Cutaneous vascular anomalies associated with neural tube defects: nomenclature and pathology revisited.

Science.gov (United States)

Maugans, Todd; Sheridan, Rachel M; Adams, Denise; Gupta, Anita

2011-07-01

Lumbosacral cutaneous vascular anomalies associated with neural tube defects are frequently described in the literature as "hemangiomas." The classification system for pediatric vascular anomalies developed by the International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies provides a framework to accurately diagnose these lesions. To apply this classification to vascular cutaneous anomalies overlying myelodysplasias. A retrospective analysis of patients with neural tube defects and lumbosacral cutaneous vascular lesions was performed. All eligible patients had detailed histopathologic analysis of skin and spinal cord/placode lesions. Clinical and radiologic features were analyzed. Conventional histology and GLUT-1 immunostaining were performed to differentiate infantile capillary hemangiomas from capillary vascular malformations. Ten cases with cutaneous lesions associated with neural tube defects were reviewed. Five lesions were diagnosed as infantile capillary hemangiomas based upon histology and positive GLUT-1 endothelial reactivity. These lesions had a strong association with dermal sinus tracts. No reoperations were required for residual intraspinal vascular lesions, and overlying cutaneous vascular anomalies involuted with time. The remaining 5 lesions were diagnosed as capillary malformations. These occurred with both open and closed neural tube defects, did not involute, and demonstrated enlargement and darkening due to vascular congestion. The International Society for the Study of Vascular Anomalies scheme should be used to describe the cutaneous vascular lesions associated with neural tube defects: infantile capillary hemangiomas and capillary malformations. We advocate that these lesions be described as "vascular anomalies" or "stains" pending accurate diagnosis by clinical, histological, and immunohistochemical evaluations.

Diagnosis of fetal neural tube defects by MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Suzhen; Zhu Ming; Zhong Yumin; Zhang Hong; Pan Huihong

2010-01-01

Objective: To explore the diagnostic value of MRI on fetal neural tube defects. Methods: Ten pregnant women, aged from 25 to 35 years (average 28 years) and with gestation from 20-39 weeks (average 33 weeks) were studied with a 1.5 T superconductive MR unit within 24 to 48 hours after ultrasound (US) studies. The imaging protocol included fast-imaging employing steady-state acquisition, single-shot FSE and T 1 -weighted fast inversion recovery motion insensitive sequences in the axial, fromtal, and sagittal planes relative to the fetal brain, thorax, abdomen, and spines. Prenatal US and MRI findings were compared with postnatal MRI diagnoses (3 fetuses) or autopsy (7 fetuses). Results: Ten pregnant women (9 with a single fetus and 1 with twin fetuses) were examined. For all cases, the diagnoses established by MRI were correct when compared with postnatal diagnosis or autopsy. In 7 cases, US and MRI findings were in complete agreement with postnatal diagnoses. US missed the diagnosis in 1 cases and misdiagnosed in 2 cases. Ten neural tube defects in this study included anencephaly (1 case), exencephaly (1 case), meningoencephalocele associated with amniotic band sequence (1 case), meningocele (1 case), thoracic myelomeningocele (1 case), lumbar spinal bifida (1 case), sacroiliac myelomeningocele (2 cases), sacroiliac large cystic spinal meningocele (1 case), sacroiliac spinal bifida (1 case). Conclusions: Prenatal MRI is effective in the assessment of fetal neural tube defects. It can exactly discriminate herniated contents and locate the spinal lesion level. (authors)

Flexible deep brain neural probes based on a parylene tube structure

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Zhiguo; Kim, Eric; Luo, Hao; Zhang, Jinsheng; Xu, Yong

2018-01-01

Most microfabricated neural probes have limited shank length, which prevents them from reaching many deep brain structures. This paper reports deep brain neural probes with ultra-long penetrating shanks based on a simple but novel parylene tube structure. The mechanical strength of the parylene tube shank is temporarily enhanced during implantation by inserting a metal wire. The metal wire can be removed after implantation, making the implanted probe very flexible and thus minimizing the stress caused by micromotions of brain tissues. Optogenetic stimulation and chemical delivery capabilities can be potentially integrated by taking advantage of the tube structure. Single-shank prototypes with a shank length of 18.2 mm have been developed. The microfabrication process comprises of deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) of silicon, parylene conformal coating/refilling, and XeF2 isotropic silicon etching. In addition to bench-top insertion characterization, the functionality of developed probes has been preliminarily demonstrated by implanting into the amygdala of a rat and recording neural signals.

Isolation and culture of neural crest cells from embryonic murine neural tube.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfaltzgraff, Elise R; Mundell, Nathan A; Labosky, Patricia A

2012-06-02

The embryonic neural crest (NC) is a multipotent progenitor population that originates at the dorsal aspect of the neural tube, undergoes an epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and migrates throughout the embryo, giving rise to diverse cell types. NC also has the unique ability to influence the differentiation and maturation of target organs. When explanted in vitro, NC progenitors undergo self-renewal, migrate and differentiate into a variety of tissue types including neurons, glia, smooth muscle cells, cartilage and bone. NC multipotency was first described from explants of the avian neural tube. In vitro isolation of NC cells facilitates the study of NC dynamics including proliferation, migration, and multipotency. Further work in the avian and rat systems demonstrated that explanted NC cells retain their NC potential when transplanted back into the embryo. Because these inherent cellular properties are preserved in explanted NC progenitors, the neural tube explant assay provides an attractive option for studying the NC in vitro. To attain a better understanding of the mammalian NC, many methods have been employed to isolate NC populations. NC-derived progenitors can be cultured from post-migratory locations in both the embryo and adult to study the dynamics of post-migratory NC progenitors, however isolation of NC progenitors as they emigrate from the neural tube provides optimal preservation of NC cell potential and migratory properties. Some protocols employ fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) to isolate a NC population enriched for particular progenitors. However, when starting with early stage embryos, cell numbers adequate for analyses are difficult to obtain with FACS, complicating the isolation of early NC populations from individual embryos. Here, we describe an approach that does not rely on FACS and results in an approximately 96% pure NC population based on a Wnt1-Cre activated lineage reporter. The method presented here is adapted from

The heart tube forms and elongates through dynamic cell rearrangement coordinated with foregut extension.

Science.gov (United States)

Kidokoro, Hinako; Yonei-Tamura, Sayuri; Tamura, Koji; Schoenwolf, Gary C; Saijoh, Yukio

2018-03-29

In the initiation of cardiogenesis, the heart primordia transform from bilateral flat sheets of mesoderm into an elongated midline tube. Here, we discover that this rapid architectural change is driven by actomyosin-based oriented cell rearrangement and resulting dynamic tissue reshaping (convergent extension, CE). By labeling clusters of cells spanning the entire heart primordia, we show that the heart primordia converge toward the midline to form a narrow tube, while extending perpendicularly to rapidly lengthen it. Our data for the first time visualize the process of early heart tube formation from both the medial (second) and lateral (first) heart fields, revealing that both fields form the early heart tube by essentially the same mechanism. Additionally, the adjacent endoderm coordinately forms the foregut through previously unrecognized movements that parallel those of the heart mesoderm and elongates by CE. In conclusion, our data illustrate how initially two-dimensional flat primordia rapidly change their shapes and construct the three-dimensional morphology of emerging organs in coordination with neighboring morphogenesis. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Morphogenetic movements during cranial neural tube closure in the chick embryo and the effect of homocysteine

OpenAIRE

Brouns, M.R.; Afman, L.A.; VanHauten, B.A.M.; Hekking, J.W.M.; Kohler, E.S.; Straaten, van, H.W.M.

2005-01-01

In order to unravel morphogenetic mechanisms involved in neural tube closure, critical cell movements that are fundamental to remodelling of the cranial neural tube in the chick embryo were studied in vitro by quantitative time-lapse video microscopy. Two main directions of movements were observed. The earliest was directed medially; these cells invaginated into a median groove and were the main contributors to the initial neural tube closure. Once the median groove was completed, cells chang...

Preventing neural tube defects in Europe: a missed opportunity.

Science.gov (United States)

Busby, Araceli; Abramsky, Lenore; Dolk, Helen; Armstrong, Ben; Addor, Marie-Claude; Anneren, Goran; Armstrong, Nicola; Baguette, Andre; Barisic, Ingeborg; Berghold, Andrea; Bianca, Sebastiano; Braz, Paula; Calzolari, Elisa; Christiansen, Marianne; Cocchi, Guido; Daltveit, Anne Kjersti; De Walle, Hermien; Edwards, Grace; Gatt, Miriam; Gener, Blanca; Gillerot, Yves; Gjergja, Romana; Goujard, Janine; Haeusler, Martin; Latos-Bielenska, Anna; McDonnell, Robert; Neville, Amanda; Olars, Birgitta; Portillo, Isabel; Ritvanen, Annukka; Robert-Gnansia, Elizabeth; Rösch, Christine; Scarano, Gioacchino; Steinbicker, Volker

2005-01-01

Each year, more than 4500 pregnancies in the European Union are affected by neural tube defects (NTD). Unambiguous evidence of the effectiveness of periconceptional folic acid in preventing the majority of neural tube defects has been available since 1991. We report on trends in the total prevalence of neural tube defects up to 2002, in the context of a survey in 18 European countries of periconceptional folic acid supplementation (PFAS) policies and their implementation. EUROCAT is a network of population-based registries in Europe collaborating in the epidemiological surveillance of congenital anomalies. Representatives from 18 participating countries provided information about policy, health education campaigns and surveys of PFAS uptake. The yearly total prevalence of neural tube defects including livebirths, stillbirths and terminations of pregnancy was calculated from 1980 to 2002 for 34 registries, with UK and Ireland estimated separately from the rest of Europe. A meta-analysis of changes in NTD total prevalence between 1989-1991 and 2000-2002 according to PFAS policy was undertaken for 24 registries. By 2005, 13 countries had a government recommendation that women planning a pregnancy should take 0.4mg folic acid supplement daily, accompanied in 7 countries by government-led health education initiatives. In the UK and Ireland, countries with PFAS policy, there was a 30% decline in NTD total prevalence (95% CI 16-42%) but it was difficult to distinguish this from the pre-existing strong decline. In other European countries with PFAS policy, there was virtually no decline in NTD total prevalence whether a policy was in place by 1999 (2%, 95% CI 28% reduction to 32% increase) or not (8%, 95% CI 26% reduction to 16% increase). The potential for preventing NTDs by periconceptional folic acid supplementation is still far from being fulfilled in Europe. Only a public health policy including folic acid fortification of staple foods is likely to result in large

Partitioning of One-Carbon Units in Folate and Methionine Metabolism Is Essential for Neural Tube Closure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kit-Yi Leung

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Summary: Abnormal folate one-carbon metabolism (FOCM is implicated in neural tube defects (NTDs, severe malformations of the nervous system. MTHFR mediates unidirectional transfer of methyl groups from the folate cycle to the methionine cycle and, therefore, represents a key nexus in partitioning one-carbon units between FOCM functional outputs. Methionine cycle inhibitors prevent neural tube closure in mouse embryos. Similarly, the inability to use glycine as a one-carbon donor to the folate cycle causes NTDs in glycine decarboxylase (Gldc-deficient embryos. However, analysis of Mthfr-null mouse embryos shows that neither S-adenosylmethionine abundance nor neural tube closure depend on one-carbon units derived from embryonic or maternal folate cycles. Mthfr deletion or methionine treatment prevents NTDs in Gldc-null embryos by retention of one-carbon units within the folate cycle. Overall, neural tube closure depends on the activity of both the methionine and folate cycles, but transfer of one-carbon units between the cycles is not necessary. : Leung at al. find that embryonic neural tube closure depends both on the supply of one-carbon units to the folate cycle from glycine cleavage and on the methionine cycle. In contrast, transfer of one-carbon units from the folate cycle to the methionine cycle by MTHFR is dispensable. Keywords: one-carbon metabolism, folic acid, neural tube defects, spina bifida, glycine cleavage system, non-ketotic hyperglycinemia, eye, Mthfr, Gldc

Neural tube defects in Waardenburg syndrome: A case report and review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Hart, Joseph; Miriyala, Kalpana

2017-09-01

Waardenburg syndrome type 1 (WS1) is an autosomal dominant genetic condition characterized by sensorineural deafness and pigment abnormalities, and is caused by variants in the PAX3 homeodomain. PAX3 variants have been associated with severe neural tube defects in mice and humans, but the frequency and clinical manifestations of this symptom remain largely unexplored in humans. Consequently, the role of PAX3 in human neural tube formation remains a study of interest, for clinical as well as research purposes. Though the association between spina bifida and WS1 is now well-documented, no study has attempted to characterize the range of spina bifida phenotypes seen in WS. Spina bifida encompasses several diagnoses with a wide scope of clinical severity, ranging from spina bifida occulta to myelomeningocele. We present a patient with Waardenburg syndrome type 1 caused by a novel missense variant in PAX3, presenting with myelomeningocele, Arnold-Chiari malformation, and hydrocephalus at birth. Additionally, we review 32 total cases of neural tube defects associated with WS. Including this report, there have been 15 published cases of myelomeningocele, 10 cases of unspecified spina bifida, 3 cases of sacral dimples, 0 cases of meningocele, and 4 cases of miscellaneous other neural tube defects. Though the true frequency of each phenotype cannot be determined from this collection of cases, these results demonstrate that Waardenburg syndrome type 1 carries a notable risk of severe neural tube defects, which has implications in prenatal and genetic counseling. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Morphogenetic movements during cranial neural tube closure in the chick embryo and the effect of homocysteine

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouns, M.R.; Afman, L.A.; VanHauten, B.A.M.; Hekking, J.W.M.; Kohler, E.S.; Straaten, van H.W.M.

2005-01-01

In order to unravel morphogenetic mechanisms involved in neural tube closure, critical cell movements that are fundamental to remodelling of the cranial neural tube in the chick embryo were studied in vitro by quantitative time-lapse video microscopy. Two main directions of movements were observed.

Morphogenetic movements during cranial neural tube closure in the chick embryo and the effect of homocysteine.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouns, M.R.; Afman, L.A.; Vanhauten, B.A.M.; Hekking, J.W.M.; Köhler, E.S.; Straaten, H.W.M. van

2005-01-01

In order to unravel morphogenetic mechanisms involved in neural tube closure, critical cell movements that are fundamental to remodelling of the cranial neural tube in the chick embryo were studied in vitro by quantitative time-lapse video microscopy. Two main directions of movements were observed.

Expression of cardiac neural crest and heart genes isolated by modified differential display.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinsen, Brad J; Groebner, Nathan J; Frasier, Allison J; Lohr, Jamie L

2003-08-01

The invasion of the cardiac neural crest (CNC) into the outflow tract (OFT) and subsequent outflow tract septation are critical events during vertebrate heart development. We have performed four modified differential display screens in the chick embryo to identify genes that may be involved in CNC, OFT, secondary heart field, and heart development. The screens included differential display of RNA isolated from three different axial segments containing premigratory cranial neural crest cells; of RNA from distal outflow tract, proximal outflow tract, and atrioventricular tissue of embryonic chick hearts; and of RNA isolated from left and right cranial tissues, including the early heart fields. These screens have resulted in the identification of the five cDNA clones presented here, which are expressed in the cardiac neural crest, outflow tract and developing heart in patterns that are unique in heart development.

Application of artificial neural networks in analysis of CHF experimental data in round tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Yanping; Chen Bingde; Lang Xuemei; Wang Xiaojun; Shan Jianqiang; Jia Dounan

2004-01-01

Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are applied successfully to analyze the critical heat flux (CHF) experimental data from some round tubes in this paper. A set of software adopting artificial neural network method for predicting CHF in round tube and a set of CHF database are gotten. Comparing with common CHF correlations and CHF look-up table, ANN method has stronger ability of allow-wrong and nice robustness. The CHF predicting software adopting artificial neural network technology can improve the predicting accuracy in a wider parameter range, and is easier to update and to use. The artificial neural network method used in this paper can be applied to some similar physical problems. (authors)

Professor John Scott, folate and neural tube defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffbrand, A Victor

2014-02-01

John Scott (1940-2013) was born in Dublin where he was to spend the rest of his career, both as an undergraduate and subsequently Professor of Biochemistry and Nutrition at Trinity College. His research with the talented group of scientists and clinicians that he led has had a substantial impact on our understanding of folate metabolism, mechanisms of its catabolism and deficiency. His research established the leading theory of folate involvement with vitamin B12 in the pathogenesis of vitamin B12 neuropathy. He helped to establish the normal daily intake of folate and the increased requirements needed either in food or as a supplement before and during pregnancy to prevent neural tube defects. He also suggested a dietary supplement of vitamin B12 before and during pregnancy to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. It would be an appropriate epitaph if fortification of food with folic acid became mandatory in the UK and Ireland, as it is in over 70 other countries. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluation of the cranial base in amnion rupture sequence involving the anterior neural tube: implications regarding recurrence risk.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, Kenneth Lyons; Robinson, Luther K; Benirschke, Kurt

2006-09-01

Amniotic bands can cause disruption of the cranial end of the developing fetus, leading in some cases to a neural tube closure defect. Although recurrence for unaffected parents of an affected child with a defect in which the neural tube closed normally but was subsequently disrupted by amniotic bands is negligible; for a primary defect in closure of the neural tube to which amnion has subsequently adhered, recurrence risk is 1.7%. In that primary defects of neural tube closure are characterized by typical abnormalities of the base of the skull, evaluation of the cranial base in such fetuses provides an approach for making a distinction between these 2 mechanisms. This distinction has implications regarding recurrence risk. The skull base of 2 fetuses with amnion rupture sequence involving the cranial end of the neural tube were compared to that of 1 fetus with anencephaly as well as that of a structurally normal fetus. The skulls were cleaned, fixed in 10% formalin, recleaned, and then exposed to 10% KOH solution. After washing and recleaning, the skulls were exposed to hydrogen peroxide for bleaching and photography. Despite involvement of the anterior neural tube in both fetuses with amnion rupture sequence, in Case 3 the cranial base was normal while in Case 4 the cranial base was similar to that seen in anencephaly. This technique provides a method for determining the developmental pathogenesis of anterior neural tube defects in cases of amnion rupture sequence. As such, it provides information that can be used to counsel parents of affected children with respect to recurrence risk.

Neural tube closure depends on expression of Grainyhead-like 3 in multiple tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

De Castro, Sandra C P; Hirst, Caroline S; Savery, Dawn; Rolo, Ana; Lickert, Heiko; Andersen, Bogi; Copp, Andrew J; Greene, Nicholas D E

2018-03-15

Failure of neural tube closure leads to neural tube defects (NTDs), common congenital abnormalities in humans. Among the genes whose loss of function causes NTDs in mice, Grainyhead-like3 (Grhl3) is essential for spinal neural tube closure, with null mutants exhibiting fully penetrant spina bifida. During spinal neurulation Grhl3 is initially expressed in the surface (non-neural) ectoderm, subsequently in the neuroepithelial component of the neural folds and at the node-streak border, and finally in the hindgut endoderm. Here, we show that endoderm-specific knockout of Grhl3 causes late-arising spinal NTDs, preceded by increased ventral curvature of the caudal region which was shown previously to suppress closure of the spinal neural folds. This finding supports the hypothesis that diminished Grhl3 expression in the hindgut is the cause of spinal NTDs in the curly tail, carrying a hypomorphic Grhl3 allele. Complete loss of Grhl3 function produces a more severe phenotype in which closure fails earlier in neurulation, before the stage of onset of expression in the hindgut of wild-type embryos. This implicates additional tissues and NTD mechanisms in Grhl3 null embryos. Conditional knockout of Grhl3 in the neural plate and node-streak border has minimal effect on closure, suggesting that abnormal function of surface ectoderm, where Grhl3 transcripts are first detected, is primarily responsible for early failure of spinal neurulation in Grhl3 null embryos. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Maternal bereavement in the antenathal period and Neural tube defect in the offspring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingstrup, Katja Glejsted; Olsen, Jørn; Bech, Bodil Hammer

2013-01-01

Title: Maternal bereavement after death of a close relative and neural tube defect in the offspring Background: Neural tube defects are the second most common and often lethal congenital anomaly in the world leaving surviving children with life-long severe disabilities. A low intake of folic acid...... was seen (OR 1.61, 95% CI: 1.07; 2.41). Discussion: We only studied live born children but about 2/3 of children with spina bifida survive the birth or longer with corrective surgery. We did not adjust for folic acid, but a sub-analysis of approximately 85,000 mothers showed no difference in intake during...... all children born in Denmark from 1978-2008 and their mothers (n=1,734,190). In the time window of one year before pregnancy or during the first trimester of pregnancy 34,407 mothers were exposed to bereavement. Results: A total of 5,031 cases of neural tube defects were identified: 889 with spina...

dNTP deficiency induced by HU via inhibiting ribonucleotide reductase affects neural tube development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guan, Zhen; Wang, Xiuwei; Dong, Yanting; Xu, Lin; Zhu, Zhiqiang; Wang, Jianhua; Zhang, Ting; Niu, Bo

2015-01-01

Highlights: • Murine NTDs were successfully induced by means of hydroxyurea (HU). • The impairment of dNTP was induced via inhibition of ribonucleotide reductase. • dNTP deficiency induced by HU caused defective DNA synthesis and repair. • Abnormal apoptosis and proliferation induced by HU affected neural tube development. - Abstract: Exposure to environmental toxic chemicals in utero during the neural tube development period can cause developmental disorders. To evaluate the disruption of neural tube development programming, the murine neural tube defects (NTDs) model was induced by interrupting folate metabolism using methotrexate in our previous study. The present study aimed to examine the effects of dNTP deficiency induced by hydroxyurea (HU), a specific ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) inhibitor, during murine neural tube development. Pregnant C57BL/6J mice were intraperitoneally injected with various doses of HU on gestation day (GD) 7.5, and the embryos were checked on GD 11.5. RNR activity and deoxynucleoside triphosphate (dNTP) levels were measured in the optimal dose. Additionally, DNA damage was examined by comet analysis and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. Cellular behaviors in NTDs embryos were evaluated with phosphorylation of histone H3 (PH-3) and caspase-3 using immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis. The results showed that NTDs were observed mostly with HU treatment at an optimal dose of 225 mg/kg b/w. RNR activity was inhibited and dNTP levels were decreased in HU-treated embryos with NTDs. Additionally, increased DNA damage, decreased proliferation, and increased caspase-3 were significant in NTDs embryos compared to the controls. Results indicated that HU induced murine NTDs model by disturbing dNTP metabolism and further led to the abnormal cell balance between proliferation and apoptosis

Epidemiology of neural tube defects in Saudi Arabia.

Science.gov (United States)

AlShail, Essam; De Vol, Edward; Yassen, Ahsan; Elgamal, Essam A

2014-12-01

To evaluate the distribution and pattern of neural tube defects in Saudi Arabia by creating a hospital based registry. All cases registered in the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center (KFSH&RC) neural tube defect (NTD) registry since it was established in October 2000 until December 2012 were studied through active surveillance comprising a registrar who collects NTD information by reviewing the patient's medical records, and interviewing patient's families. The total number of patients registered from October 2000 to December 2012 was 718 patients. There were more females (417, 58%) than males (301, 42%). Of 620 mothers who underwent antenatal ultrasonography; 392 (63%) were diagnosed at birth, and 204 (33%) were diagnosed with antenatal hydrocephalus. In our registry sample, most mothers (95%) did not take folic acid 3 months prior to pregnancy, and 76% did not take folic acid during the 3 months after conception with the affected child. Only 5% received folic acid prior to conception. The KFSH&RC-NTD registry has met its objectives as a source of data that may significantly contribute to the prevention of NTDs, and improving quality of care for NTD patients through active publication of registry findings and management approaches.

Prevalence of neural tube defect and hydrocephalus in Northern ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

All the cases reported in this study were open neural tube defect (NTD). The most common defect was hydrocephalus occurring in 33 patients representing 57.9%, with spinal bifida occurring in 21 patients representing 38.6%. Encephalocele or cranium bifida occurred in only 5.3% (3 patients). Among the spinal bifida cases ...

Birth prevalence of neural tube defects and orofacial clefts in India: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Komal Preet Allagh

Full Text Available In the last two decades, India has witnessed a substantial decrease in infant mortality attributed to infectious disease and malnutrition. However, the mortality attributed to birth defects remains constant. Studies on the prevalence of birth defects such as neural tube defects and orofacial clefts in India have reported inconsistent results. Therefore, we conducted a systematic review of observational studies to document the birth prevalence of neural tube defects and orofacial clefts.A comprehensive literature search for observational studies was conducted in MEDLINE and EMBASE databases using key MeSH terms (neural tube defects OR cleft lip OR cleft palate AND Prevalence AND India. Two reviewers independently reviewed the retrieved studies, and studies satisfying the eligibility were included. The quality of included studies was assessed using selected criteria from STROBE statement.The overall pooled birth prevalence (random effect of neural tube defects in India is 4.5 per 1000 total births (95% CI 4.2 to 4.9. The overall pooled birth prevalence (random effect of orofacial clefts is 1.3 per 1000 total births (95% CI 1.1 to 1.5. Subgroup analyses were performed by region, time period, consanguinity, and gender of newborn.The overall prevalence of neural tube defects from India is high compared to other regions of the world, while that of orofacial clefts is similar to other countries. The majority of studies included in the review were hospital based. The quality of these studies ranged from low to moderate. Further well-designed, high quality community-based observational studies are needed to accurately estimate the burden of neural tube defects and orofacial clefts in India.

Evaluation of the prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects by fetal ultrasonographic examination in different centres across Europe

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boyd, PA; Wellesley, DG; De Walle, HEK; Tenconi, R; Garcia-Minaur, S; Zandwijken, GRJ; Stoll, C; Clementi, M

2000-01-01

Objective-Evaluation of prenatal diagnosis of neural tube defects by ultrasound examination in unselected populations across Europe. Setting-Prenatal ultrasound units in areas that report to contributing congenital malformation registers. Methods-All cases with a suspected or confirmed neural tube

The Use of Tygon Tubing Sterilized by Gamma Radiation in Heart-Lung By-Pass Machines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alladine, M. F.; Gibbons, J. R. P. [London Chest Hospital, London (United Kingdom)

1967-09-15

Tygon tubing is a co-polymer polyvinyl chloride. This tubing is used throughout the circuit of our heart-lung by-pass machines and had been sterilized by autoclaving or exposure to ethylene oxide gas. Tubing sterilized by autoclaving was noted to have a decrease in tensile strength and the transparency of the tubing was affected. Sterilization by ethylene oxide had the disadvantage that gas was often present in the lumen of the tube when connected to the machine. Lengths of Tygon tubing were sterilized by gamma radiation at varying radiation levels and temperatures. Bacteriological studies were done on the tubing and estimation of tensile strength carried out. We have found that a level of radiation of 2. 5 to 3. 0 Mrad at 20°C produces little or no change in tensile strength and the tubing remains bacteriologically sterile. Tygon tubing sterilized in this way has now been used in over sixty heart-lung by-pass machine operations. (author)

How useful is YouTube in learning heart anatomy?

Science.gov (United States)

Raikos, Athanasios; Waidyasekara, Pasan

2014-01-01

Nowadays more and more modern medical degree programs focus on self-directed and problem-based learning. That requires students to search for high quality and easy to retrieve online resources. YouTube is an emerging platform for learning human anatomy due to easy access and being a free service. The purpose of this study is to make a quantitative and qualitative analysis of the available human heart anatomy videos on YouTube. Using the search engine of the platform we searched for relevant videos using various keywords. Videos with irrelevant content, animal tissue, non-English language, no sound, duplicates, and physiology focused were excluded from further elaboration. The initial search retrieved 55,525 videos, whereas only 294 qualified for further analysis. A unique scoring system was used to assess the anatomical quality and details, general quality, and the general data for each video. Our results indicate that the human heart anatomy videos available on YouTube conveyed our anatomical criteria poorly, whereas the general quality scoring found borderline. Students should be selective when looking up on public video databases as it can prove challenging, time consuming, and the anatomical information may be misleading due to absence of content review. Anatomists and institutions are encouraged to prepare and endorse good quality material and make them available online for the students. The scoring rubric used in the study comprises a valuable tool to faculty members for quality evaluation of heart anatomy videos available on social media platforms. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

International retrospective cohort study of neural tube defects in relation to folic acid recommendations : are the recommendations working?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Botto, LD; Lisi, A; Robert-Gnansia, E; Erickson, JD; Vollset, SE; Mastroiacovo, P; Botting, B; Cocchi, G; de Vigan, C; de Walle, H; Feijoo, M; Irgens, LM; McDonnell, B; Merlob, P; Ritvanen, A; Scarano, G; Siffel, C; Metneki, J; Stoll, C; Smithells, R; Goujard, J

2005-01-01

Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of policies and recommendations on folic acid aimed at reducing the occurrence of neural tube defects. Design Retrospective cohort study of births monitored by birth defect registries. Setting 13 birth defects registries monitoring rates of neural tube defects

Neural Tube Defects and Pregnancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emine Çoşar

2009-09-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: Neural tube defects are congenital malformations those mostly causing life-long morbidities. They are prevented by the periconseptional folic acid usage and prenatal diagnostic methods. MATERIALS-METHODS: Pregnants from Afyonkarahisar and neighbourhood cities applied to our hospital and determined NTD, were investigated. RESULTS: In our obstetrics clinic 1403 delivery were made and 43 of them had fetus with NTD. Among these fetuses 41.3% had meningomyelocel, 17.4% had meningocel, 21.7% had encephalocel, 8.7% had unencephali and 4.3% had iniencephali. CONCLUSION: Incidence of NTD is high in our region and geographic region, nutrition and other socioeconomic factors may be related to the high incidence. Education of the mother and periconceptional folic acid usage may reduce teh incidence of NTD.

Application of Artificial Neural Networks in the Heart Electrical Axis Position Conclusion Modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Bakanovskaya, L. N.

2016-08-01

The article touches upon building of a heart electrical axis position conclusion model using an artificial neural network. The input signals of the neural network are the values of deflections Q, R and S; and the output signal is the value of the heart electrical axis position. Training of the network is carried out by the error propagation method. The test results allow concluding that the created neural network makes a conclusion with a high degree of accuracy.

Neural tube defects – recent advances, unsolved questions and controversies

Science.gov (United States)

Copp, Andrew J.; Stanier, Philip; Greene, Nicholas D. E.

2014-01-01

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are severe congenital malformations affecting around 1 in every 1000 pregnancies. Here we review recent advances and currently unsolved issues in the NTD field. An innovation in clinical management has come from the demonstration that closure of open spina bifida lesions in utero can diminish neurological dysfunction in children. Primary prevention by folic acid has been enhanced through introduction of mandatory food fortification in some countries, although not yet in UK. Genetic predisposition comprises the majority of NTD risk, and genes that regulate folate one-carbon metabolism and planar cell polarity have been strongly implicated. The sequence of human neural tube closure events remains controversial, but study of mouse NTD models shows that anencephaly, open spina bifida and craniorachischisis result from failure of primary neurulation, while skin-covered spinal dysraphism results from defective secondary neurulation. Other ‘NTD’ malformations, such as encephalocele, are likely to be post-neurulation disorders. PMID:23790957

A comparison of neural tube defects identified by two independent routine recording systems for congenital malformations in Northern Ireland.

Science.gov (United States)

Nevin, N C; McDonald, J R; Walby, A L

1978-12-01

The efficiency of two systems for recording congenital malformations has been compared; one system, the Registrar General's Congenital Malformation Notification, is based on registering all malformed infants, and the other, the Child Health System, records all births. In Northern Ireland for three years [1974--1976], using multiple sources of ascertainment, a total of 686 infants with neural tube defects was identified among 79 783 live and stillbirths. The incidence for all neural tube defects in 8 60 per 1 000 births. The Registrar General's Congenital Malformation Notification System identified 83.6% whereas the Child Health System identified only 63.3% of all neural tube defects. Both systems together identified 86.2% of all neural tube defects. The two systems are suitable for monitoring of malformations and the addition of information from the Genetic Counselling Clinics would enhance the data for epidemiological studies.

Regional neural tube closure defined by the Grainy head-like transcription factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Rifat, Yeliz; Parekh, Vishwas; Wilanowski, Tomasz; Hislop, Nikki R; Auden, Alana; Ting, Stephen B; Cunningham, John M; Jane, Stephen M

2010-09-15

Primary neurulation in mammals has been defined by distinct anatomical closure sites, at the hindbrain/cervical spine (closure 1), forebrain/midbrain boundary (closure 2), and rostral end of the forebrain (closure 3). Zones of neurulation have also been characterized by morphologic differences in neural fold elevation, with non-neural ectoderm-induced formation of paired dorso-lateral hinge points (DLHP) essential for neural tube closure in the cranial and lower spinal cord regions, and notochord-induced bending at the median hinge point (MHP) sufficient for closure in the upper spinal region. Here we identify a unifying molecular basis for these observations based on the function of the non-neural ectoderm-specific Grainy head-like genes in mice. Using a gene-targeting approach we show that deletion of Grhl2 results in failed closure 3, with mutants exhibiting a split-face malformation and exencephaly, associated with failure of neuro-epithelial folding at the DLHP. Loss of Grhl3 alone defines a distinct lower spinal closure defect, also with defective DLHP formation. The two genes contribute equally to closure 2, where only Grhl gene dosage is limiting. Combined deletion of Grhl2 and Grhl3 induces severe rostral and caudal neural tube defects, but DLHP-independent closure 1 proceeds normally in the upper spinal region. These findings provide a molecular basis for non-neural ectoderm mediated formation of the DLHP that is critical for complete neuraxis closure. (c) 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An amphioxus Msx gene expressed predominantly in the dorsal neural tube.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharman, A C; Shimeld, S M; Holland, P W

1999-04-01

Genomic and cDNA clones of an Msx class homeobox gene were isolated from amphioxus (Branchiostoma floridae). The gene, AmphiMsx, is expressed in the neural plate from late gastrulation; in later embryos it is expressed in dorsal cells of the neural tube, excluding anterior and posterior regions, in an irregular reiterated pattern. There is transient expression in dorsal cells within somites, reminiscent of migrating neural crest cells of vertebrates. In larvae, mRNA is detected in two patches of anterior ectoderm proposed to be placodes. Evolutionary analyses show there is little phylogenetic information in Msx protein sequences; however, it is likely that duplication of Msx genes occurred in the vertebrate lineage.

Dynamic neural networking as a basis for plasticity in the control of heart rate.

Science.gov (United States)

Kember, G; Armour, J A; Zamir, M

2013-01-21

A model is proposed in which the relationship between individual neurons within a neural network is dynamically changing to the effect of providing a measure of "plasticity" in the control of heart rate. The neural network on which the model is based consists of three populations of neurons residing in the central nervous system, the intrathoracic extracardiac nervous system, and the intrinsic cardiac nervous system. This hierarchy of neural centers is used to challenge the classical view that the control of heart rate, a key clinical index, resides entirely in central neuronal command (spinal cord, medulla oblongata, and higher centers). Our results indicate that dynamic networking allows for the possibility of an interplay among the three populations of neurons to the effect of altering the order of control of heart rate among them. This interplay among the three levels of control allows for different neural pathways for the control of heart rate to emerge under different blood flow demands or disease conditions and, as such, it has significant clinical implications because current understanding and treatment of heart rate anomalies are based largely on a single level of control and on neurons acting in unison as a single entity rather than individually within a (plastically) interconnected network. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hopfield neural network and optical fiber sensor as intelligent heart rate monitor

Science.gov (United States)

Mutter, Kussay Nugamesh

2018-01-01

This paper presents a design and fabrication of an intelligent fiber-optic sensor used for examining and monitoring heart rate activity. It is found in the literature that the use of fiber sensors as heart rate sensor is widely studied. However, the use of smart sensors based on Hopfield neural networks is very low. In this work, the sensor is a three fibers without cladding of about 1 cm, fed by laser light of 1550 nm of wavelength. The sensing portions are mounted with a micro sensitive diaphragm to transfer the pulse pressure on the left radial wrist. The influenced light intensity will be detected by a three photodetectors as inputs into the Hopfield neural network algorithm. The latter is a singlelayer auto-associative memory structure with a same input and output layers. The prior training weights are stored in the net memory for the standard recorded normal heart rate signals. The sensors' heads work on the reflection intensity basis. The novelty here is that the sensor uses a pulse pressure and Hopfield neural network in an integrity approach. The results showed a significant output measurements of heart rate and counting with a plausible error rate.

Excess Imidacloprid Exposure Causes the Heart Tube Malformation of Chick Embryos.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Lin-Rui; Li, Shuai; Zhang, Jing; Liang, Chang; Chen, En-Ni; Zhang, Shi-Yao; Chuai, Manli; Bao, Yong-Ping; Wang, Guang; Yang, Xuesong

2016-11-30

As a neonicotinoid pesticide, imidacloprid is widely used to control sucking insects on agricultural planting and fleas on domestic animals. However, the extent to which imidacloprid exposure has an influence on cardiogensis in early embryogenesis is still poorly understood. In vertebrates, the heart is the first organ to be formed. In this study, to address whether imidacloprid exposure affects early heart development, the early chick embryo has been used as an experimental model because of its accessibility at its early developmental stage. The results demonstrate that exposure of the early chick embryo to imidacloprid caused malformation of heart tube. Furthermore, the data reveal that down-regulation of GATA4, NKX2.5, and BMP4 and up-regulation of Wnt3a led to aberrant cardiomyocyte differentiation. In addition, imidacloprid exposure interfered with basement membrane breakdown, E-cadherin/laminin expression, and mesoderm formation during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in gastrula chick embryos. Finally, the DiI-labeled cell migration trajectory indicated that imidacloprid restricted the cell migration of cardiac progenitors to primary heart field in gastrula chick embryos. A similar observation was also obtained from the cell migration assay of scratch wounds in vitro. Additionally, imidacloprid exposure negatively affected the cytoskeleton structure and expression of corresponding adhesion molecules. Taken together, these results reveal that the improper EMT, cardiac progenitor migration, and differentiation are responsible for imidacloprid exposure-induced malformation of heart tube during chick embryo development.

Segmentation of Drosophila Heart in Optical Coherence Microscopy Images Using Convolutional Neural Networks

OpenAIRE

Duan, Lian; Qin, Xi; He, Yuanhao; Sang, Xialin; Pan, Jinda; Xu, Tao; Men, Jing; Tanzi, Rudolph E.; Li, Airong; Ma, Yutao; Zhou, Chao

2018-01-01

Convolutional neural networks are powerful tools for image segmentation and classification. Here, we use this method to identify and mark the heart region of Drosophila at different developmental stages in the cross-sectional images acquired by a custom optical coherence microscopy (OCM) system. With our well-trained convolutional neural network model, the heart regions through multiple heartbeat cycles can be marked with an intersection over union (IOU) of ~86%. Various morphological and dyn...

Effectiveness of YouTube as a Source of Medical Information on Heart Transplantation.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, He-Ming; Hu, Zhong-Kai; Zheng, Xiao-Lin; Yuan, Zhao-Shun; Xu, Zhao-Bin; Yuan, Ling-Qing; Perez, Vinicio A De Jesus; Yuan, Ke; Orcholski, Mark; Liao, Xiao-Bo

2013-11-21

In this digital era, there is a growing tendency to use the popular Internet site YouTube as a new electronic-learning (e-learning) means for continuing medical education. Heart transplantation (HTx) remains the most viable option for patients with end-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease. There are plenty of freely accessible YouTube videos providing medical information about HTx. The aim of the present study is to determine the effectiveness of YouTube as an e-learning source on HTx. In order to carry out this study, YouTube was searched for videos uploaded containing surgical-related information using the four keywords: (1) "heart transplantation", (2) "cardiac transplantation", (3) "heart transplantation operation", and (4) "cardiac transplantation operation". Only videos in English (with comments or subtitles in English language) were included. Two experienced cardiac surgeons watched each video (N=1800) and classified them as useful, misleading, or recipients videos based on the HTx-relevant information. The kappa statistic was used to measure interobserver variability. Data was analyzed according to six types of YouTube characteristics including "total viewership", "duration", "source", "days since upload", "scores" given by the viewers, and specialized information contents of the videos. A total of 342/1800 (19.00%) videos had relevant information about HTx. Of these 342 videos, 215 (62.8%) videos had useful information about specialized knowledge, 7/342 (2.0%) were found to be misleading, and 120/342 (35.1%) only concerned recipients' individual issues. Useful videos had 56.09% of total viewership share (2,175,845/3,878,890), whereas misleading had 35.47% (1,375,673/3,878,890). Independent user channel videos accounted for a smaller proportion (19% in total numbers) but might have a wider impact on Web viewers, with the highest mean views/day (mean 39, SD 107) among four kinds of channels to distribute HTx-related information. YouTube

A caudal proliferating growth center contributes to both poles of the forming heart tube

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van den Berg, G.; Abu-Issa, R.; de Boer, B.A.; Hutson, M.R.; de Boer, P.A.J.; Soufan, A.T.; Ruijter, J.M.; Kirby, M.L.; van den Hoff, M.J.B.; Moorman, A.F.M.

2009-01-01

Recent studies have shown that the primary heart tube continues to grow by addition of cells from the coelomic wall. This growth occurs concomitantly with embryonic folding and formation of the coelomic cavity, making early heart formation morphologically complex. A scarcity of data on localized

Global Burden of Neural Tube Defects, Risk Factors, and Prevention

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Joseph E

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Neural tube defects (NTDs, serious birth defects of the brain and spine usually resulting in death or paralysis, affect an estimated 300,000 births each year worldwide. Although the majority of NTDs are preventable with adequate folic acid consumption during the preconception period and throughout the first few weeks of gestation, many populations, in particular those in low and middle resource settings, do not have access to fortified foods or vitamin supplements containing folic acid. Further, accurate birth defects surveillance data, which could help inform mandatory fortification and other NTD prevention initiatives, are lacking in many of these settings. The burden of birth defects in South East Asia is among the highest in the world. Expanding global neural tube defects prevention initiatives can support the achievement of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal 4 to reduce child mortality, a goal which many countries in South East Asia are currently not poised to reach, and the 63rd World Health Assembly Resolution on birth defects. More work is needed to develop and implement mandatory folic acid fortification policies, as well as supplementation programs in countries where the reach of fortification is limited.

The murine homeobox gene Msx-3 shows highly restricted expression in the developing neural tube.

Science.gov (United States)

Shimeld, S M; McKay, I J; Sharpe, P T

1996-04-01

The mouse homeobox-genes Msx-1 and Msx-2 are expressed in several areas of the developing embryo, including the neural tube, neural crest, facial processes and limb buds. Here we report the characterisation of a third mouse Msx gene, which we designate Msx-3. The embryonic expression of Msx-3 was found to differ from that of Msx-1 and -2 in that it was confined to the dorsal neural tube. In embryos with 5-8 somites a segmental pattern of expression was observed in the hindbrain, with rhombomeres 3 and 5 lacking Msx-3 while other rhombomeres expressed Msx-3. This pattern was transient, however, such that in embryos with 18 or more somites expression was continuous throughout the dorsal hindbrain and anterior dorsal spinal cord. Differentiation of dorsal cell types in the neural tube can be induced by addition of members of the Tgf-beta family. Additionally, Msx-1 and -2 have been shown to be activated by addition of the Tgf-beta family member Bmp-4. To determine if Bmp-4 could activate Msx-3, we incubated embryonic hindbrain explants with exogenous Bmp-4. The dorsal expression of Msx-3 was seen to expand into more ventral regions of the neurectoderm in Bmp-4-treated cultures, implying that Bmp-4 may be able to mimic an in vivo signal that induces Msx-3.

Malformations du tube neural en chirurgie pediatrique du chu de ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

encéphalocèle et 6 cas de sipina bifida. La cure chirurgicale a été le principal mode de prise en charge des patients. Seuls 91,38% des cas ont été opérés. Pour toutes les malformations du tube neural, nous avons enregistré 7 décès dont 2 décès ...

Prediction of friction factor of pure water flowing inside vertical smooth and microfin tubes by using artificial neural networks

Science.gov (United States)

Çebi, A.; Akdoğan, E.; Celen, A.; Dalkilic, A. S.

2017-02-01

An artificial neural network (ANN) model of friction factor in smooth and microfin tubes under heating, cooling and isothermal conditions was developed in this study. Data used in ANN was taken from a vertically positioned heat exchanger experimental setup. Multi-layered feed-forward neural network with backpropagation algorithm, radial basis function networks and hybrid PSO-neural network algorithm were applied to the database. Inputs were the ratio of cross sectional flow area to hydraulic diameter, experimental condition number depending on isothermal, heating, or cooling conditions and mass flow rate while the friction factor was the output of the constructed system. It was observed that such neural network based system could effectively predict the friction factor values of the flows regardless of their tube types. A dependency analysis to determine the strongest parameter that affected the network and database was also performed and tube geometry was found to be the strongest parameter of all as a result of analysis.

The influence of Poly-Vinyl-Chloride tubing on the isolated perfused rat´s heart.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Meijler, F.L.; Durrer, D.

1950-01-01

There are types of poly-vinyl-chloride tubing sold and used for medical and biological purposes which deteriorate heart action in a few minutes. A simple method for testing P.V.C. tubing can be found in the isolated rat's he art perfused according to Langendorff.

Histological evaluation of acute covering of an experimental neural tube defect with biomatrices in fetal sheep.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eggink, A.J.; Roelofs, L.A.J.; Lammens, M.M.Y.; Feitz, W.F.J.; Wijnen, R.M.H.; Mullaart, R.A.; Moerkerk, H.T.B. van; Kuppevelt, A.H.M.S.M. van; Crevels, A.J.; Hanssen, A.; Lotgering, F.K.; Berg, P.P. van den

2006-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to determine the histological effect on the neural tissue of in utero covering of an experimental neural tube defect in fetal lambs, with the use of two different biomatrices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In 23 fetal sheep, surgery was performed at 79 days' gestation.

Air Pollution, Neighbourhood Socioeconomic Factors, and Neural Tube Defects in the San Joaquin Valley of California.

Science.gov (United States)

Padula, Amy M; Yang, Wei; Carmichael, Suzan L; Tager, Ira B; Lurmann, Frederick; Hammond, S Katharine; Shaw, Gary M

2015-11-01

Environmental pollutants and neighbourhood socioeconomic factors have been associated with neural tube defects, but the potential impact of interaction between ambient air pollution and neighbourhood socioeconomic factors on the risks of neural tube defects is not well understood. We used data from the California Center of the National Birth Defects Study and the Children's Health and Air Pollution Study to investigate whether associations between air pollutant exposure in early gestation and neural tube defects were modified by neighbourhood socioeconomic factors in the San Joaquin Valley of California, 1997-2006. There were 5 pollutant exposures, 3 outcomes, and 9 neighbourhood socioeconomic factors included for a total of 135 investigated associations. Estimates were adjusted for maternal race-ethnicity, education, and multivitamin use. We present below odds ratios (ORs) that exclude 1 and a chi-square test of homogeneity P-value of <0.05. We observed increased odds of spina bifida comparing the highest to lowest quartile of particulate matter <10 μm (PM10 ) among those living in a neighbourhood with: (i) median household income of less than $30 000 per year [OR 5.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7, 15.3]; (ii) more than 20% living below the federal poverty level (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.1, 6.0); and (iii) more than 30% with less than or equal to a high school education (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.4, 7.4). The ORs were not statistically significant among those higher socioeconomic status (SES) neighbourhoods. Our results demonstrate effect modification by neighbourhood socioeconomic factors in the association of particulate matter and neural tube defects in California. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mechanics of neurulation: From classical to current perspectives on the physical mechanics that shape, fold, and form the neural tube.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayraghavan, Deepthi S; Davidson, Lance A

2017-01-30

Neural tube defects arise from mechanical failures in the process of neurulation. At the most fundamental level, formation of the neural tube relies on coordinated, complex tissue movements that mechanically transform the flat neural epithelium into a lumenized epithelial tube (Davidson, 2012). The nature of this mechanical transformation has mystified embryologists, geneticists, and clinicians for more than 100 years. Early embryologists pondered the physical mechanisms that guide this transformation. Detailed observations of cell and tissue movements as well as experimental embryological manipulations allowed researchers to generate and test elementary hypotheses of the intrinsic and extrinsic forces acting on the neural tissue. Current research has turned toward understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying neurulation. Genetic and molecular perturbation have identified a multitude of subcellular components that correlate with cell behaviors and tissue movements during neural tube formation. In this review, we focus on methods and conceptual frameworks that have been applied to the study of amphibian neurulation that can be used to determine how molecular and physical mechanisms are integrated and responsible for neurulation. We will describe how qualitative descriptions and quantitative measurements of strain, force generation, and tissue material properties as well as simulations can be used to understand how embryos use morphogenetic programs to drive neurulation. Birth Defects Research 109:153-168, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Parasympathetic neural activity accounts for the lowering of exercise heart rate at high altitude

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Boushel, Robert Christopher; Calbet, J A; Rådegran, G

2001-01-01

In chronic hypoxia, both heart rate (HR) and cardiac output (Q) are reduced during exercise. The role of parasympathetic neural activity in lowering HR is unresolved, and its influence on Q and oxygen transport at high altitude has never been studied.......In chronic hypoxia, both heart rate (HR) and cardiac output (Q) are reduced during exercise. The role of parasympathetic neural activity in lowering HR is unresolved, and its influence on Q and oxygen transport at high altitude has never been studied....

Neural tube defects – disorders of neurulation and related embryonic processes

Science.gov (United States)

Copp, Andrew J.; Greene, Nicholas D. E.

2014-01-01

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are severe congenital malformations affecting 1 in every 1000 pregnancies. ‘Open’ NTDs result from failure of primary neurulation as seen in anencephaly, myelomeningocele (open spina bifida) and craniorachischisis. Degeneration of the persistently open neural tube in utero leads to loss of neurological function below the lesion level. ‘Closed’ NTDs are skin-covered disorders of spinal cord structure, ranging from asymptomatic spina bifida occulta to severe spinal cord tethering, and usually traceable to disruption of secondary neurulation. ‘Herniation’ NTDs are those in which meninges, with or without brain or spinal cord tissue, become exteriorised through a pathological opening in the skull or vertebral column (e.g. encephalocele and meningocele). NTDs have multifactorial etiology, with genes and environmental factors interacting to determine individual risk of malformation. While over 200 mutant genes cause open NTDs in mice, much less is known about the genetic causation of human NTDs. Recent evidence has implicated genes of the planar cell polarity signalling pathway in a proportion of cases. The embryonic development of NTDs is complex, with diverse cellular and molecular mechanisms operating at different levels of the body axis. Molecular regulatory events include the BMP and Sonic hedgehog pathways which have been implicated in control of neural plate bending. Primary prevention of NTDs has been implemented clinically following the demonstration that folic acid, when taken as a peri-conceptional supplement, can prevent many cases. Not all NTDs respond to folic acid, however, and adjunct therapies are required for prevention of this folic acid-resistant category. PMID:24009034

Defeitos de fechamento do tubo neural e fatores associados em recém-nascidos vivos e natimortos Neural tube defects and associated factors among liveborn and stillborn infants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos J.B. Aguiar

2003-04-01

evaluate the prevalence and factors associated to neural tube defects in liveborn and stillborn infants delivered at the Hospital das Clínicas, UFMG, from January 8, 1999 to July 31, 2000. METHODS: this is a descriptive study, based on a database, according to the Latin-American Collaborative Study of Congenital Malformation (ECLAMC rules. Reports on liveborn and stillborn infants with congenital anomalies were prepared including information about morphological description, necropsy results, complementary exams, family, social and pregnancy histories and other clinical data. Each malformed liveborn infant originated a control of the same sex, without malformations. The liveborn and stillborn infants with neural tube defects delivered during that period were classified according to their defect and the presence or absence of associated defects. The liveborn and stillborn infants with neural tube defects were compared to newborns without neural tube defects according to their weight and sex and their mother's age and parity. Epi-Info 6.0 Program was used for the statistical analysis of the results. RESULTS: the prevalence of neural tube defects was 4.73 to 1,000 deliveries (89:18,807; it was significantly higher among stillborn infants (23.7:1,000 than among liveborn infants (4.16:1,000, p < 0.001. Neural tube defects were more often found among low weight liveborn infants (< 2,500 g, p < 0.001 and less frequently among women who had had more than three gestations, p = 0.007. No association was found regarding newborn's sex or maternal age. There was no association with newborn's sex and weight, maternal parity or age among stillborn infants. The most common neural tube defects were myelomeningocele (47.2%, anencephaly (26.9% and encephalocele (16.9%. The defects were found as isolated anomalies in 71.1% of the liveborn and 38.5% of the stillborn infants; they were part of a syndrome in 9.2% (liveborn and 7.7% (stillborn. CONCLUSIONS: the neural tube defect prevalence found

Transcriptional response of Hoxb genes to retinoid signalling is regionally restricted along the neural tube rostrocaudal axis.

Science.gov (United States)

Carucci, Nicoletta; Cacci, Emanuele; Nisi, Paola S; Licursi, Valerio; Paul, Yu-Lee; Biagioni, Stefano; Negri, Rodolfo; Rugg-Gunn, Peter J; Lupo, Giuseppe

2017-04-01

During vertebrate neural development, positional information is largely specified by extracellular morphogens. Their distribution, however, is very dynamic due to the multiple roles played by the same signals in the developing and adult neural tissue. This suggests that neural progenitors are able to modify their competence to respond to morphogen signalling and autonomously maintain positional identities after their initial specification. In this work, we take advantage of in vitro culture systems of mouse neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) to show that NSPCs isolated from rostral or caudal regions of the mouse neural tube are differentially responsive to retinoic acid (RA), a pivotal morphogen for the specification of posterior neural fates. Hoxb genes are among the best known RA direct targets in the neural tissue, yet we found that RA could promote their transcription only in caudal but not in rostral NSPCs. Correlating with these effects, key RA-responsive regulatory regions in the Hoxb cluster displayed opposite enrichment of activating or repressing histone marks in rostral and caudal NSPCs. Finally, RA was able to strengthen Hoxb chromatin activation in caudal NSPCs, but was ineffective on the repressed Hoxb chromatin of rostral NSPCs. These results suggest that the response of NSPCs to morphogen signalling across the rostrocaudal axis of the neural tube may be gated by the epigenetic configuration of target patterning genes, allowing long-term maintenance of intrinsic positional values in spite of continuously changing extrinsic signals.

Frequency of Congenital Heart Diseases in Prelingual Sensory-Neural Deaf Children

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Masoud Motasaddi Zarandy

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Hearing impairment is the most frequent sensorial congenital defect in newborns and has increased to 2–4 cases per 1,000 live births. Sensory-neural hearing loss (SNHL accounts for more than 90% of all hearing loss. This disorder is associated with other congenital disorders such as renal, skeletal, ocular, and cardiac disorders. Given that congenital heart diseases are life-threatening, we decided to study the frequency of congenital heart diseases in children with congenital sensory-neural deafness.  Materials and Methods: All children who had undergone cochlear implantation surgery due to SNHL and who had attended our hospital for speech therapy during 2008–2011 were evaluated by Doppler echocardiography.  Results: Thirty-one children (15 boys and 16 girls with a mean age of 55.70 months were examined, and underwent electrocardiography (ECG and echocardiography. None of the children had any signs of heart problems in their medical records. Most of their heart examinations were normal, one patient had expiratory wheeze, four (12% had mid-systolic click, and four (12% had an intensified S1 sound. In echocardiography, 15 children (46% had mitral valve prolapse (MVP and two (6% had minimal mitral regurgitation (MR. Mean ejection fraction (EF was 69% and the mean fractional shortening (FS was 38%.  Conclusion:  This study indicates the need for echocardiography and heart examinations in children with SNHL.

review of current evidence for folate in the prevention of neural tube ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The incidence of neural tube defects (NTD) among black South. Africans living in urban areas is low compared with reports of _". I\\TTD incidence in rural areasY A NTD incidence of 0.95 per -;:-. 1000 live births was reported in Cape Town,l while an incidence of 0.99 per 1 000 live births was reported in a study performed at ...

Deep Convolutional Neural Networks for Endotracheal Tube Position and X-ray Image Classification: Challenges and Opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Lakhani, Paras

2017-08-01

The goal of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of deep convolutional neural networks (DCNNs) in differentiating subtle, intermediate, and more obvious image differences in radiography. Three different datasets were created, which included presence/absence of the endotracheal (ET) tube (n = 300), low/normal position of the ET tube (n = 300), and chest/abdominal radiographs (n = 120). The datasets were split into training, validation, and test. Both untrained and pre-trained deep neural networks were employed, including AlexNet and GoogLeNet classifiers, using the Caffe framework. Data augmentation was performed for the presence/absence and low/normal ET tube datasets. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC), area under the curves (AUC), and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Statistical differences of the AUCs were determined using a non-parametric approach. The pre-trained AlexNet and GoogLeNet classifiers had perfect accuracy (AUC 1.00) in differentiating chest vs. abdominal radiographs, using only 45 training cases. For more difficult datasets, including the presence/absence and low/normal position endotracheal tubes, more training cases, pre-trained networks, and data-augmentation approaches were helpful to increase accuracy. The best-performing network for classifying presence vs. absence of an ET tube was still very accurate with an AUC of 0.99. However, for the most difficult dataset, such as low vs. normal position of the endotracheal tube, DCNNs did not perform as well, but achieved a reasonable AUC of 0.81.

Expression of p53/HGF/c-met/STAT3 signal in fetuses with neural tube defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Trovato, Maria; D'Armiento, Maria; Lavra, Luca; Ulivieri, Alessandra; Dominici, Roberto; Vitarelli, Enrica; Grosso, Maddalena; Vecchione, Raffaella; Barresi, Gaetano; Sciacchitano, Salvatore

2007-02-01

Neural tube defects (NTD) are morphogenetic alterations due to a defective closure of neural tube. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)/c-met system plays a role in morphogenesis of nervous system, lung, and kidney. HGF/c-met morphogenetic effects are mediated by signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT)3 and both HGF and c-met genes are regulated from p53. The aim of our study was to analyze mRNA and protein expressions of p53, HGF, c-met, and STAT3 in fetuses with NTD. By reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistochemistry, we analyzed neural tissues from four NTD fetuses and the corresponding non-malformed lungs, kidneys and placentas. We found a reduced mRNA expression of HGF/c-met/STAT3 pathway, in the malformed nervous systems and placentas. The reduced expression of this pathway correlated with the absence of p53 in all these samples. On the contrary, detectable expression levels of p53, HGF, c-met, and STAT3 were observed in non-malformed lungs and kidneys obtained from the same fetuses. Comparable results were obtained by immunohistochemistry, with the exception of p53, which was undetected in all fetal tissues. In conclusion, in NTD fetuses, both the defective neural tube tissue and the placenta have a reduction in all components of the p53/HGF/c-met/STAT3 cascade. This raises the possibility of using the suppression of these genes for early diagnosis of NTD especially on chorionic villus sampling.

Cardiomyocytes derived from embryonic stem cells resemble cardiomyocytes of the embryonic heart tube

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fijnvandraat, Arnoud C.; van Ginneken, Antoni C. G.; de Boer, Piet A. J.; Ruijter, Jan M.; Christoffels, Vincent M.; Moorman, Antoon F. M.; Lekanne Deprez, Ronald H.

2003-01-01

OBJECTIVE: After formation of the linear heart tube a chamber-specific program of gene expression becomes active that underlies the formation of the chamber myocardium. To assess whether this program is recapitulated in in vitro differentiated embryonic stem cells, we performed qualitative and

A mutation in the tuft mouse disrupts TET1 activity and alters the expression of genes that are crucial for neural tube closure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keith S. K. Fong

2016-05-01

Full Text Available Genetic variations affecting neural tube closure along the head result in malformations of the face and brain. Neural tube defects (NTDs are among the most common birth defects in humans. We previously reported a mouse mutant called tuft that arose spontaneously in our wild-type 3H1 colony. Adult tuft mice present midline craniofacial malformations with or without an anterior cephalocele. In addition, affected embryos presented neural tube closure defects resulting in insufficient closure of the anterior neuropore or exencephaly. Here, through whole-genome sequencing, we identified a nonsense mutation in the Tet1 gene, which encodes a methylcytosine dioxygenase (TET1, co-segregating with the tuft phenotype. This mutation resulted in premature termination that disrupts the catalytic domain that is involved in the demethylation of cytosine. We detected a significant loss of TET enzyme activity in the heads of tuft embryos that were homozygous for the mutation and had NTDs. RNA-Seq transcriptome analysis indicated that multiple gene pathways associated with neural tube closure were dysregulated in tuft embryo heads. Among them, the expressions of Cecr2, Epha7 and Grhl2 were significantly reduced in some embryos presenting neural tube closure defects, whereas one or more components of the non-canonical WNT signaling pathway mediating planar cell polarity and convergent extension were affected in others. We further show that the recombinant mutant TET1 protein was capable of entering the nucleus and affected the expression of endogenous Grhl2 in IMCD-3 (inner medullary collecting duct cells. These results indicate that TET1 is an epigenetic determinant for regulating genes that are crucial to closure of the anterior neural tube and its mutation has implications to craniofacial development, as presented by the tuft mouse.

Syndromes, Disorders and Maternal Risk Factors Associated with Neural Tube Defects (IV)

OpenAIRE

Chen, Chih-Ping

2008-01-01

Fetuses with neural tube defects (NTDs) may be associated with maternal and fetal risk factors. This article provides a comprehensive review of maternal and fetal risk factors associated with NTDs, such as infertility, periconceptional clomiphene use and assisted reproductive technology, periconceptional folic acid deficiency and effects offolic acid supplementation and fortification on NTD rates, periconceptional vitamin B1 2 deficiency, single nucleotide polymorphisms and polymorphisms in g...

Antenatal Diagnosis of a Rare Neural Tube Defect: Sincipital Encephalocele

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Mehdi Kehila

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Context. Fetal sincipital encephalocele is one of the most serious congenital neural tube defects with a high risk of mortality and neonatal morbidity. Prenatal diagnosis of this malformation is important in fetal medicine. Case Report. We report a case of prenatal diagnosis of sincipital encephalocele using ultrasound and MRI imaging. The diagnosis was done at 25 weeks of gestation by identifying an anterior cephalic protrusion through a defect in the skull. Conclusion. Through this case, we discuss the differential diagnosis, management, and prognosis of such lesions.

Melatonin prevents neural tube defects in the offspring of diabetic pregnancy.

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Liu, Shangming; Guo, Yuji; Yuan, Qiuhuan; Pan, Yan; Wang, Liyan; Liu, Qian; Wang, Fuwu; Wang, Jingjing; Hao, Aijun

2015-11-01

Melatonin, an endogenous neurohormone secreted by the pineal gland, has a variety of physiological functions and neuroprotective effects. However, its protective role on the neural tube defects (NTDs) was not very clear. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of melatonin on the incidence of NTDs (including anencephaly, encephalocele, and spina bifida) of offspring from diabetic pregnant mice as well as its underlying mechanisms. Pregnant mice were given 10 mg/kg melatonin by daily i.p. injection from embryonic day (E) 0.5 until being killed on E11.5. Here, we showed that melatonin decreased the NTDs (especially exencephaly) rate of embryos exposed to maternal diabetes. Melatonin stimulated proliferation of neural stem cells (NSCs) under hyperglycemic condition through the extracellular regulated protein kinases (ERK) pathway. Furthermore, as a direct free radical scavenger, melatonin decreased apoptosis of NSCs exposed to hyperglycemia. In the light of these findings, it suggests that melatonin supplementation may play an important role in the prevention of neural malformations in diabetic pregnancy. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Epigenetic profiles in children with a neural tube defect; a case-control study in two populations.

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Lisette Stolk

Full Text Available Folate deficiency is implicated in the causation of neural tube defects (NTDs. The preventive effect of periconceptional folic acid supplement use is partially explained by the treatment of a deranged folate-dependent one carbon metabolism, which provides methyl groups for DNA-methylation as an epigenetic mechanism. Here, we hypothesize that variations in DNA-methylation of genes implicated in the development of NTDs and embryonic growth are part of the underlying mechanism. In 48 children with a neural tube defect and 62 controls from a Dutch case-control study and 34 children with a neural tube defect and 78 controls from a Texan case-control study, we measured the DNA-methylation levels of imprinted candidate genes (IGF2-DMR, H19, KCNQ1OT1 and non-imprinted genes (the LEKR/CCNL gene region associated with birth weight, and MTHFR and VANGL1 associated with NTD. We used the MassARRAY EpiTYPER assay from Sequenom for the assessment of DNA-methylation. Linear mixed model analysis was used to estimate associations between DNA-methylation levels of the genes and a neural tube defect. In the Dutch study group, but not in the Texan study group we found a significant association between the risk of having an NTD and DNA methylation levels of MTHFR (absolute decrease in methylation of -0.33% in cases, P-value = 0.001, and LEKR/CCNL (absolute increase in methylation: 1.36% in cases, P-value = 0.048, and a borderline significant association for VANGL (absolute increase in methylation: 0.17% in cases, P-value = 0.063. Only the association between MTHFR and NTD-risk remained significant after multiple testing correction. The associations in the Dutch study were not replicated in the Texan study. We conclude that the associations between NTDs and the methylation of the MTHFR gene, and maybe VANGL and LEKKR/CNNL, are in line with previous studies showing polymorphisms in the same genes in association with NTDs and embryonic development

Artificial Neural Networks-Based Software for Measuring Heat Collection Rate and Heat Loss Coefficient of Water-in-Glass Evacuated Tube Solar Water Heaters.

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Liu, Zhijian; Liu, Kejun; Li, Hao; Zhang, Xinyu; Jin, Guangya; Cheng, Kewei

2015-01-01

Measurements of heat collection rate and heat loss coefficient are crucial for the evaluation of in service water-in-glass evacuated tube solar water heaters. However, conventional measurement requires expensive detection devices and undergoes a series of complicated procedures. To simplify the measurement and reduce the cost, software based on artificial neural networks for measuring heat collection rate and heat loss coefficient of water-in-glass evacuated tube solar water heaters was developed. Using multilayer feed-forward neural networks with back-propagation algorithm, we developed and tested our program on the basis of 915 measured samples of water-in-glass evacuated tube solar water heaters. This artificial neural networks-based software program automatically obtained accurate heat collection rate and heat loss coefficient using simply "portable test instruments" acquired parameters, including tube length, number of tubes, tube center distance, heat water mass in tank, collector area, angle between tubes and ground and final temperature. Our results show that this software (on both personal computer and Android platforms) is efficient and convenient to predict the heat collection rate and heat loss coefficient due to it slow root mean square errors in prediction. The software now can be downloaded from http://t.cn/RLPKF08.

Artificial Neural Networks-Based Software for Measuring Heat Collection Rate and Heat Loss Coefficient of Water-in-Glass Evacuated Tube Solar Water Heaters

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Zhijian; Liu, Kejun; Li, Hao; Zhang, Xinyu; Jin, Guangya; Cheng, Kewei

2015-01-01

Measurements of heat collection rate and heat loss coefficient are crucial for the evaluation of in service water-in-glass evacuated tube solar water heaters. However, conventional measurement requires expensive detection devices and undergoes a series of complicated procedures. To simplify the measurement and reduce the cost, software based on artificial neural networks for measuring heat collection rate and heat loss coefficient of water-in-glass evacuated tube solar water heaters was developed. Using multilayer feed-forward neural networks with back-propagation algorithm, we developed and tested our program on the basis of 915measuredsamples of water-in-glass evacuated tube solar water heaters. This artificial neural networks-based software program automatically obtained accurate heat collection rateand heat loss coefficient using simply "portable test instruments" acquired parameters, including tube length, number of tubes, tube center distance, heat water mass in tank, collector area, angle between tubes and ground and final temperature. Our results show that this software (on both personal computer and Android platforms) is efficient and convenient to predict the heat collection rate and heat loss coefficient due to it slow root mean square errors in prediction. The software now can be downloaded from http://t.cn/RLPKF08. PMID:26624613

[Difficulties of the methods for studying environmental exposure and neural tube defects].

Science.gov (United States)

Borja-Aburto, V H; Bermúdez-Castro, O; Lacasaña-Navarro, M; Kuri, P; Bustamante-Montes, P; Torres-Meza, V

1999-01-01

To discuss the attitudes in the assessment of environmental exposures as risk factors associated with neural tube defects, and to present the main risk factors studied to date. Environmental exposures have been suggested to have a roll in the genesis of birth defects. However, studies conducted in human populations have found difficulties in the design and conduction to show such an association for neural tube defects (anencephaly, espina bifida and encephalocele) because of problems raised from: a) the frequency measures used to compare time trends and communities, b) the classification of heterogeneous malformations, c) the inclusion of maternal, paternal and fetal factors as an integrated process and, d) the assessment of environmental exposures. Hypothetically both maternal and paternal environmental exposures can produce damage before and after conception by direct action on the embryo and the fetus-placenta complex. Therefore, in the assessment of environmental exposures we need to take into account: a) both paternal and maternal exposures; b) the critical exposure period, three months before conception for paternal exposures and one month around the conceptional period for maternal exposures; c) quantitatively evaluate environmental exposures when possible, avoiding a dichotomous classification; d) the use of biological markers of exposure is highly recommended as well as markers of genetic susceptibility.

Spinal neural tube defects on in utero MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, F.; Griffiths, P.D.

2013-01-01

Spinal neural tube defects are a heterogeneous group of disorders, which remain relatively common, with a prevalence of 1–2 per 1000 live births despite advances in maternal antenatal care. They range from mild disorders with limited neurodevelopmental sequelae to extensive abnormalities with significant morbidity and mortality. The advent of in utero magnetic resonance imaging has enabled accurate anatomical characterization of an increasing number of abnormalities with increasing confidence. Recognition of the salient radiological features of these disorders and their relationship to the embryogenesis of the spinal cord and its coverings is now possible. This review describes the radiological appearances of these disorders with examples from Fetal Imaging Unit, University of Sheffield to illustrate the key anatomical and radiological features to aid the radiologist in their recognition

Dose reduction in multi-slice CT of the heart by use of ECG-controlled tube current modulation (''ECG pulsing''): phantom measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poll, L.W.; Cohnen, M.; Brachten, S.; Moedder, U.; Ewen, K.

2002-01-01

To evaluate the effect of ECG-controlled tube current modulation on radiation exposure in retrospectively-ECG-gated multislice CT (MSCT) of the heart. Material and methods: Three different cardiac MSCT protocols with different slice collimation (4 x 1, and 4 x 2.5 mm), and a pitch-factor of 1.5 and 1.8 were investigated at a multi-slice CT scanner Somatom Volume Zoom, Siemens. An anthropomorphic Alderson-Rando phantom was equipped with LiF-Thermoluminescence dosimeters at several organ sites, and effective doses were calculated using ICRP-weighting factors. Scan protocols were performed with ECG-controlled tube current modulation ('ECG pulsing') at two different heart rates (60 and 80 bpm). These data were compared to previous data from MSCT of the heart without use of 'ECG pulsing'. Results: Radiation exposure with (60 bpm) and without tube current modulation using a 2.5 mm collimation was 1.8 mSv and 2.9 mSv for females, and 1.5 mSv and 2.4 mSv for males, respectively. For protocols using a 1 mm collimation with a pitch-factor of 1.5 (1.8), radiation exposure with and without tube current modulation was 5.6 (6.3) mSv and 9.5 (11.2) mSv for females, and 4.6 (5.2) mSv and 7.7 (9.2) mSv for males, respectively. At higher heart rates (80 bpm) radiation exposure is increased from 1.5-1.8 mSv to 1.8-2.1 mSv, using the 2.5 mm collimation, and from 4.6-5.6 mSv to 5.9-7.2 mSv, for protocols using 1 mm collimation. Conclusions: The ECG-controlled tube current modulation allows a dose reduction of 37% to 44% when retrospectively ECG-gated MSCT of the heart is performed. The tube current - as a function over time - and therefore the radiation exposure is dependent on the heart rate. (orig.) [de

Place Atrium to Water Seal (PAWS): Assessing Wall Suction Versus No Suction for Chest Tubes After Open Heart Surgery.

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Kruse, Tamara; Wahl, Sharon; Guthrie, Patricia Finch; Sendelbach, Sue

2017-08-01

Traditionally chest tubes are set to -20 cm H 2 O wall suctioning until removal to facilitate drainage of blood, fluid, and air from the pleural or mediastinal space in patients after open heart surgery. However, no clear evidence supports using wall suction in these patients. Some studies in patients after pulmonary surgery indicate that using chest tubes with a water seal is safer, because this practice decreases duration of chest tube placement and eliminates air leaks. To show that changing chest tubes to a water seal after 12 hours of wall suction (intervention) is a safe alternative to using chest tubes with wall suction until removal of the tubes (usual care) in patients after open heart surgery. A before-and-after quality improvement design was used to evaluate the differences between the 2 chest tube management approaches in chest tube complications, output, and duration of placement. A total of 48 patients received the intervention; 52 received usual care. The 2 groups (intervention vs usual care) did not differ significantly in complications (0 vs 2 events; P = .23), chest tube output (H 1 = 0.001, P = .97), or duration of placement (median, 47 hours for both groups). Changing chest tubes from wall suction to water seal after 12 hours of wall suction is a safe alternative to using wall suctioning until removal of the tubes. ©2017 American Association of Critical-Care Nurses.

Epigenetic profiles in children with a neural tube defect; a case-control study in two populations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

L. Stolk (Lisette); M.I. Both (Marieke); N.H. van Mill (Nina); M.M.P.J. Verbiest (Michael); P.H.C. Eilers (Paul); H. Zhu (Huiping); L. Suarez (Lucina); A.G. Uitterlinden (André); R.P.M. Steegers-Theunissen (Régine)

2013-01-01

textabstractFolate deficiency is implicated in the causation of neural tube defects (NTDs). The preventive effect of periconceptional folic acid supplement use is partially explained by the treatment of a deranged folate-dependent one carbon metabolism, which provides methyl groups for

Folic acid supplementation influences the distribution of neural tube defect subtypes : A registry-based study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bergman, J. E. H.; Otten, E.; Verheij, J. B. G. M.; de Walle, H. E. K.

Periconceptional folic acid (FA) reduces neural tube defect (NTD) risk, but seems to have a varying effect per NTD subtype. We aimed to study the effect of FA supplementation on NTD subtype distribution using data from EUROCAT Northern Netherlands. We included all birth types with non-syndromal NTDs

Maternal Diabetes Alters Expression of MicroRNAs that Regulate Genes Critical for Neural Tube Development

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Seshadri Ramya

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Maternal diabetes is known to cause neural tube defects (NTDs in embryos and neuropsychological deficits in infants. Several metabolic pathways and a plethora of genes have been identified to be deregulated in developing brain of embryos by maternal diabetes, although the exact mechanism remains unknown. Recently, miRNAs have been shown to regulate genes involved in brain development and maturation. Therefore, we hypothesized that maternal diabetes alters the expression of miRNAs that regulate genes involved in biological pathways critical for neural tube development and closure during embryogenesis. To address this, high throughput miRNA expression profiling in neural stem cells (NSCs isolated from the forebrain of embryos from normal or streptozotocin-induced diabetic pregnancy was carried out. It is known that maternal diabetes results in fetal hypoglycemia/hyperglycemia or hypoxia. Hence, NSCs from embryos of control pregnant mice were exposed to low or high glucose or hypoxia in vitro. miRNA pathway analysis revealed distinct deregulation of several biological pathways, including axon guidance pathway, which are critical for brain development in NSCs exposed to different treatments. Among the differentially expressed miRNAs, the miRNA-30 family members which are predicted to target genes involved in brain development was upregulated in NSCs from embryos of diabetic pregnancy when compared to control. miRNA-30b was found to be upregulated while its target gene Sirtuin 1 (Sirt1, as revealed by luciferase assay, was down regulated in NSCs from embryos of diabetic pregnancy. Further, overexpression of miRNA-30b in NSCs, resulted in decreased expression of Sirt1 protein, and altered the neuron/glia ratio. On the other hand, siRNA mediated knockdown of Sirt1 in NSCs promoted astrogenesis, indicating that miRNA-30b alters lineage specification via Sirt1. Overall, these results suggest that maternal diabetes alters the genes involved in neural tube

Brain tissue aspiration neural tube defect Aspiração de tecido cerebral em casos de defeitos de fechamento do tubo neural

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Luiz Cesar Peres

2005-09-01

Full Text Available The study aimed to find out how frequent is brain tissue aspiration and if brain tissue heterotopia could be found in the lung of human neural tube defect cases. Histological sections of each lobe of both lungs of 22 fetuses and newborn with neural tube defect were immunostained for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP. There were 15 (68.2% females and 7 (31.8% males. Age ranged from 18 to 40 weeks of gestation (mean= 31.8. Ten (45.5% were stillborn, the same newborn, and 2 (9.1% were abortuses. Diagnosis were: craniorrhachischisis (9 cases, 40.9%, anencephaly (8 cases, 36,4%, ruptured occipital encephalocele and rachischisis (2 cases, 9.1% each, and early amniotic band disruption sequence (1 case, 4.5%. Only one case (4.5% exhibited GFAP positive cells inside bronchioles and alveoli admixed to epithelial amniotic squames. No heterotopic tissue was observed in the lung interstitium. We concluded that aspiration of brain tissue from the amniotic fluid in neural tube defect cases may happen but it is infrequent and heterotopia was not observed.O objetivo do estudo foi identificar qual a freqüência de aspiração de tecido cerebral e a existência de heterotopia nos pulmões de casos humanos de defeito de fechamento do tubo neural através da reação imuno-histoquímica para proteína fibrilar glial ácida (GFAP em cortes histológicos de todos os lobos de ambos os pulmões de 22 casos de fetos e neonatos com defeito de fechamento do tubo neural. Havia 15 casos femininos (68,2% e 7 masculinos (31,8%, com idade gestacional variando de 18 a 40 semanas (média= 31,8, sendo natimortos e neomortos 10 (45,5% cada e 2 (9,1% abortos. Os diagnósticos foram: Craniorraquisquise (9 casos, 40,9%, anencefalia (8 casos, 36,4%, encefalocele occipital rota e raquisquise (2 casos, 9,1% e 1 (4,5%caso de seqüência de disruptura amniótica precoce. Somente 1 caso (4,5% apresentou células positivas dentro de bronquíolos e alvéolos em meio a células epiteliais

Folic Acid for the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects : US Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Calonge, Ned; Petitti, Diana B.; DeWitt, Thomas G.; Dietrich, Allen J.; Gregory, Kimberly D.; Grossman, David; Isham, George; LeFevre, Michael L.; Leipzig, Rosanne M.; Marion, Lucy N.; Melnyk, Bernadette; Moyer, Virginia A.; Ockene, Judith K.; Sawaya, George F.; Schwartz, J. Sanford; Wilt, Timothy

2009-01-01

Description: In 1996, the U. S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommended that all women planning or capable of pregnancy take a multivitamin supplement containing folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects. This recommendation is an update of the 1996 USPSTF recommendation.

Influence of the neural tube/notochord complex on MyoD expression and cellular proliferation in chicken embryos

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H.J. Alves

2003-02-01

Full Text Available Important advances have been made in understanding the genetic processes that control skeletal muscle formation. Studies conducted on quails detected a delay in the myogenic program of animals selected for high growth rates. These studies have led to the hypothesis that a delay in myogenesis would allow somitic cells to proliferate longer and consequently increase the number of embryonic myoblasts. To test this hypothesis, recently segmented somites and part of the unsegmented paraxial mesoderm were separated from the neural tube/notochord complex in HH12 chicken embryos. In situ hybridization and competitive RT-PCR revealed that MyoD transcripts, which are responsible for myoblast determination, were absent in somites separated from neural tube/notochord (1.06 and 0.06 10-3 attomol MyoD/1 attomol ß-actin for control and separated somites, respectively; P<0.01. However, reapproximation of these structures allowed MyoD to be expressed in somites. Cellular proliferation was analyzed by immunohistochemical detection of incorporated BrdU, a thymidine analogue. A smaller but not significant (P = 0.27 number of proliferating cells was observed in somites that had been separated from neural tube/notochord (27 and 18 for control and separated somites, respectively. These results confirm the influence of the axial structures on MyoD activation but do not support the hypothesis that in the absence of MyoD transcripts the cellular proliferation would be maintained for a longer period of time.

Access to health care for children with neural tube defects: Experiences of mothers in Zambia

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Micah M. Simpamba

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction: In Zambia, all children born with neural tube defects requiring surgery need to be referred to a tertiary level hospital in Lusaka, the capital city, where the specialists are based. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of mothers accessing health care who had recently given birth to a child with a neural tube defect. Methods and analysis: In-depth interviews were conducted with a purposively selected sample of 20 mothers at the tertiary level hospital. The interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim and translated. Content analysis was used to identify codes, which were later collapsed into categories and themes. Findings: Five themes emerged: access to health care, access to transport, access to information, concerns about family and support needs. Discussion: Barriers to access to health care included geographical barriers and barriers linked to availability. Geographical barriers were related to distance between home and the health centre, and referral between health facilities. Barriers to availability included the lack of specialist health workers at various levels, and insufficient hospital vehicles to transport mothers and children to the tertiary level hospital. The main barrier to affordability was the cost of transport, which was alleviated by either family or government support. Acceptability of the health services was affected by a lack of information, incorrect advice, the attitude of health workers and the beliefs of the family. Conclusion: Access to health care by mothers of children with neural tube defects in Zambia is affected by geographical accessibility, availability, affordability and acceptability. The supply-side barriers and demand-side barriers require different interventions to address them. This suggests that health policy is needed which ensures access to surgery and follow-up care.

Novel Mutation of LRP6 Identified in Chinese Han Population Links Canonical WNT Signaling to Neural Tube Defects.

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Shi, Zhiwen; Yang, Xueyan; Li, Bin-Bin; Chen, Shuxia; Yang, Luming; Cheng, Liangping; Zhang, Ting; Wang, Hongyan; Zheng, Yufang

2018-01-15

Neural tube defects (NTDs), the second most frequent cause of human congenital abnormalities, are debilitating birth defects due to failure of neural tube closure. It has been shown that noncanonical WNT/planar cell polarity (PCP) signaling is required for convergent extension (CE), the initiation step of neural tube closure (NTC). But the effect of canonical WNT//β-catenin signaling during NTC is still elusive. LRP6 (low density lipoprotein receptor related proteins 6) was identified as a co-receptor for WNT/β-catenin signaling, but recent studies showed that it also can mediate WNT/PCP signaling. In this study, we screened mutations in the LRP6 gene in 343 NTDs and 215 ethnically matched normal controls of Chinese Han population. Three rare missense mutations (c.1514A>G, p.Y505C); c.2984A>G, p.D995G; and c.4280C>A, p.P1427Q) of the LRP6 gene were identified in Chinese NTD patients. The Y505C mutation is a loss-of-function mutation on both WNT/β-catenin and PCP signaling. The D995G mutation only partially lost inhibition on PCP signaling without affecting WNT/β-catenin signaling. The P1427Q mutation dramatically increased WNT/β-catenin signaling but only mildly loss of inhibition on PCP signaling. All three mutations failed to rescue CE defects caused by lrp6 morpholino oligos knockdown in zebrafish. Of interest, when overexpressed, D995G did not induce any defects, but Y505C and P1427Q caused more severe CE defects in zebrafish. Our results suggested that over-active canonical WNT signaling induced by gain-of-function mutation in LRP6 could also contribute to human NTDs, and a balanced WNT/β-catenin and PCP signaling is probably required for proper neural tube development. Birth Defects Research 110:63-71, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Convolutional neural networks for the detection of diseased hearts using CT images and left atrium patches

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Dormer, James D.; Halicek, Martin; Ma, Ling; Reilly, Carolyn M.; Schreibmann, Eduard; Fei, Baowei

2018-02-01

Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. The identification of cardiac diseases on conventional three-dimensional (3D) CT can have many clinical applications. An automated method that can distinguish between healthy and diseased hearts could improve diagnostic speed and accuracy when the only modality available is conventional 3D CT. In this work, we proposed and implemented convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to identify diseased hears on CT images. Six patients with healthy hearts and six with previous cardiovascular disease events received chest CT. After the left atrium for each heart was segmented, 2D and 3D patches were created. A subset of the patches were then used to train separate convolutional neural networks using leave-one-out cross-validation of patient pairs. The results of the two neural networks were compared, with 3D patches producing the higher testing accuracy. The full list of 3D patches from the left atrium was then classified using the optimal 3D CNN model, and the receiver operating curves (ROCs) were produced. The final average area under the curve (AUC) from the ROC curves was 0.840 +/- 0.065 and the average accuracy was 78.9% +/- 5.9%. This demonstrates that the CNN-based method is capable of distinguishing healthy hearts from those with previous cardiovascular disease.

Design of a heart rate controller for treadmill exercise using a recurrent fuzzy neural network.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chun-Hao; Wang, Wei-Cheng; Tai, Cheng-Chi; Chen, Tien-Chi

2016-05-01

In this study, we developed a computer controlled treadmill system using a recurrent fuzzy neural network heart rate controller (RFNNHRC). Treadmill speeds and inclines were controlled by corresponding control servo motors. The RFNNHRC was used to generate the control signals to automatically control treadmill speed and incline to minimize the user heart rate deviations from a preset profile. The RFNNHRC combines a fuzzy reasoning capability to accommodate uncertain information and an artificial recurrent neural network learning process that corrects for treadmill system nonlinearities and uncertainties. Treadmill speeds and inclines are controlled by the RFNNHRC to achieve minimal heart rate deviation from a pre-set profile using adjustable parameters and an on-line learning algorithm that provides robust performance against parameter variations. The on-line learning algorithm of RFNNHRC was developed and implemented using a dsPIC 30F4011 DSP. Application of the proposed control scheme to heart rate responses of runners resulted in smaller fluctuations than those produced by using proportional integra control, and treadmill speeds and inclines were smoother. The present experiments demonstrate improved heart rate tracking performance with the proposed control scheme. The RFNNHRC scheme with adjustable parameters and an on-line learning algorithm was applied to a computer controlled treadmill system with heart rate control during treadmill exercise. Novel RFNNHRC structure and controller stability analyses were introduced. The RFNNHRC were tuned using a Lyapunov function to ensure system stability. The superior heart rate control with the proposed RFNNHRC scheme was demonstrated with various pre-set heart rates. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Study on tube critical heat flux data treatment with artificial neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Han Lang; Shan Jianqiang

2005-01-01

Prediction of the Critical Heat Flux (CHF) are analyzed by Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to a CHF database for upward flow of water in uniformly heated vertical round tubes. The analysis is performed with three viewpoints hypothesis, i.e. for fixed inlet condition, fixed exit condition and local condition. Half of 6941 from CHF database data is trained through ANN, the trained ANN predicts the total CHF data better than any other conventional correlations, showing RMS error of 6.6%, 10.39% and 21.39%, respectively. (author)

Systems biological approach to investigate the lack of familial link between Down's Syndrome & Neural Tube Disorders.

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Ragunath, Pk; Abhinand, Pa

2013-01-01

Systems Biology involves the study of the interactions of biological systems and ultimately their functions. Down's syndrome (DS) is one of the most common genetic disorders which are caused by complete, or occasionally partial, triplication of chromosome 21, characterized by cognitive and language dysfunction coupled with sensory and neuromotor deficits. Neural Tube Disorders (NTDs) are a group of congenital malformations of the central nervous system and neighboring structures related to defective neural tube closure during the first trimester of pregnancy usually occurring between days 18-29 of gestation. Several studies in the past have provided considerable evidence that abnormal folate and methyl metabolism are associated with onset of DS & NTDs. There is a possible common etiological pathway for both NTDs and Down's syndrome. But, various research studies over the years have indicated very little evidence for familial link between the two disorders. Our research aimed at the gene expression profiling of microarray datasets pertaining to the two disorders to identify genes whose expression levels are significantly altered in these conditions. The genes which were 1.5 fold unregulated and having a p-value disorders were recognized and over representation analysis was carried out for each of the constituent genes. The comprehensive manual analysis of these genes yields a hypothetical understanding of the lack of familial link between DS and NTDs. There were no genes involved with folic acid present in the dense cliques. Only - CBL, EGFR genes were commonly present, which makes the allelic variants of these genes - good candidates for future studies regarding the familial link between DS and NTDs. NTD - Neural Tube Disorders, DS - Down's Syndrome, MTHFR - Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, MTRR- 5 - methyltetrahydrofolate-homocysteine methyltransferase reductase.

HEART ABNORMALITY CLASSIFICATIONS USING FOURIER TRANSFORMS METHOD AND NEURAL NETWORKS

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Endah Purwanti

2014-05-01

Full Text Available Health problems with cardiovascular system disorder are still ranked high globally. One way to detect abnormalities in the cardiovascular system especially in the heart is through the electrocardiogram (ECG reading. However, reading ECG recording needs experience and expertise, software-based neural networks has designed to help identify any abnormalities ofthe heart through electrocardiogram digital image. This image is processed using image processing methods to obtain ordinate chart which representing the heart’s electrical potential. Feature extraction using Fourier transforms which are divided into several numbers of coefficients. As the software input, Fourier transforms coefficient have been normalized. Output of this software is divided into three classes, namely heart with atrial fibrillation, coronary heart disease and normal. Maximum accuracy rate ofthis software is 95.45%, with the distribution of the Fourier transform coefficients 1/8 and number of nodes 5, while minimum accuracy rate of this software at least 68.18% by distribution of the Fourier transform coefficients 1/32 and the number of nodes 32. Overall result accuracy rate of this software has an average of86.05% and standard deviation of7.82.

Neural control hierarchy of the heart has not evolved to deal with myocardial ischemia.

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Kember, G; Armour, J A; Zamir, M

2013-08-01

The consequences of myocardial ischemia are examined from the standpoint of the neural control system of the heart, a hierarchy of three neuronal centers residing in central command, intrathoracic ganglia, and intrinsic cardiac ganglia. The basis of the investigation is the premise that while this hierarchical control system has evolved to deal with "normal" physiological circumstances, its response in the event of myocardial ischemia is unpredictable because the singular circumstances of this event are as yet not part of its evolutionary repertoire. The results indicate that the harmonious relationship between the three levels of control breaks down, because of a conflict between the priorities that they have evolved to deal with. Essentially, while the main priority in central command is blood demand, the priority at the intrathoracic and cardiac levels is heart rate. As a result of this breakdown, heart rate becomes less predictable and therefore less reliable as a diagnostic guide as to the traumatic state of the heart, which it is commonly used as such following an ischemic event. On the basis of these results it is proposed that under the singular conditions of myocardial ischemia a determination of neural control indexes in addition to cardiovascular indexes has the potential of enhancing clinical outcome.

Neural Network for Determining Risk Rate of Post-Heart Stroke Patients

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Oldřich Trenz

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The ischemic heart disease presents an important health problem that affects a great part of the population and is the cause of one third of all deaths in the Czech Republic. The availability of data describing the patients’ prognosis enables their further analysis, with the aim of lowering the patients’ risk, by proposing optimum treatment. The main reason for creating the neural network model is not only to automate the process of establishing the risk rate of patients suffering from ischemic heart disease, but also to adapt it for practical use in clinical conditions. Our aim is to identify especially the specific group of risk-rate patients whose well-timed preventive care can improve the quality and prolong the length of their lives.The aim of the paper is to propose a patient-parameter structure, using which we could create a suitable model based on a self-taught neural network. The emphasis is placed on identifying key descriptive parameters (in the form of a reduction of the available descriptive parameters that are crucial for identifying the required patients, and simultaneously to achieve a portability of the model among individual clinical workplaces (availability of parameters.

Assessing the prevalence of spina bifida and encephalocele in a Kenyan hospital from 2005-2010: implications for a neural tube defects surveillance system.

Science.gov (United States)

Githuku, Jane N; Azofeifa, Alejandro; Valencia, Diana; Ao, Trong; Hamner, Heather; Amwayi, Samuel; Gura, Zeinab; Omolo, Jared; Albright, Leland; Guo, Jing; Arvelo, Wences

2014-01-01

Neural tube defects such as anencephaly, spina bifida, and encephalocele are congenital anomalies of the central nervous system. Data on the prevalence of neural tube defects in Kenya are limited. This study characterizes and estimates the prevalence of spina bifida and encephalocele reported in a referral hospital in Kenya from 2005-2010. Cases were defined as a diagnosis of spina bifida or encephalocele. Prevalence was calculated as the number of cases by year and province of residence divided by the total number of live-births per province. From a total of 6,041 surgical records; 1,184 (93%) had reported diagnosis of spina bifida and 88 (7%) of encephalocele. Estimated prevalence of spina bifida and encephalocele from 2005-2010 was 3.3 [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 3.1-3.5] cases per 10,000 live-births. The highest prevalence of cases were reported in 2007 with 4.4 (95% CI: 3.9-5.0) cases per 10,000 live-births. Rift Valley province had the highest prevalence of spina bifida and encephalocele at 6.9 (95% CI: 6.3-7.5) cases per 10,000 live-births from 2005-2010. Prevalence of spina bifida and encephalocele is likely underestimated, as only patients seeking care at the hospital were included. Variations in regional prevalence could be due to referral patterns and healthcare access. Implementation of a neural tube defects surveillance system would provide a more thorough assessment of the burden of neural tube defects in Kenya.

Prenatal screening, diagnosis, and pregnancy management of fetal neural tube defects.

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Wilson, R Douglas

2014-10-01

To provide obstetrical and genetic health care practitioners with guidelines and recommendations for prenatal screening, diagnosis, and obstetrical management of fetal open and closed neural tube defects (OCNTD). This review includes prenatal screening and diagnostic techniques currently being used for the detection of OCNTD including maternal serum alpha fetoprotein screening, ultrasound, fetal magnetic resonance imaging, and amniocentesis. To improve prenatal screening, diagnosis, and obstetrical management of OCNTD while taking into consideration patient care, efficacy, cost, and care procedures. Published literature was retrieved through searches of PubMed or MEDLINE, CINAHL, and The Cochrane Library in November, 2013, using appropriate controlled vocabulary and key words (e.g., prenatal screening, congenital anomalies, neural tube defects, alpha fetoprotein, ultrasound scan, magnetic resonance imaging). Results were restricted to systematic reviews, randomized control trials/controlled clinical trials, and observational studies published in English from 1977 to 2012. Searches were updated on a regular basis and incorporated in the guideline to November 30, 2013. Grey (unpublished) literature was identified through searching the websites of health technology assessment and health technology-related agencies, clinical practice guideline collections, clinical trial registries, and national and international medical specialty societies. An online survey of health care practitioners was also reviewed. The quality of evidence in this document was rated using the criteria described in the Report of the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care (Table). This review will provide health care practitioners with a better understanding of the available prenatal screening methods for OCNTD and the benefits and risks associated with each technique to allow evidenced-based decisions on OCNTD screening, diagnosis, and obstetrical management.

Spontaneous neural tube defects in splotch mice supplemented with selected micronutrients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wlodarczyk, Bogdan J.; Tang, Louisa S.; Triplett, Aleata; Aleman, Frank; Finnell, Richard H.

2006-01-01

Splotch (Sp/Sp) mice homozygous for a mutation in the Pax3 gene inevitably present with neural tube defects (NTDs), along with other associated congenital anomalies. The affected mutant embryos usually die by gestation days (E) 12-13. In the present study, the effect of modifier genes from a new genetic background (CXL-Sp) and periconceptional supplementation with selected micronutrients (folic acid, 5-formyltetrahydrofolate, 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, methionine, myoinositol, thiamine, thymidine, and α-tocopherol) was determined with respect to the incidence of NTDs. In order to explore how different exposure parameters (time, dose, and route of compound administration) modulate the beneficial effects of micronutrient supplementation, female mice received either short- or long-term nutrient supplements via enteral or parenteral routes. Embryos were collected on E12.5 and examined for the presence of anterior or posterior NTDs. Additionally, whole mount in situ hybridization studies were conducted in order to reveal/confirm normal expression patterns of the Pax3 gene during neurulation in the wild-type and Sp/Sp homozygous mutant mouse embryos utilized in this study. A strong Pax3 signal was demonstrated in CXL-Sp embryos during neural tube closure (E9.5 to E10.5). The intensity and spatial pattern of expression were similar to other Splotch mutant mice. Of all the micronutrients tested, only supplementation with folic acid or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate rescued the normal phenotype in Sp/Sp embryos. When the folate supplementation dose was increased to 200 mg/kg in the diet, the incidence of rescued splotch homozygotes reached 30%; however, this was accompanied by six-fold increased resorption rate

Molecular regionalization of the developing amphioxus neural tube challenges major partitions of the vertebrate brain.

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Albuixech-Crespo, Beatriz; López-Blanch, Laura; Burguera, Demian; Maeso, Ignacio; Sánchez-Arrones, Luisa; Moreno-Bravo, Juan Antonio; Somorjai, Ildiko; Pascual-Anaya, Juan; Puelles, Eduardo; Bovolenta, Paola; Garcia-Fernàndez, Jordi; Puelles, Luis; Irimia, Manuel; Ferran, José Luis

2017-04-01

All vertebrate brains develop following a common Bauplan defined by anteroposterior (AP) and dorsoventral (DV) subdivisions, characterized by largely conserved differential expression of gene markers. However, it is still unclear how this Bauplan originated during evolution. We studied the relative expression of 48 genes with key roles in vertebrate neural patterning in a representative amphioxus embryonic stage. Unlike nonchordates, amphioxus develops its central nervous system (CNS) from a neural plate that is homologous to that of vertebrates, allowing direct topological comparisons. The resulting genoarchitectonic model revealed that the amphioxus incipient neural tube is unexpectedly complex, consisting of several AP and DV molecular partitions. Strikingly, comparison with vertebrates indicates that the vertebrate thalamus, pretectum, and midbrain domains jointly correspond to a single amphioxus region, which we termed Di-Mesencephalic primordium (DiMes). This suggests that these domains have a common developmental and evolutionary origin, as supported by functional experiments manipulating secondary organizers in zebrafish and mice.

A regulating element essential for PDGFRA transcription is recognized by neural tube defect-associated PRX homeobox transcription factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Joosten, Paul H. L. J.; Toepoel, Mascha; van Oosterhout, Dirk; Afink, Gijs B.; van Zoelen, Everardus J. J.

2002-01-01

We have previously shown that deregulated expression of the platelet-derived growth factor alpha-receptor (PDGFRA) can be associated with neural tube defects (NTDs) in both men and mice. In the present study, we have investigated the transcription factors that control the up-regulation of PDGFRA

Chromosomal Abnormalities Associated with Neural Tube Defects (I: Full Aneuploidy

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Chih-Ping Chen

2007-12-01

Full Text Available Fetuses with neural tube defects (NTDs carry a risk of chromosomal abnormalities. The risk varies with maternal age, gestational age at diagnosis, association with other structural abnormalities, and family history of chromosome aberrations. This article provides an overview of chromosomal abnormalities associated with NTDs in embryos, fetuses, and newborn patients, and a comprehensive review of numerical chromosomal abnormalities associated with NTDs, such as trisomy 18, trisomy 13, triploidy, trisomy 9, trisomy 2, trisomy 21, trisomy 7, trisomy 8, trisomy 14, trisomy 15, trisomy 16, trisomy 5 mosaicism, trisomy 11 mosaicism, trisomy 20 mosaicism, monosomy X, and tetraploidy. NTDs may be associated with aneuploidy. Perinatal identification of NTDs should alert one to the possibility of chromosomal abnormalities and prompt a thorough cytogenetic investigation and genetic counseling.

Assessing the prevalence of spina bifida and encephalocele in a Kenyan hospital from 2005–2010: implications for a neural tube defects surveillance system

Science.gov (United States)

Githuku, Jane N; Azofeifa, Alejandro; Valencia, Diana; Ao, Trong; Hamner, Heather; Amwayi, Samuel; Gura, Zeinab; Omolo, Jared; Albright, Leland; Guo, Jing; Arvelo, Wences

2014-01-01

Introduction Neural tube defects such as anencephaly, spina bifida, and encephalocele are congenital anomalies of the central nervous system. Data on the prevalence of neural tube defects in Kenya are limited. This study characterizes and estimates the prevalence of spina bifida and encephalocele reported in a referral hospital in Kenya from 2005-2010. Methods Cases were defined as a diagnosis of spina bifida or encephalocele. Prevalence was calculated as the number of cases by year and province of residence divided by the total number of live-births per province. Results From a total of 6,041 surgical records; 1,184 (93%) had reported diagnosis of spina bifida and 88 (7%) of encephalocele. Estimated prevalence of spina bifida and encephalocele from 2005-2010 was 3.3 [95% Confidence Interval (CI): 3.1-3.5] cases per 10,000 live-births. The highest prevalence of cases were reported in 2007 with 4.4 (95% CI: 3.9-5.0) cases per 10,000 live-births. Rift Valley province had the highest prevalence of spina bifida and encephalocele at 6.9 (95% CI: 6.3-7.5) cases per 10,000 live-births from 2005-2010. Conclusion Prevalence of spina bifida and encephalocele is likely underestimated, as only patients seeking care at the hospital were included. Variations in regional prevalence could be due to referral patterns and healthcare access. Implementation of a neural tube defects surveillance system would provide a more thorough assessment of the burden of neural tube defects in Kenya. PMID:26113894

Syndromes and Disorders Associated with Omphalocele (III: Single Gene Disorders, Neural Tube Defects, Diaphragmatic Defects and Others

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Chih-Ping Chen

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Omphalocele can be associated with single gene disorders, neural tube defects, diaphragmatic defects, fetal valproate syndrome, and syndromes of unknown etiology. This article provides a comprehensive review of omphalocele-related disorders: otopalatodigital syndrome type II; Melnick–Needles syndrome; Rieger syndrome; neural tube defects; Meckel syndrome; Shprintzen–Goldberg omphalocele syndrome; lethal omphalocele-cleft palate syndrome; cerebro-costo-mandibular syndrome; fetal valproate syndrome; Marshall–Smith syndrome; fibrochondrogenesis; hydrolethalus syndrome; Fryns syndrome; omphalocele, diaphragmatic defects, radial anomalies and various internal malformations; diaphragmatic defects, limb deficiencies and ossification defects of skull; Donnai–Barrow syndrome; CHARGE syndrome; Goltz syndrome; Carpenter syndrome; Toriello–Carey syndrome; familial omphalocele; Cornelia de Lange syndrome; C syndrome; Elejalde syndrome; Malpuech syndrome; cervical ribs, Sprengel anomaly, anal atresia and urethral obstruction; hydrocephalus with associated malformations; Kennerknecht syndrome; lymphedema, atrial septal defect and facial changes; and craniosynostosis- mental retardation syndrome of Lin and Gettig. Perinatal identification of omphalocele should alert one to the possibility of omphalocele-related disorders and familial inheritance and prompt a thorough genetic counseling for these disorders.

Dishevelled 2 is essential for cardiac outflow tract development, somite segmentation and neural tube closure.

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Hamblet, Natasha S; Lijam, Nardos; Ruiz-Lozano, Pilar; Wang, Jianbo; Yang, Yasheng; Luo, Zhenge; Mei, Lin; Chien, Kenneth R; Sussman, Daniel J; Wynshaw-Boris, Anthony

2002-12-01

The murine dishevelled 2 (Dvl2) gene is an ortholog of the Drosophila segment polarity gene Dishevelled, a member of the highly conserved Wingless/Wnt developmental pathway. Dvl2-deficient mice were produced to determine the role of Dvl2 in mammalian development. Mice containing null mutations in Dvl2 present with 50% lethality in both inbred 129S6 and in a hybrid 129S6-NIH Black Swiss background because of severe cardiovascular outflow tract defects, including double outlet right ventricle, transposition of the great arteries and persistent truncus arteriosis. The majority of the surviving Dvl2(-/-) mice were female, suggesting that penetrance was influenced by sex. Expression of Pitx2 and plexin A2 was attenuated in Dvl2 null mutants, suggesting a defect in cardiac neural crest development during outflow tract formation. In addition, approximately 90% of Dvl2(-/-) mice have vertebral and rib malformations that affect the proximal as well as the distal parts of the ribs. These skeletal abnormalities were more pronounced in mice deficient for both Dvl1 and Dvl2. Somite differentiation markers used to analyze Dvl2(-/-) and Dvl1(-/-);Dvl2(-/-) mutant embryos revealed mildly aberrant expression of Uncx4.1, delta 1 and myogenin, suggesting defects in somite segmentation. Finally, 2-3% of Dvl2(-/-) embryos displayed thoracic spina bifida, while virtually all Dvl1/2 double mutant embryos displayed craniorachishisis, a completely open neural tube from the midbrain to the tail. Thus, Dvl2 is essential for normal cardiac morphogenesis, somite segmentation and neural tube closure, and there is functional redundancy between Dvl1 and Dvl2 in some phenotypes.

Optimal serum and red blood cell folate concentrations in women of reproductive age for prevention of neural tube defects: World Health Organization guidelines.

Science.gov (United States)

Cordero, Amy M; Crider, Krista S; Rogers, Lisa M; Cannon, Michael J; Berry, R J

2015-04-24

Neural tube defects (NTDs) such as spina bifida, anencephaly, and encephalocele are serious birth defects of the brain and spine that occur during the first month of pregnancy when the neural tube fails to close completely. Randomized controlled trials and observational studies have shown that adequate daily consumption of folic acid before and during early pregnancy considerably reduces the risk for NTDs. The U.S. Public Health Service recommends that women capable of becoming pregnant consume 400 µg of folic acid daily for NTD prevention. Furthermore, fortification of staple foods (e.g., wheat flour) with folic acid has decreased folate-sensitive NTD prevalence in multiple settings and is a highly cost-effective intervention.

Prevalentie, klinisch beeld en prognose van neuralebuisdefecten in Nederland [Prevalence, presentation and prognosis of neural tube defects in the Netherlands

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ouden, A.L. den; Hirasing, R.A.; Buitendijk, S.E.; Jong-van de Berg, L.T.W. de; Walle, H.E.K. de; Cornel, M.C.

1996-01-01

Objective. To determine the live birth prevalence of neural tube defects (NTD) in the Netherlands and describe the clinical picture. Design. Descriptive. Setting. TNO Prevention and Health, Leiden, the Netherlands. Method. Data collected through active surveillance of NTD on a monthly basis by

Evidence for increased SOX3 dosage as a risk factor for X-linked hypopituitarism and neural tube defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Bauters, Marijke; Frints, Suzanna G; Van Esch, Hilde; Spruijt, Liesbeth; Baldewijns, Marcella M; de Die-Smulders, Christine E M; Fryns, Jean-Pierre; Marynen, Peter; Froyen, Guy

2014-08-01

Genomic duplications of varying lengths at Xq26-q27 involving SOX3 have been described in families with X-linked hypopituitarism. Using array-CGH we detected a 1.1 Mb microduplication at Xq27 in a large family with three males suffering from X-linked hypopituitarism. The duplication was mapped from 138.7 to 139.8 Mb, harboring only two annotated genes, SOX3 and ATP11C, and was shown to be a direct tandem copy number gain. Unexpectedly, the microduplication did not fully segregate with the disease in this family suggesting that SOX3 duplications have variable penetrance for X-linked hypopituitarism. In the same family, a female fetus presenting with a neural tube defect was also shown to carry the SOX3 copy number gain. Since we also demonstrated increased SOX3 mRNA levels in amnion cells derived from an unrelated t(X;22)(q27;q11) female fetus with spina bifida, we propose that increased levels of SOX3 could be a risk factor for neural tube defects. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Frecuencia y algunos factores de riesgo de mortalidad en el estado de Hidalgo, México, por defectos de cierre del tubo neural Mortality due to neural tube defects and risk factors in Hidalgo, Mexico

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Sergio Muñoz-Juárez

2002-09-01

Full Text Available Objetivo. Calcular el riesgo de muerte fetal secundaria a defectos del cierre del tubo neural y estimar factores asociados con este tipo de muertes en el estado de Hidalgo. Material y métodos. La información analizada en el año 2000 fue obtenida de los certificados de muerte fetal del periodo 1990-1995 en el estado de Hidalgo. Se utilizó un diseño de mortalidad proporcional, considerado como una variante del diseño de casos y controles. Los casos fueron aquellas muertes fetales secundarias a defectos del tubo neural y los controles las muertes fetales por otros motivos. Se utilizó ji cuadrada de Pearson para estimar las diferencias entre los casos y controles. Para el riesgo crudo de morir por defectos de cierre del tubo neural se empleó la razón de momios, y para el riesgo ajustado se usó la regresión logística no condicional. Resultados. Se analizaron 3 673 certificados de muerte fetal, identificándose 8.06% de muertes por defectos del tubo neural; el resto lo constituyeron muertes por otras causas. Se encontró como variables asociadas con la muerte fetal por defectos del tubo neural a los fetos que pesaron menos de 2 500 gramos (RM 5.0, IC 95% 3.6, 6.7, a los productos del sexo femenino (RM 1.7, IC 95% 1.3, 2.3 y a las muertes ocurridas en el periodo fetal tardío (RM 5.5 IC 95% 3.8, 8.1. Conclusiones. Los resultados indican que el riesgo de muerte fetal debida a defectos del tubo neural es mayor en productos de bajo peso, en los del sexo femenino y los que ocurren en el periodo fetal tardío.Objective. To calculate the risk of fetal death due to neural tube defects and estimate associated factors in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. Material and Methods. Data were abstracted from death certificates registered during 1990-1995 in the state of Hidalgo, Mexico. The design was a proportional mortality study, which is considered as a variant of the case control design. Cases were deaths with any type of neural tube defect, and controls

Epidemiology of neural tube defects in the world and Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farhud, D.; Hadavi, V.; Sadighi, H.

2000-01-01

Statistical data from 1996 till 1995, showed that Neural tube defects, in the American continent, Venezuela had the highest prevalence of 38.9 and some Latin American countries showed the low of 7.7. In Europe, Norway had the highest prevalence of 68, and Denmark the lowest, 5.8. In Asia, India had the highest of 181.8 and Japan the lowest of 10. In Africa, Nigeria had the highest of 70 and negroes of South Africa had the lowest of 9.9. In Australia the figure was 20.05. According to the statistics available of the years 1967 till 1996, anencephaly in China had the highest prevalence of 87. In the American continent, state of Michigan in the USA had the highest of 10.5 and Jamaica, in Central American, had the lowest of 2.6. In Europe, Turkey with 16.4 and Italy with 2.73; in Asia, China with 87 and Iran with 0.8 had the highest and the lowest pre valences, respectively. In Africa, Nigeria with 3.5, and in Oceania, New zealand with 7.8 in 10000, were reported. Data available on spin a bifida, from the years 1968 till 1991 showed, the highest prevalence in China with 36, and the lowest in the Alps mountains with 0.55 in 10000 individuals. In the American continent, state of Arkansas with 7.8 and California with 3.87; in Europe, England with 23.1 and Rein-Alp with 0.55 in 10000 had the highest and the lowest pre valences. Finally, in China this rate was 36, in Australia 10, in New zealand 9.4, and in Nigeria 7/10000. In a study carried out in Tehran, from 1969 till 1978 by the authors, out of 13037 birth, (17.6 in 10000) newborns had neural tube defects, with anencephaly 0.8 and spin a bifida 3.8/10000. In a new study on 8585 deliveries (1991-1997) in Hamadan (a north west Providence of Iran), Pre valences of total Nds was 50.1/10000, anencephaly 15.6 and spinabifida 6.98

Syndromes, Disorders and Maternal Risk Factors Associated with Neural Tube Defects (II

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Chih-Ping Chen

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Fetuses with neural tube defects (NTDs maybe associated with syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors. This article provides a comprehensive review of syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors associated with NTDs, such as Currarino syndrome, sacral defect with anterior meningocele, Jarcho-Levin syndrome (spondylo-costal dysostosis, lateral meningocele syndrome, neurofibromatosis type I, Marfan syndrome, and hyperthermia. The recurrence risk and the preventive effect of maternal folic acid intake in NTDs associated with syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors may be different from those of non-syndromic multifactorial NTDs. Perinatal identification of NTDs should alert one to the syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors associated with NTDs, and prompt a thorough etiologic investigation and genetic counseling.

Epidemiologic study of neural tube defects in Los Angeles County. I. Prevalence at birth based on multiple sources of case ascertainment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sever, L.E. (Pacific Northwest Lab., Richland, WA); Sanders, M.; Monsen, R.

1982-01-01

Epidemiologic studies of the neural tube defects (NTDs), anencephalus and spina bifida, have for the most part been based on single sources of case ascertainment in past studies. The present investigation attempts total ascertainment of NTD cases in the newborn population of Los Angeles County residents for the period 1966 to 1972. Design of the study, sources of data, and estimates of prevalence rates based on single and multiple sources of case ascertainment are here discussed. Anencephalus cases totaled 448, spina bifida 442, and encephalocele 72, giving prevalence rates of 0.52, 0.51, and 0.08 per 1000 total births, respectively, for these neural tube defects - rates considered to be low. The Los Angeles County prevalence rates are compared with those of other recent North American studies and support is provided for earlier suggestions of low rates on the West Coast.

Inositol for the prevention of neural tube defects: a pilot randomised controlled trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Greene, Nicholas D E; Leung, Kit-Yi; Gay, Victoria; Burren, Katie; Mills, Kevin; Chitty, Lyn S; Copp, Andrew J

2016-03-28

Although peri-conceptional folic acid (FA) supplementation can prevent a proportion of neural tube defects (NTD), there is increasing evidence that many NTD are FA non-responsive. The vitamin-like molecule inositol may offer a novel approach to preventing FA-non-responsive NTD. Inositol prevented NTD in a genetic mouse model, and was well tolerated by women in a small study of NTD recurrence. In the present study, we report the Prevention of Neural Tube Defects by Inositol (PONTI) pilot study designed to gain further experience of inositol usage in human pregnancy as a preliminary trial to a future large-scale controlled trial to evaluate efficacy of inositol in NTD prevention. Study subjects were UK women with a previous NTD pregnancy who planned to become pregnant again. Of 117 women who made contact, ninety-nine proved eligible and forty-seven agreed to be randomised (double-blind) to peri-conceptional supplementation with inositol plus FA or placebo plus FA. In total, thirty-three randomised pregnancies produced one NTD recurrence in the placebo plus FA group (n 19) and no recurrences in the inositol plus FA group (n 14). Of fifty-two women who declined randomisation, the peri-conceptional supplementation regimen and outcomes of twenty-two further pregnancies were documented. Two NTD recurred, both in women who took only FA in their next pregnancy. No adverse pregnancy events were associated with inositol supplementation. The findings of the PONTI pilot study encourage a large-scale controlled trial of inositol for NTD prevention, but indicate the need for a careful study design in view of the unwillingness of many high-risk women to be randomised.

Risk factors of neural tube defects: A reality of Batna region in Algeria

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Romyla Bourouba

2018-07-01

Full Text Available Background: Neural tube defects (NTDs are severe birth defects, with genetic and/or environmental risk factors. Aim: The objective of this study was to analyze data on NTDs cases at the Batna Maternity Hospital and to investigate some environmental and two genetic risk factors suspected in the etiology of NTDs. Subjects and methods: This study was conducted on 82 healthy participants and 48 mothers with an NTD child. Peripheral blood samples were collected, in EDTA tubes and frozen at −20 °C until DNA extraction by conventional method. Genetic analysis of methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism was determined by real time PCR, while cystathionine-beta-synthase 844 insertion was investigated by traditional PCR. Chi-square analyses were used to evaluate differences in the distribution of data. The odds-ratio was also calculated. A P-value less than 0.05 were significant. Results: The incidence of NTD in Batna region was 1.58 per 1000 births. The rate of NTD was significantly higher in females than males, highest affected NTD newborn’s was observed in mothers aged between 25 and 29 years and the consanguinity among all NTD cases was 30%. Data showed no significant association of NTDs with personal education, obesity, diabetes, but regarding folic acid consumption, about 86% of NTD’s mothers in our region didn’t take pre-conceptional supplementation with this vitamin .Genetic factors results didn't show a significant association of NTDs with specific mutations of the variant C677T MTHFR, and no gene-gene interaction of CBS insertion and C677T polymorphism was found, despite a significant difference in heterozygote frequency of CBS 844ins68 genotype between NTD’s mothers and controls, OR: 2.85(1.18–6.88. Conclusion: NTD represents a real public health problem in Batna, Algeria. Various genetic and/or nutritional factors are implicated, although the mechanism is not clear. We suggest that further research should continue

Fgf8-related secondary organizers exert different polarizing planar instructions along the mouse anterior neural tube.

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Crespo-Enriquez, Ivan; Partanen, Juha; Martinez, Salvador; Echevarria, Diego

2012-01-01

Early brain patterning depends on proper arrangement of positional information. This information is given by gradients of secreted signaling molecules (morphogens) detected by individual cells within the responding tissue, leading to specific fate decisions. Here we report that the morphogen FGF8 exerts initially a differential signal activity along the E9.5 mouse neural tube. We demonstrate that this polarizing activity codes by RAS-regulated ERK1/2 signaling and depends on the topographical location of the secondary organizers: the isthmic organizer (IsO) and the anterior neural ridge (anr) but not on zona limitans intrathalamica (zli). Our results suggest that Sprouty2, a negative modulator of RAS/ERK pathway, is important for regulating Fgf8 morphogenetic signal activity by controlling Fgf8-induced signaling pathways and positional information during early brain development.

A case of junctional neural tube defect associated with a lipoma of the filum terminale: a new subtype of junctional neural tube defect?

Science.gov (United States)

Florea, Simona Mihaela; Faure, Alice; Brunel, Hervé; Girard, Nadine; Scavarda, Didier

2018-06-01

The embryological development of the central nervous system takes place during the neurulation process, which includes primary and secondary neurulation. A new form of dysraphism, named junctional neural tube defect (JNTD), was recently reported, with only 4 cases described in the literature. The authors report a fifth case of JNTD. This 5-year-old boy, who had been operated on during his 1st month of life for a uretero-rectal fistula, was referred for evaluation of possible spinal dysraphism. He had urinary incontinence, clubfeet, and a history of delayed walking ability. MRI showed a spinal cord divided in two, with an upper segment ending at the T-11 level and a lower segment at the L5-S1 level, with a thickened filum terminale. The JNTDs represent a recently classified dysraphism caused by an error during junctional neurulation. The authors suggest that their patient should be included in this category as the fifth case reported in the literature and note that this would be the first reported case of JNTD in association with a lipomatous filum terminale.

Quantitative trait loci affecting phenotypic variation in the vacuolated lens mouse mutant, a multigenic mouse model of neural tube defects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Korstanje, Ron; Desai, Jigar; Lazar, Gloria; King, Benjamin; Rollins, Jarod; Spurr, Melissa; Joseph, Jamie; Kadambi, Sindhuja; Li, Yang; Cherry, Allison; Matteson, Paul G.; Paigen, Beverly; Millonig, James H.

Korstanje R, Desai J, Lazar G, King B, Rollins J, Spurr M, Joseph J, Kadambi S, Li Y, Cherry A, Matteson PG, Paigen B, Millonig JH. Quantitative trait loci affecting phenotypic variation in the vacuolated lens mouse mutant, a multigenic mouse model of neural tube defects. Physiol Genomics 35:

Long term trends in prevalence of neural tube defects in Europe

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Khoshnood, Babak; Loane, Maria; Walle, Hermien de

2015-01-01

STUDY QUESTION: What are the long term trends in the total (live births, fetal deaths, and terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly) and live birth prevalence of neural tube defects (NTD) in Europe, where many countries have issued recommendations for folic acid supplementation but a policy...... for mandatory folic acid fortification of food does not exist? METHODS: This was a population based, observational study using data on 11 353 cases of NTD not associated with chromosomal anomalies, including 4162 cases of anencephaly and 5776 cases of spina bifida from 28 EUROCAT (European Surveillance......-conceptional folic acid supplementation and existence of voluntary folic acid fortification. FUNDING, COMPETING INTERESTS, DATA SHARING: The study was funded by the European Public Health Commission, EUROCAT Joint Action 2011-2013. HD and ML received support from the European Commission DG Sanco during the conduct...

INCREASED MATERNAL SERUM ALPHA-FETOPROTEIN AND HUMAN CHORIONIC-GONADOTROPIN IN COMPROMISED PREGNANCIES OTHER THAN FOR NEURAL-TUBE DEFECTS OR DOWN-SYNDROME

NARCIS (Netherlands)

BEEKHUIS, [No Value; VANLITH, JMM; DEWOLF, BTHM; MANTINGH, A

Intrauterine fetal death occurred in four women who were 'screen-positive' in a screening programme for neural tube defects (NTDs) and Down syndrome (DS). These women had very high levels of maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein (MSAFP) and maternal serum human chorionic gonadotropin (MShCG). Therefore,

Folato, vitamina B12 e ferritina sérica e defeitos do tubo neural Folate, vitamin B12, serum ferritin and defects of the neural tube

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Gizele Thame

1998-09-01

Full Text Available Objetivo: verificar os níveis de folatos, vitamina B12 e ferritina em pacientes cujos fetos apresentaram defeitos de tubo neural (DTN. O folato sangüíneo e a vitamina B12 atuam como cofatores para as enzimas envolvidas na biossíntese do DNA. A interrupção deste processo pode impedir o fechamento do tubo neural. A suplementação vitamínica contendo folato pode reduzir as taxas de ocorrência de defeitos de tubo neural, embora exista a preocupação de que esta prevenção possa mascarar a deficiência de vitamina B12. Métodos: dosagens de vitamina B12 e ferritina pelo método de enzimaimunoensaio com micropartículas e a dosagens de ácido fólico pelo método de captura iônica (IMx ABBOTT. Resultados: a porcentagem de gestantes com deficiência de vitamina B12 (níveis séricos Purpose: to determine folate, vitamin B12 and ferritin levels in patients whose fetuses presented neural-tube defects (NTD. Blood folate and vitamin B12 act as cofactors of enzymes involved in DNA biosynthesis. Interruption of this process may block neural-tube closing. Vitamin supplementation with folate may reduce occurrence rates and recurrence of NTD, although there is concern about the fact that this prevention may mask vitamin B12 deficiency. Methods: vitamin B12 and ferritin determinations by enzyme immunoassay with microparticles and folic acid determination using the ion capture method (IMx ABBOTT. Results: the percentage of pregnant women with vitamin B12 deficirncy (serum levels < 150 pg/ml was 11.8%. There was no case of folate deficiency (serum levels < 3.0 ng/ml and prevalence of pregnant women with iron store deficiency was 47.1% (serum levels < ng/mg. Conclusions: occording to the results obtained in this study (prevalence of 11.8% of vitamin B12 and 0% of folate deficient pregnant women we suggest that supplementation should be administered after serum vitamin B12 determination.

Novel Method for Measuring the Heat Collection Rate and Heat Loss Coefficient of Water-in-Glass Evacuated Tube Solar Water Heaters Based on Artificial Neural Networks and Support Vector Machine

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Zhijian Liu

2015-08-01

Full Text Available The determinations of heat collection rate and heat loss coefficient are crucial for the evaluation of in service water-in-glass evacuated tube solar water heaters. However, the direct determination requires complex detection devices and a series of standard experiments, which also wastes too much time and manpower. To address this problem, we propose machine learning models including artificial neural networks (ANNs and support vector machines (SVM to predict the heat collection rate and heat loss coefficient without a direct determination. Parameters that can be easily obtained by “portable test instruments” were set as independent variables, including tube length, number of tubes, tube center distance, heat water mass in tank, collector area, final temperature and angle between tubes and ground, while the heat collection rate and heat loss coefficient determined by the detection device were set as dependent variables respectively. Nine hundred fifteen samples from in-service water-in-glass evacuated tube solar water heaters were used for training and testing the models. Results show that the multilayer feed-forward neural network (MLFN with 3 nodes is the best model for the prediction of heat collection rate and the general regression neural network (GRNN is the best model for the prediction of heat loss coefficient due to their low root mean square (RMS errors, short training times, and high prediction accuracies (under the tolerances of 30%, 20%, and 10%, respectively.

Syndromes, Disorders and Maternal Risk Factors Associated with Neural Tube Defects (IV

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Chih-Ping Chen

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Fetuses with neural tube defects (NTDs may be associated with maternal and fetal risk factors. This article provides a comprehensive review of maternal and fetal risk factors associated with NTDs, such as infertility, periconceptional clomiphene use and assisted reproductive technology, periconceptional folic acid deficiency and effects offolic acid supplementation and fortification on NTD rates, periconceptional vitamin B1 2 deficiency, single nucleotide polymorphisms and polymorphisms in genes of folate metabolism, and maternal autoantibodies to folate receptors. NTDs associated with maternal and fetal risk factors are an important cause of NTDs. Perinatal identification of NTDs should alert the clinician to the maternal and fetal risk factors associated with NTDs, and prompt a thorough etiologic investigation and genetic counseling. [Taiwan J Obstet Cynecol 2008;47(2:141-1 50

Heart murmur detection based on wavelet transformation and a synergy between artificial neural network and modified neighbor annealing methods.

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Eslamizadeh, Gholamhossein; Barati, Ramin

2017-05-01

Early recognition of heart disease plays a vital role in saving lives. Heart murmurs are one of the common heart problems. In this study, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) is trained with Modified Neighbor Annealing (MNA) to classify heart cycles into normal and murmur classes. Heart cycles are separated from heart sounds using wavelet transformer. The network inputs are features extracted from individual heart cycles, and two classification outputs. Classification accuracy of the proposed model is compared with five multilayer perceptron trained with Levenberg-Marquardt, Extreme-learning-machine, back-propagation, simulated-annealing, and neighbor-annealing algorithms. It is also compared with a Self-Organizing Map (SOM) ANN. The proposed model is trained and tested using real heart sounds available in the Pascal database to show the applicability of the proposed scheme. Also, a device to record real heart sounds has been developed and used for comparison purposes too. Based on the results of this study, MNA can be used to produce considerable results as a heart cycle classifier. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

ESTIMATION OF THE DEVELOPMENT STANDARD OF NEURAL TUBE IN EMBRYOS FROM TRANSYLVANIAN NAKED NECK AND PLYMOUTH ROCK HEN BREEDS, DURING EARLY EMBRYOGENESIS

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D. DRONCA

2007-05-01

Full Text Available In Romania, the Transylvanian Naked Neck hen breed is considered to be an“endangered” population, reason for which we consider that a special attentionshould have been given until now. Plymouth Rock breed was imported for the firsttime to Romania from the Studler Company, France in 1969. This paper is aimingto perform a profound analysis of the development patterns of the neural tube inthe two breeds, by measurements carried out at 30, 40, 50, and 60 hours ofincubation. Observations show that the closure of the neural canal and itstransformation into a tube follows an undulatory pattern, of which positive andnegative curls are diametrically opposed in the two breeds, while the developmentspeed during the whole studied period have a relative similar value between thetwo breeds. We estimate that the two breeds have a good combinative capacity,which recommend the utilization of these genetic materials to obtain hybrids forproducing “peasant-type” chicken meat, very well-appreciated by the Europeansbetween the two World Wars.

Data analysis for steam generator tubing samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodd, C.V.

1996-07-01

The objective of the Improved Eddy-Current ISI for Steam Generators program is to upgrade and validate eddy-current inspections, including probes, instrumentation, and data processing techniques for inservice inspection of new, used, and repaired steam generator tubes; to improve defect detection, classification and characterization as affected by diameter and thickness variations, denting, probe wobble, tube sheet, tube supports, copper and sludge deposits, even when defect types and other variables occur in combination; to transfer this advanced technology to NRC's mobile NDE laboratory and staff. This report provides a description of the application of advanced eddy-current neural network analysis methods for the detection and evaluation of common steam generator tubing flaws including axial and circumferential outer-diameter stress-corrosion cracking and intergranular attack. The report describes the training of the neural networks on tubing samples with known defects and the subsequent evaluation results for unknown samples. Evaluations were done in the presence of artifacts. Computer programs are given in the appendix

Using recurrent neural network models for early detection of heart failure onset.

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Choi, Edward; Schuetz, Andy; Stewart, Walter F; Sun, Jimeng

2017-03-01

We explored whether use of deep learning to model temporal relations among events in electronic health records (EHRs) would improve model performance in predicting initial diagnosis of heart failure (HF) compared to conventional methods that ignore temporality. Data were from a health system's EHR on 3884 incident HF cases and 28 903 controls, identified as primary care patients, between May 16, 2000, and May 23, 2013. Recurrent neural network (RNN) models using gated recurrent units (GRUs) were adapted to detect relations among time-stamped events (eg, disease diagnosis, medication orders, procedure orders, etc.) with a 12- to 18-month observation window of cases and controls. Model performance metrics were compared to regularized logistic regression, neural network, support vector machine, and K-nearest neighbor classifier approaches. Using a 12-month observation window, the area under the curve (AUC) for the RNN model was 0.777, compared to AUCs for logistic regression (0.747), multilayer perceptron (MLP) with 1 hidden layer (0.765), support vector machine (SVM) (0.743), and K-nearest neighbor (KNN) (0.730). When using an 18-month observation window, the AUC for the RNN model increased to 0.883 and was significantly higher than the 0.834 AUC for the best of the baseline methods (MLP). Deep learning models adapted to leverage temporal relations appear to improve performance of models for detection of incident heart failure with a short observation window of 12-18 months. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association.

Small GTPase R-Ras participates in neural tube formation in zebrafish embryonic spinal cord.

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Ohata, Shinya; Uga, Hideko; Okamoto, Hitoshi; Katada, Toshiaki

2018-06-27

Ras related (R-Ras), a small GTPase, is involved in the maintenance of apico-basal polarity in neuroepithelial cells of the zebrafish hindbrain, axonal collapse in cultured murine hippocampal neurons, and maturation of blood vessels in adult mice. However, the role of R-Ras in neural tube formation remains unknown. Using antisense morpholino oligonucleotides (AMOs), we found that in the spinal cord of zebrafish embryos, the lumen was formed bilaterally in rras morphants, whereas it was formed at the midline in control embryos. As AMO can cause off-target effects, we generated rras mutant zebrafish lines using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. Although these rras mutant embryos did not have a bilateral lumen in the spinal cord, the following findings suggest that the phenotype is unlikely due to an off-target effect of rras AMO: 1) The rras morphant phenotype was rescued by an injection of AMO-resistant rras mRNA, and 2) a bilaterally segregated spinal cord was not observed in rras mutant embryos injected with rras AMO. The results suggest that the function of other ras family genes may be redundant in rras mutants. Previous research reported a bilaterally formed lumen in the spinal cord of zebrafish embryos with a mutation in a planar cell polarity (PCP) gene, van gogh-like 2 (vangl2). In the present study, in cultured cells, R-Ras was co-immunoprecipitated with Vangl2 but not with another PCP regulator, Pricke1. Interestingly, the interaction between R-Ras and Vangl2 was stronger in guanine-nucleotide free point mutants of R-Ras than in wild-type or constitutively active (GTP-bound) forms of R-Ras. R-Ras may regulate neural tube formation in cooperation with Vangl2 in the developing zebrafish spinal cord. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Is 5-methyltetrahydrofolate an alternative to folic acid for the prevention of neural tube defects?

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Obeid, Rima; Holzgreve, Wolfgang; Pietrzik, Klaus

2013-09-01

Women have higher requirements for folate during pregnancy. An optimal folate status must be achieved before conception and in the first trimester when the neural tube closes. Low maternal folate status is causally related to neural tube defects (NTDs). Many NTDs can be prevented by increasing maternal folate intake in the preconceptional period. Dietary folate is protective, but recommending increasing folate intake is ineffective on a population level particularly during periods of high demands. This is because the recommendations are often not followed or because the bioavailability of food folate is variable. Supplemental folate [folic acid (FA) or 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-methylTHF)] can effectively increase folate concentrations to the level that is considered to be protective. FA is a synthetic compound that has no biological functions unless it is reduced to dihydrofolate and tetrahydrofolate. Unmetabolized FA appears in the circulation at doses of >200 μg. Individuals show wide variations in their ability to reduce FA. Carriers of certain polymorphisms in genes related to folate metabolism or absorption can better benefit from 5-methylTHF instead of FA. 5-MethylTHF [also known as (6S)-5-methylTHF] is the predominant natural form that is readily available for transport and metabolism. In contrast to FA, 5-methylTHF has no tolerable upper intake level and does not mask vitamin B12 deficiency. Supplementation of the natural form, 5-methylTHF, is a better alternative to supplementation of FA, especially in countries not applying a fortification program. Supplemental 5-methylTHF can effectively improve folate biomarkers in young women in early pregnancy in order to prevent NTDs.

Prevalência de defeitos de fechamento de tubo neural no Vale do Paraíba, São Paulo Prevalence of neural tube defects in Vale do Paraíba, São Paulo, Brazil

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Luiz Fernando C. Nascimento

2008-12-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Estimar a prevalência de defeitos de fechamento do tubo neural no Vale do Paraíba paulista e identificar possíveis fatores maternos e neonatais associados a tais defeitos. MÉTODOS: Realizou-se um estudo transversal com dados secundários obtidos na Secretaria Estadual da Saúde referentes aos nascimentos ocorridos em 2004 no Vale do Paraíba paulista, que compreende 35 municípios e conta com população de 2 milhões de habitantes. Anencefalia, encefalocele e espina bífida (mielocele e mielomeningocele foram considerados defeitos de fechamento do tubo neural. As variáveis maternas foram: idade, escolaridade, cor da pele, número de consultas no pré-natal, número de filhos vivos e relato de óbito fetal prévio. As variáveis relativas ao recém-nascido foram: peso, idade gestacional e escore de Apgar. Realizou-se comparação das médias por meio do teste t de Student e obtiveram-se os valores das razões de chance com intervalos de confiança de 95%. RESULTADOS: Foram analisados 33.653 nascidos vivos. Trinta e oito recém-nascidos com o defeito foram encontrados (1,13/1.000 nascidos vivos, sendo 23 casos de espina bífida. Houve associação com baixo peso ao nascimento, prematuridade e menores escores de Apgar de cinco minutos. CONCLUSÕES: A prevalência desta anomalia foi inferior à de outros estudos nacionais e sua presença esteve associada ao baixo peso, à prematuridade e à baixa vitalidade ao nascer.OBJECTIVE: To estimate the prevalence of neural tube defects in Vale do Paraíba, São Paulo, Brazil, and to identify possible maternal and neonatal variables associated with these defects. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used secondary records of the Health Department of São Paulo State related live births during 2004 in Vale do Paraíba, São Paulo, Brazil. This region has 35 cities and 2 million inhabitants. Anencephaly, encephalocele and spina bifida (myelocele and myelomeningocele were considered as neural tube

Folic acid supplement use in the prevention of neural tube defects.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Delany, C

2011-01-01

In 2008, planned folic acid fortification for the prevention of Neural Tube Defects (NTD) was postponed. Concurrently, the economic recession may have affected dietary folic acid intake, placing increased emphasis on supplement use. This study examined folic acid supplement use in 2009. A cross-sectional survey of 300 ante-natal women was undertaken to assess folic acid knowledge and use. Associations between demographic, obstetric variables and folic acid knowledge and use were examined. A majority, 284\\/297 (96%), had heard of folic acid, and 178\\/297 (60%) knew that it could prevent NTD. Most, 270\\/297 (91%) had taken it during their pregnancy, but only 107\\/297 (36%) had used it periconceptionally. Being older, married, planned pregnancy and better socioeconomic status were associated with periconceptional use. Periconceptional folic acid use in 2009 was very low, little changed from economic status were associated with periconceptional use. Periconceptional folic acid use in 2009 was very low, little changed from earlier years. Continuous promotion efforts are necessary. Close monitoring of folic acid intake and NTD rates is essential, particularly in the absence of fortification.

Syndromes, Disorders and Maternal Risk Factors Associated with Neural Tube Defects (I

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Chih-Ping Chen

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Fetuses with neural tube defects (NTDs maybe associated with syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors. This article provides a comprehensive review of syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors associated with NTDs, such as acrocallosal syndrome, autosomal dominant brachydactyly-clinodactyly syndrome, Manouvrier syndrome, short rib-polydactyly syndrome, Disorganization (Ds-like human malformations, isolated hemihyper-plasia, X-linked NTDs, meroanencephaly, schisis association, diprosopus, fetal valproate syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome/velocardiofacial syndrome, Waardenburg syndrome, folic acid antagonists, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. NTDs associated with syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors are a rare but important cause of NTDs. The recurrence risk and the preventive effect of maternal folic acid intake in NTDs associated with syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors may be different from those of non-syndromic multifactorial NTDs. Perinatal identification of NTDs should alert one to the syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors associated with NTDs, and prompt a thorough etiologic investigation and genetic counseling.

Syndromes, disorders and maternal risk factors associated with neural tube defects (I).

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Chih-Ping

2008-03-01

Fetuses with neural tube defects (NTDs) may be associated with syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors. This article provides a comprehensive review of syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors associated with NTDs, such as acrocallosal syndrome, autosomal dominant brachydactyly-clinodactyly syndrome, Manouvrier syndrome, short rib-polydactyly syndrome, Disorganization ( Ds )-like human malformations, isolated hemihyperplasia, X-linked NTDs, meroanencephaly, schisis association, diprosopus, fetal valproate syndrome, DiGeorge syndrome/velocardiofacial syndrome, Waardenburg syndrome, folic acid antagonists, diabetes mellitus, and obesity. NTDs associated with syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors are a rare but important cause of NTDs. The recurrence risk and the preventive effect of maternal folic acid intake in NTDs associated with syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors may be different from those of non-syndromic multifactorial NTDs. Perinatal identification of NTDs should alert one to the syndromes, disorders, and maternal risk factors associated with NTDs, and prompt a thorough etiologic investigation and genetic counseling.

Syndromes, Disorders and Maternal Risk Factors Associated With Neural Tube Defects (VI

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Chih-Ping Chen

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Neural tube defects (NTDs may be associated with syndromes, disorders, and maternal and fetal risk factors. This article provides a comprehensive review of the syndromes, disorders, and maternal and fetal risk factors associated with NTDs, including maternal fumonisin consumption, periconceptional zinc deficiency, parental occupational exposure and residential proximity to pesticides, lower socioeconomic status, fetal alcohol syndrome, mutations in the VANGL1 gene, human athymic Nude/SCID fetus, and single nucleotide polymorphism in the NOS3 gene. NTDs associated with these syndromes, disorders, and maternal and fetal risk factors are a rare but important cause of NTDs. The recurrence risk and the preventive effect of maternal folic acid intake in NTDs associated with syndromes, disorders and maternal risk factors may be different from those of nonsyndromic multifactorial NTDs. Perinatal diagnosis of NTDs should alert doctors to the syndromes, disorders, and maternal and fetal risk factors associated with NTDs, and prompt thorough etiologic investigation and genetic counseling.

Are concentrations of alkaline earth elements in maternal hair associated with risk of neural tube defects?

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Li, Zhenjiang; Wang, Bin; Huo, Wenhua; Liu, Yingying; Zhu, Yibing; Xie, Jing; Li, Zhiwen; Ren, Aiguo

2017-12-31

The relationship between maternal intake of alkaline earth elements (AEEs) during the period of neural tube closure and the risk of neural tube defects (NTDs) is still unclear. We propose that AEE deficiency during the early period of pregnancy is associated with an elevated risk of NTDs in the offspring. In this study, we recruited 191 women with NTD-affected pregnancies (cases) and 261 women who delivered healthy infants (controls). The concentrations of four AEEs (Ca, Mg, Sr, Ba) in maternal hair sections that grew during early pregnancy were analyzed. Information on the dietary habits of the mothers was also collected by questionnaire. Higher concentrations of the four AEEs in hair had protective effects against the risk of total NTDs, with odds ratios with 95% confidence interval (comparing groups separated by each median level) of 0.44 (0.28-0.68) for Mg, 0.56 (0.36-0.87) for Ca, 0.45 (0.28-0.70) for Sr, and 0.41 (0.26-0.65) for Ba. Significant negative dose-response trends were identified for the relationships between the four AEE concentrations in maternal hair and the risks of anencephaly and spina bifida, but not for encephalocele. The frequencies of maternal consumption of fresh green vegetables, fresh fruit, and meat or fish were positively correlated with the concentrations of AEEs in hair. We concluded that the maternal intake of AEEs may play an important role in preventing NTD formation in offspring, and that this intake is related to maternal dietary habits of consuming fresh green vegetables, fresh fruit, and fish or meat. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genetic, chromosomal, and syndromic causes of neural tube defects.

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Seidahmed, Mohammed Z; Abdelbasit, Omer B; Shaheed, Meeralebbae M; Alhussein, Khalid A; Miqdad, Abeer M; Samadi, Abdulmohsen S; Khalil, Mohammed I; Al-Mardawi, Elham; Salih, Mustafa A

2014-12-01

To ascertain the incidence, and describe the various forms of neural tube defects (NTDs) due to genetic, chromosomal, and syndromic causes. We carried out a retrospective analysis of data retrieved from the medical records of newborn infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with NTDs and their mothers spanning 14 years (1996-2009) at the Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The cases were ascertained by a perinatologist, neonatologist, geneticist, radiologist, and neurologist. The literature was reviewed via a MEDLINE search. Only liveborn babies were included. Permission from the Educational Committee at the Security Forces Hospital was obtained prior to the collection of data. Out of 103 infants with NTDs admitted during this period, 20 (19.4%) were found to have an underlying genetic syndromic, chromosomal and/or other anomalies. There were 5 cases of Meckel-Gruber syndrome, 2 Joubert syndrome, one Waardenburg syndrome, one Walker-Warburg syndrome, 2 chromosomal disorders, 2 caudal regression, one amniotic band disruption sequence, one associated with omphalocele, one with diaphragmatic hernia, and 4 with multiple congenital anomalies. There is a high rate of underlying genetic syndromic and/or chromosomal causes of NTDs in the Saudi Arabian population due to the high consanguinity rate. Identification of such association can lead to more accurate provisions of genetic counseling to the family including preimplantation genetic diagnosis or early termination of pregnancies associated with lethal conditions.

A quality assessment of cardiac auscultation material on YouTube.

Science.gov (United States)

Camm, Christian F; Sunderland, Nicholas; Camm, A John

2013-02-01

YouTube is a highly utilized Web site that contains a large amount of medical educational material. Although some studies have assessed the education material contained on the Web site, little analysis of cardiology content has been made. This study aimed to assess the quality of videos relating to heart sounds and murmurs contained on YouTube. We hypothesized that the quality of video files purporting to provide education on heart auscultation would be highly variable. Videos were searched for using the terms "heart sounds," "heart murmur," and "heart auscultation." A built-in educational filter was employed, and manual rejection of non-English language and nonrelated videos was undertaken. Remaining videos were analyzed for content, and suitable videos were scored using a purpose-built tool. YouTube search located 3350 videos in total, and of these, 22 were considered suitable for scoring. The average score was 4.07 out of 7 (standard deviation, 1.35). Six videos scored 5.5 or greater and 5 videos scoring 2.5 or less. There was no correlation between video score and YouTube indices of preference (hits, likes, dislikes, or search page). The quality of videos found in this study was highly variable. YouTube indications of preference were of no value in determining the value of video content. Therefore, teaching institutions or professional societies should endeavor to identify and highlight good online teaching resources. YouTube contains many videos relating to cardiac auscultation, but very few are valuable education resources. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Maternal obesity and congenital heart defects: a population-based study123

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, James L; Troendle, James; Conley, Mary R; Carter, Tonia; Druschel, Charlotte M

2010-01-01

Background: Obesity affects almost one-third of pregnant women and causes many complications, including neural tube defects. It is not clear whether the risk of congenital heart defects, the most common malformations, is also increased. Objective: This study was conducted to determine whether obesity is associated with an increased risk of congenital heart defects. Design: A population-based, nested, case-control study was conducted in infants born with congenital heart defects and unaffected controls from the cohort of all births (n = 1,536,828) between 1993 and 2003 in New York State, excluding New York City. The type of congenital heart defect, maternal body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2), and other risk factors were obtained from the Congenital Malformations Registry and vital records. Mothers of 7392 congenital heart defect cases and 56,304 unaffected controls were studied. Results: All obese women (BMI ≥ 30) were significantly more likely than normal-weight women (BMI: 19–24.9) to have children with a congenital heart defect [odds ratio (OR): 1.15; 95% CI: 1.07, 1.23; P heart defects with increasing maternal obesity (P heart syndrome, aortic stenosis, pulmonic stenosis, and tetralogy of Fallot. Conclusions: Obese, but not overweight, women are at significantly increased risk of bearing children with a range of congenital heart defects, and the risk increases with increasing BMI. Weight reduction as a way to reduce risk should be investigated. PMID:20375192

Genetic interactions between planar cell polarity genes cause diverse neural tube defects in mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jennifer N. Murdoch

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Neural tube defects (NTDs are among the commonest and most severe forms of developmental defect, characterized by disruption of the early embryonic events of central nervous system formation. NTDs have long been known to exhibit a strong genetic dependence, yet the identity of the genetic determinants remains largely undiscovered. Initiation of neural tube closure is disrupted in mice homozygous for mutations in planar cell polarity (PCP pathway genes, providing a strong link between NTDs and PCP signaling. Recently, missense gene variants have been identified in PCP genes in humans with NTDs, although the range of phenotypes is greater than in the mouse mutants. In addition, the sequence variants detected in affected humans are heterozygous, and can often be detected in unaffected individuals. It has been suggested that interactions between multiple heterozygous gene mutations cause the NTDs in humans. To determine the phenotypes produced in double heterozygotes, we bred mice with all three pairwise combinations of Vangl2Lp, ScribCrc and Celsr1Crsh mutations, the most intensively studied PCP mutants. The majority of double-mutant embryos had open NTDs, with the range of phenotypes including anencephaly and spina bifida, therefore reflecting the defects observed in humans. Strikingly, even on a uniform genetic background, variability in the penetrance and severity of the mutant phenotypes was observed between the different double-heterozygote combinations. Phenotypically, Celsr1Crsh;Vangl2Lp;ScribCrc triply heterozygous mutants were no more severe than doubly heterozygous or singly homozygous mutants. We propose that some of the variation between double-mutant phenotypes could be attributed to the nature of the protein disruption in each allele: whereas ScribCrc is a null mutant and produces no Scrib protein, Celsr1Crsh and Vangl2Lp homozygotes both express mutant proteins, consistent with dominant effects. The variable outcomes of these genetic

Mature teratoma in association with neural tube defect (occipital encephalocele): series of four cases and review of the literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Goyal, Nishant; Singh, Pankaj Kumar; Kakkar, Aanchal; Sharma, Meher Chand; Mahapatra, Ashok Kumar

2012-01-01

Both occipital encephalocele and teratomas are midline congenital malformations. Encephalocele is a form of neural tube defect in which there is a congenital defect of the cranium through which occurs a protrusion of brain matter or meninges, while teratoma is a tumor derived from all three germ layers. The association between occipital encephalocele and teratoma has not been reported to date. In the present study, the authors present a series of four such cases. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Genetic, chromosomal, and syndromic causes of neural tube defects

Science.gov (United States)

Seidahmed, Mohammed Z.; Abdelbasit, Omer B.; Shaheed, Meeralebbae M.; Alhussein, Khalid A.; Miqdad, Abeer M.; Samadi, Abdulmohsen S.; Khalil, Mohammed I.; Al-Mardawi, Elham; Salih, Mustafa A.

2014-01-01

Objective: To ascertain the incidence, and describe the various forms of neural tube defects (NTDs) due to genetic, chromosomal, and syndromic causes. Methods: We carried out a retrospective analysis of data retrieved from the medical records of newborn infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit with NTDs and their mothers spanning 14 years (1996-2009) at the Security Forces Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The cases were ascertained by a perinatologist, neonatologist, geneticist, radiologist, and neurologist. The literature was reviewed via a MEDLINE search. Only liveborn babies were included. Permission from the Educational Committee at the Security Forces Hospital was obtained prior to the collection of data. Results: Out of 103 infants with NTDs admitted during this period, 20 (19.4%) were found to have an underlying genetic syndromic, chromosomal and/or other anomalies. There were 5 cases of Meckel-Gruber syndrome, 2 Joubert syndrome, one Waardenburg syndrome, one Walker-Warburg syndrome, 2 chromosomal disorders, 2 caudal regression, one amniotic band disruption sequence, one associated with omphalocele, one with diaphragmatic hernia, and 4 with multiple congenital anomalies. Conclusions: There is a high rate of underlying genetic syndromic and/or chromosomal causes of NTDs in the Saudi Arabian population due to the high consanguinity rate. Identification of such association can lead to more accurate provisions of genetic counseling to the family including preimplantation genetic diagnosis or early termination of pregnancies associated with lethal conditions. PMID:25551112

Maternal Antenatal Bereavement and Neural Tube Defect in Live-Born Offspring: A Cohort Study.

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Katja Glejsted Ingstrup

Full Text Available Maternal emotional stress during pregnancy has previously been associated with congenital neural malformations, but most studies are based on data collected retrospectively. The objective of our study was to investigate associations between antenatal maternal bereavement due to death of a close relative and neural tube defects (NTDs in the offspring.We performed a register-based cohort study including all live-born children (N = 1,734,190 from 1978-2008. Exposure was bereavement due to loss of a close relative from one year before conception to the end of the first trimester of pregnancy. The outcome was NTDs in the offspring according to the International Classification of Disease. We used multivariate logistic regression to estimate prevalence odds ratios (ORs.A total of 2% children were born to mothers who lost a close relative prenatally. During 30 years of follow-up, 1,115 children were diagnosed with any NTDs: spina bifida (n = 889, anencephaly (n = 85 and encephalocele (n = 164. And 23 children were diagnosed with two types of NTDs. Overall, when comparing bereaved mothers to non-bereaved mothers, no significant increased prevalence of NTDs in the offspring was seen (OR = 0.84; 95% confidence interval: 0.52-1.33.Overall maternal bereavement in the antenatal period was not related to NTDs in liveborn offspring.

Syndromes, Disorders and Maternal Risk Factors Associated with Neural Tube Defects (III

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Chih-Ping Chen

2008-06-01

Full Text Available Fetuses with neural tube defects (NTDs may be associated with syndromes, disorders, and maternal and fetal risk factors. This article provides a comprehensive review of syndromes, disorders, and maternal and fetal risk factors associated with NTDs, such as omphalocele, OEIS (omphalocele-exstrophy-imperforate anus-spinal defects complex, pentalogy of Cantrell, amniotic band sequence, limb-body wall complex, Meckel syndrome, Joubert syndrome, skeletal dysplasia, diabetic embryopathy, and single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes of glucose metabolism. NTDs associated with syndromes, disorders, and maternal and fetal risk factors are a rare but important cause of NTDs. The recurrence risk and the preventive effect of maternal folic acid intake in NTDs associated with syndromes, disorders and maternal risk factors may be different from those of nonsyndromic multi facto rial NTDs. Perinatal identification of NTDs should alert the clinician to the syndromes, disorders, and maternal and fetal risk factors associated with NTDs, and prompt a thorough etiologic investigation and genetic counseling. [Taiwan J Obstet Cynecol 2008;47(2:131-140

Syndromes, Disorders and Maternal Risk Factors Associated With Neural Tube Defects (VII

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Chih-Ping Chen

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Neural tube defects (NTDs may be associated with syndromes, disorders and maternal risk factors. This article provides a comprehensive review of the syndromes, disorders and maternal risk factors associated with NTDs, including DK phocomelia syndrome (von Voss-Cherstvoy syndrome, Siegel-Bartlet syndrome, fetal warfarin syndrome, craniotelencephalic dysplasia, Czeizel-Losonci syndrome, maternal cocaine abuse, Weissenbacher-Zweymüller syndrome, parietal foramina (cranium bifidum, Apert syndrome, craniomicromelic syndrome, XX-agonadism with multiple dysraphic lesions including omphalocele and NTDs, Fryns microphthalmia syndrome, Gershoni-Baruch syndrome, PHAVER syndrome, periconceptional vitamin B6 deficiency, and autosomal dominant Dandy-Walker malformation with occipital cephalocele. NTDs associated with these syndromes, disorders and maternal risk factors are a rare but important cause of NTDs. The recurrence risk and the preventive effect of maternal folic acid intake in NTDs associated with syndromes, disorders and maternal risk factors may be different from those of nonsyndromic multifactorial NTDs. Perinatal diagnosis of NTDs should alert doctors to the syndromes, disorders and maternal risk factors associated with NTDs, and prompt thorough etiologic investigation and genetic counseling.

Neural tube defects in Malaysia: data from the Malaysian National Neonatal Registry.

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Boo, Nem-Yun; Cheah, Irene G S; Thong, Meow-Keong

2013-10-01

This study aimed to determine the prevalence and early outcome of neural tube defects (NTDs) in Malaysia. This prospective study included all neonates with NTDs (spina bifida, anencephaly, encephalocoele) born in 2009 in 32 Malaysian hospitals in the Malaysian National Neonatal Network. The prevalence of NTDs was 0.42 per 1000 live births, being highest among the indigenous people of Sarawak (1.09 per 1000 live births) and lowest among Malaysians of Chinese descent (0.09 per 1000 live births). The most common type of NTDs was anencephaly (0.19 per 1000 live births), followed by spina bifida (0.11 per 1000 live births) and encephalocoele (0.07 per 1000 live births). Majority of the infants with anencephaly (94.5%, n = 51), 45.8% (n = 11) with encephalocoele and 9.5% (n = 4) with spina bifida died. The median duration of hospital stay was 4 (range: 0-161) days. NTDs were common in Malaysia. Mortality was high. Long-term monitoring of NTD prevalence following folic fortification of food is recommended.

High-resolution in vivo imaging of the cross-sectional deformations of contracting embryonic heart loops using optical coherence tomography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Männer, J.; Thrane, Lars; Norozi, K.

2008-01-01

The embryonic heart tube consists of an outer myocardial tube, a middle layer of cardiac jelly, and an inner endocardial tube. It is said that tubular hearts pump the blood by peristaltoid contractions. The traditional concept of cardiac peristalsis sees the cyclic deformations of pulsating heart...... tubes as concentric narrowing and widening of tubes of circular cross-section. We have visualized the cross-sectional deformations of contracting embryonic hearts in chick embryos (HH-stages 9-17) using real-time high-resolution optical coherence tomography. Cardiac contractions are detected from HH...... of the endocardial tube is the consequence of an uneven distribution of the cardiac jelly. Our data show that the cyclic deformations of pulsating embryonic heart tubes run other than originally thought. There is evidence that heart tubes of elliptic cross-section might pump blood with a higher mechanical efficiency...

Disostose espôndilo-costal associada a defeitos de fechamento do tubo neural Spondylocostal dysostosis associated with neural tube defects

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Rafael Fabiano M. Rosa

2009-09-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Salientar a relação dos defeitos de fechamento do tubo neural com a disostose espôndilo-costal (DEC por meio da descrição de três pacientes. DESCRIÇÃO DOS CASOS: Paciente 1: menina branca, 22 meses, nascida com mielomeningocele lombar. Na avaliação, apresentava hipotonia, baixa estatura, dolicocefalia, fendas palpebrais oblíquas para cima, pregas epicânticas e tronco curto com tórax assimétrico. A avaliação radiográfica revelou hemivértebras múltiplas, vértebras em borboleta e fusão e ausência de algumas costelas. Paciente 2: menina branca, 22 meses, com moderado atraso do desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor, baixa estatura, olhos profundos, pregas epicânticas, pescoço e tronco curtos com assimetria do tórax, abdome protruso, hemangioma plano na altura da transição lombossacra e fosseta sacral profunda no dorso. A avaliação radiográfica identificou hemivértebras, fusão incompleta de vértebras e vértebras em borboleta, malformações de costelas e espinha bífida oculta em L5/S1. Paciente 3: menina branca, 9 dias de vida, com fendas palpebrais oblíquas para cima, ponte nasal alargada, orelhas baixo implantadas e rotadas posteriormente, tronco curto, tórax assimétrico e meningocele tóraco-lombar. A avaliação radiográfica evidenciou hemivértebras, malformação e ausência de algumas costelas e agenesia diafragmática à esquerda. A tomografia computadorizada de encéfalo mostrou estenose de aqueduto. COMENTÁRIOS: Vários defeitos de fechamento do tubo neural, de espinha bífida oculta a grandes mielomeningoceles, são observados em pacientes com DEC, indicando que tais pacientes devem ser cuidadosamente avaliados quanto à possível presença desses defeitos.OBJECTIVE: To highlight the relationship between neural tube defects and spondylocostal dysostosis (SCD through the description of three patients. CASES DESCRIPTION: Patient 1: white girl, 22 months old, born with a lumbar meningomyelocele. At

Radioimmunoassay of alpha-foetoprotein in the eluate of dried blood. A method for antenatal screening of neural tube defects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Travert, G.; Herlicoviez, M.; Laroche, D.

1979-01-01

A radioimmunoassay for alpha-foetoprotein (AFP) in dried blood spots is reported. The main technical characteristics (reproducibility, sensitivity, recovery of exogenous AFP added and AFP stability in dried blood) are evaluated. They indicate that this method is feasible and well adapted to AFP measurement during pregnancy. AFP determination in maternal serum allows early detection of at least 80% of neural tube defects. The use of dried blood spots as samples for AFP assay makes our method a possible mass screening test for these malformations, which occur with an incidence of 12 for 10,000 [fr

High glucose-induced oxidative stress represses sirtuin deacetylase expression and increases histone acetylation leading to neural tube defects.

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Yu, Jingwen; Wu, Yanqing; Yang, Peixin

2016-05-01

Aberrant epigenetic modifications are implicated in maternal diabetes-induced neural tube defects (NTDs). Because cellular stress plays a causal role in diabetic embryopathy, we investigated the possible role of the stress-resistant sirtuin (SIRT) family histone deacetylases. Among the seven sirtuins (SIRT1-7), pre-gestational maternal diabetes in vivo or high glucose in vitro significantly reduced the expression of SIRT 2 and SIRT6 in the embryo or neural stem cells, respectively. The down-regulation of SIRT2 and SIRT6 was reversed by superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) over-expression in the in vivo mouse model of diabetic embryopathy and the SOD mimetic, tempol and cell permeable SOD, PEGSOD in neural stem cell cultures. 2,3-dimethoxy-1,4-naphthoquinone (DMNQ), a superoxide generating agent, mimicked high glucose-suppressed SIRT2 and SIRT6 expression. The acetylation of histone 3 at lysine residues 56 (H3K56), H3K14, H3K9, and H3K27, putative substrates of SIRT2 and SIRT6, was increased by maternal diabetes in vivo or high glucose in vitro, and these increases were blocked by SOD1 over-expression or tempol treatment. SIRT2 or SIRT6 over-expression abrogated high glucose-suppressed SIRT2 or SIRT6 expression, and prevented the increase in acetylation of their histone substrates. The potent sirtuin activator (SRT1720) blocked high glucose-increased histone acetylation and NTD formation, whereas the combination of a pharmacological SIRT2 inhibitor and a pan SIRT inhibitor mimicked the effect of high glucose on increased histone acetylation and NTD induction. Thus, diabetes in vivo or high glucose in vitro suppresses SIRT2 and SIRT6 expression through oxidative stress, and sirtuin down-regulation-induced histone acetylation may be involved in diabetes-induced NTDs. The mechanism underlying pre-gestational diabetes-induced neural tube defects (NTDs) is still elusive. Our study unravels a new epigenetic mechanism in which maternal diabetes-induced oxidative stress represses

Distinction between Neural and Vascular BOLD Oscillations and Intertwined Heart Rate Oscillations at 0.1 Hz in the Resting State and during Movement.

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Gert Pfurtscheller

Full Text Available In the resting state, blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD oscillations with a frequency of about 0.1 Hz are conspicuous. Whether their origin is neural or vascular is not yet fully understood. Furthermore, it is not clear whether these BOLD oscillations interact with slow oscillations in heart rate (HR. To address these two questions, we estimated phase-locking (PL values between precentral gyrus (PCG and insula in 25 scanner-naïve individuals during rest and stimulus-paced finger movements in both hemispheres. PL was quantified in terms of time delay and duration in the frequency band 0.07 to 0.13 Hz. Results revealed both positive and negative time delays. Positive time delays characterize neural BOLD oscillations leading in the PCG, whereas negative time delays represent vascular BOLD oscillations leading in the insula. About 50% of the participants revealed positive time delays distinctive for neural BOLD oscillations, either with short or long unilateral or bilateral phase-locking episodes. An expected preponderance of neural BOLD oscillations was found in the left hemisphere during right-handed movement and unexpectedly in the right hemisphere during rest. Only neural BOLD oscillations were significantly associated with heart rate variability (HRV in the 0.1-Hz range in the first resting state. It is well known that participating in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI studies may be frightening and cause anxiety. In this respect it is important to note that the most significant hemispheric asymmetry (p<0.002 with a right-sided dominance of neural BOLD and a left-sided dominance of vascular BOLD oscillations was found in the first resting session in the scanner-naïve individuals. Whether the enhanced left-sided perfusion (dominance of vascular BOLD or the right-sided dominance of neural BOLD is related to the increased level of anxiety, attention or stress needs further research.

Nutrition, One-Carbon Metabolism and Neural Tube Defects: A Review

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Kelei Li

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Neural tube defects (NTDs are a group of severe congenital malformations, induced by the combined effects of genes and the environment. The most valuable finding so far has been the protective effect of folic acid supplementation against NTDs. However, many women do not take folic acid supplements until they are pregnant, which is too late to prevent NTDs effectively. Long-term intake of folic acid–fortified food is a good choice to solve this problem, and mandatory folic acid fortification should be further promoted, especially in Europe, Asia and Africa. Vitamin B2, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, choline, betaine and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs can also reduce the NTD risk by interacting with the one-carbon metabolism pathway. This suggest that multivitamin B combined with choline, betaine and n-3 PUFAs supplementation may have a better protective effect against NTDs than folic acid alone. Genetic polymorphisms involved in one-carbon metabolism are associated with NTD risk, and gene screening for women of childbearing age prior to pregnancy may help prevent NTDs induced by the risk allele. In addition, the consumption of alcohol, tea and coffee, and low intakes of fruit and vegetable are also associated with the increased risk of NTDs, and should be avoided by women of childbearing age.

Genome-wide association mapping in dogs enables identification of the homeobox gene, NKX2-8, as a genetic component of neural tube defects in humans.

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Noa Safra

Full Text Available Neural tube defects (NTDs is a general term for central nervous system malformations secondary to a failure of closure or development of the neural tube. The resulting pathologies may involve the brain, spinal cord and/or vertebral column, in addition to associated structures such as soft tissue or skin. The condition is reported among the more common birth defects in humans, leading to significant infant morbidity and mortality. The etiology remains poorly understood but genetic, nutritional, environmental factors, or a combination of these, are known to play a role in the development of NTDs. The variable conditions associated with NTDs occur naturally in dogs, and have been previously reported in the Weimaraner breed. Taking advantage of the strong linkage-disequilibrium within dog breeds we performed genome-wide association analysis and mapped a genomic region for spinal dysraphism, a presumed NTD, using 4 affected and 96 unaffected Weimaraners. The associated region on canine chromosome 8 (pgenome  =3.0 × 10(-5, after 100,000 permutations, encodes 18 genes, including NKX2-8, a homeobox gene which is expressed in the developing neural tube. Sequencing NKX2-8 in affected Weimaraners revealed a G to AA frameshift mutation within exon 2 of the gene, resulting in a premature stop codon that is predicted to produce a truncated protein. The exons of NKX2-8 were sequenced in human patients with spina bifida and rare variants (rs61755040 and rs10135525 were found to be significantly over-represented (p=0.036. This is the first documentation of a potential role for NKX2-8 in the etiology of NTDs, made possible by investigating the molecular basis of naturally occurring mutations in dogs.

Opioid Use and Neural Tube Defects

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... of the Aorta D-Transposition of the Great Arteries Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Pulmonary Atresia Tetralogy of ... Privacy FOIA No Fear Act OIG 1600 Clifton Road Atlanta , GA 30329-4027 USA 800-CDC-INFO ( ...

Folic acid and pantothenic acid protection against valproic acid-induced neural tube defects in CD-1 mice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dawson, Jennifer E [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and School of Environmental Studies, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6 (Canada); Raymond, Angela M [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and School of Environmental Studies, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6 (Canada); Winn, Louise M [Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology and School of Environmental Studies, Queen' s University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6 (Canada)

2006-03-01

In utero exposure to valproic acid (VPA) during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). Although the mechanism by which VPA mediates these effects is unknown, VPA-initiated changes in embryonic protein levels have been implicated. The objectives of this study were to investigate the effect of in utero VPA exposure on embryonic protein levels of p53, NF-{kappa}B, Pim-1, c-Myb, Bax, and Bcl-2 in the CD-1 mouse. We also evaluated the protective effects of folic acid and pantothenic acid on VPA-induced NTDs and VPA-induced embryonic protein changes in this model. Pregnant CD-1 mice were administered a teratogenic dose of VPA prior to neural tube closure and embryonic protein levels were analyzed. In our study, VPA (400 mg/kg)-induced NTDs (24%) and VPA-exposed embryos with an NTD showed a 2-fold increase in p53, and 4-fold decreases in NF-{kappa}B, Pim-1, and c-Myb protein levels compared to their phenotypically normal littermates (P < 0.05). Additionally, VPA increased the ratio of embryonic Bax/Bcl-2 protein levels (P < 0.05). Pretreatment of pregnant dams with either folic acid or pantothenic acid prior to VPA significantly protected against VPA-induced NTDs (P < 0.05). Folic acid also reduced VPA-induced alterations in p53, NF-{kappa}B, Pim-1, c-Myb, and Bax/Bcl-2 protein levels, while pantothenic acid prevented VPA-induced alterations in NF-{kappa}B, Pim-1, and c-Myb. We hypothesize that folic acid and pantothenic acid protect CD-1 embryos from VPA-induced NTDs by independent, but not mutually exclusive mechanisms, both of which may be mediated by the prevention of VPA-induced alterations in proteins involved in neurulation.

HETEROGENEITY OF NEURAL-TUBE DEFECTS IN EUROPE - THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SITE OF DEFECT AND PRESENCE OF OTHER MAJOR ANOMALIES IN RELATION TO GEOGRAPHIC DIFFERENCES IN PREVALENCE

NARCIS (Netherlands)

DOLK, H; DEWALS, P; GILLEROT, Y; LECHAT, MF; AYME, S; CORNEL, M; CUSCHIERI, A; GARNE, E; GOUJARD, J; LAURENCE, KM; LILLIS, D; LYS, F; NEVIN, N; OWENS, J; RADIC, A; STOLL, C; STONE, D; TENKATE, L

1991-01-01

In the period 1980-1987, neural tube defects were two to three times more prevalent in populations covered by EUROCAT registries in the United Kingdom and Ireland (UKI) than in Continental Europe and Malta (CEM). 1864 NTD cases in a total population of 580,000 births in UKI and 455 cases in a

Ethanol-induced impairment of polyamine homeostasis – A potential cause of neural tube defect and intrauterine growth restriction in fetal alcohol syndrome

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haghighi Poodeh, Saeid; Alhonen, Leena; Salonurmi, Tuire; Savolainen, Markku J.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Polyamine pools in embryonic and extraembryonic tissues are developmentally regulated. • Alcohol administration perturbs polyamine levels in the tissues with various patterns. • Total absence of polyamines in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc is critical for development. • The deficiency is associated with reduction in endothelial cell sprouting in the head. • Retarded migration of neural crest cells may cause development of neural tube defect. - Abstract: Introduction: Polyamines play a fundamental role during embryogenesis by regulating cell growth and proliferation and by interacting with RNA, DNA and protein. The polyamine pools are regulated by metabolism and uptake from exogenous sources. The use of certain inhibitors of polyamine synthesis causes similar defects to those seen in alcohol exposure e.g. retarded embryo growth and endothelial cell sprouting. Methods: CD-1 mice received two intraperitoneal injections of 3 g/kg ethanol at 4 h intervals 8.75 days post coitum (dpc). The fetal head, trunk, yolk sac and placenta were collected at 9.5 and 12.5 dpc and polyamine concentrations were determined. Results: No measurable quantity of polyamines could be detected in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc, 12 h after ethanol exposure. Putrescine was not detectable in the trunk of the embryo at that time, whereas polyamines in yolk sac and placenta were at control level. Polyamine deficiency was associated with slow cell growth, reduction in endothelial cell sprouting, an altered pattern of blood vessel network formation and consequently retarded migration of neural crest cells and growth restriction. Discussion: Our results indicate that the polyamine pools in embryonic and extraembryonic tissues are developmentally regulated. Alcohol administration, at the critical stage, perturbs polyamine levels with various patterns, depending on the tissue and its developmental stage. The total absence of polyamines in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc may explain why this

Ethanol-induced impairment of polyamine homeostasis – A potential cause of neural tube defect and intrauterine growth restriction in fetal alcohol syndrome

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Haghighi Poodeh, Saeid, E-mail: saeid.haghighi@oulu.fi [Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu (Finland); Alhonen, Leena [Department of Biotechnology and Molecular Medicine, A.I. Virtanen Institute for Molecular Sciences, Kuopio (Finland); School of Pharmacy, Biocenter Kuopio, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio (Finland); Salonurmi, Tuire; Savolainen, Markku J. [Institute of Clinical Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, and Biocenter Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu (Finland); Medical Research Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu (Finland)

2014-03-28

Highlights: • Polyamine pools in embryonic and extraembryonic tissues are developmentally regulated. • Alcohol administration perturbs polyamine levels in the tissues with various patterns. • Total absence of polyamines in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc is critical for development. • The deficiency is associated with reduction in endothelial cell sprouting in the head. • Retarded migration of neural crest cells may cause development of neural tube defect. - Abstract: Introduction: Polyamines play a fundamental role during embryogenesis by regulating cell growth and proliferation and by interacting with RNA, DNA and protein. The polyamine pools are regulated by metabolism and uptake from exogenous sources. The use of certain inhibitors of polyamine synthesis causes similar defects to those seen in alcohol exposure e.g. retarded embryo growth and endothelial cell sprouting. Methods: CD-1 mice received two intraperitoneal injections of 3 g/kg ethanol at 4 h intervals 8.75 days post coitum (dpc). The fetal head, trunk, yolk sac and placenta were collected at 9.5 and 12.5 dpc and polyamine concentrations were determined. Results: No measurable quantity of polyamines could be detected in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc, 12 h after ethanol exposure. Putrescine was not detectable in the trunk of the embryo at that time, whereas polyamines in yolk sac and placenta were at control level. Polyamine deficiency was associated with slow cell growth, reduction in endothelial cell sprouting, an altered pattern of blood vessel network formation and consequently retarded migration of neural crest cells and growth restriction. Discussion: Our results indicate that the polyamine pools in embryonic and extraembryonic tissues are developmentally regulated. Alcohol administration, at the critical stage, perturbs polyamine levels with various patterns, depending on the tissue and its developmental stage. The total absence of polyamines in the embryo head at 9.5 dpc may explain why this

Mortalidad por defectos del tubo neural en México, 1980-1997 Mortality due to neural tube defects in Mexico, 1980-1997

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José A Ramírez-Espitia

2003-10-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Describir la mortalidad en México por defectos del tubo neural, durante el periodo 1980-1997. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Las tasas anuales de mortalidad estatales y nacionales, por defectos del tubo neural, se calcularon por 10 000 nacidos vivos. La tendencia temporal fue evaluada por el porcentaje de cambio anual obtenido mediante un modelo de regresión de Poisson. Se calculó la razón de mortalidad, tomando la media nacional como referencia. Las tasas y las razones se representaron gráficamente en mapas. RESULTADOS: Durante el periodo la tasa bruta de mortalidad por defectos del tubo neural fue de 5.8 por 10 000 nacidos vivos. La anencefalia fue el tipo de defecto más frecuente (37.7%, seguida de la espina bífida sin hidrocefalia (31.6%. La tendencia nacional de la mortalidad por defectos del tubo neural fue ascendente entre 1980 y 1990 (porcentaje de cambio anual 7.5 IC 95% 6.5, 8.6 y descendente entre 1990-1997 (porcentaje de cambio anual -2.3 IC 95% -3.6, -0.9. CONCLUSIONES: Las altas tasas de mortalidad por defectos del tubo neural fueron debidas principalmente a la elevada frecuencia de las anencefalias. El incremento observado parece no ser sólo atribuible a cuestiones puramente diagnósticas o de mejora en los registros. La influencia de factores asociados a estos defectos, como determinados polimorfismos genéticos, la deficiencia de ácido fólico, la obesidad materna, la exposición laboral a plaguicidas y la pobreza deberán evaluarse mediante estudios específicos.OBJECTIVE: To describe the mortality due to neural tube defects (NTD in Mexico for the 1980-1997 period. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The annual NTD mortality rates per 10000 liveborn infants were calculated by state and for the country. The time trend was evaluated with the annual percent change (APC obtained using a Poisson regression model. The NTD mortality ratio was calculated using the average national rate as reference. NTD mortality rates and ratios were

Modulation of nuclear factor-κB signaling and reduction of neural tube defects by quercetin-3-glucoside in embryos of diabetic mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Chengyu; Meng, Fantong; Reece, E Albert; Zhao, Zhiyong

2018-05-04

Diabetes mellitus in early pregnancy increases the risk of birth defects in infants. Maternal hyperglycemia stimulates the expression of nitric oxide (NO) synthase 2 (NOS2), which can be regulated by transcription factors of the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) family. Increases in reactive nitrogen species (RNS) generate intracellular stress conditions, including nitrosative, oxidative, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stresses, and trigger programmed cell death (or apoptosis) in the neural folds, resulting in neural tube defects (NTDs) in the embryo. Inhibiting NOS2 can reduce NTDs; however, the underlying mechanisms require further delineation. Targeting NOS2 and associated nitrosative stress using naturally occurring phytochemicals is a potential approach to preventing birth defects in diabetic pregnancies. This study aims to investigate the effect of quercetin-3-glucoside (Q3G), a polyphenol flavonoid found in fruit, in reducing maternal diabetes-induced NTDs in an animal model, and to delineate the molecular mechanisms underlying Q3G action in regulating NOS2 expression. Female mice (C57BL/6) were induced to develop diabetes using streptozotocin before pregnancy. Diabetic pregnant mice were administered Q3G (100 mg/kg) daily via gavage feeding, introduction of drug to the stomach directly via a feeding needle, during neurulation from embryonic (E) day 6.5 to E9.5. After treatment, E10.5 embryos were collected and examined for the presence of NTDs and apoptosis in the neural tube. Expression of Nos2 and superoxide dismutase 1 (Sod1; an antioxidative enzyme) was quantified using Western blot assay. Nitrosative, oxidative, and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress conditions were assessed using specific biomarkers. Expression and posttranslational modification of factors in the NF-κB system were investigated. Treatment with Q3G (suspended in water) significantly decreased NTD rate (24.7%) and apoptosis in the embryos of diabetic mice, compared with those in the water

Efeito da fortificação alimentar com ácido fólico na prevalência de defeitos do tubo neural Efecto de la fortificación alimentaria con ácido fólico en la prevalencia de defectos del tubo neural Effects of folic acid fortification on the prevalence of neural tube defects

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Sâmya Silva Pacheco

2009-08-01

defectos del cierre del tubo neural fueron definidos de acuerdo con el Códigos Internacional de Enfermedades- 10ª Revisión: anencefalia, encefalocele y espina bífida. Se compararon las prevalencias en los períodos anterior (2000 - 2004 y posterior (2005-2006 al período obligatorio de fortificación. Se analizó la tendencia temporal de las prevalencias trimestrales de defectos del cierre del tubo neural por las pruebas de Mann-Kendall y Sen's Slope. RESULTADOS: No se identificó tendencia de reducción en la ocurrencia del hecho (Teste de Mann-Kendall; p= 0,270; Sen's Slope = - 0,008 en el período estudiado. No hubo diferencia estadísticamente significativa entre las prevalencias de defectos de cierre del tubo neural en los períodos anterior y posterior a la fortificación de los alimentos con ácido fólico de acuerdo con las características maternas. CONCLUSIONES: A pesar de que no haya sido observada reducción de los defectos de cierre del tubo neural posterior al período obligatorio de fortificación de alimentos con ácido fólico, los resultados encontrados no permiten descartar el beneficio del mismo en la prevención de esta malformación. Son necesarios estudios evaluando mayor período y considerando el nivel de consumo de los productos fortificados por las mujeres en edad fértil.OBJECTIVE:To analyze the effect of folic acid-fortified foods on the prevalence of neural tube defects in live newborns. METHODS: Longitudinal study with newborns from the city of Recife, Northeastern Brazil, between 2000 and 2006. Data analyzed were obtained from the Sistema Nacional de Informações de Nascidos Vivos (National Information System on Live Births. Neural tube defects were defined in accordance with the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10: anencephaly, encephalocele, and spina bifida. Prevalences from the periods before (2000-2004 and after (2005-2006 the mandatory fortification period were compared. Time trend of three

The Neural Border: Induction, Specification and Maturation of the territory that generates Neural Crest cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Pla, Patrick; Monsoro-Burq, Anne H

2018-05-28

The neural crest is induced at the edge between the neural plate and the nonneural ectoderm, in an area called the neural (plate) border, during gastrulation and neurulation. In recent years, many studies have explored how this domain is patterned, and how the neural crest is induced within this territory, that also participates to the prospective dorsal neural tube, the dorsalmost nonneural ectoderm, as well as placode derivatives in the anterior area. This review highlights the tissue interactions, the cell-cell signaling and the molecular mechanisms involved in this dynamic spatiotemporal patterning, resulting in the induction of the premigratory neural crest. Collectively, these studies allow building a complex neural border and early neural crest gene regulatory network, mostly composed by transcriptional regulations but also, more recently, including novel signaling interactions. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

High salt-induced excess reactive oxygen species production resulted in heart tube malformation during gastrulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Lin-Rui; Wang, Guang; Zhang, Jing; Li, Shuai; Chuai, Manli; Bao, Yongping; Hocher, Berthold; Yang, Xuesong

2018-09-01

An association has been proved between high salt consumption and cardiovascular mortality. In vertebrates, the heart is the first functional organ to be formed. However, it is not clear whether high-salt exposure has an adverse impact on cardiogenesis. Here we report high-salt exposure inhibited basement membrane breakdown by affecting RhoA, thus disturbing the expression of Slug/E-cadherin/N-cadherin/Laminin and interfering with mesoderm formation during the epithelial-mesenchymal transition(EMT). Furthermore, the DiI + cell migration trajectory in vivo and scratch wound assays in vitro indicated that high-salt exposure restricted cell migration of cardiac progenitors, which was caused by the weaker cytoskeleton structure and unaltered corresponding adhesion junctions at HH7. Besides, down-regulation of GATA4/5/6, Nkx2.5, TBX5, and Mef2c and up-regulation of Wnt3a/β-catenin caused aberrant cardiomyocyte differentiation at HH7 and HH10. High-salt exposure also inhibited cell proliferation and promoted apoptosis. Most importantly, our study revealed that excessive reactive oxygen species(ROS)generated by high salt disturbed the expression of cardiac-related genes, detrimentally affecting the above process including EMT, cell migration, differentiation, cell proliferation and apoptosis, which is the major cause of malformation of heart tubes. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Neural tube defects in the Republic of Ireland in 2009-11.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

McDonnell, R

2014-03-18

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are associated with deficient maternal folic acid peri-conceptionally. In Ireland, there is no mandatory folic acid food fortification, partly due to declining NTD rates in recent years. The aim of this study was to ascertain the incident rate of NTD during the period 2009-11 and describe epidemiologically NTD in Ireland.METHODSCases were ascertained through multiple sources, including three regional congenital anomaly registers, all maternity hospitals nationally and paediatric hospitals providing care for children with spina bifida in the Republic of Ireland during the period 2009-11.RESULTSFrom 225 998 total births, 236 NTDs were identified, giving an incidence of 1.04\\/1 000 births, increasing from 0.92\\/1 000 in 2009 to 1.17\\/1 000 in 2011. Of all cases, 45% (n = 106) had anencephaly, 49% (n = 115) had spina bifida and 6% (n = 15) had an encephalocoele; 78% (n = 184) were liveborn or stillborn and 22% (n = 52) were terminations abroad. Peri-conceptional folic acid supplement intake was 13.7% among the 52.5% (n = 124) of cases whose folic acid supplement intake was known.CONCLUSIONThe incidence of NTDs in the Republic of Ireland appears to be increasing. Renewed public health interventions, including mandatory folic acid food fortification, must be considered to reduce the incidence of NTD.

Neural crest contributions to the lamprey head

Science.gov (United States)

McCauley, David W.; Bronner-Fraser, Marianne

2003-01-01

The neural crest is a vertebrate-specific cell population that contributes to the facial skeleton and other derivatives. We have performed focal DiI injection into the cranial neural tube of the developing lamprey in order to follow the migratory pathways of discrete groups of cells from origin to destination and to compare neural crest migratory pathways in a basal vertebrate to those of gnathostomes. The results show that the general pathways of cranial neural crest migration are conserved throughout the vertebrates, with cells migrating in streams analogous to the mandibular and hyoid streams. Caudal branchial neural crest cells migrate ventrally as a sheet of cells from the hindbrain and super-pharyngeal region of the neural tube and form a cylinder surrounding a core of mesoderm in each pharyngeal arch, similar to that seen in zebrafish and axolotl. In addition to these similarities, we also uncovered important differences. Migration into the presumptive caudal branchial arches of the lamprey involves both rostral and caudal movements of neural crest cells that have not been described in gnathostomes, suggesting that barriers that constrain rostrocaudal movement of cranial neural crest cells may have arisen after the agnathan/gnathostome split. Accordingly, neural crest cells from a single axial level contributed to multiple arches and there was extensive mixing between populations. There was no apparent filling of neural crest derivatives in a ventral-to-dorsal order, as has been observed in higher vertebrates, nor did we find evidence of a neural crest contribution to cranial sensory ganglia. These results suggest that migratory constraints and additional neural crest derivatives arose later in gnathostome evolution.

Eddy Current Flaw Characterization Using Neural Networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song, S. J.; Park, H. J.; Shin, Y. K.

1998-01-01

Determination of location, shape and size of a flaw from its eddy current testing signal is one of the fundamental issues in eddy current nondestructive evaluation of steam generator tubes. Here, we propose an approach to this problem; an inversion of eddy current flaw signal using neural networks trained by finite element model-based synthetic signatures. Total 216 eddy current signals from four different types of axisymmetric flaws in tubes are generated by finite element models of which the accuracy is experimentally validated. From each simulated signature, total 24 eddy current features are extracted and among them 13 features are finally selected for flaw characterization. Based on these features, probabilistic neural networks discriminate flaws into four different types according to the location and the shape, and successively back propagation neural networks determine the size parameters of the discriminated flaw

3D silicon neural probe with integrated optical fibers for optogenetic modulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Eric G R; Tu, Hongen; Luo, Hao; Liu, Bin; Bao, Shaowen; Zhang, Jinsheng; Xu, Yong

2015-07-21

Optogenetics is a powerful modality for neural modulation that can be useful for a wide array of biomedical studies. Penetrating microelectrode arrays provide a means of recording neural signals with high spatial resolution. It is highly desirable to integrate optics with neural probes to allow for functional study of neural tissue by optogenetics. In this paper, we report the development of a novel 3D neural probe coupled simply and robustly to optical fibers using a hollow parylene tube structure. The device shanks are hollow tubes with rigid silicon tips, allowing the insertion and encasement of optical fibers within the shanks. The position of the fiber tip can be precisely controlled relative to the electrodes on the shank by inherent design features. Preliminary in vivo rat studies indicate that these devices are capable of optogenetic modulation simultaneously with 3D neural signal recording.

U-tube steam generator empirical model development and validation using neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parlos, A.G.; Chong, K.T.; Atiya, A.

1992-01-01

Empirical modeling techniques that use model structures motivated from neural networks research have proven effective in identifying complex process dynamics. A recurrent multilayer perception (RMLP) network was developed as a nonlinear state-space model structure along with a static learning algorithm for estimating the parameter associated with it. The methods developed were demonstrated by identifying two submodels of a U-tube steam generator (UTSG), each valid around an operating power level. A significant drawback of this approach is the long off-line training times required for the development of even a simplified model of a UTSG. Subsequently, a dynamic gradient descent-based learning algorithm was developed as an accelerated alternative to train an RMLP network for use in empirical modeling of power plants. The two main advantages of this learning algorithm are its ability to consider past error gradient information for future use and the two forward passes associated with its implementation. The enhanced learning capabilities provided by the dynamic gradient descent-based learning algorithm were demonstrated via the case study of a simple steam boiler power plant. In this paper, the dynamic gradient descent-based learning algorithm is used for the development and validation of a complete UTSG empirical model

Depicting mass flow rate of R134a /LPG refrigerant through straight and helical coiled adiabatic capillary tubes of vapor compression refrigeration system using artificial neural network approach

Science.gov (United States)

Gill, Jatinder; Singh, Jagdev

2018-07-01

In this work, an experimental investigation is carried out with R134a and LPG refrigerant mixture for depicting mass flow rate through straight and helical coil adiabatic capillary tubes in a vapor compression refrigeration system. Various experiments were conducted under steady-state conditions, by changing capillary tube length, inner diameter, coil diameter and degree of subcooling. The results showed that mass flow rate through helical coil capillary tube was found lower than straight capillary tube by about 5-16%. Dimensionless correlation and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) models were developed to predict mass flow rate. It was found that dimensionless correlation and ANN model predictions agreed well with experimental results and brought out an absolute fraction of variance of 0.961 and 0.988, root mean square error of 0.489 and 0.275 and mean absolute percentage error of 4.75% and 2.31% respectively. The results suggested that ANN model shows better statistical prediction than dimensionless correlation model.

Cognitive influences on self-care decision making in persons with heart failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Dickson, Victoria V; Tkacs, Nancy; Riegel, Barbara

2007-09-01

Despite advances in management, heart failure is associated with high rates of hospitalization, poor quality of life, and early death. Education intended to improve patients' abilities to care for themselves is an integral component of disease management programs. True self-care requires that patients make decisions about symptoms, but the cognitive deficits documented in 30% to 50% of the heart failure population may make daily decision making challenging. After describing heart failure self-care as a naturalistic decision making process, we explore cognitive deficits known to exist in persons with heart failure. Problems in heart failure self-care are analyzed in relation to neural alterations associated with heart failure. As a neural process, decision making has been traced to regions of the prefrontal cortex, the same areas that are affected by ischemia, infarction, and hypoxemia in heart failure. Resulting deficits in memory, attention, and executive function may impair the perception and interpretation of early symptoms and reasoning and, thereby, delay early treatment implementation. There is compelling evidence that the neural processes critical to decision making are located in the same structures that are affected by heart failure. Because self-care requires the cognitive ability to learn, perceive, interpret, and respond, research is needed to discern how neural deficits affects these abilities, decision-making, and self-care behaviors.

Risk factors, organ weight deviation and associated anomalies in neural tube defects: A prospective fetal and perinatal autopsy series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asaranti Kar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Neural tube defects (NTD are a group of serious birth defects occurring due to defective closure of neural tube during embryonic development. It comprises of anencephaly, encephalocele and spina bifida. We conducted this prospective fetal autopsy series to study the rate and distribution of NTD, analyze the reproductive factors and risk factors, note any associated anomalies and evaluate the organ weights and their deviation from normal. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective study done over a period of 6 years from August, 2007 to July, 2013. All cases of NTDs delivered as abortion, still born and live born were included. The reproductive and risk factors like age, parity, multiple births, previous miscarriage, obesity, diabetes mellitus, socioeconomic status and use of folic acid during pregnancy were collected.Autopsy was performed according to Virchow′s technique. Detail external and internal examination were carried out to detect any associated anomalies. Gross and microscopic examination of organs were done. Results: Out of 210 cases of fetal and perinatal autopsy done, 72 (34.28% had NTD constituting 49 cases of anencephaly, 16 spina bifida and 7 cases of encephalocele. The mothers in these cases predominantly were within 25-29 years (P = 0.02 and primy (P = 0.01. Female sex was more commonly affected than males (M:F = 25:47, P = 0.0005 There was no history of folate use in majority of cases. Organ weight deviations were >2 standard deviation low in most of the cases. Most common associated anomalies were adrenal hypoplasia and thymic hyperplasia. Conclusion: The authors have made an attempt to study NTD cases in respect to maternal reproductive and risk factors and their association with NTD along with the organ weight deviation and associated anomalies. This so far in our knowledge is an innovative study which was not found in literature even after extensive search.

Protein interactions at the heart of cardiac chamber formation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boogerd, Cornelis J. J.; Moorman, Antoon F. M.; Barnett, Phil

2009-01-01

The vertebrate heart is a muscular pump that contracts in a rhythmic fashion to propel the blood through the body. During evolution, the morphologically complex four-chambered heart of birds and mammals has evolved from a single-layered tube with peristaltic contractility. The heart of Drosophila,

Influence of trigger type, tube voltage and heart rate on calcified plaque imaging in dual source cardiac computed tomography: phantom study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Penzkofer, Tobias; Donandt, Eva; Isfort, Peter; Allmendinger, Thomas; Kuhl, Christiane K; Mahnken, Andreas H; Bruners, Philipp

2014-01-01

To investigate the impact of high pitch cardiac CT vs. retrospective ECG gated CT on the quantification of calcified vessel stenoses, with assessment of the influence of tube voltage, reconstruction kernel and heart rate. A 4D cardiac movement phantom equipped with three different plaque phantoms (12.5%, 25% and 50% stenosis at different calcification levels), was scanned with a 128-row dual source CT scanner, applying different trigger types (gated vs. prospectively triggered high pitch), tube voltages (100-120 kV) and heart rates (50–90 beats per minute, bpm). Images were reconstructed using different standard (B26f, B46f, B70f) and iterative (I26f, I70f) convolution kernels. Absolute and relative plaque sizes were measured and statistically compared. Radiation dose associated with the different methods (gated vs. high pitch, 100 kV vs. 120 kV) were compared. Compared to the known diameters of the phantom plaques and vessels both CT-examination techniques overestimated the degrees of stenoses. Using the high pitch CT-protocol plaques appeared larger (0.09 ± 0.31 mm, 2 ± 8 percent points, PP) in comparison to the ECG-gated CT-scans. Reducing tube voltage had a similar effect, resulting in higher grading of the same stenoses by 3 ± 8 PP. In turn, sharper convolution kernels lead to a lower grading of stenoses (differences of up to 5%). Pairwise comparison of B26f and I26f, B46f and B70f, and B70f and I70f showed differences of 0–1 ± 6–8 PP of the plaque depiction. Motion artifacts were present only at 90 bpm high pitch experiments. High-pitch protocols were associated with significantly lower radiation doses compared with the ECG-gated protocols (258.0 mGy vs. 2829.8 mGy CTDI vol , p ≤ 0.0001). Prospectively triggered high-pitch cardiac CT led to an overestimation of plaque diameter and degree of stenoses in a coronary phantom. This overestimation is only slight and probably negligible in a clinical situation. Even at higher heart rates high pitch CT

Changes in cholinergic parameters associated with failure of conotruncal septation in embryonic chick hearts after neural crest ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirby, M.L.; Aronstam, R.S.; Buccafusco, J.J.

1985-01-01

Cells from the neural crest over occipital somites migrate to the heart, where they give rise to parasympathetic postganglionic neurons as well as ectomesenchymal elements which contribute to conotruncal septation. With a microcautery needle, the neural crest over occipital somites was ablated bilaterally in chicken embryos at an early stage of development. Histological examination on incubation day 15 revealed conotruncal malformations, involving malformation or absence of the conotruncal septum in all embryos. Two peaks of embryo mortality were observed. One peak (incubation days 6-8) occurred at the same time as conotruncal septal closure; the second peak (incubation days 11-13) was concurrent with the onset of functional parasympathetic innervation. A disruption of parasympathetic innervation was indicated by: (1) a decrease in acetylcholinesterase staining, (2) a decrease (27%) in the number of ganglion cells in the conotruncus, (3) decreases in the acetylcholine content of atrium (31%) and ventricle (39%), and (4) a decrease (21%) in muscarinic acetylcholine receptor density on incubation day 15. Radiolabeled ligand-binding studies revealed no change in the affinity of cardiac muscarinic receptors for [ 3 H]methylscopolamine (K/sub D/ . 0.17-0.21 nM). Agonist-binding affinity and sensitivity to guanine nucleotides were similarly unaffected. The reasons for the limited extent of the parasympathetic lesion are unclear, but may involve recruitment of precursor cells from other regions of the neural crest, partial regeneration of the neural crest following surgical removal, or an alteration in the contribution of incoming sympathetic or preganglionic parasympathetic elements. No such plasticity was associated with neural crest contributions to the structural development of the conotruncus. Malformations were observed in all lesioned embryos

Mediterranean diet, folic acid, and neural tube defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Fischer, Maximilian; Stronati, Mauro; Lanari, Marcello

2017-08-17

The Mediterranean diet has been for a very long time the basis of food habits all over the countries of the Mediterranean basin, originally founded on rural models and low consumption of meat products and high-fat/high-processed foods. However, in the modern era, the traditional Mediterranean diet pattern is now progressively eroding due to the widespread dissemination of the Western-type economy, life-style, technology-driven culture, as well as the globalisation of food production, availability and consumption, with consequent homogenisation of food culture and behaviours. This transition process may affect many situations, including pregnancy and offspring's health. The problem of the diet during pregnancy and the proper intake of nutrients are nowadays a very current topic, arousing much debate. The Mediterranean dietary pattern, in particular, has been associated with the highest risk reduction of major congenital anomalies, like the heterogeneous class of neural tube defects (NTDs). NTDs constitute a major health burden (0.5-2/1000 pregnancies worldwide) and still remain a preventable cause of still birth, neonatal and infant death, or significant lifelong disabilities. Many studies support the finding that appropriate folate levels during pregnancy may confer protection against these diseases. In 1991 one randomised controlled trial (RCT) demonstrated for the first time that periconceptional supplementation of folic acid is able to prevent the recurrence of NTDs, finding confirmed by many other subsequent studies. Anyway, the high rate of unplanned/unintended pregnancies and births and other issues hindering the achievement of adequate folate levels in women in childbearing age, induced the US government and many other countries to institute mandatory food fortification with folic acid. The actual strategy adopted by European Countries (including Italy) suggests that women take 0,4 mg folic acid/die before conception. The main question is which intervention

X-ray examination equipment for heart diagnostics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kok, P.W.

1979-01-01

For heart catheterization the X-ray tube and the image intensifier can be shifted parallel to the scanning plane. Without moving the patient it is also possible to displace the system X-ray tube/image intensifier arbitrarily in space, while keeping up the direction of the X-ray beam. (RW) [de

Evolution and development of the building plan of the vertebrate heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Jensen, Bjarke; Wang, Tobias; Christoffels, Vincent M; Moorman, Antoon F M

2013-04-01

Early cardiac development involves the formation of a heart tube, looping of the tube and formation of chambers. These processes are highly similar among all vertebrates, which suggest the existence of evolutionary conservation of the building plan of the heart. From the jawless lampreys to man, T-box transcription factors like Tbx5 and Tbx20 are fundamental for heart formation, whereas Tbx2 and Tbx3 repress chamber formation on the sinu-atrial and atrioventricular borders. Also, electrocardiograms from different vertebrates are alike, even though the fish heart only has two chambers whereas the mammalian heart has four chambers divided by septa and in addition has much higher heart rates. We conclude that most features of the high-performance hearts of mammals and birds can be traced back to less developed traits in the hearts of ectothermic vertebrates. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cardiomyocyte biology: Cardiac pathways of differentiation, metabolism and contraction. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A Robust Single Primate Neuroepithelial Cell Clonal Expansion System for Neural Tube Development and Disease Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoqing Zhu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Developing a model of primate neural tube (NT development is important to promote many NT disorder studies in model organisms. Here, we report a robust and stable system to allow for clonal expansion of single monkey neuroepithelial stem cells (NESCs to develop into miniature NT-like structures. Single NESCs can produce functional neurons in vitro, survive, and extensively regenerate neuron axons in monkey brain. NT formation and NESC maintenance depend on high metabolism activity and Wnt signaling. NESCs are regionally restricted to a telencephalic fate. Moreover, single NESCs can turn into radial glial progenitors (RGPCs. The transition is accurately regulated by Wnt signaling through regulation of Notch signaling and adhesion molecules. Finally, using the “NESC-TO-NTs” system, we model the functions of folic acid (FA on NT closure and demonstrate that FA can regulate multiple mechanisms to prevent NT defects. Our system is ideal for studying NT development and diseases.

Development of teeth in chick embryos after mouse neural crest transplantations

OpenAIRE

Mitsiadis, Thimios A.; Chéraud, Yvonnick; Sharpe, Paul; Fontaine-Pérus, Josiane

2003-01-01

Teeth were lost in birds 70–80 million years ago. Current thinking holds that it is the avian cranial neural crest-derived mesenchyme that has lost odontogenic capacity, whereas the oral epithelium retains the signaling properties required to induce odontogenesis. To investigate the odontogenic capacity of ectomesenchyme, we have used neural tube transplantations from mice to chick embryos to replace the chick neural crest cell populations with mouse neural crest cells. The mouse/chick ...

Generating and evaluating a ranked candidate gene list for potential vertebrate heart field regulators

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. Musso

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The vertebrate heart develops from two distinct lineages of cardiomyocytes that arise from the first and second heart fields (FHF and SHF, respectively. The FHF forms the primitive heart tube, while adding cells from the SHF allows elongation at both poles of the tube. Initially seen as an exclusive characteristic of higher vertebrates, recent work has demonstrated the presence of a distinct FHF and SHF in lower vertebrates, including zebrafish. We found that key transcription factors that regulate septation and chamber formation in higher vertebrates, including Tbx5 and Pitx2, influence relative FHF and SHF contributions to the zebrafish heart tube. To identify molecular modulators of heart field migration, we used microarray-based expression profiling following inhibition of tbx5a and pitx2ab in embryonic zebrafish (Mosimann & Panakova, et al, 2015; GSE70750. Here, we describe in more detail the procedure used to process, prioritize, and analyze the expression data for functional enrichment.

Shape optimization of draft tubes for Agnew microhydro turbines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shojaeefard, Mohammad Hasan; Mirzaei, Ammar; Babaei, Ali

2014-01-01

Highlights: • The draft tube of Agnew microhydro turbine was optimized. • Pareto optimal solutions were determined by neural networks and NSGA-II algorithm. • The pressure recovery factor increases with height and angle over design ranges. • The loss coefficient reaches the minimum values at angles about 2 o . • Swirl of the incoming flow has great influence on the optimization results. - Abstract: In this study, the shape optimization of draft tubes utilized in Agnew type microhydro turbines has been discussed. The design parameters of the draft tube such as the cone angle and the height above the tailrace are considered in defining an optimization problem whose goal is to maximize the pressure recovery factor and minimize the energy loss coefficient of flow. The design space is determined by considering the experimental constraints and parameterized by the method of face-centered uniform ascertain distribution. The numerical simulations are performed using the boundary conditions found from laboratory tests and the obtained results are analyzed to create and validate a feed-forward neural network model, which is implemented as a surrogate model. The optimal Pareto solutions are finally determined using the NSGA-II evolutionary algorithm and compared for different inlet conditions. The results predict that the high swirl of the incoming flow drastically reduces the performance of the draft tube

Dosagem de folatos maternos e fetais, séricos e eritrocitários em malformações por defeito de fechamento do tubo neural no feto Maternal and fetal serum and red blood cell folate levels in pregnancies complicated by neural tube defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Bunduki

1998-07-01

Full Text Available Objetivos: avaliar os níveis de folatos maternos e fetais gestações com malformações por defeitos de fechamento do tubo neural (DFTN. Métodos: o estudo foi do tipo caso-controle, no qual 14 casos de fetos com DFTN (grupo estudo e 14 casos de fetos com outras malformações (grupo controle foram estudados em gestantes de baixo risco para DFTN. Propusemo-nos a dosar o ácido fólico, na sua forma total e metilada, nos compartimentos fetal e materno, utilizando dosagens séricas e tissulares (eritrocitárias, assim como o volume corpuscular médio, o hematócrito e a hemoglobina. As coletas foram realizadas imediatamente antes da interrupção da gestação. Os resultados nos dois grupos foram comparados pelo teste t de Student, método de amostras pareados pela idade gestacional. Resultados: não se encontrou diferença nas taxas de folatos fetais e nos parâmetros hematológicos dos fetos, entre os dois grupos. Por outro lado, taxas anormalmente baixas de folatos foram encontradas nos eritrócitos das mães portadoras de fetos com DFTN, tanto para as formas totais(293,9 ng/mL contra 399,1 ng/mL no grupo controle, p=0,01 quanto para as formas metiladas (201,9 ng/mL contra 314,0 ng/mL para o grupo controle, p=0,02. Os folatos séricos maternos não se mostraram diferentes nos grupos estudo e controle. Conclusão: este estudo demonstrou que há uma menor taxa de folatos intratissulares, nas mães de fetos acometidos por DFTN, porém com taxas de folatos séricos semelhantes em relação ao grupo controle.Objective: to analyze maternal and fetal folate status in cases of neural tube defects (NTD. Methods: a case-control study was designed with 14 cases of fetuses with neural tube defects (study group and 14 cases of fetuses with other unrelated malformations (control group gestational age matched, in low-risk pregnant women. Both total and methylated folic acid levels in fetal and maternal compartments using serum and tissular (red blood cells

Incidence of neural tube defects in the natural radiation coastal areas of Kerala

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jaikrishan, G.; Sudheer, K.R.; Andrews, V.J.; Koya, P.K.M.; Cheriyan, V.D.; Seshadri, M.

2010-01-01

All consecutive births in selected government hospitals in and around the high level natural background radiation areas (HLNRA) of Kerala were monitored for congenital malformations observable at birth since 1995. The HLNR area, a coastal strip of land about 55 km in length and 0.5 km in breadth from Purakkad in the north in Alleppey district to Sakthikulangara in the south of Quilon district, stands out among the most prominent background radiation areas of the world. Natural deposit of monazite sand, containing Thorium (8-10%), Uranium (0.3%) and corresponding decay products, is the source of elevated background radiation, ranging from < 1 to 45 mGy/year. Wide variation in dose, due to the patchy and non-uniform distribution of Monazite sand, enables in built controls. High population density, limited migration, ethnic diversity, good literacy, health awareness, institutionalized births and acceptance of small family norm are some of the key features of the population. Areas with a mean radiation dose of more than 1.5 mGy/year were treated as HLNR areas and areas with a dose level of 1.5 mGy/year or less were treated as normal level radiation (NLNR) areas. The study carried out since 1995 does not seem to implicate HLNR in the incidence of neural tube defects among newborns

Application of artificial neural network for medical image recognition and diagnostic decision making

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asada, N.; Eiho, S.; Doi, K.; MacMahon, H.; Montner, S.M.; Giger, M.L.

1989-01-01

An artificial neural network has been applied for pattern recognition and used as a tool in an expert system. The purpose of this study is to examine the potential usefulness of the neural network approach in medical applications for image recognition and decision making. The authors designed multilayer feedforward neural networks with a back-propagation algorithm for our study. Using first-pass radionuclide ventriculograms, we attempted to identify the right and left ventricles of the heart and the lungs by training the neural network from patterns of time-activity curves. In a preliminary study, the neural network enabled identification of the lungs and heart chambers once the network was trained sufficiently by means of repeated entries of data from the same case

Alteration of gene expression by alcohol exposure at early neurulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Feng C; Zhao, Qianqian; Liu, Yunlong; Goodlett, Charles R; Liang, Tiebing; McClintick, Jeanette N; Edenberg, Howard J; Li, Lang

2011-02-21

We have previously demonstrated that alcohol exposure at early neurulation induces growth retardation, neural tube abnormalities, and alteration of DNA methylation. To explore the global gene expression changes which may underline these developmental defects, microarray analyses were performed in a whole embryo mouse culture model that allows control over alcohol and embryonic variables. Alcohol caused teratogenesis in brain, heart, forelimb, and optic vesicle; a subset of the embryos also showed cranial neural tube defects. In microarray analysis (accession number GSM9545), adopting hypothesis-driven Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) informatics and intersection analysis of two independent experiments, we found that there was a collective reduction in expression of neural specification genes (neurogenin, Sox5, Bhlhe22), neural growth factor genes [Igf1, Efemp1, Klf10 (Tieg), and Edil3], and alteration of genes involved in cell growth, apoptosis, histone variants, eye and heart development. There was also a reduction of retinol binding protein 1 (Rbp1), and de novo expression of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1B1 (Aldh1B1). Remarkably, four key hematopoiesis genes (glycophorin A, adducin 2, beta-2 microglobulin, and ceruloplasmin) were absent after alcohol treatment, and histone variant genes were reduced. The down-regulation of the neurospecification and the neurotrophic genes were further confirmed by quantitative RT-PCR. Furthermore, the gene expression profile demonstrated distinct subgroups which corresponded with two distinct alcohol-related neural tube phenotypes: an open (ALC-NTO) and a closed neural tube (ALC-NTC). Further, the epidermal growth factor signaling pathway and histone variants were specifically altered in ALC-NTO, and a greater number of neurotrophic/growth factor genes were down-regulated in the ALC-NTO than in the ALC-NTC embryos. This study revealed a set of genes vulnerable to alcohol exposure and genes that were associated with neural tube

Application of positron emission tomography in the heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1988-01-01

This report discusses experimental and clinical applications of positron emission tomography to the heart, including measurements of blood flow to the myocardium and studies of metabolism and experimental injury. Most initial clinical studies have concentrated on ischemic heart disease, but the technique also has potential for investigation of cardiomyopathies, studying the neural control of the heart, and evaluating the effects of drugs on cardiac tissues

Inositol- and folate-resistant neural tube defects in mice lacking the epithelial-specific factor Grhl-3.

Science.gov (United States)

Ting, Stephen B; Wilanowski, Tomasz; Auden, Alana; Hall, Mark; Voss, Anne K; Thomas, Tim; Parekh, Vishwas; Cunningham, John M; Jane, Stephen M

2003-12-01

The neural tube defects (NTDs) spina bifida and anencephaly are widely prevalent severe birth defects. The mouse mutant curly tail (ct/ct) has served as a model of NTDs for 50 years, even though the responsible genetic defect remained unrecognized. Here we show by gene targeting, mapping and genetic complementation studies that a mouse homolog of the Drosophila grainyhead (grh) gene, grainyhead-like-3 (Grhl3), is a compelling candidate for the gene underlying the curly tail phenotype. The NTDs in Grhl3-null mice are more severe than those in the curly tail strain, as the Grhl3 alleles in ct/ct mice are hypomorphic. Spina bifida in ct/ct mice is folate resistant, but its incidence can be markedly reduced by maternal inositol supplementation periconceptually. The NTDs in Grhl3-/- embryos are also folate resistant, but unlike those in ct/ct mice, they are resistant to inositol. These findings suggest that residual Grhl3 expression in ct/ct mice may be required for inositol rescue of folate-resistant NTDs.

Predicting diametral creep of the pressure tubes in CANDU reactors using fuzzy neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Jae Yong; Na, Man Gyun; Park, Jong Ho

2011-01-01

Pressure tube (PT) creep is one of the principal aging mechanisms governing the heat transfer and hydraulic degradation of the heat transport system (HTS) in Canada deuterium uranium reactors. PT diametral creep affects the thermal hydraulic characteristics of coolant channels and the critical heat flux (CHF). CHF is a key parameter in determining the critical channel power, which is used in the trip setpoint calculations of regional overpower protection systems. This paper aims to predict PT diametral creep using the measured signals of the HTS by applying fuzzy neural networks (FNNs) according to operating conditions. The FNN model was optimized in terms of its fuzzy rules and parameters by a genetic algorithm combined with the least-squares method. Informative data that demonstrate the system's characteristic behavior were selected to train the FNN model using the subtractive clustering method. The proposed FNN model for predicting PT diametral creep was verified using the operating data of the Wolsong Unit 1 nuclear power plant in Korea. It was known that the FNN could predict the PT diametral creep accurately. Statistical and analytical uncertainty analysis methods were applied to the models and their uncertainties were evaluated using 60 sampled training and optimization data sets, as well as two fixed test data sets. (author)

Management of abnormal serum markers in the absence of aneuploidy or neural tube defects

Science.gov (United States)

Schnettler, William T.; Hacker, Michele R.; Barber, Rachel E.; Rana, Sarosh

2013-01-01

Objective Few guidelines address the management of pregnancies complicated by abnormal maternal serum analytes (MSAs) in the absence of aneuploidy or neural tube defects (NTDs). Our objective was to gather preliminary data regarding current opinions and management strategies among perinatologists in the US. Methods This survey of Maternal Fetal Medicine (MFM) physicians and fellows used a secure electronic web-based data capture tool. Results A total of 545 potential participants were contacted, and 136 (25%) responded. The majority were experienced academic physicians with robust practices. Nearly all (97.7%) respondents reported a belief in an association between abnormal MSAs and adverse pregnancy outcomes other than aneuploidy or NTDs. Plasma protein A (PAPP-A) and α-fetoprotein (AFP) were most often chosen as markers demonstrating a strong association with adverse outcomes. Most (86.9%) respondents acknowledged that abnormal MSAs influenced their counseling approach, and the majority (80.1%) offered additional ultrasound examinations. Nearly half started at 28 weeks and almost one-third at 32 weeks. Respondents acknowledging a relevant protocol in their hospital or practice were more likely to offer additional antenatal testing (p = 0.01). Conclusions Although most perinatologists were in agreement regarding the association of MSAs with adverse pregnancy outcomes, a lack of consensus exists regarding management strategies. PMID:22372385

Amphioxus and lamprey AP-2 genes: implications for neural crest evolution and migration patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Meulemans, Daniel; Bronner-Fraser, Marianne

2002-01-01

The neural crest is a uniquely vertebrate cell type present in the most basal vertebrates, but not in cephalochordates. We have studied differences in regulation of the neural crest marker AP-2 across two evolutionary transitions: invertebrate to vertebrate, and agnathan to gnathostome. Isolation and comparison of amphioxus, lamprey and axolotl AP-2 reveals its extensive expansion in the vertebrate dorsal neural tube and pharyngeal arches, implying co-option of AP-2 genes by neural crest cells early in vertebrate evolution. Expression in non-neural ectoderm is a conserved feature in amphioxus and vertebrates, suggesting an ancient role for AP-2 genes in this tissue. There is also common expression in subsets of ventrolateral neurons in the anterior neural tube, consistent with a primitive role in brain development. Comparison of AP-2 expression in axolotl and lamprey suggests an elaboration of cranial neural crest patterning in gnathostomes. However, migration of AP-2-expressing neural crest cells medial to the pharyngeal arch mesoderm appears to be a primitive feature retained in all vertebrates. Because AP-2 has essential roles in cranial neural crest differentiation and proliferation, the co-option of AP-2 by neural crest cells in the vertebrate lineage was a potentially crucial event in vertebrate evolution.

Alternating myocardial sympathetic neural function of athlete's heart in professional cycle racers examined with iodine-123-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koyama, Keiko; Inoue, Tomio; Hasegawa, Akira; Oriuchi, Noboru; Okamoto, Eiichi; Tomaru, Yumi; Endo, Keigo

2001-01-01

Myocardial sympathetic neural function in professional athletes who had the long-term tremendous cardiac load has not been fully investigated by myocardial iodine-123-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) uptake in comparison with power spectral analysis (PSA) in electrocardiography. Eleven male professional cycle racers and age-matched 11 male healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. The low frequency components in the power spectral density (LF), the high frequency components in the power spectral density (HF), the LF/HF ratio and mean R-R interval were derived from PSA and time-domain analysis of heart rate variability in electrocardiography. The mean heart-to-mediastinum uptake ratio (H/M ratio) of the MIBG uptake, in professional cycle racers was significantly lower than that in healthy volunteers (p<0.01) and HF power in professional cycle racers was significantly higher than that in healthy volunteers (p<0.05). In the group of professional cycle racers, the H/M ratio showed a significant correlation with the R-R interval, as indices of parasympathetic nerve activity (r=0.80, p<0.01), but not with the LF/HF ratio as an index of sympathetic nerve activity. These results may indicate that parasympathetic nerve activity has an effect on MIBG uptake in a cyclist's heart. (author)

Bending and Twisting the Embryonic Heart: A Computational Model for C-Looping Based on Realistic Geometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yunfei eShi

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The morphogenetic process of cardiac looping transforms the straight heart tube into a curved tube that resembles the shape of the future four-chambered heart. Although great progress has been made in identifying the molecular and genetic factors involved in looping, the physical mechanisms that drive this process have remained poorly understood. Recent work, however, has shed new light on this complicated problem. After briefly reviewing the current state of knowledge, we propose a relatively comprehensive hypothesis for the mechanics of the first phase of looping, termed c-looping, as the straight heart tube deforms into a c-shaped tube. According to this hypothesis, differential hypertrophic growth in the myocardium supplies the main forces that cause the heart tube to bend ventrally, while regional growth and contraction in the omphalomesenteric veins (primitive atria and compressive loads exerted by the splanchnopleuric membrane drive rightward torsion. A computational model based on realistic embryonic heart geometry is used to test this hypothesis. The behavior of the model is in reasonable agreement with available experimental data from control and perturbed embryos, offering support for our hypothesis. The results also suggest, however, that several other mechanisms contribute secondarily to normal looping, and we speculate that these mechanisms play backup roles when looping is perturbed. Finally, some outstanding questions are discussed for future study.

Comparative study on the migration of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) and tri-2-ethylhexyl trimellitate (TOTM) into blood from PVC tubing material of a heart-lung machine.

Science.gov (United States)

Eckert, Elisabeth; Münch, Frank; Göen, Thomas; Purbojo, Ariawan; Müller, Johannes; Cesnjevar, Robert

2016-02-01

Medical devices like blood tubing often consist of PVC material that requires the addition of plasticizers. These plasticizers may migrate into the blood leading to an exposure of the patients. In this study the migration behavior of three different blood tubing sets (PVC material with two different plasticizers and silicone as control material) applied on a heart-lung machine standardly used for cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in children was studied. We analyzed the total plasticizer migration by analysis of both, the parent compounds as well as their primary degradation products in blood. Additionally, the total mass loss of the tubing over perfusion time was examined. The PVC tubing plasticized with DEHP (di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate) was found to have the highest mass loss over time and showed a high plasticizer migration rate. In comparison, the migration of TOTM (tri-2-ethylhexyl trimellitate) and its primary degradation products was found to be distinctly lower (by a factor of approx. 350). Moreover, it was observed that the storage time of the tubing affects the plasticizer migration rates. In conclusion, the DEHP substitute TOTM promises to be an effective alternative plasticizer for PVC medical devices particularly regarding the decreased migration rate during medical procedures. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From disability to ability: comprehensive rehabilitation providing a holistic functional improvement in a child with neglected neural tube defect.

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Kriti; Siddharth, V

2017-09-25

Neural Tube defects are one of the most common congenital disorders, presenting in a paediatric rehabilitation set-up. With its wide spectrum of clinical presentation and possible complications, the condition can significantly impact an individual's functional capacity and quality of life. The condition also affects the family of the child leaving them with a lifelong impairment to cope up with. Through this 16-year-old child, we shed light on the effects of providing rehabilitation, even at a later stage and its benefits. We also get a glimpse of difficulties in availing rehabilitation services in developing countries and the need to reach out many more neglected children like him with good functional abilities. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Lack of beta1 integrins in enteric neural crest cells leads to a Hirschsprung-like phenotype

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Breau, Marie A; Pietri, Thomas; Eder, Olivier

2006-01-01

The enteric nervous system arises mainly from vagal and sacral neural crest cells that colonise the gut between 9.5 and 14 days of development in mice. Using the Cre-LoxP system, we removed beta1 integrins in the neural crest cells when they emerge from the neural tube. beta1-null enteric neural...

Development of teeth in chick embryos after mouse neural crest transplantations.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitsiadis, Thimios A; Chéraud, Yvonnick; Sharpe, Paul; Fontaine-Pérus, Josiane

2003-05-27

Teeth were lost in birds 70-80 million years ago. Current thinking holds that it is the avian cranial neural crest-derived mesenchyme that has lost odontogenic capacity, whereas the oral epithelium retains the signaling properties required to induce odontogenesis. To investigate the odontogenic capacity of ectomesenchyme, we have used neural tube transplantations from mice to chick embryos to replace the chick neural crest cell populations with mouse neural crest cells. The mouse/chick chimeras obtained show evidence of tooth formation showing that avian oral epithelium is able to induce a nonavian developmental program in mouse neural crest-derived mesenchymal cells.

Hybrid Intelligent Warning System for Boiler tube Leak Trips

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Singh Deshvin

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Repeated boiler tube leak trips in coal fired power plants can increase operating cost significantly. An early detection and diagnosis of boiler trips is essential for continuous safe operations in the plant. In this study two artificial intelligent monitoring systems specialized in boiler tube leak trips have been proposed. The first intelligent warning system (IWS-1 represents the use of pure artificial neural network system whereas the second intelligent warning system (IWS-2 represents merging of genetic algorithms and artificial neural networks as a hybrid intelligent system. The Extreme Learning Machine (ELM methodology was also adopted in IWS-1 and compared with traditional training algorithms. Genetic algorithm (GA was adopted in IWS-2 to optimize the ANN topology and the boiler parameters. An integrated data preparation framework was established for 3 real cases of boiler tube leak trip based on a thermal power plant in Malaysia. Both the IWSs were developed using MATLAB coding for training and validation. The hybrid IWS-2 performed better than IWS-1.The developed system was validated to be able to predict trips before the plant monitoring system. The proposed artificial intelligent system could be adopted as a reliable monitoring system of the thermal power plant boilers.

Dificultades en los métodos de estudio de exposiciones ambientales y defectos del tubo neural Methodological challenges to assess environmental exposures related to neural tube defects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Víctor Hugo Borja-Aburto

1999-11-01

susceptibilidad genética.Objective. To discuss the attitudes in the assessment of environmental exposures as risk factors associated with neural tube defects, and to present the main risk factors studied to date. Results. Environmental exposures have been suggested to have a roll in the genesis of birth defects. However, studies conducted in human populations have found difficulties in the design and conduction to show such an association for neural tube defects (anencephaly, espina bifida and encefalocele because of problems raised from: a the frequency measures used to compare time trends and communities, b the classification of heterogeneous malformations, c the inclusion of maternal, paternal and fetal factors as an integrated process and, d the assessment of environmental exposures. Conclusions. Hypothetically both maternal and paternal environmental exposures can produce damage before and after conception by direct action on the embryo and the fetus-placenta complex. Therefore, in the assessment of environmental exposures we need to take into account: a both paternal and maternal exposures; b the critical exposure period, three months before conception for paternal exposures and one month around the conceptional period for maternal exposures; c quantitatively evaluate environmental exposures when possible, avoiding a dichotomous classification; d the use of biological markers of exposure is highly recommended as well as markers of genetic susceptibility.

Generation Of A Mouse Model For Schwannomatosis

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-01

referred to as Nf2NestinCKO) at this early embryonic time-point severely affected the development of the neural tube, branchial arches, and heart... branchial arches and heart. Experiments are in progress to examine the roles of merlin during the development of these organs. In addition, the

MTHFD1 polymorphism as maternal risk for neural tube defects: a meta-analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Jinyu; Lu, Xiaocheng; Liu, Hao; Zhao, Penglai; Li, Kai; Li, Lixin

2015-04-01

Recently, the association between methylenetetrahydrofolate dehydrogenase 1 (MTHFD1) G1958A polymorphism and neural tube defects (NTD) susceptibility has been widely investigated; however, the results remained inconclusive. Hence, we conducted a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of MTHFD1 G1958A polymorphism on NTD. The relative literatures were identified by search of the electronic databases PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE. The extracted data were statistically analyzed, and pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate the association strength using Stata version 11.0 software. Finally, ten studies met our inclusion criteria, including 2,132/4,082 in NTD infants and controls; 1,402/3,136 in mothers with NTD offspring and controls; and 993/2,879 in fathers with NTD offspring and controls. This meta-analysis showed that, compared with the mothers with GG genotype, the women with AA genotype had an increased risk of NTD in their offspring, with OR values and 95 % CI at 1.39 (1.16-1.68), p < 0.001. Interestingly, fathers with AG genotype had a significant decreased risk of NTD offspring (OR = 0.79, 95 % CI = 0.66-0.94, p = 0.009). However, there was no significant association between the MTHFD1 G1958A polymorphism in NTD patients and the risk of NTD. In conclusion, the present meta-analysis provided evidence of the association between maternal MTHFD1 G1958A polymorphism and NTD susceptibility.

How Useful Is YouTube in Learning Heart Anatomy?

Science.gov (United States)

Raikos, Athanasios; Waidyasekara, Pasan

2014-01-01

Nowadays more and more modern medical degree programs focus on self-directed and problem-based learning. That requires students to search for high quality and easy to retrieve online resources. YouTube is an emerging platform for learning human anatomy due to easy access and being a free service. The purpose of this study is to make a quantitative…

Anaesthesia for the child with congenital heart disease: pointers and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Increased pulmonary blood flow (PBF) causes a volume or pressure overload to the ... venous drainage (TAPVD), high left atrial pressure (e.g. hypoplastic left heart ... function. Congenital heart disease (CHD) is the commonest birth defect, with a reported .... Is there valve regurgitation? ... tubing to avoid systemic air emboli.

Drinking water treatment is not associated with an observed increase in neural tube defects in mice

Science.gov (United States)

Melin, Vanessa E.; Johnstone, David W.; Etzkorn, Felicia A.

2018-01-01

Disinfection by-products (DBPs) arise when natural organic matter in source water reacts with disinfectants used in the water treatment process. Studies have suggested an association between DBPs and birth defects. Neural tube defects (NTDs) in embryos of untreated control mice were first observed in-house in May 2006 and have continued to date. The source of the NTD-inducing agent was previously determined to be a component of drinking water. Tap water samples from a variety of sources were analyzed for trihalomethanes (THMs) to determine if they were causing the malformations. NTDs were observed in CD-1 mice provided with treated and untreated surface water. Occurrence of NTDs varied by water source and treatment regimens. THMs were detected in tap water derived from surface water but not detected in tap water derived from a groundwater source. THMs were absent in untreated river water and laboratory purified waters, yet the percentage of NTDs in untreated river water were similar to the treated water counterpart. These findings indicate that THMs were not the primary cause of NTDs in the mice since the occurrence of NTDs was unrelated to drinking water disinfection. PMID:24497082

Do neural tube defects lead to structural alterations in the human bladder?

Science.gov (United States)

Pazos, Helena M F; Lobo, Márcio Luiz de P; Costa, Waldemar S; Sampaio, Francisco J B; Cardoso, Luis Eduardo M; Favorito, Luciano Alves

2011-05-01

Anencephaly is the most severe neural tube defect in human fetuses. The objective of this paper is to analyze the structure of the bladder in anencephalic human fetuses. We studied 40 bladders of normal human fetuses (20 male and 20 female, aged 14 to 23 WPC) and 12 bladders of anencephalic fetuses (5 male and 7 female, aged 18 to 22 WPC). The bladders were removed and processed by routine histological techniques. Stereological analysis of collagen, elastic system fibers and smooth muscle was performed in sections. Data were expressed as volumetric density (Vv-%). The images were captured with Olympus BX51 microscopy and Olympus DP70 camera. The stereological analysis was done using the software Image Pro and Image J. For biochemical analysis, samples were fixed in acetone, and collagen concentrations were expressed as micrograms of hydroxyproline per mg of dry tissue. Means were statistically compared using the unpaired t-test (p<0.05). We observed a significant increase (p<0.0001) in the Vv of collagen in the bladders of anencephalic fetuses (69.71%) when compared to normal fetuses (52.74%), and a significant decrease (p<0.0001) in the Vv of smooth muscle cells in the bladders of anencephalic fetuses (23.96%) when compared to normal fetuses (38.35%). The biochemical analyses showed a higher concentration of total collagen in the bladders of anencephalic fetuses (37354 µg/mg) when compared to normal fetuses (48117 µg/mg, p<0.02). The structural alterations of the bladder found in this study may suggest the existence of functional alterations in the bladder of anencephalic human fetuses.

Application of convolutional artificial neural networks to echocardiograms for differentiating congenital heart diseases in a pediatric population

Science.gov (United States)

Perrin, Douglas P.; Bueno, Alejandra; Rodriguez, Andrea; Marx, Gerald R.; del Nido, Pedro J.

2017-03-01

In this paper we describe a pilot study, where machine learning methods are used to differentiate between congenital heart diseases. Our approach was to apply convolutional neural networks (CNNs) to echocardiographic images from five different pediatric populations: normal, coarctation of the aorta (CoA), hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS), transposition of the great arteries (TGA), and single ventricle (SV). We used a single network topology that was trained in a pairwise fashion in order to evaluate the potential to differentiate between patient populations. In total we used 59,151 echo frames drawn from 1,666 clinical sequences. Approximately 80% of the data was used for training, and the remainder for validation. Data was split at sequence boundaries to avoid having related images in the training and validation sets. While training was done with echo images/frames, evaluation was performed for both single frame discrimination as well as sequence discrimination (by majority voting). In total 10 networks were generated and evaluated. Unlike other domains where this network topology has been used, in ultrasound there is low visual variation between classes. This work shows the potential for CNNs to be applied to this low-variation domain of medical imaging for disease discrimination.

A prospective crossover comparison of neurally adjusted ventilatory assist and pressure-support ventilation in a pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit population.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Breatnach, Cormac

2012-02-01

OBJECTIVE: To compare neurally adjusted ventilatory assist ventilation with pressure-support ventilation. DESIGN: Prospective, crossover comparison study. SETTING: Tertiary care pediatric and neonatal intensive care unit. PATIENTS: Sixteen ventilated infants and children: mean age = 9.7 months (range = 2 days-4 yrs) and mean weight = 6.2 kg (range = 2.4-13.7kg). INTERVENTIONS: A modified nasogastric tube was inserted and correct positioning was confirmed. Patients were ventilated in pressure-support mode with a pneumatic trigger for a 30-min period and then in neurally adjusted ventilatory assist mode for up to 4 hrs. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Data collected for comparison included activating trigger (neural vs. pneumatic), peak and mean airway pressures, expired minute and tidal volumes, heart rate, respiratory rate, pulse oximetry, end-tidal CO2 and arterial blood gases. Synchrony was improved in neurally adjusted ventilatory assist mode with 65% (+\\/-21%) of breaths triggered neurally vs. 35% pneumatically (p < .001) and 85% (+\\/-8%) of breaths cycled-off neurally vs. 15% pneumatically (p = .0001). The peak airway pressure in neurally adjusted ventilatory assist mode was significantly lower than in pressure-support mode with a 28% decrease in pressure after 30 mins (p = .003) and 32% decrease after 3 hrs (p < .001). Mean airway pressure was reduced by 11% at 30 mins (p = .13) and 9% at 3 hrs (p = .31) in neurally adjusted ventilatory assist mode although this did not reach statistical significance. Patient hemodynamics and gas exchange remained stable for the study period. No adverse patient events or device effects were noted. CONCLUSIONS: In a neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit population, ventilation in neurally adjusted ventilatory assist mode was associated with improved patient-ventilator synchrony and lower peak airway pressure when compared with pressure-support ventilation with a pneumatic trigger. Ventilating patients in this new mode

Expression of hLAMP-1-Positive Particles During Early Heart Development in the Chick.

Science.gov (United States)

Abd-Elhamid, T H; Conway, M L; Sinning, A R

2017-10-01

Heart development requires coordinated activity of various factors, the disturbance of which can lead to congenital heart defects. Heart lectin-associated matrix protein-1 (hLAMP-1) is a matrix protein expressed within Hensen's node at Hamburger-Hamilton (HH) stage 4, in the lateral mesoderm by HH stages 5-6 and enhanced within the left pre-cardiac field at HH stage 7. At HH stages 15-16, hLAMP-1 expression is observed in the atrioventricular canal and the outflow tract. Also, the role of hLAMP-1 in induction of mesenchyme formation in chick heart has been well documented. To further elucidate the role of this molecule in heart development, we examined its expression patterns during HH stages 8-14 in the chick. In this regard, we immunostained sections of the heart during HH stages 8-14 with antibodies specific to hLAMP-1. Our results showed prominent expression of hLAMP-1-positive particles in the extracellular matrix associated with the pre-cardiac mesoderm, the endoderm, ectoderm as well as neuroectoderm at HH stages 8-9. After formation of the linear heart tube at HH stage 10, the expression of hLAMP-1-stained particles disappears in those regions of original contact between the endoderm and heart forming fields due to rupture of the dorsal mesocardium while their expression becomes confined to the arterial and venous poles of the heart tube. This expression pattern is maintained until HH stage 14. This expression pattern suggests that hLAMP-1 may be involved in the formation of the endocardial tube. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Image quality at low tube voltage (70 kV) and sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction for computed tomography in infants with congenital heart disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakagawa, Motoo; Ozawa, Yoshiyuki; Sakurai, Keita; Shimohira, Masashi; Shibamoto, Yuta; Ohashi, Kazuya; Asano, Miki; Yamaguchi, Sachiko

2015-01-01

Lower tube voltage has advantages for CT angiography, such as improved contrast To evaluate the image quality of low-voltage (70 kV) CT for congenital heart disease and the ability of sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction to improve image quality. Forty-six children with congenital heart disease (median age: 109 days) were examined using dual-source CT. Scans were performed at 80 kV and 70 kV in 21 and 25 children, respectively. A nonionic iodinated contrast medium (300 mg I/ml) was used for the 80-kV protocol. The contrast medium was diluted to 75% (225 mgI/mL) with saline for the 70-kV protocol. Image noise was measured in the two protocols for each group by extracting the standard deviations of a region of interest placed on the descending aorta. We then determined whether sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction reduced the image noise at 70 kV. There was more noise at 70 kV than at 80 kV (29 ± 12 vs 20 ± 4.8; P < 0.01). Sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction with grade 4 strength settings improved the noise (20 ± 5.9; P < 0.01) for the 70-kV group. Sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction improved the image quality of CT in congenital heart disease. (orig.)

Image quality at low tube voltage (70 kV) and sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction for computed tomography in infants with congenital heart disease

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakagawa, Motoo; Ozawa, Yoshiyuki; Sakurai, Keita; Shimohira, Masashi; Shibamoto, Yuta [Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Department of Radiology, Nagoya (Japan); Ohashi, Kazuya [Nagoya City University Hospital, Division of Central Radiology, Nagoya (Japan); Asano, Miki [Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Nagoya (Japan); Yamaguchi, Sachiko [Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Department of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Nagoya (Japan)

2015-09-15

Lower tube voltage has advantages for CT angiography, such as improved contrast To evaluate the image quality of low-voltage (70 kV) CT for congenital heart disease and the ability of sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction to improve image quality. Forty-six children with congenital heart disease (median age: 109 days) were examined using dual-source CT. Scans were performed at 80 kV and 70 kV in 21 and 25 children, respectively. A nonionic iodinated contrast medium (300 mg I/ml) was used for the 80-kV protocol. The contrast medium was diluted to 75% (225 mgI/mL) with saline for the 70-kV protocol. Image noise was measured in the two protocols for each group by extracting the standard deviations of a region of interest placed on the descending aorta. We then determined whether sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction reduced the image noise at 70 kV. There was more noise at 70 kV than at 80 kV (29 ± 12 vs 20 ± 4.8; P < 0.01). Sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction with grade 4 strength settings improved the noise (20 ± 5.9; P < 0.01) for the 70-kV group. Sinogram-affirmed iterative reconstruction improved the image quality of CT in congenital heart disease. (orig.)

Risk factors for neural tube defects in Riyadh City, Saudi Arabia: Case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Salih, Mustafa A M; Murshid, Waleed R; Mohamed, Ashry Gad; Ignacio, Lena C; de Jesus, Julie E; Baabbad, Rubana; El Bushra, Hassan M

2014-01-01

Both genetic and non-genetic environmental factors are involved in the etiology of neural tube defects (NTD) which affect 0.5-2/1000 pregnancies worldwide. This study aimed to explore the risk factors for the development of NTD in Saudi population, and highlight identifiable and preventable causes. Similar studies are scarce in similar populations ofthe Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. This is an unmatched concurrent case-control study including NTD cases born at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh during a 4-year period (2002-2006). The case-control study included 25 cases and 125 controls (case: control ratio of 1:5). Years of formal education, employment, household environment (including availability of air conditioning) and rate of parental consanguinity did not differ between mothers of cases and controls. Significantly higher proportion of mothers of cases had history of stillbirth compared to control mothers (16% vs 4.1%, P=0.02). Also family history of hydrocephalus and congenital anomalies were more prevalent in cases than controls (P values=0.0000 and 0.003, respectively). There was significant protective effect of periconceptional folic acid consumption both prior to conception (OR 0.02, 95% CI 0.00-0.07) and during the first 6 weeks of conception (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.04-0.39). Further research, including a larger cohort, is required to enable ascertainment of gene-nutrient and gene environment interactions associated with NTD in Saudi Arabia.

Eddy Current Signature Classification of Steam Generator Tube Defects Using A Learning Vector Quantization Neural Network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Gabe V.

2005-01-01

A major cause of failure in nuclear steam generators is degradation of their tubes. Although seven primary defect categories exist, one of the principal causes of tube failure is intergranular attack/stress corrosion cracking (IGA/SCC). This type of defect usually begins on the secondary side surface of the tubes and propagates both inwards and laterally. In many cases this defect is found at or near the tube support plates

Developing effective campaign messages to prevent neural tube defects: a qualitative assessment of women's reactions to advertising concepts.

Science.gov (United States)

Massi Lindsey, Lisa L; Silk, Kami J; Von Friederichs-Fitzwater, Marlene M; Hamner, Heather C; Prue, Christine E; Boster, Franklin J

2009-03-01

The incidence of neural tube defects (NTDs), serious birth defects of the brain and spine that affect approximately 3,000 pregnancies in the United States each year, can be reduced by 50-70% with daily periconceptional consumption of the B vitamin folic acid. Two studies were designed to assess college women's reactions to and perceptions of potential campaign advertising concepts derived from preproduction formative research to increase folic acid consumption through the use of a daily multivitamin. Study one assessed draft advertising concepts in eight focus groups (N = 71) composed of college-enrolled women in four cities geographically dispersed across the United States. Based on study one results, the concepts were revised and reassessed in study two with a different sample (eight focus groups; N = 73) of college women in the same four cities. Results indicated that participants generally responded favorably to concepts in each of the two studies, and provided insight into individual concepts to increase their overall appeal and effectiveness. The specific findings and implications of these results are discussed.

Mirror-image duplication of the primary axis and heart in Xenopus embryos by the overexpression of Msx-1 gene.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Y; Solursh, M

1995-10-01

The Msx-1 gene (formerly known as Hox-7) is a member of a discrete subclass of homeobox-containing genes. Examination of the expression pattern of Msx-1 in murine and avian embryos suggests that this gene may be involved in the regionalization of the medio-lateral axis during earlier development. We have examined the possible functions of Xenopus Msx-1 during early Xenopus embryonic development by overexpression of the Msx-1 gene. Overexpression of Msx-1 causes a left-right mirror-image duplication of primary axial structures, including notochord, neural tube, somites, suckers, and foregut. The embryonic developing heart is also mirror-image duplicated, including looping directions and polarity. These results indicate that Msx-1 may be involved in the mesoderm formation as well as left-right patterning in the early Xenopus embryonic development.

Folate status in women of reproductive age as basis of neural tube defect risk assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Lynn B; Hausman, Dorothy B

2018-02-01

Reliable folate status data for women of reproductive age (WRA) to assess global risk for neural tube defects (NTDs) are needed. We focus on a recent recommendation by the World Health Organization that a specific "optimal" red blood cell (RBC) folate concentration be used as the sole indicator of NTD risk within a population and discuss how to best apply this guidance to reach the goal of assessing NTD risk globally. We also emphasize the importance of using the microbiologic assay (MBA) as the most reliable assay for obtaining comparable results for RBC folate concentration across time and countries, the need for harmonization of the MBA through use of consistent key reagents and procedures within laboratories, and the requirement to apply assay-matched cutoffs for folate deficiency and insufficiency. To estimate NTD risk globally, the ideal scenario would be to have country-specific population-based surveys of RBC folate in WRA determined utilizing a harmonized MBA, as was done in recent studies in Guatemala and Belize. We conclude with guidance on next steps to best navigate the road map toward the goal of generating reliable folate status data on which to assess NTD risk in WRA in low- and middle-income countries. © 2017 The Authors. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of New York Academy of Sciences.

Myo-inositol soft gel capsules may prevent the risk of coffee-induced neural tube defects.

Science.gov (United States)

De Grazia, Sara; Carlomagno, Gianfranco; Unfer, Vittorio; Cavalli, Pietro

2012-09-01

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are classified as folate sensitive (about 70%) and folate resistant (about 30%); although folic acid is able to prevent the former, several data have shown that inositol may prevent the latter. It has recently been proposed that coffee intake might represent a risk factor for NTD, likely by interfering with the inositol signaling. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that, beside affecting the inositol signaling pathway, coffee also interferes with inositol absorption. In order to evaluate coffee possible negative effects on inositol gastrointestinal absorption, a single-dose bioavailability trial was conducted. Pharmacokinetics (PK) parameters of myo-inositol (MI) powder and MI soft gelatin capsules swallowed with water and with a single 'espresso' were compared. PK profiles were obtained by analysis of MI plasma concentration, and the respective MI bioavailability was compared. Myo-inositol powder administration was negatively affected by coffee intake, thus suggesting an additional explanation to the interference between inositol deficiency and coffee consumption. On the contrary, the concomitant single 'espresso' consumption did not affect MI absorption following MI soft gelatin capsules administration. Furthermore, it was observed that MI soft gelatin capsule administration resulted in improved bioavailability compared to the MI powder form. Myo-inositol soft gelatin capsules should be considered for the preventive treatment of NTDs in folate-resistant subjects due to their higher bioavailability and to the capability to reduce espresso interference.

Levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Maternal Serum and Risk of Neural Tube Defects in Offspring

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are ubiquitous environmental pollutants, and have been reported to be a risk factor for human neural tube defects (NTDs). We investigated the relationship between PAH concentrations in maternal serum and NTD risk in offspring using a case-control study design, and explored the link between PAH concentrations to household energy usage characteristics and life styles. One hundred and seventeen women who had NTD-affected pregnancies (cases) and 121 women who delivered healthy infants (controls) were recruited in Northern China. Maternal blood samples were collected at pregnancy termination or at delivery. Twenty-seven PAHs were measured by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. The concentrations of 13 individual PAHs detected were significantly higher in the cases than in the controls. Clear dose–response relationships between concentrations of most individual PAHs and the risk of total NTDs or subtypes were observed, even when potential covariates were adjusted for. High-molecular-weight PAHs (H-PAHs) showed higher risk than low-molecular-weight PAHs (L-PAHs). No associations between PAH concentrations and indoor life styles and energy usage characteristics were observed. It was concluded that maternal exposure to PAHs was associated with an increased risk of NTDs, and H-PAHs overall posed a higher risk for NTDs than L-PAHs. PMID:25488567

Neural Network-Based Coronary Heart Disease Risk Prediction Using Feature Correlation Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jae Kwon Kim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Of the machine learning techniques used in predicting coronary heart disease (CHD, neural network (NN is popularly used to improve performance accuracy. Objective. Even though NN-based systems provide meaningful results based on clinical experiments, medical experts are not satisfied with their predictive performances because NN is trained in a “black-box” style. Method. We sought to devise an NN-based prediction of CHD risk using feature correlation analysis (NN-FCA using two stages. First, the feature selection stage, which makes features acceding to the importance in predicting CHD risk, is ranked, and second, the feature correlation analysis stage, during which one learns about the existence of correlations between feature relations and the data of each NN predictor output, is determined. Result. Of the 4146 individuals in the Korean dataset evaluated, 3031 had low CHD risk and 1115 had CHD high risk. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC curve of the proposed model (0.749 ± 0.010 was larger than the Framingham risk score (FRS (0.393 ± 0.010. Conclusions. The proposed NN-FCA, which utilizes feature correlation analysis, was found to be better than FRS in terms of CHD risk prediction. Furthermore, the proposed model resulted in a larger ROC curve and more accurate predictions of CHD risk in the Korean population than the FRS.

Organotypic three-dimensional culture model of mesenchymal and epithelial cells to examine tissue fusion events.

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Tissue fusion during early mammalian development requires coordination of multiple cell types, the extracellular matrix, and complex signaling pathways. Fusion events during processes including heart development, neural tube closure, and palatal fusion are dependent on signaling ...

JUNE NJCP 2009 FINAL sp.cdr

African Journals Online (AJOL)

User

To the best of our knowledge, myelomeningocoele ... drug/herbal intake during pregnancy, and no history ... Folic acid, congenital heart disease, neural tube defect, multiple births. ... months and thus is a better indicator of tissue folate status.

(GAGs) in normal and ethanol-induced chick embryo during neural

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Administrator

2011-09-14

Sep 14, 2011 ... Alcohol as a teratogenic agent inhibits cell growth, function, proliferation and migration by affecting .... formed along the right and left side of the neural tube .... of neurons by harming the developing brain and also can.

Preliminary research on eddy current bobbin quantitative test for heat exchange tube in nuclear power plant

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Pan; Shao, Wenbin; Liao, Shusheng

2016-02-01

For quantitative defects detection research on heat transfer tube in nuclear power plants (NPP), two parts of work are carried out based on the crack as the main research objects. (1) Production optimization of calibration tube. Firstly, ASME, RSEM and homemade crack calibration tubes are applied to quantitatively analyze the defects depth on other designed crack test tubes, and then the judgment with quantitative results under crack calibration tube with more accuracy is given. Base on that, weight analysis of influence factors for crack depth quantitative test such as crack orientation, length, volume and so on can be undertaken, which will optimize manufacture technology of calibration tubes. (2) Quantitative optimization of crack depth. Neural network model with multi-calibration curve adopted to optimize natural crack test depth generated in in-service tubes shows preliminary ability to improve quantitative accuracy.

Rodent Zic Genes in Neural Network Wiring.

Science.gov (United States)

Herrera, Eloísa

2018-01-01

The formation of the nervous system is a multistep process that yields a mature brain. Failure in any of the steps of this process may cause brain malfunction. In the early stages of embryonic development, neural progenitors quickly proliferate and then, at a specific moment, differentiate into neurons or glia. Once they become postmitotic neurons, they migrate to their final destinations and begin to extend their axons to connect with other neurons, sometimes located in quite distant regions, to establish different neural circuits. During the last decade, it has become evident that Zic genes, in addition to playing important roles in early development (e.g., gastrulation and neural tube closure), are involved in different processes of late brain development, such as neuronal migration, axon guidance, and refinement of axon terminals. ZIC proteins are therefore essential for the proper wiring and connectivity of the brain. In this chapter, we review our current knowledge of the role of Zic genes in the late stages of neural circuit formation.

Inductive differentiation of two neural lineages reconstituted in a microculture system from Xenopus early gastrula cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitani, S; Okamoto, H

1991-05-01

Neural induction of ectoderm cells has been reconstituted and examined in a microculture system derived from dissociated early gastrula cells of Xenopus laevis. We have used monoclonal antibodies as specific markers to monitor cellular differentiation from three distinct ectoderm lineages in culture (N1 for CNS neurons from neural tube, Me1 for melanophores from neural crest and E3 for skin epidermal cells from epidermal lineages). CNS neurons and melanophores differentiate when deep layer cells of the ventral ectoderm (VE, prospective epidermis region; 150 cells/culture) and an appropriate region of the marginal zone (MZ, prospective mesoderm region; 5-150 cells/culture) are co-cultured, but not in cultures of either cell type on their own; VE cells cultured alone yield epidermal cells as we have previously reported. The extent of inductive neural differentiation in the co-culture system strongly depends on the origin and number of MZ cells initially added to culture wells. The potency to induce CNS neurons is highest for dorsal MZ cells and sharply decreases as more ventrally located cells are used. The same dorsoventral distribution of potency is seen in the ability of MZ cells to inhibit epidermal differentiation. In contrast, the ability of MZ cells to induce melanophores shows the reverse polarity, ventral to dorsal. These data indicate that separate developmental mechanisms are used for the induction of neural tube and neural crest lineages. Co-differentiation of CNS neurons or melanophores with epidermal cells can be obtained in a single well of co-cultures of VE cells (150) and a wide range of numbers of MZ cells (5 to 100). Further, reproducible differentiation of both neural lineages requires intimate association between cells from the two gastrula regions; virtually no differentiation is obtained when cells from the VE and MZ are separated in a culture well. These results indicate that the inducing signals from MZ cells for both neural tube and neural

Mask versus Nasal Tube for Stabilization of Preterm Infants at Birth: Respiratory Function Measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

van Vonderen, Jeroen J; Kamlin, C Omar; Dawson, Jennifer A; Walther, Frans J; Davis, Peter G; te Pas, Arjan B

2015-07-01

To compare the nasal tube with face mask as interfaces for stabilization of very preterm infants at birth by using physiological measurements of leak, obstruction, and expired tidal volumes during positive pressure ventilation (PPV). In the delivery room, 43 infants face mask. Respiratory function, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were measured. Occurrence of obstruction, amount of leak, and tidal volumes were compared using a Mann-Whitney U test or a Fisher exact test. The first 5 minutes after initiation of PPV were analyzed (1566 inflations in the nasal tube group and 1896 inflations in the face mask group). Spontaneous breathing coincided with PPV in 32% of nasal tube and 34% of face mask inflations. During inflations, higher leak was observed using nasal tube compared with face mask (98% [33%-100%] vs 14 [0%-39%]; P face mask (0.0 [0.0-3.1] vs 9.9 [5.5-12.8] mL/kg; P 0.05). Heart rate was not significantly different between groups, but oxygen saturation was significantly lower in the nasal tube group the first 2 minutes after start of respiratory support. The use of a nasal tube led to large leak, more obstruction, and inadequate tidal volumes compared with face mask. Trial registration Registered with the Dutch Trial Registry (NTR 2061) and the Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Register (ACTRN 12610000230055). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Primary prevention of neural-tube defects and some other congenital abnormalities by folic acid and multivitamins: history, missed opportunity and tasks

Science.gov (United States)

Bártfai, Zoltán; Bánhidy, Ferenc

2011-01-01

The history of intervention trials of periconception folic acid with multivitamin and folic acid supplementation in women has shown a recent breakthrough in the primary prevention of structural birth defects, namely neural-tube defects and some other congenital abnormalities. Recently, some studies have demonstrated the efficacy of this new method in reducing congenital abnormalities with specific origin; for example, in the offspring of diabetic and epileptic mothers, and in pregnancy with high fever. The benefits and drawbacks of four possible uses of periconception folate/folic acid and multivitamin supplementation are discussed: we believe there has been a missed opportunity to implement this preventive approach in medical practice. The four methods are as follows: (i) dietary intake of folate and other vitamins, (ii) periconception folic acid/multivitamin supplementation, (iii) food fortification with folic acid, and (iv) the combination of oral contraceptives with 6S-5-methytetrahydrofolate (‘folate’). PMID:25083211

Calculation of the Pitot tube correction factor for Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids.

Science.gov (United States)

Etemad, S Gh; Thibault, J; Hashemabadi, S H

2003-10-01

This paper presents the numerical investigation performed to calculate the correction factor for Pitot tubes. The purely viscous non-Newtonian fluids with the power-law model constitutive equation were considered. It was shown that the power-law index, the Reynolds number, and the distance between the impact and static tubes have a major influence on the Pitot tube correction factor. The problem was solved for a wide range of these parameters. It was shown that employing Bernoulli's equation could lead to large errors, which depend on the magnitude of the kinetic energy and energy friction loss terms. A neural network model was used to correlate the correction factor of a Pitot tube as a function of these three parameters. This correlation is valid for most Newtonian, pseudoplastic, and dilatant fluids at low Reynolds number.

Ferromagnetic material inspection for feedwater heater and condenser tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

In recent years, special ferritic stainless steels, such as AL29-4C/sup TM/, Sea-Cure/sup TM/, E-Brite/sup TM/, 439, and similar alloys have been introduced as tube material in condensers, feedwater heaters, moisture separator/reheaters, and other heat exchangers. In addition, carbon steel tubes are widely used in feedwater heaters and heat exchangers in chemical plants. The main problem with the in-service inspection of these ferritic alloys and carbon steel tubes lies in their highly ferromagnetic properties. These properties severely limit the application of the standard eddy current techniques. The effort was undertaken under EPRI sponsorship to develop a reliable technique for in-service inspection of ferromagnetic tubes. The new method combines the measurement of magnetic flux leakage generated around the defects with measurement of total flux in the tube wall. The heart of the inspection system is a special ID probe that magnetizes the tube and generates signals for any tube defect. A permanent record of inspection is provided with a strip-chart or magnetic tape recorder. The laboratory and field evaluation of this new system demonstrated its very good sensitivity to small defects, its reliability, and its ruggedness. Defects as small as 10% external wall loss in heavy wall carbon steel tube were detected. Tubes in the power plant were inspected at a rate of 300-500 tubes per eight-hour shift. The other advantages of this newly developed technique are its simplicity, low cost of instrumentation, easy data interpretation, and full portability

Artificial-neural-network-based failure detection and isolation

Science.gov (United States)

Sadok, Mokhtar; Gharsalli, Imed; Alouani, Ali T.

1998-03-01

This paper presents the design of a systematic failure detection and isolation system that uses the concept of failure sensitive variables (FSV) and artificial neural networks (ANN). The proposed approach was applied to tube leak detection in a utility boiler system. Results of the experimental testing are presented in the paper.

Neural Progenitors Adopt Specific Identities by Directly Repressing All Alternative Progenitor Transcriptional Programs.

Science.gov (United States)

Kutejova, Eva; Sasai, Noriaki; Shah, Ankita; Gouti, Mina; Briscoe, James

2016-03-21

In the vertebrate neural tube, a morphogen-induced transcriptional network produces multiple molecularly distinct progenitor domains, each generating different neuronal subtypes. Using an in vitro differentiation system, we defined gene expression signatures of distinct progenitor populations and identified direct gene-regulatory inputs corresponding to locations of specific transcription factor binding. Combined with targeted perturbations of the network, this revealed a mechanism in which a progenitor identity is installed by active repression of the entire transcriptional programs of other neural progenitor fates. In the ventral neural tube, sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling, together with broadly expressed transcriptional activators, concurrently activates the gene expression programs of several domains. The specific outcome is selected by repressive input provided by Shh-induced transcription factors that act as the key nodes in the network, enabling progenitors to adopt a single definitive identity from several initially permitted options. Together, the data suggest design principles relevant to many developing tissues. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A healthy heart is not a metronome: an integrative review of the heart's anatomy and heart rate variability.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaffer, Fred; McCraty, Rollin; Zerr, Christopher L

2014-01-01

Heart rate variability (HRV), the change in the time intervals between adjacent heartbeats, is an emergent property of interdependent regulatory systems that operate on different time scales to adapt to challenges and achieve optimal performance. This article briefly reviews neural regulation of the heart, and its basic anatomy, the cardiac cycle, and the sinoatrial and atrioventricular pacemakers. The cardiovascular regulation center in the medulla integrates sensory information and input from higher brain centers, and afferent cardiovascular system inputs to adjust heart rate and blood pressure via sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent pathways. This article reviews sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on the heart, and examines the interpretation of HRV and the association between reduced HRV, risk of disease and mortality, and the loss of regulatory capacity. This article also discusses the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and the heart-brain connection, through which afferent information can influence activity in the subcortical and frontocortical areas, and motor cortex. It also considers new perspectives on the putative underlying physiological mechanisms and properties of the ultra-low-frequency (ULF), very-low-frequency (VLF), low-frequency (LF), and high-frequency (HF) bands. Additionally, it reviews the most common time and frequency domain measurements as well as standardized data collection protocols. In its final section, this article integrates Porges' polyvagal theory, Thayer and colleagues' neurovisceral integration model, Lehrer et al.'s resonance frequency model, and the Institute of HeartMath's coherence model. The authors conclude that a coherent heart is not a metronome because its rhythms are characterized by both complexity and stability over longer time scales. Future research should expand understanding of how the heart and its intrinsic nervous system influence the brain.

Gastrostomy Tube (G-Tube)

Science.gov (United States)

... any of these problems: a dislodged tube a blocked or clogged tube any signs of infection (including redness, swelling, or warmth at the tube site; discharge that's yellow, green, or foul-smelling; fever) excessive bleeding or drainage from the tube site severe abdominal pain lasting ...

Early tube leak detection system for steam boiler at KEV power plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ismail Firas B.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Tube leakage in boilers has been a major contribution to trips which eventually leads to power plant shut downs. Training of network and developing artificial neural network (ANN models are essential in fault detection in critically large systems. This research focusses on the ANN modelling through training and validation of real data acquired from a sub-critical boiler unit. The artificial neural network (ANN was used to develop a compatible model and to evaluate the working properties and behaviour of boiler. The training and validation of real data has been applied using the feed-forward with back-propagation (BP. The right combination of number of neurons, number of hidden layers, training algorithms and training functions was run to achieve the best ANN model with lowest error. The ANN was trained and validated using real site data acquired from a coal fired power plant in Malaysia. The results showed that the Neural Network (NN with one hidden layers performed better than two hidden layer using feed-forward back-propagation network. The outcome from this study give us the best ANN model which eventually allows for early detection of boiler tube leakages, and forecast of a trip before the real shutdown. This will eventually reduce shutdowns in power plants.

Heart Rate Estimated from Body Movements at Six Degrees of Freedom by Convolutional Neural Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyunwoo; Whang, Mincheol

2018-05-01

Cardiac activity has been monitored continuously in daily life by virtue of advanced medical instruments with microelectromechanical system (MEMS) technology. Seismocardiography (SCG) has been considered to be free from the burden of measurement for cardiac activity, but it has been limited in its application in daily life. The most important issues regarding SCG are to overcome the limitations of motion artifacts due to the sensitivity of motion sensor. Although novel adaptive filters for noise cancellation have been developed, they depend on the researcher’s subjective decision. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) can extract significant features from data automatically without a researcher’s subjective decision, so that signal processing has been recently replaced as CNNs. Thus, this study aimed to develop a novel method to enhance heart rate estimation from thoracic movement by CNNs. Thoracic movement was measured by six-axis accelerometer and gyroscope signals using a wearable sensor that can be worn by simply clipping on clothes. The dataset was collected from 30 participants (15 males, 15 females) using 12 measurement conditions according to two physical conditions (i.e., relaxed and aroused conditions), three body postures (i.e., sitting, standing, and supine), and six movement speeds (i.e., 3.2, 4.5, 5.8, 6.4, 8.5, and 10.3 km/h). The motion data (i.e., six-axis accelerometer and gyroscope) and heart rate (i.e., electrocardiogram (ECG)) were determined as the input data and labels in the dataset, respectively. The CNN model was developed based on VGG Net and optimized by testing according to network depth and data augmentation. The ensemble network of the VGG-16 without data augmentation and the VGG-19 with data augmentation was determined as optimal architecture for generalization. As a result, the proposed method showed higher accuracy than the previous SCG method using signal processing in most measurement conditions. The three main contributions

Heart Rate Estimated from Body Movements at Six Degrees of Freedom by Convolutional Neural Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hyunwoo Lee

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Cardiac activity has been monitored continuously in daily life by virtue of advanced medical instruments with microelectromechanical system (MEMS technology. Seismocardiography (SCG has been considered to be free from the burden of measurement for cardiac activity, but it has been limited in its application in daily life. The most important issues regarding SCG are to overcome the limitations of motion artifacts due to the sensitivity of motion sensor. Although novel adaptive filters for noise cancellation have been developed, they depend on the researcher’s subjective decision. Convolutional neural networks (CNNs can extract significant features from data automatically without a researcher’s subjective decision, so that signal processing has been recently replaced as CNNs. Thus, this study aimed to develop a novel method to enhance heart rate estimation from thoracic movement by CNNs. Thoracic movement was measured by six-axis accelerometer and gyroscope signals using a wearable sensor that can be worn by simply clipping on clothes. The dataset was collected from 30 participants (15 males, 15 females using 12 measurement conditions according to two physical conditions (i.e., relaxed and aroused conditions, three body postures (i.e., sitting, standing, and supine, and six movement speeds (i.e., 3.2, 4.5, 5.8, 6.4, 8.5, and 10.3 km/h. The motion data (i.e., six-axis accelerometer and gyroscope and heart rate (i.e., electrocardiogram (ECG were determined as the input data and labels in the dataset, respectively. The CNN model was developed based on VGG Net and optimized by testing according to network depth and data augmentation. The ensemble network of the VGG-16 without data augmentation and the VGG-19 with data augmentation was determined as optimal architecture for generalization. As a result, the proposed method showed higher accuracy than the previous SCG method using signal processing in most measurement conditions. The three main

msh/Msx gene family in neural development.

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Casto; Robert, Benoît

2005-11-01

The involvement of Msx homeobox genes in skull and tooth formation has received a great deal of attention. Recent studies also indicate a role for the msh/Msx gene family in development of the nervous system. In this article, we discuss the functions of these transcription factors in neural-tissue organogenesis. We will deal mainly with the interactions of the Drosophila muscle segment homeobox (msh) gene with other homeobox genes and the repressive cascade that leads to neuroectoderm patterning; the role of Msx genes in neural-crest induction, focusing especially on the differences between lower and higher vertebrates; their implication in patterning of the vertebrate neural tube, particularly in diencephalon midline formation. Finally, we will examine the distinct activities of Msx1, Msx2 and Msx3 genes during neurogenesis, taking into account their relationships with signalling molecules such as BMP.

Maternal Antenatal Bereavement and Neural Tube Defect in Live-Born Offspring

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ingstrup, Katja Glejsted; Wu, Chun Sen; Olsen, Jørn

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND: Maternal emotional stress during pregnancy has previously been associated with congenital neural malformations, but most studies are based on data collected retrospectively. The objective of our study was to investigate associations between antenatal maternal bereavement due to death...

Arsenate-induced maternal glucose intolerance and neural tube defects in a mouse model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hill, Denise S.; Wlodarczyk, Bogdan J.; Mitchell, Laura E.; Finnell, Richard H.

2009-01-01

Background: Epidemiological studies have linked environmental arsenic (As) exposure to increased type 2 diabetes risk. Periconceptional hyperglycemia is a significant risk factor for neural tube defects (NTDs), the second most common structural birth defect. A suspected teratogen, arsenic (As) induces NTDs in laboratory animals. Objectives: We investigated whether maternal glucose homeostasis disruption was responsible for arsenate-induced NTDs in a well-established dosing regimen used in studies of arsenic's teratogenicity in early neurodevelopment. Methods: We evaluated maternal intraperitoneal (IP) exposure to As 9.6 mg/kg (as sodium arsenate) in LM/Bc/Fnn mice for teratogenicity and disruption of maternal plasma glucose and insulin levels. Selected compounds (insulin pellet, sodium selenate (SS), N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), L-methionine (L-Met), N-tert-Butyl-α-phenylnitrone (PBN)) were investigated for their potential to mitigate arsenate's effects. Results: Arsenate caused significant glucose elevation during an IP glucose tolerance test (IPGTT). Insulin levels were not different between arsenate and control dams before (arsenate, 0.55 ng/dl; control, 0.48 ng/dl) or after glucose challenge (arsenate, 1.09 ng/dl; control, 0.81 ng/dl). HOMA-IR index was higher for arsenate (3.9) vs control (2.5) dams (p = 0.0260). Arsenate caused NTDs (100%, p < 0.0001). Insulin pellet and NAC were the most successful rescue agents, reducing NTD rates to 45% and 35%. Conclusions: IPGTT, insulin assay, and HOMA-IR results suggest a modest failure of glucose stimulated insulin secretion and insulin resistance characteristic of glucose intolerance. Insulin's success in preventing arsenate-induced NTDs provides evidence that these arsenate-induced NTDs are secondary to elevated maternal glucose. The NAC rescue, which did not restore maternal glucose or insulin levels, suggests oxidative disruption plays a role.

Reduced folate carrier polymorphism (80A-->G) and neural tube defects.

Science.gov (United States)

De Marco, Patrizia; Calevo, Maria Grazia; Moroni, Anna; Merello, Elisa; Raso, Alessandro; Finnell, Richard H; Zhu, Huiping; Andreussi, Luciano; Cama, Armando; Capra, Valeria

2003-03-01

Transport of folates in mammalian cells occurs by a carrier-mediated mechanism. The human folate carrier (RFC-1) gene has been isolated and characterized. Within this gene, a common polymorphism, 80A-->G, changing a histidine to an arginine in exon 2 (H27R), was recently identified. Defects in folate metabolism, such as defective carrier molecules, could be implicated in the etiology of neural tube defects (NTDs). In the present case-control study, we recruited 174 Italian probands with nonsyndromic NTD, 43 mothers, 53 fathers and 156 control individuals and evaluated the impact of RFC-1 variant on NTD risk. A statistically significant risk was calculated for the 80GG genotype of the NTD cases (OR=2.35; 95% CI 1.21-4.58) and mothers (OR=2.74; 95% CI 0.92-8.38). On the contrary, the heterozygous genotype of the mothers and both heterozygous and homozygous genotypes of the fathers did not seem to be significant NTD risk factors. Furthemore, according to the multifactorial inheritance of NTDs, we demonstrated that the combined genotypes for MTHFR 1298A-->C and RFC-1 80A-->G polymorphisms of cases resulted in greater NTD risk than heterozygosity or homozygosity for RFC-1 80A-->G variant alone. Conversely, our data provide no evidence for an association between NTD phenotype and combined MTHFR C677T/RFC-1 A80G genotypes. Moreover, here we describe the combinations of the two MTHFR polymorphic sites (677CT and 1298AC) with RFC-1 genotypes. We found that both patients and controls could have at most quadruple-mutation combinations. Interestingly, 27% (7/26) of the mothers and 18.75% (30/160) of the cases genotyped presented four mutant alleles in comparison with 8.5% (11/129) of the controls. Finally, the frequency of NTD cases and mothers carrying combined heterozygosity for the two MTHFR polymorphisms and RFC-1 80GG homozygosity (677CT/1298AC/80GG) (cases=11.3%; mothers 11.5%) was increased compared with controls (1.6%). Altogether, our findings support the hypothesis

Describing the Prevalence of Neural Tube Defects Worldwide: A Systematic Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Zaganjor, Ibrahim; Sekkarie, Ahlia; Tsang, Becky L; Williams, Jennifer; Razzaghi, Hilda; Mulinare, Joseph; Sniezek, Joseph E; Cannon, Michael J; Rosenthal, Jorge

2016-01-01

Folate-sensitive neural tube defects (NTDs) are an important, preventable cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is a need to describe the current global burden of NTDs and identify gaps in available NTD data. We conducted a systematic review and searched multiple databases for NTD prevalence estimates and abstracted data from peer-reviewed literature, birth defects surveillance registries, and reports published between January 1990 and July 2014 that had greater than 5,000 births and were not solely based on mortality data. We classified countries according to World Health Organization (WHO) regions and World Bank income classifications. The initial search yielded 11,614 results; after systematic review we identified 160 full text manuscripts and reports that met the inclusion criteria. Data came from 75 countries. Coverage by WHO region varied in completeness (i.e., % of countries reporting) as follows: African (17%), Eastern Mediterranean (57%), European (49%), Americas (43%), South-East Asian (36%), and Western Pacific (33%). The reported NTD prevalence ranges and medians for each region were: African (5.2-75.4; 11.7 per 10,000 births), Eastern Mediterranean (2.1-124.1; 21.9 per 10,000 births), European (1.3-35.9; 9.0 per 10,000 births), Americas (3.3-27.9; 11.5 per 10,000 births), South-East Asian (1.9-66.2; 15.8 per 10,000 births), and Western Pacific (0.3-199.4; 6.9 per 10,000 births). The presence of a registry or surveillance system for NTDs increased with country income level: low income (0%), lower-middle income (25%), upper-middle income (70%), and high income (91%). Many WHO member states (120/194) did not have any data on NTD prevalence. Where data are collected, prevalence estimates vary widely. These findings highlight the need for greater NTD surveillance efforts, especially in lower-income countries. NTDs are an important public health problem that can be prevented with folic acid supplementation and fortification of staple foods.

Describing the Prevalence of Neural Tube Defects Worldwide: A Systematic Literature Review.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ibrahim Zaganjor

Full Text Available Folate-sensitive neural tube defects (NTDs are an important, preventable cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. There is a need to describe the current global burden of NTDs and identify gaps in available NTD data.We conducted a systematic review and searched multiple databases for NTD prevalence estimates and abstracted data from peer-reviewed literature, birth defects surveillance registries, and reports published between January 1990 and July 2014 that had greater than 5,000 births and were not solely based on mortality data. We classified countries according to World Health Organization (WHO regions and World Bank income classifications. The initial search yielded 11,614 results; after systematic review we identified 160 full text manuscripts and reports that met the inclusion criteria. Data came from 75 countries. Coverage by WHO region varied in completeness (i.e., % of countries reporting as follows: African (17%, Eastern Mediterranean (57%, European (49%, Americas (43%, South-East Asian (36%, and Western Pacific (33%. The reported NTD prevalence ranges and medians for each region were: African (5.2-75.4; 11.7 per 10,000 births, Eastern Mediterranean (2.1-124.1; 21.9 per 10,000 births, European (1.3-35.9; 9.0 per 10,000 births, Americas (3.3-27.9; 11.5 per 10,000 births, South-East Asian (1.9-66.2; 15.8 per 10,000 births, and Western Pacific (0.3-199.4; 6.9 per 10,000 births. The presence of a registry or surveillance system for NTDs increased with country income level: low income (0%, lower-middle income (25%, upper-middle income (70%, and high income (91%.Many WHO member states (120/194 did not have any data on NTD prevalence. Where data are collected, prevalence estimates vary widely. These findings highlight the need for greater NTD surveillance efforts, especially in lower-income countries. NTDs are an important public health problem that can be prevented with folic acid supplementation and fortification of staple foods.

CRIM1 Complexes with ß-catenin and Cadherins, Stabilizes Cell-Cell Junctions and Is Critical for Neural Morphogenesis

OpenAIRE

Ponferrada, Virgilio G.; Fan, Jieqing; Vallance, Jefferson E.; Hu, Shengyong; Mamedova, Aygun; Rankin, Scott A.; Kofron, Matthew; Zorn, Aaron M.; Hegde, Rashmi S.; Lang, Richard A.

2012-01-01

In multicellular organisms, morphogenesis is a highly coordinated process that requires dynamically regulated adhesion between cells. An excellent example of cellular morphogenesis is the formation of the neural tube from the flattened epithelium of the neural plate. Cysteine-rich motor neuron protein 1 (CRIM1) is a single-pass (type 1) transmembrane protein that is expressed in neural structures beginning at the neural plate stage. In the frog Xenopus laevis, loss of function studies using C...

Hybrid digital signal processing and neural networks for automated diagnostics using NDE methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Upadhyaya, B.R.; Yan, W.

1993-11-01

The primary purpose of the current research was to develop an integrated approach by combining information compression methods and artificial neural networks for the monitoring of plant components using nondestructive examination data. Specifically, data from eddy current inspection of heat exchanger tubing were utilized to evaluate this technology. The focus of the research was to develop and test various data compression methods (for eddy current data) and the performance of different neural network paradigms for defect classification and defect parameter estimation. Feedforward, fully-connected neural networks, that use the back-propagation algorithm for network training, were implemented for defect classification and defect parameter estimation using a modular network architecture. A large eddy current tube inspection database was acquired from the Metals and Ceramics Division of ORNL. These data were used to study the performance of artificial neural networks for defect type classification and for estimating defect parameters. A PC-based data preprocessing and display program was also developed as part of an expert system for data management and decision making. The results of the analysis showed that for effective (low-error) defect classification and estimation of parameters, it is necessary to identify proper feature vectors using different data representation methods. The integration of data compression and artificial neural networks for information processing was established as an effective technique for automation of diagnostics using nondestructive examination methods

Expression of Id2 in the Second Heart Field and Cardiac Defects in Id2 Knock-Out Mice

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jongbloed, M. R. M.; Vicente-Steijn, R.; Douglas, Y. L.; Wisse, L. J.; Mori, K.; Yokota, Y.; Bartelings, M. M.; Schalij, M. J.; Mahtab, E. A.; Poelmann, R. E.; Gittenberger-De Groot, A. C.

2011-01-01

The inhibitor of differentiation Id2 is expressed in mesoderm of the second heart field, which contributes myocardial and mesenchymal cells to the primary heart tube. The role of Id2 in cardiac development is insufficiently known. Heart development was studied in sequential developmental stages in

The association of congenital neuroblastoma and congenital heart disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellah, R.; D'Andrea, A.; Children's Hospital, Boston, MA; Darillis, E.; Fellows, K.E.

1989-01-01

Several authors have reported an association between neuroblastoma and congenital heart disease; others contend that, unlike specific wellknown associations between malignancy and congenital defects (Wilm's tumor and aniridia, leukemia and Down's syndrome), no real relationship exists. We present three cases of cyanotic congenital heart disease in which subclinical neuroblastoma was found. We speculate that abnormal neural crest cell migration and development may be a common link between cardiac malformations and congenital neuroblastoma. (orig.)

Case Study: Organotypic human in vitro models of embryonic morphogenetic fusion

Science.gov (United States)

Morphogenetic fusion of tissues is a common event in embryonic development and disruption of fusion is associated with birth defects of the eye, heart, neural tube, phallus, palate, and other organ systems. Embryonic tissue fusion requires precise regulation of cell-cell and cell...

Electrocardiogram (ECG Signal Modeling and Noise Reduction Using Hopfield Neural Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Bagheri

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The Electrocardiogram (ECG signal is one of the diagnosing approaches to detect heart disease. In this study the Hopfield Neural Network (HNN is applied and proposed for ECG signal modeling and noise reduction. The Hopfield Neural Network (HNN is a recurrent neural network that stores the information in a dynamic stable pattern. This algorithm retrieves a pattern stored in memory in response to the presentation of an incomplete or noisy version of that pattern. Computer simulation results show that this method can successfully model the ECG signal and remove high-frequency noise.

Interaction between Maternal and Paternal SHMT1 C1420T Predisposes to Neural Tube Defects in the Fetus: Evidence from Case-Control and Family-Based Triad Approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

K Rebekah, Prasoona; Tella, Sunitha; Buragadda, Srinadh; Tiruvatturu, Muni Kumari; Akka, Jyothy

2017-07-17

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are caused by the failure of neural tube formation which occurs during early embryonic development. NTDs are the most severe and leading cause of fetal mortality. Serine hydroxymethyl transferase (SHMT1) provides one-carbon units necessary for embryogenesis and defects in one-carbon production result in specific pathological conditions during pregnancy. The present study is aimed to evaluate the association of SHMT1 C1420T with NTD risk in the fetus using fetal, maternal and paternal groups by applying both case-control and family-based triad approaches. A total of 924 subjects including 124 NTD case-parent trios (n = 124 × 3 = 372) and 184 healthy control-parent trios (n = 184 × 3 = 552) from Telangana State, South India were analyzed. DNA from umbilical cord tissues and parental blood samples were extracted, and genotyped by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. Statistical analysis used were SPSS, parent-of-origin effect (POE) analysis. Case-control study design demonstrated fetuses with homozygous variant genotype (TT) to be at risk toward spina bifida subtype (p = 0.022). Among parents, fathers with TT genotype were associated with anencephaly (p = 0.018) and spina bifida subtypes (p = 0.027) in the offspring. Of interest, maternal-paternal-offspring genotype incompatibility revealed maternal CT genotype in combination with paternal TT genotype increased risk for NTDs in the fetus (CTxTT = TT; p = 0.021). Family-based parent-of-origin effect linkage analysis revealed significant maternal over-transmission of variant allele to NTD fetuses (p < 0.01). The present study, using both case-control and family-based triad approach is the first report to demonstrate parental association of SHMT1 C1420T variant in conferring NTD risk in the fetus. Birth Defects Research 109:1020-1029, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A mighty small heart: the cardiac proteome of adult Drosophila melanogaster.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anthony Cammarato

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Drosophila melanogaster is emerging as a powerful model system for the study of cardiac disease. Establishing peptide and protein maps of the Drosophila heart is central to implementation of protein network studies that will allow us to assess the hallmarks of Drosophila heart pathogenesis and gauge the degree of conservation with human disease mechanisms on a systems level. Using a gel-LC-MS/MS approach, we identified 1228 protein clusters from 145 dissected adult fly hearts. Contractile, cytostructural and mitochondrial proteins were most abundant consistent with electron micrographs of the Drosophila cardiac tube. Functional/Ontological enrichment analysis further showed that proteins involved in glycolysis, Ca(2+-binding, redox, and G-protein signaling, among other processes, are also over-represented. Comparison with a mouse heart proteome revealed conservation at the level of molecular function, biological processes and cellular components. The subsisting peptidome encompassed 5169 distinct heart-associated peptides, of which 1293 (25% had not been identified in a recent Drosophila peptide compendium. PeptideClassifier analysis was further used to map peptides to specific gene-models. 1872 peptides provide valuable information about protein isoform groups whereas a further 3112 uniquely identify specific protein isoforms and may be used as a heart-associated peptide resource for quantitative proteomic approaches based on multiple-reaction monitoring. In summary, identification of excitation-contraction protein landmarks, orthologues of proteins associated with cardiovascular defects, and conservation of protein ontologies, provides testimony to the heart-like character of the Drosophila cardiac tube and to the utility of proteomics as a complement to the power of genetics in this growing model of human heart disease.

Folic acid supplements to prevent neural tube defects: trends in East of Ireland 1996-2002.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ward, M

2004-10-01

Promotion of folic acid to prevent neural Tube Defects (NTD) has been ongoing for ten years in Ireland, without a concomitant reduction in the total birth prevalence of NTD. The effectiveness of folic acid promotion as the sole means of primary prevention of NTD is therefore questionable. We examined trends in folic acid knowledge and peri-conceptional use from 1996-2002 with the aim of assessing the value of this approach. From 1996-2002, 300 women attending ante-natal clinics in Dublin hospitals annually were surveyed regarding their knowledge and use of folic acid. During the period the proportion who had heard of folic acid rose from 54% to 94% between 1996 and 2002 (c2 test for trend: p<0.001). Knowledge that folic acid can prevent NTD also rose from 21% to 66% (c2 test for trend: p<0.001). Although the proportion who took folic acid during pregnancy increased from 14% to 83% from 1996 to 2002 (c2 test for trend: p<0.001), peri-conceptional intake did not rise above 24% in any year. There is a high awareness of folic acid and its relation to NTD, which is not matched by peri-conceptional uptake. The main barrier to peri-conceptional uptake is the lack of pregnancy planning. To date promotional campaigns appear to have been ineffective in reducing the prevalence of NTD in Ireland. Consequently, fortification of staple foodstuffs is the only practical and reliable means of primary prevention of NTD.

Extracorporeal tubing in the roller pump raceway: physical changes and particulate generation.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiwak, Allison J Bednarski; Horbal, Alexander; Leatherbury, Robert; Hansford, Derek J

2008-09-01

Plasticized polyvinyl chloride tubing is used as the blood conduit in the heart lung bypass circuit. The section in the roller pump undergoes rigorous compression. Fatigue leads to material changes in weight and length of the bulk material. Particles are released during normal pump operation. This study evaluates the time course of particle loss. Three segments of 1/2" ID tubing run in the raceway for 30-minute, 1-hour, or 2-hour. The fluid path of each segment includes an oxygenator; a castor oil blend was used for the prime. The 5 mL sample was acquired at 10 minute intervals. Raceway tubing segments were measured for a change in weight and length. The same procedure repeated with 1/4" ID and 3/8" ID tubing. All tubing increased at least 5 mm by the 2-hour trial. There were no remarkable changes in weight. Particles were measured for size and percent volume. Tubing with 1/2" ID performed most consistently for particle release during all trials. Particles were observed as small as 1 nm. Particles as large as 3 micron could be confirmed. For all tubing there was particle release by 30 minutes. Perfusionists must consider tubing inner diameter and wall thickness in choosing the pPVC for the raceway in order to minimize particulate emboli. This research suggests that 3/8" ID tubing produces spalls inconsistently compared to 2" ID tubing. Thinner wall thickness tubing also has the potential to limit spall formation.

Systematic review and meta-analyses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dreier, Julie Werenberg; Andersen, Anne-Marie Nybo; Berg-Beckhoff, Gabriele

2014-01-01

1990 were excluded. RESULTS: The available literature supported an increased risk of adverse offspring health in association with fever during pregnancy. The strongest evidence was available for neural tube defects, congenital heart defects, and oral clefts, in which meta-analyses suggested between a 1...

Review: the role of neural crest cells in the endocrine system.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Meghan Sara; Bronner-Fraser, Marianne

2009-01-01

The neural crest is a pluripotent population of cells that arises at the junction of the neural tube and the dorsal ectoderm. These highly migratory cells form diverse derivatives including neurons and glia of the sensory, sympathetic, and enteric nervous systems, melanocytes, and the bones, cartilage, and connective tissues of the face. The neural crest has long been associated with the endocrine system, although not always correctly. According to current understanding, neural crest cells give rise to the chromaffin cells of the adrenal medulla, chief cells of the extra-adrenal paraganglia, and thyroid C cells. The endocrine tumors that correspond to these cell types are pheochromocytomas, extra-adrenal paragangliomas, and medullary thyroid carcinomas. Although controversies concerning embryological origin appear to have mostly been resolved, questions persist concerning the pathobiology of each tumor type and its basis in neural crest embryology. Here we present a brief history of the work on neural crest development, both in general and in application to the endocrine system. In particular, we present findings related to the plasticity and pluripotency of neural crest cells as well as a discussion of several different neural crest tumors in the endocrine system.

Heart rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity in bilateral lung transplant recipients.

Science.gov (United States)

Fontolliet, Timothée; Gianella, Pietro; Pichot, Vincent; Barthélémy, Jean-Claude; Gasche-Soccal, Paola; Ferretti, Guido; Lador, Frédéric

2018-01-09

The effects of lung afferents denervation on cardiovascular regulation can be assessed on bilateral lung transplantation patients. The high-frequency component of heart rate variability is known to be synchronous with breathing frequency. Then, if heart beat is neurally modulated by breathing frequency, we may expect disappearance of high frequency of heart rate variability in bilateral lung transplantation patients. On 11 patients and 11 matching healthy controls, we measured R-R interval (electrocardiography), blood pressure (Portapres ® ) and breathing frequency (ultrasonic device) in supine rest, during 10-min free breathing, 10-min cadenced breathing (0·25 Hz) and 5-min handgrip. We analysed heart rate variability and spontaneous variability of arterial blood pressure, by power spectral analysis, and baroreflex sensitivity, by the sequence method. Concerning heart rate variability, with respect to controls, transplant recipients had lower total power and lower low- and high-frequency power. The low-frequency/high-frequency ratio was higher. Concerning systolic, diastolic and mean arterial pressure variability, transplant recipients had lower total power (only for cadenced breathing), low frequency and low-frequency/high-frequency ratio during free and cadenced breathing. Baroreflex sensitivity was decreased. Denervated lungs induced strong heart rate variability reduction. The higher low-frequency/high-frequency ratio suggested that the total power drop was mostly due to high frequency. These results support the hypothesis that neural modulation from lung afferents contributes to the high frequency of heart rate variability. © 2018 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Is our heart a well-designed pump? The heart along animal evolution.

Science.gov (United States)

Bettex, Dominique A; Prêtre, René; Chassot, Pierre-Guy

2014-09-07

A carrier system for gases and nutrients became mandatory when primitive animals grew larger and developed different organs. The first circulatory systems are peristaltic tubes pushing slowly the haemolymph into an open vascular tree without capillaries (worms). Arthropods developed contractile bulges on the abdominal aorta assisted by accessory hearts for wings or legs and by abdominal respiratory motions. Two-chamber heart (atrium and ventricle) appeared among mollusks. Vertebrates have a multi-chamber heart and a closed circulation with capillaries. Their heart has two chambers in fishes, three chambers (two atria and one ventricle) in amphibians and reptiles, and four chambers in birds and mammals. The ventricle of reptiles is partially divided in two cavities by an interventricular septum, leaving only a communication of variable size leading to a variable shunt. Blood pressure increases progressively from 15 mmHg (worms) to 170/70 mmHg (birds) according to the increase in metabolic rate. When systemic pressure exceeds 50 mmHg, a lower pressure system appears for the circulation through gills or lungs in order to improve gas exchange. A four-chamber heart allows a complete separation of systemic and pulmonary circuits. This review describes the circulatory pumping systems used in the different classes of animals, their advantages and failures, and the way they have been modified with evolution. Published on behalf of the European Society of Cardiology. All rights reserved. © The Author 2014. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Maternal exposure to arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury and neural tube defects in offspring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brender, Jean D.; Suarez, Lucina; Felkner, Marilyn; Gilani, Zunera; Stinchcomb, David; Moody, Karen; Henry, Judy; Hendricks, Katherine

2006-01-01

Arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury are neurotoxins, and some studies suggest that these elements might also be teratogens. Using a case-control study design, we investigated the relation between exposure to these heavy metals and neural tube defects (NTDs) in offspring of Mexican-American women living in 1 of the 14 Texas counties bordering Mexico. A total of 184 case-women with NTD-affected pregnancies and 225 control-women with normal live births were interviewed about their environmental and occupational exposures during the periconceptional period. Biologic samples for blood lead and urinary arsenic, cadmium, and mercury were also obtained for a subset of these women. Overall, the median levels of these biomarkers for heavy metal exposure did not differ significantly (P>0.05) between case- and control-women. However, among women in the highest income group, case-women were nine times more likely (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4-57) than control-women to have a urinary mercury >=5.62μg/L. Case-women were 4.2 times more likely (95% CI 1.1-16) to report burning treated wood during the periconceptional period than control-women. Elevated odds ratios (ORs) were observed for maternal and paternal occupational exposures to arsenic and mercury, but the 95% CIs were consistent with unity. The 95% CIs of the ORs were also consistent with unity for higher levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury in drinking water and among women who lived within 2 miles at the time of conception to industrial facilities with reported emissions of any of these heavy metals. Our findings suggest that maternal exposures to arsenic, cadmium, or lead are probably not significant risk factors for NTDs in offspring. However, the elevated urinary mercury levels found in this population and exposures to the combustion of treated wood may warrant further investigation

Outflow tract septation and the aortic arch system in reptiles: lessons for understanding the mammalian heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Poelmann, Robert E; Gittenberger-de Groot, Adriana C; Biermans, Marcel W M; Dolfing, Anne I; Jagessar, Armand; van Hattum, Sam; Hoogenboom, Amanda; Wisse, Lambertus J; Vicente-Steijn, Rebecca; de Bakker, Merijn A G; Vonk, Freek J; Hirasawa, Tatsuya; Kuratani, Shigeru; Richardson, Michael K

2017-01-01

Cardiac outflow tract patterning and cell contribution are studied using an evo-devo approach to reveal insight into the development of aorto-pulmonary septation. We studied embryonic stages of reptile hearts (lizard, turtle and crocodile) and compared these to avian and mammalian development. Immunohistochemistry allowed us to indicate where the essential cell components in the outflow tract and aortic sac were deployed, more specifically endocardial, neural crest and second heart field cells. The neural crest-derived aorto-pulmonary septum separates the pulmonary trunk from both aortae in reptiles, presenting with a left visceral and a right systemic aorta arising from the unseptated ventricle. Second heart field-derived cells function as flow dividers between both aortae and between the two pulmonary arteries. In birds, the left visceral aorta disappears early in development, while the right systemic aorta persists. This leads to a fusion of the aorto-pulmonary septum and the aortic flow divider (second heart field population) forming an avian aorto-pulmonary septal complex. In mammals, there is also a second heart field-derived aortic flow divider, albeit at a more distal site, while the aorto-pulmonary septum separates the aortic trunk from the pulmonary trunk. As in birds there is fusion with second heart field-derived cells albeit from the pulmonary flow divider as the right 6th pharyngeal arch artery disappears, resulting in a mammalian aorto-pulmonary septal complex. In crocodiles, birds and mammals, the main septal and parietal endocardial cushions receive neural crest cells that are functional in fusion and myocardialization of the outflow tract septum. Longer-lasting septation in crocodiles demonstrates a heterochrony in development. In other reptiles with no indication of incursion of neural crest cells, there is either no myocardialized outflow tract septum (lizard) or it is vestigial (turtle). Crocodiles are unique in bearing a central shunt, the

A Signal Processing Module for the Analysis of Heart Sounds and Heart Murmurs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Javed, Faizan; Venkatachalam, P A; H, Ahmad Fadzil M

2006-01-01

In this paper a Signal Processing Module (SPM) for the computer-aided analysis of heart sounds has been developed. The module reveals important information of cardiovascular disorders and can assist general physician to come up with more accurate and reliable diagnosis at early stages. It can overcome the deficiency of expert doctors in rural as well as urban clinics and hospitals. The module has five main blocks: Data Acquisition and Pre-processing, Segmentation, Feature Extraction, Murmur Detection and Murmur Classification. The heart sounds are first acquired using an electronic stethoscope which has the capability of transferring these signals to the near by workstation using wireless media. Then the signals are segmented into individual cycles as well as individual components using the spectral analysis of heart without using any reference signal like ECG. Then the features are extracted from the individual components using Spectrogram and are used as an input to a MLP (Multiple Layer Perceptron) Neural Network that is trained to detect the presence of heart murmurs. Once the murmur is detected they are classified into seven classes depending on their timing within the cardiac cycle using Smoothed Pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution. The module has been tested with real heart sounds from 40 patients and has proved to be quite efficient and robust while dealing with a large variety of pathological conditions

A Signal Processing Module for the Analysis of Heart Sounds and Heart Murmurs

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Javed, Faizan; Venkatachalam, P A; H, Ahmad Fadzil M [Signal and Imaging Processing and Tele-Medicine Technology Research Group, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, 31750 Tronoh, Perak (Malaysia)

2006-04-01

In this paper a Signal Processing Module (SPM) for the computer-aided analysis of heart sounds has been developed. The module reveals important information of cardiovascular disorders and can assist general physician to come up with more accurate and reliable diagnosis at early stages. It can overcome the deficiency of expert doctors in rural as well as urban clinics and hospitals. The module has five main blocks: Data Acquisition and Pre-processing, Segmentation, Feature Extraction, Murmur Detection and Murmur Classification. The heart sounds are first acquired using an electronic stethoscope which has the capability of transferring these signals to the near by workstation using wireless media. Then the signals are segmented into individual cycles as well as individual components using the spectral analysis of heart without using any reference signal like ECG. Then the features are extracted from the individual components using Spectrogram and are used as an input to a MLP (Multiple Layer Perceptron) Neural Network that is trained to detect the presence of heart murmurs. Once the murmur is detected they are classified into seven classes depending on their timing within the cardiac cycle using Smoothed Pseudo Wigner-Ville distribution. The module has been tested with real heart sounds from 40 patients and has proved to be quite efficient and robust while dealing with a large variety of pathological conditions.

System overview of the fully implantable destination therapy--ReinHeart-total artificial heart.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelletier, Benedikt; Spiliopoulos, Sotirios; Finocchiaro, Thomas; Graef, Felix; Kuipers, Kristin; Laumen, Marco; Guersoy, Dilek; Steinseifer, Ulrich; Koerfer, Reiner; Tenderich, Gero

2015-01-01

Owing to the lack of suitable allografts, the demand for long-term mechanical circulatory support in patients with biventricular end-stage heart failure is rising. Currently available Total Artificial Heart (TAH) systems consist of pump units with only limited durability, percutaneous tubes and bulky external equipment that limit the quality of life. Therefore we are focusing on the development of a fully implantable, highly durable destination therapy total artificial heart. The ReinHeart-TAH system consists of a passively filling pump unit driven by a low-wear linear drive between two artificial ventricles, an implantable control unit and a compliance chamber. The TAH is powered by a transcutaneous energy transmission system. The flow distribution inside the ventricles was analysed by fluid structure interaction simulation and particle image velocimetry measurements. Along with durability tests, the hydrodynamic performance and flow balance capability were evaluated in a mock circulation loop. Animal trials are ongoing. Based on fluid structure interaction simulation and particle image velocimetry, blood stagnation areas have been significantly reduced. In the mock circulation loop the ReinHeart-TAH generated a cardiac output of 5 l/min at an operating frequency of 120 bpm and an aortic pressure of 120/80 mmHg. The highly effective preload sensitivity of the passively filling ventricles allowed the sensorless integration of the Frank Starling mechanism. The ReinHeart-TAH effectively replaced the native heart's function in animals for up to 2 days. In vitro and in vivo testing showed a safe and effective function of the ReinHeart-TAH system. This has the potential to become an alternative to transplantation. However, before a first-in-man implant, chronic animal trials still have to be completed. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.

Mathematical Modeling of Flow Characteristics in the Embryonic Chick Heart

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heebøll-Christensen, Jesper

This ph.d. thesis contains the mathematical modeling of fluid dynamical phenomena in the tubular embryonic chick heart at HH-stages 10, 12, 14, and 16. The models are constructed by application of energy bond technique and involve the elasticity of heart walls with elliptic cross-section, Womersley...... modified inertia, and resistance due to friction and curvature of the multilayered tubular heart. Through the modeling, flow conditions in the embryonic heart are characterized. The models suggest that eccentric rather than concentric deformation of the beating heart is optimal for mean flows induced...... the models are not conclusive on this point. In addition the Liebau effect is investigated in a simpler system containing two elastic tubes joined to form a liquid filled ring, with a compression pump at an asymmetric location. Through comparison to other reports the system validates model construction...

Evolution and development of ventricular septation in the amniote heart

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Poelmann, Robert E.; Gittenberger-de Groot, Adriana C.; Vicente-Steijn, Rebecca; Wisse, Lambertus J.; Bartelings, Margot M.; Everts, Sonja; Hoppenbrouwers, Tamara; Kruithof, Boudewijn P. T.; Jensen, Bjarke; de Bruin, Paul W.; Hirasawa, Tatsuya; Kuratani, Shigeru; Vonk, Freek; van de Put, Jeanne M. M. S.; de Bakker, Merijn A.; Richardson, Michael K.

2014-01-01

During cardiogenesis the epicardium, covering the surface of the myocardial tube, has been ascribed several functions essential for normal heart development of vertebrates from lampreys to mammals. We investigated a novel function of the epicardium in ventricular development in species with partial

A prenatally diagnosed pentalogy of cantrell case with encephalocele: A rare variant

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Melih Atahan Güven

2009-06-01

Full Text Available AIM: The aim of this study is to present a prenatally diagnosed and postnatally confirmed Pentalogy of Cantrell case also with neural tube defect. CASE: Characteristic features of Cantrell Pentalogy are omphalocele due to the defect of anterior diaphragm and lower sternum, absence of pericardium and cardiac anomaly. We are presenting here a case with encephalocele and omphalocele containing the heart with atrioventricular septal defect detected during prenatal ultrasonography. There is no consanguinity and history of drug usage or toxin exposure during pregnancy. As these malformations cause a very low chance of survival, pregnancy was terminated after an informed consent. Postmortem genetic evaluation of the fetus confirmed the prenatal findings. CONCLUSION: It is easy to diagnose omphalocele during pregnancy but if it associates with heart anomalies, Cantrell Pentalogy must be remembered. Encephalocele and other types of neural tube defects very rarely associate with this disorder and there were fewer than 20 cases reported in the literature.

Differentiation state determines neural effects on microvascular endothelial cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muffley, Lara A.; Pan, Shin-Chen; Smith, Andria N.; Ga, Maricar; Hocking, Anne M.; Gibran, Nicole S.

2012-01-01

Growing evidence indicates that nerves and capillaries interact paracrinely in uninjured skin and cutaneous wounds. Although mature neurons are the predominant neural cell in the skin, neural progenitor cells have also been detected in uninjured adult skin. The aim of this study was to characterize differential paracrine effects of neural progenitor cells and mature sensory neurons on dermal microvascular endothelial cells. Our results suggest that neural progenitor cells and mature sensory neurons have unique secretory profiles and distinct effects on dermal microvascular endothelial cell proliferation, migration, and nitric oxide production. Neural progenitor cells and dorsal root ganglion neurons secrete different proteins related to angiogenesis. Specific to neural progenitor cells were dipeptidyl peptidase-4, IGFBP-2, pentraxin-3, serpin f1, TIMP-1, TIMP-4 and VEGF. In contrast, endostatin, FGF-1, MCP-1 and thrombospondin-2 were specific to dorsal root ganglion neurons. Microvascular endothelial cell proliferation was inhibited by dorsal root ganglion neurons but unaffected by neural progenitor cells. In contrast, microvascular endothelial cell migration in a scratch wound assay was inhibited by neural progenitor cells and unaffected by dorsal root ganglion neurons. In addition, nitric oxide production by microvascular endothelial cells was increased by dorsal root ganglion neurons but unaffected by neural progenitor cells. -- Highlights: ► Dorsal root ganglion neurons, not neural progenitor cells, regulate microvascular endothelial cell proliferation. ► Neural progenitor cells, not dorsal root ganglion neurons, regulate microvascular endothelial cell migration. ► Neural progenitor cells and dorsal root ganglion neurons do not effect microvascular endothelial tube formation. ► Dorsal root ganglion neurons, not neural progenitor cells, regulate microvascular endothelial cell production of nitric oxide. ► Neural progenitor cells and dorsal root

A Role for the Cytoskeleton in Heart Looping

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Kersti K. Linask

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Over the past 10 years, key genes involved in specification of left-right laterality pathways in the embryo have been defined. The read-out for misexpression of laterality genes is usually the direction of heart looping. The question of how dextral looping direction occurred mechanistically and how the heart tube bends remains unknown. It is becoming clear from our experiments and those of others that left-right differences in cell proliferation in the second heart field (anterior heart field drives the dextral direction. Evidence is accumulating that the cytoskeleton is at the center of laterality, and the bending and rotational forces associated with heart looping. If laterality pathways are modulated upstream, the cytoskeleton, including nonmuscle myosin II (NMHC-II, is altered downstream within the cardiomyocytes, leading to looping abnormalities. The cytoskeleton is associated with important mechanosensing and signaling pathways in cell biology and development. The initiation of blood flow during the looping period and the inherent stresses associated with increasing volumes of blood flowing into the heart may help to potentiate the process. In recent years, the steps involved in this central and complex process of heart development that is the basis of numerous congenital heart defects are being unraveled.

The Effect of Heart Rate on the Heart Rate Variability Response to Autonomic Interventions

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George E Billman

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Heart rate variability (HRV, the beat-to-beat variation in either heart rate (HR or heart period (R-R interval, has become a popular clinical and investigational tool to quantify cardiac autonomic regulation. However, it is not widely appreciated that, due to the inverse curvilinear relationship between HR and R-R interval, HR per se can profoundly influence HRV. It is, therefore, critical to correct HRV for the prevailing HR particularly, as HR changes in response to autonomic neural activation or inhibition. The present study evaluated the effects of HR on the HRV response to autonomic interventions that either increased (submaximal exercise, n = 25 or baroreceptor reflex activation, n = 20 or reduced (pharmacological blockade: β-adrenergic receptor, muscarinic receptor antagonists alone and in combination, n = 25, or bilateral cervical vagotomy, n = 9 autonomic neural activity in a canine model. Both total (RR interval standard deviation, RRSD and the high frequency variability (HF, 0.2 to 1.04 Hz were determined before and in response to an autonomic intervention. All interventions that reduced or abolished cardiac parasympathetic regulation provoked large reductions in HRV even after HR correction [division by mean RRsec or (mean RRsec2 for RRSD and HF, respectively] while interventions that reduced HR yielded mixed results. β-adrenergic receptor blockade reduced HRV (RRSD but not HF while both RRSD and HF increased in response to increases in arterial blood (baroreceptor reflex activation even after HR correction. These data suggest that the physiological basis for HRV is revealed after correction for prevailing HR and, further, that cardiac parasympathetic activity is responsible for a major portion of the HRV in the dog.

Robo signaling regulates the production of cranial neural crest cells.

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Li, Yan; Zhang, Xiao-Tan; Wang, Xiao-Yu; Wang, Guang; Chuai, Manli; Münsterberg, Andrea; Yang, Xuesong

2017-12-01

Slit/Robo signaling plays an important role in the guidance of developing neurons in developing embryos. However, it remains obscure whether and how Slit/Robo signaling is involved in the production of cranial neural crest cells. In this study, we examined Robo1 deficient mice to reveal developmental defects of mouse cranial frontal and parietal bones, which are derivatives of cranial neural crest cells. Therefore, we determined the production of HNK1 + cranial neural crest cells in early chick embryo development after knock-down (KD) of Robo1 expression. Detection of markers for pre-migratory and migratory neural crest cells, PAX7 and AP-2α, showed that production of both was affected by Robo1 KD. In addition, we found that the transcription factor slug is responsible for the aberrant delamination/EMT of cranial neural crest cells induced by Robo1 KD, which also led to elevated expression of E- and N-Cadherin. N-Cadherin expression was enhanced when blocking FGF signaling with dominant-negative FGFR1 in half of the neural tube. Taken together, we show that Slit/Robo signaling influences the delamination/EMT of cranial neural crest cells, which is required for cranial bone development. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Sympathetic neural responses to smoking are age dependent

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Hering, D.; Somers, V. K.; Kára, T.; Kucharska, W.; Jurák, Pavel; Bieniaszewski, L.; Narkiewicz, K.

2006-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 4 (2006), s. 691-695 ISSN 0263-6352 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA102/05/0402 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20650511 Keywords : sympathetic neural response * blood pressure * heart rate * smoking Subject RIV: FS - Medical Facilities ; Equipment Impact factor: 4.021, year: 2006

Central neural pathways for thermoregulation

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Morrison, Shaun F.; Nakamura, Kazuhiro

2010-01-01

Central neural circuits orchestrate a homeostatic repertoire to maintain body temperature during environmental temperature challenges and to alter body temperature during the inflammatory response. This review summarizes the functional organization of the neural pathways through which cutaneous thermal receptors alter thermoregulatory effectors: the cutaneous circulation for heat loss, the brown adipose tissue, skeletal muscle and heart for thermogenesis and species-dependent mechanisms (sweating, panting and saliva spreading) for evaporative heat loss. These effectors are regulated by parallel but distinct, effector-specific neural pathways that share a common peripheral thermal sensory input. The thermal afferent circuits include cutaneous thermal receptors, spinal dorsal horn neurons and lateral parabrachial nucleus neurons projecting to the preoptic area to influence warm-sensitive, inhibitory output neurons which control thermogenesis-promoting neurons in the dorsomedial hypothalamus that project to premotor neurons in the rostral ventromedial medulla, including the raphe pallidus, that descend to provide the excitation necessary to drive thermogenic thermal effectors. A distinct population of warm-sensitive preoptic neurons controls heat loss through an inhibitory input to raphe pallidus neurons controlling cutaneous vasoconstriction. PMID:21196160

Cadmium-induced neural tube defects and fetal growth restriction: Association with disturbance of placental folate transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Gui-Bin; Wang, Hua; Hu, Jun; Guo, Min-Yin; Wang, Ying; Zhou, Yan; Yu, Zhen; Fu, Lin; Chen, Yuan-Hua; Xu, De-Xiang

2016-01-01

Previous studies found that maternal Cd exposure on gestational day (GD)9 caused forelimb ectrodactyly and tail deformity, the characteristic malformations. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether maternal Cd exposure on GD8 induces fetal neural tube defects (NTDs). Pregnant mice were intraperitoneally injected with CdCl 2 (2.5 or 5.0 mg/kg) on GD8. Neither forelimb ectrodactyly nor tail deformity was observed in mice injected with CdCl 2 on GD8. Instead, maternal Cd exposure on GD8 resulted in the incidence of NTDs. Moreover, maternal Cd exposure on GD8 resulted in fetal growth restriction. In addition, maternal Cd exposure on GD8 reduced placental weight and diameter. The internal space of maternal and fetal blood vessels in the labyrinth layer was decreased in the placentas of mice treated with CdCl 2 . Additional experiment showed that placental PCFT protein and mRNA, a critical folate transporter, was persistently decreased when dams were injected with CdCl 2 on GD8. Correspondingly, embryonic folate content was markedly decreased in mice injected with CdCl 2 on GD8, whereas Cd had little effect on folate content in maternal serum. Taken together, these results suggest that maternal Cd exposure during organogenesis disturbs transport of folate from maternal circulation to the fetuses through down-regulating placental folate transporters. - Highlights: • Maternal Cd exposure during organogenesis causes NTDs and FGR. • Maternal Cd exposure during organogenesis impairs placental development. • Cd disturbs transport of folate by down-regulating placental folate transporters.

Cadmium-induced neural tube defects and fetal growth restriction: Association with disturbance of placental folate transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Gui-Bin; Wang, Hua, E-mail: wanghuadev@126.com; Hu, Jun; Guo, Min-Yin; Wang, Ying; Zhou, Yan; Yu, Zhen; Fu, Lin; Chen, Yuan-Hua; Xu, De-Xiang, E-mail: xudex@126.com

2016-09-01

Previous studies found that maternal Cd exposure on gestational day (GD)9 caused forelimb ectrodactyly and tail deformity, the characteristic malformations. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether maternal Cd exposure on GD8 induces fetal neural tube defects (NTDs). Pregnant mice were intraperitoneally injected with CdCl{sub 2} (2.5 or 5.0 mg/kg) on GD8. Neither forelimb ectrodactyly nor tail deformity was observed in mice injected with CdCl{sub 2} on GD8. Instead, maternal Cd exposure on GD8 resulted in the incidence of NTDs. Moreover, maternal Cd exposure on GD8 resulted in fetal growth restriction. In addition, maternal Cd exposure on GD8 reduced placental weight and diameter. The internal space of maternal and fetal blood vessels in the labyrinth layer was decreased in the placentas of mice treated with CdCl{sub 2}. Additional experiment showed that placental PCFT protein and mRNA, a critical folate transporter, was persistently decreased when dams were injected with CdCl{sub 2} on GD8. Correspondingly, embryonic folate content was markedly decreased in mice injected with CdCl{sub 2} on GD8, whereas Cd had little effect on folate content in maternal serum. Taken together, these results suggest that maternal Cd exposure during organogenesis disturbs transport of folate from maternal circulation to the fetuses through down-regulating placental folate transporters. - Highlights: • Maternal Cd exposure during organogenesis causes NTDs and FGR. • Maternal Cd exposure during organogenesis impairs placental development. • Cd disturbs transport of folate by down-regulating placental folate transporters.

Noncontact measurement of electrostatic fields: Verification of modeled potentials within ion mobility spectrometer drift tube designs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scott, Jill R.; Tremblay, Paul L.

2007-01-01

The heart of an ion mobility spectrometer is the drift region where ion separation occurs. While the electrostatic potentials within a drift tube design can be modeled, no method for independently validating the electrostatic field has previously been reported. Two basic drift tube designs were modeled using SIMION 7.0 to reveal the expected electrostatic fields: (1) A traditional alternating set of electrodes and insulators and (2) a truly linear drift tube. One version of the alternating electrode/insulator drift tube and two versions of linear drift tubes were then fabricated. The stacked alternating electrodes/insulators were connected through a resistor network to generate the electrostatic gradient in the drift tube. The two linear drift tube designs consisted of two types of resistive drift tubes with one tube consisting of a resistive coating within an insulating tube and the other tube composed of resistive ferrites. The electrostatic fields within each type of drift tube were then evaluated by a noncontact method using a Kelvin-Zisman type electrostatic voltmeter and probe (results for alternative measurement methods provided in supplementary material). The experimental results were then compared with the electrostatic fields predicted by SIMION. Both the modeling and experimental measurements reveal that the electrostatic fields within a stacked ion mobility spectrometer drift tube are only pseudo-linear, while the electrostatic fields within a resistive drift tube approach perfect linearity

Evolution of posterior fossa and brain morphology after in utero repair of open neural tube defects assessed by MRI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rethmann, Christin; Scheer, Ianina; Kellenberger, Christian Johannes [University Children' s Hospital Zurich, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Zurich (Switzerland); University of Zurich, The Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich (Switzerland); Children' s Research Center (CRC), Zurich (Switzerland); Meuli, Martin; Mazzone, Luca; Moehrlen, Ueli [University of Zurich, The Zurich Center for Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy, Zurich (Switzerland); Children' s Research Center (CRC), Zurich (Switzerland); University Children' s Hospital Zurich, Department of Pediatric Surgery, Zurich (Switzerland)

2017-11-15

To describe characteristics of foetuses undergoing in utero repair of open neural tube defects (ONTD) and assess postoperative evolution of posterior fossa and brain morphology. Analysis of pre- and postoperative foetal as well as neonatal MRI of 27 foetuses who underwent in utero repair of ONTD. Type and level of ONTD, hindbrain configuration, posterior fossa and liquor space dimensions, and detection of associated findings were compared between MRI studies and to age-matched controls. Level of bony spinal defect was defined with exactness of ± one vertebral body. Of surgically confirmed 18 myelomeningoceles (MMC) and 9 myeloschisis (MS), 3 MMC were misdiagnosed as MS due to non-visualisation of a flat membrane on MRI. Hindbrain herniation was more severe in MS than MMC (p < 0.001). After repair, hindbrain herniation resolved in 25/27 cases at 4 weeks and liquor spaces increased. While posterior fossa remained small (p < 0.001), its configuration normalised. Lateral ventricle diameter indexed to cerebral width decreased in 48% and increased in 12% of cases, implying a low rate of progressive obstructive hydrocephalus. Neonatally evident subependymal heterotopias were detected in 33% at preoperative and 50% at postoperative foetal MRI. MRI demonstrates change of Chiari malformation type II (CM-II) features. (orig.)

Evolution of posterior fossa and brain morphology after in utero repair of open neural tube defects assessed by MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rethmann, Christin; Scheer, Ianina; Kellenberger, Christian Johannes; Meuli, Martin; Mazzone, Luca; Moehrlen, Ueli

2017-01-01

To describe characteristics of foetuses undergoing in utero repair of open neural tube defects (ONTD) and assess postoperative evolution of posterior fossa and brain morphology. Analysis of pre- and postoperative foetal as well as neonatal MRI of 27 foetuses who underwent in utero repair of ONTD. Type and level of ONTD, hindbrain configuration, posterior fossa and liquor space dimensions, and detection of associated findings were compared between MRI studies and to age-matched controls. Level of bony spinal defect was defined with exactness of ± one vertebral body. Of surgically confirmed 18 myelomeningoceles (MMC) and 9 myeloschisis (MS), 3 MMC were misdiagnosed as MS due to non-visualisation of a flat membrane on MRI. Hindbrain herniation was more severe in MS than MMC (p < 0.001). After repair, hindbrain herniation resolved in 25/27 cases at 4 weeks and liquor spaces increased. While posterior fossa remained small (p < 0.001), its configuration normalised. Lateral ventricle diameter indexed to cerebral width decreased in 48% and increased in 12% of cases, implying a low rate of progressive obstructive hydrocephalus. Neonatally evident subependymal heterotopias were detected in 33% at preoperative and 50% at postoperative foetal MRI. MRI demonstrates change of Chiari malformation type II (CM-II) features. (orig.)

Neuronal patterning of the tubular collar cord is highly conserved among enteropneusts but dissimilar to the chordate neural tube.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaul-Strehlow, Sabrina; Urata, Makoto; Praher, Daniela; Wanninger, Andreas

2017-08-01

A tubular nervous system is present in the deuterostome groups Chordata (cephalochordates, tunicates, vertebrates) and in the non-chordate Enteropneusta. However, the worm-shaped enteropneusts possess a less complex nervous system featuring only a short hollow neural tube, whereby homology to its chordate counterpart remains elusive. Since the majority of data on enteropneusts stem from the harrimaniid Saccoglossus kowalevskii, putative interspecific variations remain undetected resulting in an unreliable ground pattern that impedes homology assessments. In order to complement the missing data from another enteropneust family, we investigated expression of key neuronal patterning genes in the ptychoderid Balanoglossus misakiensis. The collar cord of B. misakiensis shows anterior Six3/6 and posterior Otx + Engrailed expression, in a region corresponding to the chordate brain. Neuronal Nk2.1/Nk2.2 expression is absent. Interestingly, we found median Dlx and lateral Pax6 expression domains, i.e., a condition that is reversed compared to chordates. Comparative analyses reveal that adult nervous system patterning is highly conserved among the enteropneust families Harrimaniidae, Spengelidae and Ptychoderidae. BmiDlx and BmiPax6 have no corresponding expression domains in the chordate brain, which may be indicative of independent acquisition of a tubular nervous system in Enteropneusta and Chordata.

High glucose alters the expression of genes involved in proliferation and cell-fate specification of embryonic neural stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Fu, J; Tay, S S W; Ling, E A; Dheen, S T

2006-05-01

Maternal diabetes induces neural tube defects during embryogenesis. Since the neural tube is derived from neural stem cells (NSCs), it is hypothesised that in diabetic pregnancy neural tube defects result from altered expression of developmental control genes, leading to abnormal proliferation and cell-fate choice of NSCs. Cell viability, proliferation index and apoptosis of NSCs and differentiated cells from mice exposed to physiological or high glucose concentration medium were examined by a tetrazolium salt assay, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine incorporation, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling and immunocytochemistry. Expression of developmental genes, including sonic hedgehog (Shh), bone morphogenetic protein 4 (Bmp4), neurogenin 1/2 (Neurog1/2), achaete-scute complex-like 1 (Ascl1), oligodendrocyte transcription factor 1 (Olig1), oligodendrocyte lineage transcription factor 2 (Olig2), hairy and enhancer of split 1/5 (Hes1/5) and delta-like 1 (Dll1), was analysed by real-time RT-PCR. Proliferation index and neuronal specification in the forebrain of embryos at embryonic day 11.5 were examined histologically. High glucose decreased the proliferation of NSCs and differentiated cells. The incidence of apoptosis was increased in NSCs treated with high glucose, but not in the differentiated cells. High glucose also accelerated neuronal and glial differentiation from NSCs. The decreased proliferation index and early differentiation of neurons were evident in the telencephalon of embryos derived from diabetic mice. Exposure to high glucose altered the mRNA expression levels of Shh, Bmp4, Neurog1/2, Ascl1, Hes1, Dll1 and Olig1 in NSCs and Shh, Dll1, Neurog1/2 and Hes5 in differentiated cells. The changes in proliferation and differentiation of NSCs exposed to high glucose are associated with altered expression of genes that are involved in cell-cycle progression and cell-fate specification during neurulation. These changes may form the

Brain-heart interactions: challenges and opportunities with functional magnetic resonance imaging at ultra-high field.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Catie; Raven, Erika P; Duyn, Jeff H

2016-05-13

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at ultra-high field (UHF) strengths (7 T and above) offers unique opportunities for studying the human brain with increased spatial resolution, contrast and sensitivity. However, its reliability can be compromised by factors such as head motion, image distortion and non-neural fluctuations of the functional MRI signal. The objective of this review is to provide a critical discussion of the advantages and trade-offs associated with UHF imaging, focusing on the application to studying brain-heart interactions. We describe how UHF MRI may provide contrast and resolution benefits for measuring neural activity of regions involved in the control and mediation of autonomic processes, and in delineating such regions based on anatomical MRI contrast. Limitations arising from confounding signals are discussed, including challenges with distinguishing non-neural physiological effects from the neural signals of interest that reflect cardiorespiratory function. We also consider how recently developed data analysis techniques may be applied to high-field imaging data to uncover novel information about brain-heart interactions. © 2016 The Author(s).

Ectopic cross-talk between thyroid and retinoic acid signaling: A possible etiology for spinal neural tube defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Huili; Bai, Baoling; Zhang, Qin; Bao, Yihua; Guo, Jin; Chen, Shuyuan; Miao, Chunyue; Liu, Xiaozhen; Zhang, Ting

2015-12-01

Previous studies have highlighted the connections between neural tube defects (NTDs) and both thyroid hormones (TH) and vitamin A. However, whether the two hormonal signaling pathways interact in NTDs has remained unclear. We measured the expression levels of TH signaling genes in human fetuses with spinal NTDs associated with maternal hyperthyroidism as well as levels of retinoic acid (RA) signaling genes in mouse fetuses exposed to an overdose of RA using NanoString or real-time PCR on spinal cord tissues. Interactions between the two signaling pathways were detected by ChIP assays. The data revealed attenuated DIO2/DIO3 switching in fetuses with NTDs born to hyperthyroid mothers. The promoters of the RA signaling genes CRABP1 and RARB were ectopically occupied by increased RXRG and RXRB but displayed decreased levels of inhibitory histone modifications, suggesting that elevated TH signaling abnormally stimulates RA signaling genes. Conversely, in the mouse model, the observed decrease in Dio3 expression could be explained by increased levels of inhibitory histone modifications in the Dio3 promoter region, suggesting that overactive RA signaling may ectopically derepress TH signaling. This study thus raises in vivo a possible abnormal cross-promotion between two different hormonal signals through their common RXRs and the subsequent recruitment of histone modifications, prompting further investigation into their involvement in the etiology of spinal NTDs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A targeted sequencing panel identifies rare damaging variants in multiple genes in the cranial neural tube defect, anencephaly.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishida, M; Cullup, T; Boustred, C; James, C; Docker, J; English, C; Lench, N; Copp, A J; Moore, G E; Greene, N D E; Stanier, P

2018-04-01

Neural tube defects (NTDs) affecting the brain (anencephaly) are lethal before or at birth, whereas lower spinal defects (spina bifida) may lead to lifelong neurological handicap. Collectively, NTDs rank among the most common birth defects worldwide. This study focuses on anencephaly, which despite having a similar frequency to spina bifida and being the most common type of NTD observed in mouse models, has had more limited inclusion in genetic studies. A genetic influence is strongly implicated in determining risk of NTDs and a molecular diagnosis is of fundamental importance to families both in terms of understanding the origin of the condition and for managing future pregnancies. Here we used a custom panel of 191 NTD candidate genes to screen 90 patients with cranial NTDs (n = 85 anencephaly and n = 5 craniorachischisis) with a targeted exome sequencing platform. After filtering and comparing to our in-house control exome database (N = 509), we identified 397 rare variants (minor allele frequency, MAF < 1%), 21 of which were previously unreported and predicted damaging. This included 1 frameshift (PDGFRA), 2 stop-gained (MAT1A; NOS2) and 18 missense variations. Together with evidence for oligogenic inheritance, this study provides new information on the possible genetic causation of anencephaly. © 2017 The Authors. Clinical Genetics published by John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Analysis of Boiler Operational Variables Prior to Tube Leakage Fault by Artificial Intelligent System

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Al-Kayiem Hussain H.

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Steam boilers are considered as a core of any steam power plant. Boilers are subjected to various types of trips leading to shut down of the entire plant. The tube leakage is the worse among the common boiler faults, where the shutdown period lasts for around four to five days. This paper describes the rules of the Artificial Intelligent Systems to diagnosis the boiler variables prior to tube leakage occurrence. An Intelligent system based on Artificial Neural Network was designed and coded in MATLAB environment. The ANN was trained and validated using real site data acquired from coal fired power plant in Malaysia. Ninety three boiler operational variables were identified for the present investigation based on the plant operator experience. Various neural networks topology combinations were investigated. The results showed that the NN with two hidden layers performed better than one hidden layer using Levenberg-Maquardt training algorithm. Moreover, it was noticed that hyperbolic tangent function for input and output nodes performed better than other activation function types.

Empirical modeling of nuclear power plants using neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parlos, A.G.; Atiya, A.; Chong, K.T.

1991-01-01

A summary of a procedure for nonlinear identification of process dynamics encountered in nuclear power plant components is presented in this paper using artificial neural systems. A hybrid feedforward/feedback neural network, namely, a recurrent multilayer perceptron, is used as the nonlinear structure for system identification. In the overall identification process, the feedforward portion of the network architecture provides its well-known interpolation property, while through recurrency and cross-talk, the local information feedback enables representation of time-dependent system nonlinearities. The standard backpropagation learning algorithm is modified and is used to train the proposed hybrid network in a supervised manner. The performance of recurrent multilayer perceptron networks in identifying process dynamics is investigated via the case study of a U-tube steam generator. The nonlinear response of a representative steam generator is predicted using a neural network and is compared to the response obtained from a sophisticated physical model during both high- and low-power operation. The transient responses compare well, though further research is warranted for training and testing of recurrent neural networks during more severe operational transients and accident scenarios

Tube cystostomy for management of obstructive urolithiasis in ruminants

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P. Tamilmahan

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the simple tube cystostomy procedure for management of urethral obstruction cases in ruminants. Materials and Methods: Tube cystostomy was used to treat a total of 58 ruminants, which included 35 buffalo calves and 23 goats. Diagnosis of the disease was made with the history of anuria, clinical signs, and physical examinations. Physical parameters like heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature dehydration status of animals by skin tenting test, and intraoperative findings were compared. Results: Young ruminants were most commonly affected and the mean age was 4-5 months in both species. Only male were considered for the study in which buffalo calves were not castrated but in goat's 73.91% animal were castrated and 34.7% not castrated. Rupture of bladder was more common in buffalo calves as compared to goats. The confirmed cases of obstructive urolithiasis were selected for tube cystostomy with Foley's catheter. Postoperatively all cases were administered with broad spectrum antibiotic, anti-inflammatory agent, and caliculolytic agents like ammonium chloride. Postoperative complications recorded only in 10 animals and remaining 48 animals had an uneventful recovery. Conclusion: Tube cystostomy is a simple and effective procedure particularly in intact urinary bladder, which can be adopted at field level.

Dlx proteins position the neural plate border and determine adjacent cell fates.

Science.gov (United States)

Woda, Juliana M; Pastagia, Julie; Mercola, Mark; Artinger, Kristin Bruk

2003-01-01

The lateral border of the neural plate is a major source of signals that induce primary neurons, neural crest cells and cranial placodes as well as provide patterning cues to mesodermal structures such as somites and heart. Whereas secreted BMP, FGF and Wnt proteins influence the differentiation of neural and non-neural ectoderm, we show here that members of the Dlx family of transcription factors position the border between neural and non-neural ectoderm and are required for the specification of adjacent cell fates. Inhibition of endogenous Dlx activity in Xenopus embryos with an EnR-Dlx homeodomain fusion protein expands the neural plate into non-neural ectoderm tissue whereas ectopic activation of Dlx target genes inhibits neural plate differentiation. Importantly, the stereotypic pattern of border cell fates in the adjacent ectoderm is re-established only under conditions where the expanded neural plate abuts Dlx-positive non-neural ectoderm. Experiments in which presumptive neural plate was grafted to ventral ectoderm reiterate induction of neural crest and placodal lineages and also demonstrate that Dlx activity is required in non-neural ectoderm for the production of signals needed for induction of these cells. We propose that Dlx proteins regulate intercellular signaling across the interface between neural and non-neural ectoderm that is critical for inducing and patterning adjacent cell fates.

Outflow tract septation and the aortic arch system in reptiles: lessons for understanding the mammalian heart

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Robert E. Poelmann

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cardiac outflow tract patterning and cell contribution are studied using an evo-devo approach to reveal insight into the development of aorto-pulmonary septation. Results We studied embryonic stages of reptile hearts (lizard, turtle and crocodile and compared these to avian and mammalian development. Immunohistochemistry allowed us to indicate where the essential cell components in the outflow tract and aortic sac were deployed, more specifically endocardial, neural crest and second heart field cells. The neural crest-derived aorto-pulmonary septum separates the pulmonary trunk from both aortae in reptiles, presenting with a left visceral and a right systemic aorta arising from the unseptated ventricle. Second heart field-derived cells function as flow dividers between both aortae and between the two pulmonary arteries. In birds, the left visceral aorta disappears early in development, while the right systemic aorta persists. This leads to a fusion of the aorto-pulmonary septum and the aortic flow divider (second heart field population forming an avian aorto-pulmonary septal complex. In mammals, there is also a second heart field-derived aortic flow divider, albeit at a more distal site, while the aorto-pulmonary septum separates the aortic trunk from the pulmonary trunk. As in birds there is fusion with second heart field-derived cells albeit from the pulmonary flow divider as the right 6th pharyngeal arch artery disappears, resulting in a mammalian aorto-pulmonary septal complex. In crocodiles, birds and mammals, the main septal and parietal endocardial cushions receive neural crest cells that are functional in fusion and myocardialization of the outflow tract septum. Longer-lasting septation in crocodiles demonstrates a heterochrony in development. In other reptiles with no indication of incursion of neural crest cells, there is either no myocardialized outflow tract septum (lizard or it is vestigial (turtle. Crocodiles

DNA methyltransferase 3b is dispensable for mouse neural crest development.

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Bridget T Jacques-Fricke

Full Text Available The neural crest is a population of multipotent cells that migrates extensively throughout vertebrate embryos to form diverse structures. Mice mutant for the de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3b exhibit defects in two neural crest derivatives, the craniofacial skeleton and cardiac ventricular septum, suggesting that DNMT3b activity is necessary for neural crest development. Nevertheless, the requirement for DNMT3b specifically in neural crest cells, as opposed to interacting cell types, has not been determined. Using a conditional DNMT3b allele crossed to the neural crest cre drivers Wnt1-cre and Sox10-cre, neural crest DNMT3b mutants were generated. In both neural crest-specific and fully DNMT3b-mutant embryos, cranial neural crest cells exhibited only subtle migration defects, with increased numbers of dispersed cells trailing organized streams in the head. In spite of this, the resulting cranial ganglia, craniofacial skeleton, and heart developed normally when neural crest cells lacked DNMT3b. This indicates that DNTM3b is not necessary in cranial neural crest cells for their development. We conclude that defects in neural crest derivatives in DNMT3b mutant mice reflect a requirement for DNMT3b in lineages such as the branchial arch mesendoderm or the cardiac mesoderm that interact with neural crest cells during formation of these structures.

Absence of Rybp Compromises Neural Differentiation of Embryonic Stem Cells

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Gergo Kovacs

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Rybp (Ring1 and Yy1 Binding Protein is a transcriptional regulator and member of the noncanonical polycomb repressive complex 1 with essential role in early embryonic development. We have previously described that alteration of Rybp dosage in mouse models induced striking neural tube defects (NTDs, exencephaly, and disorganized neurocortex. In this study we further investigated the role of Rybp in neural differentiation by utilising wild type (rybp+/+ and rybp null mutant (rybp-/- embryonic stem cells (ESCs and tried to uncover underlying molecular events that are responsible for the observed phenotypic changes. We found that rybp null mutant ESCs formed less matured neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes from existing progenitors than wild type cells. Furthermore, lack of rybp coincided with altered gene expression of key neural markers including Pax6 and Plagl1 pinpointing a possible transcriptional circuit among these genes.

Glutamate transporter type 3 knockout leads to decreased heart rate possibly via parasympathetic mechanism

OpenAIRE

Deng, Jiao; Li, Jiejie; Li, Liaoliao; Feng, Chenzhuo; Xiong, Lize; Zuo, Zhiyi

2013-01-01

Parasympathetic tone is a dominant neural regulator for basal heart rate. Glutamate transporters (EAAT) via their glutamate uptake functions regulate glutamate neurotransmission in the central nervous system. We showed that EAAT type 3 (EAAT3) knockout mice had a slower heart rate than wild-type mice when they were anesthetized. We design this study to determine whether non-anesthetized EAAT3 knockout mice have a slower heart rate and, if so, what may be the mechanism for this effect. Young a...

A Neural Network Approach to Fluid Quantity Measurement in Dynamic Environments

CERN Document Server

Terzic, Edin; Nagarajah, Romesh; Alamgir, Muhammad

2012-01-01

Sloshing causes liquid to fluctuate, making accurate level readings difficult to obtain in dynamic environments. The measurement system described uses a single-tube capacitive sensor to obtain an instantaneous level reading of the fluid surface, thereby accurately determining the fluid quantity in the presence of slosh. A neural network based classification technique has been applied to predict the actual quantity of the fluid contained in a tank under sloshing conditions.   In A neural network approach to fluid quantity measurement in dynamic environments, effects of temperature variations and contamination on the capacitive sensor are discussed, and the authors propose that these effects can also be eliminated with the proposed neural network based classification system. To examine the performance of the classification system, many field trials were carried out on a running vehicle at various tank volume levels that range from 5 L to 50 L. The effectiveness of signal enhancement on the neural network base...

Linear and nonlinear ARMA model parameter estimation using an artificial neural network

Science.gov (United States)

Chon, K. H.; Cohen, R. J.

1997-01-01

This paper addresses parametric system identification of linear and nonlinear dynamic systems by analysis of the input and output signals. Specifically, we investigate the relationship between estimation of the system using a feedforward neural network model and estimation of the system by use of linear and nonlinear autoregressive moving-average (ARMA) models. By utilizing a neural network model incorporating a polynomial activation function, we show the equivalence of the artificial neural network to the linear and nonlinear ARMA models. We compare the parameterization of the estimated system using the neural network and ARMA approaches by utilizing data generated by means of computer simulations. Specifically, we show that the parameters of a simulated ARMA system can be obtained from the neural network analysis of the simulated data or by conventional least squares ARMA analysis. The feasibility of applying neural networks with polynomial activation functions to the analysis of experimental data is explored by application to measurements of heart rate (HR) and instantaneous lung volume (ILV) fluctuations.

Investigating the Flow and Biomechanics of the Embryonic Zebrafish Heart

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Brennan; Garrity, Deborah; Dasi, Lakshmi

2010-11-01

Understanding flow and kinematic characteristics of the embryonic heart is a prerequisite to devise early intervention or detection methods in the context of congenital heart defects. In this study, the kinematics and fluid dynamics of the embryonic zebrafish heart were analyzed through the early stages of cardiac development (24-48 hours post-fertilization) in vivo using optical microscopy and high-speed video. Endocardial walls and individual blood cells were segmented from raw images and were tracked through the cardiac cycle. Particle tracking velocimetry analysis yielded quantitative blood cell velocity field, chamber volume, and flow rate information. It was seen that the pumping mechanism starts as a combined peristaltic and suction pump while the heart is in the tube configuration and transforms into a positive displacement pump after cardiac looping. Strong two-phase nature of the fluid is evident. This work provides us new understanding of the spatio-temporal characteristics of kinematics and blood cell velocity field inside the developing heart.

Detection of copy number variants reveals association of cilia genes with neural tube defects.

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Xiaoli Chen

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Neural tube defects (NTDs are one of the most common birth defects caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Currently, little is known about the genetic basis of NTDs although up to 70% of human NTDs were reported to be attributed to genetic factors. Here we performed genome-wide copy number variants (CNVs detection in a cohort of Chinese NTD patients in order to exam the potential role of CNVs in the pathogenesis of NTDs. METHODS: The genomic DNA from eighty-five NTD cases and seventy-five matched normal controls were subjected for whole genome CNVs analysis. Non-DGV (the Database of Genomic Variants CNVs from each group were further analyzed for their associations with NTDs. Gene content in non-DGV CNVs as well as participating pathways were examined. RESULTS: Fifty-five and twenty-six non-DGV CNVs were detected in cases and controls respectively. Among them, forty and nineteen CNVs involve genes (genic CNV. Significantly more non-DGV CNVs and non-DGV genic CNVs were detected in NTD patients than in control (41.2% vs. 25.3%, p<0.05 and 37.6% vs. 20%, p<0.05. Non-DGV genic CNVs are associated with a 2.65-fold increased risk for NTDs (95% CI: 1.24-5.87. Interestingly, there are 41 cilia genes involved in non-DGV CNVs from NTD patients which is significantly enriched in cases compared with that in controls (24.7% vs. 9.3%, p<0.05, corresponding with a 3.19-fold increased risk for NTDs (95% CI: 1.27-8.01. Pathway analyses further suggested that two ciliogenesis pathways, tight junction and protein kinase A signaling, are top canonical pathways implicated in NTD-specific CNVs, and these two novel pathways interact with known NTD pathways. CONCLUSIONS: Evidence from the genome-wide CNV study suggests that genic CNVs, particularly ciliogenic CNVs are associated with NTDs and two ciliogenesis pathways, tight junction and protein kinase A signaling, are potential pathways involved in NTD pathogenesis.

21 CFR 868.5800 - Tracheostomy tube and tube cuff.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tracheostomy tube and tube cuff. 868.5800 Section... (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES ANESTHESIOLOGY DEVICES Therapeutic Devices § 868.5800 Tracheostomy tube and tube cuff. (a) Identification. A tracheostomy tube and tube cuff is a device intended to be placed into a...

EDITORIAL: Focus on Heart and Mind

Science.gov (United States)

Bodenschatz, Eberhard; Wolf, Fred

2008-01-01

Among the organs of our body, the function of heart and brain are unique in that their operation emerges from the collective dynamics of millions of strongly interacting cells well organized in their geometrical structure and connectivity. In the heart muscle the propagation of a nonlinear wave pulse, the cardiac action potential, controls the contraction. Usually the propagation is well-organized both in space and time and the heart functions as an efficient biological pump. Instabilities triggered by diseased tissue but also by dynamical heterogeneities, may, however, induce cardiac arrhythmia and fibrillation, where the pacemaker looses control to dynamically generated, high-frequency self-excitation of the muscle. In this state the coherence of contraction is lost and may lead within minutes to death. The appearance of arrhythmias can be associated with topological singularities, the so called spiral or scroll waves, and how the occurrence of this malfunctioning pattern-formation process can be understood is a dominant subject of current research. This is all the more important as cardiac arrhythmias and fibrillation are the main cause of premature death in the developed world. Similarly, in the brain the propagation of a nonlinear wave pulse, namely the neural action potential, is at the basis of the computational and memory power of the brain, i.e. what determines the workings of our 'minds'. Here, however, due to the high degree of interconnectivity and topological complexity of the neuronal network, the coordinated activity of millions of interacting nerve cells is more complex, although the basic principles of action potential generation at the level of each cell are quite similar. The currently emerging field of network dynamical systems is largely driven by the mathematical challenge and the steady stream of novel dynamical phenomena that results from the interplay of local nonlinear dynamics and complex network structure in models of biological neuronal

Prevalência e distribuição espacial de defeitos do tubo neural no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, antes e após a fortificação de farinhas com ácido fólico Prevalencia y distribución espacial de defectos del tubo neural en el Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, antes y después del enriquecimiento de harinas con ácido fólico Prevalence and spatial distribution of neural tube defects in São Paulo State, Brazil, before and after folic acid flour fortification

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Elizabeth Fujimori

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Estudo transversal que analisou prevalência e distribuição espacial de defeitos do tubo neural, antes e após a fortificação das farinhas de trigo e milho com ácido fólico no Estado de São Paulo, Brasil, com uso do Sistema de Informações sobre Nascidos Vivos (SINASC. São apresentadas prevalências segundo características maternas por meio de odds ratio (OR e intervalos de 95% de confiança (IC95%. Para análise temporal e espacial, foram utilizados, respectivamente, regressão polinomial e mapas com suavização bayesiana empírica. A prevalência diminuiu 35%, de 0,57 para 0,37 por mil nascidos vivos após a fortificação (OR = 0,65; IC95%: 0,59-0,72. Verificou-se redução para mulheres de todas as idades (exceto Estudio transversal que analizó la prevalencia y distribución espacial de defectos del tubo neural, antes y después del enriquecimiento de las harinas de trigo y maíz con ácido fólico en el Estado de Sao Paulo, Brasil, con el uso del Sistema de Información sobre Nacidos Vivos (SINASC. Se presentaron prevalencias, según características maternas, mediante odds ratio (OR e intervalos de un 95% de confianza (IC95%. Para un análisis temporal y espacial, fueron utilizados, respectivamente, regresión polinomial y mapas con suavizamiento bayesiano empírico. La prevalencia disminuyó un 35%, de 0,57 a 0,37 por mil nacidos vivos tras el enriquecimiento (OR = 0,65; IC95%: 0,59-0,72. Se verificó la reducción en mujeres de todas las edades (excepto This cross-sectional study analyzed the prevalence and spatial distribution of neural tube defects before and after folic acid flour fortification. The study used the Information System on Live Births (SINASC and presented prevalence rates according to maternal characteristics with odds ratios (OR and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI. Polynomial regression was used in time trend analysis and empirical Bayesian smoothed maps for spatial analysis. Total prevalence of neural tube

Tube plug

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zafred, P. R.

1985-01-01

The tube plug comprises a one piece mechanical plug having one open end and one closed end which is capable of being inserted in a heat exchange tube and internally expanded into contact with the inside surface of the heat exchange tube for preventing flow of a coolant through the heat exchange tube. The tube plug also comprises a groove extending around the outside circumference thereof which has an elastomeric material disposed in the groove for enhancing the seal between the tube plug and the tube

Ultrasonic inspection of tube to tube plate welds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Telford, D.W.; Peat, T.S.

1985-01-01

To monitor the deterioration of a weld between a tube and tube plate which has been repaired by a repair sleeve inside the tube and brazed at one end to the tube, ultrasound from a crystal at the end of a rod is launched, in the form of Lamb-type waves, into the tube through the braze and allowed to travel along the tube to the weld and be reflected back along the tube. The technique may also be used for the type of heat exchanger in which, during construction, the tubes are welded to the tube plate via external sleeves in which case the ultrasound is used in a similar manner to inspect the sleeve/tube plate weld. an electromagnetic transducer may be used to generate the ultrasound. The ultrasonic head comprising the crystal and an acoustic baffle is mounted on a Perspex (RTM) rod which may be rotated by a stepping motor. Echo signals from the region of deterioration may be isolated by use of a time gate in the receiver. The device primarily detects circumferentially orientated cracks, and may be used in heat exchangers in nuclear power plants. (author)

Chromatic characterization of a three-channel colorimeter using back-propagation neural networks

Science.gov (United States)

Pardo, P. J.; Pérez, A. L.; Suero, M. I.

2004-09-01

This work describes a method for the chromatic characterization of a three-channel colorimeter of recent design and construction dedicated to color vision research. The colorimeter consists of two fixed monochromators and a third monochromator interchangeable with a cathode ray tube or any other external light source. Back-propagation neural networks were used for the chromatic characterization to establish the relationship between each monochromator's input parameters and the tristimulus values of each chromatic stimulus generated. The results showed the effectiveness of this type of neural-network-based system for the chromatic characterization of the stimuli produced by any monochromator.

A probablistic neural network classification system for signal and image processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowman, B. [Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

1994-11-15

The Acoustical Heart Valve Analysis Package is a system for signal and image processing and classification. It is being developed in both Matlab and C, to provide an interactive, interpreted environment, and has been optimized for large scale matrix operations. It has been used successfully to classify acoustic signals from implanted prosthetic heart valves in human patients, and will be integrated into a commercial Heart Valve Screening Center. The system uses several standard signal processing algorithms, as well as supervised learning techniques using the probabilistic neural network (PNN). Although currently used for the acoustic heart valve application, the algorithms and modular design allow it to be used for other applications, as well. We will describe the signal classification system, and show results from a set of test valves.

Fetoscopic Open Neural Tube Defect Repair: Development and Refinement of a Two-Port, Carbon Dioxide Insufflation Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Belfort, Michael A; Whitehead, William E; Shamshirsaz, Alireza A; Bateni, Zhoobin H; Olutoye, Oluyinka O; Olutoye, Olutoyin A; Mann, David G; Espinoza, Jimmy; Williams, Erin; Lee, Timothy C; Keswani, Sundeep G; Ayres, Nancy; Cassady, Christopher I; Mehollin-Ray, Amy R; Sanz Cortes, Magdalena; Carreras, Elena; Peiro, Jose L; Ruano, Rodrigo; Cass, Darrell L

2017-04-01

To describe development of a two-port fetoscopic technique for spina bifida repair in the exteriorized, carbon dioxide-filled uterus and report early results of two cohorts of patients: the first 15 treated with an iterative technique and the latter 13 with a standardized technique. This was a retrospective cohort study (2014-2016). All patients met Management of Myelomeningocele Study selection criteria. The intraoperative approach was iterative in the first 15 patients and was then standardized. Obstetric, maternal, fetal, and early neonatal outcomes were compared. Standard parametric and nonparametric tests were used as appropriate. Data for 28 patients (22 endoscopic only, four hybrid, two abandoned) are reported, but only those with a complete fetoscopic repair were analyzed (iterative technique [n=10] compared with standardized technique [n=12]). Maternal demographics and gestational age (median [range]) at fetal surgery (25.4 [22.9-25.9] compared with 24.8 [24-25.6] weeks) were similar, but delivery occurred at 35.9 (26-39) weeks of gestation with the iterative technique compared with 39 (35.9-40) weeks of gestation with the standardized technique (Pmet in 9 of 12 (75%) and 3 of 10 (30%), respectively, and 7 of 12 (58%) compared with 2 of 10 (20%) have been treated for hydrocephalus to date. These latter differences were not statistically significant. Fetoscopic open neural tube defect repair does not appear to increase maternal-fetal complications as compared with repair by hysterotomy, allows for vaginal delivery, and may reduce long-term maternal risks. ClinicalTrials.gov, https://clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02230072.

Estimation and optimization of heat transfer and overall presure drop for a shell and tube heat exchanger

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao, Bala Bhaskara [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, SISTAM College, JNTU, Kakinada (India); Raju, V. Ramachandra [Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, JNTU, Kakinada (India); Deepak, B. B V. L. [Dept. of Industrial Design, National Institute of Technology, Rourkela (India)

2017-01-15

Most thermal/chemical industries are equipped with heat exchangers to enhance thermal efficiency. The performance of heat exchangers highly depends on design modifications in the tube side, such as the cross-sectional area, orientation, and baffle cut of the tube. However, these parameters do not exhibit a specific relation to determining the optimum design condition for shell and tube heat exchangers with a maximum heat transfer rate and reduced pressure drops. Accordingly, experimental and numerical simulations are performed for a heat exchanger with varying tube geometries. The heat exchanger considered in this investigation is a single-shell, multiple-pass device. A Generalized regression neural network (GRNN) is applied to generate a relation among the input and output process parameters for the experimental data sets. Then, an Artificial immune system (AIS) is used with GRNN to obtain optimized input parameters. Lastly, results are presented for the developed hybrid GRNN-AIS approach.

Heat Exchanger Tube to Tube Sheet Joints Corrosion Behavior

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Iancu

2013-03-01

Full Text Available Paper presents the studies made by the authors above the tube to tube sheet fittings of heat exchanger with fixed covers from hydrofining oil reforming unit. Tube fittings are critical zones for heat exchangers failures. On a device made from material tube and tube sheet at real joints dimensions were establish axial compression force and traction force at which tube is extracted from expanded joint. Were used two shapes joints with two types of fittings surfaces, one with smooth hole of tube sheet and other in which on boring surface we made a groove. From extracted expanded tube zones were made samples for corrosion tests in order to establish the corrosion rate, corrosion potential and corrosion current in working mediums such as hydrofining oil and industrial water at different temperatures. The corrosion rate values and the temperature influence are important to evaluate joints durability and also the results obtained shows that the boring tube sheet shape with a groove on hole tube shape presents a better corrosion behavior then the shape with smooth hole tube sheet.

Tube spacer grid for a heat-exchanger tube bundle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheidl, H.

1976-01-01

A tube spacer grid for a heat-exchanger tube bundle is formed by an annular grid frame having a groove formed in its inner surface in which the interspaced grid bars have their ends positioned and held in interspaced relationship by short sections of tubes passed through holes axially formed in the grid frame so that the tubes are positioned between the ends of the grid bars in the grooves. The tube sections may be cut from the same tubes used to form the tube bundle. 5 claims, 3 drawing figures

REVIEW OF HEART DISEASE PREDICTION SYSTEM USING DATA MINING AND HYBRID INTELLIGENT TECHNIQUES

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R. Chitra

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The Healthcare industry generally clinical diagnosis is done mostly by doctor’s expertise and experience. Computer Aided Decision Support System plays a major role in medical field. With the growing research on heart disease predicting system, it has become important to categories the research outcomes and provides readers with an overview of the existing heart disease prediction techniques in each category. Neural Networks are one of many data mining analytical tools that can be utilized to make predictions for medical data. From the study it is observed that Hybrid Intelligent Algorithm improves the accuracy of the heart disease prediction system. The commonly used techniques for Heart Disease Prediction and their complexities are summarized in this paper.

Nonlinear identification of process dynamics using neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Parlos, A.G.; Atiya, A.F.; Chong, K.T.

1992-01-01

In this paper the nonlinear identification of process dynamics encountered in nuclear power plant components is addressed, in an input-output sense, using artificial neural systems. A hybrid feedforward/feedback neural network, namely, a recurrent multilayer perceptron, is used as the model structure to be identified. The feedforward portion of the network architecture provides its well-known interpolation property, while through recurrency and cross-talk, the local information feedback enables representation of temporal variations in the system nonlinearities. The standard backpropagation learning algorithm is modified, and it is used for the supervised training of the proposed hybrid network. The performance of recurrent multilayer perceptron networks in identifying process dynamics is investigated via the case study of a U-tube steam generator. The response of representative steam generator is predicted using a neural network, and it is compared to the response obtained from a sophisticated computer model based on first principles. The transient responses compare well, although further research is warranted to determine the predictive capabilities of these networks during more severe operational transients and accident scenarios

ProSeal laryngeal mask airway as an alternative to standard endotracheal tube in securing upper airway in the patients undergoing beating-heart coronary artery bypass grafting

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Kalpana Shah

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background: ProSeal laryngeal mask airways (PLMAs are routinely used after failed tracheal intubation as airway rescue, facilitating tracheal intubation by acting as a conduit and to secure airway during emergencies. In long duration surgeries, use of endotracheal tube (ETT is associated with various hemodynamic complications, which are minimally affected during PLMA use. However, except for few studies, there are no significant data available that promote the use of laryngeal mask during cardiac surgery. This prospective study was conducted with the objective of demonstrating the advantages of PLMA over ETT in the patients undergoing beating-heart coronary artery bypass graft (CABG. Methodology: This prospective, interventional study was carried out in 200 patients who underwent beating-heart CABG. Patients were randomized in equal numbers to either ETT group or PLMA group, and various hemodynamic and respiratory parameters were observed at different time points. Results: Patients in PLMA group had mean systolic blood pressure 126.10 ± 5.31 mmHg compared to the patients of ETT group 143.75 ± 6.02 mmHg. Pulse rate in the PLMA group was less (74.52 ± 10.79 per min (P < 0.05 compared to ETT group (81.72 ± 9.8. Thus, hemodynamic changes were significantly lower (P < 0.05 in PLMA than in ETT group. Respiratory parameters such as oxygen saturation, pressure CO 2 (pCO 2 , peak airway pressure, and lung compliance were similar to ETT group at all evaluation times. The incidence of adverse events was also lower in PLMA group. Conclusion: In experience hand, PLMA offers advantages over the ETT in airway management in the patients undergoing beating-heart CABG.

Visualization of Fiber Structure in the Left and Right Ventricle of a Human Heart

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rohmer, Damien; Sitek, Arkadiusz; Gullberg, Grant T.

2006-01-01

The human heart is composed of a helical network of muscle fibers. Anisotropic least squares filtering followed by fiber tracking techniques were applied to Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging(DTMRI) data of the excised human heart. The fiber configuration was visualized by using thin tubes to increase 3-dimensional visual perception of the complex structure. All visualizations were performed using the high-quality ray-tracing software POV-Ray. The fibers are shown within the left and right ventricles. Both ventricles exhibit similar fiber architecture and some bundles of fibers are shown linking right and left ventricles on the posterior region of the heart

The assessment of neural injury following open heart surgery by physiological tremor analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Németh, Adám; Hejjel, László; Ajtay, Zénó; Kellényi, Lóránd; Solymos, Andor; Bártfai, Imre; Kovács, Norbert; Lenkey, Zsófia; Cziráki, Attila; Szabados, Sándor

2013-02-21

The appearance of post-operative cognitive dysfunction as a result of open heart surgery has been proven by several studies. Focal and/or sporadic neuron damage emerging in the central nervous system may not only appear as cognitive dysfunction, but might strongly influence features of physiological tremor. We investigated 110 patients (age: 34-73 years; 76 male, 34 female; 51 coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), 25 valve replacement, 25 combined open heart surgery, 9 off-pump CABG) before surgery and after open-heart surgery on the 3(rd) to 5(th) post-operative day. The assessment of the physiological tremor analysis was performed with our newly developed equipment based on the Analog Devices ADXL 320 JPC integrated accelerometer chip. Recordings were stored on a PC and spectral analysis was performed by fast Fourier transformation (FFT). We compared power integrals in the 1-4 Hz, 4-8 Hz and 8-12 Hz frequency ranges and these were statistically assessed by the Wilcoxon rank correlation test. We found significant changes in the power spectrum of physiological tremor. The spectrum in the 8-12 Hz range (neuronal oscillation) decreased and a shift was recognised to the lower spectrum (p open heart surgery.

ECG Based Heart Arrhythmia Detection Using Wavelet Coherence and Bat Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Kora, Padmavathi; Sri Rama Krishna, K.

2016-12-01

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a type of heart abnormality, during the AF electrical discharges in the atrium are rapid, results in abnormal heart beat. The morphology of ECG changes due to the abnormalities in the heart. This paper consists of three major steps for the detection of heart diseases: signal pre-processing, feature extraction and classification. Feature extraction is the key process in detecting the heart abnormality. Most of the ECG detection systems depend on the time domain features for cardiac signal classification. In this paper we proposed a wavelet coherence (WTC) technique for ECG signal analysis. The WTC calculates the similarity between two waveforms in frequency domain. Parameters extracted from WTC function is used as the features of the ECG signal. These features are optimized using Bat algorithm. The Levenberg Marquardt neural network classifier is used to classify the optimized features. The performance of the classifier can be improved with the optimized features.

Defining the neural fulcrum for chronic vagus nerve stimulation: implications for integrated cardiac control.

Science.gov (United States)

Ardell, Jeffrey L; Nier, Heath; Hammer, Matthew; Southerland, E Marie; Ardell, Christopher L; Beaumont, Eric; KenKnight, Bruce H; Armour, J Andrew

2017-11-15

The evoked cardiac response to bipolar cervical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) reflects a dynamic interaction between afferent mediated decreases in central parasympathetic drive and suppressive effects evoked by direct stimulation of parasympathetic efferent axons to the heart. The neural fulcrum is defined as the operating point, based on frequency-amplitude-pulse width, where a null heart rate response is reproducibly evoked during the on-phase of VNS. Cardiac control, based on the principal of the neural fulcrum, can be elicited from either vagus. Beta-receptor blockade does not alter the tachycardia phase to low intensity VNS, but can increase the bradycardia to higher intensity VNS. While muscarinic cholinergic blockade prevented the VNS-induced bradycardia, clinically relevant doses of ACE inhibitors, beta-blockade and the funny channel blocker ivabradine did not alter the VNS chronotropic response. While there are qualitative differences in VNS heart control between awake and anaesthetized states, the physiological expression of the neural fulcrum is maintained. Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is an emerging therapy for treatment of chronic heart failure and remains a standard of therapy in patients with treatment-resistant epilepsy. The objective of this work was to characterize heart rate (HR) responses (HRRs) during the active phase of chronic VNS over a wide range of stimulation parameters in order to define optimal protocols for bidirectional bioelectronic control of the heart. In normal canines, bipolar electrodes were chronically implanted on the cervical vagosympathetic trunk bilaterally with anode cephalad to cathode (n = 8, 'cardiac' configuration) or with electrode positions reversed (n = 8, 'epilepsy' configuration). In awake state, HRRs were determined for each combination of pulse frequency (2-20 Hz), intensity (0-3.5 mA) and pulse widths (130-750 μs) over 14 months. At low intensities and higher frequency VNS, HR increased during the

Neural Responses to Heartbeats in the Default Network Encode the Self in Spontaneous Thoughts

Science.gov (United States)

Babo-Rebelo, Mariana; Richter, Craig G.

2016-01-01

The default network (DN) has been consistently associated with self-related cognition, but also to bodily state monitoring and autonomic regulation. We hypothesized that these two seemingly disparate functional roles of the DN are functionally coupled, in line with theories proposing that selfhood is grounded in the neural monitoring of internal organs, such as the heart. We measured with magnetoencephalograhy neural responses evoked by heartbeats while human participants freely mind-wandered. When interrupted by a visual stimulus at random intervals, participants scored the self-relatedness of the interrupted thought. They evaluated their involvement as the first-person perspective subject or agent in the thought (“I”), and on another scale to what degree they were thinking about themselves (“Me”). During the interrupted thought, neural responses to heartbeats in two regions of the DN, the ventral precuneus and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, covaried, respectively, with the “I” and the “Me” dimensions of the self, even at the single-trial level. No covariation between self-relatedness and peripheral autonomic measures (heart rate, heart rate variability, pupil diameter, electrodermal activity, respiration rate, and phase) or alpha power was observed. Our results reveal a direct link between selfhood and neural responses to heartbeats in the DN and thus directly support theories grounding selfhood in the neural monitoring of visceral inputs. More generally, the tight functional coupling between self-related processing and cardiac monitoring observed here implies that, even in the absence of measured changes in peripheral bodily measures, physiological and cognitive functions have to be considered jointly in the DN. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The default network (DN) has been consistently associated with self-processing but also with autonomic regulation. We hypothesized that these two functions could be functionally coupled in the DN, inspired by

High glucose suppresses embryonic stem cell differentiation into neural lineage cells

OpenAIRE

Yang, Penghua; Shen, Wei-bin; Reece, E. Albert; Chen, Xi; Yang, Peixin

2016-01-01

Abnormal neurogenesis occurs during embryonic development in human diabetic pregnancies and in animal models of diabetic embryopathy. Our previous studies in a mouse model of diabetic embryopathy have implicated that high glucose of maternal diabetes delays neurogenesis in the developing neuroepithelium leading to neural tube defects. However, the underlying process in high glucose-impaired neurogenesis is uncharacterized. Neurogenesis from embryonic stem (ES) cells provides a valuable model ...

On the elementary neural forms of interaction rituals

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Heinskou, Marie Bruvik; Liebst, Lasse Suonperä

Randall Collins’ interaction ritual (IR) theory suggests solidarity as neurologically hardwired in the capacity for rhythmic entrainment. Yet, this article suggests that IR theory may benefit from being tied more firmly to recent neurological research, specifically Stephen W. Porges......’ neurophysiological polyvagal theory. IR theory does not sufficiently acknowledge the autonomic nervous system as a system involving a phylogenetically ordered response hierarchy, of which only one subsystem supports prosocial behavior. The ritual ingredients of shared attention and mood may be clarified as part...... of a social engagement system, neurally regulating attention and arousal via brain-face-heart circuits. This allows rhythmic entrainment to be specified as a neural epiphenomenon of the social engagement system. The polyvagal perspective, moreover, challenges IR theory to reconsider the importance...

Tube holding system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cunningham, R.C.

1978-01-01

A tube holding rig is described for the lateral support of tubes arranged in tight parcels in a heat exchanger. This tube holding rig includes not less than two tube supporting assemblies, with a space between them, located crosswise with respect to the tubes, each supporting assembly comprising a first set of parallel components in contact with the tubes, whilst a second set of components is also in contact with the tubes. These two sets of parts together define apertures through which the tubes pass [fr

[C677T polymorphism of the methylentetrahydrofolate reductase gene in mothers of children affected with neural tube defects].

Science.gov (United States)

Morales de Machín, Alisandra; Méndez, Karile; Solís, Ernesto; Borjas de Borjas, Lisbeth; Bracho, Ana; Hernández, María Luisa; Negrón, Aimara; Delgado, Wilmer; Sánchez, Yanira

2015-09-01

Neural tube defects (NTD) are the most common congenital anomalies of the central nervous system, with a multifactorial pattern of inheritance, presumably involving the interaction of several genetic and environmental factors. The methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene 677C>T polymorphism has been implicated as a risk factor for NTD. The main objective of this research was to investigate the association of the 677C>T polymorphism of the MTHFR gene as a genetic risk factor for NTD. Molecular analysis was performed in DNA samples from 52 mothers with antecedent of NTD offspring and from 119 healthy control mothers. Using the Polymerase Chain Reaction, a 198 bases pairs fragment was digested with the restriction enzyme Hinfi. 677T MTHFR allele frequencies for the problem and the control groups were 51.92% and 34.45%, respectively, and 677C MTHFR allele frequencies were 48.08% and 65.55%, respectively. There were significant differences in allele (p: 0.002) and genotype (p: 0.007) frequencies between these two groups. The odds ratio (OR) to the TT genotype vs. the CC genotype was estimated as OR: 4.9 [95% CI: 1,347-6.416] p: 0.002; CT+TT vs. CC: OR: 2.9 [95% CI: 1.347-6.416] p: 0.005; TT vs. CT+CC: OR: 2.675 [95% CI: 1,111-6.441] p: 0.024. The data presented in this study support the relationship between MTHFR 677C>T polymorphism and risk in mothers with antecedent of NTD offspring.

Association of main folate metabolic pathway gene polymorphisms with neural tube defects in Han population of Northern China.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Yulian; Zhang, Ruiping; Zhi, Xiufang; Zhao, Linsheng; Cao, Lirong; Wang, Yizheng; Cai, Chunquan

2018-04-01

Neural tube defects (NTDs) are one of the most prevalent and the most severe congenital malformations worldwide. Studies have confirmed that folic acid supplementation could effectively reduce NTDs risk, but the genetic mechanism remains unclear. In this study, we explored association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) within folate metabolic pathway genes with NTDs in Han population of Northern China. We performed a case-control study to compare genotype and allele distributions of SNPs in 152 patients with NTDs and 169 controls. A total of 16 SNPs within five genes were genotyped by the Sequenom MassARRAY assay. Our results indicated that three SNPs associated significantly with NTDs (P<0.05). For rs2236225 within MTHFD1, children with allele A or genotype AA had a high NTDs risk (OR=1.500, 95%CI=1.061~2.120; OR=2.862, 95%CI=1.022~8.015, respectively). For rs1801133 within MTHFR, NTDs risk markedly increased in patients with allele T or genotype TT (OR=1.552, 95%CI=1.130~2.131; OR=2.344, 95%CI=1.233~4.457, respectively). For rs1801394 within MTRR, children carrying allele G and genotype GG had a higher NTDs risk (OR=1.533, 95%CI=1.102~2.188; OR=2.355, 95%CI=1.044~5.312, respectively). Our results suggest that rs2236225 of MTHFD1 gene, rs1801133 of MTHFR gene and rs1801394 of MTRR gene were associated with NTDs in Han population of Northern China.

Impacto de la fortificación de alimentos con ácido fólico en los defectos del tubo neural en Costa Rica Impact of the fortification of food with folic acid on neural tube defects in Costa Rica

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

María de la Paz Barboza Argüello

2011-07-01

Full Text Available OBJETIVO: Evaluar el impacto de la fortificación de alimentos con ácido fólico en las tendencias de las prevalencias de los defectos del tubo neural (DTN y la tasa de mortalidad infantil (TMI por este trastorno en Costa Rica. MÉTODOS: Se analizaron los datos de vigilancia del Centro de Registro de Enfermedades Congénitas y el Centro Centroamericano de Población. Se consideraron defectos del tubo neural la anencefalia, la espina bífida y el encefalocele. Se examinaron las tendencias durante 1987-2009, así como las diferencias de tasas (intervalo de confianza [IC] 95% de prevalencia y mortalidad antes de la fortificación de alimentos con ácido fólico y hasta 12 años después de su implementación. Se determinó el aporte de la fortificación al descenso en la TMI general. RESULTADOS: En 1987-1997, previo al período de fortificación de alimentos con ácido fólico, la prevalencia de DTN fue de 12/10 000 nacidos (IC95%: 11,1-12,8, mientras que en 2009 fue de 5,1/10 000 nacidos (3,3-6,5. La TMI por DTN en 1997 fue de 0,64/1 000 nacimientos (46-0,82 y en 2009 de 0,19/1 000 (0,09-0,3. La TMI por DTN y su prevalencia disminuyeron en forma significativa, 71% y 58% respectivamente (P OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the impact of the fortification of food with folic acid on prevalence trends for neural tube defects (NTD and the infant mortality rate (IMR associated with this disorder in Costa Rica. METHODS: The surveillance data from the Congenital Disease Registry Center and the Central American Population Center were analyzed. The neural tube defects considered were anencephaly, spina bifida, and encephalocele. The trends from 1987-2009, as well as the differences in prevalence and mortality rates prior to and up to 12 years after food fortification with folic acid, were examined (95% confidence interval [CI]. The contribution of fortification to the decrease in the overall IMR was determined. RESULTS: During 1987-1997, prior to the period of food

High Glucose Inhibits Neural Stem Cell Differentiation Through Oxidative Stress and Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xi; Shen, Wei-Bin; Yang, Penghua; Dong, Daoyin; Sun, Winny; Yang, Peixin

2018-06-01

Maternal diabetes induces neural tube defects by suppressing neurogenesis in the developing neuroepithelium. Our recent study further revealed that high glucose inhibited embryonic stem cell differentiation into neural lineage cells. However, the mechanism whereby high glucose suppresses neural differentiation is unclear. To investigate whether high glucose-induced oxidative stress and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress lead to the inhibition of neural differentiation, the effect of high glucose on neural stem cell (the C17.2 cell line) differentiation was examined. Neural stem cells were cultured in normal glucose (5 mM) or high glucose (25 mM) differentiation medium for 3, 5, and 7 days. High glucose suppressed neural stem cell differentiation by significantly decreasing the expression of the neuron marker Tuj1 and the glial cell marker GFAP and the numbers of Tuj1 + and GFAP + cells. The antioxidant enzyme superoxide dismutase mimetic Tempol reversed high glucose-decreased Tuj1 and GFAP expression and restored the numbers of neurons and glial cells differentiated from neural stem cells. Hydrogen peroxide treatment imitated the inhibitory effect of high glucose on neural stem cell differentiation. Both high glucose and hydrogen peroxide triggered ER stress, whereas Tempol blocked high glucose-induced ER stress. The ER stress inhibitor, 4-phenylbutyrate, abolished the inhibition of high glucose or hydrogen peroxide on neural stem cell differentiation. Thus, oxidative stress and its resultant ER stress mediate the inhibitory effect of high glucose on neural stem cell differentiation.

HF electronic tubes. Technologies, grid tubes and klystrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lemoine, Th.

2009-01-01

This article gives an overview of the basic technologies of electronic tubes: cathodes, electronic optics, vacuum and high voltage. Then the grid tubes, klystrons and inductive output tubes (IOT) are introduced. Content: 1 - context and classification; 2 - electronic tube technologies: cathodes, electronic optics, magnetic confinement (linear tubes), periodic permanent magnet (PPM) focussing, collectors, depressed collectors; 3 - vacuum technologies: vacuum quality, surface effects and interaction with electrostatic and RF fields, secondary emission, multipactor effect, thermo-electronic emission; 4 - grid tubes: operation of a triode, tetrodes, dynamic operation and classes of use, 'common grid' and 'common cathode' operation, ranges of utilisation and limitations, operation of a tetrode on unadjusted load, lifetime of a tetrode, uses of grid tubes; 5 - klystrons: operation, impact of space charge, multi-cavity klystrons, interaction efficiency, extended interaction klystrons, relation between interaction efficiency, perveance and efficiency, ranges of utilization and power limitations, multi-beam klystrons and sheet beam klystrons, operation on unadjusted load, klystron band pass and lifetime, uses; 6 - IOT: principle of operation, ranges of utilisation and limitations, interaction efficiency and depressed collector IOT, IOT lifetime and uses. (J.S.)

Neural markers of errors as endophenotypes in neuropsychiatric disorders

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Dara S Manoach

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Learning from errors is fundamental to adaptive human behavior. It requires detecting errors, evaluating what went wrong, and adjusting behavior accordingly. These dynamic adjustments are at the heart of behavioral flexibility and accumulating evidence suggests that deficient error processing contributes to maladaptively rigid and repetitive behavior in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders. Neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies reveal highly reliable neural markers of error processing. In this review, we evaluate the evidence that abnormalities in these neural markers can serve as sensitive endophenotypes of neuropsychiatric disorders. We describe the behavioral and neural hallmarks of error processing, their mediation by common genetic polymorphisms, and impairments in schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and autism spectrum disorders. We conclude that neural markers of errors meet several important criteria as endophenotypes including heritability, established neuroanatomical and neurochemical substrates, association with neuropsychiatric disorders, presence in syndromally-unaffected family members, and evidence of genetic mediation. Understanding the mechanisms of error processing deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders may provide novel neural and behavioral targets for treatment and sensitive surrogate markers of treatment response. Treating error processing deficits may improve functional outcome since error signals provide crucial information for flexible adaptation to changing environments. Given the dearth of effective interventions for cognitive deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders, this represents a promising approach.

Neural markers of errors as endophenotypes in neuropsychiatric disorders.

Science.gov (United States)

Manoach, Dara S; Agam, Yigal

2013-01-01

Learning from errors is fundamental to adaptive human behavior. It requires detecting errors, evaluating what went wrong, and adjusting behavior accordingly. These dynamic adjustments are at the heart of behavioral flexibility and accumulating evidence suggests that deficient error processing contributes to maladaptively rigid and repetitive behavior in a range of neuropsychiatric disorders. Neuroimaging and electrophysiological studies reveal highly reliable neural markers of error processing. In this review, we evaluate the evidence that abnormalities in these neural markers can serve as sensitive endophenotypes of neuropsychiatric disorders. We describe the behavioral and neural hallmarks of error processing, their mediation by common genetic polymorphisms, and impairments in schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and autism spectrum disorders. We conclude that neural markers of errors meet several important criteria as endophenotypes including heritability, established neuroanatomical and neurochemical substrates, association with neuropsychiatric disorders, presence in syndromally-unaffected family members, and evidence of genetic mediation. Understanding the mechanisms of error processing deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders may provide novel neural and behavioral targets for treatment and sensitive surrogate markers of treatment response. Treating error processing deficits may improve functional outcome since error signals provide crucial information for flexible adaptation to changing environments. Given the dearth of effective interventions for cognitive deficits in neuropsychiatric disorders, this represents a potentially promising approach.

Linking Inflammation, Cardiorespiratory Variability, and Neural Control in Acute Inflammation via Computational Modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Dick, Thomas E; Molkov, Yaroslav I; Nieman, Gary; Hsieh, Yee-Hsee; Jacono, Frank J; Doyle, John; Scheff, Jeremy D; Calvano, Steve E; Androulakis, Ioannis P; An, Gary; Vodovotz, Yoram

2012-01-01

Acute inflammation leads to organ failure by engaging catastrophic feedback loops in which stressed tissue evokes an inflammatory response and, in turn, inflammation damages tissue. Manifestations of this maladaptive inflammatory response include cardio-respiratory dysfunction that may be reflected in reduced heart rate and ventilatory pattern variabilities. We have developed signal-processing algorithms that quantify non-linear deterministic characteristics of variability in biologic signals. Now, coalescing under the aegis of the NIH Computational Biology Program and the Society for Complexity in Acute Illness, two research teams performed iterative experiments and computational modeling on inflammation and cardio-pulmonary dysfunction in sepsis as well as on neural control of respiration and ventilatory pattern variability. These teams, with additional collaborators, have recently formed a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary consortium, whose goal is to delineate the fundamental interrelationship between the inflammatory response and physiologic variability. Multi-scale mathematical modeling and complementary physiological experiments will provide insight into autonomic neural mechanisms that may modulate the inflammatory response to sepsis and simultaneously reduce heart rate and ventilatory pattern variabilities associated with sepsis. This approach integrates computational models of neural control of breathing and cardio-respiratory coupling with models that combine inflammation, cardiovascular function, and heart rate variability. The resulting integrated model will provide mechanistic explanations for the phenomena of respiratory sinus-arrhythmia and cardio-ventilatory coupling observed under normal conditions, and the loss of these properties during sepsis. This approach holds the potential of modeling cross-scale physiological interactions to improve both basic knowledge and clinical management of acute inflammatory diseases such as sepsis and trauma.

Abnormal cardiovascular response to exercise in hypertension: contribution of neural factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Mitchell, Jere H

2017-06-01

During both dynamic (e.g., endurance) and static (e.g., strength) exercise there are exaggerated cardiovascular responses in hypertension. This includes greater increases in blood pressure, heart rate, and efferent sympathetic nerve activity than in normal controls. Two of the known neural factors that contribute to this abnormal cardiovascular response are the exercise pressor reflex (EPR) and functional sympatholysis. The EPR originates in contracting skeletal muscle and reflexly increases sympathetic efferent nerve activity to the heart and blood vessels as well as decreases parasympathetic efferent nerve activity to the heart. These changes in autonomic nerve activity cause an increase in blood pressure, heart rate, left ventricular contractility, and vasoconstriction in the arterial tree. However, arterial vessels in the contracting skeletal muscle have a markedly diminished vasoconstrictor response. The markedly diminished vasoconstriction in contracting skeletal muscle has been termed functional sympatholysis. It has been shown in hypertension that there is an enhanced EPR, including both its mechanoreflex and metaboreflex components, and an impaired functional sympatholysis. These conditions set up a positive feedback or vicious cycle situation that causes a progressively greater decrease in the blood flow to the exercising muscle. Thus these two neural mechanisms contribute significantly to the abnormal cardiovascular response to exercise in hypertension. In addition, exercise training in hypertension decreases the enhanced EPR, including both mechanoreflex and metaboreflex function, and improves the impaired functional sympatholysis. These two changes, caused by exercise training, improve the muscle blood flow to exercising muscle and cause a more normal cardiovascular response to exercise in hypertension. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Tube to tube excursive instability - sensitivities and transients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, M.; Layland, M.W.

1980-01-01

A simple basic analysis of excursive instability in a boiler tube shows how it depends upon operating conditions and physical properties. A detailed mathematical model of an AGR boiler is used to conduct a steady state parameter sensitivity survey. It is possible from this basis to anticipate the effects of changes in operating conditions and changes in design parameters upon tube to tube stability. Dynamic responses of tubes operating near the stability threshold are examined using a mathematical model. Simulated excursions are triggered by imparting small abrupt pressure changes on the boiler inlet pressure. The influences of the magnitude of the pressure change, waterside friction factor and gas side coupling between tubes are examined. (author)

Detection of Bundle Branch Block using Adaptive Bacterial Foraging Optimization and Neural Network

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Padmavthi Kora

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The medical practitioners analyze the electrical activity of the human heart so as to predict various ailments by studying the data collected from the Electrocardiogram (ECG. A Bundle Branch Block (BBB is a type of heart disease which occurs when there is an obstruction along the pathway of an electrical impulse. This abnormality makes the heart beat irregular as there is an obstruction in the branches of heart, this results in pulses to travel slower than the usual. Our current study involved is to diagnose this heart problem using Adaptive Bacterial Foraging Optimization (ABFO Algorithm. The Data collected from MIT/BIH arrhythmia BBB database applied to an ABFO Algorithm for obtaining best(important feature from each ECG beat. These features later fed to Levenberg Marquardt Neural Network (LMNN based classifier. The results show the proposed classification using ABFO is better than some recent algorithms reported in the literature.

Tube-support response to tube-denting evaluation. Volume 1. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anderson, P.L.; Hall, J.F.; Shah, P.K.; Wills, R.L.

1983-05-01

The response of the tube supports is one of the important considerations of tube denting in a steam generator. Investigations have indicated that damaged tube supports have the potential to distort and damage tubes. This investigation considers the response to tube denting of the Combustion Engineering type tube supports. Drilled support plates and eggcrate tube supports are tested in a model steam generator in which tube denting is induced. The experimental data is used to verify and refine analytical predictor models developed using finite element techniques. It was found that analytical models underpredicted the deformations of the tube supports and appropriate modifications to enhance the predictive capability are identified. Non-destructive examination methods are evaluated for application to operating steam generators. It was found that the standard eddy current and profilometry techniques are acceptable methods for determining tube deformations, but these techniques are not adequate to assess tube support damage. Radiography is judged to be the best available means of determining the extent and progression of damage in tube supports

The autonomic nervous system and cardiac GLP-1 receptors control heart rate in mice

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Laurie L. Baggio

2017-11-01

Conclusions: GLP-1R agonists increase HR through multiple mechanisms, including regulation of autonomic nervous system function, and activation of the atrial GLP-1R. Surprisingly, the isolated atrial GLP-1R does not transduce a direct chronotropic effect following exposure to GLP-1R agonists in the intact heart, or isolated atrium, ex vivo. Hence, cardiac GLP-1R circuits controlling HR require neural inputs and do not function in a heart-autonomous manner.

Condenser tube buckling within tube-tubesheet joints

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Willertz, L.E.; Kalnins, A.; Updike, D.P.

1991-01-01

The problem of the appearance of protrusions, or bumps, in the interior of roller-expanded tubes within a tubesheet is addressed. Such bumps have been observed in condensers of power plants. A brief history of the reported occurrences of the bumps is given. The hypothesis is advanced that the mechanics of the formation of the bumps is similar to a buckling problem that has 'bifurcation at infinity'. Following this hypothesis, a two-dimensional physical model is developed, and the application of this model to study a three-dimensional bump is proposed. It is proposed in this paper that an initial deviation from the circular shape of the tube required to produce a bump. It is shown that without such a deviation the tubes cannot buckle. An experiment with short tube segments has been performed that verifies some of the features of the observed condenser tube bumps. Exactly what force produced the initial deviation for the observed bumps is still unknown. Available evidence implicates the hydro-laser jet that is used in the cleaning of tubes and tubesheets. A scenario of how a bump could have been produced by the hydro-laser jet is proposed. (author)

A framework for automatic heart sound analysis without segmentation

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Tungpimolrut Kanokvate

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A new framework for heart sound analysis is proposed. One of the most difficult processes in heart sound analysis is segmentation, due to interference form murmurs. Method Equal number of cardiac cycles were extracted from heart sounds with different heart rates using information from envelopes of autocorrelation functions without the need to label individual fundamental heart sounds (FHS. The complete method consists of envelope detection, calculation of cardiac cycle lengths using auto-correlation of envelope signals, features extraction using discrete wavelet transform, principal component analysis, and classification using neural network bagging predictors. Result The proposed method was tested on a set of heart sounds obtained from several on-line databases and recorded with an electronic stethoscope. Geometric mean was used as performance index. Average classification performance using ten-fold cross-validation was 0.92 for noise free case, 0.90 under white noise with 10 dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR, and 0.90 under impulse noise up to 0.3 s duration. Conclusion The proposed method showed promising results and high noise robustness to a wide range of heart sounds. However, more tests are needed to address any bias that may have been introduced by different sources of heart sounds in the current training set, and to concretely validate the method. Further work include building a new training set recorded from actual patients, then further evaluate the method based on this new training set.

Estimation of break location and size for loss of coolant accidents using neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Na, Man Gyun; Shin, Sun Ho; Jung, Dong Won; Kim, Soong Pyung; Jeong, Ji Hwan; Lee, Byung Chul

2004-01-01

In this work, a probabilistic neural network (PNN) that has been applied well to the classification problems is used in order to identify the break locations of loss of coolant accidents (LOCA) such as hot-leg, cold-leg and steam generator tubes. Also, a fuzzy neural network (FNN) is designed to estimate the break size. The inputs to PNN and FNN are time-integrated values obtained by integrating measurement signals during a short time interval after reactor scram. An automatic structure constructor for the fuzzy neural network automatically selects the input variables from the time-integrated values of many measured signals, and optimizes the number of rules and its related parameters. It is verified that the proposed algorithm identifies very well the break locations of LOCAs and also, estimate their break size accurately

Heart Development, Diseases, and Regeneration　- New Approaches From Innervation, Fibroblasts, and Reprogramming.

Science.gov (United States)

Ieda, Masaki

2016-09-23

It is well known that cardiac function is tightly controlled by neural activity; however, the molecular mechanism of cardiac innervation during development and the relationship with heart disease remain undetermined. My work has revealed the molecular networks that govern cardiac innervation and its critical roles in heart diseases such as silent myocardial ischemia and arrhythmias. Cardiomyocytes proliferate during embryonic development, but lose their proliferative capacity after birth. Cardiac fibroblasts are a major source of cells during fibrosis and induce cardiac hypertrophy after myocardial injury in the adult heart. Despite the importance of fibroblasts in the adult heart, the role of fibroblasts in embryonic heart development was previously not determined. I demonstrated that cardiac fibroblasts play important roles in myocardial growth and cardiomyocyte proliferation during embryonic development, and I identified key paracrine factors and signaling pathways. In contrast to embryonic cardiomyocytes, adult cardiomyocytes have little regenerative capacity, leading to heart failure and high mortality rates after myocardial infarction. Leveraging the knowledge of developmental biology, I identified cardiac reprogramming factors that can directly convert resident cardiac fibroblasts into cardiomyocytes for heart regeneration. These findings greatly improved our understanding of heart development and diseases, and provide a new strategy for heart regenerative therapy. (Circ J 2016; 80: 2081-2088).

Heart morphogenesis gene regulatory networks revealed by temporal expression analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Hill, Jonathon T; Demarest, Bradley; Gorsi, Bushra; Smith, Megan; Yost, H Joseph

2017-10-01

During embryogenesis the heart forms as a linear tube that then undergoes multiple simultaneous morphogenetic events to obtain its mature shape. To understand the gene regulatory networks (GRNs) driving this phase of heart development, during which many congenital heart disease malformations likely arise, we conducted an RNA-seq timecourse in zebrafish from 30 hpf to 72 hpf and identified 5861 genes with altered expression. We clustered the genes by temporal expression pattern, identified transcription factor binding motifs enriched in each cluster, and generated a model GRN for the major gene batteries in heart morphogenesis. This approach predicted hundreds of regulatory interactions and found batteries enriched in specific cell and tissue types, indicating that the approach can be used to narrow the search for novel genetic markers and regulatory interactions. Subsequent analyses confirmed the GRN using two mutants, Tbx5 and nkx2-5 , and identified sets of duplicated zebrafish genes that do not show temporal subfunctionalization. This dataset provides an essential resource for future studies on the genetic/epigenetic pathways implicated in congenital heart defects and the mechanisms of cardiac transcriptional regulation. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Embryonic Heart Morphogenesis from Confocal Microscopy Imaging and Automatic Segmentation

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Hongda Mao

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Embryonic heart morphogenesis (EHM is a complex and dynamic process where the heart transforms from a single tube into a four-chambered pump. This process is of great biological and clinical interest but is still poorly understood for two main reasons. On the one hand, the existing imaging modalities for investigating EHM suffered from either limited penetration depth or limited spatial resolution. On the other hand, current works typically adopted manual segmentation, which was tedious, subjective, and time consuming considering the complexity of developing heart geometry and the large size of images. In this paper, we propose to utilize confocal microscopy imaging with tissue optical immersion clearing technique to image the heart at different stages of development for EHM study. The imaging method is able to produce high spatial resolution images and achieve large penetration depth at the same time. Furthermore, we propose a novel convex active contour model for automatic image segmentation. The model has the ability to deal with intensity fall-off in depth which is characterized by confocal microscopy images. We acquired the images of embryonic quail hearts from day 6 to day 14 of incubation for EHM study. The experimental results were promising and provided us with an insight view of early heart growth pattern and also paved the road for data-driven heart growth modeling.

Learning electrocardiogram on YouTube: how useful is it?

Science.gov (United States)

Akgun, Taylan; Karabay, Can Yucel; Kocabay, Gonenc; Kalayci, Arzu; Oduncu, Vecih; Guler, Ahmet; Pala, Selcuk; Kirma, Cevat

2014-01-01

YouTube has become a useful resource for knowledge and is widely used by medical students as an e-learning source. The purpose of this study was to assess the videos relating electrocardiogram (ECG) on YouTube. YouTube was searched on May 28, 2013 for the search terms "AF ecg" for atrial fibrillation, "AVNRT" for atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia, "AVRT" for atrioventricular reentrant tachycardia, "AV block or heart block" for atrioventricular block, "LBBB, RBBB" for bundle branch block, "left anterior fascicular block or left posterior fascicular block" for fascicular blocks, "VT ecg" for ventricular tachycardia, "long QT" and "Brugada ecg". Non-English language, unrelated and non-educational videos were excluded. Remaining videos were assessed for usefulness, source and characteristics. Usefulness was assessed with using a checklist developed by the authors. One hundred nineteen videos were included in the analysis. Sources of the videos were as follows: individuals n=70, 58.8%, universities/hospitals n=10, 8.4% and medical organizations n=3, 2.5%, health ads n=10 8.4%, health websites n=26, 21.8%. Fifty-six (47.1%) videos were classified as very useful and 16 (13.4%) videos were misleading. 90% of the videos uploaded by universities/hospitals were grouped as very useful videos, the same ratio was 45% for the individual uploads. There were statistically significant differences in ECG diagnosis among the groups (for very useful, useful and misleading, pYouTube has a substantial amount of videos on ECG with a wide diversity from useful to misleading content. The lack of quality content relating to ECG on YouTube necessitates that videos should be selected with utmost care. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Chest tube insertion

Science.gov (United States)

Chest drainage tube insertion; Insertion of tube into chest; Tube thoracostomy; Pericardial drain ... Be careful there are no kinks in your tube. The drainage system should always sit upright and be placed ...

Vibro-impact responses of a tube with tube--baffle interaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Y.S.; Sass, D.E.; Jendrzejczyk, J.A.

1978-01-01

The relatively small, inherent tube-to-baffle hole clearances associated with manufacturing tolerances in heat exchangers affect the vibrational characteristics and the response of the tube. Numerical studies were made to predict the vibro-impact response of a tube with tube-baffle interaction. The finite element method has been employed with a non-linear elastic contact spring-dashpot to model the effect of the relative approach between the tube and the baffle plate. The coupled equations of motion are directly integrated with a proportional system damping represented by a linear combination of mass and stiffness. Lumped mass approach with explicit time integration scheme was found to be a suitable choice for tube-baffle impacting analysis. Fourier analyses indicate that the higher mode contributions to the tube response are significant for strong tube-baffle impacting. The contact damping forces are negligible compared with the contact spring forces. The numerical analysis results are in reasonably good agreement with those of the experiments

Origin of heart rate variability and turbulence: an appraisal of autonomic modulation of cardiovascular function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Federico eLombardi

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Assessment of autonomic modulation of sinus node by non-invasive techniques has provided relevant clinical information in patients with several cardiac and non-cardiac diseases and has facilitated the appraisal of neural regulatory mechanisms in normal and diseased subjects. The finding that even during resting conditions the heart period changes on a beat to beat basis and that after a premature ventricular beat there are small variations in RR interval whose measurements may be utilised to evaluate the autonomic modulation of sinus node, has provided unprecedented clinical and pathophysiological information. Heart rate variability (HRV and Heart Rate Turbulence (HRT have been extensively utilised in the clinical setting. To explain the negative predictive value of a reduced HRV it was determined that overall HRV was largely dependent on vagal mechanisms and that a reduction in HRV could reflect an increased sympathetic and a reduced vagal modulation of sinus node; i.e. an autonomic alteration favouring cardiac electrical instability. This initial interpretation was challenged by several findings indicating a greater complexity of the relationship between neural input and sinus node responsiveness as well as the possible interference with non-neural mechanisms.Under controlled conditions, however, the computation of low and high frequency components and of their ratio seems capable of providing adequate information on sympatho-vagal balance in normal subjects as well as in most patients with a preserved left ventricular function, thus providing a unique tool to investigate neural control mechanisms. Analysis on non-linear dynamics of HRV has also been utilised to describe the fractal like characteristic of the variability signal and proven effective to identify patients at risk for sudden cardiac death. A reduction on HRT parameters reflecting reduced baroreflex sensitivity as a likely result of a reduced vagal and of an increased sympathetic

Mortality due to neural tube defects and risk factors in Hidalgo, Mexico

OpenAIRE

Muñoz-Juárez, Sergio; Vargas-Flores, Humberto; Hernández-Prado, Bernardo; López-Ríos, Olga; Ortiz-Espinosa, Rosa María

2002-01-01

Objetivo. Calcular el riesgo de muerte fetal secundaria a defectos del cierre del tubo neural y estimar factores asociados con este tipo de muertes en el estado de Hidalgo. Material y métodos. La información analizada en el año 2000 fue obtenida de los certificados de muerte fetal del periodo 1990-1995 en el estado de Hidalgo. Se utilizó un diseño de mortalidad proporcional, considerado como una variante del diseño de casos y controles. Los casos fueron aquellas muertes fetales secundarias a ...

A healthy heart is not a metronome: An integrative review of the heart’s anatomy and heart rate variability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fredric Bruce Shaffer

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Heart rate variability (HRV, the change in the time intervals between adjacent heartbeats, is an emergent property of interdependent regulatory systems that operate on different time scales to adapt to challenges and achieve optimal performance. This article briefly reviews neural regulation of the heart, and its basic anatomy, the cardiac cycle, and the sinoatrial and atrioventricular pacemakers. The cardiovascular regulation center in the medulla integrates sensory information and input from higher brain centers, and afferent cardiovascular system inputs to adjust heart rate and blood pressure via sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent pathways. This article reviews sympathetic and parasympathetic influences on the heart, and examines the interpretation of HRV and the association between reduced HRV, risk of disease and mortality, and the loss of regulatory capacity. This article also discusses the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and the heart-brain connection, through which afferent information can influence activity in the subcortical and frontocortical areas, and motor cortex. It also considers new perspectives on the putative underlying physiological mechanisms and properties of the ultra-low-frequency (ULF, very-low-frequency (VLF, low-frequency (LF, and high-frequency (HF bands. Additionally, it reviews the most common time and frequency domain measurements as well as standardized data collection protocols. In its final section, this article integrates Porges’ polyvagal theory, Thayer and colleagues’ neurovisceral integration model, Lehrer, Vaschillo, and Vaschillo’s resonance frequency model, and the Institute of HeartMath’s coherence model. The authors conclude that a coherent heart is not a metronome because its rhythms are characterized by both complexity and stability over longer time scales. Future research should expand understanding of how the heart and its intrinsic nervous system influence the brain.

[Incidence and risk factors associated with nosocomial infection in pediatric heart surgery].

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte-Raya, Fidencia; Baeza-Zarco, Fabiola Janet

2016-01-01

Nosocomial infections are responsible for a high rate of morbidity and mortality in pediatric patients undergoing heart surgery. Our objective was to determine the incidence and associated risk factors to nosocomial infections in this group of patients. A descriptive, prospective, clinical study was conducted in a tertiary hospital for a year. We calculated the rate of incidence, accumulated incidence and devices used. Was Applied the EPIDAT 2004 version 3.1 program OPS for obtaining of Chi-square with Yates correction for p with a confidence of 95 %, alpha of 0.05 with a degree of freedom, we calculated odds ratio, besides of the identification of microorganisms, their sensitivity and resistance to antibiotics. We calculated rates of: 45 % the incidence, 80.6 % cumulative incidence, 7.4 % of mortality, 13.3 % of case-fatality rate of infected and 2.7 % non-infected. The 44.4 % with pneumonia, 74 % associated with mechanical ventilation, 100 % nasogastric tube. The most frequently isolated microorganisms are: Acinetobacter baumanni, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with high resistance to antibiotics. Pediatric patients undergoing heart surgery have high risk of infection heart disease, cyanogen's have 5 times more risk. We observed a statistically significant association with infection using nasogastric probe and endotracheal tube, the risk increases to increased hospital stay. Infected patients have 4 times the risk of death.

Neural crest stem cell population in craniomaxillofacial development and tissue repair

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M La Noce

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Neural crest cells, delaminating from the neural tube during migration, undergo an epithelial-mesenchymal transition and differentiate into several cell types strongly reinforcing the mesoderm of the craniofacial body area – giving rise to bone, cartilage and other tissues and cells of this human body area. Recent studies on craniomaxillofacial neural crest-derived cells have provided evidence for the tremendous plasticity of these cells. Actually, neural crest cells can respond and adapt to the environment in which they migrate and the cranial mesoderm plays an important role toward patterning the identity of the migrating neural crest cells. In our experience, neural crest-derived stem cells, such as dental pulp stem cells, can actively proliferate, repair bone and give rise to other tissues and cytotypes, including blood vessels, smooth muscle, adipocytes and melanocytes, highlighting that their use in tissue engineering is successful. In this review, we provide an overview of the main pathways involved in neural crest formation, delamination, migration and differentiation; and, in particular, we concentrate our attention on the translatability of the latest scientific progress. Here we try to suggest new ideas and strategies that are needed to fully develop the clinical use of these cells. This effort should involve both researchers/clinicians and improvements in good manufacturing practice procedures. It is important to address studies towards clinical application or take into consideration that studies must have an effective therapeutic prospect for humans. New approaches and ideas must be concentrated also toward stem cell recruitment and activation within the human body, overcoming the classical grafting.

Program Specificity for Ptf1a in Pancreas versus Neural Tube Development Correlates with Distinct Collaborating Cofactors and Chromatin Accessibility

Science.gov (United States)

Meredith, David M.; Borromeo, Mark D.; Deering, Tye G.; Casey, Bradford H.; Savage, Trisha K.; Mayer, Paul R.; Hoang, Chinh; Tung, Kuang-Chi; Kumar, Manonmani; Shen, Chengcheng; Swift, Galvin H.

2013-01-01

The lineage-specific basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Ptf1a is a critical driver for development of both the pancreas and nervous system. How one transcription factor controls diverse programs of gene expression is a fundamental question in developmental biology. To uncover molecular strategies for the program-specific functions of Ptf1a, we identified bound genomic regions in vivo during development of both tissues. Most regions bound by Ptf1a are specific to each tissue, lie near genes needed for proper formation of each tissue, and coincide with regions of open chromatin. The specificity of Ptf1a binding is encoded in the DNA surrounding the Ptf1a-bound sites, because these regions are sufficient to direct tissue-restricted reporter expression in transgenic mice. Fox and Sox factors were identified as potential lineage-specific modifiers of Ptf1a binding, since binding motifs for these factors are enriched in Ptf1a-bound regions in pancreas and neural tube, respectively. Of the Fox factors expressed during pancreatic development, Foxa2 plays a major role. Indeed, Ptf1a and Foxa2 colocalize in embryonic pancreatic chromatin and can act synergistically in cell transfection assays. Together, these findings indicate that lineage-specific chromatin landscapes likely constrain the DNA binding of Ptf1a, and they identify Fox and Sox gene families as part of this process. PMID:23754747

CRIM1 complexes with ß-catenin and cadherins, stabilizes cell-cell junctions and is critical for neural morphogenesis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Virgilio G Ponferrada

Full Text Available In multicellular organisms, morphogenesis is a highly coordinated process that requires dynamically regulated adhesion between cells. An excellent example of cellular morphogenesis is the formation of the neural tube from the flattened epithelium of the neural plate. Cysteine-rich motor neuron protein 1 (CRIM1 is a single-pass (type 1 transmembrane protein that is expressed in neural structures beginning at the neural plate stage. In the frog Xenopus laevis, loss of function studies using CRIM1 antisense morpholino oligonucleotides resulted in a failure of neural development. The CRIM1 knockdown phenotype was, in some cases, mild and resulted in perturbed neural fold morphogenesis. In severely affected embryos there was a dramatic failure of cell adhesion in the neural plate and complete absence of neural structures subsequently. Investigation of the mechanism of CRIM1 function revealed that it can form complexes with ß-catenin and cadherins, albeit indirectly, via the cytosolic domain. Consistent with this, CRIM1 knockdown resulted in diminished levels of cadherins and ß-catenin in junctional complexes in the neural plate. We conclude that CRIM1 is critical for cell-cell adhesion during neural development because it is required for the function of cadherin-dependent junctions.

Pressure tube reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Susuki, Akira; Murata, Shigeto; Minato, Akihiko.

1993-01-01

In a pressure tube reactor, a reactor core is constituted by arranging more than two units of a minimum unit combination of a moderator sealing pipe containing a calandria tube having moderators there between and a calandria tube and moderators. The upper header and a lower header of the calandria tank containing moderators are communicated by way of the moderator sealing tube. Further, a gravitationally dropping mechanism is disposed for injecting neutron absorbing liquid to a calandria gas injection portion. A ratio between a moderator volume and a fuel volume is defined as a function of the inner diameter of the moderator sealing tube, the outer diameter of the calandria tube and the diameter of fuel pellets, and has no influence to intervals of a pressure tube lattice. The interval of the pressure tube lattice is enlarged without increasing the size of the pressure tube, to improve production efficiency of the reactor and set a coolant void coefficient more negative, thereby enabling to improve self controllability and safety. Further, the reactor scram can be conducted by injecting neutron absorbing liquid. (N.H.)

Vertical steam generator with slab-type tube-plate with even tube bundle washing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Manek, O.; Masek, V.; Motejl, V.; Quitta, R.

1980-01-01

A shielding plate supporting the tubes attached to the tube plate of a vertical steam generator is mounted above the tube plate. Tube sleeves are designed with a dimensional tolerance relative to the heat transfer tubes and the sleeve end and the tube plate end. A separate space is thus formed above the tube plate in which circulation or feed water is introduced to flow between the branch and the heat transfer tube. This provides intensive washing of heat transfer tubes at a critical point and prevents deposit formation, thus excluding heat transfer tube failures. (J.B.)

Use of CATHENA to model calandria-tube/moderator heat transfer after pressure-tube/calandria-tube ballooning contact

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan, H.Z.; Bilanovic, Z.; Nitheanandan, T.

2004-01-01

A study was performed to assess the effect of the calandria-tube/moderator heat transfer after pressure-tube/calandria tube ballooning contact using CATHENA. Results of this study indicated that the analytical tool, CATHENA, can be applied for pool boiling heat transfer on the external surface of a large diameter tube, such as the calandria tube used in CANDU reactors. The methodology in such CANDU-generic study can be used to simulate the tube surface with multiple boiling regimes and to assess the benefits of closely coupling thermalhydraulics modelling and fuel/fuel channel behaviour modelling. CATHENA (Canadian Algorithm for THErmalhydraulic Network Analysis) is a one-dimensional, two-fluid thermalhydraulic simulation code designed by AECL to analyse two-phase flow and heat transfer in piping networks. The detailed heat transfer package in CATHENA allows a connection to be established from the multiple solid surfaces of tubes to the surrounding large amount of moderator water, which acts as a heat sink during a postulated loss of coolant event. The generalized heat transfer package within CATHENA allows the tube walls to be divided into several layers in the radial direction and several sectors in the circumferential direction, to account for heat transfer conditions in these two directions. The CATHENA code with the generalized heat transfer package is capable of capturing key pool-boiling phenomena such as nucleate, transition and film boiling heat transfer as well as an ability to model the rewet phenomenon to some extent. A CATHENA input model was generated and used in simulations of selected contact boiling experiment test cases. The transient wall temperatures have been calculated in different portions of the calandria tube. By using this model an adequate agreement was achieved between CATHENA calculation and experimental measurement The CATHENA code enables one to investigate the transient and local thermal-mechanical behaviour of the calandria tube

Flow Regime Identification of Co-Current Downward Two-Phase Flow With Neural Network Approach

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hiroshi Goda; Seungjin Kim; Ye Mi; Finch, Joshua P.; Mamoru Ishii; Jennifer Uhle

2002-01-01

Flow regime identification for an adiabatic vertical co-current downward air-water two-phase flow in the 25.4 mm ID and the 50.8 mm ID round tubes was performed by employing an impedance void meter coupled with the neural network classification approach. This approach minimizes the subjective judgment in determining the flow regimes. The signals obtained by an impedance void meter were applied to train the self-organizing neural network to categorize these impedance signals into a certain number of groups. The characteristic parameters set into the neural network classification included the mean, standard deviation and skewness of impedance signals in the present experiment. The classification categories adopted in the present investigation were four widely accepted flow regimes, viz. bubbly, slug, churn-turbulent, and annular flows. These four flow regimes were recognized based upon the conventional flow visualization approach by a high-speed motion analyzer. The resulting flow regime maps classified by the neural network were compared with the results obtained through the flow visualization method, and consequently the efficiency of the neural network classification for flow regime identification was demonstrated. (authors)

Improvement of pump tubes for gas guns and shock tube drivers

Science.gov (United States)

Bogdanoff, D. W.

1990-01-01

In a pump tube, a gas is mechanically compressed, producing very high pressures and sound speeds. The intensely heated gas produced in such a tube can be used to drive light gas guns and shock tubes. Three concepts are presented that have the potential to allow substantial reductions in the size and mass of the pump tube to be achieved. The first concept involves the use of one or more diaphragms in the pump tube, thus replacing a single compression process by multiple, successive compressions. The second concept involves a radical reduction in the length-to-diameter ratio of the pump tube and the pump tube piston. The third concept involves shock heating of the working gas by high explosives in a cyclindrical geometry reusable device. Preliminary design analyses are performed on all three concepts and they appear to be quite feasible. Reductions in the length and mass of the pump tube by factors up to about 11 and about 7, respectively, are predicted, relative to a benchmark conventional pump tube.

A study on the critical heat flux for annuli and round tubes under low pressure conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jae Wook

1997-02-01

conditions hypothesis for annuli and round tubes. The data have also been compared with predictions of the existing well-known correlations: Among the CHF correlation for annuli, Doerffer et al.'s correlation is suggested to be used for reliable assessment of the annulus CHF for most conditions, except for very low pressure conditions (P < 1000 kPa). The success of tube-table-based correlations by Doerffer et al. indicate the feasibility of using a well-established tube correlation as a basis for future development of annulus CHF prediction models. The artificial neural networks (ANNs) are applied to the CHF database for round tube at LPLF (P = 110∼1100 kPa, G = 0∼500 kg/m 2 s) conditions. The train back-propagation neural networks (BPNs) predict the CHF better than those any other CHF correlations. The parametric trends on the BPN for fixed inlet conditions well agree with our experimental results. For local conditions hypothesis, the parametric trend analysis are consistence with many previous studies except for tube diameter effect. Except for exit qualities of 0.6 and 0.7, the CHF increases with increasing tube diameter. By considering the above conclusions, the followings are recommended for further study: (a) BPN is recommended to be used for predicting and parametric trend analyzing the critical heat flux with high reliability. (b) It is found that the trained data can be directly used to assess the error statistics of a trained BPN; whereas in the past an independent sample data have been used to assess the errors. (c) It is recommended that the feasibility of using a well-established tube correlation as a basis for future development of annulus CHF prediction models. (d) Still, the CHF database for LPLF conditions are not enough, it is highly recommended to supplement the reliable CHF data set specially in the subcooled and low-quality region

Evaluation of machine learning tools for inspection of steam generator tube structures using pulsed eddy current

Science.gov (United States)

Buck, J. A.; Underhill, P. R.; Morelli, J.; Krause, T. W.

2017-02-01

Degradation of nuclear steam generator (SG) tubes and support structures can result in a loss of reactor efficiency. Regular in-service inspection, by conventional eddy current testing (ECT), permits detection of cracks, measurement of wall loss, and identification of other SG tube degradation modes. However, ECT is challenged by overlapping degradation modes such as might occur for SG tube fretting accompanied by tube off-set within a corroding ferromagnetic support structure. Pulsed eddy current (PEC) is an emerging technology examined here for inspection of Alloy-800 SG tubes and associated carbon steel drilled support structures. Support structure hole size was varied to simulate uniform corrosion, while SG tube was off-set relative to hole axis. PEC measurements were performed using a single driver with an 8 pick-up coil configuration in the presence of flat-bottom rectangular frets as an overlapping degradation mode. A modified principal component analysis (MPCA) was performed on the time-voltage data in order to reduce data dimensionality. The MPCA scores were then used to train a support vector machine (SVM) that simultaneously targeted four independent parameters associated with; support structure hole size, tube off-centering in two dimensions and fret depth. The support vector machine was trained, tested, and validated on experimental data. Results were compared with a previously developed artificial neural network (ANN) trained on the same data. Estimates of tube position showed comparable results between the two machine learning tools. However, the ANN produced better estimates of hole inner diameter and fret depth. The better results from ANN analysis was attributed to challenges associated with the SVM when non-constant variance is present in the data.

Bidirectional Cardio-Respiratory Interactions in Heart Failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikola N. Radovanović

2018-03-01

Full Text Available We investigated cardio-respiratory coupling in patients with heart failure by quantification of bidirectional interactions between cardiac (RR intervals and respiratory signals with complementary measures of time series analysis. Heart failure patients were divided into three groups of twenty, age and gender matched, subjects: with sinus rhythm (HF-Sin, with sinus rhythm and ventricular extrasystoles (HF-VES, and with permanent atrial fibrillation (HF-AF. We included patients with indication for implantation of implantable cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy device. ECG and respiratory signals were simultaneously acquired during 20 min in supine position at spontaneous breathing frequency in 20 healthy control subjects and in patients before device implantation. We used coherence, Granger causality and cross-sample entropy analysis as complementary measures of bidirectional interactions between RR intervals and respiratory rhythm. In heart failure patients with arrhythmias (HF-VES and HF-AF there is no coherence between signals (p < 0.01, while in HF-Sin it is reduced (p < 0.05, compared with control subjects. In all heart failure groups causality between signals is diminished, but with significantly stronger causality of RR signal in respiratory signal in HF-VES. Cross-sample entropy analysis revealed the strongest synchrony between respiratory and RR signal in HF-VES group. Beside respiratory sinus arrhythmia there is another type of cardio-respiratory interaction based on the synchrony between cardiac and respiratory rhythm. Both of them are altered in heart failure patients. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is reduced in HF-Sin patients and vanished in heart failure patients with arrhythmias. Contrary, in HF-Sin and HF-VES groups, synchrony increased, probably as consequence of some dominant neural compensatory mechanisms. The coupling of cardiac and respiratory rhythm in heart failure patients varies depending on the

A Neural Network Approach to Fluid Level Measurement in Dynamic Environments Using a Single Capacitive Sensor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Edin TERZIC

2010-03-01

Full Text Available A measurement system has been developed using a single tube capacitive sensor to accurately determine the fluid level in vehicular fuel tanks. A novel approach based on artificial neural networks based signal pre-processing and classification has been described in this article. A broad investigation on the Backpropagation neural network and some selected signal pre-processing filters, namely, Moving Mean, Moving Median, and Wavelet Filter has also been presented. An on field drive trial was conducted under normal driving conditions at various fuel volumes ranging from 5 L to 50 L to acquire training samples from the capacitive sensor. A second field trial was conducted to obtain test samples to verify the performance of the neural network. The neural network was trained and verified with 50 % of the training and test samples. The results obtained using the neural network approach having different filtration methods are compared with the results obtained using simple Moving Mean and Moving Median functions. It is demonstrated that the Backpropagation neural network with Moving Median filter produced the most accurate outcome compared with the other signal filtration methods.

Association of neural tube defects in children of mothers with MTHFR 677TT genotype and abnormal carbohydrate metabolism risk: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Cadenas-Benitez, N M; Yanes-Sosa, F; Gonzalez-Meneses, A; Cerrillos, L; Acosta, D; Praena-Fernandez, J M; Neth, O; Gomez de Terreros, I; Ybot-González, P

2014-03-26

Abnormalities in maternal folate and carbohydrate metabolism have both been shown to induce neural tube defects (NTD) in humans and animal models. However, the relationship between these two factors in the development of NTDs remains unclear. Data from mothers of children with spina bifida seen at the Unidad de Espina Bífida del Hospital Infantil Virgen del Rocío (case group) were compared to mothers of healthy children with no NTD (control group) who were randomly selected from patients seen at the outpatient ward in the same hospital. There were 25 individuals in the case group and 41 in the control group. Analysis of genotypes for the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) 677CT polymorphism in women with or without risk factors for abnormal carbohydrate metabolism revealed that mothers who were homozygous for the MTHFR 677TT polymorphism and at risk of abnormal carbohydrate metabolism were more likely to have offspring with spina bifida and high levels of homocysteine, compared to the control group. The increased incidence of NTDs in mothers homozygous for the MTHFR 677TT polymorphism and at risk of abnormal carbohydrate metabolism stresses the need for careful metabolic screening in pregnant women, and, if necessary, determination of the MTHFR 677CT genotype in those mothers at risk of developing abnormal carbohydrate metabolism.

Vibro-impact responses of a tube with tube--baffle interaction. [LMFBR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Y S; Sass, D E; Jendrzejczyk, J A

1978-01-01

The relatively small, inherent tube-to-baffle hole clearances associated with manufacturing tolerances in heat exchangers affect the vibrational characteristics and the response of the tube. Numerical studies were made to predict the vibro-impact response of a tube with tube-baffle interaction. The finite element method has been employed with a non-linear elastic contact spring-dashpot to model the effect of the relative approach between the tube and the baffle plate. The coupled equations of motion are directly integrated with a proportional system damping represented by a linear combination of mass and stiffness. Lumped mass approach with explicit time integration scheme was found to be a suitable choice for tube-baffle impacting analysis. Fourier analyses indicate that the higher mode contributions to the tube response are significant for strong tube-baffle impacting. The contact damping forces are negligible compared with the contact spring forces. The numerical analysis results are in reasonably good agreement with those of the experiments.

Bender/Coiler for Tubing

Science.gov (United States)

Stoltzfus, J. M.

1983-01-01

Easy-to-use tool makes coils of tubing. Tubing to be bend clamped with stop post. Die positioned snugly against tubing. Operator turns handle to slide die along tubing, pushing tubing into spiral groove on mandrel.

Bidirectional Cardio-Respiratory Interactions in Heart Failure.

Science.gov (United States)

Radovanović, Nikola N; Pavlović, Siniša U; Milašinović, Goran; Kirćanski, Bratislav; Platiša, Mirjana M

2018-01-01

We investigated cardio-respiratory coupling in patients with heart failure by quantification of bidirectional interactions between cardiac (RR intervals) and respiratory signals with complementary measures of time series analysis. Heart failure patients were divided into three groups of twenty, age and gender matched, subjects: with sinus rhythm (HF-Sin), with sinus rhythm and ventricular extrasystoles (HF-VES), and with permanent atrial fibrillation (HF-AF). We included patients with indication for implantation of implantable cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy device. ECG and respiratory signals were simultaneously acquired during 20 min in supine position at spontaneous breathing frequency in 20 healthy control subjects and in patients before device implantation. We used coherence, Granger causality and cross-sample entropy analysis as complementary measures of bidirectional interactions between RR intervals and respiratory rhythm. In heart failure patients with arrhythmias (HF-VES and HF-AF) there is no coherence between signals ( p respiratory signal in HF-VES. Cross-sample entropy analysis revealed the strongest synchrony between respiratory and RR signal in HF-VES group. Beside respiratory sinus arrhythmia there is another type of cardio-respiratory interaction based on the synchrony between cardiac and respiratory rhythm. Both of them are altered in heart failure patients. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is reduced in HF-Sin patients and vanished in heart failure patients with arrhythmias. Contrary, in HF-Sin and HF-VES groups, synchrony increased, probably as consequence of some dominant neural compensatory mechanisms. The coupling of cardiac and respiratory rhythm in heart failure patients varies depending on the presence of atrial/ventricular arrhythmias and it could be revealed by complementary methods of time series analysis.

Advanced NDE (ANDE) and its application for pressure tube inspections in OPG reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jarron, D.; Trelinski, M.; Kretz, S. [Ontario Power Generation, Ajax, Ontario (Canada)]. E-mail: don.jarron@opg.com; mike.trelinski@opg.com; steve.kretz@opg.com

2006-07-01

Periodic and in-service inspections of CANDU fuel channels are essential for the proper assessment of the structural integrity of these vital components. The arrival of new delivery devices for fuel channel inspections (Universal Delivery Machine) has driven new methods for gathering and analyzing NDE data. The Advanced Non-Destructive Examination (ANDE) system has been designed and field implemented as a high speed data acquisition system to meet the requirements of the CSA N285.4 code. It was built from the solid foundation of CIGAR experience and uses cutting edge hardware and software to attain high speed data collection enabling relatively quick inspection of a large number of fuel channels. The capabilities of the ANDE inspection system include: Surface and volumetric inspection of pressure tube by ultrasonics; Flaw characterization by ultrasonics; Pressure tube diameter measurements; Pressure tube thickness measurements; Garter Spring location by Eddy Current; Garter Spring location by ultrasonics; Pressure tube sag measurement. In addition to the above, selected flaws/areas of a pressure tube can be replicated using a two plate ANDE replica tool. At the heart of the inspection system is a set of twelve ultrasonic probes positioned in such a way that the inspected areas are examined from various angles and directions and by various ultrasonic wave modes (shear and longitudinal). High frequency ultrasound used for the examinations allows for reliable detection of small flaws. Separate sensors have been installed on the inspection head for Garter Spring location and sag measurements. (author)

The positional identity of iPSC-derived neural progenitor cells along the anterior-posterior axis is controlled in a dosage-dependent manner by bFGF and EGF

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, Shuling; Ochalek, Anna; Szczesna, Karolina

2016-01-01

Neural rosettes derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) have been claimed to be a highly robust in vitro cellular model for biomedical application. They are able to propagate in vitro in the presence of mitogens, including basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and epidermal growth...... factor (EGF). However, these two mitogens are also involved in anterior-posterior patterning in a gradient dependent manner along the neural tube axis. Here, we compared the regional identity of neural rosette cells and specific neural subtypes of their progeny propagated with low and high concentrations...... of the neural rosettes, resulting in subsequent cholinergic neuron differentiation. Thus, our results indicate that different concentrations of bFGF and EGF supplemented during propagation of neural rosettes are involved in altering the identity of the resultant neural cells....

Experimental and numerical analysis of the optimized finned-tube heat exchanger for OM314 diesel exhaust exergy recovery

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatami, M.; Ganji, D.D.; Gorji-Bandpy, M.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • An optimized finned-tube heat exchanger is modeled. • Artificial Neural Networks and Genetic Algorithm are applied. • Exergy recovery from exhaust of a diesel engine is studied. - Abstract: In this research, a multi objective optimization based on Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Genetic Algorithm (GA) are applied on the obtained results from numerical outcomes for a finned-tube heat exchanger (HEX) in diesel exhaust heat recovery. Thirty heat exchangers with different fin length, thickness and fin numbers are modeled and those results in three engine loads are optimized with weight functions for pressure drop, recovered heat and HEX weight. Finally, two cases of HEXs (an optimized and a non-optimized) are produced experimentally and mounted on the exhaust of an OM314 diesel engine to compare their results in heat and exergy recovery. All experiments are done for five engine loads (0%, 20%, 40%, 60% and 80% of full load) and four water mass flow rates (50, 40, 30 and 20 g/s). Results show that maximum exergy recovers occurs in high engine loads and optimized HEX with 10 fins have averagely 8% second law efficiency in exergy recovery

Steam generator tube extraction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delorme, H.

1985-05-01

To enable tube examination on steam generators in service, Framatome has now developed a process for removing sections of steam generator tubes. Tube sections can be removed without being damaged for treating the tube section expanded in the tube sheet

Interaction between the SLC19A1 gene and maternal first trimester fever on offspring neural tube defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Pei, Lijun; Zhu, Huiping; Ye, Rongwei; Wu, Jilei; Liu, Jianmeng; Ren, Aiguo; Li, Zhiwen; Zheng, Xiaoying

2015-01-01

Many studies have indicated that the reduced folate carrier gene (SLC19A1) is associated with an increased risk of neural tube defects (NTDs). However, the interaction between the SLC19A1 gene variant and maternal fever exposure and NTD risk remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the risk for NTDs was influenced by the interactions between the SLC19A1 (rs1051266) variant and maternal first trimester fever. We investigated the potential interaction between maternal first trimester fever and maternal or offspring SLC19A1 polymorphism through a population-based case-control study. One hundred and four nuclear families with NTDs and 100 control families with nonmal newborns were included in the study. SLC19A1 polymorphism was determined using polymerase chain reaction-restricted fragment length polymorphism. Mothers who had the GG/GA genotype and first trimester fever had an elevated risk of NTDs (adjusted odds ratio, 11.73; 95% confidence interval, 3.02-45.58) as compared to absence of maternal first trimester fever and AA genotype after adjusting for maternal education, paternal education, and age, and had a significant interactive coefficient (γ = 3.17) between maternal GG/GA genotype and first trimester fever. However, there was no interaction between offspring's GG/GA genotype and maternal first trimester fever (the interactive coefficient γ = 0.97) after adjusting for confounding factors. Our findings suggested that the risk of NTDs was potentially influenced by a gene-environment interaction between maternal SLC19A1 rs1051266 GG/GA genotype and first trimester fever. Maternal GG/GA genotype may strengthen the effect of maternal fever exposure on NTD risk in this Chinese population. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Maternal Consumption of Non-Staple Food in the First Trimester and Risk of Neural Tube Defects in Offspring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Meng Wang

2015-04-01

Full Text Available To study the associations between maternal consumption of non-staple food in the first trimester and risk of neural tube defects (NTDs in offspring. Data collected from a hospital-based case-control study conducted between 2006 and 2008 in Shandong/Shanxi provinces including 459 mothers with NTDs-affected births and 459 mothers without NTDs-affected births. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between maternal consumption of non-staple food in the first trimester and risk of NTDs in offspring. The effects were evaluated by odds ratio (OR and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs with SAS9.1.3.software. Maternal consumption of milk, fresh fruits and nuts in the first trimester were protective factors for total NTDs. Compared with consumption frequency of ˂1 meal/week, the ORs for milk consumption frequency of 1–2, 3–6, ≥7 meals/week were 0.50 (95% CI: 0.28–0.88, 0.56 (0.32–0.99, and 0.59 (0.38–0.90, respectively; the ORs for fresh fruits consumption frequency of 1–2, 3–6, ≥7 meals/week were 0.29 (95% CI: 0.12–0.72, 0.22 (0.09–0.53, and 0.32 (0.14–0.71, respectively; the ORs for nuts consumption frequency of 1–2, 3–6, ≥7 meals/week were 0.60 (95% CI: 0.38–0.94, 0.49 (0.31–0.79, and 0.63 (0.36–1.08, respectively. Different effects of above factors on NTDs were found for subtypes of anencephaly and spina bifida. Maternal non-staple food consumption of milk, fresh fruits and nuts in the first trimester was associated with reducing NTDs risk in offspring.

The application of neural network for the advancement of the eddy current testing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakai, T.; Soneda, N.

1996-01-01

All the steam generator (SG) tubes of Japanese pressurized water reactors (PWRs) are inspected by the eddy current testing (ECT) method in every annual scheduled inspection. Here, a neural network system to estimate the class and size of defects from signals obtained by the eddy current testing (ECT) method has been developed. A trajectory of ECT signal is characterized by four representative parameters, and totally eight parameters obtained from two trajectories by different AC current frequencies are used as input parameters for neutral networks. A probabilistic descent method is employed to minimize the error at the learning process of neural networks. It is indicated that using multiple neutral networks which are separately responsible to each class of defects is effective to the improvement of their estimation accuracy. And, it is demonstrated that the neural network system which the authors developed can estimate the class and size of defects from unlearned trajectories with high accuracy

8-Oxoguanine DNA glycosylase 1 (ogg1) maintains the function of cardiac progenitor cells during heart formation in zebrafish

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yan, Lifeng [State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China); Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China); Zhou, Yong [Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China); Yu, Shanhe [Shanghai Institute of Hematology, RuiJin Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China); Ji, Guixiang [Nanjing Institute of Environmental Sciences/Key Laboratory of Pesticide Environmental Assessment and Pollution Control, Ministry of Environmental Protection, Nanjing 210042 (China); Wang, Lei [Key Laboratory of Stem Cell Biology, Institute of Health Sciences, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200025 (China); Liu, Wei [State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China); Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China); Gu, Aihua, E-mail: aihuagu@njmu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Toxicology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China); Key Laboratory of Modern Toxicology of Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029 (China)

2013-11-15

Genomic damage may devastate the potential of progenitor cells and consequently impair early organogenesis. We found that ogg1, a key enzyme initiating the base-excision repair, was enriched in the embryonic heart in zebrafish. So far, little is known about DNA repair in cardiogenesis. Here, we addressed the critical role of ogg1 in cardiogenesis for the first time. ogg1 mainly expressed in the anterior lateral plate mesoderm (ALPM), the primary heart tube, and subsequently the embryonic myocardium by in situ hybridisation. Loss of ogg1 resulted in severe cardiac morphogenesis and functional abnormalities, including the short heart length, arrhythmia, decreased cardiomyocytes and nkx2.5{sup +} cardiac progenitor cells. Moreover, the increased apoptosis and repressed proliferation of progenitor cells caused by ogg1 deficiency might contribute to the heart phenotype. The microarray analysis showed that the expression of genes involved in embryonic heart tube morphogenesis and heart structure were significantly changed due to the lack of ogg1. Among those, foxh1 is an important partner of ogg1 in the cardiac development in response to DNA damage. Our work demonstrates the requirement of ogg1 in cardiac progenitors and heart development in zebrafish. These findings may be helpful for understanding the aetiology of congenital cardiac deficits. - Highlights: • A key DNA repair enzyme ogg1 is expressed in the embryonic heart in zebrafish. • We found that ogg1 is essential for normal cardiac morphogenesis in zebrafish. • The production of embryonic cardiomyocytes requires appropriate ogg1 expression. • Ogg1 critically regulated proliferation of cardiac progenitor cells in zebrafish. • foxh1 is a partner of ogg1 in the cardiac development in response to DNA damage.

Transition from tube feeding to oral feeding: experience in a tertiary care paediatric cardiology unit.

Science.gov (United States)

Shine, Anne Marie; Finn, Daragh Gerard; Allen, Noeleen; McMahon, Colin J

2018-05-02

Home enteral tube feeding (HETF) is imperative for many infants and children with congenital heart disease (CHD). Tube weaning (TW) facilitates the progression from tube feeding to oral diet. There is limited literature on TW practices, protocols and success for children with CHD that have been tube fed. The objective of this study is to assess the process of weaning HETF in a tertiary referral centre for paediatric CHD. Specifically, we aimed to assess the duration of HETF, duration of TW and the interventions involved. We retrospectively reviewed the medical and dietetic records of all infants and children that were successfully weaned off HETF over a 12-month period from January 2015 to December 2015. There were 30 children included in the study, 9 boys and 21 girls. The diagnoses included 15 septal defects, 8 univentricular diagnosis and other diagnoses in 7 children. The median age at initiation of enteral tube feeding was 45 days (range 2-169). The median duration to wean from enteral tube feeding was 52 days (range 2-359). Number of dietetic consults required for successful TW varied among patients, median 5 (range 2-23). The number of days required for successful TW was associated with age and duration on HETF. Dietetic interventions included discontinuation of nutrient dense feeds, altering feed schedule and reduction of feed volume. Weaning HETF is possible in the outpatient setting. Early and frequent dietetic intervention is recommended to ensure prompt discontinuation of HETF when appropriate.

The Neural Baroreflex Pathway in Subjects With Metabolic Syndrome

OpenAIRE

Zanoli, Luca; Empana, Jean-Philippe; Estrugo, Nicolas; Escriou, Guillaume; Ketthab, Hakim; Pruny, Jean-Francois; Castellino, Pietro; Laude, Dominique; Thomas, Frederique; Pannier, Bruno; Jouven, Xavier; Boutouyrie, Pierre; Laurent, Stephane

2016-01-01

Abstract The mechanisms that link metabolic syndrome (MetS) to increased cardiovascular risk are incompletely understood. We examined whether MetS is associated with the neural baroreflex pathway (NBP) and whether any such associations are independent of blood pressure values. This study involved the cross-sectional analysis of data on 2835 subjects aged 50 to 75 years from the Paris Prospective Study 3. The prevalence of MetS was defined according to the American Heart Association/National H...

Maternal Use of Weight Loss Products and the Risk of Neural Tube Defects in Offspring: A Systematic Literature Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoang, Thanh T; Agopian, A J; Mitchell, Laura E

2018-01-15

Several studies have assessed potential associations between use of weight loss products in the periconceptional period and neural tube defects (NTDs). However, the individual studies are inconclusive and there has not been a systematic review of this literature. We conducted a systematic search, using Ovid MEDLINE and PubMed, to identify studies that evaluated the association between products used for weight loss and the risk of NTDs. Because many studies of birth defects only evaluate a composite birth defect outcome, we evaluated studies that defined the outcome as "any major birth defect" or as NTDs. We abstracted data on study design, exposure definition, outcome definition, covariates and effect size estimates from each article that met our inclusion criteria. For studies that evaluated a composite birth defect outcome, we also abstracted the number of NTD cases included in the composite outcome. We used a modified version of the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale to assess the quality of each article. We screened 865 citations and identified nine articles that met our inclusion criteria. The majority of studies reported positive associations between maternal use of weight loss products and birth defects (overall and NTDs). However, there were few significant associations and there was considerable heterogeneity in the specific exposures assessed across the nine studies. Our systematic review of weight loss products and NTDs indicates that the literature on this topic is sparse. Because several studies reported modest, positive associations between risk and use of weight loss products, additional studies are warranted. Birth Defects Research 110:48-55, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Feeding tube - infants

Science.gov (United States)

... this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007235.htm Feeding tube - infants To use the sharing features on this page, please enable JavaScript. A feeding tube is a small, soft, plastic tube placed ...

Integration and long distance axonal regeneration in the central nervous system from transplanted primitive neural stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Jiagang; Sun, Woong; Cho, Hyo Min; Ouyang, Hong; Li, Wenlin; Lin, Ying; Do, Jiun; Zhang, Liangfang; Ding, Sheng; Liu, Yizhi; Lu, Paul; Zhang, Kang

2013-01-04

Spinal cord injury (SCI) results in devastating motor and sensory deficits secondary to disrupted neuronal circuits and poor regenerative potential. Efforts to promote regeneration through cell extrinsic and intrinsic manipulations have met with limited success. Stem cells represent an as yet unrealized therapy in SCI. Recently, we identified novel culture methods to induce and maintain primitive neural stem cells (pNSCs) from human embryonic stem cells. We tested whether transplanted human pNSCs can integrate into the CNS of the developing chick neural tube and injured adult rat spinal cord. Following injection of pNSCs into the developing chick CNS, pNSCs integrated into the dorsal aspects of the neural tube, forming cell clusters that spontaneously differentiated into neurons. Furthermore, following transplantation of pNSCs into the lesioned rat spinal cord, grafted pNSCs survived, differentiated into neurons, and extended long distance axons through the scar tissue at the graft-host interface and into the host spinal cord to form terminal-like structures near host spinal neurons. Together, these findings suggest that pNSCs derived from human embryonic stem cells differentiate into neuronal cell types with the potential to extend axons that associate with circuits of the CNS and, more importantly, provide new insights into CNS integration and axonal regeneration, offering hope for repair in SCI.

Applications of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Neural Crest Cells in Craniofacial Skeletal Research

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Satoru Morikawa

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Craniofacial skeletal tissues are composed of tooth and bone, together with nerves and blood vessels. This composite material is mainly derived from neural crest cells (NCCs. The neural crest is transient embryonic tissue present during neural tube formation whose cells have high potential for migration and differentiation. Thus, NCCs are promising candidates for craniofacial tissue regeneration; however, the clinical application of NCCs is hindered by their limited accessibility. In contrast, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs are easily accessible in adults, have similar potential for self-renewal, and can differentiate into skeletal tissues, including bones and cartilage. Therefore, MSCs may represent good sources of stem cells for clinical use. MSCs are classically identified under adherent culture conditions, leading to contamination with other cell lineages. Previous studies have identified mouse- and human-specific MSC subsets using cell surface markers. Additionally, some studies have shown that a subset of MSCs is closely related to neural crest derivatives and endothelial cells. These MSCs may be promising candidates for regeneration of craniofacial tissues from the perspective of developmental fate. Here, we review the fundamental biology of MSCs in craniofacial research.

Development of classification and prediction methods of critical heat flux using fuzzy theory and artificial neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Sang Ki

1995-02-01

This thesis applies new information techniques, artificial neural networks, (ANNs) and fuzzy theory, to the investigation of the critical heat flux (CHF) phenomenon for water flow in vertical round tubes. The work performed are (a) classification and prediction of CHF based on fuzzy clustering and ANN, (b) prediction and parametric trends analysis of CHF using ANN with the introduction of dimensionless parameters, and (c) detection of CHF occurrence using fuzzy rule and spatiotemporal neural network (STN). Fuzzy clustering and ANN are used for classification and prediction of the CHF using primary system parameters. The fuzzy clustering classifies the experimental CHF data into a few data clusters (data groups) according to the data characteristics. After classification of the experimental data, the characteristics of the resulted clusters are discussed with emphasis on the distribution of the experimental conditions and physical mechanisms. The CHF data in each group are trained in an artificial neural network to predict the CHF. The artificial neural network adjusts the weight so as to minimize the prediction error within the corresponding cluster. Application of the proposed method to the KAIST CHF data bank shows good prediction capability of the CHF, better than other existing methods. Parametric trends of the CHF are analyzed by applying artificial neural networks to a CHF data base for water flow in uniformly heated vertical round tubes. The analyses are performed from three viewpoints, i.e., for fixed inlet conditions, for fixed exit conditions, and based on local conditions hypothesis. In order to remove the necessity of data classification, Katto and Groeneveld et al.'s dimensionless parameters are introduced in training the ANNs with the experimental CHF data. The trained ANNs predict the CHF better than any other conventional correlations, showing RMS error of 8.9%, 13.1%, and 19.3% for fixed inlet conditions, for fixed exit conditions, and for local

Frecuencia de los defectos del tubo neural en Asturias: impacto del diagnóstico prenatal Prevalence of neural tube defects in Asturias (Spain: impact of prenatal diagnosis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrique García López

2009-12-01

Full Text Available Objetivo Describir la frecuencia de defectos del tubo neural (DTN -anencefalia, espina bífida y encefalocele-en Asturias, su evolución temporal y el impacto del diagnóstico prenatal. Métodos: Se estudiaron los casos de DTN en nacidos y abortos inducidos durante el período 1990-2004, utilizando la base de datos del Registro de Defectos Congénitos de Asturias, de base poblacional. Se calcularon las tasas de prevalencia total y al nacimiento. Resultados: La prevalencia total de DTN fue de 12,2 casos por 10.000 nacidos (5,9 anencefalias, 5,0 espinas bífidas y 1,3 encefaloceles y mostró una tendencia ligeramente descendente, con un descenso significativo de la espina bífida, mientras que las cifras de anencefalia y encefalocele se mantuvieron estables. Finalizaron en aborto inducido tras el diagnóstico prenatal el 88% de los casos (anencefalia 96,7%; espina bífida 80%; encefalocele 84,6%, lo que determinó una prevalencia al nacimiento muy baja (1,4 DTN por 10.000 nacidos. Conclusiones: En Asturias, en los últimos 15 años se ha producido un descenso selectivo en la prevalencia total de espina bífida de causa no aclarada. La prevención secundaria, mediante los programas de diagnóstico prenatal y la consiguiente interrupción del embarazo, fue el motivo del marcado descenso de la frecuencia en los nacidos; la simple recomendación de suplementación periconcepcional con ácido fólico no parece haber logrado el efecto buscado.Objective: To describe the frequency and prevalence trend for neural tube defects (NTD (anencephaly, spina bifida and encephalocele in Asturias (Spain, as well as the impact of prenatal diagnosis programs. Methods: All cases of NTD in births and induced abortions were studied, using data from the Registry of Congenital Defects of Asturias for 1990-2004. Total and birth prevalence rates were calculated. Results: The prevalence of NTD for 1990-2004 was 12.2 per 10,000 births (5.9 anencephaly, 5.0 spina bifida and 1

Study on automatic ECT data evaluation by using neural network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komatsu, H.; Matsumoto, Y.; Badics, Z.; Aoki, K.; Nakayasu, F.; Hashimoto, M.; Miya, K.

1994-01-01

At the in--service inspection of the steam generator (SG) tubings in Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) plant, eddy current testing (ECT) has been widely used at each outage. At present, ECT data evaluation is mainly performed by ECT data analyst, therefore it has the following problems. Only ECT signal configuration on the impedance trajectory is used in the evaluation. It is an enormous time consuming process. The evaluation result is influenced by the ability and experience of the analyst. Especially, it is difficult to identify the true defect signal hidden in background signals such as lift--off noise and deposit signals. In this work, the authors performed the study on the possibility of the application of neural network to ECT data evaluation. It was demonstrated that the neural network proved to be effective to identify the nature of defect, by selecting several optimum input parameters to categorize the raw ECT signals

Eustachian tube patency

Science.gov (United States)

Eustachian tube patency refers to how much the eustachian tube is open. The eustachian tube runs between the middle ear and the throat. It controls the pressure behind the eardrum and middle ear space. This helps keep ...

Effect of tube-support interaction on the dynamic responses of heat exchanger tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shin, Y.S.; Jendrzejczyk, J.A.; Wambsganss, M.W.

1977-01-01

Operating heat exchangers have experienced tube damages due to excessive flow-induced vibration. The relatively small inherent tube-to-baffle hole clearances associated with manufacturing tolerances in heat exchangers affect the tube vibrational characteristics. In attempting a theoretical analysis, questions arise as to the effects of tube-baffle impacting on dynamic responses. Experiments were performed to determine the effects of tube-baffle impacting in vertical/horizontal tube orientation, and in air/water medium on the vibrational characteristics (resonant frequencies, mode shapes, and damping) and displacement response amplitudes of a seven-span tube model. The tube and support conditions were prototypic, and overall length approximately one-third that of a straight tube segment of the steam generator designed for the CRBR. The test results were compared with the analytical results based on the multispan beam with ''knife-edge'' supports

NEURAL AND CARDIAC TOXICITIES ASSOCIATED WITH 3,4-METHYLENEDIOXYMETHAMPHETAMINE (MDMA)

OpenAIRE

Baumann, Michael H.; Rothman, Richard B.

2009-01-01

(±)-3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is a commonly abused illicit drug which affects multiple organ systems. In animals, high-dose administration of MDMA produces deficits in serotonin (5-HT) neurons (e.g., depletion of forebrain 5-HT) that have been viewed as neurotoxicity. Recent data implicate MDMA in the development of valvular heart disease (VHD). The present paper reviews several issues related to MDMA-associated neural and cardiac toxicities. The hypothesis of MDMA neurotoxicit...

Annular gap measurement between pressure tube and calandria tube by eddy current technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhole, V.M.; Rastogi, P.K.; Kulkarni, P.G.

1992-01-01

In pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) major distinguishing feature is that there are number of identical fuel channels in the reactor core. Each channel consists of pressure tube of Zr-2.5 Nb or zircaloy-2 through which high temperature, high pressure primary coolant is passing. The pressure tube contains fuel. Surrounding the pressure tube there is low pressure, cool heavy water (moderator). The moderator is thermally separated from coolant by the tube which is nominally concentric with pressure tube called calandria tube. There are four garter springs in the annular gap between pressure tube and calandria tube. During the life of the reactor there are number of factors by which the pressure tube sags, most important factors are irradiation creep, thermal creep, fuel load etc. Because of the sag of pressure tube it can touch the calandria tube resulting in formation of cold spot. This leads to hydrogen concentration at that spot by which the material at that place becomes brittle and can lead to catastrophic failure of pressure tube. There is no useful access for measurement of annular gap either through the gas annular space or from exterior of calandria tube. So the annular gap was measured from inside surface of pressure tube which is accessible. Eddy current technique was used for finding the gap. The paper describe the details of split coil design of bobbin probe, selection of operating point on normalised impedance diagram by choosing frequency. Experimental results on full scale mock up, and actual gap measurement in reactor channel, are also given. (author). 7 figs

Categorising YouTube

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Simonsen, Thomas Mosebo

2011-01-01

This article provides a genre analytical approach to creating a typology of the User Generated Content (UGC) of YouTube. The article investigates the construction of navigation processes on the YouTube website. It suggests a pragmatic genre approach that is expanded through a focus on YouTube......’s technological affordances. Through an analysis of the different pragmatic contexts of YouTube, it is argued that a taxonomic understanding of YouTube must be analysed in regards to the vacillation of a user-driven bottom-up folksonomy and a hierarchical browsing system that emphasises a culture of competition...... and which favours the already popular content of YouTube. With this taxonomic approach, the UGC videos are registered and analysed in terms of empirically based observations. The article identifies various UGC categories and their principal characteristics. Furthermore, general tendencies of the UGC within...

Pressure tube type reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Komada, Masaoki.

1981-01-01

Purpose: To increase the safety of pressure tube type reactors by providing an additional ECCS system to an ordinary ECCS system and injecting heavy water in the reactor core tank into pressure tubes upon fractures of the tubes. Constitution: Upon fractures of pressure tubes, reduction of the pressure in the fractured tubes to the atmospheric pressure in confirmed and the electromagnetic valve is operated to completely isolate the pressure tubes from the fractured portion. Then, the heavy water in the reactor core tank flows into and spontaneously recycles through the pressure tubes to cool the fuels in the tube to prevent their meltdown. By additionally providing the separate ECCS system to the ordinary ECCS system, fuels can be cooled upon loss of coolant accidents to improve the safety of the reactors. (Moriyama, K.)

Magnitude of Neural Tube Defects and Associated Risk Factors at Three Teaching Hospitals in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Science.gov (United States)

Gedefaw, Abel; Teklu, Sisay; Tadesse, Birkneh Tilahun

2018-01-01

There is scarcity of data on prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs) in lower-income countries. Local data are important to understand the real burden of the problem and explore risk factors to design and implement preventive approaches. This study aimed to determine prevalence and risk factors of NTDs. A hospital-based cross-sectional and unmatched case-control study was conducted at three teaching hospitals of Addis Ababa University. NTDs were defined as cases of anencephaly, spina bifida, and encephalocele based on ICD-10 criteria. The prevalence of NTDs was calculated per 10,000 births for both birth and total prevalence. During seven months, we observed 55 cases of NTDs out of 8677 births after 28 weeks of gestation-birth prevalence of 63.4 per 10,000 births (95% confidence interval (CI), 51-77). A total of 115 cases were medically terminated after 12 weeks of gestation. Fifty-six of these terminations (48.7%) were due to NTDs. Thus, total prevalence of NTDs after 12 weeks' gestation is 126 per 10,000 births (95% CI, 100-150). Planned pregnancy (adjusted odds ratio (aOR), 0.47; 95% CI, 0.24-0.92), male sex (aOR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.33-0.94), normal or underweight body mass index (aOR, 0.49; 95%, 0.29-0.95), and taking folic acid or multivitamins during first trimester (aOR, 0.47; 95%, 0.23-0.95) were protective of NTDs. However, annual cash family income less than $1,300 USD (aOR, 2.5; 95%, 1.2-5.5), $1,300-1,800 USD (aOR, 2.8; 95%, 1.3-5.8), and $1,801-2,700 USD (aOR, 2.6; 95%, 1.2-5.8) was found to be risk factors compared to income greater than $2,700 USD. The prevalence of NTDs was found to be high in this setting. Comprehensive preventive strategies focused on identified risk factors should be urgently established. More studies on prevention strategies, including folic acid supplementations, should be conducted in the setting.

Tube-in-shell heat exchangers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richardson, J.

1976-01-01

Tube-in-shell heat exchangers normally comprise a bundle of parallel tubes within a shell container, with a fluid arranged to flow through the tubes in heat exchange with a second fluid flowing through the shell. The tubes are usually end supported by the tube plates that separate the two fluids, and in use the tube attachments to the tube plates and the tube plates can be subject to severe stress by thermal shock and frequent inspection and servicing are required. Where the heat exchangers are immersed in a coolant such as liquid Na such inspection is difficult. In the arrangement described a longitudinally extending central tube is provided incorporating axially spaced cylindrical tube plates to which the opposite ends of the tubes are attached. Within this tube there is a tubular baffle that slidably seals against the wall of the tube between the cylindrical tube plates to define two co-axial flow ducts. These ducts are interconnected at the closed end of the tube by the heat exchange tubes and the baffle comprises inner and outer spaced walls with the interspace containing Ar. The baffle is easily removable and can be withdrawn to enable insertion of equipment for inspecting the wall of the tube and tube attachments and to facilitate plugging of defective tubes. Cylindrical tube plates are believed to be superior for carrying pressure loads and resisting the effects of thermal shock. Some protection against thermal shock can be effected by arranging that the secondary heat exchange fluid is on the tube side, and by providing a thermal baffle to prevent direct impingement of hot primary fluid on to the cylindrical tube plates. The inner wall of the tubular baffle may have flexible expansible region. Some nuclear reactor constructions incorporating such an arrangement are described, including liquid metal reactors. (U.K.)

Heat exchanger tube tool

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gugel, G.

1976-01-01

Certain types of heat-exchangers have tubes opening through a tube sheet to a manifold having an access opening offset from alignment with the tube ends. A tool for inserting a device, such as for inspection or repair, is provided for use in such instances. The tool is formed by a flexible guide tube insertable through the access opening and having an inner end provided with a connector for connection with the opening of the tube in which the device is to be inserted, and an outer end which remains outside of the chamber, the guide tube having adequate length for this arrangement. A flexible transport hose for internally transporting the device slides inside of the guide tube. This hose is long enough to slide through the guide tube, into the heat-exchanger tube, and through the latter to the extent required for the use of the device. The guide tube must be bent to reach the end of the heat-exchanger tube and the latter may be constructed with a bend, the hose carrying anit-friction elements at interspaced locations along its length to make it possible for the hose to negotiate such bends while sliding to the location where the use of the device is required

Observation of "YouTube" Language Learning Videos ("YouTube" LLVS)

Science.gov (United States)

Alhamami, Munassir

2013-01-01

This paper navigates into the "YouTube" website as one of the most usable online tools to learn languages these days. The paper focuses on two issues in creating "YouTube" language learning videos: pedagogy and technology. After observing the existing "YouTube" LLVs, the study presents a novel rubric that is directed…

Intelligent monitoring of YAG laser welding on steam generator tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hosaka, Shigetaka; Nagura, Yasumi; Ishide, Takashi; Nagashima, Tadashi; Akaba, Takashi

1992-01-01

The 'KASHIKOKI' intelligent device for monitoring the YAG laser welding of steam generator tubes is described in this paper. The 'KASHIKOKI', it monitors the series of six channels, for example, the reflected laser beam and the welding speed, etc. It learns the normal criteria and the anomalous criteria of welding, and discriminates between normal and anomalous welding using the learned criteria, and distinguishes the anomaly into several types. As the results of evaluation test, the degree of correspondence between this device and an expert is about 90%. This paper describes the new methods the multi-variate analysis model for discriminating between normal and anomalous welding, and a neural network model for distinguishing the types of anomaly. (author)

Progranulin haploinsufficiency causes biphasic social dominance abnormalities in the tube test.

Science.gov (United States)

Arrant, A E; Filiano, A J; Warmus, B A; Hall, A M; Roberson, E D

2016-07-01

Loss-of-function mutations in progranulin (GRN) are a major autosomal dominant cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a neurodegenerative disorder in which social behavior is disrupted. Progranulin-insufficient mice, both Grn(+/-) and Grn(-/-) , are used as models of FTD due to GRN mutations, with Grn(+/-) mice mimicking the progranulin haploinsufficiency of FTD patients with GRN mutations. Grn(+/-) mice have increased social dominance in the tube test at 6 months of age, although this phenotype has not been reported in Grn(-/-) mice. In this study, we investigated how the tube test phenotype of progranulin-insufficient mice changes with age, determined its robustness under several testing conditions, and explored the associated cellular mechanisms. We observed biphasic social dominance abnormalities in Grn(+/-) mice: at 6-8 months, Grn(+/-) mice were more dominant than wild-type littermates, while after 9 months of age, Grn(+/-) mice were less dominant. In contrast, Grn(-/-) mice did not exhibit abnormal social dominance, suggesting that progranulin haploinsufficiency has distinct effects from complete progranulin deficiency. The biphasic tube test phenotype of Grn(+/-) mice was associated with abnormal cellular signaling and neuronal morphology in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex. At 6-9 months, Grn(+/-) mice exhibited increased mTORC2/Akt signaling in the amygdala and enhanced dendritic arbors in the basomedial amygdala, and at 9-16 months Grn(+/-) mice exhibited diminished basal dendritic arbors in the prelimbic cortex. These data show a progressive change in tube test dominance in Grn(+/-) mice and highlight potential underlying mechanisms by which progranulin insufficiency may disrupt social behavior. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

Design of planar electron gun for UHF range, CW power inductive output tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaushik, Meenu; Joshi, L.M.

2015-01-01

Inductive Output Tube (lOT) is an amplifier which is now-a-days in demand for scientific applications. For every vacuum tube, electron gun is an important part and in fact considered as the heart of the tube. Hence, designing of this component is very crucial for efficient operation of the device throughout its lifetime. This paper is all about the electromagnetic (EM) design of planar electron gun of 40 kV, 3.5 A beam voltage and beam current respectively, for a 100 kW CW power lOT operating in UHF range. The design considerations and basic equations involved in its design are included in the paper. The gun structure has been optimized for getting the desired beam characteristics. The simulation results including the beam profile along with the beam current are shown using two commercial codes namely TRAK and MAGIC code. Planar shape of electron beam reduces space charge forces in the beam itself and consequently beam energy spread for a given current. The magnetic focusing of planar beam is easier comparative to spherical beam hence, this structure has been adopted for this particular device design. (author)

Helically coiled tube heat exchanger

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harris, A.M.

1981-01-01

In a heat exchanger such as a steam generator for a nuclear reactor, two or more bundles of helically coiled tubes are arranged in series with the tubes in each bundle integrally continuing through the tube bundles arranged in series therewith. Pitch values for the tubing in any pair of tube bundles, taken transverse to the path of the reactor coolant flow about the tubes, are selected as a ratio of two unequal integers to permit efficient operation of each tube bundle while maintaining the various tube bundles of the heat exchanger within a compact envelope. Preferably, the helix angle and tube pitch parallel to the path of coolant flow are constant for all tubes in a single bundle so that the tubes are of approximately the same length within each bundle

Categorising YouTube

OpenAIRE

Simonsen, Thomas Mosebo

2011-01-01

This article provides a genre analytical approach to creating a typology of the User Generated Content (UGC) of YouTube. The article investigates the construction of navigation processes on the YouTube website. It suggests a pragmatic genre approach that is expanded through a focus on YouTube’s technological affordances. Through an analysis of the different pragmatic contexts of YouTube, it is argued that a taxonomic understanding of YouTube must be analysed in regards to the vacillation of a...

NEI You Tube Videos: Amblyopia

Medline Plus

Full Text Available ... YouTube Videos » NEI YouTube Videos: Amblyopia Listen NEI YouTube Videos YouTube Videos Home Age-Related Macular Degeneration ... Retinopathy of Prematurity Science Spanish Videos Webinars NEI YouTube Videos: Amblyopia Embedded video for NEI YouTube Videos: ...

Effect of Tube Pitch on Pool Boiling Heat Transfer of Vertical Tube Bundle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Myeong Gie

2016-01-01

Summarizing the previous results it can be stated that heat transfer coefficients are highly dependent on the tube pitch and the heat flux of the relevant tube. The published results are mostly about the horizontal tubes. However, there are many heat exchangers consisting of vertical tubes like AP600. Therefore, the focus of the present study is an identification of the effects of a tube pitch as well as the heat flux of a relevant tube on the heat transfer of a tube bundle installed vertically. When the heat flux is increased many bubbles are generating due to the increase of the nucleation sites. The bubbles become coalescing with the nearby bubbles and generates big bunches of bubbles on the tube surface. This prevents the access of the liquid to the surface and deteriorates heat transfer. The bubble coalescence is competing with the mechanisms enhancing heat transfer. The pitch was varied from 28.5 mm to 95 mm and the heat flux of the nearby tube was changed from 0 to 90kW/m"2. The enhancement of the heat transfer is clearly observed when the heat flux of the nearby tube becomes larger and the heat flux of the upper tube is less than 40kW/m"2. The effect of the tube pitch on heat transfer is negligible as the value of DP/ is increased more than 4.

Optimizing Tube Precurvature to Enhance Elastic Stability of Concentric Tube Robots.

Science.gov (United States)

Ha, Junhyoung; Park, Frank C; Dupont, Pierre E

2017-02-01

Robotic instruments based on concentric tube technology are well suited to minimally invasive surgery since they are slender, can navigate inside small cavities and can reach around sensitive tissues by taking on shapes of varying curvature. Elastic instabilities can arise, however, when rotating one precurved tube inside another. In contrast to prior work that considered only tubes of piecewise constant precurvature, we allow precurvature to vary along the tube's arc length. Stability conditions for a planar tube pair are derived and used to formulate an optimal design problem. An analytic formulation of the optimal precurvature function is derived that achieves a desired tip orientation range while maximizing stability and respecting bending strain limits. This formulation also includes straight transmission segments at the proximal ends of the tubes. The result, confirmed by both numerical and physical experiment, enables designs with enhanced stability in comparison to designs of constant precurvature.

SoxB1-driven transcriptional network underlies neural-specific interpretation of morphogen signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Oosterveen, Tony; Kurdija, Sanja; Ensterö, Mats; Uhde, Christopher W; Bergsland, Maria; Sandberg, Magnus; Sandberg, Rickard; Muhr, Jonas; Ericson, Johan

2013-04-30

The reiterative deployment of a small cadre of morphogen signals underlies patterning and growth of most tissues during embyogenesis, but how such inductive events result in tissue-specific responses remains poorly understood. By characterizing cis-regulatory modules (CRMs) associated with genes regulated by Sonic hedgehog (Shh), retinoids, or bone morphogenetic proteins in the CNS, we provide evidence that the neural-specific interpretation of morphogen signaling reflects a direct integration of these pathways with SoxB1 proteins at the CRM level. Moreover, expression of SoxB1 proteins in the limb bud confers on mesodermal cells the potential to activate neural-specific target genes upon Shh, retinoid, or bone morphogenetic protein signaling, and the collocation of binding sites for SoxB1 and morphogen-mediatory transcription factors in CRMs faithfully predicts neural-specific gene activity. Thus, an unexpectedly simple transcriptional paradigm appears to conceptually explain the neural-specific interpretation of pleiotropic signaling during vertebrate development. Importantly, genes induced in a SoxB1-dependent manner appear to constitute repressive gene regulatory networks that are directly interlinked at the CRM level to constrain the regional expression of patterning genes. Accordingly, not only does the topology of SoxB1-driven gene regulatory networks provide a tissue-specific mode of gene activation, but it also determines the spatial expression pattern of target genes within the developing neural tube.

Planar polarization of Vangl2 in the vertebrate neural plate is controlled by Wnt and Myosin II signaling

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olga Ossipova

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The vertebrate neural tube forms as a result of complex morphogenetic movements, which require the functions of several core planar cell polarity (PCP proteins, including Vangl2 and Prickle. Despite the importance of these proteins for neurulation, their subcellular localization and the mode of action have remained largely unknown. Here we describe the anteroposterior planar cell polarity (AP-PCP of the cells in the Xenopus neural plate. At the neural midline, the Vangl2 protein is enriched at anterior cell edges and that this localization is directed by Prickle, a Vangl2-interacting protein. Our further analysis is consistent with the model, in which Vangl2 AP-PCP is established in the neural plate as a consequence of Wnt-dependent phosphorylation. Additionally, we uncover feedback regulation of Vangl2 polarity by Myosin II, reiterating a role for mechanical forces in PCP. These observations indicate that both Wnt signaling and Myosin II activity regulate cell polarity and cell behaviors during vertebrate neurulation.

A Method to Establishing Tube Plugging Criterion for Heat Exchangers with Straight Tubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Hyungnam [KHNP CRI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

The difference of thermal expansion coefficients between the shell and tube materials causes the stress in axial direction of tube. Because of the axial stress due to thermal load, the straight tubes are used for heat exchangers operated in low temperature such as CCW (Component Cooling Water) heat exchangers and condensers. It is inevitable for the materials of the components to be degraded as the power plants become older. The degradation accompanies increasing maintenance cost as well as creating safety issues. The materials and wall thickness of heat exchanger tubes in nuclear power plants are selected to withstand system temperature, pressure, and corrosion. There are many codes and standards to be referred for calculating the minimum thickness of the heat exchanger tube in the designing stage. However, the codes and standards related to show the tube plugging criteria may not exist currently. In this paper, a method to establish the tube plugging criteria of BOP heat exchangers, which is based on the USNRC Regulatory Guide 1.121, is introduced and the tube plugging criteria for the TPCCW heat exchanger of Yonggwang NPP No. 1 and 2. A method to establish the tube plugging criteria of heat exchangers with straight tubes are introduced based on the USNRC Regulatory Guide 1.121. As an example, the tube plugging criterion for the CCW heat exchanger of a nuclear power plant is provided.

Assessing bottled water nitrate concentrations to evaluate total drinking water nitrate exposure and risk of birth defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Weyer, Peter J; Brender, Jean D; Romitti, Paul A; Kantamneni, Jiji R; Crawford, David; Sharkey, Joseph R; Shinde, Mayura; Horel, Scott A; Vuong, Ann M; Langlois, Peter H

2014-12-01

Previous epidemiologic studies of maternal exposure to drinking water nitrate did not account for bottled water consumption. The objective of this National Birth Defects Prevention Study (NBDPS) (USA) analysis was to assess the impact of bottled water use on the relation between maternal exposure to drinking water nitrate and selected birth defects in infants born during 1997-2005. Prenatal residences of 1,410 mothers reporting exclusive bottled water use were geocoded and mapped; 326 bottled water samples were collected and analyzed using Environmental Protection Agency Method 300.0. Median bottled water nitrate concentrations were assigned by community; mothers' overall intake of nitrate in mg/day from drinking water was calculated. Odds ratios for neural tube defects, limb deficiencies, oral cleft defects, and heart defects were estimated using mixed-effects models for logistic regression. Odds ratios (95% CIs) for the highest exposure group in offspring of mothers reporting exclusive use of bottled water were: neural tube defects [1.42 (0.51, 3.99)], limb deficiencies [1.86 (0.51, 6.80)], oral clefts [1.43 (0.61, 3.31)], and heart defects [2.13, (0.87, 5.17)]. Bottled water nitrate had no appreciable impact on risk for birth defects in the NBDPS.

Automation in tube finishing bay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhatnagar, Prateek; Satyadev, B.; Raghuraman, S.; Syama Sundara Rao, B.

1997-01-01

Automation concept in tube finishing bay, introduced after the final pass annealing of PHWR tubes resulted in integration of number of sub-systems in synchronisation with each other to produce final cut fuel tubes of specified length, tube finish etc. The tube finishing bay which was physically segregated into four distinct areas: 1. tube spreader and stacking area, 2. I.D. sand blasting area, 3. end conditioning, wad blowing, end capping and O.D. wet grinding area, 4. tube inspection, tube cutting and stacking area has been studied

CRL X-ray tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kolchevsky, N.N.; Petrov, P.V.

2015-01-01

A novel types of X-ray tubes with refractive lenses are proposed. CRL-R X-ray tube consists of Compound Refractive Lens- CRL and Reflection X-ray tube. CRL acts as X-ray window. CRL-T X-ray consists of CRL and Transmission X-ray tube. CRL acts as target for electron beam. CRL refractive lens acts as filter, collimator, waveguide and focusing lens. Properties and construction of the CRL X-ray tube are discussed. (authors)

Histone deacetylase 1 and 2 are essential for murine neural crest proliferation, pharyngeal arch development, and craniofacial morphogenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Milstone, Zachary J; Lawson, Grace; Trivedi, Chinmay M

2017-12-01

Craniofacial anomalies involve defective pharyngeal arch development and neural crest function. Copy number variation at 1p35, containing histone deacetylase 1 (Hdac1), or 6q21-22, containing Hdac2, are implicated in patients with craniofacial defects, suggesting an important role in guiding neural crest development. However, the roles of Hdac1 and Hdac2 within neural crest cells remain unknown. The neural crest and its derivatives express both Hdac1 and Hdac2 during early murine development. Ablation of Hdac1 and Hdac2 within murine neural crest progenitor cells cause severe hemorrhage, atrophic pharyngeal arches, defective head morphogenesis, and complete embryonic lethality. Embryos lacking Hdac1 and Hdac2 in the neural crest exhibit decreased proliferation and increased apoptosis in both the neural tube and the first pharyngeal arch. Mechanistically, loss of Hdac1 and Hdac2 upregulates cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors Cdkn1a, Cdkn1b, Cdkn1c, Cdkn2b, Cdkn2c, and Tp53 within the first pharyngeal arch. Our results show that Hdac1 and Hdac2 function redundantly within the neural crest to regulate proliferation and the development of the pharyngeal arches by means of repression of cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. Developmental Dynamics 246:1015-1026, 2017. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

HEART RATE RECOVERY AFTER EXERCISE AND NEURAL REGULATION OF HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN 30-40 YEAR OLD FEMALE MARATHON RUNNERS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Toshio Matsuoka

2005-03-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of endurance training on heart rate (HR recovery after exercise and cardiac autonomic nervous system (ANS modulation in female marathon runners by comparing with untrained controls. Six female marathon runners (M group aged 32-40 years and eight age-matched untrained females (C group performed a maximum-effort treadmill running exercise. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max was measured during the exercise with a gas analyzer connected to subjects through a face mask. Heart rate, blood pressure and blood lactate were measured before and after the exercise. Rating of perceived exertion (RPE to the exercise was obtained immediately after the exercise. Holter ECG was recorded and analyzed with power spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV to investigate the cardiac ANS modulation. The M group had significantly higher VO2max, faster HR recovery after exercise, higher Mean RR, SDRR, HF power and lower LF/HF ratio at rest compared with the C group. The M group also presented greater percent decrease of blood pressure after exercise, although their blood pressure after exercise was higher than the C group. It is suggested that endurance training induced significant alterations in cardiac ANS modulation at rest and significant acceleration of HR recovery after exercise in female marathon runners. Faster HR recovery after exercise in the female marathon runners should result from their higher levels of HRV, higher aerobic capacity and exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise compared with untrained controls.

Mass flow rate correlation for two-phase flow of R218 through a capillary tube

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vinš, Václav; Vacek, V.

2009-01-01

Roč. 29, 14-15 (2009), s. 2816-2823 ISSN 1359-4311 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20760514 Keywords : artificial neural network * capillary tube * mass flow rate correlation * R218 Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 1.922, year: 2009 http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=PublicationURL&_cdi=5687&_pubType=J&_acct=C000034318&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=640952&md5=fc314a471a010545ee185394a6c8f5f7&jchunk=29#29

Pediatric cuffed endotracheal tubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Neerja Bhardwaj

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Endotracheal intubation in children is usually performed utilizing uncuffed endotracheal tubes for conduct of anesthesia as well as for prolonged ventilation in critical care units. However, uncuffed tubes may require multiple changes to avoid excessive air leak, with subsequent environmental pollution making the technique uneconomical. In addition, monitoring of ventilatory parameters, exhaled volumes, and end-expiratory gases may be unreliable. All these problems can be avoided by use of cuffed endotracheal tubes. Besides, cuffed endotracheal tubes may be of advantage in special situations like laparoscopic surgery and in surgical conditions at risk of aspiration. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI scans in children have found the narrowest portion of larynx at rima glottides. Cuffed endotracheal tubes, therefore, will form a complete seal with low cuff pressure of <15 cm H 2 O without any increase in airway complications. Till recently, the use of cuffed endotracheal tubes was limited by variations in the tube design marketed by different manufacturers. The introduction of a new cuffed endotracheal tube in the market with improved tracheal sealing characteristics may encourage increased safe use of these tubes in clinical practice. A literature search using search words "cuffed endotracheal tube" and "children" from 1980 to January 2012 in PUBMED was conducted. Based on the search, the advantages and potential benefits of cuffed ETT are reviewed in this article.

Estimation and optimization of thermal performance of evacuated tube solar collector system

Science.gov (United States)

Dikmen, Erkan; Ayaz, Mahir; Ezen, H. Hüseyin; Küçüksille, Ecir U.; Şahin, Arzu Şencan

2014-05-01

In this study, artificial neural networks (ANNs) and adaptive neuro-fuzzy (ANFIS) in order to predict the thermal performance of evacuated tube solar collector system have been used. The experimental data for the training and testing of the networks were used. The results of ANN are compared with ANFIS in which the same data sets are used. The R2-value for the thermal performance values of collector is 0.811914 which can be considered as satisfactory. The results obtained when unknown data were presented to the networks are satisfactory and indicate that the proposed method can successfully be used for the prediction of the thermal performance of evacuated tube solar collectors. In addition, new formulations obtained from ANN are presented for the calculation of the thermal performance. The advantages of this approaches compared to the conventional methods are speed, simplicity, and the capacity of the network to learn from examples. In addition, genetic algorithm (GA) was used to maximize the thermal performance of the system. The optimum working conditions of the system were determined by the GA.

Dynamic positional fate map of the primary heart-forming region.

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, Cheng; Cheuvront, Tracey J; Lansford, Rusty D; Moreno-Rodriguez, Ricardo A; Schultheiss, Thomas M; Rongish, Brenda J

2009-08-15

Here we show the temporal-spatial orchestration of early heart morphogenesis at cellular level resolution, in vivo, and reconcile conflicting positional fate mapping data regarding the primary heart-forming field(s). We determined the positional fates of precardiac cells using a precision electroporation approach in combination with wide-field time-lapse microscopy in the quail embryo, a warm-blooded vertebrate (HH Stages 4 through 10). Contrary to previous studies, the results demonstrate the existence of a "continuous" circle-shaped heart field that spans the midline, appearing at HH Stage 4, which then expands to form a wide arc of progenitors at HH Stages 5-7. Our time-resolved image data show that a subset of these cardiac progenitor cells do not overlap with the expression of common cardiogenic factors, Nkx-2.5 and Bmp-2, until HH Stage 10, when a tubular heart has formed, calling into question when cardiac fate is specified and by which key factors. Sub-groups and anatomical bands (cohorts) of heart precursor cells dramatically change their relative positions in a process largely driven by endodermal folding and other large-scale tissue deformations. Thus, our novel dynamic positional fate maps resolve the origin of cardiac progenitor cells in amniotes. The data also establish the concept that tissue motion contributes significantly to cellular position fate - i.e., much of the cellular displacement that occurs during assembly of a midline heart tube (HH Stage 9) is NOT due to "migration" (autonomous motility), a commonly held belief. Computational analysis of our time-resolved data lays the foundation for more precise analyses of how cardiac gene regulatory networks correlate with early heart tissue morphogenesis in birds and mammals.

Consumer Neuroscience-Based Metrics Predict Recall, Liking and Viewing Rates in Online Advertising.

Science.gov (United States)

Guixeres, Jaime; Bigné, Enrique; Ausín Azofra, Jose M; Alcañiz Raya, Mariano; Colomer Granero, Adrián; Fuentes Hurtado, Félix; Naranjo Ornedo, Valery

2017-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether the effectiveness of a new ad on digital channels (YouTube) can be predicted by using neural networks and neuroscience-based metrics (brain response, heart rate variability and eye tracking). Neurophysiological records from 35 participants were exposed to 8 relevant TV Super Bowl commercials. Correlations between neurophysiological-based metrics, ad recall, ad liking, the ACE metrix score and the number of views on YouTube during a year were investigated. Our findings suggest a significant correlation between neuroscience metrics and self-reported of ad effectiveness and the direct number of views on the YouTube channel. In addition, and using an artificial neural network based on neuroscience metrics, the model classifies (82.9% of average accuracy) and estimate the number of online views (mean error of 0.199). The results highlight the validity of neuromarketing-based techniques for predicting the success of advertising responses. Practitioners can consider the proposed methodology at the design stages of advertising content, thus enhancing advertising effectiveness. The study pioneers the use of neurophysiological methods in predicting advertising success in a digital context. This is the first article that has examined whether these measures could actually be used for predicting views for advertising on YouTube.

Consumer Neuroscience-Based Metrics Predict Recall, Liking and Viewing Rates in Online Advertising

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jaime Guixeres

2017-10-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether the effectiveness of a new ad on digital channels (YouTube can be predicted by using neural networks and neuroscience-based metrics (brain response, heart rate variability and eye tracking. Neurophysiological records from 35 participants were exposed to 8 relevant TV Super Bowl commercials. Correlations between neurophysiological-based metrics, ad recall, ad liking, the ACE metrix score and the number of views on YouTube during a year were investigated. Our findings suggest a significant correlation between neuroscience metrics and self-reported of ad effectiveness and the direct number of views on the YouTube channel. In addition, and using an artificial neural network based on neuroscience metrics, the model classifies (82.9% of average accuracy and estimate the number of online views (mean error of 0.199. The results highlight the validity of neuromarketing-based techniques for predicting the success of advertising responses. Practitioners can consider the proposed methodology at the design stages of advertising content, thus enhancing advertising effectiveness. The study pioneers the use of neurophysiological methods in predicting advertising success in a digital context. This is the first article that has examined whether these measures could actually be used for predicting views for advertising on YouTube.

Consumer Neuroscience-Based Metrics Predict Recall, Liking and Viewing Rates in Online Advertising

Science.gov (United States)

Guixeres, Jaime; Bigné, Enrique; Ausín Azofra, Jose M.; Alcañiz Raya, Mariano; Colomer Granero, Adrián; Fuentes Hurtado, Félix; Naranjo Ornedo, Valery

2017-01-01

The purpose of the present study is to investigate whether the effectiveness of a new ad on digital channels (YouTube) can be predicted by using neural networks and neuroscience-based metrics (brain response, heart rate variability and eye tracking). Neurophysiological records from 35 participants were exposed to 8 relevant TV Super Bowl commercials. Correlations between neurophysiological-based metrics, ad recall, ad liking, the ACE metrix score and the number of views on YouTube during a year were investigated. Our findings suggest a significant correlation between neuroscience metrics and self-reported of ad effectiveness and the direct number of views on the YouTube channel. In addition, and using an artificial neural network based on neuroscience metrics, the model classifies (82.9% of average accuracy) and estimate the number of online views (mean error of 0.199). The results highlight the validity of neuromarketing-based techniques for predicting the success of advertising responses. Practitioners can consider the proposed methodology at the design stages of advertising content, thus enhancing advertising effectiveness. The study pioneers the use of neurophysiological methods in predicting advertising success in a digital context. This is the first article that has examined whether these measures could actually be used for predicting views for advertising on YouTube. PMID:29163251

Pressure tube type research reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ueda, Hiroshi.

1976-01-01

Object: To prevent excessive heat generation due to radiation of a pressure tube vessel. Structure: A pressure tube encasing therein a core comprises a dual construction comprising inner and outer tubes coaxially disposed. High speed cooling water is passed through the inner tube for cooling. In addition, in the outer periphery of said outer tube there is provided a forced cooling tube disposed coaxially thereto, into which cooling fluid, for example, such as moderator or reflector is forcibly passed. This forced cooling tube has its outer periphery surrounded by the vessel into which moderator or reflector is fed. By the provision of the dual construction of the pressure tube and the forced cooling tube, the vessel may be prevented from heat generation. (Ikeda, J.)

Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor-MET signaling in neural crest-derived melanocyte development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kos, L; Aronzon, A; Takayama, H; Maina, F; Ponzetto, C; Merlino, G; Pavan, W

1999-02-01

The mechanisms governing development of neural crest-derived melanocytes, and how alterations in these pathways lead to hypopigmentation disorders, are not completely understood. Hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor (HGF/SF) signaling through the tyrosine-kinase receptor, MET, is capable of promoting the proliferation, increasing the motility, and maintaining high tyrosinase activity and melanin synthesis of melanocytes in vitro. In addition, transgenic mice that ubiquitously overexpress HGF/SF demonstrate hyperpigmentation in the skin and leptomenigenes and develop melanomas. To investigate whether HGF/ SF-MET signaling is involved in the development of neural crest-derived melanocytes, transgenic embryos, ubiquitously overexpressing HGF/SF, were analyzed. In HGF/SF transgenic embryos, the distribution of melanoblasts along the characteristic migratory pathway was not affected. However, additional ectopically localized melanoblasts were also observed in the dorsal root ganglia and neural tube, as early as 11.5 days post coitus (p.c.). We utilized an in vitro neural crest culture assay to further explore the role of HGF/SF-MET signaling in neural crest development. HGF/SF added to neural crest cultures increased melanoblast number, permitted differentiation into pigmented melanocytes, promoted melanoblast survival, and could replace mast-cell growth factor/Steel factor (MGF) in explant cultures. To examine whether HGF/SF-MET signaling is required for the proper development of melanocytes, embryos with a targeted Met null mutation (Met-/-) were analysed. In Met-/- embryos, melanoblast number and location were not overtly affected up to 14 days p.c. These results demonstrate that HGF/SF-MET signaling influences, but is not required for, the initial development of neural crest-derived melanocytes in vivo and in vitro.

Aberrant twinning (diprosopus) associated with anencephaly.

Science.gov (United States)

Moerman, P; Fryns, J P; Goddeeris, P; Lauweryns, J M; Van Assche, A

1983-10-01

A case of Monocephalus diprosopus, associated with craniorachischisis and duplication of most of the foregut derivates is presented. The major part of the cardiovascular system remained single but the heart exhibited severe defects, including a complete persistent atrioventricular canal, transposition of the great arteries and atresia of the pulmonary valve. This report further supports the hypothesis that certain-types of incomplete twinning and neural tube defects may be caused by a single teratogenic mechanism.

Streak tube development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hinrichs, C.K.; Estrella, R.M.

1979-01-01

A research program for the development of a high-speed, high-resolution streak image tube is described. This is one task in the development of a streak camera system with digital electronic readout, whose primary application is for diagnostics in underground nuclear testing. This program is concerned with the development of a high-resolution streak image tube compatible with x-ray input and electronic digital output. The tube must be capable of time resolution down to 100 psec and spatial resolution to provide greater than 1000 resolution elements across the cathode (much greater than presently available). Another objective is to develop the capability to make design changes in tube configurations to meet different experimental requirements. A demountable prototype streak tube was constructed, mounted on an optical bench, and placed in a vacuum system. Initial measurements of the tube resolution with an undeflected image show a resolution of 32 line pairs per millimeter over a cathode diameter of one inch, which is consistent with the predictions of the computer simulations. With the initial set of unoptmized deflection plates, the resolution pattern appeared to remain unchanged for static deflections of +- 1/2-inch, a total streak length of one inch, also consistent with the computer simulations. A passively mode-locked frequency-doubled dye laser is being developed as an ultraviolet pulsed light source to measure dynamic tube resolution during streaking. A sweep circuit to provide the deflection voltage in the prototype tube has been designed and constructed and provides a relatively linear ramp voltage with ramp durations adjustable between 10 and 1000 nsec

Technique employed to seal a tube leaking in a heat exchanger of the tube type by explosives with supporting means for the adjacent tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larson, G.C.

1978-01-01

This invention concerns the technique employed to seal a tube leaking in a heat exchanger of the tube and tube plate type by detonating metal plugs activated by an explosive and inserted in both ends of the tube. It refers in particular to an apparatus and process in which the deformation or distortion of the adjacent tubes and tube plate ties under the effect of the explosive forces is significantly reduced [fr

Peru's national folic acid fortification program and its effect on neural tube defects in Lima Programa nacional del Perú de fortificación con ácido fólico y su efecto sobre los defectos del tubo neural en Lima

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel J. Ricks

2012-12-01

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of Peru's national folic acid fortification program on folic acid content in wheat flour, and the effect on birth prevalence of neural tube defects (NTDs in Lima, and to compare the program's legislative requirements with international standards. METHODS: Bread was sampled from six sites across Peru and tested for folic acid. Data were obtained from the largest obstetric hospital in Lima on the prevalence of births (live and still with NTDs during both the pre-fortification period (2004-2005 and post-fortification years (2007-2008. RESULTS: Folic acid content in the sampled bread met national legislative requirements but was less than one-half of the level recommended for Peru by the World Health Organization (WHO (2.6 mg/kg wheat flour. Birth prevalence of NTDs was 18.4/10 000 in the pre-fortification period and 20.0/10 000 during post-fortification years. Relative risk for NTDs after fortification was 1.02 (95% confidence interval 0.77-1.35, P = 0.90. CONCLUSIONS: Peruvian legislative requirements for folic acid fortification are below international (WHO recommendations; birth prevalence of NTDs in Lima is higher than international benchmarks; and no decrease in NTDs following fortification of flour with folic acid (according to Peruvian national standards was observed. As increasing the level of folic acid in flour remains the most sustainable way of preventing NTDs, it is recommended that Peru increase its folic acid fortification requirements to meet those recommended by WHO (2.6 mg/kg.OBJETIVO: Evaluar la repercusión que el programa nacional del Perú de fortificación con ácido fólico tiene en el contenido de ácido fólico de la harina de trigo y en la prevalencia de nacimientos de niños con defectos del tubo neural en Lima, así como comparar los requisitos legislativos del programa con las normas internacionales. MÉTODOS: Se hizo un muestreo del pan en seis zonas de Perú y se analizó su

Heart Rate Variability: New Perspectives on Physiological Mechanisms, Assessment of Self-regulatory Capacity, and Health risk.

Science.gov (United States)

McCraty, Rollin; Shaffer, Fred

2015-01-01

Heart rate variability, the change in the time intervals between adjacent heartbeats, is an emergent property of interdependent regulatory systems that operates on different time scales to adapt to environmental and psychological challenges. This article briefly reviews neural regulation of the heart and offers some new perspectives on mechanisms underlying the very low frequency rhythm of heart rate variability. Interpretation of heart rate variability rhythms in the context of health risk and physiological and psychological self-regulatory capacity assessment is discussed. The cardiovascular regulatory centers in the spinal cord and medulla integrate inputs from higher brain centers with afferent cardiovascular system inputs to adjust heart rate and blood pressure via sympathetic and parasympathetic efferent pathways. We also discuss the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and the heart-brain connection pathways, through which afferent information can influence activity in the subcortical, frontocortical, and motor cortex areas. In addition, the use of real-time HRV feedback to increase self-regulatory capacity is reviewed. We conclude that the heart's rhythms are characterized by both complexity and stability over longer time scales that reflect both physiological and psychological functional status of these internal self-regulatory systems.

Steam generator tube performance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tatone, O.S.; Pathania, R.S.

1983-08-01

A review of the performance of steam generator tubes in 110 water-cooled nuclear power reactors showed that tubes were plugged at 46 (42 percent) of the reactors. The number of tubes removed from service increased from 1900 (0.14 percent) in 1980 to 4692 (0.30 percent) in 1981. The leading causes of tube failures were stress corrosion cracking from the primary side, stress corrosion cracking (or intergranular attack) from the secondary side and pitting corrosion. The lowest incidence of corrosion-induced defects from the secondary side occurred in reactors that used all-volatile treatment since start-up. At one reactor a large number of degraded tubes were repaired by sleeving which is expected to become an important method of tube repair in the future

Comparison consequences of Jackson-Pratt drain versus chest tube after coronary artery bypass grafting: A randomized controlled clinical trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Mirmohammad-Sadeghi, Mohsen; Pourazari, Pejman; Akbari, Mojtaba

2017-01-01

Chest tubes are used in every case of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) to evacuate shed blood from around the heart and lungs. This study was designed to assess the effective of Jackson-Pratt drain in compare with conventional chest drains after CABG. This was a randomized controlled trial that conducted on 218 patients in Chamran hospital from February to December 2016. Eligible patients were randomized in a 1:1 ratio. Jackson-Pratt drain group had 109 patients who received a chest tube insertion in the pleural space of the left lung and a Jackson-Pratt drain in mediastinum, and Chest tube drainage group had 109 patients who received double chest tube insertion in the pleural space of the left lung and the mediastinum. The incidence of pleural effusions in Jackson-Pratt drain group and chest tube group were not statistically different. The pain score at 2-h in Drain group was significantly higher than chest tube group ( P = 0.001), but the trend of pain score between groups was not significantly different ( P = 0.097). The frequency of tamponade and atrial fibrillation (AF) were significantly lower in Jackson-Pratt drain group ( P drain is equally effective for preventing cardiac tamponade, pleural effusions, and pain intensity in patients after CABG when compared with conventional chest tubes, but was significantly superior regarding efficacy to hospital and Intensive Care Unit length of stay and the incidence of AF.

Study on antioxidant experiment on forged steel tube sheet and tube hole for steam generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zong Hai; Wang Detai; Ding Yang

2012-01-01

Antioxidant experiment on forged steel tube sheet and tube hole for steam generator was studied and the influence of different simulated heat treatments on the antioxidant performance of tube sheet and tube hole was made. The influence of different antioxidant methods on the size of tube hole was drawn. Furthermore, the change of size and weight of 18MnD5 forged steel tube sheet on the condition of different simulated heat treatments was also studied. The analytical results have proved reference information for the use of 18MnD5 material and for key processes of processing tube hole and wearing and expanding U-style tube. (authors)

Characterization of Friction Stir Welded Tubes by Means of Tube Bulge Test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Urso, G.; Longo, M.; Giardini, C.

2011-01-01

Mechanical properties of friction stir welded joints are generally evaluated by means of conventional tensile test. This testing method might provide insufficient information because maximum strain obtained in tensile test before necking is small; moreover, the application of tensile test is limited when the joint path is not linear or even when the welds are executed on curved surfaces. Therefore, in some cases, it would be preferable to obtain the joints properties from other testing methods. Tube bulge test can be a valid solution for testing circumferential or longitudinal welds executed on tubular workpieces. The present work investigates the mechanical properties and the formability of friction stir welded tubes by means of tube bulge tests. The experimental campaign was performed on tubular specimens having a thickness of 3 mm and an external diameter of 40 mm, obtained starting from two semi-tubes longitudinally friction stir welded. The first step, regarding the fabrication of tubes, was performed combining a conventional forming process and friction stir welding. Sheets in Al-Mg-Si-Cu alloy AA6060 T6 were adopted for this purpose. Plates having a dimension of 225x60 mm were bent (with a bending axis parallel to the main dimension) in order to obtain semi-tubes. A particular care was devoted to the fabrication of forming devices (punch and die) in order to minimize the springback effects. Semi-tubes were then friction stir welded by means of a CNC machine tool. Some preliminary tests were carried out by varying the welding parameters, namely feed rate and rotational speed. A very simple tool having flat shoulder and cylindrical pin was used. The second step of the research was based on testing the welded tubes by means of tube bulge test. A specific equipment having axial actuators with a conical shape was adopted for this study. Some analyses were carried out on the tubes bulged up to a certain pressure level. In particular, the burst pressure and the

Heat exchanger with layers of helical tubes provided with improved tube supports

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carnoy, M.; Mathieu, B.; Renaux, C.

1986-01-01

The present heat exchanger comprises coaxial layers of helically wound tubes; these tubes are supported by support plates, each comprising a row of perforations through which the tubes of a same layer pass. Truncated sleeves are in compression around the tubes within the perforations and mounted on the support plates. Pins fix the plates of different layers together against transverse movement but allowing radial movement. The present invention finds an application with nuclear reactor steam generators [fr

Pressure tube reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seki, Osamu; Kumasaka, Katsuyuki.

1988-01-01

Purpose: To remove the heat of reactor core using a great amount of moderators at the periphery of the reactor core as coolants. Constitution: Heat of a reactor core is removed by disposing a spontaneous recycling cooling device for cooling moderators in a moderator tank, without using additional power driven equipments. That is, a spontaneous recycling cooling device for cooling the moderators in the moderator tank is disposed. Further, the gap between the inner wall of a pressure tube guide pipe disposed through the vertical direction of a moderator tank and the outer wall of a pressure tube inserted through the guide pipe is made smaller than the rupture distortion caused by the thermal expansion upon overheating of the pressure tube and greater than the minimum gap required for heat shiels between the pressure tube and the pressure tube guide pipe during usual operation. In this way, even if such an accident as can not using a coolant cooling device comprising power driven equipment should occur in the pressure tube type reactor, the rise in the temperature of the reactor core can be retarded to obtain a margin with time. (Kamimura, M.)

An in-tube radar for detecting cracks in metal tubing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Caffey, Thurlow W. H.; Nassersharif, Bahram; Garcia, Gabe V.; Smith, Phillip R.; Jedlicka, Russell P.; Hensel, Edward C.

2000-01-01

A major cause of failures in heat exchangers and steam generators in nuclear power plants is degradation of the tubes within them. The tube failure is often caused by the development of cracks that begin on the outer surface of the tube and propagate both inwards and laterally. A new technique will be described for detection of defects using a continuous-wave radar device within metal tubing. The technique is 100% volumetric, and may find smaller defects, find them more rapidly, and find them less expensively than present methods. Because this project was started only recently, there is no demonstrated performance to report so far. However, the basic engineering concepts will be presented together with a description of the milestone tasks and dates

Maternal residential proximity to chlorinated solvent emissions and birth defects in offspring: a case-control study.

Science.gov (United States)

Brender, Jean D; Shinde, Mayura U; Zhan, F Benjamin; Gong, Xi; Langlois, Peter H

2014-11-19

Some studies have noted an association between maternal occupational exposures to chlorinated solvents and birth defects in offspring, but data are lacking on the potential impact of industrial air emissions of these solvents on birth defects. With data from the Texas Birth Defects Registry for births occurring in 1996-2008, we examined the relation between maternal residential proximity to industrial air releases of chlorinated solvents and birth defects in offspring of 60,613 case-mothers and 244,927 control-mothers. Maternal residential exposures to solvent emissions were estimated with metrics that took into account residential distances to industrial sources and annual amounts of chemicals released. Logistic regression was used to generate odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for the associations between residential proximity to emissions of 14 chlorinated solvents and selected birth defects, including neural tube, oral cleft, limb deficiency, and congenital heart defects. All risk estimates were adjusted for year of delivery and maternal age, education, race/ethnicity, and public health region of residence. Relative to exposure risk values of 0, neural tube defects were associated with maternal residential exposures (exposure risk values >0) to several types of chlorinated solvents, most notably carbon tetrachloride (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.09, 1.86); chloroform (aOR 1.40, 95% CI 1.04, 1.87); ethyl chloride (aOR 1.39, 95% CI 1.08, 1.79); 1,1,2-trichloroethane (aOR 1.56, 95% CI 1.11, 2.18); and 1,2,3-trichloropropane (aOR 1.49, 95% CI 1.08, 2.06). Significant associations were also noted between a few chlorinated solvents and oral cleft, limb deficiency, and congenital heart defects. We observed stronger associations between some emissions and neural tube, oral cleft, and heart defects in offspring of mothers 35 years or older, such as spina bifida with carbon tetrachloride (aOR 2.49, 95% CI 1.09, 5.72), cleft palate

Expansion lyre-shaped tube

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andro, Jean.

1973-01-01

The invention relates the expansion lyre-shaped tube portions formed in dudgeoned tubular bundles between two bottom plates. An expansion lyre comprises at least two sets of tubes of unequal lengths coplanar and symmetrical with respect to the main tube axis, with connecting portions between the tubes forming said sets. The invention applies to apparatus such as heat exchangers, heaters, superheaters or breeders [fr

Valvular Heart Disease in Heart Failure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giuseppe MC Rosano

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Structural valvular heart disease may be the cause of heart failure or may worsen the clinical status of patients with heart failure. Heart failure may also develop in patients treated with valve surgery. Patients with heart failure with valvular heart disease are at increased risk of events including sudden cardiac death. Before considering intervention (surgical or percutaneous all patients should receive appropriate medical and device therapy taking into account that vasodilators must be used with caution in patients with severe aortic stenosis. Numerous percutaneous and/or hybrid procedures have been introduced in the past few years and they are changing the management of valvular heart disease. In patients with heart failure and valvular heart disease, either primary or functional, the whole process of decision-making should be staged through a comprehensive evaluation of the risk– benefit ratio of different treatment strategies and should be made by a multidisciplinary ‘heart team’ with a particular expertise in valvular heart disease. The heart team should include heart failure cardiologists, cardiac surgeons/structural valve interventionists, imaging specialists, anaesthetists, geriatricians and intensive care specialists. This article will review recent developments and distill practical guidance in the management of this important heart failure co-morbidity.

Steam generator tube failures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacDonald, P.E.; Shah, V.N.; Ward, L.W.; Ellison, P.G.

1996-04-01

A review and summary of the available information on steam generator tubing failures and the impact of these failures on plant safety is presented. The following topics are covered: pressurized water reactor (PWR), Canadian deuterium uranium (CANDU) reactor, and Russian water moderated, water cooled energy reactor (VVER) steam generator degradation, PWR steam generator tube ruptures, the thermal-hydraulic response of a PWR plant with a faulted steam generator, the risk significance of steam generator tube rupture accidents, tubing inspection requirements and fitness-for-service criteria in various countries, and defect detection reliability and sizing accuracy. A significant number of steam generator tubes are defective and are removed from service or repaired each year. This wide spread damage has been caused by many diverse degradation mechanisms, some of which are difficult to detect and predict. In addition, spontaneous tube ruptures have occurred at the rate of about one every 2 years over the last 20 years, and incipient tube ruptures (tube failures usually identified with leak detection monitors just before rupture) have been occurring at the rate of about one per year. These ruptures have caused complex plant transients which have not always been easy for the reactor operators to control. Our analysis shows that if more than 15 tubes rupture during a main steam line break, the system response could lead to core melting. Although spontaneous and induced steam generator tube ruptures are small contributors to the total core damage frequency calculated in probabilistic risk assessments, they are risk significant because the radionuclides are likely to bypass the reactor containment building. The frequency of steam generator tube ruptures can be significantly reduced through appropriate and timely inspections and repairs or removal from service

Tissue-Specific Methylation of Long Interspersed Nucleotide Element-1 of Homo Sapiens (L1Hs) During Human Embryogenesis and Roles in Neural Tube Defects.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, L; Chang, S; Guan, J; Shangguan, S; Lu, X; Wang, Z; Wu, L; Zou, J; Zhao, H; Bao, Y; Qiu, Z; Niu, B; Zhang, T

2015-01-01

Epigenetic regulation of long interspersed nucleotide element-1 (LINE-1) retrotransposition events plays crucial roles during early development. Previously we showed that LINE-1 hypomethylation in neuronal tissues is associated with pathogenesis of neural tube defect (NTD). Herein, we further evaluated LINE-1 Homo sapiens (L1Hs) methylation in tissues derived from three germ layers of stillborn NTD fetuses, to define patterns of tissue specific methylation and site-specific hypomethylation at CpG sites within an L1Hs promoter region. Stable, tissue-specific L1Hs methylation patterns throughout three germ layer lineages of the fetus, placenta, and maternal peripheral blood were observed. Samples from maternal peripheral blood exhibited the highest level of L1Hs methylation (64.95%) and that from placenta showed the lowest (26.82%). Between samples from NTDs and controls, decrease in L1Hs methylation was only significant in NTD-affected brain tissue at 7.35%, especially in females (8.98%). L1Hs hypomethylation in NTDs was also associated with a significant increase in expression level of an L1Hs-encoded transcript in females (r = -0.846, p = 0.004). This could be due to genomic DNA instability and alternation in chromatins accessibility resulted from abnormal L1Hs hypomethylation, as showed in this study with HCT-15 cells treated with methylation inhibitor 5-Aza.

A prospective evaluation of contrast and radiation dose and image quality in cardiac CT in children with complex congenital heart disease using low-concentration iodinated contrast agent and low tube voltage and current.

Science.gov (United States)

Hou, Qiao-Ru; Gao, Wei; Sun, Ai-Min; Wang, Qian; Qiu, Hai-Sheng; Wang, Fang; Hu, Li-Wei; Li, Jian-Ying; Zhong, Yu-Min

2017-02-01

To the assess image quality, contrast dose and radiation dose in cardiac CT in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) using low-concentration iodinated contrast agent and low tube voltage and current in comparison with standard dose protocol. 110 patients with CHD were randomized to 1 of the 2 scan protocols: Group A (n = 45) with 120 mA tube current and contrast agent of 270 mgI/ml in concentration (Visipaque ™ ; GE Healthcare Ireland, Co., Cork, UK); and Group B (n = 65) with the conventional 160 mA and 370 mgI/ml concentration contrast (Iopamiro ® ; Shanghai Bracco Sine Pharmaceutical Corp Ltd, Shanghai, China). Both groups used 80 kVp tube voltage and were reconstructed with 70% adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction algorithm. The CT value and noise in aortic arch were measured and the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) were calculated. A five-point scale was used to subjectively evaluate image quality. Contrast and radiation dose were recorded. There was no difference in age and weight between the two groups (all p > 0.05). The iodine load and radiation dose in Group A were statistically lower (3976 ± 747 mgI vs 5763 ± 1018 mgI in iodine load and 0.60 ± 0.08 mSv vs 0.77 ± 0.10 mSv in effective dose; p  0.05), and with good agreement between the two observers. Comparing the surgery results, the diagnostic accuracy for extracardiac and intracardiac defects for Group A was 96% and 92%, respectively, while the corresponding numbers for Group B were 95% and 93%. Compared with the standard dose protocol, the use of low tube voltage (80 kVp), low tube current (120 mA) and low-concentration iodinated contrast agent (270 mgI/ml) enables a reduction of 30% in iodine load and 22% in radiation dose while maintaining compatible image quality and diagnostic accuracy. Advances in knowledge: The new cardiac CT scanning protocol can largely reduce the adverse effects of

Prospects for stronger calandria tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ells, C.E.; Coleman, C.E.; Hosbons, R.R.; Ibrahim, E.F.; Doubt, G.L.

1990-12-01

The CANDU calandria tubes, made of seam welded and annealed Zircaloy-2, have given exemplary service in-reactor. Although not designed as a system pressure containment, calandria tubes may remain intact even in the face of pressure tube rupture. One such incident at Pickering Unit 2 demonstrated the economic advantage of such an outcome, and a case can be made for increasing the probability that other calandria tubes would perform in a similar fashion. Various methods of obtaining stronger calandria tubes are available, and reviewed here. When the tubes are internally pressurized, the weld is the weak section of the tube. Increasing the oxygen concentration in the starting sheet, and thickening the weld, are promising routes to a stronger tube

Fabrication of seamless calandria tubes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saibaba, N.; Phanibabu, C.; Bhaskara Rao, C.V.; Kalidas, R.; Ganguly, C.

2002-01-01

Full text: Calandria tube is a large diameter, thin walled zircaloy-4 tube and is an important structural component of PHWR type of reactors. These tubes are lifetime components and remain during the full life of the reactor. Calandria tubes are classified as extremely thin walled tubes with a diameter to wall thickness ratio of around 96. Such thin walled tubes are conventionally produced by seam welded route comprising of extrusion of slabs followed by a series of hot and rolling passes, shaping into O-shape and eventual welding. An alternative and superior method of fabricating the calandria tubes, the seamless route, has been developed, which involves hot extrusion of mother blanks followed by three successive cold pilger reductions. Eccentricity correction of the extruded blanks is carried out on a special purpose grinding equipment to bring the wall thickness variation within permissible limits. Predominant wall thickness reductions are given during cold pilgering to ensure high Q-factor values. The texture in the finished tubes could be closely, controlled with an average f r value of 0.65. Pilgering parameters and tube guiding system have been specially designed to facilities rolling of thin walled tubes. Seamless calandria tubes have distinct advantages over welded tubes. In addition to the absence of weld, they are dimensionally more stable, lighter in weight and possess uniform grains with superior grain size. The cycle time from billet to finished product is substantially reduced and the product is amenable to high level of quality assurance. The most significant feature of the seamless route is its material recovery over welded route. Residual stresses measured in the tubes indicate that these are negligible and uniform along the length of the tube. In view of their superior quality, the first charge of seamless calandria tubes will be rolled into the first 500 MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor at Tarapur

Method for shaping polyethylene tubing

Science.gov (United States)

Kramer, R. C.

1981-01-01

Method forms polyethylene plastic tubing into configurations previously only possible with metal tubing. By using polyethylene in place of copper or stain less steel tubing inlow pressure systems, fabrication costs are significantly reduced. Polyethylene tubing can be used whenever low pressure tubing is needed in oil operations, aircraft and space applications, powerplants, and testing laboratories.

Knowledge Mining from Clinical Datasets Using Rough Sets and Backpropagation Neural Network

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kindie Biredagn Nahato

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The availability of clinical datasets and knowledge mining methodologies encourages the researchers to pursue research in extracting knowledge from clinical datasets. Different data mining techniques have been used for mining rules, and mathematical models have been developed to assist the clinician in decision making. The objective of this research is to build a classifier that will predict the presence or absence of a disease by learning from the minimal set of attributes that has been extracted from the clinical dataset. In this work rough set indiscernibility relation method with backpropagation neural network (RS-BPNN is used. This work has two stages. The first stage is handling of missing values to obtain a smooth data set and selection of appropriate attributes from the clinical dataset by indiscernibility relation method. The second stage is classification using backpropagation neural network on the selected reducts of the dataset. The classifier has been tested with hepatitis, Wisconsin breast cancer, and Statlog heart disease datasets obtained from the University of California at Irvine (UCI machine learning repository. The accuracy obtained from the proposed method is 97.3%, 98.6%, and 90.4% for hepatitis, breast cancer, and heart disease, respectively. The proposed system provides an effective classification model for clinical datasets.

Critical heat flux of water in vertical round tubes at low-pressure and low-flow conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Jae-Wook; Kim, Hong-Chae; Beak, Won-Pil; Chang, Soon Heung

1997-01-01

A series of critical heat flux (CHF) tests have been performed to provide a reliable set of CHF data for water flow in vertical round tubes at low pressure and low flow (LPLF) conditions. The range of experimental conditions is as follows: diameter 8, 10 mm; heated length 0.5, 1 m; pressure 2-9 bar, mass flux 50-200 kg/m 2 s; inlet subcooling 350, 450 kJ/kg. The observed parametric trends are generally consistent with the previous understanding except for the effects of system pressure and tube diameter. The pressure effect is small but very complicated; existing CHF correlations do not represent this parametric trend properly. CHF increases with the increase in diameter at fixed exit conditions, contrary to the general understanding. The artificial neural networks are applied to the round tube CHF data base at LPLF (P = 110-1100 kPa, G = 0-500 kg/m 2 s) conditions. The trained backpropagation networks (BPNs) predict CHF better than any other CHF correlations. Parametric trends of CHF based on the BPN for fixed inlet conditions generally agree well with our experimental results. (author)

Spring/dimple instrument tube restraint

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

DeMario, E.E.; Lawson, C.N.

1993-01-01

A nuclear fuel assembly for a pressurized water nuclear reactor has a spring and dimple structure formed in a non-radioactive insert tube placed in the top of a sensor receiving instrumentation tube thimble disposed in the fuel assembly and attached at a top nozzle, a bottom nozzle, and intermediate grids. The instrumentation tube thimble is open at the top, where the sensor or its connection extends through the cooling water for coupling to a sensor signal processor. The spring and dimple insert tube is mounted within the instrumentation tube thimble and extends downwardly adjacent the top. The springs and dimples restrain the sensor and its connections against lateral displacement causing impact with the instrumentation tube thimble due to the strong axial flow of cooling water. The instrumentation tube has a stainless steel outer sleeve and a zirconium alloy inner sleeve below the insert tube adjacent the top. The insert tube is relatively non-radioactivated inconel alloy. The opposed springs and dimples are formed on diametrically opposite inner walls of the insert tube, the springs being formed as spaced axial cuts in the insert tube, with a web of the insert tube between the cuts bowed radially inwardly for forming the spring, and the dimples being formed as radially inward protrusions opposed to the springs. 7 figures

Assessment of the developmental totipotency of neural cells in the cerebral cortex of mouse embryo by nuclear transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Yamazaki, Yukiko; Makino, Hatsune; Hamaguchi-Hamada, Kayoko; Hamada, Shun; Sugino, Hidehiko; Kawase, Eihachiro; Miyata, Takaki; Ogawa, Masaharu; Yanagimachi, Ryuzo; Yagi, Takeshi

2001-01-01

When neural cells were collected from the entire cerebral cortex of developing mouse fetuses (15.5–17.5 days postcoitum) and their nuclei were transferred into enucleated oocytes, 5.5% of the reconstructed oocytes developed into normal offspring. This success rate was the highest among all previous mouse cloning experiments that used somatic cells. Forty-four percent of live embryos at 10.5 days postcoitum were morphologically normal when premature and early-postmitotic neural cells from the ventricular side of the cortex were used. In contrast, the majority (95%) of embryos were morphologically abnormal (including structural abnormalities in the neural tube) when postmitotic-differentiated neurons from the pial side of the cortex were used for cloning. Whereas 4.3% of embryos cloned with ventricular-side cells developed into healthy offspring, only 0.5% of those cloned with differentiated neurons in the pial side did so. These facts seem to suggest that the nuclei of neural cells in advanced stages of differentiation had lost their developmental totipotency. The underlying mechanism for this developmental limitation could be somatic DNA rearrangements in differentiating neural cells. PMID:11698647

Nutrition and growth in congenital heart disease: a challenge in children.