bank. They conclude by looking at ways of organizing the data in chart form as a first step toward plotting a profit-pool strategy.

Stem Cell Monitoring with a Direct or Indirect Labeling Method.

PubMed

Kim, Min Hwan; Lee, Yong Jin; Kang, Joo Hyun

2016-12-01

The molecular imaging techniques allow monitoring of the transplanted cells in the same individuals over time, from early localization to the survival, migration, and differentiation. Generally, there are two methods of stem cell labeling: direct and indirect labeling methods. The direct labeling method introduces a labeling agent into the cell, which is stably incorporated or attached to the cells prior to transplantation. Direct labeling of cells with radionuclides is a simple method with relatively fewer adverse events related to genetic responses. However, it can only allow short-term distribution of transplanted cells because of the decreasing imaging signal with radiodecay, according to the physical half-lives, or the signal becomes more diffuse with cell division and dispersion. The indirect labeling method is based on the expression of a reporter gene transduced into the cell before transplantation, which is then visualized upon the injection of an appropriate probe or substrate. In this review, various imaging strategies to monitor the survival and behavior change of transplanted stem cells are covered. Taking these new approaches together, the direct and indirect labeling methods may provide new insights on the roles of in vivo stem cell monitoring, from bench to bedside.

Studies related to the development of the Viking 1975 labeled release experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Devincenzi, D. L.; Deal, P. H.

1976-01-01

The labeled release life detection experiment on the Viking 1975 Mars mission is based on the concept that microorganisms will metabolize radioactive organic substrates in a nutrient medium and release radioactive carbon dioxide. Several experiments, using laboratory equipment, were carried out to evaluate various aspects of the concept. Results indicate: (1) label is released by sterilization-treated soil, (2) substantial quantities of label are retained in solution under basic conditions, (3) the substrate used, as well as position of label in the molecule, affect release of label, (4) label release is depressed by radiolytic decomposition of substrates, and (5) About 100,000 organisms are required to produce a detectable response. These results, suggest additional areas for testing, add to the data base for interpretation of flight results, and have significance for broader application of this technique for assessing microbial activity.

In Vivo Defection of Thrombi with Indium-111-Labeled Platelets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Price, David C.; Lipton, Martin J.; Lusby, Robert J.; Engelstad, Barry L.; Stoney, Ronald J.; Prager, Robert J.; Hartmeyer, James A.; Holly, Anne S.

1982-06-01

The use of Indium-111-oxine labeled autologous platelets has been explored in a dog-catheter model, as well as in a variety of clinical disorders in man. Newly forming experimental thrombi in dogs label well during the first 45-90 minutes, then lose both label and thrombus mass in a manner consistent with fibrinolysis. Thrombus weight is linearly related to In-111 activity, so that in vivo scintigraphy will be a practical method to evaluate various thrombotic stimuli and anti-thrombotic interventions experimentally. Preformed thrombus, however, labels poorly and cannot be detected by imaging in this dog model. Initial clinical experience with a variety of arterial, venous and cardiac thrombotic states is reviewed, indicating some of the strengths and same of the potential weaknesses of this new scintigraphic technique.

Nitrogen turnover of three different agricultural soils determined by 15N triple labelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fiedler, Sebastian R.; Kleineidam, Kristina; Strasilla, Nicol; Schlüter, Steffen; Reent Köster, Jan; Well, Reinhard; Müller, Christoph; Wrage-Mönnig, Nicole

2017-04-01

To meet the demand for data to improve existing N turnover models and to evaluate the effect of different soil physical properties on gross nitrogen (N) transformation rates, we investigated two arable soils and a grassland soil after addition of ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3), where either ammonium (NH4+), or nitrate (NO3-), or both pools have been labelled with 15N at 60 atom% excess (triple 15N tracing method). Besides NH4+, NO3- and nitrite (NO2-) contents with their respective 15N enrichment, nitrous oxide (N2O) and dinitrogen (N2) fluxes have been determined. Each soil was adjusted to 60 % of maximum water holding capacity and pre-incubated at 20˚ C for two weeks. After application of the differently labelled N fertilizer, the soils were further incubated at 20˚ C under aerobic conditions in a He-N2-O2 atmosphere (21 % O2, 76 He, 2% N2) to increase the sensitivity of N2 rates via the 15N gas flux method. Over a 2 week period soil N pools were quantified by 2 M KCl extraction (adjusted to pH 7 to prevent nitrite losses) (Stevens and Laughlin, 1995) and N gas fluxes were measured by gas chromatography in combination with IRMS. Here, we present the pool sizes and fluxes as well as the 15N enrichments during the study. Results are discussed in light of the soil differences that were responsible for the difference in gross N dynamics quantified by the 15N tracing model Ntrace (Müller et al., 2007). References Müller, C., T. Rütting, J. Kattge, R.J. Laughlin, and R.J. Stevens, (2007) Estimation of parameters in complex 15N tracing models by Monte Carlo sampling. Soil Biology & Biochemistry. 39(3): p. 715-726. Stevens, R.J. and R.J. Laughlin, (1995) Nitrite transformations during soil extraction with potassium chloride. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 59(3): p. 933-938.

A Cluster-then-label Semi-supervised Learning Approach for Pathology Image Classification.

PubMed

Peikari, Mohammad; Salama, Sherine; Nofech-Mozes, Sharon; Martel, Anne L

2018-05-08

Completely labeled pathology datasets are often challenging and time-consuming to obtain. Semi-supervised learning (SSL) methods are able to learn from fewer labeled data points with the help of a large number of unlabeled data points. In this paper, we investigated the possibility of using clustering analysis to identify the underlying structure of the data space for SSL. A cluster-then-label method was proposed to identify high-density regions in the data space which were then used to help a supervised SVM in finding the decision boundary. We have compared our method with other supervised and semi-supervised state-of-the-art techniques using two different classification tasks applied to breast pathology datasets. We found that compared with other state-of-the-art supervised and semi-supervised methods, our SSL method is able to improve classification performance when a limited number of labeled data instances are made available. We also showed that it is important to examine the underlying distribution of the data space before applying SSL techniques to ensure semi-supervised learning assumptions are not violated by the data.

Label-free, real-time interaction and adsorption analysis 1: surface plasmon resonance.

PubMed

Fee, Conan J

2013-01-01

A key requirement for the development of proteins for use in nanotechnology is an understanding of how individual proteins bind to other molecules as they assemble into larger structures. The introduction of labels to enable the detection of biomolecules brings the inherent risk that the labels themselves will influence the nature of biomolecular interactions. Thus, there is a need for label-free interaction and adsorption analysis. In this and the following chapter, two biosensor techniques are reviewed: surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). Both allow real-time analysis of biomolecular interactions and both are label-free. The first of these, SPR, is an optical technique that is highly sensitive to the changes in refractive index that occur with protein (or other molecule) accumulation near an illuminated gold surface. Unlike QCM ( Chapter 18 ) SPR is not affected by the water that may be associated with the adsorbed layer nor by conformational changes in the adsorbed species. SPR thus provides unique information about the interaction of a protein with its binding partners.

In situ end labeling of fragmented DNA in induced ovarian atresia.

PubMed

D'Herde, K; De Pestel, G; Roels, F

1994-01-01

Apoptosis is studied in a model of induced follicular atresia in the ovary of Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) by in situ end labeling of DNA fragments in granulosa cells using two different techniques (incorporation of labeled nucleotides by DNA polymerase I or terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase). The most remarkable observation related to apoptosis in this model is the predominant cytoplasmic localization of labeled DNA fragments, while DNA fragmentation appears to be absent from compacted chromatin masses of apoptotic nuclei and apoptotic nuclear fragments. Unstained apoptotic bodies are present adjacent to stained ones, so that their detection rate on hematoxylin + eosin stained sections is better than on the in situ end-labeled sections. This suggests that DNA fragmentation is a late even or not obligatory in apoptotic granulosa cell death. In contrast to similar studies on atretic granulosa in mammalian models, the process of apoptosis is asynchronous in the granulosal epithelium, with a majority of nuclei with normal chromatin configuration remaining negative for DNA fragmentation. Finally it is shown that the techniques used are not specific for apoptosis, as DNA fragmentation in necrotic granulosa cells is detected as well.

ASCANs Helms and Gregory swim in pool during Elgin AFB survival training

NASA Image and Video Library

1990-09-20

1990 Group 13 Astronaut Candidates (ASCANs) Susan J. Helms (foreground) and William G. Gregory, wearing helmets and flight suits, swim in pool at Elgin Air Force Base (AFB) in Pensacola, Florida, during water survival exercises. The training familiarized the candidates with survival techniques necessary in the event of a water landing. ASCANs participated in the exercises from 08-14-90 through 08-17-90.

First detection of mycobacteria in African rodents and insectivores, using stratified pool screening.

PubMed

Durnez, Lies; Eddyani, Miriam; Mgode, Georgies F; Katakweba, Abdul; Katholi, Charles R; Machang'u, Robert R; Kazwala, Rudovik R; Portaels, Françoise; Leirs, Herwig

2008-02-01

With the rising number of patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS in developing countries, the control of mycobacteria is of growing importance. Previous studies have shown that rodents and insectivores are carriers of mycobacteria. However, it is not clear how widespread mycobacteria are in these animals and what their role is in spreading them. Therefore, the prevalence of mycobacteria in rodents and insectivores was studied in and around Morogoro, Tanzania. Live rodents were trapped, with three types of live traps, in three habitats. Pieces of organs were pooled per habitat, species, and organ type (stratified pooling); these sample pools were examined for the presence of mycobacteria by PCR, microscopy, and culture methods. The mycobacterial isolates were identified using phenotypic techniques and sequencing. In total, 708 small mammals were collected, 31 of which were shrews. By pool prevalence estimation, 2.65% of the animals were carriers of mycobacteria, with a higher prevalence in the urban areas and in Cricetomys gambianus and the insectivore Crocidura hirta. Nontuberculous mycobacteria (Mycobacterium chimaera, M. intracellulare, M. arupense, M. parascrofulaceum, and Mycobacterium spp.) were isolated from C. gambianus, Mastomys natalensis, and C. hirta. This study is the first to report findings of mycobacteria in African rodents and insectivores and the first in mycobacterial ecology to estimate the prevalence of mycobacteria after stratified pool screening. The fact that small mammals in urban areas carry more mycobacteria than those in the fields and that potentially pathogenic mycobacteria were isolated identifies a risk for other animals and humans, especially HIV/AIDS patients, that have a weakened immune system.

Fission matrix-based Monte Carlo criticality analysis of fuel storage pools

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

Farlotti, M.; Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau, F 91128; Larsen, E. W.

2013-07-01

Standard Monte Carlo transport procedures experience difficulties in solving criticality problems in fuel storage pools. Because of the strong neutron absorption between fuel assemblies, source convergence can be very slow, leading to incorrect estimates of the eigenvalue and the eigenfunction. This study examines an alternative fission matrix-based Monte Carlo transport method that takes advantage of the geometry of a storage pool to overcome this difficulty. The method uses Monte Carlo transport to build (essentially) a fission matrix, which is then used to calculate the criticality and the critical flux. This method was tested using a test code on a simplemore » problem containing 8 assemblies in a square pool. The standard Monte Carlo method gave the expected eigenfunction in 5 cases out of 10, while the fission matrix method gave the expected eigenfunction in all 10 cases. In addition, the fission matrix method provides an estimate of the error in the eigenvalue and the eigenfunction, and it allows the user to control this error by running an adequate number of cycles. Because of these advantages, the fission matrix method yields a higher confidence in the results than standard Monte Carlo. We also discuss potential improvements of the method, including the potential for variance reduction techniques. (authors)« less

Fab fragment labeled with ICG-derivative for detecting digestive tract cancer.

PubMed

Yano, Hiromi; Muguruma, Naoki; Ito, Susumu; Aoyagi, Eriko; Kimura, Tetsuo; Imoto, Yoshitaka; Cao, Jianxin; Inoue, Shohei; Sano, Shigeki; Nagao, Yoshimitsu; Kido, Hiroshi

2006-09-01

In previous studies, we generated infrared ray fluorescence-labeled monoclonal antibodies and developed an infrared ray fluorescence endoscope capable of detecting the monoclonal antibodies to establish a novel diagnostic technique for gastrointestinal cancer. Although the whole IgG molecule has commonly been used for preparation of labeled antibodies, labeled IgG displays insufficient sensitivity and specificity, probably resulting from non-specific binding of the Fc fragment to target cells or interference between fluorochromes on the identical labeled antibody, which might be caused by molecular structure. In this in vitro study, we characterized an Fc-free fluorescence-labeled Fab fragment, which was expected to yield more specific binding to target cells than the whole IgG molecule. An anti-mucin antibody and ICG-ATT, an ICG derivative, were used as the labeled antibody and labeling compound, respectively. Paraffin sections of excised gastric cancer tissues were subjected to staining. The labeled whole IgG molecule (ICG-ATT-labeled IgG) and the labeled Fab fragment (ICG-ATT-labeled Fab) were prepared according to a previous report, and the fluorescence properties, antibody activities, and features of fluorescence microscope images obtained from paraffin sections were compared. Both ICG-ATT-labeled Fab and ICG-ATT-labeled IgG were excited by a near infrared ray of 766nm, and maximum emission occurred at 804nm. Antibody activities of ICG-ATT-labeled Fab were shown to be similar to those of unlabeled anti-MUC1 antibody. The fluorescence intensity obtained from paraffin sections of excised gastric cancer tissues revealed a tendency to be greater with ICG-ATT-labeled Fab than with ICG-ATT-labeled IgG. The infrared ray fluorescence-labeled Fab fragment was likely to be more specific than the conventionally labeled antibodies. Fragmentation of antibodies is considered to contribute to improved sensitivity and specificity of labeled antibodies for detection of micro

Pool power control in remelting systems

DOEpatents

Williamson, Rodney L [Albuquerque, NM; Melgaard, David K [Albuquerque, NM; Beaman, Joseph J [Austin, TX

2011-12-13

An apparatus for and method of controlling a remelting furnace comprising adjusting current supplied to an electrode based upon a predetermined pool power reference value and adjusting the electrode drive speed based upon the predetermined pool power reference value.

Analysis of deoxyribonucleotide pools in human cancer cell lines using a liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry technique

PubMed Central

Zhang, Wei; Tan, Shenglan; Paintsil, Elijah; Dutschman, Ginger E.; Gullen, Elizabeth A.; Chu, Edward; Cheng, Yung-Chi

2011-01-01

Endogenous ribonucleotides and deoxyribonucleotides play a critical role in cell function, and determination of their levels is of fundamental importance in understanding key cellular processes involved in energy metabolism and molecular and biochemical signaling pathways. In this study, we determined the respective ribonucleotide and deoxyribonucleotide pool sizes in different human cell lines using a simple sample preparation method and LC/MS/MS. This assay was used to determine alterations in deoxyribonucleotide pools in human pancreatic PANC-1 cells in response to hypoxia and to treatment with either hydroxyurea or aphidicolin. The levels of all deoxyribonucleotide metabolites decreased with hypoxia treatment, except for dUMP, which increased by two-fold. This LC/MS/MS assay is simple, fast, and sensitive, and it represents a significant advance over previously published methodologies. PMID:21620803

Label consistent K-SVD: learning a discriminative dictionary for recognition.

PubMed

Jiang, Zhuolin; Lin, Zhe; Davis, Larry S

2013-11-01

A label consistent K-SVD (LC-KSVD) algorithm to learn a discriminative dictionary for sparse coding is presented. In addition to using class labels of training data, we also associate label information with each dictionary item (columns of the dictionary matrix) to enforce discriminability in sparse codes during the dictionary learning process. More specifically, we introduce a new label consistency constraint called "discriminative sparse-code error" and combine it with the reconstruction error and the classification error to form a unified objective function. The optimal solution is efficiently obtained using the K-SVD algorithm. Our algorithm learns a single overcomplete dictionary and an optimal linear classifier jointly. The incremental dictionary learning algorithm is presented for the situation of limited memory resources. It yields dictionaries so that feature points with the same class labels have similar sparse codes. Experimental results demonstrate that our algorithm outperforms many recently proposed sparse-coding techniques for face, action, scene, and object category recognition under the same learning conditions.

An evaluation of consensus techniques for diagnostic interpretation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauter, Jake N.; LaBarre, Victoria M.; Furst, Jacob D.; Raicu, Daniela S.

2018-02-01

Learning diagnostic labels from image content has been the standard in computer-aided diagnosis. Most computer-aided diagnosis systems use low-level image features extracted directly from image content to train and test machine learning classifiers for diagnostic label prediction. When the ground truth for the diagnostic labels is not available, reference truth is generated from the experts diagnostic interpretations of the image/region of interest. More specifically, when the label is uncertain, e.g. when multiple experts label an image and their interpretations are different, techniques to handle the label variability are necessary. In this paper, we compare three consensus techniques that are typically used to encode the variability in the experts labeling of the medical data: mean, median and mode, and their effects on simple classifiers that can handle deterministic labels (decision trees) and probabilistic vectors of labels (belief decision trees). Given that the NIH/NCI Lung Image Database Consortium (LIDC) data provides interpretations for lung nodules by up to four radiologists, we leverage the LIDC data to evaluate and compare these consensus approaches when creating computer-aided diagnosis systems for lung nodules. First, low-level image features of nodules are extracted and paired with their radiologists semantic ratings (1= most likely benign, , 5 = most likely malignant); second, machine learning multi-class classifiers that handle deterministic labels (decision trees) and probabilistic vectors of labels (belief decision trees) are built to predict the lung nodules semantic ratings. We show that the mean-based consensus generates the most robust classi- fier overall when compared to the median- and mode-based consensus. Lastly, the results of this study show that, when building CAD systems with uncertain diagnostic interpretation, it is important to evaluate different strategies for encoding and predicting the diagnostic label.

Label-free photoacoustic nanoscopy

PubMed Central

Danielli, Amos; Maslov, Konstantin; Garcia-Uribe, Alejandro; Winkler, Amy M.; Li, Chiye; Wang, Lidai; Chen, Yun; Dorn, Gerald W.; Wang, Lihong V.

2014-01-01

Abstract. Super-resolution microscopy techniques—capable of overcoming the diffraction limit of light—have opened new opportunities to explore subcellular structures and dynamics not resolvable in conventional far-field microscopy. However, relying on staining with exogenous fluorescent markers, these techniques can sometimes introduce undesired artifacts to the image, mainly due to large tagging agent sizes and insufficient or variable labeling densities. By contrast, the use of endogenous pigments allows imaging of the intrinsic structures of biological samples with unaltered molecular constituents. Here, we report label-free photoacoustic (PA) nanoscopy, which is exquisitely sensitive to optical absorption, with an 88 nm resolution. At each scanning position, multiple PA signals are successively excited with increasing laser pulse energy. Because of optical saturation or nonlinear thermal expansion, the PA amplitude depends on the nonlinear incident optical fluence. The high-order dependence, quantified by polynomial fitting, provides super-resolution imaging with optical sectioning. PA nanoscopy is capable of super-resolution imaging of either fluorescent or nonfluorescent molecules. PMID:25104412

Diolistic labeling of neuronal cultures and intact tissue using a hand-held gene gun

PubMed Central

O'Brien, John A; Lummis, Sarah CR

2009-01-01

Diolistic labeling is a highly efficient method for introducing dyes into cells using biolistic techniques. The use of lipophilic carbocyanine dyes, combined with particle-mediated biolistic delivery using a hand-held gene gun, allows non-toxic labeling of multiple cells in both living and fixed tissue. The technique is rapid (labeled cells can be visualized in minutes) and technically undemanding. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for diolistic labeling of cultured human embryonic kidney 293 cells and whole brain using a hand-held gene gun. There are four major steps: (i) coating gold microcarriers with one or more dyes; (ii) transferring the microcarriers into a cartridge to make a bullet; (iii) preparation of cells or intact tissue; and (iv) firing the microcarriers into cells or tissue. The method can be readily adapted to other cell types and tissues. This protocol can be completed in less than 1 h. PMID:17406443

Practical cell labeling with magnetite cationic liposomes for cell manipulation.

PubMed

Ito, Hiroshi; Nonogaki, Yurika; Kato, Ryuji; Honda, Hiroyuki

2010-07-01

Personalization of the cell culture process for cell therapy is an ideal strategy to obtain maximum treatment effects. In a previous report, we proposed a strategy using a magnetic manipulation device that combined a palm-top size device and a cell-labeling method using magnetite cationic liposomes (MCLs) to enable feasible personalized cell processing. In the present study, we focused on optimizing the MCL-labeling technique with respect to cell manipulation in small devices. From detailed analysis with different cell types, 4 pg/cell of MCL-label was found to be obtained immediately after mixing with MCLs, which was sufficient for magnetic cell manipulation. The amount of label increased within 24 h depending on cell type, although in all cases it decreased along with cell doubling, indicating that the labeling potential of MCLs was limited. The role of free MCLs not involved in labeling was also investigated; MCLs' role was found to be a supportive one that maximized the manipulation performance up to 100%. We also determined optimum conditions to manipulate adherent cells by MCL labeling using the MCL dispersed in trypsin solution. Considering labeling feasibility and practical performance with 10(3)-10(5) cells for personalized cell processing, we determined that 10 microg/ml of label without incubation time (0 h incubation) was the universal MCL-labeling condition. We propose the optimum specifications for a device to be combined with this method. 2010. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Mercury bioaccumulation in wood frogs developing in seasonal pools

USGS Publications Warehouse

Loftin, Cynthia S.; Calhoun, Aram J.K.; Nelson, Sarah J.; Elskus, Adria; Simon, Kevin S.

2012-01-01

Seasonal woodland pools contribute significant biomass to terrestrial ecosystems through production of pool-breeding amphibians. The movement of amphibian metamorphs potentially transports toxins bioaccumulated during larval development in the natal pool into the surrounding terrestrial environment. We documented total mercury (THg) in seasonal woodland pool water, sediment, litter, and Lithobates sylvaticus LeConte (Wood Frog) in Acadia National Park, ME. THg concentrations in pool water varied over the study season, increasing during April—June and remaining high in 2 of 4 pools upon October refill. Water in pools surrounded by softwoods had lower pH, greater dissolved organic carbon, and greater THg concentrations than pools surrounded by hardwoods, with seasonal patterns in sediment THg but not litter THg. THg increased rapidly from near or below detection in 1–2 week old embryos (<0.2 ng; 0–0.49 ppb wet weight) to 17.1–54.2 ppb in tadpoles within 6 weeks; 7.2–42.0% of THg was methyl Hg in tadpoles near metamorphosis. Metamorphs emigrating from seasonal pools may transfer mercury into terrestrial food webs.

Biodegradation and mineralization of isotopically labeled TNT and RDX in anaerobic marine sediments.

PubMed

Ariyarathna, Thivanka; Vlahos, Penny; Smith, Richard W; Fallis, Stephen; Groshens, Thomas; Tobias, Craig

2017-05-01

The lack of knowledge on the fate of explosive compounds 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) and hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX), particularly in marine ecosystems, constrains the application of bioremediation techniques in explosive-contaminated coastal sites. The authors present a comparative study on anaerobic biodegradation and mineralization of 15 N-nitro group isotopically labeled TNT and RDX in organic carbon-rich, fine-grained marine sediment with native microbial assemblages. Separate sediment slurry experiments were carried out for TNT and RDX at 23°C for 16 d. Dissolved and sediment-sorbed fractions of parent and transformation products, isotopic compositions of sediment, and mineralization products of the dissolved inorganic N pool ( 15 NH 4 + , 15 NO 3 - , 15 NO 2 - , and 15 N 2 ) were measured. The rate of TNT removal from the aqueous phase was faster (0.75 h -1 ) than that of RDX (0.37 h -1 ), and 15 N accumulation in sediment was higher in the TNT (13%) than the RDX (2%) microcosms. Mono-amino-dinitrotoluenes were identified as intermediate biodegradation products of TNT. Two percent of the total spiked TNT-N is mineralized to dissolved inorganic N through 2 different pathways: denitration as well as deamination and formation of NH 4 + , facilitated by iron and sulfate reducing bacteria in the sediments. The majority of the spiked TNT-N (85%) is in unidentified pools by day 16. Hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (10%) biodegrades to nitroso derivatives, whereas 13% of RDX-N in nitro groups is mineralized to dissolved inorganic N anaerobically by the end of the experiment. The primary identified mineralization end product of RDX (40%) is NH 4 + , generated through either deamination or mono-denitration, followed by ring breakdown. A reasonable production of N 2 gas (13%) was seen in the RDX system but not in the TNT system. Sixty-eight percent of the total spiked RDX-N is in an unidentified pool by day 16 and may include unquantified

Vernal Pool Conservation in Connecticut: An Assessment and Recommendations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Preisser, Evan L.; Kefer, Jennifer Yelin; Lawrence, Jessica D.; Clark, Tim W.

2000-11-01

Vernal pools, a variety of ephemeral wetlands, are threatened in many areas of the United States. As habitat fragmentation and degradation increase, some vernal pool amphibian species are declining in numbers. Uneven implementation of state regulations further hampers effective conservation. To prevent further species decline and vernal pool loss, we evaluated alternatives for improving vernal pool conservation. We used transcripts from a recent vernal pool conference, interviews with members of relevant interest groups, and a literature review to determine opportunities for and constraints on improving vernal pool conservation policy. Participants from different interest groups had very diverse views about appropriate protection strategies. We have examined these different perspectives and alternatives and offer policy recommendations on both the state and local level. These recommendations can foster awareness of vernal pools as unique habitats, increase protection of these areas, and expand citizen participation in the vernal pool regulatory process.

Spread of large LNG pools on the sea.

PubMed

Fay, J A

2007-02-20

A review of the standard model of LNG pool spreading on water, comparing it with the model and experiments on oil pool spread from which the LNG model is extrapolated, raises questions about the validity of the former as applied to spills from marine tankers. These questions arise from the difference in fluid density ratios, in the multi-dimensional flow at the pool edge, in the effects of LNG pool boiling at the LNG-water interface, and in the model and experimental initial conditions compared with the inflow conditions from a marine tanker spill. An alternate supercritical flow model is proposed that avoids these difficulties; it predicts significant increase in the maximum pool radius compared with the standard model and is partially corroborated by tests of LNG pool fires on water. Wind driven ocean wave interaction has little effect on either spread model.

Quantification of isotope-labelled and unlabelled folates in plasma, ileostomy and food samples.

PubMed

Büttner, Barbara E; Öhrvik, Veronica E; Witthöft, Cornelia M; Rychlik, Michael

2011-01-01

New stable isotope dilution assays were developed for the simultaneous quantitation of [(13)C(5)]-labelled and unlabelled 5-methyltetrahydrofolic acid, 5-formyltetrahydrofolic acid, folic acid along with unlabelled tetrahydrofolic acid and 10-formylfolic acid in clinical samples deriving from human bioavailability studies, i.e. plasma, ileostomy samples, and food. The methods were based on clean-up by strong anion exchange followed by LC-MS/MS detection. Deuterated analogues of the folates were applied as the internal standards in the stable isotope dilution assays. Assay sensitivity was sufficient to detect all relevant folates in the respective samples as their limits of detection were below 0.62 nmol/L in plasma and below 0.73 μg/100 g in food or ileostomy samples. Quantification of the [(13)C(5)]-label in clinical samples offers the possibility to differentiate between folate from endogenous body pools and the administered dose when executing bioavailability trials.

GLYCAN REDUCTIVE ISOTOPE LABELING (GRIL) FOR QUANTITATIVE GLYCOMICS

PubMed Central

Xia, Baoyun; Feasley, Christa L.; Sachdev, Goverdhan P.; Smith, David F.; Cummings, Richard D.

2009-01-01

Many diseases and disorders are characterized by quantitative and/or qualitative changes in complex carbohydrates. Mass spectrometry methods show promise in monitoring and detecting these important biological changes. Here we report a new glycomics method, termed Glycan Reductive Isotope Labeling (GRIL), where free glycans are derivatized by reductive amination with the differentially coded stable isotope tags [12C6]-aniline and [13C6]-aniline. These dual-labeled aniline-tagged glycans can be recovered by reversed-phase chromatography and quantified based on UV-absorbance and relative ion abundances. Unlike previously reported isotopically coded reagents for glycans, GRIL does not contain deuterium, which can be chromatographically resolved. Our method shows no chromatographic resolution of differentially labeled glycans. Mixtures of differentially tagged glycans can be directly compared and quantified using mass spectrometric techniques. We demonstrate the use of GRIL to determine relative differences in glycan amount and composition. We analyze free glycans and glycans enzymatically or chemically released from a variety of standard glycoproteins, as well as human and mouse serum glycoproteins using this method. This technique allows for linear, relative quantitation of glycans over a 10-fold concentration range and can accurately quantify sub-picomole levels of released glycans, providing a needed advancement in the field of Glycomics. PMID:19454239

Single-neuron labeling with inducible cre-mediated knockout in transgenic mice

PubMed Central

Young, Paul; Qiu, Li; Wang, Dongqing; Zhao, Shengli; Gross, James; Feng, Guoping

2011-01-01

To facilitate functional analysis of neuronal connectivity in a mammalian nervous system tightly packed with billions of cells, we developed a new technique that allows inducible genetic manipulations within fluorescently labeled single neurons in mice. We term this technique SLICK for Single-neuron Labeling with Inducible Cre-mediated Knockout. SLICK is achieved by co-expressing a drug-inducible form of cre recombinase and a fluorescent protein within the same small subsets of neurons. Thus, SLICK combines the powerful cre recombinase system for conditional genetic manipulation and the fluorescent labeling of single neurons for imaging. We demonstrate efficient inducible genetic manipulation in several types of neurons using SLICK. Furthermore, we apply SLICK to eliminate synaptic transmission in a small subset of neuromuscular junctions. Our results provide evidence for the long-term stability of inactive neuromuscular synapses in adult animals. More broadly, these studies demonstrate a cre-LoxP compatible system for dissecting gene functions in single identifiable neurons. PMID:18454144

[Cross-Mapping: diagnostic labels formulated according to the ICNP® versus diagnosis of NANDA International].

PubMed

Tannure, Meire Chucre; Salgado, Patrícia de Oliveira; Chianca, Tânia Couto Machado

2014-01-01

This descriptive study aimed at elaborating nursing diagnostic labels according to ICNP®; conducting a cross-mapping between the diagnostic formulations and the diagnostic labels of NANDA-I; identifying the diagnostic labels thus obtained that were also listed in the NANDA-I; and mapping them according to Basic Human Needs. The workshop technique was applied to 32 intensive care nurses, the cross-mapping and validation based on agreement with experts. The workshop produced 1665 diagnostic labels which were further refined into 120 labels. They were then submitted to a cross-mapping process with both NANDA-I diagnostic labels and the Basic Human Needs. The mapping results underwent content validation by two expert nurses leading to concordance rates of 92% and 100%. It was found that 63 labels were listed in NANDA-I and 47 were not.

17 CFR 4.22 - Reporting to pool participants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

..., the financial statements are not required to include consolidated information for all series. (7) For... event that the International Financial Reporting Standards require consolidated financial statements for... reporting pool's consolidated financial statements. (ii) The commodity pool operator of a pool that meets...

International Implications of Labeling Foods Containing Engineered Nanomaterials.

PubMed

Grieger, Khara D; Hansen, Steffen Foss; Mortensen, Ninell P; Cates, Sheryl; Kowalcyk, Barbara

2016-05-01

To provide greater transparency and comprehensive information to consumers regarding their purchase choices, the European Parliament and the Council have mandated via Regulation 1169/2011 that foods containing engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) be labeled. This review covers the main concerns related to the use of ENMs in foods and the potential impacts that this type of food labeling might have on diverse stakeholder groups, including those outside the European Union (EU), e.g., in the United States. We also provide recommendations to stakeholders for overcoming existing challenges related to labeling foods containing ENMs. The revised EU food labeling requirements will likely result in a number of positive developments and a number of challenges for stakeholders in both EU and non-EU countries. Although labeling of foods containing ENMs will likely improve transparency, provide more information to facilitate consumer decisions, and build trust among food safety authorities and consumers, critical obstacles to the successful implementation of these labeling requirements remain, including the need for (i) harmonized information requirements or regulations between countries in different regions of the world, (ii) clarification of the regulatory definitions of the ENMs to be used for food labeling, (iii) robust techniques to detect, measure, and characterize diverse ENMs in food matrices, and (iv) clarification of the list of ENMs that may be exempt from labeling requirements, such as several food additives used for decades. We recommend that food industries and food safety authorities be more proactive in communicating with the public and consumer groups regarding the potential benefits and risks of using ENMs in foods. Efforts should be made to improve harmonization of information requirements between countries to avoid potential international trade barriers.

Nuclear pool of phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate 5 kinase 1α is modified by polySUMO-2 during apoptosis.

PubMed

Chakrabarti, Rajarshi; Bhowmick, Debajit; Bhargava, Varsha; Bhar, Kaushik; Siddhanta, Anirban

2013-09-20

Phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate 5 kinase 1α (PIP5K) is mainly localized in the cytosol and plasma membrane. Studies have also indicated its prominent association with nuclear speckles. The exact nature of this nuclear pool of PIP5K is not clear. Using biochemical and microscopic techniques, we have demonstrated that the nuclear pool of PIP5K is modified by SUMO-1 in HEK-293 cells stably expressing PIP5K. Moreover, this SUMOylated pool of PIP5K increased during apoptosis. PolySUMO-2 chain conjugated PIP5K was detected by pull-down experiment using affinity-tagged RNF4, a polySUMO-2 binding protein, during late apoptosis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Welding pool measurement using thermal array sensor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cho, Chia-Hung; Hsieh, Yi-Chen; Chen, Hsin-Yi

2015-08-01

Selective laser melting (SLM) is an additive manufacturing (AM) technology that uses a high-power laser beam to melt metal powder in chamber of inert gas. The process starts by slicing the 3D CAD data as a digital information source into layers to create a 2D image of each layer. Melting pool was formed by using laser irradiation on metal powders which then solidified to consolidated structure. In a selective laser melting process, the variation of melt pool affects the yield of a printed three-dimensional product. For three dimensional parts, the border conditions of the conductive heat transport have a very large influence on the melt pool dimensions. Therefore, melting pool is an important behavior that affects the final quality of the 3D object. To meet the temperature and geometry of the melting pool for monitoring in additive manufacturing technology. In this paper, we proposed the temperature sensing system which is composed of infrared photodiode, high speed camera, band-pass filter, dichroic beam splitter and focus lens. Since the infrared photodiode and high speed camera look at the process through the 2D galvanometer scanner and f-theta lens, the temperature sensing system can be used to observe the melting pool at any time, regardless of the movement of the laser spot. In order to obtain a wide temperature detecting range, 500 °C to 2500 °C, the radiation from the melting pool to be measured is filtered into a plurality of radiation portions, and since the intensity ratio distribution of the radiation portions is calculated by using black-body radiation. The experimental result shows that the system is suitable for melting pool to measure temperature.

Peptide-membrane Interactions by Spin-labeling EPR

PubMed Central

Smirnova, Tatyana I.; Smirnov, Alex I.

2016-01-01

Site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) in combination with Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a well-established method that has recently grown in popularity as an experimental technique, with multiple applications in protein and peptide science. The growth is driven by development of labeling strategies, as well as by considerable technical advances in the field, that are paralleled by an increased availability of EPR instrumentation. While the method requires an introduction of a paramagnetic probe at a well-defined position in a peptide sequence, it has been shown to be minimally destructive to the peptide structure and energetics of the peptide-membrane interactions. In this chapter, we describe basic approaches for using SDSL EPR spectroscopy to study interactions between small peptides and biological membranes or membrane mimetic systems. We focus on experimental approaches to quantify peptide-membrane binding, topology of bound peptides, and characterize peptide aggregation. Sample preparation protocols including spin-labeling methods and preparation of membrane mimetic systems are also described. PMID:26477253

Nuclear pool of phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate 5 kinase 1α is modified by polySUMO-2 during apoptosis

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

Chakrabarti, Rajarshi; Bhowmick, Debajit; Bhargava, Varsha

2013-09-20

Highlights: •Nuclear pool of PIP5K is SUMOylated. •Enhancement of SUMOylated nuclear PIP5K during apoptosis. •Nuclear PIP5K is modified by polySUMO-1 during apoptosis. •Nuclear PIP5K is modified by polySUMO-2 chain during apoptosis. -- Abstract: Phosphatidylinositol 4 phosphate 5 kinase 1α (PIP5K) is mainly localized in the cytosol and plasma membrane. Studies have also indicated its prominent association with nuclear speckles. The exact nature of this nuclear pool of PIP5K is not clear. Using biochemical and microscopic techniques, we have demonstrated that the nuclear pool of PIP5K is modified by SUMO-1 in HEK-293 cells stably expressing PIP5K. Moreover, this SUMOylated pool ofmore » PIP5K increased during apoptosis. PolySUMO-2 chain conjugated PIP5K was detected by pull-down experiment using affinity-tagged RNF4, a polySUMO-2 binding protein, during late apoptosis.« less

Food Labels

MedlinePlus

... Staying Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Food Labels KidsHealth / For Teens / Food Labels What's in ... to have at least 95% organic ingredients. Making Food Labels Work for You The first step in ...

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 25

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review: clarity, accuracy, consistency with EPA policy, and enforceability.

Label Review Training: Module 1: Label Basics, Page 29

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This module of the pesticide label review training provides basic information about pesticides, their labeling and regulation, and the core principles of pesticide label review. This page is a quiz on Module 1.

The Chemistry of Swimming Pool Maintenance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salter, Carl; Langhus, David L.

2007-01-01

The study of chemistry involved in the maintenance of a swimming pool provides a lot of chemical education to the students, including the demonstration of the importance of pH in water chemistry. The various chemical aspects hidden in the maintenance of the pool are being described.

Classification of Alzheimer's Disease Based on Eight-Layer Convolutional Neural Network with Leaky Rectified Linear Unit and Max Pooling.

PubMed

Wang, Shui-Hua; Phillips, Preetha; Sui, Yuxiu; Liu, Bin; Yang, Ming; Cheng, Hong

2018-03-26

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive brain disease. The goal of this study is to provide a new computer-vision based technique to detect it in an efficient way. The brain-imaging data of 98 AD patients and 98 healthy controls was collected using data augmentation method. Then, convolutional neural network (CNN) was used, CNN is the most successful tool in deep learning. An 8-layer CNN was created with optimal structure obtained by experiences. Three activation functions (AFs): sigmoid, rectified linear unit (ReLU), and leaky ReLU. The three pooling-functions were also tested: average pooling, max pooling, and stochastic pooling. The numerical experiments demonstrated that leaky ReLU and max pooling gave the greatest result in terms of performance. It achieved a sensitivity of 97.96%, a specificity of 97.35%, and an accuracy of 97.65%, respectively. In addition, the proposed approach was compared with eight state-of-the-art approaches. The method increased the classification accuracy by approximately 5% compared to state-of-the-art methods.

A novel method to label preformed liposomes with 64Cu for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging.

PubMed

Seo, Jai Woong; Zhang, Hua; Kukis, David L; Meares, Claude F; Ferrara, Katherine W

2008-12-01

Radiolabeling of liposomes with 64Cu (t(1/2)=12.7 h) is attractive for molecular imaging and monitoring drug delivery. A simple chelation procedure, performed at a low temperature and under mild conditions, is required to radiolabel preloaded liposomes without lipid hydrolysis or the release of the encapsulated contents. Here, we report a 64Cu postlabeling method for liposomes. A 64Cu-specific chelator, 6-[p-(bromoacetamido)benzyl]-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane-N,N',N'',N'''-tetraacetic acid (BAT), was conjugated with an artificial lipid to form a BAT-PEG-lipid. After incorporation of 0.5% (mol/mol) BAT-PEG-lipid during liposome formulation, liposomes were successfully labeled with 64Cu in 0.1 M NH4OAc pH 5 buffer at 35 degrees C for 30-40 min with an incorporation yield as high as 95%. After 48 h of incubation of 64Cu-liposomes in 50/50 serum/PBS solution, more than 88% of the 64Cu label was still associated with liposomes. After injection of liposomal 64Cu in a mouse model, 44+/-6.9, 21+/-2.7, 15+/-2.5, and 7.4+/-1.1 (n=4) % of the injected dose per cubic centimeter remained within the blood pool at 30 min, 18, 28, and 48 h, respectively. The biodistribution at 48 h after injection verified that 7.0+/-0.47 (n=4) and 1.4+/-0.58 (n=3) % of the injected dose per gram of liposomal 64Cu and free 64Cu remained in the blood pool, respectively. Our results suggest that this fast and easy 64Cu labeling of liposomes could be exploited in tracking liposomes in vivo for medical imaging and targeted delivery.

Affinity labeling of the folate-methotrexate transporter from Leishmania donovani

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

Beck, J.T.; Ullman, B.

1989-08-22

An affinity labeling technique has been developed to identify the folate-methotrexate transporter of Leishmania donovani promastigotes using activated derivatives of the ligands. These activated derivatives were synthesized by incubating folate and methotrexate with a 10-fold excess of 1-ethyl-3-(3-(dimethylamino)propyl)carbodiimide (EDC) for 10 min at ambient temperature in dimethyl sulfoxide. When intact wild-type (DI700) Leishmania donovani or preparations of their membranes were incubated with a 0.4 {mu}M concentration of either activated ({sup 3}H)folate or activated ({sup 3}H)methotrexate, the radiolabeled ligands were covalently incorporated into a polypeptide with a molecular weight of approximately 46,000, as demonstrated by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. No affinity labelingmore » of a 46,000-dalton protein was observed when equimolar concentrations of activated radiolabeled ligands were incubated with intact cells or membranes prepared from a methotrexate-resistant mutant clone of Leishmania donovani, MTXA5, that is genetically defective in folate-methotrexate transport capability. Time course studies indicated that maximal labeling of the 46,000-dalton protein occurred within 5-10 min of incubation of intact cells with activated ligand. These studies provide biochemical evidence that the folate-methotrexate transporter of Leishmania donovani can be identified in crude extracts by an affinity labeling technique and serve as a prerequisite to further analysis of the transport protein by providing a vehicle for subsequent purification of this membrane carrier. Moreover, these investigations suggest that the affinity labeling technique using EDC-activated ligands may be exploitable to analyze other cell surface binding proteins in Leishmania donovani, as well as in other organisms.« less

Swimming Pools. A Guide to Their Planning, Design and Operation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabrielsen, M. Alexander, Ed.

Information is presented regarding all phases of swimming pool development and operation from earliest planning considerations to final programing. This comprehensive book covers--(1) the steps involved in planning a pool, (2) designing the pool, (3) water circulation, filtration, and treatment, (4) community pools, school and agency pools, and…

NACUBO's Guide to Unitizing Investment Pools. Second Edition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wheeler, Mary S.

2011-01-01

The National Association of College and University Business Officers' (NACUBO's) "Guide to Unitizing Investment Pools" addresses the principles and concepts for administering a consolidated investment pool. Unitization is the mechanism by which investment funds are pooled to maximize investment efficiencies and provide information for donors,…

Dominant factors in controlling marine gas pools in South China

USGS Publications Warehouse

Xu, S.; Watney, W.L.

2007-01-01

In marine strata from Sinian to Middle Triassic in South China, there develop four sets of regional and six sets of local source rocks, and ten sets of reservoir rocks. The occurrence of four main formation periods in association with five main reconstruction periods, results in a secondary origin for the most marine gas pools in South China. To improve the understanding of marine gas pools in South China with severely deformed geological background, the dominant control factors are discussed in this paper. The fluid sources, including the gas cracked from crude oil, the gas dissolved in water, the gas of inorganic origin, hydrocarbons generated during the second phase, and the mixed pool fluid source, were the most significant control factors of the types and the development stage of pools. The period of the pool formation and the reconstruction controlled the pool evolution and the distribution on a regional scale. Owing to the multiple periods of the pool formation and the reconstruction, the distribution of marine gas pools was complex both in space and in time, and the gas in the pools is heterogeneous. Pool elements, such as preservation conditions, traps and migration paths, and reservoir rocks and facies, also served as important control factors to marine gas pools in South China. Especially, the preservation conditions played a key role in maintaining marine oil and gas accumulations on a regional or local scale. According to several dominant control factors of a pool, the pool-controlling model can be constructed. As an example, the pool-controlling model of Sinian gas pool in Weiyuan gas field in Sichuan basin was summed up. ?? Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag 2007.

Role of surface heat fluxes underneath cold pools

DOE PAGES

Gentine, Pierre; Garelli, Alix; Park, Seung -Bu; ...

2016-01-05

In this paper, the role of surface heat fluxes underneath cold pools is investigated using cloud–resolving simulations with either interactive or horizontally homogenous surface heat fluxes over an ocean and a simplified land surface. Over the ocean, there are limited changes in the distribution of the cold pool temperature, humidity, and gust front velocity, yet interactive heat fluxes induce more cold pools, which are smaller, and convection is then less organized. Correspondingly, the updraft mass flux and lateral entrainment are modified. Over the land surface, the heat fluxes underneath cold pools drastically impact the cold pool characteristics with more numerousmore » and smaller pools, which are warmer and more humid and accompanied by smaller gust front velocities. The interactive fluxes also modify the updraft mass flux and reduce convective organization. These results emphasize the importance of interactive surface fluxes instead of prescribed flux boundary conditions, as well as the formulation of surface heat fluxes, when studying convection.« less

Role of surface heat fluxes underneath cold pools

PubMed Central

Garelli, Alix; Park, Seung‐Bu; Nie, Ji; Torri, Giuseppe; Kuang, Zhiming

2016-01-01

Abstract The role of surface heat fluxes underneath cold pools is investigated using cloud‐resolving simulations with either interactive or horizontally homogenous surface heat fluxes over an ocean and a simplified land surface. Over the ocean, there are limited changes in the distribution of the cold pool temperature, humidity, and gust front velocity, yet interactive heat fluxes induce more cold pools, which are smaller, and convection is then less organized. Correspondingly, the updraft mass flux and lateral entrainment are modified. Over the land surface, the heat fluxes underneath cold pools drastically impact the cold pool characteristics with more numerous and smaller pools, which are warmer and more humid and accompanied by smaller gust front velocities. The interactive fluxes also modify the updraft mass flux and reduce convective organization. These results emphasize the importance of interactive surface fluxes instead of prescribed flux boundary conditions, as well as the formulation of surface heat fluxes, when studying convection. PMID:27134320

48 CFR 9.702 - Contracting with pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... PLANNING CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS Defense Production Pools and Research and Development Pools 9.702... privileges accorded to small business concerns. Approval under the Defense Production Act does not confer...

48 CFR 9.702 - Contracting with pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... PLANNING CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS Defense Production Pools and Research and Development Pools 9.702... privileges accorded to small business concerns. Approval under the Defense Production Act does not confer...

48 CFR 9.702 - Contracting with pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... PLANNING CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS Defense Production Pools and Research and Development Pools 9.702... privileges accorded to small business concerns. Approval under the Defense Production Act does not confer...

48 CFR 9.702 - Contracting with pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... PLANNING CONTRACTOR QUALIFICATIONS Defense Production Pools and Research and Development Pools 9.702... privileges accorded to small business concerns. Approval under the Defense Production Act does not confer...

HPSLPred: An Ensemble Multi-Label Classifier for Human Protein Subcellular Location Prediction with Imbalanced Source.

PubMed

Wan, Shixiang; Duan, Yucong; Zou, Quan

2017-09-01

Predicting the subcellular localization of proteins is an important and challenging problem. Traditional experimental approaches are often expensive and time-consuming. Consequently, a growing number of research efforts employ a series of machine learning approaches to predict the subcellular location of proteins. There are two main challenges among the state-of-the-art prediction methods. First, most of the existing techniques are designed to deal with multi-class rather than multi-label classification, which ignores connections between multiple labels. In reality, multiple locations of particular proteins imply that there are vital and unique biological significances that deserve special focus and cannot be ignored. Second, techniques for handling imbalanced data in multi-label classification problems are necessary, but never employed. For solving these two issues, we have developed an ensemble multi-label classifier called HPSLPred, which can be applied for multi-label classification with an imbalanced protein source. For convenience, a user-friendly webserver has been established at http://server.malab.cn/HPSLPred. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

ARP2/3 localization in Arabidopsis leaf pavement cells: a diversity of intracellular pools and cytoskeletal interactions.

PubMed

Zhang, Chunhua; Mallery, Eileen L; Szymanski, Daniel B

2013-01-01

In plant cells the actin cytoskeleton adopts many configurations, but is best understood as an unstable, interconnected track that rearranges to define the patterns of long distance transport of organelles during growth. Actin filaments do not form spontaneously; instead filament nucleators, such as the evolutionarily conserved actin-related protein (ARP) 2/3 complex, can efficiently generate new actin filament networks when in a fully activated state. A growing number of genetic experiments have shown that ARP2/3 is necessary for morphogenesis in processes that range from tip growth during root nodule formation to the diffuse polarized growth of leaf trichomes and pavement cells. Although progress has been rapid in the identification of proteins that function in series to positively regulate ARP2/3, less has been learned about the actual function of ARP2/3 in cells. In this paper, we analyze the localization of ARP2/3 in Arabidopsis leaf pavement cells. We detect a pool of ARP2/3 in the nucleus, and also find that ARP2/3 is efficiently and specifically clustered on multiple organelle surfaces and associates with both the actin filament and microtubule cytoskeletons. Our mutant analyses and ARP2/3 and actin double labeling experiments indicate that the clustering of ARP2/3 on organelle surfaces and an association with actin bundles does not necessarily reflect an active pool of ARP2/3, and instead most of the complex appears to exist as a latent organelle-associated pool.

Livestock Grazing as a Driver of Vernal Pool Ecohydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaels, J.; McCarten, N. F.

2017-12-01

Vernal pools are seasonal wetlands that host rare plant communities of high conservation priority. Plant community composition is largely driven by pool hydroperiod. A previous study found that vernal pools grazed by livestock had longer hydroperiods compared with pools excluded from grazing for 10 years, and suggests that livestock grazing can be used to protect plant diversity. It is important to assess whether observed differences are due to the grazing or due to water balance variables including upland discharge into or out of the pools since no a priori measurements were made of the hydrology prior to grazing. To address this question, in 2016 we compared 15 pools that have been grazed continuously and 15 pools that have been fenced off for over 40 years at a site in Sacramento County. We paired pools based on abiotic characteristics (size, shape, slope, soil type) to minimize natural variation. We sampled vegetation and water depth using Solinst level loggers. We found that plant diversity and average hydroperiod was significantly higher in the grazed pools. We are currently measuring groundwater connectivity and upland inputs in order to compare the relative strength of livestock grazing as a driver of hydroperiod to these other drivers.

Using label-free screening technology to improve efficiency in drug discovery.

PubMed

Halai, Reena; Cooper, Matthew A

2012-02-01

Screening assays have traditionally utilized reporter labels to quantify biological responses relevant to the disease state of interest. However, there are limitations associated with the use of labels that may be overcome with temporal measurements possible with label-free. This review comprises general and system-specific information from literature searches using PubMed, published books and the authors' personal experience. This review highlights the label-free approaches in the context of various applications. The authors also note technical issues relevant to the development of label-free assays and their application to HTS. The limitations associated with the use of transfected cell lines and the use of label-based assays are gradually being realized. As such, greater emphasis is being placed on label-free biophysical techniques using native cell lines. The introduction of 96- and 384-well plate label-free systems is helping to broker a wider acceptance of these approaches in high-throughput screening. However, potential users of the technologies remain skeptical, primarily because the physical basis of the signals generated, and their contextual relevance to cell biology and signal transduction, has not been fully elucidated. Until this is done, these new technology platforms are more likely to complement, rather than replace, traditional screening platforms.

40 CFR 230.45 - Riffle and pool complexes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 25 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Riffle and pool complexes. 230.45... Impacts on Special Aquatic Sites § 230.45 Riffle and pool complexes. (a) Steep gradient sections of streams are sometimes characterized by riffle and pool complexes. Such stream sections are recognizable by...

40 CFR 230.45 - Riffle and pool complexes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 24 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Riffle and pool complexes. 230.45... Impacts on Special Aquatic Sites § 230.45 Riffle and pool complexes. (a) Steep gradient sections of streams are sometimes characterized by riffle and pool complexes. Such stream sections are recognizable by...

47 CFR 52.20 - Thousands-block number pooling.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Thousands-block number pooling. 52.20 Section... (CONTINUED) NUMBERING Number Portability § 52.20 Thousands-block number pooling. (a) Definition. Thousands-block number pooling is a process by which the 10,000 numbers in a central office code (NXX) are...

48 CFR 252.232-7000 - Advance payment pool.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Advance payment pool. 252... Provisions And Clauses 252.232-7000 Advance payment pool. As prescribed in 232.412-70(a), use the following clause: Advance Payment Pool (DEC 1991) (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this contract, advance...

Seasonal warming of the Middle Atlantic Bight Cold Pool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lentz, S. J.

2017-02-01

The Cold Pool is a 20-60 m thick band of cold, near-bottom water that persists from spring to fall over the midshelf and outer shelf of the Middle Atlantic Bight (MAB) and Southern Flank of Georges Bank. The Cold Pool is remnant winter water bounded above by the seasonal thermocline and offshore by warmer slope water. Historical temperature profiles are used to characterize the average annual evolution and spatial structure of the Cold Pool. The Cold Pool gradually warms from spring to summer at a rate of order 1°C month-1. The warming rate is faster in shallower water where the Cold Pool is thinner, consistent with a vertical turbulent heat flux from the thermocline to the Cold Pool. The Cold Pool warming rate also varies along the shelf; it is larger over Georges Bank and smaller in the southern MAB. The mean turbulent diffusivities at the top of the Cold Pool, estimated from the spring to summer mean heat balance, are an order of magnitude larger over Georges Bank than in the southern MAB, consistent with much stronger tidal mixing over Georges Bank than in the southern MAB. The stronger tidal mixing causes the Cold Pool to warm more rapidly over Georges Bank and the eastern New England shelf than in the New York Bight or southern MAB. Consequently, the coldest Cold Pool water is located in the New York Bight from late spring to summer.

The acquisition of gender labels in infancy: Implications for sex-typed play

PubMed Central

Zosuls, Kristina M.; Ruble, Diane N.; Tamis-LeMonda, Catherine S.; Shrout, Patrick E.; Bornstein, Marc H.; Greulich, Faith K.

2009-01-01

Two aspects of children’s early gender development - the spontaneous production of gender labels and sex-typed play - were examined longitudinally in a sample of 82 children. Survival analysis, a statistical technique well suited to questions involving developmental transitions, was used to investigate the timing of the onset of children’s gender labeling as based on mothers’ biweekly reports on their children’s language from 9 through 21 months. Videotapes of children’s play both alone and with mother at 17 and 21 months were independently analyzed for play with gender stereotyped and neutral toys. Finally, the relation between gender labeling and sex-typed play was examined. Children transitioned to using gender labels at approximately 19 months on average. Although girls and boys showed similar patterns in the development of gender labeling, girls began labeling significantly earlier than boys. Modest sex differences in play were present at 17 months and increased at 21 months. Gender labeling predicted increases in sex-typed play, suggesting that knowledge of gender categories might influence sex-typing before the age of 2. PMID:19413425

Swimming Pool Safety

MedlinePlus

... Spread the Word Shop AAP Find a Pediatrician Safety & Prevention Immunizations All Around At Home At Play ... Español Text Size Email Print Share Swimming Pool Safety Page Content ​What is the best way to ...

Mitochondrial run-on transcription assay using biotin labeling.

PubMed

Kühn, Kristina

2015-01-01

RNA synthesis and different posttranscriptional processes shape the transcriptome of plant mitochondria. It is believed that mitochondrial transcription in plants is not stringently controlled, and that RNA degradation has a major impact on mitochondrial steady-state transcript levels. Nevertheless, the presence of two RNA polymerases with different gene specificities in mitochondria of dicotyledonous species indicates that transcriptional mechanisms may provide a means to control mitochondrial steady-state RNA pools and gene expression. To experimentally assess transcriptional activities in mitochondria, run-on transcription assays have been developed. These assays measure elongation rates for endogenous transcripts in freshly prepared mitochondrial extracts. The mitochondrial run-on transcription protocol described here has been optimized for the model plant Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). It uses mitochondria prepared from soil-grown Arabidopsis plants and employs nonradioactive labeling for the subsequent detection of run-on transcripts.

Optimization of immunolabeling and clearing techniques for indelibly-labeled memory traces.

PubMed

Pavlova, Ina P; Shipley, Shannon C; Lanio, Marcos; Hen, René; Denny, Christine A

2018-04-16

Recent genetic tools have allowed researchers to visualize and manipulate memory traces (i.e. engrams) in small brain regions. However, the ultimate goal is to visualize memory traces across the entire brain in order to better understand how memories are stored in neural networks and how multiple memories may coexist. Intact tissue clearing and imaging is a new and rapidly growing area of focus that could accomplish this task. Here, we utilized the leading protocols for whole-brain clearing and applied them to the ArcCreER T2 mice, a murine line that allows for the indelible labeling of memory traces. We found that CLARITY and PACT greatly distorted the tissue, and iDISCO quenched enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (EYFP) fluorescence and hindered immunolabeling. Alternative clearing solutions, such as tert-Butanol, circumvented these harmful effects, but still did not permit whole-brain immunolabeling. CUBIC and CUBIC with Reagent 1A produced improved antibody penetration and preserved EYFP fluorescence, but also did not allow for whole-brain memory trace visualization. Modification of CUBIC with Reagent-1A resulted in EYFP fluorescence preservation and immunolabeling of the immediate early gene (IEG) Arc in deep brain areas; however, optimized memory trace labeling still required tissue slicing into mm-thick tissue sections. In summary, our data show that CUBIC with Reagent-1A* is the ideal method for reproducible clearing and immunolabeling for the visualization of memory traces in mm-thick tissue sections from ArcCreER T2 mice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Relative quantification of biomarkers using mixed-isotope labeling coupled with MS

PubMed Central

Chapman, Heidi M; Schutt, Katherine L; Dieter, Emily M; Lamos, Shane M

2013-01-01

The identification and quantification of important biomarkers is a critical first step in the elucidation of biological systems. Biomarkers take many forms as cellular responses to stimuli and can be manifested during transcription, translation, and/or metabolic processing. Increasingly, researchers have relied upon mixed-isotope labeling (MIL) coupled with MS to perform relative quantification of biomarkers between two or more biological samples. MIL effectively tags biomarkers of interest for ease of identification and quantification within the mass spectrometer by using isotopic labels that introduce a heavy and light form of the tag. In addition to MIL coupled with MS, a number of other approaches have been used to quantify biomarkers including protein gel staining, enzymatic labeling, metabolic labeling, and several label-free approaches that generate quantitative data from the MS signal response. This review focuses on MIL techniques coupled with MS for the quantification of protein and small-molecule biomarkers. PMID:23157360

21 CFR 1250.89 - Swimming pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... equipped so as to provide complete circulation, replacement, and filtration of the water in the pool every six hours or less. Suitable means of chlorination and, if necessary, other treatment of the water shall be provided to maintain the residual chlorine in the pool water at not less than 0.4 part per...

21 CFR 1250.89 - Swimming pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... equipped so as to provide complete circulation, replacement, and filtration of the water in the pool every six hours or less. Suitable means of chlorination and, if necessary, other treatment of the water shall be provided to maintain the residual chlorine in the pool water at not less than 0.4 part per...

10 CFR 36.33 - Irradiator pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... purification system designed to be capable of maintaining the water during normal operation at a conductivity..., irradiator pools must either: (1) Have a water-tight stainless steel liner or a liner metallurgically... water level that could allow water to drain out of the pool. Pipes that have intakes more than 0.5 meter...

10 CFR 36.33 - Irradiator pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... purification system designed to be capable of maintaining the water during normal operation at a conductivity..., irradiator pools must either: (1) Have a water-tight stainless steel liner or a liner metallurgically... water level that could allow water to drain out of the pool. Pipes that have intakes more than 0.5 meter...

10 CFR 36.33 - Irradiator pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... purification system designed to be capable of maintaining the water during normal operation at a conductivity..., irradiator pools must either: (1) Have a water-tight stainless steel liner or a liner metallurgically... water level that could allow water to drain out of the pool. Pipes that have intakes more than 0.5 meter...

10 CFR 36.33 - Irradiator pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... purification system designed to be capable of maintaining the water during normal operation at a conductivity..., irradiator pools must either: (1) Have a water-tight stainless steel liner or a liner metallurgically... water level that could allow water to drain out of the pool. Pipes that have intakes more than 0.5 meter...

10 CFR 36.33 - Irradiator pools.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... purification system designed to be capable of maintaining the water during normal operation at a conductivity..., irradiator pools must either: (1) Have a water-tight stainless steel liner or a liner metallurgically... water level that could allow water to drain out of the pool. Pipes that have intakes more than 0.5 meter...

13 CFR 120.1708 - Pool Certificates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... United States. (c) SBA purchase of a Loan Interest. SBA will determine whether to purchase a Loan... reserves the right to purchase a Loan Interest from a Pool at any time. (d) Self-liquidating. A Pool... market conditions and program experience, and will publish any such change in the Federal Register. (h...

Experience with a commercial preparation of 125I-labelled human albumin for study of albumin metabolism

PubMed Central

Ballantyne, Fiona C.; Fleck, A.

1973-01-01

Evaluation of a commercial preparation of 125I-labelled albumin for use in the study of albumin metabolism is described. In eight subjects with normal albumin metabolism the proportion of the dose of radioiodide excreted was stable throughout a period of 17 days, indicating that there was no excessive denaturation of the iodinated albumin. Characteristics of albumin metabolism—pool sizes, catabolic rate, etc—were in agreement with currently accepted normal values. It is concluded that this preparation of iodinated albumin is suitable for metabolic use. PMID:4727059

Systematic Comparison of Label-Free, Metabolic Labeling, and Isobaric Chemical Labeling for Quantitative Proteomics on LTQ Orbitrap Velos

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

Li, Zhou; Adams, Rachel M; Chourey, Karuna

2012-01-01

A variety of quantitative proteomics methods have been developed, including label-free, metabolic labeling, and isobaric chemical labeling using iTRAQ or TMT. Here, these methods were compared in terms of the depth of proteome coverage, quantification accuracy, precision, and reproducibility using a high-performance hybrid mass spectrometer, LTQ Orbitrap Velos. Our results show that (1) the spectral counting method provides the deepest proteome coverage for identification, but its quantification performance is worse than labeling-based approaches, especially the quantification reproducibility; (2) metabolic labeling and isobaric chemical labeling are capable of accurate, precise, and reproducible quantification and provide deep proteome coverage for quantification. Isobaricmore » chemical labeling surpasses metabolic labeling in terms of quantification precision and reproducibility; (3) iTRAQ and TMT perform similarly in all aspects compared in the current study using a CID-HCD dual scan configuration. Based on the unique advantages of each method, we provide guidance for selection of the appropriate method for a quantitative proteomics study.« less

Superposition and alignment of labeled point clouds.

PubMed

Fober, Thomas; Glinca, Serghei; Klebe, Gerhard; Hüllermeier, Eyke

2011-01-01

Geometric objects are often represented approximately in terms of a finite set of points in three-dimensional euclidean space. In this paper, we extend this representation to what we call labeled point clouds. A labeled point cloud is a finite set of points, where each point is not only associated with a position in three-dimensional space, but also with a discrete class label that represents a specific property. This type of model is especially suitable for modeling biomolecules such as proteins and protein binding sites, where a label may represent an atom type or a physico-chemical property. Proceeding from this representation, we address the question of how to compare two labeled points clouds in terms of their similarity. Using fuzzy modeling techniques, we develop a suitable similarity measure as well as an efficient evolutionary algorithm to compute it. Moreover, we consider the problem of establishing an alignment of the structures in the sense of a one-to-one correspondence between their basic constituents. From a biological point of view, alignments of this kind are of great interest, since mutually corresponding molecular constituents offer important information about evolution and heredity, and can also serve as a means to explain a degree of similarity. In this paper, we therefore develop a method for computing pairwise or multiple alignments of labeled point clouds. To this end, we proceed from an optimal superposition of the corresponding point clouds and construct an alignment which is as much as possible in agreement with the neighborhood structure established by this superposition. We apply our methods to the structural analysis of protein binding sites.

Sediment transport through self-adjusting, bedrock-walled waterfall plunge pools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheingross, Joel S.; Lamb, Michael P.

2016-05-01

Many waterfalls have deep plunge pools that are often partially or fully filled with sediment. Sediment fill may control plunge-pool bedrock erosion rates, partially determine habitat availability for aquatic organisms, and affect sediment routing and debris flow initiation. Currently, there exists no mechanistic model to describe sediment transport through waterfall plunge pools. Here we develop an analytical model to predict steady-state plunge-pool depth and sediment-transport capacity by combining existing jet theory with sediment transport mechanics. Our model predicts plunge-pool sediment-transport capacity increases with increasing river discharge, flow velocity, and waterfall drop height and decreases with increasing plunge-pool depth, radius, and grain size. We tested the model using flume experiments under varying waterfall and plunge-pool geometries, flow hydraulics, and sediment size. The model and experiments show that through morphodynamic feedbacks, plunge pools aggrade to reach shallower equilibrium pool depths in response to increases in imposed sediment supply. Our theory for steady-state pool depth matches the experiments with an R2 value of 0.8, with discrepancies likely due to model simplifications of the hydraulics and sediment transport. Analysis of 75 waterfalls suggests that the water depths in natural plunge pools are strongly influenced by upstream sediment supply, and our model provides a mass-conserving framework to predict sediment and water storage in waterfall plunge pools for sediment routing, habitat assessment, and bedrock erosion modeling.

Integrating atlas and graph cut methods for right ventricle blood-pool segmentation from cardiac cine MRI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dangi, Shusil; Linte, Cristian A.

2017-03-01

Segmentation of right ventricle from cardiac MRI images can be used to build pre-operative anatomical heart models to precisely identify regions of interest during minimally invasive therapy. Furthermore, many functional parameters of right heart such as right ventricular volume, ejection fraction, myocardial mass and thickness can also be assessed from the segmented images. To obtain an accurate and computationally efficient segmentation of right ventricle from cardiac cine MRI, we propose a segmentation algorithm formulated as an energy minimization problem in a graph. Shape prior obtained by propagating label from an average atlas using affine registration is incorporated into the graph framework to overcome problems in ill-defined image regions. The optimal segmentation corresponding to the labeling with minimum energy configuration of the graph is obtained via graph-cuts and is iteratively refined to produce the final right ventricle blood pool segmentation. We quantitatively compare the segmentation results obtained from our algorithm to the provided gold-standard expert manual segmentation for 16 cine-MRI datasets available through the MICCAI 2012 Cardiac MR Right Ventricle Segmentation Challenge according to several similarity metrics, including Dice coefficient, Jaccard coefficient, Hausdorff distance, and Mean absolute distance error.

Interleukin 6 stimulates hepatic glucose release from prelabeled glycogen pools

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

Ritchie, D.G.

1990-01-01

Cytokines, derived from a wide variety of cell types, are now believed to initiate many of the physiological responses accompanying the inflammatory phase that follows either Gram-negative septicemia or thermal injury. Because hypoglycemia (after endotoxic challenge) and hyperglycemia (after thermal injury) represent well-characterized responses to these injuries, we sought to determine whether hepatic glycogen metabolism could be altered by specific cytokines. Cultured adult rat hepatocytes were prelabeled with ({sup 14}C)glucose for 24 h, a procedure that resulted in the labeling of hepatic glycogen pools that subsequently could be depleted (with concomitant ({sup 14}C)glucose release) by either glucagon or norepinephrine. Aftermore » the addition of a highly concentrated human monocyte-conditioned medium (MCM) or various cytokines to these prelabeled cells, ({sup 14}C)glucose release was stimulated by MCM and recombinant human interleukin 6 (IL-6) but was not stimulated by other cytokines tested. Furthermore, only antisera to IL-6 were capable of reducing the glucose-releasing factor activity found in MCM. These data therefore suggest a novel glucoregulatory role for IL-6.« less

17 CFR 4.22 - Reporting to pool participants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... National Futures Association pursuant to this paragraph (c); or (B) The date of the formation of the pool...); or (2) The date of the formation of the pool; and (B) The close of the pool's fiscal year or the date... audited by an independent public accountant. The requirements of § 1.16(g) of this chapter shall apply...

Observed Structure and Characteristics of Cold Pools over Tropical Oceans using Vector Wind Retrievals and WRF simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garg, P.; Nesbitt, S. W.; Lang, T. J.; Chronis, T.; Thayer, J. D.; Hence, D. A.

2017-12-01

Cold pools generated in the wake of convective activity can enhance the surface sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and also changes in evaporation out of, and fresh water flux into, the ocean. Recent studies have shown that over the open ocean, cold pool outflow boundaries and their intersections can organize and initiate a spectrum of deep convective clouds, which is a key driver of shallow and deep convection over conditionally-unstable tropical oceans. The primary goal of this study is to understand the structure and characteristics of cold pools over the tropical oceans using observations. With the idea that cold pools will have strong wind gradients at their boundaries, we use ASCAT vector wind retrievals. We identify regions of steep gradients in wind vectors as gradient features (GFs), akin to cold pools. Corresponding to these GFs, sensible and latent heat fluxes were calculated using the observed winds and background temperatures from MERRA-2 reanalysis. To evaluate the proposed technique, cold pools were observed using S-PolKa radar from the DYNAMO/AMIE field campaign in the Indian Ocean for the period of 1 October 2011 to 31 March 2012 and were compared with ASCAT GFs. To relate the thermodynamic and kinematic characteristics of observed and simulated cold pools, simulations were carried out on WRF on a 3-km domain explicitly. The areas of cold pools were identified in the models using virtual temperature (Tv), which is a direct measure of air density, while GFs were identified using model simulated winds. Quantitative measures indicate that GFs are highly correspondent with model-simulated cold pools. In global measurements of cold pools from 2007-2015, it is possible to examine the characteristics of GFs across all tropical ocean basins, and relate them to meteorological conditions, as well as the characteristics of the parent precipitation systems. Our results indicate that while there is a general relationship between the amount of precipitation

101 Labeled Brain Images and a Consistent Human Cortical Labeling Protocol

PubMed Central

Klein, Arno; Tourville, Jason

2012-01-01

We introduce the Mindboggle-101 dataset, the largest and most complete set of free, publicly accessible, manually labeled human brain images. To manually label the macroscopic anatomy in magnetic resonance images of 101 healthy participants, we created a new cortical labeling protocol that relies on robust anatomical landmarks and minimal manual edits after initialization with automated labels. The “Desikan–Killiany–Tourville” (DKT) protocol is intended to improve the ease, consistency, and accuracy of labeling human cortical areas. Given how difficult it is to label brains, the Mindboggle-101 dataset is intended to serve as brain atlases for use in labeling other brains, as a normative dataset to establish morphometric variation in a healthy population for comparison against clinical populations, and contribute to the development, training, testing, and evaluation of automated registration and labeling algorithms. To this end, we also introduce benchmarks for the evaluation of such algorithms by comparing our manual labels with labels automatically generated by probabilistic and multi-atlas registration-based approaches. All data and related software and updated information are available on the http://mindboggle.info/data website. PMID:23227001

Controls on Filling and Evacuation of Sediment in Waterfall Plunge Pools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scheingross, J. S.; Lamb, M. P.

2014-12-01

Many waterfalls are characterized by the presence of deep plunge pools that experience periods of sediment fill and evacuation. These cycles of sediment fill are a first order control on the relative magnitude of lateral versus vertical erosion at the base of waterfalls, as vertical incision requires cover-free plunge pools to expose the bedrock floor, while lateral erosion can occur when pools are partially filled and plunge-pool walls are exposed. Currently, there exists no mechanistic model describing sediment transport through waterfall plunge pools, limiting our ability to predict waterfall retreat. To address this knowledge gap, we performed detailed laboratory experiments measuring plunge-pool sediment transport capacity (Qsc_pool) under varying waterfall and plunge-pool geometries, flow hydraulics, and sediment size. Our experimental plunge-pool sediment transport capacity measurements match well with a mechanistic model we developed which combines existing waterfall jet theory with a modified Rouse profile to predict sediment transport capacity as a function of water discharge and suspended sediment concentration at the plunge-pool lip. Comparing the transport capacity of plunge pools to lower gradient portions of rivers (Qsc_river) shows that, for transport limited conditions, plunge pools fill with sediment under modest water discharges when Qsc_river > Qsc_pool, and empty to bedrock under high discharges when Qsc_pool > Qsc_river. These results are consistent with field observations of sand-filled plunge pools with downstream boulder rims, implying filling and excavation of plunge pools over single-storm timescales. Thus, partial filling of waterfall plunge pools may provide a mechanism to promote lateral undercutting and retreat of waterfalls in homogeneous rock in which plunge-pool vertical incision occurs during brief large floods that expose bedrock, whereas lateral erosion may prevail during smaller events.

Iron-59 absorption from soy hulls: intrinsic vs extrinsic labeling

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

Lykken, G.I.; Mahalko, J.R.; Nielsen, E.J.

As part of an evaluation of the validity of the extrinsic labeling technique for measuring iron absorption, absorption from soy hulls extrinsically labeled (/sup 59/Fe added to bread dough) was compared with that from soy hulls intrinsically labeled (/sup 59/Fe incorporated into the soy plant during growth). Century soybeans were grown in a greenhouse. After pods had formed and were filling, each plant was stem injected twice, at 3 day intervals, with 22 ..mu..Ci /sup 59/Fe as FeCl/sub 2/ in 25 ..mu..l of 0.5 M HCl solution. After the plants had senesced, the soybeans were harvested, dried, shelled and themore » hulls removed. Standard meals containing 3.5 mg Fe/meal and up to 0.06 ..mu..Ci /sup 59/Fe in a soy hull bun were fed on 2 consecutive days to free-living volunteers in a crossover design. Absorption of /sup 59/Fe was greater from intrinsically labeled soy hulls than from extrinsically labeled soy hulls, 20 +/- 20% vs 15 +/- 11% (n=14, p > 0.05 by paired t-test). Apparent absorption ranged from 1.3% to 77% from intrinsically labeled soy hulls and .5% to 29% from extrinsically labeled soy hulls with the highest absorption occurring in persons with low serum ferritin (S.F. < 8 ng/ml). These findings provide additional evidence that the extrinsic labeling method is a valid measure of iron bioavailability to humans.« less

Nitrates, chlorates and trihalomethanes in swimming pool water.

PubMed Central

Beech, J A; Diaz, R; Ordaz, C; Palomeque, B

1980-01-01

Water from swimming pools in the Miami area was analyzed for nitrates, chlorates and trihalomethanes. The average concentrations of nitrate and chlorate found in freshwater pools were 8.6 mg/liter and 16 mg/liter respectively, with the highest concentrations being 54.9 mg/liter and 124 mg/liter, respectively. The average concentration of total trihalomethanes found in freshwater pools was 125 micrograms/liter (mainly chloroform) and in saline pools was 657 micrograms/liter (mainly bromoform); the highest concentration was 430 micrograms/liter (freshwater) and 1287 micrograms/liter (saltwater). The possible public health significance of these results is briefly discussed. PMID:7350831

In Silico Labeling: Predicting Fluorescent Labels in Unlabeled Images.

PubMed

Christiansen, Eric M; Yang, Samuel J; Ando, D Michael; Javaherian, Ashkan; Skibinski, Gaia; Lipnick, Scott; Mount, Elliot; O'Neil, Alison; Shah, Kevan; Lee, Alicia K; Goyal, Piyush; Fedus, William; Poplin, Ryan; Esteva, Andre; Berndl, Marc; Rubin, Lee L; Nelson, Philip; Finkbeiner, Steven

2018-04-19

Microscopy is a central method in life sciences. Many popular methods, such as antibody labeling, are used to add physical fluorescent labels to specific cellular constituents. However, these approaches have significant drawbacks, including inconsistency; limitations in the number of simultaneous labels because of spectral overlap; and necessary perturbations of the experiment, such as fixing the cells, to generate the measurement. Here, we show that a computational machine-learning approach, which we call "in silico labeling" (ISL), reliably predicts some fluorescent labels from transmitted-light images of unlabeled fixed or live biological samples. ISL predicts a range of labels, such as those for nuclei, cell type (e.g., neural), and cell state (e.g., cell death). Because prediction happens in silico, the method is consistent, is not limited by spectral overlap, and does not disturb the experiment. ISL generates biological measurements that would otherwise be problematic or impossible to acquire. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Budesonide MMX for the Induction of Remission of Mild to Moderate Ulcerative Colitis: A Pooled Safety Analysis

PubMed Central

Travis, Simon; Danese, Silvio; D’Haens, Geert; Moro, Luigi; Jones, Richard; Huang, Michael; Ballard, E. David; Bagin, Robert; Hardiman, Yun; Collazo, Raul; Sandborn, William J.

2015-01-01

Background and aims: Cumulative safety and tolerability of budesonide MMX, a once-daily oral corticosteroid for inducing mild to moderate ulcerative colitis remission, was examined. Methods: Data from three randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase II or III studies [budesonide MMX 9mg, 6mg, or 3mg for 8 weeks]; one phase II study [randomisation to budesonide MMX 9mg or placebo for 4 weeks, then open-label budesonide MMX 9mg for 4 weeks]; and one open-label study [budesonide MMX 9mg for 8 weeks] were pooled. Results: Patients randomised to budesonide MMX 9mg [n = 288], 6mg [n = 254], or placebo [n = 293] had similar rates of adverse events [AEs] [27.1%, 24.8%, and 23.9%, respectively] and serious AEs [2.4%, 2.0%, and 2.7%, respectively]; treatment-related AEs and serious AEs were reported by 11.8% and 13.5%, and 5.9% and 2.2%, respectively, of patients receiving budesonide MMX 3mg [n = 17] or open-label budesonide MMX 9mg [n = 89]. Mean morning plasma cortisol concentrations were normal from baseline to final visit across randomised groups; in patients receiving open-label budesonide, mean cortisol concentration was 129.9 nmol/l after 4 weeks, returning to normal concentrations at final visit. Budesonide MMX was not associated with an overall increased risk for glucocorticoid-related adverse effects. Conclusions: Budesonide MMX 9mg was associated with normal mean cortisol concentrations at final visit and an AE incidence comparable to placebo. Overall, budesonide MMX was safe and well tolerated for inducing remission of patients with mild to moderate ulcerative colitis. PMID:26094251

Environmental controls of C, N and P biogeochemistry in peatland pools.

PubMed

Arsenault, Julien; Talbot, Julie; Moore, Tim R

2018-08-01

Pools are common in northern peatlands but studies have seldom focused on their nutrient biogeochemistry, especially in relation to their morphological characteristics and through seasons. We determined the environmental characteristics controlling carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) biogeochemistry in pools and assessed their evolution over the course of the 2016 growing season in a subboreal ombrotrophic peatland of eastern Canada. We showed that water chemistry variations in 62 pools were significantly explained by depth (81.9%) and the surrounding vegetation type (14.8%), but not by pool area or shape. Shallow pools had larger dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations and lower pH than deep pools, while pools surrounded by coniferous trees had more recalcitrant DOC than pools where vegetation was dominated by mosses. The influence of depth on pool biogeochemistry was confirmed by the seasonal survey of pools of different sizes with 47.1% of the variation in pool water chemistry over time significantly explained. Of this, 67.3% was explained by the interaction between time and pool size and 32.7% by pool size alone. P concentrations were small in all pools all summer long and combined with high N:P ratios, are indicative of P-limitation. Our results show that pool biogeochemistry is influenced by internal processes and highlight the spatial and temporal heterogeneity of nutrient biogeochemistry in ombrotrophic peatlands. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Do nutrition labels influence healthier food choices? Analysis of label viewing behaviour and subsequent food purchases in a labelling intervention trial.

PubMed

Ni Mhurchu, Cliona; Eyles, Helen; Jiang, Yannan; Blakely, Tony

2018-02-01

There are few objective data on how nutrition labels are used in real-world shopping situations, or how they affect dietary choices and patterns. The Starlight study was a four-week randomised, controlled trial of the effects of three different types of nutrition labels on consumer food purchases: Traffic Light Labels, Health Star Rating labels, or Nutrition Information Panels (control). Smartphone technology allowed participants to scan barcodes of packaged foods and receive randomly allocated labels on their phone screen, and to record their food purchases. The study app therefore provided objectively recorded data on label viewing behaviour and food purchases over a four-week period. A post-hoc analysis of trial data was undertaken to assess frequency of label use, label use by food group, and association between label use and the healthiness of packaged food products purchased. Over the four-week intervention, study participants (n = 1255) viewed nutrition labels for and/or purchased 66,915 barcoded packaged products. Labels were viewed for 23% of all purchased products, with decreasing frequency over time. Shoppers were most likely to view labels for convenience foods, cereals, snack foods, bread and bakery products, and oils. They were least likely to view labels for sugar and honey products, eggs, fish, fruit and vegetables, and meat. Products for which participants viewed the label and subsequently purchased the product during the same shopping episode were significantly healthier than products where labels were viewed but the product was not subsequently purchased: mean difference in nutrient profile score -0.90 (95% CI -1.54 to -0.26). In a secondary analysis of a nutrition labelling intervention trial, there was a significant association between label use and the healthiness of products purchased. Nutrition label use may therefore lead to healthier food purchases. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Style-independent document labeling: design and performance evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, Song; Kim, Jong Woo; Thoma, George R.

2003-12-01

The Medical Article Records System or MARS has been developed at the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) for automated data entry of bibliographical information from medical journals into MEDLINE, the premier bibliographic citation database at NLM. Currently, a rule-based algorithm (called ZoneCzar) is used for labeling important bibliographical fields (title, author, affiliation, and abstract) on medical journal article page images. While rules have been created for medical journals with regular layout types, new rules have to be manually created for any input journals with arbitrary or new layout types. Therefore, it is of interest to label any journal articles independent of their layout styles. In this paper, we first describe a system (called ZoneMatch) for automated generation of crucial geometric and non-geometric features of important bibliographical fields based on string-matching and clustering techniques. The rule based algorithm is then modified to use these features to perform style-independent labeling. We then describe a performance evaluation method for quantitatively evaluating our algorithm and characterizing its error distributions. Experimental results show that the labeling performance of the rule-based algorithm is significantly improved when the generated features are used.

An Experimental Investigation On The Antidune Origin of Step-pools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Recking, A.; Leduc, P.

2013-12-01

Step-pools are bed morphologies that are typical in high-gradient streams , recognizable by a staircase-like longitudinal profile resulting from accumulation of cobbles and boulders that are transverse to the channel and alternating with pools containing finer sediments. Within the last two decades step-pools have been the subject of increased efforts to characterize their nature; however their origin is still in debate. Researchers have very soon suspected step-pools to be the residual form of antidunes produced during flooding, but this hypothesis was continuously contested. Other theories has been proposed, considering, that step-pool profile develops a maximum flow resistance, or that pools geometry is controlled by the energy of a falling jet, or that steps form by boulders accumulation in a channel-spanning manner. All these theories gave very satisfying results when compared with experimental data, but does it mean that the antidune theory should we abandoned? We performed new flume experiments on steep slopes to investigate the antidune origin for step-pools. Our experiments showed that step-pools can have several origins, depending on the flow conditions and sediment mixture used. In some circumstances antidunes were well observed but did not produce stable step-pools morphology. In many occasions, step-pools obtained in the flume were isolated step-pools, with no real apparent periodicity. Only a few flow and sediment conditions allowed us to reproduce trains of antidunes which stabilized at the flow recession to produce stable periodical step-pools. These conditions are presented and discussed.

Alternate gram staining technique using a fluorescent lectin.

PubMed Central

Sizemore, R K; Caldwell, J J; Kendrick, A S

1990-01-01

Fluorescence-labeled wheat germ agglutinin binds specifically to N-acetylglucosamine in the outer peptidoglycan layer of gram-positive bacteria. The peptidoglycan layer of gram-negative bacteria is covered by a membrane and is not labeled by the lectin. By exploiting this phenomenon, an alternative Gram staining technique has been developed. Images PMID:1697149

Fire safety distances for open pool fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sudheer, S.; Kumar, Lokendra; Manjunath, B. S.; Pasi, Amit; Meenakshi, G.; Prabhu, S. V.

2013-11-01

Fire accidents that carry huge loss with them have increased in the previous two decades than at any time in the history. Hence, there is a need for understanding the safety distances from different fires with different fuels. Fire safety distances are computed for different open pool fires. Diesel, gasoline and hexane are used as fuels for circular pool diameters of 0.5 m, 0.7 m and 1.0 m. A large square pool fire of 4 m × 4 m is also conducted with diesel as a fuel. All the prescribed distances in this study are purely based on the thermal analysis. IR camera is used to get the thermal images of pool fires and there by the irradiance at different locations is computed. The computed irradiance is presented with the threshold heat flux limits for human beings.

Pooling sheep faecal samples for the assessment of anthelmintic drug efficacy using McMaster and Mini-FLOTAC in gastrointestinal strongyle and Nematodirus infection.

PubMed

Kenyon, Fiona; Rinaldi, Laura; McBean, Dave; Pepe, Paola; Bosco, Antonio; Melville, Lynsey; Devin, Leigh; Mitchell, Gillian; Ianniello, Davide; Charlier, Johannes; Vercruysse, Jozef; Cringoli, Giuseppe; Levecke, Bruno

2016-07-30

In small ruminants, faecal egg counts (FECs) and reduction in FECs (FECR) are the most common methods for the assessment of intensity of gastrointestinal (GI) nematodes infections and anthelmintic drug efficacy, respectively. The main limitation of these methods is the time and cost to conduct FECs on a representative number of individual animals. A cost-saving alternative would be to examine pooled faecal samples, however little is known regarding whether pooling can give representative results. In the present study, we compared the FECR results obtained by both an individual and a pooled examination strategy across different pool sizes and analytical sensitivity of the FEC techniques. A survey was conducted on 5 sheep farms in Scotland, where anthelmintic resistance is known to be widespread. Lambs were treated with fenbendazole (4 groups), levamisole (3 groups), ivermectin (3 groups) or moxidectin (1 group). For each group, individual faecal samples were collected from 20 animals, at baseline (D0) and 14 days after (D14) anthelmintic administration. Faecal samples were analyzed as pools of 3-5, 6-10, and 14-20 individual samples. Both individual and pooled samples were screened for GI strongyle and Nematodirus eggs using two FEC techniques with three different levels of analytical sensitivity, including Mini-FLOTAC (analytical sensitivity of 10 eggs per gram of faeces (EPG)) and McMaster (analytical sensitivity of 15 or 50 EPG).For both Mini-FLOTAC and McMaster (analytical sensitivity of 15 EPG), there was a perfect agreement in classifying the efficacy of the anthelmintic as 'normal', 'doubtful' or 'reduced' regardless of pool size. When using the McMaster method (analytical sensitivity of 50 EPG) anthelmintic efficacy was often falsely classified as 'normal' or assessment was not possible due to zero FECs at D0, and this became more pronounced when the pool size increased. In conclusion, pooling ovine faecal samples holds promise as a cost-saving and efficient

Copper absorption from foods labelled intrinsically and extrinsically with Cu-65 stable isotope.

PubMed

Harvey, L J; Dainty, J R; Beattie, J H; Majsak-Newman, G; Wharf, S G; Reid, M D; Fairweather-Tait, S J

2005-03-01

To determine copper absorption from copper containing foods labelled either intrinsically or extrinsically with a highly enriched Cu-65 stable isotope label. A longitudinal cross-over study. The study was conducted at the Institute of Food Research, Human Nutrition Unit, Norwich, UK. Subjects were recruited locally via advertisements placed around the Norwich Research Park. A total of 10 volunteers (nine female, one male) took part in the study, but not all volunteers completed each of the test meals. A highly enriched Cu-65 stable isotope label was administered to volunteers in the form of a reference dose or in breakfast test meals consisting of red wine, soya beans, mushrooms or sunflower seeds. Faecal monitoring and mass spectrometry techniques were used to estimate the relative quantities of copper absorbed from the different test meals. True copper absorption from the reference dose (54%) was similar to extrinsically labelled red wine (49%) and intrinsically labelled sunflower seeds (52%), but significantly higher than extrinsically labelled mushrooms (35%), intrinsically (29%) and extrinsically (15%) labelled soya beans and extrinsically labelled sunflower seed (32%) test meals. The use of Cu-65 extrinsic labels in copper absorption studies requires validation according to the food being examined; intrinsic and extrinsic labelling produced significantly different results for sunflower seeds.

Interfacial Polymerization for Colorimetric Labeling of Protein Expression in Cells

PubMed Central

Lilly, Jacob L.; Sheldon, Phillip R.; Hoversten, Liv J.; Romero, Gabriela; Balasubramaniam, Vivek; Berron, Brad J.

2014-01-01

Determining the location of rare proteins in cells typically requires the use of on-sample amplification. Antibody based recognition and enzymatic amplification is used to produce large amounts of visible label at the site of protein expression, but these techniques suffer from the presence of nonspecific reactivity in the biological sample and from poor spatial control over the label. Polymerization based amplification is a recently developed alternative means of creating an on-sample amplification for fluorescence applications, while not suffering from endogenous labels or loss of signal localization. This manuscript builds upon polymerization based amplification by developing a stable, archivable, and colorimetric mode of amplification termed Polymer Dye Labeling. The basic concept involves an interfacial polymer grown at the site of protein expression and subsequent staining of this polymer with an appropriate dye. The dyes Evans Blue and eosin were initially investigated for colorimetric response in a microarray setting, where both specifically stained polymer films on glass. The process was translated to the staining of protein expression in human dermal fibroblast cells, and Polymer Dye Labeling was specific to regions consistent with desired protein expression. The labeling is stable for over 200 days in ambient conditions and is also compatible with modern mounting medium. PMID:25536421

Interfacial polymerization for colorimetric labeling of protein expression in cells.

PubMed

Lilly, Jacob L; Sheldon, Phillip R; Hoversten, Liv J; Romero, Gabriela; Balasubramaniam, Vivek; Berron, Brad J

2014-01-01

Determining the location of rare proteins in cells typically requires the use of on-sample amplification. Antibody based recognition and enzymatic amplification is used to produce large amounts of visible label at the site of protein expression, but these techniques suffer from the presence of nonspecific reactivity in the biological sample and from poor spatial control over the label. Polymerization based amplification is a recently developed alternative means of creating an on-sample amplification for fluorescence applications, while not suffering from endogenous labels or loss of signal localization. This manuscript builds upon polymerization based amplification by developing a stable, archivable, and colorimetric mode of amplification termed Polymer Dye Labeling. The basic concept involves an interfacial polymer grown at the site of protein expression and subsequent staining of this polymer with an appropriate dye. The dyes Evans Blue and eosin were initially investigated for colorimetric response in a microarray setting, where both specifically stained polymer films on glass. The process was translated to the staining of protein expression in human dermal fibroblast cells, and Polymer Dye Labeling was specific to regions consistent with desired protein expression. The labeling is stable for over 200 days in ambient conditions and is also compatible with modern mounting medium.

Tests of selection in pooled case-control data: an empirical study.

PubMed

Udpa, Nitin; Zhou, Dan; Haddad, Gabriel G; Bafna, Vineet

2011-01-01

For smaller organisms with faster breeding cycles, artificial selection can be used to create sub-populations with different phenotypic traits. Genetic tests can be employed to identify the causal markers for the phenotypes, as a precursor to engineering strains with a combination of traits. Traditional approaches involve analyzing crosses of inbred strains to test for co-segregation with genetic markers. Here we take advantage of cheaper next generation sequencing techniques to identify genetic signatures of adaptation to the selection constraints. Obtaining individual sequencing data is often unrealistic due to cost and sample issues, so we focus on pooled genomic data. We explore a series of statistical tests for selection using pooled case (under selection) and control populations. The tests generally capture skews in the scaled frequency spectrum of alleles in a region, which are indicative of a selective sweep. Extensive simulations are used to show that these approaches work well for a wide range of population divergence times and strong selective pressures. Control vs control simulations are used to determine an empirical False Positive Rate, and regions under selection are determined using a 1% FPR level. We show that pooling does not have a significant impact on statistical power. The tests are also robust to reasonable variations in several different parameters, including window size, base-calling error rate, and sequencing coverage. We then demonstrate the viability (and the challenges) of one of these methods in two independent Drosophila populations (Drosophila melanogaster) bred under selection for hypoxia and accelerated development, respectively. Testing for extreme hypoxia tolerance showed clear signals of selection, pointing to loci that are important for hypoxia adaptation. Overall, we outline a strategy for finding regions under selection using pooled sequences, then devise optimal tests for that strategy. The approaches show promise for

Longevity of Wood-Forced Pools in an Old-Growth Forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Buffington, J. M.; Woodsmith, R. D.; Johnson, A. C.

2009-12-01

Wood debris plays an important role in scouring pools in forest channels and providing resultant habitat for aquatic organisms. We investigated the longevity of such pools in a gravel-bed river flowing through old-growth forest in southeastern Alaska by aging trees and “bear’s bread” fungi (Ganoderma applanatum, Fomitopsis pinicola) growing on pool-forming wood debris. Ages were determined by counting annual growth rings from cores and cross sections of trees and fungi growing on the wood debris. These ages are minimum values because they do not account for lag time between debris recruitment and seedling/spore establishment on the debris, nor do they account for flood scour that may periodically reset tree and fungi growth on the debris. The study stream has a gradient of about 1%, bankfull width and depth of 13.3 and 0.78 m, respectively, median grain size of 18 mm, a high wood loading (0.8 pieces/m), and a correspondingly low pool spacing (0.3 bankfull widths/pool), with 81% of the pools forced by wood debris. The size of wood debris in the study stream is large relative to the channel (average log length of 7.6 m and diameter of 0.35 m), rendering most debris immobile. Eighty-one pool-forming pieces of wood were dated over 1.2 km of stream length, with 28% of these pieces causing scour of more than one pool. In all, 122 wood-forced pools were dated, accounting for 38% of all pools at the site and 47% of the wood-forced pools. Fifty-three percent of the wood-forced pools lacked datable wood because these pieces either: were newly recruited; had been scoured by floods; or were contained below the active channel elevation, prohibiting vegetation establishment on the wood debris (the most common cause). The debris age distribution declined exponentially from 2 to 113 yrs., with a median value of 18 yrs. Similar exponential residence time distributions have been reported in other studies, but our analysis focused specifically on the ages of pool-forming wood

Inventory of Anchialine Pools in Hawaii's National Parks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Foote, David

2005-01-01

BACKGROUND Anchialine (?near the sea?) pools are rare and localized brackish waters along coastal lava flows that exhibit tidal fluctuations without a surface connection with the ocean (Fig. 1). In Hawai`i, these pools were frequently excavated or otherwise modified by Hawaiians to serve as sources of drinking water, baths and fish ponds. National Parks in Hawai`i possess the full spectrum of pool types, from walled fish ponds to undisturbed pools in collapsed lava tubes, cracks and caves. Pools contain relatively rare and unique fauna threatened primarily by invasive species and habitat loss. In collaboration with the National Park Service?s Inventory and Monitoring Program, the U.S. Geological Survey?s Pacific Island Ecosystems Research Center undertook inventories of these unique ecosystems in two National Parks on the island of Hawai`i: Hawai`i Volcanoes National Park and Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park.

The 25th anniversary of the retrograde suction decompression technique (Dallas technique) for the surgical management of paraclinoid aneurysms: historical background, systematic review, and pooled analysis of the literature.

PubMed

Flores, Bruno C; White, Jonathan A; Batjer, H Hunt; Samson, Duke S

2018-05-04

OBJECTIVE Paraclinoid internal carotid artery (ICA) aneurysms frequently require temporary occlusion to facilitate safe clipping. Brisk retrograde flow through the ophthalmic artery and cavernous ICA branches make simple trapping inadequate to soften the aneurysm. The retrograde suction decompression (RSD), or Dallas RSD, technique was described in 1990 in an attempt to overcome some of those treatment limitations. A frequent criticism of the RSD technique is an allegedly high risk of cervical ICA dissection. An endovascular modification was introduced in 1991 (endovascular RSD) but no studies have compared the 2 RSD variations. METHODS The authors performed a systematic review of MEDLINE/PubMed and Web of Science and identified all studies from 1990-2016 in which either Dallas RSD or endovascular RSD was used for treatment of paraclinoid aneurysms. A pooled analysis of the data was completed to identify important demographic and treatment-specific variables. The primary outcome measure was defined as successful aneurysm obliteration. Secondary outcome variables were divided into overall and RSD-specific morbidity and mortality rates. RESULTS Twenty-six RSD studies met the inclusion criteria (525 patients, 78.9% female). The mean patient age was 53.5 years. Most aneurysms were unruptured (56.6%) and giant (49%). The most common presentations were subarachnoid hemorrhage (43.6%) and vision changes (25.3%). The aneurysm obliteration rate was 95%. The mean temporary occlusion time was 12.7 minutes. Transient or permanent morbidity was seen in 19.9% of the patients. The RSD-specific complication rate was low (1.3%). The overall mortality rate was 4.2%, with 2 deaths (0.4%) attributable to the RSD technique itself. Good or fair outcome were reported in 90.7% of the patients. Aneurysm obliteration rates were similar in the 2 subgroups (Dallas RSD 94.3%, endovascular RSD 96.3%, p = 0.33). Despite a higher frequency of complex (giant or ruptured) aneurysms, Dallas RSD was

ASCAN Ochoa floats in pool during Elgin AFB water survival training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1990-01-01

1990 Group 13 Astronaut Candidate (ASCAN) Ellen Ochoa, wearing helmet and flight suit, climbs into a single person life raft while floating in a pool at Elgin Air Force Base (AFB) in Pensacola, Florida, during water survival exercises. Ochoa's underarm flotation device holds her above the water as she pulls herself into the life raft. The training familiarized the candidates with survival techniques necessary in the event of a water landing. ASCANs participated in the exercises from 08-14-90 through 08-17-90.

Macroinvertebrate community assembly in pools created during peatland restoration.

PubMed

Brown, Lee E; Ramchunder, Sorain J; Beadle, Jeannie M; Holden, Joseph

2016-11-01

Many degraded ecosystems are subject to restoration attempts, providing new opportunities to unravel the processes of ecological community assembly. Restoration of previously drained northern peatlands, primarily to promote peat and carbon accumulation, has created hundreds of thousands of new open water pools. We assessed the potential benefits of this wetland restoration for aquatic biodiversity, and how communities reassemble, by comparing pool ecosystems in regions of the UK Pennines on intact (never drained) versus restored (blocked drainage-ditches) peatland. We also evaluated the conceptual idea that comparing reference ecosystems in terms of their compositional similarity to null assemblages (and thus the relative importance of stochastic versus deterministic assembly) can guide evaluations of restoration success better than analyses of community composition or diversity. Community composition data highlighted some differences in the macroinvertebrate composition of restored pools compared to undisturbed peatland pools, which could be used to suggest that alternative end-points to restoration were influenced by stochastic processes. However, widely used diversity metrics indicated no differences between undisturbed and restored pools. Novel evaluations of restoration using null models confirmed the similarity of deterministic assembly processes from the national species pool across all pools. Stochastic elements were important drivers of between-pool differences at the regional-scale but the scale of these effects was also similar across most of the pools studied. The amalgamation of assembly theory into ecosystem restoration monitoring allows us to conclude with more certainty that restoration has been successful from an ecological perspective in these systems. Evaluation of these UK findings compared to those from peatlands across Europe and North America further suggests that restoring peatland pools delivers significant benefits for aquatic fauna by

The acquisition of gender labels in infancy: implications for gender-typed play.

PubMed

Zosuls, Kristina M; Ruble, Diane N; Tamis-Lemonda, Catherine S; Shrout, Patrick E; Bornstein, Marc H; Greulich, Faith K

2009-05-01

Two aspects of children's early gender development-the spontaneous production of gender labels and gender-typed play-were examined longitudinally in a sample of 82 children. Survival analysis, a statistical technique well suited to questions involving developmental transitions, was used to investigate the timing of the onset of children's gender labeling as based on mothers' biweekly telephone interviews regarding their children's language from 9 through 21 months. Videotapes of children's play both alone and with mother during home visits at 17 and 21 months were independently analyzed for play with gender-stereotyped and gender-neutral toys. Finally, the relation between gender labeling and gender-typed play was examined. Children transitioned to using gender labels at approximately 19 months, on average. Although girls and boys showed similar patterns in the development of gender labeling, girls began labeling significantly earlier than boys. Modest sex differences in play were present at 17 months and increased at 21 months. Gender labeling predicted increases in gender-typed play, suggesting that knowledge of gender categories might influence gender typing before the age of 2. Copyright 2009 APA, all rights reserved