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Sample records for staining enzyme histochemistry

  1. Enzyme Histochemistry for Functional Histology in Invertebrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cima, Francesca

    2017-01-01

    In invertebrates, enzyme histochemistry has recently found a renaissance regarding its applications in morphology and ecology. Many enzyme activities are useful for the morphofunctional characterization of cells, as biomarkers of biological and pathologic processes, and as markers of the response to environmental stressors. Here, the adjustments to classic techniques, including the most common enzymes used for digestion, absorption, transport, and oxidation, as well as techniques for azo-coupling, metal salt substitution and oxidative coupling polymerization, are presented in detail for various terrestrial and aquatic invertebrates. This chapter also provides strategies to solve the problems regarding anesthesia, small body size, the presence of an exo- or endoskeleton and the search for the best fixative in relation to the internal fluid osmolarity. These techniques have the aim of obtaining good results for both the pre- and post-embedding labeling of specimens, tissue blocks, sections, and hemolymph smears using both light and transmission electron microscopy.

  2. Acetylcholinesterase and Nissl staining in the same histological section.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1989-12-18

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

  3. Coproduction of detergent compatible bacterial enzymes and stain removal evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niyonzima, Francois N; More, Sunil S

    2015-10-01

    Most of the detergents that are presently produced contain the detergent compatible enzymes to improve and accelerate the washing performance by removing tough stains. The process is environment friendly as the use of enzymes in the detergent formulation reduces the utilization of toxic detergent constituents. The current trend is to use the detergent compatible enzymes that are active at low and ambient temperature in order to save energy and maintain fabric quality. As the detergent compatible bacterial enzymes are used together in the detergent formulation, it is important to co-produce the detergent enzymes in a single fermentation medium as the enzyme stability is assured, and production cost gets reduced enormously. The review reports on the production, purification, characterization and application of detergent compatible amylases, lipases, and proteases are available. However, there is no specific review or minireview on the concomitant production of detergent compatible amylases, lipases, and proteases. In this minireview, the coproduction of detergent compatible enzymes by bacterial species, enzyme stability towards detergents and detergent components, and stain release analysis were discussed. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Combined Staining Techniques for Demonstration of Staphylococcus aureus Biofilm in Routine Histopathology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Louise Kruse; Henriksen, Nicole Lind; Bjarnsholt, Thomas

    2018-01-01

    Aim: Visualization of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm using histochemical staining and combined histochemistry (HC) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Methods: The ability of S. aureus S54F9 to form biofilm was tested in vitro. Hereafter, infected bone tissue was collected from two different porcine m...

  5. Lectin staining shows no evidence of involvement of glycocalyx/mucous layer carbohydrate structures in development of celiac disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Toft-Hansen, Henrik; Nielsen, Christian; Biagini, Matteo

    2013-01-01

    were examined before and after remission following a gluten-free diet. We performed lectin histochemistry using peanut agglutinin (PNA) and Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA) staining for Gal-β(1,3)-GalNAc and Fucα1-2Gal-R, respectively, of the glycocalyx/mucous layer. The staining was scored based...

  6. Histological Stains: A Literature Review and Case Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-06-25

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

  7. On the future contents of a small journal of histochemistry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. Pellicciari

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available In the last three years, more than 70,000 scientific articles have been published in peer reviewed journals on the application of histochemistry in the biomedical field: most of them did not appear in strictly histochemical journals, but in others dealing with cell and molecular biology, medicine or biotechnology. This proves that histochemistry is still an active and innovative discipline with relevance in basic and applied biological research, but also demonstrates that especially the small histochemical Journals should likely reconsider their scopes and strategies to preserve their authorship. A review of the last three years volumes of the European Journal of Histochemistry, taken as an example of a long-time established small Journal, confirmed that the published articles were widely heterogeneous in their topics and experimental models, as in this Journal’s tradition. This strongly suggests that a Journal of histochemistry should keep its role as a forum open to an audience as broad as possible, publishing papers on cell and tissue biology in a wide variety of models. This will improve knowledge of the basic mechanisms of development and differentiation, while helping to increase the number of potential authors since scientists who generally do not use histochemistry in their research will find hints for the applications of histochemical techniques to novel still unexplored subjects.

  8. [Expression and significance of respiratory chain enzyme of cells in urine sediment in MELAS syndrome].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Hai-rong; Ma, Yi-nan; Qi, Yu; Liu, Hong-gang

    2013-04-23

    To explore the expression and significance of respiratory chain enzyme of cells in urine sediment in mitochondrial encephalopathy myopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome. Through enzyme histochemistry, the authors analyzed the changes of respiratory chain enzyme in urine sediment in 20 MELAS patients due to mitochondrial A3243G mutation (MELAS group) and 20 health peoples (control group). And the impact on the expression of protein encoded by nuclear DNA (A21347) and mitochondrial DNA (A6404) was detected by immunochemistry. Image pro Plus 6.0 software was used for analysis of absorbance (A) of staining images as staining intensity. The data were expressed as M (Q1, Q3) and analyzed through statistical software. The staining intensity of complexes Iin the MELAS group was lower than that in the control group (0.06(0.01, 0.12) vs 0.12(0.01, 0.62), P = 0.010). The intergroup staining intensity of complex II showed no marked difference. Increased density of blue particle and cytoplasmic gathering was found in 13 cased (65%) of the MELAS group under light microscope. The staining intensity of complexes IV was expressed at a low level in the MELAS group (0.14(0.03, 0.32) vs 0.23(0.06, 0.43), P = 0.038). The expression of protein encoded by nuclear DNA (A21347) was lower than that in the control group (0.05(0.02, 0.45) vs 0.17(0.03, 0.70), P = 0.000). The expression of protein encoded by mitochondrial DNA (A6404) was also lower than that in the control group (0.03(0.01, 0.07) vs 0.15 (0.09, 0.23), P = 0.000). Abnormal change of respiratory chain enzyme in urine sediment in MELAS due to mitochondrial A3243G mutation and a low expression of proteins encoded by two kinds of DNA in complexes IV can help to confirm the genetic diagnosis of mitochondrial encephalomyopathies so that different subtypes may be classified and its pathogenesis elucidated.

  9. Histochemistry in Biology and Medicine: A Message From the Citing Journals

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-01-01

    Especially in recent years, biomedical research has taken advantage of the progress in several disciplines, among which microscopy and histochemistry. To assess the influence of histochemistry in the biomedical field, the articles published during the period 2011-2015 have been selected from different databases and grouped by subject categories. As expected, biological and biomedical studies where histochemistry has been used as a major experimental approach include a wide range of basic and applied researches on both humans and other animal or plant organisms. To better understand the impact of histochemical publications onto the different biological and medical disciplines, it was useful to look at the journals where the articles published in a multidisciplinary journal of histochemistry have been cited: it was observed that, in the five-years period considered, 20% only of the citations were in histochemical periodicals, the remaining ones being in journals of Cell & Tissue biology, general and experimental Medicine, Oncology, Biochemistry & Molecular biology, Neurobiology, Anatomy & Morphology, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Reproductive biology, Veterinary sciences, Physiology, Endocrinology, Tissue engineering & Biomaterials, as well as in multidisciplinary journals. It is easy to foresee that also in the future the histochemical journals will be an attended forum for basic and applied scientists in the biomedical field. It will be crucial that these journals be open to an audience as varied as possible, publishing articles on the application of refined techniques to very different experimental models: this will stimulate non-histochemist scientists to approach histochemistry whose application horizon could expand to novel and possibly exclusive subjects. PMID:26708189

  10. Histochemistry in biology and medicine: a message from the citing journals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Carlo Pellicciari

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Especially in recent years, biomedical research has taken advantage of the progress in several disciplines, among which microscopy and histochemistry. To assess the influence of histochemistry in the biomedical field, the articles published during the period 2011-2015 have been selected from different databases and grouped by subject categories: as expected, biological and biomedical studies where histochemistry has been used as a major experimental approach include a wide of basic and applied researches on both humans and other animal or plant organisms. To better understand the impact of histochemical publications onto the different biological and medical disciplines, it was useful to look at the journals where the articles published in a multidisciplinary journal of histochemistry have been cited: it was observed that, in the five-years period considered, 20% only of the citations were in histochemical periodicals, the remaining ones being in journals of Cell & Tissue biology,  general and experimental Medicine, Oncology, Biochemistry & Molecular biology, Neurobiology, Anatomy & Morphology, Pharmacology & Toxicology, Reproductive biology, Veterinary sciences, Physiology, Endocrinology, Tissue engineering & Biomaterials,  as well as in multidisciplinary journals.It is easy to foresee that also in the future the histochemical journals will be an attended forum for basic and applied scientists in the biomedical field. It will be crucial that these journals be open to an audience as varied as possible, publishing articles on the application of refined techniques to very different experimental models: this will stimulate non-histochemist scientists to approach histochemistry whose application horizon could expand to novel and possibly exclusive subjects.

  11. METABOLIC MAPPING BY ENZYME HISTOCHEMISTRY IN LIVING ANIMALS, TISSUES AND CELLS

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Noorden, C. J. F.

    2009-01-01

    Imaging of reporter molecules such as fluorescent proteins in intact animals, tissue and cells has become an indispensable tool in cell biology Imaging activity of enzymes, which is called metabolic mapping, provides information on subcellular localisation in combination with function of the enzymes

  12. Shared features of S100B immunohistochemistry and cytochrome oxidase histochemistry in the ventroposterior thalamus and lateral habenula in neonatal rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muneoka, Katsumasa; Funahashi, Hisayuki; Ogawa, Tetsuo; Whitaker-Azmitia, Patricia M; Shioda, Seiji

    2012-10-01

    The ventroposterior thalamus and the habenular nuclei of the epithalamus are relevant to the monoaminergic system functionally and anatomically. The glia-derived S100B protein plays a critical role in the development of the nervous system including the monoaminergic systems. In this study, we performed an immunohistochemical study of glia-related proteins including S100B, serotonin transporter, and microtubule-associated protein 2, as well as cytochrome oxidase histochemistry in neonatal rats. Results showed the same findings for S100B immunohistochemistry between the ventroposterior thalamus and the lateral habenula at postnatal day 7: intense staining in cell bodies of astrocytes, diffusely spread immunoproduct in the intercellular space, and S100B-free areas as well as a strong reaction to cytochrome oxidase histochemistry. Further common features were the scarcity of glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive astrocytes and the few apoptotic cells observed. The results of the cytochrome oxidase reaction suggested that S100B is released actively into intercellular areas in restricted brain regions showing high neuronal activity at postnatal day 7. Pathology of the ventroposterior thalamus and the habenula is suggested in mental disorders, and S100B might be a key factor for investigations in these areas. Copyright © 2012 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Combined histochemical staining, RNA amplification, regional, and single cell cDNA analysis within the hippocampus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ginsberg, Stephen D; Che, Shaoli

    2004-08-01

    The use of five histochemical stains (cresyl violet, thionin, hematoxylin & eosin, silver stain, and acridine orange) was evaluated in combination with an expression profiling paradigm that included regional and single cell analyses within the hippocampus of post-mortem human brains and adult mice. Adjacent serial sections of human and mouse hippocampus were labeled by histochemistry or neurofilament immunocytochemistry. These tissue sections were used as starting material for regional and single cell microdissection followed by a newly developed RNA amplification procedure (terminal continuation (TC) RNA amplification) and subsequent hybridization to custom-designed cDNA arrays. Results indicated equivalent levels of global hybridization signal intensity and relative expression levels for individual genes for hippocampi stained by cresyl violet, thionin, and hematoxylin & eosin, and neurofilament immunocytochemistry. Moreover, no significant differences existed between the Nissl stains and neurofilament immunocytochemistry for individual CA1 neurons obtained via laser capture microdissection. In contrast, a marked decrement was observed in adjacent hippocampal sections stained for silver stain and acridine orange, both at the level of the regional dissection and at the CA1 neuron population level. Observations made on the cDNA array platform were validated by real-time qPCR using primers directed against beta-actin and glyceraldehyde-3 phosphate dehydrogenase. Thus, this report demonstrated the utility of using specific Nissl stains, but not stains that bind RNA species directly, in both human and mouse brain tissues at the regional and cellular level for state-of-the-art molecular fingerprinting studies.

  14. Application of Photoshop and Scion Image analysis to quantification of signals in histochemistry, immunocytochemistry and hybridocytochemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tolivia, Jorge; Navarro, Ana; del Valle, Eva; Perez, Cristina; Ordoñez, Cristina; Martínez, Eva

    2006-02-01

    To describe a simple method to achieve the differential selection and subsequent quantification of the strength signal using only one section. Several methods for performing quantitative histochemistry, immunocytochemistry or hybridocytochemistry, without use of specific commercial image analysis systems, rely on pixel-counting algorithms, which do not provide information on the amount of chromogen present in the section. Other techniques use complex algorithms to calculate the cumulative signal strength using two consecutive sections. To separate the chromogen signal we used the "Color range" option of the Adobe Photoshop program, which provides a specific file for a particular chromogen selection that could be applied on similar sections. The measurement of the chromogen signal strength of the specific staining is achieved with the Scion Image software program. The method described in this paper can also be applied to simultaneous detection of different signals on the same section or different parameters (area of particles, number of particles, etc.) when the "Analyze particles" tool of the Scion program is used.

  15. Limited diagnostic value of enzyme analysis in patients with mitochondrial tRNA mutations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wibrand, Flemming; Jeppesen, Tina Dysgaard; Frederiksen, Anja L

    2010-01-01

    We evaluated the diagnostic value of respiratory chain (RC) enzyme analysis of muscle in adult patients with mitochondrial myopathy (MM). RC enzyme activity was measured in muscle biopsies from 39 patients who carry either the 3243A>G mutation, other tRNA point mutations, or single, large......, respectively, in these three groups. The results indicate that RC enzyme analysis in muscle is not a sensitive test for MM in adults. In these patients, abnormal muscle histochemistry appears to be a better predictor ofMM....

  16. Effects of Piper hispidinervum on spermatogenesis and histochemistry of ovarioles of Spodoptera frugiperda.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alves, T J S; Cruz, G S; Wanderley-Teixeira, V; Teixeira, A A C; Oliveira, J V; Correia, A A; Câmara, C A G; Cunha, F M

    2014-05-01

    The fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), not only damages crops, but controlling its population also requires synthetic insecticides, which leads to selection of resistant populations and environmental contamination. Essential oils are an alternative for controlling this insect. There are few studies of the effects of these oils on the insect's reproductive system. We evaluated the effects of the long pepper, Piper hispidinervum, essential oil on the gonads of the armyworm and tested its possible influence on the fertility of this insect. Dosages of 30 and 50 mg/ml were tested in 3(rd) instar caterpillars using the leaf immersion method. Testes and ovarioles were collected, fixed with 10% formalin and embedded in Historesin. The sections were stained with toluidine blue and Mallory trichrome to detect connective tissue, periodic acid-Schiff to detect neutral carbohydrates, and bromophenol blue to detect proteins. We found that the long pepper essential oil affected negatively the spermatogenesis and altered the histochemistry of the ovarioles of S. frugiperda. The effects of long pepper oil suggest that it is a promising tool for controlling the armyworm pest.

  17. Histochemistry and translational medicine

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    MG Manfredi Romanini

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available This issue of the Journal is mainly devoted to a specific, crucial topic in the field of histochemical research: how in situ technologies can be exploited to study tissue samples from patients with specific diseases. The final goal is on one hand a more accurate diagnosis; on the other, the identification of specific features that can: i be followed and compared at different time points ii provide hints on the natural history of the disease and iii represent surrogate end-points for targeted molecular treatments. The European Journal of Histochemistry has always been particularly concerned with the molecular study of diseases in different tissues, and we had the privilege to publish recently several cuttingedge reports dealing with such a subject (Boniotto et al., 2003; Lanni et al., 2003; Maraldi et al., 2003; Munoz et al., 2003; Benkoel et al., 2004; Cremer et al., 2004; Rambotti et al., 2004;Trovato et al., 2004;Waltregny et al., 2004;Woodall and Graham, 2004

  18. Calretinin immunohistochemistry versus improvised rapid Acetylcholinesterase histochemistry in the evaluation of colorectal biopsies for Hirschsprung disease

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    Lokendra Yadav

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Acetylcholinesterase (AChE histochemistry on rectal mucosal biopsies accurately diagnoses Hirschsprung disease (HD, but is not widely employed as it requires special tissue handling and pathologist expertise. Calretinin immunohistochemistry (IHC has been reported to be comparable to AChE staining with the loss of expression correlating with aganglionosis. Aim: The aim was to evaluate calretinin IHC as a primary diagnostic tool in comparison to the improvised rapid AChE technique in the diagnosis of HD. Materials and Methods: A total of 74 rectal biopsies (18 fresh frozen - 18 cases, 56 formalin fixed - 33 cases from 51 cases of suspect HD were evaluated with hematoxylin and eosin/AChE/Calretinin. Ten biopsies each from ganglionated and aganglionated segments served as positive and negative controls. Ileal (3, appendiceal (3 and ring bowel (2 biopsies were also included. Two pathologists blinded to the clinical details evaluated the histomorphology with AChE and calretinin. Observations were statistically analyzed and Cohen′s k coefficient employed to assess agreement between two pathologists and calretinin and the AChE. Results: The study confirmed HD in 26 and non-HD in 25 cases. There were 7 neonates, 5 low level biopsies and 14 "inadequate" biopsies. The results of calretinin were comparable with AChE with a statistically significant measure of agreement of k = 0.973 between the two. One false-positive case of HD was noted with calretinin. The advantages and disadvantages of calretinin versus AChE are discussed. Conclusion: Calretinin is a reliable single immune marker for ruling out HD by its specific positive mucosal staining of formalin fixed rectal biopsy. The improvised AChE staining remains indispensable to confirm HD on fresh biopsies and thus, along with calretinin IHC maximizes the diagnostic accuracy of HD in difficult cases.

  19. Histochemistry for the research in veterinary science: the legacy of Giuseppe Aureli

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    A Lauria

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Twenty years ago, on April 24th 1984, Giuseppe Aureli, Founding Member and President of the Italian Society of Histochemistry from 1971 to 1973, Director of the Institute of Anatomy of Domestic Animals, Histology and Embryology and Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine of the University of Milan, died suddenly and before his time. Following in the footsteps of Carlo Bignardi, he started from the time he was a student, to deal with the research approaches of Maffo Vialli, founder of histochemistry in Italy Head in Milan of a skilled group of scientists, he developed a sound and reliable research school mainly based on the use of ever more advanced histochemical and cytochemical techniques to study, in the extensive area of veterinary science, different problems aimed at developing either basic knowledge or animal production.

  20. Leaf histochemistry analysis of four medicinal species from Cerrado

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    Vinícius C. Kuster

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Chemical components act in plant defense and protection, but many of them are extracted and used medicinally. For Cerrado, active chemical components are used in the treatment of diseases, which strengthens the necessity for pharmacological studies of plants of that environment. The objective was to evaluate the histochemistry of the leaf blade of Byrsonima verbascifolia (L. DC., Malpighiaceae, Campomanesia adamantium (Cambess. O.Berg, Myrtaceae, Roupala montana Aubl., Proteaceae, and Solanum lycocarpum A. St.-Hil., Solanaceae, species that have been reported as producers of secondary metabolites for pharmacological use. The 3rd node leaves (median, intercostal and margin regions were collected, fixed, included in Paraplast® or 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, sectioned in microtome, stained and photographed on microscope. This analysis aimed to find leaf regions which produced chemical compounds. For histochemical tests, intercostal areas were selected from median region leaf of the 3rd node. Samples fresh and newly collected and fixed and embedded in Paraplast® were used. Tests were conducted for lipids, terpenoids, phenolic compounds, alkaloids, sugars and proteins. Alkaloids were observed only in R. montana, as well as the results for phenolic compounds. Flavonoids are present in B. verbascifolia and R. montana. The lipid composition was showed for the chemical compounds of B. verbascifolia and C. adamantium, which proved to be part of the essential oils or resins oils in C. adamantium idioblasts. The chemical compounds of B. verbascifolia, C. adamantium and R. montana are present mainly in idioblasts among the parenchyma and epidermal cells. C. adamantium has secretory cavities, but only with lipid content. The identification of chemical compounds has not been possible in mature leaves of S. lycocarpum.

  1. Quantitative aspects of enzyme histochemistry on sections of freeze-substituted glycol methacrylate-embedded rat liver

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frederiks, W. M.; Bosch, K. S.

    1993-01-01

    Freeze-substituted rat liver embedded in glycol methacrylate (GMA) has been used to demonstrate the activities of several enzymes. The following enzymes could be detected in GMA-sections by the indicated histochemical procedure(s): 5'-nucleotidase (lead salt, cerium-diaminobenzidine), alkaline

  2. Effects of Caloric Restriction and Exercise Training on Skeletal Muscle Histochemistry in Aging Fischer 344 Rats

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    David T. Lowenthal

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of calorie restriction and exercise on hindlimb histochemistry and fiber type in Fischer 344 rats as they advanced from adulthood through senescence. At 10 months of age, animals were divided into sedentary fed ad libitum, exercise (18 m/min, 8% grade, 20 min/day, 5 days/week fed ad libitum, and calorie restricted by alternate days of feeding. Succinic dehydrogenase, myosin adenosine triphosphatase (mATPase at pH 9.4, nicotine adenonine dinucleotide reductase, and Periodic Acid Shiff histochemical stains were performed on plantaris and soleus muscles. The results indicated that aging resulted in a progressive decline in plantaris Type I muscle fiber in sedentary animals, while exercise resulted in maintenance of these fibers. The percent of plantaris Type II fibers increased between 10 and 24 months of age. Exercise also resulted in a small, but significant, increase in the percentage of plantaris Type IIa fibers at 24 months of age. The soleus fiber distribution for Type I fibers was unaffected by increasing age in all groups of animals. The implications of these results suggest the implementation of exercise as a lifestyle modification as early as possible.

  3. Fluorogenic Substrates for Visualizing Acidic Organelle Enzyme Activities.

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    Fiona Karen Harlan

    Full Text Available Lysosomes are acidic cytoplasmic organelles that are present in all nucleated mammalian cells and are involved in a variety of cellular processes including repair of the plasma membrane, defense against pathogens, cholesterol homeostasis, bone remodeling, metabolism, apoptosis and cell signaling. Defects in lysosomal enzyme activity have been associated with a variety of neurological diseases including Parkinson's Disease, Lysosomal Storage Diseases, Alzheimer's disease and Huntington's disease. Fluorogenic lysosomal staining probes were synthesized for labeling lysosomes and other acidic organelles in a live-cell format and were shown to be capable of monitoring lysosomal metabolic activity. The new targeted substrates were prepared from fluorescent dyes having a low pKa value for optimum fluorescence at the lower physiological pH found in lysosomes. They were modified to contain targeting groups to direct their accumulation in lysosomes as well as enzyme-cleavable functions for monitoring specific enzyme activities using a live-cell staining format. Application to the staining of cells derived from blood and skin samples of patients with Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Krabbe and Gaucher Diseases as well as healthy human fibroblast and leukocyte control cells exhibited localization to the lysosome when compared with known lysosomal stain LysoTracker® Red DND-99 as well as with anti-LAMP1 Antibody staining. When cell metabolism was inhibited with chloroquine, staining with an esterase substrate was reduced, demonstrating that the substrates can be used to measure cell metabolism. When applied to diseased cells, the intensity of staining was reflective of lysosomal enzyme levels found in diseased cells. Substrates specific to the enzyme deficiencies in Gaucher or Krabbe disease patient cell lines exhibited reduced staining compared to that in non-diseased cells. The new lysosome-targeted fluorogenic substrates should be useful for research

  4. Measuring the Enzyme Activity of Arabidopsis Deubiquitylating Enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalinowska, Kamila; Nagel, Marie-Kristin; Isono, Erika

    2016-01-01

    Deubiquitylating enzymes, or DUBs, are important regulators of ubiquitin homeostasis and substrate stability, though the molecular mechanisms of most of the DUBs in plants are not yet understood. As different ubiquitin chain types are implicated in different biological pathways, it is important to analyze the enzyme characteristic for studying a DUB. Quantitative analysis of DUB activity is also important to determine enzyme kinetics and the influence of DUB binding proteins on the enzyme activity. Here, we show methods to analyze DUB activity using immunodetection, Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining, and fluorescence measurement that can be useful for understanding the basic characteristic of DUBs.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamaguchi, K; Asakawa, H

    1988-07-01

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

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

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

    2010-10-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niyonzima, Francois Niyongabo; More, Sunil

    2015-01-01

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

  8. Differential staining of bacteria: gram stain.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2009-11-01

    In 1884, Hans Christian Gram, a Danish doctor, developed a differential staining technique that is still the cornerstone of bacterial identification and taxonomic division. This multistep, sequential staining protocol separates bacteria into four groups based on cell morphology and cell wall structure: Gram-positive cocci, Gram-negative cocci, Gram-positive rods, and Gram-negative rods. The Gram stain is useful for assessing bacterial contamination of tissue culture samples or for examining the Gram stain status and morphological features of bacteria isolated from mixed or isolated bacterial cultures. (c) 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

  9. Morphology and histochemistry of primary flight muscles in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    preincubation staining protocol for myosin ATPase. The primary flight muscles, serratus ventralis included type I, type IIa and type IIb fibers. Type I fibers were highly oxidative, as stained dark for NADHTR. Type IIa fibers exhibited relatively weak staining properties for NADH-TR and SDH, indicating an intermediate oxidative ...

  10. Silver-Stained Fibrin Zymography: Separation of Proteases and Activity Detection Using a Single Substrate-Containing Gel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Park, Chang-Su; Kang, Dae-Ook; Choi, Nack-Shick

    2017-01-01

    Silver-stained fibrin zymography for separation of protease bands and activity detection using a single substrate gel was designed. The method takes advantage of the nano-scale sensitivity of both zymography and silver staining. After sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) in a gel containing fibrin (protease substrate), the gel was incubated in enzyme reaction buffer and the zymogram gel was silver-stained. Bands with protease activity were stained with silver in clear areas where the protein substrate had been degraded. The molecular sizes of proteases were accurately determined.

  11. Lectin Staining Shows no Evidence of Involvement of Glycocalyx/Mucous Layer Carbohydrate Structures in Development of Celiac Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Henrik Toft-Hansen

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available The presence of unique carbohydrate structures in the glycocalyx/mucous layer of the intestine may be involved in a susceptibility to celiac disease (CD by serving as attachment sites for bacteria. This host-microbiota interaction may influence the development of CD and possibly other diseases with autoimmune components. We examined duodenal biopsies from a total of 30 children, of which 10 had both celiac disease (CD and type 1 diabetes (T1D; 10 had CD alone; and 10 were suspected of having gastrointestinal disease, but had normal duodenal histology (non-CD controls. Patients with both CD and T1D were examined before and after remission following a gluten-free diet. We performed lectin histochemistry using peanut agglutinin (PNA and Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA staining for Gal-β(1,3-GalNAc and Fucα1-2Gal-R, respectively, of the glycocalyx/mucous layer. The staining was scored based on dissemination of stained structures on a scale from 0 to 3. Evaluation of the scores revealed no difference between biopsies obtained before and after remission in the group of children with both CD and T1D. A comparison of this pre-remission group with the children who had CD alone or the non-CD controls also showed no significant differences. Based on our material, we found no indication that the presence of Gal-β(1,3-GalNAc or Fucα1-2Gal-R is involved in the susceptibility to CD, or that the disease process affects the expression of these carbohydrates.

  12. Lectin Staining Shows no Evidence of Involvement of Glycocalyx/Mucous Layer Carbohydrate Structures in Development of Celiac Disease

    Science.gov (United States)

    Toft-Hansen, Henrik; Nielsen, Christian; Biagini, Matteo; Husby, Steffen; Lillevang, Søren T.

    2013-01-01

    The presence of unique carbohydrate structures in the glycocalyx/mucous layer of the intestine may be involved in a susceptibility to celiac disease (CD) by serving as attachment sites for bacteria. This host-microbiota interaction may influence the development of CD and possibly other diseases with autoimmune components. We examined duodenal biopsies from a total of 30 children, of which 10 had both celiac disease (CD) and type 1 diabetes (T1D); 10 had CD alone; and 10 were suspected of having gastrointestinal disease, but had normal duodenal histology (non-CD controls). Patients with both CD and T1D were examined before and after remission following a gluten-free diet. We performed lectin histochemistry using peanut agglutinin (PNA) and Ulex europaeus agglutinin (UEA) staining for Gal-β(1,3)-GalNAc and Fucα1-2Gal-R, respectively, of the glycocalyx/mucous layer. The staining was scored based on dissemination of stained structures on a scale from 0 to 3. Evaluation of the scores revealed no difference between biopsies obtained before and after remission in the group of children with both CD and T1D. A comparison of this pre-remission group with the children who had CD alone or the non-CD controls also showed no significant differences. Based on our material, we found no indication that the presence of Gal-β(1,3)-GalNAc or Fucα1-2Gal-R is involved in the susceptibility to CD, or that the disease process affects the expression of these carbohydrates. PMID:24253051

  13. Expression analysis of carbohydrate antigens in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast by lectin histochemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Korourian, Soheila; Siegel, Eric; Kieber-Emmons, Thomas; Monzavi-Karbassi, Behjatolah

    2008-01-01

    The number of breast cancer patients diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) continues to grow. Laboratory and clinical data indicate that DCIS can progress to invasive disease. Carbohydrate-mediated cell-cell adhesion and tumor-stroma interaction play crucial roles in tumorigenesis and tumor aggressive behavior. Breast carcinogenesis may reflect quantitative as well as qualitative changes in oligosaccharide expression, which may provide a useful tool for early detection of breast cancer. Because tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACA) are implicated in tumor invasion and metastasis, the purpose of this study was to assess the expression of selected TACA by lectin histochemistry on DCIS specimens from the archival breast cancer tissue array bank of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. For detection of TACA expression, specimens were stained with Griffonia simplicifolia lectin-I (GS-I) and Vicia vilosa agglutinin (VVA). We studied associations of lectin reactivity with established prognostic factors, such as tumor size, tumor nuclear grade, and expression of Her-2/neu, p53 mutant and estrogen and progesterone receptors. We observed that both lectins showed significant associations with nuclear grade of DCIS. DCIS specimens with nuclear grades II and III showed significantly more intense reactivity than DCIS cases with nuclear grade I to GS-1 (Mean-score chi-square = 17.60, DF = 2; P = 0.0002) and VVA (Mean-score chi-square = 15.72, DF = 2; P = 0.0004). The results suggest that the expression of VVA- and GS-I-reactive carbohydrate antigens may contribute to forming higher grade DCIS and increase the recurrence risk

  14. leaves extracts as counter stain in gram staining reaction 56

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    DR. AMINU

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

  15. Port-Wine Stains

    Science.gov (United States)

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-03-01

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

  17. Opioid Use after TBI

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-07-01

    hippocampal formation. b. Cresyl violet histochemistry Cresyl violet histological processing of tissue stains Nissl substance, which is composed mostly of...for:  Reactive glial response is being determined by measuring the luminance intensity of GFAP staining  Necrotic and apoptotic cell death by

  18. Expression analysis of carbohydrate antigens in ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast by lectin histochemistry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kieber-Emmons Thomas

    2008-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The number of breast cancer patients diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS continues to grow. Laboratory and clinical data indicate that DCIS can progress to invasive disease. Carbohydrate-mediated cell-cell adhesion and tumor-stroma interaction play crucial roles in tumorigenesis and tumor aggressive behavior. Breast carcinogenesis may reflect quantitative as well as qualitative changes in oligosaccharide expression, which may provide a useful tool for early detection of breast cancer. Because tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACA are implicated in tumor invasion and metastasis, the purpose of this study was to assess the expression of selected TACA by lectin histochemistry on DCIS specimens from the archival breast cancer tissue array bank of the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences. Methods For detection of TACA expression, specimens were stained with Griffonia simplicifolia lectin-I (GS-I and Vicia vilosa agglutinin (VVA. We studied associations of lectin reactivity with established prognostic factors, such as tumor size, tumor nuclear grade, and expression of Her-2/neu, p53 mutant and estrogen and progesterone receptors. Results We observed that both lectins showed significant associations with nuclear grade of DCIS. DCIS specimens with nuclear grades II and III showed significantly more intense reactivity than DCIS cases with nuclear grade I to GS-1 (Mean-score chi-square = 17.60, DF = 2; P = 0.0002 and VVA (Mean-score chi-square = 15.72, DF = 2; P = 0.0004. Conclusion The results suggest that the expression of VVA- and GS-I-reactive carbohydrate antigens may contribute to forming higher grade DCIS and increase the recurrence risk.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-05-01

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

  20. Histology, Histochemistry And Ultrastructure Of The Oviducts And Seminal Receptacle Of Tropidurus Itambere (rodrigues, 1987) (reptilia: Tropiduridae)

    OpenAIRE

    Ferreira A.; Dolder H.

    2007-01-01

    The present study found new information regarding the histology, histochemistry and ultrastructure of the oviduct of Tropidurus itambere, an inhabitant of the Brazilian Atlantic forest. Three differentiated histological regions constitute the oviduct: the infundibulum, as its main characteristic, has many tubuloalveolar glands; the uterine region is remarkable for many mucous glands, just below the epithelium; the vagina, near to the cloacal opening, is characterized by an epithelium with inf...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-01-01

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

  2. Architectonic subdivisions of the amygdalar complex of a primitive marsupial (Didelphis aurita).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rocha-Rego, V; Canteras, N S; Anomal, R F; Volchan, E; Franca, J G

    2008-05-15

    The architecture of the amygdaloid complex of a marsupial, the opossum Didelphis aurita, was analyzed using classical stains like Nissl staining and myelin (Gallyas) staining, and enzyme histochemistry for acetylcholinesterase and NADPH-diaphorase. Most of the subdivisions of the amygdaloid complex described in eutherian mammals were identified in the opossum brain. NADPH-diaphorase revealed reactivity in the neuropil of nearly all amygdaloid subdivisions with different intensities, allowing the identification of the medial and lateral subdivisions of the cortical posterior nucleus and the lateral subdivision of the lateral nucleus. The lateral, central, basolateral and basomedial nuclei exhibited acetylcholinesterase positivity, which provided a useful chemoarchitectural criterion for the identification of the anterior basolateral nucleus. Myelin stain allowed the identification of the medial subdivision of the lateral nucleus, and resulted in intense staining of the medial subdivisions of the central nucleus. The medial, posterior, and cortical nuclei, as well as the amygdalopiriform area did not exhibit positivity for myelin staining. On the basis of cyto- and chemoarchitectural criteria, the present study highlights that the opossum amygdaloid complex shares similarities with that of other species, thus supporting the idea that the organization of the amygdala is part of a basic plan conserved through mammalian evolution.

  3. Expression pattern of glycoconjugates in the Bidderian and ovarian follicles of the Brazilian toad Bufo ictericus analyzed by lectin histochemistry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C. F. Farias

    Full Text Available The Bidder's organ and ovary of the Brazilian toad Bufo ictericus were studied by light microscopy, using hematoxylin-eosin (HE and periodic acid Schiff (PAS staining. The expression and distribution of carbohydrate moieties was analyzed by lectin histochemistry, using 8 lectins with different carbohydrate specificities: Ulex europaeus (UEA I, Lens culinaris (LCA, Erythrina cristagalli (ECA, Arachis hypogaea (PNA, Ricinus communis (RCA I, Aleuria aurantia (AAA, Triticum vulgaris (WGA, and Glycine maximum (SBA. The results showed that the Bidderian zona pellucida presented alpha-mannose, alpha-L-fucose, beta-D-galactose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and alpha/beta-N-acetyl-galactosamine residues. The Bidderian follicular cells showed the presence of beta-D-galactose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine. In the extracellular matrix, alpha-mannose and alpha/beta-N-acetyl-galactosamine residues were detected. The ovarian zona pellucida showed alpha-L-fucose, N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, alpha/beta-N-acetyl-galactosamine residues, and alpha-mannose and N-acetyl-D-glucosamine residues were detected in the follicular cells. Thus, the zona pellucida in both organs contains N-acetyl-D-glucosamine, and alpha/beta-N-acetyl-galactosamine residues. alpha-L-fucose residues were detected in the zona pellucida of both organs, using different lectins. Considering that beta-D-galactose residue was absent from ovary but present in the Bidder's organ, this sugar residue may play an important role in follicle development, blocking the Bidderian follicles and preventing further development of the Bidder's organ into a functional ovary.

  4. Visualising recalcitrance by colocalisation of cellulase, lignin and cellulose in pretreated pine biomass using fluorescence microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donaldson, Lloyd; Vaidya, Alankar

    2017-03-01

    Mapping the location of bound cellulase enzymes provides information on the micro-scale distribution of amenable and recalcitrant sites in pretreated woody biomass for biofuel applications. The interaction of a fluorescently labelled cellulase enzyme cocktail with steam-exploded pine (SEW) was quantified using confocal microscopy. The spatial distribution of Dylight labelled cellulase was quantified relative to lignin (autofluorescence) and cellulose (Congo red staining) by measuring their colocalisation using Pearson correlations. Correlations were greater in cellulose-rich secondary cell walls compared to lignin-rich middle lamella but with significant variations among individual biomass particles. The distribution of cellulose in the pretreated biomass accounted for 30% of the variation in the distribution of enzyme after correcting for the correlation between lignin and cellulose. For the first time, colocalisation analysis was able to quantify the spatial distribution of amenable and recalcitrant sites in relation to the histochemistry of cellulose and lignin. This study will contribute to understanding the role of pretreatment in enzymatic hydrolysis of recalcitrant softwood biomass.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goto, N

    1987-09-01

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

  6. Gram staining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coico, Richard

    2005-10-01

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

  7. Evaluation and Comparison of Enzyme Immunoassay (Eia and Acid Fast Staining with Confirmation by Immunofluorescent Antibody Assay for Detection of Cryptosporidium Species in Infants and Young Children.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D Dorostcar Moghaddam

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Cryptosporidiosis is prevalent world wide, causing a variety of problems ranging from acute, self-limiting diarrhea to fatal cases in immunocompromised persons, particulary those with acquired immunodeficiency (AIDS. Diagnosis of Cryptosporidium is made by identification of oocysts in stool specimens. The detection is most commonly made by the acid-fast staining method followed by microscopic examination which has low specificity and sensitivity. Material and Methods: In the present study, we evaluated diagnostic utility of a commercially available enzyme immunoassay (EIA, which detects Cryptosporidium-Specific antigen (CSA in 204 unprocessed stool specimens obtained from patients less than 3 years of age. Results: When compared with the routine screening procedure applied in this field study (screening by acid-fast staining and microscopy after concentration of positive results by IFA, both sensitivity and specificity were 98%. Of the 139 specimens negative by microscopy, 13 (9.3% were positive by EIA, 11 of which were confirmed by inhibition with antibody to Cryptosporidia-specific antigen. Conclusion: The EIA is an important tool for identifying Cryptosporidium in fecal specimens in field studies since it is sensitive, specific, simple to use and unaffected by the presence of a preservative.

  8. Flavourzyme, an Enzyme Preparation with Industrial Relevance: Automated Nine-Step Purification and Partial Characterization of Eight Enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Merz, Michael; Eisele, Thomas; Berends, Pieter; Appel, Daniel; Rabe, Swen; Blank, Imre; Stressler, Timo; Fischer, Lutz

    2015-06-17

    Flavourzyme is sold as a peptidase preparation from Aspergillus oryzae. The enzyme preparation is widely and diversely used for protein hydrolysis in industrial and research applications. However, detailed information about the composition of this mixture is still missing due to the complexity. The present study identified eight key enzymes by mass spectrometry and partially by activity staining on native polyacrylamide gels or gel zymography. The eight enzymes identified were two aminopeptidases, two dipeptidyl peptidases, three endopeptidases, and one α-amylase from the A. oryzae strain ATCC 42149/RIB 40 (yellow koji mold). Various specific marker substrates for these Flavourzyme enzymes were ascertained. An automated, time-saving nine-step protocol for the purification of all eight enzymes within 7 h was designed. Finally, the purified Flavourzyme enzymes were biochemically characterized with regard to pH and temperature profiles and molecular sizes.

  9. A histochemical study of the posterior silk glands of Bombyx mori during metamorphosis from larvae to pupae using frozen sections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawamoto, K; Kawamoto, T; Shiba, H; Hosono, K

    2014-02-01

    The fine structures of the whole bodies and the posterior silk glands of Bombyx mori during metamorphosis from larvae to pupae in the cocoon were preserved virtually without damage when frozen sections were prepared using an adhesive plastic film. We used frozen sections for histochemical and enzyme histochemistry to characterize the metamorphosis of the posterior silk glands. Frozen sections were stained with DAPI to observe nuclear changes, examined using the TUNEL method to detect DNA fragments, and investigated using in situ hybridization to detect B. mori caspase expression. Both DNA fragments and expression of B. mori caspase increased with progressing metamorphosis. The degeneration of the posterior silk gland during metamorphosis appears to be an apoptotic event.

  10. Basal levels of metabolic activity are elevated in Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats from Strasbourg (GAERS): measurement of regional activity of cytochrome oxidase and lactate dehydrogenase by histochemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dufour, Franck; Koning, Estelle; Nehlig, Astrid

    2003-08-01

    The Genetic Absence Epilepsy Rats from Strasbourg (GAERS) are considered an isomorphic, predictive, and homologous model of human generalized absence epilepsy. It is characterized by the expression of spike-and-wave discharges in the thalamus and cortex. In this strain, basal regional rates of cerebral glucose utilization measured by the quantitative autoradiographic [(14)C]2-deoxyglucose technique display a widespread consistent increase compared to a selected strain of genetically nonepileptic rats (NE). In order to verify whether these high rates of glucose metabolism are paralleled by elevated activities of the enzymes of the glycolytic and tricarboxylic acid cycle pathways, we measured by histochemistry the regional activity of the two key enzymes of glucose metabolism, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) for the anaerobic pathway and cytochrome oxidase (CO) for the aerobic pathway coupled to oxidative phosphorylation. CO and LDH activities were significantly higher in GAERS than in NE rats in 24 and 28 of the 30 brain regions studied, respectively. The differences in CO and LDH activity between both strains were widespread, affected all brain systems studied, and ranged from 12 to 63%. The data of the present study confirm the generalized increase in cerebral glucose metabolism in GAERS, occurring both at the glycolytic and at the oxidative step. However, they still do not allow us to understand why the ubiquitous mutation(s) generates spike-and-wave discharges only in the thalamocortical circuit.

  11. [The muscular lesion in myasthenia gravis: study of 17 cases with muscular histochemistry].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Werneck, L C

    1982-03-01

    A study of 17 muscle biopsies from patients with myasthenia gravis was done, using freshfrozen section and histochemistry tecnics. It was found 15 abnormal muscle biopsies. The most common abnormality were small dark angular fibers, excess of lipids droplets outside the muscle membrane, changes in fiber size and type II fiber atrophy. These findings suggested denervation in 11 biopsies, type II fiber atrophy in 7, linfocyte infiltration in 4, fiber necrosis with fagocitosis in 1 and 2 were normal. Was noted a direct correlation between the disease duration and the severity of the histological abnormality. Two patients had tymoma. Congenital myasthenia gravis, rheumatoid arthritis, intersticial hypertrophic neuritis, Hashimoto tireoiditis and concomitance of myasthenic syndrome was found once in different patients.

  12. A Comparative Analysis of Perinatal Development of Barrel Cortex in Rat, Mouse and Guinea Pig Using Acetylcholinesterase Histochemistry

    OpenAIRE

    ŞENDEMİR, Erdoğan

    2014-01-01

    The role of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the developing neocortex was reexamined by comparing its expression in rats, mice and guinea pigs, following the protocol for acetylcholinesterase histochemistry (described in Sendemir et al., 1996) in order to determine the suitability of the breeding colony at UludaÛ University for use as an animal model. A total of 103 pups as well as two adult animals of each species were used. In the rat pups, acetylcholinesterase-rich patches were d...

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Najah Alsubaie

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2000-01-01

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

  16. Gram staining with an automatic machine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felek, S; Arslan, A

    1999-01-01

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

  17. Immunohistochemical/histochemical double staining method in the study of the columnar metaplasia of the oesophagus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D. Cabibi

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Intestinal metaplasia in Barrett’s oesophagus (BO represents an important risk factor for oesophageal adenocarcinoma. Instead, few and controversial data are reported about the progression risk of columnar-lined oesophagus without intestinal metaplasia (CLO, posing an issue about its clinical management. The aim was to evaluate if some immunophenotypic changes were present in CLO independently of the presence of the goblet cells. We studied a series of oesophageal biopsies from patients with endoscopic finding of columnar metaplasia, by performing some immunohistochemical stainings (CK7, p53, AuroraA combined with histochemistry (Alcian-blue and Alcian/PAS, with the aim of simultaneously assess the histochemical features in cells that shows an aberrant expression of such antigens. We evidenced a cytoplasmic expression of CK7 and a nuclear expression of Aurora A and p53,  both in goblet cells of BO and in non-goblet cells of CLO, some of which showing mild dysplasia. These findings suggest that some immunophenotypic changes are present in CLO and they can precede the appearance of the goblet cells or can be present independently of them, confirming the conception of BO as the condition characterized by any extention of columnar epithelium. This is the first study in which a combined immunohistochemical/histochemical method has been applied to Barrett pathology.

  18. Protease Enzyme Used for Artificial Ageing on Modern Cotton Fabric for Historic Textile Preservation and Restoration

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harby E. AHMED

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Some of Historical textiles objects in Egyptian museums are containing different types of adhesives from previous restoration processes. Furthermore, they may contain some protein stains such as blood stains, which could involve more damage for the historical textiles. In the context of removing the adhesives by various methods, one may cause damage in the textiles, therefore the biotechnological application of enzymes seems to be a very promising approach in the restoration of historical objects. Our results show that enzyme removing is the most effective method, among all tested methods, in the removing of resistant old adhesives and stains. The tested enzymes for the removing technique solved the problems caused by other traditional removing techniques of resistant old adhesives from museum textiles. The main fibers of the tested objects were cotton fibers dyed with some natural dyes. Thus, the fibers that were used in this study were cotton, dyed with Turmeric dye, madder dye mordanted with alum, CuSO4 or Ferric Citrate, as well as without mordant. Additionally,we studied the effect of the enzyme on the mechanical parameters of fibers (Tensile strength, Elongation, Crystallinity index, by FTIR, XRD and ASTM. Furthermore, the effect of enzymes on the morphology of the surface of the untreated and enzymatically treated dyed fabric was investigated by using SEM and Stereoscopy. The effect of enzymes as a function of enzyme concentration and time of treatment on the fabrics color parameters was extensively studied. There was no impact-destructive effect on cotton fibers after the enzyme treatment. Thus, we could conclude that the enzyme have a very slight effect on cotton fibers dyed with natural dyes.

  19. Histochemistry of lectin-binding sites in Halicryptus spinulosus (Priapulida).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Busch, A; Schumacher, U; Storch, V

    2001-02-01

    Priapulida represent one of the phylogenetically oldest multicellular animal groups. In multicellular animals (Metazoa) cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix interactions are often mediated by carbohydrate residues of glycoconjugates. To analyze the carbohydrate composition of a phylogenetically old species, lectin histochemistry was employed on 5 specimens of the priapulid Halicryptus spinulosus. Many lectins bound to the chitin-containing cuticle, including those specific for carbohydrates other than N-acetylglucosamine, the principle building block of chitin. The connective tissue of the animals contained both N-acetylglucosamine and N-acetylgalactosamine. Mannose residues were widely distributed with the exception of the cuticle, but complex type carbohydrates were not present in the entire animal. Sialic acid residues were only detected in the cuticle and brush border of the intestinal epithelium, while fucose was limited to the cuticle. Thus, the lectin-binding pattern indicated that sugars typical for the linking region of both N- and O-glycoproteins in mammals are also present in H. spinulosus. Carbohydrate residues that are typical for the complex type of N-linked glycans in vertebrates are not present as are carbohydrate residues typical for the termination of O-linked carbohydrate chains. Hence, a truncated form of both N- and O-linked glycosylation is present in H. spinulosus indicating that more complex patterns of glycosylation developed later during evolution.

  20. Antidiabetic activity of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides F31 down-regulated hepatic glucose regulatory enzymes in diabetic mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiao, Chun; Wu, Qingping; Zhang, Jumei; Xie, Yizhen; Cai, Wen; Tan, Jianbin

    2017-01-20

    Ganoderma lucidum (Lin Zhi) has been used to treat diabetes in Chinese folk for centuries. Our laboratory previously demonstrated that Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides (GLPs) had hypoglycemic effects in diabetic mice. Our aim was to identify the main bioactives in GLPs and corresponding mechanism of action. Four polysaccharide-enriched fraction were isolated from GLPs and the antidiabetic activities were evaluated by type 2 diabetic mice. Fasting serum glucose (FSG), fasting serum insulin (FSI) and epididymal fat/BW ratio were measured at the end of the experiment. In liver, the mRNA levels of hepatic glucose regulatory enzymes were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and the protein levels of phospho-AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK)/AMPK were determined by western blotting test. In epididymal fat tissue, the mRNA and protein levels GLUT4, resistin, fatty acid synthase (FAS) and acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC1) were determined by qPCR and immuno-histochemistry. The structure of polysaccharide F31 was obtained from GPC, FTIR NMR and GC-MS spectroscopy, RESULTS: F31 significantly decreased FSG (P<0.05), FSI and epididymal fat/BW ratio (P<0.01). In liver, F31 decreased the mRNA levels of hepatic glucose regulatory enzymes, and up-regulated the ratio of phospho-AMP-activated protein kinase (p-AMPK)/AMPK. In epididymal fat tissue, F31 increased the mRNA levels of GLUT4 but decreased fatty acid synthase (FAS), acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC1) and resistin. Immuno-histochemistry results revealed F31 increased the protein levels of GLUT4 and decreased resistin. Data suggested that the main bioactives in GLPs was F31, which was determined to be a β-heteropolysaccharide with the weight-average molecular weight of 15.9kDa. The possible action mechanism of F31 may be associated with down-regulation of the hepatic glucose regulated enzyme mRNA levels via AMPK activation, improvement of insulin resistance and decrease of epididymal fat/BW ratio. These

  1. Accelerated staining technique using kitchen microwave oven

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Archana Mukunda

    2015-01-01

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

  2. Opioid Abuse after TBI

    Science.gov (United States)

    2015-09-01

    analysis. Cresyl violet histochemistry Cresyl violet histological processing of tissue stains Nissl substance, which is composed mostly of rough...dried overnight before staining . Sections were dehydrated through graded alcohol to xylene for two changes of 5 min each, and then rehydrated through...four minutes, followed by differentiation in 95% ethanol with 0.2% HCl for 14    five minutes. Differentiation was timed such that both Nissl

  3. Dissemination in athymic nude mice of lacZ transfected small cell lung cancer cells identified by X-gal staining

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rømer, M U; Christiansen, J; Brünner, N

    1995-01-01

    The small cell lung cancer cell lines GLC-2 and DMS 456 were genetically labeled with the lacZ gene and examined for invasive and metastatic potential in META/Bom nude mice. The lacZ gene encodes the enzyme beta-D- galactosidase, and cells expressing this enzyme were identified by staining...... with the chromogenic substrate X-gal. lacZ expressing cells were investigated after subcutaneous (s.c.) inoculation and intravenous (i.v.) injection. The X-gal detection of beta-D-galactosidase activity proved to be a rapid and easy means for specific and highly sensitive identification of metastases. All primary s.......c. tumors stained by X-gal. The primary tumors of GLC-2 regularly demonstrated local invasive growth and produced multiple metastases in several organs. In contrast, primary DMS 456 tumors only occasionally demonstrated local invasion and very rarely generated secondary foci. No experimental metastases were...

  4. Anatomy and Histochemistry of Roots and Shoots in Wild Rice (Zizania latifolia Griseb.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chaodong Yang

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Wild rice (Zizania latifolia Griseb. is a famous, perennial, emergent vegetable in China. The current work explores the anatomy and histochemistry of roots, stems, and leaves and the permeability of apoplastic barriers of wild rice. The adventitious roots in wild rice have suberized and lignified endodermis and adjacent, thick-walled cortical layers and suberized and lignified hypodermis, composed of a uniseriate sclerenchyma layer (SC underlying uniseriate exodermis; they also have lysigenous aerenchyma. Stems have a thickened epidermal cuticle, a narrow peripheral mechanical ring (PMR, an outer ring of vascular bundles, and an inner ring of vascular bundles embedded in a multiseriate sclerenchyma ring (SCR. There is evidence of suberin in stem SCR and PMR sclerenchyma cells. Sheathing leaves are characterized by thick cuticles and fibrous bundle sheath extensions. Air spaces in stems and leaves consist of mostly lysigenous aerenchyma and pith cavities in stems. Apoplastic barriers are found in roots and stems.

  5. The Histochemistry and Cell Biology omnium-gatherum: the year 2015 in review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Taatjes, Douglas J; Roth, Jürgen

    2016-03-01

    We provide here our annual review/synopsis of all of the articles published in Histochemistry and Cell Biology (HCB) for the preceding year. In 2015, HCB published 102 articles, representing a wide variety of topics and methodologies. For ease of access to these differing topics, we have created categories, as determined by the types of articles presented to provide a quick index representing the general areas covered. This year, these categories include: (1) advances in methodologies; (2) molecules in health and disease; (3) organelles, subcellular structures, and compartments; (4) the nucleus; (5) stem cells and tissue engineering; (6) cell cultures: properties and capabilities; (7) connective tissues and extracellular matrix; (8) developmental biology; (9) nervous system; (10) musculoskeletal system; (11) respiratory and cardiovascular system; (12) liver and gastrointestinal tract; and (13) male and female reproductive systems. Of note, the categories proceed from methods development, to molecules, intracellular compartments, stem cells and cell culture, extracellular matrix, developmental biology, and finishing with various organ systems, hopefully presenting a logical journey from methods to organismal molecules, cells, and whole tissue systems.

  6. New visible and selective DNA staining method in gels with tetrazolium salts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paredes, Aaron J; Naranjo-Palma, Tatiana; Alfaro-Valdés, Hilda M; Barriga, Andrés; Babul, Jorge; Wilson, Christian A M

    2017-01-15

    DNA staining in gels has historically been carried out using silver staining and fluorescent dyes like ethidium bromide and SYBR Green I (SGI). Using fluorescent dyes allows recovery of the analyte, but requires instruments such as a transilluminator or fluorimeter to visualize the DNA. Here we described a new and simple method that allows DNA visualization to the naked eye by generating a colored precipitate. It works by soaking the acrylamide or agarose DNA gel in SGI and nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) solution that, when exposed to sunlight, produces a purple insoluble formazan precipitate that remains in the gel after exposure to light. A calibration curve made with a DNA standard established a detection limit of approximately 180 pg/band at 500 bp. Selectivity of this assay was determined using different biomolecules, demonstrating a high selectivity for DNA. Integrity and functionality of the DNA recovered from gels was determined by enzymatic cutting with a restriction enzyme and by transforming competent cells after the different staining methods, respectively. Our method showed the best performance among the dyes employed. Based on its specificity, low cost and its adequacy for field work, this new methodology has enormous potential benefits to research and industry. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Morphology, histochemistry and glycosylation of the placenta and associated tissues in the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jones, Carolyn J P; Carter, A M; Allen, W R

    2016-01-01

    glycosylated. Yolk sac inner and outer endoderm expressed similar glycans except for N-acetylgalactosamine residues in endodermal acini. DISCUSSION: New features of near-term hedgehog placenta and associated tissues are presented, including their glycosylation, and novel yolk sac acinar structures......INTRODUCTION: There are few descriptions of the placenta and associated tissues of the European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) and here we present findings on a near-term pregnant specimen. METHODS: Tissues were examined grossly and then formalin fixed and wax-embedded for histology...... and immunocytochemistry (cytokeratin) and resin embedded for lectin histochemistry. RESULTS: Each of four well-developed and near term hoglets displayed a discoid, haemochorial placenta with typical labyrinth and spongy zones. In addition there was a paraplacenta incorporating Reichert's membrane and a largely detached...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-01-11

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

  9. The human amygdaloid complex: a cytologic and histochemical atlas using Nissl, myelin, acetylcholinesterase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase staining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sims, K S; Williams, R S

    1990-01-01

    We examined the distribution of acetylcholinesterase and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase enzyme activity in the human amygdala using histochemical techniques. Both methods revealed compartments of higher or lower enzyme activity, in cells or neuropil, which corresponded to the nuclear subdivisions of the amygdala as defined with classical Nissl and myelin methods. The boundaries between the histochemical compartments were usually so sharp that the identification of these nuclear subdivisions was enhanced. There was also variation of staining intensity within many of the nuclear subdivisions, such as the lateral and central nuclei, anterior amygdaloid area and the intercalated groups. This histochemical difference corresponded to more subtle differences in Nissl and myelin staining patterns, and suggests further structural subdivisions of potential functional significance. We present a revised scheme of anatomical parcellation of the human amygdala based upon serial analysis with all four techniques. Our expectation is that this will allow the delineation of a clearer homology between the cytoarchitectonic subdivisions of the human amygdala and those of experimental animals.

  10. Iron Stain on Wood

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mark Knaebe

    2013-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terr, L I

    1986-09-01

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

  12. Centrifuge-operated specimen staining method and apparatus

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1999-01-01

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

  13. Esterase profile of human masseter muscle

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kirkeby, S; Moe, D; Vilmann, H

    1988-01-01

    The esterase profile of fresh human masseter muscle was investigated by use of histochemistry and electrophoresis. The histochemical methods included reactions for alpha-naphthyl esterase, myofibrillar ATPase, reverse myofibrillar ATPase and succinic dehydrogenase. In frozen sections of the muscle...... the coloured reaction product for esterases was present both as a diffuse sarcoplasmic coloration and as distinct granules. The intensity of diffuse reaction was used to classify the muscle fibres as strongly, moderately and weakly reacting. The fibres with strong esterase activity belonged to Type I and ii......C. iM and Type II A fibres showed a moderate esterase reaction and Type II B fibres had a low activity. The electrophoretic gels stained for esterase activity showed that the human masseter muscle possesses a slow migrating double band with high enzyme activity and a cascade of faster migrating...

  14. Selection and application of exterior stains for wood

    Science.gov (United States)

    R. Sam. Williams; William C. Feist

    1999-01-01

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

  15. Differential staining of bacteria: acid fast stain.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2009-11-01

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

  16. Pre-Clinical Testing of New Hydroxybutyrate Analogues

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-07-01

    will be assessed. Mac- 1 and GFAP immunostaining will be done to gauge inflammation as it relates to HDAC activity. Tyrosine hydroxylase and Nissl ... stained neurons will be counted and complex II histochemistry will be performed. Part II, we will prepare a new set of implanted mice treated with

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2006-08-01

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

  18. Immunolabelling, histochemistry and in situ hybridisation in human skeletal muscle fibres to detect myosin heavy chain expression at the protein and mRNA level

    Science.gov (United States)

    SERRANO, A. L.; PÉREZ, MARGARITA; LUCÍA, A.; CHICHARRO, J. L.; QUIROZ-ROTHE, E.; RIVERO, J. L. L.

    2001-01-01

    The distribution of muscle fibres classified on the basis of their content of different myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms was analysed in vastus lateralis muscle biopsies of 15 young men (with an average age of 22 y) by correlating immunohistochemistry with specific anti-MHC monoclonal antibodies, myofibrillar ATPase (mATPase) histochemistry and in situ hybridisation with probes specific for MHC β-slow, MHC-IIA and MHC-IIX. The characterisation of a large number of individual fibres was compared and correlated on a fibre-to-fibre basis. The panel of monoclonal antibodies used in the study allowed classification of human skeletal muscle fibres into 5 categories according to the MHC isoform they express at the protein level, types I, I+IIA, IIA, IIAX and IIX. Hybrid fibres coexpressing two isoforms represented a considerable proportion of the fibre composition (about 14%) and were clearly underestimated by mATPase histochemistry. For a very high percentage of fibres there was a precise correspondence between the MHC protein isoforms and mRNA transcripts. The integrated methods used demonstrate a high degree of precision of the immunohistochemical procedure used for the identification and quantification of human skeletal muscle fibre types. The monoclonal antibody S5-8H2 is particularly useful for identifying hybrid IIAX fibres. This protocol offers new prospects for muscle fibre classification in human experimental studies. PMID:11554510

  19. Say goodbye to coffee stains

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

    2012-01-01

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

  20. Diagnosing periprosthetic infection: false-positive intraoperative Gram stains.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2011-04-01

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

  1. Histopathological evaluation of ocular microsporidiosis by different stains

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharma Savitri

    2006-06-01

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

  2. Evidence for ovarian granulosa stem cells: telomerase activity and localization of the telomerase ribonucleic acid component in bovine ovarian follicles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavranos, T C; Mathis, J M; Latham, S E; Kalionis, B; Shay, J W; Rodgers, R J

    1999-08-01

    We have previously postulated that granulosa cells of developing follicles arise from a population of stem cells. Stem cells and cancer cells can divide indefinitely partly because they express telomerase. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that repairs the ends of telomeres that otherwise shorten progressively upon each successive cell division. In this study we carried out cell cycle analyses and examined telomerase expression to examine our hypothesis. Preantral (60-100 microm) and small (1 mm) follicles, as well as granulosa cells from medium-sized (3 mm) and large (6-8 mm) follicles, were isolated. Cell cycle analyses and expression of Ki-67, a cell cycle-related protein, were undertaken on follicles of each size (n = 3) by flow cytometry; 12% to 16% of granulosa cells in all follicles were in the S phase, and less than 2% were in the G(2)/M phase. Telomerase activity (n = 3) was highest in the small preantral follicles, declining at the 1-mm stage and even further at the 3-mm stage. In situ hybridization histochemistry was carried out on bovine ovaries, and telomerase RNA was detected in the granulosa cells of growing follicles but not primordial follicles. Two major patterns of staining were observed in the membrana granulosa of antral follicles: staining in the middle and antral layers, and staining in the middle and basal layers. No staining was detected in oocytes. Our results strongly support our hypothesis that granulosa cells arise from a population of stem cells.

  3. Muscle histochemistry in chronic alcoholism

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. L. Ferraz

    1989-06-01

    Full Text Available Twenty-two chronic acoholic patients were assessed by neurologic examination and muscle biopsy. The patients manifested proximal muscular weakness to a variable extent. One case presented as an acute bout of myopathy, according to the Manual Muscle Test, MMT. The most prominent histologic feature observed was muscle atrophy (95.3% better evidenced through the ATPase stain with the predominance of type II A fibers (71.4%. Lack of the mosaic pattern (type grouping seen in 76% of the cases and an important mitochondrial proliferation with intrasarcoplasmatic lipid accumulation in 63% of the patients. In case of acute presentation of muscle weakness the. pathological substrate is quite different, i.e. presence of myositis mainly interstitial characterized by lymphoplasmocytic infiltrate and several spots of necrosis like Zencker degeneration. Based on histologic criteria, our data suggest that: the main determinant of muscle weakness seen in chronic alcoholic patients is neurogenic in origin (alcoholic polineuropathy; the direct toxic action of ethanol under the skeletal muscle is closely related to the mitochondrial metabolism; the so-called acute alcoholic myopathy has probably viral etiology.

  4. Multicenter Assessment of Gram Stain Error Rates.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-06-01

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

  5. Protease Enzyme Used for Artificial Ageing on Modern Cotton Fabric for Historic Textile Preservation and Restoration

    OpenAIRE

    Harby E. AHMED

    2013-01-01

    Some of Historical textiles objects in Egyptian museums are containing different types of adhesives from previous restoration processes. Furthermore, they may contain some protein stains such as blood stains, which could involve more damage for the historical textiles. In the context of removing the adhesives by various methods, one may cause damage in the textiles, therefore the biotechnological application of enzymes seems to be a very promising approach in the restoration of historical obj...

  6. Research on pre-staining gel electrophoresis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2014-01-01

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

  7. Surface staining of small intestinal biopsies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Poulsen, Steen Seier

    1977-01-01

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

  8. Utility of Modified Ultrafast Papanicolaou Stain in Cytological Diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sinkar, Prachi; Arakeri, Surekha Ulhas

    2017-03-01

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

  9. Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency and Type 2C Muscle Fibers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J Gordon Millichap

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available Investigators at Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, evaluated retrospectively clinical, laboratory, and muscle histochemistry and oxidative enzyme characteristics in 49 children with suspected mitochondrial disorders.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Behera, B; Mathur, P; Gupta, B

    2010-01-01

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

  11. New Grocott Stain without Using Chromic Acid

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  12. Gram staining apparatus for space station applications

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1990-01-01

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

  13. Efficacy of in-house fluorescent stain for fungus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    K. R. L. Surya Kirani

    2017-01-01

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

  14. Modified Genta triple stain for identifying Helicobacter pylori.

    OpenAIRE

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

    1999-01-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ankle Madhuri

    2007-01-01

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

  16. Isolation and optimization of pectinase enzyme production one of useful industrial enzyme in Aspergillus niger, Rhizopus oryzae, Penicilium chrysogenum

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    akram songol

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Pectinase enzyme is one of the most important industrial enzymes which isolated from a wide variety of microorganisms such as bacteria and filamentous fungi. This enzyme has been usually used in the fruit and textile industry. In this study, the isolation and optimization of pectinase-producing fungi on decaying rotten fruits were studied. Materials and methods: Isolation and screening of pectinase producing fungi performed through plate culture on pectin medium and staining with Lugol's iodine solution. The best strains were identified by ITS1, 4 sequencing as Aspergillus fumigatus, Rhizopus oryzae, Penicilium chrysogenum. The enzyme production was optimized by application of the five factorial design, each at three levels. These factors are carbon sources (whey, glucose and stevia, ammonium sulfate, manganese sulfate, temperature, and pH. Pectinase concentration was measured by the Miller method. Results: The results indicate that optimum condition for enzyme production for three fungi strains was obtained at 32 °C, pH = 6, 3g / L manganese sulfate, 2.75g / L of ammonium sulfate and 10g / L of each carbon source. The best experiment in obtaining the optimum enzyme contained 1.328 mg / ml of glucose for Aspergillus niger 1.284 and 1.039 mg / ml of whey for Rhizopus oryzae and Penicilium chrysogenum. Molecular weight of enzyme was about 40 and 37 kDa which was obtained by SDS- PAGE. Discussion and conclusion: The results indicate that three strains could grow in a wide range of carbon source, pH and temperature, which could be a good candidate for industrial application.

  17. A novel washing algorithm for underarm stain removal

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-10-01

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

  18. Laser treatment of Port-wine stains

    OpenAIRE

    Boffa, Michael J.

    2001-01-01

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

  19. 7 CFR 28.442 - Middling Yellow Stained Color.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

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

  20. Short Nissl staining for incubated cryostat sections of the brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lindroos, O F

    1991-01-01

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

  1. Near-UV laser treatment of extrinsic dental enamel stains.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-04-01

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

  2. Port-wine stain

    Science.gov (United States)

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

  3. Effect of Melamine Sponge on Tooth Stain Removal.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Otsuka, Takero; Kawata, Toshitsugu

    2015-01-01

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

  4. LANTHANUM STAINING OF THE SURFACE COAT OF CELLS

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shea, Stephen M.

    1971-01-01

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

  5. Fungal Fluorescence in Hematoxylin-Eosin Stained Sections

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Murat Durdu

    2017-06-01

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

  6. Modified Alizarin Red S-Alcian Blue Staining for Reptilian Skeleton

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muhammad Ja’far Luthfi

    2016-04-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miyagawa, Makoto

    2013-04-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-01-01

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

  9. Stool Gram stain

    Science.gov (United States)

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

  10. Lectin histochemistry of goblet cell sugar residues in the gut of the chick embryo and of the newborn.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryk, S G; Sgambati, E; Gheri Bryk, G

    1999-04-01

    The anlage of duodenum, ileum and colon were removed from chick embryos of day 8-21 of incubation and from 1-day-old chicks. A battery of seven different horseradish peroxidase-conjugated lectins (PNA, SBA, DBA, Con A, WGA, LTA and UEAI) was used to study the carbohydrate residues of the glycoconjugates in the goblet cells of the three parts of the intestine. The main results can be summarized as follows: differences in lectin binding were absent in the proximal and distal parts of the duodenum, ileum and colon. Lectin histochemistry showed differences among the three intestinal segments for the time of appearance of the oligosaccharides in the goblet mucus. In the colonic goblet cells of 1-day-old chicks, LTA and UEAI lectins showed two different types of linkage of alpha-L-fucose. This is the first demonstration of UEAI reactive sites in Gallus domesticus.

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

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    SITWALA COMPUTERS

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2009-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2002-07-01

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

  14. Gram staining for the treatment of peritonsillar abscess.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-01-01

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

  15. 7 CFR 28.441 - Strict Middling Yellow Stained Color.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

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

  16. CD3 immunohistochemical staining in diagnosis of lymphocytic colitis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2016-01-01

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

  17. Gram staining in the diagnosis of acute septic arthritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2002-10-01

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

  18. Post-staining electroblotting for efficient and reliable peptide blotting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Der-Yen; Chang, Geen-Dong

    2015-01-01

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

  19. Western Blot of Stained Proteins from Dried Polyacrylamide Gels

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gruber, Claudia; Stan-Lotter, Helga

    1996-01-01

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

  20. Improved method for combination of immunocytochemistry and Nissl staining.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2009-10-30

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

  1. Silver and Cyanine Staining of Oligonucleotides in Polyacrylamide Gel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Weizhong; Zhou, Huafu; Li, Wei

    2015-01-01

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

  2. Maternal and fetal characteristics associated with meconium-stained amniotic fluid

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2011-01-01

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

  3. Techniques for controlling variability in gram staining of obligate anaerobes.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1995-01-01

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

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Prentø, P; Lyon, H O

    2003-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

  6. Islet expression of the DNA repair enzyme 8-oxoguanosine DNA glycosylase (Ogg1 in human type 2 diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yoon Kun-Ho

    2002-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It has become increasingly clear that β-cell failure plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. Free-radical mediated β-cell damage has been intensively studied in type 1 diabetes, but not in human type 2 diabetes. Therefore, we studied the protein expression of the DNA repair enzyme Ogg1 in pancreases from type 2 diabetics. Ogg1 was studied because it is the major enzyme involved in repairing 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoguanosine DNA adducts, a lesion previously observed in a rat model of type 2 diabetes. Moreover, in a gene expression screen, Ogg1 was over-expressed in islets from a human type 2 diabetic. Methods Immunofluorescent staining of Ogg1 was performed on pancreatic specimens from healthy controls and patients with diabetes for 2–23 years. The intensity and islet area stained for Ogg1 was evaluated by semi-quantitative scoring. Results Both the intensity and the area of islet Ogg1 staining were significantly increased in islets from the type 2 diabetic subjects compared to the healthy controls. A correlation between increased Ogg1 fluorescent staining intensity and duration of diabetes was also found. Most of the staining observed was cytoplasmic, suggesting that mitochondrial Ogg1 accounts primarily for the increased Ogg1 expression. Conclusion We conclude that oxidative stress related DNA damage may be a novel important factor in the pathogenesis of human type 2 diabetes. An increase of Ogg1 in islet cell mitochondria is consistent with a model in which hyperglycemia and consequent increased β-cell oxidative metabolism lead to DNA damage and the induction of Ogg1 expression.

  7. Annual Progress Report FY-91. Volume 1 and 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    1992-03-12

    Yancy LTC MC. The Effect of Face Mask CPAP on 258 Radionuclide Ventilation Perfusion Scanning of the Lung in the Setting of Postoperative...infarction, 109, 111, 464 myocardial ischemia, 464 nail bands, 125 narcolepsy, 274 narcotics, 458, 461 nasal CPAP , 257, 258 natural history, 46, 53, 101...formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded) or flash frozen for immune cell phenotyping. Routine histochemistry, special stains, and immune cell phenotyping

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-05-01

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

  9. MANAJEMEN SARANA DAN PRASARANA PENDIDIKAN DI STAIN PAMEKASAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Muchlis Solichin

    2011-07-01

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

  10. Mapping stain distribution in pathology slides using whole slide imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fang-Cheng Yeh

    2014-01-01

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

  11. Efficacy test of a toothpaste in reducing extrinsic dental stain

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-08-01

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

  12. Factors influencing extract of Hibiscus sabdariffa staining of rat testes.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-08-01

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

  13. A radiolabel-release microwell assay for proteolytic enzymes present in cell culture media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rucklidge, G.J.; Milne, G.

    1990-01-01

    A modified method for the measurement of proteolytic enzyme activity in cell culture-conditioned media has been developed. Using the release of 3H-labeled peptides from 3H-labeled gelatin the method is performed in microwell plates. The substrate is insolubilized and attached to the wells by glutaraldehyde treatment, thus eliminating the need for a precipitation step at the end of the assay. The assay is sensitive, reproducible, and convenient for small sample volumes. The effect of different protease inhibitors on activity can be assessed rapidly allowing an early characterization of the enzyme. It can also be adapted to microplate spectrophotometric analysis by staining residual substrate with Coomassie blue

  14. Utility of Gram staining for diagnosis of Malassezia folliculitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-02-01

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Memarzadeh Mehrdad

    2009-01-01

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

  16. Alcian blue-stained particles in a eutrophic lake

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Worm, J.; Søndergaard, Morten

    1998-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lodha, Nikita; Poojary, Shital Amin

    2015-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stanley L Krugman; Julia F. Littlefield

    1968-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1996-06-01

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

  20. Nuclear staining with alum hematoxylin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Llewellyn, B D

    2009-08-01

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

  1. Purification and characterization of sheep platelet cyclo-oxygenase. Acetylation by aspirin prevents haemin binding to the enzyme.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boopathy, R; Balasubramanian, A S

    1986-01-01

    Arachidonate cyclo-oxygenase (prostaglandin synthetase; prostaglandin endoperoxide synthetase; EC 1.14.99.1) was purified from sheep platelets. The purification procedure involved hydrophobic column chromatography using either Ibuprofen-Sepharose, phenyl-Sepharose or arachidic acid-Sepharose as the first step followed by metal-chelate Sepharose and haemin-Sepharose affinity chromatography. The purified enzyme (Mr approximately 65,000) was homogeneous as observed by SDS/polyacrylamide-gel electrophoresis and silver staining. The enzyme was a glycoprotein with mannose as the neutral sugar. Haemin or haemoglobin was essential for activity. The purified enzyme could bind haemin exhibiting a characteristic absorption maximum at 410 nm. The enzyme after metal-chelate column chromatography could undergo acetylation by [acetyl-3H]aspirin. The labelled acetylated enzyme could not bind to haemin-Sepharose, presumably due to acetylation of a serine residue involved in the binding to haemin. The acetylated enzyme also failed to show its characteristic absorption maximum at 410 nm when allowed to bind haemin. Images Fig. 1. Fig. 4. PMID:3101664

  2. Stained Glass and Flu

    Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Podcasts

    2017-02-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2010-06-01

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

  4. Chromosome-specific staining to detect genetic rearrangements

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2013-04-09

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

  5. News from the Biological Stain Commission No. 11

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lyon, H O; Horobin, R W

    2012-01-01

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

  6. Antioxidant enzymes expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa exposed to UV-C radiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salma, Kloula Ben Ghorbal; Lobna, Maalej; Sana, Khefacha; Kalthoum, Chourabi; Imene, Ouzari; Abdelwaheb, Chatti

    2016-07-01

    It was well known that, UV-C irradiation increase considerably the reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels in eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms. In the enzymatic ROS-scavenging pathways, superoxide dismutase (SOD), Catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POX) were developed to deal with oxidative stress. In this study, we investigated the effects of UV-C radiations on antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidases) expression in Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Catalase, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidases activities were determined spectrophotometrically. Isozymes of superoxide dismutase were revealed by native gel activity staining method. Lipid peroxidation was determined by measuring malondialdehyde formation. Our results showed that superoxide dismutase, catalase and peroxidase activities exhibited a gradual increase during the exposure time (30 min). However, the superoxide dismutase activity was maximized at 15 min. Native gel activity staining assays showed the presence of three superoxide dismutase isozymes. The iron-cofactored isoform activity was altered after exposure to UV-C stress. These finding suggest that catalase and peroxidase enzymes have the same importance toward UV-C rays at shorter and longer exposure times and this may confer additional protection to superoxide dismutase from damage caused by lipid peroxidation. Moreover, our data demonstrate the significant role of the antioxidant system in the resistance of this important human pathogen. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nikita Lodha

    2015-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2010-09-01

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

  9. Standardization in biological staining. The influence of dye manufacturing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lyon, H

    2000-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ahmad, F.; Khan, I.

    2011-01-01

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

  11. Improvised double-embedding technique of minute biopsies: a mega boon to histopathology laboratory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yadav, Lokendra; Thomas, Sarega; Kini, Usha

    2015-01-01

    Optimal orientation of minute mucosal biopsies is essential for a definite diagnosis in gastrointestinal pathology or to visualize neural plexuses in Hirschsprung disease. The problem of minute size of the biopsy and its orientation gets compounded when they are from neonates and mandates exhaustive strip cuts, thus delaying reporting. A modified agar-paraffin technique is aimed to make tissue embedding efficient and user-friendly by inking mapping biopsies (one or more) either fresh or fixed with surgical coloring inks followed by embedding first in agar after orientation and followed thereafter by processing, re-embedding in paraffin wax, sectioning and staining. The tissues in agar paraffin block were found to be well processed, firm, held secure and well preserved. The blocks were easy to cut, with serial sections of thickness 2-3 μ and easy to spread. The colored inks remained permanently on the tissues both in the block as well as on the sections which helped in easy identification of tissues. Agar did not interfere with any stain such as Hematoxylin and Eosin or with histochemical stains, enzyme histochemistry or immunohistochemistry. Inking biopsies and pooling them in a block when obtained from the same patient reduced the number of tissue blocks. The modified agar-paraffin embedding technique is a simple reliable user friendly method that can greatly improve the quality of diagnostic information from minute biopsies by optimal orientation, better quality of sections, faster turnaround time and cost-effectiveness by economizing on the number of paraffin blocks, manpower, chemical reagents and laboratory infrastructure.

  12. Improvised double-embedding technique of minute biopsies: A mega boon to histopathology laboratory

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lokendra Yadav

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Optimal orientation of minute mucosal biopsies is essential for a definite diagnosis in gastrointestinal pathology or to visualize neural plexuses in Hirschsprung disease. The problem of minute size of the biopsy and its orientation gets compounded when they are from neonates and mandates exhaustive strip cuts, thus delaying reporting. Aim: A modified agar-paraffin technique is aimed to make tissue embedding efficient and user-friendly by inking mapping biopsies (one or more either fresh or fixed with surgical coloring inks followed by embedding first in agar after orientation and followed thereafter by processing, re-embedding in paraffin wax, sectioning and staining. Results: The tissues in agar paraffin block were found to be well processed, firm, held secure and well preserved. The blocks were easy to cut, with serial sections of thickness 2-3 μ and easy to spread. The colored inks remained permanently on the tissues both in the block as well as on the sections which helped in easy identification of tissues. Agar did not interfere with any stain such as Hematoxylin and Eosin or with histochemical stains, enzyme histochemistry or immunohistochemistry. Inking biopsies and pooling them in a block when obtained from the same patient reduced the number of tissue blocks. Conclusion: The modified agar-paraffin embedding technique is a simple reliable user friendly method that can greatly improve the quality of diagnostic information from minute biopsies by optimal orientation, better quality of sections, faster turnaround time and cost-effectiveness by economizing on the number of paraffin blocks, manpower, chemical reagents and laboratory infrastructure.

  13. Decreased mortality associated with prompt Gram staining of blood cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2008-12-01

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

  14. A new technique for Gram staining paraffin-embedded tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1979-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2000-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holm, Claus; Jespersen, Lene

    2003-05-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2006-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2010-06-15

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    1981-01-01

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

  20. S - and N-alkylating agents diminish the fluorescence of fluorescent dye-stained DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giesche, Robert; John, Harald; Kehe, Kai; Schmidt, Annette; Popp, Tanja; Balzuweit, Frank; Thiermann, Horst; Gudermann, Thomas; Steinritz, Dirk

    2017-01-25

    Sulfur mustard (SM), a chemical warfare agent, causes DNA alkylation, which is believed to be the main cause of its toxicity. SM DNA adducts are commonly used to verify exposure to this vesicant. However, the required analytical state-of-the-art mass-spectrometry methods are complex, use delicate instruments, are not mobile, and require laboratory infrastructure that is most likely not available in conflict zones. Attempts have thus been made to develop rapid detection methods that can be used in the field. The analysis of SM DNA adducts (HETE-G) by immunodetection is a convenient and suitable method. For a diagnostic assessment, HETE-G levels must be determined in relation to the total DNA in the sample. Total DNA can be easily visualized by the use of fluorescent DNA dyes. This study examines whether SM and related compounds affect total DNA staining, an issue that has not been investigated before. After pure DNA was extracted from human keratinocytes (HaCaT cells), DNA was exposed to different S- and N-alkylating agents. Our experiments revealed a significant, dose-dependent decrease in the fluorescence signal of fluorescent dye-stained DNA after exposure to alkylating agents. After mass spectrometry and additional fluorescence measurements ruled out covalent modifications of ethidium bromide (EthBr) by SM, we assumed that DNA crosslinks caused DNA condensation and thereby impaired access of the fluorescent dyes to the DNA. DNA digestion by restriction enzymes restored fluorescence, a fact that strengthened our hypothesis. However, monofunctional agents, which are unable to crosslink DNA, also decreased the fluorescence signal. In subsequent experiments, we demonstrated that protons produced during DNA alkylation caused a pH decrease that was found responsible for the reduction in fluorescence. The use of an appropriate buffer system eliminated the adverse effect of alkylating agents on DNA staining with fluorescent dyes. An appropriate buffer system is thus

  1. Etika Berbusana Mahasiswa Stain Samarinda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ida Suryani Wijaya

    2012-06-01

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

  2. A Comparison of Heat versus Methanol Fixation for Gram Staining Bacteria

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2009-01-01

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

  3. Sperm viability staining in ecology and evolution: potential pitfalls

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Holman, Luke

    2009-01-01

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

  4. Color and dichroism of silver-stained glasses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2013-01-01

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

  5. Color and dichroism of silver-stained glasses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

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

    2013-09-15

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2010-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2008-06-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-05-01

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

  9. Lasers or light sources for treating port-wine stains

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2011-01-01

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

  10. An improved method for staining cell colonies in clonogenic assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2007-06-01

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

  11. 21 CFR 864.1850 - Dye and chemical solution stains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-01

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

  12. Borax methylene blue: a spectroscopic and staining study.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1978-07-01

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

  13. Secretory structure and histochemistry test of some Zingiberaceae plants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Indriyani, Serafinah

    2017-11-01

    A secretory structure is a structure that produces a plant's metabolite substances. Secretory structures are grouped into an internal and external. Zingiberaceae plants are known as traditional medicine plants and as spice plants due to secretory structures in their tissues. The objective of the research were to describe the secretory structure of Zingiberaceae plants and to discover the qualitatively primary metabolite substances in plant's tissues via histochemistry test. The research was conducted by observation descriptive design, quantitative data including the density of secretory cells per mm². The quantitative data were analyzed by ANOVA and continued by Duncan at α = 5 %. The results showed that the secretory structures in leaves, rhizome, and the root of 14 species of Zingiberaceae plants are found in the mesophyll of leaves and cortex, and also pith in rhizome and roots. The type of secretory structure is internal. Within the root of Zingiber cassumunar Roxb.(bengle), Curcuma domestica Val. (kunyit), Curcuma zedoaria (Berg.) Roscoe (kunyit putih), Zingiber zerumbet (L.) J.E. Smith (lempuyang), Alpiniapurpurata K. Schum (lengkuas merah), and Curcuma aeruginosa Val. (temu ireng) were found amylum grains, while in Kaemferia galanga L. (kencur), Boesen bergiapandurata L. (temu kunci), and Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. (temulawak) there were no amylum grains in the root as well as in the leaves. The roots of bengle had the greatest density of amylum grain, it had 248.1 ± 9.8 secretory cells of amylum grains per mm². Lipids (oil droplets) were found in the root of bengle, Zingiber officinale Roxb. Var. emprit (jahe emprit), Zingiber officinale Roxb. Var. Gajah (jahe gajah), Zingiber officinale Roxb. Var. Rubrum (jahe merah), Keampferia angustifolia L. (kunci pepet), kunyit, kunyit putih, lempuyang, lengkua smerah, Curcuma aeruginosa Val. (temu ireng), and Curcuma mangga Val. and van Zijp (temu mangga); the root of lempuyang had the greatest density of oil

  14. Cistanche tubulosa ethanol extract mediates rat sex hormone levels by induction of testicular steroidgenic enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Tian; Chen, Chen; Yang, Man; Deng, Baiwan; Kirby, Gordon Michael; Zhang, Xiaoying

    2016-01-01

    Plants of the genus Cistanche Hoffmg. et Link (Orobanchaceae) are usually used as ethno-medicine in Eastern Asia. Pharmacology studies have shown that Cistanche possesses an androgen-like effect; however, the exact mechanism is unclear. The present study determines the effect of ethanol extract of Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) R. Wight stem (CTE) on hormone levels and testicular steroidogenic enzymes in rats. Phenylethanoid glycoside content of CTE was detected by UV spectrophotometry. Rats were fed with different doses of CTE (0.2, 0.4, and 0.8 g/kg) by intragastric administration for 20 d. Sperm parameters were measured by staining and counting method. The level of progesterone and testosterone in serum was quantified by radioimmunoassay. The expression levels of cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme (CYP11A1), 17α-hydroxylase/17, 20-lyase (CYP17A1), and a liver metabolic enzyme (CYP3A4) in the microsome were assessed by immunohistochemical staining or/and western blot analysis. The study illustrates that the administration of CTE (0.4 and 0.8 g/kg) increased sperm count (2.3- and 2.7-folds) and sperm motility (1.3- and 1.4-folds) and decreased the abnormal sperm (0.76- and 0.6-folds). The serum level of progesterone and testosterone in rats was also increased by CTE administration (p blot analysis confirmed that the expression of CYP11A1, CYP17A1, and CYP3A4 was enhanced by CTE (p < 0.05). It was also found that high-dose of CTE can cause mild hepatic edema. Our results suggest that the increase in sex hormone levels could be mediated by the induction of testicular steroidogenic enzymes.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-10-16

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

  16. Identification of interleukin-8 converting enzyme as cathepsin L.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohashi, Kensaku; Naruto, Masanobu; Nakaki, Toshio; Sano, Emiko

    2003-06-26

    IL-8 is produced by various cells, and the NH(2)-terminal amino acid sequence of IL-8 displays heterogeneity among cell types. The mature form of IL-8 has 72 amino acids (72IL-8), while a precursor form (77IL-8) of IL-8 has five additional amino acids to the 72IL-8 NH(2)-terminal. However, it has been unclear how IL-8 is processed to yield the mature form. In this study, converting enzyme was purified as a single 31-kDa band on silver-stained polyacrylamide gel from 160 l of cultured fibroblast supernatant by sequential chromatography. NH(2)-terminal amino acid sequence analysis revealed a sequence, EAPRSVDWRE, which was identified as a partial sequence of cathepsin L. Polyclonal antibodies raised against cathepsin L recognized the purified converting enzyme on Western blot. Moreover, human hepatic cathepsin L cleaved 77IL-8 between Arg(5) and Ser(6), which is the same cleavage site as the putative converting enzyme, resulting in 72IL-8 formation. These data indicate that the converting enzyme of the partially purified fraction of the human fibroblast culture supernatant was cathepsin L. Furthermore, 72IL-8 was sevenfold more potent than 77IL-8 in a neutrophil chemotaxis assay. These results show that cathepsin L is secreted from human fibroblasts in response to external stimuli and plays an important role in IL-8 processing in inflammatory sites.

  17. Optimization of pectinase enzyme production in Aspergillus fumigatus isolated from rotten fruits

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Pectinase is one of the most important industrial enzymes which was isolated from a wide variety of microorganisms such as bacteria and filamentous fungi. This enzyme has been usually used in the juice and textile industry. In this study, the isolation and optimization of pectinase-producing fungi on decaying rotten fruits were studied. Materials and methods: Isolation and screening of pectinase producing fungi have been done by plate culture on pectin medium and staining with Lugol's iodine solution. The best strain was identified by method of Pitt and Hocking as Aspergillus fumigates. The enzyme production was optimized by application of the factorial design which involves five factors, each at three levels. Five factors were carbon sources (whey, sugar, stevia and ammonium sulfate, manganese sulfate, temperature, and pH. Pectinase concentration was measured by the Miller method. Results: The results showed that the optimum condition for enzyme production was at 32 °C, PH = 6 , 3g / L manganese sulfate, 2.75g / L of ammonium sulfate, 10g / L of each carbon source (whey, stevia, and glucose. Optimum of enzyme production was observed in the presence of 1.328 mg / ml of glucose. Molecular weight of enzyme was obtained about 40 kDa by SDS-PAGE. Discussion and conclusion: The results demonstrated that this strain could grow in a wide range of carbon sources, PH and temperature. This study indicates that this strain is a good candidate for use in industrial application.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böck, P

    1979-05-15

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

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lukas Günther

    2000-01-01

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

  20. Journal of Biosciences | Indian Academy of Sciences

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    The distribution of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) in the central vocal control nuclei of the zebra finch was studied using enzyme histochemistry. AChE fibres and cells are intensely labelled in the forebrain nucleus area X, strongly labelled in high vocal centre (HVC) perikarya, and moderately to lightly labelled in the somata ...

  1. Generation of monoclonal antibodies against peptidylarginine deiminase 2 (PAD2) and development of a PAD2-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Damgaard, Dres; Palarasah, Yaseelan; Skjødt, Karsten

    2014-01-01

    The enzyme peptidylarginine deiminase 2 (PAD2) has been associated with inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis and neurodegenerative diseases including multiple sclerosis. To investigate the association of various diseases with extracellular PAD2, we raised monoclonal antibodies (m......Abs) against rabbit PAD2 and evaluated their cross-reactivity with human PAD2 by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blotting and immunohistological staining of inflamed synovial tissue. Moreover, we established a sandwich ELISA detecting human PAD2, based on two different monoclonal...... diseases....

  2. Nitrate-Dependent Degradation of Acetone by Alicycliphilus and Paracoccus Strains and Comparison of Acetone Carboxylase Enzymes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dullius, Carlos Henrique; Chen, Ching-Yuan; Schink, Bernhard

    2011-01-01

    A novel acetone-degrading, nitrate-reducing bacterium, strain KN Bun08, was isolated from an enrichment culture with butanone and nitrate as the sole sources of carbon and energy. The cells were motile short rods, 0.5 to 1 by 1 to 2 μm in size, which gave Gram-positive staining results in the exponential growth phase and Gram-negative staining results in the stationary-growth phase. Based on 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the isolate was assigned to the genus Alicycliphilus. Besides butanone and acetone, the strain used numerous fatty acids as substrates. An ATP-dependent acetone-carboxylating enzyme was enriched from cell extracts of this bacterium and of Alicycliphilus denitrificans K601T by two subsequent DEAE Sepharose column procedures. For comparison, acetone carboxylases were enriched from two additional nitrate-reducing bacterial species, Paracoccus denitrificans and P. pantotrophus. The products of the carboxylase reaction were acetoacetate and AMP rather than ADP. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis of cell extracts and of the various enzyme preparations revealed bands corresponding to molecular masses of 85, 78, and 20 kDa, suggesting similarities to the acetone carboxylase enzymes described in detail for the aerobic bacterium Xanthobacter autotrophicus strain Py2 (85.3, 78.3, and 19.6 kDa) and the phototrophic bacterium Rhodobacter capsulatus. Protein bands were excised and compared by mass spectrometry with those of acetone carboxylases of aerobic bacteria. The results document the finding that the nitrate-reducing bacteria studied here use acetone-carboxylating enzymes similar to those of aerobic and phototrophic bacteria. PMID:21841031

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2004-06-01

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

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

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

    2011-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2008-09-01

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

  6. The study of mucin histochemistry in benign and malignant lesions of prostate

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Durgaprasad N Agrawal

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of mucin stains in differentiating benign and malignant lesions of prostate. Materials and Methods: Sections were obtained from archival paraffin blocks which included randomly selected 70 cases of benign hyperplasia and 30 cases of carcinoma prostate. After confirming the diagnosis, sections were stained for Periodic Acid Schiff (PAS to study neutral mucins, Alcian blue (2.5 pH to study acidic mucins and combined Alcian blue - PAS to study the mucin character. Results: Benign hyperplasia of prostate showed positivity for neutral mucins (98.57% but not for acidic mucins, whereas prostatic carcinomas showed positivity for acidic mucins (46.66% in addition to the positivity for neutral mucins (56.66%. All the cases of low grade prostatic carcinomas showed positivity for acidic mucins but none of the high grade carcinomas showed positivity for the same. Conclusion: Positivity for acidic mucins with Alcian Blue (2.5 pH technique can be used to differentiate well differentiated adenocarcinomas of prostate from benign hyperplasia especially in those cases where prostatic lesion is a questionable malignancy either because it is so well differentiated histologically or have altered architecture so as to make it cytologically un diagnosable (P = 0.001.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-08-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2006-03-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2005-01-01

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

  10. Improvement of malaria diagnostic system based on acridine orange staining.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-02-07

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

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

  12. Virtual Biochemistry – pH effect on enzyme activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D.N. Heidrich

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Protocols of laboratory experiments, followed by teacher's explanation, not always clearly translate to the student the dynamics to beadopted for the implementation of the proposed practice. One of these cases is related to the study of the effect of pH on enzyme activity. For better help the understanding of the technical procedure, a hypermedia was built based on a protocol adopted at the Department of Biochemistry, UFSC. The hypermedia shows how theeffect of variations in pH can be observed  in vitro. Taking as example salivary amylase and the consumption of starch (substrate by means of iodine staining, a set of pH buffers was tested to identify the best pH for this enzyme  activity. This hypermedia as introductory tool for such practice was tested on aNutrition course classroom. Students agree that the hypermedia provided a better understanding of the proposed activities. Teachers also notice a smallerreagents consumption and reduction of the time spent by the students in the achievement of the experiment.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-04-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bautista, Pinky A; Yagi, Yukako

    2012-05-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yiming

    2017-11-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  17. Avian and human influenza A virus receptors in trachea and lung of animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thongratsakul, Sukanya; Suzuki, Yasuo; Hiramatsu, Hiroaki; Sakpuaram, Thavajchai; Sirinarumitr, Theerapol; Poolkhet, Chaithep; Moonjit, Pattra; Yodsheewan, Rungrueang; Songserm, Thaweesak

    2010-12-01

    Influenza A viruses are capable of crossing the specific barrier between human beings and animals resulting in interspecies transmission. The important factor of potential infectivity of influenza A viruses is the suitability of the receptor binding site of the host and viruses. The affinities of avian and human influenza virus to bind with the receptors and the distributions of receptors in animals are different. This study aims to investigate the anatomical distribution of avian and human influenza virus receptors using the double staining lectin histochemistry method. Double staining of lectin histochemistry was performed to identify both SA alpha2,3 Gal and SA alpha2,6 Gal receptors in trachea and lung tissue of dogs, cats, tigers, ferret, pigs, ducks and chickens. We have demonstrated that avian and human influenza virus receptors were abundantly present in trachea, bronchus and bronchiole, but in alveoli of dogs, cats and tigers showed SA alpha2,6 Gal only. Furthermore, endothelial cells in lung tissues showed presence of SA alpha2,3 Gal. The positive sites of both receptors in respiratory tract, especially in the trachea, suggest that all mammalian species studied can be infected with avian influenza virus. These findings suggested that dogs and cats in close contact with humans should be of greater concern as an intermediate host for avian influenza A in which there is the potential for viral adaptation and reassortment.

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

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

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

  19. TANTANGAN DAN PELUANG JURUSAN TADRIS DI IAIN/STAIN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Kosim

    2009-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2017-08-01

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

  1. A new method of lectin histochemistry for the study of brain angiogenesis. Lectin angiography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Minamikawa, T; Miyake, T; Takamatsu, T; Fujita, S

    1987-01-01

    In an attempt to analyse the kinetics of angiogenesis in the brain, we developed a new lectin-histochemical staining technique for identifying the vasculature. Three horseradish-peroxidase-conjugated lectins, i.e., Griffonia simplicifolia agglutinin 1 (GS1), Ricinus communis agglutinin 1 (RCA1) and soybean agglutinin (SBA), selectively stained vascular walls in brain-tissue sections. When these lectins were injected into the circulation of ether-anesthetized animals via the pulsating left ventricle, they bound specifically to the inner surface of endothelial cells and revealed the three-dimensional architecture of the vascular network within thick tissue preparations. When this technique, referred to a lectin angiography, was combined with 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BudR) immunohistochemistry, proliferating capillary cells could be easily identified in three-dimensional structures of the developing vasculature. Because of its simplicity and wide applicability, lectin angiography should be useful for analysing the kinetics of angiogenesis in developmental, regenerative, and pathological conditions in various tissues and organs.

  2. Chronological changes in astrocytes induced by chronic electrical sensorimotor cortex stimulation in rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morishita, Takashi; Yamashita, Akiko; Katayama, Yoichi; Oshima, Hideki; Nishizaki, Yuji; Shijo, Katsunori; Fukaya, Chikashi; Yamamoto, Takamitsu

    2011-01-01

    Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) is a treatment option for various disorders such as medically refractory pain, poststroke hemiplegia, and movement disorders. However, the exact mechanisms underlying its effects remain unknown. In this study, the effects of long-term chronic MCS were investigated by observing changes in astrocytes. A quadripolar stimulation electrode was implanted on the dura over the sensorimotor cortex of adult rats, and the cortex was continuously stimulated for 3 hours, 1 week, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks. Immunohistochemical staining of microglia (ionized calcium-binding adaptor molecule 1 [Iba1] staining) and astrocytes (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP] staining), and neuronal degeneration histochemistry (Fluoro-Jade B staining) were carried out to investigate the morphological changes following long-term chronic MCS. Iba1 staining and Fluoro-Jade B staining showed no evidence of Iba1-positive microglial changes or neurodegeneration. Following continuous MCS, GFAP-positive astrocytes were enlarged and their number increased in the cortex and the thalamus of the stimulated hemisphere. These findings indicate that chronic electrical stimulation can continuously activate astrocytes and result in morphological and quantitative changes. These changes may be involved in the mechanisms underlying the neuroplasticity effect induced by MCS.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zapata, M; Chernesky, M; Mahony, J

    1984-06-01

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

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

    OpenAIRE

    Zapata, M; Chernesky, M; Mahony, J

    1984-01-01

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

  5. Photoacoustic Imaging of Port-Wine Stains

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

    2008-01-01

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

  6. Comparative Study between topical applications liposomally entrapped DNA repair enzymes and thymidine dinucleotide as radioprotectors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shabon, M.H.; El-Bedewi, A.F.

    2005-01-01

    The delivery of active agents to the skin by liposome carriers received great interest during the last three decades. This is based on their potential to enclose various types of biological materials and to deliver them to diverse cell types. Recent work suggests that liposomes as vehicles for topical drug delivery may be superior to conventional preparations. Also, topical application of DNA repair enzymes to irradiated skin increases the rate of repair of DNA potentially damaged cells. Moreover, thymidine dinucleotide is a new skin photo-protective agent against non-ionizing radiation through induction of DNA repair. Gamma irradiation can produce DNA damage in human skin. DNA mutations have an important role in the development of skin cancer and precancerous skin lesions. Albino rats were irradiated with Cobalt-60 gamma radiation with different doses (0.5, 1.5, 3 Gy), and were treated by either thymidine dinucleotide or liposomally entrapped DNA repair enzymes topically 24 hours before irradiation. Evaluation was done histopathologically by H and E stain. Computerized image analyzer using Masson's trichrome stain was also done. Gamma radiation produced epidermal thinning and dermal inflammatory cells together with collagen fragmentation and clumping in a dose-dependent manner. Comparing between both thymidine dinucleotide and liposomally entrapped DNA repair enzymes pretreated and irradiated rats. Low dose irradiation (0.5 Gy) together with previous drugs showed preservation of epidermis with no inflammatory cells and also it maintained the normal architecture of collagen bundles. However, they were ineffective with higher doses. In conclusion our results may suggest that the effects of gamma radiation on the skin at low dose could be minimized by the use of these drugs before exposure

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alam-Eldin, Yosra Hussein; Abdulaziz, Amany Mamdouh

    2015-09-01

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

  8. Measurement of neuron soma size by fluorescent Nissl stain

    OpenAIRE

    sprotocols

    2015-01-01

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

  9. Antioxidant enzyme expression and reactive oxygen species damage in prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bostwick, D G; Alexander, E E; Singh, R; Shan, A; Qian, J; Santella, R M; Oberley, L W; Yan, T; Zhong, W; Jiang, X; Oberley, T D

    2000-07-01

    Oxidative stress results in damage to cellular structures and has been linked to many diseases, including cancer. The authors sought to determine whether the expression of three major antioxidant enzymes, copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1), manganese superoxide dismutase (SOD2), and catalase, was altered in human prostate carcinoma and its likely precursor, high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN). The level of reactive oxygen species damage was evaluated by measuring the expression of the DNA adduct 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine. The authors evaluated the tissue expression of the antioxidant enzymes in prostate carcinoma by immunohistochemistry, immunogold electron microscopy, and enzymatic assay. The polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify and screen tissue specimens for the genes of SOD1, SOD2, and extracellular SOD (SOD3). Matched paraffin embedded tissue sections were evaluated by RNA in situ hybridization for expression of SOD1 and immunohistochemically for the DNA adduct 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine. All prostatic tissues, including cancer, displayed immunoreactivity for the three antioxidant enzymes in epithelial cells, with no staining of the stroma, inflammatory cells, or endothelial cells. The number of immunoreactive cells was greater in benign epithelium than in PIN and cancer for each enzyme. The mean percentage and intensity of immunoreactive cells was greatest for SOD2, intermediate for SOD1, and lower for catalase. Staining in cancer was heterogeneous. Immunogold ultrasound studies revealed strong mitochondrial labeling for SOD2, which was greater in benign epithelium than in cancer; SOD1 labeling was invariably weaker, with nuclear labeling in benign epithelium and cytoplasmic labeling in cancer cells. There was no difference in enzyme activity for the three antioxidant enzymes between benign epithelium and cancer. No mutations were found in the 5 exons of SOD1, 5 exons of SOD2, and 3 exons of SOD3, except for 3 of 20 cases with

  10. Evaluation of immunoperoxidase staining technique in the diagnosis of Acanthamoeba keratitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sharma Savitri

    2001-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yigitsoy, Mehmet; Schmidt, Günter

    2017-03-01

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

  12. Photoacoustic imaging of port-wine stains

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

    2008-01-01

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

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2013-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-03-01

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

  15. News from the Biological Stain Commission no. 12

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lyon, H O

    2012-01-01

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

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2013-01-01

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

  17. [Improvement of Phi bodies stain and its clinical significance].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gong, Xu-Bo; Lu, Xing-Guo; Yan, Li-Juan; Xiao, Xi-Bin; Wu, Dong; Xu, Gen-Bo; Zhang, Xiao-Hong; Zhao, Xiao-Ying

    2009-02-01

    The aim of this study was to improve the dyeing method of hydroperoxidase (HPO), to analyze the morphologic features of Phi bodies and to evaluate the clinical application of this method. 128 bone marrow or peripheral blood smears from patients with myeloid and lymphoid malignancies were stained by improved HPO staining. The Phi bodies were observed with detection rate of Phi bodies in different leukemias. 69 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) specimens were chosen randomly, the positive rate and the number of Phi bodies between the improved HPO and POX stain based on the same substrate of 3, 3'diaminobenzidine were compared. The results showed that the shape of bundle-like Phi bodies was variable, long or short. while the nubbly Phi bodies often presented oval and smooth. Club-like Phi bodies were found in M(3). The detection rates of bundle-like Phi bodies in AML M(1)-M(5) were 42.9% (6/14), 83.3% (15/18), 92.0% (23/25), 52.3% (11/21), 33.3% (5/15) respectively, and those of nubbly Phi bodies were 28.6% (4/14), 66.7% (12/18), 11.1% (3/25), 33.3% (7/21), 20.0% (3/15) respectively. The detection rate of bundle-like Phi bodies in M(3) was significantly higher than that in (M(1) + M(2)) or (M(4) + M(5)) groups. The detection rate of nubbly Phi bodies in (M(1) + M(2)) group was higher than that in M(3) group. In conclusion, after improvement of staining method, the HPO stain becomes simple, the detection rate of Phi bodies is higher than that by the previous method, the positive granules are more obvious, and the results become stable. This improved method plays an important role in differentiating AML from ALL, subtyping AML, and evaluating the therapeutic results.

  18. Study of the role of epididymal alpha-glucosidase in the fertility of male rats by the administration of the enzyme inhibitor castanospermine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeung, C H; Cooper, T G

    1994-11-01

    The activity of epididymal alpha-glucosidase in adult rats was rapidly suppressed to histochemically undetectable levels within 2 days by the continuous release of the enzyme inhibitor castanospermine via a peritoneal osmotic pump at a rate of 100-200 nmol h-1. It was established that mating activities overnight depleted 72% of the spermatozoa in the distal cauda, which was replenished in 2 days, and that fertility began to decline 3 weeks after efferent duct ligation. Male rats of proven mating proficiency and fertility were treated with castanospermine, or buffered saline as control, for up to 30 days and enzyme inhibition was confirmed at the end of treatment by histochemistry. Fertility was normal at the first mating test on day 7, significantly decreased at the second mating on day 9, but recovered in a stepwise manner at subsequent matings on days 12 and 14. Delaying the third mating until day 25 did not sustain the transient subfertility. However, prolonging sperm storage in the distal cauda epididymides and preventing replenishment with freshly matured spermatozoa, by efferent duct ligation for 14 days performed on day 15 during castanospermine administration, caused a decrease in fertility and a change in the kinematics of epididymal spermatozoa of the castanospermine-treated group. In control rats, binding of epididymal spermatozoa to Vicia faba, a lectin specific for glucose and glucosamine, and mannose and mannosamine residues, decreased from the proximal caput to the distal corpus coincident with the increase in alpha-glucosidase activity on the epithelial brush border. Lectin binding then increased in the cauda where enzyme activity was absent. However, castanospermine treatment did not significantly alter this binding profile. The findings suggest that epididymal alpha-glucosidase does not play a crucial role in the development of sperm fertilizing capacity, but may be involved in the preparation of spermatozoa for storage.

  19. Systematic investigation of drip stains on apparel fabrics: The effects of prior-laundering, fibre content and fabric structure on final stain appearance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Castro, Therese C; Taylor, Michael C; Kieser, Jules A; Carr, Debra J; Duncan, W

    2015-05-01

    Bloodstain pattern analysis is the investigation of blood deposited at crime scenes and the interpretation of that pattern. The surface that the blood gets deposited onto could distort the appearance of the bloodstain. The interaction of blood and apparel fabrics is in its infancy, but the interaction of liquids and apparel fabrics has been well documented and investigated in the field of textile science (e.g. the processes of wetting and wicking of fluids on fibres, yarns and fabrics). A systematic study on the final appearance of drip stains on torso apparel fabrics (100% cotton plain woven, 100% polyester plain woven, blend of polyester and cotton plain woven and 100% cotton single jersey knit) that had been laundered for six, 26 and 52 cycles prior to testing was investigated in the paper. The relationship between drop velocity (1.66±0.50m/s, 4.07±0.03m/s, 5.34±0.18m/s) and the stain characteristics (parent stain area, axes 1 and 2 and number of satellite stains) for each fabric was examined using analysis of variance. The experimental design and effect of storing blood were investigated on a reference sample, which indicated that the day (up to five days) at which the drops were generated did not affect the bloodstain. The effect of prior-laundering (six, 26 and 52 laundering cycles), fibre content (cotton vs. polyester vs. blend) and fabric structure (plain woven vs. single jersey knit) on the final appearance of the bloodstain were investigated. Distortion in the bloodstains produced on non-laundered fabrics indicated the importance of laundering fabrics to remove finishing treatments before conducting bloodstain experiments. For laundered fabrics, both the cotton fabrics and the blend had a circular to oval stain appearance, while the polyester fabric had a circular appearance with evidence of spread along the warp and weft yarns, which resulted in square-like stains at the lowest drop velocity. A significant (pfibre content (pfibres/yarns, while for the

  20. A robust, efficient and flexible method for staining myelinated axons in blocks of brain tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahlsten, Douglas; Colbourne, Frederick; Pleus, Richard

    2003-03-15

    Previous studies have demonstrated the utility of the gold chloride method for en bloc staining of a bisected brain in mice and rats. The present study explores several variations in the method, assesses its reliability, and extends the limits of its application. We conclude that the method is very efficient, highly robust, sufficiently accurate for most purposes, and adaptable to many morphometric measures. We obtained acceptable staining of commissures in every brain, despite a wide variety of fixation methods. One-half could be stained 24 h after the brain was extracted and the other half could be stained months later. When staining failed because of an exhausted solution, the brain could be stained successfully in fresh solution. Relatively small changes were found in the sizes of commissures several weeks after initial fixation or staining. A half brain stained to reveal the mid-sagittal section could then be sectioned coronally and stained again in either gold chloride for myelin or cresyl violet for Nissl substance. Uncertainty, arising from pixelation of digitized images was far less than errors arising from human judgments about the histological limits of major commissures. Useful data for morphometric analysis were obtained by scanning the surface of a gold chloride stained block of brain with an inexpensive flatbed scanner.

  1. Optimal iodine staining of cardiac tissue for X-ray computed tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Butters, Timothy D; Castro, Simon J; Lowe, Tristan; Zhang, Yanmin; Lei, Ming; Withers, Philip J; Zhang, Henggui

    2014-01-01

    X-ray computed tomography (XCT) has been shown to be an effective imaging technique for a variety of materials. Due to the relatively low differential attenuation of X-rays in biological tissue, a high density contrast agent is often required to obtain optimal contrast. The contrast agent, iodine potassium iodide ([Formula: see text]), has been used in several biological studies to augment the use of XCT scanning. Recently I2KI was used in XCT scans of animal hearts to study cardiac structure and to generate 3D anatomical computer models. However, to date there has been no thorough study into the optimal use of I2KI as a contrast agent in cardiac muscle with respect to the staining times required, which has been shown to impact significantly upon the quality of results. In this study we address this issue by systematically scanning samples at various stages of the staining process. To achieve this, mouse hearts were stained for up to 58 hours and scanned at regular intervals of 6-7 hours throughout this process. Optimal staining was found to depend upon the thickness of the tissue; a simple empirical exponential relationship was derived to allow calculation of the required staining time for cardiac samples of an arbitrary size.

  2. Investigation Of The Color Changing Properties Of Wood Stain Derived From Pinar Leaves

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdi Atılgan

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available This study was designed to develop an environmentally friendly wood stain derived pinar (Quercus aucheri leaves and determine the color stability of this stain when exposed to UV light irradiation. Wood stains derived from pinar leaves were prepared from aqueous solution with %3 iron (FeSO4.7H2O , % 5 alum ((KAl(SO42.12H2O, and % 10 vinegar mordant mixtures. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L., Turkish oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky and oak (Quercus petraea L. wood specimens were used as staining substrates. After treatment with the stain, the wood panels were exposed to UV light irradiation for periods of 100, 200, and 300 hours and determinated the total color changes was according to ISO 2470 standards. Results showed that wood stain derived from pinar extract provided some color stability after UV irradiation. According to results, Scots pine specimens treated with the pinar extract + iron mixture provided the smallest total color changes. Meanwhile the highest total color change provided on the Scots pine treated with pinar extract+alum mixture.

  3. MEGARA Optics: stain removal in PBM2Y prisms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aguirre-Aguirre, D; Izazaga-Pérez, R; Carrasco, E; Villalobos-Mendoza, B; De Paz, A Gil; Gallego, J; Iglesias, J

    2017-01-01

    MEGARA is the new integral-field and multi-object optical spectrograph for the GTC. For medium and high resolution, the dispersive elements are volume phase holographic gratings, sandwiched between two flat windows and two prisms of high optical precision. The prisms are made of Ohara PBM2Y optical glass. After the prisms polishing process, some stains appeared on the surfaces. For this, in this work is shown the comparative study of five different products (muriatic acid, paint remover, sodium hydroxide, aqua regia and rare earth liquid polish) used for trying to eliminate the stains of the HR MEGARA prisms. It was found that by polishing with the hands the affected area, and using a towel like a kind of pad, and polish during five minutes using rare earth, the stains disappear completely affecting only a 5% the rms of the surface quality. Not so the use of the other products that did not show any apparent result. (paper)

  4. Neo-Timm staining in the thalamus of chronically epileptic rats

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamani C.

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available The thalamus is an important modulator of seizures and is severely affected in cholinergic models of epilepsy. In the present study, chronically epileptic rats had their brains processed for neo-Timm and acetylcholinesterase two months after the induction of status epilepticus with pilocarpine. Both controls and pilocarpine-treated animals presented neo-Timm staining in the anterodorsal nucleus, laterodorsal nucleus, reticular nucleus, most intralaminar nuclei, nucleus reuniens, and rhomboid nucleus of the thalamus, as well as in the zona incerta. The intensity of neo-Timm staining was similar in control and pilocarpine-treated rats, except for the nucleus reuniens and the rhomboid nucleus, which had a lower intensity of staining in the epileptic group. In animal models of temporal lobe epilepsy, zinc seems to modulate glutamate release and to decrease seizure activity. In this context, a reduction of neo-Timm-stained terminals in the midline thalamus could ultimately result in an increased excitatory activity, not only within its related nuclei, but also in anatomical structures that receive their efferent connections. This might contribute to the pathological substrate observed in chronic pilocarpine-treated epileptic animals.

  5. A histological evaluation on osteogenesis and resorption of methotrexate-loaded calcium phosphate cement in vivo

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li Dong; Yang Zhiping; Li Xin; Li Zhenfeng; Li Jianmin [Department of Orthopedics, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong (China); Yang Jingyan, E-mail: yangzhiping@medmail.com.c [Department of Pathology, 2nd Affiliated Hospital of Shandong University, Shandong (China)

    2010-04-15

    In this study, we investigated the resorption of in vivo methotrexate-loaded calcium phosphate cement (MTX-CPC) implants and their effect on osteogenesis. MTX-CPC implants containing 1% methotrexate (MTX) (weight/weight) were preset and implanted into the femoral condyle of rabbits. Calcium phosphate cement (CPC) without MTX was used as the control. The femurs were harvested at day 1 and at 1, 3 and 6 months after implantation and radiological examination were performed. Decalcified sections were examined by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining, alkaline phosphatase (ALPase) immunohistochemistry and tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAPase) enzyme histochemistry. Then, we performed histomorphometric analysis, including determination of the percentage of newly formed bone and osteoblast and osteoclast counts. The results indicated that MTX-CPC implants were biocompatible, biodegradable and osteoconducive. However, MTX release from the implantation site inhibited osteogenesis in the initial period; this inhibition weakened with time, and no difference was observed between CPC and MTX-CPC at 6 months after implantation. Hence, MTX-CPC is an excellent material for filling defects and can be used for preparing effective drug delivery systems to achieve local control of invasive bone tumors.

  6. An improved silver staining procedure for schizodeme analysis in polyacrylamide gradient gels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonio M. Gonçalves

    1990-03-01

    Full Text Available A simple protocol is described for the silver staining of polyacrylamide gradient gels used for the separation of restriction fragments of kinetoplast DNA [schizodeme analysis of trypanosomatids (Morel et al., 1980]. The method overcomes the problems of non-uniform staining and strong background color which are frequently encountered when conventional protocols for silver staining of linear gels. The method described has proven to be of general applicability for DNA, RNA and protein separations in gradient gels.

  7. [Utility of chromosome banding with ALU I enzyme for identifying methylated areas in breast cancer].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rojas-Atencio, Alicia; Yamarte, Leonard; Urdaneta, Karelis; Soto-Alvarez, Marisol; Alvarez Nava, Francisco; Cañizalez, Jenny; Quintero, Maribel; Atencio, Raquel; González, Richard

    2012-12-01

    Cancer is a group of disorders characterized by uncontrolled cell growth which is produced by two successive events: increased cell proliferation (tumor or neoplasia) and the invasive capacity of these cells (metastasis). DNA methylation is an epigenetic process which has been involved as an important pathogenic factor of cancer. DNA methylation participates in the regulation of gene expression, directly, by preventing the union of transcription factors, and indirectly, by promoting the "closed" structure of the chromatine. The objectives of this study were to identify hypermethyled chromosomal regions through the use of restriction Alu I endonuclease, and to relate cytogenetically these regions with tumor suppressive gene loci. Sixty peripheral blood samples of females with breast cancer were analyzed. Cell cultures were performed and cytogenetic spreads, previously digested with Alu I enzyme, were stained with Giemsa. Chromosomal centromeric and not centromeric regions were stained in 37% of cases. About 96% of stained hypermethyled chromosomal regions (1q, 2q, 6q) were linked with methylated genes associated with breast cancer. In addition, centromeric regions in chromosomes 3, 4, 8, 13, 14, 15 and 17, usually unstained, were found positive to digestion with Alu I enzime and Giemsa staining. We suggest the importance of this technique for the global visualization of the genome which can find methylated genes related to breast cancer, and thus lead to a specific therapy, and therefore a better therapeutic response.

  8. Efficacy of evaluation of rooster sperm morphology using different staining methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lukaszewicz, E; Jerysz, A; Partyka, A; Siudzińska, A

    2008-12-01

    This work focused on inexpensive methods of evaluation fowl sperm morphology, based on eosin-nigrosin smears, which can determine disorders in spermatogenesis and can be recommended for evaluating the fertilising potency and selecting males in flocks reproduced by artificial insemination. Four fowl breeds (Black Minorca, Italian Partridge, Forwerk and Greenleg Partridge) were used to determine the efficacy of sperm morphology evaluation using four eosin-nigrosin staining methods (according to Blom, Bakst and Cecil, Morisson, Jaśkowski) and three examiners of different experience (high, medium, novice). There were significant (P< or = 0.01) differences in sperm morphology between Blom's staining method and those of Bakst and Cecil, Morisson or Jaśkowski, irrespective of fowl breed and examiners experience. Blom stain caused sperm head swelling and showed a drastic reduction in the proportion of live spermatozoa with normal morphology. The staining method had a greater influence on sperm morphology evaluation than the experience of the examiners.

  9. A combined Bodian-Nissl stain for improved network analysis in neuronal cell culture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hightower, M; Gross, G W

    1985-11-01

    Bodian and Nissl procedures were combined to stain dissociated mouse spinal cord cells cultured on coverslips. The Bodian technique stains fine neuronal processes in great detail as well as an intracellular fibrillar network concentrated around the nucleus and in proximal neurites. The Nissl stain clearly delimits neuronal cytoplasm in somata and in large dendrites. A combination of these techniques allows the simultaneous depiction of neuronal perikarya and all afferent and efferent processes. Costaining with little background staining by either procedure suggests high specificity for neurons. This procedure could be exploited for routine network analysis of cultured neurons.

  10. Immunohistochemical positive stained p53 protein in bladder transitional cell carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Halimi Monireh

    2009-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Molecular genetics and immunopathologic analysis of bladder cancer have shown some abnormalities in a number of genes and proteins that have been implicated in the development and progression of such tumors, mainly in the p53 pathway. Aims: To investigate the rate of positively stained p53 protein in patients with urothelial papillary carcinoma of the bladder (UCB by immunohistochemistry and its relationship with tumor grade, gender and age of the patients. Settings and Design: During the present cross-sectional study, 100 paraffin-embedded specimens of UCB, which were provided from biopsies of the bladder by transurethral access, were immunohistochemically stained and studied for p53 protein from May 2006 to May 2007 in our referral center pathology laboratory. Materials and Methods: First, 4 µm slices of paraffin sections were provided and then stained by the avidin-biotin peroxidase method. The rate of positively stained p53 protein (defined as positive nuclear staining in over 10% of the cells was assessed. This rate was also estimated and compared between grades, genders and age-related groups (< 70 years, ≥70 years. Statistical Analysis: The χ2 , Fisher′s exact test and Mann-Whitney U test were used for comparing. Results: The overall rate of positively stained specimens was 11% for nuclear p53 protein. This rate was significantly higher in females (10/29 vs. 1/71; P < 0.001; odds ratio [OR]: 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.43-306.08, patients with 70 or older than 70 years (8/42 vs. 3/58; P = 0.04; OR: 0.55; 95% CI: 1.07-17.39 and in high-grade tumors (10/58 vs. 1/42; P = 0.02; OR: 0.59; 95% CI: 0.01-0.95. Conclusions: The rate of positively stained p53 protein for UCB was lower in our population. This rate was also higher in females, patients with 70 or older than 70 years and high grade of UCB.

  11. Effectiveness of clean-up procedures on stain susceptibility of different orthodontic adhesives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swati Pundlik Mane

    2014-01-01

    Conclusion: Chemical-cure adhesive showed higher stain susceptibility than light-cure adhesive in all clean-up procedures. Both adhesives would show less stain susceptibility with polishing step with rubber cup and pumice.

  12. Relationship between CNS metabolism and cytoarchitecture: a review of 14C-deoxyglucose studies with correlation to cytochrome oxidase histochemistry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Rocco, R.J.; Kageyama, G.H.; Wong-Riley, M.T.

    1989-01-01

    Since the inception of the 14 C-deoxyglucose method and its extension to in vivo imaging of regional cerebral glucose metabolism in humans by positron emission tomography, uncertainty has persisted concerning the type of work to which regional metabolism is coupled, as well as the distribution of this work within the neuron. 14 C-deoxyglucose studies indicate that functionally-coupled neural metabolism is more apparent in axon terminals and perhaps dendrites than neuronal perikarya. Moreover, it appears that most of the metabolism in axon terminals is accounted for by Na+-K+-ATPase activity. Nevertheless, cytochrome oxidase histochemistry reveals the presence of intensely reactive mitochondria in soma-dendrite regions opposite presynaptic axon terminals, thereby indicating that continuous temporal and spatial summation of postsynaptic graded potentials is associated with increased metabolism. While the situation concerning the relative postsynaptic metabolic prices of EPSP's and IPSP's remains uncertain, the presence of elevated levels of cytochrome oxidase activity within certain classes of presynaptic terminals indicates that active excitation and inhibition is associated with increases in presynaptic metabolism. This observation has been confirmed in 14 C-deoxyglucose studies. Nevertheless, studies of neonatal hippocampus indicate that, before metabolic activity shifts to dendritic and telodendritic regions of electrophysiological activity, metabolism is high in somal foci of biosynthesis. 51 references

  13. The synthetic inhibitor of Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor PD166866 controls negatively the growth of tumor cells in culture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Castelli Mauro

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Many experimental data evidence that over-expression of various growth factors cause disorders in cell proliferation. The role of the Fibroblast Growth Factors (FGF in growth control is indisputable: in particular, FGF1 and its tyrosine kinase receptor (FGFR1 act through a very complex network of mechanisms and pathways. In this work we have evaluated the antiproliferative activity effect of PD166866, a synthetic molecule inhibiting the tyrosin kinase action of FGFR1. Methods Cells were routinely grown in Dulbecco Modified Eagle's medium supplemented with newborn serum and a penicillin-streptomycin mixture. Cell viability was evaluated by Mosmann assay and by trypan blue staining. DNA damage was assessed by in situ fluorescent staining with Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL assay. Assessment of oxidative stress at membrane level was measured by quantitative analysis of the intra-cellular formation of malonyl-dialdheyde (MDA deriving from the decomposition of poly-unsaturated fatty acids. The expression of Poly-ADP-Ribose-Polymerase (PARP, consequent to DNA fragmentation, was evidenced by immuno-histochemistry utilizing an antibody directed against an N-terminal fragment of the enzyme. Results The bioactivity of the drug was investigated on Hela cells. Cytoxicity was assessed by the Mosmann assay and by vital staining with trypan blue. The target of the molecule is most likely the cell membrane as shown by the significant increase of the intracellular concentration of malonyl-dihaldheyde. The increase of this compound, as a consequence of the treatment with PD166866, is suggestive of membrane lipoperoxidation. The TUNEL assay gave a qualitative, though clear, indication of DNA damage. Furthermore we demonstrate intracellular accumulation of poly-ADP-ribose polymerase I. This enzyme is a sensor of nicks on the DNA strands and this supports the idea that treatment with the drug induces cell

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawrence, Ann-Marie; Besir, H Uuml Seyin

    2009-08-14

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

  15. Efficacy of baking soda-containing chewing gum in removing natural tooth stain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mankodi, S M; Conforti, N; Berkowitz, H

    2001-07-01

    A 14-week, double-blind, randomized clinical trial was conducted with 126 healthy volunteers to compare the efficacy of twice-daily use of 3 baking soda-containing chewing gums in removing natural tooth stain when used in conjunction with a program of regular oral hygiene. All 3 chewing gums significantly reduced extrinsic stain (P Baking Soda Gum (AHDC) reduced dental stain by 70.8%, compared to reductions of 71.9% and 65.3%, after use of 2 experimental gum formulations. Whitened appearance improved by 1.73 shade tabs using AHDC gum, and up to 2.49 shade tabs with the experimental formulations. These results suggest that the use of baking soda-containing gum after meals, in conjunction with good oral hygiene, can improve both extrinsic dental staining and the whitened appearance of teeth.

  16. Evaluation Method of Accumulated Cooking Oil Stains in Room

    OpenAIRE

    五十嵐, 由利子; 中村, 和吉; 萬羽, 郁子; Igarashi, Yuriko; Nakamura, Kazuyoshi; Banba, Ikuko

    2005-01-01

    The diffusion of the oil mist while cooking affects the entire room, leaving stains on the ceiling and walls. The validity of measuring the color difference of stains was examined by installing teflon plates in the kitchen and the adjacent space with a view to assessing the oil diffusion. Four houses were designated for the examination. In each house, four teflon plates (20×40mm) were installed on the ceiling and walls of the kitchen and the space adjacent to it. Then, one plate was removed a...

  17. Improving Gram stain proficiency in hospital and satellite laboratories that do not have microbiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guarner, Jeannette; Street, Cassandra; Matlock, Margaret; Cole, Lisa; Brierre, Francoise

    2017-03-01

    Consolidation of laboratories has left many hospitals and satellite laboratories with minimal microbiologic testing. In many hospitals and satellite laboratories, Gram stains on primary specimens are still performed despite difficultly in maintaining proficiency. To maintain Gram stain proficiency at a community 450-bed hospital with an active emergency room we designed bimonthly challenges that require reporting Gram staining and morphology of different organisms. The challenges consist of five specimens prepared by the reference microbiology laboratory from cultures and primary specimens. Twenty to 23 medical laboratory scientists participate reading the challenges. Results from the challenges are discussed with each medical laboratory scientists. In addition, printed images from the challenges are presented at huddle to add microbiology knowledge. On the first three challenges, Gram staining was read correctly in 71%-77% of the time while morphology 53%-66%. In the last six challenges correct answers for Gram stain were 77%-99% while morphology 73%-96%. We observed statistically significant improvement when reading Gram stains by providing frequent challenges to medical laboratory scientists. The clinical importance of Gram stain results is emphasized during huddle presentations increasing knowledge and motivation to perform the test for patients.

  18. Amazonian açai and food dyes for staining arbuscular- micorrhizal fungi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aline Lourdes Martins Silva

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Arbuscular mycorrhizae microscopy requires differential staining of typical structures. Dyes employed, such as trypan blue, pose risks to health and environment. Alternative dyes such as pen ink and aniline have variable coloring efficiency. In this work, Brachiaria decumbens roots, discolored with caustic soda (NaOH, were stained with açai, annatto, saffron, trypan blue and pen inks. There were significant differences among dyes regarding stained mycorrhizal structures and pictures quality. Acai was considered the best alternative dye, with similar results to trypan blue.

  19. Study of stained glass window using PIXE-PIGE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Weber, G.; Bemden, Y. Vanden; Pirotte, M.; Gilbert, B.

    2005-01-01

    We had the opportunity to study a large panel (100x80cm) containing more than 40 stained glass pieces. Among them several come from restorations having taken place at different periods. The study of this rather complex arrangement has been processed by stages:- the elemental composition of 16 zones were determined: several differences were identified and among them the Na/K ratio which allowed to set three groups of glass type; - the measurement of the Na concentrations by the two techniques give information in bulk (PIGE) and at the near surface (PIXE); the values defined by the (C PIGE -C PIXE) )/C PIGE plotted in function of the historical estimation of the age of the stained glass pieces (original and restored) indicate a real correlation between the two variables; - the red-colored pieces were specially investigated in order to determine which coloration technique was employed (bulk coloration, superficial staining, multilayered flashing, etc.); - the corrosion was investigated by scanning two different worsened zones with a 0.5mm diameter beam spot. This study shows the possibilities of the PIGE-PIXE association, but also points out some weaknesses, which have to be solved by other techniques; unfortunately, in that case, the non-destructive aspect could be lost

  20. Gram stains: a resource for retrospective analysis of bacterial pathogens in clinical studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Srinivasan, Usha; Ponnaluri, Sreelatha; Villareal, Lisa; Gillespie, Brenda; Wen, Ai; Miles, Arianna; Bucholz, Brigette; Marrs, Carl F; Iyer, Ram K; Misra, Dawn; Foxman, Betsy

    2012-01-01

    We demonstrate the feasibility of using qPCR on DNA extracted from vaginal Gram stain slides to estimate the presence and relative abundance of specific bacterial pathogens. We first tested Gram stained slides spiked with a mix of 10(8) cfu/ml of Escherichia coli and 10(5) cfu/ml of Lactobacillus acidophilus. Primers were designed for amplification of total and species-specific bacterial DNA based on 16S ribosomal gene regions. Sample DNA was pre-amplified with nearly full length 16S rDNA ribosomal gene fragment, followed by quantitative PCR with genera and species-specific 16S rDNA primers. Pre-amplification PCR increased the bacterial amounts; relative proportions of Escherichia coli and Lactobacillus recovered from spiked slides remained unchanged. We applied this method to forty two archived Gram stained slides available from a clinical trial of cerclage in pregnant women at high risk of preterm birth. We found a high correlation between Nugent scores based on bacterial morphology of Lactobacillus, Gardenerella and Mobiluncus and amounts of quantitative PCR estimated genus specific DNA (rrn copies) from Gram stained slides. Testing of a convenience sample of eight paired vaginal swabs and Gram stains freshly collected from healthy women found similar qPCR generated estimates of Lactobacillus proportions from Gram stained slides and vaginal swabs. Archived Gram stained slides collected from large scale epidemiologic and clinical studies represent a valuable, untapped resource for research on the composition of bacterial communities that colonize human mucosal surfaces.

  1. Indocyanine green staining facilitates detection of bleb leakage during trabeculectomy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Okazaki, Teruhiko; Kiuchi, Takahiro; Kawana, Keisuke; Oshika, Tetsuro

    2007-03-01

    To report a new technique to visualize bleb leakage using indocyanine green (ICG) staining during trabeculectomy. The ICG solution was widely applied over the filtering bleb including the conjunctival wound before completion of trabeculectomy. This procedure was performed in 48 eyes of 44 consecutive patients undergoing trabeculectomy between December 2004 and October 2005. Without staining, bleb leakage was not identified by the direct observation under the operating microscope. ICG staining clearly visualized aqueous leakage from the bleb in 5 eyes (10.4%). The bleb leakage in these eyes was easily repaired with 10-0 nylon sutures, and no eyes, including these 5 cases, showed bleb leakage after surgery. There were no intraoperative and postoperative complications related to ICG application. The application of ICG during trabeculectomy is a simple and useful technique to facilitate detection and repair of the bleb leakage.

  2. Mercury localization in mouse kidney over time: autoradiography versus silver staining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rodier, P.M.; Kates, B.; Simons, R.

    1988-01-01

    Several methods of silver staining have been employed to localize mercury in tissue, under the assumption that the techniques represent total Hg, but recent reports have suggested that these stains are specific for a limited fraction of the Hg present in some samples. Magos et al. hypothesized that the stains actually vary with inorganic mercury content. The purpose of the present study was to compare localization by radiolabeling to localization by one silver stain, the photoemulsion histochemical technique, in tissues prepared to contain a range of levels of total Hg and a range of levels of inorganic Hg. Mice dosed with 8 mg Hg/kg as MeHg were killed 24 hr, 1 week, or 2 weeks after exposure, to allow a decrease in total Hg and an increase in the proportion of demethylated Hg over time. Mice dosed with 4 mg Hg/kg as HgCl 2 provided samples in which all the Hg present was in the inorganic form. Atomic absorption of kidneys of mice dosed with MeHg showed that total Hg fell from 55 micrograms/g to 39 to 25 over 2 weeks, while the inorganic fraction climbed from about 2 to 27 to 35%. Grain counts from autoradiographs of 203 Hg-labeled sections correlated with total Hg content at +0.88, but silver staining was correlated with inorganic Hg content, appearing only at late termination times in MeHg-exposed animals, but soon after dosing in mice exposed to inorganic Hg. The photoemulsion histochemical technique revealed a substance strictly localized in the proximal tubules, while autoradiographs and grain counts showed total Hg to be present throughout the kidney tissue. These results support the contention that silver stains are selective for inorganic Hg

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2011-01-01

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

  4. Optimal staining methods for delineation of cortical areas and neuron counts in human brains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uylings, H B; Zilles, K; Rajkowska, G

    1999-04-01

    For cytoarchitectonic delineation of cortical areas in human brain, the Gallyas staining for somata with its sharp contrast between cell bodies and neuropil is preferable to the classical Nissl staining, the more so when an image analysis system is used. This Gallyas staining, however, does not appear to be appropriate for counting neuron numbers in pertinent brain areas, due to the lack of distinct cytological features between small neurons and glial cells. For cell counting Nissl is preferable. In an optimal design for cell counting at least both the Gallyas and the Nissl staining must be applied, the former staining for cytoarchitectural delineaton of cortical areas and the latter for counting the number of neurons in the pertinent cortical areas. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2013-01-01

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

  6. The utility of the hematoxylin and eosin staining in patients with suspected Hirschsprung disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Setiadi, Josephine Amanda; Dwihantoro, Andi; Iskandar, Kristy; Heriyanto, Didik Setyo; Gunadi

    2017-06-19

    While immunohistochemistry (IHC) methods have been widely conducted for the diagnosis of Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) in developed countries, there are very few studies on their use in developing countries where hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining is a key element of the diagnosis of HSCR. We aimed to determine the accuracy of HE staining in the diagnosis of HSCR using S100 IHC as the reference standard in Indonesia. All histopathology performed for the suspicion of HSCR patients from January 2013 to August 2015 in Dr. Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, were retrospectively reviewed. Our study included 23 HSCR patients: 9 males and 14 females. The HE staining revealed 14 negative (absence of ganglion cells) cases (61%) and 9 positive (presence of ganglion cells) cases (39%). In S100 IHC, out of the 9 positive cases by HE staining, 6 (67%) were confirmed for having ganglion cells; and out of the 14 negative cases by HE staining, 12 (86%) were reported negative and 2 (14%) were positive by S100 IHC staining. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy rates of the HE staining were 80% (95% CI: 0.51-0.95), 75% (95% CI: 0.36-0.96), 85.7% (95% CI: 0.56-0.98), 66.7% (95% CI: 0.31-0.91), and 78.3% (95% CI: 0.58-0.90), respectively. Our study showed that HE staining has relatively moderate accuracy for the diagnosis of HSCR. The use of HE staining is still recommended for the diagnosis of HSCR given the limitation of resource allocation for more expensive IHC technologies in developing countries.

  7. Marine Red Staining of a Pennsylvanian Carbonate Slope: Environmental and Oceanographic Significance

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Kooij, B.; Immenhauser, A.M.; Steuber, T; Hagmaier, M.; Bahamonde, J.R.; Samankassou, E.; Merino Tomé, O.

    2007-01-01

    Red-stained platform facies are a common feature of many carbonate settings throughout the geological record. Although the mechanisms involved in red staining of subaerially exposed or argillaceous, peri-platforin limestones are reasonably well understood, the environmental and oceanographic

  8. Stain-etched porous silicon nanostructures for multicrystalline silicon-based solar cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ben Rabha, M.; Hajji, M.; Belhadj Mohamed, S.; Hajjaji, A.; Gaidi, M.; Ezzaouia, H.; Bessais, B.

    2012-02-01

    In this paper, we study the optical, optoelectronic and photoluminescence properties of stain-etched porous silicon nanostructures obtained with different etching times. Special attention is given to the use of the stain-etched PS as an antireflection coating as well as for surface passivating capabilities. The surface morphology has been analyzed by scanning electron microscopy. The evolution of the Si-O and Si-H absorption bands was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry before and after PS treatment. Results show that stain etching of the silicon surface drops the total reflectivity to about 7% in the 400-1100 nm wavelength range and the minority carrier lifetime enhances to about 48 μs.

  9. One Small Step for the Gram Stain, One Giant Leap for Clinical Microbiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomson, Richard B

    2016-06-01

    The Gram stain is one of the most commonly performed tests in the clinical microbiology laboratory, yet it is poorly controlled and lacks standardization. It was once the best rapid test in microbiology, but it is no longer trusted by many clinicians. The publication by Samuel et al. (J. Clin. Microbiol. 54:1442-1447, 2016, http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JCM.03066-15) is a start for those who want to evaluate and improve Gram stain performance. In an age of emerging rapid molecular results, is the Gram stain still relevant? How should clinical microbiologists respond to the call to reduce Gram stain error rates? Copyright © 2016, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  10. Enzyme

    Science.gov (United States)

    Enzymes are complex proteins that cause a specific chemical change in all parts of the body. For ... use them. Blood clotting is another example of enzymes at work. Enzymes are needed for all body ...

  11. Investigation of black soot staining in houses

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fugler, D. [Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp., Ottawa, ON (Canada)

    2000-07-01

    Air quality investigators are frequently called upon to determine the origin of streaking, staining or soot marks in both new and old homes. Those marks display common characteristics: black marks along baseboards at interior or exterior walls, behind furniture and at doorways; black smudges on window frames and plastic cabinets; and even shadowing of studs on exterior wall drywall in a few cases. In most instances, carbon soot from a combustion source is the culprit. The combustion sources include furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, gas dryers, gas ranges, smoking, vehicle exhaust and candle burning. Scepticism about candle soot is prevalent among callers. As a result, a study was initiated in homes where occupants burn candles regularly to investigate soot problems. Samples were collected from five homes, and included stained carpets, filters, and swab samples of black dust or soot. All the houses selected for the study had been built within a three-year period. Some samples of candles commonly burned in those homes were burnt in a laboratory. Air quality audits had been performed in the homes and had revealed other potential pollutant sources. Best practices for cost-effective clean up and control of soot were researched in industry information. The tests conducted in the laboratory found materials consistent with candle soot or residue during microscopic investigations, but no link was established with the stained material obtained from the homes. A few tips for homeowners were included concerning candle burning, and tips for builders were also offered. 1 tab.

  12. Staining of Platyhelminthes by herbal dyes: An eco-friendly technique for the taxonomist

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Niranjan Kumar

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Aim: An environment compatible technique to stain Platyhelminthes, Fasciola gigantica, Gastrothylax crumenifer, Taenia solium, and Moniezia expansa using aqueous and alcoholic extract of sugar beet (Beta vulgaris, China rose (Hibiscus rosasinensis, and red rose (Rosa hybrida were described to minimized the deleterious effects of the synthetic dyes. Materials and Methods: Aqueous/ethanolic extracts of roses were extracted from the flowers while red beet was extracted from the roots. Results: Stained helminthes acquired a comparable level of pigmentation with the distinction of their internal structure in these natural dyes. The flukes (liver and rumen internal structure, oral and ventral/posterior sucker, cirrus sac, gravid uterus, testes, ovary, and vitallaria were appeared pink color in aqueous and alcoholic extract of either China or red rose and yellow to brown color in sugar beet stain. The interior of the proglottid of T. solium and M. expansa took yellow to brown color with good contrast in sugar beet stain and of pink to pink-red in China and red rose stain. Conclusion: The extract of roses (red rose followed by China rose followed by red beet possess the potential to replace the conventional stains in the taxonomic study of Platyhelminthes parasites.

  13. A comparative assessment of commonly employed staining ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Following an increase in the number of reports of Cryptosporidium infections and the problems encountered in detecting these organisms in faecal smears, a comparative assessment of a modification of the Sheather's flotation technique and other commonly employed staining procedures proved the modified Sheather's ...

  14. Stain-free histopathology by programmable supercontinuum pulses

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tu, Haohua; Liu, Yuan; Turchinovich, Dmitry

    2016-01-01

    The preparation, staining, visualization and interpretation of histological images of tissue is well accepted as the gold standard process for the diagnosis of disease. These methods have a long history of development, and are used ubiquitously in pathology, despite being highly time- and labour-...

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-01-15

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

  16. Juvenile localized scleroderma with port wine stain: coincidental or possible common pathogenetic association.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kacar, Seval Dogruk; Ozuguz, Pinar; Polat, Serap; Kacar, Emre; Polat, Onur; Tokyol, Cigdem

    2015-01-01

    Port wine stain and juvenile localized scleroderma are two different dermatoses usually encountered in pediatric age group. Up to now, there are reports of morphea patients initially diagnosed and treated as port wine stain. Coexistence of both diseases is not found yet. We herein present a case of juvenile localized scleroderma on the left side of trunk, with congenital port wine stain located on the ipsilateral face at V1-V2 distribution.

  17. Identification of blue staining vaccine-derived material in inflammatory lesions using cultured canine macrophages.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scruggs, Jennifer L; LeBlanc, Casey J

    2015-03-01

    Vaccine reactions are described in cytology textbooks as having eosinophilic to magenta colored globules within and admixed with inflammatory cells. Recently, we have seen increased numbers of inflammatory lesions containing blue to blue-gray globular material, with historical information suggesting an association with rabies vaccination. The purpose of the study was to confirm the blue-gray and the eosinophilic material observed microscopically in some inflammatory lesions as being vaccine-derived. Three different vaccines were cytocentrifuged and Wright stained. Vaccine aliquots were also added to the culture media of canine-derived macrophages for 24 hours and the cells subsequently harvested, cytocentrifuged, and Wright stained. The globular material present in both preparations was compared to that observed in vaccine-induced inflammatory lesions. Morin staining was used to identify metal within vaccine material in both in vitro- and in vivo-derived cytology samples. Vaccine-derived material has a characteristic color and appearance. Appearance of the material was consistent in cytologic samples, in cells incubated with the vaccine, and in cytocentrifuged preparations of the vaccine vial contents. The blue-gray globules stained positively for Morin stain, while the eosinophilic material did not stain. Vaccine-induced inflammatory lesions may contain blue to blue-gray or magenta stained globular material. Blue-gray material was associated with administration of rabies vaccine Imrab 3 TF and the observed material may be metal-containing adjuvant. Magenta material was associated with other vaccines and negative for Morin stain, suggesting a metal-free adjuvant. © 2014 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

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

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

    1998-01-01

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

  19. The Role of Hemiwicking on the Shape of a Blood Drop Stain

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiri, Samira; Martin, Kenneth; Bird, James

    2017-11-01

    Blood pattern analysis (BPA) typically assumes that an elliptical stain is due to oblique drop impact. From the eccentricity of the elliptical stain - while also accounting for gravity and drag - the source and trajectory of the blood drops can be estimated. Yet, these models generally neglect any fluid motion following impact that could influence the shape of the stain. Here we demonstrate that under certain conditions on certain materials, a blood drop will undergo anisotropic hemiwicking. Through systemic experiments and modeling, we aim to better understand this phenomenon with the goal of ultimately decreasing the uncertainty in crime scene reconstruction.

  20. Temporal variation of VOC emission from solvent and water based wood stains

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Gennaro, Gianluigi; Loiotile, Annamaria Demarinis; Fracchiolla, Roberta; Palmisani, Jolanda; Saracino, Maria Rosaria; Tutino, Maria

    2015-08-01

    Solvent- and water-based wood stains were monitored using a small test emission chamber in order to characterize their emission profiles in terms of Total and individual VOCs. The study of concentration-time profiles of individual VOCs enabled to identify the compounds emitted at higher concentration for each type of stain, to examine their decay curve and finally to estimate the concentration in a reference room. The solvent-based wood stain was characterized by the highest Total VOCs emission level (5.7 mg/m3) that decreased over time more slowly than those related to water-based ones. The same finding was observed for the main detected compounds: Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene, Xylenes, Styrene, alpha-Pinene and Camphene. On the other hand, the highest level of Limonene was emitted by a water-based wood stain. However, the concentration-time profile showed that water-based product was characterized by a remarkable reduction of the time of maximum and minimum emission: Limonene concentration reached the minimum concentration in about half the time compared to the solvent-based product. According to AgBB evaluation scheme, only one of the investigated water-based wood stains can be classified as a low-emitting product whose use may not determine any potential adverse effect on human health.

  1. Similarities and differences between the brain networks underlying allocentric and egocentric spatial learning in rat revealed by cytochrome oxidase histochemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rubio, S; Begega, A; Méndez, M; Méndez-López, M; Arias, J L

    2012-10-25

    The involvement of different brain regions in place- and response-learning was examined using a water cross-maze. Rats were trained to find the goal from the initial arm by turning left at the choice point (egocentric strategy) or by using environmental cues (allocentric strategy). Although different strategies were required, the same maze and learning conditions were used. Using cytochrome oxidase histochemistry as a marker of cellular activity, the function of the 13 diverse cortical and subcortical regions was assessed in rats performing these two tasks. Our results show that allocentric learning depends on the recruitment of a large functional network, which includes the hippocampal CA3, dentate gyrus, medial mammillary nucleus and supramammillary nucleus. Along with the striatum, these last three structures are also related to egocentric spatial learning. The present study provides evidence for the contribution of these regions to spatial navigation and supports a possible functional interaction between the two memory systems, as their structural convergence may facilitate functional cooperation in the behaviours guided by more than one strategy. In summary, it can be argued that spatial learning is based on dynamic functional systems in which the interaction of brain regions is modulated by task requirements. Copyright © 2012 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Juvenile localized scleroderma with port wine stain: Coincidental or possible common pathogenetic association

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seval Dogruk Kacar

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Port wine stain and juvenile localized scleroderma are two different dermatoses usually encountered in pediatric age group. Up to now, there are reports of morphea patients initially diagnosed and treated as port wine stain. Coexistence of both diseases is not found yet. We herein present a case of juvenile localized scleroderma on the left side of trunk, with congenital port wine stain located on the ipsilateral face at V1-V2 distribution.

  3. The usefulness of changing focus during examination using Gram staining as initial diagnostic clue for infective tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Atsukawa, Yoshiko; Kawakami, Sayoko; Asahara, Miwa; Ishigaki, Shinobu; Tanaka, Takashi; Ono, Yasuo; Nishiya, Hajime; Fujisaki, Ryuichi; Koga, Ichiro; Ota, Yasuo; Miyazawa, Yukihisa

    2011-08-01

    Gram staining is a useful technique for detecting bacteria but is highly questionable in detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Its detection generally requires special staining, such as Ziehl-Neelsen staining. We experienced three cases in which tuberculosis was first suggested by Gram staining of sputum or pus, confirmed by Ziehl-Neelsen staining, and diagnosed by polymerase chain reaction or culture. To find colorless tubercle bacilli in clinical samples with various organisms, varying the focus to slightly longer and shorter during study of the slides is indispensable. We present criteria for detecting infective pulmonary tuberculosis in Gram staining. First, in the ordinary focus, weakly stained, thin, gram-positive bacilli are found; second, with a slightly longer focus distance, the thin, cord-like, conspicuous gram-positive bacilli can be observed; and third, with a shorter focus distance, the gram-positive bacilli have changed into the brightened, colorless, or ghost ones. Four laboratory technologists each evaluated 20 Gram-stained samples after being lectured on the criteria, with no prior information about the sample. They accurately evaluated the presence of the bacilli in Gram-stained preparations in more than 90% of samples containing 3+ bacilli on Ziehl-Neelsen staining. Gram staining is available as an easy and rapid initial clue to recognize highly infective tuberculosis.

  4. An optimized staining technique for the detection of Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria within tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Becerra, Sandra C; Roy, Daniel C; Sanchez, Carlos J; Christy, Robert J; Burmeister, David M

    2016-04-12

    Bacterial infections are a common clinical problem in both acute and chronic wounds. With growing concerns over antibiotic resistance, treatment of bacterial infections should only occur after positive diagnosis. Currently, diagnosis is delayed due to lengthy culturing methods which may also fail to identify the presence of bacteria. While newer costly bacterial identification methods are being explored, a simple and inexpensive diagnostic tool would aid in immediate and accurate treatments for bacterial infections. Histologically, hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and Gram stains have been employed, but are far from optimal when analyzing tissue samples due to non-specific staining. The goal of the current study was to develop a modification of the Gram stain that enhances the contrast between bacteria and host tissue. A modified Gram stain was developed and tested as an alternative to Gram stain that improves the contrast between Gram positive bacteria, Gram negative bacteria and host tissue. Initially, clinically relevant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus were visualized in vitro and in biopsies of infected, porcine burns using routine Gram stain, and immunohistochemistry techniques involving bacterial strain-specific fluorescent antibodies as validation tools. H&E and Gram stain of serial biopsy sections were then compared to a modification of the Gram stain incorporating a counterstain that highlights collagen found in tissue. The modified Gram stain clearly identified both Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria, and when compared to H&E or Gram stain alone provided excellent contrast between bacteria and non-viable burn eschar. Moreover, when applied to surgical biopsies from patients that underwent burn debridement this technique was able to clearly detect bacterial morphology within host tissue. We describe a modification of the Gram stain that provides improved contrast of Gram positive and Gram negative microorganisms within host

  5. Weathering effects on materials from historical stained glass windows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    García-Heras, M.

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available A selection of materials (stained glasses, lead cames, support elements and putty from historical stained glass windows of different periods (13th-19th centuries have been studied. Optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry and X-ray diffraction were used as characterization techniques. Degradation of historical stained glass windows is due to the particular chemical composition oftlie materials used for their production: stained glasses, lead network, metallic support elements and refilling putty. However, the presence of a given chemical composition is not the only factor involved in the degradation process. It is necessary the occurrence of other external factors that contribute to the development and progress of alteration problems in the materials mentioned above. The presence of gaseous pollution in the air produces a negative interaction with the surface of the stained glass windows materials. Firstly, the stained glasses and the grisailles begin a dealkalinisation process and a silica gel layer is formed during the early contact between the glasses and the wet environment. After that, insoluble salt deposits and corrosion crusts are formed as a consequence of a deeper chemical attack which results in a depolymerisation of the glass network. The lead cames and the metallic support elements are also altered by weathering. Such materials are oxidized and both pits and crusts appear on their surfaces. The transport of ions and other substances from the corrosion crusts of the metallic elements gives rise new deposits upon the stained glasses, which could intensify their own degradation processes. The putty experiments a noticeable shrinkage and cracking. Likewise, adverse environmental conditions favour the transport of putty substances towards the other materials of the stained glass window, thereby increasing the crusts thickness and adding elements that contribute to the total alteration of the

  6. Teeth re-whitening effect of strawberry juice on coffee stained teeth

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Annisya Pramesti

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Many people favor coffee. However, regarding health and aesthetic dentistry, coffee gives a negative effect. Tanin in coffee causes a brown stain on the tooth surface. Therefore, in aesthetic dental care, teeth whitening has become popular matter. One of the natural ingredients used for teeth whitening treatment is strawberry. The purpose of this study was to obtained data regarding the effect of strawberry juice on the re-whitening process of the coffee-stained tooth enamel surface. This study was a pure experimental in-vitro using Friedman and Wilcoxon Matched Pairs Tests for statistical analysis. The population of this study was anterior teeth. The samples were maxillary central incisors. The sampling technique using sample size determination based on the testing formulas of the difference of two average data pairs resulted in 11 specimens. The result of the research showed that all coffee-stained teeth sample had an increasing enamel colour index. The samples were then applied with strawberry juice resulted in a significant average difference colour index value indicated by p<0.001. The conclusion of this research indicated that there was an effect of strawberry juice on the coffee-stained teeth re-whitening process.

  7. WITHDRAWN: Amnioinfusion for meconium-stained liquor in labour.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofmeyr, G Justus

    2009-01-21

    Amnioinfusion aims to prevent or relieve umbilical cord compression during labour by infusing a solution into the uterine cavity. It is also thought to dilute meconium when present in the amniotic fluid and so reduce the risk of meconium aspiration. However, it may be that the mechanism of effect is that it corrects oligohydramnios (reduced amniotic fluid), for which thick meconium staining is a marker. The objective of this review was to assess the effects of amnioinfusion for meconium-stained liquor on perinatal outcome. The Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group trials register (October 2001) and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Issue 3, 2001) were searched. Randomised trials comparing amnioinfusion with no amnioinfusion for women in labour with moderate or thick meconium-staining of the amniotic fluid. Eligibility and trial quality were assessed by one reviewer. Twelve studies, most involving small numbers of participants, were included. Under standard perinatal surveillance, amnioinfusion was associated with a reduction in the following: heavy meconium staining of the liquor (relative risk 0.03, 95% confidence interval 0.01 to 0.15); variable fetal heart rate deceleration (relative risk 0.65, 95% confidence interval 0.49 to 0.88); and reduced caesarean section overall (relative risk 0.82, 95% confidence interval 0.69 to 1.97). No perinatal deaths were reported. Under limited perinatal surveillance, amnioinfusion was associated with a reduction in the following: meconium aspiration syndrome (relative risk 0.24, 95% confidence interval 0.12 to 0.48); neonatal hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy (relative risk 0.07, 95% confidence interval 0.01 to 0.56) and neonatal ventilation or intensive care unit admission (relative risk 0.56, 95% confidence interval 0.39 to 0.79); there was a trend towards reduced perinatal mortality (relative risk 0.34, 95% confidence interval 0.11 to 1.06). Amnioinfusion is associated with improvements in perinatal outcome

  8. Simultaneous demonstration of acid phosphatase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in mouse hepatocytes. A novel electron-microscopic dual staining enzyme-cytochemistry

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    S Matsubara

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Acid phosphatase (ACPase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD play important roles in cell biology/disease pathophysiology in various organs including the liver. The purpose of the present report is to introduce a new enzymecytochemical method to simultaneously demonstrate the subcellular localization of ACPase and G6PD within the same hepatocyte in the mouse liver. The ultrastructural localization of ACPase and G6PD were demonstrated, with concomitant use of the cerium method and the copper-ferrocyanide method, respectively. ACPase labelings were localized in the lysosomes, and G6PD labelings were visible in the cytoplasm and on the cytosolic side of the endoplasmic reticulum of the hepatocyte. This novel double staining procedure may be a useful histochemical tool for the study of liver functions in both physiological and pathological conditions.

  9. Prophylactic cefazolin in amnioinfusions administered for meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwards, R K; Duff, P

    1999-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To determine if amnioinfusion with an antibiotic solution decreased the rate of clinical chorioamnionitis and puerperal endometritis in patients with meconium-stained amniotic fluid. METHODS: Patients in labor at 36 weeks of gestation or greater with singleton pregnancies and meconium-stained amniotic fluid were randomized to receive either cefazolin, 1 g/1,000 mL, of normal saline (n = 90) or normal saline (n = 93) amnioinfusion. Rates of clinically diagnosed chorioamnionitis and endometritis and of suspected and culture-proven neonatal infection were determined. RESULTS: Between the study and control groups, the incidences of clinical chorioamnionitis (7.8% vs. 8.6%), endometritis (2.4% vs. 3.5%), aggregate intrauterine infection (10.0% vs. 11.8%), suspected neonatal infection (17.8% vs. 21.5%), and proven neonatal infection (0.0% vs. 2.2%) were not significantly different. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic use of cefazolin in amnioinfusions did not significantly reduce rates of maternal or neonatal infection in patients with meconium-stained amniotic fluid. PMID:10371474

  10. Morphological characteristics of developmental stages of Acanthamoeba and Naegleria species before and after staining by various techniques.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ithoi, Init; Ahmad, Arine-Fadzlun; Mak, J W; Nissapatorn, Veeranoot; Lau, Yee-Ling; Mahmud, Rohela

    2011-11-01

    Seven stains were studied to determine the best color and contrast for staining the developmental stages of free living pathogenic Acanthamoeba and Naegleria species. The acid-fast bacilli stain (AFB) produced a blue color without contrast; trichrome-eosin and modified Field's showed various color contrasts; Giemsa, iron-hematoxylin, modified AFB and Gram produced only one color which distinguished the nucleus, nucleolus, cytoplasm, food- and water-vacuoles. The motile organs (acanthopodia, pseudopodia, lobopodia and flagella) were also clearly differentiated but produced a similar color as the cytoplasm. These motile organelles were first induced by incubating at 37 degrees C for at least 15 minutes and then fixing with methanol in order to preserve the protruding morphology prior to staining. The trichrome-eosin and iron-hematoxylin stains showed good color contrast for detecting all three stages, the trophozoite, cyst and flagellate; Giemsa and Gram stained the trophozoite and flagellate stages; the modified Field's and modified AFB stains stained only the trophozoite stage. Depending on the purpose, all these stains (except the AFB stain) can be used to identify the developmental stages of Acanthamoeba and Naegleria for clinical, epidemiological or public health use.

  11. Microscopic analysis of MTT stained boar sperm cells

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    tulyasys

    2015-06-08

    2H-tetrazolium bromide is widely used for assessment of cytotoxicity, cell viability, and proliferation studies in cell biology (van Meerloo et al., 2011;. Stockert et al., 2012). The stain is abbreviated as MTT.

  12. Propidium iodide (PI) stains Nissl bodies and may serve as a quick marker for total neuronal cell count.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Junfei; Li, Chunman; Wu, Haihui; Feng, Xianling; Su, Qingning; Li, Shihe; Zhang, Lihong; Yew, David Tai Wai; Cho, Eric Yu Pang; Sha, Ou

    2015-03-01

    Propidium iodide (PI) reacts with both DNA and RNA and is a commonly used fluorescent reagent for nucleic acid staining. The aim of the study was to compare the cellular staining patterns of PI with that of Nissl staining in rat nervous tissues and to report a modified staining method that selectively labels Nissl bodies in neurons. Cryosections and paraffin sections of different tissues of normal Sprague-Dawley rats, including trigeminal ganglia, dorsal root ganglia, spinal cord, liver, and small intestine, were stained by either PI or the hematoxylin and eosin method. Some sections were treated with RNase or DNase before the above staining, and some were double stained with PI and a Nissl stain. The sections were observed by light, fluorescence or confocal microscopy. Results showed strong PI signals detected as patterns of granules in the neuronal cytoplasm of all nervous tissues, whereas the staining of neuronal nuclei was weaker. In contrast, nuclei of neuroglial cells were strongly stained by PI, while the cytoplasm was not obviously stained. Pretreatment of the neural tissue with RNase abolished the PI signals. Furthermore, the PI positive granules in neuronal cytoplasm co-localized with Nissl bodies stained by the fluorescent Nissl stain. When the tissue was pretreated with DNase, PI only stained the cytoplasmic granules of neurons, but not that of glial cells. Our results show that PI stains Nissl bodies and may serve as an economical and convenient neuron marker for neuronal cell counting when specific neural markers such as antibodies are not readily available. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier GmbH.

  13. The effect of corrosion on stained glass windows

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laissner, Johanna

    1996-06-01

    Full Text Available Stained glass windows belong to the most important cultural heritage of Europe. Within the last decades a disastrous deterioration took place. The wonderful stained glass windows and their glass paintings as pieces of art are acutely menaced by environmental corrosive influences. This corrosion process is a very complex reaction which is not only influenced by temperature and humidity changes but also by gaseous pollutants like sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides or ozone, by dust and air, microorganisms as well as synergetic interactions. Strongly affected by these environmental attacks are medieval stained glasses due to their chemical composition. They have a low content in silica and high contents of modifier ions (e.g. potassium and calcium. The corrosion phenomena can range from predominantly pitting on the surface to the formation of thick corrosion crusts which are turning the panel opaque and thus reducing strongly the transparency of the windows. In order to set up a conservation and restoration concept, it is necessary to know about the environmental conditions to which the stained glass windows are exposed. For this purpose very corrosion sensitive model glasses (so called glass sensors were developed which have a similar chemical composition as historic stained glasses. They exhibit the same corrosion reactions but react much faster, and are now widely used to estimate corrosive stresses on stained glass windows to give basic information about the corrosive impacts which work on the historic glasses. In this paper principle corrosion mechanisms of stained glass windows and their enhancing factors are discussed. For the evaluation of the environmental impact, the application of glass sensors is demonstrated.

    Las vidrieras coloreadas pertenecen al legado cultural más importante de Europa. En las últimas décadas se ha producido en ellas un desastroso deterioro. Las maravillosas vidrieras coloreadas y sus policromías est

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2018-01-03

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

  15. Staining Methods for Normal and Regenerative Myelin in the Nervous System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carriel, Víctor; Campos, Antonio; Alaminos, Miguel; Raimondo, Stefania; Geuna, Stefano

    2017-01-01

    Histochemical techniques enable the specific identification of myelin by light microscopy. Here we describe three histochemical methods for the staining of myelin suitable for formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded materials. The first method is conventional luxol fast blue (LFB) method which stains myelin in blue and Nissl bodies and mast cells in purple. The second method is a LBF-based method called MCOLL, which specifically stains the myelin as well the collagen fibers and cells, giving an integrated overview of the histology and myelin content of the tissue. Finally, we describe the osmium tetroxide method, which consist in the osmication of previously fixed tissues. Osmication is performed prior the embedding of tissues in paraffin giving a permanent positive reaction for myelin as well as other lipids present in the tissue.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2010-01-01

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

  17. Gram staining of protected pulmonary specimens in the early diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mimoz, O; Karim, A; Mazoit, J X; Edouard, A; Leprince, S; Nordmann, P

    2000-11-01

    We evaluated prospectively the use of Gram staining of protected pulmonary specimens to allow the early diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), compared with the use of 60 bronchoscopic protected specimen brushes (PSB) and 126 blinded plugged telescopic catheters (PTC) obtained from 134 patients. Gram stains were from Cytospin slides; they were studied for the presence of microorganisms in 10 and 50 fields by two independent observers and classified according to their Gram stain morphology. Quantitative cultures were performed after serial dilution and plating on appropriate culture medium. A final diagnosis of VAP, based on a culture of > or = 10(3) c.f.u. ml-1, was established after 81 (44%) samplings. When 10 fields were analysed, a strong relationship was found between the presence of bacteria on Gram staining and the final diagnosis of VAP (for PSB and PTC respectively: sensitivity 74 and 81%, specificity 94 and 100%, positive predictive value 91 and 100%, negative predictive value 82 and 88%). The correlation was less when we compared the morphology of microorganisms observed on Gram staining with those of bacteria obtained from quantitative cultures (for PSB and PTC respectively: sensitivity 54 and 69%, specificity 86 and 89%, positive predictive value 72 and 78%, negative predictive value 74 and 84%). Increasing the number of fields read to 50 was associated with a slight decrease in specificity and positive predictive value of Gram staining, but with a small increase in its sensitivity and negative predictive value. The results obtained by the two observers were similar to each other for both numbers of fields analysed. Gram staining of protected pulmonary specimens performed on 10 fields predicted the presence of VAP and partially identified (using Gram stain morphology) the microorganisms growing at significant concentrations, and could help in the early choice of the treatment of VAP. Increasing the number of fields read or having the Gram

  18. Early colonic dysplasia: comparison of differential mucin staining and tritiated thymidine labeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chabot, J.A.; Colacchio, T.A.

    1985-01-01

    Controversy has arisen regarding the interpretation and significance of histochemical changes in the mucin produced by the globlet cells in colonic mucosa. The shift from sulfomucin to sialomucin, which is readily identified utilizing high iron diamine-alcian blue staining techniques, has been alternately interpreted as a specific, early dysplastic and premalignant change or a nonspecific generalized response to trauma and inflammation, among others. An attempt to clarify this issue was made by comparing mucin changes identified by high iron diamine-alcian blue staining techniques with increases in DNA synthetic activity identified utilizing autoradiographic analysis of tritiated thymidine uptake. Male Holtzman rats were treated with 15 weekly subcutaneous injections of dimethylhydrazine (30 mg/kg per week) (10 rats) or placebo (10 rats). The colons were prepared and fixed, sequential sections were stained with hematoxylin-eosin or high iron diamine-alcian blue, autoradiography was performed. Analyses of labeling index showed no difference in normal background crypts between the control and treatment groups nor in crypts adjacent to those displaying abnormal mucin staining. Crypts with abnormal mucin production (sialomucin dominant) had significantly higher labeling indexes when compared with those of control animals (p less than 0.005). These findings indicate that the shifts in mucin production identified with high iron diamine-alcian blue staining represent crypts with increased and abnormally distributed mitotic activity that is an early dysplastic response to the carcinogenic stimulus

  19. Characterization of the enzymes present in the cellulase system of Thielavia terrestris 255B

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gilbert, Michel; Breuil, Colette; Saddler, J N [Forintek Canada Corp., Ottawa, ON (CA). Dept. of Biotechnology and Chemistry

    1992-01-01

    The authors initiated a study of the cellulases from the thermophilic fungus Thielavia terrestris 255B to see how they compared with enzymes derived from mesophilic fungi such as Trichoderma. To try to obtain maximum production of a complete cellulase system, the fungus was first grown on a variety of soluble and insoluble substrates. As well as assaying the culture filtrates for cellulase activity and protein concentration, the enzyme profiles were compared using non-denaturing electrophoretic techniques (IEF and native-PAGE). The separation by native-PAGE and IEF was followed by activity staining methods to detect endoglucanase and xylanase activities. Native-PAGE could not be used to determine accurately the M{sub r} of the cellulases because of possible differences in mass/charge ratios. Bands with apparent M{sub r} values above 200000 were reproducibly detected. This suggested that the various cellulase components may be organized into high molecular weight complexes. (author).

  20. Gram and acridine orange staining for diagnosis of septic arthritis in different patient populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cunningham, Gregory; Seghrouchni, Khalid; Ruffieux, Etienne; Vaudaux, Pierre; Gayet-Ageron, Angèle; Cherkaoui, Abdessalam; Godinho, Eduardo; Lew, Daniel; Hoffmeyer, Pierre; Uçkay, Ilker

    2014-06-01

    The sensitivity of Gram staining is known to be suboptimal for the diagnosis of native joint septic arthritis. We lack information about the accuracy of Gram compared to other microscopic staining techniques for predicting infection in different patient populations. This was a cohort study with cost evaluations at the Orthopaedic Service of Geneva University Hospitals (January 1996-October 2012). Among 500 episodes of arthritis (196 with immunosuppression, 227 with underlying arthroplasties and 69 with gout or other crystals in synovial fluid), Gram staining revealed pathogens in 146 episodes (146/500, 29 %) or in 146 of the 400 culture-positive episodes (37 %). Correlation between the Gram and acridine staining of the same sample was good (Spearman 0.85). Overall, the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of Gram stain for rapid diagnosis of septic arthritis was 0.37, 0.99, 0.99 and 0.28, respectively, compared to microbiological cultures. Quite similar values were recorded across the different patient subpopulations, in particular for sensitivity values that were 0.33 for patients with prosthetic joint infections, 0.40 for immunosuppressed patients, 0.36 for patients under antibiotic administration and 0.52 for patients with concomitant crystalline disease. The sensitivity of Gram or acridine orange staining for a rapid diagnosis of episodes of septic arthritis is suboptimal compared to microbiological culture, regardless of underlying conditions, immunosuppression or antibiotic therapy. The sensitivity in the presence of synovial fluid crystals is moderate. Acridine orange and Gram stains are equivalent.

  1. Characterisation of medieval yellow silver stained glass from Convento de Cristo in Tomar, Portugal

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Delgado, J. [Dep. de Conservacao e Restauro, FCT-UNL, Quinta da Torre, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Vilarigues, M. [Dep. de Conservacao e Restauro, FCT-UNL, Quinta da Torre, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); VICARTE, FCT-UNL, Quinta da Torre, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Ruivo, A. [VICARTE, FCT-UNL, Quinta da Torre, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); REQUIMTE, FCT-UNL, Quinta da Torre, 2829-516 Caparica (Portugal); Corregidor, V.; Silva, R.C. da [Unidade de Fisica e Aceleradores, LFI, ITN, E.N.10, 2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal); CFNUL, Av., Prof. Gama Pinto n 2, 1649-003 Lisboa (Portugal); Alves, L.C., E-mail: lcalves@itn.pt [Unidade de Fisica e Aceleradores, LFI, ITN, E.N.10, 2686-953 Sacavem (Portugal); CFNUL, Av., Prof. Gama Pinto n 2, 1649-003 Lisboa (Portugal)

    2011-10-15

    Yellow decoration effects in stained glasses using silver staining were first applied in the beginning of the 14th century. The glass piece being decorated was usually painted on its side intended to be facing the exterior environment, and then fired to temperatures between 500 and 650 {sup o}C, resulting in colours ranging from pale lemon to deep orange. Stained glass fragments painted by this process and belonging to the Convento de Cristo, in Tomar, Portugal, were characterised using micro-PIXE, and complemented with other analytical techniques, namely UV-Vis spectroscopy and XRF. Preliminary analysis showed that a mixture of Ag and Cu was used for the production of the yellow staining. In order to understand this staining process and the influence of the firing temperature on the resulting colours, several soda and potash glasses with compositions similar to those of medieval glasses were produced and characterised. The role played by the addition of Cu in the final colours was also investigated.

  2. Differences in staining intensities affect reported occurrences and concentrations of Giardia spp. in surface drinking water sources.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alderisio, K A; Villegas, L F; Ware, M W; McDonald, L A; Xiao, L; Villegas, E N

    2017-12-01

    USEPA Method 1623, or its equivalent, is currently used to monitor for protozoan contamination of surface drinking water sources worldwide. At least three approved staining kits used for detecting Cryptosporidium and Giardia are commercially available. This study focuses on understanding the differences among staining kits used for Method 1623. Merifluor and EasyStain labelling kits were used to monitor Cryptosporidium oocyst and Giardia cyst densities in New York City's raw surface water sources. In the year following a change to the approved staining kits for use with Method 1623, an anomaly was noted in the occurrence of Giardia cysts in New York City's raw surface water. Specifically, Merifluor-stained samples had higher Giardia cyst densities as compared with those stained with EasyStain. Side by side comparison revealed significantly lower fluorescence intensities of Giardia muris as compared with Giardia duodenalis cysts when labelled with EasyStain. This study showed very poor fluorescence intensity signals by EasyStain on G. muris cysts resulting in lower cyst counts, while Merifluor, with its broader Giardia cyst staining specificity, resulted in higher cyst counts, when using Methods 1623. These results suggest that detected Giardia cyst concentrations are dependent on the staining kits used, which can result in a more or less conservative estimation of occurrences and densities of zoonotic Giardia cysts by detecting a broader range of Giardia species/Assemblages. Published 2017. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

  3. Gloss and Stain Resistance of Ceramic-Polymer CAD/CAM Restorative Blocks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lawson, Nathaniel C; Burgess, John O

    2016-03-01

    To evaluate the gloss and stain resistance of several new ceramic-polymer CAD/CAM blocks Specimens (4 mm) were sectioned from: Enamic (polymer-infused ceramic), LAVA Ultimate (nano-ceramic reinforced polymer), e.max (lithium disilicate), Paradigm C (porcelain), and Paradigm MZ100 (composite). Specimens were wet polished on a polishing wheel to either 320 grit silicon paper (un-polished, N = 8) or 2000 grit silicon carbide papers followed by a 0.05 μm alumina slurry (polished, N = 8). Initial gloss and color (L*a*b*) values were measured. Specimens were stored in a staining solution at 37°C in darkness for 12 days (simulating 1 year). After storage, L*a*b* values re-measured. Change in color was reported as ΔE00 based on the CIEDE2000 formula. Gloss and ΔE00 were analyzed by two-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) (alpha = .05). Separate one-way ANOVA and Tukey post-hoc analyses were performed for both polish conditions and all materials. Two-way ANOVA showed that factors material, polish and their interaction were significant for both gloss and ΔE00 (p gloss and less color change than all other materials. The composition and polish of CAD/CAM materials affects gloss and stain resistance. Ceramic-polymer hybrid materials can achieve the high gloss required for esthetic restorations. These materials should be polished in order to minimize staining. If polished, all of the tested materials exhibited clinically acceptable color changes at 1 year of simulated staining. (J Esthet Restor Dent 28:S40-S45, 2016). © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Anti-theft device staining on banknotes detected by mass spectrometry imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Correa, Deleon Nascimento; Zacca, Jorge Jardim; Rocha, Werickson Fortunato de Carvalho; Borges, Rodrigo; de Souza, Wanderley; Augusti, Rodinei; Eberlin, Marcos Nogueira; Vendramini, Pedro Henrique

    2016-03-01

    We describe the identification and limits of detection of ink staining by mass spectrometry imaging (MSI), as used in anti-theft devices (ATDs). Such ink staining is applied to banknotes during automated teller machine (ATM) explosions. Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) coupled with high-resolution and high-accuracy orbitrap mass spectrometry (MS) and a moving stage device were applied to obtain 2D molecular images of the major dyes used for staining, that is, 1-methylaminoanthraquinone (MAAQ), rhodamine B (RB) and rhodamine 6G (R6G). MAAQ could not be detected because of its inefficient desorption by DESI from the banknote cellulose surface. By contrast, ATD staining on banknotes is perceptible by the human naked eye only at concentrations higher than 0.2 μg cm(-2), whereas both RB and R6G at concentrations 200 times lower (as low as 0.001 μg cm(-2)) could be easily detected and imaged by DESI-MSI, with selective and specific identification of each analyte and their spatial distribution on samples from suspects. This technique is non-destructive, and no sample preparation is required, which ensures sample preservation for further forensic investigations. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.

  5. Effectiveness of Vascular Markers (Immunohistochemical Stains) in Soft Tissue Sarcomas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Naeem, Namra; Mushtaq, Sajid; Akhter, Noreen; Hussain, Mudassar; Hassan, Usman

    2018-05-01

    To ascertain the effectiveness of IHC markers of vascular origin like CD31, CD34, FLI1 and ERG in vascular soft tissue sarcomas including angiosarcomas, Kaposi sarcomas, epithelioid hemangioendothelioma and a non-vascular soft tissue sarcoma (Epithelioid sarcoma). Descriptive study. Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital and Research Centre, Lahore, from 2011 to 2017. Diagnosed cases of angiosarcomas (n=48), epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (n=9), Kaposi sarcoma (n=9) and epithelioid sarcoma (n=20) were selected. Immunohistochemical staining as performed on formalin fixed paraffin embedded sections. The sections were stained for the following markers: CD34 (VENTANA clone Q Bend 10), CD31 (Leica clone 1 A 10), FLI1 (CELL MARQUE clone MRQ-1) and ERG (CELL MARQUE clone EP111). A complete panel of CD34, CD31 and ERG was applied on 8/48 cases of angiosarcomas with triple positivity in 6 cases. Eight cases showed positivity for only CD31 and ERG and 2 cases showed positivity for only ERG. A complete panel of CD34, CD31 and ERG was applied on 3/9 cases of epithelioid hemangioendothelioma with positivity for all markers in 2 cases. Combined positivity for ERG and CD34 was seen in 2 cases and on 4 cases only CD31 immunohistochemical was solely applied with 100% positivity. FLI1 was not applied on any case. Among 9 cases of Kaposi sarcoma, ERG, CD34 and CD31 in combination were applied on only 1 case with triple positivity. Remaining cases show positivity for either CD34, CD31 or FLI1. Majority of cases of epithelioid sarcomas were diagnosed on the basis of cytokeratin and CD34 positivity with loss of INI1. The other vascular markers showed negativity in all cases. Among these four markers, ERG immunohistochemical stain is highly effective for endothelial differentiation due to its specific nuclear staining pattern in normal blood vessel endothelial cells (internal control) as well as neoplastic cells of vascular tumors and lack of background staining.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. Rieger

    2013-07-01

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

  7. Novel Biocatalysts Combining the Special Assembly Properties of S-Layer Proteins and the Functionality of Enzymes of Extremophiles (BIOCAT)

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-04-14

    recrystallization properties of rSbpA/LamAAs shown by transmission electron microscopy of negatively stained preparations. rSbpA/LamA had the capability...the restriction sites BamHl and Noll were introduced at the 5’ and 3’ ends, respectively. For expression, all recombinant plasm ids were established...Laccase oxidizes hydroquinone to quinone by releasing two protons and two electrons . In the presence of oxygen, the enzyme forms water. First of all the

  8. Enzyme Informatics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alderson, Rosanna G.; Ferrari, Luna De; Mavridis, Lazaros; McDonagh, James L.; Mitchell, John B. O.; Nath, Neetika

    2012-01-01

    Over the last 50 years, sequencing, structural biology and bioinformatics have completely revolutionised biomolecular science, with millions of sequences and tens of thousands of three dimensional structures becoming available. The bioinformatics of enzymes is well served by, mostly free, online databases. BRENDA describes the chemistry, substrate specificity, kinetics, preparation and biological sources of enzymes, while KEGG is valuable for understanding enzymes and metabolic pathways. EzCatDB, SFLD and MACiE are key repositories for data on the chemical mechanisms by which enzymes operate. At the current rate of genome sequencing and manual annotation, human curation will never finish the functional annotation of the ever-expanding list of known enzymes. Hence there is an increasing need for automated annotation, though it is not yet widespread for enzyme data. In contrast, functional ontologies such as the Gene Ontology already profit from automation. Despite our growing understanding of enzyme structure and dynamics, we are only beginning to be able to design novel enzymes. One can now begin to trace the functional evolution of enzymes using phylogenetics. The ability of enzymes to perform secondary functions, albeit relatively inefficiently, gives clues as to how enzyme function evolves. Substrate promiscuity in enzymes is one example of imperfect specificity in protein-ligand interactions. Similarly, most drugs bind to more than one protein target. This may sometimes result in helpful polypharmacology as a drug modulates plural targets, but also often leads to adverse side-effects. Many cheminformatics approaches can be used to model the interactions between druglike molecules and proteins in silico. We can even use quantum chemical techniques like DFT and QM/MM to compute the structural and energetic course of enzyme catalysed chemical reaction mechanisms, including a full description of bond making and breaking. PMID:23116471

  9. Supravital dithizone staining in the isolation of human and rat pancreatic islets

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, W A; Christie, M R; Kahn, R

    1989-01-01

    Dithizone, a zinc chelating agent, is known to selectively stain the islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. In the present study, we have used this stain to aid the identification of islets in material obtained by collagenase digestion of human pancreas. Islets were shown to rapidly and reversibly...... techniques for the large scale isolation of functionally intact human islets....

  10. Análisis de imágenes de fibras musculares oxidativas y glucolíticas durante la reperfusión mediante segmentación basada en regiones

    OpenAIRE

    Rosero Salazar, Doris Haydee

    2016-01-01

    Different situations cause ischemia and reperfusion injury, affecting tissues under the level of compression. In this research, abnormal characteristics in distribution of muscle fibers types in soleus and extensor carpi radialis longus, during short periods of ischemia and short and long periods of reperfusion, were determined. Fibers were classified by enzyme histochemistry techniques NADH-TR and myosin-ATPase. Measurements of areas were carried out through semiautomatic image processing by...

  11. a comparison of modified and standard papanicolaou staining ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2011-07-07

    Jul 7, 2011 ... modified pap method and standard Papanicolaou method respectively. The staining characteristics in .... alcohol was replaced by 0.5 % acetic acid and also, .... was 37.1, standard deviation of 8.0 and a median of. 36.5 years.

  12. Modified Cajal's trichrome stain as a diagnostic aid in the study of epithelial pathology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karpagaselvi Sanjai

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Diagnosis of initial epithelial pathology maybe difficult in Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC, Carcinoma In Situ and other atypical epithelial malignancies, under routine Haematoxylin and Eosin (H and E stain. The detection of minor basement membrane alterations in doubtful cases is both time consuming and confusing. Aims: To evaluate efficacy of Modified Cajal's Trichrome Stain (CTS in relation to Haematoxylin and Eosin for study of epithelial dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, micro invasive SCC, frank SCC, and SCC in lymph nodes. Materials and Methods: Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue blocks of mild epithelial dysplasia (n = 2, moderate epithelial dysplasia (n = 2, severe epithelial dysplasia (n = 4, carcinoma in situ (n = 1, micro-invasive SCC (n = 4, verrucous carcinoma (n = 1, and frank OSCC (n = 5 were stained with CTS and H&E. The sections were compared based on set histopathological criteria. Results and Conclusion: In SCC cases stained with CTS, invasion into connective tissue and keratin pearls were strikingly evident. Depth of invasion could be more accurately determined. Tumour cells in lymph node were intensely contrasted and easily discernible. Thus, CTS is a good differential stain, clearly delineating the epithelial elements from the connective tissue elements visually. This helps in tracing the basement membrane very clearly. It is an economic, rapid and easy to use method which cannot replace Haematoxylin and Eosin stain in cancer diagnosis, but can definitely be used adjunctive to it. Prompt diagnosis is crucial to effective treatment, and this stain assists in early and rapid diagnosis of cancer.

  13. Cell wall staining with Trypan blue enables quantitative analysis of morphological changes in yeast cells

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Liesche, Johannes; Marek, Magdalena; Günther-Pomorski, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    staining with fluorescent dyes is a valuable tool. Furthermore, cell wall staining is used to facilitate sub-cellular localization experiments with fluorescently-labeled proteins and the detection of yeast cells in non-fungal host tissues. Here, we report staining of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall......Yeast cells are protected by a cell wall that plays an important role in the exchange of substances with the environment. The cell wall structure is dynamic and can adapt to different physiological states or environmental conditions. For the investigation of morphological changes, selective...... with Trypan Blue, which emits strong red fluorescence upon binding to chitin and yeast glucan; thereby, it facilitates cell wall analysis by confocal and super-resolution microscopy. The staining pattern of Trypan Blue was similar to that of the widely used UV-excitable, blue fluorescent cell wall stain...

  14. Antioxidant defences of Norway spruce bark against bark beetles and its associated blue-stain fungus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Felicijan Mateja

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Bark beetles and their fungal associates are integral parts of forest ecosystems, the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus Linnaeus, 1758 and the associated pathogenic blue stain fungus Ceratocystis polonica (SIEM. C. MOREAU, are the most devastating pests regarding Norway spruce [Picea abies (L. H. KARST.]. Bark beetles commonly inhabit weakened and felled trees as well as vital trees. They cause physiological disorders in trees by destroying a phloem and cambium or interrupt the transpiration -ow in the xylem. Conifers have a wide range of effective defence mechanisms that are based on the inner bark anatomy and physiological state of the tree. The basic function of bark defences is to protect the nutrient-and energy-rich phloem, the vital meristematic region of the vascular cambium, and the transpiration -ow in the sapwood. The main area of defence mechanisms is secondary phloem, which is physically and chemically protected by polyphenolic parenchyma (PP cells, sclerenchyma, calcium oxalate crystals and resin ducts. Conifer trunk pest resistance includes constitutive, inducible defences and acquired resistance. Both constitutive and inducible defences may deter beetle invasion, impede fungal growth and close entrance wounds. During a successful attack, systemic acquired resistance (SAR becomes effective and represents a third defence strategy. It gradually develops throughout the plant and provides a systemic change within the whole tree’s metabolism, which is maintained over a longer period of time. The broad range of defence mechanisms that contribute to the activation and utilisation of SAR, includes antioxidants and antioxidant enzymes, which are generally linked to the actions of reactive oxygen species (ROS. The presented review discusses the current knowledge on the antioxidant defence strategies of spruce inner bark against the bark beetle (Ips typographus and associated blue stain fungus (Ceratocystis polonica.

  15. PERSEPSI DAN TRANSFORMASI VISI DAN MISI PADA CIVITAS AKADEMIKA STAIN PEKALONGAN

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Imam Khanafi

    2013-05-01

    Full Text Available Penelitian ini mengukur tingkat persepsi visi dan misi civitas akademika STAIN Pekalongan, dan mengukur juga tingkat implementasi sebagai transformasi visi misi tersebut serta menemukan hubungan antara persepsi dengan implementasinya. Kajian ini memiliki signifikan yang strategis dalam konteks manajemen dan pengembangan Pendidikan di STAIN Pekalongan dan lembaga pendidikan lainnya. Hal ini karena posisi visi dan misi sebagai kerangka acuan (frame of reference yang mengarahkan dan menjelaskan kepada keseluruh unsur civitas akademika dalam setiap program kerjanya.

  16. Teeth re-whitening effect of strawberry juice on coffee stained teeth

    OpenAIRE

    Annisya Pramesti; Tadeus Arufan Jasrin; Opik Taofik Hidayat

    2018-01-01

    Many people favor coffee. However, regarding health and aesthetic dentistry, coffee gives a negative effect. Tanin in coffee causes a brown stain on the tooth surface. Therefore, in aesthetic dental care, teeth whitening has become popular matter. One of the natural ingredients used for teeth whitening treatment is strawberry. The purpose of this study was to obtained data regarding the effect of strawberry juice on the re-whitening process of the coffee-stained tooth enamel surface. This stu...

  17. INTERNALISASI PENDIDIKAN KARAKTER DI PERGURUAN TINGGI: Studi Kasus di Jurusan Tarbiyah STAIN PONOROGO

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kharisul Wathoni

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available This study will examine the internalization of character values at the Tarbiyah Department of STAIN Ponorogo. It has been found out that STAIN Ponorogo, in particular the Tarbiyah Department, has made efforts to undertake character education to the students through three patterns: during the learning process, during process of academic administrative services, and during extracurricular and intraccurricular activities followed by students at STAIN Ponorogo. The characters to be internalized are honesty, discipline, religiousity, creativity, self-reliance, responsibility, tolerance, communication and responsibility. Keywords: character education, morality, internalization

  18. Liquid dish washing soap: An excellent substitute for xylene and alcohol in hematoxylin and eosin staining procedure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Surekha Ramulu

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Aims: Liquid dish washing solution (DWS was used as a substitute for xylene to dewax tissue sections during hematoxylin and eosin (H and E staining. The aim was to test and compare the hypothesis that xylene-ethanol free (XEF sections deparaffinized with diluted DWS are better than or at par with the conventional H and E sections. Materials and Methods: Fifty paraffin-embedded tissue blocks was included. One section was stained with conventional HandE (group A and the other with XEF HandE (group B staining method. Slides were scored for parameters: nuclear, cytoplasmic, clarity, uniformity, and crispness of staining. Z test was used for statistical analysis. For accuracy of diagnosis, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were tested. Results: Adequate nuclear staining was noted in 94% in group A and 96% in group B, -adequate cytoplasmic staining in 92% in group A and 86% in group B, clarity in 94% of group A and 96% of group B sections, uniform staining in 92% of group A and 80% of group B sections, crisp stain in 96% of group A and 88% of group B sections, and 94% of group A sections stained adequately for diagnosis as compared with 90% in group B sections. Conclusion: Liquid DWS can be used as an alternative and effective substitute to xylene and ethanol in routine HandE staining procedure.

  19. Nonlinear multicontrast microscopy of hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained histological sections

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tuer, Adam; Tokarz, Danielle; Prent, Nicole; Cisek, Richard; Alami, Jennifer; Dumont, Daniel J.; Bakueva, Ludmila; Rowlands, John; Barzda, Virginijus

    2010-03-01

    Imaging hematoxylin-and-eosin-stained cancerous histological sections with multicontrast nonlinear excitation fluorescence, second- and third-harmonic generation (THG) microscopy reveals cellular structures with extremely high image contrast. Absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy together with second hyperpolarizability measurements of the dyes shows that strong THG appears due to neutral hemalum aggregation and is subsequently enhanced by interaction with eosin. Additionally, fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy reveals eosin fluorescence quenching by hemalums, showing better suitability of only eosin staining for fluorescence microscopy. Multicontrast nonlinear microscopy has the potential to differentiate between cancerous and healthy tissue at a single cell level.

  20. Lack of clinical utility of urine gram stain for suspected urinary tract infection in pediatric patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cantey, Joseph B; Gaviria-Agudelo, Claudia; McElvania TeKippe, Erin; Doern, Christopher D

    2015-04-01

    Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common infections in children. Urine culture remains the gold standard for diagnosis, but the utility of urine Gram stain relative to urinalysis (UA) is unclear. We reviewed 312 pediatric patients with suspected UTI who had urine culture, UA, and urine Gram stain performed from a single urine specimen. UA was considered positive if ≥10 leukocytes per oil immersion field were seen or if either nitrates or leukocyte esterase testing was positive. Urine Gram stain was considered positive if any organisms were seen. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated using urine culture as the gold standard. Thirty-seven (12%) patients had a culture-proven UTI. Compared to urine Gram stain, UA had equal sensitivity (97.3% versus 97.5%) and higher specificity (85% versus 74%). Empirical therapy was prescribed before the Gram stain result was known in 40 (49%) patients and after in 42 (51%) patients. The antibiotics chosen did not differ between the two groups (P=0.81), nor did they differ for patients with Gram-negative rods on urine Gram stain compared to those with Gram-positive cocci (P=0.67). From these data, we conclude that UA has excellent negative predictive value that is not enhanced by urine Gram stain and that antibiotic selection did not vary based on the urine Gram stain result. In conclusion, the clinical utility of urine Gram stain does not warrant the time or cost it requires. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  1. Laser Treatment of Port Wine Stains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Majaron, Boris; Nelson, J. Stuart

    Port wine stain (PWS), also called nevus flammeus, is a congenital, cutaneous vascular malformation involving post-capillary venules which produce a light pink to red to dark-red-violet discoloration of human skin [1]. PWS occurs in an estimated 3 children per 1000 live births, affecting males and females and all racial groups equally [2]. There appears to be no hereditary predilection for PWS within families. There are no known risk factors or ways to prevent PWS.

  2. Comparison between morphological and staining characteristics of live and dead eggs of Schistosoma mansoni

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    AK Sarvel

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Schistosoma mansoni eggs are classified, according to morphological characteristics, as follows: viable mature and immature eggs; dead mature and immature eggs, shells and granulomas. The scope of this study was to compare the staining characteristics of different morphological types of eggs in the presence of fluorescent labels and vital dyes, aiming at differentiating live and dead eggs. The eggs were obtained from the intestines of infected mice, and put into saline 0.85%. The fluorescent labels were Hoechst 33258 and Acridine Orange + Ethidium Bromide and vital dyes (Trypan Blue 0.4% and Neutral Red 1%. When labelled with the probe Hoechst 33258, some immature eggs, morphologically considered viable, presented fluorescence (a staining characteristic detected only in dead eggs; mature eggs did not present fluorescence, and the other types of dead eggs, morphologically defined, showed fluorescence. As far as Acridine Orange + Ethidium Bromide are concerned, either the eggs considered to be live, or the dead ones, presented staining with green color, and only the hatched and motionless miracidium was stained with an orange color. Trypan Blue was not able to stain the eggs, considered to be dead but only dead miracidia which had emerged out of the shell. Neutral Red stained both live and dead eggs. Only the fluorescent Hoechst 33258 can be considered a useful tool for differentiation between dead and live eggs.

  3. Lectins stain cells differentially in the coral, Montipora capitata

    Science.gov (United States)

    Work, Thierry M.; Farah, Yael

    2014-01-01

    A limitation in our understanding of coral disease pathology and cellular pathogenesis is a lack of reagents to characterize coral cells. We evaluated the utility of plant lectins to stain tissues of a dominant coral, Montipora capitata, from Hawaii. Of 22 lectins evaluated, nine of these stained structures in the upper or basal body wall of corals. Specific structures revealed by lectins that were not considered distinct or evident on routine hematoxylin and eosin sections of coral tissues included apical and basal granules in gastrodermis and epidermis, cnidoglandular tract and actinopharynx cell surface membranes, capsules of mature holotrichous isorhizas, and perivitelline and periseminal cells. Plant lectins could prove useful to further our understanding of coral physiology, anatomy, cell biology, and disease pathogenesis.

  4. Acridine orange staining and radiometric detection of microorganisms in blood cultures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burdash, N.M.; Manos, J.P.; Bannister, E.R.; Welborn, A.L.

    1983-01-01

    To determine whether acridine orange (AO) staining of blood cultures could be used as a substitute for blind subculture when used in conjunction with the BACTEC system (Johnston Laboratories, Inc., Towson, Md.), the two methods were compared on all BACTEC-negative specimens. Since blind subcultures were routinely performed in our laboratory on days 2 and 6 of incubation, AO staining was also performed on these days. Cultures which were BACTEC positive on day 1 of incubation were not included in the study. Of the 2,395 bottles tested after 2 days of incubation, 106 were subculture positive. Of these, 96 (90.6%) were also AO positive and BACTEC positive, 3 (2.8%) were AO positive and BACTEC negative, and 7 (6.6%) were AO negative and BACTEC positive. Of the 3,487 bottles tested on day 6 of incubation, 14 were subculture positive; 7 (50%) of these were AO positive and BACTEC positive, and seven were AO positive and BACTEC negative. Of the total of 10 culture-positive bottles missed by BACTEC, all were positive, and all 10 companion aerobic bottles were BACTEC positive. In both phases of the experiment, there was a total of only four false-positive AO stains. As a result of this investigation, we have substituted AO staining for blind subculturing of BACTEC-negative bottles

  5. Evaluation of Staining-Dependent Colour Changes in Resin Composites Using Principal Component Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manojlovic, D; Lenhardt, L; Milićević, B; Antonov, M; Miletic, V; Dramićanin, M D

    2015-10-09

    Colour changes in Gradia Direct™ composite after immersion in tea, coffee, red wine, Coca-Cola, Colgate mouthwash, and distilled water were evaluated using principal component analysis (PCA) and the CIELAB colour coordinates. The reflection spectra of the composites were used as input data for the PCA. The output data (scores and loadings) provided information about the magnitude and origin of the surface reflection changes after exposure to the staining solutions. The reflection spectra of the stained samples generally exhibited lower reflection in the blue spectral range, which was manifested in the lower content of the blue shade for the samples. Both analyses demonstrated the high staining abilities of tea, coffee, and red wine, which produced total colour changes of 4.31, 6.61, and 6.22, respectively, according to the CIELAB analysis. PCA revealed subtle changes in the reflection spectra of composites immersed in Coca-Cola, demonstrating Coca-Cola's ability to stain the composite to a small degree.

  6. Evaluation of mast cells in periapical cysts, dentigerous cysts, and keratocystic odontogenic tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Noronha Santos Netto, Juliana; Pires, Fábio Ramôa; da Fonseca, Eliene Carvalho; Silva, Licínio Esmeraldo; de Queiroz Chaves Lourenço, Simone

    2012-09-01

    Several cell types are associated with the development of cystic and tumoral odontogenic lesions. Among inflammatory cells, mast cells can be associated with their pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to analyze mast cells in periapical cysts, dentigerous cysts, and keratocystic odontogenic tumors. Tissue sections were submitted to toluidine blue staining and immunohistochemistry with antibody anti-tryptase (clone G3). Mast cells were quantitated using Image-Pro Plus software to obtain the mean number of mast cells in three regions: epithelial, superficial portion of the fibrous wall and deep portion of the fibrous wall from 20 periapical cysts, 20 dentigerous cysts (six non-inflamed and 14 inflamed) and 20 keratocystic odontogenic tumors (four non-inflamed and 16 inflamed). The mean number of mast cells detected per lesion by immunohistochemistry (4.1) was higher than by histochemistry (1.5) (Pcysts and keratocystic odontogenic tumors showed a higher mean number of mast cells than non-inflamed lesions in all regions. The deep region from all cysts showed the highest mean number of degranulated mast cells, except for non-inflamed keratocystic odontogenic tumors analyzed by immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemical staining detected higher number of mast cells than histochemistry. The higher number of mast cells observed in inflamed lesions could indicate the participation of these cells in the inflammatory response in odontogenic lesions. The prevalence of degranulated mast cells in the deep region suggests intense activity of these cells, possibly related to growth of cystic lesions. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  7. Laser beam diameter for port wine stain treatment

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

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

    1991-01-01

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

  8. Cell wall staining with Trypan blue enables quantitative analysis of morphological changes in yeast cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liesche, Johannes; Marek, Magdalena; Günther-Pomorski, Thomas

    2015-01-01

    Yeast cells are protected by a cell wall that plays an important role in the exchange of substances with the environment. The cell wall structure is dynamic and can adapt to different physiological states or environmental conditions. For the investigation of morphological changes, selective staining with fluorescent dyes is a valuable tool. Furthermore, cell wall staining is used to facilitate sub-cellular localization experiments with fluorescently-labeled proteins and the detection of yeast cells in non-fungal host tissues. Here, we report staining of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall with Trypan Blue, which emits strong red fluorescence upon binding to chitin and yeast glucan; thereby, it facilitates cell wall analysis by confocal and super-resolution microscopy. The staining pattern of Trypan Blue was similar to that of the widely used UV-excitable, blue fluorescent cell wall stain Calcofluor White. Trypan Blue staining facilitated quantification of cell size and cell wall volume when utilizing the optical sectioning capacity of a confocal microscope. This enabled the quantification of morphological changes during growth under anaerobic conditions and in the presence of chemicals, demonstrating the potential of this approach for morphological investigations or screening assays.

  9. Cell wall staining with Trypan Blue enables quantitative analysis of morphological changes in yeast cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Johannes eLiesche

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Yeast cells are protected by a cell wall that plays an important role in the exchange of substances with the environment. The cell wall structure is dynamic and can adapt to different physiological states or environmental conditions. For the investigation of morphological changes, selective staining with fluorescent dyes is a valuable tool. Furthermore, cell wall staining is used to facilitate sub-cellular localization experiments with fluorescently-labeled proteins and the detection of yeast cells in non-fungal host tissues. Here, we report staining of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell wall with Trypan Blue, which emits strong red fluorescence upon binding to chitin and yeast glucan; thereby, it facilitates cell wall analysis by confocal and super-resolution microscopy. The staining pattern of Trypan Blue was similar to that of the widely used UV-excitable, blue fluorescent cell wall stain Calcofluor White. Trypan Blue staining facilitated quantification of cell size and cell wall volume when utilizing the optical sectioning capacity of a confocal microscope. This enabled the quantification of morphological changes during growth under anaerobic conditions and in the presence of chemicals, demonstrating the potential of this approach for morphological investigations or screening assays.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2015-01-01

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

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wessels, J.M.; Nuesse, M.

    1995-01-01

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

  12. Staining of E-selectin ligands on paraffin-embedded sections of tumor tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carrascal, Mylène A; Talina, Catarina; Borralho, Paula; Gonçalo Mineiro, A; Henriques, Ana Raquel; Pen, Cláudia; Martins, Manuela; Braga, Sofia; Sackstein, Robert; Videira, Paula A

    2018-05-02

    The E-selectin ligands expressed by cancer cells mediate adhesion of circulating cancer cells to endothelial cells, as well as within tissue microenvironments important for tumor progression and metastasis. The identification of E-selectin ligands within cancer tissue could yield new biomarkers for patient stratification and aid in identifying novel therapeutic targets. The determinants of selectin ligands consist of sialylated tetrasaccharides, the sialyl Lewis X and A (sLe X and sLe A ), displayed on protein or lipid scaffolds. Standardized procedures for immunohistochemistry make use of the antibodies against sLe X and/or sLe A . However, antibody binding does not define E-selectin binding activity. In this study, we developed an immunohistochemical staining technique, using E-selectin-human Ig Fc chimera (E-Ig) to characterize the expression and localization of E-selectin binding sites on paraffin-embedded sections of different cancer tissue. E-Ig successfully stained cancer cells with high specificity. The E-Ig staining show high reactivity scores in colon and lung adenocarcinoma and moderate reactivity in triple negative breast cancer. Compared with reactivity of antibody against sLe X/A , the E-Ig staining presented higher specificity to cancer tissue with better defined borders and less background. The E-Ig staining technique allows the qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of E-selectin binding activity on cancer cells. The development of accurate techniques for detection of selectin ligands may contribute to better diagnostic and better understanding of the molecular basis of tumor progression and metastasis.

  13. Evaluation of biosafe alternatives as xylene substitutes in hematoxylin and eosin staining procedure: A comparative pilot study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sravya, Taneeru; Rao, Guttikonda Venkateswara; Kumari, Masabattula Geetha; Sagar, Yerraguntla Vidya; Sivaranjani, Yeluri; Sudheerkanth, Kondamarri

    2018-01-01

    Background: Xylene is synthetic hydrocarbon produced from coal tar known for its wide usage as universal solvent which has many hazardous effects. The aim of this study is to compare the efficacy of xylene-free hematoxylin and eosin (H and E) sections with conventional H and E sections. Materials and Methods: The study included ninety paraffin-embedded tissue blocks. Of these, sixty blocks were processed with sesame oil (xylene alternative) and thirty blocks with xylene. The study sample was divided into three groups. Sixty sections which are taken from sesame oil-processed blocks were stained with xylene-free H and E staining method. In xylene-free staining method, 95% diluted lemon water (Group A) and 1.7% dish washing solution (DWS, Group B) were used as deparaffinizing agents whereas the remaining 30 sections were processed with xylene and stained with conventional H and E staining method (Group C). Slides were scored for the following parameters: (i) nuclear staining (adequate = score 1, inadequate = score 0), (ii) cytoplasmic staining (adequate = score 1, inadequate = score 0), (iii) uniformity (present = score 1, absent = score 0), (iv) clarity (present = score 1, absent = score 0) and (v) intensity (present = score 1, absent = score 0). Score ≤2 was considered inadequate for diagnosis while scores 3–5 were considered adequate for diagnosis. Results: Adequate nuclear staining was noted in 90% of sections of Group A and 100% each in Group B and Group C (P 0.05); adequate uniformity of staining in 53.3% of sections of Group A, 70% in Group B and 83.3% in Group C (P 0.05) and adequate intensity of staining in 76.7% sections of Group A, 93.3% in Group B and 100% in Group C (P < 0.05). Group C sections stained adequate for diagnosis (93.3%) followed by Group B (88.7%) and Group A (78%; P < 0.05). Conclusion: Tissues processed with sesame oil and stained using 1.7% DWS were found to be effective alternative to xylene.

  14. Histological staining methods preparatory to laser capture microdissection significantly affect the integrity of the cellular RNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hongyang; Owens, James D; Shih, Joanna H; Li, Ming-Chung; Bonner, Robert F; Mushinski, J Frederic

    2006-04-27

    Gene expression profiling by microarray analysis of cells enriched by laser capture microdissection (LCM) faces several technical challenges. Frozen sections yield higher quality RNA than paraffin-imbedded sections, but even with frozen sections, the staining methods used for histological identification of cells of interest could still damage the mRNA in the cells. To study the contribution of staining methods to degradation of results from gene expression profiling of LCM samples, we subjected pellets of the mouse plasma cell tumor cell line TEPC 1165 to direct RNA extraction and to parallel frozen sectioning for LCM and subsequent RNA extraction. We used microarray hybridization analysis to compare gene expression profiles of RNA from cell pellets with gene expression profiles of RNA from frozen sections that had been stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), Nissl Stain (NS), and for immunofluorescence (IF) as well as with the plasma cell-revealing methyl green pyronin (MGP) stain. All RNAs were amplified with two rounds of T7-based in vitro transcription and analyzed by two-color expression analysis on 10-K cDNA microarrays. The MGP-stained samples showed the least introduction of mRNA loss, followed by H&E and immunofluorescence. Nissl staining was significantly more detrimental to gene expression profiles, presumably owing to an aqueous step in which RNA may have been damaged by endogenous or exogenous RNAases. RNA damage can occur during the staining steps preparatory to laser capture microdissection, with the consequence of loss of representation of certain genes in microarray hybridization analysis. Inclusion of RNAase inhibitor in aqueous staining solutions appears to be important in protecting RNA from loss of gene transcripts.

  15. ENAMEL SUSCEPTIBILITY TO RED WINE STAINING AFTER 35% HYDROGEN PEROXIDE BLEACHING

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berger, Sandrine Bittencourt; Coelho, Alessandra Sanchez; Oliveira, Valéria Aparecida Pessatti; Cavalli, Vanessa; Giannini, Marcelo

    2008-01-01

    Concern has been expressed regarding the staining of enamel surface by different beverages after bleaching. This study investigated the influence of 35% hydrogen peroxide bleaching agents on enamel surface stained with wine after whitening treatments. Flat and polished bovine enamel surfaces were submitted to two commercially available 35% hydrogen peroxide bleaching agents or kept in 100% humidity, as a control group (n = 10). Specimens of all groups were immersed in red wine for 48 h at 37°C, immediately, 24 h or 1 week after treatments. All specimens were ground into powder and prepared for the spectrophotometric analysis. Data were subjected to two-way analysis of variance and Fisher's PLSD test at 5% significance level. The amount of wine pigments uptake by enamel submitted to bleaching treatments was statistically higher than that of control group, independently of the evaluation time. Results suggested that wine staining susceptibility was increased by bleaching treatments. PMID:19089218

  16. Enamel susceptibility to red wine staining after 35% hydrogen peroxide bleaching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandrine Bittencourt Berger

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Concern has been expressed regarding the staining of enamel surface by different beverages after bleaching. This study investigated the influence of 35% hydrogen peroxide bleaching agents on enamel surface stained with wine after whitening treatments. Flat and polished bovine enamel surfaces were submitted to two commercially available 35% hydrogen peroxide bleaching agents or kept in 100% humidity, as a control group (n = 10. Specimens of all groups were immersed in red wine for 48 h at 37°C, immediately, 24 h or 1 week after treatments. All specimens were ground into powder and prepared for the spectrophotometric analysis. Data were subjected to two-way analysis of variance and Fisher's PLSD test at 5% significance level. The amount of wine pigments uptake by enamel submitted to bleaching treatments was statistically higher than that of control group, independently of the evaluation time. Results suggested that wine staining susceptibility was increased by bleaching treatments.

  17. An Evaluation on the Importance of Phosphotungstic Acid Haematoxyiin (PTAH Staining in Differential Diagnosis of Salivary Gland Neoplasms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E Yazdi

    2003-02-01

    Full Text Available The differential diagnosis between pleomorphic adenoma, the most common salivary gland neoplasm, microscopically, and two other common salivary gland neoplasms, meaning adenoid cystic carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma, is difficut.The purpose of this study was to determine the differences between pleomorphic adenoma, adenoid cystic carcinoma and mucoepidermoid carcinoma regarding the staining intensity with PTAH and H&E and also to investigate the relationship between staining intensity with PTAH and malignancy grade in mucoepidermoid carcinoma. 72 paraffin embeded samples including 24 pleomorphic adenoma, 24 adenoid cystic carcinoma and 24 mucoepidermoid carcinoma were selected and stained with PTAH. The staining intensity in total, in nucleus and cytoplasm of tumoral cells were evaluated and compared with H&E staining, statistically. The results were analyzed by Kruskal-Wallis, and Wilcoxon signed ranks tests (P<0.05.The logistic model was presented to predict the degree of malignancies through the assessment of nucleus and cytoplasm staining intensity in tumoral cells, and the patient's age. In this study, a statistically significant relationship was observed between staining intensity by PTAH and H& E in nucleus of tumoral cells in pleomorphic adenoma. Moreover, statistically significant relation between staining intensity by PTAH and H & E in cytoplasm of tumoral cells in adenoid cystic carcinoma was found. But there was no relation in other cases. On the other hand, a statistically significant relation between intensity of staining in total, in nucleus and cytoplasm of tumoral cells and the type of tumor was found. No relation was obtained between malignancy grade of mucoepidermoid carcinoma and staining intensity in total, in nucleus and cytoplasm of tumoral cells. The presented logistic model indicated a direct relation between tumor malignancy with patient's age and staining intensity in nucleus of tumoral cells, but a

  18. The development of fluorescence turn-on probe for Al(III) sensing and live cell nucleus-nucleoli staining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saini, Anoop Kumar; Sharma, Vinay; Mathur, Pradeep; Shaikh, Mobin M.

    2016-10-01

    The morphology of nucleus and nucleolus is powerful indicator of physiological and pathological conditions. The specific staining of nucleolus recently gained much attention due to the limited and expensive availability of the only existing stain “SYTO RNA-Select”. Here, a new multifunctional salen type ligand (L1) and its Al3+ complex (1) are designed and synthesized. L1 acts as a chemosensor for Al3+ whereas 1 demonstrates specific staining of nucleus as well as nucleoli. The binding of 1 with nucleic acid is probed by DNase and RNase digestion in stained cells. 1 shows an excellent photostability, which is a limitation for existing nucleus stains during long term observations. 1 is assumed to be a potential candidate as an alternative to expensive commercial dyes for nucleus and nucleoli staining.

  19. A comparision of modified and standard papanicolaou staining ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Objective: To compare modified and standard Papanicolaou (Pap) staining methods in the assessment of the cervical smears. Design: A descriptive cross sectional study. setting: Kenyatta National Hospital. Subjects: One hundred and sixty two women who were eligible for a pap smear and met the inclusion criteria.

  20. Pancreatic Enzymes

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Contact Us DONATE NOW GENERAL DONATION PURPLESTRIDE Pancreatic enzymes Home Facing Pancreatic Cancer Living with Pancreatic Cancer ... and see a registered dietitian. What are pancreatic enzymes? Pancreatic enzymes help break down fats, proteins and ...

  1. Matrix Remodeling During Intervertebral Disc Growth and Degeneration Detected by Multichromatic FAST Staining

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leung, Victor Y.L.; Chan, Wilson C.W.; Hung, Siu-Chun; Cheung, Kenneth M.C.; Chan, Danny

    2009-01-01

    Various imaging techniques have been used to assess degeneration of the intervertebral disc, including many histological methods, but cartilage-oriented histological stains do not clearly show the comparatively complex structures of the disc. In addition, there is no integrated method to assess efficiently both the compartmental organization and matrix composition in disc samples. In this study, a novel histological method, termed FAST staining, has been developed to investigate disc growth and degeneration by sequential staining with fast green, Alcian blue, Safranin-O, and tartrazine to generate multichromatic histological profiles (FAST profiles). This identifies the major compartments of the vertebra-disc region, including the cartilaginous endplate and multiple zones of the annulus fibrosus, by specific FAST profile patterns. A disc degeneration model in rabbit established using a previously described puncture method showed gradual but profound alteration of the FAST profile during disc degeneration, supporting continual alteration of glycosaminoglycan. Changes of the FAST profile pattern in the nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus of the postnatal mouse spine suggested matrix remodeling activity during the growth of intervertebral discs. In summary, we developed an effective staining method capable of defining intervertebral disc compartments in detail and showing matrix remodeling events within the disc. The FAST staining method may be used to develop a histopathological grading system to evaluate disc degeneration or malformation. (J Histochem Cytochem 57:249–256, 2009) PMID:19001641

  2. [Comparison of the quick Gram stain method to the B&M modified and favor methods].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Osawa, Kayo; Kataoka, Nobumasa; Maruo, Toshio

    2011-01-01

    The Gram stain is an established method for bacterial identification, but the time needed to carry out this stain is 2-3 min. We attempted to shorten this time and stained a total of 70 clinical specimens isolated from using the Bartholomew & Mittwer (B&M) modified or Favor methods with a 3 s duration for washing and staining steps. Results were plotted and analyzed using a Hue Saturation Intensity (HSI) model. The range based on a plot of the two methods with the HSI model was presented as a reference interval. Our results indicated that 100% (35/35) of strains were Gram positive and 97.1% (34/35) were Gram negative for the quick B&M modified method. In the quick Favor method, 80.0% (28/35) were Gram positive and 68.6% (24/35) of strains were Gram negative. We propose that the quick B&M modified method is equivalent to the standard Gram staining method and is superior to the quick Favor method.

  3. In-office bleaching efficacy on stain removal from CAD/CAM and direct resin composite materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alharbi, Amal; Ardu, Stefano; Bortolotto, Tissiana; Krejci, Ivo

    2018-01-01

    To evaluate the efficacy of in-office bleaching on stain removal from stained resin composite and ceramic computer-assisted design/computer-assisted manufacturing (CAD/CAM) blocks and direct resin composites. Forty disk-shaped samples were fabricated from each of nine materials: six CAD/CAM (VITABLOCS Mark II, Paradigm MZ100, Exp Vita Hybrid Ceramic, VITA ENAMIC, Exp Kerr, and LAVA Ultimate) and three direct resin composites (Filtek Supreme, Venus Diamond, and Filtek Silorane). Samples were randomly divided into five groups (n = 8), each stained with a particular staining solution. Using a calibrated spectrophotometer and a black background, L*a*b* values were assessed before and after 120 days of staining. Samples were subjected to in-office bleaching using 40% hydrogen peroxide gel for one hour. At subsequent assessment, color change (ΔE) was calculated as the difference between L*a*b* values. Both ANOVA and the Duncan test were used to identify differences between groups (α = 0.05). Bleaching resulted in significant differences in ΔE values for all materials (P Bleaching efficacy was highly influenced by material composition and staining solution. Residual color values after bleaching for ceramic and hybrid ceramics ranged from -0.49 to 2.35, within the clinically acceptable maximum of 3.3. Values after bleaching for resin-based CAD/CAM ranged from -0.7 to 7.08 while direct resin composites values ranged from -1.47 to 25.13. Coffee left the greatest residual color on all materials. Based on material nature, 40% hydrogen peroxide bleaching can remove staining. The new resin-based CAD/CAM blocks showed promising results in terms of color stability. Bleaching using 40% hydrogen peroxide can be an effective method to remove stains from dental restorations. In this way, restoration replacement as a result of discoloration may no longer be necessary. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  4. Diagnostic performance of dual-staining cytology for cervical cancer screening: A systematic literature review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tjalma, Wiebren A A

    2017-03-01

    Cervical cancer screening saves lives. Secondary prevention in cervical cancer screening relies on the results of primary cytology and/or HPV testing. However, primary screening with cytology has a low sensitivity, and HPV screening has a low specificity. This means that either cancers are missed, or women are over-treated. To improve performance outcomes, the concept of dual-stain cytology (CINtec ® PLUS Cytology test) has been introduced. In this approach, additional staining with p16/Ki-67 is performed in cases where cytology results are abnormal (LSIL or ASCUS) and/or HPV-positive. Another way to describe this approach might be "diagnostic" cytology. In order to assess the value of this "diagnostic cytology", a systematic literature review was conducted of dual-stain cytology performance across multiple studies until May 2016. In a Belgian screening population (women age 25-65 years), dual-stain cytology was significantly more sensitive (66%) and slightly less specific (-1.0%) than cytology. In the population referred to colposcopy or with abnormal cytology (ASCUS, LSIL), dual-staining showed a significantly higher increase in specificity, and a slightly lower sensitivity than HPV testing. Specificity gains resulted in fewer false positives and an increase in the number of correct referrals to colposcopy. Dual-staining with p16/Ki-67 cytology is an attractive biomarker approach for triage in cervical cancer screening. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. p16/Ki-67 Dual Stain Cytology for Detection of Cervical Precancer in HPV-Positive Women.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wentzensen, Nicolas; Fetterman, Barbara; Castle, Philip E; Schiffman, Mark; Wood, Shannon N; Stiemerling, Eric; Tokugawa, Diane; Bodelon, Clara; Poitras, Nancy; Lorey, Thomas; Kinney, Walter

    2015-12-01

    Human papillomavirus (HPV)-based cervical cancer screening requires triage markers to decide who should be referred to colposcopy. p16/Ki-67 dual stain cytology has been proposed as a biomarker for cervical precancers. We evaluated the dual stain in a large population of HPV-positive women. One thousand five hundred and nine HPV-positive women screened with HPV/cytology cotesting at Kaiser Permanente California were enrolled into a prospective observational study in 2012. Dual stain cytology was performed on residual Surepath material, and slides were evaluated for dual stain-positive cells. Disease endpoints were ascertained from the clinical database at KPNC. We evaluated the clinical performance of the assay among all HPV-positive women and among HPV-positive, cytology-negative women. We used internal benchmarks for clinical management to evaluate the clinical relevance of the dual stain assay. We evaluated sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of the dual stain compared with Pap cytology. All statistical tests were two-sided. The dual stain had lower positivity (45.9%) compared with cytology at an ASC-US threshold (53.4%). For detection of CIN2+, the dual stain had similar sensitivity (83.4% vs 76.6%, P = .1), and statistically higher specificity (58.9% vs 49.6%, P < .001), PPV (21.0% vs 16.6%, P < .001), and NPV (96.4% vs 94.2%, P = .01) compared with cytology. Similar patterns were observed for CIN3+. Women with a positive test had high enough risk for referral to colposcopy, while the risk for women with negative tests was below a one-year return threshold based on current US management guidelines. Dual stain cytology showed good risk stratification for all HPV-positive women and for HPV-positive women with normal cytology. Additional follow-up is needed to determine how long dual stain negative women remain at low risk of precancer. Published by Oxford University Press 2015. This work is written by (a

  6. Red alder kitchen cabinets—How does application of commercial stains influence customer choice?

    Science.gov (United States)

    David Nicholls; Joseph. Roos

    2007-01-01

    A better understanding of consumer reaction and preferences for red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.) secondary products will help Alaska producers in entering new markets. In this study, red alder kitchen cabinets were commercially stained to six different levels and displayed at home shows in Portland, Oregon, and Anchorage, Alaska. The stains simulated...

  7. Staining pattern classification of antinuclear autoantibodies based on block segmentation in indirect immunofluorescence images.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiaqian Li

    Full Text Available Indirect immunofluorescence based on HEp-2 cell substrate is the most commonly used staining method for antinuclear autoantibodies associated with different types of autoimmune pathologies. The aim of this paper is to design an automatic system to identify the staining patterns based on block segmentation compared to the cell segmentation most used in previous research. Various feature descriptors and classifiers are tested and compared in the classification of the staining pattern of blocks and it is found that the technique of the combination of the local binary pattern and the k-nearest neighbor algorithm achieve the best performance. Relying on the results of block pattern classification, experiments on the whole images show that classifier fusion rules are able to identify the staining patterns of the whole well (specimen image with a total accuracy of about 94.62%.

  8. Frictional amyloidosis in Oman - A study of ten cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mysore Venkataram

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available Macular amyloidosis is an important cause for cutaneous pigmentation, the aetiology of which is poorly understood. Friction has recently been implicated the causation of early lesions, referred to as frictional amyloidosis. Confirmation of diagnosis by the detect on of amyloid using histochemical stains is inconsistent. Ten patients with pigmentation suggestive of macular amyloidosis were studied with detailed history, clinical examination, biopsy for histochemistry and electron microscopy. Nine out of ten patients had a history of prolonged friction with various objects such as bath sponges, brushes, towels, plant sticks and leaves. Amyloid was demonstrated by histochemical staining in only six out of ten cases. In the remaining four cases, amyloid was detected by electron microscopy. These consisted of aggregates of non-branching, extracellular, intertwining fibres measuring between 200-500 nm in length and between 20-25 nm in diameter. The study confirms the role of friction in the causation of this condition. Histochemical stains are not always successful in the detection of amyloid and electron microscopy is helpful for confirming its presence. The term frictional amyloidosis aptly describes the condition.

  9. Morphology and histochemistry of glandular trichomes of Orobanche alba Stephan ex Willd

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    Aneta Sulborska

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Orobanche alba Stephan ex Willd is an achlorophyllous root parasite rare in Poland. It prefers dry and sunny slopes, xerothermic grasslands and pastures, mountain pastures, light scrubs, and rock fissures and ledges. The hosts of O. alba include Thymus polytrichus A. ern. ex Borbás, Clinopodium vulgare L. and Origanum vulgare L. The tick and fleshy 10-70 cm high stem in this species bears an inflorescence composed of zygomorphic, white or yellow “spotted” flowers covered by purple glandular trichomes. Glandular trichomes of this type are also borne on other parts of the plant, i.e. on the stem, scaly leaves, sepals, filaments, and the style. The secondary metabolites secreted by the glandular trichomes are related to defense of plants against the attack of herbivores and pathogens or act as attractants to pollinators or for fruit dispersal. The micromorphology and histochemistry of the glandular trichomes in O. alba were examined using scanning electron and light microscopes. In order to determine the type of secondary metabolites produced by the trichomes, the flowing histochemical assays were used: Sudan III and neutral red for detection of lipophilic compounds, IKI for detection of starch, and FeCl3 for detection of phenolic compounds. The peltate glandular trichomes of O. alba were characterised by a varied length (0.15‑0.48 mm and different activity phases. The trichome was composed of one larger basal epidermal cell, 1-3 hyaline stalk cells with a striated cuticle, a neck cell with a smooth cuticle on the surface, and a globose head formed of 8-18 secretory cells arranged in a circle. Many stalk cells of the trichomes, particularly those located on the corolla, contained anthocyanins, which give the trichomes dark carmine colour. In turn, the colour of the heads was dependent on trichome age: the heads were brown in older trichomes and yellow in younger hairs. Secretion was produced by both young and older trichomes. It penetrated

  10. Black stain and dental caries in Filipino schoolchildren.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Heinrich-Weltzien, R.; Monse, B.; Palenstein Helderman, W.H. van

    2009-01-01

    Black stain is defined as dark pigmented exogenous substance in lines or dots parallel to the gingival margin and firmly adherent to the enamel at the cervical third of the tooth crowns in the primary and permanent dentition. OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted to assess the prevalence of black

  11. Histological staining methods preparatory to laser capture microdissection significantly affect the integrity of the cellular RNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Li Ming-Chung

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene expression profiling by microarray analysis of cells enriched by laser capture microdissection (LCM faces several technical challenges. Frozen sections yield higher quality RNA than paraffin-imbedded sections, but even with frozen sections, the staining methods used for histological identification of cells of interest could still damage the mRNA in the cells. To study the contribution of staining methods to degradation of results from gene expression profiling of LCM samples, we subjected pellets of the mouse plasma cell tumor cell line TEPC 1165 to direct RNA extraction and to parallel frozen sectioning for LCM and subsequent RNA extraction. We used microarray hybridization analysis to compare gene expression profiles of RNA from cell pellets with gene expression profiles of RNA from frozen sections that had been stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E, Nissl Stain (NS, and for immunofluorescence (IF as well as with the plasma cell-revealing methyl green pyronin (MGP stain. All RNAs were amplified with two rounds of T7-based in vitro transcription and analyzed by two-color expression analysis on 10-K cDNA microarrays. Results The MGP-stained samples showed the least introduction of mRNA loss, followed by H&E and immunofluorescence. Nissl staining was significantly more detrimental to gene expression profiles, presumably owing to an aqueous step in which RNA may have been damaged by endogenous or exogenous RNAases. Conclusion RNA damage can occur during the staining steps preparatory to laser capture microdissection, with the consequence of loss of representation of certain genes in microarray hybridization analysis. Inclusion of RNAase inhibitor in aqueous staining solutions appears to be important in protecting RNA from loss of gene transcripts.

  12. Blockface histology with optical coherence tomography: a comparison with Nissl staining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Magnain, Caroline; Augustinack, Jean C; Reuter, Martin; Wachinger, Christian; Frosch, Matthew P; Ragan, Timothy; Akkin, Taner; Wedeen, Van J; Boas, David A; Fischl, Bruce

    2014-01-01

    Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) is a high resolution imaging technique that generates excellent contrast based on intrinsic optical properties of the tissue, such as neurons and fibers. The SD-OCT data acquisition is performed directly on the tissue block, diminishing the need for cutting, mounting and staining. We utilized SD-OCT to visualize the laminar structure of the isocortex and compared cortical cytoarchitecture with the gold standard Nissl staining, both qualitatively and quantitatively. In histological processing, distortions routinely affect registration to the blockface image and prevent accurate 3D reconstruction of regions of tissue. We compared blockface registration to SD-OCT and Nissl, respectively, and found that SD-OCT-blockface registration was significantly more accurate than Nissl-blockface registration. Two independent observers manually labeled cortical laminae (e.g. III, IV and V) in SD-OCT images and Nissl stained sections. Our results show that OCT images exhibit sufficient contrast in the cortex to reliably differentiate the cortical layers. Furthermore, the modalities were compared with regard to cortical laminar organization and showed good agreement. Taken together, these SD-OCT results suggest that SD-OCT contains information comparable to standard histological stains such as Nissl in terms of distinguishing cortical layers and architectonic areas. Given these data, we propose that SD-OCT can be used to reliably generate 3D reconstructions of multiple cubic centimeters of cortex that can be used to accurately and semi-automatically perform standard histological analyses. © 2013.

  13. A prospective study of the diagnostic utility of sputum Gram stain in pneumonia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anevlavis, Stavros; Petroglou, Niki; Tzavaras, Athanasios; Maltezos, Efstratios; Pneumatikos, Ioannis; Froudarakis, Marios; Anevlavis, Eleftherios; Bouros, Demosthenes

    2009-08-01

    Sputum Gram stain and culture have been said to be unreliable indicators of the microbiological diagnosis of bacterial pneumonia. The etiological diagnosis of pneumonia is surrounded by great degree of uncertainty. This uncertainty should be and can be calculated and incorporated in the diagnosis and treatment. To determine the diagnostic accuracy and diagnostic value of sputum Gram stain in etiological diagnosis and initial selection of antimicrobial therapy of bacterial community acquired pneumonia (CAP). DESIGN-METHOD: Prospective study of 1390 patients with CAP admitted January 2002-June 2008, to our institutions. Of the 1390 patients, 178 (12.8%) fulfilled the criteria for inclusion into this study (good-quality sputa and presence of the same microorganism in blood and sputum cultures which was used as gold standard for assessing the diagnostic accuracy and diagnostic value of sputum Gram stain). The sensitivity of sputum Gram stain was 0.82 for Pneumococcal pneumonia, 0.76 for Staphylococcal pneumonia, 0.79 for Haemophilus influenzae pneumonia and 0.78 for Gram-negative bacilli pneumonia. The specificity of sputum Gram stain was 0.93 for Pneumococcal pneumonia, 0.96 for Staphylococcal pneumonia, 0.96 for H. influenzae pneumonia and 0.95 for Gram-negative bacilli pneumonia. The positive likelihood ratio (LR+) was 11.58 for Pneumococcal pneumonia, 19.38 for Staphylococcal pneumonia, 16.84 for H. influenzae pneumonia, 14.26 for Gram-negative bacilli pneumonia. The negative likelihood ratio (LR-) was 0.20 for Pneumococcal pneumonia, 0.25 for Staphylococcal pneumonia, 0.22 for H. influenzae pneumonia, and 0.23 for Gram-negative bacilli pneumonia. Sputum Gram stain is a dependable diagnostic test for the early etiological diagnosis of bacterial CAP that helps in choosing orthological and appropriate initial antimicrobial therapy.

  14. Colour stabilities of three types of orthodontic clear aligners exposed to staining agents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Chen-Lu; Sun, Wen-Tian; Liao, Wen; Lu, Wen-Xin; Li, Qi-Wen; Jeong, Yunho; Liu, Jun; Zhao, Zhi-He

    2016-12-16

    The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the colour stabilities of three types of orthodontic clear aligners exposed to staining agents in vitro. Sixty clear orthodontic aligners produced by three manufacturers (Invisalign, Angelalign, and Smartee) were immersed in three staining solutions (coffee, black tea, and red wine) and one control solution (distilled water). After 12-h and 7-day immersions, the aligners were washed in an ultrasonic cleaner and measured with a colourimeter. The colour changes (ΔE*) were calculated on the basis of the Commission Internationale de I'Eclairage L*a*b* colour system (CIE L*a*b*), and the results were then converted into National Bureau of Standards (NBS) units. Fourier transformation infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were conducted to observe the molecular and morphologic alterations to the aligner surfaces, respectively. The three types of aligners exhibited slight colour changes after 12 h of staining, with the exception of the Invisalign aligners stained with coffee. The Invisalign aligners exhibited significantly higher ΔE* values (ranging from 0.30 to 27.81) than those of the Angelalign and Smartee aligners (ΔE* values ranging from 0.33 to 1.89 and 0.32 to 1.61, respectively, Paligners did not exhibit significant chemical differences before and after the immersions. The SEM results revealed different surface alterations to the three types of aligner materials after the 7-day staining. The three types of aesthetic orthodontic appliances exhibited colour stability after the 12-h immersion, with the exception of the Invisalign aligners stained by coffee. The Invisalign aligners were more prone than the Angelalign and Smartee aligners to pigmentation. Aligner materials may be improved by considering aesthetic colour stability properties.

  15. EFFECT OF SILICATE ON GRAM STAINING AND VIABILITY OF PNEUMOCOCCI AND OTHER BACTERIA

    Science.gov (United States)

    MacLeod, Colin M.; Roe, Amy S.

    1956-01-01

    Application of silicate solutions to living or heat-killed pneumococci and to certain "viridans" streptococci causes their conversion from a Gram-positive to a Gram-negative state. The original staining properties can be restored by suspending the silicate-treated bacteria in alkaline solutions of various salts but not by simple washing in water. Living pneumococci and the strains of streptococci whose staining properties are similarly affected are killed when suspended in silicate solutions. In other Gram-positive species silicate causes conversion to Gram negativity but restoration to positivity occurs upon washing in water. In a third group of Gram-positive organisms silicate has no effect on the Gram reaction. The viability of organisms in these two groups is unaffected by silicate under the conditions employed. No effect on staining or viability of Gram-negative bacteria has been observed. The effects of silicate on staining and viability are inhibited by nutrient broth or whole serum but not by purified serum albumin. Lecithin, choline, and other substituted ammonium compounds also inhibit the effects of silicate on pneumococci. PMID:13306854

  16. Fluorescent Staining of Tea Pathogenic Fungi in Tea Leaves Using Fluorescein-labeled Lectin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamada, Kengo; Yoshida, Katsuyuki; Sonoda, Ryoichi

    Fluorochrome-labeled lectin, fluorescein conjugated wheat germ agglutinin (F-WGA) was applied to stain tea pathogenic fungi in tea leaf tissue. Infected leaves were fixed and decolorized with a mixture of ethanol and acetic acid, and cleared with 10% KOH for whole mount before staining with F-WGA. Hyphae of Pestalotiopsis longiseta, Pseudocercospora ocellata, Botrytis cinerea and Colletotrichum theae-sinensis fluoresced brightly in whole mount and sectioned samples of infected leaf tissue. In browned tissue, hyphae did not fluoresce frequently in whole mount sample. Autofluorescence of leaf tissue was strong in browned tissue of sections, it was removed by 10% KOH treatment before staining. Penetration hyphae of C. theae-sinensis in cell wall of trichome and hyphae in basal part of trichome did not fluoresced frequently. In whole mount samples of tea leaf infected with Exobasidium vexans and E. reticulatum, hymenia appeared on leaf surface fluoresced, but hyphae in leaf tissue did not fluoresce. In sectioned samples, hyphae fluoresced brightly when sections were treated with 10% KOH before staining.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2004-02-01

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

  18. Quantitative gel electrophoresis: new records in precision by elaborated staining and detection protocols.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Xi; Schröder, Simone; Redweik, Sabine; Wätzig, Hermann

    2011-06-01

    Gel electrophoresis (GE) is a very common analytical technique for proteome research and protein analysis. Despite being developed decades ago, there is still a considerable need to improve its precision. Using the fluorescence of Colloidal Coomassie Blue -stained proteins in near-infrared (NIR), the major error source caused by the unpredictable background staining is strongly reduced. This result was generalized for various types of detectors. Since GE is a multi-step procedure, standardization of every single step is required. After detailed analysis of all steps, the staining and destaining were identified as the major source of the remaining variation. By employing standardized protocols, pooled percent relative standard deviations of 1.2-3.1% for band intensities were achieved for one-dimensional separations in repetitive experiments. The analysis of variance suggests that the same batch of staining solution should be used for gels of one experimental series to minimize day-to-day variation and to obtain high precision. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma to the skin staining positive with HMB-45.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gross, Joshua A; Perniciaro, Charles; Gross, David J; Barksdale, Sarah K

    2012-02-01

    Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is uncommonly observed as a cutaneous metastasis. We report a 76-year-old man with metastatic HCC to the skin of the nasal ala, diagnosed antecedent to the primary tumor. HCC was confirmed by positive immunostaining with Hep Par 1 in tissue from the metastasis and from a needle biopsy of the primary lesion. In addition, tumor cells from both the metastasis and liver stained positive with HMB-45. To our knowledge, HMB-45 positive staining has not been reported in either primary or metastatic HCC.

  20. Methylene Blue-Aided In Vivo Staining of Central Airways during Flexible Bronchoscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sabine Zirlik

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Background. The early diagnosis of malignant and premalignant changes of the bronchial mucosa remains a major challenge during bronchoscopy. Intravital staining techniques are not new. Previous small case series suggested that analysis of the bronchial mucosal surface using chromoendoscopy allows a prediction between neoplastic and nonneoplastic lesions. Objectives. The aim of the present study was to evaluate chromobronchoscopy as a method to identify malignant and premalignant lesions in the central airways in a prospective manner. Methods. In 26 patients we performed chromoendoscopy with 0.1% methylene blue during ongoing flexible white light bronchoscopy. Circumscribed lesions in central airways were further analyzed by biopsies and histopathologic examination. Results. In the majority of cases neither flat nor polypoid lesions in the central airways were stained by methylene blue. In particular, exophytic growth of lung cancer did not show any specific pattern in chromobronchoscopy. However, a specific dye staining was detected in one case where exophytic growth of metastatic colorectal cancer was present in the right upper lobe. In two other cases, a circumscribed staining was noted in unsuspicious mucosa. But histology revealed inflammation only. Conclusions. In contrast to previous studies, the present findings clearly indicate that chromobronchoscopy is not useful for early detection of malignant or premalignant lesions of the central airways.

  1. Trace element analysis of blackish staining on the crowns of human archaeological teeth

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stermer, E.M. [Univ. of Oslo, Dept. of Oral Radiology, Oslo (Norway); Risnes, S. [Univ. of Oslo, Dept. of Oral Biology, Faculty of Dentistry, Oslo (Norway); Fischer, P.M. [Chalmers Univ. of Technology, Dept. of Physics, SIMS Lab., Goeteborg (Sweden)

    1996-10-01

    A blackish staining found on the crowns of teeth of 51 skulls from the excavation of the medieval St. Olav`s church in Trondheim was analyzed using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). In four teeth, mass spectra and step scan concentration profiles of SIMS were performed and compared with the grey scale pattern in photographs of the analyzed paths. The manganese curve showed the highest degree of conformity with the grey scale pattern. The AAS analysis confirmed the increased content of manganese in blackish stained enamel. It was concluded that manganese, probably in the form of an oxide deposited from the soil, was the cause of the blackish staining. (au).

  2. Trace element analysis of blackish staining on the crowns of human archaeological teeth

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stermer, E.M.; Risnes, S.; Fischer, P.M.

    1996-01-01

    A blackish staining found on the crowns of teeth of 51 skulls from the excavation of the medieval St. Olav's church in Trondheim was analyzed using secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) and atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). In four teeth, mass spectra and step scan concentration profiles of SIMS were performed and compared with the grey scale pattern in photographs of the analyzed paths. The manganese curve showed the highest degree of conformity with the grey scale pattern. The AAS analysis confirmed the increased content of manganese in blackish stained enamel. It was concluded that manganese, probably in the form of an oxide deposited from the soil, was the cause of the blackish staining. (au)

  3. The Comparative Study of Art of Manufacturing Orosi and Stained Glass Windows in Iran and Europe

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zahra Sadat Abooei Mehrizi

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available For a long time, glass manufacturing art has been globally common. There are certain similarities between Stained Glass and Orosi works. Based on historical texts, peak of Orosi art in Iran occurred during the reign of Safavid dynasty while its fall was after Qajar era. After introduction to churches after 12th century, Stained Glass manufacturing art was officially recognized. In contemporary era, Orosi art has almost faded away since it did not adapt to architecture. Similarly, Stained Glass art did not develop after it was introduced to Iran. The objectives of comparison between these arts are clarification of effects of the two arts on each other as well as better understanding of Orosi glass and Stained Glass arts. From methodological viewpoint, this study is descriptive-analytical in nature. In order to obtain better results, similar and available works of Orosi and Stained Glass arts were studied. The results of comparing these two arts suggested similar manufacturing methods and designs. In addition, a common application of the two arts is communication of greatness of the building to visitors’ minds. Stained Glass was mostly used for representation of Christ’s story while Orosi art was commonly used for depicting geometrical patterns. As a result, Orosi art was not initially influenced by Stained Glass art. In some cases, one could claim that Stained Glass art was influenced by Orosi art. Numerous factors played a role in creating differences between these two arts among which one could point to climatic conditions and patrons of such arts.

  4. Identification and age estimation of blood stains on colored backgrounds by near infrared spectroscopy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Edelman, Gerda; Manti, Vicky; van Ruth, Saskia M.; van Leeuwen, Ton; Aalders, Maurice

    2012-01-01

    Non-destructive identification and subsequent age estimation of blood stains are significant steps in forensic casework. The latter can provide important information on the temporal aspects of a crime. As previously shown, visible spectroscopy of blood stains on white backgrounds can successfully be

  5. Utility of gram staining for evaluation of the quality of cystic fibrosis sputum samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nair, Bindu; Stapp, Jenny; Stapp, Lynn; Bugni, Linda; Van Dalfsen, Jill; Burns, Jane L

    2002-08-01

    The microscopic examination of Gram-stained sputum specimens is very helpful in the evaluation of patients with community-acquired pneumonia and has also been recommended for use in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. This study was undertaken to evaluate that recommendation. One hundred one sputum samples from CF patients were cultured for gram-negative bacilli and examined by Gram staining for both sputum adequacy (using the quality [Q] score) and bacterial morphology. Subjective evaluation of adequacy was also performed and categorized. Based on Q score evaluation, 41% of the samples would have been rejected despite a subjective appearance of purulence. Only three of these rejected samples were culture negative for gram-negative CF pathogens. Correlation between culture results and quantitative Gram stain examination was also poor. These data suggest that subjective evaluation combined with comprehensive bacteriology is superior to Gram staining in identifying pathogens in CF sputum.

  6. Haematoxylin and eosin staining identifies medium to large bacterial aggregates with a reliable specificity: A comparative analysis of follicular bacterial aggregates in axillary biopsies using peptide nucleic acid-fluorescence in situ hybridization and haematoxylin and eosin staining

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ring, Hans Christian; Riis, Peter Theut; Bay, Lene

    2017-01-01

    between bacterial aggregates identified by haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining vs bacterial aggregates in corresponding PNA-FISH samples. Axillary biopsies were obtained in 24 healthy controls. HE-stained and PNA-FISH samples were investigated using traditional light microscopy and CLSM, respectively....... The data demonstrate that HE staining identifies large bacterial aggregates (>10 μm) with a sensitivity of 0.43 and specificity of 1. The methods, however, are not equivalent as demonstrated by a McNemar's test (P=.04). Where bacterial aggregates >10 μm in diameter, HE staining may offer a rapid...... and practical low-cost tool to evaluate bacterial aggregates....

  7. Evaluation of surviving fraction using nonclonogenic staining densitometry method

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nishiguchi, Iku; Ogawa, Koichi; Ito, Hisao; Hashimoto, Shozo

    1994-01-01

    This study was performed to compare our nonclonogenic survival assay (densitometry assay, DM assay) with the widely used clonogenic assay. The established cell lines (HaLa, RMUG, IMR, GOTO) were grown in F 10 medium. The cells were spread in 24-well plates, irradiated with different doses, cultured for about one week and stained with crystal violet after the culture period. Taking the transparent images of the stained well on the light source with the CCD camera, the images were collected with the matrix size 64 x 64, and the integrated optical density of the entire surface of each well was determined by computer with our original program. As the number of cells in the well is reflected by its staining density, the surviving fraction was calculated as the fraction of growth in the irradiated wells relative to controls. The survival curves obtained by the densitometry method showed good correlations with those obtained by clonogenic assay. It is possible to predict intrinsic radiosensitivity with this assay, even if the cells do not form good colonies. However, this method is based on measurements in cultures which depend on the metabolism and growth kinetics of the irradiated cells. Cells should grow exponetially in the same manner in any well to obtain a result similar to that of clonogenic assay, although growth kinetics may be altered by irradiation. This, the endpoint must be strictly standardized. (author)

  8. Alternate gram staining technique using a fluorescent lectin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sizemore, R K; Caldwell, J J; Kendrick, A S

    1990-01-01

    Fluorescence-labeled wheat germ agglutinin binds specifically to N-acetylglucosamine in the outer peptidoglycan layer of gram-positive bacteria. The peptidoglycan layer of gram-negative bacteria is covered by a membrane and is not labeled by the lectin. By exploiting this phenomenon, an alternative Gram staining technique has been developed. Images PMID:1697149

  9. Mixed-substrate (glycerol tributyrate and fibrin) zymography for simultaneous detection of lipolytic and proteolytic enzymes on a single gel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Nack-Shick; Choi, Jong Hyun; Kim, Bo-Hye; Han, Yun-Jon; Kim, Joong Su; Lee, Seung-Goo; Song, Jae Jun

    2009-06-01

    A new zymography method for simultaneous detection of two different enzymatic activities (lipolytic and proteolytic) using a single SDS-containing or native-conformation gel and a mixed-substrate (glycerol tributyrate and fibrin) (MS)(1) gel was developed. After routine electrophoresis, SDS in the gel was removed by treatment with Triton X-100. Gel proteins were electrotransferred to the MS gel. To visualize lipolytic activity, the MS gel was incubated at 37 degrees C (for 6 or 24 h) until clear bands against an opaque background were observed. To detect proteolytic activity, the same MS gel was stained with Coomassie brilliant blue. Using this method, we show that six lipolytic enzymes from Staphylococcus pasteuri NJ-1 and four proteolytic enzymes from two Bacillus strains, B. licheniformis DJ-2 and B. licheniformis NJ-5, isolated from soil, can be simultaneously detected.

  10. Nanomaterials with enzyme-like characteristics (nanozymes): next-generation artificial enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Hui; Wang, Erkang

    2013-07-21

    Over the past few decades, researchers have established artificial enzymes as highly stable and low-cost alternatives to natural enzymes in a wide range of applications. A variety of materials including cyclodextrins, metal complexes, porphyrins, polymers, dendrimers and biomolecules have been extensively explored to mimic the structures and functions of naturally occurring enzymes. Recently, some nanomaterials have been found to exhibit unexpected enzyme-like activities, and great advances have been made in this area due to the tremendous progress in nano-research and the unique characteristics of nanomaterials. To highlight the progress in the field of nanomaterial-based artificial enzymes (nanozymes), this review discusses various nanomaterials that have been explored to mimic different kinds of enzymes. We cover their kinetics, mechanisms and applications in numerous fields, from biosensing and immunoassays, to stem cell growth and pollutant removal. We also summarize several approaches to tune the activities of nanozymes. Finally, we make comparisons between nanozymes and other catalytic materials (other artificial enzymes, natural enzymes, organic catalysts and nanomaterial-based catalysts) and address the current challenges and future directions (302 references).

  11. Complete staining of human spermatozoa and immature germ cells combined with phase contrast microscopy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Michael, A Y; Drejer, J O; Bagger, P V

    1987-01-01

    A method combining Janus green B and Thymol blue stains the anterior part of the head, the nuclear membrane, middle piece, and tail of spermatozoa light green and the nucleus deep purple. The method provides excellent stained preparations for the evaluation of sperm morphology by phase contrast...

  12. Facile method to stain the bacterial cell surface for super-resolution fluorescence microscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gunsolus, Ian L.; Hu, Dehong; Mihai, Cosmin; Lohse, Samuel E.; Lee, Chang-Soo; Torelli, Marco; Hamers, Robert J.; Murphy, Catherine; Orr, Galya; Haynes, Christy L.

    2014-01-01

    A method to fluorescently stain the surfaces of both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial cells compatible with super-resolution fluorescence microscopy is presented. This method utilizes a commercially-available fluorescent probe to label primary amines at the surface of the cell. We demonstrate efficient staining of two bacterial strains, the Gram-negative Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 and the Gram-positive Bacillus subtilis 168. Using structured illumination microscopy and stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy, which require high quantum yield or specialized dyes, we show that this staining method may be used to resolve the bacterial cell surface with sub-diffraction-limited resolution. We further use this method to identify localization patterns of nanomaterials, specifically cadmium selenide quantum dots, following interaction with bacterial cells.

  13. Standardization of fixation, processing and staining methods for the central nervous system of vertebrates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aldana Marcos, H J; Ferrari, C C; Benitez, I; Affanni, J M

    1996-12-01

    This paper reports the standardization of methods used for processing and embedding various vertebrate brains of different size in paraffin. Other technical details developed for avoiding frequent difficulties arising during laboratory routine are also reported. Some modifications of the Nissl and Klüver-Barrera staining methods are proposed. These modifications include: 1) a Nissl stain solution with a rapid and efficient action with easier differentiation; 2) the use of a cheap microwave oven for the Klüver-Barrera stain. These procedures have the advantage of permitting Nissl and Klüver-Barrera staining of nervous tissue in about five and fifteen minutes respectively. The proposed procedures have been tested in brains obtained from fish, amphibians, reptiles and mammals of different body sizes. They are the result of our long experience in preparing slides for comparative studies. Serial sections of excellent quality were regularly obtained in all the specimens studied. These standardized methods, being simple and quick, are recommended for routine use in neurobiological laboratories.

  14. Microbiology of liver abscesses and the predictive value of abscess gram stain and associated blood cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chemaly, Roy F; Hall, Gerri S; Keys, Thomas F; Procop, Gary W

    2003-08-01

    Although rare, pyogenic liver abscesses are potentially fatal. We evaluated the predictive value of Gram stain of liver abscess aspirates and temporally associated blood cultures. Gram stains detected bacteria in 79% of the liver abscesses tested. The sensitivity and specificity of Gram stain of the liver abscesses were 90% and 100% for Gram-positive cocci (GPC) and 52% and 94% for Gram-negative bacilli (GNB). The sensitivities of the blood cultures for any GPC and GNB present in the liver abscess were 30% and 39%, respectively. Although, Gram stains and blood cultures offer incomplete detection of the microbial contents of pyogenic liver abscesses, both tests should always accompany liver abscess cultures.

  15. Prophylactic Cefazolin in Amnioinfusions Administered for Meconium-Stained Amniotic Fluid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    R. K. Edwards

    1999-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To determine if amnioinfusion with an antibiotic solution decreased the rate of clinical chorioamnionitis and puerperal endometritis in patients with meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

  16. A generally applicable sequential alkaline phosphatase immunohistochemical double staining

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Loos, Chris M.; Teeling, Peter

    2008-01-01

    A universal type of sequential double alkaline phosphatase immunohistochemical staining is described that can be used for formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded and cryostat tissue sections from human and mouse origin. It consists of two alkaline phosphatase detection systems including enzymatic

  17. Detection of Wolbachia endobacteria in Culex quinquefasciatus by Gimenez staining and confirmation by PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Muniaraj, M; Paramasivan, R; Sunish, I P; Arunachalam, N; Mariappan, T; Jerald Leo, S Victor; Dhananjeyan, K J

    2012-12-01

    Wolbachia are common intracellular bacteria that are found in arthropods and nematodes. These endosymbionts are transmitted vertically through host eggs and alter host biology in diverse ways, including the induction of reproductive manipulations, such as feminization, parthenogenesis, male killing and sperm-egg incompatibility. Since they can also move horizontally across species boundaries, Wolbachia is gaining importance in recent days as it could be used as a biological control agent to control vector mosquitoes or for paratransgenic approaches. However, the study of Wolbachia requires sophisticated techniques such as PCR and cell culture facilities which cannot be affordable for many laboratories where the diseases transmitted by arthropod vectors are common. Hence, it would be beneficial to develop a simple method to detect the presence of Wolbachia in arthropods. In this study, we described a method of staining Wolbachia endobacteria, present in the reproductive tissues of mosquitoes. The reliability of this method was compared with Gram staining and PCR based detection. The microscopic observation of the Gimenez stained smear prepared from the teased ovary of wild caught and Wolbachia (+) Cx. quinquefasciatus revealed the presence of pink coloured pleomorphic cells of Wolbachia ranging from cocci, comma shaped cells to bacillus and chain forms. The ovaries of Wolbachia (-) cured mosquito did not show any cell. Although Gram's staining is a reliable differential staining for the other bacteria, the bacterial cells in the smears from the ovaries of wild caught mosquitoes did not take the stain properly and the cells were not clearly visible. The PCR amplified product from the pooled remains of wild caught and Wolbachia (+) Cx. quinquefasciatus showed clear banding, whereas, no banding was observed for the negative control (distilled water) and Wolbachia (-) Cx. quinquefasciatus. The Gimenez staining technique applied, could be used to detect the members of

  18. Analysis of surface stains on modern gold coins

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Corregidor, V., E-mail: vicky.corregidor@itn.pt [Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, E.N. 10, 2686-953 Sacavém (Portugal); CFNUL, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 2, 1649-003 Lisboa (Portugal); Alves, L.C. [Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, E.N. 10, 2686-953 Sacavém (Portugal); CFNUL, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 2, 1649-003 Lisboa (Portugal); Cruz, J. [Instituto Tecnológico e Nuclear, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Técnica de Lisboa, E.N. 10, 2686-953 Sacavém (Portugal); CFNUL, Av. Prof. Gama Pinto 2, 1649-003 Lisboa (Portugal); Dep. Física, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2829-216 Caparica (Portugal)

    2013-07-01

    It is a mandatory practice in the European Mint Houses to provide a certificate of guarantee of their products specially when issuing commemorative gold or silver coins. This practise should assure satisfaction and trust both for the mint house and for the demanding numismatic collector. For these reasons the Mint Houses follow a strict quality control in all the production steps in order to ensure a no-defect, fully supervised output. In spite of all the undertaken precautions, different surface stains with diverse origin on gold coins recently minted in Europe were observed. Those were compositionally studied by means of IBA techniques at the end-stage nuclear microprobe installed at IST/ITN. From this study it was possible to identify several possible sources for these stains. The presence of defects at the surface of these commemorative coins address the need of improving the quality control system and the results here presented point out where these improvements should occur, in order to reduce/eliminate them and give the customer a product that with time probably will be revalued.

  19. [Advances on enzymes and enzyme inhibitors research based on microfluidic devices].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Feng-Hua; Ye, Jian-Qing; Chen, Zuan-Guang; Cheng, Zhi-Yi

    2010-06-01

    With the continuous development in microfluidic fabrication technology, microfluidic analysis has evolved from a concept to one of research frontiers in last twenty years. The research of enzymes and enzyme inhibitors based on microfluidic devices has also made great progress. Microfluidic technology improved greatly the analytical performance of the research of enzymes and enzyme inhibitors by reducing the consumption of reagents, decreasing the analysis time, and developing automation. This review focuses on the development and classification of enzymes and enzyme inhibitors research based on microfluidic devices.

  20. Direct comparison of enzyme histochemical and immunohistochemical methods to localize an enzyme

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Noorden, Cornelis J. F.

    2002-01-01

    Immunohistochemical localization of enzymes is compared directly with localization of enzyme activity with (catalytic) enzyme histochemical methods. The two approaches demonstrate principally different aspects of an enzyme. The immunohistochemical method localizes the enzyme protein whether it is

  1. Comparison of Histochemical Staining Methods and Correlation with Transient Elastography in Acute Hepatitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cabibi, Daniela; Calvaruso, Vincenza; Giuffrida, Letizia; Ingrao, Sabrina; Balsamo, Laura; Giannone, Antonino Giulio; Petta, Salvatore; Di Marco, Vito

    2015-03-06

    To compare Masson's trichrome (MT), Sirius red (SR) and orcein staining in acute hepatitis (AH) and to correlate them with transient elastography (TE), a noninvasive method to assess hepatic fibrosis. We evaluated liver stiffness by TE in a cohort of 34 consecutive patients and assessed MT-, SR- and orcein-stained biopsies using the METAVIR scoring system and digital image analysis (DIA). MT and SR both showed severe fibrosis (stage III-IV, DIA = 12.7%). Orcein showed absent or mild fibrosis (stage 0-II, DIA = 4.4%; p 12.5 kPa, in keeping with SR/MT but not with orcein results. Even though in AH true elastic fibrosis is typically absent or mild, TE shows elevated stiffness values, in keeping with SR/MT evaluations. If not properly evaluated in the clinical context, these results would lead to an overestimation of fibrosis. Orcein is the only staining able to evidence the absence of true elastic fibrosis, which is a typical feature of AH. This is the first study comparing different staining procedures performed on AH biopsies by DIA versus TE. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  2. Expression of cyclo-oxygenase-2 enzyme in the tissue samples of patients with various clinicopathological stages of oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nelson Aruldoss

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Aim: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the expression of cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2 enzyme in the tissue samples of patients with various clinicopathological stages of oral leukoplakia and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC. Materials and Methods: The samples for the study were divided into 4 groups. Group A comprised 20 healthy individuals with no habits. Twenty healthy individuals with habitual tobacco usage and no oral lesions were included in Group B. Twenty cases of leukoplakia diagnosed clinically and histopathologically were included in Group C. Staging was done using the modified classification and staging system of oral leukoplakia. Twenty cases of OSCC diagnosed clinically and histopathologically were included in Group D. Immunohistochemical staining was done on these 80 samples (paraffin blocks for COX-2 expression by indirect method using polymer based Horseradish peroxidase system. Statistical analysis was performed using Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman′s rank correlation test. Results: Significant and proportional increase of COX-2 staining was noted with the increase in the severity of dysplasia. Eighty percent of OSCC expressed COX-2, increasing in its intensity of staining with the decrease in differentiation. Seventy five percent of leukoplakia showed positive COX-2 expression. Only 15% of positive controls were COX-2 positive. No normal mucosa showed positive expression of COX-2. Conclusion: High expression of COX-2 is seen in advanced stages of leukoplakia and OSCC. Hence, COX-2 enzyme increases cell proliferation, promotes angiogenesis and inhibits immune surveillance in carcinogenesis; it can be an early detection marker in oral leukoplakia and a prognostic marker of OSCC.

  3. Computational enzyme design: transitioning from catalytic proteins to enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mak, Wai Shun; Siegel, Justin B

    2014-08-01

    The widespread interest in enzymes stem from their ability to catalyze chemical reactions under mild and ecologically friendly conditions with unparalleled catalytic proficiencies. While thousands of naturally occurring enzymes have been identified and characterized, there are still numerous important applications for which there are no biological catalysts capable of performing the desired chemical transformation. In order to engineer enzymes for which there is no natural starting point, efforts using a combination of quantum chemistry and force-field based protein molecular modeling have led to the design of novel proteins capable of catalyzing chemical reactions not catalyzed by naturally occurring enzymes. Here we discuss the current status and potential avenues to pursue as the field of computational enzyme design moves forward. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. The incidence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid from 1980 through 1986, by year and gestational age.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dysart, M; Graves, B W; Sharp, E S; Cotsonis, G

    1991-09-01

    The annual incidence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid was analyzed for changes in a total obstetric sample of 45,115 singleton, vertex, liveborn infants over a 7-year study period. The incidence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid for the total obstetric population was calculated for each year of the study period. The sample was then stratified by estimated gestational age, and the incidence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid was calculated for each gestational age group. The incidence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid increased 40.9% over the study period, from 18.8% in 1980 to 26.5% in 1986 (P less than .001). This increase was found to be in a consistent linear trend (P less than .05). The incidence of meconium-stained amniotic fluid was also found to increase significantly in a linear trend as gestational age of the fetus increased. These findings lend support to both the maturational theory and the stress theory of meconium passage in utero.

  5. Simple and rapid staining for detection of Entamoeba cysts and other protozoans with fluorochromes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawamoto, F; Mizuno, S; Fujioka, H; Kumada, N; Sugiyama, E; Takeuchi, T; Kobayashi, S; Iseki, M; Yamada, M; Matsumoto, Y

    1987-02-01

    Three fluorochromes were applied to stain various parasitic protozoans. By double staining with 4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole and propidium iodide, differentiation of the nuclei from the cytoplasm can easily be achieved within several seconds. The chromatoid bodies in Entamoeba cysts were stained bright red. Plasmodium yoelii at all stages except late trophozoites and young gametocytes was easily identified. In the oocysts of Cryptosporidium sp., the nuclei and cytoplasm of the sporozoites fluoresced bluish white and red, respectively, whereas the residual body appeared blue or green. The third fluorochrome, Calcofluor white M2R, was suitable for detecting the cysts of Entamoeba spp. and Chilomastix mesnili.

  6. Interobserver reproducibility and accuracy of p16/Ki-67 dual-stain cytology in cervical cancer screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wentzensen, Nicolas; Fetterman, Barbara; Tokugawa, Diane; Schiffman, Mark; Castle, Philip E; Wood, Shannon N; Stiemerling, Eric; Poitras, Nancy; Lorey, Thomas; Kinney, Walter

    2014-12-01

    Dual-stain cytology for p16 and Ki-67 has been proposed as a biomarker in cervical cancer screening. The authors evaluated the reproducibility and accuracy of dual-stain cytology among 10 newly trained evaluators. In total, 480 p16/Ki-67-stained slides from human papillomavirus-positive women were evaluated in masked fashion by 10 evaluators. None of the evaluators had previous experience with p16 or p16/Ki-67 cytology. All participants underwent p16/Ki-67 training and subsequent proficiency testing. Reproducibility of dual-stain cytology was measured using the percentage agreement, individual and aggregate κ values, as well as McNemar statistics. Clinical performance for the detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or greater (CIN2+) was evaluated for each individual evaluator and for all evaluators combined compared with the reference evaluation by a cytotechnologist who had extensive experience with dual-stain cytology. The percentage agreement of individual evaluators with the reference evaluation ranged from 83% to 91%, and the κ values ranged from 0.65 to 0.81. The combined κ value was 0.71 for all evaluators and 0.73 for cytotechnologists. The average sensitivity and specificity for the detection of CIN2+ among novice evaluators was 82% and 64%, respectively; whereas the reference evaluation had 84% sensitivity and 63% specificity, respectively. Agreement on dual-stain positivity increased with greater numbers of p16/Ki-67-positive cells on the slides. Good to excellent reproducibility of p16/Ki-67 dual-stain cytology was observed with almost identical clinical performance of novice evaluators compared with reference evaluations. The current findings suggest that p16/Ki-67 dual-stain evaluation can be implemented in routine cytology practice with limited training. © 2014 American Cancer Society.

  7. Persepsi Pemustaka Terhadap Kualitas Layanan Perpustakaan Pascasarjana STAIN Pamekasan

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hairul A Cahyo

    2014-07-01

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

  8. Removing foxing stains from old paper at 157 nm

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sarantopoulou, E.; Samardzija, Z.; Kobe, S.; Kollia, Z.; Cefalas, A.C.

    2003-01-01

    Using a molecular fluorine laser at 157 nm foxing stains were removed successfully from a 16th century old paper. Laser cleaning of stains and foxing from old paper manuscripts is far more effective at 157 nm in comparison to different wavelengths without leaving any yellowish after-effect on the paper. This is because at 157 nm illumination of old paper, complete bond breaking of all the organic molecules of the paper is taking place. Mass spectroscopy at 157 nm and for moderate laser intensities up to 1 mJ/cm 2 of old paper suffering from foxing indicate organic matter disintegration to small photofragments atomic, diatomic or triatomic, which are flying apart with supersonic speed. In addition high spatial resolution energy dispersive X-ray system (EDXS) analysis over the effected areas indicate the presence of iron, suggesting that biological activity is taking place preferentially in paper areas containing iron

  9. Intrapartum amnioinfusion in meconium-stained liquor: a case-control study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bansal, Neeta; Gupta, Vineeta; Nanda, Anuja; Chaudhary, Priyanka; Tandon, Archna; Behl, Neelima

    2013-06-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate perinatal outcome and the rate of cesarean section (CS) following intrapartum amnioinfusion in women with meconium-stained amniotic fluid (MSAF). A total of 100 women at term in labor with meconium were randomized to infuse transcervical intrapartum amnioinfusion with saline (50) and routine obstetrical care (50). Perinatal outcome and obstetric outcome were recorded and analyzed in both groups by means of Chi-square test. The CS rate due to fetal distress was 40.0 % in the control group and 20.0 % in the study group. The difference was statistically significant (P Amnioinfusion in cases of meconium-stained liquor significantly improved neonatal outcome and CS rate without increasing any maternal and fetal complications.

  10. False-Negative Rate of Gram-Stain Microscopy for Diagnosis of Septic Arthritis: Suggestions for Improvement

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paul Stirling

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We quantify the false-negative diagnostic rate of septic arthritis using Gram-stain microscopy of synovial fluid and compare this to values reported in the peer-reviewed literature. We propose a method of improving the diagnostic value of Gram-stain microscopy using Lithium Heparin containers that prevent synovial fluid coagulation. Retrospective study of the Manchester Royal Infirmary microbiology database of patients undergoing synovial fluid Gram-stain and culture between December 2003 and March 2012 was undertaken. The initial cohort of 1896 synovial fluid analyses for suspected septic arthritis was reduced to 143 after exclusion criteria were applied. Analysis of our Gram-stain microscopy yielded 111 false-negative results from a cohort size of 143 positive synovial fluid cultures, giving a false-negative rate of 78%. We report a false-negative rate of Gram-stain microscopy for septic arthritis of 78%. Clinicians should therefore avoid the investigation until a statistically significant data set confirms its efficacy. The investigation's value could be improved by using Lithium Heparin containers to collect homogenous synovial fluid samples. Ongoing research aims to establish how much this could reduce the false-negative rate.

  11. Pre-staining thin layer chromatography method for amino acid ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Jane

    2010-12-13

    Dec 13, 2010 ... inexpensive and the results obtained were clean and reproducible. However, it is suitable for the high throughput screening of amino acid-producing strains. Key words: Thin layer chromatography, pre-staining, amino acid detection. INTRODUCTION. Several analytical techniques have been often used for.

  12. Interlaboratory variability of Ki67 staining in breast cancer

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Focke, Cornelia M.; Bürger, Horst; van Diest, Paul J.; Finsterbusch, Kai; Gläser, Doreen; Korsching, Eberhard; Decker, Thomas; Anders, M.; Bollmann, R.; Eiting, Fr; Friedrich, K.; Habeck, J. O.; Haroske, G.; Hinrichs, B.; Behrens, A.; Krause, Lars Udo; Braun-Lang, U.; Lorenzen, J.; Minew, N.; Mlynek-Kersjes, M.; Nenning, H.; Packeisen, J.; Poche-de Vos, F.; Reyher-Klein, S.; Rothacker, D.; Schultz, M.; Sturm, U.; Tawfik, M.; Berghäuser, K. H.; Böcker, W; Cserni, G.; Habedank, S.; Lax, S.; Moinfar, F.; Regitnig, P.; Reiner-Concin, A.; Rüschoff, J.; Varga, Z.; Woziwodski, J.

    2017-01-01

    Background Postanalytic issues of Ki67 assessment in breast cancers like counting method standardisation and interrater bias have been subject of various studies, but little is known about analytic variability of Ki67 staining between pathology labs. Our aim was to study interlaboratory variability

  13. Sperm viability assessment in marine invertebrates by fluorescent staining and spectrofluorimetry: A promising tool for assessing marine pollution impact.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gallo, Alessandra; Boni, Raffaele; Tosti, Elisabetta

    2018-01-01

    The viability of spermatozoa is a crucial parameter to evaluate their quality that is an important issue in ecotoxicological studies. Here, a new method has been developed to rapidly determine the viability of spermatozoa in three marine invertebrates: the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and the mollusc Mytilus galloprovincialis. This method employed the dual DNA fluorescent staining coupled with spectrofluorimetric analysis. The dual fluorescent staining used the SYBR-14 stained live spermatozoa and propidium iodide stained degenerated cells that had lost membrane integrity. Stain uptake was assessed by confocal microscopy and then the percentage of live and dead spermatozoa was quantified by spectrofluorimetric analysis. The microscopic examination revealed three populations of spermatozoa: living-SYBR-14 stained, dead-PI stained, and dying-doubly stained spermatozoa. The fluorescence emission peak values recorded in a spectrofluorimeter provide the portion of live and dead spermatozoa showing a significant negative correlation. The stain combination was further validated using known ratios of live and dead spermatozoa. The present study demonstrated that the dual DNA staining with SYBR-14 and propidium iodide was effective in assessing viability of spermatozoa in marine invertebrates and that spectrofluorimetric analysis can be successfully employed to evaluate the percentage of live and dead spermatozoa. The method develop herein is simple, accurate, rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective, so it could be a useful tool by which marine pollutants may be screened for spermiotoxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Stabilization of enzymes in ionic liquids via modification of enzyme charge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nordwald, Erik M; Kaar, Joel L

    2013-09-01

    Due to the propensity of ionic liquids (ILs) to inactivate enzymes, the development of strategies to improve enzyme utility in these solvents is critical to fully exploit ILs for biocatalysis. We have developed a strategy to broadly improve enzyme utility in ILs based on elucidating the effect of charge modifications on the function of enzymes in IL environments. Results of stability studies in aqueous-IL mixtures indicated a clear connection between the ratio of enzyme-containing positive-to-negative sites and enzyme stability in ILs. Stability studies of the effect of [BMIM][Cl] and [EMIM][EtSO4 ] on chymotrypsin specifically found an optimum ratio of positively-charged amine-to-negatively-charged acid groups (0.39). At this ratio, the half-life of chymotrypsin was increased 1.6- and 4.3-fold relative to wild-type chymotrypsin in [BMIM][Cl] and [EMIM][EtSO4 ], respectively. The half-lives of lipase and papain were similarly increased as much as 4.0 and 2.4-fold, respectively, in [BMIM][Cl] by modifying the ratio of positive-to-negative sites of each enzyme. More generally, the results of stability studies found that modifications that reduce the ratio of enzyme-containing positive-to-negative sites improve enzyme stability in ILs. Understanding the impact of charge modification on enzyme stability in ILs may ultimately be exploited to rationally engineer enzymes for improved function in IL environments. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Red-staining of the wall rock and its influence on the reducing capacity around water conducting fractures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Drake, Henrik; Tullborg, Eva-Lena; Annersten, Hans

    2008-01-01

    Red-staining and alteration of wall rock is common around water conducting fractures in the Laxemar-Simpevarp area (SE Sweden), which is currently being investigated by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co. (SKB) in common with many other places. Red-staining is often interpreted as a clear sign of oxidation but relevant analyses are seldom performed. The area is dominated by Palaeoproterozoic crystalline rocks ranging in composition from quartz monzodiorite to granite. In this study wall rock samples have been compared with reference samples from within 0.1 to 1 m of the red-stained rock, in order to describe mineralogical and geochemical changes but also changes in redox conditions. A methodology for tracing changes in mineralogy, mineral and whole rock chemistry and Fe 3+ /Fe tot ratio in silicates and oxides in the red-stained wall rock and the reference rock is reported. The results show that the red-stained rock adjacent to the fractures displays major changes in mineralogy; biotite, plagioclase and magnetite have been altered and chlorite, K-feldspar, albite, sericite, prehnite, epidote and hematite have been formed. The changes in chemistry are however moderate; K-enrichment, Ca-depletion and constant Fe tot are documented. The Fe 3+ /Fe tot ratio in the oxide phase is higher in the red-stained samples whereas the Fe 3+ /Fe tot ratio in the silicate phase is largely similar in the wall rock and the reference samples. Because most of the Fe is hosted in the silicate phase the decrease in reducing capacity (Fe 2+ ), if any, in the red-stained wall rock is very small and not as high as macroscopic observations might suggest. Instead, the mineralogical changes in combination with the modest oxidation and formation of minute hematite grains in porous secondary minerals in pseudomorphs after plagioclase have produced the red-staining. Increased porosity is also characteristic for the red-stained rock. Moderate alteration in the macroscopically fresh

  16. QUANTITATIVE STUDY OF GASTRIC EPITHELIAL LESIONS BY NUCLEOLAR ORGANIZER REGION STAINING

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M.R. Arab

    2004-11-01

    Full Text Available Nucleolar organizer regions (NOR are defined as nucleolar components containing a set of argyrophilic proteins which are selectively stained by colloidal silver nitrate staining. Although studies have shown that the number of NOR dots or particles is directly related to the rapidity of cell proliferation in cancer cells, prognostic or diagnostic value of NOR remains controversial. The aim of the present study was to asses the proliferative activity of the NOR in different gastric epithelial lesions. For these purposes 60 biopsy and surgical specimens of stomach from pathology files of Khatamalanbia and Imam Hospitals were chosen. For each patient, 3-5 paraffin sections were prepared and stained by one step colloidal silver nitrate solution. In each section intranuclear dots in 100 cell nuclei were counted by two of authors in randomly selected fields and data were analyzed by ANOVA. Statistical analysis showed significant difference for NOR number between gastritis, different grades of dysplasia and carcinoma. The shape and number of NOR showed a grater variability in carcinoma compared to other lesions. It seems that NOR could reflect the proliferative activity of cells.

  17. Interkoneksi Stain, Bsm, Dan Mes Dalam Mengembangkan Ekonomi Islam: Studi Kasus Di Purwokerto

    OpenAIRE

    Dahlan, Ahmad

    2008-01-01

    STAIN, Bank Syariah Mandiri (BSM), and Masyarakat Ekonomi Syariah (MES, Syariah Economic Society) have important rolein the development of Islam economy in Purwokerto. This research result evidenced that these three institutions have an Islamic economydevelopment program according with vision and mission of their institution. STAIN as Islamic higher education is on curriculum design andlecture quality domain, BSM as banking financial institution on enhancing employee/manager quality, and MES ...

  18. INTERKONEKSI STAIN, BSM, DAN MES DALAM MENGEMBANGKAN EKONOMI ISLAM: STUDI KASUS DI PURWOKERTO

    OpenAIRE

    Dahlan, Ahmad

    2015-01-01

    STAIN, Bank Syariah Mandiri (BSM), and Masyarakat Ekonomi Syariah (MES, Syariah Economic Society) have important rolein the development of Islam economy in Purwokerto. This research result evidenced that these three institutions have an Islamic economydevelopment program according with vision and mission of their institution. STAIN as Islamic higher education is on curriculum design andlecture quality domain, BSM as banking financial institution on enhancing employee/manager quality, and MES ...

  19. [Comet assay of DNA fragmentation: modification of silver staining for obtaining permanent preparations].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamins'kyĭ, V O; Lutsyk, M D; Stoĭka, R S

    2005-01-01

    Modification of comet analysis is proposed for obtaining permanent preparations by DNA staining with silver compounds. The sensitivity of staining is similar to that observed at the treatment by ethidium bromide and other fluorochromes. The advantages of the method are stability of slides and possibility of their reinvestigation by light microscopy. The method does not need expensive fluorescent microscope and lacks contacting with carcinogenic compounds and UV light irradiation.

  20. Artificial Enzymes, "Chemzymes"

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bjerre, Jeannette; Rousseau, Cyril Andre Raphaël; Pedersen, Lavinia Georgeta M

    2008-01-01

    Enzymes have fascinated scientists since their discovery and, over some decades, one aim in organic chemistry has been the creation of molecules that mimic the active sites of enzymes and promote catalysis. Nevertheless, even today, there are relatively few examples of enzyme models that successf......Enzymes have fascinated scientists since their discovery and, over some decades, one aim in organic chemistry has been the creation of molecules that mimic the active sites of enzymes and promote catalysis. Nevertheless, even today, there are relatively few examples of enzyme models...... that successfully perform Michaelis-Menten catalysis under enzymatic conditions (i.e., aqueous medium, neutral pH, ambient temperature) and for those that do, very high rate accelerations are seldomly seen. This review will provide a brief summary of the recent developments in artificial enzymes, so called...... "Chemzymes", based on cyclodextrins and other molecules. Only the chemzymes that have shown enzyme-like activity that has been quantified by different methods will be mentioned. This review will summarize the work done in the field of artificial glycosidases, oxidases, epoxidases, and esterases, as well...

  1. Effects of a Baking Soda Gum on extrinsic dental stain: results of a longitudinal 4-week assessment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soparkar, P; Newman, M B

    2001-07-01

    An evaluation of the effects of ARM & HAMMER DENTAL CARE The Baking Soda Gum (AHDC) on extrinsic dental stain was made in 48 subjects presenting with measurable extrinsic stain. The subjects were randomized to use either the baking soda gum or a non-baking soda placebo gum for 20 minutes twice daily after lunch and dinner while brushing once daily. The procedure of limited brushing was chosen to simulate the level of hygiene normally practiced by participants entering a clinical study. After 4 weeks, the reduction in measurable extrinsic stain in the baking soda gum group was statistically significant (P = .0044) relative to baseline. Statistical analysis of the placebo gum group revealed no significant change in extrinsic stain from baseline. The magnitude of the unadjusted longitudinal reduction in extrinsic stain in the baking soda gum group was 29.7% at 4 weeks.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    Korzhevskiĭ, D E; Otellin, V A

    2004-01-01

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

  3. Taste in Art-Exposure to Histological Stains Shapes Abstract Art Preferences.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Böthig, Antonia M; Hayn-Leichsenring, Gregor U

    2017-01-01

    Exposure to art increases the appreciation of artworks. Here, we showed that this effect is domain independent. After viewing images of histological stains in a lecture, ratings increased for restricted subsets of abstract art images. In contrast, a lecture on art history generally enhanced ratings for all art images presented, while a lecture on town history without any visual stimuli did not increase the ratings. Therefore, we found a domain-independent exposure effect of images of histological stains to particular abstract paintings. This finding suggests that the 'taste' for abstract art is altered by visual impressions that are presented outside of an artistic context.

  4. Localization and biosynthesis of aminopeptidase N in pig fetal small intestine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Danielsen, E M; Niels-Christiansen, L L; Hansen, Gert Helge

    1995-01-01

    BACKGROUND & AIMS: Little is known about the expression of brush border enzymes in fetal enterocytes. The aim of this study was to describe the localization and biosynthesis of porcine fetal aminopeptidase N. METHODS: This study was performed using histochemistry and immunoelectron microscopy......, and large vacuoles in the apical cytoplasm. The transient high mannose-glycosylated form of fetal aminopeptidase N was processed to the mature complex-glycosylated form at a markedly slower rate than the enzyme in adult intestine. Likewise, dimerization occurred slowly compared with the adult form...... of aminopeptidase N, and it took place mainly after the Golgi-associated complex glycosylation. The enzyme had a biphasic appearance in the Mg(2+)-precipitated and microvillar fractions, indicating that the bulk of newly made aminopeptidase N is transported to the brush border membrane before appearing...

  5. Improving the Application of High Molecular Weight Biotinylated Dextran Amine for Thalamocortical Projection Tracing in the Rat.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Dongsheng; Cui, Jingjing; Wang, Jia; Zhang, Zhiyun; She, Chen; Bai, Wanzhu

    2018-04-12

    High molecular weight biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) has been used as a highly sensitive neuroanatomical tracer for many decades. Since the quality of its labeling was affected by various factors, here, we provide a refined protocol for the application of high molecular weight BDA for studying optimal neural labeling in the central nervous system. After stereotactic injection of BDA into the ventral posteromedial nucleus (VPM) of the thalamus in the rat through a delicate glass pipette, BDA was stained with fluorescent streptavidin-Alexa (AF) 594 and counterstained with fluorescent Nissl stain AF500/525. On the background of green Nissl staining, the red BDA labeling, including neuronal cell bodies and axonal terminals, was more distinctly demonstrated in the somatosensory cortex. Furthermore, double fluorescent staining for BDA and the calcium-binding protein parvalbumin (PV) was carried out to observe the correlation of BDA labeling and PV-positive interneurons in the cortical target, providing the opportunity to study the local neural circuits and their chemical characteristics. Thus, this refined method is not only suitable for visualizing high quality neural labeling with the high molecular weight BDA through reciprocal neural pathways between the thalamus and cerebral cortex, but also will permit the simultaneous demonstration of other neural markers with fluorescent histochemistry or immunochemistry.

  6. Measuring the Level of Agreement Between Cloacal Gram's Stains and Bacterial Cultures in Hispaniolan Amazon Parrots ( Amazona ventralis ).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Evans, Erika E; Mitchell, Mark A; Whittington, Julia K; Roy, Alma; Tully, Thomas N

    2014-12-01

    Cloacal or fecal Gram's stains and bacterial cultures are routinely performed during avian physical examinations to assess the microbial flora of the gastrointestinal tract. Although cloacal or fecal Gram's stains and bacterial cultures are considered routine diagnostic procedures, the level of agreement between the individual tests has not been determined. To investigate the level of agreement between results from Gram's stain and bacterial culture when used to assess cloacal or fecal samples from psittacine birds, samples were taken from 21 clinically healthy Hispaniolan Amazon parrots ( Amazona ventralis ) and tested by Gram's stain cytology and bacterial culture. Most bacteria (97.2%) identified by Gram's stain were gram positive. However, gram-negative organisms were identified in 7 of 21 (33.3%; 95% confidence interval: 13.3%-53.3%) birds. Escherichia coli was the only gram-negative organism identified on culture. Agreement between results of Gram's stain and culture was fair (weighted κ = 0.27). The results of this study suggest that Gram's stains and bacterial culture may need to be performed with a parallel testing strategy to limit the likelihood of misclassifying the microbial flora of psittacine patients.

  7. [Standardization of Blastocystis hominis diagnosis using different staining techniques].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eymael, Dayane; Schuh, Graziela Maria; Tavares, Rejane Giacomelli

    2010-01-01

    The present study was carried out from March to May 2008, with the aim of evaluating the effectiveness of different techniques for diagnosing Blastocystis hominis in a sample of the population attended at the Biomedicine Laboratory of Feevale University, Novo Hamburgo, Rio Grande do Sul. On hundred feces samples from children and adults were evaluated. After collection, the samples were subjected to the techniques of spontaneous sedimentation (HPJ), sedimentation in formalin-ether (Ritchie) and staining by means of Gram and May-Grünwald-Giemsa (MGG). The presence of Blastocystis hominis was observed in 40 samples, when staining techniques were used (MGG and Gram), while sedimentation techniques were less efficient (32 positive samples using the Ritchie technique and 20 positive samples using the HPJ technique). Our results demonstrate that HPJ was less efficient than the other methods, thus indicating the need to include laboratory techniques that enable parasite identification on a routine basis.

  8. Product-selective blot: a technique for measuring enzyme activities in large numbers of samples and in native electrophoresis gels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thompson, G.A.; Davies, H.M.; McDonald, N.

    1985-01-01

    A method termed product-selective blotting has been developed for screening large numbers of samples for enzyme activity. The technique is particularly well suited to detection of enzymes in native electrophoresis gels. The principle of the method was demonstrated by blotting samples from glutaminase or glutamate synthase reactions into an agarose gel embedded with ion-exchange resin under conditions favoring binding of product (glutamate) over substrates and other substances in the reaction mixture. After washes to remove these unbound substances, the product was measured using either fluorometric staining or radiometric techniques. Glutaminase activity in native electrophoresis gels was visualized by a related procedure in which substrates and products from reactions run in the electrophoresis gel were blotted directly into a resin-containing image gel. Considering the selective-binding materials available for use in the image gel, along with the possible detection systems, this method has potentially broad application

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco A Mata-Gómez

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

  10. Validation of a Fully Automated HER2 Staining Kit in Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cathy B. Moelans

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Testing for HER2 amplification and/or overexpression is currently routine practice to guide Herceptin therapy in invasive breast cancer. At present, HER2 status is most commonly assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC. Standardization of HER2 IHC assays is of utmost clinical and economical importance. At present, HER2 IHC is most commonly performed with the HercepTest which contains a polyclonal antibody and applies a manual staining procedure. Analytical variability in HER2 IHC testing could be diminished by a fully automatic staining system with a monoclonal antibody.

  11. Lectin histochemistry as a tool to identify apoptotic cells in the seminiferous epithelium of Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) subjected to short photoperiod.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seco-Rovira, V; Beltrán-Frutos, E; Ferrer, C; Sánchez-Huertas, M M; Madrid, J F; Saez, F J; Pastor, L M

    2013-12-01

    Lectins have been widely used to study the pattern of cellular glycoconjugates in numerous species. In the process of cellular apoptosis, it has been observed that changes occur in the membrane sugar sequences of these apoptotic cells. The aim of our work was to identify which lectins, out of an extensive battery of the same (PNA, SBA, HPA, LTA, Con-A, UEA-I, WGA, DBA, MAA, GNA, AAA, SNA), show affinity for germinal cells in apoptosis, at what stage of cell death they do so and in which germinal cell types they can be detected. For this, we studied testis sections during testicular regression in Syrian hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) subjected to short photoperiod. Several lectins showed an affinity for the glycoconjugate residues of germ cells in apoptosis: Gal β1,3-GalNAcα1, α-d-mannose, N-acetylgalactosamine and l-fucose. Furthermore, lectin specificity was observed for some specific germinal cells and in certain stages of apoptosis. It was also observed that one of these lectins (PNA) showed affinity for Sertoli cells undergoing apoptosis. Therefore, we conclude that the use of lectin histochemistry could be a very useful tool for studying apoptosis in the seminiferous epithelium because of the specificity shown towards germinal cells in pathological or experimentally induced epithelial depletion models. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  12. Double immunohistochemical staining with laminin 5 (γ2 chain) and collagen IV in colorectal neoplasms

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fiehn, Anne-Marie Kanstrup; Bzorek, Michael; Warnecke, Mads

    2016-01-01

    divided according to the primary histopathological diagnoses of tubular adenoma, tubulovillous adenoma, adenoma with pseudoinvasion and glandular adenocarcinoma stages pT1, pT2 or pT3, were included in the study. In normal colonic mucosa, no expression of laminin 5 staining was observed. BM was always...... as a supplement for the diagnosis of pT1 CRC. In adenomas, the double staining highlights the areas for the pathologist to pay extra attention. By itself, the double staining cannot determine whether or not there is invasion. Morphology remains the single most important factor in differentiating adenoma...

  13. ‘Resurrecting Harry Clarke’: Breathing life into stained glass tourism in Ireland

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tony Kiely

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Internationally, the exponential demand for ‘cultural/heritage’ tourism is increasingly being viewed by tourism stakeholders as an opportunity for value adding revenue generation, wherein both specialist and ‘media programmed’ tourists can seek out designated cultural attractions to satisfy their respective quests for authentic, and/or emotionally charged experiences. Indeed, this international ‘demand’ re-alignment is exemplified in the growth of churches and cathedrals who openly promote their artistic content as ‘must see attractions’. However, despite such utilitarian attractiveness, one wonders if the counter-influences of indifference, protectionism, or fear of heritage commodification, might act to scupper an opportunity to re-envision Harry Clarke’s iconic stained glass church windows as tourist attractions in Ireland? Born in Dublin in 1889, into a city consumed with the heady mix of Catholic Emancipation and artistic rebirth, Harry Clarke grew to pre-eminence among international stained glass artists at the turn of the twentieth century. Yet, despite being universally acclaimed as a master of stained glass creativity, his oeuvre, from a tourism perspective, has been sadly overlooked, with most promotion of Ireland’s twentieth century cultural renaissance being focused both on its literary giants (Joyce, Wilde, Swift, Beckett, Yeats and Stoker, and its traditional music culture. However, with the attendant economic spinoff offered by religious and cultural tourism growth, one wonders if the ubiquitous presence in Irish churches of Harry Clarke’s ecclesiastical stained glass windows might be re-imagined by core and peripheral stakeholders as marketable tourist attractions? Employing a qualitative methodology, involving semi structured interviews with key informants, this paper explores stakeholder awareness of Clarke’s significance as a potential tourist attractor, in addition to the appropriateness of promoting

  14. Comparison of various staining techniques in the diagnosis of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Journal of Medical and Biomedical Sciences ... This can be achieved via various diagnostic techniques, commonly microscopy in this environment, hence the need to compare the efficacy of the commonly ... The objective of the study is to identify the most effective of the commonly used stains in identifying these parasites.

  15. Controlled chaos: three-dimensional kinematics, fiber histochemistry, and muscle contractile dynamics of autotomized lizard tails.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Higham, Timothy E; Lipsett, Kathryn R; Syme, Douglas A; Russell, Anthony P

    2013-01-01

    The ability to shed an appendage occurs in both vertebrates and invertebrates, often as a tactic to avoid predation. The tails of lizards, unlike most autotomized body parts of animals, exhibit complex and vigorous movements once disconnected from the body. Despite the near ubiquity of autotomy across groups of lizards and the fact that this is an extraordinary event involving the self-severing of the spinal cord, our understanding of why and how tails move as they do following autotomy is sparse. We herein explore the histochemistry and physiology of the tail muscles of the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius), a species that exhibits vigorous and variable tail movements following autotomy. To confirm that the previously studied tail movements of this species are generally representative of geckos and therefore suitable for in-depth muscle studies, we quantified the three-dimensional kinematics of autotomized tails in three additional species. The movements of the tails of all species were generally similar and included jumps, flips, and swings. Our preliminary analyses suggest that some species of gecko exhibit short but high-frequency movements, whereas others exhibit larger-amplitude but lower-frequency movements. We then compared the ATPase and oxidative capacity of muscle fibers and contractile dynamics of isolated muscle bundles from original tails, muscle from regenerate tails, and fast fibers from an upper limb muscle (iliofibularis) of the leopard gecko. Histochemical analysis revealed that more than 90% of the fibers in original and regenerate caudal muscles had high ATPase but possessed a superficial layer of fibers with low ATPase and high oxidative capacity. We found that contraction kinetics, isometric force, work, power output, and the oscillation frequency at which maximum power was generated were lowest in the original tail, followed by the regenerate tail and then the fast fibers of the iliofibularis. Muscle from the original tail exhibited

  16. Anatomy, histochemistry and immunohistochemistry of the olfactory subsystems in mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arthur William Barrios

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available The four regions of the murine nasal cavity featuring olfactory neurons were studied anatomically and by labelling with lectins and relevant antibodies with a view to establishing criteria for the identification of olfactory subsystems that are readily applicable to other mammals. In the main olfactory epithelium and the septal organ the olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs are embedded in quasi-stratified columnar epithelium; vomeronasal OSNs are embedded in epithelium lining the medial interior wall of the vomeronasal duct and do not make contact with the mucosa of the main nasal cavity; and in Grüneberg’s ganglion a small isolated population of OSNs lies adjacent to, but not within, the epithelium. With the exception of Grüneberg’s ganglion, all the tissues expressing olfactory marker protein (OMP (the above four nasal territories, the vomeronasal and main olfactory nerves, and the main and accessory olfactory bulbs are also labelled by Lycopersicum esculentum agglutinin, while Ulex europaeus agglutinin I labels all and only tissues expressing Gi2 (the apical sensory neurons of the vomeronasal organ, their axons, and their glomerular destinations in the anterior accessory olfactory bulb. These staining patterns of UEA-I and LEA may facilitate the characterization of olfactory anatomy in other species. A 710-section atlas of the anatomy of the murine nasal cavity has been made available on line.

  17. Elastase-induced emphysema: retention of instilled proteinase in the rat

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sandhaus, R.A.; Janoff, A.

    1982-01-01

    Airway instillation of proteinases with the ability to degrade elastin has been used to produce disease in the rat analogous to human pulmonary emphysema. This study examined the retention, localization, and fate of endotracheally instilled elastase using 125 I labeled enzyme and immunoperoxidase histochemistry. Porcine pancreatic elastase labeled with 125 I was detected in rat lungs through 96 h after instillation; over half of the label was still present after 7 h. Similar results were obtained when elastase was reacted with a specific, catalytic site inactivator prior to instillation. Trypsin and denatured elastase, however, were cleared much more rapidly from the lung (less than half of the label present after 30 min). When lungs were homogenized after instillation of active elastase, the soluble fraction contained elastase bound to rat alpha1-antitrypsin. In addition, a small amount of label (less than 10%) appeared bound to insoluble components for extended periods of time. Using immunoperoxidase histochemistry, it was found that exogenous elastase was rapidly contained with pulmonary alveolar macrophages, as well as associated with alveolar septums and other parenchymal structures. Similar results were obtained with elastase from both porcine pancreas and human neutrophils. These results suggest that exogenous elastase in the rat, and perhaps endogenous elastolytic enzymes in humans, may have several fates in the lungs: complex formation with endogenous inhibitors, containment within the macrophage, and/or association with connective tissue targets

  18. Enzyme detection by microfluidics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    2013-01-01

    Microfluidic-implemented methods of detecting an enzyme, in particular a DNA-modifying enzyme, are provided, as well as methods for detecting a cell, or a microorganism expressing said enzyme. The enzyme is detected by providing a nucleic acid substrate, which is specifically targeted...... by that enzyme...

  19. Determination of the cell tropism of serotype 1 feline infectious peritonitis virus using the spike affinity histochemistry in paraffin-embedded tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cham, Tat-Chuan; Chang, Yen-Chen; Tsai, Pei-Shiue; Wu, Ching-Ho; Chen, Hui-Wen; Jeng, Chian-Ren; Pang, Victor Fei; Chang, Hui-Wen

    2017-08-01

    Unlike for serotype II feline coronaviruses (FCoV II), the cellular receptor for serotype I FCoV (FCoV I), the most prevalent FCoV serotype, is unknown. To provide a platform for assessing the pattern by which FCoV I attaches to its host receptor(s), HEK293 cell lines that stably express the ectodomains of the spike (S) proteins derived from a FCoV I feline enteric coronavirus strain UU7 (FECV UU7) and a feline infectious peritonitis virus strain UU4 (FIPV UU4) were established. Using the recombinant S proteins as probes to perform S protein affinity histochemistry in paraffin-embedded tissues, although no tissue or enteric binding of FECV UU7 S protein was detected, it was found that by immunohistochemistry that the tissue distribution of FIPV UU4 S protein-bound cells correlated with that of FIPV antigen-positive cells and lesions associated with FIP and that the affinity binding of FIPV UU4 S protein on macrophages was not affected by enzymatic removal of host cell-surface sialic acid with neuraminidase. These findings suggest that a factor(s) other than sialic acid contribute(s) to the macrophage tropism of FIPV strain UU4. This approach allowed obtaining more information about both virus-host cell interactions and the biological characteristics of the unidentified cellular receptor for FCoV I. © 2017 The Societies and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  20. Role of intrapartum transcervical amnioinfusion in patients with meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhatia, Pushpa; Reena, Kumari; Nangia, Sangita

    2013-03-01

    The study was undertaken to evaluate maternal, perinatal outcomes following transcervical intrapartum amnioinfusion in women with meconium-stained amniotic fluid. A prospective comparative study was conducted on 100 women with meconium-stained amniotic fluid in labor. Group A: study group (50 cases) received amnioinfusion. Group B: control group (50 cases) did not receive amnioinfusion. FHR monitoring was done using cardiotocography. Significant relief from variable decelerations was seen in 68.18 % cases in the amnioinfusion group as compared to 7.1 % cases in the control group. 78 % cases who were given amnioinfusion had vaginal delivery as compared to 18 % cases in the control group. Fourteen percent cases in the study group had cesarean delivery as compared to 68 % cases in the control group. Meconium aspiration syndrome was seen in six percent neonates in the study group as compared to 20 % in the control group. Two neonates died in the control group due to meconium aspiration syndrome. There was no maternal mortality or major maternal complication. Intrapartum transcervical amnioinfusion is valuable in patients with meconium-stained amniotic fluid.

  1. Colour stabilities of three types of orthodontic clear aligners exposed to staining agents

    OpenAIRE

    Liu, Chen-Lu; Sun, Wen-Tian; Liao, Wen; Lu, Wen-Xin; Li, Qi-Wen; Jeong, Yunho; Liu, Jun; Zhao, Zhi-He

    2016-01-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the colour stabilities of three types of orthodontic clear aligners exposed to staining agents in vitro. Sixty clear orthodontic aligners produced by three manufacturers (Invisalign, Angelalign, and Smartee) were immersed in three staining solutions (coffee, black tea, and red wine) and one control solution (distilled water). After 12-h and 7-day immersions, the aligners were washed in an ultrasonic cleaner and measured with a colourimeter. Th...

  2. Double side multicrystalline silicon passivation by one step stain etching-based porous silicon

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mohamed, Seifeddine Belhadj; Ben Rabha, Mohamed; Bessais, Brahim [Laboratoire de Photovoltaique, Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l' Energie, Technopole de Borj-Cedria, BP 95, 2050 Hammam-Lif (Tunisia)

    2012-10-15

    In this paper, we investigate the effect of stain etching-based porous silicon on the double side multicrystalline silicon. Special attention is given to the use of the stain etched PS as an antireflection coating as well as for surface passivating capabilities. Stain etching of double side multicrystalline silicon leads to the formation of PS nanostructures, that dramatically decrease the surface reflectivity from 30% to about 7% and increase the effective lifetime from 1 {mu}s to 10 {mu}s at a minority carrier density ({Delta}n) of 10{sup 15} cm{sup -3}. These results let us correlate the rise of the lifetime values to the photoluminescence intensity to the hydrogen and oxide passivation as shown by FTIR analysis. This low-cost PS formation process can be applied in the photovoltaic cell technology as a standard procedure (copyright 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

  3. X-ray induction of micronuclei in human lymphocyte subpopulations differentiated by immunoperoxidase staining

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ban, Sadayuki; Nakano, Mimako; Cologne, J.B.

    1992-10-01

    In this report we sought to confirm the radiosensitivity of human peripheral blood lymphocyte subpopulations using a micronucleus assay. Mononucleated cells isolated from peripheral blood were irradiated with X rays. After being cultured for 3 days, cells were fixed and stained using the immunoperoxidase staining technique. Lymphocyte subpopulations were characterized by means of the monoclonal antibodies Leu4 (CD3), Leu2a (CD8), and Leu19 (CD56). Dose-response curves were obtained by scoring the number of micronuclei in binucleated cells that reacted with a specific antibody and were then stained. The dose response of CD8 + (suppressor/cytotoxic) cells was quite similar to that of CD3 + (pan T) cells. In comparison, CD56 + (natural killer) cells were significantly less sensitive, although scorable binucleated CD56 + cells made up less than 4 % of the total number of binucleated cells. (author)

  4. Hemangiomas versus arterio-venous malformations: Role of elastic stains and mast cell density

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pravin Pawane

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Context: Vascular anomalies present diagnostic challenges to histopathologists. Mulliken and Glowacki′s classification categorizes vascular lesions into hemangiomas and vascular malformations. Aim: This study explored diagnostic clues in the histomorphology of hemangiomas and vascular malformations. Materials and Methods: A total of 120 cases of benign vascular lesions were retrieved from 12 years period. A total of 94 cases, where complete clinical details and representative paraffin sections were available, were included in this study. Hematoxylin and eosin (H and E stain and Verhoeff′s stain for elastic tissue were done on all cases and lesions were classified into hemangiomas or arterio-venous malformations (AVM. Mast cell density in all lesions was calculated from toluidine blue stained sections. Results: Ten cases of hemangiomas were reclassified as AVM on the basis of presence and absence of arteriovenous structures. Intra-lesional nerves were seen in significantly higher number of AVMs compared to hemangiomas. Medium and thick sized nerve bundles were seen in 56% of AVMs, while they were not seen in any of the hemangiomas. Mean mast cell density was significantly higher in proliferating hemangiomas (53.12 ± 27.83 cells/mm 2 compared to involuting hemangiomas (11.43 ± 7.9 cells/mm 2 . Conclusions: Use of elastic tissue stains are useful ancillary tools to distinguish between AVMs and hemangiomas. The presence of arteries and arterioles are an integral part of AVMs. The presence of the intra-lesional nerves can be useful to distinguish between AVMs and hemangiomas even on H and E stained sections. The significantly higher mast cell density seen in proliferating hemangiomas compared with involuting ones, seem to suggest that mast cells play an important role in the natural history of these lesions.

  5. Porcine pulmonary angiotensin I-converting enzyme--biochemical characterization and spatial arrangement of the N- and C-domains by three-dimensional electron microscopic reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hui-Ling; Lünsdorf, Heinrich; Hecht, Hans-Jürgen; Tsai, Hsin

    2010-08-01

    The somatic angiotensin I-converting enzyme (sACE; peptidyl-dipeptidase A; EC 3.4.15.1) was isolated from pig lung and purified to homogeneity. The purified enzyme has a molecular mass of about 180 kDa. Upon proteolytic cleavage, two approximately 90 kDa fragments were obtained and identified by amino-terminal sequence analysis as the N- and C-domains of sACE. Both purified domains were shown to be catalytically active. A 2.3 nm resolution model of sACE was obtained by three-dimensional electron microscopic reconstruction of negatively stained sACE particles, based on atomic X-ray data fitting. Our model shows for the first time the relative orientation of the sACE catalytically active domains and their spatial distance. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Developmental venous anomalies with capillary stain: a subgroup of symptomatic DVAs?

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roccatagliata, Luca; Berg, Rene van den; Soderman, Michael; Boulin, Anne; Condette-Auliac, Stephanie; Rodesch, Georges

    2012-01-01

    Intracranial developmental venous anomalies (DVAs) are considered benign vascular dispositions; they are asymptomatic in the vast majority of cases. They represent extreme variations of the venous drainage and may rarely be responsible for focal venous ischemia leading to neurological dysfunction. The aim of the study is to analyze a group of patients with symptomatic DVAs with capillary stain at angiography. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological features of patients in which a DVA was considered the cause of a neurological event. In all the patients, the DVA was suspected by angio-CT or MRI and conventional angiography was performed to detail the angioarchitecture of the DVA. A total of 7 patients and 11 DVAs were identified; three patients had multiple DVAs. Three DVAs were frontal, two were parietal, two were thalamic, one was in the midbrain, and three were cerebellar. Patients presented with progressive neurological deficits, seizures, or cerebral hemorrhage. All these DVAs were associated with a peculiar capillary stain at angiography. Although being normal anatomical variations, DVAs may create, because of hemodynamic unbalance, venous ischemia that induces angiogenic phenomena. MRI shows the suffering of the brain and angiography witnesses this angiogenesis under the form of capillary stain. Conventional angiography can thus provide useful information to recognize ''atypical'' symptomatic DVAs. (orig.)

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2000-06-01

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

  8. Kematangan Karir Mahasiswa Jurusan Tarbiyah Sekolah Tinggi Agama Islam Negeri (STAIN Samarinda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lina Revilla Malik

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available The objective of this study was to describe the level of career readiness of the education faculty students of STAIN Samarinda and the aspects of career readiness of the education faculty students of STAIN Samarinda. The sample of this study was 92 students of the education faculty students. The researcher used stratified random sampling in this study. The data were collected by using questionnaires. The data were analized through rating scale. The result of findings shows that the level of career readiness of the education faculty students of STAIN Samarinda was 73% with 17.156 interval or it is categorized as “Good”. It is affected by the ages of the respondents in the age of 18 – 25 years old which means they are in the sub level of transition and trial little commitment. It is also affected by the factors of interest, skill, and personality. The aspects of career readiness of the education faculty students of STAIN Samarinda are as follows: 1 Career planning is 73.12%, categorized as “Good”. It is affected by the respondents’ knowledge of workfield, interest, education, extra-curricular activities, and spare-times activities. 2 Career exploration is 68.7%, categorized as “Good”. It is affected by the respondents’ family background and social life interaction. 3 Career decision is 76.3%, categorized as “Good”. It is affected by the respondents’ social economical background. 4 Work-field information is 73.5%, categorized as “Good”. It is affected by the educational and economical background of the respondents’ parents.

  9. Color stability of CAD/CAM Zirconia ceramics following exposure to acidic and staining drinks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colombo, Marco; Cavallo, Marco; Miegge, Matteo; Dagna, Alberto; Beltrami, Riccardo; Chiesa, Marco; Poggio, Claudio

    2017-11-01

    The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the color stability of CAD/CAM Zirconia ceramics following exposure to acidic drink (Coca Cola) and after exposure to staining solution (coffee). All the samples were immersed in different staining solutions over a 28-day test period. A colorimetric evaluation according to the CIE L*a*b* system was performed by a blind trained operator at 7, 14, 21, 28 days of the staining process. Shapiro Wilk test and Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA were applied to assess significant differences among restorative materials. Paired t-test was applied to test which CIE L*a*b* parameters significantly changed after immersion in staining solutions. One week immersion in acidic drink did not cause a perceivable discoloration for all restorative materials (ΔE < 3.3). Subsequent immersion in coffee affected color stability of all Zirconia samples, even if Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA found significant differences among the various restorative materials. The ∆Es of CAD/CAM Zirconia ceramics after immersion in coffee varied among the products, but color integrity is not affected by contact with acidic drinks. Key words: CAD/CAM restorative materials, CIE Lab, Zirconia ceramics.

  10. 7 CFR 58.436 - Rennet, pepsin, other milk clotting enzymes and flavor enzymes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Rennet, pepsin, other milk clotting enzymes and flavor enzymes. 58.436 Section 58.436 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued... clotting enzymes and flavor enzymes. Enzyme preparations used in the manufacture of cheese shall be safe...

  11. Elevated Liver Enzymes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Symptoms Elevated liver enzymes By Mayo Clinic Staff Elevated liver enzymes may indicate inflammation or damage to cells in the liver. Inflamed or ... than normal amounts of certain chemicals, including liver enzymes, into the bloodstream, which can result in elevated ...

  12. Stability of Enzymes in Granular Enzyme Products for Laundry Detergents

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Biran, Suzan; Bach, Poul; Simonsen, Ole

    Enzymes have long been of interest to the detergent industry due to their ability to improve the cleaning efficiency of synthetic detergents, contribute to shortening washing times, and reduce energy and water consumption, provision of environmentally friendlier wash water effluents and fabric care....... However, incorporating enzymes in detergent formulations gives rise to numerous practical problems due to their incompatibility with and stability against various detergent components. In powdered detergent formulations, these issues can be partly overcome by physically isolating the enzymes in separate...... particles. However, enzymes may loose a significant part of their activity over a time period of several weeks. Possible causes of inactivation of enzymes in a granule may be related to the release of hydrogen peroxide from the bleaching chemicals in a moisture-containing atmosphere, humidity, autolysis...

  13. Christendom's Narratives and the Stained Glass Designs of Yusuf ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    This paper attempts a recast of Christendom's narratives in the stained glass designs of Yusuf Cameron Adebayo Grillo as the distinctive overarching mechanism of the evangelisation paradigm of the post Vatican II Church. It, therefore, draws attention to the delimitation of time frames in the history of the art form. Using the ...

  14. Evaluation of methods for stain removal in acrylic resin denture teeth: in vitro study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ana Flávia Balestrero CASSIANO

    Full Text Available Abstract Introduction The staining of artificial teeth can be related to the acrylic resin abrasion caused by brushing, resulting in higher deposition of dyes from the beverage, and consequently higher aesthetic damage. Objective The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate methods for removal of stains from acrylic denture teeth using spectrophotometric analysis. Material and method Artificial teeth were divided into twelve groups (n=10 according to the type of treatment (re-polishing - Re or immersion in Corega Tabs - Sp, staining solutions, coffee (Cf and Coca-Cola® (Cc or water (W and with/without toothbrushing (B. The Sp specimens were submitted to seven immersion cycles (5 min each. The Re specimens were polished with pumice stone followed by Spain white paste. Color differences (ΔE were captured by a spectrophotometer: T0 (baseline, T1 (after brushing/immersion in solutions and T2 (after Re or Sp. Result Statistically significant color change between T1 and T2 (paired T-test; α =.05 was observed for the group CfSp (p=.032; and for the groups BWRe (p=.000, BCfRe (p=.049 and CcRe (p=.042. Higher color changes were observed for the specimens submitted to toothbrushing (ANOVA two way; p<.001. Conclusion It could be concluded that the immersion in sodium perborate (Corega Tabs can be used for removal of coffee stains from denture teeth, and re-polishing for removal of Coca-Cola® stains. Still, toothbrushing produced greater color changes on denture teeth, regardless of the immersion solution.

  15. Impact of round-the-clock CSF Gram stain on empirical therapy for suspected central nervous system infections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tissot, F; Prod'hom, G; Manuel, O; Greub, G

    2015-09-01

    The impact of round-the-clock cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) Gram stain on overnight empirical therapy for suspected central nervous system (CNS) infections was investigated. All consecutive overnight CSF Gram stains between 2006 and 2011 were included. The impact of a positive or a negative test on empirical therapy was evaluated and compared to other clinical and biological indications based on institutional guidelines. Bacterial CNS infection was documented in 51/241 suspected cases. Overnight CSF Gram stain was positive in 24/51. Upon validation, there were two false-positive and one false-negative results. The sensitivity and specificity were 41 and 99 %, respectively. All patients but one had other indications for empirical therapy than Gram stain alone. Upon obtaining the Gram result, empirical therapy was modified in 7/24, including the addition of an appropriate agent (1), addition of unnecessary agents (3) and simplification of unnecessary combination therapy (3/11). Among 74 cases with a negative CSF Gram stain and without formal indication for empirical therapy, antibiotics were withheld in only 29. Round-the-clock CSF Gram stain had a low impact on overnight empirical therapy for suspected CNS infections and was associated with several misinterpretation errors. Clinicians showed little confidence in CSF direct examination for simplifying or withholding therapy before definite microbiological results.

  16. Comparison of Histochemical Stainings in Evaluation of Liver Fibrosis and Correlation with Transient Elastography in Chronic Hepatitis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniela Cabibi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aim. The best staining to evaluate liver fibrosis in liver hepatitis is still a debated topic. This study aimed to compare Masson’s trichrome (MT, Sirius Red (SR, and orcein stainings in evaluating liver fibrosis in chronic HCV hepatitis (CHC with semiquantitative and quantitative methods (Collagen Proportionate Area (CPA by Digital Image Analysis (DIA and correlate them with transient elastography (TE. Methods. Liver stiffness evaluation of 111 consecutive patients with CHC was performed by TE. Semiquantitative staging by Metavir score system and CPA by DIA were assessed on liver biopsy stained with MT, SR, and orcein. Results. MT, SR, and orcein staining showed concordant results in 89.6% of cases in staging CHC, without significant difference in both semiquantitative and quantitative evaluations of fibrosis. TE values were concordant with orcein levels in 86.5% of the cases and with MT/RS in 77.5% (P<0.001. No significant correlation between the grade of necroinflammatory activity and TE values was found. Conclusion. In CHC, SR/MT and orcein stainings are almost concordant and when discordant, orcein staining is better related to TE values than MT/RS. This suggests that elastic fibers play a more important role than reticular or collagenous ones in determining stiffness values in CHC.

  17. Propidium iodide staining: a new application in fluorescence microscopy for analysis of cytoarchitecture in adult and developing rodent brain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hezel, Marcus; Ebrahimi, Fahim; Koch, Marco; Dehghani, Faramarz

    2012-10-01

    Immunohistochemical visualization of antigens in specimen has evolved to an indispensable technique in biomedical research for investigations of cell morphology and pathology both in bright field and fluorescence microscopy. While there are couple of staining methods that reveal entire cytoarchitecture in bright field microscopy such as Nissl or hemalaun-eosin, there are still limitations in visualizations of cytoarchitecture in fluorescence microscopy. The present study reports a simple staining method that provides the required illustration of cell allocations and cellular composition in fluorescence microscopy in adult and in developing rodent central nervous system using the fluorophore propidium iodide (PI, 5μg/mL). PI is a well-accepted marker for degenerating cells when applied prior to fixation (pre-fixation PI staining). Here, PI was added to the sections after the fixation (post-fixation PI staining). This revised labeling procedure led to similar cytoarchitectural staining patterns in fluorescence microscopy as observed with hemalaun in bright field microscopy. This finding was proven in organotypic hippocampal slice cultures (OHSC) and brain sections obtained from different postnatal developmental stages. Excitotoxically lesioned OHSC subjected to pre-fixation PI staining merely showed brightly labeled condensed nuclei of degenerating neurons. In contrast, post-fixation PI staining additionally revealed extensive labeling of neuronal cell bodies and glial cells within the OHSC, thus allowing visualization of stratification of neuronal layers and cell morphology. Furthermore, post-fixation PI staining was combined with NeuN, calbindin, calretinin, glial fibrillary acidic protein or Griffonia simplicifolia isolectin B4 (IB(4)) in post natal (p1 and p9) and adult rats. In early post-natal brain sections almost all mentioned cellular markers led to an incomplete staining of the native cell organization and resulted in an inaccurate estimation of cell

  18. Production of peptide antisera specific for mouse and rat proinsulin C-peptide 2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Blume, N; Madsen, O D; Kofod, Hans

    1990-01-01

    for antibody binding to the immunizing antigen. Antisera to C-peptide 2, stained islet beta-cells on mouse and rat, but not monkey pancreas sections in immunocytochemical analysis. Preabsorption to the synthetic C-peptide 2, but not the synthetic mouse and rat C-peptide 1 abolished staining. In conclusion we......Mice and rats have two functional non-allelic insulin genes. By using a synthetic peptide representing a common sequence in mouse and rat C-peptide 2 as antigen, we have produced rabbit antisera specific for an epitope which is not present in mouse or rat C-peptide 1. Long-term immunization did...... not seem to increase the end point titre as tested in direct ELISA. The specificity of the antiserum was determined by competitive ELISA and histochemistry on pancreas sections. Only the synthetic C-peptide 2, but not the homologous synthetic C-peptide 1 from mouse and rat competed efficiently in ELISA...

  19. Lipid-rich histology in a basal-type immunoprofile breast carcinoma: histochemical and immunohistochemical analysis of a case

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francesco Maria Maiello

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available We describe the clinicopathological and morphological features of an unusual breast carcinoma classifiable as a lipid-rich variant of ductal invasive carcinoma, with a basal-type immunohistochemical profile. Basal-type breast cancers show no hormonal receptor expression, rarely over-express HER-2 but exhibit molecular high weight cytokeratins, EGFR and c-kit positivity. Special stains and histochemistry tests were used to elucidate the nature of vescicles in the neoplastic cells. Sudan IV was performed on formalin-fixed tissue. Commercially available antibodies tested were: ER, PgR, EGFR, HER2, c-kit, high molecular weight cytokeratins. Cytoplasmic lipids were highlighted as red-orange droplets on Sudan IV staining. As for immunohistochemistry, the tumor showed no reactivity to ER, PgR and HER2 (triple negative, and diffuse and strong positivity to high weight cytokeratins, EGFR and c-kit, such as a basal-type breast carcinoma. A basaloid phenotype in a lipid-rich carcinoma has not been previously reported.

  20. Enzyme structure, enzyme function and allozyme diversity in ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    In estimates of population genetic diversity based on allozyme heterozygosity, some enzymes are regularly more variable than others. Evolutionary theory suggests that functionally less important molecules, or parts of molecules, evolve more rapidly than more important ones; the latter enzymes should then theoretically be ...

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

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    2015-12-03

    Dec 3, 2015 ... Key words: Biliary disease, iron overload, liver biopsy, special stains. Date of Acceptance: 03-Dec- .... effect of cutting fresh sections after trimming. This limits ... alcohol as a significant factor in the iron deposition found in these ...

  2. A comparison study of histochemical staining of various tissues after ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    mean =5.28) then Carnoy's (mean = 4.00). For Alcian blue and Perl's Prussian blue, the best staining qualities were obtained by Formalin (mean = 4.76 and 5.64 respectively) followed by Carnoy's (mean = 2.88 and 3.92 respectively).

  3. Oxidative stress and redox state-regulating enzymes have prognostic relevance in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peroja Pekka

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Oxidative stress and redox-regulating enzymes may have roles both in lymphomagenesis and resistance to lymphoma therapy. Previous studies from the pre-rituximab era suggest that antioxidant enzyme expression is related to prognosis in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL, although these results cannot be extrapolated to patient populations undergoing modern treatment modalities. In this study we assessed expression of the oxidative stress markers 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG and nitrotyrosine and the antioxidant enzymes thioredoxin (Trx, manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD and glutamate-cysteine ligase (GCL via immunohistochemistry in 106 patients with DLBCL. All patients were treated with CHOP-like therapy combined with rituximab. Immunostaining results were correlated with progression-free survival, disease-specific survival and traditional prognostic factors of DLBCL. Results Strong 8-OHdG immunostaining intensity was associated with extranodal involvement (p = 0.00002, a high International Prognostic Index (p = 0.002 and strong Trx (p = 0.011 and GCL (p = 0.0003 expression. Strong Trx staining intensity was associated with poor progression-free survival (p = 0.046 and poor disease-specific survival (p = 0.015. Strong GCL immunostaining intensity predicted poor progression-free survival (p = 0.049. Patients with either strong Trx or strong nitrotyrosine expression showed significantly poorer progression-free survival (p = 0.003 and disease-specific survival (p = 0.031 compared with the other patients. Conclusions The redox state-regulating enzymes GCL and Trx are promising markers in the evaluation of DLBCL prognosis in the era of modern immunochemotherapy.

  4. Light microscopy with differential staining techniques for the characterisation and discrimination of insects versus marine arthropods processed animal proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ottoboni, Matteo; Tretola, Marco; Cheli, Federica; Marchis, Daniela; Veys, Pascal; Baeten, Vincent; Pinotti, Luciano

    2017-08-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of light microscopy with differential staining techniques for the discrimination of insect material from marine arthropods - classified as fishmeal. Specifically, three samples of single-species insect material, Hermetia illucens (HI), Bombyx mori (BM) and Tenebrio molitor (TM), and two samples of marine arthropods, shrimp material and krill, were analysed and compared after staining by two reagents to enhance fragment identification. Alizarin Red (AR) and Chlorazol Black (CB), which react respectively with calcium salts and chitin, were tested for their potential efficacy in distinguishing between insect and marine materials. Results indicated that AR failed to stain HI, BM and TM materials. By contrast, the three insect species materials tested were stained by CB. When shrimp fragments and krill were considered, AR and CB stained marine materials reddish-pink and light blue to black, respectively. By combining these results, it can be suggested that CB staining may efficiently be used to mark insect materials; AR does stain shrimp fragments but does not stain the tested insect material, indicating a possible approach for discriminating between insects and marine arthropods. However, since the present study was performed on pure materials and a small set of samples, possible implementation of this technique still needs to be confirmed in complex matrices such as compound feed.

  5. Influence of age-related changes in nitric oxide synthase-expressing neurons in the rat supraoptic nucleus on inhibition of salivary secretion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tanaka, Takehiko; Tamada, Yoshitaka; Suwa, Fumihiko

    2008-02-01

    Age-related inhibition of salivary secretion has been demonstrated in rats, and the nitric oxide (NO) present in the supraoptic nucleus (SON) and the medial septal area has been reported to play an inhibitory role in the regulation of salivary secretion. In the present study, we investigated the age-related changes occurring in the NO synthase (NOS)-expressing neurons in the SON, which is related to the production of NO, and discussed the interrelation between the age-related changes in the NOS-expressing neurons and the age-related inhibition of salivary secretion. Nissl staining and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-d) histochemistry were performed for young adult and aged rats. Quantitative analysis was also performed using the Nissl-stained and NADPH-d-positive neurons. Although the numbers of the Nissl-stained neurons did not change, significant age-related increases were detected in cell number, cell size and reactive density of the NADPH-d-positive neurons. Therefore, the production of NO in the SON neurons increased with age. We concluded that the age-related increase in the NO in the SON might be a factor that contributes to the age-related inhibition of salivary secretion.

  6. Dietary compounds that induce cancer preventive phase 2 enzymes activate apoptosis at comparable doses in HT29 colon carcinoma cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirlin, W G; Cai, J; DeLong, M J; Patten, E J; Jones, D P

    1999-10-01

    Dietary agents that induce glutathione S-transferases and related detoxification systems (Phase 2 enzyme inducers) are thought to prevent cancer by enhancing elimination of chemical carcinogens. The present study shows that compounds of this group (benzyl isothiocyanate, allyl sulfide, dimethyl fumarate, butylated hydroxyanisole) activated apoptosis in human colon carcinoma (HT29) cells in culture over the same concentration ranges that elicited increases in enzyme activity (5-25, 25-100, 10-100, 15-60 micromol/L, respectively). Pretreatment of cells with sodium butyrate, an agent that induces HT29 cell differentiation, resulted in parallel increases in Phase 2 enzyme activities and induction of apoptosis in response to the inducers. Cell death characteristics included apoptotic morphological changes, appearance of cells at sub-G1 phase on flow cytometry, caspase activation, DNA fragmentation and TUNEL-positive staining. The results suggest that dietary Phase 2 inducers may protect against cancer by a mechanism distinct from and in addition to that associated with enhanced elimination of carcinogens. If this occurs in vivo, diets high in such compounds could eliminate precancerous cells by apoptosis at time points well after initial exposure to chemical mutagens and carcinogens.

  7. Comparison of modified Chicago sky blue stain and potassium hydroxide mount for the diagnosis of dermatomycoses and onychomycoses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Zhong; Sheng, Ping; Yang, Yan-Ping; Li, Wen; Huang, Wen-Ming; Wang, Jie-Di; Fan, Yi-Ming

    2015-05-01

    The diagnostic value of modified Chicago sky blue (CSB) stain and potassium hydroxide (KOH) mount for superficial mycoses was compared using fungal culture as gold standard. The sensitivity and screening time of the CSB stain were superior to the KOH mount. The CBS stain is simple, quick and reliable for diagnosing superficial mycoses. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  8. Darkfield illumination improves microscopic detection of metals in Timm's stained tissue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baatrup, E; Frederickson, C J

    1989-01-01

    Deposits of trace or toxic metals can be quickly identified by light microscopical surveys of tissue sections stained for metals by variants of Timm's silver enhancement method. The present work shows that the small, isolated silver grains that label isolated deposits of metal in tissue are undet...... are undetectable in brightfield light microscopy but are easily detected in darkfield microscopy. Darkfield illumination is therefore recommended for improving the detection of trace or toxic metals in tissue. Udgivelsesdato: 1989-Aug......Deposits of trace or toxic metals can be quickly identified by light microscopical surveys of tissue sections stained for metals by variants of Timm's silver enhancement method. The present work shows that the small, isolated silver grains that label isolated deposits of metal in tissue...

  9. Optical properties of amyloid stained by Congo red: history and mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howie, Alexander J; Brewer, Douglas B

    2009-04-01

    Amyloid stained by Congo red has striking optical properties that generally have been poorly described and inadequately explained, although they can be understood from principles of physical optics. Molecules of Congo red are orientated on amyloid fibrils, and so the dye becomes dichroic and birefringent. The birefringence varies with wavelength in accordance with a fundamental property of all light-transmitting materials called anomalous dispersion of the refractive index around an absorption peak. The combination of this and absorption of light, with modification by any additional birefringence in the optical system, explains the various colours that can be seen in Congo red-stained amyloid between crossed polariser and analyser, and also when the polariser and analyser are progressively uncrossed. These are called anomalous colours.

  10. Highly increased detection of silver stained protein bands in polyacrylamide gels with thermo-optical methods

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazza, Giulia; Posnicek, Thomas; Brandl, Martin

    2016-11-01

    Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is a well-known technique to separate proteins by their molecular weight. After electrophoresis, the gels are commonly stained for protein band analysis with silver stain; this allows the detection of protein loads to about 1 ng. To increase the detection sensitivity of the protein bands down in the subnanogram level, a sensor has been developed based on the thermal lens effect to scan and quantify protein loads which would remain undetected using the standard imaging systems. The thermal lens sensor is equipped with a 450 nm diode pump laser modulated at 1 Hz and a HeNe probe laser mounted in collinear geometry. The sensor could detect protein bands of 0.05 ng when the gel was soaked in methanol/water and 0.1 ng in water. The limit of detection ranged from 8 to 20 pg, depending on the soaking medium and the staining efficiency. Thus, the detection of silver stain by thermal lens effect results 10 to 20 times more sensitive than the standard colorimetric method.

  11. Evaluation of gram-chromotrope kinyoun staining technique: its effectiveness in detecting microsporidial spores in fecal specimens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salleh, Fatmah M; Al-Mekhlafi, Abdulsalam M; Nordin, Anisah; Yasin, 'Azlin M; Al-Mekhlafi, Hesham M; Moktar, Norhayati

    2011-01-01

    This study was conducted to evaluate the modification of the usual Gram-chromotrope staining technique developed in-house known as Gram-chromotrope Kinyoun (GCK) in comparison with the Weber Modified Trichrome (WMT) staining technique; as the reference technique. Two hundred and ninety fecal specimens received by the Microbiology Diagnostic Laboratory of Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia were examined for the presence of microsporidial spores. The sensitivity and specificity of GCK compared to the reference technique were 98% and 98.3%, respectively. The positive and negative predictive values were 92.5% and 99.6%, respectively. The agreement between the reference technique and the GCK staining technique was statistically significant by Kappa statistics (K = 0.941, P staining technique has high sensitivity and specificity in the detection of microsporidial spores in fecal specimens. Hence, it is recommended to be used in the diagnosis of intestinal microsporidiosis. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Phase-selective staining of metal salt for scanning electron microscopy imaging of block copolymer film

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Jing Ze, E-mail: Lijinge@uestc.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Microelectronic and Solid-state Electronic, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China); State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering (Sichuan University), Chengdu 610054 (China); Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Electronic Information Materials and Devices, Urumuqi 830011 (China); Wang, Ying; Hong Wang, Zhi; Mei, Di; Zou, Wei [State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, School of Microelectronic and Solid-state Electronic, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054 (China); Min Chang, Ai [State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering (Sichuan University), Chengdu 610054 (China); Wang, Qi [Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Electronic Information Materials and Devices, Urumuqi 830011 (China); Komura, Motonori; Ito, Kaori [Division of Integrated Molecular Engineering, Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Iyoda, Tomokazu, E-mail: Iyoda.t.aa@m.titech.ac.jp [Division of Integrated Molecular Engineering, Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan)

    2010-09-15

    Three metal salts, i.e., AgNO{sub 3}, HAuCl{sub 4}, and KCl, were proposed as novel staining reagents instead of traditional RuO{sub 4} and OsO{sub 4} labeled with expensive price and extreme toxicity for scanning electron microscopy (SEM) imaging of microphase separated block copolymer film. A simple and costless aqueous solution immersion procedure could ensure selective staining of the metal slat in specific phase of the nanostructured copolymer film, leading to a clear phase contrasted SEM image. The heavy metal salt has better staining effect, demonstrating stable and high signal-to-noise SEM image even at an acceleration voltage as high as 30 kV and magnification up to 250,000 times.

  13. A case of perforated sigmoid diverticulitis in which gram staining of ascitic fluid was useful for diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsuchida, Junko; Fujita, Shouhei; Kawano, Fumihiro; Tsukamoto, Ryoichi; Honjo, Kunpei; Naito, Shigetoshi; Ishiyama, Shun; Miyano, Shozo; Machida, Michio; Kitabatake, Toshiaki; Fujisawa, Minoru; Kojima, Kuniaki; Ogura, Kanako; Matsumoto, Toshiharu

    2014-01-01

    An 85-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for steroid therapy for relapsing nephrotic syndrome. During hospitalization, she complained of sudden epigastric pain at night. Although there were signs of peritoneal irritation, CT showed a large amount of ascitic fluid, but no free intraperitoneal gas. Gram staining of ascitic fluid obtained by abdominal paracentesis showed Gram-negative rods, which raised a strong suspicion of gastrointestinal perforation and peritonitis. Therefore, emergency surgery was performed. Exploration of the colon showed multiple sigmoid diverticula, one of which was perforated. The patient underwent an emergency Hartmann's procedure. Imaging studies failed to reveal any evidence of gastrointestinal perforation, presenting a diagnostic challenge. However, a physician performed rapid Gram staining of ascitic fluid at night when laboratory technicians were absent, had a strong suspicion of gastrointestinal perforation, and performed emergency surgery. Gram staining is superior in rapidity, and ascitic fluid Gram staining can aid in diagnosis, suggesting that it should be actively performed. We report this case, with a review of the literature on the significance of rapid diagnosis by Gram staining.

  14. Urgensi Redesain Kebijakan dan Sistem Penyelenggaraan Studi Keislaman pada Peskam STAIN Samarinda

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Said Husin

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available This study explores the urgent of STAIN Samarinda Boarding College Program (PESKAM to redesign both its policy and its instructional framework for the irregular Islamic studies system, academic year 2014/2015, viewed from various aspects. The first aspect is about the effectiveness of irregular Islamic studies instructional achievement run in (academic year 2103/2014. The second aspect is the leaders of STAIN Samarinda political interests concerning with PESKAM empowerment including institutional, instructional design, financial suffort, and the staffs. The third aspect is the regular Islamic studies lecturers’ academic sensitivity. And the last aspect is concerning with the design reliability of irregular Islamic studies program. The research shows that redesign is a must. It is imperative for STAIN Samarinda to redesign both PESKAM policy and its instructional framework for the irregular Islamic studies system. First, the system run during academic year 2013/2014 could not be considered effective. It did not use any general academic standards and could not be approached in terms of modern instructional management and design, such as the evaluation system designed to know periodically both the competence that a learner (a student in PESKAM must be about to master and the process run to do such instruction as well.  However, all staffs and those who were in charge of managing the program worked hard and did all their best. Second, irregular Islamic studies instruction is viewed as the spirit for PESKAM in general. Its valuable benefit meets the stakeholders’ need. Finally, it is the cornerstone which can be accredited as the prime aspect distinguishing STAIN Samarinda from any general university (PTN/PTS

  15. Immobilized enzymes: understanding enzyme - surface interactions at the molecular level.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoarau, Marie; Badieyan, Somayesadat; Marsh, E Neil G

    2017-11-22

    Enzymes immobilized on solid supports have important and industrial and medical applications. However, their uses are limited by the significant reductions in activity and stability that often accompany the immobilization process. Here we review recent advances in our understanding of the molecular level interactions between proteins and supporting surfaces that contribute to changes in stability and activity. This understanding has been facilitated by the application of various surface-sensitive spectroscopic techniques that allow the structure and orientation of enzymes at the solid/liquid interface to be probed, often with monolayer sensitivity. An appreciation of the molecular interactions between enzyme and surface support has allowed the surface chemistry and method of enzyme attachement to be fine-tuned such that activity and stability can be greatly enhanced. These advances suggest that a much wider variety of enzymes may eventually be amenable to immobilization as green catalysts.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jamie D Martina

    2011-01-01

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

  17. The effect of ZnO Nps of 20 nm on changes of enzyme and liver tissues of pregnant NMRI mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    bager Seyed Alipour

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Background :Nowadays, nanotechnology has been developing rapidly and may have considerable effects on industry, society and the environment. In this research the toxicity properties of zinc oxide nanoparticles with a size of 20 nm on enzyme and liver tissue of NMRI mice were studied. Materials and Methods: This experimental study was performed in standard conditions on 25 NMRI mice with an average weight of 30 ± 3 g so that they received different doses of zinc oxide nanoparticles, an a days, for 15 days intraperitoneally. Then, blood samples were taken on day 17 of NMRI mice. The collected tissues were washed with saline and fixed in Boin΄s fluied buffer and stained with hematoxylin and eosin for histopathology evaluation. After data collection, statistical analysis was done using SAS software. Results: The results showed that activity of ALT enzyme at concentrations 50, 100, 150 and 200 mg/kg ZnO Nps at a significant level (p<0.05 increased in comparison with the control group. Histopathological investigation showed that zinc oxide nanoparticles caused severe damage in liver. Damaged liver cells develop leaky membranes and escape of intracellular enzymes into the bloodstream. Conclusion: Our findings showed that using different concentration of zinc oxide nanoparticles could be caused undesirable effects on liver with damage to hepatocyte and level elevation of liver enzymes.

  18. Color stability of CAD/CAM Zirconia ceramics following exposure to acidic and staining drinks

    Science.gov (United States)

    Colombo, Marco; Cavallo, Marco; Miegge, Matteo; Dagna, Alberto; Beltrami, Riccardo; Chiesa, Marco

    2017-01-01

    Background The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate the color stability of CAD/CAM Zirconia ceramics following exposure to acidic drink (Coca Cola) and after exposure to staining solution (coffee). Material and Methods All the samples were immersed in different staining solutions over a 28-day test period. A colorimetric evaluation according to the CIE L*a*b* system was performed by a blind trained operator at 7, 14, 21, 28 days of the staining process. Shapiro Wilk test and Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA were applied to assess significant differences among restorative materials. Paired t-test was applied to test which CIE L*a*b* parameters significantly changed after immersion in staining solutions. Results One week immersion in acidic drink did not cause a perceivable discoloration for all restorative materials (ΔE < 3.3). Subsequent immersion in coffee affected color stability of all Zirconia samples, even if Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA found significant differences among the various restorative materials. Conclusions The ∆Es of CAD/CAM Zirconia ceramics after immersion in coffee varied among the products, but color integrity is not affected by contact with acidic drinks. Key words:CAD/CAM restorative materials, CIE Lab, Zirconia ceramics. PMID:29302281

  19. A rapid method combining Golgi and Nissl staining to study neuronal morphology and cytoarchitecture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pilati, Nadia; Barker, Matthew; Panteleimonitis, Sofoklis; Donga, Revers; Hamann, Martine

    2008-06-01

    The Golgi silver impregnation technique gives detailed information on neuronal morphology of the few neurons it labels, whereas the majority remain unstained. In contrast, the Nissl staining technique allows for consistent labeling of the whole neuronal population but gives very limited information on neuronal morphology. Most studies characterizing neuronal cell types in the context of their distribution within the tissue slice tend to use the Golgi silver impregnation technique for neuronal morphology followed by deimpregnation as a prerequisite for showing that neuron's histological location by subsequent Nissl staining. Here, we describe a rapid method combining Golgi silver impregnation with cresyl violet staining that provides a useful and simple approach to combining cellular morphology with cytoarchitecture without the need for deimpregnating the tissue. Our method allowed us to identify neurons of the facial nucleus and the supratrigeminal nucleus, as well as assessing cellular distribution within layers of the dorsal cochlear nucleus. With this method, we also have been able to directly compare morphological characteristics of neuronal somata at the dorsal cochlear nucleus when labeled with cresyl violet with those obtained with the Golgi method, and we found that cresyl violet-labeled cell bodies appear smaller at high cellular densities. Our observation suggests that cresyl violet staining is inadequate to quantify differences in soma sizes.

  20. Patterns of Gram-stained fecal flora as a quick diagnostic marker in patients with severe SIRS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shimizu, Kentaro; Ogura, Hiroshi; Tomono, Kazunori; Tasaki, Osamu; Asahara, Takashi; Nomoto, Koji; Morotomi, Masami; Matsushima, Asako; Nakahori, Yasutaka; Yamano, Shuhei; Osuka, Akinori; Kuwagata, Yasuyuki; Sugimoto, Hisashi

    2011-06-01

    The gut is an important target organ of injury during critically ill conditions. Although Gram staining is a common and quick method for identifying bacteria, its clinical application has not been fully evaluated in critically ill conditions. This study's aims were to identify patterns of Gram-stained fecal flora and compare them to cultured bacterial counts and to investigate the association between the patterns and septic complications in patients with severe systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS). Fifty-two patients with SIRS were included whose Gram-stained fecal flora was classified into three patterns. In a diverse pattern, large numbers of multiple kinds of bacteria completely covered the field. In a single pattern, one specific kind of bacteria or fungi predominantly covered the field. In a depleted pattern, most bacteria were diminished in the field. In the analysis of fecal flora, the numbers of total obligate anaerobes in the depleted pattern was significantly lower than those in the diverse pattern and single pattern (p Gram-stained fecal flora can be classified into three patterns and are associated with both cultured bacterial counts and clinical information. Gram-stained fecal bacteria can be used as a quick bedside diagnostic marker for severe SIRS patients.

  1. Precerebellar and vestibular nuclei of the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashwell, K W S; Paxinos, G; Watson, C R R

    2007-09-01

    The monotremes are a unique group of living mammals, which diverged from the line leading to placental mammals at least 125 million years ago. We have examined the organization of pontine, inferior olivary, lateral reticular and vestibular nuclei in the brainstem of the short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) to determine if the cyto- and chemoarchitecture of these nuclei are similar to that in placental mammals and marsupials. We have used Nissl staining in conjunction with enzyme-histochemistry for acetylcholinesterase, cytochrome oxidase and NADPH diaphorase as well as immunohistochemistry for non-phosphorylated neurofilament protein (SMI-32 antibody) and calcium binding proteins (parvalbumin, calbindin, calretinin). Homologies could be established between the arch shaped inferior olivary complex of the echidna and the principal, dorsal and medial accessory subdivisions of the therian inferior olivary complex. The pontine nuclei of the echidna included basilar and reticulotegmental components with similar cyto- and chemarchitectural features to therians and there were magnocellular and subtrigeminal components of the lateral reticular nucleus, also as seen in therians. Subdivisions and chemoarchitecture of the vestibular complex of the echidna were both similar to that region in rodents. In all three precerebellar nuclear groups studied and in the vestibular nucleus organization, the cyto- and chemoarchitecture of the echidna was very similar to that seen in therian mammals and no "primitive" or "reptilian" features were evident.

  2. Postharvest internal browning of pineapple fruit originates at the phloem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luengwilai, Kietsuda; Beckles, Diane M; Siriphanich, Jingtair

    2016-09-01

    A typical symptom of postharvest chilling injury (PCI) in pineapple fruit (Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.) is internal browning (IB) near the fruit core. Since vascular bundles (VBs) are localized to this region, it was hypothesized that the VBs might be the site of IB. To test this, the anatomy and histochemistry of VBs during chilling stress in four pineapple cultivars with different levels of sensitivity to PCI were examined. Fruit were stored at 10°C for up to three weeks to stimulate translucency symptoms (TS; the initiation of IB). After three weeks of chilling exposure, the cultivars 'MD2' showed 0%, 'Pattavia' and 'Savee' showed 10-16%, and 'Trad Sri Thong' showed 100% TS and IB symptom. Scanning electron microscopy and in situ histochemical staining techniques that detect enzymes and substrates commonly associated with IB initiation were used in parallel. The TS of pineapple fruit coincided with the collapse of the phloem tissue. The VBs in the tissue where IB was initiated (i.e., the flesh adjacent to the core or F/C) had the highest activity of polyphenol oxidase, hydrogen peroxide, and phenolic compounds. The IB-resistant 'MD2' genotype had fewer VBs, but a greater proportion of sclerenchyma fibers (Ppineapple IB occurrence in the phloem was proposed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  3. Severe polysaccharide storage myopathy in Belgian and Percheron draught horses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valentine, B A; Credille, K M; Lavoie, J P; Fatone, S; Guard, C; Cummings, J F; Cooper, B J

    1997-05-01

    A severe myopathy leading to death or euthanasia was identified in 4 Belgian and 4 Percheron draught horses age 2-21 years. Clinical signs ranged from overt weakness and muscle atrophy in 2 horses age 2 and 3 years, to recumbency with inability to rise in 6 horses age 4-21 years. In 5 horses there was mild to severe increases in muscle enzyme levels. Clinical diagnoses included equine motor neuron disease (2 horses), post anaesthetic myopathy (2 horses), exertional myopathy (2 horses), myopathy due to unknown (one horse), and equine protozoal myelitis (one horse). Characteristic histopathology of muscle from affected horses was the presence of excessive complex polysaccharide and/or glycogen, revealed by periodic acid-Schiff staining in all cases and by electron microscopy in one case. Evaluation of frozen section histochemistry performed on 2 cases indicated that affected fibres were Type 2 glycolytic fibres. Subsarcolemmal and intracytoplasmic vacuoles were most prominent in 3 horses age 2-4 years, and excessive glycogen, with little or no complex polysaccharide, was the primary compound stored in affected muscle in these young horses. Myopathic changes, including fibre size variation, fibre hypertrophy, internal nuclei, and interstitial fat infiltration, were most prominent in 5 horses age 6-21 years, and the accumulation of complex polysaccharide appeared to increase with age. Mild to moderate segmental myofibre necrosis was present in all cases.

  4. Developmental venous anomalies with capillary stain: a subgroup of symptomatic DVAs?

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Roccatagliata, Luca [Hopital Foch, Service de Neuroradiologie Diagnostique et Therapeutique, Suresnes (France); University of Genoa, Department of Neurosciences, Ophthalmology and Genetics, Genoa (Italy); Berg, Rene van den [AMC, Department of Radiology, Amsterdam (Netherlands); Soderman, Michael [Karolinska University Hospital, Department of Neuroradiology, Stockholm (Sweden); Boulin, Anne; Condette-Auliac, Stephanie; Rodesch, Georges [Hopital Foch, Service de Neuroradiologie Diagnostique et Therapeutique, Suresnes (France)

    2012-05-15

    Intracranial developmental venous anomalies (DVAs) are considered benign vascular dispositions; they are asymptomatic in the vast majority of cases. They represent extreme variations of the venous drainage and may rarely be responsible for focal venous ischemia leading to neurological dysfunction. The aim of the study is to analyze a group of patients with symptomatic DVAs with capillary stain at angiography. We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and radiological features of patients in which a DVA was considered the cause of a neurological event. In all the patients, the DVA was suspected by angio-CT or MRI and conventional angiography was performed to detail the angioarchitecture of the DVA. A total of 7 patients and 11 DVAs were identified; three patients had multiple DVAs. Three DVAs were frontal, two were parietal, two were thalamic, one was in the midbrain, and three were cerebellar. Patients presented with progressive neurological deficits, seizures, or cerebral hemorrhage. All these DVAs were associated with a peculiar capillary stain at angiography. Although being normal anatomical variations, DVAs may create, because of hemodynamic unbalance, venous ischemia that induces angiogenic phenomena. MRI shows the suffering of the brain and angiography witnesses this angiogenesis under the form of capillary stain. Conventional angiography can thus provide useful information to recognize ''atypical'' symptomatic DVAs. (orig.)

  5. Investigation of the Application of miR10b and miR135b in the Identification of Semen Stains

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xue, Tianyu; Ma, Xiaoyan; Zhang, Jinxiang; Ou, Xueling; Cheng, Jianding; Sun, Hongyu

    2015-01-01

    To evaluate the identification method using the microRNA markers miR10b and miR135b to distinguish semen stains from menstrual blood, peripheral blood, vaginal fluid and so on body fluid stains. The expression levels of miR10b and miR35b in semen stains and menstrual blood and so on were detected utilizing a real-time quantitative PCR technique with a specific fluorescence-labeled TaqMan probe. RNU6b was used as the internal reference gene; the difference in their expression was analyzed, and the specificity, sensitivity, and detection capability of the techniques were evaluated. The expression of miR10b and miR135b in semen stains was significantly higher than that of other body fluid stains, with a mean value of ΔCт from-6 to-7. However, it ranged from-2 to-4 for other body fluid stains. The initial criteria for judging which semen stains can be identified were determined by analyzing the research results. When the threshold value was set to 0.04, the CT value could be detected in the target genes miR10b, miR135b and in the internal reference gene RNU6b, and CT values are<40, ΔCT[10b-U6]<-5.5, and ΔCT[135b-U6]<-6, respectively, and the semen stain could be identified. The expression levels of miR10b and miR135b are higher in semen with strong tissue specificity; thus, they can be used to differentiate semen stains from other body fluid stains in forensic science. PMID:26355456

  6. Investigation of the Application of miR10b and miR135b in the Identification of Semen Stains.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dayue Tong

    Full Text Available To evaluate the identification method using the microRNA markers miR10b and miR135b to distinguish semen stains from menstrual blood, peripheral blood, vaginal fluid and so on body fluid stains. The expression levels of miR10b and miR35b in semen stains and menstrual blood and so on were detected utilizing a real-time quantitative PCR technique with a specific fluorescence-labeled TaqMan probe. RNU6b was used as the internal reference gene; the difference in their expression was analyzed, and the specificity, sensitivity, and detection capability of the techniques were evaluated. The expression of miR10b and miR135b in semen stains was significantly higher than that of other body fluid stains, with a mean value of ΔCт from-6 to-7. However, it ranged from-2 to-4 for other body fluid stains. The initial criteria for judging which semen stains can be identified were determined by analyzing the research results. When the threshold value was set to 0.04, the CT value could be detected in the target genes miR10b, miR135b and in the internal reference gene RNU6b, and CT values are<40, ΔCT[10b-U6]<-5.5, and ΔCT[135b-U6]<-6, respectively, and the semen stain could be identified. The expression levels of miR10b and miR135b are higher in semen with strong tissue specificity; thus, they can be used to differentiate semen stains from other body fluid stains in forensic science.

  7. Expanding the Halohydrin Dehalogenase Enzyme Family: Identification of Novel Enzymes by Database Mining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schallmey, Marcus; Koopmeiners, Julia; Wells, Elizabeth; Wardenga, Rainer; Schallmey, Anett

    2014-12-01

    Halohydrin dehalogenases are very rare enzymes that are naturally involved in the mineralization of halogenated xenobiotics. Due to their catalytic potential and promiscuity, many biocatalytic reactions have been described that have led to several interesting and industrially important applications. Nevertheless, only a few of these enzymes have been made available through recombinant techniques; hence, it is of general interest to expand the repertoire of these enzymes so as to enable novel biocatalytic applications. After the identification of specific sequence motifs, 37 novel enzyme sequences were readily identified in public sequence databases. All enzymes that could be heterologously expressed also catalyzed typical halohydrin dehalogenase reactions. Phylogenetic inference for enzymes of the halohydrin dehalogenase enzyme family confirmed that all enzymes form a distinct monophyletic clade within the short-chain dehydrogenase/reductase superfamily. In addition, the majority of novel enzymes are substantially different from previously known phylogenetic subtypes. Consequently, four additional phylogenetic subtypes were defined, greatly expanding the halohydrin dehalogenase enzyme family. We show that the enormous wealth of environmental and genome sequences present in public databases can be tapped for in silico identification of very rare but biotechnologically important biocatalysts. Our findings help to readily identify halohydrin dehalogenases in ever-growing sequence databases and, as a consequence, make even more members of this interesting enzyme family available to the scientific and industrial community. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  8. Histochemistry and morphoanatomy study on guava fruit during ripening

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Renato de Abreu

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Guava (Psidium guajava L. is a highly perishable fruit due to its intense metabolism during ripening. Information on the enzyme activities that degrade pectic substances, as well as the amount of pectin, is very contradictory and not clearly defined. Thus, this study aimed to monitor the changes occurred in the fruit during ripening through histochemical, physical, and scanning microscopy processes. Guavas were picked at the half-mature stage and stored for 9 days at 22 ± 1 °C and 78 ± 1% RH. The analyses conducted on the day of harvest (0 and each day of storage (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 days were: firmness and histochemical analyses (ferric chloride, lugol, comassie blue, vanillin hydrochloric, and ruthenium red observed under an optic microscope and a scanning electron microscope. Ruthenium red showed a high amount of pectin in the cell wall on day zero as well as its decrease in the wall during ripening and its accumulation in the central area of the cell. Scanning microscopy showed loss of the cell structure during ripening. Those observations suggest that the pectin is the main polymer responsible for firmness maintenance in the guava fruit.

  9. Evaluation of glycophenotype in breast cancer by quantum dot-lectin histochemistry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Andrade, Camila G; Cabral Filho, Paulo E; Tenório, Denise PL; Santos, Beate S; Beltrão, Eduardo IC; Fontes, Adriana; Carvalho, Luiz B

    2013-01-01

    Cell surface glycoconjugates play an important role in differentiation/dedifferentiation processes and lectins are employed to evaluate them by several methodologies. Fluorescent probes are considered a valuable tool because of their ability to provide a particular view, and are more detailed and sensitive in terms of cell structure and molecular content. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the expression and distribution of glycoconjugates in normal human breast tissue, and benign (fibroadenoma), and malignantly transformed (invasive ductal carcinoma) breast tissues. For this, we used mercaptosuccinic acid-coated Cadmium Telluride (CdTe) quantum dots (QDs) conjugated with concanavalin A (Con A) or Ulex europaeus agglutinin I (UEA I) lectins to detect α-D-glucose/mannose and L-fucose residues, respectively. The QD-lectin conjugates were evaluated by hemagglutination activity tests and carbohydrate inhibition assays, and were found to remain functional, keeping their fluorescent properties and carbohydrate recognition ability. Fluorescence images showed that different regions of breast tissue expressed particular types of carbohydrates. While the stroma was preferentially and intensely stained by QD-Con A, ductal cells were preferentially labeled by QD-UEA I. These results indicate that QD-lectin conjugates can be used as molecular probes and can help to elucidate the glycoconjugate profile in biological processes. PMID:24324334

  10. Quantification of histochemical stains using whole slide imaging: development of a method and demonstration of its usefulness in laboratory quality control.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gray, Allan; Wright, Alex; Jackson, Pete; Hale, Mike; Treanor, Darren

    2015-03-01

    Histochemical staining of tissue is a fundamental technique in tissue diagnosis and research, but it suffers from significant variability. Efforts to address this include laboratory quality controls and quality assurance schemes, but these rely on subjective interpretation of stain quality, are laborious and have low reproducibility. We aimed (1) to develop a method for histochemical stain quantification using whole slide imaging and image analysis and (2) to demonstrate its usefulness in measuring staining variation. A method to quantify the individual stain components of histochemical stains on virtual slides was developed. It was evaluated for repeatability and reproducibility, then applied to control sections of an appendix to quantify H&E staining (H/E intensities and H:E ratio) between automated staining machines and to measure differences between six regional diagnostic laboratories. The method was validated with laboratories from 0.57 to 0.89. A simple method using whole slide imaging can be used to quantify and compare histochemical staining. This method could be deployed in routine quality assurance and quality control. Work is needed on whole slide imaging devices to improve reproducibility. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  11. Metagenomics as a Tool for Enzyme Discovery: Hydrolytic Enzymes from Marine-Related Metagenomes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popovic, Ana; Tchigvintsev, Anatoly; Tran, Hai; Chernikova, Tatyana N; Golyshina, Olga V; Yakimov, Michail M; Golyshin, Peter N; Yakunin, Alexander F

    2015-01-01

    This chapter discusses metagenomics and its application for enzyme discovery, with a focus on hydrolytic enzymes from marine metagenomic libraries. With less than one percent of culturable microorganisms in the environment, metagenomics, or the collective study of community genetics, has opened up a rich pool of uncharacterized metabolic pathways, enzymes, and adaptations. This great untapped pool of genes provides the particularly exciting potential to mine for new biochemical activities or novel enzymes with activities tailored to peculiar sets of environmental conditions. Metagenomes also represent a huge reservoir of novel enzymes for applications in biocatalysis, biofuels, and bioremediation. Here we present the results of enzyme discovery for four enzyme activities, of particular industrial or environmental interest, including esterase/lipase, glycosyl hydrolase, protease and dehalogenase.

  12. A double blind randomised controlled clinical trial comparing a novel anti-stain and calculus reducing dentifrice with a standard fluoride dentifrice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jowett, Adrian K; Marlow, Ian; Rawlinson, Andrew

    2013-04-01

    This clinical trial tested the anti-stain efficacy at 3 and 6 months of a novel, sodium polyaspartate-containing, anti-stain dentifrice. In addition, the efficacy of the new dentifrice in controlling gingival inflammation and inhibition of calculus deposition was tested. Participants were recruited to this double blind randomised control clinical trial, and allocated to either test or control groups. The presence of stain and calculus were entry criteria. Measurements of stain, calculus and gingival inflammation were recorded using the Shaw and Murray Stain score, Volpe-Manhold Calculus score and the Modified Gingival Index respectively. Measurements were made at baseline, prior to the removal of stain and calculus, and after 3 and 6 months. Missing data were imputed by and the outcomes were analysed using univariate analysis. At three months, toothpaste containing sodium polyaspartate was better (difference of mean 1.13 with SEM 0.57) than control for the control of dental stain (p0.05). There was no difference between toothpastes with respect to calculus deposition or gingival inflammation. Toothpaste containing sodium polyaspartate was more effective than a control toothpaste at preventing deposition of dental stain for 3 months after professional tooth cleaning but showed no significant effect at 6 months. Sodium polyaspartate toothpaste was more effective than a control toothpaste at preventing dental stain formation and maybe helpful in controlling staining between episodes of scaling and polishing. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Effects of Unripe Musa Paradisiaca on the Histochemistry of the Testis and Testosterone Levels in Adult Albino Rats.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alabi, A S; Omotosho, G O; Tagoe, C N B; Akinola, O B; Enaibe, B U

    2017-06-30

    This study was aimed at determining the effects of the unripe fruit of Musa paradisiaca on the testis andtestosterone levels in male Wistar rats. The animals were grouped into three, comprising a control, and 2 treatment groupsadministered with different doses (500 mg/kg and 1000 mg/kg) daily of the fruit flour over 28 days. Histochemical evaluationof the testes was done using Haematoxylin and Eosin, Periodic acid Schiff's (PAS) and Feulgen staining techniques, whilethe serum and homogenised testicular tissue were evaluated for testosterone levels using Accu-Bind ELISA Kit. The testisof the treated groups showed more rapidly dividing cells and more population of sperm cells compared to the control group,and also showed more positivity for Feulgen staining and PAS reaction. Both serum and testicular testosterone levels werehowever reduced. Serum testosterone was significantly lowered in the animals given the low dose (0.67 ± 0.03 ng/ml),compared to those given high dose (0.85 ± 0.02 ng/ml) and the control animals (1.88 ± 0.15 ng/ml) (p paradisiaca fruit has reproductiveenhancing potential when consumed moderately, but this benefit may not be related to testosterone levels.

  14. Enzymes and Enzyme Activity Encoded by Nonenveloped Viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azad, Kimi; Banerjee, Manidipa; Johnson, John E

    2017-09-29

    Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites that rely on host cell machineries for their replication and survival. Although viruses tend to make optimal use of the host cell protein repertoire, they need to encode essential enzymatic or effector functions that may not be available or accessible in the host cellular milieu. The enzymes encoded by nonenveloped viruses-a group of viruses that lack any lipid coating or envelope-play vital roles in all the stages of the viral life cycle. This review summarizes the structural, biochemical, and mechanistic information available for several classes of enzymes and autocatalytic activity encoded by nonenveloped viruses. Advances in research and development of antiviral inhibitors targeting specific viral enzymes are also highlighted.

  15. Haematoxylin and eosin staining identifies medium to large bacterial aggregates with a reliable specificity: A comparative analysis of follicular bacterial aggregates in axillary biopsies using peptide nucleic acid-fluorescence in situ hybridization and haematoxylin and eosin staining.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ring, Hans Christian; Theut Riis, Peter; Bay, Lene; Kallenbach, Klaus; Bjarnsholt, Thomas; Jemec, Gregor B E

    2017-10-01

    Although peptide nucleic acid (PNA), fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) are the reference tools in the study of bacterial aggregates/biofilms, it may also be rather time-consuming. This study aimed to investigate the sensitivity and specificity between bacterial aggregates identified by haematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining vs bacterial aggregates in corresponding PNA-FISH samples. Axillary biopsies were obtained in 24 healthy controls. HE-stained and PNA-FISH samples were investigated using traditional light microscopy and CLSM, respectively. The data demonstrate that HE staining identifies large bacterial aggregates (>10 μm) with a sensitivity of 0.43 and specificity of 1. The methods, however, are not equivalent as demonstrated by a McNemar's test (P=.04). Where bacterial aggregates >10 μm in diameter, HE staining may offer a rapid and practical low-cost tool to evaluate bacterial aggregates. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  16. Color stability and staining of silorane after prolonged chemical challenges

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Jesus, Vivian CBR; Martinelli, Nata Luiz; Poli-Frederico, Regina Célia

    Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of prolonged chemical challenges on color stability and staining susceptibility of a silorane-based composite material when compared to methacrylate-based composites. Methods: Cylindrical specimens (n=24) were fabricated from...... methacrylate (Filtek Z250, 3M ESPE; Filtek Z350XT, 3M ESPE; Master Fill, Biodinâmica) or silorane-based (Filtek P90, 3M ESPE) composite materials. Initial color was registered in a spectrophotometer. Specimens were divided in four groups and individually stored at 37°C in 0.02N citric acid, 0.02N phosphoric...... acid, 75% ethanol or distilled water (control) for 7, 14, 21, and 180 days, when new measurements were performed. A staining test was performed (n=12) after 21 days of chemical challenge by immersion in coffee during 3 weeks at 37°C. Color changes (¿E) were characterized using the CIEL*a*b* color...

  17. Adaptive segmentation of nuclei in H&S stained tendon microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chuang, Bo-I.; Wu, Po-Ting; Hsu, Jian-Han; Jou, I.-Ming; Su, Fong-Chin; Sun, Yung-Nien

    2015-12-01

    Tendiopathy is a popular clinical issue in recent years. In most cases like trigger finger or tennis elbow, the pathology change can be observed under H and E stained tendon microscopy. However, the qualitative analysis is too subjective and thus the results heavily depend on the observers. We develop an automatic segmentation procedure which segments and counts the nuclei in H and E stained tendon microscopy fast and precisely. This procedure first determines the complexity of images and then segments the nuclei from the image. For the complex images, the proposed method adopts sampling-based thresholding to segment the nuclei. While for the simple images, the Laplacian-based thresholding is employed to re-segment the nuclei more accurately. In the experiments, the proposed method is compared with the experts outlined results. The nuclei number of proposed method is closed to the experts counted, and the processing time of proposed method is much faster than the experts'.

  18. PHACE syndrome misdiagnosed as a port-wine stain

    OpenAIRE

    Thomson, Jason; Greig, Aina; Lloyd, Claire; Morrison, Danny; Flohr, Carsten

    2015-01-01

    We present the case of a boy born with a large macular, segmental vascular anomaly over the left face, initially diagnosed as a capillary malformation (port-wine stain) by the postnatal paediatric team. The vascular anomaly in the face then grew rapidly during the first few weeks of life and started to occlude the left eye, causing parental concerns about the infant's vision. A dermatological opinion established that the lesion was a segmental infantile haemangioma (IH). This, in combination ...

  19. Butylated hydroxyanisole induces distinct expression patterns of Nrf2 and detoxification enzymes in the liver and small intestine of C57BL/6 mice

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Luo, Lin [Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Department of Pharmacology, University of Nantong, Nantong (China); Chen, Yeru; Wu, Deqi; Shou, Jiafeng [Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Wang, Shengcun [Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Ye, Jie [Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Tang, Xiuwen, E-mail: xiuwentang@zju.edu.cn [Department of Biochemistry and Genetics, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China); Wang, Xiu Jun, E-mail: xjwang@zju.edu.cn [Department of Pharmacology, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058 (China)

    2015-11-01

    Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) is widely used as an antioxidant and preservative in food, food packaging and medicines. Its chemopreventive properties are attributing to its ability to activate the transcription factor NF-E2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which directs central genetic programs of detoxification and protection against oxidative stress. This study was to investigate the histological changes of Nrf2 and its regulated phase II enzymes Nqo1, AKR1B8, and Ho-1 in wild-type (WT) and Nrf2{sup −/−} mice induced by BHA. The mice were given a 200 mg/kg oral dose of BHA daily for three days. Immunohistochemistry revealed that, in the liver from WT mice, BHA increased Nqo1 staining in hepatocytes, predominately in the pericentral region. In contrast, the induction of AKR1B8 appeared mostly in hepatocytes in the periportal region. The basal and inducible Ho-1 was located almost exclusively in Kupffer cells. In the small intestine from WT mice, the inducible expression patterns of Nqo1 and AKR1B8 were nearly identical to that of Nrf2, with more intense staining in the villus than that the crypt. Conversely, Keap1 was more highly expressed in the crypt, where the proliferative cells reside. Our study demonstrates that BHA elicited differential expression patterns of phase II-detoxifying enzymes in the liver and small intestine from WT but not Nrf2{sup −/−} mice, demonstrating a cell type specific response to BHA in vivo. - Highlights: • Histological view of basal and inducible Nrf2 and its targets in vivo • Induction of detoxification enzymes by BHA is cell-type dependent. • BHA induces the expression of HO-1 in Kupffer cells.

  20. Spatiotemporal alterations of cortical network activity by selective loss of NOS-expressing interneurons .

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dan eShlosberg

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Deciphering the role of GABAergic neurons in large neuronal networks such as the neocortex forms a particularly complex task as they comprise a highly diverse population. The neuronal isoform of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (nNOS is expressed in the neocortex by specific subsets of GABAergic neurons. These neurons can be identified in live brain slices by the nitric oxide (NO fluorescent indicator DAF-2DA. However, this indicator was found to be highly toxic to the stained neurons. We used this feature to induce acute phototoxic damage to NO-producing neurons in cortical slices, and measured subsequent alterations in parameters of cellular and network activity.Neocortical slices were briefly incubated in DAF-2DA and then illuminated through the 4X objective. Histochemistry for NADPH diaphorase, a marker for nNOS activity, revealed elimination of staining in the illuminated areas following treatment. Whole cell recordings from several neuronal types before, during and after illumination confirmed the selective damage to non fast-spiking interneurons. Treated slices displayed mild disinhibition. The reversal potential of compound synaptic events on pyramidal neurons became more positive, and their decay time constant was elongated, substantiating the removal of an inhibitory conductance. The horizontal decay of local field potentials (LFPs was significantly reduced at distances of 300-400 m from the stimulation, but not when inhibition was non-selectively weakened with the GABAA blocker picrotoxin. Finally, whereas the depression of LFPs along short trains of 40 Hz stimuli was linearly reduced with distance or initial amplitude in control slices, this ordered relationship was disrupted in DAF-treated slices. These results reveal that NO-producing interneurons in the neocortex convey lateral inhibition to neighboring columns, and shape the spatiotemporal dynamics of the network's activity.

  1. Spatiotemporal alterations of cortical network activity by selective loss of NOS-expressing interneurons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shlosberg, Dan; Buskila, Yossi; Abu-Ghanem, Yasmin; Amitai, Yael

    2012-01-01

    Deciphering the role of GABAergic neurons in large neuronal networks such as the neocortex forms a particularly complex task as they comprise a highly diverse population. The neuronal isoform of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) is expressed in the neocortex by specific subsets of GABAergic neurons. These neurons can be identified in live brain slices by the nitric oxide (NO) fluorescent indicator diaminofluorescein-2 diacetate (DAF-2DA). However, this indicator was found to be highly toxic to the stained neurons. We used this feature to induce acute phototoxic damage to NO-producing neurons in cortical slices, and measured subsequent alterations in parameters of cellular and network activity. Neocortical slices were briefly incubated in DAF-2DA and then illuminated through the 4× objective. Histochemistry for NADPH-diaphorase (NADPH-d), a marker for nNOS activity, revealed elimination of staining in the illuminated areas following treatment. Whole cell recordings from several neuronal types before, during, and after illumination confirmed the selective damage to non-fast-spiking (FS) interneurons. Treated slices displayed mild disinhibition. The reversal potential of compound synaptic events on pyramidal neurons became more positive, and their decay time constant was elongated, substantiating the removal of an inhibitory conductance. The horizontal decay of local field potentials (LFPs) was significantly reduced at distances of 300-400 μm from the stimulation, but not when inhibition was non-selectively weakened with the GABA(A) blocker picrotoxin. Finally, whereas the depression of LFPs along short trains of 40 Hz stimuli was linearly reduced with distance or initial amplitude in control slices, this ordered relationship was disrupted in DAF-treated slices. These results reveal that NO-producing interneurons in the neocortex convey lateral inhibition to neighboring columns, and shape the spatiotemporal dynamics of the network's activity.

  2. A Novel Mgp-Cre Knock-In Mouse Reveals an Anticalcification/Antistiffness Candidate Gene in the Trabecular Meshwork and Peripapillary Scleral Region.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borrás, Teresa; Smith, Matthew H; Buie, LaKisha K

    2015-04-01

    Soft tissue calcification is a pathological condition. Matrix Gla (MGP) is a potent mineralization inhibitor secreted by cartilage chondrocytes and arteries' vascular smooth muscle cells. Mgp knock-out mice die at 6 weeks due to massive arterial calcification. Arterial calcification results in arterial stiffness and higher systolic blood pressure. Intriguingly, MGP was highly abundant in trabecular meshwork (TM). Because tissue stiffness is relevant to glaucoma, we investigated which additional eye tissues use Mgp's function using knock-in mice. An Mgp-Cre-recombinase coding sequence (Cre) knock-in mouse, containing Mgp DNA plus an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES)-Cre-cassette was generated by homologous recombination. Founders were crossed with Cre-mediated reporter mouse R26R-lacZ. Their offspring expresses lacZ where Mgp is transcribed. Eyes from MgpCre/+;R26RlacZ/+ (Mgp-lacZ knock-in) and controls, 1 to 8 months were assayed for β-gal enzyme histochemistry. As expected, Mgp-lacZ knock-in's TM was intensely blue. In addition, this mouse revealed high specific expression in the sclera, particularly in the peripapillary scleral region (ppSC). Ciliary muscle and sclera above the TM were also positive. Scleral staining was located immediately underneath the choroid (chondrocyte layer), began midsclera and was remarkably high in the ppSC. Cornea, iris, lens, ciliary body, and retina were negative. All mice exhibited similar staining patterns. All controls were negative. Matrix Gla's restricted expression to glaucoma-associated tissues from anterior and posterior segments suggests its involvement in the development of the disease. Matrix Gla's anticalcification/antistiffness properties in the vascular tissue, together with its high TM and ppCS expression, place this gene as a strong candidate for TM's softness and sclera's stiffness regulation in glaucoma.

  3. Ulex Europaeus lectin and anti-CD31 staining in squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix: potential prognostic markers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Davidson, B; Goldberg, I; Gotlieb, W H; Lerner-Geva, L; Ben-Baruch, G; Kopolovic, J

    1998-07-01

    Seventy-five squamous cell carcinomas of the uterine cervix and 10 controls were stained for Ulex Europaeus lectin 1 (UEA-1) and anti-CD31, and the results were analyzed with respect to patient age, clinical stage, tumor grade, and survival during a follow-up period of 1 to 13 years. The patients' mean age at the time of diagnosis was 47.8 years (range, 27 to 83). Seventeen patients died of disease, 2 had disease recurrence, and 51 patients remained free of disease; 5 patients were lost to follow-up. Twenty-eight cases (37.3%) showed focal membranous staining for UEA-1 and 9 cases (12%) showed a diffuse pattern; 38 cases (50.7%) were UEA-1 negative. Poor survival was related to diffuse membranous UEA-1 immunoreactivity (p = 0.02), age (p = 0.014), grade (p = 0.02), and stage (p = 0.0002). CD31-positive neoplastic cells displayed a cytoplasmic pattern. Fifteen cases (20%) had diffuse staining and another 15 (20%) stained focally; 45 cases (60%) were CD31-negative. The adjacent nonneoplastic epithelium and all 10 controls were uniformly negative for CD31. Variable staining of the endocervical epithelium and weak or negative staining of ectocervical epithelium for UEA-1 were observed. However, the epithelium in all controls was negative for UEA-1. Poor survival was related to both focal and diffuse staining for CD31 (p = 0.01 and p = 0.03, respectively). Staining by both UEA-1 and anti-CD31 retained its correlation with survival after exclusion of stage la tumors.

  4. Randomized controlled trial to evaluate tooth stain reduction with nicotine replacement gum during a smoking cessation program

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Whelton, Helen

    2012-06-13

    AbstractBackgroundIn addition to its general and periodontal health effects smoking causes tooth staining. Smoking cessation support interventions with an added stain removal or tooth whitening effect may increase motivation to quit smoking. Oral health professionals are well placed to provide smoking cessation advice and support to patients. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of Nicorette® Freshmint Gum used in a smoking cessation programme administered in a dental setting, on extrinsic stain and tooth shade among smokers.MethodsAn evaluator-blinded, randomized, 12-week parallel-group controlled trial was conducted among 200 daily smokers motivated to quit smoking. Participants were randomised to use either the Nicorette® Freshmint Gum or Nicorette® Microtab (tablet). Tooth staining and shade were rated using the modified Lobene Stain Index and the Vita® Shade Guide at baseline, weeks 2, 6 and 12. To maintain consistency with other whitening studies, the primary end-point was the mean change in stain index between baseline and week 6. Secondary variables included changes in stain measurements and tooth shade at the other time points the number of gums or tablets used per day and throughout the trial period; and the number of cigarettes smoked per day. Treatments were compared using analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), using treatment and nicotine dependence as factors and the corresponding baseline measurement as a covariate. Each comparison (modified intention-to-treat) was tested at the 0.05 level, two-sided. Within-treatment changes from baseline were compared using a paired t-test.ResultsAt week 6, the gum-group experienced a reduction in mean stain scores whilst the tablet-group experienced an increase with mean changes of -0.14 and +0.12 respectively, (p = 0.005, ANCOVA). The change in mean tooth shade scores was statistically significantly greater in the gum-group than in the tablet group at 2 (p = 0.015), 6 (p = 0

  5. Utility of Iron Staining in Identifying the Cause of Renal Allograft Dysfunction in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yingchun Wang

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Sickle cell nephropathy (SCN is associated with iron/heme deposition in proximal renal tubules and related acute tubular injury (ATI. Here we report the utility of iron staining in differentiating causes of renal allograft dysfunction in patients with a history of sickle cell disease. Case 1: the patient developed acute allograft dysfunction two years after renal transplant. Her renal biopsy showed ATI, supported by patchy loss of brush border and positive staining of kidney injury molecule-1 in proximal tubular epithelial cells, where diffuse increase in iron staining (2+ was present. This indicated that ATI likely resulted from iron/heme toxicity to proximal tubules. Electron microscope confirmed aggregated sickle RBCs in glomeruli, indicating a recurrent SCN. Case 2: four years after renal transplant, the patient developed acute allograft dysfunction and became positive for serum donor-specific antibody. His renal biopsy revealed thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA and diffuse positive C4d stain in peritubular capillaries. Iron staining was negative in the renal tubules, implying that TMA was likely associated with acute antibody-mediated rejection (AAMR, type 2 rather than recurrent SCN. These case reports imply that iron staining is an inexpensive but effective method in distinguishing SCN-associated renal injury in allograft kidney from other etiologies.

  6. Effect of finishing and polishing on the color stability of a composite resin immersed in staining solutions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maiara Justo Polli

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the influence of finishing/polishing methods and staining solutions using different immersion periods on the color stability of a microhybrid composite resin. Materials and Methods: Ninety specimens were fabricated using a stainless steel mold and polyester strips. The samples were randomly divided into five groups according to the finishing and polishing performed: Control group (no surface treatment was performed, Diamond Pro group, Diamond burs group, Enhance group, and SiC paper group. After finishing and polishing, six samples from each group were immersed in coffee, red wine, or water for 30 days. The color measurements were obtained using digital photography before immersion and after 7, 15, and 30 days of immersion. The red, green, and blue values provided by the Adobe Photoshop software were converted into CIELab values. A three-way analysis of variance and Tukey's test were used for statistical analysis (P ≤ 0.05. Results: The finishing and polishing methods, staining solutions, immersion times, and their interaction had statistically significant effects on the color change (P = 0.00. Coffee and red wine caused intense staining. Among the polishing methods, the highest color change value was observed in the control group (P < 0.05 and the Diamond Pro disks provided the most stain-resistant surfaces (P ≤ 0.05. Conclusion: The finishing and polishing method, staining solution, and immersion time influences the color stability. Finishing and polishing should be applied to obtain a more stain-resistant surface.

  7. Double epi-illumination microscopy with separate visualization of two antigens: a combination of epi-polarization for immunogold-silver staining and epi-fluorescence for alkaline phosphatase staining

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van der Loos, C. M.; Becker, A. E.

    1994-01-01

    We present a method for an epi-illumination immunohistochemical double staining approach. The method combines the use of an immuno-alkaline phosphatase technique and the immunogold-silver technique, visualized with epifluorescence and epi-polarization illumination, respectively. Out of six tested

  8. High-performance and anti-stain coating for porcelain stoneware tiles based on nanostructured zirconium compounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ambrosi, Moira; Santoni, Sergio; Giorgi, Rodorico; Fratini, Emiliano; Toccafondi, Nicola; Baglioni, Piero

    2014-10-15

    The technological characteristics of porcelain stoneware tiles make them suitable for a wide range of applications spanning far beyond traditional uses. Due to the high density, porcelain stoneware tiles show high bending strength, wear resistance, surface hardness, and high fracture toughness. Nevertheless, despite being usually claimed as stain resistant, the surface porosity renders porcelain stoneware tiles vulnerable to dirt penetration with the formation of stains that can be very difficult to remove. In the present work, we report an innovative and versatile method to realize stain resistant porcelain stoneware tiles. The tile surface is treated by mixtures of nanosized zirconium hydroxide and nano- and micron-sized glass frits that thanks to the low particle dimension are able to penetrate inside the surface pores. The firing step leads to the formation of a glass matrix that can partially or totally close the surface porosity. As a result, the fired tiles become permanently stain resistant still preserving the original esthetical qualities of the original material. Treated tiles also show a remarkably enhanced hardness due to the inclusion of zirconium compounds in the glass coating. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Impact of changing from staining to culture techniques on detection rates of Campylobacter spp. in routine stool samples in Chile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Porte, Lorena; Varela, Carmen; Haecker, Thomas; Morales, Sara; Weitzel, Thomas

    2016-05-13

    Campylobacter is a leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis, but sensitive diagnostic methods such as culture are expensive and often not available in resource limited settings. Therefore, direct staining techniques have been developed as a practical and economical alternative. We analyzed the impact of replacing Campylobacter staining with culture for routine stool examinations in a private hospital in Chile. From January to April 2014, a total of 750 consecutive stool samples were examined in parallel by Hucker stain and Campylobacter culture. Isolation rates of Campylobacter were determined and the performance of staining was evaluated against culture as the gold standard. Besides, isolation rates of Campylobacter and other enteric pathogens were compared to those of past years. Campylobacter was isolated by culture in 46 of 750 (6.1 %) stool samples. Direct staining only identified three samples as Campylobacter positive and reached sensitivity and specificity values of 6.5 and 100 %, respectively. In comparison to staining-based detection rates of previous years, we observed a significant increase of Campylobacter cases in our patients. Direct staining technique for Campylobacter had a very low sensitivity compared to culture. Staining methods might lead to a high rate of false negative results and an underestimation of the importance of campylobacteriosis. With the inclusion of Campylobacter culture, this pathogen became a leading cause of intestinal infection in our patient population.

  10. Amalgam stained dentin: a proper substrate for bonding resin composite?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Scholtanus, J.D.

    2016-01-01

    Nowadays the use of dental amalgam is mostly abandoned and substituted by tooth colored resin composites that can be bonded to teeth tissues by adhesive techniques. The aim of this thesis was to find out whether dark stained dentin, as often observed after removal of amalgam restorations and

  11. Initial data release of regular blood drip stain created by varying fall height, angle of impact and source dimension

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nabanita Basu

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available The dataset developed consists of 108 blood drip stains developed with fresh porcine blood, blood admixed with different dosage of Warfarin and Heparin, respectively. For each particular blood type (i.e. fresh blood, blood admixed with Warfarin at different dosage and blood admixed with Heparin at varied dosage stain patterns were created by passive dripping of blood from a 2.5 cm3 subcutaneous syringe with needle filled to capacity, at 30°, 60° and 90° angle of impact with corresponding fall height of 20, 40 and 60 cm respectively. In the other dataset of 162 datapoints, 81 regular drip stains were formed from blood that had dripped passively from a subcutaneous syringe without needle at the aforementioned angle of impact and fall height, while the other stains were formed as a result of dripping of blood from a subcutaneous syringe with needle. In order to compare stains formed, all stains were recorded on the same representative, non-porous, smooth target surface under similar physical conditions. The interpretations relevant to the dataset are available in the article titled ‘2D Source Area prediction based on physical characteristics of a regular, passive blood drip stain’ (Basu and Bandyopadhyay, 2016 [7]. An image pre-processing algorithm for extracting ROI has also been incorporated in this article. Keywords: Drip stain, Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Source Dimension prediction

  12. A novel hematoxylin and eosin stain assay for detection of the parasitic dinoflagellate Amoebophrya.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Caiwen; Chen, Tiantian

    2017-02-01

    The parasitic dinoflagellate Amoebophrya infects broad range of marine organisms. Particularly, Amoebophrya infections in planktonic dinoflagellates can prevent or delay the formation of algal blooms, and recycle undergrazed planktonic dinoflagellates back to the microbial loop by disrupting host cells. Its ecological significance was gradually recognized along with the discovery of its enormous molecular diversity in oceanic and coastal ecosystems. Thus, we developed a reliable, easily accessible and less time-consuming assay, to detect and assess Amoebophrya infections in planktonic dinoflagellates. The modified hematoxylin and eosin staining assay provided reliable diagnosis of Amoebophrya infection by identifying the characteristic "beehive" of the multinucleate trophonts. After staining, the typical multinucleate "beehive" is evidently distinguishable from the compact nuclei of uninfected host cells. The modified hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining assay is easy to use, that can be routinely performed within 3h (up to 20 samples/batch) using general laboratory equipment, supplies and chemical reagents. The produced slides with agar-embedded dinoflagellate cells can be stored for several months or even years in a dry place without noticeable loss in quality of staining. With suitable calculation, the modified H & E assay can be applied to assess the prevalence of Amoebophrya infection in planktonic dinoflagellates. This efficient and powerful assay will facilitate the investigation on the ecological roles of Amoebophryidae in coastal and oceanic ecosystem. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. The surface science of enzymes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rod, Thomas Holm; Nørskov, Jens Kehlet

    2002-01-01

    One of the largest challenges to science in the coming years is to find the relation between enzyme structure and function. Can we predict which reactions an enzyme catalyzes from knowledge of its structure-or from its amino acid sequence? Can we use that knowledge to modify enzyme function......? To solve these problems we must understand in some detail how enzymes interact with reactants from its surroundings. These interactions take place at the surface of the enzyme and the question of enzyme function can be viewed as the surface science of enzymes. In this article we discuss how to describe...... catalysis by enzymes, and in particular the analogies between enzyme catalyzed reactions and surface catalyzed reactions. We do this by discussing two concrete examples of reactions catalyzed both in nature (by enzymes) and in industrial reactors (by inorganic materials), and show that although analogies...

  14. Autometallographic (AMG) technique used for enhancement of the Golgi-Cox staining gives good contrast andhigh resolution of dendrites and spines

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Orlowski, Dariusz

    Despite the existence of many newer staining methods, Golgi staining still remains the primary method forvisualization of the dendrites and spines. The black deposit in the Golgi-Cox impregnated cells is a Mercuricsulphide, therefore autometallographic (AMG) technique which is used for visualizat...... of dendrites and spines in the rat hippocampus. The describedmethod will be of value for future behavioural-anatomical studies, examining changes in dendrite branching andspine density caused by brain diseases and their subsequent treatment.......Despite the existence of many newer staining methods, Golgi staining still remains the primary method forvisualization of the dendrites and spines. The black deposit in the Golgi-Cox impregnated cells is a Mercuricsulphide, therefore autometallographic (AMG) technique which is used...... for visualization of the metals and metalsulphides/selenides in tissue may be used to enhance the Golgi-Cox staining. We demonstrated accordingly thatuse of AMG enhancement method on the Golgi-Cox staining gives good contrast and high resolution of dendritesand spines. Moreover, this method is cheaper and more...

  15. Comparison of three staining methods for the detection of intestinal microspora spp.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Khadijeh Khanaliha

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available This study aimed to compare three staining methods including: Calcofluor white, Chromotrope and Quick Hot Gram chromotrope used in diagnosis of intestinal microsporidial spores.One hundred and seventy five stool specimens were collected from patients referred to Laboratory of Intestinal Protozoology at the School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences during 2012-2013. All of specimens were evaluated by nested PCR. The formalin-fixed stool samples were prepared from each specimen and dried at room temperature for 10 min, followed by 10 min methanol fixation. All the collected stool samples were evaluated blindly by calcofluor white, Chromotrope and Quick Hot Gram chromotrope staining methods separately.Microsporidial spores were recognized using Chromotrope, Quick Hot Gram chromotrope and Calcofluor white, in16 of 18 (88.8%, 17 of 18 (94.4% and 18 of 18(100% samples that were positive by nested PCR respectively. Regarding 14 stool samples that were negative by nested PCR, 14 cases were negative by chromotrope and Quick hot Gram chromotrope and 13 samples were negative by Calcofluor white. One discordant sample interpreted as false positive.Calcofluor white staining had the best performance for the detection of intestinal Microsprora spores and can be used as initial screen test for the detection of intestinal Microspora spp.

  16. Clinical outcomes of double staining and additional ILM peeling during ERM surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Ha Na; Lee, Joo Eun; Kim, Hyun Woong; Yun, Il Han

    2013-08-01

    To assess the clinical outcomes in idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) patients after vitrectomy and ERM removal with or without additional indocyanine green (ICG)-assisted internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. The medical records of 43 patients with an idiopathic ERM that underwent vitrectomy and ERM removal between July 2007 and April 2010 were reviewed. The patients were divided into two groups: triamcinolone-assisted simple ERM peeling only (group A, n = 23) and triamcinolone-assisted ERM peeling followed by ICG staining and peeling of the remaining internal ILM (group B, n = 20). No difference was found between the two groups in terms of visual acuity, macular thickness, P1 amplitude or implicit time on multifocal-electroretinogram (mfERG) at six and 12 months postoperatively. In group B, ICG staining after ERM peeling demonstrated that the ILM had been removed together with the ERM in 12 eyes (60%), and all 12 eyes showed punctate retinal hemorrhages during ERM peeling. There was no recurrence of an ERM in either group. Additional procedures involving ICG staining and ILM peeling during ERM surgery do not appear to have an additive effect on the clinical outcomes in terms of visual acuity, retinal function based on mfERG, or recurrence rate.

  17. The incidence of IgG4-positive plasma cells staining TIN in patients with biopsy-proven tubulointerstitial nephritis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mac, Kathy; Wu, Xiao Juan; Mai, Jun; Howlin, Kenneth; Suranyi, Michael; Yong, Jim; Makris, Angela

    2017-06-01

    IgG4 disease is rare. However, IgG4 tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) is the most common renal manifestation. IgG4 disease is usually associated with elevated serum IgG4 levels and other organ involvement, low-density renal lesions on enhanced CT imaging and immune activation. The incidence of IgG4-TIN may be underestimated, as staining for IgG4 is not routine. This study sought to describe the prevalence of previously undiagnosed IgG4-TIN. Due to the complexity of the diagnosis, we only attempt to look at IgG4-positive plasma cell TIN as a potential indication for IgG4 renal disease. A retrospective review of native renal biopsies performed between 2002 and 2012 with a primary diagnosis of TIN was selected. Samples for which interstitial nephritis was secondary to a glomerular disease were excluded. The tissues were stained for IgG4 and scored by two blinded observers. Demographic and follow-up details were collected. This study was approved by the local ethics committee. 82 cases of interstitial nephritis from a total of 1238 renal biopsies (2002-2012) were available after staining for further assessment. 12 samples demonstrated staining consistent with the criteria for IgG4-positive plasma cell TIN, of which 3 had mildly positive staining, 7 moderately positive staining and 2 had markedly positive staining. There were no statistically significant differences in the baseline characteristics between the positive and negative staining groups. A number of cases of IgG4-positive plasma cell TIN were observed histologically that had been previously diagnosed as non-specific chronic TIN. IgG4-positive plasma cell TIN made up 1% of all renal biopsies performed over 10 years and 13% of all biopsies demonstrating TIN not related to glomerular disease. IgG4 staining should be considered routinely in biopsies demonstrating primary TIN. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  18. Effect of amnioinfusion for meconium stained amniotic fluid on perinatal outcome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ashfaq, F; Shah, A A

    2004-06-01

    To see the effect of amnioinfusion on perinatal outcome in cases of meconium staining of liquor. This study was conducted in department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, unit 1, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre, Karachi, from 1st January 1998 to 31st December 2000. Four hundred patients were included in this study, assigning 200 for amnioinfusion and 200 as control. All patients were matched in both the groups with respect to age, antenatal booking, parity, gestational age, stage of labour, colour of amniotic fluid and fetal birth weight. Both the groups were found to be comparable. The rate of Caesarean section was found to be 37% in amnioinfusion group, which collaborates with other international studies. The fetal outcome was better i.e. 91% alive and healthy, after amnioinfusion due to dilution of meconium stained amniotic fluid with physiological solutions. The perinatal outcome was recorded by Apgar score at 5 minutes. The perinatal morbidity and mortality both were significantly lowered and was found to be 6% as compared to 14% in control, which was also noticed by less number of admissions in nursery i.e. 12% and perinatal deaths. The incidence of meconium aspiration syndrome was found to be 56% in control and was reduced to 22% after amnioinfusion in the other arm of the study. These results are very encouraging and suggestion can be safely made that in future amnioinfusion will be the ideal method of preventing fetal distress due to meconium stained amniotic fluid.

  19. Background-free, high sensitivity staining of proteins in one- and two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels using a luminescent ruthenium complex.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Berggren, K; Chernokalskaya, E; Steinberg, T H; Kemper, C; Lopez, M F; Diwu, Z; Haugland, R P; Patton, W F

    2000-07-01

    SYPRO Ruby dye is a permanent stain comprised of ruthenium as part of an organic complex that interacts noncovalently with proteins. SYPRO Ruby Protein Gel Stain provides a sensitive, gentle, fluorescence-based method for detecting proteins in one-dimensional and two-dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. Proteins are fixed, stained from 3h to overnight and then rinsed in deionized water or dilute methanol/acetic acid solution for 30 min. The stain can be visualized using a wide range of excitation sources commonly used in image analysis systems including a 302 nm UV-B transilluminator, 473 nm second harmonic generation (SHG) laser, 488 nm argon-ion laser, 532 nm yttrium-aluminum-garnet (YAG) laser, xenon arc lamp, blue fluorescent light bulb or blue light-emitting diode (LED). The sensitivity of SYPRO Ruby Protein Gel Stain is superior to colloidal Coomassie Brilliant Blue (CBB) stain or monobromobimane labeling and comparable with the highest sensitivity silver or zinc-imidazole staining procedures available. The linear dynamic range of SYPRO Ruby Protein Gel stain extends over three orders of magnitude, which is vastly superior to silver, zinc-imidazole, monobromobimane and CBB stain. The fluorescent stain does not contain superfluous chemicals (formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, Tween-20) that frequently interfere with peptide identification in mass spectrometry. While peptide mass profiles are severely altered in protein samples prelabeled with monobromobimane, successful identification of proteins by peptide mass profiling using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry was easily performed after protein detection with SYPRO Ruby Protein Gel stain.

  20. Solid-Color Stains on Western Redcedar and Redwood Siding

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mark Knaebe

    2013-01-01

    You have decided to put wood siding on your new house. Several questions are probably going through your mind: “What’s the best type of wood?” “Should I use paint or stain?” “Should I apply the finish before or after I install the siding?”

  1. Magnetically responsive enzyme powders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pospiskova, Kristyna, E-mail: kristyna.pospiskova@upol.cz [Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 11, 783 71 Olomouc (Czech Republic); Safarik, Ivo, E-mail: ivosaf@yahoo.com [Regional Centre of Advanced Technologies and Materials, Palacky University, Slechtitelu 11, 783 71 Olomouc (Czech Republic); Department of Nanobiotechnology, Institute of Nanobiology and Structural Biology of GCRC, Na Sadkach 7, 370 05 Ceske Budejovice (Czech Republic)

    2015-04-15

    Powdered enzymes were transformed into their insoluble magnetic derivatives retaining their catalytic activity. Enzyme powders (e.g., trypsin and lipase) were suspended in various liquid media not allowing their solubilization (e.g., saturated ammonium sulfate and highly concentrated polyethylene glycol solutions, ethanol, methanol, 2-propanol) and subsequently cross-linked with glutaraldehyde. Magnetic modification was successfully performed at low temperature in a freezer (−20 °C) using magnetic iron oxides nano- and microparticles prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis from ferrous sulfate. Magnetized cross-linked enzyme powders were stable at least for two months in water suspension without leakage of fixed magnetic particles. Operational stability of magnetically responsive enzymes during eight repeated reaction cycles was generally without loss of enzyme activity. Separation of magnetically modified cross-linked powdered enzymes from reaction mixtures was significantly simplified due to their magnetic properties. - Highlights: • Cross-linked enzyme powders were prepared in various liquid media. • Insoluble enzymes were magnetized using iron oxides particles. • Magnetic iron oxides particles were prepared by microwave-assisted synthesis. • Magnetic modification was performed under low (freezing) temperature. • Cross-linked powdered trypsin and lipase can be used repeatedly for reaction.

  2. Enzymes in Fermented Fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giyatmi; Irianto, H E

    Fermented fish products are very popular particularly in Southeast Asian countries. These products have unique characteristics, especially in terms of aroma, flavor, and texture developing during fermentation process. Proteolytic enzymes have a main role in hydrolyzing protein into simpler compounds. Fermentation process of fish relies both on naturally occurring enzymes (in the muscle or the intestinal tract) as well as bacteria. Fermented fish products processed using the whole fish show a different characteristic compared to those prepared from headed and gutted fish. Endogenous enzymes like trypsin, chymotrypsin, elastase, and aminopeptidase are the most involved in the fermentation process. Muscle tissue enzymes like cathepsins, peptidases, transaminases, amidases, amino acid decarboxylases, glutamic dehydrogenases, and related enzymes may also play a role in fish fermentation. Due to the decreased bacterial number during fermentation, contribution of microbial enzymes to proteolysis may be expected prior to salting of fish. Commercial enzymes are supplemented during processing for specific purposes, such as quality improvement and process acceleration. In the case of fish sauce, efforts to accelerate fermentation process and to improve product quality have been studied by addition of enzymes such as papain, bromelain, trypsin, pepsin, and chymotrypsin. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. ANALISIS POTENSI PENERIMAAN KUALITAS ALUMNI PROGRAM STUDI EKONOMI SYARI’AH STAIN KUDUS DITINJAU DARI PERSPEKTIF STAKEHOLDER

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    Ekawati Rahayu Ningsih

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available GRADUATES RECEPTION QUALITYANALYSIS OF THE POTENTIAL ECONOMIC STUDIES SYARI’AH IN STAIN KUDUS VIEWED FROM THE PERSPECTIVE STAKEHOLDER. The first aim of  this study was to determine the potential reception of  graduates quality in Shariah Economic Studiesof  STAINKudus in the world of  work. Second, to determine the motivations and needs of  stakeholders on the acceptance of  the quality of  graduates in Economics   Shariah STAIN Kudus.And third, to determine what factors which are supporting and inhibiting the absorption of graduates of the Department of Shariah Economics STAIN Kudus in working world. The theory that was developed as a basis for the analysis is the pyramid theory of  motivation and needs of  Abraham Maslow. By using qualitative research approach, the analysis and discussion of this study are:First, the potential acceptance of  Shariah Economy graduates in the working world, especially in the banking and financial institutions Shari’ah is still very large and potentially growing along with the rapid growth in the number of  banking and financial institutions Shari’ah in Indonesia. Second, motivation and needs of  stakeholders for the graduates reception of Shariah Economic STAIN Kudus is because it is the only college in the state of  religion around the Pantura area having Shariah Economic Studies Program and easily accessible. In addition, in order to establish a more synergistic relationship with the STAIN kudus then either the shari’a banking and financial institutions are willing to accept graduates of  Shariah Economic Studies Program as employees, of course, with the various criteria established in the job requirements. Keywords:Potential,  Quality  Admissions,  Graduates, Economic Shariah, Stakeholder. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah: Pertama, untuk mengetahui potensi penerimaan kualitas alumni Program Studi Ekonomi Syari’ah STAIN Kudus di dunia kerja. Kedua, untuk mengetahui motivasi dan

  4. Effect of bleaching and repolishing procedures on coffee and tea stain removal from three anterior composite veneering materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Türkün, L Sebnem; Türkün, Murat

    2004-01-01

    Discolored teeth can be treated with resin veneers, but their color changes when confronted with staining solutions. Polishing procedures can provide a remedy for highly stained composites, but they tend to remove some materials as well. However, bleaching procedures are an effective, nondestructive method for solving the problem. The aim of this study was to compare the color change of three veneer composites exposed to staining solutions and to evaluate the effectiveness of a 15% hydrogen peroxide bleaching agent and three polishing systems to remove the stain. Forty-five disks (12 x 2 mm) each of Clearfil ST (Kuraray Co. Ltd., Osaka, Japan), Esthet-X (Dentsply/Caulk, Milford DE, USA), and Filtek A110 (3M ESPE, St. Paul, MN, USA) were prepared. The specimens were polished with Sof-Lex (3M ESPE), Enhance (Dentsply/Caulk), or PoGo (Dentsply/Caulk). Five specimens for each material-polishing system combination were immersed in coffee (Nescafe Classic, Nestle SA, Vevey, Switzerland) or tea (Earl Grey, Lipton, Blackfriars-London, England) for 7 days. The remaining disks were stored in water. Color measurements were made with a spectrophotometer (X-Rite Seroice SP78, Loaner, Köln, Germany) at baseline; after 1, 3, 5, and 7 days; and after bleaching and repolishing. After 1 week, one side of the specimens was bleached with Illuminé-office (Dentsply De Trey GmbH, Konstanz, Germany) for 1 hour, and the other side was repolished for 30 seconds. All comparisons of color change for the polishing systems, times, and staining solutions were subjected to repeated measurements of analysis of variance. Paired t-test was used to examine whether significant color differences (deltaE*) occurred during immersion at the specified time intervals (p < or = .05). Filtek A110 was the least stained resin composite. Its color remained under a deltaE* value of 2 during the study. Clearfil ST exhibited the most color change after 1 week. All specimens polished with Enhance showed less

  5. Thermodynamic activity-based intrinsic enzyme kinetic sheds light on enzyme-solvent interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grosch, Jan-Hendrik; Wagner, David; Nistelkas, Vasilios; Spieß, Antje C

    2017-01-01

    The reaction medium has major impact on biocatalytic reaction systems and on their economic significance. To allow for tailored medium engineering, thermodynamic phenomena, intrinsic enzyme kinetics, and enzyme-solvent interactions have to be discriminated. To this end, enzyme reaction kinetic modeling was coupled with thermodynamic calculations based on investigations of the alcohol dehydrogenase from Lactobacillus brevis (LbADH) in monophasic water/methyl tert-butyl ether (MTBE) mixtures as a model solvent. Substrate concentrations and substrate thermodynamic activities were varied separately to identify the individual thermodynamic and kinetic effects on the enzyme activity. Microkinetic parameters based on concentration and thermodynamic activity were derived to successfully identify a positive effect of MTBE on the availability of the substrate to the enzyme, but a negative effect on the enzyme performance. In conclusion, thermodynamic activity-based kinetic modeling might be a suitable tool to initially curtail the type of enzyme-solvent interactions and thus, a powerful first step to potentially understand the phenomena that occur in nonconventional media in more detail. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:96-103, 2017. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers.

  6. High-Throughput Method of Whole-Brain Sectioning, Using the Tape-Transfer Technique.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pinskiy, Vadim; Jones, Jamie; Tolpygo, Alexander S; Franciotti, Neil; Weber, Kevin; Mitra, Partha P

    2015-01-01

    Cryostat sectioning is a popular but labor-intensive method for preparing histological brain sections. We have developed a modification of the commercially available CryoJane tape collection method that significantly improves the ease of collection and the final quality of the tissue sections. The key modification involves an array of UVLEDs to achieve uniform polymerization of the glass slide and robust adhesion between the section and slide. This report presents system components and detailed procedural steps, and provides examples of end results; that is, 20 μm mouse brain sections that have been successfully processed for routine Nissl, myelin staining, DAB histochemistry, and fluorescence. The method is also suitable for larger brains, such as rat and monkey.

  7. Lectin histochemical aspects of mucus function in the oesophagus of the reticulated python (Python reticulatus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer, W; Luz, S; Schnapper, A

    2009-08-01

    Using lectin histochemistry, the study characterizes basic functional aspects of the mucus produced by the oesophageal epithelium of the Reticulated python (Python reticulatus). Reaction staining varied as related to the two epithelium types present, containing goblet cells and ciliary cells. Remarkable intensities were achieved especially in the luminal mucus layer and the fine mucus covering the epithelial ciliary border for Con A (alpha-D-Man; alpha-D-Glc) as part of neutral glycoproteins, Limax flavus agglutinin (NeuNac = NeuNgc), emphasizing that water binding hyaluronan provides a hydrated interface conductive to the passage of material and UEA-I (alpha-L-Fuc), corroborating the view that fucose-rich highly viscous mucus is helpful against mechanical stress during prey transport.

  8. Profiling the orphan enzymes

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    The emergence of Next Generation Sequencing generates an incredible amount of sequence and great potential for new enzyme discovery. Despite this huge amount of data and the profusion of bioinformatic methods for function prediction, a large part of known enzyme activities is still lacking an associated protein sequence. These particular activities are called “orphan enzymes”. The present review proposes an update of previous surveys on orphan enzymes by mining the current content of public databases. While the percentage of orphan enzyme activities has decreased from 38% to 22% in ten years, there are still more than 1,000 orphans among the 5,000 entries of the Enzyme Commission (EC) classification. Taking into account all the reactions present in metabolic databases, this proportion dramatically increases to reach nearly 50% of orphans and many of them are not associated to a known pathway. We extended our survey to “local orphan enzymes” that are activities which have no representative sequence in a given clade, but have at least one in organisms belonging to other clades. We observe an important bias in Archaea and find that in general more than 30% of the EC activities have incomplete sequence information in at least one superkingdom. To estimate if candidate proteins for local orphans could be retrieved by homology search, we applied a simple strategy based on the PRIAM software and noticed that candidates may be proposed for an important fraction of local orphan enzymes. Finally, by studying relation between protein domains and catalyzed activities, it appears that newly discovered enzymes are mostly associated with already known enzyme domains. Thus, the exploration of the promiscuity and the multifunctional aspect of known enzyme families may solve part of the orphan enzyme issue. We conclude this review with a presentation of recent initiatives in finding proteins for orphan enzymes and in extending the enzyme world by the discovery of new

  9. A Simple and Efficient Method for Preparing Cell Slides and Staining without Using Cytocentrifuge and Cytoclips

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaotang Hu

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Cell staining is a necessary and useful technique for visualizing cell morphology and structure under a microscope. This technique has been used in many areas such as cytology, hematology, oncology, histology, virology, serology, microbiology, cell biology, and immunochemistry. One of the key pieces of equipment for preparing a slide for cell staining is cytology centrifuge (cytocentrifuge such as cytospin. However, many small labs do not have this expensive equipment and its accessory, cytoclips (also expensive relatively, which makes them difficult to study cell cytology. Here we present an alternative method for preparing a slide and cell staining in the absence of a cytocentrifuge (and cytoclips. This method is based on the principle that a regular cell centrifuge can be used to concentrate cells harvested from cell culture and then deposit the concentrated cell suspension to a slide evenly by using a cell spreader, followed by cell staining. The method presented is simple, rapid, economic, and efficient. This method may also avoid a possible change in cell morphology induced by cytocentrifuge.

  10. Dithizone staining of intracellular zinc: an unexpected and versatile counterscreen for auxotrophic marker genes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

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    Daniel S Yuan

    Full Text Available Auxotrophic marker genes such as URA3, LEU2, and HIS3 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae have long been used to select cells that have been successfully transformed with recombinant DNA. A longstanding challenge in working with these genes is that counterselection procedures are often lacking. This paper describes the unexpected discovery of a simple plate assay that imparts a bright red stain to cells experiencing nutritional stress from the lack of a marker gene. The procedure specifically stains a zinc-rich vesicular compartment analogous to the zinc-rich secretory vesicles found in insulin-secreting pancreatic islet cells and glutamate-secreting neurons. Staining was greatly diminished in zap1 mutants, which lack a homeostatic activator of zinc uptake, and in cot1 zrc1 double mutants, which lack the two yeast homologs of mammalian vesicle-specific zinc export proteins. Only one of 93 strains with temperature-sensitive alleles of essential genes exhibited an increase in dithizone staining at its non-permissive temperature, indicating that staining is not simply a sign of growth-arrested or dying cells. Remarkably, the procedure works with most commonly used marker genes, highlights subtle defects, uses no reporter constructs or expensive reagents, requires only a few hours of incubation, yields visually striking results without any instrumentation, and is not toxic to the cells. Many potential applications exist for dithizone staining, both as a versatile counterscreen for auxotrophic marker genes and as a powerful new tool for the genetic analysis of a biomedically important vesicular organelle.

  11. Effect of irradiation on immobilized enzymes compared with that on enzymes in solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schachinger, L.; Schippel, C.; Altmann, E.; Diepold, B.; Yang, C.; Jaenike, M.; Hochhaeuser, E.

    1985-01-01

    Glucose oxidase and catalase were immobilized by attaching them to nylon fibers that had been treated with triethyloxonium-tetrafluoroborate, diaminohexane and glutaraldialdehyde according to Morris, Campell and Hornby (1975). This method assures that the enzymes are bound to a side chain of the polyamide structure. Enzyme activity (as measured by the O 2 -uptake and by microcalorimetry) was found to be unchanged after 2 years. The apparent Ksub(m)-constants of the immobilized enzymes with glucose were the same as those for enzymes in solution. GOD and catalase immobilized in poly(acrylamide) gel had the same Ksub(m)-value. Despite the high stability during storage, the radiation induced inactivation of enzymes immobilized on gel or chromosorb, an inorganic carrier, was of the same order of magnitude as that of the dissolved enzymes. The enzymes bound to nylon fibers showed a higher radiation sensitivity. This might have been caused by an additional attack on the binding site of the carrier. (orig.)

  12. Rapid detection of fungal filaments in corneal scrapings by microwave heating-assisted grocott′s methenamine silver staining

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vemuganti Geeta

    2002-01-01

    Full Text Available The Gomoris methanamine silver impregnation technique is a highly reliable and archiveable method of detecting fungal filaments, but the staining procedure is time consuming and laborious. A technique using microwave energy to reduce the duration of Gomori′s silver staining is described.

  13. Calbindin-D28k is a more reliable marker of human Purkinje cells than standard Nissl stains: a stereological experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whitney, Elizabeth R; Kemper, Thomas L; Rosene, Douglas L; Bauman, Margaret L; Blatt, Gene J

    2008-02-15

    In a study of human Purkinje cell (PC) number, a striking mismatch between the number of PCs observed with the Nissl stain and the number of PCs immunopositive for calbindin-D28k (CB) was identified in 2 of the 10 brains examined. In the remaining eight brains this mismatch was not observed. Further, in these eight brains, analysis of CB immunostained sections counterstained with the Nissl stain revealed that more than 99% Nissl stained PCs were also immunopositive for CB. In contrast, in the two discordant brains, only 10-20% of CB immunopositive PCs were also identified with the Nissl stain. Although this finding was unexpected, a historical survey of the literature revealed that Spielmeyer [Spielmeyer W. Histopathologie des nervensystems. Julius Springer: Berlin; 1922. p. 56-79] described human cases with PCs that lacked the expected Nissl staining intensity, an important historical finding and critical issue when studying postmortem human brains. The reason for this failure in Nissl staining is not entirely clear, but it may result from premortem circumstances since it is not accounted for by postmortem delay or processing variables. Regardless of the exact cause, these observations suggest that Nissl staining may not be a reliable marker for PCs and that CB is an excellent alternative marker.

  14. Direct Electron Transfer of Enzymes in a Biologically Assembled Conductive Nanomesh Enzyme Platform.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Seung-Woo; Lee, Ki-Young; Song, Yong-Won; Choi, Won Kook; Chang, Joonyeon; Yi, Hyunjung

    2016-02-24

    Nondestructive assembly of a nanostructured enzyme platform is developed in combination of the specific biomolecular attraction and electrostatic coupling for highly efficient direct electron transfer (DET) of enzymes with unprecedented applicability and versatility. The biologically assembled conductive nanomesh enzyme platform enables DET-based flexible integrated biosensors and DET of eight different enzyme with various catalytic activities. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Acetyl-CoA carboxylase in Reuber hepatoma cells: variation in enzyme activity, insulin regulation, and cellular lipid content.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bianchi, A; Evans, J L; Nordlund, A C; Watts, T D; Witters, L A

    1992-01-01

    Reuber hepatoma cells are useful cultured lines for the study of insulin action, lipid and lipoprotein metabolism, and the regulation of acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC), the rate-limiting enzyme of fatty acid biosynthesis. During investigations in different clonal lines of these cells, we have uncovered marked intercellular variability in the activity, enzyme content, and insulin regulation of ACC paralleled by differences in cellular neutral lipid (triglyceride) content. Two contrasting clonal lines, Fao and H356A-1, have been studied in detail. Several features distinguish these two lines, including differences in ACC activity and enzyme kinetics, the content of the two major hepatic ACC isozymes (Mr 280,000 and 265,000 Da) and their heteroisozymic complex, the extent of ACC phosphorylation, and the ability of ACC to be activated on stimulation by insulin and insulinomimetic agonists. As studied by Nile Red staining and fluorescence-activated cell sorting, these two lines also display marked differences in neutral lipid content, which correlates with both basal levels of ACC activity and inhibition of ACC by the fatty acid analog, 5-(tetradecyloxy)-2-furoic acid (TOFA). These results emphasize the importance of characterization of any particular clonal line of Reuber cells for studies of enzyme regulation, substrate metabolism, and hormone action. With respect to ACC, studies in contrasting clonal lines of Reuber cells could provide valuable clues to understanding both the complex mechanisms of intracellular ACC regulation in the absence and presence of hormones and its regulatory role(s) in overall hepatic lipid metabolism.

  16. ON THE CHEMISTRY AND STAINING PROPERTIES OF CERTAIN DERIVATIVES OF THE METHYLENE BLUE GROUP WHEN COMBINED WITH EOSIN

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wilson, Thomas M.

    1907-01-01

    1. Eosinate of thionin gives very satisfactory staining for blood smears. It is easily prepared and dissolves readily in methylated spirits. 2. In the methods heretofore employed for making mixtures of eosin and methylene blue derivatives, the eosinates of methylene violet and methylene azure are present in very small quantities or are altogether absent. 3. Thionol and thionin are probably formed in methylene blue which has been long boiled with dilute alkalies and silver oxide. 4. Good stains of eosin and methylene blue derivatives can be obtained by a variety of manipulations. 5. Methylated spirits is more economical as a solvent for this stain and better adapted for the simple technique above described than is methyl alcohol. There is some evidence that the staining act is of a chemical nature. PMID:19867116

  17. Co-occurrence of intraoral hemangioma and port wine stain: A rare case

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prasanna Kumar Rao

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Hemangiomas are neoplastic proliferations of endothelial cells, characterized by a period of growth after birth, and eventual spontaneous involution. The course can be uneventful with spontaneous resolution; or it may be marked by complications such as infection, bleeding, ulceration, visual defects and feeding difficulties. Apart from these, rare life-threatening complications such as congestive heart failure and consumption coagulopathy may also be seen. Although hemangiomas commonly occur in the head and neck region, intraoral occurrence is relatively rare. A port wine stain is defined as a macular telangiectatic patch which is present at birth and remains throughout life. They may be localized or extensive, affecting a whole limb. This article reports a rare case of co-occurrence of port wine stain with intraoral hemangioma.

  18. Nile Red Staining for Oil Determination in Microalgal Cells: A New Insight through Statistical Modelling

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    Ronald Halim

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In the wake of global warming and rapid fossil fuel depletion, microalgae emerge as promising feedstocks for sustainable biofuel production. Nile red staining acts as a rapid diagnostic tool to measure the amount of biodiesel-convertible lipid that the cells accumulate. There is a need for the development of a more uniform staining procedure. In its first phase, this study examined the dependence of microalgal Nile red fluorescence (Tetraselmis suecica in terms of its most pertinent staining variables. A quadratic surface model that successfully described the Nile red fluorescence intensity as a composite function of its variables was generated (r2=0.86. Cell concentration was shown to have a significant effect on the fluorescence intensity. Up to a certain threshold, fluorescence intensity was shown to increase with Nile red dye concentration. In its second phase, the study reviewed findings from previous Nile red studies to elucidate some of the fundamental mechanism underlying the diffusion of Nile red dye molecules into the microalgal cells and their subsequent interaction with intracellular lipids. Through the review process, we were able to develop a simple framework that provided a set of guidelines for the standardization of the Nile red staining procedure across different microalgal species.

  19. Effect of fabric mounting method and backing material on bloodstain patterns of drip stains on textiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, J Y M; Michielsen, S

    2016-05-01

    Textiles may provide valuable bloodstain evidence to help piece together events or activities at violent crime scenes. However, in spite of over 75 years of research, there are still difficulties encountered in many cases in the interpretation and identification of bloodstains on textiles. In this study, we dripped porcine blood onto three types of fabric (plain woven, single jersey knit, and denim) that are supported in four different ways (hard, taut, loose, and semi-hard, i.e., fabric laid on denim). These four mounting methods represent different ways in which a textile may be present when blood from a violent act lands on it. This study investigates how the fabric mounting method and backing material affect the appearance of drip stains on textiles. We found that bloodstain patterns formed on fabric lying flat on a hard surface were very different from when the same fabric was suspended loosely. We also found that bloodstains formed on the technical back of single jersey knit were vastly different from those on the technical face. Interestingly, some drip stains showed blood passing through the textile and leaving a stain behind it that resembled insect stains. By observing, recording, and describing how a blood stained textile is found or presented at the scene, the analyst may be able to better understand bloodstains and bloodstain patterns on textiles, which could be useful to confirm or refute a witness's account of how blood came to be where it was found after a bloodshed event.

  20. A Fast Silver Staining Protocol Enabling Simple and Efficient Detection of SSR Markers using a Non-denaturing Polyacrylamide Gel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Ling; Deng, Xiaohui; Li, Ronghua; Xia, Yanshi; Bai, Guihua; Siddique, Kadambot H M; Guo, Peiguo

    2018-04-20

    Simple Sequence Repeat (SSR) is one of the most effective markers used in plant and animal genetic research and molecular breeding programs. Silver staining is a widely used method for the detection of SSR markers in a polyacrylamide gel. However, conventional protocols for silver staining are technically demanding and time-consuming. Like many other biological laboratory techniques, silver staining protocols have been steadily optimized to improve detection efficiency. Here, we report a simplified silver staining method that significantly reduces reagent costs and enhances the detection resolution and picture clarity. The new method requires two major steps (impregnation and development) and three reagents (silver nitrate, sodium hydroxide, and formaldehyde), and only 7 min of processing for a non-denaturing polyacrylamide gel. Compared to previously reported protocols, this new method is easier, quicker and uses fewer chemical reagents for SSR detection. Therefore, this simple, low-cost, and effective silver staining protocol will benefit genetic mapping and marker-assisted breeding by a quick generation of SSR marker data.