Non-invasive assessment of the liver using imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Thorling Thompson, Camilla; Wang, Haolu; Liu, Xin; Liang, Xiaowen; Crawford, Darrell H.; Roberts, Michael S.

2016-12-01

Chronic liver disease causes 2,000 deaths in Australia per year and early diagnosis is crucial to avoid progression to cirrhosis and end stage liver disease. There is no ideal method to evaluate liver function. Blood tests and liver biopsies provide spot examinations and are unable to track changes in function quickly. Therefore better techniques are needed. Non-invasive imaging has the potential to extract increased information over a large sampling area, continuously tracking dynamic changes in liver function. This project aimed to study the ability of three imaging techniques, multiphoton and fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy, infrared thermography and photoacoustic imaging, in measuring liver function. Collagen deposition was obvious in multiphoton and fluorescence lifetime imaging in fibrosis and cirrhosis and comparable to conventional histology. Infrared thermography revealed a significantly increased liver temperature in hepatocellular carcinoma. In addition, multiphoton and fluorescence lifetime imaging and photoacoustic imaging could both track uptake and excretion of indocyanine green in rat liver. These results prove that non-invasive imaging can extract crucial information about the liver continuously over time and has the potential to be translated into clinic in the assessment of liver disease.

Non-invasive assessment of coronary calcification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vliegenthart, Rozemarijn; Oei, Hok-Hay S.; Hofman, Albert; Oudkerk, Matthijs; Witteman, Jackqueline C. M.

2004-01-01

Electron-beam tomography (EBT) and multi-detector computed tomography (MDCT) enable the noninvasive assessment of coronary calcification. The amount of coronary calcification, as detected by EBT, has a close relation with the amount of coronary atherosclerosis, which is the substrate for the occurrence of myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. Calcification of the coronary arteries can be seen as a cumulative measure of life-time exposure to cardiovascular risk factors. Several studies have shown that the amount of coronary calcification is associated with the risk of coronary heart disease. Therefore, coronary calcification is a promising method for non-invasive detection of asymptomatic subjects at high risk of developing coronary heart disease. Whether measurement of coronary calcification also increases the predictive power of coronary events based on cardiovascular risk factors is topic of current research

Assessment of air quality in Mangabeiras' Park, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, using epiphytic lichens as biomonitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viana, Camila de O.; Menezes, Maria Angela de B.C.; Maia, Elene C.P.

2009-01-01

Biomonitoring has been used as an alternative method to study the air pollution in several countries. The lichen, or lichenized fungi, is one of the most efficient on air pollution biomonitoring among the biomonitors. However, in Brazil, systematic use of lichens as biomonitors of environmental pollution is quite rare. In order to make an assessment of the air quality of the Mangabeiras' Park, this study was conducted by measuring the concentration of elements accumulated in the lichen thallus. This park, located in Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais, Brazil), is the greatest green area in the city, and an apparent region of non polluted air. During the development of the study, epiphytic lichens of several species were collected using a steel stainless knife, taking samples of similar sizes from 1.5 m from the soil. The lichens selection was based on morphological similarities, such as color and type of the thallus. The elemental concentration determination was carried out applying the neutron activation technique, k 0 -standardization method, using the TRIGA Mark I IPR-R1 research reactor located at CDTN/CNEN. The lichen samples presented expressive concentrations of Ba, Fe, K, Na and Zn. However, the presence of other characteristic soil elements from the region, such as As, Th and U, suggests the influence of the mining activity area, located in the surroundings. (author)

Expanding Genomic Biomonitoring to Regional & National Scale Projects

Science.gov (United States)

This presentation provides a summary of ORD/NERL/SED research efforts applying DNA metabarcoding to questions related to biomonitoring and invasive species detection, along with development of sensitive indicators of nutrient condition.

Novel algorithm for non-invasive assessment of fibrosis in NAFLD.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan-Peter Sowa

Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Various conditions of liver disease and the downsides of liver biopsy call for a non-invasive option to assess liver fibrosis. A non-invasive score would be especially useful to identify patients with slow advancing fibrotic processes, as in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD, which should undergo histological examination for fibrosis. PATIENTS/METHODS: Classic liver serum parameters, hyaluronic acid (HA and cell death markers of 126 patients undergoing bariatric surgery for morbid obesity were analyzed by machine learning techniques (logistic regression, k-nearest neighbors, linear support vector machines, rule-based systems, decision trees and random forest (RF. Specificity, sensitivity and accuracy of the evaluated datasets to predict fibrosis were assessed. RESULTS: None of the single parameters (ALT, AST, M30, M60, HA did differ significantly between patients with a fibrosis score 1 or 2. However, combining these parameters using RFs reached 79% accuracy in fibrosis prediction with a sensitivity of more than 60% and specificity of 77%. Moreover, RFs identified the cell death markers M30 and M65 as more important for the decision than the classic liver parameters. CONCLUSION: On the basis of serum parameters the generation of a fibrosis scoring system seems feasible, even when only marginally fibrotic tissue is available. Prospective evaluation of novel markers, i.e. cell death parameters, should be performed to identify an optimal set of fibrosis predictors.

Ultraweak photon emission as a non-invasive health assessment: A systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ives, J.A.; Wijk, E.P.A. van; Bat, N.; Crawford, C.; Walter, A.; Jonas, W.B.; Wijk, R. van; Greef, J. van der

2014-01-01

We conducted a systematic review (SR) of the peer reviewed scientific literature on ultraweak photon emissions (UPE) from humans. The question was: Can ultraweak photon emissions from humans be used as a non-invasive health assessment? A systematic search was conducted across eight relevant

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy as a Novel Non-Invasive Tool to Assess Spiny Lobster Nutritional Condition

Science.gov (United States)

Rodemann, Thomas; Carter, Chris G.

2016-01-01

Rapid non-invasive monitoring of spiny lobster nutritional condition has considerable application in the established fishery, live market and prospective aquaculture. The aim of this research was to test the feasibility of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as a novel non-invasive tool to assess the nutritional condition of three lobster species. Lobster (n = 92) abdominal muscle dry matter (AMDM) and carbon content (AMC) correlated significantly with indices of nutritional condition including hepatopancreas dry matter (HPDM; rho = 0.83, 0.78), total lipid content (HPTL; rho = 0.85, 0.87) and haemolymph total protein (TP; rho = 0.89, 0.87 respectively). Abdominal muscle nitrogen content (AMN) was a poor correlate of nutritional condition. Models based on FT-NIR scanning of whole lobster tails successfully predicted AMDM, AMN and AMC (RMSECV = 1.41%, 0.35% and 0.91%; R2 = 0.75, 0.65, 0.77, respectively), and to a lower accuracy HPDM, HPTL and TP (RMSECV = 6.22%, 8.37%, 18.4 g l-1; R2 = 0.51, 0.70, 0.83, respectively). NIRS was applied successfully to assess the condition of spiny lobsters non-invasively. This pilot study paves the way for the development of crustacean condition models using portable non-invasive devices in the laboratory or in the field. PMID:27442242

Evaluation of biomonitoring data from the CDC National Exposure Report in a risk assessment context: perspectives across chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Aylward, Lesa L; Kirman, Christopher R; Schoeny, Rita; Portier, Christopher J; Hays, Sean M

2013-03-01

Biomonitoring data reported in the National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals [NER; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2012)] provide information on the presence and concentrations of > 400 chemicals in human blood and urine. Biomonitoring Equivalents (BEs) and other risk assessment-based values now allow interpretation of these biomonitoring data in a public health risk context. We compared the measured biomarker concentrations in the NER with BEs and similar risk assessment values to provide an across-chemical risk assessment perspective on the measured levels for approximately 130 analytes in the NER. We identified available risk assessment-based biomarker screening values, including BEs and Human Biomonitoring-I (HBM-I) values from the German Human Biomonitoring Commission. Geometric mean and 95th percentile population biomarker concentrations from the NER were compared to the available screening values to generate chemical-specific hazard quotients (HQs) or cancer risk estimates. Most analytes in the NER show HQ values of chemicals, benzene, xylene, several metals, di-2(ethylhexyl)phthalate, and some legacy organochlorine pesticides) approach or exceed HQ values of 1 or cancer risks of > 1 × 10-4 at the geometric mean or 95th percentile, suggesting exposure levels may exceed published human health benchmarks. This analysis provides for the first time a means for examining population biomonitoring data for multiple environmental chemicals in the context of the risk assessments for those chemicals. The results of these comparisons can be used to focus more detailed chemical-specific examination of the data and inform priorities for chemical risk management and research.

The use of biomonitoring data in exposure and human health risk assessment: benzene case study

OpenAIRE

Arnold, Scott M.; Angerer, Juergen; Boogaard, Peter J.; Hughes, Michael F.; O?Lone, Raegan B.; Robison, Steven H.; Robert Schnatter, A.

2013-01-01

A framework of ?Common Criteria? (i.e. a series of questions) has been developed to inform the use and evaluation of biomonitoring data in the context of human exposure and risk assessment. The data-rich chemical benzene was selected for use in a case study to assess whether refinement of the Common Criteria framework was necessary, and to gain additional perspective on approaches for integrating biomonitoring data into a risk-based context. The available data for benzene satisfied most of th...

Non-invasive vascular imaging: assessing tumour vascularity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delorme, S.; Knopp, M.V.

1998-01-01

Non-invasive assessment of vascularity is a new diagnostic approach to characterise tumours. Vascular assessment is based on the pathophysiology of tumour angiogenesis and its diagnostic implications for tumour biology, prognosis and therapy response. Two current techniques investigating vascular features in addition to morphology are Doppler ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced MRI. Diagnostic differentiation has been shown to be possible with Doppler, and a high degree of observed vascularity could be linked to an aggressive course of the disease. Dynamic MRI using gadolinium chelates is already used clinically to detect and differentiate tumours. The histological correlation shows that capillary permeability is increased in malignant tumours and is the best criterion for differentiation from benign processes. Permeability and perfusion factors seem to be more diagnostic than overall vessel density. New clinical applications are currently being established for therapy monitoring. Further instrumental developments will bring harmonic imaging in Doppler, and faster imaging techniques, higher spatial resolution and novel pharmacokinetic concepts in MRI. Upcoming contrast agents for both Doppler and MRI will further improve estimation of intratumoural blood volume and vascular permeability. (orig.)

Owls as biomonitors of environmental contamination

Science.gov (United States)

Steven R. Sheffield

1997-01-01

Much like the caged canary used by miners, a plethora of wildlife species have been promoted as biomonitors of environmental contamination. These species provide an "early warning system" for toxic contaminants in the environment. Species promoted as useful biomonitors share many common life history characters, such as wide distribution, territorial, non-...

Biomonitoring in the Era of the Exposome.

Science.gov (United States)

Dennis, Kristine K; Marder, Elizabeth; Balshaw, David M; Cui, Yuxia; Lynes, Michael A; Patti, Gary J; Rappaport, Stephen M; Shaughnessy, Daniel T; Vrijheid, Martine; Barr, Dana Boyd

2017-04-01

The term "exposome" was coined in 2005 to underscore the importance of the environment to human health and to bring research efforts in line with those on the human genome. The ability to characterize environmental exposures through biomonitoring is key to exposome research efforts. Our objectives were to describe why traditional and nontraditional (exposomic) biomonitoring are both critical in studies aiming to capture the exposome and to make recommendations on how to transition exposure research toward exposomic approaches. We describe the biomonitoring needs of exposome research and approaches and recommendations that will help fill the gaps in the current science. Traditional and exposomic biomonitoring approaches have key advantages and disadvantages for assessing exposure. Exposomic approaches differ from traditional biomonitoring methods in that they can include all exposures of potential health significance, whether from endogenous or exogenous sources. Issues of sample availability and quality, identification of unknown analytes, capture of nonpersistent chemicals, integration of methods, and statistical assessment of increasingly complex data sets remain challenges that must continue to be addressed. To understand the complexity of exposures faced throughout the lifespan, both traditional and nontraditional biomonitoring methods should be used. Through hybrid approaches and the integration of emerging techniques, biomonitoring strategies can be maximized in research to define the exposome.

Assessment of non-invasive time and frequency atrial fibrillation organization markers with unipolar atrial electrograms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alcaraz, Raúl; Hornero, Fernando; Rieta, José J

2011-01-01

The standard electrocardiogram (ECG) is the most common non-invasive way to study atrial fibrillation (AF). In this respect, previous works have shown that the surface lead V 1 reflects mainly the dominant atrial frequency (DAF) of the right atrium (RA), which has been widely used to study AF. In a similar way, AF organization and fibrillatory (f) wave amplitude are two recently proposed non-invasive AF markers. These markers need to be validated with invasive recordings in order to assess their capability to reliably reflect the internal fibrillatory activity dynamics. In this work, these two non-invasive metrics have been compared with similar measures recorded from two unipolar atrial electrograms (AEGs). For both ECG and AEG signals, AF organization has been computed by applying a nonlinear regularity index, such as sample entropy (SampEn), to the atrial activity (AA) and to its fundamental waveform, defined as the main atrial wave (MAW). The surface and epicardial f wave amplitude has been estimated through their mean power. Results obtained for 38 patients showed statistically significant correlations between the values measured from surface and invasive recordings, thus corroborating the usefulness of the aforesaid markers in the non-invasive study of AF. Precisely, for AF organization computed from the MAW, the correlation coefficients between surface and both AEGs were R = 0.926 (p < 0.001) and R = 0.932 (p < 0.001). For f wave amplitude, slightly lower significant relationships were noticed, the correlation coefficients being R = 0.765 (p < 0.001) and R = 0.842 (p < 0.001). These outcomes together with interesting linear relationships found among the parameters suggest that AF regularity estimated via SampEn and f wave amplitude can non-invasively characterize the epicardial activity related to AF

Non-invasive assessment of gastric activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smallwood, R.H.; Brown, B.H.

1983-01-01

There have been many suggestions for the routine clinical use of the electro-enterogram, but with the exception of the reported usage in the USSR no significant penetration into medical practice has been reported elsewhere. Amongst the many suggestions have been the possible application of electrical stimulation via surface electrodes to overcome post-operative inhibition of intestinal electrical activity, which can be recorded via surface electrodes. Gastric emptying studies have shown that duodenal ulceration is associated with changes in the rate and pattern of emptying of solid meals. Identifiable patterns in the electro-gastrogram following a metal might have diagnostic application. There is some evidence of correlations of electrical activity and pathology in the large intestine. In the colon diverticular disease has been shown to change the frequency content of the slow wave electrical activity and there is some evidence that this might be recorded from surface electrodes. A major obstacle to progress remains the inability to relate non-invasive recordings to intestinal motility. The best hope may be the use of direct and yet non-invasive methods of obtaining motility and in this context real-time ultrasound imaging is probably the most promising technique. The electro-gastrogram has certainly been shown to allow recording of gastric slow wave activity and there is a reasonable hope that further methods of analysis will allow inferential information on motility to be obtained. The following section makes brief mention of these techniques

Joint assessment of responses of biomonitors to airborne nickel and vanadium through nuclear and non-nuclear techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacheco, A.M.G.; Freitas, M.C.; Baptista, M.S.; Vasconcelos, M.T.S.D.; Porto University, Porto; Cabral, J.P.; Porto University, Porto

2008-01-01

This study deals with the influence of the exposure conditions on biological uptake, by looking into concentrations of Ni and V in lichen thalli and tree bark after continuous and discontinuous field trials at littoral sites impacted by anthropogenic emissions. Biomonitors were assessed by k 0 -INAA and AAS. Correlations at Sines are more apparent than at Viana or Lisboa. When data from all sites are pooled, V shows correlations for practically every situation while Ni shows none, which may indicate a dissimilar uptake mechanism for each element. At Sines, V/Ni ratios reach values that comply with emissions from oil-related industries. (author)

Human biomonitoring in civil defense; Humanbiomonitoring im Bevoelkerungsschutz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mueller, Michael; Schmiechen, Katharina [Universitaetsmedizin Goettingen (Germany). Arbeits-, Sozial- und Umweltmedizin

2012-07-01

The booklet on human biomonitoring (HBM) in civil defense covers the following issues within two sections: (1) general part: definition and importance of human biomonitoring; application in civil defense; practice in a CBRN (chemical, biological, radiation, nuclear) scenario; sampling following a CBRN assignment; HBM for antidote administration; peculiarities of sampling in case of biological agents; microbiological detection procedure; human biomonitoring of radioactive metal isotopes. (2) Special part: substance profiles; list of HBM laboratories; list of poison information centers; questionnaire for exposure assessment in case of dangerous substance accidents; agreement for human biomonitoring examination.

Non-destructive techniques for biomonitoring of spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns of mercury bioaccumulation and maternal transfer in turtles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, Brittney C.; Hepner, Mark J.; Hopkins, William A.

2013-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is a globally ubiquitous pollutant that has received much attention due to its toxicity to humans and wildlife. The development of non-destructive sampling techniques is a critical step for sustainable monitoring of Hg accumulation. We evaluated the efficacy of non-destructive sampling techniques and assessed spatial, temporal, and demographic factors that influence Hg bioaccumulation in turtles. We collected muscle, blood, nail, and eggs from snapping turtles (Chelydra serpentina) inhabiting an Hg contaminated river. As predicted, all Hg tissue concentrations strongly and positively correlated with each other. Additionally, we validated our mathematical models against two additional Hg contaminated locations and found that tissue relationships developed from the validation sites did not significantly differ from those generated from the original sampling site. The models provided herein will be useful for a wide array of systems where biomonitoring of Hg in turtles needs to be accomplished in a conservation-minded fashion. -- Highlights: ► Non-lethal sampling is critical for sustainable monitoring of mercury in wildlife. ► We evaluated the efficacy of non-lethal sampling techniques in turtles. ► We created mathematical models between egg, muscle, blood, and nail tissues. ► Mathematical tissue models were applicable to other mercury contaminated areas. ► Non-lethal techniques will be useful for monitoring contamination in other systems. -- We developed and validated mathematical models that will be useful for biomonitoring Hg accumulation in turtles in a conservation-minded fashion

Foreword: Biomonitoring Equivalents special issue.

Science.gov (United States)

Meek, M E; Sonawane, B; Becker, R A

2008-08-01

The challenge of interpreting results of biomonitoring for environmental chemicals in humans is highlighted in this Foreword to the Biomonitoring Equivalents (BEs) special issue of Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology. There is a pressing need to develop risk-based tools in order to empower scientists and health professionals to interpret and communicate the significance of human biomonitoring data. The BE approach, which integrates dosimetry and risk assessment methods, represents an important advancement on the path toward achieving this objective. The articles in this issue, developed as a result of an expert panel meeting, present guidelines for derivation of BEs, guidelines for communication using BEs and several case studies illustrating application of the BE approach for specific substances.

Non-invasive assessment of hepatic fat accumulation in chronic hepatitis C by 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krssak, Martin; Hofer, Harald; Wrba, Fritz; Meyerspeer, Martin; Brehm, Attila; Lohninger, Alfred; Steindl-Munda, Petra; Moser, Ewald; Ferenci, Peter; Roden, Michael

2010-01-01

Background: Liver biopsy is the standard method for diagnosis of hepatic steatosis, but is invasive and carries some risk of morbidity. Aims and methods: Quantification of hepatocellular lipid content (HCL) with non-invasive single voxel 1 H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 3 T was compared with histological grading and biochemical analysis of liver biopsies in 29 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Body mass index, indices of insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment index, HOMA-IR), serum lipids and serum liver transaminases were also quantified. Results: HCL as assessed by 1 H MRS linearly correlated (r = 0.70, p 1 H MRS (r = 0.63, p 1 H MRS is a valid and useful method for quantification of HCL content in patients with chronic hepatitis C and can be easily applied to non-invasively monitoring of steatosis during repeated follow-up measurements in a clinical setting.

Non-invasive assessment of hemispheric language dominance by optical topography during a brief passive listening test: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bembich, Stefano; Demarini, Sergio; Clarici, Andrea; Massaccesi, Stefano; Grasso, Domenico Loenardo

2011-12-01

The Wada test is usually used for pre-surgical assessment of language lateralization. Considering its invasiveness and risk of complications, alternative methods have been proposed but they are not always applicable to non-cooperative patients. In this study we explored the possibility of using optical topography (OT)--a multichannel near-infrared system--for non-invasive assessment of hemispheric language dominance during passive listening. Cortical activity was monitored in a sample of healthy, adult Italian native speakers, all right-handed. We assessed changes in oxy-haemoglobin concentration in temporal, parietal and posterior frontal lobes during a passive listening of bi-syllabic words and vowel-consonant-vowel syllables lasting less then 3 minutes. Activated channels were identified by t tests. Left hemisphere showed significant activity only during the passive listening of bi-syllabic words. Specifically, the superior temporal gyrus, the supramarginal gyrus and the posterior inferior parietal lobe were activated. During passive listening of bi-syllabic words, right handed healthy adults showed a significant activation in areas already known to be involved in speech comprehension. Although more research is needed, OT proved to be a promising alternative to the Wada test for non-invasive assessment of hemispheric language lateralization, even if using a particularly brief trial, which has been designed for future applications with non-cooperative subjects.

Characterization of cholinesterases in plasma of three Portuguese native bird species: application to biomonitoring.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cátia S A Santos

Full Text Available Over the last decades the inhibition of plasma cholinesterase (ChE activity has been widely used as a biomarker to diagnose organophosphate and carbamate exposure. Plasma ChE activity is a useful and non-invasive method to monitor bird exposure to anticholinesterase compounds; nonetheless several studies had shown that the ChE form(s present in avian plasma may vary greatly among species. In order to support further biomonitoring studies and provide reference data for wildlife risk-assessment, plasma cholinesterase of the northern gannet (Morus bassanus, the white stork (Ciconia ciconia and the grey heron (Ardea cinerea were characterized using three substrates (acetylthiocholine iodide, propionylthiocholine iodide, and S-butyrylthiocholine iodide and three ChE inhibitors (eserine sulphate, BW284C51, and iso-OMPA. Additionally, the range of ChE activity that may be considered as basal levels for non-exposed individuals was determined. The results suggest that in the plasma of the three species studied the main cholinesterase form present is butyrylcholinesterase (BChE. Plasma BChE activity in non-exposed individuals was 0.48±0.11 SD U/ml, 0.39±0.12 SD U/ml, 0.15±0.04 SD U/ml in the northern gannet, white stork and grey heron, respectively. These results are crucial for the further use of plasma BChE activity in these bird species as a contamination bioindicator of anti-cholinesterase agents in both wetland and marine environments. Our findings also underscore the importance of plasma ChE characterization before its use as a biomarker in biomonitoring studies with birds.

Fluid challenge: tracking changes in cardiac output with blood pressure monitoring (invasive or non-invasive).

Science.gov (United States)

Lakhal, Karim; Ehrmann, Stephan; Perrotin, Dominique; Wolff, Michel; Boulain, Thierry

2013-11-01

To assess whether invasive and non-invasive blood pressure (BP) monitoring allows the identification of patients who have responded to a fluid challenge, i.e., who have increased their cardiac output (CO). Patients with signs of circulatory failure were prospectively included. Before and after a fluid challenge, CO and the mean of four intra-arterial and oscillometric brachial cuff BP measurements were collected. Fluid responsiveness was defined by an increase in CO ≥10 or ≥15% in case of regular rhythm or arrhythmia, respectively. In 130 patients, the correlation between a fluid-induced increase in pulse pressure (Δ500mlPP) and fluid-induced increase in CO was weak and was similar for invasive and non-invasive measurements of BP: r² = 0.31 and r² = 0.29, respectively (both p area under the receiver-operating curve (AUC) of 0.82 (0.74-0.88), similar (p = 0.80) to that of non-invasive Δ500mlPP [AUC of 0.81 (0.73-0.87)]. Outside large gray zones of inconclusive values (5-23% for invasive Δ500mlPP and 4-35% for non-invasive Δ500mlPP, involving 35 and 48% of patients, respectively), the detection of responsiveness or unresponsiveness to fluid was reliable. Cardiac arrhythmia did not impair the performance of invasive or non-invasive Δ500mlPP. Other BP-derived indices did not outperform Δ500mlPP. As evidenced by large gray zones, BP-derived indices poorly reflected fluid responsiveness. However, in our deeply sedated population, a high increase in invasive pulse pressure (>23%) or even in non-invasive pulse pressure (>35%) reliably detected a response to fluid. In the absence of a marked increase in pulse pressure (<4-5%), a response to fluid was unlikely.

A Proposal for Assessing Study Quality: Biomonitoring, Environmental Epidemiology, and Short-Lived Chemicals (BEES-C) Instrument

Science.gov (United States)

The quality of exposure assessment is a major determinant of the overall quality of any environmental epidemiology study. The use of biomonitoring as a tool for assessing exposure to ubiquitous chemicals with short physiologic half-lives began relatively recently. These chemicals...

Assessment of occupational exposure and contamination by means of airborne particulate matter and biomonitors using k0 instrumental neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menezes, M.A. de B.C.; Pereira Maia, E.C.; Filho, S.S.; Albinati, C.

2002-01-01

In order to assess the elemental concentration level in a galvanizing industry and alert for the need to assess the outcome of a long-term exposure, scalp hair and toenail samples were used as bioindicators and the industry environment was evaluated through airborne particulate matter. The elemental concentration results have pointed out a high exposure to pollutant at workplaces and a high elemental concentration in biomonitors suggesting endogenous contamination. The majority of the elements determined in airborne particulate matter were also determined in hair and toenail samples. The results evidence the efficiency of these matrixes as biomonitors and the importance to carry out the airborne particulate matter sampling in parallel to these biomonitors mainly in occupational epidemiological studies. (author)

Radio frequency energy for non-invasive and minimally invasive skin tightening.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulholland, R Stephen

2011-07-01

This article reviews the non-invasive and minimally invasive options for skin tightening, focusing on peer-reviewed articles and presentations and those technologies with the most proven or promising RF non-excisional skin-tightening results for excisional surgeons. RF has been the mainstay of non-invasive skin tightening and has emerged as the "cutting edge" technology in the minimally invasive skin-tightening field. Because these RF skin-tightening technologies are capital equipment purchases with a significant cost associated, this article also discusses some business issues and models that have proven to work in the plastic surgeon's office for non-invasive and minimally invasive skin-tightening technologies. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-drug Non-invasive Treatment in the Management of Low Back ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

... of functional independence and quality of life. Aim: The main purpose of this study was to assess the results of non-drug non-invasive treatment in the management of LBP. Subjects and Methods: This was prospective study conducted in the Department of Orthopedics in M. M. Medical College, Mullana, Ambala, Haryana, ...

Development of Screening Tools for the Interpretation of Chemical Biomonitoring Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard A. Becker

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Evaluation of a larger number of chemicals in commerce from the perspective of potential human health risk has become a focus of attention in North America and Europe. Screening-level chemical risk assessment evaluations consider both exposure and hazard. Exposures are increasingly being evaluated through biomonitoring studies in humans. Interpreting human biomonitoring results requires comparison to toxicity guidance values. However, conventional chemical-specific risk assessments result in identification of toxicity-based exposure guidance values such as tolerable daily intakes (TDIs as applied doses that cannot directly be used to evaluate exposure information provided by biomonitoring data in a health risk context. This paper describes a variety of approaches for development of screening-level exposure guidance values with translation from an external dose to a biomarker concentration framework for interpreting biomonitoring data in a risk context. Applications of tools and concepts including biomonitoring equivalents (BEs, the threshold of toxicologic concern (TTC, and generic toxicokinetic and physiologically based toxicokinetic models are described. These approaches employ varying levels of existing chemical-specific data, chemical class-specific assessments, and generic modeling tools in response to varying levels of available data in order to allow assessment and prioritization of chemical exposures for refined assessment in a risk management context.

Assessment of non-invasive models for liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B virus related liver disease patients in resource limited settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Shrivastava, Rakesh; Sen, Sourav; Banerji, Debabrata; Praharaj, Ashok K; Chopra, Gurvinder Singh; Gill, Satyajit Singh

2013-01-01

A total of 350 million individuals are affected by chronic hepatitis B virus infection world-wide. Historically, liver biopsy has been instrumental in adequately assessing patients with chronic liver disease. A number of non-invasive models have been studied world-wide. The aim of this study is to assess the utility of non-invasive mathematical models of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Indian patients in a resource limited setting using routinely performed non-invasive laboratory investigations. A cross-sectional study carried out at a tertiary care center. A total of 52 consecutive chronic liver disease patients who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy and 25 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Routine laboratory investigations included serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), Alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Gama glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT), total bilirubin, total cholesterol, prothrombin time and platelet count. Three non-invasive models for namely aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), Fibrosis 4 (FIB-4) and Forn's index were calculated. Outcomes were compared for the assessment of best predictor of fibrosis by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) of each index. Medcalc online software and by Microsoft Excel Worksheet. Chi-square test was used for significance. P value value of all 3 indices were significantly higher in patients group as compare with the controls (P model for excluding significant liver fibrosis while FIB-4 with a PPV of 61% showed fair correlation with significant fibrosis. Thus, these two non-invasive models for predicting of liver fibrosis, namely APRI and FIB-4, can be utilized in combination as screening tools in monitoring of CHB patients, especially in resource limiting settings.

Use of ECG and Other Simple Non-Invasive Tools to Assess Pulmonary Hypertension.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabor Kovacs

Full Text Available There is a broad consensus that pulmonary hypertension (PH is to be diagnosed by right heart catheterization (RHC and that the most important non-invasive tool is echocardiography. However, the role of simple non-invasive tools in the work-up of PH is not clearly defined. We hypothesized that the use of simple non-invasive techniques may help to guide important decisions in the diagnostics of pulmonary hypertension.We aimed to develop an algorithm with the use of simple, non-invasive tools in order to identify patients with very high or very low likelihood of PH.We retrospectively analyzed all consecutive patients undergoing RHC between 2005 and 2010 in our center and performed logistic regression of simple non-invasive parameters regarding detection and exclusion of PH and derived a two-step algorithm. In a prospective study we evaluated this algorithm between 2011 and 2013.The retrospective cohort consisted of n = 394 patients of which 49% presented with PH. Right axis deviation in the ECG was present in 90/394 patients and had a positive predictive value (PPV of 93% for PH. The combination of non-right axis deviation, N-terminal pro brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP<333pg/ml, arterial oxygen saturation (SO2≥95.5% and WHO functional class I-II was present in 69/394 patients and excluded PH with a negative predictive value (NPV of 96%. The prospective study confirmed these results in a cohort of n = 168 patients (PPV:92%, NPV:97%. Taken together, simple non-invasive tools allowed a prediction regarding the presence or absence of PH in 42% of patients with suspected PH.ECG, NT-proBNP, SO2 and WHO functional class may predict the presence or absence of PH in almost half of the patients with suspected PH, suggesting an important role for these variables in the work-up of patients at risk for PH.NCT01607502.

Human biomonitoring after chemical incidents and during short-term maintenance work as a tool for exposure analysis and assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bader, M; Van Weyenbergh, T; Verwerft, E; Van Pul, J; Lang, S; Oberlinner, C

2014-12-15

Human biomonitoring (HBM) is frequently used for the analysis and assessment of exposure to chemicals under routine working conditions. In recent years, HBM has also been applied to monitor the exposure of the general population, and of emergency responders in the aftermath of chemical incidents. Two examples of targeted HBM programs in the chemical industry are described and discussed in this paper: (1) analysis and assessment of the exposure of firefighters and chemical workers after the spill of p-chloroaniline from a burning chemical barrel, and (2) biomonitoring of maintenance workers potentially exposed to benzene during regular turnarounds. The results of these investigations underline that human biomonitoring contributes substantially to comprehensive exposure analyses, human health risk assessments and communication. In addition, regular HBM surveillance and feedback can assist in the continuous improvement of workplace safety measures and exposure control. In conclusion, data on accidental or short-term exposure to hazardous chemicals are an important source of information for the further development of limit and assessment values, the validation of biomarkers and of targeted HBM programs for both routine monitoring and disaster management. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive assessment of muscle stiffness in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

Science.gov (United States)

Lacourpaille, Lilian; Hug, François; Guével, Arnaud; Péréon, Yann; Magot, Armelle; Hogrel, Jean-Yves; Nordez, Antoine

2015-02-01

Assessment of muscle mechanical properties may provide clinically valuable information for follow-up of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) through the course of their disease. In this study we aimed to assess the effect of DMD on stiffness of relaxed muscles using elastography (supersonic shear imaging). Fourteen DMD patients and 13 control subjects were studied. Six muscles were measured at 2 muscle lengths (shortened and stretched): gastrocnemius medialis (GM); tibialis anterior (TA); vastus lateralis (VL); biceps brachii (BB); triceps brachii (TB); and abductor digiti minimi (ADM). Stiffness was significantly higher in DMD patients compared with controls for all the muscles (main effect for population, P muscle lengths) to large (d = 0.86 for BB/stretched). Supersonic shear imaging is a sensitive non-invasive technique to assess the increase in muscle stiffness associated with DMD. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Clinical role of non-invasive assessment of portal hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolognesi, Massimo; Di Pascoli, Marco; Sacerdoti, David

2017-01-07

Measurement of portal pressure is pivotal in the evaluation of patients with liver cirrhosis. The measurement of the hepatic venous pressure gradient represents the reference method by which portal pressure is estimated. However, it is an invasive procedure that requires significant hospital resources, including experienced staff, and is associated with considerable cost. Non-invasive methods that can be reliably used to estimate the presence and the degree of portal hypertension are urgently needed in clinical practice. Biochemical and morphological parameters have been proposed for this purpose, but have shown disappointing results overall. Splanchnic Doppler ultrasonography and the analysis of microbubble contrast agent kinetics with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography have shown better accuracy for the evaluation of patients with portal hypertension. A key advancement in the non-invasive evaluation of portal hypertension has been the introduction in clinical practice of methods able to measure stiffness in the liver, as well as stiffness/congestion in the spleen. According to the data published to date, it appears to be possible to rule out clinically significant portal hypertension in patients with cirrhosis ( i.e ., hepatic venous pressure gradient ≥ 10 mmHg) with a level of clinically-acceptable accuracy by combining measurements of liver stiffness and spleen stiffness along with Doppler ultrasound evaluation. It is probable that the combination of these methods may also allow for the identification of patients with the most serious degree of portal hypertension, and ongoing research is helping to ensure progress in this field.

Non-invasive hemoglobin monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Joseph, Bellal; Haider, Ansab; Rhee, Peter

2016-09-01

Technology has transformed the practice of medicine and surgery in particular over the last several decades. This change in practice has allowed diagnostic and therapeutic tests to be performed less invasively. Hemoglobin monitoring remains one of the most commonly performed diagnostic tests in the United States. Recently, non-invasive hemoglobin monitoring technology has gained popularity. The aim of this article is to review the principles of how this technology works, pros and cons, and the implications of non-invasive hemoglobin technology particularly in trauma surgery. Copyright © 2015 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Non-Invasive Multi-Spectral Imaging to Quantitatively Assess Tissue Vasculature

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vogel, A; Chernomordik, V; Riley, J; Hassan, M; Amyot, F; Dasgeb, B; Demos, S G; Pursley, R; Little, R; Yarchoan, R; Tao, Y; Gandjbakhche, A H

2007-10-04

This research describes a non-invasive, non-contact method used to quantitatively analyze the functional characteristics of tissue. Multi-spectral images collected at several near-infrared wavelengths are input into a mathematical optical skin model that considers the contributions from different analytes in the epidermis and dermis skin layers. Through a reconstruction algorithm, we can quantify the percent of blood in a given area of tissue and the fraction of that blood that is oxygenated. Imaging normal tissue confirms previously reported values for the percent of blood in tissue and the percent of blood that is oxygenated in tissue and surrounding vasculature, for the normal state and when ischemia is induced. This methodology has been applied to assess vascular Kaposi's sarcoma lesions and the surrounding tissue before and during experimental therapies. The multi-spectral imaging technique has been combined with laser Doppler imaging to gain additional information. Results indicate that these techniques are able to provide quantitative and functional information about tissue changes during experimental drug therapy and investigate progression of disease before changes are visibly apparent, suggesting a potential for them to be used as complementary imaging techniques to clinical assessment.

Climate biomonitoring. Assessing climate change and its impacts on the biosphere. New focus of the working group bioindication/assessment of effects; Klima-Biomonitoring: Nachweis des Klimawandels und dessen Folgen fuer die belebte Umwelt. Neuer Schwerpunkt des Arbeitskreises Bioindikation/Wirkungsermittlung

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gebhardt, Harald [Landesanstalt fuer Umwelt, Messungen und Naturschutz Baden-Wuerttemberg, Karlsruhe (Germany); Rammert, Uwe [Landesamt fuer Landwirtschaft, Umwelt und laendliche Raeume Schleswig-Holstein, Flintbek (Germany); Schroeder, Winfried [Hochschule Vechta (Germany). Lehrstuhl fuer Landschaftsoekologie; Wolf, Helmut [Hessisches Landesamt fuer Umwelt und Geologie, Wiesbaden (Germany)

2010-02-15

Background, aim and scope: The use of biomonitoring is proposed for the identification, assessment and documentation of climate change impacts on the biosphere as requested in the German 'National Adaptation Strategy' (BMU 2009), because - this method succeeds to present climatic changes in especially sensitive areas of Germany including their habitats, ecosystems, and species; - it can reveal relevant information about the migration and dispersal of new pests and diseases threatening humans, animals and plants; - it can provide politicians with information, documents and a basis for decision support to assess climate change impacts and - it is possible to develop new and to evaluate the effectiveness of existing adaptive measures. It is proposed to use the term 'climate biomonitoring' for biomonitoring methods that are able to indicate climate change effects. For several reasons (e.g. unified methods, common data basis, cost reduction) all federal states should participate in it. Today, bioindication is an indispensable method for the early detection of changes in the biosphere, giving information about special hazards (early warning system). Climate biomonitoring preferably makes use of already existing monitoring systems and data collections. Materials and methods: Climate biomonitoring refers back to accepted and tested methods of bioindication to assess environmental changes. Existing methods are enhanced and supplemented in order to meet the particular needs for the indication of climate change conditions. On the basis of an evaluation of relevant and actual monitoring programs on state and national level we identify relevant impacts of climate change and programs providing relevant data, and we propose evaluation methods. Additionally, other data sources are described, that may enable further in depth assessments. Results: An overview table systematically lists the monitoring programs on national and state level and shows their relevance

New trend in non-invasive prenatal diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ferrari, M; Carrera, P; Lampasona, V; Galbiati, S

2015-12-07

The presence of fetal DNA in maternal plasma represents a source of genetic material which can be obtained non-invasively. To date, the translation of noninvasive prenatal diagnosis from research into clinical practice has been rather fragmented, and despite the advances in improving the analytical sensitivity of methods, distinguishing between fetal and maternal sequences remains very challenging. Thus, the field of noninvasive prenatal diagnosis of genetic diseases has yet to attain a routine application in clinical diagnostics. On the contrary, fetal sex determination in pregnancies at high risk of sex-linked disorders, tests for fetal RHD genotyping and non-invasive assessment of chromosomal aneuploidies are now available worldwide. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cardiac abnormalities assessed by non-invasive techniques in patients with newly diagnosed idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Diederichsen, Louise Pyndt; Simonsen, Jane Angel; Diederichsen, Axel Cosmus Pyndt

2015-01-01

inflammatory myopathies (IIM) by means of non-invasive techniques. METHODS: Fourteen patients with IIM (8 polymyositis, 4 dermatomyositis, 2 cancer-associated dermatomyositis) and 14 gender- and age- matched healthy control subjects were investigated. Participant assessments included a cardiac questionnaire...... in 8 (57%) of the patients compared to none of the controls (pgroup (p=0.01). Two patients had systolic dysfunction, and one diastolic dysfunction...

[Meta-analyses on measurement precision of non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring technologies in adults].

Science.gov (United States)

Pestel, G; Fukui, K; Higashi, M; Schmidtmann, I; Werner, C

2018-06-01

An ideal non-invasive monitoring system should provide accurate and reproducible measurements of clinically relevant variables that enables clinicians to guide therapy accordingly. The monitor should be rapid, easy to use, readily available at the bedside, operator-independent, cost-effective and should have a minimal risk and side effect profile for patients. An example is the introduction of pulse oximetry, which has become established for non-invasive monitoring of oxygenation worldwide. A corresponding non-invasive monitoring of hemodynamics and perfusion could optimize the anesthesiological treatment to the needs in individual cases. In recent years several non-invasive technologies to monitor hemodynamics in the perioperative setting have been introduced: suprasternal Doppler ultrasound, modified windkessel function, pulse wave transit time, radial artery tonometry, thoracic bioimpedance, endotracheal bioimpedance, bioreactance, and partial CO 2 rebreathing have been tested for monitoring cardiac output or stroke volume. The photoelectric finger blood volume clamp technique and respiratory variation of the plethysmography curve have been assessed for monitoring fluid responsiveness. In this manuscript meta-analyses of non-invasive monitoring technologies were performed when non-invasive monitoring technology and reference technology were comparable. The primary evaluation criterion for all studies screened was a Bland-Altman analysis. Experimental and pediatric studies were excluded, as were all studies without a non-invasive monitoring technique or studies without evaluation of cardiac output/stroke volume or fluid responsiveness. Most studies found an acceptable bias with wide limits of agreement. Thus, most non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring technologies cannot be considered to be equivalent to the respective reference method. Studies testing the impact of non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring technologies as a trend evaluation on outcome, as well as

Human exposure to bisphenol A by biomonitoring: Methods, results and assessment of environmental exposures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dekant, Wolfgang; Voelkel, Wolfgang

2008-01-01

Human exposure to bisphenol A is controversially discussed. This review critically assesses methods for biomonitoring of bisphenol A exposures and reported concentrations of bisphenol A in blood and urine of non-occupationally ('environmentally') exposed humans. From the many methods published to assess bisphenol A concentrations in biological media, mass spectrometry-based methods are considered most appropriate due to high sensitivity, selectivity and precision. In human blood, based on the known toxicokinetics of bisphenol A in humans, the expected very low concentrations of bisphenol A due to rapid biotransformation and the very rapid excretion result in severe limitations in the use of reported blood levels of bisphenol A for exposure assessment. Due to the rapid and complete excretion of orally administered bisphenol A, urine samples are considered as the appropriate body fluid for bisphenol A exposure assessment. In urine samples from several cohorts, bisphenol A (as glucuronide) was present in average concentrations in the range of 1-3 μg/L suggesting that daily human exposure to bisphenol A is below 6 μg per person (< 0.1 μg/kg bw/day) for the majority of the population

Non-invasive assessment of coronary artery bypass graft patency using 16-slice computed tomography angiography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Uren Neal G

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Invasive coronary angiography is the gold standard means of imaging bypass vessels and carries a small but potentially serious risk of local vascular complications, including myocardial infarction, stroke and death. We evaluated computed tomography as a non-invasive means of assessing graft patency. Methods Fifty patients with previous coronary artery bypass surgery who were listed for diagnostic coronary angiography underwent contrast enhanced computed tomography angiography using a 16-slice computed tomography scanner. Images were retrospectively gated to the electrocardiogram and two dimensional axial, multiplanar and three dimensional reconstructions acquired. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value, accuracy and level of agreement for detection of graft patency by multidetector computed tomography. Results A total of 116 grafts were suitable for analysis. The specificity of CT for the detection of graft patency was 100%, with a sensitivity of 92.8%, positive predictive value 100%, negative predictive value 85.8% and an accuracy of 94.8%. The kappa value of agreement between the two means of measuring graft patency was 0.9. Mean radiation dose was 9.0 ± 7.2 mSv for coronary angiography and 18.5 ± 4 mSv for computed tomography. Pooled analysis of eight studies, incorporating 932 grafts, confirmed a 97% accuracy for the detection of graft patency by multidetector computed tomography. Conclusion Computed tomography is an accurate, rapid and non-invasive method of assessing coronary artery bypass graft patency. However, this was achieved at the expense of an increase in radiation dose.

Non-invasive in vivo measurement of macular carotenoids

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, James L. (Inventor); Borchert, Mark S. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

A non-invasive in vivo method for assessing macular carotenoids includes performing Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) on a retina of a subject. A spatial representation of carotenoid levels in the macula based on data from the OCT of the retina can be generated.

Quantitative CT analysis of pulmonary ground-glass opacity nodules for distinguishing invasive adenocarcinoma from non-invasive or minimally invasive adenocarcinoma: the added value of using iodine mapping

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Son, Ji Ye; Lee, Ho Yun; Kim, Jae-Hun; Lee, Kyung Soo [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Department of Radiology and Center for Imaging Science, Samsung Medical Center, 81 Irwon-Ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Han, Joungho [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Ji Yun [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kyungpook National University Medical Center, Kyungpook National University School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Daegu (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, O.J. [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Division of Respiratory and Critical Medicine of the Department of Internal Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Shim, Young Mog [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, 81 Irwon-Ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-01-15

To determine whether quantitative analysis of iodine-enhanced images generated from dual-energy CT (DECT) have added value in distinguishing invasive adenocarcinoma from non-invasive or minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) showing ground-glass nodule (GGN). Thirty-four patients with 39 GGNs were enrolled in this prospective study and underwent DECT followed by complete tumour resection. Various quantitative imaging parameters were assessed, including virtual non-contrast (VNC) imaging and iodine-enhanced imaging. Of all 39 GGNs, four were adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) (10 %), nine were MIA (23 %), and 26 were invasive adenocarcinoma (67 %). When assessing only VNC imaging, multivariate analysis revealed that mass, uniformity, and size-zone variability were independent predictors of invasive adenocarcinoma (odds ratio [OR] = 19.92, P = 0.02; OR = 0.70, P = 0.01; OR = 16.16, P = 0.04, respectively). After assessing iodine-enhanced imaging with VNC imaging, both mass on the VNC imaging and uniformity on the iodine-enhanced imaging were independent predictors of invasive adenocarcinoma (OR = 5.51, P = 0.04 and OR = 0.67, P < 0.01). The power of diagnosing invasive adenocarcinoma was improved after adding the iodine-enhanced imaging parameters versus VNC imaging alone, from 0.888 to 0.959, respectively (P = 0.029). Quantitative analysis using iodine-enhanced imaging metrics versus VNC imaging metrics alone generated from DECT have added value in distinguishing invasive adenocarcinoma from AIS or MIA. (orig.)

Quantitative CT analysis of pulmonary ground-glass opacity nodules for distinguishing invasive adenocarcinoma from non-invasive or minimally invasive adenocarcinoma: the added value of using iodine mapping

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, Ji Ye; Lee, Ho Yun; Kim, Jae-Hun; Lee, Kyung Soo; Han, Joungho; Jeong, Ji Yun; Kwon, O.J.; Shim, Young Mog

2016-01-01

To determine whether quantitative analysis of iodine-enhanced images generated from dual-energy CT (DECT) have added value in distinguishing invasive adenocarcinoma from non-invasive or minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) showing ground-glass nodule (GGN). Thirty-four patients with 39 GGNs were enrolled in this prospective study and underwent DECT followed by complete tumour resection. Various quantitative imaging parameters were assessed, including virtual non-contrast (VNC) imaging and iodine-enhanced imaging. Of all 39 GGNs, four were adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) (10 %), nine were MIA (23 %), and 26 were invasive adenocarcinoma (67 %). When assessing only VNC imaging, multivariate analysis revealed that mass, uniformity, and size-zone variability were independent predictors of invasive adenocarcinoma (odds ratio [OR] = 19.92, P = 0.02; OR = 0.70, P = 0.01; OR = 16.16, P = 0.04, respectively). After assessing iodine-enhanced imaging with VNC imaging, both mass on the VNC imaging and uniformity on the iodine-enhanced imaging were independent predictors of invasive adenocarcinoma (OR = 5.51, P = 0.04 and OR = 0.67, P < 0.01). The power of diagnosing invasive adenocarcinoma was improved after adding the iodine-enhanced imaging parameters versus VNC imaging alone, from 0.888 to 0.959, respectively (P = 0.029). Quantitative analysis using iodine-enhanced imaging metrics versus VNC imaging metrics alone generated from DECT have added value in distinguishing invasive adenocarcinoma from AIS or MIA. (orig.)

Skin Hydration Assessment through Modern Non-Invasive Bioengineering Technologies.

Science.gov (United States)

Constantin, Maria-Magdalena; Poenaru, Elena; Poenaru, Calin; Constantin, Traian

2014-03-01

Non-invasive bioengineering technologies continuously discovered and developed in recent decades provide a significant input to research development and remarkably contribute to the improvement of medical education and care to our patients. Assessing skin hydration by using the capacitance method for a group of patients with allergic contact dermatitis versus healthy subjects, before and after applying a moisturiser (assessing the immediate and long-term effectiveness of hydration). For both groups, but especially for the patients with dry skin, there was a clear improvement of hydration, statistically significant after applying the moisturiser. In the case of the patients with allergic contact dermatitis, hydration was at a maximum immediately after the first application, and then maintained an increased level after 7 and 28 days, respectively. In the healthy subjects, the increase in hydration was lower, but progressive. The moisturiser determined an increase in hydration for all age groups, but those who showed the most obvious effect were the young adults (18-29 years old) with an increase of 19.9%.The maintenance effect of hydration lasted for 28 days, while the improvement was important for allergic skin (17.1%) and significant for healthy skin (10.9%). The assessment of epidermal hydration performed by using the corneometer showed very good hydration of the stratum corneum for both groups studied, with immediate and long-term effect. This study also showed that the degree of skin hydration was inversely proportional with age. The corneometer is easy to use, efficient and widely utilised in international studies for measurements in healthy or pathological conditions, for quantitative assessment of the effectiveness of various preparations intended for application to the skin surface, under well-controlled and standardised conditions.

Quantitative CT analysis of pulmonary ground-glass opacity nodules for distinguishing invasive adenocarcinoma from non-invasive or minimally invasive adenocarcinoma: the added value of using iodine mapping.

Science.gov (United States)

Son, Ji Ye; Lee, Ho Yun; Kim, Jae-Hun; Han, Joungho; Jeong, Ji Yun; Lee, Kyung Soo; Kwon, O Jung; Shim, Young Mog

2016-01-01

To determine whether quantitative analysis of iodine-enhanced images generated from dual-energy CT (DECT) have added value in distinguishing invasive adenocarcinoma from non-invasive or minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) showing ground-glass nodule (GGN). Thirty-four patients with 39 GGNs were enrolled in this prospective study and underwent DECT followed by complete tumour resection. Various quantitative imaging parameters were assessed, including virtual non-contrast (VNC) imaging and iodine-enhanced imaging. Of all 39 GGNs, four were adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS) (10 %), nine were MIA (23 %), and 26 were invasive adenocarcinoma (67 %). When assessing only VNC imaging, multivariate analysis revealed that mass, uniformity, and size-zone variability were independent predictors of invasive adenocarcinoma (odds ratio [OR] = 19.92, P = 0.02; OR = 0.70, P = 0.01; OR = 16.16, P = 0.04, respectively). After assessing iodine-enhanced imaging with VNC imaging, both mass on the VNC imaging and uniformity on the iodine-enhanced imaging were independent predictors of invasive adenocarcinoma (OR = 5.51, P = 0.04 and OR = 0.67, P VNC imaging alone, from 0.888 to 0.959, respectively (P = 0.029). Quantitative analysis using iodine-enhanced imaging metrics versus VNC imaging metrics alone generated from DECT have added value in distinguishing invasive adenocarcinoma from AIS or MIA. Quantitative analysis using DECT was used to distinguish invasive adenocarcinoma. Tumour mass and uniformity were independent predictors of invasive adenocarcinoma. Diagnostic performance was improved after adding iodine parameters to VNC parameters.

Intraspecies differenes in phenotypic plasticity: Invasive versus non-invasive populations of Ceratophyllum demersum

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hyldgaard, Benita; Brix, Hans

2012-01-01

High phenotypic plasticity has been hypothesized to affect the invasiveness of plants, as high plasticity may enlarge the breath of environments in which the plants can survive and reproduce. Here we compare the phenotypic plasticity of invasive and non-invasive populations of the same species...... hypothesized that the phenotypic plasticity in fitness-related traits like growth and photosynthesis were higher in the invasive than in the non-invasive population. The invasive population acclimated to elevated temperatures through increased rates of photosynthesis (range: Pamb: 8–452 mol O2 g−1 DM h−1......-harvesting complex. Hence, the invasive population of C. demersum from New Zealand had higher phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature than the non-invasive Danish population. This might be the result of genetic evolution since its introduction to New Zealand five decades ago, but further studies are needed...

Doppler ultrasonography combined with transient elastography improves the non-invasive assessment of fibrosis in patients with chronic liver diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Alempijevic, Tamara; Zec, Simon; Nikolic, Vladimir; Veljkovic, Aleksandar; Stojanovic, Zoran; Matovic, Vera; Milosavljevic, Tomica

2017-01-31

Accurate clinical assessment of liver fibrosis is essential and the aim of our study was to compare and combine hemodynamic Doppler ultrasonography, liver stiffness by transient elastography, and non-invasive serum biomarkers with the degree of fibrosis confirmed by liver biopsy, and thereby to determine the value of combining non-invasive method in the prediction significant liver fibrosis. We included 102 patients with chronic liver disease of various etiology. Each patient was evaluated using Doppler ultrasonography measurements of the velocity and flow pattern at portal trunk, hepatic and splenic artery, serum fibrosis biomarkers, and transient elastography. These parameters were then input into a multilayer perceptron artificial neural network with two hidden layers, and used to create models for predicting significant fibrosis. According to METAVIR score, clinically significant fibrosis (≥F2) was detected in 57.8% of patients. A model based only on Doppler parameters (hepatic artery diameter, hepatic artery systolic and diastolic velocity, splenic artery systolic velocity and splenic artery Resistance Index), predicted significant liver fibrosis with a sensitivity and specificity of75.0% and 60.0%. The addition of unrelated non-invasive tests improved the diagnostic accuracy of Doppler examination. The best model for prediction of significant fibrosis was obtained by combining Doppler parameters, non-invasive markers (APRI, ASPRI, and FIB-4) and transient elastography, with a sensitivity and specificity of 88.9% and 100%. Doppler parameters alone predict the presence of ≥F2 fibrosis with fair accuracy. Better prediction rates are achieved by combining Doppler variables with non-invasive markers and liver stiffness by transient elastography.

Comparative anatomy of invasive and non-invasive species in the ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The foliar and stem micromorphological study of the invasive and non-invasive species were undertaken using Light Microscope (LM). The occurrence of vessels in the pillar of the abundant sclerenchyma tissues are important component of the skeletal system in the invasive species. The prominent tiles of parenchymatous ...

Biomonitoring and biomarkers of organophosphate pesticides exposure - state of the art.

Science.gov (United States)

Kapka-Skrzypczak, Lucyna; Cyranka, Małgorzata; Skrzypczak, Maciej; Kruszewski, Marcin

2011-01-01

Human biomonitoring provides an efficient and cost-effective way to identify and quantify exposure to chemical substances, including those having deleterious eff ects on human organisms. Once the risk of hazardous exposure has been identified and the mechanism of toxic eff ects has been elucidated, an ultimate decision about how to reduce exposure can be made. A particularly high risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals is associated with the use of pesticides in agriculture, especially the use of organophosphorous pesticides (OP), which are the most widely and commonly used insecticides worldwide. There is some strong evidence that chronic exposure to these compounds may have adverse eff ects on health. Exposure to pesticides has been associated with an increase in the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, soft tissue sarcoma, lung sarcoma, and cancer of the pancreas, stomach, liver, bladder and gall bladder, Parkinson disease, Alzheimer disease, and reproductive outcomes. In view of these findings, the detection of populations at risk constitutes a very important topic. The biomonitoring studies on individuals exposed to pesticides have shown an elevated level of indicators of DNA damage, such as chromosomal aberrations (CA), sister chromatid exchanges (SCE), micronuclei (MN), and recently, single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE). The cytogenetic markers of DNA damage have become very popular and useful in providing an analytical data for risk assessment, such as internal exposure doses and early biological eff ects of both occupational and environmental exposure to pesticides. The article describes the usefulness and the limitations of these biomarkers in biomonitoring studies of populations exposed to pesticides, with regard to the main routes of uptake and different matrices, which can be used to monitor risk assessment in occupational settings. The article also summarizes the latest reports about biomarkers of susceptibility, and mentions other

HUMAN MILK BIOMONITORING DATA: INTERPRETATION AND RISK ASSESSMENT ISSUES

Science.gov (United States)

Biomonitoring data can, under certain conditions, be used to describe potential risks to human health (for example, blood lead levels used to determine children's neurodevelopmental risk). At present, there are very few chemical exposures at low levels for which sufficient data ...

Skin fluorescence as a clinical tool for non-invasive assessment of advanced glycation and long-term complications of diabetes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fokkens, Bernardina T.; Smit, Andries J.

Glycation is important in the development of complications of diabetes mellitus and may have a central role in the well-described glycaemic memory effect in developing these complications. Skin fluorescence has emerged over the last decade as a non-invasive method for assessing accumulation of

Non-invasive measurement of adrenocortical activity in a ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Measuring physiological stress reactions through the quantification of plasma cortisol often involves physical restraint, which acts as a stressor itself. Here, we present the validation of a non-invasive method for assessing adrenocortical activity as an indicator of stress in the bat-eared fox (Otocyon megalotis). By conducting ...

A comparison of non-invasive versus invasive methods of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Puneet Khanna

for Hb estimation from the laboratory [total haemoglobin mass (tHb)] and arterial blood gas (ABG) machine (aHb), using ... A comparison of non-invasive versus invasive methods of haemoglobin estimation in patients undergoing intracranial surgery. 161 .... making decisions for blood transfusions based on these results.

Fecal Glucocorticoid Analysis: Non-invasive Adrenal Monitoring in Equids.

Science.gov (United States)

Yarnell, Kelly; Purcell, Rebecca S; Walker, Susan L

2016-04-25

Adrenal activity can be assessed in the equine species by analysis of feces for corticosterone metabolites. During a potentially aversive situation, corticotrophin releasing hormone (CRH) is released from the hypothalamus in the brain. This stimulates the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary gland, which in turn stimulates release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal gland. In horses the glucocorticoid corticosterone is responsible for several adaptations needed to support equine flight behaviour and subsequent removal from the aversive situation. Corticosterone metabolites can be detected in the feces of horses and assessment offers a non-invasive option to evaluate long term patterns of adrenal activity. Fecal assessment offers advantages over other techniques that monitor adrenal activity including blood plasma and saliva analysis. The non-invasive nature of the method avoids sampling stress which can confound results. It also allows the opportunity for repeated sampling over time and is ideal for studies in free ranging horses. This protocol describes the enzyme linked immunoassay (EIA) used to assess feces for corticosterone, in addition to the associated biochemical validation.

Non-invasive assessment of vessel morphology and function in tumors by magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kiessling, Fabian; Jugold, Manfred; Woenne, Eva C.; Brix, Gunnar

2007-01-01

The switch to an angiogenic phenotype is an important precondition for tumor growth, invasion and spread. Since newly formed vessels are characterized by structural, functional and molecular abnormalities, they offer promising targets for tumor diagnosis and therapy. Previous studies indicate that MRI is valuable to assess vessel morphology and function. It can be used to distinguish between benign and malignant lesions and to improve delineation of proliferating areas within heterogeneous tumors. In addition, tracer kinetic analysis of contrast-enhanced image series allows the estimation of well-defined physiological parameters such as blood volume, blood flow and vessel permeability. Frequently, changes of these parameters during cytostatic, anti-angiogenic and radiation therapy precede tumor volume reduction. Moreover, target-specific MRI techniques can be used to elucidate the expression of angiogenic markers at the molecular level. This review summarizes strategies for non-invasive characterization of tumor vascularization by functional and molecular MRI, hereby introducing representative preclinical and clinical applications. (orig.)

Steato-Score: Non-Invasive Quantitative Assessment of Liver Fat by Ultrasound Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Di Lascio, Nicole; Avigo, Cinzia; Salvati, Antonio; Martini, Nicola; Ragucci, Monica; Monti, Serena; Prinster, Anna; Chiappino, Dante; Mancini, Marcello; D'Elia, Domenico; Ghiadoni, Lorenzo; Bonino, Ferruccio; Brunetto, Maurizia R; Faita, Francesco

2018-05-04

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is becoming a global epidemic. The aim of this study was to develop a system for assessing liver fat content based on ultrasound images. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements were obtained in 61 patients and the controlled attenuation parameter in 54. Ultrasound images were acquired for all 115 participants and used to calculate the hepatic/renal ratio, hepatic/portal vein ratio, attenuation rate, diaphragm visualization and portal vein wall visualization. The Steato-score was obtained by combining these five parameters. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy measurements were significantly correlated with hepatic/renal ratio, hepatic/portal vein ratio, attenuation rate, diaphragm visualization and portal vein wall visualization; Steato-score was dependent on hepatic/renal ratio, attenuation rate and diaphragm visualization. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was equal to 0.98, with 89% sensitivity and 94% specificity. Controlled attenuation parameter values were significantly correlated with hepatic/renal ratio, attenuation rate, diaphragm visualization and Steato-score; the area under the curve was 0.79. This system could be a valid alternative as a non-invasive, simple and inexpensive assessment of intrahepatic fat. Copyright © 2018 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Assessment of non-invasive models for liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B virus related liver disease patients in resource limited settings

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakesh Shrivastava

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Context: A total of 350 million individuals are affected by chronic hepatitis B virus infection world-wide. Historically, liver biopsy has been instrumental in adequately assessing patients with chronic liver disease. A number of non-invasive models have been studied world-wide. Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the utility of non-invasive mathematical models of liver fibrosis in chronic hepatitis B (CHB. Indian patients in a resource limited setting using routinely performed non-invasive laboratory investigations. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study carried out at a tertiary care center. Subjects and Methods: A total of 52 consecutive chronic liver disease patients who underwent percutaneous liver biopsy and 25 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Routine laboratory investigations included serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST, Alanine aminotransferase (ALT, Gama glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT, total bilirubin, total cholesterol, prothrombin time and platelet count. Three non-invasive models for namely aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI, Fibrosis 4 (FIB-4 and Forn′s index were calculated. Outcomes were compared for the assessment of best predictor of fibrosis by calculating the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV and negative predictive value (NPV of each index. Statistical Analysis Used: Medcalc online software and by Microsoft Excel Worksheet. Chi-square test was used for significance. P value < 0.05 was taken as significant. Results: While the serum levels of AST, ALT and GGT were significantly higher in patients group as compare with the healthy controls (P < 0.01, the platelet counts were significantly lower in patient group as compared to the control group (P < 0.01. Mean value of all 3 indices were significantly higher in patients group as compare with the controls (P < 0.01. Conclusions: Out of the three indices, APRI index with a NPV of 95% appeared to be a better model

Recent research findings on non-invasive diagnosis of liver fibrosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

WU Qiong

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Early diagnosis of liver fibrosis and dynamic monitoring of relevant changes have great implications for the treatment and prognosis improvement of chronic liver diseases. So far, liver biopsy remains the “golden standard” for the diagnosis and staging of liver fibrosis. However, due to its inherent limitations, a great effort has been made to develop more accurate non-invasive diagnostic methods, including serum fibrosis markers and mathematical models, ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, ultrasonic elastography, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and nuclear medicine. The advantages and disadvantages of relevant methods are discussed. Furthermore, proper selection of the non-invasive diagnostic methods for clinical application and the means for mutual verification are analyzed. As for the future direction, it is expected to employ the above methods for combined analysis and comprehensive assessment, in order to enhance the clinical value of non-invasive liver fibrosis diagnosis.

Non-invasive assessment of hepatic fat accumulation in chronic hepatitis C by {sup 1}H magnetic resonance spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Krssak, Martin [Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Hofer, Harald [Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Wrba, Fritz [Department of Clinical Pathology, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Meyerspeer, Martin [MR Centre-of-Excellence, Department of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Center for Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Brehm, Attila [Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center of Diabetes Research and Department of Medicine/Metabolic Diseases, Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf (Germany); Lohninger, Alfred [Department of Medical Chemistry, Center for Physiology and Pathophysiology, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Steindl-Munda, Petra [Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); MR Centre-of-Excellence, Department of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Moser, Ewald [MR Centre-of-Excellence, Department of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Center for Biomedical Engineering and Physics, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Ferenci, Peter [Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Roden, Michael, E-mail: michael.roden@ddz.uni-duesseldorf.d [Department of Internal Medicine III, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Medical University of Vienna (Austria); Institute for Clinical Diabetology, German Diabetes Center, Leibniz Center of Diabetes Research and Department of Medicine/Metabolic Diseases, Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf (Germany)

2010-06-15

Background: Liver biopsy is the standard method for diagnosis of hepatic steatosis, but is invasive and carries some risk of morbidity. Aims and methods: Quantification of hepatocellular lipid content (HCL) with non-invasive single voxel {sup 1}H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) at 3 T was compared with histological grading and biochemical analysis of liver biopsies in 29 patients with chronic hepatitis C. Body mass index, indices of insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment index, HOMA-IR), serum lipids and serum liver transaminases were also quantified. Results: HCL as assessed by {sup 1}H MRS linearly correlated (r = 0.70, p < 0.001) with histological evaluation of liver biopsies and was in agreement with histological steatosis staging in 65% of the patients. Biochemically assessed hepatic triglyceride contents correlated with HCL measured with {sup 1}H MRS (r = 0.63, p < 0.03) and allowed discriminating between none or mild steatosis versus moderate or severe steatosis. Patients infected with hepatitis C virus genotype 3 had a higher prevalence of steatosis (62%) which was not explained by differences in body mass or whole body insulin resistance. When these patients were excluded from correlation analysis, hepatic fat accumulation positively correlated with insulin resistance in the remaining hepatitis C patients (HCL vs. HOMA-IR, r = 0.559, p < 0.020, n = 17). Conclusion: Localized {sup 1}H MRS is a valid and useful method for quantification of HCL content in patients with chronic hepatitis C and can be easily applied to non-invasively monitoring of steatosis during repeated follow-up measurements in a clinical setting.

Invasive v non-invasive assessment of the carotid arteries prior to trans-sphenoidal surgery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Macpherson, P.; Teasdale, E.; Hadley, D.M.; Teasdale, G.

1987-01-01

Imaging studies in 47 patients who were to undergo trans-sphenoidal surgery were analysed with reference to the vascular structures in the parasellar region. The results of cavernous sinography, dynamic contrast enhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed good correlation with each other and with the appearances found at operation. CT and MRI, both non-invasive investigations, are therefore reliable preliminary screening methods for identifying the small proportion of patients on whom other imaging techniques need to be performed. (orig.)

US Fish and Wildlife Service lands biomonitoring operations manual

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rope, R.C.; Breckenridge, R.P.

1993-08-01

This is Volume 1 of an operations manual designed to facilitate the development of biomonitoring strategies for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lands. It is one component of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lands Biomonitoring Operations Manual. The Volume contains the Introduction to the Manual, background information on monitoring, and procedures for developing a biomonitoring strategy for Service lands. The purpose of the Biomonitoring Operations Manual is to provide an approach to develop and implement biomonitoring activities to assess the status and trends of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service trust resources. It also provides field sampline methods and documentation protocols for contaminant monitoring activities. The strategy described in the Manual has been designed as a stand alone process to characterize the presence of contaminants on lands managed by the Service. This process can be sued to develop a monitoring program for any tract of real estate with potential threats from on- or off-site contaminants. Because the process was designed to address concerns for Service lands that span the United States from Alaska to the Tropical Islands, it has a generic format that can be used in al types of ecosystems, however, significant site specific informtion is required to complete the Workbook and make the process work successfully.

A new CFD based non-invasive method for functional diagnosis of coronary stenosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Xinzhou; Zheng, Minwen; Wen, Didi; Li, Yabing; Xie, Songyun

2018-03-22

Accurate functional diagnosis of coronary stenosis is vital for decision making in coronary revascularization. With recent advances in computational fluid dynamics (CFD), fractional flow reserve (FFR) can be derived non-invasively from coronary computed tomography angiography images (FFR CT ) for functional measurement of stenosis. However, the accuracy of FFR CT is limited due to the approximate modeling approach of maximal hyperemia conditions. To overcome this problem, a new CFD based non-invasive method is proposed. Instead of modeling maximal hyperemia condition, a series of boundary conditions are specified and those simulated results are combined to provide a pressure-flow curve for a stenosis. Then, functional diagnosis of stenosis is assessed based on parameters derived from the obtained pressure-flow curve. The proposed method is applied to both idealized and patient-specific models, and validated with invasive FFR in six patients. Results show that additional hemodynamic information about the flow resistances of a stenosis is provided, which cannot be directly obtained from anatomy information. Parameters derived from the simulated pressure-flow curve show a linear and significant correlations with invasive FFR (r > 0.95, P < 0.05). The proposed method can assess flow resistances by the pressure-flow curve derived parameters without modeling of maximal hyperemia condition, which is a new promising approach for non-invasive functional assessment of coronary stenosis.

Applying bioethical principles to human biomonitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harrison Myron

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Bioethical principles are widely used as a normative framework in areas of human research and medical care. In recent years there has been increasing formalization of their use in public health decisions. The "traditional bioethical principles" are applied in this discussion to the important issue human biomonitoring for environmental exposures. They are: (1 Autonomy – Also known as the "respect for humans" principle, people understand their own best interests; (2 Beneficence – "do good" for people; (3 Nonmaleficence – "do no harm"; (4 Justice – fair distribution of benefits and costs (including risks to health across stakeholders. Some of the points made are: (1 There is not a single generic bioethical analysis applicable to the use of human biomonitoring data, each specific use requires a separate deliberation; (2 Using unidentified, population-based biomonitoring information for risk assessment or population surveillance raises fewer bioethical concerns than personally identified biomonitoring information such as employed in health screening; (3 Companies should proactively apply normative bioethical principles when considering the disposition of products and by-products in the environment and humans; (4 There is a need for more engagement by scholars on the bioethical issues raised by the use of biomarkers of exposure; (5 Though our scientific knowledge of biology will continue to increase, there will always be a role for methods or frameworks to resolve substantive disagreements in the meaning of this data that are matters of belief rather than knowledge.

Applying bioethical principles to human biomonitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Harrison Myron

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Bioethical principles are widely used as a normative framework in areas of human research and medical care. In recent years there has been increasing formalization of their use in public health decisions. The "traditional bioethical principles" are applied in this discussion to the important issue human biomonitoring for environmental exposures. They are: (1 Autonomy – Also known as the "respect for humans" principle, people understand their own best interests; (2 Beneficence – "do good" for people; (3 Nonmaleficence – "do no harm"; (4 Justice – fair distribution of benefits and costs (including risks to health across stakeholders. Some of the points made are: (1 There is not a single generic bioethical analysis applicable to the use of human biomonitoring data, each specific use requires a separate deliberation; (2 Using unidentified, population-based biomonitoring information for risk assessment or population surveillance raises fewer bioethical concerns than personally identified biomonitoring information such as employed in health screening; (3 Companies should proactively apply normative bioethical principles when considering the disposition of products and by-products in the environment and humans; (4 There is a need for more engagement by scholars on the bioethical issues raised by the use of biomarkers of exposure; (5 Though our scientific knowledge of biology will continue to increase, there will always be a role for methods or frameworks to resolve substantive disagreements in the meaning of this data that are matters of belief rather than knowledge.

Updated Scar Management Practical Guidelines: Non-invasive and invasive measures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Monstrey, S.; Middelkoop, E.; Vranckx, J.J.; Bassetto, F.; Ziegler, U.E.; Meaume, S.; Teot, L.

2014-01-01

Hypertrophic scars and keloids can be aesthetically displeasing and lead to severe psychosocial impairment. Many invasive and non-invasive options are available for the plastic (and any other) surgeon both to prevent and to treat abnormal scar formation. Recently, an updated set of practical

SPEAR indicates pesticide effects in streams - Comparative use of species- and family-level biomonitoring data

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beketov, M.A.; Foit, K.; Schaefer, R.B.; Schriever, C.A.; Sacchi, A.; Capri, E.; Biggs, J.; Wells, C.; Liess, M.

2009-01-01

To detect effects of pesticides on non-target freshwater organisms the Species at risk (SPEAR pesticides ) bioindicator based on biological traits was previously developed and successfully validated over different biogeographical regions of Europe using species-level data on stream invertebrates. Since many freshwater biomonitoring programmes have family-level taxonomic resolution we tested the applicability of SPEAR pesticides with family-level biomonitoring data to indicate pesticide effects in streams (i.e. insecticide toxicity of pesticides). The study showed that the explanatory power of the family-level SPEAR(fm) pesticides is not significantly lower than the species-level index. The results suggest that the family-level SPEAR(fm) pesticides is a sensitive, cost-effective, and potentially European-wide bioindicator of pesticide contamination in flowing waters. Class boundaries for SPEAR pesticides according to EU Water Framework Directive are defined to contribute to the assessment of ecological status of water bodies. - We show that SPEAR pesticides can be based on family-level biomonitoring data and is applicable for large-scale monitoring programmes to detect and quantify pesticide contamination.

SPEAR indicates pesticide effects in streams - Comparative use of species- and family-level biomonitoring data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beketov, M.A., E-mail: mikhail.beketov@ufz.d [UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department System Ecotoxicology, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Foit, K.; Schaefer, R.B.; Schriever, C.A. [UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department System Ecotoxicology, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany); Sacchi, A.; Capri, E. [Universita Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Istituto di Chimica Agraria ed Ambientale, Piacenza (Italy); Biggs, J. [Pond Conservation, c/o Oxford Brookes University, Headington (United Kingdom); Wells, C. [Environment Agency of England and Wales, Science Department, Bristol (United Kingdom); Liess, M. [UFZ - Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research, Department System Ecotoxicology, Permoserstrasse 15, D-04318 Leipzig (Germany)

2009-06-15

To detect effects of pesticides on non-target freshwater organisms the Species at risk (SPEAR{sub pesticides}) bioindicator based on biological traits was previously developed and successfully validated over different biogeographical regions of Europe using species-level data on stream invertebrates. Since many freshwater biomonitoring programmes have family-level taxonomic resolution we tested the applicability of SPEAR{sub pesticides} with family-level biomonitoring data to indicate pesticide effects in streams (i.e. insecticide toxicity of pesticides). The study showed that the explanatory power of the family-level SPEAR(fm){sub pesticides} is not significantly lower than the species-level index. The results suggest that the family-level SPEAR(fm){sub pesticides} is a sensitive, cost-effective, and potentially European-wide bioindicator of pesticide contamination in flowing waters. Class boundaries for SPEAR{sub pesticides} according to EU Water Framework Directive are defined to contribute to the assessment of ecological status of water bodies. - We show that SPEAR{sub pesticides} can be based on family-level biomonitoring data and is applicable for large-scale monitoring programmes to detect and quantify pesticide contamination.

Communication in a Human biomonitoring study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Exley, Karen; Cano, Noemi; Aerts, Dominique

2015-01-01

A communication strategy was developed by The Consortium to Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale (COPHES), as part of its objectives to develop a framework and protocols to enable the collection of comparable human biomonitoring data throughout Europe. The framework and protocols were...... tested in the pilot study DEMOCOPHES (Demonstration of a study to Coordinate and Perform Human biomonitoring on a European Scale). The aims of the communication strategy were to raise awareness of human biomonitoring, encourage participation in the study and to communicate the study results...... and stakeholders, followed by dissemination at European level. Several lessons were learnt that may assist other future human biomonitoring studies. Recruitment took longer than anticipated and so social scientists, to help with community engagement, should be part of the research team from the start...

Non-invasive assessment of radiation injury with electrical impedance spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Osterman, K Sunshine; Hoopes, P Jack; De Lorenzo, Christine; Gladstone, David J; Paulsen, Keith D

2004-01-01

A detailed understanding of non-targeted normal tissue response is necessary for the optimization of radiation treatment plans in cancer therapy. In this study, we evaluate the ability of electrical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to non-invasively determine and quantify the injury response in soft tissue after high dose rate (HDR) irradiation, which is characterized by large localized dose distributions possessing steep spatial gradients. The HDR after-loading technique was employed to irradiate small volumes of muscle tissue with single doses (26-52 Gy targeted 5 mm away from the source). Impedance measurements were performed on 29 rats at 1, 2 and 3 month post-irradiation, employing 31 frequencies in the 1 kHz to 1 MHz range. Over the first 3 months, conductivity increased by 48% and 26% following target doses of 52 Gy and 26 Gy 5 mm from the HDR source, respectively. Injury, assessed independently through a grid-based scoring method showed a quadratic dependence on distance from source. A significant injury (50% of cells atrophied, necrotic or degenerating) in 1.2% of the volume, accompanied by more diffuse injury (25% of cells atrophied, necrotic or degenerating) in 9% of the tissue produced a conductivity increase of 0.02 S m -1 (8% over a baseline of 0.24 S m -1 ). This was not statistically significant at p 0.01. Among treatment groups, injury differences in 22% of the volume led to statistically significant differences in conductivity of 0.07 S m -1 (23% difference in conductivity). Despite limitations, the success of EIS in detecting responses in a fraction of the tissue probed, during these early post-irradiation time-points, is encouraging. Electrical impedance spectroscopy may provide a useful metric of atrophy and the development of fibrosis secondary to radiation that could be further developed into a low-cost imaging method for radiotherapy monitoring and assessment

Non-invasive spectroscopic techniques in the diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Drakaki, E.; Sianoudis, IA; Zois, EN; Makropoulou, M.; Serafetinides, AA; Dessinioti, C.; Stefanaki, E.; Stratigos, AJ; Antoniou, C.; Katsambas, A.; Christofidou, E.

2017-11-01

The number of non-melanoma skin cancers is increasing worldwide and has become an important health and economic issue. Early detection and treatment of skin cancer can significantly improve patient outcome. Therefore there is an increase in the demand for proper management and effective non-invasive diagnostic modalities in order to avoid relapses or unnecessary treatments. Although the gold standard of diagnosis for non-melanoma skin cancers is biopsy followed by histopathology evaluation, optical non-invasive diagnostic tools have obtained increased attention. Emerging non-invasive or minimal invasive techniques with possible application in the diagnosis of non-melanoma skin cancers include high-definition optical coherence tomography, fluorescence spectroscopy, oblique incidence diffuse reflectance spectrometry among others spectroscopic techniques. Our findings establish how those spectrometric techniques can be used to more rapidly and easily diagnose skin cancer in an accurate and automated manner in the clinic.

Validation of non-invasive haemodynamic methods in patients with liver disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brittain, Jane M; Busk, Troels M; Møller, Søren

2018-01-01

Patients with advanced cirrhosis often present a hyperdynamic circulation characterized by a decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP), and an increase in heart rate (HR) and cardiac output (CO). Accurate assessment of the altered circulation can be performed invasively......; however, due to the disadvantages of this approach, non-invasive methods are warranted. The purpose of this study was to compare continuous non-invasive measurements of haemodynamic variables by the Finometer and the Task Force Monitor with simultaneous invasive measurements. In 25 patients with cirrhosis......, respectively; and CO: 0·1 ± 1·6 and -1·0 ± 2·0 L min(-1) , respectively. The study demonstrates that the overall performances of the Finometer and the Task Force Monitor in estimating absolute values of SBP, DBP, HR and CO in patients with cirrhosis are not equivalent to the gold standard, but may have...

Guidelines for biomonitoring persistent organic pollutants (POPs), using lichens and aquatic mosses – A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Augusto, Sofia; Máguas, Cristina; Branquinho, Cristina

2013-01-01

During the last decades, awareness regarding persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), has become a cutting-edge topic, due to their toxicity, bioaccumulation and persistency in the environment. Monitoring of PCDD/Fs and PAHs in air and water has proven to be insufficient to capture deposition and effects of these compounds in the biota. To overcome this limitation, environmental biomonitoring using lichens and aquatic mosses, have aroused as promising tools. The main aim of this work is to provide a review of: i) factors that influence the interception and accumulation of POPs by lichens; ii) how lichens and aquatic bryophytes can be used to track different pollution sources and; iii) how can these biomonitors contribute to environmental health studies. This review will allow designing a set of guidelines to be followed when using biomonitors to assess environmental POP pollution. -- Highlights: •We've reviewed the use of lichens and mosses as POP biomonitors. •We've discussed the factors that influence accumulation of POPs in lichens. •We've shown how biomonitors have been used to track pollution sources. •We've designed guidelines for the use of biomonitors to assess POP pollution. -- This review fulfils the lack of knowledge regarding the use of lichens and aquatic mosses as biomonitors of POPs, providing a set of guidelines to be followed

Non-invasive measurements of carboxyhemoglobin and methemoglobin in children with sickle cell disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Caboot, Jason B; Jawad, Abbas F; McDonough, Joseph M; Bowdre, Cheryl Y; Arens, Raanan; Marcus, Carole L; Mason, Thornton B A; Smith-Whitley, Kim; Ohene-Frempong, Kwaku; Allen, Julian L

2012-08-01

Assessment of oxyhemoglobin saturation in patients with sickle cell disease (SCD) is vital for prompt recognition of hypoxemia. The accuracy of pulse oximeter measurements of blood oxygenation in SCD patients is variable, partially due to carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) and methemoglobin (MetHb), which decrease the oxygen content of blood. This study evaluated the accuracy and reliability of a non-invasive pulse co-oximeter in measuring COHb and MetHb percentages (SpCO and SpMet) in children with SCD. We hypothesized that measurements of COHb and MetHb by non-invasive pulse co-oximetry agree within acceptable clinical accuracy with those made by invasive whole blood co-oximetry. Fifty children with SCD-SS underwent pulse co-oximetry and blood co-oximetry while breathing room air. Non-invasive COHb and MetHb readings were compared to the corresponding blood measurements. The pulse co-oximeter bias was 0.1% for COHb and -0.22% for MetHb. The precision of the measured SpCO was ± 2.1% within a COHb range of 0.4-6.1%, and the precision of the measured SpMet was ± 0.33% within a MetHb range of 0.1-1.1%. Non-invasive pulse co-oximetry was useful in measuring COHb and MetHb levels in children with SCD. Although the non-invasive technique slightly overestimated the invasive COHb measurements and slightly underestimated the invasive MetHb measurements, there was close agreement between the two methods. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cardiac tumours: non invasive detection and assessment by gated cardiac blood pool radionuclide imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitcher, D.; Wainwright, R.; Brennand-Roper, D.; Deverall, P.; Sowton, E.; Maisey, M.

1980-01-01

Four patients with cardiac tumours were investigated by gated cardiac blood pool radionuclide imaging and echocardiography. Contrast angiocardiography was performed in three of the cases. Two left atrial tumours were detected by all three techniques. In one of these cases echocardiography alone showed additional mitral valve stenosis, but isotope imaging indicated tumour size more accurately. A large septal mass was detected by all three methods. In this patient echocardiography showed evidence of left ventricular outflow obstruction, confirmed at cardiac catheterisation, but gated isotope imaging provided a more detailed assessment of the abnormal cardiac anatomy. In the fourth case gated isotope imaging detected a large right ventricular tumour which had not been identified by echocardiography. Gated cardiac blood pool isotope imaging is a complementary technique to echocardiography for the non-invasive detection and assessment of cardiac tumours. (author)

South Fork Holston River basin 1988 biomonitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saylor, C.F.; Ahlstedt, S.A.

1990-06-01

There is concern over the effects of shifts in land use use practices on the aquatic fauna of streams in the South Fork Holston River basin in northwestern North Carolina and southwestern Virginia. Trout reproduction has noticeably declined in the Watauga River subbasin. The Watauga River and Elk River subbasins have been subjected to commercial and resort development. The Middle fork Holston River and the upper South Fork Holston River subbasins have been affected by agricultural and mining activities, respectively (Cox, 1986). To aid reclamation and management of the South Fork Holston basin, Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) biologists conducted biomonitoring--including index of biotic integrity and macroinvertebrate sampling--on the Middle Fork Holston, South Fork Holston, Watauga, and Elk Rivers to assess cumulative impairment related to changes in habitat and pollutant loading in these subbasins. Biomonitoring can detect environmental degradation, help document problem areas, and assist in development of strategies for managing water quality. This report discusses the methods and materials and results of the biomonitoring of South Fork Holston River Basin. 13 refs., 5 figs., 12 tabs.

Non-invasive monitoring of endocrine status in laboratory primates: methods, guidelines and applications

Science.gov (United States)

Heistermann, M.

2010-11-01

During the past three decades, non-invasive methods for assessing physiological, in particular endocrine, status have revolutionized almost all areas of primatology, including behavioural ecology, reproductive biology, stress research, conservation and last but not least management of primates in captivity where the technology plays an integral role in assisting the husbandry, breeding and welfare of many species. Non-invasive endocrine methods make use of the fact that hormones circulating in blood are secreted into saliva or deposited in hair and are eliminated from the body via urinary and faecal excretion. The choice of which matrix to use for hormonal assessment depends on a range of factors, including the type of information required, the measurement techniques involved, species differences in hormone metabolism and route of excretion and the practicality of sample collection. However, although sample collection is usually relatively easy, analysing hormones from these non-invasively collected samples is not as easy as many people think, particularly not when dealing with a new species. In this respect, the importance of a careful validation of each technique is essential in order to generate meaningful and accurate results. This paper aims to provide an overview of the available non-invasive endocrine-based methodologies, their relative merits and their potential areas of application for assessing endocrine status in primates, with special reference to captive environments. In addition, general information is given about the most important aspects and caveats researchers have to be aware of when using these methodologies.

Techniques for Non-Invasive Monitoring of Arterial Blood Pressure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnes S. Meidert

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Since both, hypotension and hypertension, can potentially impair the function of vital organs such as heart, brain, or kidneys, monitoring of arterial blood pressure (BP is a mainstay of hemodynamic monitoring in acutely or critically ill patients. Arterial BP can either be obtained invasively via an arterial catheter or non-invasively. Non-invasive BP measurement provides either intermittent or continuous readings. Most commonly, an occluding upper arm cuff is used for intermittent non-invasive monitoring. BP values are then obtained either manually (by auscultation of Korotkoff sounds or palpation or automatically (e.g., by oscillometry. For continuous non-invasive BP monitoring, the volume clamp method or arterial applanation tonometry can be used. Both techniques enable the arterial waveform and BP values to be obtained continuously. This article describes the different techniques for non-invasive BP measurement, their advantages and limitations, and their clinical applicability.

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine herd effects on non-invasive pneumococcal pneumonia in elderly

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Werkhoven, Cornelis H; Hollingsworth, Rosalind C; Huijts, Susanne M; Bolkenbaas, Marieke; Webber, Chris; Patterson, Scott; Sanders, Elisabeth A M; Bonten, Marc J M

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Herd protection from infant pneumococcal conjugate vaccination is well established for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) but not for non-IPD pneumococcal community-acquired pneumonia (PCAP). We assessed the contribution of vaccine-serotypes in non-IPD PCAP in adults 65 years and older

Non-small cell lung cancer: Whole-lesion histogram analysis of the apparent diffusion coefficient for assessment of tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion and pleural invasion.

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuchiya, Naoko; Doai, Mariko; Usuda, Katsuo; Uramoto, Hidetaka; Tonami, Hisao

2017-01-01

Investigating the diagnostic accuracy of histogram analyses of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values for determining non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor grades, lymphovascular invasion, and pleural invasion. We studied 60 surgically diagnosed NSCLC patients. Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) was performed in the axial plane using a navigator-triggered single-shot, echo-planar imaging sequence with prospective acquisition correction. The ADC maps were generated, and we placed a volume-of-interest on the tumor to construct the whole-lesion histogram. Using the histogram, we calculated the mean, 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles of ADC, skewness, and kurtosis. Histogram parameters were correlated with tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion, and pleural invasion. We performed a receiver operating characteristics (ROC) analysis to assess the diagnostic performance of histogram parameters for distinguishing different pathologic features. The ADC mean, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles showed significant differences among the tumor grades. The ADC mean, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles were significant histogram parameters between high- and low-grade tumors. The ROC analysis between high- and low-grade tumors showed that the 95th percentile ADC achieved the highest area under curve (AUC) at 0.74. Lymphovascular invasion was associated with the ADC mean, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles, skewness, and kurtosis. Kurtosis achieved the highest AUC at 0.809. Pleural invasion was only associated with skewness, with the AUC of 0.648. ADC histogram analyses on the basis of the entire tumor volume are able to stratify NSCLCs' tumor grade, lymphovascular invasion and pleural invasion.

Non-invasive investigation of the upper gastrointestinal tract using technetium - 99m

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taylor, T V [Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh (UK)

1979-01-01

The use of technetium - 99m in the non-invasive investigation of the upper gastrointestinal tract is discussed with particular reference to the evolution of a method of assessing gastric function or gastric acid secretion non-invasively and to the applications of this method in the investigation of surgical patients with disease of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The assessment of maximal acid output and the insulin response is described and the use of the test in the diagnosis of pernicious anaemia, hypo- and hyperchlorhydric states, gastric cancer, hiatus hernia and Barrett's oesophagus, coeliac disease, Meckel's diverticulum, and abdominal aortic aneurism outlined. The use of chemicals labelled with this tracer in hepatobilary scanning is briefly described.

Biomonitoring for the photovoltaics industry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bernholc, N.M.; Moskowitz, P.D.

1995-07-01

Biomonitoring often is used as a method for estimating the dose to an individual. Therefore, a parameter of measurement, or biomarkers must be identified. The purpose of this paper is to give an overview of biomonitoring protocols for metals used in the photovoltaics industry. Special attention is given to areas that often are skimmed over, to gain insights into some of the problems that may arise when these tasks are carried out. Biological monitoring can be used to determine current human exposures to chemicals, as well as to detect past exposures, and the effects that these exposures may have on human health. It is used in conjunction with environmental monitoring to describe more completely worker`s exposures to, and absorption of, chemicals in the workplace. Biological specimens (e.g., blood, hair or urine) are analyzed for chemical agents, metabolites, or for some specific effect on the person (Lowry 1994). Biomonitoring can assess a workers exposure to industrial chemicals by all routes including skin absorption and ingestion. Although the methodology still is in its infancy, in cases where the procedures have been developed, it can be an invaluable component of an ongoing program of industrial hygiene monitoring. Like any technology, there are limitations to its effectiveness because of a lack of knowledge, contamination of specimens, and the introduction of errors.

Screening-level Biomonitoring Equivalents for tiered interpretation of urinary 3-phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) in a risk assessment context.

Science.gov (United States)

Aylward, Lesa L; Irwin, Kim; St-Amand, Annie; Nong, Andy; Hays, Sean M

2018-02-01

3-Phenoxybenzoic acid (3-PBA) is a common metabolite of several pyrethroid pesticides of differing potency and also occurs as a residue in foods resulting from environmental degradation of parent pyrethroid compounds. Thus, 3-PBA in urine is not a specific biomarker of exposure to a particular pyrethroid. However, an approach derived from the use of Biomonitoring Equivalents (BEs) can be used to estimate a conservative initial screening value for a tiered assessment of population data on 3-PBA in urine. A conservative generic urinary excretion fraction for 3-PBA was estimated from data for five pyrethroid compounds with human data. Estimated steady-state urinary 3-PBA concentrations associated with reference doses and acceptable daily intakes for each of the nine compounds ranged from 1.7 μg/L for cyhalothrin and deltamethrin to 520 μg/L for permethrin. The lower value can be used as a highly conservative Tier 1 screening value for assessment of population urinary 3-PBA data. A second tier screening value of 87 μg/L was derived based on weighting by relative exposure estimates for the different pyrethroid compounds, to be applied as part of the data evaluation process if biomonitoring data exceed the Tier 1 value. These BE values are most appropriately used to evaluate the central tendency of population biomarker concentration data in a risk assessment context. The provisional BEs were compared to available national biomonitoring data from the US and Canada. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Human biomonitoring data interpretation and ethics; obstacles or surmountable challenges?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sepai Ovnair

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The use of human samples to assess environmental exposure and uptake of chemicals is more than an analytical exercise and requires consideration of the utility and interpretation of data as well as due consideration of ethical issues. These aspects are inextricably linked. In 2004 the EC expressed its commitment to the development of a harmonised approach to human biomonitoring (HBM by including an action in the EU Environment and Health Strategy to develop a Human Biomonitoring Pilot Study. This further underlined the need for interpretation strategies as well as guidance on ethical issues. A workshop held in December 2006 brought together stakeholders from academia, policy makers as well as non-governmental organisations and chemical industry associations to a two day workshop built a mutual understanding of the issues in an open and frank discussion forum. This paper describes the discussion and recommendations from the workshop. The workshop developed key recommendations for a Pan-European HBM Study: 1. A strategy for the interpretation of human biomonitoring data should be developed. 2. The pilot study should include the development of a strategy to integrate health data and environmental monitoring with human biomonitoring data at national and international levels. 3. Communication strategies should be developed when designing the study and evolve as the study continues. 4. Early communication with stakeholders is essential to achieve maximum efficacy of policy developments and facilitate subsequent monitoring. 5. Member states will have to apply individually for project approval from their National Research Ethics Committees. 6. The study population needs to have sufficient information on the way data will be gathered, interpreted and disseminated and how samples will be stored and used in the future (if biobanking before they can give informed consent. 7. The participants must be given the option of anonymity. This has an impact

Plasma Atrial Natriuretic Peptide as a non-invasive biochemical ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Plasma Atrial Natriuretic Peptide as a non-invasive biochemical marker of dyspnoea in congestive heart failure patients. ... University of Mauritius Research Journal ... score assessed by a 10 graded visual analogue scale in the control group (mean score = 1) and an increased from 1.6 to 6.4 in the heart failure patients.

A meta-analysis of trait differences between invasive and non-invasive plant species

OpenAIRE

van Kleunen, Mark; Weber, Ewald; Fischer, Markus

2010-01-01

A major aim in ecology is identifying determinants of invasiveness. We performed a meta-analysis of 117 field or experimental-garden studies that measured pair-wise trait differences of a total of 125 invasive and 196 non-invasive plant species in the invasive range of the invasive species. We tested whether invasiveness is associated with performance-related traits (physiology, leaf-area allocation, shoot allocation, growth rate, size and fitness), and whether such associations depend on typ...

From mini-invasive to non-invasive treatment using monopolar radiofrequency: the next orthopaedic frontier.

Science.gov (United States)

Whipple, Terry L

2009-10-01

Tendinopathy arises from a failed tendon healing process. Current non-invasive therapeutic alternatives are anti-inflammatory in nature, and outcomes are unpredictable. The benefit of invasive alternatives resides in the induction of the healing response. A new technology that uses non-invasive monopolar capacitive coupled radiofrequency has demonstrated the ability to raise temperatures in tendons and ligaments above 50 degrees C, the threshold for collagen modulation, tissue shrinkage and recruitment of macrophages, fibroblasts, and heat shock protein factors, without damaging the overlying structures, resulting in activation of the wound healing response. Monopolar capacitive-coupled radiofrequency offers a new non-invasive choice for tendinopathies and sprained ligaments. It does not interfere with subsequent surgical procedures should they become necessary.

Non-invasive assessment determine the swallowing and respiration dysfunction in early Parkinson's disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Chin-Man; Shieh, Wann-Yun; Weng, Yi-Hsin; Hsu, Yi-Hsuan; Wu, Yih-Ru

2017-09-01

Dysphagia is common among patients with Parkinson's disease. Swallowing and its coordination with respiration is extremely important to achieve safety swallowing. Different tools have been used to assess this coordination, however the results have been inconsistent. We aimed to investigate this coordination in patients with Parkinson's disease using a non-invasive method. Signals of submental muscle activity, thyroid cartilage excursion, and nasal airflow during swallowing were recorded simultaneously. Five different water boluses were swallowed three times, and the data were recorded and analyzed. Thirty-seven controls and 42 patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease were included. The rates of non-expiratory/expiratory pre- and post-swallowing respiratory phase patterns were higher in the patients than in the controls (P Parkinson's disease, and safety compensation mechanisms were used more than efficiency during swallowing. The results of this study may serve as a baseline for further research into new treatment regimens and to improve the management of swallowing in patients with Parkinson's disease. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Assessment of human health risk related to metals by the use of biomonitors in the province of Cordoba, Argentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carreras, Hebe A. [Departamento de Quimica, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biologia Vegetal, IMBIV/CONICET-UNC, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Av. Velez Sarsfield 1611, Ciudad Universitaria, X5016GCA Cordoba (Argentina)], E-mail: hcarreras@com.uncor.edu; Wannaz, Eduardo D.; Pignata, Maria L. [Departamento de Quimica, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biologia Vegetal, IMBIV/CONICET-UNC, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cordoba, Av. Velez Sarsfield 1611, Ciudad Universitaria, X5016GCA Cordoba (Argentina)

2009-01-15

The evaluation of metal contents in the environment is of vital importance for the assessment of human exposure. Thus the species Usnea amblyoclada, Ramalina celastri and Tillandsia capillaris were tested as bioaccumulators of transition metals in the urban area of Cordoba city, Argentina. The level of metals on biomonitors was compared to that of total deposition samples. All three species discriminated zones within the urban area of Cordoba city with different pollution levels; they revealed high levels of Zn in the downtown area and confirmed high levels of some transition metals in an industrial area. The correlation analysis revealed that the lichen R. celastri had the highest correlation rates with total deposition samples, suggesting it is a valuable biomonitor of atmospheric pollution. A significant relationship was also observed between respiratory diseases in children and the contents of metal accumulated in R. celastri and T. capillaris, indicating their usefulness when assessing human exposure to metals. - Metal accumulation in epiphytes is correlated with human respiratory diseases.

Assessment of human health risk related to metals by the use of biomonitors in the province of Cordoba, Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carreras, Hebe A.; Wannaz, Eduardo D.; Pignata, Maria L.

2009-01-01

The evaluation of metal contents in the environment is of vital importance for the assessment of human exposure. Thus the species Usnea amblyoclada, Ramalina celastri and Tillandsia capillaris were tested as bioaccumulators of transition metals in the urban area of Cordoba city, Argentina. The level of metals on biomonitors was compared to that of total deposition samples. All three species discriminated zones within the urban area of Cordoba city with different pollution levels; they revealed high levels of Zn in the downtown area and confirmed high levels of some transition metals in an industrial area. The correlation analysis revealed that the lichen R. celastri had the highest correlation rates with total deposition samples, suggesting it is a valuable biomonitor of atmospheric pollution. A significant relationship was also observed between respiratory diseases in children and the contents of metal accumulated in R. celastri and T. capillaris, indicating their usefulness when assessing human exposure to metals. - Metal accumulation in epiphytes is correlated with human respiratory diseases

Invasive versus Non Invasive Methods Applied to Mummy Research: Will This Controversy Ever Be Solved?

Science.gov (United States)

Day, Jasmine; Bianucci, Raffaella

2015-01-01

Advances in the application of non invasive techniques to mummified remains have shed new light on past diseases. The virtual inspection of a corpse, which has almost completely replaced classical autopsy, has proven to be important especially when dealing with valuable museum specimens. In spite of some very rewarding results, there are still many open questions. Non invasive techniques provide information on hard and soft tissue pathologies and allow information to be gleaned concerning mummification practices (e.g., ancient Egyptian artificial mummification). Nevertheless, there are other fields of mummy studies in which the results provided by non invasive techniques are not always self-explanatory. Reliance exclusively upon virtual diagnoses can sometimes lead to inconclusive and misleading interpretations. On the other hand, several types of investigation (e.g., histology, paleomicrobiology, and biochemistry), although minimally invasive, require direct contact with the bodies and, for this reason, are often avoided, particularly by museum curators. Here we present an overview of the non invasive and invasive techniques currently used in mummy studies and propose an approach that might solve these conflicts. PMID:26345295

Air pollution biomonitoring in Argentina, application of neutron activation analysis to the study of biomonitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pignata, M.L.; Pla, R.R.

1999-01-01

The assessment of baseline levels of atmospheric pollutants and the identification of polluted areas is a complex problem, as pollutant contents at a certain geographical location is usually a combination of contributions from various diverse sources, including long-range transport. Elemental chemical characterization of atmospheric pollutants is thus of great importance and Neutron Activation Analysis has proved to be a powerful technique for multielemental determination of trace elements in biomonitors and aerosols. The general objective of this project is to study the use of biomonitors, specially lichens, for evaluating pollutant levels over a wide geographic area of Argentina and for establishing baseline values and assessing time trends. Two lichen species (Usnea sp. and Ramalina ecklonii (Spreng.) Mey. and Flot) have been identified as suitable monitors of air pollution, with potential regional application at the central area of the country (province of Cordoba) and pilot studies have been initiated to test the practicability of sampling and sample collection. An area of approximately 40,000 km 2 will be covered by a sampling network, using in situ growing lichens. The distribution maps for the two selected species are already drawn and sampling of local soils will also be conducted. Current efforts at the Neutron Activation Analysis laboratory are put on assessing, for the selected lichen species, the influence of sample preparation methods on trace element concentrations. The use of other analytical techniques will allow the evaluation of the bioindicator chemical response and its relationship to different atmospheric quality levels. Source identification and apportionment will be done by statistical fingerprinting of the elemental concentrations, as sources of pollution are characterized by being composed of different mixtures of elements in different proportions. In this way and as a long-term objective, regional maps will be drawn showing the

Non-invasive means of measuring hepatic fat content.

Science.gov (United States)

Mehta, Sanjeev-R; Thomas, E-Louise; Bell, Jimmy-D; Johnston, Desmond-G; Taylor-Robinson, Simon-D

2008-06-14

Hepatic steatosis affects 20% to 30% of the general adult population in the western world. Currently, the technique of choice for determining hepatic fat deposition and the stage of fibrosis is liver biopsy. However, it is an invasive procedure and its use is limited, particularly in children. It may also be subject to sampling error. Non-invasive techniques such as ultrasound, computerised tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H MRS) can detect hepatic steatosis, but currently cannot distinguish between simple steatosis and steatohepatitis, or stage the degree of fibrosis accurately. Ultrasound is widely used to detect hepatic steatosis, but its sensitivity is reduced in the morbidly obese and also in those with small amounts of fatty infiltration. It has been used to grade hepatic fat content, but this is subjective. CT can detect hepatic steatosis, but exposes subjects to ionising radiation, thus limiting its use in longitudinal studies and in children. Recently, magnetic resonance (MR) techniques using chemical shift imaging have provided a quantitative assessment of the degree of hepatic fatty infiltration, which correlates well with liver biopsy results in the same patients. Similarly, in vivo (1)H MRS is a fast, safe, non-invasive method for the quantification of intrahepatocellular lipid (IHCL) levels. Both techniques will be useful tools in future longitudinal clinical studies, either in examining the natural history of conditions causing hepatic steatosis (e.g. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease), or in testing new treatments for these conditions.

Biological assessment of aquatic pollution: a review, with emphasis on plants as biomonitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Doust, J L; Schmidt, M; Doust, L L

1994-05-01

In a number of disciplines including ecology, ecotoxicology, water quality management, water resource management, fishery biology etc., there is significant interest in the testing of new materials, environmental samples (of water or sediments) and specific sites, in terms of their effects on biota. In the first instance, we consider various sources of aquatic pollution, sources typically associated with developed areas of the world. Historically, much water quality assessment has been performed by researchers with a background in chemistry or engineering, thus chemical analysis was a dominant form of assessment. However, chemical analyses, particularly of such materials as organochlorines and polyaromatic hydrocarbons can be expensive, and local environmental factors may cause the actual exposure of an organism to be little correlated with chemical concentrations in the surrounding water or sediments. To a large extent toxicity testing has proceeded independently of environmental quality assessment in situ, and the work has been done by different, and differently-trained researchers. Here we attempt to bring together the various forms of biological assessment of aquatic pollution, because in our opinion it is worth developing a coherent framework for the application of this powerful tool. Biotic assessment in its most primitive form involves the simple tracking of mortality in exposed organisms. However, in most natural environments it is extended, chronic exposure to contaminants that has the most wide-ranging and irreversible repercussions--thus measures of sub-lethal impairment are favoured. From an ecological standpoint, it is most valuable to assess ecological effects by direct study of in situ contaminant body burdens and impairment of growth and reproduction compared with 'clean' sites. A distinction is made here between bioindication and biomonitoring, and a case is made for including aquatic macrophytes (angiosperms) in studies of contaminant levels and

Non-invasive physical treatments for chronic/recurrent headache.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bronfort, G.; Nilsson, N.; Haas, M.; Evans, R.; Goldsmith, C. H.; Assendelft, W. J.; Bouter, L. M.

2004-01-01

BACKGROUND: Non-invasive physical treatments are often used to treat common types of chronic/recurrent headache. OBJECTIVES: To quantify and compare the magnitude of short- and long-term effects of non-invasive physical treatments for chronic/recurrent headaches. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the

Non-invasive physical treatments for chronic/recurrent headache

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brønfort, Gert; Haas, Mitchell; Evans, Roni L.; Goldsmith, Charles H.; Assendelft, Willem J.J.; Bouter, Lex M.

2014-01-01

Background: Non-invasive physical treatments are often used to treat common types of chronic/recurrent headache. Objectives: To quantify and compare the magnitude of short- and long-term effects of non-invasive physical treatments for chronic/recurrent headaches. Search methods: We searched the

Invasive clonal plant species have a greater root-foraging plasticity than non-invasive ones.

Science.gov (United States)

Keser, Lidewij H; Dawson, Wayne; Song, Yao-Bin; Yu, Fei-Hai; Fischer, Markus; Dong, Ming; van Kleunen, Mark

2014-03-01

Clonality is frequently positively correlated with plant invasiveness, but which aspects of clonality make some clonal species more invasive than others is not known. Due to their spreading growth form, clonal plants are likely to experience spatial heterogeneity in nutrient availability. Plasticity in allocation of biomass to clonal growth organs and roots may allow these plants to forage for high-nutrient patches. We investigated whether this foraging response is stronger in species that have become invasive than in species that have not. We used six confamilial pairs of native European clonal plant species differing in invasion success in the USA. We grew all species in large pots under homogeneous or heterogeneous nutrient conditions in a greenhouse, and compared their nutrient-foraging response and performance. Neither invasive nor non-invasive species showed significant foraging responses to heterogeneity in clonal growth organ biomass or in aboveground biomass of clonal offspring. Invasive species had, however, a greater positive foraging response in terms of root and belowground biomass than non-invasive species. Invasive species also produced more total biomass. Our results suggest that the ability for strong root foraging is among the characteristics promoting invasiveness in clonal plants.

Non-invasive assessment of in-vitro embryo quality to improve transfer success

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Højbøge, Tina Rødgaard; Heegaard, Peter M. H.; Callesen, Henrik

2015-01-01

Although IVF has been performed routinely for many years to help couples with fertility problems and in relation to modern breeding of farm animals, pregnancy rates after transfer to a recipient have not improved during the last decade. Early prediction of the viability of in-vitro developed...... subjectively. The simple morphological approach is, however, inadequate for the prediction of embryo quality, and several studies have focused on developing new non-invasive methods using molecular approaches based particularly on proteomics, metabolomics and most recently small non-coding RNA, including micro...

Invasive and non-invasive brain stimulation for treatment of neuropathic pain in patients with spinal cord injury: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Nardone, Raffaele; Höller, Yvonne; Leis, Stefan; Höller, Peter; Thon, Natasha; Thomschewski, Aljoscha; Golaszewski, Stefan; Brigo, Francesco; Trinka, Eugen

2014-01-01

Past evidence has shown that invasive and non-invasive brain stimulation may be effective for relieving central pain. To perform a topical review of the literature on brain neurostimulation techniques in patients with chronic neuropathic pain due to traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) and to assess the current evidence for their therapeutic efficacy. A MEDLINE search was performed using following terms: "Spinal cord injury", "Neuropathic pain", "Brain stimulation", "Deep brain stimulation" (DBS), "Motor cortex stimulation" (MCS), "Transcranial magnetic stimulation" (TMS), "Transcranial direct current stimulation" (tDCS), "Cranial electrotherapy stimulation" (CES). Invasive neurostimulation therapies, in particular DBS and epidural MCS, have shown promise as treatments for neuropathic and phantom limb pain. However, the long-term efficacy of DBS is low, while MCS has a relatively higher potential with lesser complications that DBS. Among the non-invasive techniques, there is accumulating evidence that repetitive TMS can produce analgesic effects in healthy subjects undergoing laboratory-induced pain and in chronic pain conditions of various etiologies, at least partially and transiently. Another very safe technique of non-invasive brain stimulation - tDCS - applied over the sensory-motor cortex has been reported to decrease pain sensation and increase pain threshold in healthy subjects. CES has also proved to be effective in managing some types of pain, including neuropathic pain in subjects with SCI. A number of studies have begun to use non-invasive neuromodulatory techniques therapeutically to relieve neuropathic pain and phantom phenomena in patients with SCI. However, further studies are warranted to corroborate the early findings and confirm different targets and stimulation paradigms. The utility of these protocols in combination with pharmacological approaches should also be explored.

Non-invasive neural stimulation

Science.gov (United States)

Tyler, William J.; Sanguinetti, Joseph L.; Fini, Maria; Hool, Nicholas

2017-05-01

Neurotechnologies for non-invasively interfacing with neural circuits have been evolving from those capable of sensing neural activity to those capable of restoring and enhancing human brain function. Generally referred to as non-invasive neural stimulation (NINS) methods, these neuromodulation approaches rely on electrical, magnetic, photonic, and acoustic or ultrasonic energy to influence nervous system activity, brain function, and behavior. Evidence that has been surmounting for decades shows that advanced neural engineering of NINS technologies will indeed transform the way humans treat diseases, interact with information, communicate, and learn. The physics underlying the ability of various NINS methods to modulate nervous system activity can be quite different from one another depending on the energy modality used as we briefly discuss. For members of commercial and defense industry sectors that have not traditionally engaged in neuroscience research and development, the science, engineering and technology required to advance NINS methods beyond the state-of-the-art presents tremendous opportunities. Within the past few years alone there have been large increases in global investments made by federal agencies, foundations, private investors and multinational corporations to develop advanced applications of NINS technologies. Driven by these efforts NINS methods and devices have recently been introduced to mass markets via the consumer electronics industry. Further, NINS continues to be explored in a growing number of defense applications focused on enhancing human dimensions. The present paper provides a brief introduction to the field of non-invasive neural stimulation by highlighting some of the more common methods in use or under current development today.

Imaging the pancreas: from ex vivo to non-invasive technology

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holmberg, D; Ahlgren, U

2008-01-01

While many recently published reviews have covered non-invasive nuclear imaging techniques, the aim of this review is to focus on current developments in optical imaging technologies for investigating the pancreas. Several of these modalities are being developed into non-invasive, real-time monit......While many recently published reviews have covered non-invasive nuclear imaging techniques, the aim of this review is to focus on current developments in optical imaging technologies for investigating the pancreas. Several of these modalities are being developed into non-invasive, real...

The relation between invasive and non-invasive tear break-up time ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tear stability normal to Nigerians with consideration of gender and age has not been reported. Tear stability in young adults was measured using invasive and non-invasive tear break-up time (TBUT and NIBUT). Forty –five subjects aged 20 to 30 years were selected from among the students of University of. Benin, Edo ...

Tissue Damage Characterization Using Non-invasive Optical Modalities

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, David

The ability to determine the degree of cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue damage is essential for proper wound assessment and a significant factor for determining patient treatment and morbidity. Accurate characterization of tissue damage is critical for a number of medical applications including surgical removal of nonviable tissue, severity assessment of subcutaneous ulcers, and depth assessment of visually open wounds. The main objective of this research was to develop a non-invasive method for identifying the extent of tissue damage underneath intact skin that is not apparent upon visual examination. This work investigated the relationship between tissue optical properties, blood flow, and tissue viability by testing the hypotheses that (a) changes in tissue oxygenation and/or microcirculatory blood flow measurable by Diffuse Near Infrared Spectroscopy (DNIRS) and Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (DCS) differ between healthy and damaged tissue and (b) the magnitude of those changes differs for different degrees of tissue damage. This was accomplished by developing and validating a procedure for measuring microcirculatory blood flow and tissue oxygenation dynamics at multiple depths (up to 1 centimeter) using non-invasive DCS and DNIRS technologies. Due to the lack of pressure ulcer animal models that are compatible with our optical systems, a proof of concept was conducted in a porcine burn model prior to conducting clinical trials in order to assess the efficacy of the system in-vivo. A reduction in total hemoglobin was observed for superficial (5%) and deep burns (35%) along with a statistically significant difference between the optical properties of superficial and deep burns (p differences detected in optical properties and hemoglobin content by optical measurements correlated with the extent of tissue injury observed in histological stains. After proof of concept in animals, a human study was conducted and optical data was collected from 20 healthy

Monitoring OH-PCBs in PCB transport worker's urine as a non-invasive exposure assessment tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Haga, Yuki; Suzuki, Motoharu; Matsumura, Chisato; Okuno, Toshihiro; Tsurukawa, Masahiro; Fujimori, Kazuo; Kannan, Narayanan; Weber, Roland; Nakano, Takeshi

2018-04-14

In this study, we analyzed hydroxylated polychlorinated biphenyls (OH-PCBs) in urine of both PCB transport workers and PCB researchers. A method to monitor OH-PCB in urine was developed. Urine was solid-phase extracted with 0.1% ammonia/ methanol (v/v) and glucuronic acid/sulfate conjugates and then decomposed using β-glucuronidase/arylsulfatase. After alkaline digestion/derivatization, the concentration of OH-PCBs was determined by HRGC/HRMS-SIM. In the first sampling campaign, the worker's OH-PCB levels increased several fold after the PCB waste transportation work, indicating exposure to PCBs. The concentration of OH-PCBs in PCB transport workers' urine (0.55~11 μg/g creatinine (Cre)) was higher than in PCB researchers' urine (PCB storage area. In the second sampling, after recommended PCB exposure reduction measures had been enacted, the worker's PCB levels did not increase during handling of PCB equipment. This suggests that applied safety measures improved the situation. Hydroxylated trichlorobiphenyls (OH-TrCBs) were identified as a major homolog of OH-PCBs in urine. Also, hydroxylated tetrachlorobiphenyls (OH-TeCBs) to hydroxylated hexachlorobiphenyls (OH-HxCBs) were detected. For the sum of ten selected major indicators, a strong correlation to total OH-PCBs were found and these can possibly be used as non-invasive biomarkers of PCB exposure in workers managing PCB capacitors and transformer oils. We suggest that monitoring of OH-PCBs in PCB management projects could be considered a non-invasive way to detect exposure. It could also be used as a tool to assess and improve PCB management. This is highly relevant considering the fact that in the next 10 years, approx. 14 million tons of PCB waste need to be managed. Also, the selected populations could be screened to assess whether exposure at work, school, or home has taken place.

Assessment of human health risk related to metals by the use of biomonitors in the province of Córdoba, Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Carreras, Hebe A; Wannaz, Eduardo D; Pignata, María L

2009-01-01

The evaluation of metal contents in the environment is of vital importance for the assessment of human exposure. Thus the species Usnea amblyoclada, Ramalina celastri and Tillandsia capillaris were tested as bioaccumulators of transition metals in the urban area of Córdoba city, Argentina. The level of metals on biomonitors was compared to that of total deposition samples. All three species discriminated zones within the urban area of Córdoba city with different pollution levels; they revealed high levels of Zn in the downtown area and confirmed high levels of some transition metals in an industrial area. The correlation analysis revealed that the lichen R. celastri had the highest correlation rates with total deposition samples, suggesting it is a valuable biomonitor of atmospheric pollution. A significant relationship was also observed between respiratory diseases in children and the contents of metal accumulated in R. celastri and T. capillaris, indicating their usefulness when assessing human exposure to metals.

Human biomonitoring pilot study DEMOCOPHES in Germany

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Schwedler, Gerda; Seiwert, Margarete; Fiddicke, Ulrike

2017-01-01

, cadmium, cotinine and several phthalate metabolites in urine of 6–11 year old children and their mothers in an urban and a rural region. Seventeen European countries simultaneously conducted this cross-sectional DEMOCOPHES feasibility study. The German study population was taken in the city of Bochum...... and in the Higher Sauerland District, comprising 120 mother-child pairs. In the present paper features of the study implementation are presented. German exposure concentrations of the pollutants are reported and compared with European average concentrations from DEMOCOPHES and with those measured......Human biomonitoring (HBM) is an effective tool to assess human exposure to environmental pollutants, but comparable HBM data in Europe are lacking. In order to expedite harmonization of HBM studies on a European scale, the twin projects COPHES (Consortium to Perform Human Biomonitoring...

Ethical issues related to biomonitoring studies on children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Marie; Merlo, Domenico Franco; Knudsen, Lisbeth E.

2007-01-01

Human biomonitoring is a promising tool for assessing environmental exposure and its potential relation with biomarkers, diseases and/or disorders in humans including children. Research with children is essential; however, if the research questions can be resolved by recruitment of adults it is n...

A non-invasive approach to study lifetime exposure and bioaccumulation of PCBs in protected marine mammals: PBPK modeling in harbor porpoises

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weijs, Liesbeth; Covaci, Adrian; Yang, Raymond S.H.; Das, Krishna; Blust, Ronny

2011-01-01

In the last decade, physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models have increasingly been developed to explain the kinetics of environmental pollutants in wildlife. For marine mammals specifically, these models provide a new, non-destructive tool that enables the integration of biomonitoring activities and in vitro studies. The goals of the present study were firstly to develop PBPK models for several environmental relevant PCB congeners in harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), a species that is sensitive to pollution because of its limited metabolic capacity for pollutant transformation. These models were tested using tissue data of porpoises from the Black Sea. Secondly, the predictive power of the models was investigated for time trends in the PCB concentrations in North Sea harbor porpoises between 1990 and 2008. Thirdly, attempts were made to assess metabolic capacities of harbor porpoises for the investigated PCBs. In general, results show that parameter values from other species (rodents, humans) are not always suitable in marine mammal models, most probably due to differences in physiology and exposure. The PCB 149 levels decrease the fastest in male harbor porpoises from the North Sea in a time period of 18 years, whereas the PCB 101 levels decrease the slowest. According to the models, metabolic breakdown of PCB 118 is probably of lesser importance compared to other elimination pathways. For PCB 101 and 149 however, the presence of their metabolites can be attributed to bioaccumulation of metabolites from the prey and to metabolic breakdown of the parent compounds in the harbor porpoises. - Highlights: → PBPK modeling was used to study the kinetics of several PCBs in a marine mammal. → Harbor porpoises are sensitive to pollution and therefore ideal model organisms. → Black Sea data were used for parameterization. → North Sea data for assessing temporal trends (1990-2008). → PBPK modeling is a non-invasive and non-destructive tool.

Major national human biomonitoring programs in chemical exposure assessment

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Judy Choi

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Human biomonitoring (HBM programs have been established in several countries around the world in order to monitor the levels of chemical exposures in the general population and qualify health risk assessment of national and international interest. Study design, population, sample collection, and chemical analysis must be considered when comparing and interpreting the results. In this review, the objectives and brief descriptions of the major national HBM programs in North America, Europe, and Asia are provided. Similarities and differences observed from a comparative analysis among these programs, including the stratification of data according to age, sex, socioeconomic background, etc. as well as the identification of chemical exposure associated with food intake, are discussed. Overall, although there are some discrepancies in the study designs among the reviewed national HBM programs, results from the programs can provide useful information such as chemical levels found within the general population of a country that can be compared. Furthermore, the results can be used by regulatory authorities or the government to enforce legislations in order to reduce the exposure of chemicals into the human body.

Assessment of metal contamination in the Hun River, China, and evaluation of the fish Zacco platypus and the snail Radix swinhoei as potential biomonitors.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Xing; Wang, Shaofeng; Chen, Hongxing; Jiang, Zhiqiang; Chen, Hongwei; Gao, Mi; Bi, Ran; Klerks, Paul L; Wang, He; Luo, Yongju; Xie, Lingtian

2017-03-01

The Hun River is a major tributary of the Liao River in the northeast area of China and provides drinking water for 23 million local residents. This study was designed to assess the severity of metal contamination in the Hun River and the potential use of indigenous organisms (the fish Zacco platypus and the snail Radix swinhoei) as biomonitors of metal contamination. Water, sediment, and the native fish and snails were collected at four sampling sites that differed in their physicochemical characteristics and their contamination levels. The samples were analyzed for Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn by ICP-MS. The results showed that although the overall potential ecological risks of the metals were low at our sampling sites, Cd posed a noteworthy ecological risk. Strong correlations were obtained between Cd concentrations in the organisms and in the environment. The results indicated that Z. platypus and R. swinhoei can be useful biomonitoring species for assessing Cd contamination. Biomonitoring with the snail may be most effective when focused on the gonad/digestive tissue (because of the high metal accumulation there), but further work is needed to confirm this.

Non-invasive brain stimulation to assess and modulate neuroplasticity in Alzheimer's disease.

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Boggio, Paulo Sérgio; Valasek, Claudia Aparecida; Campanhã, Camila; Giglio, Ana Carolina Alem; Baptista, Nathalia Ishikawa; Lapenta, Olivia Morgan; Fregni, Felipe

2011-10-01

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative and progressive disease related to a gradual decline in cognitive functions such as memory, attention, perceptual-spatial abilities, language, and executive functions. Recent evidence has suggested that interventions promoting neural plasticity can induce significant cognitive gains especially in subjects at risk of or with mild AD. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) are non-invasive techniques that can induce significant and long-lasting changes in focal and non-focal neuroplasticity. In this review, we present initial preliminary evidence that TMS and tDCS can enhance performance in cognitive functions typically impaired in AD. Also, we reviewed the initial six studies on AD that presented early findings showing cognitive gains such as in recognition memory and language associated with TMS and tDCS treatment. In addition, we showed that TMS has also been used to assess neuroplasticity changes in AD supporting the notion that cortical excitability is changed in AD due to the neurodegenerative process. Due to the safe profile, cost of these tools, and initial clinical trials results, further studies are warranted in order to replicate and extend the initial findings of rTMS and tDCS as cognitive enhancers in AD. Further trials should explore different targets of stimulation along with different paradigms of stimulation including combination with behavioural interventions.

BrainStorm: a psychosocial game suite design for non-invasive cross-generational cognitive capabilities data collection

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Ahmad, Faizan; Chen, Yiqiang; Hu, Lisha; Wang, Shuangquan; Wang, Jindong; Chen, Zhenyu; Jiang, Xinlong; Shen, Jianfei

2017-11-01

Currently available traditional as well as videogame-based cognitive assessment techniques are inappropriate due to several reasons. This paper presents a novel psychosocial game suite, BrainStorm, for non-invasive cross-generational cognitive capabilities data collection, which additionally provides cross-generational social support. A motivation behind the development of presented game suite is to provide an entertaining and exciting platform for its target users in order to collect gameplay-based cognitive capabilities data in a non-invasive manner. An extensive evaluation of the presented game suite demonstrated high acceptability and attraction for its target users. Besides, the data collection process is successfully reported as transparent and non-invasive.

A Microwave Ring-Resonator Sensor for Non-Invasive Assessment of Meat Aging

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Muhammad Taha Jilnai

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The assessment of moisture loss from meat during the aging period is a critical issue for the meat industry. In this article, a non-invasive microwave ring-resonator sensor is presented to evaluate the moisture content, or more precisely water holding capacity (WHC of broiler meat over a four-week period. The developed sensor has shown significant changes in its resonance frequency and return loss due to reduction in WHC in the studied duration. The obtained results are also confirmed by physical measurements. Further, these results are evaluated using the Fricke model, which provides a good fit for electric circuit components in biological tissue. Significant changes were observed in membrane integrity, where the corresponding capacitance decreases 30% in the early aging (0D-7D period. Similarly, the losses associated with intracellular and extracellular fluids exhibit changed up to 42% and 53%, respectively. Ultimately, empirical polynomial models are developed to predict the electrical component values for a better understanding of aging effects. The measured and calculated values are found to be in good agreement.

A Microwave Ring-Resonator Sensor for Non-Invasive Assessment of Meat Aging

Science.gov (United States)

Jilani, Muhammad Taha; Wen, Wong Peng; Cheong, Lee Yen; ur Rehman, Muhammad Zaka

2016-01-01

The assessment of moisture loss from meat during the aging period is a critical issue for the meat industry. In this article, a non-invasive microwave ring-resonator sensor is presented to evaluate the moisture content, or more precisely water holding capacity (WHC) of broiler meat over a four-week period. The developed sensor has shown significant changes in its resonance frequency and return loss due to reduction in WHC in the studied duration. The obtained results are also confirmed by physical measurements. Further, these results are evaluated using the Fricke model, which provides a good fit for electric circuit components in biological tissue. Significant changes were observed in membrane integrity, where the corresponding capacitance decreases 30% in the early aging (0D-7D) period. Similarly, the losses associated with intracellular and extracellular fluids exhibit changed up to 42% and 53%, respectively. Ultimately, empirical polynomial models are developed to predict the electrical component values for a better understanding of aging effects. The measured and calculated values are found to be in good agreement. PMID:26805828

Non-Invasive Assessment of Hepatic Fibrosis by Elastic Measurement of Liver Using Magnetic Resonance Tagging Images

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Xuejun Zhang

2018-03-01

Full Text Available To date, the measurement of the stiffness of liver requires a special vibrational tool that limits its application in many hospitals. In this study, we developed a novel method for automatically assessing the elasticity of the liver without any use of contrast agents or mechanical devices. By calculating the non-rigid deformation of the liver from magnetic resonance (MR tagging images, the stiffness was quantified as the displacement of grids on the liver image during a forced exhalation cycle. Our methods include two major processes: (1 quantification of the non-rigid deformation as the bending energy (BE based on the thin-plate spline method in the spatial domain and (2 calculation of the difference in the power spectrum from the tagging images, by using fast Fourier transform in the frequency domain. By considering 34 cases (17 normal and 17 abnormal liver cases, a remarkable difference between the two groups was found by both methods. The elasticity of the liver was finally analyzed by combining the bending energy and power spectral features obtained through MR tagging images. The result showed that only one abnormal case was misclassified in our dataset, which implied our method for non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis has the potential to reduce the traditional liver biopsy.

Biomonitoring of airborne particulate matter emitted from a cement plant and comparison with dispersion modelling results

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Abril, Gabriela A.; Wannaz, Eduardo D.; Mateos, Ana C.; Pignata, María L.

2014-01-01

The influence of a cement plant that incinerates industrial waste on the air quality of a region in the province of Córdoba, Argentina, was assessed by means of biomonitoring studies (effects of immission) and atmospheric dispersion (effects of emission) of PM10 with the application of the ISC3 model (Industrial Source Complex) developed by the USEPA (Environmental Protection Agency). For the biomonitoring studies, samples from the epiphyte plant Tillandsia capillaris Ruíz & Pav. f. capillaris were transplanted to the vicinities of the cement plant in order to determine the physiological damage and heavy metal accumulation (Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb). For the application of the ISC3 model, point and area sources from the cement plant were considered to obtain average PM10 concentration results from the biomonitoring exposure period. This model permitted it to be determined that the emissions from the cement plant (point and area sources) were confined to the vicinities, without significant dispersion in the study area. This was also observed in the biomonitoring study, which identified Ca, Cd and Pb, pH and electric conductivity (EC) as biomarkers of this cement plant. Vehicular traffic emissions and soil re-suspension could be observed in the biomonitors, giving a more complete scenario. In this study, biomonitoring studies along with the application of atmospheric dispersion models, allowed the atmospheric pollution to be assessed in more detail.

A novel paradigm for telemedicine using the personal bio-monitor.

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Bhatikar, Sanjay R; Mahajan, Roop L; DeGroff, Curt

2002-01-01

The foray of solid-state technology in the medical field has yielded an arsenal of sophisticated healthcare tools. Personal, portable computing power coupled with the information superhighway open up the possibility of sophisticated healthcare management that will impact the medical field just as much. The full synergistic potential of three interwoven technologies: (1) compact electronics, (2) World Wide Web, and (3) Artificial Intelligence is yet to be realized. The system presented in this paper integrates these technologies synergistically, providing a new paradigm for healthcare. Our idea is to deploy internet-enabled, intelligent, handheld personal computers for medical diagnosis. The salient features of the 'Personal Bio-Monitor' we envisage are: (1) Utilization of the peripheral signals of the body which may be acquired non-invasively and with ease, for diagnosis of medical conditions; (2) An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) based approach for diagnosis; (3) Configuration of the diagnostic device as a handheld for personal use; (4) Internet connectivity, following the emerging bluetooth protocol, for prompt conveyance of information to a patient's health care provider via the World Wide Web. The proposal is substantiated with an intelligent handheld device developed by the investigators for pediatric cardiac auscultation. This device performed accurate diagnoses of cardiac abnormalities in pediatrics using an artificial neural network to process heart sounds acquired by a low-frequency microphone and transmitted its diagnosis to a desktop PC via infrared. The idea of the personal biomonitor presented here has the potential to streamline healthcare by optimizing two valuable resources: physicians' time and sophisticated equipment time. We show that the elements of such a system are in place, with our prototype. Our novel contribution is the synergistic integration of compact electronics' technology, artificial neural network methodology and the wireless web

Biomonitoring of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams in Europe: Current practice and priorities to enhance ecological status assessments.

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Stubbington, Rachel; Chadd, Richard; Cid, Núria; Csabai, Zoltán; Miliša, Marko; Morais, Manuela; Munné, Antoni; Pařil, Petr; Pešić, Vladimir; Tziortzis, Iakovos; Verdonschot, Ralf C M; Datry, Thibault

2018-03-15

Intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams (IRES) are common across Europe and dominate some Mediterranean river networks. In all climate zones, IRES support high biodiversity and provide ecosystem services. As dynamic ecosystems that transition between flowing, pool, and dry states, IRES are typically poorly represented in biomonitoring programmes implemented to characterize EU Water Framework Directive ecological status. We report the results of a survey completed by representatives from 20 European countries to identify current challenges to IRES status assessment, examples of best practice, and priorities for future research. We identify five major barriers to effective ecological status classification in IRES: 1. the exclusion of IRES from Water Framework Directive biomonitoring based on their small catchment size; 2. the lack of river typologies that distinguish between contrasting IRES; 3. difficulties in defining the 'reference conditions' that represent unimpacted dynamic ecosystems; 4. classification of IRES ecological status based on lotic communities sampled using methods developed for perennial rivers; and 5. a reliance on taxonomic characterization of local communities. Despite these challenges, we recognize examples of innovative practice that can inform modification of current biomonitoring activity to promote effective IRES status classification. Priorities for future research include reconceptualization of the reference condition approach to accommodate spatiotemporal fluctuations in community composition, and modification of indices of ecosystem health to recognize both taxon-specific sensitivities to intermittence and dispersal abilities, within a landscape context. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An alternative non-invasive treatment for Peyronie's disease

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Joaquim A. Claro

2004-06-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Surgical correction of the deformity and plaque caused by Peyronie's disease has some important disadvantages and extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT emerged as a new promising therapy. We evaluated prospectively the efficacy and safety of the association of high dose vitamin E and ESWT as a non-invasive treatment for the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-five patients 42 to 68 years old (mean = 54 presenting penile deviation and sexual distress caused by Peyronie's disease were treated in a non-invasive manner. The time of penile deviation ranged from 16 to 52 months (mean = 30. All patients had previous unsuccessful treatment for Peyronie's disease. The angulation's deformity of the penis was assessed by photography at home. The patients received vitamin E (l.200 mg daily during 3 months and underwent 3 to 6 sessions (mean = 3 of ESWT (3,000 to 4,000 shockwaves at a power level of l to 2 at 1-week intervals. RESULTS: From 25 patients treated, 16 (64% reported an improvement in penile angulation, with a mean reduction of 21 degrees (10 to 40. Eight patients reported improvement in their spontaneous erections. Overall, the patients presented only minimal bruising at the site of treatment and skin hematoma. Four patients presented urethral bleeding. The mean angulation after treatment in the control group was 48.67 degrees (30 - 70 and in the study group was 24.42 degrees (0 - 70, statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Considering the common complications and the unsatisfactory outcome of the surgical correction for Peyronie's disease, the association of high dose vitamin E and ESWT represents a good option for a non-invasive, effective and safe treatment of the penile deformity.

Non-invasive pre-lens tear film assessment with high-speed videokeratoscopy.

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Llorens-Quintana, Clara; Mousavi, Maryam; Szczesna-Iskander, Dorota; Iskander, D Robert

2018-02-01

To evaluate the effect of two types of daily contact lenses (delefilcon A and omafilcon A) on the tear film and establish whether it is dependent on pre-corneal tear film characteristics using a new method to analyse high-speed videokeratoscopy recordings, as well as to determine the sensitivity of the method in differentiating between contact lens materials on eye. High-speed videokeratoscopy recordings were analysed using a custom made automated algorithm based on a fractal dimension approach that provides a set of parameters directly related to tear film stability. Fifty-four subjects participated in the study. Baseline measurements, in suppressed and natural blinking conditions, were taken before subjects were fitted with two different daily contact lenses and after four hours of contact lens wear. The method for analysing the stability of the tear film provides alternative parameters to the non-invasive break up time to assess the quality of the pre-corneal and pre-lens tear film. Both contact lenses significantly decreased the quality of the tear film in suppressed and natural blinking conditions (pfilm characteristics were not correlated with the decrease in pre-lens tear film quality. High-speed videokeratoscopy equipped with an automated method to analyse the dynamics of the tear film is able to distinguish between contact lens materials in vivo. Incorporating the assessment of pre-lens tear film to the clinical practice could aid improving contact lens fitting and understand contact lens comfort. Copyright © 2017 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malmström, Per-Uno; Agrawal, Sachin; Bläckberg, Mats

2017-01-01

The management of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) has evolved from the first reports on bladder endoscopy and transurethral resection to the introduction of adjuvant intravesical treatment. However, disease recurrence and progression remain an ongoing risk, placing a heavy burden...

Drug detection in breath: non-invasive assessment of illicit or pharmaceutical drugs.

Science.gov (United States)

Trefz, Phillip; Kamysek, Svend; Fuchs, Patricia; Sukul, Pritam; Schubert, Jochen K; Miekisch, Wolfram

2017-03-20

Breath analysis not only holds great potential for the development of new non-invasive diagnostic methods, but also for the identification and follow up of drug levels in breath. This is of interest for both, forensic and medical science. On the one hand, the detection of drugs of abuse in exhaled breath-similar to the well-known breath alcohol tests-would be highly desirable as an alternative to blood or urine analysis in situations such as police controls for drugged driving. The non-invasive detection of drugs and their metabolites is thus of great interest in forensic science, especially since marijuana is becoming legalized in certain parts of the US and the EU. The detection and monitoring of medical drugs in exhaled breath without the need of drawing blood samples on the other hand, is of high relevance in the clinical environment. This could facilitate a more precise medication and enable therapy control without any burden to the patient. Furthermore, it could be a step towards personalized medicine. This review gives an overview of the current state of drug detection in breath, including both volatile and non-volatile substances. The review is divided into two sections. The first section deals with qualitative detection of drugs (drugs of abuse), while the second is related to quantitative drug detection (medical drugs). Chances and limitations are discussed for both aspects. The detection of the intravenous anesthetic propofol is presented as a detailed example that demonstrates the potential, requirements, pitfalls and limitations of therapeutic drug monitoring by means of breath analysis.

The use of non-invasive instruments in characterizing human facial and abdominal skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Steven H; Oni, Georgette; Brown, Spencer A; Kashefi, Natalie; Cheriyan, Salim; Maxted, Michael; Stewart, Collin; Jones, Caroline; Maluso, Patrick; Kenkel, Ashley M; Kenkel, Matthew M; Hoopman, John; Barton, Fritz; Kenkel, Jeffrey M

2012-02-01

The skin is highly variable. This variation, although helpful for function, causes inconsistencies when assessed using subjective scales. The purpose of this study is to measure differences in skin on the face and abdomen using non-invasive, objective devices as a method to eliminate subjective error and help reduce intra- and inter-observer variability in clinical analysis. Eighty-eight subjects between the ages of 18 and 61 were enrolled in this study. These subjects varied in age, ethnicity, and Fitzpatrick score. Facial analysis was performed by clinical evaluation and utilizing non-invasive objective devices which included the DermaScan C 20 MHz HFUS (Cyberderm, Broomall, PA), Tru Vu (Johnson and Johnson), BTC 2000 (SRLI Technologies, Nashville, TN), Derma Unit SSC3 (CK Electronic, Köln, Germany), and the Chromometer. Non-invasive devices were shown to be consistent and accurate through repeated measurement at each of the anatomical points with error rates of less than 5%. Chromometer measurements were able to categorize patients into Fitzpatrick level. DermaScan measurements demonstrated decreasing skin thicknesses associated with increasing age, smoking, and female gender. Derma Unit SSC 3 showed gender and sun exposure related differences in sebum concentration, pH, and moisture content. The Derma Unit SSC 3 sebum concentration also showed correlation with Tru Vu readings for clogged pores and bacterial activity. The skin assessment scales that are in use today are often prone to variability and inaccuracy due to their subjectivity. Use of the described objective non-invasive facial analysis method provides an accurate, objective analysis of human skin which can be used to measure changes pre- and post-operatively, or even screen patients prior to procedure to identify non-responders or those prone to adverse events. Utilization of these devices introduces a foundation on which a strong evidence-based approach to aesthetic medicine can be built. Copyright

Deriving Biomonitoring Equivalents for selected E- and P-series glycol ethers for public health risk assessment.

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Poet, Torka; Ball, Nicholas; Hays, Sean M

2016-01-01

Glycol ethers are a widely used class of solvents that may lead to both workplace and general population exposures. Biomonitoring studies are available that have quantified glycol ethers or their metabolites in blood and/or urine amongst exposed populations. These biomonitoring levels indicate exposures to the glycol ethers, but do not by themselves indicate a health hazard risk. Biomonitoring Equivalents (BEs) have been created to provide the ability to interpret human biomonitoring data in a public health risk context. The BE is defined as the concentration of a chemical or metabolite in a biological fluid (blood or urine) that is consistent with exposures at a regulatory derived safe exposure limit, such as a tolerable daily intake (TDI). In this exercise, we derived BEs for general population exposures for selected E- and P-series glycol ethers based on their respective derived no effect levels (DNELs). Selected DNELs have been derived as part of respective Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Regulation of Chemicals (REACh) regulation dossiers in the EU. The BEs derived here are unique in the sense that they are the first BEs derived for urinary excretion of compounds following inhalation exposures. The urinary mass excretion fractions (Fue) of the acetic acid metabolites for the E-series GEs range from approximately 0.2 to 0.7. The Fues for the excretion of the parent P-series GEs range from approximately 0.1 to 0.2, with the exception of propylene glycol methyl ether and its acetate (Fue = 0.004). Despite the narrow range of Fues, the BEs exhibit a larger range, resulting from the larger range in DNELs across GEs. The BEs derived here can be used to interpret human biomonitoring data for inhalation exposures to GEs amongst the general population. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Studies using nuclear and complementary non-nuclear analytical techniques for bio-monitoring of air pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arunachalam, J.; Karunasagar, D.; Kumar, S.; Sahayam, A.C.

1999-01-01

A set of lower and higher plants have been analysed for their trace element contents. The plants are, a moss (Funaria sp.), a bryophyte (Cyathodium sp.), a weed (Parthenium hysterophorus L.) and a common bushy shrub (Lantana Camera L.). The trace element concentrations have been determined using INAA, PIGE and ICP-OES. The data are examined with a view to assess the use of these plants as bio-indicators of toxic trace metal pollutants in ambient air. The moss and the bryophyte samples show much higher accumulation levels for many elements, but are seasonal. The other two plants, due to their perennial nature, can be used for bio-monitoring purposes, almost throughout the year. (author)

Non-Invasive Assessment of Dairy Products Using SpatiallyResolved Diffuse Reflectance Spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Abildgaard, Otto Højager Attermann; Kamran, Faisal; Dahl, Anders Bjorholm

2015-01-01

of commercially available milk and yogurt products with three different levels of fat content are measured. These constitute a relevant range of products at a dairy plant. The measured reduced scattering properties of the samples are presented and show a clear discrimination between levels of fat contents as well...... as fermentation. The presented measurement technique and method of analysis is thus suitable for a rapid, noncontact, and non-invasive inspection that can deduce physically interpretable properties....

Biomonitoring of selected freshwater macrophytes to assess lake trace element contamination: a case study of Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, Gujarat, India

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Rita N. KUMAR

2006-02-01

Full Text Available A biomonitoring study was carried out at Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary, a proposed Ramsar site, Gujarat State, India, to ascertain the degree of trace element contamination. The study focused on assessment of trace element contamination in certain aquatic macrophytes to be used as biomonitors, in comparison with the sediments (abiotic monitor for heavy metal pollution. Good information was provided by analyzing roots, stems and leaves of native aquatic plants (biomonitors represented by eight species: Bergia odorata, Hydrilla verticillata, Ipomoea aquatica, Najas graminea, Nelumbo nucifera, Phragmites karka, Typha angustata and Vellisnaria spiralis, alongwith surface sediments and water, were analyzed for Cd, Co, Cu, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn contamination. The highest concentrations of the trace elements were measured in Ipomoea aquatica and the lowest in Bergia odorata. Based on the concentration and toxicity status observed in the lake's vegetation, the six metals are arranged in the following decreasing order: Zn > Cu > Ni > Co > Pb > Cd. Compared with the standard, normal and critical toxicity range in plants, the detected values of Cd and Pb falls within normal range, while that of Co, Ni and Cu were within the critical range. However, Zn showed the highest concentration and alarming toxicity levels, which is considered as one of the most hazardous pollutants in Nal Sarovar Bird Sanctuary. Certain aquatic macrophytes species are also proposed as biomonitors for the investigated heavy metal pollutants. Such result was significant in the plant species such as Ipomoea aquatica and Phragmites karka, which are the two most useful species in biomonitoring studies due to their ability to accumulate elements in high concentration in the roots and their availability throughout the year. The results showed the significant difference in accumulation rate of some metals like Zn, Cu and Ni in different plant organs, which showed more accumulation in root than

Genomic comparison of invasive and rare non-invasive strains reveals Porphyromonas gingivalis genetic polymorphisms

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Svetlana Dolgilevich

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Porphyromonas gingivalis strains are shown to invade human cells in vitro with different invasion efficiencies, varying by up to three orders of magnitude.We tested the hypothesis that invasion-associated interstrain genomic polymorphisms are present in P. gingivalis and that putative invasion-associated genes can contribute to P. gingivalis invasion.Using an invasive (W83 and the only available non-invasive P. gingivalis strain (AJW4 and whole genome microarrays followed by two separate software tools, we carried out comparative genomic hybridization (CGH analysis.We identified 68 annotated and 51 hypothetical open reading frames (ORFs that are polymorphic between these strains. Among these are surface proteins, lipoproteins, capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis enzymes, regulatory and immunoreactive proteins, integrases, and transposases often with abnormal GC content and clustered on the chromosome. Amplification of selected ORFs was used to validate the approach and the selection. Eleven clinical strains were investigated for the presence of selected ORFs. The putative invasion-associated ORFs were present in 10 of the isolates. The invasion ability of three isogenic mutants, carrying deletions in PG0185, PG0186, and PG0982 was tested. The PG0185 (ragA and PG0186 (ragB mutants had 5.1×103-fold and 3.6×103-fold decreased in vitro invasion ability, respectively.The annotation of divergent ORFs suggests deficiency in multiple genes as a basis for P. gingivalis non-invasive phenotype. Access the supplementary material to this article: Supplement, table (see Supplementary files under Reading Tools online.

 Invasibility of three major non-native invasive shrubs and associated factors in Upper Midwest U.S. forest lands

Science.gov (United States)

W. Keith Moser; Zhaofei Fan; Mark H. Hansen; Michael K. Crosby; Shirley X. Fan

2016-01-01

We used non-native invasive plant data from the US Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, spatial statistical methods, and the space (cover class)-for-time approach to quantify the invasion potential and success ("invasibility") of three major invasive shrubs (multiflora rose, non-native bush honeysuckles, and common buckthorn...

Toxic ignorance and right-to-know in biomonitoring results communication: a survey of scientists and study participants

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Altman Rebecca

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Exposure assessment has shifted from pollutant monitoring in air, soil, and water toward personal exposure measurements and biomonitoring. This trend along with the paucity of health effect data for many of the pollutants studied raise ethical and scientific challenges for reporting results to study participants. Methods We interviewed 26 individuals involved in biomonitoring studies, including academic scientists, scientists from environmental advocacy organizations, IRB officials, and study participants; observed meetings where stakeholders discussed these issues; and reviewed the relevant literature to assess emerging ethical, scientific, and policy debates about personal exposure assessment and biomonitoring, including public demand for information on the human health effects of chemical body burdens. Results We identify three frameworks for report-back in personal exposure studies: clinical ethics; community-based participatory research; and citizen science 'data judo.' The first approach emphasizes reporting results only when the health significance of exposures is known, while the latter two represent new communication strategies where study participants play a role in interpreting, disseminating, and leveraging results to promote community health. We identify five critical areas to consider in planning future biomonitoring studies. Conclusion Public deliberation about communication in personal exposure assessment research suggests that new forms of community-based research ethics and participatory scientific practice are emerging.

Do native parasitic plants cause more damage to exotic invasive hosts than native non-invasive hosts? An implication for biocontrol.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Junmin; Jin, Zexin; Song, Wenjing

2012-01-01

Field studies have shown that native, parasitic plants grow vigorously on invasive plants and can cause more damage to invasive plants than native plants. However, no empirical test has been conducted and the mechanism is still unknown. We conducted a completely randomized greenhouse experiment using 3 congeneric pairs of exotic, invasive and native, non-invasive herbaceous plant species to quantify the damage caused by parasitic plants to hosts and its correlation with the hosts' growth rate and resource use efficiency. The biomass of the parasitic plants on exotic, invasive hosts was significantly higher than on congeneric native, non-invasive hosts. Parasites caused more damage to exotic, invasive hosts than to congeneric, native, non-invasive hosts. The damage caused by parasites to hosts was significantly positively correlated with the biomass of parasitic plants. The damage of parasites to hosts was significantly positively correlated with the relative growth rate and the resource use efficiency of its host plants. It may be the mechanism by which parasitic plants grow more vigorously on invasive hosts and cause more damage to exotic, invasive hosts than to native, non-invasive hosts. These results suggest a potential biological control effect of native, parasitic plants on invasive species by reducing the dominance of invasive species in the invaded community.

Efficient distinction of invasive aquatic plant species from non-invasive related species using DNA barcoding.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghahramanzadeh, R; Esselink, G; Kodde, L P; Duistermaat, H; van Valkenburg, J L C H; Marashi, S H; Smulders, M J M; van de Wiel, C C M

2013-01-01

Biological invasions are regarded as threats to global biodiversity. Among invasive aliens, a number of plant species belonging to the genera Myriophyllum, Ludwigia and Cabomba, and to the Hydrocharitaceae family pose a particular ecological threat to water bodies. Therefore, one would try to prevent them from entering a country. However, many related species are commercially traded, and distinguishing invasive from non-invasive species based on morphology alone is often difficult for plants in a vegetative stage. In this regard, DNA barcoding could become a good alternative. In this study, 242 samples belonging to 26 species from 10 genera of aquatic plants were assessed using the chloroplast loci trnH-psbA, matK and rbcL. Despite testing a large number of primer sets and several PCR protocols, the matK locus could not be amplified or sequenced reliably and therefore was left out of the analysis. Using the other two loci, eight invasive species could be distinguished from their respective related species, a ninth one failed to produce sequences of sufficient quality. Based on the criteria of universal application, high sequence divergence and level of species discrimination, the trnH-psbA noncoding spacer was the best performing barcode in the aquatic plant species studied. Thus, DNA barcoding may be helpful with enforcing a ban on trade of such invasive species, such as is already in place in the Netherlands. This will become even more so once DNA barcoding would be turned into machinery routinely operable by a nonspecialist in botany and molecular genetics. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Using Risk Assessment and Habitat Suitability Models to Prioritise Invasive Species for Management in a Changing Climate.

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, Shauna-Lee; Zhang, Jian; Nixon, Amy; Nielsen, Scott

2016-01-01

Accounting for climate change in invasive species risk assessments improves our understanding of potential future impacts and enhances our preparedness for the arrival of new non-native species. We combined traditional risk assessment for invasive species with habitat suitability modeling to assess risk to biodiversity based on climate change. We demonstrate our method by assessing the risk for 15 potentially new invasive plant species to Alberta, Canada, an area where climate change is expected to facilitate the poleward expansion of invasive species ranges. Of the 15 species assessed, the three terrestrial invasive plant species that could pose the greatest threat to Alberta's biodiversity are giant knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis), tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis), and alkali swainsonpea (Sphaerophysa salsula). We characterise giant knotweed as 'extremely invasive', with 21 times the suitable habitat between baseline and future projected climate. Tamarisk is 'extremely invasive' with a 64% increase in suitable habitat, and alkali swainsonpea is 'highly invasive' with a 21% increase in suitable habitat. Our methodology can be used to predict and prioritise potentially new invasive species for their impact on biodiversity in the context of climate change.

Non-invasive Assessments of Subjective and Objective Recovery Characteristics Following an Exhaustive Jump Protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Hohenauer, Erich; Clarys, Peter; Baeyens, Jean-Pierre; Clijsen, Ron

2017-01-01

Fast recovery after strenuous exercise is important in sports and is often studied via cryotherapy applications. Cryotherapy has a significant vasoconstrictive effect, which seems to be the leading factor in its effectiveness. The resulting enhanced recovery can be measured by using both objective and subjective parameters. Two commonly measured subjective characteristics of recovery are delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and ratings of perceived exertion (RPE). Two important objective recovery characteristics are countermovement jump (CMJ) performance and peak power output (PPO). Here, we provide a detailed protocol to induce muscular exhaustion of the frontal thighs with a self-paced, 3 x 30 countermovement jump protocol (30-s rest between each set). This randomized controlled trial protocol explains how to perform local cryotherapy cuff application (+ 8 °C for 20 min) and thermoneutral cuff application (+ 32 °C for 20 min) on both thighs as two possible post-exercise recovery modalities. Finally, we provide a non-invasive protocol to measure the effects of these two recovery modalities on subjective (i.e., DOMS of both frontal thighs and RPE) and objective recovery (i.e., CMJ and PPO) characteristics 24, 48, and 72 h post-application. The advantage of this method is that it provides a tool for researchers or coaches to induce muscular exhaustion, without using any expensive devices; to implement local cooling strategies; and to measure both subjective and objective recovery, without using invasive methods. Limitations of this protocol are that the 30 s rest period between sets is very short, and the cardiovascular demand is very high. Future studies may find the assessment of maximum voluntary contractions to be a more sensitive assessment of muscular exhaustion compared to CMJs. PMID:28654037

Non-invasive biological dosimetry of the skin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barton, S.; Marks, R.; Charles, M.W.; Wells, J.

1986-01-01

Investigations designed to identify a potential biological dosimetry technique to examine the effects of X-ray doses down to 0.1 Gy on human skin, are described. In a variety of parameters assessed, the most important changes observed were a significant depression in epidermal cell production in the basal layer after X-ray doses between 0.5 Gy and 1 Gy and a concomitant reduction in the desquamation rate of corneocytes after doses above 1 Gy. Changes in non-specific esterase (NSE) activity were also observed. Further work is described which applies these results to several non-invasive techniques which may have potential for routine application. Preliminary data from irradiated human skin are presented on the measurement of forced desquamation, the evaluation of NSE activity from hair samples and the evaluation of stratum corneum turnover time using the fluorescent dye, dansyl chloride. (author)

Non-invasive assessment of exercise performance in children with cystic fibrosis (CF) and non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis: is there a CF specific muscle defect?

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenthal, Mark; Narang, Indra; Edwards, Liz; Bush, Andrew

2009-03-01

Peripheral muscle dysfunction is increasingly recognized as complicating respiratory disease, but this is difficult to measure non-invasively. Can skeletal muscle function and efficiency be measured during exercise non-invasively using respiratory mass spectrometry (RMS); and is the known exercise dysfunction in cystic fibrosis (CF) children related in part to a disease specific defect of skeletal muscle, or a non-specific manifestation of chronic airway infection and inflammation. Calculations of effective pulmonary blood flow and stroke volume, blood oxygen content and oxygen dispatch from the lungs, skeletal muscle oxygen extraction and consumption, anerobic threshold and capacity, and gross, net and work efficiency in 106 controls and 36 children (18 CF) with bronchiectasis, all aged from 8 to 17 years. Normal values for control subjects are tabulated. CF and non-CF bronchiectatic subjects had similar physiology, and skeletal muscle abnormalities could not be detected. Reduced oxygen dispatch from the lungs, due to an inability to raise stroke volume, without an increase in functional residual capacity was the major factor in reduced exercise ability. Non-invasive RMS can be used to determine skeletal muscle function in children. The changes observed in CF subjects were very similar to non-CF bronchiectatic subjects and thus a CF specific defect was not demonstrated.

Effects of non-invasive neurostimulation on craving: a meta-analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, Jochem M.; Daams, Joost G.; Koeter, Maarten W. J.; Veltman, Dick J.; van den Brink, Wim; Goudriaan, Anna E.

2013-01-01

This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the available evidence regarding the effects of non-invasive neurostimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), on craving in substance dependence and craving for high palatable food. Non-invasive neurostimulation techniques were restricted

Effects of non-invasive neurostimulation on craving: A meta-analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jansen, J.M.; Daams, J.G.; Koeter, M.W.; Veltman, D.J.; van den Brink, W.; Goudriaan, A.E.

2013-01-01

This meta-analysis was conducted to evaluate the available evidence regarding the effects of non-invasive neurostimulation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), on craving in substance dependence and craving for high palatable food. Non-invasive neurostimulation techniques were restricted

The effects of non-invasive respiratory support on oropharyngeal temperature and humidity: a neonatal manikin study.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, Calum T; Kortekaas, Rebecca; Dawson, Jennifer A; Manley, Brett J; Owen, Louise S; Davis, Peter G

2016-05-01

Heating and humidification of inspired gases is routine during neonatal non-invasive respiratory support. However, little is known about the temperature and humidity delivered to the upper airway. The International Standards Organization (ISO) specifies that for all patients with an artificial airway humidifiers should deliver ≥33 g/m(3) absolute humidity (AH). We assessed the oropharyngeal temperature and humidity during different non-invasive support modes in a neonatal manikin study. Six different modes of non-invasive respiratory support were applied at clinically relevant settings to a neonatal manikin, placed in a warmed and humidified neonatal incubator. Oropharyngeal temperature and relative humidity (RH) were assessed using a thermohygrometer. AH was subsequently calculated. Measured temperature and RH varied between devices. Bubble and ventilator continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) produced temperatures >34°C and AH >38 g/m(3). Variable flow CPAP resulted in lower levels of AH than bubble or ventilator CPAP, and AH decreased with higher gas flow. High-flow (HF) therapy delivered by Optiflow Junior produced higher AH with higher gas flow, whereas with Vapotherm HF the converse was true. Different non-invasive devices deliver inspiratory gases of variable temperature and humidity. Most AH levels were above the ISO recommendation; however, with some HF and variable flow CPAP devices at higher gas flow this was not achieved. Clinicians should be aware of differences in the efficacy of heating and humidification when choosing modes of non-invasive respiratory support. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Post flooding damage assessment of earth dams and historical reservoirs using non-invasive geophysical techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Sentenac, Philippe; Benes, Vojtech; Budinsky, Vladimir; Keenan, Helen; Baron, Ron

2017-11-01

This paper describes the use of four geophysical techniques to map the structural integrity of historical earth reservoir embankments which are susceptible to natural decay with time. The four techniques that were used to assess the post flood damage were 1. A fast scanning technique using a dipole electromagnetic profile apparatus (GEM2), 2. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) in order to obtain a high resolution image of the shape of the damaged/seepage zone, 3. Self-Potential surveys were carried out to relate the detected seepage evolution and change of the water displacement inside the embankment, 4. The washed zone in the areas with piping was characterised with microgravimetry. The four geophysical techniques used were evaluated against the case studies of two reservoirs in South Bohemia, Czech Republic. A risk approach based on the Geophysical results was undertaken for the reservoir embankments. The four techniques together enabled a comprehensive non-invasive assessment whereby remedial action could be recommended where required. Conclusions were also drawn on the efficiency of the techniques to be applied for embankments with wood structures.

Susceptibility of burned black spruce (Picea mariana) forests to non-native plant invasions in interior Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Katie V. Spellman; Christa P.H. Mulder; Teresa N. Hollingsworth

2014-01-01

As climate rapidly warms at high-latitudes, the boreal forest faces the simultaneous threats of increasing invasive plant abundances and increasing area burned by wildfire. Highly flammable and widespread black spruce (Picea mariana) forest represents a boreal habitat that may be increasingly susceptible to non-native plant invasion. This study assess the role of burn...

A biomonitoring program of the coastal area of the Principality of Monaco

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tambutte, S.; Tambutte, E.; Rolland, P.; Van Klaveren, M.C.

1999-01-01

The laboratory of ecotoxicology of the 'Service de l'Environnement de Monaco' has set up a biomonitoring program in three areas of the littoral of the Principality of Monaco. This program belongs to the general monitoring program on the quality of the Environment. At a subregional level, this program is part of the programs of the tripartite agreement 'RAMOGE', between the three countries France, Italy and the Principality of Monaco; the aim of this agreement being to build a pilot zone of fight against pollution in Mediterranean. At an international level, this program goes in the scope of the 'MEDPOL' biomonitoring program intending to establish or to intensify programs for the continuous monitoring of marine pollution in the mediterranean zone. Our biomonitoring program consists in assessing the effects of pollutants on two marine organisms (Dicentrarchus labrax and Mytilus galloprovincialis) by using general and specific stress indices

A new non-invasive and relocatable immobilization frame for fractionated stereotactic radiotherapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Theodorou, K.; Kappas, C.; Tsokas, C.

1998-01-01

Purpose: A newly developed non-invasive immobilization frame for stereotactic radiotherapy is presented, which is intended to be used for both imaging (computed tomography (CT) and angiography) and radiotherapeutic procedures. Materials and methods: The frame is made of duraluminium so as to be stable and light and it has an elliptical shape. The immobilization is achieved using three stable locations on the patient's head, i.e. the upper dentition, the nose and the back of the neck. The fixation on the three locations ensures complete immobilization in all directions. Results: The immobilization frame can be fitted as many times as is needed to most heads. In order to assess the accuracy of relocation, repeated fittings on two volunteers and on 22 patients undergoing stereotactic treatment were performed (more than 200 mountings in total), which showed maximum anterior-posterior, inferior-superior and lateral reproducibility in positioning of less than 1 mm in all cases. Conclusions and discussion: The in-house-constructed stereotactic frame is simple to use, easily made, non-invasive, relocatable and well tolerated by the patients, providing the possibility of multiple fractions. The major advantage of using such a non-invasive stereotactic frame is the flexibility in timing the different diagnostic procedures (CT and angiography) as well as providing the possibility to extend the use to large brain lesions (treatment without an additional collimator) where a high precision is also required. It also offers significant labour and cost saving over the invasive frames and the majority of the non-invasive frames. To date, 22 patients with ages varying between 12 and 70 years have been treated using this method. (Copyright (c) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Prediction of human core body temperature using non-invasive measurement methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Niedermann, Reto; Wyss, Eva; Annaheim, Simon; Psikuta, Agnes; Davey, Sarah; Rossi, René Michel

2014-01-01

The measurement of core body temperature is an efficient method for monitoring heat stress amongst workers in hot conditions. However, invasive measurement of core body temperature (e.g. rectal, intestinal, oesophageal temperature) is impractical for such applications. Therefore, the aim of this study was to define relevant non-invasive measures to predict core body temperature under various conditions. We conducted two human subject studies with different experimental protocols, different environmental temperatures (10 °C, 30 °C) and different subjects. In both studies the same non-invasive measurement methods (skin temperature, skin heat flux, heart rate) were applied. A principle component analysis was conducted to extract independent factors, which were then used in a linear regression model. We identified six parameters (three skin temperatures, two skin heat fluxes and heart rate), which were included for the calculation of two factors. The predictive value of these factors for core body temperature was evaluated by a multiple regression analysis. The calculated root mean square deviation (rmsd) was in the range from 0.28 °C to 0.34 °C for all environmental conditions. These errors are similar to previous models using non-invasive measures to predict core body temperature. The results from this study illustrate that multiple physiological parameters (e.g. skin temperature and skin heat fluxes) are needed to predict core body temperature. In addition, the physiological measurements chosen in this study and the algorithm defined in this work are potentially applicable as real-time core body temperature monitoring to assess health risk in broad range of working conditions.

State-of-the-art sensor technology in Spain: invasive and non-invasive techniques for monitoring respiratory variables.

Science.gov (United States)

Domingo, Christian; Blanch, Lluis; Murias, Gaston; Luján, Manel

2010-01-01

The interest in measuring physiological parameters (especially arterial blood gases) has grown progressively in parallel to the development of new technologies. Physiological parameters were first measured invasively and at discrete time points; however, it was clearly desirable to measure them continuously and non-invasively. The development of intensive care units promoted the use of ventilators via oral intubation ventilators via oral intubation and mechanical respiratory variables were progressively studied. Later, the knowledge gained in the hospital was applied to out-of-hospital management. In the present paper we review the invasive and non-invasive techniques for monitoring respiratory variables.

Non invasive diagnostic methods for better screening of peripheral arterial disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Nirala, Neelamshobha; Periyasamy, R; Kumar, Awanish

2018-05-16

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a common circulatory problem in which narrowed arteries reduce blood flow to extremities usually legs. It does not receive enough blood flow to keep up with demand. This causes symptoms, most notably leg pain while walking which is known as claudication. It is a common manifestation of type II Diabetes, but the relationship between other vascular diseases and lower limb (LL)-PAD has been poorly understood and investigated. When assessing a patient with clinically LLPAD, two questions are in order to establish a diagnosis: one is non-invasive testing and other is invasive. Invasive methods are painful and get so bad that some people need to have a leg surgery. People with Diabetes are at increased risk for amputation and it is used only when the damage is very severe. Diagnosis of LLPAD begins with a physical examination, patient history, certain questionnaire and non invasive mode of diagnosis is started for the screening of patients. Clinicians check for weak pulses in the legs and then decide for further diagnosis. Paper discusses the prevalence of LLPAD worldwide and in India along with the clinical effectiveness and limitations of these methods in case of Diabetes. The focus of this review is to discuss only those non invasive methods which are widely used for screening of LLPAD like Ankle brachial index (ABI), Toe brachial Index (TBI), and use of photoplethysmogram (PPG) specially in case of Diabetic patients. Also, this paper gives an overview of the work done using ABI, TBI, and PPG for detection of LLPAD. These tests are not painful and could be performed in a cost-effective manner to avoid delays in screening/diagnosis and also reduce costs. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Orbital invasion routes of non-melanoma skin cancers and survival outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dundar, Yusuf; Cannon, Richard; Wiggins, Richard; Monroe, Marcus M; Buchmann, Luke O; Hunt, Jason P

2018-02-21

Overall non-melanoma head and neck skin cancer has a good prognosis; however, rarely patients have an aggressive variant which results in orbital invasion via perineural spread or direct extension. Despite these consequences, there are limited published studies defining this clinical entity. The main objectives of the current study are to describe orbital invasion patterns of non-melanoma head and neck skin cancers and their impact on survival. Retrospective case series from a tertiary-care, academic institution performed between 2004 and 2014. Demographic and tumour characteristics are reported as well as patterns of orbital invasion, types of treatments received, and survival outcomes. There were 17 consecutive patients with non-melanoma skin cancer and orbital invasion who met inclusion criteria. Average age at orbital invasion diagnosis was 70.8 years old. 76% were male. Mean follow-up time was 28.5 months. Of these patients, 71% had squamous cell carcinoma and 29% had basal cell carcinoma. Brow (41%) was the most common primary sub-site followed by cheek (23%) and temple (12%). 76% of patients had a history of prior treatment. The lateral orbital wall (41%) was the most common site of invasion, followed by the medial orbital wall (29%) and antero-superior invasion (23%). Age, histology, and location of orbital invasion were associated with disease-specific and overall survival. Orbital invasion for non-melanoma head and neck skin cancers creates a treatment dilemma and the patterns of invasion are described. In addition, the location of orbital invasion is associated with survival outcomes.

Quantitative biomonitoring of nitrogen deposition with TONIS (Total N Input Biomonitoring System)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohr, Karsten; Suda, Jerzy

2017-01-01

Monitoring of air pollutants is an important instrument to detect threats and to observe temporal trends of emissions. Determining the spatial distribution of oxidized and reduced N species via modelling requires sufficient knowledge about innumerous small sources from traffic, settlements and agriculture. Empirical studies are required to validate the model data but measurements of the total N deposition (e.g. micrometeorological measurements) are very expensive. Against this background, the TONIS, a new suitable technique which combines a biomonitoring with plants and technical measurements was developed. During 6 exposures between 2012 and 2016 at different polluted sites in Northwest Germany, TONIS accumulated between 17 and 25 kg N ha-1 yr −1 t. The results are feasible compared to simultaneously measured NH 3 and NO 2 concentration and bulk N deposition. At one site within a peat bog the accumulated N in TONIS was found to be in the range of total N deposition derived from a micrometeorological approach. - Highlights: • A new suitable biomonitoring technique is presented to determine N deposition rates relating to low-growing vegetation on nutrient-poor sites. • TONIS combines the advantages of biomonitoring and technical measurements. • The results of 6 exposures between 2012 and 2016 are feasible compared to technical measurements and modelled data.

Using Risk Assessment and Habitat Suitability Models to Prioritise Invasive Species for Management in a Changing Climate.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shauna-Lee Chai

Full Text Available Accounting for climate change in invasive species risk assessments improves our understanding of potential future impacts and enhances our preparedness for the arrival of new non-native species. We combined traditional risk assessment for invasive species with habitat suitability modeling to assess risk to biodiversity based on climate change. We demonstrate our method by assessing the risk for 15 potentially new invasive plant species to Alberta, Canada, an area where climate change is expected to facilitate the poleward expansion of invasive species ranges. Of the 15 species assessed, the three terrestrial invasive plant species that could pose the greatest threat to Alberta's biodiversity are giant knotweed (Fallopia sachalinensis, tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis, and alkali swainsonpea (Sphaerophysa salsula. We characterise giant knotweed as 'extremely invasive', with 21 times the suitable habitat between baseline and future projected climate. Tamarisk is 'extremely invasive' with a 64% increase in suitable habitat, and alkali swainsonpea is 'highly invasive' with a 21% increase in suitable habitat. Our methodology can be used to predict and prioritise potentially new invasive species for their impact on biodiversity in the context of climate change.

Comparison of non-invasive tear film stability measurement techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Michael Tm; Murphy, Paul J; Blades, Kenneth J; Craig, Jennifer P

2018-01-01

Measurement of tear film stability is commonly used to give an indication of tear film quality but a number of non-invasive techniques exists within the clinical setting. This study sought to compare three non-invasive tear film stability measurement techniques: instrument-mounted wide-field white light clinical interferometry, instrument-mounted keratoscopy and hand-held keratoscopy. Twenty-two subjects were recruited in a prospective, randomised, masked, cross-over study. Tear film break-up or thinning time was measured non-invasively by independent experienced examiners, with each of the three devices, in a randomised order, within an hour. Significant correlation was observed between instrument-mounted interferometric and keratoscopic measurements (p 0.05). Tear film stability values obtained from the hand-held device were significantly shorter and demonstrated narrower spread than the other two instruments (all p 0.05). Good clinical agreement exists between the instrument-mounted interferometric and keratoscopic measurements but not between the hand-held device and either of the instrument-mounted techniques. The results highlight the importance of specifying the instrument employed to record non-invasive tear film stability. © 2017 Optometry Australia.

Status and management of non-native plant invasion in three of the largest national parks in the United States

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott Abella

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Globally, invasion by non-native plants threatens resources that nature reserves are designated to protect. We assessed the status of non-native plant invasion on 1,662, 0.1-ha plots in Death Valley National Park, Mojave National Preserve, and Lake Mead National Recreation Area. These parks comprise 2.5 million ha, 23% of the national park land in the contiguous USA. At least one non-native species inhabited 82% of plots. Thirty-one percent of plots contained one non-native species, 30% two, 17% three, and 4% four to ten non-native species. Red brome (Bromus rubens, an ‘ecosystem engineer’ that alters fire regimes, was most widespread, infesting 60% of plots. By identifying frequency of species through this assessment, early detection and treatment can target infrequent species or minimally invaded sites, while containment strategies could focus on established invaders. We further compared two existing systems for prioritizing species for management and found that a third of species on plots had no rankings available. Moreover, rankings did not always agree between ranking systems for species that were ranked. Presence of multiple non-native species complicates treatment, and while we found that 40% of plots contained both forb and grass invaders, exploiting accelerated phenology of non-natives (compared to native annuals might help manage multi-species invasions. Large sizes of these parks and scale of invasion are formidable challenges for management. Yet, precisely because of their size, these reserves represent opportunities to conserve large landscapes of native species by managing non-native plant invasions.

[The biomonitoring of toxic substances in biological samples of general population].

Science.gov (United States)

Ibarluzea, Jesús; Aurrekoetxea, Juan José; Porta, Miquel; Sunyer, Jordi; Ballester, Ferran

2016-11-01

Many of the world's most developed countries have adopted biomonitoring of toxic substances in order to ascertain their levels in biological samples. These substances get into the body through different environmental exposures. Monitoring toxic substances in biological samples should allow us to ascertain their levels in vulnerable groups, assess their evolution over time, make comparisons with levels observed in other countries, identify groups at risk or with high toxic levels and promote research. The main objective of biomonitoring is to act as a policy design tool to facilitate the implementation of particular measures in various sectors: health, environmental, agricultural and livestock or food industry sectors. In Spain, information on levels of toxic substances of environmental origin is provided by specific studies on health effects from environmental sources, such as the INMA project (INfancia y Medio Ambiente [childhood and environment]). In addition, biomonitoring projects have been implemented in Catalonia and the Canary Islands, together with a national biomonitoring programme in the adult working population. However, further progress is needed to develop a system that covers the general population as well as subgroups at risk, which relies on the collaboration of the involved authorities and the participation of professionals from different sectors and citizen organisations interested in the relationship between health and the environment. Copyright © 2016 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Rapid, serial, non-invasive assessment of drug efficacy in mice with autoluminescent Mycobacterium ulcerans infection.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tianyu Zhang

Full Text Available Buruli ulcer (BU caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is the world's third most common mycobacterial infection. There is no vaccine against BU and surgery is needed for patients with large ulcers. Although recent experience indicates combination chemotherapy with streptomycin and rifampin improves cure rates, the utility of this regimen is limited by the 2-month duration of therapy, potential toxicity and required parenteral administration of streptomycin, and drug-drug interactions caused by rifampin. Discovery and development of drugs for BU is greatly hampered by the slow growth rate of M. ulcerans, requiring up to 3 months of incubation on solid media to produce colonies. Surrogate markers for evaluating antimicrobial activity in real-time which can be measured serially and non-invasively in infected footpads of live mice would accelerate pre-clinical evaluation of new drugs to treat BU. Previously, we developed bioluminescent M. ulcerans strains, demonstrating proof of concept for measuring luminescence as a surrogate marker for viable M. ulcerans in vitro and in vivo. However, the requirement of exogenous substrate limited the utility of such strains, especially for in vivo experiments.For this study, we engineered M. ulcerans strains that express the entire luxCDABE operon and therefore are autoluminescent due to endogenous substrate production. The selected reporter strain displayed a growth rate and virulence similar to the wild-type parent strain and enabled rapid, real-time monitoring of in vitro and in vivo drug activity, including serial, non-invasive assessments in live mice, producing results which correlated closely with colony-forming unit (CFU counts for a panel of drugs with various mechanisms of action.Our results indicate that autoluminescent reporter strains of M. ulcerans are exceptional tools for pre-clinical evaluation of new drugs to treat BU due to their potential to drastically reduce the time, effort, animals, compound

Non-invasive assessment of pulsatile intracranial pressure with phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Geir Ringstad

Full Text Available Invasive monitoring of pulsatile intracranial pressure can accurately predict shunt response in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, but may potentially cause complications such as bleeding and infection. We tested how a proposed surrogate parameter for pulsatile intracranial pressure, the phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging derived pulse pressure gradient, compared with its invasive counterpart. In 22 patients with suspected idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus, preceding invasive intracranial pressure monitoring, and any surgical shunt procedure, we calculated the pulse pressure gradient from phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging derived cerebrospinal fluid flow velocities obtained at the upper cervical spinal canal using a simplified Navier-Stokes equation. Repeated measurements of the pulse pressure gradient were also undertaken in four healthy controls. Of 17 shunted patients, 16 responded, indicating high proportion of "true" normal pressure hydrocephalus in the patient cohort. However, there was no correlation between the magnetic resonance imaging derived pulse pressure gradient and pulsatile intracranial pressure (R = -.18, P = .43. Pulse pressure gradients were also similar in patients and healthy controls (P = .26, and did not differ between individuals with pulsatile intracranial pressure above or below established thresholds for shunt treatment (P = .97. Assessment of pulse pressure gradient at level C2 was therefore not found feasible to replace invasive monitoring of pulsatile intracranial pressure in selection of patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus for surgical shunting. Unlike invasive, overnight monitoring, the pulse pressure gradient from magnetic resonance imaging comprises short-term pressure fluctuations only. Moreover, complexity of cervical cerebrospinal fluid flow and -pulsatility at the upper cervical spinal canal may render the pulse pressure gradient a poor surrogate

Non-invasive beamforming add-on module

KAUST Repository

Bader, Ahmed; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim

2017-01-01

An embodiment of a non-invasive beamforming add-on apparatus couples to an existing antenna port and rectifies the beam azimuth in the upstream and downstream directions. The apparatus comprises input circuitry that is configured to receive one

Environmental biodosimetry: a biologically relevant tool for ecological risk assessment and biomonitoring

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ulsh, B. E-mail: ulshb@mcmaster.ca; Hinton, T.G.; Congdon, J.D.; Dugan, L.C.; Whicker, F.W.; Bedford, J.S

2003-07-01

Biodosimetry, the estimation of received doses by determining the frequency of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations, is widely applied in humans acutely exposed as a result of accidents or for clinical purposes, but biodosimetric techniques have not been utilized in organisms chronically exposed to radionuclides in contaminated environments. The application of biodosimetry to environmental exposure scenarios could greatly improve the accuracy, and reduce the uncertainties, of ecological risk assessments and biomonitoring studies, because no assumptions are required regarding external exposure rates and the movement of organisms into and out of contaminated areas. Furthermore, unlike residue analyses of environmental media environmental biodosimetry provides a genetically relevant biomarker of cumulative lifetime exposure. Symmetrical chromosome translocations can impact reproductive success, and could therefore prove to be ecologically relevant as well. We describe our experience in studying aberrations in the yellow-bellied slider turtle as an example of environmental biodosimetry.

Development of non-invasive ventilation treatment practice for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Helle M; Titlestad, Ingrid L; Huniche, Lotte

2017-01-01

Objectives: Non-invasive ventilation treatment for patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is well documented. Communication with patients during treatment is inhibited because of the mask, the noise from the machine and patient distress. Assessing life expectanc...

Non-invasive prediction of hemodynamically significant coronary artery stenoses by contrast density difference in coronary CT angiography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hell, Michaela M., E-mail: michaela.hell@uk-erlangen.de [Department of Cardiology, University of Erlangen (Germany); Dey, Damini [Department of Biomedical Sciences, Biomedical Imaging Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Taper Building, Room A238, 8700 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90048 (United States); Marwan, Mohamed; Achenbach, Stephan; Schmid, Jasmin; Schuhbaeck, Annika [Department of Cardiology, University of Erlangen (Germany)

2015-08-15

Highlights: • Overestimation of coronary lesions by coronary computed tomography angiography and subsequent unnecessary invasive coronary angiography and revascularization is a concern. • Differences in plaque characteristics and contrast density difference between hemodynamically significant and non-significant stenoses, as defined by invasive fractional flow reserve, were assessed. • At a threshold of ≥24%, contrast density difference predicted hemodynamically significant lesions with a specificity of 75%, sensitivity of 33%, PPV of 35% and NPV of 73%. • The determination of contrast density difference required less time than transluminal attenuation gradient measurement. - Abstract: Objectives: Coronary computed tomography angiography (CTA) allows the detection of obstructive coronary artery disease. However, its ability to predict the hemodynamic significance of stenoses is limited. We assessed differences in plaque characteristics and contrast density difference between hemodynamically significant and non-significant stenoses, as defined by invasive fractional flow reserve (FFR). Methods: Lesion characteristics of 59 consecutive patients (72 lesions) in whom invasive FFR was performed in at least one coronary artery with moderate to high-grade stenoses in coronary CTA were evaluated by two experienced readers. Coronary CTA data sets were acquired on a second-generation dual-source CT scanner using retrospectively ECG-gated spiral acquisition or prospectively ECG-triggered axial acquisition mode. Plaque volume and composition (non-calcified, calcified), remodeling index as well as contrast density difference (defined as the percentage decline in luminal CT attenuation/cross-sectional area over the lesion) were assessed using a semi-automatic software tool (Autoplaq). Additionally, the transluminal attenuation gradient (defined as the linear regression coefficient between intraluminal CT attenuation and length from the ostium) was determined

Non-invasive Markers of Liver Fibrosis: Adjuncts or Alternatives to Liver Biopsy?

Science.gov (United States)

Chin, Jun L.; Pavlides, Michael; Moolla, Ahmad; Ryan, John D.

2016-01-01

Liver fibrosis reflects sustained liver injury often from multiple, simultaneous factors. Whilst the presence of mild fibrosis on biopsy can be a reassuring finding, the identification of advanced fibrosis is critical to the management of patients with chronic liver disease. This necessity has lead to a reliance on liver biopsy which itself is an imperfect test and poorly accepted by patients. The development of robust tools to non-invasively assess liver fibrosis has dramatically enhanced clinical decision making in patients with chronic liver disease, allowing a rapid and informed judgment of disease stage and prognosis. Should a liver biopsy be required, the appropriateness is clearer and the diagnostic yield is greater with the use of these adjuncts. While a number of non-invasive liver fibrosis markers are now used in routine practice, a steady stream of innovative approaches exists. With improvement in the reliability, reproducibility and feasibility of these markers, their potential role in disease management is increasing. Moreover, their adoption into clinical trials as outcome measures reflects their validity and dynamic nature. This review will summarize and appraise the current and novel non-invasive markers of liver fibrosis, both blood and imaging based, and look at their prospective application in everyday clinical care. PMID:27378924

Biomonitoring of atmospheric pollution (with emphasis on trace elements) - BioMap II. Proceedings of an international workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2003-01-01

Certain types of organisms integrate pollution over time, reducing the need for continuous chemical monitoring, thus avoiding the difficulty of interpreting 'snapshot' measurements and offering the potential of retrospective monitoring. Such organisms enrich the substance to be determined so that the analytical accessibility is improved and the measurement uncertainty reduced. By observing and measuring the changes in an appropriately selected organism, a conclusion as to the kind of pollution, its source, and its intensity can be drawn. The IAEA is making concerted efforts to promote the practical use of nuclear and related analytical techniques in studies of non-radioactive environmental pollutants that may impact on human health, and one of the main emphasis is on studying air contaminants. The IAEA has been systematically supporting biomonitoring atmospheric pollution for 10 years in the framework of its project on Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Research Using Nuclear and Related Analytical Techniques. The objective of this project is to identify the source and evaluate the fate of key non-radioactive environmental contaminants and provide the basis for improved health for human populations. The project has been implemented through a Coordinated Research Project on Validation and Application of Plants as Biomonitors of Trace Element Atmospheric Pollution Analysed by Nuclear and Related Techniques, several technical co-operation projects, and some dedicated analytical quality control activities. Within the scope of these efforts, the Second International Workshop on Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Pollution (with Emphasis on Trace Elements) - BioMAP, was organized as a follow-up to the 1997 BioMAP workshop held in Lisbon, Portugal. The proceedings of the first workshop were published in IAEA-TECDOC-1152. The second workshop was held in Praia da Vitoria, Azores Islands, Portugal, from 28 August to 3 September 2000. It was organized in co-operation with the

Biomonitoring of atmospheric pollution (with emphasis on trace elements) - BioMap II. Proceedings of an international workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2003-01-01

Certain types of organisms integrate pollution over time, reducing the need for continuous chemical monitoring, thus avoiding the difficulty of interpreting 'snapshot' measurements and offering the potential of retrospective monitoring. Such organisms enrich the substance to be determined so that the analytical accessibility is improved and the measurement uncertainty reduced. By observing and measuring the changes in an appropriately selected organism, a conclusion as to the kind of pollution, its source, and its intensity can be drawn. The IAEA is making concerted efforts to promote the practical use of nuclear and related analytical techniques in studies of non-radioactive environmental pollutants that may impact on human health, and one of the main emphasis is on studying air contaminants. The IAEA has been systematically supporting biomonitoring atmospheric pollution for 10 years in the framework of its project on Environmental Pollution Monitoring and Research Using Nuclear and Related Analytical Techniques. The objective of this project is to identify the source and evaluate the fate of key non-radioactive environmental contaminants and provide the basis for improved health for human populations. The project has been implemented through a Coordinated Research Project on Validation and Application of Plants as Biomonitors of Trace Element Atmospheric Pollution Analysed by Nuclear and Related Techniques, several technical co-operation projects, and some dedicated analytical quality control activities. Within the scope of these efforts, the Second International Workshop on Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Pollution (with Emphasis on Trace Elements) - BioMAP, was organized as a follow-up to the 1997 BioMAP workshop held in Lisbon, Portugal. The proceedings of the first workshop were published in IAEA-TECDOC-1152. The second workshop was held in Praia da Vitoria, Azores Islands, Portugal, from 28 August to 3 September 2000. It was organized in co-operation with the

Relative enrichment of trace elements in atmospheric biomonitors - INAA results on tree bark and lichen thalli

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pacheco, Adriano M.G.; Freitas, Maria Carmo; Ventura, Marcia G.

2005-01-01

Nuclear techniques, such as instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) or proton-induced X-ray emission (PIXE), are invaluable tools in environmental assessment. Atmospheric biomonitoring, in particular, has been a preferential domain for their application, especially (yet not exclusively) due to their analytical robustness, minimal requirements for sample preparation, and multi-elemental capabilities. The latter aspect is not just important for the complement they stand for each other, but also for the possibility of multiple determination, that may provide an in-depth picture of an elemental pool. This paper addresses the relative magnitude of concentration patterns (by INAA) in epiphytic lichens (Parmelia spp.) thalli and olive tree (Olea Europaea Linn.) bark from two sectors of a biological-monitoring network in mainland Portugal. While absolute concentrations of non-crustal elements are generally higher in lichens than in bark, the reverse of this applies, and to a larger extent, to their enrichment in each biomonitor. Raw data is thus likely to be inflated by local circulation and/or re-suspension of previously deposited materials. Judging from these results, the question of signal magnitude could eventually stem more from secondary, non-crustal inputs of local origin, and less from systemic characteristics of the present organisms. (authors)

Non-invasive pulsed cavitational ultrasound for fetal tissue ablation: feasibility study in a fetal sheep model.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Y; Gelehrter, S K; Fifer, C G; Lu, J C; Owens, G E; Berman, D R; Williams, J; Wilkinson, J E; Ives, K A; Xu, Z

2011-04-01

Currently available fetal intervention techniques rely on invasive procedures that carry inherent risks. A non-invasive technique for fetal intervention could potentially reduce the risk of fetal and obstetric complications. Pulsed cavitational ultrasound therapy (histotripsy) is an ablation technique that mechanically fractionates tissue at the focal region using extracorporeal ultrasound. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of using histotripsy as a non-invasive approach to fetal intervention in a sheep model. The experiments involved 11 gravid sheep at 102-129 days of gestation. Fetal kidney, liver, lung and heart were exposed to ultrasound pulses (bones. Histological assessment confirmed lesion locations and sizes corresponding to regions where cavitation was monitored, with no lesions found when cavitation was absent. Inability to generate cavitation was primarily associated with increased depth to target and obstructing structures such as fetal limbs. Extracorporeal histotripsy therapy successfully created targeted lesions in fetal sheep organs without significant damage to overlying structures. With further improvements, histotripsy may evolve into a viable technique for non-invasive fetal intervention procedures. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Urban health and ecology: the promise of an avian biomonitoring tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Pollack, Lea; Ondrasek, Naomi R; Calisi, Rebecca

2017-04-01

Urban-dwelling birds have the potential to serve as powerful biomonitors that reveal the impact of environmental change due to urbanization. Specifically, urban bird populations can be used to survey cities for factors that may pose both public and wildlife health concerns. Here, we review evidence supporting the use of avian biomonitors to identify threats associated with urbanization, including bioaccumulation of toxicants and the dysregulation of behavior and physiology by related stressors. In addition, we consider the use of birds to examine how factors in the urban environment can impact immunity against communicable pathogens. By studying the behavior, physiology, and ecology of urban bird populations, we can elucidate not only how avian populations are responding to environmental change, but also how unintended consequences of urbanization affect the well-being of human and non-human inhabitants.

MicroRNA and protein profiles in invasive versus non-invasive oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma cells in vitro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Korvala, Johanna, E-mail: johanna.korvala@oulu.fi [Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, The Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Aapistie 5A, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Jee, Kowan [Department of Pathology, University of Turku, Turku University Hospital, Turku (Finland); Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki (Finland); Porkola, Emmi [Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, The Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Aapistie 5A, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Almangush, Alhadi [Department of Pathology, Haartman Institute, University of Helsinki, Helsinki (Finland); Mosakhani, Neda [Department of Pathology, HUSLAB, Helsinki (Finland); Bitu, Carolina [Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, The Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital, Aapistie 5A, 90014 Oulu (Finland); Cervigne, Nilva K. [Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Av. Limeira, 901 – Bairro Areião, CEP: 13414-903 Piracicaba, São Paulo (Brazil); Department of Clinical and Pathology, Faculty of Medicine of Jundiai - FMJ, Jundiai, SP (Brazil); Zandonadi, Flávia S.; Meirelles, Gabriela V.; Leme, Adriana Franco Paes [Laboratório Nacional de Biociências, LNBio, CNPEM, Rua Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10.000, Polo II de Alta Tecnologia de Campinas, Campinas/SP, P.O.Box 6192, CEP 13083-970 Campinas, São Paulo (Brazil); Coletta, Ricardo D. [Department of Oral Diagnosis, School of Dentistry, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Av. Limeira, 901 – Bairro Areião, CEP: 13414-903 Piracicaba, São Paulo (Brazil); and others

2017-01-01

Complex molecular pathways regulate cancer invasion. This study overviewed proteins and microRNAs (miRNAs) involved in oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) invasion. The human highly aggressive OTSCC cell line HSC-3 was examined in a 3D organotypic human leiomyoma model. Non-invasive and invasive cells were laser-captured and protein expression was analyzed using mass spectrometry-based proteomics and miRNA expression by microarray. In functional studies the 3D invasion assay was replicated after silencing candidate miRNAs, miR-498 and miR-940, in invasive OTSCC cell lines (HSC-3 and SCC-15). Cell migration, proliferation and viability were also studied in the silenced cells. In HSC-3 cells, 67 proteins and 53 miRNAs showed significant fold-changes between non-invasive vs. invasive cells. Pathway enrichment analyses allocated “Focal adhesion” and “ECM-receptor interaction” as most important for invasion. Significantly, in HSC-3 cells, miR-498 silencing decreased the invasion area and miR-940 silencing reduced invasion area and depth. Viability, proliferation and migration weren’t significantly affected. In SCC-15 cells, down-regulation of miR-498 significantly reduced invasion and migration. This study shows HSC-3 specific miRNA and protein expression in invasion, and suggests that miR-498 and miR-940 affect invasion in vitro, the process being more influenced by mir-940 silencing in aggressive HSC-3 cells than in the less invasive SCC-15.

Biomarkers of general stress in mussels as common indicators for marine biomonitoring programmes in Europe: The ICON experience.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Gómez, Concepción; Robinson, Craig David; Burgeot, Thierry; Gubbins, Matt; Halldorsson, Halldor P; Albentosa, Marina; Bignell, John P; Hylland, Ketil; Vethaak, A Dick

2017-03-01

This study investigated whether general stress biomarkers in mussels can be applied as common first-tier biomarkers in regional biomonitoring programmes in the North Sea (including Iceland) and western Mediterranean Sea. Stress on Stress (SoS) and lysosomal membrane stability (LMS) biomarkers were analysed in resident mussels (Mytilus sp.) from 8 coastal sites and in transplanted mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) from two Spanish Mediterranean coastal sites. The assessment of results, as input to pollution monitoring strategies, was performed jointly for LMS and SoS data from the two regions. Contaminant body burden of the mussels was compared with biomarker results. The results demonstrated that these two general and non-expensive stress biomarkers in mussel can be applied throughout European waters, providing a cost-effective and harmonised approach to screen contaminant-related biological effects within the framework of wide-scale pollution biomonitoring programmes, such as that proposed by the European Union, i.e. the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive Characterization of the Histopathologic Features of Pulmonary Nodules of the Lung Adenocarcinoma Spectrum using Computer Aided Nodule Assessment and Risk Yield (CANARY) – a Pilot Study

Science.gov (United States)

Maldonado, Fabien; Boland, Jennifer M.; Raghunath, Sushravya; Aubry, Marie Christine; Bartholmai, Brian J.; deAndrade, Mariza; Hartman, Thomas E.; Karwoski, Ronald A.; Rajagopalan, Srinivasan; Sykes, Anne-Marie; Yang, Ping; Yi, Eunhee S.; Robb, Richard A.; Peikert, Tobias

2013-01-01

Introduction Pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum are characterized by distinctive morphological and radiological features and variable prognosis. Non-invasive high-resolution computed-tomography (HRCT)-based risk stratification tools are needed to individualize their management. Methods Radiological measurements of histopathologic tissue invasion were developed in a training set of 54 pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum and validated in 86 consecutively resected nodules. Nodules were isolated and characterized by computer-aided analysis and data were analyzed by Spearman correlation, sensitivity, specificity as well as the positive and negative predictive values. Results Computer Aided Nodule Assessment and Risk Yield (CANARY) can non-invasively characterize pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum. Unsupervised clustering analysis of HRCT data identified 9 unique exemplars representing the basic radiologic building blocks of these lesions. The exemplar distribution within each nodule correlated well with the proportion of histologic tissue invasion, Spearman R=0.87,p < 0.0001 and 0.89,p < 0.0001 for the training and the validation set, respectively. Clustering of the exemplars in three-dimensional space corresponding to tissue invasion and lepidic growth was used to develop a CANARY decision algorithm, which successfully categorized these pulmonary nodules as “aggressive” (invasive adenocarcinoma) or “indolent” (adenocarcinoma in situ and minimally invasive adenocarcinoma). Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of this approach for the detection of “aggressive” lesions were 95.4%, 96.8%, 95.4% and 96.8%, respectively in the training set and 98.7%, 63.6%, 94.9% and 87.5%, respectively in the validation set. Conclusion CANARY represents a promising tool to non-invasively risk stratify pulmonary nodules of the adenocarcinoma spectrum. PMID:23486265

A review of invasive and non-invasive sensory feedback in upper limb prostheses.

Science.gov (United States)

Svensson, Pamela; Wijk, Ulrika; Björkman, Anders; Antfolk, Christian

2017-06-01

The constant challenge to restore sensory feedback in prosthetic hands has provided several research solutions, but virtually none has reached clinical fruition. A prosthetic hand with sensory feedback that closely imitates an intact hand and provides a natural feeling may induce the prosthetic hand to be included in the body image and also reinforces the control of the prosthesis. Areas covered: This review presents non-invasive sensory feedback systems such as mechanotactile, vibrotactile, electrotactile and combinational systems which combine the modalities; multi-haptic feedback. Invasive sensory feedback has been tried less, because of the inherent risk, but it has successfully shown to restore some afferent channels. In this review, invasive methods are also discussed, both extraneural and intraneural electrodes, such as cuff electrodes and transverse intrafascicular multichannel electrodes. The focus of the review is on non-invasive methods of providing sensory feedback to upper-limb amputees. Expert commentary: Invoking embodiment has shown to be of importance for the control of prosthesis and acceptance by the prosthetic wearers. It is a challenge to provide conscious feedback to cover the lost sensibility of a hand, not be overwhelming and confusing for the user, and to integrate technology within the constraint of a wearable prosthesis.

A review of human biomonitoring data used in regulatory risk assessment under Canada's Chemicals Management Program.

Science.gov (United States)

Zidek, Angelika; Macey, Kristin; MacKinnon, Leona; Patel, Mikin; Poddalgoda, Devika; Zhang, Yi

2017-03-01

As a part of the Chemicals Management Plan launched in 2006, the Government of Canada is assessing and managing, where appropriate, the potential health and ecological risks associated with approximately 4300 substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (1999). Since that time, nearly 3000 substances have been assessed, with human biomonitoring (HBM) data playing an increasingly important role for some substances. Case studies are presented, including both inorganic and organic substances (i.e., selenium, triclosan, phthalates), which highlight the impact and overall role HBM has had in regulatory decision making in Canada for these three substances as well as criteria used in the application of HBM data in human health risk assessment. An overview of its limitations in terms of how and when HBM data can be applied, when assessing human health in a regulatory setting, is discussed as well as the role HBM data can play in priority setting. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Blood biomarkers for the non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nisenblat, Vicki; Bossuyt, Patrick M. M.; Shaikh, Rabia; Farquhar, Cindy; Jordan, Vanessa; Scheffers, Carola S.; Mol, Ben Willem J.; Johnson, Neil; Hull, M. Louise

2016-01-01

About 10% of reproductive-aged women suffer from endometriosis, a costly chronic disease causing pelvic pain and subfertility. Laparoscopy is the gold standard diagnostic test for endometriosis, but is expensive and carries surgical risks. Currently, there are no non-invasive or minimally invasive

Application of neutron activation analysis method on biomonitors for assessing environment quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nitescu, E. A.; Valeca, S.; Bucsa, A. F.

2016-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to determine the chemical elements concentrations which affect both the population health and environment, such as toxic agents which are contained in air and are retained by precipitation inside the biomonitors vegetal tissues. The Neutron Activation Analysis is an analytic technique based on measuring the numbers and the energy of gamma radiation emitted by the radioactive isotopes produced in the sample matrix by irradiation with thermal neutrons in a nuclear reactor [1]. Usually, the samples are irradiated together with specific neutron flux monitors, duplicates and interest elements standards for a prior selected period of time inside the core of nuclear reactor. After the irradiation experiment and the specific radioactive decaying, can proceed measuring the gamma energies spectrum by using a high resolution detection system (HPGe - High Purity Germanium crystal) for gamma spectrometry and then assess the impact of the traced elements on population and environment. (authors)

Disturbance promotes non-indigenous bacterial invasion in soil microcosms

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Manqiang; Strandmark, Lisa Bjørnlund; Rønn, Regin

2012-01-01

Invasion-biology is largely based on non-experimental observation of larger organisms. Here, we apply an experimental approach to the subject. By using microbial-based microcosm-experiments, invasion-biology can be placed on firmer experimental, and hence, less anecdotal ground. A better...... understanding of the mechanisms that govern invasion-success of bacteria in soil communities will provide knowledge on the factors that hinder successful establishment of bacteria artificially inoculated into soil, e.g. for remediation purposes. Further, it will yield valuable information on general principles...... of invasion biology in other domains of life....

Transplanted zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) as active biomonitors in an effluent-dominated river.

Science.gov (United States)

Smolders, Roel; Bervoets, Lieven; Blust, Ronny

2002-09-01

For over 20 years, mussels have been recommended as one of the most suitable biomonitoring organisms for aquatic ecosystems. Though the common mussel (Mytilus edulis) is frequently used for biomonitoring estuarine and marine ecosystems, no freshwater species is promoted for similar monitoring networks. Recently, however, the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) has been proposed as a suitable monitoring organism in freshwater ecosystems. The aim of this study was to explore the usefulness of transplanted zebra mussels as active biomonitors in an effluent-dominated stream. Results showed that for these purposes, an exposure period of at least a few weeks is required to detect any significant changes in condition status or scope for growth. Wet-tissue-weight:dry-tissue-weight ratio was the most sensitive measure to quantify effects of field exposure on physiological fitness. In case of scope for growth (SfG), energy intake was the factor determining the overall energy budget of the mussels. Based on the dilution rates of the two different effluents present, effluent 2 had the most important effect on the condition status of the exposed organisms. Overall, we conclude that the use of transplanted mussels is a sensitive and easily applicable active biomonitor that can be used to assess water quality, pollution, and subsequent recovery through self-purification in field situations.

Markers for the non-invasive diagnosis of mesothelioma: a systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Bij, S.; Schaake, E.; Koffijberg, H.; Burgers, J. A.; de Mol, B. A. J. M.; Moons, K. G. M.

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND: Numerous markers have been evaluated to facilitate the non-invasive diagnostic work-up of mesothelioma. The purpose of this study was to conduct a structured review of the diagnostic performance of non-invasive marker tests for the detection of mesothelioma in patients with suspected

Markers for the non-invasive diagnosis of mesothelioma : A systematic review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Bij, S.; Schaake, E.; Koffijberg, H.; Burgers, J. A.; De Mol, B. A J M; Moons, K.G.M.

2011-01-01

Background: Numerous markers have been evaluated to facilitate the non-invasive diagnostic work-up of mesothelioma. The purpose of this study was to conduct a structured review of the diagnostic performance of non-invasive marker tests for the detection of mesothelioma in patients with suspected

Early invasive versus non-invasive treatment in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome (FRISC-II): 15 year follow-up of a prospective, randomised, multicentre study.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallentin, Lars; Lindhagen, Lars; Ärnström, Elisabet; Husted, Steen; Janzon, Magnus; Johnsen, Søren Paaske; Kontny, Frederic; Kempf, Tibor; Levin, Lars-Åke; Lindahl, Bertil; Stridsberg, Mats; Ståhle, Elisabeth; Venge, Per; Wollert, Kai C; Swahn, Eva; Lagerqvist, Bo

2016-10-15

The FRISC-II trial was the first randomised trial to show a reduction in death or myocardial infarction with an early invasive versus a non-invasive treatment strategy in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome. Here we provide a remaining lifetime perspective on the effects on all cardiovascular events during 15 years' follow-up. The FRISC-II prospective, randomised, multicentre trial was done at 58 Scandinavian centres in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Between June 17, 1996, and Aug 28, 1998, we randomly assigned (1:1) 2457 patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome to an early invasive treatment strategy, aiming for revascularisation within 7 days, or a non-invasive strategy, with invasive procedures at recurrent symptoms or severe exercise-induced ischaemia. Plasma for biomarker analyses was obtained at randomisation. For long-term outcomes, we linked data with national health-care registers. The primary endpoint was a composite of death or myocardial infarction. Outcomes were compared as the average postponement of the next event, including recurrent events, calculated as the area between mean cumulative count-of-events curves. Analyses were done by intention to treat. At a minimum of 15 years' follow-up on Dec 31, 2014, data for survival status and death were available for 2421 (99%) of the initially recruited 2457 patients, and for other events after 2 years for 2182 (89%) patients. During follow-up, the invasive strategy postponed death or next myocardial infarction by a mean of 549 days (95% CI 204-888; p=0·0020) compared with the non-invasive strategy. This effect was larger in non-smokers (mean gain 809 days, 95% CI 402-1175; p interaction =0·0182), patients with elevated troponin T (778 days, 357-1165; p interaction =0·0241), and patients with high concentrations of growth differentiation factor-15 (1356 days, 507-1650; p interaction =0·0210). The difference was mainly driven by postponement of new myocardial infarction

Evaluation of the biomarker candidate MFAP4 for non-invasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis in hepatitis C patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bracht, Thilo; Mölleken, Christian; Ahrens, Maike

2016-01-01

in a retrospective study including n = 542 hepatitis C patients. We applied a univariate logistic regression model based on MFAP4 serum levels and furthermore derived a multivariate model including also age and gender. Youden-optimal cutoffs for binary classification were determined for both models without......). CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed the applicability of MFAP4 as a novel serum biomarker for assessment of hepatic fibrosis and identification of high-risk patients with severe fibrosis stages in hepatitis C. The combination of MFAP4 with existing tests might lead to a more accurate non-invasive diagnosis of hepatic...... fibrosis and allow a cost-effective disease management in the era of new direct acting antivirals....

Urinary high molecular weight matrix metalloproteinases as non-invasive biomarker for detection of bladder cancer

OpenAIRE

Mohammed, Mohammed A; Seleim, Manar F; Abdalla, Mohga S; Sharada, Hayat M; Abdel Wahab, Abdel Hady A

2013-01-01

Background Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are key molecules for tumor growth, invasion and metastasis. Over-expression of different MMPs in tumor tissues can disturb the homeostasis and increase the level of various body fluids. Many MMPs including high molecular weights (HMWs) were detected in the urine of prostate and bladder cancer patients. Our aim here is to assess the usefulness of HMW MMPs as non invasive biomarkers in bilharzial bladder cancer in Egyptian patients. Methods The activ...

Investigation of the feasibility of non-invasive optical sensors for the quantitative assessment of dehydration.

Science.gov (United States)

Visser, Cobus; Kieser, Eduard; Dellimore, Kiran; van den Heever, Dawie; Smith, Johan

2017-10-01

This study explores the feasibility of prospectively assessing infant dehydration using four non-invasive, optical sensors based on the quantitative and objective measurement of various clinical markers of dehydration. The sensors were investigated to objectively and unobtrusively assess the hydration state of an infant based on the quantification of capillary refill time (CRT), skin recoil time (SRT), skin temperature profile (STP) and skin tissue hydration by means of infrared spectrometry (ISP). To evaluate the performance of the sensors a clinical study was conducted on a cohort of 10 infants (aged 6-36 months) with acute gastroenteritis. High sensitivity and specificity were exhibited by the sensors, in particular the STP and SRT sensors, when combined into a fusion regression model (sensitivity: 0.90, specificity: 0.78). The SRT and STP sensors and the fusion model all outperformed the commonly used "gold standard" clinical dehydration scales including the Gorelick scale (sensitivity: 0.56, specificity: 0.56), CDS scale (sensitivity: 1.0, specificity: 0.2) and WHO scale (sensitivity: 0.13, specificity: 0.79). These results suggest that objective and quantitative assessment of infant dehydration may be possible using the sensors investigated. However, further evaluation of the sensors on a larger sample population is needed before deploying them in a clinical setting. Copyright © 2017 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive or minimally invasive autopsy compared to conventional autopsy of suspected natural deaths in adults: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Blokker, Britt M; Wagensveld, Ivo M; Weustink, Annick C; Oosterhuis, J Wolter; Hunink, M G Myriam

2016-04-01

Autopsies are used for healthcare quality control and improving medical knowledge. Because autopsy rates are declining worldwide, various non-invasive or minimally invasive autopsy methods are now being developed. To investigate whether these might replace the invasive autopsies conventionally performed in naturally deceased adults, we systematically reviewed original prospective validation studies. We searched six databases. Two reviewers independently selected articles and extracted data. Methods and patient groups were too heterogeneous for meaningful meta-analysis of outcomes. Sixteen of 1538 articles met our inclusion criteria. Eight studies used a blinded comparison; ten included less than 30 appropriate cases. Thirteen studies used radiological imaging (seven dealt solely with non-invasive procedures), two thoracoscopy and laparoscopy, and one sampling without imaging. Combining CT and MR was the best non-invasive method (agreement for cause of death: 70 %, 95%CI: 62.6; 76.4), but minimally invasive methods surpassed non-invasive methods. The highest sensitivity for cause of death (90.9 %, 95%CI: 74.5; 97.6, suspected duplicates excluded) was achieved in recent studies combining CT, CT-angiography and biopsies. Minimally invasive autopsies including biopsies performed best. To establish a feasible alternative to conventional autopsy and to increase consent to post-mortem investigations, further research in larger study groups is needed. • Health care quality control benefits from clinical feedback provided by (alternative) autopsies. • So far, sixteen studies investigated alternative autopsy methods for naturally deceased adults. • Thirteen studies used radiological imaging modalities, eight tissue biopsies, and three CT-angiography. • Combined CT, CT-angiography and biopsies were most sensitive diagnosing cause of death.

Acoustic radiation force impulse-imaging and transient elastography for non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis and steatosis in NAFLD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Friedrich-Rust, Mireen; Romen, Daniela; Vermehren, Johannes; Kriener, Susanne; Sadet, Dilek; Herrmann, Eva; Zeuzem, Stefan; Bojunga, Joerg

2012-01-01

Background: Transient elastography (TE) and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI)-imaging have shown promising results for the staging of liver fibrosis. Aim: The aim of the present study was to compare ARFI of the left and right liver lobe with TE using the standard and obese probes for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in NAFL/NASH. In addition, liver steatosis is evaluated using the novel controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). Methods: Sixty-one patients with NAFLD/NASH were included in the study. All patients received TE with both probes, ARFI of both liver lobes and CAP. The results were compared with liver histology. Results: 57 patients were included in the final analysis. The diagnostic accuracy for TE measurements with the M-and XL-probe and for ARFI of the right and left liver lobe was 0.73, 0.84, 0.71 and 0.60 for the diagnosis of severe fibrosis, and 0.93, 0.93, 0.74 and 0.90 for the diagnosis of cirrhosis, respectively. No significant difference of results was observed between TE and ARFI in the subgroup of patients with reliable TE-measurement when taking into account the best results of both methods. However, while a significant correlation could be found for TE with histological liver fibrosis, the correlation of ARFI with liver fibrosis was not statistically significant. A significant correlation was found for CAP with histological steatosis (r = 0.49, p < 0.001). Conclusions: No significant difference in diagnostic accuracy for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis was found for transient elastography and ARFI. Nevertheless TE significantly correlated with liver fibrosis while ARFI did not. CAP enables the non-invasive assessment of steatosis.

The role of neutron activation analysis in nutritional biomonitoring programs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iyengar, V.

1988-01-01

Nutritional biomonitoring is a multidisciplinary task and an integral part of a more general bioenvironmental surveillance. In its comprehensive form, it is a combination of biological, environmental, and nutrient monitoring activities. Nutrient monitoring evaluates the input of essential nutrients required to maintain vital bodily functions; this includes vigilance over extreme fluctuations of nutrient intake in relation to the recommended dietary allowances and estimated safe and adequate daily dietary intakes and adherence to the goals of provisional tolerance limits. Environmental monitoring assesses the external human exposure via ambient pathways, namely, air, water, soil, food, etc. Biological monitoring quantifies a toxic agent and its metabolites in representative biologic specimens of an exposed organ to identify health effects. In practice, coordinating all three components of a nutritional biomonitoring program is complex, expensive, and tedious. Experience gained from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys demonstrates the problems involved. By far the most critical challenge faced here is the question of analytical quality control, particularly when trace element determinations are involved. Yet, measures to ensure reliability of analytical data are mandatory, and there are no short-cuts to this requirement. The purpose of this presentation is to elucidate the potential of neutron activation analysis (NAA) in nutritional biomonitoring activities

Non-invasive mechanical ventilation with spinal anesthesia for cesarean delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Erdogan, G; Okyay, D Z; Yurtlu, S; Hanci, V; Ayoglu, H; Koksal, B; Turan, I O

2010-10-01

We present the successful use of perioperative non-invasive mechanical ventilation in a morbidly obese pregnant woman with bronchial asthma, severe preeclampsia and pulmonary edema undergoing an emergency cesarean delivery with spinal anesthesia. The combination of non-invasive mechanical ventilation with neuraxial anesthesia may be of value in selected parturients with acute or chronic respiratory insufficiency requiring surgery. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Detrusor wall thickness compared to other non-invasive methods in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

W. ElSaied

invasive tests. Abbreviations: ... obstruction, non-invasively in men with lower urinary tract symptoms, with an accuracy approaching that ..... gies such as infection or tumor [15]. .... diagnosis of infravesical obstruction in children: evaluation of blad-.

Policy recommendations and cost implications for a more sustainable framework for European human biomonitoring surveys

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Joas, Anke; Knudsen, Lisbeth E.; Kolossa-Gehring, Marike

2015-01-01

The potential of Human Biomonitoring (HBM) in exposure characterisation and risk assessment is well established in the scientific HBM community and regulatory arena by many publications. The European Environment and Health Strategy as well as the Environment and Health Action Plan 2004-2010 of th......, and EFSA. An economic frame with shared cost implications for national and European institutions is suggested benefitting from the capacity building set up by COPHES/DEMOCOPHES.......The potential of Human Biomonitoring (HBM) in exposure characterisation and risk assessment is well established in the scientific HBM community and regulatory arena by many publications. The European Environment and Health Strategy as well as the Environment and Health Action Plan 2004...

The use of vegetables in the biomonitoring of cadmium and lead pollution in the environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Szczygłowska, Marzena; Bodnar, Małgorzata; Namieśnik, Jacek; Konieczka, Piotr

2014-01-01

Lead and cadmium emitted from various anthropogenic sources have the ability to accumulate in tissues of living organisms. The phenomenon of accumulation of metals in the body is harmful and undesirable. The ability of plants to accumulate heavy metals from the individual elements of the environment has been used in biomonitoring of pollution. Leaves and roots of vegetables have particular predisposition for accumulating toxic metals such as lead and cadmium and therefore can be used for biomonitoring of the environment, mainly as a tool for assessing the extent of soil contamination. The article discusses information in the literature on entry paths of lead and cadmium into the body, toxic effects of lead and cadmium on the human organism, and the use of vegetables as a tool in the biomonitoring of heavy metals in different elements of the environment.

Effectiveness of FISK, an invasiveness screening tool for non-native freshwater fishes, to perform risk identification assessments in the Iberian Peninsula.

Science.gov (United States)

Almeida, David; Ribeiro, Filipe; Leunda, Pedro M; Vilizzi, Lorenzo; Copp, Gordon H

2013-08-01

Risk assessments are crucial for identifying and mitigating impacts from biological invasions. The Fish Invasiveness Scoring Kit (FISK) is a risk identification (screening) tool for freshwater fishes consisting of two subject areas: biogeography/history and biology/ecology. According to the outcomes, species can be classified under particular risk categories. The aim of this study was to apply FISK to the Iberian Peninsula, a Mediterranean climate region highly important for freshwater fish conservation due to a high level of endemism. In total, 89 fish species were assessed by three independent assessors. Results from receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that FISK can discriminate reliably between noninvasive and invasive fishes for Iberia, with a threshold of 20.25, similar to those obtained in several regions around the world. Based on mean scores, no species was categorized as "low risk," 50 species as "medium risk," 17 as "moderately high risk," 11 as "high risk," and 11 as "very high risk." The highest scoring species was goldfish Carassius auratus. Mean certainty in response was above the category "mostly certain," ranging from tinfoil barb Barbonymus schwanenfeldii with the lowest certainty to eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki with the highest level. Pair-wise comparison showed significant differences between one assessor and the other two on mean certainty, with these two assessors showing a high coincidence rate for the species categorization. Overall, the results suggest that FISK is a useful and viable tool for assessing risks posed by non-native fish in the Iberian Peninsula and contributes to a "watch list" in this region. © 2013 Crown copyright This article is published with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.

Fibroscore for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashraf, S.; Ahmed, S.A.

2012-01-01

Objective: To evaluate the predictive value of a set of laboratory markers for the assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis patients. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Baqai Medical University, Combined Military Hospital, Malir, Karachi, from November 2006 to May 2008. Methodology: Twenty laboratory parameters were measured in 100 treatment-native chronic viral hepatitis patients who also had liver biopsy performed. Descriptive statistics, areas under the ROC's curves, and multivariate logistic regression analysis identified a fibrosis panel, a set of five most useful markers, for the assessment of stages of fibrosis, stage 0 to stage 4. The fibrosis index, FibroScore, consisted of bilirubin, Gamma glutamyl transferase, Hyaluronic acid, alpha 2 macroglobulin, and platelets evaluation. Results: A score of > 0.5 predicted stages 2, 3 and 4, with a sensitivity of 82%, and specificity of 92%. A score > 0.5 for stages 3 and 4 had a sensitivity of 85%, and specificity of 89%. At a score of > 0.80, for stages 3 and 4, the sensitivity was 70%, specificity was 97%, and PPV 87% (there was > 85% possibility of presence of stage 3 or 4). A score of < 0.20 predicted the absence of stages 2, 3, and 4 with a sensitivity of 91%, specificity of 86%, and NPV of 96%. Scores from 0.00 to 0.10 almost certainly ruled out the presence of stages 2-4 (NPV=98%). The areas under the ROC curve were: 0.808 for stage 2; 0.938 for stage 3; and 0.959 for stage 4. Conclusion: A combination of 5 markers is very useful in predicting various stages of liver fibrosis, and is helpful in the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis patients. (author)

Inhibition of proliferation, migration and invasion of human non ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Purpose: To determine the effect of phlomisoside F (PMF) on the proliferation, migration and invasion of human non-small cell lung cancer cell line A549 and explore the possible mechanisms. Methods: The anti-proliferative effect of PMF on A549 cells was determined by CCK-8. Subsequently, migration and invasion were ...

Current methods of non-invasive ventilatory support for neonates.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoud, Ramadan A; Roehr, Charles Christoph; Schmalisch, Gerd

2011-09-01

Non-invasive ventilatory support can reduce the adverse effects associated with intubation and mechanical ventilation, such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis, and trauma to the upper airways. In the last 4 decades, nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) has been used to wean preterm infants off mechanical ventilation and, more recently, as a primary mode of respiratory support for preterm infants with respiratory insufficiency. Moreover, new methods of respiratory support have been developed, and the devices used to provide non-invasive ventilation (NIV) have improved technically. Use of NIV is increasing, and a variety of equipment is available in different clinical settings. There is evidence that NIV improves gas exchange and reduces extubation failure after mechanical ventilation in infants. However, more research is needed to identify the most suitable devices for particular conditions; the NIV settings that should be used; and whether to employ synchronized or non-synchronized NIV. Furthermore, the optimal treatment strategy and the best time for initiation of NIV remain to be identified. This article provides an overview of the use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in newborn infants, and the clinical applications of NIV. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Assessing the invasive potential of biofuel species proposed for Florida and the United States using the Australian Weed Risk Assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gordon, D.R. [The Nature Conservancy, PO Box 118526, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States); Department of Biology, PO Box 118526, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States); Tancig, K.J. [PO Box 116455, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States); Onderdonk, D.A.; Gantz, C.A. [Department of Biology, PO Box 118526, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 (United States)

2011-01-15

Twelve taxa under exploration as bioenergy crops in Florida and the U.S. were evaluated for potential invasiveness using the Australian Weed Risk Assessment system (WRA) modified for separate assessment at the state and national scales. When tested across a range of geographies, this system correctly identifies invaders 90%, and non-invaders 70% of the time, on average. Predictions for Florida were the same as for the U.S. Arundo donax, Eucalyptus camaldulensis, Eucalyptus grandis, Jatropha curcas, Leucaena leucocephala, Pennisetum purpureum, and Ricinus communis were found to have a high probability of becoming invasive, while Miscanthus x giganteus, Saccharum arundinaceum, Saccharum officinarum, and the sweet variety of Sorghum bicolor have a low probability of becoming invasive. Eucalyptus amplifolia requires further evaluation before a prediction is possible. These results are consistent with reports on other tests of these taxa. Given the economic and ecological impacts of invasive species, including the carbon expended for mechanical and chemical control efforts, cultivation of taxa likely to become invasive should be avoided. (author)

Estimating Invasion Success by Non-Native Trees in a National Park Combining WorldView-2 Very High Resolution Satellite Data and Species Distribution Models

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonio T. Monteiro

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Invasion by non-native tree species is an environmental and societal challenge requiring predictive tools to assess invasion dynamics. The frequent scale mismatch between such tools and on-ground conservation is currently limiting invasion management. This study aimed to reduce these scale mismatches, assess the success of non-native tree invasion and determine the environmental factors associated to it. A hierarchical scaling approach combining species distribution models (SDMs and satellite mapping at very high resolution (VHR was developed to assess invasion by Acacia dealbata in Peneda-Gerês National Park, the only national park in Portugal. SDMs were first used to predict the climatically suitable areas for A. dealdata and satellite mapping with the random-forests classifier was then applied to WorldView-2 very-high resolution imagery to determine whether A. dealdata had actually colonized the predicted areas (invasion success. Environmental attributes (topographic, disturbance and canopy-related differing between invaded and non-invaded vegetated areas were then analyzed. The SDM results indicated that most (67% of the study area was climatically suitable for A. dealbata invasion. The onset of invasion was documented to 1905 and satellite mapping highlighted that 12.6% of study area was colonized. However, this species had only colonized 62.5% of the maximum potential range, although was registered within 55.6% of grid cells that were considerable unsuitable. Across these areas, the specific success rate of invasion was mostly below 40%, indicating that A. dealbata invasion was not dominant and effective management may still be possible. Environmental attributes related to topography (slope, canopy (normalized difference vegetation index (ndvi, land surface albedo and disturbance (historical burnt area differed between invaded and non-invaded vegetated area, suggesting that landscape attributes may alter at specific locations with Acacia

Ethics in biomonitoring for occupational health.

Science.gov (United States)

Manno, M; Sito, F; Licciardi, L

2014-12-01

Biological monitoring, i.e., the use of biomarkers for the measurement of systemic human exposure, effects and susceptibility to chemicals has increased considerably in recent years. Biomonitoring techniques, originally limited to a few metals and other chemicals in the workplace, are currently applied to a large number of exposure situations and have become a useful tool for occupational and environmental health risk assessment. Almost any biomonitoring program, however, entails a number of relevant ethical issues, which concern all the phases of the entire process, from the selection of the biomarker to the study design, from the collection, storage and analysis of the biological sample to the interpretation, communication and management of the results, from the (truly?) informed consent of the worker to the independence and autonomy of the occupational health professional. These issues require a balanced assessment of the interests and responsibilities of all the parties, the worker primarily, but also the employer, the occupational health professional, the health authorities and, for research studies on new biomarkers, also the scientists involved. Ideally, decisions of ethical relevance concerning biomarkers should be based on, and respectful of the best scientific, legal and ethical evidence available. When, however, a conflict should arise, before any decision is taken a thorough risk-benefit analysis should be done, at the beginning of the process and after listening to the workers and the management involved, by the occupational physician or scientist, based on his/her professional experience, independent judgement and individual responsibility. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive assessment of right ventricular function at rest and on exercise in obstructive airways disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tweddel, A.; Martin, W.; McGhie, I.; Neilly, B.; Stevenson, R.; Hutton, I.

1985-01-01

Non-invasive assessment of right ventricular function is of clinical interest in the patient with obstructive airways disease. Gated Xenon 133 scanning allows right ventricular function to be evaluated in isolation from the left ventricle, and with rapid clearance from the lungs, scans may be repeated within 5 minutes. 400mBq of Xenon 133 were injected intravenously over 20 seconds and images were obtained using a mobile gamma camera. Maximal symptom limited exercise was performed on a supine bicycle ergometer. The normal range for right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) was obtained from 10 volunteers - 40-55% at rest rising by 5-15% during exercise. In 10 patients with acute obstructive airways disease, all had reduced RVEF 21 +- 3%. In chronic obstructive airways disease, if resting RVEF was greater than 30%, ejection fraction increased on exercise. If resting ejection fraction was abnormal than RVEF was reduced or unchanged on exercise (mean 15 +- 9%), and this was associated with dilatation of both the right ventricle and atrium. In conclusion, gated Xenon 133 offers a simple method of assessing right ventricular function at rest and on exercise in the patient with obstructive airways disease

Fungal invasion of normally non-phagocytic host cells.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Scott G Filler

2006-12-01

Full Text Available Many fungi that cause invasive disease invade host epithelial cells during mucosal and respiratory infection, and subsequently invade endothelial cells during hematogenous infection. Most fungi invade these normally non-phagocytic host cells by inducing their own uptake. Candida albicans hyphae interact with endothelial cells in vitro by binding to N-cadherin on the endothelial cell surface. This binding induces rearrangement of endothelial cell microfilaments, which results in the endocytosis of the organism. The capsule of Cryptococcus neoformans is composed of glucuronoxylomannan, which binds specifically to brain endothelial cells, and appears to mediate both adherence and induction of endocytosis. The mechanisms by which other fungal pathogens induce their own uptake are largely unknown. Some angioinvasive fungi, such as Aspergillus species and the Zygomycetes, invade endothelial cells from the abluminal surface during the initiation of invasive disease, and subsequently invade the luminal surface of endothelial cells during hematogenous dissemination. Invasion of normally non-phagocytic host cells has different consequences, depending on the type of invading fungus. Aspergillus fumigatus blocks apoptosis of pulmonary epithelial cells, whereas Paracoccidioides brasiliensis induces apoptosis of epithelial cells. This review summarizes the mechanisms by which diverse fungal pathogens invade normally non-phagocytic host cells and discusses gaps in our knowledge that provide opportunities for future research.

Non-native plant invasions of United States National parks

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, J.A.; Brown, C.S.; Stohlgren, T.J.

2009-01-01

The United States National Park Service was created to protect and make accessible to the public the nation's most precious natural resources and cultural features for present and future generations. However, this heritage is threatened by the invasion of non-native plants, animals, and pathogens. To evaluate the scope of invasions, the USNPS has inventoried non-native plant species in the 216 parks that have significant natural resources, documenting the identity of non-native species. We investigated relationships among non-native plant species richness, the number of threatened and endangered plant species, native species richness, latitude, elevation, park area and park corridors and vectors. Parks with many threatened and endangered plants and high native plant species richness also had high non-native plant species richness. Non-native plant species richness was correlated with number of visitors and kilometers of backcountry trails and rivers. In addition, this work reveals patterns that can be further explored empirically to understand the underlying mechanisms. ?? Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2008.

Biomonitoring Equivalents for bisphenol A (BPA).

Science.gov (United States)

Krishnan, Kannan; Gagné, Michelle; Nong, Andy; Aylward, Lesa L; Hays, Sean M

2010-10-01

Recent efforts worldwide have resulted in a growing database of measured concentrations of chemicals in blood and urine samples taken from the general population. However, few tools exist to assist in the interpretation of the measured values in a health risk context. Biomonitoring Equivalents (BEs) are defined as the concentration or range of concentrations of a chemical or its metabolite in a biological medium (blood, urine, or other medium) that is consistent with an existing health-based exposure guideline. BE values are derived by integrating available data on pharmacokinetics with existing chemical risk assessments. This study reviews available health-based exposure guidance values for bisphenol A (BPA) from Health Canada, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). BE values were derived based on data on BPA urinary excretion in humans. The BE value corresponding to the oral provisional tolerable daily intake (pTDI) of 25 microg/kg-d from Health Canada is 1mg/L (1.3mg/g creatinine); value corresponding to the US EPA reference dose (RfD) and EFSA tolerable daily intake (TDI) estimates (both of which are equal to 50 microg/kg-d) is 2mg/L (2.6 mg/g creatinine). These values are estimates of the 24-h average urinary BPA concentrations that are consistent with steady-state exposure at the respective exposure guidance values. These BE values may be used as screening tools for evaluation of central tendency measures of population biomonitoring data for BPA in a risk assessment context and can assist in prioritization of the potential need for additional risk assessment efforts for BPA relative to other chemicals. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

School based assessment module for invasion games category in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

School based assessment module for invasion games category in physical education. ... This study identify the level of basic skills of invasion games category when using School Based Assessment Module. ... AJOL African Journals Online.

Non-invasive assessment of congenital pulmonary vein stenosis in children using cardiac-non-gated CT with 64-slice technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ou, Phalla; Marini, Davide; Celermajer, David S.; Agnoletti, Gabriella; Vouhe, Pascal; Sidi, Daniel; Bonnet, Damien; Brunelle, Francis

2009-01-01

Background: Management of congenital pulmonary vein stenosis is a diagnostic challenge. Echocardiography may be insufficient and thus cardiac catheterization remains the reference standard in this setting. The aim of the study was to investigate the accuracy of cardiac-non-gated CT using 64-slice technology in detecting congenital pulmonary vein stenosis in children. Materials and methods: CT examinations were consecutively performed from May 2005 to December 2006 in 13 children aged 1.5-12 months (median 5 months) for suspected congenital pulmonary vein stenosis. Cardiac-non-gated CT acquisitions were performed after the peripheral injection of contrast agent. Pulmonary veins were evaluated for their pattern of connectivity from the lung to the left atrium and for the presence of stenosis. CT findings of pulmonary vein stenosis were compared with combined findings available from echocardiography, catheterization and surgery. Results: Pulmonary veins from the right lung (n = 29) and left lung (n = 26) were evaluated as separate structures (N = 55). Of the 55 structures, 32 had surgical and/or catheterization data and 45 had echocardiography for comparison. CT visualized 100% (55/55) of the investigated structures, while echocardiography visualized 82% (45/55). In the 13 subjects CT identified 10 stenotic pulmonary veins. CT confirmed the echocardiography suspicion of pulmonary vein stenosis in 100% (7/7) and established a new diagnosis in 3 other patients. CT agreed with surgery/catheterization in 100% (10/10) of the available comparisons. Conclusion: Cardiac-non-gated CT assessed the pulmonary veins more completely than echocardiography and should be considered as a viable alternative for invasive pulmonary venography for detecting pulmonary vein stenosis in children.

Skin Rejuvenation with Non-Invasive Pulsed Electric Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Golberg, Alexander; Khan, Saiqa; Belov, Vasily; Quinn, Kyle P.; Albadawi, Hassan; Felix Broelsch, G.; Watkins, Michael T.; Georgakoudi, Irene; Papisov, Mikhail; Mihm, Martin C., Jr.; Austen, William G., Jr.; Yarmush, Martin L.

2015-05-01

Degenerative skin diseases affect one third of individuals over the age of sixty. Current therapies use various physical and chemical methods to rejuvenate skin; but since the therapies affect many tissue components including cells and extracellular matrix, they may also induce significant side effects, such as scarring. Here we report on a new, non-invasive, non-thermal technique to rejuvenate skin with pulsed electric fields. The fields destroy cells while simultaneously completely preserving the extracellular matrix architecture and releasing multiple growth factors locally that induce new cells and tissue growth. We have identified the specific pulsed electric field parameters in rats that lead to prominent proliferation of the epidermis, formation of microvasculature, and secretion of new collagen at treated areas without scarring. Our results suggest that pulsed electric fields can improve skin function and thus can potentially serve as a novel non-invasive skin therapy for multiple degenerative skin diseases.

Terrestrial mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric POPs pollution: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harmens, H.; Foan, L.; Simon, V.; Mills, G.

2013-01-01

Worldwide there is concern about the continuing release of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) into the environment. In this study we review the application of mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of POPs. Examples in the literature show that mosses are suitable organisms to monitor spatial patterns and temporal trends of atmospheric concentrations or deposition of POPs. These examples include polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorobiphenyls (PCBs), dioxins and furans (PCDD/Fs), and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs). The majority of studies report on PAHs concentrations in mosses and relative few studies have been conducted on other POPs. So far, many studies have focused on spatial patterns around pollution sources or the concentration in mosses in remote areas such as the polar regions, as an indication of long-range transport of POPs. Very few studies have determined temporal trends or have directly related the concentrations in mosses with measured atmospheric concentrations and/or deposition fluxes. - Highlights: ► Terrestrial mosses are suitable organisms to monitor deposition of POPs. ► They provide a good indication of spatial patterns and temporal trends. ► Mosses have been used as biomonitors of PAHs, PCBs, PBDEs dioxins and furans. ► Few studies have assessed the relationship between concentrations in air and mosses. - Mosses are suitable biomonitors of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).

Biomonitoring of atmospheric pollution (with emphasis on trace elements) - BioMAP. Proceedings of an international workshop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-06-01

Some organisms accumulate atmospheric contaminants over certain periods of time and concentrate them, thus allowing reliable analytical measurements if the organisms are suitably chosen. Measurements of contaminants accumulated by such organisms (biomonitors) provide information on the integrated exposure over an extended period of time. They may also be present in remote areas, and no expensive technical equipment is involved in collecting them. Therefore, biomonitoring can be an effective tool for pollutant mapping and trend monitoring by real time and retrospective analysis. The IAEA is making concerted efforts to promote the practical use of nuclear and related analytical techniques in studies of non-radioactive environmental pollutants that may impact human health, and one of the main emphases is on studying air contaminants. The idea of organizing a workshop on biomonitoring atmospheric pollution arose during an IAEA Technical Co-operation Project on Monitoring of Trace Element Air Pollution, carried out at the Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear (ITN), Portugal, with substantial technical support by the Interfaculty Reactor Institute (IRI) of the Delft University of Technology (TUDelft), Netherlands. The International Workshop on Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Pollution (With Emphasis on Trace Elements) - BioMAP, was held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 21 to 24 September 1997. The meeting was organized in co-operation with the Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear

Biomonitoring of atmospheric pollution (with emphasis on trace elements) - BioMAP. Proceedings of an international workshop

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2000-06-01

Some organisms accumulate atmospheric contaminants over certain periods of time and concentrate them, thus allowing reliable analytical measurements if the organisms are suitably chosen. Measurements of contaminants accumulated by such organisms (biomonitors) provide information on the integrated exposure over an extended period of time. They may also be present in remote areas, and no expensive technical equipment is involved in collecting them. Therefore, biomonitoring can be an effective tool for pollutant mapping and trend monitoring by real time and retrospective analysis. The IAEA is making concerted efforts to promote the practicaluse of nuclear and related analytical techniques in studies of non-radioactive environmental pollutants that may impact human health, and one of the main emphases is on studying air contaminants. The idea of organizing a workshop on biomonitoring atmospheric pollution arose during an IAEA Technical Co-operation Project on Monitoring of Trace Element Air Pollution, carried out at the Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear (ITN), Portugal, with substantial technical support by the Interfaculty Reactor Institute (IRI) of the Delft University of Technology (TUDelft), Netherlands. The International Workshop on Biomonitoring of Atmospheric Pollution (With Emphasis on Trace Elements) - BioMAP, was held in Lisbon, Portugal, from 21 to 24 September 1997. The meeting was organized in co-operation with the Instituto Tecnologico e Nuclear.

Biomechanics of subcellular structures by non-invasive Brillouin microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Antonacci, Giuseppe; Braakman, Sietse

2016-11-01

Cellular biomechanics play a pivotal role in the pathophysiology of several diseases. Unfortunately, current methods to measure biomechanical properties are invasive and mostly limited to the surface of a cell. As a result, the mechanical behaviour of subcellular structures and organelles remains poorly characterised. Here, we show three-dimensional biomechanical images of single cells obtained with non-invasive, non-destructive Brillouin microscopy with an unprecedented spatial resolution. Our results quantify the longitudinal elastic modulus of subcellular structures. In particular, we found the nucleoli to be stiffer than both the nuclear envelope (p biomechanics and its role in pathophysiology.

Mercury Exposure in Ireland: Results of the DEMOCOPHES Human Biomonitoring Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elizabeth Cullen

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Background: Monitoring of human exposure to mercury is important due to its adverse health effects. This study aimed to determine the extent of mercury exposure among mothers and their children in Ireland, and to identify factors associated with elevated levels. It formed part of the Demonstration of a study to Coordinate and Perform Human Biomonitoring on a European Scale (DEMOCOPHES pilot biomonitoring study. Methods: Hair mercury concentrations were determined from a convenience sample of 120 mother/child pairs. Mothers also completed a questionnaire. Rigorous quality assurance within DEMOCOPHES guaranteed the accuracy and international comparability of results. Results: Mercury was detected in 79.2% of the samples from mothers, and 62.5% of children’s samples. Arithmetic mean levels in mothers (0.262 µg/g hair and children (0.149 µg /g hair did not exceed the US EPA guidance value. Levels were significantly higher for those with higher education, and those who consumed more fish. Conclusions: The study demonstrates the benefit of human biomonitoring for assessing and comparing internal exposure levels, both on a population and an individual basis. It enables the potential harmful impact of mercury to be minimised in those highly exposed, and can therefore significantly contribute to population health.

Two non-invasive diagnostic tools for invasive aspergilosis: (1-3)-beta-D-glucan and the galactomannan assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Kelaher, Amy

2006-01-01

Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is a serious cause of morbidity and mortality among immunocompromised patients. Prompt and non-invasive methods for diagnosing IA are needed to improve the management of this life-threatening infection in patients with hematological disorders. In summary, this retrospective review of studies performed on the two assays finds that both assays have high sensitivity and specificity but are more useful when used together as a diagnostic strategy for patients with invasive aspergillosis.

Measurement of airway function using invasive and non-invasive methods in mild and severe models for allergic airway inflammation in mice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verheijden, Kim A T; Henricks, Paul A J; Redegeld, Frank A.; Garssen, Johan; Folkerts, Gert

2014-01-01

In this study a direct comparison was made between non-invasive and non-ventilated unrestrained whole body plethysmography (Penh) (conscious animals) and the invasive ventilated lung resistance (RL) method (anesthetized animals) in both mild and severe allergic airway inflammation models. Mild

On the relative merits of invasive and non-invasive pre-surgical brain mapping: New tools in ablative epilepsy surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Papanicolaou, Andrew C; Rezaie, Roozbeh; Narayana, Shalini; Choudhri, Asim F; Abbas-Babajani-Feremi; Boop, Frederick A; Wheless, James W

2018-05-01

Cortical Stimulation Mapping (CSM) and the Wada procedure have long been considered the gold standard for localizing motor and language-related cortical areas and for determining the language and memory-dominant hemisphere, respectively. In recent years, however, non-invasive methods such as magnetoencephalography (MEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have emerged as promising alternatives to the aforementioned procedures, particularly in cases where the invasive localization of eloquent cortex has proven to be challenging. To illustrate this point, we will first introduce the evidence of the compatibility of invasive and non-invasive methods and subsequently outline the rationale and the conditions where the latter methods are applicable. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Development of a Plant Risk Evaluation (PRE) Tool for Assessing the Invasive Potential of Ornamental Plants

OpenAIRE

Conser, Christiana; Seebacher, Lizbeth; Fujino, David W.; Reichard, Sarah; DiTomaso, Joseph M.

2015-01-01

Weed Risk Assessment (WRA) methods for evaluating invasiveness in plants have evolved rapidly in the last two decades. Many WRA tools exist, but none were specifically designed to screen ornamental plants prior to being released into the environment. To be accepted as a tool to evaluate ornamental plants for the nursery industry, it is critical that a WRA tool accurately predicts non-invasiveness without falsely categorizing them as invasive. We developed a new Plant Risk Evaluation (PRE) too...

Quantitative Assessment of Arrhythmia Using Non-linear Approach: A Non-invasive Prognostic Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Chakraborty, Monisha; Ghosh, Dipak

2018-04-01

Accurate prognostic tool to identify severity of Arrhythmia is yet to be investigated, owing to the complexity of the ECG signal. In this paper, we have shown that quantitative assessment of Arrhythmia is possible using non-linear technique based on "Hurst Rescaled Range Analysis". Although the concept of applying "non-linearity" for studying various cardiac dysfunctions is not entirely new, the novel objective of this paper is to identify the severity of the disease, monitoring of different medicine and their dose, and also to assess the efficiency of different medicine. The approach presented in this work is simple which in turn will help doctors in efficient disease management. In this work, Arrhythmia ECG time series are collected from MIT-BIH database. Normal ECG time series are acquired using POLYPARA system. Both time series are analyzed in thelight of non-linear approach following the method "Rescaled Range Analysis". The quantitative parameter, "Fractal Dimension" (D) is obtained from both types of time series. The major finding is that Arrhythmia ECG poses lower values of D as compared to normal. Further, this information can be used to access the severity of Arrhythmia quantitatively, which is a new direction of prognosis as well as adequate software may be developed for the use of medical practice.

Non-invasive ambient pressure estimation using non-linear ultrasound contrast agents

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Klaus Scheldrup

Many attempts to find a non-invasive procedure to measure the blood pressure locally in the body have been made. This dissertation focuses on the approaches which utilize highly compressible ultrasound contrast agents as ambient pressure sensors. The literature within the topic has been reviewed...

Comparison of different models for non-invasive FFR estimation

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Mirramezani, Mehran; Shadden, Shawn

2017-11-01

Coronary artery disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. Fractional flow reserve (FFR), derived from invasively measuring the pressure drop across a stenosis, is considered the gold standard to diagnose disease severity and need for treatment. Non-invasive estimation of FFR has gained recent attention for its potential to reduce patient risk and procedural cost versus invasive FFR measurement. Non-invasive FFR can be obtained by using image-based computational fluid dynamics to simulate blood flow and pressure in a patient-specific coronary model. However, 3D simulations require extensive effort for model construction and numerical computation, which limits their routine use. In this study we compare (ordered by increasing computational cost/complexity): reduced-order algebraic models of pressure drop across a stenosis; 1D, 2D (multiring) and 3D CFD models; as well as 3D FSI for the computation of FFR in idealized and patient-specific stenosis geometries. We demonstrate the ability of an appropriate reduced order algebraic model to closely predict FFR when compared to FFR from a full 3D simulation. This work was supported by the NIH, Grant No. R01-HL103419.

Lichens as biomonitors with special reference to Antarctica

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chipev, Nesho

2002-01-01

Lichens are effective biomonitors of metal deposition. Lichens are slow growing and assimilate metals at a rapid rate but release them at a low rate. Metal concentrations in lichen thalli have been shown to correlate with atmospheric levels. Lichens have been first used as bioaccumulative indicators in relation to point emission sources. Lichens have also been used to assess deposition patterns and heavy metal burdens for larger scale monitoring purposes. There are two problems to be kept in mind if lichens are to be effectively used as biomonitors. The first one is concerned with the chemical analyses. Results are more useful when background elemental levels are obtained. The choice of analytical method will depend on the purpose of the respective survey. Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS), Inductively coupled plasma emission spectrometry (ICP-ES) and epithermal neutron activation analysis (ENAA) are among the most commonly used methods. The second problem arises from the variability of lichens. Sources of variability include intra-individual variation, intra-species variation and variation due to microhabitat, locality or edaphic factors. Apart from individual variation, many of these sources of variation can be overcome by careful and thoughtful sampling and analysis of the selected species. Lichens and mosses are the only vegetation in Antarctica. The absence of air pollution in Antarctica suggests that lichens can be used as biomonitors of pollution at small scales around research bases. However, the unpolluted Antarctic environment presents opportunity for baseline studies on heavy metal bioaccumulation. Bioaccumulation in Antarctic lichens can allow a larger (global) scale insight into the airborne heavy metal circulation and deposition. Both high precision analytical methods and biological studies will be needed. (author)

Simple non-invasive assessment of advanced glycation endproduct accumulation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meerwaldt, R; Graaff, R; Links, TP; Jager, JJ; Alderson, NL; Thorpe, [No Value; Baynes, JW; Gans, ROB; Smit, AJ

Aims/hypothesis. The accumulation of AGE is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of chronic complications of diabetes mellitus and renal failure. All current measurements of AGE accumulation require invasive sampling. We exploited the fact that several AGE exhibit autofluorescence to develop a

Skin Rejuvenation with Non-Invasive Pulsed Electric Fields

Science.gov (United States)

Golberg, Alexander; Khan, Saiqa; Belov, Vasily; Quinn, Kyle P.; Albadawi, Hassan; Felix Broelsch, G.; Watkins, Michael T.; Georgakoudi, Irene; Papisov, Mikhail; Mihm Jr., Martin C.; Austen Jr., William G.; Yarmush, Martin L.

2015-01-01

Degenerative skin diseases affect one third of individuals over the age of sixty. Current therapies use various physical and chemical methods to rejuvenate skin; but since the therapies affect many tissue components including cells and extracellular matrix, they may also induce significant side effects, such as scarring. Here we report on a new, non-invasive, non-thermal technique to rejuvenate skin with pulsed electric fields. The fields destroy cells while simultaneously completely preserving the extracellular matrix architecture and releasing multiple growth factors locally that induce new cells and tissue growth. We have identified the specific pulsed electric field parameters in rats that lead to prominent proliferation of the epidermis, formation of microvasculature, and secretion of new collagen at treated areas without scarring. Our results suggest that pulsed electric fields can improve skin function and thus can potentially serve as a novel non-invasive skin therapy for multiple degenerative skin diseases. PMID:25965851

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: assessment of non-invasive indices predicting hepatic steatosis and fibrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Polyzos, Stergios A; Goulis, Dimitrios G; Kountouras, Jannis; Mintziori, Gesthimani; Chatzis, Panagiotis; Papadakis, Efstathios; Katsikis, Ilias; Panidis, Dimitrios

2014-01-01

Insulin resistance contributes to the pathogenesis of both polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The main aim of the present study was the evaluation of non-invasive indices of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in PCOS women with or without metabolic syndrome (MetS). In this cross-sectional study, three non-invasive indices for hepatic steatosis [NAFLD liver fat score, lipid accumulation product (LAP) and hepatic steatosis index (HIS)] and four for fibrosis [FIB-4, aspartate aminotransferase (AST)-to-Platelet Ratio Index (APRI), body mass index (BMI)-Age-Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)-Triglycerides (BAAT) and BMI AST/ALT Ratio Diabetes (BARD)] were calculated in 314 PCOS women (77 with, 237 without MetS) and 78 controls. All steatosis indices were significantly higher in the PCOS than the control group (NAFLD liver fat score: -0.139 ± 0.117 vs. -0.976 ± 0.159, psteatosis indices were significantly higher in PCOS women with than without MetS (NAFLD liver fat score: 1.874 ± 0.258 vs. -0.793 ± 0.099, phepatic steatosis were significantly higher in PCOS, especially in the presence of MetS, whereas indices of hepatic fibrosis yielded controversial results. Further studies are warranted to evaluate the long-term outcomes of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis indices in PCOS women.

Variation in patterns of metal accumulation in thallus parts of Lessonia trabeculata (Laminariales; Phaeophyceae: implications for biomonitoring.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio A Sáez

Full Text Available Seaweeds are well known to concentrate metals from seawater and have been employed as monitors of metal pollution in coastal waters and estuaries. However, research showing that various intrinsic and extrinsic factors can influence metal accumulation, raises doubts about the basis for using seaweeds in biomonitoring programmes. The thallus of brown seaweeds of the order Laminariales (kelps is morphologically complex but there is limited information about the variation in metal accumulation between the different parts, which might result in erroneous conclusions being drawn if not accounted for in the biomonitoring protocol. To assess patterns of individual metals in the differentiated parts of the thallus (blade, stipe, holdfast, concentrations of a wide range of essential and non-essential metals (Fe, Cr, Cu, Zn, Mn, Pb, Cd, Ni and Al were measured in the kelp Lessonia trabeculata. Seaweeds were collected from three sampling stations located at 5, 30 and 60 m from an illegal sewage outfall close to Ventanas, Chile and from a pristine location at Faro Curaumilla. For the majority of metals the highest concentrations in bottom sediment and seaweed samples were found at the site closest to the outfall, with concentrations decreasing with distance from the outfall and at control stations; the exception was Cd, concentrations of which were higher at control stations. The patterns of metal concentrations in different thallus parts were metal specific and independent of sampling station. These results and the available literature suggest that biomonitoring of metals using seaweeds must take account of differences in the accumulation of metals in thallus parts of complex seaweeds.

Tillandsia usneoides: a successful alternative for biomonitoring changes in air quality due to a new highway in São Paulo, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Cardoso-Gustavson, Poliana; Fernandes, Francine Faia; Alves, Edenise Segala; Victorio, Mariana Pereira; Moura, Barbara Baesso; Domingos, Marisa; Rodrigues, Caroline Albuquerque; Ribeiro, Andreza Portella; Nievola, Catarina Carvalho; Figueiredo, Ana Maria G

2016-01-01

Tillandsia usneoides is an aerial epiphytic bromeliad that absorbs water and nutrients directly from the atmosphere by scales covering its surface. We expanded the use of this species as a broader biomonitor based on chemical and structural markers to detect changes in air quality. The usefulness of such comprehensive approach was tested during the construction and opening of a highway (SP-21) in São Paulo State, Brazil. The biomonitoring study was performed from 2009 to 2012, thus comprising the period during construction and after the highway inauguration. Metal accumulation and structural alterations were assessed, in addition to microscopy analyses to understand the metal chelation in plant tissues and to assess the causes of alterations in the number and shape of scale cells. Altogether, our analyses support the use of this species as a wide biomonitor of air quality in urbanized areas.

Non-invasive peripheral nerve stimulation via focused ultrasound in vivo

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Downs, Matthew E.; Lee, Stephen A.; Yang, Georgiana; Kim, Seaok; Wang, Qi; Konofagou, Elisa E.

2018-02-01

Focused ultrasound (FUS) has been employed on a wide range of clinical applications to safely and non-invasively achieve desired effects that have previously required invasive and lengthy procedures with conventional methods. Conventional electrical neuromodulation therapies that are applied to the peripheral nervous system (PNS) are invasive and/or non-specific. Recently, focused ultrasound has demonstrated the ability to modulate the central nervous system and ex vivo peripheral neurons. Here, for the first time, noninvasive stimulation of the sciatic nerve eliciting a physiological response in vivo is demonstrated with FUS. FUS was applied on the sciatic nerve in mice with simultaneous electromyography (EMG) on the tibialis anterior muscle. EMG signals were detected during or directly after ultrasound stimulation along with observable muscle contraction of the hind limb. Transecting the sciatic nerve downstream of FUS stimulation eliminated EMG activity during FUS stimulation. Peak-to-peak EMG response amplitudes and latency were found to be comparable to conventional electrical stimulation methods. Histology along with behavioral and thermal testing did not indicate damage to the nerve or surrounding regions. The findings presented herein demonstrate that FUS can serve as a targeted, safe and non-invasive alternative to conventional peripheral nervous system stimulation to treat peripheral neuropathic diseases in the clinic.

Emerging non-invasive Raman methods in process control and forensic applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Macleod, Neil A; Matousek, Pavel

2008-10-01

This article reviews emerging Raman techniques (Spatially Offset and Transmission Raman Spectroscopy) for non-invasive, sub-surface probing in process control and forensic applications. New capabilities offered by these methods are discussed and several application examples are given including the non-invasive detection of counterfeit drugs through blister packs and opaque plastic bottles and the rapid quantitative analysis of the bulk content of pharmaceutical tablets and capsules without sub-sampling.

Non-invasively assessing disturbance and stress in laboratory rats by scoring chromodacryorrhoea.

Science.gov (United States)

Mason, Georgia; Wilson, David; Hampton, Charlotte; Würbel, Hanno

2004-06-01

In rats, like many rodents, Harderian glands next to the orbits secrete porphyrins, lipids and other compounds. High levels of secretion lead to chromodacryorrhoea (red or "bloody" tears), often taken as a sign of stress or disease. Here, we developed a scoring system for recording chromodacryorrhoea in a quantitative way, and investigated whether the low-level, transient Harderian secretions of normal, healthy rats correlate with low to moderate levels of stress or disturbance. Rather than exposing our subjects (24 Lister Hoodeds, housed in 11 single-sex cages) experimentally to stressors, we made opportunistic use of three likely sources of low-level stress within the unit: 1) building maintenance work, taking several hours and involving several potential stressors; 2) visits by unfamiliar humans, and the other mild sources of disturbance normal in an animal unit; and 3) social status within the cage. The mean daily chromodacryorrhoea score increased most with the severe disturbance of building maintenance work (F1,9 = 602.67, p < < 0.0001), and also increased--though to a lesser extent--with the mild disturbance of visitors and similar (F1,9 = 8.77, p = 0.008), while being the subordinate member of a cage-group had a smaller effect still (F1,6 = 7.86, p = 0.03). Individual rats scored consistently across treatment conditions, and there was also significant inter-observer reliability between independent scorers. We therefore suggest that scoring chromodacryorrhoea could be a simple, practical and non-invasive way of sensitively assessing the impact on rats of housing, husbandry, or procedures.

Non-invasive and non-destructive measurements of confluence in cultured adherent cell lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Busschots, Steven; O'Toole, Sharon; O'Leary, John J; Stordal, Britta

2015-01-01

Many protocols used for measuring the growth of adherent monolayer cells in vitro are invasive, destructive and do not allow for the continued, undisturbed growth of cells within flasks. Protocols often use indirect methods for measuring proliferation. Microscopy techniques can analyse cell proliferation in a non-invasive or non-destructive manner but often use expensive equipment and software algorithms. In this method images of cells within flasks are captured by photographing under a standard inverted phase contract light microscope using a digital camera with a camera lens adaptor. Images are analysed for confluence using ImageJ freeware resulting in a measure of confluence known as an Area Fraction (AF) output. An example of the AF method in use on OVCAR8 and UPN251 cell lines is included. •Measurements of confluence from growing adherent cell lines in cell culture flasks is obtained in a non-invasive, non-destructive, label-free manner.•The technique is quick, affordable and eliminates sample manipulation.•The technique provides an objective, consistent measure of when cells reach confluence and is highly correlated to manual counting with a haemocytometer. The average correlation co-efficient from a Spearman correlation (n = 3) was 0.99 ± 0.008 for OVCAR8 (p = 0.01) and 0.99 ± 0.01 for UPN251 (p = 0.01) cell lines.

Non-invasive cardiac output monitoring in neonates using bioreactance: a comparison with echocardiography.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Weisz, Dany E

2012-01-01

Non-invasive cardiac output monitoring is a potentially useful clinical tool in the neonatal setting. Our aim was to evaluate a new method of non-invasive continuous cardiac output (CO) measurement (NICOM™) based on the principle of bioreactance in neonates.

Recording human cortical population spikes non-invasively--An EEG tutorial.

Science.gov (United States)

Waterstraat, Gunnar; Fedele, Tommaso; Burghoff, Martin; Scheer, Hans-Jürgen; Curio, Gabriel

2015-07-30

Non-invasively recorded somatosensory high-frequency oscillations (sHFOs) evoked by electric nerve stimulation are markers of human cortical population spikes. Previously, their analysis was based on massive averaging of EEG responses. Advanced neurotechnology and optimized off-line analysis can enhance the signal-to-noise ratio of sHFOs, eventually enabling single-trial analysis. The rationale for developing dedicated low-noise EEG technology for sHFOs is unfolded. Detailed recording procedures and tailored analysis principles are explained step-by-step. Source codes in Matlab and Python are provided as supplementary material online. Combining synergistic hardware and analysis improvements, evoked sHFOs at around 600 Hz ('σ-bursts') can be studied in single-trials. Additionally, optimized spatial filters increase the signal-to-noise ratio of components at about 1 kHz ('κ-bursts') enabling their detection in non-invasive surface EEG. sHFOs offer a unique possibility to record evoked human cortical population spikes non-invasively. The experimental approaches and algorithms presented here enable also non-specialized EEG laboratories to combine measurements of conventional low-frequency EEG with the analysis of concomitant cortical population spike responses. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Non-Invasive Mechanic Ventilation Using in Flail Chest, Caused By Blunt Chest Trauma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Serdar Onat

2008-01-01

Full Text Available A 75-year-old woman admitted our faculty emergency room with shortness of breath, and chest pain after traffic accident’s second hour. She was diagnosed as bilateral multipl rib fractures, left clavicula fracture, and left flail chest by phsical and radiological examinations. She was transfered to Chest Surgery Depatment’s intensive care unit. The patient was undergone non-invasive mask mechanic ventilation support, because of the decreasing of blood oxygen saturation and increasing of arteriel blood partial carbondioxide pressure. The treatment of non-invasive mechanic ventilation was succesfull for ventilation support. With this report, we would like to attentioned that non-invasive mechanic ventilation for blunt chest trauma patients could be used succesfully and could be used instead of endotracheal invasive mechanic ventilation.

A new spin on research translation: the Boston Consensus Conference on Human Biomonitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Jessica W; Scammell, Madeleine Kangsen; Altman, Rebecca Gasior; Webster, Thomas F; Ozonoff, David M

2009-04-01

Translating research to make it more understandable and effective (research translation) has been declared a priority in environmental health but does not always include communication to the public or residents of communities affected by environmental hazards. Their unique perspectives are also commonly missing from discussions about science and technology policy. The consensus conference process, developed in Denmark, offers a way to address this gap. The Boston Consensus Conference on Human Biomonitoring, held in Boston, Massachusetts, in the fall of 2006, was designed to educate and elicit input from 15 Boston-area residents on the scientifically complex topic of human biomonitoring for environmental chemicals. This lay panel considered the many ethical, legal, and scientific issues surrounding biomonitoring and prepared a report expressing their views. The lay panel's findings provide a distinct and important voice on the expanding use of biomonitoring. In some cases, such as a call for opt-in reporting of biomonitoring results to study participants, they mirror recommendations raised elsewhere. Other conclusions have not been heard previously, including the recommendation that an individual's results should be statutorily exempted from the medical record unless permission is granted, and the opportunity to use biomonitoring data to stimulate green chemistry. The consensus conference model addresses both aspects of a broader conception of research translation: engaging the public in scientific questions, and bringing their unique perspectives to bear on public health research, practice, and policy. In this specific application, a lay panel's recommendations on biomonitoring surveillance, communication, and ethics have practical implications for the conduct of biomonitoring studies and surveillance programs.

Pneumococci in biofilms are non-invasive: implications on nasopharyngeal colonization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ryan Paul Gilley

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus is an opportunistic pathogen that colonizes the human nasopharynx asymptomatically. Invasive pneumococcal disease develops following bacterial aspiration into the lungs. Pneumococci within the nasopharynx exist as biofilms, a growth phenotype characterized by surface attachment, encasement within an extracellular matrix, and antimicrobial resistance. Experimental evidence indicates that biofilm pneumococci are attenuated versus their planktonic counterpart. Biofilm pneumococci failed to cause invasive disease in experimentally challenged mice and in vitro were shown to be non-invasive despite being hyper-adhesive. This attenuated phenotype corresponds with observations that biofilm pneumococci elicit significantly less cytokine and chemokine production from host cells than their planktonic counterparts. Microarray and proteomic studies show that pneumococci within biofilms have decreased metabolism, less capsular polysaccharide, and reduced production of the pore-forming toxin pneumolysin. Biofilm pneumococci are predominately in the transparent phenotype, which has elevated cell wall phosphorylcholine, an adhesin subject to C-reactive protein mediated opsonization. Herein, we review these changes in virulence, interpret their impact on colonization and transmission, and discuss the notion that non-invasive biofilms are principal lifestyle of S. pneumoniae.

A new scheme for biomonitoring heavy metal concentrations in semi-natural wetlands.

Science.gov (United States)

Batzias, A F; Siontorou, C G

2008-10-30

This work introduces a semi-natural wetland biomonitoring framework for heavy metal concentrations based on a robust dynamic integration between biological assemblages and relevant biosensors. The cooperative/synergistic scheme developed minimizes uncertainty and monitoring costs and increases reliability of pollution control and abatement. Attention is given to establishing a fully functioning and reliable network approach for monitoring inflows and achieving dose-response relations and calibration of biomonitoring species. The biomonitoring network initially consists of both, biosensors and species, as a validation phase in each wetland of the surveillance area; once the species monitoring efficiency is verified by the biosensors, the biosensor network moves to the next wetland and so on, following a circular pattern until all area wetlands have a fully functional natural monitoring scheme. By means of species recalibration with periodic revisiting of the biosensors, the scheme progressively reaches a quasi steady-state (including seasonality), thus ensuring reliability and robustness. This framework, currently pilot-tested in Voiotia, Greece, for assessing chromium levels, has been built to cover short-, medium- and long-term monitoring requirements. The results gathered so far, support the employment of the proposed scheme in heavy metal monitoring, and, further, arise the need for volunteer involvement to achieve long-term viability.

A pilot study using laser-based technique for non-invasive diagnostics of hypertensive conditions in mice

Science.gov (United States)

Litvinova, Karina S.; Ahmad, Shakil; Wang, Keqing; Rafailov, Ilya E.; Sokolovski, Sergei G.; Zhang, Lin; Rafailov, Edik U.; Ahmed, Asif

2016-02-01

Endothelial dysfunction is directly linked to preeclampsia, a maternal hypertensive condition that is life threating for both the mother and the baby. Epidemiological studies show that women with a history of pre-eclampsia have an elevated risk for cardiovascular disease. Here we report a new non-invasive diagnostic test for preeclampsia in mice that allows us to non-invasively assess the condition of the animals during the experiment and treatment in established models of preeclampsia. A laser-based multifunctional diagnostics system (LAKK-M) was chosen to carry out non-invasive analysis of multiple parameters. The device was used to simultaneously record the microcirculatory blood flow and oxygen saturation, as well as fluorescence levels of endogenous fluorophores. Preliminary experiments were conducted on adenoviral (Ad-)- mediated overexpression of sFlt-1 (Ad-sFlt-1) to mimic preeclampsialike symptoms in mice. The recorded data displayed the ability of the LAKK-M diagnostics device to detect significant differences in perfusion measurements between the control and Ad-sFlt-1 treatment. Preliminary results provide a potential avenue to employ these diagnostics technology to monitor and aid in maintaining control of live animal conditions throughout the experiment and treatment.

BCG-unresponsive non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer: recommendations from the IBCG

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kamat, A.M.; Colombel, M.; Sundi, D.; Lamm, D.; Boehle, A.; Brausi, M.; Buckley, R.; Persad, R.; Palou, J.; Soloway, M.; Witjes, J.A.

2017-01-01

Intravesical immunotherapy with live attenuated BCG remains the standard of care for patients with high-risk and intermediate-risk non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). Most patients initially respond, but recurrence is frequent and progression to invasive cancer is a concern. No established

Epilepsy surgery in children and non-invasive evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashizume, Kiyotaka; Sawamura, Atsushi; Yoshida, Katsunari; Tsuda, Hiroshige; Tanaka, Tatsuya; Tanaka, Shigeya

2001-01-01

The technique of EEG recording using subdural and depth electrodes has became established, and such invasive EEG is available for epilepsy surgery. However, a non-invasive procedure is required for evaluation of surgical indication for epilepsy patients, particular for children. We analyzed the relationship between the results of presurgical evaluation and seizure outcome, and investigated the role of invasive EEG in epilepsy surgery for children. Over the past decade, 22 children under 16 years of age have been admitted to our hospital for evaluation of surgical indication. High-resolution MR imaging, MR spectroscopy, video-EEG monitoring, and ictal and interictal SPECT were used for presurgical evaluation. Organic lesions were found on MR images from 19 patients. Invasive EEG was recorded in only one patient with occipital epilepsy, who had no lesion. Surgical indication was determined in 17 children, and 6 temporal lobe and 11 extratemporal lobe resections were performed under intraoperative electrocorticogram monitoring. The surgical outcome was excellent in 14 patients who had Engel's class I or II. Surgical complications occurred in two children who had visual field defects. The results showed that a good surgical outcome could be obtained using an intraoperative electrocorticogram, without presurgical invasive EEG, for localization-related epilepsy in children. The role of invasive EEG should be reevaluated in such children. (author)

Epilepsy surgery in children and non-invasive evaluation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hashizume, Kiyotaka; Sawamura, Atsushi; Yoshida, Katsunari; Tsuda, Hiroshige; Tanaka, Tatsuya [Asahikawa Medical Coll., Hokkaido (Japan); Tanaka, Shigeya

2001-04-01

The technique of EEG recording using subdural and depth electrodes has became established, and such invasive EEG is available for epilepsy surgery. However, a non-invasive procedure is required for evaluation of surgical indication for epilepsy patients, particular for children. We analyzed the relationship between the results of presurgical evaluation and seizure outcome, and investigated the role of invasive EEG in epilepsy surgery for children. Over the past decade, 22 children under 16 years of age have been admitted to our hospital for evaluation of surgical indication. High-resolution MR imaging, MR spectroscopy, video-EEG monitoring, and ictal and interictal SPECT were used for presurgical evaluation. Organic lesions were found on MR images from 19 patients. Invasive EEG was recorded in only one patient with occipital epilepsy, who had no lesion. Surgical indication was determined in 17 children, and 6 temporal lobe and 11 extratemporal lobe resections were performed under intraoperative electrocorticogram monitoring. The surgical outcome was excellent in 14 patients who had Engel's class I or II. Surgical complications occurred in two children who had visual field defects. The results showed that a good surgical outcome could be obtained using an intraoperative electrocorticogram, without presurgical invasive EEG, for localization-related epilepsy in children. The role of invasive EEG should be reevaluated in such children. (author)

Non-invasive genetic censusing and monitoring of primate populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Arandjelovic, Mimi; Vigilant, Linda

2018-03-01

Knowing the density or abundance of primate populations is essential for their conservation management and contextualizing socio-demographic and behavioral observations. When direct counts of animals are not possible, genetic analysis of non-invasive samples collected from wildlife populations allows estimates of population size with higher accuracy and precision than is possible using indirect signs. Furthermore, in contrast to traditional indirect survey methods, prolonged or periodic genetic sampling across months or years enables inference of group membership, movement, dynamics, and some kin relationships. Data may also be used to estimate sex ratios, sex differences in dispersal distances, and detect gene flow among locations. Recent advances in capture-recapture models have further improved the precision of population estimates derived from non-invasive samples. Simulations using these methods have shown that the confidence interval of point estimates includes the true population size when assumptions of the models are met, and therefore this range of population size minima and maxima should be emphasized in population monitoring studies. Innovations such as the use of sniffer dogs or anti-poaching patrols for sample collection are important to ensure adequate sampling, and the expected development of efficient and cost-effective genotyping by sequencing methods for DNAs derived from non-invasive samples will automate and speed analyses. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Non-invasive ventilation after surgery in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Olivieri, C; Castioni, C A; Livigni, S; Bersano, E; Cantello, R; Della Corte, F; Mazzini, L

2014-04-01

Surgery in patients affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) presents a particular anesthetic challenge because of the risk of post-operative pulmonary complications. We report on the use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) to prevent post-operative pulmonary complications (PPCs) in nine patients affected by ALS enrolled in a phase-1 clinical trial with stem cell transplantation. All patients were treated with autologous mesenchymal stem cells implanted into the spinal cord with a surgical procedure. Anesthesia was induced with propofol and maintained with remifentanil and sevoflurane. No muscle relaxant was used. After awakening and regain of spontaneous breathing, patients were tracheally extubated. Non-invasive ventilation through nasal mask was delivered and non-invasive positive pressure ventilation and continuous positive pressure ventilation were started. The average time on NIV after surgery was 3 h and 12 min. All patients regained stable spontaneous breathing after NIV discontinuation and had no episodes of respiratory failure until the following day. Our case series suggest that the use of NIV after surgery can be a safe strategy to prevent PPCs in patients affected by ALS. The perioperative procedure we chose for these patients appeared safe even in patients with advanced functional stage of the disease. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Accuracy assessment of Tri-plane B-mode ultrasound for non-invasive 3D kinematic analysis of knee joints.

Science.gov (United States)

Masum, Md Abdullah; Pickering, Mark; Lambert, Andrew; Scarvell, Jennie; Smith, Paul

2014-08-26

Currently the clinical standard for measuring the motion of the bones in knee joints with sufficient precision involves implanting tantalum beads into the bones. These beads appear as high intensity features in radiographs and can be used for precise kinematic measurements. This procedure imposes a strong coupling between accuracy and invasiveness. In this paper, a tri-plane B-mode ultrasound (US) based non-invasive approach is proposed for use in kinematic analysis of knee joints in 3D space. The 3D analysis is performed using image processing procedures on the 2D US slices. The novelty of the proposed procedure and its applicability to the unconstrained 3D kinematic analysis of knee joints is outlined. An error analysis for establishing the method's feasibility is included for different artificial compositions of a knee joint phantom. Some in-vivo and in-vitro scans are presented to demonstrate that US scans reveal enough anatomical details, which further supports the experimental setup used using knee bone phantoms. The error between the displacements measured by the registration of the US image slices and the true displacements of the respective slices measured using the precision mechanical stages on the experimental apparatus is evaluated for translation and rotation in two simulated environments. The mean and standard deviation of errors are shown in tabular form. This method provides an average measurement precision of less than 0.1 mm and 0.1 degrees, respectively. In this paper, we have presented a novel non-invasive approach to measuring the motion of the bones in a knee using tri-plane B-mode ultrasound and image registration. In our study, the image registration method determines the position of bony landmarks relative to a B-mode ultrasound sensor array with sub-pixel accuracy. The advantages of our proposed system over previous techniques are that it is non-invasive, does not require the use of ionizing radiation and can be used conveniently if

Non-Invasive Radiofrequency-Induced Targeted Hyperthermia for the Treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mustafa Raoof

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Targeted biological therapies for hepatocellular cancer have shown minimal improvements in median survival. Multiple pathways to oncogenesis leading to rapid development of resistance to such therapies is a concern. Non-invasive radiofrequency field-induced targeted hyperthermia using nanoparticles is a radical departure from conventional modalities. In this paper we underscore the need for innovative strategies for the treatment of hepatocellular cancer, describe the central paradigm of targeted hyperthermia using non-invasive electromagnetic energy, review the process of characterization and modification of nanoparticles for the task, and summarize data from cell-based and animal-based models of hepatocellular cancer treated with non-invasive RF energy. Finally, future strategies and challenges in bringing this modality from bench to clinic are discussed.

Assessing the Quantitative Relationships between Preschool Children's Exposures to Bisphenol A by Route and Urinary Biomonitoring

Science.gov (United States)

Limited published information exists on young children’s exposures to bisphenol A (BPA) in the United States using urinary biomonitoring. In a previous project, we quantified the aggregate exposures of 257 preschool children to BPA in environmental and personal media over 48-h pe...

Influence of hemoglobin on non-invasive optical bilirubin sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Jingying; Gong, Qiliang; Zou, Da; Xu, Kexin

2012-03-01

Since the abnormal metabolism of bilirubin could lead to diseases in the human body, especially the jaundice which is harmful to neonates. Traditional invasive measurements are difficult to be accepted by people because of pain and infection. Therefore, the real-time and non-invasive measurement of bilirubin is of great significance. However, the accuracy of currently transcutaneous bilirubinometry(TcB) is generally not high enough, and affected by many factors in the human skin, mostly by hemoglobin. In this talk, absorption spectra of hemoglobin and bilirubin have been collected and analyzed, then the Partial Least Squares (PLS) models have been built. By analyzing and comparing the Correlation and Root Mean Square Error of Prediction(RMSEP), the results show that the Correlation of bilirubin solution model is larger than that of the mixture solution added with hemoglobin, and its RMSEP value is smaller than that of mixture solution. Therefore, hemoglobin has influences on the non-invasive optical bilirubin sensing. In next step, it is necessary to investigate how to eliminate the influence.

Non-invasive Heart Team assessment of multivessel coronary disease with coronary computed tomography angiography based on SYNTAX score II treatment recommendations: design and rationale of the randomised SYNTAX III Revolution trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cavalcante, Rafael; Onuma, Yoshinobu; Sotomi, Yohei; Collet, Carlos; Thomsen, Brian; Rogers, Campbell; Zeng, Yaping; Tenekecioglu, Erhan; Asano, Taku; Miyasaki, Yosuke; Abdelghani, Mohammad; Morel, Marie-Angèle; Serruys, Patrick W.

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a Heart Team decision-making process regarding the choice of revascularisation strategy based on non-invasive coronary multislice computed tomography angiography (MSCT) assessment of coronary artery disease (CAD) is equivalent to the standard-of-care

Development and application of non-invasive biomarkers for carcinogen-DNA adduct analysis in occupationally exposed populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Talaska, G; Cudnik, J; Jaeger, M; Rothman, N; Hayes, R; Bhatnagar, V J; Kayshup, S J

1996-07-17

Biological monitoring of exposures to carcinogenic compounds in the workplace can be a valuable adjunct to environmental sampling and occupational medicine. Carcinogen-DNA adduct analysis has promise as a biomarker of effective dose if target organ samples can be obtained non-invasively. We have developed non-invasive techniques using exfoliated urothelial and bronchial cells collected in urine and sputum, respectively. First morning urine samples were collected from 33 workers exposed to benzidine or benzidine-based dyes and controls matched for age, education, and smoking status. Sufficient DNA for 32P-postlabelling analysis was obtained from every sample. Mean levels of a specific DNA adduct (which co-chromatographed with standard characterized by MS) were elevated significantly in the benzidine-exposed workers relative to controls. In addition, workers exposed to benzidine had higher adduct levels than those exposed to benzidine-based dyes. This study demonstrates the usefulness of these non-invasive techniques for exposure/effect assessment. To be useful in occupational studies, biomarkers must also be sensitive to exposure interventions. We have conducted topical application studies of used gasoline engine oils in mice and found that the levels of carcinogen-DNA adducts in skin and lung can be significantly lowered if skin cleaning is conducted in a timely manner. The combination of useful, non-invasive techniques to monitor exposure and effect and industrial hygiene interventions can be used to detect and prevent exposures to a wide range of carcinogens including those found in used gasoline engine oils and jet exhausts.

A non-invasive identification of hormone metabolites, gonadal event and reproductive status of captive female tigers

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HERI DWI PUTRANTO

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Putranto HD (2011 A non-invasive identification of hormone metabolites, gonadal event and reproductive status of captive female tigers. Biodiversitas 12: 131-135. As a non-invasive method, fecal sample provides some advantage for animal and collector. The purpose of the present study were to monitor the reproductive status of female Siberian tigers (Panthera tigris altaica by assessing changes in fecal during natural ovarian activity and pregnancy and to identify whether progesterone (P4 exists and what kinds of P4 metabolites excreted into the feces. Two female tigers were fed a diet consisting of meat. Drinking water was available ad libitum. Feces were collected ones to twice a week. The fecal contents of P4 and estradiol-17β (E2 were determined by EIA and P4 metabolites were separated by a modified HPLC. The EIA results shown that during its natural ovarian activitythe E2 contents showed cyclic changes at the average of 27.0 d interval, however, no distinct cycles were shown in fecal P4 contents of non-pregnant tiger. In contrary, the fecal P4 contents in pregnant tiger increased remarkably after copulation approximately 2- to 6-fold higher than the mean value. The HPLC results indicated that two peaks were primarily detected fraction 63- 64 min (identified metabolites and fraction 85 min (not identified metabolite in feces of pregnant tiger. However, P4 detected only small amount in feces. It is possible to assess non-invasively gonadal events such as luteal or follicular activity or ovulation of Siberian tigers by endocrine monitoring based on fecal P4 and E2 to understand reproductive status.

Non-invasive diagnosis and management of ectopic pregnancy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Mello, N.M.

2013-01-01

The work presented in this thesis begins with a focus on non-invasive diagnostic methods for ectopic pregnancy. The heterogeneity found in studies on diagnostic tests for ectopic pregnancy has led to an international recommendation on uniform definitions of early pregnancy complications. Hereafter,

Non-invasive Morphological and Elemental Analysis of Ivory Plate for Artworks\

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Tihlaříková, Eva; Neděla, Vilém; Hradilová, J.; Hradil, David

2017-01-01

Roč. 23, S1 (2017), s. 1832-1833 ISSN 1431-9276 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1212; GA MŠk ED0017/01/01; GA ČR(CZ) GA17-25687S Institutional support: RVO:68081731 ; RVO:61388980 Keywords : ESEM * EDS * non-invasive morphological analysis * non-invasive elemental analysis Subject RIV: JA - Electronics ; Optoelectronics, Electrical Engineering; CA - Inorganic Chemistry (UACH-T) OBOR OECD: Microbiology; Inorganic and nuclear chemistry (UACH-T) Impact factor: 1.891, year: 2016

Non-technical skills in minimally invasive surgery teams

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gjeraa, Kirsten; Spanager, Lene; Konge, Lars

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Root cause analyses show that up to 70 % of adverse events are caused by human error. Strong non-technical skills (NTS) can prevent or reduce these errors, considerable numbers of which occur in the operating theatre. Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) requires manipulation of more...... complex equipment than open procedures, likely requiring a different set of NTS for each kind of team. The aims of this study were to identify the MIS teams' key NTS and investigate the effect of training and assessment of NTS on MIS teams. METHODS: The databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Psyc...... were included. All were observational studies without blinding, and they differed in aims, types of evaluation, and outcomes. Only two studies evaluated patient outcomes other than operative time, and overall, the studies' quality of evidence was low. Different communication types were encountered...

The use of non-invasive fetal electrocardiography in diagnosing second-degree fetal atrioventricular block.

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Lakhno, Igor; Behar, Joachim A; Oster, Julien; Shulgin, Vyacheslav; Ostras, Oleksii; Andreotti, Fernando

2017-01-01

Complete atrioventricular block in fetuses is known to be mostly associated with autoimmune disease and can be irreversible if no steroids treatment is provided. Conventional methods used in clinical practice for diagnosing fetal arrhythmia are limited since they do not reflect the primary electrophysiological conduction processes that take place in the myocardium. The non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram has the potential to better support fetal arrhythmias diagnosis through the continuous analysis of the beat to beat variation of the fetal heart rate and morphological analysis of the PQRST complex. We present two retrospective case reports on which atrioventricular block diagnosis could have been supported by the non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram. The two cases comprised a 22-year-old pregnant woman with the gestational age of 31 weeks and a 25-year-old pregnant woman with the gestational age of 41 weeks. Both women were admitted to the Department of Maternal and Fetal Medicine at the Kyiv and Kharkiv municipal perinatal clinics. Patients were observed using standard fetal monitoring methods as well as the non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram. The non-invasive fetal electrocardiographic recordings were analyzed retrospectively, where it is possible to identify the presence of the atrioventricular block. This study demonstrates, for the first time, the feasibility of the non-invasive fetal electrocardiogram as a supplementary method to diagnose of the fetal atrioventricular block. Combined with current fetal monitoring techniques, non-invasive fetal electrocardiography could support clinical decisions.

Biomonitoring in coastal regions of Sao Paulo state using transplanted mussels (Perna perna) and instrumental neutron activation analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Catharino, M.G.M.; Vasconcellos, M.B.A.; Moreira, E.G. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)]. E-mails: mgcatharino@uol.com.br; mbvascon@ipen.br; emoreira@ipen.br; Sousa, E.C.P.M.; Pereira, C.D.S. [Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP), SP (Brazil). Instituto Oceanografico]. E-mails: edvinett@usp.br; camilo@unisanta.br

2007-07-01

In Brazil, due to the extension of the coast and to innumerous pollution problems encountered in several regions, it is necessary the continuous monitoring of many environmental compartments, such as water, soils, sediments and biomonitors in order to assess their environmental quality. Trace elements present in sea water and in marine sediments may accumulate in many invertebrate marine species as bivalve mollusks such as oysters and mussels. These mollusks are able to accumulate pollution, in a sedentary way, remaining alive. Their utility as biomonitor organisms enables the estimation of trace element availability to biomass from different areas. The aim of this study is to give a contribution to the biomonitoring of trace and minor elements such as As, Ca, Co, Cr, Fe, Na, Se and Zn in some regions of the coast of the State of Sao Paulo: Cocanha Beach, Sao Sebastiao and Ilhabela by using the Perna perna mussel, by means of transplanting these organisms from a clean cultivation site (active biomonitoring). Mussels were transplanted to these contaminated areas for different periods of time and elements were determined by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis, INAA. Except for Na, the results showed element accumulation for the transplanted mussels. (author)

Biomonitoring in coastal regions of Sao Paulo state using transplanted mussels (Perna perna) and instrumental neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Catharino, M.G.M.; Vasconcellos, M.B.A.; Moreira, E.G.; Sousa, E.C.P.M.; Pereira, C.D.S.

2007-01-01

In Brazil, due to the extension of the coast and to innumerous pollution problems encountered in several regions, it is necessary the continuous monitoring of many environmental compartments, such as water, soils, sediments and biomonitors in order to assess their environmental quality. Trace elements present in sea water and in marine sediments may accumulate in many invertebrate marine species as bivalve mollusks such as oysters and mussels. These mollusks are able to accumulate pollution, in a sedentary way, remaining alive. Their utility as biomonitor organisms enables the estimation of trace element availability to biomass from different areas. The aim of this study is to give a contribution to the biomonitoring of trace and minor elements such as As, Ca, Co, Cr, Fe, Na, Se and Zn in some regions of the coast of the State of Sao Paulo: Cocanha Beach, Sao Sebastiao and Ilhabela by using the Perna perna mussel, by means of transplanting these organisms from a clean cultivation site (active biomonitoring). Mussels were transplanted to these contaminated areas for different periods of time and elements were determined by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis, INAA. Except for Na, the results showed element accumulation for the transplanted mussels. (author)

A novel non-invasive diagnostic sampling technique for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

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Yasaman Taslimi

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Accurate diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL is important for chemotherapy and epidemiological studies. Common approaches for Leishmania detection involve the invasive collection of specimens for direct identification of amastigotes by microscopy and the culturing of promastigotes from infected tissues. Although these techniques are highly specific, they require highly skilled health workers and have the inherent risks of all invasive procedures, such as pain and risk of bacterial and fungal super-infection. Therefore, it is essential to reduce discomfort, potential infection and scarring caused by invasive diagnostic approaches especially for children. In this report, we present a novel non-invasive method, that is painless, rapid and user-friendly, using sequential tape strips for sampling and isolation of DNA from the surface of active and healed skin lesions of CL patients. A total of 119 patients suspected of suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis with different clinical manifestations were recruited and samples were collected both from their lesions and from uninfected areas. In addition, 15 fungal-infected lesions and 54 areas of healthy skin were examined. The duration of sampling is short (less than one minute and species identification by PCR is highly specific and sensitive. The sequential tape stripping sampling method is a sensitive, non-invasive and cost-effective alternative to traditional diagnostic assays and it is suitable for field studies as well as for use in health care centers.

Trends in the epidemiology of invasive Haemophilus influenzae disease in Queensland, Australia from 2000 to 2013: what is the impact of an increase in invasive non-typable H. influenzae (NTHi)?

Science.gov (United States)

Wan Sai Cheong, J; Smith, H; Heney, C; Robson, J; Schlebusch, S; Fu, J; Nourse, C

2015-10-01

Following the introduction of vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), cases of invasive encapsulated Hib disease have decreased markedly. This study aimed to examine subsequent epidemiological trends in invasive H. influenzae disease in Queensland, Australia and in particular, assess the clinical impact and public health implications of invasive non-typable H. influenzae (NTHi) strains. A multicentre retrospective study was conducted from July 2000 to June 2013. Databases of major laboratories in Queensland including Queensland Forensic and Scientific Services (jurisdictional referral laboratory for isolate typing) were examined to identify cases. Demographic, infection site, Indigenous status, serotype, and mortality data were collected. In total, 737 invasive isolates were identified, of which 586 (79·5%) were serotyped. Hib, NTHi and encapsulated non-b strains, respectively, constituted 12·1%, 69·1% and 18·8% of isolates. The predominant encapsulated non-b strains were f (45·5%) and a (27·3%) serotypes. Of isolates causing meningitis, 48·9% were NTHi, 14·9% Hib, 14·9% Hie, 10·6% Hif, 6·4% Hia and 4·3% were untyped. During the study period, there was an increase in the incidence of invasive NTHi disease (P = 0·007) with seasonal peaks in winter and spring (P 0·001) and Hib (P = 0·039) than non-Indigenous patients. In Queensland, invasive H. influenzae disease is now predominantly encountered in adults and most commonly caused by NTHi strains with demonstrated pathogenicity extending to otherwise young or immunocompetent individuals. Routine public health notification of these strains is recommended and recent available immunization options should be considered.

Biomonitoring of non-dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls in transgenic Arabidopsis using the mammalian pregnane X receptor system: a role of pectin in pollutant uptake.

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Lieming Bao

Full Text Available Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs are persistent organic pollutants damaging to human health and the environment. Techniques to indicate PCB contamination in planta are of great interest to phytoremediation. Monitoring of dioxin-like PCBs in transgenic plants carrying the mammalian aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR has been reported previously. Herein, we report the biomonitoring of non-dioxin-like PCBs (NDL-PCBs using the mammalian pregnane X receptor (PXR. In the transgenic Arabidopsis designated NDL-PCB Reporter, the EGFP-GUS reporter gene was driven by a promoter containing 18 repeats of the xenobiotic response elements, while PXR and its binding partner retinoid X receptor (RXR were coexpressed. Results showed that, in live cells, the expression of reporter gene was insensitive to endogenous lignans, carotenoids and flavonoids, but responded to all tested NDL-PCBs in a dose- and time- dependent manner. Two types of putative PCB metabolites, hydroxy- PCBs and methoxy- PCBs, displayed different activation properties. The vascular tissues seemed unable to transport NDL-PCBs, whereas mutation in QUASIMODO1 encoding a 1,4-galacturonosyltransferase led to reduced PCB accumulation in Arabidopsis, revealing a role for pectin in the control of PCB translocation. Taken together, the reporter system may serve as a useful tool to biomonitor the uptake and metabolism of NDL-PCBs in plants.

Non-invasive estimation of intracranial pressure. MR-based evaluation in children with hydrocephalus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muehlmann, M.; Steffinger, D.; Ertl-Wagner, B.; Koerte, I.K.; Peraud, A.; Lehner, M.; Heinen, F.; Alperin, N.

2012-01-01

The intracranial pressure (ICP) is a crucially important parameter for diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making in patients with hydrocephalus. So far there is no standard method to non-invasively assess the ICP. Various approaches to obtain the ICP semi-invasively or non-invasively are discussed and the clinical application of a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based method to estimate ICP (MR-ICP) is demonstrated in a group of pediatric patients with hydrocephalus. Arterial inflow, venous drainage and craniospinal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow were quantified using phase-contrast imaging to derive the MR-ICP. A total of 15 patients with hydrocephalus (n=9 treated with shunt placement or ventriculostomy) underwent MRI on a 3 T scanner applying retrospectively-gated cine phase contrast sequences. Of the patients six had clinical symptoms indicating increased ICP (age 2.5-14.61 years, mean 7.4 years) and nine patients had no clinical signs of elevated ICP (age 2.1-15.9 years; mean 9.8 years; all treated with shunt or ventriculostomy). Median MR-ICP in symptomatic patients was 24.5 mmHg (25th percentile 20.4 mmHg; 75th percentile 44.6 mmHg). Median MR-ICP in patients without acute signs of increased ICP was 9.8 mmHg (25th percentile 8.6 mmHg; 75th percentile 11.4 mmHg). Group differences were significant (p [de

Assessment of mural invasion depth of gastric carcinoma with high-resolution compound sonographic imaging in vitro

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Seong Hoon; Kim, Eun A; Yoon, Kwon Ha; Yun, Ki Jung; Kim, Jeong Ho; Won, Jong Jin [Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

2002-11-01

To evaluate whether the accuracy of invasion depth assessment in gastric carcinoma in vitro can be improved with high-resolution spatial compound sonographic imaging. In sixteen fresh gastric specimens obtained from patients with preoperatively biopsy proven gastric carcinoma, normal and lesional areas were scanned using conventional and compound imaging technique with a 15-MHz linear transducer. Two radiologists independently compared the sharpness and the contrast of images obtained with two different modes and determined the layers invaded by cancer with consensus. The invasion depths by images were compared with histopathologic results. The sharpness and the contrast in normal and lesional areas were significantly higher in compound imaging (p<0.01) than those in conventional imaging and interobserver agreement was over moderate, with k-value of 0.41 to 0.86. But the accuracy in invasion depth assessment was 68.8% (11/16) on conventional imaging and 75% (12/16) on compound imaging and non different significantly between two modes (p>0305). High-resolution spatial compound sonographic imaging has improved image quality, compared with conventional imaging, but the accuracy of invasion depth assessment in gastric carcinoma was not significantly different.

Human Biomonitoring of Engineered Nanoparticles: An Appraisal of Critical Issues and Potential Biomarkers

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Enrico Bergamaschi

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The present paper deals with the applicability of biological monitoring to the assessment of exposure and possible effects deriving from exposure to engineered nanomaterials (NM. After establishing a conceptual framework in which human biomonitoring should be placed, the paper reviews the critical issues related to the unusual properties of NM affecting the implementation of biomonitoring activities for this new class of chemicals. Relying on the recent advances in the toxicogenomic, it is possible to assess whether specific biological pathways are activated or perturbed by specific NM. However, to evaluate if quantitative changes in these biomarkers can be used as indicators or predictors for toxicity in humans, validation on well characterised groups of exposed people is needed. At present, it appears more pragmatic to evolve NM-associated biomarker identification considering relevant biological responses found in environmental and occupational studies and assessing the early events associated with exposure to these NM. The battery of biochemical markers includes soluble molecules, antioxidant capacity, peroxidated lipids and carbonyl groups in serum proteins as a biomarkers of systemic inflammation and vascular adhesion molecules to assess endothelial activation/damage. Abnormalities in exhaled breath condensate chemistry reflecting intrinsic changes in the airway lining fluid and lung inflammation seem promising tools suitable for BM studies and are broadly discussed.

Non-invasive mechanical ventilation and mortality in elderly immunocompromised patients hospitalized with pneumonia: a retrospective cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Christopher S; Frei, Christopher R; Metersky, Mark L; Anzueto, Antonio R; Mortensen, Eric M

2014-01-27

Mortality after pneumonia in immunocompromised patients is higher than for immunocompetent patients. The use of non-invasive mechanical ventilation for patients with severe pneumonia may provide beneficial outcomes while circumventing potential complications associated with invasive mechanical ventilation. The aim of our study was to determine if the use of non-invasive mechanical ventilation in elderly immunocompromised patients with pneumonia is associated with higher all-cause mortality. In this retrospective cohort study, data were obtained from the Department of Veterans Affairs administrative databases. We included veterans age ≥65 years who were immunocompromised and hospitalized due to pneumonia. Multilevel logistic regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between the use of invasive versus non-invasive mechanical ventilation and 30-day and 90-day mortality. Of 1,946 patients in our cohort, 717 received non-invasive mechanical ventilation and 1,229 received invasive mechanical ventilation. There was no significant association between all-cause 30-day mortality and non-invasive versus invasive mechanical ventilation in our adjusted model (odds ratio (OR) 0.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.66-1.10). However, those patients who received non-invasive mechanical ventilation had decreased 90-day mortality (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.52-0.84). Additionally, receipt of guideline-concordant antibiotics in our immunocompromised cohort was significantly associated with decreased odds of 30-day mortality (OR 0.31, 95% CI 0.24-0.39) and 90-day mortality (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.31-0.53). Our findings suggest that physicians should consider the use of non-invasive mechanical ventilation, when appropriate, for elderly immunocompromised patients hospitalized with pneumonia.

Biomonitoring Study of Air Pollution with Betula pendula Roth., from Plovdiv, Bulgaria

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Slaveya T. Petrova

2011-07-01

Full Text Available The present study is a small part of a program for application the methods of passive and active biomonitoring with tree, herbaceous, moss and lichen species for assessment of the anthropogenic factor in urban conditions. All reported results here are preliminary. Betula pendula was studied as a possible biomonitor of air pollution in Plovdiv. Eight sampling sites in the urban roadside, city center and suburban areas were investigated. Chlorophyll content was determined as essential and sensitive physiological parameter. The concentrations of 26 micro and macroelements were analyzed by FAAS and ICPMS. Maximum for chlorophyll was found in the birch leaves from west part of the town, minimum – in these from north part. More significant variations were detected for Ni, Mn, B, Cr, Co, Fe, Bi, Cd, Al, Zn. Highest concentrations of 12 elements were found in the samples, collected from the central area of Plovdiv.

Impact of Reclassification on Thyroid Nodules with Architectural Atypia: From Non-Invasive Encapsulated Follicular Variant Papillary Thyroid Carcinomas to Non-Invasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-Like Nuclear Features.

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Min Ji Jeon

Full Text Available The follicular variant of papillary thyroid cancer (FVPTC, especially the encapsulated non-invasive subtype, is a controversial entity. Recent study suggested using 'non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP' for these indolent carcinomas. We evaluated the impact of reclassification from non-invasive encapsulated FVPTCs (EFVPTCs to NIFTPs in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules with architectural atypia.We reviewed 1301 thyroid nodules with architectural atypia in core needle biopsy (CNB specimens obtained from March 2012 to February 2013. Nodules were classified into atypia of undetermined significance with architectural atypia (AUS-A, 984, 76% or follicular neoplasm/suspicious for a follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN, 317, 24%. Among them, diagnostic surgery was performed in 384 nodules (30%.In total, 160 nodules (42% presented final malignant diagnoses including 39 non-invasive encapsulated FVPTCs (10%. The malignancy rate was estimated to be 7-35% in AUS-A nodules and 28-49% in FN/SFN nodules. After reclassification, the malignancy rate was much decreased and estimated to be 5-24% in AUS-A nodules, and 23-39% in FN/SFN nodules. Thyroid nodules with final malignant diagnoses were significantly more likely to have a FN/SFN CNB diagnosis, malignant US features and concomitant nuclear atypia in CNB specimens. However, these factors could not differentiate NIFTPs from other malignancies.After reclassification of non-invasive EFVPTCs to NIFTPs, the malignancy rate of thyroid nodules with architectural atypia in CNB specimens was decreased. However, there were no preoperative factors differentiating other malignancies from NIFTPs. The presence of malignant US features or concomitant nuclear atypia might help clinicians deciding diagnostic surgery but, these features also might indicate NIFTPs.

Oral Samples as Non-Invasive Proxies for Assessing the Composition of the Rumen Microbial Community.

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Ilma Tapio

Full Text Available Microbial community analysis was carried out on ruminal digesta obtained directly via rumen fistula and buccal fluid, regurgitated digesta (bolus and faeces of dairy cattle to assess if non-invasive samples could be used as proxies for ruminal digesta. Samples were collected from five cows receiving grass silage based diets containing no additional lipid or four different lipid supplements in a 5 x 5 Latin square design. Extracted DNA was analysed by qPCR and by sequencing 16S and 18S rRNA genes or the fungal ITS1 amplicons. Faeces contained few protozoa, and bacterial, fungal and archaeal communities were substantially different to ruminal digesta. Buccal and bolus samples gave much more similar profiles to ruminal digesta, although fewer archaea were detected in buccal and bolus samples. Bolus samples overall were most similar to ruminal samples. The differences between both buccal and bolus samples and ruminal digesta were consistent across all treatments. It can be concluded that either proxy sample type could be used as a predictor of the rumen microbial community, thereby enabling more convenient large-scale animal sampling for phenotyping and possible use in future animal breeding programs aimed at selecting cattle with a lower environmental footprint.

Hyperintense vessels on FLAIR: A useful non-invasive method for assessing intracerebral collaterals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Wenhua; Xu Gelin; Yue Xuanye; Wang Xiaoliang; Ma Minmin; Zhang Renliang; Wang Handong; Zhou Changsheng; Liu Xinfeng

2011-01-01

Objective: This study was aimed to evaluate relationship between hyperintense vessels (HV) on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and artery steno-occlusion related intracerebral collaterals. Materials and methods: A total of 233 patients with 260 atherosclerotic lesions in the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) were examined with FLAIR and digital subtraction angiography (DSA). HV were graded as 0, 1, 2 and 3 by its distributions in the MCA territory. Grade 0 indicated no HV; Grade 1 indicated the HV limited in Sylvian fissure; Grade 2 indicated the HV limited in Sylvian fissure and the temporal-occipital junction; Grade 3 indicated the HV extended to frontal-parietal lobes. Collateral blood flows were classified by DSA results. The relationship between HV grades and patterns of collateral flows was analyzed. Results: HV were observed in 76 out of 260 hemispheres. For patients with Grade 1 HV, most of their collateral flows (80.8%) were antegrade; for patients with Grade 2, the retrograde leptomeningeal flows were commonly manifested as anterior cerebral artery to MCA (75%); for patients with Grade 3 HV, most of the retrograde leptomeningeal flows were manifested as posterior cerebral artery to MCA (81.8%). As the grade HV increased, the frequency of retrograde leptomeningeal collateral from ACA to MCA decreased (100% to 75% and to 18.2%), and increased (0% to 25% and to 81.8%) for the retrograde leptomeningeal collateral via PCA to MCA (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The HV could assess non-invasively intracerebral collaterals in patients with steno-occlusive lesions of M1 segment of MCA.

Ozone biomonitoring in Pakistan using tobacco cultivar Bel-W3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kafiatullah, A.; Shamsi, S.R.A.

2012-01-01

The present study depicts a comparison of ozone (O/sub 3/) concentrations over a decade time (1993-94 to 2006) using plant biomonitoring and continuous ozone monitors techniques in Lahore city of Pakistan. The variations in O/sub 3/ levels were assessed at city centre, suburbs and semi-rural/rural locations in and around the city of Lahore by using American O/sub 3/-sensitive tobacco biomonitor plant ( Nicotiana tabaccum L. cv. Bel-W3) for the first time in Pakistan during 1993 and 1994 seasons through weekly assessment of visible damage to leaves. Results for both 1993 and 1994 seasons indicated significant differences between sites in the mean 6-h O/sub 3/ concentrations with a range of over 20 ppb and 15 ppb across the sites in 1993 and 1994, respectively. An inverse relationship between the levels of NO/sub 2/ and O/sub 3/ was found during investigation. The highest O/sub 3/ levels of 75-80 ppb were found at rural areas and the lowest at city centre sites. The extent of O/sub 3/ injury on the tobacco cv. Bel-W3 leaves reflected the trends seen in O/sub 3/ concentrations. The highest and lowest leaf injury indices of 18-27% and 5-7% occurred at the rural and city centre sites, respectively. Results for 2006 season indicated the highest seasonal mean O/sub 3/ concentration of 100 ppb in semi-rural areas compared with city centre sites (68 ppb). The highest 26% and 20% increase in O/sub 3/ levels was observed at rural/semi-rural and city centre sites, respectively when compared with 1993 O/sub 3/ survey. Application of O/sub 3/ biomonitoring technique proved very cost-effective and feasible for the estimation of atmospheric O/sub 3/ levels in South East Asian regions like Pakistan where shortage of electric supply, trained man power and poverty is already playing havoc. (author)

INVASIVE AND NON-INVASIVE TECHNIQUES FOR DETECTING PORTAL HYPERTENSION AND PREDICTING VARICEAL BLEEDING IN CIRRHOSIS: A REVIEW

Science.gov (United States)

Zardi, Enrico Maria; Di Matteo, Francesco Maria; Pacella, Claudio Maurizio; Sanyal, Arun J

2016-01-01

Portal hypertension is a severe syndrome that may derive from pre-sinusoidal, sinusoidal and post-sinusoidal causes. As a consequence, several complications (i.e., ascites, oesophageal varices) may develop. In sinusoidal portal hypertension, hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is a reliable method for defining the grade of portal pressure, establishing the effectiveness of the treatment and predicting the occurrence of complications; however, some questions exist regarding its ability to discriminate bleeding from nonbleeding varices in cirrhotic patients. Other imaging techniques (transient elastography, endoscopy, endosonography and duplex Doppler sonography) for assessing causes and complications of portal hypertensive syndrome are available and may be valuable for the management of these patients. In this review, we evaluate invasive and non-invasive techniques currently employed to obtain a clinical prediction of deadly complications, such as variceal bleeding in patients affected by sinusoidal portal hypertension, in order to create a diagnostic algorithm to manage them. Again, HVPG appears to be the reference standard to evaluate portal hypertension and monitor the response to treatment, but its ability to predict several complications and support management decisions might be further improved through the diagnostic combination with other imaging techniques. PMID:24328372

Evaluation of non-invasive multispectral imaging as a tool for measuring the effect of systemic therapy in Kaposi sarcoma.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jana M Kainerstorfer

Full Text Available Diffuse multi-spectral imaging has been evaluated as a potential non-invasive marker of tumor response. Multi-spectral images of Kaposi sarcoma skin lesions were taken over the course of treatment, and blood volume and oxygenation concentration maps were obtained through principal component analysis (PCA of the data. These images were compared with clinical and pathological responses determined by conventional means. We demonstrate that cutaneous lesions have increased blood volume concentration and that changes in this parameter are a reliable indicator of treatment efficacy, differentiating responders and non-responders. Blood volume decreased by at least 20% in all lesions that responded by clinical criteria and increased in the two lesions that did not respond clinically. Responses as assessed by multi-spectral imaging also generally correlated with overall patient clinical response assessment, were often detectable earlier in the course of therapy, and are less subject to observer variability than conventional clinical assessment. Tissue oxygenation was more variable, with lesions often showing decreased oxygenation in the center surrounded by a zone of increased oxygenation. This technique could potentially be a clinically useful supplement to existing response assessment in KS, providing an early, quantitative, and non-invasive marker of treatment effect.

British Thoracic Society Quality Standards for acute non-invasive ventilation in adults

Science.gov (United States)

Davies, Michael; Allen, Martin; Bentley, Andrew; Bourke, Stephen C; Creagh-Brown, Ben; D’Oliveiro, Rachel; Glossop, Alastair; Gray, Alasdair; Jacobs, Phillip; Mahadeva, Ravi; Moses, Rachael; Setchfield, Ian

2018-01-01

Introduction The purpose of the quality standards document is to provide healthcare professionals, commissioners, service providers and patients with a guide to standards of care that should be met for the provision of acute non-invasive ventilation in adults together with measurable markers of good practice. Methods Development of British Thoracic Society (BTS) Quality Standards follows the BTS process of quality standard production based on the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence process manual for the development of quality standards. Results 6 quality statements have been developed, each describing a standard of care for the provision of acute non-invasive ventilation in the UK, together with measurable markers of good practice. Conclusion BTS Quality Standards for acute non-invasive ventilation in adults form a key part of the range of supporting materials that the Society produces to assist in the dissemination and implementation of guideline’s recommendations. PMID:29636979

Simple and non-invasive techniques to evaluate the function of CircuLite Synergy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mohite, Prashant N; Bowles, Christopher T; Sabashnikov, Anton; Popov, Aron-Frederik; Patil, Nikhil P; Sáez, Diana García; Banner, Nicholas R; Simon, André R

2014-11-01

The Synergy CircuLite micropump is a novel partial-support miniature left ventricular assist device that propels 2-3 l/min blood from the left atrium into the right subclavian artery. The ability of currently available investigative modalities to confirm Synergy pump malfunction is limited. The Synergy speed fluctuates periodically (at 10-s intervals) from the baseline to a transient decrease followed by a transient increase (alternating speed algorithm, ASA) with the purpose of changing the blood flow behaviour, thereby reducing thrombogenicity. The aim of this study was to develop a simple non-invasive monitoring technique to assess pump function based on the detection of the ASA in the peripheral microcirculation. Between February 2012 and July 2013, 10 patients with advanced chronic heart failure underwent Synergy implantation at our institution. The pump function was assessed by echocardiography and invasive monitoring according to standard protocols; additionally, the pump speed and power consumption were monitored. During the pump function assessment, the pulse oximeter waveform was recorded from the index fingers of the left and right hand with simultaneous pump auscultation using a stethoscope positioned on the pump (right infra-clavicular pocket). The pulse oximeter waveform was readily detectable from the right and left hand of all study patients. If the Synergy function was normal, there was a significant difference in the morphology of the pulse oximeter waveform from each hand: the ASA algorithm produced a more pronounced variation (giant wave) in the trace from the right hand than from the left. The giant waves invariably coincided with the sound variation associated with the ASA algorithms, which were detected regularly at 10-s intervals. We describe a simple, readily applicable, inexpensive, non-invasive technique that allows evaluation of Synergy pump function and may have diagnostic utility under conditions of suspected pump thrombus

Non-invasive therapy for the prevention of moist desquamation following β-radiation exposure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ma, L.; Wilcock, S.; Rezvani, M.; Hsia, C.

2003-01-01

Full text: In an environment of potential nuclear mishap, effective therapies are lacking for radiation-induced skin burns. In this report we describe an effective, non-invasive therapy for post acute radiation exposure based on skin compression. A pig skin model of β-radiation-induced moist desquamation (MD) was employed in this study. Exposure to 30 Gy was used to induce skin lesions involving >80% MD in prescribed test sites on flank skin of female Large White pigs (n 18 per flank). The animals' left flank was placed under pressure from the weight of the pig's own body for 3 hours, immediately following radiation exposure. The right flank served as control, and was not subject to compression following irradiation. Percentage differences in MD were measured between sites on both flanks based on the the area of the test site containing 50% MD (severe) as determined by clinical assessment using blinded observers. The incidence of MD was significantly higher on the uncompressed right flank as compared to the compressed left flank (p < 0.005). A 61% and 45% reduction of MD was observed in both total and severe MD, respectively, during the 8-week study period. Radiation-induced MD was significantly reduced by immediate, mild skin compression (approx. 1.5 psi) for 3 hours immediately following exposure. This observation suggests that skin lesion development from radiation-induced oxidative damage cascades may be modulated non-invasively. Understanding the mechanism(s) at work and developing devices based on this non-invasive therapeutic principle may provide a novel treatment for consequent skin injury in radiation oncology, cosmetic and therapeutic UV, laser, glycolic and derm abrasion procedures

Thiomers: potential excipients for non-invasive peptide delivery systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernkop-Schnürch, Andreas; Krauland, Alexander H; Leitner, Verena M; Palmberger, Thomas

2004-09-01

In recent years thiolated polymers or so-called thiomers have appeared as a promising alternative in the arena of non-invasive peptide delivery. Thiomers are generated by the immobilisation of thiol-bearing ligands to mucoadhesive polymeric excipients. By formation of disulfide bonds with mucus glycoproteins, the mucoadhesive properties of these polymers are improved up to 130-fold. Due to formation of inter- and intramolecular disulfide bonds within the thiomer itself, dosage forms such as tablets or microparticles display strong cohesive properties resulting in comparatively higher stability, prolonged disintegration times and a more controlled release of the embedded peptide drug. The permeation of peptide drugs through mucosa can be improved by the use of thiolated polymers. Additionally some thiomers exhibit improved inhibitory properties towards peptidases. The efficacy of thiomers in non-invasive peptide delivery could be demonstrated by various in vivo studies. Tablets comprising a thiomer and pegylated insulin, for instance, resulted in a pharmacological efficacy of 7% after oral application to diabetic mice. Furthermore, a pharmacological efficacy of 1.3% was achieved in rats by oral administration of calcitonin tablets comprising a thiomer. Human growth hormone in a thiomer-gel was applied nasally to rats and led to a bioavailability of 2.75%. In all these studies, formulations comprising the corresponding unmodified polymer had only a marginal or no effect. According to these results drug carrier systems based on thiomers seem to be a promising tool for non-invasive peptide drug delivery.

Air pollution biomonitoring in Argentina, application of neutron activation analysis to the study of biomonitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pignata, Maria Luisa; Pla, Rita R.

2001-01-01

Due to low population density, total air pollutant emissions in Argentina are still low if compared with highly industrialised countries. Although a significant deterioration of air quality has been observed for a long time, air monitoring did not begin until the 90's and only in a few cities. The use of air pollution biomonitors represents an important contribution to Argentina, as measurements of air pollutants in large areas would require especial technical equipment not easily available and operated. In this project, two lichen species (Ramalina ecklonii (Spreng) Mey and Flot and Usnea amblyoclada (Muell. Rg.) Zahlbr.) and a Bromeliaceae (Tillandsia capillaris) are used as biomonitors of air pollution at a 50, 000 km 2 area in Cordoba province (central Argentina). AAS and INAA have been applied for the analysis of samples, determining As, Ba, Br, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Eu, Fe, Hf, Gd, K, La, Lu, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sm, Ta, Tb, Th, U, Yb and Zn. The following physiological parameters were also determined: chlorophyll a, chloropyll b, phaeophytin a, phaeophytin b, hydroperoxy conjugated dienes, malonaldehide and sulphur. Some of these parameters were used for calculating a pollution index. These determinations were carried out on pools collected at the sampling sites. AAS and physiological parameters were also applied to the analysis of five-replicate samples in order to study variability sources. For data evaluation, different statistical and other evaluating tools were used: descriptive statistics and Spearman's correlation analysis were used on data from the three biomonitor species while factor analysis and mapping, only for R. ecklonii results. (author)

Development of biomonitoring equivalents for barium in urine and plasma for interpreting human biomonitoring data.

Science.gov (United States)

Poddalgoda, Devika; Macey, Kristin; Assad, Henry; Krishnan, Kannan

2017-06-01

The objectives of the present work were: (1) to assemble population-level biomonitoring data to identify the concentrations of urinary and plasma barium across the general population; and (2) to derive biomonitoring equivalents (BEs) for barium in urine and plasma in order to facilitate the interpretation of barium concentrations in the biological matrices. In population level biomonitoring studies, barium has been measured in urine in the U.S. (NHANES study), but no such data on plasma barium levels were identified. The BE values for plasma and urine were derived from U.S. EPA's reference dose (RfD) of 0.2 mg/kg bw/d, based on a lower confidence limit on the benchmark dose (BMDL 05 ) of 63 mg/kg bw/d. The plasma BE (9 μg Ba/L) was derived by regression analysis of the near-steady-state plasma concentrations associated with the administered doses in animals exposed to barium chloride dihydrate in drinking water for 2-years in a NTP study. Using a human urinary excretion fraction of 0.023, a BE for urinary barium (0.19 mg/L or 0.25 mg/g creatinine) was derived for US EPA's RfD. The median and the 95 th percentile barium urine concentrations of the general population in U.S. are below the BE determined in this study, indicating that the population exposure to inorganic barium is expected to be below the exposure guidance value of 0.2 mg/kg bw/d. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the cerebrovascular pressure reactivity index using non-invasive finapres arterial blood pressure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasprowicz, M; Kim, D J; Haubrich, C; Czosnyka, Z; Smielewski, P; Czosnyka, M; Schmidt, E

2010-01-01

A pressure reactivity index (PRx) can be assessed in patients with continuous monitoring of arterial blood pressure (ABP) and intracranial pressure (ICP) as a moving correlation coefficient between slow fluctuations of these two signals within a low frequency bandwidth. The study aimed to investigate whether the invasive ABP monitoring can be replaced with non-invasive measurement of ABP using a Finapres plethysmograph (fABP) to calculate the fPRx. There is a well-defined group of patients, suffering from hydrocephalus and undergoing CSF pressure monitoring, which may benefit from such a measurement. 41 simultaneous day-by-day monitoring of ICP, ABP and fABP were performed for about 30 min in 10 head injury patients. A Bland–Altman assessment for agreement was used to compare PRx and fPRx calculations. Performance metrics and the McNemary test were used to determine whether fPRx is sensitive enough to distinguish between functioning and disturbed cerebrovascular pressure reactivity. The fPRx correlated with PRx (R Spearman = 0.92, p < 0.001; bias = −0.04; lower and upper limits of agreement: −0.26 and 0.17, respectively). The fPRx distinguished between active and passive reactivity in more than 89% cases. The fPRx can be used with care for assessment of cerebrovascular reactivity in patients for whom invasive ABP measurement is not feasible. The fPRx is sensitive enough to distinguish between functional and deranged reactivity

Using plant biomonitors and flux modelling to develop O3 dose-response relationships in Catalonia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Filella, Iolanda; Pen-tilde uelas, Josep; Ribas, Angela

2005-01-01

We used tobacco Bel-W3 biomonitoring data and ozone flux modelling (WINDEP model) with the aim of developing the absorbed dose-response relationship, and comparing this approach with the most commonly used AOT40 (the sum of hourly ozone concentrations above a cut-off of 40 ppb during daylight hours, when global radiation exceeds 50 W m -2 ) in the estimation of exposure-damage curves. Leaf damage values were more related to OAD 15days,potential (potential ozone absorbed dose calculated over 15 consecutive days) than to AOT40 in all the studied stations. An OAD 15days,potential of 180 mg m -2 was found to be the threshold for damage to the most sensitive species in this region under well watered conditions. The results show the applicability of the flux approach for risk assessment at the local scale, the improvement of the ozone damage estimation when the potential absorbed dose is modelled and used instead of just the ozone exposure, and finally, the possibilities opened by the use of biomonitoring networks. - Modelling of biomonitors ozone absorbed dose improves damage estimation in comparison with exposure indices such as AOT40

Research Report Non-invasive DNA-based species and sex ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

shrushti modi

Non-invasive DNA-based species and sex identification of Asiatic wild dog (Cuon alpinus) .... We did not find any cross-gender amplification with any of the reference or field-collected samples. Success rate for sex discrimination for all field-.

Non-invasive markers of atherosclerosis and their correlation with ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

McRoy

2014-07-26

Jul 26, 2014 ... Study of non- invasive markers in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Int J Med Biomed Res ... hypertension, smoking, and alcohol intake were documented for .... The risk of general CVD and hard CVD was significantly ...

Non-invasive acoustic-based monitoring of uranium in solution and H/D ratio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pantea, Cristian [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Beedle, Christopher Craig [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Sinha, Dipen N. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lakis, Rollin Evan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-08-01

The primary objective of this project is to adapt existing non-invasive acoustic techniques (Swept-Frequency Acoustic Interferometry and Gaussian-pulse acoustic technique) for the purpose of demonstrating the ability to quantify U or H/D ratios in solution. Furthermore, a successful demonstration will provide an easily implemented, low cost, and non-invasive method for remote and unattended uranium mass measurements for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Clinical Validation of Non-Invasive Cardiac Output Monitoring in Healthy Pregnant Women.

Science.gov (United States)

McLaughlin, Kelsey; Wright, Stephen P; Kingdom, John C P; Parker, John D

2017-11-01

Non-invasive hemodynamic monitoring has the potential to be a valuable clinical tool for the screening and management of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. The objective of this study was to validate the clinical utility of the non-invasive cardiac output monitoring (NICOM) system in pregnant women. Twenty healthy pregnant women with a singleton pregnancy at 22 to 26 weeks' gestation were enrolled in this study. Measures of heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output were obtained through NICOM and compared with Doppler echocardiography. NICOM significantly overestimated measures of both stroke volume and cardiac output compared with Doppler echocardiography (95 ± 4 vs. 73 ± 4 mL, P gold standard for the measurement of cardiac output in the setting of pregnancy. However, once normal values have been established, NICOM has the potential to be a useful clinical tool for monitoring maternal hemodynamics in pregnant women. Further investigation regarding the validity of NICOM is required in larger populations of healthy and hypertensive pregnant women to determine whether this device is appropriate for maternal hemodynamic assessment during pregnancy. Copyright © 2017 The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada/La Société des obstétriciens et gynécologues du Canada. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A novel, microscope based, non invasive Laser Doppler flowmeter for choroidal blood flow assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Strohmaier, C; Werkmeister, RM; Bogner, B; Runge, C; Schroedl, F; Brandtner, H; Radner, W; Schmetterer, L; Kiel, JW; Grabnerand, G; Reitsamer, HA

2015-01-01

Impaired ocular blood flow is involved in the pathogenesis of numerous ocular diseases like glaucoma or AMD. The purpose of the present study was to introduce and validate a novel, microscope based, non invasive laser Doppler flowmeter (NILDF) for measurement of blood flow in the choroid. The custom made NI-LDF was compared with a commercial fiber optic based laser Doppler flowmeter (Perimed PF4000). Linearity and stability of the NI-LDF were assessed in a silastic tubing model (i.d. 0.3 mm) at different flow rates (range 0.4 – 3 ml/h). In a rabbit model continuous choroidal blood flow measurements were performed with both instruments simultaneously. During blood flow measurements ocular perfusion pressure was changed by manipulations of intraocular pressure via intravitreal saline infusions. The NILDF measurement correlated linearly to intraluminal flow rates in the perfused tubing model (r = 0.99, p<0.05) and remained stable during a 1 hour measurement at a constant flow rate. Rabbit choroidal blood flow measured by the PF4000 and the NI-LDF linearly correlated with each other over the entire measurement range (r = 0.99, y = x* 1,01 – 12,35 P.U., p < 0,001). In conclusion, the NI-LDF provides valid, semi quantitative measurements of capillary blood flow in comparison to an established LDF instrument and is suitable for measurements at the posterior pole of the eye. PMID:21443871

Bio-monitoring for the genotoxic assessment in road construction workers as determined by the buccal micronucleus cytome assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Çelik, Ayla; Yildirim, Seda; Ekinci, Seda Yaprak; Taşdelen, Bahar

2013-06-01

Buccal micronucleus cytome (BMCyt) assay monitors genetic damage, cell proliferation and cell death in humans exposed to occupational and environmental agents. BMCyt is used as an indicator of genotoxic exposure, since it is associated with chromosomal instability. There is little research on the occupational exposure among road construction workers for genotoxicity testing. In the present study, we evaluated MN frequencies and other nuclear changes, karyorrhexis (KR), karyolysis (KL), broken egg (BE), binucleate (BN), condensed chromatin cell (CCC), and picnotic cell (PC) in buccal mucosa cells of 40 road construction workers (twenty smokers and twenty non-smokers) and 40 control groups consisting of healthy persons (twenty smokers and twenty non-smokers). Microscopic observation was performed of 2000 cells per individual in both road construction workers and control group. In control and worker groups, for each person repair index (RI) was calculated via formula KR+L/BE+MN. The results showed a statistically significant increase in the frequency of MN in buccal epithelial cells of exposed group compared with control group (proad construction workers, RI is lower than the control group. There is a significant difference between workers and control group (proad paving operations are absorbed by workers and that asphalt fume exposure is able to significantly induce cytogenetic damage in buccal mucosa cells of workers after controlling some possible confounding factors, such as age, sex and smoking habits. In addition to determination of nuclear changes and the micronucleus, the determination of RI value presents a new approach to genotoxic bio-monitoring assessment studies of occupationally exposed population. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intra-urban biomonitoring: Source apportionment using tree barks to identify air pollution sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Tiana Carla Lopes; de Oliveira, Regiani Carvalho; Amato, Luís Fernando Lourenço; Kang, Choong-Min; Saldiva, Paulo Hilário Nascimento; Saiki, Mitiko

2016-05-01

It is of great interest to evaluate if there is a relationship between possible sources and trace elements using biomonitoring techniques. In this study, tree bark samples of 171 trees were collected using a biomonitoring technique in the inner city of São Paulo. The trace elements (Al, Ba, Ca, Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Rb, S, Sr and Zn) were determined by the energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometry. The Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to identify the plausible sources associated with tree bark measurements. The greatest source was vehicle-induced non-tailpipe emissions derived mainly from brakes and tires wear-out and road dust resuspension (characterized with Al, Ba, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn), which was explained by 27.1% of the variance, followed by cement (14.8%), sea salt (11.6%) and biomass burning (10%), and fossil fuel combustion (9.8%). We also verified that the elements related to vehicular emission showed different concentrations at different sites of the same street, which might be helpful for a new street classification according to the emission source. The spatial distribution maps of element concentrations were obtained to evaluate the different levels of pollution in streets and avenues. Results indicated that biomonitoring techniques using tree bark can be applied to evaluate dispersion of air pollution and provide reliable data for the further epidemiological studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Biomonitoring of Occupational Exposure to Arylonitrile

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Šrám, Radim; Beskid, Olena; Binková, Blanka; Chvátalová, Irena; Rössner st., Pavel; Rössner ml., Pavel

2001-01-01

Roč. 37, č. 32 (2001), s. - ISSN 0893-6692. [EMS. 16.03.2001-21.03.2001, San Diego] Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z5039906 Keywords : biomonitoring * occupational exposure Subject RIV: DN - Health Impact of the Environment Quality

Review of the state of the art of human biomonitoring for chemical substances and its application to human exposure assessment for food safety

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Choi, Judy; Mørck, Thit Aarøe; Polcher, Alexandra

2015-01-01

Human biomonitoring (HBM) measures the levels of substances in body fluids and tissues. Many countries have conducted HBM studies, yet little is known about its application towards chemical risk assessment, particularly in relation to food safety. Therefore a literature search was performed...... in several databases and conference proceedings for 2002 – 2014. Definitions of HBM and biomarkers, HBM techniques and requirements, and the possible application to the different steps of risk assessment were described. The usefulness of HBM for exposure assessment of chemical substances from food source...... safety areas (namely exposure assessment), and for the implementation of a systematic PMM approach. But further work needs to be done to improve usability. Major deficits are the lack of HBM guidance values on a considerable number of substance groups, for which health based guidance values (HBGVs) have...

Advancing environmental health surveillance in the US through a national human biomonitoring network.

Science.gov (United States)

Latshaw, Megan Weil; Degeberg, Ruhiyyih; Patel, Surili Sutaria; Rhodes, Blaine; King, Ewa; Chaudhuri, Sanwat; Nassif, Julianne

2017-03-01

The United States lacks a comprehensive, nationally-coordinated, state-based environmental health surveillance system. This lack of infrastructure leads to: • varying levels of understanding of chemical exposures at the state & local levels • often inefficient public health responses to chemical exposure emergencies (such as those that occurred in the Flint drinking water crisis, the Gold King mine spill, the Elk river spill and the Gulf Coast oil spill) • reduced ability to measure the impact of public health interventions or environmental policies • less efficient use of resources for cleaning up environmental contamination Establishing the National Biomonitoring Network serves as a step toward building a national, state-based environmental health surveillance system. The Network builds upon CDC investments in emergency preparedness and environmental public health tracking, which have created advanced chemical analysis and information sharing capabilities in the state public health systems. The short-term goal of the network is to harmonize approaches to human biomonitoring in the US, thus increasing the comparability of human biomonitoring data across states and communities. The long-term goal is to compile baseline data on exposures at the state level, similar to data found in CDC's National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals. Barriers to success for this network include: available resources, effective risk communication strategies, data comparability & sharing, and political will. Anticipated benefits include high quality data on which to base public health and environmental decisions, data with which to assess the success of public health interventions, improved risk assessments for chemicals, and new ways to prioritize environmental health research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Measurement of non-invasive X-ray measuring instruments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abe, Shinji

2013-01-01

Described are the history, measuring system, characteristics and present state of the instruments in the title (NXMI). NXMI, non-invasive to the inner circuit of X-ray generator, is now essential for the quality control of generator with reference to definitions by International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and Japan Industrial Standards (JIS). Non-invasive measurement of the generator's tube voltage in 1944 is the first report where the absorption difference of Cu plates with different thickness is used. At present, NXMI, being compact, can measure multiple properties of X-ray generated, such as the tube voltage (TV), current (TC), imaging time, dose/dose rate, total filtration, half value layer, and TV/output waveform. TV is measurable by the penetration difference of X-rays through Cu filters of different thickness, which is a linear function of TV; TC, with the clamp-type ammeter placed at the generator high voltage cable; and the dose, with the semiconductor detector. Characteristics can be evaluable within the upper trigger level of the detector (radiation time, dose measured here), in which measured are the irradiation (imaging) time, delay time, and TV (within the window width). Authors' practical quality control of the generator is conducted through calibration for which data are obtained by invasive (direct) precise measurement of TV, TC, imaging time and dose with reference to JIS. Periodical calibration and consequent quality control of NXMI are essential for the maintenance of precision of the generator. (T.T.)

Non-invasive blood glucose monitor based on spectroscopy using a smartphone.

Science.gov (United States)

Dantu, Vishnu; Vempati, Jagannadh; Srivilliputhur, Srinivasan

2014-01-01

Development of a novel method for non-invasive measurement of blood glucose concentration using smartphone is discussed. Our research work has three major contributions to society and science. First, we modified and extended the Beer-Lambert's law in physics to accommodate for multiple wavelengths. This extension can aid researchers who wish to perform optical spectroscopy. Second, we successfully developed a creative and non-invasive way for diabetic patients to measure glucose levels via a smartphone. Researchers and chemists can now use their smartphones to determine the absorbance and, therefore, concentration of a chemical. Third, we created an inexpensive way to perform optical spectroscopy by using a smartphone. Monitoring blood glucose using a smartphone application that simply uses equipment already available on smartphones will improve the lives of diabetic patients who can continuously check their blood glucose levels while avoiding the current inconvenient, unhygienic, and costly invasive glucose meters.

A new method for generating distributions of biomonitoring equivalents to support exposure assessment and prioritization.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Martin B; Sobus, Jon R; George, Barbara J; Isaacs, Kristin; Conolly, Rory; Tan, Yu-Mei

2014-08-01

Biomonitoring data are now available for hundreds of chemicals through state and national health surveys. Exposure guidance values also exist for many of these chemicals. Several methods are frequently used to evaluate biomarker data with respect to a guidance value. The "biomonitoring equivalent" (BE) approach estimates a single biomarker concentration (called the BE) that corresponds to a guidance value (e.g., Maximum Contaminant Level, Reference Dose, etc.), which can then be compared with measured biomarker data. The resulting "hazard quotient" estimates (HQ=biomarker concentration/BE) can then be used to prioritize chemicals for follow-up examinations. This approach is used exclusively for population-level assessments, and works best when the central tendency of measurement data is considered. Complementary approaches are therefore needed for assessing individual biomarker levels, particularly those that fall within the upper percentiles of measurement distributions. In this case study, probabilistic models were first used to generate distributions of BEs for perchlorate based on the point-of-departure (POD) of 7μg/kg/day. These distributions reflect possible biomarker concentrations in a hypothetical population where all individuals are exposed at the POD. A statistical analysis was then performed to evaluate urinary perchlorate measurements from adults in the 2001 to 2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Each NHANES adult was assumed to have experienced repeated exposure at the POD, and their biomarker concentration was interpreted probabilistically with respect to a BE distribution. The HQ based on the geometric mean (GM) urinary perchlorate concentration was estimated to be much lower than unity (HQ≈0.07). This result suggests that the average NHANES adult was exposed to perchlorate at a level well below the POD. Regarding individuals, at least a 99.8% probability was calculated for all but two NHANES adults that a higher

Advanced signal processing theory and implementation for sonar, radar, and non-invasive medical diagnostic systems

CERN Document Server

Stergiopoulos, Stergios

2009-01-01

Integrates topics of signal processing from sonar, radar, and medical system technologies by identifying their concept similarities. This book covers non-invasive medical diagnostic system applications, including intracranial ultrasound, a technology that attempts to address non-invasive detection on brain injuries and stroke.

US Fish and Wildlife Service biomonitoring operations manual, Appendices A--K

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gianotto, D.F.; Rope, R.C.; Mondecar, M.; Breckenridge, R.P.; Wiersma, G.B.; Staley, C.S.; Moser, R.S.; Sherwood, R.; Brown, K.W.

1993-04-01

Volume 2 contains Appendices and Summary Sheets for the following areas: A-Legislative Background and Key to Relevant Legislation, B- Biomonitoring Operations Workbook, C-Air Monitoring, D-Introduction to the Flora and Fauna for Biomonitoring, E-Decontamination Guidance Reference Field Methods, F-Documentation Guidance, Sample Handling, and Quality Assurance/Quality Control Standard Operating Procedures, G-Field Instrument Measurements Reference Field Methods, H-Ground Water Sampling Reference Field Methods, I-Sediment Sampling Reference Field Methods, J-Soil Sampling Reference Field Methods, K-Surface Water Reference Field Methods. Appendix B explains how to set up strategy to enter information on the ``disk workbook``. Appendix B is enhanced by DE97006389, an on-line workbook for users to be able to make revisions to their own biomonitoring data.

Imaging modalities for the non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nisenblat, Vicki; Bossuyt, Patrick M. M.; Farquhar, Cindy; Johnson, Neil; Hull, M. Louise

2016-01-01

About 10% of women of reproductive age suffer from endometriosis. Endometriosis is a costly chronic disease that causes pelvic pain and subfertility. Laparoscopy, the gold standard diagnostic test for endometriosis, is expensive and carries surgical risks. Currently, no non-invasive tests that can

Blood biomarkers for the non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nisenblat, Vicki; Bossuyt, Patrick M. M.; Shaikh, Rabia; Farquhar, Cindy; Jordan, Vanessa; Scheffers, Carola S.; Mol, Ben Willem J.; Johnson, Neil; Hull, M. Louise

2016-01-01

Background About 10% of reproductive-aged women suffer from endometriosis, a costly chronic disease causing pelvic pain and subfertility. Laparoscopy is the gold standard diagnostic test for endometriosis, but is expensive and carries surgical risks. Currently, there are no non-invasive or minimally

Biomonitoring of airborne mercury with perennial ryegrass cultures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Temmerman, Ludwig de; Claeys, Natacha; Roekens, Edward; Guns, Marc

2007-01-01

A biomonitoring network with grass cultures was established near a chlor-alkali plant and the mercury concentration in the cultures were compared with the average atmospheric total gaseous mercury (TGM). Biomonitoring techniques based on different exposure periods were carried out. When comparing the mercury concentration in the grass cultures, both the average atmospheric TGM concentration during exposure and the exposure time determined to a large extent the accumulation rate of TGM. The maximum tolerable level of mercury in grass (≅110 μg kg -1 DM) corresponds with an average TGM concentration of 11 ng m -3 for 28 days exposure. The background concentrations in grass were on an average 15 μg kg -1 DM and the effect detection limit (EDL) was 30 μg kg -1 DM. This value corresponds with an average TGM concentration of 3.2 and 4.2 ng m -3 for 28 and 14 days exposure, respectively, which is in turn the biological detection limit (BDL) of ambient TGM. Exposures for 7 days were less appropriate for biomonitoring. - Grass accumulates TGM as a function of the atmospheric concentration and exposure time

A non-invasive method of quantifying pancreatic volume in mice using micro-MRI.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose L Paredes

Full Text Available In experimental models of pancreatic growth and recovery, changes in pancreatic size are assessed by euthanizing a large cohort of animals at varying time points and measuring organ mass. However, to ascertain this information in clinical practice, patients with pancreatic disorders routinely undergo non-invasive cross-sectional imaging of the pancreas using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI or computed tomography (CT. The aim of the current study was to develop a thin-sliced, optimized sequence protocol using a high field MRI to accurately calculate pancreatic volumes in the most common experimental animal, the mouse. Using a 7 Telsa Bruker micro-MRI system, we performed abdominal imaging in whole-fixed mice in three standard planes: axial, sagittal, and coronal. The contour of the pancreas was traced using Vitrea software and then transformed into a 3-dimensional (3D reconstruction, from which volumetric measurements were calculated. Images were optimized using heart perfusion-fixation, T1 sequence analysis, and 0.2 to 0.4 mm thick slices. As proof of principle, increases in pancreatic volume among mice of different ages correlated tightly with increasing body weight. In summary, this is the first study to measure pancreatic volumes in mice, using a high field 7 Tesla micro-MRI and a thin-sliced, optimized sequence protocol. We anticipate that micro-MRI will improve the ability to non-invasively quantify changes in pancreatic size and will dramatically reduce the number of animals required to serially assess pancreatic growth and recovery.

Quantitative assessment of invasive mena isoforms (Menacalc) as an independent prognostic marker in breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Seema; Gertler, Frank B; Balsamo, Michele; Condeelis, John S; Camp, Robert L; Xue, Xiaonan; Lin, Juan; Rohan, Thomas E; Rimm, David L

2012-09-12

Mena, an Ena/VASP protein family member, is a key actin regulatory protein. Mena is up-regulated in breast cancers and promotes invasion and motility of tumor cells. Mena has multiple splice variants, including Mena invasive (MenaINV) and Mena11a, which are expressed in invasive or non-invasive tumor cells, respectively. We developed a multiplex quantitative immunofluorescence (MQIF) approach to assess the fraction of Mena lacking 11a sequence as a method to infer the presence of invasive tumor cells represented as total Mena minus Mena11a (called Menacalc) and determined its association with metastasis in breast cancer. The MQIF method was applied to two independent primary breast cancer cohorts (Cohort 1 with 501 and Cohort 2 with 296 patients) using antibodies against Mena and its isoform, Mena11a. Menacalc was determined for each patient and assessed for association with risk of disease-specific death. Total Mena or Mena11a isoform expression failed to show any statistically significant association with outcome in either cohort. However, assessment of Menacalc showed that relatively high levels of this biomarker is associated with poor outcome in two independent breast cancer cohorts (log rank P = 0.0004 for Cohort 1 and 0.0321 for Cohort 2). Multivariate analysis on combined cohorts revealed that high Menacalc is associated with poor outcome, independent of age, node status, receptor status and tumor size. High Menacalc levels identify a subgroup of breast cancer patients with poor disease-specific survival, suggesting that Menacalc may serve as a biomarker for metastasis.

Long-termserial non-invasive multislice computed tomography angiography with functional evaluation after coronary implantation of a bioresorbable everolimus-eluting scaffold: the ABSORB cohort BMSCT substudy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Onuma, Yoshinobu; Collet, Carlos; van Geuns, Robert-Jan; de Bruyne, Bernard; Christiansen, Evald; Koolen, Jacques; Smits, Pieter; Chevalier, Bernard; McClean, Dougal; Dudek, Dariusz; Windecker, Stephan; Meredith, Ian; Nieman, Koen; Veldhof, Susan; Ormiston, John; Serruys, Patrick W.

2017-01-01

Aims Multimodality invasive imaging of the first-in-man cohort demonstrated at 5 years stable lumen dimensions and a low rate of major adverse cardiac events (MACE). However, the long-term non-invasive assessment of this device remains to be documented. The objective was to describe the 72-month

Diagnosis of non-exudative (DRY) age related macular degeneration by non-invasive photon-correlation spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Fankhauser, Franz Ii; Ott, Maria; Munteanu, Mihnea

2016-01-01

Photon-correlation spectroscopy (PCS) (quasi-elastic light scattering spectroscopy, dynamic light scattering spectroscopy) allows the non-invasively reveal of local dynamics and local heterogeneities of macromolecular systems. The capability of this technique to diagnose the retinal pathologies by in-vivo investigations of spatial anomalies of retinas displaying non-exudative senile macular degeneration was evaluated. Further, the potential use of the technique for the diagnosis of the macular degeneration was analyzed and displayed by the Receiver Operating Curve (ROC). The maculae and the peripheral retina of 73 normal eyes and of 26 eyes afflicted by an early stage of non-exudative senile macular degeneration were characterized by time-correlation functions and analyzed in terms of characteristic decay times and apparent size distributions. The characteristics of the obtained time-correlation functions of the eyes afflicted with nonexudative macular degeneration and of normal eyes differed significantly, which could be referred to a significant change of the nano- and microstructure of the investigated pathologic maculas. Photon-correlation spectroscopy is able to assess the macromolecular and microstructural aberrations in the macula afflicted by non-exudative, senile macular degeneration. It has been demonstrated that macromolecules of this disease show a characteristic abnormal behavior in the macula.

Urinary gonadotrophins: a useful non-invasive marker of activation of the hypothalamic pituitary-gonadal axis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

McNeilly Jane D

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Non-invasive screening investigations are rarely used for assessing the activation and progression of the hypothalamic-pituitary gonadal axis through puberty. This study aimed to establish a normal range for urinary gonadotrophins in children progressing through puberty. Methods Urine samples were collected from 161 healthy school children (76 boys, 85 girls aged 4–19 yrs. Height and weight were converted to standard deviation score. Pubertal status, classified by Tanner staging, was determined by self-assessment. Urinary gonadotrophins were measured by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Results were grouped according to pubertal status (pre-pubertal or pubertal. Results Of the 161 children, 50 were pre-pubertal (28 boys; 22 girls and 111 were pubertal (48 boys; 63 girls. Overall, urinary gonadotrophins concentrations increased with pubertal maturation. All pre-pubertal children had a low urinary LH:Creatinine ratio. LH:Creatinine ratios were significantly higher in pubertal compared to pre-pubertal boys (pp = 0.006. However, LH:FSH ratios were a more consistent discriminant between pre-pubertal and pubertal states in both sexes (Boys 0.45 pubertal vs 0.1 pre-pubertal; girls 0.23 pubertal vs 0.06 pre-pubertal. Conclusion Urinary gonadotrophins analyses could be used as non-invasive integrated measurement of pubertal status which reflects clinical/physical status.

(19)F-heptuloses as tools for the non-invasive imaging of GLUT2-expressing cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Malaisse, Willy J; Zhang, Ying; Louchami, Karim

2012-01-01

Suitable analogs of d-mannoheptulose are currently considered as possible tools for the non-invasive imaging of pancreatic islet insulin-producing cells. Here, we examined whether (19)F-heptuloses could be used for non-invasive imaging of GLUT2-expressing cells. After 20 min incubation, the uptake......-mannoheptulose in inhibiting insulin release. The 1-deoxy-1-fluoro-d-mannoheptulose and 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-d-mannoheptulose only marginally affected INS-1 cell viability. These findings are compatible with the view that selected (19)F-heptuloses may represent suitable tools for the non-invasive imaging of hepatocytes...

Urinary biomarkers for the non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Liu, Emily; Nisenblat, Vicki; Farquhar, Cindy; Fraser, Ian; Bossuyt, Patrick M. M.; Johnson, Neil; Hull, M. Louise

2015-01-01

About 10% of reproductive-aged women suffer from endometriosis which is a costly chronic disease that causes pelvic pain and subfertility. Laparoscopy is the 'gold standard' diagnostic test for endometriosis, but it is expensive and carries surgical risks. Currently, there are no simple non-invasive

Endometrial biomarkers for the non-invasive diagnosis of endometriosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Gupta, Devashana; Hull, M. Louise; Fraser, Ian; Miller, Laura; Bossuyt, Patrick M. M.; Johnson, Neil; Nisenblat, Vicki

2016-01-01

About 10% of reproductive-aged women suffer from endometriosis, which is a costly, chronic disease that causes pelvic pain and subfertility. Laparoscopy is the gold standard diagnostic test for endometriosis, but it is expensive and carries surgical risks. Currently, there are no non-invasive tests

Non invasive sensing technologies for cultural heritage management and fruition

Science.gov (United States)

Soldovieri, Francesco; Masini, Nicola

2016-04-01

The relevance of the information produced by science and technology for the knowledge of the cultural heritage depends on the quality of the feedback and, consequently, on the "cultural" distance between scientists and end-users. In particular, the solution to this problem mainly resides in the capability of end-users' capability to assess and transform the knowledge produced by diagnostics with regard to: information on both cultural objects and sites (decay patterns, vulnerability, presence of buried archaeological remains); decision making (management plan, conservation project, and excavation plan). From our experience in the field of the cultural heritage and namely the conservation, of monuments, there is a significant gap of information between technologists (geophysicists/physicists/engineers) and end-users (conservators/historians/architects). This cultural gap is due to the difficulty to interpret "indirect data" produced by non invasive diagnostics (i.e. radargrams/thermal images/seismic tomography etc..) in order to provide information useful to improve the historical knowledge (e.g. the chronology of the different phases of a building), to characterise the state of conservation (e.g. detection of cracks in the masonry) and to monitor in time cultural heritage artifacts and sites. The possible answer to this difficulty is in the set-up of a knowledge chain regarding the following steps: - Integrated application of novel and robust data processing methods; - Augmented reality as a tool for making easier the interpretation of non invasive - investigations for the analysis of decay pathologies of masonry and architectural surfaces; - The comparison between direct data (carrots, visual inspection) and results from non-invasive tests, including geophysics, aims to improve the interpretation and the rendering of the monuments and even of the archaeological landscapes; - The use of specimens or test beds for the detection of archaeological features and

Non-invasive diagnostic assessment tools for the detection of liver fibrosis in patients with suspected alcohol-related liver disease: a systematic review and economic evaluation.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevenson, M; Lloyd-Jones, M; Morgan, M Y; Wong, R

2012-01-01

January 2010), HTA Database (from 1995 to January 2010), NHS Economic Evaluation Database (from 1995 to January 2010), Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (from 1982 to January 2010), Web of Knowledge and Science Citation Index (from 1969 to January 2010). Study quality was assessed using the QUADAS (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) checklist. Owing to the heterogeneity of the studies, no formal meta-analysis was undertaken. A de novo mathematical model was constructed to estimate the incremental costs and incremental quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) associated with alternative strategies compared with a biopsy-all strategy. The tests are assessed first as a replacement for liver biopsy, and secondly as an additional test prior to liver biopsy. Thirty-six scenarios were assessed for each non-invasive test strategy, which varied the sensitivity of biopsy, the anxiety associated with biopsy, sensitivity and specificity values and whether or not the biopsy was percutaneous or transjugular. For each scenario, threshold levels were reported where biopsying all patients was more cost-effective than the strategy for two parameters (the decreased level of abstinence associated with the strategy compared with biopsying all and the level of incidental QALY gain associated with biopsy). No studies were identified that specifically assessed the ELF test, although a study was identified that evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of the European Liver Fibrosis Test (essentially, the ELF test with the addition of age to the algorithm) compared with biopsy. Three studies of FibroTest, no relevant studies of FibroMax, and six studies of FibroScan assessing accuracy compared with biopsy in patients with known or suspected alcohol-related liver disease were identified. In all studies, the number of patients with suspected ALD was small, meaning that the estimated sensitivities and specificities were not robust. No conclusive estimate of the cost per

An assessment of Microtox trademark as a biomonitoring tool for whole effluent testing for Los Alamos National Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zachritz, W.H. II; Morrow, J.

1994-01-01

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) has special discharge problems relating to potential radioactive content of the effluent discharge waters. Because of this all testing must be performed on-site and results must be rapidly determined. There is a need to examine the development of a real-time procedure for effluent biomonitoring to met these site limitations. The Microtox trademark unit for toxicity testing is a microbially-based test system that shows great promise to be used for WET testing. The overall goal of this study is to develop an acceptable protocol for operational biomonitoring using the Microtox trademark toxicity test for LANL. The specific objectives include: development of an appropriate toxicity testing protocol using the Microtox trademark toxicity test for whole effluent toxicity testing and evaluation of the protocol based on factors such as sensitivity, response time, cost of analysis, and simplicity of operation

Non-Invasive Acoustic-Based Monitoring of Heavy Water and Uranium Process Solutions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pantea, Cristian [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Sinha, Dipen N. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Lakis, Rollin Evan [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Beedle, Christopher Craig [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Davis, Eric Sean [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)

2017-10-20

This presentation includes slides on Project Goals; Heavy Water Production Monitoring: A New Challenge for the IAEA; Noninvasive Measurements in SFAI Cell; Large Scatter in Literature Values; Large Scatter in Literature Values; Highest Precision Sound Speed Data Available: New Standard in H/D; ~400 pts of data; Noninvasive Measurements in SFAI Cell; New funding from NA241 SGTech; Uranium Solution Monitoring: Inspired by IAEA Challenge in Kazakhstan; Non-Invasive Acoustic-Based Monitoring of Uranium in Solutions; Non-Invasive Acoustic-Based Monitoring of Uranium in Solutions; and finally a summary.

Diagnostic and prognostic value of non-invasive imaging in known or suspected coronary artery disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schuijf, J.D.; Poldermans, D.; Shaw, L.J.; Jukema, J.W.; Wall, E.E. van der; Lamb, H.J.; Roos, A. de; Wijns, W.; Bax, J.J.

2006-01-01

The role of non-invasive imaging techniques in the evaluation of patients with suspected or known coronary artery disease (CAD) has increased exponentially over the past decade. The traditionally available imaging modalities, including nuclear imaging, stress echocardiography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have relied on detection of CAD by visualisation of its functional consequences (i.e. ischaemia). However, extensive research is being invested in the development of non-invasive anatomical imaging using computed tomography or MRI to allow detection of (significant) atherosclerosis, eventually at a preclinical stage. In addition to establishing the presence of or excluding CAD, identification of patients at high risk for cardiac events is of paramount importance to determine post-test management, and the majority of non-invasive imaging tests can also be used for this purpose. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of the available non-invasive imaging modalities and their merits for the diagnostic and prognostic work-up in patients with suspected or known CAD. (orig.)

WHAT DOES BIOMONITORING REALLY TELL US?

Science.gov (United States)

In January, 2003, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control released the 2nd National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals, a "report card" of biomonitoring information for 116 synthetic chemicals and their metabolites, in addition to the 27 chemicals reported on in 20...

Non-invasive index of liver fibrosis induced by alcohol, thioacetamide and schistosomal infection in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

El-Beltagy Doha M

2010-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Non invasive approaches will likely be increasing utilized to assess liver fibrosis. This work provides a new non invasive index to predict liver fibrosis induced in mice. Methods Fibrosis was generated by thioacetamide (TAA, chronic intake of ethanol, or infection with S. mansoni in 240 mice. Both progression and regression of fibrosis (after treatment with silymarin and/or praziquantel were monitored. The following methods were employed: (i The METAVIR system was utilized to grade and stage liver inflammation and fibosis; (ii Determination of hepatic hydroxyproline and collagen; and (iii Derivation of a new hepatic fibrosis index from the induced changes, and its prospective validation in a group of 70 mice. Results The index is composed of 4 serum variable including total proteins, γ-GT, bilirubin and reduced glutathione (GSH, measured in diseased, treated and normal mice. These parameters were highly correlated with both the histological stage and the grade. They were combined in a logarithmic formula, which non-invasively scores the severity of liver fibrosis through a range (0 to 2, starting with healthy liver (corresponding to stage 0 to advanced fibrosis (corresponding stage 3.Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC for the accuracy of the index to predict the histological stages demonstrated that the areas under the curve (AUC were 0.954, 0.979 and 0.99 for index values corresponding to histological stages 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Also, the index was correlated with stage and grade, (0.947 and 0.859, respectively. The cut off values that cover the range between stages 0-1, 1-2 and 2-3 are 0.4, 1.12 and 1.79, respectively. The results in the validation group confirmed the accuracy of the test. The AUROC was 0.869 and there was good correlation with the stage of fibrosis and grade of inflammation. Conclusion The index fulfils the basic criteria of non-invasive marker of liver fibrosis since it is liver

Integration of non-invasive biometrics with sensory analysis techniques to assess acceptability of beer by consumers.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez Viejo, Claudia; Fuentes, Sigfredo; Howell, Kate; Torrico, Damir D; Dunshea, Frank R

2018-03-05

Traditional sensory tests rely on conscious and self-reported responses from participants. The integration of non-invasive biometric techniques, such as heart rate, body temperature, brainwaves and facial expressions can gather more information from consumers while tasting a product. The main objectives of this study were i) to assess significant differences between beers for all conscious and unconscious responses, ii) to find significant correlations among the different variables from the conscious and unconscious responses and iii) to develop a model to classify beers according to liking using only the unconscious responses. For this study, an integrated camera system with video and infrared thermal imagery (IRTI), coupled with a novel computer application was used. Videos and IRTI were automatically obtained while tasting nine beers to extract biometrics (heart rate, temperature and facial expressions) using computer vision analysis. Additionally, an EEG mobile headset was used to obtain brainwave signals during beer consumption. Consumers assessed foam, color, aroma, mouthfeel, taste, flavor and overall acceptability of beers using a 9-point hedonic scale with results showing a higher acceptability for beers with higher foamability and lower bitterness. i) There were non-significant differences among beers for the emotional and physiological responses, however, significant differences were found for the cognitive and self-reported responses. ii) Results from principal component analysis explained 65% of total data variability and, along with the covariance matrix (p sensory responses of participants and the biometric data obtained. There was a negative correlation between body temperature and liking of foam height and stability, and a positive correlation between theta signals and bitterness. iii) Artificial neural networks were used to develop three models with high accuracy to classify beers according to level of liking (low and high) of three sensory

Invasions by two non-native insects alter regional forest species composition and successional trajectories

Science.gov (United States)

Randall S. Morin; Andrew M. Liebhold

2015-01-01

While invasions of individual non-native phytophagous insect species are known to affect growth and mortality of host trees, little is known about how multiple invasions combine to alter forest dynamics over large regions. In this study we integrate geographical data describing historical invasion spread of the hemlock woolly adelgid, Adelges tsugae...

Quality of life in patients with muscle invasive and non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Singer, S; Ziegler, C; Schwalenberg, T; Hinz, A; Götze, H; Schulte, T

2013-05-01

Compared to the literature on other malignancies, data on quality of life (QoL) in bladder cancer are sparse. This study sought answers to the following questions: In what QoL domains do patients with bladder cancer differ from the general population? Do patients with radical cystectomy differ in QoL compared to those who received conservative treatment? Do patients with neobladder generally have better QoL compared to patients with other diversion methods? At the beginning of inpatient rehabilitation, N = 823 patients with bladder cancer were assessed. Data of a representative community sample (N = 2037) were used for comparison. The questionnaire EORTC QLQ-C30 was used to measure QoL. Multivariate linear regression models were computed to investigate differences between groups. Patients with both non-muscle invasive and muscle invasive bladder cancer reported significantly more problems and worse functioning than the general population. Radiotherapy is associated with clinically relevant more pain, dyspnoea, constipation, appetite loss and decreased social functioning while chemotherapy is associated more with dyspnoea. Cystectomy patients reported more fatigue, appetite loss and decreased role functioning. Male patients ≥70 years with conduit experienced more sleep and emotional problems. These effects of urinary diversion were not observed in women and younger patients. Patients with bladder cancer experience various QoL concerns at the beginning of inpatient rehabilitation. These problems can partly be explained by the type of treatment the patients receive. Type of urinary diversion is relevant for QoL in subgroups of patients.

Non-invasive prenatal testing for sub-saharan Africa: Tailoring ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

BACKGROUND Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for cell-free foetal (cff) RHD genotyping has clinical value to guide pregnancy management for alloimmunised RhD-negative pregnant women and guide antenatal anti-D prophylaxis needs for all D-negative women to prevent alloimmunisation. This assay assumes there ...

Non-invasive terahertz field imaging inside parallel plate waveguides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Iwaszczuk, Krzysztof; Andryieuski, Andrei; Lavrinenko, Andrei

2011-01-01

We present a non-invasive broadband air photonic method of imaging of the electric field of THz pulses propagating inside a tapered parallel plate waveguide. The method is based on field-enhanced second harmonic generation of the fundamental laser beam in an external electric field. We apply...

Non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis using two-dimensional shear wave elastography in patients with autoimmune liver diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Zeng, Jie; Huang, Ze-Ping; Zheng, Jian; Wu, Tao; Zheng, Rong-Qin

2017-07-14

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with autoimmune liver diseases (AILD) using liver biopsy as the reference standard. Patients with AILD who underwent liver biopsy and 2D-SWE were consecutively enrolled. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to assess the overall accuracy and to identify optimal cut-off values. The characteristics of the diagnostic performance were determined for 114 patients with AILD. The areas under the ROC curves for significant fibrosis, severe fibrosis, and cirrhosis were 0.85, 0.85, and 0.86, respectively, and the optimal cut-off values associated with significant fibrosis (≥ F2), severe fibrosis (≥ F3), and cirrhosis (F4) were 9.7 kPa, 13.2 kPa and 16.3 kPa, respectively. 2D-SWE showed sensitivity values of 81.7% for significant fibrosis, 83.0% for severe fibrosis, and 87.0% for cirrhosis, and the respective specificity values were 81.3%, 74.6%, and 80.2%. The overall concordance rate of the liver stiffness measurements obtained using 2D-SWE vs fibrosis stages was 53.5%. 2D-SWE showed promising diagnostic performance for assessing liver fibrosis stages and exhibited high cut-off values in patients with AILD. Low overall concordance rate was observed in the liver stiffness measurements obtained using 2D-SWE vs fibrosis stages.

Molecular Landscape of Non-Muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Meeks, Joshua J; Lerner, Seth P

2017-11-13

In this issue of Cancer Cell, Hurst et al. report an integrated analysis of non-invasive (stage Ta) bladder cancer. Two genomic subtypes are distinguished by chromosome 9q loss, resulting in increased AKT/PI3K/mTOR signaling. Tumors from female patients have a higher frequency of KDM6A mutations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive determination of the complete elastic moduli of spider silks

Science.gov (United States)

Koski, Kristie J.; Akhenblit, Paul; McKiernan, Keri; Yarger, Jeffery L.

2013-03-01

Spider silks possess nature’s most exceptional mechanical properties, with unrivalled extensibility and high tensile strength. Unfortunately, our understanding of silks is limited because the complete elastic response has never been measured—leaving a stark lack of essential fundamental information. Using non-invasive, non-destructive Brillouin light scattering, we obtain the entire stiffness tensors (revealing negative Poisson’s ratios), refractive indices, and longitudinal and transverse sound velocities for major and minor ampullate spider silks: Argiope aurantia, Latrodectus hesperus, Nephila clavipes, Peucetia viridans. These results completely quantify the linear elastic response for all possible deformation modes, information unobtainable with traditional stress-strain tests. For completeness, we apply the principles of Brillouin imaging to spatially map the elastic stiffnesses on a spider web without deforming or disrupting the web in a non-invasive, non-contact measurement, finding variation among discrete fibres, junctions and glue spots. Finally, we provide the stiffness changes that occur with supercontraction.

Pooled biological specimens for human biomonitoring of environmental chemicals: opportunities and limitations.

Science.gov (United States)

Heffernan, Amy L; Aylward, Lesa L; Toms, Leisa-Maree L; Sly, Peter D; Macleod, Matthew; Mueller, Jochen F

2014-01-01

Biomonitoring has become the "gold standard" in assessing chemical exposures, and has an important role in risk assessment. The pooling of biological specimens-combining multiple individual specimens into a single sample-can be used in biomonitoring studies to monitor levels of exposure and identify exposure trends or to identify susceptible populations in a cost-effective manner. Pooled samples provide an estimate of central tendency and may also reveal information about variation within the population. The development of a pooling strategy requires careful consideration of the type and number of samples collected, the number of pools required and the number of specimens to combine per pool in order to maximise the type and robustness of the data. Creative pooling strategies can be used to explore exposure-outcome associations, and extrapolation from other larger studies can be useful in identifying elevated exposures in specific individuals. The use of pooled specimens is advantageous as it saves significantly on analytical costs, may reduce the time and resources required for recruitment and, in certain circumstances, allows quantification of samples approaching the limit of detection. In addition, the use of pooled samples can provide population estimates while avoiding ethical difficulties that may be associated with reporting individual results.

[Clinical guidelines for diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of patients with non-invasive breast cancer].

Science.gov (United States)

Brnijć, Zoran; Brkljacić, Boris; Drinković, Ivan; Jakić-Razumović, Jasminka; Kardum-Skelin, Ika; Krajina, Zdenko; Margaritoni, Marko; Strnad, Marija; Sarcević, Bozena; Tomić, Snjezana; Zic, Rado

2012-01-01

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women. Early diagnosis and more effective treatment of invasive breast cancer resulted in significant mortality reduction, improvement of survival and the quality of life of the patients. The management od non-invasive breast cancer, on the contrary, is still controversial and the problem of overdiagnosis and overtreatment of patients come to evidence. In the following text a multidisciplinary team of experts brings the first consensus guidelines aimed to standardize and optimize the criteria and management in diagnosis, treatment and monitoring of non-invasive breast cancer patients in the Republic of Croatia.

Study of air pollution in Chile using biomonitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cortes, E.; Gras, N.; Guzman, G.; Pereira, I.

1999-01-01

A project has been undertaken within the framework of a Co-ordinated Research Programme (CRP) supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to carry out a long term study on atmospheric air pollution in Chile using biomonitors. The present project aims at the selection of appropriate plants and other indicators for monitoring of air pollution in several cities and rural areas in Chile. Nuclear analytical techniques, in particular neutron activation analysis (NAA) will be used complemented by AAS for the analysis of selected elements and to determine the sources of pollutants and the applicability of biomonitors to study air pollution in large areas, using indicators either naturally grown or artificially introduced to the region under examination. (author)

Novel use of proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1HMRS to non-invasively assess placental metabolism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fiona C Denison

Full Text Available Placental insufficiency is a major cause of antepartum stillbirth and fetal growth restriction (FGR. In affected pregnancies, delivery is expedited when the risks of ongoing pregnancy outweigh those of prematurity. Current tests are unable to assess placental function and determine optimal timing for delivery. An accurate, non-invasive test that clearly defines the failing placenta would address a major unmet clinical need. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1H MRS can be used to assess the metabolic profile of tissue in-vivo. In FGR pregnancies, a reduction in N-acetylaspartate (NAA/choline ratio and detection of lactate methyl are emerging as biomarkers of impaired neuronal metabolism and fetal hypoxia, respectively. However, fetal brain hypoxia is a late and sometimes fatal event in placental compromise, limiting clinical utility of brain (1H MRS to prevent stillbirth. We hypothesised that abnormal placental (1H MRS may be an earlier biomarker of intrauterine hypoxia, affording the opportunity to optimise timing of delivery in at-risk fetuses.We recruited three women with severe placental insufficiency/FGR and three matched controls. Using a 3T MR system and a combination of phased-array coils, a 20×20×40 mm(1H MRS voxel was selected along the 'long-axis' of the placenta with saturation bands placed around the voxel to prevent contaminant signals. A significant choline peak (choline/lipid ratio 1.35-1.79 was detected in all healthy placentae. In contrast, in pregnancies complicated by FGR, the choline/lipid ratio was ≤0.02 in all placentae, despite preservation of the lipid peak (p<0.001.This novel proof-of-concept study suggests that in severe placental insufficiency/FGR, the observed 60-fold reduction in the choline/lipid ratio by (1H MRS may represent an early biomarker of critical placental insufficiency. Further studies will determine performance of this test and the potential role of 1H-MRS in the in-vivo assessment of

miRandola 2017: a curated knowledge base of non-invasive biomarkers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Russo, Francesco; Di Bella, Sebastiano; Vannini, Federica

2018-01-01

miRandola (http://mirandola.iit.cnr.it/) is a database of extracellular non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs) that was initially published in 2012, foreseeing the relevance of ncRNAs as non-invasive biomarkers. An increasing amount of experimental evidence shows that ncRNAs are frequently dysregulated in dise...

Non-invasive nursing technologies for pain relief during childbirth--the Brazilian nurse midwives' view.

Science.gov (United States)

Vargens, Octavio M C; Silva, Alexandra C V; Progianti, Jane M

2013-11-01

to describe the non-invasive care technologies most frequently used by nurse midwives to relieve childbirth pain, and provide a synthesis of studies published by Brazilian nurse midwives on the use of such technologies. a systematic literature review focusing on the non-invasive pain relief strategies used by nurse midwives in Brazil. Surveys of three databases (BDENF, CINAHL and MEDLINE) were conducted between 2002 and 2012. The inclusion criteria were: (1) full-text article available; (2) published between 2002 and 2012; (3) written by Brazilian nurse midwives, and (4) fitting the descriptors: childbirth pain; non-invasive technologies; labour; and pain relief. For purposes of analysis, the technologies mentioned were classified into four main categories of support as they relate to environment, position, tactile stimulation, and energy level. we located 21 scientific articles that met the inclusion criteria and addressed the non-invasive technologies that nurse midwives use to provide pain relief during labour. The technologies most used was: stimulation of breathing and relaxation; use of massage with essential oils; encouraging freedom to move, to walk and the free choice for vertical positioning; use of showers and baths; use of birth ball. Brazilian nurse midwives have made efforts to focus care during delivery on the parturient. By studying and publishing about the non-invasive care technologies they have strengthened de-medicalised knowledge, based on scientific evidence and good outcomes in pain relief during labour. the study presented ideas towards improved theoretical foundations and strategies for establishing practice consonant with humanised care. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of the State of Maximal Hyperemia in the Assessment of Coronary Fractional Flow Reserve Using Non-Invasive Electrical Velocimetry.

Science.gov (United States)

Murasawa, Takahide; Takahashi, Masao; Myojo, Masahiro; Kiyosue, Arihiro; Oguri, Atsushi; Ando, Jiro; Komuro, Issei

2017-05-31

Previous research revealed that, in patients with coronary pressure-derived fractional flow reserve (FFR) in the 'grey zone' (0.75-0.85), repeated FFR assessments sometimes yield conflicting results. One of the causes of the fluctuations in FFR values around the grey zone may be imprecise identification of the point where maximal hyperemia is achieved. Identification of the state of maximal hyperemia during assessment of FFR can be challenging. This study aimed to determine whether non-invasive electrical velocimetry (EV) can be used to identify the state of maximal hyperemia.Stroke volume (SV), SV variation (SVV), and systemic vascular resistance index (SVRI) were determined by EV in 15 patients who underwent FFR assessment. Time intervals from initiation of adenosine infusion to achieving maximal hyperemia (time mFRR ), as well as to achieving maximal cardiac output (CO), SV, SVV, and SVRI (time mCO , time mSV , time mSVV , and time mSVRI , respectively), were determined. Time mCO and time mSVV were closer to time mFRR than other values (time mSVV /time mFRR versus time mSVRI /time mFRR = 1.03 ± 0.2 versus 1.36 ± 0.4, P state of maximal hyperemia.

Sleep-related breathing disorders and non-invasive ventilation

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Agata Lax

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NPPV was originally used in patients with acute respiratory impairment or exacerbations of chronic respiratory diseases, as an alternative to the endotracheal tube. Over the last thirty years NPPV has been also used at night in patients with stable chronic lung disease such as obstructive sleep apnea, the overlap syndrome (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and obstructive sleep apnea, neuromuscular disorders, obesity-hypoventilation syndrome, and in other conditions such as sleep disorders associated with congestive heart failure (Cheyne-Stokes respiration. In this no-systematic review we discuss the different types of NPPV, the specific conditions in which they can be used and the indications, recommendations and evidence supporting the efficacy of NPPV. Optimizing patient acceptance and adherence to non-invasive ventilation treatment is challenging. The treatment of sleep-related disorders is a life-threatening condition. The optimal level of treatment should be determined in a sleep laboratory. Side effects directly affecting the patient’s adherence to treatment are known. The most common are nasopharyngeal symptoms including increased congestion and rhinorrhea; these effects are related to reduced humidity of inspired gas. Humidification of delivered gas may improve these symptoms.

Non- invasive in vivo analysis of a murine aortic graft using high resolution ultrasound microimaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rowinska, Zuzanna; Zander, Simone; Zernecke, Alma; Jacobs, Michael; Langer, Stephan; Weber, Christian; Merx, Marc W.; Koeppel, Thomas A.

2012-01-01

Introduction: As yet, murine aortic grafts have merely been monitored histopathologically. The aim of our study was to examine how these grafts can be monitored in vivo and non-invasively by using high-resolution ultrasound microimaging to evaluate function and morphology. A further aim was to prove if this in vivo monitoring can be correlated to immunohistological data that indicates graft integrity. Methods: Murine infrarenal aortic isografts were orthotopically transplanted into 14 female mice (C57BL/6-Background) whereas a group of sham-operated animals (n = 10) served as controls. To assess the graft morphology and hemodynamics, we examined the mice over a post-operative period of 8 weeks with a sophisticated ultrasound system (Vevo 770, Visual Sonics). Results: The non-invasive graft monitoring was feasible in all transplanted mice. We could demonstrate a regular post-transplant graft function and morphology, such as anterior/posterior wall displacement and wall thickness. Mild alterations of anterior wall motion dynamics could only be observed at the site of distal graft anastomosis (8 weeks after grafting (transplant vs. sham mice: 0.02 mm ± 0.01 vs. 0.03 mm ± 0.01, p < 0.05). However, the integrity of the entire graft wall could be confirmed by histopathological evaluation of the grafts. Conclusions: With regard to graft patency, function and morphology, high resolution ultrasound microimaging has proven to be a valuable tool for longitudinal, non-invasive, in vivo graft monitoring in this murine aortic transplantation model. Consequently, this experimental animal model provides an excellent basis for molecular and pharmacological studies using genetically engineered mice.

Toenail as Non-invasive Biomarker in Metal Toxicity Measurement of Welding Fumes Exposure - A Review

Science.gov (United States)

Bakri, S. F. Z.; Hariri, A.; Ma'arop, N. F.; Hussin, N. S. A. W.

2017-01-01

Workers are exposed to a variety of heavy metal pollutants that are released into the environment as a consequence of workplace activities. This chemical pollutants are incorporated into the human by varies of routes entry and can then be stored and distributed in different tissues, consequently have a potential to lead an adverse health effects and/or diseases. As to minimize the impact, a control measures should be taken to avoid these effects and human biological marker is a very effective tool in the assessment of occupational exposure and potential related risk as the results is normally accurate and reproducible. Toenail is the ideal matrix for most common heavy metals due to its reliability and practicality compared to other biological samples as well as it is a non-invasive and this appears as a huge advantage of toenail as a biomarker. This paper reviews studies that measure the heavy metals concentration in toenail as non-invasive matrix which later may adapt in the investigation of metal fume emitted from welding process. The development of new methodology and modern analytical techniques has allowed the use of toenail as non-invasive approach. The presence of a heavy metal in this matrix reflects an exposure but the correlations between heavy metal levels in the toenail must be established to ensure that these levels are related to the total body burden. These findings suggest that further studies on interactions of these heavy metals in metal fumes utilizing toenail biomarker endpoints are highly warranted especially among welders.

Biomonitoring human exposure to environmental carcinogenic chemicals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Farmer, P.B.; Sepai, O.; Lawrence, R.

1996-01-01

A coordinated study was carried out on the development, evaluation and application of biomonitoring procedures for populations exposed to environmental genotoxic pollutants. The procedures used involved both direct measurement of DNA or protein damage (adducts) and assessment of second biological...... spectrometry). The measurement of adducts was focused on those from genotoxicants that result from petrochemical combustion or processing, e.g. low-molecular-weight alkylating agents, PAHs and compounds that cause oxidative DNA damage. Cytogenetic analysis of lymphocytes was undertaken (micronuclei, chromosome...... aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges) and mutation frequency was estimated at a number of loci including the hprt gene and genes involving in cancer development. Blood and urine samples from individuals exposed to urban pollution were collected. Populations exposed through occupational or medical...

Application of magnetic resonance elastography as a non-invasive technique for diagnosis of liver fibrosis

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YANG Minglei

2016-03-01

Full Text Available At present, liver biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis and grading of liver fibrosis, but its limitations have been widely acknowledged. The non-invasive detection methods are needed in clinical practice, and at present, magnetic resonance elastography (MRE is a hot research topic. This article reviews the advances in the clinical application of MRE in related fields, and studies have shown that MRE has a high diagnostic value due to its high sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis and grading of liver fibrosis and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve as high as 0.95. Compared with serological and other imaging diagnostic methods, MRE can determine fibrosis stage more accurately and has good reproducibility and objectivity. MRE can be widely applied in all patients except those with hemochromatosis, with special advantages in the diagnosis for patients with obesity and ascites, and can make up for the disadvantages of other methods. This article points out that MRE may become the best non-invasive method for the assessment of liver fibrosis, especially advanced fibrosis.

Fruit of Morus nigra and Morus alba as environmental biomonitor. An elemental analysis by k0-instrumental neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohammad Wasim; Sajid Iqbal; Sohaila Rahman

2016-01-01

In this study, potential of fruit of Morus nigra and Morus alba was evaluated as short-term biomonitor. Each variety of the fruits was collected from 13 different locations of Islamabad with different level of pollution. Both fruits were quantified by k 0 -instrumental neutron activation analysis. Pollution level was assessed by the application of enrichment factor (EF) and principal component analysis (PCA). EF revealed a source of (As, Hg, I and Se) and PCA showed the areas of high dust level. The overall analysis suggested that both fruits could be used as short-term biomonitor. (author)

A New Quantitative Method for the Non-Invasive Documentation of Morphological Damage in Paintings Using RTI Surface Normals

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Marcello Manfredi

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper we propose a reliable surface imaging method for the non-invasive detection of morphological changes in paintings. Usually, the evaluation and quantification of changes and defects results mostly from an optical and subjective assessment, through the comparison of the previous and subsequent state of conservation and by means of condition reports. Using quantitative Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI we obtain detailed information on the geometry and morphology of the painting surface with a fast, precise and non-invasive method. Accurate and quantitative measurements of deterioration were acquired after the painting experienced artificial damage. Morphological changes were documented using normal vector images while the intensity map succeeded in highlighting, quantifying and describing the physical changes. We estimate that the technique can detect a morphological damage slightly smaller than 0.3 mm, which would be difficult to detect with the eye, considering the painting size. This non-invasive tool could be very useful, for example, to examine paintings and artwork before they travel on loan or during a restoration. The method lends itself to automated analysis of large images and datasets. Quantitative RTI thus eases the transition of extending human vision into the realm of measuring change over time.

Applicability of Non-Invasive Sampling in Population Genetic Study of Taiwanese Macaques (Macaca cyclopis

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Jui-Hua Chu

2006-12-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a pilot study conducted to test the applicability of non-invasive sampling approach in population genetic studies of Taiwanese macaques (Macaca cyclopis. Monkey feces were collected in the field and used as non-invasive DNA sources. PCR success rates of both microsatellite and mitochondrial DNA markers were examined. When compared with other studies by non-invasive genetic sampling of different mammal species, success rate of microsatellite PCR amplification is low (42.4%, N = 181 while that of mtDNA PCR amplification is acceptable (66.5%, N = 334. The low PCR success rate and poor PCR repeatability of microsatellite alleles due to allelic dropout and false alleles make it difficult to obtain a reliable microsatellite data set. However, the difficulties may be overcome by new techniques.

Structured telephone support or non-invasive telemonitoring for patients with heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Inglis, Sally C; Clark, Robyn A; Dierckx, Riet; Prieto-Merino, David; Cleland, John G F

2015-10-31

Specialised disease management programmes for heart failure aim to improve care, clinical outcomes and/or reduce healthcare utilisation. Since the last version of this review in 2010, several new trials of structured telephone support and non-invasive home telemonitoring have been published which have raised questions about their effectiveness. To review randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of structured telephone support or non-invasive home telemonitoring compared to standard practice for people with heart failure, in order to quantify the effects of these interventions over and above usual care. We updated the searches of the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects (DARE), Health Technology AsseFssment Database (HTA) on the Cochrane Library; MEDLINE (OVID), EMBASE (OVID), CINAHL (EBSCO), Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Conference Proceedings Citation Index- Science (CPCI-S) on Web of Science (Thomson Reuters), AMED, Proquest Theses and Dissertations, IEEE Xplore and TROVE in January 2015. We handsearched bibliographies of relevant studies and systematic reviews and abstract conference proceedings. We applied no language limits. We included only peer-reviewed, published RCTs comparing structured telephone support or non-invasive home telemonitoring to usual care of people with chronic heart failure. The intervention or usual care could not include protocol-driven home visits or more intensive than usual (typically four to six weeks) clinic follow-up. We present data as risk ratios (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Primary outcomes included all-cause mortality, all-cause and heart failure-related hospitalisations, which we analysed using a fixed-effect model. Other outcomes included length of stay, health-related quality of life, heart failure knowledge and self care, acceptability and cost; we described and tabulated these. We performed meta-regression to assess homogeneity (the

Assessing the impacts of lifetime sun exposure on skin damage and skin aging using a non-invasive method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimlin, Michael G.; Guo, Yuming

2012-01-01

Background: Ultraviolet radiation exposure during an individuals' lifetime is a known risk factor for the development of skin cancer. However, less evidence is available on assessing the relationship between lifetime sun exposure and skin damage and skin aging. Objectives: This study aims to assess the relationship between lifetime sun exposure and skin damage and skin aging using a non-invasive measure of exposure. Methods: We recruited 180 participants (73 males, 107 females) aged 18–83 years. Digital imaging of skin hyperpigmentation (skin damage) and skin wrinkling (skin aging) on the facial region was measured. Lifetime sun exposure (presented as hours) was calculated from the participants' age multiplied by the estimated annual time outdoors for each year of life. We analyzed the effects of lifetime sun exposure on skin damage and skin aging. We adjust for the influence of age, sex, occupation, history of skin cancer, eye color, hair color, and skin color. Results: There were non-linear relationships between lifetime sun exposure and skin damage and skin aging. Younger participant's skin is much more sensitive to sun exposure than those who were over 50 years of age. As such, there were negative interactions between lifetime sun exposure and age. Age had linear effects on skin damage and skin aging. Conclusion: The data presented showed that self reported lifetime sun exposure was positively associated with skin damage and skin aging, in particular, the younger people. Future health promotion for sun exposure needs to pay attention to this group for skin cancer prevention messaging. - Highlights: ► This is the first study finding the non-linear relationship between lifetime sun exposure and skin damage and skin aging. ► This study finds there is negative interaction between lifetime sun exposure and age for skin damage and aging. ► This study suggests that future health promotion for sun exposure needs to pay attention to youth group for skin cancer

Assessing the impacts of lifetime sun exposure on skin damage and skin aging using a non-invasive method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kimlin, Michael G., E-mail: m.kimlin@qut.edu.au; Guo, Yuming, E-mail: guoyuming@yahoo.cn

2012-05-15

Background: Ultraviolet radiation exposure during an individuals' lifetime is a known risk factor for the development of skin cancer. However, less evidence is available on assessing the relationship between lifetime sun exposure and skin damage and skin aging. Objectives: This study aims to assess the relationship between lifetime sun exposure and skin damage and skin aging using a non-invasive measure of exposure. Methods: We recruited 180 participants (73 males, 107 females) aged 18-83 years. Digital imaging of skin hyperpigmentation (skin damage) and skin wrinkling (skin aging) on the facial region was measured. Lifetime sun exposure (presented as hours) was calculated from the participants' age multiplied by the estimated annual time outdoors for each year of life. We analyzed the effects of lifetime sun exposure on skin damage and skin aging. We adjust for the influence of age, sex, occupation, history of skin cancer, eye color, hair color, and skin color. Results: There were non-linear relationships between lifetime sun exposure and skin damage and skin aging. Younger participant's skin is much more sensitive to sun exposure than those who were over 50 years of age. As such, there were negative interactions between lifetime sun exposure and age. Age had linear effects on skin damage and skin aging. Conclusion: The data presented showed that self reported lifetime sun exposure was positively associated with skin damage and skin aging, in particular, the younger people. Future health promotion for sun exposure needs to pay attention to this group for skin cancer prevention messaging. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This is the first study finding the non-linear relationship between lifetime sun exposure and skin damage and skin aging. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This study finds there is negative interaction between lifetime sun exposure and age for skin damage and aging. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer This study suggests that future

Evaluation of non-invasive trunk sprays and trunk-injected emamectic benzoate

Science.gov (United States)

Deborah G. McCullough; D.L. Cappaert; T.M. Poland; A.C. Anulewicz; P. Lewis; J. Molongoski

2008-01-01

In 2007, we continued to evaluate two neo-nicotinoid insecticides, imidacloprid and dinotefuron, applied as non-invasive trunk sprays to control emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire. Neo-nicotinoid products are widely used to protect landscape ash trees because they are relatively safe for humans and non-target species. These...

NON-INVASIVE EVALUATION OF NERVE CONDUCTION IN SMALL DIAMETER FIBERS IN THE RAT.

Science.gov (United States)

Zotova, Elena G; Arezzo, Joseph C

2013-01-01

A novel non-invasive technique was applied to measure velocity within slow conducting axons in the distal extreme of the sciatic nerve (i.e., digital nerve) in a rat model. The technique is based on the extraction of rectified multiple unit activity (MUA) from in vivo whole nerve compound responses. This method reliably identifies compound action potentials in thinly myelinated fibers conducting at a range of 9-18 m/s (Aδ axons), as well as in a subgroup of unmylinated C fibers conducting at approximately 1-2 m/s. The sensitivity of the method to C-fiber conduction was confirmed by the progressive decrement of the responses in the 1-2 m/s range over a 20-day period following the topical application of capsaicin (ANOVA p <0.03). Increasing the frequency of applied repetitive stimulation over a range of 0.75 Hz to 6.0 Hz produced slowing of conduction and a significant decrease in the magnitude of the compound C-fiber response (ANOVA p <0.01). This technique offers a unique opportunity for the non-invasive, repeatable, and quantitative assessment of velocity in the subsets of Aδ and C fibers in parallel with evaluation of fast nerve conduction.

Simulation based investigation of source-detector configurations for non-invasive fetal pulse oximetry

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Böttrich Marcel

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Transabdominal fetal pulse oximetry is a method to monitor the oxygen supply of the unborn child non-invasively. Due to the measurement setup, the received signal of the detector is composed of photons coding purely maternal and photons coding mixed fetal-maternal information. To analyze the wellbeing of the fetus, the fetal signal is extracted from the mixed component. In this paper we assess source-detector configurations, such that the mixed fetal-maternal components of the acquired signals are maximized. Monte-Carlo method is used to simulate light propagation and photon distribution in tissue. We use a plane layer and a spherical layer geometry to model the abdomen of a pregnant woman. From the simulations we extracted the fluence at the detector side for several source-detector distances and analyzed the ratio of the mixed fluence component to total fluence. Our simulations showed that the power of the mixed component depends on the source-detector distance as expected. Further we were able to visualize hot spot areas in the spherical layer model where the mixed fluence ratio reaches the highest level. The results are of high importance for sensor design considering signal composition and quality for non-invasive fetal pulse oximetry.

Non-invasive technology to determine the haemoglobin level of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Predonation haemoglobin (Hb) check has been done traditionally by the copper sulphate (CuSO4), or the haemocue haemoglobinometer methods. Both of these require a fingerprick of the donor to obtain capillary blood samples. It is thought that a non-invasive, but accurate method of Hb check will reduce ...

Non-invasive quality evaluation of confluent cells by image-based orientation heterogeneity analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sasaki, Kei; Sasaki, Hiroto; Takahashi, Atsuki; Kang, Siu; Yuasa, Tetsuya; Kato, Ryuji

2016-02-01

In recent years, cell and tissue therapy in regenerative medicine have advanced rapidly towards commercialization. However, conventional invasive cell quality assessment is incompatible with direct evaluation of the cells produced for such therapies, especially in the case of regenerative medicine products. Our group has demonstrated the potential of quantitative assessment of cell quality, using information obtained from cell images, for non-invasive real-time evaluation of regenerative medicine products. However, image of cells in the confluent state are often difficult to evaluate, because accurate recognition of cells is technically difficult and the morphological features of confluent cells are non-characteristic. To overcome these challenges, we developed a new image-processing algorithm, heterogeneity of orientation (H-Orient) processing, to describe the heterogeneous density of cells in the confluent state. In this algorithm, we introduced a Hessian calculation that converts pixel intensity data to orientation data and a statistical profiling calculation that evaluates the heterogeneity of orientations within an image, generating novel parameters that yield a quantitative profile of an image. Using such parameters, we tested the algorithm's performance in discriminating different qualities of cellular images with three types of clinically important cell quality check (QC) models: remaining lifespan check (QC1), manipulation error check (QC2), and differentiation potential check (QC3). Our results show that our orientation analysis algorithm could predict with high accuracy the outcomes of all types of cellular quality checks (>84% average accuracy with cross-validation). Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive carboxyhemoglobin monitoring: screening emergency medical services patients for carbon monoxide exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Nilson, Douglas; Partridge, Robert; Suner, Selim; Jay, Gregory

2010-01-01

Carbon monoxide (CO) toxicity is a significant health problem. The use of non-invasive pulse CO-oximetry screening in the emergency department has demonstrated that the rapid screening of numerous individuals for CO toxicity is simple and capable of identifying occult cases of CO toxicity. The objective of this study was to extend the use of this handheld device to the prehospital arena, assess carboxyhemoglobin (SpCO) levels in emergency medical services (EMS) patients, and correlate these levels with clinical and demographic data. This was a retrospective, observational, chart review of adult patients transported to hospital emergency departments by urban fire department EMS ambulances during a six-week period. Each ambulance used a non-invasive pulse CO-oximeter (Rad-57, Masimo Inc.) to record patients' COHb concentrations (SpCO) along with the standard EMS assessment data. Spearman's Rank Correlation tests and Student's t-tests were used to analyze the data and calculate relationships between SpCO and other variables (age, gender, respiratory rate, heart rate, mean arterial pressure, and oxygen saturation measured by pulse oximetry). A total of 36.4% of the patients transported during the study had SpCO documented. Of the 1,017 adults included in this group, 11 (1.1%) had an SpCO >15%. There was no correlation between SpCO and heart rate, ventilatory rate, mean arterial pressure, and oxygen saturation. Screening for CO toxicity in the EMS setting is possible, and may aid in the early detection and treatment of CO-poisoned patients.

Non-invasive monitoring of pulmonary artery pressure from timing information by EIT: experimental evaluation during induced hypoxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Proença, Martin; Braun, Fabian; Solà, Josep; Adler, Andy; Lemay, Mathieu; Thiran, Jean-Philippe; Rimoldi, Stefano F

2016-06-01

Monitoring of pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) in pulmonary hypertensive patients is currently limited to invasive solutions. We investigate a novel non-invasive approach for continuous monitoring of PAP, based on electrical impedance tomography (EIT), a safe, low-cost and non-invasive imaging technology. EIT recordings were performed in three healthy subjects undergoing hypoxia-induced PAP variations. The pulmonary pulse arrival time (PAT), a timing parameter physiologically linked to the PAP, was automatically calculated from the EIT signals. Values were compared to systolic PAP values from Doppler echocardiography, and yielded strong correlation scores ([Formula: see text]) for all three subjects. Results suggest the feasibility of non-invasive, unsupervised monitoring of PAP.

Non-invasive prenatal detection of achondroplasia using circulating fetal DNA in maternal plasma.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Ji Hyae; Kim, Mee Jin; Kim, Shin Young; Kim, Hye Ok; Song, Mee Jin; Kim, Min Hyoung; Park, So Yeon; Yang, Jae Hyug; Ryu, Hyun Mee

2011-02-01

To perform a reliable non-invasive detection of the fetal achondroplasia using maternal plasma. We developed a quantitative fluorescent-polymerase chain reaction (QF-PCR) method suitable for detection of the FGFR3 mutation (G1138A) causing achondroplasia. This method was applied in a non-invasive detection of the fetal achondroplasia using circulating fetal-DNA (cf-DNA) in maternal plasma. Maternal plasmas were obtained at 27 weeks of gestational age from women carrying an achondroplasia fetus or a normal fetus. Two percent or less achondroplasia DNA was reliably detected by QF-PCR. In a woman carrying a normal fetus, analysis of cf-DNA showed only one peak of the wild-type G allele. In a woman expected an achondroplasia fetus, analysis of cf-DNA showed the two peaks of wild-type G allele and mutant-type A allele and accurately detected the fetal achondroplasia. The non-invasive method using maternal plasma and QF-PCR may be useful for diagnosis of the fetal achondroplasia.

Italian network for human biomonitoring of metals: preliminary results from two regions

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Beatrice Bocca

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The Italian program for human biomonitoring (HBM of chemical elements, PROgram for Biomonitoring of the Exposure (PROBE, started in 2008 with the aim to provide the knowledge about risk assessment of the Italian population following the environmental exposure to metals. The project is implemented through a HBM campaign for the production of data on 19 metals in the blood and serum of subjects living in different Italian Regions. The metals studied are: antimony, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, cobalt, iridium, lead, manganese, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, palladium, platinum, rhodium, thallium, tin, tungsten, uranium and vanadium. The first phase of the project has included the development and validation of laboratory protocols for the collection of fluids and quantification of metals. The second phase provides the HBM data expressed as the reference values (RVs for the Italian population, i.e., as the level of metals in the general population not occupationally exposed. In this paper, the experimental protocols used for the maintenance of high standards of analysis and the RVs for metals in serum of inhabitants of two Italian Regions (Calabria and Umbria are described.

An overview of human biomonitoring of environmental chemicals in the Canadian Health Measures Survey: 2007-2019.

Science.gov (United States)

Haines, Douglas A; Saravanabhavan, Gurusankar; Werry, Kate; Khoury, Cheryl

2017-03-01

assessment and management decisions; and fulfil national and international reporting requirements. Concurrent efforts are underway in Canada to develop statistically- and risk-based concepts and tools to interpret biomonitoring data. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive Blood Glucose Quantification Using a Hybrid Sensor

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Sundararajan JAYAPAL

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Diabetes Mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases characterized by high blood sugar (glucose levels which result from defects in insulin secretion. It is very important for the diabetics and normal people to have a correct blood glucose level. The HbA1c test is the most preferred test by renowned doctors for glucose quantification. But this test is an invasive one. At present, there are many available techniques for this purpose but these are mostly invasive or minimally non-invasive and most of these are under research. Among the different methods available, the photo acoustic (PA methods provide a reliable solution since the acoustical energy loss is much less compared to the optical or other techniques. Here a novel framework is presented for blood glucose level measurement using a combination of the HbA1c test and a PA method to get an absolutely consistent and precise, non-invasive technique. The setup uses a pulsed laser diode with pulse duration of 5-15 ns and at a repetition rate of 10 Hz as the source. The detector setup is based on the piezoelectric detection. It consists of a ring detector that includes two double ring sensors that are attached to the ring shaped module that can be worn around the finger. The major aim is to detect the photo acoustic signals from the glycated hemoglobin with the least possible error. The proposed monitoring system is designed with extreme consideration to precision and compatibility with the other computing devices. The results obtained in this research have been studied and analyzed by comparing these with those of in-vitro techniques like the HPLC. The comparison has been plotted and it shows a least error. The results also show a positive drive for using this concept as a basis for future extension in quantifying the other blood components.

Comparison of trace metal bioavailabilities in European coastal waters using mussels from Mytilus edulis complex as biomonitors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Przytarska, J.E.; Sokołowski, A.; Wołowicz, M.; Hummel, H.; Jansen, J.M.

2010-01-01

Mussels from Mytilus edulis complex were used as biomonitors of the trace metals Fe, Mn, Pb, Zn, and Cu at 17 sampling sites to assess the relative bioavailability of metals in coastal waters around the European continent. Because accumulated metal concentrations in a given area can differ

A simple non-invasive method for measuring gross brain size in small live fish with semi-transparent heads

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Joacim Näslund

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a non-invasive method for estimating gross brain size in small fish with semi-transparent heads, using system camera equipment. Macro-photographs were taken from above on backlit free-swimming fish undergoing light anaesthesia. From the photographs, the width of the optic tectum was measured. This measure (TeO-measure correlates well with the width of the optic tectum as measured from out-dissected brains in both brown trout fry and zebrafish (Pearson r > 0.90. The TeO-measure also correlates well with overall brain wet weight in brown trout fry (r = 0.90, but less well for zebrafish (r = 0.79. A non-invasive measure makes it possible to quickly assess brain size from a large number of individuals, as well as repeatedly measuring brain size of live individuals allowing calculation of brain growth.

Potential external contamination with bisphenol A and other ubiquitous organic environmental chemicals during biomonitoring analysis: an elusive laboratory challenge.

Science.gov (United States)

Ye, Xiaoyun; Zhou, Xiaoliu; Hennings, Ryan; Kramer, Joshua; Calafat, Antonia M

2013-03-01

Biomonitoring studies are conducted to assess internal dose (i.e., body burden) to environmental chemicals. However, because of the ubiquitous presence in the environment of some of these chemicals, such as bisphenol A (BPA), external contamination during handling and analysis of the biospecimens collected for biomonitoring evaluations could compromise the reported concentrations of such chemicals. We examined the contamination with the target analytes during analysis of biological specimens in biomonitoring laboratories equipped with state-of-the-art analytical instrumentation. We present several case studies using the quantitative determination of BPA and other organic chemicals (i.e., benzophenone-3, triclosan, parabens) in human urine, milk, and serum to identify potential contamination sources when the biomarkers measured are ubiquitous environmental contaminants. Contamination with target analytes during biomonitoring analysis could result from solvents and reagents, the experimental apparatus used, the laboratory environment, and/or even the analyst. For biomonotoring data to be valid-even when obtained from high-quality analytical methods and good laboratory practices-the following practices must be followed to identify and track unintended contamination with the target analytes during analysis of the biological specimens: strict quality control measures including use of laboratory blanks; replicate analyses; engineering controls (e.g., clean rooms, biosafety cabinets) as needed; and homogeneous matrix-based quality control materials within the expected concentration ranges of the study samples.

Non invasive methods for genetic analysis applied to ecological and behavioral studies in Latino-America

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Susana González

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Documenting the presence and abundance of the neotropical mammals is the first step for understanding their population ecology, behavior and genetic dynamics in designing conservation plans. The combination of field research with molecular genetics techniques are new tools that provide valuable biological information avoiding the disturbance in the ecosystems, trying to minimize the human impact in the process to gather biological information. The objective of this paper is to review the available non invasive sampling techniques that have been used in Neotropical mammal studies to apply to determine the presence and abundance, population structure, sex ratio, taxonomic diagnostic using mitochondrial markers, and assessing genetic variability using nuclear markers. There are a wide range of non invasive sampling techniques used to determine the species identification that inhabit an area such as searching for tracks, feces, and carcasses. Other useful equipment is the camera traps that can generate an image bank that can be valuable to assess species presence and abundance by morphology. With recent advances in molecular biology, it is now possible to use the trace amounts of DNA in feces and amplify it to analyze the species diversity in an area, and the genetic variability at intraspecific level. This is particularly helpful in cases of sympatric and cryptic species in which morphology failed to diagnose the taxonomic status of several species of brocket deer of the genus Mazama.

Higher plants as biomonitors of radionuclides in urban air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ajtic, J.; Todorovic, D.; Popovic, D.; Nikolic, J.

2011-01-01

Two deciduous tree genera, linden (Tilia tomentosa L. and Tilia cordata Mill.) and chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum L.), are analysed as biomonitors of 210 Pb and 7 Be in air. In a multi year study (2002 - 2009), conducted in three city parks in Belgrade, the content of 210 Pb and 7 Be in samples of leaves of linden and chestnut trees, and aerosols was determined on an HPGe detector by standard gamma spectrometry. The differences seen in the radionuclides' activities across the measurement sites and between the tree genera are not significant, suggesting that the micro climate, level of air pollution and physiological characteristics of the trees have a negligible effect on the radionuclides' activities in leaves. Linear Pearson's correlation coefficients are used to correlate the 210 Pb and 7 Be activities in aerosols and in leaves. The results show that linden could be used as a 210 Pb biomonitor which provides information on the recent history of exposure. No large positive correlation is found for the 7 Be activities in leaves and aerosols, indicating that higher plants are not a suitable biomonitor for this radionuclide. [sr

Multidisciplinary benefits from biomonitoring studies of cooling reservoirs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowers, J.A.; Gladden, J.B.

1990-01-01

Therefore, biomonitoring studies of once-through cooling reservoirs for nuclear reactors not only provide field and laboratory information for environmental compliance, but also offer results which benefit lake and reservoir management constructs and limnetic community ecology. Biomonitoring programs have been performed at the Department of Energy's Savannah River Site to provide information fro compliance with Section 316a of the Clean Water Act. On Par Pond and Pond B comprehensive field efforts monitored nutrient chemistry, plankton populations, fisheries, benthic assemblages, and littoral zone biota from 1983 through 1985. A similar effort, begun in 1985 and continuing through 1992, is in progress on L Lake. Results have indicated that nonplanned whole-basin manipulations and the comprehensive intensity of monitoring studies offer new insights into how limnetic communities function

Non-invasive biomarkers and pulmonary function in smokers

OpenAIRE

Borrill, Zo? L; Roy, Kay; Vessey, Rupert S; Woodcock, Ashley A; Singh, Dave

2008-01-01

Zoë L Borrill1, Kay Roy1, Rupert S Vessey2, Ashley A Woodcock1, Dave Singh11Medicines Evaluation Unit, University of Manchester, Wythenshawe Hospital, Southmoor Rd, Manchester, UK; 2Glaxo Smith Kline, Philadelphia, USAAbstract: Limited information exists regarding measurement, reproducibility and interrelationships of non-invasive biomarkers in smokers. We compared exhaled breath condensate (EBC) leukotriene B4 (LTB4) and 8-isoprostane, exhaled nitric oxide, induced sputum, spirometr...

Is the effect of non-invasive ventilation on survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis age-dependent?

OpenAIRE

Siirala, Waltteri; Aantaa, Riku; Olkkola, Klaus T; Saaresranta, Tarja; Vuori, Arno

2013-01-01

Background Hypoventilation due to respiratory muscle atrophy is the most common cause of death as a result of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Patients aged over 65?years and presenting bulbar symptoms are likely to have a poorer prognosis. The aim of the study was to assess the possible impact of age and treatment with non-invasive ventilation (NIV) on survival in ALS. Based on evidence from earlier studies, it was hypothesized that NIV increases rates of survival regardless of age. Meth...

Actinic Keratosis and Non-Invasive Diagnostic Techniques: An Update

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Casari, Alice; Chester, Johanna; Pellacani, Giovanni

2018-01-01

Actinic keratosis represents the earliest manifestation of non-melanoma skin cancer. Because of their risk of progression to invasive squamous cell carcinoma, an earlier diagnosis and treatment are mandatory. Their diagnosis sometimes could represent a challenge even for expert dermatologists. Dermoscopy, confocal laser microscopy and optical coherence tomography could help clinicians in diagnosis. PMID:29316678

Urinary exosomes: a novel means to non-invasively assess changes in renal gene and protein expression.

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Silvia Spanu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: In clinical practice, there is a lack of markers for the non-invasive diagnosis and follow-up of kidney disease. Exosomes are membrane vesicles, which are secreted from their cells of origin into surrounding body fluids and contain proteins and mRNA which are protected from digestive enzymes by a cell membrane. METHODS: Toxic podocyte damage was induced by puromycin aminonucleoside in rats (PAN. Urinary exosomes were isolated by ultracentrifugation at different time points during the disease. Exosomal mRNA was isolated, amplified, and the mRNA species were globally assessed by gene array analysis. Tissue-specific gene and protein expression was assessed by RT-qPCR analysis and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Gene array analysis of mRNA isolated from urinary exosomes revealed cystatin C mRNA as one of the most highly regulated genes. Its gene expression increased 7.5-fold by day 5 and remained high with a 1.9-fold increase until day 10. This was paralleled by a 2-fold increase in cystatin C mRNA expression in the renal cortex. Protein expression in the kidneys also dramatically increased with de novo expression of cystatin C in glomerular podocytes in parts of the proximal tubule and the renal medulla. Urinary excretion of cystatin C increased approximately 2-fold. CONCLUSION: In this proof-of-concept study, we could demonstrate that changes in urinary exosomal cystatin C mRNA expression are representative of changes in renal mRNA and protein expression. Because cells lining the urinary tract produce urinary exosomal cystatin C mRNA, it might be a more specific marker of renal damage than glomerular-filtered free cystatin C.

Non-invasive assessment of kidney allograft fibrosis with shear wave elastography: A radiological-pathological correlation analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Maggie Km; Law, Helen Kw; Tse, Kin Sun; Chan, Kwok Wah; Chan, Gary Cw; Yap, Desmond Yh; Mok, Maggie My; Kwan, Lorraine Py; Tang, Sydney Cw; Choy, Bo Ying; Chan, Tak Mao

2018-02-14

To evaluate the use of shear wave elastography in assessment of kidney allograft tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Shear wave elastography assessment was carried out by two independent operators in kidney transplant recipients who underwent allograft biopsy for clinical indications (i.e. rising creatinine >15% or proteinuria >1 g/day). Allograft biopsies were interpreted by the same pathologist according to the 2013 Banff Classification. A total of 40 elastography scans were carried out (median creatinine 172.5 μmol/L [interquartile range 133.8-281.8 μmol/L]). Median tissue stiffness at the cortex (22.6 kPa [interquartile range 18.8-25.7 kPa] vs 22.3 kPa [interquartile range 19.0-26.5 kPa], P = 0.70) and medulla (15.0 kPa [interquartile range 13.7-18.0 kPa] vs 15.6 kPa [interquartile range 14.4-18.2 kPa]) showed no significant differences between the two observers. Interobserver agreement was satisfactory (intraclass correlation coefficient of the cortex 0.84, 95% CI 0.70-0.92 and intraclass correlation coefficient of the medulla 0.88, 95% CI 0.78-0.94). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves for detection of tubulointerstitial fibrosis were estimated to be 0.75 (95% CI 0.61-0.89), 0.85 (95% CI 0.75-0.95) and 0.65 (95% CI 0.53-0.78) for cortical, medullary tissue stiffness and serum creatinine, respectively. Shear wave elastography can be used as a non-invasive tool to evaluate kidney allograft fibrosis with reasonable interobserver agreement and superior test performance to serum creatinine in detecting early tubulointerstitial fibrosis. © 2018 The Japanese Urological Association.

Tillandsia usneoides L, a biomonitor in the determination of Ce, La and Sm by neutron activation analysis in an industrial corridor in Central Mexico

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Isaac-Olivé, K.; Solís, C.; Martínez-Carrillo, M.A; Andrade, E.; López, C.; Longoria, L.C.; Lucho-Constantino, C.A.; Beltrán-Hernández, R.I.

2012-01-01

The atmosphere of the Tula Industrial Corridor in Central Mexico is contaminated due to several industries including oil refining while station monitoring in this area are limited. Lanthanides are considered fingerprint of oil refinery activities, and La, Ce and Sm have been previously detected in this area using filters. The suitability of T. usneoides as a biomonitor assessing the La, Ce and Sm concentrations in Particulate Matter is evaluated by NAA. Results of both biomonitor and filters are highly correlated.

Tillandsia usneoides L, a biomonitor in the determination of Ce, La and Sm by neutron activation analysis in an industrial corridor in Central Mexico

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Isaac-Olive, K. [Facultad de Medicina. Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Mexico, Paseo Tollocan s/n, esq. Jesus Carranza, Toluca, 50120 Estado de Mexico (Mexico); Solis, C., E-mail: corina@fisica.unam.mx [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 04510 Mexico DF (Mexico); Martinez-Carrillo, M.A; Andrade, E. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 04510 Mexico DF (Mexico); Lopez, C.; Longoria, L.C. [Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Nucleares (ININ), Salazar, 50045 Estado de Mexico (Mexico); Lucho-Constantino, C.A. [Universidad Politecnica de Pachuca, Carretera Pachuca-Cd. Sahagun, Km. 20., Hidalgo, Mexico (Mexico); Beltran-Hernandez, R.I. [Centro de Investigaciones Quimicas, Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Hidalgo. Carretera Pachuca-Tulancingo km. 4.5, 42184, Pachuca, Hidalgo (Mexico)

2012-04-15

The atmosphere of the Tula Industrial Corridor in Central Mexico is contaminated due to several industries including oil refining while station monitoring in this area are limited. Lanthanides are considered fingerprint of oil refinery activities, and La, Ce and Sm have been previously detected in this area using filters. The suitability of T. usneoides as a biomonitor assessing the La, Ce and Sm concentrations in Particulate Matter is evaluated by NAA. Results of both biomonitor and filters are highly correlated.

Non-invasive diagnostic methods in dentistry

Science.gov (United States)

Todea, Carmen

2016-03-01

The paper, will present the most important non-invasive methods for diagnostic, in different fields of dentistry. Moreover, the laser-based methods will be emphasis. In orthodontics, 3D laser scanners are increasingly being used to establish database for normative population and cross-sectional growth changes but also to asses clinical outcomes in orthognatic surgical and non-surgical treatments. In prevention the main methods for diagnostic of demineralization and caries detection in early stages are represented by laser fluorescence - Quantitative Light Florescence (QLF); DiagnoDent-system-655nm; FOTI-Fiberoptic transillumination; DIFOTI-Digital Imaging Fiberoptic transillumination; and Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT). In odontology, Laser Doppler Flowmetry (LDF) is a noninvasive real time method used for determining the tooth vitality by monitoring the pulp microcirculation in traumatized teeth, fractured teeth, and teeth undergoing different conservative treatments. In periodontology, recently study shows the ability of LDF to evaluate the health of gingival tissue in periodontal tissue diseases but also after different periodontal treatments.

Phenotypes and genotypes of erythromycin-resistant Streptococcus pyogenes strains isolated from invasive and non-invasive infections from Mexico and the USA during 1999–2010

Science.gov (United States)

Villaseñor-Sierra, Alberto; Katahira, Eva; Jaramillo-Valdivia, Abril N.; de los Angeles Barajas-García, María; Bryant, Amy; Morfín-Otero, Rayo; Márquez-Díaz, Francisco; Tinoco, Juan Carlos; Sánchez-Corona, José; Stevens, Dennis L.

2012-01-01

Summary Objective To compare the prevalence, phenotypes, and genes responsible for erythromycin resistance among Streptococcus pyogenes isolates from Mexico and the USA. Methods Eighty-nine invasive and 378 non-invasive isolates from Mexico, plus 148 invasive, 21 non-invasive, and five unclassified isolates from the USA were studied. Susceptibilities to penicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, ceftriaxone, and vancomycin were evaluated according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) standards. Phenotypes of erythromycin resistance were identified by triple disk test, and screening for mefA, ermTR, and ermB genes was carried out by PCR. Results All isolates were susceptible to penicillin, ceftriaxone, and vancomycin. Erythromycin resistance was found in 4.9% of Mexican strains and 5.2% of USA strains. Phenotypes in Mexican strains were 95% M and 5% cMLS; in strains from the USA, phenotypes were 33.3% iMLS, 33.3% iMLS-D, and 33.3% M. Erythromycin resistance genes in strains from Mexico were mefA (95%) and ermB (5%); USA strains harbored ermTR (56%), mefA (33%), and none (11%). In Mexico, all erythromycin-resistant strains were non-invasive, whereas 89% of strains from the USA were invasive. Conclusions Erythromycin resistance continues to exist at low levels in both Mexico and the USA, although the genetic mechanisms responsible differ between the two nations. These genetic differences may be related to the invasive character of the S. pyogenes isolated. PMID:22217469

The potential of Internet of m-health Things "m-IoT" for non-invasive glucose level sensing.

Science.gov (United States)

Istepanian, R S H; Hu, S; Philip, N Y; Sungoor, A

2011-01-01

An amalgamated concept of Internet of m-health Things (m-IoT) has been introduced recently and defined as a new concept that matches the functionalities of m-health and IoT for a new and innovative future (4G health) applications. It is well know that diabetes is a major chronic disease problem worldwide with major economic and social impact. To-date there have not been any studies that address the potential of m-IoT for non-invasive glucose level sensing with advanced opto-physiological assessment technique and diabetes management. In this paper we address the potential benefits of using m-IoT in non-invasive glucose level sensing and the potential m-IoT based architecture for diabetes management. We expect to achieve intelligent identification and management in a heterogeneous connectivity environment from the mobile healthcare perspective. Furthermore this technology will enable new communication connectivity routes between mobile patients and care services through innovative IP based networking architectures.

Zebra mussels (Dreissena polymorpha) as a biomonitor of trace elements along the southern shoreline of Lake Michigan.

Science.gov (United States)

Shoults-Wilson, W Aaron; Elsayed, Norhan; Leckrone, Kristen; Unrine, Jason

2015-02-01

The invasive zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) has become an accepted biomonitor organism for trace elements, but it has yet to be studied along the Lake Michigan shoreline. Likewise, the relationships between tissue concentrations of elements, organism size, and sediment concentrations of elements have not been fully explained. The present study found that a variety of allometric variables such as length, dry tissue mass, shell mass, organism condition indices, and shell thickness index were useful in explaining intrasite variability in elemental concentrations. The flesh condition index (grams of tissue dry mass per gram of shell mass) explained variability at the most sites for most elements. Once allometric intrasite variability was taken into account, additional significant differences were found between sites, although the net effect was small. Significant positive relationships between sediment and tissue concentrations were found for Pb and Zn, with a significant negative relationship for Cd. It was also found that Cu and Zn concentrations in tissues increased significantly along the shoreline in the southeasterly direction, whereas Hg increased in a northwesterly direction. Opportunistic sampling found that zebra mussels accumulate significantly higher concentrations of nearly all elements analyzed compared to Asian clams (Corbicula fluminea) at the same site. The present study demonstrates the need to fully explain natural sources of variability before using biomonitors to explain spatial distributions of trace elements. © 2014 SETAC.

Non-invasive monitoring of Streptococcus pyogenes vaccine efficacy using biophotonic imaging.

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Faraz M Alam

Full Text Available Streptococcus pyogenes infection of the nasopharynx represents a key step in the pathogenic cycle of this organism and a major focus for vaccine development, requiring robust models to facilitate the screening of potentially protective antigens. One antigen that may be an important target for vaccination is the chemokine protease, SpyCEP, which is cell surface-associated and plays a role in pathogenesis. Biophotonic imaging (BPI can non-invasively characterize the spatial location and abundance of bioluminescent bacteria in vivo. We have developed a bioluminescent derivative of a pharyngeal S. pyogenes strain by transformation of an emm75 clinical isolate with the luxABCDE operon. Evaluation of isogenic recombinant strains in vitro and in vivo confirmed that bioluminescence conferred a growth deficit that manifests as a fitness cost during infection. Notwithstanding this, bioluminescence expression permitted non-invasive longitudinal quantitation of S. pyogenes within the murine nasopharynx albeit with a detection limit corresponding to approximately 10(5 bacterial colony forming units (CFU in this region. Vaccination of mice with heat killed streptococci, or with SpyCEP led to a specific IgG response in the serum. BPI demonstrated that both vaccine candidates reduced S. pyogenes bioluminescence emission over the course of nasopharyngeal infection. The work suggests the potential for BPI to be used in the non-invasive longitudinal evaluation of potential S. pyogenes vaccines.

Eyeblink Conditioning: A Non-Invasive Biomarker for Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

Reeb-Sutherland, Bethany C.; Fox, Nathan A.

2015-01-01

Eyeblink conditioning (EBC) is a classical conditioning paradigm typically used to study the underlying neural processes of learning and memory. EBC has a well-defined neural circuitry, is non-invasive, and can be employed in human infants shortly after birth making it an ideal tool to use in both developing and special populations. In addition,…

Early Invasive Versus Selective Strategy for Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome: The ICTUS Trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoedemaker, N.P.G.; Damman, P.; Woudstra, P.; Hirsch, A.; Windhausen, F.; Tijssen, J.G.; Winter, R.J. de; Verheugt, F.W.A.; et al.,

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: The ICTUS (Invasive Versus Conservative Treatment in Unstable Coronary Syndromes) trial compared early invasive strategy with a selective invasive strategy in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) and an elevated cardiac troponin T. No long-term

Biomonitoring in occupational health: Scientific, socio-ethical, and regulatory issues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viau, Claude

2005-01-01

Biomonitoring is one of the best available tools for the prevention of deleterious effects resulting from occupational exposure to chemicals. The availability of analytical techniques having low detection limits allows for the measurement of numerous biomarkers. Complemented with quality control programs, our ability to collect validated information on exposure to toxicants improves. This is important as exposure doses tend to decrease in workplaces. Concurrently, there is an increasing preoccupation towards skin exposure, which cannot currently be reliably assessed through external measurements. Furthermore, as lower exposure doses are encountered, background concentrations of some biomarkers become a serious limitation to their use. This prompts researchers to seek for minor, more specific metabolites, that may however be produced through metabolic pathways that are prone to larger inter-individual variations. Assessment of exposure to complex mixtures of chemicals is another major challenge. There is a growing interest towards ethical issues in biomonitoring. The understanding of the advantages and of the limits of this preventive approach may be very different among occupational health professionals, but more importantly, between health professionals and those they are seeking to protect, i.e., the workers themselves. Many organizations have proposed guideline values for biomarker concentrations, but these seldom find their way in the various countries' bylaws. One underlying reason might be the greater complexity of the scientific aspects of biomarkers, whose understanding is required to set limit values, compared to the process of setting airborne limit concentrations. But the fact that the latter does not consider all aspects of biological complexity does not make it more reliable

Assessment of autonomic nervous system by using empirical mode decomposition-based reflection wave analysis during non-stationary conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chang, C C; Hsiao, T C; Kao, S C; Hsu, H Y

2014-01-01

Arterial blood pressure (ABP) is an important indicator of cardiovascular circulation and presents various intrinsic regulations. It has been found that the intrinsic characteristics of blood vessels can be assessed quantitatively by ABP analysis (called reflection wave analysis (RWA)), but conventional RWA is insufficient for assessment during non-stationary conditions, such as the Valsalva maneuver. Recently, a novel adaptive method called empirical mode decomposition (EMD) was proposed for non-stationary data analysis. This study proposed a RWA algorithm based on EMD (EMD-RWA). A total of 51 subjects participated in this study, including 39 healthy subjects and 12 patients with autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction. The results showed that EMD-RWA provided a reliable estimation of reflection time in baseline and head-up tilt (HUT). Moreover, the estimated reflection time is able to assess the ANS function non-invasively, both in normal, healthy subjects and in the patients with ANS dysfunction. EMD-RWA provides a new approach for reflection time estimation in non-stationary conditions, and also helps with non-invasive ANS assessment. (paper)

NON-INVASIVE INVERSE PROBLEM IN CIVIL ENGINEERING

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Jan Havelka

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this contribution we focus on recovery of spatial distribution of material parameters utilizing only non-invasive boundary measurements. Such methods has gained its importance as imaging techniques in medicine, geophysics or archaeology. We apply similar principles for non-stationary heat transfer in civil engineering. In oppose to standard technique which rely on external loading devices, we assume the natural fluctuation of temperature throughout day and night can provide sufficient information to recover the underlying material parameters. The inverse problem was solved by a modified regularised Gauss-Newton iterative scheme and the underlying forward problem is solved with a finite element space-time discretisation. We show a successful reconstruction of material parameters on a synthetic example with real measurements. The virtual experiment also reveals the insensitivity to practical precision of sensor measurements.

Biomonitoring of PAHs by using Quercus ilex leaves: Source diagnostic and toxicity assessment

Science.gov (United States)

De Nicola, Flavia; Claudia, Lancellotti; MariaVittoria, Prati; Giulia, Maisto; Anna, Alfani

2011-03-01

Quercus ilex L. leaves were sampled at nineteen urban sites and two remote sites in order to evaluate PAH contamination degree. One-, two- and three-year-old leaves were collected and leaf lipid content was measured to investigate the influence of leaf age and lipids in PAH accumulation. Some PAH diagnostic ratios, such as Ant/Ant + Phen, Flt/Flt + Pyr, B[a]A/B[a]A + Crys and IP/IP + B[g,h,i]P, were calculated. The results suggest that Q. ilex leaves are effective biomonitors of PAH air contamination: in fact, a great PAH accumulation in leaves from the urban areas, until 30-time higher compared to those from the remote sites, has been observed. At each site, the similar total PAH concentrations in leaves of different age, probably due to a canopy effect, indicate an ability of all leaf age classes to monitor local PAH concentrations in air, remarking practical implications for air biomonitoring. The findings suggest that PAH adsorption in Q. ilex leaves does not result limited by leaf lipid content. Moreover, this study demonstrates the source-diagnostic potential of Q. ilex leaves, because, in particular, the Flt/Flt + Pyr and IP/IP + B[g,h,i]P ratios indicate vehicular traffic as the main source of PAHs in the urban areas and wood combustion in the remote areas. Moreover, to distinguish biomass combustion source, a promising tracer PAH as DB[a,h]A could be used. The high contribution of DB[a,h]A to total PAH concentrations at the remote sites determines a high carcinogenic potential in this area, similar to that calculated for the urban area where the carcinogenic PAH concentrations in absolute values are often higher.

Early Invasive Versus Selective Strategy for Non-ST-Segment Elevation Acute Coronary Syndrome: The ICTUS Trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hoedemaker, Niels P. G.; Damman, Peter; Woudstra, Pier; Hirsch, Alexander; Windhausen, Fons; Tijssen, Jan G. P.; de Winter, Robbert J.; Peters, R. J. G.; Dunselman, P. H. J. M.; Verheugt, F. W. A.; Janus, C. L.; Umans, V.; Bendermacher, P. E. F.; Michels, H. R.; Sadé e, A.; Hertzberger, D.; de Miliano, P. A. R. M.; Liem, A. H.; Tjon Joe Gin, R.; van der Linde, M.; Lok, D.; Hoedemaker, G.; Pieterse, M.; van den Merkhof, L.; Danië ls, M.; van Hessen, M.; Hermans, W.; Schotborgh, C. E.; de Zwaan, C.; Bredero, A.; de Jaegere, P.; Janssen, M.; Louwerenburg, J.; Veerhoek, M.; Schalij, M.; de Porto, A.; Zijlstra, F.; Winter, J.; de Feyter, P.; Robles de Medina, R.; Withagen, P.; Sedney, M.; Thijssen, H.; van Rees, C.; van den Bergh, P.; de Cock, C.; van 't Hof, A.; Suttorp, M. J.; Windhausen, F.; Cornel, J. H.

2017-01-01

The ICTUS (Invasive Versus Conservative Treatment in Unstable Coronary Syndromes) trial compared early invasive strategy with a selective invasive strategy in patients with non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) and an elevated cardiac troponin T. No long-term benefit of an

Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer risk stratification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sumit Isharwal

2015-01-01

Conclusion: EORTC and CUETO risk tables are the two best-established models to predict recurrence and progression in patients with NMIBC though they tend to overestimate risk and have poor discrimination for prognostic outcomes in external validation. Future research should focus on enhancing the predictive accuracy of risk assessment tools by incorporating additional prognostic factors such as depth of lamina propria invasion and molecular biomarkers after rigorous validation in multi-institutional cohorts.

Non-invasive optical detection of glucose in cell culture nutrient medium

Science.gov (United States)

Cote, Gerald L.

1993-01-01

The objective of the proposed research was to begin the development of a non-invasive optical sensor for measuring glucose concentration in the output medium of cell cultures grown in a unique NASA bioreactor referred to as an integrated rotating-wall vessel (IRWV). The input, a bovine serum based nutrient media, has a known glucose concentration. The cells within the bioreactor digest a portion of the glucose. Thus, the non-invasive optical sensor is needed to monitor the decrease in glucose due to cellular consumption since the critical parameters for sustained cellular productivity are glucose and pH. Previous glucose sensing techniques have used chemical reactions to quantify the glucose concentration. Chemical reactions, however, cannot provide for continuous, real time, non-invasive measurement as is required in this application. Our effort while in the fellowship program was focused on the design, optical setup, and testing of one bench top prototype non-invasive optical sensor using a mid-infrared absorption spectroscopy technique. Glucose has a fundamental vibrational absorption peak in the mid-infrared wavelength range at 9.6 micron. Preliminary absorption data using a CO2 laser were collected at this wavelength for water based glucose solutions at different concentrations and one bovine serum based nutrient medium (GTSF) with added glucose. The results showed near linear absorption responses for the glucose-in-water data with resolutions as high at 108 mg/dl and as low as 10 mg/dl. The nutrient medium had a resolution of 291 mg/dl. The variability of the results was due mainly to thermal and polarization drifts of the laser while the decrease in sensitivity to glucose in the nutrient medium was expected due to the increase in the number of confounders present in the nutrient medium. A multispectral approach needs to be used to compensate for these confounders. The CO2 laser used for these studies was wavelength tunable (9.2 to 10.8 micrometers), however

Pulmonary infiltrates in non-HIV immunocompromised patients: a diagnostic approach using non-invasive and bronchoscopic procedures

Science.gov (United States)

Rano, A; Agusti, C; Jimenez, P; Angrill, J; Benito, N; Danes, C; Gonzalez, J; Rovira, M; Pumarola, T; Moreno, A; Torres, A

2001-01-01

BACKGROUND—The development of pulmonary infiltrates is a frequent life threatening complication in immunocompromised patients, requiring early diagnosis and specific treatment. In the present study non-invasive and bronchoscopic diagnostic techniques were applied in patients with different non-HIV immunocompromised conditions to determine the aetiology of the pulmonary infiltrates and to evaluate the impact of these methods on therapeutic decisions and outcome in this population.
METHODS—The non-invasive diagnostic methods included serological tests, blood antigen detection, and blood, nasopharyngeal wash (NPW), sputum and tracheobronchial aspirate (TBAS) cultures. Bronchoscopic techniques included fibrobronchial aspirate (FBAS), protected specimen brush (PSB), and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL). Two hundred consecutive episodes of pulmonary infiltrates were prospectively evaluated during a 30 month period in 52 solid organ transplant recipients, 53 haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) recipients, 68 patients with haematological malignancies, and 27 patients requiring chronic treatment with corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressive drugs.
RESULTS—An aetiological diagnosis was obtained in 162 (81%) of the 200 patients. The aetiology of the pulmonary infiltrates was infectious in 125 (77%) and non-infectious in 37 (23%); 38 (19%) remained undiagnosed. The main infectious aetiologies were bacterial (48/125, 24%), fungal (33/125, 17%), and viral (20/125, 10%), and the most frequent pathogens were Aspergillus fumigatus (n=29), Staphylococcus aureus (n=17), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n=12). Among the non-infectious aetiologies, pulmonary oedema (16/37, 43%) and diffuse alveolar haemorrhage (10/37, 27%) were the most common causes. Non-invasive techniques led to the diagnosis of pulmonary infiltrates in 41% of the cases in which they were used; specifically, the diagnostic yield of blood cultures was 30/191 (16%); sputum cultures 27/88 (31%); NPW 9/50 (18

Radiological protection requirements applicable to non-invasive inspection of charges with ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Crespo, S.C.; Palmieri, J.A.S.; Silva, F.C.A. da

2017-01-01

The US twin towers attack in 2001 raised concerns about terrorism, illicit trafficking of materials and the possible use of a 'dirty bomb' (DDR), affecting the control of entry and exit of products. Thus, the use of ionizing radiation scanning systems of containers at ports and borders was started to investigate possible entries of illegal material. Brazil, adhering to this concern and due to the holding of major events such as RIO + 20, World Cup, Olympics, etc., increased safety in the movement of goods using non-invasive inspection. Linear electron accelerators, which produce high energy X-rays in the range of 1.5 to 9 MeV, are used to inspect the containers. Since in Brazil there is no specific technical regulation for the operation of non-invasive inspection equipment with X-rays and linear accelerators, ten main technical requirements are presented. It is essential that a technical regulation is drawn up by placing the system of non-invasive inspection of cargo with ionizing radiation in the international radiation protection standard

The management of non-invasive bladder tumours with Doxorubicin intravesical instillation after transurethral resection.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Gallab, Musa I; Naddaf, Louai A; Kanan, Mohamad R

2009-04-01

Evaluation of the intravesical instillation of doxorubicin for its effect on disease recurrence for patients with non-invasive bladder tumour. The study was performed at Al Assad University Hospital in Lattakia, Syria and included patients with non-invasive bladder tumours who were managed with transurethral resection and induction and maintenance therapy with intravesical doxorubicin. They were followed up by cystoscopy every 3 months for 2 years and every 6 months thereafter with special emphasis on recurrence rates. The study included 85 patients with non-invasive bladder tumours: 23 with non-invasive papillary carcinoma (Stage Ta), 62 with tumour invading subepithelial connective tissue (Stage T1). Twelve patients had well differentiated tumours (Grade 1), 48 had moderately differentiated (Grade 2), 25 had poorly differentiated (Grade 3) tumours. The total recurrence rate was 23%. The rates of recurrence were 56% in Grade 3 and 0% in Grade 1. The recurrence rate was 41% in patients with large tumours versus 17% in those with small tumours; 44% in those with multiple tumours compared to 18% in those with solitary tumours; 30% of Stage Ta tumours recurred and 21% of Stage T1 tumours. In short term follow-up, our rate of recurrence was 23%. Adjuvant intravesical doxorubicin was shown to reduce the recurrence of superficial bladder cancer. Tumour grade, size and number were shown to be prognostic factors for recurrence.

Assessing the importance of human activities for the establishment of the invasive Poa annua in Antarctica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco A. Molina-Montenegro

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Because of its harsh environmental conditions and remoteness, Antarctica is often considered to be at low risk of plant invasion. However, an increasing number of reports have shown the presence and spread of non-native plants in Antarctica; it is therefore important to study which factors control the invasion process in this ecosystem. Here, we assessed the role of different human activities on the presence and abundance of the invasive Poa annua. In addition, we performed a reciprocal transplant experiment in the field, and a manipulative experiment of germination with P. annua and the natives Colobanthus quitensis and Deschampsia antarctica, in order to unravel the effects of physical soil disturbance on the establishment and survival of P. annua. We found a positive correlation between abundance of P. annua and level of soil disturbance, and that survival of P. annua was 33% higher in sites with disturbed soil than non-disturbed. Finally, we found that disturbance conditions increased germination for P. annua, whereas for native species germination in experimentally disturbed soil was either unchanged or reduced compared to undisturbed soil. Our results indicate that human activities that modify abiotic soil characteristics could play an important role in the abundance of this invasive species. If the current patterns of human activities are maintained in Antarctica, the establishment success and spread of P. annua could increase, negatively affecting native flora.

Proposed Application of Fast Fourier Transform in Near Infra Red Based Non Invasive Blood Glucose Monitoring System

Science.gov (United States)

Jenie, R. P.; Iskandar, J.; Kurniawan, A.; Rustami, E.; Syafutra, H.; Nurdin, N. M.; Handoyo, T.; Prabowo, J.; Febryarto, R.; Rahayu, M. S. K.; Damayanthi, E.; Rimbawan; Sukandar, D.; Suryana, Y.; Irzaman; Alatas, H.

2017-03-01

Worldwide emergence of glycaemic status related health disorders, such as diabetes and metabolic syndrome, is growing in alarming rate. The objective was to propose new methods for non invasive blood glucose level measurement system, based on implementation of Fast Fourier Transform methods. This was an initial-lab-scale-research. Data on non invasive blood glucose measurement are referred from Scopus, Medline, and Google Scholar, from 2011 until 2016, and was used as design references, combined with in house verification. System was developed in modular fashion, based on aforementioned compiled references. Several preliminary tests to understand relationship between LED and photo-diode responses have been done. Several references were used as non invasive blood glucose measurement tools design basis. Solution is developed in modular fashion. we have proven different sensor responses to water and glucose. Human test for non invasive blood glucose level measurement system is needed.

Non-invasive beamforming add-on module

KAUST Repository

Bader, Ahmed

2017-02-23

An embodiment of a non-invasive beamforming add-on apparatus couples to an existing antenna port and rectifies the beam azimuth in the upstream and downstream directions. The apparatus comprises input circuitry that is configured to receive one or more signals from a neighboring node of the linear wireless sensor network; first amplifier circuitry configured to adjust an amplitude of a respective received signal in accordance with a weighting coefficient and invoke a desired phase to a carrier frequency of the received signal thereby forming a first amplified signal; and second amplifier circuitry configured to adjust a gain of the first amplified signal towards upstream and downstream neighbors of the linear wireless sensor in the linear wireless sensor network.

Non-invasive ventilation with neurally adjusted ventilatory assist in newborns.

Science.gov (United States)

Stein, Howard; Beck, Jennifer; Dunn, Michael

2016-06-01

Neurally adjusted ventilatory assist (NAVA) is a mode of ventilation in which both the timing and degree of ventilatory assist are controlled by the patient. Since NAVA uses the diaphragm electrical activity (Edi) as the controller signal, it is possible to deliver synchronized non-invasive NAVA (NIV-NAVA) regardless of leaks and to monitor continuously patient respiratory pattern and drive. Advantages of NIV-NAVA over conventional modes include improved patient-ventilator interaction, reliable respiratory monitoring and self-regulation of respiratory support. In theory, these characteristics make NIV-NAVA an ideal mode to provide effective, appropriate non-invasive support to newborns with respiratory insufficiency. NIV-NAVA has been successfully used clinically in neonates as a mode of ventilation to prevent intubation, to allow early extubation, and as a novel way to deliver nasal continuous positive airway pressure. The use of NAVA in neonates is described with an emphasis on studies and clinical experience with NIV-NAVA. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive imaging using reporter genes altering cellular water permeability

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Arnab; Wu, Di; Davis, Hunter C.; Shapiro, Mikhail G.

2016-12-01

Non-invasive imaging of gene expression in live, optically opaque animals is important for multiple applications, including monitoring of genetic circuits and tracking of cell-based therapeutics. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) could enable such monitoring with high spatiotemporal resolution. However, existing MRI reporter genes based on metalloproteins or chemical exchange probes are limited by their reliance on metals or relatively low sensitivity. Here we introduce a new class of MRI reporters based on the human water channel aquaporin 1. We show that aquaporin overexpression produces contrast in diffusion-weighted MRI by increasing tissue water diffusivity without affecting viability. Low aquaporin levels or mixed populations comprising as few as 10% aquaporin-expressing cells are sufficient to produce MRI contrast. We characterize this new contrast mechanism through experiments and simulations, and demonstrate its utility in vivo by imaging gene expression in tumours. Our results establish an alternative class of sensitive, metal-free reporter genes for non-invasive imaging.

Non-invasive methods for estimating mPAP in COPD using cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Johns, C.S.; Capener, D.A.; Oram, C.; Wild, J.M.; Rajaram, S.; Elliot, C.; Condliffe, R.; Kiely, D.G.; Swift, A.J.

2018-01-01

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is associated with a poor outcome in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and is diagnosed invasively. We aimed to assess the diagnostic accuracy and prognostic value of non-invasive cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) models. Patients with COPD and suspected PH, who underwent CMR and right heart catheter (RHC) were identified. Three candidate models were assessed: 1, CMR-RV model, based on right ventricular (RV) mass and interventricular septal angle; 2, CMR PA/RV includes RV mass, septal angle and pulmonary artery (PA) measurements; 3, the Alpha index, based on RV ejection fraction and PA size. Of 102 COPD patients, 87 had PH. The CMR-PA/RV model had the strongest diagnostic accuracy (sensitivity 92%, specificity 80%, positive predictive value 96% and negative predictive value 63%, AUC 0.93, p<0.0001). Splitting RHC-mPAP, CMR-RV and CMR-PA/RV models by 35mmHg gave a significant difference in survival, with log-rank chi-squared 5.03, 5.47 and 7.10. RV mass and PA relative area change were the independent predictors of mortality at multivariate Cox regression (p=0.002 and 0.030). CMR provides diagnostic and prognostic information in PH-COPD. The CMR-PA/RV model is useful for diagnosis, the RV mass index and PA relative area change are useful to assess prognosis. (orig.)

Chemical contamination assessment in mangrove-lined Caribbean coastal systems using the oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae as biomonitor species.

Science.gov (United States)

Aguirre-Rubí, Javier R; Luna-Acosta, Andrea; Etxebarría, Nestor; Soto, Manu; Espinoza, Félix; Ahrens, Michael J; Marigómez, Ionan

2018-05-01

This paper aims to contribute to the use of mangrove cupped oyster, Crassostrea rhizophorae, as a biomonitor species for chemical contamination assessment in mangrove-lined Caribbean coastal systems. Sampling was carried out in eight localities (three in Nicaragua and five in Colombia) with different types and levels of contamination. Oysters were collected during the rainy and dry seasons of 2012-2013 and the tissue concentrations of metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) were determined. Low tissue concentrations of metals (except Hg) and PAHs; moderate-to-high tissue concentrations of Hg, hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), and dichlorodiphenyl-trichloroethanes (DDTs); detectable levels of chlorpyrifos, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) (mainly CB28, CB118, CB138 and CB 153) and brominated diphenyl ethers 85 (BDE85); and negligible levels of musks were recorded in Nicaraguan oysters. A distinct profile of POPs was identified in Colombia, where the tissue concentrations of PCBs and synthetic musk fragrances were low to moderate, and Ag, As, Cd, Pb, and PAHs ranged from moderate to extremely high. Overall, the values recorded for HCHs, DDTs and PCBs in Nicaraguan mangrove cupped oysters greatly exceeded the reference values in tissues of C. rhizophorae from the Wider Caribbean Region, whereas only the levels of PCBs were occasionally surpassed in Colombia. Different contaminant profiles were distinguished between oysters from Nicaragua and Colombia in radar plots constructed using the main groups of contaminants (metals, PAHs, musks, PCBs, and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs)). Likewise, integrated pollution indices revealed differences in the levels of contaminants. Moreover, the profiles and levels in oyster tissues also varied with season. Thus, principal component analysis clearly discriminated Nicaraguan and Colombian localities and, especially in Colombia, seasonal trends in chemical contamination and differences

Non-native earthworms promote plant invasion by ingesting seeds and modifying soil properties

Science.gov (United States)

Clause, Julia; Forey, Estelle; Lortie, Christopher J.; Lambert, Adam M.; Barot, Sébastien

2015-04-01

Earthworms can have strong direct effects on plant communities through consumption and digestion of seeds, however it is unclear how earthworms may influence the relative abundance and composition of plant communities invaded by non-native species. In this study, earthworms, seed banks, and the standing vegetation were sampled in a grassland of central California. Our objectives were i) to examine whether the abundances of non-native, invasive earthworm species and non-native grassland plant species are correlated, and ii) to test whether seed ingestion by these worms alters the soil seed bank by evaluating the composition of seeds in casts relative to uningested soil. Sampling locations were selected based on historical land-use practices, including presence or absence of tilling, and revegetation by seed using Phalaris aquatica. Only non-native earthworm species were found, dominated by the invasive European species Aporrectodea trapezoides. Earthworm abundance was significantly higher in the grassland blocks dominated by non-native plant species, and these sites had higher carbon and moisture contents. Earthworm abundance was also positively related to increased emergence of non-native seedlings, but had no effect on that of native seedlings. Plant species richness and total seedling emergence were higher in casts than in uningested soils. This study suggests that there is a potential effect of non-native earthworms in promoting non-native and likely invasive plant species within grasslands, due to seed-plant-earthworm interactions via soil modification or to seed ingestion by earthworms and subsequent cast effects on grassland dynamics. This study supports a growing body of literature for earthworms as ecosystem engineers but highlights the relative importance of considering non-native-native interactions with the associated plant community.

Assessing oral candidal carriage with mixed salivary glucose levels as non-invasive diagnostic tool in type-2 diabetics of davangere, karnataka, India.

Science.gov (United States)

Naik, Rashmi; Mujib B R, Ahmed; Raaju, U R; Telagi, Neethu

2014-07-01

The health of oral tissues is known to be related to salivary flow and its composition which may be altered in diabetic patients. The purpose of this study is to correlate mixed salivary glucose levels and oral candidal carriage and to assess the prevalence of candidal carriage in diabetics and controls. Thirty adults with type-2 diabetes and 30 without diabetes (control subjects), aged 30-60 yr, participated in the study. Unstimulated saliva was collected and investigated for glucose levels (using glucose oxidase method) and colony-forming units (CFU) of Candida, this was stained with two stains, periodic acid-schiff stain and Grocott Gomori stain. In the present study mixed salivary glucose concentration in diabetics was significantly higher (pCandida was not isolated. The diabetics without intraoral candidal carriage had lower salivary glucose levels (mean = 5.36±2.24 mg/dl). This relationship could be seen in controls (non-diabetics) also. Diabetics showed an oral candidal carriage rate of 80% which was significantly higher compared to nondiabetics who showed an oral candidal carriage rate of 40%. Mixed salivary glucose levels were significantly higher in diabetics. The possible high salivary glucose level could predispose to oral candidal infection. So saliva can be used as a quick, non-invasive tool to assess the oral candidal status and possible infection.

Non-invasive monitoring of muscle blood perfusion by photoplethysmography: evaluation of a new application.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandberg, M; Zhang, Q; Styf, J; Gerdle, B; Lindberg, L-G

2005-04-01

To evaluate a specially developed photoplethysmographic (PPG) technique, using green and near-infrared light sources, for simultaneous non-invasive monitoring of skin and muscle perfusion. Evaluation was based on assessments of changes in blood perfusion to various provocations, such as post-exercise hyperaemia and hyperaemia following the application of liniment. The deep penetrating feature of PPG was investigated by measurement of optical radiation inside the muscle. Simultaneous measurements using ultrasound Doppler and the new PPG application were performed to elucidate differences between the two methods. Specific problems related to the influence of skin temperature on blood flow were highlightened, as well. Following static and dynamic contractions an immediate increase in muscle perfusion was shown, without increase in skin perfusion. Liniment application to the skin induced a rapid increase in skin perfusion, but not in muscle. Both similarities and differences in blood flow measured by Ultrasound Doppler and PPG were demonstrated. The radiant power measured inside the muscle, by use of an optical fibre, showed that the near-infrared light penetrates down to the vascular depth inside the muscle. The results of this study indicate the potentiality of the method for non-invasive measurement of local muscle perfusion, although some considerations still have to be accounted for, such as influence of temperature on blood perfusion.

Biomonitoring of exposure to chemical warfare agents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Noort, D.; Schans, M.J. van der; Benschop, H.P.

2006-01-01

An overview is presented of the major methods that are presently available for biomonitoring of exposure to chemical warfare agents, i.e., nerve agents and sulfur mustard. These methods can be applied for a variety of purposes such as diagnosis and dosimetry of exposure of casualties, verification

Rapid response for invasive waterweeds at the arctic invasion front: Assessment of collateral impacts from herbicide treatments

Science.gov (United States)

Sethi, Suresh; Carey, Michael P.; Morton, John M.; Guerron-Orejuela, Edgar; Decino, Robert; Willette, Mark; Boersma, James; Jablonski, Jillian; Anderson, Cheryl

2017-01-01

The remoteness of subarctic and arctic ecosystems no longer protects against invasive species introductions. Rather, the mix of urban hubs surrounded by undeveloped expanses creates a ratchet process whereby anthropogenic activity is sufficient to introduce and spread invaders, but for which the costs of monitoring and managing remote ecosystems is prohibitive. Elodea spp. is the first aquatic invasive plant to become established in Alaska and has potential for widespread deleterious ecological and economic impacts. A rapid eradication response with herbicides has been identified as a priority invasion control strategy. We conducted a multi-lake monitoring effort to assess collateral impacts from herbicide treatment for Elodea in high latitude systems. Variability in data was driven by seasonal dynamics and natural lake-to-lake differences typical of high latitude waterbodies, indicating lack of evidence for systematic impacts to water quality or plankton communities associated with herbicide treatment of Elodea. Impacts on native macrophytes were benign with the exception of some evidence for earlier onset of leaf senescence for lily pads(Nuphar spp.) in treated lakes. We observed a substantial increase in detected native flora richness after Elodea was eradicated from the most heavily infested lake, indicating potential for retention of native macrophyte communities if infestations are addressed quickly. While avoiding introductions through prevention may be the most desirable outcome, these applications indicated low risks of non-target impacts associated with herbicide treatment as a rapid response option for Elodea in high latitude systems.

Modelling the introduction and spread of non-native species: international trade and climate change drive ragweed invasion.

Science.gov (United States)

Chapman, Daniel S; Makra, László; Albertini, Roberto; Bonini, Maira; Páldy, Anna; Rodinkova, Victoria; Šikoparija, Branko; Weryszko-Chmielewska, Elżbieta; Bullock, James M

2016-09-01

Biological invasions are a major driver of global change, for which models can attribute causes, assess impacts and guide management. However, invasion models typically focus on spread from known introduction points or non-native distributions and ignore the transport processes by which species arrive. Here, we developed a simulation model to understand and describe plant invasion at a continental scale, integrating repeated transport through trade pathways, unintentional release events and the population dynamics and local anthropogenic dispersal that drive subsequent spread. We used the model to simulate the invasion of Europe by common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), a globally invasive plant that causes serious harm as an aeroallergen and crop weed. Simulations starting in 1950 accurately reproduced ragweed's current distribution, including the presence of records in climatically unsuitable areas as a result of repeated introduction. Furthermore, the model outputs were strongly correlated with spatial and temporal patterns of ragweed pollen concentrations, which are fully independent of the calibration data. The model suggests that recent trends for warmer summers and increased volumes of international trade have accelerated the ragweed invasion. For the latter, long distance dispersal because of trade within the invaded continent is highlighted as a key invasion process, in addition to import from the native range. Biosecurity simulations, whereby transport through trade pathways is halted, showed that effective control is only achieved by early action targeting all relevant pathways. We conclude that invasion models would benefit from integrating introduction processes (transport and release) with spread dynamics, to better represent propagule pressure from native sources as well as mechanisms for long-distance dispersal within invaded continents. Ultimately, such integration may facilitate better prediction of spatial and temporal variation in invasion

Non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis progression in hepatitis C patients retreated for 96 weeks with antiviral therapy: a randomized study.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarski, Jean-Pierre; Sturm, Nathalie; Desmorat, Hervé; Melin, Pascal; Raabe, Jean-Jacques; Bonny, Corinne; Sogni, Philippe; Pinta, Alexandrina; Rouanet, Stéphanie; Babany, Gérard; Cheveau, Alice; Chevallier, Michèle

2010-08-01

The efficacy of a maintenance therapy in non-responder patients with chronic hepatitis C has been essentially evaluated by histological semiquantitative scores. The aim was to evaluate the efficiency of 2 years of treatment with peginterferon alpha-2a vs alpha-tocopherol in these patients by histology, morphometry and blood markers of fibrosis. Hundred and five HCV patients with a Metavir fibrosis score > or = 2 were randomized to receive peginterferon alpha-2a 180 microg/week (PEG) (n=55) or alpha-tocopherol (TOCO) 1000 mg/day (n=50) for 96 weeks. The primary endpoint was improvement or stabilization of the Metavir fibrosis score by biopsy performed at week 96. Secondary endpoints included a quantitative assessment of fibrosis by morphometry and changes in blood markers of fibrosis. There was no difference at baseline between PEG and TOCO according to the metavir (83.3 vs 86.8%, P=0.751) stage. The median fibrosis rate, measured with morphometry was 2.72 and 2.86% at day 0, and 3.66 and 2.82% at week 96, in the PEG and TOCO groups (P=0.90) respectively. However, the percentage of patients with metavir activity grade improvement was significantly higher in the PEG group vs the TOCO group (52.8 vs 23.7%, P=0.016). Non-invasive markers analysis did not show any significant change in both groups. Long-term therapy with peginterferon alpha-2a did not reduce liver fibrosis degree assessed by morphometry and blood tests as compared with alpha-tocopherol. Blood tests could be useful to assess liver fibrosis changes in clinical trials.

Plant invasions in China: an emerging hot topic in invasion science

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Liu

2012-12-01

Full Text Available China has shown a rapid economic development in recent decades, and several drivers of this change are known to enhance biological invasions, a major cause of biodiversity loss. Here we review the current state of research on plant invasions in China by analyzing papers referenced in the ISI Web of Knowledge. Since 2001, the number of papers has increased exponentially, indicating that plant invasions in China are an emerging hot topic in invasion science. The analyzed papers cover a broad range of methodological approaches and research topics. While more that 250 invasive plant species with negative impacts have been reported from China, only a few species have been considered in more than a handful of papers (in order of decreasing number of references: Spartina alterniflora, Ageratina adenophora, Mikania micrantha, Alternanthera philoxeroides, Solidago canadensis, Eichhornia crassipes. Yet this selection might rather reflect the location of research teams than the most invasive plant species in China. Considering the previous achievements in China found in our analysis research in plant invasions could be expanded by (1 compiling comprehensive lists of non-native plant species at the provincial and national scales and to include species that are native to one part of China but non-native to others in these lists; (2 strengthening pathways studies (primary introduction to the country, secondary releases within the country to enhance prevention and management; and (3 assessing impacts of invasive species at different spatial scales (habitats, regions and in relation to conservation resources.

In vitro biomonitoring in polar extracts of solid phase matrices reveals the presence of unknown compounds with estrogenic activity

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Legler, J.; Leonards, P.E.G.; Spenkelink, A.; Murk, A.J.

2003-01-01

Determination of estrogenic activity has so far mainly concentrated on the assessment of compounds in surface water and effluent. This study is one of the first to biomonitor (xeno-)estrogens in sediment, suspended particulate matter and aquatic organisms. The relatively polar acetone extracts from

Non-Invasive Seismic Methods for Earthquake Site Classification Applied to Ontario Bridge Sites

Science.gov (United States)

Bilson Darko, A.; Molnar, S.; Sadrekarimi, A.

2017-12-01

How a site responds to earthquake shaking and its corresponding damage is largely influenced by the underlying ground conditions through which it propagates. The effects of site conditions on propagating seismic waves can be predicted from measurements of the shear wave velocity (Vs) of the soil layer(s) and the impedance ratio between bedrock and soil. Currently the seismic design of new buildings and bridges (2015 Canadian building and bridge codes) requires determination of the time-averaged shear-wave velocity of the upper 30 metres (Vs30) of a given site. In this study, two in situ Vs profiling methods; Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW) and Ambient Vibration Array (AVA) methods are used to determine Vs30 at chosen bridge sites in Ontario, Canada. Both active-source (MASW) and passive-source (AVA) surface wave methods are used at each bridge site to obtain Rayleigh-wave phase velocities over a wide frequency bandwidth. The dispersion curve is jointly inverted with each site's amplification function (microtremor horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio) to obtain shear-wave velocity profile(s). We apply our non-invasive testing at three major infrastructure projects, e.g., five bridge sites along the Rt. Hon. Herb Gray Parkway in Windsor, Ontario. Our non-invasive testing is co-located with previous invasive testing, including Standard Penetration Test (SPT), Cone Penetration Test and downhole Vs data. Correlations between SPT blowcount and Vs are developed for the different soil types sampled at our Ontario bridge sites. A robust earthquake site classification procedure (reliable Vs30 estimates) for bridge sites across Ontario is evaluated from available combinations of invasive and non-invasive site characterization methods.

Screening of seaweeds in the East China Sea as potential bio-monitors of heavy metals.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Yaoru; Wernberg, Thomas; de Bettignies, Thibaut; Holmer, Marianne; Li, Ke; Wu, Jiaping; Lin, Fang; Yu, Yan; Xu, Jiang; Zhou, Chaosheng; Huang, Zhixing; Xiao, Xi

2018-03-30

Seaweeds are good bio-monitors of heavy metal pollution and have been included in European coastal monitoring programs. However, data for seaweed species in China are scarce or missing. In this study, we explored the potential of seaweeds as bio-monitor by screening the natural occurring seaweeds in the "Kingdom of seaweed and shellfish" at Dongtou Islands, the East China Sea. Totally, 12 seaweed species were collected from six sites, with richness following the sequence of Rhodophyta > Phaeophyta > Chlorophyta. The concentration of heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Ni, Zn, Pb, Cd, As) in the seaweeds was determined, and the bioaccumulation coefficient was calculated. A combination of four seaweeds, Pachydictyon coriaceum, Gelidium divaricatum, Sargassum thunbergii, and Pterocladiella capillacea, were proposed as bio-monitors due to their high bioaccumulation capabilities of specific heavy metals in the East China Sea and hence hinted the importance of using seaweed community for monitoring of pollution rather than single species. Our results provide first-hand data for the selection of bio-monitor species for heavy metals in the East China Sea and contribute to selection of cosmopolitan bio-monitor communities over geographical large area, which will benefit the establishment of monitoring programs for coastal heavy metal contamination.

Tillandsia usneoides L, a biomonitor in the determination of Ce, La and Sm by neutron activation analysis in an industrial corridor in Central Mexico.

Science.gov (United States)

Isaac-Olivé, K; Solís, C; Martínez-Carrillo, M A; Andrade, E; López, C; Longoria, L C; Lucho-Constantino, C A; Beltrán-Hernández, R I

2012-04-01

The atmosphere of the Tula Industrial Corridor in Central Mexico is contaminated due to several industries including oil refining while station monitoring in this area are limited. Lanthanides are considered fingerprint of oil refinery activities, and La, Ce and Sm have been previously detected in this area using filters. The suitability of T. usneoides as a biomonitor assessing the La, Ce and Sm concentrations in Particulate Matter is evaluated by NAA. Results of both biomonitor and filters are highly correlated. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-invasive estimation of firmness in apple using VIS/NIR spectroscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinez Vega, Mabel Virginia; Wulfsohn, Dvora-Laio; Toldam-Andersen, Torben Bo

2012-01-01

Better and steady fruit quality evaluation at harvest is a major challenge for commercial growers of apples in Denmark. Those fruits not meeting the requirements for the fresh market traditionally go to the juice concentrate industry where low cost products are obtained. Special fruit qualities...... are needed to develop commodities that can obtain a premium added value on the market. Nowadays in the food industry, quality evaluation is commonly performed non-destructively by means of optical sensors such as spectrometers, hyperspectral and multispectral cameras, that allow rapid measurements of fruit...... as for eating apples. Invasive and non-invasive measurements of firmness, on the shaded and exposed side of the fruits were carried out for three Danish apple cultivars of known commercial usage. Resulting data determined wavelengths between 415 to 715 nm to be predictive for firmness. A PLS model for all three...

The miRNA Mirage: How Close Are We to Finding a Non-Invasive Diagnostic Biomarker in Endometriosis? A Systematic Review

Science.gov (United States)

Agrawal, Swati; Tapmeier, Thomas T.; Rahmioglu, Nilufer; Kirtley, Shona; Zondervan, Krina T.; Becker, Christian M.

2018-01-01

Background: Endometriosis is a common disorder of the reproductive age group, characterised by the presence of ectopic endometrial tissue. The disease not only causes enormous suffering to the affected women, but also brings a tremendous medical and economic burden to bear on society. There is a long lag phase between the onset and diagnosis of the disease, mainly due to its non-specific symptoms and the lack of a non-invasive test. Endometriosis can only be diagnosed invasively by laparoscopy. A specific, non-invasive test to diagnose endometriosis is an unmet clinical need. The recent discovery of microRNAs (miRNAs) as modulators of gene expression, and their stability and specificity, make them an attractive candidate biomarker. Various studies on miRNAs in endometriosis have identified their cardinal role in the pathogenesis of the disease, and have proposed them as potential biomarkers in endometriosis. Rationale/Objectives: The aims of this review were to study the role of circulatory miRNAs in endometriosis, and bring to light whether circulatory miRNAs could be potential non-invasive biomarkers to diagnose the disease. Search methods: Three databases, PubMed, EMBASE, and BIOSIS were searched, using a combination of Mesh or Emtree headings and free-text terms, to identify literature relating to circulating miRNAs in endometriosis published from 1996 to 31 December 2017. Only peer-reviewed, full-text original research articles in English were included in the current review. The studies meeting the inclusion criteria were critically assessed and checked using the QUADAS-2 (Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies) tool. The dysregulated miRNAs were assessed regarding the concordance between the various studies and their role in the disease. Outcomes: Nine studies were critically analysed, and 42 different miRNAs were found to be dysregulated in them, with only one common miRNA (miR-20a) differentially expressed in more than one study. miR-17-5p/20a

A rapid assessment survey of invasive species of macrobenthic invertebrates in Korean waters

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Chul; Kim, Sung-Tae; Hong, Jae-Sang; Choi, Keun-Hyung

2017-09-01

Introduced species are a growing and imminent threat to living marine resources in parts of the world's oceans. The present study is a rapid assessment survey of invasive macrobenthic invertebrate species in Korean ports. We surveyed over 40 ports around Korea during the period of May 2010 March 2013. Among the sampling sites were concrete walls, docks and associated floats, bumpers, tires, and ropes which might harbor non-native species. We found 15 invasive species as follows: one Sponge, two Bryozoans, three Mollusks, one Polychaete, four Cirripedes, and four Ascidians. Three morphologically similar species, namely X. atrata, M. galloprovincialis, and X. securis were further examined for distinctions in their morphology. Although they could be reasonably distinguished based on shell shapes, significant overlap was noted so that additional analysis may be required to correctly distinguish them. Although many of the introduced species have already spread to all three coastal areas, newly arrived invasive species showed a relatively restricted range, with a serpulid polychaete Ficopomatus enigmaticus and a mytilid bivalve Xenostrobus securis found only at a few sites on the East Coast. An exception is for Balanus perforatus, which has rapidly colonized the East coast of Korea following its introduction into the region. Successful management of invasive macrobenthic invertebrates should be established in order to contain the spread of these newly arrived species.

Using tobacco plants as biomonitors of contaminated norm areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Máté, B; Somlai, J; Kovács, T; Horváth, M

2013-01-01

One of the largest biomonitoring tasks is the assessing and environment monitoring of radiological wastes produced by mining. Po-210 and Pb-210 are easy to mobilise even in a weak acidic medium and as we know the biological behaviour and accumulation capacity of tobacco, this could be a suitable option for biomonitoring. During our work the Pb-210 and Po-210 concentration values of tobacco parts and soil samples originating from a Hungarian remediated uranium mine site were determined. The source preparation was spontaneous deposition following combined acidic leaching with a Po-209 tracer; the detection was carried out with a semiconductor (‘PIPS’) detector alpha-spectrometer. According to the results for the tobacco plant parts and soil samples, secular equilibrium could be found between the Pb-210 and Po-210 isotopes, and the isotope content of the lower leaves of the tobacco plants was in correlation with the isotope concentration of the soil; therefore, the measurement of the activity concentration is suitable for tracing smaller levels of washing out. The Po-210 activity concentration values of tobacco (average: 15.5 ± 3.6 Bq kg −1 ) and soil (average: 60.1 ± 15.2 Bq kg −1 ) samples originating from the area investigated compared with samples from another part of Hungary, Balatonalmádi (tobacco: 12.5 ± 1.0 Bq kg −1 , soil: 57.0 ± 4.7 Bq kg −1 ), do not show significant radionuclide migration. (paper)

Comparison of high-definition oscillometry -- a non-invasive technology for arterial blood pressure measurement -- with a direct invasive method using radio-telemetry in awake healthy cats.

Science.gov (United States)

Martel, Eric; Egner, Beate; Brown, Scott A; King, Jonathan N; Laveissiere, Arnaud; Champeroux, Pascal; Richard, Serge

2013-12-01

This study compared indirect blood pressure measurements using a non-invasive method, high-definition oscillometry (HDO), with direct measurements using a radio-telemetry device in awake cats. Paired measurements partitioned to five sub-ranges were collected in six cats using both methods. The results were analysed for assessment of correlation and agreement between the two methods, taking into account all pressure ranges, and with data separated in three sub-groups, low, normal and high ranges of systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressure. SBP data displayed a mean correlation coefficient of 0.92 ± 0.02 that was reduced for low SBP. The agreement level evaluated from the whole data set was high and slightly reduced for low SBP values. The mean correlation coefficient of DBP was lower than for SBP (ie, 0.81 ± 0.02). The bias for DBP between the two methods was 22.3 ± 1.6 mmHg, suggesting that HDO produced lower values than telemetry. These results suggest that HDO met the validation criteria defined by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine consensus panel and provided a faithful measurement of SBP in conscious cats. For DBP, results suggest that HDO tended to underestimate DBP. This finding is clearly inconsistent with the good agreement reported in dogs, but is similar to outcomes achieved in marmosets and cynomolgus monkeys, suggesting that this is not related to HDO but is species related. The data support that the HDO is the first and only validated non-invasive blood pressure device and, as such, it is the only non-invasive reference technique that should be used in future validation studies.

MR imaging assessment of direct hepatic invasion by adjacent tumors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moeser, P.M.; Karstaedt, N.; Wolfman, N.T.; Bechtold, R.E.

1986-01-01

The proper staging of right renal and adrenal tumors requires accurate prediction of hepatic invasion. The authors retrospectively reviewed MR studies of 35 patients with right renal or adrenal masses to assess the utility of MR imaging in predicting direct hepatic invasion. Twenty-three patients were selected for study on the basis of absence of the fat plane between tumor and liver. Hepatic signal and tumor-liver interface characteristics were used to predict invasion. In 14 patients with renal tumors, absence of abnormal signal from hepatic parenchyma correlated well with absence of invasion, but the presence of abnormal hepatic signal did not necessarily indicate hepatic invasion. Inversion-recovery pulse sequences optimally demonstrated abnormal hepatic signal as well as the tumor-liver interface. The authors are currently reviewing the studies in the nine patients with adrenal masses

Determination of rare earth elements in biomonitors by neutron activation; Determinacao de elementos terras raras em biomonitores por ativacao neutronica

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Figueiredo, Ana M.G.; Saiki, Mitiko; Ticianelli, R.B. [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Domingos, M.; Alves, E.S.; Marcelli, M.P. [Instituto de Botanica, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2000-07-01

The rare earth elements (REE) are becoming more and more important from the technological point of view, due to their increasing use in modern industry. Due to this fact, environmental contamination by REE may become significant, and little information are still available about biological effects of REE in plants, animals and human beings. The use of biomonitors to control environmental pollution has been an ecological and economical alternative in Europe and United Sates, to minimize the high costs of conventional equipment s. In the present paper, neutron activation analysis was employed to determine La, Ce, Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb and Lu in the lichen Canoparmelia texana and in Tillandsia usneoides, species that have been widely used as monitors of atmospheric pollution. The results showed an accumulation of REE in the biomonitors, indicating good possibilities of their utilization in the study of environmental contamination by REE. (author)

Can serum hyaluronic acid replace simple non-invasive indexes to predict liver fibrosis in HIV/Hepatitis C coinfected patients?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Resino Salvador

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hyaluronic acid (HA serum levels correlate with the histological stages of liver fibrosis in hepatitis C virus (HCV monoinfected patients, and HA alone has shown very good diagnostic accuracy as a non-invasive assessment of fibrosis and cirrhosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate serum HA levels as a simple non-invasive diagnostic test to predict hepatic fibrosis in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients and to compare its diagnostic performance with other previously published simple non-invasive indexes consisting of routine parameters (HGM-1, HGM-2, Forns, APRI, and FIB-4. Methods We carried out a cross-sectional study on 201 patients who all underwent liver biopsies and had not previously received interferon therapy. Liver fibrosis was determined via METAVIR score. The diagnostic accuracy of HA was assessed by area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUROCs. Results The distribution of liver fibrosis in our cohort was 58.2% with significant fibrosis (F≥2, 31.8% with advanced fibrosis (F≥3, and 11.4% with cirrhosis (F4. Values for the AUROC of HA levels corresponding to significant fibrosis (F≥2, advanced fibrosis (F≥3 and cirrhosis (F4 were 0.676, 0.772, and 0.863, respectively. The AUROC values for HA were similar to those for HGM-1, HGM-2, FIB-4, APRI, and Forns indexes. The best diagnostic accuracy of HA was found for the diagnosis of cirrhosis (F4: the value of HA at the low cut-off (1182 ng/mL excluded cirrhosis (F4 with a negative predictive value of 99% and at the high cut-off (2400 ng/mL confirmed cirrhosis (F4 with a positive predictive value of 55%. By utilizing these low and high cut-off points for cirrhosis, biopsies could have theoretically been avoided in 52.2% (111/201 of the patients. Conclusions The diagnostic accuracy of serum HA levels increases gradually with the hepatic fibrosis stage. However, HA is better than other simple non-invasive indexes using parameters easily available in

Comparing the Validity of Non-Invasive Methods in Measuring Thoracic Kyphosis and Lumbar Lordosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Yousefi

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Background: the purpose of this article is to study the validity of each of the non-invasive methods (flexible ruler, spinal mouse, and processing the image versus the one through-Ray radiation (the basic method and comparing them with each other.Materials and Methods: for evaluating the validity of each of these non-invasive methods, the thoracic Kyphosis and lumber Lordosis angle of 20 students of Birjand University (age mean and standard deviation: 26±2, weight: 72±2.5 kg, height: 169±5.5 cm through fours methods of flexible ruler, spinal mouse, and image processing and X-ray.Results: the results indicated that the validity of the methods including flexible ruler, spinal mouse, and image processing in measuring the thoracic Kyphosis and lumber Lordosis angle respectively have an adherence of 0.81, 0.87, 0.73, 0.76, 0.83, 0.89 (p>0.05. As a result, regarding the gained validity against the golden method of X-ray, it could be stated that the three mentioned non-invasive methods have adequate validity. In addition, the one-way analysis of variance test indicated that there existed a meaningful relationship between the three methods of measuring the thoracic Kyphosis and lumber Lordosis, and with respect to the Tukey’s test result, the image processing method is the most precise one.Conclusion as a result, this method could be used along with other non-invasive methods as a valid measuring method.

Characterisation of a novel transmission Raman spectroscopy platform for non-invasive detection of breast micro-calcifications

Science.gov (United States)

Ghita, Adrian; Matousek, Pavel; Stone, Nick

2018-02-01

Our work focuses on the development of a medical Raman spectroscopy based platform to non-invasively detect and determine in-vivo molecular information deep inside biological tissues by monitoring the chemical composition of breast calcifications. The ultimate goal is to replace a needle biopsy which typically follows the detection of an abnormality in mammographic images. Here we report the non-invasive detection of calcium oxalate monohydrate in tissue through 40 mm of phantom tissues using our recently developed advanced Raman instrument complementing our previous detection of calcium hydroxyapatite through this thickness of tissue. The ability to detect these two key types of calcifications opens avenues for the development of non-invasive in-vivo breast cancer diagnostic tool in the future.

Hierarchical demographic approaches for assessing invasion dynamics of non-indigenous species: An example using northern snakehead (Channa argus)

Science.gov (United States)

Jiao, Y.; Lapointe, N.W.R.; Angermeier, P.L.; Murphy, B.R.

2009-01-01

Models of species' demographic features are commonly used to understand population dynamics and inform management tactics. Hierarchical demographic models are ideal for the assessment of non-indigenous species because our knowledge of non-indigenous populations is usually limited, data on demographic traits often come from a species' native range, these traits vary among populations, and traits are likely to vary considerably over time as species adapt to new environments. Hierarchical models readily incorporate this spatiotemporal variation in species' demographic traits by representing demographic parameters as multi-level hierarchies. As is done for traditional non-hierarchical matrix models, sensitivity and elasticity analyses are used to evaluate the contributions of different life stages and parameters to estimates of population growth rate. We applied a hierarchical model to northern snakehead (Channa argus), a fish currently invading the eastern United States. We used a Monte Carlo approach to simulate uncertainties in the sensitivity and elasticity analyses and to project future population persistence under selected management tactics. We gathered key biological information on northern snakehead natural mortality, maturity and recruitment in its native Asian environment. We compared the model performance with and without hierarchy of parameters. Our results suggest that ignoring the hierarchy of parameters in demographic models may result in poor estimates of population size and growth and may lead to erroneous management advice. In our case, the hierarchy used multi-level distributions to simulate the heterogeneity of demographic parameters across different locations or situations. The probability that the northern snakehead population will increase and harm the native fauna is considerable. Our elasticity and prognostic analyses showed that intensive control efforts immediately prior to spawning and/or juvenile-dispersal periods would be more effective

Non-invasive imaging of kupffer cell status using radiolabelled mannosylated albumin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mahajan, V.; Hartimath, S.; Comley, R.; Stefan-Gueldner, M.; Roth, A.; Poelstra, K.; Reker-Smit, C.; Kamps, J.; Dierckx, R.; de Vries, Erik

2014-01-01

Background and Aims: Kupffer cells are responsible for maintaining liver homeostasis and have a vital role in chronic hepatotoxicity and various liver diseases. Positron Imaging Tomography (PET) is a non-invasive imaging technique that allows quantification and visualization of biochemical processes

Epidemiological aspects of recruitment of male volunteers for non-invasive urodynamics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

V. Avagyan (Vardan); R. van Mastrigt (Ron); J.W.N.C. Huang Foen Chung (John); A.M. Bohnen (Arthur); P.G.H. Mulder (Paul); J.L.H.R. Bosch (Ruud)

2006-01-01

textabstractWe studied epidemiological aspects of recruitment of volunteers for a non-invasive urodynamic study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 9,236 volunteers were invited by 20 general practitioners (GPs), using two different recruitment methods, i.e. by mail only, or during a

Are native songbird populations affected by non-native plant invasion?

Science.gov (United States)

Amanda M. Conover; Christopher K. Williams; Vincent. D' Amico

2011-01-01

Development into forested areas is occurring rapidly across the United States, and many of the remnant forests within suburban landscapes are being fragmented into smaller patches, impacting the quality of this habitat for avian species. An ecological effect linked to forest fragmentation is the invasion of non-native plants into the ecosystem.

Impact scores of invasive plants are biased by disregard of environmental co-variation and non-linearity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jan Thiele

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Prioritisation of high-impact species is becoming increasingly important for management of introduced species (‘neobiota’ because of their growing number of which, however, only a small fraction has substantial impacts. Impact scores for prioritising species may be affected by the type of effect model used. Recent studies have shown that environmental co-variation and non-linearity may be significant for effect models of biological invasions. Here, we test for differences in impact scores between simple and complex effect models of three invasive plant species (Heracleum mantegazzianum, Lupinus polyphyllus, Rosa rugosa.We investigated the effects of cover percentages of the invasive plants on species richness of invaded communities using both simple linear effect models (‘basic models’ and more complex linear or non-linear models including environmental co-factors (‘full models’. Then, we calculated impact scores for each invasive species as the average reduction of species richness predicted by basic and full effect models.All three non-native species had negative effects on species richness, but the full effect models also indicated significant influence of habitat types. Heracleum mantegazzianum had uniform linear effects in all habitats, while effects of L. polyphyllus interacted strongly with habitat type, and R. rugosa showed a marked non-linear relationship. Impact scores were overestimated by basic effect models for H. mantegazzianum and R. rugosa due to disregard of habitat effects and non-linearity, respectively. In contrast, impact of L. polyphyllus was underestimated by the basic model that did not account for the strong interaction of invader cover and habitat type.We conclude that simple linear models will often yield inaccurate impact scores of non-native species. Hence, effect models should consider environmental co-variation and, if necessary, non-linearity of the effects of biological invasions on native ecosystems.

Non-invasive tissue oximetry following unilateral DIEP-flap reconstruction: A pilot evaluation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N.P.A. Vranken

2017-06-01

Conclusion: Continuous non-invasive tissue oxygen saturation is suitable for postoperative monitoring of DIEP-flaps, and StO2 pattern may aid in early identification of vascular compromise in DIEP-flaps.

Non-invasive measurements of soil water content using a pulsed 14 MeV neutron generator

Science.gov (United States)

Most current techniques of setting crop irrigation schedules use invasive, labor-intensive soil-water content measurements. We developed a cart-mounted neutron probe capable of non-invasive measurements of volumetric soil moisture contents. The instrument emits neutrons which are captured by hydroge...

Non-invasive continuous finger blood pressure measurement during orthostatic stress compared to intra-arterial pressure

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Imholz, B. P.; Settels, J. J.; van der Meiracker, A. H.; Wesseling, K. H.; Wieling, W.

1990-01-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether invasive blood pressure responses to orthostatic stress can be replaced by non-invasive continuous finger blood pressure responses. DESIGN - Intrabrachial and Finapres blood pressures were simultaneously measured during passive head up tilt and during

Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medic. as a biomonitor of heavy metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aksoy, A.; Hale, W.H.G.; Dixon, J.M.

1999-01-01

Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medic. (shepherd's purse) has been tested as a possible biomonitor of heavy metals in the city of Bradford, UK and compared with Poa annua L. (annual meadow-grass), a species with a similar ecology that had previously been studied for biomonitoring potential. Forty-two sites (urban roadside, urban, urban park, suburban and rural) in and around Bradford were investigated. Concentrations of Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu have been determined in soils and in washed and unwashed plant leaves. Differences between the washed and unwashed samples, reflecting airborne and soil entry routes, respectively, varied according to the metal pollutant. There were significant relationships between the heavy metal concentration in samples of surface soil (depth 0-10 cm) and washed leaves, the concentrations being greater with progressively increased urbanisation of the sites. Capsella bursa-pastoris has been found to be a useful biomonitor of the four heavy metals studied, and it may be a particularly useful species since it could monitor short-term changes in pollution in urban areas. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

PET/CT colonography: a novel non-invasive technique for assessment of extent and activity of ulcerative colitis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Das, Chandan J.; Sharma, Raju [All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Radiodiagnosis, New Delhi (India); Makharia, Govind K.; Tiwari, Rajeew P. [All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition, New Delhi (India); Kumar, Rakesh; Kumar, Rajender; Malhotra, Arun [All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Department of Nuclear Medicine, New Delhi (India)

2010-04-15

Extent of involvement and activity of ulcerative colitis (UC) is best evaluated by colonoscopy. Colonoscopy however carries risk during acute exacerbation. We investigated the utility of PET/CT colonography for assessment of extent and activity of UC. Within a 1-week window, 15 patients with mild to moderately active UC underwent colonoscopy and PET/CT colonography 60 min after injection of 10 mCi of {sup 18}F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG). PET activity score based on the amount of FDG uptake and endoscopic mucosal activity in seven colonic segments of each patient was recorded. The mean maximum standardized uptake value (SUV{sub max}) of seven segments was compared with activity in liver. A PET activity grade of 0, 1, 2 or 3 was assigned to each region depending upon their SUV{sub max} ratio (colon segment to liver). The extent of disease was left-sided colitis in five and pancolitis in ten. The mean Ulcerative Colitis Disease Activity Index (UCDAI) was 7.6. The number of segments involved as per colonoscopic evaluation and PET/CT colonography was 67 and 66, respectively. There was a good correlation for extent evaluation between the two modalities (kappa 55.3%, p = 0.02). One patient had grade 0 PET activity, nine had grade 2 and five had grade 3 PET activity. In six patients, there was one to one correlation between PET activity grades with that of endoscopic grade. One patient showed activity in the sacroiliac joint suggesting active sacroiliitis. PET/CT colonography is a novel non-invasive technique for the assessment of extent and activity of the disease in patients with UC. (orig.)

A mine of information: Benthic algal communities as biomonitors of metal contamination from abandoned tailings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lavoie, Isabelle; Lavoie, Michel; Fortin, Claude

2012-01-01

Various biomonitoring approaches were tested in the field to assess the response of natural periphythic algal communities to chronic metal contamination downstream from an abandoned mine tailings site. The accumulation of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) as well as the production of phytochelatins, the presence of diatom taxa known to tolerate high metal concentrations, diatom diversity and the presence of teratologies were determined. We observed highly significant relationships between intracellular metal and calculated free metal ion concentrations. Such relationships are often observed in laboratory studies but have been rarely validated in field studies. These results suggest that the concentration of metal inside the field-collected periphyton, regardless of its species composition, is a good indicator of exposure and is an interesting proxy for bioavailable metal concentrations in natural waters. The presence of teratologies and metal-tolerant taxa at our contaminated sites provided a clear indication that diatom communities were responding to this metal stress. A multi-metric approach integrating various bioassessment methods could be used for the field monitoring of metal contamination and the quantification of its effects. Highlights: ► Various approaches for metal contamination biomonitoring were used in the field. ► Metal accumulation in periphyton is correlated to free ion concentration. ► Teratologies and metal-tolerant taxa provided a clear indication of metal stress. ► Stream periphyton shows great potential as a biomonitor of metal contamination.

Non-invasive assessment of distribution volume ratios and binding potential: tissue heterogeneity and interindividually averaged time-activity curves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reimold, M.; Mueller-Schauenburg, W.; Dohmen, B.M.; Bares, R. [Department of Nuclear Medicine, University of Tuebingen, Otfried-Mueller-Strasse 14, 72076, Tuebingen (Germany); Becker, G.A. [Nuclear Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig (Germany); Reischl, G. [Radiopharmacy, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen (Germany)

2004-04-01

; = distribution volume of the reference tissue). This can be explained by the fact that the distribution volume ratio (DVR=DV/DV ') obtained from averaged TAC is an approximation for {sigma}DV/ {sigma}DV ' rather than for {sigma}DVR/n. We conclude that Logan's non-invasive method and SRTM are suitable for heterogeneous tissues and that discussion of group differences in PET studies generally should include qualitative and quantitative assessment of interindividually averaged TAC. (orig.)

Non-invasive and micro-destructive investigation of the Domus Aurea wall painting decorations.

Science.gov (United States)

Clementi, Catia; Ciocan, Valeria; Vagnini, Manuela; Doherty, Brenda; Tabasso, Marisa Laurenzi; Conti, Cinzia; Brunetti, Brunetto Giovanni; Miliani, Costanza

2011-10-01

The paper reports on the exploitation of an educated multi-technique analytical approach based on a wide non invasive step followed by a focused micro-destructive step, aimed at the minimally invasive identification of the pigments decorating the ceiling of the Gilded Vault of the Domus Aurea in Rome. The combination of elemental analysis with molecular characterization provided by X-ray fluorescence and UV-vis spectroscopies, respectively, allowed for the in situ non-invasive identification of a remarkable number of pigments, namely Egyptian blue, green earth, cinnabar, red ochre and an anthraquinonic lake. The study was completed with the Raman analysis of two bulk samples, in particular, SERS measurements allowed for the speciation of the anthraquinonic pigment. Elemental mapping by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometer combined with micro-fluorimetry on cross-section gave an insight into both the distribution of different blend of pigments and on the nature of the inorganic support of the red dye.

Combination of the non-invasive tests for the diagnosis of endometriosis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nisenblat, Vicki; Prentice, Lucy; Bossuyt, Patrick M. M.; Farquhar, Cindy; Hull, M. Louise; Johnson, Neil

2016-01-01

Background About 10% of women of reproductive age suffer from endometriosis, a costly chronic disease causing pelvic pain and subfertility. Laparoscopy is the gold standard diagnostic test for endometriosis, but is expensive and carries surgical risks. Currently, there are no non-invasive tests

Soil modification by invasive plants: Effects on native and invasive species of mixed-grass prairies

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, N.R.; Larson, D.L.; Huerd, S.C.

2008-01-01

Invasive plants are capable of modifying attributes of soil to facilitate further invasion by conspecifics and other invasive species. We assessed this capability in three important plant invaders of grasslands in the Great Plains region of North America: leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula), smooth brome (Bromus inermis) and crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum). In a glasshouse, these three invasives or a group of native species were grown separately through three cycles of growth and soil conditioning in both steam-pasteurized and non-pasteurized soils, after which we assessed seedling growth in these soils. Two of the three invasive species, Bromus and Agropyron, exhibited significant self-facilitation via soil modification. Bromus and Agropyron also had significant facilitative effects on other invasives via soil modification, while Euphorbia had significant antagonistic effects on the other invasives. Both Agropyron and Euphorbia consistently suppressed growth of two of three native forbs, while three native grasses were generally less affected. Almost all intra- and interspecific effects of invasive soil conditioning were dependent upon presence of soil biota from field sites where these species were successful invaders. Overall, these results suggest that that invasive modification of soil microbiota can facilitate plant invasion directly or via 'cross-facilitation' of other invasive species, and moreover has potential to impede restoration of native communities after removal of an invasive species. However, certain native species that are relatively insensitive to altered soil biota (as we observed in the case of the forb Linum lewisii and the native grasses), may be valuable as 'nurse'species in restoration efforts. ?? 2007 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Utility and reliability of non-invasive muscle function tests in high-fat-fed mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez-Huenchullan, Sergio F; McLennan, Susan V; Ban, Linda A; Morsch, Marco; Twigg, Stephen M; Tam, Charmaine S

2017-07-01

What is the central question of this study? Non-invasive muscle function tests have not been validated for use in the study of muscle performance in high-fat-fed mice. What is the main finding and its importance? This study shows that grip strength, hang wire and four-limb hanging tests are able to discriminate the muscle performance between chow-fed and high-fat-fed mice at different time points, with grip strength being reliable after 5, 10 and 20 weeks of dietary intervention. Non-invasive tests are commonly used for assessing muscle function in animal models. The value of these tests in obesity, a condition where muscle strength is reduced, is unclear. We investigated the utility of three non-invasive muscle function tests, namely grip strength (GS), hang wire (HW) and four-limb hanging (FLH), in C57BL/6 mice fed chow (chow group, n = 48) or a high-fat diet (HFD group, n = 48) for 20 weeks. Muscle function tests were performed at 5, 10 and 20 weeks. After 10 and 20 weeks, HFD mice had significantly reduced GS (in newtons; mean ± SD: 10 weeks chow, 1.89 ± 0.1 and HFD, 1.79 ± 0.1; 20 weeks chow, 1.99 ± 0.1 and HFD, 1.75 ± 0.1), FLH [in seconds per gram body weight; median (interquartile range): 10 weeks chow, 2552 (1337-4964) and HFD, 1230 (749-1994); 20 weeks chow, 2048 (765-3864) and HFD, 1036 (717-1855)] and HW reaches [n; median (interquartile range): 10 weeks chow, 4 (2-5) and HFD, 2 (1-3); 20 weeks chow, 3 (1-5) and HFD, 1 (0-2)] and higher falls [n; median (interquartile range): 10 weeks chow, 0 (0-2) and HFD, 3 (1-7); 20 weeks chow, 1 (0-4) and HFD, 8 (5-10)]. Grip strength was reliable in both dietary groups [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) = 0.5-0.8; P tests are valuable and reliable tools for assessment of muscle strength and function in high-fat-fed mice. © 2017 The Authors. Experimental Physiology © 2017 The Physiological Society.

Validation of a non-invasive arterial monitor GATE model for PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Giansiracusa, P.J., E-mail: pgia@student.unimelb.edu.au [School of Physics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville (Australia); Peake, D.J. [DETECT Australia, Bundoora (Australia); Sobott, B.A. [School of Physics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville (Australia); O' Keefe, G. [The Austin PET Centre, Austin Hospital, Heidelberg (Australia); Rassool, R.P. [School of Physics, The University of Melbourne, Parkville (Australia)

2014-02-11

The Non-Invasive Arterial Monitor (NIAM3) is an SiPM based detector system designed for calibrating Positron-Emission Tomography (PET) images without invasive blood sampling. By imaging the radial and ulnar arteries in the wrist directly with a custom built PET system the resultant PET images can be calibrated. An integral step in the development of a complex detector system is the creation of a model which accurately reflects the physical reality being studied. This paper describes the development of a simulation for NIAM which shows good agreement between the model and physical detector setup.

Non-invasive plant growth measurements for detection of blue-light dose response of stem elongation in Chrysanthemum morifolium

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kjær, Katrine Heinsvig

2012-01-01

. In the present study a non-invasive plant growth sensor (PlantEye, Phenospex B.V, Heerlen, NL) was tested in analysing changes in diurnal stem elongation patterns and plant height in response to the spectral quality of the light environment. Plants were grown in four different LED supplemental lighting...... treatments with 0%, 12.5%, 18.5% and 22.5% blue light under greenhouse conditions in winter (18 h day/4 h night). The non-invasive measurements were carried out automatically every four hour with three repetitions, and supported by manual measurements of plant height every third day. A strong linear relation...... between the non-invasive measurements and manual measurements of plant height was achieved, and a blue-light dose-response showing a decrease in plant height in relation to an increase in blue light was demonstrated. However, the non-invasive plant growth sensor was not able to distinguish between diurnal...

A non-invasive modality: the US virtual touch tissue quantification (VTTQ) for evaluation of breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamaki, Kentaro; Tamaki, Nobumitsu; Kamada, Yoshihiko; Uehara, Kano; Miyashita, Minoru; Ishida, Takanori; Sasano, Hironobu

2013-09-01

We evaluated the biologic features of breast tissues using a newly developed non-invasive diagnostic system, named virtual touch tissue quantification. A total of 180 patients including 115 invasive ductal carcinoma, 30 ductal carcinoma in situ, 4 mucinous carcinoma, 7 invasive lobular carcinoma, 8 fibroadenoma, 12 fibrocystic change and 4 intraductal papilloma were studied at Nahanishi Clinic, Okinawa. We first compared the results of virtual touch tissue quantification according to each histologic subtype and determined the optimal cutoff values for virtual touch tissue quantification to distinguish benign from malignant tissues, using the receiver operating characteristic method. In addition, we also examined the correlation between virtual touch tissue quantification velocities and Ki-67, estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 in cases of invasive ductal carcinoma using linear regression analyses and Student's t-test. Virtual touch tissue quantification velocities were statistically higher in malignant cases than in benign cases (P breast cancer pathology in a non-invasive fashion.

Electromyography data for non-invasive naturally-controlled robotic hand prostheses.

Science.gov (United States)

Atzori, Manfredo; Gijsberts, Arjan; Castellini, Claudio; Caputo, Barbara; Hager, Anne-Gabrielle Mittaz; Elsig, Simone; Giatsidis, Giorgio; Bassetto, Franco; Müller, Henning

2014-01-01

Recent advances in rehabilitation robotics suggest that it may be possible for hand-amputated subjects to recover at least a significant part of the lost hand functionality. The control of robotic prosthetic hands using non-invasive techniques is still a challenge in real life: myoelectric prostheses give limited control capabilities, the control is often unnatural and must be learned through long training times. Meanwhile, scientific literature results are promising but they are still far from fulfilling real-life needs. This work aims to close this gap by allowing worldwide research groups to develop and test movement recognition and force control algorithms on a benchmark scientific database. The database is targeted at studying the relationship between surface electromyography, hand kinematics and hand forces, with the final goal of developing non-invasive, naturally controlled, robotic hand prostheses. The validation section verifies that the data are similar to data acquired in real-life conditions, and that recognition of different hand tasks by applying state-of-the-art signal features and machine-learning algorithms is possible.

Assessment of heavy metal pollution in Córdoba (Spain) by biomonitoring foraging honeybee.

Science.gov (United States)

Gutiérrez, Miriam; Molero, Rafael; Gaju, Miquel; van der Steen, Josef; Porrini, Claudio; Ruiz, José Antonio

2015-10-01

Due to features that make them outstanding environmental bioindicator, colonies of Apis mellifera are being used to study environmental pollution. The primary objective of this research was to use honeybee colonies to identify heavy metals and determine their utility for environmental management. Five stations each with two A. mellifera hives were strategically located in urban, industrial, agricultural and forested areas within the municipality of Córdoba (Spain), and foraging bees were collected from April to December in 2007, 2009 and 2010 to analyse spatial and temporal variation in Pb, Cr, Ni and Cd pollution. Metal concentrations, in milligram per kilogram of honeybee, were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Significant differences in concentrations were found among the various locations and periods. The highest number of values exceeding the upper reference thresholds proposed for this study (Pb, 0.7 mg/kg; Cr, 0.12 mg/kg; Ni, 0.3 mg/kg; and Cd, 0.1 mg/kg) was observed for Pb and Cr (6.25% respectively), station S4 (13.22%), year 2007 (20.83%) and in months of May and July (11.90% each). Regarding the Cd, which was analysed only in 2010, the highest number of values exceeding the upper reference thresholds was 40%. Biomonitoring with colonies of A. mellifera could contribute to improved surveillance and control systems for atmospheric pollution by integrating qualitative and quantitative assessments, thus facilitating prevention and readiness in the event of environmental crises.

Environmental lichenology: Biomonitoring of trace element air pollution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sukhodub, L.S.; Sulkio-Cleff, B.

2001-01-01

The review of application of lichens and mosses as biomonitors of air pollution have been presented. The neutron activation analysis and atomic absorption spectroscopy have been used for trace element content determination in lichens and mosses taken from different regions of Europe

Capacitive Sensing for Non-Invasive Breathing and Heart Monitoring in Non-Restrained, Non-Sedated Laboratory Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Sánchez, Carlos; Fraile, Juan-Carlos; Pérez-Turiel, Javier; Damm, Ellen; Schneider, Jochen G; Zimmermann, Heiko; Schmitt, Daniel; Ihmig, Frank R

2016-07-07

Animal testing plays a vital role in biomedical research. Stress reduction is important for improving research results and increasing the welfare and the quality of life of laboratory animals. To estimate stress we believe it is of great importance to develop non-invasive techniques for monitoring physiological signals during the transport of laboratory animals, thereby allowing the gathering of information on the transport conditions, and, eventually, the improvement of these conditions. Here, we study the suitability of commercially available electric potential integrated circuit (EPIC) sensors, using both contact and contactless techniques, for monitoring the heart rate and breathing rate of non-restrained, non-sedated laboratory mice. The design has been tested under different scenarios with the aim of checking the plausibility of performing contactless capture of mouse heart activity (ideally with an electrocardiogram). First experimental results are shown.

Capacitive Sensing for Non-Invasive Breathing and Heart Monitoring in Non-Restrained, Non-Sedated Laboratory Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos González-Sánchez

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Animal testing plays a vital role in biomedical research. Stress reduction is important for improving research results and increasing the welfare and the quality of life of laboratory animals. To estimate stress we believe it is of great importance to develop non-invasive techniques for monitoring physiological signals during the transport of laboratory animals, thereby allowing the gathering of information on the transport conditions, and, eventually, the improvement of these conditions. Here, we study the suitability of commercially available electric potential integrated circuit (EPIC sensors, using both contact and contactless techniques, for monitoring the heart rate and breathing rate of non-restrained, non-sedated laboratory mice. The design has been tested under different scenarios with the aim of checking the plausibility of performing contactless capture of mouse heart activity (ideally with an electrocardiogram. First experimental results are shown.

Snowpack, fire, and forest disturbance: interactions affect montane invasions by non-native shrubs.

Science.gov (United States)

Stevens, Jens T; Latimer, Andrew M

2015-06-01

Montane regions worldwide have experienced relatively low plant invasion rates, a trend attributed to increased climatic severity, low rates of disturbance, and reduced propagule pressure relative to lowlands. Manipulative experiments at elevations above the invasive range of non-native species can clarify the relative contributions of these mechanisms to montane invasion resistance, yet such experiments are rare. Furthermore, global climate change and land use changes are expected to cause decreases in snowpack and increases in disturbance by fire and forest thinning in montane forests. We examined the importance of these factors in limiting montane invasions using a field transplant experiment above the invasive range of two non-native lowland shrubs, Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) and Spanish broom (Spartium junceum), in the rain-snow transition zone of the Sierra Nevada of California. We tested the effects of canopy closure, prescribed fire, and winter snow depth on demographic transitions of each species. Establishment of both species was most likely at intermediate levels of canopy disturbance, but at this intermediate canopy level, snow depth had negative effects on winter survival of seedlings. We used matrix population models to show that an 86% reduction in winter snowfall would cause a 2.8-fold increase in population growth rates in Scotch broom and a 3.5-fold increase in Spanish broom. Fall prescribed fire increased germination rates, but decreased overall population growth rates by reducing plant survival. However, at longer fire return intervals, population recovery between fires is likely to keep growth rates high, especially under low snowpack conditions. Many treatment combinations had positive growth rates despite being above the current invasive range, indicating that propagule pressure, disturbance, and climate can all strongly affect plant invasions in montane regions. We conclude that projected reductions in winter snowpack and increases in

Effect of prophylactic non-invasive mechanical ventilation on functional capacity after heart valve replacement: a clinical trial

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amaro Afrânio de Araújo-Filho

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: During cardiac surgery, several factors contribute to the development of postoperative pulmonary complications. Non-invasive ventilation is a promising therapeutic tool for improving the functionality of this type of patient. The aim of this study is to evaluate the functional capacity and length of stay of patients in a nosocomial intensive care unit who underwent prophylactic non-invasive ventilation after heart valve replacement. METHOD: The study was a controlled clinical trial, comprising 50 individuals of both sexes who were allocated by randomization into two groups with 25 patients in each group: the control group and experimental group. After surgery, the patients were transferred to the intensive care unit and then participated in standard physical therapy, which was provided to the experimental group after 3 applications of non-invasive ventilation within the first 26 hours after extubation. For non-invasive ventilation, the positive pressure was 10 cm H2O, with a duration of 1 hour. The evaluation was performed on the 7th postoperative day/discharge and included a 6-minute walk test. The intensive care unit and hospitalization times were monitored in both groups. Brazilian Registry of Clinical Trials (REBeC: RBR number 8bxdd3. RESULTS: Analysis of the 6-minute walk test showed that the control group walked an average distance of 264.34±76 meters and the experimental group walked an average distance of 334.07±71 meters (p=0.002. The intensive care unit and hospitalization times did not differ between the groups. CONCLUSION: Non-invasive ventilation as a therapeutic resource was effective toward improving functionality; however, non-invasive ventilation did not influence the intensive care unit or hospitalization times of the studied cardiac patients.

Conceptual framework for a Danish human biomonitoring program

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Marianne; Knudsen, Lisbeth E.; Vorkamp, Katrin

2008-01-01

of pollution in oceans, lakes and soil as well as ground and drinking water. Human biomonitoring has only taken place in research programs and few incidences of e.g. lead contamination. However an arctic program for HBM has been in force for decades and from the preparations of the EU-pilot project on HBM......The aim of this paper is to present the conceptual framework for a Danish human biomonitoring (HBM) program. The EU and national science-policy interface, that is fundamental for a realization of the national and European environment and human health strategies, is discussed, including the need...... for the monitoring program, ii. Collection of human samples, iii. Analysis and data management and iv. Dissemination of results produced within the program. This paper presents the overall framework for data requirements and information flow in the integrated environment and health surveillance program. The added...

Use of mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of trace elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinnes, E.

2000-01-01

Some basic facts about the use of mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric trace element deposition are reviewed, and advantages and limitations of this approach are discussed, largely on the basis of experience from regular use of this technique in Norway over the last 20 years. Topics discussed include different versions of the moss technique, mechanisms and efficiencies of trace element uptake, conversion of concentrations in moss to bulk deposition rates, and contribution from sources other than air pollution to the elemental composition of different elements. Suggestions are presented for further work in order to extend the use of mosses as biomonitors. (author)

Molecular markers in disease detection and follow-up of patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Maas, Moritz; Walz, Simon; Stühler, Viktoria; Aufderklamm, Stefan; Rausch, Steffen; Bedke, Jens; Stenzl, Arnulf; Todenhöfer, Tilman

2018-05-01

Diagnosis and surveillance of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is mainly based on endoscopic bladder evaluation and urine cytology. Several assays for determining additional molecular markers (urine-, tissue- or blood-based) have been developed in recent years but have not been included in clinical guidelines so far. Areas covered: This review gives an update on different molecular markers in the urine and evaluates their role in patients with NMIBC in disease detection and surveillance. Moreover, the potential of recent approaches such as DNA methylation assays, multi-panel RNA gene expression assays and cell-free DNA analysis is assessed. Expert commentary: Most studies on various molecular urine markers have mainly focused on a potential replacement of cystoscopy. New developments in high throughput technologies and urine markers may offer further advantages as they may represent a non-invasive approach for molecular characterization of the disease. This opens new options for individualized surveillance strategies and may help to choose the best therapeutic option. The implementation of these technologies in well-designed clinical trials is essential to further promote the use of urine diagnostics in the management of patients with NMIBC.

Non-Invasive monitoring of diaphragmatic timing by means of surface contact sensors: An experimental study in dogs

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Galdiz Batxi

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Non-invasive monitoring of respiratory muscle function is an area of increasing research interest, resulting in the appearance of new monitoring devices, one of these being piezoelectric contact sensors. The present study was designed to test whether the use of piezoelectric contact (non-invasive sensors could be useful in respiratory monitoring, in particular in measuring the timing of diaphragmatic contraction. Methods Experiments were performed in an animal model: three pentobarbital anesthetized mongrel dogs. The motion of the thoracic cage was acquired by means of a piezoelectric contact sensor placed on the costal wall. This signal is compared with direct measurements of the diaphragmatic muscle length, made by sonomicrometry. Furthermore, to assess the diaphragmatic function other respiratory signals were acquired: respiratory airflow and transdiaphragmatic pressure. Diaphragm contraction time was estimated with these four signals. Using diaphragm length signal as reference, contraction times estimated with the other three signals were compared with the contraction time estimated with diaphragm length signal. Results The contraction time estimated with the TM signal tends to give a reading 0.06 seconds lower than the measure made with the DL signal (-0.21 and 0.00 for FL and DP signals, respectively, with a standard deviation of 0.05 seconds (0.08 and 0.06 for FL and DP signals, respectively. Correlation coefficients indicated a close link between time contraction estimated with TM signal and contraction time estimated with DL signal (a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.98, a reliability coefficient of 0.95, a slope of 1.01 and a Spearman's rank-order coefficient of 0.98. In general, correlation coefficients and mean and standard deviation of the difference were better in the inspiratory load respiratory test than in spontaneous ventilation tests. Conclusion The technique presented in this work provides a non-invasive

Biomonitoring of the mycotoxin Zearalenone: current state-of-the art and application to human exposure assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Mally, Angela; Solfrizzo, Michele; Degen, Gisela H

2016-06-01

Zearalenone (ZEN), a mycotoxin with high estrogenic activity in vitro and in vivo, is a widespread food contaminant that is commonly detected in maize, wheat, barley, sorghum, rye and other grains. Human exposure estimates based on analytical data on ZEN occurrence in various food categories and food consumption data suggest that human exposure to ZEN and modified forms of ZEN may be close to or even exceed the tolerable daily intake (TDI) derived by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) for some consumer groups. Considering the inherent uncertainties in estimating dietary intake of ZEN that may lead to an under- or overestimation of ZEN exposure and consequently human risk and current lack of data on vulnerable consumer groups, there is a clear need for more comprehensive and reliable exposure data to refine ZEN risk assessment. Human biomonitoring (HBM) is increasingly being recognized as an efficient and cost-effective way of assessing human exposure to food contaminants, including mycotoxins. Based on animal and (limited) human data on the toxicokinetics of ZEN, it appears that excretion of ZEN and its major metabolites may present suitable biomarkers of ZEN exposure. In view of the limitations of available dietary exposure data on ZEN and its modified forms, the purpose of this review is to provide an overview of recent studies utilizing HBM to monitor and assess human exposure to ZEN. Considerations are given to animal and human toxicokinetic data relevant to HBM, analytical methods, and available HBM data on urinary biomarkers of ZEN exposure in different cohorts.

Reproducibility of non-invasive assessment of skin endothelial function using laser Doppler flowmetry and laser speckle contrast imaging.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cyril Puissant

Full Text Available Endothelial dysfunction precedes atherosclerosis. Vasodilation induced by acetylcholine (ACh is a specific test of endothelial function. Reproducibility of laser techniques such as laser-Doppler-flowmetry (LDF and Laser-speckle-contrast-imaging (LSCI to detect ACh vasodilation is debated and results expressions lack standardization. We aimed to study at a 7-day interval (i the inter-subject reproducibility, (ii the intra-subjects reproducibility, and (iii the effect of the results expressions over variability.Using LDF and LSCI simultaneously, we performed two different ACh-iontophoresis protocols. The maximal ACh vasodilation (peak-ACh was expressed as absolute or normalized flow or conductance values. Inter-subject reproducibility was expressed as coefficient of variation (inter-CV,%. Intra-subject reproducibility was expressed as within subject coefficients of variation (intra-CV,%, and intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC. Fifteen healthy subjects were included. The inter-subject reproducibility of peak-ACh depended upon the expression of the results and ranged from 55% to 162% for LDF and from 17% to 83% for LSCI. The intra-subject reproducibility (intra-CV/ICC of peak-ACh was reduced when assessed with LSCI compared to LDF no matter how the results were expressed and whatever the protocol used. The highest intra-subject reproducibility was found using LSCI. It was 18.7%/0.87 for a single current stimulation (expressed as cutaneous vascular conductance and 11.4%/0.61 for multiple current stimulations (expressed as absolute value.ACh-iontophoresis coupled with LSCI is a promising test to assess endothelial function because it is reproducible, safe, and non-invasive. N°: NCT01664572.

Non-invasive Oil-Based Method to Increase Topical Delivery of Nucleic Acids to Skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Vij, Manika; Alam, Shamshad; Gupta, Nidhi; Gotherwal, Vishvabandhu; Gautam, Hemlata; Ansari, Kausar M; Santhiya, Deenan; Natarajan, Vivek T; Ganguli, Munia

2017-06-07

Topical delivery of nucleic acids to skin has huge prospects in developing therapeutic interventions for cutaneous disorders. In spite of initial success, clinical translation is vastly impeded by the constraints of bioavailability as well as stability in metabolically active environment of skin. Various physical and chemical methods used to overcome these limitations involve invasive procedures or compounds that compromise skin integrity. Hence, there is an increasing demand for developing safe skin penetration enhancers for efficient nucleic acid delivery to skin. Here, we demonstrate that pretreatment of skin with silicone oil can increase the transfection efficiency of non-covalently associated peptide-plasmid DNA nanocomplexes in skin ex vivo and in vivo. The method does not compromise skin integrity, as indicated by microscopic evaluation of cellular differentiation, tissue architecture, enzyme activity assessment, dye penetration tests using Franz assay, and cytotoxicity and immunogenicity analyses. Stability of nanocomplexes is not hampered on pretreatment, thereby avoiding nuclease-mediated degradation. The mechanistic insights through Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy reveal some alterations in the skin hydration status owing to possible occlusion effects of the enhancer. Overall, we describe a topical, non-invasive, efficient, and safe method that can be used to increase the penetration and delivery of plasmid DNA to skin for possible therapeutic applications. Copyright © 2017 The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Invasive Acer negundo outperforms native species in non-limiting resource environments due to its higher phenotypic plasticity.

Science.gov (United States)

Porté, Annabel J; Lamarque, Laurent J; Lortie, Christopher J; Michalet, Richard; Delzon, Sylvain

2011-11-24

To identify the determinants of invasiveness, comparisons of traits of invasive and native species are commonly performed. Invasiveness is generally linked to higher values of reproductive, physiological and growth-related traits of the invasives relative to the natives in the introduced range. Phenotypic plasticity of these traits has also been cited to increase the success of invasive species but has been little studied in invasive tree species. In a greenhouse experiment, we compared ecophysiological traits between an invasive species to Europe, Acer negundo, and early- and late-successional co-occurring native species, under different light, nutrient availability and disturbance regimes. We also compared species of the same species groups in situ, in riparian forests. Under non-limiting resources, A. negundo seedlings showed higher growth rates than the native species. However, A. negundo displayed equivalent or lower photosynthetic capacities and nitrogen content per unit leaf area compared to the native species; these findings were observed both on the seedlings in the greenhouse experiment and on adult trees in situ. These physiological traits were mostly conservative along the different light, nutrient and disturbance environments. Overall, under non-limiting light and nutrient conditions, specific leaf area and total leaf area of A. negundo were substantially larger. The invasive species presented a higher plasticity in allocation to foliage and therefore in growth with increasing nutrient and light availability relative to the native species. The higher level of plasticity of the invasive species in foliage allocation in response to light and nutrient availability induced a better growth in non-limiting resource environments. These results give us more elements on the invasiveness of A. negundo and suggest that such behaviour could explain the ability of A. negundo to outperform native tree species, contributes to its spread in European resource

In-situ Non-Invasive Imaging of Liquid-Immersed Thin Film Composite Membranes

KAUST Repository

Ogieglo, Wojciech; Pinnau, Ingo; Wessling, Matthias

2017-01-01

We present a non-invasive method to directly image liquid-immersed thin film composite membranes. The approach allows accessing information not only on the lateral distribution of the coating thickness, including variations in its swelling

Clinical evaluation of non-invasive perfusion-weighted MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takasu, Miyuki

2000-01-01

A spin labeling method to measure cerebral blood flow without a contrast medium was developed and applied clinically to obtain a non-invasive perfusion-weighted image. The purpose of this study is to compare the non-invasive perfusion-weighted image using FAIR with the well-established PWI using a bolus injection of Gd-DTPA. Of 41 lesions which revealed decreased perfusion, 13 were shown to be low signal intensity areas on FAIR. Therefore, detection rate of FAIR for hypoperfusion was 32%. Of 8 lesions which revealed increased perfusion, 7 demonstrated high intensity on FAIR. Therefore, detection rate of FAIR for hyperperfusion was 88%. Seven lesions were found to have a mean pixel value of zero on PWI. Of these lesions, 5 lesions could be detected as high signal intensity area on FAIR. The rCBV- and rCBF index ratios of hypoperfused lesions detected on FAIR were significantly lower than those of lesions which were not detected on FAIR (p=0.007, p=0.01). As concerns the lesions detected of FAIR, there were positive correlation between rCBV- or rCBF index ratio and FAIR signal ratio (rCBV ratio: ρ=0.873, p=0.0002, rCBF index ratio: ρ=0.858, p=0.0003). FAIR is valuable clinical tool to detect perfusion abnormality semi-quantitatively without contrast medium, although it showed relatively low detection rate for hypoperfused lesions. (author)

Non-invasive detection of urothelial cancer through the analysis of driver gene mutations and aneuploidy

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Lu; Douville, Christopher; Wang, Yuxuan; Cohen, Joshua David; Taheri, Diana; Silliman, Natalie; Schaefer, Joy; Ptak, Janine; Dobbyn, Lisa; Papoli, Maria; Kinde, Isaac; Afsari, Bahman; Tregnago, Aline C; Bezerra, Stephania M; VandenBussche, Christopher; Fujita, Kazutoshi; Ertoy, Dilek; Cunha, Isabela W; Yu, Lijia; Bivalacqua, Trinity J; Grollman, Arthur P; Diaz, Luis A; Karchin, Rachel; Danilova, Ludmila; Huang, Chao-Yuan; Shun, Chia-Tung; Turesky, Robert J; Yun, Byeong Hwa; Rosenquist, Thomas A; Pu, Yeong-Shiau; Hruban, Ralph H; Tomasetti, Cristian; Papadopoulos, Nickolas; Kinzler, Ken W

2018-01-01

Current non-invasive approaches for detection of urothelial cancers are suboptimal. We developed a test to detect urothelial neoplasms using DNA recovered from cells shed into urine. UroSEEK incorporates massive parallel sequencing assays for mutations in 11 genes and copy number changes on 39 chromosome arms. In 570 patients at risk for bladder cancer (BC), UroSEEK was positive in 83% of those who developed BC. Combined with cytology, UroSEEK detected 95% of patients who developed BC. Of 56 patients with upper tract urothelial cancer, 75% tested positive by UroSEEK, including 79% of those with non-invasive tumors. UroSEEK detected genetic abnormalities in 68% of urines obtained from BC patients under surveillance who demonstrated clinical evidence of recurrence. The advantages of UroSEEK over cytology were evident in low-grade BCs; UroSEEK detected 67% of cases whereas cytology detected none. These results establish the foundation for a new non-invasive approach for detection of urothelial cancer. PMID:29557778

5th German cardiodiagnostic meeting 2013 with the 6th Leipzig Symposium on non-invasive cardiovascular imaging. Challenges and limit of the non-invasive cardiac imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

The proceedings on the German cardiodiagnostic meeting 2013 together with the 6th Leipzig Symposium on non-invasive cardiovascular imaging include abstracts concerning the following topics: Imaging in the rhythmology; adults with congenital cardiac defects; cardiac myopathies - myocarditis; cardiac valves (before and after transcutaneous valve replacement); coronary heart diseases; technical developments.

Assessment of atmospheric pollution level using Asclepias procera leaves as biomonitor

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Daud, M.; Khalid, N.; Ahmad, S. [Pakistan Inst. of Nuclear Science and Technology, Islamabad (Pakistan). Nuclear Chemistry Div.; Iqbal, J. [University of the Punjab, Lahore (Pakistan). Inst. of Chemistry

2007-07-01

The potential of Asclepias procera plant leaves as biomonitor for air pollution monitoring has been explored by analyzing 36 elements in the leaf samples employing Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometric (AAS) techniques. The leaf samples were collected in summer and winter seasons from urban areas of Islamabad with different anthropogenic activities as well as from a rural area as a reference site. The soil samples of the respective sites were also analyzed. The reliability of the methods used was established by analyzing the certified reference materials under identical experimental conditions and comparing the results obtained with the certified values, which are in quite good agreement with each other. Pollution Load Index (PLI) of the determined elements was computed and is discussed accordingly. The uptake of metals from soil to roots, stem and leaves has also been investigated by analyzing these parts of the same plant. The results suggest that the leaves of Asclepias procera plant have a good potential to indicate the air pollution levels both in the vicinity of industrial as well as near roadside areas. (orig.)

Assessment of atmospheric pollution level using Asclepias procera leaves as biomonitor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Daud, M.; Khalid, N.; Ahmad, S.; Iqbal, J.

2007-01-01

The potential of Asclepias procera plant leaves as biomonitor for air pollution monitoring has been explored by analyzing 36 elements in the leaf samples employing Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) and Atomic Absorption Spectrometric (AAS) techniques. The leaf samples were collected in summer and winter seasons from urban areas of Islamabad with different anthropogenic activities as well as from a rural area as a reference site. The soil samples of the respective sites were also analyzed. The reliability of the methods used was established by analyzing the certified reference materials under identical experimental conditions and comparing the results obtained with the certified values, which are in quite good agreement with each other. Pollution Load Index (PLI) of the determined elements was computed and is discussed accordingly. The uptake of metals from soil to roots, stem and leaves has also been investigated by analyzing these parts of the same plant. The results suggest that the leaves of Asclepias procera plant have a good potential to indicate the air pollution levels both in the vicinity of industrial as well as near roadside areas. (orig.)

Fleshy fruit removal and nutritional composition of winter-fruiting plants: a comparison of non-native invasive and native species

Science.gov (United States)

Cathryn H. Greenberg; Scott T. Walter

2010-01-01

Invasive, non-native plants threaten forest ecosystems by reducing native plant species richness and potentially altering ecosystem processes. Seed dispersal is critical for successful invasion and range expansion by non-native plants; dispersal is likely to be enhanced if they can successfully compete with native plants for disperser services. Fruit production by non-...

Non-invasive dendrochronology of late-medieval objects in Oslo

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Daly, Aoife; Streeton, Noëlle L.W.

2017-01-01

scanner. For these reasons, a combined approach was adopted, utilizing CT scanning where possible, but preceded by an ‘exposed-wood’ imaging technique. Both non-invasive techniques have yielded reliable results, and CT scanning has confirmed the reliability of the imaging technique alone. This paper...... presents the analytical methods, along with results from two of the 13 objects under investigation. Results for reliable dates and provenances provide new foundations for historical interpretations....

Non-invasive techniques for determining musculoskeleton body composition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohn, S.H.

1984-01-01

In vivo neutron activation analysis, combined with gamma spectrometry, has ushered in a new era of clinical diagnosis and evaluation of therapies, as well as investigation into and modelling of body composition in both normal individuals and patients suffering from various diseases and dysfunctions. Body composition studies have provided baseline data on such vital constituents as nitrogen, potassium and calcium. The non-invasive measurement techniques are particularly suitable for study of the musculo-skeletal changes in body composition. Of particular relevance here is the measurement of calcium loss in astronauts during prolonged space flights

Non-invasive prediction of hematocrit levels by portable visible and near-infrared spectrophotometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Sakudo, Akikazu; Kato, Yukiko Hakariya; Kuratsune, Hirohiko; Ikuta, Kazuyoshi

2009-10-01

After blood donation, in some individuals having polycythemia, dehydration causes anemia. Although the hematocrit (Ht) level is closely related to anemia, the current method of measuring Ht is performed after blood drawing. Furthermore, the monitoring of Ht levels contributes to a healthy life. Therefore, a non-invasive test for Ht is warranted for the safe donation of blood and good quality of life. A non-invasive procedure for the prediction of hematocrit levels was developed on the basis of a chemometric analysis of visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectra of the thumbs using portable spectrophotometer. Transmittance spectra in the 600- to 1100-nm region from thumbs of Japanese volunteers were subjected to a partial least squares regression (PLSR) analysis and leave-out cross-validation to develop chemometric models for predicting Ht levels. Ht levels of masked samples predicted by this model from Vis-NIR spectra provided a coefficient of determination in prediction of 0.6349 with a standard error of prediction of 3.704% and a detection limit in prediction of 17.14%, indicating that the model is applicable for normal and abnormal value in Ht level. These results suggest portable Vis-NIR spectrophotometer to have potential for the non-invasive measurement of Ht levels with a combination of PLSR analysis.

ST-segment deviation on the admission electrocardiogram, treatment strategy, and outcome in non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndromes - A substudy of the Invasive versus Conservative Treatment in Unstable coronary Syndromes (ICTUS) Trial

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Windhausen, Fons; Hirsch, Alexander; Tijssen, Jan G. P.; Cornel, Jan Hein; Verheugt, Freek W. A.; Klees, Margriet I.; de Winter, Robbert J.

2007-01-01

Background: We assessed the prognostic significance of the presence of cumulative (Sigma) ST-segment deviation on the admission electrocardiogram (ECG) in patients with non-ST-elevation acute coronary syndrome and an elevated troponin T randomized to a selective invasive (SI) or an early invasive

Neonatal non-invasive respiratory support: synchronised NIPPV, non-synchronised NIPPV or bi-level CPAP: what is the evidence in 2013?

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, C T; Davis, P G; Owen, L S

2013-01-01

Nasal continuous positive airway pressure (NCPAP) has proven to be an effective mode of non-invasive respiratory support in preterm infants; however, many infants still require endotracheal ventilation, placing them at an increased risk of morbidities such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia. Several other modes of non-invasive respiratory support beyond NCPAP, including synchronised and non-synchronised nasal intermittent positive pressure ventilation (SNIPPV and nsNIPPV) and bi-level positive airway pressure (BiPAP) are now also available. These techniques require different approaches, and the exact mechanisms by which they act remain unclear. SNIPPV has been shown to reduce the rate of reintubation in comparison to NCPAP when used as post-extubation support, but the evidence for nsNIPPV and BiPAP in this context is less convincing. There is some evidence that NIPPV (whether synchronised or non-synchronised) used as primary respiratory support is beneficial, but the variation in study methodology makes this hard to translate confidently into clinical practice. There is currently no evidence to suggest a reduction in mortality or important morbidities such as bronchopulmonary dysplasia, with NIPPV or BiPAP in comparison to NCPAP, and there is a lack of appropriately designed studies in this area. This review discusses the different approaches and proposed mechanisms of action of SNIPPV, nsNIPPV and BiPAP, the challenges of applying the available evidence for these distinct modalities of non-invasive respiratory support to clinical practice, and possible areas of future research. © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Invasive candidiasis: future directions in non-culture based diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Posch, Wilfried; Heimdörfer, David; Wilflingseder, Doris; Lass-Flörl, Cornelia

2017-09-01

Delayed initial antifungal therapy is associated with high mortality rates caused by invasive candida infections, since accurate detection of the opportunistic pathogenic yeast and its identification display a diagnostic challenge. diagnosis of candida infections relies on time-consuming methods such as blood cultures, serologic and histopathologic examination. to allow for fast detection and characterization of invasive candidiasis, there is a need to improve diagnostic tools. trends in diagnostics switch to non-culture-based methods, which allow specified diagnosis within significantly shorter periods of time in order to provide early and appropriate antifungal treatment. Areas covered: within this review comprise novel pathogen- and host-related testing methods, e.g. multiplex-PCR analyses, T2 magnetic resonance, fungus-specific DNA microarrays, microRNA characterization or analyses of IL-17 as biomarker for early detection of invasive candidiasis. Expert commentary: Early recognition and diagnosis of fungal infections is a key issue for improved patient management. As shown in this review, a broad range of novel molecular based tests for the detection and identification of Candida species is available. However, several assays are in-house assays and lack standardization, clinical validation as well as data on sensitivity and specificity. This underscores the need for the development of faster and more accurate diagnostic tests.

Use of noninvasive and invasive mechanical ventilation in cardiogenic shock

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hongisto, Mari; Lassus, Johan; Tarvasmaki, Tuukka

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Despite scarce data, invasive mechanical ventilation (MV) is widely recommended over non-invasive ventilation (NIV) for ventilatory support in cardiogenic shock (CS). We assessed the real-life use of different ventilation strategies in CS and their influence on outcome focusing on the...

The role of non-invasive biomarkers in detecting acute respiratory effects of traffic-related air pollution.

Science.gov (United States)

Scarpa, M C; Kulkarni, N; Maestrelli, P

2014-09-01

The role of non-invasive methods in the investigation of acute effects of traffic-related air pollution is not clearly established. We evaluated the usefulness of non-invasive biomarkers in detecting acute air pollution effects according to the age of participants, the disease status, their sensitivity compared with lung function tests and their specificity for a type of pollutant. Search terms lead to 535 titles, among them 128 had potentially relevant abstracts. Sixtynine full papers were reviewed, while 59 articles were excluded as they did not meet the selection criteria. Methods used to assess short-term effects of air pollution included analysis of nasal lavage (NAL) for the upper airways, and induced sputum (IS), exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) for central and lower airways. There is strong evidence that FeNO evaluation is useful independently from subject age, while IS analysis is suitable almost for adults. Biomarker changes are generally observed upon pollutant exposure irrespective of the disease status of the participants. None of the biomarkers identified are specific for a type of pollutant exposure. Based on experimental exposure studies, there is moderate evidence that IS analysis is more sensitive than lung function tests, whereas this is not the case for biomarkers obtained by NAL or EBC. Cells and some cytokines (IL-6, IL-8 and myeloperoxidase) have been measured both in the upper respiratory tract (NAL) and in the lower airways (IS). Overall, the response to traffic exposure seems different in the two compartments. In conclusion, this survey of current literature displays the complexity of this research field, highlights the significance of short-term studies on traffic pollution and gives important tips when planning studies to detect acute respiratory effects of air pollution in a non-invasive way. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characteristics of a new non-invasive X-ray output analyzer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shinohara, Fuminori; Ishikawa, Mitsuo; Miyazaki, Shigeru

2002-01-01

The X-ray systems study group used the Victoreen NERO mAx model 8000, a new non-invasive X-ray output analyzer, to measure the tube voltage, tube voltage waveform, tube current, and irradiation time for conditions corresponding to general radiography and mammography. The measurement results were then compared with those obtained using a conventional invasive measuring instrument. The peak values of the tube voltage measured by the NERO mAx and the invasive measuring instrument were compared. The NERO mAx had a good measurement error range of -1.2 to +0.9 kV. For tube current measurement by the NERO mAx, the maximum error for general radiography conditions was +11 mA and that for mammography conditions was +6 mA. For irradiation time measurement, the value for general radiography conditions was slightly greater and the value for mammography conditions was slightly less than the corresponding values obtained by the invasive measuring instrument. If radiation quality is changed during measurement of the characteristics, measurement values change. Since the NERO mAx incorporates two types of X-ray detectors, it shows good measurement reproducibility. The NERO mAx has been shown to have suitable characteristics for use as a measuring instrument for constancy tests. In the future, constancy tests should be used to quantitatively control the factors determining clinical image quality. (author)

NON-INVASIVE RADIOFREQUENCY ABLATION OF CANCER TARGETED BY GOLD NANOPARTICLES

Science.gov (United States)

Cardinal, Jon; Klune, John Robert; Chory, Eamon; Jeyabalan, Geetha; Kanzius, John S.; Nalesnik, Michael; Geller, David A.

2008-01-01

Introduction Current radiofrequency ablation (RFA) techniques require invasive needle placement and are limited by accuracy of targeting. The purpose of this study was to test a novel non-invasive radiowave machine that uses RF energy to thermally destroy tissue. Gold nanoparticles were designed and produced to facilitate tissue heating by the radiowaves. Methods A solid state radiowave machine consisting of a power generator and transmitting/receiving couplers which transmit radiowaves at 13.56 MHz was used. Gold nanoparticles were produced by citrate reduction and exposed to the RF field either in solutions testing or after incubation with HepG2 cells. A rat hepatoma model using JM-1 cells and Fisher rats was employed using direct injection of nanoparticles into the tumor to focus the radiowaves for select heating. Temperatures were measured using a fiber-optic thermometer for real-time data. Results Solutions containing gold nanoparticles heated in a time- and power-dependent manner. HepG2 liver cancer cells cultured in the presence of gold nanoparticles achieved adequate heating to cause cell death upon exposure to the RF field with no cytotoxicity attributable to the gold nanoparticles themselves. In vivo rat exposures at 35W using gold nanoparticles for tissue injection resulted in significant temperature increases and thermal injury at subcutaneous injection sites as compared to vehicle (water) injected controls. Discussion These data show that non-invasive radiowave thermal ablation of cancer cells is feasible when facilitated by gold nanoparticles. Future studies will focus on tumor selective targeting of nanoparticles for in vivo tumor destruction. PMID:18656617

A Preclinical Evaluation of Antrodia camphorata Alcohol Extracts in the Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Using Non-Invasive Molecular Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeng-Feng Chiou

2011-01-01

Full Text Available This study was carried out to provide a platform for the pre-clinical evaluation of anti-cancer properties of a unique CAM (complementary and alternative medicine agent, Antrodia camphorata alcohol extract (ACAE, in a mouse model with the advantageous non-invasive in vivo bioluminescence molecular imaging technology. In vitro analyses on the proliferation, migration/invasion, cell cycle and apoptosis were performed on ACAE-treated non-small cell lung cancer cells, H441GL and control CGL1 cells. In vivo, immune-deficient mice were inoculated subcutaneously with H441GL followed by oral gavages of ACAE. The effect of ACAE on tumor progression was monitored by non-invasive bioluminescence imaging. The proliferation and migration/invasion of H441GL cells were inhibited by ACAE in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, ACAE induced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and apoptosis in H441GL cells as shown by flow cytometric analysis, Annexin-V immunoflourescence and DNA fragmentation. In vivo bioluminescence imaging revealed that tumorigenesis was significantly retarded by oral treatment of ACAE in a dose-dependent fashion. Based on our experimental data, ACAE contains anti-cancer properties and could be considered as a potential CAM agent in future clinical evaluation.

Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medic. as a biomonitor of heavy metals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Aksoy, A. [University of Erciyes, Faculty of Science and Arts, Department of Biology, 38039 Kayseri (Turkey); Hale, W.H.G.; Dixon, J.M. [Department of Environmental Science, University of Bradford, Bradford (United Kingdom)

1999-02-09

Capsella bursa-pastoris (L.) Medic. (shepherd's purse) has been tested as a possible biomonitor of heavy metals in the city of Bradford, UK and compared with Poa annua L. (annual meadow-grass), a species with a similar ecology that had previously been studied for biomonitoring potential. Forty-two sites (urban roadside, urban, urban park, suburban and rural) in and around Bradford were investigated. Concentrations of Pb, Cd, Zn and Cu have been determined in soils and in washed and unwashed plant leaves. Differences between the washed and unwashed samples, reflecting airborne and soil entry routes, respectively, varied according to the metal pollutant. There were significant relationships between the heavy metal concentration in samples of surface soil (depth 0-10 cm) and washed leaves, the concentrations being greater with progressively increased urbanisation of the sites. Capsella bursa-pastoris has been found to be a useful biomonitor of the four heavy metals studied, and it may be a particularly useful species since it could monitor short-term changes in pollution in urban areas. (Copyright (c) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.)

Wild rodents (Dipodomys merriami) used as biomonitors in contaminated mining sites.

Science.gov (United States)

Espinosa-Reyes, Guillermo; Torres-Dosal, Arturo; Ilizaliturri, Cesar; Gonzalez-Mille, Donaji; Diaz-Barriga, Fernando; Mejia-Saavedra, Jesus

2010-01-01

Mining is one of the most important industrial activities globally; however, mining processes have critical environmental impacts, as mining is a major source of metals and metalloids that contribute significantly to the pollution of soil, sediment, water and air. Heavy metals can impact the health of exposed human populations and nonhuman receptors. This study focused on arsenic because its genotoxicity is well-known. Previously, we proposed a methodology to evaluate and integrate risk from a single source affecting different biologic receptors. Here, we propose an alternative approach estimating arsenic exposure in children and kangaroo rats using probabilistic simulation with Monte Carlo modeling. The estimates are then associated to measured DNA damage and compared to both populations of children and rodents living in contaminated and in reference areas. Finally, based on the integrated analysis of the generated information, we evaluate the potential use of wild rodents (Dipodomys merriami) as a biomonitor at mining sites. Results indicate that the variation of genotoxicity in children of the reference site is approximately 2 units when compared to the children of the contaminated site. In the rodents we observed a variation of approximately 4 units between those of the reference site when compared to those living on the contaminated site. We propose that D. merriami can be used as a biomonitor organism in sites with mining activity, and that a non-lethal test can be used to evaluate risk from metal exposure.

Non-invasive preimplantation genetic screening using array comparative genomic hybridization on spent culture media: a proof-of-concept pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Feichtinger, Michael; Vaccari, Enrico; Carli, Luca; Wallner, Elisabeth; Mädel, Ulrike; Figl, Katharina; Palini, Simone; Feichtinger, Wilfried

2017-06-01

The aim of this pilot study was to assess if array comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH), non-invasive preimplantation genetic screening (PGS) on blastocyst culture media is feasible. Therefore, aCGH analysis was carried out on 22 spent blastocyst culture media samples after polar body PGS because of advanced maternal age. All oocytes were fertilized by intracytoplasmic sperm injection and all embryos underwent assisted hatching. Concordance of polar body analysis and culture media genetic results was assessed. Thirteen out of 18 samples (72.2%) revealed general concordance of ploidy status (euploid or aneuploid). At least one chromosomal aberration was found concordant in 10 out of 15 embryos found to be aneuploid by both polar body and culture media analysis. Overall, 17 out of 35 (48.6%) single chromosomal aneuploidies were concordant between the culture media and polar body analysis. By analysing negative controls (oocytes with fertilization failure), notable maternal contamination was observed. Therefore, non-invasive PGS could serve as a second matrix after polar body or cleavage stage PGS; however, in euploid results, maternal contamination needs to be considered and results interpreted with caution. Copyright © 2017 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multielement atmospheric deposition study in Croatia using moss biomonitoring, NAA, AAS and GIS technologies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)