Two-Layer Hierarchy Optimization Model for Communication Protocol in Railway Wireless Monitoring Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaoping Ma

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The wireless monitoring system is always destroyed by the insufficient energy of the sensors in railway. Hence, how to optimize the communication protocol and extend the system lifetime is crucial to ensure the stability of system. However, the existing studies focused primarily on cluster-based or multihop protocols individually, which are ineffective in coping with the complex communication scenarios in the railway wireless monitoring system (RWMS. This study proposes a hybrid protocol which combines the cluster-based and multihop protocols (CMCP to minimize and balance the energy consumption in different sections of the RWMS. In the first hierarchy, the total energy consumption is minimized by optimizing the cluster quantities in the cluster-based protocol and the number of hops and the corresponding hop distances in the multihop protocol. In the second hierarchy, the energy consumption is balanced through rotating the cluster head (CH in the subnetworks and further optimizing the hops and the corresponding hop distances in the backbone network. On this basis, the system lifetime is maximized with the minimum and balance energy consumption among the sensors. Furthermore, the hybrid particle swarm optimization and genetic algorithm (PSO-GA are adopted to optimize the energy consumption from the two-layer hierarchy. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed CMCP is verified in the simulation. The performances of the proposed CMCP in system lifetime, residual energy, and the corresponding variance are all superior to the LEACH protocol widely applied in the previous research. The effective protocol proposed in this study can facilitate the application of the wireless monitoring network in the railway system and enhance safety operation of the railway.

A critical assessment for the value of markers to gate-out undesired events in HLA-peptide multimer staining protocols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Odunsi Kunle

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The introduction of antibody markers to identify undesired cell populations in flow-cytometry based assays, so called DUMP channel markers, has become a practice in an increasing number of labs performing HLA-peptide multimer assays. However, the impact of the introduction of a DUMP channel in multimer assays has so far not been systematically investigated across a broad variety of protocols. Methods The Cancer Research Institute's Cancer Immunotherapy Consortium (CRI-CIC conducted a multimer proficiency panel with a specific focus on the impact of DUMP channel use. The panel design allowed individual laboratories to use their own protocol for thawing, staining, gating, and data analysis. Each experiment was performed twice and in parallel, with and without the application of a dump channel strategy. Results The introduction of a DUMP channel is an effective measure to reduce the amount of non-specific MULTIMER binding to T cells. Beneficial effects for the use of a DUMP channel were observed across a wide range of individual laboratories and for all tested donor-antigen combinations. In 48% of experiments we observed a reduction of the background MULTIMER-binding. In this subgroup of experiments the median background reduction observed after introduction of a DUMP channel was 0.053%. Conclusions We conclude that appropriate use of a DUMP channel can significantly reduce background staining across a large fraction of protocols and improve the ability to accurately detect and quantify the frequency of antigen-specific T cells by multimer reagents. Thus, use of a DUMP channel may become crucial for detecting low frequency antigen-specific immune responses. Further recommendations on assay performance and data presentation guidelines for publication of MULTIMER experimental data are provided.

Optimization of a sample processing protocol for recovery of Bacillus anthracis spores from soil

Science.gov (United States)

Silvestri, Erin E.; Feldhake, David; Griffin, Dale; Lisle, John T.; Nichols, Tonya L.; Shah, Sanjiv; Pemberton, A; Schaefer III, Frank W

2016-01-01

Following a release of Bacillus anthracis spores into the environment, there is a potential for lasting environmental contamination in soils. There is a need for detection protocols for B. anthracis in environmental matrices. However, identification of B. anthracis within a soil is a difficult task. Processing soil samples helps to remove debris, chemical components, and biological impurities that can interfere with microbiological detection. This study aimed to optimize a previously used indirect processing protocol, which included a series of washing and centrifugation steps. Optimization of the protocol included: identifying an ideal extraction diluent, variation in the number of wash steps, variation in the initial centrifugation speed, sonication and shaking mechanisms. The optimized protocol was demonstrated at two laboratories in order to evaluate the recovery of spores from loamy and sandy soils. The new protocol demonstrated an improved limit of detection for loamy and sandy soils over the non-optimized protocol with an approximate matrix limit of detection at 14 spores/g of soil. There were no significant differences overall between the two laboratories for either soil type, suggesting that the processing protocol will be robust enough to use at multiple laboratories while achieving comparable recoveries.

Efficacy of propidium iodide and FUN-1 stains for assessing viability in basidiospores of Rhizopogon roseolus.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Miranda, Elena; Majada, Juan; Casares, Abelardo

2017-01-01

The use of spores in applications of ectomycorrhizal fungi requires information regarding spore viability and germination, especially in genera such as Rhizopogon with high rates of spore dormancy. The authors developed a protocol to assess spore viability of Rhizopogon roseolus using four vital stains to quantify spore viability and germination and to optimize storage procedures. They showed that propidium iodide is an excellent stain for quantifying nonviable spores. Observing red fluorescent intravacuolar structures following staining with 2-chloro-4-(2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-(benzo-1,3-thiazol-2-yl)-methylidene)-1-phenylquinolinium iodide (FUN-1) can help identify viable spores that are activated. At 6 mo and 1 y, the spores kept in a water suspension survived better than those left within intact, dry gasterocarps. Our work highlights the importance of temperature, nutrients, and vitamins for maturation and germination of spores of R. roseolus during 1 y of storage.

[Immunocytochemical demonstration of astrocytes in brain sections combined with Nissl staining].

Science.gov (United States)

Korzhevskiĭ, D E; Otellin, V A

2004-01-01

The aim of the present study was to develop an easy and reliable protocol of combined preparation staining, which would unite the advantages of immunocytochemical demonstration of astrocytes with the availability to evaluate functional state of neurons provided by Nissl technique. The presented protocol of paraffin sections processing allows to retain high quality of tissue structure and provides for selective demonstration of astrocytes using the monoclonal antibodies against glial fibrillary acidic protein and contrast Nissl staining of cells. The protocol can be used without any changes for processing of brain sections obtained from the humans and other mammals with the exception of mice and rabbits.

Optimal protocols for Hamiltonian and Schrödinger dynamics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schmiedl, Tim; Dieterich, Eckhard; Dieterich, Peter-Simon; Seifert, Udo

2009-01-01

For systems in an externally controllable time dependent potential, the optimal protocol minimizes the mean work spent in a finite time transition between given initial and final values of a control parameter. For an initially thermalized ensemble, we consider both Hamiltonian evolution for classical systems and Schrödinger evolution for quantum systems. In both cases, we show that for harmonic potentials, the optimal work is given by the adiabatic work even in the limit of short transition times. This result is counter-intuitive because the adiabatic work is substantially smaller than the work for an instantaneous jump. We also perform numerical calculations for the optimal protocol for Hamiltonian dynamics in an anharmonic quartic potential. For a two-level spin system, we give examples where the adiabatic work can be reached in either a finite or an arbitrarily short transition time depending on the allowed parameter space

Protocol optimization in chest CT scans of child

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abrao L, L. T.; Amaral de O, F.; Prata M, A. [Biomedical Engineering Center, Centro Federal de Educacao Tecnologica de Minas Gerais, 30421-169, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (Brazil); Bustos F, M., E-mail: luanaabrao@gmail.com [Universidad Federal de Minas Gerais, Department of Nuclear Engineering, Av. Pres. Antonio Carlos 6627, Pampulha, 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais (Brazil)

2017-10-15

The dissemination of Computed Tomography (CT), a radiodiagnostic technique, has significant increase in the patient dose. In the last years, this technique has shown a high growth due to clinical cases of medical emergencies, neoplasm and pediatric traumas. Dose measurement is important to correlate with the deleterious effects of radiation on the organism and radiation future effects is related with stochastic risks due to tissue radiosensitivity, allied to the life expectancy of the child. In this work, a cylindrical phantom, representing an adult chest made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), was used and a new born chest phantom with a shape oblong was developed based on the dimensions of a typical newborn. In a Ge CT scanner, Discovery model, with 64 channels, the central slice of the phantoms were irradiated successively in order to obtain dose measurements using an ionizing pencil camera. Based in the measurements, dose index was calculated (CTDI{sub vol}). The radiological service chest protocol using a voltage of 120 kV was used for scanning 10 cm of the central area of the adult and newborn phantom, in helical mode. An acquisition of images was performed using this radiological service chest protocol to compare with the protocol optimized. In the newborn phantom was also used protocols optimized using a voltage of 120 and 80 kV. The voltage of 80 kV has the lowest dose index for the pediatric object phantom. This work allowed the comparison between absorbed dose variations by the pediatric phantom changing the X-ray tube supply voltage. This dose variation has shown how important is specific protocols for children. (Author)

Protocol optimization in chest CT scans of child

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abrao L, L. T.; Amaral de O, F.; Prata M, A.; Bustos F, M.

2017-10-01

The dissemination of Computed Tomography (CT), a radiodiagnostic technique, has significant increase in the patient dose. In the last years, this technique has shown a high growth due to clinical cases of medical emergencies, neoplasm and pediatric traumas. Dose measurement is important to correlate with the deleterious effects of radiation on the organism and radiation future effects is related with stochastic risks due to tissue radiosensitivity, allied to the life expectancy of the child. In this work, a cylindrical phantom, representing an adult chest made of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), was used and a new born chest phantom with a shape oblong was developed based on the dimensions of a typical newborn. In a Ge CT scanner, Discovery model, with 64 channels, the central slice of the phantoms were irradiated successively in order to obtain dose measurements using an ionizing pencil camera. Based in the measurements, dose index was calculated (CTDI vol ). The radiological service chest protocol using a voltage of 120 kV was used for scanning 10 cm of the central area of the adult and newborn phantom, in helical mode. An acquisition of images was performed using this radiological service chest protocol to compare with the protocol optimized. In the newborn phantom was also used protocols optimized using a voltage of 120 and 80 kV. The voltage of 80 kV has the lowest dose index for the pediatric object phantom. This work allowed the comparison between absorbed dose variations by the pediatric phantom changing the X-ray tube supply voltage. This dose variation has shown how important is specific protocols for children. (Author)

Efficacy of SYBR 14/propidium iodide viability stain for the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis.

Science.gov (United States)

Stockwell, M P; Clulow, J; Mahony, M J

2010-01-25

The amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis is a recently described pathogen that has been implicated as a causal agent in the global decline in amphibians. Research into its biology and epidemiology has frequently involved in vitro experimentation. However, this research is currently limited by the inability to differentiate between viable and inviable zoospores. Stains are frequently used to determine cell viability, and this study tested a 2-colour fluorescence assay for the detection and quantification of viable B. dendrobatidis zoospores. The results show that the nucleic acid stains SYBR 14 and propidium iodide are effective in distinguishing live from dead zoospores, and a protocol has been optimized for their use. This viability assay provides an efficient and reliable tool that will have applications in B. dendrobatidis challenge and amphibian exposure experiments.

Embedding, serial sectioning and staining of zebrafish embryos using JB-4 resin.

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan-Brown, Jessica; Bisher, Margaret E; Burdine, Rebecca D

2011-01-01

Histological techniques are critical for observing tissue and cellular morphology. In this paper, we outline our protocol for embedding, serial sectioning, staining and visualizing zebrafish embryos embedded in JB-4 plastic resin-a glycol methacrylate-based medium that results in excellent preservation of tissue morphology. In addition, we describe our procedures for staining plastic sections with toluidine blue or hematoxylin and eosin, and show how to couple these stains with whole-mount RNA in situ hybridization. We also describe how to maintain and visualize immunofluorescence and EGFP signals in JB-4 resin. The protocol we outline-from embryo preparation, embedding, sectioning and staining to visualization-can be accomplished in 3 d. Overall, we reinforce that plastic embedding can provide higher resolution of cellular details and is a valuable tool for cellular and morphological studies in zebrafish.

A method for acetylcholinesterase staining of brain sections previously processed for receptor autoradiography.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, M M; Hammock, E A D; Young, L J

2004-02-01

Receptor autoradiography using selective radiolabeled ligands allows visualization of brain receptor distribution and density on film. The resolution of specific brain regions on the film often can be difficult to discern owing to the general spread of the radioactive label and the lack of neuroanatomical landmarks on film. Receptor binding is a chemically harsh protocol that can render the tissue virtually unstainable by Nissl and other conventional stains used to delineate neuroanatomical boundaries of brain regions. We describe a method for acetylcholinesterase (AChE) staining of slides previously processed for receptor binding. AChE staining is a useful tool for delineating major brain nuclei and tracts. AChE staining on sections that have been processed for receptor autoradiography provides a direct comparison of brain regions for more precise neuroanatomical description. We report a detailed thiocholine protocol that is a modification of the Koelle-Friedenwald method to amplify the AChE signal in brain sections previously processed for autoradiography. We also describe several temporal and experimental factors that can affect the density and clarity of the AChE signal when using this protocol.

An optimized color transformation for the analysis of digital images of hematoxylin & eosin stained slides.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarella, Mark D; Breen, David E; Plagov, Andrei; Garcia, Fernando U

2015-01-01

Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining is ubiquitous in pathology practice and research. As digital pathology has evolved, the reliance of quantitative methods that make use of H&E images has similarly expanded. For example, cell counting and nuclear morphometry rely on the accurate demarcation of nuclei from other structures and each other. One of the major obstacles to quantitative analysis of H&E images is the high degree of variability observed between different samples and different laboratories. In an effort to characterize this variability, as well as to provide a substrate that can potentially mitigate this factor in quantitative image analysis, we developed a technique to project H&E images into an optimized space more appropriate for many image analysis procedures. We used a decision tree-based support vector machine learning algorithm to classify 44 H&E stained whole slide images of resected breast tumors according to the histological structures that are present. This procedure takes an H&E image as an input and produces a classification map of the image that predicts the likelihood of a pixel belonging to any one of a set of user-defined structures (e.g., cytoplasm, stroma). By reducing these maps into their constituent pixels in color space, an optimal reference vector is obtained for each structure, which identifies the color attributes that maximally distinguish one structure from other elements in the image. We show that tissue structures can be identified using this semi-automated technique. By comparing structure centroids across different images, we obtained a quantitative depiction of H&E variability for each structure. This measurement can potentially be utilized in the laboratory to help calibrate daily staining or identify troublesome slides. Moreover, by aligning reference vectors derived from this technique, images can be transformed in a way that standardizes their color properties and makes them more amenable to image processing.

A Power-Optimized Cooperative MAC Protocol for Lifetime Extension in Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Kai; Wu, Shan; Huang, Bo; Liu, Feng; Xu, Zhen

2016-10-01

In wireless sensor networks, in order to satisfy the requirement of long working time of energy-limited nodes, we need to design an energy-efficient and lifetime-extended medium access control (MAC) protocol. In this paper, a node cooperation mechanism that one or multiple nodes with higher channel gain and sufficient residual energy help a sender relay its data packets to its recipient is employed to achieve this objective. We first propose a transmission power optimization algorithm to prolong network lifetime by optimizing the transmission powers of the sender and its cooperative nodes to maximize their minimum residual energy after their data packet transmissions. Based on it, we propose a corresponding power-optimized cooperative MAC protocol. A cooperative node contention mechanism is designed to ensure that the sender can effectively select a group of cooperative nodes with the lowest energy consumption and the best channel quality for cooperative transmissions, thus further improving the energy efficiency. Simulation results show that compared to typical MAC protocol with direct transmissions and energy-efficient cooperative MAC protocol, the proposed cooperative MAC protocol can efficiently improve the energy efficiency and extend the network lifetime.

Optimizing the high-resolution manometry (HRM) study protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Patel, A; Ding, A; Mirza, F; Gyawali, C P

2015-02-01

Intolerance of the esophageal manometry catheter may prolong high-resolution manometry (HRM) studies and increase patient distress. We assessed the impact of obtaining the landmark phase at the end of the study when the patient has acclimatized to the HRM catheter. 366 patients (mean age 55.4 ± 0.8 years, 62.0% female) undergoing esophageal HRM over a 1-year period were studied. The standard protocol consisted of the landmark phase, 10 5 mL water swallows 20-30 s apart, and multiple rapid swallows where 4-6 2 mL swallows were administered in rapid succession. The modified protocol consisted of the landmark phase at the end of the study after test swallows. Study duration, technical characteristics, indications, and motor findings were compared between standard and modified protocols. Of the 366 patients, 89.6% underwent the standard protocol (study duration 12.9 ± 0.3 min). In 10.4% with poor catheter tolerance undergoing the modified protocol, study duration was significantly longer (15.6 ± 1.0 min, p = 0.004) despite similar duration of study maneuvers. Only elevated upper esophageal sphincter basal pressures at the beginning of the study segregated modified protocol patients. The 95th percentile time to landmark phase in the standard protocol patients was 6.1 min; as many as 31.4% of modified protocol patients could not obtain their first study maneuver within this period (p = 0.0003). Interpretation was not impacted by shifting the landmark phase to the end of the study. Modification of the HRM study protocol with the landmark phase obtained at the end of the study optimizes study duration without compromising quality. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Factors influencing extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa staining of rat testes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bassey, R B; Bakare, A A; Peter, A I; Oremosu, A A; Osinubi, A A

2012-08-01

Some plant extracts can be used in biology and medicine to reveal or identify cellular components and tissues. We investigated the effects of time and concentration on staining of histological sections of rat testes by an acidified extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa. An ethanolic extract of H. sabdariffa was diluted using 1% acetic acid in 70% ethanol to stain histological sections of testes at concentrations of 0.2, 0.1 and 0.05 g/ml for 5, 10, 15, 30, 45 and 60 min. The sections of testes were stained deep red. The staining efficiency of H. sabdariffa was greater at a high concentration and required less time to achieve optimal staining. H. sabdariffa is a strongly basic dye that can be used for various diagnostic purposes. Staining time and concentration must be considered to achieve optimal results.

Development of a preparation and staining method for fetal erythroblasts in maternal blood : Simultaneous immunocytochemical staining and FISH analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oosterwijk, JC; Mesker, WE; Ouwerkerk-van Velzen, MCM; Knepfle, CFHM; Wiesmeijer, KC; van den Burg, MJM; Beverstock, GC; Bernini, LF; van Ommen, Gert-Jan B; Kanhai, HHH; Tanke, HJ

1998-01-01

In order to detect fetal nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) in maternal blood, a protocol was developed which aimed at producing a reliable staining method for combined immunocytochemical and FISH analysis. The technique had to be suitable for eventual automated screening of slides. Chorionic villi

Protocol optimization for in vitro shoot multiplication of Jackfruit ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Jemal

2017-01-11

Jan 11, 2017 ... Protocol optimization for in vitro shoot multiplication of ... shoot length and leaf number, whereby 2 mg/L BAP alone was found to be the best with a mean shoot .... Analysis of variance showed that the interaction between.

Measurement of neuron soma size by fluorescent Nissl stain

OpenAIRE

sprotocols

2015-01-01

Authors: James Cronk, Noel Derecki & Jonathan Kipnis ### Abstract This protocol describes how to measure neuron soma size by fluorescent Nissl stain. Mice are sacrificed, and fixed by PFA perfusion. Brains are removed, and further PFA fixed, followed by sucrose cryoprotection. They are then snap frozen, sliced by cryostat, and stained with fluorescent Nissl as floating sections. Confocal microscopy is used to take images of neurons, and a computer graphics tablet is used to calculate ...

Improvement of malaria diagnostic system based on acridine orange staining.

Science.gov (United States)

Kimura, Masatsugu; Teramoto, Isao; Chan, Chim W; Idris, Zulkarnain Md; Kongere, James; Kagaya, Wataru; Kawamoto, Fumihiko; Asada, Ryoko; Isozumi, Rie; Kaneko, Akira

2018-02-07

Rapid diagnosis of malaria using acridine orange (AO) staining and a light microscope with a halogen lamp and interference filter was deployed in some malaria-endemic countries. However, it has not been widely adopted because: (1) the lamp was weak as an excitation light and the set-up did not work well under unstable power supply; and, (2) the staining of samples was frequently inconsistent. The halogen lamp was replaced by a low-cost, blue light-emitting diode (LED) lamp. Using a reformulated AO solution, the staining protocol was revised to make use of a concentration gradient instead of uniform staining. To evaluate this new AO diagnostic system, a pilot field study was conducted in the Lake Victoria basin in Kenya. Without staining failure, malaria infection status of about 100 samples was determined on-site per one microscopist per day, using the improved AO diagnostic system. The improved AO diagnosis had both higher overall sensitivity (46.1 vs 38.9%: p = 0.08) and specificity (99.0 vs 96.3%) than the Giemsa method (N = 1018), using PCR diagnosis as the standard. Consistent AO staining of thin blood films and rapid evaluation of malaria parasitaemia with the revised protocol produced superior results relative to the Giemsa method. This AO diagnostic system can be set up easily at low cost using an ordinary light microscope. It may supplement rapid diagnostic tests currently used in clinical settings in malaria-endemic countries, and may be considered as an inexpensive tool for case surveillance in malaria-eliminating countries.

An optimized color transformation for the analysis of digital images of hematoxylin & eosin stained slides

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark D Zarella

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E staining is ubiquitous in pathology practice and research. As digital pathology has evolved, the reliance of quantitative methods that make use of H&E images has similarly expanded. For example, cell counting and nuclear morphometry rely on the accurate demarcation of nuclei from other structures and each other. One of the major obstacles to quantitative analysis of H&E images is the high degree of variability observed between different samples and different laboratories. In an effort to characterize this variability, as well as to provide a substrate that can potentially mitigate this factor in quantitative image analysis, we developed a technique to project H&E images into an optimized space more appropriate for many image analysis procedures. We used a decision tree-based support vector machine learning algorithm to classify 44 H&E stained whole slide images of resected breast tumors according to the histological structures that are present. This procedure takes an H&E image as an input and produces a classification map of the image that predicts the likelihood of a pixel belonging to any one of a set of user-defined structures (e.g., cytoplasm, stroma. By reducing these maps into their constituent pixels in color space, an optimal reference vector is obtained for each structure, which identifies the color attributes that maximally distinguish one structure from other elements in the image. We show that tissue structures can be identified using this semi-automated technique. By comparing structure centroids across different images, we obtained a quantitative depiction of H&E variability for each structure. This measurement can potentially be utilized in the laboratory to help calibrate daily staining or identify troublesome slides. Moreover, by aligning reference vectors derived from this technique, images can be transformed in a way that standardizes their color properties and makes them more amenable to image

Methods of staining and visualization of sphingolipid enriched and non-enriched plasma membrane regions of Arabidopsis thaliana with fluorescent dyes and lipid analogues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Blachutzik Jörg O

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Sterols and Sphingolipids form lipid clusters in the plasma membranes of cell types throughout the animal and plant kingdoms. These lipid domains provide a medium for protein signaling complexes at the plasma membrane and are also observed to be principal regions of membrane contact at the inception of infection. We visualized different specific fluorescent lipophilic stains of the both sphingolipid enriched and non-sphingolipid enriched regions in the plasma membranes of live protoplasts of Arabidopsis thaliana. Results Lipid staining protocols for several fluorescent lipid analogues in plants are presented. The most emphasis was placed on successful protocols for the single and dual staining of sphingolipid enriched regions and exclusion of sphingolipid enriched regions on the plasma membrane of Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts. A secondary focus was placed to ensure that these staining protocols presented still maintain cell viability. Furthermore, the protocols were successfully tested with the spectrally sensitive dye Laurdan. Conclusion Almost all existing staining procedures of the plasma membrane with fluorescent lipid analogues are specified for animal cells and tissues. In order to develop lipid staining protocols for plants, procedures were established with critical steps for the plasma membrane staining of Arabidopsis leaf tissue and protoplasts. The success of the plasma membrane staining protocols was additionally verified by measurements of lipid dynamics by the fluorescence recovery after photobleaching technique and by the observation of new phenomena such as time dependent lipid polarization events in living protoplasts, for which a putative physiological relevance is suggested.

Developing optimized CT scan protocols: Phantom measurements of image quality

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zarb, Francis; Rainford, Louise; McEntee, Mark F.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The increasing frequency of computerized tomography (CT) examinations is well documented, leading to concern about potential radiation risks for patients. However, the consequences of not performing the CT examination and missing injuries and disease are potentially serious, impacting upon correct patient management. The ALARA principle of dose optimization must be employed for all justified CT examinations. Dose indicators displayed on the CT console as either CT dose index (CTDI) and/or dose length product (DLP), are used to indicate dose and can quantify improvements achieved through optimization. Key scan parameters contributing to dose have been identified in previous literature and in previous work by our group. The aim of this study was to optimize the scan parameters of mA; kV and pitch, whilst maintaining image quality and reducing dose. This research was conducted using psychophysical image quality measurements on a CT quality assurance (QA) phantom establishing the impact of dose optimization on image quality parameters. Method: Current CT scan parameters for head (posterior fossa and cerebrum), abdomen and chest examinations were collected from 57% of CT suites available nationally in Malta (n = 4). Current scan protocols were used to image a Catphan 600 CT QA phantom whereby image quality was assessed. Each scan parameter: mA; kV and pitch were systematically reduced until the contrast resolution (CR), spatial resolution (SR) and noise were significantly lowered. The Catphan 600 images, produced by the range of protocols, were evaluated by 2 expert observers assessing CR, SR and noise. The protocol considered as the optimization threshold was just above the setting that resulted in a significant reduction in CR and noise but not affecting SR at the 95% confidence interval. Results: The limit of optimization threshold was determined for each CT suite. Employing optimized parameters, CTDI and DLP were both significantly reduced (p ≤ 0.001) by

High-definition hematoxylin and eosin staining in a transition to digital pathology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jamie D Martina

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: A lot of attention has been generated in recent years by digital pathology and telepathology. Multiple reasons for and barriers to effective adoption are discussed in the current literature. Digital slides are the most promising medium at this time. The goal of our study was to evaluate whether the change in the methodology, particularly utilizing the so-called high-definition hematoxylin and eosin (H and E slides, enhanced the quality of the final digital slide, and whether pathologists who tested the results perceived this as a difference in quality. Methods: The study was a blinded comparison of digital slides prepared using two methods: standard H&E batch staining and automated individual "high definition" HD HE staining. Four pathologists have compared 80 cases stained with each method. Results: The results discussed in this study show potential promise that the utilization of protocol(s adapted for tissue and for imaging might be preferable for digital pathology in at least some of the pathology subspecialties. In particular, the protocol evaluated here was capable of turning out digital slides that had more contrast and detail, and therefore were perceived to provide enhanced diagnostically significant information for the pathologist.

Design and synthesis of new fluorescent probe for rapid and highly sensitive detection of proteins via electrophoretic gel stain.

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Yoshio; Takagi, Nobuyuki; Chimuro, Tomoyuki; Shinohara, Atsushi; Sakaguchi, Nao; Hiratsuka, Atsunori; Yokoyama, Kenji

2011-06-01

A new fluorescent molecular probe, 2,2'-(1E,1'E)-2,2'-(4-(dicyanomethylene)-4H-pyrane-2,6-diyl)bis(ethene-2,1-diyl)bis(sodium benzenesulfonate) salt (1), possessing the cyanopyranyl moieties and two benzene sulfonic acid groups was designed and synthesized to detect proteins in solution and for high-throughput SDS-PAGE. Compound 1 exhibited no fluorescence in the absence of proteins; however, it exhibited strong fluorescence on the addition of bovine serum albumin as a result of intramolecular charge transfer. Compared with the conventional protocols for in-gel protein staining, such as SYPRO Ruby and silver staining, 1 achieves higher sensitivity, even though it offers a simplified, higher throughput protocol. In fact, the total time required for protein staining was 60-90 min under optimum conditions much shorter than that required by the less-sensitive silver staining or SYPRO Ruby staining protocols. Moreover, 1 was successfully applied to protein identification by mass spectrometry via in-gel tryptic digestion, Western blotting, and native PAGE together with protein staining by 1, which is a modified protocol of blue native PAGE (BN-PAGE). Thus, 1 may facilitate high-sensitivity protein detection, and it may be widely applicable as a convenient tool in various scientific and medical fields. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Outcomes of Optimized over Standard Protocol of Rabbit Antithymocyte Globulin for Severe Aplastic Anemia: A Single-Center Experience

Science.gov (United States)

Ge, Meili; Shao, Yingqi; Huang, Jinbo; Huang, Zhendong; Zhang, Jing; Nie, Neng; Zheng, Yizhou

2013-01-01

Background Previous reports showed that outcome of rabbit antithymocyte globulin (rATG) was not satisfactory as the first-line therapy for severe aplastic anemia (SAA). We explored a modifying schedule of administration of rATG. Design and Methods Outcomes of a cohort of 175 SAA patients, including 51 patients administered with standard protocol (3.55 mg/kg/d for 5 days) and 124 cases with optimized protocol (1.97 mg/kg/d for 9 days) of rATG plus cyclosporine (CSA), were analyzed retrospectively. Results Of all 175 patients, response rates at 3 and 6 months were 36.6% and 56.0%, respectively. 51 cases received standard protocol had poor responses at 3 (25.5%) and 6 months (41.2%). However, 124 patients received optimized protocol had better responses at 3 (41.1%, P = 0.14) and 6 (62.1%, P = 0.01). Higher incidences of infection (57.1% versus 37.9%, P = 0.02) and early mortality (17.9% versus 0.8%, P<0.001) occurred in patients received standard protocol compared with optimized protocol. The 5-year overall survival in favor of the optimized over standard rATG protocol (76.0% versus. 50.3%, P<0.001) was observed. By multivariate analysis, optimized protocol (RR = 2.21, P = 0.04), response at 3 months (RR = 10.31, P = 0.03) and shorter interval (<23 days) between diagnosis and initial dose of rATG (RR = 5.35, P = 0.002) were independent favorable predictors of overall survival. Conclusions Optimized instead of standard rATG protocol in combination with CSA remained efficacious as a first-line immunosuppressive regimen for SAA. PMID:23554855

A novel, modernized Golgi-Cox stain optimized for CLARITY cleared tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Kassem, Mustafa S; Fok, Sandra Y Y; Smith, Kristie L; Kuligowski, Michael; Balleine, Bernard W

2018-01-15

High resolution neuronal information is extraordinarily useful in understanding the brain's functionality. The development of the Golgi-Cox stain allowed observation of the neuron in its entirety with unrivalled detail. Tissue clearing techniques, e.g., CLARITY and CUBIC, provide the potential to observe entire neuronal circuits intact within tissue and without previous restrictions with regard to section thickness. Here we describe an improved Golgi-Cox stain method, optimised for use with CLARITY and CUBIC that can be used in both fresh and fixed tissue. Using this method, we were able to observe neurons in their entirety within a fraction of the time traditionally taken to clear tissue (48h). We were also able to show for the first-time that Golgi stained tissue is fluorescent when visualized using a multi-photon microscope, allowing us to image synaptic spines with a detail previously unachievable. These novel methods provide cheap and easy to use techniques to investigate the morphology of cellular processes in the brain at a new-found depth, speed, utility and detail, without previous restrictions of time, tissue type and section thickness. This is the first application of a Golgi-Cox stain to cleared brain tissue, it is investigated and discussed in detail, describing different methodologies that may be used, a comparison between the different clearing techniques and lastly the novel interaction of these techniques with this ultra-rapid stain. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Western Blot of Stained Proteins from Dried Polyacrylamide Gels

Science.gov (United States)

Gruber, Claudia; Stan-Lotter, Helga

1996-01-01

Western blotting of proteins is customarily performed following their separation on polyacrylamide gels, either prior to staining (1) or, as recently reported, following staining (2). We describe here Western blotting with stained gels, which had been dried and some of which had been stored for years. This procedure permits immunological analysis of proteins, to which antisera may have become available only later, or where the application of newly developed sensitive detection methods is desired. Once rehydration of the gels is achieved, proteins can be-transferred to blotting membranes by any appropriate protocol. Proteins stained with Coomassie Blue have to be detected with a non-chromogenic method, such as the film-based enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL)2) procedure (3). Silver stained proteins, which transfer in the colorless form, may be visualized by any detection method, although, because of the usually very low amounts of proteins, detection by ECL is preferable. Blotting of stained proteins from rehydrated gels is as rapid and as quantitative as from freshly prepared gels, in contrast to blotting from wet stained gels, which requires extensive washing and results in low transfer efficiency (2). Together with a photographic record of the gel pattern, unambiguous identification of immunoreactive proteins from complex mixtures is possible. Some further applications of this work are discussed.

Staining of proteins in gels with Coomassie G-250 without organic solvent and acetic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Ann-Marie; Besir, H Uuml Seyin

2009-08-14

In classical protein staining protocols using Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB), solutions with high contents of toxic and flammable organic solvents (Methanol, Ethanol or 2-Propanol) and acetic acid are used for fixation, staining and destaining of proteins in a gel after SDS-PAGE. To speed up the procedure, heating the staining solution in the microwave oven for a short time is frequently used. This usually results in evaporation of toxic or hazardous Methanol, Ethanol or 2-Propanol and a strong smell of acetic acid in the lab which should be avoided due to safety considerations. In a protocol originally published in two patent applications by E.M. Wondrak (US2001046709 (A1), US6319720 (B1)), an alternative composition of the staining solution is described in which no organic solvent or acid is used. The CBB is dissolved in bidistilled water (60-80 mg of CBB G-250 per liter) and 35 mM HCl is added as the only other compound in the staining solution. The CBB staining of the gel is done after SDS-PAGE and thorough washing of the gel in bidistilled water. By heating the gel during the washing and staining steps, the process can be finished faster and no toxic or hazardous compounds are evaporating. The staining of proteins occurs already within 1 minute after heating the gel in staining solution and is fully developed after 15-30 min with a slightly blue background that is destained completely by prolonged washing of the stained gel in bidistilled water, without affecting the stained protein bands.

Optimization of an Efficient and Sustainable Sonogashira Cross-Coupling Protocol

KAUST Repository

Walter, Philipp E.

2012-12-01

Cross coupling reactions are a well-established tool in modern organic synthesis and play a crucial role in the synthesis of a high number of organic compounds. Their importance is highlighted by the Nobel Prize in chemistry to Suzuki, Heck and Negishi in 2010. The increasing importance of sustainability requirements in chemical production has furthermore promoted the development of cross-coupling protocols that comply with the principles of “Green Chemistry”1. The Sonogashira reaction is today the most versatile and powerful way to generate aryl alkynes, a moiety recurring in many pharmaceutical and natural products. Despite many improvements to the original reaction, reports on generally applicable protocols that work under sustainable conditions are scarce. Our group recently reported an efficient protocol for a copperfree Sonogashira cross-coupling at low temperature, in aqueous medium and with no addition of organic solvents or additives2. The goal of this work was to further investigate the effects of different reaction parameters on the catalytic activity in order to optimize the protocol. Limitations of the protocol were tested in respect to reaction temperature, heating method, atmosphere, base type and amount, catalyst loading, reaction time and work up procedure. The reaction worked successfully under air and results were not affected by the presence of oxygen in the water phase. Among a variety of bases tested, triethylamine was confirmed to give the best results and its required excess could be reduced from nine to four equivalents. Catalyst loading could also be reduced by up to 90%: Good to near quantitative yields for a broad range of substrates were achieved using a catalyst concentration of 0.25mol% and 5 eq of Et3N at 50°C while more reactive substrates could be coupled with a catalyst concentration as low as 0.025mol%. Filtration experiments showed the possibility of a simplified work up procedure and a protocol completely free of organic

Optimal Contrast Agent Staining of Ligaments and Tendons for X-Ray Computed Tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Balint, Richard; Lowe, Tristan; Shearer, Tom

2016-01-01

X-ray computed tomography has become an important tool for studying the microstructures of biological soft tissues, such as ligaments and tendons. Due to the low X-ray attenuation of such tissues, chemical contrast agents are often necessary to enhance contrast during scanning. In this article, the effects of using three different contrast agents--iodine potassium iodide solution, phosphotungstic acid and phosphomolybdic acid--are evaluated and compared. Porcine anterior cruciate ligaments, patellar tendons, medial collateral ligaments and lateral collateral ligaments were used as the basis of the study. Three samples of each of the four ligament/tendon types were each assigned a different contrast agent (giving a total of twelve samples), and the progression of that agent through the tissue was monitored by performing a scan every day for a total period of five days (giving a total of sixty scans). Since the samples were unstained on day one, they had been stained for a total of four days by the time of the final scans. The relative contrast enhancement and tissue deformation were measured. It was observed that the iodine potassium iodide solution penetrated the samples fastest and caused the least sample shrinkage on average (although significant deformation was observed by the time of the final scans), whereas the phosphomolybdic acid caused the greatest sample shrinkage. Equations describing the observed behaviour of the contrast agents, which can be used to predict optimal staining times for ligament and tendon X-ray computed tomography, are presented.

Modified Field's staining--a rapid stain for Trichomonas vaginalis.

Science.gov (United States)

Afzan, M Yusuf; Sivanandam, S; Kumar, G Suresh

2010-10-01

Trichomonas vaginalis, a flagellate protozoan parasite commonly found in the human genitourinary tract, is transmitted primarily by sexual intercourse. Diagnosis is usually by in vitro culture method and staining with Giemsa stain. There are laboratories that use Gram stain as well. We compared the use of modified Field's (MF), Giemsa, and Gram stains on 2 axenic and xenic isolates of T. vaginalis, respectively. Three smears from every sediment of spun cultures of all 4 isolates were stained, respectively, with each of the stains. We showed that MF staining, apart from being a rapid stain (20 s), confers sharper staining contrast, which differentiates the nucleus and the cytoplasm of the organism when compared to Giemsa and Gram staining especially on parasites from spiked urine samples. The alternative staining procedure offers in a diagnostic setting a rapid stain that can easily visualize the parasite with sharp contrasting characteristics between organelles especially the nucleus and cytoplasm. Vacuoles are more clearly visible in parasites stained with MF than when stained with Giemsa. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Utility of Modified Ultrafast Papanicolaou Stain in Cytological Diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Sinkar, Prachi; Arakeri, Surekha Ulhas

2017-03-01

Need for minimal turnaround time for assessing Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNAC) has encouraged innovations in staining techniques that require lesser staining time with unequivocal cell morphology. The standard protocol for conventional Papanicolaou (PAP) stain requires about 40 minutes. To overcome this, Ultrafast Papanicolaou (UFP) stain was introduced which reduces staining time to 90 seconds and also enhances the quality. However, reagents required for this were not easily available hence, Modified Ultrafast Papanicolaou (MUFP) stain was introduced subsequently. To assess the efficacy of MUFP staining by comparing the quality of MUFP stain with conventional PAP stain. FNAC procedure was performed by using 10 ml disposable syringe and 22-23 G needle. Total 131 FNAC cases were studied which were lymph node (30), thyroid (38), breast (22), skin and soft tissue (24), salivary gland (11) and visceral organs (6). Two smears were prepared and stained by MUFP and conventional PAP stain. Scores were given on four parameters: background of smears, overall staining pattern, cell morphology and nuclear staining. Quality Index (QI) was calculated from ratio of total score achieved to maximum score possible. Statistical analysis using chi square test was applied to each of the four parameters before obtaining the QI in both stains. Students t-test was applied to evaluate the efficacy of MUFP in comparison with conventional PAP stain. The QI of MUFP for thyroid, breast, lymph node, skin and soft tissue, salivary gland and visceral organs was 0.89, 0.85, 0.89, 0.83, 0.92, and 0.78 respectively. Compared to conventional PAP stain QI of MUFP smears was better in all except visceral organ cases and was statistically significant. MUFP showed clear red blood cell background, transparent cytoplasm and crisp nuclear features. MUFP is fast, reliable and can be done with locally available reagents with unequivocal morphology which is the need of the hour for a cytopathology set-up.

Accelerated identification of proteins by mass spectrometry by employing covalent pre-gel staining with Uniblue A.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco A Mata-Gómez

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The identification of proteins by mass spectrometry is a standard method in biopharmaceutical quality control and biochemical research. Prior to identification by mass spectrometry, proteins are usually pre-separated by electrophoresis. However, current protein staining and de-staining protocols are tedious and time consuming, and therefore prolong the sample preparation time for mass spectrometry. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We developed a 1-minute covalent pre-gel staining protocol for proteins, which does not require de-staining before the mass spectrometry analysis. We investigated the electrophoretic properties of derivatized proteins and peptides and studied their behavior in mass spectrometry. Further, we elucidated the preferred reaction of proteins with Uniblue A and demonstrate the integration of the peptide derivatization into typical informatics tools. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: The Uniblue A staining method drastically speeds up the sample preparation for the mass spectrometry based identification of proteins. The application of this chemo-proteomic strategy will be advantageous for routine quality control of proteins and for time-critical tasks in protein analysis.

Design and Analysis of Optimization Algorithms to Minimize Cryptographic Processing in BGP Security Protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Sriram, Vinay K; Montgomery, Doug

2017-07-01

The Internet is subject to attacks due to vulnerabilities in its routing protocols. One proposed approach to attain greater security is to cryptographically protect network reachability announcements exchanged between Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) routers. This study proposes and evaluates the performance and efficiency of various optimization algorithms for validation of digitally signed BGP updates. In particular, this investigation focuses on the BGPSEC (BGP with SECurity extensions) protocol, currently under consideration for standardization in the Internet Engineering Task Force. We analyze three basic BGPSEC update processing algorithms: Unoptimized, Cache Common Segments (CCS) optimization, and Best Path Only (BPO) optimization. We further propose and study cache management schemes to be used in conjunction with the CCS and BPO algorithms. The performance metrics used in the analyses are: (1) routing table convergence time after BGPSEC peering reset or router reboot events and (2) peak-second signature verification workload. Both analytical modeling and detailed trace-driven simulation were performed. Results show that the BPO algorithm is 330% to 628% faster than the unoptimized algorithm for routing table convergence in a typical Internet core-facing provider edge router.

Photoacoustic Imaging of Port-Wine Stains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kolkman, R.G.M.; Mulder, M.J.; Mulder, Miranda J.; Glade, Conrad P.; Steenbergen, Wiendelt; van Leeuwen, Ton

2008-01-01

Background and Objective: To optimize laser therapy of port-wine stains (PWSs), information about the vasculature as well as lesion depth is valuable. In this study we investigated the use of photoacoustic imaging (PAI) to obtain this information. - Study Design/Materials and Methods: PAI uses

Protocol optimization for in vitro mass propagation of two sugarcane ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SAM

2014-03-19

Mar 19, 2014 ... The present study was initiated to optimize in vitro protocol for mass propagation of two commercial sugarcane clones (Co 449 and Co .... mass propagation of sugarcane genotypes grown in. Ethiopia, and due to this the .... transferred cultures showed multiple shooting with an average of 9.10 ± 0.10 shoots ...

Optimized protocols for Mycobacterium leprae strain management: frozen stock preservation and maintenance in athymic nude mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Trombone, Ana Paula Fávaro; Pedrini, Sílvia Cristina Barbosa; Diório, Suzana Madeira; Belone, Andréa de Faria Fernandes; Fachin, Luciana Raquel Vicenzi; do Nascimento, Dejair Caitano; Rosa, Patricia Sammarco

2014-03-23

Leprosy, caused by Mycobacterium leprae, is an important infectious disease that is still endemic in many countries around the world, including Brazil. There are currently no known methods for growing M. leprae in vitro, presenting a major obstacle in the study of this pathogen in the laboratory. Therefore, the maintenance and growth of M. leprae strains are preferably performed in athymic nude mice (NU-Foxn1(nu)). The laboratory conditions for using mice are readily available, easy to perform, and allow standardization and development of protocols for achieving reproducible results. In the present report, we describe a simple protocol for purification of bacilli from nude mouse footpads using trypsin, which yields a suspension with minimum cell debris and with high bacterial viability index, as determined by fluorescent microscopy. A modification to the standard method for bacillary counting by Ziehl-Neelsen staining and light microscopy is also demonstrated. Additionally, we describe a protocol for freezing and thawing bacillary stocks as an alternative protocol for maintenance and storage of M. leprae strains.

Optimal and secure measurement protocols for quantum sensor networks

Science.gov (United States)

Eldredge, Zachary; Foss-Feig, Michael; Gross, Jonathan A.; Rolston, S. L.; Gorshkov, Alexey V.

2018-04-01

Studies of quantum metrology have shown that the use of many-body entangled states can lead to an enhancement in sensitivity when compared with unentangled states. In this paper, we quantify the metrological advantage of entanglement in a setting where the measured quantity is a linear function of parameters individually coupled to each qubit. We first generalize the Heisenberg limit to the measurement of nonlocal observables in a quantum network, deriving a bound based on the multiparameter quantum Fisher information. We then propose measurement protocols that can make use of Greenberger-Horne-Zeilinger (GHZ) states or spin-squeezed states and show that in the case of GHZ states the protocol is optimal, i.e., it saturates our bound. We also identify nanoscale magnetic resonance imaging as a promising setting for this technology.

Photoacoustic imaging of port-wine stains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kolkman, Roy G. M.; Mulder, Miranda J.; Glade, Conrad P.; Steenbergen, Wiendelt; van Leeuwen, Ton G.

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To optimize laser therapy of port-wine stains (PWSs), information about the vasculature as well as lesion depth is valuable. In this study we investigated the use of photoacoustic imaging (PAI) to obtain this information. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: PAI uses pulsed

Solving iTOUGH2 simulation and optimization problems using the PEST protocol

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Finsterle, S.A.; Zhang, Y.

2011-02-01

The PEST protocol has been implemented into the iTOUGH2 code, allowing the user to link any simulation program (with ASCII-based inputs and outputs) to iTOUGH2's sensitivity analysis, inverse modeling, and uncertainty quantification capabilities. These application models can be pre- or post-processors of the TOUGH2 non-isothermal multiphase flow and transport simulator, or programs that are unrelated to the TOUGH suite of codes. PEST-style template and instruction files are used, respectively, to pass input parameters updated by the iTOUGH2 optimization routines to the model, and to retrieve the model-calculated values that correspond to observable variables. We summarize the iTOUGH2 capabilities and demonstrate the flexibility added by the PEST protocol for the solution of a variety of simulation-optimization problems. In particular, the combination of loosely coupled and tightly integrated simulation and optimization routines provides both the flexibility and control needed to solve challenging inversion problems for the analysis of multiphase subsurface flow and transport systems.

Optimization of Protocol CT, PET-CT, whole body

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutierrez, Fredys Santos; Namias, Mauro

2013-01-01

The objective of this study was to optimize the acquisition protocols and processing existing of the CT PET/CT scanner for clinical use of Nuclear Diagnostic Center Foundation, a way to minimize the radiation dose while maintaining diagnostic image quality properly. Dosimetric data of PET / CT service were surveyed and obtained the baseline against which we compare and define strategies and modifications to develop online. We selected transaxial up to the pulmonary hilum and liver slices as the anatomical regions of interest that led to the standardization of the study

Single-cell qPCR on dispersed primary pituitary cells -an optimized protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Haug Trude M

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The incidence of false positives is a potential problem in single-cell PCR experiments. This paper describes an optimized protocol for single-cell qPCR measurements in primary pituitary cell cultures following patch-clamp recordings. Two different cell harvesting methods were assessed using both the GH4 prolactin producing cell line from rat, and primary cell culture from fish pituitaries. Results Harvesting whole cells followed by cell lysis and qPCR performed satisfactory on the GH4 cell line. However, harvesting of whole cells from primary pituitary cultures regularly produced false positives, probably due to RNA leakage from cells ruptured during the dispersion of the pituitary cells. To reduce RNA contamination affecting the results, we optimized the conditions by harvesting only the cytosol through a patch pipette, subsequent to electrophysiological experiments. Two important factors proved crucial for reliable harvesting. First, silanizing the patch pipette glass prevented foreign extracellular RNA from attaching to charged residues on the glass surface. Second, substituting the commonly used perforating antibiotic amphotericin B with β-escin allowed efficient cytosol harvest without loosing the giga seal. Importantly, the two harvesting protocols revealed no difference in RNA isolation efficiency. Conclusion Depending on the cell type and preparation, validation of the harvesting technique is extremely important as contaminations may give false positives. Here we present an optimized protocol allowing secure harvesting of RNA from single cells in primary pituitary cell culture following perforated whole cell patch clamp experiments.

Reduction of cancer risk by optimization of Computed Tomography head protocols: far eastern Cuban experience

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller Clemente, R.; Adame Brooks, D.; Lores Guevara, M.; Perez Diaz, M.; Arias Garlobo, M. L.; Ortega Rodriguez, O.; Nepite Haber, R.; Grinnan Hernandez, O.; Guillama Llosas, A.

2015-01-01

The cancer risk estimation constitutes one way for the evaluation of the public health, regarding computed tomography (CT) exposures. Starting from the hypothesis that the optimization of CT protocols would reduce significantly the added cancer risk, the purpose of this research was the application of optimization strategies regarding head CT protocols, in order to reduce the factors affecting the risk of induced cancer. The applied systemic approach included technological and human components, represented by quantitative physical factors. the volumetric kerma indexes, compared with respect to standard, optimized and reference values, were evaluated with multiple means comparison method. The added cancer risk resulted from the application of the methodology for biological effects evaluation, at low doses with low Linear Energy Transfer. Human observers in all scenarios evaluated the image quality. the reduced dose was significantly lower than for standard head protocols and reference levels, where: (1) for pediatric patients, by using an Automatic Exposure Control system, a reduction of 31% compared with standard protocol and ages range of 10-14, and (2) adults, using a Bilateral Filter for images obtained at low doses of 62% from those of standard head protocol. The risk reduction was higher than 25%. The systemic approach used allows the effective identification of factors involved on cancer risk related with exposures to CT. The combination of dose modulation and image restoration with Bilateral Filter, provide a significantly reduction of cancer risk, with acceptable diagnostic image quality. (Author)

Flat mount preparation for observation and analysis of zebrafish embryo specimens stained by whole mount in situ hybridization.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Christina N; Li, Yue; Marra, Amanda N; Verdun, Valerie; Wingert, Rebecca A

2014-07-17

The zebrafish embryo is now commonly used for basic and biomedical research to investigate the genetic control of developmental processes and to model congenital abnormalities. During the first day of life, the zebrafish embryo progresses through many developmental stages including fertilization, cleavage, gastrulation, segmentation, and the organogenesis of structures such as the kidney, heart, and central nervous system. The anatomy of a young zebrafish embryo presents several challenges for the visualization and analysis of the tissues involved in many of these events because the embryo develops in association with a round yolk mass. Thus, for accurate analysis and imaging of experimental phenotypes in fixed embryonic specimens between the tailbud and 20 somite stage (10 and 19 hours post fertilization (hpf), respectively), such as those stained using whole mount in situ hybridization (WISH), it is often desirable to remove the embryo from the yolk ball and to position it flat on a glass slide. However, performing a flat mount procedure can be tedious. Therefore, successful and efficient flat mount preparation is greatly facilitated through the visual demonstration of the dissection technique, and also helped by using reagents that assist in optimal tissue handling. Here, we provide our WISH protocol for one or two-color detection of gene expression in the zebrafish embryo, and demonstrate how the flat mounting procedure can be performed on this example of a stained fixed specimen. This flat mounting protocol is broadly applicable to the study of many embryonic structures that emerge during early zebrafish development, and can be implemented in conjunction with other staining methods performed on fixed embryo samples.

Blood culture gram stain, acridine orange stain and direct sensitivity-based antimicrobial therapy of bloodstream infection in patients with trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Behera, B; Mathur, P; Gupta, B

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to ascertain if the simple practice of Gram stain, acridine orange stain and direct sensitivity determination of positive blood culture bottles could be used to guide early and appropriate treatment in trauma patients with clinical suspicion of sepsis. The study also aimed to evaluate the error in interpreting antimicrobial sensitivity by direct method when compared to standard method and find out if specific antibiotic-organism combination had more discrepancies. Findings from consecutive episodes of blood stream infection at an Apex Trauma centre over a 12-month period are summarized. A total of 509 consecutive positive blood cultures were subjected to Gram staining. AO staining was done in BacT/ALERT-positive Gram-stain negative blood cultures. Direct sensitivity was performed from 369 blood culture broths, showing single type of growth in Gram and acridine orange staining. Results of direct sensitivity were compared to conventional sensitivity for errors. No 'very major' discrepancy was found in this study. About 5.2 and 1.8% minor error rates were noted in gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, respectively, while comparing the two methods. Most of the discrepancies in gram-negative bacteria were noted in beta lactam - beta lactamase inhibitor combinations. Direct sensitivity testing was not reliable for reporting of methicillin and vancomycin resistance in Staphylococci. Gram stain result together with direct sensitivity testing is required for optimizing initial antimicrobial therapy in trauma patients with clinical suspicion of sepsis. Gram staining and AO staining proved particularly helpful in the early detection of candidaemia.

The development of optimization protocol in SRS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, S. J.; Suh, T. S.; Lee, H. K.; Choe, B. Y.

2002-01-01

In an operation of stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS), a high dose must be delivered to a target region while a normal tissue region must be spared. Using dose distribution which fits in a target region satisfies this purpose. This is solved by using data bases through the simple patient model simulating the brain model and the tumor region. The objective of this research is to develop brain model with tumor based on pseudo coordinate and systematic optimization protocol and to construct data base(DB) about beam parameters such as position and number of isocenter and collimator size. The normal tissue region of patient can be spared by DB in a operation of SRS

The development of optimization protocol in SRS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, S. J.; Suh, T. S.; Lee, H. K.; Choe, B. Y. [The Catholic Univ., of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2002-07-01

In an operation of stereotactic radiosurgery(SRS), a high dose must be delivered to a target region while a normal tissue region must be spared. Using dose distribution which fits in a target region satisfies this purpose. This is solved by using data bases through the simple patient model simulating the brain model and the tumor region. The objective of this research is to develop brain model with tumor based on pseudo coordinate and systematic optimization protocol and to construct data base(DB) about beam parameters such as position and number of isocenter and collimator size. The normal tissue region of patient can be spared by DB in a operation of SRS.

Optimization of oligonucleotide arrays and RNA amplification protocols for analysis of transcript structure and alternative splicing.

Science.gov (United States)

Castle, John; Garrett-Engele, Phil; Armour, Christopher D; Duenwald, Sven J; Loerch, Patrick M; Meyer, Michael R; Schadt, Eric E; Stoughton, Roland; Parrish, Mark L; Shoemaker, Daniel D; Johnson, Jason M

2003-01-01

Microarrays offer a high-resolution means for monitoring pre-mRNA splicing on a genomic scale. We have developed a novel, unbiased amplification protocol that permits labeling of entire transcripts. Also, hybridization conditions, probe characteristics, and analysis algorithms were optimized for detection of exons, exon-intron edges, and exon junctions. These optimized protocols can be used to detect small variations and isoform mixtures, map the tissue specificity of known human alternative isoforms, and provide a robust, scalable platform for high-throughput discovery of alternative splicing.

Cross-layer protocol design for QoS optimization in real-time wireless sensor networks

Science.gov (United States)

Hortos, William S.

2010-04-01

The metrics of quality of service (QoS) for each sensor type in a wireless sensor network can be associated with metrics for multimedia that describe the quality of fused information, e.g., throughput, delay, jitter, packet error rate, information correlation, etc. These QoS metrics are typically set at the highest, or application, layer of the protocol stack to ensure that performance requirements for each type of sensor data are satisfied. Application-layer metrics, in turn, depend on the support of the lower protocol layers: session, transport, network, data link (MAC), and physical. The dependencies of the QoS metrics on the performance of the higher layers of the Open System Interconnection (OSI) reference model of the WSN protocol, together with that of the lower three layers, are the basis for a comprehensive approach to QoS optimization for multiple sensor types in a general WSN model. The cross-layer design accounts for the distributed power consumption along energy-constrained routes and their constituent nodes. Following the author's previous work, the cross-layer interactions in the WSN protocol are represented by a set of concatenated protocol parameters and enabling resource levels. The "best" cross-layer designs to achieve optimal QoS are established by applying the general theory of martingale representations to the parameterized multivariate point processes (MVPPs) for discrete random events occurring in the WSN. Adaptive control of network behavior through the cross-layer design is realized through the parametric factorization of the stochastic conditional rates of the MVPPs. The cross-layer protocol parameters for optimal QoS are determined in terms of solutions to stochastic dynamic programming conditions derived from models of transient flows for heterogeneous sensor data and aggregate information over a finite time horizon. Markov state processes, embedded within the complex combinatorial history of WSN events, are more computationally

Penicillin allergy: optimizing diagnostic protocols, public health implications, and future research needs.

Science.gov (United States)

Macy, Eric

2015-08-01

Unverified penicillin allergy is being increasingly recognized as a public health concern. The ideal protocol for verifying true clinically significant IgE-mediated penicillin allergy needs to use only commercially available materials, be well tolerated and easy to perform in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, and minimize false-positive determinations. This review concentrates on articles published in 2013 and 2014 that present new data relating to the diagnosis and management of penicillin allergy. Penicillin allergy can be safely evaluated at this time, in patients with an appropriate clinical history of penicillin allergy, using only penicilloyl-poly-lysine and native penicillin G as skin test reagents, if an oral challenge with amoxicillin 250 mg, followed by 1 h of observation, is given to all skin test negative individuals. Millions of individuals falsely labeled with penicillin allergy need to be evaluated to safely allow them to use penicillin-class antibiotics and avoid morbidity associated with penicillin avoidance. Further research is needed to determine optimal protocol(s). There will still be a 1-2% rate of adverse reactions reported with all future therapeutic penicillin-class antibiotic use, even with optimal methods used to determine acute penicillin tolerance. Only a small minority of these new reactions will be IgE-mediated.

An improved method for staining cell colonies in clonogenic assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Guda, Kishore; Natale, Leanna; Markowitz, Sanford D

2007-06-01

Clonogenic assay is a widely used experimental approach to test for the effects of drugs/genes on the growth and proliferative characteristics of cells in vitro. Accurate quantitation of treatment effects in clonogeneic assays depends on the ability to visualize and count cell colonies precisely. We report a novel method (referred as ETeB) for staining cell colonies grown on plastic and specially coated substrates like collagen. Using colon cancer cell lines grown on plastic and collagen, we compared the colony staining efficiencies of the widely used methylene blue, and Ethidium bromide (ETeB) stains. Results show that the ETeB protocol works well on plastic and is extremely effective for staining colonies on collagen when compared to methylene blue. The key features and advantages of ETeB technique are; (a) reduction in background for colonies grown on collagen and possibly other substrates, (b) the whole procedure takes less than a minute, (c) no post-stain washing step is required which eliminates colony losses for cell lines that are loosely adherent, (d) colony visualization and counting can be done immediately following the staining procedure using a standard UV illuminator and software, and (e) the method works across a wide variety of cell lines. The simplicity and robustness of this procedure should warrant its usage in both small and large-scale clonogenic experiments.

Proliferation assessment in breast carcinomas using digital image analysis based on virtual Ki67/cytokeratin double staining.

Science.gov (United States)

Røge, Rasmus; Riber-Hansen, Rikke; Nielsen, Søren; Vyberg, Mogens

2016-07-01

Manual estimation of Ki67 Proliferation Index (PI) in breast carcinoma classification is labor intensive and prone to intra- and interobserver variation. Standard Digital Image Analysis (DIA) has limitations due to issues with tumor cell identification. Recently, a computer algorithm, DIA based on Virtual Double Staining (VDS), segmenting Ki67-positive and -negative tumor cells using digitally fused parallel cytokeratin (CK) and Ki67-stained slides has been introduced. In this study, we compare VDS with manual stereological counting of Ki67-positive and -negative cells and examine the impact of the physical distance of the parallel slides on the alignment of slides. TMAs, containing 140 cores of consecutively obtained breast carcinomas, were stained for CK and Ki67 using optimized staining protocols. By means of stereological principles, Ki67-positive and -negative cell profiles were counted in sampled areas and used for the estimation of PIs of the whole tissue core. The VDS principle was applied to both the same sampled areas and the whole tissue core. Additionally, five neighboring slides were stained for CK in order to examine the alignment algorithm. Correlation between manual counting and VDS in both sampled areas and whole core was almost perfect (correlation coefficients above 0.97). Bland-Altman plots did not reveal any skewness in any data ranges. There was a good agreement in alignment (>85 %) in neighboring slides, whereas agreement decreased in non-neighboring slides. VDS gave similar results compared with manual counting using stereological principles. Introduction of this method in clinical and research practice may improve accuracy and reproducibility of Ki67 PI.

leaves extracts as counter stain in gram staining reaction 56

African Journals Online (AJOL)

DR. AMINU

is a stain with color contrasting to the principal stain, making the stained ... technology today, the Gram's staining method remains ... was aimed at employing the use of Henna leaves extract as ... fragrant, white or rose flowers in clusters. It is.

Optimization of Saanen sperm genes amplification: evaluation of standardized protocols in genetically uncharacterized rural goats reared under a subtropical environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Barbour, Elie K; Saade, Maya F; Sleiman, Fawwak T; Hamadeh, Shady K; Mouneimne, Youssef; Kassaifi, Zeina; Kayali, Ghazi; Harakeh, Steve; Jaber, Lina S; Shaib, Houssam A

2012-10-01

The purpose of this research is to optimize quantitatively the amplification of specific sperm genes in reference genomically characterized Saanen goat and to evaluate the standardized protocols applicability on sperms of uncharacterized genome of rural goats reared under subtropical environment for inclusion in future selection programs. The optimization of the protocols in Saanen sperms included three production genes (growth hormone (GH) exons 2, 3, and 4, αS1-casein (CSN1S1), and α-lactalbumin) and two health genes (MHC class II DRB and prion (PrP)). The optimization was based on varying the primers concentrations and the inclusion of a PCR cosolvent (Triton X). The impact of the studied variables on statistically significant increase in the yield of amplicons was noticed in four out of five (80%) optimized protocols, namely in those related to GH, CSN1S1, α-lactalbumin, and PrP genes (P 0.05). The applicability of the optimized protocols of Saanen sperm genes on amplification of uncharacterized rural goat sperms revealed a 100% success in tested individuals for amplification of GH, CSN1S1, α-lactalbumin, and MHC class II DRB genes and a 75% success for the PrP gene. The significant success in applicability of the Saanen quantitatively optimized protocols to other uncharacterized genome of rural goats allows for their inclusion in future selection, targeting the sustainability of this farming system in a subtropical environment and the improvement of the farmers livelihood.

An innovative chairside bleaching protocol for treating stained dentition: initial results.

Science.gov (United States)

Miara, P

2000-09-01

For years, investigators have attempted to develop a predictable means of bleaching pathologically and nonpathologically stained dentition. While previous efforts have modified the concentration of the bleaching material, the duration of the procedure, and the manner by which the bleaching agent is activated, the ability to affect a significant shade improvement remains an elusive objective. This article demonstrates an innovative technique used to influence the penetration of oxygen ions into the tooth enamel, which may resolve this clinical dilemma.

Port-Wine Stains

Science.gov (United States)

... Safe Videos for Educators Search English Español Port-Wine Stains KidsHealth / For Parents / Port-Wine Stains What's ... Manchas de vino de oporto What Are Port-Wine Stains? A port-wine stain is a type ...

Laser beam diameter for port wine stain treatment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Keijzer, M.; Pickering, J. W.; van Gemert, M. J.

1991-01-01

Optimal port wine stain treatment requires the selective absorption of light by the ectatic blood vessels. We investigated whether deeper blood vessels can be coagulated, without damaging other cutaneous structures, by varying the laser beam diameter. The penetration of the light was simulated with

Optimized workflow and imaging protocols for whole-body oncologic PET/MRI.

Science.gov (United States)

Ishii, Shirou; Hara, Takamitsu; Nanbu, Takeyuki; Suenaga, Hiroki; Sugawara, Shigeyasu; Kuroiwa, Daichi; Sekino, Hirofumi; Miyajima, Masayuki; Kubo, Hitoshi; Oriuchi, Noboru; Ito, Hiroshi

2016-11-01

Although PET/MRI has the advantages of a simultaneous acquisition of PET and MRI, high soft-tissue contrast of the MRI images, and reduction of radiation exposure, its low profitability and long acquisition time are significant problems in clinical settings. Thus, MRI protocols that meet oncological purposes need to be used in order to reduce examination time while securing detectability. Currently, half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin echo and 3D-T1 volumetric interpolated breath-hold examination may be the most commonly used sequences for whole-body imaging due to their shorter acquisition time and higher diagnostic accuracy. Although there have been several reports that adding diffusion weighted image (DWI) to PET/MRI protocol has had no effect on tumor detection to date, in cases of liver, kidney, bladder, and prostate cancer, the use of DWI may be beneficial in detecting lesions. Another possible option is to scan each region with different MRI sequences instead of scanning the whole body using one sequence continuously. We herein report a workflow and imaging protocols for whole-body oncologic PET/MRI using an integrated system in the clinical routine, designed for the detection, for example by cancer screening, of metastatic lesions, in order to help future users optimize their workflow and imaging protocols.

Comparison of special stains for keratin with routine hematoxylin and eosin stain.

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, Roopa S; Patil, Shankargouda; Majumdar, Barnali; Oswal, Rakesh G

2015-03-01

Keratins are the most abundant proteins and are characteristic findings in many epithelial pathologies, making it a diagnostically important marker, both histopathologically and immunohistochemically. Since, immunohistochemistry is an expensive diagnostic tool, special stains to detect the degree of keratinization could serve as a faster and economic option. The aim of the present study was to compare the efficacy of special stains for keratin with standard hematoxylin and eosin stain (H and E). Objectives include: (i) To subject the diagnosed cases of keratin disorders to the selected special stains: Ayoub-shklar method, Dane-Herman method, Alcian blue -periodic acid Schiff 's (PAS), rapid papanicolaou (PAP) and Gram's stain. (ii) To compare the staining specificity and staining intensity of special stains with respect to routine hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) stain. (iii) To compare the efficacy of special stains to routine H and E stain in identification of the type of keratin present in the selected cases. A total of 80 cases of known pathology for keratin were retrieved from the department archive, which included 10 each of normal gingiva, hyperkeratosis, squamous papilloma, verrucous hyperplasia, verrucous carcinoma, well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, orthokeratinized odontogenic cyst and keratocystic odontogenic tumors. Six sections of 4 µ each from the paraffin blocks were made, stained with H and E and the special stains and these were evaluated by 2 pathologists based on the modified scoring criteria from Rahma Al-Maaini and Philip Bryant 2008. The results were tabulated using Chi square and kappa statistics. The statistical values for identification of the type of keratinization was insignificant showing that ortho and parakeratinized epithelia could be correctly identified by both H and E as well as all the special stains. Furthermore, all the special stains showed a positive result and statistical significance (P < 0.001) with respect to

Optimal Scanning Protocols for Dual-Energy CT Angiography in Peripheral Arterial Stents: An in Vitro Phantom Study

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Abdulrahman Almutairi

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: To identify the optimal dual-energy computed tomography (DECT scanning protocol for peripheral arterial stents while achieving a low radiation dose, while still maintaining diagnostic image quality, as determined by an in vitro phantom study. Methods: Dual-energy scans in monochromatic spectral imaging mode were performed on a peripheral arterial phantom with use of three gemstone spectral imaging (GSI protocols, three pitch values, and four kiloelectron volts (keV ranges. A total of 15 stents of different sizes, materials, and designs were deployed in the phantom. Image noise, the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR, different levels of adaptive statistical iterative reconstruction (ASIR, and the four levels of monochromatic energy for DECT imaging of peripheral arterial stents were measured and compared to determine the optimal protocols. Results: A total of 36 scans with 180 datasets were reconstructed from a combination of different protocols. There was a significant reduction of image noise with a higher SNR from monochromatic energy images between 65 and 70 keV in all investigated preset GSI protocols (p < 0.05. In addition, significant effects were found from the main effect analysis for these factors: GSI, pitch, and keV (p = 0.001. In contrast, there was significant interaction on the unstented area between GSI and ASIR (p = 0.015 and a very high significant difference between keV and ASIR (p < 0.001. A radiation dose reduction of 50% was achieved. Conclusions: The optimal scanning protocol and energy level in the phantom study were GSI-48, pitch value 0.984, and 65 keV, which resulted in lower image noise and a lower radiation dose, but with acceptable diagnostic images.

Establishment and optimization of NMR-based cell metabonomics study protocols for neonatal Sprague-Dawley rat cardiomyocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Ming; Sun, Bo; Zhang, Qi; Gao, Rong; Liu, Qiao; Dong, Fangting; Fang, Haiqin; Peng, Shuangqing; Li, Famei; Yan, Xianzhong

2017-01-15

A quenching, harvesting, and extraction protocol was optimized for cardiomyocytes NMR metabonomics analysis in this study. Trypsin treatment and direct scraping cells in acetonitrile were compared for sample harvesting. The results showed trypsin treatment cause normalized concentration increasing of phosphocholine and metabolites leakage, since the trypsin-induced membrane broken and long term harvesting procedures. Then the intracellular metabolite extraction efficiency of methanol and acetonitrile were compared. As a result, washing twice with phosphate buffer, direct scraping cells and extracting with acetonitrile were chosen to prepare cardiomyocytes extracts samples for metabonomics studies. This optimized protocol is rapid, effective, and exhibits greater metabolite retention. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Different Double Immunostaining Protocols for Paraffin Embedded Liver Tissue

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Alexander Schütz

1999-01-01

Full Text Available Most of the double immunostaining protocols that have been introduced so far have been developed for application on fresh frozen material or based on different species antibodies. In liver tissue, general problems of double immunostaining techniques are further complicated by tissue‐specific difficulties, such as necrosis or high intracellular protein content. To assess a reliable double immunostaining protocol for archived, paraffin embedded liver tissue, different protocols based on the use of same species primary antibodies were evaluated in terms of sensitivity, specificity and non‐specific background staining in pathological liver specimens. We compared peroxidase–anti‐peroxidase, alkaline phosphatase–anti‐alkaline phosphatase (PAP/APAP, labelled‐avidin–biotin (LAB/LAB and digoxigenin–anti‐digoxigenin (dig–a‐dig/PAP techniques using different cytokeratin antibodies and an antibody against PCNA. Comparison of the double immunostaining techniques revealed a high sensitivity and specificity in all procedures. Sections, which were stained employing PAP/APAP‐technique, displayed a higher background staining compared to sections which were treated with the LAB/LAB or dig–a‐dig/PAP protocol. In contrast to the dig–a‐dig/PAP protocol, the LAB/LAB technique provides a better time/cost relationship. Therefore, we would like to recommend a modified LAB/LAB protocol for simultaneous detection of different antigens in archived liver tissue.

Immunocytochemical detection of astrocytes in brain slices in combination with Nissl staining.

Science.gov (United States)

Korzhevskii, D E; Otellin, V A

2005-07-01

The present study was performed to develop a simple and reliable method for the combined staining of specimens to allow the advantages of immunocytochemical detection of astrocytes and assessment of the functional state of neurons by the Nissl method to be assessed simultaneously. The protocol suggested for processing paraffin sections allows preservation of tissue structure at high quality and allows the selective identification of astrocytes with counterstaining of neurons by the Nissl method. The protocol can be used without modification for processing brain specimens from humans and various mammals--except mice and rabbits.

iTOUGH2 Universal Optimization Using the PEST Protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finsterle, S.A.

2010-01-01

, the PEST protocol [Doherty, 2007] has been implemented into iTOUGH2. This protocol enables communication between the application (which can be a single 'black-box' executable or a script or batch file that calls multiple codes) and iTOUGH2. The concept requires that for the application model: (1) Input is provided on one or more ASCII text input files; (2) Output is returned to one or more ASCII text output files; (3) The model is run using a system command (executable or script/batch file); and (4) The model runs to completion without any user intervention. For each forward run invoked by iTOUGH2, select parameters cited within the application model input files are then overwritten with values provided by iTOUGH2, and select variables cited within the output files are extracted and returned to iTOUGH2. It should be noted that the core of iTOUGH2, i.e., its optimization routines and related analysis tools, remains unchanged; it is only the communication format between input parameters, the application model, and output variables that are borrowed from PEST. The interface routines have been provided by Doherty [2007]. The iTOUGH2-PEST architecture is shown in Figure 1. This manual contains installation instructions for the iTOUGH2-PEST module, and describes the PEST protocol as well as the input formats needed in iTOUGH2. Examples are provided that demonstrate the use of model-independent optimization and analysis using iTOUGH2.

Multihopping Multilevel Clustering Heterogeneity-Sensitive Optimized Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Aslam

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Effective utilization of energy resources in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs has become challenging under uncertain distributed cluster-formation and single-hop intercluster communication capabilities. So, sensor nodes are forced to operate at expensive full rate transmission power level continuously during whole network operation. These challenging network environments experience unwanted phenomena of drastic energy consumption and packet drop. In this paper, we propose an adaptive immune Multihopping Multilevel Clustering (MHMLC protocol that executes a Hybrid Clustering Algorithm (HCA to perform optimal centralized selection of Cluster-Heads (CHs within radius of centrally located Base Station (BS and distributed CHs selection in the rest of network area. HCA of MHMLC also produces optimal intermediate CHs for intercluster multihop communications that develop heterogeneity-aware economical links. This hybrid cluster-formation facilitates the sensors to function at short range transmission power level that enhances link quality and avoids packet drop. The simulation environments produce fair comparison among proposed MHMLC and existing state-of-the-art routing protocols. Experimental results give significant evidence of better performance of the proposed model in terms of network lifetime, stability period, and data delivery ratio.

Optimal linear detectors for nonorthogonal amplify-and-forward protocol

KAUST Repository

Ahmed, Qasim Zeeshan; Park, Kihong; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim; Aissa, Sonia

2013-01-01

In this paper, we propose optimal linear detectors for non-orthogonal amplify-and-forward cooperative protocol when considering a single-relay scenario. Two types of detectors are proposed based on the principles of minimum mean square error (MMSE) and minimum bit error rate (MBER). The MMSE detector minimizes the mean square error, while the MBER minimizes the system bit error rate (BER). Both detectors exhibit excellent BER performance with relatively low complexity as compared to the maximal likelihood (ML) detector. The BER performance of both detectors is superior to the channel inversion, the maximal ratio combining, and the biased ML detectors. © 2013 IEEE.

Optimal linear detectors for nonorthogonal amplify-and-forward protocol

KAUST Repository

Ahmed, Qasim Zeeshan

2013-06-01

In this paper, we propose optimal linear detectors for non-orthogonal amplify-and-forward cooperative protocol when considering a single-relay scenario. Two types of detectors are proposed based on the principles of minimum mean square error (MMSE) and minimum bit error rate (MBER). The MMSE detector minimizes the mean square error, while the MBER minimizes the system bit error rate (BER). Both detectors exhibit excellent BER performance with relatively low complexity as compared to the maximal likelihood (ML) detector. The BER performance of both detectors is superior to the channel inversion, the maximal ratio combining, and the biased ML detectors. © 2013 IEEE.

ADAPTIVE CLUSTER BASED ROUTING PROTOCOL WITH ANT COLONY OPTIMIZATION FOR MOBILE AD-HOC NETWORK IN DISASTER AREA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Enrico Budianto

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In post-disaster rehabilitation efforts, the availability of telecommunication facilities takes important role. However, the process to improve telecommunication facilities in disaster area is risky if it is done by humans. Therefore, a network method that can work efficiently, effectively, and capable to reach the widest possible area is needed. This research introduces a cluster-based routing protocol named Adaptive Cluster Based Routing Protocol (ACBRP equipped by Ant Colony Optimization method, and its implementation in a simulator developed by author. After data analysis and statistical tests, it can be concluded that routing protocol ACBRP performs better than AODV and DSR routing protocol. Pada upaya rehabilitasi pascabencana, ketersediaan fasilitas telekomunikasi memiliki peranan yang sangat penting. Namun, proses untuk memperbaiki fasilitas telekomunikasi di daerah bencana memiliki resiko jika dilakukan oleh manusia. Oleh karena itu, metode jaringan yang dapat bekerja secara efisien, efektif, dan mampu mencapai area seluas mungkin diperlukan. Penelitian ini memperkenalkan sebuah protokol routing berbasis klaster bernama Adaptive Cluster Based Routing Protocol (ACBRP, yang dilengkapi dengan metode Ant Colony Optimization, dan diimplementasikan pada simulator yang dikembangkan penulis. Setelah data dianalisis dan dilakukan uji statistik, disimpulkan bahwa protokol routing ACBRP beroperasi lebih baik daripada protokol routing AODV maupun DSR.

Development of an optimized random amplified polymorphic DNA protocol for fingerprinting of Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Science.gov (United States)

Ashayeri-Panah, M; Eftekhar, F; Feizabadi, M M

2012-04-01

To develop an optimized random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) protocol for fingerprinting clinical isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Employing factorial design of experiments, repeatable amplification patterns were obtained for 54 nosocomial isolates using 1 μmol 1(-1) primer, 4 mmol 1(-1) MgCl(2), 0·4 mmol 1(-1) dNTPs, 2·5 U Taq DNA polymerase and 90 ng DNA template in a total volume of 25 μl. The optimum thermocycling program was: initial denaturation at 94°C for 4 min followed by 50 cycles of 1 min at 94°C, 2 min at 34°C, 2 min at 72°C and a final extension at 72°C for 10 min. The optimized RAPD protocol was highly discriminatory (Simpson's diversity index, 0·982), and all isolates were typable with repeatable patterns (Pearson's similarity coefficient ≈ 100%). Seven main clusters were obtained on a similarity level of 70% and 32 distinct clusters on a similarity level of 85%, reflecting the heterogeneity of the isolates. Systematic optimization of RAPD generated reliable DNA fingerprints for nosocomial isolates of K. pneumoniae. This is the first report on RAPD optimization based on factorial design of experiments for discrimination of K. pneumoniae. © 2012 The Authors. Letters in Applied Microbiology © 2012 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Hematoxylin and eosin stain shows a high sensitivity but sub-optimal specificity in demonstrating iron pigment in liver biopsies.

Science.gov (United States)

Alwahaibi, Nasar Yousuf; Alkhatri, Azza Sarhan; Kumar, Johanes Selva

2015-01-01

Perls' stain is routinely used to demonstrate iron in liver biopsies. We tested the hypothesis that it may be unnecessary in cases, where no iron or another similar pigment was seen on the routine hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) stained section. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of H and E stain in demonstrating iron in liver biopsies as well as to determine the possibility of replacing Perls' stain with H and E stain. Two hundred pairs of slides of liver biopsies were taken from the archival files of the Department of Pathology from 2006 to 2011. Perls' and H and E slides were independently reviewed for the presence of iron. Hundred and one cases showed the presence of iron using H and E stain. 84 of 86 cases showed positive iron using both Perls' and H and E stains. Seventeen cases were positive using H and E stain but negative with Perls'. Only two cases did not show the presence of iron using H and E stain. Ninety-seven cases were negative using both Perls' and H and E stains. H and E stain showed a sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive valve, and negative predictive value of 97.67%, 85.08%, 90.5%, 83.16%, and 97.98%, respectively. We demonstrate that the H and E stain is a sensitive method to detect iron pigment in liver biopsies, particularly when present in large quantities. A negative H and E stain might obviate the need for extra Perls' staining, thus saving costs and shortening report turn-around times.

An Optimal Non-Interactive Message Authentication Protocol

OpenAIRE

Pasini, Sylvain; Vaudenay, Serge

2006-01-01

Vaudenay recently proposed a message authentication protocol which is interactive and based on short authenticated strings (SAS). We study here SAS-based non-interactive message authentication protocols (NIMAP). We start by the analysis of two popular non-interactive message authentication protocols. The first one is based on a collision-resistant hash function and was presented by Balfanz et al. The second protocol is based on a universal hash function family and was proposed by Gehrmann, Mi...

Biofilm detection in chronic rhinosinusitis by combined application of hematoxylin-eosin and gram staining.

Science.gov (United States)

Tóth, László; Csomor, Péter; Sziklai, István; Karosi, Tamás

2011-10-01

The pathomechanism of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (CRS/NP) seems to be unclear. Bacterial-, fungal- and combined biofilms might play a potential role in the pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases and recently in CRS/NP. A prospective, blinded observational study was performed to confirm that the combination of conventional hematoxylin-eosin (HE) and Gram staining protocols could be used to detect bacterial and fungal biofilms in patients with CRS/NP. A total of 50 patients with CRS/NP undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS) were analyzed. The negative control group consisted of 12 patients undergoing septoplasty for nasal obstruction without CRS/NP. The nasal polyps and inferior turbinate mucosa specimens applied as negative controls were processed to HE and Gram staining. Biofilm was detected in 44 of 50 patients with CRS/NP and in none of 12 negative controls. In our series, HE method showed an obvious correlation with the results of Gram staining and was allocated to be a good predictor of biofilm existence. It was found that the microscopic structure and thickness of biofilms were strongly associated with the integrity of nasal mucosa and with the characteristics of subepithelial cellular infiltration. This study confirmed the presence of bacterial and fungal biofilms on the surface of NPs obtained from patients with CRS. Since biofilms may affect the severity and recurrence rate of CRS treated by ESS they should be detected histologically. In conclusion, HE staining combined with Gram protocol is a robust and reliable method for the detection of bacterial and fungal biofilms in CRS/NP.

Quality and Dose Optimized CT Trauma Protocol - Recommendation from a University Level-I Trauma Center.

Science.gov (United States)

Kahn, Johannes; Kaul, David; Böning, Georg; Rotzinger, Roman; Freyhardt, Patrick; Schwabe, Philipp; Maurer, Martin H; Renz, Diane Miriam; Streitparth, Florian

2017-09-01

Purpose  As a supra-regional level-I trauma center, we evaluated computed tomography (CT) acquisitions of polytraumatized patients for quality and dose optimization purposes. Adapted statistical iterative reconstruction [(AS)IR] levels, tube voltage reduction as well as a split-bolus contrast agent (CA) protocol were applied. Materials and Methods  61 patients were split into 3 different groups that differed with respect to tube voltage (120 - 140 kVp) and level of applied ASIR reconstruction (ASIR 20 - 50 %). The CT protocol included a native acquisition of the head followed by a single contrast-enhanced acquisition of the whole body (64-MSCT). CA (350 mg/ml iodine) was administered as a split bolus injection of 100 ml (2 ml/s), 20 ml NaCl (1 ml/s), 60 ml (4 ml/s), 40 ml NaCl (4 ml/s) with a scan delay of 85 s to detect injuries of both the arterial system and parenchymal organs in a single acquisition. Both the quantitative (SNR/CNR) and qualitative (5-point Likert scale) image quality was evaluated in parenchymal organs that are often injured in trauma patients. Radiation exposure was assessed. Results  The use of IR combined with a reduction of tube voltage resulted in good qualitative and quantitative image quality and a significant reduction in radiation exposure of more than 40 % (DLP 1087 vs. 647 mGyxcm). Image quality could be improved due to a dedicated protocol that included different levels of IR adapted to different slice thicknesses, kernels and the examined area for the evaluation of head, lung, body and bone injury patterns. In synopsis of our results, we recommend the implementation of a polytrauma protocol with a tube voltage of 120 kVp and the following IR levels: cCT 5mm: ASIR 20; cCT 0.625 mm: ASIR 40; lung 2.5 mm: ASIR 30, body 5 mm: ASIR 40; body 1.25 mm: ASIR 50; body 0.625 mm: ASIR 0. Conclusion  A dedicated adaptation of the CT trauma protocol (level of reduction of tube voltage and of IR

Discriminative staining methods for the nervous system: luxol fast blue--periodic acid-Schiff--hematoxylin triple stain and subsidiary staining methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Goto, N

1987-09-01

This paper describes a new series of staining methods which can discriminatively demonstrate every structure of the nervous system, including axons and capillaries, in animal and human materials. Methods described in this paper consist of one primary stain, luxol fast blue-periodic acid Schiff-hematoxylin (LPH) and six different subsidiary staining methods. The LPH triple stain can precisely differentiate the following structures: neurons (Nissl bodies, cytoplasm, nuclear membrane and nucleolus), various kinds of nuclei (glia, ependyma, endothelium, leucocyte, connective tissue, etc.), myelin sheaths, neuronal processes (axons and dendrites), reacted glial cell bodies (protoplasmic astrocytes, foamy cells, etc.), blood vessels (arteries, veins and capillaries), meninges, intervening connective tissue, erythrocytes, lipofuscin granules, amyloid bodies, and others. Subsidiary staining methods are also described briefly. Applications are discussed in the context of staining technology and neuromorphological research.

Gram staining.

Science.gov (United States)

Coico, Richard

2005-10-01

Named after Hans Christian Gram who developed the method in 1884, the Gram stain allows one to distinguish between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria on the basis of differential staining with a crystal violet-iodine complex and a safranin counterstain. The cell walls of Gram-positive organisms retain this complex after treatment with alcohol and appear purple, whereas gram-negative organisms decolorize following such treatment and appear pink. The method described here is useful for assessing bacterial contamination of tissue culture samples or for examining the Gram stain status and morphological features of bacteria isolated from mixed or isolated bacterial cultures.

Tumor Budding Detection by Immunohistochemical Staining is Not Superior to Hematoxylin and Eosin Staining for Predicting Lymph Node Metastasis in pT1 Colorectal Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Okamura, Takuma; Shimada, Yoshifumi; Nogami, Hitoshi; Kameyama, Hitoshi; Kobayashi, Takashi; Kosugi, Shin-ichi; Wakai, Toshifumi; Ajioka, Yoichi

2016-05-01

Tumor budding is recognized as an important risk factor for lymph node metastasis in pT1 colorectal cancer. Immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin has the potential to improve the objective diagnosis of tumor budding over detection based on hematoxylin and eosin staining. However, it remains unclear whether tumor budding detected by immunohistochemical staining is a significant predictor of lymph node metastasis in pT1 colorectal cancer. The purpose of this study was to clarify the clinical significance of tumor budding detected by immunohistochemical staining in comparison with that detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining. This was a retrospective study. The study was conducted at Niigata University Medical & Dental Hospital. We enrolled 265 patients with pT1 colorectal cancer who underwent surgery with lymph node dissection. Tumor budding was evaluated by both hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical staining with the use of CAM5.2 antibody. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were conducted to determine the optimal cutoff values for tumor budding detected by hematoxylin and eosin and CAM5.2 staining. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to identify the significant factors for predicting lymph node metastasis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses revealed that the cutoff values for tumor budding detected by hematoxylin and eosin and CAM5.2 staining for predicting lymph node metastases were 5 and 8. On multivariate analysis, histopathological differentiation (OR, 6.21; 95% CI, 1.16-33.33; p = 0.03) and tumor budding detected by hematoxylin and eosin staining (OR, 4.91; 95% CI, 1.64-14.66; p = 0.004) were significant predictors for lymph node metastasis; however, tumor budding detected by CAM5.2 staining was not a significant predictor. This study was limited by potential selection bias because surgically resected specimens were collected instead of endoscopically resected specimens. Tumor budding detected by

A reliable protocol for the isolation of viable, chondrogenically differentiated human mesenchymal stem cells from high-density pellet cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Ullah, Mujib; Hamouda, Houda; Stich, Stefan; Sittinger, Michael; Ringe, Jochen

2012-12-01

Administration of chondrogenically differentiated mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) is discussed as a promising approach for the regenerative treatment of injured or diseased cartilage. The high-density pellet culture is the standard culture for chondrogenic differentiation, but cells in pellets secrete extracellular matrix (ECM) that they become entrapped in. Protocols for cell isolation from pellets often result in cell damage and dedifferentiation towards less differentiated MSC. Therefore, our aim was to develop a reliable protocol for the isolation of viable, chondrogenically differentiated MSC from high-density pellet cultures. Human bone marrow MSC were chondrogenically stimulated with transforming growth factor-β3, and the cartilaginous structure of the pellets was verified by alcian blue staining of cartilage proteoglycans, antibody staining of cartilage collagen type II, and quantitative real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction of the marker genes COL2A1 and SOX9. Trypsin and collagenases II and P were tested alone or in combination, and for different concentrations and times, to find a protocol for optimized pellet digestion. Whereas trypsin was not able to release viable cells, 90-min digestion with 300 U of collagenase II, 20 U of collagenase P, and 2 mM CaCl2 worked quite well and resulted in about 2.5×10(5) cells/pellet. The protocol was further optimized for the separation of released cells and ECM from each other. Cells were alcian blue and collagen type II positive and expressed COL2A1 and SOX9, verifying a chondrogenic character. However, they had different morphological shapes. The ECM was also uniformly alcian blue and collagen type II positive but showed different organizational and structural forms. To conclude, our protocol allows the reliable isolation of a defined number of viable, chondrogenically differentiated MSC from high-density pellet cultures. Such cells, as well as the ECM components, are of interest as

Cross-Layer Protocol as a Better Option in Wireless Mesh Network with Respect to Layered-Protocol

OpenAIRE

Ahmed Abdulwahab Al-Ahdal; Dr. V. P. Pawar; G. N. Shinde

2014-01-01

The Optimal way to improve Wireless Mesh Networks (WMNs) performance is to use a better network protocol, but whether layered-protocol design or cross-layer design is a better option to optimize protocol performance in WMNs is still an on-going research topic. In this paper, we focus on cross-layer protocol as a better option with respect to layered-protocol. The layered protocol architecture (OSI) model divides networking tasks into layers and defines a pocket of services for each layer to b...

Power Saving MAC Protocols for WSNs and Optimization of S-MAC Protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Simarpreet Kaur

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Low power MAC protocols have received a lot of consideration in the last few years because of their influence on the lifetime of wireless sensor networks. Since, sensors typically operate on batteries, replacement of which is often difficult. A lot of work has been done to minimize the energy expenditure and prolong the sensor lifetime through energy efficient designs, across layers. Meanwhile, the sensor network should be able to maintain a certain throughput in order to fulfill the QoS requirements of the end user, and to ensure the constancy of the network. This paper introduces different types of MAC protocols used for WSNs and proposes S‐MAC, a Medium‐Access Control protocol designed for Wireless Sensor Networks. S‐MAC uses a few innovative techniques to reduce energy consumption and support selfconfiguration. A new protocol is suggested to improve the energy efficiency, latency and throughput of existing MAC protocol for WSNs. A modification of the protocol is then proposed to eliminate the need for some nodes to stay awake longer than the other nodes which improves the energy efficiency, latency and throughput and hence increases the life span of a wireless sensor network.

Oil Red O and Hematoxylin and Eosin Staining for Quantification of Atherosclerosis Burden in Mouse Aorta and Aortic Root.

Science.gov (United States)

Andrés-Manzano, M Jesús; Andrés, Vicente; Dorado, Beatriz

2015-01-01

Methods for staining tissues with Oil Red O and hematoxylin-eosin are classical histological techniques that are widely used to quantify atherosclerotic burden in mouse tissues because of their ease of use, reliability, and the large amount of information they provide. These stains can provide quantitative data about the impact of a genetic or environmental factor on atherosclerotic burden and on the initiation, progression, or regression of the disease, and can also be used to evaluate the efficacy of drugs designed to prevent or treat atherosclerosis. This chapter provides protocols for quantifying atherosclerotic burden in mouse aorta and aortic root, including methods for dissection, Oil Red O staining, hematoxylin-eosin staining, and image analysis.

Phase Transition in Protocols Minimizing Work Fluctuations

Science.gov (United States)

Solon, Alexandre P.; Horowitz, Jordan M.

2018-05-01

For two canonical examples of driven mesoscopic systems—a harmonically trapped Brownian particle and a quantum dot—we numerically determine the finite-time protocols that optimize the compromise between the standard deviation and the mean of the dissipated work. In the case of the oscillator, we observe a collection of protocols that smoothly trade off between average work and its fluctuations. However, for the quantum dot, we find that as we shift the weight of our optimization objective from average work to work standard deviation, there is an analog of a first-order phase transition in protocol space: two distinct protocols exchange global optimality with mixed protocols akin to phase coexistence. As a result, the two types of protocols possess qualitatively different properties and remain distinct even in the infinite duration limit: optimal-work-fluctuation protocols never coalesce with the minimal-work protocols, which therefore never become quasistatic.

Dispersion of Nanomaterials in Aqueous Media: Towards Protocol Optimization.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Inder; Ellis, Laura-Jayne; Romer, Isabella; Tantra, Ratna; Carriere, Marie; Allard, Soline; Mayne-L'Hermite, Martine; Minelli, Caterina; Unger, Wolfgang; Potthoff, Annegret; Rades, Steffi; Valsami-Jones, Eugenia

2017-12-25

The sonication process is commonly used for de-agglomerating and dispersing nanomaterials in aqueous based media, necessary to improve homogeneity and stability of the suspension. In this study, a systematic step-wise approach is carried out to identify optimal sonication conditions in order to achieve a stable dispersion. This approach has been adopted and shown to be suitable for several nanomaterials (cerium oxide, zinc oxide, and carbon nanotubes) dispersed in deionized (DI) water. However, with any change in either the nanomaterial type or dispersing medium, there needs to be optimization of the basic protocol by adjusting various factors such as sonication time, power, and sonicator type as well as temperature rise during the process. The approach records the dispersion process in detail. This is necessary to identify the time points as well as other above-mentioned conditions during the sonication process in which there may be undesirable changes, such as damage to the particle surface thus affecting surface properties. Our goal is to offer a harmonized approach that can control the quality of the final, produced dispersion. Such a guideline is instrumental in ensuring dispersion quality repeatability in the nanoscience community, particularly in the field of nanotoxicology.

Stain Deconvolution Using Statistical Analysis of Multi-Resolution Stain Colour Representation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Najah Alsubaie

Full Text Available Stain colour estimation is a prominent factor of the analysis pipeline in most of histology image processing algorithms. Providing a reliable and efficient stain colour deconvolution approach is fundamental for robust algorithm. In this paper, we propose a novel method for stain colour deconvolution of histology images. This approach statistically analyses the multi-resolutional representation of the image to separate the independent observations out of the correlated ones. We then estimate the stain mixing matrix using filtered uncorrelated data. We conducted an extensive set of experiments to compare the proposed method to the recent state of the art methods and demonstrate the robustness of this approach using three different datasets of scanned slides, prepared in different labs using different scanners.

Proposals for best-quality immunohistochemical staining of paraffin-embedded brain tissue slides in forensics.

Science.gov (United States)

Trautz, Florian; Dreßler, Jan; Stassart, Ruth; Müller, Wolf; Ondruschka, Benjamin

2018-01-03

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) has become an integral part in forensic histopathology over the last decades. However, the underlying methods for IHC vary greatly depending on the institution, creating a lack of comparability. The aim of this study was to assess the optimal approach for different technical aspects of IHC, in order to improve and standardize this procedure. Therefore, qualitative results from manual and automatic IHC staining of brain samples were compared, as well as potential differences in suitability of common IHC glass slides. Further, possibilities of image digitalization and connected issues were investigated. In our study, automatic staining showed more consistent staining results, compared to manual staining procedures. Digitalization and digital post-processing facilitated direct analysis and analysis for reproducibility considerably. No differences were found for different commercially available microscopic glass slides regarding suitability of IHC brain researches, but a certain rate of tissue loss should be expected during the staining process.

Optimized UAV Communication Protocol Based on Prior Locations

OpenAIRE

Sboui, Lokman; Rabah, Abdullatif

2015-01-01

In this paper, we adopt a new communication protocol between the UAV and fixed on-ground nodes. This protocol tends to reduce communication power consumption by stopping communication if the channel is not good to communicate (i.e. far nodes, obstacles, etc.) The communication is performed using the XBee 868M standard and Libelium wapsmotes. Our designed protocol is based on a new communication model that we propose in this paper. The protocole decides wether to communicate or not after compu...

TH-E-209-02: Dose Monitoring and Protocol Optimization: The Pediatric Perspective

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacDougall, R.

2016-01-01

Radiation dose monitoring solutions have opened up new opportunities for medical physicists to be more involved in modern clinical radiology practices. In particular, with the help of comprehensive radiation dose data, data-driven protocol management and informed case follow up are now feasible. Significant challenges remain however and the problems faced by medical physicists are highly heterogeneous. Imaging systems from multiple vendors and a wide range of vintages co-exist in the same department and employ data communication protocols that are not fully standardized or implemented making harmonization complex. Many different solutions for radiation dose monitoring have been implemented by imaging facilities over the past few years. Such systems are based on commercial software, home-grown IT solutions, manual PACS data dumping, etc., and diverse pathways can be used to bring the data to impact clinical practice. The speakers will share their experiences with creating or tailoring radiation dose monitoring/management systems and procedures over the past few years, which vary significantly in design and scope. Topics to cover: (1) fluoroscopic dose monitoring and high radiation event handling from a large academic hospital; (2) dose monitoring and protocol optimization in pediatric radiology; and (3) development of a home-grown IT solution and dose data analysis framework. Learning Objectives: Describe the scope and range of radiation dose monitoring and protocol management in a modern radiology practice Review examples of data available from a variety of systems and how it managed and conveyed. Reflect on the role of the physicist in radiation dose awareness.

TH-E-209-02: Dose Monitoring and Protocol Optimization: The Pediatric Perspective

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacDougall, R. [Boston Children’s Hospital (United States)

2016-06-15

Radiation dose monitoring solutions have opened up new opportunities for medical physicists to be more involved in modern clinical radiology practices. In particular, with the help of comprehensive radiation dose data, data-driven protocol management and informed case follow up are now feasible. Significant challenges remain however and the problems faced by medical physicists are highly heterogeneous. Imaging systems from multiple vendors and a wide range of vintages co-exist in the same department and employ data communication protocols that are not fully standardized or implemented making harmonization complex. Many different solutions for radiation dose monitoring have been implemented by imaging facilities over the past few years. Such systems are based on commercial software, home-grown IT solutions, manual PACS data dumping, etc., and diverse pathways can be used to bring the data to impact clinical practice. The speakers will share their experiences with creating or tailoring radiation dose monitoring/management systems and procedures over the past few years, which vary significantly in design and scope. Topics to cover: (1) fluoroscopic dose monitoring and high radiation event handling from a large academic hospital; (2) dose monitoring and protocol optimization in pediatric radiology; and (3) development of a home-grown IT solution and dose data analysis framework. Learning Objectives: Describe the scope and range of radiation dose monitoring and protocol management in a modern radiology practice Review examples of data available from a variety of systems and how it managed and conveyed. Reflect on the role of the physicist in radiation dose awareness.

Quality and dose optimized CT trauma protocol. Recommendation from a university level-I trauma center

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahn, Johannes; Boening, Georg; Rotzinger, Roman; Freyhardt, Patrick; Streitparth, Florian [Charite School of Medicine and Univ. Hospital Berlin (Germany). Dept. of Radiology; Kaul, David [Charite School of Medicine and Univ. Hospital Berlin (Germany). Dept. of Radiation Oncology; Schwabe, Philipp [Charite School of Medicine and Univ. Hospital Berlin (Germany). Dept. of Trauma Surgery; Maurer, Martin H. [Inselspital Bern (Switzerland). Dept. of Diagnostic, Interventional and Pediatric Radiology; Renz, Diane Miriam [Univ. Hospital Jena (Germany). Inst. of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology

2017-09-15

As a supra-regional level-I trauma center, we evaluated computed tomography (CT) acquisitions of polytraumatized patients for quality and dose optimization purposes. Adapted statistical iterative reconstruction [(AS)IR] levels, tube voltage reduction as well as a split-bolus contrast agent (CA) protocol were applied. Materials and Methods 61 patients were split into 3 different groups that differed with respect to tube voltage (120 - 140 kVp) and level of applied ASIR reconstruction (ASIR 20 - 50%). The CT protocol included a native acquisition of the head followed by a single contrast-enhanced acquisition of the whole body (64-MSCT). CA (350 mg/ml iodine) was administered as a split bolus injection of 100 ml (2 ml/s), 20 ml NaCl (1 ml/s), 60 ml (4 ml/s), 40 ml NaCl (4 ml/s) with a scan delay of 85s to detect injuries of both the arterial system and parenchymal organs in a single acquisition. Both the quantitative (SNR/CNR) and qualitative (5-point Likert scale) image quality was evaluated in parenchymal organs that are often injured in trauma patients. Radiation exposure was assessed. The use of IR combined with a reduction of tube voltage resulted in good qualitative and quantitative image quality and a significant reduction in radiation exposure of more than 40% (DLP 1087 vs. 647 mGy x cm). Image quality could be improved due to a dedicated protocol that included different levels of IR adapted to different slice thicknesses, kernels and the examined area for the evaluation of head, lung, body and bone injury patterns. In synopsis of our results, we recommend the implementation of a polytrauma protocol with a tube voltage of 120 kVp and the following IR levels: cCT 5mm: ASIR 20; cCT 0.625 mm: ASIR 40; lung 2.5 mm: ASIR 30, body 5 mm: ASIR 40; body 1.25 mm: ASIR 50; body 0.625 mm: ASIR 0. A dedicated adaptation of the CT trauma protocol (level of reduction of tube voltage and of IR) according to the examined body region (head, lung, body, bone) combined with a

Quality and dose optimized CT trauma protocol. Recommendation from a university level-I trauma center

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahn, Johannes; Boening, Georg; Rotzinger, Roman; Freyhardt, Patrick; Streitparth, Florian; Kaul, David; Schwabe, Philipp; Maurer, Martin H.; Renz, Diane Miriam

2017-01-01

As a supra-regional level-I trauma center, we evaluated computed tomography (CT) acquisitions of polytraumatized patients for quality and dose optimization purposes. Adapted statistical iterative reconstruction [(AS)IR] levels, tube voltage reduction as well as a split-bolus contrast agent (CA) protocol were applied. Materials and Methods 61 patients were split into 3 different groups that differed with respect to tube voltage (120 - 140 kVp) and level of applied ASIR reconstruction (ASIR 20 - 50%). The CT protocol included a native acquisition of the head followed by a single contrast-enhanced acquisition of the whole body (64-MSCT). CA (350 mg/ml iodine) was administered as a split bolus injection of 100 ml (2 ml/s), 20 ml NaCl (1 ml/s), 60 ml (4 ml/s), 40 ml NaCl (4 ml/s) with a scan delay of 85s to detect injuries of both the arterial system and parenchymal organs in a single acquisition. Both the quantitative (SNR/CNR) and qualitative (5-point Likert scale) image quality was evaluated in parenchymal organs that are often injured in trauma patients. Radiation exposure was assessed. The use of IR combined with a reduction of tube voltage resulted in good qualitative and quantitative image quality and a significant reduction in radiation exposure of more than 40% (DLP 1087 vs. 647 mGy x cm). Image quality could be improved due to a dedicated protocol that included different levels of IR adapted to different slice thicknesses, kernels and the examined area for the evaluation of head, lung, body and bone injury patterns. In synopsis of our results, we recommend the implementation of a polytrauma protocol with a tube voltage of 120 kVp and the following IR levels: cCT 5mm: ASIR 20; cCT 0.625 mm: ASIR 40; lung 2.5 mm: ASIR 30, body 5 mm: ASIR 40; body 1.25 mm: ASIR 50; body 0.625 mm: ASIR 0. A dedicated adaptation of the CT trauma protocol (level of reduction of tube voltage and of IR) according to the examined body region (head, lung, body, bone) combined with a

Computed tomography-based lung nodule volumetry - do optimized reconstructions of routine protocols achieve similar accuracy, reproducibility and interobserver variability to that of special volumetry protocols?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bolte, H.; Riedel, C.; Knoess, N.; Hoffmann, B.; Heller, M.; Biederer, J.; Freitag, S.

2007-01-01

Purpose: The aim of this in vitro and ex vivo CT study was to investigate whether the use of a routine thorax protocol (RTP) with optimized reconstruction parameters can provide comparable accuracy, reproducibility and interobserver variability of volumetric analyses to that of a special volumetry protocol (SVP). Materials and Methods: To assess accuracy, 3 polyurethane (PU) spheres (35 HU; diameters: 4, 6 and 10 mm) were examined with a recommended SVP using a multislice CT (collimation 16 x 0.75 mm, pitch 1.25, 20 mAs, slice thickness 1 mm, increment 0.7 mm, medium kernel) and an optimized RTP (collimation 16 x 1.5 mm, pitch 1.25, 100 mAs, reconstructed slice thickness 2 mm, increment 0.4 mm, sharp kernel). For the assessment of intrascan and interscan reproducibility and interobserver variability, 20 artificial small pulmonary nodules were placed in a dedicated ex vivo chest phantom and examined with identical scan protocols. The artificial lesions consisted of a fat-wax-Lipiodol registered mixture. Phantoms and ex vivo lesions were examined afterwards using commercial volumetry software. To describe accuracy the relative deviations from the true volumes of the PU phantoms were calculated. For intrascan and interscan reproducibility and interobserver variability, the 95 % normal range (95 % NR) of relative deviations between two measurements was calculated. Results: For the SVP the achieved relative deviations for the 4, 6 and 10 mm PU phantoms were - 14.3 %, - 12.7 % and - 6.8 % and were 4.5 %, - 0.6 % and - 2.6 %, respectively, for the optimized RTP. SVP showed a 95 % NR of 0 - 1.5 % for intrascan and a 95 % NR of - 10.8 - 2.9 % for interscan reproducibility. The 95 % NR for interobserver variability was - 4.3 - 3.3 %. The optimized RTP achieved a 95 % NR of - 3.1 - 4.3 % for intrascan reproducibility and a 95 % NR of - 7.0 - 3.5 % for interscan reproducibility. The 95 % NR for interobserver variability was - 0.4 - 6.8 %. (orig.)

The Luna stain, an improved selective stain for detection of microsporidian spores in histologic sections

Science.gov (United States)

Peterson, Tracy S.; Spitsbergen, Jan M.; Feist, Stephen W.; Kent, Michael L.

2014-01-01

Microsporidia in histologic sections are most often diagnosed by observing spores in host tissues. Spores are easy to identify if they occur in large aggregates or xenomas when sections are stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). However, individual spores are not frequently detected in host tissues with conventional H&E staining, particularly if spores are scattered within the tissues, areas of inflammation or small spores in nuclei (i.e., Nucleospora salmonis). Hence, a variety of selective stains that enhance visualization of spores are recommended. We discovered that the Luna stain, used to highlight eosinophils, red blood cells and chitin in arthropods and other invertebrates, also stains spores of Pseudoloma neurophilia. We compared this stain to the Gram, Fite’s acid fast, Giemsa, and H&E stains on eight aquatic microsporidian organisms that were readily available in our two laboratories: Loma salmonae, Glugea anomala, Pseudoloma neurophilia, Pleistophora hyphessobryconis, Pleistophora vermiformis, Glugea sp., Steinhausia mytilovum and an unidentified microsporidian from E. sinensis, UK. Based on tinctorial properties and background staining, the Luna stain performed better for detection of 6 of the 8 microsporidia. Gram stain was superior for the two microsporidia from invertebrates, Steinhausia mytilovum and the unidentified microsporidian from E. sinensis. PMID:21848126

Optimized energy-delay sub-network routing protocol development and implementation for wireless sensor networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fonda, James W; Zawodniok, Maciej; Jagannathan, S; Watkins, Steve E

2008-01-01

The development and the implementation issues of a reactive optimized energy-delay sub-network routing (OEDSR) protocol for wireless sensor networks (WSN) are introduced and its performance is contrasted with the popular ad hoc on-demand distance vector (AODV) routing protocol. Analytical results illustrate the performance of the proposed OEDSR protocol, while experimental results utilizing a hardware testbed under various scenarios demonstrate improvements in energy efficiency of the OEDSR protocol. A hardware platform constructed at the University of Missouri-Rolla (UMR), now the Missouri University of Science and Technology (MST), based on the Generation 4 Smart Sensor Node (G4-SSN) prototyping platform is also described. Performance improvements are shown in terms of end-to-end (E2E) delay, throughput, route-set-up time and drop rates and energy usage is given for three topologies, including a mobile topology. Additionally, results from the hardware testbed provide valuable lessons for network deployments. Under testing OEDSR provides a factor of ten improvement in the energy used in the routing session and extends network lifetime compared to AODV. Depletion experiments show that the time until the first node failure is extended by a factor of three with the network depleting and network lifetime is extended by 6.7%

Pleural and Pulmonary Staining at Inferior Phrenic Arteriography Mimicking a Tumor Staining of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Deok Hee; Hwang, Jae Cheol; Lim, Soo Mee; Yoon, Hyun-Ki; Sung, Kyu-Bo; Song, Ho-Young

2000-01-01

Purpose: To describe the findings of pleural and pulmonary staining of the inferior phrenic artery, which can be confused with tumor staining during transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) of hepatoma.Methods: Fifteen patients who showed pleural and pulmonary staining without relationship to hepatic masses at inferior phrenic arteriography were enrolled. The staining was noted at initial TACE (n = 8), at successive TACE (n = 5), and after hepatic surgery (n = 2). The angiographic pattern, the presence of pleural change on computed tomography (CT), and clinical history were evaluated.Results: Draining pulmonary veins were seen in all cases. The lower margin of the staining corresponded to the lower margin of the pleura in 10 patients. CT showed pleural and/or pulmonary abnormalities in all cases. After embolization of the inferior phrenic artery, the accumulation of iodized oil in the lung was noted.Conclusion: Understanding the CT and angiographic findings of pleural and pulmonary staining during TACE may help differentiate benign staining from tumor staining

Active SAmpling Protocol (ASAP) to Optimize Individual Neurocognitive Hypothesis Testing: A BCI-Inspired Dynamic Experimental Design.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanchez, Gaëtan; Lecaignard, Françoise; Otman, Anatole; Maby, Emmanuel; Mattout, Jérémie

2016-01-01

The relatively young field of Brain-Computer Interfaces has promoted the use of electrophysiology and neuroimaging in real-time. In the meantime, cognitive neuroscience studies, which make extensive use of functional exploration techniques, have evolved toward model-based experiments and fine hypothesis testing protocols. Although these two developments are mostly unrelated, we argue that, brought together, they may trigger an important shift in the way experimental paradigms are being designed, which should prove fruitful to both endeavors. This change simply consists in using real-time neuroimaging in order to optimize advanced neurocognitive hypothesis testing. We refer to this new approach as the instantiation of an Active SAmpling Protocol (ASAP). As opposed to classical (static) experimental protocols, ASAP implements online model comparison, enabling the optimization of design parameters (e.g., stimuli) during the course of data acquisition. This follows the well-known principle of sequential hypothesis testing. What is radically new, however, is our ability to perform online processing of the huge amount of complex data that brain imaging techniques provide. This is all the more relevant at a time when physiological and psychological processes are beginning to be approached using more realistic, generative models which may be difficult to tease apart empirically. Based upon Bayesian inference, ASAP proposes a generic and principled way to optimize experimental design adaptively. In this perspective paper, we summarize the main steps in ASAP. Using synthetic data we illustrate its superiority in selecting the right perceptual model compared to a classical design. Finally, we briefly discuss its future potential for basic and clinical neuroscience as well as some remaining challenges.

Optimized Protocol for Protein Extraction from the Breast Tissue that is Compatible with Two-Dimensional Gel Electrophoresis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olena Zakharchenko

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Proteomics is a highly informative approach to analyze cancer-associated transformation in tissues. The main challenge to use a tissue for proteomics studies is the small sample size and difficulties to extract and preserve proteins. The choice of a buffer compatible with proteomics applications is also a challenge. Here we describe a protocol optimized for the most efficient extraction of proteins from the human breast tissue in a buffer compatible with two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-GE. This protocol is based on mechanically assisted disintegration of tissues directly in the 2D-GE buffer. Our method is simple, robust and easy to apply in clinical practice. We demonstrate high quality of separation of proteins prepared according to the reported here protocol.

Soft chelating irrigation protocol optimizes bonding quality of Resilon/Epiphany root fillings.

Science.gov (United States)

De-Deus, Gustavo; Namen, Fátima; Galan, João; Zehnder, Matthias

2008-06-01

This study was designed to test the impact of either a strong (MTAD) or a soft (1-hydroxyethylidene-1, 1-bisphosphonate [HEPB]) chelating solution on the bond strength of Resilon/Epiphany root fillings. Both 17% EDTA and the omission of a chelator in the irrigation protocol were used as reference treatments. Forty extracted human upper lateral incisors were prepared using different irrigation protocols (n = 10): G1: NaOCl, G2: NaOCl + 17% EDTA, G3: NaOCl + BioPure MTAD (Dentsply/Tulsa, Tulsa, OK), and G4: NaOCl + 18% HEPB. The teeth were obturated and then prepared for micropush-out assessment using root slices of 1 mm thickness. Loading was performed on a universal testing machine at a speed of 0.5 mm/min. One-way analysis of variance and Tukey multiple comparisons were used to compare the results among the experimental groups. EDTA- and MTAD-treated samples revealed intermediate bond strength (0.3-3.6 MPa). The lowest bond strengths were achieved in NaOCl-treated samples (0.3-1.2 MPa, p < 0.05). The highest bond strength was reached in the HEBP-treated samples (3.1-6.1 MPa, p < 0.05). Under the present in vitro conditions, the soft chelating irrigation protocol (18% HEBP) optimized the bonding quality of Resilon/Epiphany (Resilon Research LLC, Madison, CT) root fillings.

Gram staining with an automatic machine.

Science.gov (United States)

Felek, S; Arslan, A

1999-01-01

This study was undertaken to develop a new Gram-staining machine controlled by a micro-controller and to investigate the quality of slides that were stained in the machine. The machine was designed and produced by the authors. It uses standard 220 V AC. Staining, washing, and drying periods are controlled by a timer built in the micro-controller. A software was made that contains a certain algorithm and time intervals for the staining mode. One-hundred and forty smears were prepared from Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Neisseria sp., blood culture, trypticase soy broth, direct pus and sputum smears for comparison studies. Half of the slides in each group were stained with the machine, the other half by hand and then examined by four different microbiologists. Machine-stained slides had a higher clarity and less debris than the hand-stained slides (p stained slides, some Gram-positive organisms showed poor Gram-positive staining features (p Gram staining with the automatic machine increases the staining quality and helps to decrease the work load in a busy diagnostic laboratory.

Dose optimization for multislice computed tomography protocols of the midface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lorenzen, M.; Wedegaertner, U.; Weber, C.; Adam, G.; Lorenzen, J.; Lockemann, U.

2005-01-01

Purpose: to optimize multislice computed tomography (MSCT) protocols of the midface for dose reduction and adequate image quality. Materials and methods: MSCT (somatom volume zoom, siemens) of the midface was performed on 3 cadavers within 24 hours of death with successive reduction of the tube current, applying 150, 100, 70 and 30 mAs at 120 kV as well as 40 and 21 mAs at 80 kV. At 120 kV, a pitch of 0.875 and collimation of 4 x 1 mm were used, and at 80 kV, a pitch of 0.7 and collimation of 2 x 0.5 mm. Images were reconstructed in transverse and coronal orientation. Qualitative image analysis was separately performed by two radiologists using a five-point scale (1 = excellent; 5 = poor) applying the following parameters: image quality, demarcation and sharpness of lamellar bone, overall image quality, and image noise (1 = minor; 5 = strong). The effective body dose [mSv] and organ dose [mSv] of the ocular lens (using the dosimetry system ''WINdose'') were calculated, and the interobserver agreement (kappa coefficient) was determined. Results: for the evaluation of the lamellar bone, adequate sharpness, demarcation and image quality was demonstrated at 120 kV/30 mAs, and for the overall image quality and noise, 120 kV/40 mAs was acceptable. With regard to image quality, the effective body dose could be reduced from 1.89 mSv to 0.34 mSv and the organ dose of the ocular lens from 27.2 mSv to 4.8 mSv. Interobserver agreement was moderate (kappa = 0.39). Conclusion: adequate image quality was achieved for MSCT protocols of the midface with 30 mAs at 120 kV, resulting in a dose reduction of 70% in comparison to standard protocols. (orig.)

Near-optimality of special periodic protocols for fluid models of single server switched networks with switchover times

Science.gov (United States)

Matveev, A. S.; Ishchenko, R.

2017-11-01

We consider a generic deterministic time-invariant fluid model of a single server switched network, which consists of finitely many infinite size buffers (queues) and receives constant rate inflows of jobs from the outside. Any flow undergoes a multi-phase service, entering a specific buffer after every phase, and ultimately leaves the network; the route of the flow over the buffers is pre-specified, and flows may merge inside the network. They share a common source of service, which can serve at most one buffer at a time and has to switch among buffers from time to time; any switch consumes a nonzero switchover period. With respect to the long-run maximal scaled wip (work in progress) performance metric, near-optimality of periodic scheduling and service protocols is established: the deepest optimum (that is over all feasible processes in the network, irrespective of the initial state) is furnished by such a protocol up to as small error as desired. Moreover, this can be achieved with a special periodic protocol introduced in the paper. It is also shown that the exhaustive policy is optimal for any buffer whose service at the maximal rate does not cause growth of the scaled wip.

Optimization of a protocol for cryopreservation of mouse spermatozoa using cryotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasegawa, Ayumi; Yonezawa, Kazuya; Ohta, Akihiko; Mochida, Keiji; Ogura, Atsuo

2012-01-01

The rapid increase in the number of genetically modified mouse strains has produced a high demand for their frozen spermatozoa from laboratories and mouse banking facilities. Historically, plastic straws have been used preferentially as containers for frozen mammalian spermatozoa because spermatozoa frozen in plastic straws have a high survival rate after thawing. However, plastic straws are more fragile and are used less often than the cryotubes used for conventional cell freezing. In this study, we sought to develop a new protocol for sperm freezing using cryotubes as the container to increase the accessibility of mouse sperm cryopreservation. Epididymal spermatozoa were collected from mature ICR or C57BL/6J (B6) males and were suspended in 18% raffinose and 3% skim milk solution. We then optimized the following conditions using the sperm survival rate as an index: 1) distance of cryotubes from the surface of the liquid nitrogen at freezing, 2) volume of the sperm suspension in the cryotube and 3) temperature of warming sperm during thawing. The best result was obtained when cryotubes containing 10 µl of sperm suspension were immersed 1 cm below the surface of the liquid nitrogen and then thawed at 50 C. The fertilization rates using spermatozoa frozen and thawed using this method were 63.1% in ICR mice and 28.2% in B6 mice. The latter rate was increased to 62.3% by adding reduced glutathione to the fertilization medium. After embryo transfer, 68% and 62% of the fertilized oocytes developed into normal offspring in the ICR and B6 strains, respectively. These results show that cryotubes can be used for cryopreservation of mouse spermatozoa under optimized conditions. This protocol is easy and reproducible, and it may be used in laboratories that do not specialize in sperm cryopreservation.

Optimal protocols and optimal transport in stochastic thermodynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Aurell, Erik; Mejía-Monasterio, Carlos; Muratore-Ginanneschi, Paolo

2011-06-24

Thermodynamics of small systems has become an important field of statistical physics. Such systems are driven out of equilibrium by a control, and the question is naturally posed how such a control can be optimized. We show that optimization problems in small system thermodynamics are solved by (deterministic) optimal transport, for which very efficient numerical methods have been developed, and of which there are applications in cosmology, fluid mechanics, logistics, and many other fields. We show, in particular, that minimizing expected heat released or work done during a nonequilibrium transition in finite time is solved by the Burgers equation and mass transport by the Burgers velocity field. Our contribution hence considerably extends the range of solvable optimization problems in small system thermodynamics.

Optimal protocol for maximum work extraction in a feedback process with a time-varying potential

Science.gov (United States)

Kwon, Chulan

2017-12-01

The nonequilibrium nature of information thermodynamics is characterized by the inequality or non-negativity of the total entropy change of the system, memory, and reservoir. Mutual information change plays a crucial role in the inequality, in particular if work is extracted and the paradox of Maxwell's demon is raised. We consider the Brownian information engine where the protocol set of the harmonic potential is initially chosen by the measurement and varies in time. We confirm the inequality of the total entropy change by calculating, in detail, the entropic terms including the mutual information change. We rigorously find the optimal values of the time-dependent protocol for maximum extraction of work both for the finite-time and the quasi-static process.

Human Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem/Stromal Cells Handling Protocols. Lipid Droplets and Proteins Double-Staining

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aldana D. Gojanovich

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Human Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells (hASCs are of great interest because of their potential for therapeutic approaches. The method described here covers every single step necessary for hASCs isolation from subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue, multicolor phenotyping by flow cytometry, and quantitative determination of adipogenic differentiation status by means of lipid droplets (LDs accumulation, and Western blot analysis. Moreover, to simultaneously analyze both LDs accumulation and cellular proteins localization by fluorescence microscopy, we combined Oil Red O (ORO staining with immunofluorescence detection. For LDs quantification we wrote a program for automatic ORO-stained digital image processing implemented in Octave, a freely available software package. Our method is based on the use of the traditional low cost neutral lipids dye ORO, which can be imaged both by bright-field and fluorescence microscopy. The utilization of ORO instead of other more expensive lipid-specific dyes, together with the fact that the whole method has been designed employing cost-effective culture reagents (standard culture medium and serum, makes it affordable for tight-budget research laboratories. These may be replaced, if necessary or desired, by defined xeno-free reagents for clinical research and applications.

Accelerated staining technique using kitchen microwave oven

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Archana Mukunda

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Histopathological diagnosis of specimens is greatly dependent on good sample preparation and staining. Both of these processes is governed by diffusion of fluids and dyes in and out of the tissue, which is the key to staining. Diffusion of fluids can be accelerated by the application of heat that reduces the time of staining from hours to the minute. We modified an inexpensive model of kitchen microwave oven for staining. This study is an attempt to compare the reliability of this modified technique against the tested technique of routine staining so as to establish the kitchen microwave oven as a valuable diagnostic tool. Materials and Methods: Sixty different tissue blocks were used to prepare 20 pairs of slides for 4 different stains namely hematoxylin and eosin, Van Gieson′s, 0.1% toluidine blue and periodic acid-Schiff. From each tissue block, two bits of tissues were mounted on two different slides. One slide was stained routinely, and the other stained inside a microwave. A pathologist evaluated the stained slides and the results so obtained were analyzed statistically. Results: Microwave staining considerably cut down the staining time from hours to seconds. Microwave staining showed no loss of cellular and nuclear details, uniform-staining characteristics and was of excellent quality. Interpretation and Conclusion: The cellular details, nuclear details and staining characteristics of microwave stained tissues were better than or equal to the routine stained tissue. The overall quality of microwave-stained sections was found to be better than the routine stained tissue in majority of cases.

Discrete Particle Swarm Optimization Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks with Multiple Mobile Sinks.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jin; Liu, Fagui; Cao, Jianneng; Wang, Liangming

2016-07-14

Mobile sinks can achieve load-balancing and energy-consumption balancing across the wireless sensor networks (WSNs). However, the frequent change of the paths between source nodes and the sinks caused by sink mobility introduces significant overhead in terms of energy and packet delays. To enhance network performance of WSNs with mobile sinks (MWSNs), we present an efficient routing strategy, which is formulated as an optimization problem and employs the particle swarm optimization algorithm (PSO) to build the optimal routing paths. However, the conventional PSO is insufficient to solve discrete routing optimization problems. Therefore, a novel greedy discrete particle swarm optimization with memory (GMDPSO) is put forward to address this problem. In the GMDPSO, particle's position and velocity of traditional PSO are redefined under discrete MWSNs scenario. Particle updating rule is also reconsidered based on the subnetwork topology of MWSNs. Besides, by improving the greedy forwarding routing, a greedy search strategy is designed to drive particles to find a better position quickly. Furthermore, searching history is memorized to accelerate convergence. Simulation results demonstrate that our new protocol significantly improves the robustness and adapts to rapid topological changes with multiple mobile sinks, while efficiently reducing the communication overhead and the energy consumption.

Establishment of a protocol for the gene expression analysis of laser microdissected rat kidney samples with affymetrix genechips

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stemmer, Kerstin; Ellinger-Ziegelbauer, Heidrun; Lotz, Kerstin; Ahr, Hans-J.; Dietrich, Daniel R.

2006-01-01

Laser microdissection in conjunction with microarray technology allows selective isolation and analysis of specific cell populations, e.g., preneoplastic renal lesions. To date, only limited information is available on sample preparation and preservation techniques that result in both optimal histomorphological preservation of sections and high-quality RNA for microarray analysis. Furthermore, amplification of minute amounts of RNA from microdissected renal samples allowing analysis with genechips has only scantily been addressed to date. The objective of this study was therefore to establish a reliable and reproducible protocol for laser microdissection in conjunction with microarray technology using kidney tissue from Eker rats p.o. treated for 7 days and 6 months with 10 and 1 mg Aristolochic acid/kg bw, respectively. Kidney tissues were preserved in RNAlater or snap frozen. Cryosections were cut and stained with either H and E or cresyl violet for subsequent morphological and RNA quality assessment and laser microdissection. RNA quality was comparable in snap frozen and RNAlater-preserved samples, however, the histomorphological preservation of renal sections was much better following cryopreservation. Moreover, the different staining techniques in combination with sample processing time at room temperature can have an influence on RNA quality. Different RNA amplification protocols were shown to have an impact on gene expression profiles as demonstrated with Affymetrix Rat Genome 230 2 .0 arrays. Considering all the parameters analyzed in this study, a protocol for RNA isolation from laser microdissected samples with subsequent Affymetrix chip hybridization was established that was also successfully applied to preneoplastic lesions laser microdissected from Aristolochic acid-treated rats

Persepsi Pemustaka Terhadap Kualitas Layanan Perpustakaan Pascasarjana STAIN Pamekasan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hairul A Cahyo

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Library is one of supporting element from institute, which can fullfill user’s information need for teaching learning process especially in postgraduate STAIN Pamekasan. To create optimal and good service in postgraduate library, it can see from user’s perception in service quality in postgraduate STAIN Pamekasan. This research used data collection technic; observation, interview and documentation. Officer quality in giving servive to user visible in copability and attitude from officer it self. Library service also can see from collection of books in library to fullfill user’s need. Supporting tools in building and rooms. To complete some tools, it also need infrastructure to fullfill library needs in service. Infrastructure needed are utensils, it means to support library actinity which unused up such as; bookshelf, table and chair, computer and internet, air conditioner, room’s light or lamp, catalogue and photocopy machine.

Cost-optimization of the IPv4 zeroconf protocol

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bohnenkamp, H.C.; van der Stok, Peter; Hermanns, H.; Vaandrager, Frits

2003-01-01

This paper investigates the tradeoff between reliability and effectiveness for the IPv4 Zeroconf protocol, proposed by Cheshire/Adoba/Guttman in 2002, dedicated to the selfconfiguration of IP network interfaces. We develop a simple stochastic cost model of the protocol, where reliability is measured

Optimization on the dose versus noise in the image on protocols for computed tomography of pediatric head

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saint'Yves, Thalis L.A.; Travassos, Paulo Cesar B.; Goncalves, Elicardo A.S.; Mecca A, Fernando; Silveira, Thiago B.

2010-01-01

This article aims to establish protocols optimized for computed tomography of pediatric skull, to the Picker Q2000 tomography of the Instituto Nacional de Cancer, through the analysis of dose x noise on the image with the variation of values of mAs and kVp. We used a water phantom to measure the noise, a pencil type ionization chamber to measure the dose in the air and the Alderson Randon phantom for check the quality of the image. We found values of mAs and kVp that reduce the skin dose of the original protocol used in 35.9%, maintaining the same image quality at a safe diagnosis. (author)

Detergent-compatible proteases: microbial production, properties, and stain removal analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Niyonzima, Francois Niyongabo; More, Sunil

2015-01-01

Proteases are one of the most important commercial enzymes used in various industrial domains such as detergent and leather industries. The alkaline proteases as well as other detergent-compatible enzymes such as lipases and amylases serve now as the key components in detergent formulations. They break down various stains during fabric washing. The search for detergent-compatible proteases with better properties is a continuous exercise. The current trend is to use detergent-compatible proteases that are stable over a wide temperature range. Although the proteases showing stability at elevated pH have the capacity to be used in detergent formulations, their usage can be significant if they are also stable and compatible with detergent and detergent ingredients, and also able to remove protein stains. Despite the existence of some reviews on alkaline proteases, there is no specification for the use of alkaline proteases as detergent additives. The present review describes the detergent-compatible proteases tested as detergent additives. An overview was provided for screening, optimization, purification, and properties of detergent compatible proteases, with an emphasis on the stability and compatibility of the alkaline proteases with the detergent and detergent compounds, as well as stain removal examination methods.

Is gait variability reliable in older adults and Parkinson's disease? Towards an optimal testing protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Galna, Brook; Lord, Sue; Rochester, Lynn

2013-04-01

Despite the widespread use of gait variability in research and clinical studies, testing protocols designed to optimise its reliability have not been established. This study evaluates the impact of testing protocol and pathology on the reliability of gait variability. To (i) estimate the reliability of gait variability during continuous and intermittent walking protocols in older adults and people with Parkinson's disease (PD), (ii) determine optimal number of steps for acceptable levels of reliability of gait variability and (iii) provide sample size estimates for use in clinical trials. Gait variability was measured twice, one week apart, in 27 older adults and 25 PD participants. Participants walked at their preferred pace during: (i) a continuous 2 min walk and (ii) 3 intermittent walks over a 12 m walkway. Gait variability was calculated as the within-person standard deviation for step velocity, length and width, and step, stance and swing duration. Reliability of gait variability ranged from poor to excellent (intra class correlations .041-.860; relative limits of agreement 34-89%). Gait variability was more reliable during continuous walks. Control and PD participants demonstrated similar reliability. Increasing the number of steps improved reliability, with most improvement seen across the first 30 steps. In this study, we identified testing protocols that improve the reliability of measuring gait variability. We recommend using a continuous walking protocol and to collect no fewer than 30 steps. Early PD does not appear to impact negatively on the reliability of gait variability. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Intrapartum amnioinfusion for meconium-stained fluid: meta-analysis of prospective clinical trials.

Science.gov (United States)

Pierce, J; Gaudier, F L; Sanchez-Ramos, L

2000-06-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of intrapartum prophylactic amnioinfusion in pregnancies complicated by meconium-stained amniotic fluid. We identified prospective clinical trials of amnioinfusion in pregnancies complicated by meconium-stained amniotic fluid (AF) published in English by using computerized databases, references in published studies, and index reviews. We analyzed prospective studies of intrapartum amnioinfusion for meconium-stained AF. In every case, group allocation was based exclusively on meconium in AF. Only published studies with clearly documented outcome data were included. The trials were evaluated for meconium below the vocal cords, meconium aspiration syndrome, fetal acidemia, cesarean delivery, and postpartum endometritis. Each trial was evaluated for the quality of its methodology, inclusion and exclusion criteria, adequacy of randomization, amnioinfusion protocols, definition of outcomes, and statistical analyses. Thirteen studies met inclusion criteria for our systematic review. Odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for each outcome. Estimates of ORs and risk differences for dichotomous outcomes were calculated using random and fixed-effects models. We tested for homogeneity across the studies. We found that intrapartum amnioinfusion significantly reduced the frequency of meconium aspiration syndrome (OR 0.30; 95% CI 0.19, 0. 46), of meconium below the vocal cords, and neonatal acidemia. Subjects allocated to receive amnioinfusion also had a significantly lower overall cesarean rate (OR 0.74, 95% CI 0.59, 0.93) without increased postpartum endometritis. Amnioinfusion in cases of meconium-stained fluid significantly improves neonatal outcome, lowers the cesarean delivery rate, and does not increase the postpartum endometritis rate.

Large family of quantum weak coin-flipping protocols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mochon, Carlos

2005-01-01

Each classical public-coin protocol for coin flipping is naturally associated with a quantum protocol for weak coin flipping. The quantum protocol is obtained by replacing classical randomness with quantum entanglement and by adding a cheat detection test in the last round that verifies the integrity of this entanglement. The set of such protocols defines a family which contains the protocol with bias 0.192 previously found by the author, as well as protocols with bias as low as 1/6 described herein. The family is analyzed by identifying a set of optimal protocols for every number of messages. In the end, tight lower bounds for the bias are obtained which prove that 1/6 is optimal for all protocols within the family

Confusion over live/dead stainings for the detection of vital microorganisms in oral biofilms--which stain is suitable?

Science.gov (United States)

Netuschil, Lutz; Auschill, Thorsten M; Sculean, Anton; Arweiler, Nicole B

2014-01-11

There is confusion over the definition of the term "viability state(s)" of microorganisms. "Viability staining" or "vital staining techniques" are used to distinguish live from dead bacteria. These stainings, first established on planctonic bacteria, may have serious shortcomings when applied to multispecies biofilms. Results of staining techniques should be compared with appropriate microbiological data. Many terms describe "vitality states" of microorganisms, however, several of them are misleading. Authors define "viable" as "capable to grow". Accordingly, staining methods are substitutes, since no staining can prove viability.The reliability of a commercial "viability" staining assay (Molecular Probes) is discussed based on the corresponding product information sheet: (I) Staining principle; (II) Concentrations of bacteria; (III) Calculation of live/dead proportions in vitro. Results of the "viability" kit are dependent on the stains' concentration and on their relation to the number of bacteria in the test. Generally this staining system is not suitable for multispecies biofilms, thus incorrect statements have been published by users of this technique.To compare the results of the staining with bacterial parameters appropriate techniques should be selected. The assessment of Colony Forming Units is insufficient, rather the calculation of Plating Efficiency is necessary. Vital fluorescence staining with Fluorescein Diacetate and Ethidium Bromide seems to be the best proven and suitable method in biofilm research.Regarding the mutagenicity of staining components users should be aware that not only Ethidium Bromide might be harmful, but also a variety of other substances of which the toxicity and mutagenicity is not reported. - The nomenclature regarding "viability" and "vitality" should be used carefully.- The manual of the commercial "viability" kit itself points out that the kit is not suitable for natural multispecies biofilm research, as supported by an

Optimized protocols for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with thoracic metallic implants.

Science.gov (United States)

Olivieri, Laura J; Cross, Russell R; O'Brien, Kendall E; Ratnayaka, Kanishka; Hansen, Michael S

2015-09-01

Cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a valuable tool in congenital heart disease; however patients frequently have metal devices in the chest from the treatment of their disease that complicate imaging. Methods are needed to improve imaging around metal implants near the heart. Basic sequence parameter manipulations have the potential to minimize artifact while limiting effects on image resolution and quality. Our objective was to design cine and static cardiac imaging sequences to minimize metal artifact while maintaining image quality. Using systematic variation of standard imaging parameters on a fluid-filled phantom containing commonly used metal cardiac devices, we developed optimized sequences for steady-state free precession (SSFP), gradient recalled echo (GRE) cine imaging, and turbo spin-echo (TSE) black-blood imaging. We imaged 17 consecutive patients undergoing routine cardiac MR with 25 metal implants of various origins using both standard and optimized imaging protocols for a given slice position. We rated images for quality and metal artifact size by measuring metal artifact in two orthogonal planes within the image. All metal artifacts were reduced with optimized imaging. The average metal artifact reduction for the optimized SSFP cine was 1.5+/-1.8 mm, and for the optimized GRE cine the reduction was 4.6+/-4.5 mm (P metal artifact reduction for the optimized TSE images was 1.6+/-1.7 mm (P metal artifact are easily created by modifying basic sequence parameters, and images are superior to standard imaging sequences in both quality and artifact size. Specifically, for optimized cine imaging a GRE sequence should be used with settings that favor short echo time, i.e. flow compensation off, weak asymmetrical echo and a relatively high receiver bandwidth. For static black-blood imaging, a TSE sequence should be used with fat saturation turned off and high receiver bandwidth.

Optimized protocols for cardiac magnetic resonance imaging in patients with thoracic metallic implants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olivieri, Laura J.; Ratnayaka, Kanishka [Children' s National Health System, Division of Cardiology, Washington, DC (United States); National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD (United States); Cross, Russell R.; O' Brien, Kendall E. [Children' s National Health System, Division of Cardiology, Washington, DC (United States); Hansen, Michael S. [National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Bethesda, MD (United States)

2015-09-15

Cardiac magnetic resonance (MR) imaging is a valuable tool in congenital heart disease; however patients frequently have metal devices in the chest from the treatment of their disease that complicate imaging. Methods are needed to improve imaging around metal implants near the heart. Basic sequence parameter manipulations have the potential to minimize artifact while limiting effects on image resolution and quality. Our objective was to design cine and static cardiac imaging sequences to minimize metal artifact while maintaining image quality. Using systematic variation of standard imaging parameters on a fluid-filled phantom containing commonly used metal cardiac devices, we developed optimized sequences for steady-state free precession (SSFP), gradient recalled echo (GRE) cine imaging, and turbo spin-echo (TSE) black-blood imaging. We imaged 17 consecutive patients undergoing routine cardiac MR with 25 metal implants of various origins using both standard and optimized imaging protocols for a given slice position. We rated images for quality and metal artifact size by measuring metal artifact in two orthogonal planes within the image. All metal artifacts were reduced with optimized imaging. The average metal artifact reduction for the optimized SSFP cine was 1.5+/-1.8 mm, and for the optimized GRE cine the reduction was 4.6+/-4.5 mm (P < 0.05). Quality ratings favored the optimized GRE cine. Similarly, the average metal artifact reduction for the optimized TSE images was 1.6+/-1.7 mm (P < 0.05), and quality ratings favored the optimized TSE imaging. Imaging sequences tailored to minimize metal artifact are easily created by modifying basic sequence parameters, and images are superior to standard imaging sequences in both quality and artifact size. Specifically, for optimized cine imaging a GRE sequence should be used with settings that favor short echo time, i.e. flow compensation off, weak asymmetrical echo and a relatively high receiver bandwidth. For static

[Evaluation of visualization of biological stains with the use of alternative light source (ALS) for the purpose of genetic identification. Part I. Blood and saliva stains analysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Szeremeta, Michał; Pepiński, Witold; Niemcunowicz-Janica, Anna; Skawrońska, Małgorzata; Sackiewicz, Adam; Ptaszyńska-Sarosiek, Iwona; Okłota, Magdalena

2010-01-01

The objective of the investigation was evaluation of visualization of human blood and saliva stains with the use of alternative light source for the purpose of genetic identification. Experimental bloodstains on the bright base were the most clearly seen in the natural light and white light, up to blood dilution of 1:600. Complete typeability of AmpFISTR SGM Plus kit profiles was obtained from bloodstains at dilution 1:1500. Partial AmpFISTR SGM Plus kit profiles were typed from bloodstains at dilutions 1:1750 and 1:2000. Experimental saliva stains on the light-colored base were completely invisible in the natural light and white light, while they were visualized at wavelength range 300-415 nm through yellow goggles, and at wavelength range 300-455 nm through orange goggles at saliva dilution 1: 600. Complete typeability of AmpFISTR SGM Plus kit loci was obtained from saliva stains at dilution 1:1750. Partial AmpFISTR SGM Plus kit profiles were typed from saliva stains at dilution 1:2000. The wavelength of 455 nm and orange goggles were the optimal set for visualization of bloodstains on various, noncontrasting materials. Other useful wavelength/combinations of goggles were CSS light/red goggles. In case of saliva, the most useful general condition for visualization of stains on various, non-contrasting materials was with the wavelength set to 300-415 nm, while wearing yellow goggles. Other useful combinations of wavelength/goggles were 300-455 nm/orange or red goggles, and also CSS light/orange or red goggles.

Practical considerations for optimizing cardiac computed tomography protocols for comprehensive acquisition prior to transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Science.gov (United States)

Khalique, Omar K; Pulerwitz, Todd C; Halliburton, Sandra S; Kodali, Susheel K; Hahn, Rebecca T; Nazif, Tamim M; Vahl, Torsten P; George, Isaac; Leon, Martin B; D'Souza, Belinda; Einstein, Andrew J

2016-01-01

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is performed frequently in patients with severe, symptomatic aortic stenosis who are at high risk or inoperable for open surgical aortic valve replacement. Computed tomography angiography (CTA) has become the gold standard imaging modality for pre-TAVR cardiac anatomic and vascular access assessment. Traditionally, cardiac CTA has been most frequently used for assessment of coronary artery stenosis, and scanning protocols have generally been tailored for this purpose. Pre-TAVR CTA has different goals than coronary CTA and the high prevalence of chronic kidney disease in the TAVR patient population creates a particular need to optimize protocols for a reduction in iodinated contrast volume. This document reviews details which allow the physician to tailor CTA examinations to maximize image quality and minimize harm, while factoring in multiple patient and scanner variables which must be considered in customizing a pre-TAVR protocol. Copyright © 2016 Society of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-F-I-46: Optimizing Dose Reduction in Adult Head CT Protocols While Maintaining Image Quality in Postmortem Head Scans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipnharski, I; Carranza, C; Quails, N; Correa, N; Rajderkar, D; Bennett, J; Rill, L; Arreola, M

2016-01-01

Purpose: To optimize adult head CT protocol by reducing dose to an appropriate level while providing CT images of diagnostic quality. Methods: Five cadavers were scanned from the skull base to the vertex using a routine adult head CT protocol (120 kVp, 270 mA, 0.75 s rotation, 0.5 mm × 32 detectors, 70.8 mGy CTDIvol) followed by seven reduced-dose protocols with varying combinations of reduced tube current, reduced rotation time, and increased detectors with CTDIvol ranging from 38.2 to 65.6 mGy. Organ doses were directly measured with 21 OSL dosimeters placed on the surface and implanted in the head by a neurosurgeon. Two neuroradiologists assessed grey-white matter differentiation, fluid space, ventricular size, midline shift, brain mass, edema, ischemia, and skull fractures on a three point scale: (1) Unacceptable, (2) Borderline Acceptable, and (3) Acceptable. Results: For the standard scan, doses to the skin, lens of the eye, salivary glands, thyroid, and brain were 37.55 mGy, 49.65 mGy, 40.67 mGy, 4.63 mGy, and 27.33 mGy, respectively. Two cadavers had cerebral edema due to changing dynamics of postmortem effects, causing the grey-white matter differentiation to appear less distinct. Two cadavers with preserved grey-white matter received acceptable scores for all image quality features for the protocol with a CTDIvol of 57.3 mGy, allowing organ dose savings ranging from 34% to 45%. One cadaver allowed for greater dose reduction for the protocol with a CTDIvol of 42 mGy. Conclusion: Efforts to optimize scan protocol should consider both dose and clinical image quality. This is made possible with postmortem subjects, whose brains are similar to patients, allowing for an investigation of ideal scan parameters. Radiologists at our institution accepted scan protocols acquired with lower scan parameters, with CTDIvol values closer to the American College of Radiology’s (ACR) Achievable Dose level of 57 mGy.

SU-F-I-46: Optimizing Dose Reduction in Adult Head CT Protocols While Maintaining Image Quality in Postmortem Head Scans

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lipnharski, I; Carranza, C; Quails, N; Correa, N; Rajderkar, D; Bennett, J; Rill, L; Arreola, M [University of Florida, Gainesville, FL (United States)

2016-06-15

Purpose: To optimize adult head CT protocol by reducing dose to an appropriate level while providing CT images of diagnostic quality. Methods: Five cadavers were scanned from the skull base to the vertex using a routine adult head CT protocol (120 kVp, 270 mA, 0.75 s rotation, 0.5 mm × 32 detectors, 70.8 mGy CTDIvol) followed by seven reduced-dose protocols with varying combinations of reduced tube current, reduced rotation time, and increased detectors with CTDIvol ranging from 38.2 to 65.6 mGy. Organ doses were directly measured with 21 OSL dosimeters placed on the surface and implanted in the head by a neurosurgeon. Two neuroradiologists assessed grey-white matter differentiation, fluid space, ventricular size, midline shift, brain mass, edema, ischemia, and skull fractures on a three point scale: (1) Unacceptable, (2) Borderline Acceptable, and (3) Acceptable. Results: For the standard scan, doses to the skin, lens of the eye, salivary glands, thyroid, and brain were 37.55 mGy, 49.65 mGy, 40.67 mGy, 4.63 mGy, and 27.33 mGy, respectively. Two cadavers had cerebral edema due to changing dynamics of postmortem effects, causing the grey-white matter differentiation to appear less distinct. Two cadavers with preserved grey-white matter received acceptable scores for all image quality features for the protocol with a CTDIvol of 57.3 mGy, allowing organ dose savings ranging from 34% to 45%. One cadaver allowed for greater dose reduction for the protocol with a CTDIvol of 42 mGy. Conclusion: Efforts to optimize scan protocol should consider both dose and clinical image quality. This is made possible with postmortem subjects, whose brains are similar to patients, allowing for an investigation of ideal scan parameters. Radiologists at our institution accepted scan protocols acquired with lower scan parameters, with CTDIvol values closer to the American College of Radiology’s (ACR) Achievable Dose level of 57 mGy.

New Insights into the in situ Microscopic Visualization and Quantification of Inorganic Polyphosphate Stores by 4’,6-Diamidino-2-Phenylindole (DAPI)-Staining

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, F.M.; Ramos, I.B.; Wendt, C.; Girard-Dias, W.; De Souza, W.; Machado, E.A.; K. Miranda, E.A.

2013-01-01

Inorganic polyphosphate (PolyP) is a biological polymer that plays important roles in the cell physiology of both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. Among the available methods for PolyP localization and quantification, a 4’,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole(DAPI)-based assay has been used for visualization of PolyP-rich organelles. Due to differences in DAPI permeability to different compartments and/or PolyP retention after fixation, a general protocol for DAPI-PolyP staining has not yet been established. Here, we tested different protocols for DAPI-PolyP detection in a range of samples with different levels of DAPI permeability, including subcellular fractions, free-living cells and cryosections of fixed tissues. Subcellular fractions of PolyP-rich organelles yielded DAPI-PolyP fluorescence, although those with a complex external layer usually required longer incubation times, previous aldehyde fixation and/or detergent permeabilization. DAPI-PolyP was also detected in cryosections of OCT-embedded tissues analyzed by multiphoton microscopy. In addition, a semi-quantitative fluorimetric analysis of DAPI-stained fractions showed PolyP mobilization in a similar fashion to what has been demonstrated with the use of enzyme-based quantitative protocols. Taken together, our results support the use of DAPI for both PolyP visualization and quantification, although specific steps are suggested as a general guideline for DAPI-PolyP staining in biological samples with different degrees of DAPI and PolyP permeability. PMID:24441187

Combined in situ zymography, immunofluorescence, and staining of iron oxide particles in paraffin-embedded, zinc-fixed tissue sections.

Science.gov (United States)

Haeckel, Akvile; Schoenzart, Lena; Appler, Franziska; Schnorr, Joerg; Taupitz, Matthias; Hamm, Bernd; Schellenberger, Eyk

2012-01-01

Superparamagnetic iron oxide particles are used as potent contrast agents in magnetic resonance imaging. In histology, these particles are frequently visualized by Prussian blue iron staining of aldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Recently, zinc salt-based fixative was shown to preserve enzyme activity in paraffin-embedded tissues. In this study, we demonstrate that zinc fixation allows combining in situ zymography with fluorescence immunohistochemistry (IHC) and iron staining for advanced biologic investigation of iron oxide particle accumulation. Very small iron oxide particles, developed for magnetic resonance angiography, were applied intravenously to BALB/c nude mice. After 3 hours, spleens were explanted and subjected to zinc fixation and paraffin embedding. Cut tissue sections were further processed to in situ zymography, IHC, and Prussian blue staining procedures. The combination of in situ zymography as well as IHC with subsequent Prussian blue iron staining on zinc-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues resulted in excellent histologic images of enzyme activity, protease distribution, and iron oxide particle accumulation. The combination of all three stains on a single section allowed direct comparison with only moderate degradation of fluorescein isothiocyanate-labeled substrate. This protocol is useful for investigating the biologic environment of accumulating iron oxide particles, with excellent preservation of morphology.

Non-invasive determination of port wine stain anatomy and physiology for optimal laser treatment strategies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Gemert, M. J.; Nelson, J. S.; Milner, T. E.; Smithies, D. J.; Verkruysse, W.; de Boer, J. F.; Lucassen, G. W.; Goodman, D. M.; Tanenbaum, B. S.; Norvang, L. T.; Svaasand, L. O.

1997-01-01

The treatment of port wine stains (PWSs) using a flashlamp-pumped pulsed dye laser is often performed using virtually identical irradiation parameters. Although encouraging clinical results have been reported, we propose that lasers will only reach their full potential provided treatment parameters

Preparation of DNA from cytological material: effects of fixation, staining, and mounting medium on DNA yield and quality.

Science.gov (United States)

Dejmek, Annika; Zendehrokh, Nooreldin; Tomaszewska, Malgorzata; Edsjö, Anders

2013-07-01

Personalized oncology requires molecular analysis of tumor cells. Several studies have demonstrated that cytological material is suitable for DNA analysis, but to the authors' knowledge there are no systematic studies comparing how the yield and quality of extracted DNA is affected by the various techniques used for the preparation of cytological material. DNA yield and quality were compared using cultured human lung cancer cells subjected to different preparation techniques used in routine cytology, including fixation, mounting medium, and staining. The results were compared with the outcome of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) genotyping of 66 clinical cytological samples using the same DNA preparation protocol. All tested protocol combinations resulted in fragment lengths of at least 388 base pairs. The mounting agent EcoMount resulted in higher yields than traditional xylene-based medium. Spray and ethanol fixation resulted in both a higher yield and better DNA quality than air drying. In liquid-based cytology (LBC) methods, CytoLyt solution resulted in a 5-fold higher yield than CytoRich Red. Papanicolaou staining provided twice the yield of hematoxylin and eosin staining in both liquid-based preparations. Genotyping outcome and quality control values from the clinical EGFR genotyping demonstrated a sufficient amount and amplifiability of DNA in both spray-fixed and air-dried cytological samples. Reliable clinical genotyping can be performed using all tested methods. However, in the cell line experiments, spray- or ethanol-fixed, Papanicolaou-stained slides provided the best results in terms of yield and fragment length. In LBC, the DNA recovery efficiency of the preserving medium may differ considerably, which should be taken into consideration when introducing LBC. Cancer (Cancer Cytopathol) 2013;121:344-353. © 2013 American Cancer Society. © 2013 American Cancer Society.

Cell-based quantification of biomarkers from an ultra-fast microfluidic immunofluorescent staining: application to human breast cancer cell lines

Science.gov (United States)

Migliozzi, D.; Nguyen, H. T.; Gijs, M. A. M.

2018-02-01

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) is one of the main techniques currently used in the clinics for biomarker characterization. It consists in colorimetric labeling with specific antibodies followed by microscopy analysis. The results are then used for diagnosis and therapeutic targeting. Well-known drawbacks of such protocols are their limited accuracy and precision, which prevent the clinicians from having quantitative and robust IHC results. With our work, we combined rapid microfluidic immunofluorescent staining with efficient image-based cell segmentation and signal quantification to increase the robustness of both experimental and analytical protocols. The experimental protocol is very simple and based on fast-fluidic-exchange in a microfluidic chamber created on top of the formalin-fixed-paraffin-embedded (FFPE) slide by clamping it a silicon chip with a polydimethyl siloxane (PDMS) sealing ring. The image-processing protocol is based on enhancement and subsequent thresholding of the local contrast of the obtained fluorescence image. As a case study, given that the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) protein is often used as a biomarker for breast cancer, we applied our method to HER2+ and HER2- cell lines. We report very fast (5 minutes) immunofluorescence staining of both HER2 and cytokeratin (a marker used to define the tumor region) on FFPE slides. The image-processing program can segment cells correctly and give a cell-based quantitative immunofluorescent signal. With this method, we found a reproducible well-defined separation for the HER2-to-cytokeratin ratio for positive and negative control samples.

Iron Stain on Wood

Science.gov (United States)

Mark Knaebe

2013-01-01

Iron stain, an unsightly blue–black or gray discoloration, can occur on nearly all woods. Oak, redwood, cypress, and cedar are particularly prone to iron stain because these woods contain large amounts of tannin-like extractives. The discoloration is caused by a chemical reaction between extractives in the wood and iron in steel products, such as nails, screws, and...

An Optimized Protocol to Increase Virus-Induced Gene Silencing Efficiency and Minimize Viral Symptoms in Petunia

OpenAIRE

Broderick, Shaun R.; Jones, Michelle L.

2013-01-01

Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) is used to down-regulate endogenous plant genes. VIGS efficiency depends on viral proliferation and systemic movement throughout the plant. Although tobacco rattle virus (TRV)-based VIGS has been successfully used in petunia (Petunia × hybrida), the protocol has not been thoroughly optimized for efficient and uniform gene down-regulation in this species. Therefore, we evaluated six parameters that improved VIGS in petunia. Inoculation of mechanically wounde...

Demonstration of lipofuscin and Nissl bodies in crystal violet stained sections using a fluorescence technique or pyronin Y stain.

Science.gov (United States)

Terr, L I

1986-09-01

This paper presents two simple, reliable methods for identification of lipofuscin and Nissl bodies in the same section. One method shows that lipofuscin stained with crystal violet retains its ability to fluoresce and can be observed under the fluorescence microscope after the stain has faded. Fading is accompanied by a gradual increase in the intensity of the fluorescence and is complete in about 5 min. Exciting illumination from this part of the spectrum also substantially fades staining of other autofluorescing tissue elements, such as lipids. Nonfluorescing structures, such as Nissl bodies, remain stained. By changing from transillumination with tungsten light to epifluorescent illumination and vice versa, both types of structures--Nissl bodies and lipofuscin--can be identified in the same section. The second technique uses pyronin Y for staining Nissl bodies in preparations previously stained with crystal violet. Nissl bodies are stained pink but lipofuscin remains violet. Lipofuscin in these sections also remains autofluorescent after the crystal violet stain has faded under violet or near-UV light.

Blocking Optimality in Distributed Real-Time Locking Protocols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Björn Bernhard Brandenburg

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Lower and upper bounds on the maximum priority inversion blocking (pi-blocking that is generally unavoidable in distributed multiprocessor real-time locking protocols (where resources may be accessed only from specific synchronization processors are established. Prior work on suspension-based shared-memory multiprocessor locking protocols (which require resources to be accessible from all processors has established asymptotically tight bounds of Ω(m and Ω(n maximum pi-blocking under suspension-oblivious and suspension-aware analysis, respectively, where m denotes the total number of processors and n denotes the number of tasks. In this paper, it is shown that, in the case of distributed semaphore protocols, there exist two different task allocation scenarios that give rise to distinct lower bounds. In the case of co-hosted task allocation, where application tasks may also be assigned to synchronization processors (i.e., processors hosting critical sections, Ω(Φ · n maximum pi-blocking is unavoidable for some tasks under any locking protocol under both suspension-aware and suspension-oblivious schedulability analysis, where Φ denotes the ratio of the maximum response time to the shortest period. In contrast, in the case of disjoint task allocation (i.e., if application tasks may not be assigned to synchronization processors, only Ω(m and Ω(n maximum pi-blocking is fundamentally unavoidable under suspension-oblivious and suspension-aware analysis, respectively, as in the shared-memory case. These bounds are shown to be asymptotically tight with the construction of two new distributed real-time locking protocols that ensure O(m and O(n maximum pi-blocking under suspension-oblivious and suspension-aware analysis, respectively.

Histological Stains: A Literature Review and Case Study.

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Alturkistani, Hani A; Tashkandi, Faris M; Mohammedsaleh, Zuhair M

2015-06-25

The history of histology indicates that there have been significant changes in the techniques used for histological staining through chemical, molecular biology assays and immunological techniques, collectively referred to as histochemistry. Early histologists used the readily available chemicals to prepare tissues for microscopic studies; these laboratory chemicals were potassium dichromate, alcohol and the mercuric chloride to harden cellular tissues. Staining techniques used were carmine, silver nitrate, Giemsa, Trichrome Stains, Gram Stain and Hematoxylin among others. The purpose of this research was to assess past and current literature reviews, as well as case studies, with the aim of informing ways in which histological stains have been improved in the modern age. Results from the literature review has indicated that there has been an improvement in histopathology and histotechnology in stains used. There has been a rising need for efficient, accurate and less complex staining procedures. Many stain procedures are still in use today, and many others have been replaced with new immunostaining, molecular, non-culture and other advanced staining techniques. Some staining methods have been abandoned because the chemicals required have been medically proven to be toxic. The case studies indicated that in modern histology a combination of different stain techniques are used to enhance the effectiveness of the staining process. Currently, improved histological stains, have been modified and combined with other stains to improve their effectiveness.

Automation of a Nile red staining assay enables high throughput quantification of microalgal lipid production.

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Morschett, Holger; Wiechert, Wolfgang; Oldiges, Marco

2016-02-09

Within the context of microalgal lipid production for biofuels and bulk chemical applications, specialized higher throughput devices for small scale parallelized cultivation are expected to boost the time efficiency of phototrophic bioprocess development. However, the increasing number of possible experiments is directly coupled to the demand for lipid quantification protocols that enable reliably measuring large sets of samples within short time and that can deal with the reduced sample volume typically generated at screening scale. To meet these demands, a dye based assay was established using a liquid handling robot to provide reproducible high throughput quantification of lipids with minimized hands-on-time. Lipid production was monitored using the fluorescent dye Nile red with dimethyl sulfoxide as solvent facilitating dye permeation. The staining kinetics of cells at different concentrations and physiological states were investigated to successfully down-scale the assay to 96 well microtiter plates. Gravimetric calibration against a well-established extractive protocol enabled absolute quantification of intracellular lipids improving precision from ±8 to ±2 % on average. Implementation into an automated liquid handling platform allows for measuring up to 48 samples within 6.5 h, reducing hands-on-time to a third compared to manual operation. Moreover, it was shown that automation enhances accuracy and precision compared to manual preparation. It was revealed that established protocols relying on optical density or cell number for biomass adjustion prior to staining may suffer from errors due to significant changes of the cells' optical and physiological properties during cultivation. Alternatively, the biovolume was used as a measure for biomass concentration so that errors from morphological changes can be excluded. The newly established assay proved to be applicable for absolute quantification of algal lipids avoiding limitations of currently established

Flow cytometric detection of micronuclei by combined staining of DNA and membranes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wessels, J.M.; Nuesse, M.

1995-01-01

A new staining method is presented for flow cytometric measurement of micronuclei (MN) in cell cultures and human lymphocytes using membrane-specific fluorescent dyes in addition to DNA staining. Several combinations of fluorescent membrane and DNA dyes were studied for a better discrimination of MN from debris in a suspension of nuclei and micronuclei. For staining of membranes, the lipophilic dyes 2-hydroxyethyl-7,12,17-tris(methoxyethyl)porphycene (HEPn) and 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) were used in combination with ethidium bromide (EB), proflavine (PF), and Hoechst 33258 (HO). Due to their spectral properties, HO or EB combined with HEPn were not as suitable for the discrimination of MN from debris as was HEPn in combination with PF. With HEPn in combination with PF, however, additional noise was found at low fluorescence intensities, probably due to free fluorescent dye molecules in the solution. The optimal simultaneous staining of membranes and DNA was obtained using a combination of DPH and EB. The induction of MN in Chinese hamster and mouse NIH-3T3 cells by UV-B illumination was studied with this new staining technique. UV-B illumination (280-360 nm) induced MN in both cell lines. Chinese hamster cells were found to be more sensitive to these wavelengths. Illumination with wavelengths above 360 nm did not induce MN in either cell line. The results obtained from human lymphocytes using the combination of EB or DPH were comparable to the results obtained with the combination of EB and HO. 23 refs., 7 figs

Centrifuge-operated specimen staining method and apparatus

Science.gov (United States)

Clarke, Mark S. F. (Inventor); Feeback, Daniel L. (Inventor)

1999-01-01

A method of staining preselected, mounted specimens of either biological or nonbiological material enclosed within a staining chamber where the liquid staining reagents are applied and removed from the staining chamber using hypergravity as the propelling force. In the preferred embodiment, a spacecraft-operated centrifuge and method of diagnosing biological specimens while in orbit, characterized by hermetically sealing a shell assembly. The assembly contains slide stain apparatus with computer control therefor, the operative effect of which is to overcome microgravity, for example on board an International Space Station.

Optimization of a protocol for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy by using an anthropomorphic phantom*

Science.gov (United States)

Ramos, Susie Medeiros Oliveira; Glavam, Adriana Pereira; Kubo, Tadeu Takao Almodovar; de Sá, Lidia Vasconcellos

2014-01-01

Objective To develop a study aiming at optimizing myocardial perfusion imaging. Materials and Methods Imaging of an anthropomorphic thorax phantom with a GE SPECT Ventri gamma camera, with varied activities and acquisition times, in order to evaluate the influence of these parameters on the quality of the reconstructed medical images. The 99mTc-sestamibi radiotracer was utilized, and then the images were clinically evaluated on the basis of data such as summed stress score, and on the technical image quality and perfusion. The software ImageJ was utilized in the data quantification. Results The results demonstrated that for the standard acquisition time utilized in the procedure (15 seconds per angle), the injected activity could be reduced by 33.34%. Additionally, even if the standard scan time is reduced by 53.34% (7 seconds per angle), the standard injected activity could still be reduced by 16.67%, without impairing the image quality and the diagnostic reliability. Conclusion The described method and respective results provide a basis for the development of a clinical trial of patients in an optimized protocol. PMID:25741088

Optimization of a protocol for myocardial perfusion scintigraphy by using an anthropomorphic phantom

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramos, Susie Medeiros Oliveira; Sa, Lidia Vasconcellos de, E-mail: susie@ird.gov.br [Instituto de Radioprotecao e Dosimetria (IRD/CNEN-RJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil); Glavam, Adriana Pereira; Kubo, Tadeu Takao Almodovar [Clinica de Diagnostico Por Imagem (CDPI/DASA), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2014-07-15

Objective: to develop a study aiming at optimizing myocardial perfusion imaging. Materials and Methods: imaging of an anthropomorphic thorax phantom with a GE SPECT Ventri gamma camera, with varied activities and acquisition times, in order to evaluate the influence of these parameters on the quality of the reconstructed medical images. The {sup 99m}Tc-sestamibi radiotracer was utilized, and then the images were clinically evaluated on the basis of data such as summed stress score, and on the technical image quality and perfusion. The software ImageJ was utilized in the data quantification. Results: the results demonstrated that for the standard acquisition time utilized in the procedure (15 seconds per angle), the injected activity could be reduced by 33.34%. Additionally, even if the standard scan time is reduced by 53.34% (7 seconds per angle), the standard injected activity could still be reduced by 16.67%, without impairing the image quality and the diagnostic reliability. Conclusion: the described method and respective results provide a basis for the development of a clinical trial of patients in an optimized protocol. (author)

Investigation of optimal scanning protocol for X-ray computed tomography polymer gel dosimetry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sellakumar, P. [Bangalore Institute of Oncology, 44-45/2, II Cross, RRMR Extension, Bangalore 560 027 (India)], E-mail: psellakumar@rediffmail.com; James Jebaseelan Samuel, E. [School of Science and Humanities, VIT University, Vellore 632 014 (India); Supe, Sanjay S. [Department of Radiation Physics, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology, Hosur Road, Bangalore 560 027 (India)

2007-11-15

X-ray computed tomography is one of the potential tool used to evaluate the polymer gel dosimeters in three dimensions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors which affect the image noise for X-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry. A cylindrical water filled phantom was imaged with single slice Siemens Somatom Emotion CT scanner. The imaging parameters like tube voltage, tube current, slice scan time, slice thickness and reconstruction algorithm were varied independently to study the dependence of noise on each other. Reductions of noise with number of images to be averaged and spatial uniformity of the image were also investigated. Normoxic polymer gel PAGAT was manufactured and irradiated using Siemens Primus linear accelerator. The radiation induced change in CT number was evaluated using X-ray CT scanner. From this study it is clear that image noise is reduced with increase in tube voltage, tube current, slice scan time, slice thickness and also reduced with increasing the number of images averaged. However to reduce the tube load and total scan time, it was concluded that tube voltage of 130 kV, tube current of 200 mA, scan time of 1.5 s, slice thickness of 3 mm for high dose gradient and 5 mm for low dose gradient were optimal scanning protocols for this scanner. Optimum number of images to be averaged was concluded to be 25 for X-ray CT polymer gel dosimetry. Choice of reconstruction algorithm was also critical. From the study it is also clear that CT number increase with imaging tube voltage and shows the energy dependency of polymer gel dosimeter. Hence for evaluation of polymer gel dosimeters with X-ray CT scanner needs the optimization of scanning protocols to reduce the image noise.

Initial experience on protocol optimization for integrated PET/MR%PET/MR一体机操作优化的初步经验

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

刘家金; 陈英茂; 张雄伟; 富丽萍; 田嘉禾; 尹大一; 徐白萱

2014-01-01

目的 通过比较PET/CT和PET/MR,初步探索PET/MR一体机的操作流程和成像优化方案.方法 228例患者同日内接受PET/CT和PET/MR检查,通过6种不同MR序列与PET采集组合方案,比较图像质量的优劣,以在保证诊断信息基础上缩短患者扫描时间的原则分析判断,并初步确定最优PET/MR一体机采集方案.结果 PET/MR结果与PET/CT相近,但其操作流程和注意事项有独特之处;在6种方案中,以躯干和头部各有独立序列组合、兼顾各向同性结构显示与突出病灶特点的方案6效果最优;PET/MR比PET/CT更易产生伪影.结论 在优化方案基础上,PET/MR可获得与PET/CT一致的诊断级图像,但PET/MR采集时间长、伪影多,有待进一步完善.%Objective To investigate the optimal workflow and protocol for integrated PET/MR by comparison with PET/CT.Methods A total of 228 patients were enrolled in this study for PET/CT and PET/MR evaluation on the same day.Six PET/MR protocols with different MR sequences but the same PET acquisition protocol were investigated and the optimal protocol was identified based on image quality,acquisition time and diagnostic performance.Results PET/MR workflow was similar to PET/CT,however,some special issues needed to be considered for PET/MR.Among the 6 protocols,protocol No.6 outperformed others for body and head regions.Types of artifacts were found more often in PET/MR than in PET/CT.Conclusions By optimizing the protocol,PET/MR could achieve almost the same diagnostic performance as PET/CT.However,the issues of long acquisition time and artifacts on PET/MR need to be further improved.

Hematoxylin and Eosin Counterstaining Protocol for Immunohistochemistry Interpretation and Diagnosis.

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Grosset, Andrée-Anne; Loayza-Vega, Kevin; Adam-Granger, Éloïse; Birlea, Mirela; Gilks, Blake; Nguyen, Bich; Soucy, Geneviève; Tran-Thanh, Danh; Albadine, Roula; Trudel, Dominique

2017-12-21

Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining is a well-established technique in histopathology. However, immunohistochemistry (IHC) interpretation is done exclusively with hematoxylin counterstaining. Our goal was to investigate the potential of H&E as counterstaining (H&E-IHC) to allow for visualization of a marker while confirming the diagnosis on the same slide. The quality of immunostaining and the fast-technical performance were the main criteria to select the final protocol. We stained multiple diagnostic tissues with class I IHC tests with different subcellular localization markers (anti-CK7, CK20, synaptophysin, CD20, HMB45, and Ki-67) and with double-staining on prostate tissues with anti-high molecular weight keratins/p63 (DAB detection) and p504s (alkaline phosphatase detection). To validate the efficacy of the counterstaining, we stained tissue microarrays from the Canadian Immunohistochemistry Quality Control (cIQc) with class II IHC tests (ER, PR, HER2, and p53 markers). Interobserver and intraobserver concordance was assessed by κ statistics. Excellent agreement of H&E-IHC interpretation was observed in comparison with standard IHC from our laboratory (κ, 0.87 to 1.00), and with the cIQc reference values (κ, 0.81 to 1.00). Interobserver and intraobserver agreement was excellent (κ, 0.89 to 1.00 and 0.87 to 1.00, respectively). We therefore show for the first time the potential of using H&E counterstaining for IHC interpretation. We recommend the H&E-IHC protocol to enhance diagnostic precision for the clinical workflow and research studies.

Selection and application of exterior stains for wood

Science.gov (United States)

R. Sam. Williams; William C. Feist

1999-01-01

Exterior stains for wood protect the wood surface from sunlight and moisture. Because stains are formulated to penetrate the wood surface, they are not prone to crack or peel as can film-forming finishes, such as paints. This publication describes the properties of stains and wood, methods for applying stains, and the expected service life of stains.

Cellient™ automated cell block versus traditional cell block preparation: a comparison of morphologic features and immunohistochemical staining.

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, David G; Russell, Donna K; Benson, Jenna M; Schneider, Ashley E; Hoda, Rana S; Bonfiglio, Thomas A

2011-10-01

Traditional cell block (TCB) sections serve as an important diagnostic adjunct to cytologic smears but are also used today as a reliable preparation for immunohistochemical (IHC) studies. There are many ways to prepare a cell block and the methods continue to be revised. In this study, we compare the TCB with the Cellient™ automated cell block system. Thirty-five cell blocks were obtained from 16 benign and 19 malignant nongynecologic cytology specimens at a large university teaching hospital and prepared according to TCB and Cellient protocols. Cell block sections from both methods were compared for possible differences in various morphologic features and immunohistochemical staining patterns. In the 16 benign cases, no significant morphologic differences were found between the TCB and Cellient cell block sections. For the 19 malignant cases, some noticeable differences in the nuclear chromatin and cellularity were identified, although statistical significance was not attained. Immunohistochemical or special stains were performed on 89% of the malignant cases (17/19). Inadequate cellularity precluded full evaluation in 23% of Cellient cell block IHC preparations (4/17). Of the malignant cases with adequate cellularity (13/17), the immunohistochemical staining patterns from the different methods were identical in 53% of cases. The traditional and Cellient cell block sections showed similar morphologic and immunohistochemical staining patterns. The only significant difference between the two methods concerned the lower overall cell block cellularity identified during immunohistochemical staining in the Cellient cell block sections. Copyright © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Differential staining of bacteria: acid fast stain.

Science.gov (United States)

Reynolds, Jackie; Moyes, Rita B; Breakwell, Donald P

2009-11-01

Acid-fastness is an uncommon characteristic shared by the genera Mycobacterium (Section 10A) and Nocardia. Because of this feature, this stain is extremely helpful in identification of these bacteria. Although Gram positive, acid-fast bacteria do not take the crystal violet into the wall well, appearing very light purple rather than the deep purple of normal Gram-positive bacteria. (c) 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Fetal cell detection in maternal blood : A study in 236 samples using erythroblast morphology, DAB and HbF staining, and FISH analysis

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Oosterwijk, JC; Mesker, WE; Ouwerkerk-van Velzen, MCM; Knepfle, CFHM; Wiesmeijer, KC; Beverstock, GC; van Ommen, GJB; Kanhai, HHH; Tanke, HJ

1998-01-01

A protocol to detect fetal nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs) was tested in 217 pregnant women and in 19 nonpregnant controls. All the pregnant women were sampled after chorionic villus sampling (CVS); 20 were also sampled pre-CVS. NRBC recognition was based upon morphology by using staining of

Distortion of the temporary cavity and its influence on staining in firearm barrels.

Science.gov (United States)

Schyma, Christian; Müller, Rolf; Brenčičová, Eva; Brünig, Julia

2018-06-01

After contact shots to the head, biological traces can be found inside the barrel of the firearm. Experimental protocols to generate this sort of staining, using 12 cm gelatin cubes containing thin foil bags filled with acrylic paint, human blood, and radiocontrast agent, have been developed. Previous research on shots fired at a distance has shown the underlay sustaining these gelatin cubes has an influence on experimental results. This study was conducted to investigate the role of the sustaining base of the gelatin blocks during contact shots, and its influence on the staining result inside firearm barrels. Eighteen contact shots were performed using 22 LR, 32 ACP (7.65 Browning) and 9 mm Luger semi-automatic pistols. With each pistol, shots were fired onto six gelatin cubes; three placed upon a rigid platform and three upon an elastic underlay. The shots were recorded by a high-speed video camera as they penetrated the gelatin cube. Any staining present inside the firearm barrels after the shots were fired was documented by endoscopy. Cross sections of the gelatin blocks were then compared to the high-speed video. It was found that the nature of the staining inside the barrel was not influenced by the underlay sustaining the target model. In the experiment using a 9 mm Luger, the rigid counterfort provoked a visible distortion of the temporary cavity, but, cross sectional analysis of the gelatin cubes did not reveal a relevant influence of the sustaining underlay on the crack length in the gelatin. This could be explained by a secondary expansion of the temporary cavity left by the projectile as a consequence of subsequent inflow of muzzle gases.

The comparison of pyrosequencing molecular Gram stain, culture, and conventional Gram stain for diagnosing orthopaedic infections.

Science.gov (United States)

Kobayashi, Naomi; Bauer, Thomas W; Tuohy, Marion J; Lieberman, Isador H; Krebs, Viktor; Togawa, Daisuke; Fujishiro, Takaaki; Procop, Gary W

2006-08-01

We have developed a combined real-time PCR and pyrosequencing assay that successfully differentiated the vast majority of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria when bacterial isolates were tested. The purpose of this study was to evaluate this assay on clinical specimens obtained from orthopedic surgeries, and to prospectively compare the results of "molecular Gram stain" with culture and conventional direct Gram stain. Forty-five surgical specimens were obtained from patients who underwent orthopedic surgery procedures. The DNA was extracted and a set of broad-range PCR primers that targeted a part of the 16S rDNA gene was used for pan-bacterial PCR. The amplicons were submitted for pyrosequencing and the resulting molecular Gram stain characteristics were recorded. Culture and direct Gram staining were performed using standard methods for all cases. Surgical specimens were reviewed histologically for all cases that had a discrepancy between culture and molecular results. There was an 86.7% (39/45) agreement between the traditional and molecular methods. In 12/14 (85.7%) culture-proven cases of bacterial infection, molecular Gram stain characteristics were in agreement with the culture results, while the conventional Gram stain result was in agreement only for five cases (35.7%). In the 31 culture negative cases, 27 cases were also PCR negative, whereas 4 were PCR positive. Three of these were characterized as gram negative and one as gram positive by this molecular method. Molecular determination of the Gram stain characteristics of bacteria that cause orthopedic infections may be achieved, in most instances, by this method. Further studies are necessary to understand the clinical importance of PCR-positive/culture-negative results.

Porcine intestinal mast cells. Evaluation of different fixatives for histochemical staining techniques considering tissue shrinkage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Rieger

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Staining of mast cells (MCs, including porcine ones, is critically dependent upon the fixation and staining technique. In the pig, mucosal and submucosal MCs do not stain or stain only faintly after formalin fixation. Some fixation methods are particularly recommended for MC staining, for example the fixation with Carnoy or lead salts. Zinc salt fixation (ZSF has been reported to work excellently for the preservation of fixation-sensitive antigens. The aim of this study was to establish a reliable histological method for counting of MCs in the porcine intestinum. For this purpose, different tissue fixation and staining methods that also allow potential subsequent immunohistochemical investigations were evaluated in the porcine mucosa, as well as submucosa of small and large intestine. Tissues were fixed in Carnoy, lead acetate, lead nitrate, Zamboni and ZSF and stained subsequently with either polychromatic methylene blue, alcian blue or toluidine blue. For the first time our study reveals that ZSF, a heavy metal fixative, preserves metachromatic staining of porcine MCs. Zamboni fixation was not suitable for histochemical visualization of MCs in the pig intestine. All other tested fixatives were suitable. Alcian blue and toluidine blue co-stained intestinal goblet cells which made a prima facie identification of MCs difficult. The polychromatic methylene blue proved to be the optimal staining. In order to compare MC counting results of the different fixation methods, tissue shrinkage was taken into account. As even the same fixation caused shrinkage-differences between tissue from small and large intestine, different factors for each single fixation and intestinal localization had to be calculated. Tissue shrinkage varied between 19% and 57%, the highest tissue shrinkage was found after fixation with ZSF in the large intestine, the lowest one in the small intestine after lead acetate fixation. Our study emphasizes that MC counting results from

A Historical Perspective on the Identification of Cell Types in Pancreatic Islets of Langerhans by Staining and Histochemical Techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Baskin, Denis G

2015-08-01

Before the middle of the previous century, cell types of the pancreatic islets of Langerhans were identified primarily on the basis of their color reactions with histological dyes. At that time, the chemical basis for the staining properties of islet cells in relation to the identity, chemistry and structure of their hormones was not fully understood. Nevertheless, the definitive islet cell types that secrete glucagon, insulin, and somatostatin (A, B, and D cells, respectively) could reliably be differentiated from each other with staining protocols that involved variations of one or more tinctorial techniques, such as the Mallory-Heidenhain azan trichrome, chromium hematoxylin and phloxine, aldehyde fuchsin, and silver impregnation methods, which were popularly used until supplanted by immunohistochemical techniques. Before antibody-based staining methods, the most bona fide histochemical techniques for the identification of islet B cells were based on the detection of sulfhydryl and disulfide groups of insulin. The application of the classical islet tinctorial staining methods for pathophysiological studies and physiological experiments was fundamental to our understanding of islet architecture and the physiological roles of A and B cells in glucose regulation and diabetes. © The Author(s) 2015.

Improving the characterization of endothelial progenitor cell subsets by an optimized FACS protocol.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Karin Huizer

Full Text Available The characterization of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs is fundamental to any study related to angiogenesis. Unfortunately, current literature lacks consistency in the definition of EPC subsets due to variations in isolation strategies and inconsistencies in the use of lineage markers. Here we address critical points in the identification of hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs, circulating endothelial cells (CECs, and culture-generated outgrowth endothelial cells (OECs from blood samples of healthy adults (AB and umbilical cord (UCB. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs were enriched using a Ficoll-based gradient followed by an optimized staining and gating strategy to enrich for the target cells. Sorted EPC populations were subjected to RT-PCR for tracing the expression of markers beyond the limits of cell surface-based immunophenotyping. Using CD34, CD133 and c-kit staining, combined with FSC and SSC, we succeeded in the accurate and reproducible identification of four HPC subgroups and found significant differences in the respective populations in AB vs. UCB. Co-expression analysis of endothelial markers on HPCs revealed a complex pattern characterized by various subpopulations. CECs were identified by using CD34, KDR, CD45, and additional endothelial markers, and were subdivided according to their apoptotic state and expression of c-kit. Comparison of UCB-CECs vs. AB-CECs revealed significant differences in CD34 and KDR levels. OECs were grown from PBMC-fractions We found that viable c-kit+ CECs are a candidate circulating precursor for CECs. RT-PCR to angiogenic factors and receptors revealed that all EPC subsets expressed angiogenesis-related molecules. Taken together, the improvements in immunophenotyping and gating strategies resulted in accurate identification and comparison of better defined cell populations in a single procedure.

Optimizing a Treadmill Ramp Protocol to Evaluate Aerobic Capacity of Hemiparetic Poststroke Patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Bernardes, Wendell L; Montenegro, Rafael A; Monteiro, Walace D; de Almeida Freire, Raul; Massaferri, Renato; Farinatti, Paulo

2018-03-01

Bernardes, WL, Montenegro, RA, Monteiro, WD, de Almeida Freire, R, Massaferri, R, and Farinatti, P. Optimizing a treadmill ramp protocol to evaluate aerobic capacity of hemiparetic poststroke patients. J Strength Cond Res 32(3): 876-884, 2018-A correct assessment of cardiopulmonary capacity is important for aerobic training within motor rehabilitation of poststroke hemiparetic patients (PSHPs). However, specific cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) for these patients are scarce. We proposed adaptations in a protocol originally developed for PSHPs by Ovando et al. (CPET1). We hypothesized that our adapted protocol (CPET2) would improve the original test, by preventing early fatigue and increasing patients' peak performance. Eleven PSHPs (52 ± 14 years, 10 men) performed both protocols. CPET2 integrated changes in final speed (100-120% vs. 140% maximal speed in 10-m walking test), treadmill inclination (final inclination of 5 vs. 10%), and estimated test duration (10 vs. 8 minutes) to smooth the rate of workload increment of CPET1. Peak oxygen uptake (V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak) (20.3 ± 6.1 vs. 18.6 ± 5.0 ml·kg·min; p = 0.04), V[Combining Dot Above]O2 at gas exchange transition (V[Combining Dot Above]O2-GET) (11.5 ± 2.9 vs. 9.8 ± 2.0 ml·kg·min; p = 0.04), and time to exhaustion (10 ± 3 vs. 6 ± 2 minutes; p higher in CPET2 than in CPET1. Slopes and intercepts of regressions describing relationships between V[Combining Dot Above]O2 vs. workload, heart rate vs. workload, and V[Combining Dot Above]O2 vs. heart rate were similar between CPETs. However, standard errors of estimates obtained for regressions between heart rate vs. workload (3.0 ± 1.3 vs. 3.8 ± 1.0 b·min; p = 0.004) and V[Combining Dot Above]O2 vs. heart rate (6.0 ± 2.1 vs. 4.8 ± 2.4 ml·kg·min; p = 0.05) were lower in CPET2 than in CPET1. In conclusion, the present adaptations in Ovando's CPET protocol increased exercise tolerance of PSHPs, eliciting higher V[Combining Dot Above]O2peak

Say goodbye to coffee stains

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Eral, Burak; van den Ende, Henricus T.M.; Mugele, Friedrich Gunther

2012-01-01

Discussing ideas over a mug of coffee or tea is the lifeblood of science, but have you ever thought about the stains that can be inadvertently left behind? H Burak Eral, Dirk van den Ende and Frieder Mugele explain how these stains, which can be a major annoyance in some biology techniques, can be

Diagnosing periprosthetic infection: false-positive intraoperative Gram stains.

Science.gov (United States)

Oethinger, Margret; Warner, Debra K; Schindler, Susan A; Kobayashi, Hideo; Bauer, Thomas W

2011-04-01

Intraoperative Gram stains have a reported low sensitivity but high specificity when used to help diagnose periprosthetic infections. In early 2008, we recognized an unexpectedly high frequency of apparent false-positive Gram stains from revision arthroplasties. The purpose of this report is to describe the cause of these false-positive test results. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of all intraoperative Gram stains submitted from revision arthroplasty cases during a 3-month interval using microbiologic cultures of the same samples as the gold standard. Methods of specimen harvesting, handling, transport, distribution, specimen processing including tissue grinding/macerating, Gram staining, and interpretation were studied. After a test modification, results of specimens were prospectively collected for a second 3-month interval, and the sensitivity and specificity of intraoperative Gram stains were calculated. The retrospective review of 269 Gram stains submitted from revision arthroplasties indicated historic sensitivity and specificity values of 23% and 92%, respectively. Systematic analysis of all steps of the procedure identified Gram-stained but nonviable bacteria in commercial broth reagents used as diluents for maceration of periprosthetic membranes before Gram staining and culture. Polymerase chain reaction and sequencing showed mixed bacterial DNA. Evaluation of 390 specimens after initiating standardized Millipore filtering of diluent fluid revealed a reduced number of positive Gram stains, yielding 9% sensitivity and 99% specificity. Clusters of false-positive Gram stains have been reported in other clinical conditions. They are apparently rare related to diagnosing periprosthetic infections but have severe consequences if used to guide treatment. Even occasional false-positive Gram stains should prompt review of laboratory methods. Our observations implicate dead bacteria in microbiologic reagents as potential sources of false-positive Gram

Histopathological evaluation of ocular microsporidiosis by different stains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharma Savitri

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background There is limited data on comparing stains in the detection of microsporidia in corneal biopsies. Hence we wanted to evaluate various stains for their ability to detect microsporidia in corneal tissue sections. Methods Four cases diagnosed with microsporidiosis on Hematoxylin and Eosin and Periodic Acid Schiff's stained sections of the corneal button between January 2002 and December 2004, were included. Further sections were prospectively stained with calcofluor white, Gram, Giemsa, Masson's trichrome, acridine orange, Gomori's methenamine silver, Gram's chromotrope and modified acid fast stain. The stained sections were analyzed for the spore characteristics in terms of size, shape, color contrast, cell wall morphology, waist band in cytoplasm and ease of detection. Results All sections showed microsporidial spores as 3 – 5 μm, oval bodies. 1% acid fast, Gram's chromotrope and GMS stains provided a reliable diagnosis of microsporidia as diagnostic waist band could be identified and good contrast helped distinguish the spores from inflammatory debris. Conclusion Considering the ease of performance, cost effectiveness and rapidity of the technique, 1% acid fast stain and Gram's chromotrope stain are ideal for the detection of microsporidia.

Economic comparison of common treatment protocols and J5 vaccination for clinical mastitis in dairy herds using optimized culling decisions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kessels, J A; Cha, E; Johnson, S K; Welcome, F L; Kristensen, A R; Gröhn, Y T

2016-05-01

This study used an existing dynamic optimization model to compare costs of common treatment protocols and J5 vaccination for clinical mastitis in US dairy herds. Clinical mastitis is an infection of the mammary gland causing major economic losses in dairy herds due to reduced milk production, reduced conception, and increased risk of mortality and culling for infected cows. Treatment protocols were developed to reflect common practices in dairy herds. These included targeted therapy following pathogen identification, and therapy without pathogen identification using a broad-spectrum antimicrobial or treating with the cheapest treatment option. The cost-benefit of J5 vaccination was also estimated. Effects of treatment were accounted for as changes in treatment costs, milk loss due to mastitis, milk discarded due to treatment, and mortality. Following ineffective treatments, secondary decisions included extending the current treatment, alternative treatment, discontinuing treatment, and pathogen identification followed by recommended treatment. Average net returns for treatment protocols and vaccination were generated using an existing dynamic programming model. This model incorporates cow and pathogen characteristics to optimize management decisions to treat, inseminate, or cull cows. Of the treatment protocols where 100% of cows received recommended treatment, pathogen-specific identification followed by recommended therapy yielded the highest average net returns per cow per year. Out of all treatment scenarios, the highest net returns were achieved with selecting the cheapest treatment option and discontinuing treatment, or alternate treatment with a similar spectrum therapy; however, this may not account for the full consequences of giving nonrecommended therapies to cows with clinical mastitis. Vaccination increased average net returns in all scenarios. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-F-207-16: CT Protocols Optimization Using Model Observer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tseng, H; Fan, J; Kupinski, M

2015-01-01

Purpose: To quantitatively evaluate the performance of different CT protocols using task-based measures of image quality. This work studies the task of size and the contrast estimation of different iodine concentration rods inserted in head- and body-sized phantoms using different imaging protocols. These protocols are designed to have the same dose level (CTDIvol) but using different X-ray tube voltage settings (kVp). Methods: Different concentrations of iodine objects inserted in a head size phantom and a body size phantom are imaged on a 64-slice commercial CT scanner. Scanning protocols with various tube voltages (80, 100, and 120 kVp) and current settings are selected, which output the same absorbed dose level (CTDIvol). Because the phantom design (size of the iodine objects, the air gap between the inserted objects and the phantom) is not ideal for a model observer study, the acquired CT images are used to generate simulation images with four different sizes and five different contracts iodine objects. For each type of the objects, 500 images (100 x 100 pixels) are generated for the observer study. The observer selected in this study is the channelized scanning linear observer which could be applied to estimate the size and the contrast. The figure of merit used is the correct estimation ratio. The mean and the variance are estimated by the shuffle method. Results: The results indicate that the protocols with 100 kVp tube voltage setting provides the best performance for iodine insert size and contrast estimation for both head and body phantom cases. Conclusion: This work presents a practical and robust quantitative approach using channelized scanning linear observer to study contrast and size estimation performance from different CT protocols. Different protocols at same CTDIvol setting could Result in different image quality performance. The relationship between the absorbed dose and the diagnostic image quality is not linear

SU-F-207-16: CT Protocols Optimization Using Model Observer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tseng, H [University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Fan, J [CT Systems Engineering, GE Healthcare, Waukesha, Wisconsin (United States); Kupinski, M [Univ Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States)

2015-06-15

Purpose: To quantitatively evaluate the performance of different CT protocols using task-based measures of image quality. This work studies the task of size and the contrast estimation of different iodine concentration rods inserted in head- and body-sized phantoms using different imaging protocols. These protocols are designed to have the same dose level (CTDIvol) but using different X-ray tube voltage settings (kVp). Methods: Different concentrations of iodine objects inserted in a head size phantom and a body size phantom are imaged on a 64-slice commercial CT scanner. Scanning protocols with various tube voltages (80, 100, and 120 kVp) and current settings are selected, which output the same absorbed dose level (CTDIvol). Because the phantom design (size of the iodine objects, the air gap between the inserted objects and the phantom) is not ideal for a model observer study, the acquired CT images are used to generate simulation images with four different sizes and five different contracts iodine objects. For each type of the objects, 500 images (100 x 100 pixels) are generated for the observer study. The observer selected in this study is the channelized scanning linear observer which could be applied to estimate the size and the contrast. The figure of merit used is the correct estimation ratio. The mean and the variance are estimated by the shuffle method. Results: The results indicate that the protocols with 100 kVp tube voltage setting provides the best performance for iodine insert size and contrast estimation for both head and body phantom cases. Conclusion: This work presents a practical and robust quantitative approach using channelized scanning linear observer to study contrast and size estimation performance from different CT protocols. Different protocols at same CTDIvol setting could Result in different image quality performance. The relationship between the absorbed dose and the diagnostic image quality is not linear.

Multicenter Assessment of Gram Stain Error Rates.

Science.gov (United States)

Samuel, Linoj P; Balada-Llasat, Joan-Miquel; Harrington, Amanda; Cavagnolo, Robert

2016-06-01

Gram stains remain the cornerstone of diagnostic testing in the microbiology laboratory for the guidance of empirical treatment prior to availability of culture results. Incorrectly interpreted Gram stains may adversely impact patient care, and yet there are no comprehensive studies that have evaluated the reliability of the technique and there are no established standards for performance. In this study, clinical microbiology laboratories at four major tertiary medical care centers evaluated Gram stain error rates across all nonblood specimen types by using standardized criteria. The study focused on several factors that primarily contribute to errors in the process, including poor specimen quality, smear preparation, and interpretation of the smears. The number of specimens during the evaluation period ranged from 976 to 1,864 specimens per site, and there were a total of 6,115 specimens. Gram stain results were discrepant from culture for 5% of all specimens. Fifty-eight percent of discrepant results were specimens with no organisms reported on Gram stain but significant growth on culture, while 42% of discrepant results had reported organisms on Gram stain that were not recovered in culture. Upon review of available slides, 24% (63/263) of discrepant results were due to reader error, which varied significantly based on site (9% to 45%). The Gram stain error rate also varied between sites, ranging from 0.4% to 2.7%. The data demonstrate a significant variability between laboratories in Gram stain performance and affirm the need for ongoing quality assessment by laboratories. Standardized monitoring of Gram stains is an essential quality control tool for laboratories and is necessary for the establishment of a quality benchmark across laboratories. Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Application of low-dose radiation protocols in survey CT scans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu Qiang; Liu Ting; Lu Tao; Xu Ke; Zhang Lin

2009-01-01

Objective: To characterize the protocols with low-dose radiation in survey CT scans for localization. Methods: Eighty standard adult patients, head and body phantoms were recruited. Default protocols provided by operator's manual setting were that all the tube voltage for head, chest, abdomen and lumbar was 120 kV; the tube currents were 20,10,20 and 40 mA, respectively. Values of kV and mA in the low-dose experiments were optimized according to the device options. For chest and abdomen, the tube position were compared between default (0 degree) and 180 degree. Phantoms were scanned with above protocols, and the radiation doses were measured respectively. Paired t-test were used for comparisons of standard deviation in CT value, noise and exposure surface dose (ESD) between group with default protocols and group with optimized protocols. Results: The optimized protocols in low-dose CT survey scans were 80 kV, 10 mA for head, 80 kV, 10 mA for chest, 80 kV, 10 mA for abdomen and 100 kV, 10 mA for lumbar. The values of ESD for phantom scan in default and optimized protocols were 0.38 mGy/0.16 mGy in head, 0.30 mGy/0.20 mGy in chest, 0.74 mGy/0.30 mGy in abdomen and 0.81 mGy/0.44 mGy in lumbar, respectively. Compared with default protocols, the optimized protocols reduced the radiation doses 59%, 33%, 59% and 46% in head, chest, abdomen and lumbar. When tube position changed from 0 degree to 180 degree, the ESD were 0.24 mGy/0.20 mGy for chest; 0.37 mGy/0.30 mGy for abdomen, and the radiation doses were reduced 20% and 17%. Conclusion: A certain amount of image noise is increased in low-dose protocols, but image quality is still acceptable without problem in CT localization. The reduction of radiation dose and the radiation harm to patients are the superiority. (authors)

Detection of alkaline phosphatase in canine cells previously stained with Wright-Giemsa and its utility in differentiating osteosarcoma from other mesenchymal tumors.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryseff, Julia K; Bohn, Andrea A

2012-09-01

Osteosarcoma (OSA) is a common primary bone tumor in dogs. Demonstration of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) reactivity by tumor cells on unstained slides is useful in differentiating osteosarcoma from other types of sarcoma. However, unstained slides are not always available. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the diagnostic utility of detecting ALP expression in differentiating osteosarcoma from other sarcomas in dogs using cytologic material previously stained with Wright-Giemsa stain and to assess the sensitivity and specificity of ALP expression for diagnosing osteosarcoma using a specific protocol. Archived aspirates of histologically confirmed sarcomas in dogs that had been previously stained with Wright-Giemsa stain were treated with 5-bromo, 4-chloro, 3-indolyl phosphate/nitroblue tetrazolium (BCIP/NBT) as a substrate for ALP. Cells were evaluated for expression of ALP after incubation with BCIP/NBT for 1 hour. Sensitivity and specificity of ALP expression for diagnosis of OSA were calculated. In samples from 83 dogs, cells from 15/17 OSAs and from 4/66 tumors other than OSA (amelanotic melanoma, gastrointestinal stromal tumor, collision tumor, and anaplastic sarcoma) expressed ALP. Sensitivity and specificity of ALP expression detected using BCIP/NBT substrate applied to cells previously stained with Wright-Giemsa stain for OSA were 88 and 94%, respectively. ALP expression detected using BCIP/NBT substrate applied to previously stained cells is useful in differentiating canine OSA from other mesenchymal neoplasms. © 2012 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Optimal molecular profiling of tissue and tissue components: defining the best processing and microdissection methods for biomedical applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez-Canales, Jaime; Hanson, Jeffrey C; Hipp, Jason D; Balis, Ulysses J; Tangrea, Michael A; Emmert-Buck, Michael R; Bova, G Steven

2013-01-01

Isolation of well-preserved pure cell populations is a prerequisite for sound studies of the molecular basis of any tissue-based biological phenomenon. This updated chapter reviews current methods for obtaining anatomically specific signals from molecules isolated from tissues, a basic requirement for productive linking of phenotype and genotype. The quality of samples isolated from tissue and used for molecular analysis is often glossed over or omitted from publications, making interpretation and replication of data difficult or impossible. Fortunately, recently developed techniques allow life scientists to better document and control the quality of samples used for a given assay, creating a foundation for improvement in this area. Tissue processing for molecular studies usually involves some or all of the following steps: tissue collection, gross dissection/identification, fixation, processing/embedding, storage/archiving, sectioning, staining, microdissection/annotation, and pure analyte labeling/identification and quantification. We provide a detailed comparison of some current tissue microdissection technologies and provide detailed example protocols for tissue component handling upstream and downstream from microdissection. We also discuss some of the physical and chemical issues related to optimal tissue processing and include methods specific to cytology specimens. We encourage each laboratory to use these as a starting point for optimization of their overall process of moving from collected tissue to high-quality, appropriately anatomically tagged scientific results. Improvement in this area will significantly increase life science quality and productivity. The chapter is divided into introduction, materials, protocols, and notes subheadings. Because many protocols are covered in each of these sections, information relating to a single protocol is not contiguous. To get the greatest benefit from this chapter, readers are advised to read through the entire

Research on pre-staining gel electrophoresis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong Ruibo; Liu Yushuang; Zhang Ping; Liu Jingran; Zhao Guofen; Zhang Feng

2014-01-01

Background: Gel electrophoresis is a powerful biochemical separation technique. Most biological molecules are completely transparent in the visible region of light, so it is necessary to use staining to show the results after gel electrophoresis, and the general steps of conventional staining methods are time-consuming. Purpose: We try to develop a novel approach to simplify the gel electrophoresis: Pre-Staining Gel Electrophoresis (PSGE), which can make the gel electrophoresis results monitored in real time. Methods: Pre-stain the protein samples with Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB) for 30 min before loading the sample into the gel well. Results and Conclusion: PSGE can be successfully used to analyze the binding efficiency of Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) and amphiphilic polymer via chemical coupling and physical absorption, and the double PSGE also shows a great potential in bio-analytical chemistry. (authors)

Whatever works: a systematic user-centered training protocol to optimize brain-computer interfacing individually.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elisabeth V C Friedrich

Full Text Available This study implemented a systematic user-centered training protocol for a 4-class brain-computer interface (BCI. The goal was to optimize the BCI individually in order to achieve high performance within few sessions for all users. Eight able-bodied volunteers, who were initially naïve to the use of a BCI, participated in 10 sessions over a period of about 5 weeks. In an initial screening session, users were asked to perform the following seven mental tasks while multi-channel EEG was recorded: mental rotation, word association, auditory imagery, mental subtraction, spatial navigation, motor imagery of the left hand and motor imagery of both feet. Out of these seven mental tasks, the best 4-class combination as well as most reactive frequency band (between 8-30 Hz was selected individually for online control. Classification was based on common spatial patterns and Fisher's linear discriminant analysis. The number and time of classifier updates varied individually. Selection speed was increased by reducing trial length. To minimize differences in brain activity between sessions with and without feedback, sham feedback was provided in the screening and calibration runs in which usually no real-time feedback is shown. Selected task combinations and frequency ranges differed between users. The tasks that were included in the 4-class combination most often were (1 motor imagery of the left hand (2, one brain-teaser task (word association or mental subtraction (3, mental rotation task and (4 one more dynamic imagery task (auditory imagery, spatial navigation, imagery of the feet. Participants achieved mean performances over sessions of 44-84% and peak performances in single-sessions of 58-93% in this user-centered 4-class BCI protocol. This protocol is highly adjustable to individual users and thus could increase the percentage of users who can gain and maintain BCI control. A high priority for future work is to examine this protocol with severely

Surface staining of small intestinal biopsies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Poulsen, Steen Seier

1977-01-01

Small intestinal biopsies are most often by routine examined under a stereo-microscope, prior to embedding for histological examination. This is done in order to get a view of the appearance of the mucosal pattern, especially villus configuration. The distinctness of the surface pattern however......, is improved considerably if the biopsies are stained with Alcian Green and/or PAS before they are examined. In the present paper a detailed description is given of staining of small intestinal biopsies as whole mounts. The difference between the unstained and the stained biopsies is illustrated by a few...

Heavy metal staining, a comparative assessment of gadolinium chloride and osmium tetroxide for inner ear labyrinthine contrast enhancement using X-ray microtomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Wong, Christopher C; Curthoys, Ian S; O'Leary, Stephen J; Jones, Allan S

2013-01-01

The use of both gadolinium chloride (GdCl(3)) and osmium tetroxide (OsO(4)) allowed for the visualization of the membranous labyrinth and other intralabyrinthine structures, at different intensities, as compared with the control sample. This initial comparison shows the advantages of GdCl(3) in radiological assessments and OsO(4) in more detailed anatomical studies and pathways of labyrinthine pathogenesis using X-ray microtomography (microCT). To assess an improved OsO(4) staining protocol and compare the staining affinities against GdCl(3). Guinea pig temporal bones were stained with either GdCl(3) (2% w/v) for 7 days or OsO(4) (2% w/v) for 3 days, and scanned in a microCT system. The post-scanned datasets were then assessed in a 3D rendering program. The enhanced soft tissue contrast as presented in the temporal bones stained with either GdCl(3) or OsO(4) allowed for the membranous labyrinth to be visualized throughout the whole specimen. GdCl(3)-stained specimens presented more defined contours of the bone profile in the radiographs, while OsO(4)-stained specimens provided more anatomical detail of individual intralabyrinthine structures, hence allowing spatial relationships to be visualized with ease in a 3D rendering context and 2D axial slice images.

QoS-aware self-adaptation of communication protocols in a pervasive service middleware

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhang, Weishan; Hansen, Klaus Marius; Fernandes, João

2010-01-01

Pervasive computing is characterized by heterogeneous devices that usually have scarce resources requiring optimized usage. These devices may use different communication protocols which can be switched at runtime. As different communication protocols have different quality of service (Qo......S) properties, this motivates optimized self-adaption of protocols for devices, e.g., considering power consumption and other QoS requirements, e.g. round trip time (RTT) for service invocations, throughput, and reliability. In this paper, we present an extensible approach for self-adaptation of communication...... protocols for pervasive web services, where protocols are designed as reusable connectors and our middleware infrastructure can hide the complexity of using different communication protocols to upper layers. We also propose to use Genetic Algorithms (GAs) to find optimized configurations at runtime...

Real-time PCR detection of Ochroconis lascauxensis involved in the formation of black stains in the Lascaux Cave, France.

Science.gov (United States)

Martin-Sanchez, Pedro M; Bastian, Fabiola; Alabouvette, Claude; Saiz-Jimenez, Cesareo

2013-01-15

A real-time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay was developed to detect and quantify Ochroconis lascauxensis in the Lascaux Cave in France. This fungus is the principal causal agent of the black stains threatening the Paleolithic paintings of this UNESCO World Heritage Site. The black stains outbreak could not be stopped in spite of using intensive biocide treatments. A sensitive and time-saving protocol is needed for determining the extent of the colonization. Sets of primers that target the ITS and RPB2 regions were designed and evaluated for specificity against O. lascauxensis. Genomic DNA extracted from five species of Ochroconis and 13 other fungal species frequently isolated from caves were used to test the specificity of each primer set. The specific and sensitive real-time PCR assay using the primers 347F/493R targeting a 147-bp fragment from the RPB2 gene was useful for quantifying the presence of O. lascauxensis in the stains on the walls, sediments and air of the cavity. The results confirmed the association of this fungus with the black stains and its wide dissemination in all cave compartments. The suitability of this method for monitoring fungal outbreaks in cave environments is discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determining the Optimal Protocol for Measuring an Albuminuria Class Transition in Clinical Trials in Diabetic Kidney Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kröpelin, Tobias F; de Zeeuw, Dick; Remuzzi, Giuseppe

2016-01-01

Albuminuria class transition (normo- to micro- to macroalbuminuria) is used as an intermediate end point to assess renoprotective drug efficacy. However, definitions of such class transition vary between trials. To determine the most optimal protocol, we evaluated the approaches used in four...... effect increased (decreased precision) with stricter end point definitions, resulting in a loss of statistical significance. In conclusion, the optimal albuminuria transition end point for use in drug intervention trials can be determined with a single urine collection for albuminuria assessment per...... clinical trials testing the effect of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system intervention on albuminuria class transition in patients with diabetes: the BENEDICT, the DIRECT, the ALTITUDE, and the IRMA-2 Trial. The definition of albuminuria class transition used in each trial differed from the definitions...

Mac protocols for cyber-physical systems

CERN Document Server

Xia, Feng

2015-01-01

This book provides a literature review of various wireless MAC protocols and techniques for achieving real-time and reliable communications in the context of cyber-physical systems (CPS). The evaluation analysis of IEEE 802.15.4 for CPS therein will give insights into configuration and optimization of critical design parameters of MAC protocols. In addition, this book also presents the design and evaluation of an adaptive MAC protocol for medical CPS, which exemplifies how to facilitate real-time and reliable communications in CPS by exploiting IEEE 802.15.4 based MAC protocols. This book wil

New Grocott Stain without Using Chromic Acid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shiogama, Kazuya; Kitazawa, Kayo; Mizutani, Yasuyoshi; Onouchi, Takanori; Inada, Ken-ichi; Tsutsumi, Yutaka

2015-01-01

We established a new “ecological” Grocott stain for demonstrating fungi, based upon a 4R principle of refusal, reduction, reuse, and recycle of waste management. Conventional Grocott stain employs environmentally harsh 5% chromic acid for oxidization. Initially, we succeeded in reducing the concentration of chromic acid from 5% to 1% by incubating the solution at 60°C and using five-fold diluted chromic acid solution at which point it was reusable. Eventually, we reached the refusal level where 1% periodic acid oxidization was efficient enough, when combined with preheating of sections in the electric jar, microwave oven, or pressure pan. For convenience sake, we recommend pressure pan heating in tap water for 10 min. Stainability of fungi in candidiasis and aspergillosis was comparable with conventional Grocott stain, while Mucor hyphae showed enhanced staining. The modified sequence was further applicable to detecting a variety of mycotic pathogens in paraffin sections. Our environmentally-friendly Grocott stain also has the advantage of avoiding risk of human exposure to hexavalent chromium solution in the histopathology laboratory. The simple stain sequence is can be easily applied worldwide

Gram staining apparatus for space station applications

Science.gov (United States)

Molina, T. C.; Brown, H. D.; Irbe, R. M.; Pierson, D. L.

1990-01-01

A self-contained, portable Gram staining apparatus (GSA) has been developed for use in the microgravity environment on board the Space Station Freedom. Accuracy and reproducibility of this apparatus compared with the conventional Gram staining method were evaluated by using gram-negative and gram-positive controls and different species of bacteria grown in pure cultures. A subsequent study was designed to assess the performance of the GSA with actual specimens. A set of 60 human and environmental specimens was evaluated with the GSA and the conventional Gram staining procedure. Data obtained from these studies indicated that the GSA will provide the Gram staining capability needed for the microgravity environment of space.

A Flow Cytometry Protocol to Estimate DNA Content in the Yellowtail Tetra Astyanax altiparanae

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Pedro L. P. Xavier

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The production of triploid yellowtail tetra Astyanax altiparanae is a key factor to obtain permanently sterile individuals by chromosome set manipulation. Flow cytometric analysis is the main tool for confirmation of the resultant triploids individuals, but very few protocols are specific for A. altiparanae species. The current study has developed a protocol to estimate DNA content in this species. Furthermore, a protocol for long-term storage of dorsal fins used for flow cytometry analysis was established. The combination of five solutions with three detergents (Nonidet P-40 Substitute, Tween 20, and Triton X-100 at 0.1, 0.2, and 0.4% concentration was evaluated. Using the best solution from this first experiment, the addition of trypsin (0.125, 0.25, and 0.5% and sucrose (74 mM and the effects of increased concentrations of the detergents at 0.6 and 1.2% concentration were also evaluated. After adjustment of the protocol for flow cytometry, preservation of somatic tissue or isolated nuclei was also evaluated by freezing (at −20°C and fixation in saturated NaCl solution, acetic methanol (1:3, ethanol, and formalin at 10% for 30 or 60 days of storage at 25°C. Flow cytometry analysis in yellowtail tetra species was optimized using the following conditions: lysis solution: 9.53 mM MgCl2.7H20; 47.67 mM KCl; 15 mM Tris; 74 mM sucrose, 0.6% Triton X-100, pH 8.0; staining solution: Dulbecco's PBS with DAPI 1 μg mL−1; preservation procedure: somatic cells (dorsal fin samples frozen at −20°C. Using this protocol, samples may be stored up to 60 days with good accuracy for flow cytometry analysis.

Standardization and optimization of arthropod inventories-the case of Iberian spiders

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bondoso Cardoso, Pedro Miguel

2009-01-01

and optimization of sampling protocols, especially for mega-diverse arthropod taxa. This study had two objectives: (1) propose guidelines and statistical methods to improve the standardization and optimization of arthropod inventories, and (2) to propose a standardized and optimized protocol for Iberian spiders......, by finding common results between the optimal options for the different sites. The steps listed were successfully followed in the determination of a sampling protocol for Iberian spiders. A protocol with three sub-protocols of varying degrees of effort (24, 96 and 320 h of sampling) is proposed. I also...

Efficacy of in-house fluorescent stain for fungus

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K. R. L. Surya Kirani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Context: Mycotic infections are gaining importance in the present day medicine, and definite demonstration of fungus is essential for diagnosis. Small numbers of organisms in the smear can be identified by fluorescence microscopy. Calcofluor white (CFW fluorescent stain is a textile brightener mixed with Evans blue. It is expensive and not easily available. Aims: (1 To assess the efficacy of in-house CFW fluorescent stain for fungus in relation to conventional CFW stain, histopathology, and culture. (2 To determine sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV, and positive predictive value (PPV with culture as gold standard. Settings and Design: One hundred cases of suspected dermatophytosis and 15 cases of systemic mycosis were included in the study. Subjects and Methods: The local whitener Ranipal is added with Robin blue, another brightener, and was used to stain teased fungal cultures. Skin, hair, and nails require pretreatment with potassium hydroxide (KOH. Biopsy slides require deparaffinization and pretreatment with KOH before staining. Conventional calcofluor stain, histopathology, and culture were done. Statistical Analysis Used: Statistical analysis was performed using sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV. Results: The results are consistently comparable with conventional stain. The sensitivity was 100%, specificity was 93.3%, NPV was 100%, and PPV was 85.7%. It is also cost effective when compared to commercial stains. Conclusions: In-house stain can be used for screening of fungus in direct samples, biopsies as alternative in resource-constrained laboratories.

Optimization problem in quantum cryptography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brandt, Howard E

2003-01-01

A complete optimization was recently performed, yielding the maximum information gain by a general unitary entangling probe in the four-state protocol of quantum cryptography. A larger set of optimum probe parameters was found than was known previously from an incomplete optimization. In the present work, a detailed comparison is made between the complete and incomplete optimizations. Also, a new set of optimum probe parameters is identified for the four-state protocol

FOXP3-stained image analysis for follicular lymphoma: optimal adaptive thresholding with maximal nucleus coverage

Science.gov (United States)

Senaras, C.; Pennell, M.; Chen, W.; Sahiner, B.; Shana'ah, A.; Louissaint, A.; Hasserjian, R. P.; Lozanski, G.; Gurcan, M. N.

2017-03-01

Immunohistochemical detection of FOXP3 antigen is a usable marker for detection of regulatory T lymphocytes (TR) in formalin fixed and paraffin embedded sections of different types of tumor tissue. TR plays a major role in homeostasis of normal immune systems where they prevent auto reactivity of the immune system towards the host. This beneficial effect of TR is frequently "hijacked" by malignant cells where tumor-infiltrating regulatory T cells are recruited by the malignant nuclei to inhibit the beneficial immune response of the host against the tumor cells. In the majority of human solid tumors, an increased number of tumor-infiltrating FOXP3 positive TR is associated with worse outcome. However, in follicular lymphoma (FL) the impact of the number and distribution of TR on the outcome still remains controversial. In this study, we present a novel method to detect and enumerate nuclei from FOXP3 stained images of FL biopsies. The proposed method defines a new adaptive thresholding procedure, namely the optimal adaptive thresholding (OAT) method, which aims to minimize under-segmented and over-segmented nuclei for coarse segmentation. Next, we integrate a parameter free elliptical arc and line segment detector (ELSD) as additional information to refine segmentation results and to split most of the merged nuclei. Finally, we utilize a state-of-the-art super-pixel method, Simple Linear Iterative Clustering (SLIC) to split the rest of the merged nuclei. Our dataset consists of 13 region-ofinterest images containing 769 negative and 88 positive nuclei. Three expert pathologists evaluated the method and reported sensitivity values in detecting negative and positive nuclei ranging from 83-100% and 90-95%, and precision values of 98-100% and 99-100%, respectively. The proposed solution can be used to investigate the impact of FOXP3 positive nuclei on the outcome and prognosis in FL.

Modified Genta triple stain for identifying Helicobacter pylori.

OpenAIRE

el-Zimaity, H M; Wu, J; Graham, D Y

1999-01-01

AIM: To evaluate whether lead nitrate could replace uranyl nitrate in the Genta stain for H pylori without sacrificing the advantages of the triple stain (Steiner silver impregnation combined with Alcian blue and haematoxylin/eosin (H&E)). METHODS: A comparison was made in 16 specimens between the original triple stain and the revised version. One pathologist evaluated all sections. RESULTS: Direct substitution of lead nitrate for uranium nitrate produced well stained organisms without interf...

Optimal control of transitions between nonequilibrium steady states.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Patrick R Zulkowski

Full Text Available Biological systems fundamentally exist out of equilibrium in order to preserve organized structures and processes. Many changing cellular conditions can be represented as transitions between nonequilibrium steady states, and organisms have an interest in optimizing such transitions. Using the Hatano-Sasa Y-value, we extend a recently developed geometrical framework for determining optimal protocols so that it can be applied to systems driven from nonequilibrium steady states. We calculate and numerically verify optimal protocols for a colloidal particle dragged through solution by a translating optical trap with two controllable parameters. We offer experimental predictions, specifically that optimal protocols are significantly less costly than naive ones. Optimal protocols similar to these may ultimately point to design principles for biological energy transduction systems and guide the design of artificial molecular machines.

Standardization and Optimization of Computed Tomography Protocols to Achieve Low-Dose

Science.gov (United States)

Chin, Cynthia; Cody, Dianna D.; Gupta, Rajiv; Hess, Christopher P.; Kalra, Mannudeep K.; Kofler, James M.; Krishnam, Mayil S.; Einstein, Andrew J.

2014-01-01

The increase in radiation exposure due to CT scans has been of growing concern in recent years. CT scanners differ in their capabilities and various indications require unique protocols, but there remains room for standardization and optimization. In this paper we summarize approaches to reduce dose, as discussed in lectures comprising the first session of the 2013 UCSF Virtual Symposium on Radiation Safety in Computed Tomography. The experience of scanning at low dose in different body regions, for both diagnostic and interventional CT procedures, is addressed. An essential primary step is justifying the medical need for each scan. General guiding principles for reducing dose include tailoring a scan to a patient, minimizing scan length, use of tube current modulation and minimizing tube current, minimizing-tube potential, iterative reconstruction, and periodic review of CT studies. Organized efforts for standardization have been spearheaded by professional societies such as the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. Finally, all team members should demonstrate an awareness of the importance of minimizing dose. PMID:24589403

Distributed Cooperative Optimal Control for Multiagent Systems on Directed Graphs: An Inverse Optimal Approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Huaguang; Feng, Tao; Yang, Guang-Hong; Liang, Hongjing

2015-07-01

In this paper, the inverse optimal approach is employed to design distributed consensus protocols that guarantee consensus and global optimality with respect to some quadratic performance indexes for identical linear systems on a directed graph. The inverse optimal theory is developed by introducing the notion of partial stability. As a result, the necessary and sufficient conditions for inverse optimality are proposed. By means of the developed inverse optimal theory, the necessary and sufficient conditions are established for globally optimal cooperative control problems on directed graphs. Basic optimal cooperative design procedures are given based on asymptotic properties of the resulting optimal distributed consensus protocols, and the multiagent systems can reach desired consensus performance (convergence rate and damping rate) asymptotically. Finally, two examples are given to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed methods.

Optimized contrast volume for dynamic CT angiography in renal transplant patients using a multiphase CT protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Helck, A.; Bamberg, F.; Sommer, W.H.; Wessely, M.; Becker, C.; Clevert, D.A.; Notohamiprodjo, M.; Reiser, M.; Nikolaou, K.

2011-01-01

Objectives: To study the feasibility of an optimized multiphase renal-CT-angiography (MP-CTA) protocol in patients with history of renal transplantation compared with Doppler-ultrasound (DUS). Methods: 36 Patients underwent both DUS and time-resolved, MP-CTA (12 phases), with a mean contrast-volume of 34.4 ± 5.1 ml. Quality of MP-CTA was assessed quantitatively (vascular attenuation) and qualitatively (grades 1–4, 1 = best). For the assessment of clinical value of MP-CTA, cases were grouped into normal, macrovascular (arterial/venous) and microvascular complications (parenchymal perfusion defect). DUS served as the standard of reference. Results: Using the best of 12 phases in each patient, optimal attenuation was 353 ± 111 HU, 337 ± 98 HU and 164 ± 51 HU in the iliac arteries, renal arteries, and renal veins, respectively. Mean image quality was 1.1 ± 0.3 (n = 36) and 2.1 ± 0.6 (n = 30) for the transplant renal arteries and veins, respectively. Six renal veins were non-diagnostic in MP-CTA. In 36 patients, MP-CTA showed 13 vascular complications and 10 parenchymal perfusion defects. DUS was not assessable in eight patients. Overall, MP-CTA showed 15 cases with pathology (42%) not identifiable with DUS. The mean effective radiation dose of the MP-CTA protocol was 13.5 ± 5.2 mSv. Conclusion: MP-CTA can be sufficiently performed with reduced contrast volume at reasonable radiation dose in renal transplant patients, providing substantially higher diagnostic yield than DUS.

Comparison of staining of mitotic figures by haematoxylin and eosin-and crystal violet stains, in oral epithelial dysplasia and squamous cell carcinoma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ankle Madhuri

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Mitosis of cells gives rise to tissue integrity. Defects during mitosis bring about abnormalities. Excessive proliferation of cells due to increased mitosis is one such outcome, which is the hallmark in precancer and cancer. The localization of proliferating cells or their precursors may not be obvious and easy. Establishing an easy way to distinguish these mitotic cells will help in grading and understanding their biological potential. Although immunohistochemistry is an advanced method in use, the cost and time factor makes it less feasible for many laboratories. Selective histochemical stains like toluidine blue, giemsa and crystal violet have been used in tissues including the developing brain, neural tissue and skin. Aim of the study: 1To compare the staining of mitotic cells in haematoxylin and eosin with that in crystal violet. 2To compare the number of mitotic figures present in normal oral mucosa, epithelial dysplasia and oral squamous cell carcinoma in crystal violet-stained sections with that in H and E-stained sections. Materials and Methods: Ten tissues of normal oral mucosa and 15 tissues each of oral epithelial dysplasia seen in tobacco-associated leukoplakia and squamous cell carcinoma were studied to evaluate the selectivity of 1% crystal violet for mitotic figures. The staining was compared with standard H and E staining. Statistical analysis was done using Man-Whitney U test. Results: A statistically significant increase in the mean mitotic count was observed in crystal violet-stained sections of epithelial dysplasia as compared to the H and E-stained sections ( p = 0.0327. A similar increase in the mitotic counts was noted in crystal violet-stained sections of oral squamous cell carcinoma as compared to the H and E-stained sections.( p = 0.0443. No significant difference was found in the mitotic counts determined in dysplasia or carcinoma by either the crystal violet ( p = 0.4429 or the H and E-staining techniques ( p = 0

Acute beneficial hemodynamic effects of a novel 3D-echocardiographic optimization protocol in cardiac resynchronization therapy.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolin Sonne

, individualized echocardiographic optimization with the integration of 3-dimensional indices into the optimization protocol acutely improved LV systolic function and decreased ESV and can be used to select the optimal AV delay and VV interval in CRT.

Rationale for and approach to preoperative opioid weaning: a preoperative optimization protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heath McAnally

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract The practice of chronic opioid prescription for chronic non-cancer pain has come under considerable scrutiny within the past several years as mounting evidence reveals a generally unfavorable risk to benefit ratio and the nation reels from the grim mortality statistics associated with the opioid epidemic. Patients struggling with chronic pain tend to use opioids and also seek out operative intervention for their complaints, which combination may be leading to increased postoperative “acute-on-chronic” pain and fueling worsened chronic pain and opioid dependence. Besides worsened postoperative pain, a growing body of literature, reviewed herein, indicates that preoperative opioid use is associated with significantly worsened surgical outcomes, and severely increased financial drain on an already severely overburdened healthcare budget. Conversely, there is evidence that preoperative opioid reduction may result in substantial improvements in outcome. In the era of accountable care, efforts such as the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS protocol have been introduced in an attempt to standardize and facilitate evidence-based perioperative interventions to optimize surgical outcomes. We propose that addressing preoperative opioid reduction as part of a targeted optimization approach for chronic pain patients seeking surgery is not only logical but mandatory given the stakes involved. Simple opioid reduction/abstinence however is not likely to occur in the absence of provision of viable and palatable alternatives to managing pain, which will require a strong focus upon reducing pain catastrophization and bolstering self-efficacy and resilience. In response to a call from our surgical community toward that end, we have developed a simple and easy-to-implement outpatient preoperative optimization program focusing on gentle opioid weaning/elimination as well as a few other high-yield areas of intervention, requiring a minimum of resources.

The Simplest Protocol for Oblivious Transfer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chou, Tung; Orlandi, Claudio

2015-01-01

Oblivious Transfer (OT) is the fundamental building block of cryptographic protocols. In this paper we describe the simplest and most efficient protocol for 1-out-of-n OT to date, which is obtained by tweaking the Diffie-Hellman key-exchange protocol. The protocol achieves UC-security against...... active and adaptive corruptions in the random oracle model. Due to its simplicity, the protocol is extremely efficient and it allows to perform m 1-out-of-n OTs using only: - Computation: (n+1)m+2 exponentiations (mn for the receiver, mn+2 for the sender) and - Communication: 32(m+1) bytes (for the group...... optimizations) is at least one order of magnitude faster than previous work. Category / Keywords: cryptographic protocols / Oblivious Transfer, UC Security, Elliptic Curves, Efficient Implementation...

A novel washing algorithm for underarm stain removal

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Acikgoz Tufan, H.; Gocek, I.; Sahin, U. K.; Erdem, I.

2017-10-01

After contacting with human sweat which comprise around 27% sebum, anti-perspirants comprising aluminium chloride or its compounds form a jel-like structure whose solubility in water is very poor. In daily use, this jel-like structure closes sweat pores and hinders wetting of skin by sweat. However, when in contact with garments, they form yellowish stains at the underarm of the garments. These stains are very hard to remove with regular machine washing. In this study, first of all, we focused on understanding and simulating such stain formation on the garments. Two alternative procedures are offered to form jel-like structures. On both procedures, commercially available spray or deo-stick type anti-perspirants, standard acidic and basic sweat solutions and artificial sebum are used to form jel-like structures, and they are applied on fabric in order to get hard stains. Secondly, after simulation of the stain on the fabric, we put our efforts on developing a washing algorithm specifically designed for removal of underarm stains. Eight alternative washing algorithms are offered with varying washing temperature, amounts of detergent, and pre-stain removal procedures. Better algorithm is selected by comparison of Tristimulus Y values after washing.

Laser treatment of Port-wine stains

OpenAIRE

Boffa, Michael J.

2001-01-01

A state-of-the-art pulsed dye laser machine to treat port-wine stains and other vascular lesions has been available in the Malta Health Service since 1999. This article reviews the pathophysiology and clinical features of port- wine stains and describes the principles of laser treatment for this condition.

7 CFR 28.442 - Middling Yellow Stained Color.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Middling Yellow Stained Color. 28.442 Section 28.442... Stained Color. Middling Yellow Stained Color is American Upland cotton which in color is deeper than Middling Tinged Color. [57 FR 34498, Aug. 5, 1992] below color grade cotton ...

Short Nissl staining for incubated cryostat sections of the brain.

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Lindroos, O F

1991-01-01

Nissl stain often binds poorly to cryostat sections which have been incubated in solutions of radiolabeled ligands. Such incubation is used in receptor autoradiography of the brain when using the in vitro method. We have developed a rapid (16 min) modification of Nissl staining for sections that bind stain poorly, e.g., incubated sections. The method stains well sections which cannot be stained with other rapid Nissl staining methods.

Near-UV laser treatment of extrinsic dental enamel stains.

Science.gov (United States)

Schoenly, J E; Seka, W; Featherstone, J D B; Rechmann, P

2012-04-01

The selective ablation of extrinsic dental enamel stains using a 400-nm laser is evaluated at several fluences for completely removing stains with minimal damage to the underlying enamel. A frequency-doubled Ti:sapphire laser (400-nm wavelength, 60-nanosecond pulse duration, 10-Hz repetition rate) was used to treat 10 extracted human teeth with extrinsic enamel staining. Each tooth was irradiated perpendicular to the surface in a back-and-forth motion over a 1-mm length using an ∼300-µm-diam 10th-order super-Gaussian beam with fluences ranging from 0.8 to 6.4 J/cm(2) . Laser triangulation determined stain depth and volume removed by measuring 3D surface images before and after irradiation. Scanning electron microscopy evaluated the surface roughness of enamel following stain removal. Fluorescence spectroscopy measured spectra of unbleached and photobleached stains in the spectral range of 600-800 nm. Extrinsic enamel stains are removed with laser fluences between 0.8 and 6.4 J/cm(2) . Stains removed on sound enamel leave behind a smooth enamel surface. Stain removal in areas with signs of earlier cariogenic acid attacks resulted in isolated and randomly located laser-induced, 50-µm-diam enamel pits. These pits contain 0.5-µm diam, smooth craters indicative of heat transfer from the stain to the enamel and subsequent melting and water droplet ejection. Ablation stalling of enamel stains is typically observed at low fluences (Laser ablation of extrinsic enamel stains at 400 nm is observed to be most efficient above 3 J/cm(2) with minimal damage to the underlying enamel. Unsound underlying enamel is also observed to be selectively removed after irradiation. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Optimizing the multimodal approach to pancreatic cyst fluid diagnosis: developing a volume-based triage protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Chai, Siaw Ming; Herba, Karl; Kumarasinghe, M Priyanthi; de Boer, W Bastiaan; Amanuel, Benhur; Grieu-Iacopetta, Fabienne; Lim, Ee Mun; Segarajasingam, Dev; Yusoff, Ian; Choo, Chris; Frost, Felicity

2013-02-01

The objective of this study was to develop a triage algorithm to optimize diagnostic yield from cytology, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and v-Ki-ras2 Kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene homolog (KRAS) testing on different components of a single pancreatic cyst fluid specimen. The authors also sought to determine whether cell block supernatant was suitable for CEA and KRAS testing. Fifty-four pancreatic cysts were triaged according to a volume-dependent protocol to generate fluid (neat and supernatant) and cell block specimens for cytology, comparative CEA, and KRAS testing. Follow-up histology, diagnostic cytology, or a combined clinicopathologic interpretation was recorded as the final diagnosis. There were 26 mucinous cystic lesions and 28 nonmucinous cystic lesions with volumes ranging from 0.3 mL to 55 mL. Testing different components of the specimens (cell block, neat, and/or supernatant) enabled all laboratory investigations to be performed on 50 of 54 cyst fluids (92.6%). Interpretive concordance was observed in 17 of 17 cases (100%) and in 35 of 40 cases (87.5%) that had multiple components tested for CEA and KRAS mutations, respectively. An elevated CEA level (>192 ng/mL) was the most sensitive test for the detection of a mucinous cystic lesion (62.5%) versus KRAS mutation (56%) and "positive" cytology (61.5%). KRAS mutations were identified in 2 of 25 mucinous cystic lesions (8%) in which cytology and CEA levels were not contributory. A volume-based protocol using different components of the specimen was able to optimize diagnostic yield in pancreatic cyst fluids. KRAS mutation testing increased diagnostic yield when combined with cytology and CEA analysis. The current results demonstrated that supernatant is comparable to neat fluid and cell block material for CEA and KRAS testing. Copyright © 2012 American Cancer Society.

Port-wine stain

Science.gov (United States)

... About MedlinePlus Show Search Search MedlinePlus GO GO About MedlinePlus Site Map FAQs Customer Support Health Topics Drugs & Supplements Videos & Tools Español You Are Here: Home → Medical Encyclopedia → Port-wine stain URL of this page: //medlineplus.gov/ency/ ...

Effect of Melamine Sponge on Tooth Stain Removal.

Science.gov (United States)

Otsuka, Takero; Kawata, Toshitsugu

2015-01-01

To investigate the stain removal ability of melamine sponge before aesthetic tooth whitening in extracted teeth. Melamine sponge of thickness 40 mm was compressed and the destruction of the partition wall structure during the compression process was examined under a stereoscopic microscope. An extracted human tooth was cleaned by normal polishing or with melamine sponge for 90 s. To evaluate the stain level, the tooth surfaces were photographed under a stereoscopic microscope at 0, 30, 60 and 90 s. The residual stained region was traced in a high-magnification photograph, and the stain intensity was presented as a change, relative to the intensity before the experiment (0 s). Mechanical cleaning by toothbrushing produced polishing scratches on the tooth surface, whereas use of the melamine sponge resulted in only minimal scratches. As the compression level increased, the stain-removing effect tended to become stronger. Melamine sponge can remove stains from the tooth surface more effectively and less invasively compared to a conventional toothbrush. As no new scratches are made on the tooth surface when using a melamine sponge brush, the risk of re-staining is reduced. Cleaning using a melamine sponge brush can be easily and effectively performed at home and in a dental office.

LANTHANUM STAINING OF THE SURFACE COAT OF CELLS

Science.gov (United States)

Shea, Stephen M.

1971-01-01

Among the techniques which have been reported to stain the surface coat of cells, for electron microscopy, is lanthanum staining en bloc. Similarly, the presence of the cationic dye, Alcian blue 8GX, in a primary glutaraldehyde fixative has been reported to improve the preservation of the surface coat of cells of many types; however, the preserved coat is not very electron opaque unless thin sections are counterstained. The present paper shows that for several rat tissues lanthanum staining en bloc is an effective electron stain for the cell surface, giving excellent contrast, if combined sequentially with prefixation in an aldehyde fixative containing Alcian blue. The cationic substance cetylpyridinium chloride was found to have a similar effect to that of Alcian blue in enhancing the lanthanum staining of the surface coat material of the brush border of intestinal epithelial cells. The patterns of lanthanum staining obtained for the tissues studied strikingly resemble those reported in the literature where tissues are stained by several standard methods for demonstrating mucosubstances at the ultrastructural level. This fact and the reproduction of the effect of Alcian blue by cetylpyridinium chloride constitute a persuasive empirical argument that the material visualized is a mucopolysaccharide or mucopolysaccharide-protein complex. PMID:4108476

Generalized routing protocols for multihop relay networks

KAUST Repository

Khan, Fahd Ahmed

2011-07-01

Performance of multihop cooperative networks depends on the routing protocols employed. In this paper we propose the last-n-hop selection protocol, the dual path protocol, the forward-backward last-n-hop selection protocol and the forward-backward dual path protocol for the routing of data through multihop relay networks. The average symbol error probability performance of the schemes is analysed by simulations. It is shown that close to optimal performance can be achieved by using the last-n-hop selection protocol and its forward-backward variant. Furthermore we also compute the complexity of the protocols in terms of number of channel state information required and the number of comparisons required for routing the signal through the network. © 2011 IEEE.

Fungal Fluorescence in Hematoxylin-Eosin Stained Sections

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Murat Durdu

2017-06-01

Full Text Available A forty-six-year-old male presented to our dermatology clinic with two-year history of itching on his groin. His medical history revealed various topical corticosteroid creams without improvement of the skin lesion. Dermatological examination revealed erythematous nodules and follicular pustules on erythematous background on the inguinal area (Figure 1a. Potassium hydroxide (KOH examination was negative. Tzanck smear revealed abundant neutrophils without bacteria, fungi, or parasite. The histopathological examination showed granuloma formation with multinuclear giant cells and Periodic acid-Schiff (PAS-positive hyphae and spores around the hair follicles (Figure 1b, 1c. Hematoxylin-eosin (H&E-stained slides were examined under an immunofluorescence microscope, and these hyphae and spores showed autofluorescence (Figure 1d. Based on the clinical and histopathological findings, a Majocchi’s granuloma was considered. All lesions disappeared with topical and systemic terbinafine (250 mg/day treatment for six weeks.\tPearls;\tClinical: Not only bacteria, but also fungi, parasites, and viruses may cause folliculitis. Cytology should be initially done to identify the causes of infectious folliculitis. In case of negative cytology, histopathological examination and molecular methods can be used.\tCytological: To cytologically identify all of the causes of folliculitis, four separate samples should be taken: (i the first sample is stained with May-Grünwald-Giemsa for routine cytological examination; (ii the second sample is used for KOH testing; (iii the third sample is stained with an acid-fast stain to detect mycobacteria; and (iv the last specimen is Gram-stained to identify whether it is Gram-positive or Gram-negative (1. Histopathological: In infectious diseases, a definitive diagnosis should be done to identify the etiologic agent. The detection of fungal elements is challenging, when histopathological examination is performed with the H

A Comparative Study of Sample Preparation for Staining and Immunodetection of Plant Cell Walls by Light Microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Verhertbruggen, Yves; Walker, Jesse L.; Guillon, Fabienne; Scheller, Henrik V.

2017-01-01

Staining and immunodetection by light microscopy are methods widely used to investigate plant cell walls. The two techniques have been crucial to study the cell wall architecture in planta, its deconstruction by chemicals or cell wall-degrading enzymes. They have been instrumental in detecting the presence of cell types, in deciphering plant cell wall evolution and in characterizing plant mutants and transformants. The success of immunolabeling relies on how plant materials are embedded and sectioned. Agarose coating, wax and resin embedding are, respectively, associated with vibratome, microtome and ultramicrotome sectioning. Here, we have systematically carried out a comparative analysis of these three methods of sample preparation when they are applied for cell wall staining and cell wall immunomicroscopy. In order to help the plant community in understanding and selecting adequate methods of embedding and sectioning for cell wall immunodetection, we review in this article the advantages and limitations of these three methods. Moreover, we offer detailed protocols of embedding for studying plant materials through microscopy. PMID:28900439

Optimization of northern analysis by vacuum-blotting, RNA-transfer visualization, and ultraviolet fixation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kroczek, R.A.; Siebert, E.

1990-01-01

We have optimized Northern analysis at several steps. Overnight electrophoresis was replaced by short gel runs and overnight capillary transfer by rapid vacuum-blotting adapted to Northern analysis. Short uv irradiation was used as a substitute for the usual RNA fixation by baking. Direct staining of RNA before electrophoresis made it possible to check RNA integrity and to evaluate the quality of the size separation immediately after electrophoresis. In this system, RNA transfer onto the membrane support could also be quickly assessed after the blotting step. The net result of all modifications was a doubling of the autoradiography signal compared with that obtained by modern Northern protocols. At the same time, the duration of the procedure was shortened drastically, allowing an autoradiography signal to be obtained within 24 h

Modified Alizarin Red S-Alcian Blue Staining for Reptilian Skeleton

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Muhammad Ja’far Luthfi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Skeletal staining is an important method in anatomical study. The aim of the research was to develop staining and clearing method of Reptilian skeleton using Alizarin Red S-Alcian Blue. The specimen were eviscerated, fixed, stained, cleared, and keep in glycerine solution. This modified double-staining has successfully stain bone and cartilage of Reptilian.

[Histochemical stains for minerals by hematoxylin-lake method].

Science.gov (United States)

Miyagawa, Makoto

2013-04-01

The present study was undertaken to establish the experimental animal model by histological staining methods for minerals. After intraperitoneal injections of minerals, precipitates deposited on the surface of the liver. Liver tissues were fixed in paraformaldehyde, embedded in paraffin and cut into thin sections which were used as minerals containing standard section. Several reagents for histological stains and spectrophotometry for minerals were applied in both test-tube experiments and stainings of tissue sections to test for minerals. Hematoxylin-lake was found of capable of staining minerals in tissue. A simple technique used was described for light microscopic detection of minerals.

Stool Gram stain

Science.gov (United States)

... stool sample. The Gram stain method is sometimes used to quickly diagnose bacterial infections. How the Test is Performed You will need to collect a stool sample. There are many ways to collect the sample. You can catch the stool on plastic wrap that is loosely placed over the toilet bowl ...

More Pitfalls with Sperm Viability Staining and a Viability-Based Stress Test to Characterize Sperm Quality

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Barbara A. Eckel

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sperm viability (SV, the proportion of live sperm in a sample, is a widely applied measure of sperm quality but few studies test its robustness. At least three reasons make SV problematic as a surrogate for sperm quality. First, reviewing the ecological literature revealed that previously identified methodological pitfalls have not been overcome, including low cross-study standardization of protocols, inadequate statistical treatment, and unaccounted for within-sample heterogeneity. Second, SV is affected by biological variation such as between species, reproductive organs, or sperm age cohorts. Third, the proportion of live sperm extracted from males appears more related to male than to sperm quality in the sense of the future performance of sperm. We propose an alternative method to assess sperm quality by characterizing the temporal decrease of SV in a stressor medium and illustrate in two species, the common bedbug (Cimex lectularius and the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster how some common methodological pitfalls may be circumvented. Our data empirically support the well-known but little-considered facts that (i non-blind measurements may alter SV and (ii that SV frequently have non-significant repeatability within one sample. (iii Cross-sectional sampling of ejaculates showed that this heterogeneity even masked a biological pattern—the sperm stratification within males. We show (iv that this shortcoming can be overcome by following the temporal decline of SV of a sperm subsample in a stress test. Finally, (v comparing the staining pattern of sperm between Cimex and Drosophila, we found that in the latter, the visibility of sperm is substantially delayed (30 min when sperm density is high. We show that this delay in stained sperm visibility was, however, not biased toward dead or live sperm. To measure sperm quality, we advocate analyzing the temporal decline in SV in a stressor medium over current protocols that use SV per se and

Comparism of Various Staining Techniques in the Diagnosis of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SITWALA COMPUTERS

external intermediate host, usually an animal, in which sporogenesis and oocyst ... the parasite was detected in 111 of the samples stained,. 100(90.0%) of which .... screen stained slide was the auramine fluorochrome stain. The widely used ...

Color standardization and optimization in Whole Slide Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yagi Yukako

2011-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Standardization and validation of the color displayed by digital slides is an important aspect of digital pathology implementation. While the most common reason for color variation is the variance in the protocols and practices in the histology lab, the color displayed can also be affected by variation in capture parameters (for example, illumination and filters, image processing and display factors in the digital systems themselves. Method We have been developing techniques for color validation and optimization along two paths. The first was based on two standard slides that are scanned and displayed by the imaging system in question. In this approach, one slide is embedded with nine filters with colors selected especially for H&E stained slides (looking like tiny Macbeth color chart; the specific color of the nine filters were determined in our previous study and modified for whole slide imaging (WSI. The other slide is an H&E stained mouse embryo. Both of these slides were scanned and the displayed images were compared to a standard. The second approach was based on our previous multispectral imaging research. Discussion As a first step, the two slide method (above was used to identify inaccurate display of color and its cause, and to understand the importance of accurate color in digital pathology. We have also improved the multispectral-based algorithm for more consistent results in stain standardization. In near future, the results of the two slide and multispectral techniques can be combined and will be widely available. We have been conducting a series of researches and developing projects to improve image quality to establish Image Quality Standardization. This paper discusses one of most important aspects of image quality – color.

Erbium doped stain etched porous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez-Diaz, B.; Diaz-Herrera, B.; Guerrero-Lemus, R.; Mendez-Ramos, J.; Rodriguez, V.D.; Hernandez-Rodriguez, C.; Martinez-Duart, J.M.

2008-01-01

In this work a simple erbium doping process applied to stain etched porous silicon layers (PSLs) is proposed. This doping process has been developed for application in porous silicon solar cells, where conventional erbium doping processes are not affordable because of the high processing cost and technical difficulties. The PSLs were formed by immersion in a HF/HNO 3 solution to properly adjust the porosity and pore thickness to an optimal doping of the porous structure. After the formation of the porous structure, the PSLs were analyzed by means of nitrogen BET (Brunauer, Emmett and Teller) area measurements and scanning electron microscopy. Subsequently, the PSLs were immersed in a saturated erbium nitrate solution in order to cover the porous surface. Then, the samples were subjected to a thermal process to activate the Er 3+ ions. Different temperatures and annealing times were used in this process. The photoluminescence of the PSLs was evaluated before and after the doping processes and the composition was analyzed by Fourier transform IR spectroscopy

Polymerase chain reaction: basic protocol plus troubleshooting and optimization strategies.

Science.gov (United States)

Lorenz, Todd C

2012-05-22

In the biological sciences there have been technological advances that catapult the discipline into golden ages of discovery. For example, the field of microbiology was transformed with the advent of Anton van Leeuwenhoek's microscope, which allowed scientists to visualize prokaryotes for the first time. The development of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is one of those innovations that changed the course of molecular science with its impact spanning countless subdisciplines in biology. The theoretical process was outlined by Keppe and coworkers in 1971; however, it was another 14 years until the complete PCR procedure was described and experimentally applied by Kary Mullis while at Cetus Corporation in 1985. Automation and refinement of this technique progressed with the introduction of a thermal stable DNA polymerase from the bacterium Thermus aquaticus, consequently the name Taq DNA polymerase. PCR is a powerful amplification technique that can generate an ample supply of a specific segment of DNA (i.e., an amplicon) from only a small amount of starting material (i.e., DNA template or target sequence). While straightforward and generally trouble-free, there are pitfalls that complicate the reaction producing spurious results. When PCR fails it can lead to many non-specific DNA products of varying sizes that appear as a ladder or smear of bands on agarose gels. Sometimes no products form at all. Another potential problem occurs when mutations are unintentionally introduced in the amplicons, resulting in a heterogeneous population of PCR products. PCR failures can become frustrating unless patience and careful troubleshooting are employed to sort out and solve the problem(s). This protocol outlines the basic principles of PCR, provides a methodology that will result in amplification of most target sequences, and presents strategies for optimizing a reaction. By following this PCR guide, students should be able to: • Set up reactions and thermal cycling

Future long-term trials of postmenopausal hormone replacement therapy - what is possible and what is the optimal protocol and regimen?

Science.gov (United States)

Purbrick, B; Stranks, K; Sum, C; MacLennan, A H

2012-06-01

The ideal long-term, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) from near menopause for up to 30 years to assess major morbidity and mortality is impractical because of high cost, participant retention, therapy compliance, and continuity of research staff and funding. Also the trial regimen may become outdated. It is nihilistic to demand such a long-term trial before endorsing HRT. However, medium-term trials using surrogate measures for long-term morbidity and mortality are possible and two are near completion. If these studies have been able to maintain reasonable participant retention, therapy compliance and minimal breach of protocol, they will set standards for trials of new HRT regimens. This paper discusses lessons learnt from past attempts at long-term trials and suggests the currently optimal protocol and cost of assessing new HRT regimens to optimize potential benefits and minimize adverse effects. A 5-7-year randomized, placebo-controlled trial of a flexible transdermal estrogen regimen ± either a selective estrogen receptor modulator, e.g. bazedoxifene, or micronized progesterone is discussed. Mild to moderately symptomatic women, 1-4 years post menopause, can be recruited via general practice and group meetings. Future trials should be funded by independent agencies and are high priority in women's health.

Unusual extrinsic staining following microabrasion in a girl with amelogenesis imperfecta.

Science.gov (United States)

Rogers, H J; Yesudian, G; Rodd, H D

2016-08-01

Developmental defects of enamel (DDE), such as amelogenesis imperfecta (AI), may present with tooth discolouration that is of aesthetic concern to the affected individual. Children and young people with DDE may therefore seek dental interventions to improve their dental appearance. The most commonly employed approaches include microabrasion, bleaching and/or placement of composite resin veneers. A 13-year-old girl with hypomature AI requested treatment for the 'marks' on her teeth which were having a negative impact on her social interactions. Clinical examination revealed generalised dense white opacities, and a microabrasion approach was performed on 11, 12 and 13 using a commercial preparation of 6.6 % hydrochloric acid. Concerningly, the girl's father phoned the next day reporting that his daughter's teeth had turned 'orange'. An urgent review revealed that the treated teeth had indeed become an orange colour. Further enquiry found that the patient had eaten a tomato pizza immediately after her dental treatment and this was believed to have caused the severe extrinsic staining. The patient was provided with a 16 % carbamide peroxide preparation for night-time use in a laboratory-made tray. A 2-week review revealed complete resolution of the staining. Direct composite resin restorations were subsequently provided for the girl's maxillary anterior teeth to achieve an optimal cosmetic result and she has remained pleased with her dental appearance. Clinicians should be aware of the potential for extrinsic staining following microabrasion or tooth bleaching. Patients should be advised against consuming coloured food and drink for at least 48 h after their treatment.

Hirschsprung's disease diagnosis: Comparison of immunohistochemical, hematoxilin and eosin staining

Science.gov (United States)

Memarzadeh, Mehrdad; Talebi, Ardeshir; Edalaty, Masod; Hosseinpour, Mehrdad; Vahidi, Nasrin

2009-01-01

Background: The diagnosis of Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is based on the absence of ganglion cells. In hemotoxilin and eosin (H and E) as well as acetylcholine esterase staining there are limitations in the diagnosis of immature ganglion cells in neonates. Methods: In this prospective study, 54 biopsies taken from suspected HD patients (five mucosal specimens and 49 full thickness specimens) were studied. In the laboratory, after preparing sections of paraffin embedded tissues, H and E staining slides were compared with immunohistochemical (IHC) staining including: S100, NSE, CD117, CD56, Cathepsin D, Vimentin, BCL2, GFAP, Synaptophysin and chromogranin. Results: The study revealed 30 negative (absence of ganglion cells) cases (55.5%), 17 positive cases (31.04%) and seven suspected cases (12.9%) of ganglion cells on the H and E staining. On IHC staining with CD56 and Cathepsin D, all of the 17 positive cases detected through H and E, were confirmed for having ganglion cells and out of 30 cases reported negative on H and E staining, 28(93.3%) were reported negative and two (6.7%) positive by IHC staining. Of the seven suspected cases H and E staining), IHC staining detectedganglion cells only in five slides; two remained negative. Conclusions: IHC staining using CD56 and Cathepsin D improved the accuracy of diagnosis in HD when used in addition to H and E staining technique, especially for negative or suspicious slides. PMID:20671847

Optimization of Protocol CT, PET-CT, whole body; Optimizacion de protocolo CT, en PET-CT, de cuerpo entero

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutierrez, Fredys Santos, E-mail: fsantos@ccss.sa.cr [Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (ACCPR/CCSS), San Jose (Costa Rica). Area Control de Calidade Y Proteccion Radiologica; Namias, Mauro, E-mail: mnamias@gmail.com [Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica (FCDN/CNEA), Buenos Aires (Argentina). Fundacion Centro Diagnostico Nuclear

2013-11-01

The objective of this study was to optimize the acquisition protocols and processing existing of the CT PET/CT scanner for clinical use of Nuclear Diagnostic Center Foundation, a way to minimize the radiation dose while maintaining diagnostic image quality properly. Dosimetric data of PET / CT service were surveyed and obtained the baseline against which we compare and define strategies and modifications to develop online. We selected transaxial up to the pulmonary hilum and liver slices as the anatomical regions of interest that led to the standardization of the study.

Clinical dosimetry in molecular radiotherapy: protocol optimization and clinical implementation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ferrer, Ludovic

2011-01-01

Molecular radiotherapy (mrt) consists in destructing tumour targets by radiolabelled vectors. This nuclear medicine specialty is being considered with increasing interest for example via the success achieved in the treatment of non-Hodgkin lymphomas by radioimmunotherapy. One of the keys of mrt optimization relies on the personalising of absorbed doses delivered to the patient: This is required to ascertain that irradiation is focused on tumour cells while keeping surrounding healthy tissue irradiation at an acceptable - non-toxic - level. Radiation dose evaluation in mrt requires in one hand, the spatial and temporal localization of injected radioactive sources by scintigraphic imaging, and on a second hand, the knowledge of the emitted radiation propagating media, given by CT imaging. Global accuracy relies on the accuracy of each of the steps that contribute to clinical dosimetry. There is no reference, standardized dosimetric protocol to date. Due to heterogeneous implementations, evaluation of the accuracy of the absorbed dose is a difficult task. In this thesis, we developed and evaluated different dosimetric approaches that allow us to find a relationship between the absorbed dose to the bone marrow and haematological toxicity. Besides, we built a scientific project, called DosiTest, which aims at evaluating the impact of the various step that contribute to the realization of a dosimetric study, by means of a virtual multicentric comparison based on Monte-Carlo modelling. (author) [fr

Game-theoretic perspective of Ping-Pong protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Kaur, Hargeet; Kumar, Atul

2018-01-01

We analyse Ping-Pong protocol from the point of view of a game. The analysis helps us in understanding the different strategies of a sender and an eavesdropper to gain the maximum payoff in the game. The study presented here characterizes strategies that lead to different Nash equilibriums. We further demonstrate the condition for Pareto optimality depending on the parameters used in the game. Moreover, we also analysed LM05 protocol and compared it with PP protocol from the point of view of a generic two-way QKD game with or without entanglement. Our results provide a deeper understanding of general two-way QKD protocols in terms of the security and payoffs of different stakeholders in the protocol.

[Usefulness of sputum Gram staining in community-acquired pneumonia].

Science.gov (United States)

Sato, Tadashi; Aoshima, Masahiro; Ohmagari, Norio; Tada, Hiroshi; Chohnabayashi, Naohiko

2002-07-01

To evaluate the usefulness of sputum gram staining in community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), we reviewed 144 cases requiring hospitalization in the last 4 years. The sensitivity was 75.5%, specificity 68.2%, positive predictive value 74.1%, negative predictive value 69.8%, positive likelihood ratio 2.37, negative likelihood ratio 0.36 and accuracy 72.2% in 97 cases. Both sputum gram staining and culture were performed. Concerning bacterial pneumonia (65 cases), we compared the Gram staining group (n = 33), which received initial antibiotic treatment, based on sputum gram staining with the Empiric group (n = 32) that received antibiotics empirically. The success rates of the initial antibiotic treatment were 87.9% vs. 78.1% (P = 0.473); mean hospitalization periods were 9.67 vs. 11.75 days (P = 0.053); and periods of intravenous therapy were 6.73 vs. 7.91 days (P = 0.044), respectively. As for initial treatment, penicillins were used in the Gram staining group more frequently (P gram staining is useful for the shortening of the treatment period and the appropriate selection of initial antibiotics in bacterial pneumonia. We believe, therefore, that sputum gram staining is indispensable as a diagnostic tool CAP.

Brain Slice Staining and Preparation for Three-Dimensional Super-Resolution Microscopy

Science.gov (United States)

German, Christopher L.; Gudheti, Manasa V.; Fleckenstein, Annette E.; Jorgensen, Erik M.

2018-01-01

Localization microscopy techniques – such as photoactivation localization microscopy (PALM), fluorescent PALM (FPALM), ground state depletion (GSD), and stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM) – provide the highest precision for single molecule localization currently available. However, localization microscopy has been largely limited to cell cultures due to the difficulties that arise in imaging thicker tissue sections. Sample fixation and antibody staining, background fluorescence, fluorophore photoinstability, light scattering in thick sections, and sample movement create significant challenges for imaging intact tissue. We have developed a sample preparation and image acquisition protocol to address these challenges in rat brain slices. The sample preparation combined multiple fixation steps, saponin permeabilization, and tissue clarification. Together, these preserve intracellular structures, promote antibody penetration, reduce background fluorescence and light scattering, and allow acquisition of images deep in a 30 μm thick slice. Image acquisition challenges were resolved by overlaying samples with a permeable agarose pad and custom-built stainless steel imaging adapter, and sealing the imaging chamber. This approach kept slices flat, immobile, bathed in imaging buffer, and prevented buffer oxidation during imaging. Using this protocol, we consistently obtained single molecule localizations of synaptic vesicle and active zone proteins in three-dimensions within individual synaptic terminals of the striatum in rat brain slices. These techniques may be easily adapted to the preparation and imaging of other tissues, substantially broadening the application of super-resolution imaging. PMID:28924666

Gram staining for the treatment of peritonsillar abscess.

Science.gov (United States)

Takenaka, Yukinori; Takeda, Kazuya; Yoshii, Tadashi; Hashimoto, Michiko; Inohara, Hidenori

2012-01-01

Objective. To examine whether Gram staining can influence the choice of antibiotic for the treatment of peritonsillar abscess. Methods. Between 2005 and 2009, a total of 57 cases of peritonsillar abscess were analyzed with regard to cultured bacteria and Gram staining. Results. Only aerobes were cultured in 16% of cases, and only anaerobes were cultured in 51% of cases. Mixed growth of aerobes and anaerobes was observed in 21% of cases. The cultured bacteria were mainly aerobic Streptococcus, anaerobic Gram-positive cocci, and anaerobic Gram-negative rods. Phagocytosis of bacteria on Gram staining was observed in 9 cases. The bacteria cultured from these cases were aerobic Streptococcus, anaerobic Gram-positive cocci, and anaerobic Gram-negative rods. The sensitivity of Gram staining for the Gram-positive cocci and Gram-negative rods was 90% and 64%, respectively. The specificity of Gram staining for the Gram-positive cocci and Gram-negative rods was 62% and 76%, respectively. Most of the Gram-positive cocci were sensitive to penicillin, but some of anaerobic Gram-negative rods were resistant to penicillin. Conclusion. When Gram staining shows only Gram-positive cocci, penicillin is the treatment of choice. In other cases, antibiotics effective for the penicillin-resistant organisms should be used.

Promoting teamwork and surgical optimization: combining TeamSTEPPS with a specialty team protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Tibbs, Sheila Marie; Moss, Jacqueline

2014-11-01

This quality improvement project was a 300-day descriptive preintervention and postintervention comparison consisting of a convenience sample of 18 gynecology surgical team members. We administered the Team Strategies & Tools to Enhance Performance and Patient Safety (TeamSTEPPS®) Teamwork Perception Questionnaire to measure the perception of teamwork. In addition, we collected data regarding rates of compliance (ie, huddle, time out) and measurable surgical procedure times. Results showed a statistically significant increase in the number of team members present for each procedure, 2.34 μ before compared with 2.61 μ after (P = .038), and in the final time-out (FTO) compliance as a result of a clarification of the definition of FTO, 1.05 μ before compared with 1.18 μ after (P = .004). Additionally, there was improvement in staff members' perception of teamwork. The implementation of team training, protocols, and algorithms can enhance surgical optimization, communication, and work relationships. Copyright © 2014 AORN, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 28.441 - Strict Middling Yellow Stained Color.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Strict Middling Yellow Stained Color. 28.441 Section... Strict Middling Yellow Stained Color. Strict Middling Yellow Stained Color is color which is deeper than that of Strict Middling Tinged Color. [57 FR 34498, Aug. 5, 1992] ...

CD3 immunohistochemical staining in diagnosis of lymphocytic colitis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fiehn, Anne-Marie Kanstrup; Engel, Ulla; Holck, Susanne

2016-01-01

and eosin (HE) stainings were available. At the second assessment, a supplementary CD3 immunohistochemical staining was also available. The aim was to evaluate whether a supplementary CD3 would increase the diagnostic agreement among pathologists, and whether a CD3 stain would change the diagnosis based...

Gram staining in the diagnosis of acute septic arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Faraj, A A; Omonbude, O D; Godwin, P

2002-10-01

This study aimed at determining the sensitivity and specificity of Gram staining of synovial fluid as a diagnostic tool in acute septic arthritis. A retrospective study was made of 22 patients who had arthroscopic lavage following a provisional diagnosis of acute septic arthritis of the knee joint. Gram stains and cultures of the knee aspirates were compared with the clinical and laboratory parameters, to evaluate their usefulness in diagnosing acute arthritis. All patients who had septic arthritis had pain, swelling and limitation of movement. CRP was elevated in 90% of patients. The incidence of elevated white blood cell count was higher in the group of patients with a positive Gram stain study (60%) as compared to patients with a negative Gram stain study (33%). Gram staining sensitivity was 45%. Its specificity was however 100%. Gram staining is an unreliable tool in early decision making in patients requiring urgent surgical drainage and washout.

Post-staining electroblotting for efficient and reliable peptide blotting.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Der-Yen; Chang, Geen-Dong

2015-01-01

Post-staining electroblotting has been previously described to transfer Coomassie blue-stained proteins from polyacrylamide gel onto polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membranes. Actually, stained peptides can also be efficiently and reliably transferred. Because of selective staining procedures for peptides and increased retention of stained peptides on the membrane, even peptides with molecular masses less than 2 kDa such as bacitracin and granuliberin R are transferred with satisfactory results. For comparison, post-staining electroblotting is about 16-fold more sensitive than the conventional electroblotting for visualization of insulin on the membrane. Therefore, the peptide blots become practicable and more accessible to further applications, e.g., blot overlay detection or immunoblotting analysis. In addition, the efficiency of peptide transfer is favorable for N-terminal sequence analysis. With this method, peptide blotting can be normalized for further analysis such as blot overlay assay, immunoblotting, and N-terminal sequencing for identification of peptide in crude or partially purified samples.

Optimal teleportation with a noisy source

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taketani, Bruno G. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Physikalisches Institut der Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet, Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany); Melo, Fernando de [Instituut voor Theoretische Fysica, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgie (Belgium); Physikalisches Institut der Albert-Ludwigs-Universitaet, Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany); Matos Filho, Ruynet L. de [Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

2012-07-01

In this work we discuss the role of decoherence in quantum information protocols. Particularly, we study quantum teleportation in the realistic situation where not only the transmission channel is imperfect, but also the preparation of the state to be teleported. The optimal protocol to be applied in this situation is found and we show that taking into account the input state noise leads to sizable gains in teleportation fidelity. It is then evident that sources of noise in the input state preparation must be taken into consideration in order to maximize the teleportation fidelity. The optimization of the protocol can be defined for specific experimental realizations and accessible operations, giving a trade-off between protocol quality and experiment complexity.

Automatic CT simulation optimization for radiation therapy: A general strategy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Hua, E-mail: huli@radonc.wustl.edu; Chen, Hsin-Chen; Tan, Jun; Gay, Hiram; Michalski, Jeff M.; Mutic, Sasa [Department of Radiation Oncology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63110 (United States); Yu, Lifeng [Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905 (United States); Anastasio, Mark A. [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri 63110 (United States); Low, Daniel A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California 90095 (United States)

2014-03-15

Purpose: In radiation therapy, x-ray computed tomography (CT) simulation protocol specifications should be driven by the treatment planning requirements in lieu of duplicating diagnostic CT screening protocols. The purpose of this study was to develop a general strategy that allows for automatically, prospectively, and objectively determining the optimal patient-specific CT simulation protocols based on radiation-therapy goals, namely, maintenance of contouring quality and integrity while minimizing patient CT simulation dose. Methods: The authors proposed a general prediction strategy that provides automatic optimal CT simulation protocol selection as a function of patient size and treatment planning task. The optimal protocol is the one that delivers the minimum dose required to provide a CT simulation scan that yields accurate contours. Accurate treatment plans depend on accurate contours in order to conform the dose to actual tumor and normal organ positions. An image quality index, defined to characterize how simulation scan quality affects contour delineation, was developed and used to benchmark the contouring accuracy and treatment plan quality within the predication strategy. A clinical workflow was developed to select the optimal CT simulation protocols incorporating patient size, target delineation, and radiation dose efficiency. An experimental study using an anthropomorphic pelvis phantom with added-bolus layers was used to demonstrate how the proposed prediction strategy could be implemented and how the optimal CT simulation protocols could be selected for prostate cancer patients based on patient size and treatment planning task. Clinical IMRT prostate treatment plans for seven CT scans with varied image quality indices were separately optimized and compared to verify the trace of target and organ dosimetry coverage. Results: Based on the phantom study, the optimal image quality index for accurate manual prostate contouring was 4.4. The optimal tube

Automatic CT simulation optimization for radiation therapy: A general strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Hua; Yu, Lifeng; Anastasio, Mark A; Chen, Hsin-Chen; Tan, Jun; Gay, Hiram; Michalski, Jeff M; Low, Daniel A; Mutic, Sasa

2014-03-01

In radiation therapy, x-ray computed tomography (CT) simulation protocol specifications should be driven by the treatment planning requirements in lieu of duplicating diagnostic CT screening protocols. The purpose of this study was to develop a general strategy that allows for automatically, prospectively, and objectively determining the optimal patient-specific CT simulation protocols based on radiation-therapy goals, namely, maintenance of contouring quality and integrity while minimizing patient CT simulation dose. The authors proposed a general prediction strategy that provides automatic optimal CT simulation protocol selection as a function of patient size and treatment planning task. The optimal protocol is the one that delivers the minimum dose required to provide a CT simulation scan that yields accurate contours. Accurate treatment plans depend on accurate contours in order to conform the dose to actual tumor and normal organ positions. An image quality index, defined to characterize how simulation scan quality affects contour delineation, was developed and used to benchmark the contouring accuracy and treatment plan quality within the predication strategy. A clinical workflow was developed to select the optimal CT simulation protocols incorporating patient size, target delineation, and radiation dose efficiency. An experimental study using an anthropomorphic pelvis phantom with added-bolus layers was used to demonstrate how the proposed prediction strategy could be implemented and how the optimal CT simulation protocols could be selected for prostate cancer patients based on patient size and treatment planning task. Clinical IMRT prostate treatment plans for seven CT scans with varied image quality indices were separately optimized and compared to verify the trace of target and organ dosimetry coverage. Based on the phantom study, the optimal image quality index for accurate manual prostate contouring was 4.4. The optimal tube potentials for patient sizes

Dynamic whole body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application

Science.gov (United States)

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A.; Lodge, Martin A.; Tahari, Abdel K.; Zhou, Y.; Wahl, Richard L.; Rahmim, Arman

2013-01-01

Static whole body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ~15–20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole body PET acquisition protocol of ~45min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6-min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (6 passes x 7 bed positions, each scanned for 45sec). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares (OLS) Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of 10 different clinically

Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application.

Science.gov (United States)

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Lodge, Martin A; Tahari, Abdel K; Zhou, Y; Wahl, Richard L; Rahmim, Arman

2013-10-21

Static whole-body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single-bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ~15-20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole-body PET acquisition protocol of ~45 min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6 min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (six passes × seven bed positions, each scanned for 45 s). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of ten different clinically

Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A; Lodge, Martin A; Tahari, Abdel K; Zhou, Y; Wahl, Richard L; Rahmim, Arman

2013-01-01

Static whole-body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single-bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ∼15–20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole-body PET acquisition protocol of ∼45 min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6 min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (six passes × seven bed positions, each scanned for 45 s). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate K i and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of ten different

Dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging: I. Concept, acquisition protocol optimization and clinical application

Science.gov (United States)

Karakatsanis, Nicolas A.; Lodge, Martin A.; Tahari, Abdel K.; Zhou, Y.; Wahl, Richard L.; Rahmim, Arman

2013-10-01

Static whole-body PET/CT, employing the standardized uptake value (SUV), is considered the standard clinical approach to diagnosis and treatment response monitoring for a wide range of oncologic malignancies. Alternative PET protocols involving dynamic acquisition of temporal images have been implemented in the research setting, allowing quantification of tracer dynamics, an important capability for tumor characterization and treatment response monitoring. Nonetheless, dynamic protocols have been confined to single-bed-coverage limiting the axial field-of-view to ˜15-20 cm, and have not been translated to the routine clinical context of whole-body PET imaging for the inspection of disseminated disease. Here, we pursue a transition to dynamic whole-body PET parametric imaging, by presenting, within a unified framework, clinically feasible multi-bed dynamic PET acquisition protocols and parametric imaging methods. We investigate solutions to address the challenges of: (i) long acquisitions, (ii) small number of dynamic frames per bed, and (iii) non-invasive quantification of kinetics in the plasma. In the present study, a novel dynamic (4D) whole-body PET acquisition protocol of ˜45 min total length is presented, composed of (i) an initial 6 min dynamic PET scan (24 frames) over the heart, followed by (ii) a sequence of multi-pass multi-bed PET scans (six passes × seven bed positions, each scanned for 45 s). Standard Patlak linear graphical analysis modeling was employed, coupled with image-derived plasma input function measurements. Ordinary least squares Patlak estimation was used as the baseline regression method to quantify the physiological parameters of tracer uptake rate Ki and total blood distribution volume V on an individual voxel basis. Extensive Monte Carlo simulation studies, using a wide set of published kinetic FDG parameters and GATE and XCAT platforms, were conducted to optimize the acquisition protocol from a range of ten different clinically

Improved method for combination of immunocytochemistry and Nissl staining.

Science.gov (United States)

Kádár, Andrea; Wittmann, Gábor; Liposits, Zsolt; Fekete, Csaba

2009-10-30

Nissl staining is a widely used method to study morphology and pathology of neural tissue. After standard immunocytochemistry, the Nissl staining labels only the nucleus of neurons and the characteristic staining of the neuronal perikarya is absent or very weak. We hypothesized that the RNA degradation during the immunocytochemical treatment results in the loss of cytoplasmic staining with Nissl-dyes. To test this hypothesis, we used RNAse-free conditions for all steps of immunostaining. To further prevent the RNA-degradation by RNAse contaminations, the RNAse inhibitor heparin was added to all antibody-containing solutions. The efficiency of Nissl staining after standard and RNAse-free double-labeling immunocytochemistry was compared using antibodies against c-Fos and neuropeptide Y (NPY) on tissues of rats refed after 3 days of fasting. After standard immunocytochemistry, the Nissl-staining labeled the nuclei of neurons and only very faintly the cytoplasm of these cells. The RNAse-free treatment did not alter the distribution of immunoreaction signal, but preserved the staining of neuronal perikarya by the Nissl-dyes. In conclusion, the RNAse-free conditions during immunocytochemistry allow the labeling of neuronal perikarya by Nissl-dyes. The described method facilitates the mapping of immunocytochemical signals and makes possible the light microscopic examination of the innervation of neurons identified by their nuclear protein content.

Silver and Cyanine Staining of Oligonucleotides in Polyacrylamide Gel.

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Weizhong; Zhou, Huafu; Li, Wei

2015-01-01

To explore why some oligonucleotides in denaturing polyacrylamide gel could not be silver-stained, 134 different oligonucleotides were analyzed using denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis stained with silver and asymmetric cyanine. As a result, we found that the sensitivity of oligos (dA), (dC), (dG) and (dT) to silver staining could be ranged as (dA) > (dG) > (dC) > (dT) from high to low. It was unexpected that oligo (dT) was hard to be silver-stained. Moreover, the silver staining of an oligonucleotide containing base T could be partially or completely inhibited by base T. The inhibition of silver staining by base T was a competitive inhibition which could be affected by the amounts of the argyrophil nucleobase and base T, the cis-distance between the argyrophil nucleobase and base T, and the gel concentration. The changes of the intensity of an oligonucleotide band caused by the changes of DNA base composition were diverse and interesting. The intensity of some oligonucleotide bands would significantly change when the changes of DNA base composition accumulated to a certain extent (usually ≥ 4 nt). The sensitivity of cyanine staining of ≤ 11-nt long oligonucleotides could be enhanced about 250-fold by fixing the gels with methanol fixing solution.

Maternal and fetal characteristics associated with meconium-stained amniotic fluid

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Balchin, Imelda; Whittaker, John C; Lamont, Ronald F

2011-01-01

To estimate the rates of meconium-stained amniotic fluid (AF) and adverse outcome in relation to gestational age and racial group, and to investigate the predictors of meconium-stained AF.......To estimate the rates of meconium-stained amniotic fluid (AF) and adverse outcome in relation to gestational age and racial group, and to investigate the predictors of meconium-stained AF....

Techniques for controlling variability in gram staining of obligate anaerobes.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, M J; Thatcher, E; Cox, M E

1995-01-01

Identification of anaerobes recovered from clinical samples is complicated by the fact that certain gram-positive anaerobes routinely stain gram negative; Peptostreptococcus asaccharolyticus, Eubacterium plautii, Clostridium ramosum, Clostridium symbiosum, and Clostridium clostridiiforme are among the nonconformists with regard to conventional Gram-staining procedures. Accurate Gram staining of American Type Culture Collection strains of these anaerobic bacteria is possible by implementing fixing and staining techniques within a gloveless anaerobic chamber. Under anaerobic conditions, gram-positive staining occurred in all test organisms with "quick" fixing techniques with both absolute methanol and formalin. The results support the hypothesis that, when anaerobic bacteria are exposed to oxygen, a breakdown of the physical integrity of the cell wall occurs, introducing Gram stain variability in gram-positive anaerobes. PMID:7538512

Methyl green-pyronin Y staining of nucleic acids: studies on the effects of staining time, dye composition and diffusion rates

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prentø, P; Lyon, H O

2003-01-01

individually, simultaneously and sequentially. The results are presented as color charts approximating the observed staining patterns using a computerized palette. Our results indicate unequivocally that the differential staining is not time-dependent, but that it is dictated by the relative concentrations...

Ab initio thermochemistry using optimal-balance models with isodesmic corrections: The ATOMIC protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Bakowies, Dirk

2009-04-01

A theoretical composite approach, termed ATOMIC for Ab initio Thermochemistry using Optimal-balance Models with Isodesmic Corrections, is introduced for the calculation of molecular atomization energies and enthalpies of formation. Care is taken to achieve optimal balance in accuracy and cost between the various components contributing to high-level estimates of the fully correlated energy at the infinite-basis-set limit. To this end, the energy at the coupled-cluster level of theory including single, double, and quasiperturbational triple excitations is decomposed into Hartree-Fock, low-order correlation (MP2, CCSD), and connected-triples contributions and into valence-shell and core contributions. Statistical analyses for 73 representative neutral closed-shell molecules containing hydrogen and at least three first-row atoms (CNOF) are used to devise basis-set and extrapolation requirements for each of the eight components to maintain a given level of accuracy. Pople's concept of bond-separation reactions is implemented in an ab initio framework, providing for a complete set of high-level precomputed isodesmic corrections which can be used for any molecule for which a valence structure can be drawn. Use of these corrections is shown to lower basis-set requirements dramatically for each of the eight components of the composite model. A hierarchy of three levels is suggested for isodesmically corrected composite models which reproduce atomization energies at the reference level of theory to within 0.1 kcal/mol (A), 0.3 kcal/mol (B), and 1 kcal/mol (C). Large-scale statistical analysis shows that corrections beyond the CCSD(T) reference level of theory, including coupled-cluster theory with fully relaxed connected triple and quadruple excitations, first-order relativistic and diagonal Born-Oppenheimer corrections can normally be dealt with using a greatly simplified model that assumes thermoneutral bond-separation reactions and that reduces the estimate of these

Optimization of Protocols for In Vitro Regeneration of Sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum

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Shakra Jamil

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Sugarcane contributes 60–70% of annual sugar production in the world. Somaclonal variation has potential to enhance genetic variation present within a species. Present study was done to optimize an in vitro propagation protocol for sugarcane. The experiments included four varieties, 9 callus induction media, 27 regeneration media, and 9 root induction media under two-factor factorial CRD. Data were recorded on callus induction, embryogenic callus formation, shoot elongation (cm, root induction, and plant regeneration. Statistically significant differences existed between genotypes and treatments for callus induction (%, embryogenic callus formation (%, shoot elongation (cm, root induction, and plant regeneration (%. All parameters showed dependency on genotypes, culture media, and their interaction. Highest callus induction (95% embryogenic callus formation (95% was observed in callus induction media 5. Highest plantlet regeneration (98.9% capacity was observed in regeneration media 11 whereas maximum shoot elongation (12.13 cm and root induction (8.32 were observed in rooting media 4. G1 showed best response for all traits and vice versa for G4. Hence it was concluded that G1, callus induction media 5, regeneration media 11, and rooting media 4 are the best conditions for in vitro propagation of sugarcane.

Optimization of Agrobacterium-Mediated Transformation in Soybean

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Li, Shuxuan; Cong, Yahui; Liu, Yaping; Wang, Tingting; Shuai, Qin; Chen, Nana; Gai, Junyi; Li, Yan

2017-01-01

High transformation efficiency is a prerequisite for study of gene function and molecular breeding. Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated transformation is a preferred method in many plants. However, the transformation efficiency in soybean is still low. The objective of this study is to optimize Agrobacterium-mediated transformation in soybean by improving the infection efficiency of Agrobacterium and regeneration efficiency of explants. Firstly, four factors affecting Agrobacterium infection efficiency were investigated by estimation of the rate of GUS transient expression in soybean cotyledonary explants, including Agrobacterium concentrations, soybean explants, Agrobacterium suspension medium, and co-cultivation time. The results showed that an infection efficiency of over 96% was achieved by collecting the Agrobacterium at a concentration of OD650 = 0.6, then using an Agrobacterium suspension medium containing 154.2 mg/L dithiothreitol to infect the half-seed cotyledonary explants (from mature seeds imbibed for 1 day), and co-cultured them for 5 days. The Agrobacterium infection efficiencies for soybean varieties Jack Purple and Tianlong 1 were higher than the other six varieties. Secondly, the rates of shoot elongation were compared among six different concentration combinations of gibberellic acid (GA3) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The shoot elongation rate of 34 and 26% was achieved when using the combination of 1.0 mg/L GA3 and 0.1 mg/L IAA for Jack Purple and Tianlong 1, respectively. This rate was higher than the other five concentration combinations of GA3 and IAA, with an 18 and 11% increase over the original laboratory protocol (a combination of 0.5 mg/L GA3 and 0.1 mg/L IAA), respectively. The transformation efficiency was 7 and 10% for Jack Purple and Tianlong 1 at this optimized hormone concentration combination, respectively, which was 2 and 6% higher than the original protocol, respectively. Finally, GUS histochemical staining, PCR, herbicide

Essentially Optimal Universally Composable Oblivious Transfer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Damgård, Ivan Bjerre; Nielsen, Jesper Buus; Orlandi, Claudio

2009-01-01

. Communication complexity: it communicates O(1) group elements to transfer one out of two group elements. The Big-O notation hides 32, meaning that the communication is probably not optimal, but is essentially optimal in that the overhead is at least constant. Our construction is based on pairings, and we assume......Oblivious transfer is one of the most important cryptographic primitives, both for theoretical and practical reasons and several protocols were proposed during the years. We provide the first oblivious transfer protocol which is simultaneously optimal on the following list of parameters: Security...

Port wine stain on a child's face (image)

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Port wine stains are always present at birth. In an infant, they are flat, pink, vascular lesions. Common locations ... may be present anywhere on the body. Port wine stains may appear in association with other syndromes.

Histochemical characterization of human osteochondral tissue: comparison between healthy cartilage, arthrotic tissues, and cartilage defect treated with MACI technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Tessarolo

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Matrix-induced sutologous chondrocytes implantation (MACI is a promising technique for the treatment of articular cartilage lesions, but long time outcome have to be established. We developed and optimized specific techniques of histochemical staining to characterize healthy and pathologic osteochondral tissue. Seven different staining protocols were applied to assess tissue architecture, cells morphology, proteoglycan content, and collagen fibers distribution. Potentialities of histochemical staining and histomorphology of biopsies from second look arthroscopy will be presented.

MANAJEMEN SARANA DAN PRASARANA PENDIDIKAN DI STAIN PAMEKASAN

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M. Muchlis Solichin

2011-07-01

Full Text Available Mediums management and pre-mediums represent an absolute done in an higher education institute, because Mediums and premediums in education management represent the absolut condition in the effort to reach the target which is expected. Thereby, Every the education organizer have to pay attention and conscripting the mind and energy to carry out education management that is professional and fulfill Standard National Education ( SNP. This Research copes to comprehend the mediums and pre-mediums management of education in STAIN Pamekasan, because during this time of mediums and basic mediums management are not yet showing its idealitas. This research is focussed at; a How mediums and pre-mediums menegement in STAIN Pamekasan ?,and b what Factors influencing mediums and pre-mediums management in STAIN Pamekasan ?. This research uses the qualitative type by using observation, interview, and documentation method. Based the rearch done, to be expressed that the first of STAIN Pamekasan conduct mediums and pre-mediums manegement still have the centralization character of top down, either in the case of planning, organizational, observation, and assessment of mediums and pre-mediums management owned, second in some cases of STAIN Pamekasan do not yet manage the mediums and pre-mediums management because they are caused by factor is its lack of management professionalism, either when doing the planning, organizational, treatment and observation or evaluation. Based the matter above, hence, suggested that STAIN Pamekasan carry out the mediums and pre-mediums management of education professionally.

Mapping stain distribution in pathology slides using whole slide imaging

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Fang-Cheng Yeh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Whole slide imaging (WSI offers a novel approach to digitize and review pathology slides, but the voluminous data generated by this technology demand new computational methods for image analysis. Materials and Methods: In this study, we report a method that recognizes stains in WSI data and uses kernel density estimator to calculate the stain density across the digitized pathology slides. The validation study was conducted using a rat model of acute cardiac allograft rejection and another rat model of heart ischemia/reperfusion injury. Immunohistochemistry (IHC was conducted to label ED1 + macrophages in the tissue sections and the stained slides were digitized by a whole slide scanner. The whole slide images were tessellated to enable parallel processing. Pixel-wise stain classification was conducted to classify the IHC stains from those of the background and the density distribution of the identified IHC stains was then calculated by the kernel density estimator. Results: The regression analysis showed a correlation coefficient of 0.8961 between the number of IHC stains counted by our stain recognition algorithm and that by the manual counting, suggesting that our stain recognition algorithm was in good agreement with the manual counting. The density distribution of the IHC stains showed a consistent pattern with those of the cellular magnetic resonance (MR images that detected macrophages labeled by ultrasmall superparamagnetic iron-oxide or micron-sized iron-oxide particles. Conclusions: Our method provides a new imaging modality to facilitate clinical diagnosis. It also provides a way to validate/correlate cellular MRI data used for tracking immune-cell infiltration in cardiac transplant rejection and cardiac ischemic injury.

Efficacy test of a toothpaste in reducing extrinsic dental stain

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Agustanti, A.; Ramadhani, S. A.; Adiatman, M.; Rahardjo, A.; Callea, M.; Yavuz, I.; Maharani, D. A.

2017-08-01

This clinical trial compared the external dental stain reduction achieved by tested toothpaste versus placebo in adult patients. In this double-blind, parallel, randomised clinical trial, 45 female volunteers with a mean age of 20 years old were included. All study subjects front teeth were topically applicated with Silver Diamine Fluoride (SDF) to create external dental stains. Subjects were randomized into test (n=22) and control (n=23) groups. Toothpastes were used for two days to analyse the effects of removing external stains on the labial surfaces of all anterior teeth. VITA Easyshade Advance 4.0 was used to measure dental extrinsic stains changes. The analysis showed statistically significant efficacy of the tested toothpaste in reducing external dental stain caused by SDF, comparing to the placebo toothpaste, after one and two days of usage. The tested toothpaste was effective in reducing dental stain.

Optimizing the Information Presentation on Mining Potential by using Web Services Technology with Restful Protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Abdillah, T.; Dai, R.; Setiawan, E.

2018-02-01

This study aims to develop the application of Web Services technology with RestFul Protocol to optimize the information presentation on mining potential. This study used User Interface Design approach for the information accuracy and relevance as well as the Web Service for the reliability in presenting the information. The results show that: the information accuracy and relevance regarding mining potential can be seen from the achievement of User Interface implementation in the application that is based on the following rules: The consideration of the appropriate colours and objects, the easiness of using the navigation, and users’ interaction with the applications that employs symbols and languages understood by the users; the information accuracy and relevance related to mining potential can be observed by the information presented by using charts and Tool Tip Text to help the users understand the provided chart/figure; the reliability of the information presentation is evident by the results of Web Services testing in Figure 4.5.6. This study finds out that User Interface Design and Web Services approaches (for the access of different Platform apps) are able to optimize the presentation. The results of this study can be used as a reference for software developers and Provincial Government of Gorontalo.

Utility of Gram staining for diagnosis of Malassezia folliculitis.

Science.gov (United States)

Tu, Wei-Ting; Chin, Szu-Ying; Chou, Chia-Lun; Hsu, Che-Yuan; Chen, Yu-Tsung; Liu, Donald; Lee, Woan-Ruoh; Shih, Yi-Hsien

2018-02-01

Malassezia folliculitis (MalF) mimics acne vulgaris and bacterial folliculitis in clinical presentations. The role of Gram staining in rapid diagnosis of MalF has not been well studied. In our study, 32 patients were included to investigate the utility of Gram staining for MalF diagnosis. The final diagnoses of MalF were determined according to clinical presentation, pathological result and treatment response to antifungal agents. Our results show that the sensitivity and specificity of Gram staining are 84.6% and 100%, respectively. In conclusion, Gram staining is a rapid, non-invasive, sensitive and specific method for MalF diagnosis. © 2017 Japanese Dermatological Association.

Optimization and Verification of the TR-MAC Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Morshed, S.; Heijenk, Geert

2015-01-01

Energy-efficiency is an important requirement in the design of communication protocols for wireless sensor networks (WSN). TR-MAC is an energy-efficient medium access control (MAC) layer protocol for low power WSN that exploits transmitted-reference (TR) modulation in the physical layer. The

Zooming in: high resolution 3D reconstruction of differently stained histological whole slide images

Science.gov (United States)

Lotz, Johannes; Berger, Judith; Müller, Benedikt; Breuhahn, Kai; Grabe, Niels; Heldmann, Stefan; Homeyer, André; Lahrmann, Bernd; Laue, Hendrik; Olesch, Janine; Schwier, Michael; Sedlaczek, Oliver; Warth, Arne

2014-03-01

Much insight into metabolic interactions, tissue growth, and tissue organization can be gained by analyzing differently stained histological serial sections. One opportunity unavailable to classic histology is three-dimensional (3D) examination and computer aided analysis of tissue samples. In this case, registration is needed to reestablish spatial correspondence between adjacent slides that is lost during the sectioning process. Furthermore, the sectioning introduces various distortions like cuts, folding, tearing, and local deformations to the tissue, which need to be corrected in order to exploit the additional information arising from the analysis of neighboring slide images. In this paper we present a novel image registration based method for reconstructing a 3D tissue block implementing a zooming strategy around a user-defined point of interest. We efficiently align consecutive slides at increasingly fine resolution up to cell level. We use a two-step approach, where after a macroscopic, coarse alignment of the slides as preprocessing, a nonlinear, elastic registration is performed to correct local, non-uniform deformations. Being driven by the optimization of the normalized gradient field (NGF) distance measure, our method is suitable for differently stained and thus multi-modal slides. We applied our method to ultra thin serial sections (2 μm) of a human lung tumor. In total 170 slides, stained alternately with four different stains, have been registered. Thorough visual inspection of virtual cuts through the reconstructed block perpendicular to the cutting plane shows accurate alignment of vessels and other tissue structures. This observation is confirmed by a quantitative analysis. Using nonlinear image registration, our method is able to correct locally varying deformations in tissue structures and exceeds the limitations of globally linear transformations.

SU-E-J-113: The Influence of Optimizing Pediatric CT Simulator Protocols On the Treatment Dose Calculation in Radiotherapy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Y; Zhang, J; Hu, Q; Tie, J; Wu, H [Key Laboratory of Carcinogenesis and Translational Research (Ministry of Education), Department of Radiotherapy, Peking University Cancer Hospital ' Institute, Beijing (China); Deng, J [Department of Therapeutic Radiology, Yale University, New Haven, CT (United States)

2014-06-01

Purpose: To investigate the possibility of applying optimized scanning protocols for pediatric CT simulation by quantifying the dosimetric inaccuracy introduced by using a fixed HU to density conversion. Methods: The images of a CIRS electron density reference phantom (Model 062) were acquired by a Siemens CT simulator (Sensation Open) using the following settings of tube voltage and beam current: 120 kV/190mA (the reference protocol used to calibrate CT for our treatment planning system (TPS)); Fixed 190mA combined with all available kV: 80, 100, and 140; fixed 120 kV and various current from 37 to 444 mA (scanner extremes) with interval of 30 mA. To avoid the HU uncertainty of point sampling in the various inserts of known electron densities, the mean CT numbers of the central cylindrical volume were calculated using DICOMan software. The doses per 100 MU to the reference point (SAD=100cm, Depth=10cm, Field=10X10cm, 6MV photon beam) in a virtual cubic phantom (30X30X30cm) were calculated using Eclipse TPS (calculation model: AcurosXB-11031) by assigning the CT numbers to HU of typical materials acquired by various protocols. Results: For the inserts of densities less than muscle, CT number fluctuations of all protocols were within the tolerance of 10 HU as accepted by AAPM-TG66. For more condensed materials, fixed kV yielded stable HU with any mA combination where largest disparities were found in 1750mg/cc insert: HU{sub reference}=1801(106.6cGy), HU{sub minimum}=1799 (106.6cGy, error{sub dose}=0.00%), HU{sub maximum}=1815 (106.8cGy, error{sub dose}=0.19%). Yet greater disagreements were observed with increasing density when kV was modified: HU{sub minimum}=1646 (104.5cGy, error{sub dose}=- 1.97%), HU{sub maximum}=2487 (116.4cGy, error{sub dose}=9.19%) in 1750mg/cc insert. Conclusion: Without affecting treatment dose calculation, personalized mA optimization of CT simulator can be conducted by fixing kV for a better cost-effectiveness of imaging dose and quality

Hirschsprung′s disease diagnosis: Comparison of immunohistochemical, hematoxilin and eosin staining

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Memarzadeh Mehrdad

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background : The diagnosis of Hirschsprung′s disease (HD is based on the absence of ganglion cells. In hemotoxilin and eosin (H and E as well as acetylcholine esterase staining there are limitations in the diagnosis of immature ganglion cells in neonates. Methods : In this prospective study, 54 biopsies taken from suspected HD patients (five mucosal specimens and 49 full thickness specimens were studied. In the laboratory, after preparing sections of paraffin embedded tissues, H and E staining slides were compared with immunohistochemical (IHC staining including: S100, NSE, CD117, CD56, Cathepsin D, Vimentin, BCL2, GFAP, Synaptophysin and chromogranin. Results : The study revealed 30 negative (absence of ganglion cells cases (55.5%, 17 positive cases (31.04% and seven suspected cases (12.9% of ganglion cells on the H and E staining. On IHC staining with CD56 and Cathepsin D, all of the 17 positive cases detected through H and E, were confirmed for having ganglion cells and out of 30 cases reported negative on H and E staining, 28(93.3% were reported negative and two (6.7% positive by IHC staining. Of the seven suspected cases H and E staining, IHC staining detectedganglion cells only in five slides; two remained negative. Conclusions : IHC staining using CD56 and Cathepsin D improved the accuracy of diagnosis in HD when used in addition to H and E staining technique, especially for negative or suspicious slides.

Intelligent QoS routing algorithm based on improved AODV protocol for Ad Hoc networks

Science.gov (United States)

Huibin, Liu; Jun, Zhang

2016-04-01

Mobile Ad Hoc Networks were playing an increasingly important part in disaster reliefs, military battlefields and scientific explorations. However, networks routing difficulties are more and more outstanding due to inherent structures. This paper proposed an improved cuckoo searching-based Ad hoc On-Demand Distance Vector Routing protocol (CSAODV). It elaborately designs the calculation methods of optimal routing algorithm used by protocol and transmission mechanism of communication-package. In calculation of optimal routing algorithm by CS Algorithm, by increasing QoS constraint, the found optimal routing algorithm can conform to the requirements of specified bandwidth and time delay, and a certain balance can be obtained among computation spending, bandwidth and time delay. Take advantage of NS2 simulation software to take performance test on protocol in three circumstances and validate the feasibility and validity of CSAODV protocol. In results, CSAODV routing protocol is more adapt to the change of network topological structure than AODV protocol, which improves package delivery fraction of protocol effectively, reduce the transmission time delay of network, reduce the extra burden to network brought by controlling information, and improve the routing efficiency of network.

The Resin-Embedded Cornea Prepared Via Rapid Processing Protocol : A Good Histomorphometric Target for Clinical Investigation in Ophthalmology and Optometry

Science.gov (United States)

Cheah, Pike See; Mohidin, Norhani; Mohd Ali, Bariah; Maung, Myint; Latif, Azian Abdul

2008-01-01

This study illustrates and quantifies the changes on corneal tissue between the paraffin-embedded and resin-embedded blocks and thus, selects a better target in investigational ophthalmology and optometry via light microscopy. Corneas of two cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) were used in this study. The formalin-fixed cornea was prepared in paraffin block via the conventional tissue processing protocol (4-day protocol) and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. The glutaraldehyde-fixed cornea was prepared in resin block via the rapid and modified tissue processing procedure (1.2-day protocol) and stained with toluidine blue. The paraffin-embedded sample exhibits various undesired tissue damage and artifact such as thinner epithelium (due to the substantial volumic extraction from the tissue), thicker stroma layer (due to the separation of lamellae and the presence of voids) and the distorted endothelium. In contrast, the resin-embedded corneal tissue has demonstrated satisfactory corneal ultrastructural preservation. The rapid and modified tissue processing method for preparing the resin-embedded is particularly beneficial to accelerate the microscopic evaluation in ophthalmology and optometry. PMID:22570589

Compressed optimization of device architectures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frees, Adam [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Physics; Gamble, John King [Microsoft Research, Redmond, WA (United States). Quantum Architectures and Computation Group; Ward, Daniel Robert [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Center for Computing Research; Blume-Kohout, Robin J [Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States). Center for Computing Research; Eriksson, M. A. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Physics; Friesen, Mark [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Physics; Coppersmith, Susan N. [Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States). Dept. of Physics

2014-09-01

Recent advances in nanotechnology have enabled researchers to control individual quantum mechanical objects with unprecedented accuracy, opening the door for both quantum and extreme- scale conventional computation applications. As these devices become more complex, designing for facility of control becomes a daunting and computationally infeasible task. Here, motivated by ideas from compressed sensing, we introduce a protocol for the Compressed Optimization of Device Architectures (CODA). It leads naturally to a metric for benchmarking and optimizing device designs, as well as an automatic device control protocol that reduces the operational complexity required to achieve a particular output. Because this protocol is both experimentally and computationally efficient, it is readily extensible to large systems. For this paper, we demonstrate both the bench- marking and device control protocol components of CODA through examples of realistic simulations of electrostatic quantum dot devices, which are currently being developed experimentally for quantum computation.

Optimization and validation of the protocol used to analyze the taste of traditional Chinese medicines using an electronic tongue.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xuelin; Gao, Xiaojie; Liu, Ruixin; Wang, Junming; Wu, Zidan; Zhang, Lu; Li, Huiling; Gui, Xinjing; Kang, Bingya; Shi, Junhan

2016-11-01

Tools to define the active ingredients and flavors of Traditional Chinese Medicines (TCMs) are limited by long analysis times, complex sample preparation and a lack of multiplexed analysis. The aim of the present study was to optimize and validate an electronic tongue (E-tongue) methodology to analyze the bitterness of TCMs. To test the protocol, 35 different TCM concoctions were measured using an E-tongue, and seven replicate measurements of each sample were taken to evaluate reproducibility and precision. E-tongue sensor information was identified and classified using analysis approaches including least squares support vector machine (LS-SVM), support vector machine (SVM), discriminant analysis (DA) and partial least squares (PLS). A benefit of this analytical protocol was that the analysis of a single sample took <15 min for all seven sensors. The results identified that the LS-SVM approach provided the best bitterness classification accuracy (binary classification accuracy, 100%; ternary classification accuracy, 89.66%). The E-tongue protocol developed showed good reproducibility and high precision within a 6 h measurement cycle. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study of an E-tongue being applied to assay the bitterness of TCMs. This approach could be applied in the classification of the taste of TCMs, and serve important roles in other fields, including foods and beverages.

Optimization of Nonambulant Mass Casualty Decontamination Protocols as Part of an Initial or Specialist Operational Response to Chemical Incidents.

Science.gov (United States)

Chilcott, Robert P; Mitchell, Hannah; Matar, Hazem

2018-05-30

The UK's Initial Operational Response (IOR) is a new process for improving the survival of multiple casualties following a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident. Whilst the introduction of IOR represents a patient-focused response for ambulant casualties, there is currently no provision for disrobe and dry decontamination of nonambulant casualties. Moreover, the current specialist operational response (SOR) protocol for nonambulant casualty decontamination (also referred to as "clinical decontamination") has not been subject to rigorous evaluation or development. Therefore, the aim of this study was to confirm the effectiveness of putatively optimized dry (IOR) and wet (SOR) protocols for nonambulant decontamination in human volunteers. Dry and wet decontamination protocols were objectively evaluated using human volunteers. Decontamination effectiveness was quantified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis of the recovery of a chemical warfare agent simulant (methylsalicylate) from skin and hair of volunteers, with whole-body fluorescence imaging to quantify the skin distribution of residual simulant. Both the dry and wet decontamination processes were rapid (3 and 4 min, respectively) and were effective in removing simulant from the hair and skin of volunteers, with no observable adverse effects related to skin surface spreading of contaminant. Further studies are required to assess the combined effectiveness of dry and wet decontamination under more realistic conditions and to develop appropriate operational procedures that ensure the safety of first responders.

Alcian blue-stained particles in a eutrophic lake

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Worm, J.; Søndergaard, Morten

1998-01-01

We used a neutral solution of Alcian Blue to stain transparent particles in eutrophic Lake Frederiksborg Slotss0, Denmark. Alcian Blue-stained particles (ABSP) appeared to be similar to the so-called transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) identified with an acidic solution of Alcian Blue. Our...

A Novel Contrast Stain for the Rapid Diagnosis of Pityriasis Versicolor: A Comparison of Chicago Sky Blue 6B Stain, Potassium Hydroxide Mount and Culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Lodha, Nikita; Poojary, Shital Amin

2015-01-01

The mycological study of pityriasis versicolor is usually done by potassium hydroxide (KOH) mount and culture. However, KOH mount lacks a color contrast and requires a trained eye to interpret, while culture is difficult to perform, time consuming and has low sensitivity. Chicago Sky Blue 6B (CSB) is a new contrast stain that highlights the fungal hyphae and spores, blue against a purplish background. This study was done to compare the utility of a novel contrast stain (CSB stain) with KOH mount and culture. Skin scrapings from the lesions of 100 clinically diagnosed cases of P. versicolor were subjected to (1) KOH mount and CSB stain for direct microscopic examination and (2) culture using Sabouraud's dextrose agar. The statistical analysis of CSB stain and culture was done using KOH mount as the reference method, as it is the most commonly performed and practical diagnostic test available for P. versicolor. An interrater reliability analysis using the Cohen's Kappa statistic was performed to determine consistency (agreement) among the different modalities. Direct microscopy with CSB stain, KOH mount and mycological culture showed positive results in 98 (98%), 92 (92%) and 56 (56%) patients, respectively. Using KOH mount as the reference method, CSB stain had a sensitivity of 100% which was significantly higher than culture (60.9%). Statistically significant fair agreement was found between CSB stain and KOH mount (94% with κ=0.38, P < 0.001). Negligible agreement was found between CSB stain and culture (66%, κ=0.199, P = 0.001) as well as between KOH mount and culture (64%, κ=0.051, P = 0.107). CSB staining of skin scrapings is the most sensitive method for the diagnosis of pityriasis versicolor. Due to the distinct contrast provided by CSB, it is easy to perform, rapid and qualitatively superior to KOH mount.

A useful single-solution polychrome stain for plant material...Brook Cyte-Chrome I.

Science.gov (United States)

Stanley L Krugman; Julia F. Littlefield

1968-01-01

Fresh and chemically fixed sectioned plant material can be quickly stained by applying a Brook Cyte Chrome I polychrome stain. Staining time averaged only about 10 minutes. And exact timing of staining and de-staining is not as critical as with most of the commonly used stains. The overall quality is comparable to that of the traditional stains.

Correlation of FMISO simulations with pimonidazole-stained tumor xenografts: A question of O{sub 2} consumption?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wack, L. J., E-mail: linda-jacqueline.wack@med.uni-tuebingen.de; Thorwarth, D. [Section for Biomedical Physics, Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076 (Germany); Mönnich, D. [Section for Biomedical Physics, Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076 (Germany); German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Tübingen 72076 (Germany); German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69121 (Germany); Yaromina, A. [OncoRay—National Center for Radiation Research in Oncology, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden 01309, Germany and Department of Radiation Oncology (MAASTRO), GROW—School for Oncology and Developmental Biology, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht 6229 ET (Netherlands); Zips, D. [German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Tübingen 72076 (Germany); German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg 69121 (Germany); Department of Radiation Oncology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen 72076 (Germany); and others

2016-07-15

Purpose: To compare a dedicated simulation model for hypoxia PET against tumor microsections stained for different parameters of the tumor microenvironment. The model can readily be adapted to a variety of conditions, such as different human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) xenograft tumors. Methods: Nine different HNSCC tumor models were transplanted subcutaneously into nude mice. Tumors were excised and immunoflourescently labeled with pimonidazole, Hoechst 33342, and CD31, providing information on hypoxia, perfusion, and vessel distribution, respectively. Hoechst and CD31 images were used to generate maps of perfused blood vessels on which tissue oxygenation and the accumulation of the hypoxia tracer FMISO were mathematically simulated. The model includes a Michaelis–Menten relation to describe the oxygen consumption inside tissue. The maximum oxygen consumption rate M{sub 0} was chosen as the parameter for a tumor-specific optimization as it strongly influences tracer distribution. M{sub 0} was optimized on each tumor slice to reach optimum correlations between FMISO concentration 4 h postinjection and pimonidazole staining intensity. Results: After optimization, high pixel-based correlations up to R{sup 2} = 0.85 were found for individual tissue sections. Experimental pimonidazole images and FMISO simulations showed good visual agreement, confirming the validity of the approach. Median correlations per tumor model varied significantly (p < 0.05), with R{sup 2} ranging from 0.20 to 0.54. The optimum maximum oxygen consumption rate M{sub 0} differed significantly (p < 0.05) between tumor models, ranging from 2.4 to 5.2 mm Hg/s. Conclusions: It is feasible to simulate FMISO distributions that match the pimonidazole retention patterns observed in vivo. Good agreement was obtained for multiple tumor models by optimizing the oxygen consumption rate, M{sub 0}, whose optimum value differed significantly between tumor models.

Nucleic acid stains as indicators of Giardia muris viability following cyst inactivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Taghi-Kilani, R; Gyürék, L L; Millard, P J; Finch, G R; Belosevic, M

1996-06-01

A reliable viability assay for Giardia is required for the development of disinfection process design criteria and pathogen monitoring by water treatment utilities. Surveys of single-staining nucleic acid dyes (stain dead parasites only), and double-staining vital dye kits from Molecular Probes (stain live and dead parasites) were conducted to assess the viability of untreated, heat-killed, and chemically inactivated Giardia muris cysts. Nucleic acid staining results were compared to those of in vitro excystation and animal infectivity. Nucleic acid stain, designated as SYTO-9, was considered the best among the single-staining dyes for its ability to stain dead cysts brightly and its relatively slow decay rate of visible light emission following DNA binding. SYTO-9 staining was correlated to animal infectivity. A Live/Dead BacLight was found to be the better of 2 double-staining viability kits tested. Logarithmic survival ratios based on SYTO-9 and Live/Dead BacLight were compared to excystation and infectivity results for G. muris cysts exposed to ozone or free chlorine. The results indicate that SYTO-9 and Live/Dead BacLight staining is stable following treatment of cysts with chemical disinfectants.

Nuclear staining with alum hematoxylin.

Science.gov (United States)

Llewellyn, B D

2009-08-01

The hematoxylin and eosin stain is the most common method used in anatomic pathology, yet it is a method about which technologists ask numerous questions. Hematoxylin is a natural dye obtained from a tree originally found in Central America, and is easily converted into the dye hematein. This dye forms coordination compounds with mordant metals, such as aluminum, and the resulting lake attaches to cell nuclei. Regressive formulations contain a higher concentration of dye than progressive formulations and may also contain a lower concentration of mordant. The presence of an acid increases the life of the solution and in progressive solutions may also affect selectivity of staining. An appendix lists more than 60 hemalum formulations and the ratio of dye to mordant for each.

Hardware Abstraction and Protocol Optimization for Coded Sensor Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nistor, Maricica; Roetter, Daniel Enrique Lucani; Barros, João

2015-01-01

The design of the communication protocols in wireless sensor networks (WSNs) often neglects several key characteristics of the sensor's hardware, while assuming that the number of transmitted bits is the dominating factor behind the system's energy consumption. A closer look at the hardware speci...

Pulmonary CT angiography protocol adapted to the hemodynamic effects of pregnancy.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Ridge, Carole A

2012-02-01

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the image quality of a standard pulmonary CT angiography (CTA) protocol with a pulmonary CTA protocol optimized for use in pregnant patients with suspected pulmonary embolism (PE). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-five consecutive pregnant patients with suspected PE were retrospectively included in the study: 25 patients (group A) underwent standard-protocol pulmonary CTA and 20 patients (group B) were imaged using a protocol modified for pregnancy. The modified protocol used a shallow inspiration breath-hold and a high concentration, high rate of injection, and high volume of contrast material. Objective image quality and subjective image quality were evaluated by measuring pulmonary arterial enhancement, determining whether there was transient interruption of the contrast bolus by unopacified blood from the inferior vena cava (IVC), and assessing diagnostic adequacy. RESULTS: Objective and subjective image quality were significantly better for group B-that is, for the group who underwent the CTA protocol optimized for pregnancy. Mean pulmonary arterial enhancement and the percentage of studies characterized as adequate for diagnosis were higher in group B than in group A: 321 +\\/- 148 HU (SD) versus 178 +\\/- 67 HU (p = 0.0001) and 90% versus 64% (p = 0.05), respectively. Transient interruption of contrast material by unopacified blood from the IVC was observed more frequently in group A (39%) than in group B (10%) (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: A pulmonary CTA protocol optimized for pregnancy significantly improved image quality by increasing pulmonary arterial opacification, improving diagnostic adequacy, and decreasing transient interruption of the contrast bolus by unopacified blood from the IVC.

Stained Glass and Flu

Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

2017-02-01

Dr. Robert Webster, an Emeritus member of the Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, discusses his cover art story on stained glass and influenza.  Created: 2/1/2017 by National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).   Date Released: 2/1/2017.

Development of a bedside viable ultrasound protocol to quantify appendicular lean tissue mass.

Science.gov (United States)

Paris, Michael T; Lafleur, Benoit; Dubin, Joel A; Mourtzakis, Marina

2017-10-01

Ultrasound is a non-invasive and readily available tool that can be prospectively applied at the bedside to assess muscle mass in clinical settings. The four-site protocol, which images two anatomical sites on each quadriceps, may be a viable bedside method, but its ability to predict musculature has not been compared against whole-body reference methods. Our primary objectives were to (i) compare the four-site protocol's ability to predict appendicular lean tissue mass from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; (ii) optimize the predictability of the four-site protocol with additional anatomical muscle thicknesses and easily obtained covariates; and (iii) assess the ability of the optimized protocol to identify individuals with low lean tissue mass. This observational cross-sectional study recruited 96 university and community dwelling adults. Participants underwent ultrasound scans for assessment of muscle thickness and whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans for assessment of appendicular lean tissue. Ultrasound protocols included (i) the nine-site protocol, which images nine anterior and posterior muscle groups in supine and prone positions, and (ii) the four-site protocol, which images two anterior sites on each quadriceps muscle group in a supine position. The four-site protocol was strongly associated (R 2  = 0.72) with appendicular lean tissue mass, but Bland-Altman analysis displayed wide limits of agreement (-5.67, 5.67 kg). Incorporating the anterior upper arm muscle thickness, and covariates age and sex, alongside the four-site protocol, improved the association (R 2  = 0.91) with appendicular lean tissue and displayed narrower limits of agreement (-3.18, 3.18 kg). The optimized protocol demonstrated a strong ability to identify low lean tissue mass (area under the curve = 0.89). The four-site protocol can be improved with the addition of the anterior upper arm muscle thickness, sex, and age when predicting appendicular lean tissue mass

Security Protocol Verification and Optimization by Epistemic Model Checking

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-05

Three cryptographers are sitting down to dinner at their favourite restau- rant. Their waiter informs them that arrangements have been made with the...Unfortunately, the protocol cannot be expected to satisfy this: suppose that all agents manage to broadcast their mes- sage and all messages have the

Clinical utility of an automated instrument for gram staining single slides.

Science.gov (United States)

Baron, Ellen Jo; Mix, Samantha; Moradi, Wais

2010-06-01

Gram stains of 87 different clinical samples were prepared by the laboratory's conventional methods (automated or manual) and by a new single-slide-type automated staining instrument, GG&B AGS-1000. Gram stains from either heat- or methanol-fixed slides stained with the new instrument were easy to interpret, and results were essentially the same as those from the methanol-fixed slides prepared as a part of the routine workflow. This instrument is well suited to a rapid-response laboratory where Gram stain requests are commonly received on a stat basis.

Optimizing Urine Processing Protocols for Protein and Metabolite Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Siddiqui, Nazema Y; DuBois, Laura G; St John-Williams, Lisa; Will, Thompson J; Grenier, Carole; Burke, Emily; Fraser, Matthew O; Amundsen, Cindy L; Murphy, Susan K

In urine, factors such as timing of voids, and duration at room temperature (RT) may affect the quality of recovered protein and metabolite data. Additives may aid with detection, but can add more complexity in sample collection or analysis. We aimed to identify the optimal urine processing protocol for clinically-obtained urine samples that allows for the highest protein and metabolite yields with minimal degradation. Healthy women provided multiple urine samples during the same day. Women collected their first morning (1 st AM) void and another "random void". Random voids were aliquotted with: 1) no additive; 2) boric acid (BA); 3) protease inhibitor (PI); or 4) both BA + PI. Of these aliquots, some were immediately stored at 4°C, and some were left at RT for 4 hours. Proteins and individual metabolites were quantified, normalized to creatinine concentrations, and compared across processing conditions. Sample pools corresponding to each processing condition were analyzed using mass spectrometry to assess protein degradation. Ten Caucasian women between 35-65 years of age provided paired 1 st morning and random voided urine samples. Normalized protein concentrations were slightly higher in 1 st AM compared to random "spot" voids. The addition of BA did not significantly change proteins, while PI significantly improved normalized protein concentrations, regardless of whether samples were immediately cooled or left at RT for 4 hours. In pooled samples, there were minimal differences in protein degradation under the various conditions we tested. In metabolite analyses, there were significant differences in individual amino acids based on the timing of the void. For comparative translational research using urine, information about void timing should be collected and standardized. For urine samples processed in the same day, BA does not appear to be necessary while the addition of PI enhances protein yields, regardless of 4°C or RT storage temperature.

Chromosome-specific staining to detect genetic rearrangements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gray, Joe W.; Pinkel, Daniel; Tkachuk, Douglas; Westbrook, Carol

2013-04-09

Methods and compositions for staining based upon nucleic acid sequence that employ nucleic acid probes are provided. Said methods produce staining patterns that can be tailored for specific cytogenetic analyzes. Said probes are appropriate for in situ hybridization and stain both interphase and metaphase chromosomal material with reliable signals. The nucleic acid probes are typically of a complexity greater than 50 kb, the complexity depending upon the cytogenetic application. Methods and reagents are provided for the detection of genetic rearrangements. Probes and test kits are provided for use in detecting genetic rearrangements, particularly for use in tumor cytogenetics, in the detection of disease related loci, specifically cancer, such as chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) and for biological dosimetry. Methods and reagents are described for cytogenetic research, for the differentiation of cytogenetically similar but genetically different diseases, and for many prognostic and diagnostic applications.

News from the Biological Stain Commission No. 11

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyon, H O; Horobin, R W

2012-01-01

The 11th issue of News from the Biological Stain Commission (BSC) provides our first impressions of the REACH and ECHA programs. We intend to give a more thorough account of what these important programs actually mean in later editions of News from the Biological Stain Commission. Under the heading...

Advanced flooding-based routing protocols for underwater sensor networks

OpenAIRE

Isufi, E.; Dol, H.; Leus, G.J.T.

2016-01-01

Flooding-based protocols are a reliable solution to deliver packets in underwater sensor networks. However, these protocols potentially involve all the nodes in the forwarding process. Thus, the performance and energy efficiency are not optimal. In this work, we propose some advances of a flooding-based protocol with the goal to improve the performance and the energy efficiency. The first idea considers the node position information in order to reduce the number of relays that may apply flood...

Thermodynamic metrics and optimal paths.

Science.gov (United States)

Sivak, David A; Crooks, Gavin E

2012-05-11

A fundamental problem in modern thermodynamics is how a molecular-scale machine performs useful work, while operating away from thermal equilibrium without excessive dissipation. To this end, we derive a friction tensor that induces a Riemannian manifold on the space of thermodynamic states. Within the linear-response regime, this metric structure controls the dissipation of finite-time transformations, and bestows optimal protocols with many useful properties. We discuss the connection to the existing thermodynamic length formalism, and demonstrate the utility of this metric by solving for optimal control parameter protocols in a simple nonequilibrium model.

A novel contrast stain for the rapid diagnosis of pityriasis versicolor: A comparison of Chicago Sky Blue 6B stain, potassium hydroxide mount and culture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikita Lodha

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Background: The mycological study of pityriasis versicolor is usually done by potassium hydroxide (KOH mount and culture. However, KOH mount lacks a color contrast and requires a trained eye to interpret, while culture is difficult to perform, time consuming and has low sensitivity. Chicago Sky Blue 6B (CSB is a new contrast stain that highlights the fungal hyphae and spores, blue against a purplish background. Aims and Objectives: This study was done to compare the utility of a novel contrast stain (CSB stain with KOH mount and culture. Materials and Methods: Skin scrapings from the lesions of 100 clinically diagnosed cases of P. versicolor were subjected to (1 KOH mount and CSB stain for direct microscopic examination and (2 culture using Sabouraud′s dextrose agar. The statistical analysis of CSB stain and culture was done using KOH mount as the reference method, as it is the most commonly performed and practical diagnostic test available for P. versicolor. An interrater reliability analysis using the Cohen′s Kappa statistic was performed to determine consistency (agreement among the different modalities. Observations and Results: Direct microscopy with CSB stain, KOH mount and mycological culture showed positive results in 98 (98%, 92 (92% and 56 (56% patients, respectively. Using KOH mount as the reference method, CSB stain had a sensitivity of 100% which was significantly higher than culture (60.9%. Statistically significant fair agreement was found between CSB stain and KOH mount (94% with κ=0.38, P < 0.001. Negligible agreement was found between CSB stain and culture (66%, κ=0.199, P = 0.001 as well as between KOH mount and culture (64%, κ=0.051, P = 0.107. Conclusion: CSB staining of skin scrapings is the most sensitive method for the diagnosis of pityriasis versicolor. Due to the distinct contrast provided by CSB, it is easy to perform, rapid and qualitatively superior to KOH mount.

Adaptive hybrid optimal quantum control for imprecisely characterized systems.

Science.gov (United States)

Egger, D J; Wilhelm, F K

2014-06-20

Optimal quantum control theory carries a huge promise for quantum technology. Its experimental application, however, is often hindered by imprecise knowledge of the input variables, the quantum system's parameters. We show how to overcome this by adaptive hybrid optimal control, using a protocol named Ad-HOC. This protocol combines open- and closed-loop optimal control by first performing a gradient search towards a near-optimal control pulse and then an experimental fidelity estimation with a gradient-free method. For typical settings in solid-state quantum information processing, adaptive hybrid optimal control enhances gate fidelities by an order of magnitude, making optimal control theory applicable and useful.

High-Performance CCSDS AOS Protocol Implementation in FPGA

Science.gov (United States)

Clare, Loren P.; Torgerson, Jordan L.; Pang, Jackson

2010-01-01

The Consultative Committee for Space Data Systems (CCSDS) Advanced Orbiting Systems (AOS) space data link protocol provides a framing layer between channel coding such as LDPC (low-density parity-check) and higher-layer link multiplexing protocols such as CCSDS Encapsulation Service, which is described in the following article. Recent advancement in RF modem technology has allowed multi-megabit transmission over space links. With this increase in data rate, the CCSDS AOS protocol implementation needs to be optimized to both reduce energy consumption and operate at a high rate.

Improving the efficiency of single and multiple teleportation protocols based on the direct use of partially entangled states

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fortes, Raphael; Rigolin, Gustavo, E-mail: rigolin@ifi.unicamp.br

2013-09-15

We push the limits of the direct use of partially pure entangled states to perform quantum teleportation by presenting several protocols in many different scenarios that achieve the optimal efficiency possible. We review and put in a single formalism the three major strategies known to date that allow one to use partially entangled states for direct quantum teleportation (no distillation strategies permitted) and compare their efficiencies in real world implementations. We show how one can improve the efficiency of many direct teleportation protocols by combining these techniques. We then develop new teleportation protocols employing multipartite partially entangled states. The three techniques are also used here in order to achieve the highest efficiency possible. Finally, we prove the upper bound for the optimal success rate for protocols based on partially entangled Bell states and show that some of the protocols here developed achieve such a bound. -- Highlights: •Optimal direct teleportation protocols using directly partially entangled states. •We put in a single formalism all strategies of direct teleportation. •We extend these techniques for multipartite partially entangle states. •We give upper bounds for the optimal efficiency of these protocols.

Optimal protocol for teleconsultation with a cellular phone for dentoalveolar trauma: an in-vitro study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, Won Se; Lee, Hae Na; Jeong, Jin Sun; Kwon, Jung Hoon; Lee, Grace H; Kim, Kee Dong

2012-01-01

Dental trauma is frequently unpredictable. The initial assessment and urgent treatment are essential for dentists to save the patient's teeth. Mobile-phone-assisted teleconsultation and telediagnosis for dental trauma could be an aid when a dentist is not available. In the present in-vitro study, we evaluated the success rate and time to transfer images under various conditions. We analyzed the image quality of cameras built into mobile phones based on their resolution, autofocus, white-balance, and anti-movement functions. The image quality of most built-in cameras was acceptable to perform the initial assessment, with the autofocus function being essential to obtain high-quality images. The transmission failure rate increased markedly when the image size exceeded 500 kB and the additional text messaging did not improve the success rate or the transmission time. Our optimal protocol could be useful for emergency programs running on the mobile phones.

Optimal protocol for teleconsultation with a cellular phone for dentoalveolar trauma: an in-vitro study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Park, Won Se; Lee, Hae Na; Jeong, Jin Sun; Kwon, Jung Hoon; Lee, Grace H; Kim, Kee Dong [College of Dentistry, Yonsei University, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2012-06-15

Dental trauma is frequently unpredictable. The initial assessment and urgent treatment are essential for dentists to save the patient's teeth. Mobile-phone-assisted teleconsultation and telediagnosis for dental trauma could be an aid when a dentist is not available. In the present in-vitro study, we evaluated the success rate and time to transfer images under various conditions. We analyzed the image quality of cameras built into mobile phones based on their resolution, autofocus, white-balance, and anti-movement functions. The image quality of most built-in cameras was acceptable to perform the initial assessment, with the autofocus function being essential to obtain high-quality images. The transmission failure rate increased markedly when the image size exceeded 500 kB and the additional text messaging did not improve the success rate or the transmission time. Our optimal protocol could be useful for emergency programs running on the mobile phones.

Acetylcholinesterase and Nissl staining in the same histological section.

Science.gov (United States)

Shipley, M T; Ennis, M; Behbehani, M M

1989-12-18

Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme histochemistry and Nissl staining are commonly utilized in neural architectonic studies. However, the opaque reaction deposit produced by the most commonly used AChE histochemical methods is not compatible with satisfactory Nissl staining. As a result, precise correlation of AChE and Nissl staining necessitates time-consuming comparisons of adjacent sections which may have differential shrinkage. Here, we have modified the Koelle-Friedenwald histochemical reaction for AChE by omitting the final intensification steps. The modified reaction yields a non-opaque reaction product that is selectively visualized by darkfield illumination. This non-intensified darkfield AChE (NIDA) reaction allows clear visualization of Nissl staining in the same histological section. This combined AChE-Nissl method greatly facilitates detailed correlation of enzyme and cytoarchitectonic organization.

Should gram stains have a role in diagnosing hip arthroplasty infections?

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Aaron J; Zywiel, Michael G; Stroh, D Alex; Marker, David R; Mont, Michael A

2010-09-01

The utility of Gram stains in diagnosing periprosthetic infections following total hip arthroplasty has recently been questioned. Several studies report low sensitivity of the test, and its poor ability to either confirm or rule out infection in patients undergoing revision total hip arthroplasty. Despite this, many institutions including that of the senior author continue to perform Gram stains during revision total hip arthroplasty. We assessed the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of Gram stains from surgical-site samplings taken from procedures on patients with both infected and aseptic revision total hip arthroplasties. A review was performed on patients who underwent revision total hip arthroplasty between 2000 and 2007. Eighty-two Gram stains were performed on patients who had infected total hip arthroplasties and underwent revision procedures. Additionally, of the 410 revision total hip arthroplasties performed on patients who were confirmed infection-free, 120 Gram stains were performed. Patients were diagnosed as infected using multiple criteria at the time of surgery. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy were calculated from these Gram stain results. The Gram stain demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 9.8% and 100%, respectively. In this series, the Gram stain had a negative predictive value of 62%, a positive predictive value of 100%, and an accuracy of 63%. Gram stains obtained from surgical-site samples had poor sensitivity and poor negative predictive value. Based on these findings, as well as those of other authors, we believe that Gram stains should no longer be considered for diagnosing infections in revision total hip arthroplasty. Level III, diagnostic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Standardization in biological staining. The influence of dye manufacturing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyon, H

2000-01-01

not have been subjected to quality assessment either internally by the producer or vendor or externally by independent investigators or organizations such as the Biological Stain Commission. Concerted attempts at standardization in Europe are discussed. The latest results of this work, the European...... standard EN 12376, is presented. This standard is concerned with information supplied by the manufacturer with in vitro diagnostic reagents for biological staining. The standard has been prepared by a Working Group on Staining in Biology under Technical Committee 140, In Vitro Medical Devices...

p16/ki-67 dual-stain cytology in the triage of ASCUS and LSIL papanicolaou cytology: results from the European equivocal or mildly abnormal Papanicolaou cytology study.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, Dietmar; Bergeron, Christine; Denton, Karin J; Ridder, Ruediger

2011-06-25

The objective of this study was to analyze the diagnostic performance of a newly established immunocytochemical dual-stain protocol, which simultaneously detects p16(INK4a) and Ki-67 expression in cervical cytology samples, for identifying high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) in women with Papanicolaou (Pap) cytology results categorized as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL). Residual liquid-based cytology material from 776 retrospectively collected ASCUS/LSIL cases that were available from a recent study evaluating p16 cytology and HPV testing were subjected to p16/Ki-67 dual staining. The presence of 1 or more double-immunoreactive cell(s) was regarded as a positive test outcome, irrespective of morphology. Test results were correlated to histology follow-up. Sensitivity of p16/Ki-67 dual-stain cytology for biopsy-confirmed CIN2+ was 92.2% (ASCUS) and 94.2% (LSIL), while specificity rates were 80.6% (ASCUS) and 68.0% (LSIL), respectively. Similar sensitivity/specificity profiles were found for both age groups of women aged aged ≥30 years. Dual-stain cytology showed comparable sensitivity, but significantly higher specificity, when compared with human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. The results of this study show that p16/Ki-67 dual-stain cytology provided a high sensitivity for the detection of underlying CIN2+ in women with ASCUS or LSIL Pap cytology results, comparable to the rates previously reported for HPV testing and p16 single-stain cytology. However, the specificity of this morphology-independent interpretation of p16/Ki-67 dual-stain cytology testing was further improved compared with the earlier p16 single-stain cytology approach, which required morphology interpretation, and it is significantly higher when compared with HPV testing. Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.

Helicobacter pylori detection in chronic gastritis: a comparison of staining methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmad, F.; Khan, I.

2011-01-01

Background: Helicobacter pylori is an important cause of chronic gastritis, gastric ulceration and gastric malignancies as gastric carcinoma and MALT lymphoma. Its definitive diagnosis is based on histopathology. Routine H and E stain is not very effective in its detection, immune-stains and fluorescent stains are costly. Need for simple cheap and sensitive stain has always been a topic of hot debate and extensive research. Method: paraffin embedded blocks of all adult patients diagnosed as chronic gastritis/gastric ulceration with no accompanying gastric pathology as hypertrophic gastropathys, and neoplasias were taken into study. Three sections of 4 micron were cut and stained with routine H and E, Giemsa, and Cresyl fast violet. Results: Total number of patients was 50. Out of these 37 (74%) were males and 13 (26%) were females. Mean age of the patients was 50.4 years. Thirty-four percent (34%) were positive in normal H and E stain, 68% were positive in Giemsa and 76% were positive in Cresyl fast violet. Conclusion: Cresyl fast violet is a good stain for diagnosis of H. pylori gastritis. (author)

Decreased mortality associated with prompt Gram staining of blood cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Barenfanger, Joan; Graham, Donald R; Kolluri, Lavanya; Sangwan, Gaurav; Lawhorn, Jerry; Drake, Cheryl A; Verhulst, Steven J; Peterson, Ryan; Moja, Lauren B; Ertmoed, Matthew M; Moja, Ashley B; Shevlin, Douglas W; Vautrain, Robert; Callahan, Charles D

2008-12-01

Gram stains of positive blood cultures are the most important factor influencing appropriate therapy. The sooner appropriate therapy is initiated, the better. Therefore, it is reasonable to expect that the sooner Gram stains are performed, the better. To determine the value of timely Gram stains and whether improvement in Gram stain turnaround time (TAT) is feasible, we compared data for matched pairs of patients with cultures processed promptly ( or =1 hour TAT) and then monitored TAT by control charting.In 99 matched pairs, average difference in time to detection of positive blood cultures within a pair of patients was less than 0.1 hour. For the less than 1 hour TAT group, the average TAT and crude mortality were 0.1 hour and 10.1%, respectively; for the 1 hour or longer TAT group, they were 3.3 hours and 19.2%, respectively (P Gram stains.

Comparative Analysis of Different Protocols to Manage Large Scale Networks

OpenAIRE

Anil Rao Pimplapure; Dr Jayant Dubey; Prashant Sen

2013-01-01

In recent year the numbers, complexity and size is increased in Large Scale Network. The best example of Large Scale Network is Internet, and recently once are Data-centers in Cloud Environment. In this process, involvement of several management tasks such as traffic monitoring, security and performance optimization is big task for Network Administrator. This research reports study the different protocols i.e. conventional protocols like Simple Network Management Protocol and newly Gossip bas...

Heterologous production of the stain solving peptidase PPP1 from Pleurotus pulmonarius.

Science.gov (United States)

Leonhardt, Robin-Hagen; Krings, Ulrich; Berger, Ralf G; Linke, Diana

2016-05-01

A novel stain solving subtilisin-like peptidase (PPP1) was identified from the culture supernatant of the agaricomycete Pleurotus pulmonarius. It was purified to homogeneity using a sequence of preparative isoelectric focusing, anion exchange and size exclusion chromatography. Peptides were identified by ab initio sequencing (nLC-ESI-QTOF-MS/MS), characterizing the enzyme as a member of the subtilase family (EC 3.4.21.X). An expression system was established featuring the pPIC9K vector, an alternative Kozak sequence, the codon optimized gene ppp1 gene without the native signal sequence with C-terminal hexa-histidine tag, and Pichia pastoris GS115 as expression host. Intracellular active enzyme was obtained from cultivations in shake flasks and in a five liter bioreactor. With reaction optima of 40 °C and a pH > 8.5, considerable bleaching of pre-stained fabrics (blood, milk and India ink), and the possibility of larger-scale production, the heterologous enzyme is well suitable for detergent applications, especially at lower temperatures as part of a more energy- and cost-efficient washing process. Showing little sequence similarity to other subtilases, this unique peptidase is the first subtilisin-like peptidase from Basidiomycota, which has been functionally produced in Pichia pastoris.

A new technique for Gram staining paraffin-embedded tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Engbaek, K; Johansen, K S; Jensen, M E

1979-01-01

Five techniques for Gram staining bacteria in paraffin sections were compared on serial sections of pulmonary tissues from eight bacteriological necropsies. Brown and Hopp's method was the most satisfactory for distinguishing Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. However, this method cannot be recommended as the preparations were frequently overstained, and the Gram-negative bacteria were stained indistinctly. A modification of Brown and Hopps' method was developed which stains larger numbers of Gram-negative bacteria and differentiates well between different cell types and connective tissue, and there is no risk of overstaining. PMID:86548

An Energy-Efficient Link Layer Protocol for Reliable Transmission over Wireless Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iqbal Adnan

2009-01-01

Full Text Available In multihop wireless networks, hop-by-hop reliability is generally achieved through positive acknowledgments at the MAC layer. However, positive acknowledgments introduce significant energy inefficiencies on battery-constrained devices. This inefficiency becomes particularly significant on high error rate channels. We propose to reduce the energy consumption during retransmissions using a novel protocol that localizes bit-errors at the MAC layer. The proposed protocol, referred to as Selective Retransmission using Virtual Fragmentation (SRVF, requires simple modifications to the positive-ACK-based reliability mechanism but provides substantial improvements in energy efficiency. The main premise of the protocol is to localize bit-errors by performing partial checksums on disjoint parts or virtual fragments of a packet. In case of error, only the corrupted virtual fragments are retransmitted. We develop stochastic models of the Simple Positive-ACK-based reliability, the previously-proposed Packet Length Optimization (PLO protocol, and the SRVF protocol operating over an arbitrary-order Markov wireless channel. Our analytical models show that SRVF provides significant theoretical improvements in energy efficiency over existing protocols. We then use bit-error traces collected over different real networks to empirically compare the proposed and existing protocols. These experimental results further substantiate that SRVF provides considerably better energy efficiency than Simple Positive-ACK and Packet Length Optimization protocols.

Evaluation of a fluorescent lectin-based staining technique for some acidophilic mining bacteria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fife, D.J.; Bruhn, D.F.; Miller, K.S.; Stoner, D.L.

2000-01-01

A fluorescence-labeled wheat germ agglutinin staining technique was modified and found to be effective for staining gram-positive, acidophilic mining bacteria. Bacteria identified by others as being gram positive through 16S rRNA sequence analyses, yet clustering near the divergence of that group, stained weakly. Gram-negative bacteria did not stain. Background staining of environmental samples was negligible, and pyrite and soil particles in the samples did not interfere with the staining procedure

CT radiation dose and image quality optimization using a porcine model.

Science.gov (United States)

Zarb, Francis; McEntee, Mark F; Rainford, Louise

2013-01-01

To evaluate potential radiation dose savings and resultant image quality effects with regard to optimization of commonly performed computed tomography (CT) studies derived from imaging a porcine (pig) model. Imaging protocols for 4 clinical CT suites were developed based on the lowest milliamperage and kilovoltage, the highest pitch that could be set from current imaging protocol parameters, or both. This occurred before significant changes in noise, contrast, and spatial resolution were measured objectively on images produced from a quality assurance CT phantom. The current and derived phantom protocols were then applied to scan a porcine model for head, abdomen, and chest CT studies. Further optimized protocols were developed based on the same methodology as in the phantom study. The optimization achieved with respect to radiation dose and image quality was evaluated following data collection of radiation dose recordings and image quality review. Relative visual grading analysis of image quality criteria adapted from the European guidelines on radiology quality criteria for CT were used for studies completed with both the phantom-based or porcine-derived imaging protocols. In 5 out of 16 experimental combinations, the current clinical protocol was maintained. In 2 instances, the phantom protocol reduced radiation dose by 19% to 38%. In the remaining 9 instances, the optimization based on the porcine model further reduced radiation dose by 17% to 38%. The porcine model closely reflects anatomical structures in humans, allowing the grading of anatomical criteria as part of image quality review without radiation risks to human subjects. This study demonstrates that using a porcine model to evaluate CT optimization resulted in more radiation dose reduction than when imaging protocols were tested solely on quality assurance phantoms.

Service Characteristics Based High Speed Multimedia Transport Protocol

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Chen, C

1997-01-01

.... This multimedia protocol will automatically extract service requirements from multimedia applications by selecting certain sets of parameters from user applications to optimally drive the lower level physical network...

A flow-cytometric gram-staining technique for milk-associated bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Holm, Claus; Jespersen, Lene

2003-05-01

A Gram-staining technique combining staining with two fluorescent stains, Oregon Green-conjugated wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) and hexidium iodide (HI) followed by flow-cytometric detection is described. WGA stains gram-positive bacteria while HI binds to the DNA of all bacteria after permeabilization by EDTA and incubation at 50 degrees C for 15 min. For WGA to bind to gram-positive bacteria, a 3 M potassium chloride solution was found to give the highest fluorescence intensity. A total of 12 strains representing some of the predominant bacterial species in bulk tank milk and mixtures of these were stained and analyzed by flow cytometry. Overall, the staining method showed a clear differentiation between gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial populations. For stationary-stage cultures of seven gram-positive bacteria and five gram-negative bacteria, an average of 99% of the cells were correctly interpreted. The method was only slightly influenced by the growth phase of the bacteria or conditions such as freezing at -18 degrees C for 24 h. For any of these conditions, an average of at least 95% of the cells were correctly interpreted. When stationary-stage cultures were stored at 5 degrees C for 14 days, an average of 86% of the cells were correctly interpreted. The Gram-staining technique was applied to the flow cytometry analysis of bulk tank milk inoculated with Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. These results demonstrate that the technique is suitable for analyzing milk samples without precultivation.

Evaluation of Papanicolaou stain for studying micronuclei in buccal cells under field conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Ayyad, Sohair B A; Israel, Ebenezer; El-Setouhy, Maged; Nasr, Ghada Radwan; Mohamed, Mostafa K; Loffredo, Christopher A

2006-01-01

To compare Papanicolaou (Pap) and May-Grünwald Giemsa (MGG) stain as 2 techniques for staining for buccal mucosal cells to detect micronuclei (MN) infield studies. Eighty cytologic smears (2 per individual) were taken from the buccal mucosa of 40 cigarette smokers recruited at a rural village in Egypt. Forty smears were stained with Pap stain and 40 with MGG stain. All were assessed for cellularity and scored for MN. Pap stain was faster and easier to process and transport in the field study than was MGG stain. Regarding MGG smears, bacteria and cell debris masked the MN as compared to Pap smears, in which the fixative destroyed the bacteria and made the cell boundaries clearly demarcated. Using Pap stain, MN were seen easily in transparent cytoplasm. Pap stain is the preferred method infield studies for scoring and detecting MN in cells of buccal mucosa.

Kinetics of bacterial fluorescence staining with 3,3'-diethylthiacyanine.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, Marlon S; Nuñez, Vicente; Upadhyayula, Srigokul; Zielins, Elizabeth R; Bao, Duoduo; Vasquez, Jacob M; Bahmani, Baharak; Vullev, Valentine I

2010-06-15

For more than a century, colorimetric and fluorescence staining have been the foundation of a broad range of key bioanalytical techniques. The dynamics of such staining processes, however, still remains largely unexplored. We investigated the kinetics of fluorescence staining of two gram-negative and two gram-positive species with 3,3'-diethylthiacyanine (THIA) iodide. An increase in the THIA fluorescence quantum yield, induced by the bacterial dye uptake, was the principal reason for the observed emission enhancement. The fluorescence quantum yield of THIA depended on the media viscosity and not on the media polarity, which suggested that the microenvironment of the dye molecules taken up by the cells was restrictive. The kinetics of fluorescence staining did not manifest a statistically significant dependence neither on the dye concentration, nor on the cell count. In the presence of surfactant additives, however, the fluorescence-enhancement kinetic patterns manifested species specificity with statistically significant discernibility.

Detection of radioactively labeled proteins is quenched by silver staining methods: quenching is minimal for 14C and partially reversible for 3H with a photochemical stain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Keuren, M.L.; Goldman, D.; Merril, C.R.

1981-01-01

Silver staining methods for protein detection in polyacrylamide gels have a quenching effect on autoradiography and fluorography. This effect was quantitated for proteins in two-dimensional gels by microdensitometry using a computer equipped with an image processor and by scintillation counting of proteins solubilized from the gels. The original histologically derived silver stain had a quenching effect that was severe and irreversible for 3 H detection and moderate for 14 C detection. A silver stain based on photochemical methods had minimal quenching of 14 C detection and less of a quenching effect than the histological stain for 3 H detection. The 3 H quenching effect was partially reversible for the photochemical stain

Etika Berbusana Mahasiswa Stain Samarinda

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ida Suryani Wijaya

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Ethics is about behavior of human being, such as which one is right or wrong. The ethics is always affecting the human life. The ethics gives people orientation how he/she do manything every time every day. Islamic ethics consists of the way how someone interact each other; how someone should do or not to do, how to sit, how to walk, how to eat or drink, how to sleep, or how to get dressed. Al-Qur’an uses three terms to define about dressing, they are: libas, tsiyah, and sarahi. Dressing has a function as covering the body, as assessoris, as the way to do Islamic taqwa, and as an identiy. Dressing ethics of the female students of STAIN Samarinda has been regulated by the rector regulation No 19 of the year 2002 about relation and dressing ethics for the students of STAIN Samarinda.

A Comparison of Heat versus Methanol Fixation for Gram Staining Bacteria

Science.gov (United States)

Minnerath, Jeanne M.; Roland, Jenna M.; Rossi, Lucas C.; Weishalla, Steven R.; Wolf, Melissa M.

2009-01-01

Gram staining bacteria is a fundamental technique introduced in general biology and microbiology laboratory courses. Two common problems students encounter when Gram staining bacteria are (1) having a difficult time locating bacterial cells on the microscope slide and (2) over-decolorizing bacterial cells during the staining procedure such that…

Sperm viability staining in ecology and evolution: potential pitfalls

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holman, Luke

2009-01-01

The causes and consequences of variation in sperm quality, survival and ageing are active areas of research in ecology and evolution. In order to address these topics, many recent studies have measured sperm viability using fluorescent staining. Although sperm viability staining has produced a nu...

Using Green Star Metrics to Optimize the Greenness of Literature Protocols for Syntheses

Science.gov (United States)

Duarte, Rita C. C.; Ribeiro, M. Gabriela T. C.; Machado, Adélio A. S. C.

2015-01-01

A procedure to improve the greenness of a synthesis, without performing laboratory work, using alternative protocols available in the literature is presented. The greenness evaluation involves the separate assessment of the different steps described in the available protocols--reaction, isolation, and purification--as well as the global process,…

Preparation of colloidal gold for staining proteins electrotransferred onto nitrocellulose membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamaguchi, K; Asakawa, H

1988-07-01

This paper describes a simple method of preparing colloidal gold for staining protein blots. Colloidal gold was prepared from 0.005 or 0.01% HAuCl4 by the addition of formalin as a reductant and potassium hydroxide. Staining of small cell carcinoma tissue extract blotted onto nitrocellulose membranes with this colloidal gold solution resulted in the appearance of a large number of clear wine-red bands. The sensitivity of gold staining was 60 times higher than that of Coomassie brilliant blue staining and almost comparable to that of silver staining of proteins in polyacrylamide gel. The sensitivity of this method was also satisfactory in comparison with that of enzyme immunoblotting. The colloidal gold prepared by this method is usable for routine work.

Color and dichroism of silver-stained glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molina, Gloria; Murcia, Sonia; Molera, Judit; Roldan, Clodoaldo; Crespo, Daniel; Pradell, Trinitat

2013-01-01

Yellow decorations in glasses have been produced since the beginning of the fourteenth century by incorporating metallic silver nanoparticles into the glass (from a few to some tens of nanometers). The optical response of the glass-particles composite is determined by the surface plasmon resonance absorption and scattering of the nanometric metallic particles. Generally, the same color is perceived in reflection and in transmission although dichroic effects are occasionally observed. As silver-stained glasses were designed to be observed in transmission, tuning the transmission color from yellow to red was of technological interest. The relationship between the color observed both in transmission and reflection and the composition and nanostructure of regular (yellow) and dichroic (yellow and red) silver stains from the Renaissance (late fifteenth and sixteenth century, respectively) is related to the presence of a layer (of about 10–20 μm thick) of metallic silver nanoparticles (from few to 100 nm in size). The correlation between the colors observed and the silver stain nanostructure is studied with particular emphasis on the origin of the dichroic behavior. The optical response is computed and compared to the experimental data. Differences in the synthesis parameters responsible for the colors and for the dichroic behavior of the silver stain glasses are proposed. This is essential for the replication of the glass pieces which are required as replacements in the restoration/conservation of the windows but is also of broader interest

Color and dichroism of silver-stained glasses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molina, Gloria [Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Center for Research in NanoEngineering (Spain); Murcia, Sonia [Universidad de Valencia, Instituto de Ciencia de los Materiales (Spain); Molera, Judit [Universitat de Vic, GRTD, Escola Politecnica Superior (Spain); Roldan, Clodoaldo [Universidad de Valencia, Instituto de Ciencia de los Materiales (Spain); Crespo, Daniel; Pradell, Trinitat, E-mail: Trinitat.Pradell@upc.edu [Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya, Center for Research in NanoEngineering (Spain)

2013-09-15

Yellow decorations in glasses have been produced since the beginning of the fourteenth century by incorporating metallic silver nanoparticles into the glass (from a few to some tens of nanometers). The optical response of the glass-particles composite is determined by the surface plasmon resonance absorption and scattering of the nanometric metallic particles. Generally, the same color is perceived in reflection and in transmission although dichroic effects are occasionally observed. As silver-stained glasses were designed to be observed in transmission, tuning the transmission color from yellow to red was of technological interest. The relationship between the color observed both in transmission and reflection and the composition and nanostructure of regular (yellow) and dichroic (yellow and red) silver stains from the Renaissance (late fifteenth and sixteenth century, respectively) is related to the presence of a layer (of about 10-20 {mu}m thick) of metallic silver nanoparticles (from few to 100 nm in size). The correlation between the colors observed and the silver stain nanostructure is studied with particular emphasis on the origin of the dichroic behavior. The optical response is computed and compared to the experimental data. Differences in the synthesis parameters responsible for the colors and for the dichroic behavior of the silver stain glasses are proposed. This is essential for the replication of the glass pieces which are required as replacements in the restoration/conservation of the windows but is also of broader interest.

Clinical Utility of an Automated Instrument for Gram Staining Single Slides ▿

Science.gov (United States)

Baron, Ellen Jo; Mix, Samantha; Moradi, Wais

2010-01-01

Gram stains of 87 different clinical samples were prepared by the laboratory's conventional methods (automated or manual) and by a new single-slide-type automated staining instrument, GG&B AGS-1000. Gram stains from either heat- or methanol-fixed slides stained with the new instrument were easy to interpret, and results were essentially the same as those from the methanol-fixed slides prepared as a part of the routine workflow. This instrument is well suited to a rapid-response laboratory where Gram stain requests are commonly received on a stat basis. PMID:20410348

Network Coding to Enhance Standard Routing Protocols in Wireless Mesh Networks

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pahlevani, Peyman; Roetter, Daniel Enrique Lucani; Fitzek, Frank

2013-01-01

This paper introduces a design and simulation of a locally optimized network coding protocol, called PlayNCool, for wireless mesh networks. PlayN-Cool is easy to implement and compatible with existing routing protocols and devices. This allows the system to gain from network coding capabilities i...

Entanglement distillation protocols and number theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bombin, H.; Martin-Delgado, M.A.

2005-01-01

We show that the analysis of entanglement distillation protocols for qudits of arbitrary dimension D benefits from applying basic concepts from number theory, since the set Z D n associated with Bell diagonal states is a module rather than a vector space. We find that a partition of Z D n into divisor classes characterizes the invariant properties of mixed Bell diagonal states under local permutations. We construct a very general class of recursion protocols by means of unitary operations implementing these local permutations. We study these distillation protocols depending on whether we use twirling operations in the intermediate steps or not, and we study them both analytically and numerically with Monte Carlo methods. In the absence of twirling operations, we construct extensions of the quantum privacy algorithms valid for secure communications with qudits of any dimension D. When D is a prime number, we show that distillation protocols are optimal both qualitatively and quantitatively

Using cell nuclei features to detect colon cancer tissue in hematoxylin and eosin stained slides.

Science.gov (United States)

Jørgensen, Alex Skovsbo; Rasmussen, Anders Munk; Andersen, Niels Kristian Mäkinen; Andersen, Simon Kragh; Emborg, Jonas; Røge, Rasmus; Østergaard, Lasse Riis

2017-08-01

Currently, diagnosis of colon cancer is based on manual examination of histopathological images by a pathologist. This can be time consuming and interpretation of the images is subject to inter- and intra-observer variability. This may be improved by introducing a computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system for automatic detection of cancer tissue within whole slide hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stains. Cancer disrupts the normal control mechanisms of cell proliferation and differentiation, affecting the structure and appearance of the cells. Therefore, extracting features from segmented cell nuclei structures may provide useful information to detect cancer tissue. A framework for automatic classification of regions of interest (ROI) containing either benign or cancerous colon tissue extracted from whole slide H&E stained images using cell nuclei features was proposed. A total of 1,596 ROI's were extracted from 87 whole slide H&E stains (44 benign and 43 cancer). A cell nuclei segmentation algorithm consisting of color deconvolution, k-means clustering, local adaptive thresholding, and cell separation was performed within the ROI's to extract cell nuclei features. From the segmented cell nuclei structures a total of 750 texture and intensity-based features were extracted for classification of the ROI's. The nine most discriminative cell nuclei features were used in a random forest classifier to determine if the ROI's contained benign or cancer tissue. The ROI classification obtained an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.96, sensitivity of 0.88, specificity of 0.92, and accuracy of 0.91 using an optimized threshold. The developed framework showed promising results in using cell nuclei features to classify ROIs into containing benign or cancer tissue in H&E stained tissue samples. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry. © 2017 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.

Touch cytology in diagnosing Helicobacter pylori: comparison of four staining methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Hashemi, M R; Rahnavardi, M; Bikdeli, B; Dehghani Zahedani, M; Iranmanesh, F

2008-06-01

Helicobacter pylori (Hp), a major cause of peptic ulcer disease and an important risk factor for gastric malignancy, can be diagnosed by several methods. Touch cytology (TC) of the gastric mucosa has been noted to give good results and has been found to be very simple, inexpensive and rapid. However, evidence regarding the accuracy of different staining methods of TC is lacking. The present study aims at defining the diagnostic accuracy of four different staining methods of TC. Biopsy specimens were taken from the antral mucosa of one hundred consecutive patients referred for upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGIE) for various indications. TC slides were processed by four staining methods: Wright, Giemsa, Papanicolaou and Gram. Rapid urease test (RUT) and histological examination of specimens were also performed. The same experienced pathologist evaluated the coded samples. A patient's Hp status was established by minimum concordance of the three tests, including histology, RUT, and 'Touch mean'. The latter was defined positive when at least three of the four TC staining methods were positive. Forty-six patients (46%) were positive for Hp according to Hp status. TC stained by Wright had excellent agreement with both histology (kappa = 0.80, P stained TC (88.89%) was significantly more specific than both Giemsa- (74.07%; P stained (70.37%; P stained TC can safely substitute for histology. However, when assessment for severity of mucosal damage or cell atypias is meant, histology cannot be neglected.

Validation of simple and cost-effective stains to assess acrosomal status, DNA damage and mitochondrial activity in rooster spermatozoa.

Science.gov (United States)

Rui, Bruno R; Angrimani, Daniel S R; Losano, João Diego A; Bicudo, Luana de Cássia; Nichi, Marcílio; Pereira, Ricardo J G

2017-12-01

Several methods have been developed to evaluate spermatozoa function in birds but many of these are sometimes complicated, costly and not applicable to field studies (i.e., performed within poultry breeding facilities). The objective was, therefore, to validate efficient, practical and inexpensive procedures to determine DNA fragmentation, acrosomal integrity, and mitochondrial activity in poultry spermatozoa. Initially, ejaculates were individually diluted and divided into control (4°C, 4h) and UV-irradiated aliquots (room temperature, 4h), and then samples containing different percentages of DNA-damaged spermatozoa (0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%) were subjected to Toluidine Blue (TB) and Sperm Chromatin Dispersion assessments (SCD). Fast Green-Rose Bengal (FG-RB) and FITC-PSA staining protocols were subsequently used to assess acrosome status in aliquots comprising assorted amounts of acrosome-reacted spermatozoa. Furthermore, to validate 3,3'-diaminobenzidine (DAB) assay, ejaculates containing different gradients of spermatozoa with great amounts of mitochondrial activity were concurrently evaluated using DAB and JC-1 stains. The proportion of spermatozoa with abnormal DNA integrity when evaluated using the TB assessment correlated significantly with the expected percentages of UV-irradiated spermatozoa and with SCD results. A significant linear regression coefficient was also observed between expected amounts of acrosome-intact spermatozoa and FG-RB readings, and there was a significant correlation of the data when FG-RB and FITC-PSA were used. Likewise, the use of the DAB assay enabled for accurately ascertaining percentages of rooster spermatozoa with greater and lesser mitochondrial function, and results were highly correlated to results with staining with JC-1. Altogether, findings of the present study indicate acrosomal status, DNA integrity and mitochondrial activity in rooster spermatozoa can be easily and reliably determined using FG-RB, TB and DAB stains

Numerical simulation of the optimal two-mode attacks for two-way continuous-variable quantum cryptography in reverse reconciliation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Yichen; Zhao, Yijia; Yu, Song; Li, Zhengyu; Guo, Hong

2017-01-01

We analyze the security of the two-way continuous-variable quantum key distribution protocol in reverse reconciliation against general two-mode attacks, which represent all accessible attacks at fixed channel parameters. Rather than against one specific attack model, the expression of secret key rates of the two-way protocol are derived against all accessible attack models. It is found that there is an optimal two-mode attack to minimize the performance of the protocol in terms of both secret key rates and maximal transmission distances. We identify the optimal two-mode attack, give the specific attack model of the optimal two-mode attack and show the performance of the two-way protocol against the optimal two-mode attack. Even under the optimal two-mode attack, the performances of two-way protocol are still better than the corresponding one-way protocol, which shows the advantage of making double use of the quantum channel and the potential of long-distance secure communication using a two-way protocol. (paper)

Comparison of algorithms for blood stain detection applied to forensic hyperspectral imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jie; Messinger, David W.; Mathew, Jobin J.; Dube, Roger R.

2016-05-01

Blood stains are among the most important types of evidence for forensic investigation. They contain valuable DNA information, and the pattern of the stains can suggest specifics about the nature of the violence that transpired at the scene. Early detection of blood stains is particularly important since the blood reacts physically and chemically with air and materials over time. Accurate identification of blood remnants, including regions that might have been intentionally cleaned, is an important aspect of forensic investigation. Hyperspectral imaging might be a potential method to detect blood stains because it is non-contact and provides substantial spectral information that can be used to identify regions in a scene with trace amounts of blood. The potential complexity of scenes in which such vast violence occurs can be high when the range of scene material types and conditions containing blood stains at a crime scene are considered. Some stains are hard to detect by the unaided eye, especially if a conscious effort to clean the scene has occurred (we refer to these as "latent" blood stains). In this paper we present the initial results of a study of the use of hyperspectral imaging algorithms for blood detection in complex scenes. We describe a hyperspectral imaging system which generates images covering 400 nm - 700 nm visible range with a spectral resolution of 10 nm. Three image sets of 31 wavelength bands were generated using this camera for a simulated indoor crime scene in which blood stains were placed on a T-shirt and walls. To detect blood stains in the scene, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Subspace Reed Xiaoli Detection (SRXD), and Topological Anomaly Detection (TAD) algorithms were used. Comparison of the three hyperspectral image analysis techniques shows that TAD is most suitable for detecting blood stains and discovering latent blood stains.

Lasers or light sources for treating port-wine stains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Faurschou, Annesofie; Olesen, Anne Braae; Leonardi-Bee, Jo

2011-01-01

Port-wine stains are birthmarks caused by malformations of blood vessels in the skin. Port-wine stains manifest themselves in infancy as a flat, red mark and do not regress spontaneously but may, if untreated, become darker and thicker in adult life. The profusion of various lasers and light...

Optimized exosome isolation protocol for cell culture supernatant and human plasma

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Richard J. Lobb

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Extracellular vesicles represent a rich source of novel biomarkers in the diagnosis and prognosis of disease. However, there is currently limited information elucidating the most efficient methods for obtaining high yields of pure exosomes, a subset of extracellular vesicles, from cell culture supernatant and complex biological fluids such as plasma. To this end, we comprehensively characterize a variety of exosome isolation protocols for their efficiency, yield and purity of isolated exosomes. Repeated ultracentrifugation steps can reduce the quality of exosome preparations leading to lower exosome yield. We show that concentration of cell culture conditioned media using ultrafiltration devices results in increased vesicle isolation when compared to traditional ultracentrifugation protocols. However, our data on using conditioned media isolated from the Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC SK-MES-1 cell line demonstrates that the choice of concentrating device can greatly impact the yield of isolated exosomes. We find that centrifuge-based concentrating methods are more appropriate than pressure-driven concentrating devices and allow the rapid isolation of exosomes from both NSCLC cell culture conditioned media and complex biological fluids. In fact to date, no protocol detailing exosome isolation utilizing current commercial methods from both cells and patient samples has been described. Utilizing tunable resistive pulse sensing and protein analysis, we provide a comparative analysis of 4 exosome isolation techniques, indicating their efficacy and preparation purity. Our results demonstrate that current precipitation protocols for the isolation of exosomes from cell culture conditioned media and plasma provide the least pure preparations of exosomes, whereas size exclusion isolation is comparable to density gradient purification of exosomes. We have identified current shortcomings in common extracellular vesicle isolation methods and provide a

21 CFR 864.1850 - Dye and chemical solution stains.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... 21 Food and Drugs 8 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Dye and chemical solution stains. 864.1850 Section 864.1850 Food and Drugs FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (CONTINUED) MEDICAL DEVICES HEMATOLOGY AND PATHOLOGY DEVICES Biological Stains § 864.1850 Dye and chemical...

Borax methylene blue: a spectroscopic and staining study.

Science.gov (United States)

Donaldson, P T; Russo, A; Reynolds, C; Lillie, R D

1978-07-01

Borax methylene blue is quite stable at room temperatures of 22-25 C. At 30 C polychroming is slow; during 50 days in a water bath at this temperature the absorption peak moves from 665 to 656 nm. At 35 C, the absorption peak reaches 660 nm in 7 days, 654 nm in 14. At 60 C polychroming is rapid, the absorption peak reaching 640-620 nm in 3 days. When the pH of the borax methylene blue solutions, normally about 9.0, is adjusted to pH 6.5, the absorption peak remains at 665 nm even when incubated at 60 C for extended periods. When used as a blood stain 0.4 ml borax methylene blue (1% methylene blue in 1% borax), 4 ml acetone, 2 ml borax-acid phosphate buffer to bring the solution to pH 6.5, and distilled water to make 40 ml, with 0.2 ml 1% eosin added just before using, an excellent Nocht-Giemsa type stain is achieved after 30 minutes staining. The material plasmodia P. falciparum, P. vivax, and P. berghei stain moderate blue with dark red chromatin and green to black pigment granules. The study confirms Malachowski's 1891 results and explains Gautier's 1896-98 failure to duplicate it.

Quantum cryptography: individual eavesdropping with the knowledge of the error-correcting protocol

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horoshko, D B

2007-01-01

The quantum key distribution protocol BB84 combined with the repetition protocol for error correction is analysed from the point of view of its security against individual eavesdropping relying on quantum memory. It is shown that the mere knowledge of the error-correcting protocol changes the optimal attack and provides the eavesdropper with additional information on the distributed key. (fifth seminar in memory of d.n. klyshko)

ENERGY OPTIMIZATION IN CLUSTER BASED WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. SHANKAR

2014-04-01

Full Text Available Wireless sensor networks (WSN are made up of sensor nodes which are usually battery-operated devices, and hence energy saving of sensor nodes is a major design issue. To prolong the networks lifetime, minimization of energy consumption should be implemented at all layers of the network protocol stack starting from the physical to the application layer including cross-layer optimization. Optimizing energy consumption is the main concern for designing and planning the operation of the WSN. Clustering technique is one of the methods utilized to extend lifetime of the network by applying data aggregation and balancing energy consumption among sensor nodes of the network. This paper proposed new version of Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (LEACH, protocols called Advanced Optimized Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (AOLEACH, Optimal Deterministic Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (ODLEACH, and Varying Probability Distance Low Energy Adaptive Clustering Hierarchy (VPDL combination with Shuffled Frog Leap Algorithm (SFLA that enables selecting best optimal adaptive cluster heads using improved threshold energy distribution compared to LEACH protocol and rotating cluster head position for uniform energy dissipation based on energy levels. The proposed algorithm optimizing the life time of the network by increasing the first node death (FND time and number of alive nodes, thereby increasing the life time of the network.

An Overview and Analysis of Mobile Internet Protocols in Cellular Environments.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Han-Chieh

2001-01-01

Notes that cellular is the inevitable future architecture for the personal communication service system. Discusses the current cellular support based on Mobile Internet Protocol version 6 (Ipv6) and points out the shortfalls of using Mobile IP. Highlights protocols especially for mobile management schemes which can optimize a high-speed mobile…

A procedure for Alcian blue staining of mucins on polyvinylidene difluoride membranes.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Weijie; Matsuno, Yu-ki; Kameyama, Akihiko

2012-10-16

The isolation and characterization of mucins are critically important for obtaining insight into the molecular pathology of various diseases, including cancers and cystic fibrosis. Recently, we developed a novel membrane electrophoretic method, supported molecular matrix electrophoresis (SMME), which separates mucins on a polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) membrane impregnated with a hydrophilic polymer. Alcian blue staining is widely used to visualize mucopolysaccharides and acidic mucins on both blotted membranes and SMME membranes; however, this method cannot be used to stain mucins with a low acidic glycan content. Meanwhile, periodic acid-Schiff staining can selectively visualize glycoproteins, including mucins, but is incompatible with glycan analysis, which is indispensable for mucin characterizations. Here we describe a novel staining method, designated succinylation-Alcian blue staining, for visualizing mucins on a PVDF membrane. This method can visualize mucins regardless of the acidic residue content and shows a sensitivity 2-fold higher than that of Pro-Q Emerald 488, a fluorescent periodate Schiff-base stain. Furthermore, we demonstrate the compatibility of this novel staining procedure with glycan analysis using porcine gastric mucin as a model mucin.

Objective and automated protocols for the evaluation of biomedical search engines using No Title Evaluation protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Campagne, Fabien

2008-02-29

The evaluation of information retrieval techniques has traditionally relied on human judges to determine which documents are relevant to a query and which are not. This protocol is used in the Text Retrieval Evaluation Conference (TREC), organized annually for the past 15 years, to support the unbiased evaluation of novel information retrieval approaches. The TREC Genomics Track has recently been introduced to measure the performance of information retrieval for biomedical applications. We describe two protocols for evaluating biomedical information retrieval techniques without human relevance judgments. We call these protocols No Title Evaluation (NT Evaluation). The first protocol measures performance for focused searches, where only one relevant document exists for each query. The second protocol measures performance for queries expected to have potentially many relevant documents per query (high-recall searches). Both protocols take advantage of the clear separation of titles and abstracts found in Medline. We compare the performance obtained with these evaluation protocols to results obtained by reusing the relevance judgments produced in the 2004 and 2005 TREC Genomics Track and observe significant correlations between performance rankings generated by our approach and TREC. Spearman's correlation coefficients in the range of 0.79-0.92 are observed comparing bpref measured with NT Evaluation or with TREC evaluations. For comparison, coefficients in the range 0.86-0.94 can be observed when evaluating the same set of methods with data from two independent TREC Genomics Track evaluations. We discuss the advantages of NT Evaluation over the TRels and the data fusion evaluation protocols introduced recently. Our results suggest that the NT Evaluation protocols described here could be used to optimize some search engine parameters before human evaluation. Further research is needed to determine if NT Evaluation or variants of these protocols can fully substitute

A More Efficient Contextuality Distillation Protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Hui-xian; Cao, Huai-xin; Wang, Wen-hua; Fan, Ya-jing; Chen, Liang

2018-03-01

Based on the fact that both nonlocality and contextuality are resource theories, it is natural to ask how to amplify them more efficiently. In this paper, we present a contextuality distillation protocol which produces an n-cycle box B ∗ B ' from two given n-cycle boxes B and B '. It works efficiently for a class of contextual n-cycle ( n ≥ 4) boxes which we termed as "the generalized correlated contextual n-cycle boxes". For any two generalized correlated contextual n-cycle boxes B and B ', B ∗ B ' is more contextual than both B and B '. Moreover, they can be distilled toward to the maximally contextual box C H n as the times of iteration goes to infinity. Among the known protocols, our protocol has the strongest approximate ability and is optimal in terms of its distillation rate. What is worth noting is that our protocol can witness a larger set of nonlocal boxes that make communication complexity trivial than the protocol in Brunner and Skrzypczyk (Phys. Rev. Lett. 102, 160403 2009), this might be helpful for exploring the problem that why quantum nonlocality is limited.

MAC Protocol for Ad Hoc Networks Using a Genetic Algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Elizarraras, Omar; Panduro, Marco; Méndez, Aldo L.

2014-01-01

The problem of obtaining the transmission rate in an ad hoc network consists in adjusting the power of each node to ensure the signal to interference ratio (SIR) and the energy required to transmit from one node to another is obtained at the same time. Therefore, an optimal transmission rate for each node in a medium access control (MAC) protocol based on CSMA-CDMA (carrier sense multiple access-code division multiple access) for ad hoc networks can be obtained using evolutionary optimization. This work proposes a genetic algorithm for the transmission rate election considering a perfect power control, and our proposition achieves improvement of 10% compared with the scheme that handles the handshaking phase to adjust the transmission rate. Furthermore, this paper proposes a genetic algorithm that solves the problem of power combining, interference, data rate, and energy ensuring the signal to interference ratio in an ad hoc network. The result of the proposed genetic algorithm has a better performance (15%) compared to the CSMA-CDMA protocol without optimizing. Therefore, we show by simulation the effectiveness of the proposed protocol in terms of the throughput. PMID:25140339

MAC Protocol for Ad Hoc Networks Using a Genetic Algorithm

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omar Elizarraras

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The problem of obtaining the transmission rate in an ad hoc network consists in adjusting the power of each node to ensure the signal to interference ratio (SIR and the energy required to transmit from one node to another is obtained at the same time. Therefore, an optimal transmission rate for each node in a medium access control (MAC protocol based on CSMA-CDMA (carrier sense multiple access-code division multiple access for ad hoc networks can be obtained using evolutionary optimization. This work proposes a genetic algorithm for the transmission rate election considering a perfect power control, and our proposition achieves improvement of 10% compared with the scheme that handles the handshaking phase to adjust the transmission rate. Furthermore, this paper proposes a genetic algorithm that solves the problem of power combining, interference, data rate, and energy ensuring the signal to interference ratio in an ad hoc network. The result of the proposed genetic algorithm has a better performance (15% compared to the CSMA-CDMA protocol without optimizing. Therefore, we show by simulation the effectiveness of the proposed protocol in terms of the throughput.

Optimization of Rb-82 PET acquisition and reconstruction protocols for myocardial perfusion defect detection

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Jing; Rahmim, Arman; Lautamäki, Riikka; Lodge, Martin A.; Bengel, Frank M.; Tsui, Benjamin M. W.

2009-05-01

The purpose of this study is to optimize the dynamic Rb-82 cardiac PET acquisition and reconstruction protocols for maximum myocardial perfusion defect detection using realistic simulation data and task-based evaluation. Time activity curves (TACs) of different organs under both rest and stress conditions were extracted from dynamic Rb-82 PET images of five normal patients. Combined SimSET-GATE Monte Carlo simulation was used to generate nearly noise-free cardiac PET data from a time series of 3D NCAT phantoms with organ activities modeling different pre-scan delay times (PDTs) and total acquisition times (TATs). Poisson noise was added to the nearly noise-free projections and the OS-EM algorithm was applied to generate noisy reconstructed images. The channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) with 32× 32 spatial templates corresponding to four octave-wide frequency channels was used to evaluate the images. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated from the CHO rating data as an index for image quality in terms of myocardial perfusion defect detection. The 0.5 cycle cm-1 Butterworth post-filtering on OS-EM (with 21 subsets) reconstructed images generates the highest AUC values while those from iteration numbers 1 to 4 do not show different AUC values. The optimized PDTs for both rest and stress conditions are found to be close to the cross points of the left ventricular chamber and myocardium TACs, which may promote an individualized PDT for patient data processing and image reconstruction. Shortening the TATs for <~3 min from the clinically employed acquisition time does not affect the myocardial perfusion defect detection significantly for both rest and stress studies.

Improved Nissl method to stain formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde-fixed material.

Science.gov (United States)

Böck, P

1979-05-15

Nissl staining of paraffin sections from formaldehyde- or glutaraldehyde-fixed specimens is significantly intensified when sections are kept in a 50% (w/v) aqueous solution of potassium metabisulfite before being stained by a conventional Nissl method.

Multifactorial Optimization of Contrast-Enhanced Nanofocus Computed Tomography for Quantitative Analysis of Neo-Tissue Formation in Tissue Engineering Constructs.

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Maarten Sonnaert

Full Text Available To progress the fields of tissue engineering (TE and regenerative medicine, development of quantitative methods for non-invasive three dimensional characterization of engineered constructs (i.e. cells/tissue combined with scaffolds becomes essential. In this study, we have defined the most optimal staining conditions for contrast-enhanced nanofocus computed tomography for three dimensional visualization and quantitative analysis of in vitro engineered neo-tissue (i.e. extracellular matrix containing cells in perfusion bioreactor-developed Ti6Al4V constructs. A fractional factorial 'design of experiments' approach was used to elucidate the influence of the staining time and concentration of two contrast agents (Hexabrix and phosphotungstic acid and the neo-tissue volume on the image contrast and dataset quality. Additionally, the neo-tissue shrinkage that was induced by phosphotungstic acid staining was quantified to determine the operating window within which this contrast agent can be accurately applied. For Hexabrix the staining concentration was the main parameter influencing image contrast and dataset quality. Using phosphotungstic acid the staining concentration had a significant influence on the image contrast while both staining concentration and neo-tissue volume had an influence on the dataset quality. The use of high concentrations of phosphotungstic acid did however introduce significant shrinkage of the neo-tissue indicating that, despite sub-optimal image contrast, low concentrations of this staining agent should be used to enable quantitative analysis. To conclude, design of experiments allowed us to define the most optimal staining conditions for contrast-enhanced nanofocus computed tomography to be used as a routine screening tool of neo-tissue formation in Ti6Al4V constructs, transforming it into a robust three dimensional quality control methodology.

Technique and Feasibility of a Dual Staining Method for Estrogen Receptors and AgNORs

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Lukas Günther

2000-01-01

Full Text Available A new staining method for dual demonstration of Estrogen receptors (ER and argyrophilc Nucleolus‐Organizer Regions (AgNORs was developed. To rule out possible reciprocal effects, serial slides of 10 invasive ductale breast cancers were stained with either the single staining method or the simultaneous ER/AgNOR‐staining method and investigated comparatively. By measuring the slides with the image analysis system AMBA, reciprocal effects could be excluded. It was proven that dual staining of both markers results in a reproducible and specific staining result. We concluded that it is justified to measure AgNORs in immunohistochemically stained cells.

Considerations preliminary to the application of early and immediate loading protocols in dental implantology.

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Szmukler-Moncler, S; Piattelli, A; Favero, G A; Dubruille, J H

2000-02-01

In oral implantology, a 3-6 month stress-free healing period is presently accepted as a prerequisite to achieve bone apposition without interposition of a fibrous scar tissue. This protocol was introduced by Brånemark and co-workers in 1977. The aim of the present paper is to review the reasons that led Brånemark and collaborators to require long delayed loading periods. It is shown that the requirement for long delayed loading periods was drawn from the initiation and development periods of their original clinical trial. Demanding conditions were met involving simultaneously: 1) patients with poor bone quality and quantity, 2) non-optimized implant design, 3) short implants, 4) non-optimized surgical placement, 5) non-optimized surgical protocol and 6) biomechanically non-optimized prosthesis. Extrapolation of the requirement for long healing periods from these particular conditions to more standard situations involving refined surgical protocols and careful patient selection might be questioned. Albeit premature loading has been interpreted as inducing fibrous tissue interposition, immediate loading per se is not responsible for fibrous encapsulation. It is the excess of micromotion during the healing phase that interferes with bone repair. A threshold of tolerated micromotion exists, that is somewhere between 50 microns and 150 microns. It is suggested that loading protocols might be shortened through 2 different approaches. The first way would be to decrease stepwise the delayed loading period for free-standing implants below the presently accepted 3-6 months of healing. The second way would be to identify immediate loading protocols that are capable of keeping the amount of micromotion beneath the threshold of deleterious micromotion. Immediate loading protocols for implants-retained overdentures and fixed bridges are reviewed. It is shown that successful premature loading protocols require a careful and strict patient selection aimed to achieve the best

A rapid method for counting nucleated erythrocytes on stained blood smears by digital image analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Gering, E.; Atkinson, C.T.

2004-01-01

Measures of parasitemia by intraerythrocytic hematozoan parasites are normally expressed as the number of infected erythrocytes per n erythrocytes and are notoriously tedious and time consuming to measure. We describe a protocol for generating rapid counts of nucleated erythrocytes from digital micrographs of thin blood smears that can be used to estimate intensity of hematozoan infections in nonmammalian vertebrate hosts. This method takes advantage of the bold contrast and relatively uniform size and morphology of erythrocyte nuclei on Giemsa-stained blood smears and uses ImageJ, a java-based image analysis program developed at the U.S. National Institutes of Health and available on the internet, to recognize and count these nuclei. This technique makes feasible rapid and accurate counts of total erythrocytes in large numbers of microscope fields, which can be used in the calculation of peripheral parasitemias in low-intensity infections.

Optimization of a protocol for direct organogenesis of red clover (Trifolium pratense L. meristems for breeding purposes

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JUAN C CARRILLO

2004-01-01

Full Text Available A series of experiments were carried out in order to optimize a protocol for the direct organogenesis of Chilean red clover germplasm. A range of cultivars were used to analyze the effect of explant source (crown or stem meristems of vegetative plants, culture media and plant growth regulators. Our findings showed that stem meristems were easier to obtain, presented lower levels of contamination and a better development than crown meristems. The L2 medium showed better results than B5 and MS media for the cultivars and experimental lines studied. L2 medium supplemented with 0.003 mg/l of 4-amino-3,5,6-trichloropicolinic acid and 1.0 mg/l of 6-benzylaminopurine gave consistently better results and will be applied in our breeding program to propagate, maintain and eliminate viruses from elite red clover clones.

Joint estimation and contention-resolution protocol for wireless random access

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Stefanovic, Cedomir; Trillingsgaard, Kasper Fløe; Kiilerich Pratas, Nuno

2013-01-01

We propose a contention-based random-access protocol, designed for wireless networks where the number of users is not a priori known. The protocol operates in rounds divided into equal-duration slots, performing at the same time estimation of the number of users and resolution of their transmissi......We propose a contention-based random-access protocol, designed for wireless networks where the number of users is not a priori known. The protocol operates in rounds divided into equal-duration slots, performing at the same time estimation of the number of users and resolution...... successive interference cancellation which, coupled with the use of the optimized access probabilities, enables throughputs that are substantially higher than the traditional slotted ALOHA-like protocols. The key feature of the proposed protocol is that the round durations are not a priori set...

Self-Configuration and Self-Optimization Process in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

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Eduardo Camponogara

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Self-organization in Wireless Mesh Networks (WMN is an emergent research area, which is becoming important due to the increasing number of nodes in a network. Consequently, the manual configuration of nodes is either impossible or highly costly. So it is desirable for the nodes to be able to configure themselves. In this paper, we propose an alternative architecture for self-organization of WMN based on Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR and the ad hoc on demand distance vector (AODV routing protocols as well as using the technology of software agents. We argue that the proposed self-optimization and self-configuration modules increase the throughput of network, reduces delay transmission and network load, decreases the traffic of HELLO messages according to network’s scalability. By simulation analysis, we conclude that the self-optimization and self-configuration mechanisms can significantly improve the performance of OLSR and AODV protocols in comparison to the baseline protocols analyzed.

Self-Configuration and Self-Optimization Process in Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

Science.gov (United States)

Guardalben, Lucas; Villalba, Luis Javier García; Buiati, Fábio; Sobral, João Bosco Mangueira; Camponogara, Eduardo

2011-01-01

Self-organization in Wireless Mesh Networks (WMN) is an emergent research area, which is becoming important due to the increasing number of nodes in a network. Consequently, the manual configuration of nodes is either impossible or highly costly. So it is desirable for the nodes to be able to configure themselves. In this paper, we propose an alternative architecture for self-organization of WMN based on Optimized Link State Routing Protocol (OLSR) and the ad hoc on demand distance vector (AODV) routing protocols as well as using the technology of software agents. We argue that the proposed self-optimization and self-configuration modules increase the throughput of network, reduces delay transmission and network load, decreases the traffic of HELLO messages according to network’s scalability. By simulation analysis, we conclude that the self-optimization and self-configuration mechanisms can significantly improve the performance of OLSR and AODV protocols in comparison to the baseline protocols analyzed. PMID:22346584

Ocular melanoma metastatic to skin: the value of HMB-45 staining.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwartz, Robert A; Kist, Joseph M; Thomas, Isabelle; Fernández, Geover; Cruz, Manuel A; Koziorynska, Ewa I; Lambert, W Clark

2004-06-01

Cutaneous metastatic disease is an important finding that may represent the first sign of systemic cancer, or, if already known, that may change tumor staging and thus dramatically altered therapeutic plans. Although cutaneous metastases are relatively frequent in patients with cutaneous melanoma, they are less so from ocular melanoma. To demonstrate the value of HMB-45, staining in the detection of ocular melanoma metastatic to skin. The immunohistochemical stain HMB-45 a monoclonal antibody directed against intact human melanoma cells, was employed on a skin biopsy specimen from a cutaneous tumor. HMB-45 staining was positive in the atypical hyperchromatic cells of the deep dermis. HMB-45 may be of value in the detection of ocular melanoma metastatic to skin. Cutaneous metastatic disease is a somewhat common and extremely important diagnosis. Although cutaneous metastases from cutaneous melanoma are relatively frequent, those from ocular melanomas are less so. Use of histochemical staining, especially the HMB-45 stain, allows confirmation of the diagnosis.

Latency-Optimized and Energy-Efficient MAC Protocol for Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks: A Cross-Layer Approach

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Cheng Xiuzhen

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Considering the energy constraint for fixed sensor nodes and the unacceptable long propagation delay, especially for latency sensitive applications of underwater acoustic sensor networks, we propose a MAC protocol that is latency-optimized and energy-efficient scheme and combines the physical layer and the MAC layer to shorten transmission delay. On physical layer, we apply convolution coding and interleaver for transmitted information. Moreover, dynamic code rate is exploited at the receiver side to accelerate data reception rate. On MAC layer, unfixed frame length scheme is applied to reduce transmission delay, and to ensure the data successful transmission rate at the same time. Furthermore, we propose a network topology: an underwater acoustic sensor network with mobile agent. Through fully utilizing the supper capabilities on computation and mobility of autonomous underwater vehicles, the energy consumption for fixed sensor nodes can be extremely reduced, so that the lifetime of networks is extended.

International Study to Predict Optimized Treatment for Depression (iSPOT-D, a randomized clinical trial: rationale and protocol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cooper Nicholas J

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Clinically useful treatment moderators of Major Depressive Disorder (MDD have not yet been identified, though some baseline predictors of treatment outcome have been proposed. The aim of iSPOT-D is to identify pretreatment measures that predict or moderate MDD treatment response or remission to escitalopram, sertraline or venlafaxine; and develop a model that incorporates multiple predictors and moderators. Methods/Design The International Study to Predict Optimized Treatment - in Depression (iSPOT-D is a multi-centre, international, randomized, prospective, open-label trial. It is enrolling 2016 MDD outpatients (ages 18-65 from primary or specialty care practices (672 per treatment arm; 672 age-, sex- and education-matched healthy controls. Study-eligible patients are antidepressant medication (ADM naïve or willing to undergo a one-week wash-out of any non-protocol ADM, and cannot have had an inadequate response to protocol ADM. Baseline assessments include symptoms; distress; daily function; cognitive performance; electroencephalogram and event-related potentials; heart rate and genetic measures. A subset of these baseline assessments are repeated after eight weeks of treatment. Outcomes include the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (primary and self-reported depressive symptoms, social functioning, quality of life, emotional regulation, and side-effect burden (secondary. Participants may then enter a naturalistic telephone follow-up at weeks 12, 16, 24 and 52. The first half of the sample will be used to identify potential predictors and moderators, and the second half to replicate and confirm. Discussion First enrolment was in December 2008, and is ongoing. iSPOT-D evaluates clinical and biological predictors of treatment response in the largest known sample of MDD collected worldwide. Trial registration International Study to Predict Optimised Treatment - in Depression (iSPOT-D ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier

Dynamic Hierarchical Energy-Efficient Method Based on Combinatorial Optimization for Wireless Sensor Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yuchao; Tang, Hongying; Cheng, Yongbo; Zhao, Qin; Yuan, Baoqing Li andXiaobing

2017-07-19

Routing protocols based on topology control are significantly important for improving network longevity in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Traditionally, some WSN routing protocols distribute uneven network traffic load to sensor nodes, which is not optimal for improving network longevity. Differently to conventional WSN routing protocols, we propose a dynamic hierarchical protocol based on combinatorial optimization (DHCO) to balance energy consumption of sensor nodes and to improve WSN longevity. For each sensor node, the DHCO algorithm obtains the optimal route by establishing a feasible routing set instead of selecting the cluster head or the next hop node. The process of obtaining the optimal route can be formulated as a combinatorial optimization problem. Specifically, the DHCO algorithm is carried out by the following procedures. It employs a hierarchy-based connection mechanism to construct a hierarchical network structure in which each sensor node is assigned to a special hierarchical subset; it utilizes the combinatorial optimization theory to establish the feasible routing set for each sensor node, and takes advantage of the maximum-minimum criterion to obtain their optimal routes to the base station. Various results of simulation experiments show effectiveness and superiority of the DHCO algorithm in comparison with state-of-the-art WSN routing algorithms, including low-energy adaptive clustering hierarchy (LEACH), hybrid energy-efficient distributed clustering (HEED), genetic protocol-based self-organizing network clustering (GASONeC), and double cost function-based routing (DCFR) algorithms.

Age estimation of blood stains by hemoglobin derivative determination using reflectance spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bremmer, Rolf H.; Nadort, Annemarie; van Leeuwen, Ton G.; van Gemert, Martin J. C.; Aalders, Maurice C. G.

2011-01-01

Blood stains can be crucial in reconstructing crime events. However, no reliable methods are currently available to establish the age of a blood stain on the crime scene. We show that determining the fractions of three hemoglobin derivatives in a blood stain at various ages enables relating these

[Intrapartum amnioinfusion in patients with meconium-stained amniotic fluid].

Science.gov (United States)

Engel, Karina; Samborska, Monika; Bilar, Marek; Sipak-Szmigiel, Olimpia; Ronin-Walknowska, Elzbieta

2008-09-01

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of intrapartum amnioinfusion in the presence of meconium stained amniotic fluid. 93 women with meconium-stained amniotic fluid were assigned to receive amnioinfusion or no amnioinfusion (128 women). The trials were evaluated for fetal distress syndrome, route of delivery, fetal acidemia, Apgar score at 1 and 5 min., meconium aspiration syndrome, postpartum endometritis and maternal hospital stays. Amnioinfusion in cases of meconium-stained fluid did not improve the number of fetal distress symptoms during fetal heart rate monitoring. Amnioinfusion was associated with a significant decrease of neonatal acidemia although it did not improve Apgar score. In our study amnioinfusion was not associated with reduction in the incidence of neonatal outcome and puerperial complications.

A Multipath Routing Protocol Based on Clustering and Ant Colony Optimization for Wireless Sensor Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Yang

2010-05-01

Full Text Available For monitoring burst events in a kind of reactive wireless sensor networks (WSNs, a multipath routing protocol (MRP based on dynamic clustering and ant colony optimization (ACO is proposed.. Such an approach can maximize the network lifetime and reduce the energy consumption. An important attribute of WSNs is their limited power supply, and therefore some metrics (such as energy consumption of communication among nodes, residual energy, path length were considered as very important criteria while designing routing in the MRP. Firstly, a cluster head (CH is selected among nodes located in the event area according to some parameters, such as residual energy. Secondly, an improved ACO algorithm is applied in the search for multiple paths between the CH and sink node. Finally, the CH dynamically chooses a route to transmit data with a probability that depends on many path metrics, such as energy consumption. The simulation results show that MRP can prolong the network lifetime, as well as balance of energy consumption among nodes and reduce the average energy consumption effectively.

Is the gram stain useful in the microbiologic diagnosis of VAP? A meta-analysis.

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O'Horo, John C; Thompson, Deb; Safdar, Nasia

2012-08-01

In a meta-analysis examining respiratory specimen Gram stain for diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia, absence of bacteria on Gram stain had a high negative predictive value, but a positive Gram stain correlated poorly with organisms recovered in culture. Rapid and accurate diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a major challenge and no generally accepted gold standard exists for VAP diagnosis. We conducted a meta-analysis to examine the role of respiratory specimen Gram stain to diagnose VAP, and the correlation with final culture results. In 21 studies, pooled sensitivity of Gram stain for VAP was 0.79 (95% confidence interval [CI], .77-0.81; P Gram stain for a VAP prevalence of 20%-30% was 91%, suggesting that VAP is unlikely with a negative Gram stain but the positive predictive value of Gram stain was only 40%. Pooled kappa was 0.42 for gram-positive organisms and 0.34 for gram-negative organisms, suggesting fair concordance between organisms on Gram stain and recovery by culture. Therefore, a positive Gram stain should not be used to narrow anti-infective therapy until culture results become available.

Comparison of Gram and Kopeloff stains in the diagnosis of bacterial vaginosis in pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Libman, Michael D; Kramer, Michael; Platt, Robert

2006-03-01

Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is commonly diagnosed by using the Nugent score, a semiquantitative scoring system to evaluate bacterial morphotypes on Gram stain of vaginal secretions. Some authors have suggested using the Kopeloff modification of the Gram stain. Asymptomatic BV in pregnancy has been associated with adverse outcomes. We performed both stains on simultaneously collected vaginal smears from 2652 women at 24-26 weeks of gestation. Gram staining gave significantly higher (more abnormal) Nugent scores than Kopeloff staining. Compared to the Kopeloff stain, the number of specimens graded as indeterminate or consistent with BV by Gram stain increased by 29% (469 versus 364, Pstaining was significantly better than Gram staining (agreement=74% versus 63%, intraclass correlation coefficient=0.87 versus 0.79, P<.05, 95% confidence intervals 0.85-0.89 and 0.75-0.82, respectively).

Staining human lymphocytes and onion root cell nuclei with madder root.

Science.gov (United States)

Cücer, N; Guler, N; Demirtas, H; Imamoğlu, N

2005-01-01

We performed staining experiments on cells using natural dyes and different mordants using techniques that are used for wool and silk dyeing. The natural dye sources were madder root, daisy, corn cockle and yellow weed. Ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium tartrate, urea, potassium aluminum sulfate and potassium dichromate were used as mordants. Distilled water, distilled water plus ethanol, heptane, and distilled water plus methanol were used as solvents. All dye-mordant-solvent combinations were studied at pH 2.4, 3.2 and 4.2. The generic staining procedure was to boil 5-10 onion roots or stimulated human lymphocyte (SHL) preparations in a dye bath on a hot plate. Cells were examined at every half hour. For multicolor staining, madder-dyed lymphocytes were decolorized, then stained with Giemsa. The AgNOR technique was performed following the decolorization of Giemsa stained lymphocytes. Good results were obtained for both onion root cells and lymphocytes that were boiled for 3 h in a dye bath that included 4 g madder root, 4 g ferrous sulfate as mordant in 50 ml of 1:1 (v/v) methanol:distilled water. The pH was adjusted to 4.2 with 6 ml acetic acid. We conclude that madder root has potential as an alternative dye for staining biological materials.

[Automated analysis of bacterial preparations manufactured on automatic heat fixation and staining equipment].

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-01

Heat fixation of preparations was made in the fixation bath designed by EMKO (Russia). Programmable "Emkosteiner" (EMKO, Russia) was used for trial staining. Reagents set Micko-GRAM-NITsF was applied for Gram's method of staining. It was demostrated that automatic smear fixation equipment and programmable staining ensure high-quality imaging (1% chromaticity variation) good enough for standardization of Gram's staining of microbial preparations.

Mechanisms of superficial micropunctate corneal staining with sodium fluorescein: the contribution of pooling.

Science.gov (United States)

Bandamwar, Kalika L; Garrett, Qian; Papas, Eric B

2012-04-01

To establish if sodium fluorescein (SFL) dye accumulation within intercellular spaces on the ocular surface contributes to the appearance of superficial punctate corneal staining. Thirteen subjects bilaterally wore PureVision™ lenses that had been pre-soaked in ReNu MultiPlus® multipurpose solution. After 1h of lens wear, corneal staining with SFL was assessed using a standard slit-lamp technique. Participants who presented with bilateral, corneal staining were selected for further evaluation. A randomly selected eye was rinsed with saline three times. Fellow eyes (control) received no rinsing. After each rinse, the appearance of SFL staining was recorded without any further instillation of the dye. To eliminate any confounding effects of staining due to residual fluorescein in the tear menisci, corneal staining was induced in freshly excised, isolated, rabbit eyes by topical administration of 0.001% PHMB and staining, rinsing and grading were performed as above. Nine out of 13 subjects presented with bilateral diffuse corneal staining (mean grade±SD: 2.4±0.7). The mean staining grades in test and control eyes respectively after each of the three rinses were (1) 2.41±0.41, 2.25±0.69 (p=0.9); (2) 2.34±0.79, 2.1±0.83 (p=0.8); and (3) 1.71±0.65, 1.60±0.79 (p=0.6) there was no significant reduction in staining with rinsing (p>0.05) and no difference was observed between test and control eyes at any sampling-point. Similar observations made in ex vivo rabbit eyes replicated these results. Pooling or accumulation of SFL solution within intercellular spaces does not appear to contribute to the appearance of superficial micropunctate corneal staining. Copyright © 2011 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Design of Finite State Machine for Asynchronous Replication Protocol

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yanlong; Li, Zhanhuai; Lin, Wei; Hei, Minglei; Hao, Jianhua

Data replication is a key way to design a disaster tolerance system and to achieve reliability and availability. It is difficult for a replication protocol to deal with the diverse and complex environment. This means that data is less well replicated than it ought to be. To reduce data loss and to optimize replication protocols, we (1) present a finite state machine, (2) run it to manage an asynchronous replication protocol and (3) report a simple evaluation of the asynchronous replication protocol based on our state machine. It's proved that our state machine is applicable to guarantee the asynchronous replication protocol running in the proper state to the largest extent in the event of various possible events. It also can helpful to build up replication-based disaster tolerance systems to ensure the business continuity.

Digital simulation of staining in histopathology multispectral images: enhancement and linear transformation of spectral transmittance.

Science.gov (United States)

Bautista, Pinky A; Yagi, Yukako

2012-05-01

Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) stain is currently the most popular for routine histopathology staining. Special and/or immuno-histochemical (IHC) staining is often requested to further corroborate the initial diagnosis on H&E stained tissue sections. Digital simulation of staining (or digital staining) can be a very valuable tool to produce the desired stained images from the H&E stained tissue sections instantaneously. We present an approach to digital staining of histopathology multispectral images by combining the effects of spectral enhancement and spectral transformation. Spectral enhancement is accomplished by shifting the N-band original spectrum of the multispectral pixel with the weighted difference between the pixel's original and estimated spectrum; the spectrum is estimated using M transformed to the spectral configuration associated to its reaction to a specific stain by utilizing an N × N transformation matrix, which is derived through application of least mean squares method to the enhanced and target spectral transmittance samples of the different tissue components found in the image. Results of our experiments on the digital conversion of an H&E stained multispectral image to its Masson's trichrome stained equivalent show the viability of the method.

Preparation of High-quality Hematoxylin and Eosin-stained Sections from Rodent Mammary Gland Whole Mounts for Histopathologic Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Tucker, Deirdre K; Foley, Julie F; Hayes-Bouknight, Schantel A; Fenton, Suzanne E

2016-10-01

Identifying environmental exposures that cause adverse mammary gland outcomes in rodents is a first step in disease prevention in humans and domestic pets. "Whole mounts" are an easy and inexpensive tissue preparation method that can elucidate typical or abnormal mammary gland morphology in rodent studies. Here, we propose procedures to facilitate the use of whole mounts for histological identification of grossly noted tissue alterations. We noted lesions in mammary whole mounts from 14-month-old CD-1 mice that were not found in the contralateral gland hematoxylin and eosin (H&E)-stained section. Whole mounts were removed from the slide and carefully processed to produce high-quality histological sections that mirrored the quality of the original H&E-stained section in order to properly diagnose the unidentified gross abnormalities. Incorporation of this method into testing protocols that focus on human relevant chemical and endocrine disruptors exposure will increase the chances of identifying lesions in the gland and reduce the risk of false negative findings. This method can be especially invaluable when lesions are not always palpable during the course of the study or visible at necropsy, or when a single cross section of the mammary gland is otherwise used for detecting lesions. © The Author(s) 2016.

Stain removal and whitening by baking soda dentifrice: A review of literature.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yiming

2017-11-01

Tooth discoloration may be caused by intrinsic or extrinsic stains or a combination of both. There are 2 major approaches to removing the stains, including the chemical mechanism using peroxides for tooth bleaching and the mechanical mechanism using abrasives in prophylactic pastes and dentifrices to remove stains, resulting in a whitening effect. Attempts have also been made to add a low concentration of peroxides to dentifrices to enhance their abrasive cleaning to remove tooth stains. This article provides a review of both in vitro and clinical studies on stain removal and whitening effect of dentifrices containing sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). In recent years, whitening dentifrices have become popular because of little additional effort for use, ease of availability, low cost, and accumulated evidence of clinical efficacy and safety in the literature. Advances in research and technology have led to innovative formulations of dentifrices using baking soda as the sole abrasive or a component of an abrasive system. Baking soda is biologically compatible with acid-buffering capacities, antibacterial at high concentrations, and has a relatively lower abrasivity. The evidence available in the literature indicates that baking soda-based dentifrices are effective and safe for tooth stain removal and consequently whitening. A number of clinical studies have also shown that baking soda-based dentifrices are more effective in stain removal and whitening than some non-baking soda-containing dentifrices with a higher abrasivity. So far, research efforts have mainly focused on stain removal and tooth-whitening efficacy and clinical safety of baking soda dentifrices used with manual toothbrushes, with only a few studies investigating their effects using powered toothbrushes, for which further research is encouraged. As part of a daily oral hygiene practice, baking soda-based dentifrice is a desirable, alternative or additional measure for tooth stain removal and whitening

Discrimination of p53 immunohistochemistry-positive tumors by its staining pattern in gastric cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ando, Koji; Oki, Eiji; Saeki, Hiroshi; Yan, Zhao; Tsuda, Yasuo; Hidaka, Gen; Kasagi, Yuta; Otsu, Hajime; Kawano, Hiroyuki; Kitao, Hiroyuki; Morita, Masaru; Maehara, Yoshihiko

2015-01-01

Immunohistochemistry staining of p53 is a cheap and simple method to detect aberrant function of p53. However, there are some discrepancies between the result of immunohistochemistry staining and mutation analysis. This study attempted to find a new definition of p53 staining by its staining pattern. Immunohistochemistry staining of p53 and TP53 gene mutation analysis were performed in 148 gastric cancer patients. Also SNP-CGH array analysis was conducted to four cases. Positive staining of p53 was observed in 88 (59.5%) tumors. Tumors with positive p53 staining showed malignant features compared to negative tumors. Mutation of TP53 gene was observed in 29 (19.6%) tumors with higher age and differentiated type. In positive p53 tumors, two types could be distinguished; aberrant type and scattered type. With comparison to TP53 gene mutation analysis, all the scattered type had wild-type TP53 gene (P = 0.0003). SNP-CGH array showed that scattered-type tumors had no change in the structure of chromosome 17. P53-scattered-type staining tumors may reflect a functionally active nonmutated TP53 gene. In interpretation of p53 immunohistochemistry staining, distinguishing p53-positive tumors by their staining pattern may be important in gastric cancer

Hindlimb Suspension as a Model to Study Ophthalmic Complications in Microgravity Status Report: Optimization of Rat Retina Flat Mounts Staining to Study Vascular Remodeling

Science.gov (United States)

Theriot, Corey A.; Zanello, Susana B.

2014-01-01

Preliminary data from a prior tissue-sharing experiment has suggested that early growth response protein-1 (Egr1), a transcription factor involved in various stress responses in the vasculature, is induced in the rat retina after 14 days of hindlimb suspension (HS) and may be evidence that mechanical stress is occurring secondary to the cephalad fluid shift. This mechanical stress could cause changes in oxygenation of the retina, and the subsequent ischemia- or inflammation-driven hypoxia may lead to microvascular remodeling. This microvascular remodeling process can be studied using image analysis of retinal vessels and can be then be quantified by the VESsel GENeration Analysis (VESGEN) software, a computational tool that quantifies remodeling patterns of branching vascular trees and capillary or vasculogenic networks. Our project investigates whether rodent HS is a valid model to study the effects of simulated-weightlessness on ocular structures and their relationship with intracranial pressure (ICP). One of the hypotheses to be tested is that HS-induced cephalad fluid shift is accompanied by vascular engorgement that produces changes in retinal oxygenation, leading to oxidative stress, hypoxia, microvascular remodeling, and cellular degeneration. We have optimized the procedure to obtain flat mounts of rat retina, staining of the endothelial lining in vasculature and acquisition of high quality images suitable for VESGEN analysis. Briefly, eyes were fixed in 4% paraformaldehyde for 24 hours and retinas were detached and then mounted flat on microscope slides. The microvascular staining was done with endothelial cell-specific isolectin binding, coupled to Alexa-488 fluorophore. Image acquisition at low magnification and high resolution was performed using a new Leica SP8 confocal microscope in a tile pattern across the X,Y plane and multiple sections along the Z-axis. This new confocal microscope has the added capability of dye separation using the Linear

Comparison of diagnostic protocols and the equivalent effective dose in renal cancer and herniated lumbar disc

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ruiz Perez de Villar, M.J.; Vano Carruana, E.; Lanzos Gonbzalez, E.; Perez Torrubia, A.

1994-01-01

Renal cancer (RC) and herniated lumbar disc (HLD) were the two pathologies selected for the study of the diagnostic protocols applied in different centers to determine how their variability is reflected in the effective equivalent dose (EED) and establish the optimal radiological protocol for diagnostic purposes, while using the lowest possible dose. On the basis of 222 case histories, it was observed that the EED resulting from the diagnosis of HLD can vary as much as a factor of 3(6.2-18.9 mSv). Likewise, the EED related to the diagnosis of RC can be modified by a factor of 1.5(32.6-48.3 mSv), depending on the diagnostic protocol employed. It can be considered that the optimal protocol to reach a diagnosis of HLD includes chest x-ray, lumbar spine x-ray and lumbar CT scan, while that required for the diagnosis of RC involves chest x-ray, IVU, abdominal CT scan and digital subtraction angiography. The optimization of the study protocols-especially the reduction of the number of exposures, modernization and quality control of the equipment, among other aspects, can reduce the EED by a factor of 2. (Author)

The Kyoto Protocol. An economic appraisal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grubb, M.

2000-05-01

This paper examines the overall economics of the Kyoto Protocol on climate change, in three main parts. The first part explores the structure of the Protocol and how this matches against classical economic criteria of an 'optimal' climate change agreement. This discussion also considers the nature of and reasons for shortcomings, and the prospects for its evolution. Given the various flexibilities in the agreement, the Kyoto Protocol is far more economically efficient in its structure than any previous global environmental agreement. The central conclusion is that, from an economic perspective, the Protocol's structure for industrialised country commitments is as good as could reasonably be expected. The second part of the paper explores more closely the economics of the commitments themselves and how they combine with the various flexibilities, briefly reviewing the available literature and using a simple spreadsheet model of how the commitments might combine with trading mechanisms under a range of assumptions. Flexibility is intrinsic and necessary, but it is argued that the allocations to Russia and Ukraine in particular mean that unlimited flexibility could render the Protocol's commitments weaker in their impacts than is economically desirable to address climate change. It is argued that, should this prove to be the case, access to the large surplus in the transition economies could be used as a control valve to limit the costs of the Protocol to within acceptable limits. Finally, the paper considers the issues of developing country involvement in the Kyoto Protocol, and the Protocol's longer-term impact and evolution, including its impact on technological evolution and dissemination and the evolution of future commitments. It is argued that taking account of such issues critically affects views of the Protocol

The use of special stains in liver biopsy interpretation: Implications ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Materials and Methods: The formalin fixed paraffin embedded blocks of liver biopsies reported in two histopathology laboratories between 2008 and 2013 were retrieved. These were stained with H and E and the following standard special stains for liver tissue histology – Perl's Prussian blue, reticulin, Sirius red, Shikata ...

Australian high-dose-rate brachytherapy protocols for gynaecological malignancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacLeod, C.; Dally, M.; Stevens, M.; Thornton, D.; Carruthers, S.; Jeal, P.

2001-01-01

There is no consensus over the optimal dose fractionation schedules for high-dose-rate (HDR) brachytherapy used for gynaecological malignancy. In Australian public hospital departments of radiation oncology, HDR brachytherapy for gynaecological cancer is being more commonly used. A survey of public departments that are using this technology, or that plan to introduce this technology, was performed. Their current protocols are presented. In general, protocols are similar biologically; however, the practical aspects such as the number of fractions given do vary and may reflect resource restrictions or, alternatively, differences in interpretations of the literature and of the best protocols by clinicians. Copyright (2001) Blackwell Science Pty Ltd

TANTANGAN DAN PELUANG JURUSAN TADRIS DI IAIN/STAIN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Kosim

2009-01-01

Full Text Available A consequence of dualism in education policy, the implementatin of tadris in IAIN often faces many problems. This paper will describe the history and the development of tadris in IAIN/STAIN. The discussion begins with the origin of tadris in IAIN, problems araise in the implementation of tadris in IAIN/STAIN, including the alumni’s problem. In addition, this article also reveals several opportunities for tadris graduation to develop madrasah as purely religious school to public islamic school as the result of the paradigm change.

Utility of Acridine Orange staining for detection of bacteria from positive blood cultures.

Science.gov (United States)

Neeraja, M; Lakshmi, V; Padmasri, C; Padmaja, K

2017-08-01

The diagnostic performance of AO stain was evaluated for the detection of bacteria and or fungi from positive blood cultures. The sensitivity of Gram stain (GS) was 98.26% while Acridine Orange (AO) stain proved to be more sensitive (100%) with a Positive and Negative Predictive Value of 100% each. The specificity of both the stains was 100%. Overall agreement between the two stains was 98.23% (688/700). The organisms that were missed by GS and positive by AO were Candida species (Sutton, 2006) and Gram negative bacilli (GNB) (Sutton, 2006). Sensitivity of GS was 82.35% and AO was 100% among mixed cultures. Immediate reporting of the results of AO stain would have a significant impact on clinical management of patients with serious blood stream infections. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimized in vitro procedure for assessing the cytocompatibility of magnesium-based biomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Jung, Ole; Smeets, Ralf; Porchetta, Dario; Kopp, Alexander; Ptock, Christoph; Müller, Ute; Heiland, Max; Schwade, Max; Behr, Björn; Kröger, Nadja; Kluwe, Lan; Hanken, Henning; Hartjen, Philip

2015-09-01

Magnesium (Mg) is a promising biomaterial for degradable implant applications that has been extensively studied in vitro and in vivo in recent years. In this study, we developed a procedure that allows an optimized and uniform in vitro assessment of the cytocompatibility of Mg-based materials while respecting the standard protocol DIN EN ISO 10993-5:2009. The mouse fibroblast line L-929 was chosen as the preferred assay cell line and MEM supplemented with 10% FCS, penicillin/streptomycin and 4mM l-glutamine as the favored assay medium. The procedure consists of (1) an indirect assessment of effects of soluble Mg corrosion products in material extracts and (2) a direct assessment of the surface compatibility in terms of cell attachment and cytotoxicity originating from active corrosion processes. The indirect assessment allows the quantification of cell-proliferation (BrdU-assay), viability (XTT-assay) as well as cytotoxicity (LDH-assay) of the mouse fibroblasts incubated with material extracts. Direct assessment visualizes cells attached to the test materials by means of live-dead staining. The colorimetric assays and the visual evaluation complement each other and the combination of both provides an optimized and simple procedure for assessing the cytocompatibility of Mg-based biomaterials in vitro. Copyright © 2015 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Indirect immunofluorescence staining of Chlamydia trachomatis inclusions in microculture plates with monoclonal antibodies.

Science.gov (United States)

Zapata, M; Chernesky, M; Mahony, J

1984-06-01

Indirect immunofluorescence (IF) staining, using a monoclonal antibody, detected two- to fourfold more inclusions than did iodine staining. Of 274 clinical specimens, 53 (19.3%) were positive by IF on passage 1 as compared with 33 (12%) by iodine staining (P less than 0.005). IF-stained inclusions in McCoy cells in the bottom of microculture wells were readily viewed with a long-focal-length objective at a magnification of 250 X.

Indirect immunofluorescence staining of Chlamydia trachomatis inclusions in microculture plates with monoclonal antibodies.

OpenAIRE

Zapata, M; Chernesky, M; Mahony, J

1984-01-01

Indirect immunofluorescence (IF) staining, using a monoclonal antibody, detected two- to fourfold more inclusions than did iodine staining. Of 274 clinical specimens, 53 (19.3%) were positive by IF on passage 1 as compared with 33 (12%) by iodine staining (P less than 0.005). IF-stained inclusions in McCoy cells in the bottom of microculture wells were readily viewed with a long-focal-length objective at a magnification of 250 X.

Blood cell mRNAs and microRNAs: optimized protocols for extraction and preservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Eikmans, Michael; Rekers, Niels V; Anholts, Jacqueline D H; Heidt, Sebastiaan; Claas, Frans H J

2013-03-14

Assessing messenger RNA (mRNA) and microRNA levels in peripheral blood cells may complement conventional parameters in clinical practice. Working with small, precious samples requires optimal RNA yields and minimal RNA degradation. Several procedures for RNA extraction and complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis were compared for their efficiency. The effect on RNA quality of freeze-thawing peripheral blood cells and storage in preserving reagents was investigated. In terms of RNA yield and convenience, quality quantitative polymerase chain reaction signals per nanogram of total RNA and using NucleoSpin and mirVana columns is preferable. The SuperScript III protocol results in the highest cDNA yields. During conventional procedures of storing peripheral blood cells at -180°C and thawing them thereafter, RNA integrity is maintained. TRIzol preserves RNA in cells stored at -20°C. Detection of mRNA levels significantly decreases in degraded RNA samples, whereas microRNA molecules remain relatively stable. When standardized to reference targets, mRNA transcripts and microRNAs can be reliably quantified in moderately degraded (quality index 4-7) and severely degraded (quality index <4) RNA samples, respectively. We describe a strategy for obtaining high-quality and quantity RNA from fresh and stored cells from blood. The results serve as a guideline for sensitive mRNA and microRNA expression assessment in clinical material.

AUTOMATED ASSESSMENT OF EPIDERMAL THICKNESS AND VASCULAR DENSITY OF PORT WINE STAINS OCT IMAGE

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CHENGMING WANG

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Optical coherence tomography (OCT enables in vivo imaging of port wine stains (PWS lesions. The knowledge of vascular structure and epidermal thickness (ET of PWS may aid the objective diagnosis and optimal treatment. To obtain the structural parameters more rapidly and avoid user intervention, an automated algorithm of energy map is introduced based on intensity and edge information to extract the skin surface using dynamic programming method. Subsequently, an averaged A-scan analysis is performed to obtain the mean ET and the relative intensity of dermis indicating the corresponding vascular density. This approach is currently successfully applied in clinical diagnosis and shows promising guidance and assessment of PDT treatment.

Identification criteria of the rare multi-flagellate Lophomonas blattarum: comparison of different staining techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Alam-Eldin, Yosra Hussein; Abdulaziz, Amany Mamdouh

2015-09-01

Bronchopulmonary lophomoniasis (BPL) is an emerging disease of potential importance. BPL is presented by non-specific clinical picture and is usually accompanied by immunosuppression. Culture of Lophomonas blattarum is difficult and its molecular diagnosis has not yet been developed. Therefore, microscopic examination of respiratory samples, e.g., bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) or sputum, is the mainstay of BPL diagnosis. Creola bodies and ciliocytophthoria are two forms of bronchial cells which occur in chest diseases with non-specific clinical picture like that of BPL. Both forms could be misrecognized as multi-flagellates because of their motile cilia in the wet mounts and due to shape variability of L. blattarum in stained smears. The aim of the study is to compare different staining techniques for visualizing L. blattarum to improve the recognition and diagnosis of BPL, to distinguish respiratory epithelial cells from L. blattarum and to decide which stain is recommended in suspected cases of BPL. BAL samples from patients which contain L. blattarum, creola bodies, and ciliocytophthoria were collected then wet mounts were examined. The BAL samples were also stained by Papanicolaou (PAP), Giemsa, hematoxylin and eosin (H & E), trichrome, Gram, and Diff-Quik (DQ) stains. The different staining techniques were compared regarding the stain quality. In wet mounts, the ciliary movement was coordinate and synchronous while the flagellar movement was wavy and leaded to active swimming of L. blattarum. In stained slides, bronchial cells were characterized by the presence of basal nucleus and the terminal bar from which the cilia arise. Trichrome was the best stain in demonstration of cellular details of L. blattarum. H & E, PAP, and Giemsa stains showed good quality of stains. Gram and DQ stains showed only pale hues of L. blattarum. We recommended adding Wheatley's trichrome staining to the differential diagnosis workup of cases of non-specific chest infections

Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols in Major Urologic Surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natalija Vukovic

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the reviewThe analysis of the components of enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS protocols in urologic surgery.Recent findingsERAS protocols has been studied for over 20 years in different surgical procedures, mostly in colorectal surgery. The concept of improving patient care and reducing postoperative complications was also applied to major urologic surgery and especially procedure of radical cystectomy. This procedure is technically challenging, due to a major surgical resection and high postoperative complication rate that may reach 65%. Several clinical pathways were introduced to improve perioperative course and reduce the length of hospital stay. These protocols differ from ERAS modalities in other surgeries. The reasons for this are longer operative time, increased risk of perioperative transfusion and infection, and urinary diversion achieved using transposed intestinal segments. Previous studies in this area analyzed the need for mechanical bowel preparation, postoperative nasogastric tube decompression, as well as the duration of urinary drainage. Furthermore, the attention has also been drawn to perioperative fluid optimization, pain management, and bowel function.SummaryNotwithstanding partial resemblance between the pathways in major urologic surgery and other pelvic surgeries, there are still scarce guidelines for ERAS protocols in urology, which is why further studies should assess the importance of preoperative medical optimization, implementation of thoracic epidural anesthesia and analgesia, and perioperative nutritional management.

Evaluation of immunoperoxidase staining technique in the diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sharma Savitri

2001-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose: We describe a simple procedure of Immunoperoxidase (IP technique, using indigenously raised antibody, to screen corneal scrapings for Acanthamoeba cysts and trophozoites. This study sought to determine the utility of this test in the diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis. Methods: A high titre polyclonal antibody against a local clinical isolate (axenic of Acanthamoeba species (trophozoite lysate antigen was raised in rabbits and used for standardization of IP technique for corneal scrapings. Twenty two smears of corneal scrapings, collected from patients showing Acanthamoeba cysts in corneal scrapings stained with calcofluorwhite (pool-1 and patients showing no cysts in similar scrapings (pool-2, were coded and stained by IP technique by a masked technician. All 22 patients had also been tested for bacteria, fungus, and Acanthamoeba in their corneal scrapings by smears and cultures. IP stained smears were examined for organisms including cysts and trophozoites of Acanthamoeba and background staining by two observers masked to the results of other smears and cultures. The validity of the IP test in detection of Acanthamoeba cysts and trophozoites was measured by sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value in comparison (McNemar test for paired comparison with calcofluor white staining and culture. Results: Based on the readings of observer 1 and compared to calcofluor white staining, the IP test had a sensitivity of 100%, a specificity of 94%, positive predictive value of 80% and negative predictive value of 100%. When compared to culture, the values were 83%, 100%, 100% and 94% respectively. Trophozoites missed in calcofluor white stained smears, were detected in 2 out of 6 cases of culture-positive Acanthamoeba keratitis. The Kappa coefficient of interobserver agreement was determined as fair (30.4%. Conclusion: The immunoperoxidase technique is a simple and useful test in the diagnosis of

Hierarchical patch-based co-registration of differently stained histopathology slides

Science.gov (United States)

Yigitsoy, Mehmet; Schmidt, Günter

2017-03-01

Over the past decades, digital pathology has emerged as an alternative way of looking at the tissue at subcellular level. It enables multiplexed analysis of different cell types at micron level. Information about cell types can be extracted by staining sections of a tissue block using different markers. However, robust fusion of structural and functional information from different stains is necessary for reproducible multiplexed analysis. Such a fusion can be obtained via image co-registration by establishing spatial correspondences between tissue sections. Spatial correspondences can then be used to transfer various statistics about cell types between sections. However, the multi-modal nature of images and sparse distribution of interesting cell types pose several challenges for the registration of differently stained tissue sections. In this work, we propose a co-registration framework that efficiently addresses such challenges. We present a hierarchical patch-based registration of intensity normalized tissue sections. Preliminary experiments demonstrate the potential of the proposed technique for the fusion of multi-modal information from differently stained digital histopathology sections.

An algorithm for optimal fusion of atlases with different labeling protocols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Eugenio Iglesias, Juan; Sabuncu, Mert Rory; Aganj, Iman

2015-01-01

In this paper we present a novel label fusion algorithm suited for scenarios in which different manual delineation protocols with potentially disparate structures have been used to annotate the training scans (hereafter referred to as "atlases"). Such scenarios arise when atlases have missing str...

Colour stability, staining and roughness of silorane after prolonged chemical challenges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Benetti, Ana Raquel; Ribeiro de Jesus, Vivian Cristiane Bueno; Martinelli, Natan Luiz

2013-01-01

methacrylate or silorane composites. Specimens were individually stored at 37°C in 0.02 N citric acid, 0.02 N phosphoric acid, 75% ethanol or distilled water for 7, 14, 21 and 180 days, when new measurements were performed. A staining test was performed after the chemical challenge by immersion in coffee...... considered acceptable (although significantly different) after immersion in water, citric acid, phosphoric acid or ethanol, but were unacceptable for the silorane composite immersed in ethanol for 180 days. The methacrylate-based resins stored in ethanol were significantly more stained by coffee than those...... stored in other media. The silorane composite demonstrated no staining, but increased roughness, when compared to the methacrylate-based resins. CONCLUSIONS: No effect of the immersion solution was noticed on roughness of the investigated materials. Ethanol influenced colour stability and staining...

Automated robust registration of grossly misregistered whole-slide images with varying stains

Science.gov (United States)

Litjens, G.; Safferling, K.; Grabe, N.

2016-03-01

Cancer diagnosis and pharmaceutical research increasingly depend on the accurate quantification of cancer biomarkers. Identification of biomarkers is usually performed through immunohistochemical staining of cancer sections on glass slides. However, combination of multiple biomarkers from a wide variety of immunohistochemically stained slides is a tedious process in traditional histopathology due to the switching of glass slides and re-identification of regions of interest by pathologists. Digital pathology now allows us to apply image registration algorithms to digitized whole-slides to align the differing immunohistochemical stains automatically. However, registration algorithms need to be robust to changes in color due to differing stains and severe changes in tissue content between slides. In this work we developed a robust registration methodology to allow for fast coarse alignment of multiple immunohistochemical stains to the base hematyoxylin and eosin stained image. We applied HSD color model conversion to obtain a less stain color dependent representation of the whole-slide images. Subsequently, optical density thresholding and connected component analysis were used to identify the relevant regions for registration. Template matching using normalized mutual information was applied to provide initial translation and rotation parameters, after which a cost function-driven affine registration was performed. The algorithm was validated using 40 slides from 10 prostate cancer patients, with landmark registration error as a metric. Median landmark registration error was around 180 microns, which indicates performance is adequate for practical application. None of the registrations failed, indicating the robustness of the algorithm.

News from the Biological Stain Commission no. 12

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lyon, H O

2012-01-01

In this 12(th) issue of News from the Biological Stain Commission (BSC) under the heading of Regulatory affairs, the Biological Stain Commission's International Affairs Committee presents information from the meetings of ISO/TC 212/WG 1 Quality and competence in the medical laboratory and ISO....../TC 212/WG 3 In vitro diagnostic products both held on 2 - 3 June 2010, plus information on the second plenary meeting of ISO/TC 212 Clinical laboratory testing and in vitro diagnostic test systems held on 4 June 2010. All meetings took place in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Finally, information is provided...

[Comparison of four different staining methods for ear cytology of dogs with otitis externa].

Science.gov (United States)

Bouassiba, C; Osthold, W; Mueller, R S

2013-01-01

Cytological examination is crucial for the diagnosis and classification of canine otitis externa. Staining should reveal micro-organisms as perpetuating factors of otitis externa. The aim of the study was to compare four different staining methods (Diff-Quik®, Diff-Quik® after dipping in acetone, Gram Quick stain® and a commercial rapid stain for otitis externa) for ear cytology of dogs with otitis externa and to investigate the agreement of cytology and culture. In a study evaluating dogs with otitis externa, five ear swabs (one for culture and four for cytology) were taken from the horizontal part of the external auditory canal of 224 affected ears and compared semi-quantitatively. Diff-Quik® with and without prior dipping in acetone as well as the Gram Quick stain® displayed a high degree of agreement in the detection of micro-organisms (cocci p = 0.2366; rods p = 0.4832; yeasts p = 0.1574), while the commercial otitis rapid stain revealed significantly less micro-organisms (p stains corresponded to the culture results by >  70%; the agreement was lower with the commercial otitis rapid stain. The quickest and easiest method was staining with Diff-Quik®. Diff-Quik® with or without prior dipping in acetone and the Gram Quick stain® had a high agreement in the detection of microorganisms and can thus be considered nearly equivalent for the diagnosis of otitis externa infectiosa. The commercial otitis rapid stain is less reliable. Based on this study Diff-Quik® can be recommended for the routine cytology of ear swabs. Additionally, a culture may be indicated and must be interpreted in the context of the cytology.

Quantitative and qualitative comparison of MR imaging of the temporomandibular joint at 1.5 and 3.0 T using an optimized high-resolution protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Manoliu, Andrei; Spinner, Georg; Wyss, Michael; Erni, Stefan; Ettlin, Dominik A; Nanz, Daniel; Ulbrich, Erika J; Gallo, Luigi M; Andreisek, Gustav

2016-01-01

To quantitatively and qualitatively compare MRI of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) using an optimized high-resolution protocol at 3.0 T and a clinical standard protocol at 1.5 T. A phantom and 12 asymptomatic volunteers were MR imaged using a 2-channel surface coil (standard TMJ coil) at 1.5 and 3.0 T (Philips Achieva and Philips Ingenia, respectively; Philips Healthcare, Best, Netherlands). Imaging protocol consisted of coronal and oblique sagittal proton density-weighted turbo spin echo sequences. For quantitative evaluation, a spherical phantom was imaged. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) maps were calculated on a voxelwise basis. For qualitative evaluation, all volunteers underwent MRI of the TMJ with the jaw in closed position. Two readers independently assessed visibility and delineation of anatomical structures of the TMJ and overall image quality on a 5-point Likert scale. Quantitative and qualitative measurements were compared between field strengths. The quantitative analysis showed similar SNR for the high-resolution protocol at 3.0 T compared with the clinical protocol at 1.5 T. The qualitative analysis showed significantly better visibility and delineation of clinically relevant anatomical structures of the TMJ, including the TMJ disc and pterygoid muscle as well as better overall image quality at 3.0 T than at 1.5 T. The presented results indicate that expected gains in SNR at 3.0 T can be used to increase the spatial resolution when imaging the TMJ, which translates into increased visibility and delineation of anatomical structures of the TMJ. Therefore, imaging at 3.0 T should be preferred over 1.5 T for imaging the TMJ.

[Improvement of Phi bodies stain and its clinical significance].

Science.gov (United States)

Gong, Xu-Bo; Lu, Xing-Guo; Yan, Li-Juan; Xiao, Xi-Bin; Wu, Dong; Xu, Gen-Bo; Zhang, Xiao-Hong; Zhao, Xiao-Ying

2009-02-01

The aim of this study was to improve the dyeing method of hydroperoxidase (HPO), to analyze the morphologic features of Phi bodies and to evaluate the clinical application of this method. 128 bone marrow or peripheral blood smears from patients with myeloid and lymphoid malignancies were stained by improved HPO staining. The Phi bodies were observed with detection rate of Phi bodies in different leukemias. 69 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) specimens were chosen randomly, the positive rate and the number of Phi bodies between the improved HPO and POX stain based on the same substrate of 3, 3'diaminobenzidine were compared. The results showed that the shape of bundle-like Phi bodies was variable, long or short. while the nubbly Phi bodies often presented oval and smooth. Club-like Phi bodies were found in M(3). The detection rates of bundle-like Phi bodies in AML M(1)-M(5) were 42.9% (6/14), 83.3% (15/18), 92.0% (23/25), 52.3% (11/21), 33.3% (5/15) respectively, and those of nubbly Phi bodies were 28.6% (4/14), 66.7% (12/18), 11.1% (3/25), 33.3% (7/21), 20.0% (3/15) respectively. The detection rate of bundle-like Phi bodies in M(3) was significantly higher than that in (M(1) + M(2)) or (M(4) + M(5)) groups. The detection rate of nubbly Phi bodies in (M(1) + M(2)) group was higher than that in M(3) group. In conclusion, after improvement of staining method, the HPO stain becomes simple, the detection rate of Phi bodies is higher than that by the previous method, the positive granules are more obvious, and the results become stable. This improved method plays an important role in differentiating AML from ALL, subtyping AML, and evaluating the therapeutic results.

Magnetic resonance imaging protocols for examination of the neurocranium at 3 T.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwindt, W; Kugel, H; Bachmann, R; Kloska, S; Allkemper, T; Maintz, D; Pfleiderer, B; Tombach, B; Heindel, W

2003-09-01

The increasing availability of high-field (3 T) MR scanners requires adapting and optimizing clinical imaging protocols to exploit the theoretically higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the higher field strength. Our aim was to establish reliable and stable protocols meeting the clinical demands for imaging the neurocranium at 3 T. Two hundred patients with a broad range of indications received an examination of the neurocranium with an appropriate assortment of imaging techniques at 3 T. Several imaging parameters were optimized. Keeping scan times comparable to those at 1.5 T we increased spatial resolution. Contrast-enhanced and non-enhanced T1-weighted imaging was best applying gradient-echo and inversion recovery (rather than spin-echo) techniques, respectively. For fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging a TE of 120 ms yielded optimum contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). High-resolution isotropic 3D data sets were acquired within reasonable scan times. Some artifacts were pronounced, but generally imaging profited from the higher SNR. We present a set of optimized examination protocols for neuroimaging at 3 T, which proved to be reliable in a clinical routine setting.

Magnetic resonance imaging protocols for examination of the neurocranium at 3 T

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schwindt, W.; Kugel, H.; Bachmann, R.; Kloska, S.; Allkemper, T.; Maintz, D.; Pfleiderer, B.; Tombach, B.; Heindel, W. [Institut fuer Klinische Radiologie, Universitaetsklinikum Muenster, Albert-Schweitzer-Strasse 33, 48129, Muenster (Germany)

2003-09-01

The increasing availability of high-field (3 T) MR scanners requires adapting and optimizing clinical imaging protocols to exploit the theoretically higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the higher field strength. Our aim was to establish reliable and stable protocols meeting the clinical demands for imaging the neurocranium at 3 T. Two hundred patients with a broad range of indications received an examination of the neurocranium with an appropriate assortment of imaging techniques at 3 T. Several imaging parameters were optimized. Keeping scan times comparable to those at 1.5 T we increased spatial resolution. Contrast-enhanced and non-enhanced T1-weighted imaging was best applying gradient-echo and inversion recovery (rather than spin-echo) techniques, respectively. For fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging a TE of 120 ms yielded optimum contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). High-resolution isotropic 3D data sets were acquired within reasonable scan times. Some artifacts were pronounced, but generally imaging profited from the higher SNR. We present a set of optimized examination protocols for neuroimaging at 3 T, which proved to be reliable in a clinical routine setting. (orig.)

Magnetic resonance imaging protocols for examination of the neurocranium at 3 T

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwindt, W.; Kugel, H.; Bachmann, R.; Kloska, S.; Allkemper, T.; Maintz, D.; Pfleiderer, B.; Tombach, B.; Heindel, W.

2003-01-01

The increasing availability of high-field (3 T) MR scanners requires adapting and optimizing clinical imaging protocols to exploit the theoretically higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the higher field strength. Our aim was to establish reliable and stable protocols meeting the clinical demands for imaging the neurocranium at 3 T. Two hundred patients with a broad range of indications received an examination of the neurocranium with an appropriate assortment of imaging techniques at 3 T. Several imaging parameters were optimized. Keeping scan times comparable to those at 1.5 T we increased spatial resolution. Contrast-enhanced and non-enhanced T1-weighted imaging was best applying gradient-echo and inversion recovery (rather than spin-echo) techniques, respectively. For fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) imaging a TE of 120 ms yielded optimum contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). High-resolution isotropic 3D data sets were acquired within reasonable scan times. Some artifacts were pronounced, but generally imaging profited from the higher SNR. We present a set of optimized examination protocols for neuroimaging at 3 T, which proved to be reliable in a clinical routine setting. (orig.)

Compliance with AAPM Practice Guideline 1.a: CT Protocol Management and Review — from the perspective of a university hospital

Science.gov (United States)

Bour, Robert K.; Pozniak, Myron; Ranallo, Frank N.

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe our experience with the AAPM Medical Physics Practice Guideline 1.a: “CT Protocol Management and Review Practice Guideline”. Specifically, we will share how our institution's quality management system addresses the suggestions within the AAPM practice report. We feel this paper is needed as it was beyond the scope of the AAPM practice guideline to provide specific details on fulfilling individual guidelines. Our hope is that other institutions will be able to emulate some of our practices and that this article would encourage other types of centers (e.g., community hospitals) to share their methodology for approaching CT protocol optimization and quality control. Our institution had a functioning CT protocol optimization process, albeit informal, since we began using CT. Recently, we made our protocol development and validation process compliant with a number of the ISO 9001:2008 clauses and this required us to formalize the roles of the members of our CT protocol optimization team. We rely heavily on PACS‐based IT solutions for acquiring radiologist feedback on the performance of our CT protocols and the performance of our CT scanners in terms of dose (scanner output) and the function of the automatic tube current modulation. Specific details on our quality management system covering both quality control and ongoing optimization have been provided. The roles of each CT protocol team member have been defined, and the critical role that IT solutions provides for the management of files and the monitoring of CT protocols has been reviewed. In addition, the invaluable role management provides by being a champion for the project has been explained; lack of a project champion will mitigate the efforts of a CT protocol optimization team. Meeting the guidelines set forth in the AAPM practice guideline was not inherently difficult, but did, in our case, require the cooperation of radiologists, technologists, physicists, IT

A Secure Routing Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks Considering Secure Data Aggregation

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Triana Mugia Rahayu

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The commonly unattended and hostile deployments of WSNs and their resource-constrained sensor devices have led to an increasing demand for secure energy-efficient protocols. Routing and data aggregation receive the most attention since they are among the daily network routines. With the awareness of such demand, we found that so far there has been no work that lays out a secure routing protocol as the foundation for a secure data aggregation protocol. We argue that the secure routing role would be rendered useless if the data aggregation scheme built on it is not secure. Conversely, the secure data aggregation protocol needs a secure underlying routing protocol as its foundation in order to be effectively optimal. As an attempt for the solution, we devise an energy-aware protocol based on LEACH and ESPDA that combines secure routing protocol and secure data aggregation protocol. We then evaluate its security effectiveness and its energy-efficiency aspects, knowing that there are always trade-off between both.

Systematic investigation of drip stains on apparel fabrics: The effects of prior-laundering, fibre content and fabric structure on final stain appearance.

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de Castro, Therese C; Taylor, Michael C; Kieser, Jules A; Carr, Debra J; Duncan, W

2015-05-01

Bloodstain pattern analysis is the investigation of blood deposited at crime scenes and the interpretation of that pattern. The surface that the blood gets deposited onto could distort the appearance of the bloodstain. The interaction of blood and apparel fabrics is in its infancy, but the interaction of liquids and apparel fabrics has been well documented and investigated in the field of textile science (e.g. the processes of wetting and wicking of fluids on fibres, yarns and fabrics). A systematic study on the final appearance of drip stains on torso apparel fabrics (100% cotton plain woven, 100% polyester plain woven, blend of polyester and cotton plain woven and 100% cotton single jersey knit) that had been laundered for six, 26 and 52 cycles prior to testing was investigated in the paper. The relationship between drop velocity (1.66±0.50m/s, 4.07±0.03m/s, 5.34±0.18m/s) and the stain characteristics (parent stain area, axes 1 and 2 and number of satellite stains) for each fabric was examined using analysis of variance. The experimental design and effect of storing blood were investigated on a reference sample, which indicated that the day (up to five days) at which the drops were generated did not affect the bloodstain. The effect of prior-laundering (six, 26 and 52 laundering cycles), fibre content (cotton vs. polyester vs. blend) and fabric structure (plain woven vs. single jersey knit) on the final appearance of the bloodstain were investigated. Distortion in the bloodstains produced on non-laundered fabrics indicated the importance of laundering fabrics to remove finishing treatments before conducting bloodstain experiments. For laundered fabrics, both the cotton fabrics and the blend had a circular to oval stain appearance, while the polyester fabric had a circular appearance with evidence of spread along the warp and weft yarns, which resulted in square-like stains at the lowest drop velocity. A significant (pfibre content (pfibres/yarns, while for the

A robust, efficient and flexible method for staining myelinated axons in blocks of brain tissue.

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Wahlsten, Douglas; Colbourne, Frederick; Pleus, Richard

2003-03-15

Previous studies have demonstrated the utility of the gold chloride method for en bloc staining of a bisected brain in mice and rats. The present study explores several variations in the method, assesses its reliability, and extends the limits of its application. We conclude that the method is very efficient, highly robust, sufficiently accurate for most purposes, and adaptable to many morphometric measures. We obtained acceptable staining of commissures in every brain, despite a wide variety of fixation methods. One-half could be stained 24 h after the brain was extracted and the other half could be stained months later. When staining failed because of an exhausted solution, the brain could be stained successfully in fresh solution. Relatively small changes were found in the sizes of commissures several weeks after initial fixation or staining. A half brain stained to reveal the mid-sagittal section could then be sectioned coronally and stained again in either gold chloride for myelin or cresyl violet for Nissl substance. Uncertainty, arising from pixelation of digitized images was far less than errors arising from human judgments about the histological limits of major commissures. Useful data for morphometric analysis were obtained by scanning the surface of a gold chloride stained block of brain with an inexpensive flatbed scanner.

Production of tissue microarrays, immunohistochemistry staining and digitalization within the human protein atlas.

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Kampf, Caroline; Olsson, Ingmarie; Ryberg, Urban; Sjöstedt, Evelina; Pontén, Fredrik

2012-05-31

The tissue microarray (TMA) technology provides the means for high-throughput analysis of multiple tissues and cells. The technique is used within the Human Protein Atlas project for global analysis of protein expression patterns in normal human tissues, cancer and cell lines. Here we present the assembly of 1 mm cores, retrieved from microscopically selected representative tissues, into a single recipient TMA block. The number and size of cores in a TMA block can be varied from approximately forty 2 mm cores to hundreds of 0.6 mm cores. The advantage of using TMA technology is that large amount of data can rapidly be obtained using a single immunostaining protocol to avoid experimental variability. Importantly, only limited amount of scarce tissue is needed, which allows for the analysis of large patient cohorts (1 2). Approximately 250 consecutive sections (4 μm thick) can be cut from a TMA block and used for immunohistochemical staining to determine specific protein expression patterns for 250 different antibodies. In the Human Protein Atlas project, antibodies are generated towards all human proteins and used to acquire corresponding protein profiles in both normal human tissues from 144 individuals and cancer tissues from 216 different patients, representing the 20 most common forms of human cancer. Immunohistochemically stained TMA sections on glass slides are scanned to create high-resolution images from which pathologists can interpret and annotate the outcome of immunohistochemistry. Images together with corresponding pathology-based annotation data are made publically available for the research community through the Human Protein Atlas portal (www.proteinatlas.org) (Figure 1) (3 4). The Human Protein Atlas provides a map showing the distribution and relative abundance of proteins in the human body. The current version contains over 11 million images with protein expression data for 12.238 unique proteins, corresponding to more than 61% of all proteins

Bellman Ford algorithm - in Routing Information Protocol (RIP)

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Krianto Sulaiman, Oris; Mahmud Siregar, Amir; Nasution, Khairuddin; Haramaini, Tasliyah

2018-04-01

In a large scale network need a routing that can handle a lot number of users, one of the solutions to cope with large scale network is by using a routing protocol, There are 2 types of routing protocol that is static and dynamic, Static routing is manually route input based on network admin, while dynamic routing is automatically route input formed based on existing network. Dynamic routing is efficient used to network extensively because of the input of route automatic formed, Routing Information Protocol (RIP) is one of dynamic routing that uses the bellman-ford algorithm where this algorithm will search for the best path that traversed the network by leveraging the value of each link, so with the bellman-ford algorithm owned by RIP can optimize existing networks.

Evaluating the optimal timing of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

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Mujagic, Edin; Zwimpfer, Tibor; Marti, Walter R; Zwahlen, Marcel; Hoffmann, Henry; Kindler, Christoph; Fux, Christoph; Misteli, Heidi; Iselin, Lukas; Lugli, Andrea Kopp; Nebiker, Christian A; von Holzen, Urs; Vinzens, Fabrizio; von Strauss, Marco; Reck, Stefan; Kraljević, Marko; Widmer, Andreas F; Oertli, Daniel; Rosenthal, Rachel; Weber, Walter P

2014-05-24

Surgical site infections are the most common hospital-acquired infections among surgical patients. The administration of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis reduces the risk of surgical site infections . The optimal timing of this procedure is still a matter of debate. While most studies suggest that it should be given as close to the incision time as possible, others conclude that this may be too late for optimal prevention of surgical site infections. A large observational study suggests that surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis should be administered 74 to 30 minutes before surgery. The aim of this article is to report the design and protocol of a randomized controlled trial investigating the optimal timing of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis. In this bi-center randomized controlled trial conducted at two tertiary referral centers in Switzerland, we plan to include 5,000 patients undergoing general, oncologic, vascular and orthopedic trauma procedures. Patients are randomized in a 1:1 ratio into two groups: one receiving surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in the anesthesia room (75 to 30 minutes before incision) and the other receiving surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in the operating room (less than 30 minutes before incision). We expect a significantly lower rate of surgical site infections with surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis administered more than 30 minutes before the scheduled incision. The primary outcome is the occurrence of surgical site infections during a 30-day follow-up period (one year with an implant in place). When assuming a 5% surgical site infection risk with administration of surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in the operating room, the planned sample size has an 80% power to detect a relative risk reduction for surgical site infections of 33% when administering surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis in the anesthesia room (with a two-sided type I error of 5%). We expect the study to be completed within three years. The results of this

Investigation Of The Color Changing Properties Of Wood Stain Derived From Pinar Leaves

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Abdi Atılgan

2011-11-01

Full Text Available This study was designed to develop an environmentally friendly wood stain derived pinar (Quercus aucheri leaves and determine the color stability of this stain when exposed to UV light irradiation. Wood stains derived from pinar leaves were prepared from aqueous solution with %3 iron (FeSO4.7H2O , % 5 alum ((KAl(SO42.12H2O, and % 10 vinegar mordant mixtures. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L., Turkish oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky and oak (Quercus petraea L. wood specimens were used as staining substrates. After treatment with the stain, the wood panels were exposed to UV light irradiation for periods of 100, 200, and 300 hours and determinated the total color changes was according to ISO 2470 standards. Results showed that wood stain derived from pinar extract provided some color stability after UV irradiation. According to results, Scots pine specimens treated with the pinar extract + iron mixture provided the smallest total color changes. Meanwhile the highest total color change provided on the Scots pine treated with pinar extract+alum mixture.

MEGARA Optics: stain removal in PBM2Y prisms

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aguirre-Aguirre, D; Izazaga-Pérez, R; Carrasco, E; Villalobos-Mendoza, B; De Paz, A Gil; Gallego, J; Iglesias, J

2017-01-01

MEGARA is the new integral-field and multi-object optical spectrograph for the GTC. For medium and high resolution, the dispersive elements are volume phase holographic gratings, sandwiched between two flat windows and two prisms of high optical precision. The prisms are made of Ohara PBM2Y optical glass. After the prisms polishing process, some stains appeared on the surfaces. For this, in this work is shown the comparative study of five different products (muriatic acid, paint remover, sodium hydroxide, aqua regia and rare earth liquid polish) used for trying to eliminate the stains of the HR MEGARA prisms. It was found that by polishing with the hands the affected area, and using a towel like a kind of pad, and polish during five minutes using rare earth, the stains disappear completely affecting only a 5% the rms of the surface quality. Not so the use of the other products that did not show any apparent result. (paper)

Neo-Timm staining in the thalamus of chronically epileptic rats

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Hamani C.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available The thalamus is an important modulator of seizures and is severely affected in cholinergic models of epilepsy. In the present study, chronically epileptic rats had their brains processed for neo-Timm and acetylcholinesterase two months after the induction of status epilepticus with pilocarpine. Both controls and pilocarpine-treated animals presented neo-Timm staining in the anterodorsal nucleus, laterodorsal nucleus, reticular nucleus, most intralaminar nuclei, nucleus reuniens, and rhomboid nucleus of the thalamus, as well as in the zona incerta. The intensity of neo-Timm staining was similar in control and pilocarpine-treated rats, except for the nucleus reuniens and the rhomboid nucleus, which had a lower intensity of staining in the epileptic group. In animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy, zinc seems to modulate glutamate release and to decrease seizure activity. In this context, a reduction of neo-Timm-stained terminals in the midline thalamus could ultimately result in an increased excitatory activity, not only within its related nuclei, but also in anatomical structures that receive their efferent connections. This might contribute to the pathological substrate observed in chronic pilocarpine-treated epileptic animals.

Optimizing the MAC Protocol in Localization Systems Based on IEEE 802.15.4 Networks.

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Pérez-Solano, Juan J; Claver, Jose M; Ezpeleta, Santiago

2017-07-06

Radio frequency signals are commonly used in the development of indoor localization systems. The infrastructure of these systems includes some beacons placed at known positions that exchange radio packets with users to be located. When the system is implemented using wireless sensor networks, the wireless transceivers integrated in the network motes are usually based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. But, the CSMA-CA, which is the basis for the medium access protocols in this category of communication systems, is not suitable when several users want to exchange bursts of radio packets with the same beacon to acquire the radio signal strength indicator (RSSI) values needed in the location process. Therefore, new protocols are necessary to avoid the packet collisions that appear when multiple users try to communicate with the same beacons. On the other hand, the RSSI sampling process should be carried out very quickly because some systems cannot tolerate a large delay in the location process. This is even more important when the RSSI sampling process includes measures with different signal power levels or frequency channels. The principal objective of this work is to speed up the RSSI sampling process in indoor localization systems. To achieve this objective, the main contribution is the proposal of a new MAC protocol that eliminates the medium access contention periods and decreases the number of packet collisions to accelerate the RSSI collection process. Moreover, the protocol increases the overall network throughput taking advantage of the frequency channel diversity. The presented results show the suitability of this protocol for reducing the RSSI gathering delay and increasing the network throughput in simulated and real environments.

Optimizing the MAC Protocol in Localization Systems Based on IEEE 802.15.4 Networks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juan J. Pérez-Solano

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Radio frequency signals are commonly used in the development of indoor localization systems. The infrastructure of these systems includes some beacons placed at known positions that exchange radio packets with users to be located. When the system is implemented using wireless sensor networks, the wireless transceivers integrated in the network motes are usually based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. But, the CSMA-CA, which is the basis for the medium access protocols in this category of communication systems, is not suitable when several users want to exchange bursts of radio packets with the same beacon to acquire the radio signal strength indicator (RSSI values needed in the location process. Therefore, new protocols are necessary to avoid the packet collisions that appear when multiple users try to communicate with the same beacons. On the other hand, the RSSI sampling process should be carried out very quickly because some systems cannot tolerate a large delay in the location process. This is even more important when the RSSI sampling process includes measures with different signal power levels or frequency channels. The principal objective of this work is to speed up the RSSI sampling process in indoor localization systems. To achieve this objective, the main contribution is the proposal of a new MAC protocol that eliminates the medium access contention periods and decreases the number of packet collisions to accelerate the RSSI collection process. Moreover, the protocol increases the overall network throughput taking advantage of the frequency channel diversity. The presented results show the suitability of this protocol for reducing the RSSI gathering delay and increasing the network throughput in simulated and real environments.

Optimal use of multipartite entanglement for continuous variable teleportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adesso, G.; Illuminati, F.

2005-01-01

Full text: In this work we discuss how continuous variable teleportation takes advantage of the quadrature entanglement in different ways, depending on the preparation of the entangled state. For a given amount of the entanglement resource, we describe the best production scheme for a two-mode Gaussian state, which enables quantum teleportation with optimal fidelity. We extend this study to multiparty entangled Gaussian states and define an operative measure of multipartite entanglement related to the optimal fidelity in a quantum teleportation network experiment. This optimal fidelity is shown to be equivalent to the entanglement of formation for the standard two-user protocol, and to the multipartite localizable entanglement for the multiuser protocol. (author)

Efficacy of evaluation of rooster sperm morphology using different staining methods.

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Lukaszewicz, E; Jerysz, A; Partyka, A; Siudzińska, A

2008-12-01

This work focused on inexpensive methods of evaluation fowl sperm morphology, based on eosin-nigrosin smears, which can determine disorders in spermatogenesis and can be recommended for evaluating the fertilising potency and selecting males in flocks reproduced by artificial insemination. Four fowl breeds (Black Minorca, Italian Partridge, Forwerk and Greenleg Partridge) were used to determine the efficacy of sperm morphology evaluation using four eosin-nigrosin staining methods (according to Blom, Bakst and Cecil, Morisson, Jaśkowski) and three examiners of different experience (high, medium, novice). There were significant (P< or = 0.01) differences in sperm morphology between Blom's staining method and those of Bakst and Cecil, Morisson or Jaśkowski, irrespective of fowl breed and examiners experience. Blom stain caused sperm head swelling and showed a drastic reduction in the proportion of live spermatozoa with normal morphology. The staining method had a greater influence on sperm morphology evaluation than the experience of the examiners.

Efficient protocols for Stirling heat engines at the micro-scale

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Muratore-Ginanneschi, Paolo; Schwieger, Kay

2015-10-01

We investigate the thermodynamic efficiency of sub-micro-scale Stirling heat engines operating under the conditions described by overdamped stochastic thermodynamics. We show how to construct optimal protocols such that at maximum power the efficiency attains for constant isotropic mobility the universal law η=2 ηC/(4-ηC) , where ηC is the efficiency of an ideal Carnot cycle. We show that these protocols are specified by the solution of an optimal mass transport problem. Such solution can be determined explicitly using well-known Monge-Ampère-Kantorovich reconstruction algorithms. Furthermore, we show that the same law describes the efficiency of heat engines operating at maximum work over short time periods. Finally, we illustrate the straightforward extension of these results to cases when the mobility is anisotropic and temperature dependent.

A combined Bodian-Nissl stain for improved network analysis in neuronal cell culture.

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Hightower, M; Gross, G W

1985-11-01

Bodian and Nissl procedures were combined to stain dissociated mouse spinal cord cells cultured on coverslips. The Bodian technique stains fine neuronal processes in great detail as well as an intracellular fibrillar network concentrated around the nucleus and in proximal neurites. The Nissl stain clearly delimits neuronal cytoplasm in somata and in large dendrites. A combination of these techniques allows the simultaneous depiction of neuronal perikarya and all afferent and efferent processes. Costaining with little background staining by either procedure suggests high specificity for neurons. This procedure could be exploited for routine network analysis of cultured neurons.

Immunohistochemical positive stained p53 protein in bladder transitional cell carcinoma

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Halimi Monireh

2009-04-01

Full Text Available Background: Molecular genetics and immunopathologic analysis of bladder cancer have shown some abnormalities in a number of genes and proteins that have been implicated in the development and progression of such tumors, mainly in the p53 pathway. Aims: To investigate the rate of positively stained p53 protein in patients with urothelial papillary carcinoma of the bladder (UCB by immunohistochemistry and its relationship with tumor grade, gender and age of the patients. Settings and Design: During the present cross-sectional study, 100 paraffin-embedded specimens of UCB, which were provided from biopsies of the bladder by transurethral access, were immunohistochemically stained and studied for p53 protein from May 2006 to May 2007 in our referral center pathology laboratory. Materials and Methods: First, 4 µm slices of paraffin sections were provided and then stained by the avidin-biotin peroxidase method. The rate of positively stained p53 protein (defined as positive nuclear staining in over 10% of the cells was assessed. This rate was also estimated and compared between grades, genders and age-related groups (< 70 years, ≥70 years. Statistical Analysis: The χ2 , Fisher′s exact test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparing. Results: The overall rate of positively stained specimens was 11% for nuclear p53 protein. This rate was significantly higher in females (10/29 vs. 1/71; P < 0.001; odds ratio [OR]: 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.43-306.08, patients with 70 or older than 70 years (8/42 vs. 3/58; P = 0.04; OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 1.07-17.39 and in high-grade tumors (10/58 vs. 1/42; P = 0.02; OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.01-0.95. Conclusions: The rate of positively stained p53 protein for UCB was lower in our population. This rate was also higher in females, patients with 70 or older than 70 years and high grade of UCB.

Effectiveness of clean-up procedures on stain susceptibility of different orthodontic adhesives

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Swati Pundlik Mane

2014-01-01

Conclusion: Chemical-cure adhesive showed higher stain susceptibility than light-cure adhesive in all clean-up procedures. Both adhesives would show less stain susceptibility with polishing step with rubber cup and pumice.

Suppression of Red Blood Cell Autofluorescence for Immunocytochemistry on Fixed Embryonic Mouse Tissue.

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Whittington, Niteace C; Wray, Susan

2017-10-23

Autofluorescence is a problem that interferes with immunofluorescent staining and complicates data analysis. Throughout the mouse embryo, red blood cells naturally fluoresce across multiple wavelengths, spanning the emission and excitation spectra of many commonly used fluorescent reporters, including antibodies, dyes, stains, probes, and transgenic proteins, making it difficult to distinguish assay fluorescence from endogenous fluorescence. Several tissue treatment methods have been developed to bypass this issue with varying degrees of success. Sudan Black B dye has been commonly used to quench autofluorescence, but can also introduce background fluorescence. Here we present a protocol for an alternative called TrueBlack Lipofuscin Autofluorescence Quencher. The protocol described in this unit demonstrates how TrueBlack efficiently quenches red blood cell autofluorescence across red and green wavelengths in fixed embryonic tissue without interfering with immunofluorescent signal intensity or introducing background staining. We also identify optimal incubation, concentration, and multiple usage conditions for routine immunofluorescence microscopy. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

An Energy Balanced and Lifetime Extended Routing Protocol for Underwater Sensor Networks.

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Wang, Hao; Wang, Shilian; Zhang, Eryang; Lu, Luxi

2018-05-17

Energy limitation is an adverse problem in designing routing protocols for underwater sensor networks (UWSNs). To prolong the network lifetime with limited battery power, an energy balanced and efficient routing protocol, called energy balanced and lifetime extended routing protocol (EBLE), is proposed in this paper. The proposed EBLE not only balances traffic loads according to the residual energy, but also optimizes data transmissions by selecting low-cost paths. Two phases are operated in the EBLE data transmission process: (1) candidate forwarding set selection phase and (2) data transmission phase. In candidate forwarding set selection phase, nodes update candidate forwarding nodes by broadcasting the position and residual energy level information. The cost value of available nodes is calculated and stored in each sensor node. Then in data transmission phase, high residual energy and relatively low-cost paths are selected based on the cost function and residual energy level information. We also introduce detailed analysis of optimal energy consumption in UWSNs. Numerical simulation results on a variety of node distributions and data load distributions prove that EBLE outperforms other routing protocols (BTM, BEAR and direct transmission) in terms of network lifetime and energy efficiency.

Quantitative and qualitative comparison of MR imaging of the temporomandibular joint at 1.5 and 3.0 T using an optimized high-resolution protocol

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Spinner, Georg; Wyss, Michael; Erni, Stefan; Ettlin, Dominik A; Nanz, Daniel; Ulbrich, Erika J; Gallo, Luigi M; Andreisek, Gustav

2016-01-01

Objectives: To quantitatively and qualitatively compare MRI of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) using an optimized high-resolution protocol at 3.0 T and a clinical standard protocol at 1.5 T. Methods: A phantom and 12 asymptomatic volunteers were MR imaged using a 2-channel surface coil (standard TMJ coil) at 1.5 and 3.0 T (Philips Achieva and Philips Ingenia, respectively; Philips Healthcare, Best, Netherlands). Imaging protocol consisted of coronal and oblique sagittal proton density-weighted turbo spin echo sequences. For quantitative evaluation, a spherical phantom was imaged. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) maps were calculated on a voxelwise basis. For qualitative evaluation, all volunteers underwent MRI of the TMJ with the jaw in closed position. Two readers independently assessed visibility and delineation of anatomical structures of the TMJ and overall image quality on a 5-point Likert scale. Quantitative and qualitative measurements were compared between field strengths. Results: The quantitative analysis showed similar SNR for the high-resolution protocol at 3.0 T compared with the clinical protocol at 1.5 T. The qualitative analysis showed significantly better visibility and delineation of clinically relevant anatomical structures of the TMJ, including the TMJ disc and pterygoid muscle as well as better overall image quality at 3.0 T than at 1.5 T. Conclusions: The presented results indicate that expected gains in SNR at 3.0 T can be used to increase the spatial resolution when imaging the TMJ, which translates into increased visibility and delineation of anatomical structures of the TMJ. Therefore, imaging at 3.0 T should be preferred over 1.5 T for imaging the TMJ. PMID:26371077

A Robust PCR Protocol for HIV Drug Resistance Testing on Low-Level Viremia Samples

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Shivani Gupta

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The prevalence of drug resistance (DR mutations in people with HIV-1 infection, particularly those with low-level viremia (LLV, supports the need to improve the sensitivity of amplification methods for HIV DR genotyping in order to optimize antiretroviral regimen and facilitate HIV-1 DR surveillance and relevant research. Here we report on a fully validated PCR-based protocol that achieves consistent amplification of the protease (PR and reverse transcriptase (RT regions of HIV-1 pol gene across many HIV-1 subtypes from LLV plasma samples. HIV-spiked plasma samples from the External Quality Assurance Program Oversight Laboratory (EQAPOL, covering various HIV-1 subtypes, as well as clinical specimens were used to optimize and validate the protocol. Our results demonstrate that this protocol has a broad HIV-1 subtype coverage and viral load span with high sensitivity and reproducibility. Moreover, the protocol is robust even when plasma sample volumes are limited, the HIV viral load is unknown, and/or the HIV subtype is undetermined. Thus, the protocol is applicable for the initial amplification of the HIV-1 PR and RT genes required for subsequent genotypic DR assays.

Efficacy of baking soda-containing chewing gum in removing natural tooth stain.

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Mankodi, S M; Conforti, N; Berkowitz, H

2001-07-01

A 14-week, double-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted with 126 healthy volunteers to compare the efficacy of twice-daily use of 3 baking soda-containing chewing gums in removing natural tooth stain when used in conjunction with a program of regular oral hygiene. All 3 chewing gums significantly reduced extrinsic stain (P Baking Soda Gum (AHDC) reduced dental stain by 70.8%, compared to reductions of 71.9% and 65.3%, after use of 2 experimental gum formulations. Whitened appearance improved by 1.73 shade tabs using AHDC gum, and up to 2.49 shade tabs with the experimental formulations. These results suggest that the use of baking soda-containing gum after meals, in conjunction with good oral hygiene, can improve both extrinsic dental staining and the whitened appearance of teeth.

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas Do Not Express EGFRvIII

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Melchers, Lieuwe J., E-mail: l.j.melchers@umcg.nl [Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Clausen, Martijn J.A.M. [Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Mastik, Mirjam F. [Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Slagter-Menkema, Lorian [Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Langendijk, Johannes A. [Department of Radiation Oncology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Laan, Bernard F.A.M. van der [Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Wal, Jacqueline E. van der; Vegt, Bert van der [Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Roodenburg, Jan L.N. [Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands); Schuuring, Ed [Department of Pathology, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen (Netherlands)

2014-10-01

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of EGFRvIII, a specific variant of EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor), in 3 well-defined cohorts of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods and Materials: Immunohistochemistry for the specific detection of EGFRvIII using the L8A4 antibody was optimized on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue using glioblastoma tissue. It was compared with EGFR and EGFRvIII RNA expression using a specific reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction also optimized for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. Tissue microarrays including 531 HNSCCs of various stages with complete clinicopathologic and follow-up data were tested for the presence of EGFRvIII. Results: None of the 531 cases showed EGFRvIII protein expression. Using an immunohistochemistry protocol reported by others revealed cytoplasmic staining in 8% of cases. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction for the EGFRvIII transcript of the 28 highest cytoplasmic staining cases, as well as 69 negative cases, did not show expression in any of the tested cases, suggesting aspecific staining by a nonoptimal protocol. Conclusions: The EGFRvIII mutation is not present in HNSCC. Therefore, EGFRvIII does not influence treatment response in HNSCC and is not a usable clinical prognostic marker.

Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas Do Not Express EGFRvIII

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melchers, Lieuwe J.; Clausen, Martijn J.A.M.; Mastik, Mirjam F.; Slagter-Menkema, Lorian; Langendijk, Johannes A.; Laan, Bernard F.A.M. van der; Wal, Jacqueline E. van der; Vegt, Bert van der; Roodenburg, Jan L.N.; Schuuring, Ed

2014-01-01

Purpose: To assess the prevalence of EGFRvIII, a specific variant of EGFR (epidermal growth factor receptor), in 3 well-defined cohorts of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Methods and Materials: Immunohistochemistry for the specific detection of EGFRvIII using the L8A4 antibody was optimized on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue using glioblastoma tissue. It was compared with EGFR and EGFRvIII RNA expression using a specific reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction also optimized for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. Tissue microarrays including 531 HNSCCs of various stages with complete clinicopathologic and follow-up data were tested for the presence of EGFRvIII. Results: None of the 531 cases showed EGFRvIII protein expression. Using an immunohistochemistry protocol reported by others revealed cytoplasmic staining in 8% of cases. Reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction for the EGFRvIII transcript of the 28 highest cytoplasmic staining cases, as well as 69 negative cases, did not show expression in any of the tested cases, suggesting aspecific staining by a nonoptimal protocol. Conclusions: The EGFRvIII mutation is not present in HNSCC. Therefore, EGFRvIII does not influence treatment response in HNSCC and is not a usable clinical prognostic marker

Radiologic procedures, policies and protocols for pediatric emergency medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Woodward, George A.

2008-01-01

Protocol development between radiology and pediatric emergency medicine requires a multidisciplinary approach to manage straightforward as well as complex and time-sensitive needs for emergency department patients. Imaging evaluation requires coordination of radiologic technologists, radiologists, transporters, nurses and coordinators, among others, and might require accelerated routines or occur at sub-optimal times. Standardized protocol development enables providers to design a best practice in all of these situations and should be predicated on evidence, mission, and service expectations. As in any new process, constructive feedback channels are imperative for evaluation and modification. (orig.)

Evaluation Method of Accumulated Cooking Oil Stains in Room

OpenAIRE

五十嵐, 由利子; 中村, 和吉; 萬羽, 郁子; Igarashi, Yuriko; Nakamura, Kazuyoshi; Banba, Ikuko

2005-01-01

The diffusion of the oil mist while cooking affects the entire room, leaving stains on the ceiling and walls. The validity of measuring the color difference of stains was examined by installing teflon plates in the kitchen and the adjacent space with a view to assessing the oil diffusion. Four houses were designated for the examination. In each house, four teflon plates (20×40mm) were installed on the ceiling and walls of the kitchen and the space adjacent to it. Then, one plate was removed a...

Improving Gram stain proficiency in hospital and satellite laboratories that do not have microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Guarner, Jeannette; Street, Cassandra; Matlock, Margaret; Cole, Lisa; Brierre, Francoise

2017-03-01

Consolidation of laboratories has left many hospitals and satellite laboratories with minimal microbiologic testing. In many hospitals and satellite laboratories, Gram stains on primary specimens are still performed despite difficultly in maintaining proficiency. To maintain Gram stain proficiency at a community 450-bed hospital with an active emergency room we designed bimonthly challenges that require reporting Gram staining and morphology of different organisms. The challenges consist of five specimens prepared by the reference microbiology laboratory from cultures and primary specimens. Twenty to 23 medical laboratory scientists participate reading the challenges. Results from the challenges are discussed with each medical laboratory scientists. In addition, printed images from the challenges are presented at huddle to add microbiology knowledge. On the first three challenges, Gram staining was read correctly in 71%-77% of the time while morphology 53%-66%. In the last six challenges correct answers for Gram stain were 77%-99% while morphology 73%-96%. We observed statistically significant improvement when reading Gram stains by providing frequent challenges to medical laboratory scientists. The clinical importance of Gram stain results is emphasized during huddle presentations increasing knowledge and motivation to perform the test for patients.

Amazonian açai and food dyes for staining arbuscular- micorrhizal fungi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aline Lourdes Martins Silva

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Arbuscular mycorrhizae microscopy requires differential staining of typical structures. Dyes employed, such as trypan blue, pose risks to health and environment. Alternative dyes such as pen ink and aniline have variable coloring efficiency. In this work, Brachiaria decumbens roots, discolored with caustic soda (NaOH, were stained with açai, annatto, saffron, trypan blue and pen inks. There were significant differences among dyes regarding stained mycorrhizal structures and pictures quality. Acai was considered the best alternative dye, with similar results to trypan blue.

Protocol: methodology for chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Strenkert Daniela

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract We report on a detailed chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP protocol for the unicellular green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The protocol is suitable for the analysis of nucleosome occupancy, histone modifications and transcription factor binding sites at the level of mononucleosomes for targeted and genome-wide studies. We describe the optimization of conditions for crosslinking, chromatin fragmentation and antibody titer determination and provide recommendations and an example for the normalization of ChIP results as determined by real-time PCR.

Study of stained glass window using PIXE-PIGE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weber, G.; Bemden, Y. Vanden; Pirotte, M.; Gilbert, B.

2005-01-01

We had the opportunity to study a large panel (100x80cm) containing more than 40 stained glass pieces. Among them several come from restorations having taken place at different periods. The study of this rather complex arrangement has been processed by stages:- the elemental composition of 16 zones were determined: several differences were identified and among them the Na/K ratio which allowed to set three groups of glass type; - the measurement of the Na concentrations by the two techniques give information in bulk (PIGE) and at the near surface (PIXE); the values defined by the (C PIGE -C PIXE) )/C PIGE plotted in function of the historical estimation of the age of the stained glass pieces (original and restored) indicate a real correlation between the two variables; - the red-colored pieces were specially investigated in order to determine which coloration technique was employed (bulk coloration, superficial staining, multilayered flashing, etc.); - the corrosion was investigated by scanning two different worsened zones with a 0.5mm diameter beam spot. This study shows the possibilities of the PIGE-PIXE association, but also points out some weaknesses, which have to be solved by other techniques; unfortunately, in that case, the non-destructive aspect could be lost

Enhancing the Detection of Dysmorphic Red Blood Cells and Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells with a Modified Urinalysis Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Chu-Su, Yu; Shukuya, Kenichi; Yokoyama, Takashi; Lin, Wei-Chou; Chiang, Chih-Kang; Lin, Chii-Wann

2017-01-11

Urinary sediment is used to evaluate patients with possible urinary tract diseases. Currently, numerous protocols are applied to detect dysmorphic red blood cells (RBCs) and renal tubular epithelial cells (RTECs) in urinary sediment. However, distinct protocols are used by nephrologists and medical technologists for specimen concentration and observation, which leads to major discrepancies in the differential counts of formed elements such as dysmorphic RBCs and RTECs and might interfere with an accurate clinical diagnosis. To resolve these problems, we first tested a modified urinalysis protocol with an increased relative centrifuge force and concentration factor in 20 biopsy-confirmed glomerulonephritis patients with haematuria. We successfully improved the recovery ratio of dysmorphic RBCs in clinical specimens from 34.7% to 42.0% (P dysmorphic RBCs were detected using a bright field microscope, with results comparable to those using a standard phase contrast microscope. Finally, we applied Sternheimer stain to enhance the contrast of RTECs in the urinary sediments. We concluded that this modified urinalysis protocol significantly enhanced the quality of urinalysis.

Gram stains: a resource for retrospective analysis of bacterial pathogens in clinical studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Srinivasan, Usha; Ponnaluri, Sreelatha; Villareal, Lisa; Gillespie, Brenda; Wen, Ai; Miles, Arianna; Bucholz, Brigette; Marrs, Carl F; Iyer, Ram K; Misra, Dawn; Foxman, Betsy

2012-01-01

We demonstrate the feasibility of using qPCR on DNA extracted from vaginal Gram stain slides to estimate the presence and relative abundance of specific bacterial pathogens. We first tested Gram stained slides spiked with a mix of 10(8) cfu/ml of Escherichia coli and 10(5) cfu/ml of Lactobacillus acidophilus. Primers were designed for amplification of total and species-specific bacterial DNA based on 16S ribosomal gene regions. Sample DNA was pre-amplified with nearly full length 16S rDNA ribosomal gene fragment, followed by quantitative PCR with genera and species-specific 16S rDNA primers. Pre-amplification PCR increased the bacterial amounts; relative proportions of Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus recovered from spiked slides remained unchanged. We applied this method to forty two archived Gram stained slides available from a clinical trial of cerclage in pregnant women at high risk of preterm birth. We found a high correlation between Nugent scores based on bacterial morphology of Lactobacillus, Gardenerella and Mobiluncus and amounts of quantitative PCR estimated genus specific DNA (rrn copies) from Gram stained slides. Testing of a convenience sample of eight paired vaginal swabs and Gram stains freshly collected from healthy women found similar qPCR generated estimates of Lactobacillus proportions from Gram stained slides and vaginal swabs. Archived Gram stained slides collected from large scale epidemiologic and clinical studies represent a valuable, untapped resource for research on the composition of bacterial communities that colonize human mucosal surfaces.

Indocyanine green staining facilitates detection of bleb leakage during trabeculectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Okazaki, Teruhiko; Kiuchi, Takahiro; Kawana, Keisuke; Oshika, Tetsuro

2007-03-01

To report a new technique to visualize bleb leakage using indocyanine green (ICG) staining during trabeculectomy. The ICG solution was widely applied over the filtering bleb including the conjunctival wound before completion of trabeculectomy. This procedure was performed in 48 eyes of 44 consecutive patients undergoing trabeculectomy between December 2004 and October 2005. Without staining, bleb leakage was not identified by the direct observation under the operating microscope. ICG staining clearly visualized aqueous leakage from the bleb in 5 eyes (10.4%). The bleb leakage in these eyes was easily repaired with 10-0 nylon sutures, and no eyes, including these 5 cases, showed bleb leakage after surgery. There were no intraoperative and postoperative complications related to ICG application. The application of ICG during trabeculectomy is a simple and useful technique to facilitate detection and repair of the bleb leakage.

Determination of hydrazine in drinking water: Development and multivariate optimization of a rapid and simple solid phase microextraction-gas chromatography-triple quadrupole mass spectrometry protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Gionfriddo, Emanuela; Naccarato, Attilio; Sindona, Giovanni; Tagarelli, Antonio

2014-07-04

In this work, the capabilities of solid phase microextraction were exploited in a fully optimized SPME-GC-QqQ-MS analytical approach for hydrazine assay. A rapid and easy method was obtained by a simple derivatization reaction with propyl chloroformate and pyridine carried out directly in water samples, followed by automated SPME analysis in the same vial without further sample handling. The affinity of the different derivatized compounds obtained towards five commercially available SPME coatings was evaluated, in order to achieve the best extraction efficiency. GC analyses were carried out using a GC-QqQ-MS instrument in selected reaction monitoring (SRM) acquisition mode which has allowed the achievement of high specificity by selecting appropriate precursor-product ion couples improving the capability in analyte identification. The multivariate approach of experimental design was crucial in order to optimize derivatization reaction, SPME process and tandem mass spectrometry parameters. Accuracy of the proposed protocol, tested at 60, 200 and 800 ng L(-1), provided satisfactory values (114.2%, 83.6% and 98.6%, respectively), whereas precision (RSD%) at the same concentration levels were of 10.9%, 7.9% and 7.7% respectively. Limit of detection and quantification of 4.4 and 8.3 ng L(-1) were obtained. The reliable application of the proposed protocol to real drinking water samples confirmed its capability to be used as analytical tool for routine analyses. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Mercury localization in mouse kidney over time: autoradiography versus silver staining

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodier, P.M.; Kates, B.; Simons, R.

1988-01-01

Several methods of silver staining have been employed to localize mercury in tissue, under the assumption that the techniques represent total Hg, but recent reports have suggested that these stains are specific for a limited fraction of the Hg present in some samples. Magos et al. hypothesized that the stains actually vary with inorganic mercury content. The purpose of the present study was to compare localization by radiolabeling to localization by one silver stain, the photoemulsion histochemical technique, in tissues prepared to contain a range of levels of total Hg and a range of levels of inorganic Hg. Mice dosed with 8 mg Hg/kg as MeHg were killed 24 hr, 1 week, or 2 weeks after exposure, to allow a decrease in total Hg and an increase in the proportion of demethylated Hg over time. Mice dosed with 4 mg Hg/kg as HgCl 2 provided samples in which all the Hg present was in the inorganic form. Atomic absorption of kidneys of mice dosed with MeHg showed that total Hg fell from 55 micrograms/g to 39 to 25 over 2 weeks, while the inorganic fraction climbed from about 2 to 27 to 35%. Grain counts from autoradiographs of 203 Hg-labeled sections correlated with total Hg content at +0.88, but silver staining was correlated with inorganic Hg content, appearing only at late termination times in MeHg-exposed animals, but soon after dosing in mice exposed to inorganic Hg. The photoemulsion histochemical technique revealed a substance strictly localized in the proximal tubules, while autoradiographs and grain counts showed total Hg to be present throughout the kidney tissue. These results support the contention that silver stains are selective for inorganic Hg

Optimization of Hierarchical System for Data Acquisition

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. Novotny

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Television broadcasting over IP networks (IPTV is one of a number of network applications that are except of media distribution also interested in data acquisition from group of information resources of variable size. IP-TV uses Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP protocol for media streaming and RTP Control Protocol (RTCP protocol for session quality feedback. Other applications, for example sensor networks, have data acquisition as the main task. Current solutions have mostly problem with scalability - how to collect and process information from large amount of end nodes quickly and effectively? The article deals with optimization of hierarchical system of data acquisition. Problem is mathematically described, delay minima are searched and results are proved by simulations.

The utility of the hematoxylin and eosin staining in patients with suspected Hirschsprung disease.

Science.gov (United States)

Setiadi, Josephine Amanda; Dwihantoro, Andi; Iskandar, Kristy; Heriyanto, Didik Setyo; Gunadi

2017-06-19

While immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods have been widely conducted for the diagnosis of Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) in developed countries, there are very few studies on their use in developing countries where hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining is a key element of the diagnosis of HSCR. We aimed to determine the accuracy of HE staining in the diagnosis of HSCR using S100 IHC as the reference standard in Indonesia. All histopathology performed for the suspicion of HSCR patients from January 2013 to August 2015 in Dr. Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, were retrospectively reviewed. Our study included 23 HSCR patients: 9 males and 14 females. The HE staining revealed 14 negative (absence of ganglion cells) cases (61%) and 9 positive (presence of ganglion cells) cases (39%). In S100 IHC, out of the 9 positive cases by HE staining, 6 (67%) were confirmed for having ganglion cells; and out of the 14 negative cases by HE staining, 12 (86%) were reported negative and 2 (14%) were positive by S100 IHC staining. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy rates of the HE staining were 80% (95% CI: 0.51-0.95), 75% (95% CI: 0.36-0.96), 85.7% (95% CI: 0.56-0.98), 66.7% (95% CI: 0.31-0.91), and 78.3% (95% CI: 0.58-0.90), respectively. Our study showed that HE staining has relatively moderate accuracy for the diagnosis of HSCR. The use of HE staining is still recommended for the diagnosis of HSCR given the limitation of resource allocation for more expensive IHC technologies in developing countries.

Marine Red Staining of a Pennsylvanian Carbonate Slope: Environmental and Oceanographic Significance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van der Kooij, B.; Immenhauser, A.M.; Steuber, T; Hagmaier, M.; Bahamonde, J.R.; Samankassou, E.; Merino Tomé, O.

2007-01-01

Red-stained platform facies are a common feature of many carbonate settings throughout the geological record. Although the mechanisms involved in red staining of subaerially exposed or argillaceous, peri-platforin limestones are reasonably well understood, the environmental and oceanographic

Stain-etched porous silicon nanostructures for multicrystalline silicon-based solar cells

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Rabha, M.; Hajji, M.; Belhadj Mohamed, S.; Hajjaji, A.; Gaidi, M.; Ezzaouia, H.; Bessais, B.

2012-02-01

In this paper, we study the optical, optoelectronic and photoluminescence properties of stain-etched porous silicon nanostructures obtained with different etching times. Special attention is given to the use of the stain-etched PS as an antireflection coating as well as for surface passivating capabilities. The surface morphology has been analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The evolution of the Si-O and Si-H absorption bands was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry before and after PS treatment. Results show that stain etching of the silicon surface drops the total reflectivity to about 7% in the 400-1100 nm wavelength range and the minority carrier lifetime enhances to about 48 μs.

Energy Reduction Multipath Routing Protocol for MANET Using Recoil Technique

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rakesh Kumar Sahu

2018-04-01

Full Text Available In Mobile Ad-hoc networks (MANET, power conservation and utilization is an acute problem and has received significant attention from academics and industry in recent years. Nodes in MANET function on battery power, which is a rare and limited energy resource. Hence, its conservation and utilization should be done judiciously for the effective functioning of the network. In this paper, a novel protocol namely Energy Reduction Multipath Routing Protocol for MANET using Recoil Technique (AOMDV-ER is proposed, which conserves the energy along with optimal network lifetime, routing overhead, packet delivery ratio and throughput. It performs better than any other AODV based algorithms, as in AOMDV-ER the nodes transmit packets to their destination smartly by using a varying recoil off time technique based on their geographical location. This concept reduces the number of transmissions, which results in the improvement of network lifetime. In addition, the local level route maintenance reduces the additional routing overhead. Lastly, the prediction based link lifetime of each node is estimated which helps in reducing the packet loss in the network. This protocol has three subparts: an optimal route discovery algorithm amalgamation with the residual energy and distance mechanism; a coordinated recoiled nodes algorithm which eliminates the number of transmissions in order to reduces the data redundancy, traffic redundant, routing overhead, end to end delay and enhance the network lifetime; and a last link reckoning and route maintenance algorithm to improve the packet delivery ratio and link stability in the network. The experimental results show that the AOMDV-ER protocol save at least 16% energy consumption, 12% reduction in routing overhead, significant achievement in network lifetime and packet delivery ratio than Ad hoc on demand multipath distance vector routing protocol (AOMDV, Ad hoc on demand multipath distance vector routing protocol life

Optimization of intra-voxel incoherent motion imaging at 3.0 Tesla for fast liver examination.

Science.gov (United States)

Leporq, Benjamin; Saint-Jalmes, Hervé; Rabrait, Cecile; Pilleul, Frank; Guillaud, Olivier; Dumortier, Jérôme; Scoazec, Jean-Yves; Beuf, Olivier

2015-05-01

Optimization of multi b-values MR protocol for fast intra-voxel incoherent motion imaging of the liver at 3.0 Tesla. A comparison of four different acquisition protocols were carried out based on estimated IVIM (DSlow , DFast , and f) and ADC-parameters in 25 healthy volunteers. The effects of respiratory gating compared with free breathing acquisition then diffusion gradient scheme (simultaneous or sequential) and finally use of weighted averaging for different b-values were assessed. An optimization study based on Cramer-Rao lower bound theory was then performed to minimize the number of b-values required for a suitable quantification. The duration-optimized protocol was evaluated on 12 patients with chronic liver diseases No significant differences of IVIM parameters were observed between the assessed protocols. Only four b-values (0, 12, 82, and 1310 s.mm(-2) ) were found mandatory to perform a suitable quantification of IVIM parameters. DSlow and DFast significantly decreased between nonadvanced and advanced fibrosis (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01) whereas perfusion fraction and ADC variations were not found to be significant. Results showed that IVIM could be performed in free breathing, with a weighted-averaging procedure, a simultaneous diffusion gradient scheme and only four optimized b-values (0, 10, 80, and 800) reducing scan duration by a factor of nine compared with a nonoptimized protocol. Preliminary results have shown that parameters such as DSlow and DFast based on optimized IVIM protocol can be relevant biomarkers to distinguish between nonadvanced and advanced fibrosis. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

One Small Step for the Gram Stain, One Giant Leap for Clinical Microbiology.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomson, Richard B

2016-06-01

The Gram stain is one of the most commonly performed tests in the clinical microbiology laboratory, yet it is poorly controlled and lacks standardization. It was once the best rapid test in microbiology, but it is no longer trusted by many clinicians. The publication by Samuel et al. (J. Clin. Microbiol. 54:1442-1447, 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JCM.03066-15) is a start for those who want to evaluate and improve Gram stain performance. In an age of emerging rapid molecular results, is the Gram stain still relevant? How should clinical microbiologists respond to the call to reduce Gram stain error rates? Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Investigation of black soot staining in houses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fugler, D. [Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., Ottawa, ON (Canada)

2000-07-01

Air quality investigators are frequently called upon to determine the origin of streaking, staining or soot marks in both new and old homes. Those marks display common characteristics: black marks along baseboards at interior or exterior walls, behind furniture and at doorways; black smudges on window frames and plastic cabinets; and even shadowing of studs on exterior wall drywall in a few cases. In most instances, carbon soot from a combustion source is the culprit. The combustion sources include furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, gas dryers, gas ranges, smoking, vehicle exhaust and candle burning. Scepticism about candle soot is prevalent among callers. As a result, a study was initiated in homes where occupants burn candles regularly to investigate soot problems. Samples were collected from five homes, and included stained carpets, filters, and swab samples of black dust or soot. All the houses selected for the study had been built within a three-year period. Some samples of candles commonly burned in those homes were burnt in a laboratory. Air quality audits had been performed in the homes and had revealed other potential pollutant sources. Best practices for cost-effective clean up and control of soot were researched in industry information. The tests conducted in the laboratory found materials consistent with candle soot or residue during microscopic investigations, but no link was established with the stained material obtained from the homes. A few tips for homeowners were included concerning candle burning, and tips for builders were also offered. 1 tab.

Determination of an optimal priming duration and concentration protocol for pepper seeds (Capsicum annuum L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassen ALOUI

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Seed priming is a simple pre-germination method to improve seed performance and to attenuate the effects of stress exposure. The objective of this study was to determinate an optimal priming protocol for three pepper cultivars (Capsicum annuum L.: ‘Beldi’, ‘Baklouti’ and ‘Anaheim Chili’. Seeds were primed with three solutions of NaCl, KCl and CaCl2 (0, 10, 20 and 50 mM for three different durations (12, 24 and 36h. Control seeds were soaked in distilled water for the same durations. After that, all seeds were kept to germinate in laboratory under normal light and controlled temperature. Results indicated that priming depends on concentration, duration and cultivar. The best combinations that we obtained were: KCl priming (10 mM, 36h for ‘Beldi’ cultivar, CaCl2 priming (10 mM, 36h for ‘Baklouti’ cultivar and finally NaCl priming (50 mM, 24h for ‘Anaheim Chili’ cultivar. Generally, priming had an effect on total germination percentage, mean germination time, germination index and the coefficient of velocity compared to control seeds. The beneficial effect of seed priming could be used for improving salt tolerance on germination and early seedling growth for pepper cultivar.

Staining of Platyhelminthes by herbal dyes: An eco-friendly technique for the taxonomist

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Niranjan Kumar

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Aim: An environment compatible technique to stain Platyhelminthes, Fasciola gigantica, Gastrothylax crumenifer, Taenia solium, and Moniezia expansa using aqueous and alcoholic extract of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris, China rose (Hibiscus rosasinensis, and red rose (Rosa hybrida were described to minimized the deleterious effects of the synthetic dyes. Materials and Methods: Aqueous/ethanolic extracts of roses were extracted from the flowers while red beet was extracted from the roots. Results: Stained helminthes acquired a comparable level of pigmentation with the distinction of their internal structure in these natural dyes. The flukes (liver and rumen internal structure, oral and ventral/posterior sucker, cirrus sac, gravid uterus, testes, ovary, and vitallaria were appeared pink color in aqueous and alcoholic extract of either China or red rose and yellow to brown color in sugar beet stain. The interior of the proglottid of T. solium and M. expansa took yellow to brown color with good contrast in sugar beet stain and of pink to pink-red in China and red rose stain. Conclusion: The extract of roses (red rose followed by China rose followed by red beet possess the potential to replace the conventional stains in the taxonomic study of Platyhelminthes parasites.

A comparative assessment of commonly employed staining ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Following an increase in the number of reports of Cryptosporidium infections and the problems encountered in detecting these organisms in faecal smears, a comparative assessment of a modification of the Sheather's flotation technique and other commonly employed staining procedures proved the modified Sheather's ...

Stain-free histopathology by programmable supercontinuum pulses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tu, Haohua; Liu, Yuan; Turchinovich, Dmitry

2016-01-01

The preparation, staining, visualization and interpretation of histological images of tissue is well accepted as the gold standard process for the diagnosis of disease. These methods have a long history of development, and are used ubiquitously in pathology, despite being highly time- and labour-...

Intelligent Broadcasting in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks: Three Classes of Adaptive Protocols

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Michael D. Colagrosso

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Because adaptability greatly improves the performance of a broadcast protocol, we identify three ways in which machine learning can be applied to broadcasting in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET. We chose broadcasting because it functions as a foundation of MANET communication. Unicast, multicast, and geocast protocols utilize broadcasting as a building block, providing important control and route establishment functionality. Therefore, any improvements to the process of broadcasting can be immediately realized by higher-level MANET functionality and applications. While efficient broadcast protocols have been proposed, no single broadcasting protocol works well in all possible MANET conditions. Furthermore, protocols tend to fail catastrophically in severe network environments. Our three classes of adaptive protocols are pure machine learning, intra-protocol learning, and inter-protocol learning. In the pure machine learning approach, we exhibit a new approach to the design of a broadcast protocol: the decision of whether to rebroadcast a packet is cast as a classification problem. Each mobile node (MN builds a classifier and trains it on data collected from the network environment. Using intra-protocol learning, each MN consults a simple machine model for the optimal value of one of its free parameters. Lastly, in inter-protocol learning, MNs learn to switch between different broadcasting protocols based on network conditions. For each class of learning method, we create a prototypical protocol and examine its performance in simulation.

Intelligent Broadcasting in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks: Three Classes of Adaptive Protocols

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Colagrosso Michael D

2007-01-01

Full Text Available Because adaptability greatly improves the performance of a broadcast protocol, we identify three ways in which machine learning can be applied to broadcasting in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET. We chose broadcasting because it functions as a foundation of MANET communication. Unicast, multicast, and geocast protocols utilize broadcasting as a building block, providing important control and route establishment functionality. Therefore, any improvements to the process of broadcasting can be immediately realized by higher-level MANET functionality and applications. While efficient broadcast protocols have been proposed, no single broadcasting protocol works well in all possible MANET conditions. Furthermore, protocols tend to fail catastrophically in severe network environments. Our three classes of adaptive protocols are pure machine learning, intra-protocol learning, and inter-protocol learning. In the pure machine learning approach, we exhibit a new approach to the design of a broadcast protocol: the decision of whether to rebroadcast a packet is cast as a classification problem. Each mobile node (MN builds a classifier and trains it on data collected from the network environment. Using intra-protocol learning, each MN consults a simple machine model for the optimal value of one of its free parameters. Lastly, in inter-protocol learning, MNs learn to switch between different broadcasting protocols based on network conditions. For each class of learning method, we create a prototypical protocol and examine its performance in simulation.

Juvenile localized scleroderma with port wine stain: coincidental or possible common pathogenetic association.

Science.gov (United States)

Kacar, Seval Dogruk; Ozuguz, Pinar; Polat, Serap; Kacar, Emre; Polat, Onur; Tokyol, Cigdem

2015-01-01

Port wine stain and juvenile localized scleroderma are two different dermatoses usually encountered in pediatric age group. Up to now, there are reports of morphea patients initially diagnosed and treated as port wine stain. Coexistence of both diseases is not found yet. We herein present a case of juvenile localized scleroderma on the left side of trunk, with congenital port wine stain located on the ipsilateral face at V1-V2 distribution.

A Composed Protocol of Quantum Identity Authentication Plus Quantum Key Distribution Based on Squeezed States

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)