Consumer attitudes toward new technique for preserving organic meat using herbs and berries

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haugaard, Pernille; Hansen, Flemming; Jensen, Martin

2014-01-01

This study aims to explore consumers´ attitude toward a new preservation technique using herbs and berries in organic meat production, which enables to minimize the amount of chemical additives and to reduce the salt content in meat products. Consumer acceptance of the preservation technique using...... and appearance of the products, the price and information level....

Preservation vs Innovation. Sustainable rehabilitation in architectural preservation contexts: knowledge, techniques, languages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riccardo Gulli

2012-12-01

Full Text Available The theme of the preservation of the characteristics of protected architectural heritage must nowadays be correlated to new requirements for the adaptation of existing buildings to performance standards. This subject raises new questions about the theoretical assumptions and tools to be adopted to coherently answer that request. Focusing on the theme of energy requalification of heritage buildings - the primary focus of interest for the reduction of pollution emissions, according to Horizon 2020 objectives - the preservation of the meanings of an architecture work and of its linguistic, typological and material characteristics proofs to be essential for protection interventions on buildings. However this can’t be considered exhaustive, as the raised issue necessarily requires to be further addressed within the speculative domain of Technique, or rather to open out to the contribution that innovation processes and methods belonging to the field of scientific knowledge could offer.

Preservation and rapid purification of DNA from decomposing human tissue samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Sorensen, Amy; Rahman, Elizabeth; Canela, Cassandra; Gangitano, David; Hughes-Stamm, Sheree

2016-11-01

One of the key features to be considered in a mass disaster is victim identification. However, the recovery and identification of human remains are sometimes complicated by harsh environmental conditions, limited facilities, loss of electricity and lack of refrigeration. If human remains cannot be collected, stored, or identified immediately, bodies decompose and DNA degrades making genotyping more difficult and ultimately decreasing DNA profiling success. In order to prevent further DNA damage and degradation after collection, tissue preservatives may be used. The goal of this study was to evaluate three customized (modified TENT, DESS, LST) and two commercial DNA preservatives (RNAlater and DNAgard ® ) on fresh and decomposed human skin and muscle samples stored in hot (35°C) and humid (60-70% relative humidity) conditions for up to three months. Skin and muscle samples were harvested from the thigh of three human cadavers placed outdoors for up to two weeks. In addition, the possibility of purifying DNA directly from the preservative solutions ("free DNA") was investigated in order to eliminate lengthy tissue digestion processes and increase throughput. The efficiency of each preservative was evaluated based on the quantity of DNA recovered from both the "free DNA" in solution and the tissue sample itself in conjunction with the quality and completeness of downstream STR profiles. As expected, DNA quantity and STR success decreased with time of decomposition. However, a marked decrease in DNA quantity and STR quality was observed in all samples after the bodies entered the bloat stage (approximately six days of decomposition in this study). Similar amounts of DNA were retrieved from skin and muscle samples over time, but slightly more complete STR profiles were obtained from muscle tissue. Although higher amounts of DNA were recovered from tissue samples than from the surrounding preservative, the average number of reportable alleles from the "free DNA" was

Determination of Cu, Cr, and As in preserved wood (Eucalyptus sp.) using x-ray fluorescent spectrometry techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sergio Matias Pereira Junior; Vera Akiko Maihara; Edson Goncalves Moreira; Vera Lucia Ribeiro Salvador; Ivone Mulako Sato

2016-01-01

Energy dispersive (EDXRF) and Portable (PXRF) X-ray fluorescence techniques are proposed for wood treatment control process and wood waste assortment. In this study, different retentions of chromated copper arsenate preservative were applied to Eucalyptus sp. sapwood samples. Cu, Cr and As were determined by XRF techniques in treated sapwood massive blocks and treated sapwood sawdust samples were analyzed by FAAS spectrometry (Flame Atomic Absorption) and INAA (Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis). Cu, Cr and As mean values, obtained by FAASS and INAA, showed to be statically equal; however, XRF analysis showed considerable deviations, presenting the absorption and the enhancement effects in analytical lines. (author)

Neutron activation analysis: an emerging technique for conservation/preservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sayre, E.V.

1976-01-01

The diverse applications of neutron activation in analysis, preservation, and documentation of art works and artifacts are described with illustrations for each application. The uses of this technique to solve problems of attribution and authentication, to reveal the inner structure and composition of art objects, and, in some instances to recreate details of the objects are described. A brief discussion of the theory and techniques of neutron activation analysis is also included

Irradiation technique useful in food preservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayaprakas, C.A.; Palaniswarmi, M.S.

2001-01-01

Application of innovative technologies to promote the production of food is indispensable to meet the demand of emerging populations. It is equally important to protect the stored products from the invasion of pests and diseases. Indiscriminate use of insecticides has now been highly discouraged, as it causes health and environmental hazards. In causes health and environmental hazards. In this juncture, an alternate method to curb the menace of pests and diseases is imperative. Irradiation technique, a gift of nuclear physics, which has been identified as an eco-friendly method to preserve food materials for long term, is now been getting wider acceptance

Tracer techniques for urine volume determination and urine collection and sampling back-up system

Science.gov (United States)

Ramirez, R. V.

1971-01-01

The feasibility, functionality, and overall accuracy of the use of lithium were investigated as a chemical tracer in urine for providing a means of indirect determination of total urine volume by the atomic absorption spectrophotometry method. Experiments were conducted to investigate the parameters of instrumentation, tracer concentration, mixing times, and methods for incorporating the tracer material in the urine collection bag, and to refine and optimize the urine tracer technique to comply with the Skylab scheme and operational parameters of + or - 2% of volume error and + or - 1% accuracy of amount of tracer added to each container. In addition, a back-up method for urine collection and sampling system was developed and evaluated. This back-up method incorporates the tracer technique for volume determination in event of failure of the primary urine collection and preservation system. One chemical preservative was selected and evaluated as a contingency chemical preservative for the storage of urine in event of failure of the urine cooling system.

Energy Preserved Sampling for Compressed Sensing MRI

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yudong Zhang

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The sampling patterns, cost functions, and reconstruction algorithms play important roles in optimizing compressed sensing magnetic resonance imaging (CS-MRI. Simple random sampling patterns did not take into account the energy distribution in k-space and resulted in suboptimal reconstruction of MR images. Therefore, a variety of variable density (VD based samplings patterns had been developed. To further improve it, we propose a novel energy preserving sampling (ePRESS method. Besides, we improve the cost function by introducing phase correction and region of support matrix, and we propose iterative thresholding algorithm (ITA to solve the improved cost function. We evaluate the proposed ePRESS sampling method, improved cost function, and ITA reconstruction algorithm by 2D digital phantom and 2D in vivo MR brains of healthy volunteers. These assessments demonstrate that the proposed ePRESS method performs better than VD, POWER, and BKO; the improved cost function can achieve better reconstruction quality than conventional cost function; and the ITA is faster than SISTA and is competitive with FISTA in terms of computation time.

Sample size estimation and sampling techniques for selecting a representative sample

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aamir Omair

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction: The purpose of this article is to provide a general understanding of the concepts of sampling as applied to health-related research. Sample Size Estimation: It is important to select a representative sample in quantitative research in order to be able to generalize the results to the target population. The sample should be of the required sample size and must be selected using an appropriate probability sampling technique. There are many hidden biases which can adversely affect the outcome of the study. Important factors to consider for estimating the sample size include the size of the study population, confidence level, expected proportion of the outcome variable (for categorical variables/standard deviation of the outcome variable (for numerical variables, and the required precision (margin of accuracy from the study. The more the precision required, the greater is the required sample size. Sampling Techniques: The probability sampling techniques applied for health related research include simple random sampling, systematic random sampling, stratified random sampling, cluster sampling, and multistage sampling. These are more recommended than the nonprobability sampling techniques, because the results of the study can be generalized to the target population.

Preserving Geological Samples and Metadata from Polar Regions

Science.gov (United States)

Grunow, A.; Sjunneskog, C. M.

2011-12-01

The Office of Polar Programs at the National Science Foundation (NSF-OPP) has long recognized the value of preserving earth science collections due to the inherent logistical challenges and financial costs of collecting geological samples from Polar Regions. NSF-OPP established two national facilities to make Antarctic geological samples and drill cores openly and freely available for research. The Antarctic Marine Geology Research Facility (AMGRF) at Florida State University was established in 1963 and archives Antarctic marine sediment cores, dredge samples and smear slides along with ship logs. The United States Polar Rock Repository (USPRR) at Ohio State University was established in 2003 and archives polar rock samples, marine dredges, unconsolidated materials and terrestrial cores, along with associated materials such as field notes, maps, raw analytical data, paleomagnetic cores, thin sections, microfossil mounts, microslides and residues. The existence of the AMGRF and USPRR helps to minimize redundant sample collecting, lessen the environmental impact of doing polar field work, facilitates field logistics planning and complies with the data sharing requirement of the Antarctic Treaty. USPRR acquires collections through donations from institutions and scientists and then makes these samples available as no-cost loans for research, education and museum exhibits. The AMGRF acquires sediment cores from US based and international collaboration drilling projects in Antarctica. Destructive research techniques are allowed on the loaned samples and loan requests are accepted from any accredited scientific institution in the world. Currently, the USPRR has more than 22,000 cataloged rock samples available to scientists from around the world. All cataloged samples are relabeled with a USPRR number, weighed, photographed and measured for magnetic susceptibility. Many aspects of the sample metadata are included in the database, e.g. geographical location, sample

Procedures for the collection and preservation of groundwater and surface water samples and for the installation of monitoring wells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Korte, N.; Kearl, P.

1984-01-01

Proper sampling procedures are essential for a successful water-quality monitoring program. It must be emphasized, however, that it is impossible to maintain absolutely in-situ conditions when collecting and preserving a water sample, whether from a flowing stream or an aquifer. Consequently, the most that can reasonably be expected is to collect a best possible sample with minimal disturbance. This document describes procedures for installing monitoring wells and for collecting samples of surface water and groundwater. The discussion of monitoring wells includes mention of multilevel sampling and a general overview of vadose-zone monitoring. Guidelines for well installation are presented in detail. The discussion of water-sample collection contains evaluations of sampling pumps, filtration equipment, and sample containers. Sample-preservation techniques, as published by several government and private sources, are reviewed. Finally, step-by-step procedures for collection of water samples are provided; these procedures address such considerations as necessary equipment, field operations, and written documentation. Separate procedures are also included for the collection of samples for determination of sulfide and for reactive aluminum. The report concludes with a brief discussion of adverse sampling, conditions that may significantly affect the quality of the data. Appendix A presents a rationale for the development and use of statistical considerations in water sampling to ensure a more complete water quality monitoring program. 51 references, 9 figures, 4 tables

Plasma Technology as a New Preservation Technique

Science.gov (United States)

Rincón, R.; Calzada, M. D.

The preliminary results of using the surface wave discharge at the atmospheric pressure on groups of lentils and sherry Fino wine samples are presented. In this research, the capability of active species and UV radiation from the plasma, has been assessed on preservation of food. Besides, the generation and emission of both excited molecules in a metastable state N2}(B3Π {g-> A3}Σ u{+) and the de-excitation of species NO(A2}Σ {+) producing UV radiation have been also studied.

Novel Cell Preservation Technique to Extend Bovine In Vitro White Blood Cell Viability.

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Emilie L Laurin

Full Text Available Although cell-mediated immunity based diagnostics can be integral assays for early detection of various diseases of dairy cows, processing of blood samples for these tests is time-sensitive, often within 24 hours of collection, to maintain white blood cell viability. Therefore, to improve utility and practicality of such assays, the objective of this study was to assess the use of a novel white blood cell preservation technology in whole bovine blood. Blood samples from ten healthy cows were each divided into an unpreserved control sample and a test sample preserved with commercially-available cell transport medium. Samples were maintained at room temperature and stimulated with the mitogens pokeweed and concanavalinA, as well as with interleukin-12 p40. Stimulation was completed on days 1, 5, and 8 post-sampling. Viability of white blood cells was assessed through interferon gamma production determined with a commercial enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, mononuclear cell viability was assessed with propidium iodide flow cytometry. Greater interferon gamma production was observed on days 5 and 8 post-collection in preserved samples, with both pokeweed and concanavalinA stimulating positive interferon gamma production on day 5 post-collection. A greater proportion of the amount of interferon gamma produced on day 1 continued to be produced on days 5 and 8 post-collection with concanavalinA stimulation (with or without interleukin 12 as compared to pokeweed stimulation. Additionally, viable mononuclear cells were still present at eight days post-collection, with a higher mean proportion detected at days 5 and 8 in all stimulated preserved samples. This practical and simple method to extend in vitro white blood cell viability could benefit the efficient utilization of cell-based blood tests in ruminants.

Emerging Preservation Techniques for Controlling Spoilage and Pathogenic Microorganisms in Fruit Juices

Science.gov (United States)

Aneja, Kamal Rai; Dhiman, Romika; Aggarwal, Neeraj Kumar; Aneja, Ashish

2014-01-01

Fruit juices are important commodities in the global market providing vast possibilities for new value added products to meet consumer demand for convenience, nutrition, and health. Fruit juices are spoiled primarily due to proliferation of acid tolerant and osmophilic microflora. There is also risk of food borne microbial infections which is associated with the consumption of fruit juices. In order to reduce the incidence of outbreaks, fruit juices are preserved by various techniques. Thermal pasteurization is used commercially by fruit juice industries for the preservation of fruit juices but results in losses of essential nutrients and changes in physicochemical and organoleptic properties. Nonthermal pasteurization methods such as high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric field, and ultrasound and irradiations have also been employed in fruit juices to overcome the negative effects of thermal pasteurization. Some of these techniques have already been commercialized. Some are still in research or pilot scale. Apart from these emerging techniques, preservatives from natural sources have also shown considerable promise for use in some food products. In this review article, spoilage, pathogenic microflora, and food borne outbreaks associated with fruit juices of last two decades are given in one section. In other sections various prevention methods to control the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microflora to increase the shelf life of fruit juices are discussed. PMID:25332721

Emerging Preservation Techniques for Controlling Spoilage and Pathogenic Microorganisms in Fruit Juices

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kamal Rai Aneja

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Fruit juices are important commodities in the global market providing vast possibilities for new value added products to meet consumer demand for convenience, nutrition, and health. Fruit juices are spoiled primarily due to proliferation of acid tolerant and osmophilic microflora. There is also risk of food borne microbial infections which is associated with the consumption of fruit juices. In order to reduce the incidence of outbreaks, fruit juices are preserved by various techniques. Thermal pasteurization is used commercially by fruit juice industries for the preservation of fruit juices but results in losses of essential nutrients and changes in physicochemical and organoleptic properties. Nonthermal pasteurization methods such as high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric field, and ultrasound and irradiations have also been employed in fruit juices to overcome the negative effects of thermal pasteurization. Some of these techniques have already been commercialized. Some are still in research or pilot scale. Apart from these emerging techniques, preservatives from natural sources have also shown considerable promise for use in some food products. In this review article, spoilage, pathogenic microflora, and food borne outbreaks associated with fruit juices of last two decades are given in one section. In other sections various prevention methods to control the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microflora to increase the shelf life of fruit juices are discussed.

Emerging preservation techniques for controlling spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in fruit juices.

Science.gov (United States)

Aneja, Kamal Rai; Dhiman, Romika; Aggarwal, Neeraj Kumar; Aneja, Ashish

2014-01-01

Fruit juices are important commodities in the global market providing vast possibilities for new value added products to meet consumer demand for convenience, nutrition, and health. Fruit juices are spoiled primarily due to proliferation of acid tolerant and osmophilic microflora. There is also risk of food borne microbial infections which is associated with the consumption of fruit juices. In order to reduce the incidence of outbreaks, fruit juices are preserved by various techniques. Thermal pasteurization is used commercially by fruit juice industries for the preservation of fruit juices but results in losses of essential nutrients and changes in physicochemical and organoleptic properties. Nonthermal pasteurization methods such as high hydrostatic pressure, pulsed electric field, and ultrasound and irradiations have also been employed in fruit juices to overcome the negative effects of thermal pasteurization. Some of these techniques have already been commercialized. Some are still in research or pilot scale. Apart from these emerging techniques, preservatives from natural sources have also shown considerable promise for use in some food products. In this review article, spoilage, pathogenic microflora, and food borne outbreaks associated with fruit juices of last two decades are given in one section. In other sections various prevention methods to control the growth of spoilage and pathogenic microflora to increase the shelf life of fruit juices are discussed.

The preservation of urine samples for determination of renal stone risk factors

Science.gov (United States)

Nicar, M. J.; Hsu, M. C.; Johnson, T.; Pak, C. Y.

1987-01-01

A preservation technique for urine specimens before determination of stone risk factors was evaluated. The purpose of these experiments was to prove the effectiveness of the preservatives used to prevent changes in the concentrations of those constituents measured. Measured concentrations in fresh specimens were compared with those in the same specimens after storage with the preservatives. Refrigeration at 4 degrees C up to five days was appropriate in a laboratory setting, as no significant changes in urinary concentrations occurred. Refrigeration, however, did not offer a convenient method for shipping. Chemical preservation was found to be an effective alternative to refrigeration. Thymol prevented changes in concentration of pH, citrate, uric acid, sulfate, sodium, potassium, and cyclic AMP, while a mixture of hydrochloric (HCl) acid and boric acid prevented changes in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, oxalate, ammonium, and creatinine. Thus, the addition of thymol or HCl/boric acid to urine specimens will prevent significant changes in the concentrations of stone risk factors.

Status of iodine in formaldehyde-preserved milk - revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, D.M.; Gibson, J.E.

1977-01-01

The results of an investigation into the effect of formaldehyde preservation of raw milk in view of the differences observed by Murthy (J. Dairy Sci.; 45:1066 (1962) and J. Dairy Sci.; 49:1190 (1966)) and Thomas (personal communication. (1976)) are reported. The use of the specific electrode method for iodine analysis of formaldehyde-preserved milk has also been investigated. It was found that the Thomas preservation technique for 4 litre milk samples for 131 I analysis was acceptable, and an aliquot of the formaldehyde-preserved milk can be analyzed for total iodide concentration by the electrode method. Milk samples may also be preserved for stable iodide measurement (without iodide carrier addition) by addition of formaldehyde at 0.5 M concentration. (U.K.)

When to ask male adolescents to provide semen sample for fertility preservation?

OpenAIRE

Dabaja, Ali A.; Wosnitzer, Matthew S.; Bolyakov, Alexander; Schlegel, Peter N.; Paduch, Darius A.

2014-01-01

Background Fertility preservation in adolescents undergoing sterilizing radiation and/or chemotherapy is the standard of care in oncology. The opportunity for patients to provide a semen sample by ejaculation is a critical issue in adolescent fertility preservation. Methods Fifty males with no medical or sexual developmental abnormalities were evaluated. The subjects were screened for evidence of orgasmic, erectile, and ejaculatory dysfunction. A detailed sexual development history was obtain...

Contrast Enhancement Using Brightness Preserving Histogram Equalization Technique for Classification of Date Varieties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G Thomas

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Computer vision technique is becoming popular for quality assessment of many products in food industries. Image enhancement is the first step in analyzing the images in order to obtain detailed information for the determination of quality. In this study, Brightness preserving histogram equalization technique was used to enhance the features of gray scale images to classify three date varieties (Khalas, Fard and Madina. Mean, entropy, kurtosis and skewness features were extracted from the original and enhanced images. Mean and entropy from original images and kurtosis from the enhanced images were selected based on Lukka's feature selection approach. An overall classification efficiency of 93.72% was achieved with just three features. Brightness preserving histogram equalization technique has great potential to improve the classification in various quality attributes of food and agricultural products with minimum features.

Space science technology: In-situ science. Sample Acquisition, Analysis, and Preservation Project summary

Science.gov (United States)

Aaron, Kim

1991-01-01

The Sample Acquisition, Analysis, and Preservation Project is summarized in outline and graphic form. The objective of the project is to develop component and system level technology to enable the unmanned collection, analysis and preservation of physical, chemical and mineralogical data from the surface of planetary bodies. Technology needs and challenges are identified and specific objectives are described.

Fertility preservation in women--a practical guide to preservation techniques and therapeutic strategies in breast cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma and borderline ovarian tumours by the fertility preservation network FertiPROTEKT.

Science.gov (United States)

von Wolff, Michael; Montag, Markus; Dittrich, Ralf; Denschlag, Dominik; Nawroth, Frank; Lawrenz, Barbara

2011-08-01

Fertility preservation methods are playing an increasing role in women up to the age of 40 years because of rising survival rates in those affected by cancer. However, balanced practical recommendations concerning all relevant fertility preservation, to support doctors in counselling and treating patients, are still rare. These recommendations were prepared by the network FertiPROTEKT ( http://www.fertiprotect.eu ), a collaboration of around 70 centres in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The recommendations were developed by specialists in reproductive medicine, reproductive biology and oncology, which gave a comprehensive overview of all named techniques as well as their benefits and risks. Furthermore, practice-orientated recommendations for the individual use of fertility preservation methods for various indications such as breast cancer, Hodgkin's lymphoma and borderline ovarian tumours are given. Various options such as ovarian stimulation and cryopreservation of unfertilised or fertilised oocytes, cryopreservation and transplantation of ovarian tissue, GnRH-agonist administration and transposition of the ovaries can be offered. All the techniques can be performed alone or in combination within a maximum of 2 weeks with low risk and different success rates. Fertility preservation in women has become an option with realistic chances to become pregnant after cytotoxic therapies. The information provided allows a well balanced and realistic counselling and treatment.

Two sampling techniques for game meat

OpenAIRE

van der Merwe, Maretha; Jooste, Piet J.; Hoffman, Louw C.; Calitz, Frikkie J.

2013-01-01

A study was conducted to compare the excision sampling technique used by the export market and the sampling technique preferred by European countries, namely the biotrace cattle and swine test. The measuring unit for the excision sampling was grams (g) and square centimetres (cm2) for the swabbing technique. The two techniques were compared after a pilot test was conducted on spiked approved beef carcasses (n = 12) that statistically proved the two measuring units correlated. The two sampling...

A comparative analysis of preservation techniques for the optimal molecular detection of hookworm DNA in a human fecal specimen

Science.gov (United States)

Pilotte, Nils; Baumer, Ben; Grant, Jessica; Asbjornsdottir, Kristjana; Schaer, Fabian; Hu, Yan; Aroian, Raffi; Walson, Judd; Williams, Steven A.

2018-01-01

Background Proper collection and storage of fecal samples is necessary to guarantee the subsequent reliability of DNA-based soil-transmitted helminth diagnostic procedures. Previous research has examined various methods to preserve fecal samples for subsequent microscopic analysis or for subsequent determination of overall DNA yields obtained following DNA extraction. However, only limited research has focused on the preservation of soil-transmitted helminth DNA in stool samples stored at ambient temperature or maintained in a cold chain for extended periods of time. Methodology Quantitative real-time PCR was used in this study as a measure of the effectiveness of seven commercially available products to preserve hookworm DNA over time and at different temperatures. Results were compared against “no preservative” controls and the “gold standard” of rapidly freezing samples at -20°C. The preservation methods were compared at both 4°C and at simulated tropical ambient temperature (32°C) over a period of 60 days. Evaluation of the effectiveness of each preservative was based on quantitative real-time PCR detection of target hookworm DNA. Conclusions At 4°C there were no significant differences in DNA amplification efficiency (as measured by Cq values) regardless of the preservation method utilized over the 60-day period. At 32°C, preservation with FTA cards, potassium dichromate, and a silica bead two-step desiccation process proved most advantageous for minimizing Cq value increases, while RNA later, 95% ethanol and Paxgene also demonstrate some protective effect. These results suggest that fecal samples spiked with known concentrations of hookworm-derived egg material can remain at 4°C for 60 days in the absence of preservative, without significant degradation of the DNA target. Likewise, a variety of preservation methods can provide a measure of protection in the absence of a cold chain. As a result, other factors, such as preservative toxicity

The preservation of lotus seeds by irradiation technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lan Junming; Tang Chuandao

1990-08-01

The preservation test results of lotus seeds by gamma-ray irradiation technique are introduced. The results showed that the sitophilus, penicillus and aspergillus oryzae caused the great damage of lotus seeds. It was found that the radiation doses of deactivation for the insects and the mould were 0.8 kGy and 5 kGy respectively. The irradiated seeds packaged in the cloth bags and stored in the storehouse were not damaged by the insects and moulds for three years. The measured resutls also showed that the nutrient compositions were not changed and the pathogenic bacteria were not found. The irradiated lotus seeds are healthy and safe to the people

A New Heuristic Anonymization Technique for Privacy Preserved Datasets Publication on Cloud Computing

Science.gov (United States)

Aldeen Yousra, S.; Mazleena, Salleh

2018-05-01

Recent advancement in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) demanded much of cloud services to sharing users’ private data. Data from various organizations are the vital information source for analysis and research. Generally, this sensitive or private data information involves medical, census, voter registration, social network, and customer services. Primary concern of cloud service providers in data publishing is to hide the sensitive information of individuals. One of the cloud services that fulfill the confidentiality concerns is Privacy Preserving Data Mining (PPDM). The PPDM service in Cloud Computing (CC) enables data publishing with minimized distortion and absolute privacy. In this method, datasets are anonymized via generalization to accomplish the privacy requirements. However, the well-known privacy preserving data mining technique called K-anonymity suffers from several limitations. To surmount those shortcomings, I propose a new heuristic anonymization framework for preserving the privacy of sensitive datasets when publishing on cloud. The advantages of K-anonymity, L-diversity and (α, k)-anonymity methods for efficient information utilization and privacy protection are emphasized. Experimental results revealed the superiority and outperformance of the developed technique than K-anonymity, L-diversity, and (α, k)-anonymity measure.

Two sampling techniques for game meat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maretha van der Merwe

2013-03-01

Full Text Available A study was conducted to compare the excision sampling technique used by the export market and the sampling technique preferred by European countries, namely the biotrace cattle and swine test. The measuring unit for the excision sampling was grams (g and square centimetres (cm2 for the swabbing technique. The two techniques were compared after a pilot test was conducted on spiked approved beef carcasses (n = 12 that statistically proved the two measuring units correlated. The two sampling techniques were conducted on the same game carcasses (n = 13 and analyses performed for aerobic plate count (APC, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, for both techniques. A more representative result was obtained by swabbing and no damage was caused to the carcass. Conversely, the excision technique yielded fewer organisms and caused minor damage to the carcass. The recovery ratio from the sampling technique improved 5.4 times for APC, 108.0 times for E. coli and 3.4 times for S. aureus over the results obtained from the excision technique. It was concluded that the sampling methods of excision and swabbing can be used to obtain bacterial profiles from both export and local carcasses and could be used to indicate whether game carcasses intended for the local market are possibly on par with game carcasses intended for the export market and therefore safe for human consumption.

Two sampling techniques for game meat.

Science.gov (United States)

van der Merwe, Maretha; Jooste, Piet J; Hoffman, Louw C; Calitz, Frikkie J

2013-03-20

A study was conducted to compare the excision sampling technique used by the export market and the sampling technique preferred by European countries, namely the biotrace cattle and swine test. The measuring unit for the excision sampling was grams (g) and square centimetres (cm2) for the swabbing technique. The two techniques were compared after a pilot test was conducted on spiked approved beef carcasses (n = 12) that statistically proved the two measuring units correlated. The two sampling techniques were conducted on the same game carcasses (n = 13) and analyses performed for aerobic plate count (APC), Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, for both techniques. A more representative result was obtained by swabbing and no damage was caused to the carcass. Conversely, the excision technique yielded fewer organisms and caused minor damage to the carcass. The recovery ratio from the sampling technique improved 5.4 times for APC, 108.0 times for E. coli and 3.4 times for S. aureus over the results obtained from the excision technique. It was concluded that the sampling methods of excision and swabbing can be used to obtain bacterial profiles from both export and local carcasses and could be used to indicate whether game carcasses intended for the local market are possibly on par with game carcasses intended for the export market and therefore safe for human consumption.

Comparison of correlation analysis techniques for irregularly sampled time series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. Rehfeld

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Geoscientific measurements often provide time series with irregular time sampling, requiring either data reconstruction (interpolation or sophisticated methods to handle irregular sampling. We compare the linear interpolation technique and different approaches for analyzing the correlation functions and persistence of irregularly sampled time series, as Lomb-Scargle Fourier transformation and kernel-based methods. In a thorough benchmark test we investigate the performance of these techniques.

All methods have comparable root mean square errors (RMSEs for low skewness of the inter-observation time distribution. For high skewness, very irregular data, interpolation bias and RMSE increase strongly. We find a 40 % lower RMSE for the lag-1 autocorrelation function (ACF for the Gaussian kernel method vs. the linear interpolation scheme,in the analysis of highly irregular time series. For the cross correlation function (CCF the RMSE is then lower by 60 %. The application of the Lomb-Scargle technique gave results comparable to the kernel methods for the univariate, but poorer results in the bivariate case. Especially the high-frequency components of the signal, where classical methods show a strong bias in ACF and CCF magnitude, are preserved when using the kernel methods.

We illustrate the performances of interpolation vs. Gaussian kernel method by applying both to paleo-data from four locations, reflecting late Holocene Asian monsoon variability as derived from speleothem δ¹⁸O measurements. Cross correlation results are similar for both methods, which we attribute to the long time scales of the common variability. The persistence time (memory is strongly overestimated when using the standard, interpolation-based, approach. Hence, the Gaussian kernel is a reliable and more robust estimator with significant advantages compared to other techniques and suitable for large scale application to paleo-data.

Accuracy Enhanced Stability and Structure Preserving Model Reduction Technique for Dynamical Systems with Second Order Structure

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tahavori, Maryamsadat; Shaker, Hamid Reza

A method for model reduction of dynamical systems with the second order structure is proposed in this paper. The proposed technique preserves the second order structure of the system, and also preserves the stability of the original systems. The method uses the controllability and observability...... gramians within the time interval to build the appropriate Petrov-Galerkin projection for dynamical systems within the time interval of interest. The bound on approximation error is also derived. The numerical results are compared with the counterparts from other techniques. The results confirm...

Evaluation of freeze fixation as a phytoplankton preservation method for microautoradiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paerl, H.W.

1984-01-01

Quantitative microautoradiography of marine and freshwater phytoplankton has been hampered by the fact that chemical techniques used to maintain structural integrity cause leakage of isotopically labeled cell constituents. Chemography, poor preservation of structural integrity, and leakage of cell constituents can all be avoided by quick-freezing filtered samples in liquid N 2 and then freeze-drying them before autoradiographic preparation. Leakage of fixed 14 C and 33 P and preservation of cell shapes and sizes by these preservation techniques are evaluated in diverse marine and freshwater phytoplankton communities

The ZEUS data preservation project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malka, Janusz; Wichmann, Katarzyna

2012-01-01

A project to allow long term access and physics analysis of ZEUS data (ZEUS data preservation) has been established in collaboration with the DESY-IT group. In the ZEUS approach the analysis model is based on the Common Ntuple project, under development since 2006. The real data and all presently available Monte Carlo samples are being preserved in a flat ROOT ntuple format. There is ongoing work to provide the ability to simulate new, additional Monte Carlo samples also in the future. The validation framework of such a scheme using virtualisation techniques is being explored. The goal is to validate the frozen ZEUS software against future changes in hardware and operating system. A cooperation between ZEUS, DESY-IT and the library was established for document digitisation and long-term preservation of collaboration web pages. Part of the ZEUS internal documentation has already been stored within the HEP documentation system INSPIRE. Existing digital documentation, needed to perform physics analysis also in the future, is being centralised and completed.

Random sampling technique for ultra-fast computations of molecular opacities for exoplanet atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Min, M.

2017-10-01

Context. Opacities of molecules in exoplanet atmospheres rely on increasingly detailed line-lists for these molecules. The line lists available today contain for many species up to several billions of lines. Computation of the spectral line profile created by pressure and temperature broadening, the Voigt profile, of all of these lines is becoming a computational challenge. Aims: We aim to create a method to compute the Voigt profile in a way that automatically focusses the computation time into the strongest lines, while still maintaining the continuum contribution of the high number of weaker lines. Methods: Here, we outline a statistical line sampling technique that samples the Voigt profile quickly and with high accuracy. The number of samples is adjusted to the strength of the line and the local spectral line density. This automatically provides high accuracy line shapes for strong lines or lines that are spectrally isolated. The line sampling technique automatically preserves the integrated line opacity for all lines, thereby also providing the continuum opacity created by the large number of weak lines at very low computational cost. Results: The line sampling technique is tested for accuracy when computing line spectra and correlated-k tables. Extremely fast computations ( 3.5 × 105 lines per second per core on a standard current day desktop computer) with high accuracy (≤1% almost everywhere) are obtained. A detailed recipe on how to perform the computations is given.

Antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of selected food preservatives against Salmonella spp. isolated from chicken samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Er, Buket; Demirhan, Burak; Onurdag, Fatma Kaynak; Ozgacar, Selda Özgen; Oktem, Aysel Bayhan

2014-03-01

Salmonella spp. are widespread foodborne pathogens that contaminate egg and poultry meats. Attachment, colonization, as well as biofilm formation capacity of Salmonella spp. on food and contact surfaces of food may cause continuous contamination. Biofilm may play a crucial role in the survival of salmonellae under unfavorable environmental conditions, such as in animal slaughterhouses and processing plants. This could serve as a reservoir compromising food safety and human health. Addition of antimicrobial preservatives extends shelf lives of food products, but even when products are supplemented with adequate amounts of preservatives, it is not always possible to inhibit the microorganisms in a biofilm community. In this study, our aims were i) to determine the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) and minimum biofilm inhibitory concentrations (MBIC) of selected preservatives against planktonic and biofilm forms of Salmonella spp. isolated from chicken samples and Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 standard strain, ii) to show the differences in the susceptibility patterns of same strains versus the planktonic and biofilm forms to the same preservative agent, and iii) to determine and compare antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of selected food preservatives against Salmonella spp. For this purpose, Salmonella Typhimurium SL1344 standard strain and 4 Salmonella spp. strains isolated from chicken samples were used. Investigation of antimicrobial and antibiofilm effects of selected food preservatives against Salmonella spp. was done according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute M100-S18 guidelines and BioTimer assay, respectively. As preservative agents, pure ciprofloxacin, sodium nitrite, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, methyl paraben, and propyl paraben were selected. As a result, it was determined that MBIC values are greater than the MIC values of the preservatives. This result verified the resistance seen in a biofilm community to food

A new privacy preserving technique for cloud service user endorsement using multi-agents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Chandramohan

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In data analysis the present focus on storage services are leveraged to attain its crucial part while user data get compromised. In the recent years service user’s valuable information has been utilized by unauthorized users and service providers. This paper examines the privacy awareness and importance of user’s secrecy preserving in the current cloud computing era. Gradually the information kept under the cloud environment gets increased due to its elasticity and availability. However, highly sensitive information is in a serious attack from various sources. Once private information gets misused, the probability of privacy breaching increases which thereby reduces user’s trust on cloud providers. In the modern internet world, information management and maintenance is one among the most decisive tasks. Information stored in the cloud by the finance, healthcare, government sectors, etc. makes it all the more challenging since such tasks are to be handled globally. The present scenario therefore demands a new Petri-net Privacy Preserving Framework (PPPF for safeguarding user’s privacy and, providing consistent and breach-less services from the cloud. This paper illustrates the design of PPPF and mitigates the cloud provider’s trust among users. The proposed technique conveys and collaborates with Privacy Preserving Cohesion Technique (PPCT, to develop validate, promote, adapt and also increase the need for data privacy. Moreover, this paper focuses on clinching and verification of unknown user intervention into the confidential data present in storage area and ensuring the performance of the cloud services. It also acts as an information preserving guard for high secrecy data storage areas.

Preserving local writers, genealogy, photographs, newspapers, and related materials

CERN Document Server

Smallwood, Carol

2012-01-01

Preserving Local Writers, Genealogy, Photographs, Newspapers, and Related Materials draws on the practical knowledge of archivists, preservationists, librarians, and others who share the goal of making local history accessible to future generations. Anyone who plans to start a local history project or preserve important historical materials will find plenty of tips, techniques, sample documents, project ideas, and inspiration in its pages.

Radioisotope Sample Measurement Techniques in Medicine and Biology. Proceedings of the Symposium on Radioisotope Sample Measurement Techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1965-01-01

The medical and biological applications of radioisotopes depend on two basically different types of measurements, those on living subjects in vivo and those on samples in vitro. The International Atomic Energy Agency has in the past held several meetings on in vivo measurement techniques, notably whole-body counting and radioisotope scanning. The present volume contains the Proceedings of the first Symposium the Agency has organized to discuss the various aspects of techniques for sample measurement in vitro. The range of these sample measurement techniques is very wide. The sample may weigh a few milligrams or several hundred grams, and may be in the gaseous, liquid or solid state. Its radioactive content may consist of a single, known radioisotope or several unknown ones. The concentration of radioactivity may be low, medium or high. The measurements may be made manually or automatically and any one of the many radiation detectors now available may be used. The 53 papers presented at the Symposium illustrate the great variety of methods now in use for radioactive- sample measurements. The first topic discussed is gamma-ray spectrometry, which finds an increasing number of applications in sample measurements. Other sections of the Proceedings deal with: the use of computers in gamma-ray spectrometry and multiple tracer techniques; recent developments in activation analysis where both gamma-ray spectrometry and computing techniques are applied; thin-layer and paper radio chromatographic techniques for use with low energy beta-ray emitters; various aspects of liquid scintillation counting techniques in the measurement of alpha- and beta-ray emitters, including chemical and colour quenching; autoradiographic techniques; calibration of equipment; and standardization of radioisotopes. Finally, some applications of solid-state detectors are presented; this section may be regarded as a preview of important future developments. The meeting was attended by 203 participants

Comparison of polyvinyl alcohol- and formalin-preserved fecal specimens in the formalin-ether sedimentation technique for parasitological examination.

OpenAIRE

Carroll, M J; Cook, J; Turner, J A

1983-01-01

A total of 965 paired fecal specimens preserved in polyvinyl alcohol fixative and Formalin were processed by the Formalin-ether sedimentation technique. The effectiveness of the concentration procedures with material from each preservative was determined by comparing both diagnostic efficiency (percent identified) and quantitative egg and semiquantitative cyst counts. Of the 319 infections, 69.5% were detected in concentrates from both preservatives, 6.9% from polyvinyl alcohol only, and 23.5...

Assessment of the RNASound RNA Sampling Card for the preservation of influenza virus RNA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hilda Lau

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Shipping influenza virus specimens, isolates or purified RNA is normally conducted at ultra-low temperatures using dry ice to ensure minimal degradation of the samples but this is expensive and requires special packaging and shipping conditions. Therefore, alternative methods for shipping influenza viruses or RNA at ambient temperatures would be desirable.The RNASound RNA Sampling Card (FortiusBio LLC, CA, USA is a device that enables specimens or isolates to be applied to a card, whereby viruses are inactivated, while RNA is preserved and purified RNA can also easily be eluted. To evaluate this card, we applied influenza virus cell culture isolate supernatants to either the RNASound card or Whatman Grade No. 1 filter paper (GE Healthcare, NSW, Australia and compared the preservation to that of material stored in liquid form. Preservation was tested using influenza A and B viruses at two different storage temperatures (cool 2-8oC or room temperature 18-22oC and these were compared with control material stored at -80°C, for 7, 14 or 28 days. The quality of the RNA recovered was assessed using real time RT-PCR and Sanger sequencing. The RNASound card was effective in preserving influenza RNA at room temperature for up to 28 days, with only a minor change in real-time RT-PCR cycle threshold values for selected gene targets when comparing between viruses applied to the card or stored at -80°C. Similar results were obtained with filter paper, whilst virus in liquid form performed the worst. Nevertheless, as the RNASound card also has the capability to inactivate viruses in addition to preserving RNA at room temperature for many weeks, this makes it feasible to send samples to laboratories using regular mail, and thus avoid the need for expensive shipping conditions requiring biohazard containers and dry ice. Moreover, the quick and simple RNA recovery from the RNASound card allows recipient labs to obtain RNA without the need for special reagents

Integrated preservation and sample clean up procedures for studying water ingestion by recreational swimmers via urinary biomarker determination.

Science.gov (United States)

Cantú, Ricardo; Shoemaker, Jody A; Kelty, Catherine A; Wymer, Larry J; Behymer, Thomas D; Dufour, Alfred P; Magnuson, Matthew L

2017-08-22

The use of cyanuric acid as a biomarker for ingestion of swimming pool water may lead to quantitative knowledge of the volume of water ingested during swimming, contributing to a better understanding of disease resulting from ingestion of environmental contaminants. When swimming pool water containing chlorinated cyanurates is inadvertently ingested, cyanuric acid is excreted quantitatively within 24 h as a urinary biomarker of ingestion. Because the volume of water ingested can be quantitatively estimated by calculation from the concentration of cyanuric acid in 24 h urine samples, a procedure for preservation, cleanup, and analysis of cyanuric acid was developed to meet the logistical demands of large scale studies. From a practical stand point, urine collected from swimmers cannot be analyzed immediately, given requirements of sample collection, shipping, handling, etc. Thus, to maintain quality control to allow confidence in the results, it is necessary to preserve the samples in a manner that ensures as quantitative analysis as possible. The preservation and clean-up of cyanuric acid in urine is complicated because typical approaches often are incompatible with the keto-enol tautomerization of cyanuric acid, interfering with cyanuric acid sample preparation, chromatography, and detection. Therefore, this paper presents a novel integration of sample preservation, clean-up, chromatography, and detection to determine cyanuric acid in 24 h urine samples. Fortification of urine with cyanuric acid (0.3-3.0 mg/L) demonstrated accuracy (86-93% recovery) and high reproducibility (RSD urine suggested sufficient cyanuric acid stability for sample collection procedures, while longer holding times suggested instability of the unpreserved urine. Preserved urine exhibited a loss of around 0.5% after 22 days at refrigerated storage conditions of 4 °C. Published by Elsevier B.V.

An innovative privacy preserving technique for incremental datasets on cloud computing.

Science.gov (United States)

Aldeen, Yousra Abdul Alsahib S; Salleh, Mazleena; Aljeroudi, Yazan

2016-08-01

Cloud computing (CC) is a magnificent service-based delivery with gigantic computer processing power and data storage across connected communications channels. It imparted overwhelming technological impetus in the internet (web) mediated IT industry, where users can easily share private data for further analysis and mining. Furthermore, user affable CC services enable to deploy sundry applications economically. Meanwhile, simple data sharing impelled various phishing attacks and malware assisted security threats. Some privacy sensitive applications like health services on cloud that are built with several economic and operational benefits necessitate enhanced security. Thus, absolute cyberspace security and mitigation against phishing blitz became mandatory to protect overall data privacy. Typically, diverse applications datasets are anonymized with better privacy to owners without providing all secrecy requirements to the newly added records. Some proposed techniques emphasized this issue by re-anonymizing the datasets from the scratch. The utmost privacy protection over incremental datasets on CC is far from being achieved. Certainly, the distribution of huge datasets volume across multiple storage nodes limits the privacy preservation. In this view, we propose a new anonymization technique to attain better privacy protection with high data utility over distributed and incremental datasets on CC. The proficiency of data privacy preservation and improved confidentiality requirements is demonstrated through performance evaluation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Critical evaluation of sample pretreatment techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Hyötyläinen, Tuulia

2009-06-01

Sample preparation before chromatographic separation is the most time-consuming and error-prone part of the analytical procedure. Therefore, selecting and optimizing an appropriate sample preparation scheme is a key factor in the final success of the analysis, and the judicious choice of an appropriate procedure greatly influences the reliability and accuracy of a given analysis. The main objective of this review is to critically evaluate the applicability, disadvantages, and advantages of various sample preparation techniques. Particular emphasis is placed on extraction techniques suitable for both liquid and solid samples.

Preservation of water samples for arsenic(III/V) determinations: An evaluation of the literature and new analytical results

Science.gov (United States)

McCleskey, R. Blaine; Nordstrom, D. Kirk; Maest, A.S.

2004-01-01

Published literature on preservation procedures for stabilizing aqueous inorganic As(III/V) redox species contains discrepancies. This study critically evaluates published reports on As redox preservation and explains discrepancies in the literature. Synthetic laboratory preservation experiments and time stability experiments were conducted for natural water samples from several field sites. Any field collection procedure that filters out microorganisms, adds a reagent that prevents dissolved Fe and Mn oxidation and precipitation, and isolates the sample from solar radiation will preserve the As(III/V) ratio. Reagents that prevent Fe and Mn oxidation and precipitation include HCl, H 2SO4, and EDTA, although extremely high concentrations of EDTA are necessary for some water samples high in Fe. Photo-catalyzed Fe(III) reduction causes As(III) oxidation; however, storing the sample in the dark prevents photochemical reactions. Furthermore, the presence of Fe(II) or SO 4 inhibits the oxidation of As(III) by Fe(III) because of complexation reactions and competing reactions with free radicals. Consequently, fast abiotic As(III) oxidation reactions observed in the laboratory are not observed in natural water samples for one or more of the following reasons: (1) the As redox species have already stabilized, (2) most natural waters contain very low dissolved Fe(III) concentrations, (3) the As(III) oxidation caused by Fe(III) photoreduction is inhibited by Fe(II) or SO4.

Preservation of water samples for arsenic(III/V) determinations: an evaluation of the literature and new analytical results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McCleskey, R.Blaine; Nordstrom, D.Kirk; Maest, Ann S.

2004-01-01

Published literature on preservation procedures for stabilizing aqueous inorganic As(III/V) redox species contains discrepancies. This study critically evaluates published reports on As redox preservation and explains discrepancies in the literature. Synthetic laboratory preservation experiments and time stability experiments were conducted for natural water samples from several field sites. Any field collection procedure that filters out microorganisms, adds a reagent that prevents dissolved Fe and Mn oxidation and precipitation, and isolates the sample from solar radiation will preserve the As(III/V) ratio. Reagents that prevent Fe and Mn oxidation and precipitation include HCl, H 2 SO 4 , and EDTA, although extremely high concentrations of EDTA are necessary for some water samples high in Fe. Photo-catalyzed Fe(III) reduction causes As(III) oxidation; however, storing the sample in the dark prevents photochemical reactions. Furthermore, the presence of Fe(II) or SO 4 inhibits the oxidation of As(III) by Fe(III) because of complexation reactions and competing reactions with free radicals. Consequently, fast abiotic As(III) oxidation reactions observed in the laboratory are not observed in natural water samples for one or more of the following reasons: (1) the As redox species have already stabilized, (2) most natural waters contain very low dissolved Fe(III) concentrations, (3) the As(III) oxidation caused by Fe(III) photoreduction is inhibited by Fe(II) or SO 4

Emerging Preservation Techniques for Controlling Spoilage and Pathogenic Microorganisms in Fruit Juices

OpenAIRE

Aneja, Kamal Rai; Dhiman, Romika; Aggarwal, Neeraj Kumar; Aneja, Ashish

2014-01-01

Fruit juices are important commodities in the global market providing vast possibilities for new value added products to meet consumer demand for convenience, nutrition, and health. Fruit juices are spoiled primarily due to proliferation of acid tolerant and osmophilic microflora. There is also risk of food borne microbial infections which is associated with the consumption of fruit juices. In order to reduce the incidence of outbreaks, fruit juices are preserved by various techniques. Therma...

Comparing the proteome of snap frozen, RNAlater preserved, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human tissue samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennike, Tue Bjerg; Kastaniegaard, Kenneth; Padurariu, Simona

2016-01-01

Large biobanks exist worldwide containing formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples and samples stored in RNAlater. However, the impact of tissue preservation on the result of a quantative proteome analysis remains poorly described.Human colon mucosal biopsies were extracted from the sigmoideum...

A workflow to preserve genome-quality tissue samples from plants in botanical gardens and arboreta1

Science.gov (United States)

Gostel, Morgan R.; Kelloff, Carol; Wallick, Kyle; Funk, Vicki A.

2016-01-01

Premise of the study: Internationally, gardens hold diverse living collections that can be preserved for genomic research. Workflows have been developed for genomic tissue sampling in other taxa (e.g., vertebrates), but are inadequate for plants. We outline a workflow for tissue sampling intended for two audiences: botanists interested in genomics research and garden staff who plan to voucher living collections. Methods and Results: Standard herbarium methods are used to collect vouchers, label information and images are entered into a publicly accessible database, and leaf tissue is preserved in silica and liquid nitrogen. A five-step approach for genomic tissue sampling is presented for sampling from living collections according to current best practices. Conclusions: Collecting genome-quality samples from gardens is an economical and rapid way to make available for scientific research tissue from the diversity of plants on Earth. The Global Genome Initiative will facilitate and lead this endeavor through international partnerships. PMID:27672517

Characterisation and preservation of cultural heritage artefacts using nuclear techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2011-01-01

This report covers the studies performed for the identification and preservation of cultural heritage using nuclear analytical techniques (NAT). Within the context of the project financed by the IAEA, cultural articles from various excavation regions and from the Anatolian Civilizations Museum were analyzed and identified using the instruments at our Center and information was provided regarding their manufacturing techniques, past restoration history and socioeconomic indicators about the period within which these articles were used. The analysis of the articles which could not be removed from the museum were performed in-situ using portable instruments and support was provided to the experts for some articles from excavation regions for the evaluation of their originality. Within the framework the of this Project, five experts attended to the workshops and meetings organised by the IAEA and in the context of scientific visits and bilateral cooperation, one expert from Greece and three experts from Macedonia visited our Center and Anatolian Civilizations Museum and experimental studies were performed together

Development of food preservation and processing techniques by radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byun, Myung Woo; Lee, Ju Woon; Kim, Dong Ho [KAERI, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Yook, Hong Sun [Chungnam National Univ., Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hak Soo [Sogang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Cherl Ho; Park, Hyun Jin [Korea Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Il Jun [Hallym Univ., Chuncheon (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Jung Ho [Kyungbook National Univ., Taegu (Korea, Republic of)

2002-05-01

To secure national food resources, development of energy-saving food processing and preservation technologies, establishment of method on improvement of national health and safety by development of alternative techniques of chemicals and foundation of the production of hygienic food and public health related products by irradiation technology were studied. Results at current stage are following; Processing techniques of low salted and fermented fish using gamma irradiation were developed and superiority of using irradiation to conventional food processing methods was established. Processing technique of value-added functional materials for the manufacture of food or public health products using RT/BT/NT combination technology was developed. The basic theories for the technology development to reduce toxic or undesirable compounds in food such as allergy or carcinogens were established. Exterminating methods of quarantine organisms in herbs/spices was established and the quality evaluation and detection conditions in quarantine treatment were set. From the studies on 'program of public understanding' based on safety of the gamma irradiated food, the information for public relation in enlargement of consumer acceptance/implementation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy were secured. Results from the research project will contribute on improvement of competency of domestic food industry and export market. The results also expect the improvement of public health by prevention of food borne diseases and enhancement of national economy and industry by increase of direct/indirect productivity.

Development of food preservation and processing techniques by radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Myung Woo; Lee, Ju Woon; Kim, Dong Ho; Yook, Hong Sun; Kim, Hak Soo; Lee, Cherl Ho; Park, Hyun Jin; Kang, Il Jun; Kwon, Jung Ho

2002-05-01

To secure national food resources, development of energy-saving food processing and preservation technologies, establishment of method on improvement of national health and safety by development of alternative techniques of chemicals and foundation of the production of hygienic food and public health related products by irradiation technology were studied. Results at current stage are following; Processing techniques of low salted and fermented fish using gamma irradiation were developed and superiority of using irradiation to conventional food processing methods was established. Processing technique of value-added functional materials for the manufacture of food or public health products using RT/BT/NT combination technology was developed. The basic theories for the technology development to reduce toxic or undesirable compounds in food such as allergy or carcinogens were established. Exterminating methods of quarantine organisms in herbs/spices was established and the quality evaluation and detection conditions in quarantine treatment were set. From the studies on 'program of public understanding' based on safety of the gamma irradiated food, the information for public relation in enlargement of consumer acceptance/implementation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy were secured. Results from the research project will contribute on improvement of competency of domestic food industry and export market. The results also expect the improvement of public health by prevention of food borne diseases and enhancement of national economy and industry by increase of direct/indirect productivity

Application of gamma irradiation technique for the preservation of propolis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsuda, Andrea Harumi

2002-01-01

Irradiation has been recognized as an efficient method for the reduction of deteriorating and pathogenic microorganisms in foods. Propolis is a resinous product made by bees from material processed by the bee's own metabolism and resins from plants. The aim of this work was the application of gamma irradiation technique for the preservation of propolis, because of its efficiency in the reduction of the microbial load. The changes on the total flavonoids content, phenolic compounds and other characteristics required for the qualification and characterization of Brazilian propolis were also analysed. Propolis samples from Juiz de Fora region, Minas Gerais, were irradiated in a 60 Co source, with doses from 0 to 10kGy for the microbiological analyses and 5.0, 7.0 and 10.0kGy for the physico-chemical analyses. The physico-chemical that have been made were: determination of total flavonoids content, semi-quantitative determination of phenolic compounds (artepelin-C, kempferol, chrysin, galangin and quercetin), dry matter analysis, humidity, ash content, mechanical mass and waxes. The ionizing radiation has shown to be efficient in the reduction of the microbial load. Total coliforms determination showed a great reduction with the dose of 3kGy and concerning mesophile aerobic bacteria a systematic reduction was observed, achieving values <10 UFC/g for the dose of 10kGy; similar results was obtained for molds and yeasts. Salmonella assays were negative for all samples. There was no significant alteration on total flavonoids contents nor on the composition of phenolic compounds as a consequence of radiation application at the assayed conditions. The complementary analyses of dry matter and humidity contents, ashes, mechanical mass and waxes did not shown changes after irradiation even with the maximum dose of 10kGy, remaining the results within the standards required by the Brazilian legislation. (author)

Newly introduced sample preparation techniques: towards miniaturization.

Science.gov (United States)

Costa, Rosaria

2014-01-01

Sampling and sample preparation are of crucial importance in an analytical procedure, representing quite often a source of errors. The technique chosen for the isolation of analytes greatly affects the success of a chemical determination. On the other hand, growing concerns about environmental and human safety, along with the introduction of international regulations for quality control, have moved the interest of scientists towards specific needs. Newly introduced sample preparation techniques are challenged to meet new criteria: (i) miniaturization, (ii) higher sensitivity and selectivity, and (iii) automation. In this survey, the most recent techniques introduced in the field of sample preparation will be described and discussed, along with many examples of applications.

Nanomaterials and preservation mechanisms of architecture monuments

Science.gov (United States)

Ion, Rodica-Mariana; Radu, Adrian; Teodorescu, Sofia; Fierǎscu, Irina; Fierǎscu, Radu-Claudiu; Ştirbescu, Raluca-Maria; Dulamǎ, Ioana Daniela; Şuicǎ-Bunghez, Ioana-Raluca; Bucuricǎ, Ioan Alin; Ion, Mihaela-Lucia

2016-12-01

Knowledge of the chemical composition of the building materials of the monuments may help us to preserve and protect them from the pollution of our cities. The aim of this work is to characterize the materials of the walls from ancient buildings, the decay products that could be appear due to the action of pollution and a new method based on nanomaterials (hydroxyapatite -HAp) for a conservative preservation of the treated walls. Some analytical techniques have been used, as follow: X-ray fluorescence energy dispersive (EDXRF) (for the relative abundance of major, minor and trace elements), FTIR and Raman spectroscopy (for stratigraphic study of cross-sections of multi-layered materials found in wall paintings), Optical microscopy (OM), (for morphology of the wall samples). The nanomaterial suspension HAp applied on the sample surface by spraying, decreased the capillary water uptake, do not modify significantly the color of the samples and induced a reduced mass loss for the treated samples.

Large Sample Neutron Activation Analysis of Heterogeneous Samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stamatelatos, I.E.; Vasilopoulou, T.; Tzika, F.

2018-01-01

A Large Sample Neutron Activation Analysis (LSNAA) technique was developed for non-destructive analysis of heterogeneous bulk samples. The technique incorporated collimated scanning and combining experimental measurements and Monte Carlo simulations for the identification of inhomogeneities in large volume samples and the correction of their effect on the interpretation of gamma-spectrometry data. Corrections were applied for the effect of neutron self-shielding, gamma-ray attenuation, geometrical factor and heterogeneous activity distribution within the sample. A benchmark experiment was performed to investigate the effect of heterogeneity on the accuracy of LSNAA. Moreover, a ceramic vase was analyzed as a whole demonstrating the feasibility of the technique. The LSNAA results were compared against results obtained by INAA and a satisfactory agreement between the two methods was observed. This study showed that LSNAA is a technique capable to perform accurate non-destructive, multi-elemental compositional analysis of heterogeneous objects. It also revealed the great potential of the technique for the analysis of precious objects and artefacts that need to be preserved intact and cannot be damaged for sampling purposes. (author)

Multiple sensitive estimation and optimal sample size allocation in the item sum technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Perri, Pier Francesco; Rueda García, María Del Mar; Cobo Rodríguez, Beatriz

2018-01-01

For surveys of sensitive issues in life sciences, statistical procedures can be used to reduce nonresponse and social desirability response bias. Both of these phenomena provoke nonsampling errors that are difficult to deal with and can seriously flaw the validity of the analyses. The item sum technique (IST) is a very recent indirect questioning method derived from the item count technique that seeks to procure more reliable responses on quantitative items than direct questioning while preserving respondents' anonymity. This article addresses two important questions concerning the IST: (i) its implementation when two or more sensitive variables are investigated and efficient estimates of their unknown population means are required; (ii) the determination of the optimal sample size to achieve minimum variance estimates. These aspects are of great relevance for survey practitioners engaged in sensitive research and, to the best of our knowledge, were not studied so far. In this article, theoretical results for multiple estimation and optimal allocation are obtained under a generic sampling design and then particularized to simple random sampling and stratified sampling designs. Theoretical considerations are integrated with a number of simulation studies based on data from two real surveys and conducted to ascertain the efficiency gain derived from optimal allocation in different situations. One of the surveys concerns cannabis consumption among university students. Our findings highlight some methodological advances that can be obtained in life sciences IST surveys when optimal allocation is achieved. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A new shock wave assisted wood preservative injection system

Science.gov (United States)

Rao, K. S.; Ravikumar, G.; Lai, Ram; Jagadeesh, G.

Preservative treatment of many tropical hard woods and bamboo pose severe problem. A number of wood preservatives (chemical formulations toxic to wood decay/ destroying organisms like fungi, wood destroying termites, marine borers etc.) and wood impregnating techniques are currently in use for improving bio resistance of timber and bamboo and thereby enhancing service life for different end uses. How ever, some species of tropical hardwoods and many species of bamboo are difficult to treat, posing technical problems. In this paper we report preliminary results of treatment of bamboo with a novel Shockwave assisted injection treatment. Samples (30×2.5×1.00 cm) of an Indian species of bamboo Dendrocalamus strictus prepared from defect free culms of dry bamboo are placed in the driven section of a vertical shock tube filled with the 4Coppepr-Chrome-Arsenic(CCA) preservative solution.The bamboo samples are subjected to repeated shock wave loading (3 shots) with typical over pressures of 30 bar. The results from the study indicate excellent penetration and retention of CCA preservative in bamboo samples. The method itself is much faster compared to the conventional methods like pressure treatment or hot and cold process.

FTA Cards for Preservation of Nucleic Acids for Molecular Assays: A Review on the Use of Cytologic/Tissue Samples.

Science.gov (United States)

da Cunha Santos, Gilda

2018-03-01

- Traditional methods for storing histologic and cytologic specimens for future use in molecular assays have consisted of either snap-freezing with cryopreservation or formalin-fixing, paraffin-embedding the samples. Although snap-freezing with cryopreservation is recommended for better preservation of nucleic acids, the infrastructure and space required for archiving impose challenges for high-volume pathology laboratories. Cost-effective, long-term storage at room temperature; relatively easy shipment; and standardized handling can be achieved with formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples, but formalin fixation induces fragmentation and chemical modification of nucleic acids. Advances in next-generation sequencing platforms, coupled with an increase in diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive molecular biomarkers have created a demand for high-quality nucleic acids. To address issues of the quality of nucleic acid and logistics in sample acquisition, alternatives for specimen preservation and long-term storage have been described and include novel universal tissue fixatives, stabilizers, and technologies. - To collect, retrieve, and review information from studies describing the use of nucleic acids recovered from cytologic/tissue specimens stored on Flinders Technology Associates (FTA, GE Whatman, Maidstone, Kent, United Kingdom) cards for downstream molecular applications. - An electronic literature search in the PubMed (National Center for Biotechnology Information, Bethesda, Maryland) database allowed the selection of manuscripts addressing the use of FTA cards for storage of cytologic samples for molecular analysis. Only articles published in English were retrieved. - The use of FTA cards is a versatile method for fostering multicenter, international collaborations and clinical trials that require centralized testing, long-distance shipment, and high-quality nucleic acids for molecular techniques. Studies with controlled temperature are required to test the

Accelerated Enveloping Distribution Sampling: Enabling Sampling of Multiple End States while Preserving Local Energy Minima.

Science.gov (United States)

Perthold, Jan Walther; Oostenbrink, Chris

2018-05-17

Enveloping distribution sampling (EDS) is an efficient approach to calculate multiple free-energy differences from a single molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. However, the construction of an appropriate reference-state Hamiltonian that samples all states efficiently is not straightforward. We propose a novel approach for the construction of the EDS reference-state Hamiltonian, related to a previously described procedure to smoothen energy landscapes. In contrast to previously suggested EDS approaches, our reference-state Hamiltonian preserves local energy minima of the combined end-states. Moreover, we propose an intuitive, robust and efficient parameter optimization scheme to tune EDS Hamiltonian parameters. We demonstrate the proposed method with established and novel test systems and conclude that our approach allows for the automated calculation of multiple free-energy differences from a single simulation. Accelerated EDS promises to be a robust and user-friendly method to compute free-energy differences based on solid statistical mechanics.

Pylorus-preserving Whipple pancreaticoduodenectomy: Postoperative evaluation of a new surgical technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trerotola, S.O.; Jones, B.; Crist, D.J.; Cameron, J.L.

1988-01-01

The pylorus-preserving Whipple pancreaticoduodenectomy is becoming an increasingly popular alternative to the standard Whipple operation in the surgical treatment of diseases of the periampullary region. Contrast radiography plays an important role in the postoperative evaluation of patients undergoing this operation. Although most radiologists are familiar with the postoperative anatomy and complications associated with the standard Whipple operation, the newer technique involves different postoperative anatomy and different complications and requires a different approach to examination. The procedure presents several new diagnostic pitfalls. These variables are presented from a described series of 50 patients undergoing this procedure for periampullary neoplasm or chronic pancreatitis

Development of food preservation and processing techniques by radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byun, Myung Woo; Lee, Ju Woon; Kim, Dong Ho [KAERI, Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Yook, Hong Sun [Chungnam National Univ., Taejon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Hak Soo [Sogang Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Cherl Ho; Park, Hyun Jin [Korea Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Kang, Il Jun [Hallym Univ., Chuncheon (Korea, Republic of); Kwon, Jung Ho [Kyungbook National Univ., Taegu (Korea, Republic of)

2002-05-01

To secure national food resources, development of energy-saving food processing and preservation technologies, establishment of method on improvement of national health and safety by development of alternative techniques of chemicals and foundation of the production of hygienic food and public health related products by irradiation technology were studied. Results at current stage are following; Processing techniques of low salted and fermented fish using gamma irradiation were developed and superiority of using irradiation to conventional food processing methods was established. Processing technique of value-added functional materials for the manufacture of food or public health products using RT/BT/NT combination technology was developed. The basic theories for the technology development to reduce toxic or undesirable compounds in food such as allergy or carcinogens were established. Exterminating methods of quarantine organisms in herbs/spices was established and the quality evaluation and detection conditions in quarantine treatment were set. From the studies on 'program of public understanding' based on safety of the gamma irradiated food, the information for public relation in enlargement of consumer acceptance/implementation and the peaceful use of nuclear energy were secured. Results from the research project will contribute on improvement of competency of domestic food industry and export market. The results also expect the improvement of public health by prevention of food borne diseases and enhancement of national economy and industry by increase of direct/indirect productivity.

Comparison of sampling techniques for use in SYVAC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dalrymple, G.J.

1984-01-01

The Stephen Howe review (reference TR-STH-1) recommended the use of a deterministic generator (DG) sampling technique for sampling the input values to the SYVAC (SYstems Variability Analysis Code) program. This technique was compared with Monte Carlo simple random sampling (MC) by taking a 1000 run case of SYVAC using MC as the reference case. The results show that DG appears relatively inaccurate for most values of consequence when used with 11 sample intervals. If 22 sample intervals are used then DG generates cumulative distribution functions that are statistically similar to the reference distribution. 400 runs of DG or MC are adequate to generate a representative cumulative distribution function. The MC technique appears to perform better than DG for the same number of runs. However, the DG predicts higher doses and in view of the importance of generating data in the high dose region this sampling technique with 22 sample intervals is recommended for use in SYVAC. (author)

Proteomic Challenges: Sample Preparation Techniques for Microgram-Quantity Protein Analysis from Biological Samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter Feist

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Proteins regulate many cellular functions and analyzing the presence and abundance of proteins in biological samples are central focuses in proteomics. The discovery and validation of biomarkers, pathways, and drug targets for various diseases can be accomplished using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. However, with mass-limited samples like tumor biopsies, it can be challenging to obtain sufficient amounts of proteins to generate high-quality mass spectrometric data. Techniques developed for macroscale quantities recover sufficient amounts of protein from milligram quantities of starting material, but sample losses become crippling with these techniques when only microgram amounts of material are available. To combat this challenge, proteomicists have developed micro-scale techniques that are compatible with decreased sample size (100 μg or lower and still enable excellent proteome coverage. Extraction, contaminant removal, protein quantitation, and sample handling techniques for the microgram protein range are reviewed here, with an emphasis on liquid chromatography and bottom-up mass spectrometry-compatible techniques. Also, a range of biological specimens, including mammalian tissues and model cell culture systems, are discussed.

Proteomic Challenges: Sample Preparation Techniques for Microgram-Quantity Protein Analysis from Biological Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Feist, Peter; Hummon, Amanda B.

2015-01-01

Proteins regulate many cellular functions and analyzing the presence and abundance of proteins in biological samples are central focuses in proteomics. The discovery and validation of biomarkers, pathways, and drug targets for various diseases can be accomplished using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. However, with mass-limited samples like tumor biopsies, it can be challenging to obtain sufficient amounts of proteins to generate high-quality mass spectrometric data. Techniques developed for macroscale quantities recover sufficient amounts of protein from milligram quantities of starting material, but sample losses become crippling with these techniques when only microgram amounts of material are available. To combat this challenge, proteomicists have developed micro-scale techniques that are compatible with decreased sample size (100 μg or lower) and still enable excellent proteome coverage. Extraction, contaminant removal, protein quantitation, and sample handling techniques for the microgram protein range are reviewed here, with an emphasis on liquid chromatography and bottom-up mass spectrometry-compatible techniques. Also, a range of biological specimens, including mammalian tissues and model cell culture systems, are discussed. PMID:25664860

Proteomic challenges: sample preparation techniques for microgram-quantity protein analysis from biological samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Feist, Peter; Hummon, Amanda B

2015-02-05

Proteins regulate many cellular functions and analyzing the presence and abundance of proteins in biological samples are central focuses in proteomics. The discovery and validation of biomarkers, pathways, and drug targets for various diseases can be accomplished using mass spectrometry-based proteomics. However, with mass-limited samples like tumor biopsies, it can be challenging to obtain sufficient amounts of proteins to generate high-quality mass spectrometric data. Techniques developed for macroscale quantities recover sufficient amounts of protein from milligram quantities of starting material, but sample losses become crippling with these techniques when only microgram amounts of material are available. To combat this challenge, proteomicists have developed micro-scale techniques that are compatible with decreased sample size (100 μg or lower) and still enable excellent proteome coverage. Extraction, contaminant removal, protein quantitation, and sample handling techniques for the microgram protein range are reviewed here, with an emphasis on liquid chromatography and bottom-up mass spectrometry-compatible techniques. Also, a range of biological specimens, including mammalian tissues and model cell culture systems, are discussed.

Preservation of visual cortical function following retinal pigment epithelium transplantation in the RCS rat using optical imaging techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Gias, Carlos; Jones, Myles; Keegan, David; Adamson, Peter; Greenwood, John; Lund, Ray; Martindale, John; Johnston, David; Berwick, Jason; Mayhew, John; Coffey, Peter

2007-04-01

The aim of this study was to determine the extent of cortical functional preservation following retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) transplantation in the Royal College of Surgeons (RCS) rat using single-wavelength optical imaging and spectroscopy. The cortical responses to visual stimulation in transplanted rats at 6 months post-transplantation were compared with those from age-matched untreated dystrophic and non-dystrophic rats. Our results show that cortical responses were evoked in non-dystrophic rats to both luminance changes and pattern stimulation, whereas no response was found in untreated dystrophic animals to any of the visual stimuli tested. In contrast, a cortical response was elicited in most of the transplanted rats to luminance changes and in many of those a response was also evoked to pattern stimulation. Although the transplanted rats did not respond to high spatial frequency information we found evidence of preservation in the cortical processing of luminance changes and low spatial frequency stimulation. Anatomical sections of transplanted rat retinas confirmed the capacity of RPE transplantation to rescue photoreceptors. Good correlation was found between photoreceptor survival and the extent of cortical function preservation determined with optical imaging techniques. This study determined the efficacy of RPE transplantation to preserve visual cortical processing and established optical imaging as a powerful technique for its assessment.

Minimally Invasive Approach for Spleen-Preserving Distal Pancreatectomy: a Comparative Analysis of Postoperative Complication Between Splenic Vessel Conserving and Warshaw's Technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Lip Seng; Hwang, Ho Kyoung; Kang, Chang Moo; Lee, Woo Jung

2016-08-01

Spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy with Warshaw's technique (WT) was reported to have higher spleen-related complication. The aim of this study was to evaluate the postoperative complication between the splenic vessel-conserving technique (SVC) and the WT when they were performed by the minimally invasive approach. From January 2006 to June 2015, data of the patients who had laparoscopic or robotic-assisted spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy for benign or borderline malignant tumors were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into SVC and the WT group for comparison. Of the 89 patients who had the spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy, 63 were SVC, whereas 26 were WT. The CT scans showed that patients who had WT were found to have higher rate of splenic infarction (P < 0.001) and had significantly higher rate of collateral vessel formation at 1 year (P < 0.001). All the splenic infarctions were low grade and asymptomatic which resolved spontaneously. None of the patients with collateral formation experienced gastrointestinal bleeding. The postoperative complication of SVC and WT did not differ significantly. SVC and WT were found to have comparable outcome. Both techniques can be used to achieve higher spleen-preserving rate.

NAIL SAMPLING TECHNIQUE AND ITS INTERPRETATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TZAR MN

2011-01-01

Full Text Available The clinical suspicion of onychomyosis based on appearance of the nails, requires culture for confirmation. This is because treatment requires prolonged use of systemic agents which may cause side effects. One of the common problems encountered is improper nail sampling technique which results in loss of essential information. The unfamiliar terminologies used in reporting culture results may intimidate physicians resulting in misinterpretation and hamper treatment decision. This article provides a simple guide on nail sampling technique and the interpretation of culture results.

Effects of statistical quality, sampling rate and temporal filtering techniques on the extraction of functional parameters from the left ventricular time-activity curves

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guignard, P.A.; Chan, W. (Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville (Australia). Dept. of Nuclear Medicine)

1984-09-01

Several techniques for the processing of a series of curves derived from two left ventricular time-activity curves acquired at rest and during exercise with a nuclear stethoscope were evaluated. They were three and five point time smoothing. Fourier filtering preserving one to four harmonics (H), truncated curve Fourier filtering, and third degree polynomial curve fitting. Each filter's ability to recover, with fidelity, systolic and diastolic function parameters was evaluated under increasingly 'noisy' conditions and at several sampling rates. Third degree polynomial curve fittings and truncated Fourier filters exhibited very high sensitivity to noise. Three and five point time smoothing had moderate sensitivity to noise, but were highly affected by sampling rate. Fourier filtering preserving 2H or 3H produced the best compromise with high resilience to noise and independence of sampling rate as far as the recovery of these functional parameters is concerned.

Effects of statistical quality, sampling rate and temporal filtering techniques on the extraction of functional parameters from the left ventricular time-activity curves

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guignard, P.A.; Chan, W.

1984-01-01

Several techniques for the processing of a series of curves derived from two left ventricular time-activity curves acquired at rest and during exercise with a nuclear stethoscope were evaluated. They were three and five point time smoothing. Fourier filtering preserving one to four harmonics (H), truncated curve Fourier filtering, and third degree polynomial curve fitting. Each filter's ability to recover, with fidelity, systolic and diastolic function parameters was evaluated under increasingly 'noisy' conditions and at several sampling rates. Third degree polynomial curve fittings and truncated Fourier filters exhibited very high sensitivity to noise. Three and five point time smoothing had moderate sensitivity to noise, but were highly affected by sampling rate. Fourier filtering preserving 2H or 3H produced the best compromise with high resilience to noise and independence of sampling rate as far as the recovery of these functional parameters is concerned. (author)

Development of sampling techniques for ITER Type B radwaste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hong, Kwon Pyo; Kim, Sung Geun; Jung, Sang Hee; Oh, Wan Ho; Park, Myung Chul; Kim, Hee Moon; Ahn, Sang Bok

2016-01-01

There are several difficulties and limitation in sampling activities. As the Type B radwaste components are mostly metallic(mostly stainless steel) and bulk(∼ 1 m in size and ∼ 100 mm in thickness), it is difficult in taking samples from the surface of Type B radwaste by remote operation. But also, sampling should be performed without use of any liquid coolant to avoid the spread of contamination. And all sampling procedures are carried in the hot cell red zone with remote operation. Three kinds of sampling techniques are being developed. They are core sampling, chip sampling, and wedge sampling, which are the candidates of sampling techniques to be applied to ITER hot cell. Object materials for sampling are stainless steel or Cu alloy block in order to simulate ITER Type B radwaste. The best sampling technique for ITER Type B radwaste among the three sampling techniques will be suggested in several months after finishing the related experiment

Development of sampling techniques for ITER Type B radwaste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hong, Kwon Pyo; Kim, Sung Geun; Jung, Sang Hee; Oh, Wan Ho; Park, Myung Chul; Kim, Hee Moon; Ahn, Sang Bok [KAERI, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-05-15

There are several difficulties and limitation in sampling activities. As the Type B radwaste components are mostly metallic(mostly stainless steel) and bulk(∼ 1 m in size and ∼ 100 mm in thickness), it is difficult in taking samples from the surface of Type B radwaste by remote operation. But also, sampling should be performed without use of any liquid coolant to avoid the spread of contamination. And all sampling procedures are carried in the hot cell red zone with remote operation. Three kinds of sampling techniques are being developed. They are core sampling, chip sampling, and wedge sampling, which are the candidates of sampling techniques to be applied to ITER hot cell. Object materials for sampling are stainless steel or Cu alloy block in order to simulate ITER Type B radwaste. The best sampling technique for ITER Type B radwaste among the three sampling techniques will be suggested in several months after finishing the related experiment.

Short Communication: A Simple Method for Performing Worm-Egg Counts on Sodium Acetate Formaldehyde-Preserved Samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wayne Melrose

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The Kato Katz method is the most common way of performing worm-egg counts on human faecal samples, but it must be done in the field using freshly collected samples. This makes it difficult to use in remote, poorly accessible situations. This paper describes a simple method for egg counts on preserved samples collected in the field and sent to a central location for further processing.

Boat sampling technique for assessment of ageing of components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Kundan; Shyam, T.V.; Kayal, J.N.; Rupani, B.B.

2006-01-01

Boat sampling technique (BST) is a surface sampling technique, which has been developed for obtaining, in-situ, metal samples from the surface of an operating component without affecting its operating service life. The BST is non-destructive in nature and the sample is obtained without plastic deformation or without thermal degradation of the parent material. The shape and size of the sample depends upon the shape of the cutter and the surface geometry of the parent material. Miniature test specimens are generated from the sample and the specimens are subjected to various tests, viz. Metallurgical Evaluation, Metallographic Evaluation, Micro-hardness Evaluation, sensitisation test, small punch test etc. to confirm the integrity and assessment of safe operating life of the component. This paper highlights design objective of boat sampling technique, description of sampling module, sampling cutter and its performance evaluation, cutting process, boat samples, operational sequence of sampling module, qualification of sampling module, qualification of sampling technique, qualification of scooped region of the parent material, sample retrieval system, inspection, testing and examination to be carried out on the boat samples and scooped region. (author)

Evaluation of field sampling and preservation methods for strontium-90 in ground water at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cecil, L.D.; Knobel, L.L.; Wegner, S.J.; Moore, L.L.

1989-01-01

Water from four wells completed in the Snake River Plain aquifer was sampled as part of the US Geological Survey's quality assurance program to evaluate the effect of filtration and preservation methods on strontium-90 concentrations in groundwater at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. Water from each well was filtered through either a 0.45-micrometer membrane or a 0.1-micrometer membrane filter; unfiltered samples also were collected. Two sets of filtered and two sets of unfiltered samples was preserved in the field with reagent-grade hydrochloric acid and the other set of samples was not acidified. For water from wells with strontium-90 concentrations at or above the reporting level, 94% or more of the strontium-90 is in true solution or in colloidal particles smaller than 0.1 micrometer. These results suggest that within-laboratory reproducibility for strontium-90 in groundwater at the INEL is not significantly affected by changes in filtration and preservation methods used for sample collections. 13 refs., 2 figs., 6 tabs

Urine sampling techniques in symptomatic primary-care patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holm, Anne; Aabenhus, Rune

2016-01-01

in infection rate between mid-stream-clean-catch, mid-stream-urine and random samples. Conclusions: At present, no evidence suggests that sampling technique affects the accuracy of the microbiological diagnosis in non-pregnant women with symptoms of urinary tract infection in primary care. However......Background: Choice of urine sampling technique in urinary tract infection may impact diagnostic accuracy and thus lead to possible over- or undertreatment. Currently no evidencebased consensus exists regarding correct sampling technique of urine from women with symptoms of urinary tract infection...... a randomized or paired design to compare the result of urine culture obtained with two or more collection techniques in adult, female, non-pregnant patients with symptoms of urinary tract infection. We evaluated quality of the studies and compared accuracy based on dichotomized outcomes. Results: We included...

Data Preservation in High Energy Physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mount, Richard; Brooks, Travis; Le Diberder, Francois; Dubois-Felsmann, Gregory; Neal, Homer; Bellis, Matt; Boehnlein, Amber; Votava, Margaret; White, Vicky; Wolbers, Stephen; Konigsberg, Jacobo; Roser, Robert; Snider, Rick; Lucchesi, Donatella; Denisov, Dmitri; Soldner-Rembold, Stefan; Li, Qizhong; Varnes, Erich; Jonckheere, Alan; Gasthuber, Martin; Gulzow, Volker

2009-01-01

Data from high-energy physics (HEP) experiments are collected with significant financial and human effort and are mostly unique. At the same time, HEP has no coherent strategy for data preservation and re-use. An inter-experimental Study Group on HEP data preservation and long-term analysis was convened at the end of 2008 and held two workshops, at DESY (January 2009) and SLAC (May 2009). This document is an intermediate report to the International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICFA) of the reflections of this Study Group. Large data sets accumulated during many years of detector operation at particle accelerators are the heritage of experimental HEP. These data sets offer unique opportunities for future scientific studies, sometimes long after the shut-down of the actual experiments: new theoretical input; new experimental results and analysis techniques; the quest for high-sensitivity combined analyses; the necessity of cross checks. In many cases, HEP data sets are unique; they cannot and most likely will not be superseded by data from newer generations of experiments. Once lost, or in an unusable state, HEP data samples cannot be reasonably recovered. The cost of conserving this heritage through a collaborative, target-oriented long-term data preservation program would be small, compared to the costs of past experimental projects or to the efforts to re-do experiments. However, this cost is not negligible, especially for collaborations close or past their end-date. The preservation of HEP data would provide today's collaborations with a secure way to complete their data analysis and enable them to seize new scientific opportunities in the coming years. The HEP community will benefit from preserved data samples through reanalysis, combination, education and outreach. Funding agencies would receive more scientific return, and a positive image, from their initial investment leading to the production and the first analysis of preserved data.

Data Preservation in High Energy Physics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mount, Richard; Brooks, Travis; /SLAC; Le Diberder, Francois; /Orsay, LAL; Dubois-Felsmann, Gregory; Neal, Homer; /SLAC; Bellis, Matt; /Stanford U.; Boehnlein, Amber; Votava, Margaret; White, Vicky; Wolbers, Stephen; /Fermilab; Konigsberg, Jacobo; /Florida U.; Roser, Robert; Snider, Rick; /Fermilab; Lucchesi, Donatella; /INFN, Padua; Denisov, Dmitri; /Fermilab; Soldner-Rembold, Stefan; /Manchester U.; Li, Qizhong; /Fermilab; Varnes, Erich; /Arizona U.; Jonckheere, Alan; /Fermilab; Gasthuber, Martin; Gulzow, Volker; /DESY /Marseille, CPPM /Dortmund U. /DESY /Gent U. /DESY, Zeuthen /KEK, Tsukuba /CC, Villeurbanne /CERN /INFN, Bari /Gjovik Coll. Engineering /Karlsruhe, Forschungszentrum /Beijing, Inst. High Energy Phys. /Carleton U. /Cornell U. /Rutherford

2012-04-03

Data from high-energy physics (HEP) experiments are collected with significant financial and human effort and are mostly unique. At the same time, HEP has no coherent strategy for data preservation and re-use. An inter-experimental Study Group on HEP data preservation and long-term analysis was convened at the end of 2008 and held two workshops, at DESY (January 2009) and SLAC (May 2009). This document is an intermediate report to the International Committee for Future Accelerators (ICFA) of the reflections of this Study Group. Large data sets accumulated during many years of detector operation at particle accelerators are the heritage of experimental HEP. These data sets offer unique opportunities for future scientific studies, sometimes long after the shut-down of the actual experiments: new theoretical input; new experimental results and analysis techniques; the quest for high-sensitivity combined analyses; the necessity of cross checks. In many cases, HEP data sets are unique; they cannot and most likely will not be superseded by data from newer generations of experiments. Once lost, or in an unusable state, HEP data samples cannot be reasonably recovered. The cost of conserving this heritage through a collaborative, target-oriented long-term data preservation program would be small, compared to the costs of past experimental projects or to the efforts to re-do experiments. However, this cost is not negligible, especially for collaborations close or past their end-date. The preservation of HEP data would provide today's collaborations with a secure way to complete their data analysis and enable them to seize new scientific opportunities in the coming years. The HEP community will benefit from preserved data samples through reanalysis, combination, education and outreach. Funding agencies would receive more scientific return, and a positive image, from their initial investment leading to the production and the first analysis of preserved data.

Technical note: Could benzalkonium chloride be a suitable alternative to mercuric chloride for preservation of seawater samples?

Science.gov (United States)

Gloël, J.; Robinson, C.; Tilstone, G. H.; Tarran, G.; Kaiser, J.

2015-12-01

Instrumental equipment unsuitable or unavailable for fieldwork as well as lack of ship space can necessitate the preservation of seawater samples prior to analysis in a shore-based laboratory. Mercuric chloride (HgCl2) is routinely used for such preservation, but its handling and subsequent disposal incur environmental risks and significant expense. There is therefore a strong motivation to find less hazardous alternatives. Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) has been used previously as microbial inhibitor for freshwater samples. Here, we assess the use of BAC for marine samples prior to the measurement of oxygen-to-argon (O2 / Ar) ratios, as used for the determination of biological net community production. BAC at a concentration of 50 mg dm-3 inhibited microbial activity for at least 3 days in samples tested with chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations up to 1 mg m-3. BAC concentrations of 100 and 200 mg dm-3 were no more effective than 50 mg dm-3. With fewer risks to human health and the environment, and no requirement for expensive waste disposal, BAC could be a viable alternative to HgCl2 for short-term preservation of seawater samples, but is not a replacement for HgCl2 in the case of oxygen triple isotope analysis, which requires storage over weeks to months. In any event, further tests on a case-by-case basis should be undertaken if use of BAC was considered, since its inhibitory activity may depend on concentration and composition of the microbial community.

Non-terminal blood sampling techniques in guinea pigs.

Science.gov (United States)

Birck, Malene M; Tveden-Nyborg, Pernille; Lindblad, Maiken M; Lykkesfeldt, Jens

2014-10-11

Guinea pigs possess several biological similarities to humans and are validated experimental animal models(1-3). However, the use of guinea pigs currently represents a relatively narrow area of research and descriptive data on specific methodology is correspondingly scarce. The anatomical features of guinea pigs are slightly different from other rodent models, hence modulation of sampling techniques to accommodate for species-specific differences, e.g., compared to mice and rats, are necessary to obtain sufficient and high quality samples. As both long and short term in vivo studies often require repeated blood sampling the choice of technique should be well considered in order to reduce stress and discomfort in the animals but also to ensure survival as well as compliance with requirements of sample size and accessibility. Venous blood samples can be obtained at a number of sites in guinea pigs e.g., the saphenous and jugular veins, each technique containing both advantages and disadvantages(4,5). Here, we present four different blood sampling techniques for either conscious or anaesthetized guinea pigs. The procedures are all non-terminal procedures provided that sample volumes and number of samples do not exceed guidelines for blood collection in laboratory animals(6). All the described methods have been thoroughly tested and applied for repeated in vivo blood sampling in studies within our research facility.

Technique of radiation polymerization in fine art conservation: a potentially new method of restoration and preservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garnett, J.L.; Major, G.

1982-01-01

The technique of using radiation polymerization for the restoration and preservation of art treasures is considered. The processes discussed include both radiation grafting and rapid cure procedures, particularly reactions initiated by uv and eb. Representative examples where the technique has already been used are treated including typical applications with paintings, tapestries, leather and archival repair. The structure of the monomers and oligomers used in both grafting and rapid cure systems is outlined. The experimental conditions where grafting may occur during radiation rapid cure processing are discussed. Possible future developments of the technique are outlined. 1 figure, 8 tables

Useful surgical techniques for facial nerve preservation in tumorous intra-temporal lesions.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Jin; Moon, In Seok; Lee, Jong Dae; Shim, Dae Bo; Lee, Won-Sang

2010-02-01

The management of the facial nerve in tumorous temporal lesions is particularly challenging due to its complex anatomic location and potential postoperative complications, including permanent facial paralysis. The most important concern regarding surgical treatment of a tumorous temporal lesion is the inevitable facial paralysis caused by nerve injury during the tumor removal, especially in patients with minimal to no preoperative facial nerve dysfunction. We describe successful four cases in which various surgical techniques were developed for the preservation of the facial nerve in treatment of intratemporal tumorous lesions. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of modified Sandwich-graft technique to preserve hypogastric artery in EVAR treatment of complex aortic aneurysm anatomy.

Science.gov (United States)

Mosquera Arochena, N; Rodríguez Feijoo, G; Carballo Fernandez, C; Molina Herrero, F; Fernandez Lebrato, R; Barrios Castro, A; Garcia Fernandez, I

2011-10-01

Since the introduction of the first endoprosthetic devices, continuous development in techniques and implants has occurred, such as the introduction of a stent graft with branches designed to preserve antegrade flow in the hypogastric artery, a stent-graft designed to treat extreme neck angulation and iliac tortuosity, as well as "Sandwich" and "Chimney" techniques used to maintain perfusion in branch vessels originating in the region to be treated. This paper describes how the Sandwich-Graft technique was adapted, as described by Lobato et al., employing the Aorfix™ system (Lombard Medical) and the Viabahn™ (W.L.Gore) to preserve hypogastric flow in cases with extreme neck angulation and iliac tortuosity. The study included four patients treated from April 2010 until November 2010 with the modified Sandwich technique. All patients eligible for this approach were considered unfit for open repair and were not suitable for an iliac branch graft (Z-BIS Zenith™ Cook Medical). A bifurcated endograft was implanted with specific, in-situ, branching to the target hypogastric artery and achieved clinical and technical success, in all the patients. After a 11-month follow-up in two cases and a six-month follow-up in the other two, clinical results were successful. All patients were endoleak-free, had patent hypogastric branches and had shrinking or stable aneurysms. The initial experience shows that the Sandwich technique with the Aorfix™ stent-graft demonstrated to be effective in endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms in patients with aortoiliac anatomy hostile to preserving hypogastric artery patency. This graft allows a broader group of patients to be treated with endovascular repair without potential complications of hypogastric artery occlusion; however, further studies are needed to evaluate long-term results in larger numbers of patients.

Differences in sampling techniques on total post-mortem tryptase.

Science.gov (United States)

Tse, R; Garland, J; Kesha, K; Elstub, H; Cala, A D; Ahn, Y; Stables, S; Palmiere, C

2017-11-20

The measurement of mast cell tryptase is commonly used to support the diagnosis of anaphylaxis. In the post-mortem setting, the literature recommends sampling from peripheral blood sources (femoral blood) but does not specify the exact sampling technique. Sampling techniques vary between pathologists, and it is unclear whether different sampling techniques have any impact on post-mortem tryptase levels. The aim of this study is to compare the difference in femoral total post-mortem tryptase levels between two sampling techniques. A 6-month retrospective study comparing femoral total post-mortem tryptase levels between (1) aspirating femoral vessels with a needle and syringe prior to evisceration and (2) femoral vein cut down during evisceration. Twenty cases were identified, with three cases excluded from analysis. There was a statistically significant difference (paired t test, p sampling methods. The clinical significance of this finding and what factors may contribute to it are unclear. When requesting post-mortem tryptase, the pathologist should consider documenting the exact blood collection site and method used for collection. In addition, blood samples acquired by different techniques should not be mixed together and should be analyzed separately if possible.

Microextraction sample preparation techniques in biomedical analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Szultka, Malgorzata; Pomastowski, Pawel; Railean-Plugaru, Viorica; Buszewski, Boguslaw

2014-11-01

Biologically active compounds are found in biological samples at relatively low concentration levels. The sample preparation of target compounds from biological, pharmaceutical, environmental, and food matrices is one of the most time-consuming steps in the analytical procedure. The microextraction techniques are dominant. Metabolomic studies also require application of proper analytical technique for the determination of endogenic metabolites present in biological matrix on trace concentration levels. Due to the reproducibility of data, precision, relatively low cost of the appropriate analysis, simplicity of the determination, and the possibility of direct combination of those techniques with other methods (combination types on-line and off-line), they have become the most widespread in routine determinations. Additionally, sample pretreatment procedures have to be more selective, cheap, quick, and environmentally friendly. This review summarizes the current achievements and applications of microextraction techniques. The main aim is to deal with the utilization of different types of sorbents for microextraction and emphasize the use of new synthesized sorbents as well as to bring together studies concerning the systematic approach to method development. This review is dedicated to the description of microextraction techniques and their application in biomedical analysis. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Rescue and Preservation of Sample Data from the Apollo Missions to the Moon

Science.gov (United States)

Todd, Nancy S.; Zeigler, Ryan A.; Evans, Cindy A.; Lehnert, Kerstin

2016-01-01

Six Apollo missions landed on the Moon from 1969-72, returning to Earth 382 kg of lunar rock, soil, and core samples. These samples are among the best documented and preserved samples on Earth that have supported a robust research program for 45 years. From mission planning through sample collection, preliminary examination, and subsequent research, strict protocols and procedures are followed for handling and allocating Apollo subsamples, resulting in the production of vast amounts of documentation. Even today, hundreds of samples are allocated for research each year, building on the science foundation laid down by the early Apollo sample studies and combining new data from today's instrumentation, lunar remote sensing missions and lunar meteorites. Much sample information is available to researchers at curator.jsc.nasa.gov. Decades of analyses on lunar samples are published in LPSC proceedings volumes and other peer-reviewed journals, and tabulated in lunar sample compendia entries. However, for much of the 1969-1995 period, the processing documentation, individual and consortia analyses, and unpublished results exist only in analog forms or primitive digital formats that are either inaccessible or at risk of being lost forever because critical data from early investigators remain unpublished.

Ethanol and sodium acetate as a preservation method to delay degradation of environmental DNA

Science.gov (United States)

Ladell, Bridget A.; Walleser, Liza R.; McCalla, S. Grace; Erickson, Richard A.; Amberg, Jon J.

2018-01-01

Environmental DNA (eDNA) samples that are collected from remote locations depend on rapid stabilization of the DNA. The degradation of eDNA in water samples is minimized when samples are stored at ≤ 4 °C. Developing a preservation technique to maintain eDNA integrity at room temperature would allow a wider range of locations to be sampled. We evaluated an ethanol and sodium acetate solution to maintain the integrity of the DNA samples for the time between collection and lab testing. For this evaluation, replicate water samples taken from a tank housing Asian carp were placed on ice or held at room temperature. At both temperatures, water samples were left untreated or were preserved with an ethanol and sodium acetate solution (EtOH–NaAc). Every day for 6 days following collection, a subset of the samples was removed from each preservation method and DNA was extracted and nuclear and mitochondrial markers were assayed with qPCR. Results showed comparable persistence of DNA between iced samples without the EtOH–NaAc treatment and samples that received EtOH–NaAc treatment that were kept at room temperature. We found that DNA can be amplified from preserved samples using an EtOH–NaAc solution after up to 7 days at room temperature.

Distribution-Preserving Stratified Sampling for Learning Problems.

Science.gov (United States)

Cervellera, Cristiano; Maccio, Danilo

2017-06-09

The need for extracting a small sample from a large amount of real data, possibly streaming, arises routinely in learning problems, e.g., for storage, to cope with computational limitations, obtain good training/test/validation sets, and select minibatches for stochastic gradient neural network training. Unless we have reasons to select the samples in an active way dictated by the specific task and/or model at hand, it is important that the distribution of the selected points is as similar as possible to the original data. This is obvious for unsupervised learning problems, where the goal is to gain insights on the distribution of the data, but it is also relevant for supervised problems, where the theory explains how the training set distribution influences the generalization error. In this paper, we analyze the technique of stratified sampling from the point of view of distances between probabilities. This allows us to introduce an algorithm, based on recursive binary partition of the input space, aimed at obtaining samples that are distributed as much as possible as the original data. A theoretical analysis is proposed, proving the (greedy) optimality of the procedure together with explicit error bounds. An adaptive version of the algorithm is also introduced to cope with streaming data. Simulation tests on various data sets and different learning tasks are also provided.

Fertility preservation in young cancer patients

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ariel Revel

2010-01-01

Full Text Available As a result of advances in treatment, almost 80% of children and adolescents who receive a diagnosis of cancer become long-term survivors. The increased survival rate of children and adolescents with cancer has resulted in a major interest in the long-term effects of cancer treatment on the possibility for future fertility. Currently established methods for the preservation of fertility are available only for pubertal males and females. Pubertal male cancer patients should be encouraged to freeze numerous sperm samples even when sperm count and motility are poor. In these cases, intracytoplasmic sperm injection is a powerful technique compared with intrauterine insemination since thawed sperm samples with poor parameters can produce relatively high fertilization rates resulting in normal pregnancies and deliveries. Married pubertal women should be proposed ovulation induction, follicular aspiration, and fertilization with husband sperm. Single women could benefit from vitrification of oocytes. This requires a delay of about 3 weeks in the commencement of chemotherapy to enable follicular growth. Fertility preservation for prepubertal patients is more of a problem. Young girls could be offered cryopreservation of gametes in the gonadal tissue. Cryopreservation of testicular tissue was suggested for fertility preservation for young boys, but this method is totally experimental and not currently offered. Discussing future fertility is part of the consultation of young female and male patients facing potentially gonadotoxic cancer therapy. It is the role of reproductive specialists to create various options in their laboratory to preserve fertility potential of cancer patients.

New materials for sample preparation techniques in bioanalysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Nazario, Carlos Eduardo Domingues; Fumes, Bruno Henrique; da Silva, Meire Ribeiro; Lanças, Fernando Mauro

2017-02-01

The analysis of biological samples is a complex and difficult task owing to two basic and complementary issues: the high complexity of most biological matrices and the need to determine minute quantities of active substances and contaminants in such complex sample. To succeed in this endeavor samples are usually subject to three steps of a comprehensive analytical methodological approach: sample preparation, analytes isolation (usually utilizing a chromatographic technique) and qualitative/quantitative analysis (usually with the aid of mass spectrometric tools). Owing to the complex nature of bio-samples, and the very low concentration of the target analytes to be determined, selective sample preparation techniques is mandatory in order to overcome the difficulties imposed by these two constraints. During the last decade new chemical synthesis approaches has been developed and optimized, such as sol-gel and molecularly imprinting technologies, allowing the preparation of novel materials for sample preparation including graphene and derivatives, magnetic materials, ionic liquids, molecularly imprinted polymers, and much more. In this contribution we will review these novel techniques and materials, as well as their application to the bioanalysis niche. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluating ethanol-based sample preservation to facilitate use of DNA barcoding in routine freshwater biomonitoring programs using benthic macroinvertebrates.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric D Stein

Full Text Available Molecular methods, such as DNA barcoding, have the potential to enhance biomonitoring programs worldwide. Altering routinely used sample preservation methods to protect DNA from degradation may pose a potential impediment to application of DNA barcoding and metagenomics for biomonitoring using benthic macroinvertebrates. Using higher volumes or concentrations of ethanol, requirements for shorter holding times, or the need to include additional filtering may increase cost and logistical constraints to existing biomonitoring programs. To address this issue we evaluated the efficacy of various ethanol-based sample preservation methods at maintaining DNA integrity. We evaluated a series of methods that were minimally modified from typical field protocols in order to identify an approach that can be readily incorporated into existing monitoring programs. Benthic macroinvertebrates were collected from a minimally disturbed stream in southern California, USA and subjected to one of six preservation treatments. Ten individuals from five taxa were selected from each treatment and processed to produce DNA barcodes from the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase I (COI. On average, we obtained successful COI sequences (i.e. either full or partial barcodes for between 93-99% of all specimens across all six treatments. As long as samples were initially preserved in 95% ethanol, successful sequencing of COI barcodes was not affected by a low dilution ratio of 2∶1, transfer to 70% ethanol, presence of abundant organic matter, or holding times of up to six months. Barcoding success varied by taxa, with Leptohyphidae (Ephemeroptera producing the lowest barcode success rate, most likely due to poor PCR primer efficiency. Differential barcoding success rates have the potential to introduce spurious results. However, routine preservation methods can largely be used without adverse effects on DNA integrity.

A new technique to preserve raw materials of ancient monuments against the humidity and its test using 22Na labeled solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez, G.L.; Navarrete, J.M.

2007-01-01

Erosion caused by external factors such as wind, rain, sunlight and temperature changes is considerable in raw materials used to build pre-hispanic monuments. However, there does exist an internal destruction factor even stronger: the humidity coming from the soil, which goes up by capillarity, depositing soluble salts on the walls surface. Therefore, one way to find some figure related to the specific capillarity or porosity shown by each raw material, is to obtain small prism-shaped pieces cut out from the large debris fallen down spontaneously from ancient walls due to internal humidity. Once these small samples are placed in contact with a 22 Na labeled solution during a given time, at the same geometrical conditions, dried overnight, conditioned either in test tubes or wrapped into polyethylene and detected in a well type 3' x 3' scintillation detector, the counts accumulated per time and weight units are a measure of the relative porosity shown by each material. In order to pull down this porosity, the samples are impregnated with a gelatin solution (50 g/l) at 60-80 deg C plus food preservatives such as potassium sorbate (2.5%) and sodium benzoate (2.5%). When gelatin begins to be formed 3 hours later and the samples look humid and brilliant, they are impregnated with formaldehyde solution (38%), and their absorption rate is dramatically reduced overnight (75-100%), which can be proven when samples are tested by making use of the 22 Na labeled solution. This technique has been applied at real scale in some pre-hispanic monuments. Ancient raw materials seems to be much more compact and well preserved during one limited period of time (10 to 13 months). Treatment is unnoticeable and reversible, and it may be applied periodically. (author)

Evaluation of the BD Vacutainer Plus Urine C&S Preservative Tubes compared with nonpreservative urine samples stored at 4°C and room temperature.

Science.gov (United States)

Eisinger, Stephen W; Schwartz, Matthew; Dam, Lisa; Riedel, Stefan

2013-09-01

The stability of urine specimens submitted for culture remains a challenge for many laboratories because of delays in specimen transport. We evaluated the usefulness of BD Vacutainer Plus Urine C&S Preservative Tube in ensuring specimen stability. Clinical urine specimens collected in sterile collection cups (n = 110) were plated onto sheep blood and MacConkey agar following standard laboratory procedures guidelines. Thereafter, specimens were divided into 3 storage conditions: nonpreservative, refrigerated; nonpreservative, room temperature (RT); BD Vacutainer Plus Urine C&S Preservative Tube, RT. For each sample type, additional cultures were set up at 2, 4, 24, and 48 hours. Initially, 18 specimens had no growth, 32 showed mixed skin flora, and 60 yielded at least 1 uropathogen. Increased colony counts of uropathogens were observed for nonpreserved urine samples stored at RT; these changes were statistically significant. Minor differences between refrigerated urine samples and BD Vacutainer Plus Urine C&S Preservative Tube samples were seen but were not statistically significant. The use of preservative-containing collection tubes is desirable to ensure specimen stability when prompt processing or refrigeration is not feasible.

A cell transportation solution that preserves live circulating tumor cells in patient blood samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stefansson, Steingrimur; Adams, Daniel L.; Ershler, William B.; Le, Huyen; Ho, David H.

2016-01-01

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are typically collected into CellSave fixative tubes, which kills the cells, but preserves their morphology. Currently, the clinical utility of CTCs is mostly limited to their enumeration. More detailed investigation of CTC biology can be performed on live cells, but obtaining live CTCs is technically challenging, requiring blood collection into biocompatible solutions and rapid isolation which limits transportation options. To overcome the instability of CTCs, we formulated a sugar based cell transportation solution (SBTS) that stabilizes cell viability at ambient temperature. In this study we examined the long term viability of human cancer cell lines, primary cells and CTCs in human blood samples in the SBTS for transportation purposes. Four cell lines, 5 primary human cells and purified human PBMCs were tested to determine the viability of cells stored in the transportation solution at ambient temperature for up to 7 days. We then demonstrated viability of MCF-7 cells spiked into normal blood with SBTS and stored for up to 7 days. A pilot study was then run on blood samples from 3 patients with metastatic malignancies stored with or without SBTS for 6 days. CTCs were then purified by Ficoll separation/microfilter isolation and identified using CTC markers. Cell viability was assessed using trypan blue or CellTracker™ live cell stain. Our results suggest that primary/immortalized cell lines stored in SBTS remain ~90 % viable for > 72 h. Further, MCF-7 cells spiked into whole blood remain viable when stored with SBTS for up to 7 days. Finally, live CTCs were isolated from cancer patient blood samples kept in SBTS at ambient temperature for 6 days. No CTCs were isolated from blood samples stored without SBTS. In this proof of principle pilot study we show that viability of cell lines is preserved for days using SBTS. Further, this solution can be used to store patient derived blood samples for eventual isolation of viable CTCs

A cell transportation solution that preserves live circulating tumor cells in patient blood samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Stefansson, Steingrimur; Adams, Daniel L; Ershler, William B; Le, Huyen; Ho, David H

2016-05-06

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) are typically collected into CellSave fixative tubes, which kills the cells, but preserves their morphology. Currently, the clinical utility of CTCs is mostly limited to their enumeration. More detailed investigation of CTC biology can be performed on live cells, but obtaining live CTCs is technically challenging, requiring blood collection into biocompatible solutions and rapid isolation which limits transportation options. To overcome the instability of CTCs, we formulated a sugar based cell transportation solution (SBTS) that stabilizes cell viability at ambient temperature. In this study we examined the long term viability of human cancer cell lines, primary cells and CTCs in human blood samples in the SBTS for transportation purposes. Four cell lines, 5 primary human cells and purified human PBMCs were tested to determine the viability of cells stored in the transportation solution at ambient temperature for up to 7 days. We then demonstrated viability of MCF-7 cells spiked into normal blood with SBTS and stored for up to 7 days. A pilot study was then run on blood samples from 3 patients with metastatic malignancies stored with or without SBTS for 6 days. CTCs were then purified by Ficoll separation/microfilter isolation and identified using CTC markers. Cell viability was assessed using trypan blue or CellTracker™ live cell stain. Our results suggest that primary/immortalized cell lines stored in SBTS remain ~90% viable for > 72 h. Further, MCF-7 cells spiked into whole blood remain viable when stored with SBTS for up to 7 days. Finally, live CTCs were isolated from cancer patient blood samples kept in SBTS at ambient temperature for 6 days. No CTCs were isolated from blood samples stored without SBTS. In this proof of principle pilot study we show that viability of cell lines is preserved for days using SBTS. Further, this solution can be used to store patient derived blood samples for eventual isolation of viable CTCs after

A comparative study of sampling techniques for monitoring carcass contamination

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Snijders, J.M.A.; Janssen, M.H.W.; Gerats, G.E.; Corstiaensen, G.P.

1984-01-01

Four bacteriological sampling techniques i.e. the excision, double swab, agar contract and modified agar contact techniques were compared by sampling pig carcasses before and after chilling. As well as assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the techniques particular attention was paid to

Sample preparation for special PIE-techniques at ITU

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toscano, E.H.; Manzel, R.

2002-01-01

Several sample preparation techniques were developed and installed in hot cells. The techniques were conceived to evaluate the performance of highly burnt fuel rods and include: (a) a device for the removal of the fuel, (b) a method for the preparation of the specimen ends for the welding of new end caps and for the careful cleaning of samples for Transmission Electron Microscopy and Glow Discharge Mass Spectroscopy, (c) a sample pressurisation device for long term creep tests, and (d) a diameter measuring device for creep or burst samples. Examples of the determination of the mechanical properties, the behaviour under transient conditions and for the assessment of the corrosion behaviour of high burnup cladding materials are presented. (author)

New trends in sample preparation techniques for environmental analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Ribeiro, Cláudia; Ribeiro, Ana Rita; Maia, Alexandra S; Gonçalves, Virgínia M F; Tiritan, Maria Elizabeth

2014-01-01

Environmental samples include a wide variety of complex matrices, with low concentrations of analytes and presence of several interferences. Sample preparation is a critical step and the main source of uncertainties in the analysis of environmental samples, and it is usually laborious, high cost, time consuming, and polluting. In this context, there is increasing interest in developing faster, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly sample preparation techniques. Recently, new methods have been developed and optimized in order to miniaturize extraction steps, to reduce solvent consumption or become solventless, and to automate systems. This review attempts to present an overview of the fundamentals, procedure, and application of the most recently developed sample preparation techniques for the extraction, cleanup, and concentration of organic pollutants from environmental samples. These techniques include: solid phase microextraction, on-line solid phase extraction, microextraction by packed sorbent, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction, and QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged and Safe).

Non-terminal blood sampling techniques in Guinea pigs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Birck, Malene Muusfeldt; Tveden-Nyborg, Pernille; Lindblad, Maiken Marie

2014-01-01

Guinea pigs possess several biological similarities to humans and are validated experimental animal models(1-3). However, the use of guinea pigs currently represents a relatively narrow area of research and descriptive data on specific methodology is correspondingly scarce. The anatomical features...... of guinea pigs are slightly different from other rodent models, hence modulation of sampling techniques to accommodate for species-specific differences, e.g., compared to mice and rats, are necessary to obtain sufficient and high quality samples. As both long and short term in vivo studies often require...... repeated blood sampling the choice of technique should be well considered in order to reduce stress and discomfort in the animals but also to ensure survival as well as compliance with requirements of sample size and accessibility. Venous blood samples can be obtained at a number of sites in guinea pigs e...

Analysis of preservative-treated wood by multivariate analysis of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martin, Madhavi Z.; Labbe, Nicole; Rials, Timothy G.; Wullschleger, Stan D.

2005-01-01

In this work, multivariate statistical analysis (MVA) techniques are coupled with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to identify preservative types (chromated copper arsenate, ammoniacal copper zinc or alkaline copper quat), and to predict elemental content in preservative-treated wood. The elemental composition of the samples was measured with a standard laboratory method of digestion followed by atomic absorption spectroscopy analysis. The elemental composition was then correlated with the LIBS spectra using projection to latent structures (PLS) models. The correlations for the different elements introduced by different treatments were very strong, with the correlation coefficients generally above 0.9. Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to differentiate the samples treated with different preservative formulations. The research has focused not only on demonstrating the application of LIBS as a tool for use in the forest products industry, but also considered sampling errors, limits of detection, reproducibility, and accuracy of measurements as they relate to multivariate analysis of this complex wood substrate

Analysis of preservative-treated wood by multivariate analysis of laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy spectra

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Martin, Madhavi Z. [Environmental Sciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008 MS 6422, Oak Ridge TN 37831-6422 (United States); Labbe, Nicole [Forest Products Center, University of Tennessee, 2506 Jacob Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-4570 (United States)]. E-mail: nlabbe@utk.edu; Rials, Timothy G. [Forest Products Center, University of Tennessee, 2506 Jacob Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996-4570 (United States); Wullschleger, Stan D. [Environmental Sciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory, P.O. Box 2008 MS 6422, Oak Ridge TN 37831-6422 (United States)

2005-08-31

In this work, multivariate statistical analysis (MVA) techniques are coupled with laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to identify preservative types (chromated copper arsenate, ammoniacal copper zinc or alkaline copper quat), and to predict elemental content in preservative-treated wood. The elemental composition of the samples was measured with a standard laboratory method of digestion followed by atomic absorption spectroscopy analysis. The elemental composition was then correlated with the LIBS spectra using projection to latent structures (PLS) models. The correlations for the different elements introduced by different treatments were very strong, with the correlation coefficients generally above 0.9. Additionally, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to differentiate the samples treated with different preservative formulations. The research has focused not only on demonstrating the application of LIBS as a tool for use in the forest products industry, but also considered sampling errors, limits of detection, reproducibility, and accuracy of measurements as they relate to multivariate analysis of this complex wood substrate.

Development of food preservation and processing techniques by radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Myung Woo; Yook, Hong Sun; Lee, Ju Woon and others

1999-03-01

Development of food preservation and processing techniques by radiation was performed. Gamma irradiation at 2-10 kGy is considered to be an effective method to control pathogenic bacteria in species including Escherichia coli O157:H7. Gamma irradiation at 5 kGy completely eliminated pathogenic bacteria in beef. Gamma irradiation at such doses and subsequent storage at less than 4 deg C could ensure hygienic quality and prolong the microbiological shelf-life resulting from the reduction of spoilage microorganisms. Gamma irradiation on pre-rigor beef shortens the aging-period, improves tenderness and enhances the beef quality. And, a new beef processing method using gamma irradiation, such as in the low salt sausage and hygienic beef patty was developed. Safety tests of gamma-irradiated meats(beefs: 0-5 kGy; porks: 0-30 kGy) in areas such as genotoxicity, acute toxicity, four-week oral toxicity, rat hepato carcinogenesis and the anti oxidative defense system, were not affected by gamma irradiation. To pre-establish an alternative technique to the toxic fumigant, methyl bromide, which is the current quarantine measure of agricultural products for export and import, some selected agricultural products, such as chestnuts, acorns, red beans and mung beans, were subjected to a preliminary study to confirm the comparative effects of gamma irradiation and MBr fumigant on their disinfestation and quality, thereby preparing the basic data for the practical approach.Current fumigation(MBr) was perfect in its disinfecting capability, but it caused detrimental effects on the physical quality of agricultural produce. However, irradiation doses suitable for controlling pests did not induce any significant changes in the quality of the products. (author)

When to ask male adolescents to provide semen sample for fertility preservation?

Science.gov (United States)

Dabaja, Ali A; Wosnitzer, Matthew S; Bolyakov, Alexander; Schlegel, Peter N; Paduch, Darius A

2014-03-01

Fertility preservation in adolescents undergoing sterilizing radiation and/or chemotherapy is the standard of care in oncology. The opportunity for patients to provide a semen sample by ejaculation is a critical issue in adolescent fertility preservation. Fifty males with no medical or sexual developmental abnormalities were evaluated. The subjects were screened for evidence of orgasmic, erectile, and ejaculatory dysfunction. A detailed sexual development history was obtained under an Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved protocol. Fifty males, aged 18-65 years (mean 39±16.03 years) volunteered to be part of this study. The mean reported age for the onset of puberty was 12.39 years (95% CI, 11.99-12.80 years), 13.59 years (95% CI, 13.05-14.12 years) for the first ejaculation, 12.56 years (95% CI, 11.80-13.32 years) for the start of masturbation, and 17.26 years (95% CI, 16.18-18.33 years) for the first experienced intercourse. Seventy-five percent of the cohort reached puberty by the age of 13.33, experienced masturbation by 14.5, first ejaculated by the age of 14.83, and had intercourse at age of 19.15 years. The first experienced ejaculation fell 1.5 years after the onset of puberty in 80% present of the cohort, and 84% starts masturbation 1.5 years after the onset of puberty. The mean response between the younger and the older subject was not statistical significance. It is appropriate to consider a request for semen specimens by masturbation from teenagers at one year and six months after the onset of puberty; the onset age of puberty plus 1.5 years is an important predictor of ejaculation and sample collection for cryopreservation.

Numerical Simulation of Non-Thermal Food Preservation

Science.gov (United States)

Rauh, C.; Krauss, J.; Ertunc, Ö.; Delgado, a.

2010-09-01

Food preservation is an important process step in food technology regarding product safety and product quality. Novel preservation techniques are currently developed, that aim at improved sensory and nutritional value but comparable safety than in conventional thermal preservation techniques. These novel non-thermal food preservation techniques are based for example on high pressures up to one GPa or pulsed electric fields. in literature studies the high potential of high pressures (HP) and of pulsed electric fields (PEF) is shown due to their high retention of valuable food components as vitamins and flavour and selective inactivation of spoiling enzymes and microorganisms. for the design of preservation processes based on the non-thermal techniques it is crucial to predict the effect of high pressure and pulsed electric fields on the food components and on the spoiling enzymes and microorganisms locally and time-dependent in the treated product. Homogenous process conditions (especially of temperature fields in HP and PEF processing and of electric fields in PEF) are aimed at to avoid the need of over-processing and the connected quality loss and to minimize safety risks due to under-processing. the present contribution presents numerical simulations of thermofluiddynamical phenomena inside of high pressure autoclaves and pulsed electric field treatment chambers. in PEF processing additionally the electric fields are considered. Implementing kinetics of occurring (bio-) chemical reactions in the numerical simulations of the temperature, flow and electric fields enables the evaluation of the process homogeneity and efficiency connected to different process parameters of the preservation techniques. Suggestions to achieve safe and high quality products are concluded out of the numerical results.

Food preservation : relevance of nuclear techniques to developing nations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aiyar, A.S.; Sundaram, K.

1977-01-01

The usefulness of radiation processes over conventional methods for preservation of foods has been discussed in detail. There are five distinct objectives that can be achieved by exposing food to ionising radiation, and these are : (a) total elimination of food spoilage or disease-causing organisms, thus confering indefinite stability on the pre-packaged food; (b) significant reduction of spoilage microorganisms to enable extended shelf-life; (c) inactivation of organisms that poses public health hazards; (d) elimination of losses in dry foods due to insect infestation, by killing the eggs and their insects; and (e) control of post-harvest physiological processes such as sprouting, ripening etc. For highly perishable sea foods, such as, Bombay Duck, irradiation represents the only possible soultion to the problem of its preservation in the fresh state. An evaluation of the wholesomeness of irradiated mackerel is currently underway in India as part of an international effort at obtaining such data collectively, to minimise the enormour costs involved in such experimentation. Recently, clearances have been authorised for the release of irradiated foods for human consumption. A summary of international approvals for radiation preservation processes is presented. (A.K.)

Effect of sample preparation techniques on the concentrations and distributions of elements in biological tissues using µSRXRF: a comparative study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Al-Ebraheem, A; Dao, E; Desouza, E; McNeill, F E; Farquharson, M J; Li, C; Wainman, B C

2015-01-01

Routine tissue sample preparation using chemical fixatives is known to preserve the morphology of the tissue being studied. A competitive method, cryofixation followed by freeze drying, involves no chemical agents and maintains the biological function of the tissue. The possible effects of both sample preparation techniques in terms of the distribution of bio-metals (calcium (Ca), copper (Cu) zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) specifically) in human skin tissue samples was investigated. Micro synchrotron radiation x-ray fluorescence (μSRXRF) was used to map bio-metal distribution in epidermal and dermal layers of human skin samples from various locations of the body that have been prepared using both techniques. For Ca, Cu and Zn, there were statistically significant differences between the epidermis and dermis using the freeze drying technique (p = 0.02, p < 0.01, and p < 0.01, respectively). Also using the formalin fixed, paraffin embedded technique the levels of Ca, Cu and Zn, were significantly different between the epidermis and dermis layers (p = 0.03, p < 0.01, and p < 0.01, respectively). However, the difference in levels of Fe between the epidermis and dermis was unclear and further analysis was required. The epidermis was further divided into two sub-layers, one mainly composed of the stratum corneum and the other deeper layer, the stratum basale. It was found that the difference between the distribution of Fe in the two epidermal layers using the freeze drying technique resulted in a statistically significant difference (p = 0.012). This same region also showed a difference in Fe using the formalin fixed, paraffin embedded technique (p < 0.01). The formalin fixed, paraffin embedded technique also showed a difference between the deeper epidermal layer and the dermis (p < 0.01). It can be concluded that studies involving Ca, Cu and Zn might show similar results using both sample preparation techniques, however studies involving Fe would need more

DNA preservation in silk.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yawen; Zheng, Zhaozhu; Gong, He; Liu, Meng; Guo, Shaozhe; Li, Gang; Wang, Xiaoqin; Kaplan, David L

2017-06-27

The structure of DNA is susceptible to alterations at high temperature and on changing pH, irradiation and exposure to DNase. Options to protect and preserve DNA during storage are important for applications in genetic diagnosis, identity authentication, drug development and bioresearch. In the present study, the stability of total DNA purified from human dermal fibroblast cells, as well as that of plasmid DNA, was studied in silk protein materials. The DNA/silk mixtures were stabilized on filter paper (silk/DNA + filter) or filter paper pre-coated with silk and treated with methanol (silk/DNA + PT-filter) as a route to practical utility. After air-drying and water extraction, 50-70% of the DNA and silk could be retrieved and showed a single band on electrophoretic gels. 6% silk/DNA + PT-filter samples provided improved stability in comparison with 3% silk/DNA + filter samples and DNA + filter samples for DNA preservation, with ∼40% of the band intensity remaining at 37 °C after 40 days and ∼10% after exposure to UV light for 10 hours. Quantitative analysis using the PicoGreen assay confirmed the results. The use of Tris/borate/EDTA (TBE) buffer enhanced the preservation and/or extraction of the DNA. The DNA extracted after storage maintained integrity and function based on serving as a functional template for PCR amplification of the gene for zinc finger protein 750 (ZNF750) and for transgene expression of red fluorescence protein (dsRed) in HEK293 cells. The high molecular weight and high content of a crystalline beta-sheet structure formed on the coated surfaces likely accounted for the preservation effects observed for the silk/DNA + PT-filter samples. Although similar preservation effects were also obtained for lyophilized silk/DNA samples, the rapid and simple processing available with the silk-DNA-filter membrane system makes it appealing for future applications.

Application of digital sampling techniques to particle identification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardelli, L.; Poggi, G.; Bini, M.; Carraresi, L.; Pasquali, G.; Taccetti, N.

2003-01-01

An application of digital sampling techniques is presented which can greatly simplify experiments involving sub-nanosecond time-mark determinations and energy measurements with nuclear detectors, used for Pulse Shape Analysis and Time of Flight measurements in heavy ion experiments. In this work a 100 M Sample/s, 12 bit analog to digital converter has been used: examples of this technique applied to Silicon and CsI(Tl) detectors in heavy-ions experiments involving particle identification via Pulse Shape analysis and Time of Flight measurements are presented. The system is suited for applications to large detector arrays and to different kinds of detectors. Some preliminary results regarding the simulation of current signals in Silicon detectors are also discussed. (authors)

Alternative Food Preservation Techniques, New Technology in Food Preparation and Appropriateness of Food Supply for the Permanently Manned Space Station

Science.gov (United States)

Whelan, R. H.

1985-01-01

Alternative food preservation techniques are defined as unique processes and combinations of currently used processes for food preservation. Food preservation is the extension of the useful shelf-life of normally perishable foods (from harvest to final consumption) by controlling micro-organisms, enzymes, chemical changes, changes in sensory characteristics and the prevention of subsequent recontamination. The resulting products must comply with all applicable food manufacturing practice regulations and be safe. Most of the foods currently used in both space and military feeding are stabilized either by dehydration or the use of a terminal sterilization process. Other available options would be formulation to reduce water activity, the refrigeration and freezing of perishable foods, chemical addition, and physical treatment (ionizing or nonionizing radiation or mechanical action). These alternatives are considered and proposals made.

MRI and MRS on preserved samples as a tool in fish ecology.

Science.gov (United States)

Bock, Christian; Wermter, Felizitas C; Mintenbeck, Katja

2017-05-01

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) gain increasing attention and importance as a tool in marine ecology. So far, studies were largely limited to morphological studies, e.g. for the creation of digital libraries. Here, the utility of MRI and MRS for ecologists is tested and exemplified using formalin preserved samples of the Antarctic silverfish, Pleuragramma antarctica. As this species lacks a swim bladder, buoyancy is attained by the deposition of large amounts of lipids that are mainly stored in subcutaneous and intermuscular lipid sacs. In this study MRI and MRS are not only used to study internal morphology, but additionally to investigate functional morphology and to measure parameters of high ecological interest. The data are compared with literature data obtained by means of traditional ecological methods. The results from this study show that MR scans are not only an alternative to histological sections (as shown before), but even allow the visualization of particular features in delicate soft tissues, such as Pleuragramma's lipid sacs. 3D rendering techniques proved to be a useful tool to study organ volumes and lipid content, which usually requires laborious chemical lipid extraction and analysis. Moreover, the application of MRS even allows for an analysis of lipids and fatty acids within lipid sacs, which wouldn't be possible using destructive methods. MRI and MRS, in particular when used in combination, have the capacity to provide useful data on parameters of high ecological relevance and thus have proven to be a highly valuable addition, if not alternative, to the classical methods. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Whale Preservation. Grades Five to Nine.

Science.gov (United States)

Racicot, Darlene

Dedicated to the conservation and preservation of whales, dolphins, and porpoises through public education, this instructional unit for grades 5-9 provides current (1993) facts, lesson plans, activities, and conservation and preservation techniques. Interdisciplinary activities involve students in debates, critical thinking, research, and…

Medium-term cryopreservation of rabies virus samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tereza D'avila de Freitas Aguiar

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction The cryopreservation of rabies virus has been described in detail in the literature. To date, little information is available on the use of cryoprotective agents for cold preservation of this virus, and the available data focus only on short-term virus preservation. In this study, we investigated the medium-term cryopreservation of samples of rabies virus using different cryopreservation protocols. Methods The cryopreservation protocols for the rabies virus samples were performed at -20°C and were divided according to the variables of time and cryoprotectant type used. The laboratory tests (intracerebral inoculation of mice, viral titration and direct immunofluorescence were performed at regular intervals (360 and 720 days to assess the viability of the viral samples according to the different preservation techniques used. Results After 1 year of cryopreservation, the fluorescence intensity of intracellular corpuscles of the rabies virus and the median survival time of the mice differed between the positive controls and the treatments with the cryoprotectants. After 2 years, most of the samples subjected to the cryopreservation protocols (including the controls did not produce fluorescence. However, the virus samples exposed to the cryoprotectant sucrose (68% solution responded positively in the direct immunofluorescence assay and in the intracerebral inoculation of the mice. Conclusions Medium-term cryopreservation of the rabies virus inactivates the viral sample. However, the cryoprotectant agent sucrose (68% produces a preservative effect in cryopreserved rabies virus samples.

Sampling techniques for thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) in preflowering tomato.

Science.gov (United States)

Joost, P Houston; Riley, David G

2004-08-01

Sampling techniques for thrips (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) were compared in preflowering tomato plants at the Coastal Plain Experiment Station in Tifton, GA, in 2000 and 2003, to determine the most effective method of determining abundance of thrips on tomato foliage early in the growing season. Three relative sampling techniques, including a standard insect aspirator, a 946-ml beat cup, and an insect vacuum device, were compared for accuracy to an absolute method and to themselves for precision and efficiency of sampling thrips. Thrips counts of all relative sampling methods were highly correlated (R > 0.92) to the absolute method. The aspirator method was the most accurate compared with the absolute sample according to regression analysis in 2000. In 2003, all sampling methods were considered accurate according to Dunnett's test, but thrips numbers were lower and sample variation was greater than in 2000. In 2000, the beat cup method had the lowest relative variation (RV) or best precision, at 1 and 8 d after transplant (DAT). Only the beat cup method had RV values <25 for all sampling dates. In 2003, the beat cup method had the lowest RV value at 15 and 21 DAT. The beat cup method also was the most efficient method for all sample dates in both years. Frankliniella fusca (Pergande) was the most abundant thrips species on the foliage of preflowering tomato in both years of study at this location. Overall, the best thrips sampling technique tested was the beat cup method in terms of precision and sampling efficiency.

Detection, characterization and quantification of inorganic engineered nanomaterials: A review of techniques and methodological approaches for the analysis of complex samples

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Laborda, Francisco, E-mail: flaborda@unizar.es; Bolea, Eduardo; Cepriá, Gemma; Gómez, María T.; Jiménez, María S.; Pérez-Arantegui, Josefina; Castillo, Juan R.

2016-01-21

The increasing demand of analytical information related to inorganic engineered nanomaterials requires the adaptation of existing techniques and methods, or the development of new ones. The challenge for the analytical sciences has been to consider the nanoparticles as a new sort of analytes, involving both chemical (composition, mass and number concentration) and physical information (e.g. size, shape, aggregation). Moreover, information about the species derived from the nanoparticles themselves and their transformations must also be supplied. Whereas techniques commonly used for nanoparticle characterization, such as light scattering techniques, show serious limitations when applied to complex samples, other well-established techniques, like electron microscopy and atomic spectrometry, can provide useful information in most cases. Furthermore, separation techniques, including flow field flow fractionation, capillary electrophoresis and hydrodynamic chromatography, are moving to the nano domain, mostly hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry as element specific detector. Emerging techniques based on the detection of single nanoparticles by using ICP-MS, but also coulometry, are in their way to gain a position. Chemical sensors selective to nanoparticles are in their early stages, but they are very promising considering their portability and simplicity. Although the field is in continuous evolution, at this moment it is moving from proofs-of-concept in simple matrices to methods dealing with matrices of higher complexity and relevant analyte concentrations. To achieve this goal, sample preparation methods are essential to manage such complex situations. Apart from size fractionation methods, matrix digestion, extraction and concentration methods capable of preserving the nature of the nanoparticles are being developed. This review presents and discusses the state-of-the-art analytical techniques and sample preparation methods suitable for

Detection, characterization and quantification of inorganic engineered nanomaterials: A review of techniques and methodological approaches for the analysis of complex samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laborda, Francisco; Bolea, Eduardo; Cepriá, Gemma; Gómez, María T.; Jiménez, María S.; Pérez-Arantegui, Josefina; Castillo, Juan R.

2016-01-01

The increasing demand of analytical information related to inorganic engineered nanomaterials requires the adaptation of existing techniques and methods, or the development of new ones. The challenge for the analytical sciences has been to consider the nanoparticles as a new sort of analytes, involving both chemical (composition, mass and number concentration) and physical information (e.g. size, shape, aggregation). Moreover, information about the species derived from the nanoparticles themselves and their transformations must also be supplied. Whereas techniques commonly used for nanoparticle characterization, such as light scattering techniques, show serious limitations when applied to complex samples, other well-established techniques, like electron microscopy and atomic spectrometry, can provide useful information in most cases. Furthermore, separation techniques, including flow field flow fractionation, capillary electrophoresis and hydrodynamic chromatography, are moving to the nano domain, mostly hyphenated to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry as element specific detector. Emerging techniques based on the detection of single nanoparticles by using ICP-MS, but also coulometry, are in their way to gain a position. Chemical sensors selective to nanoparticles are in their early stages, but they are very promising considering their portability and simplicity. Although the field is in continuous evolution, at this moment it is moving from proofs-of-concept in simple matrices to methods dealing with matrices of higher complexity and relevant analyte concentrations. To achieve this goal, sample preparation methods are essential to manage such complex situations. Apart from size fractionation methods, matrix digestion, extraction and concentration methods capable of preserving the nature of the nanoparticles are being developed. This review presents and discusses the state-of-the-art analytical techniques and sample preparation methods suitable for

Extraction of nucleic acids from yeast cells and plant tissues using ethanol as medium for sample preservation and cell disruption.

Science.gov (United States)

Linke, Bettina; Schröder, Kersten; Arter, Juliane; Gasperazzo, Tatiana; Woehlecke, Holger; Ehwald, Rudolf

2010-09-01

Here we report that dehydrated ethanol is an excellent medium for both in situ preservation of nucleic acids and cell disruption of plant and yeast cells. Cell disruption was strongly facilitated by prior dehydration of the ethanol using dehydrated zeolite. Following removal of ethanol, nucleic acids were extracted from the homogenate pellet using denaturing buffers. The method provided DNA and RNA of high yield and integrity. Whereas cell wall disruption was essential for extraction of DNA and large RNA molecules, smaller molecules such as tRNAs could be selectively extracted from undisrupted, ethanol-treated yeast cells. Our results demonstrate the utility of absolute ethanol for sample fixation, cell membrane and cell wall disruption, as well as preservation of nucleic acids during sample storage.

[ARTHROSCOPIC STUDY OF REMNANT-PRESERVED RECONSTRUCTION OF ANTERIOR CRUCIATE LIGAMENT].

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Daifeng; Xiao, Mochao; Zhang, Yunpeng; Yan, Shi; Dong, Feng; Lian, Yongyun

2015-08-01

To investigate the value of ligament remnant preservation during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction by observing the integrity, the tension, the synovial membrane covering, and the color of the reconstructed ligament under arthroscopy. Between January 2011 and December 2013, 122 patients who underwent ACL reconstruction and arthroscopic internal fixation removal at 1 year after reconstruction were included in this study. Of these cases, 61 cases underwent ACL reconstruction using the remnant-preserved technique (preservation group); the other 61 cases underwent ACL reconstruction using non remnant-preserved technique (non preservation group). There was no significant difference in gender, age, injury side, body mass index, type of injury, the time from injury to reconstruction, and the result of KT-2000 examination between 2 groups (P > 0.05). The reconstructed ACL were observed under arthroscopy when internal fixation was removed, and the effectiveness was evaluated according to the criteria of AO Yingfang. In preservation group, the results were excellent in 34 cases, good in 22 cases, fair in 4 cases, and poor in 1 case; and in non preservation group, the results were excellent in 29 cases, good in 20 cases, fair in 10 cases, and poor in 2 cases; and there was no significant difference between 2 groups (Z= -1.320, P=0.187). In ACL reconstruction, the remnant-preserved technique is not obviously better than non remnant-preserved technique in the integrity, tension, membrane covering, and color.

Automated sampling and control of gaseous simulations

KAUST Repository

Huang, Ruoguan

2013-05-04

In this work, we describe a method that automates the sampling and control of gaseous fluid simulations. Several recent approaches have provided techniques for artists to generate high-resolution simulations based on a low-resolution simulation. However, often in applications the overall flow in the low-resolution simulation that an animator observes and intends to preserve is composed of even lower frequencies than the low resolution itself. In such cases, attempting to match the low-resolution simulation precisely is unnecessarily restrictive. We propose a new sampling technique to efficiently capture the overall flow of a fluid simulation, at the scale of user\\'s choice, in such a way that the sampled information is sufficient to represent what is virtually perceived and no more. Thus, by applying control based on the sampled data, we ensure that in the resulting high-resolution simulation, the overall flow is matched to the low-resolution simulation and the fine details on the high resolution are preserved. The samples we obtain have both spatial and temporal continuity that allows smooth keyframe matching and direct manipulation of visible elements such as smoke density through temporal blending of samples. We demonstrate that a user can easily configure a simulation with our system to achieve desired results. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.

Evaluating Ethanol-based Sample Preservation to Facilitate Use of DNA Barcoding in Routine Freshwater Biomonitoring Programs Using Benthic Macroinvertebrates

Science.gov (United States)

Molecular methods, such as DNA barcoding, have the potential in enhance biomonitoring programs worldwide. Altering routinely used sample preservation methods to protect DNA from degradation may pose a potential impediment to application of DNA barcoding and metagenomics for biom...

Comparison of contamination rates between preserved and preservative-free fluoroquinolone eyedrops.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Mo Sae; Kim, Hong Kyun; Kim, Joon Mo; Choi, Chul Young

2013-03-01

To evaluate the antimicrobial effectiveness of preservative-free fluoroquinolone products compared with benzalkonium chloride containing fluoroquinolones using the challenge test provided by the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) and the in-use test. 1. Challenge test: to compare the growth of microorganisms between different fluoroquinolone preparations, four test organisms, including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger were chosen among five microorganisms listed by USP 2004. The inoculated products were sampled for microbial survivors at days 7, 14, and 28 following initial inoculation at room temperature. The number of surviving organisms were calculated as a Log10 reduction from the original inocula. 2. In-use test: a total of 100 bottles were collected after instillation of preservative-free fluoroquinolone eyedrops in volunteer patients after 1 week of use. The remaining fluid and tips of the bottles were cultured. Colonies on the plates were counted at the end of the incubation period. All microorganisms were identified by Gram staining and biochemical assays. 1. Challenge test: preservative-free gatifloxacin and levofloxacin demonstrated a lower log reduction against A. niger than preserved fluoroquinolones and preservative-free moxifloxacin at all time points. 2. In-use test: There was no contamination identified on plates inoculated by preservative-free quinolone bottles after 1 week of use in this study. Physicians should be aware of the lower antifungal preservative effectiveness of some preservative-free fluoroquinolone preparations than preserved ones.

Use of nuclear technique in samples for agricultural purposes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oliveira, Kerley A. P. de; Sperling, Eduardo Von, E-mail: kerley@ufmg.br, E-mail: kerleyfisica@yahoo.com.br [Department of Sanitary and Environmental Engineering Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte (Brazil); Menezes, Maria Angela B. C.; Jacomino, Vanusa M.F. [Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN/CNEN-MG), Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2013-01-15

The concern related to environment is growing. Due to this, it is needed to determine chemical elements in a large range of concentration. The neutron activation technique (NAA) determines the elemental composition by the measurement of artificial radioactivity in a sample that was submitted to a neutron flux. NAA is a sensitive and accurate technique with low detection limits. An example of application of NAA was the measurement of concentrations of rare earth elements (REE) in waste samples of phosphogypsum (PG) and cerrado soil samples (clayey and sandy soils). Additionally, a soil reference material of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was also analyzed. The REE concentration in PG samples was two times higher than those found in national fertilizers, (total of 4,000 mg kg{sup -1}), 154 times greater than the values found in the sandy soil (26 mg kg{sup -1}) and 14 times greater than the in clayey soil (280 mg kg{sup -1}). The experimental results for the reference material were inside the uncertainty of the certified values pointing out the accuracy of the method (95%). The determination of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu in the samples and reference material confirmed the versatility of the technique on REE determination in soil and phosphogypsum samples that are matrices for agricultural interest. (author)

Use of nuclear technique in samples for agricultural purposes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Kerley A. P. de; Sperling, Eduardo Von; Menezes, Maria Angela B. C.; Jacomino, Vanusa M.F.

2013-01-01

The concern related to environment is growing. Due to this, it is needed to determine chemical elements in a large range of concentration. The neutron activation technique (NAA) determines the elemental composition by the measurement of artificial radioactivity in a sample that was submitted to a neutron flux. NAA is a sensitive and accurate technique with low detection limits. An example of application of NAA was the measurement of concentrations of rare earth elements (REE) in waste samples of phosphogypsum (PG) and cerrado soil samples (clayey and sandy soils). Additionally, a soil reference material of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was also analyzed. The REE concentration in PG samples was two times higher than those found in national fertilizers, (total of 4,000 mg kg -1 ), 154 times greater than the values found in the sandy soil (26 mg kg -1 ) and 14 times greater than the in clayey soil (280 mg kg -1 ). The experimental results for the reference material were inside the uncertainty of the certified values pointing out the accuracy of the method (95%). The determination of La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu in the samples and reference material confirmed the versatility of the technique on REE determination in soil and phosphogypsum samples that are matrices for agricultural interest. (author)

Development of analytical techniques for safeguards environmental samples at JAEA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakurai, Satoshi; Magara, Masaaki; Usuda, Shigekazu; Watanabe, Kazuo; Esaka, Fumitaka; Hirayama, Fumio; Lee, Chi-Gyu; Yasuda, Kenichiro; Inagawa, Jun; Suzuki, Daisuke; Iguchi, Kazunari; Kokubu, Yoko S.; Miyamoto, Yutaka; Ohzu, Akira

2007-01-01

JAEA has been developing, under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, analytical techniques for ultra-trace amounts of nuclear materials in environmental samples in order to contribute to the strengthened safeguards system. Development of essential techniques for bulk and particle analysis, as well as screening, of the environmental swipe samples has been established as ultra-trace analytical methods of uranium and plutonium. In January 2003, JAEA was qualified, including its quality control system, as a member of the JAEA network analytical laboratories for environmental samples. Since 2004, JAEA has conducted the analysis of domestic and the IAEA samples, through which JAEA's analytical capability has been verified and improved. In parallel, advanced techniques have been developed in order to expand the applicability to the samples of various elemental composition and impurities and to improve analytical accuracy and efficiency. This paper summarizes the trace of the technical development in environmental sample analysis at JAEA, and refers to recent trends of research and development in this field. (author)

TEM sample preparation by FIB for carbon nanotube interconnects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ke, Xiaoxing; Bals, Sara; Romo Negreira, Ainhoa; Hantschel, Thomas; Bender, Hugo; Van Tendeloo, Gustaaf

2009-01-01

A powerful method to study carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grown in patterned substrates for potential interconnects applications is transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, high-quality TEM samples are necessary for such a study. Here, TEM specimen preparation by focused ion beam (FIB) has been used to obtain lamellae of patterned samples containing CNTs grown inside contact holes. A dual-cap Pt protection layer and an extensive 5 kV cleaning procedure are applied in order to preserve the CNTs and avoid deterioration during milling. TEM results show that the inner shell structure of the carbon nanotubes has been preserved, which proves that focused ion beam is a useful technique to prepare TEM samples of CNT interconnects.

TEM sample preparation by FIB for carbon nanotube interconnects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ke, Xiaoxing, E-mail: xiaoxing.ke@ua.ac.be [EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Bals, Sara [EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Romo Negreira, Ainhoa [IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Metallurgy and Materials Engineering Department, KU Leuven, Kasteelpark Arenberg 44, Leuven B-3001 (Belgium); Hantschel, Thomas; Bender, Hugo [IMEC, Kapeldreef 75, B-3001 Leuven (Belgium); Van Tendeloo, Gustaaf [EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium)

2009-10-15

A powerful method to study carbon nanotubes (CNTs) grown in patterned substrates for potential interconnects applications is transmission electron microscopy (TEM). However, high-quality TEM samples are necessary for such a study. Here, TEM specimen preparation by focused ion beam (FIB) has been used to obtain lamellae of patterned samples containing CNTs grown inside contact holes. A dual-cap Pt protection layer and an extensive 5 kV cleaning procedure are applied in order to preserve the CNTs and avoid deterioration during milling. TEM results show that the inner shell structure of the carbon nanotubes has been preserved, which proves that focused ion beam is a useful technique to prepare TEM samples of CNT interconnects.

Water sampling techniques for continuous monitoring of pesticides in water

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Šunjka Dragana

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Good ecological and chemical status of water represents the most important aim of the Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, which implies respect of water quality standards at the level of entire river basin (2008/105/EC and 2013/39/EC. This especially refers to the control of pesticide residues in surface waters. In order to achieve the set goals, a continuous monitoring program that should provide a comprehensive and interrelated overview of water status should be implemented. However, it demands the use of appropriate analysis techniques. Until now, the procedure for sampling and quantification of residual pesticide quantities in aquatic environment was based on the use of traditional sampling techniques that imply periodical collecting of individual samples. However, this type of sampling provides only a snapshot of the situation in regard to the presence of pollutants in water. As an alternative, the technique of passive sampling of pollutants in water, including pesticides has been introduced. Different samplers are available for pesticide sampling in surface water, depending on compounds. The technique itself is based on keeping a device in water over a longer period of time which varies from several days to several weeks, depending on the kind of compound. In this manner, the average concentrations of pollutants dissolved in water during a time period (time-weighted average concentrations, TWA are obtained, which enables monitoring of trends in areal and seasonal variations. The use of these techniques also leads to an increase in sensitivity of analytical methods, considering that pre-concentration of analytes takes place within the sorption medium. However, the use of these techniques for determination of pesticide concentrations in real water environments requires calibration studies for the estimation of sampling rates (Rs. Rs is a volume of water per time, calculated as the product of overall mass transfer coefficient and area of

Technique of radiation polymerization in fine art conservation: a potentially new method of restoration and preservation. [Uv and electron beams

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garnett, J.L. (Univ. of New South Wales, Kensington, Australia); Major, G.

1982-01-01

The technique of using radiation polymerization for the restoration and preservation of art treasures is considered. The processes discussed include both radiation grafting and rapid cure procedures, particularly reactions initiated by uv and eb. Representative examples where the technique has already been used are treated including typical applications with paintings, tapestries, leather and archival repair. The structure of the monomers and oligomers used in both grafting and rapid cure systems is outlined. The experimental conditions where grafting may occur during radiation rapid cure processing are discussed. Possible future developments of the technique are outlined. 1 figure, 8 tables.

Evaluation on the effects of ageing factor, sampling and preservation methods on Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus noninvasive DNA amplification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chih-Chin SHIH

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Noninvasive genetic sampling allows studying wildlife without having to catch, handle or even observe individuals. In this study, factors which may affect the quality of noninvasive samples of Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus in the subtropical areas were identified. We collected hair and faecal samples from captive Asiatic black bears and quantitatively evaluated the effects of hair age (from fresh to 60 days, faeces age (from fresh to 14 days, faeces sampling locations (i.e. sample collected from either the surface, inside or a mixture of both the surface and inside of faeces, and faeces preservation methods (frozen or kept at room temperature in 95% ethanol on amplification success rates of mitochondrial DNA fragments of different sizes (450bp, 900bp, and 1600bp. The results showed that the amplification success rates decreased with sample age and amplicon size in both hair and faecal DNA. In subtropical environment, there was no significant difference between amplification success of DNA extracted from fresh and 7-day-old samples of either the hair or faeces. The amplification success rates were not influenced by sampling location of faeces. For faeces preserved in 95% ethanol, the amplification success appeared unaffected by frozen at -20 °C or kept at room temperature in shorter mtDNA fragments, but was significantly influenced when amplicon size was 1600bp. The results of this study will reinforce the optimization of noninvasive sampling approaches in Asiatic black bear research, especially in the subtropics.

Magnetic separation techniques in sample preparation for biological analysis: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Jincan; Huang, Meiying; Wang, Dongmei; Zhang, Zhuomin; Li, Gongke

2014-12-01

Sample preparation is a fundamental and essential step in almost all the analytical procedures, especially for the analysis of complex samples like biological and environmental samples. In past decades, with advantages of superparamagnetic property, good biocompatibility and high binding capacity, functionalized magnetic materials have been widely applied in various processes of sample preparation for biological analysis. In this paper, the recent advancements of magnetic separation techniques based on magnetic materials in the field of sample preparation for biological analysis were reviewed. The strategy of magnetic separation techniques was summarized. The synthesis, stabilization and bio-functionalization of magnetic nanoparticles were reviewed in detail. Characterization of magnetic materials was also summarized. Moreover, the applications of magnetic separation techniques for the enrichment of protein, nucleic acid, cell, bioactive compound and immobilization of enzyme were described. Finally, the existed problems and possible trends of magnetic separation techniques for biological analysis in the future were proposed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

EPR detection of foods preserved with ionizing radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Stachowicz, W.; Burlinska, G.; Michalik, J.

1998-06-01

The applicability of the epr technique for the detection of dried vegetables, mushrooms, some spices, flavour additives and some condiments preserved with ionizing radiation is discussed. The epr signals recorded after exposure to gamma rays and to beams of 10 MeV electrons from linac are stable, intense and specific enough as compared with those observed with nonirradiated samples and could be used for the detection of irradiation. However, stability of radiation induced epr signals produced in these foods depends on storage condition. No differences in shapes (spectral parameters) and intensities of the epr spectra recorded with samples exposed to the same doses of gamma rays ( 60Co) and 10 MeV electrons were observed

EPR detection of foods preserved with ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stachowicz, W.; Burlinska, G.; Michalik, J.

1998-01-01

The applicability of the epr technique for the detection of dried vegetables, mushrooms, some spices, flavour additives and some condiments preserved with ionizing radiation is discussed. The epr signals recorded after exposure to gamma rays and to the beams of 10 MeV electrons from linac are stable, intense and specific enough as compared with those observed with nonirradiated samples and could be used for the detection of irradiation. However, stability of radiation induced epr signals produced in these foods depends on storage condition. No differences in shapes (spectral parameters) and intensities of the epr spectra recorded with samples exposed to the same doses of gamma rays ( 60 Co) and 10 MeV electrons were observed

EPR detection of foods preserved with ionizing radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stachowicz, W.; Burlinska, G.; Michalik, J

1998-06-01

The applicability of the epr technique for the detection of dried vegetables, mushrooms, some spices, flavour additives and some condiments preserved with ionizing radiation is discussed. The epr signals recorded after exposure to gamma rays and to the beams of 10 MeV electrons from linac are stable, intense and specific enough as compared with those observed with nonirradiated samples and could be used for the detection of irradiation. However, stability of radiation induced epr signals produced in these foods depends on storage condition. No differences in shapes (spectral parameters) and intensities of the epr spectra recorded with samples exposed to the same doses of gamma rays ({sup 60}Co) and 10 MeV electrons were observed.

Survey of analysis results from preservation tests on condensation water

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hall, Bjoern (Bjoern Hall, Miljoe och Foerbraenningskemi, Onsala (Sweden))

2010-03-15

Avfall Sverige - Swedish Waste Management has together with seven waste incineration plants made a study with the purpose of examining the necessity of preservatives when analyzing process water from wet flue gas treatment. The analyzed water in this study is not water leaving the plant, but process water that has yet not undergone any water treatment. The analysis after two weeks showed that a statistically proven difference between the preserved and non-preserved samples was obtained only from mercury samples at one plant (Plant 1) and from lead samples at another (Plant 2). The difference between the values of the lead samples was, however, so small that it was easily covered by the margin of error for the analysis, and could be considered as coincidental. The differences between the values for other metals were either very small or had values that fell below the detection limit. The analysis made after six weeks also showed that there was a considerable difference between the preserved and non-preserved samples of mercury from plant 1, which confirms the trend seen in the 2 week analysis. Other samples, which were analyzed after six weeks, show that another plant (Plant 4) stands out, in that the preserved samples for most metals had considerably higher levels compared to the non-preserved samples. Plant 4 is different from other plants also when comparing 2-week samples and 6-week samples. For most metals, levels were higher in the 2-week sample. The levels of the samples were very high, in general, at this plant. Other than this there was no statistically clear difference in levels between the preserved and non-preserved samples. This test series showed that the difference between preserved and non-preserved samples was very small for most metals and at most plants. For mercury, there is a statistical and experimental difference between the preserved and non-preserved samples from plant 1. However, the difference between samples preserved in nitric acid and

The electron transport problem sampling by Monte Carlo individual collision technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Androsenko, P.A.; Belousov, V.I.

2005-01-01

The problem of electron transport is of most interest in all fields of the modern science. To solve this problem the Monte Carlo sampling has to be used. The electron transport is characterized by a large number of individual interactions. To simulate electron transport the 'condensed history' technique may be used where a large number of collisions are grouped into a single step to be sampled randomly. Another kind of Monte Carlo sampling is the individual collision technique. In comparison with condensed history technique researcher has the incontestable advantages. For example one does not need to give parameters altered by condensed history technique like upper limit for electron energy, resolution, number of sub-steps etc. Also the condensed history technique may lose some very important tracks of electrons because of its limited nature by step parameters of particle movement and due to weakness of algorithms for example energy indexing algorithm. There are no these disadvantages in the individual collision technique. This report presents some sampling algorithms of new version BRAND code where above mentioned technique is used. All information on electrons was taken from Endf-6 files. They are the important part of BRAND. These files have not been processed but directly taken from electron information source. Four kinds of interaction like the elastic interaction, the Bremsstrahlung, the atomic excitation and the atomic electro-ionization were considered. In this report some results of sampling are presented after comparison with analogs. For example the endovascular radiotherapy problem (P2) of QUADOS2002 was presented in comparison with another techniques that are usually used. (authors)

Rescue of foot-and-mouth disease viruses that are pathogenic for cattle from preserved viral RNA samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Belsham, Graham; Jamal, Syed Muhammad; Tjørnehøj, Kirsten

2011-01-01

Background: Foot and mouth disease is an economically important disease of cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, sheep and pigs. It is caused by a picornavirus, foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), which has a positive sense RNA genome which, when introduced into cells, can initiate virus...... replication. Principal Findings: A system has been developed to rescue infectious FMDV from RNA preparations generated from clinical samples obtained under experimental conditions and then applied to samples collected in the ‘‘field’’. Clinical samples from suspect cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) were...... obtained from within Pakistan and Afghanistan. The samples were treated to preserve the RNA and then transported to National Veterinary Institute, Lindholm, Denmark. Following RNA extraction, FMDV RNA was quantified by real-time RT-PCR and samples containing significant levels of FMDV RNA were introduced...

Solid Phase Microextraction and Related Techniques for Drugs in Biological Samples

OpenAIRE

Moein, Mohammad Mahdi; Said, Rana; Bassyouni, Fatma; Abdel-Rehim, Mohamed

2014-01-01

In drug discovery and development, the quantification of drugs in biological samples is an important task for the determination of the physiological performance of the investigated drugs. After sampling, the next step in the analytical process is sample preparation. Because of the low concentration levels of drug in plasma and the variety of the metabolites, the selected extraction technique should be virtually exhaustive. Recent developments of sample handling techniques are directed, from o...

Sampling from a Discrete Distribution While Preserving Monotonicity.

Science.gov (United States)

1982-02-01

in a table beforehand, this procedure, known as the inverse transform method, requires n storage spaces and EX comparisons on average, which may prove...limitations that deserve attention: a. In general, the alias method does not preserve a monotone relationship between U and X as does the inverse transform method...uses the inverse transform approach but with more information computed beforehand, as in the alias method. The proposed method is not new having been

Manipulation of biological samples using micro and nano techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Castillo, Jaime; Dimaki, Maria; Svendsen, Winnie Edith

2009-01-01

The constant interest in handling, integrating and understanding biological systems of interest for the biomedical field, the pharmaceutical industry and the biomaterial researchers demand the use of techniques that allow the manipulation of biological samples causing minimal or no damage to their natural structure. Thanks to the advances in micro- and nanofabrication during the last decades several manipulation techniques offer us the possibility to image, characterize and manipulate biological material in a controlled way. Using these techniques the integration of biomaterials with remarkable properties with physical transducers has been possible, giving rise to new and highly sensitive biosensing devices. This article reviews the different techniques available to manipulate and integrate biological materials in a controlled manner either by sliding them along a surface (2-D manipulation), by grapping them and moving them to a new position (3-D manipulation), or by manipulating and relocating them applying external forces. The advantages and drawbacks are mentioned together with examples that reflect the state of the art of manipulation techniques for biological samples (171 references).

The electron transport problem sampling by Monte Carlo individual collision technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Androsenko, P.A.; Belousov, V.I. [Obninsk State Technical Univ. of Nuclear Power Engineering, Kaluga region (Russian Federation)

2005-07-01

The problem of electron transport is of most interest in all fields of the modern science. To solve this problem the Monte Carlo sampling has to be used. The electron transport is characterized by a large number of individual interactions. To simulate electron transport the 'condensed history' technique may be used where a large number of collisions are grouped into a single step to be sampled randomly. Another kind of Monte Carlo sampling is the individual collision technique. In comparison with condensed history technique researcher has the incontestable advantages. For example one does not need to give parameters altered by condensed history technique like upper limit for electron energy, resolution, number of sub-steps etc. Also the condensed history technique may lose some very important tracks of electrons because of its limited nature by step parameters of particle movement and due to weakness of algorithms for example energy indexing algorithm. There are no these disadvantages in the individual collision technique. This report presents some sampling algorithms of new version BRAND code where above mentioned technique is used. All information on electrons was taken from Endf-6 files. They are the important part of BRAND. These files have not been processed but directly taken from electron information source. Four kinds of interaction like the elastic interaction, the Bremsstrahlung, the atomic excitation and the atomic electro-ionization were considered. In this report some results of sampling are presented after comparison with analogs. For example the endovascular radiotherapy problem (P2) of QUADOS2002 was presented in comparison with another techniques that are usually used. (authors)

NAIL SAMPLING TECHNIQUE AND ITS INTERPRETATION

OpenAIRE

TZAR MN; LEELAVATHI M

2011-01-01

The clinical suspicion of onychomyosis based on appearance of the nails, requires culture for confirmation. This is because treatment requires prolonged use of systemic agents which may cause side effects. One of the common problems encountered is improper nail sampling technique which results in loss of essential information. The unfamiliar terminologies used in reporting culture results may intimidate physicians resulting in misinterpretation and hamper treatment decision. This article prov...

Title: Microbiological quality and preservative capacity of commonly ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Dr. Mwambete

in self-pressurized containers, are usually self- preserved and are ... preparations were not included in the study. Due to limited time ... Determination of preservative capacity by cup- plate technique ..... [12] Cosmetic handbook-US. Food and.

Robust sampling-sourced numerical retrieval algorithm for optical energy loss function based on log–log mesh optimization and local monotonicity preserving Steffen spline

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Maglevanny, I.I., E-mail: sianko@list.ru [Volgograd State Social Pedagogical University, 27 Lenin Avenue, Volgograd 400131 (Russian Federation); Smolar, V.A. [Volgograd State Technical University, 28 Lenin Avenue, Volgograd 400131 (Russian Federation)

2016-01-15

We introduce a new technique of interpolation of the energy-loss function (ELF) in solids sampled by empirical optical spectra. Finding appropriate interpolation methods for ELFs poses several challenges. The sampled ELFs are usually very heterogeneous, can originate from various sources thus so called “data gaps” can appear, and significant discontinuities and multiple high outliers can be present. As a result an interpolation based on those data may not perform well at predicting reasonable physical results. Reliable interpolation tools, suitable for ELF applications, should therefore satisfy several important demands: accuracy and predictive power, robustness and computational efficiency, and ease of use. We examined the effect on the fitting quality due to different interpolation schemes with emphasis on ELF mesh optimization procedures and we argue that the optimal fitting should be based on preliminary log–log scaling data transforms by which the non-uniformity of sampled data distribution may be considerably reduced. The transformed data are then interpolated by local monotonicity preserving Steffen spline. The result is a piece-wise smooth fitting curve with continuous first-order derivatives that passes through all data points without spurious oscillations. Local extrema can occur only at grid points where they are given by the data, but not in between two adjacent grid points. It is found that proposed technique gives the most accurate results and also that its computational time is short. Thus, it is feasible using this simple method to address practical problems associated with interaction between a bulk material and a moving electron. A compact C++ implementation of our algorithm is also presented.

Robust sampling-sourced numerical retrieval algorithm for optical energy loss function based on log–log mesh optimization and local monotonicity preserving Steffen spline

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maglevanny, I.I.; Smolar, V.A.

2016-01-01

We introduce a new technique of interpolation of the energy-loss function (ELF) in solids sampled by empirical optical spectra. Finding appropriate interpolation methods for ELFs poses several challenges. The sampled ELFs are usually very heterogeneous, can originate from various sources thus so called “data gaps” can appear, and significant discontinuities and multiple high outliers can be present. As a result an interpolation based on those data may not perform well at predicting reasonable physical results. Reliable interpolation tools, suitable for ELF applications, should therefore satisfy several important demands: accuracy and predictive power, robustness and computational efficiency, and ease of use. We examined the effect on the fitting quality due to different interpolation schemes with emphasis on ELF mesh optimization procedures and we argue that the optimal fitting should be based on preliminary log–log scaling data transforms by which the non-uniformity of sampled data distribution may be considerably reduced. The transformed data are then interpolated by local monotonicity preserving Steffen spline. The result is a piece-wise smooth fitting curve with continuous first-order derivatives that passes through all data points without spurious oscillations. Local extrema can occur only at grid points where they are given by the data, but not in between two adjacent grid points. It is found that proposed technique gives the most accurate results and also that its computational time is short. Thus, it is feasible using this simple method to address practical problems associated with interaction between a bulk material and a moving electron. A compact C++ implementation of our algorithm is also presented.

Development of food preservation and processing techniques by radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Byun, Myung Woo; Yook, Hong Sun; Lee, Ju Woon and others

2000-03-01

Development of food preservation and processing techniques by radiation was performed. Gamm irradiation at 5 kGy completely eliminated pathogenic bacteria in pork and chicken meats. Gamma irradiation at such doses and subsequent storage at less than 4 deg C could ensure hygienic quality and prolong the microbiological shelf-life resulting from the reduction of spoilage microorganisms. Pork loin ham with desirable color was also developed without using of sodium nitrite that is known as a carcinogen. Safety tests of gamma-irradiated meats in areas such as genotoxicity, acute toxicity, four-week oral toxicity, rat hepatocarcinogenesis and the antioxidative defense system, were not affected by gamma irradiation. Gamma irradiation at about 1 kGy completely eliminated the parasites in foods and drinking water. In the study of quarantine treatment of apple and pear for export by gamma irradiation, current fumigation(MBr) was perfect in its disinfesting capability, but it caused detrimental effects on the physical quality of apple and pear. However, irradiation doses at 1-3 kGy was suitable for controlling pests and did not induce any significant changes in the quality of the products. The result of the survey to assess the public understanding indicated that the irradiated food had somewhat negative impression to general public. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a public education and information program by using mass communication and by constructing communication system to obtain the enhanced impression from the general public

Development of food preservation and processing techniques by radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Byun, Myung Woo; Yook, Hong Sun; Lee, Ju Woon and others

2000-03-01

Development of food preservation and processing techniques by radiation was performed. Gamm irradiation at 5 kGy completely eliminated pathogenic bacteria in pork and chicken meats. Gamma irradiation at such doses and subsequent storage at less than 4 deg C could ensure hygienic quality and prolong the microbiological shelf-life resulting from the reduction of spoilage microorganisms. Pork loin ham with desirable color was also developed without using of sodium nitrite that is known as a carcinogen. Safety tests of gamma-irradiated meats in areas such as genotoxicity, acute toxicity, four-week oral toxicity, rat hepatocarcinogenesis and the antioxidative defense system, were not affected by gamma irradiation. Gamma irradiation at about 1 kGy completely eliminated the parasites in foods and drinking water. In the study of quarantine treatment of apple and pear for export by gamma irradiation, current fumigation(MBr) was perfect in its disinfesting capability, but it caused detrimental effects on the physical quality of apple and pear. However, irradiation doses at 1-3 kGy was suitable for controlling pests and did not induce any significant changes in the quality of the products. The result of the survey to assess the public understanding indicated that the irradiated food had somewhat negative impression to general public. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a public education and information program by using mass communication and by constructing communication system to obtain the enhanced impression from the general public.

Effect of Preservative Treatment on Fungal Colonization of Teak, Redwood, and Western Red Cedar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cabrera Orozco, Yohanna; Freitag, F.; Morrell, Jeffrey J.

Fungal flora present in preservative treated samples or non-treated samples from sapwood and heartwood of teak, western red cedar, redwood, and southern yellow pine was assessed after 6 to 18 months of exposure near Hilo, Hawaii. The objectives were to compare fungal composition and diversity...... between treated and non-treated samples, and to examine the use of molecular techniques for assessing fungal community structure in a ground-proximity-test located in Hilo, Hawaii. Fungi were recovered in culture after 6, 12, or 18 months, yielding 178 unique DNA sequences that represented 85 taxa...

Methods for preservation and extension of shelf life.

Science.gov (United States)

Gould, G W

1996-11-01

There is potential for spoilage of all foods at some rate or other following harvest, slaughter or manufacture and spoilage may occur at any of the stages between the acquisition of raw materials and the eventual consumption of a food product. These stages include processing, packaging, distribution, retail display, transport, storage and use by the consumer. They are under varying degrees of control that aim to deliver a satisfactory shelf life, to ensure that the finally-consumed product is of high quality and to ensure that it is safe. Spoilage may be caused by a wide range of reactions including some that are essentially physical, some that are chemical, some enzymic and some microbiological. The various forms of microbiological spoilage are preventable to a large degree by a wide range of preservation techniques, most of which act by preventing or inhibiting microbial growth (e.g., chilling, freezing, drying, curing, conserving, vacuum packing, modified atmosphere packing, acidifying, fermenting and adding preservatives). A smaller number of techniques act by inactivating microorganisms (e.g., pasteurization, sterilization and irradiation). Additional techniques restrict the access of microorganisms to products (e.g., aseptic processing and packaging. A major trend is that new and emerging preservation techniques which are coming into use or are under development include more that act by inactivation (e.g., ultrahigh pressure, electroporation, manothermosonication and addition of bacteriolytic enzymes). A further trend is towards the use of procedures that deliver products that are less heavily preserved, have higher quality, are more natural, freer from additives and nutritionally healthier. Less severe preservation procedures are therefore being developed that make use of preservative factors in combinations to deliver (a) less damage to product quality (hurdle technologies); (b) new methods of heating that are better controlled and therefore deliver milder

Preservation of archaeological artefacts by γ-ray induced polymerization technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gueven, O.

1983-01-01

For the preservation and consolidation of archaeological artefacts irradiation of these objects with γ-rays seems to be a very promising method. In situ polymerization of monomers impregnated in the capillaries and cavities of the objects by γ-rays provides a simultaneous sterilization and consolidation effect. In the present work this method of preservation is applied to some XIIth century ceramic findings belonging to Seljuk period found in South-East Anatolia. Monomer impregnation is restricted to the surfaces of the objects. The colored figures and structures which are present but not perceptible on these objects became fully apparent upon polymerizing hydrophilic monomers on their surfaces. Crosslinking of the top polymer layer further provides a permanent protection of the substrate material. (author)

Sulfur geochemistry of hydrothermal waters in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. III. An anion-exchange resin technique for sampling and preservation of sulfoxyanions in natural waters

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ball James W

2003-06-01

Full Text Available A sampling protocol for the retention, extraction, and analysis of sulfoxyanions in hydrothermal waters has been developed in the laboratory and tested at Yellowstone National Park and Green Lake, NY. Initial laboratory testing of the anion-exchange resin Bio-Rad™ AG1-X8 indicated that the resin was well suited for the sampling, preservation, and extraction of sulfate and thiosulfate. Synthetic solutions containing sulfate and thiosulfate were passed through AG1-X8 resin columns and eluted with 1 and 3 M KCl, respectively. Recovery ranged from 89 to 100%. Comparison of results for water samples collected from five pools in Yellowstone National Park between on-site IC analysis (U.S. Geological Survey mobile lab and IC analysis of resin-stored sample at SUNY-Stony Brook indicates 96 to 100% agreement for three pools (Cinder, Cistern, and an unnamed pool near Cistern and 76 and 63% agreement for two pools (Sulfur Dust and Frying Pan. Attempts to extract polythionates from the AG1-X8 resin were made using HCl solutions, but were unsuccessful. Bio-Rad™ AG2-X8, an anion-exchange resin with weaker binding sites than the AG1-X8 resin, is better suited for polythionate extraction. Sulfate and thiosulfate extraction with this resin has been accomplished with KCl solutions of 0.1 and 0.5 M, respectively. Trithionate and tetrathionate can be extracted with 4 M KCl. Higher polythionates can be extracted with 9 M hydrochloric acid. Polythionate concentrations can then be determined directly using ion chromatographic methods, and laboratory results indicate recovery of up to 90% for synthetic polythionate solutions using AG2-X8 resin columns.

Pasteurization: A reliable method for preservation of nutrient in seawater samples for inter-laboratory and field applications

OpenAIRE

Daniel, Anne; Kerouel, Roger; Aminot, Alain

2012-01-01

Following previous work, the production of reference material for nutrients in seawater, using pasteurization as a preservation method, was carried out seven times between 2006 and 2010 in the framework of inter-laboratory exercises. The preparation of samples from natural seawater allowed to become depleted in nutrients then spiked, bottled and pasteurized, is described. Five main nutrients are involved in this study: ammonium, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and silicate. Bottles are in glass f...

Hearing Preservation in Cochlear Implant Surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Priscila Carvalho Miranda

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In the past, it was thought that hearing loss patients with residual low-frequency hearing would not be good candidates for cochlear implantation since insertion was expected to induce inner ear trauma. Recent advances in electrode design and surgical techniques have made the preservation of residual low-frequency hearing achievable and desirable. The importance of preserving residual low-frequency hearing cannot be underestimated in light of the added benefit of hearing in noisy atmospheres and in music quality. The concept of electrical and acoustic stimulation involves electrically stimulating the nonfunctional, high-frequency region of the cochlea with a cochlear implant and applying a hearing aid in the low-frequency range. The principle of preserving low-frequency hearing by a “soft surgery” cochlear implantation could also be useful to the population of children who might profit from regenerative hair cell therapy in the future. Main aspects of low-frequency hearing preservation surgery are discussed in this review: its brief history, electrode design, principles and advantages of electric-acoustic stimulation, surgical technique, and further implications of this new treatment possibility for hearing impaired patients.

Preservation of almonds by ionizing radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trabelsi, M.

1997-01-01

During two months, a series of experiments was carried out to highlight the effects of preservation by ionizing radiation of a variety of Tunisian almonds. This technique was proved correct for doses less than 1 KGy. Nevertheless, this technique may be harmful to proteins.(author)

Direct-to-PCR tissue preservation for DNA profiling.

Science.gov (United States)

Sorensen, Amy; Berry, Clare; Bruce, David; Gahan, Michelle Elizabeth; Hughes-Stamm, Sheree; McNevin, Dennis

2016-05-01

Disaster victim identification (DVI) often occurs in remote locations with extremes of temperatures and humidities. Access to mortuary facilities and refrigeration are not always available. An effective and robust DNA sampling and preservation procedure would increase the probability of successful DNA profiling and allow faster repatriation of bodies and body parts. If the act of tissue preservation also released DNA into solution, ready for polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the DVI process could be further streamlined. In this study, we explored the possibility of obtaining DNA profiles without DNA extraction, by adding aliquots of preservative solutions surrounding fresh human muscle and decomposing human muscle and skin tissue samples directly to PCR. The preservatives consisted of two custom preparations and two proprietary solutions. The custom preparations were a salt-saturated solution of dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) with ethylenediaminetetraacetic (EDTA) and TENT buffer (Tris, EDTA, NaCl, Tween 20). The proprietary preservatives were DNAgard (Biomatrica(®)) and Tissue Stabilising Kit (DNA Genotek). We obtained full PowerPlex(®) 21 (Promega) and GlobalFiler(®) (Life Technologies) DNA profiles from fresh and decomposed tissue preserved at 35 °C for up to 28 days for all four preservatives. The preservative aliquots removed from the fresh muscle tissue samples had been stored at -80 °C for 4 years, indicating that long-term archival does not diminish the probability of successful DNA typing. Rather, storage at -80 °C seems to reduce PCR inhibition.

Comparison of sample preparation procedures on metal(loid) fractionation patterns in lichens.

Science.gov (United States)

Kroukamp, E M; Godeto, T W; Forbes, P B C

2017-08-13

The effects of different sample preparation strategies and storage on metal(loid) fractionation trends in plant material is largely underresearched. In this study, a bulk sample of lichen Parmotrema austrosinense (Zahlbr.) Hale was analysed for its total extractable metal(loid) content by ICP-MS, and was determined to be adequately homogenous (sample were prepared utilising a range of sample preservation techniques and subjected to a modified sequential extraction procedure or to total metal extraction. Both experiments were repeated after 1-month storage at 4 °C. Cryogenic freezing gave the best reproducibility for total extractable elemental concentrations between months, indicating this to be the most suitable method of sample preparation in such studies. The combined extraction efficiencies were >82% for As, Cu, Mn, Pb, Sr and Zn but poor for other elements, where sample preparation strategies 'no sample preparation' and 'dried in a desiccator' had the best extraction recoveries. Cryogenic freezing procedures had a significantly (p sample cleaning and preservation when species fractionation patterns are of interest. This study also shows that the assumption that species stability can be ensured through cryopreservation and freeze drying techniques needs to be revisited.

Sampling method of environmental radioactivity monitoring

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-01-01

This manual provides sampling methods of environmental samples of airborne dust, precipitated dust, precipitated water (rain or snow), fresh water, soil, river sediment or lake sediment, discharged water from a nuclear facility, grains, tea, milk, pasture grass, limnetic organisms, daily diet, index organisms, sea water, marine sediment, marine organisms, and that for tritium and radioiodine determination for radiation monitoring from radioactive fallout or radioactivity release by nuclear facilities. This manual aims at the presentation of standard sampling procedures for environmental radioactivity monitoring regardless of monitoring objectives, and shows preservation method of environmental samples acquired at the samplingpoint for radiation counting for those except human body. Sampling techniques adopted in this manual is decided by the criteria that they are suitable for routine monitoring and any special skillfulness is not necessary. Based on the above-mentioned principle, this manual presents outline and aims of sampling, sampling position or object, sampling quantity, apparatus, equipment or vessel for sampling, sampling location, sampling procedures, pretreatment and preparation procedures of a sample for radiation counting, necessary recording items for sampling and sample transportation procedures. Special attention is described in the chapter of tritium and radioiodine because these radionuclides might be lost by the above-mentioned sample preservation method for radiation counting of less volatile radionuclides than tritium or radioiodine. (Takagi, S.)

Cold storage as a method for the long-term preservation of tropical dissolved organic carbon (DOC

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Cook

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Fluvial fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC may represent an important loss for terrestrial carbon stores in the tropics. However, there is currently limited guidance on the preservation of tropical water samples for DOC analysis. Commonly employed preservation techniques such as freezing or acidification can limit degradation but may also alter sample properties, complicating DOC analysis. We examined the effects of cold storage at 4 °C on DOC concentration and quality in water samples collected from a tropical peat catchment. Samples were stored in the dark at 4 °C for periods of 6–12 weeks. Freeze/thaw experiments were also made. Mean DOC concentrations in samples stored for six weeks at 4 °C were 6.1 % greater than in samples stored at ambient room temperature (33 °C over the same period. Changes in DOC concentrations, in two sample sets, during cold storage were 2.25 ± 2.9 mg L-1 (8 % to 2.69 ± 1.4 mg L-1 (11 % over a 12-week period. Freeze/thaw resulted in alterations in the optical properties of samples, and this in turn altered the calculated DOC concentrations by an average of 10.9 %. We conclude that cold storage at 4 °C is an acceptable preservation method for tropical DOC water samples, for moderate time periods, and is preferable to freezing or storage at ambient temperatures.

Application of the Sampling Selection Technique in Approaching Financial Audit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Victor Munteanu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In his professional approach, the financial auditor has a wide range of working techniques, including selection techniques. They are applied depending on the nature of the information available to the financial auditor, the manner in which they are presented - paper or electronic format, and, last but not least, the time available. Several techniques are applied, successively or in parallel, to increase the safety of the expressed opinion and to provide the audit report with a solid basis of information. Sampling is used in the phase of control or clarification of the identified error. The main purpose is to corroborate or measure the degree of risk detected following a pertinent analysis. Since the auditor does not have time or means to thoroughly rebuild the information, the sampling technique can provide an effective response to the need for valorization.

Improved multi-microphone noise reduction preserving binaural cues

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Koutrouvelis, A.; Hendriks, R.C.; Jensen, J; Heusdens, R.; Dong, Min; Zheng, Thomas Fang

2016-01-01

We propose a new multi-microphone noise reduction technique for binaural cue preservation of the desired source and the interferers. This method is based on the linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) framework, where the constraints are used for the binaural cue preservation of the desired

Effects of preservation methods of muscle tissue from upper-trophic level reef fishes on stable isotope values (δ (13)C and δ (15)N).

Science.gov (United States)

Stallings, Christopher D; Nelson, James A; Rozar, Katherine L; Adams, Charles S; Wall, Kara R; Switzer, Theodore S; Winner, Brent L; Hollander, David J

2015-01-01

Research that uses stable isotope analysis often involves a delay between sample collection in the field and laboratory processing, therefore requiring preservation to prevent or reduce tissue degradation and associated isotopic compositions. Although there is a growing literature describing the effects of various preservation techniques, the results are often contextual, unpredictable and vary among taxa, suggesting the need to treat each species individually. We conducted a controlled experiment to test the effects of four preservation methods of muscle tissue from four species of upper trophic-level reef fish collected from the eastern Gulf of Mexico (Red Grouper Epinephelus morio, Gag Mycteroperca microlepis, Scamp Mycteroperca phenax, and Red Snapper Lutjanus campechanus). We used a paired design to measure the effects on isotopic values for carbon and nitrogen after storage using ice, 95% ethanol, and sodium chloride (table salt), against that in a liquid nitrogen control. Mean offsets for both δ (13)C and δ (15)N values from controls were lowest for samples preserved on ice, intermediate for those preserved with salt, and highest with ethanol. Within species, both salt and ethanol significantly enriched the δ (15)N values in nearly all comparisons. Ethanol also had strong effects on the δ (13)C values in all three groupers. Conversely, for samples preserved on ice, we did not detect a significant offset in either isotopic ratio for any of the focal species. Previous studies have addressed preservation-induced offsets in isotope values using a mass balance correction that accounts for changes in the isotope value to that in the C/N ratio. We tested the application of standard mass balance corrections for isotope values that were significantly affected by the preservation methods and found generally poor agreement between corrected and control values. The poor performance by the correction may have been due to preferential loss of lighter isotopes and

Dipole field measurement technique utilizing the Faraday rotation effect in polarization preserving optical fibers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haddock, C.; Tong, M.Y.M.

1989-10-01

TRIUMF is presently in the project definition stage of its proposed KAON factory. The facility will require approximately 300 dipole magnets. The rapid measurement of representative parameters of these magnets, in particular effective length, is one of the challenges to be met. As well as the commissioning of a.c magnetic field measurement systems based on established techniques a project is underway to investigate an alternative method utilizing the Faraday Rotation effect in polarization preserving optical fibers. It is shown that a fiber equivalent to a Faraday cell can be constructed by winding a fiber in a such a way that the induced beat length L p is equal to (2n+1) times the bending circumference, with n integer. Background to the subject and preliminary results of the measurements are reported in this paper

GAIN RATIO BASED FEATURE SELECTION METHOD FOR PRIVACY PRESERVATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R. Praveena Priyadarsini

2011-04-01

Full Text Available Privacy-preservation is a step in data mining that tries to safeguard sensitive information from unsanctioned disclosure and hence protecting individual data records and their privacy. There are various privacy preservation techniques like k-anonymity, l-diversity and t-closeness and data perturbation. In this paper k-anonymity privacy protection technique is applied to high dimensional datasets like adult and census. since, both the data sets are high dimensional, feature subset selection method like Gain Ratio is applied and the attributes of the datasets are ranked and low ranking attributes are filtered to form new reduced data subsets. K-anonymization privacy preservation technique is then applied on reduced datasets. The accuracy of the privacy preserved reduced datasets and the original datasets are compared for their accuracy on the two functionalities of data mining namely classification and clustering using naïve Bayesian and k-means algorithm respectively. Experimental results show that classification and clustering accuracy are comparatively the same for reduced k-anonym zed datasets and the original data sets.

Sulfur geochemistry of hydrothermal waters in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, USA. III. An anion-exchange resin technique for sampling and preservation of sulfoxyanions in natural waters

Science.gov (United States)

Druschel, G.K.; Schoonen, M.A.A.; Nordstorm, D.K.; Ball, J.W.; Xu, Y.; Cohn, C.A.

2003-01-01

A sampling protocol for the retention, extraction, and analysis of sulfoxyanions in hydrothermal waters has been developed in the laboratory and tested at Yellowstone National Park and Green Lake, NY. Initial laboratory testing of the anion-exchange resin Bio-Rad??? AG1-X8 indicated that the resin was well suited for the sampling, preservation, and extraction of sulfate and thiosulfate. Synthetic solutions containing sulfate and thiosulfate were passed through AG1-X8 resin columns and eluted with 1 and 3 M KCl, respectively. Recovery ranged from 89 to 100%. Comparison of results for water samples collected from five pools in Yellowstone National Park between on-site IC analysis (U.S. Geological Survey mobile lab) and IC analysis of resin-stored sample at SUNY-Stony Brook indicates 96 to 100% agreement for three pools (Cinder, Cistern, and an unnamed pool near Cistern) and 76 and 63% agreement for two pools (Sulfur Dust and Frying Pan). Attempts to extract polythionates from the AG1-X8 resin were made using HCl solutions, but were unsuccessful. Bio-Rad??? AG2-X8, an anion-exchange resin with weaker binding sites than the AG1-X8 resin, is better suited for polythionate extraction. Sulfate and thiosulfate extraction with this resin has been accomplished with KCl solutions of 0.1 and 0.5 M, respectively. Trithionate and tetrathionate can be extracted with 4 M KCl. Higher polythionates can be extracted with 9 M hydrochloric acid. Polythionate concentrations can then be determined directly using ion chromatographic methods, and laboratory results indicate recovery of up to 90% for synthetic polythionate solutions using AG2-X8 resin columns. ?? The Royal Society of Chemistry and the Division of Geochemistry of the American Chemical Society 2003.

Nuclear analytical techniques and their application to environmental samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lieser, K.H.

1986-01-01

A survey is given on nuclear analytical techniques and their application to environmental samples. Measurement of the inherent radioactivity of elements or radionuclides allows determination of natural radioelements (e.g. Ra), man-made radioelements (e.g. Pu) and radionuclides in the environment. Activation analysis, in particular instrumental neutron activation analysis, is a very reliable and sensitive method for determination of a great number of trace elements in environmental samples, because the most abundant main constituents are not activated. Tracer techniques are very useful for studies of the behaviour and of chemical reactions of trace elements and compounds in the environment. Radioactive sources are mainly applied for excitation of characteristic X-rays (X-ray fluorescence analysis). (author)

Preservation and reactivation of Candidatus Jettenia asiatica and Anammoxoglobus propionicus using different preservative agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Viancelli, A; Pra, M C; Scussiato, L A; Cantão, M; Ibelli, A M G; Kunz, A

2017-11-01

Anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) bacteria have peculiar characteristics that make them difficult to cultivate. The conservation of these microorganisms in culture collections or laboratories requires successful preservation and reactivation techniques. Furthermore, studies have shown that successful reactivation may be preservative dependent. Considering this, the present study aimed to evaluate the preservation and reactivation of anammox consortia enriched from swine manure treatment lagoons, by using different preservative agents at different temperatures: KNO 3 (at 4 °C), glycerol (-20 °C, -80 °C), and skimmed cow milk (-20 °C, -80 °C, -200 °C). After 4 months, the biomass was thawed (except for KNO 3 ), and the reestablishment of anammox activity was evaluated by stoichiometric coefficients. Microbial community transformation during the reactivation process was also studied by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The results showed that the anammox biomass preserved with glycerol or skimmed cow milk at -80 °C recovered activity, while the biomass preserved with other methodologies did not reestablish activity during the studied time (90 days). The bacterial community from the biomass with anammox activity was characterized and showed the presence of Candidatus Brocadia anammoxidans, Candidatus Jettenia asiatica, and Candidatus Anammoxoglobus propionicus. Preservation with skimmed cow milk at -80 °C favored the selection of Candidatus Anammoxoglobus propionicus, while preservation with glycerol at -80 °C was successful for Candidatus Jettenia asiatica. The present study was effective on anammox sludge preservation and reactivation using low-cost processes for anammox cultures preservation, which is important for biomass transport and deammonification reactor start up. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The gamma-ray radiation preservation technology for files and books

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fan Chengfa; Tian Kaizen; Zhang Yunlu; Gan Saohan; Wang Zhengfu; Xiang Jiafang

1988-01-01

In this paper, a radiation appliance using CO-60 Gamma-ray to preserve the files and books is introduced. The lump and transport radiation techniques for processing files and books with this radiation appliance is described. The cost of preserving files and books with this method has been estimated. Comparison of this method with other processing techniques has been taken. (author)

Production and preservation of platelet concentrates. Evaluation of elutruation technigue and advanced preservation technologies.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Elias-Elias, Mona K.

1991-01-01

This thesis includes various studies on improving the collection and preservation of the platelet product, The conventional differential centrifugation method of platelet isolation, witch quantitatively is the common source of platelet supply, has several shortcomings. The technique depends solely

Micro and Nano Techniques for the Handling of Biological Samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Micro and Nano Techniques for the Handling of Biological Samples reviews the different techniques available to manipulate and integrate biological materials in a controlled manner, either by sliding them along a surface (2-D manipulation), or by gripping and moving them to a new position (3-D...

Food preservation by irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oztasiran, I.

1984-01-01

Irradiation is a physical process for treating food and as such it is comparable to other processing techniques such as heating or freezing foods for preservation. The energy level used in food irradiation is always below that producing radioactivity in the treated food, hence this aspect can be totally excluded in wholesomeness evaluations. Water is readily ionized and may be the primary source of ionization in foods with secondary effects on other molecules, possibly more a result of water ionization than of direct hits. In the presence of oxygen, highly reactive compounds may be produced, such as H, H 3 0+ and H 2 O 2 . Radiation at the energy flux levels used for food (<2 MeV) does not induce radioactivity. Food irradiation applications are already technically and economically feasible and that food so treated is suitable for consumption. Food irradiation techniques can play an important role for an improved preservation, storage and distribution of food products. (author)

Radiation preservation of maize

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wasito.

1980-01-01

Radiation preservation of maize was carried out. Radiation doses and sources, shielding materials, packaging materials, chemical radiation effects, biological radiation effects, were discussed. Experimental methods, samples and accessories were also presented. (SMN)

Methodological integrative review of the work sampling technique used in nursing workload research.

Science.gov (United States)

Blay, Nicole; Duffield, Christine M; Gallagher, Robyn; Roche, Michael

2014-11-01

To critically review the work sampling technique used in nursing workload research. Work sampling is a technique frequently used by researchers and managers to explore and measure nursing activities. However, work sampling methods used are diverse making comparisons of results between studies difficult. Methodological integrative review. Four electronic databases were systematically searched for peer-reviewed articles published between 2002-2012. Manual scanning of reference lists and Rich Site Summary feeds from contemporary nursing journals were other sources of data. Articles published in the English language between 2002-2012 reporting on research which used work sampling to examine nursing workload. Eighteen articles were reviewed. The review identified that the work sampling technique lacks a standardized approach, which may have an impact on the sharing or comparison of results. Specific areas needing a shared understanding included the training of observers and subjects who self-report, standardization of the techniques used to assess observer inter-rater reliability, sampling methods and reporting of outcomes. Work sampling is a technique that can be used to explore the many facets of nursing work. Standardized reporting measures would enable greater comparison between studies and contribute to knowledge more effectively. Author suggestions for the reporting of results may act as guidelines for researchers considering work sampling as a research method. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Fertility preservation 2

Science.gov (United States)

De Vos, Michel; Smitz, Johan; Woodruff, Teresa K

2014-01-01

Enhanced long-term survival rates of young women with cancer and advances in reproductive medicine and cryobiology have culminated in an increased interest in fertility preservation methods in girls and young women with cancer. Present data suggest that young patients with cancer should be referred for fertility preservation counselling quickly to help with their coping process. Although the clinical application of novel developments, including oocyte vitrification and oocyte maturation in vitro, has resulted in reasonable success rates in assisted reproduction programmes, experience with these techniques in the setting of fertility preservation is in its infancy. It is hoped that these and other approaches, some of which are still regarded as experimental (eg, ovarian tissue cryopreservation, pharmacological protection against gonadotoxic agents, in-vitro follicle growth, and follicle transplantation) will be optimised and become established within the next decade. Unravelling the complex mechanisms of activation and suppression of follicle growth will not only expand the care of thousands of women diagnosed with cancer, but also inform the care of millions of women confronted with reduced reproductive fitness because of ageing. PMID:25283571

Systematic comparison of static and dynamic headspace sampling techniques for gas chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Kremser, Andreas; Jochmann, Maik A; Schmidt, Torsten C

2016-09-01

Six automated, headspace-based sample preparation techniques were used to extract volatile analytes from water with the goal of establishing a systematic comparison between commonly available instrumental alternatives. To that end, these six techniques were used in conjunction with the same gas chromatography instrument for analysis of a common set of volatile organic carbon (VOC) analytes. The methods were thereby divided into three classes: static sampling (by syringe or loop), static enrichment (SPME and PAL SPME Arrow), and dynamic enrichment (ITEX and trap sampling). For PAL SPME Arrow, different sorption phase materials were also included in the evaluation. To enable an effective comparison, method detection limits (MDLs), relative standard deviations (RSDs), and extraction yields were determined and are discussed for all techniques. While static sampling techniques exhibited sufficient extraction yields (approx. 10-20 %) to be reliably used down to approx. 100 ng L(-1), enrichment techniques displayed extraction yields of up to 80 %, resulting in MDLs down to the picogram per liter range. RSDs for all techniques were below 27 %. The choice on one of the different instrumental modes of operation (aforementioned classes) was thereby the most influential parameter in terms of extraction yields and MDLs. Individual methods inside each class showed smaller deviations, and the least influences were observed when evaluating different sorption phase materials for the individual enrichment techniques. The option of selecting specialized sorption phase materials may, however, be more important when analyzing analytes with different properties such as high polarity or the capability of specific molecular interactions. Graphical Abstract PAL SPME Arrow during the extraction of volatile analytes from the headspace of an aqueous sample.

Ancylostoma caninum: calibration and comparison of diagnostic accuracy of flotation in tube, McMaster and FLOTAC in faecal samples of dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Cringoli, Giuseppe; Rinaldi, Laura; Maurelli, Maria Paola; Morgoglione, Maria Elena; Musella, Vincenzo; Utzinger, Jürg

2011-05-01

We performed a calibration of flotation in tube, McMaster and FLOTAC to determine the optimal flotation solution (FS) and the influence of faecal preservation for the diagnosis of Ancylostoma caninum in dogs, and compared the accuracy of the three copromicroscopic techniques. Among nine different FS, sodium chloride and sodium nitrate performed best for detection and quantification of A. caninum eggs. Faecal samples, either fresh or preserved in formalin 5%, resulted in higher A. caninum egg counts, compared to frozen samples or preserved in formalin 10% or sodium acetate-acetic acid-formalin. FLOTAC consistently resulted in higher A. caninum eggs per gram of faeces (EPG) and lower coefficient of variation (CV) than McMaster and flotation in tube. The best results in terms of mean faecal egg counts (highest value, i.e. 117.0EPG) and CV (lowest value, i.e. 4.8%) were obtained with FLOTAC using sodium chloride and faecal samples preserved in formalin 5%. Our findings suggest that the FLOTAC technique should be considered for the diagnosis of A. caninum in dogs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of chemical preservation on the shelf-life of bottled ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Six samples of bottled intermediate moisture tomato paste were stored at ambient conditions (33-38°C). Four of the samples were preserved with chemicals. One of the last two samples which was bottled with no chemical preservatives added had palm oil filled onto its headspace. Shelf-like studies conducted for forty weeks ...

Cancer and fertility: strategies to preserve fertility.

Science.gov (United States)

Diedrich, K; Fauser, B C J M; Devroey, P

2011-03-01

Fertility preservation is a key component of cancer management in young people. The Fourth Evian Annual Reproduction Workshop Meeting was held in April 2009 to discuss cancer and fertility in young adults. Specialists in oncology, assisted reproduction, embryology and clinical genetics presented published data and ongoing research on cancer and fertility, with particular focus on strategies to preserve fertility. This report is based on the expert presentations and group discussions, supplemented with publications from literature searches and the authors' knowledge. Fertility preservation should be considered for all young people undergoing potentially gonadotoxic cancer treatment. A variety of options are required to facilitate safe and effective fertility preservation for individual patients. Sperm banking is a simple and low-cost intervention. Embryo cryopreservation is the only established method of female fertility preservation. Oocyte cryopreservation offers a useful option for women without a male partner. Emergency ovarian stimulation and cryopreservation of ovarian tissue (followed by tissue transplantation or in-vitro maturation of oocytes) are experimental techniques for women who require urgent cancer treatment. Further prospective studies are required to validate cryopreservation of oocytes and ovarian tissue, in-vitro maturation of oocytes and new vitrification techniques and to identify any long-term sequelae of slow freezing of embryos. Copyright © 2010 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

RF Sub-sampling Receiver Architecture based on Milieu Adapting Techniques

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Behjou, Nastaran; Larsen, Torben; Jensen, Ole Kiel

2012-01-01

A novel sub-sampling based architecture is proposed which has the ability of reducing the problem of image distortion and improving the signal to noise ratio significantly. The technique is based on sensing the environment and adapting the sampling rate of the receiver to the best possible...

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2006-01-01

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

Improved importance sampling technique for efficient simulation of digital communication systems

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Dingqing; Yao, Kung

1988-01-01

A new, improved importance sampling (IIS) approach to simulation is considered. Some basic concepts of IS are introduced, and detailed evolutions of simulation estimation variances for Monte Carlo (MC) and IS simulations are given. The general results obtained from these evolutions are applied to the specific previously known conventional importance sampling (CIS) technique and the new IIS technique. The derivation for a linear system with no signal random memory is considered in some detail. For the CIS technique, the optimum input scaling parameter is found, while for the IIS technique, the optimum translation parameter is found. The results are generalized to a linear system with memory and signals. Specific numerical and simulation results are given which show the advantages of CIS over MC and IIS over CIS for simulations of digital communications systems.

Preservation of three-dimensional spatial structure in the gut microbiome.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuko Hasegawa

Full Text Available Preservation of three-dimensional structure in the gut is necessary in order to analyze the spatial organization of the gut microbiota and gut luminal contents. In this study, we evaluated preparation methods for mouse gut with the goal of preserving micron-scale spatial structure while performing fluorescence imaging assays. Our evaluation of embedding methods showed that commonly used media such as Tissue-Tek Optimal Cutting Temperature (OCT compound, paraffin, and polyester waxes resulted in redistribution of luminal contents. By contrast, a hydrophilic methacrylate resin, Technovit H8100, preserved three-dimensional organization. Our mouse intestinal preparation protocol optimized using the Technovit H8100 embedding method was compatible with microbial fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH and other labeling techniques, including immunostaining and staining with both wheat germ agglutinin (WGA and 4', 6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI. Mucus could be visualized whether the sample was fixed with paraformaldehyde (PFA or with Carnoy's fixative. The protocol optimized in this study enabled simultaneous visualization of micron-scale spatial patterns formed by microbial cells in the mouse intestines along with biogeographical landmarks such as host-derived mucus and food particles.

Cancer, Fertility Preservation, and Future Pregnancy: A Comprehensive Review

OpenAIRE

Matthews, Michelle L.; Hurst, Bradley S.; Marshburn, Paul B.; Usadi, Rebecca S.; Papadakis, Margaret A.; Sarantou, Terry

2012-01-01

Given the increases in 5-year cancer survival and recent advances in fertility preserving technologies, an increasing number of women with cancer are presenting for discussion of fertility preserving options. This review will summarize the risk of infertility secondary to cancer treatment, available treatment options for fertility preservation, and techniques to reduce future risks for patients. Concerns that will be addressed include the risk of the medications and procedures, the potential ...

Cone penetrometer tests and HydroPunch sampling: A screening technique for plume definition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smolley, M.; Kappmeyer, J.C.

1991-01-01

Cone penetrometer tests and HydroPunch sampling were used to define the extent of volatile organic compounds in ground water. The investigation indicated that the combination of the these techniques is effective for obtaining ground water samples for preliminary plume definition. HydroPunch samples can be collected in unconsolidated sediments and the analytical results obtained from these samples are comparable to those obtained from adjacent monitoring wells. This sampling method is a rapid and cost-effective screening technique for characterizing the extent of contaminant plumes in soft sediment environments. Use of this screening technique allowed monitoring wells to be located at the plume boundary, thereby reducing the number of wells installed and the overall cost of the plume definition program

Chance constrained problems: penalty reformulation and performance of sample approximation technique

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Branda, Martin

2012-01-01

Roč. 48, č. 1 (2012), s. 105-122 ISSN 0023-5954 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP402/12/G097 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506 Keywords : chance constrained problems * penalty functions * asymptotic equivalence * sample approximation technique * investment problem Subject RIV: BB - Applied Statistics, Operational Research Impact factor: 0.619, year: 2012 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2012/E/branda-chance constrained problems penalty reformulation and performance of sample approximation technique.pdf

Improved applicability of nisin in novel combinations with other food preservation factors

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pol, I.E.

2001-01-01

General discussion

Modern consumers nowadays, have a preference for more natural, mildly preserved food products with a fresh appearance over traditionally preserved products. Mild preservation techniques applied singly are usually not sufficient to control microbial

Sampling methods and non-destructive examination techniques for large radioactive waste packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Green, T.H.; Smith, D.L.; Burgoyne, K.E.; Maxwell, D.J.; Norris, G.H.; Billington, D.M.; Pipe, R.G.; Smith, J.E.; Inman, C.M.

1992-01-01

Progress is reported on work undertaken to evaluate quality checking methods for radioactive wastes. A sampling rig was designed, fabricated and used to develop techniques for the destructive sampling of cemented simulant waste using remotely operated equipment. An engineered system for the containment of cooling water was designed and manufactured and successfully demonstrated with the drum and coring equipment mounted in both vertical and horizontal orientations. The preferred in-cell orientation was found to be with the drum and coring machinery mounted in a horizontal position. Small powdered samples can be taken from cemented homogeneous waste cores using a hollow drill/vacuum section technique with the preferred subsampling technique being to discard the outer 10 mm layer to obtain a representative sample of the cement core. Cement blends can be dissolved using fusion techniques and the resulting solutions are stable to gelling for periods in excess of one year. Although hydrochloric acid and nitric acid are promising solvents for dissolution of cement blends, the resultant solutions tend to form silicic acid gels. An estimate of the beta-emitter content of cemented waste packages can be obtained by a combination of non-destructive and destructive techniques. The errors will probably be in excess of +/-60 % at the 95 % confidence level. Real-time X-ray video-imaging techniques have been used to analyse drums of uncompressed, hand-compressed, in-drum compacted and high-force compacted (i.e. supercompacted) simulant waste. The results have confirmed the applicability of this technique for NDT of low-level waste. 8 refs., 12 figs., 3 tabs

Development of Tools and Techniques to Survey, Assess, Stabilise, Monitor and Preserve Underwater Archaeological Sites: SASMAP

Science.gov (United States)

Gregory, D. J.

2015-08-01

SASMAP's purpose is to develop new technologies and best practices in order to locate, assess and manage Europe's underwater cultural heritage in a more effective way than is possible today. SASMAP has taken an holistic- and process- based approach to investigating underwater environments and the archaeological sites contained therein. End user of the results of SASMAP are severalfold; i) to benefiet the SMEs involved in the project and development of their products for the offshore industry (not just for archaeological purposes) ii) a better understanding of the marine environment and its effect on archaeological materials iii) the collation of the results from the project into guidelines that can be used by cultural resource managers to better administer and optimise developer lead underwater archaeological project within Europe in accordance with European legislation (Treaty of Valetta (1992). Summarily the project has utilised a down scaling approach to localise archaeological sites at a large scale regional level. This has involved using innovative satellite imagery to obtain seamless topography maps over coastal areas and the seabed (accurate to a depth of 6m) as well as the development of a 3D sub bottom profiler to look within the seabed. Results obtained from the downscaling approach at the study areas in the project (Greece and Denmark) have enabled geological models to be developed inorder to work towards predictive modelling of where submerged prehistoric sites may be encountered. Once sites have been located an upscaling approach has been taken to assessing an individual site and the materials on and within it in order to better understand the state of preservation and dynamic conditions of a site and how it can best be preserved through in situ preservation or excavation. This has involved the development of equipment to monitor the seabed environment (open water and in sediments), equipment for sampling sediments and assessing the state of

Impacts of curatorial and research practices on the preservation of fossil hominid remains.

Science.gov (United States)

Le Cabec, Adeline; Toussaint, Michel

2017-12-30

Fossil remains are the only physical evidence of past forms of life which researchers can use to study the evolutionary biology of a species, especially regarding the human lineage. We review and consider the way in which the conditions surrounding a fossil's discovery and its use for scientific research impacts its long-term preservation. The deterioration of the body starts soon after death, continues in the sediments and only a subsample of the anatomical elements will persist and may finally be unearthed by archeologists. From their recovery onwards, fossil remains are exposed to many sources of further damage: from handling, restoration, measuring to invasive sampling. On the one hand, curators are faced with the inherent challenge of balancing their responsibility to protect fossil specimens with allowing researchers to perform specific analyses or invasive sampling detrimental to the preservation of the fossil. On the other hand, scientists may find their analyses complicated by multiple factors including taphonomy, or restoration techniques (e.g., consolidants, cleaning chemicals). We provide several historical examples illustrating the complex nature of the factors acting on fossil preservation. We discuss concerns about producing and sharing (digital) data from fossils. Finally, we also suggest and support some curatorial practices which maximize the traceability of treatments underwent by a fossil.

Privacy-Preserving Data Mining of Medical Data Using Data Separation-Based Techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gang Kou

2007-08-01

Full Text Available Data mining is concerned with the extraction of useful knowledge from various types of data. Medical data mining has been a popular data mining topic of late. Compared with other data mining areas, medical data mining has some unique characteristics. Because medical files are related to human subjects, privacy concerns are taken more seriously than other data mining tasks. This paper applied data separation-based techniques to preserve privacy in classification of medical data. We take two approaches to protect privacy: one approach is to vertically partition the medical data and mine these partitioned data at multiple sites; the other approach is to horizontally split data across multiple sites. In the vertical partition approach, each site uses a portion of the attributes to compute its results, and the distributed results are assembled at a central trusted party using a majority-vote ensemble method. In the horizontal partition approach, data are distributed among several sites. Each site computes its own data, and a central trusted party is responsible to integrate these results. We implement these two approaches using medical datasets from UCI KDD archive and report the experimental results.

A Comparison of Soil-Water Sampling Techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Tindall, J. A.; Figueroa-Johnson, M.; Friedel, M. J.

2007-12-01

The representativeness of soil pore water extracted by suction lysimeters in ground-water monitoring studies is a problem that often confounds interpretation of measured data. Current soil water sampling techniques cannot identify the soil volume from which a pore water sample is extracted, neither macroscopic, microscopic, or preferential flowpath. This research was undertaken to compare values of extracted suction lysimeters samples from intact soil cores with samples obtained by the direct extraction methods to determine what portion of soil pore water is sampled by each method. Intact soil cores (30 centimeter (cm) diameter by 40 cm height) were extracted from two different sites - a sandy soil near Altamonte Springs, Florida and a clayey soil near Centralia in Boone County, Missouri. Isotopically labeled water (O18? - analyzed by mass spectrometry) and bromide concentrations (KBr- - measured using ion chromatography) from water samples taken by suction lysimeters was compared with samples obtained by direct extraction methods of centrifugation and azeotropic distillation. Water samples collected by direct extraction were about 0.25 ? more negative (depleted) than that collected by suction lysimeter values from a sandy soil and about 2-7 ? more negative from a well structured clayey soil. Results indicate that the majority of soil water in well-structured soil is strongly bound to soil grain surfaces and is not easily sampled by suction lysimeters. In cases where a sufficient volume of water has passed through the soil profile and displaced previous pore water, suction lysimeters will collect a representative sample of soil pore water from the sampled depth interval. It is suggested that for stable isotope studies monitoring precipitation and soil water, suction lysimeter should be installed at shallow depths (10 cm). Samples should also be coordinated with precipitation events. The data also indicate that each extraction method be use to sample a different

Can groundwater sampling techniques used in monitoring wells influence methane concentrations and isotopes?

Science.gov (United States)

Rivard, Christine; Bordeleau, Geneviève; Lavoie, Denis; Lefebvre, René; Malet, Xavier

2018-03-06

Methane concentrations and isotopic composition in groundwater are the focus of a growing number of studies. However, concerns are often expressed regarding the integrity of samples, as methane is very volatile and may partially exsolve during sample lifting in the well and transfer to sampling containers. While issues concerning bottle-filling techniques have already been documented, this paper documents a comparison of methane concentration and isotopic composition obtained with three devices commonly used to retrieve water samples from dedicated observation wells. This work lies within the framework of a larger project carried out in the Saint-Édouard area (southern Québec, Canada), whose objective was to assess the risk to shallow groundwater quality related to potential shale gas exploitation. The selected sampling devices, which were tested on ten wells during three sampling campaigns, consist of an impeller pump, a bladder pump, and disposable sampling bags (HydraSleeve). The sampling bags were used both before and after pumping, to verify the appropriateness of a no-purge approach, compared to the low-flow approach involving pumping until stabilization of field physicochemical parameters. Results show that methane concentrations obtained with the selected sampling techniques are usually similar and that there is no systematic bias related to a specific technique. Nonetheless, concentrations can sometimes vary quite significantly (up to 3.5 times) for a given well and sampling event. Methane isotopic composition obtained with all sampling techniques is very similar, except in some cases where sampling bags were used before pumping (no-purge approach), in wells where multiple groundwater sources enter the borehole.

Male fertility preservation before gonadotoxic therapies.

Science.gov (United States)

Wyns, C

2010-01-01

Recent advances in cancer therapy have resulted in an increased number of long-term cancer survivors. Unfortunately, aggressive chemotherapy, radiotherapy and preparative regimens for bone marrow transplantation can severely affect male germ cells, including spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), and lead to permanent loss of fertility. Different options for fertility preservation are dependent on the pubertal state of the patient. Relevant studies were identified by an extensive Medline search of English and French language articles. Sperm cryopreservation prior to gonadotoxic treatment is a well established method after puberty. In case of ejaculation failure by masturbation, assisted ejaculation methods or testicular tissue sampling should be considered. Although no effective gonadoprotective drug is yet available for in vivo spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) protection in humans, current evidence supports the feasibility of immature testicular tissue (ITT) cryopreservation. The different cryopreservation protocols and available fertility restoration options from frozen tissue, i.e. cell suspension transplantation, tissue grafting and in vitro maturation, are presented. RESULTS obtained in humans are discussed in the light of lessons learned from animal studies. Advances in reproductive technology have made fertility preservation a real possibility in young patients whose gonadal function is threatened by gonadotoxic therapies. The putative indications for such techniques, as well as their limitations according to disease, are outlined.

Development of environmental sample analysis techniques for safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magara, Masaaki; Hanzawa, Yukiko; Esaka, Fumitaka

1999-01-01

JAERI has been developing environmental sample analysis techniques for safeguards and preparing a clean chemistry laboratory with clean rooms. Methods to be developed are a bulk analysis and a particle analysis. In the bulk analysis, Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer or Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometer are used to measure nuclear materials after chemical treatment of sample. In the particle analysis, Electron Probe Micro Analyzer and Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer are used for elemental analysis and isotopic analysis, respectively. The design of the clean chemistry laboratory has been carried out and construction will be completed by the end of March, 2001. (author)

Standardization of proton-induced x-ray emission technique for analysis of thick samples

Science.gov (United States)

Ali, Shad; Zeb, Johar; Ahad, Abdul; Ahmad, Ishfaq; Haneef, M.; Akbar, Jehan

2015-09-01

This paper describes the standardization of the proton-induced x-ray emission (PIXE) technique for finding the elemental composition of thick samples. For the standardization, three different samples of standard reference materials (SRMs) were analyzed using this technique and the data were compared with the already known data of these certified SRMs. These samples were selected in order to cover the maximum range of elements in the periodic table. Each sample was irradiated for three different values of collected beam charges at three different times. A proton beam of 2.57 MeV obtained using 5UDH-II Pelletron accelerator was used for excitation of x-rays from the sample. The acquired experimental data were analyzed using the GUPIXWIN software. The results show that the SRM data and the data obtained using the PIXE technique are in good agreement.

Hearing Preservation after Cochlear Implantation: UNICAMP Outcomes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guilherme Machado de Carvalho

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Background. Electric-acoustic stimulation (EAS is an excellent choice for people with residual hearing in low frequencies but not high frequencies and who derive insufficient benefit from hearing aids. For EAS to be effective, subjects' residual hearing must be preserved during cochlear implant (CI surgery. Methods. We implanted 6 subjects with a CI. We used a special surgical technique and an electrode designed to be atraumatic. Subjects' rates of residual hearing preservation were measured 3 times postoperatively, lastly after at least a year of implant experience. Subjects' aided speech perception was tested pre- and postoperatively with a sentence test in quiet. Subjects' subjective responses assessed after a year of EAS or CI experience. Results. 4 subjects had total or partial residual hearing preservation; 2 subjects had total residual hearing loss. All subjects' hearing and speech perception benefited from cochlear implantation. CI diminished or eliminated tinnitus in all 4 subjects who had it preoperatively. 5 subjects reported great satisfaction with their new device. Conclusions. When we have more experience with our surgical technique we are confident we will be able to report increased rates of residual hearing preservation. Hopefully, our study will raise the profile of EAS in Brazil and Latin/South America.

Review of sample preparation techniques for the analysis of pesticide residues in soil.

Science.gov (United States)

Tadeo, José L; Pérez, Rosa Ana; Albero, Beatriz; García-Valcárcel, Ana I; Sánchez-Brunete, Consuelo

2012-01-01

This paper reviews the sample preparation techniques used for the analysis of pesticides in soil. The present status and recent advances made during the last 5 years in these methods are discussed. The analysis of pesticide residues in soil requires the extraction of analytes from this matrix, followed by a cleanup procedure, when necessary, prior to their instrumental determination. The optimization of sample preparation is a very important part of the method development that can reduce the analysis time, the amount of solvent, and the size of samples. This review considers all aspects of sample preparation, including extraction and cleanup. Classical extraction techniques, such as shaking, Soxhlet, and ultrasonic-assisted extraction, and modern techniques like pressurized liquid extraction, microwave-assisted extraction, solid-phase microextraction and QuEChERS (Quick, Easy, Cheap, Effective, Rugged, and Safe) are reviewed. The different cleanup strategies applied for the purification of soil extracts are also discussed. In addition, the application of these techniques to environmental studies is considered.

Laboratory techniques for safe encapsulation of α-emitting powder samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chamberlain, H.E.; Pottinger, J.S.

1984-01-01

Plutonium oxide powder samples can be encapsulated in thin plastic film to prevent spread of contamination in counting and X-ray diffraction equipment. The film has to be thin enough to transmit X-rays and α-particles. Techniques are described for the wrapping process and the precautions necessary to keep the sample processing line free of significant contamination. (author)

A Tool for Estimating Variability in Wood Preservative Treatment Retention

Science.gov (United States)

Patricia K. Lebow; Adam M. Taylor; Timothy M. Young

2015-01-01

Composite sampling is standard practice for evaluation of preservative retention levels in preservative-treated wood. Current protocols provide an average retention value but no estimate of uncertainty. Here we describe a statistical method for calculating uncertainty estimates using the standard sampling regime with minimal additional chemical analysis. This tool can...

Sampling phased array a new technique for signal processing and ultrasonic imaging

OpenAIRE

Bulavinov, A.; Joneit, D.; Kröning, M.; Bernus, L.; Dalichow, M.H.; Reddy, K.M.

2006-01-01

Different signal processing and image reconstruction techniques are applied in ultrasonic non-destructive material evaluation. In recent years, rapid development in the fields of microelectronics and computer engineering lead to wide application of phased array systems. A new phased array technique, called "Sampling Phased Array" has been developed in Fraunhofer Institute for non-destructive testing. It realizes unique approach of measurement and processing of ultrasonic signals. The sampling...

The role of graphene-based sorbents in modern sample preparation techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

de Toffoli, Ana Lúcia; Maciel, Edvaldo Vasconcelos Soares; Fumes, Bruno Henrique; Lanças, Fernando Mauro

2018-01-01

The application of graphene-based sorbents in sample preparation techniques has increased significantly since 2011. These materials have good physicochemical properties to be used as sorbent and have shown excellent results in different sample preparation techniques. Graphene and its precursor graphene oxide have been considered to be good candidates to improve the extraction and concentration of different classes of target compounds (e.g., parabens, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, pyrethroids, triazines, and so on) present in complex matrices. Its applications have been employed during the analysis of different matrices (e.g., environmental, biological and food). In this review, we highlight the most important characteristics of graphene-based material, their properties, synthesis routes, and the most important applications in both off-line and on-line sample preparation techniques. The discussion of the off-line approaches includes methods derived from conventional solid-phase extraction focusing on the miniaturized magnetic and dispersive modes. The modes of microextraction techniques called stir bar sorptive extraction, solid phase microextraction, and microextraction by packed sorbent are discussed. The on-line approaches focus on the use of graphene-based material mainly in on-line solid phase extraction, its variation called in-tube solid-phase microextraction, and on-line microdialysis systems. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Multisensor remote sensing data and GIS techniques for monitoring preservation areas - A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimabukuro, Y.E.; Lee, D.C.L.; Dos Santos, J.R.

1992-01-01

The capability of remote sensing and Geographic Information System techniques for detecting and monitoring the anthropic alterations which sometimes occur in preservation areas is discussed. Attention is given to the Emas National Park in the southwest Goias State, Brazil. TM/Landsat data from July 29, 1988 (before a fire that occurred there) and August 14, 1988, (after the fire) and AVHRR/NOAA data obtained in this period covered by TM images were used to monitor the biomass burning. The TM images were registered to a topographic map in order to compile a data base including information such as drainage, roads, elevation, and vegetation type for this park. Pixels classified as burned areas using band 3 of AVHRR images were overlayed on the map derived from the data base. The integration of elevation, TM multitemporal data, and information derived from AVHRR images is found to be a valuable tool for managers in detecting and evaluating damage and in monitoring the regeneration process of land cover. 15 refs

Energy Performance Techniques and Technologies: Preserving Historic Homes – Volume 13

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

2011-02-01

Following Building America-sponsored research, this guide focuses on planning energy-efficient improvements for historic houses while preserving the home’s historic features, being aware of and adhering to regulations related to historic designations, and addressing health and safety issues.

Techniques of sample attack used in soil and mineral analysis. Phase I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiu, N.W.; Dean, J.R.; Sill, C.W.

1984-07-01

Several techniques of sample attack for the determination of radioisotopes are reviewed. These techniques include: 1) digestion with nitric or hydrochloric acid in Parr digestion bomb, 2) digestion with a mixture of nitric and hydrochloric acids, 3) digestion with a mixture of hydrofluoric, nitric and perchloric acids, and 4) fusion with sodium carbonate, potassium fluoride or alkali pyrosulfates. The effectiveness of these techniques to decompose various soils and minerals containing radioisotopes such as lead-210 uranium, thorium and radium-226 are discussed. The combined procedure of potassium fluoride fusion followed by alkali pyrosulfate fusion is recommended for radium-226, uranium and thorium analysis. This technique guarantees the complete dissolution of samples containing refractory materials such as silica, silicates, carbides, oxides and sulfates. For the lead-210 analysis, the procedure of digestion with a mixture of hydrofluoric, nitric and perchloric acids followed by fusion with alkali pyrosulfate is recommended. These two procedures are detailed. Schemes for the sequential separation of the radioisotopes from a dissolved sample solution are outlined. Procedures for radiochemical analysis are suggested

Privacy-Preserving Data Publishing An Overview

CERN Document Server

Wong, Raymond Chi-Wing

2010-01-01

Privacy preservation has become a major issue in many data analysis applications. When a data set is released to other parties for data analysis, privacy-preserving techniques are often required to reduce the possibility of identifying sensitive information about individuals. For example, in medical data, sensitive information can be the fact that a particular patient suffers from HIV. In spatial data, sensitive information can be a specific location of an individual. In web surfing data, the information that a user browses certain websites may be considered sensitive. Consider a dataset conta

Assessment of Natural Radioactivity in TENORM Samples Using Different Techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salman, Kh.A.; Shahein, A.Y.

2009-01-01

In petroleum oil industries, technologically-enhanced, naturally occurring radioactive materials are produced. The presence of TENORM constitutes a significant radiological human health hazard. In the present work, liquid scintillation counting technique was used to determine both 222 Rn and 226 Ra concentrations in TENORM samples, by measuring 222 Rn concentrations in the sample at different intervals of time after preparation. The radiation doses from the TENORM samples were estimated using thermoluminenscent detector (TLD-4000). The estimated radiation doses were found to be proportional to both the measured radiation doses in site and natural activity concentration in the samples that measured with LSC

Grain preservation in SSSR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trisviatski, L.A.

1973-01-01

First the importance of cereals collected in the S.S.S.R., the reason why the government had to put in practice a storage chain, composed of large capacity store houses (200 000 metric tonnes, or more) is reminded. When climatic conditions result in wet harvested grains, cereals are dried either in state enterprise dryers (32 to 50 tonnes/hour) or in kolkhozes' dryers (2 to 16 tonnes/hour). A new type of drying with recycling, has been developped, economizing 10 to 15 p. 100. Then the possibilities offered by the technique of partial drying of very wet grains are studied and the preservation processes using fresh ventilation, or hot ventilation with drying effect are described. The question of silage of wet grains destined to animal consumption is then examined as well as preservation by sodium pyrosulfide; the use of propionic acid, little developped in SSSR, is studied now, just as storage with inert gas. The struggle technics against insects, either with chemical agents, or with irradiation are described. Finally the modalities of technicians formation, specialized in preservation, are discussed [fr

An iterative homogenization technique that preserves assembly core exchanges

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mondot, Ph.; Sanchez, R.

2003-01-01

A new interactive homogenization procedure for reactor core calculations is proposed that requires iterative transport assembly and diffusion core calculations. At each iteration the transport solution of every assembly type is used to produce homogenized cross sections for the core calculation. The converged solution gives assembly fine multigroup transport fluxes that preserve macro-group assembly exchanges in the core. This homogenization avoids the periodic lattice-leakage model approximation and gives detailed assembly transport fluxes without need of an approximated flux reconstruction. Preliminary results are given for a one-dimensional core model. (authors)

[Aortic valve preservation in Marfan syndrome. Initial experience].

Science.gov (United States)

Forteza, Alberto; Cortina, Jose M; Sánchez, Violeta; Centeno, Jorge; López, M Jesús; Pérez de la Sota, Enrique; Rufilanchas, Juan J

2007-05-01

Preservation of the aortic valve using the technique described by David has been shown to be as effective as the Bentall-De Bono procedure. It avoids both the need for long-term anticoagulation and the complications associated with mechanical prostheses. We report our initial experience using this technique in patients with Marfan syndrome. Between April 2004 and April 2006, we used the David reimplantation technique in 40 patients with an aortic root aneurysm. Eighteen patients had Marfan syndrome. Their median age was 29 years (13-55 years). Echocardiography showed that the median diameter of the aortic sinus was 53 mm (46-59 mm). In 17 patients, aortic valve preservation was possible. No patient died during hospitalization and there were no significant complications. On echocardiography at discharge, no patient had greater than grade-II aortic regurgitation. During a median follow-up period of 8 months (1-24 months), one patient died due to rupture of an abdominal aneurysm. The others are all in New York Heart Association class I. Preservation of the aortic valve by means of valve reimplantation produced excellent results. It avoided both the thromboembolic and hemorrhagic complications associated with prostheses and the need for long-term anticoagulation. If reimplanted valves continue to function adequately over the long term, this technique should become the treatment of choice for aneurysms of the ascending aorta in patients with Marfan syndrome.

Optimization of preservation activities and preservation engineering (1)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Takayuki; Mimaki, Hidehito; Oda, Mitsuyuki

2004-01-01

In order to deal with the optimization of preservation activities and 'preservation engineering' which makes it possible, the relation between general society and preservation, the content and the structure of preservation activities, and the viewpoint and the approach of the optimization of the preventive preservation are described. The optimization of the preventive preservation is shown respectively in the four stages of planning, implementation, result evaluation and countermeasure. (K. Kato)

Stabilizing embedology: Geometry-preserving delay-coordinate maps

Science.gov (United States)

Eftekhari, Armin; Yap, Han Lun; Wakin, Michael B.; Rozell, Christopher J.

2018-02-01

Delay-coordinate mapping is an effective and widely used technique for reconstructing and analyzing the dynamics of a nonlinear system based on time-series outputs. The efficacy of delay-coordinate mapping has long been supported by Takens' embedding theorem, which guarantees that delay-coordinate maps use the time-series output to provide a reconstruction of the hidden state space that is a one-to-one embedding of the system's attractor. While this topological guarantee ensures that distinct points in the reconstruction correspond to distinct points in the original state space, it does not characterize the quality of this embedding or illuminate how the specific parameters affect the reconstruction. In this paper, we extend Takens' result by establishing conditions under which delay-coordinate mapping is guaranteed to provide a stable embedding of a system's attractor. Beyond only preserving the attractor topology, a stable embedding preserves the attractor geometry by ensuring that distances between points in the state space are approximately preserved. In particular, we find that delay-coordinate mapping stably embeds an attractor of a dynamical system if the stable rank of the system is large enough to be proportional to the dimension of the attractor. The stable rank reflects the relation between the sampling interval and the number of delays in delay-coordinate mapping. Our theoretical findings give guidance to choosing system parameters, echoing the tradeoff between irrelevancy and redundancy that has been heuristically investigated in the literature. Our initial result is stated for attractors that are smooth submanifolds of Euclidean space, with extensions provided for the case of strange attractors.

Ridge Preservation with Modified “Socket-Shield” Technique: A Methodological Case Series

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Glocker

2014-01-01

Full Text Available After tooth extraction, the alveolar bone undergoes a remodeling process, which leads to horizontal and vertical bone loss. These resorption processes complicate dental rehabilitation, particularly in connection with implants. Various methods of guided bone regeneration (GBR have been described to retain the original dimension of the bone after extraction. Most procedures use filler materials and membranes to support the buccal plate and soft tissue, to stabilize the coagulum and to prevent epithelial ingrowth. It has also been suggested that resorption of the buccal bundle bone can be avoided by leaving a buccal root segment (socket shield technique in place, because the biological integrity of the buccal periodontium (bundle bone remains untouched. This method has also been described in connection with immediate implant placement. The present case report describes three consecutive cases in which a modified method was applied as part of a delayed implantation. The latter was carried out after six months, and during re-entry the new bone formation in the alveolar bone and the residual ridge was clinically evaluated as proof of principle. It was demonstrated that the bone was clinically preserved with this method. Possibilities and limitations are discussed and directions for future research are disclosed.

Characterizing arsenic in preserved hair for assessing exposure potential and discriminating poisoning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kempson, Ivan M.; Henry, Dermot; Francis, James; (Museum Vic.); (U. South Australia); (UWO)

2009-05-21

Advanced analytical techniques have been used to characterize arsenic in taxidermy specimens. Arsenic was examined to aid in discriminating its use as a preservative from that incorporated by ingestion and hence indicate poisoning (in the case of historical figures). The results are relevant to museum curators, occupational and environmental exposure concerns, toxicological and anthropological investigations. Hair samples were obtained from six taxidermy specimens preserved with arsenic in the late 1800s and early 1900s to investigate the arsenic incorporation. The presence of arsenic poses a potential hazard in museum and private collections. For one sample, arsenic was confirmed to be present on the hair with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry and then measured with neutron activation analysis to comprise 176 {mu}g g{sup -1}. The hair cross section was analysed with synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence to investigate the transverse distribution of topically applied arsenic. It was found that the arsenic had significantly penetrated all hair samples. Association with melanin clusters and the medulla was observed. Lead and mercury were also identified in one sample. X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy of the As K-edge indicated that an arsenate species predominantly existed in all samples; however, analysis was hindered by very rapid photoreduction of the arsenic. It would be difficult to discriminate arsenic consumption from topically applied arsenic based on the physical transverse distribution. Longitudinal distributions and chemical speciation may still allow differentiation.

Review of online coupling of sample preparation techniques with liquid chromatography.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Jialiang; Zhang, Chengjiang; Zhang, Zhuomin; Li, Gongke

2014-03-07

Sample preparation is still considered as the bottleneck of the whole analytical procedure, and efforts has been conducted towards the automation, improvement of sensitivity and accuracy, and low comsuption of organic solvents. Development of online sample preparation techniques (SP) coupled with liquid chromatography (LC) is a promising way to achieve these goals, which has attracted great attention. This article reviews the recent advances on the online SP-LC techniques. Various online SP techniques have been described and summarized, including solid-phase-based extraction, liquid-phase-based extraction assisted with membrane, microwave assisted extraction, ultrasonic assisted extraction, accelerated solvent extraction and supercritical fluids extraction. Specially, the coupling approaches of online SP-LC systems and the corresponding interfaces have been discussed and reviewed in detail, such as online injector, autosampler combined with transport unit, desorption chamber and column switching. Typical applications of the online SP-LC techniques have been summarized. Then the problems and expected trends in this field are attempted to be discussed and proposed in order to encourage the further development of online SP-LC techniques. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cleaning and Cleanliness Verification Techniques for Mars Returned Sample Handling

Science.gov (United States)

Mickelson, E. T.; Lindstrom, D. J.; Allton, J. H.; Hittle, J. D.

2002-01-01

Precision cleaning and cleanliness verification techniques are examined as a subset of a comprehensive contamination control strategy for a Mars sample return mission. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Dry Preserving the Green Sea Urchin.

Science.gov (United States)

Stimson, Cheryl D.

1987-01-01

Describes a project for junior high and senior high school students designed to safely preserve hard-bodied marine invertebrates. Details the materials and procedures used in this technique. Stresses the use of non-toxic solutions and producing a lifelike specimen. (CW)

Neutron induced prompt gamma-ray technique for investigation the moisture and soluble salt problem in the historical building

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lahasen Norman Shah Dahing; Ismail Mustapha; Jaafar Abdullah; Susan Maria Sipaun

2006-01-01

The degradation of some building materials such as brick and mortar is a major problem for the preservation of monuments or historic structures, especially where it is desirable to preserve the original fabric of the building. Such degradation often arises from the presence of contaminants in the constituent materials. In building materials, water is a major course of deterioration, both by acting as a solvent for various building materials components and by exerting stresses on the structure during thermal cycle. The soluble salts, notably chlorides, damage the structure either by periodically dissolving and recrystallising within the pores or by promoting corrosion. Knowledge of the presence and distribution of contaminants is needed for effective treatment and preservation. However, most of techniques have been use to evaluate the deterioration of historic building and structure is generally limited to visual observation and destructive tests of core samples. Some non-destructive testing (NDT) methods like electrical conductivity technique and ultrasonic testing, can identify cracks and voids, but cannot provide any information on the possible causes of these problems. To overcome this limitation, a new method, called n eutron-induced prompt gamma-ray technique (NIPGAT) has being developed at MINT for preservation of monuments and historic buildings. This method is useful for analytical techniques for identification both qualitative and quantitative multi-element analysis of major, minor and trace element of present in the sample. For many elements and applications, this technique offers high sensitivity, accuracy and reliability compare to other conventional method. (Author)

Elemental analyses of goundwater: demonstrated advantage of low-flow sampling and trace-metal clean techniques over standard techniques

Science.gov (United States)

Creasey, C. L.; Flegal, A. R.

The combined use of both (1) low-flow purging and sampling and (2) trace-metal clean techniques provides more representative measurements of trace-element concentrations in groundwater than results derived with standard techniques. The use of low-flow purging and sampling provides relatively undisturbed groundwater samples that are more representative of in situ conditions, and the use of trace-element clean techniques limits the inadvertent introduction of contaminants during sampling, storage, and analysis. When these techniques are applied, resultant trace-element concentrations are likely to be markedly lower than results based on standard sampling techniques. In a comparison of data derived from contaminated and control groundwater wells at a site in California, USA, trace-element concentrations from this study were 2-1000 times lower than those determined by the conventional techniques used in sampling of the same wells prior to (5months) and subsequent to (1month) the collections for this study. Specifically, the cadmium and chromium concentrations derived using standard sampling techniques exceed the California Maximum Contaminant Levels (MCL), whereas in this investigation concentrations of both of those elements are substantially below their MCLs. Consequently, the combined use of low-flow and trace-metal clean techniques may preclude erroneous reports of trace-element contamination in groundwater. Résumé L'utilisation simultanée de la purge et de l'échantillonnage à faible débit et des techniques sans traces de métaux permet d'obtenir des mesures de concentrations en éléments en traces dans les eaux souterraines plus représentatives que les résultats fournis par les techniques classiques. L'utilisation de la purge et de l'échantillonnage à faible débit donne des échantillons d'eau souterraine relativement peu perturbés qui sont plus représentatifs des conditions in situ, et le recours aux techniques sans éléments en traces limite l

Clinical application for the preservation of phospho-proteins through in-situ tissue stabilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ding Wei

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Protein biomarkers will play a pivotal role in the future of personalized medicine for both diagnosis and treatment decision-making. While the results of several pre-clinical and small-scale clinical studies have demonstrated the value of protein biomarkers, there have been significant challenges to translating these findings into routine clinical care. Challenges to the use of protein biomarkers include inter-sample variability introduced by differences in post-collection handling and ex vivo degradation of proteins and protein modifications. Results In this report, we re-create laboratory and clinical scenarios for sample collection and test the utility of a new tissue stabilization technique in preserving proteins and protein modifications. In the laboratory setting, tissue stabilization with the Denator Stabilizor T1 resulted in a significantly higher yield of phospho-protein when compared to standard snap freeze preservation. Furthermore, in a clinical scenario, tissue stabilization at collection resulted in a higher yield of total phospho-protein, total phospho-tyrosine, pErkT202/Y204 and pAktS473 when compared to standard methods. Tissue stabilization did not have a significant effect on other post-translational modifications such as acetylation and glycosylation, which are more stable ex-vivo. Tissue stabilization did decrease total RNA quantity and quality. Conclusion Stabilization at the time of collection offers the potential to better preserve tissue protein and protein modification levels, as well as reduce the variability related to tissue processing delays that are often associated with clinical samples.

Long-term preservation of anammox bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothrock, Michael J; Vanotti, Matias B; Szögi, Ariel A; Gonzalez, Maria Cruz Garcia; Fujii, Takao

2011-10-01

Deposit of useful microorganisms in culture collections requires long-term preservation and successful reactivation techniques. The goal of this study was to develop a simple preservation protocol for the long-term storage and reactivation of the anammox biomass. To achieve this, anammox biomass was frozen or lyophilized at two different freezing temperatures (-60°C and in liquid nitrogen (-200°C)) in skim milk media (with and without glycerol), and the reactivation of anammox activity was monitored after a 4-month storage period. Of the different preservation treatments tested, only anammox biomass preserved via freezing in liquid nitrogen followed by lyophilization in skim milk media without glycerol achieved stoichiometric ratios for the anammox reaction similar to the biomass in both the parent bioreactor and in the freshly harvested control treatment. A freezing temperature of -60°C alone, or in conjunction with lyophilization, resulted in the partial recovery of the anammox bacteria, with an equal mixture of anammox and nitrifying bacteria in the reactivated biomass. To our knowledge, this is the first report of the successful reactivation of anammox biomass preserved via sub-zero freezing and/or lyophilization. The simple preservation protocol developed from this study could be beneficial to accelerate the integration of anammox-based processes into current treatment systems through a highly efficient starting anammox biomass.

An evaluation of preservation of residual hearing using the suprameatal approach for cochlear implantation: can this implantation technique be used for preservation of residual hearing?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Postelmans, Job T. F.; van Spronsen, Erik; Grolman, Wilko; Stokroos, Robert J.; Tange, Rinze A.; Maré, Marcel J.; Dreschler, Wouter A.

2011-01-01

The preservation of residual hearing has become a high priority in cochlear implant surgery. This study was designed to substantiate whether conservation of residual hearing can be preserved after cochlear implantation using the suprameatal approach. Retrospective chart review. Retrospective chart

Research results: preserving newborn blood samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, Michelle Huckaby; Scheurer, Michael E; Green, Robert C; McGuire, Amy L

2012-11-07

Retention and use, without explicit parental permission, of residual dried blood samples from newborn screening has generated public controversy over concerns about violations of family privacy rights and loss of parental autonomy. The public debate about this issue has included little discussion about the destruction of a potentially valuable public resource that can be used for research that may yield improvements in public health. The research community must advocate for policies and infrastructure that promote retention of residual dried blood samples and their use in biomedical research.

Minimally invasive esthetic ridge preservation with growth-factor enhanced bone matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Nevins, Marc L; Said, Sherif

2017-12-28

Extraction socket preservation procedures are critical to successful esthetic implant therapy. Conventional surgical approaches are technique sensitive and often result in alteration of the soft tissue architecture, which then requires additional corrective surgical procedures. This case series report presents the ability of flapless surgical techniques combined with a growth factor-enhanced bone matrix to provide esthetic ridge preservation at the time of extraction for compromised sockets. When considering esthetic dental implant therapy, preservation, or further enhancement of the available tissue support at the time of tooth extraction may provide an improved esthetic outcome with reduced postoperative sequelae and decreased treatment duration. Advances in minimally invasive surgical techniques combined with recombinant growth factor technology offer an alternative for bone reconstruction while maintaining the gingival architecture for enhanced esthetic outcome. The combination of freeze-dried bone allograft (FDBA) and rhPDGF-BB (platelet-derived growth factor-BB) provides a growth-factor enhanced matrix to induce bone and soft tissue healing. The use of a growth-factor enhanced matrix is an option for minimally invasive ridge preservation procedures for sites with advanced bone loss. Further studies including randomized clinical trials are needed to better understand the extent and limits of these procedures. The use of minimally invasive techniques with growth factors for esthetic ridge preservation reduces patient morbidity associated with more invasive approaches and increases the predictability for enhanced patient outcomes. By reducing the need for autogenous bone grafts the use of this technology is favorable for patient acceptance and ease of treatment process for esthetic dental implant therapy. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Phase-preserving beam expander for biomedical X-ray imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinson, Mercedes; Samadi, Nazanin; Bassey, Bassey; Gomez, Ariel; Chapman, Dean

2015-01-01

Building on previous work, a phase-preserving bent Laue beam-expanding monochromator was developed with the capability of performing live animal phase contrast dynamic imaging at the Biomedical Imaging and Therapy beamline at the Canadian Light Source. The BioMedical Imaging and Therapy beamlines at the Canadian Light Source are used by many researchers to capture phase-based imaging data. These experiments have so far been limited by the small vertical beam size, requiring vertical scanning of biological samples in order to image their full vertical extent. Previous work has been carried out to develop a bent Laue beam-expanding monochromator for use at these beamlines. However, the first attempts exhibited significant distortion in the diffraction plane, increasing the beam divergence and eliminating the usefulness of the monochromator for phase-related imaging techniques. Recent work has been carried out to more carefully match the polychromatic and geometric focal lengths in a so-called ‘magic condition’ that preserves the divergence of the beam and enables full-field phase-based imaging techniques. The new experimental parameters, namely asymmetry and Bragg angles, were evaluated by analysing knife-edge and in-line phase images to determine the effect on beam divergence in both vertical and horizontal directions, using the flat Bragg double-crystal monochromator at the beamline as a baseline. The results show that by using the magic condition, the difference between the two monochromator types is less than 10% in the diffraction plane. Phase fringes visible in test images of a biological sample demonstrate that this difference is small enough to enable in-line phase imaging, despite operating at a sub-optimal energy for the wafer and asymmetry angle that was used

THE STUDY OF HEAVY METAL FROM ENVIRONMENTAL SAMPLES BY ATOMIC TECHNIQUES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ion V. POPESCU

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Using the Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS and Energy Dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDXRF techniques we analyzed the contents of heavy metals ( Cd, Cr, Ni, Pb, Ti, Sr, Co, Bi from eight wild mushrooms and soil substrate samples (48 samples of eight fungal species and 32 underlying soil samples, collected from ten forest sites of Dambovița County Romania. It was determined that the elements, especially heavy metals, in soil were characteristic of the acidic soils of the Romanian forest lands and are influenced by industrial pollution. Analytical possibilities of AAS and EDXRF analytical techniques have been compared and the heavy metal transfer from substrate to mushrooms has been studied. The coefficient of accumulation of essential and heavy metals has been calculated as well. Heavy metal contents of all analyzed mushrooms were generally higher than previously reported in literature.

Comparison between correlated sampling and the perturbation technique of MCNP5 for fixed-source problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Tao; Su Bingjing

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The performance of the MCNP differential operator perturbation technique is compared with that of the MCNP correlated sampling method for three types of fixed-source problems. → In terms of precision, the MCNP perturbation technique outperforms correlated sampling for one type of problem but performs comparably with or even under-performs correlated sampling for the other two types of problems. → In terms of accuracy, the MCNP perturbation calculations may predict inaccurate results for some of the test problems. However, the accuracy can be improved if the midpoint correction technique is used. - Abstract: Correlated sampling and the differential operator perturbation technique are two methods that enable MCNP (Monte Carlo N-Particle) to simulate small response change between an original system and a perturbed system. In this work the performance of the MCNP differential operator perturbation technique is compared with that of the MCNP correlated sampling method for three types of fixed-source problems. In terms of precision of predicted response changes, the MCNP perturbation technique outperforms correlated sampling for the problem involving variation of nuclide concentrations in the same direction but performs comparably with or even underperforms correlated sampling for the other two types of problems that involve void or variation of nuclide concentrations in opposite directions. In terms of accuracy, the MCNP differential operator perturbation calculations may predict inaccurate results that deviate from the benchmarks well beyond their uncertainty ranges for some of the test problems. However, the accuracy of the MCNP differential operator perturbation can be improved if the midpoint correction technique is used.

A technique for extracting blood samples from mice in fire toxicity tests

Science.gov (United States)

Bucci, T. J.; Hilado, C. J.; Lopez, M. T.

1976-01-01

The extraction of adequate blood samples from moribund and dead mice has been a problem because of the small quantity of blood in each animal and the short time available between the animals' death and coagulation of the blood. These difficulties are particularly critical in fire toxicity tests because removal of the test animals while observing proper safety precautions for personnel is time-consuming. Techniques for extracting blood samples from mice were evaluated, and a technique was developed to obtain up to 0.8 ml of blood from a single mouse after death. The technique involves rapid exposure and cutting of the posterior vena cava and accumulation of blood in the peritoneal space. Blood samples of 0.5 ml or more from individual mice have been consistently obtained as much as 16 minutes after apparent death. Results of carboxyhemoglobin analyses of blood appeared reproducible and consistent with carbon monoxide concentrations in the exposure chamber.

Comparison of sampling techniques for Rift Valley Fever virus ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We investigated mosquito sampling techniques with two types of traps and attractants at different time for trapping potential vectors for Rift Valley Fever virus. The study was conducted in six villages in Ngorongoro district in Tanzania from September to October 2012. A total of 1814 mosquitoes were collected, of which 738 ...

Optimization of preservation activities and preservation engineering (2)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Takayuki; Mimaki, Hidehito; Oda, Mitsuyuki

2004-01-01

In order to deal with the optimization of preservation activities and 'preservation engineering' which makes it possible, the viewpoint and the approach of the optimization of the ex post facto preservation and the content to be possessed in 'preservation engineering' are described. The optimization of the ex post facto preservation is shown respectively in the four stages of planning, implementation, result evaluation and countermeasure. (K. Kato)

Capacity constrained blue-noise sampling on surfaces

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Sen

2015-11-27

We present a novel method for high-quality blue-noise sampling on mesh surfaces with prescribed cell-sizes for the underlying tessellation (capacity constraint). Unlike the previous surface sampling approach that only uses capacity constraints as a regularizer of the Centroidal Voronoi Tessellation (CVT) energy, our approach enforces an exact capacity constraint using the restricted power tessellation on surfaces. Our approach is a generalization of the previous 2D blue noise sampling technique using an interleaving optimization framework. We further extend this framework to handle multi-capacity constraints. We compare our approach with several state-of-the-art methods and demonstrate that our results are superior to previous work in terms of preserving the capacity constraints.

Proteome stability analysis of snap frozen, RNAlater preserved, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human colon mucosal biopsies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bjerg Bennike, Tue; Kastaniegaard, Kenneth; Padurariu, Simona

2016-01-01

Large repositories of well characterized RNAlater preserved samples and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples have been generated worldwide. However, the impact on the proteome of the preservation methods remain poorly described. Therefore, we analyzed the impact on the proteome of preserving...... samples in RNAlater, and by formalin-fixation, paraffin-embedding on human soft tissue, using directly frozen samples as a control ("Comparing the proteome of snap frozen, RNAlater preserved, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human tissue samples" [1]). We here report the data from the analysis...

A line-based vegetation sampling technique and its application in ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

percentage cover, density and intercept frequency) and also provides plant size distributions, yet requires no more sampling effort than the line-intercept method.. A field test of the three techniques in succulent karoo, showed that the discriminating ...

Application of nuclear and allied techniques for the characterisation of forensic samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sudersanan, M.; Kayasth, S.R.; Pant, D.R.; Chattopadhyay, N.; Bhattacharyya, C.N.

2002-01-01

Full text: Forensic science deals with the application of various techniques for physics, chemistry and biology for crime investigation. The legal implication of such analysis put considerable restriction on the choice of analytical techniques. Moreover, the unknown nature of the materials, the limited availability of samples and the large number of elements to be analysed put considerable strain on the analytical chemist on the selection of the appropriate technique. The availability of nuclear techniques has considerably enhanced the scope of forensic analysis. This paper deals with the recent results on the use of nuclear and allied analytical techniques for forensic applications. One of the important types of samples of forensic importance pertain to the identification of gunshot residues. The use of nuclear techniques has considerably simplified the interpretation of results through the use of appropriate elements like Ba, Cu, Sb, Zn, As and Sn etc. The combination of non-nuclear techniques for elements like Pb and Ni which are not easily amenable to be analysed by NAA and the use of appropriate separation procedure has led to the use of this method as a valid and versatile analytical procedure. In view of the presence of a large amounts of extraneous materials like cloth, body tissues etc in these samples and the limited availability of materials, the procedures for sample collection, dissolution and analysis have been standardized. Analysis of unknown materials like powders, metallic pieces etc. for the possible presence of nuclear materials or as materials in illicit trafficking is becoming important in recent years. The use of multi-technique approach is important in this case. Use of non-destructive techniques like XRF and radioactive counting enables the preliminary identification of materials and for the detection of radioactivity. Subsequent analysis by NAA or other appropriate analytical methods allows the characterization of the materials. Such

Reduced detection by Ziehl-Neelsen method of acid-fast bacilli in sputum samples preserved in cetylpyridinium chloride solution.

Science.gov (United States)

Selvakumar, N; Sudhamathi, S; Duraipandian, M; Frieden, T R; Narayanan, P R

2004-02-01

Twelve health facilities implementing the DOTS strategy, and the Tuberculosis Research Centre (TRC), Chennai, India. To determine the detection rates using Ziehl-Neelsen (ZN) and auramine-phenol to stain acid-fast bacilli (AFB) in sputum samples stored in cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) solution. Two smears were prepared from each of 988 sputum samples collected in CPC and randomly allocated, one to ZN and the other to auramine-phenol staining. All samples were processed for culture of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. A significantly higher proportion of samples were negative using the ZN method compared to the auramine-phenol method (74.5% vs. 61.8%, McNamara's paired chi2 test; P < 0.001). Among 377 samples that were positive using auramine-phenol, 44% were negative using ZN. There were more culture-positive, smear-negative samples in ZN (52.7%) than in auramine-phenol (30%); the difference attained statistical significance (McNemar's paired chi2 test; P < 0.00004). Using ZN, of the 104 smears made immediately after collection, 52 were positive for AFB, of which only 35 (67.3%) were positive after storage in CPC; the reduction in the number of positive smears attained statistical significance (McNemar's paired chi2 test; P = 0.004). Detection of AFB in sputum samples preserved in CPC is significantly reduced using ZN staining.

Novel Fluid Preservation System, Phase II

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — To address NASA's need for a method to preserve human biological samples, mostly blood and urine, from astronauts collected during flight under ambient conditions,...

Effect of applying wheat stubble on preservation and utilization of n-fertilizer by 15N trace technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Xinyu; Zhang Yumei; Xiang Hua; Hu Jisheng

1991-10-01

By using 15 N trace technique, the effect of applying wheat stubble on the preservation and utilization rate of 15 N- ammonium sulphate have been studied. The abundance of ( 15 NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 fertilizer was 8.92%. After three years pot test and field plot test, the results showed that the yields with ' 15 N+mulching' and ' 15 N+incorporating' treated were increased by 5.4∼30.0% for spring wheat and millet(pot test), and 18∼23% for winter wheat and summer corn(field plot test), as compared with only ' 15 N' treatment. The results of 15 N-fertilizer labelled tests showed that the utilization rates of 15 N-fertilizer treated by ' 15 N+mulching' for cropping seasons were 57.8%, 65.8%, 36.6% and 8.5% respectively. These were increased 3.7%, 10.2%, 21.5% and 2.8% as compared with only ' 15 N' treatment. Comparing with only ' 15 N'treatment, the N leached off by percolation water was decreasing 50%, the loss of N caused by volatilization was decreasing 30.3% and the N in humus was increasing 21.1%. All of these proved that the applying of wheat stubble in different mode would adjust and control the activation of microbe in the soil, and the preservation and utilization rate of fertilizer in the soul would be increased

Are the evidences of forensic entomology preserved in ethanol suitable for SEM studies?

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López-Esclapez, Raquel; García, María-Dolores; Arnaldos, María-Isabel; Presa, Juan José; Ubero-Pascal, Nicolás

2014-07-01

In forensic practice, the use of arthropod evidences to estimate the postmortem interval is a very good approach when the elapsed time from death is long, but it requires the correct identification of the specimens. This is a crucial step, not always easy to achieve, in particular when dealing with immature specimens. In this case, scanning electronic microscopy (SEM) can be useful, but the techniques used to preserve specimens in forensic practice are usually different from those used to prepare specimens for SEM studies. To determine whether forensic evidences preserving techniques are also compatible with SEM analysis, we have compared specimens of all the immature stages of Calliphora vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830 (Diptera, Calliphoridae) preserved in 70% ethanol, with others prepared with aldehydic fixative techniques that are more appropriate for SEM studies. At the same time, two drying techniques have also been compared with both fixative techniques, the critical point drying and air-drying following with hexamethyldisilizane treatment (HMDS). Our results indicate that there are not basis against recommending the use of ethanol to preserve forensic entomological evidences and that both drying methods appear to offer good results for second and third instar larvae, although HMDS behaves better with eggs and pupae. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of palladium in biological samples applying nuclear analytical techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cavalcante, Cassio Q.; Sato, Ivone M.; Salvador, Vera L. R.; Saiki, Mitiko

2008-01-01

This study presents Pd determinations in bovine tissue samples containing palladium prepared in the laboratory, and CCQM-P63 automotive catalyst materials of the Proficiency Test, using instrumental thermal and epithermal neutron activation analysis and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence techniques. Solvent extraction and solid phase extraction procedures were also applied to separate Pd from interfering elements before the irradiation in the nuclear reactor. The results obtained by different techniques were compared against each other to examine sensitivity, precision and accuracy. (author)

Development of Domestic Cat Embryo Produced by Preserved Sperms

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KARTINI ERIANI

2008-12-01

Full Text Available The ability to mature and fertilize oocytes of endangered species may allow us to sustain genetic and global biodiversity. Epididymis sperms may be the last chance to ensure preservation of genetic materials after injury or death of a valuable animal. Studies have been conducted to determine wether both epididymis sperms and oocytes can be used to produce viable embryos and offspring. The purpose of this study was to determine how long cats sperms contained in epididymis were remain motile and had intact membranes when preserved at 4 ° C, and to determine whether such those preserved sperms are able to fertilize oocytes. Epididymis was preserved immediately in phosphate buffer saline at 4 ° C for 1, 3, and 6 days. The observation of sperm quality and viability after preservation was performed by vital staining acrosom and Hoechst-Propidium Iodine. Biological functions of sperms were evaluated by in vitro culture technique for fertilization, micro fertilization and embryonic development rate in CR1aa medium. The results showed that average motility of sperms collected from ductus deferens, cauda and corpus epididymis decreased not significantly (P > 0.05 from 0, 1, 3, and 6 days of preservation times (from 83.0%, 80.2%, 79.0%; 80.9%, 75.0%, 75.5%; 52.0%, 63.2%, 55.0% to 34.6%, 34.6%, 33.3%, respectively. The general results showed that sperms from epididymis preserved for 1, 3, and 6 days can be used for IVF. The rate of embryonal cleavage produced by IVF technique using sperms collected from epididymis preserved for 1-, 3- and 6-days were 33.3, 26.7, and 20.0%, respectively and significantly different (p < 0.05 from that of controll (50.0%. In conclusion, sperms contained in epididyimis preserved at 4 ° C in PBS (Phospate Buffer Saline for 1-6 days can be used to IVF and in vitro production of cat embryos.

Direct quantitation of the preservatives benzoic and sorbic acid in processed foods using derivative spectrophotometry combined with micro dialysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Fujiyoshi, Tomoharu; Ikami, Takahito; Kikukawa, Koji; Kobayashi, Masato; Takai, Rina; Kozaki, Daisuke; Yamamoto, Atsushi

2018-02-01

The preservatives benzoic acid and sorbic acid are generally quantified with separation techniques, such as HPLC or GC. Here we describe a new method for determining these compounds in processed food samples based on a narrowness of the UV-visible spectral band width with derivative processing. It permits more selective identification and determination of target analytes in matrices. After a sample is purified by micro dialysis, UV spectra of sample solutions were measured and fourth order derivatives of the spectrum were calculated. The amplitude between the maximum and minimum values in a high-order derivative spectrum was used for the determination of benzoic acid and sorbic acid. Benzoic acid and sorbic acid levels in several commercially available processed foods were measured by HPLC and the proposed spectrometry method. The levels obtained by the two methods were highly correlated (r 2 >0.97) for both preservatives. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fertility preservation for medical reasons in girls and women: British fertility society policy and practice guideline.

Science.gov (United States)

Yasmin, Ephia; Balachandren, Neerujah; Davies, Melanie C; Jones, Georgina L; Lane, Sheila; Mathur, Raj; Webber, Lisa; Anderson, Richard A

2018-04-01

Fertility preservation in the female poses several challenges due to the invasive nature of the techniques available to achieve it. The guideline aims to bring together the evidence available for the measures for fertility preservation and their outcome. The guideline addresses fertility preservation for medical reasons and includes both oncological and non-oncological causes. The techniques that the guideline considers are: (i) embryo and oocyte cryopreservation; (ii) ovarian tissue cryopreservation; (iii) GnRH agonist suppression and (iv) ovarian transposition. Although ovarian tissue cryopreservation is still considered experimental, the availability of this technique is gaining momentum as more live births from auto-transplanted tissue are reported. The guideline also highlights use of current treatment modalities for benign and malignant conditions that have a better fertility sparing profile. The guideline recommends a multidisciplinary approach in counselling women and girls about the risk to their fertility and available techniques. The role of psychological support in assisting women and girls with decision-making is highlighted. The guideline also highlights the risks associated with these techniques. Women need to be medically fit to undergo invasive procedures. Fertility preservation techniques are appropriate when treatment has curative intent. Fertility preservation is a subject of on-going research on outcomes of different techniques and at the time of publication, studies are still likely to emerge adding to the available literature.

Preservation Benefits Geoscientific Investigations Across the Nation

Science.gov (United States)

Powers, L. A.; Latysh, N.

2017-12-01

Since 2005, the National Geological and Geophysical Data Preservation Program (NGGDPP) of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has distributed financial grants to state geological surveys to preserve, archive, and make available valuable geoscientific samples and data to researchers and the public. States have cataloged and preserved materials that include geophysical logs, geotechnical reports, fragile historical documents, maps, geologic samples, and legacy aerial and field-investigation photographs. Approximately 3 million metadata records describing preserved data and artifacts are cataloged in the National Digital Catalog, a component of the USGS ScienceBase data management infrastructure. Providing a centralized domain in the National Digital Catalog for uniformly described records has enabled discovery of important geoscientific assets across the Nation. Scientific investigations continue to be informed by preserved materials and data. Tennessee Geological Survey's preserved collection of historical documents describing coal mining activities in the State was used to identify vulnerable areas overlying abandoned underground coal mines, which caused surface collapses and sinkholes in populated areas. Missouri Geological Survey's preserved collection of legacy field notebooks was used to identify thousands of abandoned mines, many of which have significant soil or groundwater lead contamination and are located in areas that now have residential development. The information enabled the evaluation of risk to human health, environment, and infrastructure and identification of needed remedial actions. Information in the field notebooks also assisted the Missouri Department of Transportation responding to highway collapses and assessing collapse potential in abandoned coal mining lands. Digitization of natural gamma ray logs allowed Minnesota Geological Survey staff to directly access well data in the field, accelerating the ability to address geoscientific questions

A new sampling technique for surface exposure dating using a portable electric rock cutter

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Yusuke Suganuma

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Surface exposure dating using in situ cosmogenic nuclides has contributed to our understanding of Earth-surface processes. The precision of the ages estimated by this method is affected by the sample geometry; therefore, high accuracy measurements of the thickness and shape of the rock sample (thickness and shape is crucial. However, it is sometimes diffi cult to meet these requirements by conventional sampling methods with a hammer and chisel. Here, we propose a new sampling technique using a portable electric rock cutter. This sampling technique is faster, produces more precisely shaped samples, and allows for a more precise age interpretation. A simple theoretical modeldemonstrates that the age error due to defective sample geometry increases as the total sample thickness increases, indicating the importance of precise sampling for surface exposure dating.

Mantle biopsy: a technique for nondestructive tissue-sampling of freshwater mussels

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David J. Berg; Wendell R. Haag; Sheldon I. Guttman; James B. Sickel

1995-01-01

Mantle biopsy is a means of obtaining tissue samples for genetic, physiological, and contaminant studies of bivalves; but the effects of this biopsy on survival have not been determined. We describe a simple technique for obtaining such samples from unionacean bivalves and how we compared survival among biopsied and control organisms in field experiments. Survival was...

A Monte Carlo Sampling Technique for Multi-phonon Processes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoegberg, Thure

1961-12-15

A sampling technique for selecting scattering angle and energy gain in Monte Carlo calculations of neutron thermalization is described. It is supposed that the scattering is separated into processes involving different numbers of phonons. The number of phonons involved is first determined. Scattering angle and energy gain are then chosen by using special properties of the multi-phonon term.

Preservation of the External Jugular Vein in Bilateral Radical Neck Dissections: Technique in Two Cases and Review of the Literature

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Rodrigo Lima Bastos da Rocha

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Context. The possibility of cephalic venous hypertension with the resultant facial edema and elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure continues to challenge head and neck surgeons who perform bilateral radical neck dissections during simultaneous or staged procedures. Case Report. The staged procedure in patients who require bilateral neck dissections allows collateral venous drainage to develop, mainly through the internal and external vertebral plexuses, thereby minimizing the risks of deleterious consequences. Nevertheless, this procedure has disadvantages, such as a delay in definitive therapy, the need for a second hospitalization and anesthesia, and the risk of cutting lymphatic vessels and spreading viable cancer cells. In this paper, we discuss the rationale and feasibility of preserving the external jugular vein. Considering the limited number of similar reports in the literature, two cases in which this procedure was accomplished are described. The relevant anatomy and technique are reviewed and the patients’ outcomes are discussed. Conclusion. Preservation of the EJV during bilateral neck dissections is technically feasible, fast, and safe, with clinically and radiologically demonstrated patency.

A simple and fast method for fixation of cultured cell lines that preserves cellular structures containing gamma-tubulin.

Science.gov (United States)

Alvarado-Kristensson, Maria

2018-01-01

When using fluorescence microscope techniques to study cells, it is essential that the cell structure and contents are preserved after preparation of the samples, and that the preparation method employed does not create artefacts that can be perceived as cellular structure/components. γ-Tubulin forms filaments that in some cases are immunostained with an anti-γ-tubulin antibody, but this immunostaining is not reproducible [[1], [2

Evaluation of primary immunization coverage of infants under universal immunization programme in an urban area of bangalore city using cluster sampling and lot quality assurance sampling techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

K, Punith; K, Lalitha; G, Suman; Bs, Pradeep; Kumar K, Jayanth

2008-07-01

Is LQAS technique better than cluster sampling technique in terms of resources to evaluate the immunization coverage in an urban area? To assess and compare the lot quality assurance sampling against cluster sampling in the evaluation of primary immunization coverage. Population-based cross-sectional study. Areas under Mathikere Urban Health Center. Children aged 12 months to 23 months. 220 in cluster sampling, 76 in lot quality assurance sampling. Percentages and Proportions, Chi square Test. (1) Using cluster sampling, the percentage of completely immunized, partially immunized and unimmunized children were 84.09%, 14.09% and 1.82%, respectively. With lot quality assurance sampling, it was 92.11%, 6.58% and 1.31%, respectively. (2) Immunization coverage levels as evaluated by cluster sampling technique were not statistically different from the coverage value as obtained by lot quality assurance sampling techniques. Considering the time and resources required, it was found that lot quality assurance sampling is a better technique in evaluating the primary immunization coverage in urban area.

Novel Fluid Preservation System, Phase I

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — To address NASA's need for a method to preserve blood and urine samples from astronauts collected during flight, Chromologic (CL) proposes to develop a novel Fluid...

Processing and stabilization of Aloe Vera leaf gel by adding chemical and natural preservatives

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N. Nazemi

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Background and objectives: Aloe vera has been used as a medicinal herb for thousands of years. Aloe vera leaves can be separated into latex and gel which have biological effects. Aloe gel is a potent source of polysaccharides. When the gel is exposed to air, it quickly decomposes and decays and loses most of its biological activity. There are various processing techniques for sterilizing and stabilizing the gel. The aim of this study was to improve stabilization of the gel by adding some chemical and natural preservatives. Methods: The gel was obtained from Aloe vera leaves and after some processing chemical and natural preservatives were added. Chemicals included citric acid, ascorbic acid, vitamin E and potassium sorbate while natural preservatives were two essential oils derived from Cinnamomum zeylanicum and Eugenia caryophyllata. All these operations were performed under sterile conditions and they were evaluated at different temperatures and times. Appearance and taste changes of gel were studied organoleptic. Microbiological tests and some physical assays such as pH, refractometry and viscosity properties as well as determination of total sugars were measured. NMR and FT-IR analyses were performed for determining the quality of samples. Results: After data analyzing, the results showed that the samples formulated with chemical additives together with essential oils were more suitable and stable compared to the control samples after 90 days and the effective ingredient acemannan, remained stable. Conclusion: The stable gel can be considered for therapeutic properties and be used for edible and medicinal purposes.

TRAN-STAT: statistics for environmental studies, Number 22. Comparison of soil-sampling techniques for plutonium at Rocky Flats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gilbert, R.O.; Bernhardt, D.E.; Hahn, P.B.

1983-01-01

A summary of a field soil sampling study conducted around the Rocky Flats Colorado plant in May 1977 is preseted. Several different soil sampling techniques that had been used in the area were applied at four different sites. One objective was to comparethe average 239 - 240 Pu concentration values obtained by the various soil sampling techniques used. There was also interest in determining whether there are differences in the reproducibility of the various techniques and how the techniques compared with the proposed EPA technique of sampling to 1 cm depth. Statistically significant differences in average concentrations between the techniques were found. The differences could be largely related to the differences in sampling depth-the primary physical variable between the techniques. The reproducibility of the techniques was evaluated by comparing coefficients of variation. Differences between coefficients of variation were not statistically significant. Average (median) coefficients ranged from 21 to 42 percent for the five sampling techniques. A laboratory study indicated that various sample treatment and particle sizing techniques could increase the concentration of plutonium in the less than 10 micrometer size fraction by up to a factor of about 4 compared to the 2 mm size fraction

Stratified source-sampling techniques for Monte Carlo eigenvalue analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohamed, A.

1998-01-01

In 1995, at a conference on criticality safety, a special session was devoted to the Monte Carlo ''Eigenvalue of the World'' problem. Argonne presented a paper, at that session, in which the anomalies originally observed in that problem were reproduced in a much simplified model-problem configuration, and removed by a version of stratified source-sampling. In this paper, stratified source-sampling techniques are generalized and applied to three different Eigenvalue of the World configurations which take into account real-world statistical noise sources not included in the model problem, but which differ in the amount of neutronic coupling among the constituents of each configuration. It is concluded that, in Monte Carlo eigenvalue analysis of loosely-coupled arrays, the use of stratified source-sampling reduces the probability of encountering an anomalous result over that if conventional source-sampling methods are used. However, this gain in reliability is substantially less than that observed in the model-problem results

Evaluation of primary immunization coverage of infants under universal immunization programme in an urban area of Bangalore city using cluster sampling and lot quality assurance sampling techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Punith K

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Research Question: Is LQAS technique better than cluster sampling technique in terms of resources to evaluate the immunization coverage in an urban area? Objective: To assess and compare the lot quality assurance sampling against cluster sampling in the evaluation of primary immunization coverage. Study Design: Population-based cross-sectional study. Study Setting: Areas under Mathikere Urban Health Center. Study Subjects: Children aged 12 months to 23 months. Sample Size: 220 in cluster sampling, 76 in lot quality assurance sampling. Statistical Analysis: Percentages and Proportions, Chi square Test. Results: (1 Using cluster sampling, the percentage of completely immunized, partially immunized and unimmunized children were 84.09%, 14.09% and 1.82%, respectively. With lot quality assurance sampling, it was 92.11%, 6.58% and 1.31%, respectively. (2 Immunization coverage levels as evaluated by cluster sampling technique were not statistically different from the coverage value as obtained by lot quality assurance sampling techniques. Considering the time and resources required, it was found that lot quality assurance sampling is a better technique in evaluating the primary immunization coverage in urban area.

Radiation preservation of cooked foods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aurangzeb; Bibi, N.; Badshah, A.; Khan, I.

1989-01-01

The preservation of irradiated cooked food has been explained in this report under vacuum conditions. The samples were irradiated at dose levels of 7.5 and 10.0 LGy. Measurement of fungal count was carried immediately after irradiation and after each 15 days of storage life upto 60 days of time interval. The samples were evaluated organolepticaly as well. It has been observed that no significance difference was observed among samples of irradiated and vacuum packed controls during storage for 45 days. (A.B.)

Analytical techniques for measurement of 99Tc in environmental samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1979-01-01

Three new methods have been developed for measuring 99 Tc in environmental samples. The most sensitive method is isotope dilution mass spectrometry, which allows measurement of about 1 x 10 -12 grams of 99 Tc. Results on analysis of five samples by this method compare very well with values obtained by a second independent method, which involves counting of beta particles from 99 Tc and internal conversion electrons from /sup 97m/Tc. A third method involving electrothermal atomic absorption has also been developed. Although this method is not as sensitive as the first two techniques, the cost per analysis is expected to be considerably less for certain types of samples

Determination of some trace elements in biological samples using XRF and TXRF techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khuder, A.; Karjou, J.; Sawan, M. K.

2006-07-01

XRF and TXRF techniques were successfully used for the multi-element determination of trace elements in whole blood and human head hair samples. This was achieved by the direct analysis using XRF technique with different collimation units and by the optimized chemical procedures for TXRF analysis. Light element of S and P were preferably determined by XRF with primary x-ray excitation, while, elements of K, Ca, Fe, and Br were determined with a very good accuracy and precision using XRF with Cu- and Mo-secondary targets. The chemical procedure dependent on the preconcentration of trace elements by APDC was superiorly used for the determination of traces of Ni and Pb in the range of 1.0-1.7 μg/dl and 11-23 μg/dl, respectively, in whole blood samples by TXRF technique; determination of other elements as Cu and Zn was also achievable using this approach. Rb in whole blood samples was determined directly after the digestion of samples using PTFE-bomb for TXRF analysis. (author)

Effectiveness of Gamma Irradiated Chitosan for Fresh Meat Preservation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zahran, D.A.

2015-01-01

Chitosan is a food preservative of natural origin that has drawn the attention of scientists working in the field of radiation processing and natural polymer products development. The effectiveness of 1% chitosan (CS) and chitosan oligosaccharides (COS) (chitosan subjected to γ irradiation, 50 or 100 kGy) dipping to preserve fresh beef slices during refrigerated storage was investigated. The microbiological quality, lipid and color stability were evaluated. The results revealed that dipping in 1% CS, COS 50 and COS 100 significantly (Ρ< 0.05) improved the microbiological quality and reduced lipid oxidation in beef samples compared to the control samples. On day 7, control samples were considered rejected from the microbiological and lipid oxidation point of view. Dipping in 1% COS 100 significantly (p< 0.05) influenced color properties compared with the other groups. It could be concluded that dipping in 1% COS improved quality parameters of fresh beef and could be used in preservation.

Radiation preservation of spices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Badshah, A.; Tasnim, A.; Khan, M.; Sattar, A.; Khan, I.

1989-01-01

The use of gamma irradiation for preservation of red hot pepper has been explained in report, as it can kill the harmful organisms without altering the organolpetic properties. The sample were dried and reduced to pass through 20 mesh. The samples were irradiated at different dose levels of 0, 2.5, 5.0, 7.5 and 10.0 KGy and results have been shown after different time intervals. Radiation and packaging treatments resulted normaly no effect on the color of dry fruits. (A.B)

Search for Fluid Inclusions in a Carbonaceous Chondrite Using a New X-Ray Micro-Tomography Technique Combined with FIB Sampling

Science.gov (United States)

Tsuchiyama, A.; Miyake, A.; Zolensky, M. E.; Uesugi, K.; Nakano, T.; Takeuchi, A.; Suzuki, Y.; Yoshida, K.

2014-01-01

Early solar system aqueous fluids are preserved in some H chondrites as aqueous fluid inclusions in halite (e.g., [1]). Although potential fluid inclusions are also expected in carbonaceous chondrites [2], they have not been surely confirmed. In order to search for these fluid inclusions, we have developped a new X-ray micro-tomography technique combined with FIB sampling and applied this techniqu to a carbanaceous chondrite. Experimental: A polished thin section of Sutter's Mill meteorite (CM) was observed with an optical microscope and FE-SEM (JEOL 7001F) for chosing mineral grains of carbonates (mainly calcite) and sulfides (FeS and ZnS) 20-50 microns in typical size, which may have aqueous fluid inclusions. Then, a "house" similar to a cube with a roof (20-30 microns in size) is sampled from the mineral grain by using FIB (FEI Quanta 200 3DS). Then, the house was atached to a thin W-needle by FIB and imaged by a SR-based imaging microtomography system with a Fresnel zone plate at beamline BL47XU, SPring-8, Japan. One sample was imaged at two X-ray energies, 7 and 8 keV, to identify mineral phases (dual-enegy microtomography: [3]). The size of voxel (pixel in 3D) was 50-80 nm, which gave the effective spatial resolution of approx. 200 nm. A terrestrial quartz sample with an aqueous fluid inclusion with a bubble was also examined as a test sample by the same method. Results and discussion: A fluid inclusion of 5-8 microns in quartz was clearly identified in a CT image. A bubble of approx. 4 microns was also identified as refraction contrast although the X-ray absorption difference between fluid and bubble is small. Volumes of the fluid and bubble were obtained from the 3D CT images. Fourteen grains of calcite, two grains of iron sulfide and one grain of (Zn,Fe)S were examined. Ten calcite, one iron sulfide and one (Zn,Fe)S grains have inclusions >1 micron in size (the maximum: approx. 5 microns). The shapes are spherical or irregular. Tiny inclusions (tiny solid

Recent advances in sample preparation techniques and methods of sulfonamides detection - A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Dmitrienko, Stanislava G; Kochuk, Elena V; Apyari, Vladimir V; Tolmacheva, Veronika V; Zolotov, Yury A

2014-11-19

Sulfonamides (SAs) have been the most widely used antimicrobial drugs for more than 70 years, and their residues in foodstuffs and environmental samples pose serious health hazards. For this reason, sensitive and specific methods for the quantification of these compounds in numerous matrices have been developed. This review intends to provide an updated overview of the recent trends over the past five years in sample preparation techniques and methods for detecting SAs. Examples of the sample preparation techniques, including liquid-liquid and solid-phase extraction, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and QuEChERS, are given. Different methods of detecting the SAs present in food and feed and in environmental, pharmaceutical and biological samples are discussed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Production of extracts from preserved olives using supercritical CO2 and preliminary evaluation of its polyphenol content

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Maria João Cebola

2014-06-01

Full Text Available The supercritical fluid extraction (SFE technique was used to obtain extracts from a sample simulating an olive pomace, obtained from preserved olives. The objective was to achieve the extraction of polyphenolic components from this matrix which is considered a hazardous waste from the production of olive oil. The supercritical fluid used was carbon dioxide and the SFE studies were conducted in two stages, the first at a pressure of 200 bar and 40 ºC and the second stage at 300 bar, 45 ºC and using ethanol as co-solvent. In both cases the SFE was performed for 3 hours. The first stage was carried out to obtain a cleaner matrix and the second step was aimed at the components of interest. The overall mass yield obtained was 5.5 %. Preliminary HPLC screening of the samples obtained and also of the water in which the olives were preserved showed that the polyphenol compounds were mostly in the latter.

[Organ-preserving method in the surgical treatment of the spleen injuries].

Science.gov (United States)

Khripun, A I; Alimov, A N; Salikov, A V; Priamikov, A D; Alimov, V A; Sukiasian, A A; Popov, T V; Urvantseva, O M

2014-01-01

The authors have experience in organ-preserving operations for spleen rupture with the splenic artery ligation in 156 casualties. They consider that such operations let to preserve the spleen, to avoid the postoperative rebleeding and ischemia of pancreas tail and body. Also it is accompanied by the low indications of lethality and postoperative complications. The authors consider that this operation is alternative to splenectomy and other techniques of organ-preserving operations in case of spleen trauma.

Dried fruit breadfruit slices by Refractive Window™ technique

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Diego F. Tirado

2016-01-01

Full Text Available A large amount of products are dried due several reasons as preservation, weight reduction and improvement of stability. However, on the market are not offered low-cost and high quality products simultaneously. Although there are effective methods of dehydrating foods such as freeze drying, which preserves the flavor, color and vitamins, they are poor accessibility technologies. Therefore, alternative processes are required to be efficient and economical. The aim of this research was compare drying kinetics of sliced of breadfruit (Artocarpus communis using the technique of Refractive Window® (VR with the tray drying. To carry out this study, sliced of 1 and 2 mm thick were used. Refractive window drying was performed with the water bath temperature to 92 °C; and tray drying at 62 °C and an air velocity of 0.52 m/s. During the Refractive window drying technique, the moisture content reached the lower than tray drying levels. Similarly it happened with samples of 1 mm, which, having a smaller diameter reached lower moisture levels than samples 2 mm. The higher diffusivities were obtained during drying sliced VR 1 and 2 mm with coefficients of 6.13 and 3.90*10-9 m2/s respectively.

The H1 Data Preservation Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

South, D M; Steder, M

2012-01-01

The H1 data preservation project was started in 2009 as part of the global data preservation initiative in high-energy physics, DPHEP. In order to retain the full potential for future improvements, the H1 Collaboration aims for level 4 of the DPHEP recommendations, which requires the full simulation and reconstruction chain as well as the data to be preserved for future analysis. A major goal of the H1 project is therefore to provide secure, long-lived and validated access to the H1 data and analysis software, which is realised in collaboration with DESY-IT using virtualisation techniques. By implementing such a system, it is hoped that the lifetime of the unique ep collision data from HERA will be extended, providing the possibility for novel analysis in the future. The preservation of the data and software is performed alongside a consolidation programme of digital and non-digital documentation, some of which dates back to the early 1980s. A new organisational model of the H1 Collaboration, reflecting the change to the long term phase, is to be adopted in July 2012.

Symbol synchronization and sampling frequency synchronization techniques in real-time DDO-OFDM systems

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ming; He, Jing; Cao, Zizheng; Tang, Jin; Chen, Lin; Wu, Xian

2014-09-01

In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a symbol synchronization and sampling frequency synchronization techniques in real-time direct-detection optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (DDO-OFDM) system, over 100-km standard single mode fiber (SSMF) using a cost-effective directly modulated distributed feedback (DFB) laser. The experiment results show that the proposed symbol synchronization based on training sequence (TS) has a low complexity and high accuracy even at a sampling frequency offset (SFO) of 5000-ppm. Meanwhile, the proposed pilot-assisted sampling frequency synchronization between digital-to-analog converter (DAC) and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is capable of estimating SFOs with an accuracy of technique can also compensate SFO effects within a small residual SFO caused by deviation of SFO estimation and low-precision or unstable clock source. The two synchronization techniques are suitable for high-speed DDO-OFDM transmission systems.

[Strategy for minimally invasive cochlear implantation and residual hearing preservation].

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Y Y; Chen, J Y; Shen, M; Yang, J

2018-01-07

In the past few decades, considerable development was achieved in the cochlear implantation following the emergence of innovative electrode array and advances in minimally invasive surgery. Minimally invasive technique led to a better preservation of residual low-frequency hearing. The loss of residual hearing was caused by complicated factors. According to previous studies, a slower and stable speed of electrode insertion and the use of perioperative steroids were demonstrated to have a positive impact on hearing preservation. The selection of electrode array or its insertion approaches didn't show any distinctive benefits in hearing preservation.

Comparison between optical coherence tomography technique and mechanical compression assay to evaluate ionizing radiation effects in frozen and lyophilized bone Tissue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Santin, Stefany Plumeri; Freitas, Anderson Zanardi de; Martinho Junior, Antonio Carlos; Dias, Djalma Batista; Soares, Fernando Augusto Neves; Pino, Eddy Segura; Veloso, Marcelo Noronha; Mathor, Monica B., E-mail: spsantin@usp.br, E-mail: mathor@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Santos, Luiz Augusto Ubirajara, E-mail: augustosantos@terra.com.br [Universidade de Sao Paulo (IOT/HCFUSP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil). Fac. de Medicina. Instituto de Ortopedia e Traumatologia

2013-07-01

Currently tissue banks have utilized ionizing radiation to sterilize bone tissues to be used as allograft. This method is advantageous when compared with other techniques, because the tissue is sterilized in its final packaging avoiding later contaminations, another advantage is due to the fact occur only a minimal increase in temperature, in addition to provide a Sterility Assurance Level (SAL) of 10{sup -6}, as recommended by national and international standards. However, there are several studies investigating the modifications that this method of sterilization may cause to the bone matrix, for example, alterations in the resistance to compression force. The compressive mechanical tests are highly used to evaluate the decrease in the mechanical strength; however it is a destructive assay. In this study, we used Optical Coherence Tomography to evaluate these possible changes. This technique is advantageous, for do not destroy the sample and enable the performing of other assays with the same sample. In literature, it is possible to find several studies about mechanical changes occasioned by destructive tests. Therefore, this study aims to compare the results of both techniques. It was selected four donors to obtain eight samples of fibula, through a partnership with the Tissue Bank (Instituto de Traumatologia do Hospital das Clinicas da Universidade de Sao Paulo). From each donor were separated twelve samples for preservation by freezing and twelve samples for preservation by lyophilization. The samples were analyzed by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) after irradiation at different doses (15, 25 and 50 kGy), in addition to non-irradiated control. After the samples were analyzed by Optical Coherence Tomography the same were subjected to mechanical testing. The data were analyzed by software developed by Dr. Anderson Zanardi de Freitas to calculate the total attenuation coefficient of photons. Nevertheless, only the preservation method may induce to alterations

Comparison between optical coherence tomography technique and mechanical compression assay to evaluate ionizing radiation effects in frozen and lyophilized bone Tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santin, Stefany Plumeri; Freitas, Anderson Zanardi de; Martinho Junior, Antonio Carlos; Dias, Djalma Batista; Soares, Fernando Augusto Neves; Pino, Eddy Segura; Veloso, Marcelo Noronha; Mathor, Monica B.; Santos, Luiz Augusto Ubirajara

2013-01-01

Currently tissue banks have utilized ionizing radiation to sterilize bone tissues to be used as allograft. This method is advantageous when compared with other techniques, because the tissue is sterilized in its final packaging avoiding later contaminations, another advantage is due to the fact occur only a minimal increase in temperature, in addition to provide a Sterility Assurance Level (SAL) of 10 -6 , as recommended by national and international standards. However, there are several studies investigating the modifications that this method of sterilization may cause to the bone matrix, for example, alterations in the resistance to compression force. The compressive mechanical tests are highly used to evaluate the decrease in the mechanical strength; however it is a destructive assay. In this study, we used Optical Coherence Tomography to evaluate these possible changes. This technique is advantageous, for do not destroy the sample and enable the performing of other assays with the same sample. In literature, it is possible to find several studies about mechanical changes occasioned by destructive tests. Therefore, this study aims to compare the results of both techniques. It was selected four donors to obtain eight samples of fibula, through a partnership with the Tissue Bank (Instituto de Traumatologia do Hospital das Clinicas da Universidade de Sao Paulo). From each donor were separated twelve samples for preservation by freezing and twelve samples for preservation by lyophilization. The samples were analyzed by Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) after irradiation at different doses (15, 25 and 50 kGy), in addition to non-irradiated control. After the samples were analyzed by Optical Coherence Tomography the same were subjected to mechanical testing. The data were analyzed by software developed by Dr. Anderson Zanardi de Freitas to calculate the total attenuation coefficient of photons. Nevertheless, only the preservation method may induce to alterations in

ANALYSIS OF MONTE CARLO SIMULATION SAMPLING TECHNIQUES ON SMALL SIGNAL STABILITY OF WIND GENERATOR- CONNECTED POWER SYSTEM

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

TEMITOPE RAPHAEL AYODELE

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Monte Carlo simulation using Simple Random Sampling (SRS technique is popularly known for its ability to handle complex uncertainty problems. However, to produce a reasonable result, it requires huge sample size. This makes it to be computationally expensive, time consuming and unfit for online power system applications. In this article, the performance of Latin Hypercube Sampling (LHS technique is explored and compared with SRS in term of accuracy, robustness and speed for small signal stability application in a wind generator-connected power system. The analysis is performed using probabilistic techniques via eigenvalue analysis on two standard networks (Single Machine Infinite Bus and IEEE 16–machine 68 bus test system. The accuracy of the two sampling techniques is determined by comparing their different sample sizes with the IDEAL (conventional. The robustness is determined based on a significant variance reduction when the experiment is repeated 100 times with different sample sizes using the two sampling techniques in turn. Some of the results show that sample sizes generated from LHS for small signal stability application produces the same result as that of the IDEAL values starting from 100 sample size. This shows that about 100 sample size of random variable generated using LHS method is good enough to produce reasonable results for practical purpose in small signal stability application. It is also revealed that LHS has the least variance when the experiment is repeated 100 times compared to SRS techniques. This signifies the robustness of LHS over that of SRS techniques. 100 sample size of LHS produces the same result as that of the conventional method consisting of 50000 sample size. The reduced sample size required by LHS gives it computational speed advantage (about six times over the conventional method.

Modified emission-transmission method for determining trace elements in solid samples using the XRF techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poblete, V.; Alvarez, M.; Hermosilla, M.

2000-01-01

This is a study of an analysis of trace elements in medium thick solid samples, by the modified transmission emission method, using the energy dispersion X-ray fluorescence technique (EDXRF). The effects of absorption and reinforcement are the main disadvantages of the EDXRF technique for the quantitative analysis of bigger elements and trace elements in solid samples. The implementation of this method and its application to a variety of samples was carried out using an infinitely thick multi-element white sample that calculates the correction factors by absorbing all the analytes in the sample. The discontinuities in the masic absorption coefficients versus energies association for each element, with medium thick and homogenous samples, are analyzed and corrected. A thorough analysis of the different theoretical and test variables are proven by using real samples, including certified material with known concentration. The simplicity of the calculation method and the results obtained show the method's major precision, with possibilities for the non-destructive routine analysis of different solid samples, using the EDXRF technique (author)

A multi-agent approach: To preserve user information privacy for a pervasive and ubiquitous environment

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Chandramohan Dhasarathan

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Cloud user’s data are getting insecure in current technological advancement. This research focuses on proposing a secure model to maintain the secrecy in a cloud environment using intelligent agent. This paper presents an intelligent model to protect user’s valuable personal data. Preserving proprietor’s data and information in cloud is one of the top most challenging missions for cloud provider. Many researches fanatical their valuable time’s to discover some technique, algorithms and protocols to solve secrecy issue and develop a full-fledged cloud computing standard structure as a newest computing to all cloud users. Some researchers came forward with cryptography technique, cyber middle wear technique, noise injection and third party layer technique to preserve privacy about data in cloud. We propose a hybrid authentication technique as an end point lock. It is a composite model coupled with an algorithm for user’s privacy preserving, which is likely to be Hash Diff Anomaly Detection and Prevention (HDAD. This algorithmic protocol acts intelligently as a privacy preserving model and technique to ensure the users data are kept more secretly and develop an endorsed trust on providers. We also explore the highest necessity to maintain the confidentiality of cloud user’s data.

Recent Trends in Microextraction Techniques Employed in Analytical and Bioanalytical Sample Preparation

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Abuzar Kabir

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sample preparation has been recognized as a major step in the chemical analysis workflow. As such, substantial efforts have been made in recent years to simplify the overall sample preparation process. Major focusses of these efforts have included miniaturization of the extraction device; minimizing/eliminating toxic and hazardous organic solvent consumption; eliminating sample pre-treatment and post-treatment steps; reducing the sample volume requirement; reducing extraction equilibrium time, maximizing extraction efficiency etc. All these improved attributes are congruent with the Green Analytical Chemistry (GAC principles. Classical sample preparation techniques such as solid phase extraction (SPE and liquid-liquid extraction (LLE are being rapidly replaced with emerging miniaturized and environmentally friendly techniques such as Solid Phase Micro Extraction (SPME, Stir bar Sorptive Extraction (SBSE, Micro Extraction by Packed Sorbent (MEPS, Fabric Phase Sorptive Extraction (FPSE, and Dispersive Liquid-Liquid Micro Extraction (DLLME. In addition to the development of many new generic extraction sorbents in recent years, a large number of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs created using different template molecules have also enriched the large cache of microextraction sorbents. Application of nanoparticles as high-performance extraction sorbents has undoubtedly elevated the extraction efficiency and method sensitivity of modern chromatographic analyses to a new level. Combining magnetic nanoparticles with many microextraction sorbents has opened up new possibilities to extract target analytes from sample matrices containing high volumes of matrix interferents. The aim of the current review is to critically audit the progress of microextraction techniques in recent years, which has indisputably transformed the analytical chemistry practices, from biological and therapeutic drug monitoring to the environmental field; from foods to phyto

Development of core sampling technique for ITER Type B radwaste

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, S. G.; Hong, K. P.; Oh, W. H.; Park, M. C.; Jung, S. H.; Ahn, S. B. [Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2016-10-15

Type B radwaste (intermediate level and long lived radioactive waste) imported from ITER vacuum vessel are to be treated and stored in basement of hot cell building. The Type B radwaste treatment process is composed of buffer storage, cutting, sampling/tritium measurement, tritium removal, characterization, pre-packaging, inspection/decontamination, and storage etc. The cut slices of Type B radwaste components generated from cutting process undergo sampling process before and after tritium removal process. The purpose of sampling is to obtain small pieces of samples in order to investigate the tritium content and concentration of Type B radwaste. Core sampling, which is the candidates of sampling technique to be applied to ITER hot cell, is available for not thick (less than 50 mm) metal without use of coolant. Experimented materials were SS316L and CuCrZr in order to simulate ITER Type B radwaste. In core sampling, substantial secondary wastes from cutting chips will be produced unavoidably. Thus, core sampling machine will have to be equipped with disposal system such as suction equipment. Core sampling is considered an unfavorable method for tool wear compared to conventional drilling.

[Preservation of live eggs of Schistosoma japonicum].

Science.gov (United States)

Lan, Wei-ming; Xie, Shu-ying; Wang, Qin; Jiang, Wei-sheng; Hu, Ren-mei; Ge, Jun; Zeng, Xiao-jun

2015-10-01

To observe the preservation time and activity of miracidium hatching from schistosome eggs preserved in different solutions, so as to obtain the optimal preservation conditions and then provide quality control products for field application. The rectum stool of rabbits infected with Schistosoma japonicum was collected and the coarse fecal residue was removed with a series of sample sieves of 80, 100, 160 and 200 meshes respectively, and then the schistosome eggs were concentrated with the sample sieve of 260 meshes. The concentrated eggs were preserved in 0.9% sodium chloride solution, 1.2% sodium chloride solution, phosphate buffered saline solution (PBS, PH 7.2), 1.0% sucrose solution, and Mili-Q water, respectively, and then were conserved in a 4 °C refrigerator and 15 °C constant temperature incubator, respectively. The preserved eggs were hatched in different time (7-day interval) , the vitality and quantity of the miracidia were observed, and the hatching rates were calculated. Under the condition of 4 °C, the hatching rates of eggs dropped to 0 in 1.0% sucrose solution and 1.2% sodium chloride solution at the 49th and 126th day, respectively, and the hatching rates of eggs in the 0.9% sodium chloride solution and PBS solution dropped to 10% at the 112th day, and the activity of miracidium was weakened since 140th. In the Mili-Q water, the hatching rate dropped less than 10% at the 196th day and the activity of miracidia was weakened since the 280th day. Under the condition of 15 °C, the hatching rate of eggs in different solutions gradually dropped to 0 from the 49th day to 105th day. The eggs preserved in Mili-Q water at the temperature of 4 °C can be used as the positive reference for hatching tests within 196 days.

On the Techniques and Tools for Privacy-Preserving Smart Contracts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anastasia A. Barinova

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Currently, business processes become more and more complicated. Data used in these processes circulates mainly through the digital communications. Due to these conditions some kind of electronic contracts for business deals becomes necessary. Smart contracts should describe a set of conditions, implemented through some events in the real world and digital systems. The most important requirement for this technology is privacy ensuring. In this work we have explored existing projects of privacy-preserving smart contracts, defined comparison criteria, compared projects and made a conclusion about options required for smart contract frameworks.

3D-Laser-Scanning Technique Applied to Bulk Density Measurements of Apollo Lunar Samples

Science.gov (United States)

Macke, R. J.; Kent, J. J.; Kiefer, W. S.; Britt, D. T.

2015-01-01

In order to better interpret gravimetric data from orbiters such as GRAIL and LRO to understand the subsurface composition and structure of the lunar crust, it is import to have a reliable database of the density and porosity of lunar materials. To this end, we have been surveying these physical properties in both lunar meteorites and Apollo lunar samples. To measure porosity, both grain density and bulk density are required. For bulk density, our group has historically utilized sub-mm bead immersion techniques extensively, though several factors have made this technique problematic for our work with Apollo samples. Samples allocated for measurement are often smaller than optimal for the technique, leading to large error bars. Also, for some samples we were required to use pure alumina beads instead of our usual glass beads. The alumina beads were subject to undesirable static effects, producing unreliable results. Other investigators have tested the use of 3d laser scanners on meteorites for measuring bulk volumes. Early work, though promising, was plagued with difficulties including poor response on dark or reflective surfaces, difficulty reproducing sharp edges, and large processing time for producing shape models. Due to progress in technology, however, laser scanners have improved considerably in recent years. We tested this technique on 27 lunar samples in the Apollo collection using a scanner at NASA Johnson Space Center. We found it to be reliable and more precise than beads, with the added benefit that it involves no direct contact with the sample, enabling the study of particularly friable samples for which bead immersion is not possible

Analysis of pure and malachite green doped polysulfone sample using FT-IR technique

Science.gov (United States)

Nayak, Rashmi J.; Khare, P. K.; Nayak, J. G.

2018-05-01

The sample of pure and malachite green doped Polysulfone in the form of foil was prepared by isothermal immersion technique. For the preparation of pure sample 4 gm of Polysulfone was dissolved in 50 ml of Dimethyl farmamide (DMF) solvent, while for the preparation of doped sample 10 mg, 50 mg and 100 mg Malachite Green was mixed with 4 gm of Polysulfone respectively. For the study of structural characterization of these pure and doped sample, Fourier Transform Infra-Red Spectroscopy (FT-IR) technique was used. This study shows that the intensity of transmittance decreases as the ratio of doping increases in pure polysulfone. The reduction in intensity of transmittance is clearly apparent in the present case more over the bands were broader which indicates towards charge transfer interaction between the donar and acceptor molecule.

If an antelope is a document, then a rock is data: preserving earth science samples for the future

Science.gov (United States)

Ramdeen, S.

2015-12-01

As discussed in seminal works by Briet (1951) and Buckland (1998), physical objects can be considered documents when given specific context. In the case of an antelope, in the wild it's an animal, in a zoo it's a document. It is the primary source of information, specifically when it is made an object of study. When discussing earth science data, we may think about numbers in a spreadsheet or verbal descriptions of a rock. But what about physical materials such as cores, cuttings, fossils, and other tangible objects? The most recent version of the American Geophysical Union's data position statement states data preservation and management policies should apply to both "digital data and physical objects"[1]. If an antelope is a document, than isn't a rock a form of data? Like books in a library or items in a museum, these objects require surrogates (digital or analog) that allow researchers to access and retrieve them. Once these scientific objects are acquired, researchers can process the information they contain. Unlike books, and some museum materials, most earth science objects cannot yet be completely replaced by digital surrogates. A fossil may be scanned, but the original is needed for chemical testing and ultimately for 'not yet developed' processes of scientific analysis. These objects along with their metadata or other documentation become scientific data when they are used in research. Without documentation of key information (i.e. the location where it was collected) these objects may lose their scientific value. This creates a complex situation where we must preserve the object, its metadata, and the connection between them. These factors are important as we consider the future of earth science data, our definitions of what constitutes scientific data, as well as our data preservation and management practices. This talk will discuss current initiatives within the earth science communities (EarthCube's EC3 and iSamples; USGS's data preservation program

Time and temperature affect glycolysis in blood samples regardless of fluoride-based preservatives: a potential underestimation of diabetes.

Science.gov (United States)

Stapleton, Mary; Daly, Niamh; O'Kelly, Ruth; Turner, Michael J

2017-11-01

Background The inhibition of glycolysis prior to glucose measurement is an important consideration when interpreting glucose tolerance tests. This is particularly important in gestational diabetes mellitus where prompt diagnosis and treatment is essential. A study was planned to investigate the effect of preservatives and temperature on glycolysis. Methods Blood samples for glucose were obtained from consented females. Lithium heparin and fluoride-EDTA samples transported rapidly in ice slurry to the laboratory were analysed for glucose concentration and then held either in ice slurry or at room temperature for varying time intervals. Paired fluoride-citrate samples were received at room temperature and held at room temperature, with analysis at similar time intervals. Results No significant difference was noted between mean glucose concentrations when comparing different sample types received in ice slurry. The mean glucose concentrations decreased significantly for both sets of samples when held at room temperature (0.4 mmol/L) and in ice slurry (0.2 mmol/L). A review of patient glucose tolerance tests reported in our hospital indicated that 17.8% exceeded the recommended diagnostic criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus. It was predicted that if the results of fasting samples were revised to reflect the effect of glycolysis at room temperature, the adjusted diagnostic rate could increase to 35.3%. Conclusion Preanalytical handling of blood samples for glucose analysis is vital. Fluoride-EDTA is an imperfect antiglycolytic, even when the samples are transported and analysed rapidly provides such optimal conditions. The use of fluoride-citrate tubes may offer a viable alternative in the diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.

Normothermic perfusion: a new paradigm for organ preservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Brockmann, Jens; Reddy, Srikanth; Coussios, Constantin; Pigott, David; Guirriero, Dino; Hughes, David; Morovat, Alireza; Roy, Debabrata; Winter, Lucy; Friend, Peter J

2009-07-01

Transplantation of organs retrieved after cardiac arrest could increase the donor organ supply. However, the combination of warm ischemia and cold preservation is highly detrimental to the reperfused organ. Our objective was to maintain physiological temperature and organ function during preservation and thereby alleviate this injury and allow successful transplantation. We have developed a liver perfusion device that maintains physiological temperature with provision of oxygen and nutrition. Reperfusion experiments suggested that this allows recovery of ischemic damage. In a pig liver transplant model, we compared the outcome following either conventional cold preservation or warm preservation. Preservation periods of 5 and 20 hours and durations of warm ischemia of 40 and 60 minutes were tested. After 20 hours preservation without warm ischemia, post-transplant survival was improved (27%-86%, P = 0.026), with corresponding differences in transaminase levels and histological analysis. With the addition of 40 minutes warm ischemia, the differences were even more marked (cold vs. warm groups 0% vs. 83%, P = 0.001). However, with 60 minutes warm ischemia and 20 hours preservation, there were no survivors. Analysis of hemodynamic and liver function data during perfusion showed several factors to be predictive of posttransplant survival, including bile production, base excess, portal vein flow, and hepatocellular enzymes. Organ preservation by warm perfusion, maintaining physiological pressure and flow parameters, has enabled prolonged preservation and successful transplantation of both normal livers and those with substantial ischemic damage. This technique has the potential to address the shortage of organs for transplantation.

Preserving traditional medical knowledge through modes of transmission: A post-positivist enquiry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Janet Adekannbi

2014-11-01

Objectives: This study investigated the role which the mode of transmission plays in the preservation of traditional medical knowledge. Method: A post-positivist methodology was adopted. A purposive sampling technique was used to select three communities from each of the six states in South-Western Nigeria. The snowball technique was used in selecting 228 traditional medical practitioners, whilst convenience sampling was adopted in selecting 529 apprentices and 120 children who were not learning the profession. A questionnaire with a five-point Likert scale, key-informant interviews and focus-group discussions were used to collect data. The quantitative data was analysed using descriptive statistics whilst qualitative data was analysed thematically. Results: The dominant mode of knowledge transmission was found to be oblique (66.5% whilst vertical transmission (29.3% and horizontal transmission (4.2% occurred much less. Conclusion: Traditional medical knowledge is at risk of being lost in the study area because most of the apprentices were children from other parents, whereas most traditional medical practitioners preferred to transmit knowledge only to their children.

Compressibility-aware media retargeting with structure preserving.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Shu-Fan; Lai, Shang-Hong

2011-03-01

A number of algorithms have been proposed for intelligent image/video retargeting with image content retained as much as possible. However, they usually suffer from some artifacts in the results, such as ridge or structure twist. In this paper, we present a structure-preserving media retargeting technique that preserves the content and image structure as best as possible. Different from the previous pixel or grid based methods, we estimate the image content saliency from the structure of the content. A block structure energy is introduced with a top-down strategy to constrain the image structure inside to deform uniformly in either x or y direction. However, the flexibilities for retargeting are quite different for different images. To cope with this problem, we propose a compressibility assessment scheme for media retargeting by combining the entropies of image gradient magnitude and orientation distributions. Thus, the resized media is produced to preserve the image content and structure as best as possible. Our experiments demonstrate that the proposed method provides resized images/videos with better preservation of content and structure than those by the previous methods.

Recent developments in persufflation for organ preservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Min, Catherine G; Papas, Klearchos K

2018-06-01

To summarize current literature and recent findings on the potential of humidified oxygenated gas perfusion (persufflation) as an alternative method for improved organ preservation. Although there are some conflicting data, the majority of the evidence suggests that persufflation, by enhancing oxygenation, can improve preservation and even rescue organs, including organs with prior exposure to warm ischemia. In some cases, persufflation produced better results than hypothermic machine perfusion. The timing of persufflation is of importance; benefits of persufflation appear to increase as the timing of its administration postprocurement decreases. This may be particularly true for tissues that are more sensitive to ischemia, such as the pancreas prior to islet isolation. Combining oxygen persufflation with nitric oxide and addition of pulsatile flow may provide further benefits and amplify its effects on improving transplant outcomes. Persufflation is a promising, relatively simple, preservation technique that enables improved oxygenation, which provides protection and improvement in the graft condition during preservation and prior to transplantation. More detailed studies are needed to optimize persufflation and evaluate its short and long-term effects in vivo.

Comparing Ancient DNA Preservation in Petrous Bone and Tooth Cementum.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Henrik B Hansen

Full Text Available Large-scale genomic analyses of ancient human populations have become feasible partly due to refined sampling methods. The inner part of petrous bones and the cementum layer in teeth roots are currently recognized as the best substrates for such research. We present a comparative analysis of DNA preservation in these two substrates obtained from the same human skulls, across a range of different ages and preservation environments. Both substrates display significantly higher endogenous DNA content (average of 16.4% and 40.0% for teeth and petrous bones, respectively than parietal skull bone (average of 2.2%. Despite sample-to-sample variation, petrous bone overall performs better than tooth cementum (p = 0.001. This difference, however, is driven largely by a cluster of viking skeletons from one particular locality, showing relatively poor molecular tooth preservation (<10% endogenous DNA. In the remaining skeletons there is no systematic difference between the two substrates. A crude preservation (good/bad applied to each sample prior to DNA-extraction predicted the above/below 10% endogenous DNA threshold in 80% of the cases. Interestingly, we observe signficantly higher levels of cytosine to thymine deamination damage and lower proportions of mitochondrial/nuclear DNA in petrous bone compared to tooth cementum. Lastly, we show that petrous bones from ancient cremated individuals contain no measurable levels of authentic human DNA. Based on these findings we discuss the pros and cons of sampling the different elements.

Guidelines for Preservation, Conservation, and Restoration of Local History and Local Genealogical Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

RQ, 1993

1993-01-01

Presents guidelines adopted by the American Library Association (ALA) relating to the preservation, conservation, and restoration of local history and local genealogical materials. Topics addressed include assessing preservation needs; developing a plan; choosing appropriate techniques, including microduplication, photoduplication, electronic…

Center edge angle measurement for hip preservation surgery: technique and caveats.

Science.gov (United States)

Anderson, Lucas A; Gililland, Jeremy; Pelt, Christopher; Linford, Samuel; Stoddard, Gregory J; Peters, Christopher L

2011-01-01

Anterior and lateral center edge angles have traditionally been used to determine acetabular coverage, and thereby strongly influence the decision to perform acetabular reorientation versus osteochondroplasty in patients with dysplasia and/or femoroacetabular impingement. We propose templating the center of the contained articular femoral head in aspherical hips to provide reliable assessment of acetabular coverage. Digital radiographs of 30 patients with various combinations of femoral and acetabular morphologies were evaluated using 2 methods to identify the anterior center edge angle and lateral center edge angle. The control method used an estimated femoral head center for angle apex. The study technique determined the center of the femoral head by templating the congruent aspect of the femoral head contained by the acetabulum while ignoring the increasing lateral and anterior radius associated with cam deformities. Four readers measured lateral center edge angles on anteroposterior radiographs and anterior center edge angles on false-profile radiographs. Two reads were performed by each reader using both the estimated and the templated methods for a total of 4 reads. Interobserver reliability using the proposed method compared to the standard was much improved for anterior center edge angles (intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.76 vs 0.55) as well as with lateral center edge angles (ICC of 0.80 vs 0.42). Decreased correlation was most commonly associated with abnormal sourcil morphology, posterior wall deficiency combined with calcified labra, and os acetabuli. Including the anterolateral cam deformity in identifying the center of the femoral head for measuring center edge angles leads to an underestimation of acetabular coverage, which may negatively affect hip preservation surgical decision making. Copyright 2011, SLACK Incorporated.

Laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy for pancreatic neoplasms: A retrospective study

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Jia-Fei; Xu, Xiao-Wu; Jin, Wei-Wei; Huang, Chao-Jie; Chen, Ke; Zhang, Ren-Chao; Harsha, Ajoodhea; Mou, Yi-Ping

2014-01-01

AIM: To describe the clinical characteristics, technical procedures, and outcomes of patients undergoing laparoscopic spleen-preserving distal pancreatectomy (LSPDP) for benign and malignant pancreatic neoplasms. METHODS: The clinical data of 38 patients who underwent LSPDP in the Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital between January 2003 and August 2013 were analyzed retrospectively. Surgical techniques for LSPDP included preservation of the splenic artery and vein (Kimura’s technique) and ligation of the splenic pedicle with preservation of the short gastric vessels (Warshaw’s technique). RESULTS: There were no conversions to open surgery in the 38 patients. Splenic vessels were conserved during spleen-preserving pancreatectomy, except in two patients who underwent resection of the splenic vessels and preservation only of the short gastric vessels. The mean operation time was 123.2 ± 52.4 min, the mean intraoperative blood loss was 78.2 ± 39.5 mL, and the mean postoperative hospital stay was 7.6 ± 2.9 d. The overall rate of postoperative complications was 18.4% (7/38), and the rate of clinical pancreatic fistula was 13.2% (5/38). All postoperative complications were treated conservatively. The postoperative pathological diagnoses were 22 cases of benign pancreatic disease and 16 cases of borderline or low-grade malignant lesions. During a median follow-up of 38 mo (range: 5-133 mo), no recurrence was observed. CONCLUSION: LSPDP is a safe, feasible and effective procedure for the treatment of benign and low-grade malignant tumors of the distal pancreas. PMID:25320534

Effect of preservation method on spider monkey (Ateles geoffroyi) fecal microbiota over 8 weeks.

Science.gov (United States)

Hale, Vanessa L; Tan, Chia L; Knight, Rob; Amato, Katherine R

2015-06-01

Studies of the gut microbiome have become increasingly common with recent technological advances. Gut microbes play an important role in human and animal health, and gut microbiome analysis holds great potential for evaluating health in wildlife, as microbiota can be assessed from non-invasively collected fecal samples. However, many common fecal preservation protocols (e.g. freezing at -80 °C) are not suitable for field conditions, or have not been tested for long-term (greater than 2 weeks) storage. In this study, we collected fresh fecal samples from captive spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) at the Columbian Park Zoo (Lafayette, IN, USA). The samples were pooled, homogenized, and preserved for up to 8 weeks prior to DNA extraction and sequencing. Preservation methods included: freezing at -20 °C, freezing at -80 °C, immersion in 100% ethanol, application to FTA cards, and immersion in RNAlater. At 0 (fresh), 1, 2, 4, and 8 weeks from fecal collection, DNA was extracted and microbial DNA was amplified and sequenced. DNA concentration, purity, microbial diversity, and microbial composition were compared across all methods and time points. DNA concentration and purity did not correlate with microbial diversity or composition. Microbial composition of frozen and ethanol samples were most similar to fresh samples. FTA card and RNAlater-preserved samples had the least similar microbial composition and abundance compared to fresh samples. Microbial composition and diversity were relatively stable over time within each preservation method. Based on these results, if freezers are not available, we recommend preserving fecal samples in ethanol (for up to 8weeks) prior to microbial extraction and analysis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

[Duodenum-preserving total pancreatic head resection and pancreatic head resection with segmental duodenostomy].

Science.gov (United States)

Takada, Tadahiro; Yasuda, Hideki; Nagashima, Ikuo; Amano, Hodaka; Yoshiada, Masahiro; Toyota, Naoyuki

2003-06-01

A duodenum-preserving pancreatic head resection (DPPHR) was first reported by Beger et al. in 1980. However, its application has been limited to chronic pancreatitis because of it is a subtotal pancreatic head resection. In 1990, we reported duodenum-preserving total pancreatic head resection (DPTPHR) in 26 cases. This opened the way for total pancreatic head resection, expanding the application of this approach to tumorigenic morbidities such as intraductal papillary mucinous tumor (IMPT), other benign tumors, and small pancreatic cancers. On the other hand, Nakao et al. reported pancreatic head resection with segmental duodenectomy (PHRSD) as an alternative pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy technique in 24 cases. Hirata et al. also reported this technique as a new pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenostomy with increased vessel preservation. When performing DPTPHR, the surgeon should ensure adequate duodenal blood supply. Avoidance of duodenal ischemia is very important in this operation, and thus it is necessary to maintain blood flow in the posterior pancreatoduodenal artery and to preserve the mesoduodenal vessels. Postoperative pancreatic functional tests reveal that DPTPHR is superior to PPPD, including PHSRD, because the entire duodenum and duodenal integrity is very important for postoperative pancreatic function.

Utility-preserving anonymization for health data publishing.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Hyukki; Kim, Soohyung; Kim, Jong Wook; Chung, Yon Dohn

2017-07-11

Publishing raw electronic health records (EHRs) may be considered as a breach of the privacy of individuals because they usually contain sensitive information. A common practice for the privacy-preserving data publishing is to anonymize the data before publishing, and thus satisfy privacy models such as k-anonymity. Among various anonymization techniques, generalization is the most commonly used in medical/health data processing. Generalization inevitably causes information loss, and thus, various methods have been proposed to reduce information loss. However, existing generalization-based data anonymization methods cannot avoid excessive information loss and preserve data utility. We propose a utility-preserving anonymization for privacy preserving data publishing (PPDP). To preserve data utility, the proposed method comprises three parts: (1) utility-preserving model, (2) counterfeit record insertion, (3) catalog of the counterfeit records. We also propose an anonymization algorithm using the proposed method. Our anonymization algorithm applies full-domain generalization algorithm. We evaluate our method in comparison with existence method on two aspects, information loss measured through various quality metrics and error rate of analysis result. With all different types of quality metrics, our proposed method show the lower information loss than the existing method. In the real-world EHRs analysis, analysis results show small portion of error between the anonymized data through the proposed method and original data. We propose a new utility-preserving anonymization method and an anonymization algorithm using the proposed method. Through experiments on various datasets, we show that the utility of EHRs anonymized by the proposed method is significantly better than those anonymized by previous approaches.

Fertility preservation in young patients with cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Virender Suhag

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Infertility can arise as a consequence of treatment of oncological conditions. The parallel and continued improvement in both the management of oncology and fertility cases in recent times has brought to the forefront the potential for fertility preservation in patients being treated for cancer. Many survivors will maintain their reproductive potential after the successful completion of treatment for cancer. However total body irradiation, radiation to the gonads, and certain high dose chemotherapy regimens can place women at risk for acute ovarian failure or premature menopause and men at risk for temporary or permanent azoospermia. Providing information about risk of infertility and possible interventions to maintain reproductive potential are critical for the adolescent and young adult population at the time of diagnosis. There are established means of preserving fertility before cancer treatment; specifically, sperm cryopreservation for men and in vitro fertilization and embryo cryopreservation for women. Several innovative techniques are being actively investigated, including oocyte and ovarian follicle cryopreservation, ovarian tissue transplantation, and in vitro follicle maturation, which may expand the number of fertility preservation choices for young cancer patients. Fertility preservation may also require some modification of cancer therapy; thus, patients' wishes regarding future fertility and available fertility preservation alternatives should be discussed before initiation of therapy.

Separation Techniques for Quantification of Radionuclides in Environmental Samples

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dusan Galanda

2009-01-01

Full Text Available The reliable and quantitative measurement of radionuclides is important in order to determine environmental quality and radiation safety, and to monitor regulatory compliance. We examined soil samples from Podunajske Biskupice, near the city of Bratislava in the Slovak Republic, for the presence of several natural (238U, 232Th, 40K and anthropogenic (137Cs, 90Sr, 239Pu, 240Pu, 241Am radionuclides. The area is adjacent to a refinery and hazardous waste processing center, as well as the municipal incinerator plant, and so might possess an unusually high level of ecotoxic metals. We found that the levels of both naturally occurring and anthropogenic radionuclides fell within the expected ranges, indicating that these facilities pose no radiological threat to the local environment. During the course of our analysis, we modified existing techniques in order to allow us to handle the unusually large and complex samples that were needed to determine the levels of 239Pu, 240Pu, and 241Am activity. We also rated three commercial techniques for the separation of 90Sr from aqueous solutions and found that two of them, AnaLig Sr-01 and Empore Extraction Disks, were suitable for the quantitative and reliable separation of 90Sr, while the third, Sr-Spec Resin, was less so. The main criterion in evaluating these methods was the chemical recovery of 90Sr, which was less than we had expected. We also considered speed of separation and additional steps needed to prepare the sample for separation.

Contemporary and future insights into fertility preservation in male cancer patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Ashok; Ong, Chloe; Durairajanayagam, Damayanthi

2014-03-01

In recent years, survival rates of cancer patients have increased, resulting in a shift of focus from quantity to quality of life. A key aspect of quality of life is fertility potential; patients suffering from iatrogenic infertility often become depressed. Since many cancer therapies-chemotherapy, radiotherapy and/or surgery-and even cancer itself have detrimental effects on the male reproductive system, it is important to preserve fertility before any treatment commences. Currently, the only reliable method of male fertility preservation is sperm banking. For patients who are unable to provide semen samples by the conventional method of masturbation, there are other techniques such as electroejaculation, microsurgical epididymal sperm aspiration and testicular sperm extraction that can be employed. Unfortunately, it is presently impossible to preserve the fertility potential of pre-pubertal patients. Due to the increasing numbers of adolescent cancer patients surviving treatment, extensive research is being conducted into several possible methods such as testicular tissue cryopreservation, xenografting, in vitro gamete maturation and even the creation of artificial gametes. However, in spite of its ease, safety, convenience and many accompanying benefits, sperm banking remains underutilized in cancer patients. There are several barriers involved such as the lack of information and the urgency to begin treatment, but various measures can be put in place to overcome these barriers so that sperm banking can be more widely utilized.

Preservation of Ejaculatory and Erectile Function after Radical Cystectomy for Urothelial Malignancy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salem, H.K.

2005-01-01

Treating cancer patients, sexual issues should not be forgotten. With increasing survival from urologic cancer, quality of life and quality of sexuality have became very important targets in treating those patients. Fertility to those patients who desire fatherhood is sometimes more important than cancer morbidity, especially young patients in the rural areas in our country, to the extent that they may refuse the operation. We describe a new technique to preserve the erectile function and antegrade ejaculation after radical cystectomy. Patients and Methods: Seven potent men with a median age of 40 years (range 35-50) presented with invasive transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the lateral or the anterior bladder wall. All patients wished to preserve the ejaculatory function and fertility potential. We described the surgical technique of nerve sparing radical cystectomy with preservation of the vas deferens, seminal vesicles, whole prostate and neurovascular bundles. The follow up period ranged from six months to three years (mean 20 months) to assess recurrence, erectile function and ejaculatory function. Erectile function is normal in all patients with satisfactory sexual intercourse. Antegrade ejaculation was documented in six cases. One of them fathered a child. No local or distant recurrence was detected in the seven patients at the last follow-up. The technique of radical cystectomy (with preservation of the vas deferens, whole prostate and seminal vesicle) is a good option in selected young men with bladder carcinoma in whom preservation of fertility is desirable

Comparison of Tissue Preservation using Formalin and Ethanol as Preservative Formula

OpenAIRE

See Woan Shian; Arifin Soenggono; Sawkar Vijay Pramod

2016-01-01

Background: Tissue preservation can be performed through embalming, by providing the chemical embalming fluid to the human remains. Formalin’s preservative formula is the foundation for modern methods of embalming. Unfortunately, this preservative formula has several disadvantages. While Ethanol’s preservative formula is a considerable agent to replace formalin’s preservative formula. The aim of this study was to compare the tissue preservation using formalin and ethanol as preservative formu...

Accelerated Solvent Extraction: An Innovative Sample Extraction Technique for Natural Products

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hazlina Ahmad Hassali; Azfar Hanif Abd Aziz; Rosniza Razali

2015-01-01

Accelerated solvent extraction (ASE) is one of the novel techniques that have been developed for the extraction of phytochemicals from plants in order to shorten the extraction time, decrease the solvent consumption, increase the extraction yield and enhance the quality of extracts. This technique combines elevated temperatures and pressure with liquid solvents. This paper gives a brief overview of accelerated solvent extraction technique for sample preparation and its application to the extraction of natural products. Through practical examples, the effects of operational parameters such as temperature, volume of solvent used, extraction time and extraction yields on the performance of ASE are discussed. It is demonstrated that ASE technique allows reduced solvent consumption and shorter extraction time, while the extraction yields are even higher than those obtained with conventional methods. (author)

Fourier Magnitude-Based Privacy-Preserving Clustering on Time-Series Data

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Hea-Suk; Moon, Yang-Sae

Privacy-preserving clustering (PPC in short) is important in publishing sensitive time-series data. Previous PPC solutions, however, have a problem of not preserving distance orders or incurring privacy breach. To solve this problem, we propose a new PPC approach that exploits Fourier magnitudes of time-series. Our magnitude-based method does not cause privacy breach even though its techniques or related parameters are publicly revealed. Using magnitudes only, however, incurs the distance order problem, and we thus present magnitude selection strategies to preserve as many Euclidean distance orders as possible. Through extensive experiments, we showcase the superiority of our magnitude-based approach.

Rescue of foot-and-mouth disease viruses that are pathogenic for cattle from preserved viral RNA samples.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Graham J Belsham

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Foot and mouth disease is an economically important disease of cloven-hoofed animals including cattle, sheep and pigs. It is caused by a picornavirus, foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV, which has a positive sense RNA genome which, when introduced into cells, can initiate virus replication. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: A system has been developed to rescue infectious FMDV from RNA preparations generated from clinical samples obtained under experimental conditions and then applied to samples collected in the "field". Clinical samples from suspect cases of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD were obtained from within Pakistan and Afghanistan. The samples were treated to preserve the RNA and then transported to National Veterinary Institute, Lindholm, Denmark. Following RNA extraction, FMDV RNA was quantified by real-time RT-PCR and samples containing significant levels of FMDV RNA were introduced into susceptible cells using electroporation. Progeny viruses were amplified in primary bovine thyroid cells and characterized using antigen ELISA and also by RT-PCR plus sequencing. FMD viruses of three different serotypes and multiple lineages have been successfully rescued from the RNA samples. Two of the rescued viruses (of serotype O and Asia 1 were inoculated into bull calves under high containment conditions. Acute clinical disease was observed in each case which spread rapidly from the inoculated calves to in-contact animals. Thus the rescued viruses were highly pathogenic. The availability of the rescued viruses enabled serotyping by antigen ELISA and facilitated genome sequencing. CONCLUSIONS: The procedure described here should improve the characterization of FMDVs circulating in countries where the disease is endemic and thus enhance disease control globally.

Practical aspects of the resin bead technique for mass spectrometric sample loading

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walker, R.L.; Pritchard, C.A.; Carter, J.A.; Smith, D.H.

1976-07-01

Using an anion resin bead as a loading vehicle for uranium and plutonium samples which are to be analyzed isotopically in a mass spectrometer has many advantages over conventional techniques. It is applicable to any laboratory routinely performing such analyses, but should be particularly relevant for Safeguards' purposes. Because the techniques required differ markedly from those of conventional methods, this report has been written to describe them in detail to enable those unfamiliar with the technique to master it with a minimum of trouble

A fully blanketed early B star LTE model atmosphere using an opacity sampling technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Phillips, A.P.; Wright, S.L.

1980-01-01

A fully blanketed LTE model of a stellar atmosphere with Tsub(e) = 21914 K (thetasub(e) = 0.23), log g = 4 is presented. The model includes an explicit representation of the opacity due to the strongest lines, and uses a statistical opacity sampling technique to represent the weaker line opacity. The sampling technique is subjected to several tests and the model is compared with an atmosphere calculated using the line-distribution function method. The limitations of the distribution function method and the particular opacity sampling method used here are discussed in the light of the results obtained. (author)

Application of near-infrared spectroscopy to preservative-treated wood

Science.gov (United States)

Chi-Leung So; Stan T. Lebow; Thomas L. Eberhardt; Leslie H. Groom; Todd F. Shupe

2009-01-01

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy is now a widely-used technique in the field of forest products, especially for physical and mechanical property determinations. This technique is also ideal for the chemical analysis of wood. There has been a growing need to find a rapid, inexpensive and reliable method to distinguish between preservative-treated and untreated waste...

Sample preparation techniques based on combustion reactions in closed vessels - A brief overview and recent applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flores, Erico M.M.; Barin, Juliano S.; Mesko, Marcia F.; Knapp, Guenter

2007-01-01

In this review, a general discussion of sample preparation techniques based on combustion reactions in closed vessels is presented. Applications for several kinds of samples are described, taking into account the literature data reported in the last 25 years. The operational conditions as well as the main characteristics and drawbacks are discussed for bomb combustion, oxygen flask and microwave-induced combustion (MIC) techniques. Recent applications of MIC techniques are discussed with special concern for samples not well digested by conventional microwave-assisted wet digestion as, for example, coal and also for subsequent determination of halogens

Preservation of microbial communities enriched on lignocellulose under thermophilic and high-solid conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Chaowei; Reddy, Amitha P; Simmons, Christopher W; Simmons, Blake A; Singer, Steven W; VanderGheynst, Jean S

2015-01-01

Microbial communities enriched from diverse environments have shown considerable promise for the targeted discovery of microorganisms and enzymes for bioconversion of lignocellulose to liquid fuels. While preservation of microbial communities is important for commercialization and research, few studies have examined storage conditions ideal for preservation. The goal of this study was to evaluate the impact of preservation method on composition of microbial communities enriched on switchgrass before and after storage. The enrichments were completed in a high-solid and aerobic environment at 55 °C. Community composition was examined for each enrichment to determine when a stable community was achieved. Preservation methods included cryopreservation with the cryoprotective agents DMSO and glycerol, and cryopreservation without cryoprotective agents. Revived communities were examined for their ability to decompose switchgrass under high-solid and thermophilic conditions. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing of DNA extracted from enrichment samples showed that the majority of the shift in composition of the switchgrass-degrading community occurred during the initial three 2-week enrichments. Shifts in community structure upon storage occurred in all cryopreserved samples. Storage in liquid nitrogen in the absence of cryoprotectant resulted in variable preservation of dominant microorganisms in enriched samples. Cryopreservation with either DMSO or glycerol provided consistent and equivalent preservation of dominant organisms. A stable switchgrass-degrading microbial community was achieved after three 2-week enrichments. Dominant microorganisms were preserved equally well with DMSO and glycerol. DMSO-preserved communities required more incubation time upon revival to achieve pre-storage activity levels during high-solid thermophilic cultivation on switchgrass. Despite shifts in the community with storage, the samples were active upon revival under thermophilic and

Correlation-Preserving Photo Collage.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Lingjie; Zhang, Hongjie; Jing, Guangmei; Guo, Yanwen; Chen, Zhonggui; Wang, Wenping

2017-05-12

A new method is presented for producing photo collages that preserve content correlation of photos. We use deep learning techniques to find correlation among given photos to facilitate their embedding on the canvas, and develop an efficient combinatorial optimization technique to make correlated photos stay close to each other. To make efficient use of canvas space, our method first extracts salient regions of photos and packs only these salient regions. We allow the salient regions to have arbitrary shapes, therefore yielding informative, yet more compact collages than by other similar collage methods based on salient regions. We present extensive experimental results, user study results, and comparisons against the state-of-the-art methods to show the superiority of our method.

Studies on preservation of agricultural products by irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chung, K.H.; Kwon, S.H.; Lee, Y.I.; Chae, J.C.; Shin, I.C.

1981-01-01

This study was attempted to develop and establish the preservation techniques of agricultural products by irradiation through ascertainment of the optimum irradiation doses for sprout inhibition of white potato and chestnut, and for disinfestation of rice insects during storage

The application of statistical and/or non-statistical sampling techniques by internal audit functions in the South African banking industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D.P. van der Nest

2015-03-01

Full Text Available This article explores the use by internal audit functions of audit sampling techniques in order to test the effectiveness of controls in the banking sector. The article focuses specifically on the use of statistical and/or non-statistical sampling techniques by internal auditors. The focus of the research for this article was internal audit functions in the banking sector of South Africa. The results discussed in the article indicate that audit sampling is still used frequently as an audit evidence-gathering technique. Non-statistical sampling techniques are used more frequently than statistical sampling techniques for the evaluation of the sample. In addition, both techniques are regarded as important for the determination of the sample size and the selection of the sample items

Food Preservation by Irradiation (Rev.)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Urrows, Grace M.

1968-01-01

Up to 30% of food harvests are lost in some parts of the world because of animal pests and microorganisms. Nuclear techniques can help reduce and extend the shelf life of these foods. Around 55 countries now have food irradiation programs. The use of radiation is the most recent step in man's attempts to preserve some of his harvest for the lean part of the year.

Cryopreservation of ovarian tissue for fertility preservation in young female oncological patients

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Claus Yding; Kristensen, Stine Gry; Greve, Tine

2012-01-01

Girls and women suffering from a cancer that requires treatment with gonadotoxic drugs may experience cessation of reproductive function as a side effect due to obliteration of the ovarian pool of follicles. Techniques are now available for fertility preservation, such as cryopreservation of mature...... and growth of follicles, giving rise to menstrual cycles and hormone production for several years. Worldwide, the procedure has resulted in the birth of 15 healthy children. Many cancer patients including girls and young women want fertility preservation, and the techniques are now being further developed...

Biomarker Production and Preservation on Europa

Science.gov (United States)

Buffo, J.; Schmidt, B. E.

2017-12-01

Future landing site selection and sampling techniques for Europa will concentrate on locations of high potential biomarker preservation, however it is unclear what the best targets might be. On Europa, the scenario is quite unlike the depositional surface environments of terrestrial planets we've studied thus far-Europa's surface is passively communicating with putative habitable niches below that extend throughout the ice shell, ocean and sea floor. In this work, I approach biomarker production and preservation on Europa based by considering the many hypotheses that govern the its habitability, the processes that occur within the sea floor, ocean, and ice and exchange between them, and the geologic hypotheses for the formation of its various surfaces to establish, what journey through the planet a biomarker might take to arrive, if possible, at the surface where it is accessible to near-term landed missions. The goal of this project is to construct a simple model through which to consider the context for sampled material that will provide us with the ability to identify limitations in our intuition, understanding of the Europan system, our current hypotheses and data, and provide a road map for developing both areas for new research and identifying technology gaps that we must overcome before we can confidently select a landing site or analyze a sample from the near surface of Europa. I first consider the nature of the environment, i.e. at the sea floor interface, the ocean, or ocean-ice interface, in order to establish what the likely "biomarker" could be and then trace its path through the system: downwelling through the shell, mixing through the ocean, and pathways to the surface. Importantly, many models exist for the production of Europa's surface and subsurface geology that could affect the integrity of a putative biomarker. Often we modulate such considerations as a function of the time-scales over which the geologic process occurs, however such processes

Preservation of carbon dioxide clathrate hydrate in the presence of trehalose under freezer conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagashima, Hironori D; Takeya, Satoshi; Uchida, Tsutomu; Ohmura, Ryo

2016-01-19

To investigate the preservation of CO2 clathrate hydrate in the presence of sugar for the novel frozen dessert, mass fractions of CO2 clathrate hydrate in CO2 clathrate hydrate samples coexisting with trehalose were intermittently measured. The samples were prepared from trehalose aqueous solution with trehalose mass fractions of 0.05 and 0.10 at 3.0 MPa and 276.2 K. The samples having particle sizes of 1.0 mm and 5.6-8.0 mm were stored at 243.2 K and 253.2 K for three weeks under atmospheric pressure. The mass fractions of CO2 clathrate hydrate in the samples were 0.87-0.97 before the preservation, and CO2 clathrate hydrate still remained 0.56-0.76 in the mass fractions for 5.6-8.0 mm samples and 0.37-0.55 for 1.0 mm samples after the preservation. The preservation in the trehalose system was better than in the sucrose system and comparable to that in the pure CO2 clathrate hydrate system. This comparison indicates that trehalose is a more suitable sugar for the novel frozen carbonated dessert using CO2 clathrate hydrate than sucrose in terms of CO2 concentration in the dessert. It is inferred that existence of aqueous solution in the samples is a significant factor of the preservation of CO2 clathrate hydrate in the presence of sugar.

Application of gamma irradiation technique for the preservation of propolis; Aplicacao da tecnica de irradiacao gama para preservacao de propolis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matsuda, Andrea Harumi

2002-07-01

Irradiation has been recognized as an efficient method for the reduction of deteriorating and pathogenic microorganisms in foods. Propolis is a resinous product made by bees from material processed by the bee's own metabolism and resins from plants. The aim of this work was the application of gamma irradiation technique for the preservation of propolis, because of its efficiency in the reduction of the microbial load. The changes on the total flavonoids content, phenolic compounds and other characteristics required for the qualification and characterization of Brazilian propolis were also analysed. Propolis samples from Juiz de Fora region, Minas Gerais, were irradiated in a {sup 60}Co source, with doses from 0 to 10kGy for the microbiological analyses and 5.0, 7.0 and 10.0kGy for the physico-chemical analyses. The physico-chemical that have been made were: determination of total flavonoids content, semi-quantitative determination of phenolic compounds (artepelin-C, kempferol, chrysin, galangin and quercetin), dry matter analysis, humidity, ash content, mechanical mass and waxes. The ionizing radiation has shown to be efficient in the reduction of the microbial load. Total coliforms determination showed a great reduction with the dose of 3kGy and concerning mesophile aerobic bacteria a systematic reduction was observed, achieving values <10 UFC/g for the dose of 10kGy; similar results was obtained for molds and yeasts. Salmonella assays were negative for all samples. There was no significant alteration on total flavonoids contents nor on the composition of phenolic compounds as a consequence of radiation application at the assayed conditions. The complementary analyses of dry matter and humidity contents, ashes, mechanical mass and waxes did not shown changes after irradiation even with the maximum dose of 10kGy, remaining the results within the standards required by the Brazilian legislation. (author)

The effect of some wood preservatives on the thermal degradation of Scots pine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tomak, Eylem D.; Baysal, Ergun; Peker, Huseyin

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Scots pine samples were impregnated with 10 commercial wood preservatives. ► Thermal degradation of wood was evaluated by TG, DTG and DTA. ► The thermal behavior of treated wood differed from that of untreated wood. ► Boron containing wood preservatives yielded more charcoal than other preservatives. ► Boric oxide and metal compounds in the formulations may affect char weight. - Abstract: Wood has been a structural material for many years; however, its ability to burn has limited its use in some applications. This study aims to evaluate the effect of commercial wood preservatives having concentration of 4% on the thermal behavior of Scots pine wood, and compare the fire retardant effectiveness of these preservatives with that of boron compounds. Thermal degradation of treated and untreated wood samples was evaluated by thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermogravimetry (DTG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Thermal behavior of treated wood differed from thermal behavior of untreated wood in terms of a high char yield. Results showed that weight loss of wood reduced while char yield increased in the charring phase of the pyrolysis in the boron containing preservative treated wood accompanying with pyrolysis temperature lowered. The highest char yield was obtained from the samples treated with disodium octaborate tetrahydrate in the all treated groups.

Opportunities to preserve forensic evidence in emergency departments.

Science.gov (United States)

Peel, Matthew

2016-11-10

Victims of violence often seek assistance from emergency departments, so emergency nurses are ideally placed to identify them, and other 'forensic' patients, and protect the evidence that could support any ensuing legal process. Emergency nurses who are trained to identify, collect and preserve forensic evidence can support the identification, elimination and prosecution of suspects. This article gives an overview of forensic evidence, and explains how emergency nurses can preserve and collect samples effectively.

X-ray spectrometry and X-ray microtomography techniques for soil and geological samples analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kubala-Kukuś, A.; Banaś, D.; Braziewicz, J.; Dziadowicz, M.; Kopeć, E.; Majewska, U.; Mazurek, M.; Pajek, M.; Sobisz, M.; Stabrawa, I.; Wudarczyk-Moćko, J.; Góźdź, S.

2015-01-01

A particular subject of X-ray fluorescence analysis is its application in studies of the multielemental sample of composition in a wide range of concentrations, samples with different matrices, also inhomogeneous ones and those characterized with different grain size. Typical examples of these kinds of samples are soil or geological samples for which XRF elemental analysis may be difficult due to XRF disturbing effects. In this paper the WDXRF technique was applied in elemental analysis concerning different soil and geological samples (therapeutic mud, floral soil, brown soil, sandy soil, calcium aluminum cement). The sample morphology was analyzed using X-ray microtomography technique. The paper discusses the differences between the composition of samples, the influence of procedures with respect to the preparation of samples as regards their morphology and, finally, a quantitative analysis. The results of the studies were statistically tested (one-way ANOVA and correlation coefficients). For lead concentration determination in samples of sandy soil and cement-like matrix, the WDXRF spectrometer calibration was performed. The elemental analysis of the samples was complemented with knowledge of chemical composition obtained by X-ray powder diffraction.

X-ray spectrometry and X-ray microtomography techniques for soil and geological samples analysis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kubala-Kukuś, A.; Banaś, D.; Braziewicz, J. [Institute of Physics, Jan Kochanowski University, ul. Świetokrzyska 15, 25-406 Kielce (Poland); Holycross Cancer Center, ul. Artwińskiego 3, 25-734 Kielce (Poland); Dziadowicz, M.; Kopeć, E. [Institute of Physics, Jan Kochanowski University, ul. Świetokrzyska 15, 25-406 Kielce (Poland); Majewska, U. [Institute of Physics, Jan Kochanowski University, ul. Świetokrzyska 15, 25-406 Kielce (Poland); Holycross Cancer Center, ul. Artwińskiego 3, 25-734 Kielce (Poland); Mazurek, M.; Pajek, M.; Sobisz, M.; Stabrawa, I. [Institute of Physics, Jan Kochanowski University, ul. Świetokrzyska 15, 25-406 Kielce (Poland); Wudarczyk-Moćko, J. [Holycross Cancer Center, ul. Artwińskiego 3, 25-734 Kielce (Poland); Góźdź, S. [Holycross Cancer Center, ul. Artwińskiego 3, 25-734 Kielce (Poland); Institute of Public Health, Jan Kochanowski University, IX Wieków Kielc 19, 25-317 Kielce (Poland)

2015-12-01

A particular subject of X-ray fluorescence analysis is its application in studies of the multielemental sample of composition in a wide range of concentrations, samples with different matrices, also inhomogeneous ones and those characterized with different grain size. Typical examples of these kinds of samples are soil or geological samples for which XRF elemental analysis may be difficult due to XRF disturbing effects. In this paper the WDXRF technique was applied in elemental analysis concerning different soil and geological samples (therapeutic mud, floral soil, brown soil, sandy soil, calcium aluminum cement). The sample morphology was analyzed using X-ray microtomography technique. The paper discusses the differences between the composition of samples, the influence of procedures with respect to the preparation of samples as regards their morphology and, finally, a quantitative analysis. The results of the studies were statistically tested (one-way ANOVA and correlation coefficients). For lead concentration determination in samples of sandy soil and cement-like matrix, the WDXRF spectrometer calibration was performed. The elemental analysis of the samples was complemented with knowledge of chemical composition obtained by X-ray powder diffraction.

Sampling methods for rumen microbial counts by Real-Time PCR techniques

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. Puppo

2010-02-01

Full Text Available Fresh rumen samples were withdrawn from 4 cannulated buffalo females fed a fibrous diets in order to quantify bacteria concentration in the rumen by Real-Time PCR techniques. To obtain DNA of a good quality from whole rumen fluid, eight (M1-M8 different pre-filtration methods (cheese cloths, glass-fibre and nylon filter in combination with various centrifugation speeds (1000, 5000 and 14,000 rpm were tested. Genomic DNA extraction was performed either on fresh or frozen samples (-20°C. The quantitative bacteria analysis was realized according to Real-Time PCR procedure for Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens reported in literature. M5 resulted the best sampling procedure allowing to obtain a suitable genomic DNA. No differences were revealed between fresh and frozen samples.

Characterization of Amylopectin irradiated by gamma rays using viscosity and radius gyration technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ku Sarah Syahidah Ku Muhamad

2012-01-01

Food irradiation is one of the most applicable methods that have been used in food industry especially to preserve food. Besides preservation of food, irradiation can also reduce microorganism, inhibit budding and others. However, this method can be misused by some irresponsible organization or person such as irradiate the food over the dose limit value. Therefore, the detection method is important to detect any misused in irradiation method. The objective of this research is to identify any changes in the structure of amylopectin by using radius gyration technique. Besides that, the viscosity of the sample is also determined by using Rheometer. The last objective of this research is to find a relationship between radius gyration and irradiation dose can be determined. Amylopectin and cassava powder were the sample in this research. The samples were irradiated in the gamma-cell at 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 3.0, 4.0, 5.0, and 10.0 kGy doses. 0 kGy were the controlled sample. The sample were made into gel to analysed using Rheometer and Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS). The viscosity of the sample were analysed by using Rheometer while the radius gyration of the sample were analysed by using SAXS. Hence, the result of this experiment is, the viscosity of amylopectin reduces as the doses increases. But, at 10 kGy, the viscosity of the cassava starch was increased significantly. For the SAXS analysis, it is shows that the graph for amylopectin were fluctuates. While, for cassava starch the radius gyration increases with doses. Hence, the rheometer technique is suitable to be develop as a detection method in food irradiation. Further research should be done to improve the detection technique in food irradiation. (author)

Distributed privacy preserving data collection

KAUST Repository

Xue, Mingqiang

2011-01-01

We study the distributed privacy preserving data collection problem: an untrusted data collector (e.g., a medical research institute) wishes to collect data (e.g., medical records) from a group of respondents (e.g., patients). Each respondent owns a multi-attributed record which contains both non-sensitive (e.g., quasi-identifiers) and sensitive information (e.g., a particular disease), and submits it to the data collector. Assuming T is the table formed by all the respondent data records, we say that the data collection process is privacy preserving if it allows the data collector to obtain a k-anonymized or l-diversified version of T without revealing the original records to the adversary. We propose a distributed data collection protocol that outputs an anonymized table by generalization of quasi-identifier attributes. The protocol employs cryptographic techniques such as homomorphic encryption, private information retrieval and secure multiparty computation to ensure the privacy goal in the process of data collection. Meanwhile, the protocol is designed to leak limited but non-critical information to achieve practicability and efficiency. Experiments show that the utility of the anonymized table derived by our protocol is in par with the utility achieved by traditional anonymization techniques. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

Sample preparation techniques in trace element analysis by X-ray emission spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valkovic, V.

1983-11-01

The report, written under a research contract with the IAEA, contains a detailed presentation of the most difficult problem encountered in the trace element analysis by methods of the X-ray emission spectroscopy, namely the sample preparation techniques. The following items are covered. Sampling - with specific consideration of aerosols, water, soil, biological materials, petroleum and its products, storage of samples and their handling. Pretreatment of samples - preconcentration, ashing, solvent extraction, ion exchange and electrodeposition. Sample preparations for PIXE - analysis - backings, target uniformity and homogeneity, effects of irradiation, internal standards and specific examples of preparation (aqueous, biological, blood serum and solid samples). Sample preparations for radioactive sources or tube excitation - with specific examples (water, liquid and solid samples, soil, geological, plants and tissue samples). Finally, the problem of standards and reference materials, as well as that of interlaboratory comparisons, is discussed

Persufflation (gaseous oxygen perfusion) as a method of heart preservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Suszynski, Thomas M; Rizzari, Michael D; Scott, William E; Eckman, Peter M; Fonger, James D; John, Ranjit; Chronos, Nicolas; Tempelman, Linda A; Sutherland, David E R; Papas, Klearchos K

2013-04-22

Persufflation (PSF; gaseous oxygen perfusion) is an organ preservation technique with a potential for use in donor heart preservation. Improved heart preservation with PSF may improve outcomes by maintaining cardiac tissue quality in the setting of longer cold ischemia times and possibly increasing the number of donor hearts available for allotransplant. Published data suggests that PSF is able to extend the cold storage times for porcine hearts up to 14 hours without compromising viability and function, and has been shown to resuscitate porcine hearts following donation after cardiac death. This review summarizes key published work on heart PSF, including prospective implications and future directions for PSF in heart transplantation. We emphasize the potential impact of extending preservation times and expanding donor selection criteria in heart allotransplant. Additionally, the key issues that need to be addressed before PSF were to become a widely utilized preservation strategy prior to clinical heart transplantation are summarized and discussed.

The effects of various preservation methods on fatty acid content of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of various preservation methods on fatty acid content of African catfish, (Clarias gariepinus) and Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) was investigated. Fresh fish samples were obtained from swimming pool end (Gamji Gate) of River Rino, Kaduna. Preservation methods investigated were: straight smoking (SS), ...

Fertility Preservation: A Key Survivorship Issue for Young Women with Cancer

Science.gov (United States)

Angarita, Ana Milena; Johnson, Cynae A.; Fader, Amanda Nickles; Christianson, Mindy S.

2016-01-01

Fertility preservation in the young cancer survivor is recognized as a key survivorship issue by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. Thus, health-care providers should inform women about the effects of cancer therapy on fertility and should discuss the different fertility preservation options available. It is also recommended to refer women expeditiously to a fertility specialist in order to improve counseling. Women’s age, diagnosis, presence of male partner, time available, and preferences regarding use of donor sperm influence the selection of the appropriate fertility preservation option. Embryo and oocyte cryopreservation are the standard techniques used while ovarian tissue cryopreservation is new, yet promising. Despite the importance of fertility preservation for cancer survivors’ quality of life, there are still communication and financial barriers faced by women who wish to pursue fertility preservation. PMID:27200291

Fertility preservation: A key survivorship issue for young women with cancer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana M Angarita

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Fertility preservation in the young cancer survivor is recognized as a key survivorship issue by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine. Thus, health care providers should inform women about the effects of cancer therapy on fertility and should discuss the different fertility preservation options available. It is also recommended to refer women expeditiously to a fertility specialist in order to improve counseling. Women’s age, diagnosis, presence of male partner, time available and preferences regarding use of donor sperm influence the selection of the appropriate fertility preservation option. Embryo and oocyte cryopreservation are the standard techniques used while ovarian tissue cryopreservation is new, yet promising. Despite the importance of fertility preservation for cancer survivors’ quality of life, there are still communication and financial barriers faced by women who wish to pursue fertility preservation.

Improved Methods of Carnivore Faecal Sample Preservation, DNA Extraction and Quantification for Accurate Genotyping of Wild Tigers

Science.gov (United States)

Harika, Katakam; Mahla, Ranjeet Singh; Shivaji, Sisinthy

2012-01-01

Background Non-invasively collected samples allow a variety of genetic studies on endangered and elusive species. However due to low amplification success and high genotyping error rates fewer samples can be identified up to the individual level. Number of PCRs needed to obtain reliable genotypes also noticeably increase. Methods We developed a quantitative PCR assay to measure and grade amplifiable nuclear DNA in feline faecal extracts. We determined DNA degradation in experimentally aged faecal samples and tested a suite of pre-PCR protocols to considerably improve DNA retrieval. Results Average DNA concentrations of Grade I, II and III extracts were 982pg/µl, 9.5pg/µl and 0.4pg/µl respectively. Nearly 10% of extracts had no amplifiable DNA. Microsatellite PCR success and allelic dropout rates were 92% and 1.5% in Grade I, 79% and 5% in Grade II, and 54% and 16% in Grade III respectively. Our results on experimentally aged faecal samples showed that ageing has a significant effect on quantity and quality of amplifiable DNA (pDNA degradation occurs within 3 days of exposure to direct sunlight. DNA concentrations of Day 1 samples stored by ethanol and silica methods for a month varied significantly from fresh Day 1 extracts (p0.05). DNA concentrations of fresh tiger and leopard faecal extracts without addition of carrier RNA were 816.5pg/µl (±115.5) and 690.1pg/µl (±207.1), while concentrations with addition of carrier RNA were 49414.5pg/µl (±9370.6) and 20982.7pg/µl (±6835.8) respectively. Conclusions Our results indicate that carnivore faecal samples should be collected as freshly as possible, are better preserved by two-step method and should be extracted with addition of carrier RNA. We recommend quantification of template DNA as this facilitates several downstream protocols. PMID:23071624

Hybrid Food Preservation Program Improves Food Preservation and Food Safety Knowledge

Science.gov (United States)

Francis, Sarah L.

2014-01-01

The growing trend in home food preservation raises concerns about whether the resulting food products will be safe to eat. The increased public demand for food preservation information led to the development of the comprehensive food preservation program, Preserve the Taste of Summer (PTTS). PTTS is a comprehensive hybrid food preservation program…

Large-volume constant-concentration sampling technique coupling with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for rapid on-site gas analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhuomin; Zhan, Yisen; Huang, Yichun; Li, Gongke

2017-08-01

In this work, a portable large-volume constant-concentration (LVCC) sampling technique coupling with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was developed for the rapid on-site gas analysis based on suitable derivatization methods. LVCC sampling technique mainly consisted of a specially designed sampling cell including the rigid sample container and flexible sampling bag, and an absorption-derivatization module with a portable pump and a gas flowmeter. LVCC sampling technique allowed large, alterable and well-controlled sampling volume, which kept the concentration of gas target in headspace phase constant during the entire sampling process and made the sampling result more representative. Moreover, absorption and derivatization of gas target during LVCC sampling process were efficiently merged in one step using bromine-thiourea and OPA-NH4+ strategy for ethylene and SO2 respectively, which made LVCC sampling technique conveniently adapted to consequent SERS analysis. Finally, a new LVCC sampling-SERS method was developed and successfully applied for rapid analysis of trace ethylene and SO2 from fruits. It was satisfied that trace ethylene and SO2 from real fruit samples could be actually and accurately quantified by this method. The minor concentration fluctuations of ethylene and SO2 during the entire LVCC sampling process were proved to be samples were achieved in range of 95.0-101% and 97.0-104% respectively. It is expected that portable LVCC sampling technique would pave the way for rapid on-site analysis of accurate concentrations of trace gas targets from real samples by SERS.

Preservation of adobe buildings. Study of materials

Science.gov (United States)

Velosa, A.; Rocha, F.; Costa, C.; Varum, H.

2012-04-01

Adobe buildings are common in the central region of Portugal due to the lack of natural stone in the surrounding area. This type of construction technique lasted until the 20th Century, at which time cementitious materials, with faster hardening and greater structural capacity substituted traditional materials and techniques. Currently, a significant percentage of these buildings is vacant and many are degraded and in need of conservation actions. Adobes from central Portugal are distinctive as they are lightly coloured and made from air lime and quarry sand. Although some adobes were manufactured locally, most were produced almost 'industrially' and sold to nearby regions. In order to preserve this heritage, conservation actions must be undertaken. So as to ensure the adequacy of these actions and compatibility between original materials and new ones, a thorough study of adobe compostion is mandatory. The current study is an initial step in the characterization of earth based construction materials from central Portugal. Adobe samples were collected from residential buildings in two different locations. The determination of the composition of adobe blocks encompassed the determination of the binder fraction and of their chemical composition and also the particle size analysis of the aggregate. For this purpose FRX analysis, acid dissolution and dry sieving were performed. Methylene blue test was also executed in order to determine the clay fraction. Additionally, the mineral composition of powder samples and oriented samples was performed using XRD analysis in order to determine the clay minerals present in the blocks. As adobe blocks are extremely prone to the action of water the Geelong test was undertaken in order to provide information in terms of durability. It was concluded that air lime was generally used in adobe compositions. However, the clay content varies in adobes from different regions, providing distinct durability characteristics to these materials.

A privacy-preserving sharing method of electricity usage using self-organizing map

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuichi Nakamura

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Smart meters for measuring electricity usage are expected in electricity usage management. Although the relevant power supplier stores the measured data, the data are worth sharing among power suppliers because the entire data of a city will be required to control the regional grid stability or demand–supply balance. Even though many techniques and methods of privacy-preserving data mining have been studied to share data while preserving data privacy, a study on sharing electricity usage data is still lacking. In this paper, we propose a sharing method of electricity usage while preserving data privacy using a self-organizing map. Keywords: Privacy preserving, Data sharing, Self-Organizing map

Experimental technique to measure thoron generation rate of building material samples using RAD7 detector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Csige, I.; Szabó, Zs.; Szabó, Cs.

2013-01-01

Thoron ( 220 Rn) is the second most abundant radon isotope in our living environment. In some dwellings it is present in significant amount which calls for its identification and remediation. Indoor thoron originates mainly from building materials. In this work we have developed and tested an experimental technique to measure thoron generation rate in building material samples using RAD7 radon-thoron detector. The mathematical model of the measurement technique provides the thoron concentration response of RAD7 as a function of the sample thickness. For experimental validation of the technique an adobe building material sample was selected for measuring the thoron concentration at nineteen different sample thicknesses. Fitting the parameters of the model to the measurement results, both the generation rate and the diffusion length of thoron was estimated. We have also determined the optimal sample thickness for estimating the thoron generation rate from a single measurement. -- Highlights: • RAD7 is used for the determination of thoron generation rate (emanation). • The described model takes into account the thoron decay and attenuation. • The model describes well the experimental results. • A single point measurement method is offered at a determined sample thickness

Security and Correctness Analysis on Privacy-Preserving k-Means Clustering Schemes

Science.gov (United States)

Su, Chunhua; Bao, Feng; Zhou, Jianying; Takagi, Tsuyoshi; Sakurai, Kouichi

Due to the fast development of Internet and the related IT technologies, it becomes more and more easier to access a large amount of data. k-means clustering is a powerful and frequently used technique in data mining. Many research papers about privacy-preserving k-means clustering were published. In this paper, we analyze the existing privacy-preserving k-means clustering schemes based on the cryptographic techniques. We show those schemes will cause the privacy breach and cannot output the correct results due to the faults in the protocol construction. Furthermore, we analyze our proposal as an option to improve such problems but with intermediate information breach during the computation.

Utility of Cytospin and Cell block Technology in Evaluation of Body Fluids and Urine Samples: A Comparative Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Qamar, Irmeen; Rehman, Suhailur; Mehdi, Ghazala; Maheshwari, Veena; Ansari, Hena A; Chauhan, Sunanda

2018-01-01

Cytologic examination of body fluids commonly involves the use of direct or sediment smears, cytocentrifuge preparations, membrane filter preparations, or cell block sections. Cytospin and cell block techniques are extremely useful in improving cell yield of thin serous effusions and urine samples, and ensure high diagnostic efficacy. We studied cytospin preparations and cell block sections prepared from 180 samples of body fluids and urine samples to compare the relative efficiency of cell retrieval, preservation of cell morphology, ease of application of special stains, and diagnostic efficacy. Samples were collected and processed to prepare cytospin smears and cell block sections. We observed that overall, cell yield and preservation of individual cell morphology were better in cytospin preparations as compared to cell blocks, while preservation of architectural pattern was better in cell block sections. The number of suspicious cases also decreased on cell block sections, with increased detection of malignancy. It was difficult to prepare cell blocks from urine samples due to low cellularity. Cytospin technology is a quick, efficient, and cost-effective method of increasing cell yield in hypocellular samples, with better preservation of cell morphology. Cell blocks are better prepared from high cellularity fluids; however, tissue architecture is better studied, with improved rate of diagnosis and decrease in ambiguous results. Numerous sections can be prepared from a small amount of material. Special stains and immunochemical stains can be easily applied to cell blocks. It also provides a source of archival material.

Stability of extemporaneously prepared preservative-free prochlorperazine nasal spray.

Science.gov (United States)

Yellepeddi, Venkata K

2018-01-01

The stability of an extemporaneously prepared preservative-free prochlorperazine 5-mg/mL nasal spray was evaluated. The preservative-free prochlorperazine nasal spray was prepared by adding 250 mg of prochlorperazine edisylate to 50 mL of citrate buffer in a low-density polyethylene nasal spray bottle. A stability-indicating high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method was developed and validated using the major degradant prochlorperazine sulfoxide and by performing forced-degradation studies. For chemical stability studies, 3 100-μL samples of the preservative-free prochlorperazine from 5 nasal spray bottles stored at room temperature were collected at days 0, 20, 30, 45, and 60 and were assayed in triplicate using the stability-indicating HPLC method. Microbiological testing involved antimicrobial effectiveness testing based on United States Pharmacopeia ( USP ) chapter 51 and quantitative microbiological enumeration of aerobic bacteria, yeasts, and mold based on USP chapter 61. Samples for microbiological testing were collected at days 0, 30, and 60. The stability-indicating HPLC method clearly identified the degradation product prochlorperazine sulfoxide without interference from prochlorperazine. All tested solutions retained over 90% of the initial prochlorperazine concentration for the 60-day study period. There were no detectable changes in color, pH, and viscosity in any sample. There was no growth of bacteria, yeast, and mold for 60 days in all samples tested. An extemporaneously prepared preservative-free nasal spray solution of prochlorperazine edisylate 5 mg/mL was physically, chemically, and microbiologically stable for 60 days when stored at room temperature in low-density polyethylene bottles. Copyright © 2018 by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, Inc. All rights reserved.

Software preservation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tadej Vodopivec

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Comtrade Ltd. covers a wide range of activities related to information and communication technologies; its deliverables include web applications, locally installed programs,system software, drivers, embedded software (used e.g. in medical devices, auto parts,communication switchboards. Also the extensive knowledge and practical experience about digital long-term preservation technologies have been acquired. This wide spectrum of activities puts us in the position to discuss the often overlooked aspect of the digital preservation - preservation of software programs. There are many resources dedicated to digital preservation of digital data, documents and multimedia records,but not so many about how to preserve the functionalities and features of computer programs. Exactly these functionalities - dynamic response to inputs - render the computer programs rich compared to documents or linear multimedia. The article opens the questions on the beginning of the way to the permanent digital preservation. The purpose is to find a way in the right direction, where all relevant aspects will be covered in proper balance. The following questions are asked: why at all to preserve computer programs permanently, who should do this and for whom, when we should think about permanent program preservation, what should be persevered (such as source code, screenshots, documentation, and social context of the program - e.g. media response to it ..., where and how? To illustrate the theoretic concepts given the idea of virtual national museum of electronic banking is also presented.

Sampling phased array - a new technique for ultrasonic signal processing and imaging

OpenAIRE

Verkooijen, J.; Boulavinov, A.

2008-01-01

Over the past 10 years, the improvement in the field of microelectronics and computer engineering has led to significant advances in ultrasonic signal processing and image construction techniques that are currently being applied to non-destructive material evaluation. A new phased array technique, called 'Sampling Phased Array', has been developed in the Fraunhofer Institute for Non-Destructive Testing([1]). It realises a unique approach of measurement and processing of ultrasonic signals. Th...

A structure preserving Lanczos algorithm for computing the optical absorption spectrum

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shao, Meiyue [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Computational Research Div.; Jornada, Felipe H. da [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Science Div.; Lin, Lin [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Computational Research Div.; Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Mathematics; Yang, Chao [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Computational Research Div.; Deslippe, Jack [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC); Louie, Steven G. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics; Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Science Div.

2016-11-16

We present a new structure preserving Lanczos algorithm for approximating the optical absorption spectrum in the context of solving full Bethe-Salpeter equation without Tamm-Dancoff approximation. The new algorithm is based on a structure preserving Lanczos procedure, which exploits the special block structure of Bethe-Salpeter Hamiltonian matrices. A recently developed technique of generalized averaged Gauss quadrature is incorporated to accelerate the convergence. We also establish the connection between our structure preserving Lanczos procedure with several existing Lanczos procedures developed in different contexts. Numerical examples are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of our Lanczos algorithm.

Toward Privacy-Preserving Personalized Recommendation Services

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cong Wang

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Recommendation systems are crucially important for the delivery of personalized services to users. With personalized recommendation services, users can enjoy a variety of targeted recommendations such as movies, books, ads, restaurants, and more. In addition, personalized recommendation services have become extremely effective revenue drivers for online business. Despite the great benefits, deploying personalized recommendation services typically requires the collection of users’ personal data for processing and analytics, which undesirably makes users susceptible to serious privacy violation issues. Therefore, it is of paramount importance to develop practical privacy-preserving techniques to maintain the intelligence of personalized recommendation services while respecting user privacy. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive survey of the literature related to personalized recommendation services with privacy protection. We present the general architecture of personalized recommendation systems, the privacy issues therein, and existing works that focus on privacy-preserving personalized recommendation services. We classify the existing works according to their underlying techniques for personalized recommendation and privacy protection, and thoroughly discuss and compare their merits and demerits, especially in terms of privacy and recommendation accuracy. We also identity some future research directions. Keywords: Privacy protection, Personalized recommendation services, Targeted delivery, Collaborative filtering, Machine learning

Two-compartment, two-sample technique for accurate estimation of effective renal plasma flow: Theoretical development and comparison with other methods

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lear, J.L.; Feyerabend, A.; Gregory, C.

1989-01-01

Discordance between effective renal plasma flow (ERPF) measurements from radionuclide techniques that use single versus multiple plasma samples was investigated. In particular, the authors determined whether effects of variations in distribution volume (Vd) of iodine-131 iodohippurate on measurement of ERPF could be ignored, an assumption implicit in the single-sample technique. The influence of Vd on ERPF was found to be significant, a factor indicating an important and previously unappreciated source of error in the single-sample technique. Therefore, a new two-compartment, two-plasma-sample technique was developed on the basis of the observations that while variations in Vd occur from patient to patient, the relationship between intravascular and extravascular components of Vd and the rate of iodohippurate exchange between the components are stable throughout a wide range of physiologic and pathologic conditions. The new technique was applied in a series of 30 studies in 19 patients. Results were compared with those achieved with the reference, single-sample, and slope-intercept techniques. The new two-compartment, two-sample technique yielded estimates of ERPF that more closely agreed with the reference multiple-sample method than either the single-sample or slope-intercept techniques

The effect of some wood preservatives on the thermal degradation of Scots pine

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tomak, Eylem D., E-mail: eylemdizman@yahoo.com [Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Forestry, Forest Industrial Engineering Department, 61080 Trabzon (Turkey); Baysal, Ergun, E-mail: bergun@mu.edu.tr [Mugla University, Faculty of Technology, Department of Wood Science and Technology, Kotekli, 48000 Mugla (Turkey); Peker, Huseyin, E-mail: peker100@hotmail.com [Artvin Coruh University, Faculty of Forestry, Forest Industrial Engineering Department, 06100 Artvin (Turkey)

2012-11-10

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Scots pine samples were impregnated with 10 commercial wood preservatives. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Thermal degradation of wood was evaluated by TG, DTG and DTA. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The thermal behavior of treated wood differed from that of untreated wood. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Boron containing wood preservatives yielded more charcoal than other preservatives. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Boric oxide and metal compounds in the formulations may affect char weight. - Abstract: Wood has been a structural material for many years; however, its ability to burn has limited its use in some applications. This study aims to evaluate the effect of commercial wood preservatives having concentration of 4% on the thermal behavior of Scots pine wood, and compare the fire retardant effectiveness of these preservatives with that of boron compounds. Thermal degradation of treated and untreated wood samples was evaluated by thermogravimetry (TG), differential thermogravimetry (DTG) and differential thermal analysis (DTA). Thermal behavior of treated wood differed from thermal behavior of untreated wood in terms of a high char yield. Results showed that weight loss of wood reduced while char yield increased in the charring phase of the pyrolysis in the boron containing preservative treated wood accompanying with pyrolysis temperature lowered. The highest char yield was obtained from the samples treated with disodium octaborate tetrahydrate in the all treated groups.

Application of fission track technique for estimation of uranium concentration in drinking waters of Punjab

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prabhu, S.P.; Sawant, P.D.; Raj, S.S.; Kumar, A.; Sarkar, P.K.; Tripathi, R.M.

2012-01-01

Drinking water samples were collected from four different districts, namely Bhatinda, Mansa, Faridkot and Firozpur, of Punjab for ascertaining the U(nat.) concentrations. All samples were preserved, processed and analyzed by laser fluorimetry (LF). To ensure accuracy of the data obtained by LF, few samples (10 nos) from each district were analyzed by alpha spectrometry as well as by fission track analysis (FTA) technique. For FTA technique few μl of water sample was transferred to polythene tube, lexan detector was immersed in it and the other end of the tube was also heat-sealed. Two samples and one uranium standard were irradiated in DHRUVA reactor. Irradiated detectors were chemically etched and tracks counted using an optical microscope. Uranium concentrations in samples ranged from 3.2 to 60.5 ppb and were comparable with those observed by LF. (author)

Neutron activation analysis technique and X-ray fluorescence in bovine liver sample

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maihara, V.A.; Favaro, D.I.T.; Vasconcellos, M.B.A.; Sato, I.M.; Salvador, V.L.

2002-01-01

Many analytical techniques have been used in food and diet analysis in order to determine a great number of nutritional elements, ranging from percentage to ng g -1 , with high sensitivity and accuracy. Instrumental Neutron activation Analysis (INAA) has been employed to certificate many trace elements in biological reference materials. More recently, the X-Ray Fluorescence (FRX-WD) has been also used to determine some essential elements in food samples. The INAA has been applied in nutrition studies in our laboratory at IPEN since the 80 s. For the development of analytical methodologies the use of the reference materials with the same characteristics of the sample analyzed is essential. Several Brazilian laboratories do not have conditions to use these materials due their high cost.In this paper preliminary results of commercial bovine liver sample analyses obtained by INAA and WD-XRF methods are presented. This sample was prepared to be a Brazilian candidate of reference material for a group of laboratories participating in a research project sponsored by FAPESP. The concentrations of some elements like Cl, K, Na, P, S and trace elements Br, Ca, Co, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo, Rb, Se and Zn were determined by INAA and WD-XFR. For validation methodology of both techniques, NIST SRM 1577b Bovine Liver reference material was analyzed and the detection limits were calculated. The concentrations of elements determined by both analytical techniques were compared by using the Student's t-test and for Cl, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, Rn and Zn the results do show no statistical difference for 95% significance level. (author)

Changes in Ocular Surface Characteristics after Switching from Benzalkonium Chloride-Preserved Latanoprost to Preservative-Free Tafluprost or Benzalkonium Chloride-Preserved Tafluprost

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naoto Tokuda

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of switching from Latanoprost ophthalmic solution containing a preservative to preservative-free Tafluprost ophthalmic solution or Tafluprost containing a preservative on ocular surfaces. Materials and Methods. Forty patients (40 eyes with glaucoma (mean age: 62.0 ± 10.9 years using Latanoprost with preservative for six months or longer were assigned either to a Tafluprost-containing-preservative group (20 eyes or preservative-free-Tafluprost group (20 eyes. The intraocular pressure, corneal epithelial barrier function (fluorescein uptake concentration with fluorophotometer FL-500, superficial punctate keratopathy (AD classification, and tear film breakup time (TBUT were assessed before switching and at 12 weeks after switching. Results. No significant differences in intraocular pressure were noted after switching in either group. Corneal epithelial barrier function was improved significantly after switching in both the Tafluprost-containing-preservative and the preservative-free-Tafluprost groups. There were no significant differences in AD scores after switching in the Tafluprost-containing-preservative group, but significant improvements were noted in the preservative-free-Tafluprost group. No significant differences in TBUT were noted in the Tafluprost-containing-preservative or preservative-free-Tafluprost groups after switching. Conclusion. After switching from preservative Latanoprost to Tafluprost containing-preservative or preservative-free Tafluprost, corneal epithelial barrier function was improved while the intraocular pressure reduction was retained.

Changes in Ocular Surface Characteristics after Switching from Benzalkonium Chloride-Preserved Latanoprost to Preservative-Free Tafluprost or Benzalkonium Chloride-Preserved Tafluprost.

Science.gov (United States)

Tokuda, Naoto; Kitaoka, Yasushi; Matsuzawa, Akiko; Tsukamoto, Ayaka; Sase, Kana; Sakae, Shinsuke; Takagi, Hitoshi

2017-01-01

The aim of the present study was to examine the effects of switching from Latanoprost ophthalmic solution containing a preservative to preservative-free Tafluprost ophthalmic solution or Tafluprost containing a preservative on ocular surfaces. Forty patients (40 eyes) with glaucoma (mean age: 62.0 ± 10.9 years) using Latanoprost with preservative for six months or longer were assigned either to a Tafluprost-containing-preservative group (20 eyes) or preservative-free-Tafluprost group (20 eyes). The intraocular pressure, corneal epithelial barrier function (fluorescein uptake concentration with fluorophotometer FL-500), superficial punctate keratopathy (AD classification), and tear film breakup time (TBUT) were assessed before switching and at 12 weeks after switching. No significant differences in intraocular pressure were noted after switching in either group. Corneal epithelial barrier function was improved significantly after switching in both the Tafluprost-containing-preservative and the preservative-free-Tafluprost groups. There were no significant differences in AD scores after switching in the Tafluprost-containing-preservative group, but significant improvements were noted in the preservative-free-Tafluprost group. No significant differences in TBUT were noted in the Tafluprost-containing-preservative or preservative-free-Tafluprost groups after switching. After switching from preservative Latanoprost to Tafluprost containing-preservative or preservative-free Tafluprost, corneal epithelial barrier function was improved while the intraocular pressure reduction was retained.

The Consequence of Delayed Fixation on Subsequent Preservation of Urine Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hussain G. Ahmed,

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Degenerative changes caused by delays in urine preservation contribute to false-negative and false-positive interpretation of urothelial disease in cytology. The aim of this study is to assess whether the delay of fixation of urine samples makes any significant difference to urine cytology and morphology, and the limit of acceptability of delay for routine use in the hospital laboratory.Methods: Three cell collection fluids were evaluated by analyzing the preservation and degeneration of cells in urine samples. In this study, 50 voided urine specimens were taken at random from females complaining of vaginal discharge. Each specimen was divided into three sterile containers. The first was immediately centrifugated and the deposit was smeared onto a cleaned micro slide and immediately fixed into 95�0ethyl alcohol for 15 minutes. The remaining two were prepared in the same manner, however, the second after two hours of collection and the third after four hours of collection. The degree of degeneration and thus the preservation were assessed by a table of chosen criteria, then ranked and analyzed using Friedman's nonparametric test, atp=0.05.Results: The results showed a significant difference between the preservation and the delay in urine fixation, p<0.0001.Conclusion: Any delay in fixation of urine specimen for cytology affects the preservation of cells, which may result in miss diagnosis. It is recommended that urine samples for cytology should be fixed immediately after collection.

Improved mesh based photon sampling techniques for neutron activation analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Relson, E.; Wilson, P. P. H.; Biondo, E. D.

2013-01-01

The design of fusion power systems requires analysis of neutron activation of large, complex volumes, and the resulting particles emitted from these volumes. Structured mesh-based discretization of these problems allows for improved modeling in these activation analysis problems. Finer discretization of these problems results in large computational costs, which drives the investigation of more efficient methods. Within an ad hoc subroutine of the Monte Carlo transport code MCNP, we implement sampling of voxels and photon energies for volumetric sources using the alias method. The alias method enables efficient sampling of a discrete probability distribution, and operates in 0(1) time, whereas the simpler direct discrete method requires 0(log(n)) time. By using the alias method, voxel sampling becomes a viable alternative to sampling space with the 0(1) approach of uniformly sampling the problem volume. Additionally, with voxel sampling it is straightforward to introduce biasing of volumetric sources, and we implement this biasing of voxels as an additional variance reduction technique that can be applied. We verify our implementation and compare the alias method, with and without biasing, to direct discrete sampling of voxels, and to uniform sampling. We study the behavior of source biasing in a second set of tests and find trends between improvements and source shape, material, and material density. Overall, however, the magnitude of improvements from source biasing appears to be limited. Future work will benefit from the implementation of efficient voxel sampling - particularly with conformal unstructured meshes where the uniform sampling approach cannot be applied. (authors)

Large-volume constant-concentration sampling technique coupling with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy for rapid on-site gas analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Zhuomin; Zhan, Yisen; Huang, Yichun; Li, Gongke

2017-08-05

In this work, a portable large-volume constant-concentration (LVCC) sampling technique coupling with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) was developed for the rapid on-site gas analysis based on suitable derivatization methods. LVCC sampling technique mainly consisted of a specially designed sampling cell including the rigid sample container and flexible sampling bag, and an absorption-derivatization module with a portable pump and a gas flowmeter. LVCC sampling technique allowed large, alterable and well-controlled sampling volume, which kept the concentration of gas target in headspace phase constant during the entire sampling process and made the sampling result more representative. Moreover, absorption and derivatization of gas target during LVCC sampling process were efficiently merged in one step using bromine-thiourea and OPA-NH 4 + strategy for ethylene and SO 2 respectively, which made LVCC sampling technique conveniently adapted to consequent SERS analysis. Finally, a new LVCC sampling-SERS method was developed and successfully applied for rapid analysis of trace ethylene and SO 2 from fruits. It was satisfied that trace ethylene and SO 2 from real fruit samples could be actually and accurately quantified by this method. The minor concentration fluctuations of ethylene and SO 2 during the entire LVCC sampling process were proved to be gas targets from real samples by SERS. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of digital sampling techniques to particle identification in scintillation detectors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bardelli, L.; Bini, M.; Poggi, G.; Taccetti, N.

2002-01-01

In this paper, the use of a fast digitizing system for identification of fast charged particles with scintillation detectors is discussed. The three-layer phoswich detectors developed in the framework of the FIASCO experiment for the detection of light charged particles (LCP) and intermediate mass fragments (IMF) emitted in heavy-ion collisions at Fermi energies are briefly discussed. The standard analog electronics treatment of the signals for particle identification is illustrated. After a description of the digitizer designed to perform a fast digital sampling of the phoswich signals, the feasibility of particle identification on the sampled data is demonstrated. The results obtained with two different pulse shape discrimination analyses based on the digitally sampled data are compared with the standard analog signal treatment. The obtained results suggest, for the present application, the replacement of the analog methods with the digital sampling technique

Uranium content measurement in drinking water samples using track etch technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumar, Mukesh; Kumar, Ajay; Singh, Surinder; Mahajan, R.K.; Walia, T.P.S.

2003-01-01

The concentration of uranium has been assessed in drinking water samples collected from different locations in Bathinda district, Punjab, India. The water samples are taken from hand pumps and tube wells. Uranium is determined using fission track technique. Uranium concentration in the water samples varies from 1.65±0.06 to 74.98±0.38 μg/l. These values are compared with safe limit values recommended for drinking water. Most of the water samples are found to have uranium concentration above the safe limit. Analysis of some heavy metals (Zn, Cd, Pb and Cu) in water is also done in order to see if some correlation exists between the concentration of uranium and these heavy metals. A weak positive correlation has been observed between the concentration of uranium and heavy metals of Pb, Cd and Cu

Attempts to develop a new nuclear measurement technique of β-glucuronidase levels in biological samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Unak, T.; Avcibasi, U.; Yildirim, Y.; Cetinkaya, B.

2003-01-01

β-Glucuronidase is one of the most important hydrolytic enzymes in living systems and plays an essential role in the detoxification pathway of toxic materials incorporated into the metabolism. Some organs, especially liver and some tumour tissues, have high level of β-glucuronidase activity. As a result the enzymatic activity of some kind of tumour cells, the radiolabelled glucuronide conjugates of cytotoxic, as well as radiotoxic compounds have potentially very valuable diagnostic and therapeutic applications in cancer research. For this reason, a sensitive measurement of β-glucuronidase levels in normal and tumour tissues is a very important step for these kinds of applications. According to the classical measurement method of β-glucuronidase activity, in general, the quantity of phenolphthalein liberated from its glucuronide conjugate, i.e. phenolphthalein-glucuronide, by β-glucuronidase has been measured by use of the spectrophotometric technique. The lower detection limit of phenolphthalein by the spectrophotometric technique is about 1-3 mg. This means that the β-glucuronidase levels could not be detected in biological samples having lower levels of β-glucuronidase activity and therefore the applications of the spectrophotometric technique in cancer research are very seriously limited. Starting from this consideration, we recently attempted to develop a new nuclear technique to measure much lower concentrations of β-glucuronidase in biological samples. To improve the detection limit, phenolphthalein-glucuronide and also phenyl-N-glucuronide were radioiodinated with 131 I and their radioactivity was measured by use of the counting technique. Therefore, the quantity of phenolphthalein or aniline radioiodinated with 131 I and liberated by the deglucuronidation reactivity of β-glucuronidase was used in an attempt to measure levels lower than the spectrophotometric measurement technique. The results obtained clearly verified that 0.01 pg level of

Update on fertility preservation from the Barcelona International Society for Fertility Preservation-ESHRE-ASRM 2015 expert meeting

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinez, Francisca; Yding Andersen, Claus

2017-01-01

STUDY QUESTION: What progress has been made in fertility preservation (FP) over the last decade? SUMMARY ANSWER: FP techniques have been widely adopted over the last decade and therefore the establishment of international registries on their short- and long-term outcomes is strongly recommended...... on the need to provide counselling about currently available FP options to all individuals wishing to preserve their fertility. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: An international meeting with representatives from expert scientific societies involved in FP was held in Barcelona, Spain, in June 2015. PARTICIPANTS...... treatment, and need an adequate FP approach. Women wishing to postpone maternity and transgender individuals before starting hormone therapy or undergoing surgery to remove/alter their reproductive organs should also be counselled accordingly. Embryo and oocyte cryopreservation are first-line FP methods...

Development of Large Sample Neutron Activation Technique for New Applications in Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Laoharojanaphand, S.; Tippayakul, C.; Wonglee, S.; Channuie, J.

2018-01-01

The development of the Large Sample Neutron Activation Analysis (LSNAA) in Thailand is presented in this paper. The technique had been firstly developed with rice sample as the test subject. The Thai Research Reactor-1/Modification 1 (TRR-1/M1) was used as the neutron source. The first step was to select and characterize an appropriate irradiation facility for the research. An out-core irradiation facility (A4 position) was first attempted. The results performed with the A4 facility were then used as guides for the subsequent experiments with the thermal column facility. The characterization of the thermal column was performed with Cu-wire to determine spatial distribution without and with rice sample. The flux depression without rice sample was observed to be less than 30% while the flux depression with rice sample increased to within 60%. The flux monitors internal to the rice sample were used to determine average flux over the rice sample. The gamma selfshielding effect during gamma measurement was corrected using the Monte Carlo simulation. The ratio between the efficiencies of the volume source and the point source for each energy point was calculated by the MCNPX code. The research team adopted the k0-NAA methodology to calculate the element concentration in the research. The k0-NAA program which developed by IAEA was set up to simulate the conditions of the irradiation and measurement facilities used in this research. The element concentrations in the bulk rice sample were then calculated taking into account the flux depression and gamma efficiency corrections. At the moment, the results still show large discrepancies with the reference values. However, more research on the validation will be performed to identify sources of errors. Moreover, this LS-NAA technique was introduced for the activation analysis of the IAEA archaeological mock-up. The results are provided in this report. (author)

Evaluation of the wood CCA preservative treatment process of Eucalyptus (Eucaliptus ssp) by X-ray fluorescence technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pereira Junior, Sergio Matias; Salvador, Vera Lucia Ribeiro; Sato, Ivone Mulako

2013-01-01

Brazil produces around 1,2 mi m 3 of treated wood to meet the annual demand of railway, electric, rural and construction sectors. The treated woods used for poles, sleepers, fence posts and plywoods should be according to Brazilian norms requirements. The most used wood species are eucalyptus (Eucaliptus ssp)and pine (Pinus ssp). The most wood preservative products used in Brazil are CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) and CCB (Copper Chromium and Boron Salt). The analytical methods, such as Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS) and Plasma Inductively Coupled Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICPOES) have been used for the evaluation of those treatment processes. In this work, the sapwood sample was obtained from eucalyptus trees (Eucaliptus ssp) obtained from Minas Gerais State, Brazil, cut plantation areas. Sawdust sapwood sample was grounded and submitted to different additions of CCA solutions (0.2, 0.7, 1.3, 2.3, 3.6, 6.3, 11.7and17.9 kg m -3 ). Power and pressed pellets sapwood samples, analyzed by EDXRFS, showed a good linear relation (r 2 >0.99) between the characteristic intensity fluorescent lines (CuΚα, CrΚαand AsΚΒ) and their concentration, also, showed adequate sensitivity (LQ -1 ) for Cu, Cr and As determination in treated woods. Cu, Cr and As were determined in powdered sawdust samples by FAA spectrometry, using the AWPA A11-93 standard method; the relation between the CCA retention and their concentration showed a lower linear relation than EDXRFS; the FAAS spreading result could be attributed to laboratorial CCA addition process. (author)

Sensory Quality Preservation of Coated Walnuts.

Science.gov (United States)

Grosso, Antonella L; Asensio, Claudia M; Grosso, Nelson R; Nepote, Valeria

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the sensory stability of coated walnuts during storage. Four walnut samples were prepared: uncoated (NC), and samples coated with carboxymethyl cellulose (NCMC), methyl cellulose (NMC), or whey protein (NPS). The samples were stored at room temperature for 210 d and were periodically removed from storage to perform a sensory descriptive analysis. A consumer acceptance test was carried out on the fresh product (storage day 0) to evaluate flavor. All samples exhibited significant differences in their sensory attributes initially and after storage. Intensity ratings for oxidized and cardboard flavors increased during storage. NC showed the highest oxidized and cardboard intensity ratings (39 and 22, respectively) and NMC exhibited the lowest intensity ratings for these negative attributes (8 and 17, respectively) after 210 d of storage. Alternatively, the intensity ratings for sweetness and walnut flavors were decreased for all samples. NMC had the lowest decrease at the end of storage for these positive attributes (75.86 in walnut flavor and 12.09 in sweetness). The results of this study suggest a protective effect of the use of an edible coating to preserve sensory attributes during storage, especially for samples coated with MC. The results of the acceptance test showed that addition of the coating negatively affected the flavor acceptance for NMC and NCMC coated walnuts. Edible coatings help to preserve sensory attributes in walnuts, improving their shelf-life, however, these coatings may affect consumer acceptance in some cases. © 2016 Institute of Food Technologists®.

Ebselen Preserves Tissue-Engineered Cell Sheets and their Stem Cells in Hypothermic Conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Katori, Ryosuke; Hayashi, Ryuhei; Kobayashi, Yuki; Kobayashi, Eiji; Nishida, Kohji

2016-12-14

Clinical trials have been performed using autologous tissue-engineered epithelial cell sheets for corneal regenerative medicine. To improve stem cell-based therapy for convenient clinical practice, new techniques are required for preserving reconstructed tissues and their stem/progenitor cells until they are ready for use. In the present study, we screened potential preservative agents and developed a novel medium for preserving the cell sheets and their stem/progenitor cells; the effects were evaluated with a luciferase-based viability assay. Nrf2 activators, specifically ebselen, could maintain high ATP levels during preservation. Ebselen also showed a strong influence on maintenance of the viability, morphology, and stem cell function of the cell sheets preserved under hypothermia by protecting them from reactive oxygen species-induced damage. Furthermore, ebselen drastically improved the preservation performance of human cornea tissues and their stem cells. Therefore, ebselen shows good potential as a useful preservation agent in regenerative medicine as well as in cornea transplantation.

High-resolution, 2- and 3-dimensional imaging of uncut, unembedded tissue biopsy samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, Richard; Vesuna, Sam; Levene, Michael J

2014-03-01

Despite continuing advances in tissue processing automation, traditional embedding, cutting, and staining methods limit our ability for rapid, comprehensive visual examination. These limitations are particularly relevant to biopsies for which immediate therapeutic decisions are most necessary, faster feedback to the patient is desired, and preservation of tissue for ancillary studies is most important. The recent development of improved tissue clearing techniques has made it possible to consider use of multiphoton microscopy (MPM) tools in clinical settings, which could address difficulties of established methods. To demonstrate the potential of MPM of cleared tissue for the evaluation of unembedded and uncut pathology samples. Human prostate, liver, breast, and kidney specimens were fixed and dehydrated by using traditional histologic techniques, with or without incorporation of nucleic acid fluorescent stains into dehydration steps. A benzyl alcohol/benzyl benzoate clearing protocol was substituted for xylene. Multiphoton microscopy was performed on a home-built system. Excellent morphologic detail was achievable with MPM at depths greater than 500 μm. Pseudocoloring produced images analogous to hematoxylin-eosin-stained images. Concurrent second-harmonic generation detection allowed mapping of collagen. Subsequent traditional section staining with hematoxylin-eosin did not reveal any detrimental morphologic effects. Sample immunostains on renal tissue showed preservation of normal reactivity. Complete reconstructions of 1-mm cubic samples elucidated 3-dimensional architectural organization. Multiphoton microscopy on cleared, unembedded, uncut biopsy specimens shows potential as a practical clinical tool with significant advantages over traditional histology while maintaining compatibility with gold standard techniques. Further investigation to address remaining implementation barriers is warranted.

Preservation and restoration of works-of-art via nuclear technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coeure, Ph.

1999-01-01

This paper presents the techniques using gamma rays for preservation and restoration of our cultural patrimony. Developed at CEA and by ARC-Nucleart, these techniques, which use mainly Cobalt 60 and Americium 241 sources, allow disinfection and strengthening of the various materials which make up the objects (wood, paper, bone, stone, plaster, etc), together with radiography of wood and stone. (author)

Comparison of microRNA expression using different preservation methods of matched psoriatic skin samples

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Løvendorf, Marianne B; Zibert, John R; Hagedorn, Peter H

2012-01-01

MicroRNAs are non-coding RNA molecules modulating gene expression post-transcriptionally. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedding (FFPE) is a standard preservation method often used in clinical practices, but induces RNA degradation. Extracting high-quality RNA from human skin can be challenging as skin...

The effectiveness of BD Vacutainer® Plus Urinalysis Preservative Tubes in preservation of urine for chemical strip analysis and particle counting.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekşioğlu, Merve Kaymak; Madenci, Özlem Çakır; Yücel, Nihal; Elçi, Abdullah; Turhan, Bülent; Orhan, Gani; Orçun, Asuman

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the stability of urine collected in preservative tubes for chemistry strip analyses and particle counting to determine whether the transport of urine samples with all of their constituents is possible. 275 pathologic urine specimens were included. Each urine sample was evaluated after 4, 8, 12, 24, and 48 hours of storage in BD Vacutainer(®) Plus Urinalysis Preservative (BD UAP) tubes and compared with refrigeration at 4 °C. All analyses were peformed on H-800 and FUS-200 automatic modular urine analyzers (Dirui Industry, Changchun, China). The kappa coefficients (κ), false positive (FP) and false negative (FN) rates were evaluated. κ > 0.8 was accepted as good agreement. Haemoglobin (Hb), leucocyte esterase (LE), and protein (Pro) analyses should be performed within 4 hours, whereas glucose (Glc) was stable until the end of 48 hours in both storage conditions. Nitrite (Nit) was well preserved in BD UAP tubes for 24 hours but was stable only up to 8 hours at 4 °C. Bilirubin (Bil) had very high FN rates even at 4 hours in both conditions. The particle counting showed high FN rates for white blood cells (WBC) and red blood cells (RBC), whereas squamous epithelial cells (EC) were stable up to 8 hours in both conditions. Preanalytical requirements for both urine chemical strip analyses and particle counting in a unique sample were not met in either condition. Thus, the transfer of urine samples for centralization of urinalysis is not yet feasible.

A methodological approach to assessing alveolar ridge preservation procedures in humans: soft tissue profile.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanhoutte, Vanessa; Rompen, Eric; Lecloux, Geoffrey; Rues, Stefan; Schmitter, Marc; Lambert, France

2014-03-01

The aesthetic results of implant restoration in the anterior maxilla are particularly related to the soft tissue profile. Although socket preservation techniques appear to reduce bone remodelling after tooth extraction, there is still few investigations assessing the external soft tissue profile after such procedures. The goal of this study was to describe an accurate technique to evaluate soft tissue contour changes after performing socket preservation procedures. The secondary objective was to apply the newly developed measuring method to a specific socket preservation using a "saddled" connective tissue graft combined with the insertion of slowly resorbable biomaterials into the socket. A total of 14 patients needing tooth replacement in the aesthetic region were included to receive a socket preservation procedure using a connective tissue graft. Impressions were taken before the tooth extraction (baseline) and at 2, 4, and 12 weeks after the procedure. The corresponding plaster casts were scanned, and the evolution of the soft tissue profile in relation to the baseline situation was assessed using imaging software. The measuring technique allowed assessing the soft tissue profiles accurately at different levels of the alveolar process. The insertion of a saddled connective tissue appeared to compensate for the horizontal and vertical bone remodelling after a socket preservation procedure in most regions of the alveolar crest. After 12 weeks, the only significant change was located in the more cervical and central region of the alveolar process and reached a median drop of 0.62 mm from baseline. Within the limitations of this study, we found that a saddled connective tissue graft combined with a socket preservation procedure could almost completely counteract the bone remodelling in terms of the external soft tissue profile. The minor changes found in the cervical region might disappear with the emergence profile of the prosthodontic components. The described

Direct sampling technique of bees on Vriesea philippocoburgii (Bromeliaceae, Tillandsioideae flowers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Afonso Inácio Orth

2004-11-01

Full Text Available In our study on Vriesea philippocoburgii Wawra pollination, due to the small proportion of flowers in anthesis on a single day and the damage caused to inflorescences when netting directly on flowers, we used the direct sampling technique (DST of bees on flowers. This technique was applied to 40 flowering plants and resulted in the capture of 160 specimens, belonging to nine genera of Apoidea and separated into 19 morph species. As DST maintains the integrity of flowers for later Bees’ visits, it can enhance the survey’s performance, constituting an alternative methodology for the collection of bees visiting flowering plants.

Self-preserving cosmetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Varvaresou, A; Papageorgiou, S; Tsirivas, E; Protopapa, E; Kintziou, H; Kefala, V; Demetzos, C

2009-06-01

Preservatives are added to products for two reasons: first, to prevent microbial spoilage and therefore to prolong the shelf life of the product; second, to protect the consumer from a potential infection. Although chemical preservatives prevent microbial growth, their safety is questioned by a growing segment of consumers. Therefore, there is a considerable interest in the development of preservative-free or self-preserving cosmetics. In these formulations traditional/chemical preservatives have been replaced by other cosmetic ingredients with antimicrobial properties that are not legislated as preservatives according to the Annex VI of the Commission Directive 76/768/EEC and the amending directives (2003/15/EC, 2007/17/EC and 2007/22/EC). 'Hurdle Technology', a technology that has been used for the control of product safety in the food industry since 1970s, has also been applied for the production of self-preserving cosmetics. 'Hurdle Technology' is a term used to describe the intelligent combination of different preservation factors or hurdles to deteriorate the growth of microorganisms. Adherence to current good manufacturing practice, appropriate packaging, careful choice of the form of the emulsion, low water activity and low or high pH values are significant variables for the control of microbial growth in cosmetic formulations. This paper describes the application of the basic principles of 'Hurdle Technology' in the production of self-preserving cosmetics. Multifunctional antimicrobial ingredients and plant-derived essential oils and extracts that are used as alternative or natural preservatives and are not listed in Annex VI of the Cosmetic Directive are also reported.

Sample preservation, transport and processing strategies for honeybee RNA extraction: Influence on RNA yield, quality, target quantification and data normalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Forsgren, Eva; Locke, Barbara; Semberg, Emilia; Laugen, Ane T; Miranda, Joachim R de

2017-08-01

Viral infections in managed honey bees are numerous, and most of them are caused by viruses with an RNA genome. Since RNA degrades rapidly, appropriate sample management and RNA extraction methods are imperative to get high quality RNA for downstream assays. This study evaluated the effect of various sampling-transport scenarios (combinations of temperature, RNA stabilizers, and duration) of transport on six RNA quality parameters; yield, purity, integrity, cDNA synthesis efficiency, target detection and quantification. The use of water and extraction buffer were also compared for a primary bee tissue homogenate prior to RNA extraction. The strategy least affected by time was preservation of samples at -80°C. All other regimens turned out to be poor alternatives unless the samples were frozen or processed within 24h. Chemical stabilizers have the greatest impact on RNA quality and adding an extra homogenization step (a QIAshredder™ homogenizer) to the extraction protocol significantly improves the RNA yield and chemical purity. This study confirms that RIN values (RNA Integrity Number), should be used cautiously with bee RNA. Using water for the primary homogenate has no negative effect on RNA quality as long as this step is no longer than 15min. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

PRESERVATION OF DATA for the DIGITAL SOCIETY

CERN Document Server

SHIERS, J; VUERLI, C; MAGGI, M; DONVITO, G; BETKHE, S; KLUTH, S; KENNEDY, J

2011-01-01

The preservation of data for future re-use is a topic that is becoming increasingly important across a wide range of disciplines and is expected to become essential in the coming years as a cornerstone of the digital society. The strategy of this project is to combine the forces of several large-scale organizations to ensure that research work in this area is well coordinated and that the results are made available to a wide range of disciplines. The project aims to both document and verify techniques for the preservation of digital data with a strong focus on the continued ability to fully re-use the data, to raise awareness of the importance of this issue as widely as possible, to act as a forum for the interchange of information and best practices, and to develop a roadmap for the coming decade in order that digital preservation moves from being a challenge to a solution. Disciplines targeted range from Life Sciences to High Energy Physics – fields that have diverse needs in terms of data volume and life...

Identification of unknown sample using NAA, EDXRF, XRD techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dalvi, Aditi A.; Swain, K.K.; Chavan, Trupti; Remya Devi, P.S.; Wagh, D.N.; Verma, R.

2015-01-01

Analytical Chemistry Division (ACD), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) receives samples from law enforcement agencies such as Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Customs for analysis. Five unknown grey powdered samples were received for identification and were suspected to be Iridium (Ir). Identification of unknown sample is always a challenging task and suitable analytical techniques have to be judiciously utilized for arriving at the conclusion. Qualitative analysis was carried out using Jordan Valley, EX-3600 M Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) spectrometer at ACD, BARC. A SLP series LEO Si (Li) detector (active area: 30 mm 2 ; thickness: 3.5 mm; resolution: 140 eV at 5.9 keV of Mn K X-ray) was used during the measurement and only characteristic X-rays of Ir (Lα: 9.17 keV and Lβ: 10.70 keV) was seen in the X-ray spectrum. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurement results indicated that the Ir was in the form of metal. To confirm the XRD data, neutron activation analysis (NAA) was carried out by irradiating samples and elemental standards (as comparator) in graphite reflector position of Advanced Heavy Water Reactor Critical Facility (AHWR CF) reactor, BARC, Mumbai. After suitable decay period, gamma activity measurements were carried out using 45% HPGe detector coupled to 8 k multi channel analyzer. Characteristic gamma line at 328.4 keV of the activation product 194 Ir was used for quantification of iridium and relative method of NAA was used for concentration calculations. NAA results confirmed that all the samples were Iridium metal. (author)

Use of Preservative Agents and Antibiotics for Increased Poliovirus Survival on Positively Charged Filters.

Science.gov (United States)

Fagnant, Christine Susan; Kossik, Alexandra Lynn; Zhou, Nicolette Angela; Sánchez-Gonzalez, Liliana; Falman, Jill Christin; Keim, Erika Karen; Linden, Yarrow; Scheibe, Alana; Barnes, Kilala Sayisha; Beck, Nicola Koren; Boyle, David S; Meschke, John Scott

2017-12-01

Environmental surveillance of poliovirus (PV) and other non-enveloped viruses can help identify silent circulation and is necessary to certify eradication. The bag-mediated filtration system is an efficient method to filter large volumes of environmental waters at field sites for monitoring the presence of viruses. As filters may require long transit times to off-site laboratories for processing, viral inactivation or overgrowth of bacteria and fungi can interfere with virus detection and quantification (Miki and Jacquet in Aquatic Microb Ecol 51(2):195-208, 2008). To evaluate virus survival over time on ViroCap ™ filters, the filters were seeded with PV type 1 (PV1) and/or MS2 and then dosed with preservatives or antibiotics prior to storage and elution. These filters were stored at various temperatures and time periods, and then eluted for PV1 and MS2 recovery quantification. Filters dosed with the preservative combination of 2% sodium benzoate and 0.2% calcium propionate had increased virus survival over time when stored at 25 °C, compared to samples stored at 25 °C with no preservatives. While elution within 24 h of filtration is recommended, if storage or shipping is required then this preservative mixture can help preserve sample integrity. Addition of an antibiotic cocktail containing cephapirin, gentamicin, and Proclin ™ 300 increased recovery after storage at 4 and 25 °C, when compared to storage with no antibiotics. The antibiotic cocktail can aid sample preservation if access to appropriate antibiotics storage is available and sample cold chain is unreliable. This study demonstrated that the use of preservatives or antibiotics is a simple, cost-effective method to improve virus detection from ViroCap cartridge filters over time.

Development of SYVAC sampling techniques

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prust, J.O.; Dalrymple, G.J.

1985-04-01

This report describes the requirements of a sampling scheme for use with the SYVAC radiological assessment model. The constraints on the number of samples that may be taken is considered. The conclusions from earlier studies using the deterministic generator sampling scheme are summarised. The method of Importance Sampling and a High Dose algorithm, which are designed to preferentially sample in the high dose region of the parameter space, are reviewed in the light of experience gained from earlier studies and the requirements of a site assessment and sensitivity analyses. In addition the use of an alternative numerical integration method for estimating risk is discussed. It is recommended that the method of Importance Sampling is developed and tested for use with SYVAC. An alternative numerical integration method is not recommended for investigation at this stage but should be the subject of future work. (author)

Preservation of bursal-sided tendon in partial-thickness articular-sided rotator cuff tears: a novel arthroscopic transtendon anatomic repair technique.

Science.gov (United States)

Shin, Sang-Jin; Jeong, Jae-Hoon; Jeon, Yoon Sang; Kim, Rag Gyu

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study was to introduce a novel arthroscopic transtendon anatomic repair technique that spares the intact bursal-sided tendon in articular-sided partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (PTRCT) and to present shoulder functional outcomes in patients with symptomatic articular-sided PCRCT that involves more than 50 % of its thickness after arthroscopic repair using a novel technique. Eighteen patients with symptomatic articular-sided PCRCT involving more than 50 % of the tendon's thickness underwent arthroscopic repair using a devised technique. The devised technique restores only the torn articular portion of the rotator cuff at the anatomical footprint using a suture anchor, and preserves the integrity of the corresponding bursal-sided tendon by tying knots at the most lateral bursal side on the subacromial space. Clinical and functional outcome using ASES and Constant scores were evaluated. The structural integrity of the rotator cuff was evaluated by MRI at 6 months postoperatively. Pain relief and shoulder functional outcomes were encouraging during the recovery phase after operation. ASES (preoperative 54.0 ± 10.3 to postoperative 92.6 ± 8.0), Constant score (61.2 ± 8.5-88.0 ± 5.3), VAS for pain (4.9 ± 2.6-0.6 ± 0.7) improved significantly after arthroscopic transtendon anatomic repair (p rotator cuff retears on 6-month MRI. No complications related to surgical procedures had occurred. The devised technique of arthroscopic transtendon repair provided satisfactory functional outcomes without postoperative discomforts. This technique minimizes over-tightening of the articular layer and reduces tension mismatches between the articular and bursal layers, which are considered as important factors for improvement of postoperative shoulder motion.

Isolated total RNA and protein are preserved after thawing for more than twenty-four hours

Science.gov (United States)

de Oliveira, Ivone Braga; Ramos, Débora Rothstein; Lopes, Karen Lucasechi; de Souza, Regiane Machado; Heimann, Joel Claudio; Furukawa, Luzia Naôko Shinohara

2012-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The preservation of biological samples at a low temperature is important for later biochemical and/or histological analyses. However, the molecular viability of thawed samples has not been studied sufficiently in depth. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the viability of intact tissues, tissue homogenates, and isolated total RNA after defrosting for more than twenty-four hours. METHODS: The molecular viability of the thawed samples (n = 82) was assessed using the A260/A280 ratio, the RNA concentration, the RNA integrity, the level of intact mRNA determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, the protein level determined by Western blotting, and an examination of the histological structure. RESULTS: The integrity of the total RNA was not preserved in the thawed intact tissue, but the RNA integrity and level of mRNA were perfectly preserved in isolated defrosted samples of total RNA. Additionally, the level of β-actin protein was preserved in both thawed intact tissue and homogenates. CONCLUSION: Isolated total RNA does not undergo degradation due to thawing for at least 24 hours, and it is recommended to isolate the total RNA as soon as possible after tissue collection. Moreover, the protein level is preserved in defrosted tissues. PMID:22473407

Persufflation (or gaseous oxygen perfusion) as a method of organ preservation.

Science.gov (United States)

Suszynski, Thomas M; Rizzari, Michael D; Scott, William E; Tempelman, Linda A; Taylor, Michael J; Papas, Klearchos K

2012-06-01

Improved preservation techniques have the potential to improve transplant outcomes by better maintaining donor organ quality and by making more organs available for allotransplantation. Persufflation, (PSF, gaseous oxygen perfusion) is potentially one such technique that has been studied for over a century in a variety of tissues, but has yet to gain wide acceptance for a number of reasons. A principal barrier is the perception that ex vivo PSF will cause in vivo embolization post-transplant. This review summarizes the extensive published work on heart, liver, kidney, small intestine and pancreas PSF, discusses the differences between anterograde and retrograde PSF, and between PSF and other conventional methods of organ preservation (static cold storage, hypothermic machine perfusion). Prospective implications of PSF within the broader field of organ transplantation, and in the specific application with pancreatic islet isolation and transplant are also discussed. Finally, key issues that need to be addressed before PSF becomes a more widely utilized preservation strategy are summarized and discussed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Anaerobic Cultures from Preserved Tissues of Baby Mammoth

Science.gov (United States)

Pikuta, Elena V.; Hoover, Richard B.; Fisher, Daniel

2011-01-01

Microbiological analysis of several cold-preserved tissue samples from the Siberian baby mammoth known as Lyuba revealed a number of culturable bacterial strains that were grown on anaerobic media at 4 C. Lactic acid produced by LAB (lactic acid bacteria) group, usually by members of the genera Carnobacterium and Lactosphera, appears to be a wonderful preservative that prevents other bacteria from over-dominating a system. Permafrost and lactic acid preserved the body of this one-month old baby mammoth and kept it in exceptionally good condition, resulting in this mammoth being the most complete such specimen ever recovered. The diversity of novel anaerobic isolates was expressed on morphological, physiological and phylogenetic levels. Here we discuss the specifics of the isolation of new strains, differentiation from trivial contamination, and preliminary results for the characterization of cultures.

Proteome stability analysis of snap frozen, RNAlater preserved, and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded human colon mucosal biopsies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bennike, Tue Bjerg; Kastaniegaard, Kenneth; Padurariu, Simona

2016-01-01

Large repositories of well characterized RNAlater preserved samples and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded samples have been generated worldwide. However, the impact on the proteome of the preservation methods remain poorly described. Therefore, we analyzed the impact on the proteome of preserving...... throughput gel free quantitative proteomics. The MS proteomics data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange Consortium via the PRIDE partner repository with the dataset identifier PRIDE: PXD002029....

Duodenum preserving pancreatectomy in chronic pancreatitis: Design of a randomized controlled trial comparing two surgical techniques [ISRCTN50638764

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reidel Margot A

2006-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Chronic pancreatitis is an inflammatory disease which is characterized by an irreversible conversion of pancreatic parenchyma to fibrous tissue. Beside obstructive jaundice and pseudocyst formation, about half of the patients need surgical intervention due to untreatable chronic pain during the course of the disease. In most of the patients with chronic pancreatitis, the head of the pancreas is the trigger of the chronic inflammatory process. Therefore, resection of pancreatic head tissue must be the central part of any surgical intervention. However, it is unclear to which extent the surgical procedure must be radical in order to obtain a favourable outcome for the patients. Design A single centre randomized controlled, superiority trial to compare two techniques of duodenum preserving pancreatic head resection. Sample size: 65 patients will be included and randomized intraoperatively. Eligibility criteria: All patients with chronic pancreatitis and indication for surgical resection and signed informed consent. Cumulative primary endpoint (hierarchical model: duration of surgical procedure, quality of life after one year, duration of intensive care unit stay, duration of hospital stay. Reference treatment: Resection of the pancreatic head with dissection of the pancreas from the portal vein and transsection of the gland (Beger procedure. Intervention: Partial Resection of the pancreatic head without transsection of the organ and visualization of the portal vein (Berne procedure. Duration: September 2003-October 2007. Organisation/responsibility The trial is conducted in compliance with the protocol and in accordance with the moral, ethical, regulatory and scientific principles governing clinical research as set out in the Declaration of Helsinki (1989 and the Good Clinical Practice guideline (GCP. The Center for Clinical Studies of the Department of Surgery Heidelberg is responsible for planning, conducting and final

Face recognition based on two-dimensional discriminant sparse preserving projection

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dawei; Zhu, Shanan

2018-04-01

In this paper, a supervised dimensionality reduction algorithm named two-dimensional discriminant sparse preserving projection (2DDSPP) is proposed for face recognition. In order to accurately model manifold structure of data, 2DDSPP constructs within-class affinity graph and between-class affinity graph by the constrained least squares (LS) and l1 norm minimization problem, respectively. Based on directly operating on image matrix, 2DDSPP integrates graph embedding (GE) with Fisher criterion. The obtained projection subspace preserves within-class neighborhood geometry structure of samples, while keeping away samples from different classes. The experimental results on the PIE and AR face databases show that 2DDSPP can achieve better recognition performance.

Evaluation of the impact of RNA preservation methods of spiders for de novo transcriptome assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Kono, Nobuaki; Nakamura, Hiroyuki; Ito, Yusuke; Tomita, Masaru; Arakawa, Kazuharu

2016-05-01

With advances in high-throughput sequencing technologies, de novo transcriptome sequencing and assembly has become a cost-effective method to obtain comprehensive genetic information of a species of interest, especially in nonmodel species with large genomes such as spiders. However, high-quality RNA is essential for successful sequencing, and sample preservation conditions require careful consideration for the effective storage of field-collected samples. To this end, we report a streamlined feasibility study of various storage conditions and their effects on de novo transcriptome assembly results. The storage parameters considered include temperatures ranging from room temperature to -80°C; preservatives, including ethanol, RNAlater, TRIzol and RNAlater-ICE; and sample submersion states. As a result, intact RNA was extracted and assembly was successful when samples were preserved at low temperatures regardless of the type of preservative used. The assemblies as well as the gene expression profiles were shown to be robust to RNA degradation, when 30 million 150-bp paired-end reads are obtained. The parameters for sample storage, RNA extraction, library preparation, sequencing and in silico assembly considered in this work provide a guideline for the study of field-collected samples of spiders. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Isolation and preservation of schistosome eggs and larvae in RNAlater® facilitates genetic profiling of individuals

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Webster Bonnie L

2009-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Although field-sampling procedures to capture gDNA from individual schistosome larval stages directly from their natural hosts exist, they do pose some technical and logistical challenges hampering certain epidemiological studies. The aim of this study was to develop, refine and evaluate an alternative methodology, which enables better preservation of large numbers of individual schistosome larval stages and eggs collected in low resource endemic areas, to provide PCR-quality DNA for multi-locus genetic analysis. The techniques reported here present simple and effective short-term field and long-term laboratory preservation and storage systems for individually sampled schistosome eggs and larval stages using a commercially available aqueous stabilisation reagent, RNAlater® eliminating the need for more cumbersome resources such as refrigerators, heaters and centrifuge equipment for immediate specimen processing. Adaptations to a general gDNA extraction method are described, that enables the acquisition of a gDNA extract (~50 μl, facilitating multiple molecular analyses of each sampled schistosome. The methodology provided PCR-quality mitochondrial and nuclear DNA from laboratory cercariae, miracidia and eggs that had been stored at up to 37°C for 2 weeks and at 4°C for 6 months and also from field collected samples. This present protocol provides significant epidemiological, ethical and practical advantages over existing sampling methods and has the potential to be transferred to studies on other organisms, especially where specimens are unable to be seen by the naked eye, are difficult to handle and need to be obtained from a field environment.

Nonactivation interaction techniques in the analysis of environmental samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tolgyessy, J.

1986-01-01

Nonactivation interaction analytical methods are based on the interaction processes of nuclear and X-ray radiation with a sample, leading to their absorption and backscattering, to the ionization of gases or excitation of fluorescent X-ray by radiation, but not to the activation of determined elements. From the point of view of environmental analysis, the most useful nonactivation interaction techniques are X-ray fluorescence by photon or charged particle excitation, ionization of gases by nuclear radiation, elastic scattering of charged particles and backscattering of beta radiation. The significant advantage of these methods is that they are nondestructive. (author)

Evaluation of the wood CCA preservative treatment process of Eucalyptus (Eucaliptus ssp) by X-ray fluorescence technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pereira Junior, Sergio Matias, E-mail: matias@ipt.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Tecnologicas (IPT), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Salvador, Vera Lucia Ribeiro; Sato, Ivone Mulako, E-mail: imsato@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energeticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2013-07-01

Brazil produces around 1,2 mi m{sup 3} of treated wood to meet the annual demand of railway, electric, rural and construction sectors. The treated woods used for poles, sleepers, fence posts and plywoods should be according to Brazilian norms requirements. The most used wood species are eucalyptus (Eucaliptus ssp)and pine (Pinus ssp). The most wood preservative products used in Brazil are CCA (Chromated Copper Arsenate) and CCB (Copper Chromium and Boron Salt). The analytical methods, such as Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS) and Plasma Inductively Coupled Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICPOES) have been used for the evaluation of those treatment processes. In this work, the sapwood sample was obtained from eucalyptus trees (Eucaliptus ssp) obtained from Minas Gerais State, Brazil, cut plantation areas. Sawdust sapwood sample was grounded and submitted to different additions of CCA solutions (0.2, 0.7, 1.3, 2.3, 3.6, 6.3, 11.7and17.9 kg m{sup -3}). Power and pressed pellets sapwood samples, analyzed by EDXRFS, showed a good linear relation (r{sup 2}>0.99) between the characteristic intensity fluorescent lines (CuΚα, CrΚαand AsΚΒ) and their concentration, also, showed adequate sensitivity (LQ < 5mgkg{sup -1}) for Cu, Cr and As determination in treated woods. Cu, Cr and As were determined in powdered sawdust samples by FAA spectrometry, using the AWPA A11-93 standard method; the relation between the CCA retention and their concentration showed a lower linear relation than EDXRFS; the FAAS spreading result could be attributed to laboratorial CCA addition process. (author)

Comparison of Techniques for Sampling Adult Necrophilous Insects From Pig Carcasses.

Science.gov (United States)

Cruise, Angela; Hatano, Eduardo; Watson, David W; Schal, Coby

2018-02-06

Studies of the pre-colonization interval and mechanisms driving necrophilous insect ecological succession depend on effective sampling of adult insects and knowledge of their diel and successional activity patterns. The number of insects trapped, their diversity, and diel periodicity were compared with four sampling methods on neonate pigs. Sampling method, time of day and decomposition age of the pigs significantly affected the number of insects sampled from pigs. We also found significant interactions of sampling method and decomposition day, time of sampling and decomposition day. No single method was superior to the other methods during all three decomposition days. Sampling times after noon yielded the largest samples during the first 2 d of decomposition. On day 3 of decomposition however, all sampling times were equally effective. Therefore, to maximize insect collections from neonate pigs, the method used to sample must vary by decomposition day. The suction trap collected the most species-rich samples, but sticky trap samples were the most diverse, when both species richness and evenness were factored into a Shannon diversity index. Repeated sampling during the noon to 18:00 hours period was most effective to obtain the maximum diversity of trapped insects. The integration of multiple sampling techniques would most effectively sample the necrophilous insect community. However, because all four tested methods were deficient at sampling beetle species, future work should focus on optimizing the most promising methods, alone or in combinations, and incorporate hand-collections of beetles. © The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

How preservation time changes the linear viscoelastic properties of porcine liver.

Science.gov (United States)

Wex, C; Stoll, A; Fröhlich, M; Arndt, S; Lippert, H

2013-01-01

The preservation time of a liver graft is one of the crucial factors for the success of a liver transplantation. Grafts are kept in a preservation solution to delay cell destruction and cellular edema and to maximize organ function after transplantation. However, longer preservation times are not always avoidable. In this paper we focus on the mechanical changes of porcine liver with increasing preservation time, in order to establish an indicator for the quality of a liver graft dependent on preservation time. A time interval of 26 h was covered and the rheological properties of liver tissue studied using a stress-controlled rheometer. For samples of 1 h preservation time 0.8% strain was found as the limit of linear viscoelasticity. With increasing preservation time a decrease in the complex shear modulus as an indicator for stiffness was observed for the frequency range from 0.1 to 10 Hz. A simple fractional derivative representation of the Kelvin Voigt model was applied to gain further information about the changes of the mechanical properties of liver with increasing preservation time. Within the small shear rate interval of 0.0001-0.01 s⁻¹ the liver showed Newtonian-like flow behavior.

Multi-element analysis of lubricant oil by WDXRF technique using thin-film sample preparation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scapin, M. A.; Salvador, V. L. R.; Lopes, C. D.; Sato, I. M.

2006-01-01

The quantitative analysis of the chemical elements in matrices like oils or gels represents a challenge for the analytical chemists. The classics methods or instrumental techniques such as atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) and plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) need chemical treatments, mainly sample dissolution and degradation processes. X-ray fluorescence technique allows a direct and multi-element analysis without previous sample treatments. In this work, a sensible method for the determination of elements Mg, Al, Si, P, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mo, Ag, Sn, Ba and Pb in lubricating oil is presented. The x-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) technique using linear regression method and thin film sample preparation was used. The validation of the methodology (repeatability and accuracy) was obtained by the analysis of the standard reference materials SRM Alpha AESAR lot 703527D, applying the Chauvenet, Cochrane, ANOVA and Z-score statistical tests. The method presents a relative standard deviation lower than 10% for all the elements, except for Pb determination (RSD Pb 15%). The Z-score values for all the elements were in the range -2 < Z < 2, indicating a very good accuracy.(Full text)

Human mixed lymphocyte cultures. Evaluation of microculture technique utilizing the multiple automated sample harvester (MASH)

Science.gov (United States)

Thurman, G. B.; Strong, D. M.; Ahmed, A.; Green, S. S.; Sell, K. W.; Hartzman, R. J.; Bach, F. H.

1973-01-01

Use of lymphocyte cultures for in vitro studies such as pretransplant histocompatibility testing has established the need for standardization of this technique. A microculture technique has been developed that has facilitated the culturing of lymphocytes and increased the quantity of cultures feasible, while lowering the variation between replicate samples. Cultures were prepared for determination of tritiated thymidine incorporation using a Multiple Automated Sample Harvester (MASH). Using this system, the parameters that influence the in vitro responsiveness of human lymphocytes to allogeneic lymphocytes have been investigated. PMID:4271568

Impact of urine preservation methods and duration of storage on measured levels of environmental contaminants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoppin, Jane A; Ulmer, Ross; Calafat, Antonia M; Barr, Dana B; Baker, Susan V; Meltzer, Helle M; Rønningen, Kjersti S

2006-01-01

Collection of urine samples in human studies involves choices regarding shipping, sample preservation, and storage that may ultimately influence future analysis. As more studies collect and archive urine samples to evaluate environmental exposures in the future, we were interested in assessing the impact of urine preservative, storage temperature, and time since collection on nonpersistent contaminants in urine samples. In spiked urine samples stored in three types of urine vacutainers (no preservative, boric acid, and chlorhexidine), we measured five groups of contaminants to assess the levels of these analytes at five time points (0, 24, 48, and 72 h, and 1 week) and at two temperatures (room temperature and 4 degrees C). The target chemicals were bisphenol A (BPA), metabolites of organophosphate (OP), carbamate, and pyrethroid insecticides, chlorinated phenols, and phthalate monoesters, and were measured using five different mass spectrometry-based methods. Three samples were analyzed at each time point, with the exception of BPA. Repeated measures analysis of variance was used to evaluate effects of storage time, temperature, and preservative. Stability was summarized with percent change in mean concentration from time 0. In general, most analytes were stable under all conditions with changes in mean concentration over time, temperature, and preservative being generally less than 20%, with the exception of the OP metabolites in the presence of boric acid. The effect of storage temperature was less important than time since collection. The precision of the laboratory measurements was high allowing us to observe small differences, which may not be important when categorizing individuals into broader exposure groups.

[Influence of Natural Dissolved Organic Matter on the Passive Sampling Technique and its Application].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Shang-yun; Zhou, Yan-mei

2015-08-01

This paper studied the effects of different concentrations of natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) on the passive sampling technique. The results showed that the presence of DOM affected the organic pollutant adsorption ability of the membrane. For lgK(OW), 3-5, DOM had less impact on the adsorption of organic matter by the membrane; for lgK(OW), > 5.5, DOM significantly increased the adsorption capacity of the membrane. Meanwhile, LDPE passive sampling technique was applied to monitor PAHs and PAEs in pore water of three surface sediments in Taizi River. All of the target pollutants were detected in varying degrees at each sampling point. Finally, the quotient method was used to assess the ecological risks of PAHs and PAEs. The results showed that fluoranthene exceeded the reference value of the aquatic ecosystem, meaning there was a big ecological risk.

The extracisternal approach in vestibular schwannoma surgery and facial nerve preservation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo A. S. Vellutini

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The classical surgical technique for the resection of vestibular schwannomas (VS has emphasized the microsurgical anatomy of cranial nerves. We believe that the focus on preservation of the arachnoid membrane may serve as a safe guide for tumor removal. Method The extracisternal approach is described in detail. We reviewed charts from 120 patients treated with this technique between 2006 and 2012. Surgical results were evaluated based on the extension of resection, tumor relapse, and facial nerve function. Results Overall gross total resection was achieved in 81% of the patients. The overall postoperative facial nerve function House-Brackmann grades I-II at one year was 93%. There was no recurrence in 4.2 years mean follow up. Conclusion The extracisternal technique differs from other surgical descriptions on the treatment of VS by not requiring the identification of the facial nerve, as long as we preserve the arachnoid envelope in the total circumference of the tumor.

The Use of Chlorhexidine/n-Propyl Gallate (CPG) as an Ambient-Temperature Urine Preservative

Science.gov (United States)

Nillen, Jeannie L.; Smith, Scott M.

2003-01-01

A safe, effective ambient temperature urine preservative, chlorhexidine/n-propyl gallate (CPG), has been formulated for use during spacefli ght that reduces the effects of oxidation and bacterial contamination on sample integrity while maintaining urine pH. The ability of this preservative to maintain stability of nine key analytes was evaluated for a period of one year. CPG effectively maintained stability of a mmonia, total nitrogen, 3-methylhistidine, chloride, sodium, potassiu m, and urea; however, creatinine and osmolality were not preserved by CPG. These data indicate that CPG offers prolonged room-temperature storage for multiple urine analytes, reducing the requirements for f rozen urine storage on future spaceflights. Iii medical applications on Earth, this technology can allow urine samples to be collected in remote settings and eliminate the need to ship frozen samples.

Preservation of photographic and cinematographic films by gamma radiation: Preliminary analyses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagai, Maria Luiza E.; Santos, Paulo S.; Otubo, Larissa; Oliveira, Maria José A.; Vasquez, Pablo A.S., E-mail: malunagai@usp.br, E-mail: pavsalva@ipen.br [Instituto de Pesquisas Energéticas e Nucleares (IPEN/CNEN-SP), São Paulo, SP (Brazil)

2017-07-01

Brazilian weather conditions affect directly tangible materials causing deterioration notably getting worse by insects and fungi attack. In this sense, gamma radiation provided from the cobalt-60 is an excellent alternative tool to the traditional preservation process mainly because it has biocidal action. Radiation processing using gamma radiation for cultural heritage materials for disinfection has been widely used around the world in the last decades. Many cultural heritage objects especially made on paper and wood were studied in scientific publications aiming mechanical, physical and chemical properties changes. Over the last fifteen years, the Multipurpose Gamma Irradiation Facility of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute located inside the Sao Paulo University campus has been irradiated many collections of archived materials, books, paintings and furniture. Adequate storage of photographic and cinematographic materials is a challenge for conservators from preservation institutions. Contamination by fungi is one of leading causes of problem in photographic and cinematographic collections. Several Sao Paulo University libraries have been affected by fungi in their photographic and cinematographic collections making it impossible to research on these materials either manipulate them for health and safety reasons. In this work are presented preliminary results of effects of the ionizing radiation in photographic and cinematographic films. Selected film samples made on cellulose acetate were prepared and characterized by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. Samples were irradiated by gamma rays with absorbed dose between 2 kGy and 50 kGy. Irradiated samples were analyzed by UV-VIS spectroscopy and electron microscopy techniques. Results shown that disinfection by gamma radiation can be achieved safely applying the disinfection dose between 6 kGy to 15 kGy with no significant change or modification of main properties of the constitutive materials. (author)

Preservation of photographic and cinematographic films by gamma radiation: Preliminary analyses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagai, Maria Luiza E.; Santos, Paulo S.; Otubo, Larissa; Oliveira, Maria José A.; Vasquez, Pablo A.S.

2017-01-01

Brazilian weather conditions affect directly tangible materials causing deterioration notably getting worse by insects and fungi attack. In this sense, gamma radiation provided from the cobalt-60 is an excellent alternative tool to the traditional preservation process mainly because it has biocidal action. Radiation processing using gamma radiation for cultural heritage materials for disinfection has been widely used around the world in the last decades. Many cultural heritage objects especially made on paper and wood were studied in scientific publications aiming mechanical, physical and chemical properties changes. Over the last fifteen years, the Multipurpose Gamma Irradiation Facility of the Nuclear and Energy Research Institute located inside the Sao Paulo University campus has been irradiated many collections of archived materials, books, paintings and furniture. Adequate storage of photographic and cinematographic materials is a challenge for conservators from preservation institutions. Contamination by fungi is one of leading causes of problem in photographic and cinematographic collections. Several Sao Paulo University libraries have been affected by fungi in their photographic and cinematographic collections making it impossible to research on these materials either manipulate them for health and safety reasons. In this work are presented preliminary results of effects of the ionizing radiation in photographic and cinematographic films. Selected film samples made on cellulose acetate were prepared and characterized by FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. Samples were irradiated by gamma rays with absorbed dose between 2 kGy and 50 kGy. Irradiated samples were analyzed by UV-VIS spectroscopy and electron microscopy techniques. Results shown that disinfection by gamma radiation can be achieved safely applying the disinfection dose between 6 kGy to 15 kGy with no significant change or modification of main properties of the constitutive materials. (author)

Genotyping for DQA1 and PM loci in urine using PCR-based amplification: effects of sample volume, storage temperature, preservatives, and aging on DNA extraction and typing.

Science.gov (United States)

Vu, N T; Chaturvedi, A K; Canfield, D V

1999-05-31

Urine is often the sample of choice for drug screening in aviation/general forensic toxicology and in workplace drug testing. In some instances, the origin of the submitted samples may be challenged because of the medicolegal and socioeconomic consequences of a positive drug test. Methods for individualization of biological samples have reached a new boundary with the application of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in DNA profiling, but a successful characterization of the urine specimens depends on the quantity and quality of DNA present in the samples. Therefore, the present study investigated the influence of storage conditions, sample volume, concentration modes, extraction procedures, and chemical preservations on the quantity of DNA recovered, as well as the success rate of PCR-based genotyping for DQA1 and PM loci in urine. Urine specimens from male and female volunteers were divided and stored at various temperatures for up to 30 days. The results suggested that sample purification by dialfiltration, using 3000-100,000 molecular weight cut-off filters, did not enhance DNA recovery and typing rate as compared with simple centrifugation procedures. Extraction of urinary DNA by the organic method and by the resin method gave comparable typing results. Larger sample volume yielded a higher amount of DNA, but the typing rates were not affected for sample volumes between 1 and 5 ml. The quantifiable amounts of DNA present were found to be greater in female (14-200 ng/ml) than in male (4-60 ng/ml) samples and decreased with the elapsed time under both room temperature (RT) and frozen storage. Typing of the male samples also demonstrated that RT storage samples produced significantly higher success rates than that of frozen samples, while there was only marginal difference in the DNA typing rates among the conditions tested using female samples. Successful assignment of DQA1 + PM genotype was achieved for all samples of fresh urine, independent of gender