Echocardiographic reference ranges in older children and adolescents in sub-Saharan Africa.

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Majonga, Edith D; Rehman, Andrea M; McHugh, Grace; Mujuru, Hilda A; Nathoo, Kusum; Patel, Mohammad S; Munyati, Shungu; Odland, Jon O; Kranzer, Katharina; Kaski, Juan P; Ferrand, Rashida A

2017-12-01

Echocardiographic reference ranges are important to identify abnormalities of cardiac dimensions. Reference ranges for children in sub-Saharan Africa have not been established. The aim of this study was to establish echocardiographic z-score references for Black children in sub-Saharan Africa. 282 healthy subjects aged 6-16years (143 [51%] males) with no known history of cardiac disease were enrolled in the study in Harare, Zimbabwe between 2014 and 2016. Standard M-mode echocardiography was performed and nine cardiac chamber dimensions were obtained. Two non-linear statistical models (gamma weighted model and cubic polynomial model) were tested on the data and the best fitting model was used to calculate z-scores of these cardiac chamber measures. The reference ranges are presented on scatter plots against BSA. Normative data for the following cardiac measures were obtained and z-scores calculated: right ventricular diameter at end diastole (RVEDD); left ventricular diameter at end diastole (LVEDD) and systole (LVESD); interventricular septal wall thickness at end diastole (IVSd) and systole (IVSs); left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end diastole (LVPWd) and systole (LVPWs); left atrium diameter at end systole (LA) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). Girls had higher values for BMI and heart rate than boys (p=0.048 and p=0.001, respectively). Mean interventricular septal and left ventricular posterior walls thickness was higher than published normal values in predominantly Caucasian populations. These are the first echocardiographic reference ranges for children from sub Saharan Africa and will allow accurate assessment of cardiac dimensions in clinical practice. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hematology and serum chemistry reference ranges of free-ranging moose (Alces alces) in Norway.

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Rostal, Melinda K; Evans, Alina L; Solberg, Erling J; Arnemo, Jon M

2012-07-01

Baseline reference ranges of serum chemistry and hematology data can be important indicators for the status of both individuals or populations of wild animals that are affected by emerging pathogens, toxicants, or other causes of disease. Frequently, reference ranges for these values are not available for wildlife species or subspecies. We present hematologic and serum chemistry reference ranges for moose (Alces alces) adults, yearlings, and calves in Norway sampled from 1992-2000. Additionally, we demonstrated that both induction time and chase time were correlated with initial rectal temperature, although they were not significantly correlated with cortisol, aspartate aminotransferase, glucose, or creatine kinase. Overall, the reference ranges given here are similar to those given for American moose, with a few differences that can be attributed to environment, testing methodology, or subspecies or species status. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of reference ranges for moose in Norway.

Hematology and serum chemistry reference ranges of free-ranging moose (Alces Alces) in Norway

OpenAIRE

Rostal, Melinda K.; Evans, Alina L.; Solberg, Erling L.; Arnemo, Jon Martin

2012-01-01

This article is also available here: http://www.jwildlifedis.org/ Baseline reference ranges of serum chemistry and hematology data can be important indicators for the status of both individuals or populations of wild animals that are affected by emerging pathogens, toxicants, or other causes of disease. Frequently, reference ranges for these values are not available for wildlife species or subspecies. We present hematologic and serum chemistry reference ranges for moose (Alces ...

Normal reference ranges for semen quality and their relations to fecundity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skakkebaek, Niels E

2010-01-01

Several recent studies have shown that the fecundity of a man decreases progressively with sperm concentrations below 40 million spermatozoa per mL. Therefore, it is unfortunate that the new World Health Organization guidelines for semen analysis recommend lowering the lower cutoff value for normal...

Establishing a reference range for triiodothyronine levels in preterm infants.

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Oh, Ki Won; Koo, Mi Sung; Park, Hye Won; Chung, Mi Lim; Kim, Min-ho; Lim, Gina

2014-10-01

Thyroid dysfunction affects clinical complications in preterm infants and older children. However, thyroid hormone replacement in preterm infants has no proven benefits, possibly owing to the lack of an appropriate reference range for thyroid hormone levels. We aimed to establish a reference range for triiodothyronine (T3) levels at 1-month postnatal age (PNA) in preterm infants. This retrospective study included preterm infants born at a tertiary referral neonatal center at gestational age (GA)<35 weeks with no apparent thyroid dysfunction, for 6 consecutive years, with follow-up from PNA 2 weeks to 16 weeks. Using thyroid function tests (TFT), the relationships between T3 levels and thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (fT4) levels, birth weight, GA, postmenstrual age (PMA), and PNA were examined. The conversion trend for fT4 to T3 was analyzed using the T3/fT4 ratio. Overall, 464 TFTs from 266 infants were analyzed, after excluding 65 infants with thyroid dysfunction. T3 levels increased with fT4 levels, birth weight, GA, PMA, and PNA but not with TSH levels. The T3/fT4 ratio also increased with GA, PNA, and PMA. The average T3 level at 1 month PNA was 72.56 ± 27.83 ng/dL, with significant stratifications by GA. Relatively low T3 and fT4 levels in preterm infants were considered normal, with T3 levels and conversion trends increasing with GA, PMA, and PNA. Further studies are required to confirm the role of the present reference range in thyroid hormone replacement therapy. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reference Ranges of Reticulocyte Haemoglobin Content in Preterm and Term Infants: A Retrospective Analysis.

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Lorenz, Laila; Peter, Andreas; Arand, Jörg; Springer, Fabian; Poets, Christian F; Franz, Axel R

2017-01-01

Despite iron supplementation, some preterm infants develop iron deficiency (ID). The optimal iron status parameter for early detection of ID has yet to be determined. To establish reference ranges for reticulocyte haemoglobin content (Ret-He) in preterm and term infants and to identify confounding factors. Retrospective analyses of Ret-He and complete blood count in infants with a clinically indicated blood sample obtained within 24 h after birth. Mean (SD) Ret-He was 30.7 (3.0) pg in very preterm infants with a gestational age (GA) of pH (r = -0.07). There was a slight variation in Ret-He with mode of delivery [normal vaginal delivery: 32.3 (3.2) pg, secondary caesarean section (CS): 31.4 (3.0) pg, instrumental delivery: 31.3 (2.7) pg and elective CS: 31.2 (2.8) pg]. GA at birth has a negligible impact on Ret-He, and the lower limit of the normal reference range in newborns within 24 h after birth can be set to 25 pg. Moreover, Ret-He seems to be a robust parameter which is not influenced by perinatal factors within the first 24 h after birth. © 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Determination of reference ranges for immature platelet and reticulocyte fractions and reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent

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Iuri Vicente Camargo Morkis

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Introduction: The immature platelet and immature reticulocyte fractions represent the ratios of platelets and reticulocytes recently released into the circulation and thus with higher RNA content. They are considered early indicators of bone marrow recovery. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the reference ranges for the immature platelet and reticulocyte fractions of hematologically normal individuals in a university hospital. Methods: Venous blood samples collected in ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid K3 were analyzed using a Sysmex XE-5000™ analyzer. Individuals with platelet and reticulocyte counts within the reference ranges, and a blood count within the laboratory's screening criteria were included. Individuals with clinical conditions that could affect hematological results were excluded. The immature platelet fraction, high, medium and low fluorescence reticulocyte fractions and reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent were evaluated. The reference ranges were determined according to the recommendations of the International Federation of Clinical Chemistry. Results: One hundred and thirty-two outpatients were evaluated. The mean age was 44 years (range: 13-80 years, 72 (54.5% were women treated in a university hospital. The mean platelet count was 250.8 × 109/L and the mean reticulocyte count was 0.052 × 109/L. The following reference ranges were obtained: immature reticulocyte fraction 1.6-12.1%, the high, medium and low fluorescence reticulocyte fractions were 0.0-1.7%, 1.6-11.0% and 87.9-98.4%, respectively, the reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent was 30.0-37.6% and immature platelet fraction was 0.8-5.6%. There was a statistically significant difference (p-value = 0.006 between genders in respect to the immature platelet fraction with 0.8-4.7% for females and 0.7-6.1% for males. The immature reticulocyte fraction was directly correlated with the reticulocyte count. Conclusion: Determining the reference range is

Reference ranges for hematocrit and blood hemoglobin concentration during the neonatal period: data from a multihospital health care system.

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Jopling, Jeffery; Henry, Erick; Wiedmeier, Susan E; Christensen, Robert D

2009-02-01

"Reference ranges" are developed when it is impossible or inappropriate to establish "normal ranges" by drawing blood on healthy normal volunteers. Reference ranges for the hematocrit and the blood hemoglobin concentration of newborn infants have previously been reported from relatively small sample sizes by using measurement methods that now are considered outmoded. We sought to develop reference ranges for hematocrit and hemoglobin during the neonatal period (28 days) by using very large sample sizes and modern hematology analyzers, accounting for gestational and postnatal age and gender. Data were assembled from a multihospital health care system after exclusion of patients with a high likelihood of an abnormal value and those who were receiving blood transfusions. During the interval from 22 to 40 weeks' gestation, the hematocrit and blood hemoglobin concentration increased approximately linearly. For every week advance in gestational age, the hematocrit increased by 0.64% and the hemoglobin concentration increased by 0.21 g/dL. No difference was seen on the basis of gender. During the 4-hour interval after birth, hematocrit/hemoglobin values of late preterm and term neonates (35-42 weeks' gestation) increased by 3.6% +/- 0.5% (mean +/- SD), those of neonates of 29 to 34 weeks' gestation remained unchanged, and those of hematocrit/hemoglobin occurred. The figures presented herein describe reference ranges for hematocrit and blood hemoglobin concentration during the neonatal period, accounting for gestational and postnatal age.

Reference genes for accurate transcript normalization in citrus genotypes under different experimental conditions.

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Valéria Mafra

Full Text Available Real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR has emerged as an accurate and widely used technique for expression profiling of selected genes. However, obtaining reliable measurements depends on the selection of appropriate reference genes for gene expression normalization. The aim of this work was to assess the expression stability of 15 candidate genes to determine which set of reference genes is best suited for transcript normalization in citrus in different tissues and organs and leaves challenged with five pathogens (Alternaria alternata, Phytophthora parasitica, Xylella fastidiosa and Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus. We tested traditional genes used for transcript normalization in citrus and orthologs of Arabidopsis thaliana genes described as superior reference genes based on transcriptome data. geNorm and NormFinder algorithms were used to find the best reference genes to normalize all samples and conditions tested. Additionally, each biotic stress was individually analyzed by geNorm. In general, FBOX (encoding a member of the F-box family and GAPC2 (GAPDH was the most stable candidate gene set assessed under the different conditions and subsets tested, while CYP (cyclophilin, TUB (tubulin and CtP (cathepsin were the least stably expressed genes found. Validation of the best suitable reference genes for normalizing the expression level of the WRKY70 transcription factor in leaves infected with Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus showed that arbitrary use of reference genes without previous testing could lead to misinterpretation of data. Our results revealed FBOX, SAND (a SAND family protein, GAPC2 and UPL7 (ubiquitin protein ligase 7 to be superior reference genes, and we recommend their use in studies of gene expression in citrus species and relatives. This work constitutes the first systematic analysis for the selection of superior reference genes for transcript normalization in different citrus organs and under biotic stress.

Development of a simple driving simulator and determination of the reference range of normative performance.

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Kato, Noriaki; Saeki, Satoru; Okazaki, Tetsuya; Matsunaga, Katsuya; Hachisuka, Kenji

2018-01-01

To establish the reference range for assessment items of the 'Simple Driving Simulator' (SiDS) in a normative population and to compare performance of age-matched young adults with a traumatic brain injury (TBI) to this reference data. Normative ranges were calculated from the data of 445 participants in the control group. Three performance ranges were established: 'normal', 'borderline' and 'impaired' defined using standard deviation cutoff values in the control group. The performance of 28 patients with a TBI, aged 18-35 years, was evaluated. The performance score for the TBI group in the 'impaired range' was calculated for each test item and used to make a synthetic judgment regarding the clinical value of the SiDS. In the control group, only 0.6% of the participants exhibited a performance in the impaired range on >2 items, compared to 33.2% for the TBI group. We provide evidence that impaired performance on ≤2 items of the SiDS provides a sensitive criterion of 'driving fitness' in young adults after a TBI.

[Reference ranges of gestational weight gain in Chinese population on the incidence of macrosomia: a multi-center cross-sectional survey].

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Liang, H; Zhang, W Y; Li, X T

2017-03-25

Objective: To investigate the influence of gestational weight gain (GWG) on the incidence of macrosomia, and to establish the reference ranges of GWG based on the incidence of macrosomia. Methods: A multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted. Totally, 112 485 women were recruited from 39 hospitals in 14 provinces in China. Totally, 61 149 cases were eligible with singleton pregnancies and non-premature deliveries. The associations of pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI), GWG, newborn gender and gestational diabetes with macrosomia were analyzed with logistic regression. The normal GWG ranges were calculated in all maternal BMI subgroups, based on the normal incidence of macrosomia was set as the range of 5.0% to 10.0%. Results: In this study, the incidence of macrosomia was 7.46% (4 563/611 149). The macrosociam was positive related with maternal height, delivery week, pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG, gestational diabetes, primipara, and male babies significantly ( P< 0.05), based on unadjusted and adjusted logestic regression. The normal range of GWG 20.0-25.0, 10.0-20.0, 0-10.0 and 0-5.0 kg in subgroups of underweight (pre-pregnancy BMI<18.5 kg/m(2)), normal (18.5-24.9 kg/m(2)), overweight (25.0-29.9 kg/m(2)) and obese (≥30.0 kg/m(2)), respectively. Conclusion: The reference range of GWG in China based on the incidence of macrosomia is established.

Optimal Reference Genes for Gene Expression Normalization in Trichomonas vaginalis

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dos Santos, Odelta; de Vargas Rigo, Graziela; Frasson, Amanda Piccoli; Macedo, Alexandre José; Tasca, Tiana

2015-01-01

Trichomonas vaginalis is the etiologic agent of trichomonosis, the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease worldwide. This infection is associated with several health consequences, including cervical and prostate cancers and HIV acquisition. Gene expression analysis has been facilitated because of available genome sequences and large-scale transcriptomes in T. vaginalis, particularly using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), one of the most used methods for molecular studies. Reference genes for normalization are crucial to ensure the accuracy of this method. However, to the best of our knowledge, a systematic validation of reference genes has not been performed for T. vaginalis. In this study, the transcripts of nine candidate reference genes were quantified using qRT-PCR under different cultivation conditions, and the stability of these genes was compared using the geNorm and NormFinder algorithms. The most stable reference genes were α-tubulin, actin and DNATopII, and, conversely, the widely used T. vaginalis reference genes GAPDH and β-tubulin were less stable. The PFOR gene was used to validate the reliability of the use of these candidate reference genes. As expected, the PFOR gene was upregulated when the trophozoites were cultivated with ferrous ammonium sulfate when the DNATopII, α-tubulin and actin genes were used as normalizing gene. By contrast, the PFOR gene was downregulated when the GAPDH gene was used as an internal control, leading to misinterpretation of the data. These results provide an important starting point for reference gene selection and gene expression analysis with qRT-PCR studies of T. vaginalis. PMID:26393928

Reference ranges and reliability of transabdominal ultrasonographic renal dimensions in thoroughbred horses.

Science.gov (United States)

Draper, Alexandra C E; Bowen, I Mark; Hallowell, Gayle D

2012-01-01

The aims of this study were to establish a normal reference range (mean ± 2 SD) and assess reliability of renal dimensions obtained using transabdominal ultrasonography in Thoroughbred horses (n = 7). A minimum of three ultrasonographic cineloops were obtained from each intercostal space and the left paralumbar fossa by two observers daily for three consecutive days. Renal length, width, and thickness and cortex, medulla, and pelvic dimensions were obtained. Measurements were undertaken by both observers, who were unaware of prior measurements, to assess reproducibility and measured on three separate occasions to evaluate short-term measurement repeatability. Measurements from images obtained by both operators were compared to evaluate image repeatability. The left kidney was consistently identified in the left 15th-17th intercostal space and the paralumbar fossa with maximal length in the 16th intercostal space (12.7 ± 2.0 cm) and maximal width in the paralumbar fossa (7.9 ± 1.1 cm). The right kidney was consistently identified in the right 15th-17th intercostal space with maximal length and maximal width in the 15th intercostal space (16.0 ± 0.7 cm and 7.9 ± 1.0 cm). Reproducibility, image repeatability, measurement repeatability were good to excellent, although were less good for the smaller structures. There were no differences in renal dimensions between horses. Overall renal ultrasonography was reliable and a normal reference range for Thoroughbred horses was established. Renal dimensions vary between rib spaces. As repeatability and reproducibility were excellent for renal length and width, it may be prudent to use those measurements in rib spaces where parameters were maximal. © 2011 Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound.

Normalization of NDVI from Different Sensor System using MODIS Products as Reference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wenxia, Gan; Liangpei, Zhang; Wei, Gong; Huanfeng, Shen

2014-01-01

Medium Resolution NDVI(Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) from different sensor systems such as Landsat, SPOT, ASTER, CBERS and HJ-1A/1B satellites provide detailed spatial information for studies of ecosystems, vegetation biophysics, and land cover. Limitation of sensor designs, cloud contamination, and sensor failure highlighted the need to normalize and integrate NDVI from multiple sensor system in order to create a consistent, long-term NDVI data set. In this paper, we used a reference-based method for NDVI normalization. And present an application of this approach which covert Landsat ETM+ NDVI calculated by digital number (NDVI DN ) to NDVI calculated by surface reflectance (NDVI SR ) using MODIS products as reference, and different cluster was treated differently. Result shows that this approach can produce NDVI with highly agreement to NDVI calculated by surface reflectance from physical approaches based on 6S (Second Simulation of the satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum). Although some variability exists, the cluster specified reference based approach shows considerable potential for NDVI normalization. Therefore, NDVI products in MODIS era from different sources can be combined for time-series analysis, biophysical parameter retrievals, and other downstream analysis

The reference range of serum, plasma and erythrocyte magnesium

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Suzanna Immanuel

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The interest in the clinical importance of serum magnesium level has just recently begun with the analysis and findings of abnormal magnesium level in cardiovascular, metabolic and neuromuscular disorder. Although the serum level does not reflect the body magnesium level, but currently, only serum magnesium determination is widely used. Erythrocyte magnesium is considered more sensitive than serum magnesium as it reflects intracellular magnesium status. According to NCCLS (National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards every laboratory is recommended to have its own reference range for the tests it performs, including magnesium determination. The reference range obtained is appropriate for the population and affected by the method and technique. This study aimed to find the reference range of serum and plasma magnesium and also intracellular magnesium i.e. erythrocyte magnesium by direct method, and compare the results of serum and plasma magnesium. Blood was taken from 114-blood donor from Unit Transfusi Darah Daerah (UTDD Budhyarto Palang Merah Indonesia (PMI DKI Jakarta, consisted of 57 male and 57 female, aged 17 – 65 years, clinically healthy according to PMI donor criteria. Blood was taken from blood set, collected into 4 ml vacuum tube without anticoagulant for serum magnesium determination and 3 ml vacuum tube with lithium heparin for determination of erythrocyte and plasma magnesium Determination of magnesium level was performed with clinical chemistry auto analyzer Hitachi 912 by Xylidil Blue method colorimetrically. This study showed no significant difference between serum and heparinized plasma extra cellular magnesium. The reference range for serum or plasma magnesium was 1.30 – 2.00 mEq/L and for erythrocyte magnesium was 4.46 - 7.10 mEq/L. (Med J Indones 2006; 15:229-35Keywords: Reference range, extracellular magnesium, intracellular magnesium

Age- and size-related reference ranges: a case study of spirometry through childhood and adulthood.

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Cole, T J; Stanojevic, S; Stocks, J; Coates, A L; Hankinson, J L; Wade, A M

2009-02-28

Age-related reference ranges are useful for assessing growth in children. The LMS method is a popular technique for constructing growth charts that model the age-changing distribution of the measurement in terms of the median, coefficient of variation and skewness. Here the methodology is extended to references that depend on body size as well as age, by exploiting the flexibility of the generalised additive models for location, scale and shape (GAMLSS) technique. GAMLSS offers general linear predictors for each moment parameter and a choice of error distributions, which can handle kurtosis as well as skewness. A key question with such references is the nature of the age-size adjustment, additive or multiplicative, which is explored by comparing the identity link and log link for the median predictor.There are several measurements whose reference ranges depend on both body size and age. As an example, models are developed here for the first four moments of the lung function variables forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)), forced vital capacity (FVC) and FEV(1)/FVC in terms of height and age, in a data set of 3598 children and adults aged 4 to 80 years. The results show a strong multiplicative association between spirometry, height and age, with a large and nonlinear age effect across the age range. Variability also depends nonlinearly on age and to a lesser extent on height. FEV(1) and FVC are close to normally distributed, while FEV(1)/FVC is appreciably skew to the left. GAMLSS is a powerful technique for the construction of such references, which should be useful in clinical medicine. Copyright (c) 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Identification and validation of reference genes for quantitative RT-PCR normalization in wheat

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Porceddu Enrico

2009-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Usually the reference genes used in gene expression analysis have been chosen for their known or suspected housekeeping roles, however the variation observed in most of them hinders their effective use. The assessed lack of validated reference genes emphasizes the importance of a systematic study for their identification. For selecting candidate reference genes we have developed a simple in silico method based on the data publicly available in the wheat databases Unigene and TIGR. Results The expression stability of 32 genes was assessed by qRT-PCR using a set of cDNAs from 24 different plant samples, which included different tissues, developmental stages and temperature stresses. The selected sequences included 12 well-known HKGs representing different functional classes and 20 genes novel with reference to the normalization issue. The expression stability of the 32 candidate genes was tested by the computer programs geNorm and NormFinder using five different data-sets. Some discrepancies were detected in the ranking of the candidate reference genes, but there was substantial agreement between the groups of genes with the most and least stable expression. Three new identified reference genes appear more effective than the well-known and frequently used HKGs to normalize gene expression in wheat. Finally, the expression study of a gene encoding a PDI-like protein showed that its correct evaluation relies on the adoption of suitable normalization genes and can be negatively affected by the use of traditional HKGs with unstable expression, such as actin and α-tubulin. Conclusion The present research represents the first wide screening aimed to the identification of reference genes and of the corresponding primer pairs specifically designed for gene expression studies in wheat, in particular for qRT-PCR analyses. Several of the new identified reference genes outperformed the traditional HKGs in terms of expression stability

Optimal consistency in microRNA expression analysis using reference-gene-based normalization.

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Wang, Xi; Gardiner, Erin J; Cairns, Murray J

2015-05-01

Normalization of high-throughput molecular expression profiles secures differential expression analysis between samples of different phenotypes or biological conditions, and facilitates comparison between experimental batches. While the same general principles apply to microRNA (miRNA) normalization, there is mounting evidence that global shifts in their expression patterns occur in specific circumstances, which pose a challenge for normalizing miRNA expression data. As an alternative to global normalization, which has the propensity to flatten large trends, normalization against constitutively expressed reference genes presents an advantage through their relative independence. Here we investigated the performance of reference-gene-based (RGB) normalization for differential miRNA expression analysis of microarray expression data, and compared the results with other normalization methods, including: quantile, variance stabilization, robust spline, simple scaling, rank invariant, and Loess regression. The comparative analyses were executed using miRNA expression in tissue samples derived from subjects with schizophrenia and non-psychiatric controls. We proposed a consistency criterion for evaluating methods by examining the overlapping of differentially expressed miRNAs detected using different partitions of the whole data. Based on this criterion, we found that RGB normalization generally outperformed global normalization methods. Thus we recommend the application of RGB normalization for miRNA expression data sets, and believe that this will yield a more consistent and useful readout of differentially expressed miRNAs, particularly in biological conditions characterized by large shifts in miRNA expression.

Different percentages of false-positive results obtained using five methods for the calculation of reference change values based on simulated normal and ln-normal distributions of data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lund, Flemming; Petersen, Per Hyltoft; Fraser, Callum G

2016-01-01

a homeostatic set point that follows a normal (Gaussian) distribution. This set point (or baseline in steady-state) should be estimated from a set of previous samples, but, in practice, decisions based on reference change value are often based on only two consecutive results. The original reference change value......-positive results. The aim of this study was to investigate false-positive results using five different published methods for calculation of reference change value. METHODS: The five reference change value methods were examined using normally and ln-normally distributed simulated data. RESULTS: One method performed...... best in approaching the theoretical false-positive percentages on normally distributed data and another method performed best on ln-normally distributed data. The commonly used reference change value method based on two results (without use of estimated set point) performed worst both on normally...

Thyroid Function within the Reference Range and the Risk of Stroke

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chaker, Layal; Baumgartner, Christine; den Elzen, Wendy P J

2016-01-01

CONTEXT: The currently applied reference ranges for thyroid function are under debate. Despite evidence that thyroid function within the reference range is related with several cardiovascular disorders, its association with the risk of stroke has not been evaluated previously. DESIGN AND SETTING:...

Identification of Reference Genes for Normalizing Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Urechis unicinctus

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Bai, Yajiao; Zhou, Di; Wei, Maokai; Xie, Yueyang; Gao, Beibei; Qin, Zhenkui; Zhang, Zhifeng

2018-06-01

The reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) has become one of the most important techniques of studying gene expression. A set of valid reference genes are essential for the accurate normalization of data. In this study, five candidate genes were analyzed with geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and ΔCt methods to identify the genes stably expressed in echiuran Urechis unicinctus, an important commercial marine benthic worm, under abiotic (sulfide stress) and normal (adult tissues, embryos and larvae at different development stages) conditions. The comprehensive results indicated that the expression of TBP was the most stable at sulfide stress and in developmental process, while the expression of EF- 1- α was the most stable at sulfide stress and in various tissues. TBP and EF- 1- α were recommended as a suitable reference gene combination to accurately normalize the expression of target genes at sulfide stress; and EF- 1- α, TBP and TUB were considered as a potential reference gene combination for normalizing the expression of target genes in different tissues. No suitable gene combination was obtained among these five candidate genes for normalizing the expression of target genes for developmental process of U. unicinctus. Our results provided a valuable support for quantifying gene expression using RT-qPCR in U. unicinctus.

Uncertainty evaluation in normalization of isotope delta measurement results against international reference materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Meija, Juris; Chartrand, Michelle M G

2018-01-01

Isotope delta measurements are normalized against international reference standards. Although multi-point normalization is becoming a standard practice, the existing uncertainty evaluation practices are either undocumented or are incomplete. For multi-point normalization, we present errors-in-variables regression models for explicit accounting of the measurement uncertainty of the international standards along with the uncertainty that is attributed to their assigned values. This manuscript presents framework to account for the uncertainty that arises due to a small number of replicate measurements and discusses multi-laboratory data reduction while accounting for inevitable correlations between the laboratories due to the use of identical reference materials for calibration. Both frequentist and Bayesian methods of uncertainty analysis are discussed.

Normal lactate concentration range in the neonatal brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Tomiyasu, Moyoko; Aida, Noriko; Shibasaki, Jun; Tachibana, Yasuhiko; Endo, Mamiko; Nozawa, Kumiko; Shimizu, Eiji; Tsuji, Hiroshi; Obata, Takayuki

2016-11-01

Lactate peaks are occasionally observed during in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) scans of the neonatal brain, even in healthy patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate the normal range of neonatal brain lactate concentration, as a definitive normal range would be clinically valuable. Using a clinical 3T scanner (echo/repetition times, 30/5000ms), single-voxel MRS data were obtained from the basal ganglia (BG) and centrum semiovale (CS) in 48 healthy neonates (postconceptional age (PCA), 30-43weeks), nine infants (age, 1-12months old), and 20 children (age, 4-15years). Lactate concentrations were calculated using an MRS signal quantification program, LCModel. Correlations between regional lactate concentration and PCA (neonates), or age (all subjects) were investigated. Absolute lactate concentrations of the BG and CS were as follows: neonates, 0.77mM (0-2.02) [median (range)] and 0.77 (0-1.42), respectively; infants, 0.38 (0-0.79) and 0.49 (0.17-1.17); and children, 0.17 (0-0.76) and 0.22 (0-0.80). Overall, subjects' lactate concentrations decreased significantly with age (Spearman: BG, n=61, ρ=-0.38, p=0.003; CS, n=68, ρ=-0.57, p<0.001). However, during the neonatal period no correlations were detected between lactate concentration in either region and PCA. We determined normal ranges of neonatal lactate concentration, which may prove useful for diagnostic purposes. Further studies regarding changes in brain lactate concentration during development would help clarify the reasons for higher concentrations observed during the neonatal period, and contribute to improvements in diagnoses. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Reference Ranges in [(99m)Tc]Mercaptoacetyltriglycerine Renography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rewers, Kate I; Hvidsten, Svend; Gerke, Oke

2015-01-01

PURPOSE: The purpose of the study was to define reference ranges for quantitative parameters in [(99m)Tc]mercaptoacetyltriglycerine ([(99m)Tc]MAG3) renography to assist interpretation in a semi-automated (Xeleris, GE) compared to a manual (Picker, Odyssey) software package. PROCEDURES: Forty......-eight subjects approved for renal donation were evaluated with [(99m)Tc]MAG3 renography using both the Xeleris and the Picker software. RESULTS: Reference ranges for the two software were comparable regarding the relative function of the two kidneys (the split function, SF) and the residual activities (RA......). The time to peak whole-kidney activities (T max whole-kidney) was more dependent on the type of software. Using Bland-Altman limits, we found good and acceptable agreement between the two methods. CONCLUSIONS: We found good correlation between renography results using the Xeleris and Picker software...

Normal reference values for vertebral artery flow volume by color Doppler sonography in Korean adults

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Hong, Hyun Sook; Cha, Jang Gyu; Park, Seong Jin; Joh, Joon Hee; Park, Jai Soung; Kim, Dae Ho; Lee, Hae Kyung; Ahn, Hyun Cheol [Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon (Korea, Republic of)

2003-09-15

Vertebrobasilar ischemia has been attributed to a reduction of net vertebral artery flow volume. This study was to establish the reference values for the flow volume of the vertebral artery using color Doppler sonography in the normal Korea adults. Thirty five normal Korea adults without any underlying disease including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, heart disease, obesity (body mas index>30), or carotid artery stenosis was included. There were 17 males and 18 females, age ranged from 20 to 53 years (average=32.86 years). Flow velocities and vessel diameters were recorded in the intertransverse (V2) segment, usually at C5-6 level, bilaterally. The flow volume (Q) was calculated. (Q=time averaged mean velocity x cross sectional area of vessel) A lower Flow velocity and smaller vessel diameter were measured on the right side compared to those of the left side, resulting in a lower flow volume. The calculated flow volumes using the equation were 77.0 +- 39.7 ml/min for the right side and 127.6 +- 71.0 ml/min for the left side (p=0.0001) while the net vertebral artery flow volume was 204.6 +- 81.8 ml/min. Decrease in the vertebral artery flow volume was statistically significant with advanced age. (r=-0.36, p=0.032). Vertebral artery blood flow volume was 191.20 +- 59.19 ml/min in male, and 217.28 +- 98.67 ml/min in female (p=0.6). The normal range for the net vertebral artery flow volume defined by the 5th to 95th percentiles was between 110.06 and 364.1 ml/min. The normal range for the net vertebral artery flow volume was between 110.06 and 364.1 ml/min. Vertebral artery flow volume decreased with the increase of age. However, gender did not affect the blood flow volume.

Normal reference values for vertebral artery flow volume by color Doppler sonography in Korean adults

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Hyun Sook; Cha, Jang Gyu; Park, Seong Jin; Joh, Joon Hee; Park, Jai Soung; Kim, Dae Ho; Lee, Hae Kyung; Ahn, Hyun Cheol

2003-01-01

Vertebrobasilar ischemia has been attributed to a reduction of net vertebral artery flow volume. This study was to establish the reference values for the flow volume of the vertebral artery using color Doppler sonography in the normal Korea adults. Thirty five normal Korea adults without any underlying disease including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, heart disease, obesity (body mas index>30), or carotid artery stenosis was included. There were 17 males and 18 females, age ranged from 20 to 53 years (average=32.86 years). Flow velocities and vessel diameters were recorded in the intertransverse (V2) segment, usually at C5-6 level, bilaterally. The flow volume (Q) was calculated. (Q=time averaged mean velocity x cross sectional area of vessel) A lower Flow velocity and smaller vessel diameter were measured on the right side compared to those of the left side, resulting in a lower flow volume. The calculated flow volumes using the equation were 77.0 ± 39.7 ml/min for the right side and 127.6 ± 71.0 ml/min for the left side (p=0.0001) while the net vertebral artery flow volume was 204.6 ± 81.8 ml/min. Decrease in the vertebral artery flow volume was statistically significant with advanced age. (r=-0.36, p=0.032). Vertebral artery blood flow volume was 191.20 ± 59.19 ml/min in male, and 217.28 ± 98.67 ml/min in female (p=0.6). The normal range for the net vertebral artery flow volume defined by the 5th to 95th percentiles was between 110.06 and 364.1 ml/min. The normal range for the net vertebral artery flow volume was between 110.06 and 364.1 ml/min. Vertebral artery flow volume decreased with the increase of age. However, gender did not affect the blood flow volume.

Normalization references for USEtoxTM-based toxic impact categories: North American and European economic systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laurent, Alexis; Lautier, Anne; Rosenbaum, Ralph K.

2011-01-01

economic regions, North America and Europe, to calculate normalization references for the three currently-modelled USEtoxTM-based impact categories, i.e. freshwater ecotoxicity, human toxicity, divided into cancer effects and non-cancer effects. Base years for the references are 2004 for Europe and 2006...... coverage of organics in both the inventory and the CF databases. With respect to the intended global character of the USEtoxTM model, different approaches to determine normalization references of other economic systems (e.g. Asia or world) are discussed in relation to these findings. Overall, we thus...... recommend the use of the provided set of normalization references for USEtoxTM, but we also advocate 1) to perform an update as soon as a more comprehensive inventory can be obtained and as soon as characterization factors for metals are revised; 2) to consider extension to other economic systems in order...

Thyroid Function Within the Normal Range and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Åsvold, Bjørn O; Vatten, Lars J; Bjøro, Trine

2015-01-01

documented, but conflicting evidence suggests that thyrotropin levels in the upper part of the reference range may be associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between differences in thyroid function within the reference range and CHD risk. DESIGN...... known thyroid or cardiovascular disease at baseline. EXPOSURES: Thyroid function as expressed by serum thyrotropin levels at baseline. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Hazard ratios (HRs) of CHD mortality and CHD events according to thyrotropin levels after adjustment for age, sex, and smoking status....... This finding suggests that differences in thyroid function within the population reference range do not influence the risk of CHD. Increased CHD risk does not appear to be a reason for lowering the upper thyrotropin reference limit....

Normal-range verbal-declarative memory in schizophrenia.

Science.gov (United States)

Heinrichs, R Walter; Parlar, Melissa; Pinnock, Farena

2017-10-01

Cognitive impairment is prevalent and related to functional outcome in schizophrenia, but a significant minority of the patient population overlaps with healthy controls on many performance measures, including declarative-verbal-memory tasks. In this study, we assessed the validity, clinical, and functional implications of normal-range (NR), verbal-declarative memory in schizophrenia. Performance normality was defined using normative data for 8 basic California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT-II; Delis, Kramer, Kaplan, & Ober, 2000) recall and recognition trials. Schizophrenia patients (n = 155) and healthy control participants (n = 74) were assessed for performance normality, defined as scores within 1 SD of the normative mean on all 8 trials, and assigned to normal- and below-NR memory groups. NR schizophrenia patients (n = 26) and control participants (n = 51) did not differ in general verbal ability, on a reading-based estimate of premorbid ability, across all 8 CVLT-II-score comparisons or in terms of intrusion and false-positive errors and auditory working memory. NR memory patients did not differ from memory-impaired patients (n = 129) in symptom severity, and both patient groups were significantly and similarly disabled in terms of functional status in the community. These results confirm a subpopulation of schizophrenia patients with normal, verbal-declarative-memory performance and no evidence of decline from higher premorbid ability levels. However, NR patients did not experience less severe psychopathology, nor did they show advantage in community adjustment relative to impaired patients. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

MRI of the normal appendix in children: data toward a new reference standard

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Swenson, David W. [Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Rhode Island Hospital, Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Providence, RI (United States); Schooler, Gary R. [Duke University Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Durham, NC (United States); Stamoulis, Catherine; Lee, Edward Y. [Boston Children' s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Department of Radiology, Boston, MA (United States)

2016-06-15

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) might prove useful in the diagnostic evaluation of pediatric appendicitis in the effort to avoid exposing children to the ionizing radiation of CT, yet there is a paucity of literature describing the normal range of appearances of the pediatric appendix on MRI. To investigate MRI characteristics of the normal appendix to aid in establishing a reference standard in the pediatric population. We conducted a retrospective study of children and young adults (≤18 years of age) who underwent lumbar spine or pelvis MRI between Jan. 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2013, for indications unrelated to appendicitis. Two board-certified radiologists independently reviewed all patients' MRI examinations for appendix visualization, diameter, intraluminal content signal, and presence of periappendiceal inflammation or free fluid. We used the Cohen kappa statistic and Spearman correlation coefficient to assess reader agreement on qualitative and quantitative data, respectively. Three hundred forty-six patients met inclusion criteria. Both readers visualized the appendix in 192/346 (55.5%) patients (kappa = 0.88, P < 0.0001). Estimated median appendix diameter was 5 mm for reader 1 and 6 mm for reader 2 ([25th, 75th] quartiles = [5, 6] mm; range, 2-11 mm; r = 0.81, P < 0.0001). Appendix intraluminal signal characteristics were variable. Periappendiceal inflammation was present in 0/192 (0%) and free fluid in 6/192 (3.1%) MRI examinations (kappa = 1.0). The normal appendix was seen on MRI in approximately half of pediatric patients, with a mean diameter of ∝5-6 mm, variable intraluminal signal characteristics, no adjacent inflammatory changes, and rare surrounding free fluid. (orig.)

Automated Spatial Brain Normalization and Hindbrain White Matter Reference Tissue Give Improved [(18)F]-Florbetaben PET Quantitation in Alzheimer's Model Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Overhoff, Felix; Brendel, Matthias; Jaworska, Anna; Korzhova, Viktoria; Delker, Andreas; Probst, Federico; Focke, Carola; Gildehaus, Franz-Josef; Carlsen, Janette; Baumann, Karlheinz; Haass, Christian; Bartenstein, Peter; Herms, Jochen; Rominger, Axel

2016-01-01

Preclinical PET studies of β-amyloid (Aβ) accumulation are of growing importance, but comparisons between research sites require standardized and optimized methods for quantitation. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate systematically the (1) impact of an automated algorithm for spatial brain normalization, and (2) intensity scaling methods of different reference regions for Aβ-PET in a large dataset of transgenic mice. PS2APP mice in a 6 week longitudinal setting (N = 37) and another set of PS2APP mice at a histologically assessed narrow range of Aβ burden (N = 40) were investigated by [(18)F]-florbetaben PET. Manual spatial normalization by three readers at different training levels was performed prior to application of an automated brain spatial normalization and inter-reader agreement was assessed by Fleiss Kappa (κ). For this method the impact of templates at different pathology stages was investigated. Four different reference regions on brain uptake normalization were used to calculate frontal cortical standardized uptake value ratios (SUVRCTX∕REF), relative to raw SUVCTX. Results were compared on the basis of longitudinal stability (Cohen's d), and in reference to gold standard histopathological quantitation (Pearson's R). Application of an automated brain spatial normalization resulted in nearly perfect agreement (all κ≥0.99) between different readers, with constant or improved correlation with histology. Templates based on inappropriate pathology stage resulted in up to 2.9% systematic bias for SUVRCTX∕REF. All SUVRCTX∕REF methods performed better than SUVCTX both with regard to longitudinal stability (d≥1.21 vs. d = 0.23) and histological gold standard agreement (R≥0.66 vs. R≥0.31). Voxel-wise analysis suggested a physiologically implausible longitudinal decrease by global mean scaling. The hindbrain white matter reference (R mean = 0.75) was slightly superior to the brainstem (R mean = 0.74) and the cerebellum (R mean = 0.73). Automated

Validation of putative reference genes for normalization of Q-RT-PCR data from paraffin-embedded lymphoid tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Green, Tina Marie; de Stricker, Karin; Møller, Michael Boe

2009-01-01

Normalization of quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (Q-RT-PCR) data to appropriate tissue-specific reference genes is an essential part of interpreting the results. This study aimed to determine the most appropriate reference genes for normalizing gene expressions in lymphatic tissue...... was 0.93 (Pnormalization with the appropriate reference genes. Thus, we show that formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded lymphoid samples are suitable for Q-RT-PCR when using thoroughly validated reference genes....

Higher Levels of Albuminuria within the Normal Range Predict Incident Hypertension

OpenAIRE

Forman, John P.; Fisher, Naomi D.L.; Schopick, Emily L.; Curhan, Gary C.

2008-01-01

Higher levels of albumin excretion within the normal range are associated with cardiovascular disease in high-risk individuals. Whether incremental increases in urinary albumin excretion, even within the normal range, are associated with the development of hypertension in low-risk individuals is unknown. This study included 1065 postmenopausal women from the first Nurses’ Health Study and 1114 premenopausal women from the second Nurses’ Health Study who had an albumin/creatinine ratio

Determination of reference ranges for full blood count parameters in neonatal cord plasma in Hilla, Babil, Iraq

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Al-Marzoki JM

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Jasim M Al-Marzoki1, Zainab W Al-Maaroof2, Ali H Kadhum31Department of Pediatrics, 2Department of Pathology, Babylon Medical College, 3Babylon Gynecology and Pediatric Teaching Hospital, Hilla, IraqBackground: The health of an individual is known to vary in different countries, in the same country at different times, and in the same individuals at different ages. This means that the condition of individuals must be related to or compared with reference data. Determination of a reference range for the healthy term newborn is clinically important in terms of various complete blood count parameters. The purpose of this study was to establish a local reference range for full blood count parameters in neonatal cord plasma in Hilla, Babil, Iraq.Methods: A total of 220 mothers and their neonates were enrolled in this cross-sectional study from February 2011 to January 2012. Maternal inclusion criteria were age 15–45 years, an uneventful pregnancy, and hemoglobin ≥ 10 g. Neonatal inclusion criteria were full term (37–42 weeks and normal birth weight. The umbilical cord was immediately clamped after delivery of the baby; 3 mL of cord blood was then taken from the umbilical vein and collected in a tube containing ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid, its plasma was analyzed for full blood count parameters by standard Coulter gram, and the differential leukocyte count was done manually.Results: Mean neonatal hemoglobin was 13.88 ± 1.34 (range 11–17.3 g/dL and mean white cell count was 10.12 ± 2.8 (range 3.1–21.6 × 109/L. Mean platelet count was 267.63 ± 60.62 (range 152–472 × 109/L. No significant differences in red cell, white cell, or platelet counts were found between males and females, except for neutrophil count. The current study shows lower levels of hemoglobin, white cells, and red cells compared with other studies, and there is agreement with some studies and disagreement with others concerning platelet count.Conclusion: Most results

International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS): Terms of Reference

Science.gov (United States)

Husson, Van; Noll, Carey

2000-01-01

The International Laser Ranging Service (ILRS) is an established Service within Section II , Advanced Space Technology, of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG). The primary objective of the ILRS is to provide a service to support, through Satellite and Lunar Laser Ranging data and related products, geodetic and geophysical research activities as well as International Earth Rotation Service (IERS) products important to the maintenance of an accurate International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF). The service also develops the necessary standards/specifications and encourages international adherence to its conventions.

Adult Hematology and Clinical Chemistry Laboratory Reference Ranges in a Zimbabwean Population.

Science.gov (United States)

Samaneka, Wadzanai P; Mandozana, Gibson; Tinago, Willard; Nhando, Nehemiah; Mgodi, Nyaradzo M; Bwakura-Dangarembizi, Mutsawashe F; Munjoma, Marshall W; Gomo, Zvenyika A R; Chirenje, Zvavahera M; Hakim, James G

2016-01-01

Laboratory reference ranges used for clinical care and clinical trials in various laboratories in Zimbabwe were derived from textbooks and research studies conducted more than ten years ago. Periodic verification of these ranges is essential to track changes over time. The purpose of this study was to establish hematology and chemistry laboratory reference ranges using more rigorous methods. A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in Harare, Chitungwiza, and Mutoko. A multistage sampling technique was used. Samples were transported from the field for analysis at the ISO15189 certified University of Zimbabwe-University of California San Francisco Central Research Laboratory. Hematology and clinical chemistry reference ranges lower and upper reference limits were estimated at the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles respectively. A total of 769 adults (54% males) aged 18 to 55 years were included in the analysis. Median age was 28 [IQR: 23-35] years. Males had significantly higher red cell counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin compared to females. Females had higher white cell counts, platelets, absolute neutrophil counts, and absolute lymphocyte counts compared to males. There were no gender differences in eosinophils, monocytes, and absolute basophil count. Males had significantly higher levels of urea, sodium, potassium, calcium, creatinine, amylase, total protein, albumin and liver enzymes levels compared to females. Females had higher cholesterol and lipase compared with males. There are notable differences in the white cell counts, neutrophils, cholesterol, and creatinine kinase when compared with the currently used reference ranges. Data from this study provides new country specific reference ranges which should be immediately adopted for routine clinical care and accurate monitoring of adverse events in research studies.

Normalization: A Preprocessing Stage

OpenAIRE

Patro, S. Gopal Krishna; Sahu, Kishore Kumar

2015-01-01

As we know that the normalization is a pre-processing stage of any type problem statement. Especially normalization takes important role in the field of soft computing, cloud computing etc. for manipulation of data like scale down or scale up the range of data before it becomes used for further stage. There are so many normalization techniques are there namely Min-Max normalization, Z-score normalization and Decimal scaling normalization. So by referring these normalization techniques we are ...

Evaluation of a point-of-care blood analyzer and determination of reference ranges for blood parameters in rockfish.

Science.gov (United States)

Harrenstien, Lisa A; Tornquist, Susan J; Miller-Morgan, Timothy J; Fodness, Brian G; Clifford, Kevin E

2005-01-15

To compare values of blood parameters in rockfish obtained by use of a point-of-care portable blood analyzer with values determined by a veterinary diagnostic laboratory, calculate reference ranges for various blood parameters in black rockfish, and compare values of blood parameters in clinically normal fish with those of fish with clinical abnormalities. Prospective study. 41 captive adult black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) and 4 captive adult blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus). Rockfish were anesthetized with tricaine methanesulfonate for collection of blood samples. Heparinized blood samples were immediately analyzed with a point-of-care analyzer. Blood sodium, potassium, chloride, urea nitrogen, and glucose concentrations; Hct; pH; partial pressure of carbon dioxide; total carbon dioxide concentration; bicarbonate concentration; base excess; and hemoglobin concentration were determined. A microhematocrit technique was used to determine PCV, and a refractometer was used to estimate total plasma protein concentration. Paired heparinized blood samples were transported to a veterinary diagnostic laboratory for analyses. Data obtained with the point-of-care analyzer were reproducible; however, values for most blood parameters were significantly different from those obtained by the veterinary diagnostic laboratory. Fish with poor body condition had several blood parameter values that were lower than corresponding values in clinically normal fish. Point-of-care blood analyses may prove useful in rockfish. Point-of-care data for a large number of clinically normal fish must be obtained for reference ranges to be calculated, and further assessments of clinically abnormal fish are necessary to determine the relevance of the data.

Evaluation of new reference genes in papaya for accurate transcript normalization under different experimental conditions.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoyang Zhu

Full Text Available Real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR is a preferred method for rapid and accurate quantification of gene expression studies. Appropriate application of RT-qPCR requires accurate normalization though the use of reference genes. As no single reference gene is universally suitable for all experiments, thus reference gene(s validation under different experimental conditions is crucial for RT-qPCR analysis. To date, only a few studies on reference genes have been done in other plants but none in papaya. In the present work, we selected 21 candidate reference genes, and evaluated their expression stability in 246 papaya fruit samples using three algorithms, geNorm, NormFinder and RefFinder. The samples consisted of 13 sets collected under different experimental conditions, including various tissues, different storage temperatures, different cultivars, developmental stages, postharvest ripening, modified atmosphere packaging, 1-methylcyclopropene (1-MCP treatment, hot water treatment, biotic stress and hormone treatment. Our results demonstrated that expression stability varied greatly between reference genes and that different suitable reference gene(s or combination of reference genes for normalization should be validated according to the experimental conditions. In general, the internal reference genes EIF (Eukaryotic initiation factor 4A, TBP1 (TATA binding protein 1 and TBP2 (TATA binding protein 2 genes had a good performance under most experimental conditions, whereas the most widely present used reference genes, ACTIN (Actin 2, 18S rRNA (18S ribosomal RNA and GAPDH (Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were not suitable in many experimental conditions. In addition, two commonly used programs, geNorm and Normfinder, were proved sufficient for the validation. This work provides the first systematic analysis for the selection of superior reference genes for accurate transcript normalization in papaya under different experimental

Determination of reference ranges for full blood count parameters in neonatal cord plasma in Hilla, Babil, Iraq

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Marzoki, Jasim M; Al-Maaroof, Zainab W; Kadhum, Ali H

2012-01-01

Background The health of an individual is known to vary in different countries, in the same country at different times, and in the same individuals at different ages. This means that the condition of individuals must be related to or compared with reference data. Determination of a reference range for the healthy term newborn is clinically important in terms of various complete blood count parameters. The purpose of this study was to establish a local reference range for full blood count parameters in neonatal cord plasma in Hilla, Babil, Iraq. Methods A total of 220 mothers and their neonates were enrolled in this cross-sectional study from February 2011 to January 2012. Maternal inclusion criteria were age 15–45 years, an uneventful pregnancy, and hemoglobin ≥ 10 g. Neonatal inclusion criteria were full term (37–42 weeks) and normal birth weight. The umbilical cord was immediately clamped after delivery of the baby; 3 mL of cord blood was then taken from the umbilical vein and collected in a tube containing ethylenediamine tetra-acetic acid, its plasma was analyzed for full blood count parameters by standard Coulter gram, and the differential leukocyte count was done manually. Results Mean neonatal hemoglobin was 13.88 ± 1.34 (range 11–17.3) g/dL and mean white cell count was 10.12 ± 2.8 (range 3.1–21.6) × 109/L. Mean platelet count was 267.63 ± 60.62 (range 152–472) × 109/L. No significant differences in red cell, white cell, or platelet counts were found between males and females, except for neutrophil count. The current study shows lower levels of hemoglobin, white cells, and red cells compared with other studies, and there is agreement with some studies and disagreement with others concerning platelet count. Conclusion Most results in the current study were within the reference range. The hematological reference values for Iraqi neonatal cord plasma need to be confirmed by larger numbers of blood samples and by collecting samples from

Effect of changing from the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III spirometry reference range to that of the Global Lung Initiative 2012 at Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service.

Science.gov (United States)

Embling, Laura A K; Zagami, Debbie; Sriram, Krishna Bajee; Gordon, Robert J; Sivakumaran, Pathmanathan

2016-12-01

The categorisation of lung disease into obstructive ventilatory defect (OVD) and tendency to a restrictive ventilatory defect (TRVD) patterns using spirometry is used to guide both prognostication and treatment. The effectiveness of categorisation depends upon having reference ranges that accurately represent the population they describe. The Global Lung Initiative 2012 (GLI 2012) has spirometry reference ranges drawn from the largest sample size to date. This study aimed to determine whether using spirometry reference ranges from the new GLI 2012 dataset, compared to the previously used National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey III (NHANES III) dataset, resulted in a change in diagnosis between OVD, TRVD and normal ventilatory pattern (NVP). Spirometry data were collected from 301 patients, aged 18-80 years, undergoing investigation at the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service (GCHHS) throughout February and March 2014. OVD was defined as a forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV 1 ) divided by forced vital capacity (FVC) less than lower limit of normal (LLN). TRVD was defined as FEV 1 /FVC ≥ LLN, FEV 1 reference range resulted in a change in diagnosis of lung disease in 5.9% of the individuals included in this study. This variance in diagnosis when changing reference ranges should be taken into account by clinicians as it may affect patient management.

Hip strength and range of motion: Normal values from a professional football league.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosler, Andrea B; Crossley, Kay M; Thorborg, Kristian; Whiteley, Rod J; Weir, Adam; Serner, Andreas; Hölmich, Per

2017-04-01

To determine the normal profiles for hip strength and range of motion (ROM) in a professional football league in Qatar, and examine the effect of leg dominance, age, past history of injury, and ethnicity on these profiles. Cross-sectional cohort study. Participants included 394 asymptomatic, male professional football players, aged 18-40 years. Strength was measured using a hand held dynamometer with an eccentric test in side-lying for hip adduction and abduction, and the squeeze test in supine with 45° hip flexion. Range of motion measures included: hip internal and external rotation in 90° flexion, hip IR in prone, bent knee fall out and hip abduction in side-lying. Demographic information was collected and the effect on the profiles was analysed using linear mixed models with repeated measures. Strength values (mean±SD) were: adduction=3.0±0.6Nm/kg, abduction=2.6±0.4Nm/kg, adduction/abduction ratio=1.2±0.2, Squeeze test=3.6±0.8N/kg. Range of motion values: internal rotation in flexion=32±8°, external rotation=38±8°, internal rotation in prone=38±8°, bent knee fall out=13±4.4cm, abduction in side-lying=50±7.3°. Leg dominance had no clinically relevant effect on these profiles. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that age had a minor influence on squeeze strength (-0.03N/kg/year), external rotation (-0.30°/year) and abduction range (-0.19°/year) but past history of injury, and ethnicity did not. Normal values are documented for hip strength and range of motion that can be used as reference profiles in the clinical assessment, screening, and management of professional football players. Leg dominance, recent past injury history and ethnicity do not need to be accounted for when using these profiles for comparison purposes. Copyright © 2016 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adult Hematology and Clinical Chemistry Laboratory Reference Ranges in a Zimbabwean Population.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wadzanai P Samaneka

Full Text Available Laboratory reference ranges used for clinical care and clinical trials in various laboratories in Zimbabwe were derived from textbooks and research studies conducted more than ten years ago. Periodic verification of these ranges is essential to track changes over time. The purpose of this study was to establish hematology and chemistry laboratory reference ranges using more rigorous methods.A community-based cross-sectional study was carried out in Harare, Chitungwiza, and Mutoko. A multistage sampling technique was used. Samples were transported from the field for analysis at the ISO15189 certified University of Zimbabwe-University of California San Francisco Central Research Laboratory. Hematology and clinical chemistry reference ranges lower and upper reference limits were estimated at the 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles respectively.A total of 769 adults (54% males aged 18 to 55 years were included in the analysis. Median age was 28 [IQR: 23-35] years. Males had significantly higher red cell counts, hemoglobin, hematocrit, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin compared to females. Females had higher white cell counts, platelets, absolute neutrophil counts, and absolute lymphocyte counts compared to males. There were no gender differences in eosinophils, monocytes, and absolute basophil count. Males had significantly higher levels of urea, sodium, potassium, calcium, creatinine, amylase, total protein, albumin and liver enzymes levels compared to females. Females had higher cholesterol and lipase compared with males. There are notable differences in the white cell counts, neutrophils, cholesterol, and creatinine kinase when compared with the currently used reference ranges.Data from this study provides new country specific reference ranges which should be immediately adopted for routine clinical care and accurate monitoring of adverse events in research studies.

Echocardiographic reference ranges for sedentary donkeys in the UK.

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, S L; Dukes-McEwan, J

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was to provide two-dimensional (2D) and M-mode echocardiographic reference ranges from a sample of the UK population of donkeys including geriatrics (>30 years), owned by The Donkey Sanctuary, and to assess the influence of gender, weight and age on these variables. A total of 36 donkeys with no clinical or echocardiographic evidence of cardiovascular disease were examined; 24 geldings and 12 females, aged 3-45 years old, weighing 130-262 kg. Left atrial to aortic ratio was larger in geldings (P=0.004). There was no significant difference for left ventricular M-mode diastolic diameter between females and geldings (P=0.121) after exclusion of one heavy female outlier. 2D measurements significantly increased with bodyweight including maximal left atrial diameter (R(2)=0.112; P=0.046), aortic diameter at various levels (e.g. annulus: R(2)=0.35; Pdonkeys across a wide age range and shows differences compared with reference ranges from working donkeys. British Veterinary Association.

The Comparison of Three Dimensions of Personality in Self Referred Addicted and Normal Men

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Zahra Sarialghadam

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Aims: This research was aimed to compare the three dimensions of personality in self referred addicted men and normal one. Method: The research design was causal-effect research method and 30 self referred addicted men selected by available sampling, and 30 normal men (non-addicted who were matched on sex, age, marital status, and level of education were selected. Results: The results showed that the addicted men were scored higher on neurotic but there were not any significant differences on two other dimensions of personality. Conclusion: These results can have applied implications in clinics.

Normal left ventricular mechanics by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography. Reference values in healthy adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Kocabay, Gonenc; Muraru, Denisa; Peluso, Diletta; Cucchini, Umberto; Mihaila, Sorina; Padayattil-Jose, Seena; Gentian, Denas; Iliceto, Sabino; Vinereanu, Dragos; Badano, Luigi P

2014-08-01

Two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography is a novel tool to assess myocardial function. The purpose of this study was to evaluate left ventricular myocardial strain and rotation parameters by two-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography in a large group of healthy adults across a wide age range to establish their reference values and to assess the influence of age, sex, and hemodynamic factors. Transthoracic echocardiograms were acquired in 247 healthy volunteers (139 women, 44 years [standard deviation, 16 years old] (range, 18-80 years). We measured longitudinal, circumferential, and radial peak systolic strain values, and left ventricular rotation and twist. Average values of global longitudinal, radial, and circumferential strain were -21.5% (standard deviation, 2.0%), 40.1% (standard deviation, 11.8%) and -22.2% (standard deviation, 3.4%), respectively. Longitudinal strain was significantly more negative in women, whereas radial and circumferential strain and rotational parameters were similar in both sexes. Accordingly, lower limits of normality for the strain components were -16.9% in men and -18.5% in women for longitudinal strain, and -15.4% for circumferential and 24.6% for radial strain, irrespective of sex. Longitudinal strain values were more negative at the base than at apical segments. Mean rotational values were -6.9° (standard deviation, 3.5°) for the base, 13.0° (standard deviation, 6.5°) for apical rotation, and 20.0° (standard deviation, 7.3°) for net twist. We report the comprehensive assessment of normal myocardial deformation and rotational mechanics in a large cohort of healthy volunteers. We found that women have more negative longitudinal strain, accounting for their higher left ventricular ejection fraction. Availability of reference values for these parameters may foster their implementation in the clinical routine. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of Appropriate Reference Genes for Gene Expression Normalization during Watermelon Fruit Development.

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Qiusheng Kong

Full Text Available Gene expression analysis in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus fruit has drawn considerable attention with the availability of genome sequences to understand the regulatory mechanism of fruit development and to improve its quality. Real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR is a routine technique for gene expression analysis. However, appropriate reference genes for transcript normalization in watermelon fruits have not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of 12 genes for their potential use as reference genes in watermelon fruits. Expression variations of these genes were measured in 48 samples obtained from 12 successive developmental stages of parthenocarpic and fertilized fruits of two watermelon genotypes by using qRT-PCR analysis. Considering the effects of genotype, fruit setting method, and developmental stage, geNorm determined clathrin adaptor complex subunit (ClCAC, β-actin (ClACT, and alpha tubulin 5 (ClTUA5 as the multiple reference genes in watermelon fruit. Furthermore, ClCAC alone or together with SAND family protein (ClSAND was ranked as the single or two best reference genes by NormFinder. By using the top-ranked reference genes to normalize the transcript abundance of phytoene synthase (ClPSY1, a good correlation between lycopene accumulation and ClPSY1 expression pattern was observed in ripening watermelon fruit. These validated reference genes will facilitate the accurate measurement of gene expression in the studies on watermelon fruit biology.

Evaluation of Appropriate Reference Genes for Gene Expression Normalization during Watermelon Fruit Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Kong, Qiusheng; Yuan, Jingxian; Gao, Lingyun; Zhao, Liqiang; Cheng, Fei; Huang, Yuan; Bie, Zhilong

2015-01-01

Gene expression analysis in watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) fruit has drawn considerable attention with the availability of genome sequences to understand the regulatory mechanism of fruit development and to improve its quality. Real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) is a routine technique for gene expression analysis. However, appropriate reference genes for transcript normalization in watermelon fruits have not been well characterized. The aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of 12 genes for their potential use as reference genes in watermelon fruits. Expression variations of these genes were measured in 48 samples obtained from 12 successive developmental stages of parthenocarpic and fertilized fruits of two watermelon genotypes by using qRT-PCR analysis. Considering the effects of genotype, fruit setting method, and developmental stage, geNorm determined clathrin adaptor complex subunit (ClCAC), β-actin (ClACT), and alpha tubulin 5 (ClTUA5) as the multiple reference genes in watermelon fruit. Furthermore, ClCAC alone or together with SAND family protein (ClSAND) was ranked as the single or two best reference genes by NormFinder. By using the top-ranked reference genes to normalize the transcript abundance of phytoene synthase (ClPSY1), a good correlation between lycopene accumulation and ClPSY1 expression pattern was observed in ripening watermelon fruit. These validated reference genes will facilitate the accurate measurement of gene expression in the studies on watermelon fruit biology.

Reference intervals of spinal mobility measures in normal individuals: the mobility study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ramiro, Sofia; van Tubergen, Astrid; Stolwijk, Carmen; van der Heijde, Desiree; Royston, Patrick; Landewe, Robert

2015-01-01

Objectives To establish reference intervals (RIs) for spinal mobility measures as recommended for patients with axial spondyloarthritis, and to determine the effect of age, height and gender on spinal mobility, in normal individuals. Methods A cross-sectional study (MOBILITY) was conducted among

Diffevential Diagnosis of Frimary Stuttering and Normal Nonfluency in Children Referring to Saba Clinic

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Fariba Yadegari

2003-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: Early Diagnosis and intervention of primary stuttering is the key for prevention of chronic developmental stuttering. Normal nonfluency of children under 5 years old is an important differential diagnosis of primary stuttering. The goals of this research are finding accuracy of diagnoses on children referred to Saba speech therapy Clinic labeled as normal nonfluency and introducing move precise methods of differential diagnosis.  Materials & Methods: The research method is case series study in which through simple sampling procedure stuttering children referring to SabA Clinic during 1382 & 83 were studied. 10. Research tools and data collection consist of: questionnair, spontaneous speech sample recording and determining VOT using laryngograph processor. It should be noted that because normative date of stutteres VOT the lack of the normal subjects VOT are analysed and comared with stutterers. Results: Based on numerical criteria, our findings indicate that only one of stutterers was normal nonfluent and the others were stutteres. VOT data of stutteres also were compared to that of normal matched children. The results revealed that all of stutterers had significantly (P<0.05 longer VOT than normal subjects . Conclusion: This study provides a good numeric and clinical index for speech language pathologists for diagnosis of primary stuttering and normal nonfluency. Morover,. using VOT would help accurate diagnosis.

Identification of suitable reference genes for gene expression normalization in qRT-PCR analysis in watermelon.

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Qiusheng Kong

Full Text Available Watermelon is one of the major Cucurbitaceae crops and the recent availability of genome sequence greatly facilitates the fundamental researches on it. Quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR is the preferred method for gene expression analyses, and using validated reference genes for normalization is crucial to ensure the accuracy of this method. However, a systematic validation of reference genes has not been conducted on watermelon. In this study, transcripts of 15 candidate reference genes were quantified in watermelon using qRT-PCR, and the stability of these genes was compared using geNorm and NormFinder. geNorm identified ClTUA and ClACT, ClEF1α and ClACT, and ClCAC and ClTUA as the best pairs of reference genes in watermelon organs and tissues under normal growth conditions, abiotic stress, and biotic stress, respectively. NormFinder identified ClYLS8, ClUBCP, and ClCAC as the best single reference genes under the above experimental conditions, respectively. ClYLS8 and ClPP2A were identified as the best reference genes across all samples. Two to nine reference genes were required for more reliable normalization depending on the experimental conditions. The widely used watermelon reference gene 18SrRNA was less stable than the other reference genes under the experimental conditions. Catalase family genes were identified in watermelon genome, and used to validate the reliability of the identified reference genes. ClCAT1and ClCAT2 were induced and upregulated in the first 24 h, whereas ClCAT3 was downregulated in the leaves under low temperature stress. However, the expression levels of these genes were significantly overestimated and misinterpreted when 18SrRNA was used as a reference gene. These results provide a good starting point for reference gene selection in qRT-PCR analyses involving watermelon.

Reference man models based on normal data from human populations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Gi-ichiro; Kawamura, Hisao

2000-01-01

Quantitative description of the physical, and metabolic parameters of the human body is the very basic for internal dosimetry. Compilation of anatomical and other types of data Asian populations for internal (and external) dosimetry is of grate significance because of the potential spread of nuclear energy use in the Asian region and the major contribution of the region to the world population (about 58%). It has been observed that some differences exist for habitat, race, body sizes and pattern of food consumption. In the early stage of revision of ICRP Reference man by the Task Group, Characteristics of the human body of non-European populations received considerable attention as well as those of the European populations of different sexes and ages. In this context, an IAEA-RCA Co-ordinated Research Program on Compilation of Anatomical, Physiological and Metabolic Characteristics for a Reference Asian Man endorsed. In later stages of reference Man revision, anatomical data for Asians was discusses together with those of European populations, presumably due to ICRP's decision of unanimous use of the Reference Man for radiation protection. Reference man models for adults and 15, 10, 5, 1, 0 year-old males and females of Asian populations were developed for use in internal and external dosimetry. Based on the concept of ICRP Reference Man (Publication 23), the reference values were derived from the normal organ mass data for Japanese and statistical data on the physique and nutrition of Japanese and Chinese. Also incorporated were variations in physical measurements, as observed in the above mentioned IAEA-RCA Co-ordinated Research Program. The work was partly carried out within the activities of the ICRP Task Group on Reference Man. The weight of the skeleton was adjusted following the revised values in Publication 70. This paper will report basic shared and non-shared characteristics of Reference Man' for Asians and ICRP Reference Man. (author)

Determination of Age-Dependent Reference Ranges for Coagulation Tests Performed Using Destiny Plus.

Science.gov (United States)

Arslan, Fatma Demet; Serdar, Muhittin; Merve Ari, Elif; Onur Oztan, Mustafa; Hikmet Kozcu, Sureyya; Tarhan, Huseyin; Cakmak, Ozgur; Zeytinli, Merve; Yasar Ellidag, Hamit

2016-06-01

In order to apply the right treatment for hemostatic disorders in pediatric patients, laboratory data should be interpreted with age-appropriate reference ranges. The purpose of this study was to determining age-dependent reference range values for prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), fibrinogen tests, and D-dimer tests. A total of 320 volunteers were included in the study with the following ages: 1 month - 1 year (n = 52), 2 - 5 years (n = 50), 6 - 10 years (n = 48), 11 - 17 years (n = 38), and 18 - 65 years (n = 132). Each volunteer completed a survey to exclude hemostatic system disorder. Using a nonparametric method, the lower and upper limits, including 95% distribution and 90% confidence intervals, were calculated. No statistically significant differences were found between PT and aPTT values in the groups consisting of children. Thus, the reference ranges were separated into child and adult age groups. PT and aPTT values were significantly higher in the children than in the adults. Fibrinogen values in the 6 - 10 age group and the adult age group were significantly higher than in the other groups. D-dimer levels were significantly lower in those aged 2 - 17; thus, a separate reference range was established. These results support other findings related to developmental hemostasis, confirming that adult and pediatric age groups should be evaluated using different reference ranges.

Age-specific reference ranges of serum prostate-specific antigen in Iranian men

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Gholamreza Pourmand

2015-08-01

Conclusion: Findings of the present study showed that PSA levels are correlated with age. It was also revealed that the PSA age-specific reference range obtained in this study is different from other races and is specific to Iranian men. Therefore, age-specific reference ranges of PSA obtained in the present study can increase PSA test sensitivity and specificity by reducing unnecessary diagnostic procedures and early detection of prostate cancer in Iranian men.

Generating method-specific Reference Ranges - A harmonious outcome?

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Lee, Graham R; Griffin, Alison; Halton, Kieran; Fitzgibbon, Maria C

2017-12-01

When laboratory Reference Ranges (RR) do not reflect analytical methodology, result interpretation can cause misclassification of patients and inappropriate management. This can be mitigated by determining and implementing method-specific RRs, which was the main objective of this study. Serum was obtained from healthy volunteers (Male + Female, n > 120) attending hospital health-check sessions during June and July 2011. Pseudo-anonymised aliquots were stored (at - 70 °C) prior t° analysis on Abbott ARCHITECT c16000 chemistry and i 2000SR immunoassay analysers. Data were stratified by gender where appropriate. Outliers were excluded statistically (Tukey method) to generate non-parametric RRs (2.5th + 97.5th percentiles). RRs were compared to those quoted by Abbott and UK Pathology Harmony (PH) where possible. For 7 selected tests, RRs were verified using a data mining approach. For chemistry tests (n = 23), Upper or Lower Reference Limits (LRL or URL) were > 20% different from Abbott ranges in 25% of tests (11% from PH ranges) but in 38% for immunoassay tests (n = 13). RRs (mmol/L) for sodium (138-144), potassium (3.8-4.9) and chloride (102-110) were considerably narrower than PH ranges (133-146, 3.5-5.0 and 95-108, respectively). The gender difference for ferritin (M: 29-441, F: 8-193 ng/mL) was more pronounced than reported by Abbott (M: 22-275, F: 5-204 ng/mL). Verification studies showed good agreement for chemistry tests (mean [SD] difference = 0.4% [1.2%]) but less so for immunoassay tests (27% [29%]), particularly for TSH (LRL). Where resource permits, we advocate using method-specific RRs in preference to other sources, particularly where method bias and lack of standardisation limits RR transferability and harmonisation.

The normal range of condylar movement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choe, Han Up; Park, Tae Won

1978-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the normal range of condylar movement of normal adults. The author gas observed roentgenographic images of four serial positions of condylar head taken by modified transcranial lateral oblique projection. The serial positions are centric occlusion, rest position, 1 inch open position and maximal open position. The results were obtained as follow; 1. Inter-incisal distance was 46.85 mm in maximal open position. 2. The length between the deepest point of glenoid fossa and summit of condylar head in rest position was wider than that in centric occlusion by 0.8 mm. 3. In 1 inch open position, condylar head moved forward from the standard line in 12.64 mm of horizontal direction and moved downwards from the standard line in 1.84 mm of vertical direction. 4. In maximal open position, condylar head moved forward from the standard line in 19.06 mm of horizontal direction and moved downwards from the standard line in 0.4 mm of vertical direction. 5. In centric occlusion, the width between glenoid fossa and margin of condylar head was greater in the posterior portion than in the anterior portion by 0.4 mm. 6. Except for estimated figures of 1 inch open position, all of the estimated figures was greater in male than in female.

Reference ranges for uterine artery pulsatility index during the menstrual cycle: a cross-sectional study.

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Luís Guedes-Martins

Full Text Available Cyclic endometrial neoangiogenesis contributes to changes in local vascular patterns and is amenable to non-invasive assessment with Doppler sonography. We hypothesize that the uterine artery (UtA impedance, measured by its pulsatility index (PI, exhibits a regular pattern during the normal menstrual cycle. Therefore, the main study objective was to derive normative new day-cycle-based reference ranges for the UtA-PI during the entire cycle from days 1 to 34 according to the isolated time effect and potential confounders such as age and parity.From January 2009 to December 2012, a cross-sectional study of 1,821 healthy women undergoing routine gynaecological ultrasound was performed. The Doppler flow of the right and left UtA-PI was studied transvaginally by colour and pulsed Doppler imaging. The mean right and left values and the presence or absence of a bilateral protodiastolic notch were recorded. Reference intervals for the PI according to the cycle day were generated by classical linear regression.The majority of patients (97.5% presented unilateral or bilateral UtA notches. The crude 5th, 50th, and 95th reference percentile curves of the UtA-PI at 1-34 days of the normal menstrual cycle were derived. In all curves, a progressive significant decrease occurred during the first 13 days, followed by an increase and recovery in the UtA-PI. The adjusted 5th, 50th, and 95th reference percentile curves for the effects of age and parity were also obtained. These two conditions generated an approximately identical UtA-PI pattern during the cycle, except with small but significant reductions at the temporal extremes.The median, 5th, and the 95th percentiles of the UtA-PI decrease during the first third of the menstrual cycle and recover to their initial values during the last two thirds of the cycle. The rates of decrease and recovery depend significantly on age and parity.

Higher TSH Levels Within the Normal Range Are Associated With Unexplained Infertility.

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Orouji Jokar, Tahereh; Fourman, Lindsay T; Lee, Hang; Mentzinger, Katherine; Fazeli, Pouneh K

2018-02-01

Unexplained infertility (UI), defined as the inability to conceive after 12 months of unprotected intercourse with no diagnosed cause, affects 10% to 30% of infertile couples. An improved understanding of the mechanisms underlying UI could lead to less invasive and less costly treatment strategies. Abnormalities in thyroid function and hyperprolactinemia are well-known causes of infertility, but whether thyrotropin (TSH) and prolactin levels within the normal range are associated with UI is unknown. To compare TSH and prolactin levels in women with UI and women with a normal fertility evaluation except for an azoospermic or severely oligospermic male partner. Cross-sectional study including women evaluated at a large academic health system between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2012 with normal TSH (levels within the normal range of the assay and ≤5 mIU/L) and normal prolactin levels (≤20 ng/mL) and either UI (n = 187) or no other cause of infertility other than an azoospermic or severely oligospermic partner (n = 52). TSH and prolactin. Women with UI had significantly higher TSH levels than controls [UI: TSH 1.95 mIU/L, interquartile range: (1.54, 2.61); severe male factor: TSH 1.66 mIU/L, interquartile range: (1.25, 2.17); P = 0.003]. This finding remained significant after we controlled for age, body mass index, and smoking status. Nearly twice as many women with UI (26.9%) had a TSH ≥2.5 mIU/L compared with controls (13.5%; P < 0.05). Prolactin levels did not differ between the groups. Women with UI have higher TSH levels compared with a control population. More studies are necessary to determine whether treatment of high-normal TSH levels decreases time to conception in couples with UI. Copyright © 2017 Endocrine Society

Haematological and biochemical reference intervals for free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Sweden

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Græsli, Anne Randi; Fahlman, Åsa; Evans, Alina L.

2014-01-01

BackgroundEstablishment of haematological and biochemical reference intervals is important to assess health of animals on individual and population level. Reference intervals for 13 haematological and 34 biochemical variables were established based on 88 apparently healthy free-ranging brown bears...... and marking for ecological studies. For each of the variables, the reference interval was described based on the 95% confidence interval, and differences due to host characteristics sex and age were included if detected. To our knowledge, this is the first report of reference intervals for free-ranging brown...... and the differences due to host factors age and gender can be useful for evaluation of health status in free-ranging European brown bears....

Communication: Density functional theory model for multi-reference systems based on the exact-exchange hole normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Laqua, Henryk; Kussmann, Jörg; Ochsenfeld, Christian

2018-03-28

The correct description of multi-reference electronic ground states within Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) requires an ensemble-state representation, employing fractionally occupied orbitals. However, the use of fractional orbital occupation leads to non-normalized exact-exchange holes, resulting in large fractional-spin errors for conventional approximative density functionals. In this communication, we present a simple approach to directly include the exact-exchange-hole normalization into DFT. Compared to conventional functionals, our model strongly improves the description for multi-reference systems, while preserving the accuracy in the single-reference case. We analyze the performance of our proposed method at the example of spin-averaged atoms and spin-restricted bond dissociation energy surfaces.

Communication: Density functional theory model for multi-reference systems based on the exact-exchange hole normalization

Science.gov (United States)

Laqua, Henryk; Kussmann, Jörg; Ochsenfeld, Christian

2018-03-01

The correct description of multi-reference electronic ground states within Kohn-Sham density functional theory (DFT) requires an ensemble-state representation, employing fractionally occupied orbitals. However, the use of fractional orbital occupation leads to non-normalized exact-exchange holes, resulting in large fractional-spin errors for conventional approximative density functionals. In this communication, we present a simple approach to directly include the exact-exchange-hole normalization into DFT. Compared to conventional functionals, our model strongly improves the description for multi-reference systems, while preserving the accuracy in the single-reference case. We analyze the performance of our proposed method at the example of spin-averaged atoms and spin-restricted bond dissociation energy surfaces.

Correlation of normal-range FMR1 repeat length or genotypes and reproductive parameters.

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Maslow, Bat-Sheva L; Davis, Stephanie; Engmann, Lawrence; Nulsen, John C; Benadiva, Claudio A

2016-09-01

This study aims to ascertain whether the length of normal-ranged CGG repeats on the FMR1 gene correlates with abnormal reproductive parameters. We performed a retrospective, cross-sectional study of all FMR1 carrier screening performed as part of routine care at a large university-based fertility center from January 2011 to March 2014. Correlations were performed between normal-range FMR1 length and baseline serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), cycle day 3 follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), ovarian volumes (OV), antral follicle counts (AFC), and incidence of diminished ovarian reserve (DOR), while controlling for the effect of age. Six hundred three FMR1 screening results were collected. One subject was found to be a pre-mutation carrier and was excluded from the study. Baseline serum AMH, cycle day 3 FSH, OV, and AFC data were collected for the 602 subjects with normal-ranged CGG repeats. No significant difference in median age was noted amongst any of the FMR1 repeat genotypes. No significant correlation or association was found between any allele length or genotype, with any of the reproductive parameters or with incidence of DOR at any age (p > 0.05). However, subjects who were less than 35 years old with low/low genotype were significantly more likely to have below average AMH levels compared to those with normal/normal genotype (RR 3.82; 95 % CI 1.38-10.56). This large study did not demonstrate any substantial association between normal-range FMR1 repeat lengths and reproductive parameters.

Hematologic and serum chemistry reference intervals for free-ranging lions (Panthera leo).

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Maas, Miriam; Keet, Dewald F; Nielen, Mirjam

2013-08-01

Hematologic and serum chemistry values are used by veterinarians and wildlife researchers to assess health status and to identify abnormally high or low levels of a particular blood parameter in a target species. For free-ranging lions (Panthera leo) information about these values is scarce. In this study 7 hematologic and 11 serum biochemistry values were evaluated from 485 lions from the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Significant differences between sexes and sub-adult (≤ 36 months) and adult (>36 months) lions were found for most of the blood parameters and separate reference intervals were made for those values. The obtained reference intervals include the means of the various blood parameter values measured in captive lions, except for alkaline phosphatase in the subadult group. These reference intervals can be utilized for free-ranging lions, and may likely also be used as reference intervals for captive lions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of candidate reference genes for gene expression normalization in Brassica juncea using real time quantitative RT-PCR.

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Ruby Chandna

Full Text Available The real time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR is becoming increasingly important to gain insight into function of genes. Given the increased sensitivity, ease and reproducibility of qRT-PCR, the requirement of suitable reference genes for normalization has become important and stringent. It is now known that the expression of internal control genes in living organism vary considerably during developmental stages and under different experimental conditions. For economically important Brassica crops, only a couple of reference genes are reported till date. In this study, expression stability of 12 candidate reference genes including ACT2, ELFA, GAPDH, TUA, UBQ9 (traditional housekeeping genes, ACP, CAC, SNF, TIPS-41, TMD, TSB and ZNF (new candidate reference genes, in a diverse set of 49 tissue samples representing different developmental stages, stress and hormone treated conditions and cultivars of Brassica juncea has been validated. For the normalization of vegetative stages the ELFA, ACT2, CAC and TIPS-41 combination would be appropriate whereas TIPS-41 along with CAC would be suitable for normalization of reproductive stages. A combination of GAPDH, TUA, TIPS-41 and CAC were identified as the most suitable reference genes for total developmental stages. In various stress and hormone treated samples, UBQ9 and TIPS-41 had the most stable expression. Across five cultivars of B. juncea, the expression of CAC and TIPS-41 did not vary significantly and were identified as the most stably expressed reference genes. This study provides comprehensive information that the new reference genes selected herein performed better than the traditional housekeeping genes. The selection of most suitable reference genes depends on the experimental conditions, and is tissue and cultivar-specific. Further, to attain accuracy in the results more than one reference genes are necessary for normalization.

The TSH dynamics in upperand low-normal range in patients with primary hypothyroidism: clinical presentation, well-being and quality of life

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A V Podzolkov

2010-12-01

Full Text Available In our study we try to determine whether small changes in thyroxine treatment is effective in patients with symptoms of hypothyroidism but with thyroid function tests within the reference range, and to investigate the effect of thyroxine treatment on psychological and physical wellbeing in healthy participants. Sixty ambulatory patients with primary hypothyroidism receiving levothyroxine (L-T4 participated in the study. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to their TSH level. The first group was in TSH low-normal range (0.4–2.0 mU/l, the second in upper-normal (2.1–4.0 mU/l range. We analyzed the results of several tests: “12 classical hypothyroidism symp- toms”, SF36, HARS, HDRS, Zung scale at baseline and in 3 months. With a small-dose changes we cross the groups to compare the results. Results: At baseline analyze there was a small differ-ence between two groups. Women with in the upper-normal TSH range had more expressed symptoms of hypothyroidism. After small changes in thyroxine treatment we could not say that the clinical picture of a hypothyroidism has changed cardinally, however, it is necessary to notice that there was dynamics of separate symptoms. The same picture was noticed with the depression and anxiety levels. The meanings were rather close and small dose changes in L-T4 treatment were more expressed in group with upper-normal range. The positive dynamics of well-being after dose changing were registered in both groups. Conclusion: Small changes in T4 dosage do not produce measurable changes in hypothyroid symptoms, well-being, or quality of life.

Higher levels of albuminuria within the normal range predict incident hypertension.

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Forman, John P; Fisher, Naomi D L; Schopick, Emily L; Curhan, Gary C

2008-10-01

Higher levels of albumin excretion within the normal range are associated with cardiovascular disease in high-risk individuals. Whether incremental increases in urinary albumin excretion, even within the normal range, are associated with the development of hypertension in low-risk individuals is unknown. This study included 1065 postmenopausal women from the first Nurses' Health Study and 1114 premenopausal women from the second Nurses' Health Study who had an albumin/creatinine ratio who did not have diabetes or hypertension. Among the older women, 271 incident cases of hypertension occurred during 4 yr of follow-up, and among the younger women, 296 incident cases of hypertension occurred during 8 yr of follow-up. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to examine prospectively the association between the albumin/creatinine ratio and incident hypertension after adjustment for age, body mass index, estimated GFR, baseline BP, physical activity, smoking, and family history of hypertension. Participants who had an albumin/creatinine ratio in the highest quartile (4.34 to 24.17 mg/g for older women and 3.68 to 23.84 mg/g for younger women) were more likely to develop hypertension than those who had an albumin/creatinine ratio in the lowest quartile (hazard ratio 1.76 [95% confidence interval 1.21 to 2.56] and hazard ratio 1.35 [95% confidence interval 0.97 to 1.91] for older and younger women, respectively). Higher albumin/creatinine ratios, even within the normal range, are independently associated with increased risk for development of hypertension among women without diabetes. The definition of normal albumin excretion should be reevaluated.

Cure of tuberculosis despite serum concentrations of antituberculosis drugs below published reference ranges.

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Meloni, Monica; Corti, Natascia; Müller, Daniel; Henning, Lars; Gutteck, Ursula; von Braun, Amrei; Weber, Rainer; Fehr, Jan

2015-01-01

Therapeutic target serum concentrations of first-line antituberculosis drugs have not been well defined in clinical studies in tuberculosis (TB) patients. We retrospectively investigated the estimated maximum serum concentrations (eC max) of antituberculosis drugs and clinical outcome of TB patients with therapeutic drug monitoring performed between 2010-2012 at our institution, and follow-up until March 2014. The eC max was defined as the highest serum concentration during a sampling period (2, 4 and 6 hours after drug ingestion). We compared the results with published eC max values, and categorised them as either "within reference range", "low eC max", or "very low eC max".Low/very low eC max-levels were defined as follows: isoniazid 2-3/max levels were classified as "low" or "very low". The eC max was below the relevant reference range in 80% of isoniazid, 95% of rifampicin, 30% of pyrazinamide, and 30% of ethambutol measurements. All but one patient were cured of tuberculosis. Although many antituberculosis drug serum concentrations were below the widely used reference ranges, 16 of 17 patients were cured of tuberculosis. These results challenge the use of the published reference ranges for therapeutic drug monitoring.

Validation of suitable reference genes for expression normalization in Echinococcus spp. larval stages.

Science.gov (United States)

Espínola, Sergio Martin; Ferreira, Henrique Bunselmeyer; Zaha, Arnaldo

2014-01-01

In recent years, a significant amount of sequence data (both genomic and transcriptomic) for Echinococcus spp. has been published, thereby facilitating the analysis of genes expressed during a specific stage or involved in parasite development. To perform a suitable gene expression quantification analysis, the use of validated reference genes is strongly recommended. Thus, the aim of this work was to identify suitable reference genes to allow reliable expression normalization for genes of interest in Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) (G1) and Echinococcus ortleppi upon induction of the early pre-adult development. Untreated protoscoleces (PS) and pepsin-treated protoscoleces (PSP) from E. granulosus s.s. (G1) and E. ortleppi metacestode were used. The gene expression stability of eleven candidate reference genes (βTUB, NDUFV2, RPL13, TBP, CYP-1, RPII, EF-1α, βACT-1, GAPDH, ETIF4A-III and MAPK3) was assessed using geNorm, Normfinder, and RefFinder. Our qPCR data showed a good correlation with the recently published RNA-seq data. Regarding expression stability, EF-1α and TBP were the most stable genes for both species. Interestingly, βACT-1 (the most commonly used reference gene), and GAPDH and ETIF4A-III (previously identified as housekeeping genes) did not behave stably in our assay conditions. We propose the use of EF-1α as a reference gene for studies involving gene expression analysis in both PS and PSP experimental conditions for E. granulosus s.s. and E. ortleppi. To demonstrate its applicability, EF-1α was used as a normalizer gene in the relative quantification of transcripts from genes coding for antigen B subunits. The same EF-1α reference gene may be used in studies with other Echinococcus sensu lato species. This report validates suitable reference genes for species of class Cestoda, phylum Platyhelminthes, thus providing a foundation for further validation in other epidemiologically important cestode species, such as those from the

Validation of Suitable Reference Genes for Expression Normalization in Echinococcus spp. Larval Stages

Science.gov (United States)

Espínola, Sergio Martin; Ferreira, Henrique Bunselmeyer; Zaha, Arnaldo

2014-01-01

In recent years, a significant amount of sequence data (both genomic and transcriptomic) for Echinococcus spp. has been published, thereby facilitating the analysis of genes expressed during a specific stage or involved in parasite development. To perform a suitable gene expression quantification analysis, the use of validated reference genes is strongly recommended. Thus, the aim of this work was to identify suitable reference genes to allow reliable expression normalization for genes of interest in Echinococcus granulosus sensu stricto (s.s.) (G1) and Echinococcus ortleppi upon induction of the early pre-adult development. Untreated protoscoleces (PS) and pepsin-treated protoscoleces (PSP) from E. granulosus s.s. (G1) and E. ortleppi metacestode were used. The gene expression stability of eleven candidate reference genes (βTUB, NDUFV2, RPL13, TBP, CYP-1, RPII, EF-1α, βACT-1, GAPDH, ETIF4A-III and MAPK3) was assessed using geNorm, Normfinder, and RefFinder. Our qPCR data showed a good correlation with the recently published RNA-seq data. Regarding expression stability, EF-1α and TBP were the most stable genes for both species. Interestingly, βACT-1 (the most commonly used reference gene), and GAPDH and ETIF4A-III (previously identified as housekeeping genes) did not behave stably in our assay conditions. We propose the use of EF-1α as a reference gene for studies involving gene expression analysis in both PS and PSP experimental conditions for E. granulosus s.s. and E. ortleppi. To demonstrate its applicability, EF-1α was used as a normalizer gene in the relative quantification of transcripts from genes coding for antigen B subunits. The same EF-1α reference gene may be used in studies with other Echinococcus sensu lato species. This report validates suitable reference genes for species of class Cestoda, phylum Platyhelminthes, thus providing a foundation for further validation in other epidemiologically important cestode species, such as those from the

Determination of reference values for intraocular pressure and Schirmer tear test results in clinically normal domestic donkeys (Equus asinus).

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Selk Ghaffari, Masoud; Sabzevari, Amin; Ghamsari, SeyedMehdi; Shad, Hussein

2017-11-25

This study was conducted to establish normal reference range for the Schirmer tear test (STT) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in clinically normal donkeys for use in clinical practice. Sixteen adult Ethiopian domestic donkeys were used in this study. Complete ophthalmic examinations were performed without chemical restraint. STT values were evaluated in both eyes of all donkeys using a commercial STT strip. IOP was measured in both eyes with a Tono-Pen Vet (Reichert. USA) without using regional nerve blocks. STT values for all eyes (n=32) were 22.1±6.9 mm/minute with a range of 13-35 mm/minute. Comparison of mean STT values between right (n=16) and left eyes (n=16) showed no differences (P=0.6). Mean ±sd IOP values by applanation tonometry were 17.8±3.7 mmHg (range 13.5-24.5 mmHg). Comparison of mean IOP values between right (n=16) and left eyes (n=16) showed no differences (P=0.7). This initial survey provides means and ranges for IOP and STT values in donkeys. These data will assist veterinary ophthalmologists in more accurate diagnosis and management of ophthalmic diseases in donkeys, including keratoconjunctivitis sicca and glaucoma. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Exogenous reference gene normalization for real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis under dynamic endogenous transcription.

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Johnston, Stephen; Gallaher, Zachary; Czaja, Krzysztof

2012-05-15

Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) is widely used to investigate transcriptional changes following experimental manipulations to the nervous system. Despite the widespread utilization of qPCR, the interpretation of results is marred by the lack of a suitable reference gene due to the dynamic nature of endogenous transcription. To address this inherent deficiency, we investigated the use of an exogenous spike-in mRNA, luciferase, as an internal reference gene for the 2(-∆∆Ct) normalization method. To induce dynamic transcription, we systemically administered capsaicin, a neurotoxin selective for C-type sensory neurons expressing the TRPV-1 receptor, to adult male Sprague-Dawley rats. We later isolated nodose ganglia for qPCR analysis with the reference being either exogenous luciferase mRNA or the commonly used endogenous reference β-III tubulin. The exogenous luciferase mRNA reference clearly demonstrated the dynamic expression of the endogenous reference. Furthermore, variability of the endogenous reference would lead to misinterpretation of other genes of interest. In conclusion, traditional reference genes are often unstable under physiologically normal situations, and certainly unstable following the damage to the nervous system. The use of exogenous spike-in reference provides a consistent and easily implemented alternative for the analysis of qPCR data.

Leukocyte Reference Intervals for Free-Ranging Hummingbirds in Northern California.

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Safra, Noa; Christopher, Mary M; Ernest, Holly B; Bandivadekar, Ruta; Tell, Lisa A

2018-04-04

  Hummingbirds are specialized nectarivores and important ecological pollinators that are the focus of conservation efforts as well as scientific investigations of metabolism and flight dynamics. Despite their importance, basic information is lacking about hummingbird blood cells. We aimed to establish reference intervals for total and differential leukocyte counts from healthy free-ranging hummingbirds in northern California. Hummingbirds were captured in five counties in spring and summer of 2012. A drop of blood was used to prepare smears for total white blood cell estimate and 200-cell differential leukocyte counts. Reference Value Advisor was used for descriptive statistics and calculation of reference intervals. Blood smears from 42 Anna's Hummingbirds ( Calypte anna) and 33 Black-chinned Hummingbirds ( Archilochus alexandri) were included. The only significant differences in leukocyte counts were due to age, and juvenile hummingbirds had significantly higher lymphocyte counts than adult hummingbirds ( Phummingbirds.

Neutron dosimetry and spectrometry with Bonner spheres. Working out a log-normal reference matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zaborowski, Henrick.

1981-11-01

From the experimental and theoretical studies made upon the BONNER's spheres System with a I 6 Li(Eu) crystal and with a miniaturized 3 He counter we get the normalized energy response functions R*sub(i)(E). This normalization is obtained by the mathematization of the Resolution Function R*(i,E) in the Log-Normal distribution hypothesis to mono energetic neutrons given in April 1976 to the International Symposium on Californium 252. The fit of the Log-Normal Hypothesis with the experimental and Theoretical data is very satisfactory. The parameter's tabulated values allow a precise interpolation, at all energies between 0.4 eV and 15 MeV and for all spheres diameters between 2 and 12 inches, of the discretized R*sub(ij) Reference Matrix for the applications to neutron dosimetry and spectrometry [fr

Contributions to reference systems from Lunar Laser Ranging using the IfE analysis model

Science.gov (United States)

Hofmann, Franz; Biskupek, Liliane; Müller, Jürgen

2018-01-01

Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) provides various quantities related to reference frames like Earth orientation parameters, coordinates and velocities of ground stations in the Earth-fixed frame and selenocentric coordinates of the lunar retro-reflectors. This paper presents the recent results from LLR data analysis at the Institut für Erdmessung, Leibniz Universität Hannover, based on all LLR data up to the end of 2016. The estimates of long-periodic nutation coefficients with periods between 13.6 days and 18.6 years are obtained with an accuracy in the order of 0.05-0.7 milliarcseconds (mas). Estimations of the Earth rotation phase Δ UT are accurate at the level of 0.032 ms if more than 14 normal points per night are included. The tie between the dynamical ephemeris frame to the kinematic celestial frame is estimated from pure LLR observations by two angles and their rates with an accuracy of 0.25 and 0.02 mas per year. The estimated station coordinates and velocities are compared to the ITRF2014 solution and the geometry of the retro-reflector network with the DE430 solution. The given accuracies represent 3 times formal errors of the parameter fit. The accuracy for Δ UT is based on the standard deviation of the estimates with respect to the reference C04 solution.

Current Practices of Measuring and Reference Range Reporting of Free and Total Testosterone in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Le, Margaret; Flores, David; May, Danica; Gourley, Eric; Nangia, Ajay K

2016-05-01

The evaluation and management of male hypogonadism should be based on symptoms and on serum testosterone levels. Diagnostically this relies on accurate testing and reference values. Our objective was to define the distribution of reference values and assays for free and total testosterone by clinical laboratories in the United States. Upper and lower reference values, assay methodology and source of published reference ranges were obtained from laboratories across the country. A standardized survey was reviewed with laboratory staff via telephone. Descriptive statistics were used to tabulate results. We surveyed a total of 120 laboratories in 47 states. Total testosterone was measured in house at 73% of laboratories. At the remaining laboratories studies were sent to larger centralized reference facilities. The mean ± SD lower reference value of total testosterone was 231 ± 46 ng/dl (range 160 to 300) and the mean upper limit was 850 ± 141 ng/dl (range 726 to 1,130). Only 9% of laboratories where in-house total testosterone testing was performed created a reference range unique to their region. Others validated the instrument recommended reference values in a small number of internal test samples. For free testosterone 82% of laboratories sent testing to larger centralized reference laboratories where equilibrium dialysis and/or liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry was done. The remaining laboratories used published algorithms to calculate serum free testosterone. Reference ranges for testosterone assays vary significantly among laboratories. The ranges are predominantly defined by limited population studies of men with unknown medical and reproductive histories. These poorly defined and variable reference values, especially the lower limit, affect how clinicians determine treatment. Copyright © 2016 American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Verification of chemistry reference ranges using a simple method in sub-Saharan Africa

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Irith De Baetselier

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Chemistry safety assessments are interpreted by using chemistry reference ranges (CRRs. Verification of CRRs is time consuming and often requires a statistical background. Objectives: We report on an easy and cost-saving method to verify CRRs. Methods: Using a former method introduced by Sigma Diagnostics, three study sites in sub- Saharan Africa, Bondo, Kenya, and Pretoria and Bloemfontein, South Africa, verified the CRRs for hepatic and renal biochemistry assays performed during a clinical trial of HIV antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis. The aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase, creatinine and phosphorus results from 10 clinically-healthy participants at the screening visit were used. In the event the CRRs did not pass the verification, new CRRs had to be calculated based on 40 clinically-healthy participants. Results: Within a few weeks, the study sites accomplished verification of the CRRs without additional costs. The aspartate aminotransferase reference ranges for the Bondo, Kenya site and the alanine aminotransferase reference ranges for the Pretoria, South Africa site required adjustment. The phosphorus CRR passed verification and the creatinine CRR required adjustment at every site. The newly-established CRR intervals were narrower than the CRRs used previously at these study sites due to decreases in the upper limits of the reference ranges. As a result, more toxicities were detected. Conclusion: To ensure the safety of clinical trial participants, verification of CRRs should be standard practice in clinical trials conducted in settings where the CRR has not been validated for the local population. This verification method is simple, inexpensive, and can be performed by any medical laboratory.

Verification of chemistry reference ranges using a simple method in sub-Saharan Africa.

Science.gov (United States)

De Baetselier, Irith; Taylor, Douglas; Mandala, Justin; Nanda, Kavita; Van Campenhout, Christel; Agingu, Walter; Madurai, Lorna; Barsch, Eva-Maria; Deese, Jennifer; Van Damme, Lut; Crucitti, Tania

2016-01-01

Chemistry safety assessments are interpreted by using chemistry reference ranges (CRRs). Verification of CRRs is time consuming and often requires a statistical background. We report on an easy and cost-saving method to verify CRRs. Using a former method introduced by Sigma Diagnostics, three study sites in sub-Saharan Africa, Bondo, Kenya, and Pretoria and Bloemfontein, South Africa, verified the CRRs for hepatic and renal biochemistry assays performed during a clinical trial of HIV antiretroviral pre-exposure prophylaxis. The aspartate aminotransferase/alanine aminotransferase, creatinine and phosphorus results from 10 clinically-healthy participants at the screening visit were used. In the event the CRRs did not pass the verification, new CRRs had to be calculated based on 40 clinically-healthy participants. Within a few weeks, the study sites accomplished verification of the CRRs without additional costs. The aspartate aminotransferase reference ranges for the Bondo, Kenya site and the alanine aminotransferase reference ranges for the Pretoria, South Africa site required adjustment. The phosphorus CRR passed verification and the creatinine CRR required adjustment at every site. The newly-established CRR intervals were narrower than the CRRs used previously at these study sites due to decreases in the upper limits of the reference ranges. As a result, more toxicities were detected. To ensure the safety of clinical trial participants, verification of CRRs should be standard practice in clinical trials conducted in settings where the CRR has not been validated for the local population. This verification method is simple, inexpensive, and can be performed by any medical laboratory.

Effects of age and health on the euthyroid reference ranges for serum free thyroxine and free triiodothyronine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Midgley, J.E.M.

1985-01-01

Age-related trends in serum free thyroxine (FT 4 ) and free triiodothyronine (FT 3 ) concentrations were measured in 7248 euthyroid subjects (age-range 3 months to 106 years). 5700 were patients referred to hospitals for investigation of suspected thyroid dysfunction, but who were diagnosed euthyroid. 1548 were healthy blood donors (age-range 18-63 years) with no indication of thyroid dysfunction. FT 4 concentrations were little affected by the age, the sex or the state of health of the subjects in either group. Serum FT 3 concentrations were significantly affected by both age and health factors. The upper limit of the euthyroid reference range for young subjects up to 15 years was about 20% higher (10.4 pmol/l) than for adult subjects older than 25 years (8.8 pmol/l). The change in the upper limits typical of young subjects to that typical of adults occurred steadily over the decade 15-25 years. After this age, little further change occurred, especially in healthy subjects. Additionally, the lower limit of the euthyroid range for FT 3 was extended by the inclusion in the reference group of patients referred to hospitals. Compared with the lower limit of the FT 3 range for healthy subjects (5 pmol/l), the corresponding limit for referred subjects (young or adult) was 3.5-3.8 pmol/l. Broadening of the FT 3 reference range was probably brought about by a significant number of patients in the hospital-referred group with the 'low-T 3 syndrome' of mild non-thyroidal illness. Accordingly, FT 3 was inferior to FT 4 in the discrimination of hypothyroidism, as FT 4 was unaffected by this phenomenon. Effects of age and non-thyroidal illness on serum FT 3 concentrations require great care when selecting subjects for a laboratory euthyroid reference range typical of the routine workload. Constraints on the choice of subjects for FT 4 reference ranges are less stringent. (orig.) [de

Trimester specific reference intervals for thyroid function tests in normal Indian pregnant women.

Science.gov (United States)

Sekhri, Tarun; Juhi, Juhi Agarwal; Wilfred, Reena; Kanwar, Ratnesh S; Sethi, Jyoti; Bhadra, Kuntal; Nair, Sirimavo; Singh, Satveer

2016-01-01

Accurate assessment of thyroid function during pregnancy is critical, for initiation of thyroid hormone therapy, as well as for adjustment of thyroid hormone dose in hypothyroid cases. We evaluated pregnant women who had no past history of thyroid disorders and studied their thyroid function in each trimester. 86 normal pregnant women in the first trimester of pregnancy were selected for setting reference intervals. All were healthy, euthyroid and negative for thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb). These women were serially followed throughout pregnancy. 124 normal nonpregnant subjects were selected for comparison. Thyrotropin (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3) and anti-TPO were measured using Roche Elecsys 1010 analyzer. Urinary iodine content was determined by simple microplate method. The 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles were calculated as the reference intervals for thyroid hormone levels during each trimester. SPSS (version 14.0, SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA) was used for data processing and analysis. The reference intervals for the first, second and third trimesters for the following parameters: TSH 0.09-6.65, 0.51-6.66, 0.91-4.86 µIU/mL, FT4 9.81-18.53, 8.52-19.43, 7.39-18.28 pM/L and FT3 3.1-6.35, 2.39-5.12, 2.57-5.68 pM/L respectively. Thyroid hormone concentrations significantly differed during pregnancy at different stages of gestation. The pregnant women in the study had median urinary iodine concentration of 150-200 µg/l during each trimester. The trimester-specific reference intervals for thyroid tests during pregnancy have been established for pregnant Indian women serially followed during pregnancy using 2.5th and 97.5th percentiles.

Determining the normal range for IGF-I, IGFBP-3, and ALS: new reference data based on current internal standards.

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Ertl, Diana-Alexandra; Gleiss, Andreas; Sagmeister, Susanne; Haeusler, Gabriele

2014-09-01

The measurement of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I) and insulin-like growth factor-binding protein (IGFBP-3) often serves as first-line testing in children with growth disorders. The role of acid-labile subunit (ALS) as a screening parameter for homozygous or heterozygous mutations of the ALS gene still has to be determined. IGF-I, IGFBP-3, and ALS were measured in 252 samples from children and adolescents. Reference curves were fitted using generalized additive model for location, scale and shape (GAMLSS) models and SD-Scores were calculated. Bootstrap analysis was used to quantify the uncertainty of the estimated percentiles. Bland-Altman plots were used to investigate the discrepancy between our newly estimated standard deviation scores (SDS) and SDS calculated on the basis of previous reference data. We present reference data for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) measurements based on recommended internal standard for IGF-I, IGFBP-3, and ALS suitable for calculation of SD-scores. The Bland-Altman plot shows a rough agreement between the previous SDS calculation and our new one only for SDS around 1; for SDS at -2, an average difference of 0.83 SD was noticed. Our IGF-I reference values for the interval of interest in diagnosing growth hormone deficiency (GHD) (prepubertal age) are solid as proved by bootstrap analysis. The difference in calculated SD scores by using data provided previously highlights the importance of using labor and method specific reference data.

Identification of Appropriate Reference Genes for Normalization of miRNA Expression in Grafted Watermelon Plants under Different Nutrient Stresses.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Weifang; Deng, Qin; Shi, Pibiao; Yang, Jinghua; Hu, Zhongyuan; Zhang, Mingfang

2016-01-01

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a globally important crop belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. The grafting technique is commonly used to improve its tolerance to stress, as well as to enhance its nutrient uptake and utilization. It is believed that miRNA is most likely involved in its nutrient-starvation response as a graft-transportable signal. The quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction is the preferred method for miRNA functional analysis, in which reliable reference genes for normalization are crucial to ensure the accuracy. The purpose of this study was to select appropriate reference genes in scion (watermelon) and rootstocks (squash and bottle gourd) of grafted watermelon plants under normal growth conditions and nutrient stresses (nitrogen and phosphorus starvation). Under nutrient starvation, geNorm identified miR167c and miR167f as two most stable genes in both watermelon leaves and squash roots. miR166b was recommended by both geNorm and NormFinder as the best reference in bottle gourd roots under nutrient limitation. Expression of a new Cucurbitaceae miRNA, miR85, was used to validate the reliability of candidate reference genes under nutrient starvation. Moreover, by comparing several target genes expression in qRT-PCR analysis with those in RNA-seq data, miR166b and miR167c were proved to be the most suitable reference genes to normalize miRNA expression under normal growth condition in scion and rootstock tissues, respectively. This study represents the first comprehensive survey of the stability of miRNA reference genes in Cucurbitaceae and provides valuable information for investigating more accurate miRNA expression involving grafted watermelon plants.

Reference range for T lymphocytes populations in blood donors from two different regions in Brazil

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A.J.L. Torres

Full Text Available This study defined the normal variation range for different subsets of T-lymphocyte cells count in two different Brazilian regions. We analysed the T-lymphocytes subpopulations (CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ in blood donors of two Brazilian cities, located in North (Belem, capital state of Para, indian background and Northeast (Salvador, capital state od Bahia, African background regions of Brazil. Results were compared according to gender, stress level (sleep time lower than 8 hours/day, smoking, and alcohol intake. Lymphocytes subpopulations were measured by flow cytometry. Five hundred twenty-six blood donors from two Brazilians cities participated in the study: 450 samples from Bahia and 76 samples from Pará. Most (60% were men, 59% reported alcohol intake, 12% were smokers, and 80% slept at least 8 h/day. Donors from Bahia presented with significantly higher counts for all parameters, compared with Para. Women had higher lymphocytes levels, in both states, but only CD4+ cells count was significantly higher than men's values. Smokers had higher CD4+ counts, but sleep time had effect on lymphocytes levels only for Para's donors (higher CD3+ and CD4+ counts. That state had also, a higher proportion of donors reporting sleep time <8 h/day. The values for CD3, CD4 and CD8+ cells count were significantly higher in blood donors from Bahia than among those from Pará. Female gender, alcohol intake, stress level, and smoking were associated with higher lymphocyte counts. The use of a single reference range for normal lymphocytes count is not appropriate for a country with such diversity, like Brazil is.

Bone densitometry in normal women of reproductive age: Correlation with reference values and anthropometric variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lobo, G.; Palma, T.; Ladron de Guevara, D.

2002-01-01

Bone mass density measurements using X rays is considered to be the non-invasive reference method to measure bone mineral density. Even though the technology has reached a high level of development, precision and reproducibility must be optimised to assure that the observed variations are due solely to the variations in bone mineral content, and not to other associated variables, either technical or biological. The main factors affecting bone density measurements are those that depend on the technique used and those which depend on characteristics of the individuals. The variability associated with the technique can be minimised by an adequate standardisation and quality control. Among those characteristics of the individuals, which have been mentioned as a source of variability, the most important are related to the anthropomorphic characteristics such as size and depth of osseous structures, and thickness and characteristics of soft tissues. These factors may be especially important because the interpretation of bone mass density measurements depends on values obtained for reference normal populations, which are incorporated into the bone mass densitometers as reference value databases. Usually the anthropomorphic characteristics of this reference population are unknown and can be different from those of the local population, independently of genetic or ethnic factors. This situation leads to error both in the definition of basic concepts such as osteopenia and osteoporosis, and in the interpretation of individual results for population studies. The purpose of this study is to correlate bone density measurements of normal Chilean women with reference value databases and with parameters, which depend on body size

Radiographic normal range of condylar movement of mandible

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Byung Ihn; Lee, Jae Mun; Kim, Myung Jin

1981-01-01

It is the purpose of this article to determine various normal anatomic measurements of temporomandibular joint and normal range of condylar movement using relatively simple X-ray equipment and radiographic technique in consideration of popular clinical application. Author's cases consisted of 100 clinically normal adult males and temporomandibular joint radiographs of 3 serial positions of condylar head were taken by transcranial oblique lateral projection in each case. The serial positions are centric occlusion, 1 inch opening and maximal opening position. The results were as follows; 1. In centric occlusion, the length between the condylar head and glenoid fossa was 2.23 ± 0.58 mm in anterior part, 3.55 ± 0.80 mm in upper part and 2.76 ± 0.72 mm in posterior part. 2. In centric occlusion, the angle (α) between the horizontal standard line (AB) and anterior slope (BC) was 37.22 ± 3.87 .deg. . 3. In 1 inch opening position, the distance between the summit of condylar head from the standard point of articular eminence (B) was -0.64 ± 3.53 mm in horizontal direction and -1.07 ± 1.00 mm in vertical direction. 4. In maximal opening position, the distance between the summit of condylar head from the standard point of articular eminence (B) was 5.83 ± 3.05 mm in horizontal direction and +0.29 ± 1.58 mm in vertical direction. 5. In positional relationship between the condylar head and the standard point of articular eminence (B), the condyles were found to be at the eminences or anterior to them in 51% with 1 inch opening and 95% with maximal opening

Diffusion-weighted MRI in prostatic lesions: Diagnostic performance of normalized ADC using normal peripheral prostatic zone as a reference

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Tamer F. Taha Ali

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: Evaluate the potential value of the normal peripheral zone as a reference organ to normalize prostatic lesion apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC to improve its evaluation of prostatic lesions. Patients and methods: This prospective study included 38 patients with clinical suspicion of cancer prostate (increased PSA levels (>4 ng/ml, hard prostate in digital rectal examination and who are scheduled to undergo a TRUS-guided biopsy. Conventional and DW-MRI was done and ADC was calculated. The normalized ADC value was calculated by dividing the ADC of lesion by ADC of reference site (healthy peripheral zone. DWI-MRI results were compared to the results of biopsy. Comparison of ADCs and nADCs of benign and malignant lesions was done. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC curve analysis was done. Results: The patients were classified by histopathology into non-malignant group (16 patients and malignant group (22 patients. Significant negative correlation between ADC and normalized ADC (nADC and malignancy was detected. There was no significant difference between the mean ADC of peripheral health prostatic zones (PZ between benign and malignant cases (2.221 ± 0.356 versus 1.99 ± 0.538x10−3 mm2/sec, p = 0.144.There was significant difference between the mean ADC and mean nADC in benign and malignant lesions (1.049 ± 0.217 versus 0.659 ± 0.221x10−3 mm2/sec, p < 0.001 and (0.475 ± 0.055 versus 0.328 ± 0.044, p < 0.001 respectively.There was significant higher diagnostic performance of nADC than ADC with ADC Cut-off value 0.75 × 10−3 mm2/sec and nADC cut-off value 0.39 could significantly differentiate between benign and malignant lesion with sensitivity, specificity, PPV,NPV of 86.36,75,82.61 and 80% respectively, p < 0.0001 for ADC and 95.45, 93.75, 95.45 and 93.75%, p < 0.0001 for nADC. Conclusion: diagnostic performance of nADC using normal peripheral zone is higher than

Identifying optimal reference genes for the normalization of microRNA expression in cucumber under viral stress

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Liang, Chaoqiong; Hao, Jianjun; Meng, Yan; Luo, Laixin; Li, Jianqiang

2018-01-01

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) is an economically important pathogen and causes significant reduction of both yield and quality of cucumber (Cucumis sativus). Currently, there were no satisfied strategies for controlling the disease. A better understanding of microRNA (miRNA) expression related to the regulation of plant-virus interactions and virus resistance would be of great assistance when developing control strategies for CGMMV. However, accurate expression analysis is highly dependent on robust and reliable reference gene used as an internal control for normalization of miRNA expression. Most commonly used reference genes involved in CGMMV-infected cucumber are not universally expressed depending on tissue types and stages of plant development. It is therefore crucial to identify suitable reference genes in investigating the role of miRNA expression. In this study, seven reference genes, including Actin, Tubulin, EF-1α, 18S rRNA, Ubiquitin, GAPDH and Cyclophilin, were evaluated for the most accurate results in analyses using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Gene expression was assayed on cucumber leaves, stems and roots that were collected at different days post inoculation with CGMMV. The expression data were analyzed using algorithms including delta-Ct, geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper as well as the comparative tool RefFinder. The reference genes were subsequently validated using miR159. The results showed that EF-1α and GAPDH were the most reliable reference genes for normalizing miRNA expression in leaf, root and stem samples, while Ubiquitin and EF-1α were the most suitable combination overall. PMID:29543906

Haematological and biochemical reference intervals for free-ranging brown bears (Ursus arctos) in Sweden

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Background Establishment of haematological and biochemical reference intervals is important to assess health of animals on individual and population level. Reference intervals for 13 haematological and 34 biochemical variables were established based on 88 apparently healthy free-ranging brown bears (39 males and 49 females) in Sweden. The animals were chemically immobilised by darting from a helicopter with a combination of medetomidine, tiletamine and zolazepam in April and May 2006–2012 in the county of Dalarna, Sweden. Venous blood samples were collected during anaesthesia for radio collaring and marking for ecological studies. For each of the variables, the reference interval was described based on the 95% confidence interval, and differences due to host characteristics sex and age were included if detected. To our knowledge, this is the first report of reference intervals for free-ranging brown bears in Sweden. Results The following variables were not affected by host characteristics: red blood cell, white blood cell, monocyte and platelet count, alanine transaminase, amylase, bilirubin, free fatty acids, glucose, calcium, chloride, potassium, and cortisol. Age differences were seen for the majority of the haematological variables, whereas sex influenced only mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration, aspartate aminotransferase, lipase, lactate dehydrogenase, β-globulin, bile acids, triglycerides and sodium. Conclusions The biochemical and haematological reference intervals provided and the differences due to host factors age and gender can be useful for evaluation of health status in free-ranging European brown bears. PMID:25139149

Impact of increasing alanine aminotransferase levels within normal range on incident diabetes

OpenAIRE

Chong-Shan Wang; Ting-Tsung Chang; Wei-Jen Yao; Shan-Tair Wang; Pesus Chou

2012-01-01

Abnormal alanine aminotransferase level (ALT) levels might be associated with type 2 diabetes, but whether higher ALT levels within the normal range predict the risk is unknown. Methods: We followed a community-based cohort of 3446 individuals who were ≥35 years old without diabetes and hepatitis B or C in southern Taiwan for 8 years (1997–2004) to study the risk for type 2 diabetes with different normal ALT levels. Results: Among the 337 incident diabetes cases, 16.0% were from those w...

Reference gene validation for gene expression normalization in canine osteosarcoma : a geNorm algorithm approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Selvarajah, G.T.; Bonestroo, F.A.S.; Timmermans Sprang, E.P.M.; Kirpensteijn, J.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/189846992; Mol, J.A.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/070918775

2017-01-01

Background Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is a common method for quantifying mRNA expression. Given the heterogeneity present in tumor tissues, it is crucial to normalize target mRNA expression data using appropriate reference genes that are stably expressed under a variety of pathological and experimental

A meta-analysis of echocardiographic measurements of the left heart for the development of normative reference ranges in a large international cohort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møgelvang, Rasmus

2014-01-01

, from multiple studies around the world. METHODS AND RESULTS: The Echocardiographic Normal Ranges Meta-Analysis of the Left heart (EchoNoRMAL) collaboration was established and population-based data sets of echocardiographic measurements combined to perform an individual person data meta-analysis. Data...... from 43 studies were received, representing 51 222 subjects, of which 22 404 adults aged 18-80 years were without clinical cardiovascular or renal disease, hypertension or diabetes. Quantile regression or an appropriate parametric regression method will be used to derive reference values at the 5th...

Reference range determination for whole-blood platelet aggregation using the Multiplate analyzer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Peerschke, Ellinor I. B.; Castellone, Donna D.; Stroobants, A. K.; Francis, John

2014-01-01

To develop reference ranges for platelet aggregation using the Multiplate analyzer (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany) in blood anticoagulated with sodium citrate (Na-citrate), lithium heparin (Li-heparin), or hirudin. The study was performed at three sites on consented, healthy adults (n = 193)

Assessing reference genes for accurate transcript normalization using quantitative real-time PCR in pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L. R. Br].

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Prasenjit Saha

Full Text Available Pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L. R.Br.], a close relative of Panicoideae food crops and bioenergy grasses, offers an ideal system to perform functional genomics studies related to C4 photosynthesis and abiotic stress tolerance. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR provides a sensitive platform to conduct such gene expression analyses. However, the lack of suitable internal control reference genes for accurate transcript normalization during qRT-PCR analysis in pearl millet is the major limitation. Here, we conducted a comprehensive assessment of 18 reference genes on 234 samples which included an array of different developmental tissues, hormone treatments and abiotic stress conditions from three genotypes to determine appropriate reference genes for accurate normalization of qRT-PCR data. Analyses of Ct values using Stability Index, BestKeeper, ΔCt, Normfinder, geNorm and RefFinder programs ranked PP2A, TIP41, UBC2, UBQ5 and ACT as the most reliable reference genes for accurate transcript normalization under different experimental conditions. Furthermore, we validated the specificity of these genes for precise quantification of relative gene expression and provided evidence that a combination of the best reference genes are required to obtain optimal expression patterns for both endogeneous genes as well as transgenes in pearl millet.

[The reference of normal values of the sacroiliac joint index in bone scintigraphy].

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Sebastjanowicz, Przemysław; Iwanowski, Jacek; Piwowarska-Bilska, Hanna; Elbl, Bogumiła; Birkenfeld, Bożena

Scintigraphy of sacroiliac joints as functional imaging provides unique information on the existing disease process. By using radiopharmaceuticals that allow imaging of the metabolic activity within the joint, it is possible to assess the stage of the disease, even when there are no lesions in radiological images. Quantitative analysis of scintigrams of sacroiliac joints is performed by comparing the uptake in both of them in relation to the uptake in the sacral bone area. The values of sacroiliac (SI/S) indices are influenced by the age of the patient, sex, state of health, and a range of individual biological features. Therefore, reference values of SI/S ratios are very important for medical specialists who describe and diagnose locomotor system diseases. The aim of this paper is to develop a reference range of sacroiliac ratios. The innovativeness of this paper involves examining sacroiliac ratios for various age groups, in children and adult patients, taking their sex into consideration. The study comprised a group of 335 people with proper bone scintigraphy. These people were divided into children and patients aged ≥21. Children were divided into 4 age groups (1–5; 6–10; 11–15; 16–20) and adults into 6 age groups (21–30; 31–40; 41–50; 51–60; 61–70; ≥71). Sacroiliac ratios were calculated using the method of three rectangular region of interests located on the left and right sacroiliac joint and on the sacral bone. The sacroiliac ratio was calculated for both joints by dividing the average number of counts within a selected sacroiliac joint by the average number of counts within the sacral bone. SI/S borderline reference values covered the range of 1.18÷2.28 that was obtained for children aged ≤5 and for the group of 11–15-year-olds. Considerable discrepancies in the values of the coefficient for women and men were seen among 31–50-year-olds. Borderline reference results for the entire control group cover the range of 1.18 ±2

Improving small RNA-seq by using a synthetic spike-in set for size-range quality control together with a set for data normalization.

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Locati, Mauro D; Terpstra, Inez; de Leeuw, Wim C; Kuzak, Mateusz; Rauwerda, Han; Ensink, Wim A; van Leeuwen, Selina; Nehrdich, Ulrike; Spaink, Herman P; Jonker, Martijs J; Breit, Timo M; Dekker, Rob J

2015-08-18

There is an increasing interest in complementing RNA-seq experiments with small-RNA (sRNA) expression data to obtain a comprehensive view of a transcriptome. Currently, two main experimental challenges concerning sRNA-seq exist: how to check the size distribution of isolated sRNAs, given the sensitive size-selection steps in the protocol; and how to normalize data between samples, given the low complexity of sRNA types. We here present two separate sets of synthetic RNA spike-ins for monitoring size-selection and for performing data normalization in sRNA-seq. The size-range quality control (SRQC) spike-in set, consisting of 11 oligoribonucleotides (10-70 nucleotides), was tested by intentionally altering the size-selection protocol and verified via several comparative experiments. We demonstrate that the SRQC set is useful to reproducibly track down biases in the size-selection in sRNA-seq. The external reference for data-normalization (ERDN) spike-in set, consisting of 19 oligoribonucleotides, was developed for sample-to-sample normalization in differential-expression analysis of sRNA-seq data. Testing and applying the ERDN set showed that it can reproducibly detect differential expression over a dynamic range of 2(18). Hence, biological variation in sRNA composition and content between samples is preserved while technical variation is effectively minimized. Together, both spike-in sets can significantly improve the technical reproducibility of sRNA-seq. © The Author(s) 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Reference range of fetal nasal bone length between 18 and 24 weeks of pregnancy in an unselected Brazilian population: experience from a single service.

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Araujo Júnior, Edward; Martins, Wellington P; Pires, Claudio Rodrigues; Moron, Antonio Fernandes; Zanforlin Filho, Sebastião Marques

2014-08-01

To determine reference range of fetal nasal bone length (NBL) during the second trimester of pregnancy in a Brazilian population. This was a retrospective cross-sectional study with 2681 normal singleton pregnancies between 18 and 24 weeks of gestation. The NBL was obtained in the mid-sagittal plane of the fetal face profile using the following landmarks: nasal bone, overlying skin and the tip of the nose. The NBL was measured by placing the calipers in the out-to-out position. To assess the correlation between NBL and gestational age (GA), polynomial equations were calculated, with adjustments by coefficient of determination (R(2)). The mean of NBL ranged from 5.72 ± 0.87 mm at 18-18 + 6 weeks to 7.45 ± 1.23 mm at 24-24+6 weeks of pregnancy. We observed a good correlation between NBL and GA, best represented by a linear equation: NBL = 0.080+0.276*GA (R(2 )= 0.16). We established a reference range of fetal NBL in the second trimester of pregnancy in a Brazilian population.

Mast cell distribution in normal adult skin

NARCIS (Netherlands)

A.S. Janssens (Artiena Soe); R. Heide (Rogier); J.C. den Hollander (Jan); P.G.M. Mulder (P. G M); B. Tank (Bhupendra); A.P. Oranje (Arnold)

2005-01-01

markdownabstract__AIMS:__ To investigate mast cell distribution in normal adult skin to provide a reference range for comparison with mastocytosis. __METHODS:__ Mast cells (MCs) were counted in uninvolved skin adjacent to basal cell carcinomas and other dermatological disorders in adults.

Digital ranges of motion: normal values in young adults.

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Mallon, W J; Brown, H R; Nunley, J A

1991-09-01

Analysis of the range of motion of fingers was done in young (eighteen to thirty-five year old) adult volunteers with no history of previous injury to their hands. The data show that there are slight differences between the individual digits. Notably, metacarpophalangeal flexion and total active motion increase linearly in proceeding from the index to the small finger. There were also minor differences in comparing sexes. Women have greater extension at the metacarpophalangeal joint in both active and passive motion and have a greater total active motion at all digits as a result. A significant tenodesis effect was found at the distal interphalangeal joint in normal subjects. No differences were found that could be attributable to handedness.

Selection of suitable reference genes for normalization of genes of interest in canine soft tissue sarcomas using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zornhagen, K. W.; Kristensen, A. T.; Hansen, Anders Elias

2015-01-01

Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a sensitive technique for quantifying gene expression. Stably expressed reference genes are necessary for normalization of RT-qPCR data. Only a few articles have been published on reference genes in canine tumours....... The objective of this study was to demonstrate how to identify suitable reference genes for normalization of genes of interest in canine soft tissue sarcomas using RT-qPCR. Primer pairs for 17 potential reference genes were designed and tested in archival tumour biopsies from six dogs. The geNorm algorithm...

Identification of valid reference genes for the normalization of RT qPCR gene expression data in human brain tissue

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Ravid Rivka

2008-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Studies of gene expression in post mortem human brain can contribute to understanding of the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD, Parkinson's disease (PD and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT qPCR is often used to analyse gene expression. The validity of results obtained using RT qPCR is reliant on accurate data normalization. Reference genes are generally used to normalize RT qPCR data. Given that expression of some commonly used reference genes is altered in certain conditions, this study aimed to establish which reference genes were stably expressed in post mortem brain tissue from individuals with AD, PD or DLB. Results The present study investigated the expression stability of 8 candidate reference genes, (ubiquitin C [UBC], tyrosine-3-monooxygenase [YWHAZ], RNA polymerase II polypeptide [RP II], hydroxymethylbilane synthase [HMBS], TATA box binding protein [TBP], β-2-microglobulin [B2M], glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [GAPDH], and succinate dehydrogenase complex-subunit A, [SDHA] in cerebellum and medial temporal gyrus of 6 AD, 6 PD, 6 DLB subjects, along with 5 matched controls using RT qPCR (TaqMan® Gene Expression Assays. Gene expression stability was analysed using geNorm to rank the candidate genes in order of decreasing stability in each disease group. The optimal number of genes recommended for accurate data normalization in each disease state was determined by pairwise variation analysis. Conclusion This study identified validated sets of mRNAs which would be appropriate for the normalization of RT qPCR data when studying gene expression in brain tissue of AD, PD, DLB and control subjects.

A non-parametric conditional bivariate reference region with an application to height/weight measurements on normal girls

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Jørgen Holm

2009-01-01

A conceptually simple two-dimensional conditional reference curve is described. The curve gives a decision basis for determining whether a bivariate response from an individual is "normal" or "abnormal" when taking into account that a third (conditioning) variable may influence the bivariate...... response. The reference curve is not only characterized analytically but also by geometric properties that are easily communicated to medical doctors - the users of such curves. The reference curve estimator is completely non-parametric, so no distributional assumptions are needed about the two......-dimensional response. An example that will serve to motivate and illustrate the reference is the study of the height/weight distribution of 7-8-year-old Danish school girls born in 1930, 1950, or 1970....

Reference Gene Selection for qRT-PCR Normalization Analysis in kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L. under Abiotic Stress and Hormonal Stimuli

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Xiaoping Niu

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Kenaf (Hibiscus cannabinus L., an environmental friendly and economic fiber crop, has a certain tolerance to abiotic stresses. Identification of reliable reference genes for transcript normalization of stress responsive genes expression by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR is important for exploring the molecular mechanisms of plants response to abiotic stresses. In this study, nine candidate reference genes were cloned, and their expression stabilities were assessed in 132 abiotic stress and hormonal stimuli samples of kenaf using geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper algorithms. Results revealed that HcPP2A (Protein phosphatase 2A and HcACT7 (Actin 7 were the optimum reference genes across all samples; HcUBC (Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme like protein was the worst reference gene for transcript normalization. The reliability of the selected reference genes was further confirmed by evaluating the expression profile of HcWRKY28 gene at different stress durations. This work will benefit future studies on discovery of stress-tolerance genes and stress-signaling pathways in this important fiber crop.

Physiologic Reference Ranges for Captive Black-Tailed Prairie Dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus)

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Keckler, M Shannon; Gallardo-Romero, Nadia F; Langham, Gregory L; Damon, Inger K; Karem, Kevin L; Carroll, Darin S

2010-01-01

The black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) is a member of the order Rodentia and the family Sciuridae. Ecologically, prairie dogs are a keystone species in prairie ecology. This species is used as an animal model for human gallbladder disease and diseases caused by infection with Clostridium difficile, Yersinia pestis, Francisella tularensis, and most recently, Orthopoxvirus. Despite increasing numbers of prairie dogs used in research and kept as pets, few data are available on their baseline physiology in animal facility housing conditions. To establish baseline physiologic reference ranges, we designed a study using 18 wild-caught black-tailed prairie dogs. Telemetry data were analyzed to establish circadian rhythms for activity and temperature. In addition, hematologic and serum chemistry analyses were performed. Baseline measurements were used to establish the mean for each animal, which then were compiled and analyzed to determine the reference ranges. Here we present physiologic data on serum chemistry and hematology profiles, as well as weight, core body temperature, and daily activity patterns for black-tailed prairie dogs. These results reflect the use of multiple measurements from species- and age-matched prairie dogs and likely will be useful to ecologists, scientists interested in using this animal model in research, and veterinarians caring for pet prairie dogs. PMID:20587156

Selection and Validation of Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time PCR Normalization Under Ethanol Stress Conditions in Oenococcus oeni SD-2a

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Shuai Peng

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The powerful Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR was widely used to assess gene expression levels, which requires the optimal reference genes used for normalization. Oenococcus oeni (O. oeni, as the one of most important microorganisms in wine industry and the most resistant lactic acid bacteria (LAB species to ethanol, has not been investigated regarding the selection of stable reference genes for RT-qPCR normalization under ethanol stress conditions. In this study, nine candidate reference genes (proC, dnaG, rpoA, ldhD, ddlA, rrs, gyrA, gyrB, and dpoIII were analyzed to determine the most stable reference genes for RT-qPCR in O. oeni SD-2a under different ethanol stress conditions (8, 12, and 16% (v/v ethanol. The transcript stabilities of these genes were evaluated using the algorithms geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper. The results showed that dnaG and dpoIII were selected as the best reference genes across all experimental ethanol conditions. Considering single stress experimental modes, dpoIII and dnaG would be suitable to normalize expression level for 8% ethanol shock treatment, while the combination of gyrA, gyrB, and rrs would be suitable for 12% ethanol shock treatment. proC and gyrB revealed the most stable expression in 16% ethanol shock treatment. This study selected and validated for the first time the reference genes for RT-qPCR normalization in O. oeni SD-2a under ethanol stress conditions.

The normal range of serum calcium and phosphorus in 20-69 years population of Bushehr Port

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Iraj Nabipour

2003-09-01

Full Text Available Serum calcium and phosphorus levels are the important biochemical markers of bone in health and disease. The normal range of these bone biochemical markers belong to the populations with different racial and nutritional states. In order to determine normal range of these elements, fasting sera of 1463 (619 males and 749 females, 20-69 years old healthy subjects were evaluated using Selectra autoanalyser. The subjects had not disorder of bone and predisposing conditions for osteoporosis. The mean of serum calcium level was 9.26 mg/dl (CI: 95%, 9.22-9.31 mg/dl for females and 9.43-9.54 mg/dl for males. The mean of serum phosphorus level was 4.12 mg/dl (CI: 95%, 4.16-4.24 mg/dl for females and 3.97-4.07 for males. Therefore, calcium and phosphorus levels are in concordance to international standard normal range in Bushehr port.

Statistical methods for estimating normal blood chemistry ranges and variance in rainbow trout (Salmo gairdneri), Shasta Strain

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Wedemeyer, Gary A.; Nelson, Nancy C.

1975-01-01

Gaussian and nonparametric (percentile estimate and tolerance interval) statistical methods were used to estimate normal ranges for blood chemistry (bicarbonate, bilirubin, calcium, hematocrit, hemoglobin, magnesium, mean cell hemoglobin concentration, osmolality, inorganic phosphorus, and pH for juvenile rainbow (Salmo gairdneri, Shasta strain) trout held under defined environmental conditions. The percentile estimate and Gaussian methods gave similar normal ranges, whereas the tolerance interval method gave consistently wider ranges for all blood variables except hemoglobin. If the underlying frequency distribution is unknown, the percentile estimate procedure would be the method of choice.

[Thyrotropin reference ranges during pregnancy in the province of Huelva, Spain].

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Ortega Carpio, A; Vázquez Rico, I; Castaño López, M A; Duarte González, L; Montilla Álvaro, M; Ruiz Reina, A

2017-11-18

The correct diagnosis of hypothyroidism during pregnancy requires knowledge of the local trimester-specific thyrotropin (TSH) reference ranges. When these are not available, the guidelines recommend upper limits of 2.5, 3.0, and 3.0μU/ml for the 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd trimesters, respectively. The aim is to establish the reference range for our local population. A population-based observational study was performed on healthy pregnant women from 11 healthcare centres in the province of Huelva. Women were recruited consecutively during 2016 through the pregnancy process. Women were excluded who had a history of thyroid or medical disease, a poor obstetric history, multiple pregnancy, thyroid autoimmunity, and extreme TSH values (10μU/ml), as well as women treated with levothyroxine for thyroid dysfunction. The study included a total of 186 pregnant women, with a mean age of 30.7 years (95% CI: 29.8-31.6) and a body mass index (BMI) of 23.6 (95% CI: 23.2-24.0). Most of them had the first laboratory tests performed before week 11 of pregnancy. Valid subjects for analysis were 145, 105, and 67 pregnant women in the 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd trimesters, respectively, after excluding those due to abortion (18.9%), autoimmunity (6.5%), hypo/hyperthyroidism (2.2%), and levothyroxine treatment during the 2 nd /3 rd trimester (18.6%). The 97.5% TSH percentile for the 1 st , 2 nd , and 3 rd trimester was 4.68, 4.83, and 4.57μU/ml, respectively. Thyroid dysfunction was identified in 80 women (55.2%), 33 of whom received treatment with Levothyroxine (22.7%). With the new criteria, thyroid dysfunction prevalence would be reduced to 6.2%, and the need for treatment to 4.1%. The reference range for TSH in our population differs from that proposed by the guidelines. Unnecessary treatment was being given to 18.6% of pregnant women. Copyright © 2017 Sociedad Española de Médicos de Atención Primaria (SEMERGEN). Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

A study of the normal interpedicular distance of the spine in Korean teenagers (Estimation of normal range by roentgenographic measurement)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Myung Uk

1979-01-01

The radiological measurement of the interpedicular disease using a routine antero-posterior view of the spine gives important clinical criteria in evaluation of the intraspinal tumor and stenosis of the spinal canal, and aids for diagnosis of the lesions. In 1934 Elsberg and Dyke reported values of interpedicular distance as determined on roentgenograms for spine of white adult, and in 1968 Song prepared normal values of interpedicular distance for Korean adult. The present investigation was undertaken to provide normal interpedicular distance of Korean teenagers. The author observed the antero-posterior films of the spine of 200 normal teenagers which were composed of 100 male and 100 female. The normal values of the interpedicular distance of Korean teenagers were obtained, as well as 90% tolerance range for clinical use. In this statistical analysis, there were noted significant differences between male and female, and each age groups. It was observed that average male measurement were consistently larger than female by about 1 mm and the growth of the spinal canal appeared to be continued.

Peripheral perfusion index-reference range in healthy Portuguese term newborns

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Joana Jardim

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Peripheral perfusion index (PPI is a non-invasive numerical value of peripheral perfusion derived from a pulse oximeter signal. It has been suggested that PPI may be a valuable adjunct diagnostic tool to detect early clinically significant hemodynamic embarrassment. The aim of this paper was to determine normal PPI in healthy newborns, in order to establish cut-off values that can be use in different pathologic settings. Material and Methods: Prospective observational study performed with term newborns, born in a tertiary level care hospital between January 1st to December 31st 2012. Demographic data such as gender, gestational age, birth weight and Apgar score were collected. PPI, heart rate (HR and arterial blood oxygen saturation (SpO2 were evaluated simultaneous on the right hand (preductal and on the left foot (postductal of the newborn, before discharge from the hospital. Results: 2,032 newborns, 52% male, with a mean birth weight of 3,237 ± 432 g and median gestational age of 39 weeks, were evaluated. PPI values obtained were: preductal median of 1.6 with interquartile range of 1.2-2.3, postductal median of 1.4 with interquartile range of 1-2 (p < 0.001. Conclusions: PPI is an easily applicable non invasive method to monitor peripheral perfusion changes. We established normal PPI values in healthy Portuguese newborns. PPI was higher on the upper limb (preductal when compared to the lower limb (postductal.This finding has important implications, in the time of choosing a single probe placement, and in the interpretation of the results.

Evaluation of Suitable Reference Genes for Normalization of qPCR Gene Expression Studies in Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) During Fruit Developmental Stages.

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Kanakachari, Mogilicherla; Solanke, Amolkumar U; Prabhakaran, Narayanasamy; Ahmad, Israr; Dhandapani, Gurusamy; Jayabalan, Narayanasamy; Kumar, Polumetla Ananda

2016-02-01

Brinjal/eggplant/aubergine is one of the major solanaceous vegetable crops. Recent availability of genome information greatly facilitates the fundamental research on brinjal. Gene expression patterns during different stages of fruit development can provide clues towards the understanding of its biological functions. Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) has become one of the most widely used methods for rapid and accurate quantification of gene expression. However, its success depends on the use of a suitable reference gene for data normalization. For qPCR analysis, a single reference gene is not universally suitable for all experiments. Therefore, reference gene validation is a crucial step. Suitable reference genes for qPCR analysis of brinjal fruit development have not been investigated so far. In this study, we have selected 21 candidate reference genes from the Brinjal (Solanum melongena) Plant Gene Indices database (compbio.dfci.harvard.edu/tgi/plant.html) and studied their expression profiles by qPCR during six different fruit developmental stages (0, 5, 10, 20, 30, and 50 days post anthesis) along with leaf samples of the Pusa Purple Long (PPL) variety. To evaluate the stability of gene expression, geNorm and NormFinder analytical softwares were used. geNorm identified SAND (SAND family protein) and TBP (TATA binding protein) as the best pairs of reference genes in brinjal fruit development. The results showed that for brinjal fruit development, individual or a combination of reference genes should be selected for data normalization. NormFinder identified Expressed gene (expressed sequence) as the best single reference gene in brinjal fruit development. In this study, we have identified and validated for the first time reference genes to provide accurate transcript normalization and quantification at various fruit developmental stages of brinjal which can also be useful for gene expression studies in other Solanaceae plant species.

Selection of reference genes for quantitative gene expression normalization in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.

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Neutelings Godfrey

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR is currently the most accurate method for detecting differential gene expression. Such an approach depends on the identification of uniformly expressed 'housekeeping genes' (HKGs. Extensive transcriptomic data mining and experimental validation in different model plants have shown that the reliability of these endogenous controls can be influenced by the plant species, growth conditions and organs/tissues examined. It is therefore important to identify the best reference genes to use in each biological system before using qRT-PCR to investigate differential gene expression. In this paper we evaluate different candidate HKGs for developmental transcriptomic studies in the economically-important flax fiber- and oil-crop (Linum usitatissimum L. Results Specific primers were designed in order to quantify the expression levels of 20 different potential housekeeping genes in flax roots, internal- and external-stem tissues, leaves and flowers at different developmental stages. After calculations of PCR efficiencies, 13 HKGs were retained and their expression stabilities evaluated by the computer algorithms geNorm and NormFinder. According to geNorm, 2 Transcriptional Elongation Factors (TEFs and 1 Ubiquitin gene are necessary for normalizing gene expression when all studied samples are considered. However, only 2 TEFs are required for normalizing expression in stem tissues. In contrast, NormFinder identified glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GADPH as the most stably expressed gene when all samples were grouped together, as well as when samples were classed into different sub-groups. qRT-PCR was then used to investigate the relative expression levels of two splice variants of the flax LuMYB1 gene (homologue of AtMYB59. LuMYB1-1 and LuMYB1-2 were highly expressed in the internal stem tissues as compared to outer stem tissues and other samples. This result was confirmed with both ge

Selection of reference genes for quantitative gene expression normalization in flax (Linum usitatissimum L.).

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Huis, Rudy; Hawkins, Simon; Neutelings, Godfrey

2010-04-19

Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is currently the most accurate method for detecting differential gene expression. Such an approach depends on the identification of uniformly expressed 'housekeeping genes' (HKGs). Extensive transcriptomic data mining and experimental validation in different model plants have shown that the reliability of these endogenous controls can be influenced by the plant species, growth conditions and organs/tissues examined. It is therefore important to identify the best reference genes to use in each biological system before using qRT-PCR to investigate differential gene expression. In this paper we evaluate different candidate HKGs for developmental transcriptomic studies in the economically-important flax fiber- and oil-crop (Linum usitatissimum L). Specific primers were designed in order to quantify the expression levels of 20 different potential housekeeping genes in flax roots, internal- and external-stem tissues, leaves and flowers at different developmental stages. After calculations of PCR efficiencies, 13 HKGs were retained and their expression stabilities evaluated by the computer algorithms geNorm and NormFinder. According to geNorm, 2 Transcriptional Elongation Factors (TEFs) and 1 Ubiquitin gene are necessary for normalizing gene expression when all studied samples are considered. However, only 2 TEFs are required for normalizing expression in stem tissues. In contrast, NormFinder identified glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GADPH) as the most stably expressed gene when all samples were grouped together, as well as when samples were classed into different sub-groups.qRT-PCR was then used to investigate the relative expression levels of two splice variants of the flax LuMYB1 gene (homologue of AtMYB59). LuMYB1-1 and LuMYB1-2 were highly expressed in the internal stem tissues as compared to outer stem tissues and other samples. This result was confirmed with both geNorm-designated- and NormFinder-designated-reference

Reference Range of Functional Data of Gated Myocardial Perfusion SPECT by Quantitative Gated SPECT of Cedars-Sinai and 4D-MSPECT of Michigan University

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Kang, Do Young; Kim, Moo Hyun; Kim, Young Dae [College of Medicine, Univ. of Donga, Pusan (Korea, Republic of)

2003-07-01

Various programs have been developed for gating of myocardial perfusion SPECT. Among the those program, the most popular program is the Quantitative Gated SPECT (QGS)? developed by Cedars-Sinai hospital and most recently released program is 4D-MSPECT? developed by university of Michigan. It is important to know the reference range of the functional data of gated myocardial perfusion SPECT because it is necessary to determine abnormality of individual patient and echocardiographic data is different from those of gated SPECT. Tc-99m MIBI gated myocardial perfusion SPECT image was reconstructed by dual head gamma camera (Siemens, BCAM, esoft) as routine procedure and analyzed using QGS? and 4D-MSPECT? program. All patients (M: F=9: 18, Age 69{+-}9 yrs) showed normal myocardial perfusion. The patients with following characteristics were excluded: previous angina or MI history, ECG change with Q wave or ST-T change, diabetes melitius, hypercholesterolemia, typical chest pain, hypertension and cardiomyopathy. Pre-test likelihood of all patients was low. (1) In stress gated SPECT by QGS?, EDV was 73{+-}25 ml, ESV 25{+-}14 ml, EF 67{+-}11 % and area of first frame of gating 106.4{+-}21cm{sup 2}. In rest gated SPECT, EDV was 76{+-}26 ml, ESV 27{+-}15 ml, EF 66{+-}12 and area of first frame of gating 108{+-}20cm{sup 2}. (2) In stress gated SPECT by 4D-MSPECT?, EDV was 76{+-}28 ml, ESV 23{+-}16 ml, EF 72{+-}11 %, mass 115{+-}24 g and ungated volume 42{+-}15 ml. In rest gated SPECT, EDV was 75{+-}27 ml, ESV 23{+-}12 ml, EF 71{+-}9%, mass 113{+-}25g and ungate dvolume 42{+-}15 ml, (3) s-EDV, s-EF, r-ESV and r-EF were significantly different between QGS? and 4D-MSPECT? (each p=0.016, p<0.001. p=0.003 and p=0.001). We determined the normal reference range of functional parameters by QGS? and 4D-MSPECT? program to diagnose individually the abnormality of patients. And the reference ranges have to adopted to be patients by each specific gating program.

Thyroid Function Within the Normal Range, Subclinical Hypothyroidism, and the Risk of Atrial Fibrillation.

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Baumgartner, Christine; da Costa, Bruno R; Collet, Tinh-Hai; Feller, Martin; Floriani, Carmen; Bauer, Douglas C; Cappola, Anne R; Heckbert, Susan R; Ceresini, Graziano; Gussekloo, Jacobijn; den Elzen, Wendy P J; Peeters, Robin P; Luben, Robert; Völzke, Henry; Dörr, Marcus; Walsh, John P; Bremner, Alexandra; Iacoviello, Massimo; Macfarlane, Peter; Heeringa, Jan; Stott, David J; Westendorp, Rudi G J; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Magnani, Jared W; Aujesky, Drahomir; Rodondi, Nicolas

2017-11-28

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a highly prevalent disorder leading to heart failure, stroke, and death. Enhanced understanding of modifiable risk factors may yield opportunities for prevention. The risk of AF is increased in subclinical hyperthyroidism, but it is uncertain whether variations in thyroid function within the normal range or subclinical hypothyroidism are also associated with AF. We conducted a systematic review and obtained individual participant data from prospective cohort studies that measured thyroid function at baseline and assessed incident AF. Studies were identified from MEDLINE and EMBASE databases from inception to July 27, 2016. The euthyroid state was defined as thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 0.45 to 4.49 mIU/L, and subclinical hypothyroidism as TSH 4.5 to 19.9 mIU/L with free thyroxine (fT4) levels within reference range. The association of TSH levels in the euthyroid and subclinical hypothyroid range with incident AF was examined by using Cox proportional hazards models. In euthyroid participants, we additionally examined the association between fT4 levels and incident AF. Of 30 085 participants from 11 cohorts (278 955 person-years of follow-up), 1958 (6.5%) had subclinical hypothyroidism and 2574 individuals (8.6%) developed AF during follow-up. TSH at baseline was not significantly associated with incident AF in euthyroid participants or those with subclinical hypothyroidism. Higher fT4 levels at baseline in euthyroid individuals were associated with increased AF risk in age- and sex-adjusted analyses (hazard ratio, 1.45; 95% confidence interval, 1.26-1.66, for the highest quartile versus the lowest quartile of fT4; P for trend ≤0.001 across quartiles). Estimates did not substantially differ after further adjustment for preexisting cardiovascular disease. In euthyroid individuals, higher circulating fT4 levels, but not TSH levels, are associated with increased risk of incident AF. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Selection of suitable reference genes for normalization of genes of interest in canine soft tissue sarcomas using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Zornhagen, K W; Kristensen, A T; Hansen, A E; Oxboel, J; Kjaer, A

2015-12-01

Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a sensitive technique for quantifying gene expression. Stably expressed reference genes are necessary for normalization of RT-qPCR data. Only a few articles have been published on reference genes in canine tumours. The objective of this study was to demonstrate how to identify suitable reference genes for normalization of genes of interest in canine soft tissue sarcomas using RT-qPCR. Primer pairs for 17 potential reference genes were designed and tested in archival tumour biopsies from six dogs. The geNorm algorithm was used to analyse the most suitable reference genes. Eight potential reference genes were excluded from this final analysis because of their dissociation curves. β-Glucuronidase (GUSB) and proteasome subunit, beta type, 6 (PSMB6) were most stably expressed with an M value of 0.154 and a CV of 0.053 describing their average stability. We suggest that choice of reference genes should be based on specific testing in every new experimental set-up. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Identification and evaluation of new reference genes in Gossypium hirsutum for accurate normalization of real-time quantitative RT-PCR data

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Alves-Ferreira Marcio

2010-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Normalizing through reference genes, or housekeeping genes, can make more accurate and reliable results from reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR. Recent studies have shown that no single housekeeping gene is universal for all experiments. Thus, suitable reference genes should be the first step of any qPCR analysis. Only a few studies on the identification of housekeeping gene have been carried on plants. Therefore qPCR studies on important crops such as cotton has been hampered by the lack of suitable reference genes. Results By the use of two distinct algorithms, implemented by geNorm and NormFinder, we have assessed the gene expression of nine candidate reference genes in cotton: GhACT4, GhEF1α5, GhFBX6, GhPP2A1, GhMZA, GhPTB, GhGAPC2, GhβTUB3 and GhUBQ14. The candidate reference genes were evaluated in 23 experimental samples consisting of six distinct plant organs, eight stages of flower development, four stages of fruit development and in flower verticils. The expression of GhPP2A1 and GhUBQ14 genes were the most stable across all samples and also when distinct plants organs are examined. GhACT4 and GhUBQ14 present more stable expression during flower development, GhACT4 and GhFBX6 in the floral verticils and GhMZA and GhPTB during fruit development. Our analysis provided the most suitable combination of reference genes for each experimental set tested as internal control for reliable qPCR data normalization. In addition, to illustrate the use of cotton reference genes we checked the expression of two cotton MADS-box genes in distinct plant and floral organs and also during flower development. Conclusion We have tested the expression stabilities of nine candidate genes in a set of 23 tissue samples from cotton plants divided into five different experimental sets. As a result of this evaluation, we recommend the use of GhUBQ14 and GhPP2A1 housekeeping genes as superior references

Identification and evaluation of new reference genes in Gossypium hirsutum for accurate normalization of real-time quantitative RT-PCR data.

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Artico, Sinara; Nardeli, Sarah M; Brilhante, Osmundo; Grossi-de-Sa, Maria Fátima; Alves-Ferreira, Marcio

2010-03-21

Normalizing through reference genes, or housekeeping genes, can make more accurate and reliable results from reverse transcription real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Recent studies have shown that no single housekeeping gene is universal for all experiments. Thus, suitable reference genes should be the first step of any qPCR analysis. Only a few studies on the identification of housekeeping gene have been carried on plants. Therefore qPCR studies on important crops such as cotton has been hampered by the lack of suitable reference genes. By the use of two distinct algorithms, implemented by geNorm and NormFinder, we have assessed the gene expression of nine candidate reference genes in cotton: GhACT4, GhEF1alpha5, GhFBX6, GhPP2A1, GhMZA, GhPTB, GhGAPC2, GhbetaTUB3 and GhUBQ14. The candidate reference genes were evaluated in 23 experimental samples consisting of six distinct plant organs, eight stages of flower development, four stages of fruit development and in flower verticils. The expression of GhPP2A1 and GhUBQ14 genes were the most stable across all samples and also when distinct plants organs are examined. GhACT4 and GhUBQ14 present more stable expression during flower development, GhACT4 and GhFBX6 in the floral verticils and GhMZA and GhPTB during fruit development. Our analysis provided the most suitable combination of reference genes for each experimental set tested as internal control for reliable qPCR data normalization. In addition, to illustrate the use of cotton reference genes we checked the expression of two cotton MADS-box genes in distinct plant and floral organs and also during flower development. We have tested the expression stabilities of nine candidate genes in a set of 23 tissue samples from cotton plants divided into five different experimental sets. As a result of this evaluation, we recommend the use of GhUBQ14 and GhPP2A1 housekeeping genes as superior references for normalization of gene expression measures in

Morphologic and cytochemical characteristics of blood cells and hematologic and plasma biochemical reference ranges in green iguanas.

Science.gov (United States)

Harr, K E; Alleman, A R; Dennis, P M; Maxwell, L K; Lock, B A; Bennett, R A; Jacobson, E R

2001-03-15

To determine blood cell morphologic characteristics and hematologic and plasma biochemical reference ranges for iguanas housed in a warm indoor and outdoor environment with regular exposure to direct sunlight. Original study. 51 clinically normal iguanas (18 males, 25 females, and 8 juveniles) housed in 3 Florida locations. Blood was collected from the coccygeal or ventral abdominal vein. Any samples that had obvious hemolysis or clot formation were not used. Leukocyte counts were determined manually; other hematologic values were obtained by use of a commercially available cell counter. Plasma biochemical values were determined by use of a spectrophotometric chemistry analyzer. Blood smears were stained with Wright-Giemsa and cytochemical stains for morphologic and cytochemical evaluation. Hematologic ranges were generally higher in this study than previously reported. Thrombocytes were variable in appearance between individuals and sometimes difficult to distinguish from lymphocytes on a Wright-Giemsa preparation. Concentrations of calcium, phosphorus, total protein, globulins, and cholesterol were significantly higher, and the albumin:globulin ratio was significantly lower, in healthy gravid females than in male or nongravid female iguanas. Nongravid females had significantly higher calcium and cholesterol concentrations, compared with males. The calcium:phosphorus ratio was > 1 in all iguanas. Gravid females had a calcium phosphorus product ranging between 210 and 800. Intracytoplasmic inclusions were identified within the erythrocytes of some iguanas. Hematologic ranges for iguanas in this study are higher than those reported for iguanas. Sex and age of the iguana should be considered when evaluating biochemical values. Healthy ovulating and gravid females may have significantly increased electrolyte and protein concentrations, but maintain a calcium:phosphorus ratio > 1.

Connection between effective-range expansion and nuclear vertex constant or asymptotic normalization coefficient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yarmukhamedov, R.; Baye, D.

2011-01-01

Explicit relations between the effective-range expansion and the nuclear vertex constant or asymptotic normalization coefficient (ANC) for the virtual decay B→A+a are derived for an arbitrary orbital momentum together with the corresponding location condition for the (A+a) bound-state energy. They are valid both for the charged case and for the neutral case. Combining these relations with the standard effective-range function up to order six makes it possible to reduce to two the number of free effective-range parameters if an ANC value is known from experiment. Values for the scattering length, effective range, and form parameter are determined in this way for the 16 O+p, α+t, and α+ 3 He collisions in partial waves where a bound state exists by using available ANCs deduced from experiments. The resulting effective-range expansions for these collisions are valid up to energies larger than 5 MeV.

Development and initial testing of normal reference MR images for the brain at ages 65-70 and 75-80 years

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farrell, C.; Chappell, F.; Armitage, P.A.; Keston, P.; Wardlaw, J.M.; MacLullich, A.; Shenkin, S.

2009-01-01

Interpretation of brain images from older patients requires knowledge of changes that occur with healthy ageing. We constructed and tested a reference template for older subjects. We used MR images from normal subjects aged 65-70 and 75-80 to generate average age-specific images. We ranked the T2-weighted images by worsening brain tissue loss to create a diagram of key centiles. Two neuroradiologists tested the template during routine reporting; eight radiologists read 99 MR examinations without and then with the template. Fifty-four subjects (65-70 years) and 25 subjects (75-80 years) formed the reference images. For the two neuroradiologists, the reference template reduced the abnormal scan reporting from 28/42 without to 3/42 with the template. Of 99 MR examinations assessed by eight radiologists, 39/58 scans (67%) reported as moderate or severe atrophy without the template were reported as normal with the template (p=0.00011). Reference templates of the brain at older ages can ''calibrate'' radiology reporting. They could also be useful for research into ageing and related conditions. Larger numbers of examinations from more diverse populations and at different ages are required to increase the versatility of these templates. (orig.)

Validation and comparison of reference genes for qPCR normalization of celery (Apium graveolens at different development stages

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Meng-Yao eLi

2016-03-01

Full Text Available A suitable reference gene is an important prerequisite for guarantying accurate and reliable results in qPCR analysis. Celery is one of the representative vegetable in Apiaceae and is widely cultivated and consumed in the world. However, no reports have been previously published concerning reference genes in celery. In this study, the expression stabilities of nine candidate reference genes in leaf blade and petiole at different development stages were evaluated using three statistics algorithms geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper. Our results showed that TUB-B, TUB-A, and UBC were the most reference genes among all tested samples. GAPDH represented the maximum stability for most individual sample, while the UBQ displayed the minimum stability. To further validate the stability of reference genes, the expression pattern of AgAP2-2 was calculated by using the selected genes for normalization. In addition, the expression patterns of several development-related genes were studied using the selected reference gene. Our results will be beneficial for further studies on gene transcription in celery.

Reference Clinical Database for Fixation Stability Metrics in Normal Subjects Measured with the MAIA Microperimeter.

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Morales, Marco U; Saker, Saker; Wilde, Craig; Pellizzari, Carlo; Pallikaris, Aristophanes; Notaroberto, Neil; Rubinstein, Martin; Rui, Chiara; Limoli, Paolo; Smolek, Michael K; Amoaku, Winfried M

2016-11-01

The purpose of this study was to establish a normal reference database for fixation stability measured with the bivariate contour ellipse area (BCEA) in the Macular Integrity Assessment (MAIA) microperimeter. Subjects were 358 healthy volunteers who had the MAIA examination. Fixation stability was assessed using two BCEA fixation indices (63% and 95% proportional values) and the percentage of fixation points within 1° and 2° from the fovea (P1 and P2). Statistical analysis was performed with linear regression and Pearson's product moment correlation coefficient. Average areas of 0.80 deg 2 (min = 0.03, max = 3.90, SD = 0.68) for the index BCEA@63% and 2.40 deg 2 (min = 0.20, max = 11.70, SD = 2.04) for the index BCEA@95% were found. The average values of P1 and P2 were 95% (min = 76, max = 100, SD = 5.31) and 99% (min = 91, max = 100, SD = 1.42), respectively. The Pearson's product moment test showed an almost perfect correlation index, r = 0.999, between BCEA@63% and BCEA@95%. Index P1 showed a very strong correlation with BCEA@63%, r = -0.924, as well as with BCEA@95%, r = -0.925. Index P2 demonstrated a slightly lower correlation with both BCEA@63% and BCEA@95%, r = -0.874 and -0.875, respectively. The single parameter of the BCEA@95% may be taken as accurately reporting fixation stability and serves as a reference database of normal subjects with a cutoff area of 2.40 ± 2.04 deg 2 in MAIA microperimeter. Fixation stability can be measured with different indices. This study originates reference fixation values for the MAIA using a single fixation index.

Baseline reference range for trace metal concentrations in whole blood of wild and managed West Indian Manatees (Trichechus manatus) in Florida and Belize

Science.gov (United States)

Takeuchi, Noel Y.; Walsh, Michael T; Bonde, Robert K.; Powell, James A.; Bass, Dean A.; Gaspard, Joseph C.; Barber, David S.

2016-01-01

The West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus) is exposed to a number of anthropogenic influences, including metals, as they inhabit shallow waters with close proximity to shore. While maintaining homeostasis of many metals is crucial for health, there is currently no baseline reference range that can be used to make clinical and environmental decisions for this endangered species. In this study, whole blood samples from 151 manatees were collected during health assessments performed in Florida and Belize from 2008 through 2011. Whole blood samples (n = 37) from managed care facilities in Florida and Belize from 2009 through 2011 were also used in this study. The concentrations of 17 metals in whole blood were determined, and the data were used to derive a baseline reference range. Impacts of capture location, age, and sex on whole blood metal concentrations were examined. Location and age were related to copper concentrations as values were significantly higher in habitats near urban areas and in calves. Copper may also be a husbandry concern as concentrations were significantly higher in managed manatees (1.17 ± 0.04 ppm) than wild manatees (0.73 ± 0.02 ppm). Zinc (11.20 ± 0.30 ppm) was of special interest as normal concentrations were two to five times higher than other marine mammal species. Arsenic concentrations were higher in Belize (0.43 ± 0.07 ppm), with Placencia Lagoon having twice the concentration of Belize City and Southern Lagoon. Selenium concentrations were lower (0.18 ± 0.09 ppm) than in other marine mammal species. The lowest selenium concentrations were observed in rehabilitating and managed manatees which may warrant additional monitoring in managed care facilities. The established preliminary baseline reference range can be used by clinicians, biologists, and managers to monitor the health of West Indian manatees.

'Aussie normals': an a priori study to develop clinical chemistry reference intervals in a healthy Australian population.

Science.gov (United States)

Koerbin, G; Cavanaugh, J A; Potter, J M; Abhayaratna, W P; West, N P; Glasgow, N; Hawkins, C; Armbruster, D; Oakman, C; Hickman, P E

2015-02-01

Development of reference intervals is difficult, time consuming, expensive and beyond the scope of most laboratories. The Aussie Normals study is a direct a priori study to determine reference intervals in healthy Australian adults. All volunteers completed a health and lifestyle questionnaire and exclusion was based on conditions such as pregnancy, diabetes, renal or cardiovascular disease. Up to 91 biochemical analyses were undertaken on a variety of analytical platforms using serum samples collected from 1856 volunteers. We report on our findings for 40 of these analytes and two calculated parameters performed on the Abbott ARCHITECTci8200/ci16200 analysers. Not all samples were analysed for all assays due to volume requirements or assay/instrument availability. Results with elevated interference indices and those deemed unsuitable after clinical evaluation were removed from the database. Reference intervals were partitioned based on the method of Harris and Boyd into three scenarios, combined gender, males and females and age and gender. We have performed a detailed reference interval study on a healthy Australian population considering the effects of sex, age and body mass. These reference intervals may be adapted to other manufacturer's analytical methods using method transference.

Gene expression profiling in the Cynomolgus macaque Macaca fascicularis shows variation within the normal birth range

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Vickers Mark H

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Although an adverse early-life environment has been linked to an increased risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, the molecular mechanisms underlying altered disease susceptibility as well as their relevance to humans are largely unknown. Importantly, emerging evidence suggests that these effects operate within the normal range of birth weights and involve mechanisms of developmental palsticity rather than pathology. Method To explore this further, we utilised a non-human primate model Macaca fascicularis (Cynomolgus macaque which shares with humans the same progressive history of the metabolic syndrome. Using microarray we compared tissues from neonates in the average birth weight (50-75th centile to those of lower birth weight (5-25th centile and studied the effect of different growth trajectories within the normal range on gene expression levels in the umbilical cord, neonatal liver and skeletal muscle. Results We identified 1973 genes which were differentially expressed in the three tissue types between average and low birth weight animals (P Conclusion These differences in gene expression levels between animals in the upper and lower percentiles of the normal birth weight range may point towards early life metabolic adaptations that in later life result in differences in disease risk.

Reference gene selection for quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction normalization during in vitro adventitious rooting in Eucalyptus globulus Labill.

Science.gov (United States)

de Almeida, Márcia R; Ruedell, Carolina M; Ricachenevsky, Felipe K; Sperotto, Raul A; Pasquali, Giancarlo; Fett-Neto, Arthur G

2010-09-20

Eucalyptus globulus and its hybrids are very important for the cellulose and paper industry mainly due to their low lignin content and frost resistance. However, rooting of cuttings of this species is recalcitrant and exogenous auxin application is often necessary for good root development. To date one of the most accurate methods available for gene expression analysis is quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qPCR); however, reliable use of this technique requires reference genes for normalization. There is no single reference gene that can be regarded as universal for all experiments and biological materials. Thus, the identification of reliable reference genes must be done for every species and experimental approach. The present study aimed at identifying suitable control genes for normalization of gene expression associated with adventitious rooting in E. globulus microcuttings. By the use of two distinct algorithms, geNorm and NormFinder, we have assessed gene expression stability of eleven candidate reference genes in E. globulus: 18S, ACT2, EF2, EUC12, H2B, IDH, SAND, TIP41, TUA, UBI and 33380. The candidate reference genes were evaluated in microccuttings rooted in vitro, in presence or absence of auxin, along six time-points spanning the process of adventitious rooting. Overall, the stability profiles of these genes determined with each one of the algorithms were very similar. Slight differences were observed in the most stable pair of genes indicated by each program: IDH and SAND for geNorm, and H2B and TUA for NormFinder. Both programs identified UBI and 18S as the most variable genes. To validate these results and select the most suitable reference genes, the expression profile of the ARGONAUTE1 gene was evaluated in relation to the most stable candidate genes indicated by each algorithm. Our study showed that expression stability varied between putative reference genes tested in E. globulus. Based on the AGO1 relative expression

Unilateral and Bilateral Adrenalectomy for Pheochromocytoma Requires Adjustment of Urinary and Plasma Metanephrine Reference Ranges

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Osinga, Thamara E.; van den Eijnden, Maartje H. A.; Kema, Ido P.; Kerstens, Michiel N.; Dullaart, Robin P. F.; de Jong, Wilhelmina H. A.; Sluiter, Wim J.; Links, Thera P.; van der Horst-Schrivers, Anouk N. A.

Context: Follow-up after adrenalectomy for pheochromocytoma is recommended because of a recurrence risk. During follow-up, plasma and/or urinary metanephrine (MN) and normetanephrine (NMN) are interpreted using reference ranges obtained in healthy subjects. Objective: Because adrenalectomy may

Physical and anatomical data, and part of physiological and metabolic data for normal Japanese with special reference to establishing Reference Asian Man model for the anatomical characteristics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, G.; Kawamura, H.

1998-01-01

Studies on the physical, anatomical, and partial metabolic as well as physiological characteristics on Reference Japanese Man were undertaken to establish reference values for use in internal dose assessment and to assign annual limits on intakes of radionuclides for Japanese workers and members of the general public. Secular trends in, and/or probable influences of nutritional conditions on the organ mass were examined by comparing the present results with the other normal Japanese data. The average height of male and female adults (20-50 y) were 168 and 155 cm, respectively. The body weights for males and females, 20-50 y, were - 64 and 52 kg. The data on the weight and size of twelve organs in normal males and eleven in normal females were obtained from autopsy, 12 to 24 h after sudden death. The per caput intake of foodstuffs and principal nutrients were taken from the annual report of the National nutrition Survey for households in the urban and rural areas in all districts of Japan. Determination of elemental intake was made by collecting, one full day of meals for adult males from 31 prefectures in practically all districts of Japan. Pulmonary function parameters studied include total lung capacity, vital capacity, minute volume and 8 h working volume at various levels of exertion - resting, light and heavy activity. The subjects were healthy, normal Japanese males and females. Water balance data were obtained for 9 males and 6 females in Tokyo, under conditions of controlled energy and salt intake. The lengths of the study period were 6 and 10 days, respectively. Daily intakes of energy and salt were determined for the male student athletes for whom an indoor physical training was assigned. (author)

Identification of valid reference genes for the normalization of RT-qPCR expression studies in human breast cancer cell lines treated with and without transient transfection.

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Lin-Lin Liu

Full Text Available Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR is a powerful technique for examining gene expression changes during tumorigenesis. Target gene expression is generally normalized by a stably expressed endogenous reference gene; however, reference gene expression may differ among tissues under various circumstances. Because no valid reference genes have been documented for human breast cancer cell lines containing different cancer subtypes treated with transient transfection, we identified appropriate and reliable reference genes from thirteen candidates in a panel of 10 normal and cancerous human breast cell lines under experimental conditions with/without transfection treatments with two transfection reagents. Reference gene expression stability was calculated using four algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper and comparative delta Ct, and the recommended comprehensive ranking was provided using geometric means of the ranking values using the RefFinder tool. GeNorm analysis revealed that two reference genes should be sufficient for all cases in this study. A stability analysis suggests that 18S rRNA-ACTB is the best reference gene combination across all cell lines; ACTB-GAPDH is best for basal breast cancer cell lines; and HSPCB-ACTB is best for ER+ breast cancer cells. After transfection, the stability ranking of the reference gene fluctuated, especially with Lipofectamine 2000 transfection reagent in two subtypes of basal and ER+ breast cell lines. Comparisons of relative target gene (HER2 expression revealed different expressional patterns depending on the reference genes used for normalization. We suggest that identifying the most stable and suitable reference genes is critical for studying specific cell lines under certain circumstances.

Higher Fasting Plasma Glucose Levels, within the Normal Range, are Associated with Decreased Processing Speed in High Functioning Young Elderly

OpenAIRE

Raizes, Meytal; Elkana, Odelia; Franko, Motty; Springer, Ramit Ravona; Segev, Shlomo; Beeri, Michal Schnaider

2016-01-01

We explored the association of plasma glucose levels within the normal range with processing speed in high functioning young elderly, free of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A sample of 41 participants (mean age = 64.7, SD = 10; glucose 94.5 mg/dL, SD = 9.3), were examined with a computerized cognitive battery. Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that higher plasma glucose levels, albeit within the normal range (

Normal references of right ventricular strain values by two-dimensional strain echocardiography according to the age and gender.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jae-Hyeong; Choi, Jin-Oh; Park, Seung Woo; Cho, Goo-Yeong; Oh, Jin Kyung; Lee, Jae-Hwan; Seong, In-Whan

2018-02-01

Right ventricular (RV) strain values by 2-dimensional strain echocardiography (STE) can be used as objective markers of RV systolic function. However, there is little data about normal reference RV strain values according to age and gender. We measured normal RV strain values by STE. RV strain values were analyzed from the digitally stored echocardiographic images from NORMAL (Normal echOcardiogRaphic diMensions and functions in KoreAn popuLation) study for the measurement of normal echocardiographic values performed in 23 Korean university hospitals. We enrolled total 1003 healthy persons in the NORMAL study. Of them, we analyzed 2-dimensional RV strain values in 493 subjects (261 females, mean 47 ± 15 years old) only with echocardiographic images by GE machines. Their LV systolic and diastolic functions were normal. RV fractional area change was 48 ± 6% and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion was 23 ± 3 mm. Total RV global longitudinal peak systolic strain (RVGLS total ) was -21.5 ± 3.2%. Females had higher absolute RVGLS total (-22.3 ± 3.3 vs -20.7 ± 2.9%, p value to that of older males (age ≥50 years, -20.5 ± 2.8 vs -20.9 ± 3.1%, p = 0.224). We calculated normal RVGLS values in normal population. Females have higher absolute strain values than males, especially in younger age groups (<50 years old).

Length of FMR1 repeat alleles within the normal range does not substantially affect the risk of early menopause

Science.gov (United States)

Ruth, Katherine S.; Bennett, Claire E.; Schoemaker, Minouk J.; Weedon, Michael N.; Swerdlow, Anthony J.; Murray, Anna

2016-01-01

STUDY QUESTION Is the length of FMR1 repeat alleles within the normal range associated with the risk of early menopause? SUMMARY ANSWER The length of repeat alleles within the normal range does not substantially affect risk of early menopause. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY There is a strong, well-established relationship between length of premutation FMR1 alleles and age at menopause, suggesting that this relationship could continue into the normal range. Within the normal range, there is conflicting evidence; differences in ovarian reserve have been identified with FMR1 repeat allele length, but a recent population-based study did not find any association with age at menopause as a quantitative trait. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION We analysed cross-sectional baseline survey data collected at recruitment from 2004 to 2010 from a population-based, prospective epidemiological cohort study of >110 000 women to investigate whether repeat allele length was associated with early menopause. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHOD We included 4333 women from the Breakthrough Generations Study (BGS), of whom 2118 were early menopause cases (menopause under 46 years) and 2215 were controls. We analysed the relationship between length of FMR1 alleles and early menopause using logistic regression with allele length as continuous and categorical variables. We also conducted analyses with the outcome age at menopause as a quantitative trait as well as appropriate sensitivity and exploratory analyses. MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE There was no association of the shorter or longer FMR1 allele or their combined genotype with the clinically relevant end point of early menopause in our main analysis. Likewise, there were no associations with age at menopause as a quantitative trait in our secondary analysis. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION Women with homozygous alleles in the normal range may have undetected FMR1 premutation alleles, although there was no evidence to suggest this. We

The use of laser microdissection in the identification of suitable reference genes for normalization of quantitative real-time PCR in human FFPE epithelial ovarian tissue samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Jing; Li, Tao; Huang, Bangxing; Cheng, Henghui; Ding, Hui; Dong, Weihong; Xiao, Man; Liu, Ling; Wang, Zehua

2014-01-01

Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is a powerful and reproducible method of gene expression analysis in which expression levels are quantified by normalization against reference genes. Therefore, to investigate the potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for epithelial ovarian cancer by qPCR, it is critical to identify stable reference genes. In this study, twelve housekeeping genes (ACTB, GAPDH, 18S rRNA, GUSB, PPIA, PBGD, PUM1, TBP, HRPT1, RPLP0, RPL13A, and B2M) were analyzed in 50 ovarian samples from normal, benign, borderline, and malignant tissues. For reliable results, laser microdissection (LMD), an effective technique used to prepare homogeneous starting material, was utilized to precisely excise target tissues or cells. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and nonparametric (Kruskal-Wallis) tests were used to compare the expression differences. NormFinder and geNorm software were employed to further validate the suitability and stability of the candidate genes. Results showed that epithelial cells occupied a small percentage of the normal ovary indeed. The expression of ACTB, PPIA, RPL13A, RPLP0, and TBP were stable independent of the disease progression. In addition, NormFinder and geNorm identified the most stable combination (ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP) and the relatively unstable reference gene GAPDH from the twelve commonly used housekeeping genes. Our results highlight the use of homogeneous ovarian tissues and multiple-reference normalization strategy, e.g. the combination of ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP, for qPCR in epithelial ovarian tissues, whereas GAPDH, the most commonly used reference gene, is not recommended, especially as a single reference gene.

The use of laser microdissection in the identification of suitable reference genes for normalization of quantitative real-time PCR in human FFPE epithelial ovarian tissue samples.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Cai

Full Text Available Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR is a powerful and reproducible method of gene expression analysis in which expression levels are quantified by normalization against reference genes. Therefore, to investigate the potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for epithelial ovarian cancer by qPCR, it is critical to identify stable reference genes. In this study, twelve housekeeping genes (ACTB, GAPDH, 18S rRNA, GUSB, PPIA, PBGD, PUM1, TBP, HRPT1, RPLP0, RPL13A, and B2M were analyzed in 50 ovarian samples from normal, benign, borderline, and malignant tissues. For reliable results, laser microdissection (LMD, an effective technique used to prepare homogeneous starting material, was utilized to precisely excise target tissues or cells. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA and nonparametric (Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare the expression differences. NormFinder and geNorm software were employed to further validate the suitability and stability of the candidate genes. Results showed that epithelial cells occupied a small percentage of the normal ovary indeed. The expression of ACTB, PPIA, RPL13A, RPLP0, and TBP were stable independent of the disease progression. In addition, NormFinder and geNorm identified the most stable combination (ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP and the relatively unstable reference gene GAPDH from the twelve commonly used housekeeping genes. Our results highlight the use of homogeneous ovarian tissues and multiple-reference normalization strategy, e.g. the combination of ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP, for qPCR in epithelial ovarian tissues, whereas GAPDH, the most commonly used reference gene, is not recommended, especially as a single reference gene.

Selection of reference genes in different myocardial regions of an in vivo ischemia/reperfusion rat model for normalization of antioxidant gene expression

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Vesentini Nicoletta

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Changes in cardiac gene expression due to myocardial injury are usually assessed in whole heart tissue. However, as the heart is a heterogeneous system, spatial and temporal heterogeneity is expected in gene expression. Results In an ischemia/reperfusion (I/R rat model we evaluated gene expression of mitochondrial and cytoplasmatic superoxide dismutase (MnSod, Cu-ZnSod and thioredoxin reductase (trxr1 upon short (4 h and long (72 h reperfusion times in the right ventricle (RV, and in the ischemic/reperfused (IRR and the remote region (RR of the left ventricle. Gene expression was assessed by Real-time reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR. In order to select most stable reference genes suitable for normalization purposes, in each myocardial region we tested nine putative reference genes by geNorm analysis. The genes investigated were: Actin beta (actb, Glyceraldehyde-3-P-dehydrogenase (gapdh, Ribosomal protein L13A (rpl13a, Tyrosine 3-monooxygenase (ywhaz, Beta-glucuronidase (gusb, Hypoxanthine guanine Phosphoribosyltransferase 1 (hprt, TATA binding box protein (tbp, Hydroxymethylbilane synthase (hmbs, Polyadenylate-binding protein 1 (papbn1. According to our findings, most stable reference genes in the RV and RR were hmbs/hprt and hmbs/tbp/hprt respectively. In the IRR, six reference genes were recommended for normalization purposes; however, in view of experimental feasibility limitations, target gene expression could be normalized against the three most stable reference genes (ywhaz/pabp/hmbs without loss of sensitivity. In all cases MnSod and Cu-ZnSod expression decreased upon long reperfusion, the former in all myocardial regions and the latter in IRR alone. trxr1 expression did not vary. Conclusions This study provides a validation of reference genes in the RV and in the anterior and posterior wall of the LV of cardiac ischemia/reperfusion model and shows that gene expression should be assessed separately in

Normal reference ranges for semen quality and their relations to fecundity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Skakkebaek, Niels E

2010-01-01

Several recent studies have shown that the fecundity of a man decreases progressively with sperm concentrations below 40 million spermatozoa per mL. Therefore, it is unfortunate that the new World Health Organization guidelines for semen analysis recommend lowering the lower cutoff value for norm...

The Normal Fetal Pancreas.

Science.gov (United States)

Kivilevitch, Zvi; Achiron, Reuven; Perlman, Sharon; Gilboa, Yinon

2017-10-01

The aim of the study was to assess the sonographic feasibility of measuring the fetal pancreas and its normal development throughout pregnancy. We conducted a cross-sectional prospective study between 19 and 36 weeks' gestation. The study included singleton pregnancies with normal pregnancy follow-up. The pancreas circumference was measured. The first 90 cases were tested to assess feasibility. Two hundred ninety-seven fetuses of nondiabetic mothers were recruited during a 3-year period. The overall satisfactory visualization rate was 61.6%. The intraobserver and interobserver variability had high interclass correlation coefficients of of 0.964 and 0.967, respectively. A cubic polynomial regression described best the correlation of pancreas circumference with gestational age (r = 0.744; P pancreas circumference percentiles for each week of gestation were calculated. During the study period, we detected 2 cases with overgrowth syndrome and 1 case with an annular pancreas. In this study, we assessed the feasibility of sonography for measuring the fetal pancreas and established a normal reference range for the fetal pancreas circumference throughout pregnancy. This database can be helpful when investigating fetomaternal disorders that can involve its normal development. © 2017 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Tuned with a tune: Talker normalization via general auditory processes

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Erika J C Laing

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Voices have unique acoustic signatures, contributing to the acoustic variability listeners must contend with in perceiving speech, and it has long been proposed that listeners normalize speech perception to information extracted from a talker’s speech. Initial attempts to explain talker normalization relied on extraction of articulatory referents, but recent studies of context-dependent auditory perception suggest that general auditory referents such as the long-term average spectrum (LTAS of a talker’s speech similarly affect speech perception. The present study aimed to differentiate the contributions of articulatory/linguistic versus auditory referents for context-driven talker normalization effects and, more specifically, to identify the specific constraints under which such contexts impact speech perception. Synthesized sentences manipulated to sound like different talkers influenced categorization of a subsequent speech target only when differences in the sentences’ LTAS were in the frequency range of the acoustic cues relevant for the target phonemic contrast. This effect was true both for speech targets preceded by spoken sentence contexts and for targets preceded by nonspeech tone sequences that were LTAS-matched to the spoken sentence contexts. Specific LTAS characteristics, rather than perceived talker, predicted the results suggesting that general auditory mechanisms play an important role in effects considered to be instances of perceptual talker normalization.

Reference ranges for blood concentrations of nucleated red blood cells in neonates.

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Christensen, Robert D; Henry, Erick; Andres, Robert L; Bennett, Sterling T

2011-01-01

Previous studies reported a relationship between high nucleated red blood cells (NRBC) in neonates and the development of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and/or retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). We sought to (1) establish reference ranges for NRBC in neonates based on a large data set, (2) compare NRBC from automated versus manual counts, (3) determine the effect of an elevated NRBC, on the day of birth, on the odds of developing grade ≥3 IVH or ROP. We analyzed all NRBC obtained during 8.5 years in a multihospital system, displaying the 5th and 95th percentile limits according to gestational age and postnatal age. NRBC counts were retrieved from 61,932 neonates, 26,536 of which were excluded from the data set. Comparing 9,000 samples run simultaneously on manual versus automated methods, the manual counts yielded slightly higher counts, but the difference is likely insignificant clinically. Altitude of the birth hospital did not correlate with NRBC, and no correlations were observed with cord pH or 1- or 5-min Apgar. An NRBC count >95th percentile limit was associated with higher odds of developing a grade ≥3 IVH (OR 4.28; 95% CI 3.17-5.77) and grade ≥3 ROP (OR 4.18; 95% CI 2.74-6.38). The figures of this report display reference ranges for NRBC according to gestational age and postnatal age. An NRBC count above the 95% limit at birth is associated with a higher risk of subsequently developing severe IVH and severe ROP. We speculate that this association is because an elevated NRBC count is a marker for prenatal hypoxia. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Pregnancy outcomes are not altered by variation in thyroid function within the normal range in women free of thyroid disease.

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Veltri, Flora; Kleynen, Pierre; Grabczan, Lidia; Salajan, Alexandra; Rozenberg, Serge; Pepersack, Thierry; Poppe, Kris

2018-02-01

In the recently revised guidelines on the management of thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy, treatment with thyroid hormone (LT4) is not recommended in women without thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) and TSH levels in the range 2.5-4.0 mIU/L, and in a recent study in that particular group of pregnant women, more complications were observed when a treatment with LT4 was given. The objective of the study was therefore to investigate whether variation in thyroid function within the normal (non-pregnant) range in women free of thyroid disease was associated with altered pregnancy outcomes? Cross-sectional data analysis of 1321 pregnant women nested within an ongoing prospective collection of pregnant women's data in a single centre in Brussels, Belgium. Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-abs), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free T4 (FT4) and ferritin levels were measured and baseline characteristics were recorded. Women taking LT4, with TAI and thyroid function outside the normal non-pregnant range were excluded. Pregnancy outcomes and baseline characteristics were correlated with all TSH and FT4 levels within the normal range and compared between two groups (TSH cut-off 500 mL) was inversely associated with serum FT4 levels (OR: 0.35; CI 95%: 0.13-0.96); P  = 0.040. Also 10% of women free of thyroid disease had serum TSH levels ≥2.5 mIU/L. Variation in thyroid function during the first trimester within the normal (non-pregnant) range in women free of thyroid disease was not associated with altered pregnancy outcomes. These results add evidence to the recommendation against LT4 treatment in pregnant women with high normal TSH levels and without TPO antibodies. © 2018 European Society of Endocrinology.

Normal xeroradiographic and radiographic anatomy of the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) with reference to other anserine species

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, B. J. [North Carolina State University, Raleigh (United States); Smith, S. A.

1991-03-15

he purpose of this study was to provide a reference for xeroradiographic and conventional radiographic anatomy of the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) as a representative of the avian Order Anseriformes. The head, body, wing, and pelvic limb of three adult birds were radiographed using xeroradiographic and conventional radiographic techniques. Nine xeroradiographs and their corresponding conventional radiographs were selected, and the xeroradiographs labeled to illustrate normal anatomy. Selected views of other anseriform species were included to illustrate certain anatomical features unique to those species.

Normal xeroradiographic and radiographic anatomy of the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) with reference to other anserine species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, B.J.; Smith, S.A.

1991-01-01

he purpose of this study was to provide a reference for xeroradiographic and conventional radiographic anatomy of the mallard duck (Anas platyrhynchos) as a representative of the avian Order Anseriformes. The head, body, wing, and pelvic limb of three adult birds were radiographed using xeroradiographic and conventional radiographic techniques. Nine xeroradiographs and their corresponding conventional radiographs were selected, and the xeroradiographs labeled to illustrate normal anatomy. Selected views of other anseriform species were included to illustrate certain anatomical features unique to those species

Higher Fasting Plasma Glucose Levels, within the Normal Range, are Associated with Decreased Processing Speed in High Functioning Young Elderly.

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Raizes, Meytal; Elkana, Odelia; Franko, Motty; Ravona Springer, Ramit; Segev, Shlomo; Beeri, Michal Schnaider

2016-01-01

We explored the association of plasma glucose levels within the normal range with processing speed in high functioning young elderly, free of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). A sample of 41 participants (mean age = 64.7, SD = 10; glucose 94.5 mg/dL, SD = 9.3), were examined with a computerized cognitive battery. Hierarchical linear regression analysis showed that higher plasma glucose levels, albeit within the normal range (levels may have an impact on cognitive function.

Characteristics and reference ranges of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I measured with a commercially available immunoassay in 724 healthy adult Caucasians

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreassen, Mikkel; Nielsen, Kaspar; Raymond, Ilan

2009-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Measurements of Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) play a pivotal role in the evaluation of the growth hormone-IGF-I axis. Due to assay variation IGF-I reference ranges are assay specific. We provide serum IGF-I reference ranges for adult men and women obtained...... by a commercially available assay. METHOD: IGF-I was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (R&D Systems). Assay precision was evaluated in low, medium and high IGF-I pools and in single samples from outpatients. The reference ranges were obtained in 724 healthy Caucasians, mean age 48 years (range 19....../mL (mean 1 SD) were 5, 3 and 3%. Interassays CVs for the low, medium and high pool varied between 7-10, 5-7, and 6-9%. Reproducibility between 4 different lots showed a intraclass CV of 0.99 (95%CI 0.98-0.96). Logarithmically transformed IGF-I levels were linearly associated with age with a 13% reduction...

Determination of the normal range of thyroid hormones in Sudanese by locally produced reagents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, Nagi Ibrahim

1999-05-01

In this study serum samples have been collected from 100 volunteers in order to measure serum thyroxine (T 4 ) and serum triiodothyronine (T 3 ). The volunteers were selected carefully in the bases of the thyroid history as they should not complain of any thyroid disorders, no history of thyroid problems. They were males and females covering the range of 10-60 years old. Blood samples were collected, separated and the serum samples were kept frozen in (-20 degree C). Analysis of serum (T 4 and T 3 ) were carried out using sensitive radioimmunoassay (RIA) methods. The reagents were locally produced. The results were analysed by statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) computer program, which specially used for the determination of normal ranges and other medical statistics purposes

Reference ranges for blood concentrations of eosinophils and monocytes during the neonatal period defined from over 63 000 records in a multihospital health-care system.

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Christensen, R D; Jensen, J; Maheshwari, A; Henry, E

2010-08-01

Blood concentrations of eosinophils and monocytes are part of the complete blood count. Reference ranges for these concentrations during the neonatal period, established by very large sample sizes and modern methods, are needed for identifying abnormally low or high values. We constructed reference ranges for eosinophils per microl and monocytes per microl among neonates of 22 to 42 weeks of gestation, on the day of birth, and also during 28 days after birth. Data were obtained from archived electronic records over an eight and one-half-year period in a multihospital health-care system. In keeping with the reference range concept, values were excluded from neonates with a diagnosis of infection or necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Eosinophils and monocytes per microl of blood were electronically retrieved from 96 162 records, of which 63 371 that lacked a diagnosis of infection or NEC were included in this reference range report. The mean value for eosinophils per microl on the day of birth increased linearly between 22 and 42 weeks of gestation, as did the 5 and 95% values. The reference range at 40 weeks was 140 to 1300 microl(-1) (mean 550 microl(-1)). Similarly, the mean value for monocytes increased linearly over this interval, with a reference range at 40 weeks of 300 to 3300 microl(-1) (mean 1400 microl(-1)). Over the first 4 weeks after birth, no appreciable change was observed in 5% limit and mean eosinophil count, with a slight increase in the 95% limit in week 4. A slight increase in monocyte count was observed during the first 2 weeks after birth. The results of this analysis describe reference ranges for blood concentrations of eosinophils and monocytes during the neonatal period. Additional study is needed for determining the relevance of values falling outside the reference range.

Establishment of reference intervals for complete blood count parameters during normal pregnancy in Beijing.

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Li, Aiwei; Yang, Shuo; Zhang, Jie; Qiao, Rui

2017-11-01

To observe the changes of complete blood count (CBC) parameters during pregnancy and establish appropriate reference intervals for healthy pregnant women. Healthy pregnant women took the blood tests at all trimesters. All blood samples were processed on Sysmex XE-2100. The following CBC parameters were analyzed: red blood cell count (RBC), hemoglobin (Hb), hematocrit (Hct), mean corpuscular volume (MCV), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), red blood cell distribution width (RDW), platelet count (PLT), mean platelet volume (MPV), platelet distribution width (PDW), white blood cell count (WBC), and leukocyte differential count. Reference intervals were established using the 2.5th and 97.5th percentile of the distribution. Complete blood count parameters showed dynamic changes during trimesters. RBC, Hb, Hct declined at trimester 1, reaching their lowest point at trimester 2, and began to rise again at trimester 3. WBC, neutrophil count (Neut), monocyte count (MONO), RDW, and PDW went up from trimester 1 to trimester 3. On the contrary, MCHC, lymphocyte count (LYMPH), PLT, and MPV gradually descended during pregnancy. There were statistical significances in all CBC parameters between pregnant women and normal women, regardless of the trimesters (Ppregnancy) as follows: RBC 4.50 vs 3.94×10 12 /L, Hb 137 vs 120 g/L, WBC 5.71 vs 9.06×10 9 /L, LYMPH% 32.2 vs 18.0, Neut% 58.7 vs 75.0, and PLT 251 vs 202×10 9 /L. The changes of CBC parameters during pregnancy are described, and reference intervals for Beijing pregnant women are demonstrated in this study. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Histogram-based normalization technique on human brain magnetic resonance images from different acquisitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Sun, Xiaofei; Shi, Lin; Luo, Yishan; Yang, Wei; Li, Hongpeng; Liang, Peipeng; Li, Kuncheng; Mok, Vincent C T; Chu, Winnie C W; Wang, Defeng

2015-07-28

Intensity normalization is an important preprocessing step in brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) analysis. During MR image acquisition, different scanners or parameters would be used for scanning different subjects or the same subject at a different time, which may result in large intensity variations. This intensity variation will greatly undermine the performance of subsequent MRI processing and population analysis, such as image registration, segmentation, and tissue volume measurement. In this work, we proposed a new histogram normalization method to reduce the intensity variation between MRIs obtained from different acquisitions. In our experiment, we scanned each subject twice on two different scanners using different imaging parameters. With noise estimation, the image with lower noise level was determined and treated as the high-quality reference image. Then the histogram of the low-quality image was normalized to the histogram of the high-quality image. The normalization algorithm includes two main steps: (1) intensity scaling (IS), where, for the high-quality reference image, the intensities of the image are first rescaled to a range between the low intensity region (LIR) value and the high intensity region (HIR) value; and (2) histogram normalization (HN),where the histogram of low-quality image as input image is stretched to match the histogram of the reference image, so that the intensity range in the normalized image will also lie between LIR and HIR. We performed three sets of experiments to evaluate the proposed method, i.e., image registration, segmentation, and tissue volume measurement, and compared this with the existing intensity normalization method. It is then possible to validate that our histogram normalization framework can achieve better results in all the experiments. It is also demonstrated that the brain template with normalization preprocessing is of higher quality than the template with no normalization processing. We have proposed

Screening suitable reference genes for normalization in reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR analysis in melon.

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Qiusheng Kong

Full Text Available Melon (Cucumis melo. L is not only an economically important cucurbitaceous crop but also an attractive model for studying many biological characteristics. Screening appropriate reference genes is essential to reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR, which is key to many studies involving gene expression analysis. In this study, 14 candidate reference genes were selected, and the variations in their expression in roots and leaves of plants subjected to biotic stress, abiotic stress, and plant growth regulator treatment were assessed by RT-qPCR. The stability of the expression of the selected genes was determined and ranked using geNorm and NormFinder. geNorm identified the two most stable genes for each set of conditions: CmADP and CmUBIep across all samples, CmUBIep and CmRPL in roots, CmRAN and CmACT in leaves, CmADP and CmRPL under abiotic stress conditions, CmTUA and CmACT under biotic stress conditions, and CmRAN and CmACT under plant growth regulator treatments. NormFinder determined CmRPL to be the best reference gene in roots and under biotic stress conditions and CmADP under the other experimental conditions. CmUBC2 and CmPP2A were not found to be suitable under many experimental conditions. The catalase family genes CmCAT1, CmCAT2, and CmCAT3 were identified in melon genome and used as target genes to validate the reliability of identified reference genes. The catalase family genes showed the most upregulation 3 days after inoculation with Fusarium wilt in roots, after which they were downregulated. Their levels of expression were significantly overestimated when the unsuitable reference gene was used for normalization. These results not only provide guidelines for the selection of reference genes for gene expression analyses in melons but may also provide valuable information for studying the functions of catalase family genes in stress responses.

Comparison of range of motion and function of subjects with reverse anatomy Bayley-Walker shoulder replacement with those of normal subjects.

Science.gov (United States)

Masjedi, Milad; Lovell, Cara; Johnson, Garth R

2011-12-01

Patients with rotator cuff tear and degenerative shoulder joint disease commonly experience severe pain and reduced performance during activities of daily living. A popular way to treat these patients is by means of reverse anatomy shoulder prosthesis. Studying the kinematics of subjects with reverse anatomy implant would be useful in order to gain knowledge about functionality of different designs. It is hypothesized that the kinematics of these subjects, in the absence of rotator cuff muscles, differs from that of normal subjects. In this study the upper limb kinematics of 12 subjects with a Bayley-Walker reverse anatomy shoulder prosthesis while performing tasks common in everyday activities and those that represent the range of motion was analyzed and compared to that of 12 normal subjects. Each patient also completed an Oxford Shoulder Score. Substantial reduction in the Bayley-Walker subjects' ranges of motion was observed compared to normal subjects. The mean abduction angle decreased from 109° (±20) for normal subjects to 64° (±25). A similar trend was observed during flexion and axial rotation tasks. Furthermore, the normal group showed less variable ranges of motion performing the standard tasks, whereas for the prosthetic group this varied greatly, which is likely to be dependent on muscle strength. Although the decreased range of motion was prominent, subjects were able to complete most of the tasks by compensating with their elbow and trunk. The most challenging task for Bayley-Walker subjects was lifting an object to head height. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Regional reference values of thyroid gland volume in Turkish adults

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Şahin Ertan

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. It is important to know the size of the thyroid gland, and its normal value may vary among different geographic regions. Objective. In this study, we aimed to establish reference ranges for thyroid volume in euthyroid adults and to compare these results with the literature data. Methods. Between June 2011 and June 2012, 461 patients with normal laboratory results (serum TSH, anti-TG, anti-TPO antibodies and urine iodine level that underwent thyroid gland ultrasound examination were retrospectively analyzed. Two hundred and 92 patients were females and 169 were males; the age range was 18-61 years with mean age 30.84±9.97 years. Length, breadth and thickness were measured, and the volume of each lobe was estimated using the ellipsoid formula. Results. The overall mean thyroid volume in all patients who were examined was 12.98±2.53 mL. The mean thyroid volume in females and males was 12.09±2.05 mL and 14.53±2.55, respectively (p<0.05. The right thyroid lobe volume was greater than the left in all patients of both sexes. In addition, the study establishes a significant correlation between the thyroid volume and height, weight and body surface area of the subjects of both sexes (p<0.05. In the light of our findings we can provide reference values in order to evaluate patients who have thyroid hyperplasia or who are considered as normal. Conclusion. We consider that further studies are necessary to establish national references thyroid volume for each country.

Identification of Optimal Reference Genes for Normalization of qPCR Analysis during Pepper Fruit Development

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Yuan Cheng

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Due to its high sensitivity and reproducibility, quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR is practiced as a useful research tool for targeted gene expression analysis. For qPCR operations, the normalization with suitable reference genes (RGs is a crucial step that eventually determines the reliability of the obtained results. Although pepper is considered an ideal model plant for the study of non-climacteric fruit development, at present no specific RG have been developed or validated for the qPCR analyses of pepper fruit. Therefore, this study aimed to identify stably expressed genes for their potential use as RGs in pepper fruit studies. Initially, a total of 35 putative RGs were selected by mining the pepper transcriptome data sets derived from the PGP (Pepper Genome Platform and PGD (Pepper Genome Database. Their expression stabilities were further measured in a set of pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var. 007e fruit samples, which represented four different fruit developmental stages (IM: Immature; MG: Mature green; B: Break; MR: Mature red using the qPCR analysis. Then, based on the qPCR results, three different statistical algorithms, namely geNorm, Normfinder, and boxplot, were chosen to evaluate the expression stabilities of these putative RGs. It should be noted that nine genes were proven to be qualified as RGs during pepper fruit development, namely CaREV05 (CA00g79660; CaREV08 (CA06g02180; CaREV09 (CA06g05650; CaREV16 (Capana12g002666; CaREV21 (Capana10g001439; CaREV23 (Capana05g000680; CaREV26 (Capana01g002973; CaREV27 (Capana11g000123; CaREV31 (Capana04g002411; and CaREV33 (Capana08g001826. Further analysis based on geNorm suggested that the application of the two most stably expressed genes (CaREV05 and CaREV08 would provide optimal transcript normalization in the qPCR experiments. Therefore, a new and comprehensive strategy for the identification of optimal RGs was developed. This strategy allowed for the effective normalization of the q

Reference Values for Umbilical Cord Blood Gases of Newborns Delivered by Elective Cesarean Section.

Science.gov (United States)

Manomayangkul, Kattiya; Siriussawakul, Arunotai; Nimmannit, Akarin; Yuyen, Thassayu; Ngerncham, Sopapan; Reesukumal, Kanit

2016-05-01

Umbilical cord blood gas values are better indicators of perinatal asphyxia than Apgar scores. Many studies have reported normal ranges of umbilical cord blood gases, which vary greatly due to many factors. This study aimed to establish the reference values of umbilical cord blood gases of normal cesarean newborns in a university hospital setting. Blood samples from the umbilical artery and vein were collected from 160 newborns delivered by elective cesarean section. The indications for caesarean section were not due to fetal distress, intrauterine growth retardation, or non-reassuring fetal heart rate. The blood samples were collected immediately after birth in the operating room and then sent for blood-gas analysis. The blood-gas values were statistically analyzed and reported. The cord blood collected from 160 newborns was analyzed in this study. Seventy-eight percent (115) of the parturients were hypotensive before delivery. All Apgar scores at one and five minutes after delivery were at least 7. The calculated reference range of the umbilical arterial pH was 7.18-7.42, of pO₂was 6.43-29.43 mmHg, of pCO₂was 33.44-66.56 mmHg, and of HCO₃was 15.60-30.70 mEq/L. The reference range obtained for the umbilical venous pH was 7.28-7.44,for pO₂was 13.97-37.13 mmHg, for pCO₂was 30.70-57.0 mmHg, and for HCO₃was 18.50-29.90 mEq/L. The study determined normal reference values as a result of umbilical cord blood gas analyses.

The relationship of intelligence and memory to interrogative suggestibility: the importance of range effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Gudjonsson, G H

1988-05-01

This paper looks at the relationship between intelligence, memory and interrogative suggestibility, particularly with reference to range effects. The subjects were 60 normal subjects and 100 forensic patients who had completed the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale (GSS) and the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale. Clear range effects of IQ and memory were evident in their relationship with suggestibility.

Reference birthweight range for multiple birth neonates in Japan

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Kato Noriko

2004-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background A reference range for the birthweight of multiple births neonates is necessary for the assessment for intrauterine growth. Methods Pairs of multiple births were identified by birthplace, the ages of the parents, gestational age, and the year and month of birth. We studied a total of 32,232 livebirth-livebirth pairs of twins, 1894 triplet live births, and 206 quadruplet live births. Results The median birthweight of males, taking gestational age into account, was ca. 0.05 kg–0.1 kg heavier than that of females. Compared to singleton neonates, the median birthweight of twins was ca. 0.15 kg smaller at the gestational age of 34 weeks, increasing to ca. 0.5 kg at 42 weeks of gestation. As for birth order, the mean birthweight of the first-born twin was heavier than that of the second-born. The standard deviation of birthweight was larger for second-born twins. The birthweight of twins from multiparous mothers was greater than those from primiparous mothers. The median birthweight according to gestational age was found to be the greatest in twins, lower in triplets and the lowest in quadruplets. In triplets, the 50th percentile was 0.08 kg heavier in boys than for girls. Conclusion Our results can be used for assessment of birthweight of multiple births in Japan.

Reference range levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the US population by measurement of urinary monohydroxy metabolites

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grainger, James; Huang, Wenlin; Patterson, Donald G.; Turner, Wayman E.; Pirkle, James; Caudill, Samuel P.; Wang, Richard Y.; Needham, Larry L.; Sampson, Eric J.

2006-01-01

We developed a gas chromatography isotope-dilution high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC/Id-HRMS) method for measuring 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites representing seven parent PAHs in 3 mL of urine at low parts-per-trillion levels. PAH levels were determined in urine samples collected in 1999 and 2000 from approximately 2400 participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and, for the first time, reference range values were calculated for these metabolites in the US population. Using this GC/ID-HRMS method, we found detectable concentrations for monohydroxy metabolite isomers of fluorene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, and chrysene, benzo[c]phenanthrene, and benz[a]anthracene. Some monohydroxy metabolite isomers of benzo[c]phenanthrene, chrysene, and benz[a]anthracene exhibited low detection frequencies that did not allow for geometric mean calculations. Our study results enabled us to establish a reference range for the targeted PAHs in the general US population

RNA-sequence data normalization through in silico prediction of reference genes: the bacterial response to DNA damage as case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Berghoff, Bork A; Karlsson, Torgny; Källman, Thomas; Wagner, E Gerhart H; Grabherr, Manfred G

2017-01-01

Measuring how gene expression changes in the course of an experiment assesses how an organism responds on a molecular level. Sequencing of RNA molecules, and their subsequent quantification, aims to assess global gene expression changes on the RNA level (transcriptome). While advances in high-throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) technologies allow for inexpensive data generation, accurate post-processing and normalization across samples is required to eliminate any systematic noise introduced by the biochemical and/or technical processes. Existing methods thus either normalize on selected known reference genes that are invariant in expression across the experiment, assume that the majority of genes are invariant, or that the effects of up- and down-regulated genes cancel each other out during the normalization. Here, we present a novel method, moose 2 , which predicts invariant genes in silico through a dynamic programming (DP) scheme and applies a quadratic normalization based on this subset. The method allows for specifying a set of known or experimentally validated invariant genes, which guides the DP. We experimentally verified the predictions of this method in the bacterium Escherichia coli , and show how moose 2 is able to (i) estimate the expression value distances between RNA-seq samples, (ii) reduce the variation of expression values across all samples, and (iii) to subsequently reveal new functional groups of genes during the late stages of DNA damage. We further applied the method to three eukaryotic data sets, on which its performance compares favourably to other methods. The software is implemented in C++ and is publicly available from http://grabherr.github.io/moose2/. The proposed RNA-seq normalization method, moose 2 , is a valuable alternative to existing methods, with two major advantages: (i) in silico prediction of invariant genes provides a list of potential reference genes for downstream analyses, and (ii) non-linear artefacts in RNA-seq data

Normal gravity field in relativistic geodesy

Science.gov (United States)

Kopeikin, Sergei; Vlasov, Igor; Han, Wen-Biao

2018-02-01

Modern geodesy is subject to a dramatic change from the Newtonian paradigm to Einstein's theory of general relativity. This is motivated by the ongoing advance in development of quantum sensors for applications in geodesy including quantum gravimeters and gradientometers, atomic clocks and fiber optics for making ultra-precise measurements of the geoid and multipolar structure of the Earth's gravitational field. At the same time, very long baseline interferometry, satellite laser ranging, and global navigation satellite systems have achieved an unprecedented level of accuracy in measuring 3-d coordinates of the reference points of the International Terrestrial Reference Frame and the world height system. The main geodetic reference standard to which gravimetric measurements of the of Earth's gravitational field are referred is a normal gravity field represented in the Newtonian gravity by the field of a uniformly rotating, homogeneous Maclaurin ellipsoid of which mass and quadrupole momentum are equal to the total mass and (tide-free) quadrupole moment of Earth's gravitational field. The present paper extends the concept of the normal gravity field from the Newtonian theory to the realm of general relativity. We focus our attention on the calculation of the post-Newtonian approximation of the normal field that is sufficient for current and near-future practical applications. We show that in general relativity the level surface of homogeneous and uniformly rotating fluid is no longer described by the Maclaurin ellipsoid in the most general case but represents an axisymmetric spheroid of the fourth order with respect to the geodetic Cartesian coordinates. At the same time, admitting a post-Newtonian inhomogeneity of the mass density in the form of concentric elliptical shells allows one to preserve the level surface of the fluid as an exact ellipsoid of rotation. We parametrize the mass density distribution and the level surface with two parameters which are

Japanese reference man 1988, 3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Gi-ichiro

1988-01-01

Quantitative description of physical properties and other characteristics of the human body is one of the basic data for estimating dose equivalent and calculating Annual Limit on Intake of radionuclides. The exact mass weight of organs and tissues are measured from about 1000 autopsy cases of normal Japanese adults and physical properties are obtained from recent Japanese Government publications. Japanese (Asian) Reference Man is completed by establishing the Normal Japanese, harmonizing with Caucasian Reference Man and coinciding with the ICRP Reference Man Task Group members concept. (author)

Serum chemistry reference ranges for Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) pups from Alaska: stock differentiation and comparisons within a North Pacific sentinel species.

Science.gov (United States)

Lander, Michelle E; Fadely, Brian S; Gelatt, Thomas S; Rea, Lorrie D; Loughlin, Thomas R

2013-12-01

Blood chemistry and hematologic reference ranges are useful for population health assessment and establishing a baseline for future comparisons in the event of ecosystem changes due to natural or anthropogenic factors. The objectives of this study were to determine if there was any population spatial structure for blood variables of Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus), an established sentinel species, and to report reference ranges for appropriate populations using standardized analyses. In addition to comparing reference ranges between populations with contrasting abundance trends, data were examined for evidence of disease or nutritional stress. From 1998 to 2011, blood samples were collected from 1,231 pups captured on 37 rookeries across their Alaskan range. Reference ranges are reported separately for the western and eastern distinct population segments (DPS) of Steller sea lion after cluster analysis and discriminant function analysis (DFA) supported underlying stock structure. Variables with greater loading scores for the DFA (creatinine, total protein, calcium, albumin, cholesterol, and alkaline phosphatase) also were greater for sea lions from the endangered western DPS, supporting previous studies that indicated pup condition in the west was not compromised during the first month postpartum. Differences between population segments were likely a result of ecological, physiological, or age related differences.

Pegvisomant-induced serum insulin-like growth factor-I normalization in patients with acromegaly returns elevated markers of bone turnover to normal

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Parkinson, C; Kassem, M; Heickendorff, Lene

2003-01-01

Active acromegaly is associated with increased biochemical markers of bone turnover. Pegvisomant is a GH receptor antagonist that normalizes serum IGF-I in 97% of patients with active acromegaly. We evaluated the effects of pegvisomant-induced serum IGF-I normalization on biochemical markers...... of bone and soft tissue turnover, as well as levels of PTH and vitamin D metabolites, in 16 patients (nine males; median age, 52 yr; range, 28-78 yr) with active acromegaly (serum IGF-I at least 30% above upper limit of an age-related reference range). Serum procollagen III amino-terminal propeptide...... (PIIINP) and type I procollagen amino-terminal propeptide, osteocalcin (OC), bone-related alkaline phosphatase, C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (CTx), albumin-corrected calcium, intact PTH, 25-hydroxy vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D [1,25-(OH)(2) vit D], urinary type 1 collagen...

Normal xeroradiographic and radiographic anatomy of the bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus), with reference to other galliform species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, B.J.; Smith, S.A.

1991-01-01

The purpose of this study was to provide a reference for xeroradiographic and conventional radiographic anatomy of the bobwhite quail (Colinus virginianus) as a representative of the avian order Galliformes. The heads, bodies, wings, and pelvic limbs of four adult birds were radiographed using xeroradiographic and conventional radiographic techniques. Nine xeroradiographs and their corresponding conventional radiographs were selected, and the xeroradiographs labeled to illustrate the normal anatomy of these regions. A xeroradiograph of the tarsometatarsus of the domestic peacock (Pavo cristatus) was also included to demonstrate the metatarsal spur, which is not present in the quail

Reference ranges of some haematological parameters in healthy ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: The haematological values of populations differ due to numerous factors. It is essential to establish the normal haematological values in every population to ensure appropriate interpretation of results in health and disease states. Materials and Methods: A total of 184 consenting apparently healthy adults (62 ...

Measurements of normal joint angles by goniometry in calves.

Science.gov (United States)

Sengöz Şirin, O; Timuçin Celik, M; Ozmen, A; Avki, S

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to establish normal reference values of the forelimb and hindlimb joint angles in normal Holstein calves. Thirty clinically normal Holstein calves that were free of any detectable musculoskeletal abnormalities were included in the study. A standard transparent plastic goniometer was used to measure maximum flexion, maximum extension, and range-of-motion of the shoulder, elbow, carpal, hip, stifle, and tarsal joints. The goniometric measurements were done on awake calves that were positioned in lateral recumbency. The goniometric values were measured and recorded by two independent investigators. As a result of the study it was concluded that goniometric values obtained from awake calves in lateral recumbency were found to be highly consistent and accurate between investigators (p <0.05). The data of this study acquired objective and useful information on the normal forelimb and hindlimb joint angles in normal Holstein calves. Further studies can be done to predict detailed goniometric values from different diseases and compare them.

Diagnostic reference range of κ/λ free light chain ratio to screen for Bence Jones proteinuria is not significantly influenced by GFR.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt-Hieltjes, Yvonne; Elshof, Clemens; Roovers, Lian; Ruinemans-Koerts, Janneke

2016-05-01

The aim of our study was to analyse whether the κ/λ free light chain ratio reference range for screening for Bence Jones proteinuria should be dependent on the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). The serum κ/λ free light chain ratio, eGFR, serum M-protein and Bence Jones protein were measured in 544 patients for whom Bence Jones protein analysis was ordered. In the population of patients without Bence Jones proteinuria or a M-protein (n = 402), there is no gradual increase in κ/λ free light chain ratio with diminishing eGFR. The κ/λ free light chain ratio in this group was 0.56-1.86 (95% interval). With this diagnostic reference range of the κ/λ ratio, 105 of the 110 patients with Bence Jones protein could be identified correctly. Only five patients with Bence Jones proteinuria (free light chain ratio was measured without the presence of Bence Jones proteinuria. A κ/λ free light chain ratio in serum can be used safely and efficiently to select urine samples which should be analysed for Bence Jones proteinuria with an electrophoresis/immunofixation technique. Using this diagnostic reference range, the number of urine samples which should be analysed by electrophoresis/immunofixation could be reduced by 74%. The diagnostic reference interval can be determined best in a group of patients for whom Bence Jones analysis is indicated. For calculation of this reference range, the eGFR value does not need to be taken into account. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sensitivity and specificity of normality tests and consequences on reference interval accuracy at small sample size: a computer-simulation study.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Boedec, Kevin

2016-12-01

According to international guidelines, parametric methods must be chosen for RI construction when the sample size is small and the distribution is Gaussian. However, normality tests may not be accurate at small sample size. The purpose of the study was to evaluate normality test performance to properly identify samples extracted from a Gaussian population at small sample sizes, and assess the consequences on RI accuracy of applying parametric methods to samples that falsely identified the parent population as Gaussian. Samples of n = 60 and n = 30 values were randomly selected 100 times from simulated Gaussian, lognormal, and asymmetric populations of 10,000 values. The sensitivity and specificity of 4 normality tests were compared. Reference intervals were calculated using 6 different statistical methods from samples that falsely identified the parent population as Gaussian, and their accuracy was compared. Shapiro-Wilk and D'Agostino-Pearson tests were the best performing normality tests. However, their specificity was poor at sample size n = 30 (specificity for P Box-Cox transformation) on all samples regardless of their distribution or adjusting, the significance level of normality tests depending on sample size would limit the risk of constructing inaccurate RI. © 2016 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Serum insulin-like growth factor-I adult reference values for an ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Considering the importance of IGF-I local normal range, the aim of this study was to determine reference values for IGF-I (Immulite 2000) in a Brazilian adult population from the city of Rio de Janeiro. This study included samples of blood taken from 484 healthy subjects (251 men, 233 women) aged 18 to 70. The subjects ...

Normal range of human dietary sodium intake

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

McCarron, David A; Kazaks, Alexandra G; Geerling, Joel C

2013-01-01

The recommendation to restrict dietary sodium for management of hypertensive cardiovascular disease assumes that sodium intake exceeds physiologic need, that it can be significantly reduced, and that the reduction can be maintained over time. In contrast, neuroscientists have identified neural...... circuits in vertebrate animals that regulate sodium appetite within a narrow physiologic range. This study further validates our previous report that sodium intake, consistent with the neuroscience, tracks within a narrow range, consistent over time and across cultures....

Hip strength and range of motion

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mosler, Andrea B.; Crossley, Kay M.; Thorborg, Kristian

2017-01-01

Objectives To determine the normal profiles for hip strength and range of motion (ROM) in a professional football league in Qatar, and examine the effect of leg dominance, age, past history of injury, and ethnicity on these profiles. Design Cross-sectional cohort study. Methods Participants...... values are documented for hip strength and range of motion that can be used as reference profiles in the clinical assessment, screening, and management of professional football players. Leg dominance, recent past injury history and ethnicity do not need to be accounted for when using these profiles...... included 394 asymptomatic, male professional football players, aged 18–40 years. Strength was measured using a hand held dynamometer with an eccentric test in side-lying for hip adduction and abduction, and the squeeze test in supine with 45° hip flexion. Range of motion measures included: hip internal...

Evaluation of candidate reference genes for normalization of quantitative RT-PCR in soybean tissues under various abiotic stress conditions.

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Dung Tien Le

Full Text Available Quantitative RT-PCR can be a very sensitive and powerful technique for measuring differential gene expression. Changes in gene expression induced by abiotic stresses are complex and multifaceted, which make determining stably expressed genes for data normalization difficult. To identify the most suitable reference genes for abiotic stress studies in soybean, 13 candidate genes collected from literature were evaluated for stability of expression under dehydration, high salinity, cold and ABA (abscisic acid treatments using delta CT and geNorm approaches. Validation of reference genes indicated that the best reference genes are tissue- and stress-dependent. With respect to dehydration treatment, the Fbox/ABC, Fbox/60s gene pairs were found to have the highest expression stability in the root and shoot tissues of soybean seedlings, respectively. Fbox and 60s genes are the most suitable reference genes across dehydrated root and shoot tissues. Under salt stress the ELF1b/IDE and Fbox/ELF1b are the most stably expressed gene pairs in roots and shoots, respectively, while 60s/Fbox is the best gene pair in both tissues. For studying cold stress in roots or shoots, IDE/60s and Fbox/Act27 are good reference gene pairs, respectively. With regard to gene expression analysis under ABA treatment in either roots, shoots or across these tissues, 60s/ELF1b, ELF1b/Fbox and 60s/ELF1b are the most suitable reference genes, respectively. The expression of ELF1b/60s, 60s/Fbox and 60s/Fbox genes was most stable in roots, shoots and both tissues, respectively, under various stresses studied. Among the genes tested, 60s was found to be the best reference gene in different tissues and under various stress conditions. The highly ranked reference genes identified from this study were proved to be capable of detecting subtle differences in expression rates that otherwise would be missed if a less stable reference gene was used.

Lung and chest wall impedances in the dog in normal range of breathing: effects of pulmonary edema.

Science.gov (United States)

Barnas, G M; Stamenović, D; Lutchen, K R

1992-09-01

We evaluated the effect of pulmonary edema on the frequency (f) and tidal volume (VT) dependences of respiratory system mechanical properties in the normal ranges of breathing. We measured resistance and elastance of the lungs (RL and EL) and chest wall of four anesthetized-paralyzed dogs during sinusoidal volume oscillations at the trachea (50-300 ml, 0.2-2 Hz), delivered at a constant mean airway pressure. Measurements were made before and after severe pulmonary edema was produced by injection of 0.06 ml/kg oleic acid into the right atrium. Chest wall properties were not changed by the injection. Before oleic acid, EL increased slightly with increasing f in each dog but was independent of VT. RL decreased slightly and was independent of VT from 0.2 to 0.4 Hz, but above 0.4 Hz it tended to increase with increasing flow, presumably due to the airway contribution. After oleic acid injection, EL and RL increased greatly. Large negative dependences of EL on VT and of RL on f were also evident, so that EL and RL after oleic acid changed two- and fivefold, respectively, within the ranges of f and VT studied. We conclude that severe pulmonary edema changes lung properties so as to make behavior VT dependent (i.e., nonlinear) and very frequency dependent in the normal range of breathing.

Harmonising Reference Intervals for Three Calculated Parameters used in Clinical Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Hughes, David; Koerbin, Gus; Potter, Julia M; Glasgow, Nicholas; West, Nic; Abhayaratna, Walter P; Cavanaugh, Juleen; Armbruster, David; Hickman, Peter E

2016-08-01

For more than a decade there has been a global effort to harmonise all phases of the testing process, with particular emphasis on the most frequently utilised measurands. In addition, it is recognised that calculated parameters derived from these measurands should also be a target for harmonisation. Using data from the Aussie Normals study we report reference intervals for three calculated parameters: serum osmolality, serum anion gap and albumin-adjusted serum calcium. The Aussie Normals study was an a priori study that analysed samples from 1856 healthy volunteers. The nine analytes used for the calculations in this study were measured on Abbott Architect analysers. The data demonstrated normal (Gaussian) distributions for the albumin-adjusted serum calcium, the anion gap (using potassium in the calculation) and the calculated serum osmolality (using both the Bhagat et al. and Smithline and Gardner formulae). To assess the suitability of these reference intervals for use as harmonised reference intervals, we reviewed data from the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia/Australasian Association of Clinical Biochemists (RCPA/AACB) bias survey. We conclude that the reference intervals for the calculated serum osmolality (using the Smithline and Gardner formulae) may be suitable for use as a common reference interval. Although a common reference interval for albumin-adjusted serum calcium may be possible, further investigations (including a greater range of albumin concentrations) are needed. This is due to the bias between the Bromocresol Green (BCG) and Bromocresol Purple (BCP) methods at lower serum albumin concentrations. Problems with the measurement of Total CO 2 in the bias survey meant that we could not use the data for assessing the suitability of a common reference interval for the anion gap. Further study is required.

Valores de referência do tempo de protrombina (TP e tempo de tromboplastina parcial ativada (TTPa em cães Reference ranges of prothrombin time (PT and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT in dogs

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Sonia Terezinha dos Anjos Lopes

2005-04-01

Full Text Available Os fatores de coagulação são parte integrante da hemostasia normal, e tanto as coagulopatias hereditárias como adquiridas que envolvem este sistema são de grande importância veterinária, geralmente evidenciadas por manifestações clínicas, tais como, petéquias, equimoses, hematomas e sangramentos tardios. O presente trabalho teve por objetivo a determinação dos valores de referência do tempo de protrombina (TP e tempo de tromboplastina parcial ativada (TTPa, por métodos manuais. Para tanto, utilizou-se "kits" para dosagens humanas, devido à inexistência de produtos similares de uso específico veterinário. Foram utilizados 40 cães clinicamente sadios, sem raça definida, machos ou fêmeas, de diferentes idades. As amostras sanguíneas foram de 2,5ml cada, colhidas por venopunção cefálica e acondicionadas em tubos de centrífuga contendo 0,25ml de citrato de sódio a 3,8%. O plasma foi imediatamente separado por centrifugação e as determinações de TP e TTPa foram realizadas utilizando-se "kits" comerciais "HemoStat Thromboplastin-SIª" e "HemoStat aPTT-El b", respectivamente. Os resultados obtidos foram de 6,87 ± 1,4 segundos para o TP com valores mínimo e máximo de 4,07 e 9,67, respectivamente, e de 15,10 ± 1,6 segundos para TTPa com valores mínimo e máximo de 11,9 e 18,3, respectivamente. Conclui-se, que os valores obtidos neste trabalho podem ser utilizados como referência. Os reagentes utilizados para plasma humano podem ser empregados para o plasma de cães.The coagulation factors are part of normal hemostasis, and both hereditary and acquired coagulopathies that involve this system have an important role in veterinary medicine, generally evidenced by clinical signs such as: petechias, ecchymosis, hematomas and late hemorrhagies. The objective of this experiment was to determine reference range values of prothrombin time (PT and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT, for manual methods. Human commercial

Does the optimal position of the acetabular fragment should be within the radiological normal range for all developmental dysplasia of the hip? A patient-specific finite element analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xuyi; Peng, Jianping; Li, De; Zhang, Linlin; Wang, Hui; Jiang, Leisheng; Chen, Xiaodong

2016-10-04

The success of Bernese periacetabular osteotomy depends significantly on how extent the acetabular fragment can be corrected to its optimal position. This study was undertaken to investigate whether correcting the acetabular fragment into the so-called radiological "normal" range is the best choice for all developmental dysplasia of the hip with different severities of dysplasia from the biomechanical view? If not, is there any correlation between the biomechanically optimal position of the acetabular fragment and the severity of dysplasia? Four finite element models with different severities of dysplasia were developed. The virtual periacetabular osteotomy was performed with the acetabular fragment rotated anterolaterally to incremental center-edge angles; then, the contact area and pressure and von Mises stress in the cartilage were calculated at different correction angles. The optimal position of the acetabular fragment for patients 1, 2, and 3 was when the acetabular fragment rotated 17° laterally (with the lateral center-edge angle of 36° and anterior center-edge angle of 58°; both were slightly larger than the "normal" range), 25° laterally following further 5° anterior rotation (with the lateral center-edge angle of 31° and anterior center-edge angle of 51°; both were within the "normal" range), and 30° laterally following further 10° anterior rotation (with the lateral center-edge angle of 25° and anterior center-edge angle of 40°; both were less than the "normal" range), respectively. The optimal corrective position of the acetabular fragment is severity dependent rather than within the radiological "normal" range for developmental dysplasia of the hip. We prudently proposed that the optimal correction center-edge angle of mild, moderate, and severe developmental dysplasia of the hip is slightly larger than the "normal" range, within the "normal" range, and less than the lower limit of the "normal" range, respectively.

Biochemical and hematologic reference values for free-ranging, chemically immobilized wild norwegian reindeer (rangifer tarandus tarandus) during early winter.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Andrea L; Evans, Alina L; Os, Øystein; Arnemo, Jon M

2013-04-01

Hematologic and serum biochemistry values were evaluated in free-ranging, wild Norwegian reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) as part of a reintroduction program in southwestern Norway in November 1995 and 1996. Animals were immobilized with medetomidine-ketamine by dart from a helicopter. Blood was drawn for serum chemistry from 31 adults (nine males and 22 females) and for hematology from 29 adults (eight males and 21 females). Significant differences (Ppaper provides the first report of baseline hematologic and serum biochemistry reference ranges for free-ranging, wild Norwegian reindeer during early winter.

Reference haematological values for full term healthy newborns from rural sindh, pakistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pasha, W.

2015-01-01

Normal values of complete blood counts show variation from region to region and between different ethnic groups. It is important to establish reference range for these values in our population for clinical use by our physicians. This descriptive cross sectional study aimed at establishing the normal reference values of complete blood counts in physically normal full term new borns of Panu Aqil, Rural Sind, Pakistan. Methods: The study was conducted at Combined Military Hospital, Panu Aqil Cantonment, from January 2010 to March 2011, on 316 term normal neonates selected on the basis of gestational age of 37 weeks or more with uneventful antenatal period. During the initial 12 hours of delivery, 2 ml Cord blood was collected in bottle containing tripotassium ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (K3EDTA) as the anticoagulant and Complete blood counts were performed by Sysmex KX-21 automated haematology analyser. Blood films were prepared and stained by Leishman stain. Results: The haemoglobin was mean ± SD 15.4 ± 1.9 g/dL. The Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV) was 103.4 ± 4.6 fL, while Mean Corpuscular haemoglobin (MCH) was 33.8 ± 1.6 pg. The Red cell Distribution Width-CV (RDW-CV) was 18.5 ± 1.8%. The total leukocyte count (TLC) was mean ± SD 13.7 ± 4.0*109 /L. The Absolute Neutrophil count (ANC) was mean+-SD 7.7 ± 3.0x109 /L. The Absolute Lymphocyte count (ALC) was mean+-SD 5.1 ± 1.8*109 /L. Platelet count was mean ± SD 285 ± 62x109 /L. Conclusion: Our values provide reference range for haematological values in healthy newborns of Panu Aqil, Rural Sindh, for clinical use by our physicians. (author)

Skin perfusion measurement: the normal range, the effects of ambient temperature and its clinical application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henry, R.E.; Malone, J.M.; Daly, M.J.; Hughes, J.H.; Moore, W.S.

1982-01-01

Quantitation of skin perfusion provides objective criteria to determine the optimal amputation level in ischemic limb disease, to assess the maturation of pedicle flaps in reconstructive surgery, and to select appropriate treatment for chronic skin ulcers. A technique for measurement of skin perfusion using intradermal (ID) Xe-133 and a gamma camera/minicomputer system was previously reported. An update of this procedure is now reported, the normal range for the lower extremity in men, observations on the effects of ambient temperature, and an experience using the procedure to determine amputation level

Anismus in patients with normal and slow transit constipation.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, R; Duthie, G S; Bartolo, D C; Roe, A M; Locke-Edmunds, J; Mortensen, N J

1991-06-01

This study examined differences in anorectal function, with particular reference to anismus, which might explain why some patients with intractable constipation have slow and others have normal whole gut transit times. Twenty-four patients were studied; 13 with slow transit (all female, median age 32 years, range 16-52 years) and 11 with normal transit (eight women, three men, median age 37 years, range 21-60 years). Videoproctography with synchronous sphincteric electromyography and anorectal manometry was performed. There were no differences between the two groups, suggesting that slow transit constipation is not secondary to any abnormality in anorectal function and may therefore be a primary disorder of colonic motility. There was no correlation between electromyographic evidence of anismus (pelvic floor contraction on defaecation) and the ability of the patient to evacute the rectum or symptoms of obstructed defaecation. Electromyography findings alone can be misleading and should be related to proctographic evidence of incomplete rectal evacuation before functional anismus can be said to be present.

To establish trimester-specific reference ranges for glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) in pregnancy

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

O'Connor, CM

2011-09-01

Background and aims: Diabetes in Pregnancy imposes additional risks to both mother and infant. These poor outcomes are considered to be primarily related to glycaemic control which is monitored longitudinally through pregnancy by means of HbA1c. The correlation between HbA1c levels with clinical outcomes emphasises the need to measure HbA1c accurately, precisely and for data interpretation comparison to appropriately defined reference intervals. From July 1st 2010, the HbA1c assay in Irish laboratories became fully metrologically traceable to the IFCC standard, permitting HbA1c to be reported in IFCC units (mmol\\/mol) and derived DCCT\\/NGSP units (%) using the IFCC-DCCT\\/NGSP master equation (DCCT = Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, NGSP = National Glycohemoglobin standardisation program). The aim of this project is to establish trimester-specific reference ranges in pregnancy for IFCC standardised HbA1c in non-diabetic Caucasian women. This will allow us to define the goal for HbA1c during pregnancy complicated by diabetes.\\r\

Serum Alanine Aminotransferase Levels within Normal Range Have Different Associations with Augmentation Index and Other Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Nondrinkers and Drinkers: A Chinese Community-Based Analysis

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Shihui Fu

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Background. To investigate whether serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT levels within normal range were associated with augmentation index (AIx and cardiometabolic risk factors in nondrinkers and drinkers in Chinese community-dwelling population. Methods. There were 4165 participants with serum ALT levels within normal range. Results. Alcohol drinking was observed in 1173 participants (28.2%. In multivariate analysis, serum ALT levels of nondrinkers were independently associated with age, sex, body mass index (BMI, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, diastolic blood pressure, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-c, and AIx, while serum ALT levels of drinkers were independently associated with age, sex, BMI, triglyceride, and LDL-c (p<0.05 for all. Conclusions. Associations of serum ALT levels within normal range with age, sex, body height and weight, and blood lipid were simultaneously present in participants with and without alcohol drinking, while associations of serum ALT levels within normal range with AIx, blood pressure, and glucose were seen in nondrinkers rather than in drinkers. These findings not only provide the evidence that serum ALT levels, even within the normal range, have different associations with arteriosclerosis and cardiometabolic risk factors in nondrinkers and drinkers but also are helpful in understanding the underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms linking the hepatic function to arteriosclerosis and cardiometabolic risk factors.

Study on evaluation of normal range of maximum mouth opening among Indian adults using three finger index: A descriptive study

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Ravleen Nagi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Early recognition of decreased or limited mouth opening in many pathological conditions is necessary for prompt diagnosis and to plan the treatment options judiciously. Therefore, it is essential to establish what constitutes normal opening for the population. Aim: This study was designed with an aim to consider the applicability of this method as an index to measure the maximum mouth opening (MMO among different age groups in an Indian population. Materials and Methods: Total 400 healthy participants were studied in the age range of 17 to 60 years and stratified into four groups according to their age ranges. The maximum interincisal distance and width of three fingers (index, middle, and ring fingers at the first distal interphalangeal folds of both right and left hand were measured using Vernier caliper. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 21 software package. Results: Results suggested that mean value and range of MMO for males was 51.00 mm (33.0–68.0 mm and for females it was 46.3 mm (39.0–58.0 mm. Mean values of MMO correlated significantly with the width of three fingers of left and right hand as shown by Pearson correlation test. Conclusion: The study suggested that three finger index is a convenient and reliable tool for assessing normal MMO and is a most appropriate method to normal from restricted mouth opening.

Rigorous Combination of GNSS and VLBI: How it Improves Earth Orientation and Reference Frames

Science.gov (United States)

Lambert, S. B.; Richard, J. Y.; Bizouard, C.; Becker, O.

2017-12-01

Current reference series (C04) of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) are produced by a weighted combination of Earth orientation parameters (EOP) time series built up by combination centers of each technique (VLBI, GNSS, Laser ranging, DORIS). In the future, we plan to derive EOP from a rigorous combination of the normal equation systems of the four techniques.We present here the results of a rigorous combination of VLBI and GNSS pre-reduced, constraint-free, normal equations with the DYNAMO geodetic analysis software package developed and maintained by the French GRGS (Groupe de Recherche en GeÌodeÌsie Spatiale). The used normal equations are those produced separately by the IVS and IGS combination centers to which we apply our own minimal constraints.We address the usefulness of such a method with respect to the classical, a posteriori, combination method, and we show whether EOP determinations are improved.Especially, we implement external validations of the EOP series based on comparison with geophysical excitation and examination of the covariance matrices. Finally, we address the potential of the technique for the next generation celestial reference frames, which are currently determined by VLBI only.

Normal range albuminuria and metabolic syndrome in South Korea: the 2011-2012 Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

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Si-Young Park

Full Text Available It is well-known that there is a close relationship between metabolic syndrome (MetS and microalbuminuria. However, some recent studies have found that even normal range albuminuria was associated with MetS and cardiometabolic risk factors. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between MetS and normal range albuminuria and to calculate the cutoff value for albuminuria that correlates with MetS in the representative fraction of Korean population.Data were obtained from the 2011-2012 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and included 9,650 subjects aged ≥ 19 years. We measured metabolic parameters: fasting blood glucose, waist circumference, blood pressure, and lipids, and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR. The optimal ACR cutoff points for MetS were examined by the receiver operating characteristic curve. Multivariate logistic regression was used to obtain the prevalence of MetS and its components according to the ACR levels.The first cutoff value of ACR were 4.8 mg/g for subjects with ≥ 3 components of MetS. There was a graded association between ACR and prevalence of MetS and its components. If ACR was <4 mg/g, there was no significant increase in the prevalence of MetS or its components. From the ACR level of 4-5 mg/g, the prevalence of MetS significantly increased after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index, smoking, alcohol intake, exercise, and medications for diabetes mellitus and hypertension (odds ratio; 95% confidence intervals = 1.416; 1.041-1.926.Albuminuria within the normal range (around 5 mg/g was associated with prevalence of MetS in the Korean population.

Reference satellite selection method for GNSS high-precision relative positioning

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Xiao Gao

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Selecting the optimal reference satellite is an important component of high-precision relative positioning because the reference satellite directly influences the strength of the normal equation. The reference satellite selection methods based on elevation and positional dilution of precision (PDOP value were compared. Results show that all the above methods cannot select the optimal reference satellite. We introduce condition number of the design matrix in the reference satellite selection method to improve structure of the normal equation, because condition number can indicate the ill condition of the normal equation. The experimental results show that the new method can improve positioning accuracy and reliability in precise relative positioning.

Shack-Hartmann centroid detection method based on high dynamic range imaging and normalization techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vargas, Javier; Gonzalez-Fernandez, Luis; Quiroga, Juan Antonio; Belenguer, Tomas

2010-01-01

In the optical quality measuring process of an optical system, including diamond-turning components, the use of a laser light source can produce an undesirable speckle effect in a Shack-Hartmann (SH) CCD sensor. This speckle noise can deteriorate the precision and accuracy of the wavefront sensor measurement. Here we present a SH centroid detection method founded on computer-based techniques and capable of measurement in the presence of strong speckle noise. The method extends the dynamic range imaging capabilities of the SH sensor through the use of a set of different CCD integration times. The resultant extended range spot map is normalized to accurately obtain the spot centroids. The proposed method has been applied to measure the optical quality of the main optical system (MOS) of the mid-infrared instrument telescope smulator. The wavefront at the exit of this optical system is affected by speckle noise when it is illuminated by a laser source and by air turbulence because it has a long back focal length (3017 mm). Using the proposed technique, the MOS wavefront error was measured and satisfactory results were obtained.

Limiares de reconhecimento de sentenças no ruído, em campo livre: valores de referência para adultos normo-ouvintes Speech recognition thresholds in noisy areas: reference values for normal hearing adults

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marília Oliveira Henriques

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Nas clínicas de audiologia, as queixas de dificuldade de compreensão da fala em ambientes ruidosos são freqüentes, mesmo para indivíduos normo-ouvintes. Assim, o audiologista deve não só identificar uma perda auditiva, mas também analisar a compreensão da fala, em condições de comunicação próximas às encontradas no cotidiano. OBJETIVO: Determinar o valor de referência para os limiares de reconhecimento de sentenças no ruído, em campo livre, para indivíduos adultos normo-ouvintes. MATERIAL E MÉTODO: O experimento foi realizado nos anos de 2005 e 2006. Participaram da pesquisa 150 indivíduos adultos normo-ouvintes, com idade entre 18 e 64 anos, avaliados em cabine acusticamente tratada. Realizou-se a avaliação a partir da aplicação do teste Listas de Sentenças em Português. As listas de sentenças foram apresentadas em campo livre, na presença de um ruído competitivo, na intensidade fixa de 65 dB A. O ângulo de incidência de ambos os estímulos foi de 0º- 0º azimute. RESULTADOS E CONCLUSÃO: Os limiares de reconhecimento de sentenças em campo-livre foram obtidos na relação sinal-ruído de -8,14 dB A, sendo este o valor de referência para indivíduos normo-ouvintes.In audiology clinics, complaints about difficulties in speech recognition in noise environments are frequent, even for normal-hearing individuals. Thus, the audiologist must not only identify a hearing loss, but also analyze speech recognition, under noisy conditions similar to those found in our daily lives. AIM: Determine the reference value for the recognition of phrases under noisy conditions, in the free field, for adult normal hearing patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carried out in 2005 and 2006. We had 150 adult normal hearing individuals participating, with ages between 18 and 64 years, assessed in a sound-proof booth. We evaluation was based on lists of phrases in Portuguese. The phrases lists were presented in the free field

Analysis of semen parameters in male referrals: impact of reference limits, stratification by fertility categories, predictors of change, and comparison of normal semen parameters in subfertile couples.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Karen; Li, Jianbo; Sabanegh, Edmund

2015-01-01

To [1] determine the impact of semen reference limits on referrals for male fertility evaluations, [2] analyze the stratification of subjects based on published "normal" thresholds, [3] analyze the odds of changing fertility categories during serial tests and thereby the potential impact of inherent variability of semen parameters on referrals, and [4] determine variable(s) predictive of change. Retrospective chart review. Academic referral center for male fertility. New encounters in a male fertility clinic over a 5-year period that straddles the publication of World Health Organization (WHO) 2010 reference values. None. Demographic and clinical variables, semen values, and fertility categories as follows: BE (below WHO 2010 criteria), BTWN (above WHO 2010 but below WHO 1999 criteria), and N (above WHO 1999 criteria). A total of 82.3% of initial semen tests were categorized as BE, and the predominance of this category was unchanged by publication of the WHO 2010 criteria. Men with initial semen analysis categorized as BTWN or N represented 16.2% and 1.5% of the referral population, respectively. Subjects initially categorized as BTWN were more likely to change fertility categories, and overwhelmingly this migration was downward. Analysis of normal individual semen parameters revealed statistically worse mean concentration and motility when at least one other parameter fell below the WHO 2010 criteria. Men with semen results above reference criteria are underrepresented, indicating that reference limits influence referral patterns for male fertility evaluations. Normal mean concentration and motility were lower in men with at least one other individual semen parameter below the 2010 criteria, suggesting global dysfunction in spermatogenesis. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Investigation of integral normal emmissivity of materials in the high temperature range with the aid of reflection furnace

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shpil'rain, Eh.Eh.; Peletskij, V.Eh.; Kostanovskij, A.V.

1976-01-01

A special experimental procedure for investigating integral radiation capacity of a wide class of solids with the aid of a reverberatory furnace ''URAN-1'' has been developed. The description of the set-up is presented. For the range of 1300-2100 K, data are provided on the integral normal radiation capacity of niobium. The investigation results are compared with the data published in the literature

Technetium-99m mercaptoacetyltriglycine clearance values in children with minimal renal disease: can a normal range be determined?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meyer, G.; Hahn, K.; Piepsz, A.; Kolinska, J.; Lepej, J.; Sixt, R.

1998-01-01

Use of technetium-99m labelled mercaptoacetyltriglycine ( 99m Tc-MAG3) simplifies and improves the quantification of renal clearance in children by virtue of its permanent availability, good imaging properties and low radiation exposure. Due to the lack of reference values for 99m Tc-MAG3 clearance in children, the Paediatric Task Group of the EANM initiated a multicentre study to evaluate 99m Tc-MAG3 clearance values in children with minimal renal disease. One hundred and twenty-five children aged between 12 months and 17 years, classified as renally healthy using defined diagnostic criteria, were included in the study. 99m Tc-MAG3 clearance was calculated using an algorithm on the basis of a single blood sample taken at any time between 30 and 40 min after tracer injection. In addition, the absolute 99m -Tc-MAG3 clearance values were normalized to body surface area. For further evaluation the children were classified into several groups according to age. There was a continuous increase in non-corrected 99m Tc-MAG3 clearance values from the age of 1 year up to the age of 17 years (mean value 8 years: 208±66 ml/min). Normal clearance values for adults were achieved by the age of 8 years. Analysis of the relationship between non-corrected clearance and age yielded a correlation coefficient of r=0.7. When these absolute clearance values were normalized to body surface area, we found nearly constant clearance values for all age groups, with a mean clearance value of 315±114 ml/min x 1.73 m 2 . The correlation coefficient for the relationship between normalized clearance and age was r=0.28. In conclusion, the clearance of 99m Tc-MAG3 increases continuously throughout childhood into adolescence due to the maturation and growth of the kidney. After normalization of the absolute clearance to body surface area, no correlation between clearance and age could be proven. (orig.)

A normalization of the physical tests for external irradiation measuring detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-05-01

This report is the result of a normalization work, realized within the Radioprotection Services of the C.E.A., of the physical tests for detectors measuring external irradiation. Among the various tests mentionned are treated more in details, calibration and the establishment of the relative spectral response. As far as calibration is concerned, the normalization refers to: the reference detector, the reference radiation source, the installation and calibration procedure. As for the relative spectral response the normalization refers to: the reference detector, the radiation sources to be used. Finally, a chapter is consecrated to the high flux detectors and to those for pulsed electromagnetic radiations [fr

Evaluating acoustic speaker normalization algorithms: evidence from longitudinal child data.

Science.gov (United States)

Kohn, Mary Elizabeth; Farrington, Charlie

2012-03-01

Speaker vowel formant normalization, a technique that controls for variation introduced by physical differences between speakers, is necessary in variationist studies to compare speakers of different ages, genders, and physiological makeup in order to understand non-physiological variation patterns within populations. Many algorithms have been established to reduce variation introduced into vocalic data from physiological sources. The lack of real-time studies tracking the effectiveness of these normalization algorithms from childhood through adolescence inhibits exploration of child participation in vowel shifts. This analysis compares normalization techniques applied to data collected from ten African American children across five time points. Linear regressions compare the reduction in variation attributable to age and gender for each speaker for the vowels BEET, BAT, BOT, BUT, and BOAR. A normalization technique is successful if it maintains variation attributable to a reference sociolinguistic variable, while reducing variation attributable to age. Results indicate that normalization techniques which rely on both a measure of central tendency and range of the vowel space perform best at reducing variation attributable to age, although some variation attributable to age persists after normalization for some sections of the vowel space. © 2012 Acoustical Society of America

Long-range correlations of serial FEV1 measurements in emphysematous patients and normal subjects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dirksen, A; Holstein-Rathlou, N H; Madsen, F

1998-01-01

are autocorrelated. The purpose of this study was to describe the correlation structure in time series of FEV1 measurements. Nineteen patients with severe alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency (phenotype PiZ) and moderate to severe emphysema and two subjects with normal lungs were followed for several years with daily self......In obstructive lung disease the annual change in lung function is usually estimated from serial measurements of forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1). Frequent measurements in each patient may not improve this estimate because data are not statistically independent; i.e., the measurements...... measurements show long-range correlations. The practical implication is that FEV1 need not be measured more often than once every 3 mo in studies of the long-term trends in lung function....

Thermal coagulation-induced changes of the optical properties of normal and adenomatous human colon tissues in vitro in the spectral range 400-1100 nm

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ao Huilan; Xing Da; Wei Huajiang; Gu Huaimin; Wu Guoyong; Lu Jianjun

2008-01-01

The absorption coefficients, the reduced scattering coefficients and the optical penetration depths for native and coagulated human normal and adenomatous colon tissues in vitro were determined over the range of 400-1100 nm using a spectrophotometer with an internal integrating sphere system, and the inverse adding-doubling method was applied to calculate the tissue optical properties from diffuse reflectance and total transmittance measurements. The experimental results showed that in the range of 400-1100 nm there were larger absorption coefficients (P < 0.01) and smaller reduced scattering coefficients (P < 0.01) for adenomatous colon tissues than for normal colon tissues, and there were smaller optical penetration depths for adenomatous colon tissues than for normal colon tissues, especially in the near-infrared wavelength. Thermal coagulation induced significant increase of the absorption coefficients and reduced scattering coefficients for the normal and adenomatous colon tissues, and significantly reduced decrease of the optical penetration depths for the normal and adenomatous colon tissues. The smaller optical penetration depth for coagulated adenomatous colon tissues is a disadvantage for laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT) and photodynamic therapy (PDT). It is necessary to adjust the application parameters of lasers to achieve optimal therapy

Properties of Normal and Recycled Brick Aggregates for Production of Medium Range (25–30 MPa Structural Strength Concrete

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Suvash Chandra Paul

2018-05-01

Full Text Available This study compares the properties of normal and recycled brick aggregates to produce a medium range (25–30 MPa compressive strength of structural grade concrete. Up to date, brick aggregates are commonly used in structural concrete in some South Asian and African countries. Many concrete structures which were built in the last century are made from brick aggregates and some of them are already in a position of ending of their service life. At the same time, population and economic growth is forcing the demolition of many old structures. Therefore, there is a huge flow of construction and demolition waste and thereby it is necessary to recycle the waste to overcome the problem of occupying the landfill sites. For this study, recycled brick aggregates were collected from the various demolished building sites and their physical and mechanical performance were then compared with the concrete made from normal brick aggregates. It is found that the mechanical properties of recycled brick concrete are comparable to that of normal brick aggregate at medium strength level. The production cost of recycled brick concrete is also found to be 10–12% lower than normal brick aggregates.

Reference ranges for serum and salivary testosterone in young men of Mediterranean region.

Science.gov (United States)

González-Sánchez, Víctor; Moreno-Pérez, Oscar; García de Guadiana, Luis; Sánchez-Pellicer, Pedro; Alfayate, Rocío; Mauri, Montserrat; Sánchez-Payá, José; Picó, Antonio

2015-01-01

The interassay variability found in the measurement of testosterone (T) levels warrants the need for laboratories to validate their methods to establish trustworthy cut-off points for diagnosis of male hypogonadism. The aims of this study were to validate measurement of total T (TT) at our laboratory in order to obtain reference ranges for TT, calculated free T (CFT), calculated bioavailable T (CBT), and salivary T (ST) in healthy young men from the Mediterranean region, and to evaluate the potential clinical value of ST by establishing its correlation with serum T. An observational, cross-sectional study with sequential sampling. men aged 18-30 years with body mass index (BMI)9.7 nmol/L, CFT>0.22 nmol/L, and/or CBT>4.9 nmol/L make the presence of biochemical hypogonadism unlikely. According to the correlation between serum and ST, the clinical value of ST remains to be established. Copyright © 2014 SEEN. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

Updated US and Canadian normalization factors for TRACI 2.1

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ryberg, Morten; Vieira, Marisa D. M.; Zgola, Melissa

2014-01-01

When LCA practitioners perform LCAs, the interpretation of the results can be difficult without a reference point to benchmark the results. Hence, normalization factors are important for relating results to a common reference. The main purpose of this paper was to update the normalization factors...... for the US and US-Canadian regions. The normalization factors were used for highlighting the most contributing substances, thereby enabling practitioners to put more focus on important substances, when compiling the inventory, as well as providing them with normalization factors reflecting the actual...... situation. Normalization factors were calculated using characterization factors from the TRACI 2.1 LCIA model. The inventory was based on US databases on emissions of substances. The Canadian inventory was based on a previous inventory with 2005 as reference, in this inventory the most significant...

Indentation stiffness does not discriminate between normal and degraded articular cartilage.

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Cameron P; Crawford, Ross W; Oloyede, Adekunle

2007-08-01

Relative indentation characteristics are commonly used for distinguishing between normal healthy and degraded cartilage. The application of this parameter in surgical decision making and an appreciation of articular cartilage biomechanics has prompted us to hypothesise that it is difficult to define a reference stiffness to characterise normal articular cartilage. This hypothesis is tested for validity by carrying out biomechanical indentation of articular cartilage samples that are characterised as visually normal and degraded relative to proteoglycan depletion and collagen disruption. Compressive loading was applied at known strain rates to visually normal, artificially degraded and naturally osteoarthritic articular cartilage and observing the trends of their stress-strain and stiffness characteristics. While our results demonstrated a 25% depreciation in the stiffness of individual samples after proteoglycan depletion, they also showed that when compared to the stiffness of normal samples only 17% lie outside the range of the stress-strain behaviour of normal samples. We conclude that the extent of the variability in the properties of normal samples, and the degree of overlap (81%) of the biomechanical properties of normal and degraded matrices demonstrate that indentation data cannot form an accurate basis for distinguishing normal from abnormal articular cartilage samples with consequences for the application of this mechanical process in the clinical environment.

Thyroid function tests in the reference range and fracture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Aubert, Carole E.; Floriani, Carmen; Bauer, Douglas C.

2017-01-01

-vertebral, and vertebral fractures. Results were presented as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) adjusted for age and sex. For clinical relevance, we studied TSH according to five categories: 0.45-0.99mIU/L; 1.00-1.49mIU/L; 1.50-2.49mIU/L; 2.50-3.49mIU/L; 3.50-4.49mIU/L (reference). FT4 was assessed...

Reference Assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Bivens-Tatum, Wayne

2006-01-01

This article presents interesting articles that explore several different areas of reference assessment, including practical case studies and theoretical articles that address a range of issues such as librarian behavior, patron satisfaction, virtual reference, or evaluation design. They include: (1) "Evaluating the Quality of a Chat Service"…

Haemostatic reference intervals in pregnancy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Szecsi, Pal Bela; Jørgensen, Maja; Klajnbard, Anna

2010-01-01

Haemostatic reference intervals are generally based on samples from non-pregnant women. Thus, they may not be relevant to pregnant women, a problem that may hinder accurate diagnosis and treatment of haemostatic disorders during pregnancy. In this study, we establish gestational age-specific refe......Haemostatic reference intervals are generally based on samples from non-pregnant women. Thus, they may not be relevant to pregnant women, a problem that may hinder accurate diagnosis and treatment of haemostatic disorders during pregnancy. In this study, we establish gestational age......-specific reference intervals for coagulation tests during normal pregnancy. Eight hundred one women with expected normal pregnancies were included in the study. Of these women, 391 had no complications during pregnancy, vaginal delivery, or postpartum period. Plasma samples were obtained at gestational weeks 13......-20, 21-28, 29-34, 35-42, at active labor, and on postpartum days 1 and 2. Reference intervals for each gestational period using only the uncomplicated pregnancies were calculated in all 391 women for activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), fibrinogen, fibrin D-dimer, antithrombin, free protein S...

Reference miRNAs for miRNAome analysis of urothelial carcinomas.

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Nadine Ratert

Full Text Available BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVE: Reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR is widely used in microRNA (miRNA expression studies on cancer. To compensate for the analytical variability produced by the multiple steps of the method, relative quantification of the measured miRNAs is required, which is based on normalization to endogenous reference genes. No study has been performed so far on reference miRNAs for normalization of miRNA expression in urothelial carcinoma. The aim of this study was to identify suitable reference miRNAs for miRNA expression studies by RT-qPCR in urothelial carcinoma. METHODS: Candidate reference miRNAs were selected from 24 urothelial carcinoma and normal bladder tissue samples by miRNA microarrays. The usefulness of these candidate reference miRNAs together with the commonly for normalization purposes used small nuclear RNAs RNU6B, RNU48, and Z30 were thereafter validated by RT-qPCR in 58 tissue samples and analyzed by the algorithms geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Based on the miRNA microarray data, a total of 16 miRNAs were identified as putative reference genes. After validation by RT-qPCR, miR-101, miR-125a-5p, miR-148b, miR-151-5p, miR-181a, miR-181b, miR-29c, miR-324-3p, miR-424, miR-874, RNU6B, RNU48, and Z30 were used for geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper analyses that gave different combinations of recommended reference genes for normalization. CONCLUSIONS: The present study provided the first systematic analysis for identifying suitable reference miRNAs for miRNA expression studies of urothelial carcinoma by RT-qPCR. Different combinations of reference genes resulted in reliable expression data for both strongly and less strongly altered miRNAs. Notably, RNU6B, which is the most frequently used reference gene for miRNA studies, gave inaccurate normalization. The combination of four (miR-101, miR-125a-5p, miR-148b, and miR-151-5p or three (miR-148b, miR-181b, and miR-874

Congenital anomalies and normal skeletal variants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guebert, G.M.; Yochum, T.R.; Rowe, L.J.

1987-01-01

Congenital anomalies and normal skeletal variants are a common occurrence in clinical practice. In this chapter a large number of skeletal anomalies of the spine and pelvis are reviewed. Some of the more common skeletal anomalies of the extremities are also presented. The second section of this chapter deals with normal skeletal variants. Some of these variants may simulate certain disease processes. In some instances there are no clear-cut distinctions between skeletal variants and anomalies; therefore, there may be some overlap of material. The congenital anomalies are presented initially with accompanying text, photos, and references, beginning with the skull and proceeding caudally through the spine to then include the pelvis and extremities. The normal skeletal variants section is presented in an anatomical atlas format without text or references

Localized Energy-Based Normalization of Medical Images: Application to Chest Radiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Philipsen, R H H M; Maduskar, P; Hogeweg, L; Melendez, J; Sánchez, C I; van Ginneken, B

2015-09-01

Automated quantitative analysis systems for medical images often lack the capability to successfully process images from multiple sources. Normalization of such images prior to further analysis is a possible solution to this limitation. This work presents a general method to normalize medical images and thoroughly investigates its effectiveness for chest radiography (CXR). The method starts with an energy decomposition of the image in different bands. Next, each band's localized energy is scaled to a reference value and the image is reconstructed. We investigate iterative and local application of this technique. The normalization is applied iteratively to the lung fields on six datasets from different sources, each comprising 50 normal CXRs and 50 abnormal CXRs. The method is evaluated in three supervised computer-aided detection tasks related to CXR analysis and compared to two reference normalization methods. In the first task, automatic lung segmentation, the average Jaccard overlap significantly increased from 0.72±0.30 and 0.87±0.11 for both reference methods to with normalization. The second experiment was aimed at segmentation of the clavicles. The reference methods had an average Jaccard index of 0.57±0.26 and 0.53±0.26; with normalization this significantly increased to . The third experiment was detection of tuberculosis related abnormalities in the lung fields. The average area under the Receiver Operating Curve increased significantly from 0.72±0.14 and 0.79±0.06 using the reference methods to with normalization. We conclude that the normalization can be successfully applied in chest radiography and makes supervised systems more generally applicable to data from different sources.

Biochemical reference intervals and intestinal microflora of free-ranging Ricord's iguanas (Cyclura ricordii).

Science.gov (United States)

Maria, Roberto; Ramer, Jan; Reichard, Tim; Tolson, Peter J; Christopher, Mary M

2007-09-01

Caribbean iguanas, including the Ricord's iguana (Cyclura ricordii) are ranked as critically endangered on the International Union of the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. The taxon is endemic to Hispaniola, where it inhabits xeric lowlands and is found in a very limited range in two subpopulations in the southwestern area of the island. The goals of this study were to obtain and analyze plasma biochemical and intestinal microbiological data from Ricord's iguanas in the subpopulation of the Neiba Valley, on Cabritos Island National Park, Dominican Republic, and to establish biochemical reference intervals. A total of 23 blood samples from clinically healthy iguanas (16 males, 7 females) and 14 fecal samples from clinically healthy iguanas were analyzed. Adult female iguanas had higher concentrations of cholesterol, phosphorus, triglycerides, urea, uric acid, and aspartate transaminase activity compared with male iguanas, although the difference was not statistically significant. Seventeen bacterial isolates were obtained, including: Salmonella sp. (serogroup B; serogroup D negative) Escherichia coli, Brevibacterium sp., Enterobacter cloacae, and Enterococcus durans. These data will help contribute to the management and recovery of Ricord's iguana populations.

Thyroid Function Variations Within the Reference Range Do Not Affect Quality of Life, Mood, or Cognitive Function in Community-Dwelling Older Men.

Science.gov (United States)

Samuels, Mary H; Kaimal, Rajani; Waring, Avantika; Fink, Howard A; Yaffe, Kristine; Hoffman, Andrew R; Orwoll, Eric; Bauer, Douglas

2016-09-01

Variations in thyroid function within the laboratory reference range have been associated with a number of clinical outcomes. However, quality of life, mood, and cognitive function have not been extensively studied, and it is not clear whether mild variations in thyroid function have major effects on these neurocognitive outcomes. Data were analyzed from the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men (MrOS) Study, a cohort of community-dwelling men aged 65 years and older in the United States. A total of 539 participants who were not taking thyroid medications and had age-adjusted TSH levels within the reference range underwent detailed testing of quality of life, mood, and cognitive function at baseline. The same quality of life, mood, and cognitive outcomes were measured again in 193 of the men after a mean follow-up of 6 years. Outcomes were analyzed using thyrotropin (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels as continuous independent variables, adjusting for relevant covariates. At baseline, there were no associations between TSH or FT4 levels and measures of quality of life, mood, or cognition in the 539 euthyroid men. Baseline thyroid function did not predict changes in these outcomes over a mean of 6 years in the 193 men in the longitudinal analysis. Variations in thyroid function within the age-adjusted laboratory reference range are not associated with variations in quality of life, mood, or cognitive function in community-dwelling older men.

Cloning and evaluation of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR analysis in Amorphophallus

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Kai Wang

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR has been widely used in the detection and quantification of gene expression levels because of its high accuracy, sensitivity, and reproducibility as well as its large dynamic range. However, the reliability and accuracy of RT-qPCR depends on accurate transcript normalization using stably expressed reference genes. Amorphophallus is a perennial plant with a high content of konjac glucomannan (KGM in its corm. This crop has been used as a food source and as a traditional medicine for thousands of years. Without adequate knowledge of gene expression profiles, there has been no report of validated reference genes in Amorphophallus. In this study, nine genes that are usually used as reference genes in other crops were selected as candidate reference genes. These putative sequences of these genes Amorphophallus were cloned by the use of degenerate primers. The expression stability of each gene was assessed in different tissues and under two abiotic stresses (heat and waterlogging in A. albus and A. konjac. Three distinct algorithms were used to evaluate the expression stability of the candidate reference genes. The results demonstrated that EF1-a, EIF4A, H3 and UBQ were the best reference genes under heat stress in Amorphophallus. Furthermore, EF1-a, EIF4A, TUB, and RP were the best reference genes in waterlogged conditions. By comparing different tissues from all samples, we determined that EF1-α, EIF4A, and CYP were stable in these sets. In addition, the suitability of these reference genes was confirmed by validating the expression of a gene encoding the small heat shock protein SHSP, which is related to heat stress in Amorphophallus. In sum, EF1-α and EIF4A were the two best reference genes for normalizing mRNA levels in different tissues and under various stress treatments, and we suggest using one of these genes in combination with 1 or 2 reference genes associated with different

Selection of internal reference genes for normalization of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis in the rumen epithelium.

Science.gov (United States)

Die, Jose V; Baldwin, Ransom L; Rowland, Lisa J; Li, Robert; Oh, Sunghee; Li, Congjun; Connor, Erin E; Ranilla, Maria-Jose

2017-01-01

The rumen is lined on the luminal side by a stratified squamous epithelium that is responsible for not only absorption, but also transport, extensive short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolism and protection. Butyrate has been demonstrated to initiate the differentiation of the tissue following introduction of solid feed to the weaning neonate as well as affecting the metabolism of other nutrients and absorption of nutrients in in vitro experiments. The objective of the present study was to validate expression stability of eight putative reference genes bovine rumen, considering the intrinsic heterogeneity of bovine rumen with regard to different luminal characteristics due to direct infusion of butyrate to double the intra-ruminal content of the rumen liquor. Our focus was on identifying stable reference genes which are suitable to normalize real-time RT-qPCR experiments from rumen samples collected from clinical assays, irrespective of localization within the organ and the across physiological state. The most stably expressed genes included: ACTB, UXT, DBNDD2, RPS9, DDX54 and HMBS. Their high stability values suggest these reference genes will facilitate better evaluation of variation of across an array of conditions including: localization within the rumen, differences among cattle fed an array of rations, as well as response to development in the weaning animal. Moreover, we anticipate these reference genes may be useful for expression studies in other ruminants.

Selection of internal reference genes for normalization of reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR analysis in the rumen epithelium.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose V Die

Full Text Available The rumen is lined on the luminal side by a stratified squamous epithelium that is responsible for not only absorption, but also transport, extensive short-chain fatty acid (SCFA metabolism and protection. Butyrate has been demonstrated to initiate the differentiation of the tissue following introduction of solid feed to the weaning neonate as well as affecting the metabolism of other nutrients and absorption of nutrients in in vitro experiments. The objective of the present study was to validate expression stability of eight putative reference genes bovine rumen, considering the intrinsic heterogeneity of bovine rumen with regard to different luminal characteristics due to direct infusion of butyrate to double the intra-ruminal content of the rumen liquor. Our focus was on identifying stable reference genes which are suitable to normalize real-time RT-qPCR experiments from rumen samples collected from clinical assays, irrespective of localization within the organ and the across physiological state. The most stably expressed genes included: ACTB, UXT, DBNDD2, RPS9, DDX54 and HMBS. Their high stability values suggest these reference genes will facilitate better evaluation of variation of across an array of conditions including: localization within the rumen, differences among cattle fed an array of rations, as well as response to development in the weaning animal. Moreover, we anticipate these reference genes may be useful for expression studies in other ruminants.

Normalizing acronyms and abbreviations to aid patient understanding of clinical texts: ShARe/CLEF eHealth Challenge 2013, Task 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Mowery, Danielle L; South, Brett R; Christensen, Lee; Leng, Jianwei; Peltonen, Laura-Maria; Salanterä, Sanna; Suominen, Hanna; Martinez, David; Velupillai, Sumithra; Elhadad, Noémie; Savova, Guergana; Pradhan, Sameer; Chapman, Wendy W

2016-07-01

The ShARe/CLEF eHealth challenge lab aims to stimulate development of natural language processing and information retrieval technologies to aid patients in understanding their clinical reports. In clinical text, acronyms and abbreviations, also referenced as short forms, can be difficult for patients to understand. For one of three shared tasks in 2013 (Task 2), we generated a reference standard of clinical short forms normalized to the Unified Medical Language System. This reference standard can be used to improve patient understanding by linking to web sources with lay descriptions of annotated short forms or by substituting short forms with a more simplified, lay term. In this study, we evaluate 1) accuracy of participating systems' normalizing short forms compared to a majority sense baseline approach, 2) performance of participants' systems for short forms with variable majority sense distributions, and 3) report the accuracy of participating systems' normalizing shared normalized concepts between the test set and the Consumer Health Vocabulary, a vocabulary of lay medical terms. The best systems submitted by the five participating teams performed with accuracies ranging from 43 to 72 %. A majority sense baseline approach achieved the second best performance. The performance of participating systems for normalizing short forms with two or more senses with low ambiguity (majority sense greater than 80 %) ranged from 52 to 78 % accuracy, with two or more senses with moderate ambiguity (majority sense between 50 and 80 %) ranged from 23 to 57 % accuracy, and with two or more senses with high ambiguity (majority sense less than 50 %) ranged from 2 to 45 % accuracy. With respect to the ShARe test set, 69 % of short form annotations contained common concept unique identifiers with the Consumer Health Vocabulary. For these 2594 possible annotations, the performance of participating systems ranged from 50 to 75 % accuracy. Short form normalization continues

Hepatic aminotransferases of normal and IUGR fetuses in cord blood at birth.

Science.gov (United States)

Kocylowski, Rafal; Dubiel, Mariusz; Gudmundsson, Saemundur; Fritzer, Elfriede; Kiserud, Torvid; von Kaisenberg, Constantin

2012-07-01

The accepted standard for assessing the wellbeing of the newborn is the Apgar score and blood gas analysis. However, the prediction of neonatal morbidity or mortality is limited. In small-for-gestation (SGA) fetuses at 18-38 weeks of gestation, pO(2) is normals. To test the hypothesis, that fetuses with intra uterine growth restriction (IUGR) have elevated AST (GOT) and ALT (GPT) aminotransferases as a result of hypoxic liver cell injury, and to establish references ranges. Prospective cohort study, serum of umbilical artery (n=156) and vein (n=180), 599 normal singletons at 37(+0)-42(+0)weeks, neonates with IUGR (n=41), analysis for pH, birthweight and maternal weight, spontaneous vs cesarean section, vein vs artery and for the sex. Aspartate aminotransferase (AST, GOT) and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT, GPT) were measured in normals and IUGR neonates. Neonates with IUGR (n=41) had AST values that were not different from the reference group, but had significantly lower ALT (-1.49, 95% CI -1.98 to -1.00 vs 0.14, 95% CI -0.42-0.13), (pblood were not elevated. Rather, a substantially reduced ALT suggests a down-regulated hepatic activity. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of SUVs normalized by lean body mass determined by CT with those normalized by lean body mass estimated by predictive equations in normal tissues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Woo Hyoung; Kim, Chang Guhn; Kim, Dae Weung [Wonkwang Univ. School of Medicine, Iksan (Korea, Republic of)

2012-09-15

Standardized uptake values (SUVs)normalized by lean body mass (LBM)determined by CT were compared with those normalized by LBM estimated using predictive equations (PEs)in normal liver, spleen, and aorta using {sup 18}F FDG PET/CT. Fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F FDG)positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)was conducted on 453 patients. LBM determined by CT was defined in 3 ways (LBM{sup CT1}-3). Five PEs were used for comparison (LBM{sup PE1}-5). Tissue SUV normalized by LBM (SUL) was calculated using LBM from each method (SUL{sup CT1}-3, SUL{sup PE1}-5). Agreement between methods was assessed by Bland Altman analysis. Percentage difference and percentage error were also calculated. For all liver SUL{sup CTS} vs. liver SUL{sup PES} except liver SUL{sup PE3}, the range of biases, SDs of percentage difference and percentage errors were -0.17-0.24 SUL, 6.15-10.17%, and 25.07-38.91%, respectively. For liver SUL{sup CTs} vs. liver SUL{sup PE3}, the corresponding figures were 0.47-0.69 SUL, 10.90-11.25%, and 50.85-51.55%, respectively, showing the largest percentage errors and positive biases. Irrespective of magnitudes of the biases, large percentage errors of 25.07-51.55% were observed between liver SUL{sup CT1}-3 and liver SUL{sup PE1}-5. The results of spleen and aorta SUL{sup CTs} and SUL{sup PEs} comparison were almost identical to those for liver. The present study demonstrated substantial errors in individual SUL{sup PEs} compared with SUL{sup CTs} as a reference value. Normalization of SUV by LBM determined by CT rather than PEs may be a useful approach to reduce errors in individual SUL{sup PEs}.

Comparison of SUVs normalized by lean body mass determined by CT with those normalized by lean body mass estimated by predictive equations in normal tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Woo Hyoung; Kim, Chang Guhn; Kim, Dae Weung

2012-01-01

Standardized uptake values (SUVs)normalized by lean body mass (LBM)determined by CT were compared with those normalized by LBM estimated using predictive equations (PEs)in normal liver, spleen, and aorta using 18 F FDG PET/CT. Fluorine 18 fluorodeoxyglucose (F FDG)positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT)was conducted on 453 patients. LBM determined by CT was defined in 3 ways (LBM CT1 -3). Five PEs were used for comparison (LBM PE1 -5). Tissue SUV normalized by LBM (SUL) was calculated using LBM from each method (SUL CT1 -3, SUL PE1 -5). Agreement between methods was assessed by Bland Altman analysis. Percentage difference and percentage error were also calculated. For all liver SUL CTS vs. liver SUL PES except liver SUL PE3 , the range of biases, SDs of percentage difference and percentage errors were -0.17-0.24 SUL, 6.15-10.17%, and 25.07-38.91%, respectively. For liver SUL CTs vs. liver SUL PE3 , the corresponding figures were 0.47-0.69 SUL, 10.90-11.25%, and 50.85-51.55%, respectively, showing the largest percentage errors and positive biases. Irrespective of magnitudes of the biases, large percentage errors of 25.07-51.55% were observed between liver SUL CT1 -3 and liver SUL PE1 -5. The results of spleen and aorta SUL CTs and SUL PEs comparison were almost identical to those for liver. The present study demonstrated substantial errors in individual SUL PEs compared with SUL CTs as a reference value. Normalization of SUV by LBM determined by CT rather than PEs may be a useful approach to reduce errors in individual SUL PEs

Regional reference values of thyroid gland volume in Turkish Adults.

Science.gov (United States)

Şahin, Ertan; Elboğa, Umut; Kalender, Ebuzer

2015-01-01

It is important to know the size of the thyroid gland, and its normal value may vary among different geographic regions. In this study, we aimed to establish reference ranges for thyroid volume in euthyroid adults and to compare these results with the literature data. Between June 2011 and June 2012,461 patients with normal laboratory results (serum TSH, anti-TG, anti-TPO antibodies and urine iodine level) that underwent thyroid gland ultrasound examination were retrospectively analyzed.Two hundred and 92 patients were females and 169 were males; the age range was 18-61 years with mean age 30.84±9.97 years. Length, breadth and thickness were measured, and the volume of each lobe was estimated using the ellipsoid formula. The overall mean thyroid volume in all patients who were examined was 12.98±2.53 mL. The mean thyroid volume in females and males was 12.09±2.05 mL and 14.53±2.55, respectively (pbody surface area of the subjects of both sexes (pcountry.

Upon delineation of normal thyroid from diffuse goiter by terminal thumb phalanx measurement and thyroid scintiscan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoenle, R.

1987-01-01

In 265 euthyroid patients the terminal thumb phalanx was measured for estimation of a normal thyroid according to the WHO rules of a normal thyroid. The results show up that hitherto published values of a normal thyroid seem to be too high and should be re-evaluated. This is confirmed by comparison with thyroid scans of 28 patients who were normal by WHO criteria, as length and width of the thyroidal lobe as well as the calculated thyroid volume were below or in the lower range of the hitherto published data of a normal thyroid. For delineation of a normal thyroid the average size of the terminal thumb phalanx seems to be less valuable, as in one third of the cases there was no concordance with the WHO rule. The measurement of the terminal thumb phalanx by ruler as a reference value is simple and fast to be performed. (orig.) [de

Fourier phase analysis on equilibrium gated radionuclide ventriculography: range of phase spread and cut-off limits in normal individuals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ramaiah, Vijayaraghavan L.; Harish, B.; Sunil, H.V.; Selvakumar, Job; Ravi Kishore, A.G.; Nair, Gopinathan

2011-01-01

To define the range of phase spread on equilibrium gated radionuclide ventriculography (ERNV) in normal individuals and derive the cut-off limit for the parameters to detect cardiac dyssynchrony. ERNV was carried out in 30 individuals (age 53±23 years, 25 males and 5 females) who had no history of cardiovascular disease. They all had normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF 55-70%) as determined by echocardiography, were in sinus rhythm, with normal QRS duration (≤120 msec) and normal coronary angiography. First harmonic phase analysis was performed on scintigraphic data acquired in best septal view. Left and right ventricular standard deviation (LVSD and RVSD, respectively) and interventricular mechanical delay (IVMD), the absolute difference of mean phase angles of right and left ventricle, were computed and expressed in milliseconds. Mean + 3 standard deviation (SD) was used to derive the cut-off limits. Average LVEF and duration of cardiac cycle in the study group were 62.5%±5.44% and 868.9±114.5 msec, respectively. The observations of LVSD, RVSD and right and left ventricular mean phase angles were shown to be normally distributed by Shapiro-Wilk test. Cut-off limits for LVSD, RVSD and IVMD were calculated to be 80 msec, 85 msec and 75 msec, respectively. Fourier phase analysis on ERNV is an effective tool for the evaluation of synchronicity of cardiac contraction. The cut-off limits of parameters of dyssynchrony can be used to separate heart failure patients with cardiac dyssynchrony from those without. ERNV can be used to select patients for cardiac resynchronization therapy. (author)

Standard test method for determination of reference temperature, to, for ferritic steels in the transition range

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2011-01-01

1.1 This test method covers the determination of a reference temperature, To, which characterizes the fracture toughness of ferritic steels that experience onset of cleavage cracking at elastic, or elastic-plastic KJc instabilities, or both. The specific types of ferritic steels (3.2.1) covered are those with yield strengths ranging from 275 to 825 MPa (40 to 120 ksi) and weld metals, after stress-relief annealing, that have 10 % or less strength mismatch relative to that of the base metal. 1.2 The specimens covered are fatigue precracked single-edge notched bend bars, SE(B), and standard or disk-shaped compact tension specimens, C(T) or DC(T). A range of specimen sizes with proportional dimensions is recommended. The dimension on which the proportionality is based is specimen thickness. 1.3 Median KJc values tend to vary with the specimen type at a given test temperature, presumably due to constraint differences among the allowable test specimens in 1.2. The degree of KJc variability among specimen types i...

Blood Chemistry Reference Values for Free-Ranging Asiatic Black Bears ( Ursus thibetanus) by Season, Age, and Sex.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jeong-Jin; Jeong, Dong-Hyuk; Lim, Yoon-Kyu

2018-04-19

Physiological characteristics, such as blood chemistry values, are valuable for evaluating the health of the animals. To our knowledge, these values have never been reported for the free-ranging Asiatic black bear ( Ursus thibetanus; ABB). Thus, 28 blood chemistry values from 50 free-ranging ABBs captured in Jirisan National Park, Republic of Korea, from 2005 to 2016 were evaluated. The aim of this study was to establish blood chemistry reference values for the free-ranging ABBs during both the hibernating and nonhibernating seasons. During hibernation, mean values of creatinine (CRE), total cholesterol, total protein (TP), albumin (ALB), triglycerides, and Mg were significantly higher than those during nonhibernation; however, mean values of blood urea nitrogen, urea nitrogen to creatinine (U/C) ratio, inorganic phosphorous (IP), aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, gamma-glutamyl transferase, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) were significantly lower. Age differences (young vs. adult) were found in IP, LDH, TP, and ALB values during hibernation and in the U/C ratio, Ca, IP, ALP, creatine kinase myocardial band, CRE, total bilirubin, and uric acid values during nonhibernation. However, there were no sex differences (male vs. female).

Reference Value Advisor: a new freeware set of macroinstructions to calculate reference intervals with Microsoft Excel.

Science.gov (United States)

Geffré, Anne; Concordet, Didier; Braun, Jean-Pierre; Trumel, Catherine

2011-03-01

International recommendations for determination of reference intervals have been recently updated, especially for small reference sample groups, and use of the robust method and Box-Cox transformation is now recommended. Unfortunately, these methods are not included in most software programs used for data analysis by clinical laboratories. We have created a set of macroinstructions, named Reference Value Advisor, for use in Microsoft Excel to calculate reference limits applying different methods. For any series of data, Reference Value Advisor calculates reference limits (with 90% confidence intervals [CI]) using a nonparametric method when n≥40 and by parametric and robust methods from native and Box-Cox transformed values; tests normality of distributions using the Anderson-Darling test and outliers using Tukey and Dixon-Reed tests; displays the distribution of values in dot plots and histograms and constructs Q-Q plots for visual inspection of normality; and provides minimal guidelines in the form of comments based on international recommendations. The critical steps in determination of reference intervals are correct selection of as many reference individuals as possible and analysis of specimens in controlled preanalytical and analytical conditions. Computing tools cannot compensate for flaws in selection and size of the reference sample group and handling and analysis of samples. However, if those steps are performed properly, Reference Value Advisor, available as freeware at http://www.biostat.envt.fr/spip/spip.php?article63, permits rapid assessment and comparison of results calculated using different methods, including currently unavailable methods. This allows for selection of the most appropriate method, especially as the program provides the CI of limits. It should be useful in veterinary clinical pathology when only small reference sample groups are available. ©2011 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Potential for waist-to-height ratio to detect overfat adolescents from a Pacific Island, even those within the normal BMI range.

Science.gov (United States)

Frayon, Stéphane; Cavaloc, Yolande; Wattelez, Guillaume; Cherrier, Sophie; Lerrant, Yannick; Ashwell, Margaret; Galy, Olivier

2017-12-15

Waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) is a simple anthropometric proxy for central body fat; it is easy to use from a health education perspective. A WHtR value >0.5 has been proposed as a first level indicator of health risk. The first aim of this study was to compare WHtR with values based on body mass index (BMI) in their prediction of the percentage of body fat (%BF) in a multi-ethnic population of adolescents from New-Caledonia (age 11-16year). Secondly, to see whether WHtR >0.5 could be used to detect overfat subjects whose BMI was in the normal range. Body fat percentage (%BF, based on skinfold measurements), BMI and WHtR were calculated for New Caledonian adolescents from different ethnic backgrounds. The relationship between %BF, BMI and WHtR was determined using quadratic models and from linear regression equations. The sensitivity and specificity of WHtR for detecting overfat adolescents (%BF >25% in boys and >30% in girls) were assessed and compared with those from the BMI-based classification. WHtR showed better correlation with %BF than BMI-based measurements. WHtR >0.5 was also more accurate than BMI in detecting overfat adolescents. Moreover, using this boundary value, 8% of adolescents in the normal BMI range were shown to be over-fat. WHtR is a good anthropometric proxy to detect overfat adolescents. Detecting overfat adolescents within the normal BMI range is particularly important for preventing non communicable diseases. We therefore recommend using WHtR for health education programs in the Pacific area and more generally. Copyright © 2017 Asia Oceania Association for the Study of Obesity. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High serum bicarbonate level within the normal range prevents the progression of chronic kidney disease in elderly chronic kidney disease patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kanda Eiichiro

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Metabolic acidosis leads to chronic kidney disease (CKD progression. The guidelines recommend a lower limit of serum bicarbonate level, but no upper limit. For serum bicarbonate level to be clinically useful as a therapeutic target marker, it is necessary to investigate the target serum bicarbonate level within the normal range to prevent CKD progression. Methods One hundred and thirteen elderly CKD patients, whose serum bicarbonate level was controlled within the normal range, were enrolled in this retrospective cohort study in Ibaraki, Japan. Outcome was defined as a decrease of 25% or more in estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR or starting dialysis. We used Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for patients’ characteristics to examine the association between serum bicarbonate level and the outcome. Results Female patients were 36.3%: average age (SD, 70.4 (6.6 years; eGFR, 25.7 (13.6 ml/min/1.73 m2; serum bicarbonate level, 27.4 (3.2 mEq/l. Patients with the lowest quartile of serum bicarbonate levels [23.4 (1.8 mEq/l] showed a high risk of CKD progression compared with patients with high serum bicarbonate levels [28.8 (2.3 mEq/l]: adjusted hazard ratio (HR, 3.511 (95% CI, 1.342-9.186. A 1 mEq/l increase in serum bicarbonate level was associated with a low risk of CKD progression: adjusted HR, 0.791 [95% confidence interval (CI, 0.684-0.914]. Conclusions In elderly CKD patients, our findings suggest that serum bicarbonate level is independently associated with CKD progression, and that a high serum bicarbonate level is associated with a low risk of CKD progression. A high target serum bicarbonate level within the normal range may be effective for preventing CKD progression.

Application of Haralick texture features in brain [18F]-florbetapir positron emission tomography without reference region normalization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Campbell DL

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Desmond L Campbell,1 Hakmook Kang,2 Sepideh Shokouhi1 On behalf of The Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative 1Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, 2Department of Biostatistics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt University Institute of Imaging Science, Nashville, TN, USA Objectives: Semi-quantitative image analysis methods in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD require normalization of positron emission tomography (PET images. However, recent studies have found variabilities associated with reference region selection of amyloid PET images. Haralick features (HFs generated from the Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM quantify spatial characteristics of amyloid PET radiotracer uptake without the need for intensity normalization. The objective of this study is to calculate several HFs in different diagnostic groups and determine the group differences.Methods: All image and metadata were acquired through the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative database. Subjects were grouped in three ways: by clinical diagnosis, by APOE e4 allele, and by Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog score. Several GLCM matrices were calculated for different direction and distances (1–4 mm from multiple regions on PET images. The HFs, contrast, correlation, dissimilarity, energy, entropy, and homogeneity, were calculated from these GLCMs. Wilcoxon tests and Student t-tests were performed on Haralick features and standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR values, respectively, to determine group differences. In addition to statistical testing, receiver operating characteristic (ROC curves were generated to determine the discrimination performance of the selected regional HFs and the SUVR values.Results: Preliminary results from statistical testing indicate that HFs were capable of distinguishing groups at baseline and follow-up (false discovery rate corrected p<0.05 in particular regions at much higher

Determination of toxic trace elements in body fluid reference samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gills, T.E.; McClendon, L.T.; Maienthal, E.J.; Becker, D.A.; Durst, R.A.; LaFleur, P.D.

1974-01-01

The measurement of elemental concentration in body fluids has been widely used to give indication of exposures to certain toxic materials and/or a measure of body burden. To understand fully the toxicological effect of these trace elements on our physiological system, meaningful analytical data are required along with accurate standards or reference samples. The National Bureau of Standards has prepared for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) a number of reference samples containing selected toxic trace elements in body fluids. The reference samples produced include mercury in urine at three concentration levels, five elements (Se, Cu, As, Ni and Cr) in freeze-dried urine at two levels, fluorine in freeze-dried urine at two levels and lead in blood at two concentration levels. These reference samples have been found to be extremely useful for the evaluation of field and laboratory analytical methods for the analysis of toxic trace elements. In particular the use of at least two calibration points (i.e., ''normal'' and ''elevated'' levels) for a given matrix provides a more positive calibration for most analytical techniques over the range of interest for occupational toxicological levels of exposure. (U.S.)

Round robin testing of thermal conductivity reference materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hulstrom, L.C.; Tye, R.P.; Smith, S.E.

1985-07-01

The Basalt Waste Isolation Project (BWIP), operated by Rockwell Hanford Operations, has a need to determine the thermal properties of basalt in the region being considered for a nuclear waste repository in basalt. Experimental data on thermal conductivity and its variation with temperature are information required for the characterization of basalt. To establish thermal conductivity values for the reference materials, an interlaboratory measurements program was undertaken. The program was planned to meet the objectives of performing an experimental characterization of the new stock and providing a detailed analysis of the results such that reference values of thermal conductivity could be determined. This program of measurements of the thermal conductivity of Pyrex 7740 and Pyroceram 9606 has produced recommended values that are within +- 1% of those accepted previously. These measurements together with those of density indicate that the present lots of material are similar to those previously available. Pyrex 7740 and Pyroceram 9606 can continue to be used with confidence as thermal conductivity reference materials for studies on rocks and minerals and other materials of similar thermal conductivity. The uncertainty range for Pyrex 7740 and Pyroceram 9606 up to 300 0 C is +- 10.3% and +- 5.6%, respectively. This range is similar to that indicated for the previously recommended values proposed some 18 years ago. It would appear that the overall state of the art in thermal conductivity measurements for materials in this range has changed little in the intervening years. The above uncertainties, which would have been greater had not three data sets been eliminated, are greater than those which are normally claimed for each individual method. Analyses of these differences through refinements in techniques and additional measurements to higher temperatures are required. 13 refs., 7 figs., 4 tabs

An atlas of normal skeletal scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flanagan, J.J.; Maisey, M.N.

1985-01-01

This atlas was compiled to provide the neophyte as well as the experienced radiologist and the nuclear medicine physician with a reference on normal skeletal scintigraphy as an aid in distinguishing normal variations in skeletal uptake from abnormal findings. Each skeletal scintigraph is labeled, and utilizing an identical scale, a relevant skeletal photograph and radiograph are placed adjacent to the scintigraph

Decrease in the CGG{sub n} trinucleotide repeat mutation of the fragile X syndrome to normal size range during paternal transmission

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vaeisaenen, M.L.; Haataja, R.; Leisti, J. [Oulu Univ. Hospital (Finland)

1996-09-01

The fragile X syndrome, the most common inherited form of mental retardation, is caused by the expansion of a CGG{sub n} trinucleotide repeat in the FMR-1 gene. Although the repeat number usually increases during transmission, few cases with reduction of an expanded CGG{sub n} repeat back to the normal size range have been reported. We describe for the first time a family in which such reduction has occurred in the paternal transmission. The paternal premutation ({Delta} = 300 hp) was not detected in one of the five daughters or in the son of this daughter, although he had the grandpaternal RFLP haplotype. Instead, fragments indicating the normal CGG{sub n} repeat size were seen on a Southern blot probed with StB12.3. PCR analysis of the CGG{sub n} repeat confirmed this; in addition to a maternal allele of 30 repeats, an allele of 34 repeats was detected in the daughter and, further, in her son. Sequencing of this new allele revealed a pure CGG{sub n} repeat configuration without AGG interruptions. No evidence for a somatic mosaicism of a premutation allele in the daughter or a normal allele in her father was detected when investigating DNA derived from blood lymphocytes and skin fibroblasts. Another unusual finding in this family was lack of the PCR product of the microsatellite marker RS46 (DXS548) in one of the grandmaternal X chromosomes, detected as incompatible inheritance of RS46 alleles. The results suggest an intergenerational reduction in the CGG{sub n} repeat from premutation size to the normal size range and stable transmission of the contracted repeat to the next generation. However, paternal germ-line mosaicism could not be excluded as an alternative explanation for the reverse mutation. 37 refs., 4 figs.

Reference values for paediatric pulmonary function testing: The Utrecht dataset.

Science.gov (United States)

Koopman, Marije; Zanen, Pieter; Kruitwagen, Cas L J J; van der Ent, Cornelis K; Arets, Hubertus G M

2011-01-01

Since populations evolve, measurement protocols and equipment improve and analysis techniques progress, there is an ongoing need to reassess reference data for pulmonary function tests. Furthermore, reference values for total lung capacity and carbon monoxide diffusion capacity are scarcely available in children. We aimed to provide updated reference equations for most commonly used pulmonary function indices in Caucasian children. In the 'Utrecht Pulmonary Function Reference Data Study' we collected data in Caucasian children aged 2-18 years. We analyzed them using the 'Generalized Additive Models for Location Scale and Shape' (GAMLSS) statistical method. Measurements of interrupter resistance (R(int)) (n = 877), spirometry (n = 1042), body plethysmography (n = 723) and carbon monoxide diffusion/helium dilution (n = 543) were obtained in healthy children. Height (or the natural logarithm of height) and age (or the natural logarithm of age) were both significantly related to most outcome measures. Also sex was a significant determinant, except for RV, RV/TLC, FRC(pleth), Raw(0,5), Raw(tot), R(int) and FEF values. The application of previously published reference equations on the study population resulted in misinterpretation of pulmonary function. These new paediatric reference equations provide accurate estimates of the range of normality for most commonly used pulmonary function indices, resulting in less underdiagnosis and overdiagnosis of pulmonary diseases. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pressure-flow characteristics of normal and disordered esophageal motor patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Singendonk, Maartje M J; Kritas, Stamatiki; Cock, Charles; Ferris, Lara F; McCall, Lisa; Rommel, Nathalie; van Wijk, Michiel P; Benninga, Marc A; Moore, David; Omari, Taher I

2015-03-01

To perform pressure-flow analysis (PFA) in a cohort of pediatric patients who were referred for diagnostic manometric investigation. PFA was performed using purpose designed Matlab-based software. The pressure-flow index (PFI), a composite measure of bolus pressurization relative to flow and the impedance ratio, a measure of the extent of bolus clearance failure were calculated. Tracings of 76 pediatric patients (32 males; 9.1 ± 0.7 years) and 25 healthy adult controls (7 males; 36.1 ± 2.2 years) were analyzed. Patients mostly had normal motility (50%) or a category 4 disorder and usually weak peristalsis (31.5%) according to the Chicago Classification. PFA of healthy controls defined reference ranges for PFI ≤142 and impedance ratio ≤0.49. Pediatric patients with pressure-flow (PF) characteristics within these limits had normal motility (62%), most patients with PF characteristics outside these limits also had an abnormal Chicago Classification (61%). Patients with high PFI and disordered motor patterns all had esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction. Disordered PF characteristics are associated with disordered esophageal motor patterns. By defining the degree of over-pressurization and/or extent of clearance failure, PFA may be a useful adjunct to esophageal pressure topography-based classification. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

rpb2 is a reliable reference gene for quantitative gene expression analysis in the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacob, Tiago R; Peres, Nalu T A; Persinoti, Gabriela F; Silva, Larissa G; Mazucato, Mendelson; Rossi, Antonio; Martinez-Rossi, Nilce M

2012-05-01

The selection of reference genes used for data normalization to quantify gene expression by real-time PCR amplifications (qRT-PCR) is crucial for the accuracy of this technique. In spite of this, little information regarding such genes for qRT-PCR is available for gene expression analyses in pathogenic fungi. Thus, we investigated the suitability of eight candidate reference genes in isolates of the human dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum subjected to several environmental challenges, such as drug exposure, interaction with human nail and skin, and heat stress. The stability of these genes was determined by geNorm, NormFinder and Best-Keeper programs. The gene with the most stable expression in the majority of the conditions tested was rpb2 (DNA-dependent RNA polymerase II), which was validated in three T. rubrum strains. Moreover, the combination of rpb2 and chs1 (chitin synthase) genes provided for the most reliable qRT-PCR data normalization in T. rubrum under a broad range of biological conditions. To the best of our knowledge this is the first report on the selection of reference genes for qRT-PCR data normalization in dermatophytes and the results of these studies should permit further analysis of gene expression under several experimental conditions, with improved accuracy and reliability.

Escuela Normal de Costa Rica: Historia y legado

OpenAIRE

Carvajal-Jiménez, Vivian; Ruiz-Badilla, Silvia

2016-01-01

On the centennial of the Escuela Normal (Normal School) of Costa Rica, this paper discusses its role and its legacy in teacher training. It is structured in three parts. Firstly, it presents a brief historical background of the origin and profile of normal schools in various parts of the world. Secondly, it describes the development of the Escuela Normal (Normal School) in Costa Rica, refers to various personalities and significant elements that have set the course and prestige of the institu...

Reference standard for serum bile acids in pregnancy.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

2012-01-31

Please cite this paper as: Egan N, Bartels A, Khashan A, Broadhurst D, Joyce C, O\\'Mullane J, O\\'Donoghue K. Reference standard for serum bile acids in pregnancy. BJOG 2012;00:000-000. DOI: 10.1111\\/j.1471-0528.2011.03245.x. Objective Obstetric cholestasis (OC) is a liver disorder characterised by pruritus and elevated serum bile acids (SBA) that affects one in 200 pregnant women. It is associated with adverse perinatal outcomes such as premature delivery and stillbirth. Mild OC is defined as SBA levels of 10-39 mumol\\/l, and severe OC is defined by levels >40 mumol\\/l. SBA levels in normal pregnancy have not been investigated. We aimed to establish reference values for SBA in healthy pregnant women across different trimesters of pregnancy. Design Cross-sectional analysis of SBA levels. Setting A large tertiary referral university teaching maternity hospital. Population Healthy pregnant women with a singleton pregnancy and a body mass index (BMI) < 40, excluding women with significant alcohol intake, history of liver disease, prior cholecystectomy and OC. Methods Cross-sectional analysis of SBA levels at 12, 20, 28 and 36 weeks of gestation, and on days 1-3 postpartum. Main outcome measures SBA levels in mumol\\/l. Results A total of 219 women attending for antenatal care were recruited, and SBA levels were assayed at 12, 20, 28 and 36 weeks of gestation, and up to 72 hours postpartum (n = 44-49 cases at each stage). The majority were white European women, with a median age of 30 years (range 17-46 years) and median BMI of 25 (range 18-38). Values of SBA ranged from 0.3 to 9.8 mumol\\/l in 216 women, with only three measurements outside this range. There were no significant changes throughout pregnancy. Conclusions SBA values in uncomplicated pregnancies are consistent, regardless of gestation, and are not elevated in pregnancy. The current reference values for the diagnosis of OC appear to be appropriate.

Who Is at Risk for Problematic Video Gaming? Risk Factors in Problematic Video Gaming in Clinically Referred Canadian Children and Adolescents

OpenAIRE

Chloe Lau; Shannon L. Stewart; Catalina Sarmiento; Donald H. Saklofske; Paul F. Tremblay

2018-01-01

Both Internet and offline video gaming have become a normal aspect of child development, with estimates of children playing video games ranging from 90% to 97%. Research on problematic video gaming (PVG) has grown substantially in the last decade. Much of that research has focused on community samples, while research on clinically referred children and youth is lacking. The present study includes 5820 clinically referred children and youth across 44 mental health agencies, assessed using the ...

Validation of reference genes for quantitative RT-PCR normalization in Suaeda aralocaspica, an annual halophyte with heteromorphism and C4 pathway without Kranz anatomy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Cao

2016-02-01

Full Text Available Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR is a powerful analytical technique for the measurement of gene expression, which depends on the stability of the reference gene used for data normalization. Suaeda aralocaspica, an annual halophyte with heteromorphic seeds and possessing C4 photosynthesis pathway without Kranz anatomy, is an ideal plant species to identify stress tolerance-related genes and compare relative expression at transcriptional level. So far, no molecular information is available for this species. In the present study, six traditionally used reference genes were selected and their expression stability in two types of seeds of S. aralocaspica under different experimental conditions was evaluated. Three analytical programs, geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper, were used to assess and rank the stability of reference gene expression. Results revealed that although some reference genes may display different transcriptional profiles between the two types of seeds, β-TUB and GAPDH appeared to be the most suitable references under different developmental stages and tissues. GAPDH was the appropriate reference gene under different germination time points and salt stress conditions, and ACTIN was suitable for various abiotic stress treatments for the two types of seeds. For all the sample pools, β-TUB served as the most stable reference gene, whereas 18S rRNA and 28S rRNA performed poorly and presented as the least stable genes in our study. UBQ seemed to be unsuitable as internal control under different salt treatments. In addition, the expression of a photosynthesis-related gene (PPDK of C4 pathway and a salt tolerance-related gene (SAT of S. aralocaspica were used to validate the best performance reference genes. This is the first systematic comparison of reference gene selection for qRT-PCR work in S. aralocaspica and these data will facilitate further studies on gene expression in this species

Thermal Conductance and High-Frequency Properties of Cryogenic Normal or Superconducting Semi-rigid Coaxial Cables in the Temperature Range of 1-8 K

Science.gov (United States)

Kushino, A.; Kasai, S.; Ukibe, M.; Ohkubo, M.

2018-04-01

In this study, the characteristics of thin semi-rigid cables composed of different conductors and with outer diameters ranging from 0.86 to 1.19 mm were investigated at low temperatures. The thermal conductance was measured between approximately 1 and 8 K, and the frequency dependence of the attenuation in the cables was obtained at 3 K. The electrical conductors used in the cables were alloys: beryllium copper, brass, stainless steel (SUS304), phosphor bronze, cupronickel (CuNi), and niobium-titanium (NbTi). The thermal conductance of a commercial miniature coaxial cable with braided wires forming the outer electrical conductor was also examined for reference. The measured thermal conductance was compared to published data and that generated from material libraries and databases. Among the measured cables using normal metals, the semi-rigid cable composed of SUS304 conductors and a polytetrafluoroethylene insulator showed the lowest thermal conductance. The transmission performance of the semi-rigid cables using SUS304 or CuNi was improved by plating the central conductors with a silver coating of approximately 3 μm thickness, and their thermal conductance with the plating increased by approximately one order of magnitude. The superconducting NbTi semi-rigid cable exhibited the lowest thermal conductance of all the cables considered in the present study along with very small attenuation up to above 5 GHz.

PV System Performance Evaluation by Clustering Production Data to Normal and Non-Normal Operation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tsafarakis, O.; Sinapis, K.; van Sark, W.G.J.H.M.

2018-01-01

The most common method for assessment of a photovoltaic (PV) system performance is by comparing its energy production to reference data (irradiance or neighboring PV system). Ideally, at normal operation, the compared sets of data tend to show a linear relationship. Deviations from this linearity

Reflectance Measures from Infant Ears With Normal Hearing and Transient Conductive Hearing Loss.

Science.gov (United States)

Voss, Susan E; Herrmann, Barbara S; Horton, Nicholas J; Amadei, Elizabeth A; Kujawa, Sharon G

2016-01-01

The objective is to develop methods to utilize newborn reflectance measures for the identification of middle-ear transient conditions (e.g., middle-ear fluid) during the newborn period and ultimately during the first few months of life. Transient middle-ear conditions are a suspected source of failure to pass a newborn hearing screening. The ability to identify a conductive loss during the screening procedure could enable the referred ear to be either (1) cleared of a middle-ear condition and recommended for more extensive hearing assessment as soon as possible, or (2) suspected of a transient middle-ear condition, and if desired, be rescreened before more extensive hearing assessment. Reflectance measurements are reported from full-term, healthy, newborn babies in which one ear referred and one ear passed an initial auditory brainstem response newborn hearing screening and a subsequent distortion product otoacoustic emission screening on the same day. These same subjects returned for a detailed follow-up evaluation at age 1 month (range 14 to 35 days). In total, measurements were made on 30 subjects who had a unilateral refer near birth (during their first 2 days of life) and bilateral normal hearing at follow-up (about 1 month old). Three specific comparisons were made: (1) Association of ear's state with power reflectance near birth (referred versus passed ear), (2) Changes in power reflectance of normal ears between newborn and 1 month old (maturation effects), and (3) Association of ear's newborn state (referred versus passed) with ear's power reflectance at 1 month. In addition to these measurements, a set of preliminary data selection criteria were developed to ensure that analyzed data were not corrupted by acoustic leaks and other measurement problems. Within 2 days of birth, the power reflectance measured in newborn ears with transient middle-ear conditions (referred newborn hearing screening and passed hearing assessment at age 1 month) was significantly

Reference-Free Assessment of Speech Intelligibility Using Bispectrum of an Auditory Neurogram

Science.gov (United States)

Hossain, Mohammad E.; Jassim, Wissam A.; Zilany, Muhammad S. A.

2016-01-01

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs due to damage to the inner and outer hair cells of the peripheral auditory system. Hearing loss can cause decreases in audibility, dynamic range, frequency and temporal resolution of the auditory system, and all of these effects are known to affect speech intelligibility. In this study, a new reference-free speech intelligibility metric is proposed using 2-D neurograms constructed from the output of a computational model of the auditory periphery. The responses of the auditory-nerve fibers with a wide range of characteristic frequencies were simulated to construct neurograms. The features of the neurograms were extracted using third-order statistics referred to as bispectrum. The phase coupling of neurogram bispectrum provides a unique insight for the presence (or deficit) of supra-threshold nonlinearities beyond audibility for listeners with normal hearing (or hearing loss). The speech intelligibility scores predicted by the proposed method were compared to the behavioral scores for listeners with normal hearing and hearing loss both in quiet and under noisy background conditions. The results were also compared to the performance of some existing methods. The predicted results showed a good fit with a small error suggesting that the subjective scores can be estimated reliably using the proposed neural-response-based metric. The proposed metric also had a wide dynamic range, and the predicted scores were well-separated as a function of hearing loss. The proposed metric successfully captures the effects of hearing loss and supra-threshold nonlinearities on speech intelligibility. This metric could be applied to evaluate the performance of various speech-processing algorithms designed for hearing aids and cochlear implants. PMID:26967160

Proposal for a new normalization reference in LCA based on “safe operating space”: presentation of framework and global factors at midpoint level

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjørn, Anders; Hauschild, Michael Zwicky

Planetary boundaries have been suggested for a range of environmental impacts,such as climate change, eutrophying nutrients and land use. The boundaries demarcate the safe operating space of humanity: Staying within the space ensures environmental sustainability, while exceeding it risks pushing...... ecosystems into alternative regimes, leading to adverse effects for humanity. Planetary boundaries can be applied as policy targets. To promote a societal development in the direction of these targets, an indicator system is needed that measures the fraction of the safe operating space that a given activity...... normalization factors in units compatible with characterized results at midpoint level in LCA. Our suggested framework allows expressing normalized results in units of “sustainable person years”. Normalization factors are derived by dividing the safe operating space by the global population. The proposed...

Development of self-image and its components during a one-year follow-up in non-referred adolescents with excess and normal weight.

Science.gov (United States)

Mäkinen, Mauno; Marttunen, Mauri; Komulainen, Erkki; Terevnikov, Viacheslav; Puukko-Viertomies, Leena-Riitta; Aalberg, Veikko; Lindberg, Nina

2015-01-01

The proportion of overweight and obese youths is high. The present study aimed to investigate the development of self-image and its components during a one-year follow-up among non-referred adolescents with excess and normal weight. Furthermore, we separately analyzed the data for girls and boys. Altogether 86 8(th) grades (41 girls and 45 boys) with a relative weight of 26% or more above the median and 91 controls (43 girls and 48 boys) with normal weight participated the follow-up. The Offer Self-Image Questionnaire, Revised (OSIQ-R) was used to assess self-image at baseline and on follow-up. In the OSIQ-R, a low total raw score implies positive adjustment, while a high raw score implies poor adjustment and a negative self-image. The study design was doubly correlated (pairs and time), and a linear mixed model was used in the statistical analysis. In OSIQ-R total scores, a comparative improvement was observed in girls with normal weight. Among these girls, significant change scores compared to zero were seen in impulse control, social functioning, vocational attitudes, self-confidence, self-reliance, body image, sexuality, and ethical values. In girls with excess weight, none of the change scores compared to zero were statistically significant. When the girls with normal and excess weight were compared, the difference in change scores was largest in sexuality and vocational attitudes. Change scores compared to zero were significant in sexuality and idealism for boys with excess weight, and in impulse control, mental health, self-reliance, and sexuality for normal weight boys. When the boys with excess and normal weight were compared, no statistically significant differences emerged in change scores. In mid-adolescent girls, the influence of overweight and obesity on the development of self-image is substantial. Weight management programs directed at overweight adolescent girls should include psychological interventions aiming to diminish self-image distress

Group normalization for genomic data.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghandi, Mahmoud; Beer, Michael A

2012-01-01

Data normalization is a crucial preliminary step in analyzing genomic datasets. The goal of normalization is to remove global variation to make readings across different experiments comparable. In addition, most genomic loci have non-uniform sensitivity to any given assay because of variation in local sequence properties. In microarray experiments, this non-uniform sensitivity is due to different DNA hybridization and cross-hybridization efficiencies, known as the probe effect. In this paper we introduce a new scheme, called Group Normalization (GN), to remove both global and local biases in one integrated step, whereby we determine the normalized probe signal by finding a set of reference probes with similar responses. Compared to conventional normalization methods such as Quantile normalization and physically motivated probe effect models, our proposed method is general in the sense that it does not require the assumption that the underlying signal distribution be identical for the treatment and control, and is flexible enough to correct for nonlinear and higher order probe effects. The Group Normalization algorithm is computationally efficient and easy to implement. We also describe a variant of the Group Normalization algorithm, called Cross Normalization, which efficiently amplifies biologically relevant differences between any two genomic datasets.

In search of suitable reference genes for gene expression studies of human renal cell carcinoma by real-time PCR

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kristiansen Glen

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Housekeeping genes are commonly used as endogenous reference genes for the relative quantification of target genes in gene expression studies. No conclusive systematic study comparing the suitability of different candidate reference genes in clear cell renal cell carcinoma has been published to date. To remedy this situation, 10 housekeeping genes for normalizing purposes of RT-PCR measurements already recommended in various studies were examined with regard to their usefulness as reference genes. Results The expression of the potential reference genes was examined in matched malignant and non-malignant tissue specimens from 25 patients with clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Quality assessment of isolated RNA performed with a 2100 Agilent Bioanalyzer showed a mean RNA integrity number of 8.7 for all samples. The between-run variations related to the crossing points of PCR reactions of a control material ranged from 0.17% to 0.38%. The expression of all genes did not depend on age, sex, and tumour stage. Except the genes TATA box binding protein (TBP and peptidylprolyl isomerase A (PPIA, all genes showed significant differences in expression between malignant and non-malignant pairs. The expression stability of the candidate reference genes was additionally controlled using the software programs geNorm and NormFinder. TBP and PPIA were validated as suitable reference genes by normalizing the target gene ADAM9 using these two most stably expressed genes in comparison with up- and down-regulated housekeeping genes of the panel. Conclusion Our study demonstrated the suitability of the two housekeeping genes PPIA and TBP as endogenous reference genes when comparing malignant tissue samples with adjacent normal tissue samples from clear cell renal cell carcinoma. Both genes are recommended as reference genes for relative gene quantification in gene profiling studies either as single gene or preferably in combination.

Reference Inflow Characterization for River Resource Reference Model (RM2)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Neary, Vincent S [ORNL

2011-12-01

Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) is leading an effort to develop reference models for marine and hydrokinetic technologies and wave and current energy resources. This effort will allow the refinement of technology design tools, accurate estimates of a baseline levelized cost of energy (LCoE), and the identification of the main cost drivers that need to be addressed to achieve a competitive LCoE. As part of this effort, Oak Ridge National Laboratory was charged with examining and reporting reference river inflow characteristics for reference model 2 (RM2). Published turbulent flow data from large rivers, a water supply canal and laboratory flumes, are reviewed to determine the range of velocities, turbulence intensities and turbulent stresses acting on hydrokinetic technologies, and also to evaluate the validity of classical models that describe the depth variation of the time-mean velocity and turbulent normal Reynolds stresses. The classical models are found to generally perform well in describing river inflow characteristics. A potential challenge in river inflow characterization, however, is the high variability of depth and flow over the design life of a hydrokinetic device. This variation can have significant effects on the inflow mean velocity and turbulence intensity experienced by stationary and bottom mounted hydrokinetic energy conversion devices, which requires further investigation, but are expected to have minimal effects on surface mounted devices like the vertical axis turbine device designed for RM2. A simple methodology for obtaining an approximate inflow characterization for surface deployed devices is developed using the relation umax=(7/6)V where V is the bulk velocity and umax is assumed to be the near-surface velocity. The application of this expression is recommended for deriving the local inflow velocity acting on the energy extraction planes of the RM2 vertical axis rotors, where V=Q/A can be calculated given a USGS gage flow time

Definition of reference ranges for free T4, TSH, and thyroglobulin levels in healthy subjects of the Jaén Health District.

Science.gov (United States)

Olmedo Carrillo, Pablo; Santiago Fernández, Piedad; García Fuentes, Eduardo; Ureña Fernández, Tomás; Gutiérrez Alcántara, Carmen; Sánchez-Malo, Carolina; Gassó Campos, Manuela; Martínez Ramírez, María José

2017-10-01

The treatment guidelines for thyroid dysfunction recommend defining reference ranges for thyroid hormones in each area through assessment of local population data considering the iodine nutritional status. The aim of this study was to define the reference ranges of free thyroxine (FT4), TSH, and thyroglobulin levels in a general population from Jaen, an area of southern Spain with an adequate iodine nutritional status, and whether they were associated with urinary iodine levels. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 1,003 subjects of the general population of the Jaen Health District. Levels of urinary iodine, FT4, TSH, thyroglobulin, and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies were measured according to age and sex. Median and mean urinary iodine levels were 110.59μg/L and 130.11μg/L respectively. Median TSH level was 1.83μIU/mL (p2.5=0.56μIU/mL, p97.5=4.66μIU/mL). Median FT4 level was 0.84ng/dL (p2.5=0.62ng/dL, p97.5=1.18ng/dL). TPO antibodies were detected in 5.7% of subjects. There was no correlation between urinary iodine levels and FT4, TSH or TPO antibodies. Subjects with positive TPO antibodies had higher TSH levels (3.34μIU/L versus 2.14μIU/mL, P=.001; odds ratio=2.42). Urinary iodine levels in Jaen are optimal according to World Health Organization standards. Reference ranges of FT4, TSH, and thyroglobulin do not differ from those reported in the literature and are no associated to urinary iodine levels. The prevalence of positive TPO antibodies was similar to that reported in other Spanish areas. Copyright © 2017 SEEN y SED. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

A study of normal and defective colour vision

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bouman, M.A.; Walraven, P.L.

1957-01-01

MEASUREMENTS were made of saturation discrimination of normal and colour defective subjects with illuminant A as reference colour. The colorimeter used in the experiments was of a special design developed for easy use by untrained persons. The results for normals are not quite in agreement with the

Equipment-independent reference values for dopamine transporter imaging with 123I-FP-CIT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, W.; Hornung, J.; Poepperl, G.; Tatsch, K.; Hamann, C.

2007-01-01

Aim: Reliable reference values are helpful to interpret and compare the results of dopamine transporter imaging with SPECT. Since semi-quantitative reference values cannot be easily transferred between imaging equipments, this study aimed to establish equipment independent normal values for the true striatal binding of 123 I-FP-CIT. Patients, methods: Specific striatal FP-CIT binding of 6 healthy volunteers and 26 patients with essential tremor were used to generate a reference range by applying an equipment specific resolution dependent factor to compensate for recovery effects. This factor has been determined previously by a series of standardized phantom measurements of an anthropomorphic basal ganglia phantom. Herewith, the resulting DAT binding values represent the expected true specific binding in the striatum. Results: On average, true specific striatal binding was 5.83 ± 0.96 in healthy controls, 5.25 ± 0.67 in patients with essential tremor and 5.36 ± 0.75 in the entire study cohort. Conclusion: These preliminary results may serve as a basis for the generation of a generally accepted equipment independent reference range for dopamine transporter imaging with 123 I-FP-CIT. By a simple phantom measurement that can be accomplished within one day factors related to specific imaging equipment and processing can be corrected for, resulting in specific binding values which may enable a more standardized interpretation of dopamine transporter scans. (orig.)

Normal modes of weak colloidal gels

Science.gov (United States)

Varga, Zsigmond; Swan, James W.

2018-01-01

The normal modes and relaxation rates of weak colloidal gels are investigated in calculations using different models of the hydrodynamic interactions between suspended particles. The relaxation spectrum is computed for freely draining, Rotne-Prager-Yamakawa, and accelerated Stokesian dynamics approximations of the hydrodynamic mobility in a normal mode analysis of a harmonic network representing several colloidal gels. We find that the density of states and spatial structure of the normal modes are fundamentally altered by long-ranged hydrodynamic coupling among the particles. Short-ranged coupling due to hydrodynamic lubrication affects only the relaxation rates of short-wavelength modes. Hydrodynamic models accounting for long-ranged coupling exhibit a microscopic relaxation rate for each normal mode, λ that scales as l-2, where l is the spatial correlation length of the normal mode. For the freely draining approximation, which neglects long-ranged coupling, the microscopic relaxation rate scales as l-γ, where γ varies between three and two with increasing particle volume fraction. A simple phenomenological model of the internal elastic response to normal mode fluctuations is developed, which shows that long-ranged hydrodynamic interactions play a central role in the viscoelasticity of the gel network. Dynamic simulations of hard spheres that gel in response to short-ranged depletion attractions are used to test the applicability of the density of states predictions. For particle concentrations up to 30% by volume, the power law decay of the relaxation modulus in simulations accounting for long-ranged hydrodynamic interactions agrees with predictions generated by the density of states of the corresponding harmonic networks as well as experimental measurements. For higher volume fractions, excluded volume interactions dominate the stress response, and the prediction from the harmonic network density of states fails. Analogous to the Zimm model in polymer

Magnetic resonance imaging of the normal placenta

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blaicher, Wibke; Brugger, Peter C.; Mittermayer, Christoph; Schwindt, Jens; Deutinger, Josef; Bernaschek, Gerhard; Prayer, Daniela

2006-01-01

The goal of this study was to provide a representative description of the normal placenta with contrast medium-free magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in order to determine a standard of reference. One hundred consecutive singleton pregnancies were investigated by MRI without application of a contrast medium. The mean gestational age (GA) at the time of investigation was 29.5 weeks (range 19-40). Patients with suspected utero-placental insufficiency (UPI) or placental anomalies were excluded. Signal intensities were assessed and correlated with the respective GA. Antenatal MRI without contrast medium was able to depict placental status and morphological changes during gestation. A regular homogeneous structure was found in weeks 19-23. Subsequently, sporadic, slightly marked lobules appeared, which increased in number and markedness with ongoing gestation. Stratification of the lobules was observed after 36 weeks. The ratio of placental and amniotic fluid signal intensities decreased significantly with higher GA and with placental grading. MRI is well suited as an imaging method for the placenta. Our data may be used as a reference in the assessment of the placenta on MRI, and may have further clinical impact with respect to the determination of UPI

Magnetic resonance imaging of the normal placenta

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Blaicher, Wibke [Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Vienna (Austria)]. E-mail: wibke.blaicher@meduniwien.ac.at; Brugger, Peter C. [Center of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University Hospital of Vienna (Austria); Mittermayer, Christoph [Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology and Intensive Care, University Hospital of Vienna (Austria); Schwindt, Jens [Department of Pediatrics, Division of Neonatology and Intensive Care, University Hospital of Vienna (Austria); Deutinger, Josef [Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Vienna (Austria); Bernaschek, Gerhard [Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, University Hospital Vienna (Austria); Prayer, Daniela [Department of Radiology, Division of Neuroradiology, University Hospital of Vienna (Austria)

2006-02-15

The goal of this study was to provide a representative description of the normal placenta with contrast medium-free magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in order to determine a standard of reference. One hundred consecutive singleton pregnancies were investigated by MRI without application of a contrast medium. The mean gestational age (GA) at the time of investigation was 29.5 weeks (range 19-40). Patients with suspected utero-placental insufficiency (UPI) or placental anomalies were excluded. Signal intensities were assessed and correlated with the respective GA. Antenatal MRI without contrast medium was able to depict placental status and morphological changes during gestation. A regular homogeneous structure was found in weeks 19-23. Subsequently, sporadic, slightly marked lobules appeared, which increased in number and markedness with ongoing gestation. Stratification of the lobules was observed after 36 weeks. The ratio of placental and amniotic fluid signal intensities decreased significantly with higher GA and with placental grading. MRI is well suited as an imaging method for the placenta. Our data may be used as a reference in the assessment of the placenta on MRI, and may have further clinical impact with respect to the determination of UPI.

Identification and validation of suitable endogenous reference genes for gene expression studies in human peripheral blood

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Turner Renee J

2009-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene expression studies require appropriate normalization methods. One such method uses stably expressed reference genes. Since suitable reference genes appear to be unique for each tissue, we have identified an optimal set of the most stably expressed genes in human blood that can be used for normalization. Methods Whole-genome Affymetrix Human 2.0 Plus arrays were examined from 526 samples of males and females ages 2 to 78, including control subjects and patients with Tourette syndrome, stroke, migraine, muscular dystrophy, and autism. The top 100 most stably expressed genes with a broad range of expression levels were identified. To validate the best candidate genes, we performed quantitative RT-PCR on a subset of 10 genes (TRAP1, DECR1, FPGS, FARP1, MAPRE2, PEX16, GINS2, CRY2, CSNK1G2 and A4GALT, 4 commonly employed reference genes (GAPDH, ACTB, B2M and HMBS and PPIB, previously reported to be stably expressed in blood. Expression stability and ranking analysis were performed using GeNorm and NormFinder algorithms. Results Reference genes were ranked based on their expression stability and the minimum number of genes needed for nomalization as calculated using GeNorm showed that the fewest, most stably expressed genes needed for acurate normalization in RNA expression studies of human whole blood is a combination of TRAP1, FPGS, DECR1 and PPIB. We confirmed the ranking of the best candidate control genes by using an alternative algorithm (NormFinder. Conclusion The reference genes identified in this study are stably expressed in whole blood of humans of both genders with multiple disease conditions and ages 2 to 78. Importantly, they also have different functions within cells and thus should be expressed independently of each other. These genes should be useful as normalization genes for microarray and RT-PCR whole blood studies of human physiology, metabolism and disease.

The Egyptian geomagnetic reference field to the Epoch, 2010.0

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H.A. Deebes

2017-06-01

The geomagnetic anomaly maps, the normal geomagnetic field maps with their corresponding secular variation maps, the normal geomagnetic field equations of the geomagnetic elements (EGRF and their corresponding secular variations equations, are outlined. The anomalous sites, as discovered from the anomaly maps are, only, mentioned. In addition, a correlation between the International Geomagnetic Reference Field (IGRF 2010.0 and the Egyptian Geomagnetic Reference Field (EGRF 2010 is indicated.

Reference Ranges of Serum Blood Urea Nitrogen, Creatinine Concentration and Ultrasonographic Measurement of the Kidneys in Term Healthy Newborns in the Neonatal Period

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Şebnem Kader

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Objective: Acute kidney injury is an important problem in neonates. We conducted a cross-sectional prospective study to determine normal serum blood urea nitrogen, creatinine reference ranges and ranges of ultrasonographic measurement of kidneys in healthy term newborns. Study Design: Blood samples were collected from total 357 healthy newborns at birth (n=45, 1st (n=30, 3rd (n=61, 7th (n=34, 10th (n=132, 14th (n=36, and 28th (n=19 days of life. Renal ultrasonographic was performed by the same two radiologists on 81 newborns aged 10 days. Results: Serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine concentrations have reached to the highest level at the first day of life and have returned to cord level at the third day of life. There were gradually decrease in serum blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels after the first day of life. There were significant difference in both right and left renal length, width, and volumes in terms of gender and these parameters were statistically higher in boys than girls (p<0.05. Birth weight of the boys (3548±539g was statistically higher than girls (3307±405 g (p=0.028. There was a positive correlation between birth weight and right (r=0.38, p=0.000 and left kidney volumes (r=0.44, p=0.000. Conclusion: Our findings showed that measured blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels changed in accordance with postnatal days and there was a positive correlation between kidney volume and birth weight of newborns. We concluded that these findings are important for evaluation of acute kidney injury and for screening of for urinary tract anomalies in neonates

Measurement of uterine natural killer cell percentage in the periimplantation endometrium from fertile women and women with recurrent reproductive failure: establishment of a reference range.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Xiaoyan; Mariee, Najat; Jiang, Lingming; Liu, Yingyu; Wang, Chi Chiu; Li, Tin Chiu; Laird, Susan

2017-12-01

Uterine natural killer cells are the major leukocytes present in the periimplantation endometrium. Previous studies have found controversial differences in uterine natural killer cell percentage in women with recurrent reproductive failure compared with fertile controls. We sought to compare the uterine natural killer cell percentage in women with recurrent reproductive failure and fertile controls. This was a retrospective study carried out in university hospitals. A total of 215 women from 3 university centers participated in the study, including 97 women with recurrent miscarriage, 34 women with recurrent implantation failure, and 84 fertile controls. Endometrial biopsy samples were obtained precisely 7 days after luteinization hormone surge in a natural cycle. Endometrial sections were immunostained for CD56 and cell counting was performed by a standardized protocol. Results were expressed as percentage of positive uterine natural killer cell/total stromal cells. The median uterine natural killer cell percentage in Chinese ovulatory fertile controls in natural cycles was 2.5% (range 0.9-5.3%). Using 5th and 95th percentile to define the lower and upper limits of uterine natural killer cell percentage, the reference range was 1.2-4.5%. Overall, the groups with recurrent reproductive failure had significantly higher uterine natural killer cell percentage than the controls (recurrent miscarriage: median 3.2%, range 0.6-8.8%; recurrent implantation failure: median 3.1%, range 0.8-8.3%). However, there was a subset of both groups (recurrent miscarriage: 16/97; recurrent implantation failure: 6/34) that had lower uterine natural killer cell percentage compared to fertile controls. A reference range for uterine natural killer cell percentage in fertile women was established. Women with recurrent reproductive failure had uterine natural killer cell percentages both above and below the reference range. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validation of reference genes for normalization of qPCR mRNA expression levels in Staphylococcus aureus exposed to osmotic and lactic acid stress conditions encountered during food production and preservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Sihto, Henna-Maria; Tasara, Taurai; Stephan, Roger; Johler, Sophia

2014-07-01

Staphylococcus aureus represents the most prevalent cause of food-borne intoxications worldwide. While being repressed by competing bacteria in most matrices, this pathogen exhibits crucial competitive advantages during growth at high salt concentrations or low pH, conditions frequently encountered in food production and preservation. We aimed to identify reference genes that could be used to normalize qPCR mRNA expression levels during growth of S. aureus in food-related osmotic (NaCl) and acidic (lactic acid) stress adaptation models. Expression stability of nine housekeeping genes was evaluated in full (LB) and nutrient-deficient (CYGP w/o glucose) medium under conditions of osmotic (4.5% NaCl) and acidic stress (lactic acid, pH 6.0) after 2-h exposure. Among the set of candidate reference genes investigated, rplD, rpoB,gyrB, and rho were most stably expressed in LB and thus represent the most suitable reference genes for normalization of qPCR data in osmotic or lactic acid stress models in a rich medium. Under nutrient-deficient conditions, expression of rho and rpoB was highly stable across all tested conditions. The presented comprehensive data on changes in expression of various S. aureus housekeeping genes under conditions of osmotic and lactic acid stress facilitate selection of reference genes for qPCR-based stress response models. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of dynamic range compression on spatial selective auditory attention in normal-hearing listeners.

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Schwartz, Andrew H; Shinn-Cunningham, Barbara G

2013-04-01

Many hearing aids introduce compressive gain to accommodate the reduced dynamic range that often accompanies hearing loss. However, natural sounds produce complicated temporal dynamics in hearing aid compression, as gain is driven by whichever source dominates at a given moment. Moreover, independent compression at the two ears can introduce fluctuations in interaural level differences (ILDs) important for spatial perception. While independent compression can interfere with spatial perception of sound, it does not always interfere with localization accuracy or speech identification. Here, normal-hearing listeners reported a target message played simultaneously with two spatially separated masker messages. We measured the amount of spatial separation required between the target and maskers for subjects to perform at threshold in this task. Fast, syllabic compression that was independent at the two ears increased the required spatial separation, but linking the compressors to provide identical gain to both ears (preserving ILDs) restored much of the deficit caused by fast, independent compression. Effects were less clear for slower compression. Percent-correct performance was lower with independent compression, but only for small spatial separations. These results may help explain differences in previous reports of the effect of compression on spatial perception of sound.

Smooth quantile normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Hicks, Stephanie C; Okrah, Kwame; Paulson, Joseph N; Quackenbush, John; Irizarry, Rafael A; Bravo, Héctor Corrada

2018-04-01

Between-sample normalization is a critical step in genomic data analysis to remove systematic bias and unwanted technical variation in high-throughput data. Global normalization methods are based on the assumption that observed variability in global properties is due to technical reasons and are unrelated to the biology of interest. For example, some methods correct for differences in sequencing read counts by scaling features to have similar median values across samples, but these fail to reduce other forms of unwanted technical variation. Methods such as quantile normalization transform the statistical distributions across samples to be the same and assume global differences in the distribution are induced by only technical variation. However, it remains unclear how to proceed with normalization if these assumptions are violated, for example, if there are global differences in the statistical distributions between biological conditions or groups, and external information, such as negative or control features, is not available. Here, we introduce a generalization of quantile normalization, referred to as smooth quantile normalization (qsmooth), which is based on the assumption that the statistical distribution of each sample should be the same (or have the same distributional shape) within biological groups or conditions, but allowing that they may differ between groups. We illustrate the advantages of our method on several high-throughput datasets with global differences in distributions corresponding to different biological conditions. We also perform a Monte Carlo simulation study to illustrate the bias-variance tradeoff and root mean squared error of qsmooth compared to other global normalization methods. A software implementation is available from https://github.com/stephaniehicks/qsmooth.

Group normalization for genomic data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mahmoud Ghandi

Full Text Available Data normalization is a crucial preliminary step in analyzing genomic datasets. The goal of normalization is to remove global variation to make readings across different experiments comparable. In addition, most genomic loci have non-uniform sensitivity to any given assay because of variation in local sequence properties. In microarray experiments, this non-uniform sensitivity is due to different DNA hybridization and cross-hybridization efficiencies, known as the probe effect. In this paper we introduce a new scheme, called Group Normalization (GN, to remove both global and local biases in one integrated step, whereby we determine the normalized probe signal by finding a set of reference probes with similar responses. Compared to conventional normalization methods such as Quantile normalization and physically motivated probe effect models, our proposed method is general in the sense that it does not require the assumption that the underlying signal distribution be identical for the treatment and control, and is flexible enough to correct for nonlinear and higher order probe effects. The Group Normalization algorithm is computationally efficient and easy to implement. We also describe a variant of the Group Normalization algorithm, called Cross Normalization, which efficiently amplifies biologically relevant differences between any two genomic datasets.

A range of newly developed mobile generators to dynamically produce SI-traceable reference gas mixtures for reactive compounds at atmospheric concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Leuenberger, Daiana; Pascale, Céline; Guillevic, Myriam; Ackermann, Andreas; Niederhauser, Bernhard

2017-04-01

Three new mobile facilities have been developed at METAS to dynamically generate SI-traceable reference gas mixtures for a variety of reactive compounds at atmospheric amount of substance fractions and at very low levels of uncertainty (Ux balance. The carrier gas is previously purified from the compounds of interest using commercially available purification cartridges. The permeation chambers of ReGaS2 and ReGaS3 have multiple individual cells allowing for the generation of mixtures containing up to 5 different components if required. ReGaS1 allows for the generation of one-component mixtures only. These primary mixtures are then diluted to the required amount of substance fractions using thermal mass flow controllers for full flexibility and adaptability of the generation process over the entire range of possible concentrations. In order to considerably reduce adsorption/desorption processes and thus stabilisation time, all electro-polished stainless steel parts of ReGaS1 and ReGaS2 in contact with the reference gas mixtures are passivated with SilcoNert2000® surface coating. These three state-of-the-art mobile reference gas generators are applicable under both, laboratory and field conditions. Moreover the dynamic generation method can be adapted and applied to a large variety of molecules (e.g. BTEX, CFCs, HCFCs, HFCs and other refrigerants) and is particularly suitable for reactive gas species and/or at concentration ranges which are unstable when stored in pressurised cylinders. Acknowledgement: This work was supported by the European Metrology Research Programme (EMRP). The EMRP is jointly funded by the EMRP participating countries within EURAMET and the European Union

Identification of suitable reference genes for gene expression studies of shoulder instability.

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Mariana Ferreira Leal

Full Text Available Shoulder instability is a common shoulder injury, and patients present with plastic deformation of the glenohumeral capsule. Gene expression analysis may be a useful tool for increasing the general understanding of capsule deformation, and reverse-transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR has become an effective method for such studies. Although RT-qPCR is highly sensitive and specific, it requires the use of suitable reference genes for data normalization to guarantee meaningful and reproducible results. In the present study, we evaluated the suitability of a set of reference genes using samples from the glenohumeral capsules of individuals with and without shoulder instability. We analyzed the expression of six commonly used reference genes (ACTB, B2M, GAPDH, HPRT1, TBP and TFRC in the antero-inferior, antero-superior and posterior portions of the glenohumeral capsules of cases and controls. The stability of the candidate reference gene expression was determined using four software packages: NormFinder, geNorm, BestKeeper and DataAssist. Overall, HPRT1 was the best single reference gene, and HPRT1 and B2M composed the best pair of reference genes from different analysis groups, including simultaneous analysis of all tissue samples. GenEx software was used to identify the optimal number of reference genes to be used for normalization and demonstrated that the accumulated standard deviation resulting from the use of 2 reference genes was similar to that resulting from the use of 3 or more reference genes. To identify the optimal combination of reference genes, we evaluated the expression of COL1A1. Although the use of different reference gene combinations yielded variable normalized quantities, the relative quantities within sample groups were similar and confirmed that no obvious differences were observed when using 2, 3 or 4 reference genes. Consequently, the use of 2 stable reference genes for normalization, especially

Reference Intervals of Common Clinical Chemistry Analytes for Adults in Hong Kong.

Science.gov (United States)

Lo, Y C; Armbruster, David A

2012-04-01

Defining reference intervals is a major challenge because of the difficulty in recruiting volunteers to participate and testing samples from a significant number of healthy reference individuals. Historical literature citation intervals are often suboptimal because they're be based on obsolete methods and/or only a small number of poorly defined reference samples. Blood donors in Hong Kong gave permission for additional blood to be collected for reference interval testing. The samples were tested for twenty-five routine analytes on the Abbott ARCHITECT clinical chemistry system. Results were analyzed using the Rhoads EP evaluator software program, which is based on the CLSI/IFCC C28-A guideline, and defines the reference interval as the 95% central range. Method specific reference intervals were established for twenty-five common clinical chemistry analytes for a Chinese ethnic population. The intervals were defined for each gender separately and for genders combined. Gender specific or combined gender intervals were adapted as appropriate for each analyte. A large number of healthy, apparently normal blood donors from a local ethnic population were tested to provide current reference intervals for a new clinical chemistry system. Intervals were determined following an accepted international guideline. Laboratories using the same or similar methodologies may adapt these intervals if deemed validated and deemed suitable for their patient population. Laboratories using different methodologies may be able to successfully adapt the intervals for their facilities using the reference interval transference technique based on a method comparison study.

Normalization of Reverse Transcription Quantitative PCR Data During Ageing in Distinct Cerebral Structures.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruckert, G; Vivien, D; Docagne, F; Roussel, B D

2016-04-01

Reverse transcription quantitative-polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) has become a routine method in many laboratories. Normalization of data from experimental conditions is critical for data processing and is usually achieved by the use of a single reference gene. Nevertheless, as pointed by the Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) guidelines, several reference genes should be used for reliable normalization. Ageing is a physiological process that results in a decline of many expressed genes. Reliable normalization of RT-qPCR data becomes crucial when studying ageing. Here, we propose a RT-qPCR study from four mouse brain regions (cortex, hippocampus, striatum and cerebellum) at different ages (from 8 weeks to 22 months) in which we studied the expression of nine commonly used reference genes. With the use of two different algorithms, we found that all brain structures need at least two genes for a good normalization step. We propose specific pairs of gene for efficient data normalization in the four brain regions studied. These results underline the importance of reliable reference genes for specific brain regions in ageing.

Investigating the relationship between FMR1 allele length and cognitive ability in children: a subtle effect of the normal allele range on the normal ability range?

Science.gov (United States)

Loat, C S; Craig, G; Plomin, R; Craig, I W

2006-09-01

The FMR1 gene contains a trinucleotide repeat tract which can expand from a normal size of around 30 repeats to over 200 repeats, causing mental retardation (Fragile X Syndrome). Evidence suggests that premutation males (55-200 repeats) are susceptible to a late-onset tremor/ataxia syndrome and females to premature ovarian failure, and that intermediate alleles ( approximately 41-55 repeats) and premutations may be in excess in samples with special educational needs. We explored the relationship between FMR1 allele length and cognitive ability in 621 low ability and control children assessed at 4 and 7 years, as well as 122 students with high IQ. The low and high ability and control samples showed no between-group differences in incidence of longer alleles. In males there was a significant negative correlation between allele length and non-verbal ability at 4 years (p = 0.048), academic achievement in maths (p = 0.003) and English (p = 0.011) at 7 years, and IQ in the high ability group (p = 0.018). There was a significant negative correlation between allele length and a standardised score for IQ and general cognitive ability at age 7 in the entire male sample (p = 0.002). This suggests that, within the normal spectrum of allele length, increased repeat numbers may have a limiting influence on cognitive performance.

An alternative reference space for H&E color normalization.

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Mark D Zarella

Full Text Available Digital imaging of H&E stained slides has enabled the application of image processing to support pathology workflows. Potential applications include computer-aided diagnostics, advanced quantification tools, and innovative visualization platforms. However, the intrinsic variability of biological tissue and the vast differences in tissue preparation protocols often lead to significant image variability that can hamper the effectiveness of these computational tools. We developed an alternative representation for H&E images that operates within a space that is more amenable to many of these image processing tools. The algorithm to derive this representation operates by exploiting the correlation between color and the spatial properties of the biological structures present in most H&E images. In this way, images are transformed into a structure-centric space in which images are segregated into tissue structure channels. We demonstrate that this framework can be extended to achieve color normalization, effectively reducing inter-slide variability.

Longitudinal study of aortic isthmus Doppler in appropriately grown and small-for-gestational-age fetuses with normal and abnormal umbilical artery Doppler.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Kennelly, M M

2012-04-01

To establish reference ranges using longitudinal data for aortic isthmus (AoI) Doppler indices in appropriate-for-gestational-age (AGA) fetuses and to document the longitudinal trends in a cohort of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) fetuses with normal umbilical artery Doppler and in fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and abnormal umbilical artery Doppler.

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality.

Science.gov (United States)

Naganawa, Shinji; Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo; Ishigaki, Takeo

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean+/-standard deviation 2.3+/-1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (pright frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (pbrain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference.

Reference values for electrooculography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barrientos Castanno, Alberto; Herrera Mora, Maritza; Garcia Baez, Obel

2012-01-01

Obtain electrooculographic reference values based on the patterns set by the Standardization Committee of the International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV). the lowest amplitude values of the potential ranged between 388 and 882 μv in the dark phase. The light peak was obtained between 9 and 10 minutes, and during this phase the potential reached an amplitude ranging between 808 and 1 963 μv. This amplitude variability may be related to the fact that the test was conducted without pupillary mydriasis. The reference value obtained for Arden index was 1,55 to 2,87

Analysis of promoter activity in transgenic plants by normalizing ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Analysis of promoter activity in transgenic plants by normalizing expression with a reference gene: anomalies due to the influence of the test promoter on the reference promoter. Simran Bhullar Suma Chakravarthy Deepak Pental Pradeep Kumar Burma. Articles Volume 34 Issue 6 December 2009 pp 953-962 ...

Best-Matched Internal Standard Normalization in Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Metabolomics Applied to Environmental Samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Boysen, Angela K; Heal, Katherine R; Carlson, Laura T; Ingalls, Anitra E

2018-01-16

The goal of metabolomics is to measure the entire range of small organic molecules in biological samples. In liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry-based metabolomics, formidable analytical challenges remain in removing the nonbiological factors that affect chromatographic peak areas. These factors include sample matrix-induced ion suppression, chromatographic quality, and analytical drift. The combination of these factors is referred to as obscuring variation. Some metabolomics samples can exhibit intense obscuring variation due to matrix-induced ion suppression, rendering large amounts of data unreliable and difficult to interpret. Existing normalization techniques have limited applicability to these sample types. Here we present a data normalization method to minimize the effects of obscuring variation. We normalize peak areas using a batch-specific normalization process, which matches measured metabolites with isotope-labeled internal standards that behave similarly during the analysis. This method, called best-matched internal standard (B-MIS) normalization, can be applied to targeted or untargeted metabolomics data sets and yields relative concentrations. We evaluate and demonstrate the utility of B-MIS normalization using marine environmental samples and laboratory grown cultures of phytoplankton. In untargeted analyses, B-MIS normalization allowed for inclusion of mass features in downstream analyses that would have been considered unreliable without normalization due to obscuring variation. B-MIS normalization for targeted or untargeted metabolomics is freely available at https://github.com/IngallsLabUW/B-MIS-normalization .

Gene expression studies of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR: an overview in insects.

Science.gov (United States)

Shakeel, Muhammad; Rodriguez, Alicia; Tahir, Urfa Bin; Jin, Fengliang

2018-02-01

Whenever gene expression is being examined, it is essential that a normalization process is carried out to eliminate non-biological variations. The use of reference genes, such as glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, actin, and ribosomal protein genes, is the usual method of choice for normalizing gene expression. Although reference genes are used to normalize target gene expression, a major problem is that the stability of these genes differs among tissues, developmental stages, species, and responses to abiotic factors. Therefore, the use and validation of multiple reference genes are required. This review discusses the reasons that why RT-qPCR has become the preferred method for validating results of gene expression profiles, the use of specific and non-specific dyes and the importance of use of primers and probes for qPCR as well as to discuss several statistical algorithms developed to help the validation of potential reference genes. The conflicts arising in the use of classical reference genes in gene normalization and their replacement with novel references are also discussed by citing the high stability and low stability of classical and novel reference genes under various biotic and abiotic experimental conditions by employing various methods applied for the reference genes amplification.

Out-of-range international normalized ratio values and healthcare cost among new warfarin patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation.

Science.gov (United States)

Nelson, Winnie W; Wang, Li; Baser, Onur; Damaraju, C V; Schein, Jeffrey R

2015-05-01

Patients with out-of-range international normalized ratio (INR) values 3.0 have been associated with increased risk of thromboembolic and bleeding events. INR monitoring is costly, because of associated physician and nurse time, laboratory resource use, and dose adjustments. This study assessed the healthcare cost burden associated with out-of-range INR among warfarin initiator patients diagnosed with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) in the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) population. Adult NVAF patients (≥18 years) initiating warfarin were selected from the VHA dataset for the study period October 1, 2007-September 30, 2012. Only valid INR measurements (0.5 ≤ INR ≤ 20) were examined for the follow-up period, from the index date (warfarin initiation date) until the end of warfarin exposure or death. All-cause healthcare costs within 30 days were measured starting from the second month (31 days post-index date) to the end of the study period. Costs for inpatient stays, emergency room, outpatient facility, physician office visits, and other services were computed separately. Multiple regression was performed using the generalized linear model for overall cost analysis. In total, 29,463 patients were included in the study sample. Mean costs for out-of-range INR ranged from $3419 to $5126. Inpatient, outpatient, outpatient pharmacy, and total costs were significantly higher after patients experienced out-of-range results (INR  3), compared with in-range INR (2 ≤ INR ≤ 3). When exposed to out-of-range INR, patients also incurred higher mean total costs within 2-6 months ($3840-$5820) than after the first 6 months ($2789-$3503) of warfarin therapy. In the VHA population, INR measures outside of the 2-3 range were associated with significantly higher healthcare costs. Increased costs were especially apparent when INR values were below 2, although INR measures above 3 were also associated with higher costs relative to in-range

Defecography: A study of normal volunteers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shorvon, P.; Stevenson, G.W.; McHugh, S.; Somers, P.

1987-01-01

This study of young volunteers was set up in an effort to establish true normal measurements for defecography with minimum selection bias. The results describe the mean (and the range) for the following: anorectal angle; anorectal junction position at rest; excursion on lift, strain, and evacuation; anal canal length and degree of closure; and the frequency and degree of features such as rectocele and intussusception which have previously been called abnormalities. The results indicate that there is a very wide range of normal appearances. Knowledge of these normal variations is important to avoid overreporting and unnecessary surgery

Reference intervals of citrated-native whole blood thromboelastography in premature neonates.

Science.gov (United States)

Motta, Mario; Guaragni, Brunetta; Pezzotti, Elena; Rodriguez-Perez, Carmen; Chirico, Gaetano

2017-12-01

Bleeding due to acquired coagulation disorders is a common complication in premature neonates. In this clinical setting, standard coagulation laboratory tests might be unsuitable to investigate the hemostatic function as they reflect the concentration of pro-coagulant proteins but not of anti-coagulant proteins. Thromboelastography (TEG), providing a more complete assessment of hemostasis, may be able to overcome some of these limitations. Unfortunately, experience on the use of TEG in premature neonates is very limited and, in particular in this population, reference ranges of TEG parameters have not been yet evaluated. To evaluate TEG in preterm neonates, and to assess their reference ranges. One hundred and eighteen preterm neonates were analyzed for TEG in a retrospective cohort study. Double-sided 95% reference intervals were calculated using a bootstrap method after Box-Cox transformation. TEG parameters were compared between early-preterm and moderate-/late-preterm neonates and between bleeding and non-bleeding preterm neonates. Comparing early-preterm with moderate-/late-preterm neonates, TEG parameters were not statistically different, except for fibrinolysis which was significantly higher in early preterm neonates. Platelet count significantly correlated with α angle and MA parameters. Bleeding and non-bleeding neonates had similar TEG values. These results reinforce the concept that in stable preterm neonates, in spite of lower concentration of pro- and anti-coagulants proteins, the hemostasis is normally balanced and well functioning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Urinary mRNA for the Diagnosis of Renal Allograft Rejection: The Issue of Normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Galichon, P; Amrouche, L; Hertig, A; Brocheriou, I; Rabant, M; Xu-Dubois, Y-C; Ouali, N; Dahan, K; Morin, L; Terzi, F; Rondeau, E; Anglicheau, D

2016-10-01

Urinary messenger RNA (mRNA) quantification is a promising method for noninvasive diagnosis of renal allograft rejection (AR), but the quantification of mRNAs in urine remains challenging due to degradation. RNA normalization may be warranted to overcome these issues, but the strategies of gene normalization have been poorly evaluated. Herein, we address this issue in a case-control study of 108 urine samples collected at time of allograft biopsy in kidney recipients with (n = 52) or without (n = 56) AR by comparing the diagnostic value of IP-10 and CD3ε mRNAs-two biomarkers of AR-after normalization by the total amount of RNA, normalization by one of the three widely used reference RNAs-18S, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and Hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT)-or normalization using uroplakin 1A (UPK) mRNA as a possible urine-specific reference mRNA. Our results show that normalization based on the total quantity of RNA is not substantially improved by additional normalization and may even be worsened with some classical reference genes that are overexpressed during rejection. However, considering that normalization by a reference gene is necessary to ensure polymerase chain reaction (PCR) quality and reproducibility and to suppress the effect of RNA degradation, we suggest that GAPDH and UPK1A are preferable to 18S or HPRT RNA. © Copyright 2016 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

Comparing the range of μ and β angles in 6-17-year-old children of Isfahan with normal occlusion

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Saeed Sadeghian

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Linear and angular measurements such as A point, nasion, B point (ANB angle and Wits appraisal index are not accurate enough to evaluate sagittal relationship of the jaws. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the range of μ and β angles in 6-17-year-old children of Isfahan, having normal occlusion. Materials and Methods: This was an analytical descriptive study. For this study, 235 cephalometric radiographs of patients who didn′t receive orthodontics treatments and based on 13 indexes had normal occlusion, were selected. After tracing of cephalograms, ANB angle, Wits appraisal index, μ angle (resulted from the intersection of AB line and perpendicular line from point A to mandibular plane and β angle (resulted from the intersection of AB line and perpendicular line from point A on CB line were measured. Data was analyzed by t-test, ANOVA and Pierson-Spearman correlation coefficient (P < 0.05. Results: Mean value of μ and β angles were 17.34 ± 3.47 and 31.7 ± 3.31 and ranged from 8-27 to 21.5-39 respectively. According to t-test, there was a significant difference between two sex groups for μ angle (P = 0.02; however, it was not significant for β angle. According to Spearman correlation coefficient, there was no significant difference between age and μ angle; however, β angle was directly and significantly related to age (r = 0.435. There was significant and reverse relationship between μ and β angles with ANB angle and Wits appraisal index. Conclusion: μ and β angles are reliable and can be used to evaluate the anterior-posterior relationship of the jaws.

Dosimetric verification for radiotherapy quality audit under reference and non-reference conditions in Jiangsu province

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jin; Yu Ningle; Yang Chunyong; Du Xiang; Chen Wei; Luo Suming

2014-01-01

Objective: To verify the methodology for auditing dosimetric parameters in reference and non-reference conditions with thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs). Methods: Under reference and non-reference conditions, the established TLD methods were used to observe the absorbed dose variations with depth, SSD, field size and 45 wedges for 10 photon beams at 5 hospitals. Dosimetric parameters, including doses at D_m_a_x points in axis, on 5 electron beams of 9 MeV were measured. The measurement results were compared between the TLDs and plane parallel ionization chambers. Results: For 6 MV photon beams, the relative deviation of between finger ionization chamber method and TLD chips was in the range of -1.7% to 5.4% under on-axis non-reference conditions, and -6.3% to -0.6% under off-axis non-reference conditions, respectively, all within the range of ≤ ±7% as required by the IAEA. The relative deviation between plane parallel chamber and TLD method was -2.3% to 3.7%, within ±5% as required by the IAEA. Conclusions: It is convenient and feasible to use TLD method for quality audits of dosimetric parameters in radiotherapy. (authors)

Post-Newtonian reference frames for advanced theory of the lunar motion and for a new generation of Lunar laser ranging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Yi.; Kopeikin, S.

2010-01-01

We overview a set of post-Newtonian reference frames for a comprehensive study of the orbital dynamics and rotational motion of Moon and Earth by means of lunar laser ranging. We employ a scalar-tensor theory of gravity depending on two post-Newtonian parameters, and utilize the relativistic resolutions on reference frames adopted by the International Astronomical Union in 2000. We assume that the solar system is isolated and space-time is asymptotically flat at infinity. The primary reference frame covers the entire space-time, has its origin at the solar-system barycenter and spatial axes stretching up to infinity. The solar-system barycenter frame is not rotating with respect to a set of distant quasars that are forming the International Celestial Reference Frame. The secondary reference frame has its origin at the Earth-Moon barycenter. The Earth-Moon barycenter frame is locally-inertial and is not rotating dynamically in the sense that equation of motion of a test particle moving with respect to the Earth-Moon barycenter frame, does not contain the Coriolis and centripetal forces. Two other local frames-geocentric and seleno centric-have their origins at the center of mass of Earth and Moon respectively and do not rotate dynamically. Each local frame is subject to the geodetic precession both with respect to other local frames and with respect to the International Celestial Reference Frame because of their relative motion with respect to each other. Theoretical advantage of the dynamically non-rotating local frames is in a more simple mathematical description. Each local frame can be aligned with the axes of International Celestial Reference Frame after applying the matrix of the relativistic precession. The set of one global and three local frames is introduced in order to fully decouple the relative motion of Moon with respect to Earth from the orbital motion of the Earth-Moon barycenter as well as to connect the coordinate description of the lunar motion

Normal accidents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perrow, C.

1989-01-01

The author has chosen numerous concrete examples to illustrate the hazardousness inherent in high-risk technologies. Starting with the TMI reactor accident in 1979, he shows that it is not only the nuclear energy sector that bears the risk of 'normal accidents', but also quite a number of other technologies and industrial sectors, or research fields. The author refers to the petrochemical industry, shipping, air traffic, large dams, mining activities, and genetic engineering, showing that due to the complexity of the systems and their manifold, rapidly interacting processes, accidents happen that cannot be thoroughly calculated, and hence are unavoidable. (orig./HP) [de

Gene expression results in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated monocytes depend significantly on the choice of reference genes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Øvstebø Reidun

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS-stimulated monocytes is mainly studied by quantitative real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR using GAPDH (glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase or ACTB (beta-actin as reference gene for normalization. Expression of traditional reference genes has been shown to vary substantially under certain conditions leading to invalid results. To investigate whether traditional reference genes are stably expressed in LPS-stimulated monocytes or if RT-qPCR results are dependent on the choice of reference genes, we have assessed and evaluated gene expression stability of twelve candidate reference genes in this model system. Results Twelve candidate reference genes were quantified by RT-qPCR in LPS-stimulated, human monocytes and evaluated using the programs geNorm, Normfinder and BestKeeper. geNorm ranked PPIB (cyclophilin B, B2M (beta-2-microglobulin and PPIA (cyclophilin A as the best combination for gene expression normalization in LPS-stimulated monocytes. Normfinder suggested TBP (TATA-box binding protein and B2M as the best combination. Compared to these combinations, normalization using GAPDH alone resulted in significantly higher changes of TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and IL10 (interleukin 10 expression. Moreover, a significant difference in TNF-α expression between monocytes stimulated with equimolar concentrations of LPS from N. meningitides and E. coli, respectively, was identified when using the suggested combinations of reference genes for normalization, but stayed unrecognized when employing a single reference gene, ACTB or GAPDH. Conclusions Gene expression levels in LPS-stimulated monocytes based on RT-qPCR results differ significantly when normalized to a single gene or a combination of stably expressed reference genes. Proper evaluation of reference gene stabiliy is therefore mandatory before reporting RT-qPCR results in LPS-stimulated monocytes.

Identification of appropriate reference genes for human mesenchymal stem cell analysis by quantitative real-time PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiuying; Yang, Qiwei; Bai, Jinping; Xuan, Yali; Wang, Yimin

2015-01-01

Normalization to a reference gene is the method of choice for quantitative reverse transcription-PCR (RT-qPCR) analysis. The stability of reference genes is critical for accurate experimental results and conclusions. We have evaluated the expression stability of eight commonly used reference genes found in four different human mesenchymal stem cells (MSC). Using geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper algorithms, we show that beta-2-microglobulin and peptidyl-prolylisomerase A were the optimal reference genes for normalizing RT-qPCR data obtained from MSC, whereas the TATA box binding protein was not suitable due to its extensive variability in expression. Our findings emphasize the significance of validating reference genes for qPCR analyses. We offer a short list of reference genes to use for normalization and recommend some commercially-available software programs as a rapid approach to validate reference genes. We also demonstrate that the two reference genes, β-actin and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, are frequently used are not always successful in many cases.

Reference Japanese man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, G.-I.; Kawamura, H.; Nakahara, Y.

1979-01-01

The weight of organs from autopsy cases of normal Japanese adults, children, and infants is presented for the purpose of approaching a Reference Japanese Man. The skeletal content and the daily intake of alkaline earth elements are given. A lower rate of transfer (K 2 ) to the thyroid gland of ingested radioiodine, as well as a remarkably shorter biological half-life than the data adopted by ICRP, is also proved as a result of this study. (author)

Referent Communication in Chronic Schizophrenia

Science.gov (United States)

Kantorowitz, David A.; Cohen, Bertram D.

1977-01-01

Thirty chronic schizophrenics (15 process and 15 reactive) and 15 normal control speakers described colors displayed in three-chip sets containing a referent and two nonreferent colors. Concludes that poor communication accuracy in long-term schizophrenics results from failure to include a self-editing stage as a part of the communication process.…

Abnormal ranges of vital signs in children in Japanese prehospital settings.

Science.gov (United States)

Nosaka, Nobuyuki; Muguruma, Takashi; Knaup, Emily; Tsukahara, Kohei; Enomoto, Yuki; Kaku, Noriyuki

2015-10-01

The revised Fire Service Law obliges each prefectural government in Japan to establish a prehospital acuity scale. The Foundation for Ambulance Service Development (FASD) created an acuity scale for use as a reference. Our preliminary survey revealed that 32 of 47 prefectures directly applied the FASD scale for children. This scale shows abnormal ranges of heart rate and respiratory rate in young children. This study aimed to evaluate the validity of the abnormal ranges on the FASD scale to assess its overall performance for triage purposes in paediatric patients. We evaluated the validity of the ranges by comparing published centile charts for these vital signs with records of 1,296 ambulance patients. A large portion of the abnormal ranges on the scale substantially overlapped with the normal centile charts. Triage decisions using the FASD scale of vital signs properly classified 22% ( n  = 287) of children. The sensitivity and specificity for high urgency were as high as 91% (95% confidence interval, 82-96%) and as low as 18% (95% confidence interval, 16-20%). We found there is room for improvement of the abnormal ranges on the FASD scale.

The Effect of Intertia, Visocus Damping, Temperature and Normal ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

29

system. However, the present study has shown the appearance of chaos for specific values of normal stress before it disappears again as the normal stress varies further. It is also ... μ and v* are reference frictional shear stress and shear velocity corresponding to the AC laws ...... thesis Harvard University. Zhiren, N. and ...

Biomedical Engineering Desk Reference

CERN Document Server

Ratner, Buddy D; Schoen, Frederick J; Lemons, Jack E; Dyro, Joseph; Martinsen, Orjan G; Kyle, Richard; Preim, Bernhard; Bartz, Dirk; Grimnes, Sverre; Vallero, Daniel; Semmlow, John; Murray, W Bosseau; Perez, Reinaldo; Bankman, Isaac; Dunn, Stanley; Ikada, Yoshito; Moghe, Prabhas V; Constantinides, Alkis

2009-01-01

A one-stop Desk Reference, for Biomedical Engineers involved in the ever expanding and very fast moving area; this is a book that will not gather dust on the shelf. It brings together the essential professional reference content from leading international contributors in the biomedical engineering field. Material covers a broad range of topics including: Biomechanics and Biomaterials; Tissue Engineering; and Biosignal Processing* A hard-working desk reference providing all the essential material needed by biomedical and clinical engineers on a day-to-day basis * Fundamentals, key techniques,

Comprehensive non-dimensional normalization of gait data.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinzone, Ornella; Schwartz, Michael H; Baker, Richard

2016-02-01

Normalizing clinical gait analysis data is required to remove variability due to physical characteristics such as leg length and weight. This is particularly important for children where both are associated with age. In most clinical centres conventional normalization (by mass only) is used whereas there is a stronger biomechanical argument for non-dimensional normalization. This study used data from 82 typically developing children to compare how the two schemes performed over a wide range of temporal-spatial and kinetic parameters by calculating the coefficients of determination with leg length, weight and height. 81% of the conventionally normalized parameters had a coefficient of determination above the threshold for a statistical association (pnormalized non-dimensionally. All the conventionally normalized parameters exceeding this threshold showed a reduced association with non-dimensional normalization. In conclusion, non-dimensional normalization is more effective that conventional normalization in reducing the effects of height, weight and age in a comprehensive range of temporal-spatial and kinetic parameters. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of Normalization Factors for Canada and the United States and Comparison with European Factors

Science.gov (United States)

In Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), normalization calculates the magnitude of an impact (midpoint or endpoint) relative to the total effect of a given reference. Using a country or a continent as a reference system is a first step towards global normalization. The goal of this wor...

Normal ranges and test-retest reproducibility of flow and velocity parameters in intracranial arteries measured with phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Correia de Verdier, Maria; Wikstroem, Johan

2016-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to investigate normal ranges and test-retest reproducibility of phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI)-measured flow and velocity parameters in intracranial arteries. Highest flow (HF), lowest flow (LF), peak systolic velocity (PSV), and end diastolic velocity (EDV) were measured at two dates in the anterior (ACA), middle (MCA), and posterior (PCA) cerebral arteries of 30 healthy volunteers using two-dimensional PC-MRI at 3 T. Least detectable difference (LDD) was calculated. In the left ACA, HF was (mean (range, LDD)) 126 ml/min (36-312, 59 %), LF 61 ml/min (0-156, 101 %), PSV 64 cm/s (32-141, 67 %), and EDV 35 cm/s (18-55, 42 %); in the right ACA, HF was 154 ml/min (42-246, 49 %), LF 77 ml/min (0-156, 131 %), PSV 75 cm/s (26-161, 82 %), and EDV 39 cm/s (7-59, 67 %). In the left MCA, HF was 235 ml/min (126-372, 35 %), LF 116 ml/min (42-186, 48 %), PSV 90 cm/s (55-183, 39 %), and EDV 46 cm/s (20-66, 28 %); in the right MCA, HF was 238 ml/min (162-342, 44 %), LF 120 ml/min (72-216, 48 %), PSV 88 cm/s (55-141, 35 %), and EDV 45 cm/s (26-67, 23 %). In the left PCA, HF was 108 ml/min (42-168, 54 %), LF 53 ml/min (18-108, 64 %), PSV 50 cm/s (24-77, 63 %), and EDV 28 cm/s (14-40, 45 %); in the right PCA, HF was 98 ml/min (30-162, 49 %), LF 49 ml/min (12-84, 55 %), PSV 47 cm/s (27-88, 59 %), and EDV 27 cm/s (16-41, 45 %). PC-MRI-measured flow and velocity parameters in the main intracranial arteries have large normal ranges. Reproducibility is highest in MCA. (orig.)

Normal ranges and test-retest reproducibility of flow and velocity parameters in intracranial arteries measured with phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Correia de Verdier, Maria; Wikstroem, Johan [Uppsala University Hospital, Department of Radiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala (Sweden)

2016-05-15

The purpose of the present study was to investigate normal ranges and test-retest reproducibility of phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI)-measured flow and velocity parameters in intracranial arteries. Highest flow (HF), lowest flow (LF), peak systolic velocity (PSV), and end diastolic velocity (EDV) were measured at two dates in the anterior (ACA), middle (MCA), and posterior (PCA) cerebral arteries of 30 healthy volunteers using two-dimensional PC-MRI at 3 T. Least detectable difference (LDD) was calculated. In the left ACA, HF was (mean (range, LDD)) 126 ml/min (36-312, 59 %), LF 61 ml/min (0-156, 101 %), PSV 64 cm/s (32-141, 67 %), and EDV 35 cm/s (18-55, 42 %); in the right ACA, HF was 154 ml/min (42-246, 49 %), LF 77 ml/min (0-156, 131 %), PSV 75 cm/s (26-161, 82 %), and EDV 39 cm/s (7-59, 67 %). In the left MCA, HF was 235 ml/min (126-372, 35 %), LF 116 ml/min (42-186, 48 %), PSV 90 cm/s (55-183, 39 %), and EDV 46 cm/s (20-66, 28 %); in the right MCA, HF was 238 ml/min (162-342, 44 %), LF 120 ml/min (72-216, 48 %), PSV 88 cm/s (55-141, 35 %), and EDV 45 cm/s (26-67, 23 %). In the left PCA, HF was 108 ml/min (42-168, 54 %), LF 53 ml/min (18-108, 64 %), PSV 50 cm/s (24-77, 63 %), and EDV 28 cm/s (14-40, 45 %); in the right PCA, HF was 98 ml/min (30-162, 49 %), LF 49 ml/min (12-84, 55 %), PSV 47 cm/s (27-88, 59 %), and EDV 27 cm/s (16-41, 45 %). PC-MRI-measured flow and velocity parameters in the main intracranial arteries have large normal ranges. Reproducibility is highest in MCA. (orig.)

Superior Cross-Species Reference Genes: A Blueberry Case Study

Science.gov (United States)

Die, Jose V.; Rowland, Lisa J.

2013-01-01

The advent of affordable Next Generation Sequencing technologies has had major impact on studies of many crop species, where access to genomic technologies and genome-scale data sets has been extremely limited until now. The recent development of genomic resources in blueberry will enable the application of high throughput gene expression approaches that should relatively quickly increase our understanding of blueberry physiology. These studies, however, require a highly accurate and robust workflow and make necessary the identification of reference genes with high expression stability for correct target gene normalization. To create a set of superior reference genes for blueberry expression analyses, we mined a publicly available transcriptome data set from blueberry for orthologs to a set of Arabidopsis genes that showed the most stable expression in a developmental series. In total, the expression stability of 13 putative reference genes was evaluated by qPCR and a set of new references with high stability values across a developmental series in fruits and floral buds of blueberry were identified. We also demonstrated the need to use at least two, preferably three, reference genes to avoid inconsistencies in results, even when superior reference genes are used. The new references identified here provide a valuable resource for accurate normalization of gene expression in Vaccinium spp. and may be useful for other members of the Ericaceae family as well. PMID:24058469

Superior cross-species reference genes: a blueberry case study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose V Die

Full Text Available The advent of affordable Next Generation Sequencing technologies has had major impact on studies of many crop species, where access to genomic technologies and genome-scale data sets has been extremely limited until now. The recent development of genomic resources in blueberry will enable the application of high throughput gene expression approaches that should relatively quickly increase our understanding of blueberry physiology. These studies, however, require a highly accurate and robust workflow and make necessary the identification of reference genes with high expression stability for correct target gene normalization. To create a set of superior reference genes for blueberry expression analyses, we mined a publicly available transcriptome data set from blueberry for orthologs to a set of Arabidopsis genes that showed the most stable expression in a developmental series. In total, the expression stability of 13 putative reference genes was evaluated by qPCR and a set of new references with high stability values across a developmental series in fruits and floral buds of blueberry were identified. We also demonstrated the need to use at least two, preferably three, reference genes to avoid inconsistencies in results, even when superior reference genes are used. The new references identified here provide a valuable resource for accurate normalization of gene expression in Vaccinium spp. and may be useful for other members of the Ericaceae family as well.

Reference nuclear data for space technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burrows, T.W.; Holden, N.E.; Pearlstein, S.

1977-01-01

Specialized bibliographic searches, data compilations, and data evaluations help the basic and applied research scientist in his work. The National Nuclear Data Center (NNDC) collates and analyzes nuclear physics information, and is concerned with the timely production and revision of reference nuclear data. A frequently revised reference data base in computerized form has the advantage of large quantities of data available without publication delays. The information normally handled by coordinated efforts of NNDC consists of neutron, charged-particle, nuclear structure, radioactive decay, and photonuclear data. 2 figures

Quantitative ChIP-Seq Normalization Reveals Global Modulation of the Epigenome

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David A. Orlando

2014-11-01

Full Text Available Epigenomic profiling by chromatin immunoprecipitation coupled with massively parallel DNA sequencing (ChIP-seq is a prevailing methodology used to investigate chromatin-based regulation in biological systems such as human disease, but the lack of an empirical methodology to enable normalization among experiments has limited the precision and usefulness of this technique. Here, we describe a method called ChIP with reference exogenous genome (ChIP-Rx that allows one to perform genome-wide quantitative comparisons of histone modification status across cell populations using defined quantities of a reference epigenome. ChIP-Rx enables the discovery and quantification of dynamic epigenomic profiles across mammalian cells that would otherwise remain hidden using traditional normalization methods. We demonstrate the utility of this method for measuring epigenomic changes following chemical perturbations and show how reference normalization of ChIP-seq experiments enables the discovery of disease-relevant changes in histone modification occupancy.

Doing the work of reference practical tips for excelling as a reference librarian

CERN Document Server

Katz, Linda S

2013-01-01

Become more versatile, competent, and resourceful with these practical suggestions!Becoming a first-class reference librarian demands proficiency in a wide range of skills. Doing the Work of Reference offers sound advice for the full spectrum of your responsibilities. Though many aspects of a reference librarian's work are changing with astonishing speed, the classic principles in this volume will never go out of date. This comprehensive volume begins with hints for orienting yourself to a new job and concludes with ideas for serving the profession. On the way, Doing the Wo

Mast cell distribution in normal adult skin.

Science.gov (United States)

Janssens, A S; Heide, R; den Hollander, J C; Mulder, P G M; Tank, B; Oranje, A P

2005-03-01

To investigate mast cell distribution in normal adult skin to provide a reference range for comparison with mastocytosis. Mast cells (MCs) were counted in uninvolved skin adjacent to basal cell carcinomas and other dermatological disorders in adults. There was an uneven distribution of MCs in different body sites using the anti-tryptase monoclonal antibody technique. Numbers of MCs on the trunk, upper arm, and upper leg were similar, but were significantly different from those found on the lower leg and forearm. Two distinct groups were formed--proximal and distal. There were 77.0 MCs/mm2 at proximal body sites and 108.2 MCs/mm2 at distal sites. Adjusted for the adjacent diagnosis and age, this difference was consistent. The numbers of MCs in uninvolved skin adjacent to basal cell carcinomas and other dermatological disorders were not different from those in the control group. Differences in the numbers of MCs between the distal and the proximal body sites must be considered when MCs are counted for a reliable diagnosis of mastocytosis. A pilot study in patients with mastocytosis underlined the variation in the numbers of MCs in mastocytosis and normal skin, but showed a considerable overlap. The observed numbers of MCs in adults cannot be extrapolated to children. MC numbers varied significantly between proximal and distal body sites and these differences must be considered when MCs are counted for a reliable diagnosis of mastocytosis. There was a considerable overlap between the numbers of MCs in mastocytosis and normal skin.

Patients newly diagnosed with clinical type 2 diabetes mellitus but presenting with HbA1c within normal range: 19-year mortality and clinical outcomes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Veloso, A.G.; Siersma, V.; Heldgaard, P.E.

2013-01-01

AIMS: To investigate whether long-term mortality or clinical outcomes differed between patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and presenting with HbA1c within or above normal range at time of diagnosis. METHODS: Data were from a population-based sample of 1136 individuals with newly dia...

Evaluation of suitable reference genes for gene expression studies in bovine muscular tissue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dunner Susana

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Real-time reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (real-time RTqPCR is a technique used to measure mRNA species copy number as a way to determine key genes involved in different biological processes. However, the expression level of these key genes may vary among tissues or cells not only as a consequence of differential expression but also due to different factors, including choice of reference genes to normalize the expression levels of the target genes; thus the selection of reference genes is critical for expression studies. For this purpose, ten candidate reference genes were investigated in bovine muscular tissue. Results The value of stability of ten candidate reference genes included in three groups was estimated: the so called 'classical housekeeping' genes (18S, GAPDH and ACTB, a second set of genes used in expression studies conducted on other tissues (B2M, RPII, UBC and HMBS and a third set of novel genes (SF3A1, EEF1A2 and CASC3. Three different statistical algorithms were used to rank the genes by their stability measures as produced by geNorm, NormFinder and Bestkeeper. The three methods tend to agree on the most stably expressed genes and the least in muscular tissue. EEF1A2 and HMBS followed by SF3A1, ACTB, and CASC3 can be considered as stable reference genes, and B2M, RPII, UBC and GAPDH would not be appropriate. Although the rRNA-18S stability measure seems to be within the range of acceptance, its use is not recommended because its synthesis regulation is not representative of mRNA levels. Conclusion Based on geNorm algorithm, we propose the use of three genes SF3A1, EEF1A2 and HMBS as references for normalization of real-time RTqPCR in muscle expression studies.

CT and MRI normal findings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moeller, T.B.; Reif, E.

1998-01-01

This book gives answers to questions frequently heard especially from trainees and doctors not specialising in the field of radiology: Is that a normal finding? How do I decide? What are the objective criteria? The information presented is three-fold. The normal findings of the usual CT and MRI examinations are shown with high-quality pictures serving as a reference, with inscribed important additional information on measures, angles and other criteria describing the normal conditions. These criteria are further explained and evaluated in accompanying texts which also teach the systematic approach for individual picture analysis, and include a check list of major aspects, as a didactic guide for learning. The book is primarily intended for students, radiographers, radiology trainees and doctors from other medical fields, but radiology specialists will also find useful details of help in special cases. (orig./CB) [de

Normal stress Sestamibi study: why re inject?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unger, S.A.; Hughes, T.

2000-01-01

Full text: Myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) is widely used for risk stratification of patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease. A normal MPI study predicts an annual cardiac event rate of 99 Tc m -Sestamibi (MIBI), omitting the rest study when the post-stress study is interpreted as normal. The safety of this approach has not been validated, all published reports utilising both rest and stress images to interpret a study as 'normal'. Between 1/1/98 and 30/8/98, 489 patients (patients) were referred to our department for stress MPI. Of these, 237 were interpreted as normal on the basis of their post-stress study, and did not undergo a rest study. 12 month clinical follow-up was available in 184 (78%) of these patients, representing the study group (82 males, 102 females; mean age 61±12 years). 156 of these patients were referred for assessment of chest pain, three for dyspnoea, six for abnormal ECGs, and 19 for pre-operative evaluation. At one year of follow-up, there were no myocardial infarcts or admissions for unstable angina, and no cardiac deaths. Three patients died of non-cardiac causes. Seven patients underwent coronary angiography: five were normal, one had a single 50% stenosis, and one had an 80% vein graft stenosis which was subsequently angioplastied. In conclusion, a normal stress MIBI image predicts an excellent prognosis and negates the need for a rest reinjection study, thus reducing patient camera time and radiation exposure, improving departmental throughput, and minimising public health expenditure. Copyright (2000) The Australian and New Zealand Society of Nuclear Medicine Inc

Biomechanics of normal and pathological gait: implications for understanding human locomotor control.

Science.gov (United States)

Winter, D A

1989-12-01

The biomechanical (kinetic) analysis of human gait reveals the integrated and detailed motor patterns that are essential in pinpointing the abnormal patterns in pathological gait. In a similar manner, these motor patterns (moments, powers, and EMGs) can be used to identify synergies and to validate theories of CNS control. Based on kinetic and EMG patterns for a wide range of normal subjects and cadences, evidence is presented that both supports and negates the central pattern generator theory of locomotion. Adaptive motor patterns that are evident in peripheral gait pathologies reinforce a strong peripheral rather than a central control. Finally, a three-component subtask theory of human gait is presented and is supported by reference to the motor patterns seen in a normal gait. The identified subtasks are (a) support (against collapse during stance); (b) dynamic balance of the upper body, also during stance; and (c) feedforward control of the foot trajectory to achieve safe ground clearance and a gentle heel contact.

Measurement of normal ocular volume by the use of computed ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background: Reduction or increase in ocular volume may indicate ocular pathology. Unfortunately the reference values utilized for ocular volume had been that of non-Africans. It is therefore pertinent to have a reference value of normal for Africans. Objective: To document the computer tomography (CT) scan measured ...

Normalization methods in time series of platelet function assays

Science.gov (United States)

Van Poucke, Sven; Zhang, Zhongheng; Roest, Mark; Vukicevic, Milan; Beran, Maud; Lauwereins, Bart; Zheng, Ming-Hua; Henskens, Yvonne; Lancé, Marcus; Marcus, Abraham

2016-01-01

Abstract Platelet function can be quantitatively assessed by specific assays such as light-transmission aggregometry, multiple-electrode aggregometry measuring the response to adenosine diphosphate (ADP), arachidonic acid, collagen, and thrombin-receptor activating peptide and viscoelastic tests such as rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM). The task of extracting meaningful statistical and clinical information from high-dimensional data spaces in temporal multivariate clinical data represented in multivariate time series is complex. Building insightful visualizations for multivariate time series demands adequate usage of normalization techniques. In this article, various methods for data normalization (z-transformation, range transformation, proportion transformation, and interquartile range) are presented and visualized discussing the most suited approach for platelet function data series. Normalization was calculated per assay (test) for all time points and per time point for all tests. Interquartile range, range transformation, and z-transformation demonstrated the correlation as calculated by the Spearman correlation test, when normalized per assay (test) for all time points. When normalizing per time point for all tests, no correlation could be abstracted from the charts as was the case when using all data as 1 dataset for normalization. PMID:27428217

Distinguishing hyperhidrosis and normal physiological sweat production

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thorlacius, Linnea; Gyldenløve, Mette; Zachariae, Claus

2015-01-01

of this study was to establish reference intervals for normal physiological axillary and palmar sweat production. METHODS: Gravimetric testing was performed in 75 healthy control subjects. Subsequently, these results were compared with findings in a cohort of patients with hyperhidrosis and with the results...... 100 mg/5 min. CONCLUSIONS: A sweat production rate of 100 mg/5 min as measured by gravimetric testing may be a reasonable cut-off value for distinguishing axillary and palmar hyperhidrosis from normal physiological sweat production....

Selection of Reliable Reference Genes for Gene Expression Studies on Rhododendron molle G. Don.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Zheng; Sun, Xiaobo; Liu, Xiaoqing; Li, Chang; He, Lisi; Chen, Shangping; Su, Jiale

2016-01-01

The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) approach has become a widely used method to analyze expression patterns of target genes. The selection of an optimal reference gene is a prerequisite for the accurate normalization of gene expression in qRT-PCR. The present study constitutes the first systematic evaluation of potential reference genes in Rhododendron molle G. Don. Eleven candidate reference genes in different tissues and flowers at different developmental stages of R. molle were assessed using the following three software packages: GeNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper. The results showed that EF1- α (elongation factor 1-alpha), 18S (18s ribosomal RNA), and RPL3 (ribosomal protein L3) were the most stable reference genes in developing rhododendron flowers and, thus, in all of the tested samples, while tublin ( TUB ) was the least stable. ACT5 (actin), RPL3 , 18S , and EF1- α were found to be the top four choices for different tissues, whereas TUB was not found to favor qRT-PCR normalization in these tissues. Three stable reference genes are recommended for the normalization of qRT-PCR data in R. molle . Furthermore, the expression profiles of RmPSY (phytoene synthase) and RmPDS (phytoene dehydrogenase) were assessed using EF1- α, 18S , ACT5 , RPL3 , and their combination as internals. Similar trends were found, but these trends varied when the least stable reference gene TUB was used. The results further prove that it is necessary to validate the stability of reference genes prior to their use for normalization under different experimental conditions. This study provides useful information for reliable qRT-PCR data normalization in gene studies of R. molle .

Selection of Reliable Reference Genes for Gene Expression Studies on Rhododendron molle G. Don

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zheng Xiao

2016-10-01

Full Text Available The quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR approach has become a widely used method to analyze expression patterns of target genes. The selection of an optimal reference gene is a prerequisite for the accurate normalization of gene expression in qRT-PCR. The present study constitutes the first systematic evaluation of potential reference genes in Rhododendron molle G. Don. Eleven candidate reference genes in different tissues and flowers at different developmental stages of R. molle were assessed using the following three software packages: GeNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper. The results showed that EF1-α (elongation factor 1-alpha, 18S (18s ribosomal RNA and RPL3 (ribosomal protein L3 were the most stable reference genes in developing rhododendron flowers and, thus, in all of the tested samples, while tublin (TUB was the least stable. ACT5 (actin, RPL3, 18S and EF1-α were found to be the top four choices for different tissues, whereas TUB was not found to favor qRT-PCR normalization in these tissues. Three stable reference genes are recommended for the normalization of qRT-PCR data in R. molle. Furthermore, the expression profiles of RmPSY (phytoene synthase and RmPDS (phytoene dehydrogenase were assessed using EF1-α, 18S, ACT5, and RPL3 and their combination as internals. Similar trends were found, but these trends varied when the least stable reference gene TUB was used. The results further prove that it is necessary to validate the stability of reference genes prior to their use for normalization under different experimental conditions. This study provides useful information for reliable qRT-PCR data normalization in gene studies of R. molle.

Python library reference

NARCIS (Netherlands)

G. van Rossum (Guido)

1995-01-01

textabstractPython is an extensible, interpreted, object-oriented programming language. It supports a wide range of applications, from simple text processing scripts to interactive WWW browsers. While the Python Reference Manual describes the exact syntax and semantics of the language, it does not

Developing a reference of normal lung sounds in healthy Peruvian children.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellington, Laura E; Emmanouilidou, Dimitra; Elhilali, Mounya; Gilman, Robert H; Tielsch, James M; Chavez, Miguel A; Marin-Concha, Julio; Figueroa, Dante; West, James; Checkley, William

2014-10-01

Lung auscultation has long been a standard of care for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases. Recent advances in electronic auscultation and signal processing have yet to find clinical acceptance; however, computerized lung sound analysis may be ideal for pediatric populations in settings, where skilled healthcare providers are commonly unavailable. We described features of normal lung sounds in young children using a novel signal processing approach to lay a foundation for identifying pathologic respiratory sounds. 186 healthy children with normal pulmonary exams and without respiratory complaints were enrolled at a tertiary care hospital in Lima, Peru. Lung sounds were recorded at eight thoracic sites using a digital stethoscope. 151 (81%) of the recordings were eligible for further analysis. Heavy-crying segments were automatically rejected and features extracted from spectral and temporal signal representations contributed to profiling of lung sounds. Mean age, height, and weight among study participants were 2.2 years (SD 1.4), 84.7 cm (SD 13.2), and 12.0 kg (SD 3.6), respectively; and, 47% were boys. We identified ten distinct spectral and spectro-temporal signal parameters and most demonstrated linear relationships with age, height, and weight, while no differences with genders were noted. Older children had a faster decaying spectrum than younger ones. Features like spectral peak width, lower-frequency Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients, and spectro-temporal modulations also showed variations with recording site. Lung sound extracted features varied significantly with child characteristics and lung site. A comparison with adult studies revealed differences in the extracted features for children. While sound-reduction techniques will improve analysis, we offer a novel, reproducible tool for sound analysis in real-world environments.

Impact of age and sex on normal left heart structure and function.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagström, Linn; Henein, Michael Y; Karp, Kjell; Waldenström, Anders; Lindqvist, Per

2017-11-01

Accurate age- and sex-related normal reference values of ventricular structure and function are important to determine the level of dysfunction in patients. The aim of this study therefore was to document normal age range sex-related measurements of LV structural and functional measurements to serve such purpose. We evaluated left ventricular structure and function in 293 healthy subjects between 20 and 90 years with equally distributed gender. Doppler echocardiography was used including measure of both systolic and diastolic functions. Due to systolic LV function, only long axis function correlated with age (r = 0·55, P<0·01) and the correlation was stronger in females. Concerning diastolic function, there was a strong age correlation in all parameters used (r = 0·40-0·74, P<0·001). Due to LV structural changes over age, females showed a larger reduction in end-diastolic volumes, but no or trivial difference in wall thickness after the age of 60 years. Age is associated with significant normal changes in left ventricular structure and function, which should be considered when deciding on normality. These changes are related to systemic arterial changes as well as body stature, thus reflecting overall body ageing process. Furthermore, normal cardiac ageing in females might partly explain the higher prevalence of heart failure with preserved ejection in females. © 2016 Scandinavian Society of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Model-reference robust tuning of PID controllers

CERN Document Server

Alfaro, Victor M

2016-01-01

This book presents a unified methodology for the design of PID controllers that encompasses the wide range of different dynamics to be found in industrial processes. This is extended to provide a coherent way of dealing with the tuning of PID controllers. The particular method at the core of the book is the so-called model-reference robust tuning (MoReRT), developed by the authors. MoReRT constitutes a novel and powerful way of thinking of a robust design and taking into account the usual design trade-offs encountered in any control design problem. The book starts by presenting the different two-degree-of-freedom PID control algorithm variations and their conversion relations as well as the indexes used for performance, robustness and fragility evaluation:the bases of the proposed model. Secondly, the MoReRT design methodology and normalized controlled process models and controllers used in the design are described in order to facilitate the formulation of the different design problems and subsequent derivati...

The Orthology Clause in the Next Generation Sequencing Era: Novel Reference Genes Identified by RNA-seq in Humans Improve Normalization of Neonatal Equine Ovary RT-qPCR Data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dragos Scarlet

Full Text Available Vertebrate evolution is accompanied by a substantial conservation of transcriptional programs with more than a third of unique orthologous genes showing constrained levels of expression. Moreover, there are genes and exons exhibiting excellent expression stability according to RNA-seq data across a panel of eighteen tissues including the ovary (Human Body Map 2.0.We hypothesized that orthologs of these exons would also be highly uniformly expressed across neonatal ovaries of the horse, which would render them appropriate reference genes (RGs for normalization of reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR data in this context. The expression stability of eleven novel RGs (C1orf43, CHMP2A, EMC7, GPI, PSMB2, PSMB4, RAB7A, REEP5, SNRPD3, VCP and VPS29 was assessed by RT-qPCR in ovaries of seven neonatal fillies and compared to that of the expressed repetitive element ERE-B, two universal (OAZ1 and RPS29 and four traditional RGs (ACTB, GAPDH, UBB and B2M. Expression stability analyzed with the software tool RefFinder top ranked the normalization factor constituted of the genes SNRPD3 and VCP, a gene pair that is not co-expressed according to COEXPRESdb and GeneMANIA. The traditional RGs GAPDH, B2M, ACTB and UBB were only ranked 3rd and 12th to 14th, respectively.The functional diversity of the novel RGs likely facilitates expression studies over a wide range of physiological and pathological contexts related to the neonatal equine ovary. In addition, this study augments the potential for RT-qPCR-based profiling of human samples by introducing seven new human RG assays (C1orf43, CHMP2A, EMC7, GPI, RAB7A, VPS29 and UBB.

Normalization in PET group comparison studies - The importance of a valid reference region

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Borghammer, Per; Jonsdottir, Kristjana Yr; Cumming, Paul

2008-01-01

: In healthy aging, CBF was shown to be unchanged in WM and central regions. In contrast, with normalization to the GM mean, CBF displayed positive correlation with age in the central regions. Very similar artifactual increases were seen in the HE comparison and also in the simulation experiment. CONCLUSION...

Relating normalization to neuronal populations across cortical areas.

Science.gov (United States)

Ruff, Douglas A; Alberts, Joshua J; Cohen, Marlene R

2016-09-01

Normalization, which divisively scales neuronal responses to multiple stimuli, is thought to underlie many sensory, motor, and cognitive processes. In every study where it has been investigated, neurons measured in the same brain area under identical conditions exhibit a range of normalization, ranging from suppression by nonpreferred stimuli (strong normalization) to additive responses to combinations of stimuli (no normalization). Normalization has been hypothesized to arise from interactions between neuronal populations, either in the same or different brain areas, but current models of normalization are not mechanistic and focus on trial-averaged responses. To gain insight into the mechanisms underlying normalization, we examined interactions between neurons that exhibit different degrees of normalization. We recorded from multiple neurons in three cortical areas while rhesus monkeys viewed superimposed drifting gratings. We found that neurons showing strong normalization shared less trial-to-trial variability with other neurons in the same cortical area and more variability with neurons in other cortical areas than did units with weak normalization. Furthermore, the cortical organization of normalization was not random: neurons recorded on nearby electrodes tended to exhibit similar amounts of normalization. Together, our results suggest that normalization reflects a neuron's role in its local network and that modulatory factors like normalization share the topographic organization typical of sensory tuning properties. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Developing a Reference of Normal Lung Sounds in Healthy Peruvian Children

Science.gov (United States)

Ellington, Laura E.; Emmanouilidou, Dimitra; Elhilali, Mounya; Gilman, Robert H.; Tielsch, James M.; Chavez, Miguel A.; Marin-Concha, Julio; Figueroa, Dante; West, James

2018-01-01

Purpose Lung auscultation has long been a standard of care for the diagnosis of respiratory diseases. Recent advances in electronic auscultation and signal processing have yet to find clinical acceptance; however, computerized lung sound analysis may be ideal for pediatric populations in settings, where skilled healthcare providers are commonly unavailable. We described features of normal lung sounds in young children using a novel signal processing approach to lay a foundation for identifying pathologic respiratory sounds. Methods 186 healthy children with normal pulmonary exams and without respiratory complaints were enrolled at a tertiary care hospital in Lima, Peru. Lung sounds were recorded at eight thoracic sites using a digital stethoscope. 151 (81 %) of the recordings were eligible for further analysis. Heavy-crying segments were automatically rejected and features extracted from spectral and temporal signal representations contributed to profiling of lung sounds. Results Mean age, height, and weight among study participants were 2.2 years (SD 1.4), 84.7 cm (SD 13.2), and 12.0 kg (SD 3.6), respectively; and, 47 % were boys. We identified ten distinct spectral and spectro-temporal signal parameters and most demonstrated linear relationships with age, height, and weight, while no differences with genders were noted. Older children had a faster decaying spectrum than younger ones. Features like spectral peak width, lower-frequency Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients, and spectro-temporal modulations also showed variations with recording site. Conclusions Lung sound extracted features varied significantly with child characteristics and lung site. A comparison with adult studies revealed differences in the extracted features for children. While sound-reduction techniques will improve analysis, we offer a novel, reproducible tool for sound analysis in real-world environments. PMID:24943262

Standard Test Method for Normal Spectral Emittance at Elevated Temperatures of Nonconducting Specimens

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

1971-01-01

1.1 This test method describes an accurate technique for measuring the normal spectral emittance of electrically nonconducting materials in the temperature range from 1000 to 1800 K, and at wavelengths from 1 to 35 μm. It is particularly suitable for measuring the normal spectral emittance of materials such as ceramic oxides, which have relatively low thermal conductivity and are translucent to appreciable depths (several millimetres) below the surface, but which become essentially opaque at thicknesses of 10 mm or less. 1.2 This test method requires expensive equipment and rather elaborate precautions, but produces data that are accurate to within a few percent. It is particularly suitable for research laboratories, where the highest precision and accuracy are desired, and is not recommended for routine production or acceptance testing. Because of its high accuracy, this test method may be used as a reference method to be applied to production and acceptance testing in case of dispute. 1.3 This test metho...

Age and gender specific normal values of left ventricular mass, volume and function for gradient echo magnetic resonance imaging: a cross sectional study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cain, Peter A; Ahl, Ragnhild; Hedstrom, Erik; Ugander, Martin; Allansdotter-Johnsson, Ase; Friberg, Peter; Arheden, Hakan

2009-01-01

Knowledge about age-specific normal values for left ventricular mass (LVM), end-diastolic volume (EDV), end-systolic volume (ESV), stroke volume (SV) and ejection fraction (EF) by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) is of importance to differentiate between health and disease and to assess the severity of disease. The aims of the study were to determine age and gender specific normal reference values and to explore the normal physiological variation of these parameters from adolescence to late adulthood, in a cross sectional study. Gradient echo CMR was performed at 1.5 T in 96 healthy volunteers (11–81 years, 50 male). Gender-specific analysis of parameters was undertaken in both absolute values and adjusted for body surface area (BSA). Age and gender specific normal ranges for LV volumes, mass and function are presented from the second through the eighth decade of life. LVM, ESV and EDV rose during adolescence and declined in adulthood. SV and EF decreased with age. Compared to adult females, adult males had higher BSA-adjusted values of EDV (p = 0.006) and ESV (p < 0.001), similar SV (p = 0.51) and lower EF (p = 0.014). No gender differences were seen in the youngest, 11–15 year, age range. LV volumes, mass and function vary over a broad age range in healthy individuals. LV volumes and mass both rise in adolescence and decline with age. EF showed a rapid decline in adolescence compared to changes throughout adulthood. These findings demonstrate the need for age and gender specific normal ranges for clinical use

A novel SNP analysis method to detect copy number alterations with an unbiased reference signal directly from tumor samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

LaFramboise William A

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Genomic instability in cancer leads to abnormal genome copy number alterations (CNA as a mechanism underlying tumorigenesis. Using microarrays and other technologies, tumor CNA are detected by comparing tumor sample CN to normal reference sample CN. While advances in microarray technology have improved detection of copy number alterations, the increase in the number of measured signals, noise from array probes, variations in signal-to-noise ratio across batches and disparity across laboratories leads to significant limitations for the accurate identification of CNA regions when comparing tumor and normal samples. Methods To address these limitations, we designed a novel "Virtual Normal" algorithm (VN, which allowed for construction of an unbiased reference signal directly from test samples within an experiment using any publicly available normal reference set as a baseline thus eliminating the need for an in-lab normal reference set. Results The algorithm was tested using an optimal, paired tumor/normal data set as well as previously uncharacterized pediatric malignant gliomas for which a normal reference set was not available. Using Affymetrix 250K Sty microarrays, we demonstrated improved signal-to-noise ratio and detected significant copy number alterations using the VN algorithm that were validated by independent PCR analysis of the target CNA regions. Conclusions We developed and validated an algorithm to provide a virtual normal reference signal directly from tumor samples and minimize noise in the derivation of the raw CN signal. The algorithm reduces the variability of assays performed across different reagent and array batches, methods of sample preservation, multiple personnel, and among different laboratories. This approach may be valuable when matched normal samples are unavailable or the paired normal specimens have been subjected to variations in methods of preservation.

REFERENCE RANGES AND AGE-RELATED AND DIVING EXERCISE EFFECTS ON HEMATOLOGY AND SERUM CHEMISTRY OF FEMALE STELLER SEA LIONS ( EUMETOPIAS JUBATUS).

Science.gov (United States)

Gerlinsky, Carling D; Haulena, Martin; Trites, Andrew W; Rosen, David A S

2018-03-01

Decreased health may have lowered the birth and survival rates of Steller sea lions ( Eumetopias jubatus) in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands over the past 30 yr. Reference ranges for clinical hematology and serum chemistry parameters needed to assess the health of wild sea lion populations are limited. Here, blood parameters were serially measured in 12 captive female Steller sea lions ranging in age from 3 wk to 16 yr to establish baseline values and investigate age-related changes. Whether diving activity affects hematology parameters in animals swimming in the ocean compared with animals in a traditional aquarium setting was also examined. Almost all blood parameters measured exhibited significant changes with age. Many of the age-related changes reflected developmental life history changes, including a change in diet during weaning, an improvement of diving capacity, and the maturity of the immune system. Mean corpuscular hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume were also higher in the ocean diving group compared with the aquarium group, likely reflecting responses to increased exercise regimes. These data provide ranges of hematology and serum chemistry values needed to evaluate and compare the health and nutritional status of captive and wild Steller sea lions.

PROBABILISTIC MODEL OF LASER RANGE FINDER FOR THREE DIMENSIONAL GRID CELL IN CLOSE RANGE ENVIRONMENT

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Hafiz b Iman

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The probabilistic model of a laser scanner presents an important aspect for simultaneous localization and map-building (SLAM. However, the characteristic of the beam of the laser range finder under extreme incident angles approaching 900 has not been thoroughly investigated. This research paper reports the characteristic of the density of the range value coming from a laser range finder under close range circumstances where the laser is imposed with a high incident angle. The laser was placed in a controlled environment consisting of walls at a close range and 1000 iteration of scans was collected. The assumption of normal density of the metrical data collapses when the beam traverses across sharp edges in this environment. The data collected also shows multimodal density at instances where the range has discontinuity. The standard deviation of the laser range finder is reported to average at 10.54 mm, with 0.96 of accuracy. This significance suggests that under extreme incident angles, a laser range finder reading behaves differently compared to normal distribution. The use of this information is crucial for SLAM activity in enclosed environments such as inside piping grid or other cluttered environments.KEYWORDS:   Hokuyo UTM-30LX; kernel density estimation; probabilistic model  

Radioimmunoassay of erythropoietin: circulating levels in normal and polycythemic human beings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, J.F.; Ebbe, S.N.; Hollander, L.; Cutting, H.O.; Miller, M.E.; Cronkite, E.P.

1982-01-01

Techniques are described in detail for the RIA of human Ep in unextracted plasma or serum. With 100 μl of sample, the assay is sensitive at an Ep concentration of approximately 4 mU/ml, and when required, the sensitivity can be increased to 0.4 mU/ml, a range considerably less than the concentration observed in normal human beings. This is approximately 100 times more sensitive than existing in vivo bioassays for this hormone. Studies concerned with the validation of the Ep RIA show a high degree of correlation with the polycythemic mouse bioassay. Dilutions of a variety of human serum samples show a parallel relationship with the standard reference preparation for Ep. Validation of the RIA is further confirmed by observations of appropriate increases or decreases of circulating Ep levels in physiological and clinical conditions known to be associated with stimulation or suppression of Ep secretion. Significantly different mean serum concentrations of 17.2 mU/ml for normal male subjects and 18.8 mU/ml for normal female subjects were observed. Mean plasma Ep concentrations in patients with polycythemia vera are significantly decreased, and those of patients with secondary polycythemia are significantly increased as compared to plasma levels in normal subjects. These results demonstrate an initial practical value of the Ep RA in the hematology clinic, which will most certainly be expanded with its more extensive use

Marrow transfusions into normal recipients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brecher, G.

1983-01-01

During the past several years we have explored the transfusion of bone marrow into normal nonirradiated mice. While transfused marrow proliferates readily in irradiated animals, only minimal proliferation takes place in nonirradiated recipients. It has generally been assumed that this was due to the lack of available proliferative sites in recipients with normal marrow. Last year we were able to report that the transfusion of 200 million bone marrow cells (about 2/3 of the total complement of marrow cells of a normal mouse) resulted in 20% to 25% of the recipient's marrow being replaced by donor marrow. Thus we can now study the behavior of animals that have been transfused (donor) and endogenous (recipient) marrow cells, although none of the tissues of either donor or recipient have been irradiated. With these animals we hope to investigate the nature of the peculiar phenomenon of serial exhaustion of marrow, also referred to as the limited self-replicability of stem cells

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Naganawa, Shinji; Ishigaki, Takeo [Department of Radiology, Nagoya University School of Medicine, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Shouwa-ku, Nagoya 466-8550 (Japan); Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo [Department of Radiology, First Kamiida General Hospital (Japan)

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean{+-}standard deviation 2.3{+-}1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (p<0.01). In the subjects under 60 years, women showed higher values in right frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (p<0.01); however, in the subjects over 60 years, no region showed difference between men and women. The knowledge obtained in this study may be helpful to understand the developmental and aging mechanisms of normal brain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference. (orig.)

Regional ADC values of the normal brain: differences due to age, gender, and laterality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Naganawa, Shinji; Ishigaki, Takeo; Sato, Kimihide; Katagiri, Toshio; Mimura, Takeo

2003-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stability of measurement for apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values in normal brain, to clarify the effect of aging on ADC values, to compare ADC values between men and women, and to compare ADC values between right and left sides of the brain. To evaluate the stability of measurements, five normal volunteers (four men and one woman) were examined five times on different days. Then, 294 subjects with normal MR imaging (147 men and 147 women; age range 20-89 years) were measured. The ADC measurement in normal volunteers was stable. The ADC values stayed within the 5% deviation of average values in all volunteers (mean±standard deviation 2.3±1.2%). The ADC values gradually increased by aging in all regions. In thalamus, no significant difference was seen between right and left in the subjects under 60 years; however, right side showed higher values in the subjects over 60 years (p<0.01). In the subjects under 60 years, women showed higher values in right frontal, bilateral thalamus, and temporal (p<0.01); however, in the subjects over 60 years, no region showed difference between men and women. The knowledge obtained in this study may be helpful to understand the developmental and aging mechanisms of normal brain and may be useful for the future quantitative study as a reference. (orig.)

Power curve report - with turbulence intensity normalization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gómez Arranz, Paula; Wagner, Rozenn; Vesth, Allan

, additional shear and turbulence intensitity filters are applied on the measured data. Secondly, the method for normalization to a given reference turbulence intensity level (as described in Annex M of the draft of IEC 61400-12-1 Ed.2 [3]) is applied. The measurements have been performed using DTU...

Measurement of normal auditory ossicles by high-resolusion CT with application of normal criteria to disease cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hara, Jyoko

1988-01-01

The purposes of this study were to define criteria for the normal position of ossicles and to apply them in patients with rhinolaryngologically or pathologically confirmed diseases. Ossicles were measured on high-resolution CT images of 300 middle ears, including 241 normal ears and 59 diseased ears, in a total of 203 subjects. Angles A, B, and C to the baseline between the most lateral margins of bilateral internal auditory canals, and distance ratio b/a were defined as measurement items. Normal angles A, B, and C and distance ratio b/a ranged from 19 deg to 59 deg, 101 deg to 145 deg, 51 deg to 89 deg, and 0.49 to 0.51, respectively. Based on these criteria, all of these items were within the normal range in 30/34 (88.2 %) ears for otitis media and mastoiditis. One or more items showed far abnormal values (standard deviation; more than 3) in 5/7 (71.4 %) ears for cholesteatoma and 4/4 (100 %) ears for external ear anomaly. These normal measurements may aid in evaluating the position of auditory ossicles especially in the case of cholesteatoma and auditory ossicle abnormality. (Namekawa, K.)

Measurement of normal auditory ossicles by high-resolusion CT with application of normal criteria to disease cases

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hara, Jyoko

1988-09-01

The purposes of this study were to define criteria for the normal position of ossicles and to apply them in patients with rhinolaryngologically or pathologically confirmed diseases. Ossicles were measured on high-resolution CT images of 300 middle ears, including 241 normal ears and 59 diseased ears, in a total of 203 subjects. Angles A, B, and C to the baseline between the most lateral margins of bilateral internal auditory canals, and distance ratio b/a were defined as measurement items. Normal angles A, B, and C and distance ratio b/a ranged from 19 deg to 59 deg, 101 deg to 145 deg, 51 deg to 89 deg, and 0.49 to 0.51, respectively. Based on these criteria, all of these items were within the normal range in 30/34 (88.2 %) ears for otitis media and mastoiditis. One or more items showed far abnormal values (standard deviation; more than 3) in 5/7 (71.4 %) ears for cholesteatoma and 4/4 (100 %) ears for external ear anomaly. These normal measurements may aid in evaluating the position of auditory ossicles especially in the case of cholesteatoma and auditory ossicle abnormality. (Namekawa, K.).

Electronics engineer's reference book

CERN Document Server

Turner, L W

1976-01-01

Electronics Engineer's Reference Book, 4th Edition is a reference book for electronic engineers that reviews the knowledge and techniques in electronics engineering and covers topics ranging from basics to materials and components, devices, circuits, measurements, and applications. This edition is comprised of 27 chapters; the first of which presents general information on electronics engineering, including terminology, mathematical equations, mathematical signs and symbols, and Greek alphabet and symbols. Attention then turns to the history of electronics; electromagnetic and nuclear radiatio

Right thoracic curvature in the normal spine

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Masuda Keigo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Trunk asymmetry and vertebral rotation, at times observed in the normal spine, resemble the characteristics of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS. Right thoracic curvature has also been reported in the normal spine. If it is determined that the features of right thoracic side curvature in the normal spine are the same as those observed in AIS, these findings might provide a basis for elucidating the etiology of this condition. For this reason, we investigated right thoracic curvature in the normal spine. Methods For normal spinal measurements, 1,200 patients who underwent a posteroanterior chest radiographs were evaluated. These consisted of 400 children (ages 4-9, 400 adolescents (ages 10-19 and 400 adults (ages 20-29, with each group comprised of both genders. The exclusion criteria were obvious chest and spinal diseases. As side curvature is minimal in normal spines and the range at which curvature is measured is difficult to ascertain, first the typical curvature range in scoliosis patients was determined and then the Cobb angle in normal spines was measured using the same range as the scoliosis curve, from T5 to T12. Right thoracic curvature was given a positive value. The curve pattern was organized in each collective three groups: neutral (from -1 degree to 1 degree, right (> +1 degree, and left ( Results In child group, Cobb angle in left was 120, in neutral was 125 and in right was 155. In adolescent group, Cobb angle in left was 70, in neutral was 114 and in right was 216. In adult group, Cobb angle in left was 46, in neutral was 102 and in right was 252. The curvature pattern shifts to the right side in the adolescent group (p Conclusions Based on standing chest radiographic measurements, a right thoracic curvature was observed in normal spines after adolescence.

Selecting and validating reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR in Plutella xylostella (L.).

Science.gov (United States)

You, Yanchun; Xie, Miao; Vasseur, Liette; You, Minsheng

2018-05-01

Gene expression analysis provides important clues regarding gene functions, and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) is a widely used method in gene expression studies. Reference genes are essential for normalizing and accurately assessing gene expression. In the present study, 16 candidate reference genes (ACTB, CyPA, EF1-α, GAPDH, HSP90, NDPk, RPL13a, RPL18, RPL19, RPL32, RPL4, RPL8, RPS13, RPS4, α-TUB, and β-TUB) from Plutella xylostella were selected to evaluate gene expression stability across different experimental conditions using five statistical algorithms (geNorm, NormFinder, Delta Ct, BestKeeper, and RefFinder). The results suggest that different reference genes or combinations of reference genes are suitable for normalization in gene expression studies of P. xylostella according to the different developmental stages, strains, tissues, and insecticide treatments. Based on the given experimental sets, the most stable reference genes were RPS4 across different developmental stages, RPL8 across different strains and tissues, and EF1-α across different insecticide treatments. A comprehensive and systematic assessment of potential reference genes for gene expression normalization is essential for post-genomic functional research in P. xylostella, a notorious pest with worldwide distribution and a high capacity to adapt and develop resistance to insecticides.

New experimental device for high-temperature normal spectral emissivity measurements of coatings

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Honnerová, Petra; Martan, Jiří; Kučera, Martin; Honner, Milan; Hameury, Jacques

2014-01-01

A new experimental device for normal spectral emissivity measurements of coatings in the infrared spectral range from 1.38 μm to 26 μm and in the temperature range from 550 K to 1250 K is presented. A Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR) is used for the detection of sample and blackbody spectral radiation. Sample heating is achieved by a fiber laser with a scanning head. Surface temperature is measured by two methods. The first method uses an infrared camera and a reference coating with known effective emissivity, the second method is based on the combination of Christiansen wavelength with contact and noncontact surface temperature measurement. Application of the method is shown on the example of a high-temperature high-emissivity coating. Experimental results obtained with this apparatus are compared with the results performed by a direct method of Laboratoire National d’Essais (LNE) in France. The differences in the spectra are analyzed. (paper)

Age and gender specific normal values of left ventricular mass, volume and function for gradient echo magnetic resonance imaging: a cross sectional study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allansdotter-Johnsson Ase

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Knowledge about age-specific normal values for left ventricular mass (LVM, end-diastolic volume (EDV, end-systolic volume (ESV, stroke volume (SV and ejection fraction (EF by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR is of importance to differentiate between health and disease and to assess the severity of disease. The aims of the study were to determine age and gender specific normal reference values and to explore the normal physiological variation of these parameters from adolescence to late adulthood, in a cross sectional study. Methods Gradient echo CMR was performed at 1.5 T in 96 healthy volunteers (11–81 years, 50 male. Gender-specific analysis of parameters was undertaken in both absolute values and adjusted for body surface area (BSA. Results Age and gender specific normal ranges for LV volumes, mass and function are presented from the second through the eighth decade of life. LVM, ESV and EDV rose during adolescence and declined in adulthood. SV and EF decreased with age. Compared to adult females, adult males had higher BSA-adjusted values of EDV (p = 0.006 and ESV (p Conclusion LV volumes, mass and function vary over a broad age range in healthy individuals. LV volumes and mass both rise in adolescence and decline with age. EF showed a rapid decline in adolescence compared to changes throughout adulthood. These findings demonstrate the need for age and gender specific normal ranges for clinical use.

Unitarity corrections to short-range order long-range rapidity correlations

CERN Document Server

Capella, A

1978-01-01

Although the effective hadronic forces have short range in rapidity space, one nevertheless expects long-range dynamical correlations induced by unitarity constraints. This paper contains a thorough discussion of long-range rapidity correlations in high-multiplicity events. In particular, the authors analyze in detail the forward- backward multiplicity correlations, measured recently in the whole CERN ISR energy range. They find from these data that the normalized variance of the number n of exchanged cut Pomerons, ((n/(n)-1)/sup 2/) , is most probably in the range 0.32 to 0.36. They show that such a number is obtained from Reggeon theory in the eikonal approximation. The authors also predict a very specific violation of local compensation of charge in multiparticle events: The violation should appear in the fourth-order zone correlation function and is absent in the second-order correlation function, the only one measured until now. (48 refs).

Post-Newtonian Reference Frames For Advanced Theory Of The Lunar Motion And For A New Generation Of Lunar Laser Ranging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xie, Y.; Kopeikon, S.

2010-01-01

We overview a set of post-Newtonian reference frames for a comprehensive study of the orbital dynamics and rotational motion of Moon and Earth by means of lunar laser ranging (LLR). We employ a scalar-tensor theory of gravity depending on two post-Newtonian parameters, and , and utilize the relativistic resolutions on reference frames adopted by the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2000. We assume that the solar system is isolated and space-time is asymptotically flat at infinity. The primary reference frame covers the entire space-time, has its origin at the solar-system barycenter (SSB) and spatial axes stretching up to infinity. The SSB frame is not rotating with respect to a set of distant quasars that are forming the International Celestial Reference Frame (ICRF). The secondary reference frame has its origin at the Earth-Moon barycenter (EMB). The EMB frame is locally-inertial and is not rotating dynamically in the sense that equation of motion of a test particle moving with respect to the EMB frame, does not contain the Coriolis and centripetal forces. Two other local frames geocentric (GRF) and selenocentric (SRF) have their origins at the center of mass of Earth and Moon respectively and do not rotate dynamically. Each local frame is subject to the geodetic precession both with respect to other local frames and with respect to the ICRF because of their relative motion with respect to each other. Theoretical advantage of the dynamically non-rotating local frames is in a more simple mathematical description. Each local frame can be aligned with the axes of ICRF after applying the matrix of the relativistic precession. The set of one global and three local frames is introduced in order to fully decouple the relative motion of Moon with respect to Earth from the orbital motion of the Earth-Moon barycenter as well as to connect the coordinate description of the lunar motion, an observer on Earth, and a retro-reflector on Moon to directly measurable

Medium-range reference evapotranspiration forecasts for the contiguous United States based on multi-model numerical weather predictions

Science.gov (United States)

Medina, Hanoi; Tian, Di; Srivastava, Puneet; Pelosi, Anna; Chirico, Giovanni B.

2018-07-01

Reference evapotranspiration (ET0) plays a fundamental role in agronomic, forestry, and water resources management. Estimating and forecasting ET0 have long been recognized as a major challenge for researchers and practitioners in these communities. This work explored the potential of multiple leading numerical weather predictions (NWPs) for estimating and forecasting summer ET0 at 101 U.S. Regional Climate Reference Network stations over nine climate regions across the contiguous United States (CONUS). Three leading global NWP model forecasts from THORPEX Interactive Grand Global Ensemble (TIGGE) dataset were used in this study, including the single model ensemble forecasts from the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (EC), the National Centers for Environmental Prediction Global Forecast System (NCEP), and the United Kingdom Meteorological Office forecasts (MO), as well as multi-model ensemble forecasts from the combinations of these NWP models. A regression calibration was employed to bias correct the ET0 forecasts. Impact of individual forecast variables on ET0 forecasts were also evaluated. The results showed that the EC forecasts provided the least error and highest skill and reliability, followed by the MO and NCEP forecasts. The multi-model ensembles constructed from the combination of EC and MO forecasts provided slightly better performance than the single model EC forecasts. The regression process greatly improved ET0 forecast performances, particularly for the regions involving stations near the coast, or with a complex orography. The performance of EC forecasts was only slightly influenced by the size of the ensemble members, particularly at short lead times. Even with less ensemble members, EC still performed better than the other two NWPs. Errors in the radiation forecasts, followed by those in the wind, had the most detrimental effects on the ET0 forecast performances.

Normal Range of Head-to-body Delivery Interval by Two-step Delivery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hong-Yu Zhang

2016-01-01

Conclusions: The average time of head-to-body delivery interval was longer than 60 s by two-step delivery. Majority shoulders were delivered at the first contraction. Majority shoulders emerged from perineum rather from under pubic arch. The routine one-step method of shoulder delivery where the downward force applied is not necessary and is not the right direction. Baby's breath, making faces, sucking, bubble from noses and mouth, and the light blue color of the faces, all those signs during shoulder delivery indicated a normal live birth.

A quasiparticle-based multi-reference coupled-cluster method.

Science.gov (United States)

Rolik, Zoltán; Kállay, Mihály

2014-10-07

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a quasiparticle-based multi-reference coupled-cluster (MRCC) approach. The quasiparticles are introduced via a unitary transformation which allows us to represent a complete active space reference function and other elements of an orthonormal multi-reference (MR) basis in a determinant-like form. The quasiparticle creation and annihilation operators satisfy the fermion anti-commutation relations. On the basis of these quasiparticles, a generalization of the normal-ordered operator products for the MR case can be introduced as an alternative to the approach of Mukherjee and Kutzelnigg [Recent Prog. Many-Body Theor. 4, 127 (1995); Mukherjee and Kutzelnigg, J. Chem. Phys. 107, 432 (1997)]. Based on the new normal ordering any quasiparticle-based theory can be formulated using the well-known diagram techniques. Beyond the general quasiparticle framework we also present a possible realization of the unitary transformation. The suggested transformation has an exponential form where the parameters, holding exclusively active indices, are defined in a form similar to the wave operator of the unitary coupled-cluster approach. The definition of our quasiparticle-based MRCC approach strictly follows the form of the single-reference coupled-cluster method and retains several of its beneficial properties. Test results for small systems are presented using a pilot implementation of the new approach and compared to those obtained by other MR methods.

Super-ranging. A new ranging strategy in European badgers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aoibheann Gaughran

Full Text Available We monitored the ranging of a wild European badger (Meles meles population over 7 years using GPS tracking collars. Badger range sizes varied seasonally and reached their maximum in June, July and August. We analysed the summer ranging behaviour, using 83 home range estimates from 48 individuals over 6974 collar-nights. We found that while most adult badgers (males and females remained within their own traditional social group boundaries, several male badgers (on average 22% regularly ranged beyond these traditional boundaries. These adult males frequently ranged throughout two (or more social group's traditional territories and had extremely large home ranges. We therefore refer to them as super-rangers. While ranging across traditional boundaries has been recorded over short periods of time for extraterritorial mating and foraging forays, or for pre-dispersal exploration, the animals in this study maintained their super-ranges from 2 to 36 months. This study represents the first time such long-term extra-territorial ranging has been described for European badgers. Holding a super-range may confer an advantage in access to breeding females, but could also affect local interaction networks. In Ireland & the UK, badgers act as a wildlife reservoir for bovine tuberculosis (TB. Super-ranging may facilitate the spread of disease by increasing both direct interactions between conspecifics, particularly across social groups, and indirect interactions with cattle in their shared environment. Understanding super-ranging behaviour may both improve our understanding of tuberculosis epidemiology and inform future control strategies.

Frequency of afterload homocysteinemia in normal population of Southern Iran: a pilot study.

Science.gov (United States)

Akbari, A; Dehbozorgian, J; Afrasibi, A R; Gafari, H; Gerdabi, J; Karimi, M

2010-04-01

The objectives of the present pilot study were to investigate the effect of an oral methionine load on plasma homocysteine in healthy subjects southern Iran. We studied 50 peoples (10 men, 40 women, median age 27.5, range 20-37) referred to screening center for marriage since different part of southern Iran. Methionine (0.1 g kg(-1) b.wt.) was immediately administrated orally in 200 mL of orange juice and a second blood was obtained 4 h later. Plasma level of homocysteine was carried out by high performance liquid chromatography and flumetric detection. A homocysteine level above 15 mmol L(-1) was considered high. The mean fasting and afterload homocysteine were 15.28 and 31.29 micromol L(-1), respectively. Fasting hyperhomocysteinemia (>15 micromol L(-1)) was detected in 12% of male and 8% in female which significantly higher in men than women (p homocysteine levels (> 31 micromol L(-1)) was detected in 16% of male and 14%in female which higher in men than women. Notably 80% of participants had normal total homocystein concentration (homocystein levels (p = 0.000), in 8% of those normal homocystein level, methionine afterload homocystein levels became abnormal. In conclusion, based on results, we recommend the methionine afterload homocystein levels in high risk cases with normal fasting level in order to unmissed some cases with normal basal homocystein level.

Comparison of the Tritium permeated from ITER Blanket in normal operation and its short range impact of HT over France, Swiss or Spain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Castro, P.; Velarde, M.; Ardao, J.; Perlado, J.; Sedano, L.; Xiberta, J.

2015-07-01

In this paper we assumes the hydrogen isotopes permeation from a liquid metal ITER breeder blanket (assuming normal operation and a LM as DCLL or HCLL blanket) as one of the possible sources of a leak and tritium release,mainly but not only. The paper presents a short range low impact of HT gas activity over France, Swiss or Spain from same cases in 2014 and 2015 releases from ITER. The permeation of hydrogen isotopes is an important experimental issue to take into account into the development of a Tritium Breeder Module for ITER [1]. Tritium cannot be confined -without an uncertainty of 5% in the flux permeation- and therefore HT can be detected (e.g. by ionization chamber) as permeates though the structure of RAFM steel towards the coolant [1]. HT from Pb15.7Li and permeated in Eurofer97 can contaminate the other parts of the system and may be delivered though the normal-vent detritiation system (NVDS). Real time forecast of transport of tritium in air from the fusion reactor towards off-site far downwind though extended tritium clouds into the low levels of the atmosphere is calculated for the short range (up to 24 hours) by the coupling of 2 models the European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) [2] model and the FLEXPART lagrangian dispersion model [3] verified with NORMTRI simulation [4] and implemented in many different cases and scenarios [5, 6, 7]. As a function of daily weather conditions the release will affect just France or already can be delivered towards Swiss when cyclonic circulation, or towards the Iberian Peninsula or Balearic Islands (Spain) when high produce anticyclonic circulation of the air over the Mediterranean Sea. (Author)

Application of diagnostic reference levels in medical practice

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bourguignon, Michel [Faculty of Medicine of Paris, Deputy Director General, Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN), Paris (France)

2006-07-01

Diagnosis reference levels (D.R.L.) are defined in the Council Directive 97/43 EURATOM as 'Dose levels in medical radio diagnosis practices or in the case of radiopharmaceuticals, levels of activity, for typical examinations for groups of standards-sized patients or standards phantoms for broadly defined types of equipment. These levels are expected not to be exceeded for standard procedures when good and normal practice regarding diagnostic and technical performance is applied'. Thus D.R.L. apply only to diagnostic procedures and does not apply to radiotherapy. Radiation protection of patients is based on the application of 2 major radiation protection principles, justification and optimization. The justification principle must be respected first because the best way to protect the patient is not to carry a useless test. Radiation protection of the patient is a continuous process and local dose indicator values in the good range should not prevent the radiologist or nuclear medicine physician to continue to optimize their practice. (N.C.)

Application of diagnostic reference levels in medical practice

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bourguignon, Michel

2006-01-01

Diagnosis reference levels (D.R.L.) are defined in the Council Directive 97/43 EURATOM as 'Dose levels in medical radio diagnosis practices or in the case of radiopharmaceuticals, levels of activity, for typical examinations for groups of standards-sized patients or standards phantoms for broadly defined types of equipment. These levels are expected not to be exceeded for standard procedures when good and normal practice regarding diagnostic and technical performance is applied'. Thus D.R.L. apply only to diagnostic procedures and does not apply to radiotherapy. Radiation protection of patients is based on the application of 2 major radiation protection principles, justification and optimization. The justification principle must be respected first because the best way to protect the patient is not to carry a useless test. Radiation protection of the patient is a continuous process and local dose indicator values in the good range should not prevent the radiologist or nuclear medicine physician to continue to optimize their practice. (N.C.)

Preparation and certification of rice flour reference materials for trace elements analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Kyung Haeng; Park, Chang Joon; Woo, Jin Choon; Suh, Jung Ki; Han, Myung Sub; Lee, Jong Hae

1998-01-01

Rice flour reference materials were prepared from the unpolished rice grown in korea and certified for elemental composition. The reference materials consist of two samples containing normal and high level. The reference material at elevated level was prepared by spiking to the normal rice flour six toxic elements of As, Cd, Cu, Cr, Hg, Pb with 1.0μg/g on a dry weight basis. Homogeneity of the prepared materials was evaluated through the determination of Ca, Cu, Fe, Mn, Zn by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). Small variance of elemental composition among inter-bottled samples assured homogeneity of the prepared materials. The materials were decomposed by high pres-sure digestion and microwave digestion method. INAA, AAS, inductively coupled plasma-atomic absorption spectrometry (ICP-AES), ICP-mass spectrometry (MS) and vapour generation techniques were employed to analyze the reference materials. From this independent analytical results, the certified or reference values are determined for As, Ca, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, P, Pb, Se, Zn

Normal values for cardiopulmonary exercise testing in children

NARCIS (Netherlands)

ten Harkel, A.D.J.; Takken, T.; van Osch-Gevers, M.; Helbing, W.A.

BACKGROUND: A reference set of data of normal values of newly developed cardiopulmonary parameters of exercise testing in an 8-18-year-old population is lacking. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cardiopulmonary exercise testing was performed in 175 healthy school children (8-18 years old). Continuous

Normal limits of the electrocardiogram derived from a large database of Brazilian primary care patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Palhares, Daniel M F; Marcolino, Milena S; Santos, Thales M M; da Silva, José L P; Gomes, Paulo R; Ribeiro, Leonardo B; Macfarlane, Peter W; Ribeiro, Antonio L P

2017-06-13

Knowledge of the normal limits of the electrocardiogram (ECG) is mandatory for establishing which patients have abnormal ECGs. No studies have assessed the reference standards for a Latin American population. Our aim was to establish the normal ranges of the ECG for pediatric and adult Brazilian primary care patients. This retrospective observational study assessed all the consecutive 12-lead digital electrocardiograms of primary care patients at least 1 year old in Minas Gerais state, Brazil, recorded between 2010 and 2015. ECGs were excluded if there were technical problems, selected abnormalities were present or patients with selected self-declared comorbidities or on drug therapy. Only the first ECG from patients with multiple ECGs was accepted. The University of Glasgow ECG analysis program was used to automatically interpret the ECGs. For each variable, the 1st, 2nd, 50th, 98th and 99th percentiles were determined and results were compared to selected studies. A total of 1,493,905 ECGs were recorded. 1,007,891 were excluded and 486.014 were analyzed. This large study provided normal values for heart rate, P, QRS and T frontal axis, P and QRS overall duration, PR and QT overall intervals and QTc corrected by Hodges, Bazett, Fridericia and Framingham formulae. Overall, the results were similar to those from other studies performed in different populations but there were differences in extreme ages and specific measurements. This study has provided reference values for Latinos of both sexes older than 1 year. Our results are comparable to studies performed in different populations.

Ultrasonographic features of normal lower ureters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Young Soon; Bae, M. Y.; Park, K. J.; Jeon, H. S.; Lee, J. H.

1990-01-01

Although ultrasonographic evaluation of the normal ureters is difficult due to bowel gas, the lower segment of the normal ureters can be visualized using the urinary bladder as an acoustic window. Authors prospetively performed ultrasonography with the standard suprapubic technique and analyzed the ultrasonographic features of normal lower ureters in 79 cases(77%). Length of visualized segment of the distal ureter ranged frp, 1.5cm to 7.2 cm and the visualized segment did not exceed 3.9mm in maximum diameter. Knowledge of sonographic features of the normal lower ureters can be helpful in the evaluation of pathologic or suspected pathologic conditions of the lower ureters

Normalizations of High Taylor Reynolds Number Power Spectra

Science.gov (United States)

Puga, Alejandro; Koster, Timothy; Larue, John C.

2014-11-01

The velocity power spectrum provides insight in how the turbulent kinetic energy is transferred from larger to smaller scales. Wind tunnel experiments are conducted where high intensity turbulence is generated by means of an active turbulence grid modeled after Makita's 1991 design (Makita, 1991) as implemented by Mydlarski and Warhaft (M&W, 1998). The goal of this study is to document the evolution of the scaling region and assess the relative collapse of several proposed normalizations over a range of Rλ from 185 to 997. As predicted by Kolmogorov (1963), an asymptotic approach of the slope (n) of the inertial subrange to - 5 / 3 with increasing Rλ is observed. There are three velocity power spectrum normalizations as presented by Kolmogorov (1963), Von Karman and Howarth (1938) and George (1992). Results show that the Von Karman and Howarth normalization does not collapse the velocity power spectrum as well as the Kolmogorov and George normalizations. The Kolmogorov normalization does a good job of collapsing the velocity power spectrum in the normalized high wavenumber range of 0 . 0002 University of California, Irvine Research Fund.

Comet Giacobini-Zinner - a normal comet?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cochran, A.L.; Barker, E.S.

1987-01-01

Observations of Comet Giacobini-Zinner were obtained during its 1985 apparition using an IDS spectrograph at McDonald Observatory. Column densities and production rates were computed. The production rates were compared to observations of other normal comets. Giacobini-Zinner is shown to be depleted in C2 and C3 relative to CN. These production rates are down by a factor of 5. 12 references

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Reference Range and Prevalence of Thyroid Dysfunction in the Korean Population: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 to 2015

Science.gov (United States)

2017-01-01

Background No nationwide epidemiological study evaluating the prevalence of subclinical and overt forms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism has yet been conducted in Korea. This study aimed to evaluate the reference range of serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and the national prevalence of thyroid dysfunctions in Korea. Methods Nation-wide cross-sectional data were analyzed from a representative sample of the civilian, non-institutionalized Korean population (n=6,564) who underwent blood testing for thyroid function and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) as part of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013 to 2015). Results The reference interval of serum TSH in the Korean reference population was 0.62 to 6.68 mIU/L. Based on this reference interval, the prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism was 0.73% (males 0.40%, females 1.10%) and 3.10% (males 2.26%, females 4.04%), respectively. The prevalence of hypothyroidism increased with age until the age group between 50 to 59 years. Positive TPOAb were found in 7.30% of subjects (males 4.33%, females 10.62%). The prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism TPOAb-positive subjects was 5.16% and 10.88%, respectively. The prevalence of overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism was 0.54% (males 0.30%, females 0.81%) and 2.98% (males 2.43%, females, 3.59%), respectively. Conclusion The Serum TSH reference levels in the Korean population were higher than the corresponding levels in Western countries. Differences were found in the prevalence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism according to age, sex, and TPOAb positivity. This study provides important baseline information for understanding patterns of thyroid dysfunction and diseases in Korea. PMID:28116874

Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Reference Range and Prevalence of Thyroid Dysfunction in the Korean Population: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2013 to 2015

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Won Gu Kim

2017-01-01

Full Text Available BackgroundNo nationwide epidemiological study evaluating the prevalence of subclinical and overt forms of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism has yet been conducted in Korea. This study aimed to evaluate the reference range of serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH and the national prevalence of thyroid dysfunctions in Korea.MethodsNation-wide cross-sectional data were analyzed from a representative sample of the civilian, non-institutionalized Korean population (n=6,564 who underwent blood testing for thyroid function and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb as part of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VI (2013 to 2015.ResultsThe reference interval of serum TSH in the Korean reference population was 0.62 to 6.68 mIU/L. Based on this reference interval, the prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism was 0.73% (males 0.40%, females 1.10% and 3.10% (males 2.26%, females 4.04%, respectively. The prevalence of hypothyroidism increased with age until the age group between 50 to 59 years. Positive TPOAb were found in 7.30% of subjects (males 4.33%, females 10.62%. The prevalence of overt and subclinical hypothyroidism TPOAb-positive subjects was 5.16% and 10.88%, respectively. The prevalence of overt and subclinical hyperthyroidism was 0.54% (males 0.30%, females 0.81% and 2.98% (males 2.43%, females, 3.59%, respectively.ConclusionThe Serum TSH reference levels in the Korean population were higher than the corresponding levels in Western countries. Differences were found in the prevalence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism according to age, sex, and TPOAb positivity. This study provides important baseline information for understanding patterns of thyroid dysfunction and diseases in Korea.

Characterizing functional lung heterogeneity in COPD using reference equations for CT scan-measured lobar volumes.

Science.gov (United States)

Come, Carolyn E; Diaz, Alejandro A; Curran-Everett, Douglas; Muralidhar, Nivedita; Hersh, Craig P; Zach, Jordan A; Schroeder, Joyce; Lynch, David A; Celli, Bartolome; Washko, George R

2013-06-01

CT scanning is increasingly used to characterize COPD. Although it is possible to obtain CT scan-measured lung lobe volumes, normal ranges remain unknown. Using COPDGene data, we developed reference equations for lobar volumes at maximal inflation (total lung capacity [TLC]) and relaxed exhalation (approximating functional residual capacity [FRC]). Linear regression was used to develop race-specific (non-Hispanic white [NHW], African American) reference equations for lobar volumes. Covariates included height and sex. Models were developed in a derivation cohort of 469 subjects with normal pulmonary function and validated in 546 similar subjects. These cohorts were combined to produce final prediction equations, which were applied to 2,191 subjects with old GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) stage II to IV COPD. In the derivation cohort, women had smaller lobar volumes than men. Height positively correlated with lobar volumes. Adjusting for height, NHWs had larger total lung and lobar volumes at TLC than African Americans; at FRC, NHWs only had larger lower lobes. Age and weight had no effect on lobar volumes at TLC but had small effects at FRC. In subjects with COPD at TLC, upper lobes exceeded 100% of predicted values in GOLD II disease; lower lobes were only inflated to this degree in subjects with GOLD IV disease. At FRC, gas trapping was severe irrespective of disease severity and appeared uniform across the lobes. Reference equations for lobar volumes may be useful in assessing regional lung dysfunction and how it changes in response to pharmacologic therapies and surgical or endoscopic lung volume reduction.

Identification of Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Data Normalization in Cannabis sativa Stem Tissues

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Lauralie Mangeot-Peter

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Gene expression profiling via quantitative real-time PCR is a robust technique widely used in the life sciences to compare gene expression patterns in, e.g., different tissues, growth conditions, or after specific treatments. In the field of plant science, real-time PCR is the gold standard to study the dynamics of gene expression and is used to validate the results generated with high throughput techniques, e.g., RNA-Seq. An accurate relative quantification of gene expression relies on the identification of appropriate reference genes, that need to be determined for each experimental set-up used and plant tissue studied. Here, we identify suitable reference genes for expression profiling in stems of textile hemp (Cannabis sativa L., whose tissues (isolated bast fibres and core are characterized by remarkable differences in cell wall composition. We additionally validate the reference genes by analysing the expression of putative candidates involved in the non-oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway and in the first step of the shikimate pathway. The goal is to describe the possible regulation pattern of some genes involved in the provision of the precursors needed for lignin biosynthesis in the different hemp stem tissues. The results here shown are useful to design future studies focused on gene expression analyses in hemp.

Identification of Reference Genes for RT-qPCR Data Normalization in Cannabis sativa Stem Tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangeot-Peter, Lauralie; Legay, Sylvain; Hausman, Jean-Francois; Esposito, Sergio; Guerriero, Gea

2016-09-15

Gene expression profiling via quantitative real-time PCR is a robust technique widely used in the life sciences to compare gene expression patterns in, e.g., different tissues, growth conditions, or after specific treatments. In the field of plant science, real-time PCR is the gold standard to study the dynamics of gene expression and is used to validate the results generated with high throughput techniques, e.g., RNA-Seq. An accurate relative quantification of gene expression relies on the identification of appropriate reference genes, that need to be determined for each experimental set-up used and plant tissue studied. Here, we identify suitable reference genes for expression profiling in stems of textile hemp (Cannabis sativa L.), whose tissues (isolated bast fibres and core) are characterized by remarkable differences in cell wall composition. We additionally validate the reference genes by analysing the expression of putative candidates involved in the non-oxidative phase of the pentose phosphate pathway and in the first step of the shikimate pathway. The goal is to describe the possible regulation pattern of some genes involved in the provision of the precursors needed for lignin biosynthesis in the different hemp stem tissues. The results here shown are useful to design future studies focused on gene expression analyses in hemp.

Range of the radiation monitor for the rigid vent of primary containment during normal and emergency operation for a BWR-5 in Laguna Verde

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tijerina S, F.; Pozos S, A. M.; Cabrera U, S.; Mata A, J. A.; Sandoval V, S.; Ovando C, R.; Vargas A, A.; Gallardo R, I.; Cruz G, M.; Amador C, C.

2014-10-01

The earthquake followed by a tsunami, happened in March, 2011 in the coasts of oriental Japan, caused damages in the nuclear power plants 1 at 4 of Fukushima Daiichi leading to damage of the fuel in three of the reactors and to the radiation liberation to the exterior. As consequence of those events, the regulations requires that the power plants with Primary Containment type Mark I and II evaluate to have a system of rigid vent with a monitoring equipment of radiation effluents. The present work covers the rigid vent of diameter 12 of the Primary Containment, type Mark-II, of nuclear power plant of Laguna Verde in conditions of severe accident and normal operation, low regime of Extended Power Up rate (EPU - 2317 MWt), using the codes MAAP3B, MICROSHILED 5.05 and the Bardach Black Boxes methodology. As a result the measurement range of the radiation monitor that is required for monitoring the gassy liberation to the atmosphere was determined. The conclusion is that the superior limit of the range of the radiation meter during a Severe Accident is of 8.55 E + 05 R/h (8.55 E + 08 m R/h) and the superior limit in normal operation of 1.412 E-11 at 2.540 E-7 R/h (1.412 E-14 at 2.540 E-10 m R/h). (Author)

Mass of organs and composition of the body of Japanese Reference Man

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tanaka, Gi-ichiro

1990-01-01

Reference Man as defined and described in ICRP Publication 23 is in the process of major revision, with an emphasis on the age and sex, and characteristics of non-European populations. Japanese Reference Man (or Woman) is to be defined as the subject, normal and healthy, 20 to 30 years of age, who inhabits in Japan and live on the 'standard diet'. He (or she) is a Mongoloid in race, and 170 (or 160) cm in height, and 60 (or 51) kg in weight. Physical properties such as masses of 114 organs, tissues and components, and their specific gravities of Japanese Reference Male are given. Body composition or body fat, LBM, skeleton, soft lean body mass (SLBM), body water, blood, muscle, ash, protein and specific gravity were also given as well as body surface. These data are primarily based on the data obtained for normal Japanese, and, where data unavailable, they were derived from ICRP Reference Man data by using a new concept of SLBM. Red bone marrow was estimated to be 1,000g as compared to 1,500g in Reference Man. Body fat was obtained by using Nagamine's equations, which showed a recent slight tendency of obesity. In conclusion, the present data for Japanese Reference Man could be used in designing appropriate phantoms, mathematical and real, for Japanese. Japanese Reference Man will also provide a basis for Asian Reference Man, which, in principle, should be consistent with ICRP concepts of Reference Man. (author)

Normal values of regional left ventricular myocardial thickness, mass and distribution-assessed by 320-detector computed tomography angiography in the Copenhagen General Population Study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hindsø, Louise; Fuchs, Andreas; Kühl, Jørgen Tobias

2017-01-01

regional normal reference values of the left ventricle. The aim of this study was to derive reference values of regional LV myocardial thickness (LVMT) and mass (LVMM) from a healthy study group of the general population using cardiac computed tomography angiography (CCTA). We wanted to introduce LV...... myocardial distribution (LVMD) as a measure of regional variation of the LVMT. Moreover, we wanted to determine whether these parameters varied between men and women. We studied 568 (181 men; 32%) adults, free of cardiovascular disease and risk factors, who underwent 320-detector CCTA. Mean age was 55 (range...... 40-84) years. Regional LVMT and LVMM were measured, according to the American Heart Association's 17 segment model, using semi-automatic software. Mean LVMT were 6.6 mm for men and 5.4 mm for women (p normal LV was thickest in the basal septum (segment 3; men = 8.3 mm; women = 7.2 mm...

The Value Range of Contact Stiffness Factor between Pile and Soil Based on Penalty Function

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Sandy H. L.; Wu, Xinliu

2018-03-01

The value range of contact stiffness factor based on penalty function is studied when we use finite element software ANSYS to analyze contact problems, take single pile and soil of a certain project for example, the normal contact between pile and soil is analyzed with 2D simplified model in horizontal load. The study shows that when adopting linear elastic model to simulate soil, the maximum contact pressure and penetration approach steady value as the contact stiffness factor increases. The reasonable value range of contact stiffness factor reduces as the underlying element thickness decreases, but the rule reverses when refers to the soil stiffness. If choose DP model to simulate soil, the stiffness factor should be magnified 100 times compares to the elastic model regardless of the soil bears small force and still in elastic deformation stage or into the plastic deformation stage. When the soil bears big force and into plastic deformation stage, the value range of stiffness factor relates to the plastic strain range of the soil, and reduces as the horizontal load increases.

CT Densitometry of the Lung in Healthy Nonsmokers with Normal Pulmonary Function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Tack Sun; Chae, Eun Jin; Seo, Joon Beom; Jung, Young Ju; Oh, Yeon Mok; Lee, Sang Do [University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-09-15

To investigate the upper normal limit of low attenuation area in healthy nonsmokers. A total of 36 nonsmokers with normal pulmonary function test underwent a CT scan. Six thresholds (-980 --930 HU) on inspiration CT and two thresholds (-950 and -910 HU) on expiration CT were used for obtaining low attenuation area. The mean lung density was obtained on both inspiration CT and expiration CT. Descriptive statistics of low attenuation area and the mean lung density, evaluation of difference of low attenuation area and the mean lung density in both sex and age groups, analysis of the relationship between demographic information and CT parameters were performed. Upper normal limit for low attenuation area was 12.96% on inspiration CT (-950 HU) and 9.48% on expiration CT (-910 HU). Upper normal limit for the mean lung density was -837.58 HU on inspiration CT and 686.82 HU on expiration CT. Low attenuation area and the mean lung density showed no significant differences in both sex and age groups. Body mass index (BMI) was negatively correlated with low attenuation area on inspiration CT (-950 HU, r = -0.398, p = 0.016) and positively correlated with the mean lung density on inspiration CT (r 0.539, p = 0.001) and expiration CT (r = 0.432, p = 0.009). Age and body surface area were not correlated with low attenuation area or the mean lung density. Low attenuation area on CT densitometry of the lung could be found in healthy nonsmokers with normal pulmonary function, and showed negative association with BMI. Reference values, such as range and upper normal limit for low attenuation area in healthy subjects could be helpful in quantitative analysis and follow up of early emphysema, using CT densitometry of the lung.

Normal Values and Reproducibilitiy of Electric Current Perception Threshold in Sensory Fibers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Salman-Roghani

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: Routine electrodiagnosis (EMG-NCS has some shortcomings in the evaluation of peripheral nervous system, auch as autonomous nervous system evaluation, in pure sensory radiculopathies and acute hyperesthetic stages of neuropathies. Quantitative sensory testings such as current perception threshold (CPT with electrical stimulations are suggested for above mentioned pathologies. Ttest results should be compared with a normal value of similar identical population. This study is conducted to determine normal value and reproducibility of CPT in the Iranian population. Materials & Methods: Fifty normal volunteers (32 men, 18 woman in the range of 20-40 years without exclusion criteria (such as neuro- musculoskeletal disorders, diabetes mellitus and alcoholism were recruited with simple randomized selection and CPT test was conducted on C8 (4th finger and L5 (1st Toedermatomes. To determine test’s reproducibility, 6 persons (4 men, 2 women were examined 3 times a day, 2 day per week. Collected data were analyzed to determine mean and standard deviation. Results: Normal values of CPT test was defined as one standard deviation from mean of our CPT data. These values are in C8 dermatome 2000 Hz: 2.04± 47 250 Hz: 0.75±0.25 5 Hz: 0.76±0.3 and for L5 dermatome 2000Hz: 2.83± 0.73 250 Hz: 1.24 ± 45 5Hz: 0.76± 0.3 To determine our results reproducibility and reliability, Alpha- cronbach (existed in SPSS software was used and %98.5 & 99% were obtained for C8 & L5 dermatomes respectively. Conclusion: Our findings are about C8 & L5 dermatomes which could be used as a normal Values for such dermatomes. Regarding to its good correlation with international results we can use international references as a normal Valueswith consideration of each clinic’s reproducibility should be assessed individually.

Reference Priors for the General Location-Scale Model

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fernández, C.; Steel, M.F.J.

1997-01-01

The reference prior algorithm (Berger and Bernardo 1992) is applied to multivariate location-scale models with any regular sampling density, where we establish the irrelevance of the usual assumption of Normal sampling if our interest is in either the location or the scale. This result immediately

Higher Blood Glucose within the Normal Range Is Associated with More Severe Strokes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martin, Rolf J; Ratan, Rajiv R; Reding, Michael J

2012-01-01

Background. Higher fasting blood glucose (FBG) concentrations in the hyperglycemic range are associated with more severe strokes. Whether this association also extends into patients with FBG in the normoglycemic range is unclear. We studied the association of stroke severity and FBG in normoglyce...

Facial-Attractiveness Choices Are Predicted by Divisive Normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Furl, Nicholas

2016-10-01

Do people appear more attractive or less attractive depending on the company they keep? A divisive-normalization account-in which representation of stimulus intensity is normalized (divided) by concurrent stimulus intensities-predicts that choice preferences among options increase with the range of option values. In the first experiment reported here, I manipulated the range of attractiveness of the faces presented on each trial by varying the attractiveness of an undesirable distractor face that was presented simultaneously with two attractive targets, and participants were asked to choose the most attractive face. I used normalization models to predict the context dependence of preferences regarding facial attractiveness. The more unattractive the distractor, the more one of the targets was preferred over the other target, which suggests that divisive normalization (a potential canonical computation in the brain) influences social evaluations. I obtained the same result when I manipulated faces' averageness and participants chose the most average face. This finding suggests that divisive normalization is not restricted to value-based decisions (e.g., attractiveness). This new application to social evaluation of normalization, a classic theory, opens possibilities for predicting social decisions in naturalistic contexts such as advertising or dating.

Prenatal Brain MR Imaging: Reference Linear Biometric Centiles between 20 and 24 Gestational Weeks.

Science.gov (United States)

Conte, G; Milani, S; Palumbo, G; Talenti, G; Boito, S; Rustico, M; Triulzi, F; Righini, A; Izzo, G; Doneda, C; Zolin, A; Parazzini, C

2018-05-01

Evaluation of biometry is a fundamental step in prenatal brain MR imaging. While different studies have reported reference centiles for MR imaging biometric data of fetuses in the late second and third trimesters of gestation, no one has reported them in fetuses in the early second trimester. We report centiles of normal MR imaging linear biometric data of a large cohort of fetal brains within 24 weeks of gestation. From the data bases of 2 referral centers of fetal medicine, accounting for 3850 examinations, we retrospectively collected 169 prenatal brain MR imaging examinations of singleton pregnancies, between 20 and 24 weeks of gestational age, with normal brain anatomy at MR imaging and normal postnatal neurologic development. To trace the reference centiles, we used the CG-LMS method. Reference biometric centiles for the developing structures of the cerebrum, cerebellum, brain stem, and theca were obtained. The overall interassessor agreement was adequate for all measurements. Reference biometric centiles of the brain structures in fetuses between 20 and 24 weeks of gestational age may be a reliable tool in assessing fetal brain development. © 2018 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Study of long-range orders of hard-core bosons coupled to cooperative normal modes in two-dimensional lattices

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, A.; Yarlagadda, S.

2017-09-01

Understanding the microscopic mechanism of coexisting long-range orders (such as lattice supersolidity) in strongly correlated systems is a subject of immense interest. We study the possible manifestations of long-range orders, including lattice-supersolid phases with differently broken symmetry, in a two-dimensional square lattice system of hard-core bosons (HCBs) coupled to archetypal cooperative/coherent normal-mode distortions such as those in perovskites. At strong HCB-phonon coupling, using a duality transformation to map the strong-coupling problem to a weak-coupling one, we obtain an effective Hamiltonian involving nearest-neighbor, next-nearest-neighbor, and next-to-next-nearest-neighbor hoppings and repulsions. Using stochastic series expansion quantum Monte Carlo, we construct the phase diagram of the system. As coupling strength is increased, we find that the system undergoes a first-order quantum phase transition from a superfluid to a checkerboard solid at half-filling and from a superfluid to a diagonal striped solid [with crystalline ordering wave vector Q ⃗=(2 π /3 ,2 π /3 ) or (2 π /3 ,4 π /3 )] at one-third filling without showing any evidence of supersolidity. On tuning the system away from these commensurate fillings, checkerboard supersolid is generated near half-filling whereas a rare diagonal striped supersolid is realized near one-third filling. Interestingly, there is an asymmetry in the extent of supersolidity about one-third filling. Within our framework, we also provide an explanation for the observed checkerboard and stripe formations in La2 -xSrxNiO4 at x =1 /2 and x =1 /3 .

Estimated ventricle size using Evans index: reference values from a population-based sample.

Science.gov (United States)

Jaraj, D; Rabiei, K; Marlow, T; Jensen, C; Skoog, I; Wikkelsø, C

2017-03-01

Evans index is an estimate of ventricular size used in the diagnosis of idiopathic normal-pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH). Values >0.3 are considered pathological and are required by guidelines for the diagnosis of iNPH. However, there are no previous epidemiological studies on Evans index, and normal values in adults are thus not precisely known. We examined a representative sample to obtain reference values and descriptive data on Evans index. A population-based sample (n = 1235) of men and women aged ≥70 years was examined. The sample comprised people living in private households and residential care, systematically selected from the Swedish population register. Neuropsychiatric examinations, including head computed tomography, were performed between 1986 and 2000. Evans index ranged from 0.11 to 0.46. The mean value in the total sample was 0.28 (SD, 0.04) and 20.6% (n = 255) had values >0.3. Among men aged ≥80 years, the mean value of Evans index was 0.3 (SD, 0.03). Individuals with dementia had a mean value of Evans index of 0.31 (SD, 0.05) and those with radiological signs of iNPH had a mean value of 0.36 (SD, 0.04). A substantial number of subjects had ventricular enlargement according to current criteria. Clinicians and researchers need to be aware of the range of values among older individuals. © 2017 EAN.

The Normality of Labor, Normal Jobs and Working lives: Reasons to Work

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Estela Grassi

2009-01-01

Full Text Available How do people work and live today and what are the reasons that motivate doing so? This paper presents a hypothesis, using as a reference formally instituted employment, as determined by labor legislation, a modality that does not exhaust the fact that most people “live to work,” regardless of the consideration that their abilities receive. It uses the idea of normality, distinguishing it from the level of the structural principals (work as an amalgam of society, from that which corresponds to legality, which in turn flows from the normalities of the lives of work. It looks at the “reasonable reasons” that people use when they make decisions about their concrete lives and work, in the context of the recent reconfigurations in the sphere of labor, highlighted by greater uncertainty and the demand for greater availability. In this situation, the interests and needs of the subject and the demands of that sphere are issues that people and families must resolve as “private issues”.

Relationship between Body Mass Index Reference and All-Cause Mortality: Evidence from a Large Cohort of Thai Adults

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Vasoontara Yiengprugsawan

2014-01-01

Full Text Available We investigate variation in body mass index (BMI reference and 5-year all-cause mortality using data from 87151 adult Open University students nationwide. Analyses focused on BMI reference bands: “normal” (≥18.5 to <23, “lower normal” (≥18.5 to <20.75, “upper normal” (≥20.75 to <23, and “narrow Western normal” (≥23 to <25. We report hazard ratios (HR and 95% Confidence Intervals adjusting for covariates. Compared to lower normal, adults aged 35–65 years who were obese (BMI ≥ 30 were twice as likely to die during the follow-up (HR 2.37; 1.01–5.70. For the same group, when using narrow Western normal as the reference, the results were similar (HR 3.02; 1.26–7.22. However, different combinations of BMI exposure and reference band produce quite different results. Older age persons belonging to Asian overweight BMI category (≥23 to <25 were relatively protected from mortality (HR 0.57; 0.34–0.96 and HR 0.49; 0.28–0.84 when assessed using normal (≥18.5 to <23 and upper normal (≥20.75 to <23 as reference bands. Use of different “normal” reference produced varying mortality relationships in a large cohort of Thai adults. Caution is needed when interpreting BMI-mortality data.

Exploring valid reference genes for quantitative real - time rt - pce studies of hydrogenperoxide signaling in arabidopsis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, H.; Han, B.; Xie, Y.; Zhang, J.; Shen, W.

2015-01-01

Hydrogen peroxide (H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ ) acts as a signaling molecule modulating the expression of various genes in plants. However, the reference gene(s) used for gene expression analysis of H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ signaling is still arbitrary. A reliable result obtained by quantitative real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) highly depends on accurate transcript normalization using stably expressed reference genes, whereas the inaccurate normalization could easily lead to the false conclusions. In this report, by using geNorm and NormFinder algorithms, 12 candidate reference genes were evaluated and compared in root and shoot tissues of Arabidopsis upon different doses of H/sub 2/O/sub 2/. The results revealed that, in our experimental conditions, three novel reference genes (TIP41-like, UKN, and UBC21) were identified and validated as suitable reference genes for RT-qPCR normalization in both root and shoot tissues under oxidative stress. This conclusion was further confirmed by publicly available microarray data of methyl viologen and drought stress. In comparison with a single reference gene (EF-1a), the expression pattern of ZAT12 modulated by H/sub 2/O/sub 2/, when using TIP41-like, UKN, and UBC21 as multiple reference gene(s), was similar with the previous reports by using northern blotting. Thus, we proposed that these three reference genes might be good candidates for other researchers to include in their reference gene validation in gene expression studies under H/sub 2/O/sub 2/ related oxidative stress. (author)

Dimensions of normal and abnormal personality: Elucidating DSM-IV personality disorder symptoms in adolescents

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tromp, N.B.; Koot, H.M.

2010-01-01

The present study aimed to elucidate dimensions of normal and abnormal personality underlying DSM-IV personality disorder (PD) symptoms in 168 adolescents referred to mental health services. Dimensions derived from the Big Five of normal personality and from Livesley's (2006) conceptualization of

Comparison of sensory-specific satiety between normal weight and overweight children

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rischel, Helene Egebjerg; Nielsen, Louise Aas; Gamborg, Michael Orland

2016-01-01

.024), and declines in wanting for something fat, of which the normal weight children displayed an increase (F(1,83) = 4,10, p = 0.046). No differences were found for sensory-specific satiety, wanting for the main food yoghurt, hunger, or satiety. In conclusion, overweight children did not differ from normal weight......Sensory properties of some foods may be of importance to energy consumption and thus the development and maintenance of childhood obesity. This study compares selected food related qualities in overweight and normal weight children. Ninety-two participants were included; 55 were overweight...... with a mean age of 11.6 years (range 6-18 years) and a mean BMI z-score of 2.71 (range 1.29-4.60). The 37 normal weight children had a mean age of 13.0 years (range 6-19 years) and a mean BMI z-score of 0.16 (range -1.71 to 1.24). All children completed a half-hour long meal test consisting of alternation...

Quantum turbulence in superfluids with wall-clamped normal component.

Science.gov (United States)

Eltsov, Vladimir; Hänninen, Risto; Krusius, Matti

2014-03-25

In Fermi superfluids, such as superfluid (3)He, the viscous normal component can be considered to be stationary with respect to the container. The normal component interacts with the superfluid component via mutual friction, which damps the motion of quantized vortex lines and eventually couples the superfluid component to the container. With decreasing temperature and mutual friction, the internal dynamics of the superfluid component becomes more important compared with the damping and coupling effects from the normal component. As a result profound changes in superfluid dynamics are observed: the temperature-dependent transition from laminar to turbulent vortex motion and the decoupling from the reference frame of the container at even lower temperatures.

31 CFR 586.508 - Entries in certain accounts for normal service charges authorized.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... institution by the owner of such blocked account. (b) As used in this section, the term normal service charge..., and Statements of Licensing Policy § 586.508 Entries in certain accounts for normal service charges... by way of limitation, minimum balance charges, notary and protest fees, and charges for reference...

"Ser diferente é normal?"/"Being different: is it normal?"

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Viviane Veras

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A pergunta título deste trabalho retoma o slogan “Ser diferente é normal”, que é parte da campanha criada para uma organização não-governamental que atende portadores de Síndrome de Down. O objetivo é a inclusão social da pessoa com deficiência e o primeiro passo foi propor a inclusão de um grupo de diferentes no grupo dito normal. No vídeo de lançamento da campanha, o diferente, identificado como normal, é mostrado por meio de exemplos – um negro com cabelo black-power, um skin-head, um corpo tatuado, um corpo feminino halterofílico, uma família hippie, uma garota com síndrome de Down. A visão da adolescente dançando reduz, de certo modo, o efeito imaginário que vai além da síndrome, uma vez que apenas o corpo com seus olhinhos puxados se destacam, e não se interrogam questões cognitivas. Minha proposta é refletir sobre o estatuto paradoxal do exemplo, tal como é trabalhado nesse vídeo: se, por definição, um exemplo mostra de fato seu pertencimento a uma classe, pode-se concluir que é exatamente por ser exemplar que ele se encontra fora dela, no exato momento em que a exibe e define. The question in the title of this paper refers to the slogan "ser diferente é normal" ("It´s normal to be different", which is part of a campaign created for a NGO that supports people with Down syndrome. The objective of the campaign is to promote the social inclusion of individuals with Down syndrome, and the first step was to propose the inclusion of a group of "differents" in the so-called normal group. The film launching the campaign shows the different identified as normal by means of examples: a black man exhibiting blackpower haircut, a skin-head, a tattooed body, an over-athletic female body, a hippie family and a girl with Down syndrome. The vision of the dancing teenager lessens the imaginary effect that surpasses the syndrome, since only her body and her little oriental eyes stand out and no cognitive issues are

Rhodamine 800 as reference substance for fluorescence quantum yield measurements in deep red emission range

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alessi, A., E-mail: andrea.alessi@eni.com [Centro Ricerche per le Energie non Convenzionali, Istituto eni Donegani, e.n.i. S.p.A., Via G. Fauser 4, 28100 Novara (Italy); Salvalaggio, M. [Centro Ricerche per le Energie non Convenzionali, Istituto eni Donegani, e.n.i. S.p.A., Via G. Fauser 4, 28100 Novara (Italy); Ruzzon, G. [HORIBA Jobin Yvon Srl, Via Cesare Pavese 35/AB, 20090 Opera Milano (Italy)

2013-02-15

The determination of fluorescence quantum yields ({Phi}{sub f}) of deep red dyes emitting at 635-900 nm is difficult due to lack of suitable standards. In this work, we propose a commercial dye, rhodamine 800 (Rho800), as reference standard which belongs to the family of xanthenes. The quantum yield of rhodamine 800 in absolute ethanol has been studied using a relative method with cresyl violet (CV) and rhodamine 101 (Rho101) as references, and an absolute fluorometric method by integrating sphere measurements. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A red emitting dye Rhodamine 800 was electronic spectroscopy characterized. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Its fluorescence quantum yield was studied using a relative and an absolute method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The values found are greater than the values currently known in the literature.

Adult echocardiographic nomograms: overview, critical review and creation of a software for automatic, fast and easy calculation of normal values.

Science.gov (United States)

Cantinotti, Massimiliano; Giordano, Raffaele; Paterni, Marco; Saura, Daniel; Scalese, Marco; Franchi, Eliana; Assanta, Nadia; Koestenberg, Martin; Dulgheru, Raluca; Sugimoto, Tadafumi; Bernard, Anne; Caballero, Luis; Lancellotti, Patrizio

2017-12-01

There is a crescent interest on normal adult echocardiographic values and the introduction of new deformation imaging and 3D parameters pose the issue of normative data. A multitude of nomograms has been recently published, however data are often fragmentary, difficult to find, and their strengths/limitations have been never evaluated. (I) to provide a review of current echocardiographic nomograms; (II) to generate a tool for easy and fast access to these data. A literature search was conducted accessing the National Library of Medicine using the keywords: 2D/3D echocardiography, strain, left/right ventricle, atrial, mitral/tricuspid valve, aorta, reference values/nomograms/normal values. Adding the following keywords, the results were further refined: range/intervals, myocardial velocity, strain rate and speckle tracking. Forty one published studies were included. Our study reveals that for several of 2D/3D parameters sufficient normative data exist, however, a few limitations still persist. For some basic parameters (i.e., mitral/tricuspid/pulmonary valves, great vessels) and for 3D valves data are scarce. There is a lack of studies evaluating ethnic differences. Data have been generally expressed as mean values normalised for gender and age instead of computing models incorporating different variables (age/gender/body sizes) to calculate z scores. To summarize results a software ( Echocardio-Normal Values ) who automatically calculate range of normality for a broad range of echocardiographic measurements according to age/gender/weight/height, has been generated. We provide an up-to-date and critical review of strengths/limitation of current adult echocardiographic nomograms. Furthermore we generated a software for automatic, easy and fast access to multiple echocardiographic normative data.

Suitable reference genes for real-time PCR in human HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma with different clinical prognoses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Li-Yun; Jia, Hu-Liang; Dong, Qiong-Zhu; Wu, Jin-Cai; Zhao, Yue; Zhou, Hai-Jun; Ren, Ning; Ye, Qin-Hai; Qin, Lun-Xiu

2009-01-01

Housekeeping genes are routinely used as endogenous references to account for experimental differences in gene expression assays. However, recent reports show that they could be de-regulated in different diseases, model animals, or even under varied experimental conditions, which may lead to unreliable results and consequently misinterpretations. This study focused on the selection of suitable reference genes for quantitative PCR in human hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with different clinical outcomes. We evaluated 6 commonly used housekeeping genes' expression levels in 108 HBV-related HCCs' matched tumor and non-tomor tissue samples with different clinical outcomes and 26 normal liver specimens by real-time PCR. The expression stability of the 6 genes was compared using the software programs geNorm and NormFinder. To show the impact of reference genes on data analysis, we took PGK1 as a target gene normalized by each reference gene, and performed one-way ANOVA and the equivalence test. With the geNorm and NormFinder software programs, analysis of TBP and HPRT1 showed the best stability in all tissue samples, while 18s and ACTB were less stable. When 18s or ACTB was used for normalization, no significant difference of PGK1 expression (p > 0.05) was found among HCC tissues with and without metastasis, and normal liver specimens; however, dramatically differences (p < 0.001) were observed when either TBP or the combination of TBP and HPRT1 were selected as reference genes. TBP and HPRT1 are the most reliable reference genes for q-PCR normalization in HBV-related HCC specimens. However, the well-used ACTB and 18S are not suitable, which actually lead to the misinterpretation of the results in gene expression analysis

Consistent realization of Celestial and Terrestrial Reference Frames

Science.gov (United States)

Kwak, Younghee; Bloßfeld, Mathis; Schmid, Ralf; Angermann, Detlef; Gerstl, Michael; Seitz, Manuela

2018-03-01

The Celestial Reference System (CRS) is currently realized only by Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) because it is the space geodetic technique that enables observations in that frame. In contrast, the Terrestrial Reference System (TRS) is realized by means of the combination of four space geodetic techniques: Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), VLBI, Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR), and Doppler Orbitography and Radiopositioning Integrated by Satellite. The Earth orientation parameters (EOP) are the link between the two types of systems, CRS and TRS. The EOP series of the International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service were combined of specifically selected series from various analysis centers. Other EOP series were generated by a simultaneous estimation together with the TRF while the CRF was fixed. Those computation approaches entail inherent inconsistencies between TRF, EOP, and CRF, also because the input data sets are different. A combined normal equation (NEQ) system, which consists of all the parameters, i.e., TRF, EOP, and CRF, would overcome such an inconsistency. In this paper, we simultaneously estimate TRF, EOP, and CRF from an inter-technique combined NEQ using the latest GNSS, VLBI, and SLR data (2005-2015). The results show that the selection of local ties is most critical to the TRF. The combination of pole coordinates is beneficial for the CRF, whereas the combination of Δ UT1 results in clear rotations of the estimated CRF. However, the standard deviations of the EOP and the CRF improve by the inter-technique combination which indicates the benefits of a common estimation of all parameters. It became evident that the common determination of TRF, EOP, and CRF systematically influences future ICRF computations at the level of several μas. Moreover, the CRF is influenced by up to 50 μas if the station coordinates and EOP are dominated by the satellite techniques.

The effect of normal load on polytetrafluoroethylene tribology.

Science.gov (United States)

Barry, Peter R; Chiu, Patrick Y; Perry, Scott S; Sawyer, W Gregory; Phillpot, Simon R; Sinnott, Susan B

2009-04-08

The tribological behavior of oriented poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) sliding surfaces is examined as a function of sliding direction and applied normal load in classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The forces are calculated with the second-generation reactive empirical bond-order potential for short-range interactions, and with a Lennard-Jones potential for long-range interactions. The range of applied normal loads considered is 5-30 nN. The displacement of interfacial atoms from their initial positions during sliding is found to vary by a factor of seven, depending on the relative orientation of the sliding chains. However, within each sliding configuration the magnitude of the interfacial atomic displacements exhibits little dependence on load over the range considered. The predicted friction coefficients are also found to vary with chain orientation and are in excellent quantitative agreement with experimental measurements.

Normal thyroid function values in Ethiopians

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wassie, Emnetu; Abdulkadir, Jemal

1990-01-01

Thyroid function values were determined in 56 healthy nongoitrous adult Ethiopians. The mean triiodothyronine (T3) values for 20 males and 36 females were 1.42+-0.32 nmol/L and 1.51+-0.25 nmol/L, and thyroxine (T4) values were 119 22 nmol/L and 116+21 nmol/L respectively. The mean thyrotropin (TSH) values for males and females were identical at 1.86+-0.94 mu/L. Radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) at 2 hours was 8.6+-4.4% in males and 11.3+-4.3% in females, and at 24 hours 31.7+-11.7% and 38.9+-11.1% respectively. The difference between males and females were significant at both 2 and 24 hours (P<0.05). The ranges for the 3 hormones derived from the mean 2SD values are close to these supplied with the kits but the Ethiopian RAIU values are higher than the values currently applicable in developed countries, probably indicative of the lower level of dietary iodine available to the population here. The values obtained in this study are offered to serve as normal reference for the interpretation of thyroid function results in Ethiopian patients. A strategy for the rational utilization of the available in vitro tests is suggested

The Retinome – Defining a reference transcriptome of the adult mammalian retina/retinal pigment epithelium

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Goetz Thomas

2004-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The mammalian retina is a valuable model system to study neuronal biology in health and disease. To obtain insight into intrinsic processes of the retina, great efforts are directed towards the identification and characterization of transcripts with functional relevance to this tissue. Results With the goal to assemble a first genome-wide reference transcriptome of the adult mammalian retina, referred to as the retinome, we have extracted 13,037 non-redundant annotated genes from nearly 500,000 published datasets on redundant retina/retinal pigment epithelium (RPE transcripts. The data were generated from 27 independent studies employing a wide range of molecular and biocomputational approaches. Comparison to known retina-/RPE-specific pathways and established retinal gene networks suggest that the reference retinome may represent up to 90% of the retinal transcripts. We show that the distribution of retinal genes along the chromosomes is not random but exhibits a higher order organization closely following the previously observed clustering of genes with increased expression. Conclusion The genome wide retinome map offers a rational basis for selecting suggestive candidate genes for hereditary as well as complex retinal diseases facilitating elaborate studies into normal and pathological pathways. To make this unique resource freely available we have built a database providing a query interface to the reference retinome 1.

Selection of reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR in bovine preimplantation embryos

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Van Zeveren Alex

2005-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Real-time quantitative PCR is a sensitive and very efficient technique to examine gene transcription patterns in preimplantation embryos, in order to gain information about embryo development and to optimize assisted reproductive technologies. Critical to the succesful application of real-time PCR is careful assay design, reaction optimization and validation to maximize sensitivity and accuracy. In most of the studies published GAPD, ACTB or 18S rRNA have been used as a single reference gene without prior verification of their expression stability. Normalization of the data using unstable controls can result in erroneous conclusions, especially when only one reference gene is used. Results In this study the transcription levels of 8 commonly used reference genes (ACTB, GAPD, Histone H2A, TBP, HPRT1, SDHA, YWHAZ and 18S rRNA were determined at different preimplantation stages (2-cell, 8-cell, blastocyst and hatched blastocyst in order to select the most stable genes to normalize quantitative data within different preimplantation embryo stages. Conclusion Using the geNorm application YWHAZ, GAPD and SDHA were found to be the most stable genes across the examined embryonic stages, while the commonly used ACTB was shown to be highly regulated. We recommend the use of the geometric mean of those 3 reference genes as an accurate normalization factor, which allows small expression differences to be reliably measured.

Phenomenology, psychiatric comorbidity and family history in referred preschool children with obsessive-compulsive disorder

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Coskun Murat

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Objective The study aimed to investigate phenomenology, psychiatric comorbidity, and family history of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD in a clinical sample of normally developing preschool children with OCD. Method Subjects in this study were recruited from a clinical sample of preschool children (under 72 months of age who were referred to a university clinic. Subjects with a normal developmental history and significant impairment related to OCD symptoms were included in the study. Children’s Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale was used to assess OCD symptoms. Each subject was assessed for comorbid DSM-IV psychiatric disorders using a semi-structured interview. Parents were evaluated for lifetime history of OCD in individual sessions. Results Fifteen boys and ten girls (age range: 28 to 69 months; 54.12±9.08 months were included. Mean age of onset of OCD was 35.64±13.42 months. All subjects received at least one comorbid diagnosis. The most frequent comorbid disorders were non-OCD anxiety disorders (n=17; 68.0%, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD (n=15; 60.0%, oppositional defiant disorder (ODD (n=12; 48.0%, and tic disorders (n=6; 24.0%. Mean number of comorbid disorders was 3.65 and 2.35 for boys and girls, respectively. At least one parent received lifetime OCD diagnosis in 68 percent of the subjects. Conclusions The results indicated that OCD in referred preschool children is more common in males, highly comorbid with other psychiatric disorders, and associated with high rates of family history of OCD. Given the high rates of comorbidity and family history, OCD should be considered in referred preschool children with disruptive behavior disorders and/or with family history of OCD.

Selection of Reliable Reference Genes for Gene Expression Studies in the Biofuel Plant Jatropha curcas Using Real-Time Quantitative PCR

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Lu Zhang

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Jatropha curcas is a promising renewable feedstock for biodiesel and bio-jet fuel production. To study gene expression in Jatropha in different tissues throughout development and under stress conditions, we examined a total of 11 typical candidate reference genes using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR analysis, which is widely used for validating transcript levels in gene expression studies. The expression stability of these candidate reference genes was assessed across a total of 20 samples, including various tissues at vegetative and reproductive stages and under desiccation and cold stress treatments. The results obtained using software qBasePLUS showed that the top-ranked reference genes differed across the sample subsets. The combination of actin, GAPDH, and EF1α would be appropriate as a reference panel for normalizing gene expression data across samples at different developmental stages; the combination of actin, GAPDH, and TUB5 should be used as a reference panel for normalizing gene expression data across samples under various abiotic stress treatments. With regard to different developmental stages, we recommend the use of actin and TUB8 for normalization at the vegetative stage and GAPDH and EF1α for normalization at the reproductive stage. For abiotic stress treatments, we recommend the use of TUB5 and TUB8 for normalization under desiccation stress and GAPDH and actin for normalization under cold stress. These results are valuable for future research on gene expression during development or under abiotic stress in Jatropha. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the stability of reference genes in Jatropha.

Realized range-based estimation of integrated variance

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Kim; Podolskij, Mark

2007-01-01

We provide a set of probabilistic laws for estimating the quadratic variation of continuous semimartingales with the realized range-based variance-a statistic that replaces every squared return of the realized variance with a normalized squared range. If the entire sample path of the process is a...

Results of radionuclide ventriculography in normal children and adolescents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reich, O.; Krejcir, M.; Ruth, C.

1989-01-01

In order to assess the range of normal values in radionuclide ventriculography, 53 normal children and adolescents were selected in retrospect. All were exdamined by radionuclide angiocardiography on account of clinical and echocardiographical suspicion of congenital heart disease with a left-to-right shunt; a significant shunt was, however, excluded. In all patients, after equilibration of the radiopharmaceutical the ventricular function was examined by radionuclide ventriculography. The usual volume, time and rate characteristics were evaluated. The normal range was defined as the mean ±2 standard deviations which is 47 to 72% for the ejection fraction of the left ventricle and 31 to 56% for the ejection fraction of the right ventricle. (author). 2 tabs., 18 refs

The construction of normal expectations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Quitzau, Maj-Britt; Røpke, Inge

2008-01-01

The gradual upward changes of standards in normal everyday life have significant environmental implications, and it is therefore important to study how these changes come about. The intention of the article is to analyze the social construction of normal expectations through a case study. The case...... concerns the present boom in bathroom renovations in Denmark, which offers an excellent opportunity to study the interplay between a wide variety of consumption drivers and social changes pointing toward long-term changes of normal expectations regarding bathroom standards. The study is problemoriented...... and transdisciplinary and draws on a wide range of sociological, anthropological, and economic theories. The empirical basis comprises a combination of statistics, a review of magazine and media coverage, visits to exhibitions, and qualitative interviews. A variety of consumption drivers are identified. Among...

Alternative normalization methods demonstrate widespread cortical hypometabolism in untreated de novo Parkinson's disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berti, Valentina; Polito, C; Borghammer, Per

2012-01-01

, recent studies suggested that conventional data normalization procedures may not always be valid, and demonstrated that alternative normalization strategies better allow detection of low magnitude changes. We hypothesized that these alternative normalization procedures would disclose more widespread...... metabolic alterations in de novo PD. METHODS: [18F]FDG PET scans of 26 untreated de novo PD patients (Hoehn & Yahr stage I-II) and 21 age-matched controls were compared using voxel-based analysis. Normalization was performed using gray matter (GM), white matter (WM) reference regions and Yakushev...... normalization. RESULTS: Compared to GM normalization, WM and Yakushev normalization procedures disclosed much larger cortical regions of relative hypometabolism in the PD group with extensive involvement of frontal and parieto-temporal-occipital cortices, and several subcortical structures. Furthermore...

The Effects of Counterforce Brace Size on the Wrist Range of Motility, Pain, Grip & Wrist Extension Sterngth in Normal Subjects and Patients with Tennis Elbow

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Ali Asghar Jameh-Bozorgi

2006-04-01

Full Text Available Objective: Counter force brace is one of the most usefull treatments for lateral opicondylitis (Tennis elbow because it decreases grip pain and increases the power of grip, power of wrist extension and Wrist Range of Motility. The purpose of this quasi experimental (repeated measurementsstudy was to determine the effect of 3 counterforce brace sizes on the wrist R.O.M, grip and wrist extension strength and pain intensity in two groups of healthy subjects and patients with tennis elbow. Materials & Methods: 18 normal subjects & 18 patients with tennis elbow were selected simple conveniently and were tested with no brace and 3 size of counterforce (1,2 and 3 inches. The R.O.M , strength and pain intensity were measured by jamar goniometry and Nicholas MMT dynamometry & VAS, respectively. Results: 1 With all sizes there was a significant decrease of R.O.M on normal subjects but no significant difference in patients. 2 There was a significant decrease of grip strength with 1-inch brace in normal subjects but a significant increase of grip strength with 2 and 3-inch brace in patiens. 3 All sizes of brace caused significant decrease of extension strength in normal subjects but increase in patients. 4All size caused significant decrease of pain intensity that was more considerable in the case of 2 and 3 inch size. Conclusion: The results shows that the counterforce brace may be considered as an effective treatment for increasing strength and decreasing pain in patients with tennis elbow.

On Bayesian Inference under Sampling from Scale Mixtures of Normals

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fernández, C.; Steel, M.F.J.

1996-01-01

This paper considers a Bayesian analysis of the linear regression model under independent sampling from general scale mixtures of Normals.Using a common reference prior, we investigate the validity of Bayesian inference and the existence of posterior moments of the regression and precision

Lower incisor inclination regarding different reference planes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zataráin, Brenda; Avila, Josué; Moyaho, Angeles; Carrasco, Rosendo; Velasco, Carmen

2016-09-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the degree of lower incisor inclination with respect to different reference planes. It was an observational, analytical, longitudinal, prospective study conducted on 100 lateral cephalograms which were corrected according to the photograph in natural head position in order to draw the true vertical plane (TVP). The incisor mandibular plane angle (IMPA) was compensated to eliminate the variation of the mandibular plane growth type with the formula "FMApx.- 25 (FMA) + IMPApx. = compensated IMPA (IMPACOM)". As the data followed normal distribution determined by the KolmogorovSmirnov test, parametric tests were used for the statistical analysis, Ttest, ANOVA and Pearson coefficient correlation test. Statistical analysis was performed using a statistical significance of p planes. There were statistically significant differences among the means of the planes measured, except for IMPACOM, FMIA and TVP. The IMPA differed significantly from the IMPACOM. The compensated IMPA and the FMIA did not differ significantly from the TVP. The true horizontal plane was mismatched with Frankfort plane in 84% of the sample with a range of 19°. The true vertical plane is adequate for measuring lower incisor inclination. Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Odontológica.

The Meridians of Reference of Indian Astronomical Canons

Science.gov (United States)

Mercier, R.

The canons of Sanskrit astronomy depend on mean motions which are normally postulated to refer to the central meridian of Ujjain. The present work is a statistical analysis of these mean motions designed to discover the optimum position of the meridian, by comparison with modern mean motions. This follows earlier work done by Billard in determining the optimum year.

Ranging Behaviour of Commercial Free-Range Laying Hens.

Science.gov (United States)

Chielo, Leonard Ikenna; Pike, Tom; Cooper, Jonathan

2016-04-26

In this study, the range use and behaviour of laying hens in commercial free-range flocks was explored. Six flocks were each visited on four separate days and data collected from their outdoor area (divided into zones based on distance from shed and available resources). These were: apron (0-10 m from shed normally without cover or other enrichments); enriched belt (10-50 m from shed where resources such as manmade cover, saplings and dust baths were provided); and outer range (beyond 50 m from shed with no cover and mainly grass pasture). Data collection consisted of counting the number of hens in each zone and recording behaviour, feather condition and nearest neighbour distance (NND) of 20 birds per zone on each visit day. In addition, we used techniques derived from ecological surveys to establish four transects perpendicular to the shed, running through the apron, enriched belt and outer range. Number of hens in each 10 m × 10 m quadrat was recorded four times per day as was the temperature and relative humidity of the outer range. On average, 12.5% of hens were found outside. Of these, 5.4% were found in the apron; 4.3% in the enriched zone; and 2.8% were in the outer range. This pattern was supported by data from quadrats, where the density of hens sharply dropped with increasing distance from shed. Consequently, NND was greatest in the outer range, least in the apron and intermediate in the enriched belt. Hens sampled in outer range and enriched belts had better feather condition than those from the apron. Standing, ground pecking, walking and foraging were the most commonly recorded activities with standing and pecking most likely to occur in the apron, and walking and foraging more common in the outer range. Use of the outer range declined with lower temperatures and increasing relative humidity, though use of apron and enriched belt was not affected by variation in these measures. These data support previous findings that outer range areas tend to be

Dual energy X-Ray absorptiometry body composition reference values from NHANES.

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Thomas L Kelly

Full Text Available In 2008 the National Center for Health Statistics released a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA whole body dataset from the NHANES population-based sample acquired with modern fan beam scanners in 15 counties across the United States from 1999 through 2004. The NHANES dataset was partitioned by gender and ethnicity and DXA whole body measures of %fat, fat mass/height(2, lean mass/height(2, appendicular lean mass/height(2, %fat trunk/%fat legs ratio, trunk/limb fat mass ratio of fat, bone mineral content (BMC and bone mineral density (BMD were analyzed to provide reference values for subjects 8 to 85 years old. DXA reference values for adults were normalized to age; reference values for children included total and sub-total whole body results and were normalized to age, height, or lean mass. We developed an obesity classification scheme by using estabbody mass index (BMI classification thresholds and prevalences in young adults to generate matching classification thresholds for Fat Mass Index (FMI; fat mass/height(2. These reference values should be helpful in the evaluation of a variety of adult and childhood abnormalities involving fat, lean, and bone, for establishing entry criteria into clinical trials, and for other medical, research, and epidemiological uses.

Development of the Japanese reference man model for age-specific phantoms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawamura, H.

2012-01-01

Recent interest in improving methods for calculating radiation doses to atomic bomb survivors necessitates reinforcing the data on masses of organs of the Japanese population in 1945, including those that are not calculated by DS02, as well as increasing the number of phantoms for different ages. Reference is made to published data on the masses of organs in normal Japanese subjects of 0-90 y of age with more than 5000 samples during 1970-80, as well as the weight and size of the total body. The first Japanese Reference Man model, primarily based on these data and following the ICRP Reference Man concept, is briefly explained. It provides a set of reference values for males and females of six age groups, i.e. 3 months, 1, 5, 10, 15 and 20-50 y. To consider the organ masses of the Japanese population in 1945, the data during the period 1970-80 are compared with the literature data of normal Japanese reported in 1952. Differences between the two sets of organ data in adults are discussed in relation to changes in the national status of nutrition. Additional organ masses of current interest for the Japanese population in 1945 are preliminarily considered. (author)

A reference frame for blood volume in children and adolescents

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Donckerwolcke Raymond

2006-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Our primary purpose was to determine the normal range and variability of blood volume (BV in healthy children, in order to provide reference values during childhood and adolescence. Our secondary aim was to correlate these vascular volumes to body size parameters and pubertal stages, in order to determine the best normalisation parameter. Methods Plasma volume (PV and red cell volume (RCV were measured and F-cell ratio was calculated in 77 children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in drug-free remission (mean age, 9.8 ± 4.6 y. BV was calculated as the sum of PV and RCV. Due to the dependence of these values on age, size and sex, all data were normalised for body size parameters. Results BV normalised for lean body mass (LBM did not differ significantly by sex (p Conclusion LBM was the anthropometric index most closely correlated to vascular fluid volumes, independent of age, gender and pubertal stage.

Selection of suitable reference genes for RT-qPCR analyses in cyanobacteria.

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Filipe Pinto

Full Text Available Cyanobacteria are a group of photosynthetic prokaryotes that have a diverse morphology, minimal nutritional requirements and metabolic plasticity that has made them attractive organisms to use in biotechnological applications. The use of these organisms as cell factories requires the knowledge of their physiology and metabolism at a systems level. For the quantification of gene transcripts real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR is the standard technique. However, to obtain reliable RT-qPCR results the use and validation of reference genes is mandatory. Towards this goal we have selected and analyzed twelve candidate reference genes from three morphologically distinct cyanobacteria grown under routinely used laboratory conditions. The six genes exhibiting less variation in each organism were evaluated in terms of their expression stability using geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper. In addition, the minimum number of reference genes required for normalization was determined. Based on the three algorithms, we provide a list of genes for cyanobacterial RT-qPCR data normalization. To our knowledge, this is the first work on the validation of reference genes for cyanobacteria constituting a valuable starting point for future works.

Time Biases in laser ranging measurements; impacts on geodetic products (Reference Frame and Orbitography)

Science.gov (United States)

Belli, A.; Exertier, P.; Lemoine, F. G.; Chinn, D. S.; Zelensky, N. P.

2017-12-01

The GGOS objectives are to maintain a geodetic network with an accuracy of 1 mm and a stability of 0.1 mm per year. For years, the laser ranging technique, which provide very accurate absolute distances to geodetic targets enable to determine the scale factor as well as coordinates of the geocenter. In order to achieve this goal, systematic errors appearing in the laser ranging measurements must be considered and solved. In addition to Range Bias (RB), which is the primary source of uncertainty of the technique, Time Bias (TB) has been recently detected by using the Time Transfer by Laser Link (T2L2) space instrument capability on-board the satellite Jason-2. Instead of determining TB through the precise orbit determination that is applied to commonly used geodetic targets like LAGEOS to estimate global geodetic products, we have developed, independently, a dedicated method to transfer time between remote satellite laser ranging stations. As a result, the evolving clock phase shift to UTC of around 30 stations has been determined under the form of time series of time bias per station from 2008 to 2016 with an accuracy of 3-4 ns. It demonstrated the difficulty, in terms of Time & Frequency used technologies, to locally maintain accuracy and long term stability at least in the range of 100 ns that is the current requirement for time measurements (UTC) for the laser ranging technique. Because some laser ranging stations oftently exceed this limit (from 100 ns to a few μs) we have been studying these effects first on the precision orbit determination itself, second on the station positioning. We discuss the impact of TB on LAGEOS and Jason-2 orbits, which appears to affect the along-track component essentially. We also investigate the role of TB in global geodetic parameters as the station coordinates. Finally, we propose to provide the community with time series of time bias of laser ranging stations, under the form of a data- handling-file in order to be included in

Haematological and serum biochemical reference values in free-ranging red deer (Cervus elaphus atlanticus

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Olav Rosef

2004-04-01

Full Text Available Analyses of haematological and biochemical constituents were carried out on the Norwegian subspecies of free-ranging red deer (Cervus elaphus atlanticus. All animals were captured from January to March by using a mixture of xylazine and tiletamin-zolazepam. Immobilisation was performed with plastic projectile syringes fired from a dart gun. Fourteen haematological parameters were analysed. There were no differences in the values between hinds and stags and between adults and calves (P > 0.01. Of the 22 biochemical compounds investigated there was a significant difference (P < 0.01 between calves and adults for lactate dehydrogenase (LD, globulin, beta globulin, gamma globulin, and the minerals Na, K, Mg, Zn, Ca, and P. Differences (P < 0.01 between hinds and stags were found in cholesterol, gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT, alpha-1 globulin, alpha-2 globulin and Cu. The blood values determined in this study can be used as reference values for this red deer subspecies immobilised with a mixture of xylazine-tiletamin-zolazepam for health control and diagnosis of diseases.Abstract in Norwegian /Sammendrag:Hematologiske og biokjemiske parametere er analysert på norsk frittlevende hjort (Cervus elaphus atlanticus. Hjorten ble immobilisert i tidsrommet januar til mars ved hjelp av et spesialgevær ladet med plast kanyler som inneholdt en blanding av xylazin og tiletamin-zolazepam. Det var ingen forskjeller i de14 undersøkte hematologiske verdiene mellom hinder, kalver og bukker (P>0,01. Av de 22 biokjemiske parametrene som ble undersøkt var det en signifikant forskjell mellom kalver og voksne (P<0,01 når det gjelder laktat dehydrogenase, globulin, beta globulin, gamma globulin og mineralene Na, K, Mg, Zn, Ca og P. Det var en signifikant forskjell mellom hinder og bukker (P<0.01 på parametrene kolesterol, gamma glutamyl transferase, alfa-1 globulin, alfa-2 globulin og Cu. Blodverdiene som ble målt i dette studiet kan bli brukt som referanseverdier

Robust label-free biosensing using microdisk laser arrays with on-chip references.

Science.gov (United States)

Wondimu, S F; Hippler, M; Hussal, C; Hofmann, A; Krämmer, S; Lahann, J; Kalt, H; Freude, W; Koos, C

2018-02-05

Whispering-gallery mode (WGM) microdisk lasers show great potential for highly sensitive label-free detection in large-scale sensor arrays. However, when used in practical applications under normal ambient conditions, these devices suffer from temperature fluctuations and photobleaching. Here we demonstrate that these challenges can be overcome by a novel referencing scheme that allows for simultaneous compensation of temperature drift and photobleaching. The technique relies on reference structures protected by locally dispensed passivation materials, and can be scaled to extended arrays of hundreds of devices. We prove the viability of the concept in a series of experiments, demonstrating robust and sensitive label-free detection over a wide range of constant or continuously varying temperatures. To the best of our knowledge, these measurements represent the first demonstration of biosensing in active WGM devices with simultaneous compensation of both photobleaching and temperature drift.

The self-referred mammography patient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, H.E.; Jackson, V.P.

1990-01-01

This paper compares the demographics, knowledge, and attitudes of women who refer themselves for screening mammography with those who undergo mammography on the advice of their physicians. Four hundred eighty-five consecutive mammography patients (437 doctor preferred [DR], 48 self-referred [SR]) completed a survey during their mammography appointment. The sample population contained a wide range of socioeconomic groups. While similar in age, race, and employment status to DR patients, SR patients were significantly more likely to have a family income of more than 30,000 per year, be college graduates, and report that they were in good or excellent health

Identification of genes for normalization of real-time RT-PCR data in breast carcinomas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)