RBC-/Cr-51/ half-life and albumin turnover in growing Beagle dogs during chronic radial acceleration

Science.gov (United States)

Beckman, D. A.; Evans, J. W.; Oyama, J.

1979-01-01

The effects of chronic centrifugation on growing Beagle dogs exposed to -2 or -2.6 Gx on albumin and RBC turnover rates, albumin concentration and space, and total blood volume were determined and compared with caged and run control of animals. Albumin-(I-125) and autologous RBC-(Cr-51) preparations were injected into all dogs at day 82 of the centrifugation periods, and the disappearance curves were determined by successive bleedings of the animals over the next 35 d, during which the centrifugation was continued. There were no differences in albumin turnover rates or space. Two populations of RBCs were found in both centrifugated groups, one with a normal half-life of 27 + or - 1 S.E.M. d, and one with a significantly (p less than 0.01) shorter half-life of 15 + or - 2 S.E.M. d. An absolute polycythemia was also observed in both centrifuged groups. The results suggest that chronic centrifugation acts through some as-yet unknown mechanism to affect RBC population kinetics.

The study of x-ray photo-electron spectroscopy of 99mTc-RBC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Chunyi

1994-01-01

99m Tc-RBC are widely used as visualization agents for a blood pool. In this research 99m Tc-RBC was prepared by in vivo labeling. The chemical state and changes of 99m Tc atoms in 99m Tc-RBC was determined by x-ray photo-electron spectroscopy (XPS). The stability of 99m Tc-RBC is best shown by the determination of XPS at one hour or at two hours after labeling. There are two ways of coordination of bonding of RBC and 99m Tc: One is the coordination of 99m Tc with the oxygen atom which carries a negative charge of the carboxyl radical on the polypeptide bond, the other is the coordination of 99m Tc with a sulfur atom which caries the negative charge of cysteine. From the E b value of 99m Tc-RBC 99m Tc 3d5/2, it can be inferred that 99m Tc of 99m Tc-RBC is less than a trivalent. At the same time, the results of the determination by XPS with the compounds containing 99 TcO 4 - , 99 Tc(V), 99 Tc(IV) and 99 Tc(III) show that the chemical shift is lowered as the reduction state is lowered. Experimental results coincide with theoretical inferences

Red blood cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate concentration and in vivo P50 during early critical illness.

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Ezz el din S; McLellan, Stuart A; Walsh, Timothy S

2005-10-01

To measure red blood cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (RBC 2,3-DPG) concentrations in early critical illness; to investigate factors associated with high or low RBC 2,3-DPG levels; to calculate in vivo P50 in patients with early critical illness; and to explore the relationship between RBC 2,3-DPG and intensive care mortality. Prospective cohort study. General medical-surgical intensive care unit (ICU) of a major Scottish teaching hospital. One-hundred eleven critically ill patients during the first 24 hrs in the ICU with no history of chronic hematologic disorders or RBC transfusion within 24 hrs and 34 age- and sex-matched healthy reference subjects. None. We measured RBC 2,3-DPG concentration, plasma biochemistry values, and arterial blood gas parameters. On average, RBC 2,3-DPG was lower among critically ill patients than controls (mean [sd], 14.1 [6.3] vs. 16.7 [3.7] mumol/g hemoglobin; p = .004) and had a wider range of values (patients, 3.2-32.5 mumol/g hemoglobin; reference group, 9.1-24.3). Regression analysis indicated a strong independent association between plasma pH and RBC 2,3-DPG (B, 32.15 [95% confidence interval, 19.07-46.22], p level was normal (3.8 kPa) but varied widely among patients (range, 2.0-5.5 kPa). RBC 2,3-DPG concentration was similar for ICU survivors and nonsurvivors. RBC 2,3-DPG concentrations vary widely among critically ill patients. Acidosis is associated with lower RBC 2,3-DPG concentrations, but anemia is not associated with a compensatory increase in RBC 2,3-DPG early in critical illness. Lower RBC 2,3-DPG concentrations during the first 24 hrs of intensive care are not associated with higher ICU mortality.

Experimental evaluation of mechanical and electrical properties of RBC suspensions under flow. Role of RBC aggregating agent

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Antonova, N.; Říha, Pavel; Ivanov, I.

2010-01-01

Roč. 45, 2-4 (2010), s. 253-261 ISSN 1386-0291 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA200600803 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : apparent viscosity * conductivity * unsteady flow * RBC suspensions * dextrans * PEG Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 2.838, year: 2010

Multiple-capillary measurement of RBC speed, flux, and density with optical coherence tomography.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jonghwan; Wu, Weicheng; Lesage, Frederic; Boas, David A

2013-11-01

As capillaries exhibit heterogeneous and fluctuating dynamics even during baseline, a technique measuring red blood cell (RBC) speed and flux over many capillaries at the same time is needed. Here, we report that optical coherence tomography can capture individual RBC passage simultaneously over many capillaries located at different depths. Further, we demonstrate the ability to quantify RBC speed, flux, and linear density. This technique will provide a means to monitor microvascular flow dynamics over many capillaries at different depths at the same time.

Neem leaf extract as potential modifier of free radical interaction with RBC membrane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patil, Shilpa M.; Kulkarni, Satish G.; Rane, Charusheela

2004-01-01

Full text: Neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is well known as village pharmacy due to its multifaceted medicinal action in curing countless health problems. The leaf extract of Neem is known to purify blood by removing toxins and neutralizing free radicals. Using gamma irradiation as free radical generation process the efficacy of neem leaf extract in combating free radical attack on RBC membrane has been explored. The results narrating role of concentration and dose dependency in this radio modulation will be discussed

Estimation of adult and neonatal RBC lifespans in anemic neonates using RBCs labeled at several discrete biotin densities.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuruvilla, Denison J; Widness, John A; Nalbant, Demet; Schmidt, Robert L; Mock, Donald M; An, Guohua; Veng-Pedersen, Peter

2017-06-01

Prior conclusions that autologous neonatal red blood cells (RBC) have substantially shorter lifespans than allogeneic adult RBCs were not based on direct comparison of autologous neonatal vs. allogeneic adult RBCs performed concurrently in the same infant. Biotin labeling of autologous neonatal RBCs and allogeneic adult donor RBCs permits concurrent direct comparison of autologous vs. allogeneic RBC lifespan. RBCs from 15 allogeneic adult donors and from 15 very-low-birth-weight (VLBW) neonates were labeled at separate biotin densities and transfused simultaneously into the 15 neonates. Two mathematical models that account for the RBC differences were employed to estimate lifespans for the two RBC populations. Mean ± SD lifespan for adult allogeneic RBC was 70.1 ± 19.1 d, which is substantially shorter than the 120 d lifespan of both autologous and adult allogeneic RBC in healthy adults. Mean ± SD lifespan for neonatal RBC was 54.2 ± 11.3 d, which is only about 30% shorter than that of the adult allogeneic RBCs. This study provides evidence that extrinsic environmental factors primarily determine RBC survival (e.g., small bore of the capillaries of neonates, rate of oxygenation/deoxygenation cycles) rather than factors intrinsic to RBC.

Isolation, expression and characterization of rbcL gene from Ulva prolifera J. Agardh (Ulvophyceae, Chlorophyta)

Science.gov (United States)

Shao, Zhanru; Li, Wei; Guo, Hui; Duan, Delin

2015-12-01

Ulva prolifera is a typical green alga in subtidal areas and can grow tremendously fast. A highly efficient Rubisco enzyme which is encoded by UpRbcL gene may contribute to the rapid growth. In this study, the full-length UpRbcL open reading frame (ORF) was identified, which encoded a protein of 474 amino acids. Phylogenetic analysis of UpRbcL sequences revealed that Chlorophyta had a closer genetic relationship with higher plants than with Rhodophyta and Phaeophyta. The two distinct residues (aa11 and aa91) were presumed to be unique for Rubisco catalytic activity. The predicted three-dimensional structure showed that one α/β-barrel existed in the C-terminal region, and the sites for Mg2+ coordination and CO2 fixation were also located in this region. Gene expression profile indicated that UpRbcL was expressed at a higher level under light exposure than in darkness. When the culture temperature reached 35°C, the expression level of UpRbcL was 2.5-fold lower than at 15°C, and the carboxylase activity exhibited 13.8-fold decrease. UpRbcL was heterologously expressed in E. coli and was purified by Ni2+ affinity chromatography. The physiological and biochemical characterization of recombinant Rubisco will be explored in the future.

Tc-99m Labeled Red Blood Cell by Ultra Tag RBC Kit in Patients Suspected of Gastrointestinal Bleeding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pusuwan, Pawana; Leaungwutiwong, Suraphong; Tocharoenchai, Chiraporn; Chaiwatanarat, Tawatchai; Sirisatipoch, Sasitorn; Rajadara, Samart; Naktong, Thanyada; Thanyarak, Sucheera

2001-06-01

Twenty patients suspected of gastrointestinal bleeding who underwent Tc-99m labeled red blood cell (RBC) by ultraTag RBC kit at Division of Nuclear Medicine, Bumrungrad Hospital between January 2000 and December 2002 were studied. The histories of patients together with either endoscopic results or angiographic findings or pathological reports were used as gold standards. Two by Two decision matrix was used for data analysis and the sensitivity together with specificity were calculated. The results show that the sensitivity and specificity of Tc-99m labeled RBC by ultraTag RBC kit are 87.5% and 91.7%, respectively. We conclude that Tc-99m labeled RBC by ultraTag RBC kit gives high percentages of sensitivity and specificity. Moreover, the image quality is improved because of the absence of free Tc-99m pertechnetate uptake in the stomach in all patients

Evaluation of serum homocysteine, high-sensitivity CRP, and RBC folate in patients with alopecia areata

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maryam Yousefi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Alopecia areata (AA is a common type of hair loss with an autoimmune basis. As the role of homocysteine (Hcys, folate, and CRP has been considered in some autoimmune diseases. Objectives: To evaluate homocysteine, folate and CRP level in AA. Methods: This study was performed on 29 patients who had AA for at least 6 months affecting more than 20% of scalp, and 32 healthy controls. Levels of serum Hcys, blood high-sensitivity CRP, and RBC folate were measured in all subjects. Results: The mean level of RBC folate was significantly lower in the patient group than that in controls (P < 0.001. Also, the level of RBC folate was significantly lower in patients with extensive forms of disease (alopecia totalis/alopecia universalis in comparison with more localized form (patchy hair loss (P < 0.05. Patients with higher "Severity of Alopecia Total" (SALT score had lower RBC folate, as well. Serum Hcys and blood high-sensitivity CRP levels did not show a significant difference in two groups. Conclusion: Patients with alopecia areata have lower level of RBC folate which is in negative correlation with both severity and extension of AA.

Haemostatic function and biomarkers of endothelial damage before and after RBC transfusion in patients with haematologic disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, A M; Leinøe, E B; Johansson, P I

2015-01-01

function and the endothelium) to RBC transfusion. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Blood was sampled from patients with various transfusion-dependent haematologic diseases before 1 and 24 h after RBC transfusion. Primary and secondary haemostasis was evaluated by whole-blood impedance aggregometry (Multiplate....... Compared to before transfusion, patients had slightly reduced coagulability 1 h after RBC transfusion, assessed by TEG. However, transfusion of older RBC products (>14 days) was associated with increased coagulability (all P level of syndecan-1 increased slightly 24 h after transfusion (median....... The changes observed were small to moderate and the clinical relevance of these findings should be investigated in larger studies....

Experimental evaluation of mechanical and electrical properties of RBC suspensions in Dextran and PEG under flow II. Role of RBC deformability and morphology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Antonova, N.; Říha, Pavel; Ivanov, I.; Gluhcheva, Y.

2011-01-01

Roč. 49, 1-4 (2011), s. 441-450 ISSN 1386-0291 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : RBC suspensions * conductivity * Dextran 70 * Polyethylene glycol 35 000 ( PEG ) Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 3.398, year: 2011

Experimental evaluation of mechanical and electrical properties of RBC suspensions in Dextran and PEG under flow II. Role of RBC deformability and morphology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Antonova, N.; Říha, Pavel; Ivanov, I.; Gluhcheva, Y.

2011-01-01

Roč. 49, 1-4 (2011), s. 441-450 ISSN 1386-0291 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : RBC suspensions * conductivity * Dextran 70 * Polyethylene glycol 35 000 (PEG) Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 3.398, year: 2011

A gene phylogeny of the red algae (Rhodophyta) based on plastid rbcL.

Science.gov (United States)

Freshwater, D W; Fredericq, S; Butler, B S; Hommersand, M H; Chase, M W

1994-01-01

A phylogeny for the Rhodophyta has been inferred by parsimony analysis of plastid rbcL sequences representing 81 species, 68 genera, 38 families, and 17 orders of red algae; rbcL encodes the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase. Levels of sequence divergence among species, genera, and families are high in red algae, typically much greater than those reported for flowering plants. The Rhodophyta traditionally consists of one class, Rhodophyceae, and two subclasses, Bangiophycidae and Florideophycidae. The Bangiophycidae with three orders (Porphyridiales, Compsopogonales, and Bangiales) appears to be polyphyletic, and the Florideophycidae with 17 orders is monophyletic in this study. The current classification of the Florideophycidae based on ultrastructure of pit connections is supported. With the exception of the Rhodogorgonales, which appears to be misplaced, orders with one or two pit-plug cap layers (Hildenbrandiales, Corallinales, Acrochaetiales, Palmanales, Batrachospermales, and Nemaliales) terminate long branches of basal position within Florideophycidae in the most parsimonious rbcL tree. Orders that lack typical cap layers but possess a cap membrane are resolved as a monophyletic clade sister to the Ahnfeltiales. The large order Gigartinales, which is distributed among five rbcL clades, is polyphyletic. Families that possess typical carrageenan in their cell walls are resolved as a terminal clade containing two family complexes centered around the Solieriaceae and Gigartinaceae. PMID:8041781

Rotational dynamics of C60 in Na2RbC60

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Christides, C.; Prassides, K.; Neumann, D.A.; Copley, J.R.D.; Mizuki, J.; Tanigaki, K.; Hirosawa, I.; Ebbesen, T.W.

1993-01-01

We have measured the low-energy neutron inelastic-scattering (NIS) spectra of superconducting Na 2 RbC 60 in the temperature range 50-350 K. Well-defined librational peaks are observed at 50 K at 2.83(17) meV (FWHM = 1.7(5) meV). They soften and broaden with increasing temperature. Their behaviour mimics that found in solid C 60 and differs markedly from K 3 C 60 . The rotational barrier for C 60 reorientations in Na 2 RbC 60 is somewhat higher than in pristine C 60 and approximately half as large as in K 3 C 60 . An order-disorder transition is anticipated at a temperature higher than that found in C 60 . (orig.)

Low Red Blood Cell Vitamin C Concentrations Induce Red Blood Cell Fragility: A Link to Diabetes Via Glucose, Glucose Transporters, and Dehydroascorbic Acid

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongbin Tu

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Strategies to prevent diabetic microvascular angiopathy focus on the vascular endothelium. Because red blood cells (RBCs are less deformable in diabetes, we explored an original concept linking decreased RBC deformability to RBC ascorbate and hyperglycemia. We characterized ascorbate concentrations from human and mouse RBCs and plasma, and showed an inverse relationship between RBC ascorbate concentrations and deformability, measured by osmotic fragility. RBCs from ascorbate deficient mice were osmotically sensitive, appeared as spherocytes, and had decreased β-spectrin. These aberrancies reversed with ascorbate repletion in vivo. Under physiologic conditions, only ascorbate's oxidation product dehydroascorbic acid (DHA, a substrate for facilitated glucose transporters, was transported into mouse and human RBCs, with immediate intracellular reduction to ascorbate. In vitro, glucose inhibited entry of physiologic concentrations of dehydroascorbic acid into mouse and human RBCs. In vivo, plasma glucose concentrations in normal and diabetic mice and humans were inversely related to respective RBC ascorbate concentrations, as was osmotic fragility. Human RBC β-spectrin declined as diabetes worsened. Taken together, hyperglycemia in diabetes produced lower RBC ascorbate with increased RBC rigidity, a candidate to drive microvascular angiopathy. Because glucose transporter expression, DHA transport, and its inhibition by glucose differed for mouse versus human RBCs, human experimentation is indicated.

Placentography with technetium-99m labelled RBC - an evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayachandran, C.A.; Benjamin, C.S.; Balakrishnan; Narasimhan

1983-01-01

During 1979-80, placentography was performed in 40 cases of pregnant women with third trimester bleeding. Random labelled RBC with sup(99m)Tc of activity 2-3 mci was used, depending upon the weight of the patient. In 98% of cases, the isotope finding was confirmed. (author)

Discriminatory power of rbcL barcode locus for authentication of some of United Arab Emirates (UAE) native plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Maloukh, Lina; Kumarappan, Alagappan; Jarrar, Mohammad; Salehi, Jawad; El-Wakil, Houssam; Rajya Lakshmi, T V

2017-06-01

DNA barcoding of United Arab Emirates (UAE) native plants is of high practical and scientific value as the plants adapt to very harsh environmental conditions that challenge their identification. Fifty-one plant species belonged to 22 families, 2 monocots, and 20 eudicots; a maximum number of species being legumes and grasses were collected. To authenticate the morphological identification of the wild plant taxa, rbcL and matK regions were used in the study. The primer universality and discriminatory power of rbcL is 100%, while it is 35% for matK locus for these plant species. The sequences were submitted to GenBank; accession numbers were obtained for all the rbcL sequences and for 6 of matK sequences. We suggest rbcL as a promising barcode locus for the tested group of 51 plants. In the present study, an inexpensive, simple method of identification of rare desert plant taxa through rbcL barcode is being reported.

Pretreatment Red Blood Cell Total Folate Concentration Is Associated With Response to Pemetrexed in Stage IV Nonsquamous Non-Small-cell Lung Cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Bagley, Stephen J; Vitale, Steven; Zhang, Suhong; Aggarwal, Charu; Evans, Tracey L; Alley, Evan W; Cohen, Roger B; Langer, Corey J; Blair, Ian A; Vachani, Anil; Whitehead, Alexander S

2017-03-01

Pemetrexed inhibits folate-dependent enzymes involved in pyrimidine and purine synthesis. Previous studies of genetic variation in these enzymes as predictors of pemetrexed efficacy have yielded inconsistent results. We investigated whether red blood cell (RBC) total folate, a phenotypic rather than genotypic, marker of cellular folate status was associated with the response to pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in advanced nonsquamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients with stage IV nonsquamous NSCLC receiving first-line chemotherapy containing pemetrexed. The pretreatment RBC total folate level was quantified using liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. We then compared the objective response rate (ORR) between patients with RBC total folate concentrations greater than and less than an optimal cutoff value determined from the receiver operating characteristic curve. A logistic regression model was used to adjust for age, sex, and the use of bevacizumab. The ORR was 62% (32 of 52 patients). Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to establish that a RBC total folate cutoff value of 364.6 nM optimally discriminated between pemetrexed responders and nonresponders. Patients with RBC total folate  364.5 nM (P = .01). This difference persisted after adjusting for age, sex, and the use of bevacizumab (odds ratio, 0.07; 95% confidence interval, 0.01-0.57; P = .01). A low pretreatment RBC total folate was associated with an inferior response to pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in stage IV nonsquamous NSCLC. Larger, multicenter studies are needed to validate RBC total folate as a predictive marker of pemetrexed response. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 35.2035 - Rotating biological contractor (RBC) replacement grants.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... treatment works owner, the applicant, its engineers, contractors, equipment manufacturers or suppliers; (b) The RBC failure has significantly increased the project's capital or operation and maintenance costs; (c) The modification/replacement project meets all requirements of EPA's construction grant and other...

Pre-emptive treatment with fibrinogen concentrate for postpartum haemorrhage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wikkelsø, A J; Edwards, H M; Afshari, A

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND: In early postpartum haemorrhage (PPH), a low concentration of fibrinogen is associated with excessive subsequent bleeding and blood transfusion. We hypothesized that pre-emptive treatment with fibrinogen concentrate reduces the need for red blood cell (RBC) transfusion in patients...... and the fibrinogen concentration at inclusion. The primary outcome was RBC transfusion up to 6 weeks postpartum. Secondary outcomes were total blood loss, total amount of blood transfused, occurrence of rebleeding, haemoglobin ... concentrate, thereby significantly increasing fibrinogen concentration compared with placebo by 0.40 g litre(-1) (95% confidence interval, 0.15-0.65; P=0.002). Postpartum blood transfusion occurred in 25 (20%) of the fibrinogen group and 26 (22%) of the placebo group (relative risk, 0.95; 95% confidence...

Near-Surface Refractory Black Carbon Observations in the Atmosphere and Snow in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica, and Potential Impacts of Foehn Winds

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Alia L.; McMeeking, Gavin R.; Schwarz, Joshua P.; Xian, Peng; Welch, Kathleen A.; Berry Lyons, W.; McKnight, Diane M.

2018-03-01

Measurements of light-absorbing particles in the boundary layer of the high southern latitudes are scarce, particularly in the McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV), Antarctica. During the 2013-2014 austral summer near-surface boundary layer refractory black carbon (rBC) aerosols were measured in air by a single-particle soot photometer (SP2) at multiple locations in the MDV. Near-continuous rBC atmospheric measurements were collected at Lake Hoare Camp (LH) over 2 months and for several hours at more remote locations away from established field camps. We investigated periods dominated by both upvalley and downvalley winds to explore the causes of differences in rBC concentrations and size distributions. Snow samples were also collected in a 1 m pit on a glacier near the camp. The range of concentrations rBC in snow was 0.3-1.2 ± 0.3 μg-rBC/L-H2O, and total organic carbon was 0.3-1.4 ± 0.3 mg/L. The rBC concentrations measured in this snow pit are not sufficient to reduce surface albedo; however, there is potential for accumulation of rBC on snow and ice surfaces at low elevation throughout the MDV, which were not measured as part of this study. At LH, the average background rBC mass aerosol concentrations were 1.3 ng/m3. rBC aerosol mass concentrations were slightly lower, 0.09-1.3 ng/m3, at the most remote sites in the MDV. Concentration spikes as high as 200 ng/m3 were observed at LH, associated with local activities. During a foehn wind event, the average rBC mass concentration increased to 30-50 ng/m3. Here we show that the rBC increase could be due to resuspension of locally produced BC from generators, rocket toilets, and helicopters, which may remain on the soil surface until redistributed during high wind events. Quantification of local production and long-range atmospheric transport of rBC to the MDV is necessary for understanding the impacts of this species on regional climate.

Workplace aerosol mass concentration measurement using optical particle counters.

Science.gov (United States)

Görner, Peter; Simon, Xavier; Bémer, Denis; Lidén, Göran

2012-02-01

Direct-reading aerosol measurement usually uses the optical properties of airborne particles to detect and measure particle concentration. In the case of occupational hygiene, mass concentration measurement is often required. Two aerosol monitoring methods are based on the principle of light scattering: optical particle counting (OPC) and photometry. The former analyses the light scattered by a single particle, the latter by a cloud of particles. Both methods need calibration to transform the quantity of scattered light detected into particle concentration. Photometers are simpler to use and can be directly calibrated to measure mass concentration. However, their response varies not only with aerosol concentration but also with particle size distribution, which frequently contributes to biased measurement. Optical particle counters directly measure the particle number concentration and particle size that allows assessment of the particle mass provided the particles are spherical and of known density. An integrating algorithm is used to calculate the mass concentration of any conventional health-related aerosol fraction. The concentrations calculated thus have been compared with simultaneous measurements by conventional gravimetric sampling to check the possibility of field OPC calibration with real workplace aerosols with a view to further monitoring particle mass concentration. Aerosol concentrations were measured in the food industry using the OPC GRIMM® 1.108 and the CIP 10-Inhalable and CIP 10-Respirable (ARELCO®) aerosol samplers while meat sausages were being brushed and coated with calcium carbonate. Previously, the original OPC inlet had been adapted to sample inhalable aerosol. A mixed aerosol of calcium carbonate and fungi spores was present in the workplace. The OPC particle-size distribution and an estimated average particle density of both aerosol components were used to calculate the mass concentration. The inhalable and respirable aerosol fractions

99mTc-RBC subtraction scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inagaki, Syoichi; Tonami, Syuichi; Yasui, Masakazu; Kuranishi, Makoto; Sugishita, Kouki; Nakamura, Mamoru

1994-01-01

Sequential abdominal scintigrams with 99m Tc-labelled red blood cells (RBC) were subtracted for observing a site of gastrointestinal bleeding and calculating the bleeding rate. This method is technically very easy and can detect the site of bleeding with the minimum rate, as low as 0.2 ml/min., in a phantom experiment. In 23 cases with final diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding, conventional non-subtraction scintigraphy detected only 30% (7/23), but subtraction scintigraphy detected 61% (14/23). It was concluded that subtraction scintigraphy had higher sensitivity than conventional scintigraphy for early diagnosing bleeding. A combination of non-subtraction and subtraction scintigraphy is recommended to detect a site of gastrointestinal bleeding in a clinical setting. (author)

Highly time-resolved urban aerosol characteristics during springtime in Yangtze River Delta, China: insights from soot particle aerosol mass spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Wang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In this work, the Aerodyne soot particle – aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS was deployed for the first time during the spring of 2015 in urban Nanjing, a megacity in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD of China, for online characterization of the submicron aerosols (PM1. The SP-AMS enables real-time and fast quantification of refractory black carbon (rBC simultaneously with other non-refractory species (ammonium, sulfate, nitrate, chloride, and organics. The average PM1 concentration was found to be 28.2 µg m−3, with organics (45 % as the most abundant component, following by sulfate (19.3 %, nitrate (13.6 %, ammonium (11.1 %, rBC (9.7 %, and chloride (1.3 %. These PM1 species together can reconstruct ∼ 44 % of the light extinction during this campaign based on the IMPROVE method. Chemically resolved mass-based size distributions revealed that small particles especially ultrafine ones (< 100 nm vacuum aerodynamic diameter were dominated by organics and rBC, while large particles had significant contributions from secondary inorganic species. Source apportionment of organic aerosols (OA yielded four OA subcomponents, including hydrocarbon-like OA (HOA, cooking-related OA (COA, semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SV-OOA, and low-volatility oxygenated OA (LV-OOA. Overall, secondary organic aerosol (SOA, equal to the sum of SV-OOA and LV-OOA dominated the total OA mass (55.5 %, but primary organic aerosol (POA, equal to the sum of HOA and COA can outweigh SOA in the early morning and evening due to enhanced human activities. High OA concentrations were often associated with high mass fractions of POA and rBC, indicating the important role of anthropogenic emissions during heavy pollution events. The diurnal cycles of nitrate, chloride, and SV-OOA both showed good anti-correlations with air temperatures, suggesting their variations were likely driven by thermodynamic equilibria and gas-to-particle partitioning. On the other hand

Epidemiology of RBC Transfusions in Patients With Severe Acute Kidney Injury: Analysis From the Randomized Evaluation of Normal Versus Augmented Level Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bellomo, Rinaldo; Mårtensson, Johan; Kaukonen, Kirsi-Maija; Lo, Serigne; Gallagher, Martin; Cass, Alan; Myburgh, John; Finfer, Simon

2016-05-01

To assess the epidemiology and outcomes associated with RBC transfusion in patients with severe acute kidney injury requiring continuous renal replacement therapy. Post hoc analysis of data from a multicenter, randomized, controlled trial. Thirty-five ICUs in Australia and New Zealand. Cohort of 1,465 patients enrolled in the Randomized Evaluation of Normal versus Augmented Level replacement therapy study. Daily information on morning hemoglobin level and amount of RBC transfused were prospectively collected in the Randomized Evaluation of Normal versus Augmented Level study. We analyzed the epidemiology of such transfusions and their association with clinical outcomes. Overall, 977 patients(66.7%) received a total of 1,192 RBC units. By day 5, 785 of 977 transfused patients (80.4%) had received at least one RBC transfusion. Hemoglobin at randomization was lower in transfused than in nontransfused patients (94 vs 111 g/L; p regression analysis, RBC transfusion was independently associated with lower 90-day mortality (hazard ratio, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.38-0.79). However, we found no independent association between RBC transfusions and mortality when the analyses were restricted to patients surviving at least 5 days (hazard ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.90-1.85). We found no independent association between RBC transfusion and renal replacement therapy-free days, mechanical ventilator-free days, or length of stay in ICU or hospital. In patients with severe acute kidney injury treated with continuous renal replacement therapy, we found no association of RBC transfusion with 90-day mortality or other patient-centered outcomes. The optimal hemoglobin threshold for RBC transfusion in such patients needs to be determined in future randomized controlled trials.

Development of a kit for RBC labelling with 99mTc and its clinic evaluation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marafuschi, A.M.; Nowotny, G.A.; Palcos, M.C.; Rotta, M. del C.

1980-01-01

A kit for labelling red blood cells (RBC) with 99m Tc based on a Tin Pyrophosphate mixture freeze-dried and a saline solution saturated with nitrogen has been prepared for spleen and placenta scanning, circulatory studies and blood volume determinations. The stannous tin is intended to reduce the 99m Tc pertechnetate, obtained either from generators or from solvent extraction, to the appropriate valence state suitable for labelling. The technique is as follows: Add to the heparinized blood sample the Tin-Pyrophosphate mixture dissolved in the saline solution. After five minutes incubation time at room temperature the plasma is discarded by centrifugation. Following the addition of the tracer activity to the separated RBC, the supernatant is discarded after a second centrifugation. Depending on the test to be performed, the RBC are either resuspended in saline solution for blood pool or circulation studies or denaturalized at 49.5 deg C for spleen scanning. The labelling yield (95-88%) and its stability has been checked by in vitro measurements, up to four hours after labelling. The biological distribution and spleen uptake have been determined in rats and rabbits. The developed method proved to be adequate for labelling RBC with good labelling retention. An interesting application is shown in babies with congenital cardiac defects and suspected absence of the spleen, where the scan gave a good image of the existing spleen. (author) [es

Studies on RBC lipid and protein phosphorylation during blood bank storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumaswala, U.J.; Bryan, D.J.; Greenwalt, T.J.

1986-01-01

Recent evidence has suggested that phosphoinositides play a significant role in maintaining membrane structure and function. Their importance during blood bank storage is not understood. They have performed preliminary studies of the phosphoinositide synthetic pathway enzymes of RBC during blood bank storage. At 0 and 35 days of storage leaky ghosts were prepared and incubated with [γ- 32 P]ATP for 5 minutes at 30 C. One aliquot was subjected to acidified solvent extraction and thin layer chromatography. The labeled phosphoinositide -4,5 biphosphate (PIP 2 ), phosphoinositide-4 phosphate (PIP) and phosphatidic acid (PA) spots were scraped and counted by liquid scintillation spectrometry. Another aliquot was used for SDS-PAGE and the radioactivity associated with the β-spectrin was measured. These experiments suggest a decrease in RBC phosphoinositol and PIP-Kinases and β-spectrin kinase activities during blood bank storage. Further studies are being done to evaluate significance of these observations

Arabidopsis Pol II-Dependent in Vitro Transcription System Reveals Role of Chromatin for Light-Inducible rbcS Gene Transcription1

Science.gov (United States)

Ido, Ayaka; Iwata, Shinya; Iwata, Yuka; Igarashi, Hisako; Hamada, Takahiro; Sonobe, Seiji; Sugiura, Masahiro; Yukawa, Yasushi

2016-01-01

In vitro transcription is an essential tool to study the molecular mechanisms of transcription. For over a decade, we have developed an in vitro transcription system from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)-cultured cells (BY-2), and this system supported the basic activities of the three RNA polymerases (Pol I, Pol II, and Pol III). However, it was not suitable to study photosynthetic genes, because BY-2 cells have lost their photosynthetic activity. Therefore, Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) in vitro transcription systems were developed from green and etiolated suspension cells. Sufficient in vitro Pol II activity was detected after the minor modification of the nuclear soluble extracts preparation method; removal of vacuoles from protoplasts and L-ascorbic acid supplementation in the extraction buffer were particularly effective. Surprisingly, all four Arabidopsis Rubisco small subunit (rbcS-1A, rbcS-1B, rbcS-2B, and rbcS-3B) gene members were in vitro transcribed from the naked DNA templates without any light-dependent manner. However, clear light-inducible transcriptions were observed using chromatin template of rbcS-1A gene, which was prepared with a human nucleosome assembly protein 1 (hNAP1) and HeLa histones. This suggested that a key determinant of light-dependency through the rbcS gene transcription was a higher order of DNA structure (i.e. chromatin). PMID:26662274

Fine particle number and mass concentration measurements in urban Indian households.

Science.gov (United States)

Mönkkönen, P; Pai, P; Maynard, A; Lehtinen, K E J; Hämeri, K; Rechkemmer, P; Ramachandran, G; Prasad, B; Kulmala, M

2005-07-15

Fine particle number concentration (D(p)>10 nm, cm(-3)), mass concentrations (approximation of PM(2.5), microg m(-3)) and indoor/outdoor number concentration ratio (I/O) measurements have been conducted for the first time in 11 urban households in India, 2002. The results indicate remarkable high indoor number and mass concentrations and I/O number concentration ratios caused by cooking. Besides cooking stoves that used liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) or kerosene as the main fuel, high indoor concentrations can be explained by poor ventilation systems. Particle number concentrations of more than 300,000 cm(-3) and mass concentrations of more than 1000 microg m(-3) were detected in some cases. When the number and mass concentrations during cooking times were statistically compared, a correlation coefficient r>0.50 was observed in 63% of the households. Some households used other fuels like wood and dung cakes along with the main fuel, but also other living activities influenced the concentrations. In some areas, outdoor combustion processes had a negative impact on indoor air quality. The maximum concentrations observed in most cases were due to indoor combustion sources. Reduction of exposure risk and health effects caused by poor indoor air in urban Indian households is possible by improving indoor ventilation and reducing penetration of outdoor particles.

Refractory black carbon at the Whistler Peak High Elevation Research Site - Measurements and simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Hanna, Sarah J.; Xu, Jun-Wei; Schroder, Jason C.; Wang, Qiaoqiao; McMeeking, Gavin R.; Hayden, Katherine; Leaitch, W. Richard; Macdonald, AnneMarie; von Salzen, Knut; Martin, Randall V.; Bertram, Allan K.

2018-05-01

Measurements of black carbon at remote and high altitude locations provide an important constraint for models. Here we present six months of refractory black carbon (rBC) data collected in July-August of 2009, June-July of 2010, and April-May of 2012 using a single particle soot photometer (SP2) at the remote Whistler High Elevation Research Site in the Coast Mountains of British Columbia (50.06°N, 122.96°W, 2182 m a.m.s.l). In order to reduce regional boundary layer influences, only measurements collected during the night (2000-0800 PST) were considered. Times impacted by local biomass burning were removed from the data set, as were periods of in-cloud sampling. Back trajectories and back trajectory cluster analysis were used to classify the sampled air masses as Southern Pacific, Northern Pacific, Western Pacific/Asian, or Northern Canadian in origin. The largest rBC mass median diameter (182 nm) was seen for air masses in the Southern Pacific cluster, and the smallest (156 nm) was seen for air masses in the Western Pacific/Asian cluster. Considering all the clusters, the median mass concentration of rBC was 25.0 ± 7.6 ng/m3-STP. The Northern Pacific, Southern Pacific, Western Pacific/Asian, and Northern Canada clusters had median mass concentrations of 25.0 ± 7.6, 21.3 ± 6.9, 25.0 ± 7.9, and 40.6 ± 12.9 ng/m3-STP, respectively. We compared these measurements with simulations from the global chemical transport model GEOS-Chem. The default GEOS-Chem simulations overestimated the median rBC mass concentrations for the different clusters by a factor of 1.2-2.2. The largest difference was observed for the Northern Pacific cluster (factor of 2.2) and the smallest difference was observed for the Northern Canada cluster (factor of 1.2). A sensitivity simulation that excluded Vancouver emissions still overestimated the median rBC mass concentrations for the different clusters by a factor of 1.1-2.0. After implementation of a revised wet scavenging scheme, the

RBC acetyl cholinesterase: A poor man′s early diagnostic biomarker for familial alzheimer′s and Parkinson′s disease dementia

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Himmatrao Saluba Bawaskar

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: Analysis of red blood cell acetyl cholinesterase (AChE in a familial Alzheimer′s diseases (AD Parkinson′s disease dementia (PDD and their first generation. Setting: General hospital, Mahad district, Raigad. Patients and Methods: Clinically diagnosed patients of AD and PDD and their asymptomatic relatives. Their blood was collected in EDTA tube and transferred to laboratory at Mumbai. Result: Median red blood cell (RBC cholinesterase levels amongst PDD, their first generation asymptomatic relatives, familial AD, asymptomatic relatives of AD, healthy controls, farmers exposed to pesticides (positive control and other neurological condition without dementia (hypertension with TIA 1, sub-dural hematoma 2, hypothyroid 1, non-familial unilateral parkinsonism without dementia 3, writers cramps 2, hyponitremia 1 and cerebral palsy with non-fluent aphasia 1. Median values of RBC AChE were 19086.78 U/L, 15666.05 U/L, 9013.11 U/L, 7806.19 U/L, 14334.57 U/L, 9785.05 U/L and 13162.60 U/L, respectively. As compared to controls, RBC AChE levels were statistically significant among PDD (P = 0.004 and significantly lowered among familial AD patients (P = 0.010, relatives of patients (P = 0.010. Interpretations: Below the normal RBC AChE level is a potential biomarker in asymptomatic relatives of familial AD patients. RBC AChE is raised than normal level in patients suffering from PDD, where AChE inhibitors are helpful. However, RBC AChE level below the normal where AChE inhibitor may not be effective.

Phylogeny and intraspecific variability of holoparasitic Orobanche (Orobanchaceae) inferred from plastid rbcL sequences.

Science.gov (United States)

Manen, Jean-François; Habashi, Christine; Jeanmonod, Daniel; Park, Jeong-Mi; Schneeweiss, Gerald M

2004-11-01

The rbcL sequences of 106 specimens representing 28 species of the four recognized sections of Orobanche were analyzed and compared. Most sequences represent pseudogenes with premature stop codons. This study confirms that the American lineage (sects. Gymnocaulis and Myzorrhiza) contains potentially functional rbcL-copies with intact open reading frames and low rates of non-synonymous substitutions. For the first time, this is also shown for a member of the Eurasian lineage, O. coerulescens of sect. Orobanche, while all other investigated species of sects. Orobanche and Trionychon contain pseudogenes with distorted reading frames and significantly higher rates of non-synonymous substitutions. Phylogenetic analyses of the rbcL sequences give equivocal results concerning the monophyly of Orobanche, and the American lineage might be more closely related to Boschniakia and Cistanche than to the other sections of Orobanche. Additionally, species of sect. Trionychon phylogenetically nest in sect. Orobanche. This is in concordance with results from other plastid markers (rps2 and matK), but in disagreement with other molecular (nuclear ITS), morphological, and karyological data. This might indicate that the ancestor of sect. Trionychon has captured the plastid genome, or parts of it, of a member of sect. Orobanche. Apart from the phylogenetically problematic position of sect. Trionychon, the phylogenetic relationships within sect. Orobanche are similar to those inferred from nuclear ITS data and are close to the traditional groupings traditionally recognized based on morphology. The intraspecific variation of rbcL is low and is neither correlated with intraspecific morphological variability nor with host range. Ancestral character reconstruction using parsimony suggests that the ancestor of O. sect. Orobanche had a narrow host range.

Antioxidant activity of citrullus colocynthis pulp extract in the RBC's of alloxan-induced diabetic rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dallak, M.; Jaliah, B.I.

2010-01-01

Previous studies in our laboratory showed that Citrullus colocynthis pulp seedless extract have antihyperglycemic and insulinotropic effects in alloxan induced diabetes. Reactive oxygen species have been implicated in the mechanism of damage of red blood cells and anaemia in diabetic patients. So the current study was carried out to investigate the protective role of citrullus colocynthis against oxidative stress in the RBC's of alloxan induced diabetic rats. Methods: Rats were divided into four groups each of ten rats, the first group was normal non diabetic rats given normal saline orally and was named control group, the second group was diabetic rats given normal saline orally and were named normal saline treated-diabetic rats, the third and fourth group were diabetic rats treated with the pulp extract or glibenclamide (a positive control) orally. Evaluations were made for haematological parameters in the blood and for lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress enzymes activities in the RBC's of all experimental rats. Results: The diabetic rats had a significant decrease (p<0.05) in total erythrocytes count and Packed Cell Volume (PCV) and a normal Haemoglobin (Hb) value in the blood. They also showed decreased levels of Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances (TBARS) and decreased activities of Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) in the RBC's hemolysate. On other hand, oral administration of citrullus colocynthis or glibenclamide alleviated these altered parameters in the treated rats, they resulted in a significant increase (p<0.05) in the in total erythrocytes count and PCV (Haematocrit) values in the blood and caused a significant decreased levels of TBARS and increased activities of SOD and CAT in the RBC's of those diabetic treated rats when compared to diabetic rats given normal saline. The effect was more profound in citrullus colocynthis treated diabetic rats. Conclusion: Citrullus colocynthis pulp extract possesses a potent antioxidant property

Penelitian penentuan konstanta saturasi (Ks pada rbc unit

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Prayitno Prayitno

1992-04-01

Full Text Available Kinetic of Rotating Biological Contractor have been investigated by manu researchers. In general the model emploued either saturation kinetic (following Monod equation or first order kinetic to describe substrate removal. In this experiment, saturation kinetic model was used to find out the saturation constant of the RBC unit. The influent fed into the unit was synthetic waste water with glucose as organic carbon sources. The flow was maintained constant at 20.4 1/d and COD influent resulted the saturation constant (Ks 11.17 mg/I with 20 hours of detention time.

Selection of GP. Mur antigen-negative RBC for blood recipients with anti-'Mia ' records decreases transfusion reaction rates in Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, C-A; Lin, J-A; Chang, C-W; Wu, K-H; Yeh, S-P; Ho, C-M; Chang, J-G

2016-10-01

To evaluate the clinical significance of GP. Mur antigen-negative blood selection for transfusion in patients with anti-'Mi a ' records. The GP. Mur RBC phenotype is prevalent (7·3%) in Taiwan. Antibodies against GP. Mur (anti-'Mi a ') are identified in 1·24% of our population, and anti-'Mi a ' screening using GP. Mur RBC has been routine for Taiwan's blood banks. However, due to the lack of commercial antibodies, only cross-matching was used to prevent transfusion of GP. Mur-positive blood to patients with anti-'Mi a ' in most hospitals. There is still a risk of GP. Mur-positive RBC exposure and subsequent anti-'Mi a '-related transfusion reactions. Since February 2014, GP. Mur antigen-negative RBCs identified by reaction with anti-'Mi a '-positive serum were selected for blood recipients with anti-'Mi a ' records. The transfusion reactions between January 2013 and January 2014 were compared with those that occurred between February 2014 and July 2015. The transfusion reaction rate was significantly higher in anti-'Mi a '-positive blood recipients compared to total subjects receiving an RBC transfusion before GP. Mur-negative donor RBC selection. After antigen-negative RBC selection, the transfusion reaction frequency in subjects with anti-'Mi a ' became similar to total blood recipients. IgG form anti-'Mi a ' antibodies were present in all cases of probable anti-'Mi a '-related transfusion reactions. The time required for anti-'Mi a ' boosting after transfusion was around 4-21 days. Selection of GP. Mur-negative RBC for transfusion to patients with anti-'Mi a ' records could decrease the rate of transfusion reaction and antibody boosting. This procedure should be incorporated into blood bank routines in areas where anti-'Mi a ' is prevalent. © 2016 British Blood Transfusion Society.

Erythrocyte sodium concentration and 86Rb uptake in weanling Dahl rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCormick, C.P.; Hennessy, J.F.; Rauch, A.L.; Buckalew, V.M. Jr.

1989-01-01

Alterations in Na, K ATPase pump activity as well as erythrocyte (RBC) intracellular sodium concentration (Nai) have been demonstrated in humans and rats with established hypertension. The contribution of hypertension itself to these changes is unclear. Accordingly, we investigated RBC ion transport and plasma ouabain-like factor (OLF) in four- to five-week old normotensive Dahl salt-sensitive (DS) and salt-resistant (DR) rats on low salt diet. Although both strains were normotensive, systolic blood pressure (SBP) of DS (123 ± 2 mm Hg) was higher than that of DR (116 ± 1 mm Hg). No interstrain difference was evident in RBC pump activity measured as ouabain-sensitive 86rubidium ( 86 Rb) uptake (DS = 0.277 ± .030 and DR = 0.271 ± .029 mumol/10(9)RBC/h) even though RBC Nai was greater in DS than DR (14.9 ± 2.0 v 10.7 ± 1.0 mEq/L; P less than 0.05). Plasma OLF was higher in DS than DR (28.9 ± 4.7 v 16.5 ± 2.3 pmol/mL; P less than 0.05), but did not correlate with RBC pump activity in either strain. RBC Nai was directly correlated with pump activity in DS (r = 0.84, P less than 0.01) and demonstrated a trend to correlate in DR (r = 0.71, P = 0.07). RBC Nai was also directly correlated with SBP in DR (r = 0.73, P less than 0.05) and DS (r = 0.70, P = 0.05). We conclude that RBC Nai is genetically determined in Dahl rats and is elevated in normotensive DS who are at risk for hypertension development

Effect of Processing and Storage on RBC function in vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Doctor, Allan; Spinella, Phil

2012-01-01

Red Blood Cell (RBC) transfusion is indicated to improve oxygen delivery to tissue, and for no other purpose. We have come to appreciate that donor RBCs are fundamentally altered during processing and storage, in a fashion that both impairs oxygen transport efficacy and introduces additional risk by perturbing both immune and coagulation systems. The protean biophysical and physiologic changes in RBC function arising from storage are termed the ‘storage lesion’; many have been understood for some time; for example, we know that the oxygen affinity of stored blood rises during the storage period1 and that intracellular allosteric regulators, notably 2,3-bisphosphoglyceric acid (DPG) and ATP, are depleted during storage. Our appreciation of other storage lesion features has emerged with improved understanding of coagulation, immune and vascular signaling systems. Herein we review key features of the ‘storage lesion’. Additionally, we call particular attention to the newly appreciated role of RBCs in regulating linkage between regional blood flow and regional O2 consumption by regulating the bioavailability of key vasoactive mediators in plasma, as well as discuss how processing and storage disturbs this key signaling function and impairs transfusion efficacy. PMID:22818545

[Studies on the factors responsible for low erythrocyte alpha-tocopherol concentrations in patients on maintenance hemodialysis].

Science.gov (United States)

Mori, K

1989-03-01

The present study was undertaken to clarify the low erythrocyte (RBC) alpha-tocopherol (TOC) concentrations in patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD) using in vivo and in vitro experiments. 15 age-matched male controls and HD patients were evaluated. The experimental designs and the results were as follows: 1) Changes in fasting stage; TOC levels of plasma, high density lipoproteins (HDL) and RBC, especially RBC, were lower in HD-patients than in controls. The ratio of RBC to plasma and HDL showed more significant changes between HD-patients and controls. In controls, RBC-TOC was noted to have a positive correlation with HDL-TOC and a negative correlation with non HDL-(plasma--HDL)-TOC, whereas a reverse correlation was observed in HD-patients. 2) In vivo experiments: Each 7 of HD-patients and controls were orally given TOC 600 mg after meal at early morning; the blood was sampled at 0, 3, 6, 10 and 24 hr. Poor increase of RBC-TOC in HD-patients was observed. In contrast, HDL-TOC was significantly higher at all measurement times than in controls. The change of plasma-TOC was similar to that of non HDL-TOC. 3) In vitro experiment:RBC from patients or controls showing various concentrations of RBC-TOC and plasma from controls were incubated at 37 degrees C or 4 degrees C. The inactivated plasma from controls was prepared by incubation at 56 degrees C, 30 min or by supplement of 2 mM parachloromerucuric benzonic sulfonate. The ratio of RBC and plasma was at 2:3 close to physiological conditions. No difference between patient and control RBCs as an acceptor of TOC and no appreciable transfer of TOC between RBC to plasma at 4 degrees C were observed. When RBC-TOC was low, transfer volume of TOC from plasma to RBC was increased and TOC was supplied from mainly non HDL fractions; in contrast, when it was high, the main source of TOC was due to the transfer from HDL fractions which was reduced when lecithin: cholesterol acyltransferase (LCAT) reaction was inhibited

Black carbon aerosol mixing state, organic aerosols and aerosol optical properties over the United Kingdom

Science.gov (United States)

McMeeking, G. R.; Morgan, W. T.; Flynn, M.; Highwood, E. J.; Turnbull, K.; Haywood, J.; Coe, H.

2011-09-01

Black carbon (BC) aerosols absorb sunlight thereby leading to a positive radiative forcing and a warming of climate and can also impact human health through their impact on the respiratory system. The state of mixing of BC with other aerosol species, particularly the degree of internal/external mixing, has been highlighted as a major uncertainty in assessing its radiative forcing and hence its climate impact, but few in situ observations of mixing state exist. We present airborne single particle soot photometer (SP2) measurements of refractory BC (rBC) mass concentrations and mixing state coupled with aerosol composition and optical properties measured in urban plumes and regional pollution over the United Kingdom. All data were obtained using instrumentation flown on the UK's BAe-146-301 large Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA) operated by the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM). We measured sub-micron aerosol composition using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and used positive matrix factorization to separate hydrocarbon-like (HOA) and oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA). We found a higher number fraction of thickly coated rBC particles in air masses with large OOA relative to HOA, higher ozone-to-nitrogen oxides (NOx) ratios and large concentrations of total sub-micron aerosol mass relative to rBC mass concentrations. The more ozone- and OOA-rich air masses were associated with transport from continental Europe, while plumes from UK cities had higher HOA and NOx and fewer thickly coated rBC particles. We did not observe any significant change in the rBC mass absorption efficiency calculated from rBC mass and light absorption coefficients measured by a particle soot absorption photometer despite observing significant changes in aerosol composition and rBC mixing state. The contributions of light scattering and absorption to total extinction (quantified by the single scattering albedo; SSA) did change for different air masses, with lower SSA

Black carbon aerosol mixing state, organic aerosols and aerosol optical properties over the UK

Science.gov (United States)

McMeeking, G. R.; Morgan, W. T.; Flynn, M.; Highwood, E. J.; Turnbull, K.; Haywood, J.; Coe, H.

2011-05-01

Black carbon (BC) aerosols absorb sunlight thereby leading to a positive radiative forcing and a warming of climate and can also impact human health through their impact on the respiratory system. The state of mixing of BC with other aerosol species, particularly the degree of internal/external mixing, has been highlighted as a major uncertainty in assessing its radiative forcing and hence its climate impact, but few in situ observations of mixing state exist. We present airborne single particle soot photometer (SP2) measurements of refractory BC (rBC) mass concentrations and mixing state coupled with aerosol composition and optical properties measured in urban plumes and regional pollution over the UK. All data were obtained using instrumentation flown on the UK's BAe-146-301 large Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA) operated by the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM). We measured sub-micron aerosol composition using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS) and used positive matrix factorization to separate hydrocarbon-like (HOA) and oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA). We found a higher number fraction of thickly coated rBC particles in air masses with large OOA relative to HOA, higher ozone-to-nitrogen oxides (NOx) ratios and large concentrations of total sub-micron aerosol mass relative to rBC mass concentrations. The more ozone- and OOA-rich air masses were associated with transport from continental Europe, while plumes from UK cities had higher HOA and NOx and fewer thickly coated rBC particles. We did not observe any significant change in the rBC mass absorption efficiency calculated from rBC mass and light absorption coefficients measured by a particle soot absorption photometer despite observing significant changes in aerosol composition and rBC mixing state. The contributions of light scattering and absorption to total extinction (quantified by the single scattering albedo; SSA) did change for different air masses, with lower SSA observed in

Black carbon aerosol mixing state, organic aerosols and aerosol optical properties over the United Kingdom

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G. R. McMeeking

2011-09-01

Full Text Available Black carbon (BC aerosols absorb sunlight thereby leading to a positive radiative forcing and a warming of climate and can also impact human health through their impact on the respiratory system. The state of mixing of BC with other aerosol species, particularly the degree of internal/external mixing, has been highlighted as a major uncertainty in assessing its radiative forcing and hence its climate impact, but few in situ observations of mixing state exist. We present airborne single particle soot photometer (SP2 measurements of refractory BC (rBC mass concentrations and mixing state coupled with aerosol composition and optical properties measured in urban plumes and regional pollution over the United Kingdom. All data were obtained using instrumentation flown on the UK's BAe-146-301 large Atmospheric Research Aircraft (ARA operated by the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements (FAAM. We measured sub-micron aerosol composition using an aerosol mass spectrometer (AMS and used positive matrix factorization to separate hydrocarbon-like (HOA and oxygenated organic aerosols (OOA. We found a higher number fraction of thickly coated rBC particles in air masses with large OOA relative to HOA, higher ozone-to-nitrogen oxides (NO_x ratios and large concentrations of total sub-micron aerosol mass relative to rBC mass concentrations. The more ozone- and OOA-rich air masses were associated with transport from continental Europe, while plumes from UK cities had higher HOA and NO_x and fewer thickly coated rBC particles. We did not observe any significant change in the rBC mass absorption efficiency calculated from rBC mass and light absorption coefficients measured by a particle soot absorption photometer despite observing significant changes in aerosol composition and rBC mixing state. The contributions of light scattering and absorption to total extinction (quantified by the single scattering albedo; SSA did change for

The Contribution of Black Carbon to Ice Nucleating Particle Concentrations from Prescribed Burns and Wildfires

Science.gov (United States)

Schill, G. P.; DeMott, P. J.; Suski, K. J.; Emerson, E. W.; Rauker, A. M.; Kodros, J.; Levin, E. J.; Hill, T. C. J.; Farmer, D.; Pierce, J. R.; Kreidenweis, S. M.

2017-12-01

Black carbon (BC) has been implicated as a potential immersion-mode ice nucleating particle (INP) because of its relative abundance in the upper troposphere. Furthermore, several field and aircraft measurements have observed positive correlations between BC and INP concentrations. Despite this, the efficiency of BC to act as an immersion-mode INP is poorly constrained. Indeed, previous results from laboratory studies are in conflict, with estimates of BC's impact on INP ranging from no impact to being efficient enough to rival the well-known INP mineral dust. It is, however, becoming clear that the ice nucleation activity of BC may depend on both its fuel type and combustion conditions. For example, previous work has shown that diesel exhaust BC is an extremely poor immersion-mode INP, but laboratory burns of biomass fuels indicate that BC can contribute up to 70% of all INP for some fuel types. Given these dependencies, we propose that sampling from real-world biomass burning sources would provide the most useful new information on the contribution of BC to atmospheric INP. In this work, we will present recent results looking at the sources of INP from prescribed burns and wildfires. To determine the specific contribution of refractory black carbon (rBC) to INP concentrations, we utilized a new technique that couples the Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) to the Colorado State University Continuous Flow Diffusion Chamber (CFDC). The SP2 utilizes laser-induced incandescence to quantify rBC mass on a particle-by-particle basis; in doing so, it also selectively destroys rBC particles by heating them to their vaporization temperature. Thus, the SP2 can be used as a selective pre-filter for rBC into the CFDC. Furthermore, we have also used a filter-based technique for measuring INP, the Ice Spectrometer, which can employ pretreatments such as heating and digestion by H2O2 to determine the contribution of heat-labile and organic particles, respectively.

The music of clash: predictions on the concentration-mass relation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meneghetti, M. [INAF, Osservatorio Astronomico di Bologna, via Ranzani 1, I-40127 Bologna (Italy); Rasia, E. [Physics Department, University of Michigan, 450 Church Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Vega, J.; Yepes, G.; Sembolini, F. [Departamento de Fsica Terica, Universidad Autnoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Merten, J.; Ettori, S. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Postman, M.; Coe, D. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21208 (United States); Donahue, M. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824 (United States); Umetsu, K.; Czakon, N. [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, PO Box 23-141, Taipei 10617, Taiwan (China); Balestra, I. [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, I-80131 Napoli (Italy); Bartelmann, M. [Institut fur Theoretische Astrophysik, Universität Heidelberg, Zentrum für Astronomie, Philosophenweg 12, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Benítez, N. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), E-18080 Granada (Spain); Biviano, A. [INAF/Osservatorio Astronomico di Trieste, via G. B. Tiepolo 11, I-34143 Trieste (Italy); Bouwens, R. [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, NL-2333 Leiden (Netherlands); Bradley, L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The Johns Hopkins University, 3400 North Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Broadhurst, T. [Department of Theoretical Physics and History of Science, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, PO Box 644, E-48080 Bilbao (Spain); De Petris, M. [Dipartimento di Fisica, Sapienza Universit di Roma, Piazzale Aldo Moro 5, I-00185 Roma (Italy); and others

2014-12-10

We present an analysis of the MUSIC-2 N-body/hydrodynamical simulations aimed at estimating the expected concentration-mass relation for the CLASH (Cluster Lensing and Supernova Survey with Hubble) cluster sample. We study nearly 1,400 halos simulated at high spatial and mass resolution. We study the shape of both their density and surface-density profiles and fit them with a variety of radial functions, including the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW), the generalized NFW, and the Einasto density profiles. We derive concentrations and masses from these fits. We produce simulated Chandra observations of the halos, and we use them to identify objects resembling the X-ray morphologies and masses of the clusters in the CLASH X-ray-selected sample. We also derive a concentration-mass relation for strong-lensing clusters. We find that the sample of simulated halos that resembles the X-ray morphology of the CLASH clusters is composed mainly of relaxed halos, but it also contains a significant fraction of unrelaxed systems. For such a heterogeneous sample we measure an average two-dimensional concentration that is ∼11% higher than is found for the full sample of simulated halos. After accounting for projection and selection effects, the average NFW concentrations of CLASH clusters are expected to be intermediate between those predicted in three dimensions for relaxed and super-relaxed halos. Matching the simulations to the individual CLASH clusters on the basis of the X-ray morphology, we expect that the NFW concentrations recovered from the lensing analysis of the CLASH clusters are in the range [3-6], with an average value of 3.87 and a standard deviation of 0.61.

The music of clash: predictions on the concentration-mass relation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meneghetti, M.; Rasia, E.; Vega, J.; Yepes, G.; Sembolini, F.; Merten, J.; Ettori, S.; Postman, M.; Coe, D.; Donahue, M.; Umetsu, K.; Czakon, N.; Balestra, I.; Bartelmann, M.; Benítez, N.; Biviano, A.; Bouwens, R.; Bradley, L.; Broadhurst, T.; De Petris, M.

2014-01-01

We present an analysis of the MUSIC-2 N-body/hydrodynamical simulations aimed at estimating the expected concentration-mass relation for the CLASH (Cluster Lensing and Supernova Survey with Hubble) cluster sample. We study nearly 1,400 halos simulated at high spatial and mass resolution. We study the shape of both their density and surface-density profiles and fit them with a variety of radial functions, including the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW), the generalized NFW, and the Einasto density profiles. We derive concentrations and masses from these fits. We produce simulated Chandra observations of the halos, and we use them to identify objects resembling the X-ray morphologies and masses of the clusters in the CLASH X-ray-selected sample. We also derive a concentration-mass relation for strong-lensing clusters. We find that the sample of simulated halos that resembles the X-ray morphology of the CLASH clusters is composed mainly of relaxed halos, but it also contains a significant fraction of unrelaxed systems. For such a heterogeneous sample we measure an average two-dimensional concentration that is ∼11% higher than is found for the full sample of simulated halos. After accounting for projection and selection effects, the average NFW concentrations of CLASH clusters are expected to be intermediate between those predicted in three dimensions for relaxed and super-relaxed halos. Matching the simulations to the individual CLASH clusters on the basis of the X-ray morphology, we expect that the NFW concentrations recovered from the lensing analysis of the CLASH clusters are in the range [3-6], with an average value of 3.87 and a standard deviation of 0.61.

The MUSIC of CLASH: Predictions on the Concentration-Mass Relation

Science.gov (United States)

Meneghetti, M.; Rasia, E.; Vega, J.; Merten, J.; Postman, M.; Yepes, G.; Sembolini, F.; Donahue, M.; Ettori, S.; Umetsu, K.; Balestra, I.; Bartelmann, M.; Benítez, N.; Biviano, A.; Bouwens, R.; Bradley, L.; Broadhurst, T.; Coe, D.; Czakon, N.; De Petris, M.; Ford, H.; Giocoli, C.; Gottlöber, S.; Grillo, C.; Infante, L.; Jouvel, S.; Kelson, D.; Koekemoer, A.; Lahav, O.; Lemze, D.; Medezinski, E.; Melchior, P.; Mercurio, A.; Molino, A.; Moscardini, L.; Monna, A.; Moustakas, J.; Moustakas, L. A.; Nonino, M.; Rhodes, J.; Rosati, P.; Sayers, J.; Seitz, S.; Zheng, W.; Zitrin, A.

2014-12-01

We present an analysis of the MUSIC-2 N-body/hydrodynamical simulations aimed at estimating the expected concentration-mass relation for the CLASH (Cluster Lensing and Supernova Survey with Hubble) cluster sample. We study nearly 1,400 halos simulated at high spatial and mass resolution. We study the shape of both their density and surface-density profiles and fit them with a variety of radial functions, including the Navarro-Frenk-White (NFW), the generalized NFW, and the Einasto density profiles. We derive concentrations and masses from these fits. We produce simulated Chandra observations of the halos, and we use them to identify objects resembling the X-ray morphologies and masses of the clusters in the CLASH X-ray-selected sample. We also derive a concentration-mass relation for strong-lensing clusters. We find that the sample of simulated halos that resembles the X-ray morphology of the CLASH clusters is composed mainly of relaxed halos, but it also contains a significant fraction of unrelaxed systems. For such a heterogeneous sample we measure an average two-dimensional concentration that is ~11% higher than is found for the full sample of simulated halos. After accounting for projection and selection effects, the average NFW concentrations of CLASH clusters are expected to be intermediate between those predicted in three dimensions for relaxed and super-relaxed halos. Matching the simulations to the individual CLASH clusters on the basis of the X-ray morphology, we expect that the NFW concentrations recovered from the lensing analysis of the CLASH clusters are in the range [3-6], with an average value of 3.87 and a standard deviation of 0.61.

Noninvasive evaluation of active lower gastrointestinal bleeding: comparison between contrast-enhanced MDCT and 99mTc-labeled RBC scintigraphy.

Science.gov (United States)

Zink, Stephen I; Ohki, Stephen K; Stein, Barry; Zambuto, Domenic A; Rosenberg, Ronald J; Choi, Jenny J; Tubbs, Daniel S

2008-10-01

The purpose of our study was to compare contrast-enhanced MDCT and (99m)Tc-labeled RBC scanning for the evaluation of active lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Over 17 months, 55 patients (32 men, 23 women; age range, 21-92 years) were evaluated prospectively with contrast-enhanced MDCT using 100 mL of iopromide 300 mg I/mL. Technetium-99m-labeled RBC scans were obtained on 41 of 55 patients and select patients underwent angiography for attempted embolization. Each imaging technique was reviewed in a blinded fashion for sensitivity for detection of active bleeding as well as the active lower gastrointestinal bleeding location. Findings were positive on both examinations in eight patients and negative on both examinations in 20 patients. Findings were positive on contrast-enhanced MDCT and negative on (99m)Tc-labeled RBC in two patients; findings were negative on contrast-enhanced MDCT and positive on (99m)Tc-labeled RBC in 11 patients. Statistics showed significant disagreement, with simple agreement = 68.3%, kappa = 0.341, and p = 0.014. Sixteen of 60 (26.7%) contrast-enhanced MDCT scans were positive prospectively, with all accurately localizing the site of bleeding and identification of the underlying lesion in eight of 16 (50%). Nineteen of 41 (46.3%) (99m)Tc-labeled RBC scans were positive. Eighteen of 41 matched patients went on to angiography. In four of these 18 (22.2%) patients, the site of bleeding was confirmed by angiography, but in 14 of 18 (77.8%), the findings were negative. Contrast-enhanced MDCT and (99m)Tc-labeled RBC scanning show significant disagreement for evaluation of active lower gastrointestinal bleeding. Contrast-enhanced MDCT appears effective for detection and localization in cases of active lower gastrointestinal bleeding in which hemorrhage is active at the time of CT.

DNA Barcoding the Canadian Arctic Flora: Core Plastid Barcodes (rbcL + matK) for 490 Vascular Plant Species

Science.gov (United States)

Saarela, Jeffery M.; Sokoloff, Paul C.; Gillespie, Lynn J.; Consaul, Laurie L.; Bull, Roger D.

2013-01-01

Accurate identification of Arctic plant species is critical for understanding potential climate-induced changes in their diversity and distributions. To facilitate rapid identification we generated DNA barcodes for the core plastid barcode loci (rbcL and matK) for 490 vascular plant species, representing nearly half of the Canadian Arctic flora and 93% of the flora of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Sequence recovery was higher for rbcL than matK (93% and 81%), and rbcL was easier to recover than matK from herbarium specimens (92% and 77%). Distance-based and sequence-similarity analyses of combined rbcL + matK data discriminate 97% of genera, 56% of species, and 7% of infraspecific taxa. There is a significant negative correlation between the number of species sampled per genus and the percent species resolution per genus. We characterize barcode variation in detail in the ten largest genera sampled (Carex, Draba, Festuca, Pedicularis, Poa, Potentilla, Puccinellia, Ranunculus, Salix, and Saxifraga) in the context of their phylogenetic relationships and taxonomy. Discrimination with the core barcode loci in these genera ranges from 0% in Salix to 85% in Carex. Haplotype variation in multiple genera does not correspond to species boundaries, including Taraxacum, in which the distribution of plastid haplotypes among Arctic species is consistent with plastid variation documented in non-Arctic species. Introgression of Poa glauca plastid DNA into multiple individuals of P. hartzii is problematic for identification of these species with DNA barcodes. Of three supplementary barcode loci (psbA–trnH, psbK–psbI, atpF–atpH) collected for a subset of Poa and Puccinellia species, only atpF–atpH improved discrimination in Puccinellia, compared with rbcL and matK. Variation in matK in Vaccinium uliginosum and rbcL in Saxifraga oppositifolia corresponds to variation in other loci used to characterize the phylogeographic histories of these Arctic-alpine species. PMID

Direct gravimetric determination of aerosol mass concentration in central antarctica.

Science.gov (United States)

Annibaldi, Anna; Truzzi, Cristina; Illuminati, Silvia; Scarponi, Giuseppe

2011-01-01

In Antarctica, experimental difficulties due to extreme conditions have meant that aerosol mass has rarely been measured directly by gravimetry, and only in coastal areas where concentrations were in the range of 1-7 μg m(-3). The present work reports on a careful differential weighing methodology carried out for the first time on the plateau of central Antarctica (Dome C, East Antarctica). To solve problems of accurate aerosol mass measurements, a climatic room was used for conditioning and weighing filters. Measurements were carried out in long stages of several hours of readings with automatic recording of temperature/humidity and mass. This experimental scheme allowed us to sample from all the measurements (up to 2000) carried out before and after exposure, those which were recorded under the most stable humidity conditions and, even more importantly, as close to each other as possible. The automatic reading of the mass allowed us in any case to obtain hundreds of measurements from which to calculate average values with uncertainties sufficiently low to meet the requirements of the differential weighing procedure (±0.2 mg in filter weighing, between ±7% and ±16% both in aerosol mass and concentration measurements). The results show that the average summer aerosol mass concentration (aerodynamic size ≤10 μm) in central Antarctica is about 0.1 μg m(-3), i.e., about 1/10 of that of coastal Antarctic areas. The concentration increases by about 4-5 times at a site very close to the station.

Highly time-resolved urban aerosol characteristics during springtime in Yangtze River Delta, China: insights from soot particle aerosol mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Junfeng; Ge, Xinlei; Chen, Yanfang; Shen, Yafei; Zhang, Qi; Sun, Yele; Xu, Jianzhong; Ge, Shun; Yu, Huan; Chen, Mindong

2016-07-01

In this work, the Aerodyne soot particle - aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS) was deployed for the first time during the spring of 2015 in urban Nanjing, a megacity in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) of China, for online characterization of the submicron aerosols (PM1). The SP-AMS enables real-time and fast quantification of refractory black carbon (rBC) simultaneously with other non-refractory species (ammonium, sulfate, nitrate, chloride, and organics). The average PM1 concentration was found to be 28.2 µg m-3, with organics (45 %) as the most abundant component, following by sulfate (19.3 %), nitrate (13.6 %), ammonium (11.1 %), rBC (9.7 %), and chloride (1.3 %). These PM1 species together can reconstruct ˜ 44 % of the light extinction during this campaign based on the IMPROVE method. Chemically resolved mass-based size distributions revealed that small particles especially ultrafine ones (cooking-related OA (COA), semi-volatile oxygenated OA (SV-OOA), and low-volatility oxygenated OA (LV-OOA). Overall, secondary organic aerosol (SOA, equal to the sum of SV-OOA and LV-OOA) dominated the total OA mass (55.5 %), but primary organic aerosol (POA, equal to the sum of HOA and COA) can outweigh SOA in the early morning and evening due to enhanced human activities. High OA concentrations were often associated with high mass fractions of POA and rBC, indicating the important role of anthropogenic emissions during heavy pollution events. The diurnal cycles of nitrate, chloride, and SV-OOA both showed good anti-correlations with air temperatures, suggesting their variations were likely driven by thermodynamic equilibria and gas-to-particle partitioning. On the other hand, in contrast to other species, sulfate, and LV-OOA concentrations increased in the afternoon, and showed no positive correlations with relative humidity (RH), likely indicating the contribution from photochemical oxidation is dominant over that of aqueous-phase processing for their formations. The

浮萍中一个新rbcS基因启动子的克隆及分析%Analysis of a Novel rbcS Promoter Cloned in Duckweed

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王友如

2010-01-01

为了分离组织特异性、诱导性的启动子,本研究根据新克隆的浮萍rbcS基因序列设计引物,采用改进的5'walking技术从浮萍基因组中克隆了一个新的rbcS基因启动子,命名为SSU5C基因启动子.序列分析表明:SSU5C基因启动子长度为1 543 bp,含有保守性元件TATA和CAAT box,并且含有水杨酸、脱落酸、赤霉素、茉莉酸甲酯等植物激素和葡萄糖等的保守顺式作用元件.In silico分析初步推测SSU5C基因启动子受多种信号途径的协调调控.

Pushing down the low-mass halo concentration frontier with the Lomonosov cosmological simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Pilipenko, Sergey V.; Sánchez-Conde, Miguel A.; Prada, Francisco; Yepes, Gustavo

2017-12-01

We introduce the Lomonosov suite of high-resolution N-body cosmological simulations covering a full box of size 32 h-1 Mpc with low-mass resolution particles (2 × 107 h-1 M⊙) and three zoom-in simulations of overdense, underdense and mean density regions at much higher particle resolution (4 × 104 h-1 M⊙). The main purpose of this simulation suite is to extend the concentration-mass relation of dark matter haloes down to masses below those typically available in large cosmological simulations. The three different density regions available at higher resolution provide a better understanding of the effect of the local environment on halo concentration, known to be potentially important for small simulation boxes and small halo masses. Yet, we find the correction to be small in comparison with the scatter of halo concentrations. We conclude that zoom simulations, despite their limited representativity of the volume of the Universe, can be effectively used for the measurement of halo concentrations at least at the halo masses probed by our simulations. In any case, after a precise characterization of this effect, we develop a robust technique to extrapolate the concentration values found in zoom simulations to larger volumes with greater accuracy. Altogether, Lomonosov provides a measure of the concentration-mass relation in the halo mass range 107-1010 h-1 M⊙ with superb halo statistics. This work represents a first important step to measure halo concentrations at intermediate, yet vastly unexplored halo mass scales, down to the smallest ones. All Lomonosov data and files are public for community's use.

Decision Tree Algorithm-Generated Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Barcodes of rbcL Genes for 38 Brassicaceae Species Tagging.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Cheng-Hong; Wu, Kuo-Chuan; Chuang, Li-Yeh; Chang, Hsueh-Wei

2018-01-01

DNA barcode sequences are accumulating in large data sets. A barcode is generally a sequence larger than 1000 base pairs and generates a computational burden. Although the DNA barcode was originally envisioned as straightforward species tags, the identification usage of barcode sequences is rarely emphasized currently. Single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) association studies provide us an idea that the SNPs may be the ideal target of feature selection to discriminate between different species. We hypothesize that SNP-based barcodes may be more effective than the full length of DNA barcode sequences for species discrimination. To address this issue, we tested a r ibulose diphosphate carboxylase ( rbcL ) S NP b arcoding (RSB) strategy using a decision tree algorithm. After alignment and trimming, 31 SNPs were discovered in the rbcL sequences from 38 Brassicaceae plant species. In the decision tree construction, these SNPs were computed to set up the decision rule to assign the sequences into 2 groups level by level. After algorithm processing, 37 nodes and 31 loci were required for discriminating 38 species. Finally, the sequence tags consisting of 31 rbcL SNP barcodes were identified for discriminating 38 Brassicaceae species based on the decision tree-selected SNP pattern using RSB method. Taken together, this study provides the rational that the SNP aspect of DNA barcode for rbcL gene is a useful and effective sequence for tagging 38 Brassicaceae species.

Contínua evolução da RBC: um obrigado a todos os colaboradores!

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bruno Telles

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Desde de seu nascimento, a RBC prima pela divulgação do conhecimento pericial tecnicamente validado e pela discussão de novos métodos e de casos. É o caminho que há de ser constantemente trilhado pelos profissionais da perícia para que não eivem seus laudos periciais e pareceres técnicos de vícios insanáveis cujas consequências seriam nefastas para a justiça. Não é à toa que o Corpo Editorial da RBC, com o imprescindível auxílio dos editores de sessão e dos avaliadores, não envida esforços na contínua evolução da revista em direção à qualidade. Prova disso é a permanente busca por indexação em vários meios e pela elevação dos índices de qualidade por qualificação externa. A RBC aparece no Latindex, no CrossRef, no Google Scholar, no Research Gate, no Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ, no Electronic Journal Library (EZ3, no Scilit, no Diadorim, na ABEC Brasil, na Universitäts Bibliothek UBL Leipzig e na Qualis/CAPES.

77 FR 50487 - Application To Export Electric Energy; RBC Energy Services LP

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-21

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY [OE Docket No. EA-328-A] Application To Export Electric Energy; RBC Energy... electric energy from the United States to Canada pursuant to section 202(e) of the Federal Power Act (FPA... to transmit electric energy from the United States to Canada as a power marketer for a five-year term...

Erythrocyte survival studies in lymphomas : a prognostic appraisal. [/sup 51/Cr-labelled RBC

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sanyal, B; Subrahmanyam, K; Pant, G C [Banaras Hindu Univ. (India). Inst. of Medical Sciences

1977-08-01

Erythrocyte survival studies using /sup 51/Cr-labelled RBC's were conducted using 20 patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma and 10 control subjects. Hepatic, splenic, and cardiac areas were monitored for rapid detection of hypersplenism. The findings are discussed in relation to the prognosis of the disease in the patients.

Mass transfer during sulfuric acid concentration by evaporation into the air flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. K. Lukashov

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This article shows the results of the study of mass transfer under periodic concentration of sulfuric acid by evaporation inthe gas flow, neutral with respect to the components of acid.Used mathematical model for mass transferbases on the proposed simplified physical representations.This model has allowed to construct an algorithm for calculation the coefficient of mass transfer from the liquid phase into the gas flow. The algorithm uses the experimental data of change the amount of acid and concentration of the water taken from the laboratory tests. Time-based Nusselt diffusion criterion represent the results of the study at different modes of the evaporation process.It has been found that the character of the influence of temperature and initial acid concentration on Nusselt diffusion criterion depends on the variation range of the mass fraction of water in the acid.It is shown that these dependences are well approximated by an exponential function from the dimensionless parameters of the process. This allows usingthem for calculation the mass transfer coefficient into the gas phase in a batch process of concentrating in the range of investigated modes.

Effect of Repeated Whole Blood Donations on Aerobic Capacity and Hemoglobin Mass in Moderately Trained Male Subjects: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Science.gov (United States)

Meurrens, Julie; Steiner, Thomas; Ponette, Jonathan; Janssen, Hans Antonius; Ramaekers, Monique; Wehrlin, Jon Peter; Vandekerckhove, Philippe; Deldicque, Louise

2016-12-01

The aims of the present study were to investigate the impact of three whole blood donations on endurance capacity and hematological parameters and to determine the duration to fully recover initial endurance capacity and hematological parameters after each donation. Twenty-four moderately trained subjects were randomly divided in a donation (n = 16) and a placebo (n = 8) group. Each of the three donations was interspersed by 3 months, and the recovery of endurance capacity and hematological parameters was monitored up to 1 month after donation. Maximal power output, peak oxygen consumption, and hemoglobin mass decreased (p donation with a maximal decrease of 4, 10, and 7%, respectively. Hematocrit, hemoglobin concentration, ferritin, and red blood cell count (RBC), all key hematological parameters for oxygen transport, were lowered by a single donation (p donations (p donation was 11% for hematocrit, 10% for hemoglobin concentration, 50% for ferritin, and 12% for RBC (p donation group. Maximal, but not submaximal, endurance capacity was altered after blood donation in moderately trained people and the expected increase in capacity after multiple maximal exercise tests was not present when repeating whole blood donations.

Reductions in red blood cell 2,3-diphosphoglycerate concentration during continuous renal replacment therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Shilpa; Brugnara, Carlo; Betensky, Rebecca A; Waikar, Sushrut S

2015-01-07

Hypophosphatemia is a frequent complication during continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT), a dialytic technique used to treat AKI in critically ill patients. This study sought to confirm that phosphate depletion during CRRT may decrease red blood cell (RBC) concentration of 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG), a crucial allosteric effector of hemoglobin's (Hgb's) affinity for oxygen, thereby leading to impaired oxygen delivery to peripheral tissues. Phosphate mass balance studies were performed in 20 patients with severe AKI through collection of CRRT effluent. RBC concentrations of 2,3-DPG, venous blood gas pH, and oxygen partial pressure required for 50% hemoglobin saturation (P50) were measured at CRRT initiation and days 2, 4, and 7. Similar measurements were obtained on days 0 and 2 in a reference group of 10 postsurgical patients, most of whom did not have AKI. Associations of 2,3-DPG with laboratory parameters and clinical outcomes were examined using mixed-effects and Cox regression models. Mean 2,3-DPG levels decreased from a mean (±SD) of 13.4±3.4 µmol/g Hgb to 11.0±3.1 µmol/g Hgb after 2 days of CRRT (Plevels decreased from 29.7±4.4 mmHg to 26.7±4.0 mmHg (Plevels after 2 days of CRRT were not significantly lower than those in the reference group on day 2. Among patients receiving CRRT, 2,3-DPG decreased by 0.53 µmol/g Hgb per 1 g phosphate removed (95% confidence interval 0.38 to 0.68 µmol/g Hgb; P<0.001). Greater reductions in 2,3-DPG were associated with higher risk for death (hazard ratio, 1.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.09 to 1.88; P=0.01). CRRT-induced phosphate depletion is associated with measurable reductions in RBC 2,3-DPG concentration and a shift in the O2:Hgb affinity curve even in the absence of overt hypophosphatemia. 2,3-DPG reductions may be associated with higher risk for in-hospital death and represent a potentially avoidable complication of CRRT. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Nephrology.

Rheological and electrical properties of polymeric nanoparticle solutions and their influence on RBC suspensions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Antonova, N.; Koseva, N.; Kowalczyk, A.; Říha, Pavel; Ivanov, I.

2014-01-01

Roč. 24, č. 3 (2014), s. 35190 ISSN 1430-6395 Institutional support: RVO:67985874 Keywords : nanoparticles and RBC suspensions * poly(acrylic acid) * rheology * electrical conductivity Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 1.078, year: 2014 http://www.ar.ethz.ch/TMPPDF/24308140293.696/ApplRheol_24_35190.pdf

Simulator for training operators of electric substation: an approach via RBC-Paraconsistent; Simulador para treinamento de operadores de subestacao eletrica: um enfoque via RBC-paraconsistente

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lambert-Torres, G.; Martins, H.G.; Coutinho, M.P.; Goulart, J.D.C.; Soares, F.M.A. [Universidade Federal de Itajuba (UNIFEI), MG (Brazil). Dept. de Engenharia Eletrica], Emails: germanoltorres@gmail.com, helgagonzaga@gmail.com, maurilio.coutinho@gmail.com, janaina157@yahoo.com.br, francis.azevedo@gmail.com

2009-07-01

This article presents a combination of two techniques applied artificial intelligence to solve problems to Restoration of an Electric Substation: Casebased Reasoning - CBR and the Four Values Annotated Paraconsistent Logic - 4vAPL. The process occurs in the connection functions of belief, disbelief, specialty and temporality to LPA4v in the retrieval of cases to determine process diagnostic of an RBC. The field of CBR is applied in a recovery of an electric substation. The LPA4v is the support applied in problems that have inconsistent information, partials and undefined. Thus this study is closer of the real situations.

Mass concentration coupled with mass loading rate for evaluating PM_2_._5 pollution status in the atmosphere: A case study based on dairy barns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joo, HungSoo; Park, Kihong; Lee, Kwangyul; Ndegwa, Pius M.

2015-01-01

This study investigated particulate matter (PM) loading rates and concentrations in ambient air from naturally ventilated dairy barns and also the influences of pertinent meteorological factors, traffic, and animal activities on mass loading rates and mass concentrations. Generally, relationships between PM_2_._5 concentration and these parameters were significantly poorer than those between the PM loading rate and the same parameters. Although ambient air PM_2_._5 loading rates correlated well with PM_2_._5 emission rates, ambient air PM_2_._5 concentrations correlated poorly with PM_2_._5 concentrations in the barns. A comprehensive assessment of PM_2_._5 pollution in ambient air, therefore, requires both mass concentrations and mass loading rates. Emissions of PM_2_._5 correlated strongly and positively with wind speed, temperature, and solar radiation (R"2 = 0.84 to 0.99) and strongly but negatively with relative humidity (R"2 = 0.93). Animal activity exhibited only moderate effect on PM_2_._5 emissions, while traffic activity did not significantly affect PM_2_._5 emissions. - Highlights: • Sink PM_2_._5 loading rates correlate well with source PM_2_._5 emission rates. • Sink PM_2_._5 concentrations correlate poorly with source PM_2_._5 concentrations. • Mass loading rate complements mass concentration in appraising sink PM_2_._5 status. • PM_2_._5 emissions is dependent on wind speed, temp, solar strength, and RH. • Cow traffic activity affects PM_2_._5 emissions, while traffic activity does not. - Both PM mass loading rate and concentrations are required for comprehensive assessment of pollution potential of PM released into the atmosphere.

Physiologic Impact of Circulating RBC Microparticles upon Blood-Vascular Interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ahmed S. Said

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Here, we review current data elucidating the role of red blood cell derived microparticles (RMPs in normal vascular physiology and disease progression. Microparticles (MPs are submicron-size, membrane-encapsulated vesicles derived from various parent cell types. MPs are produced in response to numerous stimuli that promote a sequence of cytoskeletal and membrane phospholipid changes and resulting MP genesis. MPs were originally considered as potential biomarkers for multiple disease processes and more recently are recognized to have pleiotropic biological effects, most notably in: promotion of coagulation, production and handling of reactive oxygen species, immune modulation, angiogenesis, and in initiating apoptosis. RMPs, specifically, form normally during RBC maturation in response to injury during circulation, and are copiously produced during processing and storage for transfusion. Notably, several factors during RBC storage are known to trigger RMP production, including: increased intracellular calcium, increased potassium leakage, and energy failure with ATP depletion. Of note, RMP composition differs markedly from that of intact RBCs and the nature/composition of RMP components are affected by the specific circumstances of RMP genesis. Described RMP bioactivities include: promotion of coagulation, immune modulation, and promotion of endothelial adhesion as well as influence upon vasoregulation via influence upon nitric oxide (NO bioavailability. Of particular relevance, RMPs scavenge NO more avidly than do intact RBCs; this physiology has been proposed to contribute to the impaired oxygen delivery homeostasis that may be observed following transfusion. In summary, RMPs are submicron particles released from RBCs, with demonstrated vasoactive properties that appear to disturb oxygen delivery homeostasis. The clinical impact of RMPs in normal and patho-physiology and in transfusion recipients is an area of continued investigation.

RBC-coupled tPA prevents cerebrovasodilatory impairment and tissue injury in pediatric cerebral hypoxia/ischemia through inhibition of ERK MAPK unregulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ganguly, Kumkum [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Armstead, William M [U PENNSYLVANIA; Kiessling, J W [U PENNSYLVANIA; Chen, Xiao - Han [U PENNSYLVANIA; Smith, Douglas H [U PENNSYLVANA; Higazi, Abd Ar [U PENNSYLVANIA; Cines, Douglas B [U PENNSYLVANIA; Bdeir, Khalil [U PENNSYLVANIA; Zaitsev, Sergei [U PENNSYLVANIA; Muzykantov, Vladimir R [U PENNSYLVANIA

2008-01-01

Babies experience hypoxia (H) and ischemia (I) from stroke. The only approved treatment for stroke is fibrinolytic therapy with tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA). However, tPA potentiates H/I-induced impairment of responses to cerebrovasodilators such as hypercapnia and hypotension, and blockade of tPA-mediated vasoactivity prevents this deleterious effect. Coupling tPA to RBCs reduces its CNS toxicity through spatially confining the drug to the vasculature. Mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), a family of at least 3 kinases, is upregulated after H/I. In this study we determined if RBC-tPA given before or after cerebral H/I would preserve responses to cerebrovasodilators and prevent neuronal injury mediated through the ERK MAPK pathway. Animals given RBC-tPA maintained responses to cerebrovasodilators at levels equivalent to pre-H/I values. CSF and brain parenchymal ERK MAPK was elevated by H/I and this upregulation was potentiated by tPA, but blunted by RBC-tPA. U 0126, an ERK MAPK antagonist, also maintained cerebrovasodilation post H/I. Neuronal degeneration in CA1 hippocampus and parietal cortex after H/I was exacerbated by tPA, but ameliorated by RBC-tPA and U 0126. These data suggest that coupling tPA to RBCs may offer a novel approach towards increasing the benefit/risk ratio of thrombolytic therapy for CNS disorders associated with H/I.

Effect of secondary organic aerosol coating thickness on the real-time detection and characterization of biomass-burning soot by two particle mass spectrometers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. T. Ahern

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Biomass burning is a large source of light-absorbing refractory black carbon (rBC particles with a wide range of morphologies and sizes. The net radiative forcing from these particles is strongly dependent on the amount and composition of non-light-absorbing material internally mixed with the rBC and on the morphology of the mixed particles. Understanding how the mixing state and morphology of biomass-burning aerosol evolves in the atmosphere is critical for constraining the influence of these particles on radiative forcing and climate. We investigated the response of two commercial laser-based particle mass spectrometers, the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV ablation LAAPTOF and the IR vaporization SP-AMS, to monodisperse biomass-burning particles as we sequentially coated the particles with secondary organic aerosol (SOA from α-pinene ozonolysis. We studied three mobility-selected soot core sizes, each with a number of successively thicker coatings of SOA applied. Using IR laser vaporization, the SP-AMS had different changes in sensitivity to rBC compared to potassium as a function of applied SOA coatings. We show that this is due to different effective beam widths for the IR laser vaporization region of potassium versus black carbon. The SP-AMS's sensitivity to black carbon (BC mass was not observed to plateau following successive SOA coatings, despite achieving high OA : BC mass ratios greater than 9. We also measured the ion fragmentation pattern of biomass-burning rBC and found it changed only slightly with increasing SOA mass. The average organic matter ion signal measured by the LAAPTOF demonstrated a positive correlation with the condensed SOA mass on individual particles, despite the inhomogeneity of the particle core compositions. This demonstrates that the LAAPTOF can obtain quantitative mass measurements of aged soot-particle composition from realistic biomass-burning particles with complex morphologies and composition.

Time dependent variation of human blood conductivity as a method for an estimation of RBC aggregation

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Antonova, N.; Říha, Pavel; Ivanov, I.

2008-01-01

Roč. 39, č. 1 (2008), s. 69-78 ISSN 1386-0291 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z20600510 Keywords : RBC aggregation * blood conductivity * low shear rate viscometry Subject RIV: BO - Biophysics Impact factor: 1.814, year: 2008

Effects of four additive solutions on canine leukoreduced red cell concentrate quality during storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Lacerda, Luciana A; Hlavac, Nicole R C; Terra, Silvia R; Back, Franciele P; Jane Wardrop, K; González, Félix H D

2014-09-01

Additive solutions (AS) and prestorage leukoreduction (LR) are important tools used to maintain erythrocyte viability during storage and avoid transfusion reactions in recipients, respectively. The purpose of the study was to determine the efficacy of a WBC filter (Immugard IIIRC) and compare the effect of 4 AS (phosphate-adenine-glucose-guanosine-gluconate-mannitol [PAGGGM], saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol [SAGM], Adsol, Optisol) on the in vitro quality of canine leukoreduced packed RBC units (pRBC) stored for 41 days. Five hundred milliliters of blood were collected from 8 healthy dogs each into 70 mL of citrate-phosphate-dextrose (CPD) solution, and were leukoreduced by a polyurethane filter. pRBC of each dog were divided equally into 4 bags containing a different AS. Bags were stored for 41 days at 4°C and evaluated every 10 days. Variables analyzed included pH, PCV, and% hemolysis, and lactate, glucose, potassium, sodium, ATP, and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) concentrations. The LR resulted in residual WBC counts comparable to human standards. During storage, pH, and glucose, 2,3-DPG, and ATP concentrations decreased, and hemolysis, and lactate, sodium, and potassium concentrations increased (P 2,3-DPG concentrations. When compared with day 1 values, significant changes were seen in these variables by day 31 with all AS. © 2014 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology and European Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Experimental method for the study of blood and RBC suspension conductivity under flow

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Antonova, N.; Říha, Pavel; Ivanov, I.

2014-01-01

Roč. 67, č. 7 (2014), s. 995-1004 ISSN 1310-1331 Grant - others:The Ministry of Education and Science of Bulgaria(BG) BG051PO001-3.3-05/0001; The Ministry of Education, Youth and Science of Bulgaria(BG) DO-805/2012 Institutional support: RVO:67985874 Keywords : viscometric flow * conductivity * blood/RBC suspension microstructural changes Subject RIV: BK - Fluid Dynamics Impact factor: 0.284, year: 2014

rbcL gene sequences provide evidence for the evolutionary lineages of leptosporangiate ferns.

OpenAIRE

Hasebe, M; Omori, T; Nakazawa, M; Sano, T; Kato, M; Iwatsuki, K

1994-01-01

Pteriodophytes have a longer evolutionary history than any other vascular land plant and, therefore, have endured greater loss of phylogenetically informative information. This factor has resulted in substantial disagreements in evaluating characters and, thus, controversy in establishing a stable classification. To compare competing classifications, we obtained DNA sequences of a chloroplast gene. The sequence of 1206 nt of the large subunit of the ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase gene (rbc...

ACCURATE UNIVERSAL MODELS FOR THE MASS ACCRETION HISTORIES AND CONCENTRATIONS OF DARK MATTER HALOS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhao, D. H.; Jing, Y. P.; Mo, H. J.; Boerner, G.

2009-01-01

A large amount of observations have constrained cosmological parameters and the initial density fluctuation spectrum to a very high accuracy. However, cosmological parameters change with time and the power index of the power spectrum dramatically varies with mass scale in the so-called concordance ΛCDM cosmology. Thus, any successful model for its structural evolution should work well simultaneously for various cosmological models and different power spectra. We use a large set of high-resolution N-body simulations of a variety of structure formation models (scale-free, standard CDM, open CDM, and ΛCDM) to study the mass accretion histories, the mass and redshift dependence of concentrations, and the concentration evolution histories of dark matter halos. We find that there is significant disagreement between the much-used empirical models in the literature and our simulations. Based on our simulation results, we find that the mass accretion rate of a halo is tightly correlated with a simple function of its mass, the redshift, parameters of the cosmology, and of the initial density fluctuation spectrum, which correctly disentangles the effects of all these factors and halo environments. We also find that the concentration of a halo is strongly correlated with the universe age when its progenitor on the mass accretion history first reaches 4% of its current mass. According to these correlations, we develop new empirical models for both the mass accretion histories and the concentration evolution histories of dark matter halos, and the latter can also be used to predict the mass and redshift dependence of halo concentrations. These models are accurate and universal: the same set of model parameters works well for different cosmological models and for halos of different masses at different redshifts, and in the ΛCDM case the model predictions match the simulation results very well even though halo mass is traced to about 0.0005 times the final mass, when

The time series variations of tritium concentration in precipitation and its relationships to the rainfall-inducing air mass

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimada, Jun

1978-01-01

The author measured the tritium concentration in precipitation of Tokyo for every ten-day period from August 1972 to May 1974. Judging from the daily synoptic weather chart, the rainfall-inducing air masses in Japan were classified into five types; polar maritime air mass (Pm), polar continental air mass (Pc), tropical maritime air mass (Tm), tropical continental air mass (Tc), and equatorial maritime air mass (Em). And the precipitation for every ten-day period sampled for tritium measurement were classified into these five types. Based on this classification, it is confirmed that there exist clear difference in the tritium concentration between the rainfall from the continental air mass and ones from the maritime air mass. It is characteristic that the tritium concentration in rainfall induced by equatorial maritime air mass such as typhoon in summer and early fall season is very low whereas the tritium concentration in rainfall and snowfall induced directly by the polar continental air mass in late winter season is very high. The regional difference of the tritium concentration in intermonthly precipitation could considerably be explained by this synoptic meteological classification of rainfall-inducing air mass. In spite of these regional difference of tritium concentration in precipitation, use of the tritium concentration of Tokyo as a representative value of Japan may be allowed because of the similarities of the changing pattern and annual mean tritium concentration. The time series variations of tritium concentration in precipitation of Tokyo from August 1972 to December 1977, Tsukuba from December 1976 to April 1978, and Nagaoka from April 1977 to March 1978 are listed. (author)

The plasma leptin concentration is closely associated with the body fat mass in nondiabetic uremic patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Clausen, P; Nielsen, P K; Olgaard, K

1999-01-01

filtration rate seemed to have a limited influence on the plasma leptin concentration in nondiabetic uremic subjects matched by body fat mass to controls. The plasma leptin concentration was closely associated with the body fat mass, and the leptin level might, therefore, be useful as an indicator of the fat......Plasma leptin is associated with the body mass index and, more precisely, with the body fat mass. Plasma leptin has been found to be elevated in uremic patients. This study aimed at investigating the plasma leptin concentration and associations between plasma leptin, body fat mass, and glomerular.......4 (3.1-59.5) ng/ml versus 5.4 (1.6-47.5) ng/ml (median and range in parentheses; p

A segment of rbcL gene as a potential tool for forensic discrimination of Cannabis sativa seized at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Mello, I C T; Ribeiro, A S D; Dias, V H G; Silva, R; Sabino, B D; Garrido, R G; Seldin, L; de Moura Neto, Rodrigo Soares

2016-03-01

Cannabis sativa, known by the common name marijuana, is the psychoactive drug most widely distributed in the world. Identification of Cannabis cultivars may be useful for association to illegal crops, which may reveal trafficking routes and related criminal groups. This study provides evidence for the performance of a segment of the rbcL gene, through genetic signature, as a tool for identification for C. sativa samples apprehended by the Rio de Janeiro Police, Brazil. The PCR amplified and further sequenced the fragment of approximately 561 bp of 24 samples of C. sativa rbcL gene and showed the same nucleotide sequences, suggesting a possible genetic similarity or identical varieties. Comparing with other Cannabaceae family sequences, we have found 99% of similarity between the Rio de Janeiro sequence and three other C. sativa rbcL genes. These findings suggest that the fragment utilized at this study is efficient in identifying C. sativa samples, therefore, useful in genetic discrimination of samples seized in forensic cases.

A free vibration of beams carrying a concentrated mass under distributed axial forces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagai, Ken-ichi; Nagaya, Kosuke; Takeda, Sadahiko; Arai, Noriyuki.

1988-01-01

The free bending vibrations of beams with a concentrated mass subjected to axial forces caused by axial acceleration are analyzed by the Galerkin method, introducing the mode shape functions which are the sum of the products of the finite power series and the trigonometrical function. This analytical method makes it easy to construct the equations of motion in each boundary condition only by exchanging the coefficients of the finite power series. Numerical calculations are carried out under four sets of boundary conditions combined with simply supported and clamped edges. The natural frequencies and the corresponding modes of vibration are determined under both various locations of the concentrated mass and axial forces. it is found that the transverse inertia force and the axial force, due to the concentrated mass, have significant effects on the change of the natural frequencies for beams. Furthermore the distinction of boundary conditions gives predominant influence to the variation of natural frequencies. (author)

Comparison of the platelet-rich plasma and buffy coat protocols for preparation of canine platelet concentrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoareau, Guillaume L; Jandrey, Karl E; Burges, Julie; Bremer, Daphne; Tablin, Fern

2014-12-01

Platelet (PLT) concentrates (PC) can be produced via the buffy coat (BC) or platelet-rich plasma (PRP) protocols. The 2 methods have not been compared with canine blood. The aims of the study were to compare the PLT, WBC, and RBC concentrations, in vitro PLT function, and markers of platelet storage lesion (PSL) in canine PC generated by 2 different protocols, and determine microbial growth throughout storage. PC from 8 healthy donor dogs were produced using 2 standard protocols, PRP and BC. PLT, WBC, and RBC counts, optical aggregometry assays, and PSL markers (pH, pCO2 , HCO3 , lactate and glucose concentrations, and LDH activity) were determined on storage days 0, 1, 3, 5, and 7. Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultures were also performed. Mean PLT counts were comparable between protocols and remained stable throughout storage up to day 7, while median WBC and RBC counts on day 0 were significantly higher in the BC-PC group (17,800 WBCs/μL; 195,000 RBCs/μL) than in the PRP-PC group (200 WBCs/μL; 10,000 RBCs/μL) (P = .012). In PRP-PC aggregometry, the median slope and amplitude in response to γ-thrombin and convulxin (+ ADP) were significantly decreased, and virtually absent in BC-PC during storage. PSL markers (lactate, LDH activity) were higher in BC-PC. Aerobic bacterial growth was observed in 2 PRP-PC and 1 BC-PC. This in vitro study suggests that PRP-PC had lesser WBC and RBC contamination and superior PLT function compared with BC-PC. In vivo studies are required to address safety and efficacy of PRP-PC. © 2014 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Particulate Matter Mass Concentration in Residential Prefabricated Buildings Related to Temperature and Moisture

Science.gov (United States)

Kraus, Michal; Juhásová Šenitková, Ingrid

2017-10-01

Building environmental audit and the assessment of indoor air quality (IAQ) in typical residential buildings is necessary process to ensure users’ health and well-being. The paper deals with the concentrations on indoor dust particles (PM10) in the context of hygrothermal microclimate in indoor environment. The indoor temperature, relative humidity and air movement are basic significant factors determining the PM10 concentration [μg/m3]. The experimental measurements in this contribution represent the impact of indoor physical parameters on the concentration of particulate matter mass concentration. The occurrence of dust particles is typical for the almost two-thirds of interiors of the buildings. Other parameters indoor environment, such as air change rate, volume of the room, roughness and porosity of the building material surfaces, static electricity, light ions and others, were set constant and they are not taken into account in this study. The mass concentration of PM10 is measured during summer season in apartment of residential prefabricated building. The values of global temperature [°C] and relative humidity of indoor air [%] are also monitored. The quantity of particulate mass matter is determined gravimetrically by weighing according to CSN EN 12 341 (2014). The obtained results show that the temperature difference of the internal environment does not have a significant effect on the concentration PM10. Vice versa, the difference of relative humidity exhibits a difference of the concentration of dust particles. Higher levels of indoor particulates are observed for low values of relative humidity. The decreasing of relative air humidity about 10% caused 10µg/m3 of PM10 concentration increasing. The hygienic limit value of PM10 concentration is not exceeded at any point of experimental measurement.

Application research of computational mass-transfer differential equation in MBR concentration field simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Chunqing; Tie, Xiaobo; Liang, Kai; Ji, Chanjuan

2016-01-01

After conducting the intensive research on the distribution of fluid's velocity and biochemical reactions in the membrane bioreactor (MBR), this paper introduces the use of the mass-transfer differential equation to simulate the distribution of the chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentration in MBR membrane pool. The solutions are as follows: first, use computational fluid dynamics to establish a flow control equation model of the fluid in MBR membrane pool; second, calculate this model by adopting direct numerical simulation to get the velocity field of the fluid in membrane pool; third, combine the data of velocity field to establish mass-transfer differential equation model for the concentration field in MBR membrane pool, and use Seidel iteration method to solve the equation model; last but not least, substitute the real factory data into the velocity and concentration field model to calculate simulation results, and use visualization software Tecplot to display the results. Finally by analyzing the nephogram of COD concentration distribution, it can be found that the simulation result conforms the distribution rule of the COD's concentration in real membrane pool, and the mass-transfer phenomenon can be affected by the velocity field of the fluid in membrane pool. The simulation results of this paper have certain reference value for the design optimization of the real MBR system.

Stellar Mass-gap as a Probe of Halo Assembly History and Concentration: Youth Hidden among Old Fossils

Science.gov (United States)

Deason, A. J.; Conroy, C.; Wetzel, A. R.; Tinker, J. L.

2013-11-01

We investigate the use of the halo mass-gap statistic—defined as the logarithmic difference in mass between the host halo and its most massive satellite subhalo—as a probe of halo age and concentration. A cosmological N-body simulation is used to study N ~ 25, 000 group/cluster-sized halos in the mass range 1012.5 time and concentration. On average, older and more highly concentrated halos have larger halo mass-gaps, and this trend is stronger than the mass-concentration relation over a similar dynamic range. However, there is a large amount of scatter owing to the transitory nature of the satellite subhalo population, which limits the use of the halo mass-gap statistic on an object-by-object basis. For example, we find that 20% of very large halo mass-gap systems (akin to "fossil groups") are young and have likely experienced a recent merger between a massive satellite subhalo and the central subhalo. We relate halo mass-gap to the observable stellar mass-gap via abundance matching. Using a galaxy group catalog constructed from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey Data Release 7, we find that the star formation and structural properties of galaxies at fixed mass show no trend with stellar mass-gap. This is despite a variation in halo age of ≈2.5 Gyr over ≈1.2 dex in stellar mass-gap. Thus, we find no evidence to suggest that the halo formation history significantly affects galaxy properties.

Long-chain PUFA in Granulocytes, Mononuclear Cells, and RBC in Patients With Cystic Fibrosis: Relation to Liver Disease

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jorgensen, Marianne H.; Ott, Peter; Michaelsen, Kim F.

2012-01-01

-related liver disease were matched with 20 CF patients without. Blood samples were analysed for liver biochemistry and haematology. Granulocytes, mononuclear cells, and RBC were separated by density gradient centrifugation, and fatty acid composition was measured by gas chromatography. Hepatic ultrasound...

Size resolved mass concentration and elemental composition of atmospheric aerosols over the Eastern Mediterranean area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Smolík

2003-01-01

Full Text Available A Berner low pressure impactor was used to collect size-segregated aerosol samples at Finokalia, located on the north-eastern coast of Crete, Greece during July 2000 and January 2001. Several samples were also collected during the summer campaign aboard the research vessel "AEGAIEO" in the Aegean Sea. Gravimetric analysis and inversion techniques yielded daily PM1 and PM10 mass concentrations. The samples were also analysed by PIXE giving the elemental size distributions of Al, Si, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, Fe, Sr, S, Cl, Ni, V, Cu, Cr, Zn, and Pb. The crustal elements and sea-salt had a unimodal supermicron size distribution. Sulphur was found predominantly in submicron fractions. K, V, and Ni exhibited a bimodal distribution with a submicron mode produced by forest fires and oil combustion. The anthropogenic elements had broad and not well-defined distributions. The time series for PM1 and PM10 mass and elemental concentrations showed both daily and seasonal variation. Higher mass concentrations were observed during two incursions of Saharan dust, whilst higher concentrations of S, Cu, Zn, and Pb were encountered in samples collected in air masses arriving from northern Greece or the western coast of Turkey. Elevated concentrations of chlorine were found in samples with air masses either originating above the Atlantic Ocean and arriving at Finokalia via western Europe or recirculating over the western coast of the Black Sea.

Measurement of particle size distribution and mass concentration of nuclear fuel aerosols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pickering, S.

1982-01-01

The particle size distribution and particle mass concentration of a nuclear fuel aerosol is measured by admitting the aerosol into a vertically-extending container, positioning an alpha particle detector within the container so that its window is horizontal and directed vertically, stopping the admission of aerosol into the container, detecting the alpha-activity of the particles of the aerosol sedimenting onto the detector window (for example in a series of equal time intervals until a constant level is reached), and converting the alpha-activity measurements into particle size distribution and/or particle mass concentration measurements. The detector is attached to a pivotted arm and by raising a counterweight can be lowered from the container for cleaning. (author)

Assessing the Association between Natural Food Folate Intake and Blood Folate Concentrations: A Systematic Review and Bayesian Meta-Analysis of Trials and Observational Studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claire M. Marchetta

2015-04-01

Full Text Available Folate is found naturally in foods or as synthetic folic acid in dietary supplements and fortified foods. Adequate periconceptional folic acid intake can prevent neural tube defects. Folate intake impacts blood folate concentration; however, the dose-response between natural food folate and blood folate concentrations has not been well described. We estimated this association among healthy females. A systematic literature review identified studies (1 1992–3 2014 with both natural food folate intake alone and blood folate concentration among females aged 12–49 years. Bayesian methods were used to estimate regression model parameters describing the association between natural food folate intake and subsequent blood folate concentration. Seven controlled trials and 29 observational studies met the inclusion criteria. For the six studies using microbiologic assay (MA included in the meta-analysis, we estimate that a 6% (95% Credible Interval (CrI: 4%, 9% increase in red blood cell (RBC folate concentration and a 7% (95% CrI: 1%, 12% increase in serum/plasma folate concentration can occur for every 10% increase in natural food folate intake. Using modeled results, we estimate that a natural food folate intake of ≥450 μg dietary folate equivalents (DFE/day could achieve the lower bound of an RBC folate concentration (~1050 nmol/L associated with the lowest risk of a neural tube defect. Natural food folate intake affects blood folate concentration and adequate intakes could help women achieve a RBC folate concentration associated with a risk of 6 neural tube defects/10,000 live births.

Assessing the association between natural food folate intake and blood folate concentrations: a systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis of trials and observational studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchetta, Claire M; Devine, Owen J; Crider, Krista S; Tsang, Becky L; Cordero, Amy M; Qi, Yan Ping; Guo, Jing; Berry, Robert J; Rosenthal, Jorge; Mulinare, Joseph; Mersereau, Patricia; Hamner, Heather C

2015-04-10

Folate is found naturally in foods or as synthetic folic acid in dietary supplements and fortified foods. Adequate periconceptional folic acid intake can prevent neural tube defects. Folate intake impacts blood folate concentration; however, the dose-response between natural food folate and blood folate concentrations has not been well described. We estimated this association among healthy females. A systematic literature review identified studies (1 1992-3 2014) with both natural food folate intake alone and blood folate concentration among females aged 12-49 years. Bayesian methods were used to estimate regression model parameters describing the association between natural food folate intake and subsequent blood folate concentration. Seven controlled trials and 29 observational studies met the inclusion criteria. For the six studies using microbiologic assay (MA) included in the meta-analysis, we estimate that a 6% (95% Credible Interval (CrI): 4%, 9%) increase in red blood cell (RBC) folate concentration and a 7% (95% CrI: 1%, 12%) increase in serum/plasma folate concentration can occur for every 10% increase in natural food folate intake. Using modeled results, we estimate that a natural food folate intake of ≥ 450 μg dietary folate equivalents (DFE)/day could achieve the lower bound of an RBC folate concentration (~ 1050 nmol/L) associated with the lowest risk of a neural tube defect. Natural food folate intake affects blood folate concentration and adequate intakes could help women achieve a RBC folate concentration associated with a risk of 6 neural tube defects/10,000 live births.

Tissue Characterization of Lemna gibba rbcS Promoter%浮萍rbcS启动子组织特性研究

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

黄凤珍; 李倩; 王友如

2015-01-01

A new rbcS (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase small subunit) promoter with the size of 1 438 bp (named SSU5C promoter) was cloned from Lemna gibba. SSU5C promoter was fused with the GUS reporter gene to construct a plant binary vector (pSSU5C-IGUS), and introduced into duckweed by agrogacterium-mediated trans-formation. The transgenic plantlets were generated. This study was focused on the tissue characterization of SSU5C promoter. GUS staining showed that SSU5C promoter drove GUS to express in the green tissue in leaf, stem and petiole of T1 tobacco, whereas no GUS activity was observed in root. In reproductive organs, the GUS activity was observed in corolla lobes, anther and stigma, no GUS activity was observed in other parts. It was obvious that rbcS promoter can not only express in the green tissue, but also can express in reproductive organs. The results lay a good doundation for the application of SSU5C in plant genetic engineering.%SSU5C启动子(全长1438 bp)是从浮萍基因组中新克隆的一个rb c S (ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carbo-xylase small subunit)启动子。本研究将 SSU5C 启动子与GUS基因融合，成功构建植物双元表达载p SSU5C-IGUS，并利用农杆菌介导法转化烟草，获得转基因植株，探究SSU5C启动子在烟草中的组织表达特点。GUS检测结果表明：在T1烟草的营养器官中，SSU5C启动子主要驱动GUS基因在烟草叶片和叶柄、茎等绿色组织中表达，而在根部不表达；在生殖器官中，GUS基因主要在花冠裂片以及花药和柱头中表达。本研究首次发现浮萍rb c S启动子不仅在绿色组织中表达，而且在生殖器官中的花冠裂片以及花药和柱头中表达，这一发现可为SSU5C启动子在植物基因工程中的应用奠定基础。

Estimation of surface area concentration of workplace incidental nanoparticles based on number and mass concentrations

Science.gov (United States)

Park, J. Y.; Ramachandran, G.; Raynor, P. C.; Kim, S. W.

2011-10-01

Surface area was estimated by three different methods using number and/or mass concentrations obtained from either two or three instruments that are commonly used in the field. The estimated surface area concentrations were compared with reference surface area concentrations (SAREF) calculated from the particle size distributions obtained from a scanning mobility particle sizer and an optical particle counter (OPC). The first estimation method (SAPSD) used particle size distribution measured by a condensation particle counter (CPC) and an OPC. The second method (SAINV1) used an inversion routine based on PM1.0, PM2.5, and number concentrations to reconstruct assumed lognormal size distributions by minimizing the difference between measurements and calculated values. The third method (SAINV2) utilized a simpler inversion method that used PM1.0 and number concentrations to construct a lognormal size distribution with an assumed value of geometric standard deviation. All estimated surface area concentrations were calculated from the reconstructed size distributions. These methods were evaluated using particle measurements obtained in a restaurant, an aluminum die-casting factory, and a diesel engine laboratory. SAPSD was 0.7-1.8 times higher and SAINV1 and SAINV2 were 2.2-8 times higher than SAREF in the restaurant and diesel engine laboratory. In the die casting facility, all estimated surface area concentrations were lower than SAREF. However, the estimated surface area concentration using all three methods had qualitatively similar exposure trends and rankings to those using SAREF within a workplace. This study suggests that surface area concentration estimation based on particle size distribution (SAPSD) is a more accurate and convenient method to estimate surface area concentrations than estimation methods using inversion routines and may be feasible to use for classifying exposure groups and identifying exposure trends.

Estimation of surface area concentration of workplace incidental nanoparticles based on number and mass concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, J. Y.; Ramachandran, G.; Raynor, P. C.; Kim, S. W.

2011-01-01

Surface area was estimated by three different methods using number and/or mass concentrations obtained from either two or three instruments that are commonly used in the field. The estimated surface area concentrations were compared with reference surface area concentrations (SA REF ) calculated from the particle size distributions obtained from a scanning mobility particle sizer and an optical particle counter (OPC). The first estimation method (SA PSD ) used particle size distribution measured by a condensation particle counter (CPC) and an OPC. The second method (SA INV1 ) used an inversion routine based on PM1.0, PM2.5, and number concentrations to reconstruct assumed lognormal size distributions by minimizing the difference between measurements and calculated values. The third method (SA INV2 ) utilized a simpler inversion method that used PM1.0 and number concentrations to construct a lognormal size distribution with an assumed value of geometric standard deviation. All estimated surface area concentrations were calculated from the reconstructed size distributions. These methods were evaluated using particle measurements obtained in a restaurant, an aluminum die-casting factory, and a diesel engine laboratory. SA PSD was 0.7–1.8 times higher and SA INV1 and SA INV2 were 2.2–8 times higher than SA REF in the restaurant and diesel engine laboratory. In the die casting facility, all estimated surface area concentrations were lower than SA REF . However, the estimated surface area concentration using all three methods had qualitatively similar exposure trends and rankings to those using SA REF within a workplace. This study suggests that surface area concentration estimation based on particle size distribution (SA PSD ) is a more accurate and convenient method to estimate surface area concentrations than estimation methods using inversion routines and may be feasible to use for classifying exposure groups and identifying exposure trends.

Variations of PM2.5, PM10 mass concentration and health assessment in Islamabad, Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

Memhood, Tariq; Tianle, Z.; Ahmad, I.; Li, X.; Shen, F.; Akram, W.; Dong, L.

2018-04-01

Sparse information appears in lack of awareness among the people regarding the linkage between particulate matter (PM) and mortality in Pakistan. The current study is aimed to investigate the seasonal mass concentration level of PM2.5 and PM10 in ambient air of Islamabad to assess the health risk of PM pollution. The sampling was carried out with two parallel medium volume air samplers on Whatman 47 mm quartz filter at a flow rate of 100L/min. Mass concentration was obtained by gravimetric analysis. A noticeable seasonal change in PM10 and PM2.5 mass concentration was observed. In case of PM2.5, the winter was a most polluted and spring was the cleanest season of 2017 in Islamabad with 69.97 and 40.44 μgm‑3 mean concentration. Contrary, highest (152.42 μgm‑3) and lowest (74.90 μgm‑3) PM10 mass concentration was observed in autumn and summer respectively. Air Quality index level for PM2.5 and PM10 was remained moderated to unhealthy and good to sensitive respectively. Regarding health risk assessment, using national data for mortality rates, the excess mortality due to PM2.5 and PM10 exposure has been calculated and amounts to over 198 and 98 deaths annually for Islamabad. Comparatively estimated lifetime risk for PM2.5 (1.16×10-6) was observed higher than PM10 (7.32×10-8).

Reflexiones sobre la estrategia de rehabilitación basada en la comunidad (RBC: la experiencia de un programa de RBC en Bolivia Reflections on community-based rehabilitation strategy (CBR: the experience of a CBR program in Bolivia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Urko Díaz-Aristizabal

2012-01-01

Full Text Available La Rehabilitación Basada en la Comunidad (RBC es una estrategia de desarrollo comunitario avalada por la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS, la Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT y la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO, que persigue la rehabilitación, la igualdad de oportunidades y la integración social de las Personas con Discapacidad (PD en sus entornos. Con este objetivo promueve la colaboración entre las PD, sus familias y los diferentes actores de la comunidad involucrados, así como el liderazgo comunitario y la participación de las PD mediante el impulso de la colaboración multisectorial. Este artículo expone los antecedentes históricos y las características fundamentales de la estrategia de RBC a partir de un programa llevado a cabo por una fundación del departamento de Cochabamba (Bolivia, para después incidir en algunos aspectos referentes al contexto sociocultural, que especialmente en situaciones de interculturalidad, pueden determinar que un programa de RBC tenga éxito o esté abocado al fracaso.Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR is a strategy for community development endorsed by the World Health Organization (WHO, the International Labor Office (ILO and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO. It is designed to promote rehabilitation, equal opportunity and social inclusion of Disabled Persons (DP in their home communities by fostering cooperation among disabled individuals, their families, and other concerned social actors, it encourages community leadership and full social participation by DP through multi-sector cooperation. This article explores the historical antecedents and basic features of CBR strategy through an analysis of a directed culture change initiative developed by a foundation in the Cochabamba administrative region of Bolivia. Especially in intercultural environments, certain aspects of the socio

Preliminary evaluation of optical glucose sensing in red cell concentrations using near-infrared diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Suzuki, Yusuke; Maruo, Katsuhiko; Zhang, Alice W.; Shimogaki, Kazushige; Ogawa, Hideto; Hirayama, Fumiya

2012-01-01

Bacterial contamination of blood products is one of the most frequent infectious complications of transfusion. Since glucose levels in blood supplies decrease as bacteria proliferate, it should be possible to detect the presence of bacterial contamination by measuring the glucose concentrations in the blood components. Hence this study is aimed to serve as a preliminary study for the nondestructive measurement of glucose level in transfusion blood. The glucose concentrations in red blood cell (RBC) samples were predicted using near-infrared diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy in the 1350 to 1850 nm wavelength region. Furthermore, the effects of donor, hematocrit level, and temperature variations among the RBC samples were observed. Results showed that the prediction performance of a dataset which contained samples that differed in all three parameters had a standard error of 29.3 mg/dL. Multiplicative scatter correction (MSC) preprocessing method was also found to be effective in minimizing the variations in scattering patterns created by various sample properties. The results suggest that the diffuse-reflectance spectroscopy may provide another avenue for the detection of bacterial contamination in red cell concentrations (RCC) products.

Single-Particle Soot Photometer (SP2) Instrument Handbook

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sedlacek, Arthur [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

2017-02-01

The SP2 is an instrument that measures, in situ, the time-dependent scattering and incandescence signals produced by individual BC-containing particles as they travel through a continuous-wave laser beam. Any particle traversing the laser beam will scatter light, and the BC component of a BC-containing particle will absorb some of the laser energy until its temperature is raised to the point at which it incandesces (hereafter we adopt the standard terminology of the SP2 community and denote any substance determined by the SP2 to be BC as refractory black carbon (rBC)). The amplitude of the rBC incandescence signal is related to the amount of refractory material contained in the illuminated particle. By binning the individual incandescence signals per unit sample volume, the mass concentration [ng/m3] of rBC can be derived. By binning the individual signals by volume equivalent diameter the size distribution (dN/dlogDVED) per unit time can be derived. The rBC mass loading per unit time and the rBC size distribution unit time are the core data products produced by the SP2. Additionally, the scattering channel can be used to provide information on the rBC particle population-based mixing states within ambient aerosols. However, this data product is produced on a requested-basis since additional detailed analysis and QC/QA must be conducted.

PM mass and elemental species concentration data for I-96 monitoring sites

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — PM2.5 (fine) and PM10-2.5 (coarse) mass concentrations for monitoring sites located 10 m, 100 m and 300 m north of Interstate I-96 in Detroit, the water-soluble and...

Delimiting the species Neosiphonia yendoi (Rhodomelaceae, Rhodophyta) based on COI and rbcL genetic variation in Korea and Japan

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Byeongseok; Yang, Mi Yeon; Kim, Myung Sook

2016-09-01

Although the marine red algal genus Neosiphonia is well characterized, many species of Neosiphonia are poorly understood. To correctly define the species delimitation of Neosiphonia yendoi using genetic variation, owing to the confusion over identification with " N. sphaerocarpa" from Korea, we investigated intensively the haplotype network of the mitochondrial COI and the plastid rbcL genes of specimens collected from Korea and Japan. The molecular analyses indicated that specimens collected in different sites of Korea and Japan belong to the same species, Neosiphonia yendoi and " Neosiphonia sphaerocarpa" from Korea, which is distinguished from N. sphaerocarpa from Florida and is allied with N. yendoi collected from the type locality, Muroran of Japan. A total of 29 COI and 13 rbcL haplotypes were found and the COI haplotype network shows evidence of a clear break between specimens from Jeju Island and all other locations of Korea, suggesting the possibility of cryptic diversity within N. yendoi.

Resin bead-thermal ionization mass spectrometry for determination of plutonium concentration in irradiated fuel dissolver solution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paul, Sumana; Shah, R.V.; Aggarwal, S.K.; Pandey, A.K.

2015-01-01

Determination of isotopic composition (IC) and concentration of plutonium (Pu) is necessary at various stages of nuclear fuel cycle which involves analysis of complex matrices like dissolver solution of irradiated fuel, nuclear waste stream etc. Mass spectrometry, e.g. thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are commonly used for determination of IC and concentration of plutonium. However, to circumvent matrix interferences, efficient separation as well as preconcentration of Pu is required prior to mass spectrometric analysis. Purification steps employing ion-exchange resins are widely used for the separation of Pu from dissolver solution or from mixture of other actinides e.g. U, Am. However, an alternative way is to selectively preconcentrate Pu on a resin bead, followed by direct loading of the bead on the filament of thermal ionization mass spectrometer

Air mass origins by back trajectory analysis for evaluating atmospheric 210Pb concentrations at Rokkasho, Aomori, Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akata, N.; Kawabata, H.; Hasegawa, H.; Kondo, K.; Chikuchi, Y.; Hisamatsu, S.; Inaba, J.; Sato, T.

2009-01-01

Atmospheric concentrations of 210 Pb change with various factors such as meso-scale meteorological conditions. We have already reported the biweekly atmospheric 210 Pb concentrations in Rokkasho, Japan for 5 years and found that they had clear seasonal variations: low concentrations in summer and high values in winter to spring. To study the reasons for the seasonal variations, the origins of the air mass flowing to Rokkasho were analyzed by 3-D backward air mass trajectory analysis. Routes of the calculated trajectories were classified into four regions: northeastern and southeastern Asian Continent, sea and other regions. The atmospheric 210 Pb concentrations were well correlated with the frequency of the routes through the northeastern Asian Continent. A non-linear multiple regression analysis of the 210 Pb concentrations and the relative frequencies of the four routes showed good fitting of the predicted values to the observed ones, and indicated that the atmospheric 210 Pb concentrations in Rokkasho depended on the frequency of the air mass from the northeastern Asian Continent. (author)

Oral supplementation of vitamin E reduces osmotic fragility of RBC in hemolytic anemic patients with G6PD deficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sultana, N.; Begum, S.; Begum, N.; Ali, T.

2009-01-01

Vitamin E has role in maintaining the integrity of red cell member by preventing oxidation of polyunsaturated fatty acids, thus protects cells from oxidative stress-induced lysis in G6PD deficiency. Changes in osmotic fragility of RBC and some absolute values like MCV, MCH and MCHC may occur in haemolytic anaemic patients with G6PD deficiency. To observe the effects of vitamin E supplementation on these changes in order to evaluate the role of this anti-oxidant vitamin in reducing chronic haemolysis in G6PD deficient patients. A total number of 102 subjects with age ranged of 5 to 40 years of both sexes were included in the study. Among them 68 were G6PD enzyme deficient patients, of whom 34 were in supplemented group (experimental group) and 34 were in non-supplemented group (control group). The supplemented group received vitamin E supplementation for 60 consecutive days at a dose of 800 IU/day for adult and 400 IU/day for children ?12 years (in a divided dose, i.e., 4 times daily). Age and sex matched 34 apparently healthy subjects with normal blood G6PD level were taken to observe the base line data (healthy control) and also for comparison. All the G6PD deficient patients were selected from Out Patient Department (OPD) of Haematology, Banglabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh from July 2005 to June 2006 and all healthy subjects were selected from personal contact. Blood G6PD level, osmotic fragility of RBC were measured by standard techniques and MCV, MCH, and MCHC were obtained by calculation. All the parameters were measured on day 1 of their first visit and also were on day 60 in deficient group. Data were compared among the deficient groups, also in supplemented group just before and after supplementation. Analysis of data was done by appropriate statistical method. Mean starting and completing points of osmotic fragility of RBC were significantly higher but MCV. MCH, MCHC were significantly lower in patients suffering from

Study of relationship of selenium concentration in blood components and tumor tissues of breast and GI tract cancers using neutron activation analysis technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Othman, I.; Bakir, M. A.; Yassine, T.; Sarhel, A.

2001-12-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between selenium (Se) concentration in blood components and tumour tissues of breast and GI tract cancers using neutron activation analysis. red blood cell (RBC) and serum Se concentrations were determined in 50 healthy volunteers aged 25-84 years, 70 breast cancer patients aged 25-70 years and 34 GI tract cancer patients aged 31-85 years, Se levels were also determined in malignant and adjacent normal tissues from breast cancer and GI tract cancer patients. The results showed that Se concentrations in serum and RBC were significantly lower among breast and GI cancer compared to healthy volunteers. The results also showed that Se concentrations were significantly higher in the cancer tissues compared to adjacent normal tissues. These data have shown a relationship between selenium status in blood components and both cancer. selenium is enriched in cancer tissue, possibly in an effort of the body to inhibit the growth of tumours. (author)

Managing the surge in demand for blood following mass casualty events: Early automatic restocking may preserve red cell supply.

Science.gov (United States)

Glasgow, Simon; Vasilakis, Christos; Perkins, Zane; Brundage, Susan; Tai, Nigel; Brohi, Karim

2016-07-01

Traumatic hemorrhage is a leading preventable cause of mortality following mass casualty events (MCEs). Improving outcomes requires adequate in-hospital provision of high-volume red blood cell (RBC) transfusions. This study investigated strategies for optimizing RBC provision to casualties in MCEs using simulation modeling. A computerized simulation model of a UK major trauma center (TC) transfusion system was developed. The model used input data from past MCEs and civilian and military trauma registries. We simulated the effect of varying on-shelf RBC stock hold and the timing of externally restocking RBC supplies on TC treatment capacity across increasing loads of priority one (P1) and two (P2) casualties from an event. Thirty-five thousand simulations were performed. A casualty load of 20 P1s and P2s under standard TC RBC stock conditions left 35% (95% confidence interval, 32-38%) of P1s and 7% (4-10%) of P2s inadequately treated for hemorrhage. Additionally, exhaustion of type O emergency RBC stocks (a surrogate for reaching surge capacity) occurred in a median of 10 hours (IQR, 5 to >12 hours). Doubling casualty load increased this to 60% (57-63%) and 30% (26-34%), respectively, with capacity reached in 2 hours (1-3 hours). The model identified a minimum requirement of 12 U of on-shelf RBCs per P1/P2 casualty received to prevent surge capacity being reached. Restocking supplies in an MCE versus greater permanent on-shelf RBC stock holds was considered at increasing hourly intervals. T-test analysis showed no difference between stock hold versus supply restocking with regard to overall outcomes for MCEs up to 80 P1s and P2s in size (p < 0.05), provided the restock occurred within 6 hours. Even limited-sized MCEs threaten to overwhelm TC transfusion systems. An early-automated push approach to restocking RBCs initiated by central suppliers can produce equivocal outcomes compared with holding excess stock permanently at TCs. Therapeutic/care management study

A robust mass spectrometry method for rapid profiling of erythrocyte ghost membrane proteomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Fye, Haddy K S; Mrosso, Paul; Bruce, Lesley; Thézénas, Marie-Laëtitia; Davis, Simon; Fischer, Roman; Rwegasira, Gration L; Makani, Julie; Kessler, Benedikt M

2018-01-01

Red blood cell (RBC) physiology is directly linked to many human disorders associated with low tissue oxygen levels or anemia including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congenital heart disease, sleep apnea and sickle cell anemia. Parasites such as Plasmodium spp. and phylum Apicomplexa directly target RBCs, and surface molecules within the RBC membrane are critical for pathogen interactions. Proteomics of RBC membrane 'ghost' fractions has therefore been of considerable interest, but protocols described to date are either suboptimal or too extensive to be applicable to a larger set of clinical cohorts. Here, we describe an optimised erythrocyte isolation protocol from blood, tested for various storage conditions and explored using different fractionation conditions for isolating ghost RBC membranes. Liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis on a Q-Exactive Orbitrap instrument was used to profile proteins isolated from the comparative conditions. Data analysis was run on the MASCOT and MaxQuant platforms to assess their scope and diversity. The results obtained demonstrate a robust method for membrane enrichment enabling consistent MS based characterisation of > 900 RBC membrane proteins in single LC-MS/MS analyses. Non-detergent based membrane solubilisation methods using the tissue and supernatant fractions of isolated ghost membranes are shown to offer effective haemoglobin removal as well as diverse recovery including erythrocyte membrane proteins of high and low abundance. The methods described in this manuscript propose a medium to high throughput framework for membrane proteome profiling by LC-MS of potential applicability to larger clinical cohorts in a variety of disease contexts.

Aerosol concentration measurements and correlations with air mass trajectories at the Pierre Auger Observatory

Science.gov (United States)

Micheletti, M. I.; Louedec, K.; Freire, M.; Vitale, P.; Piacentini, R. D.

2017-06-01

Aerosols play an important role in radiative transfer processes involved in different fields of study. In particular, their influence is crucial in the attenuation of light at astronomical and astrophysical observatories, and has to be taken into account in light transfer models employed to reconstruct the signals. The Andean Argentinean region is increasingly being considered as a good candidate to host such facilities, as well as the ones for solar-energy resources, and an adequate knowledge of aerosols characteristics there is needed, but it is not always possible due to the vast area involved and the scarce atmospheric data at ground. The aim of this work is to find correlations between aerosol data and particle trajectories that can give an insight into the origin and behaviour of aerosols in this zone and can be employed in situations in which one does not have local aerosol measurements. For this purpose, an aerosol spectrometer and dust monitor (Grimm 1.109) was installed at the Pierre Auger Observatory of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, to record aerosol concentrations in different size intervals, at surface level. These measurements are analysed and correlated with air mass trajectories obtained from HYSPLIT (NOAA) model calculations. High aerosol concentrations are registered predominantly when air masses have travelled mostly over continental areas, mainly from the NE direction, while low aerosol concentrations are found in correspondence with air masses coming from the Pacific Ocean, from the NW direction. Different size distribution patterns were found for the aerosols depending on their origin: marine or continental. This work shows for the first time the size distribution of aerosols registered at the Pierre Auger Observatory. The correlations found between mass and particle concentrations (total and for different size ranges) and HYSPLIT air mass trajectories, confirm that the latter can be employed as a useful tool to infer the sources, evolution

Red Tides: Mass casualty and whole blood at sea Red Tides.

Science.gov (United States)

Miller, Benjamin T; Lin, Andrew H; Clark, Susan C; Cap, Andrew P; Dubose, Joseph J

2018-02-13

The U.S. Navy's casualty-receiving ships provide remote damage control resuscitation (RDCR) platforms to treat injured combatants deployed afloat and ashore. We report a significant mass casualty incident aboard the USS Bataan, and the most warm fresh whole blood (WFWB) transfused at sea for traumatic hemorrhagic shock since the Vietnam War. Casualty-receiving ships have robust medical capabilities, including a frozen blood bank with packed red blood cells (pRBC) and fresh frozen plasma (FFP). The blood supply can be augmented with WFWB collected from a "walking blood bank" (WBB). Following a helicopter crash, six patients were transported by MV-22 Osprey to the USS Bataan. Patient 1 had a pelvic fracture, was managed with a pelvic binder, and received 4 units of pRBC, 2 units of FFP, and 6 units of WFWB. Patient 2, with a comminuted tibia and fibula fracture, underwent lower extremity four-compartment fasciotomy, and received 4 units of WFWB. Patient 3 underwent several procedures, including left anterior thoracotomy, aortic cross-clamping, exploratory laparotomy, small bowel resection, and tracheostomy. He received 8 units of pRBC, 8 units of FFP, and 28 units of WFWB. Patients 4 and 5 had suspected spine injuries and were managed non-operatively. Patient 6, with open tibia and fibula fractures, underwent lower extremity four-compartment fasciotomy with tibia external fixation and received 1 unit of WFWB. All patients survived aeromedical evacuation to a Role 4 medical facility and subsequent transfer to local hospitals. Maritime military mass casualty incidents are challenging, but the U.S. Navy's casualty-receiving ships are ready to perform RDCR at sea. Activation of the ship's WBB to transfuse WFWB is essential for hemostatic resuscitations afloat. V STUDY TYPE: Case series.

Use of Laser Assisted Optical Rotational Cell Analyzer (LoRRca MaxSis in the Diagnosis of RBC Membrane Disorders, Enzyme Defects, and Congenital Dyserythropoietic Anemias: A Monocentric Study on 202 Patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Zaninoni

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Chronic hemolytic anemias are a group of heterogeneous diseases mainly due to abnormalities of red cell (RBC membrane and metabolism. The more common RBC membrane disorders, classified on the basis of blood smear morphology, are hereditary spherocytosis (HS, elliptocytosis, and hereditary stomatocytoses (HSt. Among RBC enzymopathies, the most frequent is pyruvate kinase (PK deficiency, followed by glucose-6-phosphate isomerase, pyrimidine 5′ nucleotidase P5′N, and other rare enzymes defects. Because of the rarity and heterogeneity of these diseases, diagnosis may be often challenging despite the availability of a variety of laboratory tests. The ektacytometer laser-assisted optical rotational cell analyser (LoRRca MaxSis, able to assess the RBC deformability in osmotic gradient conditions (Osmoscan analysis, is a useful diagnostic tool for RBC membrane disorders and in particular for the identification of hereditary stomatocytosis. Few data are so far available in other hemolytic anemias. We evaluated the diagnostic power of LoRRca MaxSis in a large series of 140 patients affected by RBC membrane disorders, 37 by enzymopathies, and 16 by congenital diserythropoietic anemia type II. Moreover, nine patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH were also investigated. All the hereditary spherocytoses, regardless the biochemical defect, showed altered Osmoscan curves, with a decreased Elongation Index (EI max and right shifted Omin; hereditary elliptocytosis (HE displayed a trapezoidal curve and decreased EImax. Dehydrated hereditary stomatocytosis (DHSt caused by PIEZO1 mutations was characterized by left-shifted curve, whereas KCNN4 mutations were associated with a normal curve. Congenital diserythropoietic anemia type II and RBC enzymopathies had Osmoscan curve within the normal range except for glucosephosphate isomerase (GPI deficient cases who displayed an enlarged curve associated with significantly increased Ohyper, offering a

The relationship of endogenous plasma concentrations of β-Hydroxy β-Methyl Butyrate (HMB) to age and total appendicular lean mass in humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Kuriyan, Rebecca; Lokesh, Deepa P; Selvam, Sumithra; Jayakumar, J; Philip, Mamatha G; Shreeram, Sathyavageeswaran; Kurpad, Anura V

2016-08-01

The maintenance of muscle mass and muscle strength is important for reducing the risk of chronic diseases. The age- related loss of muscle mass and strength is associated with adverse outcomes of physical disability, frailty and death. β-Hydroxy β-Methyl Butyrate (HMB), a metabolite of leucine, has beneficial effects on muscle mass and strength under various catabolic conditions. The objectives of the present study were to determine if age- related differences existed in endogenous plasma HMB levels, and to assess if HMB levels correlated to total appendicular lean mass and forearm grip strength. Anthropometry, dietary and physical activity assessment, and the estimation of fasting plasma HMB concentrations and handgrip strength were performed on the 305 subjects (children, young adults and older adults). Lean mass, which serves as a surrogate for muscle mass was measured using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Mean plasma HMB concentrations were significantly lower with increasing age groups, with children having highest mean HMB concentration (pHMB concentrations. A significant positive correlation between HMB concentrations and appendicular lean mass normalized for body weight (%), appendicular lean mass (r=0.37; pHMB concentrations in young adults (r=0.58; pHMB concentrations in humans and the HMB concentrations were positively correlated with appendicular lean mass and hand grip strength in young adults and older adults group. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluación de la estrategia de rehabilitación de base comunitaria (RBC desde la perspectiva de la comunidad y los equipos locales de rehabilitación

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alejandro Guajardo Córdoba

2015-09-01

Full Text Available A través de este proyecto de investigación se evalúo, desde la perspectiva de la comunidad y los equipos locales de rehabilitación en Chile, los distintos niveles de intervención de la RBC. Así, el objetivo que guío esta investigación fue evaluar el impacto social percibido y la aceptabilidad social de la estrategia de Rehabilitación de Base Comunitaria (RBC desde la perspectiva de la comunidad y los equipos locales de rehabilitación. El marco metodológico fue definido bajo los parámetros de una investigación cualitativa de carácter descriptivo y transversal. El universo de estudio correspondió a las comunas que contaban con programas de RBC que se desarrollan a nivel nacional como parte de la política nacional de discapacidad y rehabilitación en salud. Los criterios que guiaron el proceso de muestreo fueron los de pertinencia y suficiencia de la información, por lo que  se optó  por un muestreo estructural. El procesamiento de los datos se realizó mediante análisis de contenido semánticamente orientado, siguiendo una estratega intensiva, es decir, se analizó toda la información producida durante la fase de terreno. Los resultados dan cuenta de la RBC como una estrategia  con variadas formas de implementación y desarrollo que se relaciona con la historia local, el perfil de la comunidad, perfil del centro,  perfil de usuarias/ios y las características de vinculación municipal con el programa de rehabilitación. El estudio identifica en la estrategia de RBC tres modelos de acción: biomédico, biopsicosocial y comunitario.

[sup 99m]Tc-RBC subtraction scintigraphy; Assessmet of bleeding site and rate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Inagaki, Syoichi; Tonami, Syuichi; Yasui, Masakazu; Kuranishi, Makoto; Sugishita, Kouki; Nakamura, Mamoru (Toyama Medical and Pharmaceutical Univ. (Japan). Hospital)

1994-03-01

Sequential abdominal scintigrams with [sup 99m]Tc-labelled red blood cells (RBC) were subtracted for observing a site of gastrointestinal bleeding and calculating the bleeding rate. This method is technically very easy and can detect the site of bleeding with the minimum rate, as low as 0.2 ml/min., in a phantom experiment. In 23 cases with final diagnosis of gastrointestinal bleeding, conventional non-subtraction scintigraphy detected only 30% (7/23), but subtraction scintigraphy detected 61% (14/23). It was concluded that subtraction scintigraphy had higher sensitivity than conventional scintigraphy for early diagnosing bleeding. A combination of non-subtraction and subtraction scintigraphy is recommended to detect a site of gastrointestinal bleeding in a clinical setting. (author).

Studies on Dasyaceae. 3. Towards a phylogeny of the Dasyaceae (Ceramiales, Rhodophyta), based on comparative rbcL gene sequences and morphology

NARCIS (Netherlands)

de Jong, Y.S D M; van der Wurff, A.W G; Stam, W.T.; Olsen, J.L.

Phylogenetic analyses of the Dasyaceae based on sequence analysis of the large subunit of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (rbcL) and 42 morphological characters are presented. Comparative sequence analysis confirms the general view of the Ceramiaceae as a primitive, paraphyletic

Blood folate concentrations among women of childbearing age by race/ethnicity and acculturation, NHANES 2001-2010.

Science.gov (United States)

Marchetta, Claire M; Hamner, Heather C

2016-01-01

Hispanic women have higher rates of neural tube defects and report lower total folic acid intakes than non-Hispanic white (NHW) women. Total folic acid intake, which is associated with neural tube defect risk reduction, has been found to vary by acculturation factors (i.e. language preference, country of origin, or time spent in the United States) among Hispanic women. It is unknown whether this same association is present for blood folate status. The objective of this research was to assess the differences in serum and red blood cell (RBC) folate concentrations between NHW women and Mexican American (MA) women and among MA women by acculturation factors. Cross-sectional data from the 2001-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were used to investigate how blood folate concentrations differ among NHW or MA women of childbearing age. The impact of folic acid supplement use on blood folate concentrations was also examined. MA women with lower acculturation factors had lower serum and RBC folate concentrations compared with NHW women and to their more acculturated MA counterparts. Consuming a folic acid supplement can minimize these disparities, but MA women, especially lower acculturated MA women, were less likely to report using supplements. Public health efforts to increase blood folate concentrations among MA women should consider acculturation factors when identifying appropriate interventions. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Submicron particle mass concentrations and sources in the Amazonian wet season (AMAZE-08)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Q.; Farmer, D. K.; Rizzo, L. V.; Pauliqueivis, T.; Kuwata, Mikinori; Karl, Thomas G.; Guenther, Alex B.; Allan, James D.; Coe, H.; Andreae, M. O.; Poeschl, U.; Jiminez, J. L.; Artaxo, Paulo; Martin, Scot T.

2015-01-01

Real-time mass spectra of non-refractory component of submicron aerosol particles were recorded in a tropical rainforest in the central Amazon basin during the wet season of 2008, as a part of the Amazonian Aerosol Characterization Experiment (AMAZE-08). Organic components accounted on average for more than 80% of the non-refractory submicron particle mass concentrations during the period of measurements. Ammonium was present in sufficient quantities to halfway neutralize sulfate. In this acidic, isoprene-dominated, low-NOx environment the high-resolution mass spectra as well as mass closures with ion chromatography measurements did not provide evidence for significant contributions of organosulfate species, at least at concentrations above uncertainty levels. Positive-matrix factorization of the time series of particle mass spectra identified four statistical factors to account for the variance of the signal intensities of the organic constituents: a factor HOA having a hydrocarbon-like signature and identified as regional emissions of primary organic material, a factor OOA-1 associated with fresh production of secondary organic material by a mechanism of BVOC oxidation followed by gas-to-particle conversion, a factor OOA-2 consistent with reactive uptake of isoprene oxidation products, especially epoxydiols by acidic particles, and a factor OOA-3 associated with long range transport and atmospheric aging. The OOA-1, -2, and -3 factors had progressively more oxidized signatures. Diameter-resolved mass spectral markers also suggested enhanced reactive uptake of isoprene oxidation products to the accumulation mode for the OOA-2 factor, and such size partitioning can be indicative of in-cloud process. The campaign-average factor loadings were in a ratio of 1.1:1.0 for the OOA-1 compared to the OOA-2 pathway, suggesting the comparable importance of gas-phase compared to particle-phase (including cloud waters) production pathways of secondary organic material during

Influences mass concentration of P3HT and PCBM to application of organic solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Supriyanto, A.; Maya; Iriani, Y.; Ramelan, A. H.; Nurosyid, F; Rosa, E. S.

2016-01-01

Poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and [6, 6] -phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) are used for the organic solar cell applications. P3HT and PCBM act as donors and acceptors, respectively. In this study the efficiency of the P3HT: PCBM organic solar cells as function of the mass concentration of the blend P3HT: PCBM with 1, 2, 8, 16 mg/ml. Deposition P3HT:PCBM film using spin coating with a rotary speed of 2500 rpm for 10 seconds. Optical properties of absorption spectra characteristic using a UV-Visible Spectrometer Lambda 25 and electrical properties of I-V characteristic using Keithley 2602 instrument. The results of absoption spectra for P3HT:PCBM within different mass concentration obtained 500-600 nm wavelengths. The Energy-gap obtained about 1.9eV. The organic solar cells device performance were investigated using I-V cahractyeristic. For mass concentration of 1, 2, 8 and 16 mg/ml P3HT:PCBM were obtained 0.5×10 -3 %, 2.2×10 -3 %, 5.9×10 -3 %, and 6.1×10 -3 % efficiency of organics solar cells respectively. (paper)

Mass concentrations of BTEX inside air environment of buses in Changsha, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Xiaokai; Zhang, Guoqiang; Zhang, Quan [College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, Hunan (China); Chen, Hong [College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha 410082, Hunan (China)

2011-02-15

In order to estimate the mass concentrations of benzene (B), toluene (T), ethylbenzene (E) and xylenes (X) inside air environment of buses and to analyze the influencing factors of the BTEX pollution levels, 22 public buses were investigated in Changsha, China. The interior air was collected through activated charcoal adsorption tubes and then the air samples were analyzed with thermally desorbed gas chromatograph. The mass concentrations ranged from 21.3 to 106.4 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for benzene, from 53.5 to 266.0 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for toluene, from 19.6 to 95.9 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for ethylbenzene and from 46.9 to 234.8 {mu}g/m{sup 3} for xylenes. Their mean values were 68.7, 179.7, 62.5 and 151.8 {mu}g/m{sup 3}, respectively. The rates of buses tested where the interior concentrations exceeded the limit levels of Chinese Indoor Air Quality Standard were 45.5% for toluene and 13.6% for xylenes. The BTEX levels increased when in-car temperature or relative humidity rose, and decreased when car age or travel distance increased. The BTEX concentrations were higher in leather trims buses than in non-leather trims ones, in air-conditioned buses than in non-air-conditioned ones, and in high-grade buses than in low-grade ones. According to the analysis of multiple linear regression equation, car age and in-car temperature were two most important factors influencing the BTEX pollution levels in the cabins of public buses. (author)

The rise and fall of red cell mass measurement in polycythemia vera.

Science.gov (United States)

Tefferi, Ayalew

2005-05-01

The total blood volume (BV) consists of the part occupied by red blood cells (RBC), which is referred to as red cell mass (RCM), and that occupied by plasma (ie, plasma volume). Quantitative laboratory measurements that are pertinent to RBC, including RBC count, hematocrit (Hct), and hemoglobin (Hgb) are expressed in reference to a given volume of whole blood and are therefore influenced by plasma volume. Consequently, a "direct" RCM measurement has been promoted as a more accurate indicator of the body's red cell content. In accordance with this view, an international group of investigators, then identified as the Polycythemia Vera Study Group (PVSG), recommended that RCM be measured and only if elevated should a patient be considered for participation in a series of clinical trials in PV that were conducted more than 30 years ago. By default, the 'study eligibility' criteria used in these studies became 'diagnostic' criteria without any systematic evaluation for diagnostic accuracy. Furthermore, over the years, it has become evident that RCM measurement is a cumbersome and costly test that is also suboptimal in its diagnostic accuracy. As a result, the specific procedure has been abandoned by the majority of hematologists in certain countries and instead physicians are increasingly using bone marrow histology, serum erythropoietin level, and other disease-characteristic biologic markers as diagnostic tools.

Simultaneous measurement of the concentrations of soot particles and gas species in light hydrocarbon flames using mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Qingxun; Liu, Fang; Wang, Dezheng; Wang, Tiefeng

2014-01-01

Besides gas species concentrations, soot volume fractions are also important data in the study of flames. This work describes the simultaneous measurement of the concentrations of soot and gas species in light hydrocarbon flames by in situ sampling and mass spectrometry (MS).The reaction medium was frozen by sampling into a very low-pressure tube, and the soot selectivity (proportion of carbon atoms in the reactant converted to soot) was determined from the C and H mass balances using the measured concentrations of the gas species and the mass of soot present per unit gas volume. The H/C ratio of the soot was measured by a thermogravimetry–mass spectrometry combination. The soot volume fraction was calculated from the soot selectivity and density of the soot. The soot selectivity measured by this reduced pressure sampling mass spectrometry (RPSMS) method was verified by measurements using the gravimetric sampling technique where the mass of soot collected in a volume of gas was weighed by a high precision balance. For most of the measurements, the uncertainty in the soot volume fraction was ±5%, but this would be larger when the soot volume fractions are less than 1 ppm. For demonstration, the RPSMS method was used to study a methane fuel-rich flame where the soot volume fractions were 1–5 ppm. The simultaneous measurement of concentrations of soot and gas species is useful for the quantitative study of flames. (paper)

Blood volume of nonsplenectomized and splenectomized cats before and after acute hemorrhage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Breznock, E.M.; Strack, D.

1982-01-01

Blood volume (BV) was determined in awake, nonsplenectomized (NSPX) and splenectomized (SPX) cats before and after hemorrhage (6 ml/kg). Each NSPX cat had a determined BV at least 10 ml/kg greater than the same cat after splenectomy. The mean BV of SPX cats was 43.4 +/- 8.94. ml kg (4.3% of body weight). The calculated RBC masses of NSPX and SPX cats were 17.0 +/- 4.07 and 12.2 +/- 1.12 ml/kg, respectively. Each NSPX cat had apparent RBC masses of 5 ml/kg greater than that of the same cat after splenectomy was done. At 1 hour after a hemorrhage, the BV and RBC masses determined in SPX cats were 46.7 +/- 12.1 and 9.7 +/- 1.90 ml/kg, respectively. Extravascular-to-intravascular fluid flux (calculated from RBC masses and plasma protein dilution) was approximately 0.80% of body weight. The indirect method with 51 Cr-labeled RBC for BV determination was accurate and precise in awake, SPX cats; in awake, NSPX cats, the 51 Cr-labeled RBC dilution method was precise, but not accurate. The spleen in the cat resulted in marked overestimations of BV and RBC masses

Ontogeny of metabolic rate and red blood cell size in eyelid geckos: species follow different paths.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zuzana Starostová

Full Text Available While metabolism is a fundamental feature of all organisms, the causes of its scaling with body mass are not yet fully explained. Nevertheless, observations of negative correlations between red blood cell (RBC size and the rate of metabolism suggest that size variation of these cells responsible for oxygen supply may play a crucial role in determining metabolic rate scaling in vertebrates. Based on a prediction derived from the Cell Metabolism Hypothesis, metabolic rate should increase linearly with body mass in species with RBC size invariance, and slower than linearly when RBC size increases with body mass. We found support for that prediction in five species of eyelid geckos (family Eublepharidae with different patterns of RBC size variation during ontogenetic growth. During ontogeny, metabolic rate increases nearly linearly with body mass in those species of eyelid geckos where there is no correlation between RBC size and body mass, whereas non-linearity of metabolic rate scaling is evident in those species with ontogenetic increase of RBC size. Our findings provide evidence that ontogenetic variability in RBC size, possibly correlating with sizes of other cell types, could have important physiological consequences and can contribute to qualitatively different shape of the intraspecific relationship between metabolic rate and body mass.

Ontogeny of metabolic rate and red blood cell size in eyelid geckos: species follow different paths.

Science.gov (United States)

Starostová, Zuzana; Konarzewski, Marek; Kozłowski, Jan; Kratochvíl, Lukáš

2013-01-01

While metabolism is a fundamental feature of all organisms, the causes of its scaling with body mass are not yet fully explained. Nevertheless, observations of negative correlations between red blood cell (RBC) size and the rate of metabolism suggest that size variation of these cells responsible for oxygen supply may play a crucial role in determining metabolic rate scaling in vertebrates. Based on a prediction derived from the Cell Metabolism Hypothesis, metabolic rate should increase linearly with body mass in species with RBC size invariance, and slower than linearly when RBC size increases with body mass. We found support for that prediction in five species of eyelid geckos (family Eublepharidae) with different patterns of RBC size variation during ontogenetic growth. During ontogeny, metabolic rate increases nearly linearly with body mass in those species of eyelid geckos where there is no correlation between RBC size and body mass, whereas non-linearity of metabolic rate scaling is evident in those species with ontogenetic increase of RBC size. Our findings provide evidence that ontogenetic variability in RBC size, possibly correlating with sizes of other cell types, could have important physiological consequences and can contribute to qualitatively different shape of the intraspecific relationship between metabolic rate and body mass.

R and G color component competition of RGB image decomposition as a criterion to register RBC agglutinates for blood group typing.

Science.gov (United States)

Doubrovski, Valeri A; Ganilova, Yuliya A; Zabenkov, Igor V

2014-03-01

A new approach of the criterion assignment for registration of erythrocyte agglutinates to instrumentally determine blood group type is suggested. The criterion is based on comparison of R and G components of RGB decomposition of microscopy digital image taken for the blood-serum mixture sample. For the chosen experimental conditions, the minimal size (area) of RBC agglutinate to be registered by the criterion suggested is estimated theoretically. The proposed method was tested experimentally on the example of monitoring agglutinates in flow. The encouraging experimental results were obtained for improvement of the resolving power of the method; the optimal experimental conditions were revealed for maximum resolution. Though the suggested method was realized for dynamic (flow) blood group determination, it could also be applied for diagnostics in a stationary environment. This approach increases the reliability of RBC agglutinates registration and, hence, blood group typing. The results may be used to develop the apparatus for automated determination of human blood group.

A Giant Hepatic Hemangioma Complicated by Kasabach-Merritt Syndrome: Findings of Tc-99m RBC Scintigraphy and SPECT Including a Total Body Blood Pool Imaging Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sohn, Myung Hee; Jeong, Hwan Jeong; Lim, Seok Tae; Kim, Dong Wook; Yim, Chang Yeol [Chonbuk National University Medical School, Jeonju (Korea, Republic of)

2009-02-15

Kasabach-Merritt syndrome (KMS) consists of thrombocytopenia, microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, and localized consumption coagulopathy that develops within vascular hemangioma. This syndrome may also be associated with occult hemangiomas located at various sites. Tc-99m RBC scintigraphy and SPECT have proven to be reliable for confirming or excluding hemangioma. Total body blood pool imaging study during the scintigraphy also provides a means of screening for occult lesions. The authors report the case of a 29-year-old man who presented with a giant hepatic hemangioma complicated by KMS, and underwent Tc-99m RBC scintigraphy and SPECT including a total body blood pool imaging study.

Determination of degree of RBC agglutination for blood typing using a small quantity of blood sample in a microfluidic system.

Science.gov (United States)

Chang, Yaw-Jen; Ho, Ching-Yuan; Zhou, Xin-Miao; Yen, Hsiu-Rong

2018-04-15

Blood typing assay is a critical test to ensure the serological compatibility of a donor and an intended recipient prior to a blood transfusion. This paper presents a microfluidic blood typing system using a small quantity of blood sample to determine the degree of agglutination of red blood cell (RBC). Two measuring methods were proposed: impedimetric measurement and electroanalytical measurement. The charge transfer resistance in the impedimetric measurement and the power parameter in the electroanalytical measurement were used for the analysis of agglutination level. From the experimental results, both measuring methods provide quantitative results, and the parameters are linearly and monotonically related to the degree of RBC agglutination. However, the electroanalytical measurement is more reliable than the impedimetric technique because the impedimetric measurement may suffer from many influencing factors, such as chip conditions. Five levels from non-agglutination (level 0) to strong agglutination (level 4+) can be discriminated in this study, conforming to the clinical requirement to prevent any risks in transfusion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In situ measurement of the mass concentration of flame-synthesized nanoparticles using quartz-crystal microbalance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hevroni, A; Golan, H; Fialkov, A; Tsionsky, V; Markovich, G; Cheskis, S; Rahinov, I

2011-01-01

A novel in situ method for measurement of mass concentration of nanoparticles (NPs) formed in flames is proposed. In this method, the deposition rate of NPs collected by a molecular beam sampling system is measured by quartz-crystal microbalance (QCM). It is the only existing method which allows direct measurement of NP mass concentration profiles in flames. The feasibility of the method was demonstrated by studying iron oxide NP formation in low-pressure methane/oxygen/nitrogen flames doped with iron pentacarbonyl. The system was tested under fuel-lean and fuel-rich flame conditions. Good agreement between measured QCM deposition rates and their estimations obtained by the transmission electron microscopy analysis of samples collected from the molecular beam has been demonstrated. The sensitivity of the method is comparable to that of particle mass spectrometry (PMS). Combination of the QCM technique with PMS and/or optical measurements can provide new qualitative information which is important for elucidation of the mechanisms governing the NP flame synthesis

Aquatic Exposure Predictions of Insecticide Field Concentrations Using a Multimedia Mass-Balance Model.

Science.gov (United States)

Knäbel, Anja; Scheringer, Martin; Stehle, Sebastian; Schulz, Ralf

2016-04-05

Highly complex process-driven mechanistic fate and transport models and multimedia mass balance models can be used for the exposure prediction of pesticides in different environmental compartments. Generally, both types of models differ in spatial and temporal resolution. Process-driven mechanistic fate models are very complex, and calculations are time-intensive. This type of model is currently used within the European regulatory pesticide registration (FOCUS). Multimedia mass-balance models require fewer input parameters to calculate concentration ranges and the partitioning between different environmental media. In this study, we used the fugacity-based small-region model (SRM) to calculate predicted environmental concentrations (PEC) for 466 cases of insecticide field concentrations measured in European surface waters. We were able to show that the PECs of the multimedia model are more protective in comparison to FOCUS. In addition, our results show that the multimedia model results have a higher predictive power to simulate varying field concentrations at a higher level of field relevance. The adaptation of the model scenario to actual field conditions suggests that the performance of the SRM increases when worst-case conditions are replaced by real field data. Therefore, this study shows that a less complex modeling approach than that used in the regulatory risk assessment exhibits a higher level of protectiveness and predictiveness and that there is a need to develop and evaluate new ecologically relevant scenarios in the context of pesticide exposure modeling.

The Crossmatch/Issue Ratio:  Use of a Novel Quality Indicator and Results of an International Survey on RBC Crossmatching and Issuing Practices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yazer, Mark H; Alcantara, Ramir; Beizai, Pouneh

2016-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To understand the worldwide scope of RBC crossmatching and issuing practices and measure efficiency using a novel quality indicator, the crossmatch/issue (C/I) ratio. METHODS: An electronic survey was disseminated to hospital transfusion services collecting details about RBC...... crossmatching and issuing practices. Respondents were asked to enumerate the number of RBCs crossmatched and issued at their institutions during the 2014 calendar year to calculate the C/I ratio. RESULTS: Fifty-two survey responses were received, mostly from North American transfusion services (28/52, 54......%). The electronic crossmatch was the most common technique (n = 29), and most respondents performed the crossmatch at the time that an order for RBCs was received in the transfusion service (even if an order to issue the RBCs was not received). Data to calculate the C/I ratio were supplied by 22 respondents...

In Situ Measurements of Aerosol Mass Concentration and Spectral Absorption at Three Location in and Around Mexico City

Science.gov (United States)

Chaudhry, Z.; Martins, V.; Li, Z.

2006-12-01

As a result of population growth and increasing industrialization, air pollution in heavily populated urban areas is one of the central environmental problems of the century. As a part of the MILAGRO (Megacity Initiative: Local and Global Research Observations) study, Nuclepore filters were collected in two size ranges (PM10 and PM2.5) at 12 hour intervals at three location in Mexico during March, 2006. Sampling stations were located at the Instituto Mexicano del Petroleo (T0), at the Rancho La Bisnago in the State of Hidalgo (T2) and along the Gulf Coast in Tampico (Tam). Each filter was analyzed for mass concentration, aerosol scattering and absorption efficiencies. Mass concentrations at T0 ranged from 47 to 179 μg/m3 for PM10 with an average concentration of 96 μg/m3, and from 20 to 93 μg/m3 for PM2.5 with an average concentration of 41 μg/m3. Mass concentrations at T2 ranged from 12 to 154 μg/m3 for PM10 with an average concentration of 51 μg/m3, and from 7 to 50 μg/m3 for PM2.5 with an average concentration of 25 μg/m3. Mass concentrations at Tam ranged from 34 to 80 μg/m3 for PM10 with an average concentration of 52 μg/m3, and from 8 to 23 μg/m3 for PM2.5 with an average concentration of 13 μg/m3. While some of the extreme values are likely linked to local emissions, regional air pollution episodes also played important roles. Each of the sampling stations experienced a unique atmospheric condition. The site at T0 was influenced by urban air pollution and dust storms, the site at T2 was significantly less affected by air pollution but more affected by regional dust storms and local dust devils while Tam was influenced by air pollution, dust storms and the natural marine environment. The spectral mass absorption efficiency was measured from 350 to 2500 nm and shows large differences between the absorption properties of soil dust, black carbon, and organic aerosols. The strong spectral differences observed can be related to differences in

Accurate determination of 41Ca concentrations in spent resins from the nuclear industry by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nottoli, Emmanuelle; Bourlès, Didier; Bienvenu, Philippe; Labet, Alexandre; Arnold, Maurice; Bertaux, Maité

2013-01-01

The radiological characterisation of nuclear waste is essential for managing storage sites. Determining the concentration of Long‐Lived RadioNuclides (LLRN) is fundamental for their long-term management. This paper focuses on the measurement of low 41 Ca concentrations in ions exchange resins used for primary fluid purification in Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR). 41 Ca concentrations were successfully measured by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) after the acid digestion of resin samples, followed by radioactive decontamination and isobaric suppression through successive hydroxide, carbonate, nitrate and final CaF 2 precipitations. Measured 41 Ca concentrations ranged from 0.02 to 0.03 ng/g, i.e. from 0.06 to 0.09 Bq/g. The 41 Ca/ 60 Co activity ratios obtained were remarkably reproducible and in good agreement with the current ratio used for resins management. - Highlights: • In the context of radioactive waste management, this study aimed at measuring 41 Ca in spent resins using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry. • A chemical treatment procedure was developed to quantitatively recover calcium in solution and selectively extract it. • Developed firstly on synthetic matrices, the chemical treatment procedure was then successfully applied to real resin samples. • Accelerator mass spectrometry allowed measuring concentrations of 41 Ca in spent resins as low as 0.02 ng/g of dry resin. • Final results are in agreement with current data used for spent resins management

Evolution of RLSB, a nuclear-encoded S1 domain RNA binding protein associated with post-transcriptional regulation of plastid-encoded rbcL mRNA in vascular plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Yerramsetty, Pradeep; Stata, Matt; Siford, Rebecca; Sage, Tammy L; Sage, Rowan F; Wong, Gane Ka-Shu; Albert, Victor A; Berry, James O

2016-06-29

RLSB, an S-1 domain RNA binding protein of Arabidopsis, selectively binds rbcL mRNA and co-localizes with Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) within chloroplasts of C3 and C4 plants. Previous studies using both Arabidopsis (C3) and maize (C4) suggest RLSB homologs are post-transcriptional regulators of plastid-encoded rbcL mRNA. While RLSB accumulates in all Arabidopsis leaf chlorenchyma cells, in C4 leaves RLSB-like proteins accumulate only within Rubisco-containing bundle sheath chloroplasts of Kranz-type species, and only within central compartment chloroplasts in the single cell C4 plant Bienertia. Our recent evidence implicates this mRNA binding protein as a primary determinant of rbcL expression, cellular localization/compartmentalization, and photosynthetic function in all multicellular green plants. This study addresses the hypothesis that RLSB is a highly conserved Rubisco regulatory factor that occurs in the chloroplasts all higher plants. Phylogenetic analysis has identified RLSB orthologs and paralogs in all major plant groups, from ancient liverworts to recent angiosperms. RLSB homologs were also identified in algae of the division Charophyta, a lineage closely related to land plants. RLSB-like sequences were not identified in any other algae, suggesting that it may be specific to the evolutionary line leading to land plants. The RLSB family occurs in single copy across most angiosperms, although a few species with two copies were identified, seemingly randomly distributed throughout the various taxa, although perhaps correlating in some cases with known ancient whole genome duplications. Monocots of the order Poales (Poaceae and Cyperaceae) were found to contain two copies, designated here as RLSB-a and RLSB-b, with only RLSB-a implicated in the regulation of rbcL across the maize developmental gradient. Analysis of microsynteny in angiosperms revealed high levels of conservation across eudicot species and for both paralogs in

The influence of irradiation potential on the degree of conversion and mechanical properties of two bulk-fill flowable RBC base materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Finan, Leah; Palin, William M; Moskwa, Natalia; McGinley, Emma Louise; Fleming, Garry J P

2013-08-01

To assess the depth of cure claims of two bulk-fill flowable RBC bases (SDR and x-tra base) using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, biaxial flexure strength (BFS), and Vickers hardness number (VHN) for specimen depths of 8mm (in 1mm increments). The degree of conversion (DC) was measured by monitoring the peak height (6164cm(-1)) of specimens (11.0±0.1mm diameter, 1.0±0.1mm thickness) during light irradiation for 20s using a quartz tungsten halogen light curing unit at 650±26mW/cm(2). DC was measured up to 120s post irradiation and repeated (n=3) for irradiation depths up to 8mm (in 1mm increments). Further series (n=20) of eight discs were prepared, stacked, light irradiated and numbered from one to eight (distance from the LCU). The specimens were stored at 37±1°C for 24h and BFS tested with the fracture fragments used to determine the VHN for each specimen. X-tra base can be irradiated to 8mm without a change in DC, something the SDR material cannot claim. However, the DC results confirm both bulk-fill flowable RBC bases have a depth of cure in excess of 4mm. One-way ANOVAs of BFS and VHN data showed significant differences between irradiation depths for x-tra base and SDR with increasing irradiation depth (4mm) resulting in significant reductions in mean BFS and VHN. The claims that the bulk-fill flowable RBC bases have a depth of cure in excess of 4mm can be confirmed but the differing chemistry of the resin formulations and filler characteristics contribute to significant differences in DC, BFS and VHN data between the two materials tested. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The determination of carbon dioxide concentration using atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry/isotopic dilution and errors in concentration measurements caused by dryers.

Science.gov (United States)

DeLacy, Brendan G; Bandy, Alan R

2008-01-01

An atmospheric pressure ionization mass spectrometry/isotopically labeled standard (APIMS/ILS) method has been developed for the determination of carbon dioxide (CO(2)) concentration. Descriptions of the instrumental components, the ionization chemistry, and the statistics associated with the analytical method are provided. This method represents an alternative to the nondispersive infrared (NDIR) technique, which is currently used in the atmospheric community to determine atmospheric CO(2) concentrations. The APIMS/ILS and NDIR methods exhibit a decreased sensitivity for CO(2) in the presence of water vapor. Therefore, dryers such as a nafion dryer are used to remove water before detection. The APIMS/ILS method measures mixing ratios and demonstrates linearity and range in the presence or absence of a dryer. The NDIR technique, on the other hand, measures molar concentrations. The second half of this paper describes errors in molar concentration measurements that are caused by drying. An equation describing the errors was derived from the ideal gas law, the conservation of mass, and Dalton's Law. The purpose of this derivation was to quantify errors in the NDIR technique that are caused by drying. Laboratory experiments were conducted to verify the errors created solely by the dryer in CO(2) concentration measurements post-dryer. The laboratory experiments verified the theoretically predicted errors in the derived equations. There are numerous references in the literature that describe the use of a dryer in conjunction with the NDIR technique. However, these references do not address the errors that are caused by drying.

EFFECT OF CENTRAL MASS CONCENTRATION ON THE FORMATION OF NUCLEAR SPIRALS IN BARRED GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thakur, Parijat; Jiang, I.-G.; Ann, H. B.

2009-01-01

We have performed smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations to study the response of the central kiloparsec region of a gaseous disk to the imposition of nonaxisymmetric bar potentials. The model galaxies are composed of three axisymmetric components (halo, disk, and bulge) and a nonaxisymmetric bar. These components are assumed to be invariant in time in the frame corotating with the bar. The potential of spherical γ-models of Dehnen is adopted for the bulge component whose density varies as r -γ near the center and r -4 at larger radii and, hence, possesses a central density core for γ = 0 and cusps for γ>0. Since the central mass concentration of the model galaxies increases with the cusp parameter γ, we have examined here the effect of the central mass concentration by varying the cusp parameter γ on the mechanism responsible for the formation of the symmetric two-armed nuclear spirals in barred galaxies. Our simulations show that the symmetric two-armed nuclear spirals are formed by hydrodynamic spiral shocks driven by the gravitational torque of the bar for the models with γ = 0 and 0.5. On the other hand, the symmetric two-armed nuclear spirals in the models with γ = 1 and 1.5 are explained by gas density waves. Thus, we conclude that the mechanism responsible for the formation of symmetric two-armed nuclear spirals in barred galaxies changes from hydrodynamic shocks to gas density waves as the central mass concentration increases from γ = 0 to 1.5.

An Integrated Instrumentation System for Velocity, Concentration and Mass Flow Rate Measurement of Solid Particles Based on Electrostatic and Capacitance Sensors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jian Li

2015-12-01

Full Text Available The online and continuous measurement of velocity, concentration and mass flow rate of pneumatically conveyed solid particles for the high-efficiency utilization of energy and raw materials has become increasingly significant. In this paper, an integrated instrumentation system for the velocity, concentration and mass flow rate measurement of dense phase pneumatically conveyed solid particles based on electrostatic and capacitance sensorsis developed. The electrostatic sensors are used for particle mean velocity measurement in combination with the cross-correlation technique, while the capacitance sensor with helical surface-plate electrodes, which has relatively homogeneous sensitivity distribution, is employed for the measurement of particle concentration and its capacitance is measured by an electrostatic-immune AC-based circuit. The solid mass flow rate can be further calculated from the measured velocity and concentration. The developed instrumentation system for velocity and concentration measurement is verified and calibrated on a pulley rig and through static experiments, respectively. Finally the system is evaluated with glass beads on a gravity-fed rig. The experimental results demonstrate that the system is capable of the accurate solid mass flow rate measurement, and the relative error is within −3%–8% for glass bead mass flow rates ranging from 0.13 kg/s to 0.9 kg/s.

Emission characteristics of refractory black carbon aerosols from fresh biomass burning: a perspective from laboratory experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Xiaole; Kanaya, Yugo; Taketani, Fumikazu; Miyakawa, Takuma; Inomata, Satoshi; Komazaki, Yuichi; Tanimoto, Hiroshi; Wang, Zhe; Uno, Itsushi; Wang, Zifa

2017-11-01

The emission characteristics of refractory black carbon (rBC) from biomass burning are essential information for numerical simulations of regional pollution and climate effects. We conducted combustion experiments in the laboratory to investigate the emission ratio and mixing state of rBC from the burning of wheat straw and rapeseed plants, which are the main crops cultivated in the Yangtze River Delta region of China. A single particle soot photometer (SP2) was used to measure rBC-containing particles at high temporal resolution and with high accuracy. The combustion state of each burning case was indicated by the modified combustion efficiency (MCE), which is calculated using the integrated enhancement of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide concentrations relative to their background values. The mass size distribution of the rBC particles showed a lognormal shape with a mode mass equivalent diameter (MED) of 189 nm (ranging from 152 to 215 nm), assuming an rBC density of 1.8 g cm-3. rBC particles less than 80 nm in size (the lower detection limit of the SP2) accounted for ˜ 5 % of the total rBC mass, on average. The emission ratios, which are expressed as ΔrBC / ΔCO (Δ indicates the difference between the observed and background values), displayed a significant positive correlation with the MCE values and varied between 1.8 and 34 ng m-3 ppbv-1. Multi-peak fitting analysis of the delay time (Δt, or the time of occurrence of the scattering peak minus that of the incandescence peak) distribution showed that rBC-containing particles with rBC MED = 200 ± 10 nm displayed two peaks at Δt = 1.7 µs and Δt = 3.2 µs, which could be attributed to the contributions from both flaming and smoldering combustion in each burning case. Both the Δt values and the shell / core ratios of the rBC-containing particles clearly increased as the MCE decreased from 0.98 (smoldering-dominant combustion) to 0.86 (flaming-dominant combustion), implying the great importance of the

Online sample concentration in partial-filling chiral electrokinetic chromatography – mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Wuethrich, Alain; Haddad, Paul R; Quirino, Joselito P

2014-11-01

The concentration sensitivity of a racemic drug (chlorpheniramine maleate) in chiral capillary electrophoresis with electrospray ionization – mass spectrometric detection was improved ~500-fold via stacking. Enantiomeric separation was achieved through the use of a neutral chiral pseudostationary phase (2-hydroxpropyl-β-cyclodextrin), untreated fused-silica capillaries, and the application of a partial-filling technique to prevent the pseudostationary phase from entering the detector. A concentration factor of 50 resulted from field-enhanced sample injection(FESI). However, the higher concentration factor was achieved by combining FESI with micelle-to-solvent stacking (MSS) to increase sample load and focus the analyte band. MSS was achieved by injection of an ammonium lauryl sulfate micellar plug prior to sample injection. The sample diluent was a 20-fold dilution of the background electrolyte (50 mM ammonium acetate, pH 3.5) with 60% acetonitrile. This methodology provided a limit of detection (LOD) of as low as 5 ng/ml of the racemate.

Direct Analysis of Proteins from Solutions with High Salt Concentration Using Laser Electrospray Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Karki, Santosh; Shi, Fengjian; Archer, Jieutonne J.; Sistani, Habiballah; Levis, Robert J.

2018-05-01

The detection of lysozyme, or a mixture of lysozyme, cytochrome c, and myoglobin, from solutions with varying salt concentrations (0.1 to 250 mM NaCl) is compared using laser electrospray mass spectrometry (LEMS) and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS). Protonated protein peaks were observed up to a concentration of 250 mM NaCl in the case of LEMS. In the case of ESI-MS, a protein solution with salt concentration > 0.5 mM resulted in predominantly salt-adducted features, with suppression of the protonated protein ions. The constituents in the mixture of proteins were assignable up to 250 mM NaCl for LEMS and were not assignable above a NaCl concentration of 0.5 mM for ESI. The average sodium adducts () bound to the 7+ charge state of lysozyme for LEMS measurements from salt concentrations of 2.5, 25, 50, and 100 mM NaCl are 1.71, 5.23, 5.26, and 5.11, respectively. The conventional electrospray measurements for lysozyme solution containing salt concentrations of 0.1, 1, 2, and 5 mM NaCl resulted in of 2.65, 6.44, 7.57, and 8.48, respectively. LEMS displays an approximately two orders of magnitude higher salt tolerance in comparison with conventional ESI-MS. The non-equilibrium partitioning of proteins on the surface of the charged droplets is proposed as the mechanism for the high salt tolerance phenomena observed in the LEMS measurements. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

The measurement of the isotope ratios and concentrations of zinc by thermal ionization mass spectrometry using double isotope dilution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deng Zhongguo

1994-01-01

The isotope ratios and concentrations of zinc are measured by silicagel-thermal ionization mass spectrometry using the double isotope spikers. The double isotope spikers ( 70 Zn and 67 Zn-enriched isotopes) are used to correct the isotope mass fractionation for the zinc isotope ratios, and to certify the zinc concentrations in the unknown samples. The zinc concentrations of these double isotope spikers are surveyed by a spiker made of pure (99.99%) natural zinc metal powder. The correcting factors (f a , f t and f n ) of the zinc isotope ratios in the spiked mixture, spike and unspiked samples for the isotope mass fractionation, and the spike-to-unspiked ratios (X r ) of the zinc isotope r in the spiked mixture samples can be obtained to solve the matrix equations by numerical approximation. The natural zinc isotope ratios are: 64 Zn/ 67 Zn = 11.8498, 66 Zn/ 67 Zn = 6.7977, 68 Zn/ 67 Zn = 4.5730 and 70 Zn/ 67 Zn = 0.1520. The uncertainties determined of the isotope ratios and concentrations of zinc are +- 0.16% and +-0.31%, respectively

Taxonomy, phylogenetics and biogeography of Chesneya (Fabaceae), evidenced from data of three sequences, ITS, trnS-trnG, and rbcL

Science.gov (United States)

Ming-Li Zhang; Zhi-Bin Wen; Xiao-Li Hao; Vyacheslav V. Byalt; Alexander P. Sukhorukov; Stewart C. Sanderson

2015-01-01

Plants of Central Asia have played a significant role in the origin of floras of Eurasia and the Northern Hemisphere. Chesneya, a small leguminous genus occurring in Central Asia, western Asia, and Tibet, is used to establish phylogenetic relationships and discuss the evolutionary and biogeographical history based on sequence data of ITS and trnS-trnG and rbcL.We...

A two-locus global DNA barcode for land plants: the coding rbcL gene complements the non-coding trnH-psbA spacer region.

Science.gov (United States)

Kress, W John; Erickson, David L

2007-06-06

A useful DNA barcode requires sufficient sequence variation to distinguish between species and ease of application across a broad range of taxa. Discovery of a DNA barcode for land plants has been limited by intrinsically lower rates of sequence evolution in plant genomes than that observed in animals. This low rate has complicated the trade-off in finding a locus that is universal and readily sequenced and has sufficiently high sequence divergence at the species-level. Here, a global plant DNA barcode system is evaluated by comparing universal application and degree of sequence divergence for nine putative barcode loci, including coding and non-coding regions, singly and in pairs across a phylogenetically diverse set of 48 genera (two species per genus). No single locus could discriminate among species in a pair in more than 79% of genera, whereas discrimination increased to nearly 88% when the non-coding trnH-psbA spacer was paired with one of three coding loci, including rbcL. In silico trials were conducted in which DNA sequences from GenBank were used to further evaluate the discriminatory power of a subset of these loci. These trials supported the earlier observation that trnH-psbA coupled with rbcL can correctly identify and discriminate among related species. A combination of the non-coding trnH-psbA spacer region and a portion of the coding rbcL gene is recommended as a two-locus global land plant barcode that provides the necessary universality and species discrimination.

Diagnosis of hemodynamic compromise in patients with chronic cerebral ischemia; Measurement of cerebral blood volume (CBV) with sup 99m Tc-RBC SPECT

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuroda, Satoshi; Sakuragi, Mitsugi; Motomiya, Mineo; Nakagawa, Tango; Mitsumori, Kenji; Tsuru, Mitsuo (Hokkaido Neurosurgical Memorial Hospital (Japan)); Takigawa, Shugo; Kamiyama, Hiroyasu; Abe, Hiroshi

1990-03-01

To evaluate the efficacy of tests for selecting patients with hemodynamic compromise, measurement of cerebral blood volume (CBV) with {sup 99m}Tc-RBC single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed in thirteen patients with occlusive cerebrovascular disease, and was compared with results obtained by {sup 133}Xe SPECT and acetazolamide (Diamox) test. All patients in our study suffered TIA, RIND, or minor completed stroke. Cerebral angiography demonstrated severe stenosis or occlusion in the ipsilateral internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery, although plain CT scan or MRI revealed no or, if any, only localized infarcted lesions. Regional cerebral blood volume (rCBV) was measured with {sup 99m}Tc-RBC SPECT and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured with {sup 133}Xe SPECT before and after intravenous injection of 10 - 12 mg/kg acetazolamide (Diamox). Our results suggest that the ipsilateral rCBV/rCBF (mean transit time) is a more sensitive index of the cerebral perfusion reserve than the use of only rCBV or rCBF of the ipsilateral hemisphere. Also, the ipsilateral rCBV/rCBF is significantly correlated (r= -0.72) with the Diamox reactivity of rCBF, which is considered to represent the cerebral vasodilatory capacity in patients with chronic cerebral ischemia. Postoperative SPECT study revealed remarkable improvement of ipsilateral rCBV/rCBF and Diamox reactivity in four patients who underwent EC/IC bypass surgery to improve the hemodynamic compromise. In conclusion, our results suggest that the measurement of rCBV/rCBF with {sup 133}Xe SPECT and {sup 99m}Tc-RBC SPECT is useful for detecting the hemodynamic compromise in patients with occlusive cerebrovascular disease. (author).

Use of rbcL and trnL-F as a two-locus DNA barcode for identification of NW-European ferns: an ecological perspective

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Groot, de G.A.; During, H.J.; Maas, J.W.; Schneider, H.; Erkens, R.H.J.

2011-01-01

Although consensus has now been reached on a general two-locus DNA barcode for land plants, the selected combination of markers (rbcL + matK) is not applicable for ferns at the moment. Yet especially for ferns, DNA barcoding is potentially of great value since fern gametophytes—while playing an

Influence of iron deficiency in the radiopharmaceutical behavior of red blood cells labeled with 99mTc(99mTC-RBC)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calmanovici, G.; Salgueiro, M.J.; Pernas, L.; Collia, N.; Leonardi, N.; Zubillaga, M.

2005-01-01

Full text: Red blood cells (RBCs) labeled with 99m Tc are commonly used in the evaluation of cardiac function, gastrointestinal tract bleeding, red blood cell volume or splenic sequestration. Generally stannous ion is used as reducing agent. A proposed mechanism is that once the stannous ion (Sn) and the pertechnetate ( 99m Tc) reach the interior of the RBC, the radionuclide is mainly house in the β-chain of hemoglobin. The aim of this study was to determine if hemoglobin content reduction, an indicator of iron deficiency anemia, could affect the efficiency of RBC labeling and the biological distribution of this radiopharmaceutical. We studied 30 rats fed for 3 weeks after weaning with diets with iron contents of 6.5 ppm (group A), 18 ppm (group B) and 100 ppm (control). For all groups, the labeling yields were always higher than 97%; the percentage of radioactivity was mostly founded in blood with almost negligible radioactivity the rest of the studied organs. We can conclude that the decrease in hemoglobin content, an indicator of iron deficiency anemia, does not interfere neither in the labeling nor in the biodistribution of red blood cells labeled with 99m Tc. (author)

Changes in ground-level PM mass concentration and column aerosol optical depth over East Asia during 2004-2014

Science.gov (United States)

Nam, J.; Kim, S. W.; Park, R.; Yoon, S. C.; Sugimoto, N.; Park, J. S.; Hong, J.

2015-12-01

Multi-year records of moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS), ground-level particulate matter (PM) mass concentration, cloud-aerosol lidar with orthogonal polarization (CALIOP), and ground-level lidar were analyzed to investigate seasonal and annual changes of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and PM mass concentration over East Asia. Least mean square fit method is applied to detect the trends and their magnitudes for each selected regions and stations. Eleven-year MODIS measurements show generally increasing trends in both AOD (1.18 % yr-1) and Ångström exponent (0.98 % yr-1), especially over the east coastal industrialized region in China. Monthly variation of AOD show maximum value at April-July, which were related to the progress of summer monsoon rain band and stationary continental air mass on the northeast of Asia. Increasing trends of AOD were found for eight cites in China (0.80 % yr-1) and Seoul site, Korea (0.40 % yr-1), whereas no significant change were shown in Gosan background site (0.04 % yr-1) and decreasing trend at five background sites in Japan (-0.42 % yr-1). Contrasting to AOD trend, all fifteen sites in China (-1.28 % yr-1), Korea (-2.77 % yr-1), and Japan (-2.03 % yr-1) showed decreasing trend of PM10 mass concentration. Also, PM2.5 mass concentration at Beijing, Seoul, Rishiri, and Oki show significant decreasing trend of -1.16 % yr-1. To further discuss the opposite trend of surface PM mass concentration and column AOD, we investigate vertical aerosol profile from lidar measurements. AOD estimated for planetary boundary layer (surface~1.5 km altitude; AODPBL) from CALIOP measurements over East China show decreasing trend of -1.71 % yr-1 over the period of 2007-2014, wherever AOD estimated for free troposphere (1.5 km~5 km altitude; AODFT) show increasing trend of 2.92 % yr-1. In addition, ground-level lidar measurements in Seoul show decreasing AODPBL trend of -2.57 % yr-1, whereas, AODFT show no significant change (-0.44 % yr

Changes in erythrocyte insulin receptors in normal dogs and keeshond dogs with inheritable, early onset, insulin dependent diabetes mellitus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klaassen, J.K.

1986-01-01

Validation of a procedure to evaluate insulin receptors on erythrocytes (RBC-IR) in dogs is described. The specific binding of ( 125 I)iodoinsulin to RBC-IR of normal dogs is significantly greater than binding in keeshonds with an inheritable form of early onset diabetes mellitus. This decreased binding was due to a significant decrease in RBC-IR affinity in the diabetic keeshonds. To determine the effect on RBC-IR, normal dogs were treated with either dexamethasone (0.1 mg/kg) or prednisone (0.3 mg/kg) for 10 days: concentrations of plasma cortisol, glucose, and insulin, plus binding characteristics of RBC-IR were determined. In the dexamethasone treated group, plasma glucose concentrations were elevated significantly by day 6 and continued through day 10. Insulin concentrations were elevated significantly by day 3 and remained elevated through day 10. In the prednisone treated group, glucose concentrations were elevated significantly by day 3, while insulin concentrations were elevated significantly by day 8. Maximum binding of RBC-IR was unaffected by prednisone and neither affinities nor receptor numbers were significantly different from day 1. No changes in plasma cortisol concentration were seen. Diabetic keeshonds on daily insulin treatment were removed from exogenous insulin therapy for 48 hours. Significant increases in glucose concentrations were observed, but no significant changes in cortisol, insulin, average receptor binding affinity, or RBC-IR number per cell occurred

Different top-down approaches to estimate measurement uncertainty of whole blood tacrolimus mass concentration values.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigo-Bonnin, Raül; Blanco-Font, Aurora; Canalias, Francesca

2018-05-08

Values of mass concentration of tacrolimus in whole blood are commonly used by the clinicians for monitoring the status of a transplant patient and for checking whether the administered dose of tacrolimus is effective. So, clinical laboratories must provide results as accurately as possible. Measurement uncertainty can allow ensuring reliability of these results. The aim of this study was to estimate measurement uncertainty of whole blood mass concentration tacrolimus values obtained by UHPLC-MS/MS using two top-down approaches: the single laboratory validation approach and the proficiency testing approach. For the single laboratory validation approach, we estimated the uncertainties associated to the intermediate imprecision (using long-term internal quality control data) and the bias (utilizing a certified reference material). Next, we combined them together with the uncertainties related to the calibrators-assigned values to obtain a combined uncertainty for, finally, to calculate the expanded uncertainty. For the proficiency testing approach, the uncertainty was estimated in a similar way that the single laboratory validation approach but considering data from internal and external quality control schemes to estimate the uncertainty related to the bias. The estimated expanded uncertainty for single laboratory validation, proficiency testing using internal and external quality control schemes were 11.8%, 13.2%, and 13.0%, respectively. After performing the two top-down approaches, we observed that their uncertainty results were quite similar. This fact would confirm that either two approaches could be used to estimate the measurement uncertainty of whole blood mass concentration tacrolimus values in clinical laboratories. Copyright © 2018 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emission characteristics of refractory black carbon aerosols from fresh biomass burning: a perspective from laboratory experiments

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Pan

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The emission characteristics of refractory black carbon (rBC from biomass burning are essential information for numerical simulations of regional pollution and climate effects. We conducted combustion experiments in the laboratory to investigate the emission ratio and mixing state of rBC from the burning of wheat straw and rapeseed plants, which are the main crops cultivated in the Yangtze River Delta region of China. A single particle soot photometer (SP2 was used to measure rBC-containing particles at high temporal resolution and with high accuracy. The combustion state of each burning case was indicated by the modified combustion efficiency (MCE, which is calculated using the integrated enhancement of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide concentrations relative to their background values. The mass size distribution of the rBC particles showed a lognormal shape with a mode mass equivalent diameter (MED of 189 nm (ranging from 152 to 215 nm, assuming an rBC density of 1.8 g cm−3. rBC particles less than 80 nm in size (the lower detection limit of the SP2 accounted for ∼ 5 % of the total rBC mass, on average. The emission ratios, which are expressed as ΔrBC ∕ ΔCO (Δ indicates the difference between the observed and background values, displayed a significant positive correlation with the MCE values and varied between 1.8 and 34 ng m−3 ppbv−1. Multi-peak fitting analysis of the delay time (Δt, or the time of occurrence of the scattering peak minus that of the incandescence peak distribution showed that rBC-containing particles with rBC MED  =  200 ± 10 nm displayed two peaks at Δt  =  1.7 µs and Δt  =  3.2 µs, which could be attributed to the contributions from both flaming and smoldering combustion in each burning case. Both the Δt values and the shell / core ratios of the rBC-containing particles clearly increased as the MCE decreased from 0.98 (smoldering

Mannose and fructose metabolism in red blood cells during cold storage in SAGM.

Science.gov (United States)

Rolfsson, Óttar; Johannsson, Freyr; Magnusdottir, Manuela; Paglia, Giuseppe; Sigurjonsson, Ólafur E; Bordbar, Aarash; Palsson, Sirus; Brynjólfsson, Sigurður; Guðmundsson, Sveinn; Palsson, Bernhard

2017-11-01

Alternate sugar metabolism during red blood cell (RBC) storage is not well understood. Here we report fructose and mannose metabolism in RBCs during cold storage in SAGM and the impact that these monosaccharides have on metabolic biomarkers of RBC storage lesion. RBCs were stored in SAGM containing uniformly labeled 13 C-fructose or 13 C-mannose at 9 or 18 mmol/L concentration for 25 days. RBCs and media were sampled at 14 time points during storage and analyzed using ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Blood banking quality assurance measurements were performed. Red blood cells incorporated fructose and mannose during cold storage in the presence of glucose. Mannose was metabolized in preference to glucose via glycolysis. Fructose lowered adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels and contributed little to ATP maintenance when added to SAGM. Both monosaccharides form the advanced glycation end product glycerate. Mannose activates enzymes in the RBC that take part in glycan synthesis. Fructose or mannose addition to RBC SAGM concentrates may not offset the shift in metabolism of RBCs that occurs after 10 days of storage. Fructose and mannose metabolism at 4°C in SAGM reflects their metabolism at physiologic temperature. Glycerate excretion is a measure of protein deglycosylation activity in stored RBCs. No cytoprotective effect was observed upon the addition of either fructose or mannose to SAGM. © 2017 AABB.

How well do blood folate concentrations predict dietary folate intakes in a sample of Canadian lactating women exposed to high levels of folate? An observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Houghton, Lisa A; Sherwood, Kelly L; O'Connor, Deborah L

2007-10-25

In 1998, mandatory folic acid fortification of white flour and select cereal grain products was implemented in Canada with the intention to increase dietary folate intakes of reproducing women. Folic acid fortification has produced a dramatic increase in blood folate concentrations among reproductive age women, and a reduction in neural tube defect (NTD)-affected pregnancies. In response to improved blood folate concentrations, many health care professionals are asking whether a folic acid supplement is necessary for NTD prevention among women with high blood folate values, and how reliably high RBC folate concentrations predict folate intakes shown in randomized controlled trials to be protective against NTDs. The objective of this study was to determine how predictive blood folate concentrations and folate intakes are of each other in a sample of well-educated lactating Canadian women exposed to high levels of synthetic folate. The relationship between blood folate concentrations and dietary folate intakes, determined by weighed food records, were assessed in a sample of predominantly university-educated lactating women (32 +/- 4 yr) at 4-(n = 53) and 16-wk postpartum (n = 55). Median blood folate concentrations of all participants were well above plasma and RBC folate cut-off levels indicative of deficiency (6.7 and 317 nmol/L, respectively) and all, except for 2 subjects, were above the cut-off for NTD-risk reduction (>906 nmol/L). Only modest associations existed between total folate intakes and plasma (r = 0.46, P consuming 151-410 microg/d of synthetic folate (2nd quartile of intake) did not differ from that of women consuming >410 microg/d (3rd and 4th quartile). Folate intakes, estimated by food composition tables, and blood folate concentrations are not predictive of each other in Canadian lactating women exposed to high levels of folate. Synthetic intakes > 151-410 microg/d in these women produced little additional benefit in terms of maximizing RBC

How well do blood folate concentrations predict dietary folate intakes in a sample of Canadian lactating women exposed to high levels of folate? An observational study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sherwood Kelly L

2007-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In 1998, mandatory folic acid fortification of white flour and select cereal grain products was implemented in Canada with the intention to increase dietary folate intakes of reproducing women. Folic acid fortification has produced a dramatic increase in blood folate concentrations among reproductive age women, and a reduction in neural tube defect (NTD-affected pregnancies. In response to improved blood folate concentrations, many health care professionals are asking whether a folic acid supplement is necessary for NTD prevention among women with high blood folate values, and how reliably high RBC folate concentrations predict folate intakes shown in randomized controlled trials to be protective against NTDs. The objective of this study was to determine how predictive blood folate concentrations and folate intakes are of each other in a sample of well-educated lactating Canadian women exposed to high levels of synthetic folate. Methods The relationship between blood folate concentrations and dietary folate intakes, determined by weighed food records, were assessed in a sample of predominantly university-educated lactating women (32 ± 4 yr at 4-(n = 53 and 16-wk postpartum (n = 55. Results Median blood folate concentrations of all participants were well above plasma and RBC folate cut-off levels indicative of deficiency (6.7 and 317 nmol/L, respectively and all, except for 2 subjects, were above the cut-off for NTD-risk reduction (>906 nmol/L. Only modest associations existed between total folate intakes and plasma (r = 0.46, P P nd quartile of intake did not differ from that of women consuming >410 μg/d (3rd and 4th quartile. Conclusion Folate intakes, estimated by food composition tables, and blood folate concentrations are not predictive of each other in Canadian lactating women exposed to high levels of folate. Synthetic intakes > 151–410 μg/d in these women produced little additional benefit in terms of maximizing

Relative effects of plasma, fibrinogen concentrate, and factor XIII on ROTEM coagulation profiles in an in vitro model of massive transfusion in trauma.

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, David E; Halmin, Märit; Wikman, Agneta; Östlund, Anders; Ågren, Anna

2017-10-01

Massive traumatic haemorrhage is aggravated through the development of trauma-induced coagulopathy, which is managed by plasma transfusion and/or fibrinogen concentrate administration. It is yet unclear whether these treatments are equally potent in ensuring adequate haemostasis, and whether additional factor XIII (FXIII) administration provides further benefits. In this study, we compared ROTEM whole blood coagulation profiles after experimental massive transfusion with different transfusion regimens in an in vitro model of dilution- and transfusion-related coagulopathy. Healthy donor blood was mixed 1 + 1 with six different transfusion regimens. Each regimen contained RBC, platelet concentrate, and either fresh frozen plasma (FFP) or Ringer's acetate (RA). The regimens were further augmented through addition of a low- or medium-dose fibrinogen concentrate and FXIII. Transfusion with FFP alone was insufficient to maintain tissue-factor activated clot strength, coincidental with a deficiency in fibrin-based clot strength. Fibrinogen concentrate conserved, but did not improve coagulation kinetics and overall clot strength. Only combination therapy with FFP and low-dose fibrinogen concentrate improved both coagulation kinetics and fibrin-based clot strength. Administration of FXIII did not result in an improvement of clot strength. In conclusion, combination therapy with both FFP and low-dose fibrinogen concentrate improved clotting time and produced firm clots, representing a possible preferred first-line regimen to manage trauma-induced coagulopathy when RBC and platelets are also transfused. Further research is required to identify optimal first-line transfusion fluids for massive traumatic haemorrhage.

Comparison of Respirable Mass Concentrations Measured by a Personal Dust Monitor and a Personal DataRAM to Gravimetric Measurements.

Science.gov (United States)

Halterman, Andrew; Sousan, Sinan; Peters, Thomas M

2017-12-15

In 2016, the Mine Safety and Health Administration required the use of continuous monitors to measure respirable dust in mines and better protect miner health. The Personal Dust Monitor, PDM3700, has met stringent performance criteria for this purpose. In a laboratory study, respirable mass concentrations measured with the PDM3700 and a photometer (personal DataRam, pDR-1500) were compared to those measured gravimetrically for five aerosols of varying refractive index and density (diesel exhaust fume, welding fume, coal dust, Arizona road dust (ARD), and salt [NaCl] aerosol) at target concentrations of 0.38, 0.75, and 1.5 mg m-3. For all aerosols except coal dust, strong, near-one-to-one, linear relationships were observed between mass concentrations measured with the PDM3700 and gravimetrically (diesel fume, slope = 0.99, R2 = 0.99; ARD, slope = 0.98, R2 = 0.99; and NaCl, slope = 0.95, R2 = 0.99). The slope deviated substantially from unity for coal dust (slope = 0.55; R2 = 0.99). Linear relationships were also observed between mass concentrations measured with the pDR-1500 and gravimetrically, but one-to-one behavior was not exhibited (diesel fume, slope = 0.23, R2 = 0.76; coal dust, slope = 0.54, R2 = 0.99; ARD, slope = 0.61, R2 = 0.99; NaCl, slope = 1.14, R2 = 0.98). Unlike the pDR-1500, mass concentrations measured with the PDM3700 appear independent of refractive index and density, suggesting that it could have applications in a variety of occupational settings. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Occupational Hygiene Society.

Contribution of creatine kinase MB mass concentration at admission to early diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bakker, A. J.; Gorgels, J. P.; van Vlies, B.; Koelemay, M. J.; Smits, R.; Tijssen, J. G.; Haagen, F. D.

1994-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To assess the diagnostic value at admission of creatine kinase MB mass concentration, alone or in combination with electrocardiographic changes, in suspected myocardial infarction. DESIGN: Prospective study of all consecutive patients admitted within 12 hours after onset of chest pain to

Pretreatment red blood cell total folate is associated with response to pemetrexed in stage IV non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Bagley, Stephen J.; Vitale, Steven; Zhang, Suhong; Aggarwal, Charu; Evans, Tracey L.; Alley, Evan W.; Cohen, Roger B.; Langer, Corey J.; Blair, Ian A.; Vachani, Anil; Whitehead, Alexander S.

2016-01-01

Objectives Pemetrexed inhibits folate-dependent enzymes involved in pyrimidine and purine synthesis. Prior studies of genetic variation in these enzymes as predictors of pemetrexed efficacy have yielded inconsistent results. We investigated whether red blood cell (RBC) total folate, a phenotypic rather than genotypic marker of cellular folate status, was associated with response to pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in advanced non-squamous non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and methods We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients with stage IV non-squamous NSCLC receiving first-line chemotherapy containing pemetrexed. Pretreatment RBC total folate was quantified using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry. We then compared objective response rate (ORR) between patients with RBC total folate concentrations above and below an optimal cut-off value determined from the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. A logistic regression model was used to adjust for age, sex, and use of bevacizumab. Results The ORR was 62% (32 of 52 patients). ROC analysis was used to establish that a RBC total folate cutoff value of 364.6 nM optimally discriminated between pemetrexed responders and non-responders. Patients with RBC total folate below 364.5 nM had an ORR of 27%, compared to 71% in patients with RBC total folate above this value (p=0.01). This difference persisted after adjusting for age, sex, and use of bevacizumab (OR 0.07, 95% CI 0.01 - 0.57, p=0.01). Conclusions Low pretreatment RBC total folate is associated with inferior response to pemetrexed-based chemotherapy in stage IV non-squamous NSCLC. Larger, multicenter studies are needed to validate RBC total folate as a predictive marker of pemetrexed response. PMID:27863923

Radionuclide mass transfer rates from a pinhole in a waste container for an inventory-limited and a constant concentration source

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LeNeveu, D.M.

1996-03-01

Analytical solutions for transient and steady state diffusive mass transfer rates from a pinhole in a waste container are developed for constant concentration and inventory-limited source conditions. Mass transport in three media are considered, inside the pinhole (medium 2), outside the container (medium 3) and inside the container (medium 1). Simple equations are developed for radionuclide mass transfer rates from a pinhole. It is shown that the medium with the largest mass transfer resistance need only be considered to provide a conservative estimate of mass transfer rates. (author) 11 refs., 3 figs

Serial assessment of biochemical parameters of red cell preparations to evaluate safety for neonatal transfusions.

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Somnath; Marwaha, Neelam; Prasad, Rajendra; Sharma, Ratti Ram; Thakral, Beenu

2010-12-01

Neonatologists often prefer fresh blood (2,3 diphosphoglycerate (2,3 DPG) up to 21 days of storage. Within each group of RBC, rise in mean concentration of potassium, lactate and plasma haemoglobin from day 1 to 21 of storage was significant in CPDA-1 RBC having the highest levels at day 21. From day 3 to 21, SAGM RBC had higher mean pH value than CPDA-1 RBC though this difference was not statistically significant. SAGM RBC had highest mean glucose concentration during storage than other two types of red cell preparations (P2,3 DPG concentration from day 1 to 7 was significant (P<0.05). A positive correlation existed between mean plasma potassium and haemoglobin in all three types of red cells (r=0.726, 0.419, 0.605 for CPDA-1 RBC, SAGM RBC and whole blood respectively, P<0.005). All the three red cell preparations tested revealed biochemical changes within acceptable limits of safety till 21 days of storage. CPDA-1 RBCs had the highest degree of these changes.

Enhanced light absorption due to the mixing state of black carbon in fresh biomass burning emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Qiyuan; Cao, Junji; Han, Yongming; Tian, Jie; Zhang, Yue; Pongpiachan, Siwatt; Zhang, Yonggang; Li, Li; Niu, Xinyi; Shen, Zhenxing; Zhao, Zhuzi; Tipmanee, Danai; Bunsomboonsakul, Suratta; Chen, Yang; Sun, Jian

2018-05-01

A lack of information on the radiative effects of refractory black carbon (rBC) emitted from biomass burning is a significant gap in our understanding of climate change. A custom-made combustion chamber was used to simulate the open burning of crop residues and investigate the impacts of rBC size and mixing state on the particles' optical properties. Average rBC mass median diameters ranged from 141 to 162 nm for the rBC produced from different types of crop residues. The number fraction of thickly-coated rBC varied from 53 to 64%, suggesting that a majority of the freshly emitted rBC were internally mixed. By comparing the result of observed mass absorption cross-section to that calculated with Mie theory, large light absorption enhancement factors (1.7-1.9) were found for coated particles relative to uncoated cores. These effects were strongly positively correlated with the percentage of coated particles but independent of rBC core size. We suggest that rBC from open biomass burning may have strong impact on air pollution and radiative forcing immediately after their production.

Neither Folic Acid Supplementation nor Pregnancy Affects the Distribution of Folate Forms in the Red Blood Cells of Women1–3

Science.gov (United States)

Hartman, Brenda A.; Fazili, Zia; Pfeiffer, Christine M.; O’Connor, Deborah L.

2016-01-01

It is not known whether folate metabolism is altered during pregnancy to support increased DNA and RNA biosynthesis. By using a state-of-the-art LC tandem mass spectrometry technique, the aim of this study was to investigate differences in RBC folate forms between pregnant and nonpregnant women and between nonpregnant women consuming different concentrations of supplemental folic acid. Forms of folate in RBCs were used to explore potential shifts in folate metabolism during early erythropoiesis. Total RBC folate and folate forms [tetrahydrofolate; 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-methyl-THF); 4α-hydroxy-5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate (an oxidation product of 5-methyl-THF); 5-formyl-tetrahydrofolate; and 5,10-methenyl-tetrahydrofolate] were measured in 4 groups of women (n = 26): pregnant women (PW) (30–36 wk of gestation) consuming 1 mg/d of folic acid, and nonpregnant women consuming 0 mg/d (NPW-0), 1 mg/d (NPW-1), and 5 mg/d (NPW-5) folic acid. The mean ± SD RBC folate concentration of the NPW-0 group (890 ± 530 nmol/L) was lower than the NPW-1 (1660 ± 350 nmol/L) and NPW-5 (1980 ± 570 nmol/L) groups as assessed by microbiologic assay (n = 26, P methyl-THF [limit of detection (LOD) = 0.06 nmol/L] in all groups and tetrahydrofolate (LOD = 0.2 nmol/L) in most women regardless of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotype. Most women consuming folic acid supplements had detectable concentrations of 5,10-methenyl-tetrahydrofolate (LOD = 0.31 nmol/L). However, there was no difference in the relative distribution of 5-methyl-THF (83–84%), sum of non-methyl folates (0.6–3%), or individual non-methyl folate forms in RBCs across groups. We conclude that although folic acid supplementation in nonpregnant women increases RBC total folate and the concentration of individual folate forms, it does not alter the relative distribution of folate forms. Similarly, distribution of RBC folate forms did not differ between pregnant and nonpregnant women. This trial was registered

Neither folic acid supplementation nor pregnancy affects the distribution of folate forms in the red blood cells of women.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartman, Brenda A; Fazili, Zia; Pfeiffer, Christine M; O'Connor, Deborah L

2014-09-01

It is not known whether folate metabolism is altered during pregnancy to support increased DNA and RNA biosynthesis. By using a state-of-the-art LC tandem mass spectrometry technique, the aim of this study was to investigate differences in RBC folate forms between pregnant and nonpregnant women and between nonpregnant women consuming different concentrations of supplemental folic acid. Forms of folate in RBCs were used to explore potential shifts in folate metabolism during early erythropoiesis. Total RBC folate and folate forms [tetrahydrofolate; 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-methyl-THF); 4α-hydroxy-5-methyl-tetrahydrofolate (an oxidation product of 5-methyl-THF); 5-formyl-tetrahydrofolate; and 5,10-methenyl-tetrahydrofolate] were measured in 4 groups of women (n = 26): pregnant women (PW) (30-36 wk of gestation) consuming 1 mg/d of folic acid, and nonpregnant women consuming 0 mg/d (NPW-0), 1 mg/d (NPW-1), and 5 mg/d (NPW-5) folic acid. The mean ± SD RBC folate concentration of the NPW-0 group (890 ± 530 nmol/L) was lower than the NPW-1 (1660 ± 350 nmol/L) and NPW-5 (1980 ± 570 nmol/L) groups as assessed by microbiologic assay (n = 26, P methyl-THF [limit of detection (LOD) = 0.06 nmol/L] in all groups and tetrahydrofolate (LOD = 0.2 nmol/L) in most women regardless of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase genotype. Most women consuming folic acid supplements had detectable concentrations of 5,10-methenyl-tetrahydrofolate (LOD = 0.31 nmol/L). However, there was no difference in the relative distribution of 5-methyl-THF (83-84%), sum of non-methyl folates (0.6-3%), or individual non-methyl folate forms in RBCs across groups. We conclude that although folic acid supplementation in nonpregnant women increases RBC total folate and the concentration of individual folate forms, it does not alter the relative distribution of folate forms. Similarly, distribution of RBC folate forms did not differ between pregnant and nonpregnant women. This trial was registered at

Effect of dimethylamine on the gas phase sulfuric acid concentration measured by Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry

CERN Document Server

Rondo, L.; Kürten, A.; Adamov, A.; Bianchi, F.; Breitenlechner, M.; Duplissy, J.; Franchin, A.; Dommen, J.; Donahue, N. M.; Dunne, E. M.; Flagan, R. C.; Hakala, J.; Hansel, A.; Keskinen, H.; Kim, J.; Jokinen, T.; Lehtipalo, K.; Leiminger, M.; Praplan, A.; Riccobono, F.; Rissanen, M. P.; Sarnela, N.; Schobesberger, S.; Simon, M.; Sipilä, M.; Smith, J. N.; Tomé, A.; Tröstl, J.; Tsagkogeorgas, G.; Vaattovaara, P.; Winkler, P. M.; Williamson, C.; Wimmer, D.; Baltensperger, U.; Kirkby, J.; Kulmala, M.; Petäjä, T.; Worsnop, D. R.; Curtius, J.

2016-01-01

Sulfuric acid is widely recognized as a very important substance driving atmospheric aerosolnucleation. Based on quantum chemical calculations it has been suggested that the quantitative detectionof gas phase sulfuric acid (H2SO4) by use of Chemical Ionization Mass Spectrometry (CIMS) could be biased inthe presence of gas phase amines such as dimethylamine (DMA). An experiment (CLOUD7 campaign) was setup at the CLOUD (Cosmics Leaving OUtdoor Droplets) chamber to investigate the quantitative detection ofH2SO4in the presence of dimethylamine by CIMS at atmospherically relevant concentrations. For the first time inthe CLOUD experiment, the monomer sulfuric acid concentration was measured by a CIMS and by two CI-APi-TOF(Chemical Ionization-Atmospheric Pressure interface-Time Of Flight) mass spectrometers. In addition, neutralsulfuric acid clusters were measured with the CI-APi-TOFs. The CLOUD7 measurements show that in the presenceof dimethylamine (<5 to 70 pptv) the sulfuric acid monomer measured by the CIMS...

rbcL gene sequences provide evidence for the evolutionary lineages of leptosporangiate ferns.

Science.gov (United States)

Hasebe, M; Omori, T; Nakazawa, M; Sano, T; Kato, M; Iwatsuki, K

1994-06-07

Pteriodophytes have a longer evolutionary history than any other vascular land plant and, therefore, have endured greater loss of phylogenetically informative information. This factor has resulted in substantial disagreements in evaluating characters and, thus, controversy in establishing a stable classification. To compare competing classifications, we obtained DNA sequences of a chloroplast gene. The sequence of 1206 nt of the large subunit of the ribulose-bisphosphate carboxylase gene (rbcL) was determined from 58 species, representing almost all families of leptosporangiate ferns. Phlogenetic trees were inferred by the neighbor-joining and the parsimony methods. The two methods produced almost identical phylogenetic trees that provided insights concerning major general evolutionary trends in the leptosporangiate ferns. Interesting findings were as follows: (i) two morphologically distinct heterosporous water ferns, Marsilea and Salvinia, are sister genera; (ii) the tree ferns (Cyatheaceae, Dicksoniaceae, and Metaxyaceae) are monophyletic; and (iii) polypodioids are distantly related to the gleichenioids in spite of the similarity of their exindusiate soral morphology and are close to the higher indusiate ferns. In addition, the affinities of several "problematic genera" were assessed.

Comparison of a Point-of-Care Glucometer and a Laboratory Autoanalyzer for Measurement of Blood Glucose Concentrations in Domestic Pigeons ( Columba livia domestica).

Science.gov (United States)

Mohsenzadeh, Mahdieh Sadat; Zaeemi, Mahdieh; Razmyar, Jamshid; Azizzadeh, Mohammad

2015-09-01

Biochemical analysis is necessary for diagnosis and monitoring of diseases in birds; however, the small volume of blood that can be safely obtained from small avian species often limits laboratory diagnostic testing. Consequently, a suitable methodology requiring only a small volume of blood must be used. This study was designed to compare blood glucose concentrations in domestic pigeons ( Columba livia domestica) as measured by a commercial, handheld, human glucometer and a standard autoanalyzer. During the first phase of the study, whole blood samples obtained from 30 domestic pigeons were used to measure the blood glucose concentration with a glucometer, the packed cell volume (PCV), and the total erythrocyte count (nRBC). Plasma separated from the each sample was then used to obtain the plasma glucose concentration with the autoanalyzer. During the second phase of the study, 30 pigeons were assigned to 2 equal groups (n = 15). Hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia was induced in each group by intravenous injection of insulin or glucose, respectively. Blood was collected and processed, and glucose concentrations, PCV, and nRBC were measured as previously described. Linear-regression models demonstrated a significant relationship between results measured by the glucometer and autoanalyzer results from normoglycemic (correlation coefficient [R] = 0.43, P = .02), hypoglycemic (R = 0.95; P < .001), and hyperglycemic (R = 0.81; P < .001) birds. The results of this study suggest that we can predict the real blood-glucose concentration of pigeons by using results obtained by a glucometer.

Effects of Center Offset and Noise on Weak-Lensing Derived Concentration-Mass Relation of Dark Matter Halos

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Wei; Fan, Zuhui

2014-04-01

With the halo catalog from the Millennium Simulation, we analyze the weak-lensing measured density profiles for clusters of galaxies, paying attention to the determination of the concentration-mass (c-M) relation, which can be biased by the center offset, selection effect, and shape noise from intrinsic ellipticities of background galaxies. Several different methods of locating the center of a cluster from weak-lensing effects alone are explored. We find that, for intermediate redshift clusters, the highest peak from our newly proposed two-scale smoothing method applied to the reconstructed convergence field, first with a smoothing scale of 2' and then 0.'5, corresponds best to the true center. Assuming the parameterized Navarro-Frenk-White profile, we fit the reduced tangential shear signals around different centers identified by different methods. It is shown that, for the ensemble median values, a center offset larger than one scale radius rs can bias the derived mass and concentration significantly lower than the true values, especially for low-mass halos. However, the existence of noise can compensate for the offset effect and reduce the systematic bias, although the scatter of mass and concentration becomes considerably larger. Statistically, the bias effect of center offset on the c-M relation is insignificant if an appropriate center finding method is adopted. On the other hand, noise from intrinsic ellipticities can bias the c-M relation derived from a sample of weak-lensing analyzed clusters if a simple χ2 fitting method is used. To properly account for the scatter and covariance between c and M, we apply a Bayesian method to improve the statistical analysis of the c-M relation. It is shown that this new method allows us to derive the c-M relation with significantly reduced biases.

Effects of center offset and noise on weak-lensing derived concentration-mass relation of dark matter halos

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Du, Wei; Fan, Zuhui

2014-01-01

With the halo catalog from the Millennium Simulation, we analyze the weak-lensing measured density profiles for clusters of galaxies, paying attention to the determination of the concentration-mass (c-M) relation, which can be biased by the center offset, selection effect, and shape noise from intrinsic ellipticities of background galaxies. Several different methods of locating the center of a cluster from weak-lensing effects alone are explored. We find that, for intermediate redshift clusters, the highest peak from our newly proposed two-scale smoothing method applied to the reconstructed convergence field, first with a smoothing scale of 2' and then 0.'5, corresponds best to the true center. Assuming the parameterized Navarro-Frenk-White profile, we fit the reduced tangential shear signals around different centers identified by different methods. It is shown that, for the ensemble median values, a center offset larger than one scale radius r s can bias the derived mass and concentration significantly lower than the true values, especially for low-mass halos. However, the existence of noise can compensate for the offset effect and reduce the systematic bias, although the scatter of mass and concentration becomes considerably larger. Statistically, the bias effect of center offset on the c-M relation is insignificant if an appropriate center finding method is adopted. On the other hand, noise from intrinsic ellipticities can bias the c-M relation derived from a sample of weak-lensing analyzed clusters if a simple χ 2 fitting method is used. To properly account for the scatter and covariance between c and M, we apply a Bayesian method to improve the statistical analysis of the c-M relation. It is shown that this new method allows us to derive the c-M relation with significantly reduced biases.

Implications of resin-based composite (RBC) restoration on cuspal deflection and microleakage score in molar teeth: Placement protocol and restorative material.

Science.gov (United States)

McHugh, Lauren E J; Politi, Ioanna; Al-Fodeh, Rami S; Fleming, Garry J P

2017-09-01

To assess the cuspal deflection of standardised large mesio-occluso-distal (MOD) cavities in third molar teeth restored using conventional resin-based composite (RBC) or their bulk fill restorative counterparts compared with the unbound condition using a twin channel deflection measuring gauge. Following thermocycling, the cervical microleakage of the restored teeth was assessed to determine marginal integrity. Standardised MOD cavities were prepared in forty-eight sound third molar teeth and randomly allocated to six groups. Restorations were placed in conjunction with (and without) a universal bonding system and resin restorative materials were irradiated with a light-emitting-diode light-curing-unit. The dependent variable was the restoration protocol, eight oblique increments for conventional RBCs or two horizontal increments for the bulk fill resin restoratives. The cumulative buccal and palatal cuspal deflections from a twin channel deflection measuring gauge were summed, the restored teeth thermally fatigued, immersed in 0.2% basic fuchsin dye for 24h, sectioned and examined for cervical microleakage score. The one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) identified third molar teeth restored using conventional RBC materials had significantly higher mean total cuspal deflection values compared with bulk fill resin restorative restoration (all pmaterial selection is vital in the absence of clinical data. Copyright © 2017 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Analysis of RBC-microparticles in stored whole blood bags - a promising marker to detect blood doping in sports?

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Voss, Sven Christian; Jaganjac, Morana; Al-Thani, Amna Mohamed; Grivel, Jean-Charles; Raynaud, Christophe Michel; Al-Jaber, Hind; Al-Menhali, Afnan Saleh; Merenkov, Zeyed Ahmad; Alsayrafi, Mohammed; Latiff, Aishah; Georgakopoulos, Costas

2017-11-01

Blood doping in sports is prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). To find a possible biomarker for the detection of blood doping, we investigated the changes in blood stored in CPDA-1 blood bags of eight healthy subjects who donated one unit of blood. Aliquots were taken on days 0, 14, and 35. Platelet-free plasma was prepared and stored at -80°C until analysis on a flow cytometer dedicated for the analysis of microparticles (MPs). Changes in the number of red blood cell (RBC) -MPs were highly significant (p doping control but confirmation by a transfusion study is necessary. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Particulate matter mass concentrations produced from pavement surface abrasion

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Fullova Dasa

2017-01-01

Full Text Available According to the latest findings particulate matter belong to the most significant pollutants in Europe together with ground-level ozone O3 and nitrogen dioxide NO2. Road traffic is one of the main sources of particulate matter. Traffic volume has unpleasant impact on longevity of the pavements and also on the environment. Vehicle motions cause mechanical wearing of the asphalt pavement surface - wearing course by vehicle tyres. The paper deals with abrasion of bituminous wearing courses of pavements. The asphalt mixtures are compared in terms of mechanically separated particulate matter. The samples of asphalt mixtures were rutted in wheel tracking machine. The particulate matter measurements were performed in laboratory conditions. The experimental laboratory measurements make it possible to sample particulates without contamination from exhaust emissions, abraded particles from vehicles, resuspension of road dust and climate affects. The paper offers partial results of measurements on six trial samples of asphalt mixtures with different composition. It presents particulate matter morphology and the comparison of rutted asphalt samples in terms of PM mass concentrations and chemical composition.

Increase in Red Blood Cell-Nitric Oxide Synthase Dependent Nitric Oxide Production during Red Blood Cell Aging in Health and Disease: A Study on Age Dependent Changes of Rheologic and Enzymatic Properties in Red Blood Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Bizjak, Daniel Alexander; Brinkmann, Christian; Bloch, Wilhelm; Grau, Marijke

2015-01-01

Aim To investigate RBC-NOS dependent NO signaling during in vivo RBC aging in health and disease. Method RBC from fifteen healthy volunteers (HC) and four patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) were separated in seven subpopulations by Percoll density gradient centrifugation. Results The proportion of old RBC was significantly higher in DM compared to HC. In both groups, in vivo aging was marked by changes in RBC shape and decreased cell volume. RBC nitrite, as marker for NO, was higher in DM and increased in both HC and DM during aging. RBC deformability was lower in DM and significantly decreased in old compared to young RBC in both HC and DM. RBC-NOS Serine1177 phosphorylation, indicating enzyme activation, increased during aging in both HC and DM. Arginase I activity remained unchanged during aging in HC. In DM, arginase I activity was significantly higher in young RBC compared to HC but decreased during aging. In HC, concentration of L-arginine, the substrate of RBC-NOS and arginase I, significantly dropped from young to old RBC. In DM, L-arginine concentration was significantly higher in young RBC compared to HC and significantly decreased during aging. In blood from healthy subjects, RBC-NOS activation was additionally inhibited by N5-(1-iminoethyl)-L-Ornithine dihydrochloride which decreased RBC nitrite, and impaired RBC deformability of all but the oldest RBC subpopulation. Conclusion This study first-time showed highest RBC-NOS activation and NO production in old RBC, possibly to counteract the negative impact of cell shrinkage on RBC deformability. This was even more pronounced in DM. It is further suggested that highly produced NO only insufficiently affects cell function of old RBC maybe because of isolated RBC-NOS in old RBC thus decreasing NO bioavailability. Thus, increasing NO availability may improve RBC function and may extend cell life span in old RBC. PMID:25902315

Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution Project (RICE): A 65 Kyr ice core record of black carbon aerosol deposition to the Ross Ice Shelf, West Antarctica.

Science.gov (United States)

Edwards, Ross; Bertler, Nancy; Tuohy, Andrea; Neff, Peter; Proemse, Bernedette; Feiteng, Wang; Goodwin, Ian; Hogan, Chad

2015-04-01

Emitted by fires, black carbon aerosols (rBC) perturb the atmosphere's physical and chemical properties and are climatically active. Sedimentary charcoal and other paleo-fire records suggest that rBC emissions have varied significantly in the past due to human activity and climate variability. However, few paleo rBC records exist to constrain reconstructions of the past rBC atmospheric distribution and its climate interaction. As part of the international Roosevelt Island Climate Evolution (RICE) project, we have developed an Antarctic rBC ice core record spanning the past ~65 Kyr. The RICE deep ice core was drilled from the Roosevelt Island ice dome in West Antarctica from 2011 to 2013. The high depth resolution (~ 1 cm) record was developed using a single particle intracavity laser-induced incandescence soot photometer (SP2) coupled to an ice core melter system. The rBC record displays sub-annual variability consistent with both austral dry-season and summer biomass burning. The record exhibits significant decadal to millennial-scale variability consistent with known changes in climate. Glacial rBC concentrations were much lower than Holocene concentrations with the exception of several periods of abrupt increases in rBC. The transition from glacial to interglacial rBC concentrations occurred over a much longer time relative to other ice core climate proxies such as water isotopes and suggests . The protracted increase in rBC during the transition may reflected Southern hemisphere ecosystem / fire regime changes in response to hydroclimate and human activity.

Characterisation of particle mass and number concentration on the east coast of the Malaysian Peninsula during the northeast monsoon

Science.gov (United States)

Dominick, Doreena; Latif, Mohd Talib; Juneng, Liew; Khan, Md Firoz; Amil, Norhaniza; Mead, Mohammed Iqbal; Nadzir, Mohd Shahrul Mohd; Moi, Phang Siew; Samah, Azizan Abu; Ashfold, Matthew J.; Sturges, William T.; Harris, Neil R. P.; Robinson, Andrew D.; Pyle, John A.

2015-09-01

Particle mass concentrations (PM10, PM2.5 and PM1) and particle number concentration ((PNC); 0.27 μm ≤ Dp ≤ 34.00 μm) were measured in the tropical coastal environment of Bachok, Kelantan on the Malaysian Peninsula bordering the southern edge of the South China Sea. Statistical methods were applied on a three-month hourly data set (9th January to 24th March 2014) to study the influence of north-easterly winds on the patterns of particle mass and PNC size distributions. The 24-h concentrations of particle mass obtained in this study were below the standard values detailed by the Recommended Malaysian Air Quality Guideline (RMAQG), United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and European Union (EU) except for PM2.5, which recorded a 24-h average of 30 ± 18 μg m-3 and exceeded the World Health Organisation (WHO) threshold value (25 μg m-3). Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that PNC with smaller diameter sizes (0.27-4.50 μm) showed a stronger influence, accounting for 57.6% of the variability in PNC data set. Concentrations of both particle mass and PNC increased steadily in the morning with a distinct peak observed at around 8.00 h, related to a combination of dispersion of accumulated particles overnight and local traffic. In addition to local anthropogenic, agricultural burning and forest fire activities, long-range transport also affects the study area. Hotspot and backward wind trajectory observations illustrated that the biomass burning episode (around February-March) significantly influenced PNC. Meteorological parameters influenced smaller size particles (i.e. PM1 and Dp (0.27-0.43 μm)) the most.

Stormwater and fire as sources of black carbon nanoparticles to Lake Tahoe.

Science.gov (United States)

Bisiaux, Marion M; Edwards, Ross; Heyvaert, Alan C; Thomas, James M; Fitzgerald, Brian; Susfalk, Richard B; Schladow, S Geoffrey; Thaw, Melissa

2011-03-15

Emitted to the atmosphere through fire and fossil fuel combustion, refractory black carbon nanoparticles (rBC) impact human health, climate, and the carbon cycle. Eventually these particles enter aquatic environments, where they may affect the fate of other pollutants. While ubiquitous, the particles are still poorly characterized in freshwater systems. Here we present the results of a study determining rBC in waters of the Lake Tahoe watershed in the western United States from 2007 to 2009. The study period spanned a large fire within the Tahoe basin, seasonal snowmelt, and a number of storm events, which resulted in pulses of urban runoff into the lake with rBC concentrations up to 4 orders of magnitude higher than midlake concentrations. The results show that rBC pulses from both the fire and urban runoff were rapidly attenuated suggesting unexpected aggregation or degradation of the particles. We find that those processes prevent rBC concentrations from building up in the clear and oligotrophic Lake Tahoe. This rapid removal of rBC soon after entry into the lake has implications for the transport of rBC in the global aquatic environment and the flux of rBC from continents to the global ocean.

Winter mass concentrations of carbon species in PM10, PM 2.5 and PM1 in Zagreb air, Croatia.

Science.gov (United States)

Godec, Ranka; Čačković, Mirjana; Šega, Krešimir; Bešlić, Ivan

2012-11-01

The purpose of our investigation was to examine the mass concentrations of EC, OC and TC (EC + OC) in PM(10), PM(2.5) and PM(1) particle fractions. Daily PM(10), PM(2.5) and PM(1) samples were collected at an urban background monitoring site in Zagreb during winter 2009. Average OC and EC mass concentrations were 11.9 and 1.8 μg m(-3) in PM(10), 9.0 and 1.4 μg m(-3) in PM(2.5), and 5.5 and 1.1 μg m(-3) in PM(1). Average OC/EC ratios in PM(10), PM(2.5), and PM(1) were 7.4, 6.9 and 5.4, respectively.

Ulva and Enteromorpha (Ulvaceae, Chlorophyta) from two sides of the Yellow Sea: analysis of nuclear rDNA ITS and plastid rbcL sequence data

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jinfeng; Li, Nan; Jiang, Peng; Boo, Sung Min; Lee, Wook Jae; Cui, Yulin; Lin, Hanzhi; Zhao, Jin; Liu, Zhengyi; Qin, Song

2010-07-01

Ulvacean green seaweeds are common worldwide; they formed massive green tides in the Yellow Sea in recent years, which caused marine ecological problems as well as a social issue. We investigated two major genera of the Ulvaceae, Ulva and Enteromorpha, and collected the plastid rbcL and nuclear ITS sequences of specimens of the genera in two sides of the Yellow Sea and analyzed them. Phylogenetic trees of rbcL data show the occurrence of five species of Enteromorpha ( E. compressa, E. flexuosa, E. intestinalis, E. linza and E. prolifera) and three species of Ulva ( U. pertusa, U. rigida and U. ohnoi). However, we found U. ohnoi, which is known as a subtropical to tropical species, at two sites on Jeju Island, Korea. Four ribotypes in partial sequences of 5.8S rDNA and ITS2 from E. compressa were also found. Ribotype network analysis revealed that the common ribotype, occurring in China, Korea and Europe, is connected with ribotypes from Europe and China/Japan. Although samples of the same species were collected from both sides of the Yellow Sea, intraspecific genetic polymorphism of each species was low among samples collected worldwide.

Century-long Record of Black Carbon in an Ice Core from the Eastern Pamirs: Estimated Contributions from Biomass Burning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Mo; Xu, B.; Kaspari, Susan D.; Gleixner, Gerd; Schwab, Valerie; Zhao, Huabiao; Wang, Hailong; Yao, Ping

2015-08-01

We analyzed refractory black carbon (rBC) in an ice core spanning 1875-2000 AD from Mt. Muztagh Ata, the Eastern Pamirs, using a Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2). Additionally a pre-existing levoglucosan record from the same ice core was used to differentiate rBC that originated from open fires, energy-related combustion of biomass, and fossil fuel combustion. Mean rBC concentrations increased four-fold since the mid-1970s and reached maximum values at the end of 1980s. The observed decrease of the rBC concentrations during the 1990s was likely driven by the economic recession of former USSR countries in Central Asia. Levoglucosan concentrations showed a similar temporal trend to rBC concentrations, exhibiting a large increase around 1980 AD followed by a decrease in the 1990s that was likely due to a decrease in energy-related biomass combustion. The time evolution of levoglucosan/rBC ratios indicated stronger emissions from open fires during the 1940s-1950s, while the increase in rBC during the 1980s-1990s was caused from an increase in energy-related combustion of biomass and fossil fuels.

Elliptocytes and tailed poikilocytes correlate with severity of iron-deficiency anemia.

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Rodgers, M S; Chang, C C; Kass, L

1999-05-01

This study examines the relationships between abnormal RBC morphology, RBC indices measured with an automated hematology analyzer, serum iron studies, and severity of anemia in patients with findings indicative of iron-deficiency anemia. Counts and morphologic classification of 1,000 RBCs from each of 22 patients were performed, and correlations were determined between parameters. The Student t test was used to determine the level of significance for correlations between parameters. Several significant relationships were found. As the percentage of elliptocytes increased, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, RBC concentration, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin level decreased (r = .48, .44, .40, and .49, respectively; P < .05). As the percentage of tailed poikilocytes increased, hemoglobin concentration, hematocrit, and RBC concentration decreased (r = .70, .77, and .71, respectively; P < .01) and RBC distribution width increased (r = .73; P < .01). Of significance, serum ferritin levels, long considered the best single indicator of iron deficiency, showed no correlation with the morphologic abnormalities assessed, severity of anemia, or any of the analyzer-generated indices. Our results indicate that microscopic evaluation of RBC morphology remains an important tool for the pathologist to evaluate the severity of anemia in patients with iron deficiency.

Serial assessment of biochemical parameters of red cell preparations to evaluate safety for neonatal transfusions

Science.gov (United States)

Mukherjee, Somnath; Marwaha, Neelam; Prasad, Rajendra; Sharma, Ratti Ram; Thakral, Beenu

2010-01-01

Background & Objectives: Neonatologists often prefer fresh blood (diphosphoglycerate (2,3 DPG) up to 21 days of storage. Results: Within each group of RBC, rise in mean concentration of potassium, lactate and plasma haemoglobin from day 1 to 21 of storage was significant in CPDA-1 RBC having the highest levels at day 21. From day 3 to 21, SAGM RBC had higher mean pH value than CPDA-1 RBC though this difference was not statistically significant. SAGM RBC had highest mean glucose concentration during storage than other two types of red cell preparations (P<0.005). Within each group, fall in mean 2,3 DPG concentration from day 1 to 7 was significant (P<0.05). A positive correlation existed between mean plasma potassium and haemoglobin in all three types of red cells (r=0.726, 0.419, 0.605 for CPDA-1 RBC, SAGM RBC and whole blood respectively, P<0.005). Interpretation & Conclusions: All the three red cell preparations tested revealed biochemical changes within acceptable limits of safety till 21 days of storage. CPDA-1 RBCs had the highest degree of these changes. PMID:21245620

Influence of concentration and hydrodynamic factors in sorption of iodine by anion-exchangers of the mass-transfer rate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sokolov, V.V.; Smirnov, N.N.

1982-01-01

An investigation of the joint influence of hydrodynamic and concentration factors in sorption of iodine by AV-17-8 and anion exchange resins on the mass-transfer coefficient is the subject of this report. The method of central composite rotatable experimental design was used for quantitative assessment and derivation of the appropriate equations. The investigation yielded the necessary regression equations satisfactorily describing the influence of all the factors in the mass-transfer coefficient. the optimal mass-transfer conditions were determined. On the basis of the values obtained, recommendations are made on the optimal hydrodynamic conditions of operation of equipment with pneumatic circulation of the ion-exchanger

Active renin mass concentration to determine aldosterone-to-renin ratio in screening for primary aldosteronism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Corbin F

2011-07-01

Full Text Available François Corbin1, Pierre Douville2, Marcel Lebel3 1Division of Biochemistry, l'Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada; 2Division of Biochemistry; 3Division of Nephrology, L'Hôtel-Dieu de Québec Hospital and l'Université Laval, Quebec, CanadaBackground: Active renin mass concentration (ARC is independent of the endogenous level of angiotensinogen, and less variable and more reproducible than plasma renin activity. Reference values for the aldosterone-to-renin ratio (ARR using ARC are still undefined. The objective of the present study was to determine the threshold of ARR using ARC measurement to screen for primary aldosteronism.Methods: A total of 211 subjects were included in the study, comprising 78 healthy normotensive controls, 95 patients with essential hypertension, and 38 patients with confirmed primary aldosteronism (20 with surgery-confirmed aldosterone-producing adenoma and 18 with idiopathic adrenal hyperplasia. Blood samples were drawn from ambulatory patients and volunteers in the mid-morning without specific dietary restriction for measuring plasma aldosterone concentration, ARC, and serum potassium.Results: Most normotensive controls and essential hypertension patients had ARR results below 100 pmol/ng, a value which corresponded to 3.3 times the median of these two groups.Conclusion: Patients with ARR values above this level should be considered for further investigation (confirmatory tests or for repeat testing should ARR values be borderline. This study indicates that ARC can be used reliably in determining ARR for primary aldosteronism screening.Keywords: primary aldosteronism, active renin mass concentration, aldosterone-to-renin ratio

Lead concentrations and reproductive success in European starlings Sturnus vulgaris nesting within highway roadside verges

Science.gov (United States)

Grue, C.E.; Hoffman, D.J.; Beyer, W.N.; Franson, L.P.

1986-01-01

In 1981, the authors studied lead concentrations and reproductive success in free-living European starlings Sturnus vulgaris nesting within the verges of two Maryland highways with different traffic volumes, Route 197(average daily traffic volume[ADT] = 10,800 vehicles) and the Baltimore-Washington Parkway (ADT=52,500 vehicles) and a nearby control area. Concentrations (mg kg-1 dry weight) of lead in the ingesta (84-94 mg kg-1), carcasses (4.0-9.6 mg kg-1)and feathers (6.8-52 mg kg-1) of Parkway nestlings and adults were 3 to 13 times those found in starlings from the control area, whereas lead concentrations in the ingesta and tissues of starlings from the verge of Route 197 were similar to those of controls. Activity of delta-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (ALAD) in red blood cells (RBCs) of adult and nestling starlings from the Parkway was depressed from 43 to 60% compared to controls. RBC ALAD activity in adults from nests along Route 197 was similar to that of adult starlings from the control area, but that of their young was depressed 17%. Haemoglobin concentrations (-16%) and haematocrits (-10%) in Parkway nestlings were depressed compared with those of nestlings from the other two study areas, whereas those of adults were not affected. Clutch size, number of young hatched and the number of young in nests 1 to 3 days before fledging were similar among sites, as were body weights of adults and prefledging weights of their young. However, brain weights of Parkway nestlings were lower (P < 0.05) than those of nestlings from the other study areas. Results suggests that lead within verges of major highways probably does not pose a serious hazard to adult ground-foraging songbirds. However, the effects of lead-induced reductions in haemoglobin concentration, haematocrit, RBC ALAD activity and brain weight on the postfledging survival of their young are not known.

Effect of rotary inertia of concentrated masses on the natural vibration of fluid conveying pipes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Myeong Gie

1999-01-01

Effects of the rotary inertia of concentrated masses on the natural vibrations of fluid conveying pipes have been studied by theoretical modeling and computer simulation. For analysis, two boundary conditions for pipe ends, simply supported and clamped-clamped, are assumed and Galerkin's method is used for transformation of the governing equation to the eigenvalues problem and the natural frequencies and mode shapes for the system have been calculated by using the newly developed computer code. Moreover, the critical velocities related to a system instability have been investigated. The main conclusions for the present study are (1) rotary inertia gives much change on the higher natural frequencies and mode shapes and its effect is visible when it has small value, (2) The number and location of nodes can be changed by rotary inertia, (3) By introducing rotary inertia, the second natural frequency approaches to the first as the location of the concentrated mass approaches to the midspan of the pipe, and (4) The critical fluid velocities to initiate the system unstable are unchanged by introduction of rotary inertia and the first three velocities are π, 2π, and 3π for the simply supported pipe and 2π, 8.99 and 12.57 for the clamped-clamped pipe. (author). 16 refs., 7 figs., 3 tabs

Quantitative detection of mass concentration of sand-dust storms via wind-profiling radar and analysis of Z- M relationship

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Minzhong; Ming, Hu; Ruan, Zheng; Gao, Lianhui; Yang, Di

2018-02-01

With the aim to achieve quantitative monitoring of sand-dust storms in real time, wind-profiling radar is applied to monitor and study the process of four sand-dust storms in the Tazhong area of the Taklimakan Desert. Through evaluation and analysis of the spatial-temporal distribution of reflectivity factor, it is found that reflectivity factor ranges from 2 to 18 dBz under sand-dust storm weather. Using echo power spectrum of radar vertical beams, sand-dust particle spectrum and sand-dust mass concentration at the altitude of 600 ˜ 1500 m are retrieved. This study shows that sand-dust mass concentration reaches 700 μg/m3 under blowing sand weather, 2000 μg/m3 under sand-dust storm weather, and 400 μg/m3 under floating dust weather. The following equations are established to represent the relationship between the reflectivity factor and sand-dust mass concentration: Z = 20713.5 M 0.995 under floating dust weather, Z = 22988.3 M 1.006 under blowing sand weather, and Z = 24584.2 M 1.013 under sand-dust storm weather. The retrieval results from this paper are almost consistent with previous monitoring results achieved by former researchers; thus, it is implied that wind-profiling radar can be used as a new reference device to quantitatively monitor sand-dust storms.

Quantitation of 14C-oxaliplatin concentrations in human serum samples by using accelerator mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, Takeshi; Toyoguchi, Teiko; Kato, Kazuhiro; Tokanai, Fuyuki; Shiraishi, Tadashi

2013-01-01

The understanding of human pharmacokinetics is important for development of new drugs. Microdosing studies have been proposed as means of obtaining human pharmacokinetics information at early stages of drug development. Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) has high detection sensitivity and is expected to play an important role in microdose trials. In this study, we used the AMS microdosing facility at Yamagata University to measure the concentration of 14 C in 14 C-oxaliplatin-spiked serum samples. The calibration curve of 14 C concentration in serum was linear, and the correlation coefficient was 0.9994. The precision, accuracy, and stability values obtained (freeze and thaw cycles, and short- and long-term stability) satisfied the criteria. The mean background 14 C concentrations in samples of 6 healthy Japanese volunteers were 1.635dpm/mL in blood and 0.56dpm/mL in plasma. These results suggest the suitability of AMS-based quantitation for analyzing samples from microdosing studies. (author)

Black carbon physical properties and mixing state in the European megacity Paris

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Laborde

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Aerosol hygroscopicity and refractory black carbon (rBC properties were characterised during wintertime at a suburban site in Paris, one of the biggest European cities. Hygroscopic growth factor (GF frequency distributions, characterised by distinct modes of more-hygroscopic background aerosol and non- or slightly hygroscopic aerosol of local (or regional origin, revealed an increase of the relative contribution of the local sources compared to the background aerosol with decreasing particle size. BC-containing particles in Paris were mainly originating from fresh traffic emissions, whereas biomass burning only gave a minor contribution. The mass size distribution of the rBC cores peaked on average at an rBC core mass equivalent diameter of DMEV ~ 150 nm. The BC-containing particles were moderately coated (coating thickness Δcoat ~ 33 nm on average for rBC cores with DMEV = 180–280 nm and an average mass absorption coefficient (MAC of ~ 8.6 m2 g−1 at the wavelength λ = 880 nm was observed. Different time periods were selected to investigate the properties of BC-containing particles as a function of source and air mass type. The traffic emissions were found to be non-hygroscopic (GF ≈ 1.0, and essentially all particles with a dry mobility diameter (D0 larger than D0 = 110 nm contained an rBC core. rBC from traffic emissions was further observed to be uncoated within experimental uncertainty (Δcoat ~ 2 nm ± 10 nm, to have the smallest BC core sizes (maximum of the rBC core mass size distribution at DMEV ~ 100 nm and to have the smallest MAC (~ 7.3 m2g−1 at λ = 880 nm. The biomass burning aerosol was slightly more hygroscopic than the traffic emissions (with a distinct slightly-hygroscopic mode peaking at GF ≈ 1.1–1.2. Furthermore, only a minor fraction (≤ 10% of the slightly-hygroscopic particles with 1.1 ≤ GF ≤ 1.2 (and D0 = 265 nm contained a detectable rBC core. The BC-containing particles from biomass burning were

Water reuse potential in truck wash using a Rotating Biological Contactor

OpenAIRE

Eduardo Lucas Subtil; José Carlos Mierzwa; Ivanildo Hespanhol; Raphael Rodrigues

2016-01-01

This study evaluated the water reuse potential for truck washing using the effluent treated by a Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC) operated in full scale. In order to evaluate the reuse potential, a mass balance was performed for the reuse system taking into account the concentration of Total Dissolved Solids as the critical contaminant. The treatment system produced an effluent with average concentration of color, turbidity, TDS and BOD5 of 45 ± 14 uC, 15 ± 6.0 NTU, 244 ± 99 mg TDS / L and...

Bamboo tea: reduction of taxonomic complexity and application of DNA diagnostics based on rbcL and matK sequence data

Science.gov (United States)

Häser, Annette

2016-01-01

Background Names used in ingredient lists of food products are trivial and in their nature rarely precise. The most recent scientific interpretation of the term bamboo (Bambusoideae, Poaceae) comprises over 1,600 distinct species. In the European Union only few of these exotic species are well known sources for food ingredients (i.e., bamboo sprouts) and are thus not considered novel foods, which would require safety assessments before marketing of corresponding products. In contrast, the use of bamboo leaves and their taxonomic origin is mostly unclear. However, products containing bamboo leaves are currently marketed. Methods We analysed bamboo species and tea products containing bamboo leaves using anatomical leaf characters and DNA sequence data. To reduce taxonomic complexity associated with the term bamboo, we used a phylogenetic framework to trace the origin of DNA from commercially available bamboo leaves within the bambusoid subfamily. For authentication purposes, we introduced a simple PCR based test distinguishing genuine bamboo from other leaf components and assessed the diagnostic potential of rbcL and matK to resolve taxonomic entities within the bamboo subfamily and tribes. Results Based on anatomical and DNA data we were able to trace the taxonomic origin of bamboo leaves used in products to the genera Phyllostachys and Pseudosasa from the temperate “woody” bamboo tribe (Arundinarieae). Currently available rbcL and matK sequence data allow the character based diagnosis of 80% of represented bamboo genera. We detected adulteration by carnation in four of eight tea products and, after adapting our objectives, could trace the taxonomic origin of the adulterant to Dianthus chinensis (Caryophyllaceae), a well known traditional Chinese medicine with counter indications for pregnant women. PMID:27957401

Sensitivity of the Single Particle Soot Photometer to different black carbon types

Science.gov (United States)

Laborde, M.; Mertes, P.; Zieger, P.; Dommen, J.; Baltensperger, U.; Gysel, M.

2012-05-01

Black carbon (BC) is now mainly of anthropogenic origin. It is the dominant light absorbing component of atmospheric aerosols, playing an important role in the earth's radiative balance and therefore relevant to climate change studies. In addition, BC is known to be harmful to human beings making it relevant to policy makers. Nevertheless, the measurement of BC remains biased by the instrument-based definition of BC. The Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2), allows the measurement of the refractory BC (rBC) mass of individual particles using laser-induced incandescence. However, the SP2 needs an empirical calibration to retrieve the rBC mass from the incandescence signal and the sensitivity of the SP2 differs between different BC types. Ideally, for atmospheric studies, the SP2 should be calibrated using ambient particles containing a known mass of ambient rBC. However, such "ambient BC" calibration particles cannot easily be obtained and thus commercially available BC particles are commonly used for SP2 calibration instead. In this study we tested the sensitivity of the SP2 to different BC types in order to characterize the potential error introduced by using non-ambient BC for calibration. The sensitivity of the SP2 was determined, using an aerosol particle mass analyzer, for rBC from thermodenuded diesel exhaust, wood burning exhaust and ambient particles as well as for commercially available products: Aquadag® and fullerene soot. Thermodenuded, fresh diesel exhaust has been found to be ideal for SP2 calibration for two reasons. First, the small amount of non-BC matter upon emission reduces the risk of bias due to incomplete removal of non-BC matter and second, it is considered to represent atmospheric rBC in urban locations where diesel exhaust is the main source of BC. The SP2 was found to be up to 16% less sensitive to rBC from thermodenuded ambient particles (≤15 fg) than rBC from diesel exhaust, however, at least part of this difference can be explained

Sensitivity of the Single Particle Soot Photometer to different black carbon types

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Laborde

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Black carbon (BC is now mainly of anthropogenic origin. It is the dominant light absorbing component of atmospheric aerosols, playing an important role in the earth's radiative balance and therefore relevant to climate change studies. In addition, BC is known to be harmful to human beings making it relevant to policy makers. Nevertheless, the measurement of BC remains biased by the instrument-based definition of BC. The Single Particle Soot Photometer (SP2, allows the measurement of the refractory BC (rBC mass of individual particles using laser-induced incandescence. However, the SP2 needs an empirical calibration to retrieve the rBC mass from the incandescence signal and the sensitivity of the SP2 differs between different BC types. Ideally, for atmospheric studies, the SP2 should be calibrated using ambient particles containing a known mass of ambient rBC. However, such "ambient BC" calibration particles cannot easily be obtained and thus commercially available BC particles are commonly used for SP2 calibration instead. In this study we tested the sensitivity of the SP2 to different BC types in order to characterize the potential error introduced by using non-ambient BC for calibration. The sensitivity of the SP2 was determined, using an aerosol particle mass analyzer, for rBC from thermodenuded diesel exhaust, wood burning exhaust and ambient particles as well as for commercially available products: Aquadag^® and fullerene soot.

Thermodenuded, fresh diesel exhaust has been found to be ideal for SP2 calibration for two reasons. First, the small amount of non-BC matter upon emission reduces the risk of bias due to incomplete removal of non-BC matter and second, it is considered to represent atmospheric rBC in urban locations where diesel exhaust is the main source of BC. The SP2 was found to be up to 16% less sensitive to rBC from thermodenuded ambient particles (≤15 fg than rBC from diesel exhaust, however, at least part

Simulating Aerosol Size Distribution and Mass Concentration with Simultaneous Nucleation, Condensation/Coagulation, and Deposition with the GRAPES-CUACE

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Chunhong; Shen, Xiaojing; Liu, Zirui; Zhang, Yangmei; Xin, Jinyuan

2018-04-01

A coupled aerosol-cloud model is essential for investigating the formation of haze and fog and the interaction of aerosols with clouds and precipitation. One of the key tasks of such a model is to produce correct mass and number size distributions of aerosols. In this paper, a parameterization scheme for aerosol size distribution in initial emission, which took into account the measured mass and number size distributions of aerosols, was developed in the GRAPES-CUACE [Global/Regional Assimilation and PrEdiction System-China Meteorological Administration (CMA) Unified Atmospheric Chemistry Environment model]—an online chemical weather forecast system that contains microphysical processes and emission, transport, and chemical conversion of sectional multi-component aerosols. In addition, the competitive mechanism between nucleation and condensation for secondary aerosol formation was improved, and the dry deposition was also modified to be in consistent with the real depositing length. Based on the above improvements, the GRAPES-CUACE simulations were verified against observational data during 1-31 January 2013, when a series of heavy regional haze-fog events occurred in eastern China. The results show that the aerosol number size distribution from the improved experiment was much closer to the observation, whereas in the old experiment the number concentration was higher in the nucleation mode and lower in the accumulation mode. Meanwhile, the errors in aerosol number size distribution as diagnosed by its sectional mass size distribution were also reduced. Moreover, simulations of organic carbon, sulfate, and other aerosol components were improved and the overestimation as well as underestimation of PM2.5 concentration in eastern China was significantly reduced, leading to increased correlation coefficient between simulated and observed PM2.5 by more than 70%. In the remote areas where bad simulation results were produced previously, the correlation coefficient

Sepsis does not alter red blood cell glucose metabolism or Na+ concentration: A 2H-, 23Na-NMR study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hotchkiss, R.S.; Song, S.K.; Ling, C.S.; Ackerman, J.J.; Karl, I.E.

1990-01-01

The effects of sepsis on intracellular Na+ concentration ([Na+]i) and glucose metabolism were examined in rat red blood cells (RBCs) by using 23Na- and 2H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Sepsis was induced in 15 halothane-anesthetized female Sprague-Dawley rats by using the cecal ligation and perforation technique; 14 control rats underwent cecal manipulation without ligation. The animals were fasted for 36 h, but allowed free access to water. At 36 h postsurgery, RBCs were examined by 23Na-NMR by using dysprosium tripolyphosphate as a chemical shift reagent. Human RBCs from 17 critically ill nonseptic patients and from 7 patients who were diagnosed as septic were also examined for [Na+]i. Five rat RBC specimens had [Na+]i determined by both 23Na-NMR and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). For glucose metabolism studies, RBCs from septic and control rats were suspended in modified Krebs-Henseleit buffer containing [6,6-2H2]glucose and examined by 2H-NMR. No significant differences in [Na+]i or glucose utilization were found in RBCs from control or septic rats. There were no differences in [Na+]i in the two groups of patients. The [Na+]i determined by NMR spectroscopy agreed closely with measurements using ICP-AES and establish that 100% of the [Na+]i of the RBC is visible by NMR. Glucose measurements determined by 2H-NMR correlated closely (correlation coefficient = 0.93) with enzymatic analysis. These studies showed no evidence that sepsis disturbed RBC membrane function or metabolism

Formation of secondary organic aerosol coating on black carbon particles near vehicular emissions

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Alex K. Y.; Chen, Chia-Li; Liu, Jun; Price, Derek J.; Betha, Raghu; Russell, Lynn M.; Zhang, Xiaolu; Cappa, Christopher D.

2017-12-01

Black carbon (BC) emitted from incomplete combustion can result in significant impacts on air quality and climate. Understanding the mixing state of ambient BC and the chemical characteristics of its associated coatings is particularly important to evaluate BC fate and environmental impacts. In this study, we investigate the formation of organic coatings on BC particles in an urban environment (Fontana, California) under hot and dry conditions using a soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometer (SP-AMS). The SP-AMS was operated in a configuration that can exclusively detect refractory BC (rBC) particles and their coatings. Using the -log(NOx / NOy) ratio as a proxy for photochemical age of air masses, substantial formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) coatings on rBC particles was observed due to active photochemistry in the afternoon, whereas primary organic aerosol (POA) components were strongly associated with rBC from fresh vehicular emissions in the morning rush hours. There is also evidence that cooking-related organic aerosols were externally mixed from rBC. Positive matrix factorization and elemental analysis illustrate that most of the observed SOA coatings were freshly formed, providing an opportunity to examine SOA coating formation on rBCs near vehicular emissions. Approximately 7-20 wt % of secondary organic and inorganic species were estimated to be internally mixed with rBC on average, implying that rBC is unlikely the major condensation sink of SOA in this study. Comparison of our results to a co-located standard high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometer (HR-ToF-AMS) measurement suggests that at least a portion of SOA materials condensed on rBC surfaces were chemically different from oxygenated organic aerosol (OOA) particles that were externally mixed with rBC, although they could both be generated from local photochemistry.

Phylogeny of the Juncaceae based on rbcL sequences, with special emphasis on Luzula DC. and Juncus L

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Drábková, L.; Kirschner, J.; Seberg, Ole

2003-01-01

Cladistic analysis of rbcL nucleotide sequences was applied to 58 taxa representing most subgenera and sections of Luzula and Juncus, chosen to reflect morphological and geographical diversity of both genera. Additionally, representatives of all other genera of the Juncaceae and two taxa from the......-supported clade is represented by an assemblage of representatives of five genera and species distributed in the Southern Hemisphere: Juncus capensis and J. lomatophyllus (both from section Graminifolii), Rostkovia, Distichia, Marsippospermum, and Patosia....

The effect of alcohols on red blood cell mechanical properties and membrane fluidity depends on their molecular size.

Science.gov (United States)

Sonmez, Melda; Ince, Huseyin Yavuz; Yalcin, Ozlem; Ajdžanović, Vladimir; Spasojević, Ivan; Meiselman, Herbert J; Baskurt, Oguz K

2013-01-01

The role of membrane fluidity in determining red blood cell (RBC) deformability has been suggested by a number of studies. The present investigation evaluated alterations of RBC membrane fluidity, deformability and stability in the presence of four linear alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol) using ektacytometry and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. All alcohols had a biphasic effect on deformability such that it increased then decreased with increasing concentration; the critical concentration for reversal was an inverse function of molecular size. EPR results showed biphasic changes of near-surface fluidity (i.e., increase then decrease) and a decreased fluidity of the lipid core; rank order of effectiveness was butanol > propanol > ethanol > methanol, with a significant correlation between near-surface fluidity and deformability (r = 0.697; palcohol enhanced the impairment of RBC deformability caused by subjecting cells to 100 Pa shear stress for 300 s, with significant differences from control being observed at higher concentrations of all four alcohols. The level of hemolysis was dependent on molecular size and concentration, whereas echinocytic shape transformation (i.e., biconcave disc to crenated morphology) was observed only for ethanol and propanol. These results are in accordance with available data obtained on model membranes. They document the presence of mechanical links between RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity, chain length-dependence of the ability of alcohols to alter RBC mechanical behavior, and the biphasic response of RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity to increasing alcohol concentrations.

Simultaneous determination of picogram per gram concentrations of Ba, Pb and Pb isotopes in Greenland ice by thermal ionisation mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jimi, Salah I.; Rosman, Kevin J.R.; Candelone, Jean-Pierre; Burn, Laurie J. [Curtin University of Technology, Department of Imaging and Applied Physics, Perth (Australia); Hong, Sungmin [Polar Research Centre, Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute, Ansan, P.O. Box 29, Seoul (Korea); Boutron, Claude F. [Domaine Universitaire, Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Geophysique du l' Environnement, 54 rue Moliere, Saint Martin d' Heres (France); UFR de Mecanique, Universite Joseph Fourier de Grenoble (Institut Universitaire de France), Domaine Universitaire, Grenoble (France)

2008-01-15

A technique has been developed to simultaneously measure picogram per gram concentrations of Ba and Pb by isotope dilution mass spectrometry, as well as Pb isotopic ratios in polar ice by thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. BaPO{sup +}{sub 2} and Pb{sup +} ions were employed for these determinations. A calibrated mixture of enriched {sup 205}Pb and {sup 137}Ba was added to the samples providing an accuracy of better than approximately 2% for Pb/Ba element ratio determinations. Interference by molecular ions in the Pb mass spectrum occurred only at {sup 204}Pb and {sup 205}Pb, but these contributions were negligible in terms of precisions expected on picogram-sized Pb samples. The technique is illustrated with measurements on Greenland firn, using a drill-core section that includes the Laki volcanic eruption of 1783-1784. The data show deviations from the element concentrations indicating volatile metal enrichments, but the Pb isotopic signature of the Laki lava could not be identified. (orig.)

The relationship between red blood cell deformability metrics and perfusion of an artificial microvascular network.

Science.gov (United States)

Sosa, Jose M; Nielsen, Nathan D; Vignes, Seth M; Chen, Tanya G; Shevkoplyas, Sergey S

2014-01-01

The ability of red blood cells (RBC) to undergo a wide range of deformations while traversing the microvasculature is crucial for adequate perfusion. Interpretation of RBC deformability measurements performed in vitro in the context of microvascular perfusion has been notoriously difficult. This study compares the measurements of RBC deformability performed using micropore filtration and ektacytometry with the RBC ability to perfuse an artificial microvascular network (AMVN). Human RBCs were collected from healthy consenting volunteers, leukoreduced, washed and exposed to graded concentrations (0-0.08%) of glutaraldehyde (a non-specific protein cross-linker) and diamide (a spectrin-specific protein cross-linker) to impair the deformability of RBCs. Samples comprising cells with two different levels of deformability were created by adding non-deformable RBCs (hardened by exposure to 0.08% glutaraldehyde) to the sample of normal healthy RBCs. Ektacytometry indicated a nearly linear decline in RBC deformability with increasing glutaraldehyde concentration. Micropore filtration showed a significant reduction only for concentrations of glutaraldehyde higher than 0.04%. Neither micropore filtration nor ektacytometry measurements could accurately predict the AMVN perfusion. Treatment with diamide reduced RBC deformability as indicated by ektacytometry, but had no significant effect on either micropore filtration or the AMVN perfusion. Both micropore filtration and ektacytometry showed a linear decline in effective RBC deformability with increasing fraction of non-deformable RBCs in the sample. The corresponding decline in the AMVN perfusion plateaued above 50%, reflecting the innate ability of blood flow in the microvasculature to bypass occluded capillaries. Our results suggest that in vitro measurements of RBC deformability performed using either micropore filtration or ektacytometry may not represent the ability of same RBCs to perfuse microvascular networks. Further

Morphological and Metabolic Parameters of Red Blood Cells after Their Treatment with Ozone

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna V. Deryugina

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The purpose of the study was to assess the morphology of red blood cells (RBC and the association of morphological parameters with lipid peroxidation processes and the content of organic phosphates in RBC when treating packed red blood cells with the ozonized saline solution (with an ozone concentration of 2 mg/l after different storage periods.Materials and methods. The morphology of human RBC, the concentration of malonic dialdehyde (MDA in RBC, the catalase activity, the concentration of ATP and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG were studied before and after treatment of RBC with the ozonized saline (with the ozone concentration of 2 mg/l after 7, 14, 21 and 30 days of storage.Results. The effect of ozone (2 ng/l in vitro on the packed red blood cells after 7–21 days of storage contributed to the recovery of RBC shape, increased the concentration of ATP and 2,3-DPG, and optimized the lipid peroxidation. Ozone did not demonstrate a pronounced positive effect on these parameters when the packed RBCs were stored for 30 days.Conclusion. The treatment of the packed RBCs with the ozonized saline solution (with the ozone concentration of 2 mg/l contributed to the recovery of the discocyte count due to optimization of lipid peroxidation processes in cell membranes and enhanced the synthesis of organic phosphates in cells due to the activation of glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway. This can be used to improve the morphological and metabolic status of the packed RBCs before their transfusion. 

Phylogeny of Salsoleae s.l. (Chenopodiaceae) based on DNA sequence data from ITS, psbB-psbH, and rbcL, with emphasis on taxa of northwestern China

Science.gov (United States)

Zhi-Bin Wen; Ming-Li Zhang; Ge-Lin Zhu; Stewart C. Sanderson

2010-01-01

To reconstruct phylogeny and verify the monophyly of major subgroups, a total of 52 species representing almost all species of Salsoleae s.l. in China were sampled, with analysis based on three molecular markers (nrDNA ITS, cpDNA psbB-psbH and rbcL), using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian inference methods. Our molecular evidence provides strong...

A discussion about maximum uranium concentration in digestion solution of U3O8 type uranium ore concentrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xia Dechang; Liu Chao

2012-01-01

On the basis of discussing the influence of single factor on maximum uranium concentration in digestion solution,the influence degree of some factors such as U content, H 2 O content, mass ratio of P and U was compared and analyzed. The results indicate that the relationship between U content and maximum uranium concentration in digestion solution was direct ratio, while the U content increases by 1%, the maximum uranium concentration in digestion solution increases by 4.8%-5.7%. The relationship between H 2 O content and maximum uranium concentration in digestion solution was inverse ratio, the maximum uranium concentration in digestion solution decreases by 46.1-55.2 g/L while H 2 O content increases by 1%. The relationship between mass ratio of P and U and maximum uranium concentration in digestion solution was inverse ratio, the maximum uranium concentration in digestion solution decreases by 116.0-181.0 g/L while the mass ratio of P and U increase 0.1%. When U content equals 62.5% and the influence of mass ratio of P and U is no considered, the maximum uranium concentration in digestion solution equals 1 578 g/L; while mass ratio of P and U equals 0.35%, the maximum uranium concentration decreases to 716 g/L, the decreased rate is 54.6%, so the mass ratio of P and U in U 3 O 8 type uranium ore concentrate is the main controlling factor. (authors)

Effects of therapeutic plasma exchange on serum immunoglobulin concentrations in a dog with refractory immune-mediated hemolytic anemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Scagnelli, Alyssa M; Walton, Stuart A; Liu, Chin-Chi; Acierno, Mark J

2018-05-01

CASE DESCRIPTION A 9-year-old 8.3-kg (18.3-lb) neutered male Miniature Schnauzer was referred for diagnosis and treatment of a sudden onset of lethargy, anorexia, vomiting, and pallor. CLINICAL FINDINGS On physical examination, the dog was lethargic with pale mucous membranes and a capillary refill time ≥ 2 seconds. Skin and sclera were mildly icteric. Signs of pain were elicited during abdominal palpation, and an enlarged spleen was noted. Results of agglutination testing and cytologic findings were consistent with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA). No contributing factors for development of IMHA were identified. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME Initial treatment included management with immunosuppressant medications. Three packed RBC transfusions were administered, but clinical signs continued to progress. Therefore, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) was performed 5 and 9 days after admission. Following each TPE procedure, the dog had an appreciable clinical improvement and decrease in RBC autoagglutination, and the Hct stabilized. Serum IgG and IgM concentrations were measured during and after both TPE procedures. Despite anticoagulative treatment, the dog developed a thrombus in the splenic vein, necessitating a splenectomy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE The decrease and rebound in serum IgG and IgM concentrations following TPE provided evidence that TPE may have the same immunomodulatory effects in dogs as have been proposed to occur in people. Further, findings suggested that TPE may be a useful alternative in dogs with refractory IMHA when traditional treatments fail.

PM 2.5 mass concentrations in comparison with aerosol optical depths over the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean during winter monsoon

Science.gov (United States)

Ramachandran, S.

An analysis of PM 2.5 mass concentrations and 0.5 μm aerosol optical depths (AODs) during the Northeast winter monsoon seasons of 1996-2000 is performed and intercompared. AODs are found to show diurnal variations over Coastal India (CI) (west coast) while they are relatively smooth over the Arabian Sea (AS) (5-20°N) and tropical Indian Ocean (TIO) (5°N-20°S). PM 2.5, PM 10 and total mass concentrations show less variations in a day over these oceanic regions. Columnar AODs are found to increase with an increase in the marine boundary layer aerosol concentrations over CI and AS while an opposite trend is seen over TIO. The yearly-mean AODs and mass concentrations are found to increase over CI and AS, over TIO the mass concentrations increased while the AODs decreased during 1996-2000. It is found from the 7-days air back trajectory analyses that at different altitudes air masses can originate from different source regions leading to changes in chemical, physical and optical characteristics of the aerosol between the surface and column. The differences in the surface and columnar measurements could also occur due to changes in the meteorological conditions, wind patterns, in addition to changes in production and subsequently the transport of aerosols. Least-squares fits to the above intercomparison resulted in intercepts of 0.24 and 0.22 over CI and AS indicating that the background AODs over these oceanic regions are higher. An examination of the daily-mean wind speeds and PM 2.5 mass concentrations yielded an index of wind dependence of 0.04 for AS and 0.07 for TIO. The background PM 2.5 mass concentrations are also found to be high at 36 and 25 μg m -3 over AS and TIO, respectively, indicating a stronger influence from the continent. Frequency distribution figures show that 28% of the PM 2.5 values over CI lie in the 60-80 μg m -3 range. Over AS the dominant mode of distribution is 40-60 μg m -3 with a peak value of 42%. Over TIO PM 2.5 values are found to

Influence of air mass origins on optical properties and PM concentrations measured at a high mountain station located in the southwestern Mediterranean

Science.gov (United States)

Castañer, R.; Nicolás, J. F.; Crespo, J.; Yubero, E.; Galindo, N.; Caballero, S.; Pastor, C.

2017-11-01

The influence of air mass origins on aerosol optical properties and particulate matter (PM) concentrations measured from January 2014 to December 2015 at a high mountain station in the southwestern Mediterranean was analyzed. Mean values of extensive aerosol optical properties (scattering, backscattering and absorption coefficients) and PM mass fractions: σsp (30.7 ± 1.1 Mm- 1), σbsp (3.9 ± 0.1 Mm- 1), σap (2.4 ± 0.1 Mm- 1), PM10 (13.1 ± 0.6 μg·m- 3) and PM1 (4.0 ± 0.1 μg·m- 3) were in the range of values reported in most studies carried out at high altitude locations. Nevertheless, a significant variation of these concentrations according to the air mass origin has been noticed. Transport from North Africa (NAF back-trajectories) and regional recirculations (REG) were the two air mass types in which the highest values of PM concentrations and optical properties were registered. Alternatively, the lowest values were recorded under Atlantic advections. Noticeable differences between NAF and REG categories were observed when intensive optical properties of aerosols were analyzed. During NAF scenarios the lowest value of SAE (0.91 ± 0.06) was obtained as well as the greatest AAE value (1.30 ± 0.02), with daily levels higher than 1.90. This result suggests that OC and hematite compounds were relevant in the absorption process during NAF events. However, during REG episodes the AAE mean value declined to 1.18 ± 0.01, since the highest mean concentration of BC was recorded under this category, and the SAE value was maximum (1.70 ± 0.05) due to the smaller size of PM. It has also been documented that during the study period a great number of REG back-trajectories occurred just after the transport of air masses from North Africa. In these situations, AAE and SAE values showed slight variations due to the persistence of mineral dust in the local atmosphere.

The Potential of The Synergy of Sunphotometer and Lidar Data to Validate Vertical Profiles of The Aerosol Mass Concentration Estimated by An Air Quality Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Siomos N.

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Vertical profiles of the aerosol mass concentration derived by the Lidar/Radiometer Inversion Code (LIRIC, that uses combined sunphotometer and lidar data, were used in order to validate the aerosol mass concentration profiles estimated by the air quality model CAMx. Lidar and CIMEL measurements performed at the Laboratory of Atmospheric Physics of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece (40.5N, 22.9E from the period 2013-2014 were used in this study.

[On-line analysis and mass concentration characters of the alkali metal ions of PM10 in Beijing].

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Kai; Wang, Yue-Si; Wen, Tian-Xue; Liu, Guang-Ren; Hu, Bo; Zhao, Ya-Nan

2008-01-01

The mass concentration characters and the sources of water-soluble alkali metal ions in PM10 in 2004 and 2005 in Beijing were analyzed by using the system of rapid collection of particles. The result showed that the average concentration of Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+ was 0.5-1.4, 0.5-2.5, 0.1-0.5 and 0.6-5.8 microg/m3, respectively. The highest and lowest concentration appeared in different seasons for the alkali metal ions, which was related to the quality and source. The concentration of alkali metal ions was no difference between the heating period and no heating period, which meant the heating was not the main source. Sea salt and soil were the important sources of Na+. The source of K+ came from biomass burning and vegetation. Soil was the large source of Mg2+ and Ca2+. The alkali metal ions appeared different daily variation in different seasons. Precipitation could decrease the concentration of Na+, K+, Mg2+ and Ca2+, which was 10%-70%, 20%-80%, 10%-77%, 5%-80% respectively.

Influence of structural parameter included in nonlocal rock mass model on stress concentration around circular tunnel

Science.gov (United States)

Lavrikov, SV; Mikenina, OA; Revuzhenko, AF

2018-03-01

A model of elastic body, including local curvature of elementary volume, is matched with a nonlocal model with a linear structural parameter in the differential approximation. The problem on deformation of rock mass around a circular cross section tunnel is solved numerically. The contours of the calculated stresses are plotted. It is shown that inclusion of local bends in the model results in expansion of influence zone of the tunnel and reduces stress concentration factor at the tunnel boundary.

Low maternal folate concentrations and maternal MTHFR C677T polymorphism are associated with an increased risk for neural tube defects in offspring: a case-control study among Pakistani case and control mothers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nauman, Nuzhat; Jalali, Samina; Shami, Sajjad; Rafiq, Shireen; Große, Greta; Hilger, Alina C; Zhang, Rhong; Mansoor, Saira; Ludwig, Michael; Reutter, Heiko

2018-01-01

There is considerable evidence that periconceptional maternal folate deficiency and coding variants in maternal genes coding for critical enzymes in the folate pathway are associated with neural tube defects (NTDs) in offspring. In a case-control study we investigated C677T polymorphism in the 5,10- methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene in case and control mothers of Pakistani origin, and compared these with the respective maternal folate concentrations measured at the time of delivery. A case-control study was conducted among 109 case and 100 control mothers identified through the Holy Family Hospital Rawalpindi, Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad, Pakistan. Red blood cell (RBC) and serum folate concentrations and MTHFRC677T polymorphism were compared between case and control mothers. Mean RBC folate and serum folate concentrations were significantly lower in cases compared with control mothers (pcases compared with control mothers (CC vs TT pcases compared with control mothers (C vs T pCase mothers with 677CT or 677TT genotypes had significantly lower serum (pstudy provides further evidence that maternal folate deficiency and MTHFRC677T polymorphism might be associated with an increased risk for NTDs in offspring. Our results are limited by the fact that maternal folate concentrations were not obtained during the periconceptional period, but at delivery. Further analyses, including maternal folate levels during the periconceptional period, are warranted.

Comparison of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and immunoassay techniques on concentrations of atrazine in storm runoff

Science.gov (United States)

Lydy, Michael J.; Carter, D.S.; Crawford, Charles G.

1996-01-01

Gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) techniques were used to measure concentrations of dissolved atrazine in 149 surface-water samples. Samples were collected during May 1992–September 1993 near the mouth of the White River (Indiana) and in two small tributaries of the river. GC/MS was performed on a Hewlett-Packard 5971 A, with electron impact ionization and selected ion monitoring of filtered water samples extracted by C-18 solid phase extraction; ELISA was performed with a magnetic-particle-based assay with photometric analysis. ELISA results compared reasonably well to GC/MS measurements at concentrations below the Maximum Contaminant Level for drinking water set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (3.0 μg/L), but a systematic negative bias was observed at higher concentrations. When higher concentration samples were diluted into the linear range of calibration, the relation improved. A slight positive bias was seen in all of the ELISA data compared to the GC/MS results, and the bias could be partially explained by correcting the ELISA data for cross reactivity with other triazine herbicides. The highest concentrations of atrazine were found during the first major runoff event after the atrazine was applied. Concentrations decreased throughout the rest of the sampling period even though large runoff events occurred during this time, indicating that most atrazine loading to surface waters in the study area occurs within a few weeks after application.

The effect of alcohols on red blood cell mechanical properties and membrane fluidity depends on their molecular size.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melda Sonmez

Full Text Available The role of membrane fluidity in determining red blood cell (RBC deformability has been suggested by a number of studies. The present investigation evaluated alterations of RBC membrane fluidity, deformability and stability in the presence of four linear alcohols (methanol, ethanol, propanol and butanol using ektacytometry and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR spectroscopy. All alcohols had a biphasic effect on deformability such that it increased then decreased with increasing concentration; the critical concentration for reversal was an inverse function of molecular size. EPR results showed biphasic changes of near-surface fluidity (i.e., increase then decrease and a decreased fluidity of the lipid core; rank order of effectiveness was butanol > propanol > ethanol > methanol, with a significant correlation between near-surface fluidity and deformability (r = 0.697; p<0.01. The presence of alcohol enhanced the impairment of RBC deformability caused by subjecting cells to 100 Pa shear stress for 300 s, with significant differences from control being observed at higher concentrations of all four alcohols. The level of hemolysis was dependent on molecular size and concentration, whereas echinocytic shape transformation (i.e., biconcave disc to crenated morphology was observed only for ethanol and propanol. These results are in accordance with available data obtained on model membranes. They document the presence of mechanical links between RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity, chain length-dependence of the ability of alcohols to alter RBC mechanical behavior, and the biphasic response of RBC deformability and near-surface membrane fluidity to increasing alcohol concentrations.

Evolution of size-segregated aerosol mass concentration during the Antarctic summer at Northern Foothills, Victoria Land

Science.gov (United States)

Illuminati, Silvia; Bau, Sébastien; Annibaldi, Anna; Mantini, Caterina; Libani, Giulia; Truzzi, Cristina; Scarponi, Giuseppe

2016-01-01

Within the framework of the Italian National Programm for Antarctic Research (PNRA), the first direct gravimetric measurements of size-segregated aerosol fractions were carried out at Faraglione Camp, ˜3-km far from the Italian station "M. Zucchelli" (Terra Nova Bay, Ross Sea), during the 2014-2015 austral summer. A six-stage high-volume cascade impactor with size classes between 10 μm and 0.49 μm, and, in parallel, for comparison purposes, a PM10 high-volume sampler (50% cut-off aerodynamic diameter of 10 μm) were used. A 10-day sampling strategy was adopted. Aerosol mass measurements were carried out before and after exposure by using a microbalance specifically designed for the filter weight and placed inside a glove bag in order to maintain stable temperature and humidity conditions during weighing sessions. Measured atmospheric concentrations (referred to the "actual air conditions" of mean temperature of 268 K and mean pressure of 975 hPa) of size-segregated aerosol fractions showed the following values, given as size range, means (interquartile range): Dp range 0.1-1.0 μm) and two coarse modes (CM1 in the range 1.0-3.0 μm, and CM2 in the range 3.0-10 μm). From 50% to 90% of the PM10 mass comes from particles of a size smaller than 1.0 μm. The two coarse modes represented from ˜5% to ˜35% of the PM10, showing opposite seasonal trends (CM1 decreased while CM2 increased). During summer, PM10 mass concentration increased to a maximum of ˜1.6 μg m-3 at mid-December, while in January it decreased to values that are typical of November. Both accumulation and upper super-micron fractions showed a maximum in the same period contributing to the PM10 peak of mid-summer.

Genetic variations in the androgen receptor are associated with steroid concentrations and anthropometrics but not with muscle mass in healthy young men.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hélène De Naeyer

Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: The relationship between serum testosterone (T levels, muscle mass and muscle force in eugonadal men is incompletely understood. As polymorphisms in the androgen receptor (AR gene cause differences in androgen sensitivity, no straightforward correlation can be observed between the interindividual variation in T levels and different phenotypes. Therefore, we aim to investigate the relationship between genetic variations in the AR, circulating androgens and muscle mass and function in young healthy male siblings. DESIGN: 677 men (25-45 years were recruited in a cross-sectional, population-based sibling pair study. METHODS: Relations between genetic variation in the AR gene (CAGn, GGNn, SNPs, sex steroid levels (by LC-MS/MS, body composition (by DXA, muscle cross-sectional area (CSA (by pQCT, muscle force (isokinetic peak torque, grip strength and anthropometrics were studied using linear mixed-effect modelling. RESULTS: Muscle mass and force were highly heritable and related to age, physical activity, body composition and anthropometrics. Total T (TT and free T (FT levels were positively related to muscle CSA, whereas estradiol (E2 and free E2 (FE2 concentrations were negatively associated with muscle force. Subjects with longer CAG repeat length had higher circulating TT, FT, and higher E2 and FE2 concentrations. Weak associations with TT and FT were found for the rs5965433 and rs5919392 SNP in the AR, whereas no association between GGN repeat polymorphism and T concentrations were found. Arm span and 2D:4D finger length ratio were inversely associated, whereas muscle mass and force were not associated with the number of CAG repeats. CONCLUSIONS: Age, physical activity, body composition, sex steroid levels and anthropometrics are determinants of muscle mass and function in young men. Although the number of CAG repeats of the AR are related to sex steroid levels and anthropometrics, we have no evidence that these variations in the AR

The effect of long-range air mass transport pathways on PM10 and NO2 concentrations at urban and rural background sites in Ireland: Quantification using clustering techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Donnelly, Aoife A; Broderick, Brian M; Misstear, Bruce D

2015-01-01

The specific aims of this paper are to: (i) quantify the effects of various long range transport pathways nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter with diameter less than 10μm (PM10) concentrations in Ireland and identify air mass movement corridors which may lead to incidences poor air quality for application in forecasting; (ii) compare the effects of such pathways at various sites; (iii) assess pathways associated with a period of decreased air quality in Ireland. The origin of and the regions traversed by an air mass 96h prior to reaching a receptor is modelled and k-means clustering is applied to create air-mass groups. Significant differences in air pollution levels were found between air mass cluster types at urban and rural sites. It was found that easterly or recirculated air masses lead to higher NO2 and PM10 levels with average NO2 levels varying between 124% and 239% of the seasonal mean and average PM10 levels varying between 103% and 199% of the seasonal mean at urban and rural sites. Easterly air masses are more frequent during winter months leading to higher overall concentrations. The span in relative concentrations between air mass clusters is highest at the rural site indicating that regional factors are controlling concentration levels. The methods used in this paper could be applied to assist in modelling and forecasting air quality based on long range transport pathways and forecast meteorology without the requirement for detailed emissions data over a large regional domain or the use of computationally demanding modelling techniques.

FIREX-Related Biomass Burning Research Using ARM Single-Particle Soot Photometer Field Campaign Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Onasch, Timothy B [Aerodyne Research, Inc.; Sedlacek, Arthur J [Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)

2017-03-15

The scientific focus of this study was to investigate and quantify the mass loadings, chemical compositions, and optical properties of biomass burning particulate emissions generated in the laboratory from Western U.S. fuels using a similar instrument suite to the one deployed on the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility Gulfstream-1 (G-1) aircraft during the 2013 Biomass Burning Observation Project (BBOP) field study (Kleinman and Sedlacek, 2013). We deployed the single-particle soot photometer (SP2) to make measurements of biomass burning refractory black carbon (rBC) mass loadings and size distributions to correlate with non-refractory particulate matter (NR-PM; i.e., HR-AMS) and rBC (SP-AMS) measurements as a function of photo-oxidation processes in an environmental chamber. With these measurements, we will address the following scientific questions: 1. What are the emission indices (g/kg fuel) of rBC from various wildland fuels from the Pacific Northwest (i.e., relevant to BBOP analysis) as a function of combustion conditions and simulated atmospheric processing in an environmental chamber? 2. What are the optical properties (e.g., mass-specific absorption cross-section [MAC], single-scattering albedo [SSA], and absorption Angstrom exponent [AAE)] of rBC emitted from various wildland fuels and how are they impacted by atmospheric processing? 3. How does the mixing state of rBC in biomass-burning plumes relate to the optical properties? 4. How does the emitted rBC affect radiative forcing?

Indices to screen for grain yield and grain-zinc mass concentrations in aerobic rice at different soil-Zn levels

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Jiang, W.; Struik, P.C.; Zhao, M.; Keulen, van H.; Fan, T.Q.; Stomph, T.J.

2008-01-01

Zinc is an important micronutrient for both crop growth and human nutrition. In rice production, yields are often reduced and Zn mass concentrations in the grains are often low when Zn is in short supply to the crop. This may result in malnutrition of people dependent on a rice-based diet. Plant

Size-resolved mass concentrations of iron oxide aerosols and size-resolved number concentrations of iron oxide aerosols collected from King Air aircraft in Yellow Sea and East China Sea from 2013-02-14 to 2013-03-10 (NCEI Accession 0162201)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This dataset contains size-resolved mass concentrations of iron oxide aerosols and size-resolved number concentrations of iron oxide aerosols, measured using the...

Computational algorithm for molybdenite concentrate annealing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alkatseva, V.M.

1995-01-01

Computational algorithm is presented for annealing of molybdenite concentrate with granulated return dust and that of granulated molybdenite concentrate. The algorithm differs from the known analogies for sulphide raw material annealing by including the calculation of return dust mass in stationary annealing; the latter quantity varies form the return dust mass value obtained in the first iteration step. Masses of solid products are determined by distribution of concentrate annealing products, including return dust and benthonite. The algorithm is applied to computations for annealing of other sulphide materials. 3 refs

Association of urinary phthalate metabolites concentrations with body mass index and waist circumference.

Science.gov (United States)

Amin, Mohammad Mehdi; Parastar, Saeed; Ebrahimpour, Karim; Shoshtari-Yeganeh, Bahareh; Hashemi, Majid; Mansourian, Marjan; Kelishadi, Roya

2018-04-01

This study aims to investigate the association of urinary concentration of phthalate metabolites with body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference (WC) in 2016 on 242 children and adolescents, aged 6-18 years living in Isfahan, Iran. Urinary concentration of mono-butyl phthalate (MBP), mono-benzyl phthalate (MBzP), mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP), mono-methyl phthalate (MMP), mono (2-ethyl-5-exohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), and mono (2-ethyl-5hydroxyhexyl) phthalate (MEHHP) metabolites were determined. For comparison of means, t test and to evaluate the association of analytes in different groups according to weight ANOVA was used. The correlation was applied to determine the association between phthalate metabolites with age, sex, WC, BMI, and BMI z-score. The univariate and multivariate regression models were used to determine the association of metabolites concentration with BMI z-score and WC. Mean (SD) BMI, BMI z-score and WC were 23.89 (4.41) kg/m 2 , 1.37 (1.3), and 82.37 (12.71) cm, respectively. There was a significant correlation between boys' age with BMI z-score (p value = 0.03) and WC (p value = 0.01), while the corresponding figures were not statistically significant in girls (p value = 0.48, and 0.4, respectively). Of the total population, 37 participants (15.3%) were obese. MMP, MBP, and MBzP metabolites were observed in all samples while MEHP, MEOHP, and MEHHP in 99.6, 95.86, and 96.28% of the studied population. Mean concentration of MMP (64.38 μg/L) and MBzP (268 μg/L) had the lowest and highest concentrations of metabolites, respectively. A significant relationship was observed among all studied metabolites and weight groups (p value ≤ 0.02). After adjustment for potential confounders, all metabolites (except MMP) showed a low-to-moderate positive and significant relationship with BMI z-score (β = 0.17-0.3). A weak to moderate positive and significant relationship was observed between all phthalate metabolites and WC (�

Characteristics of Ambient Black Carbon Mass and Size-Resolved Particle Number Concentrations during Corn Straw Open-Field Burning Episode Observations at a Rural Site in Southern Taiwan.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Yu-Hsiang; Yang, Li-Sing

2016-07-08

Information on the effect of open-field burning of agricultural residues on ambient black carbon (BC) mass and size-resolved particle number concentrations is scarce. In this study, to understand the effect of such open-field burning on short-term air quality, real-time variations of the BC mass and size-resolved particle number concentrations were monitored before and during a corn straw open-field burning episode at a rural site. Correlations between the BC mass and size-resolved particle number concentrations during the episode were investigated. Moreover, the particle number size distribution and absorption Ångström exponent were determined for obtaining the characteristics of aerosol emissions from the corn straw open-field burning. The results can be used to address public health concerns and as a reference for managing similar episodes of open-field burning of agricultural residues.

Neither Folic Acid Supplementation nor Pregnancy Affects the Distribution of Folate Forms in the Red Blood Cells of Women1–3

OpenAIRE

Hartman, Brenda A.; Fazili, Zia; Pfeiffer, Christine M.; O’Connor, Deborah L.

2014-01-01

It is not known whether folate metabolism is altered during pregnancy to support increased DNA and RNA biosynthesis. By using a state-of-the-art LC tandem mass spectrometry technique, the aim of this study was to investigate differences in RBC folate forms between pregnant and nonpregnant women and between nonpregnant women consuming different concentrations of supplemental folic acid. Forms of folate in RBCs were used to explore potential shifts in folate metabolism during early erythropoies...

Measurement of total and free docetaxel concentration in human plasma by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Rigo-Bonnin, Raül; Cobo-Sacristán, Sara; Gonzalo-Diego, Núria; Colom, Helena; Muñoz-Sánchez, Carmen; Urruticoechea, Ander; Falo, Catalina; Alía, Pedro

2016-01-05

Docetaxel is a semi-synthetic taxane with cytotoxic anti-neoplastic activity and, currently used as anticancer agent in several types of cancer. Docetaxel is highly bound to plasma proteins, and this significantly determines its clearance and activity. Therefore, measurement of free docetaxel in plasma is pharmacologically important when pharmacokinetics is investigated. We developed and validated chromatographic methods by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to measure total and free docetaxel concentration in human plasma. The final validated methods involved liquid-liquid extraction followed by dryness under nitrogen evaporation. To measure free docetaxel concentration, sample preparation was preceded by ultrafiltration. Chromatographic separation was achieved using an Acquity(®) UPLC(®) BEH™ (2.1×100 mm id, 1.7 μm) reverse-phase C18 column at a flow rate of 0.4 mL/min, using isocratic elution mode containing ammonium acetate/formic acid in water/methanol (30:70 v/v) as mobile phase. Docetaxel and its internal standard (paclitaxel) were detected by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry in positive ion multiple reaction monitoring mode using mass-to-charge (m/z) transitions of 808.3→527.0 (quantifier) and 808.3→509.0 (qualifier); and 854.3→569.0 (quantifier) and 854,3→509,0 (qualifier), respectively. The run time per sample was 3.5 min. The limits of quantification were 1,95 and 0.42 μg/L and linearity was observed between 1.95 and 1000 and 0.42-100 μg/L for total and free docetaxel, respectively. Coefficients of variation and absolute relative biases were less than 13.8% and 10.0%. Recovery values were greater than 79.4%. Evaluation of the matrix effect showed ion suppression and no carry-over was observed. The validated methods could be useful for both therapeutic drug monitoring and pharmacokinetic studies. They could be applied to daily clinical laboratory practice to measure the concentration of total and free

Attenuation of Red Blood Cell Storage Lesions with Vitamin C

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Kimberly Sanford

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Stored red blood cells (RBCs undergo oxidative stress that induces deleterious metabolic, structural, biochemical, and molecular changes collectively referred to as “storage lesions”. We hypothesized that vitamin C (VitC, reduced or oxidized would reduce red cell storage lesions, thus prolonging their storage duration. Whole-blood-derived, leuko-reduced, SAGM (saline-adenine-glucose-mannitol-preserved RBC concentrates were equally divided into four pediatric storage bags and the following additions made: (1 saline (saline; (2 0.3 mmol/L reduced VitC (Lo VitC; (3 3 mmol/L reduced VitC (Hi VitC; or (4 0.3 mmol/L oxidized VitC (dehydroascorbic acid, DHA as final concentrations. Biochemical and rheological parameters were serially assessed at baseline (prior to supplementation and Days 7, 21, 42, and 56 for RBC VitC concentration, pH, osmotic fragility by mechanical fragility index, and percent hemolysis, LDH release, glutathione depletion, RBC membrane integrity by scanning electron microscopy, and Western blot for β-spectrin. VitC exposure (reduced and oxidized significantly increased RBC antioxidant status with varying dynamics and produced trends in reduction in osmotic fragility and increases in membrane integrity. Conclusion: VitC partially protects RBC from oxidative changes during storage. Combining VitC with other antioxidants has the potential to improve long-term storage of RBC.

Determination of breath isoprene and acetone concentration with a needle-type extraction device in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Ueta, Ikuo; Mizuguchi, Ayako; Okamoto, Mitsuyoshi; Sakamaki, Hiroyuki; Hosoe, Masahiko; Ishiguro, Motoyuki; Saito, Yoshihiro

2014-03-20

Isoprene in human breath is said to be related to cholesterol metabolism, and the possibility of the correlations with some clinical parameters has been studied. However, at this stage, no clear benefit of breath isoprene has been reported for clinical diagnosis. In this work, isoprene and acetone concentrations were measured in the breath of healthy and obese subjects using a needle-type extraction device for subsequent analysis in gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to investigate the possibility of these compounds as an indicator of possible diseases. After measuring intraday and interday variations of isoprene and acetone concentrations in breath samples of healthy subjects, their concentrations were also determined in 80 healthy and 17 obese subjects. In addition, correlation between these breath concentrations and the blood tests result was studied for these healthy and obese subjects. The results indicated successful determination of breath isoprene and acetone in this work, however, no clear correlation was observed between these measured values and the blood test results. Breath isoprene concentration may not be a useful indicator for obesity or hypercholesterolemia. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

OpenRBC: Redefining the Frontier of Red Blood Cell Simulations at Protein Resolution

Science.gov (United States)

Tang, Yu-Hang; Lu, Lu; Li, He; Grinberg, Leopold; Sachdeva, Vipin; Evangelinos, Constantinos; Karniadakis, George

We present a from-scratch development of OpenRBC, a coarse-grained molecular dynamics code, which is capable of performing an unprecedented in silico experiment - simulating an entire mammal red blood cell lipid bilayer and cytoskeleton modeled by 4 million mesoscopic particles - on a single shared memory node. To achieve this, we invented an adaptive spatial searching algorithm to accelerate the computation of short-range pairwise interactions in an extremely sparse 3D space. The algorithm is based on a Voronoi partitioning of the point cloud of coarse-grained particles, and is continuously updated over the course of the simulation. The algorithm enables the construction of a lattice-free cell list, i.e. the key spatial searching data structure in our code, in O (N) time and space space with cells whose position and shape adapts automatically to the local density and curvature. The code implements NUMA/NUCA-aware OpenMP parallelization and achieves perfect scaling with up to hundreds of hardware threads. The code outperforms a legacy solver by more than 8 times in time-to-solution and more than 20 times in problem size, thus providing a new venue for probing the cytomechanics of red blood cells. This work was supported by the Department of Energy (DOE) Collaboratory on Mathematics for Mesoscopic Model- ing of Materials (CM4). YHT acknowledges partial financial support from an IBM Ph.D. Scholarship Award.

Accurate determination of 129I concentrations and 129I/137Cs ratios in spent nuclear resins by Accelerator Mass Spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nottoli, Emmanuelle; Bienvenu, Philippe; Labet, Alexandre; Bourlès, Didier; Arnold, Maurice; Bertaux, Maité

2014-01-01

Determining long-lived radionuclide concentrations in radioactive waste has fundamental implications for the long-term management of storage sites. This paper focuses on the measurement of low 129 I contents in ion exchange resins used for primary fluid purification in Pressurised Water Reactors (PWR). Iodine-129 concentrations were successfully determined using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) following a chemical procedure which included (1) acid digestion of resin samples in HNO 3 /HClO 4 , (2) radioactive decontamination by selective iodine extraction using a new chromatographic resin (CL Resin), and (3) AgI precipitation. Measured 129 I concentrations ranged from 4 to 12 ng/g, i.e. from 0.03 to 0.08 Bq/g. The calculation of 129 I/ 137 Cs activity ratios used for routine waste management produced values in agreement with the few available data for PWR resin samples. - Highlights: • In the context of radioactive waste management, this study aimed at measuring 129 I in spent resins using accelerator mass spectrometry. • The treatment procedure included microwave acid digestion of samples, iodine extraction by CL resins and AgI precipitation. • Developed first on synthetic matrices, the chemical treatment procedure was then successfully applied to real resin samples. • 129 I concentrations ranged from 4 to 12 ng/g of dry resin. • Results are in agreement with previous measurements and support reference values currently used for nuclear resin management

Determination of long-lived radionuclide (10Be, 41Ca, 129I) concentrations in nuclear waste by accelerator mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nottoli, Emmanuelle; Bienvenu, Philippe; Labet, Alexandre; Bertaux, Maite; Bourles, Didier; Arnold, Maurice

2013-01-01

Radiological characterization of nuclear waste is essential for storage sites management. However, most of Long-Lived Radionuclides (LLRN), important for long-term management, are difficult to measure since concentration levels are very low and waste matrices generally complex. In an industrial approach, LLRN concentrations are not directly measured in waste samples but assessed from scaling factors with respect to easily measured gamma emitters. Ideally, the key nuclide chosen ( 60 Co, 137 Cs) should be produced by a similar mechanism (fission or activation) as the LLRN of interest and should have similar physicochemical properties. However, the uncertainty on the scaling factors, determined from experimental and/or calculation data, can be quite important. Consequently, studies are performed to develop analytical procedures which would lead to determine precisely the concentration of LLRN in nuclear waste. In this context, the aim of this study was to determine the concentrations of three LLRN: 129 I (T 1/2 = 15.7*10 6 a), 41 Ca (T 1/2 = 9.94*10 4 a) and 10 Be (T 1/2 = 1.387*10 6 a) in spent resins used for primary fluid purification in Pressurized Water Reactors using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) for measurement. The AMS technique combined mass spectrometry and nuclear physics to achieve highly efficient molecular and elemental isobars separation. Energies of several Million Electron-Volt transferred to the ions in the first accelerating part of specifically developed tandem accelerators lead to molecular isobars destruction through interaction with the argon gas used to strip the injected negative ions to positive ones. At the exit of the tandem accelerator, the energy acquired in both accelerating parts allows an elemental isobars separation based on their significantly different energy loss (dE) while passing through a thickness of matter dx that is proportional to their atomic number (Z) and inversely proportional to ions velocity (v) according to the

Retention and radiative forcing of black carbon in eastern Sierra Nevada snow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. M. Sterle

2013-02-01

Full Text Available When contaminated by absorbing particles, such as refractory black carbon (rBC and continental dust, snow's albedo decreases and thus its absorption of solar radiation increases, thereby hastening snowmelt. For this reason, an understanding of rBC's affect on snow albedo, melt processes, and radiation balance is critical for water management, especially in a changing climate. Measurements of rBC in a sequence of snow pits and surface snow samples in the eastern Sierra Nevada of California during the snow accumulation and ablation seasons of 2009 show that concentrations of rBC were enhanced sevenfold in surface snow (~25 ng g^–1 compared to bulk values in the snowpack (~3 ng g^–1. Unlike major ions, which were preferentially released during the initial melt, rBC and continental dust were retained in the snow, enhancing concentrations well into late spring, until a final flush occurred during the ablation period. We estimate a combined rBC and continental dust surface radiative forcing of 20 to 40 W m⁻² during April and May, with dust likely contributing a greater share of the forcing.

RBC deformability and amino acid concentrations after hypo-osmotic challenge may reflect chronic cell hydration status in healthy young men

OpenAIRE

Stookey, Jodi D; Klein, Alexis; Hamer, Janice; Chi, Christine; Higa, Annie; Ng, Vivian; Arieff, Allen; Kuypers, Frans A; Larkin, Sandra; Perrier, Erica; Lang, Florian

2013-01-01

Biomarkers of chronic cell hydration status are needed to determine whether chronic hyperosmotic stress increases chronic disease risk in population-representative samples. In vitro, cells adapt to chronic hyperosmotic stress by upregulating protein breakdown to counter the osmotic gradient with higher intracellular amino acid concentrations. If cells are subsequently exposed to hypo-osmotic conditions, the adaptation results in excess cell swelling and/or efflux of free amino acids. This stu...

EE-drospirenone-levomefolate calcium versus EE-drospirenone + folic acid: folate status during 24 weeks of treatment and over 20 weeks following treatment cessation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Diefenbach K

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Konstanze Diefenbach,1 Dietmar Trummer,1 Frank Ebert,1 Michael Lissy,2 Manuela Koch,2 Beate Rohde,1 Hartmut Blode3 1Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, Berlin, Germany; 2Nuvisan GmbH, Neu-Ulm, Germany; 3Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Global R&D Center, Beijing, People's Republic of China Background: Adequate folate supplementation in the periconceptional phase is recommended to reduce the risk of neural tube defects. Oral contraceptives may provide a reasonable delivery vehicle for folate supplementation before conception in women of childbearing potential. This study aimed to demonstrate that a fixed-dose combination of an oral contraceptive and levomefolate calcium leads to sustainable improvements in folate status compared with an oral contraceptive + folic acid. Methods: This was a double-blind, randomized, parallel-group study in which 172 healthy women aged 18–40 years received ethinylestradiol (EE-drospirenone-levomefolate calcium or EE-drospirenone + folic acid for 24 weeks (invasion phase, and EE-drospirenone for an additional 20 weeks (folate elimination phase. The main objective of the invasion phase was to examine the area under the folate concentration time-curve for plasma and red blood cell (RBC folate, while the main objective of the elimination phase was to determine the duration of time for which RBC folate concentration remained ≥ 906 nmol/L after cessation of EE-drospirenone-levomefolate calcium. Results: Mean concentration-time curves for plasma folate, RBC folate, and homocysteine were comparable between treatment groups during both study phases. During the invasion phase, plasma and RBC folate concentrations increased and approached steady-state after about 8 weeks (plasma or 24 weeks (RBC. After cessation of treatment with levomefolate calcium, folate concentrations decreased slowly. The median time to RBC folate concentrations falling below 906 nmol/L was 10 weeks (95% confidence interval 8–12 weeks after cessation

The influence of platelets, plasma and red blood cells on functional haemostatic assays

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bochsen, Louise; Johansson, Pär I.; Kristensen, Annemarie Thuri

2011-01-01

concentrates, fresh frozen plasma and stored RBC. Pure platelets were investigated by removing plasma components from platelet concentrates by diafiltration against the platelet storage solution Intersol. Plasma was readded by diafiltration against plasma in Intersol. Haemostatic function was evaluated by TEG...... plasma from platelet concentrates eliminated the TEG response and diminished the Multiplate aggregation response, but readding plasma to the pure platelet concentrates restored the response. Each of the elements in whole blood, plasma, platelets and RBC, affected the Multiplate and TEG results...

Determining Mass and Persistence of a Reactive Brominated-Solvent DNAPL Source Using Mass Depletion-Mass Flux Reduction Relationships During Pumping

Science.gov (United States)

Johnston, C. D.; Davis, G. B.; Bastow, T.; Annable, M. D.; Trefry, M. G.; Furness, A.; Geste, Y.; Woodbury, R.; Rhodes, S.

2011-12-01

Measures of the source mass and depletion characteristics of recalcitrant dense non-aqueous phase liquid (DNAPL) contaminants are critical elements for assessing performance of remediation efforts. This is in addition to understanding the relationships between source mass depletion and changes to dissolved contaminant concentration and mass flux in groundwater. Here we present results of applying analytical source-depletion concepts to pumping from within the DNAPL source zone of a 10-m thick heterogeneous layered aquifer to estimate the original source mass and characterise the time trajectory of source depletion and mass flux in groundwater. The multi-component, reactive DNAPL source consisted of the brominated solvent tetrabromoethane (TBA) and its transformation products (mostly tribromoethene - TriBE). Coring and multi-level groundwater sampling indicated the DNAPL to be mainly in lower-permeability layers, suggesting the source had already undergone appreciable depletion. Four simplified source dissolution models (exponential, power function, error function and rational mass) were able to describe the concentration history of the total molar concentration of brominated organics in extracted groundwater during 285 days of pumping. Approximately 152 kg of brominated compounds were extracted. The lack of significant kinetic mass transfer limitations in pumped concentrations was notable. This was despite the heterogeneous layering in the aquifer and distribution of DNAPL. There was little to choose between the model fits to pumped concentration time series. The variance of groundwater velocities in the aquifer determined during a partitioning inter-well tracer test (PITT) were used to parameterise the models. However, the models were found to be relatively insensitive to this parameter. All models indicated an initial source mass around 250 kg which compared favourably to an estimate of 220 kg derived from the PITT. The extrapolated concentrations from the

Constraining dark matter halo profiles and galaxy formation models using spiral arm morphology. II. Dark and stellar mass concentrations for 13 nearby face-on galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seigar, Marc S.; Davis, Benjamin L.; Berrier, Joel; Kennefick, Daniel

2014-01-01

We investigate the use of spiral arm pitch angles as a probe of disk galaxy mass profiles. We confirm our previous result that spiral arm pitch angles (P) are well correlated with the rate of shear (S) in disk galaxy rotation curves. We use this correlation to argue that imaging data alone can provide a powerful probe of galactic mass distributions out to large look-back times. We then use a sample of 13 galaxies, with Spitzer 3.6 μm imaging data and observed Hα rotation curves, to demonstrate how an inferred shear rate coupled with a bulge-disk decomposition model and a Tully-Fisher-derived velocity normalization can be used to place constraints on a galaxy's baryon fraction and dark matter halo profile. Finally, we show that there appears to be a trend (albeit a weak correlation) between spiral arm pitch angle and halo concentration. We discuss implications for the suggested link between supermassive black hole (SMBH) mass and dark halo concentration, using pitch angle as a proxy for SMBH mass.

Advanced solar concentrator mass production, operation, and maintenance cost assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Niemeyer, W. A.; Bedard, R. J.; Bell, D. M.

1981-01-01

The object of this assessment was to estimate the costs of the preliminary design at: production rates of 100 to 1,000,000 concentrators per year; concentrators per aperture diameters of 5, 10, 11, and 15 meters; and various receiver/power conversion package weights. The design of the cellular glass substrate Advanced Solar Concentrator is presented. The concentrator is an 11 meter diameter, two axis tracking, parabolic dish solar concentrator. The reflective surface of this design consists of inner and outer groups of mirror glass/cellular glass gores.

It's what's inside that counts: egg contaminant concentrations are influenced by estimates of egg density, egg volume, and fresh egg mass.

Science.gov (United States)

Herzog, Mark P; Ackerman, Joshua T; Eagles-Smith, Collin A; Hartman, C Alex

2016-05-01

In egg contaminant studies, it is necessary to calculate egg contaminant concentrations on a fresh wet weight basis and this requires accurate estimates of egg density and egg volume. We show that the inclusion or exclusion of the eggshell can influence egg contaminant concentrations, and we provide estimates of egg density (both with and without the eggshell) and egg-shape coefficients (used to estimate egg volume from egg morphometrics) for American avocet (Recurvirostra americana), black-necked stilt (Himantopus mexicanus), and Forster's tern (Sterna forsteri). Egg densities (g/cm(3)) estimated for whole eggs (1.056 ± 0.003) were higher than egg densities estimated for egg contents (1.024 ± 0.001), and were 1.059 ± 0.001 and 1.025 ± 0.001 for avocets, 1.056 ± 0.001 and 1.023 ± 0.001 for stilts, and 1.053 ± 0.002 and 1.025 ± 0.002 for terns. The egg-shape coefficients for egg volume (K v ) and egg mass (K w ) also differed depending on whether the eggshell was included (K v  = 0.491 ± 0.001; K w  = 0.518 ± 0.001) or excluded (K v  = 0.493 ± 0.001; K w  = 0.505 ± 0.001), and varied among species. Although egg contaminant concentrations are rarely meant to include the eggshell, we show that the typical inclusion of the eggshell in egg density and egg volume estimates results in egg contaminant concentrations being underestimated by 6-13 %. Our results demonstrate that the inclusion of the eggshell significantly influences estimates of egg density, egg volume, and fresh egg mass, which leads to egg contaminant concentrations that are biased low. We suggest that egg contaminant concentrations be calculated on a fresh wet weight basis using only internal egg-content densities, volumes, and masses appropriate for the species. For the three waterbirds in our study, these corrected coefficients are 1.024 ± 0.001 for egg density, 0.493 ± 0.001 for K v , and 0.505 ± 0.001 for K w .

Hematological parameters in Nile Tilápia, Oreochromis niloticus exposed to sub-letal concentrations of mercury

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nilton Massuo Ishikawa

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Mercury toxicity in tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus, (Linnaeus, 1758 was investigated by the hematological parameters after long-term (14 days exposure to various Hg concentrations (0.02, 0.002, 0.0002mg/L Hg. Test groups were set up with three replicates for each concentration, plus the control group. Blood samples were collected from six individuals for each concentration at 0, 3, 7, 10 and 14 days of exposure. The hematological parameters analyzed were: total red blood cell count (RBC, hemoglobin concentration (Hb, hematocrit (Ht, mean corpuscular volume (MCV, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH, mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC, total white blood cell count (WBC and differential leukocyte counts and total thrombocyte count (Tr. There were no significant differences among the mean hematological values at the different Hg concentrations indicating that Hg at the concentrations studied was not toxic to tilapia.A toxicidade do mercúrio foi avaliada em tilápia, Oreochromis niloticus (Linnaues, 1758 através da análise dos parâmetros hematológicos após exposição a diferentes concentrações sub-letais, durante um período de 14 dias. O bioensaio foi conduzido no laboratório de toxicologia do Instituto de Pesca, SP. Foram utilizados alevinos (12.44 ± 0.84 cm, e 27.13 ± 4.67 g e aquários com capacidade para 50 litros e preenchidos com água declorada e mais a quantidade de solução de mercúrio (HgCl2 correspondendo as seguintes concentrações: 0,02; 0,002; 0.0002 mg.L-1 Hg. Foram utilizadas 3 repetições de cada concentração e grupo controle. Amostras de sangue foram coletadas de seis animais de cada concentração nos tempos 0, 3, 7, 10 e 14 dias de exposição. Foram avaliados: a contagem de eritrócitos (RBC, concentração de hemoglobina (Hb, hematócrito (Ht, volume corpuscular médio (VCM, hemoglobina corpuscular média (HCM e concentração de hemoglobina corpuscular média (CHCM, trombócitos totais (Tr, contagem

Mechanical, thermal and friction properties of rice bran carbon/nitrile rubber composites: Influence of particle size and loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Mei-Chun; Zhang, Yinhang; Cho, Ur Ryong

2014-01-01

Highlights: • A novel rice bran carbon (RBC) is used to reinforce nitrile rubber. • We study the effect of RBC particle size on the performances of nitrile rubber. • We study the effect of RBC loading on the performances of nitrile rubber. • The addition of RBC improves the mechanical properties of nitrile rubber. • The addition of RBC improves the anti-skid properties of nitrile rubber. - Abstract: Four types of rice bran carbon (RBC) with different particle sizes were compounded with nitrile rubber (NBR) in a laboratory size two-roll miller. The obtained RBC/NBR composites were characterized using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM) and tensile tests. Experimental results showed the RBC with lowest particle size exhibited best dispersion state and superior reinforcement ability. Then, we investigated the influence of RBC loading on the morphology, vulcanization characteristics, mechanical, thermal and friction properties of NBR composites. Experimental results indicated that the incorporation of RBC resulted in higher torque values, longer curing time, but shorter scorch time. The addition of RBC remarkably improved the mechanical properties of NBR composites. However, when the RBC loading exceeded 60 phr, the improvement in the tensile strength was not significant due to the poor dispersion state and weak interfacial bonding between RBC and NBR matrix, which were confirmed by Mooney–Rivlin stress–strain curves and FE-SEM observations. The thermal stabilities of RBC/NBR composites were largely improved as the loading of RBC increased. Friction tests revealed that under a certain concentration, the presence of RBC increased the static friction coefficient of NBR composites, suggesting the anti-skid role of RBC in the NBR composites. The overall results demonstrated that RBC could act as ideal filler for NBR composites providing both economic and environmental advantages

Application of digital image processing to a β-gauge for determining mass concentration of suspending particulate matter in atmosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gotoh, Takao

1992-01-01

A two-dimensional image of the mass concentration of suspending particulate matter (SPM) collected on Millipore filter paper was photographed with Ultrofilm- 3 H. The printed paper image was transformed into a digital image (256 x 256 pixels) with 256 gray levels. Two results were obtained. The averaged values of gray level over all pixels of the digital image was found to correlate with the mass value measured by a β-gauge. The characteristic range of the digital image which was transformed to frequency by two-dimensional fast fourier transformation was found in the low frequency. It was presumed to relate to SPM from anthropogenic sources because the SPMs usually show higher density and smaller particle size than SPMs from natural sources. (author)

International system of units traceable results of Hg mass concentration at saturation in air from a newly developed measurement procedure.

Science.gov (United States)

Quétel, Christophe R; Zampella, Mariavittoria; Brown, Richard J C; Ent, Hugo; Horvat, Milena; Paredes, Eduardo; Tunc, Murat

2014-08-05

Data most commonly used at present to calibrate measurements of mercury vapor concentrations in air come from a relationship known as the "Dumarey equation". It uses a fitting relationship to experimental results obtained nearly 30 years ago. The way these results relate to the international system of units (SI) is not known. This has caused difficulties for the specification and enforcement of limit values for mercury concentrations in air and in emissions to air as part of national or international legislation. Furthermore, there is a significant discrepancy (around 7% at room temperature) between the Dumarey data and data calculated from results of mercury vapor pressure measurements in the presence of only liquid mercury. As an attempt to solve some of these problems, a new measurement procedure is described for SI traceable results of gaseous Hg concentrations at saturation in milliliter samples of air. The aim was to propose a scheme as immune as possible to analytical biases. It was based on isotope dilution (ID) in the liquid phase with the (202)Hg enriched certified reference material ERM-AE640 and measurements of the mercury isotope ratios in ID blends, subsequent to a cold vapor generation step, by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The process developed involved a combination of interconnected valves and syringes operated by computer controlled pumps and ensured continuity under closed circuit conditions from the air sampling stage onward. Quantitative trapping of the gaseous mercury in the liquid phase was achieved with 11.5 μM KMnO4 in 2% HNO3. Mass concentrations at saturation found from five measurements under room temperature conditions were significantly higher (5.8% on average) than data calculated from the Dumarey equation, but in agreement (-1.2% lower on average) with data based on mercury vapor pressure measurement results. Relative expanded combined uncertainties were estimated following a model based approach. They ranged from 2

Mercury exposure associated with altered plasma thyroid hormones in the declining western pond turtle (Emys marmorata) from California mountain streams

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Erik; Eagles-Smith, Collin A.; Sparling, Donald; Blumenshine, Steve

2014-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is a global threat to wildlife health that can impair many physiological processes. Mercury has well-documented endocrine activity; however, little work on the effects of Hg on the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) in aquatic wildlife exists despite the fact that it is a sensitive endpoint of contaminant exposure. An emerging body of evidence points to the toxicological susceptibility of aquatic reptiles to Hg exposure. We examined the endocrine disrupting potential of Hg in the western pond turtle (Emys marmorata), a long-lived reptile that is in decline throughout California and the Pacific Northwest. We measured total Hg (THg) concentrations in red blood cells (RBCs) and plasma T3 and T4 of turtles from several locations in California that have been impacted by historic gold mining. Across all turtles from all sites, the geometric mean and standard error THg concentration was 0.805 ± 0.025 μg/g dry weight. Sampling region and mass were the strongest determinants of RBC THg. Relationships between RBC THg and T3 and T4 were consistent with Hg-induced disruption of T4 deiodination, a mechanism of toxicity that may cause excess T4 levels and depressed concentrations of biologically active T3.

Mercury exposure associated with altered plasma thyroid hormones in the declining western pond turtle (Emys marmorata) from California mountain streams.

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, Erik; Eagles-Smith, Collin A; Sparling, Donald; Blumenshine, Steve

2014-01-01

Mercury (Hg) is a global threat to wildlife health that can impair many physiological processes. Mercury has well-documented endocrine activity; however, little work on the effects of Hg on the thyroid hormones triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) in aquatic wildlife exists despite the fact that it is a sensitive endpoint of contaminant exposure. An emerging body of evidence points to the toxicological susceptibility of aquatic reptiles to Hg exposure. We examined the endocrine disrupting potential of Hg in the western pond turtle (Emys marmorata), a long-lived reptile that is in decline throughout California and the Pacific Northwest. We measured total Hg (THg) concentrations in red blood cells (RBCs) and plasma T3 and T4 of turtles from several locations in California that have been impacted by historic gold mining. Across all turtles from all sites, the geometric mean and standard error THg concentration was 0.805 ± 0.025 μg/g dry weight. Sampling region and mass were the strongest determinants of RBC THg. Relationships between RBC THg and T3 and T4 were consistent with Hg-induced disruption of T4 deiodination, a mechanism of toxicity that may cause excess T4 levels and depressed concentrations of biologically active T3.

Validated assay for the simultaneous quantification of total vincristine and actinomycin-D concentrations in human EDTA plasma and of vincristine concentrations in human plasma ultrafiltrate by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Damen, Carola W. N.; Israëls, Trijn; Caron, Huib N.; Schellens, Jan H. M.; Rosing, Hilde; Beijnen, Jos H.

2009-01-01

A sensitive, specific and efficient high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) assay for the simultaneous determination of total vincristine and actinomycin-D concentrations in human plasma and an assay for the determination of unbound vincristine are presented.

1 Mixing state and absorbing properties of black carbon during Arctic haze

Science.gov (United States)

Zanatta, Marco; Gysel, Martin; Eleftheriadis, Kosas; Laj, Paolo; Hans-Werner, Jacobi

2016-04-01

The Arctic atmosphere is periodically affected by the Arctic haze occurring in spring. One of its particulate components is the black carbon (BC), which is considered to be an important contributor to climate change in the Arctic region. Beside BC-cloud interaction and albedo reduction of snow, BC may influence Arctic climate interacting directly with the solar radiation, warming the corresponding aerosol layer (Flanner, 2013). Such warming depends on BC atmospheric burden and also on the efficiency of BC to absorb light, in fact the light absorption is enhanced by mixing of BC with other atmospheric non-absorbing materials (lensing effect) (Bond et al., 2013). The BC reaching the Arctic is evilly processed, due to long range transport. Aging promote internal mixing and thus absorption enhancement. Such modification of mixing and is quantification after long range transport have been observed in the Atlantic ocean (China et al., 2015) but never investigated in the Arctic. During field experiments conducted at the Zeppelin research site in Svalbard during the 2012 Arctic spring, we investigated the relative precision of different BC measuring techniques; a single particle soot photometer was then used to assess the coating of Arctic black carbon. This allowed quantifying the absorption enhancement induced by internal mixing via optical modelling; the optical assessment of aged black carbon in the arctic will be of major interest for future radiative forcing assessment.Optical characterization of the total aerosol indicated that in 2012 no extreme smoke events took place and that the aerosol population was dominated by fine and non-absorbing particles. Low mean concentration of rBC was found (30 ng m-3), with a mean mass equivalent diameter above 200 nm. rBC concentration detected with the continuous soot monitoring system and the single particle soot photometer was agreeing within 15%. Combining absorption coefficient observed with an aethalometer and rBC mass

Nucleon structure in lattice QCD with dynamical domain-wall fermions quarks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huey-Wen Lin; Shigemi Ohta

2006-01-01

We report RBC and RBC/UKQCD lattice QCD numerical calculations of nucleon electroweak matrix elements with dynamical domain-wall fermions (DWF) quarks. The first, RBC, set of dynamical DWF ensembles employs two degenerate flavors of DWF quarks and the DBW2 gauge action. Three sea quark mass values of 0.04, 0.03 and 0.02 in lattice units are used with about 200 gauge configurations each. The lattice cutoff is about 1.7 GeV and the spatial volume is about (1.9 fm) 3 . Despite the small volume, the ratio of the isovector vector and axial charges g A /g V and that of structure function moments u-d / Δ u-Δ d are in agreement with experiment, and show only very mild quark mass dependence. The second, RBC/UK, set of ensembles employs one strange and two degenerate (up and down) dynamical DWF quarks and Iwasaki gauge action. The strange quark mass is set at 0.04, and three up/down mass values of 0.03, 0.02 and 0.01 in lattice units are used. The lattice cutoff is about 1.6 GeV and the spatial volume is about (3.0 fm) 3 . Even with preliminary statistics of 25-30 gauge configurations, the ratios g A /g V and u-d / Δu - Δd are consistent with experiment and show only very mild quark mass dependence. Another structure function moment, d 1 , though yet to be renormalized, appears small in both sets

NUCLEON STRUCTURE IN LATTICE QCD WITH DYNAMICAL DOMAIN--WALL FERMIONS QUARKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

LIN, H.W.; OHTA, S.

2006-01-01

We report RBC and RBC/UKQCD lattice QCD numerical calculations of nucleon electroweak matrix elements with dynamical domain-wall fermions (DWF) quarks. The first, RBC, set of dynamical DWF ensembles employs two degenerate flavors of DWF quarks and the DBW2 gauge action. Three sea quark mass values of 0.04, 0.03 and 0.02 in lattice units are used with 220 gauge configurations each. The lattice cutoff is a -1 ∼ 1.7GeV and the spatial volume is about (1.9fm) 3 . Despite the small volume, the ratio of the isovector vector and axial charges g A /g V and that of structure function moments u-d / Δu-Δd are in agreement with experiment, and show only very mild quark mass dependence. The second, RBC/UK, set of ensembles employs one strange and two degenerate (up and down) dynamical DWF quarks and Iwasaki gauge action. The strange quark mass is set at 0.04, and three up/down mass values of 0.03, 0.02 and 0.01 in lattice units are used. The lattice cutoff is a -1 ∼ 1.6GeV and the spatial volume is about (3.0fm) 3 . Even with preliminary statistics of 25-30 gauge configurations, the ratios g A /g V and u-d / Δu-Δd are consistent with experiment and show only very mild quark mass dependence. Another structure function moment, d 1 , though yet to be renormalized, appears small in both sets

Serum Vaspin Concentration in Elderly Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients with Differing Body Mass Index: A Cross-Sectional Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Yang

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Aims. This study was to evaluate the association of serum vaspin concentrations with body mass index (BMI among elderly patients (>60 years old. Methods. A total of 227 elderly individuals included 76 healthy with normal glucose tolerance, which divided into normal weight control (BMI BMI ≥ 25, n=52, and obese diabetes (BMI ≥ 30, n=43 subgroups. Relevant parameters were matched for age and gender ratio. Serum vaspin concentrations were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. Serum vaspin concentration was significantly higher in the T2DM than the healthy (451.9±32.6 versus 284.2±21.7, P<0.01. In the diabetic patients, the vaspin concentration was significantly higher in the obese group than the normal weight group (498.2±17.1 versus 382.1±21.3, P<0.05. In addition, the concentration of vaspin in normal weight T2DM was higher than in healthy control group with normal weight (382.1±21.3 versus 192.5±45.2, P<0.05. Multiple regression analysis revealed that BMI was independent factors influencing the serum vaspin concentration in all participants. Conclusion. Vaspin may play an important compensatory role in obesity and insulin resistance in elderly people. The clinical trial registration number is ChiCTR-OPC-14005698.

On the Effects of Reactive Oxygen Species and Nitric Oxide on Red Blood Cell Deformability

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Lukas Diederich

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The main function of red blood cells (RBCs is the transport of respiratory gases along the vascular tree. To fulfill their task, RBCs are able to elastically deform in response to mechanical forces and, pass through the narrow vessels of the microcirculation. Decreased RBC deformability was observed in pathological conditions linked to increased oxidative stress or decreased nitric oxide (NO bioavailability, like hypertension. Treatments with oxidants and with NO were shown to affect RBC deformability ex vivo, but the mechanisms underpinning these effects are unknown. In this study we investigate whether changes in intracellular redox status/oxidative stress or nitrosation reactions induced by reactive oxygen species (ROS or NO may affect RBC deformability. In a case-control study comparing RBCs from healthy and hypertensive participants, we found that RBC deformability was decreased, and levels of ROS were increased in RBCs from hypertensive patients as compared to RBCs from aged-matched healthy controls, while NO levels in RBCs were not significantly different. To study the effects of oxidants on RBC redox state and deformability, RBCs from healthy volunteers were treated with increasing concentrations of tert-butylhydroperoxide (t-BuOOH. We found that high concentrations of t-BuOOH (≥ 1 mM significantly decreased the GSH/GSSG ratio in RBCs, decreased RBC deformability and increased blood bulk viscosity. Moreover, RBCs from Nrf2 knockout (KO mice, a strain genetically deficient in a number of antioxidant/reducing enzymes, were more susceptible to t-BuOOH-induced impairment in RBC deformability as compared to wild type (WT mice. To study the role of NO in RBC deformability we treated RBC suspensions from human volunteers with NO donors and nitrosothiols and analyzed deformability of RBCs from mice lacking the endothelial NO synthase (eNOS. We found that NO donors induced S-nitrosation of the cytoskeletal protein spectrin, but did not affect

Relationship between RBC Mercury Levels and Serum n3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Concentrations among Japanese Men and Women

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsuji, M.; Ando, T.; Wakamiya, J.; Koriyama, Ch.; Akiba, S.; Kitano, T.

2012-01-01

Aims. To evaluate potential health risk and benefits of fish consumption, the association of fish consumption with total mercury levels in red blood cells (RBCs) and serum eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) concentrations was examined. Subjects and Methods. Study subjects were 269 Japanese (98 men and 171 women) living in a remote island of Kagoshima, and their blood was drawn in 1994. Results. Total mercury levels were related to weekly fish consumption among women (P=0.035) but not among men (P=0.643). However, serum EPA levels were not related to fish consumption in both women and men. In contrast, EPA levels in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) fraction of the sera were significantly related to fish consumption (P values for men and women were 0.014 and 0.073, resp.). Interestingly, mercury levels were related to serum EPA levels and EPA in the HDL fraction of the sera (P=0.001) among women (P=0.005) but not among men. Sex differences in fish species consumed may be an explanation for the observed sex difference. Conclusion. Those findings suggest that the health benefit of fish consumption can be maximized by the careful selection of fish species consumed

Fully developed natural convection heat and mass transfer in a vertical annular porous medium with asymmetric wall temperatures and concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cheng, C.-Y.

2006-01-01

This work examines the effects of the modified Darcy number, the buoyancy ratio and the inner radius-gap ratio on the fully developed natural convection heat and mass transfer in a vertical annular non-Darcy porous medium with asymmetric wall temperatures and concentrations. The exact solutions for the important characteristics of fluid flow, heat transfer, and mass transfer are derived by using a non-Darcy flow model. The modified Darcy number is related to the flow resistance of the porous matrix. For the free convection heat and mass transfer in an annular duct filled with porous media, increasing the modified Darcy number tends to increase the volume flow rate, total heat rate added to the fluid, and the total species rate added to the fluid. Moreover, an increase in the buoyancy ratio or in the inner radius-gap ratio leads to an increase in the volume flow rate, the total heat rate added to the fluid, and the total species rate added to the fluid

Comparisons of urban and rural PM10−2.5 and PM2.5 mass concentrations and semi-volatile fractions in northeastern Colorado

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. Clements

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Coarse (PM10−2.5 and fine (PM2.5 particulate matter in the atmosphere adversely affect human health and influence climate. While PM2.5 is relatively well studied, less is known about the sources and fate of PM10−2.5. The Colorado Coarse Rural-Urban Sources and Health (CCRUSH study measured PM10−2.5 and PM2.5 mass concentrations, as well as the fraction of semi-volatile material (SVM in each size regime (SVM2.5, SVM10−2.5, from 2009 to early 2012 in Denver and comparatively rural Greeley, Colorado. Agricultural operations east of Greeley appear to have contributed to the peak PM10−2.5 concentrations there, but concentrations were generally lower in Greeley than in Denver. Traffic-influenced sites in Denver had PM10−2.5 concentrations that averaged from 14.6 to 19.7 µg m−3 and mean PM10−2.5 ∕ PM10 ratios of 0.56 to 0.70, higher than at residential sites in Denver or Greeley. PM10−2.5 concentrations were more temporally variable than PM2.5 concentrations. Concentrations of the two pollutants were not correlated. Spatial correlations of daily averaged PM10−2.5 concentrations ranged from 0.59 to 0.62 for pairs of sites in Denver and from 0.47 to 0.70 between Denver and Greeley. Compared to PM10−2.5, concentrations of PM2.5 were more correlated across sites within Denver and less correlated between Denver and Greeley. PM10−2.5 concentrations were highest during the summer and early fall, while PM2.5 and SVM2.5 concentrations peaked in winter during periodic multi-day inversions. SVM10−2.5 concentrations were low at all sites. Diurnal peaks in PM10−2.5 and PM2.5 concentrations corresponded to morning and afternoon peaks of traffic activity, and were enhanced by boundary layer dynamics. SVM2.5 concentrations peaked around noon on both weekdays and weekends. PM10−2.5 concentrations at sites located near highways generally increased with wind speeds above about 3 m s−1. Little wind speed dependence was

Identification of chemical warfare agents from vapor samples using a field-portable capillary gas chromatography/membrane-interfaced electron ionization quadrupole mass spectrometry instrument with Tri-Bed concentrator.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagashima, Hisayuki; Kondo, Tomohide; Nagoya, Tomoki; Ikeda, Toru; Kurimata, Naoko; Unoke, Shohei; Seto, Yasuo

2015-08-07

A field-portable gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (Hapsite ER system) was evaluated for the detection of chemical warfare agents (CWAs) in the vapor phase. The system consisted of Tri-Bed concentrator gas sampler (trapping time: 3s(-1)min), a nonpolar low thermal-mass capillary gas chromatography column capable of raising temperatures up to 200°C, a hydrophobic membrane-interfaced electron ionization quadrupole mass spectrometer evacuated by a non-evaporative getter pump for data acquisition, and a personal computer for data analysis. Sample vapors containing as little as 22μg sarin (GB), 100μg soman (GD), 210μg tabun (GA), 55μg cyclohexylsarin (GF), 4.8μg sulfur mustard, 390μg nitrogen mustard 1, 140μg of nitrogen mustard 2, 130μg nitrogen mustard 3, 120μg of 2-chloroacetophenone and 990μg of chloropicrin per cubic meter could be confirmed after Tri-Bed micro-concentration (for 1min) and automated AMDIS search within 12min. Using manual deconvolution by background subtraction of neighboring regions on the extracted ion chromatograms, the above-mentioned CWAs could be confirmed at lower concentration levels. The memory effects were also examined and we found that blister agents showed significantly more carry-over than nerve agents. Gasoline vapor was found to interfere with the detection of GB and GD, raising the concentration limits for confirmation in the presence of gasoline by both AMDIS search and manual deconvolution; however, GA and GF were not subject to interference by gasoline. Lewisite 1, and o-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile could also be confirmed by gas chromatography, but it was hard to quantify them. Vapors of phosgene, chlorine, and cyanogen chloride could be confirmed by direct mass spectrometric detection at concentration levels higher than 2, 140, and 10mg/m(3) respectively, by bypassing the micro-concentration trap and gas chromatographic separation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Detection of Adriamycin-DNA adducts by accelerator mass spectrometry at clinically relevant Adriamycin concentrations.

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Coldwell, Kate E; Cutts, Suzanne M; Ognibene, Ted J; Henderson, Paul T; Phillips, Don R

2008-09-01

Limited sensitivity of existing assays has prevented investigation of whether Adriamycin-DNA adducts are involved in the anti-tumour potential of Adriamycin. Previous detection has achieved a sensitivity of a few Adriamycin-DNA adducts/10(4) bp DNA, but has required the use of supra-clinical drug concentrations. This work sought to measure Adriamycin-DNA adducts at sub-micromolar doses using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS), a technique with origins in geochemistry for radiocarbon dating. We have used conditions previously validated (by less sensitive decay counting) to extract [(14)C]Adriamycin-DNA adducts from cells and adapted the methodology to AMS detection. Here we show the first direct evidence of Adriamycin-DNA adducts at clinically-relevant Adriamycin concentrations. [(14)C]Adriamycin treatment (25 nM) resulted in 4.4 +/- 1.0 adducts/10(7) bp ( approximately 1300 adducts/cell) in MCF-7 breast cancer cells, representing the best sensitivity and precision reported to date for the covalent binding of Adriamycin to DNA. The exceedingly sensitive nature of AMS has enabled over three orders of magnitude increased sensitivity of Adriamycin-DNA adduct detection and revealed adduct formation within an hour of drug treatment. This method has been shown to be highly reproducible for the measurement of Adriamycin-DNA adducts in tumour cells in culture and can now be applied to the detection of these adducts in human tissues.

Oxygen transfer properties and dimensions of red blood cells in high-altitude camelids, dromedary camel and goat.

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Yamaguchi, K; Jürgens, K D; Bartels, H; Piiper, J

1987-01-01

To estimate the advantage of the small red blood cells (RBC) of high-altitude camelids for O2 transfer, the kinetics of O2 uptake into and release from the RBC obtained from llama, vicuña and alpaca were investigated at 37 degrees C with a stopped-flow technique. O2 transfer conductance of RBC (G) was estimated from the rate of O2 saturation change and the corresponding O2 pressure difference between medium and hemoglobin. For comparison, O2 kinetics for the RBC of a low-altitude camelid (dromedary camel) and the pygmy goat were determined and previously measured values for human RBC were used. O2 transfer of RBC was found to be strongly influenced by extracellular diffusion, except with O2 release into dithionite solutions of sufficiently high concentration (greater than 30 mM). The G values measured in these 'standard' conditions, Gst (in mmol X min-1 X Torr-1 X (ml RBC)-1) were: high-altitude camelids, 0.58 (averaged for llama, alpaca and vicuña since there were no significant interspecific differences); camel 0.42; goat, 0.42; man, 0.39. The differences can in part be attributed to expected effects of the size and shape of the RBC (volume, surface area, mean thickness), as well as to the intracellular O2 diffusivity which depends on the concentration of cellular hemoglobin. The high Gst of RBC of high-altitude camelids may be considered to enhance O2 transfer in lungs and tissues. But the O2 transfer conductance of blood, theta, equal to Gst multiplied by hematocrit (in mmol X min-1 X Torr-1 X (ml blood)-1), was only slightly higher as compared to other species: 0.20 (llama, alpaca, vicuña), 0.14 (camel), 0.18 (goat), 0.17 (man).

Concentration characteristics of VOCs and acids/bases in the gas phase and water-soluble ions in the particle phase at an electrical industry park during construction and mass production.

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Tsai, Jiun H; Huang, Yao S; Shieh, Zhu X; Chiang, Hung L

2011-01-01

The electronics industry is a major business in the Central Taiwan Science Park (CTSP). Particulate samples and 11 water-soluble ionic species in the particulate phase were measured by ionic chromatography (IC). Additionally, acid and base gases were sampled by denuder absorption and analyzed by IC. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were collected in stainless-steel canisters four times daily and analyzed via gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Ozone formation potential (OFP) was measured using maximum increment reactivity. In addition, airborne pollutants during (1) construction and (2) mass production were measured. Particulate matter concentration did not increase significantly near the optoelectronic plant during construction, but it was higher than during mass production. SO(2), HNO(2) and NH(3) were the dominant gases in the denuder absorption system. Nitrate, sulfate, and ammonium ions predominated both in PM(2.5) and PM(10-2.5); but calcium ion concentration was significantly higher in PM(10-2.5) samples during construction. Toluene, propane, isopentane, and n-butane may have come from vehicle exhaust. Construction equipment emitted high concentrations of ethylbenzene, m-xylene, p-xylene, o-xylene, 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, and toluene. During mass production, methyl ethyl ketone), acetone and ethyl acetate were significantly higher than during construction, although there was continuous rain. The aromatic group constituted >50% of the VOC concentration totals and contributed >70% of OFP.

Determination of selenium in red blood cells by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after microwave digestion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tinggi, U.; Francis, R.; Shanin, M.; Scheelings, P.; Gianduzzo, T.; Nicol, D.

2004-01-01

Selenium is an essential trace element and its levels in blood have been widely used for assessing Se status in humans. A suitable method for the determination of Se in red blood cells (RBC) using ICP-MS after microwave digestion was developed. The blood samples were obtained from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), who attended urology clinics at the Princess Alexandra hospital, Brisbane, Australia. No apparent polyatomic and matrix interferences were encountered when 82 Se isotope was used for the analysis of Se levels in RBC. Whole Blood Seronorm Trace Elements (SERO, Norway) and dogfish muscle (DORM-1, NRCC) were used as reference materials for method validation. The method was rapid and accurate, and ideal for routine analysis of Se in RBC, and in particular for assessing of Se status in humans. (author)

Comparison of Spheroidal Carbonaceous Particle Data with Modelled Atmospheric Black Carbon Concentration and Deposition and Air Mass Sources in Northern Europe, 1850–2010

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Meri Ruppel

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Spheroidal carbonaceous particles (SCP are a well-defined fraction of black carbon (BC, produced only by the incomplete combustion of fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Their past concentrations have been studied using environmental archives, but, additionally, historical trends of BC concentration and deposition can be estimated by modelling. These models are based on BC emission inventories, but actual measurements of BC concentration and deposition play an essential role in their evaluation and validation. We use the chemistry transport model OsloCTM2 to model historical time series of BC concentration and deposition from energy and industrial sources and compare these to sedimentary measurements of SCPs obtained from lake sediments in Northern Europe from 1850 to 2010. To determine the origin of SCPs we generated back trajectories of air masses to the study sites. Generally, trends of SCP deposition and modelled results agree reasonably well, showing rapidly increasing values from 1950, to a peak in 1980, and a decrease towards the present. Empirical SCP data show differences in deposition magnitude between the sites that are not captured by the model but which may be explained by different air mass transport patterns. The results highlight the need for numerous observational records to reliably validate model results.

Monitoring salivary melatonin concentrations in children with sleep disorders using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

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Khan, Sohil A; George, Rani; Charles, Bruce G; Taylor, Paul J; Heussler, Helen S; Cooper, David M; McGuire, Treasure M; Pache, David; Norris, Ross L G

2013-06-01

Melatonin is synthesized in the pineal gland and is an important circadian phase marker, especially in the determination of sleep patterns. Both temporary and permanent abnormal sleep patterns occur in children; therefore, it is desirable to have methods for monitoring melatonin in biological fluids in the diagnosis and treatment of such disorders. The objective of the study is to develop a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method for the determination of melatonin in saliva and to apply it to monitoring salivary concentrations in children with sleep disorders. A deuterated internal standard (d7-melatonin) was added to a diluted saliva sample (20 µL) in an autosampler vial insert, and 50 µL were injected. Plasticware was strictly avoided, and all glassware was scrupulously cleaned and then baked at 120°C for at least 48 hours to obtain satisfactory performance. Reverse-phase chromatography was performed on a C8 column using a linear gradient elution profile comprising mobile phases A (0.1% aqueous formic acid) and B (15% methanol in acetonitrile containing 0.1% formic acid), pumped at a total flow rate of 0.8 mL/min. The run time was 8 minutes. After atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, mass spectrometric detection was in positive ion mode. Mass detection was by selected reaction monitoring mode with the following mass transitions used for quantification: melatonin, m/z 233.0 → 173.8 and d7-melatonin, m/z 240.0 → 178.3. Linearity (r > 0.999) was established from 3.9 to 1000 pg/mL. Imprecision (coefficient of variation percent) was less than 11%, and accuracy was 100-105% (7.0-900 pg/mL). The method was selective, and the mean (range) ratio of the slopes of calibrations in water to those in daytime saliva samples collected from 10 healthy adult subjects was 0.989 (0.982-0.997), indicating negligible matrix effects. The application of the assay was demonstrated in healthy adults and in children being clinically investigated for sleep

Engineering of a Potent Recombinant Lectin-Toxin Fusion Protein to Eliminate Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

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Tateno, Hiroaki; Saito, Sayoko

2017-07-10

The use of human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) such as human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) and human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in regenerative medicine is hindered by their tumorigenic potential. Previously, we developed a recombinant lectin-toxin fusion protein of the hPSC-specific lectin rBC2LCN, which has a 23 kDa catalytic domain (domain III) of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (rBC2LCN-PE23). This fusion protein could selectively eliminate hPSCs following its addition to the cell culture medium. Here we conjugated rBC2LCN lectin with a 38 kDa domain of exotoxin A containing domains Ib and II in addition to domain III (PE38). The developed rBC2LCN-PE38 fusion protein could eliminate 50% of 201B7 hPSCs at a concentration of 0.003 μg/mL (24 h incubation), representing an approximately 556-fold higher activity than rBC2LCN-PE23. Little or no effect on human fibroblasts, human mesenchymal stem cells, and hiPSC-derived hepatocytes was observed at concentrations lower than 1 μg/mL. Finally, we demonstrate that rBC2LCN-PE38 selectively eliminates hiPSCs from a mixed culture of hiPSCs and hiPSC-derived hepatocytes. Since rBC2LCN-PE38 can be prepared from soluble fractions of E. coli culture at a yield of 9 mg/L, rBC2LCN-PE38 represents a practical reagent to remove human pluripotent stem cells residing in cultured cells destined for transplantation.

On the Control of Solute Mass Fluxes and Concentrations Below Fields Irrigated With Low-Quality Water: A Numerical Study

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Russo, David

2017-11-01

The main goal of this study was to test the capability of irrigation water-based and soil-based approaches to control nitrate and chloride mass fluxes and concentrations below the root zone of agricultural fields irrigated with treated waste water (TWW). Using numerical simulations of flow and transport in relatively a fine-textured, unsaturated, spatially heterogeneous, flow domain, scenarios examined include: (i) irrigating with TWW only (REF); (ii) irrigation water is substituted between TWW and desalinized water (ADW); (iii) soil includes a capillary barrier (CB) and irrigating with TWW only (CB + TWW); and (iv) combination of (ii) and a CB (CB + ADW). Considering groundwater quality protection, plausible goals are: (i) to minimize solute discharges leaving the root zone, and, (ii) to maximize the probability that solute concentrations leaving the root zone will not exceed a prescribed, critical value. Results of the analyses suggest that in the case of a seasonal crop (a corn field) subject to irrigations only, with respect to the first goal, the CB + TWW and CB + ADW scenarios provide similar, excellent results, better than the ADW scenario; with respect to the second goal, however, the CB + ADW scenario gave substantially better results than the CB + TWW scenario. In the case a multiyear, perennial crop (a citrus orchard), subject to a sequence of irrigation and rainfall periods, for both solutes, and, particularly, nitrate, with respect to the two goals, both the ADW and CB + ADW scenarios perform better than the CB + TWW scenario. As compared with the REF and CB + TWW scenarios, the ADW and CB + ADW scenarios substantially reduce nitrogen mass fluxes to the groundwater and to the atmosphere, and, essentially, did not reduce nitrogen mass fluxes to the trees. Similar results, even better, were demonstrated for a relatively coarse-textured, spatially heterogeneous soil.

Measurements of natural 41Ca concentrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steinhof, A.

1989-05-01

Atomic mass spectroscopic examinations on 41 Ca were carried out in the UNILAC accelerator. A sensitivity of about 10 -15 was achieved. This would allow the measurement of present natural 41 Ca concentrations as soon as the problem of the transmission determination is solved. In this respect suggestions were worked out and their feasibility discussed. The detection of 41 Ca-ions is especially free of background when high UNILAC-energies are applied. An estimation showed a background level corresponding with a 41 Ca concentration of less then 10 -17 referred to 40 Ca. Besides an independent concept for the electromagnetic concentration of 41 Ca with variable concentration factors was developed. After being concentrated up to 50 respectively 25 times the initial concentration in the GSI mass separator, the 41 Ca concentration of three recent deer bones found in the Odenwald was measured by atomic mass spectroscopy in the 14UD-Pelletron Tandem in Rehovot (Israel). The measured 41 Ca concentrations ranged between 10 -14 to 10 -13 with consideration of the concentration factor. A theoretical study of the 41 Ca production in the earth's surface based on cosmic radiation illustrates the influence of trace elements on the neutron flux and thus on the 41 Ca production. This influence might be a possible explanation for the observed amplitude of variation of the 41 Ca concentration in recent bones which are of decisive importance for the feasibility of 41 Ca-related dating. In this work a method is suggested that does not depend on the amplitude of variation mentioned above and which would allow the determination of the erosion rate of rocks by its 41 Ca concentrations. (orig./HP) [de

Folate status and concentrations of serum folate forms in the US population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2

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Pfeiffer, Christine M.; Sternberg, Maya R.; Fazili, Zia; Lacher, David A.; Zhang, Mindy; Johnson, Clifford L.; Hamner, Heather C.; Bailey, Regan L.; Rader, Jeanne I.; Yamini, Sedigheh; Berry, R. J.; Yetley, Elizabeth A.

2016-01-01

Serum and red blood cell (RBC) total folate are indicators of folate status. No nationally representative population data exist for folate forms. We measured serum folate forms [5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-methylTHF), unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA), non-methyl folate (sum of THF, 5-formylTHF, 5,10-methenylTHF), and MeFox (5-methylTHF oxidation product)] by HPLC-MS/MS and RBC total folate by microbiologic assay in US persons ≥1 year (n ~7500) participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2. Data analysis for serum total folate was conducted including and excluding MeFox. Concentrations (geometric mean; detection rate) of 5-methylTHF (37.5 nmol/L; 100%), UMFA (1.21 nmol/L; 99.9%), MeFox (1.53 nmol/L; 98.8%), and THF (1.01 nmol/L; 85.2%) were mostly detectable. 5-FormylTHF (3.6%) and 5,10-methenylTHF (4.4%) were rarely detected. The biggest contributor to serum total folate was 5-methylTHF (86.7%); UMFA (4.0%), non-methyl folate (4.7%), and MeFox (4.5%) contributed smaller amounts. Age was positively related to MeFox but showed a U-shaped pattern for other folates. We generally noted sex and race-ethnic biomarker differences and weak (Spearman r folates. All biomarkers showed significantly higher concentrations with recent folic acid-containing dietary supplement use. These first-time population data for serum folate forms generally show similar associations with demographic, physiologic, and lifestyle variables as serum total folate. Patterns observed for MeFox may suggest altered folate metabolism dependent on biological characteristics. PMID:25917925

Mass concentration, optical depth and carbon composition of particulate matter in the major southern West African cities of Cotonou (Benin) and Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire)

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Djossou, Julien; Léon, Jean-François; Barthélemy Akpo, Aristide; Liousse, Cathy; Yoboué, Véronique; Bedou, Mouhamadou; Bodjrenou, Marleine; Chiron, Christelle; Galy-Lacaux, Corinne; Gardrat, Eric; Abbey, Marcellin; Keita, Sékou; Bahino, Julien; Touré N'Datchoh, Evelyne; Ossohou, Money; Awanou, Cossi Norbert

2018-05-01

Air quality degradation is a major issue in the large conurbations on the shore of the Gulf of Guinea. We present for the first time PM2.5 time series collected in Cotonou, Benin, and Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from February 2015 to March 2017. Measurements were performed in the vicinity of major combustion aerosol sources: Cotonou/traffic (CT), Abidjan/traffic (AT), Abidjan/landfill (AL) and Abidjan/domestic fires (ADF). We report the weekly PM2.5 mass and carbonaceous content as elemental (EC) and organic (OC) carbon concentrations. We also measure the aerosol optical depth (AOD) and the Ångström exponent in both cities. The average PM2.5 mass concentrations were 32 ± 32, 32 ± 24 and 28 ± 19 µg m-3 at traffic sites CT and AT and landfill site AL, respectively. The domestic fire site shows a concentration of 145 ± 69 µg m-3 due to the contribution of smoking and roasting activities. The highest OC and EC concentrations were also measured at ADF at 71 ± 29 and 15 ± 9 µg m-3, respectively, while the other sites present OC concentration between 8 and 12 µg m-3 and EC concentrations between 2 and 7 µg m-3. The OC / EC ratio is 4.3 at CT and 2.0 at AT. This difference highlights the influence of two-wheel vehicles using gasoline in Cotonou compared to that of four-wheel vehicles using diesel fuel in Abidjan. AOD was rather similar in both cities, with a mean value of 0.58 in Cotonou and of 0.68 in Abidjan. The seasonal cycle is dominated by the large increase in surface mass concentration and AOD during the long dry season (December-February) as expected due to mineral dust advection and biomass burning activities. The lowest concentrations are observed during the short dry season (August-September) due to an increase in surface wind speed leading to a better ventilation. On the other hand, the high PM2.5 / AOD ratio in the short wet season (October-November) indicates the stagnation of local pollution.

Phylogeny of the Celastraceae inferred from 26S nuclear ribosomal DNA, phytochrome B, rbcL, atpB, and morphology.

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Simmons, M P; Savolainen, V; Clevinger, C C; Archer, R H; Davis, J I

2001-06-01

Phylogenetic relationships within Celastraceae (spindle-tree family) were inferred from nucleotide sequence characters from the 5' end of 26S nuclear ribosomal DNA (including expansion segments D1-D3; 84 species sampled), phytochrome B (58 species), rbcL (31 species), atpB (23 species), and morphology (94 species). Among taxa of questionable affinity, Forsellesia is a member of Crossosomataceae, and Goupia is excluded from Celastraceae. However, Brexia, Canotia, Lepuropetalon, Parnassia, Siphonodon, and Stackhousiaceae are supported as members of Celastraceae. Gymnosporia and Tricerma are distinct from Maytenus, Cassine is supported as distinct from Elaeodendron, and Dicarpellum is distinct from Salacia. Catha, Maytenus, and Pristimera are not resolved as natural genera. Hippocrateaceae (including Plagiopteron and Lophopetalum) are a clade nested within a paraphyletic Celastraceae. These data also suggest that the Loesener's classification of Celastraceae sensu stricto and Hallé's classification of Hippocrateaceae are artificial. The diversification of the fruit and aril within Celastraceae appears to be complex, with multiple origins of most fruit and aril forms. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.

A reassessment of the in vitro RBC haemolysis assay with defibrinated sheep blood for the determination of the ocular irritation potential of cosmetic products: comparison with the in vivo Draize rabbit test.

Science.gov (United States)

Alves, Eloísa Nunes; Presgrave, Rosaura de Farias; Presgrave, Octávio Augusto França; Sabagh, Fernanda Peres; de Freitas, João Carlos Borges Rolim; Corrado, Alexandre P

2008-07-01

We examined the correlation between results obtained from the in vivo Draize test for ocular irritation and in vitro results obtained from the sheep red blood cell (RBC) haemolytic assay, which assesses haemolysis and protein denaturation in erythrocytes, induced by cosmetic products. We sought to validate the haemolytic assay as a preliminary test for identifying highly-irritative products, and also to evaluate the in vitro test as alternative assay for replacement of the in vivo test. In vitro and in vivo analyses were carried out on 19 cosmetic products, in order to correlate the lesions in the ocular structures with three in vitro parameters: (i) the extent of haemolysis (H50); (ii) the protein denaturation index (DI); and (iii) the H50/DI ratio, which reflects the irritation potential (IP). There was significant correlation between maximum average scores (MAS) and the parameters determined in vitro (r = 0.752-0.764). These results indicate that the RBC assay is a useful and rapid test for use as a screening method to assess the IP of cosmetic products, and for predicting the IP value with a high level of concordance (94.7%). The assay showed high sensitivity and specificity rates of 91.6% and 100%, respectively.

Mass transfer in nano-fluids: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ashrafmansouri, Seyedeh-Saba; Esfahany, Mohsen Nasr

2014-01-01

Growing attention has been recently paid to nano-fluids because of their potential for augmenting transfer processes - i.e., heat and mass transfer. Conflicting results have been reported in the literature on mass transfer in nano-fluids. The aim of this paper is to summarize the literature on mass transfer in nano-fluids stating the conflicts and possible reasons. Literature on mass transfer in nano-fluids has been reviewed in two sections. The first section concentrates on surveying mass diffusivity in nano-fluids while the second section focuses on convective mass transfer in nano-fluids. In each section, published articles, type of nano-fluids used, size and concentration range of nanoparticles, measurement methods, maximum observed enhancement, and suggested mass transport mechanisms are summarized. (authors)

A prospective study of long-term results and the red blood cell immune adherence function following 131I treatment of Graves' disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Zengjun; Ma Yuqin; Liu Junqing; Zhang Xia

2003-01-01

Objective: To observe the long-term curative effect and red blood cell immune function in patients with Graves' Disease (GD) after radioactive iodine ( 131 I) treatment. Methods: To observe the hyperthyroid symptoms, physical signs and to measure the concentration of FT3, FT4, FSH by radioimmunoassay, the percent of RBC-C 3b R-YR(%), RBC-IC-YR(%). Results: Patients with GD treated by 131 I after three month, these hyperthyroid symptoms, Physical signs are alleviated and even vanished in patients who were treated by 131 I after 1.5 years, RBC-C 3b R-YR(%) are normal in all patients, but RBC-IC-YR(%) are higher than before treatment with 131 I, then become lower after three months, treatment by 131 I but they were higher than those in normal group, when treated with 131 I after 1.5 years, RBC-IC-YR(%) are normal, the relationship between RBC-C 3b R-YR(%) and RBC-IC-YR(%) are positively interacted. Conclusion: The 131 I treatment produces a good rapid curative effect for GD patients, the disorder state of the red cell immune adherence system is rapidly corrected and this effect is unidirectional. So RBC-C 3b R-YR(%), RBC-IC-YR(%) are the useful predictors of GD remission and their relationship, RBC-IC-YR(%) are helpful in explaining the mechanism of radioactive iodine therapy and are the predictors of GD remission after 131 I treatment

Folate status and concentrations of serum folate forms in the US population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2.

Science.gov (United States)

Pfeiffer, Christine M; Sternberg, Maya R; Fazili, Zia; Lacher, David A; Zhang, Mindy; Johnson, Clifford L; Hamner, Heather C; Bailey, Regan L; Rader, Jeanne I; Yamini, Sedigheh; Berry, R J; Yetley, Elizabeth A

2015-06-28

Serum and erythrocyte (RBC) total folate are indicators of folate status. No nationally representative population data exist for folate forms. We measured the serum folate forms (5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-methylTHF), unmetabolised folic acid (UMFA), non-methyl folate (sum of tetrahydrofolate (THF), 5-formyltetrahydrofolate (5-formylTHF), 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate (5,10-methenylTHF)) and MeFox (5-methylTHF oxidation product)) by HPLC-MS/MS and RBC total folate by microbiologic assay in US population ≥ 1 year (n approximately 7500) participating in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-2. Data analysis for serum total folate was conducted including and excluding MeFox. Concentrations (geometric mean; detection rate) of 5-methylTHF (37·5 nmol/l; 100 %), UMFA (1·21 nmol/l; 99·9 %), MeFox (1·53 nmol/l; 98·8 %), and THF (1·01 nmol/l; 85·2 %) were mostly detectable. 5-FormylTHF (3·6 %) and 5,10-methenylTHF (4·4 %) were rarely detected. The biggest contributor to serum total folate was 5-methylTHF (86·7 %); UMFA (4·0 %), non-methyl folate (4·7 %) and MeFox (4·5 %) contributed smaller amounts. Age was positively related to MeFox, but showed a U-shaped pattern for other folates. We generally noted sex and race/ethnic biomarker differences and weak (Spearman's rfolates. All biomarkers showed significantly higher concentrations with recent folic acid-containing dietary supplement use. These first-time population data for serum folate forms generally show similar associations with demographic, physiological and lifestyle variables as serum total folate. Patterns observed for MeFox may suggest altered folate metabolism dependent on biological characteristics.

Genetics, Diet, and Season Are Associated with Serum 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol Concentration in a Yup'ik Study Population from Southwestern Alaska.

Science.gov (United States)

Fohner, Alison E; Wang, Zhican; Yracheta, Joseph; O'Brien, Diane M; Hopkins, Scarlett E; Black, Jynene; Philip, Jacques; Wiener, Howard W; Tiwari, Hemant K; Stapleton, Patricia L; Tsai, Jesse M; Thornton, Timothy A; Boyer, Bert B; Thummel, Kenneth E

2016-02-01

Low blood vitamin D concentration is a concern for people living in circumpolar regions, where sunlight is insufficient for vitamin D synthesis in winter months and the consumption of traditional dietary sources of vitamin D is decreasing. The objective was to characterize the effects of diet, genetic variation, and season on serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25(OH)D3] concentrations in Yup'ik Alaska Native people living in rural southwest Alaska. This study was a cross-sectional design that assessed the associations of traditional diet (via a biomarker, the RBC δ(15)N value), age, gender, body mass index (BMI), community location, and genotype of select single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cytochrome P450 family 2, subfamily R, peptide 1 (CYP2R1), 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7), and vitamin D binding protein (GC) with serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations in 743 Yup'ik male and female participants, aged 14-93 y, recruited between September 2009 and December 2013. Yup'ik participants, on average, had adequate concentrations of serum 25(OH)D3 (31.1 ± 1.0 ng/mL). Variations in diet, BMI, age, gender, season of sample collection, and inland or coastal community geography were all significantly associated with serum 25(OH)D3 concentration. In models not adjusting for other covariates, age, diet, and seasonal effects explained 33.7%, 20.7%, and 9.8%, respectively, of variability in serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations. Of the 8 SNPs interrogated in CYP2R1 and DHCR7, only rs11023374 in CYP2R1 was significantly associated with serum 25(OH)D3, explaining 1.5% of variability. The GC haplotype explained an additional 2.8% of variability. Together, age, diet, gender, season of sample collection, BMI, geography of the community, and genotype at rs11023374 explained 52.5% of the variability in serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations. Lower consumption of the traditional diet was associated with lower serum concentrations of 25(OH)D3. Younger adults and youth in this community may be at

Mass concentration and elemental composition of indoor PM 2.5 and PM 10 in University rooms in Thessaloniki, northern Greece

Science.gov (United States)

Gemenetzis, Panagiotis; Moussas, Panagiotis; Arditsoglou, Anastasia; Samara, Constantini

The mass concentration and the elemental composition of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were measured in 40 rooms (mainly offices or mixed office-lab rooms, and photocopying places) of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, northern Greece. A total of 27 major, minor and trace elements were determined by ED-XRF analysis. The PM 2.5/PM 10 concentration ratios averaged 0.8±0.2, while the corresponding elemental ratios ranged between 0.4±0.2 and 0.9±0.2. The concentrations of PM 2.5 and PM 10 were significantly higher (by 70% and 50%, respectively) in the smokers' rooms compared to the non-smokers' places. The total elemental concentrations were also higher in the smokers' rooms (11.5 vs 8.2 μg m -3 for PM 2.5, and 10.3 vs 7.6 μg m -3 for PM 2.5-10). Fine particle concentrations (PM 2.5) were found to be quite proportional to smoking strength. On the contrary, the two environments exhibited similar coarse (PM 2.5-10) particle fractions not related to the number of cigarettes smoked. A slight decrease of particle concentrations with increasing the floor level was also observed, particularly for PM 2.5, suggesting that high-level floors are less impacted by near ground-level sources like traffic emissions. Finally, the removal efficiency of air purification systems was evaluated.

Effect of Trimeresurus albolabris (green pit viper) venom on mean ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

An in vitro study was conducted by mixing small amounts of green pit viper venom with blood and observing changes. At a concentration of 10 mg crude venom, red blood cells (RBC) osmotic fragility slightly increased. RBC morphology changed to spherical shape which was compatible with what was observed in scanning ...

Interactive browsing of 3D environment over the Internet

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Cha; Li, Jin

2000-12-01

In this paper, we describe a system for wandering in a realistic environment over the Internet. The environment is captured by the concentric mosaic, compressed via the reference block coder (RBC), and accessed and delivered over the Internet through the virtual media (Vmedia) access protocol. Capturing the environment through the concentric mosaic is easy. We mount a camera at the end of a level beam, and shoot images as the beam rotates. The huge dataset of the concentric mosaic is then compressed through the RBC, which is specifically designed for both high compression efficiency and just-in-time (JIT) rendering. Through the JIT rendering function, only a portion of the RBC bitstream is accessed, decoded and rendered for each virtual view. A multimedia communication protocol -- the Vmedia protocol, is then proposed to deliver the compressed concentric mosaic data over the Internet. Only the bitstream segments corresponding to the current view are streamed over the Internet. Moreover, the delivered bitstream segments are managed by a local Vmedia cache so that frequently used bitstream segments need not be streamed over the Internet repeatedly, and the Vmedia is able to handle a RBC bitstream larger than its memory capacity. A Vmedia concentric mosaic interactive browser is developed where the user can freely wander in a realistic environment, e.g., rotate around, walk forward/backward and sidestep, even under a tight bandwidth of 33.6 kbps.

Nifedipine effect on the labelling of blood cells and plasma proteins with Tc-99m

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutfilen, B.; Boasquevisque, E.M.; Bernardo Filho, M.

1988-01-01

The labeling of red blood cells (RBC) with Tc-99m depends on the presence of stannous ion (Sn) that helps this radionuclide's fixation on the hemoglobin molecule. Nifedipine is an agent capable to block a specific way where calcius (Ca) ion acrosses the cellular membrane and to bind itself on plasma proteins. The effect of nifedipine in the labeling of RBC and plasma proteins with Tc-99m was studied because of similarities between Ca and Sn ions. Blood with anticoagulant was treated with nifedipine concentration of 10 -6 M for 15 min at 37 0 C. The labeling of RBC with Tc-99m was done incubating with Sn ion solution (3 uM) for different times. The % of radioactivity in RBC was determined. Samples of plasma were precipited with trichloroacetic acid and the % of radiocctivity in insoluble fraction was calculated. The same procedure was done using different nifedipine concentrations and the blood was incubated for 60 min with Sn ion. The determination of the % of Tc-99m labeled in RBC and plasma proteins showed that this drug does not have the capability to alter this incorporation because the results are similar to control. It is suggested that the Sn ions passage across RBC is not altered by nifedipine although this drug could bind to plasma protein, it does not modify the Tc-99m fixation on it. (author) [pt

A Modified Carbon Monoxide Breath Test for Measuring Erythrocyte Lifespan in Small Animals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yong-Jian Ma

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study was to develop a CO breath test for RBC lifespan estimation of small animals. The ribavirin induced hemolysis rabbit models were placed individually in a closed rebreath cage and air samples were collected for measurement of CO concentration. RBC lifespan was calculated from accumulated CO, blood volume, and hemoglobin concentration data. RBC lifespan was determined in the same animals with the standard biotin-labeling method. RBC lifespan data obtained by the CO breath test method for control (CON, 49.0±5.9 d rabbits, rabbits given 10 mg/kg·d−1 of ribavirin (RIB10, 31.0±4.0 d, and rabbits given 20 mg/kg·d−1 of ribavirin (RIB20, 25.0±2.9 d were statistically similar (all p>0.05 to and linearly correlated (r=0.96, p<0.01 with the RBC lifespan data obtained for the same rabbits by the standard biotin-labeling method (CON, 51.0±2.7 d; RIB10, 33.0±1.3 d; and RIB20, 27.0±0.8 d. The CO breath test method takes less than 3 h to complete, whereas the standard method requires at least several weeks. In conclusion, the CO breath test method provides a simple and rapid means of estimating RBC lifespan and is feasible for use with small animal models.

Exacerbation of oxidative stress during sickle vaso-occlusive crisis is associated with decreased anti-band 3 autoantibodies rate and increased red blood cell-derived microparticle level: a prospective study.

Science.gov (United States)

Hierso, Régine; Lemonne, Nathalie; Villaescusa, Rinaldo; Lalanne-Mistrih, Marie-Laure; Charlot, Keyne; Etienne-Julan, Maryse; Tressières, Benoit; Lamarre, Yann; Tarer, Vanessa; Garnier, Yohann; Hernandez, Ada Arce; Ferracci, Serge; Connes, Philippe; Romana, Marc; Hardy-Dessources, Marie-Dominique

2017-03-01

Painful vaso-occlusive crisis, a hallmark of sickle cell anaemia, results from complex, incompletely understood mechanisms. Red blood cell (RBC) damage caused by continuous endogenous and exogenous oxidative stress may precipitate the occurrence of vaso-occlusive crises. In order to gain insight into the relevance of oxidative stress in vaso-occlusive crisis occurrence, we prospectively compared the expression levels of various oxidative markers in 32 adults with sickle cell anaemia during vaso-occlusive crisis and steady-state conditions. Compared to steady-state condition, plasma levels of free haem, advanced oxidation protein products and myeloperoxidase, RBC caspase-3 activity, as well as the concentrations of total, neutrophil- and RBC-derived microparticles were increased during vaso-occlusive crises, whereas the reduced glutathione content was decreased in RBCs. In addition, natural anti-band 3 autoantibodies levels decreased during crisis and were negatively correlated with the rise in plasma advanced oxidation protein products and RBC caspase-3 activity. These data showed an exacerbation of the oxidative stress during vaso-occlusive crises in sickle cell anaemia patients and strongly suggest that the higher concentration of harmful circulating RBC-derived microparticles and the reduced anti-band 3 autoantibodies levels may be both related to the recruitment of oxidized band 3 into membrane aggregates. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Mass concentration, optical depth and carbon composition of particulate matter in the major southern West African cities of Cotonou (Benin and Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Djossou

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Air quality degradation is a major issue in the large conurbations on the shore of the Gulf of Guinea. We present for the first time PM2.5 time series collected in Cotonou, Benin, and Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, from February 2015 to March 2017. Measurements were performed in the vicinity of major combustion aerosol sources: Cotonou/traffic (CT, Abidjan/traffic (AT, Abidjan/landfill (AL and Abidjan/domestic fires (ADF. We report the weekly PM2.5 mass and carbonaceous content as elemental (EC and organic (OC carbon concentrations. We also measure the aerosol optical depth (AOD and the Ångström exponent in both cities. The average PM2.5 mass concentrations were 32 ± 32, 32 ± 24 and 28 ± 19 µg m−3 at traffic sites CT and AT and landfill site AL, respectively. The domestic fire site shows a concentration of 145 ± 69 µg m−3 due to the contribution of smoking and roasting activities. The highest OC and EC concentrations were also measured at ADF at 71 ± 29 and 15 ± 9 µg m−3, respectively, while the other sites present OC concentration between 8 and 12 µg m−3 and EC concentrations between 2 and 7 µg m−3. The OC ∕ EC ratio is 4.3 at CT and 2.0 at AT. This difference highlights the influence of two-wheel vehicles using gasoline in Cotonou compared to that of four-wheel vehicles using diesel fuel in Abidjan. AOD was rather similar in both cities, with a mean value of 0.58 in Cotonou and of 0.68 in Abidjan. The seasonal cycle is dominated by the large increase in surface mass concentration and AOD during the long dry season (December–February as expected due to mineral dust advection and biomass burning activities. The lowest concentrations are observed during the short dry season (August–September due to an increase in surface wind speed leading to a better ventilation. On the other hand, the high PM2.5 ∕ AOD ratio in the short wet season (October–November indicates the

Accurate determination of 129I, 41Ca and 10Be long-lived radionuclides concentrations in spent resins from the nuclear industry by accelerator mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nottoli-Lepage, E.

2013-01-01

Radiological characterization of nuclear waste is essential for the management of storage sites. More particularly, determining the concentration of Long-Lived Radionuclides (LLRN) is fundamental for their long term management. This study focuses on the determination of three LLRN concentrations, i.e. 129 I (T 1/2 = 15.7*10 6 a), 41 Ca (T 1/2 = 9.94*10 4 a) and 10 Be (T 1/2 = 1.387*10 6 a), in ion exchange resins used for primary fluid purification in Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). To benefit from the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) technique allowing to measure extremely low levels of nuclide concentrations, analytical procedures including: 1) sample dissolution; 2) selective and quantitative extraction of the analyte; and, 3) analyte conditioning for AMS measurements, were developed. Applied on spent resin samples collected at a 900 MW PWR, the procedures developed for each studied LLRN allowed their quantitative recovery and their selective extraction from β-γ emitters and isobars. The concentration measurements of the LLRN of interest were then performed on the Accelerator Mass Spectrometry national facility ASTER housed by the Centre Europeen de Recherche et d'Enseignement des Geosciences de l'Environnement (CEREGE, Aix-en-Provence). 129 I, 41 Ca and 10 Be concentrations in spent resins were measured to be about 10 ng/g, 20 pg/g and 4 ng/g of dry resin, respectively. Considering 129 I and 41 Ca, the measured concentrations agree with those assessed from scaling factors established relatively to easily measured gamma emitters ( 137 Cs and 60 Co). For 10 Be, the presented results are significantly different from expected values but are in agreement with previous ICP-MS results. (author) [fr

Studying the microlenses mass function from statistical analysis of the caustic concentration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mediavilla, T; Ariza, O [Departamento de Estadistica e Investigacion Operativa, Universidad de Cadiz, Avda de Ramon Puyol, s/n 11202 Algeciras (Spain); Mediavilla, E [Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias, Avda Via Lactea s/n, La Laguna (Spain); Munoz, J A, E-mail: teresa.mediavilla@ca.uca.es, E-mail: octavio.ariza@uca.es, E-mail: emg@iac.es [Departamento de Astrofisica y Astronomia, Universidad de Valencia, Burjassot, Valencia (Spain)

2011-09-22

The statistical distribution of caustic crossings by the images of a lensed quasar depends on the properties of the distribution of microlenses in the lens galaxy. We use a procedure based in Inverse Polygon Mapping to easily identify the critical and caustic curves generated by a distribution of stars in the lens galaxy. We analyze the statistical distributions of the number of caustic crossings by a pixel size source for several projected mass densities and different mass distributions. We compare the results of simulations with theoretical binomial distributions. Finally we apply this method to the study of the stellar mass distribution in the lens galaxy of QSO 2237+0305.

Folate status and concentrations of serum folate forms in the US population: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2

OpenAIRE

Pfeiffer, Christine M.; Sternberg, Maya R.; Fazili, Zia; Lacher, David A.; Zhang, Mindy; Johnson, Clifford L.; Hamner, Heather C.; Bailey, Regan L.; Rader, Jeanne I.; Yamini, Sedigheh; Berry, R. J.; Yetley, Elizabeth A.

2015-01-01

Serum and red blood cell (RBC) total folate are indicators of folate status. No nationally representative population data exist for folate forms. We measured serum folate forms [5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-methylTHF), unmetabolized folic acid (UMFA), non-methyl folate (sum of THF, 5-formylTHF, 5,10-methenylTHF), and MeFox (5-methylTHF oxidation product)] by HPLC-MS/MS and RBC total folate by microbiologic assay in US persons ≥1 year (n ~7500) participating in the National Health and Nutrition...

Genetics, Diet, and Season Are Associated with Serum 25-Hydroxycholecalciferol Concentration in a Yup’ik Study Population from Southwestern Alaska123

Science.gov (United States)

Fohner, Alison E; Wang, Zhican; Yracheta, Joseph; O’Brien, Diane M; Hopkins, Scarlett E; Black, Jynene; Philip, Jacques; Wiener, Howard W; Tiwari, Hemant K; Stapleton, Patricia L; Tsai, Jesse M; Thornton, Timothy A; Boyer, Bert B; Thummel, Kenneth E

2016-01-01

Background: Low blood vitamin D concentration is a concern for people living in circumpolar regions, where sunlight is insufficient for vitamin D synthesis in winter months and the consumption of traditional dietary sources of vitamin D is decreasing. Objective: The objective was to characterize the effects of diet, genetic variation, and season on serum 25-hydroxycholecalciferol [25(OH)D3] concentrations in Yup’ik Alaska Native people living in rural southwest Alaska. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional design that assessed the associations of traditional diet (via a biomarker, the RBC δ15N value), age, gender, body mass index (BMI), community location, and genotype of select single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in cytochrome P450 family 2, subfamily R, peptide 1 (CYP2R1), 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase (DHCR7), and vitamin D binding protein (GC) with serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations in 743 Yup’ik male and female participants, aged 14–93 y, recruited between September 2009 and December 2013. Results: Yup’ik participants, on average, had adequate concentrations of serum 25(OH)D3 (31.1 ± 1.0 ng/mL). Variations in diet, BMI, age, gender, season of sample collection, and inland or coastal community geography were all significantly associated with serum 25(OH)D3 concentration. In models not adjusting for other covariates, age, diet, and seasonal effects explained 33.7%, 20.7%, and 9.8%, respectively, of variability in serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations. Of the 8 SNPs interrogated in CYP2R1 and DHCR7, only rs11023374 in CYP2R1 was significantly associated with serum 25(OH)D3, explaining 1.5% of variability. The GC haplotype explained an additional 2.8% of variability. Together, age, diet, gender, season of sample collection, BMI, geography of the community, and genotype at rs11023374 explained 52.5% of the variability in serum 25(OH)D3 concentrations. Conclusions: Lower consumption of the traditional diet was associated with lower serum concentrations of 25(OH

Mass spectrometry in oceanography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aggarwal, Suresh K.

2000-01-01

Mass spectrometry plays an important role in oceanography for various applications. Different types of inorganic as well as organic mass spectrometric techniques are being exploited world-wide to understand the different aspects of marine science, for palaeogeography, palaeoclimatology and palaeoecology, for isotopic composition and concentrations of different elements as well as for speciation studies. The present paper reviews some of the applications of atomic mass spectrometric techniques in the area of oceanography

Tremendous Mass Concentration in Strange Galaxy Revealed by VLBA

Science.gov (United States)

1995-01-01

A dense whirling mass orbiting what almost certainly is a black hole of truly Brobdingnagian proportions has been discovered at the heart of an active galaxy some 21 million light years from Earth. The astronomical observations were made by an international team of Japanese and American astronomers using a continent-wide radio telescope funded by the National Science Foundation. The work is reported in the January 12th issue of Nature. The tremendous concentration of mass, equivalent to 40 million suns, in the center of the galaxy NGC4258 in the constellation Canes Venatici, was revealed by the apparent rotation of a molecular disk that surrounds it. The observations showed that the disk of dense material is orbiting within the galaxy's nucleus at velocities -- up to 650 miles per second -- that require the gravitational pull of such a massive object. The high angular resolution and sensitivity of the Very Long Baseline Array of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory allowed precise measurements of the differential rotation of the material in the disk, which provides the most direct and definitive evidence to date for the presence of a supermassive black hole in the center of another galaxy. Black holes, so dense that nothing -- not even light -- can escape their gravitational fields, have long been thought to be present in the centers of active galaxies, where they would act as central engines driving a variety of exotic and energetic phenomena that are seen on much larger scales, such as jets and powerful X ray emission. NGC 4258, a spiral some 90,000 light-years across, is known to have jets of gas that are twisted into the shape of a helix emerging from the nucleus at speeds of 400 miles per second. Makoto Miyoshi of Japan's Mizusawa Astrogeodymanics Observatory; James Moran, James Herrnstein and Lincoln Greenhill of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge, MA; Naomasa Nakai of Japan's Nobeyama Radio Observatory; Philip Diamond of the

Vertical profiles of aerosol mass concentration derived by unmanned airborne in situ and remote sensing instruments during dust events

Science.gov (United States)

Mamali, Dimitra; Marinou, Eleni; Sciare, Jean; Pikridas, Michael; Kokkalis, Panagiotis; Kottas, Michael; Binietoglou, Ioannis; Tsekeri, Alexandra; Keleshis, Christos; Engelmann, Ronny; Baars, Holger; Ansmann, Albert; Amiridis, Vassilis; Russchenberg, Herman; Biskos, George

2018-05-01

In situ measurements using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and remote sensing observations can independently provide dense vertically resolved measurements of atmospheric aerosols, information which is strongly required in climate models. In both cases, inverting the recorded signals to useful information requires assumptions and constraints, and this can make the comparison of the results difficult. Here we compare, for the first time, vertical profiles of the aerosol mass concentration derived from light detection and ranging (lidar) observations and in situ measurements using an optical particle counter on board a UAV during moderate and weak Saharan dust episodes. Agreement between the two measurement methods was within experimental uncertainty for the coarse mode (i.e. particles having radii > 0.5 µm), where the properties of dust particles can be assumed with good accuracy. This result proves that the two techniques can be used interchangeably for determining the vertical profiles of aerosol concentrations, bringing them a step closer towards their systematic exploitation in climate models.

14 CFR 23.659 - Mass balance.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Mass balance. 23.659 Section 23.659 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AIRCRAFT AIRWORTHINESS... Surfaces § 23.659 Mass balance. The supporting structure and the attachment of concentrated mass balance...

Etiology of cardiogenic shock early after open-heart surgery: Assessment by Tc-99m RBC wall motion scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bateman, T.; Gray, R.; Chaux, A.; Lee, M.; Matloff, J.; Raymond, M.; Berman, D.

1984-01-01

When life-threatening cardiogenic shock (CI 1.8 1/min/m/sup 2/, elevated right and left-side filling pressures) occurs early (0-48 hrs) after open-heart surgery, routine approaches frequently cannot distinguish between expected etiologies: (1) transient systolic failure of the LV, RV, or both, common early postoperatively (postop); (2) perioperative infarct of the LV or RV; (3) myocardial restriction due to active pericardial bleeding or to accumulated clots and fluid; (4) diminished LV reserve from aneurysmectomy; and (5) residual valvular regurgitation. Distinction is critical, because (1), (2), and (4) will be treated by optimizing preload and afterload; (3) with urgent (if active bleeding) or semi-urgent surgery; and (5) with repeat valvular surgery. In 22 pts with unexpected early postop cardiogenic shock, Tc-99m-RBC equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography revealed: global LV (3 pts) or RV (3 pts) dysfunction, new segmental LV dysfunction (2 pts), active bleeding (5 pts) and/or accumulated pericardial fluid ( 8 pts) with hyperdynamic LV and RV, and a small hyperdynamic LV without effusion (1 pt), providing a specific etiologic diagnosis in all cases. In the Cardiac Surgical ICU, therapeutic decisions frequently await and depend on the results of equilibrium radionuclide ventriculography, now routinely performed in postop pts with unexpected cardiogenic shock

The associations between metals/metalloids concentrations in blood plasma of Hong Kong residents and their seafood diet, smoking habit, body mass index and age.

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Yan Yan; Leung, Clement Kai Man; Lin, Che Kit; Wong, Ming Hung

2015-09-01

The concentrations of metals/metalloids in blood plasma collected from 111 healthy residents (51 female, 60 male) in Hong Kong (obtained from the Hong Kong Red Cross Blood Transfusion Service, from March to April 2008) were quantified by means of a double-focusing sector field inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES). Results showed that concentrations of these toxic metals such as Hg, Cd, and Pb in Hong Kong residents were not serious when compared with other countries. Males accumulated significantly higher (p diet habit, body mass index (BMI), and age. More intensive studies involving more samples are needed before a more definite conclusion can be drawn, especially on the causal relationships between concentrations of metals/metalloids with dietary preference and lifestyle of the general public.

Modelling baryonic effects on galaxy cluster mass profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Shirasaki, Masato; Lau, Erwin T.; Nagai, Daisuke

2018-06-01

Gravitational lensing is a powerful probe of the mass distribution of galaxy clusters and cosmology. However, accurate measurements of the cluster mass profiles are limited by uncertainties in cluster astrophysics. In this work, we present a physically motivated model of baryonic effects on the cluster mass profiles, which self-consistently takes into account the impact of baryons on the concentration as well as mass accretion histories of galaxy clusters. We calibrate this model using the Omega500 hydrodynamical cosmological simulations of galaxy clusters with varying baryonic physics. Our model will enable us to simultaneously constrain cluster mass, concentration, and cosmological parameters using stacked weak lensing measurements from upcoming optical cluster surveys.

Modelling Baryonic Effects on Galaxy Cluster Mass Profiles

Science.gov (United States)

Shirasaki, Masato; Lau, Erwin T.; Nagai, Daisuke

2018-03-01

Gravitational lensing is a powerful probe of the mass distribution of galaxy clusters and cosmology. However, accurate measurements of the cluster mass profiles are limited by uncertainties in cluster astrophysics. In this work, we present a physically motivated model of baryonic effects on the cluster mass profiles, which self-consistently takes into account the impact of baryons on the concentration as well as mass accretion histories of galaxy clusters. We calibrate this model using the Omega500 hydrodynamical cosmological simulations of galaxy clusters with varying baryonic physics. Our model will enable us to simultaneously constrain cluster mass, concentration, and cosmological parameters using stacked weak lensing measurements from upcoming optical cluster surveys.

Mass spectrometry in clinical chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pettersen, J.E.

1977-01-01

A brief description is given of the functional elements of a mass spectrometer and of some currently employed mass spectrometric techniques, such as combined gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, mass chromatography, and selected ion monitoring. Various areas of application of mass spectrometry in clinical chemistry are discussed, such as inborn errors of metabolism and other metabolic disorders, intoxications, quantitative determinations of drugs, hormones, gases, and trace elements, and the use of isotope dilution mass spectrometry as a definitive method for the establishment of true values for concentrations of various compounds in reference sera. It is concluded that mass spectrometry is of great value in clinical chemistry. (Auth.)

Characteristics and quality of intra-operative cell salvage in paediatric scoliosis surgery.

Science.gov (United States)

Perez-Ferrer, A; Gredilla-Díaz, E; de Vicente-Sánchez, J; Navarro-Suay, R; Gilsanz-Rodríguez, F

2016-02-01

To determine the haematological and microbiological characteristics of blood recovered by using a cell saver with a rigid centrifuge bowl (100ml) in paediatric scoliosis surgery and to determine whether it conforms to the standard expected in adult patients. A cross-sectional, descriptive cohort study was performed on 24 consecutive red blood cell (RBC) units recovered from the surgical field and processed by a Haemolite® 2+ (Haemonetics Corp., Braintree, MA, EE. UU.) cell saver. Data were collected regarding age, weight, surgical approach (anterior or posterior), processed shed volume and volume of autologous RBC recovered, full blood count, and blood culture obtained from the RBC concentrate, and incidence of fever after reinfusion. The processed shed volume was very low (939±569ml) with high variability (coefficient of variation=0.6), unlike the recovered volume 129±50ml (coefficient of variation=0.38). A statistically significant correlation between the processed shed volume and recovered RBC concentrate haematocrit was found (Pearson, r=.659, P=.001). Haematological parameters in the recovered concentrate were: Hb 11±5.3g dl(-1); haematocrit: 32.1±15.4% (lower than expected); white cells 5.34±4.22×103 ul(-)1; platelets 37.88±23.5×103 ul(-1) (mean±SD). Blood culture was positive in the RBC concentrate recovered in 13 cases (54.2%) in which Staphylococcus coagulase (-) was isolated. Cell salvage machines with rigid centrifuge bowls (including paediatric small volume) do not obtain the expected haematocrit if low volumes are processed, and therefore they are not the best choice in paediatric surgery. Copyright © 2015 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Simultaneous Assay of Isotopic Enrichment and Concentration of Guanidinoacetate and Creatine by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Kasumov, Takhar; Gruca, Lourdes L.; Dasarathy, Srinivasan; Kalhan, Satish C.

2012-01-01

A gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric (GC-MS) method for the simultaneous measurement of isotopic enrichment and concentration of guanidinoacetic acid and creatine in plasma sample for kinetic studies is reported. The method, based on preparation of the bis(trifluoromethyl)-pyrimidine methyl ester derivatives of guanidinoacetic acid and creatine, is robust and sensitive. The lowest measurable m1 and m3 enrichment for guanidinoacetic acid and creatine, respectively, was 0.3%. The calibration curves for measurements of concentration were linear over a range of 0.5-250 μM guanidinoacetic acid and 2-500 μM for creatine. The method was reliable for inter-assay and intra-assay precision, accuracy and linearity. The technique was applied in a healthy adult to determine in vivo fractional synthesis rate of creatine using primed- constant rate infusion of [1-13C]glycine. It was found that isotopic enrichment of guanidinoacetic acid reached plateau by 30 min of infusion of [1-13C]glycine, indicating either a small pool size or a rapid turnover rate or both, of guanidinoacetic acid. In contrast, tracer appearance in creatin was slow (slope: 0.00097), suggesting a large pool size and a slow rate of synthesis of creatine. This method can be used to estimate rate of synthesis of creatine in-vivo in human and animal studies. PMID:19646413

Effect of mass concentration of composite phase change material CA-DE on HCFC-141b hydrate induction time and system stability

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Juan; Sun, Zhigao; Liu, Chenggang; Zhu, Minggui

2018-03-01

HCFC-141b hydrate is a new type of environment-friendly cold storage medium which may be adopted to balance energy supply and demand, achieve peak load shifting and energy saving, wherein the hydrate induction time and system stability are key factors to promote and realize its application in industrial practice. Based on step cooling curve measurement, two kinds of aliphatic hydrocarbon organics, n-capric acid (CA) and lauryl alcohol (DE), were selected to form composite phase change material and to promote the generation of HCFC-141b hydrate. Five kinds of CA-DE mass concentration were chosen to compare the induction time and hydration system stability. In order to accelerate temperature reduction rate, the metal Cu with high heat conductivity performance was adopted to conduct out the heat generated during phase change. Instability index was introduced to appraise system stability. Experimental results show that phase change temperature and sub-cooling degree of CA-DE is 11.1°C and 3.0°C respectively, which means it is a preferable medium for HCFC-141b hydrate formation. For the experimental hydration systems, segmented emulsification is achieved by special titration manner to avoid rapid layering under static condition. Induction time can achieve up to 23.3min with the densest HCFC-141b hydrate and the lowest instability index, wherein CA-DE mass concentration is 3%.

Water reuse potential in truck wash using a Rotating Biological Contactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Lucas Subtil

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This study evaluated the water reuse potential for truck washing using the effluent treated by a Rotating Biological Contactor (RBC operated in full scale. In order to evaluate the reuse potential, a mass balance was performed for the reuse system taking into account the concentration of Total Dissolved Solids as the critical contaminant. The treatment system produced an effluent with average concentration of color, turbidity, TDS and BOD5 of 45 ± 14 uC, 15 ± 6.0 NTU, 244 ± 99 mg TDS / L and 14 ± 7.3 mg O2 / L, respectively. Based on the mass balance, and considering the TDS concentration established in NBR 13.696, if the final rinse does not use clean water, the potential for effluent reuse can reach 40%. However, if clean water is used as 30% of the total rinsing volume, it would be possible to reuse 70% of the treated effluent without compromising truck washing performance. This water reuse approach would result in an operational cost reduction of R$ 2,590.75/month.

Cadmium, lead and mercury concentrations and their influence on morphological parameters in blood donors from different age groups from southern Poland.

Science.gov (United States)

Janicka, Monika; Binkowski, Łukasz J; Błaszczyk, Martyna; Paluch, Joanna; Wojtaś, Włodzimierz; Massanyi, Peter; Stawarz, Robert

2015-01-01

Due to industrial development, environmental contamination with metals increases which leads to higher human exposure via air, water and food. In order to evaluate the level of the present exposition, the concentrations of metals can be measured in such biological materials as human blood. In this study, we assessed the concentrations of cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg) and lead (Pb) in blood samples from male blood donors from southern Poland (Europe) born in 1994 (n=30) and between 1947 and 1955 (n=30). Higher levels of Pb were seen in the group of older men (4.48 vs 2.48μg/L), whereas the Hg levels were lower (1.78 vs 4.28μg/L). Cd concentrations did not differ between age groups (0.56μg/L). The levels of Cd and Pb in older donors were significantly correlated (Spearman R 0.5135). We also observed a positive correlation between the number of red blood cells (RBC) and Hg concentrations in the older group (Spearman R 0.4271). Additionally, we noted numerous correlations among morphological parameters. Based on our results, we can state that metals influence the blood morphology and their concentrations in blood vary among age groups. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Overall mass-transfer coefficients in non-linear chromatography

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mollerup, Jørgen; Hansen, Ernst

1998-01-01

In case of mass transfer where concentration differences in both phases must be taken into account, one may define an over-all mass-transfer coefficient basd on the apparent over-all concentration difference. If the equilibrium relationship is linear, i.e. in cases where a Henry´s law relationshi...

Study of factors that interfere in the labelling process of erythrocytes and plasma proteins with Technetium-99m; Estudo de fatores que interferem no processo de marcacao de hemacias e proteinas plasmaticas com tecnecio-99m

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutfilen, Bianca

1990-12-31

The labelling of red blood cells (RBC) with technetium-99m (Tc-99m) depends on several factors, as the stannous ion (Sn++) concentration, time, temperature, the presence of plasma proteins (PP) and others. However the Sn++ concentration seems to be the most important factor; probably because the uptake of this reducing agent by RBC is limited. The excess of Sn++ in extracellular medium can determine the labelling of PP. the modifications of RBC at 50 deg C described in the literature, the possibility of labelling RBC with Tc-99m at this temperature and experimental results obtained made it possible to perform spleen selective scintigraphy through a simple technique with few manipulations. The effect of gentamicin, nifedipine and verapamil in the labelling of RBC and plasma proteins with Tc-99m was studied because of similarities between Ca++ and Sn++. The results show that, under some conditions, these drugs are capable to alter this Tc-99m incorporation. The modification of the ionic distribution determined by these drugs or the blockage of Sn++ and/or Tc-99m or the fact that they bind theirselves to plasma proteins, or the possibility of the labelling of these drugs, are factors that can interfere in the labelling process of red blood cells and plasma proteins with Tc-99m. (author) 55 refs., 12 figs., 5 tabs.

Study of factors that interfere in the labelling process of erythrocytes and plasma proteins with Technetium-99m; Estudo de fatores que interferem no processo de marcacao de hemacias e proteinas plasmaticas com tecnecio-99m

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gutfilen, Bianca

1989-12-31

The labelling of red blood cells (RBC) with technetium-99m (Tc-99m) depends on several factors, as the stannous ion (Sn++) concentration, time, temperature, the presence of plasma proteins (PP) and others. However the Sn++ concentration seems to be the most important factor; probably because the uptake of this reducing agent by RBC is limited. The excess of Sn++ in extracellular medium can determine the labelling of PP. the modifications of RBC at 50 deg C described in the literature, the possibility of labelling RBC with Tc-99m at this temperature and experimental results obtained made it possible to perform spleen selective scintigraphy through a simple technique with few manipulations. The effect of gentamicin, nifedipine and verapamil in the labelling of RBC and plasma proteins with Tc-99m was studied because of similarities between Ca++ and Sn++. The results show that, under some conditions, these drugs are capable to alter this Tc-99m incorporation. The modification of the ionic distribution determined by these drugs or the blockage of Sn++ and/or Tc-99m or the fact that they bind theirselves to plasma proteins, or the possibility of the labelling of these drugs, are factors that can interfere in the labelling process of red blood cells and plasma proteins with Tc-99m. (author) 55 refs., 12 figs., 5 tabs.

Study of factors that interfere in the labelling process of erythrocytes and plasma proteins with Technetium-99m

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gutfilen, Bianca

1989-01-01

The labelling of red blood cells (RBC) with technetium-99m (Tc-99m) depends on several factors, as the stannous ion (Sn++) concentration, time, temperature, the presence of plasma proteins (PP) and others. However the Sn++ concentration seems to be the most important factor; probably because the uptake of this reducing agent by RBC is limited. The excess of Sn++ in extracellular medium can determine the labelling of PP. the modifications of RBC at 50 deg C described in the literature, the possibility of labelling RBC with Tc-99m at this temperature and experimental results obtained made it possible to perform spleen selective scintigraphy through a simple technique with few manipulations. The effect of gentamicin, nifedipine and verapamil in the labelling of RBC and plasma proteins with Tc-99m was studied because of similarities between Ca++ and Sn++. The results show that, under some conditions, these drugs are capable to alter this Tc-99m incorporation. The modification of the ionic distribution determined by these drugs or the blockage of Sn++ and/or Tc-99m or the fact that they bind theirselves to plasma proteins, or the possibility of the labelling of these drugs, are factors that can interfere in the labelling process of red blood cells and plasma proteins with Tc-99m. (author)

Mass imbalances in EPANET water-quality simulations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, Michael J.; Janke, Robert; Taxon, Thomas N.

2018-04-06

EPANET is widely employed to simulate water quality in water distribution systems. However, the time-driven simulation approach used to determine concentrations of water-quality constituents provides accurate results, in general, only for small water-quality time steps; use of an adequately short time step may not be feasible. Overly long time steps can yield errors in concentrations and result in situations in which constituent mass is not conserved. Mass may not be conserved even when EPANET gives no errors or warnings. This paper explains how such imbalances can occur and provides examples of such cases; it also presents a preliminary event-driven approach that conserves mass with a water-quality time step that is as long as the hydraulic time step. Results obtained using the current approach converge, or tend to converge, to those obtained using the new approach as the water-quality time step decreases. Improving the water-quality routing algorithm used in EPANET could eliminate mass imbalances and related errors in estimated concentrations.

Hydrodynamic characteristics of steady magnetic fluid flow in a straight tube by taking into account the non-uniform distribution of mass concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shuchi, S.; Shimada, K.; Kamiyama, S.; Yamaguchi, H.

2002-01-01

We clarify numerically the wall friction coefficient, the distributions of velocity and shear rate, and the number of aggregated particles on steady magnetic fluid flow in a straight tube by taking into account the non-uniform distribution of mass concentration (DMC). Also the effect of DMC is clarified under the uniform and non-uniform transverse steady magnetic field. In comparison with the published data, the numerical results show good agreement with the experimental data

Graphite powder as an alternative or supplement to reversed-phase material for desalting and concentration of peptide mixtures prior to matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Martin Røssel; Cordwell, Stuart J; Roepstorff, Peter

2002-01-01

The success attributed to identification and characterization of gel separated proteins by mass spectrometry (MS) is highly dependent on the percentage of an entire sequence covered by matching peptides derived from enzymatic digestion. Desalting and concentration of peptide mixtures on reversed......-phase (RP) microcolumns prior to mass spectrometric analysis have resulted in increased signal-to-noise ratio and sensitivity, and consequently higher sequence coverage. A large proportion of peptides, however, remains undetected by MS presumably because they are lost during sample preparation...

Contribution to the study of the red blood cells labelled with chromium-51 and technetium-99 m

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Canine, M.S.

1983-01-01

Although the bindings of Cr-51 and Tc-99 m were both in the β chain of hemoglobin molecule, the results obtained after previous incubations of the RBC with chromium and technetium, and the determinations of the efficiency of the labeling of RBC showed that the points of fixing of chromium and technetium with β chain of hemoglobin were probably different. The observations through the optic microscope allowed the verification that, at the concentration of 100 mg/ml of Cr-50, there were morphologic in the RBC. These modifications were not found after the other treatments. The comparison between scintigraphy obtained with Tc-99 m or Cr-51 RBC suggested that the technique which employs Tc-99 m can be more adequate than the one with Cr-51. (author)

Mass Spectrometric Analysis for Nuclear Safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boulyga, S.

2013-01-01

The release of man-made radionuclides into the environment results in contamination that carries specific isotopic signatures according to the release scenarios and the previous usage of materials and facilities. In order to trace the origin of such contamination and/or to assess the potential impact on the public and environmental health, it is necessary to determine the isotopic composition and activity concentrations of radionuclides in environmental samples in an accurate and timely fashion. Mass spectrometric techniques, such as thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) belong to the most powerful methods for analysis of nuclear and related samples in nuclear safeguards, forensics, and environmental monitoring. This presentation will address the potential of mass spectrometric analysis of actinides at ultra-trace concentration levels, isotopic analysis of micro-samples, age determination of nuclear materials as well as identification and quantification of elemental and isotopic signatures of nuclear samples in general. (author)

The permeability of red blood cells to chloride, urea and water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brahm, Jesper

2013-01-01

This study extends permeability (P) data on chloride, urea and water in red blood cells (RBC), and concludes that the urea transporter (UT-B) does not transport water. P of chick, duck, Amphiuma means, dog and human RBC to (36)Cl(-), (14)C-urea and (3)H2O was determined under self....... Temperature dependence, as measured by apparent activation energy, EA, of PCl is 117.8 (duck), 74.9 (Amphiuma) and 89.6 kJ mol(-1) (dog). The EA of Purea is 69.6 (duck) and 53.3 kJ mol(-1) (Amphiuma), and that of Pd is 34.9 (duck) and 32.1 kJ mol(-1) (Amphiuma). The present and previous RBC studies indicate......-exchange conditions. At 25°C and pH 7.2-7.5, PCl is 0.94×10(-4)-2.15×10(-4) cm s(-1) for all RBC species at [Cl]=127-150 mmol l(-1). In chick and duck RBC, Purea is 0.84×10(-6) and 1.65×10(-6) cm s(-1), respectively, at [urea]=1-500 mmol l(-1). In Amphiuma, dog and human RBC, Purea is concentration dependent (1...

Guideline on Isotope Dilution Mass Spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gaffney, Amy [Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-05-19

Isotope dilution mass spectrometry is used to determine the concentration of an element of interest in a bulk sample. It is a destructive analysis technique that is applicable to a wide range of analytes and bulk sample types. With this method, a known amount of a rare isotope, or ‘spike’, of the element of interest is added to a known amount of sample. The element of interest is chemically purified from the bulk sample, the isotope ratio of the spiked sample is measured by mass spectrometry, and the concentration of the element of interest is calculated from this result. This method is widely used, although a mass spectrometer required for this analysis may be fairly expensive.

Arsenic, cadmium and lead concentrations in Yerba mate commercialized in Southern Brazil by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lisia Maria Gobbo dos Santos

2017-12-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT: “Mate” or “Yerba Mate” (Ilex paraguariensis is a native South American plant, commonly consumed in Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and southern Brazil. Recent research has detected the presence of many vitamins and metals in this plant. Theses metals are also part of yerba mate’s mineral composition, due to soil and water contamination by pesticides and fertilizers, coal and oil combustion, vehicle emissions, mining, smelting, refining and the incineration of urban and industrial waste. Regardless of their origin, some inorganic elements, such as arsenic, cadmium and lead, are considered toxic, since they accumulate in all plant tissues and are, thus, introduced into the food chain. In this context, the aim of the present study was to determine and compare arsenic, cadmium, lead concentrations in 104 samples of yerba mate (Ilex paraguariensis marketed, and consumed in three southern Brazilian States, namely Paraná (PR, Santa Catarina (SC and Rio Grande do Sul (RS. Each element was determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS, on a Nexion 300D equipment (Perkin Elmer. As, Cd and Pb concentrations in yerba mate leaves ranged from 0.015 to 0.15mg kg-1, 0.18 to 1.25mg kg-1 and 0.1 to 1.20mg kg-1, respectively. Regarding Cd, 84% of the samples from RS, 63% from PR and 75% from SC showed higher concentrations than the maximum permissible limit of 0.4mg kg-1 established by the Brazilian National Sanitary Surveillance Agency (ANVISA, while 7% of the samples from RS and 5% from PR were unsatisfactory for Pb. Concentrations were below the established ANVISA limit of 0.6mg kg-1 for all samples.

Fluorescence Exclusion: A Simple Method to Assess Projected Surface, Volume and Morphology of Red Blood Cells Stored in Blood Bank

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Camille Roussel

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Red blood cells (RBC ability to circulate is closely related to their surface area-to-volume ratio. A decrease in this ratio induces a decrease in RBC deformability that can lead to their retention and elimination in the spleen. We recently showed that a subpopulation of “small RBC” with reduced projected surface area accumulated upon storage in blood bank concentrates, but data on the volume of these altered RBC are lacking. So far, single cell measurement of RBC volume has remained a challenging task achieved by a few sophisticated methods some being subject to potential artifacts. We aimed to develop a reproducible and ergonomic method to assess simultaneously RBC volume and morphology at the single cell level. We adapted the fluorescence exclusion measurement of volume in nucleated cells to the measurement of RBC volume. This method requires no pre-treatment of the cell and can be performed in physiological or experimental buffer. In addition to RBC volume assessment, brightfield images enabling a precise definition of the morphology and the measurement of projected surface area can be generated simultaneously. We first verified that fluorescence exclusion is precise, reproducible and can quantify volume modifications following morphological changes induced by heating or incubation in non-physiological medium. We then used the method to characterize RBC stored for 42 days in SAG-M in blood bank conditions. Simultaneous determination of the volume, projected surface area and morphology allowed to evaluate the surface area-to-volume ratio of individual RBC upon storage. We observed a similar surface area-to-volume ratio in discocytes (D and echinocytes I (EI, which decreased in EII (7% and EIII (24%, sphero-echinocytes (SE; 41% and spherocytes (S; 47%. If RBC dimensions determine indeed the ability of RBC to cross the spleen, these modifications are expected to induce the rapid splenic entrapment of the most morphologically altered RBC

Acute Free-Iron Exposure Does Not Explain the Impaired Haemorheology Associated with Haemochromatosis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antony P McNamee

not appear (in isolation to account for these differences. Further consideration is required prior to utilising routine venesection blood for harvesting RBC concentrates due to the potential risk of microvascular disorders arising from impaired haemorheology.

Transvaginal sonographic appearance of cystic adnexal masses in postmenopausal women

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cho, Hyeun Cha; Lee, Myung Sook

2000-01-01

To Analyze the transvaginal ultrasonographic(TVUS)findings of the cystic adnexal masses in postmenopausal women for differentiation of benign and malignant masses. We retrospectively reviewed the TVUS images of surgically proven 142 cystic adnexal masses in 125 patients. The masses were classified according to the pathologic findings. The size, the internal echogenicity, the internal septation, the external wall of the masses on US were analyzed and scored using Multicenter scoring system. Serum CA-125 concentration was also recorded. At surgery of 142 masses, 125 benign (88%), and 17 borderline/malignant masses (12%) were found. Among 125 benign masses, 88 masses were larger than 5 cm, 125 had smooth external wall, 109 had absence or thin internal septation, and 107 had anechoic or homogenous low internal echogenicity. Of the 17 borderline/malignant masses, there were 17 masses larger than 5 cm, 2 with smooth external wall, 12 without or with thin internal septation, and 7 with anechoic or homogenous low internal echogenicity. Multicenter score was below 8 in all benign masses, and in 4 borderline/malignant masses. Serum CA-125 concentration with normal range was in 90 patients with benign masses, and in 2 patients with borderline/malignant masses. Cystic adnexal masses with smooth external wall and internal septation, internal echogenic portion less than 10%, score below 8 on TVUS would be diagnosed as benign masses in postmenopausal women with normal serum CA-125 concentration.

Masses of supernova progenitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tinsley, B.M.

1977-01-01

The possible nature and masses of supernovae progenitors, and the bearing of empirical results on some unsolved theoretical problems concerning the origin of supernovae, are discussed. The author concentrates on two main questions: what is the lower mass limit for stars to die explosively and what stars initiate type I supernovae. The evidence considered includes local supernova rates, empirical estimates of msub(w) (the upper mass limit for death as a white dwarf), the distributions of supernovae among stellar populations in galaxies and the colors of supernova producing galaxies. (B.D.)

Standard test method for determination of uranium or plutonium isotopic composition or concentration by the total evaporation method using a thermal ionization mass spectrometer

CERN Document Server

American Society for Testing and Materials. Philadelphia

2007-01-01

1.1 This method describes the determination of the isotopic composition and/or the concentration of uranium and plutonium as nitrate solutions by the thermal ionization mass spectrometric (TIMS) total evaporation method. Purified uranium or plutonium nitrate solutions are loaded onto a degassed metal filament and placed in the mass spectrometer. Under computer control, ion currents are generated by heating of the filament(s). The ion beams are continually measured until the sample is exhausted. The measured ion currents are integrated over the course of the run, and normalized to a reference isotope ion current to yield isotopic ratios. 1.2 In principle, the total evaporation method should yield isotopic ratios that do not require mass bias correction. In practice, some samples may require this bias correction. When compared to the conventional TIMS method, the total evaporation method is approximately two times faster, improves precision from two to four fold, and utilizes smaller sample sizes. 1.3 The tot...

Development of a microtitre-based spectrophotometric method to monitor Babesia divergens growth in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Malandrin, Laurence; Marchand, Anne-Marie; Chauvin, Alain

2004-09-01

Babesia divergens multiplication cycle involves erythrocyte invasion, intracellular division, and erythrocyte lysis with the simultaneous liberation of hemoglobin. We have decided to set up a spectrophotometric protocol based on hemoglobin concentration in the culture supernatants to monitor B. divergens in vitro growth. After the selection of 405 nm as the most appropriate endpoint hemoglobin wavelength in our conditions (hemoglobin concentration in the supernatant), cultures were standardized [1 x 10(9) red blood cell (RBC)/ml, 1-2.5 x 10(5) infected red blood cell (iRBC)/ml] to allow their monitoring over 3 days. The protocol was then compared to the most commonly used growth measurement methods: parasitemia counting and [(3)H]hypoxanthine incorporation. An excellent correlation was demonstrated between A(405) of the culture supernatant and parasitemia of the iRBC, whatever the RBC concentration used in the medium. This correlation was also evidenced between A(405) and [(3)H]hypoxanthine incorporation for [(3)H]hypoxanthine concentrations lower than 4 microCi/ml. Our assays also highlighted the inhibitory effect of [(3)H]hypoxanthine on B. divergens growth even when used at low concentrations (0.8 microCi/ml) and for a short incorporation duration (24 h). This effect was confirmed by both A(405) and parasitemia counting. In conclusion, A(405) measurement of B. divergens culture supernatant represents a simple, rapid, safe, and reliable way to measure the in vitro growth of this parasite. Generation times of three different B. divergens strains were then determined by the protocol described here and varied between 8 h 36 min and 13 h 8 min.

In vivo viability of stored red blood cells derived from riboflavin plus ultraviolet light-treated whole blood.

Science.gov (United States)

Cancelas, Jose A; Rugg, Neeta; Fletcher, Dana; Pratt, P Gayle; Worsham, D Nicole; Dunn, Susan K; Marschner, Susanne; Reddy, Heather L; Goodrich, Raymond P

2011-07-01

A novel system using ultraviolet (UV) light and riboflavin (Mirasol System, CaridianBCT Biotechnologies) to fragment nucleic acids has been developed to treat whole blood (WB), aiming at the reduction of potential pathogen load and white blood cell inactivation. We evaluated stored red blood cell (RBC) metabolic status and viability, in vitro and in vivo, of riboflavin/UV light-treated WB (IMPROVE study). The study compared recovery and survival of RBCs obtained from nonleukoreduced WB treated using three different UV light energies (22, 33, or 44 J/mL(RBC)). After treatment, WB from 12 subjects was separated into components and tested at the beginning and end of component storage. After 42 days of storage, an aliquot of RBCs was radiolabeled and autologously reinfused into subjects for analysis of 24-hour recovery and survival of RBCs. Eleven subjects completed the in vivo study. No device-related adverse events were observed. By Day 42 of storage, a significant change in the concentrations of sodium and potassium was observed. Five subjects had a 24-hour RBC recovery of 75% or more with no significant differences among the energy groups. RBC t(1/2) was 24 ± 9 days for the combined three groups. Significant correlations between 24-hour RBC recovery and survival, hemolysis, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and CO(2) levels were observed. This study shows that key RBC quality variables, hemolysis, and ATP concentration may be predictive of their 24-hour recovery and t(1/2) survival. These variables will now be used to assess modifications to the system including storage duration, storage temperature, and appropriate energy dose for treatment. © 2011 American Association of Blood Banks.

The effect of dietary protein on reproduction in the mare. II. Growth of foals, body mass of mares and serum protein concentration of mares during the anovulatory, transitional and pregnant periods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F.E. Van Niekerk

1997-07-01

Full Text Available The effect of 4 different diets, in terms of protein quantity and quality, on total serum protein (TSP, albumin and globulin was investigated. Non-pregnant mares that were not lactating (n = 36, pregnant mares that had foaled (n = 24 and their foals (n = 24 were used in this study. Daily total protein intake had no effect on blood protein concentrations in the mares. Total protein intake and quality (available essential amino-acids did affect the body mass of mares during lactation. When mares were fed the minimum recommended (National Research Council 1989 total daily protein, foal mass decreased by approximately 25 % at weaning compared to the foals whose dams were on a higher level of protein intake. The TSP concentrations of foals at birth were on average 10 g/ℓ lower than those of the mares. Albumin concentrations of foals during the first 60 days of life were on average 2-3 g/ℓ lower than those of the mares. Globulin concentrations of foals were approximately 5 g/ℓ lower than those of mares at weaning.

Clinical comparison of cardiac blood pool visualization with technetium-99m red blood cells labeled in vivo and with technetium-99m human serum albumin

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thrall, J.H.; Freitas, J.E.; Swanson, D.; Rogers, W.L.; Clare, J.M.; Brown, M.L.; Pitt, B.

1978-01-01

Technetium-99m red blood cells (Tc-RBC) labeled by an in vivo technique were compared with two preparations of Tc-99m human serum albumin (HSA) for cardiac blood-pool imaging. Relative distribution of the tracers was analyzed on end-diastolic frames of gated blood-pool studies and on whole-body (head to mid-thigh) anterior pinhole images. The Tc-RBC demonstrated greater relative percentage localization in the cardiac blood pool, higher target-to-background ratios in the left ventricle, and less liver concentration. For cardiac blood-pool imaging, Tc-RBC labeled by the in vivo approach appears to be superior to the two Tc-HSA preparations studied

Mass loss and nutrient concentrations of buried wood as a function of organic matter removal, soil compaction, and vegetation control in a regenerating oak-pine forest

Science.gov (United States)

Felix Ponder; John M. Kabrick; Mary Beth Adams; Deborah S. Page-Dumroese; Marty F. Jurgensen

2017-01-01

Mass loss and nutrient concentrations of northern red oak (Quercus rubra) and white oak (Q. alba) wood stakes were measured 30 months after their burial in the upper 10 cm of soil in a regenerating forest after harvesting and soil disturbance. Disturbance treatments were two levels of organic matter (OM) removal (only...

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

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Yiman; Li, Liang

2012-12-18

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

Mass flows in N2 - Ar - O2 mixture for a temperature range of 80 K to 100 K in presence of concentration gradients

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cristescu, I.; Peculea, M.; Serban, I.

1992-01-01

In separation processes of multicomponent mixtures by cryogenic distillation, out of mass transfer at liquid-vapor interface, an essential part is played by Fick diffusion of the two phases. In the present study we have developed a calculus of the generalized diffusion coefficients based on the Chapman-Cowling theory, and we applied it for the N 2 - Ar - O 2 mixture in vapor phase. After computing Fick's law of diffusion for a tri-component nonreactive mixture in which diffusion is occurring in x -direction only, under constant pressure, we have established the time variation of the N 2 , Ar, and O 2 concentrations, taking into account the initial distribution of concentrations and boundary conditions. (Author)

Validated hemoglobin-depletion approach for red blood cell lysate proteome analysis by means of 2D PAGE and Orbitrap MS.

Science.gov (United States)

Walpurgis, Katja; Kohler, Maxie; Thomas, Andreas; Wenzel, Folker; Geyer, Hans; Schänzer, Wilhelm; Thevis, Mario

2012-08-01

The analysis of the cytosolic red blood cell (RBC) proteome is negatively affected by the high intracellular amount of hemoglobin complicating the detection of low-abundant cytosolic proteins. In this study, an alternative approach for the preparation of hemoglobin-depleted RBC lysates is presented, which was established in combination with downstream 2D PAGE analysis and Orbitrap MS. Hemoglobin removal was accomplished by using HemoVoid(TM) depletion reagent, which enabled a very efficient enrichment of low-abundant proteins by simultaneously reducing the hemoglobin concentration of the sample. After defining selected sample preparation protocol characteristics including specificity/selectivity, precision and linearity, a 2D reference map (pH 4-7) of the cytosolic RBC proteome was generated and a total of 189 different proteins were identified. Thus, the presented approach proved to be highly suitable to prepare reproducible high-resolution 2D protein maps of the RBC cytosol and provides a helpful tool for future studies investigating disease- or storage-induced changes of the cytosolic RBC proteome. © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Improved modification for in vitro labeling of red blood cells with Technetium-99m

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gerson, B.; Ballinger, J.R.; Gulenchyn, K.Y.

1988-01-01

The authors have tested a modification of Brookhaven method for in vitro labeling of red blood cells (RBCs) with technetium-99m by adding an initial centrifugation step and performing the labeling on packed RBCs. This results in reproducible, high labeling efficiencies (99.3% +/- 0.4%, n = 50) after 15 min of incubation. The use of packed RBCs also results in a higher concentration of labeled RBCs (smaller bolus for injection) and less radiation exposure to the technologist. This technique has proved useful for radionuclide angiography, venography, gastrointestinal bleeding studies, and red cell mass determinations. It is particularly advantageous for RBC labeling in patients receiving chemotherapy

Effects of tellurium concentration on the structure of melt-grown ZnSe crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atroshchenko, Lyubov V.; Galkin, Sergey N.; Rybalka, Irina A.; Voronkin, Evgeniy F.; Lalayants, Alexandr I.; Ryzhikov, Vladimir D.; Fedorov, Alexandr G.

2005-01-01

It has been shown that isovalent doping by tellurium positively affects the structural perfection of ZnSe crystals related to the completeness of the wurtzite-sphalerite phase transition. The optimum concentration range of tellurium in ZnSe crystals is 0.3-0.6 mass %. X-ray diffraction studies have shown that in ZnSe 1-x Te x crystals at tellurium concentrations below 0.3 mass % twinning and packing defects occur, while tellurium concentrations above 0.6 mass % lead to formation of tetragonal crystal lattice

Improved Technique for the Determination of Uranium Minor Isotopes Concentrations in Microparticles by Using Secondary Ion Mass-Spectrometer in Multicollection Mode

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aleshin, M.; Elantyev, I.; Stebelkov, Y.

2015-01-01

Traditional method of the analysis implies simultaneous measuring of secondary ion currents of isotopes 234U + , 235U + , 238U + , ions with mass 236 amu (236U + and 235UH + ) and hydride ions 238UH + by using mass-spectrometer Cameca IMS1280 in multicollection mode. Calculating of uranium isotopic composition is performed using the results of 40 successive measurements of those currents (cycles). Duration of each measurement is 8 s. Small amounts of uranium minor isotopes are limitation for precise determination of their concentrations. To prevent the damage of the secondary ions detector the intensity of ion current should be no more than 5 x 10 5 s -1 . This limitation does not allow setting a higher primary ion current for the increasing of minor uranium isotopes ions emission because of the signal of ions 238U + gets too high. New technique is developed to improve the accuracy of determination of uranium minor isotopes concentrations. Process of measurement is divided on two steps. First step is a measurement of ion currents during 20 cycles by five detectors. The second step implies the elimination of ions 238U + hitting to the detector and 10 times increasing of primary ion current. The ratio 235U/238U is calculated from the first step results, so uncertainty of determination of this value is 1.4 times bigger than with duration of 40 cycles of the measurement. The ratios 234U/235U and 236U/235U are calculated during the second step. This technique allows to determine content of 234U and 236U with 3 and 5 times less uncertainties respectively, but with different degree of the sputtering particles. Moreover the duration of each cycle was set less (1 second) to use data more efficient. The technique accordingly with every second counting provides uncertainty of determination 236U concentration 4 times less than traditional method at the same degree of sputtering particles. (author)

Survival of red blood cells after transfusion: processes and consequences

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Giel eBosman

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The currently available data suggest that efforts towards improving the quality of red blood cell (RBC blood bank products should concentrate on: (1 preventing the removal of a considerable fraction of the transfused RBCs that takes place within the first hours after transfusion; (2 minimizing the interaction of the transfused RBCs with the patient's immune system. These issues are important in reducing the number and extent of the damaging side effects of transfusions, such as generation of alloantibodies and autoantibodies and iron accumulation, especially in transfusion-dependent patients. Thus, it becomes important for blood bank research not only to assess the classical RBC parameters for quality control during storage, but even more so to identify the parameters that predict RBC survival, function and behaviour in the patient after transfusion. These parameters are likely to result from elucidation of the mechanisms that underly physiological RBC aging in vivo, and that lead to the generation of senescent cell antigens and the accumulation of damaged molecules in vesicles. Also, study of RBC pathology-related mechanisms, such as encountered in various hemoglobinopathies and membranopathies, may help to elucidate the mechanisms underlying a storage-associated increase in susceptibility to physiological stress conditions. Recent data indicate that a combination of new approaches in vitro to mimick RBC behaviour in vivo, the growing knowledge of the signaling networks that regulate RBC structure and function, and the rapidly expanding set of proteomic and metabolomic data, will be instrumental to identify the storage-associated processes that control RBC survival after transfusion.

The chromium accumulation and its physiological effects in juvenile rockfish, Sebastes schlegelii, exposed to different levels of dietary chromium (Cr(6+)) concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jun-Hwan; Kang, Ju-Chan

2016-01-01

Juvenile rockfish (mean length 13.7±1.7 cm, and mean weight 55.6±4.8 g) were exposed for 4 weeks with the different levels of dietary chromium (Cr(6+)) at 0, 30, 60, 120 and 240 mg/kg. The profile of chromium in the tissues of rockfish is dependent on the exposure periods and chromium concentration. After 4 weeks, the order of chromium accumulation in tissues was liver>kidney>spleen>intestine>gill>muscle. The dietary chromium exposure decreased the growth rate and hepatosomatic index of rockfish. The major hematological findings were significant decrease in the red blood cell (RBC) count, hematocrit (Ht) value, and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration exposed to ≥120 mg/kg chromium concentrations. The dietary chromium exposure (≥120 mg/kg) led to notable increase in glucose, cholesterol, glutamic oxalate transaminase (GOT), and glutamic pyruvate transaminase (GPT) in plasma, whereas there was no considerable change in calcium, magnesium, total protein, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP). The results indicated that the dietary chromium exposure to rockfish can induce significant chromium accumulation in the specific tissues, inhibition of growth, and hematological alterations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Toxicokinetic comparison of 14C-monocrotaline and 14C-senecionine in the rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Estep, J.E.; Lame', M.W.; Morin, D.; Segall, H.J.; Wilson, D.W.

1990-01-01

Two commonly studied macrocyclic pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are monocrotaline (MCT) and senecionine (SEN). Both PAs exhibit hepatic, renal and pulmonary toxicity, but SEN primarily causes centrol lobular necrosis of the liver while MCT promotes the development of pulmonary hypertension with decreased liver necrosis. Previous work in our laboratory has shown that MCT (60mg/kg IV) is sequestered in the red blood cell (RBC). To determine if this retention could play a role in MCT pulmonary toxicity, we compared the toxicokinetics of MCT with SEN. Both compounds exhibited a similar decline in plasma concentration (as measured by carbon 14) by the end of seven hours. The decrease in radioactivity associated with RBC's differed significantly with MCT declining from 144.34 to 81.46 nmol MCT-equivalents/gm of RBC's, while SEN decreased from 108.55 to 26.18 nmol SEN-equivalents/gm. Fortyfour versus 12 percent of the radioactivity was excreted in the bile for SEN and MCT dosed rats, respectively. In the absence of bile duct cannulation, plasma and RBC levels of radioactivity were identical to cannulated animals receiving MCT while SEN dosed animals exhibited almost twice the radioactivity associated with the RBC's, suggesting enterohepatic recirculation. The results of these studies suggest that the RBC-MCT complex is involved in MCT pulmonary toxicity

On-chip sample preparation for complete blood count from raw blood.

Science.gov (United States)

Nguyen, John; Wei, Yuan; Zheng, Yi; Wang, Chen; Sun, Yu

2015-03-21

This paper describes a monolithic microfluidic device capable of on-chip sample preparation for both RBC and WBC measurements from whole blood. For the first time, on-chip sample processing (e.g. dilution, lysis, and filtration) and downstream single cell measurement were fully integrated to enable sample preparation and single cell analysis from whole blood on a single device. The device consists of two parallel sub-systems that perform sample processing and electrical measurements for measuring RBC and WBC parameters. The system provides a modular environment capable of handling solutions of various viscosities by adjusting the length of channels and precisely controlling mixing ratios, and features a new 'offset' filter configuration for increased duration of device operation. RBC concentration, mean corpuscular volume (MCV), cell distribution width, WBC concentration and differential are determined by electrical impedance measurement. Experimental characterization of over 100,000 cells from 10 patient blood samples validated the system's capability for performing on-chip raw blood processing and measurement.

Comparison of the multicomponent mass transfer models for the prediction of the concentration overpotential for solid oxide fuel cell anodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vural, Yasemin; Ma, Lin; Ingham, Derek B.; Pourkashanian, Mohamed [Centre for Computational Fluid Dynamics, University of Leeds, Leeds (United Kingdom)

2010-08-01

In this study, multicomponent mass diffusion models, namely the Stefan-Maxwell model (SMM), the Dusty Gas model (DGM) and the Binary Friction model (BFM) have been compared in terms of their predictive capabilities of the concentration polarization of an anode supported solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) anode. The results show that other than the pore diameter, current density and concentration of reactants, which have a high importance in concentration polarization predictions, the tortuosity (or porosity/tortuosity) term, has a substantial effect on the model predictions. Contrary to the previous discussions in the literature, for the fitted value of tortuosities, SMM and DGM predictions are similar, even for an average pore radius as small as 2.6e-07 and current density as high as 1.5 A cm{sup -2}. Also it is shown that the BFM predictions are similar to DGM for the case investigated in this study. Moreover, in this study, the effect of the pressure gradient term in the DGM and the BFM has been investigated by including and excluding this term from the model equations. It is shown that for the case investigated and model assumptions used in this study, the terms including the pressure coefficient have an insignificant effect on the predictions of both DGM and BFM and therefore they can be neglected. (author)

Estimating representative background PM2.5 concentration in heavily polluted areas using baseline separation technique and chemical mass balance model

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Shuang; Yang, Wen; Zhang, Hui; Sun, Yanling; Mao, Jian; Ma, Zhenxing; Cong, Zhiyuan; Zhang, Xian; Tian, Shasha; Azzi, Merched; Chen, Li; Bai, Zhipeng

2018-02-01

The determination of background concentration of PM2.5 is important to understand the contribution of local emission sources to total PM2.5 concentration. The purpose of this study was to exam the performance of baseline separation techniques to estimate PM2.5 background concentration. Five separation methods, which included recursive digital filters (Lyne-Hollick, one-parameter algorithm, and Boughton two-parameter algorithm), sliding interval and smoothed minima, were applied to one-year PM2.5 time-series data in two heavily polluted cities, Tianjin and Jinan. To obtain the proper filter parameters and recession constants for the separation techniques, we conducted regression analysis at a background site during the emission reduction period enforced by the Government for the 2014 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting in Beijing. Background concentrations in Tianjin and Jinan were then estimated by applying the determined filter parameters and recession constants. The chemical mass balance (CMB) model was also applied to ascertain the effectiveness of the new approach. Our results showed that the contribution of background PM concentration to ambient pollution was at a comparable level to the contribution obtained from the previous study. The best performance was achieved using the Boughton two-parameter algorithm. The background concentrations were estimated at (27 ± 2) μg/m3 for the whole year, (34 ± 4) μg/m3 for the heating period (winter), (21 ± 2) μg/m3 for the non-heating period (summer), and (25 ± 2) μg/m3 for the sandstorm period in Tianjin. The corresponding values in Jinan were (30 ± 3) μg/m3, (40 ± 4) μg/m3, (24 ± 5) μg/m3, and (26 ± 2) μg/m3, respectively. The study revealed that these baseline separation techniques are valid for estimating levels of PM2.5 air pollution, and that our proposed method has great potential for estimating the background level of other air pollutants.

A novel ion-exclusion chromatography-mass spectrometry method to measure concentrations and cycling rates of carbohydrates and amino sugars in freshwaters.

Science.gov (United States)

Horňák, Karel; Pernthaler, Jakob

2014-10-24

The concentrations of free neutral carbohydrates and amino sugars were determined in freshwater samples of distinct matrix complexity, including meso-, eu- and dystrophic lakes and ponds, using high-performance ion-exclusion chromatography (HPIEC) coupled to mass spectrometry (MS). In contrast to other methods, our approach allowed the quantification of free neutral carbohydrates and amino sugars at low nM concentrations without derivatization, de-salting or pre-concentration. New sample preparation procedures were applied prior to injection employing syringe and hollow fiber filtration. Analytes were separated on a strong cation exchange resin under 100% aqueous conditions using 0.1% formic acid as a mobile phase. To minimize background noise in MS, analytes were detected in a multiple reaction monitoring scan mode with double ion filtering. Detection limits of carbohydrates and amino sugars ranged between 0.2 and 2nM at a signal-to-noise ratio >5. Error ranged between 1 and 12% at 0.5-500nM levels. Using a stable isotope dilution approach, both the utilization and recycling of glucose in Lake Zurich was observed. In contrast, N-acetyl-glucosamine was equally rapidly consumed but there was no visible de novo production. The simple and rapid sample preparation makes our protocol suitable for routine analyses of organic compounds in freshwater samples. Application of stable isotope tracers along with accurate measures of carbohydrate and amino sugar concentrations enables novel insights into the compound in situ dynamics. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Determination of Zidovudine Triphosphate Intracellular Concentrations in Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Individuals by Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Font, Eva; Rosario, Osvaldo; Santana, Jorge; García, Hermes; Sommadossi, Jean-Pierre; Rodriguez, Jose F.

1999-01-01

Nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) used against the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) need to be activated intracellularly to their triphosphate moiety to inhibit HIV replication. Intracellular concentrations of these NRTI triphosphates, especially zidovudine triphosphate (ZDV-TP), are relatively low (low numbers of femtomoles per 106 cells) in HIV-infected patient peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Recently, several methods have used either high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) or solid-phase extraction (SPE) coupled with radioimmunoassay to obtain in vivo measurements of ZDV-TP. The limit of detection (LOD) by these methods ranged from 20 to 200 fmol/106 cells. In this report, we describe the development of a method to determine intracellular ZDV-TP concentrations in HIV-infected patients using SPE and HPLC with tandem mass spectrometry for analysis. The LOD by this method is 4.0 fmol/106 cells with a linear concentration range of at least 4 orders of magnitude from 4.0 to 10,000 fmol/106 cells. In hispanic HIV-infected patients, ZDV-TP was detectable even when the sampling time after drug administration was 15 h. Intracellular ZDV-TP concentrations in these patients ranged from 41 to 193 fmol/106 cells. The low LOD obtained with this method will provide the opportunity for further in vivo pharmacokinetic studies of intracellular ZDV-TP in different HIV-infected populations. Furthermore, this methodology could be used to perform simultaneous detection of two or more NRTIs, such as ZDV-TP and lamivudine triphosphate. PMID:10582890

Comparison between polluted and clean air masses over Lake Michigan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alkezweeny, A.J.; Laulainen, N.S.

1981-01-01

Clean and polluted air masses, advected over Lake Michigan, were studied using instrumental aircraft during the summers of 1976 and 1978. The results show that regardless of the degree of pollution, the particle size distribution is bimodal. The concentrations of sulfate, nitrate and trace metals in a clean air mass are more than an order of magnitude lower than those in polluted air masses. Furthermore, these concentrations are comparable with those measured in remote areas of the world. In clean air the ratio of the total light scattering to Rayleigh scattering is very close to one, indicating very low concentrations of particulates in the optically active size classes

Effects of Schmidt number on near-wall turbulent mass transfer in pipe flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kang, Chang Woo; Yang, Kyung Soo [Inha University, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-12-15

Large Eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent mass transfer in circular-pipe flow has been performed to investigate the characteristics of turbulent mass transfer in the near-wall region. We consider a fully-developed turbulent pipe flow with a constant wall concentration. The Reynolds number under consideration is Re{sub r} = 500 based on the friction velocity and the pipe radius, and the selected Schmidt numbers (Sc) are 0.71, 5, 10, 20 and 100. Dynamic subgrid-scale (SGS) models for the turbulent SGS stresses and turbulent mass fluxes were employed to close the governing equations. The current paper reports a comprehensive characterization of turbulent mass transfer in circular-pipe flow, focusing on its near-wall characteristics and Sc dependency. We start with mean fields by presenting mean velocity and concentration profiles, mean Sherwood numbers and mean mass transfer coefficients for the selected values of the parameters. After that, we present the characteristics of fluctuations including root-mean-square (rms) profiles of velocity, concentration, and mass transfer coefficient fluctuations. Turbulent mass fluxes and correlations between velocity and concentration fluctuations are also discussed. The near-wall behaviour of turbulent diffusivity and turbulent Schmidt number is shown, and other authors' correlations on their limiting behaviour towards the pipe wall are evaluated based on our LES results. The intermittent characteristics of turbulent mass transfer in pipe flow are depicted by probability density functions (pdf) of velocity and concentration fluctuations; joint pdfs between them are also presented. Instantaneous snapshots of velocity and concentration fluctuations are shown to supplement our discussion on the turbulence statistics. Finally, we report the results of octant analysis and budget calculation of concentration variance to clarify Sc-dependency of the correlation between near-wall turbulence structures and concentration fluctuation in

Effects of Schmidt number on near-wall turbulent mass transfer in pipe flow

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kang, Chang Woo; Yang, Kyung Soo

2014-01-01

Large Eddy simulation (LES) of turbulent mass transfer in circular-pipe flow has been performed to investigate the characteristics of turbulent mass transfer in the near-wall region. We consider a fully-developed turbulent pipe flow with a constant wall concentration. The Reynolds number under consideration is Re r = 500 based on the friction velocity and the pipe radius, and the selected Schmidt numbers (Sc) are 0.71, 5, 10, 20 and 100. Dynamic subgrid-scale (SGS) models for the turbulent SGS stresses and turbulent mass fluxes were employed to close the governing equations. The current paper reports a comprehensive characterization of turbulent mass transfer in circular-pipe flow, focusing on its near-wall characteristics and Sc dependency. We start with mean fields by presenting mean velocity and concentration profiles, mean Sherwood numbers and mean mass transfer coefficients for the selected values of the parameters. After that, we present the characteristics of fluctuations including root-mean-square (rms) profiles of velocity, concentration, and mass transfer coefficient fluctuations. Turbulent mass fluxes and correlations between velocity and concentration fluctuations are also discussed. The near-wall behaviour of turbulent diffusivity and turbulent Schmidt number is shown, and other authors' correlations on their limiting behaviour towards the pipe wall are evaluated based on our LES results. The intermittent characteristics of turbulent mass transfer in pipe flow are depicted by probability density functions (pdf) of velocity and concentration fluctuations; joint pdfs between them are also presented. Instantaneous snapshots of velocity and concentration fluctuations are shown to supplement our discussion on the turbulence statistics. Finally, we report the results of octant analysis and budget calculation of concentration variance to clarify Sc-dependency of the correlation between near-wall turbulence structures and concentration fluctuation in the

Implementation of patient blood management remains extremely variable in Europe and Canada: the NATA benchmark project: An observational study.

Science.gov (United States)

Van der Linden, Philippe; Hardy, Jean-François

2016-12-01

Preoperative anaemia is associated with increased postoperative morbidity and mortality. Patient blood management (PBM) is advocated to improve patient outcomes. NATA, the 'Network for the advancement of patient blood management, haemostasis and thrombosis', initiated a benchmark project with the aim of providing the basis for educational strategies to implement optimal PBM in participating centres. Prospective, observational study with online data collection in 11 secondary and tertiary care institutions interested in developing PBM. Ten European centres (Austria, Spain, England, Denmark, Belgium, Netherlands, Romania, Greece, France, and Germany) and one Canadian centre participated between January 2010 and June 2011. A total of 2470 patients undergoing total hip (THR) or knee replacement, or coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), were registered in the study. Data from 2431 records were included in the final analysis. Primary outcome measures were the incidence and volume of red blood cells (RBC) transfused. Logistic regression analysis identified variables independently associated with RBC transfusions. The incidence of transfusion was significantly different between centres for THR (range 7 to 95%), total knee replacement (range 3 to 100%) and CABG (range 20 to 95%). The volume of RBC transfused was significantly different between centres for THR and CABG. The incidence of preoperative anaemia ranged between 3 and 40% and its treatment between 0 and 40%, the latter not being related to the former. Patient characteristics, evolution of haemoglobin concentrations and blood losses were also different between centres. Variables independently associated with RBC transfusion were preoperative haemoglobin concentration, lost volume of RBC and female sex. Implementation of PBM remains extremely variable across centres. The relative importance of factors explaining RBC transfusion differs across institutions, some being patient related whereas others are related to

Constraining the Stellar Mass Function in the Galactic Center via Mass Loss from Stellar Collisions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Douglas Rubin

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The dense concentration of stars and high-velocity dispersions in the Galactic center imply that stellar collisions frequently occur. Stellar collisions could therefore result in significant mass loss rates. We calculate the amount of stellar mass lost due to indirect and direct stellar collisions and find its dependence on the present-day mass function of stars. We find that the total mass loss rate in the Galactic center due to stellar collisions is sensitive to the present-day mass function adopted. We use the observed diffuse X-ray luminosity in the Galactic center to preclude any present-day mass functions that result in mass loss rates >10-5M⨀yr−1 in the vicinity of ~1″. For present-day mass functions of the form, dN/dM∝M-α, we constrain the present-day mass function to have a minimum stellar mass ≲7M⨀ and a power-law slope ≳1.25. We also use this result to constrain the initial mass function in the Galactic center by considering different star formation scenarios.

Alterations in vitamin D metabolite, parathyroid hormone and fibroblast growth factor-23 concentrations in sclerostin-deficient mice permit the maintenance of a high bone mass.

Science.gov (United States)

Ryan, Zachary C; Craig, Theodore A; McGee-Lawrence, Meghan; Westendorf, Jennifer J; Kumar, Rajiv

2015-04-01

Humans with mutations of the sclerostin (SOST) gene, and knockout animals in which the Sost gene has been experimentally deleted, exhibit an increase in bone mass. We review the mechanisms by which Sost knockout mice are able to accrete increased amounts of calcium and phosphorus required for the maintenance of a high bone mass. Recently published information from our laboratory, shows that bone mass is increased in Sost-deficient mice through an increase in osteoblast and a decrease in osteoclast activity, which is mediated by activation of β-catenin and an increase in prostacyclin synthesis in osteocytes and osteoblasts. The increases in calcium and phosphorus retention required for enhanced bone mineral accretion are brought about by changes in the vitamin D endocrine system, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23). Thus, in Sost knockout mice, concentrations of serum 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) are increased and concentrations of FGF-23 are decreased thereby allowing a positive calcium and phosphorus balance. Additionally, in the absence of Sost expression, urinary calcium is decreased, either through a direct effect of sclerostin on renal calcium handling, or through its effect on the synthesis of 1,25(OH)2D. Adaptations in vitamin D, PTH and FGF-23 physiology occur in the absence of sclerostin expression and mediate increased calcium and phosphorus retention required for the increase in bone mineralization. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled '17th Vitamin D Workshop'. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transport rates and concentration gradients during grain filling in wheat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fisher, D.B.; Gifford, R.M.

1986-01-01

Short-term mass transport rates into wheat ears were calculated at mid grain fill from 32 PO 4 translocation velocities and sieve tube sap concentrations in the peduncle. Over a wide range of velocities (8.5 to 170 cm/hr), sieve tube sap concentrations (514 to 1050 milliosmolal) and grains per ear (20 to 54 in intact ears, as few as 7 in partially degrained ears), there were no evident differences in the rate of mass transport per grain through the peduncle. Increased sieve tube sap concentration was accompanied in the endosperm cavity sap by increased sucrose concentration, but amino acid concentration and total osmolality remained essentially constant. Thus the rate of transport into the grains appeared to remain constant in spite of altered concentration gradients across the crease tissues of the grain and changing sucrose concentration in the endosperm cavity. The constancy of endosperm cavity sap osmolality suggests that osmoregulatory processes in the grain may play a role in regulating transport rate into the grain

Inorganic mass spectrometry of solid samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adams, F.; Vertes, A.

1990-01-01

In this review some recent developments in the field of inorganic mass spectrometry of solids are described with special emphasis on the actual state of understanding of the ionization processes. It concentrates on the common characteristics of methods such as spark source-, laser-, secondary ion-, inductively coupled plasma- and glow discharge mass spectrometry. (orig.)

Determinants of black carbon, particle mass and number concentrations in London transport microenvironments

Science.gov (United States)

Rivas, Ioar; Kumar, Prashant; Hagen-Zanker, Alex; Andrade, Maria de Fatima; Slovic, Anne Dorothee; Pritchard, John P.; Geurs, Karst T.

2017-07-01

We investigated the determinants of personal exposure concentrations of commuters' to black carbon (BC), ultrafine particle number concentrations (PNC), and particulate matter (PM1, PM2.5 and PM10) in different travel modes. We quantified the contribution of key factors that explain the variation of the previous pollutants in four commuting routes in London, each covered by four transport modes (car, bus, walk and underground). Models were performed for each pollutant, separately to assess the effect of meteorology (wind speed) or ambient concentrations (with either high spatial or temporal resolution). Concentration variations were mainly explained by wind speed or ambient concentrations and to a lesser extent by route and period of the day. In multivariate models with wind speed, the wind speed was the common significant predictor for all the pollutants in the above-ground modes (i.e., car, bus, walk); and the only predictor variable for the PM fractions. Wind speed had the strongest effect on PM during the bus trips, with an increase in 1 m s-1 leading to a decrease in 2.25, 2.90 and 4.98 μg m-3 of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10, respectively. PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in car trips were better explained by ambient concentrations with high temporal resolution although from a single monitoring station. On the other hand, ambient concentrations with high spatial coverage but lower temporal resolution predicted better the concentrations in bus trips, due to bus routes passing through streets with a high variability of traffic intensity. In the underground models, wind speed was not significant and line and type of windows on the train explained 42% of the variation of PNC and 90% of all PM fractions. Trains in the district line with openable windows had an increase in concentrations of 1 684 cm-3 for PNC and 40.69 μg m-3 for PM2.5 compared with trains that had non-openable windows. The results from this work can be used to target efforts to reduce personal exposures of

Reconstructing a herbivore’s diet using a novel rbcL DNA mini-barcode for plants

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, David L.; Reed, Elizabeth; Ramachandran, Padmini; Bourg, Norman; McShea, William J.; Ottesen, Andrea

2017-01-01

Next Generation Sequencing and the application of metagenomic analyses can be used to answer questions about animal diet choice and study the consequences of selective foraging by herbivores. The quantification of herbivore diet choice with respect to native versus exotic plant species is particularly relevant given concerns of invasive species establishment and their effects on ecosystems. While increased abundance of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) appears to correlate with increased incidence of invasive plant species, data supporting a causal link is scarce. We used a metabarcoding approach (PCR amplicons of the plant rbcL gene) to survey the diet of white-tailed deer (fecal samples), from a forested site in Warren County, Virginia with a comprehensive plant species inventory and corresponding reference collection of plant barcode and chloroplast sequences. We sampled fecal pellet piles and extracted DNA from 12 individual deer in October 2014. These samples were compared to a reference DNA library of plant species collected within the study area. For 72 % of the amplicons, we were able to assign taxonomy at the species level, which provides for the first time—sufficient taxonomic resolution to quantify the relative frequency at which native and exotic plant species are being consumed by white-tailed deer. For each of the 12 individual deer we collected three subsamples from the same fecal sample, resulting in sequencing 36 total samples. Using Qiime, we quantified the plant DNA found in all 36 samples, and found that variance within samples was less than variance between samples (F = 1.73, P = 0.004), indicating additional subsamples may not be necessary. Species level diversity ranged from 60 to 93 OTUs per individual and nearly 70 % of all plant sequences recovered were from native plant species. The number of species detected did reduce significantly (range 4–12) when we excluded species whose OTU composed behaviour may favour

Reconstructing a herbivore's diet using a novel rbcL DNA mini-barcode for plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, David L; Reed, Elizabeth; Ramachandran, Padmini; Bourg, Norman A; McShea, William J; Ottesen, Andrea

2017-05-01

Next Generation Sequencing and the application of metagenomic analyses can be used to answer questions about animal diet choice and study the consequences of selective foraging by herbivores. The quantification of herbivore diet choice with respect to native versus exotic plant species is particularly relevant given concerns of invasive species establishment and their effects on ecosystems. While increased abundance of white-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus ) appears to correlate with increased incidence of invasive plant species, data supporting a causal link is scarce. We used a metabarcoding approach (PCR amplicons of the plant rbc L gene) to survey the diet of white-tailed deer (fecal samples), from a forested site in Warren County, Virginia with a comprehensive plant species inventory and corresponding reference collection of plant barcode and chloroplast sequences. We sampled fecal pellet piles and extracted DNA from 12 individual deer in October 2014. These samples were compared to a reference DNA library of plant species collected within the study area. For 72 % of the amplicons, we were able to assign taxonomy at the species level, which provides for the first time-sufficient taxonomic resolution to quantify the relative frequency at which native and exotic plant species are being consumed by white-tailed deer. For each of the 12 individual deer we collected three subsamples from the same fecal sample, resulting in sequencing 36 total samples. Using Qiime, we quantified the plant DNA found in all 36 samples, and found that variance within samples was less than variance between samples ( F  = 1.73, P  = 0.004), indicating additional subsamples may not be necessary. Species level diversity ranged from 60 to 93 OTUs per individual and nearly 70 % of all plant sequences recovered were from native plant species. The number of species detected did reduce significantly (range 4-12) when we excluded species whose OTU composed plants inventoried

Wintertime aerosol chemical composition, volatility, and spatial variability in the greater London area

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. Xu

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The composition of PM1 (particulate matter with diameter less than 1 µm in the greater London area was characterized during the Clean Air for London (ClearfLo project in winter 2012. Two high-resolution time-of-flight aerosol mass spectrometers (HR-ToF-AMS were deployed at a rural site (Detling, Kent and an urban site (North Kensington, London. The simultaneous and high-temporal resolution measurements at the two sites provide a unique opportunity to investigate the spatial distribution of PM1. We find that the organic aerosol (OA concentration is comparable between the rural and urban sites, but the contribution from different sources is distinctly different between the two sites. The concentration of solid fuel OA at the urban site is about twice as high as at the rural site, due to elevated domestic heating in the urban area. While the concentrations of oxygenated OA (OOA are well-correlated between the two sites, the OOA concentration at the rural site is almost twice that of the urban site. At the rural site, more than 70 % of the carbon in OOA is estimated to be non-fossil, which suggests that OOA is likely related to aged biomass burning considering the small amount of biogenic SOA in winter. Thus, it is possible that the biomass burning OA contributes a larger fraction of ambient OA in wintertime than what previous field studies have suggested. A suite of instruments was deployed downstream of a thermal denuder (TD to investigate the volatility of PM1 species at the rural Detling site. After heating at 250 °C in the TD, 40 % of the residual mass is OA, indicating the presence of non-volatile organics in the aerosol. Although the OA associated with refractory black carbon (rBC; measured by a soot-particle aerosol mass spectrometer only accounts for < 10 % of the total OA (measured by a HR-ToF-AMS at 250 °C, the two measurements are well-correlated, suggesting that the non-volatile organics have similar sources or have

Use of a centrifugation-based, point-of-care device for production of canine autologous bone marrow and platelet concentrates.

Science.gov (United States)

Thoesen, Michael S; Berg-Foels, Wendy S Vanden; Stokol, Tracy; Rassnick, Kenneth M; Jacobson, May S; Kevy, Sherwin V; Todhunter, Rory J

2006-10-01

To analyze a centrifugation-based, point-of-care device that concentrates canine platelets and bone marrow-derived cells. 19 adult sexually intact dogs. Anticoagulated peripheral blood (60 mL) and 60 mL of anticoagulated bone marrow aspirate (BMA) were concentrated by centrifugation with the centrifugation-based, point-of-care device to form a platelet and a bone marrow concentrate (BMC) from 11 dogs. Blood samples were analyzed on the basis of hemograms, platelet count, and PCV. The BMA and BMC were analyzed to determine PCV, total nucleated cell count, RBC count, and differential cell counts. The BMC stromal cells were cultured in an osteoinductive medium. Eight additional dogs were used to compare the BMC yield with that in which heparin was infused into the bone marrow before aspiration. The centrifugation-based, point-of-care device concentrated platelets by 6-fold over baseline (median recovery, 63.1%) with a median of 1,336 x 10(3) platelets/microL in the 7-mL concentrate. The nucleated cells in BMCs increased 7-fold (median recovery, 42.9%) with a median of 720 x 10(3) cells/microL in the 4-mL concentrate. The myeloid nucleated cells and mononuclear cells increased significantly in BMCs with a significant decrease in PCV, compared with that of BMAs. Stromal cell cultures expressed an osteoblastic phenotype in culture. Infusion of heparin into the bone marrow eliminated clot formation and created less variation in the yield (median recovery, 61.9%). Bone marrow-derived cell and platelet-rich concentrates may form bone if delivered in an engineered graft, thus decreasing the need for cancellous bone grafts.

The Dependence of CNT Aerogel Synthesis on Sulfur-driven Catalyst Nucleation Processes and a Critical Catalyst Particle Mass Concentration.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoecker, Christian; Smail, Fiona; Pick, Martin; Weller, Lee; Boies, Adam M

2017-11-06

The floating catalyst chemical vapor deposition (FC-CVD) process permits macro-scale assembly of nanoscale materials, enabling continuous production of carbon nanotube (CNT) aerogels. Despite the intensive research in the field, fundamental uncertainties remain regarding how catalyst particle dynamics within the system influence the CNT aerogel formation, thus limiting effective scale-up. While aerogel formation in FC-CVD reactors requires a catalyst (typically iron, Fe) and a promotor (typically sulfur, S), their synergistic roles are not fully understood. This paper presents a paradigm shift in the understanding of the role of S in the process with new experimental studies identifying that S lowers the nucleation barrier of the catalyst nanoparticles. Furthermore, CNT aerogel formation requires a critical threshold of Fe x C y  > 160 mg/m 3 , but is surprisingly independent of the initial catalyst diameter or number concentration. The robustness of the critical catalyst mass concentration principle is proved further by producing CNTs using alternative catalyst systems; Fe nanoparticles from a plasma spark generator and cobaltocene and nickelocene precursors. This finding provides evidence that low-cost and high throughput CNT aerogel routes may be achieved by decoupled and enhanced catalyst production and control, opening up new possibilities for large-scale CNT synthesis.

Mass imbalances in EPANET water-quality simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Michael J.; Janke, Robert; Taxon, Thomas N.

2018-04-01

EPANET is widely employed to simulate water quality in water distribution systems. However, in general, the time-driven simulation approach used to determine concentrations of water-quality constituents provides accurate results only for short water-quality time steps. Overly long time steps can yield errors in concentration estimates and can result in situations in which constituent mass is not conserved. The use of a time step that is sufficiently short to avoid these problems may not always be feasible. The absence of EPANET errors or warnings does not ensure conservation of mass. This paper provides examples illustrating mass imbalances and explains how such imbalances can occur because of fundamental limitations in the water-quality routing algorithm used in EPANET. In general, these limitations cannot be overcome by the use of improved water-quality modeling practices. This paper also presents a preliminary event-driven approach that conserves mass with a water-quality time step that is as long as the hydraulic time step. Results obtained using the current approach converge, or tend to converge, toward those obtained using the preliminary event-driven approach as the water-quality time step decreases. Improving the water-quality routing algorithm used in EPANET could eliminate mass imbalances and related errors in estimated concentrations. The results presented in this paper should be of value to those who perform water-quality simulations using EPANET or use the results of such simulations, including utility managers and engineers.

Treatment of Antibiotic Pharmaceutical Wastewater Using a Rotating Biological Contactor

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rongjun Su

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Rotating biological contactors (RBC are effective for treating wastewater, while they are rarely reported to be used for treating antibiotic pharmaceutical wastewater (APW. The current study investigates treatment of APW using an RBC. The effects of influent concentration, number of stages, and temperature on the remediation of APW were studied. The results indicated, even at low ambient temperature, 45% COD and 40% NH4+-N removal efficiencies. Moreover, the BOD5 removal efficiency was 85%. Microscopic observations illustrated that there were various active microorganisms displayed in the biofilms and their distribution changed from stage to stage. Compared with activated sludge, the biofilms in this study have higher content of dry matter and are easier to dehydrate and settle. Compared with current commercial incineration processes or advanced oxidation processes, RBC can greatly reduce the treatment cost. This research shows RBC is effective for such an inherently biorecalcitrant wastewater even at low ambient temperature.

Chemical Transport Knockout for Oxidized Vitamin C, Dehydroascorbic Acid, Reveals Its Functions in vivo

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Hongbin Tu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Despite its transport by glucose transporters (GLUTs in vitro, it is unknown whether dehydroascorbic acid (oxidized vitamin C, DHA has any in vivo function. To investigate, we created a chemical transport knockout model using the vitamin C analog 6-bromo-ascorbate. This analog is transported on sodium-dependent vitamin C transporters but its oxidized form, 6-bromo-dehydroascorbic acid, is not transported by GLUTs. Mice (gulo−/− unable to synthesize ascorbate (vitamin C were raised on 6-bromo-ascorbate. Despite normal survival, centrifugation of blood produced hemolysis secondary to near absence of red blood cell (RBC ascorbate/6-bromo-ascorbate. Key findings with clinical implications were that RBCs in vitro transported dehydroascorbic acid but not bromo-dehydroascorbic acid; RBC ascorbate in vivo was obtained only via DHA transport; ascorbate via DHA transport in vivo was necessary for RBC structural integrity; and internal RBC ascorbate was essential to maintain ascorbate plasma concentrations in vitro/in vivo.

Influence of starch origin on rheological properties of concentrated aqueous solutions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stojanović Željko P.

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The rheological properties of corn and potato starch concentrated aqueous solutions were investigated at 25ºC. The starches were previously dispersed in water and the solutions were obtained by heating of dispersions at 115-120ºC for 20 minutes. The solutions of potato starch were transparent, while the corn starch solutions were opalescent. The results of dynamic mechanical measurements showed that the values of viscosity, h, storage modulus, G′, and loss modulus, G″, of the corn starch solutions increased with the storage time. This phenomenon was not observed for the potato starch solutions. It was assumed that the increase of h, G′ and G″ is the result of starch solutions retrogradation. The potato starch solutions retrogradation did not occur probably because of the phosphates presence. The viscosity of 2 mass % corn starch solution is less than the viscosity of 2 mass % potato starch solution. By increasing the concentration of corn starch solution the gel with elastic behavior was formed. The corn starch solutions formed gel as early as at 4 mass % concentration, while potato starch solutions achieved the gel state at the concentration of 5 mass %. The value of exponent m (G′ and G″ µ wm during the transition of potato starch solutions to gel is 0.414, which gives the fractal dimensions for corn starch of 2.10. The obtained value of fractal dimension corresponds to slow aggregation. The corn starch solutions with the starch concentrations higher than 4 mass % form weak gels. For these solutions the values of modulus in rubber plateau were determined. It was found that the modulus in rubber plateau increased with the concentration by the exponent of 4.36. Such high exponent value was obtained in the case when the tridimensional network is formed, i.e. when supermolecular structures like associates or crystal domains are formed.

Tc-99m-labeled red blood cells for the measurement of red cell mass in newborn infants: concise communication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Linderkamp, O.; Betke, K.; Fendel, H.; Klemm, J.; Lorenzen, K.; Riegel, K.P.

1980-01-01

In vitro and in vivo investigations were performed to examine the binding of Tc-99m to neonatal red blood cells (RBC). Labeling efficiency was about 90%, and unbound Tc-99m less than 3% after one washing, in premature and full-term newborns and in children. Thus presence of high percentages of fetal hemoglobin (Hb F) did not influence the labeling of RBCs with Tc-99m. RBCs of 11 newborns were hemolysed and the distribution of Tc-99m on RBC components was analyzed. Although Hb F percentage averaged (60.0 +- 8.10)% (s.d.), only (11.9 +- 3.7)% of Tc-99m was bound by Hb F, whereas (45.0 +- 6.1)% was associated with Hb A. RBC membranes bound (13.7 +- 4.3)% and (29.3 +- 4.0)% were found unbound in hemolysates. These results indicate that Tc-99m preferentially binds to beta chains. In vivo equilibration of Tc-99m RBCs and of albumin labeled with Evans blue was investigated in five newborn infants. Tc-99m RBCs were stable in each case during the first hour after injection. Elution of Tc-99m from RBCs was (3.4 +- 1.5)% per h. Body-to-venous hematocrit ratio averaged 0.86 +- 0.03

Fetal red blood cell parameters in thalassemia and hemoglobinopathies.

Science.gov (United States)

Karnpean, Rossarin; Fucharoen, Goonnapa; Fucharoen, Supan; Ratanasiri, Thawalwong

2013-01-01

With the lack of fetal blood specimens in routine practice, little is known about red blood cell (RBC) parameters of fetuses with various thalassemia syndromes. This study aimed to describe these in various forms of thalassemia. The study was performed on 93 fetal blood specimens obtained from pregnant women by cordocentesis during 18-24 weeks of gestation. RBC parameters were recorded on automated analyzer. Hemoglobin (Hb) and DNA analyses were performed for definite genotyping. No significant difference in RBC parameters was observed between non-thalassemic fetuses and those with β-thalassemia trait, Hb E trait, homozygous Hb E and β-thalassemia/Hb E disease. However, in those with α(0)-thalassemia trait and double heterozygous α(0)-thalassemia/Hb E, slight reduction in mean corpuscular volume (MCV) was noted. Fetuses with the Hb H disease showed significant reductions in Hb, MCV and mean corpuscular Hb (MCH). Marked reductions in Hb, hematocrit, MCH and mean cell Hb concentration and increased RBC distribution width with numerous nucleated RBC were clearly observed in Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis. Simple analysis of fetal RBC parameters is useful for making presumptive prenatal diagnosis of α-thalassemia syndromes including Hb H disease and Hb Bart's hydrops fetalis which can then be confirmed by Hb and DNA analyses. Copyright © 2013 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Analysis of Cattaneo-Christov heat and mass fluxes in the squeezed flow embedded in porous medium with variable mass diffusivity

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M. Farooq

Full Text Available This research article investigates the squeezing flow of Newtonian fluid with variable viscosity over a stretchable sheet inserted in Darcy porous medium. Cattaneo-Christov double diffusion models are implemented to scrutinize the characteristics of heat and mass transfer via variable thermal conductivity and variable mass diffusivity. These models are the modification of conventional laws of Fourier’s and Fick’s via thermal and solutal relaxation times respectively. The homotopy analysis Method (HAM is being utilized to provide the solution of highly nonlinear system of coupled partial differential equations after converted into dimensionless governing equations. The behavior of flow parameters on velocity, concentration, and temperature distributions are sketched and analyzed physically. The result indicates that both concentration and temperature distributions decay for higher solutal and thermal relaxation parameters respectively. Keywords: Squeezing flow, Porous medium, Variable viscosity, Cattaneo-Christov heat and mass flux models, Variable thermal conductivity, Variable mass diffusivity

Endurance Capacity Changes Following Induced Erythrocythemia - The Utility of Frozen Blood Component Technology.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-11-01

to prewithdrawal levels , otherwise an RBC volume greater than that withdrawn must be infused to get the same effect. 4. Glycerol frozen storage of RBCs...increases inside the cell to levels which denature proteins. There are two widely ased methods of freezing with glycerol: (1) Fast freezing the RBCs in...decrease. This decreased ability is associated with a decrease in RBC concentration of a compound called 2,3- diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) (ref 3, 4). With

Ultra Performance Liquid Chromatography Tandem Mass ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

NICOLAAS

drugs alone.16. After a single oral dose of 120–800 mg of NTB in healthy sub- jects in a fasting state the peak plasma NTB concentration (tmax) was found to be 4–7 h, with a half-life of approximately 9–17 h.17 ... performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry/mass .... to the likely biological plasma constituents.

Analysis of Nitro-aromatic and Nitramine Explosives by Atmospheric Pressure Chemical Ionization / High Performance Liquid Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry / Mass Spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hicks, B.J.; Han, W.; Robben, J.R.

2009-01-01

This procedure is capable of separating and quantifying twenty-nine high explosives and internal surrogates with a single injection. After the initial preparation step, the sample is introduced to the high performance liquid chromatograph for target separation, ionized by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization and the explosives of interest are isolated / quantified by mass spectrometry / mass spectrometry. Concentrations of the target explosives are measured relative to the response of both internal and external standard concentrations. A C-18 reverse phase high performance liquid chromatograph column is used for separation. Ionization is performed using both positive and negative atmospheric pressure chemical ionization resulting in a molecular ion with little fragmentation. These ions are isolated at the first quadrupole of the mass spectrometer, dissociated by collision with argon in the collision cell and the resulting daughter ions are isolated at the second quadrupole. These daughter ions then reach the detector where they are quantified. To date this procedure represents the most thorough high performance liquid chromatography / mass spectrometry / mass spectrometry explosives analysis available in the environmental chemistry market. (authors)

Homocysteine metabolism and risk of schizophrenia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Muntjewerff, J.W.

2006-01-01

The one-carbon cycle hypothesis initiated research of schizophrenia risk in relation to sensitive markers of aberrant homocysteine metabolism, such as B-vitamin concentrations, plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentrations, and genetic determinants. We observed decreased plasma and elevated RBC

Maximum entropy decomposition of quadrupole mass spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toussaint, U. von; Dose, V.; Golan, A.

2004-01-01

We present an information-theoretic method called generalized maximum entropy (GME) for decomposing mass spectra of gas mixtures from noisy measurements. In this GME approach to the noisy, underdetermined inverse problem, the joint entropies of concentration, cracking, and noise probabilities are maximized subject to the measured data. This provides a robust estimation for the unknown cracking patterns and the concentrations of the contributing molecules. The method is applied to mass spectroscopic data of hydrocarbons, and the estimates are compared with those received from a Bayesian approach. We show that the GME method is efficient and is computationally fast

Application of Bayesian geostatistics for evaluation of mass discharge uncertainty at contaminated sites

Science.gov (United States)

Troldborg, Mads; Nowak, Wolfgang; Lange, Ida V.; Santos, Marta C.; Binning, Philip J.; Bjerg, Poul L.

2012-09-01

Mass discharge estimates are increasingly being used when assessing risks of groundwater contamination and designing remedial systems at contaminated sites. Such estimates are, however, rather uncertain as they integrate uncertain spatial distributions of both concentration and groundwater flow. Here a geostatistical simulation method for quantifying the uncertainty of the mass discharge across a multilevel control plane is presented. The method accounts for (1) heterogeneity of both the flow field and the concentration distribution through Bayesian geostatistics, (2) measurement uncertainty, and (3) uncertain source zone and transport parameters. The method generates conditional realizations of the spatial flow and concentration distribution. An analytical macrodispersive transport solution is employed to simulate the mean concentration distribution, and a geostatistical model of the Box-Cox transformed concentration data is used to simulate observed deviations from this mean solution. By combining the flow and concentration realizations, a mass discharge probability distribution is obtained. The method has the advantage of avoiding the heavy computational burden of three-dimensional numerical flow and transport simulation coupled with geostatistical inversion. It may therefore be of practical relevance to practitioners compared to existing methods that are either too simple or computationally demanding. The method is demonstrated on a field site contaminated with chlorinated ethenes. For this site, we show that including a physically meaningful concentration trend and the cosimulation of hydraulic conductivity and hydraulic gradient across the transect helps constrain the mass discharge uncertainty. The number of sampling points required for accurate mass discharge estimation and the relative influence of different data types on mass discharge uncertainty is discussed.

Maternal first-trimester diet and childhood bone mass: the Generation R Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Heppe, Denise H M; Medina-Gomez, Carolina; Hofman, Albert; Franco, Oscar H; Rivadeneira, Fernando; Jaddoe, Vincent W V

2013-07-01

Maternal diet during pregnancy has been suggested to influence bone health in later life. We assessed the association of maternal first-trimester dietary intake during pregnancy with childhood bone mass. In a prospective cohort study in 2819 mothers and their children, we measured first-trimester daily energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium intakes by using a food-frequency questionnaire and homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B-12 concentrations in venous blood. We measured childhood total body bone mass by using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry at the median age of 6.0 y. Higher first-trimester maternal protein, calcium, and phosphorus intakes and vitamin B-12 concentrations were associated with higher childhood bone mass, whereas carbohydrate intake and homocysteine concentrations were associated with lower childhood bone mass (all P-trend childhood bone mass. In the fully adjusted regression model that included all dietary factors significantly associated with childhood bone mass, maternal phosphorus intake and homocysteine concentrations most-strongly predicted childhood bone mineral content (BMC) [β = 2.8 (95% CI: 1.1, 4.5) and β = -1.8 (95% CI: -3.6, 0.1) g per SD increase, respectively], whereas maternal protein intake and vitamin B-12 concentrations most strongly predicted BMC adjusted for bone area [β = 2.1 (95% CI: 0.7, 3.5) and β = 1.8 (95% CI: 0.4, 3.2) g per SD increase, respectively]. Maternal first-trimester dietary factors are associated with childhood bone mass, suggesting that fetal nutritional exposures may permanently influence bone development.

The mass-action-law theory of micellization revisited.

Science.gov (United States)

Rusanov, Anatoly I

2014-12-09

Among numerous definitions of the critical micelle concentration (CMC), there is one related to the constant K of the mass action law as CMC = K(1-n) (n is the aggregation number). In this paper, the generalization of this definition for multicomponent micelles and the development of the mass-action-law theory of micellization based on this definition and the analysis of a multiple-equilibrium polydisperse micellar system have been presented. This variant of the theory of micellization looks more consistent than the earlier one. In addition, two thermodynamic findings are reported: the stability conditions for micellar systems and the dependence of aggregation numbers on the surfactant concentrations. The growth of the monomer concentration with the total surfactant concentration is shown to be a thermodynamic rule only in the case of a single sort of aggregative particles or at adding a single surfactant to a mixture. The stability condition takes more complex form when adding a mixture of aggregative particles. For the aggregation number of a micelle, it has been deduced a thermodynamic rule obeying it to increase with the total surfactant concentration. However, if the monomer concentration increases slowly, the aggregation number increases much more slowly and the more slowly the more pronounced is a maximum corresponding to a micelle on the distribution hypersurface (curve in the one-component case). This forms grounding for the quasi-chemical approximation in the mass-action-law theory (the constancy of aggregation numbers).

Natural convection heat and mass transfer in MHD fluid flow past a moving vertical plate with variable surface temperature and concentration in a porous medium

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Javaherdeh

2015-09-01

Full Text Available A numerical investigation of two-dimensional steady laminar free convection flow with heat and mass transfer past a moving vertical plate in a porous medium subjected to a transverse magnetic field is carried out. The temperature and concentration level at the plate surface are assumed to follow a power-law type of distribution. The governing non-linear set of equations is solved numerically employing a fully implicit finite difference method. Results are presented to illustrate the influence of different parameters such as Grashof number (Gr, porosity parameter (Kp, magnetic field parameter (Mn and exponents in the power law variation of the surface temperature and concentration, m and n. The dimensionless velocity, temperature and concentration profiles are analyzed and numerical data for the local Nusselt number and Sherwood number are presented. The study accentuates the significance of the relevant parameters.

Biocides in urban wastewater treatment plant influent at dry and wet weather: concentrations, mass flows and possible sources

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bollmann, Ulla E.; Petersen, Camilla Tang; Eriksson, Eva

2014-01-01

in Denmark and Sweden during dry and wet weather. It was discovered, that biocides are detectable not only during wet weather but also during dry weather when leaching from façade coatings can be excluded as source. In most cases, the concentrations during dry weather were in the same range as during wet...... to 116 mg h(-1) carbendazim or 73 mg h(-1) mecoprop) supporting the hypothesis that the biocides were washed off by wind driven rain. Contrary, the biocide emissions during dry weather were rather related to household activities than with emissions from buildings, i.e., emissions were highest during...... morning and evening hours (up to 50 mg h(-1)). Emissions during night were significantly lower than during daytime. Only for propiconazole a different emission behaviour during dry weather was observed: the mass load peaked in the late afternoon (3 g h(-1)) and declined slowly afterwards. Most likely...

Changes in skin microcirculation during radiation therapy for breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Tesselaar, Erik; Flejmer, Anna M; Farnebo, Simon; Dasu, Alexandru

2017-08-01

The majority of breast cancer patients who receive radiation treatment are affected by acute radiation-induced skin changes. The assessment of these changes is usually done by subjective methods, which complicates the comparison between different treatments or patient groups. This study investigates the feasibility of new robust methods for monitoring skin microcirculation to objectively assess and quantify acute skin reactions during radiation treatment. Laser Doppler flowmetry, laser speckle contrast imaging, and polarized light spectroscopy imaging were used to measure radiation-induced changes in microvascular perfusion and red blood cell concentration (RBC) in the skin of 15 patients undergoing adjuvant radiation therapy for breast cancer. Measurements were made before treatment, once a week during treatment, and directly after the last fraction. In the treated breast, perfusion and RBC concentration were increased after 1-5 fractions (2.66-13.3 Gy) compared to baseline. The largest effects were seen in the areola and the medial area. No changes in perfusion and RBC concentration were seen in the untreated breast. In contrast, Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) scores were increased only after 2 weeks of treatment, which demonstrates the potential of the proposed methods for early assessment of skin changes. Also, there was a moderate to good correlation between the perfusion (r = 0.52) and RBC concentration (r = 0.59) and the RTOG score given a week later. We conclude that radiation-induced microvascular changes in the skin can be objectively measured using novel camera-based techniques before visual changes in the skin are apparent. Objective measurement of microvascular changes in the skin may be valuable in the comparison of skin reactions between different radiation treatments and possibly in predicting acute skin effects at an earlier stage.

Hematological and morphometric blood value of four cultured species of economically important tropical foodfish

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Genoefa Amália Dal'Bó

Full Text Available The use and validation of fish health monitoring tools have become increasingly evident due to aquaculture expansion. This study investigated the hematology and blood morphometrics of Piaractus mesopotamicus, Brycon orbignyanus, Oreochromis niloticus and Rhamdia quelen. The fish were kept for 30 days in 300-liter aquariums, after which they were anesthetized with benzocaine and blood was collected from caudal vessels. In comparison to other species, B. orbignyanus presented the highest hematocrit (Ht, RBC averages and Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV with a particular range of data. B. orbignyanus presented lower Ht, Hb, RBC averages and values, and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC. Oreochromis niloticus presented lower Ht, Hb, RBC averages and values, and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC. Rhamdia quelen and O. niloticus presented higher variation of White Blood Cells (WBC, neutrophils (Nf, lymphocytes (Lf, monocytes (Mf and thrombocytes (Trb. Data of large axes (LA, minor axes (MA, surface (SF and volume (VL are in the same variance range. This study has demonstrated that hematological variances can occur between animals of different species as well as of the same species.

Aerosol concentrations and composition in the North Pacific marine boundary layer

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Yongjoo; Rhee, Tae Siek; Collett, Jeffrey L.; Park, Taehyun; Park, Seung-Myung; Seo, Beom-Keun; Park, Gyutae; Park, Keyhong; Lee, Taehyoung

2017-12-01

Ship-borne measurements of inorganic and organic aerosols, including methanesulfonic acid (MSA), were conducted over the Northern Pacific using a High Resolution Time of Flight Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS). This study, conducted aboard the Korean ice breaker R/V Araon, was part of the SHIP-borne Pole-to-Pole Observations (SHIPPO) project. Based on air mass source region, the cruise track could be divided into five sections. Overall, the South Asia and Northern Japan ship transects showed higher aerosol concentrations due to continental pollution and biomass burning sources, respectively. In all five regions, the average mass concentrations of sulfate and organic aerosols (OA) were much higher than concentrations of nitrate and ammonium. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis distinguished two organic aerosol factors as hydrocarbon-like and oxidized OA (HOA and OOA). HOA peaked in South Asia under the influence of anthropogenic pollution source areas, such as China and Korea, and generally decreased with increasing latitude across the full study region. OOA concentrations peaked in Northern Japan near the Tsugaru Strait and appear to reflect fine particle contributions from biomass burning. The mean HOA concentration in the clean marine area (Aleutian Island to Siberia) was 0.06 μg/m3 and comprised approximately 8% of the OA mass fraction. The highest MSA concentrations peaked in the Aleutian Islands at nearly 15 μg/m3, suggesting influence from higher dimethyl sulfide (DMS) emissions resulting from biological nutrient uptake during summer. The MSA/sulfate ratio, an indicator of the relative fine particle contributions of DMS and anthropogenic sources, revealed a sharp gradient as the ship approached the clean marine areas where the dominance of DMS increased. The patterns in OOA, HOA, and MSA concentrations found in this study provide a better understanding of the characteristics of inorganic and organic aerosols in the Northern Pacific Ocean.

Monitoring network of atmospheric Radon-222 concentration in East Asia and backward trajectory analysis of Radon-222 concentration trend at a small solitary island on pacific ocean

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohkura, Takehisa; Yamazawa, Hiromi; Moriizumi, Jun; Hirao, Shigekazu; Iida, Takao; Guo Qiuju; Tohjima, Yasunori

2009-01-01

A monitoring network of atmospheric 222 Rn concentration as a tracer for long-range transport in East Asia was established. Atmospheric 222 Rn concentration at Beijing, which is located on China Continent was 10-20 Bq m -3 , at Nagoya, which is located on edge of terrestrial area was 3-10 Bq m -3 and at Hachijo-jima and Hateruma-jima, which are solitary islands in Pacific Ocean was 0.5-3 Bq m -3 , respectively. The atmospheric 222 Rn concentration variations were different from sites. The 222 Rn concentration was the lowest in the summer and the highest in the winter except Nagoya where the highest was observed in the autumn and the lowest in the spring. Diurnal variations were measured at Beijing and Nagoya. In contrast, diurnal variations were not measured but several-day-cycle variations were measured at Hachijo-jima and Hateruma-jima. It was pointed out by this study that the several-day-cycle variations at Hachijo-jima were dependent on synoptic-scale atmospheric disturbance. 222 Rn concentration increased rapidly after a cold front passed through Hachijo-jima. Backward trajectory analysis of the relationship between atmospheric 222 Rn concentrations at Hachijo-jima and transport pathway of air mass indicates that air mass transported from China and Siberia has high concentration 222 Rn and air mass transported from Pacific Ocean has low concentration 222 Rn. In winter, atmospheric 222 Rn concentrations at Hachijo-jima is dependent on vertical transport pathway rather than horizontal transport pathway. (author)

Study PWA8 resin for chromatographic uranium concentration

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coceancigh, Herman; Ramella, J. L.; Marrero, Julieta; Jiménez Rebagliati, Raúl

2013-01-01

For many years nuclear industry have been using resins as filler of chromatographic columns. These methods are specific and give reliable results in different applications, for those reasons are extremely useful as separation process. Currently the nuclear industry is growing and this brings new issues such as the need of reduction of the amount of waste, the optimization of the production process and others that the chromatography could solve with great results. AMBERLITETM PWA8 resin is an anion exchange resin which can be used for the removal of uranium from drinking water. In addition to high exchange capacity, this resin has excellent physical stability and a wide range of pH in which is operational. With the idea of concentrating uranium from wastes solution as main goal we made different experiments to understand the AMBERLITETM PWA8 and obtain the most important characteristics like; pH working range; capacity; activation and elution procedures. These procedures were developed and optimized the capacity was determined using a batch experiment and we obtain that the maximum capacity is 882,5 U ug /resin gr at a pH of 4,2. Following on from these results chromatographic experiments were performed in which both were obtained the percentage of recovery and the concentration factor. The percent recovery (% R) calculated as the percentage ratio between the total mass and the load mass eluted (% R = eluted mass / total mass * 100) was 94% with a concentration factor of 5 times From these results it is intended to concentrate wastes solutions from the fuel cycle processes with two main goals: decreasing volume for storage and for future reusing of the uranium coming from production. (author)

Validation of fatty acid intakes estimated by a food frequency questionnaire using erythrocyte fatty acid profiling in the Montreal Heart Institute Biobank.

Science.gov (United States)

Turcot, V; Brunet, J; Daneault, C; Tardif, J C; Des Rosiers, C; Lettre, G

2015-12-01

To improve the prevention, treatment and risk prediction of cardiovascular diseases, genetic markers and gene-diet interactions are currently being investigated. The Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) Biobank is suitable for such studies because of its large sample size (currently, n = 17 000), the availability of biospecimens, and the collection of data on dietary intakes of saturated (SFAs) and n-3 and n-6 polyunsaturated (PUFAs) fatty acids estimated from a 14-item food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). We tested the validity of the FFQ by correlating dietary intakes of these fatty acids with their red blood cell (RBC) content in MHI Biobank participants. Seventy-five men and 75 women were selected from the Biobank. We successfully obtained RBC fatty acids for 142 subjects using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to test whether SFA scores and daily intakes (g day(-1)) of n-3 and n-6 PUFAs correlate with their RBC content. Based on covariate-adjusted analyses, intakes of n-3 PUFAs from vegetable sources were significantly correlated with RBC α-linolenic acid levels (ρ = 0.23, P = 0.007), whereas n-3 PUFA intakes from marine sources correlated significantly with RBC eicosapentaenoic acid (ρ = 0.29, P = 0.0008) and docosahexaenoic acid (ρ = 0.41, P = 9.2 × 10(-7)) levels. Intakes of n-6 PUFAs from vegetable sources correlated with RBC linoleic acid (ρ = 0.18, P = 0.04). SFA scores were not correlated with RBC total SFAs. The MHI Biobank 14-item FFQ can appropriately estimate daily intakes of n-3 PUFAs from vegetable and marine sources, as well as vegetable n-6 PUFAs, which enables the possibility of using these data in future studies. © 2014 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Determination of Low Concentrations of Acetochlor in Water by Automated Solid-Phase Extraction and Gas Chromatography with Mass-Selective Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Lindley, C.E.; Stewart, J.T.; Sandstrom, M.W.

1996-01-01

A sensitive and reliable gas chromatographic/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) method for determining acetochlor in environmental water samples was developed. The method involves automated extraction of the herbicide from a filtered 1 L water sample through a C18 solid-phase extraction column, elution from the column with hexane-isopropyl alcohol (3 + 1), and concentration of the extract with nitrogen gas. The herbicide is quantitated by capillary/column GC/MS with selected-ion monitoring of 3 characteristic ions. The single-operator method detection limit for reagent water samples is 0.0015 ??g/L. Mean recoveries ranged from about 92 to 115% for 3 water matrixes fortified at 0.05 and 0.5 ??g/L. Average single-operator precision, over the course of 1 week, was better than 5%.

USE CELLULOSE FOR CLEANING CONCENTRATED SUGAR SOLUTIONS

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

N. G. Kul’neva

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Summary. Producing high quality intermediate products in the boiling-crystallization station is an actual problem of sugar production. In the production of white sugar brown sugar syrup is not further purified that decreases the quality of the end product. Studies have been conducted using cellulose as an adsorbent for the purification of concentrated sugar solutions, having affinity to dyes and other impurities. Research have been carried out with the intermediate products of the Lebedyan sugar plant. Test results have shown cellulose ability to adsorb the dyes in sugar production. The influence of the adsorbent concentration and the mass fraction of solids in the syrup on the decolorization effect has been studied; rational process parameters have been obtained. It has been found that proceeding an additional adsorption purification of brown sugars syrup allows to reduce the solution color, increase the amount and quality of the end product. Adsorbing means, received from production wastes on the basis of organic resources, have many advantages: economical, environmentally friendly for disposal, safe to use, reliable and efficient in use. Conducted research on using cellulose as adsorbent for treatment of concentrated sugar solutions, having an affinity for colouring matter and other impurities. The experiments were carried out on the intermediates Lebedyanskiy sugar factory. The test results showed the ability of cellulose to adsorb coloring matter of sugar production. To evaluate the effect of bleaching depending on the mass fraction of dry substances prepared yellow juice filtration of sugar concentration of 55, 60, 65 % with subsequent adsorption purification of cellulose. The results of the experiment built adsorption isotherm of dyestuffs. The influence of the concentration of the adsorbent and a mass fraction of solids of juice filtration on the efficiency of decolorization obtained by rational parameters of the process. It is

Effects of iron supplementation on red blood cell hemoglobin content in pregnancy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Margreet Schoorl

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Although a mild degree of anemia is common in the third trimester of pregnancy, it remains a challenge to establish whether a decrease in hemoglobin (Hb concentration is physiological or pathological. The World Health Organization suggested a Hb concentration of 110 g/L to discriminate anemia. Several European investigators recommended Hb cut-off values of between 101-110 g/L. The aim of this study was to establish short-term effects of iron supplementation on the hemoglobin content of reticulocytes (Ret-He and red blood cells (RBC-He in case of suspected iron deficient erythropoiesis (IDE in the third trimester of pregnancy. Twenty-five subjects with suspected IDE during pregnancy (Hb ≤110g/L, Ret-He <29.6 pg, zinc protoporphyrin >75 mol/mol hem participated in the study. After iron supplementation, reticulocyte counts increased from 0.061±0.015x1012/L to 0.079±0.026x1012/L and Ret-He increased from 23.6±2.8 pg to 28.3±2.6 pg (P=<0.001. RBC-He increased from 26.9±1.9 pg to 27.4±1.8 pg (not significant, NS and Ret-He/RBC-He ratio increased from 0.97±0.06 towards 1.07±0.05 (P=<0.001. Hb concentrations demonstrated an obvious increase from 105±6 g/L towards 115±5 g/L (P≤0.001 after supplementation. An obvious increase in RBC distribution width was observed from 45.0±3.6 fL towards 52.3±7.0 fL (P≤0.001. We recommend that Ret-He and Ret-He/RBC-He ratio be integrated into the protocols for anemia screening and for monitoring effects of iron supplementation during pregnancy. In particular, the parameters should be considered in subjects with Hb results in the controversial range of 101-108 g/L.

Indigenous instrumentation for mass spectrometry: Part II - development of plasma source mass spectrometers. PD-5-3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nataraju, V.

2007-01-01

The growing demands from analytical community, for a precise isotope ratio and ultra trace concentration measurements, has lead to significant improvement in mass spectrometer instrumentation development with respect to sensitivity, detection limits, precision and accuracy. Among the many analytical techniques available, plasma source mass spectrometers like Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (ICPMS), multi collector (MC) ICPMS and Glow Discharge Mass Spectrometry (GDMS), have matured into reliable tools for the above applications. Where as ICPMS is by far the most successful method for aqueous solutions, GDMS is being applied for bulk and impurity analysis of conducting as well non-conducting solids. VPID, BARC has been developing mass spectrometers for different inorganic applications of DAE users. Over the years expertise has been developed in all the aspects of mass spectrometry instrumentation. Part 1 of this indigenous instrumentation on mass spectrometry gives details of magnetic sector instruments with either EI or TI source for isotopic ratio analysis. The present paper is a continuation of that on plasma source and quadrupole mass spectrometers. This paper covers i) ICP-QMS, ii) MC-ICPMS, iii) GDMS and iv) QMS

[The leptin concentration in patients with primary arterial hypertension].

Science.gov (United States)

Jołda-Mydłowska, Beata; Przewłocka-Kosmala, Monika; Zyśko, Dorota; Gajek, Jacek; Mazurek, Walentyna

2006-01-01

Leptin seems to play a role in the pathogenesis of arterial hypertension by activation of the sympathetic nervous system, influencing water - electrolyte balance and vascular remodeling. It is not known whether leptin is a factor participating in the pathogenesis of primary arterial hypertension or its higher concentration in patients with arterial hypertension reflects only the presence of other factors leading to increased blood pressure. The aim of the study was to try to estimate the leptin participation in the development of the arterial hypertension, to evaluate the concentration of leptin in blood serum of patients with mild, moderate and severe arterial hypertension and to determine the relationships between the observed leptin concentration, arterial hypertension degree according to WHO criteria and body mass. The investigations were performed on 74 untreated patients aged 19-74 years (mean 47 +/- 12 years ). In this group there were 33 women aged 35-74 years (mean 51 +/- 10 years) and 41 men aged 19-73 years (mean 45 +/- 14 years). The mild arterial hypertension was observed in 24 patients, moderate hypertension in 34 patients and severe hypertension in 16. The obesity, identified when BMI was equal or higher than 30 kg/m2, was observed in 4 patients with mild hypertension, in 9 with moderate hypertension and in 6 with severe hypertension. All patients had normal renal function. The leptin concentration was determined by the radioimmunological method using the Human Leptin RIA Kit by LINCO Research, Inc. (Cat# HL-81 K). The analysis of the obtained results was performed using Statistica for Windows PL.V5.0. The concentration of leptin in patients with mild hypertension was 3.61 +/- 2.22 ng/ml, in patients with moderate hypertension was 12.65 +/- 8.48 and in patients with severe hypertension 33.51 +/- 28.45 ng/ml. The concentration of leptin in obese patients was 24.83 +/- 26.60 and in patients without obesity was 10.57 +/- 11.99 ng/ml. 1. In patients with

Dirac Mass Dynamics in Multidimensional Nonlocal Parabolic Equations

KAUST Repository

Lorz, Alexander

2011-01-17

Nonlocal Lotka-Volterra models have the property that solutions concentrate as Dirac masses in the limit of small diffusion. Is it possible to describe the dynamics of the limiting concentration points and of the weights of the Dirac masses? What is the long time asymptotics of these Dirac masses? Can several Dirac masses coexist? We will explain how these questions relate to the so-called "constrained Hamilton-Jacobi equation" and how a form of canonical equation can be established. This equation has been established assuming smoothness. Here we build a framework where smooth solutions exist and thus the full theory can be developed rigorously. We also show that our form of canonical equation comes with a kind of Lyapunov functional. Numerical simulations show that the trajectories can exhibit unexpected dynamics well explained by this equation. Our motivation comes from population adaptive evolution a branch of mathematical ecology which models Darwinian evolution. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Effects of blood contamination of cerebrospinal fluid on results of indirect fluorescent antibody tests for detection of antibodies against Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi.

Science.gov (United States)

Finno, Carrie J; Packham, Andrea E; David Wilson, W; Gardner, Ian A; Conrad, Patricia A; Pusterla, Nicola

2007-05-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of blood contamination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) on the results of indirect fluorescent antibody tests (IFATs) for Sarcocystis neurona and Neospora hughesi. The in vitro study used antibody-negative CSF collected from non-neurologic horses immediately after euthanasia and blood samples from 40 healthy horses that had a range of IFAT antibody titers against S. neurona and N. hughesi. Serial dilutions of whole blood were made in seronegative CSF to generate blood-contaminated CSF with red blood cell (RBC) concentrations ranging from 10 to 100,000 RBCs/microl. The blood-contaminated CSF samples were then tested for antibodies against both pathogens using IFAT. Blood contamination of CSF had no detectable effect on IFAT results for S. neurona or N. hughesi at any serologic titer when the RBC concentration in CSF was or=5) for S. neurona and N. hughesi were detected only when the corresponding serum titers were >or=160 and >or=80, respectively. The IFAT performed on CSF is reliable for testing horses for equine protozoal myeloencephalitis caused by S. neurona or N. hughesi, even when blood contamination causes the RBC concentration in CSF to be up to 10,000 RBCs/microl.

Thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS): what, how and why?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aggarwal, S.K.

2002-01-01

Thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) is one of the oldest mass spectrometric techniques, which has been used for determining the isotopic composition and concentration of different elements using isotope dilution. In spite of the introduction of many other inorganic mass spectrometric techniques like spark source mass spectrometry (SSMS), glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), the TIMS technique plays the role of a definitive analytical methodology and still occupies a unique position in terms of its capabilities with respect to precision and accuracy as well as sensitivity

Contribution from indoor sources to particle number and mass concentrations in residential houses

Science.gov (United States)

He, Congrong; Morawska, Lidia; Hitchins, Jane; Gilbert, Dale

As part of a large study investigating indoor air in residential houses in Brisbane, Australia, the purpose of this work was to quantify emission characteristics of indoor particle sources in 15 houses. Submicrometer particle number and approximation of PM 2.5 concentrations were measured simultaneously for more than 48 h in the kitchen of all the houses by using a condensation particle counter (CPC) and a photometer (DustTrak), respectively. In addition, characterizations of particles resulting from cooking conducted in an identical way in all the houses were measured by using a scanning mobility particle sizer (SMPS), an aerodynamic particle sizer (APS) and a DustTrak. All the events of elevated particle concentrations were linked to indoor activities using house occupants diary entries, and catalogued into 21 different types of indoor activities. This enabled quantification of the effect of indoor sources on indoor particle concentrations as well as quantification of emission rates from the sources. For example, the study found that frying, grilling, stove use, toasting, cooking pizza, cooking, candle vaporizing eucalyptus oil and fan heater use, could elevate the indoor submicrometer particle number concentration levels by more than five times, while PM 2.5 concentrations could be up to 3, 30 and 90 times higher than the background levels during smoking, frying and grilling, respectively.

Accelerator mass spectrometry analysis of 14C-oxaliplatin concentrations in biological samples and 14C contents in biological samples and antineoplastic agents

Science.gov (United States)

Toyoguchi, Teiko; Kobayashi, Takeshi; Konno, Noboru; Shiraishi, Tadashi; Kato, Kazuhiro; Tokanai, Fuyuki

2015-10-01

Accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) is expected to play an important role in microdose trials. In this study, we measured the 14C concentration in 14C-oxaliplatin-spiked serum, urine and supernatant of fecal homogenate samples in our Yamagata University (YU) - AMS system. The calibration curves of 14C concentration in serum, urine and supernatant of fecal homogenate were linear (the correlation coefficients were ⩾0.9893), and the precision and accuracy was within the acceptance criteria. To examine a 14C content of water in three vacuum blood collection tubes and a syringe were measured. 14C was not detected from water in these devices. The mean 14C content in urine samples of 6 healthy Japanese volunteers was 0.144 dpm/mL, and the intra-day fluctuation of 14C content in urine from a volunteer was little. The antineoplastic agents are administered to the patients in combination. Then, 14C contents of the antineoplastic agents were quantitated. 14C contents were different among 10 antineoplastic agents; 14C contents of paclitaxel injection and docetaxel hydrate injection were higher than those of the other injections. These results indicate that our quantitation method using YU-AMS system is suited for microdosing studies and that measurement of baseline and co-administered drugs might be necessary for the studies in low concentrations.

Grateloupia ramosa Wang & Luan sp. nov. (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta), a new species from China based on morphological evidence and comparative rbcL sequences

Science.gov (United States)

Cao, Cuicui; Liu, Miao; Guo, Shaoru; Zhao, Dan; Luan, Rixiao; Wang, Hongwei

2016-03-01

Grateloupia ramosa Wang & Luan sp. nov. (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta) is newly described from Hainan Province, southern China. The organism has the following morphological features: (1) purplish red, cartilaginous and lubricous thalli 5-10 cm in height; (2) compressed percurrent axes bearing abundant branches with opposite arrangement; (3) claw-like apices on top, constricted to 2-4 cm at the base; (4) cortex consisting of 3-6 layers of elliptical or anomalous cells and a medulla covered by compact medullary filaments; (5) reproductive structures distributed throughout the thallus, especially centralized at the bottom of the end portion of the branches; and (6) 4-celled Carpogonial branches and 3-celled auxiliary-cell branches, both of the Grateloupia-type. The morphological diff erences were supported by molecular phylogenetics based on ribulose-1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase ( rbcL) gene sequence analysis. There was only a 1 bp divergence between specimens collected from Wenchang and Lingshui of Hainan province. The new species was embedded in the large Grateloupia clade of the Halymeniaceae. The pairwise distances between G. ramosa and other species within Grateloupia ranged from 26 to 105 bp, within pairwise distances of 13-111 bp between species of the large genus Grateloupia in Halymeniaceae. Thus, we propose this new species as G. ramosa Wang & Luan sp. nov.

Reconstructing a herbivore’s diet using a novel rbcL DNA mini-barcode for plants

Science.gov (United States)

Erickson, David L.; Reed, Elizabeth; Ramachandran, Padmini; Bourg, Norman; McShea, William J.; Ottesen, Andrea

2017-01-01

Next Generation Sequencing and the application of metagenomic analyses can be used to answer questions about animal diet choice and study the consequences of selective foraging by herbivores. The quantification of herbivore diet choice with respect to native versus exotic plant species is particularly relevant given concerns of invasive species establishment and their effects on ecosystems. While increased abundance of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) appears to correlate with increased incidence of invasive plant species, data supporting a causal link is scarce. We used a metabarcoding approach (PCR amplicons of the plant rbcL gene) to survey the diet of white-tailed deer (fecal samples), from a forested site in Warren County, Virginia with a comprehensive plant species inventory and corresponding reference collection of plant barcode and chloroplast sequences. We sampled fecal pellet piles and extracted DNA from 12 individual deer in October 2014. These samples were compared to a reference DNA library of plant species collected within the study area. For 72 % of the amplicons, we were able to assign taxonomy at the species level, which provides for the first time—sufficient taxonomic resolution to quantify the relative frequency at which native and exotic plant species are being consumed by white-tailed deer. For each of the 12 individual deer we collected three subsamples from the same fecal sample, resulting in sequencing 36 total samples. Using Qiime, we quantified the plant DNA found in all 36 samples, and found that variance within samples was less than variance between samples (F = 1.73, P = 0.004), indicating additional subsamples may not be necessary. Species level diversity ranged from 60 to 93 OTUs per individual and nearly 70 % of all plant sequences recovered were from native plant species. The number of species detected did reduce significantly (range 4–12) when we excluded species whose OTU composed <1 % of each

On-line monitoring of benzene air concentrations while driving in traffic by means of isotopic dilution gas chromatography/mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Davoli, E; Cappellini, L; Moggi, M; Ferrari, S; Fanelli, R

1996-01-01

There is no shortage of information about the average benzene concentrations in urban air, but there is very little about microenvironmental exposure, such as in-vehicle concentrations while driving in various traffic conditions, while refuelling, or while in a parking garage. The main reason for this lack of data is that no analytical instrumentation has been available to measure on-line trace amounts of benzene in such situations. We have recently proposed a highly accurate, high-speed cryofocusing gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) system for monitoring benzene concentrations in air. Accuracy of the analytical data is achieved by enrichment of the air sample before trapping, with a stable isotope permeation tube system. The same principles have been applied to a new instrument, specifically designed for operation on an electric vehicle (Ducato Elettra, Fiat). The zero emission vehicle and the fully transportable, battery-operated GC/MS system provide a unique possibility of monitoring benzene exposure in real everyday situations such as while driving, refuelling, or repairing a car. All power consumptions have been reduced so as to achieve a battery-operated GC/MS system. Liquid nitrogen cryofocusing has been replaced by a packed, inductively heated, graphitized charcoal microtrap. The instrument has been mounted on shock absorbers and installed in the van. The whole system has been tested in both fixed and mobile conditions. The maximum monitoring period without external power supply is 6 h. The full analytical cycle is 4 min, allowing close to real-time monitoring, and the minimum detectable level is 1 microgram/m3 for benzene. In-vehicle monitoring showed that, when recirculation was off and ventilation on, i.e., air from outside the vehicle was blown inside, concentrations varied widely in different driving conditions: moving from a parking lot into normal traffic on an urban traffic condition roadway yielded an increase in benzene concentration

Interfacial Properties of Methylcelluloses: The Influence of Molar Mass

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pauline L. Nasatto

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The interfacial interactions of four methylcelluloses having the same average degree of substitution and distribution of methyl groups, but different molar masses, are studied at ambient temperature and at very low polymer concentrations. Firstly, the surface tension σ at the water/air interface is determined for the progressive addition of methylcellulose up to 100 mg/L; σ starts to decrease over 1 mg/L up to the critical aggregation concentration (CAC at 10 mg/L. The curves describing the influence of polymer concentration on σ are independent of the molar mass at equilibrium. Secondly, the adsorption of methylcellulose on silica particles is estimated from ζ-potential measurements. The data are interpreted in terms of an increase of the adsorbed layer thickness at the interface when the molar mass of methylcellulose increases. It is concluded that methylcellulose is adsorbed, forming trains and loops at the interface based on the equilibrium between surface free energy and solvent quality.

Determination of Se at low concentration in coal by collision/reaction cell technology inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Henn, Alessandra S.; Rondan, Filipe S.; Mesko, Marcia F.; Mello, Paola A.; Perez, Magali; Armstrong, Joseph; Bullock, Liam A.; Parnell, John; Feldmann, Joerg; Flores, Erico M. M.

2018-05-01

A method is proposed for the determination of selenium at low concentration in coal by collision/reaction cell technology inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (CRC-ICP-MS). Samples were decomposed by high pressure microwave-assisted wet digestion (MAWD) using 250 mg of coal, a mixture of 5 mL of 14.4 mol L-1 HNO3 and 1 mL of 40% HF and 70 min of heating program (200 °C and 40 bar). Hydrogen gas used in the collision/reaction cell was investigated to minimize the argon-based interferences at m/z 77, 78 and 80. The rejection parameter (RPq) and the H2 gas flow rate were set to 0.45 and 4.8 mL min-1, respectively. The use of H2 in the cell resulted in other polyatomic interferences, such as 76Ge1H+, 79Br1H+ and 81Br1H+, which impaired Se determination using 77Se, 80Se and 82Se isotopes, thus Se determination was carried out by monitoring only 78Se isotope. Selenium was determined in certified reference materials of coal (NIST 1635 and SARM 20) and an agreement better than 95% was observed between the results obtained by CRC-ICP-MS and the certified values. Under optimized conditions, the instrumental limit of detection was 0.01 μg L-1 and the method limit of detection was 0.01 μg g-1, which was suitable for Se determination at very low concentration in coal.

Using precursor ion scan of 184 with liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry for concentration normalization in cellular lipidomic studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Chao, Hsi-Chun; Chen, Guan-Yuan; Hsu, Lih-Ching; Liao, Hsiao-Wei; Yang, Sin-Yu; Wang, San-Yuan; Li, Yu-Liang; Tang, Sung-Chun; Tseng, Yufeng Jane; Kuo, Ching-Hua

2017-06-08

Cellular lipidomic studies have been favored approaches in many biomedical research areas. To provide fair comparisons of the studied cells, it is essential to perform normalization of the determined concentration before lipidomic analysis. This study proposed a cellular lipidomic normalization method by measuring the phosphatidylcholine (PC) and sphingomyelin (SM) contents in cell extracts. To provide efficient analysis of PC and SM in cell extracts, flow injection analysis-electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (FIA-ESI-MS/MS) with a precursor ion scan (PIS) of m/z 184 was used, and the parameters affecting the performance of the method were optimized. Good linearity could be observed between the cell extract dilution factor and the reciprocal of the total ion chromatogram (TIC) area in the PIS of m/z 184 within the dilution range of 1- to 16-fold (R 2  = 0.998). The calibration curve could be used for concentration adjustment of the unknown concentration of a cell extract. The intraday and intermediate precisions were below 10%. The accuracy ranged from 93.0% to 105.6%. The performance of the new normalization method was evaluated using different numbers of HCT-116 cells. Sphingosine, ceramide (d18:1/18:0), SM (d18:1/18:0) and PC (16:1/18:0) were selected as the representative test lipid species, and the results showed that the peak areas of each lipid species obtained from different cell numbers were within a 20% variation after normalization. Finally, the PIS of 184 normalization method was applied to study ischemia-induced neuron injury using oxygen and glucose deprivation (OGD) on primary neuronal cultured cells. Our results showed that the PIS of 184 normalization method is an efficient and effective approach for concentration normalization in cellular lipidomic studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SIEMENS ADVANCED QUANTRA FTICR MASS SPECTROMETER FOR ULTRA HIGH RESOLUTION AT LOW MASS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Spencer, W; Laura Tovo, L

2008-07-08

. Analysis of low concentration ions, at the ppm level, required a separate analysis using ion ejection techniques. Chemical ionization due to the formation of the MH{sup +} ion or MD{sup +} increased the complexity of the spectra compared to magnetic sector mass spectra and formation of the protonated or deuterated complex was a dynamic function of the trap ion concentration. This made quantitative measurement more of a challenge. However, the resolution of the instrument was far superior to any other mass spectrometry technique that has been applied to the analysis of the hydrogen isotopes. The piezo-electric picoliter injection device offers a new way of submitting small quantities of atmospheric pressure sample gas for analysis. The new software had many improvements over the previous version but significant flaws in the beta codes remain that make the prototype units less than ideal. The instrument is a promising new technology that experience will likely improve. Unfortunately, Siemens has concluded that the technology will not be a commercial success and has decided to stop producing this product.

31P-NMR measurements of ATP, ADP, 2,3-diphosphoglycerate and Mg2+ in human erythrocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, A; Kristensen, S R; Jacobsen, J P; Hørder, M

1990-08-17

Absolute 31P-NMR measurements of ATP, ADP and 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (2,3-DPG) in oxygenated and partly deoxygenated human erythrocytes, compared to measurements by standard assays after acid extraction, show that ATP is only 65% NMR visible, ADP measured by NMR is unexpectedly 400% higher than the enzymatic measurement and 2,3-DPG is fully NMR visible, regardless of the degree of oxygenation. These results show that binding to hemoglobin is unlikely to cause the decreased visibility of ATP in human erythrocytes as deoxyhemoglobin binds the phosphorylated metabolites more tightly than oxyhemoglobin. The high ADP visibility is unexplained. The levels of free Mg2+ [( Mg2+]free) in human erythrocytes are 225 mumol/l at an oxygen saturation of 98.6% and instead of the expected increase, the level decreased to 196 mumol/l at an oxygen saturation of 38.1% based on the separation between the alpha- and beta-ATP peaks. [Mg2+]free in the erythrocytes decreased to 104 mumol/l at a high 2,3-DPG concentration of 25.4 mmol/l red blood cells (RBC) and a normal ATP concentration of 2.05 mmol/l RBC. By increasing the ATP concentration to 3.57 mmol/l RBC, and with a high 2,3-DPG concentration of 24.7 mmol/l RBC, the 31P-NMR measured [Mg2+]free decreased to 61 mumol/l. These results indicate, that the 31P-NMR determined [Mg2+]free in human erythrocytes, based solely on the separation of the alpha- and beta-ATP peaks, does not give a true measure of intracellular free Mg2+ changes with different oxygen saturation levels. Furthermore the measurement is influenced by the concentration of the Mg2+ binding metabolites ATP and 2,3-DPG. Failure to take these factors into account when interpreting 31P-NMR data from human erythrocytes may explain some discrepancies in the literature regarding [Mg2+]free.

The effect of farmed trout on cardiovascular risk markers in healthy men

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hallund, Jesper; Madsen, Birgitte Overgaard; Bügel, Susanne H.

2010-01-01

, insulin, C-reactive protein (CRP) and other markers of inflammation were measured at weeks 0 and 8. RBC content of total n-3 LCPUFA, both EPA and DHA, was significantly higher among men consuming trout raised on marine feed compared with men consuming the vegetable-fed trout or chicken. The three...... meal with 150 g farmed trout raised on either marine or vegetable-based feed, or a reference meal containing 150 g chicken. Twenty-four hour BP, pulse wave velocity, augmentation index, fatty acid composition of erythrocyte (RBC), and concentrations of TAG, HDL-cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, glucose...... risk markers after daily consumption of trout with high or low n-3 LCPUFA content. However, trout raised on vegetable-based feed had less pronounced impact on RBC n-3 LCPUFA status....

Transformation of membrane nanosurface of red blood cells under hemin action

Science.gov (United States)

Kozlova, Elena; Chernysh, Alexander; Moroz, Victor; Gudkova, Olga; Sergunova, Victoria; Kuzovlev, Artem

2014-08-01

Hemin is the product of hemoglobin oxidation. Some diseases may lead to a formation of hemin. The accumulation of hemin causes destruction of red blood cells (RBC) membranes. In this study the process of development of topological defects of RBC membranes within the size range from nanoscale to microscale levels is shown. The formation of the grain-like structures in the membrane (``grains'') with typical sizes of 120-200 nm was experimentally shown. The process of formation of ``grains'' was dependent on the hemin concentration and incubation time. The possible mechanism of membrane nanostructure alterations is proposed. The kinetic equations of formation and transformation of small and medium topological defects were analyzed. This research can be used to study the cell intoxication and analyze the action of various agents on RBC membranes.

Productive and morphogenetic responses of buffel grass at different air temperatures and CO2 concentrations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta Machado Santos

2014-08-01

Full Text Available The objective of the present trial was to evaluate the productive and morphogenetic characteristics of buffel grass subjected to different air temperatures and CO2 concentrations. Three cultivars of buffel grass (Biloela, Aridus and West Australian were compared. Cultivars were grown in growth chambers at three temperatures (day/night: 26/20, 29/23, and 32/26 °C, combined with two concentrations of CO2: 370 and 550 µmol mol-1. The experimental design was completely randomized, in a 3 × 3 × 2 factorial arrangement with three replications. There were interactions between buffel grass cultivars and air temperatures on leaf elongation rate (LER, leaf appearance rate (LAR, leaf lifespan (LL and senescence rate (SR, whereas cultivars vs. carbon dioxide concentration affected forage mass (FM, root mass (RM, shoot/root ratio, LL and SR. Leaf elongation rate and SR were higher as the air temperature was raised. Increasing air temperature also promoted an increase in LAR, except for West Australian. High CO2 concentration provided greater SR of plants, except for Biloela. Cultivar West Australian had higher FM in relation to Biloela and Aridus when the CO2 concentration was increased to 550 µmol mol-1. West Australian was the only cultivar that responded with more forage mass when it was exposed to higher carbon dioxide concentrations, whereas Aridus had depression in forage mass. The increase in air temperatures affects morphogenetic responses of buffel grass, accelerating its vegetative development without increasing forage mass. Elevated carbon dioxide concentration changes productive responses of buffel grass.

Time-dependent particle migration and margination in the pressure-driven channel flow of blood

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Qin M.; Shaqfeh, Eric S. G.

2018-03-01

We present a theory to describe the time evolution of the red blood cell (RBC) and platelet concentration distributions in pressure-driven flow through a straight channel. This model is based on our previous theory for the steady-state distributions [Qi and Shaqfeh, Phys. Rev. Fluids 2, 093102 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevFluids.2.093102] and captures the flow-induced nonuniformity of the concentrations of RBCs and platelets in the cross-flow direction. Starting with a uniform concentration, RBCs migrate away from the channel walls due to a shear-induced lift force and eventually reach steady state due to shear-induced diffusion, i.e., hydrodynamic "collisions" with other RBCs. On the other hand, platelets exit the cell-laden region due to RBC-platelet interactions and enter the cell-free layer, resulting in margination. To validate the theory, we also perform boundary integral simulations of blood flow in microchannels and directly compare various measureables between theory and simulation. The timescales associated with RBC migration and platelet margination are discussed in the context of the simulation and theory, and their importance in the function of microfluidic devices as well as the vascular network are elucidated. Due to the varying shear rate in pressure-driven flow and the wall-induced RBC lift, we report a separation of timescales for the transport in the near-wall region and in the bulk region. We also relate the transient problem to the axial variation of migration and margination, and we demonstrate how the relevant timescales can be used to predict corresponding entrance lengths. Our theory can serve as a fast and convenient alternative to large-scale simulations of these phenomena.

Routine determination of sulfonylurea, imidazolinone, and sulfonamide herbicides at nanogram-per-liter concentrations by solid-phase extraction and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Furlong, E.T.; Burkhardt, M.R.; Gates, Paul M.; Werner, S.L.; Battaglin, W.A.

2000-01-01

Sulfonylurea (SU), imidazolinone (IMI), and sulfonamide (SA) herbicides are new classes of low-application-rate herbicides increasingly used by farmers. Some of these herbicides affect both weed and crop species at low dosages and must be carefully used. Less is known about the effect of these compounds on non-crop plant species, but a concentration of 100 ng/l in water has been proposed as the threshold for possible plant toxicity for most of these herbicides. Hence, analytical methods must be capable of detecting SUs, IMIs, and SAs at concentrations less than 100 ng/l in ambient water samples. The authors developed a two-cartridge, solid-phase extraction method for isolating 12 SU, 3 IMI, and 1 SA herbicides by using high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS) to identify and quantify these herbicides to 10 ng/l. This method was used to analyze 196 surface- and ground-water samples collected from May to August 1998 throughout the Midwestern United States, and more than 100 quality-assurance and quality-control samples. During the 16 weeks of the study, the HPLC/ESI-MS maintained excellent calibration linearity across the calibration range from 5 to 500 ng/l, with correlation coefficients of 0.9975 or greater. Continuing calibration verification standards at 100-ng/l concentration were analyzed throughout the study, and the average measured concentrations for individual herbicides ranged from 93 to 100 ng/l. Recovery of herbicides from 27 reagent-water samples spiked at 50 and 100 ng/l ranged from 39 to 92%, and averaged 73%. The standard deviation of recoveries ranged from 14 to 26%, and averaged 20%. This variability reflects multiple instruments, operators, and the use of automated and manual sample preparation. Spiked environmental water samples had similar recoveries, although for some herbicides, the sample matrix enhanced recoveries by as much as 200% greater than the spiked concentration. This matrix

Summer concentrations of NMHCs in ambient air of the Arctic and Antarctic

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hellen, H.; Paatero, J.; Hakola, H.; Virkkula, A. [Finnish Meteorological Inst., Helsinki (Finland); Leck, C. [Stockholm Univ. (Sweden). Dept. of Meteorology

2012-11-01

Summer concentrations of C{sub 2}-C{sub 6} non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs) were measured in Antarctica and in the Arctic in 2008. The results show that NMHC concentrations are on average five times higher in the Arctic than in Antarctica. In Antarctica, there were few concentration peaks, but during most of the remaining time concentrations were below or close to the detection limits. Over the Arctic pack ice area north of 80 deg, concentrations of most of the measured NMHCs were always above the detection limits. No differences based on air-mass origin were detected in Antarctica, but samples collected over the central Arctic Ocean showed higher concentrations in air masses being advected from the Kara Sea and the western-central Arctic Ocean. The relatively higher NMHC-to-ethyne molar ratios calculated for samples collected over the central Arctic Ocean suggest additional alkane sources in the region. (orig.)

The Handling of Constant Volumes of Various Concentrations of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The Handling of Constant Volumes of Various Concentrations of Seawater by the Jackass Penguin Spheniscus Demersus. T Erasmus. Abstract. This paper reports on the effects of varying the concentration of sea water dosed at a rate of 10% of body mass on the handling of fluid and solutes by jackass penguins ...

Absolute analysis of uranium isotopic concentrations with a gas ion source mass spectrometer; Analyses absolues des concentrations isotopiques de l'uranium par spectrometre de masse equipe d'une source a gaz

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chaussy, L.; Boyer, R. [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Pierrelatte (France)

1969-07-01

Mass spectrometer with electronic bombardment ions source for routine uranium isotopic analysis are used like relative measurements apparatus. We show that such mass spectrometers can be used for absolute measurements with a very high sensitivity and precision which are ten times better than theses of thermo-ionic ions source mass spectrometer. We examine the causes of systematic errors and we give experimental data. In particular natural uranium sample used as reference give: U{sub 5} = 0.7202 {+-} 0.0005 atoms per cent; U{sub 4} = 0.00552 {+-} 0.0003 atoms per cent. The use of this method is justified for standards control. (authors) [French] Les spectrometres de masse a source par bombardement electronique pour l'analyse de l'uranium sous forme d'hexafluorure, sont utilises en routine comme des appareils de mesure relative. On montre que l'on peut utiliser de tels appareils pour effectuer des mesures absolues avec une excellente sensibilite et reproductibilite, dix fois superieure a celle des spectrometres a source thermoionique. On examine en detail les causes d'erreurs systematiques et on donne des resultats experimentaux. En particulier, l'analyse d'un echantillon d'uranium naturel donne: U{sub 5} = 0.7202 {+-} 0.0005 atomes pour cent; U{sub 4} = 0.00552 {+-} 0.0003 atomes pour cent. La technique de mesure est utile pour le controle d'etalons isotopiques. (auteurs)

Mass spectrometry in nuclear technology - a review of application of thermal ionization mass spectrometry in fuel reprocessing plants. PD-7-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dakshinamoorthy, A.

2007-01-01

Mass spectrometry finds the widespread application in nuclear science and technology due to the fact that it can be employed for isotope composition measurements of different elements of interest and also concentration measurements of these elements using isotope dilution techniques. Thermal ionization mass spectrometer (TIMS), Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (ICP-MS) and gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GC-MS) are the different types of mass spectrometers used in nuclear industry for the analyses of isotope composition of special nuclear material, trace impurities in nuclear fuels and components and characterization of various solvents respectively. Among them, TIMS plays a vital role in the nuclear fuel cycle in determining precisely the isotope composition of uranium, plutonium, D/H ratio in heavy water etc. TIMS is an indispensable analytical tool for nuclear material accounting at the input stage of a reprocessing plant by carrying out precise and accurate concentration measurement of plutonium and uranium by isotope dilution mass spectrometry (IDMS). It is the only accepted measurement technique for the purpose because of its high precision, better sensitivity and no quantitative separation is needed. The isotope abundance measurements of uranium and plutonium at this point are also useful for burn-up studies and isotope correlations. Mass spectrometric analysis of uranium and plutonium is also required for nuclear data measurements and calibrating other chemical methods

Attempt of absolute analysis with spark source mass spectrometry; Essai d'analyse absolue par spectrometrie de masse a etincelles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Desjardins, M [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Grenoble (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1964-10-01

By means of a graphical method developed in our laboratory, we have studied the linearity of the response of the MS-7 mass spectrometer for impurity determinations over a concentration range of 1 to 1000 ppm (parts per million of atoms). This method consist in transforming optical density measurements into 'true intensities', which are plotted on a logarithm-scale paper against the exposures. A moving transparent ruler graduated at the inverse scale of the exposures allows us to determine directly on the graph, the concentration of impurities in ppm. We have used this method for the determination of sensitivity coefficients in standard samples such as Al, Fe, Cu, Ni, Zr, and non conducting powders like SiO{sub 2} and Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. This study shows that, for the samples studied, the sensitivity coefficients are practically independent of the matrix and the concentration. Moreover the results show the possibility of obtaining an absolute analysis by spark source mass spectrometry. (author) [French] Au moyen d'une methode graphique developpee ou laboratoire, nous avons etudie la linearite des determinations d'impuretes au spectrometre de masse, type MS-7, dans un domaine de concentration allont de 1 a 1000 ppm. Cette methode consiste en la transformation des mesures de densite optique en 'intensite vraie'. Ces dernieres mesures sont portees sur un graphique logarithmique et une reglette transparente graduee a l'inverse de l'echelle des expositions nous permet de determiner directement la teneur des impuretes en ppm (partie par million d'atomes). Nous avons utilise cette methode pour la determination des coefficients de sensibilite dans des echantillons etalons tels que Al, Fe, Cu, Ni, Zr, et des poudres non conductrices genre SiO{sub 2}, Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}. Cette etude a montre que, pour les echantillons etudies, les coefficients de sensibilite sont pratiquement independants de la matrice et de la concentration. De plus, les resultats obtenus montrent la

Investigating the size, shape and surface roughness dependence of polarization lidars with light-scattering computations on real mineral dust particles: Application to dust particles' external mixtures and dust mass concentration retrievals

Science.gov (United States)

Mehri, Tahar; Kemppinen, Osku; David, Grégory; Lindqvist, Hannakaisa; Tyynelä, Jani; Nousiainen, Timo; Rairoux, Patrick; Miffre, Alain

2018-05-01

Our understanding of the contribution of mineral dust to the Earth's radiative budget is limited by the complexity of these particles, which present a wide range of sizes, are highly-irregularly shaped, and are present in the atmosphere in the form of particle mixtures. To address the spatial distribution of mineral dust and atmospheric dust mass concentrations, polarization lidars are nowadays frequently used, with partitioning algorithms allowing to discern the contribution of mineral dust in two or three-component particle external mixtures. In this paper, we investigate the dependence of the retrieved dust backscattering (βd) vertical profiles with the dust particle size and shape. For that, new light-scattering numerical simulations are performed on real atmospheric mineral dust particles, having determined mineralogy (CAL, DOL, AGG, SIL), derived from stereogrammetry (stereo-particles), with potential surface roughness, which are compared to the widely-used spheroidal mathematical shape model. For each dust shape model (smooth stereo-particles, rough stereo-particles, spheroids), the dust depolarization, backscattering Ångström exponent, lidar ratio are computed for two size distributions representative of mineral dust after long-range transport. As an output, two Saharan dust outbreaks involving mineral dust in two, then three-component particle mixtures are studied with Lyon (France) UV-VIS polarization lidar. If the dust size matters most, under certain circumstances, βd can vary by approximately 67% when real dust stereo-particles are used instead of spheroids, corresponding to variations in the dust backscattering coefficient as large as 2 Mm- 1·sr- 1. Moreover, the influence of surface roughness in polarization lidar retrievals is for the first time discussed. Finally, dust mass-extinction conversion factors (ηd) are evaluated for each assigned shape model and dust mass concentrations are retrieved from polarization lidar measurements. From

An intercomparison experiment on isotope dilution thermal ionisation mass spectrometry using plutonium-239 spike for the determination of plutonium concentration in dissolver solution of irradiated fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aggarwal, S.K.; Shah, P.M.; Saxena, M.K.; Jain, H.C.; Gurba, P.B.; Babbar, R.K.; Udagatti, S.V.; Moorthy, A.D.; Singh, R.K.; Bajpai, D.D.

1996-01-01

Determination of plutonium concentration in the dissolver solution of irradiated fuel is one of the key measurements in the nuclear fuel cycle. This report presents the results of an intercomparison experiment performed between Fuel Chemistry Division (FCD) at BARC and PREFRE, Tarapur for determining plutonium concentration in dissolver solution of irradiated fuel using 239 Pu spike in isotope dilution thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (ID-TIMS). The 239 Pu spike method was previously established at FCD as viable alternative to the imported enriched 242 Pu or 244 Pu; the spike used internationally for plutonium concentration determination by IDMS in dissolver solution of irradiated fuel. Precision and accuracy achievable for determining plutonium concentration are compared under the laboratory and the plant conditions using 239 Pu spike in IDMS. For this purpose, two different dissolver solutions with 240 Pu/ 239 Pu atom ratios of about 0.3 and 0.07 corresponding, respectively, to high and low burn-up fuels, were used. The results of the intercomparison experiment demonstrate that there is no difference in the precision values obtained under the laboratory and the plant conditions; with mean precision values of better than 0.2%. Further, the plutonium concentration values determined by the two laboratories agreed within 0.3%. This exercise, therefore, demonstrates that ID-TIMS method using 239 Pu spike can be used for determining plutonium concentration in dissolver solution of irradiated fuel, under the plant conditions. 7 refs., 8 tabs

Concentration determination of urinary metabolites of N,N-dimethylacetamide by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Shinobu; Matsumoto, Akiko; Yui, Yuko; Miyazaki, Shota; Kumagai, Shinji; Hori, Hajime; Ichiba, Masayoshi

2018-03-27

N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAC) is widely used in industry as a solvent. It can be absorbed through human skin. Therefore, it is necessary to determine exposure to DMAC via biological monitoring. However, the precision of traditional gas chromatography (GC) is low due to the thermal decomposition of metabolites in the high-temperature GC injection port. To overcome this problem, we have developed a new method for the simultaneous separation and quantification of urinary DMAC metabolites using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Urine samples were diluted 10-fold in formic acid, and 1-μl aliquots were injected into the LC-MS/MS equipment. A C18 reverse-phase Octa Decyl Silyl (ODS) column was used as the analytical column, and the mobile phase consisted of a mixture of methanol and aqueous formic acid solution. Urinary concentrations of DMAC and its known metabolites (N-hydroxymethyl-N-methylacetamide (DMAC-OH), N-methylacetamide (NMAC), and S- (acetamidomethyl) mercapturic acid (AMMA) ) were determined in a single run. The dynamic ranges of the calibration curves were 0.05-5 mg/l (r≥0.999) for all four compounds. The limits of detection for DMAC, DMAC-OH, NMAC, and AMMA in urine were 0.04, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.02 mg/l, respectively. Within-run accuracies were 96.5%-109.6% with relative standard deviations of precision being 3.43%-10.31%. The results demonstrated that the proposed method could successfully quantify low concentrations of DMAC and its metabolites with high precision. Hence, this method is useful for evaluating DMAC exposure. In addition, this method can be used to examine metabolite behaviors in human bodies after exposure and to select appropriate biomarkers.

Concentration determination of urinary metabolites of N,N-dimethylacetamide by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Shinobu; Matsumoto, Akiko; Yui, Yuko; Miyazaki, Shota; Kumagai, Shinji; Hori, Hajime; Ichiba, Masayoshi

2017-01-01

Objectives: N,N-Dimethylacetamide (DMAC) is widely used in industry as a solvent. It can be absorbed through human skin. Therefore, it is necessary to determine exposure to DMAC via biological monitoring. However, the precision of traditional gas chromatography (GC) is low due to the thermal decomposition of metabolites in the high-temperature GC injection port. To overcome this problem, we have developed a new method for the simultaneous separation and quantification of urinary DMAC metabolites using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Methods: Urine samples were diluted 10-fold in formic acid, and 1-μl aliquots were injected into the LC-MS/MS equipment. A C18 reverse-phase Octa Decyl Silyl (ODS) column was used as the analytical column, and the mobile phase consisted of a mixture of methanol and aqueous formic acid solution. Results: Urinary concentrations of DMAC and its known metabolites (N-hydroxymethyl-N-methylacetamide (DMAC-OH), N-methylacetamide (NMAC), and S- (acetamidomethyl) mercapturic acid (AMMA) ) were determined in a single run. The dynamic ranges of the calibration curves were 0.05-5 mg/l (r≥0.999) for all four compounds. The limits of detection for DMAC, DMAC-OH, NMAC, and AMMA in urine were 0.04, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.02 mg/l, respectively. Within-run accuracies were 96.5%-109.6% with relative standard deviations of precision being 3.43%-10.31%. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that the proposed method could successfully quantify low concentrations of DMAC and its metabolites with high precision. Hence, this method is useful for evaluating DMAC exposure. In addition, this method can be used to examine metabolite behaviors in human bodies after exposure and to select appropriate biomarkers. PMID:29213009

Serum leptin concentration during puberty in healthy nonobese adolescents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brandão C.M.A.

2003-01-01

Full Text Available Data obtained during the past five years have indicated that there are important age- and gender-based differences in the regulation and action of leptin in humans. To study the physiological changes of leptin during puberty in both sexes, and its relationship with body composition and sexual maturation, we measured leptin concentrations in 175 healthy adolescents (80 girls, 95 boys, 10-18 years of age, representing all pubertal stages. We excluded individuals with a body mass index (BMI below the 5thor above the 95th percentile relative to age. Serum concentrations of leptin were determined by a monoclonal antibody-based immunofluorimetric assay, developed in our laboratory. Body composition was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Pubertal stage was assigned by physical examination, according to Tanner criteria for breast development in females and genital development in males. Leptin concentration in girls (N = 80 presented a positive linear correlation with age (r = 0.35, P = 0.0012, BMI (r = 0.65, P < 0.0001 and %fat mass (r = 0.76, P < 0.0001. In boys (N = 95 there was a positive correlation with BMI (r = 0.49, P < 0.0001 and %fat mass (r = 0.85, P < 0.0001, but a significant negative linear correlation with Tanner stage (r = -0.45, P < 0.0001 and age (r = -0.40, P < 0.0001. The regression equation revealed that %fat mass and BMI are the best parameters to be used to estimate leptin levels in both sexes. Thus, the normal reference ranges for circulating leptin during adolescence should be constructed according to BMI or %fat mass to assure a correct evaluation.

The integrated contaminant elution and tracer test toolkit, ICET3, for improved characterization of mass transfer, attenuation, and mass removal

Science.gov (United States)

Brusseau, Mark L.; Guo, Zhilin

2018-01-01

It is evident based on historical data that groundwater contaminant plumes persist at many sites, requiring costly long-term management. High-resolution site-characterization methods are needed to support accurate risk assessments and to select, design, and operate effective remediation operations. Most subsurface characterization methods are generally limited in their ability to provide unambiguous, real-time delineation of specific processes affecting mass-transfer, transformation, and mass removal, and accurate estimation of associated rates. An integrated contaminant elution and tracer test toolkit, comprising a set of local-scale groundwater extraction-and injection tests, was developed to ameliorate the primary limitations associated with standard characterization methods. The test employs extended groundwater extraction to stress the system and induce hydraulic and concentration gradients. Clean water can be injected, which removes the resident aqueous contaminant mass present in the higher-permeability zones and isolates the test zone from the surrounding plume. This ensures that the concentrations and fluxes measured within the isolated area are directly and predominantly influenced by the local mass-transfer and transformation processes controlling mass removal. A suite of standard and novel tracers can be used to delineate specific mass-transfer and attenuation processes that are active at a given site, and to quantify the associated mass-transfer and transformation rates. The conceptual basis for the test is first presented, followed by an illustrative application based on simulations produced with a 3-D mathematical model and a brief case study application.

Anisotropic dynamic mass density for fluidsolid composites

KAUST Repository

Wu, Ying

2012-10-01

By taking the low frequency limit of multiple-scattering theory, we obtain the dynamic effective mass density of fluidsolid composites with a two-dimensional rectangular lattice structure. The anisotropic mass density can be described by an angle-dependent dipole solution, to the leading-order of solid concentration. The angular dependence vanishes for the square lattice, but at high solid concentrations there is a structure-dependent factor that contributes to the leading-order solution. In all cases, Woods formula is found to be accurately valid for the effective bulk modulus, independent of the structures. Numerical evaluations from the solutions are shown to be in excellent agreement with finite-element simulations. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Evaluation of errors for mass-spectrometric analysis with surface-ionization type mass-spectrometer (statistical evaluation of mass-discrimination effect)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wada, Y.

1981-01-01

The surface-ionization type mass-spectrometer is widely used as an apparatus for quality assurance, accountability and safeguarding of nuclear materials, and for this analysis it has become an important factor to statistically evaluate an analytical error which consists of a random error and a systematic error. The major factor of this systematic error was the mass-discrimination effect. In this paper, various assays for evaluating the factor of variation on the mass-discrimination effect were studied and the data obtained were statistically evaluated. As a result of these analyses, it was proved that the factor of variation on the mass-discrimination effect was not attributed to the acid concentration of sample, sample size on the filament and supplied voltage for a multiplier, but mainly to the filament temperature during the mass-spectrometric analysis. The mass-discrimination effect values β which were usually calculated from the measured data of uranium, plutonium or boron isotopic standard sample were not so significant dependently of the difference of U-235, Pu-239 or B-10 isotopic abundance. Furthermore, in the case of U and Pu, measurement conditions and the mass range of these isotopes were almost similar, and these values β were not statistically significant between U and Pu. On the other hand, the value β for boron was about a third of the value β for U or Pu, but compared with the coefficient of the correction on the mass-discrimination effect for the difference of mass-number, ΔM, these coefficient values were almost the same among U, Pu, and B.As for the isotopic analysis error of U, Pu, Nd and B, it was proved that the isotopic abundance of these elements and the isotopic analysis error were in a relationship of quadratic curves on a logarithmic-logarithmic scale

Determination of external and internal mass transfer limitation in nitrifying microbial aggregates.

Science.gov (United States)

Wilén, Britt-Marie; Gapes, Daniel; Keller, Jürg

2004-05-20

In this article we present a study of the effects of external and internal mass transfer limitation of oxygen in a nitrifying system. The oxygen uptake rates (OUR) were measured on both a macro-scale with a respirometric reactor using off-gas analysis (Titrimetric and Off-Gas Analysis (TOGA) sensor) and on a micro-scale with microsensors. These two methods provide independent, accurate measurements of the reaction rates and concentration profiles around and in the granules. The TOGA sensor and microsensor measurements showed a significant external mass transfer effect at low dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in the bulk liquid while it was insignificant at higher DO concentrations. The oxygen distribution with anaerobic or anoxic conditions in the center clearly shows major mass transfer limitation in the aggregate interior. The large drop in DO concentration of 22-80% between the bulk liquid and aggregate surface demonstrates that the external mass transfer resistance is also highly important. The maximum OUR even for floccular biomass was only attained at much higher DO concentrations (approximately 8 mg/L) than typically used in such systems. For granules, the DO required for maximal activity was estimated to be >20 mg/L, clearly indicating the effects of the major external and internal mass transfer limitations on the overall biomass activity. Smaller aggregates had a larger volumetric OUR indicating that the granules may have a lower activity in the interior part of the aggregate. Copyright 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Validation of predicted exponential concentration profiles of chemicals in soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hollander, Anne; Baijens, Iris; Ragas, Ad; Huijbregts, Mark; Meent, Dik van de

2007-01-01

Multimedia mass balance models assume well-mixed homogeneous compartments. Particularly for soils, this does not correspond to reality, which results in potentially large uncertainties in estimates of transport fluxes from soils. A theoretically expected exponential decrease model of chemical concentrations with depth has been proposed, but hardly tested against empirical data. In this paper, we explored the correspondence between theoretically predicted soil concentration profiles and 84 field measured profiles. In most cases, chemical concentrations in soils appear to decline exponentially with depth, and values for the chemical specific soil penetration depth (d p ) are predicted within one order of magnitude. Over all, the reliability of multimedia models will improve when they account for depth-dependent soil concentrations, so we recommend to take into account the described theoretical exponential decrease model of chemical concentrations with depth in chemical fate studies. In this model the d p -values should estimated be either based on local conditions or on a fixed d p -value, which we recommend to be 10 cm for chemicals with a log K ow > 3. - Multimedia mass model predictions will improve when taking into account depth dependent soil concentrations

The effect of genotype on methotrexate polyglutamate variability in juvenile idiopathic arthritis and association with drug response.

Science.gov (United States)

Becker, Mara L; Gaedigk, Roger; van Haandel, Leon; Thomas, Bradley; Lasky, Andrew; Hoeltzel, Mark; Dai, Hongying; Stobaugh, John; Leeder, J Steven

2011-01-01

The response to and toxicity of methotrexate (MTX) are unpredictable in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Intracellular polyglutamation of MTX, assessed by measuring concentrations of MTX polyglutamates (MTXGlu), has been demonstrated to be a promising predictor of drug response. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the genetic predictors of MTXGlu variability and associations between MTXGlu and drug response in JIA. The study was designed as a single-center cross-sectional analysis of patients with JIA who were receiving stable doses of MTX at a tertiary care children's hospital. After informed consent was obtained from the 104 patients with JIA, blood was withdrawn during routine MTX-screening laboratory testing. Clinical data were collected by chart review. Genotyping for 34 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 18 genes within the MTX metabolic pathway was performed. An ion-pair chromatographic procedure with mass spectrometric detection was used to measure MTXGlu1-7. Analysis and genotyping of MTXGlu was completed in the 104 patients. K-means clustering resulted in 3 distinct patterns of MTX polyglutamation. Cluster 1 had low red blood cell (RBC) MTXGlu concentrations, cluster 2 had moderately high RBC MTXGlu1+2 concentrations, and cluster 3 had high concentrations of MTXGlu, specifically MTXGlu3-5. SNPs in the purine and pyrimidine synthesis pathways, as well as the adenosine pathway, were significantly associated with cluster subtype. The cluster with high concentrations of MTXGlu3-5 was associated with elevated liver enzyme levels on liver function tests (LFTs), and there were higher concentrations of MTXGlu3-5 in children who reported gastrointestinal side effects and had abnormal findings on LFTs. No association was noted between MTXGlu and active arthritis. MTXGlu remains a potentially useful tool for determining outcomes in patients with JIA being treated with MTX. The genetic predictors of MTXGlu variability may also

Waist-to-Hip Ratio, but Not Body Mass Index, Is Associated with Testosterone and Estradiol Concentrations in Young Women

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Mondragón-Ceballos

2015-01-01

Full Text Available We studied if testosterone and estradiol concentrations are associated with specific female waist-to-hip ratios (WHRs and body mass indices (BMIs. Participants were 187 young women from which waist, hips, weight, and height were measured. In addition, participants informed on which day of their menstrual cycle they were and provided a 6 mL saliva sample. Ninety-one of them were in the follicular phase and 96 in the luteal phase. Only in the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle we found a significant interaction between testosterone and estradiol affecting WHR (b±s.e.=-0.000003±0.000001; t94=-2.12, adjusted R2=-0.008, P=0.03. Women with the highest levels of both hormones had the lowest WHRs, while women with low estradiol and high testosterone showed the highest WHRs. BMI significantly increased as testosterone increased in female in their nonfertile days.

CT features on increased cerebral vascular density and its pathological mechanism in patients with cyanotic congenital disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Hui; Zhang Xintang; Wang Jin; Tian Min; He Yuping; Zhao Jinqi; He Qian; Chen Huanjun; Li Fawei

2012-01-01

Objective: To investigate CT features on increased cerebral vascular density and its pathological mechanism in patients with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD). Methods: Preoperative brain CT scan and clinical data in 82 patients suffering from CCHD were analyzed. According to the increased levels of vascular density, patients were divided into 4 groups: normal, mild, moderate and severe. Relationships between the increased levels of vascular density and Hb, RBC, HCT, as well as the degree of cyanosis,were studied. AVONA was carried out to test blood CT value of cerebral sinuses, Hb, RBC and HCT in different groups. Descriptive analysis and linear regression were adopted to study the correlation between blood CT value and Hb concentration. The relationship of increased vascular density to degrees of cyanosis was analysed by Spearman. Results: Among 82 patients, 12 patients (14.6%) were found in the group of normal vascular density and 70 patients (85.4%) in the increased vascular density group. Among 70 patients with increased vascular density, 22 patients (26.8% ) with (55.4 ± 2.6) HU, (169 ±6)g/L of Hb, (5.8 ±0.3) × 10 12 /L of RBC and 0.51 ±0.03 of HCT, 29 patients (35.4%) with (61.3 ± 2.9) HU, (209 ± 15 ) g/L, (7.1 ± 0.4) × 10 12 /L, 0.66 ± 0.06 and 19 patients (23.2%) with (68.8 ± 4.2) HU, (242 ± 23) g/L, (8.3 ± 0.9) × 10 12 /L, 0.78 ± 0.08 were observed in the mild,moderate and severe group,respectively. There were significant differences in distribution of blood CT value (HU), Hb, RBC and HCT in different groups (F=163.263, 134.703, 120.974, 136.541; P<0.01). Blood CT value was positively correlated with Hb concentration (r=0.98, P<0.01). Vascular density was also positively correlated with the degree of cyanosis (r=0.86, P<0.01). Conclusions: Cerebral vascular density of patients suffering from CCHD presented different levels of increases based on CT scan results due to rise of RBC stimulated by anoxia. The increased level of vascular

The f ( R ) halo mass function in the cosmic web

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braun-Bates, F. von; Winther, H.A.; Alonso, D.; Devriendt, J., E-mail: francesca.vonbraun-bates@physics.ox.ac.uk, E-mail: hans.a.winther@physics.ox.ac.uk, E-mail: david.alonso@physics.ox.ac.uk, E-mail: julien.devriendt@physics.ox.ac.uk [Astrophysics, University of Oxford, Denys Wilkinson Building, Keble Road, Oxford OX1 3RH (United Kingdom)

2017-03-01

An important indicator of modified gravity is the effect of the local environment on halo properties. This paper examines the influence of the local tidal structure on the halo mass function, the halo orientation, spin and the concentration-mass relation. We use the excursion set formalism to produce a halo mass function conditional on large-scale structure. Our simple model agrees well with simulations on large scales at which the density field is linear or weakly non-linear. Beyond this, our principal result is that f ( R ) does affect halo abundances, the halo spin parameter and the concentration-mass relationship in an environment-independent way, whereas we find no appreciable deviation from \\text(ΛCDM) for the mass function with fixed environment density, nor the alignment of the orientation and spin vectors of the halo to the eigenvectors of the local cosmic web. There is a general trend for greater deviation from \\text(ΛCDM) in underdense environments and for high-mass haloes, as expected from chameleon screening.

GADEP Continuous PM2.5 mass concentration data, VIIRS Day Night Band SDR (SVDNB), MODIS Terra Level 2 water vapor profiles (infrared algorithm for atmospheric profiles for both day and night, NWS surface meteorological data

Data.gov (United States)

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency — Data descriptions are provided at the following urls: GADEP Continuous PM2.5 mass concentration data - https://aqs.epa.gov/aqsweb/documents/data_mart_welcome.html...

Concentrations and dissipation of difenoconazole and fluxapyroxad residues in apples and soil, determined by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Min; Jia, Chunhong; Zhao, Ercheng; Chen, Li; Yu, Pingzhong; Jing, Junjie; Zheng, Yongquan

2016-03-01

A new combined difenoconazole and fluxapyroxad fungicide formulation, as an 11.7 % suspension concentrate (SC), has been introduced as part of a resistance management strategy. The dissipation of difenoconazole and fluxapyroxad applied to apples and the residues remaining in the apples were determined. The 11.7 % SC was sprayed onto apple trees and soil in Beijing, Shandong, and Anhui provinces, China, at an application rate of 118 g a.i. ha(-1), then the dissipation of difenoconazole and fluxapyroxad was monitored. The residual difenoconazole and fluxapyroxad concentrations were determined by ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The difenoconazole half-lives in apples and soil were 6.2-9.5 and 21.0-27.7 days, respectively. The fluxapyroxad half-lives in apples and soil were 9.4-12.6 and 10.3-36.5 days, respectively. Difenoconazole and fluxapyroxad residues in apples and soil after the 11.7 % SC had been sprayed twice and three times, with 10 days between applications, at 78 and 118 g a.i. ha(-1) were measured. Representative apple and soil samples were collected after the last treatment, at preharvest intervals of 14, 21, and 28 days. The difenoconazole residue concentrations in apples and soil were 0.002-0.052 and 0.002-0.298 mg kg(-1), respectively. The fluxapyroxad residue concentrations in apples and soil were 0.002-0.093 and 0.008-1.219 mg kg(-1), respectively. The difenoconazole and fluxapyroxad residue concentrations in apples were lower than the maximum residue limits (0.5 and 0.8 mg kg(-1), respectively). An application rate of 78 g a.i. ha(-1) is therefore recommended to ensure that treated apples can be considered safe for humans to consume.

RBC urine test

Science.gov (United States)

... measurement for a result of this test. Normal value ranges may vary slightly among different laboratories. Some labs use different measurements or test different samples. Talk to your provider ...

RBC Antibody Screen

Science.gov (United States)

... C Cystic Fibrosis (CF) Gene Mutations Testing Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Tests D-dimer Dengue Fever Testing Des-gamma- ... Index of Screening Recommendations Not Listed? Not Listed? Newborn Screening Screening Tests for Infants Screening Tests for ...

Characterization of high concentration dust generator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimura, Toichiro; Yokochi, Akira

1999-01-01

This paper describes the development of fluidized bed type high concentration dust generator that keeps for long period dust concentration range of about 10 mg/m 3 for the study of working place monitoring system and evaluation of respirator. The generator is keeping constant powder in fluidized bed for keeping the dust concentration. It is necessary to keep constant feeding rate of powder in order to keep the quantity of dust in the fluidized bed. Our generator enables to obtain constant feeding rate by a screw feeder and by using mixed powder with fluidising particles (glass beads) before feeding. The generator produces high concentration dust of 11.3 mg/m 3 ± 1.0 mg/m 3 for about 5 hours and keeps the dust size 4.2-4.6 μm in mass median aerodynamic diameter with reasonable reproducibility. (author)

Comparison of Plasma, Saliva, and Hair Levetiracetam Concentrations.

Science.gov (United States)

Karaś-Ruszczyk, Katarzyna; Kuczyńska, Julita; Sienkiewicz-Jarosz, Halina; Kurkowska-Jastrzębska, Iwona; Bienkowski, Przemyslaw; Restel, Magdalena; Samochowiec, Jerzy; Mierzejewski, Pawel

2017-06-01

Previous findings revealed high correlations between serum/plasma and saliva levetiracetam concentrations, indicating saliva as an alternative matrix for monitoring levetiracetam therapy. Levetiracetam concentration in the hair, which could reflect long-term drug exposure and patients' compliance, has not been systematically tested, as yet. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between plasma, saliva, and hair levetiracetam concentrations in 47 patients with epilepsy. Plasma, saliva, and hair levetiracetam concentrations were measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry with positive ionization. Levetiracetam saliva and plasma concentrations were highly correlated (r = 0.93). Plasma concentrations were not influenced by sex, age, and other concomitant antiepileptic drugs. Levetiracetam hair concentrations correlated with plasma concentrations (r = 0.36) but not daily dose (mg/kg). Drug hair concentrations were not influenced by hair color or treatment (dyed). The results tend to indicate that saliva may be a reliable alternative to plasma for monitoring levetiracetam concentrations. Levetiracetam can also be detected in human hair.

A PRECISE MASS MEASUREMENT OF THE INTERMEDIATE-MASS BINARY PULSAR PSR J1802 - 2124