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Sample records for sampling protocol techniques

  1. Samples and Sampling Protocols for Scientific Investigations | Joel ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    ... from sampling, through sample preparation, calibration to final measurement and reporting. This paper, therefore offers useful information on practical guidance on sampling protocols in line with best practice and international standards. Keywords: Sampling, sampling protocols, chain of custody, analysis, documentation ...

  2. Agricultural Soil Spectral Response and Properties Assessment: Effects of Measurement Protocol and Data Mining Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Asa Gholizadeh

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Soil spectroscopy has shown to be a fast, cost-effective, environmentally friendly, non-destructive, reproducible and repeatable analytical technique. Soil components, as well as types of instruments, protocols, sampling methods, sample preparation, spectral acquisition techniques and analytical algorithms have a combined influence on the final performance. Therefore, it is important to characterize these differences and to introduce an effective approach in order to minimize the technical factors that alter reflectance spectra and consequent prediction. To quantify this alteration, a joint project between Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CULS and Tel-Aviv University (TAU was conducted to estimate Cox, pH-H2O, pH-KCl and selected forms of Fe and Mn. Two different soil spectral measurement protocols and two data mining techniques were used to examine seventy-eight soil samples from five agricultural areas in different parts of the Czech Republic. Spectral measurements at both laboratories were made using different ASD spectroradiometers. The CULS protocol was based on employing a contact probe (CP spectral measurement scheme, while the TAU protocol was carried out using a CP measurement method, accompanied with the internal soil standard (ISS procedure. Two spectral datasets, acquired from different protocols, were both analyzed using partial least square regression (PLSR technique as well as the PARACUDA II®, a new data mining engine for optimizing PLSR models. The results showed that spectra based on the CULS setup (non-ISS demonstrated significantly higher albedo intensity and reflectance values relative to the TAU setup with ISS. However, the majority of statistics using the TAU protocol was not noticeably better than the CULS spectra. The paper also highlighted that under both measurement protocols, the PARACUDA II® engine proved to be a powerful tool for providing better results than PLSR. Such initiative is not only a way to

  3. Sample preparation techniques for (p, X) spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitehead, N.E.

    1985-01-01

    Samples are ashed at low temperature, using oxygen plasma; a rotary evaporator, and freeze drying speeded up the ashing. The new design of apparatus manufactured was only 10 watt but was as efficient as a 200 watt commercial machine; a circuit diagram is included. Samples of hair and biopsy samples of skin were analysed by the technique. A wool standard was prepared for interlaboratory comparison exercises. It was based on New Zealand merino sheep wool and was 2.9 kg in weight. A washing protocol was developed, which preserves most of the trace element content. The wool was ground in liquid nitrogen using a plastic pestle and beaker, driven by a rotary drill press. (author)

  4. Advanced Curation Protocols for Mars Returned Sample Handling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bell, M.; Mickelson, E.; Lindstrom, D.; Allton, J.

    Introduction: Johnson Space Center has over 30 years experience handling precious samples which include Lunar rocks and Antarctic meteorites. However, we recognize that future curation of samples from such missions as Genesis, Stardust, and Mars S mple Return, will require a high degree of biosafety combined witha extremely low levels of inorganic, organic, and biological contamination. To satisfy these requirements, research in the JSC Advanced Curation Lab is currently focused toward two major areas: preliminary examination techniques and cleaning and verification techniques . Preliminary Examination Techniques : In order to minimize the number of paths for contamination we are exploring the synergy between human &robotic sample handling in a controlled environment to help determine the limits of clean curation. Within the Advanced Curation Laboratory is a prototype, next-generation glovebox, which contains a robotic micromanipulator. The remotely operated manipulator has six degrees-of- freedom and can be programmed to perform repetitive sample handling tasks. Protocols are being tested and developed to perform curation tasks such as rock splitting, weighing, imaging, and storing. Techniques for sample transfer enabling more detailed remote examination without compromising the integrity of sample science are also being developed . The glovebox is equipped with a rapid transfer port through which samples can be passed without exposure. The transfer is accomplished by using a unique seal and engagement system which allows passage between containers while maintaining a first seal to the outside environment and a second seal to prevent the outside of the container cover and port door from becoming contaminated by the material being transferred. Cleaning and Verification Techniques: As part of the contamination control effort, innovative cleaning techniques are being identified and evaluated in conjunction with sensitive cleanliness verification methods. Towards this

  5. Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kovač Viršek, Manca; Palatinus, Andreja; Koren, Špela; Peterlin, Monika; Horvat, Petra; Kržan, Andrej

    2016-01-01

    Microplastic pollution in the marine environment is a scientific topic that has received increasing attention over the last decade. The majority of scientific publications address microplastic pollution of the sea surface. The protocol below describes the methodology for sampling, sample preparation, separation and chemical identification of microplastic particles. A manta net fixed on an »A frame« attached to the side of the vessel was used for sampling. Microplastic particles caught in the cod end of the net were separated from samples by visual identification and use of stereomicroscopes. Particles were analyzed for their size using an image analysis program and for their chemical structure using ATR-FTIR and micro FTIR spectroscopy. The described protocol is in line with recommendations for microplastics monitoring published by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) Technical Subgroup on Marine Litter. This written protocol with video guide will support the work of researchers that deal with microplastics monitoring all over the world. PMID:28060297

  6. Affinity biosensors: techniques and protocols

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Rogers, Kim R; Mulchandani, Ashok

    1998-01-01

    ..., and government to begin or expand their biosensors research. This volume, Methods in Biotechnology vol. 7: Affinity Biosensors: Techniques and Protocols, describes a variety of classical and emerging transduction technologies that have been interfaced to bioaffinity elements (e.g., antibodies and receptors). Some of the reas...

  7. Refinement of NMR structures using implicit solvent and advanced sampling techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Jianhan; Im, Wonpil; Brooks, Charles L

    2004-12-15

    NMR biomolecular structure calculations exploit simulated annealing methods for conformational sampling and require a relatively high level of redundancy in the experimental restraints to determine quality three-dimensional structures. Recent advances in generalized Born (GB) implicit solvent models should make it possible to combine information from both experimental measurements and accurate empirical force fields to improve the quality of NMR-derived structures. In this paper, we study the influence of implicit solvent on the refinement of protein NMR structures and identify an optimal protocol of utilizing these improved force fields. To do so, we carry out structure refinement experiments for model proteins with published NMR structures using full NMR restraints and subsets of them. We also investigate the application of advanced sampling techniques to NMR structure refinement. Similar to the observations of Xia et al. (J.Biomol. NMR 2002, 22, 317-331), we find that the impact of implicit solvent is rather small when there is a sufficient number of experimental restraints (such as in the final stage of NMR structure determination), whether implicit solvent is used throughout the calculation or only in the final refinement step. The application of advanced sampling techniques also seems to have minimal impact in this case. However, when the experimental data are limited, we demonstrate that refinement with implicit solvent can substantially improve the quality of the structures. In particular, when combined with an advanced sampling technique, the replica exchange (REX) method, near-native structures can be rapidly moved toward the native basin. The REX method provides both enhanced sampling and automatic selection of the most native-like (lowest energy) structures. An optimal protocol based on our studies first generates an ensemble of initial structures that maximally satisfy the available experimental data with conventional NMR software using a simplified

  8. Development of bull trout sampling protocols

    Science.gov (United States)

    R. F. Thurow; J. T. Peterson; J. W. Guzevich

    2001-01-01

    This report describes results of research conducted in Washington in 2000 through Interagency Agreement #134100H002 between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS). The purpose of this agreement is to develop a bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus) sampling protocol by integrating...

  9. 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

  10. 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.

  11. Evaluation of storage and filtration protocols for alpine/subalpine lake water quality samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    John L. Korfmacher; Robert C. Musselman

    2007-01-01

    Many government agencies and other organizations sample natural alpine and subalpine surface waters using varying protocols for sample storage and filtration. Simplification of protocols would be beneficial if it could be shown that sample quality is unaffected. In this study, samples collected from low ionic strength waters in alpine and subalpine lake inlets...

  12. Automata Techniques for Epistemic Protocol Synthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guillaume Aucher

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available In this work we aim at applying automata techniques to problems studied in Dynamic Epistemic Logic, such as epistemic planning. To do so, we first remark that repeatedly executing ad infinitum a propositional event model from an initial epistemic model yields a relational structure that can be finitely represented with automata. This correspondence, together with recent results on uniform strategies, allows us to give an alternative decidability proof of the epistemic planning problem for propositional events, with as by-products accurate upper-bounds on its time complexity, and the possibility to synthesize a finite word automaton that describes the set of all solution plans. In fact, using automata techniques enables us to solve a much more general problem, that we introduce and call epistemic protocol synthesis.

  13. Energy neutral protocol based on hierarchical routing techniques for energy harvesting wireless sensor network

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muhammad, Umar B.; Ezugwu, Absalom E.; Ofem, Paulinus O.; Rajamäki, Jyri; Aderemi, Adewumi O.

    2017-06-01

    Recently, researchers in the field of wireless sensor networks have resorted to energy harvesting techniques that allows energy to be harvested from the ambient environment to power sensor nodes. Using such Energy harvesting techniques together with proper routing protocols, an Energy Neutral state can be achieved so that sensor nodes can run perpetually. In this paper, we propose an Energy Neutral LEACH routing protocol which is an extension to the traditional LEACH protocol. The goal of the proposed protocol is to use Gateway node in each cluster so as to reduce the data transmission ranges of cluster head nodes. Simulation results show that the proposed routing protocol achieves a higher throughput and ensure the energy neutral status of the entire network.

  14. A multigear protocol for sampling crayfish assemblages in Gulf of Mexico coastal streams

    Science.gov (United States)

    William R. Budnick; William E. Kelso; Susan B. Adams; Michael D. Kaller

    2018-01-01

    Identifying an effective protocol for sampling crayfish in streams that vary in habitat and physical/chemical characteristics has proven problematic. We evaluated an active, combined-gear (backpack electrofishing and dipnetting) sampling protocol in 20 Coastal Plain streams in Louisiana. Using generalized linear models and rarefaction curves, we evaluated environmental...

  15. 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...

  16. Energy Reduction Multipath Routing Protocol for MANET Using Recoil Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rakesh Kumar Sahu

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available In Mobile Ad-hoc networks (MANET, power conservation and utilization is an acute problem and has received significant attention from academics and industry in recent years. Nodes in MANET function on battery power, which is a rare and limited energy resource. Hence, its conservation and utilization should be done judiciously for the effective functioning of the network. In this paper, a novel protocol namely Energy Reduction Multipath Routing Protocol for MANET using Recoil Technique (AOMDV-ER is proposed, which conserves the energy along with optimal network lifetime, routing overhead, packet delivery ratio and throughput. It performs better than any other AODV based algorithms, as in AOMDV-ER the nodes transmit packets to their destination smartly by using a varying recoil off time technique based on their geographical location. This concept reduces the number of transmissions, which results in the improvement of network lifetime. In addition, the local level route maintenance reduces the additional routing overhead. Lastly, the prediction based link lifetime of each node is estimated which helps in reducing the packet loss in the network. This protocol has three subparts: an optimal route discovery algorithm amalgamation with the residual energy and distance mechanism; a coordinated recoiled nodes algorithm which eliminates the number of transmissions in order to reduces the data redundancy, traffic redundant, routing overhead, end to end delay and enhance the network lifetime; and a last link reckoning and route maintenance algorithm to improve the packet delivery ratio and link stability in the network. The experimental results show that the AOMDV-ER protocol save at least 16% energy consumption, 12% reduction in routing overhead, significant achievement in network lifetime and packet delivery ratio than Ad hoc on demand multipath distance vector routing protocol (AOMDV, Ad hoc on demand multipath distance vector routing protocol life

  17. The perils of straying from protocol: sampling bias and interviewer effects.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carrie J Ngongo

    Full Text Available Fidelity to research protocol is critical. In a contingent valuation study in an informal urban settlement in Nairobi, Kenya, participants responded differently to the three trained interviewers. Interviewer effects were present during the survey pilot, then magnified at the start of the main survey after a seemingly slight adaptation of the survey sampling protocol allowed interviewers to speak with the "closest neighbor" in the event that no one was home at a selected household. This slight degree of interviewer choice led to inferred sampling bias. Multinomial logistic regression and post-estimation tests revealed that the three interviewers' samples differed significantly from one another according to six demographic characteristics. The two female interviewers were 2.8 and 7.7 times less likely to talk with respondents of low socio-economic status than the male interviewer. Systematic error renders it impossible to determine which of the survey responses might be "correct." This experience demonstrates why researchers must take care to strictly follow sampling protocols, consistently train interviewers, and monitor responses by interview to ensure similarity between interviewers' groups and produce unbiased estimates of the parameters of interest.

  18. 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.

  19. 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.

  20. Lead Sampling Protocols: Why So Many and What Do They Tell You?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sampling protocols can be broadly categorized based on their intended purpose of 1) Pb regulatory compliance/corrosion control efficacy, 2) Pb plumbing source determination or Pb type identification, and 3) Pb exposure assessment. Choosing the appropriate protocol is crucial to p...

  1. The Gas Sampling Interval Effect on V˙O2peak Is Independent of Exercise Protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scheadler, Cory M; Garver, Matthew J; Hanson, Nicholas J

    2017-09-01

    There is a plethora of gas sampling intervals available during cardiopulmonary exercise testing to measure peak oxygen consumption (V˙O2peak). Different intervals can lead to altered V˙O2peak. Whether differences are affected by the exercise protocol or subject sample is not clear. The purpose of this investigation was to determine whether V˙O2peak differed because of the manipulation of sampling intervals and whether differences were independent of the protocol and subject sample. The first subject sample (24 ± 3 yr; V˙O2peak via 15-breath moving averages: 56.2 ± 6.8 mL·kg·min) completed the Bruce and the self-paced V˙O2max protocols. The second subject sample (21.9 ± 2.7 yr; V˙O2peak via 15-breath moving averages: 54.2 ± 8.0 mL·kg·min) completed the Bruce and the modified Astrand protocols. V˙O2peak was identified using five sampling intervals: 15-s block averages, 30-s block averages, 15-breath block averages, 15-breath moving averages, and 30-s block averages aligned to the end of exercise. Differences in V˙O2peak between intervals were determined using repeated-measures ANOVAs. The influence of subject sample on the sampling effect was determined using independent t-tests. There was a significant main effect of sampling interval on V˙O2peak (first sample Bruce and self-paced V˙O2max P sample Bruce and modified Astrand P sampling intervals followed a similar pattern for each protocol and subject sample, with 15-breath moving average presenting the highest V˙O2peak. The effect of manipulating gas sampling intervals on V˙O2peak appears to be protocol and sample independent. These findings highlight our recommendation that the clinical and scientific community request and report the sampling interval whenever metabolic data are presented. The standardization of reporting would assist in the comparison of V˙O2peak.

  2. A modified FASP protocol for high-throughput preparation of protein samples for mass spectrometry.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jeremy Potriquet

    Full Text Available To facilitate high-throughput proteomic analyses we have developed a modified FASP protocol which improves the rate at which protein samples can be processed prior to mass spectrometry. Adapting the original FASP protocol to a 96-well format necessitates extended spin times for buffer exchange due to the low centrifugation speeds tolerated by these devices. However, by using 96-well plates with a more robust polyethersulfone molecular weight cutoff membrane, instead of the cellulose membranes typically used in these devices, we could use isopropanol as a wetting agent, decreasing spin times required for buffer exchange from an hour to 30 minutes. In a typical work flow used in our laboratory this equates to a reduction of 3 hours per plate, providing processing times similar to FASP for the processing of up to 96 samples per plate. To test whether our modified protocol produced similar results to FASP and other FASP-like protocols we compared the performance of our modified protocol to the original FASP and the more recently described eFASP and MStern-blot. We show that all FASP-like methods, including our modified protocol, display similar performance in terms of proteins identified and reproducibility. Our results show that our modified FASP protocol is an efficient method for the high-throughput processing of protein samples for mass spectral analysis.

  3. 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

  4. A Robust PCR Protocol for HIV Drug Resistance Testing on Low-Level Viremia Samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shivani Gupta

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The prevalence of drug resistance (DR mutations in people with HIV-1 infection, particularly those with low-level viremia (LLV, supports the need to improve the sensitivity of amplification methods for HIV DR genotyping in order to optimize antiretroviral regimen and facilitate HIV-1 DR surveillance and relevant research. Here we report on a fully validated PCR-based protocol that achieves consistent amplification of the protease (PR and reverse transcriptase (RT regions of HIV-1 pol gene across many HIV-1 subtypes from LLV plasma samples. HIV-spiked plasma samples from the External Quality Assurance Program Oversight Laboratory (EQAPOL, covering various HIV-1 subtypes, as well as clinical specimens were used to optimize and validate the protocol. Our results demonstrate that this protocol has a broad HIV-1 subtype coverage and viral load span with high sensitivity and reproducibility. Moreover, the protocol is robust even when plasma sample volumes are limited, the HIV viral load is unknown, and/or the HIV subtype is undetermined. Thus, the protocol is applicable for the initial amplification of the HIV-1 PR and RT genes required for subsequent genotypic DR assays.

  5. A simplified field protocol for genetic sampling of birds using buccal swabs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vilstrup, Julia T.; Mullins, Thomas D.; Miller, Mark P.; McDearman, Will; Walters, Jeffrey R.; Haig, Susan M.

    2018-01-01

    DNA sampling is an essential prerequisite for conducting population genetic studies. For many years, blood sampling has been the preferred method for obtaining DNA in birds because of their nucleated red blood cells. Nonetheless, use of buccal swabs has been gaining favor because they are less invasive yet still yield adequate amounts of DNA for amplifying mitochondrial and nuclear markers; however, buccal swab protocols often include steps (e.g., extended air-drying and storage under frozen conditions) not easily adapted to field settings. Furthermore, commercial extraction kits and swabs for buccal sampling can be expensive for large population studies. We therefore developed an efficient, cost-effective, and field-friendly protocol for sampling wild birds after comparing DNA yield among 3 inexpensive buccal swab types (2 with foam tips and 1 with a cotton tip). Extraction and amplification success was high (100% and 97.2% respectively) using inexpensive generic swabs. We found foam-tipped swabs provided higher DNA yields than cotton-tipped swabs. We further determined that omitting a drying step and storing swabs in Longmire buffer increased efficiency in the field while still yielding sufficient amounts of DNA for detailed population genetic studies using mitochondrial and nuclear markers. This new field protocol allows time- and cost-effective DNA sampling of juveniles or small-bodied birds for which drawing blood may cause excessive stress to birds and technicians alike.

  6. Discrepancies in sample size calculations and data analyses reported in randomised trials: comparison of publications with protocols

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Chan, A.W.; Hrobjartsson, A.; Jorgensen, K.J.

    2008-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how often sample size calculations and methods of statistical analysis are pre-specified or changed in randomised trials. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. Data source Protocols and journal publications of published randomised parallel group trials initially approved...... in 1994-5 by the scientific-ethics committees for Copenhagen and Frederiksberg, Denmark (n=70). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Proportion of protocols and publications that did not provide key information about sample size calculations and statistical methods; proportion of trials with discrepancies between...... of handling missing data was described in 16 protocols and 49 publications. 39/49 protocols and 42/43 publications reported the statistical test used to analyse primary outcome measures. Unacknowledged discrepancies between protocols and publications were found for sample size calculations (18/34 trials...

  7. 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.

  8. The Network Protocol Analysis Technique in Snort

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Qing-Xiu

    Network protocol analysis is a network sniffer to capture data for further analysis and understanding of the technical means necessary packets. Network sniffing is intercepted by packet assembly binary format of the original message content. In order to obtain the information contained. Required based on TCP / IP protocol stack protocol specification. Again to restore the data packets at protocol format and content in each protocol layer. Actual data transferred, as well as the application tier.

  9. Pilot studies for the North American Soil Geochemical Landscapes Project - Site selection, sampling protocols, analytical methods, and quality control protocols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, D.B.; Woodruff, L.G.; O'Leary, R. M.; Cannon, W.F.; Garrett, R.G.; Kilburn, J.E.; Goldhaber, M.B.

    2009-01-01

    In 2004, the US Geological Survey (USGS) and the Geological Survey of Canada sampled and chemically analyzed soils along two transects across Canada and the USA in preparation for a planned soil geochemical survey of North America. This effort was a pilot study to test and refine sampling protocols, analytical methods, quality control protocols, and field logistics for the continental survey. A total of 220 sample sites were selected at approximately 40-km intervals along the two transects. The ideal sampling protocol at each site called for a sample from a depth of 0-5 cm and a composite of each of the O, A, and C horizons. The Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Na, S, Ti, Ag, As, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Ce, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Ga, In, La, Li, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, P, Pb, Rb, Sb, Sc, Sn, Sr, Te, Th, Tl, U, V, W, Y, and Zn by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry following a near-total digestion in a mixture of HCl, HNO3, HClO4, and HF. Separate methods were used for Hg, Se, total C, and carbonate-C on this same size fraction. Only Ag, In, and Te had a large percentage of concentrations below the detection limit. Quality control (QC) of the analyses was monitored at three levels: the laboratory performing the analysis, the USGS QC officer, and the principal investigator for the study. This level of review resulted in an average of one QC sample for every 20 field samples, which proved to be minimally adequate for such a large-scale survey. Additional QC samples should be added to monitor within-batch quality to the extent that no more than 10 samples are analyzed between a QC sample. Only Cr (77%), Y (82%), and Sb (80%) fell outside the acceptable limits of accuracy (% recovery between 85 and 115%) because of likely residence in mineral phases resistant to the acid digestion. A separate sample of 0-5-cm material was collected at each site for determination of organic compounds. A subset of 73 of these samples was analyzed for a suite of

  10. Robowell: An automated process for monitoring ground water quality using established sampling protocols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Granato, G.E.; Smith, K.P.

    1999-01-01

    Robowell is an automated process for monitoring selected ground water quality properties and constituents by pumping a well or multilevel sampler. Robowell was developed and tested to provide a cost-effective monitoring system that meets protocols expected for manual sampling. The process uses commercially available electronics, instrumentation, and hardware, so it can be configured to monitor ground water quality using the equipment, purge protocol, and monitoring well design most appropriate for the monitoring site and the contaminants of interest. A Robowell prototype was installed on a sewage treatment plant infiltration bed that overlies a well-studied unconfined sand and gravel aquifer at the Massachusetts Military Reservation, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, during a time when two distinct plumes of constituents were released. The prototype was operated from May 10 to November 13, 1996, and quality-assurance/quality-control measurements demonstrated that the data obtained by the automated method was equivalent to data obtained by manual sampling methods using the same sampling protocols. Water level, specific conductance, pH, water temperature, dissolved oxygen, and dissolved ammonium were monitored by the prototype as the wells were purged according to U.S Geological Survey (USGS) ground water sampling protocols. Remote access to the data record, via phone modem communications, indicated the arrival of each plume over a few days and the subsequent geochemical reactions over the following weeks. Real-time availability of the monitoring record provided the information needed to initiate manual sampling efforts in response to changes in measured ground water quality, which proved the method and characterized the screened portion of the plume in detail through time. The methods and the case study described are presented to document the process for future use.

  11. 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.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-01-01

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

  13. Reducing the sampling periods required in protocols for establishing ammonia emissions from pig fattening buildings using measurements and modelling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mosquera Losada, J.; Ogink, N.W.M.

    2011-01-01

    Ammonia (NH(3)) emission factors for animal housing systems in the Netherlands are based on measurements using standardised measurement protocols. Both the original Green Label (GL) protocol and the newly developed multi-site sampling protocol are based on year-round sampling periods. The objective

  14. A rapid and efficient DNA extraction protocol from fresh and frozen human blood samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guha, Pokhraj; Das, Avishek; Dutta, Somit; Chaudhuri, Tapas Kumar

    2018-01-01

    Different methods available for extraction of human genomic DNA suffer from one or more drawbacks including low yield, compromised quality, cost, time consumption, use of toxic organic solvents, and many more. Herein, we aimed to develop a method to extract DNA from 500 μL of fresh or frozen human blood. Five hundred microliters of fresh and frozen human blood samples were used for standardization of the extraction procedure. Absorbance at 260 and 280 nm, respectively, (A 260 /A 280 ) were estimated to check the quality and quantity of the extracted DNA sample. Qualitative assessment of the extracted DNA was checked by Polymerase Chain reaction and double digestion of the DNA sample. Our protocol resulted in average yield of 22±2.97 μg and 20.5±3.97 μg from 500 μL of fresh and frozen blood, respectively, which were comparable to many reference protocols and kits. Besides yielding bulk amount of DNA, our protocol is rapid, economical, and avoids toxic organic solvents such as Phenol. Due to unaffected quality, the DNA is suitable for downstream applications. The protocol may also be useful for pursuing basic molecular researches in laboratories having limited funds. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Development of a protocol for sampling and analysis of ballast water in Jamaica

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Achsah A Mitchell

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available The transfer of ballast by the international shipping industry has negatively impacted the environment. To design such a protocol for the area, the ballast water tanks of seven bulk cargo vessels entering a Jamaican port were sampled between January 28, 2010 and August 17, 2010. Vessels originated from five ports and used three main routes, some of which conducted ballast water exchange. Twenty-six preserved and 22 live replicate zooplankton samples were obtained. Abundance and richness were higher than at temperate ports. Exchange did not alter the biotic composition but reduced the abundance. Two of the live sample replicates, containing 31.67 and 16.75 viable individuals m-3, were non-compliant with the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments. Approximately 12% of the species identified in the ballast water were present in the waters nearest the port in 1995 and 11% were present in the entire bay in 2005. The protocol designed from this study can be used to aid the establishment of a ballast water management system in the Caribbean or used as a foundation for the development of further protocols.

  16. Evaluation of sample preparation protocols for spider venom profiling by MALDI-TOF MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bočánek, Ondřej; Šedo, Ondrej; Pekár, Stano; Zdráhal, Zbyněk

    2017-07-01

    Spider venoms are highly complex mixtures containing biologically active substances with potential for use in biotechnology or pharmacology. Fingerprinting of venoms by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption-Ionization - Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) is a thriving technology, enabling the rapid detection of peptide/protein components that can provide comparative information. In this study, we evaluated the effects of sample preparation procedures on MALDI-TOF mass spectral quality to establish a protocol providing the most reliable analytical outputs. We adopted initial sample preparation conditions from studies already published in this field. Three different MALDI matrixes, three matrix solvents, two sample deposition methods, and different acid concentrations were tested. As a model sample, venom from Brachypelma albopilosa was used. The mass spectra were evaluated on the basis of absolute and relative signal intensities, and signal resolution. By conducting three series of analyses at three weekly intervals, the reproducibility of the mass spectra were assessed as a crucial factor in the selection for optimum conditions. A sample preparation protocol based on the use of an HCCA matrix dissolved in 50% acetonitrile with 2.5% TFA deposited onto the target by the dried-droplet method was found to provide the best results in terms of information yield and repeatability. We propose that this protocol should be followed as a standard procedure, enabling the comparative assessment of MALDI-TOF MS spider venom fingerprints. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Reliability and criterion validity of an observation protocol for working technique assessments in cash register work.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Palm, Peter; Josephson, Malin; Mathiassen, Svend Erik; Kjellberg, Katarina

    2016-06-01

    We evaluated the intra- and inter-observer reliability and criterion validity of an observation protocol, developed in an iterative process involving practicing ergonomists, for assessment of working technique during cash register work for the purpose of preventing upper extremity symptoms. Two ergonomists independently assessed 17 15-min videos of cash register work on two occasions each, as a basis for examining reliability. Criterion validity was assessed by comparing these assessments with meticulous video-based analyses by researchers. Intra-observer reliability was acceptable (i.e. proportional agreement >0.7 and kappa >0.4) for 10/10 questions. Inter-observer reliability was acceptable for only 3/10 questions. An acceptable inter-observer reliability combined with an acceptable criterion validity was obtained only for one working technique aspect, 'Quality of movements'. Thus, major elements of the cashiers' working technique could not be assessed with an acceptable accuracy from short periods of observations by one observer, such as often desired by practitioners. Practitioner Summary: We examined an observation protocol for assessing working technique in cash register work. It was feasible in use, but inter-observer reliability and criterion validity were generally not acceptable when working technique aspects were assessed from short periods of work. We recommend the protocol to be used for educational purposes only.

  18. 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)

  19. 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.

  20. 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

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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

  4. 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.

  5. 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)

  6. 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...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-01-01

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

  8. 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.

  9. Minimal sampling protocol for accurate estimation of urea production: a study with oral [13C]urea in fed and fasted piglets

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Oosterveld, Michiel J. S.; Gemke, Reinoud J. B. J.; Dainty, Jack R.; Kulik, Willem; Jakobs, Cornelis; de Meer, Kees

    2005-01-01

    An oral [13C]urea protocol may provide a simple method for measurement of urea production. The validity of single pool calculations in relation to a reduced sampling protocol was assessed. In eight fed and five fasted piglets, plasma urea enrichments from a 10 h sampling protocol were measured

  10. 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.

  11. 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.

  12. Zoonoses action plan Salmonella monitoring programme: an investigation of the sampling protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snary, E L; Munday, D K; Arnold, M E; Cook, A J C

    2010-03-01

    The Zoonoses Action Plan (ZAP) Salmonella Programme was established by the British Pig Executive to monitor Salmonella prevalence in quality-assured British pigs at slaughter by testing a sample of pigs with a meat juice enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for antibodies against group B and C(1) Salmonella. Farms were assigned a ZAP level (1 to 3) depending on the monitored prevalence, and ZAP 2 or 3 farms were required to act to reduce the prevalence. The ultimate goal was to reduce the risk of human salmonellosis attributable to British pork. A mathematical model has been developed to describe the ZAP sampling protocol. Results show that the probability of assigning a farm the correct ZAP level was high, except for farms that had a seroprevalence close to the cutoff points between different ZAP levels. Sensitivity analyses identified that the probability of assigning a farm to the correct ZAP level was dependent on the sensitivity and specificity of the test, the number of batches taken to slaughter each quarter, and the number of samples taken per batch. The variability of the predicted seroprevalence was reduced as the number of batches or samples increased and, away from the cutoff points, the probability of being assigned the correct ZAP level increased as the number of batches or samples increased. In summary, the model described here provided invaluable insight into the ZAP sampling protocol. Further work is required to understand the impact of the program for Salmonella infection in British pig farms and therefore on human health.

  13. Novel Techniques with the Aid of a Staged CBCT Guided Surgical Protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evdokia Chasioti

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The case report will present some novel techniques for using a “staged” protocol utilizing strategic periodontally involved teeth as transitional abutments in combination with CBCT guided implant surgery. Staging the case prevented premature loading of the grafted sites during the healing phase. A CBCT following a tenting screw guided bone regeneration procedure ensured adequate bone to place an implant fixture. Proper assessment of the CBCT allowed the surgeon to do an osteotome internal sinus lift in an optimum location. The depth of the bone needed for the osteotome sinus floor elevation was planned. The staged appliance allowed these sinus-augmented sites to heal for an extended period of time compared to implants, which were uncovered and loaded at an earlier time frame. The staged protocol and CBCT analysis enabled the immediate implants to be placed in proper alignment to the adjacent fixture. After teeth were extracted, the osseointegrated implants were converted to abutments for the transitional appliance. Finally, the staged protocol allowed for soft tissue enhancement in the implant and pontic areas prior to final insertion of the prosthesis.

  14. National protocol framework for the inventory and monitoring of bees

    Science.gov (United States)

    Droege, Sam; Engler, Joseph D.; Sellers, Elizabeth A.; Lee O'Brien,

    2016-01-01

    This national protocol framework is a standardized tool for the inventory and monitoring of the approximately 4,200 species of native and non-native bee species that may be found within the National Wildlife Refuge System (NWRS) administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). However, this protocol framework may also be used by other organizations and individuals to monitor bees in any given habitat or location. Our goal is to provide USFWS stations within the NWRS (NWRS stations are land units managed by the USFWS such as national wildlife refuges, national fish hatcheries, wetland management districts, conservation areas, leased lands, etc.) with techniques for developing an initial baseline inventory of what bee species are present on their lands and to provide an inexpensive, simple technique for monitoring bees continuously and for monitoring and evaluating long-term population trends and management impacts. The latter long-term monitoring technique requires a minimal time burden for the individual station, yet can provide a good statistical sample of changing populations that can be investigated at the station, regional, and national levels within the USFWS’ jurisdiction, and compared to other sites within the United States and Canada. This protocol framework was developed in cooperation with the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the USFWS, and a worldwide network of bee researchers who have investigated the techniques and methods for capturing bees and tracking population changes. The protocol framework evolved from field and lab-based investigations at the USGS Bee Inventory and Monitoring Laboratory at the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center in Beltsville, Maryland starting in 2002 and was refined by a large number of USFWS, academic, and state groups. It includes a Protocol Introduction and a set of 8 Standard Operating Procedures or SOPs and adheres to national standards of protocol content and organization. The Protocol Narrative

  15. 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.

  16. Protocols for the analytical characterization of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. II - Enzymatic and chemical sample preparation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bobaly, Balazs; D'Atri, Valentina; Goyon, Alexandre; Colas, Olivier; Beck, Alain; Fekete, Szabolcs; Guillarme, Davy

    2017-08-15

    The analytical characterization of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies and related proteins usually incorporates various sample preparation methodologies. Indeed, quantitative and qualitative information can be enhanced by simplifying the sample, thanks to the removal of sources of heterogeneity (e.g. N-glycans) and/or by decreasing the molecular size of the tested protein by enzymatic or chemical fragmentation. These approaches make the sample more suitable for chromatographic and mass spectrometric analysis. Structural elucidation and quality control (QC) analysis of biopharmaceutics are usually performed at intact, subunit and peptide levels. In this paper, general sample preparation approaches used to attain peptide, subunit and glycan level analysis are overviewed. Protocols are described to perform tryptic proteolysis, IdeS and papain digestion, reduction as well as deglycosylation by PNGase F and EndoS2 enzymes. Both historical and modern sample preparation methods were compared and evaluated using rituximab and trastuzumab, two reference therapeutic mAb products approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA). The described protocols may help analysts to develop sample preparation methods in the field of therapeutic protein analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Protocol for sampling and analysis of bone specimens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aras, N.K.

    2000-01-01

    The iliac crest of hip bone was chosen as the most suitable sampling site for several reasons: Local variation in the elemental concentration along the iliac crest is minimal; Iliac crest biopsies are commonly taken clinically on patients; The cortical part of the sample is small (∼2 mm) and can be separated easily from the trabecular bone; The use of the trabecular part of the iliac crest for trace element analysis has the advantage of reflecting rapidly changes in the composition of bone due to external parameters, including medication. Biopsy studies, although in some ways more difficult than autopsy studies, because of the need to obtain the informed consents of the subjects, are potentially more useful than autopsy studies. Thereby many problems of postmortem migration of elements can be avoided and reliable dietary and other data can be collected simultaneously. Select the subjects among the patients undergoing orthopedic surgery due to any reason other than osteoporosis. Follow an established protocol to obtain bone biopsies. Patients undergoing synergy should fill in the 'Osteoporosis Project Questionnaire Form' including information on lifestyle variables, dietary intakes, the reason for surgery etc. If possible, measure the bone mineral density (BMD) prior to removal of the biopsy sample. However it may not possible to have BMD results on all the subjects because of difficulty of DEXA measurement after an accident

  18. 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

  19. 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)

  20. Sample preparation guidelines for two-dimensional electrophoresis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Posch, Anton

    2014-12-01

    Sample preparation is one of the key technologies for successful two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE). Due to the great diversity of protein sample types and sources, no single sample preparation method works with all proteins; for any sample the optimum procedure must be determined empirically. This review is meant to provide a broad overview of the most important principles in sample preparation in order to avoid a multitude of possible pitfalls. Sample preparation protocols from the expert in the field were screened and evaluated. On the basis of these protocols and my own comprehensive practical experience important guidelines are given in this review. The presented guidelines will facilitate straightforward protocol development for researchers new to gel-based proteomics. In addition the available choices are rationalized in order to successfully prepare a protein sample for 2DE separations. The strategies described here are not limited to 2DE and can also be applied to other protein separation techniques.

  1. 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).

  2. 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...

  3. New protocol for construction of eyeglasses-supported provisional nasal prosthesis using CAD/CAM techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciocca, Leonardo; Fantini, Massimiliano; De Crescenzio, Francesca; Persiani, Franco; Scotti, Roberto

    2010-01-01

    A new protocol for making an immediate provisional eyeglasses-supported nasal prosthesis is presented that uses laser scanning, computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing procedures, and rapid prototyping techniques, reducing time and costs while increasing the quality of the final product. With this protocol, the eyeglasses were digitized, and the relative position of the nasal prosthesis was planned and evaluated in a virtual environment without any try-in appointment. This innovative method saves time, reduces costs, and restores the patient's aesthetic appearance after a disfiguration caused by ablation of the nasal pyramid better than conventional restoration methods. Moreover, the digital model of the designed nasal epithesis can be used to develop a definitive prosthesis anchored to osseointegrated craniofacial implants.

  4. Protein blotting protocol for beginners.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petrasovits, Lars A

    2014-01-01

    The transfer and immobilization of biological macromolecules onto solid nitrocellulose or nylon (polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF)) membranes subsequently followed by specific detection is referred to as blotting. DNA blots are called Southerns after the inventor of the technique, Edwin Southern. By analogy, RNA blots are referred to as northerns and protein blots as westerns (Burnette, Anal Biochem 112:195-203, 1981). With few exceptions, western blotting involves five steps, namely, sample collection, preparation, separation, immobilization, and detection. In this chapter, protocols for the entire process from sample collection to detection are described.

  5. Comparison of Different Sample Preparation Protocols Reveals Lysis Buffer-Specific Extraction Biases in Gram-Negative Bacteria and Human Cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glatter, Timo; Ahrné, Erik; Schmidt, Alexander

    2015-11-06

    We evaluated different in-solution and FASP-based sample preparation strategies for absolute protein quantification. Label-free quantification (LFQ) was employed to compare different sample preparation strategies in the bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa and human embryonic kidney cells (HEK), and organismal-specific differences in general performance and enrichment of specific protein classes were noted. The original FASP protocol globally enriched for most proteins in the bacterial sample, whereas the sodium deoxycholate in-solution strategy was more efficient with HEK cells. Although detergents were found to be highly suited for global proteome analysis, higher intensities were obtained for high-abundant nucleic acid-associated protein complexes, like the ribosome and histone proteins, using guanidine hydrochloride. Importantly, we show for the first time that the observable total proteome mass of a sample strongly depends on the sample preparation protocol, with some protocols resulting in a significant underestimation of protein mass due to incomplete protein extraction of biased protein groups. Furthermore, we demonstrate that some of the observed abundance biases can be overcome by incorporating a nuclease treatment step or, alternatively, a correction factor for complementary sample preparation approaches.

  6. Marine sediment sample pre-processing for macroinvertebrates metabarcoding: mechanical enrichment and homogenization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eva Aylagas

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Metabarcoding is an accurate and cost-effective technique that allows for simultaneous taxonomic identification of multiple environmental samples. Application of this technique to marine benthic macroinvertebrate biodiversity assessment for biomonitoring purposes requires standardization of laboratory and data analysis procedures. In this context, protocols for creation and sequencing of amplicon libraries and their related bioinformatics analysis have been recently published. However, a standardized protocol describing all previous steps (i.e. processing and manipulation of environmental samples for macroinvertebrate community characterization is lacking. Here, we provide detailed procedures for benthic environmental sample collection, processing, enrichment for macroinvertebrates, homogenization, and subsequent DNA extraction for metabarcoding analysis. Since this is the first protocol of this kind, it should be of use to any researcher in this field, having the potential for improvement.

  7. MPLEx: a Robust and Universal Protocol for Single-Sample Integrative Proteomic, Metabolomic, and Lipidomic Analyses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nakayasu, Ernesto S.; Nicora, Carrie D.; Sims, Amy C.; Burnum-Johnson, Kristin E.; Kim, Young-Mo; Kyle, Jennifer E.; Matzke, Melissa M.; Shukla, Anil K.; Chu, Rosalie K.; Schepmoes, Athena A.; Jacobs, Jon M.; Baric, Ralph S.; Webb-Robertson, Bobbie-Jo; Smith, Richard D.; Metz, Thomas O.; Chia, Nicholas

    2016-05-03

    ABSTRACT

    Integrative multi-omics analyses can empower more effective investigation and complete understanding of complex biological systems. Despite recent advances in a range of omics analyses, multi-omic measurements of the same sample are still challenging and current methods have not been well evaluated in terms of reproducibility and broad applicability. Here we adapted a solvent-based method, widely applied for extracting lipids and metabolites, to add proteomics to mass spectrometry-based multi-omics measurements. Themetabolite,protein, andlipidextraction (MPLEx) protocol proved to be robust and applicable to a diverse set of sample types, including cell cultures, microbial communities, and tissues. To illustrate the utility of this protocol, an integrative multi-omics analysis was performed using a lung epithelial cell line infected with Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, which showed the impact of this virus on the host glycolytic pathway and also suggested a role for lipids during infection. The MPLEx method is a simple, fast, and robust protocol that can be applied for integrative multi-omic measurements from diverse sample types (e.g., environmental,in vitro, and clinical).

    IMPORTANCEIn systems biology studies, the integration of multiple omics measurements (i.e., genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and lipidomics) has been shown to provide a more complete and informative view of biological pathways. Thus, the prospect of extracting different types of molecules (e.g., DNAs, RNAs, proteins, and metabolites) and performing multiple omics measurements on single samples is very attractive, but such studies are challenging due to the fact that the extraction conditions differ according to the molecule type. Here, we adapted an organic solvent-based extraction method that demonstrated

  8. 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)

  9. Results of a protocol of transfusion threshold and surgical technique on transfusion requirements in burn patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Mara, Michael S; Hayetian, Fernando; Slater, Harvey; Goldfarb, I William; Tolchin, Eric; Caushaj, Philip F

    2005-08-01

    Blood loss and high rates of transfusion in burn centers remains an area of ongoing concern. Blood use brings the risk of infection, adverse reaction, and immunosuppression. A protocol to reduce blood loss and blood use was implemented. Analysis included 3-year periods before and after institution of the protocol. All patients were transfused for a hemoglobin below 8.0 gm/dL. Operations per admission did not change during the two time periods (0.78 in each). Overall units transfused per operation decreased from 1.56+/-0.06 to 1.25+/-0.14 units after instituting the protocol (pburns of less than 20% surface area, declining from 386 to 46 units after protocol institution, from 0.37 to 0.04 units per admission, and from 0.79 to 0.08 units per operation in this group of smallest burns. There was no change noted in the larger burns. This study suggests that a defined protocol of hemostasis, technique, and transfusion trigger should be implemented in the process of burn excision and grafting. This will help especially those patients with the smallest burns, essentially eliminating transfusion need in that group.

  10. One Sample, One Shot - Evaluation of sample preparation protocols for the mass spectrometric proteome analysis of human bile fluid without extensive fractionation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Megger, Dominik A; Padden, Juliet; Rosowski, Kristin; Uszkoreit, Julian; Bracht, Thilo; Eisenacher, Martin; Gerges, Christian; Neuhaus, Horst; Schumacher, Brigitte; Schlaak, Jörg F; Sitek, Barbara

    2017-02-10

    The proteome analysis of bile fluid represents a promising strategy to identify biomarker candidates for various diseases of the hepatobiliary system. However, to obtain substantive results in biomarker discovery studies large patient cohorts necessarily need to be analyzed. Consequently, this would lead to an unmanageable number of samples to be analyzed if sample preparation protocols with extensive fractionation methods are applied. Hence, the performance of simple workflows allowing for "one sample, one shot" experiments have been evaluated in this study. In detail, sixteen different protocols implying modifications at the stages of desalting, delipidation, deglycosylation and tryptic digestion have been examined. Each method has been individually evaluated regarding various performance criteria and comparative analyses have been conducted to uncover possible complementarities. Here, the best performance in terms of proteome coverage has been assessed for a combination of acetone precipitation with in-gel digestion. Finally, a mapping of all obtained protein identifications with putative biomarkers for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocellular carcinoma (CCC) revealed several proteins easily detectable in bile fluid. These results can build the basis for future studies with large and well-defined patient cohorts in a more disease-related context. Human bile fluid is a proximal body fluid and supposed to be a potential source of disease markers. However, due to its biochemical composition, the proteome analysis of bile fluid still represents a challenging task and is therefore mostly conducted using extensive fractionation procedures. This in turn leads to a high number of mass spectrometric measurements for one biological sample. Considering the fact that in order to overcome the biological variability a high number of biological samples needs to be analyzed in biomarker discovery studies, this leads to the dilemma of an unmanageable number of

  11. The UK Biobank sample handling and storage protocol for the collection, processing and archiving of human blood and urine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elliott, Paul; Peakman, Tim C

    2008-04-01

    UK Biobank is a large prospective study in the UK to investigate the role of genetic factors, environmental exposures and lifestyle in the causes of major diseases of late and middle age. Extensive data and biological samples are being collected from 500,000 participants aged between 40 and 69 years. The biological samples that are collected and how they are processed and stored will have a major impact on the future scientific usefulness of the UK Biobank resource. The aim of the UK Biobank sample handling and storage protocol is to specify methods for the collection and storage of participant samples that give maximum scientific return within the available budget. Processing or storage methods that, as far as can be predicted, will preclude current or future assays have been avoided. The protocol was developed through a review of the literature on sample handling and processing, wide consultation within the academic community and peer review. Protocol development addressed which samples should be collected, how and when they should be processed and how the processed samples should be stored to ensure their long-term integrity. The recommended protocol was extensively tested in a series of validation studies. UK Biobank collects about 45 ml blood and 9 ml of urine with minimal local processing from each participant using the vacutainer system. A variety of preservatives, anti-coagulants and clot accelerators is used appropriate to the expected end use of the samples. Collection of other material (hair, nails, saliva and faeces) was also considered but rejected for the full cohort. Blood and urine samples from participants are transported overnight by commercial courier to a central laboratory where they are processed and aliquots of urine, plasma, serum, white cells and red cells stored in ultra-low temperature archives. Aliquots of whole blood are also stored for potential future production of immortalized cell lines. A standard panel of haematology assays is

  12. 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.

  13. Comparing rapid methods for detecting Listeria in seafood and environmental samples using the most probably number (MPN) technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, Cristina D; Win, Jessicah K; Chantarachoti, Jiraporn; Mutukumira, Anthony N; Fletcher, Graham C

    2012-02-15

    The standard Bacteriological Analytical Manual (BAM) protocol for detecting Listeria in food and on environmental surfaces takes about 96 h. Some studies indicate that rapid methods, which produce results within 48 h, may be as sensitive and accurate as the culture protocol. As they only give presence/absence results, it can be difficult to compare the accuracy of results generated. We used the Most Probable Number (MPN) technique to evaluate the performance and detection limits of six rapid kits for detecting Listeria in seafood and on an environmental surface compared with the standard protocol. Three seafood products and an environmental surface were inoculated with similar known cell concentrations of Listeria and analyzed according to the manufacturers' instructions. The MPN was estimated using the MPN-BAM spreadsheet. For the seafood products no differences were observed among the rapid kits and efficiency was similar to the BAM method. On the environmental surface the BAM protocol had a higher recovery rate (sensitivity) than any of the rapid kits tested. Clearview™, Reveal®, TECRA® and VIDAS® LDUO detected the cells but only at high concentrations (>10(2) CFU/10 cm(2)). Two kits (VIP™ and Petrifilm™) failed to detect 10(4) CFU/10 cm(2). The MPN method was a useful tool for comparing the results generated by these presence/absence test kits. There remains a need to develop a rapid and sensitive method for detecting Listeria in environmental samples that performs as well as the BAM protocol, since none of the rapid tests used in this study achieved a satisfactory result. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Efficient secure two-party protocols

    CERN Document Server

    Hazay, Carmit

    2010-01-01

    The authors present a comprehensive study of efficient protocols and techniques for secure two-party computation -- both general constructions that can be used to securely compute any functionality, and protocols for specific problems of interest. The book focuses on techniques for constructing efficient protocols and proving them secure. In addition, the authors study different definitional paradigms and compare the efficiency of protocols achieved under these different definitions.The book opens with a general introduction to secure computation and then presents definitions of security for a

  15. Protocol for Measuring the Thermal Properties of a Supercooled Synthetic Sand-water-gas-methane Hydrate Sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muraoka, Michihiro; Susuki, Naoko; Yamaguchi, Hiroko; Tsuji, Tomoya; Yamamoto, Yoshitaka

    2016-03-21

    Methane hydrates (MHs) are present in large amounts in the ocean floor and permafrost regions. Methane and hydrogen hydrates are being studied as future energy resources and energy storage media. To develop a method for gas production from natural MH-bearing sediments and hydrate-based technologies, it is imperative to understand the thermal properties of gas hydrates. The thermal properties' measurements of samples comprising sand, water, methane, and MH are difficult because the melting heat of MH may affect the measurements. To solve this problem, we performed thermal properties' measurements at supercooled conditions during MH formation. The measurement protocol, calculation method of the saturation change, and tips for thermal constants' analysis of the sample using transient plane source techniques are described here. The effect of the formation heat of MH on measurement is very small because the gas hydrate formation rate is very slow. This measurement method can be applied to the thermal properties of the gas hydrate-water-guest gas system, which contains hydrogen, CO2, and ozone hydrates, because the characteristic low formation rate of gas hydrate is not unique to MH. The key point of this method is the low rate of phase transition of the target material. Hence, this method may be applied to other materials having low phase-transition rates.

  16. 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)

  17. 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)

  18. 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)

  19. DNA repair protocols

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjergbæk, Lotte

    In its 3rd edition, this Methods in Molecular Biology(TM) book covers the eukaryotic response to genomic insult including advanced protocols and standard techniques in the field of DNA repair. Offers expert guidance for DNA repair, recombination, and replication. Current knowledge of the mechanisms...... that regulate DNA repair has grown significantly over the past years with technology advances such as RNA interference, advanced proteomics and microscopy as well as high throughput screens. The third edition of DNA Repair Protocols covers various aspects of the eukaryotic response to genomic insult including...... recent advanced protocols as well as standard techniques used in the field of DNA repair. Both mammalian and non-mammalian model organisms are covered in the book, and many of the techniques can be applied with only minor modifications to other systems than the one described. Written in the highly...

  20. An On-Target Desalting and Concentration Sample Preparation Protocol for MALDI-MS and MS/MS Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Xumin; Wang, Quanhui; Lou, Xiaomin

    2012-01-01

    2DE coupled with MALDI-MS is one of the most widely used and powerful analytic technologies in proteomics study. The MALDI sample preparation method has been developed and optimized towards the combination of simplicity, sample-cleaning, and sample concentration since its introduction. Here we...... present a protocol of the so-called Sample loading, Matrix loading, and on-target Wash (SMW) method which fulfills the three criteria by taking advantage of the AnchorChip™ targets. Our method is extremely simple and no pre-desalting or concentration is needed when dealing with samples prepared from 2DE...

  1. 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

  2. [Sampling and measurement methods of the protocol design of the China Nine-Province Survey for blindness, visual impairment and cataract surgery].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhao, Jia-liang; Wang, Yu; Gao, Xue-cheng; Ellwein, Leon B; Liu, Hu

    2011-09-01

    To design the protocol of the China nine-province survey for blindness, visual impairment and cataract surgery to evaluate the prevalence and main causes of blindness and visual impairment, and the prevalence and outcomes of the cataract surgery. The protocol design was began after accepting the task for the national survey for blindness, visual impairment and cataract surgery from the Department of Medicine, Ministry of Health, China, in November, 2005. The protocol in Beijing Shunyi Eye Study in 1996 and Guangdong Doumen County Eye Study in 1997, both supported by World Health Organization, was taken as the basis for the protocol design. The relative experts were invited to discuss and prove the draft protocol. An international advisor committee was established to examine and approve the draft protocol. Finally, the survey protocol was checked and approved by the Department of Medicine, Ministry of Health, China and Prevention Program of Blindness and Deafness, WHO. The survey protocol was designed according to the characteristics and the scale of the survey. The contents of the protocol included determination of target population and survey sites, calculation of the sample size, design of the random sampling, composition and organization of the survey teams, determination of the examinee, the flowchart of the field work, survey items and methods, diagnostic criteria of blindness and moderate and sever visual impairment, the measures of the quality control, the methods of the data management. The designed protocol became the standard and practical protocol for the survey to evaluate the prevalence and main causes of blindness and visual impairment, and the prevalence and outcomes of the cataract surgery.

  3. 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.

  4. 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)

  5. 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...

  6. 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).

  7. Analyzing the effect of routing protocols on media access control protocols in radio networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barrett, C. L. (Christopher L.); Drozda, M. (Martin); Marathe, A. (Achla); Marathe, M. V. (Madhav V.)

    2002-01-01

    We study the effect of routing protocols on the performance of media access control (MAC) protocols in wireless radio networks. Three well known MAC protocols: 802.11, CSMA, and MACA are considered. Similarly three recently proposed routing protocols: AODV, DSR and LAR scheme 1 are considered. The experimental analysis was carried out using GloMoSim: a tool for simulating wireless networks. The main focus of our experiments was to study how the routing protocols affect the performance of the MAC protocols when the underlying network and traffic parameters are varied. The performance of the protocols was measured w.r.t. five important parameters: (i) number of received packets, (ii) average latency of each packet, (iii) throughput (iv) long term fairness and (v) number of control packets at the MAC layer level. Our results show that combinations of routing and MAC protocols yield varying performance under varying network topology and traffic situations. The result has an important implication; no combination of routing protocol and MAC protocol is the best over all situations. Also, the performance analysis of protocols at a given level in the protocol stack needs to be studied not locally in isolation but as a part of the complete protocol stack. A novel aspect of our work is the use of statistical technique, ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) to characterize the effect of routing protocols on MAC protocols. This technique is of independent interest and can be utilized in several other simulation and empirical studies.

  8. 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)

  9. A transferability study of the EPR-tooth-dosimetry technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sholom, S.; Chumak, V.; Desrosiers, M.; Bouville, A.

    2006-01-01

    The transferability of a measurement protocol from one laboratory to another is an important feature of any mature, standardised protocol. The electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)-tooth dosimetry technique that was developed in Scientific Center for Radiation Medicine, AMS (Ukraine) (SCRM) for routine dosimetry of Chernobyl liquidators has demonstrated consistent results in several inter-laboratory measurement comparisons. Transferability to the EPR dosimetry laboratory at the National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST) was examined. Several approaches were used to test the technique, including dose reconstruction of SCRM-NIST inter-comparison samples. The study has demonstrated full transferability of the technique and the possibility to reproduce results in a different laboratory environment. (authors)

  10. A quick DNA extraction protocol: Without liquid nitrogen in ambient ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Marker assisted selection is an effective technique for quality traits selection in breeding program which are impossible by visual observation. Marker assisted selection in early generation requires rapid DNA extraction protocol for large number of samples in a low cost approach. A rapid and inexpensive DNA extraction ...

  11. 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...

  12. Comparative analysis of five DNA isolation protocols and three drying methods for leaves samples of Nectandra megapotamica (Spreng. Mez

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardo Severo da Costa

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the study was to establish a DNA isolation protocol Nectandra megapotamica (Spreng. Mez., able to obtain samples of high yield and quality for use in genomic analysis. A commercial kit and four classical methods of DNA extraction were tested, including three cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB-based and one sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS-based methods. Three drying methods for leaves samples were also evaluated including drying at room temperature (RT, in an oven at 40ºC (S40, and in a microwave oven (FMO. The DNA solutions obtained from different types of leaves samples using the five protocols were assessed in terms of cost, execution time, and quality and yield of extracted DNA. The commercial kit did not extract DNA with sufficient quantity or quality for successful PCR reactions. Among the classic methods, only the protocols of Dellaporta and of Khanuja yielded DNA extractions for all three types of foliar samples that resulted in successful PCR reactions and subsequent enzyme restriction assays. Based on the evaluated variables, the most appropriate DNA extraction method for Nectandra megapotamica (Spreng. Mez. was that of Dellaporta, regardless of the method used to dry the samples. The selected method has a relatively low cost and total execution time. Moreover, the quality and quantity of DNA extracted using this method was sufficient for DNA sequence amplification using PCR reactions and to get restriction fragments.

  13. An optimized protocol for handling and processing fragile acini cultured with the hanging drop technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snyman, Celia; Elliott, Edith

    2011-12-15

    The hanging drop three-dimensional culture technique allows cultivation of functional three-dimensional mammary constructs without exogenous extracellular matrix. The fragile acini are, however, difficult to preserve during processing steps for advanced microscopic investigation. We describe adaptations to the protocol for handling of hanging drop cultures to include investigation using confocal, scanning, and electron microscopy, with minimal loss of cell culture components. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Consensus of heterogeneous multi-agent systems based on sampled data with a small sampling delay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Na; Wu Zhi-Hai; Peng Li

    2014-01-01

    In this paper, consensus problems of heterogeneous multi-agent systems based on sampled data with a small sampling delay are considered. First, a consensus protocol based on sampled data with a small sampling delay for heterogeneous multi-agent systems is proposed. Then, the algebra graph theory, the matrix method, the stability theory of linear systems, and some other techniques are employed to derive the necessary and sufficient conditions guaranteeing heterogeneous multi-agent systems to asymptotically achieve the stationary consensus. Finally, simulations are performed to demonstrate the correctness of the theoretical results. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  15. Development of a new protocol for rapid bacterial identification and susceptibility testing directly from urine samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zboromyrska, Y; Rubio, E; Alejo, I; Vergara, A; Mons, A; Campo, I; Bosch, J; Marco, F; Vila, J

    2016-06-01

    The current gold standard method for the diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTI) is urine culture that requires 18-48 h for the identification of the causative microorganisms and an additional 24 h until the results of antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) are available. The aim of this study was to shorten the time of urine sample processing by a combination of flow cytometry for screening and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) for bacterial identification followed by AST directly from urine. The study was divided into two parts. During the first part, 675 urine samples were processed by a flow cytometry device and a cut-off value of bacterial count was determined to select samples for direct identification by MALDI-TOF-MS at ≥5 × 10(6) bacteria/mL. During the second part, 163 of 1029 processed samples reached the cut-off value. The sample preparation protocol for direct identification included two centrifugation and two washing steps. Direct AST was performed by the disc diffusion method if a reliable direct identification was obtained. Direct MALDI-TOF-MS identification was performed in 140 urine samples; 125 of the samples were positive by urine culture, 12 were contaminated and 3 were negative. Reliable direct identification was obtained in 108 (86.4%) of the 125 positive samples. AST was performed in 102 identified samples, and the results were fully concordant with the routine method among 83 monomicrobial infections. In conclusion, the turnaround time of the protocol described to diagnose UTI was about 1 h for microbial identification and 18-24 h for AST. Copyright © 2016 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. 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.

  17. Fast filtration sampling protocol for mammalian suspension cells tailored for phosphometabolome profiling by capillary ion chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kvitvang, Hans F N; Bruheim, Per

    2015-08-15

    Capillary ion chromatography (capIC) is the premium separation technology for low molecular phosphometabolites and nucleotides in biological extracts. Removal of excessive amounts of salt during sample preparation stages is a prerequisite to enable high quality capIC separation in combination with reproducible and sensitive MS detection. Existing sampling protocols for mammalian cells used for GC-MS and LC-MS metabolic profiling can therefore not be directly applied to capIC separations. Here, the development of a fast filtration sampling protocol for mammalian suspension cells tailored for quantitative profiling of the phosphometabolome on capIC-MS/MS is presented. The whole procedure from sampling the culture to transfer of filter to quenching and extraction solution takes less than 10s. To prevent leakage it is critical that a low vacuum pressure is applied, and satisfactorily reproducibility was only obtained by usage of a vacuum pressure controlling device. A vacuum of 60mbar was optimal for filtration of multiple myeloma Jjn-3 cell cultures through 5μm polyvinylidene (PVDF) filters. A quick deionized water (DI-water) rinse step prior to extraction was tested, and significantly higher metabolite yields were obtained during capIC-MS/MS analyses in this extract compared to extracts prepared by saline and reduced saline (25%) washing steps only. In addition, chromatographic performance was dramatically improved. Thus, it was verified that a quick DI-water rinse is tolerated by the cells and can be included as the final stage during filtration. Over 30 metabolites were quantitated in JJN-3 cell extracts by using the optimized sampling protocol with subsequent capIC-MS/MS analysis, and up to 2 million cells can be used in a single filtration step for the chosen filter and vacuum pressure. The technical set-up is also highly advantageous for microbial metabolome filtration protocols after optimization of vacuum pressure and washing solutions, and the reduced salt

  18. Comparison of radiation doses using weight-based protocol and dose modulation techniques for patients undergoing biphasic abdominal computed tomography examinations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Livingstone Roshan

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Computed tomography (CT of the abdomen contributes a substantial amount of man-made radiation dose to patients and use of this modality is on the increase. This study intends to compare radiation dose and image quality using dose modulation techniques and weight- based protocol exposure parameters for biphasic abdominal CT. Using a six-slice CT scanner, a prospective study of 426 patients who underwent abdominal CT examinations was performed. Constant tube potentials of 90 kV and 120 kV were used for all arterial and portal venous phase respectively. The tube current-time product for weight-based protocol was optimized according to patient′s body weight; this was automatically selected in dose modulations. The effective dose using weight-based protocol, angular and z-axis dose modulation was 11.3 mSv, 9.5 mSv and 8.2 mSv respectively for the patient′s body weight ranging from 40 to 60 kg. For patients of body weights ranging 60 to 80 kg, the effective doses were 13.2 mSv, 11.2 mSv and 10.6 mSv respectively. The use of dose modulation technique resulted in a reduction of 16 to 28% in radiation dose with acceptable diagnostic accuracy in comparison to the use of weight-based protocol settings.

  19. Fetal MRI: techniques and protocols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Prayer, Daniela; Brugger, Peter Christian; Prayer, Lucas

    2004-01-01

    The development of ultrafast sequences has led to a significant improvement in fetal MRI. Imaging protocols have to be adjusted to the rapidly developing fetal central nervous system (CNS) and to the clinical question. Sequence parameters must be changed to cope with the respective developmental stage, to produce images free from motion artefacts and to provide optimum visualization of the region and focus of interest. In contrast to postnatal studies, every suspect fetal CNS abnormality requires examination of the whole fetus and the extrafetal intrauterine structures including the uterus. This approach covers both aspects of fetal CNS disorders: isolated and complex malformations and cerebral lesions arising from the impaired integrity of the feto-placental unit. (orig.)

  20. Fetal MRI: techniques and protocols

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prayer, Daniela [Department of Neuroradiology, University Clinics of Radiodiagnostics, Medical University Vienna, Waehringerguertel 18-10, 1090, Vienna (Austria); Brugger, Peter Christian [Department of Anatomy, Integrative Morphology Group, Medical University Vienna (Austria); Prayer, Lucas [Diagnosezentrum Urania, Vienna (Austria)

    2004-09-01

    The development of ultrafast sequences has led to a significant improvement in fetal MRI. Imaging protocols have to be adjusted to the rapidly developing fetal central nervous system (CNS) and to the clinical question. Sequence parameters must be changed to cope with the respective developmental stage, to produce images free from motion artefacts and to provide optimum visualization of the region and focus of interest. In contrast to postnatal studies, every suspect fetal CNS abnormality requires examination of the whole fetus and the extrafetal intrauterine structures including the uterus. This approach covers both aspects of fetal CNS disorders: isolated and complex malformations and cerebral lesions arising from the impaired integrity of the feto-placental unit. (orig.)

  1. 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)

  2. Observing documentary reading by verbal protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fujita Mariangela Spotti Lopes

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Verifies the applicability to research on indexers' reading strategies of the process observing technique known as Verbal Protocol or Thinking Aloud. This interpretative-qualitative data collecting technique allows the observation of different kinds of process during the progress of different kinds of tasks. Presents a theoretical investigation into "reading" and into formal methodological procedures to observe reading processes. Describes details of the methodological procedures adopted in five case studies with analysis of samples of data. The project adopted three kinds of parameters for data analysis: theoretical, normative, empirical (derived from observations made in the first case study. The results are compared, and important conclusions regarding documentary reading are drawn.

  3. Staged protocol for the treatment of chronic femoral shaft osteomyelitis with Ilizarov's technique followed by the use of intramedullary locked nail

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Po-Hsin Chou

    2017-06-01

    Conclusion: In the treatment of chronic femur osteomyelitis, the staged protocol of Ilizarov distraction osteogenesis followed by intramedullary nailing was safe and successful, and allowed for union, realignment, reorientation, and leg-length restoration. With regard to the soft tissue, this technique provides a unique type of reconstructive closure for infected wounds. It is suggested that the staged protocol is reliable in providing successful simultaneous reconstruction for bone and soft tissue defects without flap coverage.

  4. 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...

  5. Comparative of three sampling protocols for water quality assessment using macro invertebrates; Comparacion de tres protocolos de muestreo de macroinvertebrados para determinar la calidad del agua

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Puertolas Domenech, L.; Rieradevall Sant, M.; Prat Fornells, N.

    2007-07-01

    The implementation of the Water Framework directive (WFD, Directive 2000/60/CE) requires the establishment of standardized sampling protocols for the assessment of benthic fauna. In this paper, a comparative study of several sampling protocols that are used currently in Spain and Europe (AQEM, EPA and Guadalmed) has been carried out. Evaluating the three protocols with a list of 12 criteria, Guadalmed fits better to the most of them. therefore it appears as an efficient tool in the determination of Ecological Status. (Author)

  6. 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.

  7. Integration of GC-MSD and ER-Calux® assay into a single protocol for determining steroid estrogens in environmental samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Avberšek, Miha; Žegura, Bojana; Filipič, Metka; Heath, Ester

    2011-11-01

    There are many published studies that use either chemical or biological methods to investigate steroid estrogens in the aquatic environment, but rarer are those that combine both. In this study, gas chromatography with mass selective detection (GC-MSD) and the ER-Calux(®) estrogenicity assay were integrated into a single protocol for simultaneous determination of natural (estrone--E1, 17β-estradiol--E2, estriol--E3) and synthetic (17α-ethinylestradiol--EE2) steroid estrogens concentrations and the total estrogenic potential of environmental samples. For integration purposes, several solvents were investigated and the commonly used dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) in the ER-Calux(®) assay was replaced by ethyl acetate, which is more compatible with gas chromatography and enables the same sample to be analysed by both GC-MSD and the ER-Calux(®) assay. The integrated protocol was initially tested using a standard mixture of estrogens. The results for pure standards showed that the estrogenicity calculated on the basis of GC-MSD and the ER-Calux(®) assay exhibited good correlation (r(2)=0.96; α=0.94). The result remained the same when spiked waste water extracts were tested (r(2)=0.92, α=1.02). When applied to real waste water influent and effluent samples the results proved (r(2)=0.93; α=0.99) the applicability of the protocol. The main advantages of this newly developed protocol are simple sample handling for both methods, and reduced material consumption and labour. In addition, it can be applied as either a complete or sequential analysis where the ER-Calux(®) assay is used as a pre-screening method prior to the chemical analysis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Use of fission track analysis technique for the determination of MicroBequerel level of {sup 239}Pu in urine samples from radiation workers handling MOX fuel

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yadav, J.R., E-mail: yadav_jogendra@rediffmail.co [Health Physics Laboratory, Health Physics Division, BARC, Tarapur 401502 (India); Rao, D.D.; Kumar, Ranjeet [Health Physics Laboratory, Health Physics Division, BARC, Tarapur 401502 (India); Aggarwal, S.K. [Fuel chemistry Division, BARC, Trombay, Mumbai 400085 (India)

    2011-07-15

    Fission track analysis (FTA) technique for the determination of {sup 239}Pu excreted through urine has been standardized using blank samples, tracer and {sup 239}Pu spikes. Double stage anion exchange separation protocol has been applied and an average radiochemical recovery of {sup 239}Pu of 18% was obtained. An average track registration efficiency of 11 tracks per {mu}Bq of {sup 239}Pu, irradiated to 0.35x10{sup 17} neutron fluence was established. Reagent blank urine samples from 11 controlled subjects were analyzed by FTA and an average of 149{+-}14 tracks was obtained. Minimum detectable activity of 34 {mu}Bq L{sup -1} of urine sample was obtained and will be useful for monitoring chronic exposure cases handling MOX fuel.

  9. 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.

  10. Field protocols for the genomic era

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    N Bulatova

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available For many decades karyotype was the only source of overall genomic information obtained from species of mammal. However, approaches have been developed in recent years to obtain molecular and ultimately genomic information directly from the extracted DNA of an organism. Molecular data have accumulated hugely for mammalian taxa. The growing volume of studies should motivate field researchers to collect suitable samples for molecular analysis from various species across all their ranges. This is the reason why we here include a molecular sampling procedure within a field work protocol, which also includes more traditional (including cytogenetic techniques. In this way we hope to foster the development of molecular and genomic studies in non-standard wild mammals.

  11. Post-mortem examination and sampling of African flamingos ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Recent largely unexplained deaths in African flamingos have prompted the need for standard, reproducible methods for the post-mortem examination of these birds, for the taking of samples and for the recording of findings. Here we describe suitable techniques and present three distinct protocols for field-based ...

  12. 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...

  13. 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.

  14. A comparison of maximal bioenergetic enzyme activities obtained with commonly used homogenization techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grace, M; Fletcher, L; Powers, S K; Hughes, M; Coombes, J

    1996-12-01

    Homogenization of tissue for analysis of bioenergetic enzyme activities is a common practice in studies examining metabolic properties of skeletal muscle adaptation to disease, aging, inactivity or exercise. While numerous homogenization techniques are in use today, limited information exists concerning the efficacy of specific homogenization protocols. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of four commonly used approaches to homogenizing skeletal muscle for analysis of bioenergetic enzyme activity. The maximal enzyme activity (Vmax) of citrate synthase (CS) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were measured from homogenous muscle samples (N = 48 per homogenization technique) and used as indicators to determine which protocol had the highest efficacy. The homogenization techniques were: (1) glass-on-glass pestle; (2) a combination of a mechanical blender and a teflon pestle (Potter-Elvehjem); (3) a combination of the mechanical blender and a biological detergent; and (4) the combined use of a mechanical blender and a sonicator. The glass-on-glass pestle homogenization protocol produced significantly higher (P pestle homogenization protocol is the technique of choice for studying bioenergetic enzyme activity in skeletal muscle.

  15. 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

  16. 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

  17. 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

  18. Toxoplasma gondii and pre-treatment protocols for polymerase chain reaction analysis of milk samples: a field trial in sheep from Southern Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alice Vismarra

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. Ingestion of raw milk has been suggested as a risk for transmission to humans. Here the authors evaluated pre-treatment protocols for DNA extraction on T. gondii tachyzoite-spiked sheep milk with the aim of identifying the method that resulted in the most rapid and reliable polymerase chain reaction (PCR positivity. This protocol was then used to analyse milk samples from sheep of three different farms in Southern Italy, including real time PCR for DNA quantification and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism for genotyping. The pre-treatment protocol using ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and Tris-HCl to remove casein gave the best results in the least amount of time compared to the others on spiked milk samples. One sample of 21 collected from sheep farms was positive on one-step PCR, real time PCR and resulted in a Type I genotype at one locus (SAG3. Milk usually contains a low number of tachyzoites and this could be a limiting factor for molecular identification. Our preliminary data has evaluated a rapid, cost-effective and sensitive protocol to treat milk before DNA extraction. The results of the present study also confirm the possibility of T. gondii transmission through consumption of raw milk and its unpasteurised derivatives.

  19. Static Validation of Security Protocols

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bodei, Chiara; Buchholtz, Mikael; Degano, P.

    2005-01-01

    We methodically expand protocol narrations into terms of a process algebra in order to specify some of the checks that need to be made in a protocol. We then apply static analysis technology to develop an automatic validation procedure for protocols. Finally, we demonstrate that these techniques ...... suffice to identify several authentication flaws in symmetric and asymmetric key protocols such as Needham-Schroeder symmetric key, Otway-Rees, Yahalom, Andrew secure RPC, Needham-Schroeder asymmetric key, and Beller-Chang-Yacobi MSR...

  20. 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.

  1. 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

  2. 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.

  3. Optical code-division multiple-access protocol with selective retransmission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohamed, Mohamed A. A.; Shalaby, Hossam M. H.; El-Badawy, El-Sayed A.

    2006-05-01

    An optical code-division multiple-access (OCDMA) protocol based on selective retransmission technique is proposed. The protocol is modeled using a detailed state diagram and is analyzed using equilibrium point analysis (EPA). Both traditional throughput and average delay are used to examine its performance for several network parameters. In addition, the performance of the proposed protocol is compared to that of the R3T protocol, which is based on a go-back-n technique. Our results show that a higher performance is achieved by the proposed protocol at the expense of system complexity.

  4. 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)

  5. Reliability of diagnostic imaging techniques in suspected acute appendicitis: proposed diagnostic protocol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cura del, J. L.; Oleaga, L.; Grande, D.; Vela, A. C.; Ibanez, A. M.

    2001-01-01

    To study the utility of ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) in case of suspected appendicitis. To determine the diagnostic yield in terms of different clinical contexts and patient characteristics. to assess the costs and benefits of introducing these techniques and propose a protocol for their use. Negative appendectomies, complications and length of hospital stay in a group of 152 patients with suspected appendicitis who underwent ultrasound and CT were compared with those of 180 patients who underwent appendectomy during the same time period, but had not been selected for the first group: these patients costs for each group were calculated. In the first group, the diagnostic value of the clinical signs was also evaluated. The reliability of the clinical signs was limited, while the results with ultrasound and CT were excellent. The incidence of negative appendectomy was 9.6% in the study group and 12.2% in the control group. Moreover, there were fewer complications and a shorter hospital stay in the first group. Among men, however, the rate of negative appendectomy was lower in the control group. The cost of using ultrasound and CT in the management of appendicitis was only slightly higher than that of the control group. Although ultrasound and CT are not necessary in cases in which the probability of appendicitis is low or in men presenting clear clinical evidence, the use of these techniques is indicated in the remaining cases in which appendicitis is suspected. In children, ultrasound is the technique of choice. In all other patients, if negative results are obtained with one of the two techniques, the other should be performed. (Author) 49 refs

  6. 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.

  7. A novel porcine cell culture based protocol for the propagation of hepatitis E virus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Walter Chingwaru

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To present a comprehensive protocol for the processing of hepatitis E virus (HEV infected samples and propagation of the virus in primary cell cultures. Methods: Hepatitis E was extracted from porcine liver and faecal samples following standard protocols. The virus was then allowed to attach in the presence of trypsin to primary cells that included porcine and bovine intestinal epithelial cells and macrophages over a period of up to 3 h. The virus was propagated by rotational passaging through the cell cultures. Propagation was confirmed by immunoblotting. Results: We developed a comprehensive protocol to propagate HEV in porcine cell model that includes (i rotational culturing of the virus between porcine cell types, (ii pre-incubation of infected cells for 210 min, (iii use of a semi-complete cell culture medium supplemented with trypsin (0.33 µg/mL and (iv the use of simple immunoblot technique to detect the amplified virus based on the open reading frame 2/3. Conclusions: This protocol opens doors towards systematic analysis of the mechanisms that underlie the pathogenesis of HEV in vitro. Using our protocol, one can complete the propagation process within 6 to 9 d.

  8. 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.

  9. 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)

  10. Urine sample collection protocols for bioassay samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    MacLellan, J.A.; McFadden, K.M.

    1992-11-01

    In vitro radiobioassay analyses are used to measure the amount of radioactive material excreted by personnel exposed to the potential intake of radioactive material. The analytical results are then used with various metabolic models to estimate the amount of radioactive material in the subject`s body and the original intake of radioactive material. Proper application of these metabolic models requires knowledge of the excretion period. It is normal practice to design the bioassay program based on a 24-hour excretion sample. The Hanford bioassay program simulates a total 24-hour urine excretion sample with urine collection periods lasting from one-half hour before retiring to one-half hour after rising on two consecutive days. Urine passed during the specified periods is collected in three 1-L bottles. Because the daily excretion volume given in Publication 23 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP 1975, p. 354) for Reference Man is 1.4 L, it was proposed to use only two 1-L bottles as a cost-saving measure. This raised the broader question of what should be the design capacity of a 24-hour urine sample kit.

  11. Urine sample collection protocols for bioassay samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    MacLellan, J.A.; McFadden, K.M.

    1992-11-01

    In vitro radiobioassay analyses are used to measure the amount of radioactive material excreted by personnel exposed to the potential intake of radioactive material. The analytical results are then used with various metabolic models to estimate the amount of radioactive material in the subject's body and the original intake of radioactive material. Proper application of these metabolic models requires knowledge of the excretion period. It is normal practice to design the bioassay program based on a 24-hour excretion sample. The Hanford bioassay program simulates a total 24-hour urine excretion sample with urine collection periods lasting from one-half hour before retiring to one-half hour after rising on two consecutive days. Urine passed during the specified periods is collected in three 1-L bottles. Because the daily excretion volume given in Publication 23 of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP 1975, p. 354) for Reference Man is 1.4 L, it was proposed to use only two 1-L bottles as a cost-saving measure. This raised the broader question of what should be the design capacity of a 24-hour urine sample kit.

  12. 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...

  13. 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.

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. 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.

  17. 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.

  18. Bioinspired Security Analysis of Wireless Protocols

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Petrocchi, Marinella; Spognardi, Angelo; Santi, Paolo

    2016-01-01

    work, this paper investigates feasibility of adopting fraglets as model for specifying security protocols and analysing their properties. In particular, we give concrete sample analyses over a secure RFID protocol, showing evolution of the protocol run as chemical dynamics and simulating an adversary...

  19. 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

  20. Effect of joint mobilization techniques for primary total knee arthroplasty: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Jiao; Zhang, Juan; Wang, Xue-Qiang; Wang, Xuan-Lin; Wu, Ya; Chen, Chan-Cheng; Zhang, Han-Yu; Zhang, Zhi-Wan; Fan, Kai-Yi; Zhu, Qiang; Deng, Zhi-Wei

    2017-12-01

    Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has become the most preferred procedure by patients for the relief of pain caused by knee osteoarthritis. TKA patients aim a speedy recovery after the surgery. Joint mobilization techniques for rehabilitation have been widely used to relieve pain and improve joint mobility. However, relevant randomized controlled trials showing the curative effect of these techniques remain lacking to date. Accordingly, this study aims to investigate whether joint mobilization techniques are valid for primary TKA. We will manage a single-blind, prospective, randomized, controlled trial of 120 patients with unilateral TKA. Patients will be randomized into an intervention group, a physical modality therapy group, and a usual care group. The intervention group will undergo joint mobilization manipulation treatment once a day and regular training twice a day for a month. The physical modality therapy group will undergo physical therapy once a day and regular training twice a day for a month. The usual care group will perform regular training twice a day for a month. Primary outcome measures will be based on the visual analog scale, the knee joint Hospital for Special Surgery score, range of motion, surrounded degree, and adverse effect. Secondary indicators will include manual muscle testing, 36-Item Short Form Health Survey, Berg Balance Scale function evaluation, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, proprioception, and muscle morphology. We will direct intention-to-treat analysis if a subject withdraws from the trial. The important features of this trial for joint mobilization techniques in primary TKA are randomization procedures, single-blind, large sample size, and standardized protocol. This study aims to investigate whether joint mobilization techniques are effective for early TKA patients. The result of this study may serve as a guide for TKA patients, medical personnel, and healthcare decision makers. It has been registered at http

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Evaluation of a lateral flow-based technology card for blood typing using a simplified protocol in a model of extreme blood sampling conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clavier, Benoît; Pouget, Thomas; Sailliol, Anne

    2018-02-01

    Life-threatening situations requiring blood transfusion under extreme conditions or in remote and austere locations, such as the battlefield or in traffic accidents, would benefit from reliable blood typing practices that are easily understood by a nonscientist or nonlaboratory technician and provide quick results. A simplified protocol was developed for the lateral flow-based device MDmulticard ABO-D-Rh subgroups-K. Its performance was compared to a reference method (PK7300, Beckman Coulter) in native blood samples from donors. The method was tested on blood samples stressed in vitro as a model of hemorrhage cases (through hemodilution using physiologic serum) and dehydration (through hemoconcentration by removing an aliquot of plasma after centrifugation), respectively. A total of 146 tests were performed on 52 samples; 126 in the hemodilution group (42 for each native, diluted 1/2, and diluted 1/4 samples) and 20 in the hemoconcentration group (10 for each native and 10% concentrated samples). Hematocrit in the tested samples ranged from 9.8% to 57.6% while hemoglobin levels ranged from 3.2 to 20.1 g/dL. The phenotype profile detected with the MDmulticard using the simplified protocol resulted in 22 A, seven B, 20 O, and three AB, of which nine were D- and five were Kell positive. No discrepancies were found with respect to the results obtained with the reference method. The simplified protocol for MDmulticard use could be considered a reliable method for blood typing in extreme environment or emergency situations, worsened by red blood cell dilution or concentration. © 2017 AABB.

  5. 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 ...

  6. Application of the luminescence single-aliquot technique for dose estimation in the Marmara Sea

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanir, Guenes; Sencan, Emine; Boeluekdemir, M. Hicabi; Tuerkoez, M. Burak; Tel, Eyuep

    2005-01-01

    The aim of this study is to obtain the equivalent dose, which is the important quantity for all the studies related to the use of luminescence in dating sediments. Recent advances in luminescence dating have led to increasing application of the technique to sediment from the depositional environmental samples. The sample used in this study is the active main fault sample that was collected from the Sea of Marmara in NW Turkey. Equivalent dose was measured using both the multiple-aliquots and the single-aliquot techniques. In this study single aliquot regeneration on additive dose (SARA) procedure was also used. The result obtained was not in agreement with the results evaluated from the multiple-aliquots procedure. So a simple modification was suggested for SARA procedure. In our modified procedure the calculated dose (D) values were obtained by using the additive dose protocol instead of regeneration protocol

  7. Protocol for the realization of transrectal prostatic biopsy guided by ultrasound

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arce Montero, Jairo

    2013-01-01

    A general protocol is proposed for the realization of the ultrasound-guided prostatic biopsy in patients with positive screening. The screening should be performed taking into account risk antecedents, rectal examination and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in the patients. However, patients that have presented without alteration in the PSA and suspect rectal examination, should be considered for biopsy endorectal with ultrasound guidance even more with positive risk factors. The generalities of prostate cancer are described. The general prostatic anatomy and echographic are reviewed. The echographic technique is analyzed in the exploration endorectal. The echographic findings suspects of prostate cancer are characterized. The different biopsy sampling techniques are described; and based on appropriate knowledge of prostatic echographic anatomy, could increase the effectiveness in the early detection of prostate cancer in patients with positive screening. The complications derived from the process are enumerated. The final recommendations are noted on the protocol described [es

  8. 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 ...

  9. 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.

  10. 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

  11. Mac protocols for cyber-physical systems

    CERN Document Server

    Xia, Feng

    2015-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campagne, Fabien

    2008-02-29

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

  13. 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)

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    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...

  16. 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.

  17. Studies on osteoporosis in Chile using isotope-related techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lobo, G.; Palma, T.; Cortes-Toro, E.

    1996-01-01

    Several studies on bone densitometry measurements in healthy individuals have been performed in Chile. However due to the fact that different techniques and no uniform protocols have been used to select patients, the results obtained are not suitable as reference values for a normal chilean population. Therefore, foreign reference values are used. This study will select healthy normal individuals, typical urban chilean residents, and measure bone density using the DEXA technique. The selection will be made according to a well defined protocol. Serum osteocalcin, a marker of bone remodeling, will be measured in all subjects as a means-a assessing bone metabolism. Bone trace element composition will be measured in selected subjects. Samples will be obtained by biopsy or through normal surgical procedures and will be analyzed by neutron activation analysis. (author)

  18. 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.

  19. A class-chest for deriving transport protocols

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Strayer, W.T.

    1996-10-01

    Development of new transport protocols or protocol algorithms suffers from the complexity of the environment in which they are intended to run. Modeling techniques attempt to avoid this by simulating the environment. Another approach to promoting rapid prototyping of protocols and protocol algorithms is to provide a pre-built infrastructure that is common to transport protocols, so that the focus is placed on the protocol-specific aspects. The Meta-Transport Library is a library of C++ base classes that implement or abstract out the mundane functions of a protocol, new protocol implementations are derived from base classes. The result is a fully viable user- level transport protocol implementation, with emphasis on modularity. The collection of base classes form a ``class-chest`` of tools .from which protocols can be developed and studied with as little change to a normal UNIX environment as possible.

  20. Diagnostic PCR: validation and sample preparation are two sides of the same coin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoorfar, Jeffrey; Wolffs, Petra; Radstrøm, Peter

    2004-01-01

    Increased use of powerful PCR technology for the routine detection of pathogens has focused attention on the need for international validation and preparation of official non-commercial guidelines. Bacteria of epidemiological importance should be the prime focus, although a "validation...... of quantitative reference DNA material and reagents, production of stringent protocols and tools for thermal cycler performance testing, uncomplicated sample preparation techniques, and extensive ring trials for assessment of the efficacy of selected matrix/pathogen detection protocols....

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. Comparison of Different Double Immunostaining Protocols for Paraffin Embedded Liver Tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alexander Schütz

    1999-01-01

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

  4. Cryptographic protocol security analysis based on bounded constructing algorithm

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2006-01-01

    An efficient approach to analyzing cryptographic protocols is to develop automatic analysis tools based on formal methods. However, the approach has encountered the high computational complexity problem due to reasons that participants of protocols are arbitrary, their message structures are complex and their executions are concurrent. We propose an efficient automatic verifying algorithm for analyzing cryptographic protocols based on the Cryptographic Protocol Algebra (CPA) model proposed recently, in which algebraic techniques are used to simplify the description of cryptographic protocols and their executions. Redundant states generated in the analysis processes are much reduced by introducing a new algebraic technique called Universal Polynomial Equation and the algorithm can be used to verify the correctness of protocols in the infinite states space. We have implemented an efficient automatic analysis tool for cryptographic protocols, called ACT-SPA, based on this algorithm, and used the tool to check more than 20 cryptographic protocols. The analysis results show that this tool is more efficient, and an attack instance not offered previously is checked by using this tool.

  5. 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.

  6. Preparation of samples for leaf architecture studies, a method for mounting cleared leaves.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasco, Alejandra; Thadeo, Marcela; Conover, Margaret; Daly, Douglas C

    2014-09-01

    Several recent waves of interest in leaf architecture have shown an expanding range of approaches and applications across a number of disciplines. Despite this increased interest, examination of existing archives of cleared and mounted leaves shows that current methods for mounting, in particular, yield unsatisfactory results and deterioration of samples over relatively short periods. Although techniques for clearing and staining leaves are numerous, published techniques for mounting leaves are scarce. • Here we present a complete protocol and recommendations for clearing, staining, and imaging leaves, and, most importantly, a method to permanently mount cleared leaves. • The mounting protocol is faster than other methods, inexpensive, and straightforward; moreover, it yields clear and permanent samples that can easily be imaged, scanned, and stored. Specimens mounted with this method preserve well, with leaves that were mounted more than 35 years ago showing no signs of bubbling or discoloration.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simarpreet Kaur

    2012-11-01

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

  8. 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

  9. Stochastic bounded consensus tracking of leader-follower multi-agent systems with measurement noises based on sampled data with general sampling delay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Zhi-Hai; Peng Li; Xie Lin-Bo; Wen Ji-Wei

    2013-01-01

    In this paper we provide a unified framework for consensus tracking of leader-follower multi-agent systems with measurement noises based on sampled data with a general sampling delay. First, a stochastic bounded consensus tracking protocol based on sampled data with a general sampling delay is presented by employing the delay decomposition technique. Then, necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for guaranteeing leader-follower multi-agent systems with measurement noises and a time-varying reference state to achieve mean square bounded consensus tracking. The obtained results cover no sampling delay, a small sampling delay and a large sampling delay as three special cases. Last, simulations are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results. (interdisciplinary physics and related areas of science and technology)

  10. Detecting in situ copepod diet diversity using molecular technique: development of a copepod/symbiotic ciliate-excluding eukaryote-inclusive PCR protocol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Simin; Guo, Zhiling; Li, Tao; Carpenter, Edward J; Liu, Sheng; Lin, Senjie

    2014-01-01

    Knowledge of in situ copepod diet diversity is crucial for accurately describing pelagic food web structure but is challenging to achieve due to lack of an easily applicable methodology. To enable analysis with whole copepod-derived DNAs, we developed a copepod-excluding 18S rDNA-based PCR protocol. Although it is effective in depressing amplification of copepod 18S rDNA, its applicability to detect diverse eukaryotes in both mono- and mixed-species has not been demonstrated. Besides, the protocol suffers from the problem that sequences from symbiotic ciliates are overrepresented in the retrieved 18S rDNA libraries. In this study, we designed a blocking primer to make a combined primer set (copepod/symbiotic ciliate-excluding eukaryote-common: CEEC) to depress PCR amplification of symbiotic ciliate sequences while maximizing the range of eukaryotes amplified. We firstly examined the specificity and efficacy of CEEC by PCR-amplifying DNAs from 16 copepod species, 37 representative organisms that are potential prey of copepods and a natural microplankton sample, and then evaluated the efficiency in reconstructing diet composition by detecting the food of both lab-reared and field-collected copepods. Our results showed that the CEEC primer set can successfully amplify 18S rDNA from a wide range of isolated species and mixed-species samples while depressing amplification of that from copepod and targeted symbiotic ciliate, indicating the universality of CEEC in specifically detecting prey of copepods. All the predetermined food offered to copepods in the laboratory were successfully retrieved, suggesting that the CEEC-based protocol can accurately reconstruct the diets of copepods without interference of copepods and their associated ciliates present in the DNA samples. Our initial application to analyzing the food composition of field-collected copepods uncovered diverse prey species, including those currently known, and those that are unsuspected, as copepod prey

  11. 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)

  12. Analysis of Security Protocols by Annotations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gao, Han

    . The development of formal techniques, e.g. control flow analyses, that can check various security properties, is an important tool to meet this challenge. This dissertation contributes to the development of such techniques. In this dissertation, security protocols are modelled in the process calculus LYSA......The trend in Information Technology is that distributed systems and networks are becoming increasingly important, as most of the services and opportunities that characterise the modern society are based on these technologies. Communication among agents over networks has therefore acquired a great...... deal of research interest. In order to provide effective and reliable means of communication, more and more communication protocols are invented, and for most of them, security is a significant goal. It has long been a challenge to determine conclusively whether a given protocol is secure or not...

  13. Measurement of electro-sprayed 238 and 239+240 plutonium isotopes using 4{pi}-alpha spectrometry. Application to environmental samples; Spectrometrie alpha 4{pi} de sources d'actinides realisees par electronebulisation. Developpement et optimisation d'un protocole applique au mesurage des isotopes 238 et 239+240 du plutonium dans l'environnement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Charmoille-Roblot, M. [CEA/Fontenay-aux-Roses, Dept. de Protection de l' Environnement (DPRE), 92 (France)]|[Paris-11 Univ., 91 - Orsay (France)

    1999-07-01

    A new protocol for plutonium deposition using the electro-spray technique coupled with 4{pi}-{alpha} spectrometry is proposed to improve the detection limit, shorten the counting time. In order to increase the detection efficiency, it was proposed to measure 238 and 239+240 plutonium isotopes electro-sprayed deposit simultaneously on both sides of the source support, that must be as transparent as possible to alpha-emissions, in a two-alpha detectors chamber. A radiochemical protocol was adapted to electro-spray constraints and a very thin carbon foil was selected for 4{pi} -alpha spectrometry. The method was applied to a batch of sediment samples and gave the same results as an electrodeposited source measured using conventional alpha spectrometry with a 25 % gain on counting time and 10 % on plutonium 238 detection limit. Validation and application of the technique have been made on reference samples. (author)

  14. 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.

  15. Rehabilitation with 4 zygomatic implants with a new surgical protocol using ultrasonic technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mozzati, Marco; Mortellaro, Carmen; Arata, Valentina; Gallesio, Giorgia; Previgliano, Valter

    2015-05-01

    When the residual bone crest cannot allow the placement of standard implants, the treatment for complete arch rehabilitation of severely atrophic maxillae can be performed with 4 zygomatic implants (ZIs) and immediate function with predictable results in terms of aesthetics, function, and comfort for the patient. However, even if ZIs' rehabilitations showed a good success rate, this surgery is difficult and need a skillful operator. Complications in this kind of rehabilitation are not uncommon; the main difficulties can be related to the reduced surgical visibility and instrument control in a critical anatomic area. All the surgical protocols described in the literature used drilling techniques. Furthermore, the use of ultrasonic instruments in implant surgery compared with drilling instruments have shown advantages in many aspects of surgical procedures, tissues management, enhancement of control, surgical visualization, and healing. The aim of this study was to report on the preliminary experience using ultrasound technique for ZIs surgery in terms of safety and technical improvement. Ten consecutive patients with severely atrophic maxilla have been treated with 4 ZIs and immediate complete arch acrylic resin provisional prostheses. The patients were followed up from 30 to 32 months evaluating implant success, prosthetic success, and patient satisfaction with a questionnaire. No implants were lost during the study period, with a 100% implant and prosthetic success rate. Within the limitations of this preliminary study, these data indicate that ultrasonic implant site preparation for ZIs can be a good alternative to the drilling technique and an improvement for the surgeon.

  16. Split bolus technique in polytrauma: a prospective study on scan protocols for trauma analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Beenen, Ludo F. M.; Sierink, Joanne C.; Kolkman, Saskia; Nio, C. Yung; Saltzherr, Teun Peter; Dijkgraaf, Marcel G. W.; Goslings, J. Carel

    2015-01-01

    For the evaluation of severely injured trauma patients a variety of total body computed tomography (CT) scanning protocols exist. Frequently multiple pass protocols are used. A split bolus contrast protocol can reduce the number of passes through the body, and thereby radiation exposure, in this

  17. A Fair Cooperative MAC Protocol in IEEE 802.11 WLAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seyed Davoud Mousavi

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Cooperative communication techniques have recently enabled wireless technologies to overcome their challenges. The main objective of these techniques is to improve resource allocation. In this paper, we propose a new protocol in medium access control (MAC of the IEEE 802.11 standard. In our new protocol, which is called Fair Cooperative MAC (FC-MAC, every relay node participates in cooperation proportionally to its provided cooperation gain. This technique improves network resource allocation by exploiting the potential capacity of all relay candidates. Simulation results demonstrate that the FC-MAC protocol presents better performance in terms of throughput, fairness, and network lifetime.

  18. Pierre Gy's sampling theory and sampling practice heterogeneity, sampling correctness, and statistical process control

    CERN Document Server

    Pitard, Francis F

    1993-01-01

    Pierre Gy's Sampling Theory and Sampling Practice, Second Edition is a concise, step-by-step guide for process variability management and methods. Updated and expanded, this new edition provides a comprehensive study of heterogeneity, covering the basic principles of sampling theory and its various applications. It presents many practical examples to allow readers to select appropriate sampling protocols and assess the validity of sampling protocols from others. The variability of dynamic process streams using variography is discussed to help bridge sampling theory with statistical process control. Many descriptions of good sampling devices, as well as descriptions of poor ones, are featured to educate readers on what to look for when purchasing sampling systems. The book uses its accessible, tutorial style to focus on professional selection and use of methods. The book will be a valuable guide for mineral processing engineers; metallurgists; geologists; miners; chemists; environmental scientists; and practit...

  19. 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.

  20. A comparative study of sample dissolution techniques and plasma-based instruments for the precise and accurate quantification of REEs in mineral matrices

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Whitty-Léveillé, Laurence; Turgeon, Keven; Bazin, Claude; Larivière, Dominic

    2017-01-01

    The recent commercialisation of inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometric (ICP-MS/MS) instruments has provided analytical chemists with a new tool to properly quantify atomic composition in a variety of matrices with minimal sample preparation. In this article, we report on our assessment of the compatibility of 3 sample preparation techniques (open-vessel acid digestion, microwave digestion and alkaline fusion) for the quantification of rare earth elements (REEs) in mineral matrices. The combination of the high digestion temperatures (1050 °C) and using LiBO_2 as a flux was the most effective strategy for the digestion of all rare earth elements in mineral matrices and was compatible with ICP-MS/MS measurements. We also assessed the analytical performances of ICP-MS/MS against other plasma-based instrumentation (microwave induced plasma and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MIP-AES and ICP-AES, respectively) and single quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The comparative study showed that the concentrations obtained by ICP-MS/MS are in excellent agreement with the certified reference material values, and much more suited than the other analytical techniques tested for the quantification of REEs, which exhibited low detectability and/or spectral interferences for some elements/isotopes. Finally, the ruggedness of the analytical protocol proposed which combines a rapid sample dissolution step performed by an automated fusion unit and an ICP-MS/MS as a detector was established using various certified mineral matrices containing variable levels of REEs. - Highlights: • Three types of digestion methods were tested. • Four types of analytical techniques were compared. • Elimination of the spectral interferences encountered in ICP-MS was achieved by the use of Tandem ICP-MS. • Robustness of the analytical procedure was successfully evaluate on four types of certified reference material.

  1. A comparative study of sample dissolution techniques and plasma-based instruments for the precise and accurate quantification of REEs in mineral matrices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Whitty-Léveillé, Laurence; Turgeon, Keven [Département de génie des mines, de la métallurgie et des matériaux, Université Laval, Québec, QC (Canada); Département de chimie, Université Laval, Québec, QC (Canada); Bazin, Claude [Département de génie des mines, de la métallurgie et des matériaux, Université Laval, Québec, QC (Canada); Larivière, Dominic, E-mail: dominic.lariviere@chm.ulaval.ca [Département de chimie, Université Laval, Québec, QC (Canada)

    2017-04-08

    The recent commercialisation of inductively coupled plasma tandem mass spectrometric (ICP-MS/MS) instruments has provided analytical chemists with a new tool to properly quantify atomic composition in a variety of matrices with minimal sample preparation. In this article, we report on our assessment of the compatibility of 3 sample preparation techniques (open-vessel acid digestion, microwave digestion and alkaline fusion) for the quantification of rare earth elements (REEs) in mineral matrices. The combination of the high digestion temperatures (1050 °C) and using LiBO{sub 2} as a flux was the most effective strategy for the digestion of all rare earth elements in mineral matrices and was compatible with ICP-MS/MS measurements. We also assessed the analytical performances of ICP-MS/MS against other plasma-based instrumentation (microwave induced plasma and inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (MIP-AES and ICP-AES, respectively) and single quadrupole inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The comparative study showed that the concentrations obtained by ICP-MS/MS are in excellent agreement with the certified reference material values, and much more suited than the other analytical techniques tested for the quantification of REEs, which exhibited low detectability and/or spectral interferences for some elements/isotopes. Finally, the ruggedness of the analytical protocol proposed which combines a rapid sample dissolution step performed by an automated fusion unit and an ICP-MS/MS as a detector was established using various certified mineral matrices containing variable levels of REEs. - Highlights: • Three types of digestion methods were tested. • Four types of analytical techniques were compared. • Elimination of the spectral interferences encountered in ICP-MS was achieved by the use of Tandem ICP-MS. • Robustness of the analytical procedure was successfully evaluate on four types of certified reference material.

  2. Investigations of the post-IR IRSL protocol applied to single K-feldspar grains from fluvial sediment samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nian, Xiaomei; Bailey, Richard M.; Zhou, Liping

    2012-01-01

    The post-IR IRSL protocol with single K-feldspar grains was applied to three samples taken from a fluvial sedimentary sequence at the archaeological site of the Dali Man, Shaanxi Province, China. K-feldspar coarse grains were extracted for measurement. Approximately 30–40% of the grains were sufficiently bright to measure, and after application of rejection criteria based on signal strength, recuperation, recycling ratio and saturation dose, ∼10–15% of the grains were used for D e calculation. The relationship of signal decay rate and form of D e (t) with the recovery dose were investigated. The dose recovery ratios of the samples after initial bleaching with the four different light sources were within uncertainties of unity. No anomalous fading was observed. The over-dispersion of the recovered dose and D e values were similar, suggesting neither incomplete resetting of the post-IR IRSL signals nor spatially heterogeneous dose rates significantly affected the natural dose estimates. The values of D e obtained with the single K-feldspar grain post-IR IRSL protocol were in the range ∼400–490 Gy. Combining all of the measured single-grain signals for each of the individual samples (into a ‘synthetic single aliquot’) increased the D e estimates to the range ∼700–900 Gy, suggesting that the grains screened-out by the rejection criteria may have the potential to cause palaeodose over-estimation, although this finding requires a more extensive investigation. Thermally transferred signals were found in the single K-feldspar grains post-IR IRSL protocol, and the proportion of thermally transferred signal to test-dose OSL signal (stimulation at 290 °C) from the natural dose was higher than from regenerative doses, and the proportion was grain- and dose-dependent. As such, TT-post-IR IRSL signals at 290 °C have the potential to cause dose underestimation, although this may be reduced by using larger test-dose irradiations. Our study demonstrates

  3. Immunochemical protocols

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Pound, John D

    1998-01-01

    ... easy and important refinements often are not published. This much anticipated 2nd edition of Immunochemzcal Protocols therefore aims to provide a user-friendly up-to-date handbook of reliable techniques selected to suit the needs of molecular biologists. It covers the full breadth of the relevant established immunochemical methods, from protein blotting and immunoa...

  4. The Delphi technique in radiography education research

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    John-Matthews, J.St.; Wallace, M.J.; Robinson, L.

    2017-01-01

    Objectives: To describe and review the Delphi technique as a tool for radiographers engaged in mixed-methods research whereby agreement is required on the proficiencies needed by educational programmes for pre- and post- registration radiographers. This is achieved through a description offering a brief history of the technique. Through a literature search, radiography education research using this technique is identified. A protocol for a research project using the technique is presented. Using this worked example, advantages and disadvantages of the method are explored including sampling of participants, sample size, number of rounds and methods of feedback. Key findings: There are limited examples of the use of the Delphi technique in radiography literature including considerations on how to select experts and panel size. Conclusion: The Delphi technique is a suitable method for establishing collective agreement in the design of radiography educational interventions. Additional research is needed to deepen this evidence-based knowledge. - Highlights: • The Delphi Technique is used to gain collective agreement in forecasting healthcare education priorities. • There is increase of the use of the technique in healthcare education literature. • There are some examples of the technique in radiography education research. • A worked example of this technique is provided to critically evaluate this tool.

  5. Basin Visual Estimation Technique (BVET) and Representative Reach Approaches to Wadeable Stream Surveys: Methodological Limitations and Future Directions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lance R. Williams; Melvin L. Warren; Susan B. Adams; Joseph L. Arvai; Christopher M. Taylor

    2004-01-01

    Basin Visual Estimation Techniques (BVET) are used to estimate abundance for fish populations in small streams. With BVET, independent samples are drawn from natural habitat units in the stream rather than sampling "representative reaches." This sampling protocol provides an alternative to traditional reach-level surveys, which are criticized for their lack...

  6. 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.

  7. 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)

  8. Adventitious Carbon on Primary Sample Containment Metal Surfaces

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calaway, M. J.; Fries, M. D.

    2015-01-01

    Future missions that return astromaterials with trace carbonaceous signatures will require strict protocols for reducing and controlling terrestrial carbon contamination. Adventitious carbon (AC) on primary sample containers and related hardware is an important source of that contamination. AC is a thin film layer or heterogeneously dispersed carbonaceous material that naturally accrues from the environment on the surface of atmospheric exposed metal parts. To test basic cleaning techniques for AC control, metal surfaces commonly used for flight hardware and curating astromaterials at JSC were cleaned using a basic cleaning protocol and characterized for AC residue. Two electropolished stainless steel 316L (SS- 316L) and two Al 6061 (Al-6061) test coupons (2.5 cm diameter by 0.3 cm thick) were subjected to precision cleaning in the JSC Genesis ISO class 4 cleanroom Precision Cleaning Laboratory. Afterwards, the samples were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Raman spectroscopy.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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

  10. 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.

  11. 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

  12. 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.

  13. Network protocols and sockets

    OpenAIRE

    BALEJ, Marek

    2010-01-01

    My work will deal with network protocols and sockets and their use in programming language C#. It will therefore deal programming network applications on the platform .NET from Microsoft and instruments, which C# provides to us. There will describe the tools and methods for programming network applications, and shows a description and sample applications that work with sockets and application protocols.

  14. Information-theoretic security proof for quantum-key-distribution protocols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Renner, Renato; Gisin, Nicolas; Kraus, Barbara

    2005-01-01

    We present a technique for proving the security of quantum-key-distribution (QKD) protocols. It is based on direct information-theoretic arguments and thus also applies if no equivalent entanglement purification scheme can be found. Using this technique, we investigate a general class of QKD protocols with one-way classical post-processing. We show that, in order to analyze the full security of these protocols, it suffices to consider collective attacks. Indeed, we give new lower and upper bounds on the secret-key rate which only involve entropies of two-qubit density operators and which are thus easy to compute. As an illustration of our results, we analyze the Bennett-Brassard 1984, the six-state, and the Bennett 1992 protocols with one-way error correction and privacy amplification. Surprisingly, the performance of these protocols is increased if one of the parties adds noise to the measurement data before the error correction. In particular, this additional noise makes the protocols more robust against noise in the quantum channel

  15. Information-theoretic security proof for quantum-key-distribution protocols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Renner, Renato; Gisin, Nicolas; Kraus, Barbara

    2005-07-01

    We present a technique for proving the security of quantum-key-distribution (QKD) protocols. It is based on direct information-theoretic arguments and thus also applies if no equivalent entanglement purification scheme can be found. Using this technique, we investigate a general class of QKD protocols with one-way classical post-processing. We show that, in order to analyze the full security of these protocols, it suffices to consider collective attacks. Indeed, we give new lower and upper bounds on the secret-key rate which only involve entropies of two-qubit density operators and which are thus easy to compute. As an illustration of our results, we analyze the Bennett-Brassard 1984, the six-state, and the Bennett 1992 protocols with one-way error correction and privacy amplification. Surprisingly, the performance of these protocols is increased if one of the parties adds noise to the measurement data before the error correction. In particular, this additional noise makes the protocols more robust against noise in the quantum channel.

  16. Variation in radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McFadden, S L; Hughes, C M; Winder, R J

    2013-01-01

    The aim of this work is to determine current radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology (IC) in the UK and Ireland. To do this we investigated which imaging parameters/protocols are commonly used in IC in different hospitals, to identify if a standard technique is used and illustrate any variation in practice. A questionnaire was sent to all hospitals in the UK and Ireland which perform paediatric IC to obtain information on techniques used in each clinical department and on the range of clinical examinations performed. Ethical and research governance approval was sought from the Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland and the individual trusts. A response rate of 79% was achieved, and a wide variation in technique was found between hospitals. The main differences in technique involved variations in the use of an anti-scatter grid and the use of additional filtration to the radiation beam, frame rates for digital acquisition and pre-programmed projections/paediatric specific programming in the equipment. We conclude that there is no standard protocol for carrying out paediatric IC in the UK or Ireland. Each hospital carries out the IC procedure according to its own local protocols resulting in a wide variation in radiation dose. (paper)

  17. Variation in radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McFadden, S L; Hughes, C M; Winder, R J

    2013-06-01

    The aim of this work is to determine current radiographic protocols in paediatric interventional cardiology (IC) in the UK and Ireland. To do this we investigated which imaging parameters/protocols are commonly used in IC in different hospitals, to identify if a standard technique is used and illustrate any variation in practice. A questionnaire was sent to all hospitals in the UK and Ireland which perform paediatric IC to obtain information on techniques used in each clinical department and on the range of clinical examinations performed. Ethical and research governance approval was sought from the Office for Research Ethics Committees Northern Ireland and the individual trusts. A response rate of 79% was achieved, and a wide variation in technique was found between hospitals. The main differences in technique involved variations in the use of an anti-scatter grid and the use of additional filtration to the radiation beam, frame rates for digital acquisition and pre-programmed projections/paediatric specific programming in the equipment. We conclude that there is no standard protocol for carrying out paediatric IC in the UK or Ireland. Each hospital carries out the IC procedure according to its own local protocols resulting in a wide variation in radiation dose.

  18. Demonstrating Reliable High Level Waste Slurry Sampling Techniques to Support Hanford Waste Processing

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kelly, Steven E.

    2013-11-11

    The Hanford Tank Operations Contractor (TOC) and the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) contractor are both engaged in demonstrating mixing, sampling, and transfer system capability using simulated Hanford High-Level Waste (HL W) formulations. This work represents one of the remaining technical issues with the high-level waste treatment mission at Hanford. The TOC must demonstrate the ability to adequately mix and sample high-level waste feed to meet the WTP Waste Acceptance Criteria and Data Quality Objectives. The sampling method employed must support both TOC and WTP requirements. To facilitate information transfer between the two facilities the mixing and sampling demonstrations are led by the One System Integrated Project Team. The One System team, Waste Feed Delivery Mixing and Sampling Program, has developed a full scale sampling loop to demonstrate sampler capability. This paper discusses the full scale sampling loops ability to meet precision and accuracy requirements, including lessons learned during testing. Results of the testing showed that the Isolok(R) sampler chosen for implementation provides precise, repeatable results. The Isolok(R) sampler accuracy as tested did not meet test success criteria. Review of test data and the test platform following testing by a sampling expert identified several issues regarding the sampler used to provide reference material used to judge the Isolok's accuracy. Recommendations were made to obtain new data to evaluate the sampler's accuracy utilizing a reference sampler that follows good sampling protocol.

  19. Demonstrating Reliable High Level Waste Slurry Sampling Techniques to Support Hanford Waste Processing

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kelly, Steven E.

    2013-01-01

    The Hanford Tank Operations Contractor (TOC) and the Hanford Waste Treatment and Immobilization Plant (WTP) contractor are both engaged in demonstrating mixing, sampling, and transfer system capability using simulated Hanford High-Level Waste (HL W) formulations. This work represents one of the remaining technical issues with the high-level waste treatment mission at Hanford. The TOC must demonstrate the ability to adequately mix and sample high-level waste feed to meet the WTP Waste Acceptance Criteria and Data Quality Objectives. The sampling method employed must support both TOC and WTP requirements. To facilitate information transfer between the two facilities the mixing and sampling demonstrations are led by the One System Integrated Project Team. The One System team, Waste Feed Delivery Mixing and Sampling Program, has developed a full scale sampling loop to demonstrate sampler capability. This paper discusses the full scale sampling loops ability to meet precision and accuracy requirements, including lessons learned during testing. Results of the testing showed that the Isolok(R) sampler chosen for implementation provides precise, repeatable results. The Isolok(R) sampler accuracy as tested did not meet test success criteria. Review of test data and the test platform following testing by a sampling expert identified several issues regarding the sampler used to provide reference material used to judge the Isolok's accuracy. Recommendations were made to obtain new data to evaluate the sampler's accuracy utilizing a reference sampler that follows good sampling protocol

  20. Preparation of Samples for Leaf Architecture Studies, A Method for Mounting Cleared Leaves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alejandra Vasco

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Premise of the study: Several recent waves of interest in leaf architecture have shown an expanding range of approaches and applications across a number of disciplines. Despite this increased interest, examination of existing archives of cleared and mounted leaves shows that current methods for mounting, in particular, yield unsatisfactory results and deterioration of samples over relatively short periods. Although techniques for clearing and staining leaves are numerous, published techniques for mounting leaves are scarce. Methods and Results: Here we present a complete protocol and recommendations for clearing, staining, and imaging leaves, and, most importantly, a method to permanently mount cleared leaves. Conclusions: The mounting protocol is faster than other methods, inexpensive, and straightforward; moreover, it yields clear and permanent samples that can easily be imaged, scanned, and stored. Specimens mounted with this method preserve well, with leaves that were mounted more than 35 years ago showing no signs of bubbling or discoloration.

  1. 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.

  2. Evaluation protocol for amusia: Portuguese sample.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peixoto, Maria Conceição; Martins, Jorge; Teixeira, Pedro; Alves, Marisa; Bastos, José; Ribeiro, Carlos

    2012-12-01

    Amusia is a disorder that affects the processing of music. Part of this processing happens in the primary auditory cortex. The study of this condition allows us to evaluate the central auditory pathways. To explore the diagnostic evaluation tests of amusia. The authors propose an evaluation protocol for patients with suspected amusia (after brain injury or complaints of poor musical perception), in parallel with the assessment of central auditory processing, already implemented in the department. The Montreal Evaluation of Battery of amusia was the basis for the selection of the tests. From this comprehensive battery of tests we selected some of the musical examples to evaluate different musical aspects, including memory and perception of music, ability concerning musical recognition and discrimination. In terms of memory there is a test for assessing delayed memory, adapted to the Portuguese culture. Prospective study. Although still experimental, with the possibility of adjustments in the assessment, we believe that this assessment, combined with the study of central auditory processing, will allow us to understand some central lesions, congenital or acquired hearing perception limitations.

  3. Critical Response Protocol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellingson, Charlene; Roehrig, Gillian; Bakkum, Kris; Dubinsky, Janet M.

    2016-01-01

    This article introduces the Critical Response Protocol (CRP), an arts-based technique that engages students in equitable critical discourse and aligns with the "Next Generation Science Standards" vision for providing students opportunities for language learning while advancing science learning (NGSS Lead States 2013). CRP helps teachers…

  4. A two-hypothesis approach to establishing a life detection/biohazard protocol for planetary samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Conley, Catharine; Steele, Andrew

    2016-07-01

    The COSPAR policy on performing a biohazard assessment on samples brought from Mars to Earth is framed in the context of a concern for false-positive results. However, as noted during the 2012 Workshop for Life Detection in Samples from Mars (ref. Kminek et al., 2014), a more significant concern for planetary samples brought to Earth is false-negative results, because an undetected biohazard could increase risk to the Earth. This is the reason that stringent contamination control must be a high priority for all Category V Restricted Earth Return missions. A useful conceptual framework for addressing these concerns involves two complementary 'null' hypotheses: testing both of them, together, would allow statistical and community confidence to be developed regarding one or the other conclusion. As noted above, false negatives are of primary concern for safety of the Earth, so the 'Earth Safety null hypothesis' -- that must be disproved to assure low risk to the Earth from samples introduced by Category V Restricted Earth Return missions -- is 'There is native life in these samples.' False positives are of primary concern for Astrobiology, so the 'Astrobiology null hypothesis' -- that must be disproved in order to demonstrate the existence of extraterrestrial life is 'There is no life in these samples.' The presence of Earth contamination would render both of these hypotheses more difficult to disprove. Both these hypotheses can be tested following a strict science protocol; analyse, interprete, test the hypotheses and repeat. The science measurements undertaken are then done in an iterative fashion that responds to discovery with both hypotheses testable from interpretation of the scientific data. This is a robust, community involved activity that ensures maximum science return with minimal sample use.

  5. Protocol and the post-human performativity of security techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Grady, Nathaniel

    2016-07-01

    This article explores the deployment of exercises by the United Kingdom Fire and Rescue Service. Exercises stage, simulate and act out potential future emergencies and in so doing help the Fire and Rescue Service prepare for future emergencies. Specifically, exercises operate to assess and develop protocol; sets of guidelines which plan out the actions undertaken by the Fire and Rescue Service in responding to a fire. In the article I outline and assess the forms of knowledge and technologies, what I call the 'aesthetic forces', by which the exercise makes present and imagines future emergencies. By critically engaging with Karen Barad's notion of post-human performativity, I argue that exercises provide a site where such forces can entangle with one another; creating a bricolage through which future emergencies are evoked sensually and representatively, ultimately making it possible to experience emergencies in the present. This understanding of exercises allows also for critical appraisal of protocol both as phenomena that are produced through the enmeshing of different aesthetic forces and as devices which premise the operation of the security apparatus on contingency.

  6. 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)

  7. 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

  8. 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)

  9. 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

  10. Analyzing security protocols in hierarchical networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Zhang, Ye; Nielson, Hanne Riis

    2006-01-01

    Validating security protocols is a well-known hard problem even in a simple setting of a single global network. But a real network often consists of, besides the public-accessed part, several sub-networks and thereby forms a hierarchical structure. In this paper we first present a process calculus...... capturing the characteristics of hierarchical networks and describe the behavior of protocols on such networks. We then develop a static analysis to automate the validation. Finally we demonstrate how the technique can benefit the protocol development and the design of network systems by presenting a series...

  11. An Evaluation of Protocols for UAV Science Applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ivancic, William D.; Stewart, David E.; Sullivan, Donald V.; Finch, Patrick E.

    2012-01-01

    This paper identifies data transport needs for current and future science payloads deployed on the NASA Global Hawk Unmanned Aeronautical Vehicle (UAV). The NASA Global Hawk communication system and operational constrains are presented. The Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) mission is used to provide the baseline communication requirements as a variety of payloads were utilized in this mission. User needs and desires are addressed. Protocols are matched to the payload needs and an evaluation of various techniques and tradeoffs are presented. Such techniques include utilization rate-base selective negative acknowledgement protocols and possible use of protocol enhancing proxies. Tradeoffs of communication architectures that address ease-of-use and security considerations are also presented.

  12. 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

  13. Preparation of samples for leaf architecture studies, a method for mounting cleared leaves1

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vasco, Alejandra; Thadeo, Marcela; Conover, Margaret; Daly, Douglas C.

    2014-01-01

    • Premise of the study: Several recent waves of interest in leaf architecture have shown an expanding range of approaches and applications across a number of disciplines. Despite this increased interest, examination of existing archives of cleared and mounted leaves shows that current methods for mounting, in particular, yield unsatisfactory results and deterioration of samples over relatively short periods. Although techniques for clearing and staining leaves are numerous, published techniques for mounting leaves are scarce. • Methods and Results: Here we present a complete protocol and recommendations for clearing, staining, and imaging leaves, and, most importantly, a method to permanently mount cleared leaves. • Conclusions: The mounting protocol is faster than other methods, inexpensive, and straightforward; moreover, it yields clear and permanent samples that can easily be imaged, scanned, and stored. Specimens mounted with this method preserve well, with leaves that were mounted more than 35 years ago showing no signs of bubbling or discoloration. PMID:25225627

  14. 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.

  15. 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.

  16. Staged protocol for the treatment of chronic femoral shaft osteomyelitis with Ilizarov's technique followed by the use of intramedullary locked nail.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Po-Hsin; Lin, Hsi-Hsien; Su, Yu-Pin; Chiang, Chao-Ching; Chang, Ming-Chau; Chen, Chuan-Mu

    2017-06-01

    Infected nonunion of the femoral shaft is uncommon, and usually presents with challenging therapeutic and reconstructive problems. There are still controversies over treating infected nonunion of the femoral shaft. The purposes of this retrospective study were to review the treatment outcomes and describe a staged protocol for spontaneous wound healing. Six patients with chronic femoral shaft infected-nonunion from October 2002 to September 2010 were included in this retrospective study. Serial plain films and triple films of lower legs were performed to evaluate the alignment of the treated femoral shaft and bony union following our staged protocol of Ilizarov distraction osteogenesis and intramedullary nailing. An average bone defect of 7 cm was noted after staged osteotomy. Mean follow-up was 87.5 (range, 38-133) months. Union was achieved in all six patients, with an average external fixation time of 6.8 (range, 5-11) months. There was no reinfection. One complication of a 4-cm leg discrepancy was noted, with an initial shortening of 15 cm. The mean knee ranges of motion (ROM) before staged protocols and at final follow-up were 64.2±8.6 (range, 60-75)° and 53.3±9.3 (range, 40-65)°, respectively. The ROM at the knee joint statistically decreased following staged protocols. In the treatment of chronic femur osteomyelitis, the staged protocol of Ilizarov distraction osteogenesis followed by intramedullary nailing was safe and successful, and allowed for union, realignment, reorientation, and leg-length restoration. With regard to the soft tissue, this technique provides a unique type of reconstructive closure for infected wounds. It is suggested that the staged protocol is reliable in providing successful simultaneous reconstruction for bone and soft tissue defects without flap coverage. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Taiwan LLC.

  17. Portable abdomen radiography. Moving to thickness-based protocols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanchez, Adrian A.; Reiser, Ingrid; Baxter, Tina; Zhang, Yue; Finkle, Joshua H.; Lu, Zheng Feng; Feinstein, Kate A.

    2018-01-01

    Default pediatric protocols on many digital radiography systems are configured based on patient age. However, age does not adequately characterize patient size, which is the principal determinant of proper imaging technique. Use of default pediatric protocols by inexperienced technologists can result in patient overexposure, inadequate image quality, or repeated examinations. To ensure diagnostic image quality at a well-managed patient radiation exposure by transitioning to thickness-based protocols for pediatric portable abdomen radiography. We aggregated patient thickness data, milliamperes (mAs), kilovoltage peak (kVp), exposure index (EI), source-to-detector distance, and grid use for all portable abdomen radiographs performed in our pediatric hospital in a database with a combination of automated and manual data collection techniques. We then analyzed the database and used it as the basis to construct thickness-based protocols with consistent image quality across varying patient thicknesses, as determined by the EI. Retrospective analysis of pediatric portable exams performed at our adult-focused hospitals demonstrated substantial variability in EI relative to our pediatric hospital. Data collection at our pediatric hospital over 4 months accumulated roughly 800 portable abdomen exams, which we used to develop a thickness-based technique chart. Through automated retrieval of data in our systems' digital radiography exposure logs and recording of patient abdomen thickness, we successfully developed thickness-based techniques for portable abdomen radiography. (orig.)

  18. Portable abdomen radiography. Moving to thickness-based protocols

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanchez, Adrian A.; Reiser, Ingrid; Baxter, Tina; Zhang, Yue; Finkle, Joshua H.; Lu, Zheng Feng; Feinstein, Kate A. [University of Chicago Medical Center, Department of Radiology, Chicago, IL (United States)

    2018-02-15

    Default pediatric protocols on many digital radiography systems are configured based on patient age. However, age does not adequately characterize patient size, which is the principal determinant of proper imaging technique. Use of default pediatric protocols by inexperienced technologists can result in patient overexposure, inadequate image quality, or repeated examinations. To ensure diagnostic image quality at a well-managed patient radiation exposure by transitioning to thickness-based protocols for pediatric portable abdomen radiography. We aggregated patient thickness data, milliamperes (mAs), kilovoltage peak (kVp), exposure index (EI), source-to-detector distance, and grid use for all portable abdomen radiographs performed in our pediatric hospital in a database with a combination of automated and manual data collection techniques. We then analyzed the database and used it as the basis to construct thickness-based protocols with consistent image quality across varying patient thicknesses, as determined by the EI. Retrospective analysis of pediatric portable exams performed at our adult-focused hospitals demonstrated substantial variability in EI relative to our pediatric hospital. Data collection at our pediatric hospital over 4 months accumulated roughly 800 portable abdomen exams, which we used to develop a thickness-based technique chart. Through automated retrieval of data in our systems' digital radiography exposure logs and recording of patient abdomen thickness, we successfully developed thickness-based techniques for portable abdomen radiography. (orig.)

  19. 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.

  20. Antibody engineering: methods and protocols

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Chames, Patrick

    2012-01-01

    "Antibody Engineering: Methods and Protocols, Second Edition was compiled to give complete and easy access to a variety of antibody engineering techniques, starting from the creation of antibody repertoires and efficient...

  1. 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.

  2. Bone Healing Around Dental Implants: Simplified vs Conventional Drilling Protocols at Speed of 400 rpm.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gil, Luiz Fernando; Sarendranath, Alvin; Neiva, Rodrigo; Marão, Heloisa F; Tovar, Nick; Bonfante, Estevam A; Janal, Malvin N; Castellano, Arthur; Coelho, Paulo G

    This study evaluated whether simplified drilling protocols would provide comparable histologic and histomorphometric results to conventional drilling protocols at a low rotational speed. A total of 48 alumina-blasted and acid-etched Ti-6Al-4V implants with two diameters (3.75 and 4.2 mm, n = 24 per group) were bilaterally placed in the tibiae of 12 dogs, under a low-speed protocol (400 rpm). Within the same diameter group, half of the implants were inserted after a simplified drilling procedure (pilot drill + final diameter drill), and the other half were placed using the conventional drilling procedure. After 3 and 5 weeks, the animals were euthanized, and the retrieved bone-implant samples were subjected to nondecalcified histologic sectioning. Histomorphology, bone-to-implant contact (BIC), and bone area fraction occupancy (BAFO) analysis were performed. Histology showed that new bone was formed around implants, and inflammation or bone resorption was not evident for both groups. Histomorphometrically, when all independent variables were collapsed over drilling technique, no differences were detected for BIC and BAFO; when drilling technique was analyzed as a function of time, the conventional groups reached statistically higher BIC and BAFO at 3 weeks, but comparable values between techniques were observed at 5 weeks; 4.2-mm implants obtained statistically higher BAFO relative to 3.75-mm implants. Based on the present methodology, the conventional technique improved bone formation at 3 weeks, and narrower implants were associated with less bone formation.

  3. 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

  4. MRI technique for the preoperative evaluation of deep infiltrating endometriosis: current status and protocol recommendation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schneider, C.; Oehmke, F.; Tinneberg, H.-R.; Krombach, G.A.

    2016-01-01

    Endometriosis is a common cause of chronic pelvic pain and infertility. It is defined as the occurrence of endometrial tissue outside the uterine cavity and can manifest as a peritoneal, ovarian or infiltrating form, the latter being referred to as deep infiltrating endometriosis (DIE). Surgery is essential in the treatment of DIE and depending on the severity of the disease, surgery can be difficult and extensive. Beside clinical examination and ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven its value to provide useful information for planning surgery in patients with suspected DIE. To optimise the quality of MRI examinations, radiologists have to be familiar with the capabilities and also the limitations of this technique with respect to the assessment of DIE. MRI yields morphological information by using mainly T1- and T2-weighted sequences, but can also provide functional information by means of intravenous gadolinium, diffusion-weighted imaging or cine-MRI. In this article, these techniques and also adequate measures of patient preparation, which are indispensable for successful MRI imaging for the preoperative evaluation of DIE, are reviewed and a comprehensive protocol recommendation is provided.

  5. Comprehensive Non-Destructive Conservation Documentation of Lunar Samples Using High-Resolution Image-Based 3D Reconstructions and X-Ray CT Data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blumenfeld, E. H.; Evans, C. A.; Oshel, E. R.; Liddle, D. A.; Beaulieu, K.; Zeigler, R. A.; Hanna, R. D.; Ketcham, R. A.

    2015-01-01

    Established contemporary conservation methods within the fields of Natural and Cultural Heritage encourage an interdisciplinary approach to preservation of heritage material (both tangible and intangible) that holds "Outstanding Universal Value" for our global community. NASA's lunar samples were acquired from the moon for the primary purpose of intensive scientific investigation. These samples, however, also invoke cultural significance, as evidenced by the millions of people per year that visit lunar displays in museums and heritage centers around the world. Being both scientifically and culturally significant, the lunar samples require a unique conservation approach. Government mandate dictates that NASA's Astromaterials Acquisition and Curation Office develop and maintain protocols for "documentation, preservation, preparation and distribution of samples for research, education and public outreach" for both current and future collections of astromaterials. Documentation, considered the first stage within the conservation methodology, has evolved many new techniques since curation protocols for the lunar samples were first implemented, and the development of new documentation strategies for current and future astromaterials is beneficial to keeping curation protocols up to date. We have developed and tested a comprehensive non-destructive documentation technique using high-resolution image-based 3D reconstruction and X-ray CT (XCT) data in order to create interactive 3D models of lunar samples that would ultimately be served to both researchers and the public. These data enhance preliminary scientific investigations including targeted sample requests, and also provide a new visual platform for the public to experience and interact with the lunar samples. We intend to serve these data as they are acquired on NASA's Astromaterials Acquisistion and Curation website at http://curator.jsc.nasa.gov/. Providing 3D interior and exterior documentation of astromaterial

  6. Evaluation of Four Automated Protocols for Extraction of DNA from FTA Cards

    OpenAIRE

    Stangegaard, Michael; Børsting, Claus; Ferrero-Miliani, Laura; Frank-Hansen, Rune; Poulsen, Lena; Hansen, Anders J; Morling, Niels

    2013-01-01

    Extraction of DNA using magnetic bead-based techniques on automated DNA extraction instruments provides a fast, reliable, and reproducible method for DNA extraction from various matrices. Here, we have compared the yield and quality of DNA extracted from FTA cards using four automated extraction protocols on three different instruments. The extraction processes were repeated up to six times with the same pieces of FTA cards. The sample material on the FTA cards was either blood or buccal cell...

  7. Qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of Leishmania in spleen samples from naturally infected dogs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solcà, Manuela da Silva; Guedes, Carlos Eduardo Sampaio; Nascimento, Eliane Gomes; Oliveira, Geraldo Gileno de Sá; dos Santos, Washington Luis Conrado; Fraga, Deborah Bittencourt Mothé; Veras, Patrícia Sampaio Tavares

    2012-03-23

    Because infected dogs are widely considered to be the main domestic reservoir for Leishmania infantum (syn Leishmania chagasi) parasites in Brazil, the diagnosis of canine visceral leishmaniasis (CVL) must be made both accurately and promptly. The present study attempted to standardize a conventional polymerase chain reaction (cPCR) protocol for the detection of L. infantum DNA in canine spleen samples. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) technique was used to confirm the presence of Leishmania DNA in the canine spleen fragments. A comparison was made between the efficacies of these molecular diagnostic techniques and conventional parasitological and serological methods. cPCR protocols for spleen samples were standardized using primers that amplify a 145 bp fragment, located at the parasite kinetoplast minicircle. The genus specificity of the cPCR protocol was assessed by its inability to amplify the DNA of other common canine pathogens, such as Ehrlichia canis, Babesia canis, Toxoplasma gondii and Trypanosoma cruzi. cPCR protocol sensitivity was tested by assessing the reaction detection limit, determined to be 10 fg of L. infantum reference strain DNA, which corresponds to a range of 0.03-0.1 parasites per fragment. Standardized cPCR protocol was used to detect the presence of Leishmania in 45 dog spleen samples. Our results showed that 40% of the spleen fragment cultures were positive for Leishmania parasites, 58% of the dog serum samples tested positive using ELISA, and parasite DNA was detected in 44% using qPCR, while 47% of the spleen samples using cPCR. Diagnostic methods performance was assessed and revealed a better degree of ascertainment for cPCR when compared to other diagnostic methods. The sensitivity of ELISA was 83.3%, qPCR was 83.3%, and cPCR was 88.9%; PPV for ELISA was 57.7%, qPCR was 75% and cPCR was 76.2%; the Kappa coefficients were found to be 0.40 (fair) for ELISA, 0.64 (substantial) for qPCR and 0.68 (substantial) for cPCR. In both oligosymptomatic

  8. 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.

  9. 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

  10. Isolation of microplastics in biota-rich seawater samples and marine organisms

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cole, Matthew; Webb, Hannah; Lindeque, Pennie K.; Fileman, Elaine S.; Halsband, Claudia; Galloway, Tamara S.

    2014-01-01

    Microplastic litter is a pervasive pollutant present in aquatic systems across the globe. A range of marine organisms have the capacity to ingest microplastics, resulting in adverse health effects. Developing methods to accurately quantify microplastics in productive marine waters, and those internalized by marine organisms, is of growing importance. Here we investigate the efficacy of using acid, alkaline and enzymatic digestion techniques in mineralizing biological material from marine surface trawls to reveal any microplastics present. Our optimized enzymatic protocol can digest >97% (by weight) of the material present in plankton-rich seawater samples without destroying any microplastic debris present. In applying the method to replicate marine samples from the western English Channel, we identified 0.27 microplastics m−3. The protocol was further used to extract microplastics ingested by marine zooplankton under laboratory conditions. Our findings illustrate that enzymatic digestion can aid the detection of microplastic debris within seawater samples and marine biota. PMID:24681661

  11. Centrifugation protocols: tests to determine optimal lithium heparin and citrate plasma sample quality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dimeski, Goce; Solano, Connie; Petroff, Mark K; Hynd, Matthew

    2011-05-01

    Currently, no clear guidelines exist for the most appropriate tests to determine sample quality from centrifugation protocols for plasma sample types with both lithium heparin in gel barrier tubes for biochemistry testing and citrate tubes for coagulation testing. Blood was collected from 14 participants in four lithium heparin and one serum tube with gel barrier. The plasma tubes were centrifuged at four different centrifuge settings and analysed for potassium (K(+)), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), glucose and phosphorus (Pi) at zero time, poststorage at six hours at 21 °C and six days at 2-8°C. At the same time, three citrate tubes were collected and centrifuged at three different centrifuge settings and analysed immediately for prothrombin time/international normalized ratio, activated partial thromboplastin time, derived fibrinogen and surface-activated clotting time (SACT). The biochemistry analytes indicate plasma is less stable than serum. Plasma sample quality is higher with longer centrifugation time, and much higher g force. Blood cells present in the plasma lyse with time or are damaged when transferred in the reaction vessels, causing an increase in the K(+), LD and Pi above outlined limits. The cells remain active and consume glucose even in cold storage. The SACT is the only coagulation parameter that was affected by platelets >10 × 10(9)/L in the citrate plasma. In addition to the platelet count, a limited but sensitive number of assays (K(+), LD, glucose and Pi for biochemistry, and SACT for coagulation) can be used to determine appropriate centrifuge settings to consistently obtain the highest quality lithium heparin and citrate plasma samples. The findings will aid laboratories to balance the need to provide the most accurate results in the best turnaround time.

  12. Radon in large buildings: The development of a protocol

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilson, D.L.; Dudney, C.S.; Gammage, R.B.

    1993-01-01

    Over the past several years, considerable research has been devoted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and others to develop radon sampling protocols for single family residences and schools. However, very little research has been performed on measuring radon in the work place. To evaluate possible sampling protocols, 833 buildings throughout the United States were selected for extensive radon testing. The buildings tested (warehouses, production plants and office buildings) were representative of commercial buildings across the country both in design, size and use. Based on the results, preliminary radon sampling protocols for the work place have been developed

  13. Comparative effectiveness of light-microscopic techniques and PCR in detecting Thelohania solenopsae (Microsporidia) infections in red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Milks, Maynard L; Sokolova, Yuliya Y; Isakova, Irina A; Fuxa, James R; Mitchell, Forrest; Snowden, Karen F; Vinson, S Bradleigh

    2004-01-01

    The main goal of this study was to compare the effectiveness of three staining techniques (calcofluor white M2R, Giemsa and modified trichrome), and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in detecting the microsporidium Thelohania solenopsae in red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta). The effect of the number of ants in a sample on the sensitivity of the staining techniques and the PCR, and the effect of three DNA extraction protocols on the sensitivity of PCR were also examined. In the first protocol, the ants were macerated and the crude homogenate was used immediately in the PCR. In the second protocol, the homogenate was placed on a special membrane (FTA card) that traps DNA, which is subsequently used in the PCR. In the third protocol, the DNA was purified from the homogenate by traditional phenol-chloroform extraction. Except for PCR using FTA cards, the sensitivity (number of samples positive for T. solenopsae) of all detection techniques increased with the number of ants in the sample. Overall, Giemsa was the least sensitive of all detection techniques. Calcofluor was more sensitive than modified trichrome with ants from one site and was equally as sensitive as PCR with crude DNA or a FTA card with ants from both sites. Trichrome staining was equally as sensitive as PCR with a FTA card at both sites, but it was less sensitive than PCR with crude DNA at one site. PCR on FTA cards was less sensitive than PCR with crude DNA for ants from one site but not the other. There was no difference whether crude or phenol-chloroform purified DNA was used as template. In summary, the results of this study show that PCR based on a crude DNA solution is equal to or more sensitive in detecting T. solenopsae than the other detection techniques investigated, and that it can be used as a reliable diagnostic tool for screening field samples of S. invicta for T. solenopsae. Nevertheless, ant smear stained with calcofluor or modified trichrome should be used to buttress findings

  14. 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...

  15. 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

  16. Tissue Sampling Guides for Porcine Biomedical Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albl, Barbara; Haesner, Serena; Braun-Reichhart, Christina; Streckel, Elisabeth; Renner, Simone; Seeliger, Frank; Wolf, Eckhard; Wanke, Rüdiger; Blutke, Andreas

    2016-04-01

    This article provides guidelines for organ and tissue sampling adapted to porcine animal models in translational medical research. Detailed protocols for the determination of sampling locations and numbers as well as recommendations on the orientation, size, and trimming direction of samples from ∼50 different porcine organs and tissues are provided in the Supplementary Material. The proposed sampling protocols include the generation of samples suitable for subsequent qualitative and quantitative analyses, including cryohistology, paraffin, and plastic histology; immunohistochemistry;in situhybridization; electron microscopy; and quantitative stereology as well as molecular analyses of DNA, RNA, proteins, metabolites, and electrolytes. With regard to the planned extent of sampling efforts, time, and personnel expenses, and dependent upon the scheduled analyses, different protocols are provided. These protocols are adjusted for (I) routine screenings, as used in general toxicity studies or in analyses of gene expression patterns or histopathological organ alterations, (II) advanced analyses of single organs/tissues, and (III) large-scale sampling procedures to be applied in biobank projects. Providing a robust reference for studies of porcine models, the described protocols will ensure the efficiency of sampling, the systematic recovery of high-quality samples representing the entire organ or tissue as well as the intra-/interstudy comparability and reproducibility of results. © The Author(s) 2016.

  17. 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)

  18. Dosimetric evaluation of cone beam computed tomography scanning protocols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Soares, Maria Rosangela

    2015-01-01

    It was evaluated the cone beam computed tomography, CBCT scanning protocols, that was introduced in dental radiology at the end of the 1990's, and quickly became a fundamental examination for various procedures. Its main characteristic, the difference of medical CT is the beam shape. This study aimed to calculate the absorbed dose in eight tissues / organs of the head and neck, and to estimate the effective dose in 13 protocols and two techniques (stitched FOV e single FOV) of 5 equipment of different manufacturers of cone beam CT. For that purpose, a female anthropomorphic phantom was used, representing a default woman, in which were inserted thermoluminescent dosimeters at several points, representing organs / tissues with weighting values presented in the standard ICRP 103. The results were evaluated by comparing the dose according to the purpose of the tomographic image. Among the results, there is a difference up to 325% in the effective dose in relation to protocols with the same image goal. In relation to the image acquisition technique, the stitched FOV technique resulted in an effective dose of 5.3 times greater than the single FOV technique for protocols with the same image goal. In the individual contribution, the salivary glands are responsible for 31% of the effective dose in CT exams. The remaining tissues have also a significant contribution, 36%. The results drew attention to the need of estimating the effective dose in different equipment and protocols of the market, besides the knowledge of the radiation parameters and equipment manufacturing engineering to obtain the image. (author)

  19. 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)

  20. 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.

  1. The development of standard operating protocols for paediatric radiology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hardwick, J.; Mencik, C.; McLaren, C.; Young, C.; Scadden, S.; Mashford, P.; McHugh, K.; Beckett, M.; Calvert, M.; Marsden, P.J.

    2001-01-01

    This paper describes how the requirement for operating protocols for standard radiological practice was expanded to provide a comprehensive aide to the operator conducting a medical exposure. The protocols adopted now include justification criteria, patient preparation, radiographic technique, standard exposure charts, diagnostic reference levels and image quality criteria. In total, the protocols have been welcomed as a tool for ensuring that medical exposures are properly optimised. (author)

  2. 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

  3. 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

  4. 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

  5. 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)

  6. Immunocytochemical methods and protocols

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Javois, Lorette C

    1999-01-01

    ... monoclonal antibodies to study cell differentiation during embryonic development. For a select few disciplines volumes have been published focusing on the specific application of immunocytochemical techniques to that discipline. What distinguished Immunocytochemical Methods and Protocols from earlier books when it was first published four years ago was i...

  7. Standardized Method for Measuring Collection Efficiency from Wipe-sampling of Trace Explosives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verkouteren, Jennifer R; Lawrence, Jeffrey A; Staymates, Matthew E; Sisco, Edward

    2017-04-10

    One of the limiting steps to detecting traces of explosives at screening venues is effective collection of the sample. Wipe-sampling is the most common procedure for collecting traces of explosives, and standardized measurements of collection efficiency are needed to evaluate and optimize sampling protocols. The approach described here is designed to provide this measurement infrastructure, and controls most of the factors known to be relevant to wipe-sampling. Three critical factors (the applied force, travel distance, and travel speed) are controlled using an automated device. Test surfaces are chosen based on similarity to the screening environment, and the wipes can be made from any material considered for use in wipe-sampling. Particle samples of the explosive 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) are applied in a fixed location on the surface using a dry-transfer technique. The particle samples, recently developed to simulate residues made after handling explosives, are produced by inkjet printing of RDX solutions onto polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) substrates. Collection efficiency is measured by extracting collected explosive from the wipe, and then related to critical sampling factors and the selection of wipe material and test surface. These measurements are meant to guide the development of sampling protocols at screening venues, where speed and throughput are primary considerations.

  8. A Clustering Routing Protocol for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinke Huang

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The dynamic topology of a mobile ad hoc network poses a real challenge in the design of hierarchical routing protocol, which combines proactive with reactive routing protocols and takes advantages of both. And as an essential technique of hierarchical routing protocol, clustering of nodes provides an efficient method of establishing a hierarchical structure in mobile ad hoc networks. In this paper, we designed a novel clustering algorithm and a corresponding hierarchical routing protocol for large-scale mobile ad hoc networks. Each cluster is composed of a cluster head, several cluster gateway nodes, several cluster guest nodes, and other cluster members. The proposed routing protocol uses proactive protocol between nodes within individual clusters and reactive protocol between clusters. Simulation results show that the proposed clustering algorithm and hierarchical routing protocol provide superior performance with several advantages over existing clustering algorithm and routing protocol, respectively.

  9. Protocol for VOC-Arid ID remediation performance characterization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tegner, B.J.; Hassig, N.L.; Last, G.V.

    1994-09-01

    The Volatile Organic Compound-Arid Integrated Demonstration (VOC-Arid ID) is a technology development program sponsored by the US Department of Energy's Office of Technology Development that is targeted to acquire, develop, demonstrate, and deploy new technologies for the remediation of VOC contaminants in the soils and groundwaters of arid DOE sites. Technologies cannot be adequately evaluated unless sufficient site characterization and technology performance data have been collection and analyzed. The responsibility for identifying these data needs has been placed largely on the Principal Investigators (PIs) developing the remediation technology, who usually are not experts in site characterization or in identification of appropriate sampling, analysis, and monitoring techniques to support the field testing. This document provides a protocol for planning the collection of data before, during, and after a test of a new technology. This generic protocol provides the PIs and project managers with a set of steps to follow. The protocol is based on a data collection planning process called the Data Quality Objectives (DQO) process, which was originally developed by the US Environmental Protection Agency and has been expanded by DOE to support site cleanup decisions. The DQO process focuses on the quality and quantity of data required to make decision. Stakeholders to the decisions must negotiate such key inputs to the process as the decision rules that will be used and the acceptable probabilities of making decision errors

  10. 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.

  11. 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)

  12. 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)

  13. A Standardized and Reproducible Urine Preparation Protocol for Cancer Biomarkers Discovery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julia Beretov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A suitable and standardized protein purification technique is essential to maintain consistency and to allow data comparison between proteomic studies for urine biomarker discovery. Ultimately, efforts should be made to standardize urine preparation protocols. The aim of this study was to develop an optimal analytical protocol to achieve maximal protein yield and to ensure that this method was applicable to examine urine protein patterns that distinguish disease and disease-free states. In this pilot study, we compared seven different urine sample preparation methods to remove salts, and to precipitate and isolate urinary proteins. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE profiles showed that the sequential preparation of urinary proteins by combining acetone and trichloroacetic acid (TCA alongside high speed centrifugation (HSC provided the best separation, and retained the most urinary proteins. Therefore, this approach is the preferred method for all further urine protein analysis.

  14. Gamma-H2AX biodosimetry for use in large scale radiation incidents: comparison of a rapid ‘96 well lyse/fix’ protocol with a routine method

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jayne Moquet

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Following a radiation incident, preliminary dose estimates made by γ-H2AX foci analysis can supplement the early triage of casualties based on clinical symptoms. Sample processing time is important when many individuals need to be rapidly assessed. A protocol was therefore developed for high sample throughput that requires less than 0.1 ml blood, thus potentially enabling finger prick sampling. The technique combines red blood cell lysis and leukocyte fixation in one step on a 96 well plate, in contrast to the routine protocol, where lymphocytes in larger blood volumes are typically separated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation with subsequent washing and fixation steps. The rapid ‘96 well lyse/fix’ method reduced the estimated sample processing time for 96 samples to about 4 h compared to 15 h using the routine protocol. However, scoring 20 cells in 96 samples prepared by the rapid protocol took longer than for the routine method (3.1 versus 1.5 h at zero dose; 7.0 versus 6.1 h for irradiated samples. Similar foci yields were scored for both protocols and consistent dose estimates were obtained for samples exposed to 0, 0.2, 0.6, 1.1, 1.2, 2.1 and 4.3 Gy of 250 kVp X-rays at 0.5 Gy/min and incubated for 2 h. Linear regression coefficients were 0.87 ± 0.06 (R2 = 97.6% and 0.85 ± 0.05 (R2 = 98.3% for estimated versus actual doses for the routine and lyse/fix method, respectively. The lyse/fix protocol can therefore facilitate high throughput processing for γ-H2AX biodosimetry for use in large scale radiation incidents, at the cost of somewhat longer foci scoring times.

  15. Reuse of samples: ethical issues encountered by two institutional ethics review committees in Kenya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Langat, Simon K

    2005-10-01

    There is growing concern about the reuse and exploitation of biological materials (human tissues) for use in research worldwide. Most discussions about samples have taken place in developed countries, where genetic manipulation techniques have greatly advanced in recent years. There is very little discussion in developing countries, although collaborative research with institutions from developed countries is on the increase. The study sought to identify and describe ethical issues arising in the storage, reuse and exportation of samples in a developing country. Research protocols presented to two Ethics Review Committees in Kenya during a period of two years were reviewed. A record was made of the protocol title, sample collected, request for storage, reuse or exportation and whether or not subject consent was sought. The findings indicated that about 25% out of the 388 protocols sought permission for reuse and only half of those actually informed subjects of the contemplated re-use. Less than 20% requested storage and again, about half of them sought consent from subjects. There is an indication that investigators do not see the need to seek consent for storage, reuse and exportation of samples. It is proposed that these issues should be addressed through policy interventions at both the national and global levels.

  16. Strategies for achieving high sequencing accuracy for low diversity samples and avoiding sample bleeding using illumina platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitra, Abhishek; Skrzypczak, Magdalena; Ginalski, Krzysztof; Rowicka, Maga

    2015-01-01

    Sequencing microRNA, reduced representation sequencing, Hi-C technology and any method requiring the use of in-house barcodes result in sequencing libraries with low initial sequence diversity. Sequencing such data on the Illumina platform typically produces low quality data due to the limitations of the Illumina cluster calling algorithm. Moreover, even in the case of diverse samples, these limitations are causing substantial inaccuracies in multiplexed sample assignment (sample bleeding). Such inaccuracies are unacceptable in clinical applications, and in some other fields (e.g. detection of rare variants). Here, we discuss how both problems with quality of low-diversity samples and sample bleeding are caused by incorrect detection of clusters on the flowcell during initial sequencing cycles. We propose simple software modifications (Long Template Protocol) that overcome this problem. We present experimental results showing that our Long Template Protocol remarkably increases data quality for low diversity samples, as compared with the standard analysis protocol; it also substantially reduces sample bleeding for all samples. For comprehensiveness, we also discuss and compare experimental results from alternative approaches to sequencing low diversity samples. First, we discuss how the low diversity problem, if caused by barcodes, can be avoided altogether at the barcode design stage. Second and third, we present modified guidelines, which are more stringent than the manufacturer's, for mixing low diversity samples with diverse samples and lowering cluster density, which in our experience consistently produces high quality data from low diversity samples. Fourth and fifth, we present rescue strategies that can be applied when sequencing results in low quality data and when there is no more biological material available. In such cases, we propose that the flowcell be re-hybridized and sequenced again using our Long Template Protocol. Alternatively, we discuss how

  17. Strategies for achieving high sequencing accuracy for low diversity samples and avoiding sample bleeding using illumina platform.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abhishek Mitra

    Full Text Available Sequencing microRNA, reduced representation sequencing, Hi-C technology and any method requiring the use of in-house barcodes result in sequencing libraries with low initial sequence diversity. Sequencing such data on the Illumina platform typically produces low quality data due to the limitations of the Illumina cluster calling algorithm. Moreover, even in the case of diverse samples, these limitations are causing substantial inaccuracies in multiplexed sample assignment (sample bleeding. Such inaccuracies are unacceptable in clinical applications, and in some other fields (e.g. detection of rare variants. Here, we discuss how both problems with quality of low-diversity samples and sample bleeding are caused by incorrect detection of clusters on the flowcell during initial sequencing cycles. We propose simple software modifications (Long Template Protocol that overcome this problem. We present experimental results showing that our Long Template Protocol remarkably increases data quality for low diversity samples, as compared with the standard analysis protocol; it also substantially reduces sample bleeding for all samples. For comprehensiveness, we also discuss and compare experimental results from alternative approaches to sequencing low diversity samples. First, we discuss how the low diversity problem, if caused by barcodes, can be avoided altogether at the barcode design stage. Second and third, we present modified guidelines, which are more stringent than the manufacturer's, for mixing low diversity samples with diverse samples and lowering cluster density, which in our experience consistently produces high quality data from low diversity samples. Fourth and fifth, we present rescue strategies that can be applied when sequencing results in low quality data and when there is no more biological material available. In such cases, we propose that the flowcell be re-hybridized and sequenced again using our Long Template Protocol. Alternatively

  18. Effect of variable rates of daily sampling of fly larvae on decomposition and carrion insect community assembly: implications for forensic entomology field study protocols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michaud, Jean-Philippe; Moreau, Gaétan

    2013-07-01

    Experimental protocols in forensic entomology successional field studies generally involve daily sampling of insects to document temporal changes in species composition on animal carcasses. One challenge with that method has been to adjust the sampling intensity to obtain the best representation of the community present without affecting the said community. To this date, little is known about how such investigator perturbations affect decomposition-related processes. Here, we investigated how different levels of daily sampling of fly eggs and fly larvae affected, over time, carcass decomposition rate and the carrion insect community. Results indicated that a daily sampling of forensic entomology successional field studies.

  19. 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)

  20. 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.

  1. I-123 IBZM-SPECT: improved acquisition protocol with HR-collimator

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandrock, D.; Ivancevic, V.; Dopichaj-Menge, U.; Gruber, D.; Munz, D.

    2002-01-01

    Aim: Aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different acquisition and reconstruction protocols on the quality of SPECT diagnostics with I-123 IBZM in patients with diseases of the dopaminergic system. Material and Methods: Overall, 30 patients (19 men, 11 women, aged 22 - 80 years) were studied with SPECT after i.v. injection of 5 mCi (185 MBq) I-123 IBZM. Acquisition was performed 60 min p.i. (protocol A) using a medium energy collimator, a 64 x 64 matrix, 64 projections, step and shoot technique, 5.6 0 and 20 seconds per step with a MultiSPECT2 double-head gamma camera (Siemens). Immediately afterwards, a second acquisition (protocol B, 90 min p.i.) using a high resolution collimator, a 128 x 128 matrix, 60 projections, step and shoot technique, 3 0 and 30 seconds per step was performed. The reconstruction was done in filtered backprojection technique and a Butterworth filter of order 7, in protocol A using a cutoff of 0.5 and in protocol B of 0.4. Finally, the net count ratios of the basal ganglia to the frontal lobe(s) were calculated and compared with the clinical diagnosis. Results: The visual analysis yielded - as expected -a better image quality for protocol B (concordant impression of 3 independent observers) with more accurate delineation of the basal ganglia. The count ratios with protocol B were (mean) 0.19 higher (equivalent to 13 %) than with protocol A. In the group of patients with count ratios > 1.55 there was the highest (and significant) difference between protocols A and B with (mean count ratio difference) 0.32 (equivalent to 20 %). Protocol B also allowed a better differentiation between patients clinically staged normal and abnormal. In patients with unilateral disease, this difference between normal and abnormal was more prominent (in comparison to the contralateral side as well as compared to the reference value [1.5]). The comparison of the count ratios with the clinical data revealed 7 patients with borderline results with

  2. Recursion vs. Replication in Simple Cryptographic Protocols

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huttel, Hans; Srba, Jiri

    2005-01-01

    We use some recent techniques from process algebra to draw several conclusions about the well studied class of ping-pong protocols introduced by Dolev and Yao. In particular we show that all nontrivial properties, including reachability and equivalence checking wrt. the whole van Glabbeek's spect...... of messages in the sense of Amadio, Lugiez and Vanackere. We conclude by showing that reachability analysis for a replicative variant of the protocol becomes decidable....

  3. Improvement In MAODV Protocol Using Location Based Routing Protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaur Sharnjeet

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Energy saving is difficult in wireless sensor network (WSN due to limited resources. Each node in WSN is constrained by their limited battery power for their energy. The energy is reduced as the time goes off due to the packet transmission and reception. Energy management techniques are necessary to minimize the total power consumption of all the nodes in the network in order to maximize its life span. Our proposed protocol Location based routing (LBR aimed to find a path which utilizes the minimum energy to transmit the packets between the source and the destination. The required energy for the transmission and reception of data is evaluated in MATLAB. LBR is implemented on Multicast Ad hoc On Demand Distance Vector Routing Protocol (MAODV to manage the energy consumption in the transmission and reception of data. Simulation results of LBR show the energy consumption has been reduced.

  4. 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)

  5. 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

  6. Perancangan dan Analisis Redistribution Routing Protocol OSPF dan EIGRP

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    DWI ARYANTA

    2014-07-01

    OSPF (Open Shortest Path First and EIGRP (Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol are two routing protocols are widely used in computer networks. Differences between the characteristics of routing protocols pose a problem in the delivery of data packets. Redistribution technique is the solution for communication between routing protocols. By using the software Cisco Packet Tracer 5.3 in this study were made simulating OSPF and EIGRP redistribution linked by technique, then compared its quality with a single EIGRP and OSPF routing protocols. Testing parameters in this study is the value of the time delay and trace route. Value trace route based on direct calculation of cost and metric compared with the simulation results. The result can be OSPF and EIGRP redistribution process. Value delay redistribution 1% better than OSPF and EIGRP 2-3% under traffic density dependent. In calculating the trace route redistribution is done 2 calculations, the cost for OSPF area and the area of the EIGRP metric. Making primary and alternate paths based on the packet delivery rate and the cost of the smallest metric, it is proved by calculation and simulation. Keywords: OSPF, EIGRP, Redistribution, Delay, Cost, Metric.

  7. [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.

  8. Magnetic Resonance and Ultrasound Image Fusion Supported Transperineal Prostate Biopsy Using the Ginsburg Protocol: Technique, Learning Points, and Biopsy Results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Nienke; Patruno, Giulio; Wadhwa, Karan; Gaziev, Gabriele; Miano, Roberto; Barrett, Tristan; Gnanapragasam, Vincent; Doble, Andrew; Warren, Anne; Bratt, Ola; Kastner, Christof

    2016-08-01

    high, prostate biopsies may not be needed for all men with elevated prostate-specific antigen values and nonsuspicious mpMRI. We present our technique to sample (biopsy) the prostate by the transperineal route (the area between the scrotum and the anus) to detect prostate cancer using a fusion of magnetic resonance and ultrasound images to guide the sampling. Copyright © 2016 European Association of Urology. All rights reserved.

  9. Independent assessment of matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) sample preparation quality: A novel statistical approach for quality scoring.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kooijman, Pieter C; Kok, Sander J; Weusten, Jos J A M; Honing, Maarten

    2016-05-05

    Preparation of samples according to an optimized method is crucial for accurate determination of polymer sample characteristics by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization (MALDI) analysis. Sample preparation conditions such as matrix choice, cationization agent, deposition technique or even the deposition volume should be chosen to suit the sample of interest. Many sample preparation protocols have been developed and employed, yet finding the optimal sample preparation protocol remains a challenge. Because an objective comparison between the results of diverse protocols is not possible, "gut-feeling" or "good enough" is often decisive in the search for an optimum. This implies that sub-optimal protocols are used, leading to a loss of mass spectral information quality. To address this problem a novel analytical strategy based on MALDI imaging and statistical data processing was developed in which eight parameters were formulated to objectively quantify the quality of sample deposition and optimal MALDI matrix composition and finally sum up to an overall quality score of the sample deposition. These parameters can be established in a fully automated way using commercially available mass spectrometry imaging instruments without any hardware adjustments. With the newly developed analytical strategy the highest quality MALDI spots were selected, resulting in more reproducible and more valuable spectra for PEG in a variety of matrices. Moreover, our method enables an objective comparison of sample preparation protocols for any analyte and opens up new fields of investigation by presenting MALDI performance data in a clear and concise way. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Comparison of DNA extraction protocols to detect Mycobacterium bovis in bovine tissue by PCR

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cássia Yumi Ikuta

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available The current scenario of international beef trading has increased the pressure for better and faster diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis. Although traditional culture remains the gold standard method to confirm Mycobacterium bovis infection, it is exceedingly time consuming, and demands viable mycobacteria. Molecular methods overcome the flaws of the bacteriological methods with faster detection and identification. However, mycobacterial features like a complex cell wall and pathogen–host interaction make the molecular detection a challenge. Three protocols for DNA extraction (A, B and C from bovine tissues were tested to verify the most suitable technique for routine diagnostic assessment of their specificity and sensitivity. Thirty culture-positive and thirty culture-negative granulomatous lesions were included in the trial. From each sample, three tissue suspensions at different dilutions (10-1, 10-2 and 10-3 were prepared and submitted to DNA extraction. PCR procedures targeting IS6110 were performed, employing two volumes of DNA: 5 µL of all three dilutions, and 2.5 µL of the 10-1 dilution. Protocol A was able to detect members of the M. tuberculosis complex in most samples. The sensitivity of the test decreased with increase in tissue-suspension dilution. Although Protocol A presented the highest sensitivity followed by C and B, it showed the lowest specificity, which can be due to a failure in primary isolation caused by the lack of viable organisms or incubation time. Regardless classical bacteriological methods are still recommended by OIE, after evaluating the sensitivity of DNA extraction protocols and PCR procedures, we conclude that the best strategy for M. bovis detection is to follow Protocol A on concentrated tissue suspensions.

  11. RFID protocol design, optimization, and security for the Internet of Things

    CERN Document Server

    Liu, Alex X; Liu, Xiulong; Li, Keqiu

    2017-01-01

    This book covers the topic of RFID protocol design and optimization and the authors aim to demystify complicated RFID protocols and explain in depth the principles, techniques, and practices in designing and optimizing them.

  12. The UMTS-AKA Protocols for Intelligent Transportation Systems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hwang Min-Shiang

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The integration of communication protocols into transport systems is a much adored research area today. Much of seminal work has been reported on the topic of intelligent transportation systems (ITS in the recent years. Many advanced techniques have been garnered to improve online communication and to promote the security, comfort, and efficiency of ITS. Of primary importance to the effective application of ITS is the communication protocol used. A fascinating development is that the yesterday's Global System for Mobile Communication protocol is being replaced by the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System protocol, which is the third-generation mobile technology. This article attempts to identify a suitable communication system for ITS applications. It is impracticable to substantially modify the original UMTS-IMS-AKA protocol which is in practice because it can disturb the operation of the current system, and thus we explore other possibilities through this research. We investigate a novel protocol to make the original UMTS-IMS-AKA protocol compliant with ITS as well as adaptable into the current UMTS protocol.

  13. Dysphonia risk screening protocol

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nemr, Katia; Simões-Zenari, Marcia; da Trindade Duarte, João Marcos; Lobrigate, Karen Elena; Bagatini, Flavia Alves

    2016-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To propose and test the applicability of a dysphonia risk screening protocol with score calculation in individuals with and without dysphonia. METHOD: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 365 individuals (41 children, 142 adult women, 91 adult men and 91 seniors) divided into a dysphonic group and a non-dysphonic group. The protocol consisted of 18 questions and a score was calculated using a 10-cm visual analog scale. The measured value on the visual analog scale was added to the overall score, along with other partial scores. Speech samples allowed for analysis/assessment of the overall degree of vocal deviation and initial definition of the respective groups and after six months, the separation of the groups was confirmed using an acoustic analysis. RESULTS: The mean total scores were different between the groups in all samples. Values ranged between 37.0 and 57.85 in the dysphonic group and between 12.95 and 19.28 in the non-dysphonic group, with overall means of 46.09 and 15.55, respectively. High sensitivity and specificity were demonstrated when discriminating between the groups with the following cut-off points: 22.50 (children), 29.25 (adult women), 22.75 (adult men), and 27.10 (seniors). CONCLUSION: The protocol demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in differentiating groups of individuals with and without dysphonia in different sample groups and is thus an effective instrument for use in voice clinics. PMID:27074171

  14. Dysphonia risk screening protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katia Nemr

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVE: To propose and test the applicability of a dysphonia risk screening protocol with score calculation in individuals with and without dysphonia. METHOD: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 365 individuals (41 children, 142 adult women, 91 adult men and 91 seniors divided into a dysphonic group and a non-dysphonic group. The protocol consisted of 18 questions and a score was calculated using a 10-cm visual analog scale. The measured value on the visual analog scale was added to the overall score, along with other partial scores. Speech samples allowed for analysis/assessment of the overall degree of vocal deviation and initial definition of the respective groups and after six months, the separation of the groups was confirmed using an acoustic analysis. RESULTS: The mean total scores were different between the groups in all samples. Values ranged between 37.0 and 57.85 in the dysphonic group and between 12.95 and 19.28 in the non-dysphonic group, with overall means of 46.09 and 15.55, respectively. High sensitivity and specificity were demonstrated when discriminating between the groups with the following cut-off points: 22.50 (children, 29.25 (adult women, 22.75 (adult men, and 27.10 (seniors. CONCLUSION: The protocol demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity in differentiating groups of individuals with and without dysphonia in different sample groups and is thus an effective instrument for use in voice clinics.

  15. Measurement of electro-sprayed 238 and 239+240 plutonium isotopes using 4π-alpha spectrometry. Application to environmental samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Charmoille-Roblot, M.

    1999-01-01

    A new protocol for plutonium deposition using the electro-spray technique coupled with 4π-α spectrometry is proposed to improve the detection limit, shorten the counting time. In order to increase the detection efficiency, it was proposed to measure 238 and 239+240 plutonium isotopes electro-sprayed deposit simultaneously on both sides of the source support, that must be as transparent as possible to alpha-emissions, in a two-alpha detectors chamber. A radiochemical protocol was adapted to electro-spray constraints and a very thin carbon foil was selected for 4π -alpha spectrometry. The method was applied to a batch of sediment samples and gave the same results as an electrodeposited source measured using conventional alpha spectrometry with a 25 % gain on counting time and 10 % on plutonium 238 detection limit. Validation and application of the technique have been made on reference samples. (author)

  16. Bidirectional Quantum Secure Direct Communication Network Protocol with Hyperentanglement

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gu Bin; Chen Yulin; Huang Yugai; Fang Xia

    2011-01-01

    We propose a bidirectional quantum secure direct communication (QSDC) network protocol with the hyperentanglment in both the spatial-mode ad the polarization degrees of freedom of photon pairs which can in principle be produced with a beta barium borate crystal. The secret message can be encoded on the photon pairs with unitary operations in these two degrees of freedom independently. Compared with other QSDC network protocols, our QSDC network protocol has a higher capacity as each photon pair can carry 4 bits of information. Also, we discuss the security of our QSDC network protocol and its feasibility with current techniques. (general)

  17. 21 CFR 660.6 - Samples; protocols; official release.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

    ... product iodinated with 125I means a sample from each lot of diagnostic test kits in a finished package... manufacturer has satisfactorily completed all tests on the samples: (i) One sample until written notification... of this section, a sample of product not iodinated with 125I means a sample from each filling of each...

  18. Heating and thermal control of brazing technique to break contamination path for potential Mars sample return

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bao, Xiaoqi; Badescu, Mircea; Sherrit, Stewart; Bar-Cohen, Yoseph; Campos, Sergio

    2017-04-01

    The potential return of Mars sample material is of great interest to the planetary science community, as it would enable extensive analysis of samples with highly sensitive laboratory instruments. It is important to make sure such a mission concept would not bring any living microbes, which may possibly exist on Mars, back to Earth's environment. In order to ensure the isolation of Mars microbes from Earth's Atmosphere, a brazing sealing and sterilizing technique was proposed to break the Mars-to-Earth contamination path. Effectively, heating the brazing zone in high vacuum space and controlling the sample temperature for integrity are key challenges to the implementation of this technique. The break-thechain procedures for container configurations, which are being considered, were simulated by multi-physics finite element models. Different heating methods including induction and resistive/radiation were evaluated. The temperature profiles of Martian samples in a proposed container structure were predicted. The results show that the sealing and sterilizing process can be controlled such that the samples temperature is maintained below the level that may cause damage, and that the brazing technique is a feasible approach to breaking the contamination path.

  19. First Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence round-robin test of water samples: Preliminary results

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Borgese, Laura; Bilo, Fabjola [Chemistry for Technologies Laboratory, University of Brescia, Brescia (Italy); Tsuji, Kouichi [Graduate School of Engineering, Osaka City University, Osaka (Japan); Fernández-Ruiz, Ramón [Servicio Interdepartamental de Investigación (SIdI), Laboratorio de TXRF, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid (Spain); Margui, Eva [Department of Chemistry, University of Girona, Girona (Spain); Streli, Christina [TU Wien, Atominstitut,Radiation Physics, Vienna (Austria); Pepponi, Giancarlo [Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Povo, Trento (Italy); Stosnach, Hagen [Bruker Nano GmbH, Berlin (Germany); Yamada, Takashi [Rigaku Corporation, Takatsuki, Osaka (Japan); Vandenabeele, Peter [Department of Archaeology, Ghent University, Ghent (Belgium); Maina, David M.; Gatari, Michael [Institute of Nuclear Science and Technology, University of Nairobi, Nairobi (Kenya); Shepherd, Keith D.; Towett, Erick K. [World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF), Nairobi (Kenya); Bennun, Leonardo [Laboratorio de Física Aplicada, Departamento de Física, Universidad de Concepción (Chile); Custo, Graciela; Vasquez, Cristina [Gerencia Química, Laboratorio B025, Centro Atómico Constituyentes, San Martín (Argentina); Depero, Laura E., E-mail: laura.depero@unibs.it [Chemistry for Technologies Laboratory, University of Brescia, Brescia (Italy)

    2014-11-01

    Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence (TXRF) is a mature technique to evaluate quantitatively the elemental composition of liquid samples deposited on clean and well polished reflectors. In this paper the results of the first worldwide TXRF round-robin test of water samples, involving 18 laboratories in 10 countries are presented and discussed. The test was performed within the framework of the VAMAS project, interlaboratory comparison of TXRF spectroscopy for environmental analysis, whose aim is to develop guidelines and a standard methodology for biological and environmental analysis by means of the TXRF analytical technique. - Highlights: • The discussion of the first worldwide TXRF round-robin test of water samples (18 laboratories of 10 countries) is reported. • Drinking, waste, and desalinated water samples were tested. • Data dispersion sources were identified: sample concentration, preparation, fitting procedure, and quantification. • The protocol for TXRF analysis of drinking water is proposed.

  20. Texture investigation in aluminium and iron - silicon samples by neutron diffraction technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pugliese, R.; Yamasaki, J.M.

    1988-09-01

    By means of the neutron diffraction technique the texture of 5% and 98% rolled-aluminium and of iron-silicon steel used in the core of electric transformers, have been determined. The measurements were performed by using a neutron diffractometer installed at the IEA-R1 Nuclear Research Reactor, in the Beam-Hole n 0 . 6. To avoid corrections such as neutron absorption and sample luminosity the geometric form of the samples were approximated to spheric or octagonal prism, and its dimensions do not exceed that of the neutron beam. The texture of the samples were analysed with the help of a computer programme that analyses the intensity of the diffracted neutron beam and plot the pole figures. (author) [pt

  1. An optimized DNA extraction protocol for benthic Didymosphenia geminata.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uyua, Noelia Mariel; Manrique, Julieta Marina; Jones, Leandro Roberto

    2014-09-01

    Didymosphenia geminata mats display few cells in relation to extracellular material and contain polysaccharides and heavy metals that interfere with molecular studies. We describe an optimized DNA extraction protocol that help to overcome these difficulties. Our protocol outperformed five previously described DNA extraction techniques. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. The particle analysis based on FT-TIMS technique for swipe sample under the frame of nuclear safeguard

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang Tianli; Liu Xuemei; Liu Zhao; Tang Lei; Long Kaiming

    2008-06-01

    Under the frame of nuclear safeguard, the particles analysis for swipe sample is an advance mean to detect the undeclared uranium enriched facilities and undeclared uranium enriched activity. The technique of particle analysis based on fission track-thermal ionization mass spectrometry (FT-TIMS) for swipe sample have been built. The reliability and the experimental background for selecting particles consisting of uranium from swipe sample by FT method have been verified. In addition, the utilization coefficient of particles on the surface of swipe sample have also been tested. These works have provided the technique support for application in the area of nuclear verification. (authors)

  3. Multiple surveys employing a new sample-processing protocol reveal the genetic diversity of placozoans in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyazawa, Hideyuki; Nakano, Hiroaki

    2018-03-01

    Placozoans, flat free-living marine invertebrates, possess an extremely simple bauplan lacking neurons and muscle cells and represent one of the earliest-branching metazoan phyla. They are widely distributed from temperate to tropical oceans. Based on mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequences, 19 haplotypes forming seven distinct clades have been reported in placozoans to date. In Japan, placozoans have been found at nine locations, but 16S genotyping has been performed at only two of these locations. Here, we propose a new processing protocol, "ethanol-treated substrate sampling," for collecting placozoans from natural environments. We also report the collection of placozoans from three new locations, the islands of Shikine-jima, Chichi-jima, and Haha-jima, and we present the distribution of the 16S haplotypes of placozoans in Japan. Multiple surveys conducted at multiple locations yielded five haplotypes that were not reported previously, revealing high genetic diversity in Japan, especially at Shimoda and Shikine-jima Island. The observed geographic distribution patterns were different among haplotypes; some were widely distributed, while others were sampled only from a single location. However, samplings conducted on different dates at the same sites yielded different haplotypes, suggesting that placozoans of a given haplotype do not inhabit the same site constantly throughout the year. Continued sampling efforts conducted during all seasons at multiple locations worldwide and the development of molecular markers within the haplotypes are needed to reveal the geographic distribution pattern and dispersal history of placozoans in greater detail.

  4. Bayesian adaptive survey protocols for resource management

    Science.gov (United States)

    Halstead, Brian J.; Wylie, Glenn D.; Coates, Peter S.; Casazza, Michael L.

    2011-01-01

    Transparency in resource management decisions requires a proper accounting of uncertainty at multiple stages of the decision-making process. As information becomes available, periodic review and updating of resource management protocols reduces uncertainty and improves management decisions. One of the most basic steps to mitigating anthropogenic effects on populations is determining if a population of a species occurs in an area that will be affected by human activity. Species are rarely detected with certainty, however, and falsely declaring a species absent can cause improper conservation decisions or even extirpation of populations. We propose a method to design survey protocols for imperfectly detected species that accounts for multiple sources of uncertainty in the detection process, is capable of quantitatively incorporating expert opinion into the decision-making process, allows periodic updates to the protocol, and permits resource managers to weigh the severity of consequences if the species is falsely declared absent. We developed our method using the giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas), a threatened species precinctive to the Central Valley of California, as a case study. Survey date was negatively related to the probability of detecting the giant gartersnake, and water temperature was positively related to the probability of detecting the giant gartersnake at a sampled location. Reporting sampling effort, timing and duration of surveys, and water temperatures would allow resource managers to evaluate the probability that the giant gartersnake occurs at sampled sites where it is not detected. This information would also allow periodic updates and quantitative evaluation of changes to the giant gartersnake survey protocol. Because it naturally allows multiple sources of information and is predicated upon the idea of updating information, Bayesian analysis is well-suited to solving the problem of developing efficient sampling protocols for species of

  5. Use of FTA elute card impregnated with cervicovaginal sample directly into the amplification reaction increases the detection of human papillomavirus DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Carla R; Franciscatto, Laura G; Barcellos, Regina B; Almeida, Sabrina E M; Rossetti, Maria Lucia R

    2012-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the use of the FTA elute card(TM) impregnated with cervicovaginal sample directly in the PCR amplification for detection of HPV-DNA. The results were compared to a reference technique. This method was more efficient than the protocol indicated by the manufacturer, identifying 91.7% against 54.2% of the positive samples.

  6. Use of FTA elute card impregnated with cervicovaginal sample directly into the amplification reaction increases the detection of human papillomavirus DNA

    OpenAIRE

    Santos, Carla R.; Franciscatto, Laura G.; Barcellos, Regina B.; Almeida, Sabrina E. M; Rossetti, Maria Lucia R.

    2012-01-01

    This study aimed to evaluate the use of the FTA elute cardTM impregnated with cervicovaginal sample directly in the PCR amplification for detection of HPV-DNA. The results were compared to a reference technique. This method was more efficient than the protocol indicated by the manufacturer, identifying 91.7% against 54.2% of the positive samples.

  7. Dosimetric characterization of BeO samples in alpha, beta and X radiation beams using luminescent techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Groppo, Daniela Piai

    2013-01-01

    In the medical field, the ionizing radiation is used both for therapeutic and diagnostic purposes, in a wide range of radiation doses. In order to ensure that the objective is achieved in practice, detailed studies of detectors and devices in different types of radiations beams are necessary. In this work a dosimetric characterization of BeO samples was performed using the techniques of thermoluminescence (TL) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) by a comparison of their response for alpha, beta and X radiations and the establishment of an appropriated system for use in monitoring of these radiations beams. The main results are: the high sensitivity to beta radiation for both techniques, good reproducibility of TL and OSL response (coefficients of variation lower than 5%), maximum energy dependence of the X radiation of 28% for the TL technique, and only 7% for the OSL technique, within the studied energy range. The dosimetric characteristics obtained in this work show the possibility of applying BeO samples to dosimetry of alpha, beta and X radiations, considering the studied dose ranges, using the TL and OSL techniques. From the results obtained, the samples of BeO showed their potential use for beam dosimetry in diagnostic radiology and radiotherapy. (author)

  8. Experimental Protocol to Determine the Chloride Threshold Value for Corrosion in Samples Taken from Reinforced Concrete Structures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angst, Ueli M; Boschmann, Carolina; Wagner, Matthias; Elsener, Bernhard

    2017-08-31

    The aging of reinforced concrete infrastructure in developed countries imposes an urgent need for methods to reliably assess the condition of these structures. Corrosion of the embedded reinforcing steel is the most frequent cause for degradation. While it is well known that the ability of a structure to withstand corrosion depends strongly on factors such as the materials used or the age, it is common practice to rely on threshold values stipulated in standards or textbooks. These threshold values for corrosion initiation (Ccrit) are independent of the actual properties of a certain structure, which clearly limits the accuracy of condition assessments and service life predictions. The practice of using tabulated values can be traced to the lack of reliable methods to determine Ccrit on-site and in the laboratory. Here, an experimental protocol to determine Ccrit for individual engineering structures or structural members is presented. A number of reinforced concrete samples are taken from structures and laboratory corrosion testing is performed. The main advantage of this method is that it ensures real conditions concerning parameters that are well known to greatly influence Ccrit, such as the steel-concrete interface, which cannot be representatively mimicked in laboratory-produced samples. At the same time, the accelerated corrosion test in the laboratory permits the reliable determination of Ccrit prior to corrosion initiation on the tested structure; this is a major advantage over all common condition assessment methods that only permit estimating the conditions for corrosion after initiation, i.e., when the structure is already damaged. The protocol yields the statistical distribution of Ccrit for the tested structure. This serves as a basis for probabilistic prediction models for the remaining time to corrosion, which is needed for maintenance planning. This method can potentially be used in material testing of civil infrastructures, similar to established

  9. Long-term monitoring of the Danube river-Sampling techniques, radionuclide metrology and radioecological assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maringer, F.J.; Gruber, V.; Hrachowitz, M.; Baumgartner, A.; Weilner, S.; Seidel, C.

    2009-01-01

    Sampling techniques and radiometric methods, developed and applied in a comprehensive radioecological study of the Danube River are presented. Results and radiometric data of sediment samples, collected by sediment traps in Austria and additionally by grab sampling in the Danube during research cruises between Germany and the delta (Black sea) are shown and discussed. Goal of the investigation is the protection of public and environment, especially the sustainable use and conservation of human freshwater resources against harmful radioactive exposure.

  10. A modified gelatin zymography technique incorporating total protein normalization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raykin, Julia; Snider, Eric; Bheri, Sruti; Mulvihill, John; Ethier, C Ross

    2017-03-15

    Gelatinase zymography is a commonly used laboratory procedure; however, variability in sample loading and concentration reduce the accuracy of quantitative results obtained from this technique. To facilitate normalization of gelatinase activity by loaded protein amount, we developed a protocol using the trihalocompound 2,2,2-trichloroethanol to allow for gelatin zymography and total protein labeling within the same gel. We showed that detected protein levels increased linearly with loading, and describe a loading concentration range over which normalized gelatinase activity was constant. We conclude that in-gel total protein detection is feasible in gelatin zymography and greatly improves comparison of gelatinase activity between samples. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  11. Separation of arsenic species by capillary electrophoresis with sample-stacking techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Zu Liang; Naidu, Ravendra [Adelaide Laboratory, CSIRO Land and Water, PMB2, 5064, Glen Osmond, SA (Australia); Lin, Jin-Ming [Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 2871, 100085, Beijing (China)

    2003-03-01

    A simple capillary zone electrophoresis procedure was developed for the separation of arsenic species (AsO{sub 2}{sup 2-}, AsO{sub 4}{sup 2-}, and dimethylarsinic acid, DMA). Both counter-electroosmotic and co-electroosmotic (EOF) modes were investigated for the separation of arsenic species with direct UV detection at 185 nm using 20 mmol L{sup -1} sodium phosphate as the electrolyte. The separation selectivity mainly depends on the separation modes and electrolyte pH. Inorganic anions (Cl{sup -}, NO{sub 2}{sup -}, NO{sub 3}{sup -} and SO{sub 4}{sup 2-}) presented in real samples did not interfere with arsenic speciation in either separation mode. To improve the detection limits, sample-stacking techniques, including large-volume sample stacking (LVSS) and field-amplified sample injection (FASI), were investigated for the preconcentration of As species in co-CZE mode. Less than 1 {mu}mol L{sup -1} of detection limits for As species were achieved using FASI. The proposed method was demonstrated for the separation and detection of As species in water. (orig.)

  12. Decomposition and (importance) sampling techniques for multi-stage stochastic linear programs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Infanger, G.

    1993-11-01

    The difficulty of solving large-scale multi-stage stochastic linear programs arises from the sheer number of scenarios associated with numerous stochastic parameters. The number of scenarios grows exponentially with the number of stages and problems get easily out of hand even for very moderate numbers of stochastic parameters per stage. Our method combines dual (Benders) decomposition with Monte Carlo sampling techniques. We employ importance sampling to efficiently obtain accurate estimates of both expected future costs and gradients and right-hand sides of cuts. The method enables us to solve practical large-scale problems with many stages and numerous stochastic parameters per stage. We discuss the theory of sharing and adjusting cuts between different scenarios in a stage. We derive probabilistic lower and upper bounds, where we use importance path sampling for the upper bound estimation. Initial numerical results turned out to be promising.

  13. Monitoring of persistent organic pollutants in seawater of the Pearl River Estuary with rapid on-site active SPME sampling technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huang, Siming; He, Shuming; Xu, Hao; Wu, Peiyan; Jiang, Ruifen; Zhu, Fang; Luan, Tiangang; Ouyang, Gangfeng

    2015-01-01

    An on-site active solid-phase microextraction (SPME) sampling technique coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) for sampling and monitoring 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and 8 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in seawater was developed. Laboratory experiments demonstrated that the sampling-rate calibration method was practical and could be used for the quantification of on-site sampling. The proposed method was employed for field tests which covered large amounts of water samples in the Pearl River Estuary in rainy and dry seasons. The on-site SPME sampling method can avoid the contamination of sample, the losses of analytes during sample transportation, as well as the usage of solvent and time-consuming sample preparation process. Results indicated that the technique with the designed device can address the requirement of modern environment water analysis. In addition, the sources, bioaccumulation and potential risk to human of the PAHs and OCPs in seawater of the Pearl River Estuary were discussed. - Highlights: • SPME on-site active sampling technique was developed and validated. • The technique was employed for field tests in the Pearl River Estuary. • 16 PAHs and 8 OCPs in the seawater of Pearl River Estuary were monitored. • The potential risk of the PAHs and OCPs in Pearl River Estuary were discussed. - An on-site active SPME sampling technique was developed and successfully applied for sampling and monitoring 16 PAHs and 8 OCPs in the Pearl River Estuary

  14. Using semantics for representing experimental protocols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giraldo, Olga; García, Alexander; López, Federico; Corcho, Oscar

    2017-11-13

    An experimental protocol is a sequence of tasks and operations executed to perform experimental research in biological and biomedical areas, e.g. biology, genetics, immunology, neurosciences, virology. Protocols often include references to equipment, reagents, descriptions of critical steps, troubleshooting and tips, as well as any other information that researchers deem important for facilitating the reusability of the protocol. Although experimental protocols are central to reproducibility, the descriptions are often cursory. There is the need for a unified framework with respect to the syntactic structure and the semantics for representing experimental protocols. In this paper we present "SMART Protocols ontology", an ontology for representing experimental protocols. Our ontology represents the protocol as a workflow with domain specific knowledge embedded within a document. We also present the S ample I nstrument R eagent O bjective (SIRO) model, which represents the minimal common information shared across experimental protocols. SIRO was conceived in the same realm as the Patient Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICO) model that supports search, retrieval and classification purposes in evidence based medicine. We evaluate our approach against a set of competency questions modeled as SPARQL queries and processed against a set of published and unpublished protocols modeled with the SP Ontology and the SIRO model. Our approach makes it possible to answer queries such as Which protocols use tumor tissue as a sample. Improving reporting structures for experimental protocols requires collective efforts from authors, peer reviewers, editors and funding bodies. The SP Ontology is a contribution towards this goal. We build upon previous experiences and bringing together the view of researchers managing protocols in their laboratory work. Website: https://smartprotocols.github.io/ .

  15. Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA): Technique of choice for nondestructive bulk analysis of returned comet samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lindstrom, D.J.; Lindstrom, R.M.

    1989-01-01

    Prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) is a well-developed analytical technique. The technique involves irradiation of samples in an external neutron beam from a nuclear reactor, with simultaneous counting of gamma rays produced in the sample by neutron capture. Capture of neutrons leads to excited nuclei which decay immediately with the emission of energetic gamma rays to the ground state. PGAA has several advantages over other techniques for the analysis of cometary materials: (1) It is nondestructive; (2) It can be used to determine abundances of a wide variety of elements, including most major and minor elements (Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni), volatiles (H, C, N, F, Cl, S), and some trace elements (those with high neutron capture cross sections, including B, Cd, Nd, Sm, and Gd); and (3) It is a true bulk analysis technique. Recent developments should improve the technique's sensitivity and accuracy considerably

  16. SU-E-I-68: Practical Considerations On Implementation of the Image Gently Pediatric CT Protocols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, J; Adams, C; Lumby, C; Dillon, J; Woods, E; Richer, E

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: One limitation associated with the Image Gently pediatric CT protocols is practical implementation of the recommended manual techniques. Inconsistency as a result of different practice is a possibility among technologist. An additional concern is the added risk of data error that would result in over or underexposure. The Automatic Exposure Control (AEC) features automatically reduce radiation for children. However, they do not work efficiently for the patients of very small size and relative large size. This study aims to implement the Image Gently pediatric CT protocols in the practical setting while maintaining the use of AEC features for pediatric patients of varying size. Methods: Anthropomorphological abdomen phantoms were scanned in a CT scanner using the Image Gently pediatric protocols, the AEC technique with a fixed adult baseline, and automatic protocols with various baselines. The baselines were adjusted corresponding to patient age, weight and posterioranterior thickness to match the Image Gently pediatric CT manual techniques. CTDIvol was recorded for each examination. Image noise was measured and recorded for image quality comparison. Clinical images were evaluated by pediatric radiologists. Results: By adjusting vendor default baselines used in the automatic techniques, radiation dose and image quality can match those of the Image Gently manual techniques. In practice, this can be achieved by dividing pediatric patients into three major groups for technologist reference: infant, small child, and large child. Further division can be done but will increase the number of CT protocols. For each group, AEC can efficiently adjust acquisition techniques for children. This implementation significantly overcomes the limitation of the Image Gently manual techniques. Conclusion: Considering the effectiveness in clinical practice, Image Gently Pediatric CT protocols can be implemented in accordance with AEC techniques, with adjusted baselines, to

  17. Controlled cooling versus rapid freezing of teratozoospermic semen samples: Impact on sperm chromatin integrity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shivananda N Kalludi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The present study evaluates the impact of controlled slow cooling and rapid freezing techniques on the sperm chromatin integrity in teratozoospermic and normozoospermic samples. Setting: The study was done in a university infertility clinic, which is a tertiary healthcare center serving the general population. Design: It was a prospective study designed in vitro. Materials and Methods: Semen samples from normozoospermic (N=16 and teratozoospermic (N=13 infertile men were cryopreserved using controlled cooling and rapid freezing techniques. The sperm chromatin integrity was analyzed in fresh and frozen-thawed samples. Statistical Analysis Used: Data were reported as mean and standard error (mean ± SEM of mean. The difference between two techniques was determined by a paired t-test. Results: The freeze-thaw induced chromatin denaturation was significantly (P<0.01 elevated in the post-thaw samples of normozoospermic and teratozoospermic groups. Compared to rapid freezing, there was no difference in the number of red sperms (with DNA damage by the controlled slow cooling method in both normozoospermic and teratozoospermic groups. Freeze-thaw induced sperm chromatin denaturation in teratozoospermic samples did not vary between controlled slow cooling and rapid freezing techniques. Conclusions: Since the controlled slow cooling technique involves the use of expensive instrument and is a time consuming protocol, rapid freezing can be a good alternative technique for teratozoospermic and normozoospermic samples when sperm DNA damage is a concern.

  18. Experimental study of laser ablation as sample introduction technique for inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Van Winckel, S.

    2001-01-01

    The contribution consists of an abstract of a PhD thesis. In the PhD study, several complementary applications of laser-ablation were investigated in order to characterise experimentally laser ablation (LA) as a sample introduction technique for ICP-MS. Three applications of LA as a sample introduction technique are discussed: (1) the microchemical analysis of the patina of weathered marble; (2) the possibility to measure isotope ratios (in particular Pb isotope ratios in archaeological bronze artefacts); and (3) the determination of Si in Al as part of a dosimetric study of the BR2 reactor vessel

  19. Dynamic Aggregation Protocol for Wireless Sensor Networks

    OpenAIRE

    Mounir Said , Adel; William Ibrahim , Ashraf; Soua , Ahmed; Afifi , Hossam

    2013-01-01

    International audience; Sensor networks suffer from limited capabilities such as bandwidth, low processing power, and memory size. There is therefore a need for protocols that deliver sensor data in an energy-efficient way to the sink. One of those techniques, it gathers sensors' data in a small size packet suitable for transmission. In this paper, we propose a new Effective Data Aggregation Protocol (DAP) to reduce the energy consumption in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs), which prolongs the...

  20. [Sampling, storage and transport of biological materials collected from living and deceased subjects for determination of concentration levels of ethyl alcohol and similarly acting substances. A proposal of updating the blood and urine sampling protocol].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiergowski, Marek; Reguła, Krystyna; Pieśniak, Dorota; Galer-Tatarowicz, Katarzyna; Szpiech, Beata; Jankowski, Zbigniew

    2007-01-01

    The present paper emphasizes the most common mistakes committed at the beginning of an analytical procedure. To shorten the time and decrease the cost of determinations of substances with similar to alcohol activity, it is postulated to introduce mass-scale screening analysis of saliva collected from a living subject at the site of the event, with all positive results confirmed in blood or urine samples. If no saliva sample is collected for toxicology, a urine sample, allowing for a stat fast screening analysis, and a blood sample, to confirm the result, should be ensured. Inappropriate storage of a blood sample in the tube without a preservative can cause sample spilling and its irretrievable loss. The authors propose updating the "Blood/urine sampling protocol", with the updated version to be introduced into practice following consultations and revisions.

  1. Processing scarce biological samples for light and transmission electron microscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P Taupin

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Light microscopy (LM and transmission electron microscopy (TEM aim at understanding the relationship structure-function. With advances in biology, isolation and purification of scarce populations of cells or subcellular structures may not lead to enough biological material, for processing for LM and TEM. A protocol for preparation of scarce biological samples is presented. It is based on pre-embedding the biological samples, suspensions or pellets, in bovine serum albumin (BSA and bis-acrylamide (BA, cross-linked and polymerized. This preparation provides a simple and reproducible technique to process biological materials, present in limited quantities that can not be amplified, for light and transmission electron microscopy.

  2. Determination of metals in air samples using X-Ray fluorescence associated the APDC preconcentration technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nardes, Raysa C.; Santos, Ramon S.; Sanches, Francis A.C.R.A.; Gama Filho, Hamilton S.; Oliveira, Davi F.; Anjos, Marcelino J., E-mail: rc.nardes@gmail.com, E-mail: ramonziosp@yahoo.com.br, E-mail: francissanches@gmail.com, E-mail: hamiltongamafilho@hotmail.com, E-mail: davi.oliveira@uerj.br, E-mail: marcelin@uerj.br [Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil). Instituto de Fisica. Departamento de Fisica Aplicada e Termodinamica

    2015-07-01

    Air pollution has become one of the leading quality degradation factors of life for people in large urban centers. Studies indicate that the suspended particulate matter in the atmosphere is directly associated with risks to public health, in addition, it can cause damage to fauna, flora and public / cultural patrimonies. The inhalable particulate materials can cause the emergence and / or worsening of chronic diseases related to respiratory system and other diseases, such as reduced physical strength. In this study, we propose a new method to measure the concentration of total suspended particulate matter (TSP) in the air using an impinger as an air cleaning apparatus, preconcentration with APDC and Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence technique (TXRF) to analyze the heavy metals present in the air. The samples were collected from five random points in the city of Rio de Janeiro/Brazil. Analyses of TXRF were performed at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS). The technique proved viable because it was able to detect five important metallic elements to environmental studies: Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn. This technique presented substantial efficiency in determining the elementary concentration of air pollutants, in addition to low cost. It can be concluded that the metals analysis technique in air samples using an impinger as sample collection instrument associated with a complexing agent (APDC) was viable because it is a low-cost technique, moreover, it was possible the detection of five important metal elements in environmental studies associated with industrial emissions and urban traffic. (author)

  3. Determination of metals in air samples using X-Ray fluorescence associated the APDC preconcentration technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nardes, Raysa C.; Santos, Ramon S.; Sanches, Francis A.C.R.A.; Gama Filho, Hamilton S.; Oliveira, Davi F.; Anjos, Marcelino J.

    2015-01-01

    Air pollution has become one of the leading quality degradation factors of life for people in large urban centers. Studies indicate that the suspended particulate matter in the atmosphere is directly associated with risks to public health, in addition, it can cause damage to fauna, flora and public / cultural patrimonies. The inhalable particulate materials can cause the emergence and / or worsening of chronic diseases related to respiratory system and other diseases, such as reduced physical strength. In this study, we propose a new method to measure the concentration of total suspended particulate matter (TSP) in the air using an impinger as an air cleaning apparatus, preconcentration with APDC and Total Reflection X-ray Fluorescence technique (TXRF) to analyze the heavy metals present in the air. The samples were collected from five random points in the city of Rio de Janeiro/Brazil. Analyses of TXRF were performed at the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Laboratory (LNLS). The technique proved viable because it was able to detect five important metallic elements to environmental studies: Cr, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn. This technique presented substantial efficiency in determining the elementary concentration of air pollutants, in addition to low cost. It can be concluded that the metals analysis technique in air samples using an impinger as sample collection instrument associated with a complexing agent (APDC) was viable because it is a low-cost technique, moreover, it was possible the detection of five important metal elements in environmental studies associated with industrial emissions and urban traffic. (author)

  4. A radioanalytical technique using (n,2n) reaction for the elemental analysis of samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Labor, M.

    1985-11-01

    A technique to determine elemental composition of samples is reported. The principle of the technique employs the internal standard method and involves the resolution of complex annihilation spectra. The technique has been applied to the determination of the mass of nitrogen, msub(N), and that of potassium, msub(K), in known masses of potassium nitrate. The percentage difference between the calculated mass and actual masses in 2g and 3g of potassium nitrate is 1.0 and 0.7 respectively for potassium, and 1.0 for nitrogen. The use of more simultaneous equations than necessary in solving for msub(N) and msub(K) offers one of the advantages of the technique. (author)

  5. Verbal protocols as methodological resources: research evidence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alessandra Baldo

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available This article aims at reflecting on the use of verbal protocols as a methodological resource in qualitative research, more specifically on the aspect regarded as the main limitation of a study about lexical inferencing in L2 (BALDO; VELASQUES, 2010: its subjective trait. The article begins with a brief literature review on protocols, followed by a description of the study in which they were employed as methodological resources. Based on that, protocol subjectivity is illustrated through samples of unparalleled data classification, carried out independently by two researchers. In the final section, the path followed to minimize the problem is presented, intending to contribute to improve efficiency in the use of verbal protocols in future research.

  6. Use of FTA elute card impregnated with cervicovaginal sample directly into the amplification reaction increases the detection of human papillomavirus DNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carla R. Santos

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to evaluate the use of the FTA elute cardTM impregnated with cervicovaginal sample directly in the PCR amplification for detection of HPV-DNA. The results were compared to a reference technique. This method was more efficient than the protocol indicated by the manufacturer, identifying 91.7% against 54.2% of the positive samples.

  7. A novel non-invasive diagnostic sampling technique for cutaneous leishmaniasis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasaman Taslimi

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Accurate diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL is important for chemotherapy and epidemiological studies. Common approaches for Leishmania detection involve the invasive collection of specimens for direct identification of amastigotes by microscopy and the culturing of promastigotes from infected tissues. Although these techniques are highly specific, they require highly skilled health workers and have the inherent risks of all invasive procedures, such as pain and risk of bacterial and fungal super-infection. Therefore, it is essential to reduce discomfort, potential infection and scarring caused by invasive diagnostic approaches especially for children. In this report, we present a novel non-invasive method, that is painless, rapid and user-friendly, using sequential tape strips for sampling and isolation of DNA from the surface of active and healed skin lesions of CL patients. A total of 119 patients suspected of suffering from cutaneous leishmaniasis with different clinical manifestations were recruited and samples were collected both from their lesions and from uninfected areas. In addition, 15 fungal-infected lesions and 54 areas of healthy skin were examined. The duration of sampling is short (less than one minute and species identification by PCR is highly specific and sensitive. The sequential tape stripping sampling method is a sensitive, non-invasive and cost-effective alternative to traditional diagnostic assays and it is suitable for field studies as well as for use in health care centers.

  8. Technical Note: Comparison of storage strategies of sea surface microlayer samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. Schneider-Zapp

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available The sea surface microlayer (SML is an important biogeochemical system whose physico-chemical analysis often necessitates some degree of sample storage. However, many SML components degrade with time so the development of optimal storage protocols is paramount. We here briefly review some commonly used treatment and storage protocols. Using freshwater and saline SML samples from a river estuary, we investigated temporal changes in surfactant activity (SA and the absorbance and fluorescence of chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM over four weeks, following selected sample treatment and storage protocols. Some variability in the effectiveness of individual protocols most likely reflects sample provenance. None of the various protocols examined performed any better than dark storage at 4 °C without pre-treatment. We therefore recommend storing samples refrigerated in the dark.

  9. Use of X-ray diffraction technique and chemometrics to aid soil sampling strategies in traceability studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bertacchini, Lucia; Durante, Caterina; Marchetti, Andrea; Sighinolfi, Simona; Silvestri, Michele; Cocchi, Marina

    2012-08-30

    Aim of this work is to assess the potentialities of the X-ray powder diffraction technique as fingerprinting technique, i.e. as a preliminary tool to assess soil samples variability, in terms of geochemical features, in the context of food geographical traceability. A correct approach to sampling procedure is always a critical issue in scientific investigation. In particular, in food geographical traceability studies, where the cause-effect relations between the soil of origin and the final foodstuff is sought, a representative sampling of the territory under investigation is certainly an imperative. This research concerns a pilot study to investigate the field homogeneity with respect to both field extension and sampling depth, taking also into account the seasonal variability. Four Lambrusco production sites of the Modena district were considered. The X-Ray diffraction spectra, collected on the powder of each soil sample, were treated as fingerprint profiles to be deciphered by multivariate and multi-way data analysis, namely PCA and PARAFAC. The differentiation pattern observed in soil samples, as obtained by this fast and non-destructive analytical approach, well matches with the results obtained by characterization with other costly analytical techniques, such as ICP/MS, GFAAS, FAAS, etc. Thus, the proposed approach furnishes a rational basis to reduce the number of soil samples to be collected for further analytical characterization, i.e. metals content, isotopic ratio of radiogenic element, etc., while maintaining an exhaustive description of the investigated production areas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Sample preparation for large-scale bioanalytical studies based on liquid chromatographic techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Medvedovici, Andrei; Bacalum, Elena; David, Victor

    2018-01-01

    Quality of the analytical data obtained for large-scale and long term bioanalytical studies based on liquid chromatography depends on a number of experimental factors including the choice of sample preparation method. This review discusses this tedious part of bioanalytical studies, applied to large-scale samples and using liquid chromatography coupled with different detector types as core analytical technique. The main sample preparation methods included in this paper are protein precipitation, liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction, derivatization and their versions. They are discussed by analytical performances, fields of applications, advantages and disadvantages. The cited literature covers mainly the analytical achievements during the last decade, although several previous papers became more valuable in time and they are included in this review. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  11. Use of an oscillation technique to measure effective cross-sections of fissionable samples in critical assemblies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tretiakoff, O.; Vidal, R.; Carre, J.C.; Robin, M.

    1964-01-01

    The authors describe the technique used to measure the effective absorption and neutron-yield cross-sections of a fissionable sample. These two values are determined by analysing the signals due to the variation in reactivity (over-all signal) and the local perturbation in the flux (local signal) produced by the oscillating sample. These signals are standardized by means of a set of samples containing quantities of fissionable material ( 235 U) and an absorber, boron, which are well known. The measurements are made for different neutron spectra characterized by lattice parameters which constitute the central zone within which the sample moves. This technique is used to study the effective cross-sections of uranium-plutonium alloys for different heavy-water and graphite lattices in the MINERVE and MARIUS critical assemblies. The same experiments are carried out on fuel samples of different irradiations in order to determine the evolution of effective cross-sections as a function of the spectrum and the irradiations. (authors) [fr

  12. Toward greener analytical techniques for the absolute quantification of peptides in pharmaceutical and biological samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Van Eeckhaut, Ann; Mangelings, Debby

    2015-09-10

    Peptide-based biopharmaceuticals represent one of the fastest growing classes of new drug molecules. New reaction types included in the synthesis strategies to reduce the rapid metabolism of peptides, along with the availability of new formulation and delivery technologies, resulted in an increased marketing of peptide drug products. In this regard, the development of analytical methods for quantification of peptides in pharmaceutical and biological samples is of utmost importance. From the sample preparation step to their analysis by means of chromatographic or electrophoretic methods, many difficulties should be tackled to analyze them. Recent developments in analytical techniques emphasize more and more on the use of green analytical techniques. This review will discuss the progresses in and challenges observed during green analytical method development for the quantification of peptides in pharmaceutical and biological samples. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Protocol voor meting van lachgasemissie uit huisvestingssystemen in de veehouderij 2010 = Measurement protocol for nitrous oxide emission from housing systems in livestock production 2010

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mosquera Losada, J.; Groenestein, C.M.; Ogink, N.W.M.

    2011-01-01

    This report describes a measurement protocol for nitrous oxide emissions from animal housing systems. The protocol is based on sampling periods of 24 hours spread over one year and can be applied in specified animal categories.

  14. A cost-effective technique for integrating personal radiation dose assessment with personal gravimetric sampling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Strydom, R.; Rolle, R.; Van der Linde, A.

    1992-01-01

    During recent years there has been an increasing awareness internationally of radiation levels in the mining and milling of radioactive ores, including those from non-uranium mines. A major aspect of radiation control is concerned with the measurement of radiation levels and the assessment of radiation doses incurred by individual workers. Current techniques available internationally for personnel monitoring of radiation exposures are expensive and there is a particular need to reduce the cost of personal radiation monitoring in South African gold mines because of the large labour force employed. In this regard the obvious benefits of integrating personal radiation monitoring with existing personal monitoring systems already in place in South African gold mines should be exploited. A system which can be utilized for this purpose is personal gravimetric sampling. A new cost-effective technique for personal radiation monitoring, which can be fully integrated with the personal gravimetric sampling strategy being implemented on mines, has been developed in South Africa. The basic principles of this technique and its potential in South African mines are described. 9 refs., 7 figs

  15. Influence of a sampling review process for radiation oncology quality assurance in cooperative group clinical trials -- results of the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martin, Linda A.; Krall, John M.; Curran, Walter J.; Leibel, Steven A.; Cox, James D.

    1995-01-01

    The Radiation Therapy Oncology Group (RTOG) designed a random sampling process and observed its influence upon radiotherapy review mechanisms in cooperative group clinical trials. The method of sampling cases for review was modeled from sampling techniques commonly used in pharmaceutical quality assurance programs, and applied to the initial (on-study) review of protocol cases. 'In control' (IC) status is defined for a given facility as the ability to meet minimum compliance standards. Upon achieving IC status, activation of the sampling process was linked to the rate of continued patient accrual for each participating institution in a given protocol. The sampling design specified that ≥ 30% cases not in compliance would be detected with 80% power. A total of 458 cases was analyzed for initial review findings in four RTOG Phase III protocols. Initial review findings were compared with retrospective (final) review results. Of the 458 cases analyzed, 370 underwent initial review at on-study, while 88 did not require review as they were enrolled from institutions that had demonstrated protocol compliance. In the group that had both initial and final review, (345(370)) (93%) were found to have followed the protocol or had a minor variation. Of the exempted cases, (79(88)) (90%) were found to be per protocol or a minor variant. The sampling process proved itself to be cost-effective and resulted in a noticeable reduction in the workload, thus providing an improved approach to resource allocation for the group. Continued evaluation of the sampling mechanism is appropriate as study designs and participants vary over time, and as more data become available to study. Further investigation of individual protocol compliance is appropriate to identify problems specific to new trial investigations

  16. 238U And 232Th Concentration In Rock Samples using Alpha Autoradiography and Gamma Spectroscopy Techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hafez, A.F.; El-Farrash, A.H.; Yousef, H.A.

    2009-01-01

    The activity concentrations of uranium and thorium were measured for some rock samples selected from Dahab region in the south tip of Sinai. In order to detect any harmful radiation that would affect on the tourists and is becoming economic resource because Dahab have open fields of tourism in Egypt. The activity concentration of uranium and thorium in rocks samples was measured using two techniques. The first is .-autoradiography technique with LR-115 and CR-39 detectors and the second is gamma spectroscopic technique with NaI(Tl) detector. It was found that the average activity concentrations of uranium and thorium using .-autoradiography technique ranged from 6.41-49.31 Bqkg-1, 4.86- 40.87 Bqkg-1 respectively and by gamma detector are ranged from 6.70- 49.50 Bqkg-1, 4.47- 42.33 Bqkg-1 respectively. From the obtained data we can conclude that there is no radioactive healthy hazard for human and living beings in the area under investigation. It was found that there are no big differences between the calculated thorium to uranium ratios in both techniques

  17. Atmospheric pressure surface sampling/ionization techniques for direct coupling of planar separations with mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pasilis, Sofie P; Van Berkel, Gary J

    2010-06-18

    Planar separations, which include thin layer chromatography and gel electrophoresis, are in widespread use as important and powerful tools for conducting separations of complex mixtures. To increase the utility of planar separations, new methods are needed that allow in situ characterization of the individual components of the separated mixtures. A large number of atmospheric pressure surface sampling and ionization techniques for use with mass spectrometry have emerged in the past several years, and several have been investigated as a means for mass spectrometric read-out of planar separations. In this article, we review the atmospheric pressure surface sampling and ionization techniques that have been used for the read-out of planar separation media. For each technique, we briefly explain the operational basics and discuss the analyte type for which it is appropriate and some specific applications from the literature. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Waste minimization in analytical chemistry through innovative sample preparation techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, L. L.

    1998-01-01

    water samples. In this SPME technique, a fused-silica fiber coated with a polymeric film is exposed to the sample, extraction is allowed to take place, and then the analytes are thermally desorbed for GC analysis. Unlike liquid-liquid extraction or solid-phase extraction, SPME consumes all of the extracted sample in the analysis, significantly reducing the required sample volume

  19. Families of quantum fingerprinting protocols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lovitz, Benjamin; Lütkenhaus, Norbert

    2018-03-01

    We introduce several families of quantum fingerprinting protocols to evaluate the equality function on two n -bit strings in the simultaneous message passing model. The original quantum fingerprinting protocol uses a tensor product of a small number of O (logn ) -qubit high-dimensional signals [H. Buhrman et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 87, 167902 (2001), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.87.167902], whereas a recently proposed optical protocol uses a tensor product of O (n ) single-qubit signals, while maintaining the O (logn ) information leakage of the original protocol [J. M. Arazola and N. Lütkenhaus, Phys. Rev. A 89, 062305 (2014), 10.1103/PhysRevA.89.062305]. We find a family of protocols which interpolate between the original and optical protocols while maintaining the O (logn ) information leakage, thus demonstrating a tradeoff between the number of signals sent and the dimension of each signal. There has been interest in experimental realization of the recently proposed optical protocol using coherent states [F. Xu et al., Nat. Commun. 6, 8735 (2015), 10.1038/ncomms9735; J.-Y. Guan et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 116, 240502 (2016), 10.1103/PhysRevLett.116.240502], but as the required number of laser pulses grows linearly with the input size n , eventual challenges for the long-time stability of experimental setups arise. We find a coherent state protocol which reduces the number of signals by a factor 1/2 while also reducing the information leakage. Our reduction makes use of a simple modulation scheme in optical phase space, and we find that more complex modulation schemes are not advantageous. Using a similar technique, we improve a recently proposed coherent state protocol for evaluating the Euclidean distance between two real unit vectors [N. Kumar et al., Phys. Rev. A 95, 032337 (2017), 10.1103/PhysRevA.95.032337] by reducing the number of signals by a factor 1/2 and also reducing the information leakage.

  20. High-throughput droplet analysis and multiplex DNA detection in the microfluidic platform equipped with a robust sample-introduction technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Jinyang; Ji, Xinghu; He, Zhike

    2015-01-01

    In this work, a simple, flexible and low-cost sample-introduction technique was developed and integrated with droplet platform. The sample-introduction strategy was realized based on connecting the components of positive pressure input device, sample container and microfluidic chip through the tygon tubing with homemade polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) adaptor, so the sample was delivered into the microchip from the sample container under the driving of positive pressure. This sample-introduction technique is so robust and compatible that could be integrated with T-junction, flow-focus or valve-assisted droplet microchips. By choosing the PDMS adaptor with proper dimension, the microchip could be flexibly equipped with various types of familiar sample containers, makes the sampling more straightforward without trivial sample transfer or loading. And the convenient sample changing was easily achieved by positioning the adaptor from one sample container to another. Benefiting from the proposed technique, the time-dependent concentration gradient was generated and applied for quantum dot (QD)-based fluorescence barcoding within droplet chip. High-throughput droplet screening was preliminarily demonstrated through the investigation of the quenching efficiency of ruthenium complex to the fluorescence of QD. More importantly, multiplex DNA assay was successfully carried out in the integrated system, which shows the practicability and potentials in high-throughput biosensing. - Highlights: • A simple, robust and low-cost sample-introduction technique was developed. • Convenient and flexible sample changing was achieved in microfluidic system. • Novel strategy of concentration gradient generation was presented for barcoding. • High-throughput droplet screening could be realized in the integrated platform. • Multiplex DNA assay was successfully carried out in the droplet platform

  1. High-throughput droplet analysis and multiplex DNA detection in the microfluidic platform equipped with a robust sample-introduction technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Jinyang; Ji, Xinghu [Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); He, Zhike, E-mail: zhkhe@whu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory of Analytical Chemistry for Biology and Medicine (Ministry of Education), College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072 (China); Suzhou Institute of Wuhan University, Suzhou 215123 (China)

    2015-08-12

    In this work, a simple, flexible and low-cost sample-introduction technique was developed and integrated with droplet platform. The sample-introduction strategy was realized based on connecting the components of positive pressure input device, sample container and microfluidic chip through the tygon tubing with homemade polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) adaptor, so the sample was delivered into the microchip from the sample container under the driving of positive pressure. This sample-introduction technique is so robust and compatible that could be integrated with T-junction, flow-focus or valve-assisted droplet microchips. By choosing the PDMS adaptor with proper dimension, the microchip could be flexibly equipped with various types of familiar sample containers, makes the sampling more straightforward without trivial sample transfer or loading. And the convenient sample changing was easily achieved by positioning the adaptor from one sample container to another. Benefiting from the proposed technique, the time-dependent concentration gradient was generated and applied for quantum dot (QD)-based fluorescence barcoding within droplet chip. High-throughput droplet screening was preliminarily demonstrated through the investigation of the quenching efficiency of ruthenium complex to the fluorescence of QD. More importantly, multiplex DNA assay was successfully carried out in the integrated system, which shows the practicability and potentials in high-throughput biosensing. - Highlights: • A simple, robust and low-cost sample-introduction technique was developed. • Convenient and flexible sample changing was achieved in microfluidic system. • Novel strategy of concentration gradient generation was presented for barcoding. • High-throughput droplet screening could be realized in the integrated platform. • Multiplex DNA assay was successfully carried out in the droplet platform.

  2. The novel programmable riometer for in-depth ionospheric and magnetospheric observations (PRIAMOS) using direct sampling DSP techniques

    OpenAIRE

    Dekoulis, G.; Honary, F.

    2005-01-01

    This paper describes the feasibility study and simulation results for the unique multi-frequency, multi-bandwidth, Programmable Riometer for in-depth Ionospheric And Magnetospheric ObservationS (PRIAMOS) based on direct sampling digital signal processing (DSP) techniques. This novel architecture is based on sampling the cosmic noise wavefront at the antenna. It eliminates the usage of any intermediate frequency (IF) mixer stages (-6 dB) and the noise balancing technique (-3 dB), providing a m...

  3. Laser-Assisted Sampling Techniques in Combination with ICP-MS: A Novel Approach for Particle Analysis at the IAEA Environmental Samples Laboratory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dzigal, N.; Chinea-Cano, E.

    2015-01-01

    Researchers have found many applications for lasers. About two decades ago, scientists started using lasers as sample introduction instruments for mass spectrometry measurements. Similarly, lasers as micro-dissection tools have also been increasingly on demand in the fields of life sciences, materials science, forensics, etc. This presentation deals with the interception of these aforementioned laser-assisted techniques to the field of particle analysis. Historically, the use of a nanosecond laser to ablate material has been used in materials science. Recently, it has been proven that in the analysis of particulate materials the disadvantages associated with the utilization of nanosecond lasers such as overheating and melting of the sample are suppressed when using femtosecond lasers. Further, due to the length of a single laser shot, fs-LA allows a more controlled ablation to occur and therefore the sample plasma is more homogeneous and less mass-fractionation events are detected. The use of laser micro-dissection devices enables the physical segmentation of microsized artefacts previously performed by a laborious manual procedure. By combining the precision of the laser cutting inherent to the LMD technique together with a particle identification methodology, one can increase the efficiency of single particle isolation. Further, besides the increase in throughput of analyses, this combination enhances the signal-to-noise ratio by removing matrix particles effectively. Specifically, this contribution describes the use of an Olympus+MMI laser microdissection device in improving the sample preparation of environmental swipe samples and the installation of an Applied Spectra J200 fs-LA/LIBS (laser ablation/laser inducedbreakdown spectroscopy) system as a sample introduction device to a quadrupole mass spectrometer, the iCap Q from Thermofisher Scientific at the IAEA Environmental Samples Laboratory are explored. Preliminary results of the ongoing efforts for the

  4. Thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in turkey samples: evaluation of two automated enzyme immunoassays and conventional microbiological techniques

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Borck, Birgitte; Stryhn, H.; Ersboll, A.K.

    2002-01-01

    Aims: To determine the sensitivity and specificity of two automated enzyme immunoassays (EIA), EiaFoss and Minividas, and a conventional microbiological culture technique for detecting thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in turkey samples. Methods and Results: A total of 286 samples (faecal, meat...

  5. An Authentication Protocol for Mobile IPTV Users Based on an RFID-USB Convergence Technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeong, Yoon-Su; Kim, Yong-Tae

    With the growing trend towards convergence in broadcast and communications media, Internet Protocol television (IPTV) that delivers real-time multimedia content over diverse types of communications networks (e.g., broadband Internet, cable TV, and satellite TV) has become a mainstream technology. Authenticating mobile IPTV subscribers who are continuously on the move is a challenge. A complex authentication process often impairs conditional access security or service quality as increasing illegal users and delaying service. This paper proposes an RFID-USB authentication protocol, for mobile IPTV users, combined with USIM-based personalized authentication and lightweight authentication that utilizes the RFID-USB technology with an implanted agent module (called an "agent tag") which temporarily enhanced user status information. The proposed authentication protocol adopts a plug-and-play security agent module that is placed in both an RFID tag and an RFID-USB. The implanted security agents cooperate in such a way that multiple RFID tags are connected seamlessly to an RFID-USB.

  6. Solving mercury (Hg) speciation in soil samples by synchrotron X-ray microspectroscopic techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terzano, Roberto; Santoro, Anna; Spagnuolo, Matteo; Vekemans, Bart; Medici, Luca; Janssens, Koen; Göttlicher, Jörg; Denecke, Melissa A; Mangold, Stefan; Ruggiero, Pacifico

    2010-08-01

    Direct mercury (Hg) speciation was assessed for soil samples with a Hg concentration ranging from 7 up to 240 mg kg(-1). Hg chemical forms were identified and quantified by sequential extractions and bulk- and micro-analytical techniques exploiting synchrotron generated X-rays. In particular, microspectroscopic techniques such as mu-XRF, mu-XRD and mu-XANES were necessary to solve bulk Hg speciation, in both soil fractions soil samples were metacinnabar (beta-HgS), cinnabar (alpha-HgS), corderoite (Hg(3)S(2)Cl(2)), and an amorphous phase containing Hg bound to chlorine and sulfur. The amount of metacinnabar and amorphous phases increased in the fraction soil components was observed. All the observed Hg-species originated from the slow weathering of an inert Hg-containing waste material (K106, U.S. EPA) dumped in the area several years ago, which is changing into a relatively more dangerous source of pollution. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. A time-efficient acquisition protocol for multipurpose diffusion-weighted microstructural imaging at 7 Tesla.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sepehrband, Farshid; O'Brien, Kieran; Barth, Markus

    2017-12-01

    Several diffusion-weighted MRI techniques have been developed and validated during the past 2 decades. While offering various neuroanatomical inferences, these techniques differ in their proposed optimal acquisition design, preventing clinicians and researchers benefiting from all potential inference methods, particularly when limited time is available. This study reports an optimal design that enables for a time-efficient diffusion-weighted MRI acquisition scheme at 7 Tesla. The primary audience of this article is the typical end user, interested in diffusion-weighted microstructural imaging at 7 Tesla. We tested b-values in the range of 700 to 3000 s/mm 2 with different number of angular diffusion-encoding samples, against a data-driven "gold standard." The suggested design is a protocol with b-values of 1000 and 2500 s/mm 2 , with 25 and 50 samples, uniformly distributed over two shells. We also report a range of protocols in which the results of fitting microstructural models to the diffusion-weighted data had high correlation with the gold standard. We estimated minimum acquisition requirements that enable diffusion tensor imaging, higher angular resolution diffusion-weighted imaging, neurite orientation dispersion, and density imaging and white matter tract integrity across whole brain with isotropic resolution of 1.8 mm in less than 11 min. Magn Reson Med 78:2170-2184, 2017. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine. © 2017 International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine.

  8. Application of micro-thin-layer chromatography as a simple fractionation tool for fast screening of raw extracts derived from complex biological, pharmaceutical and environmental samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zarzycki, Pawel K.; Slaczka, Magdalena M.; Zarzycka, Magdalena B.; Wlodarczyk, Elzbieta; Baran, Michal J.

    2011-01-01

    The main goal of present paper is to demonstrate the separation and detection capability of micro-TLC technique involving simple one step liquid extraction protocols of complex materials without multi-steps sample pre-purification. In the present studies target components (cyanobacteria pigments, lipids and fullerenes) were isolated from heavy loading complex matrices including spirulina dried cells, birds' feathers and fatty oils as well as soot samples derived from biomass fuel and fossils-fired home heating systems. In each case isocratic separation protocol involving less that 1 mL of one component or binary mixture mobile phases can be completed within time of 5-8 min. Sensitive detection of components of interest was performed via fluorescence or staining techniques using iodine or phosphomolybdic acid. Described methodology can be applied for fast fractionation or screening of whole range of target substances as well as chemo-taxonomic studies and fingerprinting of complex mixtures, which are present in raw biological or environmental samples.

  9. Application of micro-thin-layer chromatography as a simple fractionation tool for fast screening of raw extracts derived from complex biological, pharmaceutical and environmental samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zarzycki, Pawel K., E-mail: pawel_k_z@hotmail.com [Section of Toxicology and Bioanalytics, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Koszalin University of Technology, Sniadeckich 2, 75-453 Koszalin (Poland); Slaczka, Magdalena M.; Zarzycka, Magdalena B.; Wlodarczyk, Elzbieta; Baran, Michal J. [Section of Toxicology and Bioanalytics, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Koszalin University of Technology, Sniadeckich 2, 75-453 Koszalin (Poland)

    2011-03-04

    The main goal of present paper is to demonstrate the separation and detection capability of micro-TLC technique involving simple one step liquid extraction protocols of complex materials without multi-steps sample pre-purification. In the present studies target components (cyanobacteria pigments, lipids and fullerenes) were isolated from heavy loading complex matrices including spirulina dried cells, birds' feathers and fatty oils as well as soot samples derived from biomass fuel and fossils-fired home heating systems. In each case isocratic separation protocol involving less that 1 mL of one component or binary mixture mobile phases can be completed within time of 5-8 min. Sensitive detection of components of interest was performed via fluorescence or staining techniques using iodine or phosphomolybdic acid. Described methodology can be applied for fast fractionation or screening of whole range of target substances as well as chemo-taxonomic studies and fingerprinting of complex mixtures, which are present in raw biological or environmental samples.

  10. Continuous sampling from distributed streams

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Graham, Cormode; Muthukrishnan, S.; Yi, Ke

    2012-01-01

    A fundamental problem in data management is to draw and maintain a sample of a large data set, for approximate query answering, selectivity estimation, and query planning. With large, streaming data sets, this problem becomes particularly difficult when the data is shared across multiple distribu......A fundamental problem in data management is to draw and maintain a sample of a large data set, for approximate query answering, selectivity estimation, and query planning. With large, streaming data sets, this problem becomes particularly difficult when the data is shared across multiple...... distributed sites. The main challenge is to ensure that a sample is drawn uniformly across the union of the data while minimizing the communication needed to run the protocol on the evolving data. At the same time, it is also necessary to make the protocol lightweight, by keeping the space and time costs low...... for each participant. In this article, we present communication-efficient protocols for continuously maintaining a sample (both with and without replacement) from k distributed streams. These apply to the case when we want a sample from the full streams, and to the sliding window cases of only the W most...

  11. Coherent optical adaptive technique improves the spatial resolution of STED microscopy in thick samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Wei; Yang, Yanlong; Tan, Yu; Chen, Xun; Li, Yang; Qu, Junle; Ye, Tong

    2018-01-01

    Stimulated emission depletion microscopy (STED) is one of far-field optical microscopy techniques that can provide sub-diffraction spatial resolution. The spatial resolution of the STED microscopy is determined by the specially engineered beam profile of the depletion beam and its power. However, the beam profile of the depletion beam may be distorted due to aberrations of optical systems and inhomogeneity of specimens’ optical properties, resulting in a compromised spatial resolution. The situation gets deteriorated when thick samples are imaged. In the worst case, the sever distortion of the depletion beam profile may cause complete loss of the super resolution effect no matter how much depletion power is applied to specimens. Previously several adaptive optics approaches have been explored to compensate aberrations of systems and specimens. However, it is hard to correct the complicated high-order optical aberrations of specimens. In this report, we demonstrate that the complicated distorted wavefront from a thick phantom sample can be measured by using the coherent optical adaptive technique (COAT). The full correction can effectively maintain and improve the spatial resolution in imaging thick samples. PMID:29400356

  12. 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.

  13. Sampling and sample preparation development for analytical and on-line measurement techniques of process liquids; Naeytteenoton ja kaesittelyn kehittaeminen prosessinesteiden analytiikan ja on-line mittaustekniikan tarpeisiin - MPKT 11

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karttunen, K. [Oulu Univ. (Finland)

    1998-12-31

    Main goal of the research project is to develop sampling and sample handling methods and techniques for pulp and paper industry to be used for analysis and on-line purposes. The research focus specially on the research and development of the classification and separation methods and techniques needed for liquid and colloidal substances as well as in ion analysis. (orig.)

  14. Sampling and sample preparation development for analytical and on-line measurement techniques of process liquids; Naeytteenoton ja kaesittelyn kehittaeminen prosessinesteiden analytiikan ja on-line mittaustekniikan tarpeisiin - MPKT 11

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Karttunen, K [Oulu Univ. (Finland)

    1999-12-31

    Main goal of the research project is to develop sampling and sample handling methods and techniques for pulp and paper industry to be used for analysis and on-line purposes. The research focus specially on the research and development of the classification and separation methods and techniques needed for liquid and colloidal substances as well as in ion analysis. (orig.)

  15. Water stable isotope measurements of Antarctic samples by means of IRMS and WS-CRDS techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Michelini, Marzia; Bonazza, Mattia; Braida, Martina; Flora, Onelio; Dreossi, Giuliano; Stenni, Barbara

    2010-05-01

    In the last years in the scientific community there has been an increasing interest for the application of stable isotope techniques to several environmental problems such as drinking water safeguarding, groundwater management, climate change, soils and paleoclimate studies etc. For example, the water stable isotopes, being natural tracers of the hydrological cycle, have been extensively used as tools to characterize regional aquifers and to reconstruct past temperature changes from polar ice cores. Here the need for improvements in analytical techniques: the high request for information calls for technologies that can offer a great quantity of analyses in short times and with low costs. Furthermore, sometimes it is difficult to obtain big amount of samples (as is the case for Antarctic ice cores or interstitial water) preventing the possibility to replicate the analyses. Here, we present oxygen and hydrogen measurements performed on water samples covering a big range of isotopic values (from very negative antarctic precipitation to mid-latitude precipitation values) carried out with both the conventional Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (IRMS) technique and with a new method based on laser absorption techniques, the Wavelenght Scanned Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy (WS-CRDS). This study is focusing on improving the precision of the measurements carried out with WS-CRDS in order to extensively apply this method to Antarctic ice core paleoclimate studies. The WS-CRDS is a variation of the CRDS developed in 1988 by O'Keef and Deacon. In CRDS a pulse of light goes through a box with high reflective inner surfaces; when there is no sample in the box the light beam doesn't find any obstacle in its path, but the reflectivity of the walls is not perfect so eventually there will be an absorption of the light beam; when the sample is injected in the box there is absorption and the difference between the time of absorption without and with sample is proportional to the quantity

  16. Convergence and Efficiency of Adaptive Importance Sampling Techniques with Partial Biasing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fort, G.; Jourdain, B.; Lelièvre, T.; Stoltz, G.

    2018-04-01

    We propose a new Monte Carlo method to efficiently sample a multimodal distribution (known up to a normalization constant). We consider a generalization of the discrete-time Self Healing Umbrella Sampling method, which can also be seen as a generalization of well-tempered metadynamics. The dynamics is based on an adaptive importance technique. The importance function relies on the weights (namely the relative probabilities) of disjoint sets which form a partition of the space. These weights are unknown but are learnt on the fly yielding an adaptive algorithm. In the context of computational statistical physics, the logarithm of these weights is, up to an additive constant, the free-energy, and the discrete valued function defining the partition is called the collective variable. The algorithm falls into the general class of Wang-Landau type methods, and is a generalization of the original Self Healing Umbrella Sampling method in two ways: (i) the updating strategy leads to a larger penalization strength of already visited sets in order to escape more quickly from metastable states, and (ii) the target distribution is biased using only a fraction of the free-energy, in order to increase the effective sample size and reduce the variance of importance sampling estimators. We prove the convergence of the algorithm and analyze numerically its efficiency on a toy example.

  17. A Weak Value Based QKD Protocol Robust Against Detector Attacks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Troupe, James

    2015-03-01

    We propose a variation of the BB84 quantum key distribution protocol that utilizes the properties of weak values to insure the validity of the quantum bit error rate estimates used to detect an eavesdropper. The protocol is shown theoretically to be secure against recently demonstrated attacks utilizing detector blinding and control and should also be robust against all detector based hacking. Importantly, the new protocol promises to achieve this additional security without negatively impacting the secure key generation rate as compared to that originally promised by the standard BB84 scheme. Implementation of the weak measurements needed by the protocol should be very feasible using standard quantum optical techniques.

  18. A distance limited method for sampling downed coarse woody debris

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jeffrey H. Gove; Mark J. Ducey; Harry T. Valentine; Michael S. Williams

    2012-01-01

    A new sampling method for down coarse woody debris is proposed based on limiting the perpendicular distance from individual pieces to a randomly chosen sample point. Two approaches are presented that allow different protocols to be used to determine field measurements; estimators for each protocol are also developed. Both protocols are compared via simulation against...

  19. Application of industrial hygiene techniques for work-place exposure assessment protocols related to petro-chemical exploration and production field activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koehn, J.

    1995-01-01

    Standard industrial hygiene techniques for recognition, evaluation, and control can be directly applied to development of technical protocols for workplace exposure assessment activities for a variety of field site locations. Categories of occupational hazards include chemical and physical agents. Examples of these types of hazards directly related to oil and gas exploration and production workplaces include hydrocarbons, benzene, oil mist, hydrogen sulfide, Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM), asbestos-containing materials, and noise. Specific components of well process chemicals include potential hazardous chemical substances such as methanol, acrolein, chlorine dioxide, and hydrochloric acid. Other types of exposure hazards may result from non-routine conduct of sandblasting and painting operations

  20. Soil Gas Sample Handling: Evaluation of Water Removal and Sample Ganging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fritz, Brad G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Abrecht, David G. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Hayes, James C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Mendoza, Donaldo P. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

    2016-10-31

    Soil gas sampling is currently conducted in support of Nuclear Test Ban treaty verification. Soil gas samples are collected and analyzed for isotopes of interest. Some issues that can impact sampling and analysis of these samples are excess moisture and sample processing time. Here we discuss three potential improvements to the current sampling protocol; a desiccant for water removal, use of molecular sieve to remove CO2 from the sample during collection, and a ganging manifold to allow composite analysis of multiple samples.

  1. Estimation of trace levels of plutonium in urine samples by fission track technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sawant, P.D.; Prabhu, S.; Pendharkar, K.A.; Kalsi, P.C.

    2009-01-01

    Individual monitoring of radiation workers handling Pu in various nuclear installations requires the detection of trace levels of plutonium in bioassay samples. It is necessary to develop methods that can detect urinary excretion of Pu in fraction of mBq range. Therefore, a sensitive method such as fission track analysis has been developed for the measurement of trace levels of Pu in bioassay samples. In this technique, chemically separated plutonium from the sample and a Pu standard were electrodeposited on planchettes and covered with Lexan solid state nuclear track detector (SSNTD) and irradiated with thermal neutrons in APSARA reactor of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, India. The fission track densities in the Lexan films of the sample and the standard were used to calculate the amount of Pu in the sample. The minimum amount of Pu that can be analyzed by this method using doubly distilled electronic grade (E. G.) reagents is about 12 μBq/L. (author)

  2. Fabrication Techniques of Stretchable and Cloth Electroadhesion Samples for Implementation on Devices with Space Application

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Aeronautics and Space Administration — The purpose of this study is to determine materials and fabrication techniques for efficient space-rated electroadhesion (EA) samples. Liquid metals, including...

  3. Development of a manualized protocol of massage therapy for clinical trials in osteoarthritis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ali Ather

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Clinical trial design of manual therapies may be especially challenging as techniques are often individualized and practitioner-dependent. This paper describes our methods in creating a standardized Swedish massage protocol tailored to subjects with osteoarthritis of the knee while respectful of the individualized nature of massage therapy, as well as implementation of this protocol in two randomized clinical trials. Methods The manualization process involved a collaborative process between methodologic and clinical experts, with the explicit goals of creating a reproducible semi-structured protocol for massage therapy, while allowing some latitude for therapists’ clinical judgment and maintaining consistency with a prior pilot study. Results The manualized protocol addressed identical specified body regions with distinct 30- and 60-min protocols, using standard Swedish strokes. Each protocol specifies the time allocated to each body region. The manualized 30- and 60-min protocols were implemented in a dual-site 24-week randomized dose-finding trial in patients with osteoarthritis of the knee, and is currently being implemented in a three-site 52-week efficacy trial of manualized Swedish massage therapy. In the dose-finding study, therapists adhered to the protocols and significant treatment effects were demonstrated. Conclusions The massage protocol was manualized, using standard techniques, and made flexible for individual practitioner and subject needs. The protocol has been applied in two randomized clinical trials. This manualized Swedish massage protocol has real-world utility and can be readily utilized both in the research and clinical settings. Trial registration Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00970008 (18 August 2009

  4. ISS protocol for EPR tooth dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onori, S.; Aragno, D.; Fattibene, P.; Petetti, E.; Pressello, M.C.

    2000-01-01

    The accuracy in Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR) dose reconstruction with tooth enamel is affected by sample preparation, dosimetric signal amplitude evaluation and unknown dose estimate. Worldwide efforts in the field of EPR dose reconstruction with tooth enamel are focused on the optimization of the three mentioned steps in dose assessment. In the present work, the protocol implemented at ISS in the framework of the European Community Nuclear Fission Safety project 'Dose Reconstruction' is presented. A combined mechanical-chemical procedure for ground enamel sample preparation is used. The signal intensity evaluation is carried out with powder spectra simulation program. Finally, the unknown dose is evaluated individually for each sample with the additive dose method. The unknown dose is obtained by subtracting a mean native dose from the back-extrapolated dose. As an example of the capability of the ISS protocol in unknown dose evaluation, the results obtained in the framework of the 2nd International Intercomparison on EPR tooth enamel dosimetry are reported

  5. A review of analytical techniques for the determination of carbon-14 in environmental samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Milton, G.M.; Brown, R.M.

    1993-11-01

    This report contains a brief summary of analytical techniques commonly used for the determination of radiocarbon in a variety of environmental samples. Details of the applicable procedures developed and tested in the Environmental Research Branch at Chalk River Laboratories are appended

  6. Arsenic, Antimony, Chromium, and Thallium Speciation in Water and Sediment Samples with the LC-ICP-MS Technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magdalena Jabłońska-Czapla

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Chemical speciation is a very important subject in the environmental protection, toxicology, and chemical analytics due to the fact that toxicity, availability, and reactivity of trace elements depend on the chemical forms in which these elements occur. Research on low analyte levels, particularly in complex matrix samples, requires more and more advanced and sophisticated analytical methods and techniques. The latest trends in this field concern the so-called hyphenated techniques. Arsenic, antimony, chromium, and (underestimated thallium attract the closest attention of toxicologists and analysts. The properties of those elements depend on the oxidation state in which they occur. The aim of the following paper is to answer the question why the speciation analytics is so important. The paper also provides numerous examples of the hyphenated technique usage (e.g., the LC-ICP-MS application in the speciation analysis of chromium, antimony, arsenic, or thallium in water and bottom sediment samples. An important issue addressed is the preparation of environmental samples for speciation analysis.

  7. The UK Biobank sample handling and storage validation studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peakman, Tim C; Elliott, Paul

    2008-04-01

    and aims UK Biobank is a large prospective study in the United Kingdom to investigate the role of genetic factors, environmental exposures and lifestyle in the causes of major diseases of late and middle age. It involves the collection of blood and urine from 500 000 individuals aged between 40 and 69 years. How the samples are collected, processed and stored will have a major impact on the future scientific usefulness of the UK Biobank resource. A series of validation studies was recommended to test the robustness of the draft sample handling and storage protocol. Samples of blood and urine were collected from 40 healthy volunteers and either processed immediately according to the protocol or maintained at specified temperatures (4 degrees C for all tubes with the exception of vacutainers containing acid citrate dextrose that were maintained at 18 degrees C) for 12, 24 or 36 h prior to processing. A further sample was maintained for 24 h at 4 degrees C, processed and the aliquots frozen at -80 degrees C for 20 days and then thawed under controlled conditions. The stability of the samples was compared for the different times in a wide variety of assays. The samples maintained at 4 degrees C were stable for at least 24 h after collection for a wide range of assays. Small but significant changes were observed in metabonomic studies in samples maintained at 4 degrees C for 36 h. There was no degradation of the samples for a range of biochemical assays after short-term freezing and thawing under controlled conditions. Whole blood maintained at 18 degrees C for 24 h in vacutainers containing acid citrate dextrose is suitable for viral immortalization techniques. The validation studies reported in this supplement provide justification for the sample handling and storage procedures adopted in the UK Biobank project.

  8. Techniques for the detection of pathogenic Cryptococcus species in wood decay substrata and the evaluation of viability in stored samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christian Alvarez

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available In this study, we evaluated several techniques for the detection of the yeast form of Cryptococcus in decaying wood and measured the viability of these fungi in environmental samples stored in the laboratory. Samples were collected from a tree known to be positive for Cryptococcus and were each inoculated on 10 Niger seed agar (NSA plates. The conventional technique (CT yielded a greater number of positive samples and indicated a higher fungal density [in colony forming units per gram of wood (CFU.g-1] compared to the humid swab technique (ST. However, the difference in positive and false negative results between the CT-ST was not significant. The threshold of detection for the CT was 0.05.10³ CFU.g-1, while the threshold for the ST was greater than 0.1.10³ CFU-1. No colonies were recovered using the dry swab technique. We also determined the viability of Cryptococcus in wood samples stored for 45 days at 25ºC using the CT and ST and found that samples not only continued to yield a positive response, but also exhibited an increase in CFU.g-1, suggesting that Cryptococcus is able to grow in stored environmental samples. The ST.1, in which samples collected with swabs were immediately plated on NSA medium, was more efficient and less laborious than either the CT or ST and required approximately 10 min to perform; however, additional studies are needed to validate this technique.

  9. Investigation of CPD and HMDS Sample Preparation Techniques for Cervical Cells in Developing Computer-Aided Screening System Based on FE-SEM/EDX

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ng, Siew Cheok; Abu Osman, Noor Azuan

    2014-01-01

    This paper investigated the effects of critical-point drying (CPD) and hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) sample preparation techniques for cervical cells on field emission scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray (FE-SEM/EDX). We investigated the visualization of cervical cell image and elemental distribution on the cervical cell for two techniques of sample preparation. Using FE-SEM/EDX, the cervical cell images are captured and the cell element compositions are extracted for both sample preparation techniques. Cervical cell image quality, elemental composition, and processing time are considered for comparison of performances. Qualitatively, FE-SEM image based on HMDS preparation technique has better image quality than CPD technique in terms of degree of spread cell on the specimen and morphologic signs of cell deteriorations (i.e., existence of plate and pellet drying artifacts and membrane blebs). Quantitatively, with mapping and line scanning EDX analysis, carbon and oxygen element compositions in HMDS technique were higher than the CPD technique in terms of weight percentages. The HMDS technique has shorter processing time than the CPD technique. The results indicate that FE-SEM imaging, elemental composition, and processing time for sample preparation with the HMDS technique were better than CPD technique for cervical cell preparation technique for developing computer-aided screening system. PMID:25610902

  10. Authentication Protocols for Internet of Things: A Comprehensive Survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Amine Ferrag

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper, a comprehensive survey of authentication protocols for Internet of Things (IoT is presented. Specifically more than forty authentication protocols developed for or applied in the context of the IoT are selected and examined in detail. These protocols are categorized based on the target environment: (1 Machine to Machine Communications (M2M, (2 Internet of Vehicles (IoV, (3 Internet of Energy (IoE, and (4 Internet of Sensors (IoS. Threat models, countermeasures, and formal security verification techniques used in authentication protocols for the IoT are presented. In addition a taxonomy and comparison of authentication protocols that are developed for the IoT in terms of network model, specific security goals, main processes, computation complexity, and communication overhead are provided. Based on the current survey, open issues are identified and future research directions are proposed.

  11. The evaluation of an analytical protocol for the determination of substances in waste for hazard classification

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hennebert, Pierre, E-mail: pierre.hennebert@ineris.fr [INERIS – Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques, Domaine du Petit Arbois BP33, F-13545 Aix-en-Provence (France); Papin, Arnaud [INERIS, Parc Technologique ALATA, BP No. 2, 60550 Verneuil en Halatte (France); Padox, Jean-Marie [INERIS – Institut National de l’Environnement Industriel et des Risques, Domaine du Petit Arbois BP33, F-13545 Aix-en-Provence (France); Hasebrouck, Benoît [INERIS, Parc Technologique ALATA, BP No. 2, 60550 Verneuil en Halatte (France)

    2013-07-15

    Highlights: • Knowledge of wastes in substances will be necessary to assess HP1–HP15 hazard properties. • A new analytical protocol is proposed for this and tested by two service laboratories on 32 samples. • Sixty-three percentage of the samples have a satisfactory analytical balance between 90% and 110%. • Eighty-four percentage of the samples were classified identically (Seveso Directive) for their hazardousness by the two laboratories. • The method, in progress, is being normalized in France and is be proposed to CEN. - Abstract: The classification of waste as hazardous could soon be assessed in Europe using largely the hazard properties of its constituents, according to the the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regulation. Comprehensive knowledge of the component constituents of a given waste will therefore be necessary. An analytical protocol for determining waste composition is proposed, which includes using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) screening methods to identify major elements and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC–MS) screening techniques to measure organic compounds. The method includes a gross or indicator measure of ‘pools’ of higher molecular weight organic substances that are taken to be less bioactive and less hazardous, and of unresolved ‘mass’ during the chromatography of volatile and semi-volatile compounds. The concentration of some elements and specific compounds that are linked to specific hazard properties and are subject to specific regulation (examples include: heavy metals, chromium(VI), cyanides, organo-halogens, and PCBs) are determined by classical quantitative analysis. To check the consistency of the analysis, the sum of the concentrations (including unresolved ‘pools’) should give a mass balance between 90% and 110%. Thirty-two laboratory samples comprising different industrial wastes (liquids and solids) were tested by two routine service laboratories, to give circa 7000 parameter

  12. Clinical application of microsampling versus conventional sampling techniques in the quantitative bioanalysis of antibiotics: a systematic review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guerra Valero, Yarmarly C; Wallis, Steven C; Lipman, Jeffrey; Stove, Christophe; Roberts, Jason A; Parker, Suzanne L

    2018-03-01

    Conventional sampling techniques for clinical pharmacokinetic studies often require the removal of large blood volumes from patients. This can result in a physiological or emotional burden, particularly for neonates or pediatric patients. Antibiotic pharmacokinetic studies are typically performed on healthy adults or general ward patients. These may not account for alterations to a patient's pathophysiology and can lead to suboptimal treatment. Microsampling offers an important opportunity for clinical pharmacokinetic studies in vulnerable patient populations, where smaller sample volumes can be collected. This systematic review provides a description of currently available microsampling techniques and an overview of studies reporting the quantitation and validation of antibiotics using microsampling. A comparison of microsampling to conventional sampling in clinical studies is included.

  13. Reprint of: Application of micro-thin-layer chromatography as a simple fractionation tool for fast screening of raw extracts derived from complex biological, pharmaceutical and environmental samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zarzycki, Paweł K.; Ślączka, Magdalena M.; Zarzycka, Magdalena B.; Włodarczyk, Elżbieta; Baran, Michał J.

    2012-01-01

    The main goal of present paper is to demonstrate the separation and detection capability of micro-TLC technique involving simple one step liquid extraction protocols of complex materials without multi-steps sample pre-purification. In the present studies target components (cyanobacteria pigments, lipids and fullerenes) were isolated from heavy loading complex matrices including spirulina dried cells, birds’ feathers and fatty oils as well as soot samples derived from biomass fuel and fossils-fired home heating systems. In each case isocratic separation protocol involving less that 1 mL of one component or binary mixture mobile phases can be completed within time of 5–8 min. Sensitive detection of components of interest was performed via fluorescence or staining techniques using iodine or phosphomolybdic acid. Described methodology can be applied for fast fractionation or screening of whole range of target substances as well as chemo-taxonomic studies and fingerprinting of complex mixtures, which are present in raw biological or environmental samples.

  14. Reprint of: Application of micro-thin-layer chromatography as a simple fractionation tool for fast screening of raw extracts derived from complex biological, pharmaceutical and environmental samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zarzycki, Pawel K., E-mail: pawel_k_z@hotmail.com [Section of Toxicology and Bioanalytics, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Koszalin University of Technology, Sniadeckich 2, 75-453 Koszalin (Poland); Slaczka, Magdalena M.; Zarzycka, Magdalena B.; Wlodarczyk, Elzbieta; Baran, Michal J. [Section of Toxicology and Bioanalytics, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Koszalin University of Technology, Sniadeckich 2, 75-453 Koszalin (Poland)

    2012-02-24

    The main goal of present paper is to demonstrate the separation and detection capability of micro-TLC technique involving simple one step liquid extraction protocols of complex materials without multi-steps sample pre-purification. In the present studies target components (cyanobacteria pigments, lipids and fullerenes) were isolated from heavy loading complex matrices including spirulina dried cells, birds' feathers and fatty oils as well as soot samples derived from biomass fuel and fossils-fired home heating systems. In each case isocratic separation protocol involving less that 1 mL of one component or binary mixture mobile phases can be completed within time of 5-8 min. Sensitive detection of components of interest was performed via fluorescence or staining techniques using iodine or phosphomolybdic acid. Described methodology can be applied for fast fractionation or screening of whole range of target substances as well as chemo-taxonomic studies and fingerprinting of complex mixtures, which are present in raw biological or environmental samples.

  15. Elemental analysis of brazing alloy samples by neutron activation technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eissa, E.A.; Rofail, N.B.; Hassan, A.M.; El-Shershaby, A.; Walley El-Dine, N.

    1996-01-01

    Two brazing alloy samples (C P 2 and C P 3 ) have been investigated by Neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique in order to identify and estimate their constituent elements. The pneumatic irradiation rabbit system (PIRS), installed at the first egyptian research reactor (ETRR-1) was used for short-time irradiation (30 s) with a thermal neutron flux of 1.6 x 10 1 1 n/cm 2 /s in the reactor reflector, where the thermal to epithermal neutron flux ratio is 106. Long-time irradiation (48 hours) was performed at reactor core periphery with thermal neutron flux of 3.34 x 10 1 2 n/cm 2 /s, and thermal to epithermal neutron flux ratio of 79. Activation by epithermal neutrons was taken into account for the (1/v) and resonance neutron absorption in both methods. A hyper pure germanium detection system was used for gamma-ray acquisitions. The concentration values of Al, Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Ag and Sb were estimated as percentages of the sample weight and compared with reported values. 1 tab

  16. Elemental analysis of brazing alloy samples by neutron activation technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eissa, E A; Rofail, N B; Hassan, A M [Reactor and Neutron physics Department, Nuclear Research Centre, Atomic Energy Authority, Cairo (Egypt); El-Shershaby, A; Walley El-Dine, N [Physics Department, Faculty of Girls, Ain Shams Universty, Cairo (Egypt)

    1997-12-31

    Two brazing alloy samples (C P{sup 2} and C P{sup 3}) have been investigated by Neutron activation analysis (NAA) technique in order to identify and estimate their constituent elements. The pneumatic irradiation rabbit system (PIRS), installed at the first egyptian research reactor (ETRR-1) was used for short-time irradiation (30 s) with a thermal neutron flux of 1.6 x 10{sup 1}1 n/cm{sup 2}/s in the reactor reflector, where the thermal to epithermal neutron flux ratio is 106. Long-time irradiation (48 hours) was performed at reactor core periphery with thermal neutron flux of 3.34 x 10{sup 1}2 n/cm{sup 2}/s, and thermal to epithermal neutron flux ratio of 79. Activation by epithermal neutrons was taken into account for the (1/v) and resonance neutron absorption in both methods. A hyper pure germanium detection system was used for gamma-ray acquisitions. The concentration values of Al, Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Ag and Sb were estimated as percentages of the sample weight and compared with reported values. 1 tab.

  17. EMS Adherence to a Pre-hospital Cervical Spine Clearance Protocol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johnson, David

    2001-10-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: To determine the degree of adherence to a cervical spine (c-spine clearance protocol by pre-hospital Emergency Medical Services (EMS personnel by both self-assessment and receiving hospital assessment, to describe deviations from the protocol, and to determine if the rate of compliance by paramedic self-assessment differed from receiving hospital assessment. Methods: A retrospective sample of pre-hospital (consecutive series and receiving hospital (convenience sample assessments of the compliance with and appropriateness of c-spine immobilization. The c-spine clearance protocol was implemented for Orange County EMS just prior to the April-November 1999 data collection period. Results: We collected 396 pre-hospital and 162 receiving hospital data forms. From the pre-hospital data sheet. the percentage deviation from the protocol was 4.096 (16/396. Only one out of 16 cases that did not comply with the protocol was due to over immobilization (0.2%. The remaining 15 cases were under immobilized, according to protocol. Nine of the under immobilized cases (66% that should have been placed in c-spine precautions met physical assessment criteria in the protocol, while the other five cases met mechanism of injury criteria. The rate of deviations from protocol did not differ over time. The receiving hospital identified 8.0% (13/162; 6/16 over immobilized, 7/16 under immobilized of patients with deviations from the protocol; none was determined to have actual c-spine injury. Conclusion: The implementation of a pre-hospital c-spine clearance protocol in Orange County was associated with a moderate overall adherence rate (96% from the pre-hospital perspective, and 92% from the hospital perspective, p=.08 for the two evaluation methods. Most patients who deviated from protocol were under immobilized, but no c-spine injuries were missed. The rate of over immobilization was better than previously reported, implying a saving of resources.

  18. An optimised protocol for molecular identification of Eimeria from chickens☆

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumar, Saroj; Garg, Rajat; Moftah, Abdalgader; Clark, Emily L.; Macdonald, Sarah E.; Chaudhry, Abdul S.; Sparagano, Olivier; Banerjee, Partha S.; Kundu, Krishnendu; Tomley, Fiona M.; Blake, Damer P.

    2014-01-01

    Molecular approaches supporting identification of Eimeria parasites infecting chickens have been available for more than 20 years, although they have largely failed to replace traditional measures such as microscopy and pathology. Limitations of microscopy-led diagnostics, including a requirement for specialist parasitological expertise and low sample throughput, are yet to be outweighed by the difficulties associated with accessing genomic DNA from environmental Eimeria samples. A key step towards the use of Eimeria species-specific PCR as a sensitive and reproducible discriminatory tool for use in the field is the production of a standardised protocol that includes sample collection and DNA template preparation, as well as primer selection from the numerous PCR assays now published. Such a protocol will facilitate development of valuable epidemiological datasets which may be easily compared between studies and laboratories. The outcome of an optimisation process undertaken in laboratories in India and the UK is described here, identifying four steps. First, samples were collected into a 2% (w/v) potassium dichromate solution. Second, oocysts were enriched by flotation in saturated saline. Third, genomic DNA was extracted using a QIAamp DNA Stool mini kit protocol including a mechanical homogenisation step. Finally, nested PCR was carried out using previously published primers targeting the internal transcribed spacer region 1 (ITS-1). Alternative methods tested included sample processing in the presence of faecal material, DNA extraction using a traditional phenol/chloroform protocol, the use of SCAR multiplex PCR (one tube and two tube versions) and speciation using the morphometric tool COCCIMORPH for the first time with field samples. PMID:24138724

  19. Trace uranium analysis in geological sample by isotope dilution-alpha spectrometry and comparison with other techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shihomatsu, H.M.; Iyer, S.S.

    1988-12-01

    Establishment of uranium determination in geological samples by alpha spectrometric isotope dilution technique using 233 U tracer is described in the present work. The various steps involved in the method namely, preparation of the sample, electrodeposition, alpha spectrometry, isotope dilution, calculation of the concentration and error statistics are discussed in detail. The experimental parameters for the electrodeposition of uranium, like current density, pH concentration of the electrolyte solution, deposition time, electrode distance were all optimised based on the efficiency of the deposition. The total accuracy and precision of the IDAS using 233 U tracer in the determination of uranium in mineral and granite samples were of the order of 1 to 2% for the concentration range of 50-1500 ppm of U. Our results are compared with those obtained by others workers using similar and different techniques. (author) [pt

  20. Comparison of mobile and stationary spore-sampling techniques for estimating virulence frequencies in aerial barley powdery mildew populations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hovmøller, M.S.; Munk, L.; Østergård, Hanne

    1995-01-01

    Gene frequencies in samples of aerial populations of barley powdery mildew (Erysiphe graminis f.sp. hordei), which were collected in adjacent barley areas and in successive periods of time, were compared using mobile and stationary sampling techniques. Stationary samples were collected from trap ...

  1. Thermally assisted OSL application for equivalent dose estimation; comparison of multiple equivalent dose values as well as saturation levels determined by luminescence and ESR techniques for a sedimentary sample collected from a fault gouge

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Şahiner, Eren, E-mail: sahiner@ankara.edu.tr; Meriç, Niyazi, E-mail: meric@ankara.edu.tr; Polymeris, George S., E-mail: gspolymeris@ankara.edu.tr

    2017-02-01

    Highlights: • Multiple equivalent dose estimations were carried out. • Additive ESR and regenerative luminescence were applied. • Preliminary SAR results employing TA-OSL signal were discussed. • Saturation levels of ESR and luminescence were investigated. • IRSL{sub 175} and SAR TA-OSL stand as very promising for large doses. - Abstract: Equivalent dose estimation (D{sub e}) constitutes the most important part of either trap-charge dating techniques or dosimetry applications. In the present work, multiple, independent equivalent dose estimation approaches were adopted, using both luminescence and ESR techniques; two different minerals were studied, namely quartz as well as feldspathic polymineral samples. The work is divided into three independent parts, depending on the type of signal employed. Firstly, different D{sub e} estimation approaches were carried out on both polymineral and contaminated quartz, using single aliquot regenerative dose protocols employing conventional OSL and IRSL signals, acquired at different temperatures. Secondly, ESR equivalent dose estimations using the additive dose procedure both at room temperature and at 90 K were discussed. Lastly, for the first time in the literature, a single aliquot regenerative protocol employing a thermally assisted OSL signal originating from Very Deep Traps was applied for natural minerals. Rejection criteria such as recycling and recovery ratios are also presented. The SAR protocol, whenever applied, provided with compatible D{sub e} estimations with great accuracy, independent on either the type of mineral or the stimulation temperature. Low temperature ESR signals resulting from Al and Ti centers indicate very large D{sub e} values due to bleaching in-ability, associated with large uncertainty values. Additionally, dose saturation of different approaches was investigated. For the signal arising from Very Deep Traps in quartz saturation is extended almost by one order of magnitude. It is

  2. Ad-Hoc vs. Standardized and Optimized Arthropod Diversity Sampling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Cardoso

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available The use of standardized and optimized protocols has been recently advocated for different arthropod taxa instead of ad-hoc sampling or sampling with protocols defined on a case-by-case basis. We present a comparison of both sampling approaches applied for spiders in a natural area of Portugal. Tests were made to their efficiency, over-collection of common species, singletons proportions, species abundance distributions, average specimen size, average taxonomic distinctness and behavior of richness estimators. The standardized protocol revealed three main advantages: (1 higher efficiency; (2 more reliable estimations of true richness; and (3 meaningful comparisons between undersampled areas.

  3. Preparation of quality control samples for thyroid hormones T3 and T4 in radioimmunoassay techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, F.O.A.

    2006-03-01

    Today, the radioimmunoassay becomes one of the best techniques for quantitative analysis of very low concentration of different substances. RIA is being widely used in medical and research laboratories. To maintain high specificity and accuracy in RIA and other related techniques the quality controls must be introduced. In this dissertation quality control samples for thyroid hormones (Triiodothyronine T3 and Thyroxin T4), using RIA techniques. Ready made chinese T4, T3 RIA kits were used. IAEA statistical package were selected.(Author)

  4. Improved sample preparation and counting techniques for enhanced tritium measurement sensitivity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moran, J.; Aalseth, C.; Bailey, V. L.; Mace, E. K.; Overman, C.; Seifert, A.; Wilcox Freeburg, E. D.

    2015-12-01

    Tritium (T) measurements offer insight to a wealth of environmental applications including hydrologic tracking, discerning ocean circulation patterns, and aging ice formations. However, the relatively short half-life of T (12.3 years) limits its effective age dating range. Compounding this limitation is the decrease in atmospheric T content by over two orders of magnitude (from 1000-2000 TU in 1962 to testing in the 1960's. We are developing sample preparation methods coupled to direct counting of T via ultra-low background proportional counters which, when combined, offer improved T measurement sensitivity (~4.5 mmoles of H2 equivalent) and will help expand the application of T age dating to smaller sample sizes linked to persistent environmental questions despite the limitations above. For instance, this approach can be used to T date ~ 2.2 mmoles of CH4 collected from sample-limited systems including microbial communities, soils, or subsurface aquifers and can be combined with radiocarbon dating to distinguish the methane's formation age from C age in a system. This approach can also expand investigations into soil organic C where the improved sensitivity will permit resolution of soil C into more descriptive fractions and provide direct assessments of the stability of specific classes of organic matter in soils environments. We are employing a multiple step sample preparation system whereby organic samples are first combusted with resulting CO2 and H2O being used as a feedstock to synthesize CH4. This CH4 is mixed with Ar and loaded directly into an ultra-low background proportional counter for measurement of T β decay in a shallow underground laboratory. Analysis of water samples requires only the addition of geologic CO2 feedstock with the sample for methane synthesis. The chemical nature of the preparation techniques enable high sample throughput with only the final measurement requiring T decay with total sample analysis time ranging from 2 -5 weeks

  5. Contrast-Enhanced MR Angiography (CEMRA) in Peripheral Arterial Occlusive Disease (PAOD): conventional moving table technique versus hybrid technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kalle, T. von; Gerlach, A.; Hatopp, A.; Klinger, S.; Prodehl, P.; Arlat, I.P.

    2004-01-01

    Patients and Methods: 80 patients (males n = 60, females n = 20, median age = 70 years, diabetics n = 27) with PAOD were examined with a 1,5T system (40 mT/m) using a dedicated phased array peripheral vascular coil. Protocol A consisted of a single injection of Gd-BOPTA with consecutive craniocaudal image acquisition and protocol B of two injections, with the first injection of Gd-BOPTA followed by image acquisition of the popliteocrural and pedal segments and the second injection followed by acquiring the aortoiliac and femoral segments (hybrid technique). The evaluation of the arterial system was directed to the iliac, femoral, popliteocrural and pedal arteries. Results: The visualization of the entire aortopedal vascular system was of diagnostically good or satisfactory quality in 16 of 40 patients using protocol A and in 29 of 40 patients using protocol B (iliac 40 vs. 37, femoral 40 vs. 40, popliteocrural 35 vs. 37, pedal 16 vs. 29); without the pedal station the number increased to 35 of 40 patients for both protocols. The reason of diagnostic limitations was an arteriovenous overlap in 24 of 80 cases, with 19 of 40 cases for protocol A and 5 of 40 for protocol B, located exclusively in the cruropedal region. Conclusion: Moving table hybrid CEMRA is superior to conventional technique in craniocaudal direction by producing less venous overlap of arteries and is especially more suitable for the diagnostic evaluation of the cruropedal region. (orig.) [de

  6. Performance evaluation of an importance sampling technique in a Jackson network

    Science.gov (United States)

    brahim Mahdipour, E.; Masoud Rahmani, Amir; Setayeshi, Saeed

    2014-03-01

    Importance sampling is a technique that is commonly used to speed up Monte Carlo simulation of rare events. However, little is known regarding the design of efficient importance sampling algorithms in the context of queueing networks. The standard approach, which simulates the system using an a priori fixed change of measure suggested by large deviation analysis, has been shown to fail in even the simplest network settings. Estimating probabilities associated with rare events has been a topic of great importance in queueing theory, and in applied probability at large. In this article, we analyse the performance of an importance sampling estimator for a rare event probability in a Jackson network. This article carries out strict deadlines to a two-node Jackson network with feedback whose arrival and service rates are modulated by an exogenous finite state Markov process. We have estimated the probability of network blocking for various sets of parameters, and also the probability of missing the deadline of customers for different loads and deadlines. We have finally shown that the probability of total population overflow may be affected by various deadline values, service rates and arrival rates.

  7. Medium Access Control Protocols for Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks: A Survey

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahdi Zareei

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available New wireless network paradigms will demand higher spectrum use and availability to cope with emerging data-hungry devices. Traditional static spectrum allocation policies cause spectrum scarcity, and new paradigms such as Cognitive Radio (CR and new protocols and techniques need to be developed in order to have efficient spectrum usage. Medium Access Control (MAC protocols are accountable for recognizing free spectrum, scheduling available resources and coordinating the coexistence of heterogeneous systems and users. This paper provides an ample review of the state-of-the-art MAC protocols, which mainly focuses on Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks (CRAHN. First, a description of the cognitive radio fundamental functions is presented. Next, MAC protocols are divided into three groups, which are based on their channel access mechanism, namely time-slotted protocol, random access protocol and hybrid protocol. In each group, a detailed and comprehensive explanation of the latest MAC protocols is presented, as well as the pros and cons of each protocol. A discussion on future challenges for CRAHN MAC protocols is included with a comparison of the protocols from a functional perspective.

  8. An investigation into current protocols and radiographer opinions on contrast extravasation in Irish CT departments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cleary, N.; McNulty, J.P.; Foley, S.J.; Kelly, E.

    2017-01-01

    Background: Iodinated contrast extravasation is a serious complication associated with intravenous administration in radiology. Departmental protocols and the radiographer's approach on both prevention techniques and treatment will affect the prevalence of extravasation, and the eventual outcome for the patient when it does occur. Aims: To examine contrast extravasation protocols in place in Irish CT departments for alignment with European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR) Guidelines (2014); to establish radiographer's opinions on contrast extravasation; and to examine radiographer adherence to protocols. Methods: Contrast extravasation protocols from a purposively selected sample of CT departments across Ireland (n = 6) were compared to ESUR guidelines, followed by an online survey of CT radiographers practicing in the participating centres. Results: All participating CT departments (n = 5) had written protocols in place. High risk patients, such as elderly or unconscious, were identified in most protocols, however, children were mentioned in just one protocol and obese patients were not specified in any. The response rate of CT radiographers was 23% (n = 24). 58% (n = 14) of respondents indicated that contrast extravasation was more likely during CTA examinations. While high levels of confidence in managing extravasation were reported, suggested treatment approaches, and confidence in same, was more variable. Clinical workload in CT departments was also identified as a factor impacting on patient care and management. Conclusion: While contrast extravasation protocols were generally in line with ESUR Guidelines, high risk patients may not be getting sufficient attention. More radiographer awareness of patient monitoring needs, particularly in busy departments with a heavy workload may also reduce extravasation risk, and improve management of same. - Highlights: • Irish protocols on contrast extravasation are generally in line with

  9. Privacy-Preserving Meter Report Protocol of Isolated Smart Grid Devices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiwei Wang

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Smart grid aims to improve the reliability, efficiency, and security of the traditional grid, which allows two-way transmission and efficiency-driven response. However, a main concern of this new technique is that the fine-grained metering data may leak the personal privacy information of the customers. Thus, the data aggregation mechanism for privacy protection is required for the meter report protocol in smart grid. In this paper, we propose an efficient privacy-preserving meter report protocol for the isolated smart grid devices. Our protocol consists of an encryption scheme with additively homomorphic property and a linearly homomorphic signature scheme, where the linearly homomorphic signature scheme is suitable for privacy-preserving data aggregation. We also provide security analysis of our protocol in the context of some typical attacks in smart grid. The implementation of our protocol on the Intel Edison platform shows that our protocol is efficient enough for the physical constrained devices, like smart meters.

  10. Aflatoxin B1-lysine adduct in dried blood spot samples of animals and humans.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Kathy S; Cai, Wenjie; Tang, Lili; Wang, Jia-Sheng

    2016-12-01

    Dried blood spots (DBS) were proposed as potentially viable method for exposure assessment of environmental toxicants in infant and young children. For this study, we validated an experimental protocol to quantify AFB 1 -lysine adduct in DBS samples of AFB 1 -treated F344 rats, as well as samples from human field study. Significant dose-response relationships in AFB 1 -lysine adduct formation were found in DBS samples of rats treated with single- and repeated-dose AFB 1 . AFB 1 -lysine levels in DBS samples were highly correlated with corresponding serum sample levels. The Person coefficients were 0.997 for the single-dose exposure, and 0.996 for the repeated-dose exposure. Levels of AFB 1 -lysine adduct had also good agreement between DBS and serum samples as shown by Bland-Altman plot analysis. For human field study samples (n = 36), a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.784 was found between AFB 1 -lysine adduct levels of DBS and corresponding serum samples. Bland-Altman plots showed the distribution of the log differences between DBS and serum AFB 1 -lysine levels are within 95% confidence intervals. These results showed AFB 1 -lysine adduct levels in DBS cards and serum samples from animals and human samples are comparable, and the DBS technique and analytical protocol is a good means to assess AFB 1 exposure in infant and children populations. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2013-09-15

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

  12. Beyond simple small-angle X-ray scattering: developments in online complementary techniques and sample environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bras, Wim; Koizumi, Satoshi; Terrill, Nicholas J

    2014-11-01

    Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS, WAXS) are standard tools in materials research. The simultaneous measurement of SAXS and WAXS data in time-resolved studies has gained popularity due to the complementary information obtained. Furthermore, the combination of these data with non X-ray based techniques, via either simultaneous or independent measurements, has advanced understanding of the driving forces that lead to the structures and morphologies of materials, which in turn give rise to their properties. The simultaneous measurement of different data regimes and types, using either X-rays or neutrons, and the desire to control parameters that initiate and control structural changes have led to greater demands on sample environments. Examples of developments in technique combinations and sample environment design are discussed, together with a brief speculation about promising future developments.

  13. Recursion Versus Replication in Simple Cryptographic Protocols

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hüttel, Hans; Srba, Jiri

    2005-01-01

    We use some very recent techniques from process algebra to draw interesting conclusions about the well studied class of ping-pong protocols introduced by Dolev and Yao. In particular we show that all nontrivial properties, including reachability and equivalence checking wrt. the whole van Glabbee...

  14. Decidability Issues for Extended Ping-Pong Protocols

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Huttel, Hans; Srba, Jiri

    2006-01-01

    We use some recent techniques from process algebra to draw several conclusions about the well studied class of ping-pong protocols introduced by Dolev and Yao. In particular we show that all nontrivial properties, including reachability and equivalence checking wrt. the whole van Glabbeek...

  15. Protocol optimization in chest CT scans of child

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2017-10-15

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

  16. Protocol optimization in chest CT scans of child

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2017-10-01

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

  17. Isolation of cancer cells by "in situ" microfluidic biofunctionalization protocols

    KAUST Repository

    De Vitis, Stefania; Matarise, Giuseppina; Pardeo, Francesca; Catalano, Rossella; Malara, Natalia Maria; Trunzo, Valentina; Tallerico, Rossana; Gentile, Francesco T.; Candeloro, Patrizio; Coluccio, Maria Laura; Massaro, Alessandro S.; Viglietto, Giuseppe; Carbone, Ennio; Kutter, Jö rg Peter; Perozziello, Gerardo; Di Fabrizio, Enzo M.

    2014-01-01

    The aim of this work is the development of a microfluidic immunosensor for the immobilization of cancer cells and their separation from healthy cells by using "in situ" microfluidic biofunctionalization protocols. These protocols allow to link antibodies on microfluidic device surfaces and can be used to study the interaction between cell membrane and biomolecules. Moreover they allow to perform analysis with high processing speed, small quantity of reagents and samples, short reaction times and low production costs. In this work the developed protocols were used in microfluidic devices for the isolation of cancer cells in heterogeneous blood samples by exploiting the binding of specific antibody to an adhesion protein (EpCAM), overexpressed on the tumor cell membranes. The presented biofunctionalization protocols can be performed right before running the experiment: this allows to have a flexible platform where biomolecules of interest can be linked on the device surface according to the user's needs. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Isolation of cancer cells by "in situ" microfluidic biofunctionalization protocols

    KAUST Repository

    De Vitis, Stefania

    2014-07-01

    The aim of this work is the development of a microfluidic immunosensor for the immobilization of cancer cells and their separation from healthy cells by using "in situ" microfluidic biofunctionalization protocols. These protocols allow to link antibodies on microfluidic device surfaces and can be used to study the interaction between cell membrane and biomolecules. Moreover they allow to perform analysis with high processing speed, small quantity of reagents and samples, short reaction times and low production costs. In this work the developed protocols were used in microfluidic devices for the isolation of cancer cells in heterogeneous blood samples by exploiting the binding of specific antibody to an adhesion protein (EpCAM), overexpressed on the tumor cell membranes. The presented biofunctionalization protocols can be performed right before running the experiment: this allows to have a flexible platform where biomolecules of interest can be linked on the device surface according to the user\\'s needs. © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Publication trends of study protocols in rehabilitation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jesus, Tiago S; Colquhoun, Heather L

    2017-09-04

    Growing evidence points for the need to publish study protocols in the health field. To observe whether the growing interest in publishing study protocols in the broader health field has been translated into increased publications of rehabilitation study protocols. Observational study using publication data and its indexation in PubMed. Not applicable. Not applicable. PubMed was searched with appropriate combinations of Medical Subject Headings up to December 2014. The effective presence of study protocols was manually screened. Regression models analyzed the yearly growth of publications. Two-sample Z-tests analyzed whether the proportion of Systematic Reviews (SRs) and Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) among study protocols differed from that of the same designs for the broader rehabilitation research. Up to December 2014, 746 publications of rehabilitation study protocols were identified, with an exponential growth since 2005 (r2=0.981; p<0.001). RCT protocols were the most common among rehabilitation study protocols (83%), while RCTs were significantly more prevalent among study protocols than among the broader rehabilitation research (83% vs. 35.8%; p<0.001). For SRs, the picture was reversed: significantly less common among study protocols (2.8% vs. 9.3%; p<0.001). Funding was more often reported by rehabilitation study protocols than the broader rehabilitation research (90% vs. 53.1%; p<0.001). Rehabilitation journals published a significantly lower share of rehabilitation study protocols than they did for the broader rehabilitation research (1.8% vs.16.7%; p<0.001). Identifying the reasons for these discrepancies and reverting unwarranted disparities (e.g. low rate of publication for rehabilitation SR protocols) are likely new avenues for rehabilitation research and its publication. SRs, particularly those aggregating RCT results, are considered the best standard of evidence to guide rehabilitation clinical practice; however, that standard can be improved

  20. Determination of trace elements in plant samples using XRF, PIXE and ICP-OES techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmed, Hassan Elzain Hassan

    2014-07-01

    The purpose of this study is to determine trace element concentration (Ca, Cu, Cr, K,Fe, Mn,Sr, and Za) in some sudanese wild plants namely, Ziziphus Abyssinica and Grewia Tenax. X-ray fluorescence ( X RF), particle-induced x-ray emission ( PIXE) and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) techniques were used for element determination. A series of plants standard references materials were used to check the reliability of the different employed techniques as well as to estimate possible factors for correcting the concentration of some elements that deviated significantly from their actual concentration. The results showed that, X RF, PIXE and ICP-OES are equally competitive methods for measuring Ca,K, Fe, Sr and Zn elements. Unlikely to ICP-OES seems to be superior techniques tend to be appropriate methods for Cu determination in plant samples however, for Mn element PIXE and ICP-OES are advisable techniques for measuring this element rather than X RF method. On the other hand, ICP-OES seems to be the superior techniques over PIXE and X RF methods for Cr and Ni determination in plant samples. The effect of geographical location on trace elements concentration in plants has been examined through determination of element in different species of Grewia Tenax than collected from different location. Most of measured elements showed similarity indicating there is no significant impact of locations on the difference of element contents. In addition, two plants with different genetic families namely, Ziziphus Spina Christi and Ziziphus Abyssinica were collected from the same location and screened for their trace element content. It was found that there were no difference between the two plants for Ca, K, Cu, Fe, and Sr element. However, significant variations were observed for Mn and Zn concentrations implying the possibility of using of those two elements for plant taxonomy purposes.(Author)

  1. Reliability of single aliquot regenerative protocol (SAR) for dose estimation in quartz at different burial temperatures: A simulation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koul, D.K.; Pagonis, V.; Patil, P.

    2016-01-01

    The single aliquot regenerative protocol (SAR) is a well-established technique for estimating naturally acquired radiation doses in quartz. This simulation work examines the reliability of SAR protocol for samples which experienced different ambient temperatures in nature in the range of −10 to 40 °C. The contribution of various experimental variables used in SAR protocols to the accuracy and precision of the method is simulated for different ambient temperatures. Specifically the effects of paleo-dose, test dose, pre-heating temperature and cut-heat temperature on the accuracy of equivalent dose (ED) estimation are simulated by using random combinations of the concentrations of traps and centers using a previously published comprehensive quartz model. The findings suggest that the ambient temperature has a significant bearing on the reliability of natural dose estimation using SAR protocol, especially for ambient temperatures above 0 °C. The main source of these inaccuracies seems to be thermal sensitization of the quartz samples caused by the well-known thermal transfer of holes between luminescence centers in quartz. The simulations suggest that most of this inaccuracy in the dose estimation can be removed by delivering the laboratory doses in pulses (pulsed irradiation procedures). - Highlights: • Ambient temperatures affect the reliability of SAR. • It overestimates the dose with increase in burial temperature and burial time periods. • Elevated temperature irradiation does not correct for these overestimations. • Inaccuracies in dose estimation can be removed by incorporating pulsed irradiation procedures.

  2. Sample application of sensitivity/uncertainty analysis techniques to a groundwater transport problem. National Low-Level Waste Management Program

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seitz, R.R.; Rood, A.S.; Harris, G.A.; Maheras, S.J.; Kotecki, M.

    1991-06-01

    The primary objective of this document is to provide sample applications of selected sensitivity and uncertainty analysis techniques within the context of the radiological performance assessment process. These applications were drawn from the companion document Guidelines for Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analyses of Low-Level Radioactive Waste Performance Assessment Computer Codes (S. Maheras and M. Kotecki, DOE/LLW-100, 1990). Three techniques are illustrated in this document: one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT) analysis, fractional factorial design, and Latin hypercube sampling. The report also illustrates the differences in sensitivity and uncertainty analysis at the early and latter stages of the performance assessment process, and potential pitfalls that can be encountered when applying the techniques. The emphasis is on application of the techniques as opposed to the actual results, since the results are hypothetical and are not based on site-specific conditions

  3. Low-mass molecular dynamics simulation: A simple and generic technique to enhance configurational sampling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pang, Yuan-Ping, E-mail: pang@mayo.edu

    2014-09-26

    Highlights: • Reducing atomic masses by 10-fold vastly improves sampling in MD simulations. • CLN025 folded in 4 of 10 × 0.5-μs MD simulations when masses were reduced by 10-fold. • CLN025 folded as early as 96.2 ns in 1 of the 4 simulations that captured folding. • CLN025 did not fold in 10 × 0.5-μs MD simulations when standard masses were used. • Low-mass MD simulation is a simple and generic sampling enhancement technique. - Abstract: CLN025 is one of the smallest fast-folding proteins. Until now it has not been reported that CLN025 can autonomously fold to its native conformation in a classical, all-atom, and isothermal–isobaric molecular dynamics (MD) simulation. This article reports the autonomous and repeated folding of CLN025 from a fully extended backbone conformation to its native conformation in explicit solvent in multiple 500-ns MD simulations at 277 K and 1 atm with the first folding event occurring as early as 66.1 ns. These simulations were accomplished by using AMBER forcefield derivatives with atomic masses reduced by 10-fold on Apple Mac Pros. By contrast, no folding event was observed when the simulations were repeated using the original AMBER forcefields of FF12SB and FF14SB. The results demonstrate that low-mass MD simulation is a simple and generic technique to enhance configurational sampling. This technique may propel autonomous folding of a wide range of miniature proteins in classical, all-atom, and isothermal–isobaric MD simulations performed on commodity computers—an important step forward in quantitative biology.

  4. A model-guided symbolic execution approach for network protocol implementations and vulnerability detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wen, Shameng; Meng, Qingkun; Feng, Chao; Tang, Chaojing

    2017-01-01

    Formal techniques have been devoted to analyzing whether network protocol specifications violate security policies; however, these methods cannot detect vulnerabilities in the implementations of the network protocols themselves. Symbolic execution can be used to analyze the paths of the network protocol implementations, but for stateful network protocols, it is difficult to reach the deep states of the protocol. This paper proposes a novel model-guided approach to detect vulnerabilities in network protocol implementations. Our method first abstracts a finite state machine (FSM) model, then utilizes the model to guide the symbolic execution. This approach achieves high coverage of both the code and the protocol states. The proposed method is implemented and applied to test numerous real-world network protocol implementations. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method is more effective than traditional fuzzing methods such as SPIKE at detecting vulnerabilities in the deep states of network protocol implementations.

  5. Review of cleaning techniques and their effects on the chemical composition of foliar samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rossini Oliva, S.; Raitio, H.

    2003-07-01

    Chemical foliar analysis is a tool widely used to study tree nutrition and to monitor the impact and extent of air pollutants. This paper reviews a number of cleaning methods, and the effects of cleaning on foliar chemistry. Cleaning may include mechanical techniques such as the use of dry or moistened tissues, shaking, blowing, and brushing, or use various washing techniques with water or other solvents. Owing to the diversity of plant species, tissue differences, etc., there is no standard procedure for all kinds of samples. Analysis of uncleaned leaves is considered a good method for assessing the degree of air contamination because it provides an estimate of the element content of the deposits on leaf surfaces or when the analysis is aimed at the investigation of transfer of elements along the food chain. Sample cleaning is recommended in order (1) to investigate the transfer rate of chemical elements from soil to plants, (2) to qualify the washoff of dry deposition from foliage and (3) to separate superficially absorbed and biomass-incorporated elements. Since there is not a standard cleaning procedure for all kinds of samples and aims, it is advised to conduct a pilot study in order to be able to establish a cleaning procedure to provide reliable foliar data. (orig.)

  6. Detection of equine herpesvirus in horses with idiopathic keratoconjunctivitis and comparison of three sampling techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hollingsworth, Steven R; Pusterla, Nicola; Kass, Philip H; Good, Kathryn L; Brault, Stephanie A; Maggs, David J

    2015-09-01

    To determine the role of equine herpesvirus (EHV) in idiopathic keratoconjunctivitis in horses and to determine whether sample collection method affects detection of EHV DNA by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). Twelve horses with idiopathic keratoconjunctivitis and six horses without signs of ophthalmic disease. Conjunctival swabs, corneal scrapings, and conjunctival biopsies were collected from 18 horses: 12 clinical cases with idiopathic keratoconjunctivitis and six euthanized controls. In horses with both eyes involved, the samples were taken from the eye judged to be more severely affected. Samples were tested with qPCR for EHV-1, EHV-2, EHV-4, and EHV-5 DNA. Quantity of EHV DNA and viral replicative activity were compared between the two populations and among the different sampling techniques; relative sensitivities of the sampling techniques were determined. Prevalence of EHV DNA as assessed by qPCR did not differ significantly between control horses and those with idiopathic keratoconjunctivitis. Sampling by conjunctival swab was more likely to yield viral DNA as assessed by qPCR than was conjunctival biopsy. EHV-1 and EHV-4 DNA were not detected in either normal or IKC-affected horses; EHV-2 DNA was detected in two of 12 affected horses but not in normal horses. EHV-5 DNA was commonly found in ophthalmically normal horses and horses with idiopathic keratoconjunctivitis. Because EHV-5 DNA was commonly found in control horses and in horses with idiopathic keratoconjunctivitis, qPCR was not useful for the etiological diagnosis of equine keratoconjunctivitis. Conjunctival swabs were significantly better at obtaining viral DNA samples than conjunctival biopsy in horses in which EHV-5 DNA was found. © 2015 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

  7. Characterization of isolated polyamide thin films of RO and NF membranes using novel TEM techniques

    KAUST Repository

    Pacheco, Federico A.

    2010-08-15

    Achieving a better understanding of transport and rejection mechanisms in RO and NF membranes requires more detailed information of the nanostructure of polyamide thin films. This study reports on two novel transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques for characterizing polyamide nanostructure. The first technique produces cross-sectional images of isolated polyamide thin films by removing the polysulfone support from regular TEM cross-sections. In the second technique called " projected area" TEM (PA-TEM), isolated polyamide thin films are placed with their surface perpendicular to the electron beam. The resulting images capture the thickness, morphology and mass density of the entire thin film. In combination, these new techniques provide information on polyamide nanostructure that is not evident using conventional methods. For the commercial RO membrane ESPA3, the cross-sectional view of the isolated polyamide thin film shows a 30-60. nm thick base of nodular polyamide (presumably the separation barrier) that forms a relatively smooth interface with the polysulfone support. Above this, a more open structure of loose polyamide extends outward giving rise to the ridge-and-valley surface structure. In PA-TEM images, the ridges and valleys correspond to the dark and bright regions, respectively; the polyamide nodular base appears as round features forming an irregular honeycomb pattern throughout the images. Membrane cross-sections were prepared with a simple resin embedding protocol using the acrylic resin LR White. The protocol did not require dehydration steps, and was applicable to both dry and wet membrane samples. Artifacts that may be produced during sample preparation were also documented. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.

  8. Characterization of isolated polyamide thin films of RO and NF membranes using novel TEM techniques

    KAUST Repository

    Pacheco, Federico A.; Pinnau, Ingo; Reinhard, Martin; Leckie, James O.

    2010-01-01

    Achieving a better understanding of transport and rejection mechanisms in RO and NF membranes requires more detailed information of the nanostructure of polyamide thin films. This study reports on two novel transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques for characterizing polyamide nanostructure. The first technique produces cross-sectional images of isolated polyamide thin films by removing the polysulfone support from regular TEM cross-sections. In the second technique called " projected area" TEM (PA-TEM), isolated polyamide thin films are placed with their surface perpendicular to the electron beam. The resulting images capture the thickness, morphology and mass density of the entire thin film. In combination, these new techniques provide information on polyamide nanostructure that is not evident using conventional methods. For the commercial RO membrane ESPA3, the cross-sectional view of the isolated polyamide thin film shows a 30-60. nm thick base of nodular polyamide (presumably the separation barrier) that forms a relatively smooth interface with the polysulfone support. Above this, a more open structure of loose polyamide extends outward giving rise to the ridge-and-valley surface structure. In PA-TEM images, the ridges and valleys correspond to the dark and bright regions, respectively; the polyamide nodular base appears as round features forming an irregular honeycomb pattern throughout the images. Membrane cross-sections were prepared with a simple resin embedding protocol using the acrylic resin LR White. The protocol did not require dehydration steps, and was applicable to both dry and wet membrane samples. Artifacts that may be produced during sample preparation were also documented. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.

  9. XPS Protocol for the Characterization of Pristine and Functionalized Single Wall Carbon Nanotubes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sosa, E. D.; Allada, R.; Huffman, C. B.; Arepalli, S.

    2009-01-01

    Recent interest in developing new applications for carbon nanotubes (CNT) has fueled the need to use accurate macroscopic and nanoscopic techniques to characterize and understand their chemistry. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has proved to be a useful analytical tool for nanoscale surface characterization of materials including carbon nanotubes. Recent nanotechnology research at NASA Johnson Space Center (NASA-JSC) helped to establish a characterization protocol for quality assessment for single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Here, a review of some of the major factors of the XPS technique that can influence the quality of analytical data, suggestions for methods to maximize the quality of data obtained by XPS, and the development of a protocol for XPS characterization as a complementary technique for analyzing the purity and surface characteristics of SWCNTs is presented. The XPS protocol is then applied to a number of experiments including impurity analysis and the study of chemical modifications for SWCNTs.

  10. PERFORMANCE ANALYSIS OF DISTINCT SECURED AUTHENTICATION PROTOCOLS USED IN THE RESOURCE CONSTRAINED PLATFORM

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S. Prasanna

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Most of the e-commerce and m-commerce applications in the current e-business world, has adopted asymmetric key cryptography technique in their authentication protocol to provide an efficient authentication of the involved parties. This paper exhibits the performance analysis of distinct authentication protocol which implements the public key cryptography like RSA, ECC and HECC. The comparison is made based on key generation, sign generation and sign verification processes. The results prove that the performance achieved through HECC based authentication protocol is better than the ECC- and RSA based authentication protocols.

  11. A Technique for Measuring Petal Gloss, with Examples from the Namaqualand Flora

    OpenAIRE

    Whitney, Heather M.; Rands, Sean A.; Elton, Nick J.; Ellis, Allan G.

    2012-01-01

    The degree of floral gloss varies between species. However, little is known about this distinctive floral trait, even though it could be a key feature of floral biotic and abiotic interactions. One reason for the absence of knowledge is the lack of a simple, repeatable method of gloss measurement that can be used in the field to study floral gloss. A protocol is described for measuring gloss in petal samples collected in the field, using a glossmeter. Repeatability of the technique is assesse...

  12. Beyond simple small-angle X-ray scattering: developments in online complementary techniques and sample environments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wim Bras

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS, WAXS are standard tools in materials research. The simultaneous measurement of SAXS and WAXS data in time-resolved studies has gained popularity due to the complementary information obtained. Furthermore, the combination of these data with non X-ray based techniques, via either simultaneous or independent measurements, has advanced understanding of the driving forces that lead to the structures and morphologies of materials, which in turn give rise to their properties. The simultaneous measurement of different data regimes and types, using either X-rays or neutrons, and the desire to control parameters that initiate and control structural changes have led to greater demands on sample environments. Examples of developments in technique combinations and sample environment design are discussed, together with a brief speculation about promising future developments.

  13. Protocol for Cohesionless Sample Preparation for Physical Experimentation

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-05-01

    Standard test method for consolidated drained triaxial compression test for soils . In Annual book of ASTM standards. West Conshohocken, PA: ASTM...derived wherein uncertainties and laboratory scatter associated with soil fabric-behavior variance during sample preparation are mitigated. Samples of...wherein comparable analysis between different laboratory tests’ results can be made by ensuring a comparable soil fabric prior to laboratory testing

  14. Determination of trace element contents in grass samples for cattle feeding using NAA techniques

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yusof, Alias Mohamad; Jagir Singh, Jasbir Kaur

    1987-09-01

    An investigation on trace elements contents in six types of grass samples used for cattle feeding have been carried out using NAA techniques. The grass samples, Mardi Digit, African Star, Signal, Guinea, Setaria and Setaria Splendida were found to contain at least 19 trace elements in varying concentrations. The results were compared to the figures obtained from available sources to ascertain the status as to whether the grass samples studied would satisfy the minimum requirements of trace elements present in grass for cattle feeding or otherwise. Preference made on the suitability of the grass samples for cattle feeding was based on the availability and abundance of the trace elements, taking into account factors such as the degree of toxicity, inadequate amounts and contamination due to the presence of other trace elements not essential for cattle feeding.

  15. Determination of trace element contents in grass samples for cattle feeding using NAA techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alias Mohamad Yusof; Jasbir Kaur Jagir Singh

    1987-01-01

    An investigation on trace elements contents in six types of grass samples used for cattle feeding have been carried out using NAA techniques. The grass samples, Mardi Digit, African Star, Signal, Guinea, Setaria and Setaria Splendida were found to contain at least 19 trace elements in varying concentrations. The results were compared to the figures obtained from available sources to ascertain the status as to whether the grass samples studied would satisfy the minimum requirements of trace elements present in grass for cattle feeding or otherwise. Preference made on the suitability of the grass samples for cattle feeding was based on the availability and abundance of the trace elements, taking into account factors such as the degree of toxicity, inadequate amounts and contamination due to the presence of other trace elements not essential for cattle feeding. (author)

  16. Optimization of Sample Preparation processes of Bone Material for Raman Spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chikhani, Madelen; Wuhrer, Richard; Green, Hayley

    2018-03-30

    Raman spectroscopy has recently been investigated for use in the calculation of postmortem interval from skeletal material. The fluorescence generated by samples, which affects the interpretation of Raman data, is a major limitation. This study compares the effectiveness of two sample preparation techniques, chemical bleaching and scraping, in the reduction of fluorescence from bone samples during testing with Raman spectroscopy. Visual assessment of Raman spectra obtained at 1064 nm excitation following the preparation protocols indicates an overall reduction in fluorescence. Results demonstrate that scraping is more effective at resolving fluorescence than chemical bleaching. The scraping of skeletonized remains prior to Raman analysis is a less destructive method and allows for the preservation of a bone sample in a state closest to its original form, which is beneficial in forensic investigations. It is recommended that bone scraping supersedes chemical bleaching as the preferred method for sample preparation prior to Raman spectroscopy. © 2018 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  17. Trace uranium analysis in Indian coal samples using the fission track technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jojo, P.J.; Rawat, A.; Kumar, Ashavani; Prasad, Rajendra

    1993-01-01

    The ever-growing demand for energy has resulted in the extensive use of fossil fuels, especially coal, for power generation. Coal and its by-products often contain significant amounts of radionuclides, including uranium, which is the ultimate source of the radioactive gas Radon-222. The present study gives the concentration of uranium in coal samples of different collieries in India, collected from various thermal power plants in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The estimates were made using the fission track technique. Latent damage tracks were not found to be uniformly distributed but showed sun bursts and clusters. Non-uniform distributions of trace elements are a very common phenomenon in rocks. The levels of uranium in the coal samples were found to vary from 2.0 to 4.9 ppm in uniform distributions and from 21.3 to 41.0 ppm in non-uniform distributions. Measurements were also made on fly ash samples where the average uranium concentration was found to be 8.4 and 49.3 ppm in uniform and non-uniform distributions, respectively. (author)

  18. Identification of a research protocol to study orthodontic tooth movement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annalisa Dichicco

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The orthodontic movement is associated with a process of tissue remodeling together with the release of several chemical mediators in periodontal tissues. Each mediator is a potential marker of tooth movement and expresses biological processes as: tissue inflammation and bone remodeling. Different amounts of every mediator are present in several tissues and fluids of the oral cavity. Therefore, there are different methods that allow sampling with several degrees of invasiveness. Chemical mediators are also substances of different molecular nature, and multiple kind of analysis methods allow detection. The purpose of this study was to draft the best research protocol for an optimal study on orthodontic movement efficiency. Methods: An analysis of the international literature have been made, to identify the gold standard of each aspect of the protocol: type of mediator, source and method of sampling and analysis method. Results: From the analysis of the international literature was created an original research protocol for the study and the assessment of the orthodontic movement, by using the biomarkers of the tooth movement. Conclusions: The protocol created is based on the choice of the gold standard of every aspect already analyzed in the literature and in existing protocols for the monitoring of orthodontic tooth movement through the markers of tooth movement. Clinical trials re required for the evaluation and validation of the protocol created.

  19. Single-particle characterization of ice-nucleating particles and ice particles residuals sampled by three different techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kandler, Konrad; Worringen, Annette; Benker, Nathalie; Dirsch, Thomas; Mertes, Stephan; Schenk, Ludwig; Kästner, Udo; Frank, Fabian; Nillius, Björn; Bundke, Ulrich; Rose, Diana; Curtius, Joachim; Kupiszewski, Piotr; Weingartner, Ernest; Vochezer, Paul; Schneider, Johannes; Schmidt, Susan; Weinbruch, Stephan; Ebert, Martin

    2015-04-01

    During January/February 2013, at the High Alpine Research Station Jungfraujoch a measurement campaign was carried out, which was centered on atmospheric ice-nucleating particles (INP) and ice particle residuals (IPR). Three different techniques for separation of INP and IPR from the non-ice-active particles are compared. The Ice Selective Inlet (ISI) and the Ice Counterflow Virtual Impactor (Ice-CVI) sample ice particles from mixed phase clouds and allow for the analysis of the residuals. The combination of the Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber (FINCH) and the Ice Nuclei Pumped Counterflow Virtual Impactor (IN-PCVI) provides ice-activating conditions to aerosol particles and extracts the activated INP for analysis. Collected particles were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis to determine size, chemical composition and mixing state. All INP/IPR-separating techniques had considerable abundances (median 20 - 70 %) of instrumental contamination artifacts (ISI: Si-O spheres, probably calibration aerosol; Ice-CVI: Al-O particles; FINCH+IN-PCVI: steel particles). Also, potential sampling artifacts (e.g., pure soluble material) occurred with a median abundance of separated by all three techniques. Soot was a minor contributor. Lead was detected in less than 10 % of the particles, of which the majority were internal mixtures with other particle types. Sea-salt and sulfates were identified by all three methods as INP/IPR. Most samples showed a maximum of the INP/IPR size distribution at 400 nm geometric diameter. In a few cases, a second super-micron maximum was identified. Soot/carbonaceous material and metal oxides were present mainly in the submicron range. ISI and FINCH yielded silicates and Ca-rich particles mainly with diameters above 1 µm, while the Ice-CVI also separated many submicron IPR. As strictly parallel sampling could not be performed, a part of the discrepancies between the different techniques may result from

  20. A model-guided symbolic execution approach for network protocol implementations and vulnerability detection.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shameng Wen

    Full Text Available Formal techniques have been devoted to analyzing whether network protocol specifications violate security policies; however, these methods cannot detect vulnerabilities in the implementations of the network protocols themselves. Symbolic execution can be used to analyze the paths of the network protocol implementations, but for stateful network protocols, it is difficult to reach the deep states of the protocol. This paper proposes a novel model-guided approach to detect vulnerabilities in network protocol implementations. Our method first abstracts a finite state machine (FSM model, then utilizes the model to guide the symbolic execution. This approach achieves high coverage of both the code and the protocol states. The proposed method is implemented and applied to test numerous real-world network protocol implementations. The experimental results indicate that the proposed method is more effective than traditional fuzzing methods such as SPIKE at detecting vulnerabilities in the deep states of network protocol implementations.

  1. The general protocol for the S10 technique

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mircea Constantin Șora

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Plastination is a process of preservation of anatomical specimens by a delicate method of forced impregnation with curable polymers like silicone, epoxy or polyester resins, with vast applications in medical fields of study. In this process, water and lipids in biological tissues are replaced by curable polymers (silicone, epoxy, polyester which are hardened, resulting in dry, odorless and durable specimens. Today, after more than 30 years of its development, plastination is being applied in more than 400 departments of anatomy, pathology, forensic sciences and biology all over the world. The standard S10 silicone technique produces flexible, resilient and opaque specimens. After fixation and dehydration, the specimens are impregnated with silicone S10 and in the end the specimens are cured. The key element in plastination is the impregnation step and therefore depending on the polymer used the optical quality of the specimens differ. The S10 silicone technique is the most common technique used in plastination. It is used worldwide for beginners, but also for experimented plastinators. The S10 plastinated specimens can be easily stored at room temperature, are non-toxic and odorless. The S10 specimens can be successfully used, especially in teaching, as they are easy to be handled and display a realistic topography. Plastinated specimens are also used for displaying whole bodies, or body parts in exhibition.

  2. LVQ-SMOTE - Learning Vector Quantization based Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique for biomedical data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, Munehiro; Kajiwara, Yusuke; Otsuka, Atsushi; Kimura, Haruhiko

    2013-10-02

    Over-sampling methods based on Synthetic Minority Over-sampling Technique (SMOTE) have been proposed for classification problems of imbalanced biomedical data. However, the existing over-sampling methods achieve slightly better or sometimes worse result than the simplest SMOTE. In order to improve the effectiveness of SMOTE, this paper presents a novel over-sampling method using codebooks obtained by the learning vector quantization. In general, even when an existing SMOTE applied to a biomedical dataset, its empty feature space is still so huge that most classification algorithms would not perform well on estimating borderlines between classes. To tackle this problem, our over-sampling method generates synthetic samples which occupy more feature space than the other SMOTE algorithms. Briefly saying, our over-sampling method enables to generate useful synthetic samples by referring to actual samples taken from real-world datasets. Experiments on eight real-world imbalanced datasets demonstrate that our proposed over-sampling method performs better than the simplest SMOTE on four of five standard classification algorithms. Moreover, it is seen that the performance of our method increases if the latest SMOTE called MWMOTE is used in our algorithm. Experiments on datasets for β-turn types prediction show some important patterns that have not been seen in previous analyses. The proposed over-sampling method generates useful synthetic samples for the classification of imbalanced biomedical data. Besides, the proposed over-sampling method is basically compatible with basic classification algorithms and the existing over-sampling methods.

  3. Energy efficient routing protocols for wireless sensor networks: comparison and future directions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Loganathan Murukesan

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Wireless sensor network consists of nodes with limited resources. Hence, it is important to design protocols or algorithms which increases energy efficiency in order to improve the network lifetime. In this paper, techniques used in the network layer (routing of the internet protocol stack to achieve energy efficiency are reviewed. Usually, the routing protocols are classified into four main schemes: (1 Network Structure, (2 Communication Model, (3 Topology Based, and (4 Reliable Routing. In this work, only network structure based routing protocols are reviewed due to the page constraint. Besides, this type of protocols are much popular among the researchers since they are fairly simple to implement and produce good results as presented in this paper. Also, the pros and cons of each protocols are presented. Finally, the paper concludes with possible further research directions.

  4. Extraction of Plutonium From Spiked INEEL Soil Samples Using the Ligand-Assisted Supercritical Fluid Extraction (LA-SFE) Technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fox, R.V.; Mincher, B.J.; Holmes, R.G.G.

    1999-01-01

    In order to investigate the effectiveness of ligand-assisted supercritical fluid extraction for the removal of transuranic contaminations from soils an Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL) silty-clay soil sample was obtained from near the Radioactive Waste Management Complex area and subjected to three different chemical preparations before being spiked with plutonium. The spiked INEEL soil samples were subjected to a sequential aqueous extraction procedure to determine radionuclide portioning in each sample. Results from those extractions demonstrate that plutonium consistently partitioned into the residual fraction across all three INEEL soil preparations whereas americium partitioned 73% into the iron/manganese fraction for soil preparation A, with the balance partitioning into the residual fraction. Plutonium and americium were extracted from the INEEL soil samples using a ligand-assisted supercritical fluid extraction technique. Initial supercritical fluid extraction runs produced plutonium extraction technique. Initial supercritical fluid extraction runs produced plutonium extraction efficiencies ranging from 14% to 19%. After a second round wherein the initial extraction parameters were changed, the plutonium extraction efficiencies increased to 60% and as high as 80% with the americium level in the post-extracted soil samples dropping near to the detection limits. The third round of experiments are currently underway. These results demonstrate that the ligand-assisted supercritical fluid extraction technique can effectively extract plutonium from the spiked INEEL soil preparations

  5. Detection and identification of Leishmania spp.: application of two hsp70-based PCR-RFLP protocols to clinical samples from the New World.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montalvo, Ana M; Fraga, Jorge; Tirado, Dídier; Blandón, Gustavo; Alba, Annia; Van der Auwera, Gert; Vélez, Iván Darío; Muskus, Carlos

    2017-07-01

    Leishmaniasis is highly prevalent in New World countries, where several methods are available for detection and identification of Leishmania spp. Two hsp70-based PCR protocols (PCR-N and PCR-F) and their corresponding restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) were applied for detection and identification of Leishmania spp. in clinical samples recruited in Colombia, Guatemala, and Honduras. A total of 93 cases were studied. The samples were classified into positive or suspected of leishmaniasis according to parasitological criteria. Molecular amplification of two different hsp70 gene fragments and further RFLP analysis for identification of Leishmania species was done. The detection in parasitologically positive samples was higher using PCR-N than PCR-F. In the total of samples studied, the main species identified were Leishmania panamensis, Leishmania braziliensis, and Leishmania infantum (chagasi). Although RFLP-N was more efficient for the identification, RFLP-F is necessary for discrimination between L. panamensis and Leishmania guyanesis, of great importance in Colombia. Unexpectedly, one sample from this country revealed an RFLP pattern corresponding to Leishmania naiffi. Both molecular variants are applicable for the study of clinical samples originated in Colombia, Honduras, and Guatemala. Choosing the better tool for each setting depends on the species circulating. More studies are needed to confirm the presence of L. naiffi in Colombian territory.

  6. SDL-Based Protocol Validation for the Integrated Safety Communication Network in Nuclear Power Plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Jung-hun; Kim, Dong-hoon; Lee, Dong-young; Park, Sung-woo

    2006-01-01

    The communication protocol in nuclear power plants needs to be validated systematically to avoid the critical situation that may be caused by its own faults. We establish the methodology to validate the protocol designed for the Integrated Safety Communication Networks (ISCN) of Korea Nuclear Instrumentation and Control System (KNICS). The ISCN protocol is specified using the formal description technique called the SDL. The validation of ISCN protocol is done via the Simulator and Validator, both of which are main functions provided by the SDL

  7. A semi-nested real-time PCR method to detect low chimerism percentage in small quantity of hematopoietic stem cell transplant DNA samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aloisio, Michelangelo; Bortot, Barbara; Gandin, Ilaria; Severini, Giovanni Maria; Athanasakis, Emmanouil

    2017-02-01

    Chimerism status evaluation of post-allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation samples is essential to predict post-transplant relapse. The most commonly used technique capable of detecting small increments of chimerism is quantitative real-time PCR. Although this method is already used in several laboratories, previously described protocols often lack sensitivity and the amount of the DNA required for each chimerism analysis is too high. In the present study, we compared a novel semi-nested allele-specific real-time PCR (sNAS-qPCR) protocol with our in-house standard allele-specific real-time PCR (gAS-qPCR) protocol. We selected two genetic markers and analyzed technical parameters (slope, y-intercept, R2, and standard deviation) useful to determine the performances of the two protocols. The sNAS-qPCR protocol showed better sensitivity and precision. Moreover, the sNAS-qPCR protocol requires, as input, only 10 ng of DNA, which is at least 10-fold less than the gAS-qPCR protocols described in the literature. Finally, the proposed sNAS-qPCR protocol could prove very useful for performing chimerism analysis with a small amount of DNA, as in the case of blood cell subsets.

  8. A novel in-situ sampling and VFA sensor technique for anaerobic systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pind, Peter Frode; Angelidaki, Irini; Ahring, Birgitte Kiær

    2002-01-01

    A key information for understanding and controlling the anaerobic biogas process is the concentration of Volatile Fatty Acids (VFA). However, access to this information has so far been limited to off-line measurements by manual time and labour consuming methods. We have developed a new technique ...... than 1000 samples on both a fullscale biogas plant and lab-scale reactors. The measuring range covers specific measurements of acetate, propionate, iso-/n-butyrate and iso-/n-valerate from 0.1 to 50 mM (6–3,000 mg)....

  9. Impersonation attack on a quantum secure direct communication and authentication protocol with improvement

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amerimehr, Ali; Hadain Dehkordi, Massoud

    2018-03-01

    We analyze the security of a quantum secure direct communication and authentication protocol based on single photons. We first give an impersonation attack on the protocol. The cryptanalysis shows that there is a gap in the authentication procedure of the protocol so that an opponent can reveal the secret information by an undetectable attempt. We then propose an improvement for the protocol and show it closes the gap by applying a mutual authentication procedure. In the improved protocol single photons are transmitted once in a session, so it is easy to implement as the primary protocol. Furthermore, we use a novel technique for secret order rearrangement of photons by which not only quantum storage is eliminated also a secret key can be reused securely. So the new protocol is applicable in practical approaches like embedded system devices.

  10. An Electromagnetic Gauge Technique for Measuring Shocked Particle Velocity in Electrically Conductive Samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cheng, David; Yoshinaka, Akio

    2014-11-01

    Electromagnetic velocity (EMV) gauges are a class of film gauges which permit the direct in-situ measurement of shocked material flow velocity. The active sensing element, typically a metallic foil, requires exposure to a known external magnetic field in order to produce motional electromotive force (emf). Due to signal distortion caused by mutual inductance between sample and EMV gauge, this technique is typically limited to shock waves in non-conductive materials. In conductive samples, motional emf generated in the EMV gauge has to be extracted from the measured signal which results from the combined effects of both motional emf and voltage changes from induced currents. An electromagnetic technique is presented which analytically models the dynamics of induced current between a copper disk moving as a rigid body with constant 1D translational velocity toward an EMV gauge, where both disk and gauge are exposed to a uniform external static magnetic field. The disk is modelled as a magnetic dipole loop where its Foucault current is evaluated from the characteristics of the fields, whereas the EMV gauge is modelled as a circuit loop immersed in the field of the magnetic dipole loop, the intensity of which is calculated as a function of space and, implicitly, time. Equations of mutual induction are derived and the current induced in the EMV gauge loop is solved, allowing discrimination of the motional emf. Numerical analysis is provided for the step response of the induced EMV gauge current with respect to the Foucault current in the moving copper sample.

  11. Total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool for evaluation of iron concentration in ferrofluids and yeast samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kulesh, N.A., E-mail: nikita.kulesh@urfu.ru [Ural Federal University, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Novoselova, I.P. [Ural Federal University, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, 236041 Kaliningrad (Russian Federation); Safronov, A.P. [Ural Federal University, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Institute of Electrophysics UD RAS, Amundsen 106, 620016 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Beketov, I.V.; Samatov, O.M. [Institute of Electrophysics UD RAS, Amundsen 106, 620016 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Kurlyandskaya, G.V. [Ural Federal University, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); University of the Basque Country UPV-EHU, 48940 Leioa (Spain); Morozova, M. [Ural Federal University, Mira 19, 620002 Ekaterinburg (Russian Federation); Denisova, T.P. [Irkutsk State University, Karl Marks 1, 664003 Irkutsk (Russian Federation)

    2016-10-01

    In this study, total reflection x-ray fluorescent (TXRF) spectrometry was applied for the evaluation of iron concentration in ferrofluids and biological samples containing iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles obtained by the laser target evaporation technique. Suspensions of maghemite nanoparticles of different concentrations were used to estimate the limitation of the method for the evaluation of nanoparticle concentration in the range of 1–5000 ppm in absence of organic matrix. Samples of single-cell yeasts grown in the nutrient media containing maghemite nanoparticles were used to study the nanoparticle absorption mechanism. The obtained results were analyzed in terms of applicability of TXRF for quantitative analysis in a wide range of iron oxide nanoparticle concentrations for biological samples and ferrofluids with a simple established protocol of specimen preparation. - Highlights: • Ferrofluids and yeasts samples were analysed by TXRF spectroscopy. • Simple protocol for iron quantification by means of TXRF was proposed. • Results were combined with magnetic, structural, and morphological characterization. • Preliminary conclusion on nanoparticles uptake mechanism was made.

  12. Total reflection x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool for evaluation of iron concentration in ferrofluids and yeast samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kulesh, N.A.; Novoselova, I.P.; Safronov, A.P.; Beketov, I.V.; Samatov, O.M.; Kurlyandskaya, G.V.; Morozova, M.; Denisova, T.P.

    2016-01-01

    In this study, total reflection x-ray fluorescent (TXRF) spectrometry was applied for the evaluation of iron concentration in ferrofluids and biological samples containing iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles obtained by the laser target evaporation technique. Suspensions of maghemite nanoparticles of different concentrations were used to estimate the limitation of the method for the evaluation of nanoparticle concentration in the range of 1–5000 ppm in absence of organic matrix. Samples of single-cell yeasts grown in the nutrient media containing maghemite nanoparticles were used to study the nanoparticle absorption mechanism. The obtained results were analyzed in terms of applicability of TXRF for quantitative analysis in a wide range of iron oxide nanoparticle concentrations for biological samples and ferrofluids with a simple established protocol of specimen preparation. - Highlights: • Ferrofluids and yeasts samples were analysed by TXRF spectroscopy. • Simple protocol for iron quantification by means of TXRF was proposed. • Results were combined with magnetic, structural, and morphological characterization. • Preliminary conclusion on nanoparticles uptake mechanism was made.

  13. Active sampling technique to enhance chemical signature of buried explosives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lovell, John S.; French, Patrick D.

    2004-09-01

    Deminers and dismounted countermine engineers commonly use metal detectors, ground penetrating radar and probes to locate mines. Many modern landmines have a very low metal content, which severely limits the effectiveness of metal detectors. Canines have also been used for landmine detection for decades. Experiments have shown that canines smell the explosives which are known to leak from most types of landmines. The fact that dogs can detect landmines indicates that vapor sensing is a viable approach to landmine detection. Several groups are currently developing systems to detect landmines by "sniffing" for the ultra-trace explosive vapors above the soil. The amount of material that is available to passive vapor sensing systems is limited to no more than the vapor in equilibrium with the explosive related chemicals (ERCs) distributed in the surface soils over and near the landmine. The low equilibrium vapor pressure of TNT in the soil/atmosphere boundary layer and the limited volume of the boundary layer air imply that passive chemical vapor sensing systems require sensitivities in the picogram range, or lower. ADA is working to overcome many of the limitations of passive sampling methods, by the use of an active sampling method that employs a high-powered (1,200+ joules) strobe lamp to create a highly amplified plume of vapor and/or ERC-bearing fine particulates. Initial investigations have demonstrated that this approach can amplify the detectability of TNT by two or three orders of magnitude. This new active sampling technique could be used with any suitable explosive sensor.

  14. Protocol for Isolation of Primary Human Hepatocytes and Corresponding Major Populations of Non-parenchymal Liver Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pfeiffer, Elisa; Zeilinger, Katrin; Seehofer, Daniel; Damm, Georg

    2016-01-01

    Beside parenchymal hepatocytes, the liver consists of non-parenchymal cells (NPC) namely Kupffer cells (KC), liver endothelial cells (LEC) and hepatic Stellate cells (HSC). Two-dimensional (2D) culture of primary human hepatocyte (PHH) is still considered as the "gold standard" for in vitro testing of drug metabolism and hepatotoxicity. It is well-known that the 2D monoculture of PHH suffers from dedifferentiation and loss of function. Recently it was shown that hepatic NPC play a central role in liver (patho-) physiology and the maintenance of PHH functions. Current research focuses on the reconstruction of in vivo tissue architecture by 3D- and co-culture models to overcome the limitations of 2D monocultures. Previously we published a method to isolate human liver cells and investigated the suitability of these cells for their use in cell cultures in Experimental Biology and Medicine1. Based on the broad interest in this technique the aim of this article was to provide a more detailed protocol for the liver cell isolation process including a video, which will allow an easy reproduction of this technique. Human liver cells were isolated from human liver tissue samples of surgical interventions by a two-step EGTA/collagenase P perfusion technique. PHH were separated from the NPC by an initial centrifugation at 50 x g. Density gradient centrifugation steps were used for removal of dead cells. Individual liver cell populations were isolated from the enriched NPC fraction using specific cell properties and cell sorting procedures. Beside the PHH isolation we were able to separate KC, LEC and HSC for further cultivation. Taken together, the presented protocol allows the isolation of PHH and NPC in high quality and quantity from one donor tissue sample. The access to purified liver cell populations could allow the creation of in vivo like human liver models. PMID:27077489

  15. Sampling phased array, a new technique for ultrasonic signal processing and imaging now available to industry

    OpenAIRE

    Verkooijen, J.; Bulavinov, 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 realizes a unique approach of measurement and processing of ultrasonic signals. The s...

  16. Determination of multi-element in marine sediment samples collected in Angola by the k0-NAA technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Teixeira, M.C.P.; Ho Manh Dung; Cao Dong Vu; Nguyen Thi Sy; Nguyen Thanh Binh; Vuong Huu Tan

    2006-01-01

    The marine sediment samples were designed to collect in Angola for marine environmental pollution study. The k 0 -standardization method of neutron activation analysis (k 0 -NAA) on Dalat research reactor has been developed to determine of multi-element in the Angola marine sediment samples. The samples were irradiated in cell 7-1 for short- and middle-lived nuclides and rotary specimen rack for long-lived nuclides. The irradiation facilities were characterized for neutron spectrum parameters and post-activated samples were measured on the calibrated gamma-ray spectrometers using HPGe detectors. The analytical results for 9 marine sediment samples with 27 elements: Al, As, Br, Ca, Ce,Cl, Co, Cs, Dy, Fe, Hf, I, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Rb, Sb, Sc, Se, Sm, Th, Ti, U, V and Zn in term of mean concentration, standard deviation and their content range are shown in the report. The analytical quality assurance was done by analysis of a Japan's certified reference material namely marine sediment NMIJ-CRM-7302a. These preliminary results revealed that the k 0 -NAA technique on the Dalat research reactor is a good analytical technique for determination of multi-element in the marine sediment samples. Some heavy metals and trace elements determined in this work possibly connected to the human activities at the sampling region. (author)

  17. Pregnancy outcome of “delayed start” GnRH antagonist protocol versus GnRH antagonist protocol in poor responders: A clinical trial study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abbas Aflatoonian

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Management of poor-responding patients is still major challenge in assisted reproductive techniques (ART. Delayed-start GnRH antagonist protocol is recommended to these patients, but little is known in this regards. Objective: The goal of this study was assessment of delayed-start GnRH antagonist protocol in poor responders, and in vitro fertilization (IVF outcomes. Materials and Methods: This randomized clinical trial included sixty infertile women with Bologna criteria for ovarian poor responders who were candidate for IVF. In case group (n=30, delayed-start GnRH antagonist protocol administered estrogen priming followed by early follicular-phase GnRH antagonist treatment for 7 days before ovarian stimulation with gonadotropin. Control group (n=30 treated with estrogen priming antagonist protocol. Finally, endometrial thickness, the rates of oocytes maturation, , embryo formation, and pregnancy were compared between two groups. Results: Rates of implantation, chemical, clinical, and ongoing pregnancy in delayed-start cycles were higher although was not statistically significant. Endometrial thickness was significantly higher in case group. There were no statistically significant differences in the rates of oocyte maturation, embryo formation, and IVF outcomes between two groups. Conclusion: There is no significant difference between delayed-start GnRH antagonist protocol versus GnRH antagonist protocol.

  18. High Throughput Sample Preparation and Analysis for DNA Sequencing, PCR and Combinatorial Screening of Catalysis Based on Capillary Array Technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Yonghua [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2000-01-01

    Sample preparation has been one of the major bottlenecks for many high throughput analyses. The purpose of this research was to develop new sample preparation and integration approach for DNA sequencing, PCR based DNA analysis and combinatorial screening of homogeneous catalysis based on multiplexed capillary electrophoresis with laser induced fluorescence or imaging UV absorption detection. The author first introduced a method to integrate the front-end tasks to DNA capillary-array sequencers. protocols for directly sequencing the plasmids from a single bacterial colony in fused-silica capillaries were developed. After the colony was picked, lysis was accomplished in situ in the plastic sample tube using either a thermocycler or heating block. Upon heating, the plasmids were released while chromsomal DNA and membrane proteins were denatured and precipitated to the bottom of the tube. After adding enzyme and Sanger reagents, the resulting solution was aspirated into the reaction capillaries by a syringe pump, and cycle sequencing was initiated. No deleterious effect upon the reaction efficiency, the on-line purification system, or the capillary electrophoresis separation was observed, even though the crude lysate was used as the template. Multiplexed on-line DNA sequencing data from 8 parallel channels allowed base calling up to 620 bp with an accuracy of 98%. The entire system can be automatically regenerated for repeated operation. For PCR based DNA analysis, they demonstrated that capillary electrophoresis with UV detection can be used for DNA analysis starting from clinical sample without purification. After PCR reaction using cheek cell, blood or HIV-1 gag DNA, the reaction mixtures was injected into the capillary either on-line or off-line by base stacking. The protocol was also applied to capillary array electrophoresis. The use of cheaper detection, and the elimination of purification of DNA sample before or after PCR reaction, will make this approach an

  19. Characterization of Some Iraqi Archaeological Samples Using IBA, Analytical X-ray and Other Complementary Techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Sarraj, Ziyad Shihab; Damboos, Hassan I; Roumie, Mohamad

    2012-01-01

    The present work aimed at investigating the compositions and microstructures of some archaeological samples which dated back to various periods of the ancient Iraqi civilizations using PIXE, XRF, XRD, and SEM techniques. The models selected for the study (ceramics, glaze, etc.) were diverse in size and nature, therefore a limited number of samples were then butted from them by a small diamond wheel. Conventional powder metallurgy method was then used to prepare the samples. Dried samples were then coated with a thin layer of carbon, and analyzed using the ion beam accelerator of the LAEC. Three other groups of samples were also prepared for the purpose of analysis by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Analysis results of the chemical composition showed good agreement between the various techniques as well as for phases, while the fine structure analysis obtained by optical and scanning microscopy exhibited features of a structure where it got an intensified densification in the final stage of sintering and accompanied by quasi-homogeneous distribution of the closed pores. This will lead to the conclusion that the temperature used for sintering by ancient Iraqi was sufficient and it may fall in the range between 950-1200°C, also the mixes and the forming methods used by them, were both suitable to obtain good sintered bodies with even distribution of pores. A ring-shaped trace noticed in SEM micrographs need more work and study to explain what it is?

  20. The surface elevation table and marker horizon technique: A protocol for monitoring wetland elevation dynamics

    Science.gov (United States)

    James C. Lynch,; Phillippe Hensel,; Cahoon, Donald R.

    2015-01-01

    The National Park Service, in response to the growing evidence and awareness of the effects of climate change on federal lands, determined that monitoring wetland elevation change is a top priority in North Atlantic Coastal parks (Stevens et al, 2010). As a result, the NPS Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) in collaboration with colleagues from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have developed a protocol for monitoring wetland elevation change and other processes important for determining the viability of wetland communities. Although focused on North Atlantic Coastal parks, this document is applicable to all coastal and inland wetland regions. Wetlands exist within a narrow range of elevation which is influenced by local hydrologic conditions. For coastal wetlands in particular, local hydrologic conditions may be changing as sea levels continue to rise. As sea level rises, coastal wetland systems may respond by building elevation to maintain favorable hydrologic conditions for their survival. This protocol provides the reader with instructions and guidelines on designing a monitoring plan or study to: A) Quantify elevation change in wetlands with the Surface Elevation Table (SET). B) Understand the processes that influence elevation change, including vertical accretion (SET and Marker Horizon methods). C) Survey the wetland surface and SET mark to a common reference datum to allow for comparing sample stations to each other and to local tidal datums. D) Survey the SET mark to monitor its relative stability. This document is divided into two parts; the main body that presents an overview of all aspects of monitoring wetland elevation dynamics, and a collection of Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) that describes in detail how to perform or execute each step of the methodology. Detailed instruction on the installation, data collection, data management and analysis are provided in this report

  1. The evaluation of an analytical protocol for the determination of substances in waste for hazard classification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hennebert, Pierre; Papin, Arnaud; Padox, Jean-Marie; Hasebrouck, Benoît

    2013-07-01

    The classification of waste as hazardous could soon be assessed in Europe using largely the hazard properties of its constituents, according to the the Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) regulation. Comprehensive knowledge of the component constituents of a given waste will therefore be necessary. An analytical protocol for determining waste composition is proposed, which includes using inductively coupled plasma (ICP) screening methods to identify major elements and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC-MS) screening techniques to measure organic compounds. The method includes a gross or indicator measure of 'pools' of higher molecular weight organic substances that are taken to be less bioactive and less hazardous, and of unresolved 'mass' during the chromatography of volatile and semi-volatile compounds. The concentration of some elements and specific compounds that are linked to specific hazard properties and are subject to specific regulation (examples include: heavy metals, chromium(VI), cyanides, organo-halogens, and PCBs) are determined by classical quantitative analysis. To check the consistency of the analysis, the sum of the concentrations (including unresolved 'pools') should give a mass balance between 90% and 110%. Thirty-two laboratory samples comprising different industrial wastes (liquids and solids) were tested by two routine service laboratories, to give circa 7000 parameter results. Despite discrepancies in some parameters, a satisfactory sum of estimated or measured concentrations (analytical balance) of 90% was reached for 20 samples (63% of the overall total) during this first test exercise, with identified reasons for most of the unsatisfactory results. Regular use of this protocol (which is now included in the French legislation) has enabled service laboratories to reach a 90% mass balance for nearly all the solid samples tested, and most of liquid samples (difficulties were caused in some samples from polymers in solution and

  2. Analysis of soil samples from Gebeng area using NAA technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elias, Md Suhaimi; Wo, Yii Mei; Hamzah, Mohd Suhaimi; Shukor, Shakirah Abd; Rahman, Shamsiah Ab; Salim, Nazaratul Ashifa Abdullah; Azman, Muhamad Azfar; Hashim, Azian

    2017-01-01

    Rapid development and urbanization will increase number of residence and industrial area. Without proper management and control of pollution, these will give an adverse effect to environment and human life. The objective of this study to identify and quantify key contaminants into the environment of the Gebeng area as a result of industrial and human activities. Gebeng area was gazetted as one of the industrial estate in Pahang state. Assessment of elemental pollution in soil of Gebeng area base on level of concentration, enrichment factor and geo-accumulation index. The enrichment factors (EFs) were determined by the elemental rationing method, whilst the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) by comparing of current to continental crustal average concentration of element. Twenty-seven of soil samples were collected from Gebeng area. Soil samples were analysed by using Neutron Activation Analyses (NAA) technique. The obtained data showed higher concentration of iron (Fe) due to abundance in soil compared to other elements. The results of enrichment factor showed that Gebeng area have enrich with elements of As, Br, Hf, Sb, Th and U. Base on the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) classification, the soil quality of Gebeng area can be classified as class 0, (uncontaminated) to Class 3, (moderately to heavily contaminated).

  3. Advances in modern sample preparation techniques using microwaves assisted chemistry for metal species determination (W1)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ponard, O.F.X.

    2002-01-01

    Full text: Sample preparation has long been the bottleneck of environmental analysis for both total and species specific analysis. Digestion, extraction and preparation of the analytes are relying on a series of chemical reactions. The introduction of microwave assisted sample preparation has first been viewed as a mean to accelerate the kinetics of digestion of the matrix for total elements and fast samples preparation procedures. However, the extensive development and success of microwave digestion procedures in total elemental analysis has now allowed to have a larger insight of the perspectives offered by this technique. Microwave technologies now offer to have a precise control of the temperature and indirectly control the reaction kinetics taking place during the sample preparation procedures. Microwave assisted chemistry permits to perform simultaneously the fundamental steps required for metal species extraction and derivatization. The number of sample preparation steps used for organotin or organomercury species have been reduced to one and the total time of sample preparation brought down for a few hours to some minutes. Further, the developments of GC/ICP/MS techniques allow to routinely use speciated isotopic dilution methods has internal probe of the chemical reactions. These new approaches allow us to use the addition of the labeled species for isotopic dilution as a mean to evaluate and follow the chemical processes taking place during the extraction procedure. These procedures will help us to understand and check for the stability of the analytes during the chemistry of the sample preparation procedure and bring some insights of the chemistry taking place during the extraction. Understanding the different mechanisms involved in the sample preparation steps will allow us in return to further improve all theses procedures and bring us to the horizon of 'on-line sample preparation and detection'. (author)

  4. A Secure Simplification of the PKMv2 Protocol in IEEE 802.16e-2005

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yuksel, Ender; Nielson, Hanne Riis; Nielsen, Christoffer Rosenkilde

    2007-01-01

    Static analysis is successfully used for automatically validating security properties of classical cryptographic protocols. In this paper, we shall employ the same technique to a modern security protocol for wireless networks, namely the latest version of the Privacy and Key Management protocol...... for IEEE 802.16e, PKMv2. This protocol seems to have an exaggerated mixture of security features. Thus, we iteratively investigate which components are necessary for upholding the security properties and which can be omitted safely. This approach is based on the LySa process calculus and employs...

  5. Focused conformational sampling in proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bacci, Marco; Langini, Cassiano; Vymětal, Jiří; Caflisch, Amedeo; Vitalis, Andreas

    2017-11-01

    A detailed understanding of the conformational dynamics of biological molecules is difficult to obtain by experimental techniques due to resolution limitations in both time and space. Computer simulations avoid these in theory but are often too short to sample rare events reliably. Here we show that the progress index-guided sampling (PIGS) protocol can be used to enhance the sampling of rare events in selected parts of biomolecules without perturbing the remainder of the system. The method is very easy to use as it only requires as essential input a set of several features representing the parts of interest sufficiently. In this feature space, new states are discovered by spontaneous fluctuations alone and in unsupervised fashion. Because there are no energetic biases acting on phase space variables or projections thereof, the trajectories PIGS generates can be analyzed directly in the framework of transition networks. We demonstrate the possibility and usefulness of such focused explorations of biomolecules with two loops that are part of the binding sites of bromodomains, a family of epigenetic "reader" modules. This real-life application uncovers states that are structurally and kinetically far away from the initial crystallographic structures and are also metastable. Representative conformations are intended to be used in future high-throughput virtual screening campaigns.

  6. TU-H-207A-09: An Automated Technique for Estimating Patient-Specific Regional Imparted Energy and Dose From TCM CT Exams Across 13 Protocols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanders, J; Tian, X; Segars, P; Boone, J; Samei, E

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To develop an automated technique for estimating patient-specific regional imparted energy and dose from tube current modulated (TCM) computed tomography (CT) exams across a diverse set of head and body protocols. Methods: A library of 58 adult computational anthropomorphic extended cardiac-torso (XCAT) phantoms were used to model a patient population. A validated Monte Carlo program was used to simulate TCM CT exams on the entire library of phantoms for three head and 10 body protocols. The net imparted energy to the phantoms, normalized by dose length product (DLP), and the net tissue mass in each of the scan regions were computed. A knowledgebase containing relationships between normalized imparted energy and scanned mass was established. An automated computer algorithm was written to estimate the scanned mass from actual clinical CT exams. The scanned mass estimate, DLP of the exam, and knowledgebase were used to estimate the imparted energy to the patient. The algorithm was tested on 20 chest and 20 abdominopelvic TCM CT exams. Results: The normalized imparted energy increased with increasing kV for all protocols. However, the normalized imparted energy was relatively unaffected by the strength of the TCM. The average imparted energy was 681 ± 376 mJ for abdominopelvic exams and 274 ± 141 mJ for chest exams. Overall, the method was successful in providing patientspecific estimates of imparted energy for 98% of the cases tested. Conclusion: Imparted energy normalized by DLP increased with increasing tube potential. However, the strength of the TCM did not have a significant effect on the net amount of energy deposited to tissue. The automated program can be implemented into the clinical workflow to provide estimates of regional imparted energy and dose across a diverse set of clinical protocols.

  7. On-farm comparisons of different cleaning protocols in broiler houses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luyckx, K Y; Van Weyenberg, S; Dewulf, J; Herman, L; Zoons, J; Vervaet, E; Heyndrickx, M; De Reu, K

    2015-08-01

    The present study evaluated the effectiveness of 4 cleaning protocols designed to reduce the bacteriological infection pressure on broiler farms and prevent food-borne zoonoses. Additionally, difficult to clean locations and possible sources of infection were identified. Cleaning and disinfection rounds were evaluated in 12 broiler houses on 5 farms through microbiological analyses and adenosine triphosphate hygiene monitoring. Samples were taken at 3 different times: before cleaning, after cleaning, and after disinfection. At each sampling time, swabs were taken from various locations for enumeration of the total aerobic flora and Enterococcus species pluralis ( SPP:). In addition, before cleaning and after disinfection, testing for Escherichia coli and Salmonella was carried out. Finally, adenosine triphosphate swabs and agar contact plates for total aerobic flora counts were taken after cleaning and disinfection, respectively. Total aerobic flora and Enterococcus spp. counts on the swab samples showed that cleaning protocols which were preceded by an overnight soaking with water caused a higher bacterial reduction compared to protocols without a preceding soaking step. Moreover, soaking of broiler houses leads to less water consumption and reduced working time during high pressure cleaning. No differences were found between protocols using cold or warm water during cleaning. Drinking cups, drain holes, and floor cracks were identified as critical locations for cleaning and disinfection in broiler houses. © 2015 Poultry Science Association Inc.

  8. A cost-saving statistically based screening technique for focused sampling of a lead-contaminated site

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moscati, A.F. Jr.; Hediger, E.M.; Rupp, M.J.

    1986-01-01

    High concentrations of lead in soils along an abandoned railroad line prompted a remedial investigation to characterize the extent of contamination across a 7-acre site. Contamination was thought to be spotty across the site reflecting its past use in battery recycling operations at discrete locations. A screening technique was employed to delineate the more highly contaminated areas by testing a statistically determined minimum number of random samples from each of seven discrete site areas. The approach not only quickly identified those site areas which would require more extensive grid sampling, but also provided a statistically defensible basis for excluding other site areas from further consideration, thus saving the cost of additional sample collection and analysis. The reduction in the number of samples collected in ''clean'' areas of the site ranged from 45 to 60%

  9. The Protocol of Choice for Treatment of Snake Bite

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Afshin Mohammad Alizadeh

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of the current study is to compare three different methods of treatment of snake bite to determine the most efficient one. To unify the protocol of snake bite treatment in our center, we retrospectively reviewed files of the snake-bitten patients who had been referred to us between 2010 and 2014. They were contacted for follow-up using phone calls. Demographic and on-arrival characteristics, protocol used for treatment (WHO/Haddad/GF, and outcome/complications were evaluated. Patients were entered into one of the protocol groups and compared. Of a total of 63 patients, 56 (89% were males. Five, 19, and 28 patients were managed by Haddad, WHO, or GF protocols, respectively. Eleven patients had fallen into both GF and WHO protocols and were excluded. Serum sickness was significantly more common when WHO protocol was used while 100% of the compartment syndromes and 71% of deformities had been reported after GF protocol. The most important complications were considered to be deformity, compartment syndrome, and amputation and were more frequent after the use of WHO and GF protocols (23.1% versus 76.9%; none in Haddad; P = NS. Haddad protocol seems to be the best for treatment of snake-bitten patients in our region. However, this cannot be strictly concluded because of the limited sample size and nonsignificant P values.

  10. EDXRF applied to the chemical element determination of small invertebrate samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Magalhaes, Marcelo L.R.; Santos, Mariana L.O.; Cantinha, Rebeca S.; Souza, Thomas Marques de; Franca, Elvis J. de

    2015-01-01

    Energy Dispersion X-Ray Fluorescence - EDXRF is a fast analytical technique of easy operation, however demanding reliable analytical curves due to the intrinsic matrix dependence and interference during the analysis. By using biological materials of diverse matrices, multielemental analytical protocols can be implemented and a group of chemical elements could be determined in diverse biological matrices depending on the chemical element concentration. Particularly for invertebrates, EDXRF presents some advantages associated to the possibility of the analysis of small size samples, in which a collimator can be used that directing the incidence of X-rays to a small surface of the analyzed samples. In this work, EDXRF was applied to determine Cl, Fe, P, S and Zn in invertebrate samples using the collimator of 3 mm and 10 mm. For the assessment of the analytical protocol, the SRM 2976 Trace Elements in Mollusk produced and SRM 8415 Whole Egg Powder by the National Institute of Standards and Technology - NIST were also analyzed. After sampling by using pitfall traps, invertebrate were lyophilized, milled and transferred to polyethylene vials covered by XRF polyethylene. Analyses were performed at atmosphere lower than 30 Pa, varying voltage and electric current according to the chemical element to be analyzed. For comparison, Zn in the invertebrate material was also quantified by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after acid treatment (mixture of nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide) of samples have. Compared to the collimator of 10 mm, the SRM 2976 and SRM 8415 results obtained by the 3 mm collimator agreed well at the 95% confidence level since the E n Number were in the range of -1 and 1. Results from GFAAS were in accordance to the EDXRF values for composite samples. Therefore, determination of some chemical elements by EDXRF can be recommended for very small invertebrate samples (lower than 100 mg) with advantage of preserving the samples. (author)

  11. Simulating quantum correlations as a distributed sampling problem

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Degorre, Julien; Laplante, Sophie; Roland, Jeremie

    2005-01-01

    It is known that quantum correlations exhibited by a maximally entangled qubit pair can be simulated with the help of shared randomness, supplemented with additional resources, such as communication, postselection or nonlocal boxes. For instance, in the case of projective measurements, it is possible to solve this problem with protocols using one bit of communication or making one use of a nonlocal box. We show that this problem reduces to a distributed sampling problem. We give a new method to obtain samples from a biased distribution, starting with shared random variables following a uniform distribution, and use it to build distributed sampling protocols. This approach allows us to derive, in a simpler and unified way, many existing protocols for projective measurements, and extend them to positive operator value measurements. Moreover, this approach naturally leads to a local hidden variable model for Werner states

  12. 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)

  13. Disinfection protocols for necropsy equipment in rabies laboratories: Safety of personnel and diagnostic outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aiello, Roberta; Zecchin, Barbara; Tiozzo Caenazzo, Silvia; Cattoli, Giovanni; De Benedictis, Paola

    2016-08-01

    In the last decades, molecular techniques have gradually been adopted for the rapid confirmation of results obtained through gold standard methods. However, international organisations discourage their use in routine laboratory investigations for rabies post-mortem diagnosis, as they may lead to false positive results due to cross-contamination. Cleaning and disinfection are essential to prevent cross-contamination of samples in the laboratory environment. The present study evaluated the efficacy of selected disinfectants on rabies-contaminated necropsy equipment under organic challenge using a carrier-based test. The occurrence of detectable Rabies virus (RABV) antigen, viable virus and RNA was assessed through the gold standard Fluorescent Antibody Test, the Rabies Tissue Culture Infection Test and molecular techniques, respectively. None of the tested disinfectants proved to be effective under label conditions. Off label disinfection protocols were found effective for oxidizing agents and phenolic, only. Biguanide and quaternary ammonium compound were both ineffective under all tested conditions. Overall, discordant results were obtained when different diagnostic tests were compared, which means that in the presence of organic contamination common disinfectants may not be effective enough on viable RABV or RNA. Our results indicate that an effective disinfection protocol should be carefully validated to guarantee staff safety and reliability of results. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  14. Single-particle characterization of ice-nucleating particles and ice particle residuals sampled by three different techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Worringen, A.; Kandler, K.; Benker, N.; Dirsch, T.; Mertes, S.; Schenk, L.; Kästner, U.; Frank, F.; Nillius, B.; Bundke, U.; Rose, D.; Curtius, J.; Kupiszewski, P.; Weingartner, E.; Vochezer, P.; Schneider, J.; Schmidt, S.; Weinbruch, S.; Ebert, M.

    2015-04-01

    In the present work, three different techniques to separate ice-nucleating particles (INPs) as well as ice particle residuals (IPRs) from non-ice-active particles are compared. The Ice Selective Inlet (ISI) and the Ice Counterflow Virtual Impactor (Ice-CVI) sample ice particles from mixed-phase clouds and allow after evaporation in the instrument for the analysis of the residuals. The Fast Ice Nucleus Chamber (FINCH) coupled with the Ice Nuclei Pumped Counterflow Virtual Impactor (IN-PCVI) provides ice-activating conditions to aerosol particles and extracts the activated particles for analysis. The instruments were run during a joint field campaign which took place in January and February 2013 at the High Alpine Research Station Jungfraujoch (Switzerland). INPs and IPRs were analyzed offline by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis to determine their size, chemical composition and mixing state. Online analysis of the size and chemical composition of INP activated in FINCH was performed by laser ablation mass spectrometry. With all three INP/IPR separation techniques high abundances (median 20-70%) of instrumental contamination artifacts were observed (ISI: Si-O spheres, probably calibration aerosol; Ice-CVI: Al-O particles; FINCH + IN-PCVI: steel particles). After removal of the instrumental contamination particles, silicates, Ca-rich particles, carbonaceous material and metal oxides were the major INP/IPR particle types obtained by all three techniques. In addition, considerable amounts (median abundance mostly a few percent) of soluble material (e.g., sea salt, sulfates) were observed. As these soluble particles are often not expected to act as INP/IPR, we consider them as potential measurement artifacts. Minor types of INP/IPR include soot and Pb-bearing particles. The Pb-bearing particles are mainly present as an internal mixture with other particle types. Most samples showed a maximum of the INP/IPR size distribution at 200

  15. Design and building of a homemade sample changer for automation of the irradiation in neutron activation analysis technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gago, Javier; Hernandez, Yuri; Baltuano, Oscar; Bedregal, Patricia; Lopez, Yon; Urquizo, Rafael

    2014-01-01

    Because the RP-10 research reactor operates during weekends, it was necessary to design and build a sample changer for irradiation as part of the automation process of neutron activation analysis technique. The device is formed by an aluminum turntable disk which can accommodate 19 polyethylene capsules, containing samples to be sent using the pneumatic transfer system from the laboratory to the irradiation position. The system is operate by a control switchboard to send and return capsules in a variable preset time and by two different ways, allowing the determination of short, medium and long lived radionuclides. Also another mechanism is designed called 'exchange valve' for changing travel paths (pipelines) allowing the irradiated samples to be stored for a longer time in the reactor hall. The system design has allowed complete automation of this technique, enabling the irradiation of samples without the presence of an analyst. The design, construction and operation of the device is described and presented in this article. (authors).

  16. An electronic specimen collection protocol schema (eSCPS). Document architecture for specimen management and the exchange of specimen collection protocols between biobanking information systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eminaga, O; Semjonow, A; Oezguer, E; Herden, J; Akbarov, I; Tok, A; Engelmann, U; Wille, S

    2014-01-01

    The integrity of collection protocols in biobanking is essential for a high-quality sample preparation process. However, there is not currently a well-defined universal method for integrating collection protocols in the biobanking information system (BIMS). Therefore, an electronic schema of the collection protocol that is based on Extensible Markup Language (XML) is required to maintain the integrity and enable the exchange of collection protocols. The development and implementation of an electronic specimen collection protocol schema (eSCPS) was performed at two institutions (Muenster and Cologne) in three stages. First, we analyzed the infrastructure that was already established at both the biorepository and the hospital information systems of these institutions and determined the requirements for the sufficient preparation of specimens and documentation. Second, we designed an eSCPS according to these requirements. Finally, a prospective study was conducted to implement and evaluate the novel schema in the current BIMS. We designed an eSCPS that provides all of the relevant information about collection protocols. Ten electronic collection protocols were generated using the supplementary Protocol Editor tool, and these protocols were successfully implemented in the existing BIMS. Moreover, an electronic list of collection protocols for the current studies being performed at each institution was included, new collection protocols were added, and the existing protocols were redesigned to be modifiable. The documentation time was significantly reduced after implementing the eSCPS (5 ± 2 min vs. 7 ± 3 min; p = 0.0002). The eSCPS improves the integrity and facilitates the exchange of specimen collection protocols in the existing open-source BIMS.

  17. Microwave Heating of Synthetic Skin Samples for Potential Treatment of Gout Using the Metal-Assisted and Microwave-Accelerated Decrystallization Technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toker, Salih; Boone-Kukoyi, Zainab; Thompson, Nishone; Ajifa, Hillary; Clement, Travis; Ozturk, Birol; Aslan, Kadir

    2016-11-30

    Physical stability of synthetic skin samples during their exposure to microwave heating was investigated to demonstrate the use of the metal-assisted and microwave-accelerated decrystallization (MAMAD) technique for potential biomedical applications. In this regard, optical microscopy and temperature measurements were employed for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of damage to synthetic skin samples during 20 s intermittent microwave heating using a monomode microwave source (at 8 GHz, 2-20 W) up to 120 s. The extent of damage to synthetic skin samples, assessed by the change in the surface area of skin samples, was negligible for microwave power of ≤7 W and more extensive damage (>50%) to skin samples occurred when exposed to >7 W at initial temperature range of 20-39 °C. The initial temperature of synthetic skin samples significantly affected the extent of change in temperature of synthetic skin samples during their exposure to microwave heating. The proof of principle use of the MAMAD technique was demonstrated for the decrystallization of a model biological crystal (l-alanine) placed under synthetic skin samples in the presence of gold nanoparticles. Our results showed that the size (initial size ∼850 μm) of l-alanine crystals can be reduced up to 60% in 120 s without damage to synthetic skin samples using the MAMAD technique. Finite-difference time-domain-based simulations of the electric field distribution of an 8 GHz monomode microwave radiation showed that synthetic skin samples are predicted to absorb ∼92.2% of the microwave radiation.

  18. Microwave Heating of Synthetic Skin Samples for Potential Treatment of Gout Using the Metal-Assisted and Microwave-Accelerated Decrystallization Technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    2016-01-01

    Physical stability of synthetic skin samples during their exposure to microwave heating was investigated to demonstrate the use of the metal-assisted and microwave-accelerated decrystallization (MAMAD) technique for potential biomedical applications. In this regard, optical microscopy and temperature measurements were employed for the qualitative and quantitative assessment of damage to synthetic skin samples during 20 s intermittent microwave heating using a monomode microwave source (at 8 GHz, 2–20 W) up to 120 s. The extent of damage to synthetic skin samples, assessed by the change in the surface area of skin samples, was negligible for microwave power of ≤7 W and more extensive damage (>50%) to skin samples occurred when exposed to >7 W at initial temperature range of 20–39 °C. The initial temperature of synthetic skin samples significantly affected the extent of change in temperature of synthetic skin samples during their exposure to microwave heating. The proof of principle use of the MAMAD technique was demonstrated for the decrystallization of a model biological crystal (l-alanine) placed under synthetic skin samples in the presence of gold nanoparticles. Our results showed that the size (initial size ∼850 μm) of l-alanine crystals can be reduced up to 60% in 120 s without damage to synthetic skin samples using the MAMAD technique. Finite-difference time-domain-based simulations of the electric field distribution of an 8 GHz monomode microwave radiation showed that synthetic skin samples are predicted to absorb ∼92.2% of the microwave radiation. PMID:27917407

  19. A comparative study of 232Th and 238U activity estimation in soil samples by gamma spectrometry and neutron activation analysis technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Anilkumar, Rekha; Anilkumar, S.; Narayani, K.; Babu, D.A.R.; Sharma, D.N.

    2012-01-01

    Neutron activation analysis (NAA) is a well-established analytical technique. It has many advantages as compared to the other commonly used techniques. NAA can be performed in a variety of ways depending on the element, its activity level in the sample, interference from the sample matrix and other elements, etc. This technique is used to get high analytical sensitivity and low detection limits (ppm to ppb). The high sensitivity is due to the irradiation at high neutron flux available from the research reactors and the activity measurement is done using high resolution HPGe detectors. In this paper, the activity estimation of soil samples using neutron activation and direct gamma spectrometry methods are compared. Even though the weights of samples considered and samples preparation methods are different for these two methods, the estimated activity values are comparable. (author)

  20. Biosensor-based microRNA detection: techniques, design, performance, and challenges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Blake N; Mutharasan, Raj

    2014-04-07

    The current state of biosensor-based techniques for amplification-free microRNA (miRNA) detection is critically reviewed. Comparison with non-sensor and amplification-based molecular techniques (MTs), such as polymerase-based methods, is made in terms of transduction mechanism, associated protocol, and sensitivity. Challenges associated with miRNA hybridization thermodynamics which affect assay selectivity and amplification bias are briefly discussed. Electrochemical, electromechanical, and optical classes of miRNA biosensors are reviewed in terms of transduction mechanism, limit of detection (LOD), time-to-results (TTR), multiplexing potential, and measurement robustness. Current trends suggest that biosensor-based techniques (BTs) for miRNA assay will complement MTs due to the advantages of amplification-free detection, LOD being femtomolar (fM)-attomolar (aM), short TTR, multiplexing capability, and minimal sample preparation requirement. Areas of future importance in miRNA BT development are presented which include focus on achieving high measurement confidence and multiplexing capabilities.

  1. 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

  2. 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

  3. Optimized exosome isolation protocol for cell culture supernatant and human plasma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard J. Lobb

    2015-07-01

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

  4. Method-centered digital communities on protocols.io for fast-paced scientific innovation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kindler, Lori; Stoliartchouk, Alexei; Teytelman, Leonid; Hurwitz, Bonnie L

    2016-01-01

    The Internet has enabled online social interaction for scientists beyond physical meetings and conferences. Yet despite these innovations in communication, dissemination of methods is often relegated to just academic publishing. Further, these methods remain static, with subsequent advances published elsewhere and unlinked. For communities undergoing fast-paced innovation, researchers need new capabilities to share, obtain feedback, and publish methods at the forefront of scientific development. For example, a renaissance in virology is now underway given the new metagenomic methods to sequence viral DNA directly from an environment. Metagenomics makes it possible to "see" natural viral communities that could not be previously studied through culturing methods. Yet, the knowledge of specialized techniques for the production and analysis of viral metagenomes remains in a subset of labs.  This problem is common to any community using and developing emerging technologies and techniques. We developed new capabilities to create virtual communities in protocols.io, an open access platform, for disseminating protocols and knowledge at the forefront of scientific development. To demonstrate these capabilities, we present a virology community forum called VERVENet. These new features allow virology researchers to share protocols and their annotations and optimizations, connect with the broader virtual community to share knowledge, job postings, conference announcements through a common online forum, and discover the current literature through personalized recommendations to promote discussion of cutting edge research. Virtual communities in protocols.io enhance a researcher's ability to: discuss and share protocols, connect with fellow community members, and learn about new and innovative research in the field.  The web-based software for developing virtual communities is free to use on protocols.io. Data are available through public APIs at protocols.io.

  5. The development of radioactive sample surrogates for training and exercises

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martha Finck; Bevin Brush; Dick Jansen; David Chamberlain; Don Dry; George Brooks; Margaret Goldberg

    2012-03-01

    The development of radioactive sample surrogates for training and exercises Source term information is required for to reconstruct a device used in a dispersed radiological dispersal device. Simulating a radioactive environment to train and exercise sampling and sample characterization methods with suitable sample materials is a continued challenge. The Idaho National Laboratory has developed and permitted a Radioactive Response Training Range (RRTR), an 800 acre test range that is approved for open air dispersal of activated KBr, for training first responders in the entry and exit from radioactively contaminated areas, and testing protocols for environmental sampling and field characterization. Members from the Department of Defense, Law Enforcement, and the Department of Energy participated in the first contamination exercise that was conducted at the RRTR in the July 2011. The range was contaminated using a short lived radioactive Br-82 isotope (activated KBr). Soil samples contaminated with KBr (dispersed as a solution) and glass particles containing activated potassium bromide that emulated dispersed radioactive materials (such as ceramic-based sealed source materials) were collected to assess environmental sampling and characterization techniques. This presentation summarizes the performance of a radioactive materials surrogate for use as a training aide for nuclear forensics.

  6. Purifying, Separating, and Concentrating Cells From a Sample Low in Biomass

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benardini, James N.; LaDuc, Myron T.; Diamond, Rochelle

    2012-01-01

    Frequently there is an inability to process and analyze samples of low biomass due to limiting amounts of relevant biomaterial in the sample. Furthermore, molecular biological protocols geared towards increasing the density of recovered cells and biomolecules of interest, by their very nature, also concentrate unwanted inhibitory humic acids and other particulates that have an adversarial effect on downstream analysis. A novel and robust fluorescence-activated cell-sorting (FACS)-based technology has been developed for purifying (removing cells from sampling matrices), separating (based on size, density, morphology), and concentrating cells (spores, prokaryotic, eukaryotic) from a sample low in biomass. The technology capitalizes on fluorescent cell-sorting technologies to purify and concentrate bacterial cells from a low-biomass, high-volume sample. Over the past decade, cell-sorting detection systems have undergone enhancements and increased sensitivity, making bacterial cell sorting a feasible concept. Although there are many unknown limitations with regard to the applicability of this technology to environmental samples (smaller cells, few cells, mixed populations), dogmatic principles support the theoretical effectiveness of this technique upon thorough testing and proper optimization. Furthermore, the pilot study from which this report is based proved effective and demonstrated this technology capable of sorting and concentrating bacterial endospore and bacterial cells of varying size and morphology. Two commercial off-the-shelf bacterial counting kits were used to optimize a bacterial stain/dye FACS protocol. A LIVE/DEAD BacLight Viability and Counting Kit was used to distinguish between the live and dead cells. A Bacterial Counting Kit comprising SYTO BC (mixture of SYTO dyes) was employed as a broad-spectrum bacterial counting agent. Optimization using epifluorescence microscopy was performed with these two dye/stains. This refined protocol was further

  7. Protocol of measurement techniques - Project colored solar collectors

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schueler, A.; Chambrier, E. De; Roecker, Ch.; Scartezzini, J.-L.

    2004-08-15

    This illustrated annual report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) takes a look at work done at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland, on multi-layer, thin-film interference coatings for solar collector glazing. The correct combinations of refractive indices and film thickness are discussed. The authors state that corresponding multi-layered thin film stacks will have to be realised experimentally in a controlled and reproducible way. New thin film materials are to be tailored to exhibit optimised optical and ageing properties. The development of these coatings is to be based on various measurement techniques, such as spectro-photometry, measurements of total power throughput by means of a solar simulator, spectroscopic ellipsometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The paper provides many examples of typical data and explains which film properties can be inferred from each method and thus describes both the function and purpose of the different measurement techniques.

  8. Mac protocols for wireless sensor network (wsn): a comparative study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arshad, J.; Akram, Q.; Saleem, Y.

    2014-01-01

    Data communication between nodes is carried out under Medium Access Control (MAC) protocol which is defined at data link layer. The MAC protocols are responsible to communicate and coordinate between nodes according to the defined standards in WSN (Wireless Sensor Networks). The design of a MAC protocol should also address the issues of energy efficiency and transmission efficiency. There are number of MAC protocols that exist in the literature proposed for WSN. In this paper, nine MAC protocols which includes S-MAC, T-MAC, Wise-MAC, Mu-MAC, Z-MAC, A-MAC, D-MAC, B-MAC and B-MAC+ for WSN have been explored, studied and analyzed. These nine protocols are classified in contention based and hybrid (combination of contention and schedule based) MAC protocols. The goal of this comparative study is to provide a basis for MAC protocols and to highlight different mechanisms used with respect to parameters for the evaluation of energy and transmission efficiency in WSN. This study also aims to give reader a better understanding of the concepts, processes and flow of information used in these MAC protocols for WSN. A comparison with respect to energy reservation scheme, idle listening avoidance, latency, fairness, data synchronization, and throughput maximization has been presented. It was analyzed that contention based MAC protocols are less energy efficient as compared to hybrid MAC protocols. From the analysis of contention based MAC protocols in term of energy consumption, it was being observed that protocols based on preamble sampling consume lesser energy than protocols based on static or dynamic sleep schedule. (author)

  9. Nuclear techniques for trace element analysis. PIXE and its applications to biomedical samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cata-Danil, I.; Moro, R.; Gialanella, G.

    1996-01-01

    Problems in understanding the role of trace elements in the functioning of life processes are discussed. A brief review of the state of the PIXE technique is given. Principles and recent advances in beam systems, instrumentation and sample handling are covered. A rather comprehensive list of references regarding varies methodological aspects and biomedical applications is given. Some applications are discussed. In particular, preliminary results of an investigation regarding pediatric obesity are presented. (author) 5 tabs., 21 refs

  10. Determination of elements in industrial waste sample and TENORM using XRF Technique in Nuclear Malaysia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paulus, W.; Sarimah Mahat; Meor Yusoff Meor Sulaiman

    2011-01-01

    Industrial waste such as aluminium dross and TENORM waste, oil sludge has been used as sample in this research. Determination of main elements by using X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) in Material Technology Group, Malaysian Nuclear Agency. Results shows that main elements in these samples, aluminium and silicon, respectively. Thereby, this research shows that XRF can be considered as one of the techniques that can be used in waste characterization and furthermore, it can help researchers and engineer in the research related to waste treatment especially radioactive waste. (author)

  11. Two mini-preparation protocols to DNA extraction from plants with ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    AJB SERVER

    2006-10-16

    Oct 16, 2006 ... samples to process and it is also a non expensive protocol. This method also ... because many of those chemicals inhibit PCR reactions. (Pandey et al., 1996) ... Spin at 15,000 rpm for 15 min and wash the DNA pellet with 1.2 ml ... Protocol: To 200 mg frozen and ground tissue plant material, add 900 µl of.

  12. 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

  13. Toward Synthesis, Analysis, and Certification of Security Protocols

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schumann, Johann

    2004-01-01

    Implemented security protocols are basically pieces of software which are used to (a) authenticate the other communication partners, (b) establish a secure communication channel between them (using insecure communication media), and (c) transfer data between the communication partners in such a way that these data only available to the desired receiver, but not to anyone else. Such an implementation usually consists of the following components: the protocol-engine, which controls in which sequence the messages of the protocol are sent over the network, and which controls the assembly/disassembly and processing (e.g., decryption) of the data. the cryptographic routines to actually encrypt or decrypt the data (using given keys), and t,he interface to the operating system and to the application. For a correct working of such a security protocol, all of these components must work flawlessly. Many formal-methods based techniques for the analysis of a security protocols have been developed. They range from using specific logics (e.g.: BAN-logic [4], or higher order logics [12] to model checking [2] approaches. In each approach, the analysis tries to prove that no (or at least not a modeled intruder) can get access to secret data. Otherwise, a scenario illustrating the &tack may be produced. Despite the seeming simplicity of security protocols ("only" a few messages are sent between the protocol partners in order to ensure a secure communication), many flaws have been detected. Unfortunately, even a perfect protocol engine does not guarantee flawless working of a security protocol, as incidents show. Many break-ins and security vulnerabilities are caused by exploiting errors in the implementation of the protocol engine or the underlying operating system. Attacks using buffer-overflows are a very common class of such attacks. Errors in the implementation of exception or error handling can open up additional vulnerabilities. For example, on a website with a log-in screen

  14. Application of neutron activation analysis technique in elemental determination of lichen samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Djoko Prakoso Dwi Atmodjo; Syukria Kurniawati; Woro Yatu Niken Syahfitri; Nana Suherman; Dadang Supriatna

    2010-01-01

    Lichen is one of the biological materials as pollution monitor that can give information about level, direction, and history of various pollutants in environment. Small sample weights and elemental content of lichens is on the order of ppm, so that its characterization requires advanced analytical techniques that has high sensitivity and capable of analyzing samples with weight of - 25 mg, such as neutron activation analysis. In this research, determination of elements was done in lichen samples obtained from Kiaracondong and Holis areas in Bandung city, to understanding the difference of industrial exposure level on surrounding environment. Samples were irradiated in RSG GA Siwabessy, Serpong, at 15 MW for 1-2 and 60 minutes for short irradiation and long irradiation, respectively. The samples were then counted using HPGe detector with GENIE 2000 software. The level of element in lichen for Kiaracondong area were Co, Cr, Cs, Fe, Mg, Mn, Sb, Sc, and V in the range of 0.55-0.86, 1.47-2.57, 0.87-1.19, 540-1005, 949-1674, 34.91-45.94, 0.08-0.14, 0.16-0.31, and ≤ 2.33 mg/kg, respectively, while for Holis area were 1.04-2.37, 4.41-10.36, 0.41-0.89, 3166-709, 1131-1422, 40.97-72.51, 0.33-0.50, 0.98-2.18, and 5.30-13.05 mg/kg respectively. From these results, it is known that pollution exposure from the semi industrial area Holis provide greater influence than in the semi industrial area Kiaracondong. (author)

  15. FACE Analysis as a Fast and Reliable Methodology to Monitor the Sulfation and Total Amount of Chondroitin Sulfate in Biological Samples of Clinical Importance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Evgenia Karousou

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Glycosaminoglycans (GAGs due to their hydrophilic character and high anionic charge densities play important roles in various (pathophysiological processes. The identification and quantification of GAGs in biological samples and tissues could be useful prognostic and diagnostic tools in pathological conditions. Despite the noteworthy progress in the development of sensitive and accurate methodologies for the determination of GAGs, there is a significant lack in methodologies regarding sample preparation and reliable fast analysis methods enabling the simultaneous analysis of several biological samples. In this report, developed protocols for the isolation of GAGs in biological samples were applied to analyze various sulfated chondroitin sulfate- and hyaluronan-derived disaccharides using fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE. Applications to biologic samples of clinical importance include blood serum, lens capsule tissue and urine. The sample preparation protocol followed by FACE analysis allows quantification with an optimal linearity over the concentration range 1.0–220.0 µg/mL, affording a limit of quantitation of 50 ng of disaccharides. Validation of FACE results was performed by capillary electrophoresis and high performance liquid chromatography techniques.

  16. Power-Controlled MAC Protocols with Dynamic Neighbor Prediction for Ad hoc Networks

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    LI Meng; ZHANG Lin; XIAO Yong-kang; SHAN Xiu-ming

    2004-01-01

    Energy and bandwidth are the scarce resources in ad hoc networks because most of the mobile nodes are battery-supplied and share the exclusive wireless medium. Integrating the power control into MAC protocol is a promising technique to fully exploit these precious resources of ad hoc wireless networks. In this paper, a new intelligent power-controlled Medium Access Control (MAC) (iMAC) protocol with dynamic neighbor prediction is proposed. Through the elaborate design of the distributed transmit-receive strategy of mobile nodes, iMAC greatly outperforms the prevailing IEEE 802.11 MAC protocols in not only energy conservation but also network throughput. Using the Dynamic Neighbor Prediction (DNP), iMAC performs well in mobile scenes. To the best of our knowledge, iMAC is the first protocol that considers the performance deterioration of power-controlled MAC protocols in mobile scenes and then proposes a solution. Simulation results indicate that DNP is important and necessary for power-controlled MAC protocols in mobile ad hoc networks.

  17. Effect of DNA extraction methods and sampling techniques on the apparent structure of cow and sheep rumen microbial communities.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gemma Henderson

    Full Text Available Molecular microbial ecology techniques are widely used to study the composition of the rumen microbiota and to increase understanding of the roles they play. Therefore, sampling and DNA extraction methods that result in adequate yields of microbial DNA that also accurately represents the microbial community are crucial. Fifteen different methods were used to extract DNA from cow and sheep rumen samples. The DNA yield and quality, and its suitability for downstream PCR amplifications varied considerably, depending on the DNA extraction method used. DNA extracts from nine extraction methods that passed these first quality criteria were evaluated further by quantitative PCR enumeration of microbial marker loci. Absolute microbial numbers, determined on the same rumen samples, differed by more than 100-fold, depending on the DNA extraction method used. The apparent compositions of the archaeal, bacterial, ciliate protozoal, and fungal communities in identical rumen samples were assessed using 454 Titanium pyrosequencing. Significant differences in microbial community composition were observed between extraction methods, for example in the relative abundances of members of the phyla Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes. Microbial communities in parallel samples collected from cows by oral stomach-tubing or through a rumen fistula, and in liquid and solid rumen digesta fractions, were compared using one of the DNA extraction methods. Community representations were generally similar, regardless of the rumen sampling technique used, but significant differences in the abundances of some microbial taxa such as the Clostridiales and the Methanobrevibacter ruminantium clade were observed. The apparent microbial community composition differed between rumen sample fractions, and Prevotellaceae were most abundant in the liquid fraction. DNA extraction methods that involved phenol-chloroform extraction and mechanical lysis steps tended to be more comparable. However

  18. An optimised protocol for isolation of RNA from small sections of laser-capture microdissected FFPE tissue amenable for next-generation sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amini, Parisa; Ettlin, Julia; Opitz, Lennart; Clementi, Elena; Malbon, Alexandra; Markkanen, Enni

    2017-08-23

    Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue constitutes a vast treasury of samples for biomedical research. Thus far however, extraction of RNA from FFPE tissue has proved challenging due to chemical RNA-protein crosslinking and RNA fragmentation, both of which heavily impact on RNA quantity and quality for downstream analysis. With very small sample sizes, e.g. when performing Laser-capture microdissection (LCM) to isolate specific subpopulations of cells, recovery of sufficient RNA for analysis with reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) or next-generation sequencing (NGS) becomes very cumbersome and difficult. We excised matched cancer-associated stroma (CAS) and normal stroma from clinical specimen of FFPE canine mammary tumours using LCM, and compared the commonly used protease-based RNA isolation procedure with an adapted novel technique that additionally incorporates a focused ultrasonication step. We successfully adapted a protocol that uses focused ultrasonication to isolate RNA from small amounts of deparaffinised, stained, clinical LCM samples. Using this approach, we found that total RNA yields could be increased by 8- to 12-fold compared to a commonly used protease-based extraction technique. Surprisingly, RNA extracted using this new approach was qualitatively at least equal if not superior compared to the old approach, as Cq values in RT-qPCR were on average 2.3-fold lower using the new method. Finally, we demonstrate that RNA extracted using the new method performs comparably in NGS as well. We present a successful isolation protocol for extraction of RNA from difficult and limiting FFPE tissue samples that enables successful analysis of small sections of clinically relevant specimen. The possibility to study gene expression signatures in specific small sections of archival FFPE tissue, which often entail large amounts of highly relevant clinical follow-up data, unlocks a new dimension of hitherto difficult-to-analyse samples which now

  19. Advanced dementia pain management protocols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montoro-Lorite, Mercedes; Canalias-Reverter, Montserrat

    Pain management in advanced dementia is complex because of neurological deficits present in these patients, and nurses are directly responsible for providing interventions for the evaluation, management and relief of pain for people suffering from this health problem. In order to facilitate and help decision-makers, pain experts recommend the use of standardized protocols to guide pain management, but in Spain, comprehensive pain management protocols have not yet been developed for advanced dementia. This article reflects the need for an integrated management of pain in advanced dementia. From the review and analysis of the most current and relevant studies in the literature, we performed an approximation of the scales for the determination of pain in these patients, with the observational scale PAINAD being the most recommended for the hospital setting. In addition, we provide an overview for comprehensive management of pain in advanced dementia through the conceptual framework «a hierarchy of pain assessment techniques by McCaffery and Pasero» for the development and implementation of standardized protocols, including a four-phase cyclical process (evaluation, planning/performance, revaluation and recording), which can facilitate the correct management of pain in these patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  20. Quantitative CT: technique dependence of volume estimation on pulmonary nodules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Baiyu; Barnhart, Huiman; Richard, Samuel; Colsher, James; Amurao, Maxwell; Samei, Ehsan

    2012-03-01

    Current estimation of lung nodule size typically relies on uni- or bi-dimensional techniques. While new three-dimensional volume estimation techniques using MDCT have improved size estimation of nodules with irregular shapes, the effect of acquisition and reconstruction parameters on accuracy (bias) and precision (variance) of the new techniques has not been fully investigated. To characterize the volume estimation performance dependence on these parameters, an anthropomorphic chest phantom containing synthetic nodules was scanned and reconstructed with protocols across various acquisition and reconstruction parameters. Nodule volumes were estimated by a clinical lung analysis software package, LungVCAR. Precision and accuracy of the volume assessment were calculated across the nodules and compared between protocols via a generalized estimating equation analysis. Results showed that the precision and accuracy of nodule volume quantifications were dependent on slice thickness, with different dependences for different nodule characteristics. Other parameters including kVp, pitch, and reconstruction kernel had lower impact. Determining these technique dependences enables better volume quantification via protocol optimization and highlights the importance of consistent imaging parameters in sequential examinations.

  1. Investigation of an egyptian phosphate ore sample by neutron activation analysis technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eissa, E.A.; Aly, R.A.; Rofail, N.B.; Hassan, A.M.

    1995-01-01

    A domestic phosphate ore sample has been analysed by means of prompt and delayed gamma-ray spectrometry following the activation by thermal neutron capture technique. The rabbit pneumatic transfer system (RPTS), long irradiation facility and two Pu/Be (2,5 Ci each) neutron sources set-Pu for prompt (n,gamma) were applied. The high purity germanium (HPGe) gamma-ray spectrometer with a personal computer analyzer (PCA) system were used for spectrum measurements. Programmes on the VAX computer were utilized for estimating the elemental concentrations of 22 out of 36 elements identified in this work. 2 tabs

  2. Comparative Study on Various Authentication Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajeswari, S Raja; Seenivasagam, V

    2016-01-01

    Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) consist of lightweight devices with low cost, low power, and short-ranged wireless communication. The sensors can communicate with each other to form a network. In WSNs, broadcast transmission is widely used along with the maximum usage of wireless networks and their applications. Hence, it has become crucial to authenticate broadcast messages. Key management is also an active research topic in WSNs. Several key management schemes have been introduced, and their benefits are not recognized in a specific WSN application. Security services are vital for ensuring the integrity, authenticity, and confidentiality of the critical information. Therefore, the authentication mechanisms are required to support these security services and to be resilient to distinct attacks. Various authentication protocols such as key management protocols, lightweight authentication protocols, and broadcast authentication protocols are compared and analyzed for all secure transmission applications. The major goal of this survey is to compare and find out the appropriate protocol for further research. Moreover, the comparisons between various authentication techniques are also illustrated.

  3. Comparative Study on Various Authentication Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rajeswari, S. Raja; Seenivasagam, V.

    2016-01-01

    Wireless sensor networks (WSNs) consist of lightweight devices with low cost, low power, and short-ranged wireless communication. The sensors can communicate with each other to form a network. In WSNs, broadcast transmission is widely used along with the maximum usage of wireless networks and their applications. Hence, it has become crucial to authenticate broadcast messages. Key management is also an active research topic in WSNs. Several key management schemes have been introduced, and their benefits are not recognized in a specific WSN application. Security services are vital for ensuring the integrity, authenticity, and confidentiality of the critical information. Therefore, the authentication mechanisms are required to support these security services and to be resilient to distinct attacks. Various authentication protocols such as key management protocols, lightweight authentication protocols, and broadcast authentication protocols are compared and analyzed for all secure transmission applications. The major goal of this survey is to compare and find out the appropriate protocol for further research. Moreover, the comparisons between various authentication techniques are also illustrated. PMID:26881272

  4. PROTOCOL FOR EXAMINATION OF THE INNER CAN CLOSURE WELD REGION FOR 3013 DE CONTAINERS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mickalonis, J.

    2014-09-16

    The protocol for the examination of the inner can closure weld region (ICCWR) for 3013 DE containers is presented within this report. The protocol includes sectioning of the inner can lid section, documenting the surface condition, measuring corrosion parameters, and storing of samples. This protocol may change as the investigation develops since findings may necessitate additional steps be taken. Details of the previous analyses, which formed the basis for this protocol, are also presented.

  5. Development and applications of microanalytical techniques

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cholewa, M.

    2005-05-01

    The development of new analytical techniques is an essential part of our everyday life and is dictated by strong progress in modern science and technology. Both these areas require more precise information about materials and processes involved. Due to these requirements we have been observing a rapid growth in the development of techniques that require both a high spatial resolution and high sensitivity. Modern analytical techniques provide an important interface between science and applications. The works presented in this habilitation thesis span the period of almost 20 years. During this time the author has been leading the development and applications of several new analytical and micro analytical techniques which have been documented in this thesis. This development has required development of ideas, strong leadership, organisational skills, organisation of funds and groups to carry out the necessary work. In chapter 3 the use of the PIXE and XANES techniques described an investigation of permeability for selected elements inside cells. It was important to develop new protocols for sample preparation and analysis and a large number of cells were necessary in order to obtain meaningful data. This development was closely associated with work presented in chapter 4 where the role of sample damage under the MeV ion beam bombardment was investigated. At that time we were the leading group in the world to perform such studies. Chapter 5 describes development of new analytical techniques and its possible applications. Development of the SIHF has been probably the most demanding and difficult project and was described in chapter 6 and it was closely related with development of a diamond detector described in chapter 7. A great part of these works were performed by the author at the Micro Analytical Research Centre (MARC) in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne in Australia. However, some works were performed at GSI in Germany and BNL in USA. (author)

  6. Genomic DNA extraction protocols from ovine hair

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer Nonato da Silva Prate

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Genomic DNA extracted from animal cells can be used for several purposes, for example, to know genetic variability and genetic relationships between individuals, breeds and/or species, paternity tests, to describe the genetic profile for registration of the animal at association of breeders, detect genetic polymorphisms (SNP related to characteristics of commercial interest, disease diagnose, assess resistance or susceptibility to pathogens, etc. For such evaluations, in general, DNA is amplified by PCR (polymerase chain reaction, and then subjected to various techniques as RFLP (restriction fragments length polymorphism, SSCP (single strand conformation polymorphism, and sequencing. The DNA may be obtained from blood, buccal swabs, meat, cartilage or hair bulb. Among all, the last biological material has been preferred by farmers for its ease acquisition. Several methods for extracting DNA from hair bulb were reported without any consensus for its implementation. This study aimed to optimize a protocol for efficient DNA extraction for use in PCR-RFLP analysis of the Prion gene. For this study, were collected hair samples containing hair bulb from 131 Santa Inês sheep belonging to the Institute of Zootechny, Nova Odessa - SP. Two DNA extraction protocols were evaluated. The first, called phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol (PCIA has long been used by Animal Genetic Laboratories, whose procedures are described below: in each microtube (1.5 mL containing 500 µL of TE-Tween solution (Tris-HCl 50 mM, EDTA 1 mM and 0.5% Tween 20 were added to approximately 30 hair bulb per animal which was incubated at 65°C with shaking at 170 rpm for 2 hours. Then was added 15 µL of proteinase K [10 mg mL-1] and incubated at 55°C at 170 rpm for 6-12 hours. At the end of digestion was added 1 volume of solution phenol-chloroform-isoamyl alcohol (25:24:1 followed by vigorous shaking for 10 seconds and centrifuged at 8000 rpm and 4°C for 10 minutes. The upper phase

  7. The development of radioactive sample surrogates for training and exercises

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kevin Carney; Martha Finck; Christopher McGrath; Bevin Brush; Dick Jansen; Donald Dry; George Brooks; David Chamberlain

    2013-01-01

    Source term information is required for to reconstruct a device used in a dispersed radiological dispersal device. Simulating a radioactive environment to train and exercise sampling and sample characterization methods with suitable sample materials is a continued challenge. The Idaho National Laboratory has developed and permitted a radioactive response training range (RRTR), an 800 acre test range that is approved for open air dispersal of activated KBr, for training first responders in the entry and exit from radioactively contaminated areas, and testing protocols for environmental sampling and field characterization. Members from the Department of Defense, Law Enforcement, and the Department of Energy participated in the first contamination exercise that was conducted at the RRTR in the July 2011. The range was contaminated using a short lived radioactive 82 Br isotope (activated KBr). Soil samples contaminated with KBr (dispersed as a solution) and glass particles containing activated potassium bromide that emulated dispersed radioactive materials (such as ceramic-based sealed source materials) were collected to assess environmental sampling and characterization techniques. This presentation summarizes the performance of a radioactive materials surrogate for use as a training aide for nuclear forensics. (author)

  8. Localisation and identification of radioactive particles in solid samples by means of a nuclear track technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boehnke, Antje; Treutler, Hanns-Christian; Freyer, Klaus; Schubert, Michael; Holger Weiss

    2005-01-01

    This study is aimed to develop a generally applicable methodology of investigation that can be used for the localisation of single alpha-active particles in solid samples, such as industrial dust or natural soils, sediments and rocks by autoradiography using solid-state nuclear track detectors. The developed technique allows the detection of local enrichments of alpha-emitters in any solid material. The results of such an investigation are of interest from technical, biological and environmental points of view. The idea behind the methodology is to locate the position of alpha-active spots in a sample by attaching the track detector to the sample in a defined manner, thoroughly described in the paper. The located alpha-active particles are subsequently analysed by an electron microscope and an electron microprobe. An example of the application of this methodology is also given. An ultra-fine -grained ore-processing residue, which causes serious environmental pollution in the respective mining district and thus limits possible land use and affects quality of life in the area, was examined using the described technique. The investigation revealed considerable amounts of alpha-active particles in this material

  9. The determination of radionuclides in grass ecosystem samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    LaBrecque, J.J.; Schelenz, R.; Perkins, R.W.

    1987-07-01

    The radioactive debris cloud from the Chernobyl reactor accident resulted in some deposition over essentially all of the Northern Hemisphere. Shortly after the accident invitations were sent out by the IAEA to Member States to collect grass samples according to specific instructions so that the ratio of the various radionuclides in the fallout debris could be established over a wide area of Europe. In response to this request, 20 grass samples were provided by Member States. To establish a protocol for analysis of these valuable samples and to recommend a protocol for future sample collection, a Consultants Meeting was called by the IAEA for 23-25 September 1986. This document contains the considerations and recommendations of the consultants

  10. Coacervative extraction as a green technique for sample preparation for the analysis of organic compounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melnyk, A; Wolska, L; Namieśnik, J

    2014-04-25

    One of the present trends in analytical chemistry is miniaturization, which is one of the methods of green analytical chemistry application. A particular emphasis is placed on the elimination of the use of large amounts of organic solvents which are toxic and harmful to the environment, maintaining high efficiency of the extraction process, high recovery values and low values of quantification (LOQ) and detection (LOD) limits. These requirements are fulfilled by coacervative extraction (CAE) technique. In this review, theoretical aspects of the coacervation process are presented along with environmental and bioanalytical applications of this technique, its advantages, limitations and competitiveness with other techniques. Due to its simplicity and rapidity, CAE is an excellent alternative for currently practiced procedures of sample preparation for the analysis of organic compounds. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. From protocol to published report

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Berendt, Louise; Callréus, Torbjörn; Petersen, Lene Grejs

    2016-01-01

    and published reports of academic clinical drug trials. METHODS: A comparison was made between study protocols and their corresponding published reports. We assessed the overall consistency, which was defined as the absence of discrepancy regarding study type (categorized as either exploratory or confirmatory...... in 1999, 2001, and 2003, 95 of which fulfilled the eligibility criteria and had at least one corresponding published report reporting data on trial subjects. Overall consistency was observed in 39% of the trials (95% CI: 29 to 49%). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) constituted 72% (95% CI: 63 to 81......%) of the sample, and 87% (95% CI: 80 to 94%) of the trials were hospital based. CONCLUSIONS: Overall consistency between protocols and their corresponding published reports was low. Motivators for the inconsistencies are unknown but do not seem restricted to economic incentives....

  12. A shortened protocol for assessing cognitive bias in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brydges, Nichola M; Hall, Lynsey

    2017-07-15

    Reliable measurement of affective state in animals is a significant goal of animal welfare. Such measurements would also improve the validity of pre-clinical mental health research which relies on animal models. However, at present, affective states in animals are inaccessible to direct measurement. In humans, changes in cognitive processing can give reliable indications of emotional state. Therefore, similar techniques are increasingly being used to gain proxy measures of affective states in animals. In particular, the 'cognitive bias' assay has gained popularity in recent years. Major disadvantages of this technique include length of time taken for animals to acquire the task (typically several weeks), negative experiences associated with task training, and issues of motivation. Here we present a shortened cognitive bias protocol using only positive reinforcers which must actively be responded to. The protocol took an average of 4days to complete, and produced similar results to previous, longer methods (minimum 30days). Specifically, rats housed in standard laboratory conditions demonstrated negative cognitive biases when presented with ambiguous stimuli, and took longer to make a decision when faced with an ambiguous stimulus. Compared to previous methods, this protocol is significantly shorter (average 4days vs. minimum 30days), utilises only positive reinforcers to avoid inducing negative affective states, and requires active responses to all cues, avoiding potential confounds of motivational state. We have successfully developed a shortened cognitive bias protocol, suitable for use with laboratory rats. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Four-hour processing of clinical/diagnostic specimens for electron microscopy using microwave technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giberson, R T; Demaree, R S; Nordhausen, R W

    1997-01-01

    A protocol for routine 4-hour microwave tissue processing of clinical or other samples for electron microscopy was developed. Specimens are processed by using a temperature-restrictive probe that can be set to automatically cycle the magnetron to maintain any designated temperature restriction (temperature maximum). In addition, specimen processing during fixation is performed in 1.7-ml microcentrifuge tubes followed by subsequent processing in flow-through baskets. Quality control is made possible during each step through the addition of an RS232 port to the microwave, allowing direct connection of the microwave oven to any personal computer. The software provided with the temperature probe enables the user to monitor time and temperature on a real-time basis. Tissue specimens, goat placenta, mouse liver, mouse kidney, and deer esophagus were processed by conventional and microwave techniques in this study. In all instances, the results for the microwave-processed samples were equal to or better than those achieved by routine processing techniques.

  14. Protocol Implementation Generator

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carvalho Quaresma, Jose Nuno; Probst, Christian W.

    2010-01-01

    Users expect communication systems to guarantee, amongst others, privacy and integrity of their data. These can be ensured by using well-established protocols; the best protocol, however, is useless if not all parties involved in a communication have a correct implementation of the protocol and a...... Generator framework based on the LySatool and a translator from the LySa language into C or Java....... necessary tools. In this paper, we present the Protocol Implementation Generator (PiG), a framework that can be used to add protocol generation to protocol negotiation, or to easily share and implement new protocols throughout a network. PiG enables the sharing, verification, and translation...

  15. Sampling and examination methods used for TMI-2 samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marley, A.W.; Akers, D.W.; McIsaac, C.V.

    1988-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to summarize the sampling and examination techniques that were used in the collection and analysis of TMI-2 samples. Samples ranging from auxiliary building air to core debris were collected and analyzed. Handling of the larger samples and many of the smaller samples had to be done remotely and many standard laboratory analytical techniques were modified to accommodate the extremely high radiation fields associated with these samples. The TMI-2 samples presented unique problems with sampling and the laboratory analysis of prior molten fuel debris. 14 refs., 8 figs

  16. Amorphous and liquid samples structure and density measurements at high pressure - high temperature using diffraction and imaging techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guignot, N.; King, A.; Clark, A. N.; Perrillat, J. P.; Boulard, E.; Morard, G.; Deslandes, J. P.; Itié, J. P.; Ritter, X.; Sanchez-Valle, C.

    2016-12-01

    Determination of the density and structure of liquids such as iron alloys, silicates and carbonates is a key to understand deep Earth structure and dynamics. X-ray diffraction provided by large synchrotron facilities gives excellent results as long as the signal scattered from the sample can be isolated from its environment. Different techniques already exist; we present here the implementation and the first results given by the combined angle- and energy-dispersive structural analysis and refinement (CAESAR) technique introduced by Wang et al. in 2004, that has never been used in this context. It has several advantages in the study of liquids: 1/ the standard energy-dispersive technique (EDX), fast and compatible with large multi-anvil presses frames, is used for fast analysis free of signal pollution from the sample environment 2/ some limitations of the EDX technique (homogeneity of the sample, low resolution) are irrelevant in the case of liquid signals, others (wrong intensities, escape peaks artifacts, background subtraction) are solved by the CAESAR technique 3/ high Q data (up to 15 A-1 and more) can be obtained in a few hours (usually less than 2). We present here the facilities available on the PSICHE beamline (SOLEIL synchrotron, France) and a few results obtained using a Paris-Edinburgh (PE) press and a 1200 tons load capacity multi-anvil press with a (100) DIA compression module. X-ray microtomography, used in conjunction with a PE press featuring rotating anvils (RotoPEc, Philippe et al., 2013) is also very effective, by simply measuring the 3D volume of glass or liquid spheres at HPHT, thus providing density. This can be done in conjunction with the CAESAR technique and we illustrate this point. Finally, absorption profiles can be obtained via imaging techniques, providing another independent way to measure the density of these materials. References Y. Wang et al., A new technique for angle-dispersive powder diffraction using an energy

  17. Fast screening of glycosaminoglycan disaccharides by fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE): applications to biologic samples and pharmaceutical formulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karousou, Evgenia; Asimakopoulou, Athanasia P; Zafeiropoulou, Vassiliki; Viola, Manuela; Monti, Luca; Rossi, Antonio; Passi, Alberto; Karamanos, Nikos

    2015-01-01

    Hyaluronan (HA), chondroitin sulfate (CS), and heparan sulfate (HS) are glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) with a great importance in biological processes as they participate in functional cell properties, such as migration, adhesion, and proliferation. A perturbation of the quantity and/or the sulfation of GAGs is often associated with pathological conditions. In this chapter, we present valuable and validated protocols for the analysis of HA-, CS-, and HS-derived disaccharides after derivatization with 2-aminoacridone and by using the fluorophore-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis (FACE). FACE is a well-known technique and a reliable tool for a fast screening of GAGs, as it is possible to analyze 16 samples at the same time with one electrophoretic apparatus. The protocols for the gel preparation are based on the variations of the acrylamide/bisacrylamide and buffer concentrations. Different approaches for the extraction and purification of the disaccharides of various biologic samples and pharmaceutical preparations are also stressed.

  18. Multiple-specimen absolute paleointensity determination with the MSP-DSC protocol: Advantages and drawbacks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Camps, P.; Fanjat, G.; Poidras, T.; Carvallo, C.; Nicol, P.

    2012-04-01

    The MSP-DSC protocol (Dekkers & Bohnel, 2006, EPSL; Fabian & Leonhardt, 2010, EPSL) is a recent development in the methodology for documenting the intensity of the ancient Earth magnetic field. Applicable both on rocks or archaeological artifacts it allows us to use samples that until now were not measured because their magnetic properties do not meet selection criteria required by conventional methods. However, this new experimental protocol requires that samples be heated and cooled under a field parallel to its natural remanent magnetization (NRM). Currently, standard paleointensity furnaces do not match precisely this constraint. Yet, such new measurement protocol seems very promising since it would possibly double the number of available data. We are developing in Montpellier (France), a very fast-heating oven with infrared dedicated to this protocol. Two key points determine its characteristics. The first is to heat uniformly a rock sample of a 10-cc-standard volume as fast as possible. The second is to apply to the sample during the heating (and the cooling) a precise magnetic induction field, perfectly controlled in 3D. We tested and calibrated a preliminary version of this oven along with the MSP-DSC protocol with 3 historical lava flows, 2 from Reunion Island (erupted in 2002 and 2007) and one from Etna (erupted in 1983). These lava flows were selected because they have different magnetic behaviors. Reunion 2002 is rather SD-PSD-like, while Reunion 2007 is PSD-MD-like, and Etna 1983 is MD-like. The paleointensity determinations obtained with the original protocol of Dekkers and Bohnel (2006, EPSL) are within +- 1 μT of the known field for the three lava flows. The same precision is obtained when we applied the fraction correction (MSP-FC protocol). However, we systematically observed a loss in the linearity of the MSP-FC plots. In addition, like Muxworthy and Taylor (2011, GJI), we found that the Domain State Correction is difficult to apply since alpha

  19. Introduction to basic immunological methods : Generalities, Principles, Protocols and Variants of basic protocols

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mejri, Naceur

    2013-01-01

    This manuscript is dedicated to student of biological sciences. It provides the information necessary to perform practical works, the most commonly used in immunology. During my doctoral and post-doctoral periods, panoply of methods was employed in diverse subjects in my research. Technical means used in my investigations were diverse enough that i could extract a set of techniques that cover most the basic immunological methods. Each chapter of this manuscript contains a fairly complete description of immunological methods. In each topic the basic protocol and its variants were preceded by background information provided in paragraphs concerning the principle and generalities. The emphasis is placed on describing situations in which each method and its variants were used. These basic immunological methods are useful for students and even researchers studying the immune system of human, nice and other species. Different subjects showed not only detailed protocols but also photos or/and shemas used as support to illustrate some knowledge or practical knowledge. I hope that students will find this manual interesting, easy to use contains necessary information to acquire skills in immunological practice. (Author)

  20. Reverse sample genome probing, a new technique for identification of bacteria in environmental samples by DNA hybridization, and its application to the identification of sulfate-reducing bacteria in oil field samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Voordouw, G.; Voordouw, J.K.; Karkhoff-Schweizer, R.R.; Fedorak, P.M.; Westlake, D.W.S.

    1991-01-01

    A novel method for identification of bacteria in environmental samples by DNA hybridization is presented. It is based on the fact that, even within a genus, the genomes of different bacteria may have little overall sequence homology. This allows the use of the labeled genomic DNA of a given bacterium (referred to as a standard) to probe for its presence and that of bacteria with highly homologous genomes in total DNA obtained from an environmental sample. Alternatively, total DNA extracted from the sample can be labeled and used to probe filters on which denatured chromosomal DNA from relevant bacterial standards has been spotted. The latter technique is referred to as reverse sample genome probing, since it is the reverse of the usual practice of deriving probes from reference bacteria for analyzing a DNA sample. Reverse sample genome probing allows identification of bacteria in a sample in a single step once a master filter with suitable standards has been developed. Application of reverse sample genome probing to the identification of sulfate-reducing bacteria in 31 samples obtained primarily from oil fields in the province of Alberta has indicated that there are at least 20 genotypically different sulfate-reducing bacteria in these samples

  1. Preston and Park-Sanders protocols adapted for semi-quantitative isolation of thermotolerant Campylobacter from chicken rinse

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Josefsen, Mathilde Hartmann; Lübeck, Peter Stephensen; Aalbaek, B.

    2003-01-01

    Human campylobacteriosis has become the major cause of foodborne gastrointestinal diseases in several European countries. In order to implement effective control measures in the primary production, and as a tool in risk assessment studies, it is necessary to have sensitive and quantitative...... detection methods. Thus, semi-quantitative detection of thermophilic Campylobacter spp. in 20 naturally contaminated chicken rinse samples was carried out using the two most common standard protocols: Preston and Park-Sanders, as proposed by Nordic Committee on Food Analysis (NMKL) and International...... Standard Organization (ISO), respectively. For both protocols, the chicken rinse samples were prepared in 500 ml buffered peptone water, as recommended in the ISO protocol no. 6887-2. The results indicated that the Preston protocol was superior to the Park-Sanders protocol in supporting growth...

  2. Issues in the analyze of low content gold mining samples by fire assay technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cetean, Valentina

    2016-04-01

    The classic technique analyze of samples with low gold content - below 0.1 g/t (=100 ppb = parts per billion), either ore or gold sediments, involves the preparation of sample by fire assay extraction, followed by the chemical attack with aqua regia (hydrochloric and nitric acid) and measuring the gold content by atomic absorption spectrometry or inductively coupled mass spectrometry. The issues raised by this analysis are well known for the world laboratories, commercial or research ones. The author's knowledge regarding this method of determining the gold content, accumulated in such laboratory from Romania (with more than 40 years of experience, even if not longer available from 2014) confirms the obtaining of reliable results required a lot of attention, amount of work and the involving of an experienced fire assayer specialist. The analytical conclusion for a research laboratory is that most reliable and statistically valid results are till reached for samples with more than 100 ppb gold content; the degree of confidence below this value is lower than 90%. Usually, for samples below 50 ppb, it does not exceed 50-70 %, unless without very strictly control of each stage, that involve additional percentage of hours allocated for successive extracting tests and knowing more precisely the other compounds that appear in the sample (Cu, Sb, As, sulfur / sulphides, Te, organic matter, etc.) or impurities. The most important operation is the preparation, namely: - grinding and splitting of sample (which can cause uneven distribution of gold flakes in the double samples for analyzed); - pyro-metallurgical recovery of gold = fire assay stage, involving the more precise temperature control in furnace during all stages (fusion and cupellation) and adjusting of the fire assay flux components to produce a successful fusion depending of the sample matrix and content; - reducing the sample weight to decrease the amount of impurities that can be concentrated in the lead button

  3. Soil sampling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fortunati, G.U.; Banfi, C.; Pasturenzi, M.

    1994-01-01

    This study attempts to survey the problems associated with techniques and strategies of soil sampling. Keeping in mind the well defined objectives of a sampling campaign, the aim was to highlight the most important aspect of representativeness of samples as a function of the available resources. Particular emphasis was given to the techniques and particularly to a description of the many types of samplers which are in use. The procedures and techniques employed during the investigations following the Seveso accident are described. (orig.)

  4. Dynamic Anthropometry – Deffning Protocols for Automatic Body Measurement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Slavenka Petrak

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available The paper presents the research on possibilities of protocol development for automatic computer-based determination of measurements on a 3D body model in defined dynamic positions. Initially, two dynamic body positions were defined for the research on dimensional changes of targeted body lengths and surface segments during body movement from basic static position into a selected dynamic body position. The assumption was that during body movement, specifi c length and surface dimensions would change significantly from the aspect of clothing construction and functionality of a garment model. 3D body scanning of a female test sample was performed in basic static and two defined dynamic positions. 3D body models were processed and measurement points were defined as a starting point for the determination of characteristic body measurements. The protocol for automatic computer measurement was defined for every dynamic body position by the systematic set of activities based on determined measurement points. The verification of developed protocols was performed by automatic determination of defined measurements on the test sample and by comparing the results with the conventional manual measurement.

  5. Application of X-ray fluorescence analytical techniques in phytoremediation and plant biology studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Necemer, Marijan; Kump, Peter; Scancar, Janez; Jacimovic, Radojko; Simcic, Jurij; Pelicon, Primoz; Budnar, Milos; Jeran, Zvonka; Pongrac, Paula; Regvar, Marjana; Vogel-Mikus, Katarina

    2008-01-01

    Phytoremediation is an emerging technology that employs the use of higher plants for the clean-up of contaminated environments. Progress in the field is however handicapped by limited knowledge of the biological processes involved in plant metal uptake, translocation, tolerance and plant-microbe-soil interactions; therefore a better understanding of the basic biological mechanisms involved in plant/microbe/soil/contaminant interactions would allow further optimization of phytoremediation technologies. In view of the needs of global environmental protection, it is important that in phytoremediation and plant biology studies the analytical procedures for elemental determination in plant tissues and soil should be fast and cheap, with simple sample preparation, and of adequate accuracy and reproducibility. The aim of this study was therefore to present the main characteristics, sample preparation protocols and applications of X-ray fluorescence-based analytical techniques (energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry-EDXRF, total reflection X-ray fluorescence spectrometry-TXRF and micro-proton induced X-ray emission-micro-PIXE). Element concentrations in plant leaves from metal polluted and non-polluted sites, as well as standard reference materials, were analyzed by the mentioned techniques, and additionally by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The results were compared and critically evaluated in order to assess the performance and capability of X-ray fluorescence-based techniques in phytoremediation and plant biology studies. It is the EDXRF, which is recommended as suitable to be used in the analyses of a large number of samples, because it is multi-elemental, requires only simple preparation of sample material, and it is analytically comparable to the most frequently used instrumental chemical techniques. The TXRF is compatible to FAAS in sample preparation, but relative to AAS it is fast, sensitive and

  6. Automated Verification of Quantum Protocols using MCMAS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    F. Belardinelli

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available We present a methodology for the automated verification of quantum protocols using MCMAS, a symbolic model checker for multi-agent systems The method is based on the logical framework developed by D'Hondt and Panangaden for investigating epistemic and temporal properties, built on the model for Distributed Measurement-based Quantum Computation (DMC, an extension of the Measurement Calculus to distributed quantum systems. We describe the translation map from DMC to interpreted systems, the typical formalism for reasoning about time and knowledge in multi-agent systems. Then, we introduce dmc2ispl, a compiler into the input language of the MCMAS model checker. We demonstrate the technique by verifying the Quantum Teleportation Protocol, and discuss the performance of the tool.

  7. The beauty of being (label)-free: sample preparation methods for SWATH-MS and next-generation targeted proteomics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campbell, Kate; Deery, Michael J.; Lilley, Kathryn S.; Ralser, Markus

    2014-01-01

    The combination of qualitative analysis with label-free quantification has greatly facilitated the throughput and flexibility of novel proteomic techniques. However, such methods rely heavily on robust and reproducible sample preparation procedures. Here, we benchmark a selection of in gel, on filter, and in solution digestion workflows for their application in label-free proteomics. Each procedure was associated with differing advantages and disadvantages. The in gel methods interrogated were cost effective, but were limited in throughput and digest efficiency. Filter-aided sample preparations facilitated reasonable processing times and yielded a balanced representation of membrane proteins, but led to a high signal variation in quantification experiments. Two in solution digest protocols, however, gave optimal performance for label-free proteomics. A protocol based on the detergent RapiGest led to the highest number of detected proteins at second-best signal stability, while a protocol based on acetonitrile-digestion, RapidACN, scored best in throughput and signal stability but came second in protein identification. In addition, we compared label-free data dependent (DDA) and data independent (SWATH) acquisition on a TripleTOF 5600 instrument. While largely similar in protein detection, SWATH outperformed DDA in quantification, reducing signal variation and markedly increasing the number of precisely quantified peptides. PMID:24741437

  8. Wipe sampling - review of the literature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Souza, Daiane Cristini Barbosa de; Vicente, Roberto

    2011-01-01

    Methods for characterization of solid, non-compactable radioactive wastes contaminated in the surface are developed aiming at estimating the waste radioisotopic inventory for regulatory compliance and operational purposes. The wastes of interest here are mainly composed of plastic, metallic, or other materials parts originated in the decommissioning and maintenance operations of nuclear facilities. One way of measuring surface contamination is the indirect method of wiping the contaminated surface and counting the wipe, a common method of detecting non-fixed contamination in the radiation protection routine. The wipe sampling is an important tool in controlling the quality of the workplace in nuclear and radioactive facilities. Although radioprotection regulations establish quantitative limits, the practice in the radiation protection routine is to use wipe sampling as a qualitative measurement. To product useful quantitative results for inventorying radioactive wastes, a quantitative approach must be adopted. A previous paper presented by the authors in the last INAC Conference discussed alternative wipe materials and protocols. The method of wipe sampling underwent small changes since it started to be used but still is the object of study, as it is attested by many recent papers and patents on the subject. This article consists of a literature review. Results of a survey in the literature about wipe sampling techniques that can be applied to waste characterization are presented. (author)

  9. Protocol converter for serial communication between digital rectifier controllers and a power plant SCADA system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vukić Vladimir Đ.

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper describes the protocol converter INT-485-MBRTU, developed for serial communication between the thyristor rectifier (based on the proprietary protocol "INT-CPD-05", according to standard RS-485 and the SCADA system (based on protocol "Modbus RTU", of the same standard in the thermal power plant "Nikola Tesla B1". Elementary data on industrial communication protocols and communication gateways were provided. The basic technical characteristics of the "Omron" programmable logic controller CJ series were described, as well as the developed device INT-485-MBRTU. Protocol converters with two versions of communication software were tested, differing only in one control word, intended for a forced successive change of communication sequences, in opposite to automatic sequence relieve. The device iNT-485-MBRTU, with the program for forced successive change of communication sequences, demonstrated the reliability of data transfer of 100 %, in a sample of approximately 480 messages. For nearly the same sample, the same protocol converter, with a version of the program without any type of message identifiers, transferred less than 60 % of the foreseen data. During multiple sixty-hour tests, the reliability of data transfer of at least 99.9979% was recorded, in 100% of the analysed cases, and for a sample of nearly 96,000 pairs of the send and receive messages. We analysed the results and estimated the additional possibilities for application of the INT-485-MBRTU protocol converter.

  10. An in vitro evaluation of the degree of pulp tissue dissolution through different root canal irrigation protocols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amato, Massimo; Pantaleo, Giuseppe; Abtellatif, Dina; Blasi, Andrea; Gagliani, Massimo; Iandolo, Alfredo

    2018-01-01

    The aim of this study is to evaluate in vitro , using artificial lateral canals, the rate of dissolution of the pulp tissue through different protocols of canal irrigation. One hundred artificial canals provided with lateral canals have been used. Each lateral canal was filled with pulp tissue and calibrated to 0.002 mg. All canals were irrigated using five different protocols. Five groups have been used for the experiment: Group A, distilled water (control); Group B, preheated NaOCl; Group C, NaOCl heated inside the canal; Group D, NaOCl ultrasonically activated; and Group E, NaOCl heated inside the canal with ultrasonic activation. All samples were weighed through professional microbalance in three different phases: before insertion of the pulp tissue into the lateral canal, after insertion of the pulp tissue and, finally, after different protocols of irrigation. A statistical analysis with Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test was performed. The partial dissolution of the pulp tissue inside the artificial lateral canal occurs only using the protocol with NaOCl heated inside the canal with ultrasonic activation. Other irrigation protocols are not able to dissolve the pulp tissue. The main objective of endodontic therapy is the removal of damaged tissues and bacteria. Modern literature highlights that it is impossible to remove all the pulp tissues and bacteria from the whole endodontic space. Hence, to achieve excellence and get positive results in the short and long term, it is necessary to use techniques and technologies that may increase the degree of root canal detersion.

  11. Hanford analytical sample projections FY 1998 - FY 2002

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joyce, S.M.

    1997-01-01

    Sample projections are compiled for the Hanford site based on inputs from the major programs for the years 1998 through 2002. Sample projections are categorized by radiation level, protocol, sample matrix and Program. Analyses requirements are also presented

  12. Vertical Protocol Composition

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Groß, Thomas; Mödersheim, Sebastian Alexander

    2011-01-01

    The security of key exchange and secure channel protocols, such as TLS, has been studied intensively. However, only few works have considered what happens when the established keys are actually used—to run some protocol securely over the established “channel”. We call this a vertical protocol.......e., that the combination cannot introduce attacks that the individual protocols in isolation do not have. In this work, we prove a composability result in the symbolic model that allows for arbitrary vertical composition (including self-composition). It holds for protocols from any suite of channel and application...

  13. Evolution of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory to the Astromaterial Sample Curation Facility: Technical Tensions Between Containment and Cleanliness, Between Particulate and Organic Cleanliness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Allton, J. H.; Zeigler, R. A.; Calaway, M. J.

    2016-01-01

    The Lunar Receiving Laboratory (LRL) was planned and constructed in the 1960s to support the Apollo program in the context of landing on the Moon and safely returning humans. The enduring science return from that effort is a result of careful curation of planetary materials. Technical decisions for the first facility included sample handling environment (vacuum vs inert gas), and instruments for making basic sample assessment, but the most difficult decision, and most visible, was stringent biosafety vs ultra-clean sample handling. Biosafety required handling of samples in negative pressure gloveboxes and rooms for containment and use of sterilizing protocols and animal/plant models for hazard assessment. Ultra-clean sample handling worked best in positive pressure nitrogen environment gloveboxes in positive pressure rooms, using cleanable tools of tightly controlled composition. The requirements for these two objectives were so different, that the solution was to design and build a new facility for specific purpose of preserving the scientific integrity of the samples. The resulting Lunar Curatorial Facility was designed and constructed, from 1972-1979, with advice and oversight by a very active committee comprised of lunar sample scientists. The high precision analyses required for planetary science are enabled by stringent contamination control of trace elements in the materials and protocols of construction (e.g., trace element screening for paint and flooring materials) and the equipment used in sample handling and storage. As other astromaterials, especially small particles and atoms, were added to the collections curated, the technical tension between particulate cleanliness and organic cleanliness was addressed in more detail. Techniques for minimizing particulate contamination in sample handling environments use high efficiency air filtering techniques typically requiring organic sealants which offgas. Protocols for reducing adventitious carbon on sample

  14. Improving the sterile sperm identification method for its implementation in the area-wide sterile insect technique program against Ceratitis capitata (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Spain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Juan-Blasco, M.; Urbaneja, A.; San Andrés, V.; Sabater-Muñoz, B.; Castañera, P.

    2014-01-01

    The success of sterile males in area-wide sterile insect technique (aw-SIT) programs against Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) is currently measured by using indirect methods as the wild: sterile male ratio captured in monitoring traps. In the past decade, molecular techniques have been used to improve these methods. The development of a polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment-length polymorphism- based method to identify the transfer of sterile sperm to wild females, the target of SIT, was considered a significant step in this direction. This method relies on identification of sperm by detecting the presence of Y chromosomes in spermathecae DNA extract complemented by the identification of the genetic origin of this sperm: Vienna-8 males or wild haplotype. However, the application of this protocol to aw-SIT programs is limited by handling time and personnel cost. The objective of this work was to obtain a high-throughput protocol to facilitate the routine measurement in a pest population of sterile sperm presence in wild females. The polymerase chain reactionrestriction fragment-length polymorphism markers previously developed were validated in Mediterranean fruit by samples collected from various locations worldwide. A laboratory protocol previously published was modified to allow for the analysis of more samples at the same time. Preservation methods and preservation times commonly used for Mediterranean fruit by female samples were assessed for their influence on the correct molecular detection of sterile sperm. This high-throughput methodology, as well as the results of sample management presented here, provide a robust, efficient, fast, and economical sterile sperm identification method ready to be used in all Mediterranean fruit by SIT programs. (author)

  15. Evaluation of a transposase protocol for rapid generation of shotgun high-throughput sequencing libraries from nanogram quantities of DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marine, Rachel; Polson, Shawn W; Ravel, Jacques; Hatfull, Graham; Russell, Daniel; Sullivan, Matthew; Syed, Fraz; Dumas, Michael; Wommack, K Eric

    2011-11-01

    Construction of DNA fragment libraries for next-generation sequencing can prove challenging, especially for samples with low DNA yield. Protocols devised to circumvent the problems associated with low starting quantities of DNA can result in amplification biases that skew the distribution of genomes in metagenomic data. Moreover, sample throughput can be slow, as current library construction techniques are time-consuming. This study evaluated Nextera, a new transposon-based method that is designed for quick production of DNA fragment libraries from a small quantity of DNA. The sequence read distribution across nine phage genomes in a mock viral assemblage met predictions for six of the least-abundant phages; however, the rank order of the most abundant phages differed slightly from predictions. De novo genome assemblies from Nextera libraries provided long contigs spanning over half of the phage genome; in four cases where full-length genome sequences were available for comparison, consensus sequences were found to match over 99% of the genome with near-perfect identity. Analysis of areas of low and high sequence coverage within phage genomes indicated that GC content may influence coverage of sequences from Nextera libraries. Comparisons of phage genomes prepared using both Nextera and a standard 454 FLX Titanium library preparation protocol suggested that the coverage biases according to GC content observed within the Nextera libraries were largely attributable to bias in the Nextera protocol rather than to the 454 sequencing technology. Nevertheless, given suitable sequence coverage, the Nextera protocol produced high-quality data for genomic studies. For metagenomics analyses, effects of GC amplification bias would need to be considered; however, the library preparation standardization that Nextera provides should benefit comparative metagenomic analyses.

  16. Three-stage treatment protocol for recalcitrant distal femoral nonunion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Ching-Hou; Chiu, Yen-Chun; Tu, Yuan-Kun; Yen, Cheng-Yo; Wu, Chin-Hsien

    2017-04-01

    In this study, we proposed a three-stage treatment protocol for recalcitrant distal femoral nonunion and aimed to analyze the clinical results. We retrospective reviewed 12 consecutive patients with recalcitrant distal femoral nonunion undergoing our three-stage treatment protocol from January 2010 to December 2014 in our institute. The three-stage treatment protocol comprised debridement of the nonunion site, lengthening to eliminate leg length discrepancy, deformity correction, stabilization with a locked plate, filling of the defect with cement spacer for inducing membrane formation, and bone reconstruction using a cancellous bone autograft (Masquelet technique) or free vascularized fibular bone graft. The bone union time, wound complication, lower limbs alignment, amount of lengthening, knee range of motion, and functional outcomes were evaluated. Osseous union with angular deformity lengthening was 5.88 cm (range 3.5-12 cm). Excellent or good outcomes were obtained in 9 patients. Although the current study involved only a small number of patients and the intervention comprised three stages, we believe that such a protocol may be a valuable alternative for the treatment of recalcitrant distal femoral nonunion.

  17. Technique for preparation of transmission electron microscope specimens from wire samples of Al and Al-Al2O3 alloys

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindbo, Jørgen

    1966-01-01

    A technique for thinning 1 mm wire samples of aluminium and aluminium-alumina alloys for transmission electron microscopy is described. The essential feature of the technique, which involves spark machining and electropolishing in a polytetrafluoroethylene holder followed by chemical polishing...

  18. Non destructive multi elemental analysis using prompt gamma neutron activation analysis techniques: Preliminary results for concrete sample

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dahing, Lahasen Normanshah [School of Applied Physics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia and Malaysian Nuclear Agency (Nuklear Malaysia), Bangi 43000, Kajang (Malaysia); Yahya, Redzuan [School of Applied Physics, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 Bangi, Selangor (Malaysia); Yahya, Roslan; Hassan, Hearie [Malaysian Nuclear Agency (Nuklear Malaysia), Bangi 43000, Kajang (Malaysia)

    2014-09-03

    In this study, principle of prompt gamma neutron activation analysis has been used as a technique to determine the elements in the sample. The system consists of collimated isotopic neutron source, Cf-252 with HPGe detector and Multichannel Analysis (MCA). Concrete with size of 10×10×10 cm{sup 3} and 15×15×15 cm{sup 3} were analysed as sample. When neutrons enter and interact with elements in the concrete, the neutron capture reaction will occur and produce characteristic prompt gamma ray of the elements. The preliminary result of this study demonstrate the major element in the concrete was determined such as Si, Mg, Ca, Al, Fe and H as well as others element, such as Cl by analysis the gamma ray lines respectively. The results obtained were compared with NAA and XRF techniques as a part of reference and validation. The potential and the capability of neutron induced prompt gamma as tool for multi elemental analysis qualitatively to identify the elements present in the concrete sample discussed.

  19. A Passive Testing Approach for Protocols in Wireless Sensor Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaoping Che

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Smart systems are today increasingly developed with the number of wireless sensor devices drastically increasing. They are implemented within several contexts throughout our environment. Thus, sensed data transported in ubiquitous systems are important, and the way to carry them must be efficient and reliable. For that purpose, several routing protocols have been proposed for wireless sensor networks (WSN. However, one stage that is often neglected before their deployment is the conformance testing process, a crucial and challenging step. Compared to active testing techniques commonly used in wired networks, passive approaches are more suitable to the WSN environment. While some works propose to specify the protocol with state models or to analyze them with simulators and emulators, we here propose a logic-based approach for formally specifying some functional requirements of a novel WSN routing protocol. We provide an algorithm to evaluate these properties on collected protocol execution traces. Further, we demonstrate the efficiency and suitability of our approach by its application into common WSN functional properties, as well as specific ones designed from our own routing protocol. We provide relevant testing verdicts through a real indoor testbed and the implementation of our protocol. Furthermore, the flexibility, genericity and practicability of our approach have been proven by the experimental results.

  20. A Secure Key Establishment Protocol for ZigBee Wireless Sensor Networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yuksel, Ender; Nielson, Hanne Riis; Nielson, Flemming

    2009-01-01

    ZigBee is a wireless sensor network standard that defines network and application layers on top of IEEE 802.15.4’s physical and medium access control layers. In the latest version of ZigBee, enhancements are prescribed for the security sublayer but we show in this paper that problems persist....... In particular we show that the End-to-End Application Key Establishment Protocol is flawed and we propose a secure protocol instead. We do so by using formal verification techniques based on static program analysis and process algebras. We present a way of using formal methods in wireless network security......, and propose a secure key establishment protocol for ZigBee networks....