WorldWideScience

Sample records for technology dart microarray

  1. Validation of the high-throughput marker technology DArT using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wittenberg, A.H.J.; Lee, van der T.A.J.; Cayla, C.; Kilian, A.; Visser, R.G.F.; Schouten, H.J.

    2005-01-01

    Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) is a microarray-based DNA marker technique for genome-wide discovery and genotyping of genetic variation. DArT allows simultaneous scoring of hundreds of restriction site based polymorphisms between genotypes and does not require DNA sequence information or

  2. Genetic mapping using the Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) : application and validation using the whole-genome sequences of Arabidopsis thaliana and the fungal wheat pathogen Mycosphaerella graminicola

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wittenberg, A.H.J.

    2007-01-01

    Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) is a microarray-based DNA marker technique for genome-wide discovery and genotyping of genetic variation. DArT allows simultaneous scoring of hundreds- to thousands of restriction site based polymorphisms between genotypes and does not require DNA sequence

  3. A high-density Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT microarray for genome-wide genotyping in Eucalyptus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Myburg Alexander A

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A number of molecular marker technologies have allowed important advances in the understanding of the genetics and evolution of Eucalyptus, a genus that includes over 700 species, some of which are used worldwide in plantation forestry. Nevertheless, the average marker density achieved with current technologies remains at the level of a few hundred markers per population. Furthermore, the transferability of markers produced with most existing technology across species and pedigrees is usually very limited. High throughput, combined with wide genome coverage and high transferability are necessary to increase the resolution, speed and utility of molecular marker technology in eucalypts. We report the development of a high-density DArT genome profiling resource and demonstrate its potential for genome-wide diversity analysis and linkage mapping in several species of Eucalyptus. Findings After testing several genome complexity reduction methods we identified the PstI/TaqI method as the most effective for Eucalyptus and developed 18 genomic libraries from PstI/TaqI representations of 64 different Eucalyptus species. A total of 23,808 cloned DNA fragments were screened and 13,300 (56% were found to be polymorphic among 284 individuals. After a redundancy analysis, 6,528 markers were selected for the operational array and these were supplemented with 1,152 additional clones taken from a library made from the E. grandis tree whose genome has been sequenced. Performance validation for diversity studies revealed 4,752 polymorphic markers among 174 individuals. Additionally, 5,013 markers showed segregation when screened using six inter-specific mapping pedigrees, with an average of 2,211 polymorphic markers per pedigree and a minimum of 859 polymorphic markers that were shared between any two pedigrees. Conclusions This operational DArT array will deliver 1,000-2,000 polymorphic markers for linkage mapping in most eucalypt pedigrees

  4. Validation of the high-throughput marker technology DArT using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wittenberg, Alexander H J; van der Lee, Theo; Cayla, Cyril; Kilian, Andrzej; Visser, Richard G F; Schouten, Henk J

    2005-08-01

    Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) is a microarray-based DNA marker technique for genome-wide discovery and genotyping of genetic variation. DArT allows simultaneous scoring of hundreds of restriction site based polymorphisms between genotypes and does not require DNA sequence information or site-specific oligonucleotides. This paper demonstrates the potential of DArT for genetic mapping by validating the quality and molecular basis of the markers, using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana. Restriction fragments from a genomic representation of the ecotype Landsberg erecta (Ler) were amplified by PCR, individualized by cloning and spotted onto glass slides. The arrays were then hybridized with labeled genomic representations of the ecotypes Columbia (Col) and Ler and of individuals from an F(2) population obtained from a Col x Ler cross. The scoring of markers with specialized software was highly reproducible and 107 markers could unambiguously be ordered on a genetic linkage map. The marker order on the genetic linkage map coincided with the order on the DNA sequence map. Sequencing of the Ler markers and alignment with the available Col genome sequence confirmed that the polymorphism in DArT markers is largely a result of restriction site polymorphisms.

  5. System description for DART (Decision Analysis for Remediation Technologies)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nonte, J.; Bolander, T.; Nickelson, D.; Nielson, R.; Richardson, J.; Sebo, D.

    1997-09-01

    DART is a computer aided system populated with influence models to determine quantitative benefits derived by matching requirements and technologies. The DART database is populated with data from over 900 DOE sites from 10 Field Offices. These sites are either source terms, such as buried waste pits, or soil or groundwater contaminated plumes. The data, traceable to published documents, consists of site-specific data (contaminants, area, volume, depth, size, remedial action dates, site preferred remedial option), problems (e.g., offsite contaminant plume), and Site Technology Coordinating Group (STCG) need statements (also contained in the Ten-Year Plan). DART uses this data to calculate and derive site priorities, risk rankings, and site specific technology requirements. DART is also populated with over 900 industry and DOE SCFA technologies. Technology capabilities can be used to match technologies to waste sites based on the technology''s capability to meet site requirements and constraints. Queries may be used to access, sort, roll-up, and rank site data. Data roll-ups may be graphically displayed

  6. Diversity arrays technology (DArT) markers in apple for genetic linkage maps

    OpenAIRE

    Schouten, H.J.; Weg, van de, W.E.; Carling, J.; Khan, S.A.; McKay, S.J.; Kaauwen, van, M.P.W.

    2012-01-01

    Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) provides a high-throughput whole-genome genotyping platform for the detection and scoring of hundreds of polymorphic loci without any need for prior sequence information. The work presented here details the development and performance of a DArT genotyping array for apple. This is the first paper on DArT in horticultural trees. Genetic mapping of DArT markers in two mapping populations and their integration with other marker types showed that DArT is a powerf...

  7. Diversity arrays technology (DArT) markers in apple for genetic linkage maps

    OpenAIRE

    Schouten, Henk J.; van de Weg, W. Eric; Carling, Jason; Khan, Sabaz Ali; McKay, Steven J.; van Kaauwen, Martijn P. W.; Wittenberg, Alexander H. J.; Koehorst-van Putten, Herma J. J.; Noordijk, Yolanda; Gao, Zhongshan; Rees, D. Jasper G.; Van Dyk, Maria M.; Jaccoud, Damian; Considine, Michael J.; Kilian, Andrzej

    2011-01-01

    Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) provides a high-throughput whole-genome genotyping platform for the detection and scoring of hundreds of polymorphic loci without any need for prior sequence information. The work presented here details the development and performance of a DArT genotyping array for apple. This is the first paper on DArT in horticultural trees. Genetic mapping of DArT markers in two mapping populations and their integration with other marker types showed that DArT is a powerf...

  8. Diversity arrays technology (DArT) markers in apple for genetic linkage maps

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schouten, H.J.; Weg, van de W.E.; Carling, J.; Khan, S.A.; McKay, S.J.; Kaauwen, van M.P.W.

    2012-01-01

    Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) provides a high-throughput whole-genome genotyping platform for the detection and scoring of hundreds of polymorphic loci without any need for prior sequence information. The work presented here details the development and performance of a DArT genotyping array for

  9. Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) Project Summary

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rumford, TImothy E.

    2003-01-01

    Since the 1960's, NASA has performed numerous rendezvous and docking missions. The common element of all US rendezvous and docking is that the spacecraft has always been piloted by astronauts. Only the Russian Space Program has developed and demonstrated an autonomous capability. The Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) project currently funded under NASA's Space Launch Initiative (SLI) Cycle I, provides a key step in establishing an autonomous rendezvous capability for the United States. DART's objective is to demonstrate, in space, the hardware and software necessary for autonomous rendezvous. Orbital Sciences Corporation intends to integrate an Advanced Video Guidance Sensor and Autonomous Rendezvous and Proximity Operations algorithms into a Pegasus upper stage in order to demonstrate the capability to autonomously rendezvous with a target currently in orbit. The DART mission will occur in April 2004. The launch site will be Vandenburg AFB and the launch vehicle will be a Pegasus XL equipped with a Hydrazine Auxiliary Propulsion System 4th stage. All mission objectives will be completed within a 24 hour period. The paper provides a summary of mission objectives, mission overview and a discussion on the design features of the chase and target vehicles.

  10. Diversity arrays technology (DArT) markers in apple for genetic linkage maps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schouten, Henk J; van de Weg, W Eric; Carling, Jason; Khan, Sabaz Ali; McKay, Steven J; van Kaauwen, Martijn P W; Wittenberg, Alexander H J; Koehorst-van Putten, Herma J J; Noordijk, Yolanda; Gao, Zhongshan; Rees, D Jasper G; Van Dyk, Maria M; Jaccoud, Damian; Considine, Michael J; Kilian, Andrzej

    2012-03-01

    Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) provides a high-throughput whole-genome genotyping platform for the detection and scoring of hundreds of polymorphic loci without any need for prior sequence information. The work presented here details the development and performance of a DArT genotyping array for apple. This is the first paper on DArT in horticultural trees. Genetic mapping of DArT markers in two mapping populations and their integration with other marker types showed that DArT is a powerful high-throughput method for obtaining accurate and reproducible marker data, despite the low cost per data point. This method appears to be suitable for aligning the genetic maps of different segregating populations. The standard complexity reduction method, based on the methylation-sensitive PstI restriction enzyme, resulted in a high frequency of markers, although there was 52-54% redundancy due to the repeated sampling of highly similar sequences. Sequencing of the marker clones showed that they are significantly enriched for low-copy, genic regions. The genome coverage using the standard method was 55-76%. For improved genome coverage, an alternative complexity reduction method was examined, which resulted in less redundancy and additional segregating markers. The DArT markers proved to be of high quality and were very suitable for genetic mapping at low cost for the apple, providing moderate genome coverage. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11032-011-9579-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

  11. DART AVGS Performance

    Science.gov (United States)

    Howard, Richard T.; Bryan, Thomas C.

    2007-01-01

    The Advanced Video Guidance Sensor (AVGS) was designed to be the proximity operations sensor for the Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technologies (DART). The DART mission flew in April of2005 and was a partial success. The AVGS did not get the opportunity to operate in every mode in orbit, but those modes in which it did operate were completely successful. This paper will detail the development, testing, and on-orbit performance of the AVGS.

  12. DNA Microarray Technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Skip to main content DNA Microarray Technology Enter Search Term(s): Español Research Funding An Overview Bioinformatics Current Grants Education and Training Funding Extramural Research News Features Funding Divisions Funding ...

  13. Video-Guidance Design for the DART Rendezvous Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ruth, Michael; Tracy, Chisholm

    2004-01-01

    NASA's Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology (DART) mission will validate a number of different guidance technologies, including state-differenced GPS transfers and close-approach video guidance. The video guidance for DART will employ NASA/Marshall s Advanced Video Guidance Sensor (AVGS). This paper focuses on the terminal phase of the DART mission that includes close-approach maneuvers under AVGS guidance. The closed-loop video guidance design for DART is driven by a number of competing requirements, including a need for maximizing tracking bandwidths while coping with measurement noise and the need to minimize RCS firings. A range of different strategies for attitude control and docking guidance have been considered for the DART mission, and design decisions are driven by a goal of minimizing both the design complexity and the effects of video guidance lags. The DART design employs an indirect docking approach, in which the guidance position targets are defined using relative attitude information. Flight simulation results have proven the effectiveness of the video guidance design.

  14. Current Knowledge on Microarray Technology - An Overview

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Erah

    This paper reviews basics and updates of each microarray technology and serves to .... through protein microarrays. Protein microarrays also known as protein chips are nothing but grids that ... conditioned media, patient sera, plasma and urine. Clontech ... based antibody arrays) is similar to membrane-based antibody ...

  15. Mastering Dart

    CERN Document Server

    Akopkokhyants, Sergey

    2014-01-01

    If you are an application developer who has experience with Dart and want to develop reusable and robust code in Dart, then this book is for you. You are expected to have a basic knowledge of core elements and applications.

  16. DART 7.0 User Guide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Enders, Alexander L.; Lousteau, Angela L.

    2016-01-01

    The Desktop Analysis Reporting Tool (DART) is a software package that allows users to easily view and analyze daily files that span long periods. DART gives users the capability to quickly determine the state of health of a radiation portal monitor (RPM), troubleshoot and diagnose problems, and view data in various time frames to perform trend analysis. In short, it converts the data strings written in the daily files into meaningful tables and plots. The standalone version of DART (''soloDART'') utilizes a database engine that is included with the application; no additional installations are necessary. There is also a networked version of DART (''polyDART'') that is designed to maximize the benefit of a centralized data repository while distributing the workload to individual desktop machines. This networked approach requires a more complex database manager Structured Query Language (SQL) Server; however, SQL Server is not currently provided with DART. Regardless of which version is used, DART will import daily files from RPMs, store the relevant data in its database, and it can produce reports for status, trend analysis, and reporting purposes.

  17. Dart cookbook

    CERN Document Server

    Balbaert, Ivo

    2014-01-01

    If you are a Dart developer looking to sharpen your skills, and get insight and tips on how to put that knowledge into practice, then this book is for you. You should also have a basic knowledge of HTML, and how web applications with browser clients and servers work, in order to build dynamic Dart applications.

  18. DNA microarray technology in nutraceutical and food safety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu-Stratton, Yiwen; Roy, Sashwati; Sen, Chandan K

    2004-04-15

    The quality and quantity of diet is a key determinant of health and disease. Molecular diagnostics may play a key role in food safety related to genetically modified foods, food-borne pathogens and novel nutraceuticals. Functional outcomes in biology are determined, for the most part, by net balance between sets of genes related to the specific outcome in question. The DNA microarray technology offers a new dimension of strength in molecular diagnostics by permitting the simultaneous analysis of large sets of genes. Automation of assay and novel bioinformatics tools make DNA microarrays a robust technology for diagnostics. Since its development a few years ago, this technology has been used for the applications of toxicogenomics, pharmacogenomics, cell biology, and clinical investigations addressing the prevention and intervention of diseases. Optimization of this technology to specifically address food safety is a vast resource that remains to be mined. Efforts to develop diagnostic custom arrays and simplified bioinformatics tools for field use are warranted.

  19. A retractable barb needle for drug darts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    G.L. van Rooyen

    1973-07-01

    Full Text Available The mechanism and action of a new retractable barbneedle for drug darts are described. This dart needle is particularly successful in obviating unnecessary flight reactions andtrauma in darted animals, and facilitates the complete injection of the drug dose before the barb is retracted and the dart is dislogded from the animal. The whole process is completed within a few seconds and the expended dart can usually be retrieved in the immediate vicinity where the animal was darted.

  20. A MITgcm/DART ensemble analysis and prediction system with application to the Gulf of Mexico

    KAUST Repository

    Hoteit, Ibrahim; Hoar, Timothy J.; Gopalakrishnan, Ganesh; Collins, Nancy S.; Anderson, Jeffrey L.; Cornuelle, Bruce D.; Kö hl, Armin; Heimbach, Patrick

    2013-01-01

    Research Testbed (DART) assimilation package with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ocean general circulation model (MITgcm). The MITgcm/DART system supports the assimilation of a wide range of ocean observations and uses an ensemble approach

  1. DART 7.0 User Guide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Enders, Alexander L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Lousteau, Angela L. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

    2016-06-01

    The Desktop Analysis Reporting Tool (DART) is a software package that allows users to easily view and analyze daily files that span long periods. DART gives users the capability to quickly determine the state of health of a radiation portal monitor (RPM), troubleshoot and diagnose problems, and view data in various time frames to perform trend analysis. In short, it converts the data strings written in the daily files into meaningful tables and plots. The standalone version of DART (“soloDART”) utilizes a database engine that is included with the application; no additional installations are necessary. There is also a networked version of DART (“polyDART”) that is designed to maximize the benefit of a centralized data repository while distributing the workload to individual desktop machines. This networked approach requires a more complex database manager Structured Query Language (SQL) Server; however, SQL Server is not currently provided with DART. Regardless of which version is used, DART will import daily files from RPMs, store the relevant data in its database, and it can produce reports for status, trend analysis, and reporting purposes.

  2. Fermilab DART run control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oleynik, G.; Engelfried, J.; Mengel, L.

    1996-01-01

    DART is the high speed, Unix based data acquisition system being developed by Fermilab in collaboration with seven High Energy Physics Experiments. This paper describes DART run control, which has been developed over the past year and is a flexible, distributed, extensible system for the control and monitoring of the data acquisition systems. The authors discuss the unique and interesting concepts of the run control and some of the experiences in developing it. They also give a brief update and status of the whole DART system

  3. Fermilab DART run control

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oleynik, G.; Engelfried, J.; Mengel, L.

    1995-05-01

    DART is the high speed, Unix based data acquisition system being developed by Fermilab in collaboration with seven High Energy Physics Experiments. This paper describes DART run control, which has been developed over the past year and is a flexible, distributed, extensible system for the, control and monitoring of the data acquisition systems. We discuss the unique and interesting concepts of the run control and some of our experiences in developing it. We also give a brief update and status of the whole DART system

  4. Progress on DART code optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taboada, Horacio; Solis, Diego; Rest, Jeffrey

    1999-01-01

    This work consists about the progress made on the design and development of a new optimized version of DART code (DART-P), a mechanistic computer model for the performance calculation and assessment of aluminum dispersion fuel. It is part of a collaboration agreement between CNEA and ANL in the area of Low Enriched Uranium Advanced Fuels. It is held by the Implementation Arrangement for Technical Exchange and Cooperation in the Area of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy, signed on October 16, 1997 between US DOE and the National Atomic Energy Commission of the Argentine Republic. DART optimization is a biannual program; it is operative since February 8, 1999 and has the following goals: 1. Design and develop a new DART calculation kernel for implementation within a parallel processing architecture. 2. Design and develop new user-friendly I/O routines to be resident on Personal Computer (PC)/WorkStation (WS) platform. 2.1. The new input interface will be designed and developed by means of a Visual interface, able to guide the user in the construction of the problem to be analyzed with the aid of a new database (described in item 3, below). The new I/O interface will include input data check controls in order to avoid corrupted input data. 2.2. The new output interface will be designed and developed by means of graphical tools, able to translate numeric data output into 'on line' graphic information. 3. Design and develop a new irradiated materials database, to be resident on PC/WS platform, so as to facilitate the analysis of the behavior of different fuel and meat compositions with DART-P. Currently, a different version of DART is used for oxide, silicide, and advanced alloy fuels. 4. Develop rigorous general inspection algorithms in order to provide valuable DART-P benchmarks. 5. Design and develop new models, such as superplasticity, elastoplastic feedback, improved models for the calculation of fuel deformation and the evolution of the fuel microstructure for

  5. Carbohydrate microarrays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Park, Sungjin; Gildersleeve, Jeffrey C; Blixt, Klas Ola

    2012-01-01

    In the last decade, carbohydrate microarrays have been core technologies for analyzing carbohydrate-mediated recognition events in a high-throughput fashion. A number of methods have been exploited for immobilizing glycans on the solid surface in a microarray format. This microarray...... of substrate specificities of glycosyltransferases. This review covers the construction of carbohydrate microarrays, detection methods of carbohydrate microarrays and their applications in biological and biomedical research....

  6. Comparing microarrays and next-generation sequencing technologies for microbial ecology research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Roh, Seong Woon; Abell, Guy C J; Kim, Kyoung-Ho; Nam, Young-Do; Bae, Jin-Woo

    2010-06-01

    Recent advances in molecular biology have resulted in the application of DNA microarrays and next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies to the field of microbial ecology. This review aims to examine the strengths and weaknesses of each of the methodologies, including depth and ease of analysis, throughput and cost-effectiveness. It also intends to highlight the optimal application of each of the individual technologies toward the study of a particular environment and identify potential synergies between the two main technologies, whereby both sample number and coverage can be maximized. We suggest that the efficient use of microarray and NGS technologies will allow researchers to advance the field of microbial ecology, and importantly, improve our understanding of the role of microorganisms in their various environments.

  7. Vision Based Tracker for Dart-Catching Robot

    OpenAIRE

    Linderoth, Magnus; Robertsson, Anders; Åström, Karl; Johansson, Rolf

    2009-01-01

    This paper describes how high-speed computer vision can be used in a motion control application. The specific application investigated is a dart catching robot. Computer vision is used to detect a flying dart and a filtering algorithm predicts its future trajectory. This will give data to a robot controller allowing it to catch the dart. The performance of the implemented components indicates that the dart catching application can be made to work well. Conclusions are also made about what fea...

  8. Validating Dart Model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mazur Jolanta

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available The primary objective of the study was to quantitatively test the DART model, which despite being one of the most popular representations of co-creation concept was so far studied almost solely with qualitative methods. To this end, the researchers developed a multiple measurement scale and employed it in interviewing managers. The statistical evidence for adequacy of the model was obtained through CFA with AMOS software. The findings suggest that the DART model may not be an accurate representation of co-creation practices in companies. From the data analysis it was evident that the building blocks of DART had too much of conceptual overlap to be an effective framework for quantitative analysis. It was also implied that the phenomenon of co-creation is so rich and multifaceted that it may be more adequately captured by a measurement model where co-creation is conceived as a third-level factor with two layers of intermediate latent variables.

  9. DNA Microarray Technology; TOPICAL

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    WERNER-WASHBURNE, MARGARET; DAVIDSON, GEORGE S.

    2002-01-01

    Collaboration between Sandia National Laboratories and the University of New Mexico Biology Department resulted in the capability to train students in microarray techniques and the interpretation of data from microarray experiments. These studies provide for a better understanding of the role of stationary phase and the gene regulation involved in exit from stationary phase, which may eventually have important clinical implications. Importantly, this research trained numerous students and is the basis for three new Ph.D. projects

  10. Paper Darts

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tapson, Frank

    1974-01-01

    Motivation for practicing basic arithmetic skills is provided by activities based on dart board games. There activities also require participants to devise winning strategies, adding enrichment to the game-type drills. (JP)

  11. Polysaccharide microarray technology for the detection of Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei antibodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parthasarathy, Narayanan; DeShazer, David; England, Marilyn; Waag, David M

    2006-11-01

    A polysaccharide microarray platform was prepared by immobilizing Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei polysaccharides. This polysaccharide array was tested with success for detecting B. pseudomallei and B. mallei serum (human and animal) antibodies. The advantages of this microarray technology over the current serodiagnosis of the above bacterial infections were discussed.

  12. Dart essentials

    CERN Document Server

    Sikora, Martin

    2015-01-01

    This book is targeted at expert programmers in JavaScript who want to learn Dart quickly. Some previous experience with OOP programming in other languages and a good knowledge of JavaScript are assumed.

  13. DART: New Research Using Ensemble Data Assimilation in Geophysical Models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoar, T. J.; Raeder, K.

    2015-12-01

    The Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) is a community facilityfor ensemble data assimilation developed and supported by the NationalCenter for Atmospheric Research. DART provides a comprehensive suite of software, documentation, and tutorials that can be used for ensemble data assimilation research, operations, and education. Scientists and software engineers at NCAR are available to support DART users who want to use existing DART products or develop their own applications. Current DART users range from university professors teaching data assimilation, to individual graduate students working with simple models, through national laboratories doing operational prediction with large state-of-the-art models. DART runs efficiently on many computational platforms ranging from laptops through thousands of cores on the newest supercomputers.This poster focuses on several recent research activities using DART with geophysical models.Using CAM/DART to understand whether OCO-2 Total Precipitable Water observations can be useful in numerical weather prediction.Impacts of the synergistic use of Infra-red CO retrievals (MOPITT, IASI) in CAM-CHEM/DART assimilations.Assimilation and Analysis of Observations of Amazonian Biomass Burning Emissions by MOPITT (aerosol optical depth), MODIS (carbon monoxide) and MISR (plume height).Long term evaluation of the chemical response of MOPITT-CO assimilation in CAM-CHEM/DART OSSEs for satellite planning and emission inversion capabilities.Improved forward observation operators for land models that have multiple land use/land cover segments in a single grid cell,Simulating mesoscale convective systems (MCSs) using a variable resolution, unstructured grid in the Model for Prediction Across Scales (MPAS) and DART.The mesoscale WRF+DART system generated an ensemble of year-long, real-time initializations of a convection allowing model over the United States.Constraining WACCM with observations in the tropical band (30S-30N) using DART

  14. Microarray technology for major chemical contaminants analysis in food: current status and prospects.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhaowei; Li, Peiwu; Hu, Xiaofeng; Zhang, Qi; Ding, Xiaoxia; Zhang, Wen

    2012-01-01

    Chemical contaminants in food have caused serious health issues in both humans and animals. Microarray technology is an advanced technique suitable for the analysis of chemical contaminates. In particular, immuno-microarray approach is one of the most promising methods for chemical contaminants analysis. The use of microarrays for the analysis of chemical contaminants is the subject of this review. Fabrication strategies and detection methods for chemical contaminants are discussed in detail. Application to the analysis of mycotoxins, biotoxins, pesticide residues, and pharmaceutical residues is also described. Finally, future challenges and opportunities are discussed.

  15. The function of dart behavior in the paper wasp, Polistes fuscatus.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sumana, A; Starks, Philip T

    2004-05-01

    Dominance behavior in Polistes wasps is a composite trait consisting of various discrete behaviors such as darts, lunges, bites, and mounts. The majority of these behaviors are considered "aggressive", and these aggressive behaviors are considered to form a continuum from mild (e.g., darts) to severe (e.g., falling fights). In this paper we focus on darts, the most common of the dominance behaviors, and investigate their function in un-manipulated post-emergent colonies of the primitively eusocial wasp P. fuscatus. Here we show that darts are correlated with the more severe dominance behaviors, and that dominance ranks do not change with the addition or exclusion of darts. We find no correlation, however, between receiving darts and receiving more severe dominance behaviors. This result suggests that darts are not indicative of aggressive reinforcement of dominance, but rather may serve a different function. Our data suggest that the function of darts is to regulate activity on nests. Both foundresses and workers dart inactive workers significantly more often than by chance, and workers respond to a foundress's (but not a worker's) dart by becoming less inactive. We also found that active workers who receive a dart from either a foundress or worker respond mostly by switching from one activity to another. Thus, our data suggest that darts are not aggressive behaviors, that foundresses use this signal to initiate activity, and that foundresses and workers both use the signal to regulate worker activity.

  16. DART II documentation. Volume III. Appendices

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    1979-10-01

    The DART II is a remote, interactive, microprocessor-based data acquistion system suitable for use with air monitors. This volume of DART II documentation contains the following appendixes: adjustment and calibration procedures; mother board signature list; schematic diagrams; device specification sheets; ROM program listing; 6800 microprocessor instruction list, octal listing; and cable lists. (RWR)

  17. MicroArray Facility: a laboratory information management system with extended support for Nylon based technologies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Beaudoing Emmanuel

    2006-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background High throughput gene expression profiling (GEP is becoming a routine technique in life science laboratories. With experimental designs that repeatedly span thousands of genes and hundreds of samples, relying on a dedicated database infrastructure is no longer an option. GEP technology is a fast moving target, with new approaches constantly broadening the field diversity. This technology heterogeneity, compounded by the informatics complexity of GEP databases, means that software developments have so far focused on mainstream techniques, leaving less typical yet established techniques such as Nylon microarrays at best partially supported. Results MAF (MicroArray Facility is the laboratory database system we have developed for managing the design, production and hybridization of spotted microarrays. Although it can support the widely used glass microarrays and oligo-chips, MAF was designed with the specific idiosyncrasies of Nylon based microarrays in mind. Notably single channel radioactive probes, microarray stripping and reuse, vector control hybridizations and spike-in controls are all natively supported by the software suite. MicroArray Facility is MIAME supportive and dynamically provides feedback on missing annotations to help users estimate effective MIAME compliance. Genomic data such as clone identifiers and gene symbols are also directly annotated by MAF software using standard public resources. The MAGE-ML data format is implemented for full data export. Journalized database operations (audit tracking, data anonymization, material traceability and user/project level confidentiality policies are also managed by MAF. Conclusion MicroArray Facility is a complete data management system for microarray producers and end-users. Particular care has been devoted to adequately model Nylon based microarrays. The MAF system, developed and implemented in both private and academic environments, has proved a robust solution for

  18. Amygdala-enriched genes identified by microarray technology are restricted to specific amygdaloid subnuclei

    OpenAIRE

    Zirlinger, M.; Kreiman, Gabriel; Anderson, D. J.

    2001-01-01

    Microarray technology represents a potentially powerful method for identifying cell type- and regionally restricted genes expressed in the brain. Here we have combined a microarray analysis of differential gene expression among five selected brain regions, including the amygdala, cerebellum, hippocampus, olfactory bulb, and periaqueductal gray, with in situ hybridization. On average, 0.3% of the 34,000 genes interrogated were highly enriched in each of the five regions...

  19. The DART general equilibrium model: A technical description

    OpenAIRE

    Springer, Katrin

    1998-01-01

    This paper provides a technical description of the Dynamic Applied Regional Trade (DART) General Equilibrium Model. The DART model is a recursive dynamic, multi-region, multi-sector computable general equilibrium model. All regions are fully specified and linked by bilateral trade flows. The DART model can be used to project economic activities, energy use and trade flows for each of the specified regions to simulate various trade policy as well as environmental policy scenarios, and to analy...

  20. Tissue Microarray TechnologyA Brief Review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramya S Vokuda

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available In this era of modern revolutionisation in the field of medical laboratory technology, everyone is aiming at taking the innovations from laboratory to bed side. One such technique that is most relevant to the pathologic community is Tissue Microarray (TMA technology. This is becoming quite popular amongst all the members of this family, right from laboratory scientists to clinicians and residents to technologists. The reason for this technique to gain popularity is attributed to its cost effectiveness and time saving protocols. Though, every technique is accompanied by disadvantages, the benefits out number them. This technique is very versatile as many downstream molecular assays such as immunohistochemistry, cytogenetic studies, Fluorescent In situ-Hybridisation (FISH etc., can be carried out on a single slide with multiple numbers of samples. It is a very practical approach that aids effectively to identify novel biomarkers in cancer diagnostics and therapeutics. It helps in assessing the molecular markers on a large scale very quickly. Also, the quality assurance protocols in pathological laboratory has exploited TMA to a great extent. However, the application of TMA technology is beyond oncology. This review shall focus on the different aspects of this technology such as construction of TMA, instrumentation, types, advantages and disadvantages and utilisation of the technique in various disease conditions.

  1. Advanced microarray technologies for clinical diagnostics

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pierik, Anke

    2011-01-01

    DNA microarrays become increasingly important in the field of clinical diagnostics. These microarrays, also called DNA chips, are small solid substrates, typically having a maximum surface area of a few cm2, onto which many spots are arrayed in a pre-determined pattern. Each of these spots contains

  2. Fermilab's DART DA system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pordes, R.; Anderson, J.; Berg, D.; Black, D.; Forster, R.; Franzen, J.; Kent, S.; Kwarciany, R.; Meadows, J.; Moore, C.

    1994-04-01

    DART is the new data acquisition system designed and implemented for six Fermilab experiments by the Fermilab Computing Division and the experiments themselves. The complexity of the experiments varies greatly. Their data taking throughput and event filtering requirements range from a few (2-5) to tens (80) of CAMAC, FASTBUS and home built front end crates; from a few 100 KByte/sec to 160 MByte/sec front end data collection rates; and from 0-3000 Mips of level 3 processing. The authors report on the architecture and implementation of DART to this date, and the hardware and software components that are being developed and supported

  3. The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivkin, A.; Cheng, A. F.; Stickle, A. M.; Richardson, D. C.; Barnouin, O. S.; Thomas, C.; Fahnestock, E.

    2017-12-01

    The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) will be the first space experiment to demonstrate asteroid impact hazard mitigation by using a kinetic impactor. DART is currently in Preliminary Design Phase ("Phase B"), and is part of the Asteroid Impact and Deflection Assessment (AIDA), a joint ESA-NASA cooperative project. The AIDA target is the near-Earth binary asteroid 65803 Didymos, an S-class system that will make a close approach to Earth in fall 2022. The DART spacecraft is designed to impact the Didymos secondary at 6 km/s and demonstrate the ability to modify its trajectory through momentum transfer. The primary goals of AIDA are (1) perform a full-scale demonstration of the spacecraft kinetic impact technique for deflection of an asteroid; (2) measure the resulting asteroid deflection, by targeting the secondary member of a binary NEO and measuring the resulting changes of the binary orbit; and (3) study hyper-velocity collision effects on an asteroid, validating models for momentum transfer in asteroid impacts. The DART impact on the Didymos secondary will change the orbital period of the binary by several minutes, which can be measured by Earth-based optical and radar observations. The baseline DART mission launches in late 2020 to impact the Didymos secondary in 2022 near the time of its close pass of Earth, which enables an array of ground- and space-based observatories to participate in gathering data. The AIDA project will provide the first measurements of momentum transfer efficiency from hyper-velocity kinetic impact at full scale on an asteroid, where the impact conditions of the projectile are known, and physical properties and internal structures of the target asteroid are characterized or constrained. The DART kinetic impact is predicted to make a crater of 6 to 17 meters diameter, depending on target physical properties, but will also release a large volume of particulate ejecta that may be directly observable from Earth or even resolvable as a

  4. Improving Access to European E-theses: the DART-Europe Programme

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Martin Moyle

    2008-11-01

    Full Text Available DART-Europe (Digital Access to Research Theses - Europe is a partnership of research libraries and library consortia who are working together to improve global access to European research theses. The Programme is endorsed by LIBER (Ligue des Bibliothèques Européennes de Recherche as part of the work of the LIBER Access Division, and it is the European Working Group of the NDLTD (Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations. DART-Europe serves as a European networking forum on issues relating to electronic theses. The DART-Europe partners share an enthusiasm for open access to research theses, and they have helped to provide researchers with the DART-Europe E-theses Portal, a service which enables the discovery of the open access research-level e-theses offered by institutions and consortia from a growing number of European countries. This article gives an overview of DART-Europe, its progress and its future plans, with particular reference to the DART-Europe E-theses Portal.

  5. Genetic diversity of carotenoid-rich bananas evaluated by Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Edson P. Amorim

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available The aim of this work was to evaluate the carotenoid content and genetic variability of banana accessions from the Musa germplasm collection held at Embrapa Cassava and Tropical Fruits, Brazil. Forty-two samples were analyzed, including 21 diploids, 19 triploids and two tetraploids. The carotenoid content was analyzed spectrophotometrically and genetic variability was estimated using 653 DArT markers. The average carotenoid content was 4.73 µg.g-1, and ranged from 1.06 µg.g-1 for the triploid Nanica (Cavendish group to 19.24 µg.g-1 for the triploid Saney. The diploids Modok Gier and NBA-14 and the triploid Saney had a carotenoid content that was, respectively, 7-fold, 6-fold and 9-fold greater than that of cultivars from the Cavendish group (2.19 µg.g-1. The mean similarity among the 42 accessions was 0.63 (range: 0.24 to 1.00. DArT analysis revealed extensive genetic variability in accessions from the Embrapa Musa germplasm bank.

  6. A practical guideline to remote biopsy darting of wildebeests for genetic sampling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Domnic Mijele

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available The use of biopsy darts for remote collection of tissue samples from free-ranging terrestrial and aquatic animal species has gained popularity in the recent past. The success of darting is very important since scientists may not have many chances to re-dart the same animal, especially with the free-ranging elusive wildlife species. We used wildebeest (Connochaetes taurinus as a model to estimate the optimum shooting distance, pressure and the shot part of the body through which a researcher can optimize the success and amount of tissue collected from similar wild land mammalian species. Wildebeests were darted at six categories of distances ranging between 10 and 45 m and dart gun pressures of 5–14 millibar. The number of failed darts increased by increasing the darting distance: 0% (10 m, 0% (20 m, 6% (30 m, 20% (35 m, 71% (40 m, and 67% (45 m. There was a notable effect of the distances on the amount of tissue collected 20 m offered the best results. Dart gun pressure had no effect on the amount of tissue samples obtained. The amount of tissue obtained from successful darts was the same whether the animal was darted on the shoulder or thigh. In this paper, we present a practical guideline for remote biopsy darting of wildebeest to obtain optimum amount of tissue samples, which could be generalized for similar wild land mammalian species.

  7. Stepped-to-dart Leaders in Cloud-to-ground Lightning

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stolzenburg, M.; Marshall, T. C.; Karunarathne, S.; Karunarathna, N.; Warner, T.; Orville, R. E.

    2013-12-01

    Using time-correlated high-speed video (50,000 frames per second) and fast electric field change (5 MegaSamples per second) data for lightning flashes in East-central Florida, we describe an apparently rare type of subsequent leader: a stepped leader that finds and follows a previously used channel. The observed 'stepped-to-dart leaders' occur in three natural negative ground flashes. Stepped-to-dart leader connection altitudes are 3.3, 1.6 and 0.7 km above ground in the three cases. Prior to the stepped-to-dart connection, the advancing leaders have properties typical of stepped leaders. After the connection, the behavior changes almost immediately (within 40-60 us) to dart or dart-stepped leader, with larger amplitude E-change pulses and faster average propagation speeds. In this presentation, we will also describe the upward luminosity after the connection in the prior return stroke channel and in the stepped leader path, along with properties of the return strokes and other leaders in the three flashes.

  8. Managing Gradual Typing with Message-Safety in Dart

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ernst, Erik; Møller, Anders; Schwarz, Mathias Romme

    . This supports evolution from a dynamically typed programto a strictly statically typed form. We present a formal model of Dart that elucidates how a core of the language and its standard type system works. This allows us to characterize message-safe programs and present a theorem stating that such programs......This paper establishes a notion of message-safe programs as a natural intermediate point between dynamically typed and statically typed Dart programs. Unlike traditional static type checking, the type system in the Dart programming language is unsound by design. The rationale has been...... that this allows compile-time detection of likely errors and enables code completion in integrated development environments, without being restrictive on programmers. We show that, despite unsoundness, judicious use of type annotations can ensure useful properties of the runtime behavior of Dart programs...

  9. DArT whole genome profiling provides insights on the evolution and taxonomy of edible Banana (Musa spp.)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sardos, J.; Perrier, X.; Doležel, Jaroslav; Hřibová, Eva; Christelová, Pavla; Van den Houwe, I.; Kilian, A.; Roux, N.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 118, č. 7 (2016), s. 1269-1278 ISSN 0305-7364 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) LO1204; GA MŠk LG15017 Institutional support: RVO:61389030 Keywords : multilocus genotype data * arrays technology dart * genetic diversity * population-structure * balbisiana colla * acuminata colla * markers * identification * aflp * domestication * Musa acuminata * Musa balbisiana * Musa spp. * banana * DArT * domestication * taxonomy * classification * domestication Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Plant sciences, botany Impact factor: 4.041, year: 2016

  10. Genomic Characterization of DArT Markers Based on High-Density Linkage Analysis and Physical Mapping to the Eucalyptus Genome

    Science.gov (United States)

    Petroli, César D.; Sansaloni, Carolina P.; Carling, Jason; Steane, Dorothy A.; Vaillancourt, René E.; Myburg, Alexander A.; da Silva, Orzenil Bonfim; Pappas, Georgios Joannis; Kilian, Andrzej; Grattapaglia, Dario

    2012-01-01

    Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) provides a robust, high throughput, cost-effective method to query thousands of sequence polymorphisms in a single assay. Despite the extensive use of this genotyping platform for numerous plant species, little is known regarding the sequence attributes and genome-wide distribution of DArT markers. We investigated the genomic properties of the 7,680 DArT marker probes of a Eucalyptus array, by sequencing them, constructing a high density linkage map and carrying out detailed physical mapping analyses to the Eucalyptus grandis reference genome. A consensus linkage map with 2,274 DArT markers anchored to 210 microsatellites and a framework map, with improved support for ordering, displayed extensive collinearity with the genome sequence. Only 1.4 Mbp of the 75 Mbp of still unplaced scaffold sequence was captured by 45 linkage mapped but physically unaligned markers to the 11 main Eucalyptus pseudochromosomes, providing compelling evidence for the quality and completeness of the current Eucalyptus genome assembly. A highly significant correspondence was found between the locations of DArT markers and predicted gene models, while most of the 89 DArT probes unaligned to the genome correspond to sequences likely absent in E. grandis, consistent with the pan-genomic feature of this multi-Eucalyptus species DArT array. These comprehensive linkage-to-physical mapping analyses provide novel data regarding the genomic attributes of DArT markers in plant genomes in general and for Eucalyptus in particular. DArT markers preferentially target the gene space and display a largely homogeneous distribution across the genome, thereby providing superb coverage for mapping and genome-wide applications in breeding and diversity studies. Data reported on these ubiquitous properties of DArT markers will be particularly valuable to researchers working on less-studied crop species who already count on DArT genotyping arrays but for which no reference

  11. Genomic characterization of DArT markers based on high-density linkage analysis and physical mapping to the Eucalyptus genome.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    César D Petroli

    Full Text Available Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT provides a robust, high throughput, cost-effective method to query thousands of sequence polymorphisms in a single assay. Despite the extensive use of this genotyping platform for numerous plant species, little is known regarding the sequence attributes and genome-wide distribution of DArT markers. We investigated the genomic properties of the 7,680 DArT marker probes of a Eucalyptus array, by sequencing them, constructing a high density linkage map and carrying out detailed physical mapping analyses to the Eucalyptus grandis reference genome. A consensus linkage map with 2,274 DArT markers anchored to 210 microsatellites and a framework map, with improved support for ordering, displayed extensive collinearity with the genome sequence. Only 1.4 Mbp of the 75 Mbp of still unplaced scaffold sequence was captured by 45 linkage mapped but physically unaligned markers to the 11 main Eucalyptus pseudochromosomes, providing compelling evidence for the quality and completeness of the current Eucalyptus genome assembly. A highly significant correspondence was found between the locations of DArT markers and predicted gene models, while most of the 89 DArT probes unaligned to the genome correspond to sequences likely absent in E. grandis, consistent with the pan-genomic feature of this multi-Eucalyptus species DArT array. These comprehensive linkage-to-physical mapping analyses provide novel data regarding the genomic attributes of DArT markers in plant genomes in general and for Eucalyptus in particular. DArT markers preferentially target the gene space and display a largely homogeneous distribution across the genome, thereby providing superb coverage for mapping and genome-wide applications in breeding and diversity studies. Data reported on these ubiquitous properties of DArT markers will be particularly valuable to researchers working on less-studied crop species who already count on DArT genotyping arrays but for

  12. Generalization of DNA microarray dispersion properties: microarray equivalent of t-distribution

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Novak, Jaroslav P; Kim, Seon-Young; Xu, Jun

    2006-01-01

    BACKGROUND: DNA microarrays are a powerful technology that can provide a wealth of gene expression data for disease studies, drug development, and a wide scope of other investigations. Because of the large volume and inherent variability of DNA microarray data, many new statistical methods have...

  13. DART: a practical reconstruction algorithm for discrete tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Batenburg, Kees Joost; Sijbers, Jan

    2011-09-01

    In this paper, we present an iterative reconstruction algorithm for discrete tomography, called discrete algebraic reconstruction technique (DART). DART can be applied if the scanned object is known to consist of only a few different compositions, each corresponding to a constant gray value in the reconstruction. Prior knowledge of the gray values for each of the compositions is exploited to steer the current reconstruction towards a reconstruction that contains only these gray values. Based on experiments with both simulated CT data and experimental μCT data, it is shown that DART is capable of computing more accurate reconstructions from a small number of projection images, or from a small angular range, than alternative methods. It is also shown that DART can deal effectively with noisy projection data and that the algorithm is robust with respect to errors in the estimation of the gray values.

  14. SpecPad: device-independent NMR data visualization and processing based on the novel DART programming language and Html5 Web technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guigas, Bruno

    2017-09-01

    SpecPad is a new device-independent software program for the visualization and processing of one-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) time domain (FID) and frequency domain (spectrum) data. It is the result of a project to investigate whether the novel programming language DART, in combination with Html5 Web technology, forms a suitable base to write an NMR data evaluation software which runs on modern computing devices such as Android, iOS, and Windows tablets as well as on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X desktop PCs and notebooks. Another topic of interest is whether this technique also effectively supports the required sophisticated graphical and computational algorithms. SpecPad is device-independent because DART's compiled executable code is JavaScript and can, therefore, be run by the browsers of PCs and tablets. Because of Html5 browser cache technology, SpecPad may be operated off-line. Network access is only required during data import or export, e.g. via a Cloud service, or for software updates. A professional and easy to use graphical user interface consistent across all hardware platforms supports touch screen features on mobile devices for zooming and panning and for NMR-related interactive operations such as phasing, integration, peak picking, or atom assignment. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  15. An analysis of the survivability of sensor darts in impacts with trees.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Prentice, John K. (Sci-Tac, Inc., Boulder, CO.); Gardner, David Randall

    2005-07-01

    A methodology was developed for computing the probability that the sensor dart for the 'Near Real-Time Site Characterization for Assured HDBT Defeat' Grand-Challenge LDRD project will survive deployment over a forested region. The probability can be decomposed into three approximately independent probabilities that account for forest coverage, branch density and the physics of an impact between the dart and a tree branch. The probability that a dart survives an impact with a tree branch was determined from the deflection induced by the impact. If a dart that was deflected so that it impacted the ground at an angle of attack exceeding a user-specified, threshold value, the dart was assumed to not survive the impact with the branch; otherwise it was assumed to have survived. A computer code was developed for calculating dart angle of attack at impact with the ground and a Monte Carlo scheme was used to calculate the probability distribution of a sensor dart surviving an impact with a branch as a function of branch radius, length, and height from the ground. Both an early prototype design and the current dart design were used in these studies. As a general rule of thumb, it we observed that for reasonably generic trees and for a threshold angle of attack of 5{sup o} (which is conservative for dart survival), the probability of reaching the ground with an angle of attack less than the threshold is on the order of 30% for the prototype dart design and 60% for the current dart design, though these numbers should be treated with some caution.

  16. Validation of tissue microarray technology in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Boone, Judith; van Hillegersberg, Richard; van Diest, Paul J.; Offerhaus, G. Johan A.; Borel Rinkes, Inne H. M.; ten Kate, Fiebo J. W.

    2008-01-01

    Tissue microarray (TMA) technology has been developed to facilitate high-throughput immunohistochemical and in situ hybridization analysis of tissues by inserting small tissue biopsy cores into a single paraffin block. Several studies have revealed novel prognostic biomarkers in esophageal squamous

  17. Cross-platform comparison of SYBR® Green real-time PCR with TaqMan PCR, microarrays and other gene expression measurement technologies evaluated in the MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dial Stacey L

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC project evaluated the inter- and intra-platform reproducibility of seven microarray platforms and three quantitative gene expression assays in profiling the expression of two commercially available Reference RNA samples (Nat Biotechnol 24:1115-22, 2006. The tested microarrays were the platforms from Affymetrix, Agilent Technologies, Applied Biosystems, GE Healthcare, Illumina, Eppendorf and the National Cancer Institute, and quantitative gene expression assays included TaqMan® Gene Expression PCR Assay, Standardized (Sta RT-PCR™ and QuantiGene®. The data showed great consistency in gene expression measurements across different microarray platforms, different technologies and test sites. However, SYBR® Green real-time PCR, another common technique utilized by half of all real-time PCR users for gene expression measurement, was not addressed in the MAQC study. In the present study, we compared the performance of SYBR Green PCR with TaqMan PCR, microarrays and other quantitative technologies using the same two Reference RNA samples as the MAQC project. We assessed SYBR Green real-time PCR using commercially available RT2 Profiler™ PCR Arrays from SuperArray, containing primer pairs that have been experimentally validated to ensure gene-specificity and high amplification efficiency. Results The SYBR Green PCR Arrays exhibit good reproducibility among different users, PCR instruments and test sites. In addition, the SYBR Green PCR Arrays have the highest concordance with TaqMan PCR, and a high level of concordance with other quantitative methods and microarrays that were evaluated in this study in terms of fold-change correlation and overlap of lists of differentially expressed genes. Conclusion These data demonstrate that SYBR Green real-time PCR delivers highly comparable results in gene expression measurement with TaqMan PCR and other high-density microarrays.

  18. cDNA microarray screening in food safety

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Roy, Sashwati; Sen, Chandan K.

    2006-01-01

    The cDNA microarray technology and related bioinformatics tools presents a wide range of novel application opportunities. The technology may be productively applied to address food safety. In this mini-review article, we present an update highlighting the late breaking discoveries that demonstrate the vitality of cDNA microarray technology as a tool to analyze food safety with reference to microbial pathogens and genetically modified foods. In order to bring the microarray technology to mainstream food safety, it is important to develop robust user-friendly tools that may be applied in a field setting. In addition, there needs to be a standardized process for regulatory agencies to interpret and act upon microarray-based data. The cDNA microarray approach is an emergent technology in diagnostics. Its values lie in being able to provide complimentary molecular insight when employed in addition to traditional tests for food safety, as part of a more comprehensive battery of tests

  19. A comparison between DART-MS and DSA-MS in the forensic analysis of writing inks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drury, Nicholas; Ramotowski, Robert; Moini, Mehdi

    2018-05-23

    Ambient ionization mass spectrometry is gaining momentum in forensic science laboratories because of its high speed of analysis, minimal sample preparation, and information-rich results. One such application of ambient ionization methodology includes the analysis of writing inks from questioned documents where colorants of interest may not be soluble in common solvents, rendering thin layer chromatography (TLC) and separation-mass spectrometry methods such as LC/MS (-MS) impractical. Ambient ionization mass spectrometry uses a variety of ionization techniques such as penning ionization in Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART), and atmospheric pressure chemical ionization in Direct Sample Analysis (DSA), and electrospray ionization in Desorption Electrospray Ionization (DESI). In this manuscript, two of the commonly used ambient ionization techniques are compared: Perkin Elmer DSA-MS and IonSense DART in conjunction with a JEOL AccuTOF MS. Both technologies were equally successful in analyzing writing inks and produced similar spectra. DSA-MS produced less background signal likely because of its closed source configuration; however, the open source configuration of DART-MS provided more flexibility for sample positioning for optimum sensitivity and thereby allowing smaller piece of paper containing writing ink to be analyzed. Under these conditions, the minimum sample required for DART-MS was 1mm strokes of ink on paper, whereas DSA-MS required a minimum of 3mm. Moreover, both techniques showed comparable repeatability. Evaluation of the analytical figures of merit, including sensitivity, linear dynamic range, and repeatability, for DSA-MS and DART-MS analysis is provided. To the forensic context of the technique, DART-MS was applied to the analysis of United States Secret Service ink samples directly on a sampling mesh, and the results were compared with DSA-MS of the same inks on paper. Unlike analysis using separation mass spectrometry, which requires sample

  20. Direct analysis in real time-Mass spectrometry (DART-MS) in forensic and security applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pavlovich, Matthew J; Musselman, Brian; Hall, Adam B

    2018-03-01

    Over the last decade, direct analysis in real time (DART) has emerged as a viable method for fast, easy, and reliable "ambient ionization" for forensic analysis. The ability of DART to generate ions from chemicals that might be present at the scene of a criminal activity, whether they are in the gas, liquid, or solid phase, with limited sample preparation has made the technology a useful analytical tool in numerous forensic applications. This review paper summarizes many of those applications, ranging from the analysis of trace evidence to security applications, with a focus on providing the forensic scientist with a resource for developing their own applications. The most common uses for DART in forensics are in studying seized drugs, drugs of abuse and their metabolites, bulk and detonated explosives, toxic chemicals, chemical warfare agents, inks and dyes, and commercial plant and animal products that have been adulterated for economic gain. This review is meant to complement recent reviews that have described the fundamentals of the ionization mechanism and the general use of DART. We describe a wide range of forensic applications beyond the field of analyzing drugs of abuse, which dominates the literature, including common experimental and data analysis methods. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev 37:171-187, 2018. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. DART: Recent Advances in Remote Sensing Data Modeling With Atmosphere, Polarization, and Chlorophyll Fluorescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gastellu-Etchegorry, Jean-Phil; Lauret, Nicolas; Yin, Tiangang; Landier, Lucas; Kallel, Abdelaziz; Malenovsky, Zbynek; Bitar, Ahmad Al; Aval, Josselin; Benhmida, Sahar; Qi, Jianbo; hide

    2017-01-01

    To better understand the life-essential cycles and processes of our planet and to further develop remote sensing (RS) technology, there is an increasing need for models that simulate the radiative budget (RB) and RS acquisitions of urban and natural landscapes using physical approaches and considering the three-dimensional (3-D) architecture of Earth surfaces. Discrete anisotropic radiative transfer (DART) is one of the most comprehensive physically based 3-D models of Earth-atmosphere radiative transfer, covering the spectral domain from ultraviolet to thermal infrared wavelengths. It simulates the optical 3-DRB and optical signals of proximal, aerial, and satellite imaging spectrometers and laser scanners, for any urban and/or natural landscapes and for any experimental and instrumental configurations. It is freely available for research and teaching activities. In this paper, we briefly introduce DART theory and present recent advances in simulated sensors (LiDAR and cameras with finite field of view) and modeling mechanisms (atmosphere, specular reflectance with polarization and chlorophyll fluorescence). A case study demonstrating a novel application of DART to investigate urban landscapes is also presented.

  2. Plant-pathogen interactions: what microarray tells about it?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lodha, T D; Basak, J

    2012-01-01

    Plant defense responses are mediated by elementary regulatory proteins that affect expression of thousands of genes. Over the last decade, microarray technology has played a key role in deciphering the underlying networks of gene regulation in plants that lead to a wide variety of defence responses. Microarray is an important tool to quantify and profile the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously, with two main aims: (1) gene discovery and (2) global expression profiling. Several microarray technologies are currently in use; most include a glass slide platform with spotted cDNA or oligonucleotides. Till date, microarray technology has been used in the identification of regulatory genes, end-point defence genes, to understand the signal transduction processes underlying disease resistance and its intimate links to other physiological pathways. Microarray technology can be used for in-depth, simultaneous profiling of host/pathogen genes as the disease progresses from infection to resistance/susceptibility at different developmental stages of the host, which can be done in different environments, for clearer understanding of the processes involved. A thorough knowledge of plant disease resistance using successful combination of microarray and other high throughput techniques, as well as biochemical, genetic, and cell biological experiments is needed for practical application to secure and stabilize yield of many crop plants. This review starts with a brief introduction to microarray technology, followed by the basics of plant-pathogen interaction, the use of DNA microarrays over the last decade to unravel the mysteries of plant-pathogen interaction, and ends with the future prospects of this technology.

  3. Development and Validation of Protein Microarray Technology for Simultaneous Inflammatory Mediator Detection in Human Sera

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Senthooran Selvarajah

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Biomarkers, including cytokines, can help in the diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response across a wide range of disease settings. Consequently, the recent emergence of protein microarray technology, which is able to quantify a range of inflammatory mediators in a large number of samples simultaneously, has become highly desirable. However, the cost of commercial systems remains somewhat prohibitive. Here we show the development, validation, and implementation of an in-house microarray platform which enables the simultaneous quantitative analysis of multiple protein biomarkers. The accuracy and precision of the in-house microarray system were investigated according to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA guidelines for pharmacokinetic assay validation. The assay fell within these limits for all but the very low-abundant cytokines, such as interleukin- (IL- 10. Additionally, there were no significant differences between cytokine detection using our microarray system and the “gold standard” ELISA format. Crucially, future biomarker detection need not be limited to the 16 cytokines shown here but could be expanded as required. In conclusion, we detail a bespoke protein microarray system, utilizing well-validated ELISA reagents, that allows accurate, precise, and reproducible multiplexed biomarker quantification, comparable with commercial ELISA, and allowing customization beyond that of similar commercial microarrays.

  4. Hyperthyroidism with dome-and-dart T wave: A case report

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Ping; Yuan, Jing-ling; Xue, Jin-hua; Qiu, Yue-qun

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Rationale: Dome-and-dart T waves (or bifid T waves) are a rare phenomenon in the surface electrocardiogram. These wave forms are mainly observed in patients with congenital heart disease such as atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect. And hyperthyroidism who presented with an electrocardiogram that had dome-and-dart T waves in a precordial lead is never been reported. Patient concerns: The patient presented with continuous tachycardia, palpitations, chest tightness, and headache for 4 days, and aggravated for 1 day. Diagnoses: Hyperthyroidism. Interventions: Methimazole. Outcomes: All symptoms were alleviated. Lessons: Dome-and-dart or bifid T waves have been reported in the conventional 12-lead electrocardiograms in some patients with congenital heart disease. The case illustrated here, to the best of our knowledge, dome-and-dart or bifid T waves may associate with hyperthyroidism patients. PMID:28178156

  5. On the mechanism of X-ray production by dart leaders of lightning flashes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cooray, Vernon; Dwyer, Joseph; Rakov, V.; Rahman, Mahbubur

    2010-07-01

    Radiation with energies up to about 250 keV associated with the dart leader phase of rocket-triggered lightning were reported by Dwyer et al. (2004). The mechanism of X-ray generation by dart leaders, however, is unknown at present. Recently, Cooray et al. (2009a) developed physical concepts and mathematical techniques necessary to calculate the electric field associated with the tip of dart leaders. We have utilized the results of these calculations together with the energy dependent frictional force on electrons, as presented by Moss et al. (2006), to evaluate the maximum energy an electron will receive in accelerating in the dart-leader-tip electric field. The main assumptions made in performing the calculations are: (a) the dart leader channel is straight and vertical; (b) the path of the electrons are straight inside the channel; and (c) the decay of the channel temperature is uniform along the length of the dart leader. In the calculation, we have taken into account the fact that the electric field is changing both in space and time and that the gas in the defunct return stroke channel is at atmospheric pressure and at elevated temperature (i.e. reduced gas density). The results of the calculation show that for a given dart leader current there is a critical defunct-return-stroke-channel temperature above which the cold electron runaway becomes feasible. For a typical dart leader, this temperature is around 2500 K. This critical temperature decreases with increase in dart leader current. Since the temperature of the defunct return stroke channel may lie in the range of 2000-4000 K, the results show that the electric field at the tip of dart leaders is capable of accelerating electrons to MeV energy levels.

  6. Application of the DART Code for the Assessment of Advanced Fuel Behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rest, J.; Totev, T.

    2007-01-01

    The Dispersion Analysis Research Tool (DART) code is a dispersion fuel analysis code that contains mechanistically-based fuel and reaction-product swelling models, a one dimensional heat transfer analysis, and mechanical deformation models. DART has been used to simulate the irradiation behavior of uranium oxide, uranium silicide, and uranium molybdenum aluminum dispersion fuels, as well as their monolithic counterparts. The thermal-mechanical DART code has been validated against RERTR tests performed in the ATR for irradiation data on interaction thickness, fuel, matrix, and reaction product volume fractions, and plate thickness changes. The DART fission gas behavior model has been validated against UO 2 fission gas release data as well as measured fission gas-bubble size distributions. Here DART is utilized to analyze various aspects of the observed bubble growth in U-Mo/Al interaction product. (authors)

  7. Experimental database retrieval system 'DARTS'

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aoyagi, Tetsuo; Tani, Keiji; Haginoya, Hirobumi; Naito, Shinjiro.

    1989-02-01

    In JT-60, a large tokamak device of Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI), a plasma is fired for 5 ∼ 10 seconds at intervals of about 10 minutes. The each firing is called a shot. Plasma diagnostic data are edited as JT-60 experimental database at every shot cycle and are stored in a large-scale computer (FACOM-M780). Experimentalists look up the data for specific shots which they want to analyze and consider. As the total number of shots increases, they find a difficulty in the looking-up work. In order that they can easily access to their objective shot data or shot group data by using a computer terminal, 'DARTS' (DAtabase ReTrieval System) has been developed. This report may provide enough information on DARTS handling for users. (author)

  8. Remote biopsy darting and marking of polar bears

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pagano, Anthony M.; Peacock, Elizabeth; McKinney, Melissa A.

    2014-01-01

    Remote biopsy darting of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) is less invasive and time intensive than physical capture and is therefore useful when capture is challenging or unsafe. We worked with two manufacturers to develop a combination biopsy and marking dart for use on polar bears. We had an 80% success rate of collecting a tissue sample with a single biopsy dart and collected tissue samples from 143 polar bears on land, in water, and on sea ice. Dye marks ensured that 96% of the bears were not resampled during the same sampling period, and we recovered 96% of the darts fired. Biopsy heads with 5 mm diameters collected an average of 0.12 g of fur, tissue, and subcutaneous adipose tissue, while biopsy heads with 7 mm diameters collected an average of 0.32 g. Tissue samples were 99.3% successful (142 of 143 samples) in providing a genetic and sex identification of individuals. We had a 64% success rate collecting adipose tissue and we successfully examined fatty acid signatures in all adipose samples. Adipose lipid content values were lower compared to values from immobilized or harvested polar bears, indicating that our method was not suitable for quantifying adipose lipid content.

  9. Time-Darts: A Data Structure for Verification of Closed Timed Automata

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jiří Srba

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Symbolic data structures for model checking timed systems have been subject to a significant research, with Difference Bound Matrices (DBMs still being the preferred data structure in several mature verification tools. In comparison, discretization offers an easy alternative, with all operations having linear-time complexity in the number of clocks, and yet valid for a large class of closed systems. Unfortunately, fine-grained discretization causes itself a state-space explosion. We introduce a new data structure called time-darts for the symbolic representation of state-spaces of timed automata. Compared with the complete discretization, a single time-dart allows to represent an arbitrary large set of states, yet the time complexity of operations on time-darts remain linear in the number of clocks. We prove the correctness of the suggested reachability algorithm and perform several experiments in order to compare the performance of time-darts and the complete discretization. The main conclusion is that in all our experiments the time-dart method outperforms the complete discretization and it scales significantly better for models with larger constants.

  10. DART: A Functional-Level Reconfigurable Architecture for High Energy Efficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Raphaël

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Flexibility becomes a major concern for the development of multimedia and mobile communication systems, as well as classical high-performance and low-energy consumption constraints. The use of general-purpose processors solves flexibility problems but fails to cope with the increasing demand for energy efficiency. This paper presents the DART architecture based on the functional-level reconfiguration paradigm which allows a significant improvement in energy efficiency. DART is built around a hierarchical interconnection network allowing high flexibility while keeping the power overhead low. To enable specific optimizations, DART supports two modes of reconfiguration. The compilation framework is built using compilation and high-level synthesis techniques. A 3G mobile communication application has been implemented as a proof of concept. The energy distribution within the architecture and the physical implementation are also discussed. Finally, the VLSI design of a 0.13  m CMOS SoC implementing a specialized DART cluster is presented.

  11. DART: A Functional-Level Reconfigurable Architecture for High Energy Efficiency

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sébastien Pillement

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Flexibility becomes a major concern for the development of multimedia and mobile communication systems, as well as classical high-performance and low-energy consumption constraints. The use of general-purpose processors solves flexibility problems but fails to cope with the increasing demand for energy efficiency. This paper presents the DART architecture based on the functional-level reconfiguration paradigm which allows a significant improvement in energy efficiency. DART is built around a hierarchical interconnection network allowing high flexibility while keeping the power overhead low. To enable specific optimizations, DART supports two modes of reconfiguration. The compilation framework is built using compilation and high-level synthesis techniques. A 3G mobile communication application has been implemented as a proof of concept. The energy distribution within the architecture and the physical implementation are also discussed. Finally, the VLSI design of a 0.13 μm CMOS SoC implementing a specialized DART cluster is presented.

  12. Smart darting diffusion Monte Carlo: Applications to lithium ion-Stockmayer clusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Christensen, H. M.; Jake, L. C.; Curotto, E.

    2016-01-01

    In a recent investigation [K. Roberts et al., J. Chem. Phys. 136, 074104 (2012)], we have shown that, for a sufficiently complex potential, the Diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) random walk can become quasiergodic, and we have introduced smart darting-like moves to improve the sampling. In this article, we systematically characterize the bias that smart darting moves introduce in the estimate of the ground state energy of a bosonic system. We then test a simple approach to eliminate completely such bias from the results. The approach is applied for the determination of the ground state of lithium ion-n–dipoles clusters in the n = 8–20 range. For these, the smart darting diffusion Monte Carlo simulations find the same ground state energy and mixed-distribution as the traditional approach for n < 14. In larger systems we find that while the ground state energies agree quantitatively with or without smart darting moves, the mixed-distributions can be significantly different. Some evidence is offered to conclude that introducing smart darting-like moves in traditional DMC simulations may produce a more reliable ground state mixed-distribution.

  13. Smart darting diffusion Monte Carlo: Applications to lithium ion-Stockmayer clusters

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Christensen, H. M.; Jake, L. C.; Curotto, E., E-mail: curotto@arcadia.edu [Department of Chemistry and Physics, Arcadia University, Glenside, Pennsylvania 19038-3295 (United States)

    2016-05-07

    In a recent investigation [K. Roberts et al., J. Chem. Phys. 136, 074104 (2012)], we have shown that, for a sufficiently complex potential, the Diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) random walk can become quasiergodic, and we have introduced smart darting-like moves to improve the sampling. In this article, we systematically characterize the bias that smart darting moves introduce in the estimate of the ground state energy of a bosonic system. We then test a simple approach to eliminate completely such bias from the results. The approach is applied for the determination of the ground state of lithium ion-n–dipoles clusters in the n = 8–20 range. For these, the smart darting diffusion Monte Carlo simulations find the same ground state energy and mixed-distribution as the traditional approach for n < 14. In larger systems we find that while the ground state energies agree quantitatively with or without smart darting moves, the mixed-distributions can be significantly different. Some evidence is offered to conclude that introducing smart darting-like moves in traditional DMC simulations may produce a more reliable ground state mixed-distribution.

  14. Reuse, Repurposing and Learning Design--Lessons from the DART Project

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bond, Stephen T.; Ingram, Caroline; Ryan, Steve

    2008-01-01

    Digital Anthropological Resources for Teaching (DART) is a major project examining ways in which the use of online learning activities and repositories can enhance the teaching of anthropology and, by extension, other disciplines. This paper reports on one strand of DART activity, the development of customisable learning activities that can be…

  15. Implementation of mutual information and bayes theorem for classification microarray data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dwifebri Purbolaksono, Mahendra; Widiastuti, Kurnia C.; Syahrul Mubarok, Mohamad; Adiwijaya; Aminy Ma’ruf, Firda

    2018-03-01

    Microarray Technology is one of technology which able to read the structure of gen. The analysis is important for this technology. It is for deciding which attribute is more important than the others. Microarray technology is able to get cancer information to diagnose a person’s gen. Preparation of microarray data is a huge problem and takes a long time. That is because microarray data contains high number of insignificant and irrelevant attributes. So, it needs a method to reduce the dimension of microarray data without eliminating important information in every attribute. This research uses Mutual Information to reduce dimension. System is built with Machine Learning approach specifically Bayes Theorem. This theorem uses a statistical and probability approach. By combining both methods, it will be powerful for Microarray Data Classification. The experiment results show that system is good to classify Microarray data with highest F1-score using Bayesian Network by 91.06%, and Naïve Bayes by 88.85%.

  16. Principles of gene microarray data analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mocellin, Simone; Rossi, Carlo Riccardo

    2007-01-01

    The development of several gene expression profiling methods, such as comparative genomic hybridization (CGH), differential display, serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE), and gene microarray, together with the sequencing of the human genome, has provided an opportunity to monitor and investigate the complex cascade of molecular events leading to tumor development and progression. The availability of such large amounts of information has shifted the attention of scientists towards a nonreductionist approach to biological phenomena. High throughput technologies can be used to follow changing patterns of gene expression over time. Among them, gene microarray has become prominent because it is easier to use, does not require large-scale DNA sequencing, and allows for the parallel quantification of thousands of genes from multiple samples. Gene microarray technology is rapidly spreading worldwide and has the potential to drastically change the therapeutic approach to patients affected with tumor. Therefore, it is of paramount importance for both researchers and clinicians to know the principles underlying the analysis of the huge amount of data generated with microarray technology.

  17. Development and application of an antibody-based protein microarray to assess physiological stress in grizzly bears (Ursus arctos).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carlson, Ruth I; Cattet, Marc R L; Sarauer, Bryan L; Nielsen, Scott E; Boulanger, John; Stenhouse, Gordon B; Janz, David M

    2016-01-01

    A novel antibody-based protein microarray was developed that simultaneously determines expression of 31 stress-associated proteins in skin samples collected from free-ranging grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in Alberta, Canada. The microarray determines proteins belonging to four broad functional categories associated with stress physiology: hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis proteins, apoptosis/cell cycle proteins, cellular stress/proteotoxicity proteins and oxidative stress/inflammation proteins. Small skin samples (50-100 mg) were collected from captured bears using biopsy punches. Proteins were isolated and labelled with fluorescent dyes, with labelled protein homogenates loaded onto microarrays to hybridize with antibodies. Relative protein expression was determined by comparison with a pooled standard skin sample. The assay was sensitive, requiring 80 µg of protein per sample to be run in triplicate on the microarray. Intra-array and inter-array coefficients of variation for individual proteins were generally bears. This suggests that remotely delivered biopsy darts could be used in future sampling. Using generalized linear mixed models, certain proteins within each functional category demonstrated altered expression with respect to differences in year, season, geographical sampling location within Alberta and bear biological parameters, suggesting that these general variables may influence expression of specific proteins in the microarray. Our goal is to apply the protein microarray as a conservation physiology tool that can detect, evaluate and monitor physiological stress in grizzly bears and other species at risk over time in response to environmental change.

  18. SCK-CEN Genomic Platform: the microarray technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Benotmane, R.

    2006-01-01

    The human body contains approximately 10 14 cells, wherein each one is a nucleus. The nucleus contains 2x23 chromosomes, or two complete sets of the human genome, one set coming from the mother and the other from the father. In principle each set includes 30.000-40.000 genes. If the genome was a book, it would be twenty-three chapters, called chromosomes,each chapter with several thousand stories, called genes. Each story made up of paragraphs, called exons and introns. Each paragraph made up of 3 letter words, called codons. Each word is written with letters called bases (AGCT). But the whole is written in a single very long sentence, which is the DNA molecule or deoxy nucleic acid. The usual state of DNA is two complementary strands intertwined forming a double helix. In the cell, DNA is duplicated during each cell division to ensure the transmission of the genome to the daughter cells. For expression, the DNA is transcribed to messenger RNA. The RNA is edited and finally translated to a protein, each three bases coding for one amino acid. When the whole message is translated, the chain of amino acids folds itself up into a distinctive shape that depends on its sequence. Proteins are the effectors of the genes, and are responsible for all metabolic, hormonal and enzymatic reactions in the cells. The expressed RNA determines the amount of proteins to be produced and subsequently the desired effect (strong or weak) in the cell. The microarray technology aims at quantifying the amount of RNA present in the cell from each expressed gene, and at evaluating the changes of these amounts after exposure of the cell to toxic chemicals, ionising radiation or other stress components. The global picture of expressed genes helps to understand the affected genetic pathways in the cell at the molecular level. The microarray technology is used in the Radiobiology and Microbiology topics to study the effect of ionising radiation on human cells and mouse tissue, as well as the

  19. The application of DNA microarrays in gene expression analysis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Hal, van N.L.W.; Vorst, O.; Houwelingen, van A.M.M.L.; Kok, E.J.; Peijnenburg, A.A.C.M.; Aharoni, A.; Tunen, van A.J.; Keijer, J.

    2000-01-01

    DNA microarray technology is a new and powerful technology that will substantially increase the speed of molecular biological research. This paper gives a survey of DNA microarray technology and its use in gene expression studies. The technical aspects and their potential improvements are discussed.

  20. Integrated climate modelling at the Kiel Institute for World Economics: The DART Model and its applications

    OpenAIRE

    Deke, Oliver; Peterson, Sonja

    2003-01-01

    The aim of this paper is to give an overview over the DART model and its applications. The main focus is on the implementation of climate impacts into DART in the course of coupling DART to the ocean-atmosphere model and on the associated empirical problems. The basic DART model and some applications are presented in the next section. Section 3 describes in detail how the economic impacts of climate change on the agricultural sector and the impact of sea level rise are implemented in DART. Se...

  1. eSensor: an electrochemical detection-based DNA microarray technology enabling sample-to-answer molecular diagnostics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Robin H.; Longiaru, Mathew

    2009-05-01

    DNA microarrays are becoming a widespread tool used in life science and drug screening due to its many benefits of miniaturization and integration. Microarrays permit a highly multiplexed DNA analysis. Recently, the development of new detection methods and simplified methodologies has rapidly expanded the use of microarray technologies from predominantly gene expression analysis into the arena of diagnostics. Osmetech's eSensor® is an electrochemical detection platform based on a low-to- medium density DNA hybridization array on a cost-effective printed circuit board substrate. eSensor® has been cleared by FDA for Warfarin sensitivity test and Cystic Fibrosis Carrier Detection. Other genetic-based diagnostic and infectious disease detection tests are under development. The eSensor® platform eliminates the need for an expensive laser-based optical system and fluorescent reagents. It allows one to perform hybridization and detection in a single and small instrument without any fluidic processing and handling. Furthermore, the eSensor® platform is readily adaptable to on-chip sample-to-answer genetic analyses using microfluidics technology. The eSensor® platform provides a cost-effective solution to direct sample-to-answer genetic analysis, and thus have a potential impact in the fields of point-of-care genetic analysis, environmental testing, and biological warfare agent detection.

  2. The application of DNA microarrays in gene expression analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Hal, N L; Vorst, O; van Houwelingen, A M; Kok, E J; Peijnenburg, A; Aharoni, A; van Tunen, A J; Keijer, J

    2000-03-31

    DNA microarray technology is a new and powerful technology that will substantially increase the speed of molecular biological research. This paper gives a survey of DNA microarray technology and its use in gene expression studies. The technical aspects and their potential improvements are discussed. These comprise array manufacturing and design, array hybridisation, scanning, and data handling. Furthermore, it is discussed how DNA microarrays can be applied in the working fields of: safety, functionality and health of food and gene discovery and pathway engineering in plants.

  3. Development and mapping of DArT markers within the Festuca - Lolium complex

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopecký, David; Bartoš, Jan; Lukaszewski, Adam J; Baird, James H; Černoch, Vladimír; Kölliker, Roland; Rognli, Odd Arne; Blois, Helene; Caig, Vanessa; Lübberstedt, Thomas; Studer, Bruno; Shaw, Paul; Doležel, Jaroslav; Kilian, Andrzej

    2009-01-01

    Background Grasses are among the most important and widely cultivated plants on Earth. They provide high quality fodder for livestock, are used for turf and amenity purposes, and play a fundamental role in environment protection. Among cultivated grasses, species within the Festuca-Lolium complex predominate, especially in temperate regions. To facilitate high-throughput genome profiling and genetic mapping within the complex, we have developed a Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) array for five grass species: F. pratensis, F. arundinacea, F. glaucescens, L. perenne and L. multiflorum. Results The DArTFest array contains 7680 probes derived from methyl-filtered genomic representations. In a first marker discovery experiment performed on 40 genotypes from each species (with the exception of F. glaucescens for which only 7 genotypes were used), we identified 3884 polymorphic markers. The number of DArT markers identified in every single genotype varied from 821 to 1852. To test the usefulness of DArTFest array for physical mapping, DArT markers were assigned to each of the seven chromosomes of F. pratensis using single chromosome substitution lines while recombinants of F. pratensis chromosome 3 were used to allocate the markers to seven chromosome bins. Conclusion The resources developed in this project will facilitate the development of genetic maps in Festuca and Lolium, the analysis on genetic diversity, and the monitoring of the genomic constitution of the Festuca × Lolium hybrids. They will also enable marker-assisted selection for multiple traits or for specific genome regions. PMID:19832973

  4. Reverse phase protein microarray technology in traumatic brain injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gyorgy, Andrea B; Walker, John; Wingo, Dan; Eidelman, Ofer; Pollard, Harvey B; Molnar, Andras; Agoston, Denes V

    2010-09-30

    Antibody based, high throughput proteomics technology represents an exciting new approach in understanding the pathobiologies of complex disorders such as cancer, stroke and traumatic brain injury. Reverse phase protein microarray (RPPA) can complement the classical methods based on mass spectrometry as a high throughput validation and quantification method. RPPA technology can address problematic issues, such as sample complexity, sensitivity, quantification, reproducibility and throughput, which are currently associated with mass spectrometry-based approaches. However, there are technical challenges, predominantly associated with the selection and use of antibodies, preparation and representation of samples and with analyzing and quantifying primary RPPA data. Here we present ways to identify and overcome some of the current issues associated with RPPA. We believe that using stringent quality controls, improved bioinformatics analysis and interpretation of primary RPPA data, this method will significantly contribute in generating new level of understanding about complex disorders at the level of systems biology. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  5. FASTDART - A fast, accurate and friendly version of DART code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rest, Jeffrey; Taboada, Horacio

    2000-01-01

    A new enhanced, visual version of DART code is presented. DART is a mechanistic model based code, developed for the performance calculation and assessment of aluminum dispersion fuel. Major issues of this new version are the development of a new, time saving calculation routine, able to be run on PC, a friendly visual input interface and a plotting facility. This version, available for silicide and U-Mo fuels, adds to the classical accuracy of DART models for fuel performance prediction, a faster execution and visual interfaces. It is part of a collaboration agreement between ANL and CNEA in the area of Low Enriched Uranium Advanced Fuels, held by the Implementation Arrangement for Technical Exchange and Cooperation in the Area of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy. (author)

  6. Annotating breast cancer microarray samples using ontologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hongfang; Li, Xin; Yoon, Victoria; Clarke, Robert

    2008-01-01

    As the most common cancer among women, breast cancer results from the accumulation of mutations in essential genes. Recent advance in high-throughput gene expression microarray technology has inspired researchers to use the technology to assist breast cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment prediction. However, the high dimensionality of microarray experiments and public access of data from many experiments have caused inconsistencies which initiated the development of controlled terminologies and ontologies for annotating microarray experiments, such as the standard microarray Gene Expression Data (MGED) ontology (MO). In this paper, we developed BCM-CO, an ontology tailored specifically for indexing clinical annotations of breast cancer microarray samples from the NCI Thesaurus. Our research showed that the coverage of NCI Thesaurus is very limited with respect to i) terms used by researchers to describe breast cancer histology (covering 22 out of 48 histology terms); ii) breast cancer cell lines (covering one out of 12 cell lines); and iii) classes corresponding to the breast cancer grading and staging. By incorporating a wider range of those terms into BCM-CO, we were able to indexed breast cancer microarray samples from GEO using BCM-CO and MGED ontology and developed a prototype system with web interface that allows the retrieval of microarray data based on the ontology annotations. PMID:18999108

  7. DaRT: A CALL System to Help Students Practice and Develop Reasoning Skills in Choosing English Articles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshii, Rika; Milne, Alastair

    1998-01-01

    Describes DaRT, a computer assisted language-learning system for helping English-as-a-Second-Language students master English articles. DaRT uses a diagrammatic reasoning tool to present communicative contexts for exercises in choosing appropriate articles. This paper describes the development of DaRT and DaRT's system components and concludes…

  8. DART Core/Combustor-Noise Initial Test Results

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boyle, Devin K.; Henderson, Brenda S.; Hultgren, Lennart S.

    2017-01-01

    Contributions from the combustor to the overall propulsion noise of civilian transport aircraft are starting to become important due to turbofan design trends and advances in mitigation of other noise sources. Future propulsion systems for ultra-efficient commercial air vehicles are projected to be of increasingly higher bypass ratio from larger fans combined with much smaller cores, with ultra-clean burning fuel-flexible combustors. Unless effective noise-reduction strategies are developed, combustor noise is likely to become a prominent contributor to overall airport community noise in the future. The new NASA DGEN Aero0propulsion Research Turbofan (DART) is a cost-efficient testbed for the study of core-noise physics and mitigation. This presentation gives a brief description of the recently completed DART core combustor-noise baseline test in the NASA GRC Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory (AAPL). Acoustic data was simultaneously acquired using the AAPL overhead microphone array in the engine aft quadrant far field, a single midfield microphone, and two semi-infinite-tube unsteady pressure sensors at the core-nozzle exit. An initial assessment shows that the data is of high quality and compares well with results from a quick 2014 feasibility test. Combustor noise components of measured total-noise signatures were educed using a two-signal source-separation method an dare found to occur in the expected frequency range. The research described herein is aligned with the NASA Ultra-Efficient Commercial Transport strategic thrust and is supported by the NASA Advanced Air Vehicle Program, Advanced Air Transport Technology Project, under the Aircraft Noise Reduction Subproject.

  9. A DArT marker genetic map of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.) integrated with detailed comparative mapping information; comparison with existing DArT marker genetic maps of Lolium perenne, L. multiflorum and Festuca pratensis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    King, Julie; Thomas, Ann; James, Caron; King, Ian; Armstead, Ian

    2013-07-03

    Ryegrasses and fescues (genera, Lolium and Festuca) are species of forage and turf grasses which are used widely in agricultural and amenity situations. They are classified within the sub-family Pooideae and so are closely related to Brachypodium distachyon, wheat, barley, rye and oats. Recently, a DArT array has been developed which can be used in generating marker and mapping information for ryegrasses and fescues. This represents a potential common marker set for ryegrass and fescue researchers which can be linked through to comparative genomic information for the grasses. A F2 perennial ryegrass genetic map was developed consisting of 7 linkage groups defined by 1316 markers and deriving a total map length of 683 cM. The marker set included 866 DArT and 315 gene sequence-based markers. Comparison with previous DArT mapping studies in perennial and Italian ryegrass (L. multiflorum) identified 87 and 105 DArT markers in common, respectively, of which 94% and 87% mapped to homoeologous linkage groups. A similar comparison with meadow fescue (F. pratensis) identified only 28 DArT markers in common, of which c. 50% mapped to non-homoelogous linkage groups. In L. perenne, the genetic distance spanned by the DArT markers encompassed the majority of the regions that could be described in terms of comparative genomic relationships with rice, Brachypodium distachyon, and Sorghum bicolor. DArT markers are likely to be a useful common marker resource for ryegrasses and fescues, though the success in aligning different populations through the mapping of common markers will be influenced by degrees of population interrelatedness. The detailed mapping of DArT and gene-based markers in this study potentially allows comparative relationships to be derived in future mapping populations characterised using solely DArT markers.

  10. Drosophila arginine methyltransferase 1 (DART1) is an ecdysone receptor co-repressor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kimura, Shuhei; Sawatsubashi, Shun; Ito, Saya; Kouzmenko, Alexander; Suzuki, Eriko; Zhao, Yue; Yamagata, Kaoru; Tanabe, Masahiko; Ueda, Takashi; Fujiyama, Sari; Murata, Takuya; Matsukawa, Hiroyuki; Takeyama, Ken-ichi; Yaegashi, Nobuo

    2008-01-01

    Histone arginine methylation is an epigenetic marker that regulates gene expression by defining the chromatin state. Arginine methyltransferases, therefore, serve as transcriptional co-regulators. However, unlike other transcriptional co-regulators, the physiological roles of arginine methyltransferases are poorly understood. Drosophila arginine methyltransferase 1 (DART1), the mammalian PRMT1 homologue, methylates the arginine residue of histone H4 (H4R3me2). Disruption of DART1 in Drosophila by imprecise P-element excision resulted in low viability during metamorphosis in the pupal stages. In the pupal stage, an ecdysone hormone signal is critical for developmental progression. DART1 interacted with the nuclear ecdysone receptor (EcR) in a ligand-dependent manner, and co-repressed EcR in intact flies. These findings suggest that DART1, a histone arginine methyltransferase, is a co-repressor of EcR that is indispensable for normal pupal development in the intact fly

  11. ArrayWiki: an enabling technology for sharing public microarray data repositories and meta-analyses

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stokes, Todd H; Torrance, JT; Li, Henry; Wang, May D

    2008-01-01

    (Semantic Agents) such as Google to further enhance data discovery. Conclusions Microarray data and meta information in ArrayWiki are distributed and visualized using a novel and compact data storage format, BioPNG. Also, they are open to the research community for curation, modification, and contribution. By making a small investment of time to learn the syntax and structure common to all sites running MediaWiki software, domain scientists and practioners can all contribute to make better use of microarray technologies in research and medical practices. ArrayWiki is available at . PMID:18541053

  12. Development and mapping of DArT markers within the Festuca - Lolium complex

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Studer Bruno

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Grasses are among the most important and widely cultivated plants on Earth. They provide high quality fodder for livestock, are used for turf and amenity purposes, and play a fundamental role in environment protection. Among cultivated grasses, species within the Festuca-Lolium complex predominate, especially in temperate regions. To facilitate high-throughput genome profiling and genetic mapping within the complex, we have developed a Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT array for five grass species: F. pratensis, F. arundinacea, F. glaucescens, L. perenne and L. multiflorum. Results The DArTFest array contains 7680 probes derived from methyl-filtered genomic representations. In a first marker discovery experiment performed on 40 genotypes from each species (with the exception of F. glaucescens for which only 7 genotypes were used, we identified 3884 polymorphic markers. The number of DArT markers identified in every single genotype varied from 821 to 1852. To test the usefulness of DArTFest array for physical mapping, DArT markers were assigned to each of the seven chromosomes of F. pratensis using single chromosome substitution lines while recombinants of F. pratensis chromosome 3 were used to allocate the markers to seven chromosome bins. Conclusion The resources developed in this project will facilitate the development of genetic maps in Festuca and Lolium, the analysis on genetic diversity, and the monitoring of the genomic constitution of the Festuca × Lolium hybrids. They will also enable marker-assisted selection for multiple traits or for specific genome regions.

  13. Probe Selection for DNA Microarrays using OligoWiz

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wernersson, Rasmus; Juncker, Agnieszka; Nielsen, Henrik Bjørn

    2007-01-01

    Nucleotide abundance measurements using DNA microarray technology are possible only if appropriate probes complementary to the target nucleotides can be identified. Here we present a protocol for selecting DNA probes for microarrays using the OligoWiz application. OligoWiz is a client-server appl......Nucleotide abundance measurements using DNA microarray technology are possible only if appropriate probes complementary to the target nucleotides can be identified. Here we present a protocol for selecting DNA probes for microarrays using the OligoWiz application. OligoWiz is a client......-server application that offers a detailed graphical interface and real-time user interaction on the client side, and massive computer power and a large collection of species databases (400, summer 2007) on the server side. Probes are selected according to five weighted scores: cross-hybridization, deltaT(m), folding...... computer skills and can be executed from any Internet-connected computer. The probe selection procedure for a standard microarray design targeting all yeast transcripts can be completed in 1 h....

  14. On the Simulation of the Interception of Lightning Dart Leaders

    OpenAIRE

    Long, Mengni; Becerra, Marley; Thottappillil, Rajeev

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents the numerical evaluation of the propagation of positive upward connecting leaders under the influence of lightning dart leaders. The simulation is performed with the self-consistent leader inception and propagation model - SLIM-. An analytical expression is derived for calculating the charge per unit length required to thermalize a new upward leader segment. The simulation is validated with two dart leader attachment events in a lightning triggering experiment reported in ...

  15. Novel in silico technology in combination with microarrays: a state-of-the-art technology for allergy diagnosis and management?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Melioli, Giovanni; Passalacqua, Giovanni; Canonica, Giorgio W

    2014-12-01

    'Allergen microarrays, in poly-sensitized allergic patients, represent a real value added in the accurate IgE profiling and in the identification of allergen(s) to administer for an effective allergen immunotherapy.' Allergen microarrays (AMA) were developed in the early 2000s to improve the diagnostic pathway of patients with allergic reactions. Nowadays, AMA are constituted by more than 100 different components (either purified or recombinant), representing genuine and cross-reacting molecules from plants and animals. The cost of the procedure had suggested its use as third-level diagnostics (following in vivo- and in vitro-specific IgE tests) in poly-sensitized patients. The complexity of the interpretation had inspired the development of in silico technologies to help clinicians in their work. Both machine learning techniques and expert systems are now available. In particular, an expert system that has been recently developed not only identifies positive and negative components but also lists dangerous components and classifies patients based on their potential responsiveness to allergen immunotherapy, on the basis of published algorithms. For these characteristics, AMA represents the state-of-the-art technology for allergy diagnosis in poly-sensitized patients.

  16. Extending DART to meet the data acquisition needs of future experiments at Fermilab

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oleynik, Gene; Pordes, Ruth; Barsotti, Ed

    1996-01-01

    The DART project at Fermilab is a major collaboration to develop a data acquisition system for multiple experiments. The initial implementation of DART has concentrated on providing working data acquisition systems for the (now eight) collaborating experiments in the next Fixed Target Run. In this paper we discuss aspects of the architecture of DART and how these will allow it to be extended to meet the expected needs of future experiments at Fermilab. We also discuss some ongoing developments within the Fermilab Computing Division towards these new implementations. (author)

  17. Extending DART to meet the data acquisition needs of future experiments at Fermilab

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oleynik, G.; Pordes, R.; Barsotti, E.

    1995-10-01

    The DART project at Fermilab is a major collaboration to develop a data acquisition system for multiple experiments. The initial implementation of DART has concentrated on providing working data acquisition systems for the (now eight) collaborating experiments in the next Fixed Target Run. In this paper we discuss aspects of the architecture of DART and how these will allow it to be extended to meet the expected needs of future experiments at Fermilab. We also discuss some ongoing developments within the Fermilab Computing Division towards these new implementations

  18. Computational biology of genome expression and regulation--a review of microarray bioinformatics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Junbai

    2008-01-01

    Microarray technology is being used widely in various biomedical research areas; the corresponding microarray data analysis is an essential step toward the best utilizing of array technologies. Here we review two components of the microarray data analysis: a low level of microarray data analysis that emphasizes the designing, the quality control, and the preprocessing of microarray experiments, then a high level of microarray data analysis that focuses on the domain-specific microarray applications such as tumor classification, biomarker prediction, analyzing array CGH experiments, and reverse engineering of gene expression networks. Additionally, we will review the recent development of building a predictive model in genome expression and regulation studies. This review may help biologists grasp a basic knowledge of microarray bioinformatics as well as its potential impact on the future evolvement of biomedical research fields.

  19. Radioactive cDNA microarray in neurospsychiatry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choe, Jae Gol; Shin, Kyung Ho; Lee, Min Soo; Kim, Meyoung Kon

    2003-01-01

    Microarray technology allows the simultaneous analysis of gene expression patterns of thousands of genes, in a systematic fashion, under a similar set of experimental conditions, thus making the data highly comparable. In some cases arrays are used simply as a primary screen leading to downstream molecular characterization of individual gene candidates. In other cases, the goal of expression profiling is to begin to identify complex regulatory networks underlying developmental processes and disease states. Microarrays were originally used with cell lines or other simple model systems. More recently, microarrays have been used in the analysis of more complex biological tissues including neural systems and the brain. The application of cDNA arrays in neuropsychiatry has lagged behind other fields for a number of reasons. These include a requirement for a large amount of input probe RNA in fluorescent-glass based array systems and the cellular complexity introduced by multicellular brain and neural tissues. An additional factor that impacts the general use of microarrays in neuropsychiatry is the lack of availability of sequenced clone sets from model systems. While human cDNA clones have been widely available, high quality rat, mouse, and drosophilae, among others are just becoming widely available. A final factor in the application of cDNA microarrays in neuropsychiatry is cost of commercial arrays. As academic microarray facilitates become more commonplace custom made arrays will become more widely available at a lower cost allowing more widespread applications. In summary, microarray technology is rapidly having an impact on many areas of biomedical research. Radioisotope-nylon based microarrays offer alternatives that may in some cases be more sensitive, flexible, inexpensive, and universal as compared to other array formats, such as fluorescent-glass arrays. In some situations of limited RNA or exotic species, radioactive membrane microarrays may be the most

  20. Radioactive cDNA microarray in neurospsychiatry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choe, Jae Gol; Shin, Kyung Ho; Lee, Min Soo; Kim, Meyoung Kon [Korea University Medical School, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2003-02-01

    Microarray technology allows the simultaneous analysis of gene expression patterns of thousands of genes, in a systematic fashion, under a similar set of experimental conditions, thus making the data highly comparable. In some cases arrays are used simply as a primary screen leading to downstream molecular characterization of individual gene candidates. In other cases, the goal of expression profiling is to begin to identify complex regulatory networks underlying developmental processes and disease states. Microarrays were originally used with cell lines or other simple model systems. More recently, microarrays have been used in the analysis of more complex biological tissues including neural systems and the brain. The application of cDNA arrays in neuropsychiatry has lagged behind other fields for a number of reasons. These include a requirement for a large amount of input probe RNA in fluorescent-glass based array systems and the cellular complexity introduced by multicellular brain and neural tissues. An additional factor that impacts the general use of microarrays in neuropsychiatry is the lack of availability of sequenced clone sets from model systems. While human cDNA clones have been widely available, high quality rat, mouse, and drosophilae, among others are just becoming widely available. A final factor in the application of cDNA microarrays in neuropsychiatry is cost of commercial arrays. As academic microarray facilitates become more commonplace custom made arrays will become more widely available at a lower cost allowing more widespread applications. In summary, microarray technology is rapidly having an impact on many areas of biomedical research. Radioisotope-nylon based microarrays offer alternatives that may in some cases be more sensitive, flexible, inexpensive, and universal as compared to other array formats, such as fluorescent-glass arrays. In some situations of limited RNA or exotic species, radioactive membrane microarrays may be the most

  1. MARS: Microarray analysis, retrieval, and storage system

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Scheideler Marcel

    2005-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray analysis has become a widely used technique for the study of gene-expression patterns on a genomic scale. As more and more laboratories are adopting microarray technology, there is a need for powerful and easy to use microarray databases facilitating array fabrication, labeling, hybridization, and data analysis. The wealth of data generated by this high throughput approach renders adequate database and analysis tools crucial for the pursuit of insights into the transcriptomic behavior of cells. Results MARS (Microarray Analysis and Retrieval System provides a comprehensive MIAME supportive suite for storing, retrieving, and analyzing multi color microarray data. The system comprises a laboratory information management system (LIMS, a quality control management, as well as a sophisticated user management system. MARS is fully integrated into an analytical pipeline of microarray image analysis, normalization, gene expression clustering, and mapping of gene expression data onto biological pathways. The incorporation of ontologies and the use of MAGE-ML enables an export of studies stored in MARS to public repositories and other databases accepting these documents. Conclusion We have developed an integrated system tailored to serve the specific needs of microarray based research projects using a unique fusion of Web based and standalone applications connected to the latest J2EE application server technology. The presented system is freely available for academic and non-profit institutions. More information can be found at http://genome.tugraz.at.

  2. Simulation of microarray data with realistic characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lehmussola Antti

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray technologies have become common tools in biological research. As a result, a need for effective computational methods for data analysis has emerged. Numerous different algorithms have been proposed for analyzing the data. However, an objective evaluation of the proposed algorithms is not possible due to the lack of biological ground truth information. To overcome this fundamental problem, the use of simulated microarray data for algorithm validation has been proposed. Results We present a microarray simulation model which can be used to validate different kinds of data analysis algorithms. The proposed model is unique in the sense that it includes all the steps that affect the quality of real microarray data. These steps include the simulation of biological ground truth data, applying biological and measurement technology specific error models, and finally simulating the microarray slide manufacturing and hybridization. After all these steps are taken into account, the simulated data has realistic biological and statistical characteristics. The applicability of the proposed model is demonstrated by several examples. Conclusion The proposed microarray simulation model is modular and can be used in different kinds of applications. It includes several error models that have been proposed earlier and it can be used with different types of input data. The model can be used to simulate both spotted two-channel and oligonucleotide based single-channel microarrays. All this makes the model a valuable tool for example in validation of data analysis algorithms.

  3. Comparative analysis of methods for gene transcription profiling data derived from different microarray technologies in rat and mouse models of diabetes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bihoreau Marie-Thérèse

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray technologies are widely used to quantify the abundance of transcripts corresponding to thousands of genes. To maximise the robustness of transcriptome results, we have tested the performance and reproducibility of rat and mouse gene expression data obtained with Affymetrix, Illumina and Operon platforms. Results We present a thorough analysis of the degree of reproducibility provided by analysing the transcriptomic profile of the same animals of several experimental groups under different popular microarray technologies in different tissues. Concordant results from inter- and intra-platform comparisons were maximised by testing many popular computational methods for generating fold changes and significances and by only considering oligonucleotides giving high expression levels. The choice of Affymetrix signal extraction technique was shown to have the greatest effect on the concordance across platforms. In both species, when choosing optimal methods, the agreement between data generated on the Affymetrix and Illumina was excellent; this was verified using qRT-PCR on a selection of genes present on all platforms. Conclusion This study provides an extensive assessment of analytical methods best suited for processing data from different microarray technologies and can assist integration of technologically different gene expression datasets in biological systems.

  4. Type Soundness in the Dart Programming Language

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Strocco, Fabio

    Many mainstream programming languages are dynamically typed. This allows for rapid software development and programming flexibility because it gives programmers the freedom to use powerful programming patterns that are not allowed in statically typed programming languages. Nevertheless......, this freedom does not come without drawbacks: static bugs detection, IDE support, and compiler optimization techniques are harder to implement. In the last decades, the research literature and mainstream programming languages have been aiming to reach a trade-off between statically typed and dynamically typed...... languages. We investigate the trade-off, focusing on the area of optional typing, which allows programmers to choose when to use static type checking in parts of pro- grams. Our primary focus is Dart, an optionally typed programming language with a type system that is unsound by design. What makes Dart...

  5. DART model for thermal conductivity of U3Si2 aluminum dispersion fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rest, J.; Snelgrove, J.L.; Hofman, G.L.

    1995-09-01

    This paper describes the primary physical models that form the basis of the DART model for calculating irradiation-induced changes in the thermal conductivity of aluminium dispersion fuel. DART calculations of fuel swelling, pore closure, and thermal conductivity are compared with measured values

  6. Analysis and Hindcast Experiments of the 2009 Sudden Stratospheric Warming in WACCMX+DART

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pedatella, N. M.; Liu, H.-L.; Marsh, D. R.; Raeder, K.; Anderson, J. L.; Chau, J. L.; Goncharenko, L. P.; Siddiqui, T. A.

    2018-04-01

    The ability to perform data assimilation in the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model eXtended version (WACCMX) is implemented using the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) ensemble adjustment Kalman filter. Results are presented demonstrating that WACCMX+DART analysis fields reproduce the middle and upper atmosphere variability during the 2009 major sudden stratospheric warming (SSW) event. Compared to specified dynamics WACCMX, which constrains the meteorology by nudging toward an external reanalysis, the large-scale dynamical variability of the stratosphere, mesosphere, and lower thermosphere is improved in WACCMX+DART. This leads to WACCMX+DART better representing the downward transport of chemical species from the mesosphere into the stratosphere following the SSW. WACCMX+DART also reproduces most aspects of the observed variability in ionosphere total electron content and equatorial vertical plasma drift during the SSW. Hindcast experiments initialized on 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 January are used to assess the middle and upper atmosphere predictability in WACCMX+DART. A SSW, along with the associated middle and upper atmosphere variability, is initially predicted in the hindcast initialized on 15 January, which is ˜10 days prior to the warming. However, it is not until the hindcast initialized on 20 January that a major SSW is forecast to occur. The hindcast experiments reveal that dominant features of the total electron content can be forecasted ˜10-20 days in advance. This demonstrates that whole atmosphere models that properly account for variability in lower atmosphere forcing can potentially extend the ionosphere-thermosphere forecast range.

  7. DART model for thermal conductivity of U3Si2 Aluminum dispersion fuel

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rest, J.; Snelgrove, J.L.; Hofman, G.L.

    2004-01-01

    This paper describes the primary physical models that form the basis of the DART model for calculating irradiation-induced changes in the thermal conductivity of aluminum dispersion fuel. DART calculations of fuel swelling, pore closure, and thermal conductivity are compared with measured values. (author)

  8. Hyperthyroidism with dome-and-dart T wave: A case report: A care-compliant article.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lai, Ping; Yuan, Jing-Ling; Xue, Jin-Hua; Qiu, Yue-Qun

    2017-02-01

    Dome-and-dart T waves (or bifid T waves) are a rare phenomenon in the surface electrocardiogram. These wave forms are mainly observed in patients with congenital heart disease such as atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect. And hyperthyroidism who presented with an electrocardiogram that had dome-and-dart T waves in a precordial lead is never been reported. The patient presented with continuous tachycardia, palpitations, chest tightness, and headache for 4 days, and aggravated for 1 day. Hyperthyroidism. Methimazole. All symptoms were alleviated. Dome-and-dart or bifid T waves have been reported in the conventional 12-lead electrocardiograms in some patients with congenital heart disease. The case illustrated here, to the best of our knowledge, dome-and-dart or bifid T waves may associate with hyperthyroidism patients.

  9. Usefulness of the SNP microarray technology to identify rare mutations in the case of perinatal death

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hoeffding, L. K.; Kock, K. F.; Johnsen, Iben Birgit Gade

    2015-01-01

    The single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) microarray technology has emerged as a powerful tool to screen the whole genome for sub-microscopic duplications and deletions that are not detectable by traditional cytogenetic analysis. Case: We report a case of a female twin born at 27th week of gestation...

  10. Applications of nanotechnology, next generation sequencing and microarrays in biomedical research.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elingaramil, Sauli; Li, Xiaolong; He, Nongyue

    2013-07-01

    Next-generation sequencing technologies, microarrays and advances in bio nanotechnology have had an enormous impact on research within a short time frame. This impact appears certain to increase further as many biomedical institutions are now acquiring these prevailing new technologies. Beyond conventional sampling of genome content, wide-ranging applications are rapidly evolving for next-generation sequencing, microarrays and nanotechnology. To date, these technologies have been applied in a variety of contexts, including whole-genome sequencing, targeted re sequencing and discovery of transcription factor binding sites, noncoding RNA expression profiling and molecular diagnostics. This paper thus discusses current applications of nanotechnology, next-generation sequencing technologies and microarrays in biomedical research and highlights the transforming potential these technologies offer.

  11. Spot detection and image segmentation in DNA microarray data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qin, Li; Rueda, Luis; Ali, Adnan; Ngom, Alioune

    2005-01-01

    Following the invention of microarrays in 1994, the development and applications of this technology have grown exponentially. The numerous applications of microarray technology include clinical diagnosis and treatment, drug design and discovery, tumour detection, and environmental health research. One of the key issues in the experimental approaches utilising microarrays is to extract quantitative information from the spots, which represent genes in a given experiment. For this process, the initial stages are important and they influence future steps in the analysis. Identifying the spots and separating the background from the foreground is a fundamental problem in DNA microarray data analysis. In this review, we present an overview of state-of-the-art methods for microarray image segmentation. We discuss the foundations of the circle-shaped approach, adaptive shape segmentation, histogram-based methods and the recently introduced clustering-based techniques. We analytically show that clustering-based techniques are equivalent to the one-dimensional, standard k-means clustering algorithm that utilises the Euclidean distance.

  12. Changes in the reproductive system of the snail Helix aspersa caused by mucus from the love dart

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Koene, J M; Chase, R.

    The function of the love dart in certain species of terrestrial snails is unknown. In Helix aspersa, the dart is a sharp calcareous structure that is used to pierce the partner's skin during courtship. When expelled, the dart is covered with a thick mucus. The hypothesis tested here is that the

  13. Smart darting diffusion Monte Carlo: Applications to lithium ion-Stockmayer clusters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Christensen, H. M.; Jake, L. C.; Curotto, E.

    2016-05-01

    In a recent investigation [K. Roberts et al., J. Chem. Phys. 136, 074104 (2012)], we have shown that, for a sufficiently complex potential, the Diffusion Monte Carlo (DMC) random walk can become quasiergodic, and we have introduced smart darting-like moves to improve the sampling. In this article, we systematically characterize the bias that smart darting moves introduce in the estimate of the ground state energy of a bosonic system. We then test a simple approach to eliminate completely such bias from the results. The approach is applied for the determination of the ground state of lithium ion-n-dipoles clusters in the n = 8-20 range. For these, the smart darting diffusion Monte Carlo simulations find the same ground state energy and mixed-distribution as the traditional approach for n simulations may produce a more reliable ground state mixed-distribution.

  14. Applications of DART-MS for food quality and safety assurance in food supply chain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Tianyang; Yong, Wei; Jin, Yong; Zhang, Liya; Liu, Jiahui; Wang, Sai; Chen, Qilong; Dong, Yiyang; Su, Haijia; Tan, Tianwei

    2017-03-01

    Direct analysis in real time (DART) represents a new generation of ion source which is used for rapid ionization of small molecules under ambient conditions. The combination of DART and various mass spectrometers allows analyzing multiple food samples with simple or no sample treatment, or in conjunction with prevailing protocolized sample preparation methods. Abundant applications by DART-MS have been reviewed in this paper. The DART-MS strategy applied to food supply chain (FSC), including production, processing, and storage and transportation, provides a comprehensive solution to various food components, contaminants, authenticity, and traceability. Additionally, typical applications available in food analysis by other ambient ionization mass spectrometers were summarized, and fundamentals mainly including mechanisms, devices, and parameters were discussed as well. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Mass Spec Rev. 36:161-187, 2017. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  15. Detection of nicotine as an indicator of tobacco smoke by direct analysis in real time (DART) tandem mass spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuki, Ákos; Nagy, Lajos; Nagy, Tibor; Zsuga, Miklós; Kéki, Sándor

    2015-01-01

    The residual tobacco smoke contamination (thirdhand smoke, THS) on the clothes of a smoker was examined by direct analysis in real time (DART) mass spectrometry. DART-MS enabled sensitive and selective analysis of nicotine as the indicator of tobacco smoke pollution. Tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) experiments were also performed to confirm the identification of nicotine. Transferred thirdhand smoke originated from the fingers of a smoker onto other objects was also detected by DART mass spectrometry. DART-MS/MS was utilized for monitoring the secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) in the air of the laboratory using nicotine as an indicator. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the application of DART-MS and DART-MS/MS to the detection of thirdhand smoke and to the monitoring of secondhand smoke.

  16. THE MAQC PROJECT: ESTABLISHING QC METRICS AND THRESHOLDS FOR MICROARRAY QUALITY CONTROL

    Science.gov (United States)

    Microarrays represent a core technology in pharmacogenomics and toxicogenomics; however, before this technology can successfully and reliably be applied in clinical practice and regulatory decision-making, standards and quality measures need to be developed. The Microarray Qualit...

  17. A “Love” Dart Allohormone Identified in the Mucous Glands of Hermaphroditic Land Snails

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stewart, M.J.; Wang, Tianfang; Koene, J.M.; Storey, K.B.; cummns, S.F.

    2016-01-01

    Animals have evolved many ways to enhance their own reproductive success. One bizarre sexual ritual is the "love" dart shooting of helicid snails, which has courted many theories regarding its precise function. Acting as a hypodermic needle, the dart transfers an allohormone that increases paternity

  18. Homicide by Sch from a syringe-like dart ejected by a compound crossbow.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Wei; Luo, Guochang; Wang, Hao; Meng, Xiangzhi

    2015-02-01

    The compound crossbow can be used to eject syringe-like dart loaded with poisonous solution. Succinylcholine (Sch) is a short-acting neuromuscular blocker medically used to achieve complete relaxation of muscle for a good intubation condition. Without the help of an artificial respirator, intramuscular injection of a large dose of Sch can paralyze the respiratory muscle and result in the receiver's death. In this paper, we present the homicide case of a young male killed by Sch from a syringe-like dart ejected by a compound crossbow. The subcutaneous and muscular hemorrhages observed around the entry were more severe than that caused by a medical injection. Additionally, other autopsy results showed the external appearance of a pinhole, general asphyxia signs and pathological findings which were not characteristic. The discovery of a syringe-like dart at the scene is the critical clue and reason for analyzing for Sch, which is commonly used to load syringe-like dart to paralyze and steal dog in the countryside of China. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.

  19. An alternative fabrication method of the dart thrower's motion orthosis (also known as the dart orthosis).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Deborah A

    2016-01-01

    To allow safe early wrist motion after wrist injury, this author has modified an earlier version of a dart thrower's motion orthotic device using material that is currently available on the market and an inexpensive paper fastener as the rivet. - KristinValdes, OTD, OT, CHT, Practice Forum Editor. Copyright © 2016 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. What autocorrelation tells us about motor variability: insights from dart throwing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert J van Beers

    Full Text Available In sports such as golf and darts it is important that one can produce ballistic movements of an object towards a goal location with as little variability as possible. A factor that influences this variability is the extent to which motor planning is updated from movement to movement based on observed errors. Previous work has shown that for reaching movements, our motor system uses the learning rate (the proportion of an error that is corrected for in the planning of the next movement that is optimal for minimizing the endpoint variability. Here we examined whether the learning rate is hard-wired and therefore automatically optimal, or whether it is optimized through experience. We compared the performance of experienced dart players and beginners in a dart task. A hallmark of the optimal learning rate is that the lag-1 autocorrelation of movement endpoints is zero. We found that the lag-1 autocorrelation of experienced dart players was near zero, implying a near-optimal learning rate, whereas it was negative for beginners, suggesting a larger than optimal learning rate. We conclude that learning rates for trial-by-trial motor learning are optimized through experience. This study also highlights the usefulness of the lag-1 autocorrelation as an index of performance in studying motor-skill learning.

  1. Development of DArT markers and assessment of diversity in Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris, wilt pathogen of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sharma, Mamta; Nagavardhini, Avuthu; Thudi, Mahendar; Ghosh, Raju; Pande, Suresh; Varshney, Rajeev K

    2014-06-10

    Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceris (Foc), the causal agent of Fusarium wilt of chickpea is highly variable and frequent recurrence of virulent forms have affected chickpea production and exhausted valuable genetic resources. The severity and yield losses of Fusarium wilt differ from place to place owing to existence of physiological races among isolates. Diversity study of fungal population associated with a disease plays a major role in understanding and devising better disease control strategies. The advantages of using molecular markers to understand the distribution of genetic diversity in Foc populations is well understood. The recent development of Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) offers new possibilities to study the diversity in pathogen population. In this study, we developed DArT markers for Foc population, analysed the genetic diversity existing within and among Foc isolates, compared the genotypic and phenotypic diversity and infer the race scenario of Foc in India. We report the successful development of DArT markers for Foc and their utility in genotyping of Foc collections representing five chickpea growing agro-ecological zones of India. The DArT arrays revealed a total 1,813 polymorphic markers with an average genotyping call rate of 91.16% and a scoring reproducibility of 100%. Cluster analysis, principal coordinate analysis and population structure indicated that the different isolates of Foc were partially classified based on geographical source. Diversity in Foc population was compared with the phenotypic variability and it was found that DArT markers were able to group the isolates consistent with its virulence group. A number of race-specific unique and rare alleles were also detected. The present study generated significant information in terms of pathogenic and genetic diversity of Foc which could be used further for development and deployment of region-specific resistant cultivars of chickpea. The DArT markers were proved to be a powerful

  2. DNA Microarray Technologies: A Novel Approach to Geonomic Research

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hinman, R.; Thrall, B.; Wong, K,

    2002-01-01

    A cDNA microarray allows biologists to examine the expression of thousands of genes simultaneously. Researchers may analyze the complete transcriptional program of an organism in response to specific physiological or developmental conditions. By design, a cDNA microarray is an experiment with many variables and few controls. One question that inevitably arises when working with a cDNA microarray is data reproducibility. How easy is it to confirm mRNA expression patterns? In this paper, a case study involving the treatment of a murine macrophage RAW 264.7 cell line with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) was used to obtain a rough estimate of data reproducibility. Two trials were examined and a list of genes displaying either a > 2-fold or > 4-fold increase in gene expression was compiled. Variations in signal mean ratios between the two slides were observed. We can assume that erring in reproducibility may be compensated by greater inductive levels of similar genes. Steps taken to obtain results included serum starvation of cells before treatment, tests of mRNA for quality/consistency, and data normalization.

  3. Thermomechanical DART code improvements for LEU VHD dispersion and monolithic fuel element analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taboada, H.; Saliba, R.; Moscarda, M.V.; Rest, J.

    2005-01-01

    A collaboration agreement between ANL/US DOE and CNEA Argentina in the area of Low Enriched Uranium Advanced Fuels has been in place since October 16, 1997 under the Implementation Arrangement for Technical Exchange and Cooperation in the Area of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy. An annex concerning DART code optimization has been operative since February 8, 1999. Previously, as a part of this annex a visual FASTDART version and also a DART THERMAL version were presented during RERTR 2000, 2002 and RERTR 2003 Meetings. During this past year the following activities were completed: Optimization of DART TM code Al diffusion parameters by testing predictions against reliable data from RERTR experiments. Improvements on the 3-D thermo-mechanical version of the code for modeling the irradiation behavior of LEU U-Mo monolithic fuel. Concerning the first point, by means of an optimization of parameters of the Al diffusion through the interaction product theoretical expression, a reasonable agreement between DART temperature calculations with reliable RERTR PIE data was reached. The 3-D thermomechanical code complex is based upon a finite element thermal-elastic code named TERMELAS, and irradiation behavior provided by the DART code. An adequate and progressive process of coupling calculations of both codes at each time step is currently developed. Compatible thermal calculation between both codes was reached. This is the first stage to benchmark and validate against RERTR PIE data the coupling process. (author)

  4. Data flow manager for DART

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Berg, D.; Black, D.; Slimmer, D.; Engelfried, J.; O'Dell, V.

    1994-04-01

    The DART Data Flow Manager (dfm) integrates a buffer manager with a requester/provider model for scheduling work on buffers. Buffer lists, representing built events or other data, are queued by service requesters to service providers. Buffers may be either internal (reside on the local node), or external (located elsewhere, e.g., dual ported memory). Internal buffers are managed locally. Wherever possible, dfm moves only addresses of buffers rather than buffers themselves

  5. Ultrafast Screening and Quantitation of Pesticides in Food and Environmental Matrices by Solid-Phase Microextraction-Transmission Mode (SPME-TM) and Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gómez-Ríos, Germán Augusto; Gionfriddo, Emanuela; Poole, Justen; Pawliszyn, Janusz

    2017-07-05

    The direct interface of microextraction technologies to mass spectrometry (MS) has unquestionably revolutionized the speed and efficacy at which complex matrices are analyzed. Solid Phase Micro Extraction-Transmission Mode (SPME-TM) is a technology conceived as an effective synergy between sample preparation and ambient ionization. Succinctly, the device consists of a mesh coated with polymeric particles that extracts analytes of interest present in a given sample matrix. This coated mesh acts as a transmission-mode substrate for Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART), allowing for rapid and efficient thermal desorption/ionization of analytes previously concentrated on the coating, and dramatically lowering the limits of detection attained by sole DART analysis. In this study, we present SPME-TM as a novel tool for the ultrafast enrichment of pesticides present in food and environmental matrices and their quantitative determination by MS via DART ionization. Limits of quantitation in the subnanogram per milliliter range can be attained, while total analysis time does not exceed 2 min per sample. In addition to target information obtained via tandem MS, retrospective studies of the same sample via high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) were accomplished by thermally desorbing a different segment of the microextraction device.

  6. Experience With Rapid Microarray-Based Diagnostic Technology and Antimicrobial Stewardship for Patients With Gram-Positive Bacteremia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Neuner, Elizabeth A; Pallotta, Andrea M; Lam, Simon W; Stowe, David; Gordon, Steven M; Procop, Gary W; Richter, Sandra S

    2016-11-01

    OBJECTIVE To describe the impact of rapid diagnostic microarray technology and antimicrobial stewardship for patients with Gram-positive blood cultures. DESIGN Retrospective pre-intervention/post-intervention study. SETTING A 1,200-bed academic medical center. PATIENTS Inpatients with blood cultures positive for Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, E. faecium, Streptococcus pneumoniae, S. pyogenes, S. agalactiae, S. anginosus, Streptococcus spp., and Listeria monocytogenes during the 6 months before and after implementation of Verigene Gram-positive blood culture microarray (BC-GP) with an antimicrobial stewardship intervention. METHODS Before the intervention, no rapid diagnostic technology was used or antimicrobial stewardship intervention was undertaken, except for the use of peptide nucleic acid fluorescent in situ hybridization and MRSA agar to identify staphylococcal isolates. After the intervention, all Gram-positive blood cultures underwent BC-GP microarray and the antimicrobial stewardship intervention consisting of real-time notification and pharmacist review. RESULTS In total, 513 patients with bacteremia were included in this study: 280 patients with S. aureus, 150 patients with enterococci, 82 patients with stretococci, and 1 patient with L. monocytogenes. The number of antimicrobial switches was similar in the pre-BC-GP (52%; 155 of 300) and post-BC-GP (50%; 107 of 213) periods. The time to antimicrobial switch was significantly shorter in the post-BC-GP group than in the pre-BC-GP group: 48±41 hours versus 75±46 hours, respectively (P<.001). The most common antimicrobial switch was de-escalation and time to de-escalation, was significantly shorter in the post-BC-GP group than in the pre-BC-GP group: 53±41 hours versus 82±48 hours, respectively (P<.001). There was no difference in mortality or hospital length of stay as a result of the intervention. CONCLUSIONS The combination of a rapid microarray diagnostic test with an antimicrobial

  7. Characterization of Printing Inks Using DART-Q-TOF-MS and Attenuated Total Reflectance (ATR) FTIR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Williamson, Rhett; Raeva, Anna; Almirall, Jose R

    2016-05-01

    The rise in improved and widely accessible printing technology has resulted in an interest to develop rapid and minimally destructive chemical analytical techniques that can characterize printing inks for forensic document analysis. Chemical characterization of printing inks allows for both discrimination of inks originating from different sources and the association of inks originating from the same source. Direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) and attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) were used in tandem to analyze four different classes of printing inks: inkjets, toners, offset, and intaglio. A total of 319 samples or ~ 80 samples from each class were analyzed directly on a paper substrate using the two methods. DART-MS was found to characterize the semi-volatile polymeric vehicle components, while ATR-FTIR provided chemical information associated with the bulk components of these inks. Complimentary data results in improved discrimination when both techniques are used in succession resulting in >96% discrimination for all toners, 95% for all inkjets, >92% for all offset, and >54% for all intaglio inks. © 2016 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  8. Development and validation of an improved version of the DART code

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taboada, H; Moscarda, M.V.; Markiewicz, M.; Estevez, E.; Rest, J.

    2002-01-01

    ANL/USDOE and CNEA Argentina have been participating within a SisterLab Program in the area of Low Enriched Uranium Advanced Fuels since October 16, 1997 under the 'Implementation Arrangement for Technical Exchange and Cooperation in the Area of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy'. An annex concerning DART code optimization has been operative since February 8, 1999. Previously, as a part of this annex we developed a visual version of DART named FASTDART for silicide and U-Mo fuels that was presented at the RERTR Meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada. This paper describes several major improvements in the FASTDART code: a thermal calculation subroutine, a fuel particle size distribution subroutine and several visual interfaces for thermal output plotting and particle size input. Using the power history, coolant regime data and fuel dimensions, the new thermal subroutine is able to calculate at each time step the maximum temperature along the z-longitudinal axis as a function of plate/rod morphology (corrosion oxide, cladding, meat, aluminide particle layer, each radial shell of a central fuel particle, and particle center). Calculated temperatures at each time step are coupled to the DART calculation kernel such that swelling processes, volume phase fractions and meat thermal conductivity are calculated synergistically. The new fuel particle size-distribution subroutine is essential in order to determine the evolution of the volume fraction of reaction product. This phase degrades the heat transport by a twofold mechanism: its appearance implies a diminution of aluminium phase and its thermal conductivity is lower than those of fuel and dispersant phase. The new version includes the capability of plotting thermal data output by means of the plate/rod temperature profile at a given irradiation step, and displaying the maximum temperature evolution of each layer. A comparison between the reaction layer thickness and matrix and fuel volume fractions of several RERTR-3 experiment

  9. The Importance of Normalization on Large and Heterogeneous Microarray Datasets

    Science.gov (United States)

    DNA microarray technology is a powerful functional genomics tool increasingly used for investigating global gene expression in environmental studies. Microarrays can also be used in identifying biological networks, as they give insight on the complex gene-to-gene interactions, ne...

  10. Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART) Stations

    Data.gov (United States)

    Department of Homeland Security — As part of the U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP), the Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART(R)) Project is an ongoing effort to...

  11. Development and mapping of DArT markers within the Festuca - Lolium complex

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kopecký, David; Bartos, Jan; Lukaszewski, Adam J

    2009-01-01

    Background Grasses are among the most important and widely cultivated plants on Earth. They provide high quality fodder for livestock, are used for turf and amenity purposes, and play a fundamental role in environment protection. Among cultivated grasses, species within the Festuca-Lolium complex...... predominate, especially in temperate regions. To facilitate high-throughput genome profiling and genetic mapping within the complex, we have developed a Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) array for five grass species: F. pratensis, F. arundinacea, F. glaucescens, L. perenne and L. multiflorum. Results The DAr...

  12. Extended -Regular Sequence for Automated Analysis of Microarray Images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin Hee-Jeong

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available Microarray study enables us to obtain hundreds of thousands of expressions of genes or genotypes at once, and it is an indispensable technology for genome research. The first step is the analysis of scanned microarray images. This is the most important procedure for obtaining biologically reliable data. Currently most microarray image processing systems require burdensome manual block/spot indexing work. Since the amount of experimental data is increasing very quickly, automated microarray image analysis software becomes important. In this paper, we propose two automated methods for analyzing microarray images. First, we propose the extended -regular sequence to index blocks and spots, which enables a novel automatic gridding procedure. Second, we provide a methodology, hierarchical metagrid alignment, to allow reliable and efficient batch processing for a set of microarray images. Experimental results show that the proposed methods are more reliable and convenient than the commercial tools.

  13. TVR-DART: A More Robust Algorithm for Discrete Tomography From Limited Projection Data With Automated Gray Value Estimation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xiaodong Zhuge; Palenstijn, Willem Jan; Batenburg, Kees Joost

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we present a novel iterative reconstruction algorithm for discrete tomography (DT) named total variation regularized discrete algebraic reconstruction technique (TVR-DART) with automated gray value estimation. This algorithm is more robust and automated than the original DART algorithm, and is aimed at imaging of objects consisting of only a few different material compositions, each corresponding to a different gray value in the reconstruction. By exploiting two types of prior knowledge of the scanned object simultaneously, TVR-DART solves the discrete reconstruction problem within an optimization framework inspired by compressive sensing to steer the current reconstruction toward a solution with the specified number of discrete gray values. The gray values and the thresholds are estimated as the reconstruction improves through iterations. Extensive experiments from simulated data, experimental μCT, and electron tomography data sets show that TVR-DART is capable of providing more accurate reconstruction than existing algorithms under noisy conditions from a small number of projection images and/or from a small angular range. Furthermore, the new algorithm requires less effort on parameter tuning compared with the original DART algorithm. With TVR-DART, we aim to provide the tomography society with an easy-to-use and robust algorithm for DT.

  14. Design Aids for Real-Time Systems (DARTS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szulewski, P. A.

    1982-01-01

    Design-Aids for Real-Time Systems (DARTS) is a tool that assists in defining embedded computer systems through tree structured graphics, military standard documentation support, and various analyses including automated Software Science parameter counting and metrics calculation. These analyses provide both static and dynamic design quality feedback which can potentially aid in producing efficient, high quality software systems.

  15. Three homicides with darts tainted with succinylcholine: autopsy and toxicology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xing, Jingjun; Li, Wenhe; Tong, Fang; Liang, Yue; He, Guanglong; Zhou, Yiwu

    2016-11-01

    In emergency departments, intoxication with the muscle relaxant succinylcholine (SUX) often leads to a potentially lethal respiratory paralysis or other deleterious side effects. However, homicide cases with SUX poisoning are very rare because the toxic or lethal concentration ranges of SUX have not yet been determined. We described three uncommon homicide cases due to acute poisoning by darts contaminated with SUX. All the victims died quickly (less than 30 min) after being shot by an especially designed dart gun. Succinylmonocholine (SMC), a metabolite of SUX, was used as a marker to detect the latter. HPLC-MS/MS analysis demonstrated the presence of SUX in the droplet residues of the darts and SMC in the blood and urine in all cases. SMC concentrations of 0.45, 14.0, and 17.9 ng/ml were detected in the victims' blood and 259.0 ng/ml in the urine from the third case. The main pathological changes consisted of hemorrhage of the injured soft tissues, visceral congestion, severe pulmonary edema, and multifocal petechial hemorrhage of the heart and lungs. Taken together, the findings supported a diagnosis of fatal SUX poisoning. Futhermore, our study provided a reference for the lethal concentrations of SUX poisoning.

  16. Application of Microarray technology in research and diagnostics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Helweg-Larsen, Rehannah Borup

    The overall purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the use of microarray analysis to investigate the transcriptome of human cancers and human follicular cells and define the correlation between expression of human genes and specific cancer types as well as the developmental competence of the oocyte...

  17. The direct cost of traumatic secretion transfer in hermaphroditic land snails: individuals stabbed with a love dart decrease lifetime fecundity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kimura, Kazuki; Chiba, Satoshi

    2015-04-07

    Several taxa of simultaneously hermaphroditic land snails exhibit a conspicuous mating behaviour, the so-called shooting of love darts. During mating, such land snail species transfer a specific secretion by stabbing a mating partner's body with the love dart. It has been shown that sperm donors benefit from this traumatic secretion transfer, because the secretions manipulate the physiology of a sperm recipient and increase the donors' fertilization success. However, it is unclear whether reception of dart shooting is costly to the recipients. Therefore, the effect of sexual conflict and antagonistic arms races on the evolution of traumatic secretion transfer in land snails is still controversial. To examine this effect, we compared lifetime fecundity and longevity between the individuals that received and did not receive dart shooting from mating partners in Bradybaena pellucida. Our experiments showed that the dart-receiving snails suffered reduction in lifetime fecundity and longevity. These results suggest that the costly mating behaviour, dart shooting, generates conflict between sperm donors and recipients and that sexually antagonistic arms races have contributed to the diversification of the morphological and behavioural traits relevant to dart shooting. Our findings also support theories suggesting a violent escalation of sexual conflict in hermaphroditic animals. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  18. Assessing direct analysis in real-time-mass spectrometry (DART-MS) for the rapid identification of additives in food packaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ackerman, L K; Noonan, G O; Begley, T H

    2009-12-01

    The ambient ionization technique direct analysis in real time (DART) was characterized and evaluated for the screening of food packaging for the presence of packaging additives using a benchtop mass spectrometer (MS). Approximate optimum conditions were determined for 13 common food-packaging additives, including plasticizers, anti-oxidants, colorants, grease-proofers, and ultraviolet light stabilizers. Method sensitivity and linearity were evaluated using solutions and characterized polymer samples. Additionally, the response of a model additive (di-ethyl-hexyl-phthalate) was examined across a range of sample positions, DART, and MS conditions (temperature, voltage and helium flow). Under optimal conditions, molecular ion (M+H+) was the major ion for most additives. Additive responses were highly sensitive to sample and DART source orientation, as well as to DART flow rates, temperatures, and MS inlet voltages, respectively. DART-MS response was neither consistently linear nor quantitative in this setting, and sensitivity varied by additive. All additives studied were rapidly identified in multiple food-packaging materials by DART-MS/MS, suggesting this technique can be used to screen food packaging rapidly. However, method sensitivity and quantitation requires further study and improvement.

  19. Microarrays for Universal Detection and Identification of Phytoplasmas

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nicolaisen, Mogens; Nyskjold, Henriette; Bertaccini, Assunta

    2013-01-01

    Detection and identification of phytoplasmas is a laborious process often involving nested PCR followed by restriction enzyme analysis and fine-resolution gel electrophoresis. To improve throughput, other methods are needed. Microarray technology offers a generic assay that can potentially detect...... and differentiate all types of phytoplasmas in one assay. The present protocol describes a microarray-based method for identification of phytoplasmas to 16Sr group level....

  20. DART code optimization works

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Taboada, Horacio; Solis, Diego

    1999-01-01

    DART (Dispersion Analysis Research Tool) calculation and assessment program is a thermomechanical computer model developed by Dr. J. Rest of Argonne National Laboratory, USA. This program is the only mechanistic model available to assure the performance of low-enriched oxided-based dispersion fuels, dispersion of siliciures and uranium intermetallics in aluminum matrix for research reactors. The program predicts fission-products induced swelling (especially gases), fuel behavior during fabrication porosity closing, macroscopical changes in diameter of rods or width of plates and tubes produced by fuel deformation, degradation of thermal conductivity of fuel dispersion owing to irradiation and fuel restructuring because of Al-fuel reaction, amorphization and recrystallization. (author)

  1. Deep-Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART(R))

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — As part of the U.S. National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program (NTHMP), the Deep Ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis (DART(R)) Project is an ongoing effort to...

  2. Detection of NASBA amplified bacterial tmRNA molecules on SLICSel designed microarray probes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toome Kadri

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We present a comprehensive technological solution for bacterial diagnostics using tmRNA as a marker molecule. A robust probe design algorithm for microbial detection microarray is implemented. The probes were evaluated for specificity and, combined with NASBA (Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification amplification, for sensitivity. Results We developed a new web-based program SLICSel for the design of hybridization probes, based on nearest-neighbor thermodynamic modeling. A SLICSel minimum binding energy difference criterion of 4 kcal/mol was sufficient to design of Streptococcus pneumoniae tmRNA specific microarray probes. With lower binding energy difference criteria, additional hybridization specificity tests on the microarray were needed to eliminate non-specific probes. Using SLICSel designed microarray probes and NASBA we were able to detect S. pneumoniae tmRNA from a series of total RNA dilutions equivalent to the RNA content of 0.1-10 CFU. Conclusions The described technological solution and both its separate components SLICSel and NASBA-microarray technology independently are applicative for many different areas of microbial diagnostics.

  3. Detection of NASBA amplified bacterial tmRNA molecules on SLICSel designed microarray probes

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Scheler, Ott

    2011-02-28

    Abstract Background We present a comprehensive technological solution for bacterial diagnostics using tmRNA as a marker molecule. A robust probe design algorithm for microbial detection microarray is implemented. The probes were evaluated for specificity and, combined with NASBA (Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification) amplification, for sensitivity. Results We developed a new web-based program SLICSel for the design of hybridization probes, based on nearest-neighbor thermodynamic modeling. A SLICSel minimum binding energy difference criterion of 4 kcal\\/mol was sufficient to design of Streptococcus pneumoniae tmRNA specific microarray probes. With lower binding energy difference criteria, additional hybridization specificity tests on the microarray were needed to eliminate non-specific probes. Using SLICSel designed microarray probes and NASBA we were able to detect S. pneumoniae tmRNA from a series of total RNA dilutions equivalent to the RNA content of 0.1-10 CFU. Conclusions The described technological solution and both its separate components SLICSel and NASBA-microarray technology independently are applicative for many different areas of microbial diagnostics.

  4. Run control techniques for the Fermilab DART data acquisition system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oleynik, G.; Engelfried, J.; Mengel, L.; Moore, C.; Pordes, R.; Udumula, L.; Votava, M.; Drunen, E. van; Zioulas, G.

    1996-01-01

    DART is the high speed, Unix based data acquisition system being developed by the Fermilab Computing Division in collaboration with eight High Energy Physics Experiments. This paper describes DART run-control which implements flexible, distributed, extensible and portable paradigms for the control monitoring of a data acquisition systems. We discuss the unique and interesting aspects of the run-control - why we chose the concepts we did, the benefits we have seen from the choices we made, as well as our experiences in deploying and supporting it for experiments during their commissioning and sub-system testing phases. We emphasize the software and techniques we believe are extensible to future use, and potential future modifications and extensions for those we feel are not. (author)

  5. Run control techniques for the Fermilab DART data acquisition system

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oleynik, G.; Engelfried, J.; Mengel, L.

    1995-10-01

    DART is the high speed, Unix based data acquisition system being developed by the Fermilab Computing Division in collaboration with eight High Energy Physics Experiments. This paper describes DART run-control which implements flexible, distributed, extensible and portable paradigms for the control and monitoring of data acquisition systems. We discuss the unique and interesting aspects of the run-control - why we chose the concepts we did, the benefits we have seen from the choices we made, as well as our experiences in deploying and supporting it for experiments during their commissioning and sub-system testing phases. We emphasize the software and techniques we believe are extensible to future use, and potential future modifications and extensions for those we feel are not

  6. Quantitative miRNA expression analysis: comparing microarrays with next-generation sequencing

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Willenbrock, Hanni; Salomon, Jesper; Søkilde, Rolf

    2009-01-01

    Recently, next-generation sequencing has been introduced as a promising, new platform for assessing the copy number of transcripts, while the existing microarray technology is considered less reliable for absolute, quantitative expression measurements. Nonetheless, so far, results from the two...... technologies have only been compared based on biological data, leading to the conclusion that, although they are somewhat correlated, expression values differ significantly. Here, we use synthetic RNA samples, resembling human microRNA samples, to find that microarray expression measures actually correlate...... better with sample RNA content than expression measures obtained from sequencing data. In addition, microarrays appear highly sensitive and perform equivalently to next-generation sequencing in terms of reproducibility and relative ratio quantification....

  7. Hierarchical information representation and efficient classification of gene expression microarray data

    OpenAIRE

    Bosio, Mattia

    2014-01-01

    In the field of computational biology, microarryas are used to measure the activity of thousands of genes at once and create a global picture of cellular function. Microarrays allow scientists to analyze expression of many genes in a single experiment quickly and eficiently. Even if microarrays are a consolidated research technology nowadays and the trends in high-throughput data analysis are shifting towards new technologies like Next Generation Sequencing (NGS), an optimum method for sample...

  8. Nanomedicine, microarrays and their applications in clinical microbiology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Özcan Deveci

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Growing interest in the future medical applications of nanotechnology is leading to the emergence of a new scientific field that called as “nanomedicine”. Nanomedicine may be defined as the investigating, treating, reconstructing and controlling human biology and health at the molecular level, using engineered nanodevices and nanostructures. Microarray technology is a revolutionary tool for elucidating roles of genes in infectious diseases, shifting from traditional methods of research to integrated approaches. This technology has great potential to provide medical diagnosis, monitor treatment and help in the development of new tools for infectious disease prevention and/or management. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the current application of microarray platforms and nanomedicine in the study of experimental microbiology and the impact of this technology in clinical settings.

  9. Fluorescent labeling of NASBA amplified tmRNA molecules for microarray applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaplinski Lauris

    2009-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Here we present a novel promising microbial diagnostic method that combines the sensitivity of Nucleic Acid Sequence Based Amplification (NASBA with the high information content of microarray technology for the detection of bacterial tmRNA molecules. The NASBA protocol was modified to include aminoallyl-UTP (aaUTP molecules that were incorporated into nascent RNA during the NASBA reaction. Post-amplification labeling with fluorescent dye was carried out subsequently and tmRNA hybridization signal intensities were measured using microarray technology. Significant optimization of the labeled NASBA protocol was required to maintain the required sensitivity of the reactions. Results Two different aaUTP salts were evaluated and optimum final concentrations were identified for both. The final 2 mM concentration of aaUTP Li-salt in NASBA reaction resulted in highest microarray signals overall, being twice as high as the strongest signals with 1 mM aaUTP Na-salt. Conclusion We have successfully demonstrated efficient combination of NASBA amplification technology with microarray based hybridization detection. The method is applicative for many different areas of microbial diagnostics including environmental monitoring, bio threat detection, industrial process monitoring and clinical microbiology.

  10. Population structure revealed by different marker types (SSR or DArT) has an impact on the results of genome-wide association mapping in European barley cultivars

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Matthies, I.E.; Hintum, van T.J.L.; Weise, S.; Röder, M.S.

    2012-01-01

    Diversity arrays technology (DArT) and simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers were applied to investigate population structure, extent of linkage disequilibrium and genetic diversity (kinship) on a genome-wide level in European barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) cultivars. A set of 183 varieties could be

  11. Exploiting fluorescence for multiplex immunoassays on protein microarrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Herbáth, Melinda; Balogh, Andrea; Matkó, János; Papp, Krisztián; Prechl, József

    2014-01-01

    Protein microarray technology is becoming the method of choice for identifying protein interaction partners, detecting specific proteins, carbohydrates and lipids, or for characterizing protein interactions and serum antibodies in a massively parallel manner. Availability of the well-established instrumentation of DNA arrays and development of new fluorescent detection instruments promoted the spread of this technique. Fluorescent detection has the advantage of high sensitivity, specificity, simplicity and wide dynamic range required by most measurements. Fluorescence through specifically designed probes and an increasing variety of detection modes offers an excellent tool for such microarray platforms. Measuring for example the level of antibodies, their isotypes and/or antigen specificity simultaneously can offer more complex and comprehensive information about the investigated biological phenomenon, especially if we take into consideration that hundreds of samples can be measured in a single assay. Not only body fluids, but also cell lysates, extracted cellular components, and intact living cells can be analyzed on protein arrays for monitoring functional responses to printed samples on the surface. As a rapidly evolving area, protein microarray technology offers a great bulk of information and new depth of knowledge. These are the features that endow protein arrays with wide applicability and robust sample analyzing capability. On the whole, protein arrays are emerging new tools not just in proteomics, but glycomics, lipidomics, and are also important for immunological research. In this review we attempt to summarize the technical aspects of planar fluorescent microarray technology along with the description of its main immunological applications. (topical review)

  12. Electromagnetic model of a lightning dart leader in the earth atmosphere

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gordeev, A.V.; Losseva, T.V.

    2005-01-01

    The fundamentally new approach to the lightning dart leader structure investigation is suggested, which is connected with the charge separation and the appearance of the Hall potential in the current-channel magnetic field of the lightning dart leader. Generation of the strong radial electric field provides both the relativistic electron drift along the lightning channel and the breakdown in the Earth atmosphere at the front of the propagating filament. The magnetic selfinsulation in the current channel ensures the propagation of the current filament with the relativistic electrons up to the Earth surface. After this stage the reflected magnetic selfinsulation wave realizes the return stroke stage of the lightning that is accompanied by the strong gas heating in the lightning channel. The current data in the lightning dart leader channel (4-11 kA) and the range of the X-ray emission from the lightning channel (30-250 keV), which are obtained in in-situ observations, are in reasonably good agreement with the estimates made in the frame of this model. Profiles of magnetic field Bq, electron concentration ne, electron velocity v ez and radial electric field E r in current channel for the current value 11 kA are presented. (author)

  13. Bacterial identification and subtyping using DNA microarray and DNA sequencing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Khaldi, Sufian F; Mossoba, Magdi M; Allard, Marc M; Lienau, E Kurt; Brown, Eric D

    2012-01-01

    The era of fast and accurate discovery of biological sequence motifs in prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells is here. The co-evolution of direct genome sequencing and DNA microarray strategies not only will identify, isotype, and serotype pathogenic bacteria, but also it will aid in the discovery of new gene functions by detecting gene expressions in different diseases and environmental conditions. Microarray bacterial identification has made great advances in working with pure and mixed bacterial samples. The technological advances have moved beyond bacterial gene expression to include bacterial identification and isotyping. Application of new tools such as mid-infrared chemical imaging improves detection of hybridization in DNA microarrays. The research in this field is promising and future work will reveal the potential of infrared technology in bacterial identification. On the other hand, DNA sequencing by using 454 pyrosequencing is so cost effective that the promise of $1,000 per bacterial genome sequence is becoming a reality. Pyrosequencing technology is a simple to use technique that can produce accurate and quantitative analysis of DNA sequences with a great speed. The deposition of massive amounts of bacterial genomic information in databanks is creating fingerprint phylogenetic analysis that will ultimately replace several technologies such as Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis. In this chapter, we will review (1) the use of DNA microarray using fluorescence and infrared imaging detection for identification of pathogenic bacteria, and (2) use of pyrosequencing in DNA cluster analysis to fingerprint bacterial phylogenetic trees.

  14. Development and Use of Integrated Microarray-Based Genomic Technologies for Assessing Microbial Community Composition and Dynamics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    J. Zhou; S.-K. Rhee; C. Schadt; T. Gentry; Z. He; X. Li; X. Liu; J. Liebich; S.C. Chong; L. Wu

    2004-03-17

    different microbial communities and processes at the NABIR-FRC in Oak Ridge, TN. One project involves the monitoring of the development and dynamics of the microbial community of a fluidized bed reactor (FBR) used for reducing nitrate and the other project monitors microbial community responses to stimulation of uranium reducing populations via ethanol donor additions in situ and in a model system. Additionally, we are developing novel strategies for increasing microarray hybridization sensitivity. Finally, great improvements to our methods of probe design were made by the development of a new computer program, CommOligo. CommOligo designs unique and group-specific oligo probes for whole-genomes, metagenomes, and groups of environmental sequences and uses a new global alignment algorithm to design single or multiple probes for each gene or group. We are now using this program to design a more comprehensive functional gene array for environmental studies. Overall, our results indicate that the 50mer-based microarray technology has potential as a specific and quantitative tool to reveal the composition of microbial communities and their dynamics important to processes within contaminated environments.

  15. Phylogenetic Relationships between Four Salix L. Species Based on DArT Markers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerzy A. Przyborowski

    2013-12-01

    Full Text Available The objectives of this study were to evaluate the usefulness of DArT markers in genotypic identification of willow species and describe genetic relationships between four willow species: Salix viminalis, S. purpurea, S. alba and S. triandra. The experimental plant material comprised 53 willow genotypes of these four species, which are popularly grown in Poland. DArT markers seem to identify Salix species with a high degree of accuracy. As a result, the examined species were divided into four distinct groups which corresponded to the four analyzed species. In our study, we observed that S. triandra was very different genetically from the other species, including S. alba which is generally classified into the same subgenus of Salix. The above corroborates the findings of other authors who relied on molecular methods to reveal that the classification of S. triandra to the subgenus Salix was erroneous. The Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA and the neighbor-joining dendrogram also confirmed the clear division of the studied willow genotypes into four clusters corresponding to individual species. This confirmed the usefulness of DArT markers in taxonomic analyses and identification of willow species.

  16. Microintaglio Printing for Soft Lithography-Based in Situ Microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manish Biyani

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Advances in lithographic approaches to fabricating bio-microarrays have been extensively explored over the last two decades. However, the need for pattern flexibility, a high density, a high resolution, affordability and on-demand fabrication is promoting the development of unconventional routes for microarray fabrication. This review highlights the development and uses of a new molecular lithography approach, called “microintaglio printing technology”, for large-scale bio-microarray fabrication using a microreactor array (µRA-based chip consisting of uniformly-arranged, femtoliter-size µRA molds. In this method, a single-molecule-amplified DNA microarray pattern is self-assembled onto a µRA mold and subsequently converted into a messenger RNA or protein microarray pattern by simultaneously producing and transferring (immobilizing a messenger RNA or a protein from a µRA mold to a glass surface. Microintaglio printing allows the self-assembly and patterning of in situ-synthesized biomolecules into high-density (kilo-giga-density, ordered arrays on a chip surface with µm-order precision. This holistic aim, which is difficult to achieve using conventional printing and microarray approaches, is expected to revolutionize and reshape proteomics. This review is not written comprehensively, but rather substantively, highlighting the versatility of microintaglio printing for developing a prerequisite platform for microarray technology for the postgenomic era.

  17. Comparison of Comparative Genomic Hybridization Technologies across Microarray Platforms

    Science.gov (United States)

    In the 2007 Association of Biomolecular Resource Facilities (ABRF) Microarray Research Group (MARG) project, we analyzed HL-60 DNA with five platforms: Agilent, Affymetrix 500K, Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0, Illumina, and RPCI 19K BAC arrays. Copy number variation (CNV) was analyzed ...

  18. Transfer of motor and perceptual skills from basketball to darts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rebecca eRienhoff

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available The quiet eye is a perceptual skill associated with expertise and superior performance; however, little is known about the transfer of quiet eye across domains. We attempted to replicate previous skill-based differences in quiet eye and investigated whether transfer of motor and perceptual skills occurs between similar tasks. Throwing accuracy and quiet eye duration for skilled and less-skilled basketball players were examined in basketball free throw shooting and the transfer task of dart throwing. Skilled basketball players showed significantly higher throwing accuracy and longer quiet eye duration in the basketball free throw task compared to their less-skilled counterparts. Further, skilled basketball players showed positive transfer from basketball to dart throwing in accuracy but not in quiet eye duration. Our results raise interesting questions regarding the measurement of transfer between skills.

  19. Recent developments in the field of arrow and dart poisons.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Philippe, Geneviève; Angenot, Luc

    2005-08-22

    Arrow and dart poisons, considered as conventional natural sources for future drug discovery, have already provided numerous biologically active molecules used as drugs in therapeutic applications or in pharmacological research. Plants containing alkaloids or cardiotonic glycosides have generally been the main ingredients responsible for the efficacy of these poisons, although some animals, such as frogs, have also been employed. This paper, without being exhaustive, reports the greater strides made during the past 15 years in the understanding of the chemical nature and biological properties of arrow and dart poison constituents. Examples both of promising biological properties shown by these molecules and of crucial discoveries achieved by their use as pharmacological tools are given. Further studies of these toxic principles are likely to enable scientists to find new valuable lead compounds, useful in many fields of research, like oncology, inflammation and infectious diseases.

  20. A MITgcm/DART ensemble analysis and prediction system with application to the Gulf of Mexico

    KAUST Repository

    Hoteit, Ibrahim

    2013-09-01

    This paper describes the development of an advanced ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF)-based ocean data assimilation system for prediction of the evolution of the loop current in the Gulf of Mexico (GoM). The system integrates the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART) assimilation package with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology ocean general circulation model (MITgcm). The MITgcm/DART system supports the assimilation of a wide range of ocean observations and uses an ensemble approach to solve the nonlinear assimilation problems. The GoM prediction system was implemented with an eddy-resolving 1/10th degree configuration of the MITgcm. Assimilation experiments were performed over a 6-month period between May and October during a strong loop current event in 1999. The model was sequentially constrained with weekly satellite sea surface temperature and altimetry data. Experiments results suggest that the ensemble-based assimilation system shows a high predictive skill in the GoM, with estimated ensemble spread mainly concentrated around the front of the loop current. Further analysis of the system estimates demonstrates that the ensemble assimilation accurately reproduces the observed features without imposing any negative impact on the dynamical balance of the system. Results from sensitivity experiments with respect to the ensemble filter parameters are also presented and discussed. © 2013 Elsevier B.V.

  1. Novel Protein Microarray Technology to Examine Men with Prostate Cancer

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Lilja, Hans

    2005-01-01

    The authors developed a novel macro and nanoporous silicon surface for protein microarrays to facilitate high-throughput biomarker discovery, and high-density protein-chip array analyses of complex biological samples...

  2. The Single Needle Lockstitch Machine. [Constructing Darts.] Module 3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    South Carolina State Dept. of Education, Columbia. Office of Vocational Education.

    This module on constructing darts, one in a series on the single needle lockstitch sewing machine for student self-study, contains two sections. Each section includes the following parts: an introduction, directions, an objective, learning activities, student information, student self-check, check-out activities, and an instructor's final…

  3. Label and Label-Free Detection Techniques for Protein Microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Amir Syahir

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available Protein microarray technology has gone through numerous innovative developments in recent decades. In this review, we focus on the development of protein detection methods embedded in the technology. Early microarrays utilized useful chromophores and versatile biochemical techniques dominated by high-throughput illumination. Recently, the realization of label-free techniques has been greatly advanced by the combination of knowledge in material sciences, computational design and nanofabrication. These rapidly advancing techniques aim to provide data without the intervention of label molecules. Here, we present a brief overview of this remarkable innovation from the perspectives of label and label-free techniques in transducing nano‑biological events.

  4. Dynamic, electronically switchable surfaces for membrane protein microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, C S; Dusseiller, M; Makohliso, S; Heuschkel, M; Sharma, S; Keller, B; Vörös, J

    2006-02-01

    Microarray technology is a powerful tool that provides a high throughput of bioanalytical information within a single experiment. These miniaturized and parallelized binding assays are highly sensitive and have found widespread popularity especially during the genomic era. However, as drug diagnostics studies are often targeted at membrane proteins, the current arraying technologies are ill-equipped to handle the fragile nature of the protein molecules. In addition, to understand the complex structure and functions of proteins, different strategies to immobilize the probe molecules selectively onto a platform for protein microarray are required. We propose a novel approach to create a (membrane) protein microarray by using an indium tin oxide (ITO) microelectrode array with an electronic multiplexing capability. A polycationic, protein- and vesicle-resistant copolymer, poly(l-lysine)-grafted-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLL-g-PEG), is exposed to and adsorbed uniformly onto the microelectrode array, as a passivating adlayer. An electronic stimulation is then applied onto the individual ITO microelectrodes resulting in the localized release of the polymer thus revealing a bare ITO surface. Different polymer and biological moieties are specifically immobilized onto the activated ITO microelectrodes while the other regions remain protein-resistant as they are unaffected by the induced electrical potential. The desorption process of the PLL-g-PEG is observed to be highly selective, rapid, and reversible without compromising on the integrity and performance of the conductive ITO microelectrodes. As such, we have successfully created a stable and heterogeneous microarray of biomolecules by using selective electronic addressing on ITO microelectrodes. Both pharmaceutical diagnostics and biomedical technology are expected to benefit directly from this unique method.

  5. Efficacy of dart or booster vaccination with strain RB51 in protecting bison against experimental Brucella abortus challenge

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaccination is an effective tool for reducing the prevalence of brucellosis in natural hosts. In this study, we characterized the efficacy of the Brucella abortus strain RB51 (RB51) vaccine in bison when delivered by single intramuscular vaccination (Hand RB51), single pneumatic dart delivery (Dart ...

  6. DART model for irradiation-induced swelling of dispersion fuel elements including aluminum-fuel interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rest, J.; Hofman, G.L.

    1997-01-01

    The Dispersion Analysis Research Tool (DART) contains models for fission-gas-induced fuel swelling, interaction of fuel with the matrix aluminum, for the resultant reaction-product swelling, and for the calculation of the stress gradient within the fuel particle. The effects of an aluminide shell on fuel particle swelling are evaluated. Validation of the model is demonstrated by a comparison of DART calculations of fuel swelling of U 3 SiAl-Al and U 3 Si 2 -Al for various dispersion fuel element designs with the data

  7. DNA Microarrays in Comparative Genomics and Transcriptomics

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Willenbrock, Hanni

    2007-01-01

    at identifying the exact breakpoints where DNA has been gained or lost. In this thesis, three popular methods are compared and a realistic simulation model is presented for generating artificial data with known breakpoints and known DNA copy number. By using simulated data, we obtain a realistic evaluation......During the past few years, innovations in the DNA sequencing technology has led to an explosion in available DNA sequence information. This has revolutionized biological research and promoted the development of high throughput analysis methods that can take advantage of the vast amount of sequence...... data. For this, the DNA microarray technology has gained enormous popularity due to its ability to measure the presence or the activity of thousands of genes simultaneously. Microarrays for high throughput data analyses are not limited to a few organisms but may be applied to everything from bacteria...

  8. Uropathogenic Escherichia coli virulence genes: invaluable approaches for designing DNA microarray probes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jahandeh, Nadia; Ranjbar, Reza; Behzadi, Payam; Behzadi, Elham

    2015-01-01

    The pathotypes of uropathogenic Escherichia coli (UPEC) cause different types of urinary tract infections (UTIs). The presence of a wide range of virulence genes in UPEC enables us to design appropriate DNA microarray probes. These probes, which are used in DNA microarray technology, provide us with an accurate and rapid diagnosis and definitive treatment in association with UTIs caused by UPEC pathotypes. The main goal of this article is to introduce the UPEC virulence genes as invaluable approaches for designing DNA microarray probes. Main search engines such as Google Scholar and databases like NCBI were searched to find and study several original pieces of literature, review articles, and DNA gene sequences. In parallel with in silico studies, the experiences of the authors were helpful for selecting appropriate sources and writing this review article. There is a significant variety of virulence genes among UPEC strains. The DNA sequences of virulence genes are fabulous patterns for designing microarray probes. The location of virulence genes and their sequence lengths influence the quality of probes. The use of selected virulence genes for designing microarray probes gives us a wide range of choices from which the best probe candidates can be chosen. DNA microarray technology provides us with an accurate, rapid, cost-effective, sensitive, and specific molecular diagnostic method which is facilitated by designing microarray probes. Via these tools, we are able to have an accurate diagnosis and a definitive treatment regarding UTIs caused by UPEC pathotypes.

  9. Employing image processing techniques for cancer detection using microarray images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dehghan Khalilabad, Nastaran; Hassanpour, Hamid

    2017-02-01

    Microarray technology is a powerful genomic tool for simultaneously studying and analyzing the behavior of thousands of genes. The analysis of images obtained from this technology plays a critical role in the detection and treatment of diseases. The aim of the current study is to develop an automated system for analyzing data from microarray images in order to detect cancerous cases. The proposed system consists of three main phases, namely image processing, data mining, and the detection of the disease. The image processing phase performs operations such as refining image rotation, gridding (locating genes) and extracting raw data from images the data mining includes normalizing the extracted data and selecting the more effective genes. Finally, via the extracted data, cancerous cell is recognized. To evaluate the performance of the proposed system, microarray database is employed which includes Breast cancer, Myeloid Leukemia and Lymphomas from the Stanford Microarray Database. The results indicate that the proposed system is able to identify the type of cancer from the data set with an accuracy of 95.45%, 94.11%, and 100%, respectively. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Transmitter-equipped darts in a protocol for chemically immobilizing free-ranging red deer (Cervus elaphus in Central Italy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sandro Nicoloso

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Twenty-two free-ranging red deer (Cervus elaphus, 9 males and 13 females (7 months to 13 years old, were captured in October-November 2006 and December 2007, along the Apenninic ridge (44°06’N, 11°00’E between the Pistoia (Tuscany and Bologna (Emilia-Romagna provinces, as part of a reintroduction project in Gran Sasso and Laga’s Mountains National Park (42°33’N, 13°28’E, Italy. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a red deer capture protocol, using equipped transmitter darts, in Apennine areas where other methods had not been successful. The red deer were darted (by an operative team of 5-7 operators during dark hours with a mixture of Zoletil® (Z and xylazine (X and, whenever secondary dosages became necessary, a mixture of ketamine (K and X were used. Twenty-five animals were shot, only 3 of which could not be approached to re-dart them. All animals were darted, during dark hours, from a vehicle at a distance of 10-30 m and then recovered, using 3-cc disposable Pneu-dart® transmitter darts, 50-280 m (median 80 m from the dart site. These technical choices were forced by an uneven and wooded environment of the study area. Before the transport to the reintroduction site, the animals were kept in a lairage stable, arranged in single boxes, provided with water and food. This accommodation was necessary to collect a reasonable number of animals to arrange the transport. The immobilized animals were brought to the stable and haemoglobin saturation and heart rate were constantly monitored with a pulse oximeter. Oxygen was insufflated into a nostril at a rate of 10 litres/min for 20-35 min. Atipamezole was administered two thirds intramuscularly (IM and one third intravenously, 45 to 120 min after the last IM narcotic injection, to revive the animals. No side effects other than different levels of meteorism, were displayed. In conclusion, the protocol applied, which proved safe for the animals and had optimal

  11. Fitting new technologies into the safety paradigm: use of microarrays in transfusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fournier-Wirth, C; Coste, J

    2007-01-01

    Until the late 1990s, mandatory blood screening for transmissible infectious agents depended entirely on antigen/antibody-based detection assays. The recent emergence of Nucleic acid Amplification Technologies (NAT) has revolutionised viral diagnosis, not only by increasing the level of sensitivity but also by facilitating the detection of several viruses in parallel by multiplexing specific primers. In more complex biological situations, when a broad spectrum of pathogens must be screened, the limitations of these first generation technologies became apparent. High throughput systems, such as DNA Arrays, permit a conceptually new approach. These miniaturised micro systems allow the detection of hundreds of different targets simultaneously, inducing a dramatic decrease in reagent consumption, a reduction in the number of confirmation tests and a simplification of data interpretation. However, the systems currently available require additional instrumentation and reagents for sample preparation and target amplification prior to detection on the DNA array. A major challenge in the area of DNA detection is the development of methods that do not rely on target amplification systems. Likewise, the advances of protein microarrays have lagged because of poor stability of proteins, complex coupling chemistry and weak detection signals. Emerging technologies like Biosensors and nano-particle based DNA or Protein Bio-Barcode Amplification Assays are promising diagnostic tools for a wide range of clinical applications, including blood donation screening.

  12. Recommendations for the use of microarrays in prenatal diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suela, Javier; López-Expósito, Isabel; Querejeta, María Eugenia; Martorell, Rosa; Cuatrecasas, Esther; Armengol, Lluis; Antolín, Eugenia; Domínguez Garrido, Elena; Trujillo-Tiebas, María José; Rosell, Jordi; García Planells, Javier; Cigudosa, Juan Cruz

    2017-04-07

    Microarray technology, recently implemented in international prenatal diagnosis systems, has become one of the main techniques in this field in terms of detection rate and objectivity of the results. This guideline attempts to provide background information on this technology, including technical and diagnostic aspects to be considered. Specifically, this guideline defines: the different prenatal sample types to be used, as well as their characteristics (chorionic villi samples, amniotic fluid, fetal cord blood or miscarriage tissue material); variant reporting policies (including variants of uncertain significance) to be considered in informed consents and prenatal microarray reports; microarray limitations inherent to the technique and which must be taken into account when recommending microarray testing for diagnosis; a detailed clinical algorithm recommending the use of microarray testing and its introduction into routine clinical practice within the context of other genetic tests, including pregnancies in families with a genetic history or specific syndrome suspicion, first trimester increased nuchal translucency or second trimester heart malformation and ultrasound findings not related to a known or specific syndrome. This guideline has been coordinated by the Spanish Association for Prenatal Diagnosis (AEDP, «Asociación Española de Diagnóstico Prenatal»), the Spanish Human Genetics Association (AEGH, «Asociación Española de Genética Humana») and the Spanish Society of Clinical Genetics and Dysmorphology (SEGCyD, «Sociedad Española de Genética Clínica y Dismorfología»). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  13. Glycoprofiling of Early Gastric Cancer Using Lectin Microarray Technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Taijie; Mo, Cuiju; Qin, Xue; Li, Shan; Liu, Yinkun; Liu, Zhiming

    2018-01-01

    Recently, studies have reported that protein glycosylation plays an important role in the occurrence and development of cancer. Gastric cancer is a common cancer with high morbidity and mortality owing to most gastric cancers are discovered only at an advanced stage. Here, we aim to discover novel specific serum glycanbased biomarkers for gastric cancer. A lectin microarray with 50 kinds of tumor-associated lectin was used to detect the glycan profiles of serum samples between early gastric cancer and healthy controls. Then lectin blot was performed to validate the differences. The result of the lectin microarray showed that the signal intensities of 13 lectins showed significant differences between the healthy controls and early gastric cancer. Compared to the healthy, the normalized fluorescent intensities of the lectins PWA, LEL, and STL were significantly increased, and it implied that their specifically recognized GlcNAc showed an especially elevated expression in early gastric cancer. Moreover, the binding affinity of the lectins EEL, RCA-II, RCA-I, VAL, DSA, PHA-L, UEA, and CAL were higher in the early gastric cancer than in healthy controls. These glycan structures containing GalNAc, terminal Galβ 1-4 GlcNAc, Tri/tetraantennary N-glycan, β-1, 6GlcNAc branching structure, α-linked fucose residues, and Tn antigen were elevated in gastric cancer. While the two lectins CFL GNL reduced their binding ability. In addition, their specifically recognized N-acetyl-D-galactosamine structure and (α-1,3) mannose residues were decreased in early gastric cancer. Furthermore, lectin blot results of LEL, STL, PHA-L, RCA-I were consistent with the results of the lectin microarray. The findings of our study clarify the specific alterations for glycosylation during the pathogenesis of gastric cancer. The specific high expression of GlcNAc structure may act as a potential early diagnostic marker for gastric cancer.

  14. Emerging use of gene expression microarrays in plant physiology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wullschleger, Stan D; Difazio, Stephen P

    2003-01-01

    Microarrays have become an important technology for the global analysis of gene expression in humans, animals, plants, and microbes. Implemented in the context of a well-designed experiment, cDNA and oligonucleotide arrays can provide highthroughput, simultaneous analysis of transcript abundance for hundreds, if not thousands, of genes. However, despite widespread acceptance, the use of microarrays as a tool to better understand processes of interest to the plant physiologist is still being explored. To help illustrate current uses of microarrays in the plant sciences, several case studies that we believe demonstrate the emerging application of gene expression arrays in plant physiology were selected from among the many posters and presentations at the 2003 Plant and Animal Genome XI Conference. Based on this survey, microarrays are being used to assess gene expression in plants exposed to the experimental manipulation of air temperature, soil water content and aluminium concentration in the root zone. Analysis often includes characterizing transcript profiles for multiple post-treatment sampling periods and categorizing genes with common patterns of response using hierarchical clustering techniques. In addition, microarrays are also providing insights into developmental changes in gene expression associated with fibre and root elongation in cotton and maize, respectively. Technical and analytical limitations of microarrays are discussed and projects attempting to advance areas of microarray design and data analysis are highlighted. Finally, although much work remains, we conclude that microarrays are a valuable tool for the plant physiologist interested in the characterization and identification of individual genes and gene families with potential application in the fields of agriculture, horticulture and forestry.

  15. Kinesthetic motor imagery training modulates frontal midline theta during imagination of a dart throw.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, E; Doppelmayr, M

    2016-12-01

    Motor imagery (MI) is a frequently used and effective method for motor learning in sports as well as in other domains. Electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies indicated that experts within a certain sport exhibit a more pronounced brain activity during MI as compared to novices. Similar to the execution, during MI the motor sequence has to be planned. Thus, the frontal attentional system, in part represented by the frontal midline theta (4-7Hz), is closely related to these processes and presumably plays a major role in MI as well. In this study, a MI dart training and its impact on frontal midline theta activity (fmt) during MI are examined. 53 healthy subjects with no prior dart experience were randomly allocated to a kinesthetic training group (KinVis) or to a control group (Control). Both groups performed 15 training sessions. While in the KinVis group dart throwing was accompanied by MI, the Control group trained without MI. Dart performance and fmt activity during MI within the first and the 15th session were compared. As expected, the performance increase was more pronounced in the KinVis group. Furthermore, frontal theta amplitude was significantly increased in the KinVis group during MI in the 15th training session as compared to the baseline. These results confirm the effectivity of MI. The enhanced fmt activity in the KinVis group can be interpreted as a better allocation of the requested resources in the frontal attentional network after MI. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Genetic linkage mapping in an F2 perennial ryegrass population using DArT markers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tomaszewski, Céline; Byrne, Stephen; Foito, Alexandra

    2012-01-01

    Perennial ryegrass is the principal forage grass species used in temperate agriculture. In recent years, significant efforts have been made to develop molecular marker strategies to allow cost-effective characterization of a large number of loci simultaneously. One such strategy involves using DAr......T markers, and a DArT array has recently been developed for the Lolium-Festuca complex. In this study, we report the first use of the DArTFest array to generate a genetic linkage map based on 326 markers in a Lolium perenne F2 population, consisting of 325 genotypes. For proof of concept, the map was used...

  17. Dalla parola all'immagine: il linguaggio della critica d'arte: Per la traduzione di una "traduzione"

    OpenAIRE

    De Martin, Maria Pia

    1994-01-01

    Negli ultimi decenni i musei e le gallerie d'arte di tutta Europa hanno visto crescere continuamente l'afflusso dei visitatori: basti pensare alle grandi mostre degli ultimi anni e alle interminabili code per accedervi (per esempio Kandinsky a Parigi e a Milano nel 1985). Laddove, in passato, la fruizione delle opere d'arte era limitata ad una stretta cerchia di persone, esse sembrano aver risvegliato oggi l'interesse del grande pubblico. Insieme all'interesse generale cres...

  18. Emerging Use of Gene Expression Microarrays in Plant Physiology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stephen P. Difazio

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Microarrays have become an important technology for the global analysis of gene expression in humans, animals, plants, and microbes. Implemented in the context of a well-designed experiment, cDNA and oligonucleotide arrays can provide highthroughput, simultaneous analysis of transcript abundance for hundreds, if not thousands, of genes. However, despite widespread acceptance, the use of microarrays as a tool to better understand processes of interest to the plant physiologist is still being explored. To help illustrate current uses of microarrays in the plant sciences, several case studies that we believe demonstrate the emerging application of gene expression arrays in plant physiology were selected from among the many posters and presentations at the 2003 Plant and Animal Genome XI Conference. Based on this survey, microarrays are being used to assess gene expression in plants exposed to the experimental manipulation of air temperature, soil water content and aluminium concentration in the root zone. Analysis often includes characterizing transcript profiles for multiple post-treatment sampling periods and categorizing genes with common patterns of response using hierarchical clustering techniques. In addition, microarrays are also providing insights into developmental changes in gene expression associated with fibre and root elongation in cotton and maize, respectively. Technical and analytical limitations of microarrays are discussed and projects attempting to advance areas of microarray design and data analysis are highlighted. Finally, although much work remains, we conclude that microarrays are a valuable tool for the plant physiologist interested in the characterization and identification of individual genes and gene families with potential application in the fields of agriculture, horticulture and forestry.

  19. Variance estimation in the analysis of microarray data

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Yuedong; Ma, Yanyuan; Carroll, Raymond J.

    2009-01-01

    Microarrays are one of the most widely used high throughput technologies. One of the main problems in the area is that conventional estimates of the variances that are required in the t-statistic and other statistics are unreliable owing

  20. MAGMA: analysis of two-channel microarrays made easy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehrauer, Hubert; Zoller, Stefan; Schlapbach, Ralph

    2007-07-01

    The web application MAGMA provides a simple and intuitive interface to identify differentially expressed genes from two-channel microarray data. While the underlying algorithms are not superior to those of similar web applications, MAGMA is particularly user friendly and can be used without prior training. The user interface guides the novice user through the most typical microarray analysis workflow consisting of data upload, annotation, normalization and statistical analysis. It automatically generates R-scripts that document MAGMA's entire data processing steps, thereby allowing the user to regenerate all results in his local R installation. The implementation of MAGMA follows the model-view-controller design pattern that strictly separates the R-based statistical data processing, the web-representation and the application logic. This modular design makes the application flexible and easily extendible by experts in one of the fields: statistical microarray analysis, web design or software development. State-of-the-art Java Server Faces technology was used to generate the web interface and to perform user input processing. MAGMA's object-oriented modular framework makes it easily extendible and applicable to other fields and demonstrates that modern Java technology is also suitable for rather small and concise academic projects. MAGMA is freely available at www.magma-fgcz.uzh.ch.

  1. The properties of SIRT, TVM, and DART for 3D imaging of tubular domains in nanocomposite thin-films and sections

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Delei; Goris, Bart; Bleichrodt, Folkert; Mezerji, Hamed Heidari; Bals, Sara; Batenburg, Kees Joost; With, Gijsbertus de; Friedrich, Heiner

    2014-01-01

    In electron tomography, the fidelity of the 3D reconstruction strongly depends on the employed reconstruction algorithm. In this paper, the properties of SIRT, TVM and DART reconstructions are studied with respect to having only a limited number of electrons available for imaging and applying different angular sampling schemes. A well-defined realistic model is generated, which consists of tubular domains within a matrix having slab-geometry. Subsequently, the electron tomography workflow is simulated from calculated tilt-series over experimental effects to reconstruction. In comparison with the model, the fidelity of each reconstruction method is evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively based on global and local edge profiles and resolvable distance between particles. Results show that the performance of all reconstruction methods declines with the total electron dose. Overall, SIRT algorithm is the most stable method and insensitive to changes in angular sampling. TVM algorithm yields significantly sharper edges in the reconstruction, but the edge positions are strongly influenced by the tilt scheme and the tubular objects become thinned. The DART algorithm markedly suppresses the elongation artifacts along the beam direction and moreover segments the reconstruction which can be considered a significant advantage for quantification. Finally, no advantage of TVM and DART to deal better with fewer projections was observed. - Highlights: • Dose and tilt-scheme dependence of SIRT, TVM and DART tomograms are quantified. • SIRT is the most stable method and insensitive to changes in angular sampling. • TVM significantly reduces noise but objects become thinned. • DART markedly suppresses the elongation artifacts. • No advantage of TVM and DART for fewer projections is observed

  2. The properties of SIRT, TVM, and DART for 3D imaging of tubular domains in nanocomposite thin-films and sections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chen, Delei [Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ Eindhoven (Netherlands); Dutch Polymer Institute (DPI), P.O. Box 902, 5600 AX Eindhoven (Netherlands); Goris, Bart [EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Bleichrodt, Folkert [Centrum Wiskunde and Informatica, Science Park 123, NL-1098XG Amsterdam (Netherlands); Mezerji, Hamed Heidari; Bals, Sara [EMAT, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, B-2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Batenburg, Kees Joost [Centrum Wiskunde and Informatica, Science Park 123, NL-1098XG Amsterdam (Netherlands); With, Gijsbertus de [Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ Eindhoven (Netherlands); Friedrich, Heiner, E-mail: h.friedrich@tue.nl [Laboratory of Materials and Interface Chemistry, Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry, Eindhoven University of Technology, Den Dolech 2, 5612 AZ Eindhoven (Netherlands)

    2014-12-15

    In electron tomography, the fidelity of the 3D reconstruction strongly depends on the employed reconstruction algorithm. In this paper, the properties of SIRT, TVM and DART reconstructions are studied with respect to having only a limited number of electrons available for imaging and applying different angular sampling schemes. A well-defined realistic model is generated, which consists of tubular domains within a matrix having slab-geometry. Subsequently, the electron tomography workflow is simulated from calculated tilt-series over experimental effects to reconstruction. In comparison with the model, the fidelity of each reconstruction method is evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively based on global and local edge profiles and resolvable distance between particles. Results show that the performance of all reconstruction methods declines with the total electron dose. Overall, SIRT algorithm is the most stable method and insensitive to changes in angular sampling. TVM algorithm yields significantly sharper edges in the reconstruction, but the edge positions are strongly influenced by the tilt scheme and the tubular objects become thinned. The DART algorithm markedly suppresses the elongation artifacts along the beam direction and moreover segments the reconstruction which can be considered a significant advantage for quantification. Finally, no advantage of TVM and DART to deal better with fewer projections was observed. - Highlights: • Dose and tilt-scheme dependence of SIRT, TVM and DART tomograms are quantified. • SIRT is the most stable method and insensitive to changes in angular sampling. • TVM significantly reduces noise but objects become thinned. • DART markedly suppresses the elongation artifacts. • No advantage of TVM and DART for fewer projections is observed.

  3. 77 FR 47120 - Distribution of 2011 DART Sound Recordings Fund Royalties

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-08-07

    ... the motion to ascertain whether any claimant entitled to receive such royalty fees has a reasonable... LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Copyright Royalty Board [Docket No. 2012-3 CRB DD 2011] Distribution of 2011 DART Sound Recordings Fund Royalties AGENCY: Copyright Royalty Board, Library of Congress. ACTION...

  4. DNA Microarrays: a Powerful Genomic Tool for Biomedical and Clinical Research

    OpenAIRE

    Trevino, Victor; Falciani, Francesco; Barrera-Saldaña, Hugo A

    2007-01-01

    Among the many benefits of the Human Genome Project are new and powerful tools such as the genome-wide hybridization devices referred to as microarrays. Initially designed to measure gene transcriptional levels, microarray technologies are now used for comparing other genome features among individuals and their tissues and cells. Results provide valuable information on disease subcategories, disease prognosis, and treatment outcome. Likewise, they reveal differences in genetic makeup, regulat...

  5. BIOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF NUCLEIC ACIDS AT SURFACES RELEVANT TO MICROARRAY PERFORMANCE

    OpenAIRE

    Rao, Archana N.; Grainger, David W.

    2014-01-01

    Both clinical and analytical metrics produced by microarray-based assay technology have recognized problems in reproducibility, reliability and analytical sensitivity. These issues are often attributed to poor understanding and control of nucleic acid behaviors and properties at solid-liquid interfaces. Nucleic acid hybridization, central to DNA and RNA microarray formats, depends on the properties and behaviors of single strand (ss) nucleic acids (e.g., probe oligomeric DNA) bound to surface...

  6. Elucidation of the antibacterial mechanism of the Curvularia haloperoxidase system by DNA microarray profiling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, E.H.; Schembri, Mark; Klemm, Per

    2004-01-01

    was the wild type. Our results demonstrate that DNA microarray technology cannot be used as the only technique to investigate the mechanisms of action of new antimicrobial compounds. However, by combining DNA microarray analysis with the subsequent creation of knockout mutants, we were able to pinpoint one...

  7. Cross-platform analysis of cancer microarray data improves gene expression based classification of phenotypes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eils Roland

    2005-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The extensive use of DNA microarray technology in the characterization of the cell transcriptome is leading to an ever increasing amount of microarray data from cancer studies. Although similar questions for the same type of cancer are addressed in these different studies, a comparative analysis of their results is hampered by the use of heterogeneous microarray platforms and analysis methods. Results In contrast to a meta-analysis approach where results of different studies are combined on an interpretative level, we investigate here how to directly integrate raw microarray data from different studies for the purpose of supervised classification analysis. We use median rank scores and quantile discretization to derive numerically comparable measures of gene expression from different platforms. These transformed data are then used for training of classifiers based on support vector machines. We apply this approach to six publicly available cancer microarray gene expression data sets, which consist of three pairs of studies, each examining the same type of cancer, i.e. breast cancer, prostate cancer or acute myeloid leukemia. For each pair, one study was performed by means of cDNA microarrays and the other by means of oligonucleotide microarrays. In each pair, high classification accuracies (> 85% were achieved with training and testing on data instances randomly chosen from both data sets in a cross-validation analysis. To exemplify the potential of this cross-platform classification analysis, we use two leukemia microarray data sets to show that important genes with regard to the biology of leukemia are selected in an integrated analysis, which are missed in either single-set analysis. Conclusion Cross-platform classification of multiple cancer microarray data sets yields discriminative gene expression signatures that are found and validated on a large number of microarray samples, generated by different laboratories and

  8. DART - for design basis justification and safety related information management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Billington, A.; Blondiaux, P.; Boucau, J.; Cantineau, B.; Doumont, C.; Mared, A.

    2000-01-01

    DART is the acronym for Design Analysis Re-engineering Tool. It embodies a systematic and integrated approach to NPP safety re-assessment and configuration management, that makes use of Reverse Failure Mode and Effect Analysis in conjunction with a state-of-the-art relational database and a standardized data format, to permit long-term management of plant safety related information. The plant design is reviewed in a step-by-step logical fashion by constructing fault trees that identify the link between undesired consequences and their causes. Each failure cause identified in a fault tree is addressed by defining functional requirements, which are in turn addressed by documenting the specific manner in which the plant complies with the requirement. The database can be used to generate up-to-date plant safety related documents, including: SAR, Systems Descriptions, Technical Specifications and plant procedures. The approach is open-minded by nature and therefore is not regulatory driven, however the plant licensing basis will also be reviewed and documented within the same database such that a Regulatory Conformance Program may be integrated with the other safety documentation. This methodology can thus reconstitute the plant design bases in a comprehensive and systematic way, while allowing to uncover weaknesses in design. The original feature of the DART methodology is that it links all the safety related documents together, facilitating the evaluation of the safety impact resulting from any plant modification. Due to its capability to retrieve the basic justifications of the plant design, it is also a useful tool for training the young generation of plant personnel. The DART methodology has been developed for application to units 2, 3 and 4 at Vattenfall's Ringhals site in Sweden. It may be applied to any nuclear power plant or industrial facility where public safety is a concern. (author)

  9. DART - for design basis justification and safety related information management

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Billington, A.; Blondiaux, B.; Boucau, J.; Cantineau, B.; Mared, A.

    2001-01-01

    DART is the acronym for Design Analysis Re-Engineering Tool. It embodies a systematic and integrated approach to NPP safety re-assessment and configuration management, that makes use of Reverse Failure Mode and Effect Analysis in conjunction with a state-of-the-art relational database and a standardized data format, to permit long-term management of plant safety related information. The plant design is reviewed in a step-by-step logical fashion by constructing fault trees that identify the link between undesired consequences and their causes. Each failure cause identified in a fault tree is addressed by defining functional requirements, which are in turn addressed by documenting the specific manner in which the plant complies with the requirement. The database can then be used to generate up-to-date plant safety related documents, including: SAR, Systems Descriptions, Technical Specifications and plant procedures. The approach is open-minded by nature and therefore is not regulatory driven, however the plant licensing basis will also be reviewed and documented within the same database such that a Regulatory Conformance Program may be integrated with the other safety documentation. This methodology can thus reconstitute the plant design bases in a comprehensive and systematic way, while allowing to uncover weaknesses in design. The original feature of the DART methodology is that it links all the safety related documents together, facilitating the evaluation of the safety impact resulting from any plant modification. Due to its capability to retrieve the basic justifications of the plant design, it is also a useful tool for training the young generation of plant personnel. The DART methodology has been developed for application to units 2, 3 and 4 at Vattenfall's Ringhals site in Sweden. It may be applied to any nuclear power plant or industrial facility where public safety is a concern. (author)

  10. 76 FR 56483 - Distribution of 2010 DART Sound Recordings Fund Royalties

    Science.gov (United States)

    2011-09-13

    ... responses to the motion to ascertain whether any claimant entitled to receive such royalty fees has a... LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Copyright Royalty Board [Docket No. 2011-6 CRB DD 2010] Distribution of 2010 DART Sound Recordings Fund Royalties AGENCY: Copyright Royalty Board, Library of Congress. ACTION...

  11. High throughput screening of starch structures using carbohydrate microarrays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tanackovic, Vanja; Rydahl, Maja Gro; Pedersen, Henriette Lodberg

    2016-01-01

    In this study we introduce the starch-recognising carbohydrate binding module family 20 (CBM20) from Aspergillus niger for screening biological variations in starch molecular structure using high throughput carbohydrate microarray technology. Defined linear, branched and phosphorylated...

  12. Development and application of a microarray meter tool to optimize microarray experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rouse Richard JD

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Successful microarray experimentation requires a complex interplay between the slide chemistry, the printing pins, the nucleic acid probes and targets, and the hybridization milieu. Optimization of these parameters and a careful evaluation of emerging slide chemistries are a prerequisite to any large scale array fabrication effort. We have developed a 'microarray meter' tool which assesses the inherent variations associated with microarray measurement prior to embarking on large scale projects. Findings The microarray meter consists of nucleic acid targets (reference and dynamic range control and probe components. Different plate designs containing identical probe material were formulated to accommodate different robotic and pin designs. We examined the variability in probe quality and quantity (as judged by the amount of DNA printed and remaining post-hybridization using three robots equipped with capillary printing pins. Discussion The generation of microarray data with minimal variation requires consistent quality control of the (DNA microarray manufacturing and experimental processes. Spot reproducibility is a measure primarily of the variations associated with printing. The microarray meter assesses array quality by measuring the DNA content for every feature. It provides a post-hybridization analysis of array quality by scoring probe performance using three metrics, a a measure of variability in the signal intensities, b a measure of the signal dynamic range and c a measure of variability of the spot morphologies.

  13. Advanced Data Mining of Leukemia Cells Micro-Arrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Richard S. Segall

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available This paper provides continuation and extensions of previous research by Segall and Pierce (2009a that discussed data mining for micro-array databases of Leukemia cells for primarily self-organized maps (SOM. As Segall and Pierce (2009a and Segall and Pierce (2009b the results of applying data mining are shown and discussed for the data categories of microarray databases of HL60, Jurkat, NB4 and U937 Leukemia cells that are also described in this article. First, a background section is provided on the work of others pertaining to the applications of data mining to micro-array databases of Leukemia cells and micro-array databases in general. As noted in predecessor article by Segall and Pierce (2009a, micro-array databases are one of the most popular functional genomics tools in use today. This research in this paper is intended to use advanced data mining technologies for better interpretations and knowledge discovery as generated by the patterns of gene expressions of HL60, Jurkat, NB4 and U937 Leukemia cells. The advanced data mining performed entailed using other data mining tools such as cubic clustering criterion, variable importance rankings, decision trees, and more detailed examinations of data mining statistics and study of other self-organized maps (SOM clustering regions of workspace as generated by SAS Enterprise Miner version 4. Conclusions and future directions of the research are also presented.

  14. Microarray Я US: a user-friendly graphical interface to Bioconductor tools that enables accurate microarray data analysis and expedites comprehensive functional analysis of microarray results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Yilin; Guo, Ling; Li, Meng; Chen, Yi-Bu

    2012-06-08

    Microarray data analysis presents a significant challenge to researchers who are unable to use the powerful Bioconductor and its numerous tools due to their lack of knowledge of R language. Among the few existing software programs that offer a graphic user interface to Bioconductor packages, none have implemented a comprehensive strategy to address the accuracy and reliability issue of microarray data analysis due to the well known probe design problems associated with many widely used microarray chips. There is also a lack of tools that would expedite the functional analysis of microarray results. We present Microarray Я US, an R-based graphical user interface that implements over a dozen popular Bioconductor packages to offer researchers a streamlined workflow for routine differential microarray expression data analysis without the need to learn R language. In order to enable a more accurate analysis and interpretation of microarray data, we incorporated the latest custom probe re-definition and re-annotation for Affymetrix and Illumina chips. A versatile microarray results output utility tool was also implemented for easy and fast generation of input files for over 20 of the most widely used functional analysis software programs. Coupled with a well-designed user interface, Microarray Я US leverages cutting edge Bioconductor packages for researchers with no knowledge in R language. It also enables a more reliable and accurate microarray data analysis and expedites downstream functional analysis of microarray results.

  15. The history and composition of the Raymond A. Dart Collection of Human Skeletons at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dayal, Manisha R; Kegley, Anthony D T; Strkalj, Goran; Bidmos, Mubarak A; Kuykendall, Kevin L

    2009-10-01

    The Raymond A. Dart Collection of Human Skeletons (Dart Collection) is housed in the School of Anatomical Sciences at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, and comprises one of the largest documented cadaver-derived human skeletal assemblages in the world. This collection originated in the early 1920s as a result of the efforts of Raymond Dart and continues to grow. The skeletons included represent varied indigenous and immigrant populations from southern Africa, Europe and Asia. This contribution documents the history of the collection and provides an updated inventory and demographic assessment of this valuable research collection. According to a recent inventory the Dart Collection currently comprises 2,605 skeletons representing individuals from regional SA African (76%), White (15%), Coloured (4%) and Indian (0.3%) populations. A large proportion of the skeletons (71%) represent males. The recorded ages at death range from the first year to over 100 years of age, but the majority of individuals died between the ages of 20 and 70. The Dart Collection has been affected by collection procedures based on availability. All of the cadavers collected before 1958, and large proportions subsequently, were derived from unclaimed bodies in regional South African hospitals. Some details of documentation (age at death, population group) are estimates and some aspects of the collection demographics (sex ratios) do not closely reflect any living South African population. Our inventory and analysis of the Dart Collection is aimed to assist researchers planning research on the materials from this collection.

  16. Microarray BASICA: Background Adjustment, Segmentation, Image Compression and Analysis of Microarray Images

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianping Hua

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper presents microarray BASICA: an integrated image processing tool for background adjustment, segmentation, image compression, and analysis of cDNA microarray images. BASICA uses a fast Mann-Whitney test-based algorithm to segment cDNA microarray images, and performs postprocessing to eliminate the segmentation irregularities. The segmentation results, along with the foreground and background intensities obtained with the background adjustment, are then used for independent compression of the foreground and background. We introduce a new distortion measurement for cDNA microarray image compression and devise a coding scheme by modifying the embedded block coding with optimized truncation (EBCOT algorithm (Taubman, 2000 to achieve optimal rate-distortion performance in lossy coding while still maintaining outstanding lossless compression performance. Experimental results show that the bit rate required to ensure sufficiently accurate gene expression measurement varies and depends on the quality of cDNA microarray images. For homogeneously hybridized cDNA microarray images, BASICA is able to provide from a bit rate as low as 5 bpp the gene expression data that are 99% in agreement with those of the original 32 bpp images.

  17. Constraints on the perturbed mutual motion in Didymos due to impact-induced deformation of its primary after the DART impact

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirabayashi, Masatoshi; Schwartz, Stephen R.; Yu, Yang; Davis, Alex B.; Chesley, Steven R.; Fahnestock, Eugene G.; Michel, Patrick; Richardson, Derek C.; Naidu, Shantanu P.; Scheeres, Daniel J.; Cheng, Andrew F.; Rivkin, Andrew S.; Benner, Lance A. M.

    2017-12-01

    Binary near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos is the target of the proposed NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART), part of the Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) mission concept. In this mission, the DART spacecraft is planned to impact the secondary body of Didymos, perturbing mutual dynamics of the system. The primary body is currently rotating at a spin period close to the spin barrier of asteroids, and materials ejected from the secondary due to the DART impact are likely to reach the primary. These conditions may cause the primary to reshape, due to landslides or internal deformation, changing the permanent gravity field. Here, we propose that if shape deformation of the primary occurs, the mutual orbit of the system would be perturbed due to a change in the gravity field. We use a numerical simulation technique based on the full two-body problem to investigate the shape effect on the mutual dynamics in Didymos after the DART impact. The results show that under constant volume, shape deformation induces strong perturbation in the mutual motion. We find that the deformation process always causes the orbital period of the system to become shorter. If surface layers with a thickness greater than ∼0.4 m on the poles of the primary move down to the equatorial region due to the DART impact, a change in the orbital period of the system and in the spin period of the primary will be detected by ground-based measurement.

  18. Direct calibration of PICKY-designed microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald Pamela C

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Few microarrays have been quantitatively calibrated to identify optimal hybridization conditions because it is difficult to precisely determine the hybridization characteristics of a microarray using biologically variable cDNA samples. Results Using synthesized samples with known concentrations of specific oligonucleotides, a series of microarray experiments was conducted to evaluate microarrays designed by PICKY, an oligo microarray design software tool, and to test a direct microarray calibration method based on the PICKY-predicted, thermodynamically closest nontarget information. The complete set of microarray experiment results is archived in the GEO database with series accession number GSE14717. Additional data files and Perl programs described in this paper can be obtained from the website http://www.complex.iastate.edu under the PICKY Download area. Conclusion PICKY-designed microarray probes are highly reliable over a wide range of hybridization temperatures and sample concentrations. The microarray calibration method reported here allows researchers to experimentally optimize their hybridization conditions. Because this method is straightforward, uses existing microarrays and relatively inexpensive synthesized samples, it can be used by any lab that uses microarrays designed by PICKY. In addition, other microarrays can be reanalyzed by PICKY to obtain the thermodynamically closest nontarget information for calibration.

  19. Microarrays (DNA Chips) for the Classroom Laboratory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barnard, Betsy; Sussman, Michael; BonDurant, Sandra Splinter; Nienhuis, James; Krysan, Patrick

    2006-01-01

    We have developed and optimized the necessary laboratory materials to make DNA microarray technology accessible to all high school students at a fraction of both cost and data size. The primary component is a DNA chip/array that students "print" by hand and then analyze using research tools that have been adapted for classroom use. The…

  20. A Fisheye Viewer for microarray-based gene expression data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Min; Thao, Cheng; Mu, Xiangming; Munson, Ethan V

    2006-10-13

    Microarray has been widely used to measure the relative amounts of every mRNA transcript from the genome in a single scan. Biologists have been accustomed to reading their experimental data directly from tables. However, microarray data are quite large and are stored in a series of files in a machine-readable format, so direct reading of the full data set is not feasible. The challenge is to design a user interface that allows biologists to usefully view large tables of raw microarray-based gene expression data. This paper presents one such interface--an electronic table (E-table) that uses fisheye distortion technology. The Fisheye Viewer for microarray-based gene expression data has been successfully developed to view MIAME data stored in the MAGE-ML format. The viewer can be downloaded from the project web site http://polaris.imt.uwm.edu:7777/fisheye/. The fisheye viewer was implemented in Java so that it could run on multiple platforms. We implemented the E-table by adapting JTable, a default table implementation in the Java Swing user interface library. Fisheye views use variable magnification to balance magnification for easy viewing and compression for maximizing the amount of data on the screen. This Fisheye Viewer is a lightweight but useful tool for biologists to quickly overview the raw microarray-based gene expression data in an E-table.

  1. See what you eat--broad GMO screening with microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Götz, Franz

    2010-03-01

    Despite the controversy of whether genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are beneficial or harmful for humans, animals, and/or ecosystems, the number of cultivated GMOs is increasing every year. Many countries and federations have implemented safety and surveillance systems for GMOs. Potent testing technologies need to be developed and implemented to monitor the increasing number of GMOs. First, these GMO tests need to be comprehensive, i.e., should detect all, or at least the most important, GMOs on the market. This type of GMO screening requires a high degree of parallel tests or multiplexing. To date, DNA microarrays have the highest number of multiplexing capabilities when nucleic acids are analyzed. This trend article focuses on the evolution of DNA microarrays for GMO testing. Over the last 7 years, combinations of multiplex PCR detection and microarray detection have been developed to qualitatively assess the presence of GMOs. One example is the commercially available DualChip GMO (Eppendorf, Germany; http://www.eppendorf-biochip.com), which is the only GMO screening system successfully validated in a multicenter study. With use of innovative amplification techniques, promising steps have recently been taken to make GMO detection with microarrays quantitative.

  2. Immobilization Techniques for Microarray: Challenges and Applications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satish Balasaheb Nimse

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available The highly programmable positioning of molecules (biomolecules, nanoparticles, nanobeads, nanocomposites materials on surfaces has potential applications in the fields of biosensors, biomolecular electronics, and nanodevices. However, the conventional techniques including self-assembled monolayers fail to position the molecules on the nanometer scale to produce highly organized monolayers on the surface. The present article elaborates different techniques for the immobilization of the biomolecules on the surface to produce microarrays and their diagnostic applications. The advantages and the drawbacks of various methods are compared. This article also sheds light on the applications of the different technologies for the detection and discrimination of viral/bacterial genotypes and the detection of the biomarkers. A brief survey with 115 references covering the last 10 years on the biological applications of microarrays in various fields is also provided.

  3. Mining meiosis and gametogenesis with DNA microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schlecht, Ulrich; Primig, Michael

    2003-04-01

    Gametogenesis is a key developmental process that involves complex transcriptional regulation of numerous genes including many that are conserved between unicellular eukaryotes and mammals. Recent expression-profiling experiments using microarrays have provided insight into the co-ordinated transcription of several hundred genes during mitotic growth and meiotic development in budding and fission yeast. Furthermore, microarray-based studies have identified numerous loci that are regulated during the cell cycle or expressed in a germ-cell specific manner in eukaryotic model systems like Caenorhabditis elegans, Mus musculus as well as Homo sapiens. The unprecedented amount of information produced by post-genome biology has spawned novel approaches to organizing biological knowledge using currently available information technology. This review outlines experiments that contribute to an emerging comprehensive picture of the molecular machinery governing sexual reproduction in eukaryotes.

  4. Dye-Doped Silica Nanoparticle Labels/Protein Microarray for Detection of Protein Biomarkers

    OpenAIRE

    Wu, Hong; Huo, Qisheng; Varnum, Susan; Wang, Jun; Liu, Guodong; Nie, Zimin; Liu, Jun; Lin, Yuehe

    2008-01-01

    We report a dye-encapsulated silica nanoparticle as a label, with the advantages of high fluorescence intensity, photostability, and biocompatibility, in conjunction with microarray technology for sensitive immunoassay of a biomarker, Interleukin-6 (IL-6), on a microarray format. The tris (2,2’-bipyridyl)ruthenium (II)chloride hexahydrate (Rubpy) dye was incorporated into silica nanoparticles using a simple one-step microemulsion synthesis. In this synthesis process, Igepal CA520 was used as ...

  5. Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes for microarray systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phelan, Don; Jackson, Carl; Redfern, R. Michael; Morrison, Alan P.; Mathewson, Alan

    2002-06-01

    New Geiger Mode Avalanche Photodiodes (GM-APD) have been designed and characterized specifically for use in microarray systems. Critical parameters such as excess reverse bias voltage, hold-off time and optimum operating temperature have been experimentally determined for these photon-counting devices. The photon detection probability, dark count rate and afterpulsing probability have been measured under different operating conditions. An active- quench circuit (AQC) is presented for operating these GM- APDs. This circuit is relatively simple, robust and has such benefits as reducing average power dissipation and afterpulsing. Arrays of these GM-APDs have already been designed and together with AQCs open up the possibility of having a solid-state microarray detector that enables parallel analysis on a single chip. Another advantage of these GM-APDs over current technology is their low voltage CMOS compatibility which could allow for the fabrication of an AQC on the same device. Small are detectors have already been employed in the time-resolved detection of fluorescence from labeled proteins. It is envisaged that operating these new GM-APDs with this active-quench circuit will have numerous applications for the detection of fluorescence in microarray systems.

  6. Support vector machine and principal component analysis for microarray data classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Astuti, Widi; Adiwijaya

    2018-03-01

    Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide although a significant proportion of it can be cured if it is detected early. In recent decades, technology called microarray takes an important role in the diagnosis of cancer. By using data mining technique, microarray data classification can be performed to improve the accuracy of cancer diagnosis compared to traditional techniques. The characteristic of microarray data is small sample but it has huge dimension. Since that, there is a challenge for researcher to provide solutions for microarray data classification with high performance in both accuracy and running time. This research proposed the usage of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) as a dimension reduction method along with Support Vector Method (SVM) optimized by kernel functions as a classifier for microarray data classification. The proposed scheme was applied on seven data sets using 5-fold cross validation and then evaluation and analysis conducted on term of both accuracy and running time. The result showed that the scheme can obtained 100% accuracy for Ovarian and Lung Cancer data when Linear and Cubic kernel functions are used. In term of running time, PCA greatly reduced the running time for every data sets.

  7. Detection of caffeine in tea, instant coffee, green tea beverage, and soft drink by direct analysis in real time (DART) source coupled to single-quadrupole mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lei; Zhao, Pengyue; Zhang, Fengzu; Bai, Aijuan; Pan, Canping

    2013-01-01

    Ambient ionization direct analysis in real time (DART) coupled to single-quadrupole MS (DART-MS) was evaluated for rapid detection of caffeine in commercial samples without chromatographic separation or sample preparation. Four commercial samples were examined: tea, instant coffee, green tea beverage, and soft drink. The response-related parameters were optimized for the DART temperature and MS fragmentor. Under optimal conditions, the molecular ion (M+H)+ was the major ion for identification of caffeine. The results showed that DART-MS is a promising tool for the quick analysis of important marker molecules in commercial samples. Furthermore, this system has demonstrated significant potential for high sample throughput and real-time analysis.

  8. Identification of potential biomarkers from microarray experiments using multiple criteria optimization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sánchez-Peña, Matilde L; Isaza, Clara E; Pérez-Morales, Jaileene; Rodríguez-Padilla, Cristina; Castro, José M; Cabrera-Ríos, Mauricio

    2013-01-01

    Microarray experiments are capable of determining the relative expression of tens of thousands of genes simultaneously, thus resulting in very large databases. The analysis of these databases and the extraction of biologically relevant knowledge from them are challenging tasks. The identification of potential cancer biomarker genes is one of the most important aims for microarray analysis and, as such, has been widely targeted in the literature. However, identifying a set of these genes consistently across different experiments, researches, microarray platforms, or cancer types is still an elusive endeavor. Besides the inherent difficulty of the large and nonconstant variability in these experiments and the incommensurability between different microarray technologies, there is the issue of the users having to adjust a series of parameters that significantly affect the outcome of the analyses and that do not have a biological or medical meaning. In this study, the identification of potential cancer biomarkers from microarray data is casted as a multiple criteria optimization (MCO) problem. The efficient solutions to this problem, found here through data envelopment analysis (DEA), are associated to genes that are proposed as potential cancer biomarkers. The method does not require any parameter adjustment by the user, and thus fosters repeatability. The approach also allows the analysis of different microarray experiments, microarray platforms, and cancer types simultaneously. The results include the analysis of three publicly available microarray databases related to cervix cancer. This study points to the feasibility of modeling the selection of potential cancer biomarkers from microarray data as an MCO problem and solve it using DEA. Using MCO entails a new optic to the identification of potential cancer biomarkers as it does not require the definition of a threshold value to establish significance for a particular gene and the selection of a normalization

  9. Identifying Fishes through DNA Barcodes and Microarrays.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marc Kochzius

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available International fish trade reached an import value of 62.8 billion Euro in 2006, of which 44.6% are covered by the European Union. Species identification is a key problem throughout the life cycle of fishes: from eggs and larvae to adults in fisheries research and control, as well as processed fish products in consumer protection.This study aims to evaluate the applicability of the three mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA (16S, cytochrome b (cyt b, and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI for the identification of 50 European marine fish species by combining techniques of "DNA barcoding" and microarrays. In a DNA barcoding approach, neighbour Joining (NJ phylogenetic trees of 369 16S, 212 cyt b, and 447 COI sequences indicated that cyt b and COI are suitable for unambiguous identification, whereas 16S failed to discriminate closely related flatfish and gurnard species. In course of probe design for DNA microarray development, each of the markers yielded a high number of potentially species-specific probes in silico, although many of them were rejected based on microarray hybridisation experiments. None of the markers provided probes to discriminate the sibling flatfish and gurnard species. However, since 16S-probes were less negatively influenced by the "position of label" effect and showed the lowest rejection rate and the highest mean signal intensity, 16S is more suitable for DNA microarray probe design than cty b and COI. The large portion of rejected COI-probes after hybridisation experiments (>90% renders the DNA barcoding marker as rather unsuitable for this high-throughput technology.Based on these data, a DNA microarray containing 64 functional oligonucleotide probes for the identification of 30 out of the 50 fish species investigated was developed. It represents the next step towards an automated and easy-to-handle method to identify fish, ichthyoplankton, and fish products.

  10. The era of 3Rs implementation in developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) testing: Current overview and future perspectives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beekhuijzen, Manon

    2017-09-01

    Since adoption of the first globally implemented guidelines for developmental and reproductive toxicity (DART) testing for pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and agrochemicals, many years passed without major updates. However in recent years, significant changes in these guidelines have been made or are being implemented. These changes have been guided by the ethical drive to reduce, refine and replace (3R) animal testing, as well as the addition of endocrine disruptor relevant endpoints. Recent applied improvements have focused on reduction and refinement. Ongoing scientific and technical innovations will provide the means for replacement of animal testing in the future and will improve predictivity in humans. The aim of this review is to provide an overview of ongoing global DART endeavors in respect to the 3Rs, with an outlook towards future advances in DART testing aspiring to reduce animal testing to a minimum and the supreme ambition towards animal-free hazard and risk assessment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. Structured oligonucleotides for target indexing to allow single-vessel PCR amplification and solid support microarray hybridization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Girard, Laurie D; Boissinot, Karel; Peytavi, Régis; Boissinot, Maurice; Bergeron, Michel G

    2015-02-07

    The combination of molecular diagnostic technologies is increasingly used to overcome limitations on sensitivity, specificity or multiplexing capabilities, and provide efficient lab-on-chip devices. Two such techniques, PCR amplification and microarray hybridization are used serially to take advantage of the high sensitivity and specificity of the former combined with high multiplexing capacities of the latter. These methods are usually performed in different buffers and reaction chambers. However, these elaborate methods have high complexity and cost related to reagent requirements, liquid storage and the number of reaction chambers to integrate into automated devices. Furthermore, microarray hybridizations have a sequence dependent efficiency not always predictable. In this work, we have developed the concept of a structured oligonucleotide probe which is activated by cleavage from polymerase exonuclease activity. This technology is called SCISSOHR for Structured Cleavage Induced Single-Stranded Oligonucleotide Hybridization Reaction. The SCISSOHR probes enable indexing the target sequence to a tag sequence. The SCISSOHR technology also allows the combination of nucleic acid amplification and microarray hybridization in a single vessel in presence of the PCR buffer only. The SCISSOHR technology uses an amplification probe that is irreversibly modified in presence of the target, releasing a single-stranded DNA tag for microarray hybridization. Each tag is composed of a 3-nucleotide sequence-dependent segment and a unique "target sequence-independent" 14-nucleotide segment allowing for optimal hybridization with minimal cross-hybridization. We evaluated the performance of five (5) PCR buffers to support microarray hybridization, compared to a conventional hybridization buffer. Finally, as a proof of concept, we developed a multiplexed assay for the amplification, detection, and identification of three (3) DNA targets. This new technology will facilitate the design

  12. A fisheye viewer for microarray-based gene expression data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Munson Ethan V

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray has been widely used to measure the relative amounts of every mRNA transcript from the genome in a single scan. Biologists have been accustomed to reading their experimental data directly from tables. However, microarray data are quite large and are stored in a series of files in a machine-readable format, so direct reading of the full data set is not feasible. The challenge is to design a user interface that allows biologists to usefully view large tables of raw microarray-based gene expression data. This paper presents one such interface – an electronic table (E-table that uses fisheye distortion technology. Results The Fisheye Viewer for microarray-based gene expression data has been successfully developed to view MIAME data stored in the MAGE-ML format. The viewer can be downloaded from the project web site http://polaris.imt.uwm.edu:7777/fisheye/. The fisheye viewer was implemented in Java so that it could run on multiple platforms. We implemented the E-table by adapting JTable, a default table implementation in the Java Swing user interface library. Fisheye views use variable magnification to balance magnification for easy viewing and compression for maximizing the amount of data on the screen. Conclusion This Fisheye Viewer is a lightweight but useful tool for biologists to quickly overview the raw microarray-based gene expression data in an E-table.

  13. A Customized DNA Microarray for Microbial Source Tracking ...

    Science.gov (United States)

    It is estimated that more than 160, 000 miles of rivers and streams in the United States are impaired due to the presence of waterborne pathogens. These pathogens typically originate from human and other animal fecal pollution sources; therefore, a rapid microbial source tracking (MST) method is needed to facilitate water quality assessment and impaired water remediation. We report a novel qualitative DNA microarray technology consisting of 453 probes for the detection of general fecal and host-associated bacteria, viruses, antibiotic resistance, and other environmentally relevant genetic indicators. A novel data normalization and reduction approach is also presented to help alleviate false positives often associated with high-density microarray applications. To evaluate the performance of the approach, DNA and cDNA was isolated from swine, cattle, duck, goose and gull fecal reference samples, as well as soiled poultry liter and raw municipal sewage. Based on nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis of results, findings suggest that the novel microarray approach may be useful for pathogen detection and identification of fecal contamination in recreational waters. The ability to simultaneously detect a large collection of environmentally important genetic indicators in a single test has the potential to provide water quality managers with a wide range of information in a short period of time. Future research is warranted to measure microarray performance i

  14. Gene selection for microarray data classification via subspace learning and manifold regularization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tang, Chang; Cao, Lijuan; Zheng, Xiao; Wang, Minhui

    2017-12-19

    With the rapid development of DNA microarray technology, large amount of genomic data has been generated. Classification of these microarray data is a challenge task since gene expression data are often with thousands of genes but a small number of samples. In this paper, an effective gene selection method is proposed to select the best subset of genes for microarray data with the irrelevant and redundant genes removed. Compared with original data, the selected gene subset can benefit the classification task. We formulate the gene selection task as a manifold regularized subspace learning problem. In detail, a projection matrix is used to project the original high dimensional microarray data into a lower dimensional subspace, with the constraint that the original genes can be well represented by the selected genes. Meanwhile, the local manifold structure of original data is preserved by a Laplacian graph regularization term on the low-dimensional data space. The projection matrix can serve as an importance indicator of different genes. An iterative update algorithm is developed for solving the problem. Experimental results on six publicly available microarray datasets and one clinical dataset demonstrate that the proposed method performs better when compared with other state-of-the-art methods in terms of microarray data classification. Graphical Abstract The graphical abstract of this work.

  15. Fibre optic microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walt, David R

    2010-01-01

    This tutorial review describes how fibre optic microarrays can be used to create a variety of sensing and measurement systems. This review covers the basics of optical fibres and arrays, the different microarray architectures, and describes a multitude of applications. Such arrays enable multiplexed sensing for a variety of analytes including nucleic acids, vapours, and biomolecules. Polymer-coated fibre arrays can be used for measuring microscopic chemical phenomena, such as corrosion and localized release of biochemicals from cells. In addition, these microarrays can serve as a substrate for fundamental studies of single molecules and single cells. The review covers topics of interest to chemists, biologists, materials scientists, and engineers.

  16. Access to CAMAC from VxWorks and UNIX in DART

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Streets, J.; Meadows, J.; Moore, C.

    1995-05-01

    As part of the DART Project the authors have developed a package of software for CAMAC access from UNIX and VxWorks platforms, with support for several hardware interfaces. They report on developments for the CES CBD8210 VME to parallel CAMAC, the Hytec VSD2992 VME to serial CAMAC and Jorway 411S SCSI to parallel and serial CAMAC branch drivers, and give a summary of the timings obtained

  17. Temperature-dependent release of volatile organic compounds of eucalypts by direct analysis in real time (DART) mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maleknia, Simin D; Vail, Teresa M; Cody, Robert B; Sparkman, David O; Bell, Tina L; Adams, Mark A

    2009-08-01

    A method is described for the rapid identification of biogenic, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) emitted by plants, including the analysis of the temperature dependence of those emissions. Direct analysis in real time (DART) enabled ionization of VOCs from stem and leaf of several eucalyptus species including E. cinerea, E. citriodora, E. nicholii and E. sideroxylon. Plant tissues were placed directly in the gap between the DART ionization source skimmer and the capillary inlet of the time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer. Temperature-dependent emission of VOCs was achieved by adjusting the temperature of the helium gas into the DART ionization source at 50, 100, 200 and 300 degrees C, which enabled direct evaporation of compounds, up to the onset of pyrolysis of plant fibres (i.e. cellulose and lignin). Accurate mass measurements facilitated by TOF mass spectrometry provided elemental compositions for the VOCs. A wide range of compounds was detected from simple organic compounds (i.e. methanol and acetone) to a series of monoterpenes (i.e. pinene, camphene, cymene, eucalyptol) common to many plant species, as well as several less abundant sesquiterpenes and flavonoids (i.e. naringenin, spathulenol, eucalyptin) with antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. The leaf and stem tissues for all four eucalypt species showed similar compounds. The relative abundances of methanol and ethanol were greater in stem wood than in leaf tissue suggesting that DART could be used to investigate the tissue-specific transport and emissions of VOCs. Copyright (c) 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Discovery of distinctive gene expression profiles in rheumatoid synovium using cDNA microarray technology: evidence for the existence of multiple pathways of tissue destruction and repair.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kraan, TC van der Pouw; Gaalen, van FA; Huizinga, T.W.; Pieterman, E; Breedveld, F.C.; Verweij, C.L.

    2003-01-01

    Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a heterogeneous disease. We used cDNA microarray technology to subclassify RA patients and disclose disease pathways in rheumatoid synovium. Hierarchical clustering of gene expression data identified two main groups of tissues (RA-I and RA-II). A total of 121 genes were

  19. NASA Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) Trajectory Validation and Robutness

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sarli, Bruno V.; Ozimek, Martin T.; Atchison, Justin A.; Englander, Jacob A.; Barbee, Brent W.

    2017-01-01

    The Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission will be the first to test the concept of a kinetic impactor. Several studies have been made on asteroid redirection and impact mitigation, however, to this date no mission tested the proposed concepts. An impact study on a representative body allows the measurement of the effects on the target's orbit and physical structure. With this goal, DART's objective is to verify the effectiveness of the kinetic impact concept for planetary defense. The spacecraft uses solar electric propulsion to escape Earth, fly by (138971) 2001 CB21 for impact rehearsal, and impact Didymos-B, the secondary body of the binary (65803) Didymos system. This work focuses on the heliocentric transfer design part of the mission with the validation of the baseline trajectory, performance comparison to other mission objectives, and assessment of the baseline robustness to missed thrust events. Results show a good performance of the selected trajectory for different mission objectives: latest possible escape date, maximum kinetic energy on impact, shortest possible time of flight, and use of an Earth swing-by. The baseline trajectory was shown to be robust to a missed thrust with 1% of fuel margin being enough to recover the mission for failures of more than 14 days.

  20. DART: a simulation code for charged particle beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, R.C.; Barr, W.L.; Moir, R.W.

    1988-01-01

    This paper presents a recently modified verion of the 2-D DART code designed to simulate the behavior of a beam of charged particles whose paths are affected by electric and magnetic fields. This code was originally used to design laboratory-scale and full-scale beam direct converters. Since then, its utility has been expanded to allow more general applications. The simulation technique includes space charge, secondary electron effects, and neutral gas ionization. Calculations of electrode placement and energy conversion efficiency are described. Basic operation procedures are given including sample input files and output. 7 refs., 18 figs

  1. Curare Alkaloids: Constituents of a Matis Dart Poison.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Malca Garcia, Gonzalo R; Hennig, Lothar; Shelukhina, Irina V; Kudryavtsev, Denis S; Bussmann, Rainer W; Tsetlin, Victor I; Giannis, Athanassios

    2015-11-25

    A phytochemical study of dart and arrow poison from the Matis tribe led to the identification of D-(-)-quinic acid, L-malic acid, ethyldimethylamine, magnoflorine, and five new bisbenzyltetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids (BBIQAs), 1-5. D-Tubocurarine could not be identified among these products. BBIQA (3) contains a unique linkage at C-8 and C-11'. All structures were characterized by a combination of NMR and HRESIMS data. The effects of Matis poison and individual BBIQAs (1-3) on rat muscle nAChR expressed in Xenopus oocytes have been investigated using the two-electrode voltage clamp technique.

  2. Transcription analysis of apple fruit development using cDNA microarrays

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Soglio, V.; Costa, F.; Molthoff, J.W.; Weemen-Hendriks, M.; Schouten, H.J.; Gianfranceschi, L.

    2009-01-01

    The knowledge of the molecular mechanisms underlying fruit quality traits is fundamental to devise efficient marker-assisted selection strategies and to improve apple breeding. In this study, cDNA microarray technology was used to identify genes whose expression changes during fruit development and

  3. Design and implementation of a dexterous anthropomorphic robotic typing (DART) hand

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thayer, Nicholas; Priya, Shashank

    2011-01-01

    This paper focuses on design and implementation of a biomimetic dexterous humanoid hand. Several design rules are proposed to retain human form and functionality in a robotic hand while overcoming the difficultly of actuation within a confined geometry. Size and weight have been optimized in order to achieve human-like performance with the prime objective of typing on a computer keyboard. Each finger has four joints and three degrees of freedom (DOF) while the thumb has an additional degree of freedom necessary for manipulating small objects. The hand consists of 16 servo motors dedicated to finger motion and three motors for wrist motion. A closed-loop kinematic control scheme utilizing the Denavit–Hartenberg convention for spatial joint positioning was implemented. Servo motors housed in the forearm act as an origin for wires to travel to their insertion points in the hand. The dexterity of the DART hand was measured by quantifying functionality and typing speed on a standard keyboard. The typing speed of a single DART hand was found to be 20 words min −1 . In comparison, the average human has a typing speed of 33 words min −1 with two hands

  4. DART: a robust algorithm for fast reconstruction of three-dimensional grain maps

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Batenburg, K.J.; Sijbers, J.; Poulsen, Henning Friis

    2010-01-01

    and moderate noise levels, DART is shown to generate essentially perfect two-dimensional grain maps for as few as three projections per grain with running times on a PC in the range of less than a second. This is seen as opening up the possibility for fast reconstructions in connection with in situ studies....

  5. Comparison of RNA-seq and microarray-based models for clinical endpoint prediction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Wenqian; Yu, Ying; Hertwig, Falk; Thierry-Mieg, Jean; Zhang, Wenwei; Thierry-Mieg, Danielle; Wang, Jian; Furlanello, Cesare; Devanarayan, Viswanath; Cheng, Jie; Deng, Youping; Hero, Barbara; Hong, Huixiao; Jia, Meiwen; Li, Li; Lin, Simon M; Nikolsky, Yuri; Oberthuer, André; Qing, Tao; Su, Zhenqiang; Volland, Ruth; Wang, Charles; Wang, May D; Ai, Junmei; Albanese, Davide; Asgharzadeh, Shahab; Avigad, Smadar; Bao, Wenjun; Bessarabova, Marina; Brilliant, Murray H; Brors, Benedikt; Chierici, Marco; Chu, Tzu-Ming; Zhang, Jibin; Grundy, Richard G; He, Min Max; Hebbring, Scott; Kaufman, Howard L; Lababidi, Samir; Lancashire, Lee J; Li, Yan; Lu, Xin X; Luo, Heng; Ma, Xiwen; Ning, Baitang; Noguera, Rosa; Peifer, Martin; Phan, John H; Roels, Frederik; Rosswog, Carolina; Shao, Susan; Shen, Jie; Theissen, Jessica; Tonini, Gian Paolo; Vandesompele, Jo; Wu, Po-Yen; Xiao, Wenzhong; Xu, Joshua; Xu, Weihong; Xuan, Jiekun; Yang, Yong; Ye, Zhan; Dong, Zirui; Zhang, Ke K; Yin, Ye; Zhao, Chen; Zheng, Yuanting; Wolfinger, Russell D; Shi, Tieliu; Malkas, Linda H; Berthold, Frank; Wang, Jun; Tong, Weida; Shi, Leming; Peng, Zhiyu; Fischer, Matthias

    2015-06-25

    Gene expression profiling is being widely applied in cancer research to identify biomarkers for clinical endpoint prediction. Since RNA-seq provides a powerful tool for transcriptome-based applications beyond the limitations of microarrays, we sought to systematically evaluate the performance of RNA-seq-based and microarray-based classifiers in this MAQC-III/SEQC study for clinical endpoint prediction using neuroblastoma as a model. We generate gene expression profiles from 498 primary neuroblastomas using both RNA-seq and 44 k microarrays. Characterization of the neuroblastoma transcriptome by RNA-seq reveals that more than 48,000 genes and 200,000 transcripts are being expressed in this malignancy. We also find that RNA-seq provides much more detailed information on specific transcript expression patterns in clinico-genetic neuroblastoma subgroups than microarrays. To systematically compare the power of RNA-seq and microarray-based models in predicting clinical endpoints, we divide the cohort randomly into training and validation sets and develop 360 predictive models on six clinical endpoints of varying predictability. Evaluation of factors potentially affecting model performances reveals that prediction accuracies are most strongly influenced by the nature of the clinical endpoint, whereas technological platforms (RNA-seq vs. microarrays), RNA-seq data analysis pipelines, and feature levels (gene vs. transcript vs. exon-junction level) do not significantly affect performances of the models. We demonstrate that RNA-seq outperforms microarrays in determining the transcriptomic characteristics of cancer, while RNA-seq and microarray-based models perform similarly in clinical endpoint prediction. Our findings may be valuable to guide future studies on the development of gene expression-based predictive models and their implementation in clinical practice.

  6. Detection of nitro-organic and peroxide explosives in latent fingermarks by DART- and SALDI-TOF-mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rowell, Frederick; Seviour, John; Lim, Angelina Yimei; Elumbaring-Salazar, Cheryl Grace; Loke, Jason; Ma, Jan

    2012-09-10

    The ability of two mass spectrometric methods, surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (SALDI-TOF-MS) and direct analysis in real time (DART-MS), to detect the presence of seven common explosives (six nitro-organic- and one peroxide-type) in spiked latent fingermarks has been examined. It was found that each explosive could be detected with nanogram sensitivity for marks resulting from direct finger contact with a glass probe by DART-MS or onto stainless steel target plates using SALDI-TOF-MS for marks pre-dusted with one type of commercial black magnetic powder. These explosives also could be detected in latent marks lifted from six common surfaces (paper, plastic bag, metal drinks can, wood laminate, adhesive tape and white ceramic tile) whereas no explosive could be detected in equivalent pre-dusted marks on the surface of a commercial lifting tape by the DART-MS method due to high background interference from the tape material. The presence of TNT and Tetryl could be detected in pre-dusted latent fingermarks on a commercial lifting tape for up to 29 days sealed and stored under ambient conditions. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Authentication of animal fats using direct analysis in real time (DART) ionization-mass spectrometry and chemometric tools.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaclavik, Lukas; Hrbek, Vojtech; Cajka, Tomas; Rohlik, Bo-Anne; Pipek, Petr; Hajslova, Jana

    2011-06-08

    A combination of direct analysis in real time (DART) ionization coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (TOFMS) and chemometrics was used for animal fat (lard and beef tallow) authentication. This novel instrumentation was employed for rapid profiling of triacylglycerols (TAGs) and polar compounds present in fat samples and their mixtures. Additionally, fat isolated from pork, beef, and pork/beef admixtures was analyzed. Mass spectral records were processed by principal component analysis (PCA) and stepwise linear discriminant analysis (LDA). DART-TOFMS profiles of TAGs were found to be more suitable for the purpose of discrimination among the examined fat types as compared to profiles of polar compounds. The LDA model developed using TAG data enabled not only reliable classification of samples representing neat fats but also detection of admixed lard and tallow at adulteration levels of 5 and 10% (w/w), respectively. The presented approach was also successfully applied to minced meat prepared from pork and beef with comparable fat content. Using the DART-TOFMS TAG profiles of fat isolated from meat mixtures, detection of 10% pork added to beef and vice versa was possible.

  8. Strategies for comparing gene expression profiles from different microarray platforms: application to a case-control experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Severgnini, Marco; Bicciato, Silvio; Mangano, Eleonora; Scarlatti, Francesca; Mezzelani, Alessandra; Mattioli, Michela; Ghidoni, Riccardo; Peano, Clelia; Bonnal, Raoul; Viti, Federica; Milanesi, Luciano; De Bellis, Gianluca; Battaglia, Cristina

    2006-06-01

    Meta-analysis of microarray data is increasingly important, considering both the availability of multiple platforms using disparate technologies and the accumulation in public repositories of data sets from different laboratories. We addressed the issue of comparing gene expression profiles from two microarray platforms by devising a standardized investigative strategy. We tested this procedure by studying MDA-MB-231 cells, which undergo apoptosis on treatment with resveratrol. Gene expression profiles were obtained using high-density, short-oligonucleotide, single-color microarray platforms: GeneChip (Affymetrix) and CodeLink (Amersham). Interplatform analyses were carried out on 8414 common transcripts represented on both platforms, as identified by LocusLink ID, representing 70.8% and 88.6% of annotated GeneChip and CodeLink features, respectively. We identified 105 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) on CodeLink and 42 DEGs on GeneChip. Among them, only 9 DEGs were commonly identified by both platforms. Multiple analyses (BLAST alignment of probes with target sequences, gene ontology, literature mining, and quantitative real-time PCR) permitted us to investigate the factors contributing to the generation of platform-dependent results in single-color microarray experiments. An effective approach to cross-platform comparison involves microarrays of similar technologies, samples prepared by identical methods, and a standardized battery of bioinformatic and statistical analyses.

  9. Classification across gene expression microarray studies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kuner Ruprecht

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The increasing number of gene expression microarray studies represents an important resource in biomedical research. As a result, gene expression based diagnosis has entered clinical practice for patient stratification in breast cancer. However, the integration and combined analysis of microarray studies remains still a challenge. We assessed the potential benefit of data integration on the classification accuracy and systematically evaluated the generalization performance of selected methods on four breast cancer studies comprising almost 1000 independent samples. To this end, we introduced an evaluation framework which aims to establish good statistical practice and a graphical way to monitor differences. The classification goal was to correctly predict estrogen receptor status (negative/positive and histological grade (low/high of each tumor sample in an independent study which was not used for the training. For the classification we chose support vector machines (SVM, predictive analysis of microarrays (PAM, random forest (RF and k-top scoring pairs (kTSP. Guided by considerations relevant for classification across studies we developed a generalization of kTSP which we evaluated in addition. Our derived version (DV aims to improve the robustness of the intrinsic invariance of kTSP with respect to technologies and preprocessing. Results For each individual study the generalization error was benchmarked via complete cross-validation and was found to be similar for all classification methods. The misclassification rates were substantially higher in classification across studies, when each single study was used as an independent test set while all remaining studies were combined for the training of the classifier. However, with increasing number of independent microarray studies used in the training, the overall classification performance improved. DV performed better than the average and showed slightly less variance. In

  10. Exploring the use of internal and externalcontrols for assessing microarray technical performance

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Game Laurence

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The maturing of gene expression microarray technology and interest in the use of microarray-based applications for clinical and diagnostic applications calls for quantitative measures of quality. This manuscript presents a retrospective study characterizing several approaches to assess technical performance of microarray data measured on the Affymetrix GeneChip platform, including whole-array metrics and information from a standard mixture of external spike-in and endogenous internal controls. Spike-in controls were found to carry the same information about technical performance as whole-array metrics and endogenous "housekeeping" genes. These results support the use of spike-in controls as general tools for performance assessment across time, experimenters and array batches, suggesting that they have potential for comparison of microarray data generated across species using different technologies. Results A layered PCA modeling methodology that uses data from a number of classes of controls (spike-in hybridization, spike-in polyA+, internal RNA degradation, endogenous or "housekeeping genes" was used for the assessment of microarray data quality. The controls provide information on multiple stages of the experimental protocol (e.g., hybridization, RNA amplification. External spike-in, hybridization and RNA labeling controls provide information related to both assay and hybridization performance whereas internal endogenous controls provide quality information on the biological sample. We find that the variance of the data generated from the external and internal controls carries critical information about technical performance; the PCA dissection of this variance is consistent with whole-array quality assessment based on a number of quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC metrics. Conclusions These results provide support for the use of both external and internal RNA control data to assess the technical quality of microarray

  11. Improved microarray-based decision support with graph encoded interactome data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anneleen Daemen

    Full Text Available In the past, microarray studies have been criticized due to noise and the limited overlap between gene signatures. Prior biological knowledge should therefore be incorporated as side information in models based on gene expression data to improve the accuracy of diagnosis and prognosis in cancer. As prior knowledge, we investigated interaction and pathway information from the human interactome on different aspects of biological systems. By exploiting the properties of kernel methods, relations between genes with similar functions but active in alternative pathways could be incorporated in a support vector machine classifier based on spectral graph theory. Using 10 microarray data sets, we first reduced the number of data sources relevant for multiple cancer types and outcomes. Three sources on metabolic pathway information (KEGG, protein-protein interactions (OPHID and miRNA-gene targeting (microRNA.org outperformed the other sources with regard to the considered class of models. Both fixed and adaptive approaches were subsequently considered to combine the three corresponding classifiers. Averaging the predictions of these classifiers performed best and was significantly better than the model based on microarray data only. These results were confirmed on 6 validation microarray sets, with a significantly improved performance in 4 of them. Integrating interactome data thus improves classification of cancer outcome for the investigated microarray technologies and cancer types. Moreover, this strategy can be incorporated in any kernel method or non-linear version of a non-kernel method.

  12. A Reliable and Distributed LIMS for Efficient Management of the Microarray Experiment Environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jin Hee-Jeong

    2007-03-01

    Full Text Available A microarray is a principal technology in molecular biology. It generates thousands of expressions of genotypes at once. Typically, a microarray experiment contains many kinds of information, such as gene names, sequences, expression profiles, scanned images, and annotation. So, the organization and analysis of vast amounts of data are required. Microarray LIMS (Laboratory Information Management System provides data management, search, and basic analysis. Recently, microarray joint researches, such as the skeletal system disease and anti-cancer medicine have been widely conducted. This research requires data sharing among laboratories within the joint research group. In this paper, we introduce a web based microarray LIMS, SMILE (Small and solid MIcroarray Lims for Experimenters, especially for shared data management. The data sharing function of SMILE is based on Friend-to-Friend (F2F, which is based on anonymous P2P (Peer-to-Peer, in which people connect directly with their “friends”. It only allows its friends to exchange data directly using IP addresses or digital signatures you trust. In SMILE, there are two types of friends: “service provider”, which provides data, and “client”, which is provided with data. So, the service provider provides shared data only to its clients. SMILE provides useful functions for microarray experiments, such as variant data management, image analysis, normalization, system management, project schedule management, and shared data management. Moreover, it connections with two systems: ArrayMall for analyzing microarray images and GENAW for constructing a genetic network. SMILE is available on http://neobio.cs.pusan.ac.kr:8080/smile.

  13. Microarrays: Molecular allergology and nanotechnology for personalised medicine (II).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lucas, J M

    2010-01-01

    Progress in nanotechnology and DNA recombination techniques have produced tools for the diagnosis and investigation of allergy at molecular level. The most advanced examples of such progress are the microarray techniques, which have been expanded not only in research in the field of proteomics but also in application to the clinical setting. Microarrays of allergic components offer results relating to hundreds of allergenic components in a single test, and using a small amount of serum which can be obtained from capillary blood. The availability of new molecules will allow the development of panels including new allergenic components and sources, which will require evaluation for clinical use. Their application opens the door to component-based diagnosis, to the holistic perception of sensitisation as represented by molecular allergy, and to patient-centred medical practice by allowing great diagnostic accuracy and the definition of individualised immunotherapy for each patient. The present article reviews the application of allergenic component microarrays to allergology for diagnosis, management in the form of specific immunotherapy, and epidemiological studies. A review is also made of the use of protein and gene microarray techniques in basic research and in allergological diseases. Lastly, an evaluation is made of the challenges we face in introducing such techniques to clinical practice, and of the future perspectives of this new technology. Copyright 2010 SEICAP. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

  14. Normalization for triple-target microarray experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Magniette Frederic

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Most microarray studies are made using labelling with one or two dyes which allows the hybridization of one or two samples on the same slide. In such experiments, the most frequently used dyes are Cy3 and Cy5. Recent improvements in the technology (dye-labelling, scanner and, image analysis allow hybridization up to four samples simultaneously. The two additional dyes are Alexa488 and Alexa494. The triple-target or four-target technology is very promising, since it allows more flexibility in the design of experiments, an increase in the statistical power when comparing gene expressions induced by different conditions and a scaled down number of slides. However, there have been few methods proposed for statistical analysis of such data. Moreover the lowess correction of the global dye effect is available for only two-color experiments, and even if its application can be derived, it does not allow simultaneous correction of the raw data. Results We propose a two-step normalization procedure for triple-target experiments. First the dye bleeding is evaluated and corrected if necessary. Then the signal in each channel is normalized using a generalized lowess procedure to correct a global dye bias. The normalization procedure is validated using triple-self experiments and by comparing the results of triple-target and two-color experiments. Although the focus is on triple-target microarrays, the proposed method can be used to normalize p differently labelled targets co-hybridized on a same array, for any value of p greater than 2. Conclusion The proposed normalization procedure is effective: the technical biases are reduced, the number of false positives is under control in the analysis of differentially expressed genes, and the triple-target experiments are more powerful than the corresponding two-color experiments. There is room for improving the microarray experiments by simultaneously hybridizing more than two samples.

  15. Ambient mass spectrometry employing direct analysis in real time (DART) ion source for olive oil quality and authenticity assessment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vaclavik, Lukas; Cajka, Tomas; Hrbek, Vojtech; Hajslova, Jana

    2009-01-01

    A novel approach for the authentication of olive oil samples representing different quality grades has been developed. A new type of ion source, direct analysis in real time (DART), coupled to a high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) was employed for the comprehensive profiling of triacylglycerols (TAGs) and/or polar compounds extracted with a methanol-water mixture. The main parameters influencing the ionization efficiency of TAGs were the type of sample solvent, degree of sample dilution, ion beam temperature, and presence of a dopant (ammonia vapors). The ionization yield of polar compounds depended mainly on a content of water in the extract and ion beam temperature. Using DART-TOFMS, not only differentiation among extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), olive pomace oil (OPO) and olive oil (OO) could be easily achieved, but also EVOO adulteration with commonly used adulterant, hazelnut oil (HO), was feasible. Based on the linear discriminant analysis (LDA), the introduced method allowed detection of HO addition of 6 and 15% (v/v) when assessing DART-TOFMS mass profiles of polar compounds and TAGs, respectively.

  16. Ambient mass spectrometry employing direct analysis in real time (DART) ion source for olive oil quality and authenticity assessment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vaclavik, Lukas; Cajka, Tomas; Hrbek, Vojtech [Institute of Chemical Technology Prague, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, Department of Food Chemistry and Analysis, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic); Hajslova, Jana, E-mail: jana.hajslova@vscht.cz [Institute of Chemical Technology Prague, Faculty of Food and Biochemical Technology, Department of Food Chemistry and Analysis, Technicka 5, 166 28 Prague 6 (Czech Republic)

    2009-07-10

    A novel approach for the authentication of olive oil samples representing different quality grades has been developed. A new type of ion source, direct analysis in real time (DART), coupled to a high-resolution time-of-flight mass spectrometer (TOFMS) was employed for the comprehensive profiling of triacylglycerols (TAGs) and/or polar compounds extracted with a methanol-water mixture. The main parameters influencing the ionization efficiency of TAGs were the type of sample solvent, degree of sample dilution, ion beam temperature, and presence of a dopant (ammonia vapors). The ionization yield of polar compounds depended mainly on a content of water in the extract and ion beam temperature. Using DART-TOFMS, not only differentiation among extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), olive pomace oil (OPO) and olive oil (OO) could be easily achieved, but also EVOO adulteration with commonly used adulterant, hazelnut oil (HO), was feasible. Based on the linear discriminant analysis (LDA), the introduced method allowed detection of HO addition of 6 and 15% (v/v) when assessing DART-TOFMS mass profiles of polar compounds and TAGs, respectively.

  17. Genotyping microarray (gene chip) for the ABCR (ABCA4) gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jaakson, K; Zernant, J; Külm, M; Hutchinson, A; Tonisson, N; Glavac, D; Ravnik-Glavac, M; Hawlina, M; Meltzer, M R; Caruso, R C; Testa, F; Maugeri, A; Hoyng, C B; Gouras, P; Simonelli, F; Lewis, R A; Lupski, J R; Cremers, F P M; Allikmets, R

    2003-11-01

    Genetic variation in the ABCR (ABCA4) gene has been associated with five distinct retinal phenotypes, including Stargardt disease/fundus flavimaculatus (STGD/FFM), cone-rod dystrophy (CRD), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Comparative genetic analyses of ABCR variation and diagnostics have been complicated by substantial allelic heterogeneity and by differences in screening methods. To overcome these limitations, we designed a genotyping microarray (gene chip) for ABCR that includes all approximately 400 disease-associated and other variants currently described, enabling simultaneous detection of all known ABCR variants. The ABCR genotyping microarray (the ABCR400 chip) was constructed by the arrayed primer extension (APEX) technology. Each sequence change in ABCR was included on the chip by synthesis and application of sequence-specific oligonucleotides. We validated the chip by screening 136 confirmed STGD patients and 96 healthy controls, each of whom we had analyzed previously by single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) technology and/or heteroduplex analysis. The microarray was >98% effective in determining the existing genetic variation and was comparable to direct sequencing in that it yielded many sequence changes undetected by SSCP. In STGD patient cohorts, the efficiency of the array to detect disease-associated alleles was between 54% and 78%, depending on the ethnic composition and degree of clinical and molecular characterization of a cohort. In addition, chip analysis suggested a high carrier frequency (up to 1:10) of ABCR variants in the general population. The ABCR genotyping microarray is a robust, cost-effective, and comprehensive screening tool for variation in one gene in which mutations are responsible for a substantial fraction of retinal disease. The ABCR chip is a prototype for the next generation of screening and diagnostic tools in ophthalmic genetics, bridging clinical and scientific research. Copyright 2003 Wiley

  18. Hamburgian weapon delivery technology: a quantitative comparative approach

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riede, Felix

    2010-01-01

    cran). Numerous studies have addressed the question of whether these points tipped arrows fired from bows, darts launched with the help of spear-throwers, or some other projectile delivery weapon. This paper approaches the question of Hamburgian weapon delivery technology from a quantitative...

  19. Early Twentieth Century Arrow, Javelin, and Dart Games of the Western Native American.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesavento, Wilma J.

    The general purpose of this study was to determine whether the traditional native American ball games continued to be positive culture traits of the American Indian in the early twentieth century. The investigation was centered about (1) determining the current arrow, javelin, and dart games of western native Americans, (2) determining the…

  20. Plug-and-actuate on demand: multimodal individual addressability of microarray plates using modular hybrid acoustic wave technology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rezk, Amgad R; Ramesan, Shwathy; Yeo, Leslie Y

    2018-01-30

    The microarray titre plate remains a fundamental workhorse in genomic, proteomic and cellomic analyses that underpin the drug discovery process. Nevertheless, liquid handling technologies for sample dispensing, processing and transfer have not progressed significantly beyond conventional robotic micropipetting techniques, which are not only at their fundamental sample size limit, but are also prone to mechanical failure and contamination. This is because alternative technologies to date suffer from a number of constraints, mainly their limitation to carry out only a single liquid operation such as dispensing or mixing at a given time, and their inability to address individual wells, particularly at high throughput. Here, we demonstrate the possibility for true sequential or simultaneous single- and multi-well addressability in a 96-well plate using a reconfigurable modular platform from which MHz-order hybrid surface and bulk acoustic waves can be coupled to drive a variety of microfluidic modes including mixing, sample preconcentration and droplet jetting/ejection in individual or multiple wells on demand, thus constituting a highly versatile yet simple setup capable of improving the functionality of existing laboratory protocols and processes.

  1. Changes in allelic frequency over time in European bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) varieties revealed using DArT and SSR markers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Orabi, Jihad; Jahoor, Ahmed; Backes, Gunter Martin

    2014-01-01

    A collection of 189 bread wheat landraces and cultivars, primarily of European origin, released between 1886 and 2009, was analyzed using two DNA marker systems. A set of 76 SSR markers and ~7,000 DArT markers distributed across the wheat genome were employed in these analyses. All of the SSR...... markers were found to be polymorphic, whereas only 2,532 of the ~7,000 DArT markers were polymorphic. A Mantel test between the genetic distances calculated based on the SSR and DArT data showed a strong positive correlation between the two marker types, with a Pearson's value (r) of 0.66. We assessed...... the genetic diversity and allelic frequencies among the accessions based on spring- versus winter-wheat type as well as between landraces and cultivars. We also analyzed the changes in genetic diversity and allelic frequencies in these samples over time. We observed separation based on both vernalization type...

  2. A Universal Semi-totalistic Cellular Automaton on Kite and Dart Penrose Tilings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Katsunobu Imai

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we investigate certain properties of semi-totalistic cellular automata (CA on the well known quasi-periodic kite and dart two dimensional tiling of the plane presented by Roger Penrose. We show that, despite the irregularity of the underlying grid, it is possible to devise a semi-totalistic CA capable of simulating any boolean circuit on this aperiodic tiling.

  3. BIOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF NUCLEIC ACIDS AT SURFACES RELEVANT TO MICROARRAY PERFORMANCE.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Archana N; Grainger, David W

    2014-04-01

    Both clinical and analytical metrics produced by microarray-based assay technology have recognized problems in reproducibility, reliability and analytical sensitivity. These issues are often attributed to poor understanding and control of nucleic acid behaviors and properties at solid-liquid interfaces. Nucleic acid hybridization, central to DNA and RNA microarray formats, depends on the properties and behaviors of single strand (ss) nucleic acids (e.g., probe oligomeric DNA) bound to surfaces. ssDNA's persistence length, radius of gyration, electrostatics, conformations on different surfaces and under various assay conditions, its chain flexibility and curvature, charging effects in ionic solutions, and fluorescent labeling all influence its physical chemistry and hybridization under assay conditions. Nucleic acid (e.g., both RNA and DNA) target interactions with immobilized ssDNA strands are highly impacted by these biophysical states. Furthermore, the kinetics, thermodynamics, and enthalpic and entropic contributions to DNA hybridization reflect global probe/target structures and interaction dynamics. Here we review several biophysical issues relevant to oligomeric nucleic acid molecular behaviors at surfaces and their influences on duplex formation that influence microarray assay performance. Correlation of biophysical aspects of single and double-stranded nucleic acids with their complexes in bulk solution is common. Such analysis at surfaces is not commonly reported, despite its importance to microarray assays. We seek to provide further insight into nucleic acid-surface challenges facing microarray diagnostic formats that have hindered their clinical adoption and compromise their research quality and value as genomics tools.

  4. BIOPHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF NUCLEIC ACIDS AT SURFACES RELEVANT TO MICROARRAY PERFORMANCE

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Archana N.; Grainger, David W.

    2014-01-01

    Both clinical and analytical metrics produced by microarray-based assay technology have recognized problems in reproducibility, reliability and analytical sensitivity. These issues are often attributed to poor understanding and control of nucleic acid behaviors and properties at solid-liquid interfaces. Nucleic acid hybridization, central to DNA and RNA microarray formats, depends on the properties and behaviors of single strand (ss) nucleic acids (e.g., probe oligomeric DNA) bound to surfaces. ssDNA’s persistence length, radius of gyration, electrostatics, conformations on different surfaces and under various assay conditions, its chain flexibility and curvature, charging effects in ionic solutions, and fluorescent labeling all influence its physical chemistry and hybridization under assay conditions. Nucleic acid (e.g., both RNA and DNA) target interactions with immobilized ssDNA strands are highly impacted by these biophysical states. Furthermore, the kinetics, thermodynamics, and enthalpic and entropic contributions to DNA hybridization reflect global probe/target structures and interaction dynamics. Here we review several biophysical issues relevant to oligomeric nucleic acid molecular behaviors at surfaces and their influences on duplex formation that influence microarray assay performance. Correlation of biophysical aspects of single and double-stranded nucleic acids with their complexes in bulk solution is common. Such analysis at surfaces is not commonly reported, despite its importance to microarray assays. We seek to provide further insight into nucleic acid-surface challenges facing microarray diagnostic formats that have hindered their clinical adoption and compromise their research quality and value as genomics tools. PMID:24765522

  5. The EADGENE Microarray Data Analysis Workshop

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    de Koning, Dirk-Jan; Jaffrézic, Florence; Lund, Mogens Sandø

    2007-01-01

    Microarray analyses have become an important tool in animal genomics. While their use is becoming widespread, there is still a lot of ongoing research regarding the analysis of microarray data. In the context of a European Network of Excellence, 31 researchers representing 14 research groups from...... 10 countries performed and discussed the statistical analyses of real and simulated 2-colour microarray data that were distributed among participants. The real data consisted of 48 microarrays from a disease challenge experiment in dairy cattle, while the simulated data consisted of 10 microarrays...... statistical weights, to omitting a large number of spots or omitting entire slides. Surprisingly, these very different approaches gave quite similar results when applied to the simulated data, although not all participating groups analysed both real and simulated data. The workshop was very successful...

  6. Javelin, Arrow, Dart and Pin Games of Native American Women of the Plains.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pesavento, Wilma J.; Pesavento, Lisa C.

    This study was designed to determine (1) the arrow, dart, javelin, and pin games of Native American girls and women of the Great Plains, (2) the geographical spread of the games within the culture area, and (3) the characteristics of the various games. Data for this investigation were researched from "Annual Reports of the Bureau of American…

  7. DART-TM: A thermomechanical version of DART for LEU VHD dispersed and monolithic fuel analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saliba, Roberto; Taboada, Horacio; Moscarda, Ma.Virginia; Rest, Jeff

    2003-01-01

    A collaboration agreement between ANL/USDOE and CNEA Argentina, in the area of Low Enriched Uranium Advanced Fuels has been in place since October 16, 1997 under the 'Implementation Arrangement for Technical Exchange and Cooperation in the Area of Peaceful Uses of Nuclear Energy'. An annex concerning DART code optimization has been operative since February 8, 1999. Previously, as a part of this annex a visual thermal FASTDART version was developed that includes mechanistic models for the calculation of the fission-gas-bubble and fuel particle size distribution, reaction layer thickness, and meat thermal conductivity. FASTDART was presented at the last RERTR Meeting that included validation against RERTR 3 irradiation data. The thermal FASTDART version was assessed as an adequate tool for modeling the behavior of LEU U-Mo dispersed fuels under irradiation against PIE RERTR irradiation data. During this past year the development of a 3-D thermo-mechanical version of the code for modeling the irradiation behavior of LEU U-Mo monolithic and dispersion fuel was initiated. Some preliminary results of this work will be shown during RERTR-2003 meeting. (author)

  8. Translating microarray data for diagnostic testing in childhood leukaemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoffmann, Katrin; Firth, Martin J; Beesley, Alex H; Klerk, Nicholas H de; Kees, Ursula R

    2006-01-01

    Recent findings from microarray studies have raised the prospect of a standardized diagnostic gene expression platform to enhance accurate diagnosis and risk stratification in paediatric acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). However, the robustness as well as the format for such a diagnostic test remains to be determined. As a step towards clinical application of these findings, we have systematically analyzed a published ALL microarray data set using Robust Multi-array Analysis (RMA) and Random Forest (RF). We examined published microarray data from 104 ALL patients specimens, that represent six different subgroups defined by cytogenetic features and immunophenotypes. Using the decision-tree based supervised learning algorithm Random Forest (RF), we determined a small set of genes for optimal subgroup distinction and subsequently validated their predictive power in an independent patient cohort. We achieved very high overall ALL subgroup prediction accuracies of about 98%, and were able to verify the robustness of these genes in an independent panel of 68 specimens obtained from a different institution and processed in a different laboratory. Our study established that the selection of discriminating genes is strongly dependent on the analysis method. This may have profound implications for clinical use, particularly when the classifier is reduced to a small set of genes. We have demonstrated that as few as 26 genes yield accurate class prediction and importantly, almost 70% of these genes have not been previously identified as essential for class distinction of the six ALL subgroups. Our finding supports the feasibility of qRT-PCR technology for standardized diagnostic testing in paediatric ALL and should, in conjunction with conventional cytogenetics lead to a more accurate classification of the disease. In addition, we have demonstrated that microarray findings from one study can be confirmed in an independent study, using an entirely independent patient cohort

  9. Seeded Bayesian Networks: Constructing genetic networks from microarray data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Quackenbush John

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background DNA microarrays and other genomics-inspired technologies provide large datasets that often include hidden patterns of correlation between genes reflecting the complex processes that underlie cellular metabolism and physiology. The challenge in analyzing large-scale expression data has been to extract biologically meaningful inferences regarding these processes – often represented as networks – in an environment where the datasets are often imperfect and biological noise can obscure the actual signal. Although many techniques have been developed in an attempt to address these issues, to date their ability to extract meaningful and predictive network relationships has been limited. Here we describe a method that draws on prior information about gene-gene interactions to infer biologically relevant pathways from microarray data. Our approach consists of using preliminary networks derived from the literature and/or protein-protein interaction data as seeds for a Bayesian network analysis of microarray results. Results Through a bootstrap analysis of gene expression data derived from a number of leukemia studies, we demonstrate that seeded Bayesian Networks have the ability to identify high-confidence gene-gene interactions which can then be validated by comparison to other sources of pathway data. Conclusion The use of network seeds greatly improves the ability of Bayesian Network analysis to learn gene interaction networks from gene expression data. We demonstrate that the use of seeds derived from the biomedical literature or high-throughput protein-protein interaction data, or the combination, provides improvement over a standard Bayesian Network analysis, allowing networks involving dynamic processes to be deduced from the static snapshots of biological systems that represent the most common source of microarray data. Software implementing these methods has been included in the widely used TM4 microarray analysis package.

  10. Microarrays in ecological research: A case study of a cDNA microarray for plant-herbivore interactions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gase Klaus

    2004-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray technology allows researchers to simultaneously monitor changes in the expression ratios (ERs of hundreds of genes and has thereby revolutionized most of biology. Although this technique has the potential of elucidating early stages in an organism's phenotypic response to complex ecological interactions, to date, it has not been fully incorporated into ecological research. This is partially due to a lack of simple procedures of handling and analyzing the expression ratio (ER data produced from microarrays. Results We describe an analysis of the sources of variation in ERs from 73 hybridized cDNA microarrays, each with 234 herbivory-elicited genes from the model ecological expression system, Nicotiana attenuata, using procedures that are commonly used in ecologic research. Each gene is represented by two independently labeled PCR products and each product was arrayed in quadruplicate. We present a robust method of normalizing and analyzing ERs based on arbitrary thresholds and statistical criteria, and characterize a "norm of reaction" of ERs for 6 genes (4 of known function, 2 of unknown with different ERs as determined across all analyzed arrays to provide a biologically-informed alternative to the use of arbitrary expression ratios in determining significance of expression. These gene-specific ERs and their variance (gene CV were used to calculate array-based variances (array CV, which, in turn, were used to study the effects of array age, probe cDNA quantity and quality, and quality of spotted PCR products as estimates of technical variation. Cluster analysis and a Principal Component Analysis (PCA were used to reveal associations among the transcriptional "imprints" of arrays hybridized with cDNA probes derived from mRNA from N. attenuata plants variously elicited and attacked by different herbivore species and from three congeners: N. quadrivalis, N. longiflora and N. clevelandii. Additionally, the PCA

  11. Development, characterization and experimental validation of a cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) gene expression oligonucleotide microarray.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, Paula; Soria, Marcelo; Blesa, David; DiRienzo, Julio; Moschen, Sebastian; Rivarola, Maximo; Clavijo, Bernardo Jose; Gonzalez, Sergio; Peluffo, Lucila; Príncipi, Dario; Dosio, Guillermo; Aguirrezabal, Luis; García-García, Francisco; Conesa, Ana; Hopp, Esteban; Dopazo, Joaquín; Heinz, Ruth Amelia; Paniego, Norma

    2012-01-01

    Oligonucleotide-based microarrays with accurate gene coverage represent a key strategy for transcriptional studies in orphan species such as sunflower, H. annuus L., which lacks full genome sequences. The goal of this study was the development and functional annotation of a comprehensive sunflower unigene collection and the design and validation of a custom sunflower oligonucleotide-based microarray. A large scale EST (>130,000 ESTs) curation, assembly and sequence annotation was performed using Blast2GO (www.blast2go.de). The EST assembly comprises 41,013 putative transcripts (12,924 contigs and 28,089 singletons). The resulting Sunflower Unigen Resource (SUR version 1.0) was used to design an oligonucleotide-based Agilent microarray for cultivated sunflower. This microarray includes a total of 42,326 features: 1,417 Agilent controls, 74 control probes for sunflower replicated 10 times (740 controls) and 40,169 different non-control probes. Microarray performance was validated using a model experiment examining the induction of senescence by water deficit. Pre-processing and differential expression analysis of Agilent microarrays was performed using the Bioconductor limma package. The analyses based on p-values calculated by eBayes (psunflower unigene collection, and a custom, validated sunflower oligonucleotide-based microarray using Agilent technology. Both the curated unigene collection and the validated oligonucleotide microarray provide key resources for sunflower genome analysis, transcriptional studies, and molecular breeding for crop improvement.

  12. Evaluation of remote delivery of Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT technology to mark large mammals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W David Walter

    Full Text Available Methods to individually mark and identify free-ranging wildlife without trapping and handling would be useful for a variety of research and management purposes. The use of Passive Integrated Transponder technology could be an efficient method for collecting data for mark-recapture analysis and other strategies for assessing characteristics about populations of various wildlife species. Passive Integrated Transponder tags (PIT have unique numbered frequencies and have been used to successfully mark and identify mammals. We tested for successful injection of PIT and subsequent functioning of PIT into gelatin blocks using 4 variations of a prototype dart. We then selected the prototype dart that resulted in the least depth of penetration in the gelatin block to assess the ability of PIT to be successfully implanted into muscle tissue of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus post-mortem and long-term in live, captive Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus elaphus. The prototype dart with a 12.7 mm (0.5 inch needle length and no powder charge resulted in the shallowest mean (± SD penetration depth into gelatin blocks of 27.0 mm (± 5.6 mm with 2.0 psi setting on the Dan-Inject CO(2-pressured rifle. Eighty percent of PIT were successfully injected in the muscle mass of white-tailed deer post-mortem with a mean (± SD penetration depth of 22.2 mm (± 3.8 mm; n = 6. We injected PIT successfully into 13 live, captive elk by remote delivery at about 20 m that remained functional for 7 months. We successfully demonstrated that PIT could be remotely delivered in darts into muscle mass of large mammals and remain functional for >6 months. Although further research is warranted to fully develop the technique, remote delivery of PIT technology to large mammals is possible using prototype implant darts.

  13. A DNA Microarray-Based Assay to Detect Dual Infection with Two Dengue Virus Serotypes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alvaro Díaz-Badillo

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Here; we have described and tested a microarray based-method for the screening of dengue virus (DENV serotypes. This DNA microarray assay is specific and sensitive and can detect dual infections with two dengue virus serotypes and single-serotype infections. Other methodologies may underestimate samples containing more than one serotype. This technology can be used to discriminate between the four DENV serotypes. Single-stranded DNA targets were covalently attached to glass slides and hybridised with specific labelled probes. DENV isolates and dengue samples were used to evaluate microarray performance. Our results demonstrate that the probes hybridized specifically to DENV serotypes; with no detection of unspecific signals. This finding provides evidence that specific probes can effectively identify single and double infections in DENV samples.

  14. Quadratic Polynomial Regression using Serial Observation Processing:Implementation within DART

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hodyss, D.; Anderson, J. L.; Collins, N.; Campbell, W. F.; Reinecke, P. A.

    2017-12-01

    Many Ensemble-Based Kalman ltering (EBKF) algorithms process the observations serially. Serial observation processing views the data assimilation process as an iterative sequence of scalar update equations. What is useful about this data assimilation algorithm is that it has very low memory requirements and does not need complex methods to perform the typical high-dimensional inverse calculation of many other algorithms. Recently, the push has been towards the prediction, and therefore the assimilation of observations, for regions and phenomena for which high-resolution is required and/or highly nonlinear physical processes are operating. For these situations, a basic hypothesis is that the use of the EBKF is sub-optimal and performance gains could be achieved by accounting for aspects of the non-Gaussianty. To this end, we develop here a new component of the Data Assimilation Research Testbed [DART] to allow for a wide-variety of users to test this hypothesis. This new version of DART allows one to run several variants of the EBKF as well as several variants of the quadratic polynomial lter using the same forecast model and observations. Dierences between the results of the two systems will then highlight the degree of non-Gaussianity in the system being examined. We will illustrate in this work the differences between the performance of linear versus quadratic polynomial regression in a hierarchy of models from Lorenz-63 to a simple general circulation model.

  15. A non-parametric meta-analysis approach for combining independent microarray datasets: application using two microarray datasets pertaining to chronic allograft nephropathy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Archer Kellie J

    2008-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background With the popularity of DNA microarray technology, multiple groups of researchers have studied the gene expression of similar biological conditions. Different methods have been developed to integrate the results from various microarray studies, though most of them rely on distributional assumptions, such as the t-statistic based, mixed-effects model, or Bayesian model methods. However, often the sample size for each individual microarray experiment is small. Therefore, in this paper we present a non-parametric meta-analysis approach for combining data from independent microarray studies, and illustrate its application on two independent Affymetrix GeneChip studies that compared the gene expression of biopsies from kidney transplant recipients with chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN to those with normal functioning allograft. Results The simulation study comparing the non-parametric meta-analysis approach to a commonly used t-statistic based approach shows that the non-parametric approach has better sensitivity and specificity. For the application on the two CAN studies, we identified 309 distinct genes that expressed differently in CAN. By applying Fisher's exact test to identify enriched KEGG pathways among those genes called differentially expressed, we found 6 KEGG pathways to be over-represented among the identified genes. We used the expression measurements of the identified genes as predictors to predict the class labels for 6 additional biopsy samples, and the predicted results all conformed to their pathologist diagnosed class labels. Conclusion We present a new approach for combining data from multiple independent microarray studies. This approach is non-parametric and does not rely on any distributional assumptions. The rationale behind the approach is logically intuitive and can be easily understood by researchers not having advanced training in statistics. Some of the identified genes and pathways have been

  16. Dry-season retreat and dietary shift of the dart-poison frog Dendrobates tinctorius (Anura: Dendrobatidae)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Born, M.; Bongers, F.; Poelman, E.H.; Sterck, F.J.

    2010-01-01

    Dry-season retreat and dietary shift of the dart-poison frog Delldrobates tillCtOrillS (Anura: Dendrobatidae). Seasonal rainfall affects tropical forest dynamics and behavior of species that are part of these ecosystems. TIle positive correlation between amphibian ac tivity pattems and rainfall has

  17. Analysis of carbohydrates in Fusarium verticillioides using size-exclusion HPLC – DRI and direct analysis in real time ionization – time-of-flight – mass spectrometry (DART-MS)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Direct analysis in real time ionization – time-of-flight – mass spectrometry (DART-MS) and size-exclusion HPLC – DRI are used, respectively, to qualitatively and quantitatively determine the carbohydrates extracted from the corn rot fungus Fusarium verticillioides. In situ permethylation in the DART...

  18. Xylella fastidiosa gene expression analysis by DNA microarrays

    OpenAIRE

    Travensolo,Regiane F.; Carareto-Alves,Lucia M.; Costa,Maria V.C.G.; Lopes,Tiago J.S.; Carrilho,Emanuel; Lemos,Eliana G.M.

    2009-01-01

    Xylella fastidiosa genome sequencing has generated valuable data by identifying genes acting either on metabolic pathways or in associated pathogenicity and virulence. Based on available information on these genes, new strategies for studying their expression patterns, such as microarray technology, were employed. A total of 2,600 primer pairs were synthesized and then used to generate fragments using the PCR technique. The arrays were hybridized against cDNAs labeled during reverse transcrip...

  19. High quality protein microarray using in situ protein purification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fleischmann Robert D

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In the postgenomic era, high throughput protein expression and protein microarray technologies have progressed markedly permitting screening of therapeutic reagents and discovery of novel protein functions. Hexa-histidine is one of the most commonly used fusion tags for protein expression due to its small size and convenient purification via immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC. This purification process has been adapted to the protein microarray format, but the quality of in situ His-tagged protein purification on slides has not been systematically evaluated. We established methods to determine the level of purification of such proteins on metal chelate-modified slide surfaces. Optimized in situ purification of His-tagged recombinant proteins has the potential to become the new gold standard for cost-effective generation of high-quality and high-density protein microarrays. Results Two slide surfaces were examined, chelated Cu2+ slides suspended on a polyethylene glycol (PEG coating and chelated Ni2+ slides immobilized on a support without PEG coating. Using PEG-coated chelated Cu2+ slides, consistently higher purities of recombinant proteins were measured. An optimized wash buffer (PBST composed of 10 mM phosphate buffer, 2.7 mM KCl, 140 mM NaCl and 0.05% Tween 20, pH 7.4, further improved protein purity levels. Using Escherichia coli cell lysates expressing 90 recombinant Streptococcus pneumoniae proteins, 73 proteins were successfully immobilized, and 66 proteins were in situ purified with greater than 90% purity. We identified several antigens among the in situ-purified proteins via assays with anti-S. pneumoniae rabbit antibodies and a human patient antiserum, as a demonstration project of large scale microarray-based immunoproteomics profiling. The methodology is compatible with higher throughput formats of in vivo protein expression, eliminates the need for resin-based purification and circumvents

  20. Bioinformatics and Microarray Data Analysis on the Cloud.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Calabrese, Barbara; Cannataro, Mario

    2016-01-01

    High-throughput platforms such as microarray, mass spectrometry, and next-generation sequencing are producing an increasing volume of omics data that needs large data storage and computing power. Cloud computing offers massive scalable computing and storage, data sharing, on-demand anytime and anywhere access to resources and applications, and thus, it may represent the key technology for facing those issues. In fact, in the recent years it has been adopted for the deployment of different bioinformatics solutions and services both in academia and in the industry. Although this, cloud computing presents several issues regarding the security and privacy of data, that are particularly important when analyzing patients data, such as in personalized medicine. This chapter reviews main academic and industrial cloud-based bioinformatics solutions; with a special focus on microarray data analysis solutions and underlines main issues and problems related to the use of such platforms for the storage and analysis of patients data.

  1. A Parameter Study on the Effect of Impactor Size for NASA’s DART Mission

    Science.gov (United States)

    Truitt, Amanda; Weaver, Robert; Gisler, Galen

    2018-06-01

    We have modeled the impact of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) spacecraft into the binary near-Earth asteroid (65803) Didymos. While the primary object is approximately 800 meters across, its secondary body (“moonlet” Didymoon) has a diameter of 150 meters, which is thought to be a much more typical size for the kind of asteroid that would pose a hazard to Earth. DART will be the first demonstration of the kinetic impact technique to change the motion of an asteroid in space, an important consideration for understanding our capabilities in planetary defense of Near-Earth Asteroids. Recent modeling of this impact has used full-density solid aluminum spheres with a mass of approximately 500 kg. Many of the published scaling laws for crater size and diameter as well as ejecta modeling assume this type of impactor, although the actual spacecraft shape being considered for the DART Mission impact is not solid and does not contain a solid dedicated kinetic impactor – rather, the spacecraft itself is considered the impactor. Since the 500 kg hollow spacecraft is significantly larger (~100 x 100 x 200 cm) in size than a solid aluminum sphere (radius ~ 36 cm) the resulting impact dynamics are quite different. Here we have modeled both types of impacts and compare the results of the simulations for crater size, depth, and ejecta for a solid sphere (R = 36 cm) and cylindrical spacecraft (R = 20, 50, and 100 cm), while maintaining a constant mass and material density. This work will allow for a more robust comparison of the momentum enhancement β-factor, which describes the gain in a momentum transfer exerted by the impacting spacecraft on a Near-Earth Object due to ejecta momentum escape. (LA-UR-18-21571)

  2. DNA microarrays : a molecular cloning manual

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Sambrook, Joseph; Bowtell, David

    2002-01-01

    .... DNA Microarrays provides authoritative, detailed instruction on the design, construction, and applications of microarrays, as well as comprehensive descriptions of the software tools and strategies...

  3. DART: A simulation code for charged particle beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    White, R.C.; Barr, W.L.; Moir, R.W.

    1989-01-01

    This paper presents a recently modified version of the 2-D code, DART, which can simulate the behavior of a beam of charged particles whose trajectories are determined by electric and magnetic fields. This code was originally used to design laboratory-scale and full-scale beam direct converters. Since then, its utility has been expanded to allow more general applications. The simulation includes space charge, secondary electrons, and the ionization of neutral gas. A beam can contain up to nine superimposed beamlets of different energy and species. The calculation of energy conversion efficiency and the method of specifying the electrode geometry are described. Basic procedures for using the code are given, and sample input and output fields are shown. 7 refs., 18 figs

  4. Diagnostic and analytical applications of protein microarrays

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dufva, Hans Martin; Christensen, C.B.V.

    2005-01-01

    DNA microarrays have changed the field of biomedical sciences over the past 10 years. For several reasons, antibody and other protein microarrays have not developed at the same rate. However, protein and antibody arrays have emerged as a powerful tool to complement DNA microarrays during the post...

  5. PATMA: parser of archival tissue microarray

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lukasz Roszkowiak

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available Tissue microarrays are commonly used in modern pathology for cancer tissue evaluation, as it is a very potent technique. Tissue microarray slides are often scanned to perform computer-aided histopathological analysis of the tissue cores. For processing the image, splitting the whole virtual slide into images of individual cores is required. The only way to distinguish cores corresponding to specimens in the tissue microarray is through their arrangement. Unfortunately, distinguishing the correct order of cores is not a trivial task as they are not labelled directly on the slide. The main aim of this study was to create a procedure capable of automatically finding and extracting cores from archival images of the tissue microarrays. This software supports the work of scientists who want to perform further image processing on single cores. The proposed method is an efficient and fast procedure, working in fully automatic or semi-automatic mode. A total of 89% of punches were correctly extracted with automatic selection. With an addition of manual correction, it is possible to fully prepare the whole slide image for extraction in 2 min per tissue microarray. The proposed technique requires minimum skill and time to parse big array of cores from tissue microarray whole slide image into individual core images.

  6. Evaluation of gene expression data generated from expired Affymetrix GeneChip® microarrays using MAQC reference RNA samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tong Weida

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The Affymetrix GeneChip® system is a commonly used platform for microarray analysis but the technology is inherently expensive. Unfortunately, changes in experimental planning and execution, such as the unavailability of previously anticipated samples or a shift in research focus, may render significant numbers of pre-purchased GeneChip® microarrays unprocessed before their manufacturer’s expiration dates. Researchers and microarray core facilities wonder whether expired microarrays are still useful for gene expression analysis. In addition, it was not clear whether the two human reference RNA samples established by the MAQC project in 2005 still maintained their transcriptome integrity over a period of four years. Experiments were conducted to answer these questions. Results Microarray data were generated in 2009 in three replicates for each of the two MAQC samples with either expired Affymetrix U133A or unexpired U133Plus2 microarrays. These results were compared with data obtained in 2005 on the U133Plus2 microarray. The percentage of overlap between the lists of differentially expressed genes (DEGs from U133Plus2 microarray data generated in 2009 and in 2005 was 97.44%. While there was some degree of fold change compression in the expired U133A microarrays, the percentage of overlap between the lists of DEGs from the expired and unexpired microarrays was as high as 96.99%. Moreover, the microarray data generated using the expired U133A microarrays in 2009 were highly concordant with microarray and TaqMan® data generated by the MAQC project in 2005. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that microarray data generated using U133A microarrays, which were more than four years past the manufacturer’s expiration date, were highly specific and consistent with those from unexpired microarrays in identifying DEGs despite some appreciable fold change compression and decrease in sensitivity. Our data also suggested that the

  7. Creation of antifouling microarrays by photopolymerization of zwitterionic compounds for protein assay and cell patterning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sun, Xiuhua; Wang, Huaixin; Wang, Yuanyuan; Gui, Taijiang; Wang, Ke; Gao, Changlu

    2018-04-15

    Nonspecific binding or adsorption of biomolecules presents as a major obstacle to higher sensitivity, specificity and reproducibility in microarray technology. We report herein a method to fabricate antifouling microarray via photopolymerization of biomimetic betaine compounds. In brief, carboxybetaine methacrylate was polymerized as arrays for protein sensing, while sulfobetaine methacrylate was polymerized as background. With the abundant carboxyl groups on array surfaces and zwitterionic polymers on the entire surfaces, this microarray allows biomolecular immobilization and recognition with low nonspecific interactions due to its antifouling property. Therefore, low concentration of target molecules can be captured and detected by this microarray. It was proved that a concentration of 10ngmL -1 bovine serum albumin in the sample matrix of bovine serum can be detected by the microarray derivatized with anti-bovine serum albumin. Moreover, with proper hydrophilic-hydrophobic designs, this approach can be applied to fabricate surface-tension droplet arrays, which allows surface-directed cell adhesion and growth. These light controllable approaches constitute a clear improvement in the design of antifouling interfaces, which may lead to greater flexibility in the development of interfacial architectures and wider application in blood contact microdevices. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  8. Carbohydrate Microarrays in Plant Science

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fangel, Jonatan Ulrik; Pedersen, H.L.; Vidal-Melgosa, S.

    2012-01-01

    Almost all plant cells are surrounded by glycan-rich cell walls, which form much of the plant body and collectively are the largest source of biomass on earth. Plants use polysaccharides for support, defense, signaling, cell adhesion, and as energy storage, and many plant glycans are also important...... industrially and nutritionally. Understanding the biological roles of plant glycans and the effective exploitation of their useful properties requires a detailed understanding of their structures, occurrence, and molecular interactions. Microarray technology has revolutionized the massively high...... for plant research and can be used to map glycan populations across large numbers of samples to screen antibodies, carbohydrate binding proteins, and carbohydrate binding modules and to investigate enzyme activities....

  9. CNEA/ANL collaboration program to develop an optimized version of DART validation and assessment by means of U3 Six and U3 O8-Al dispersed CNEA mini plate irradiation behavior

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solis, Diego; Taboada, Horacio; Rest, Jeffrey

    1998-01-01

    The DART code is based upon a thermochemical model that can predict swelling, recrystallization, fuel-meat interdiffusion and other issues related with MTR dispersed FE behavior under irradiation. As a part of a common effort to develop an optimized version of DART, a comparison between DART predictions and CNEA miniplates irradiation experimental data was made. The irradiation took place during 1981-82 for U3O8 miniplates and 1985-86 for U 3 Si x at Oak Ridge Research Reactor. (author)

  10. GeneRank: Using search engine technology for the analysis of microarray experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Breitling Rainer

    2005-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Interpretation of simple microarray experiments is usually based on the fold-change of gene expression between a reference and a "treated" sample where the treatment can be of many types from drug exposure to genetic variation. Interpretation of the results usually combines lists of differentially expressed genes with previous knowledge about their biological function. Here we evaluate a method – based on the PageRank algorithm employed by the popular search engine Google – that tries to automate some of this procedure to generate prioritized gene lists by exploiting biological background information. Results GeneRank is an intuitive modification of PageRank that maintains many of its mathematical properties. It combines gene expression information with a network structure derived from gene annotations (gene ontologies or expression profile correlations. Using both simulated and real data we find that the algorithm offers an improved ranking of genes compared to pure expression change rankings. Conclusion Our modification of the PageRank algorithm provides an alternative method of evaluating microarray experimental results which combines prior knowledge about the underlying network. GeneRank offers an improvement compared to assessing the importance of a gene based on its experimentally observed fold-change alone and may be used as a basis for further analytical developments.

  11. GeneRank: using search engine technology for the analysis of microarray experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morrison, Julie L; Breitling, Rainer; Higham, Desmond J; Gilbert, David R

    2005-09-21

    Interpretation of simple microarray experiments is usually based on the fold-change of gene expression between a reference and a "treated" sample where the treatment can be of many types from drug exposure to genetic variation. Interpretation of the results usually combines lists of differentially expressed genes with previous knowledge about their biological function. Here we evaluate a method--based on the PageRank algorithm employed by the popular search engine Google--that tries to automate some of this procedure to generate prioritized gene lists by exploiting biological background information. GeneRank is an intuitive modification of PageRank that maintains many of its mathematical properties. It combines gene expression information with a network structure derived from gene annotations (gene ontologies) or expression profile correlations. Using both simulated and real data we find that the algorithm offers an improved ranking of genes compared to pure expression change rankings. Our modification of the PageRank algorithm provides an alternative method of evaluating microarray experimental results which combines prior knowledge about the underlying network. GeneRank offers an improvement compared to assessing the importance of a gene based on its experimentally observed fold-change alone and may be used as a basis for further analytical developments.

  12. Exploring germplasm diversity to understand the domestication process in Cicer spp. using SNP and DArT markers.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Manish Roorkiwal

    Full Text Available To estimate genetic diversity within and between 10 interfertile Cicer species (94 genotypes from the primary, secondary and tertiary gene pool, we analysed 5,257 DArT markers and 651 KASPar SNP markers. Based on successful allele calling in the tertiary gene pool, 2,763 DArT and 624 SNP markers that are polymorphic between genotypes from the gene pools were analyzed further. STRUCTURE analyses were consistent with 3 cultivated populations, representing kabuli, desi and pea-shaped seed types, with substantial admixture among these groups, while two wild populations were observed using DArT markers. AMOVA was used to partition variance among hierarchical sets of landraces and wild species at both the geographical and species level, with 61% of the variation found between species, and 39% within species. Molecular variance among the wild species was high (39% compared to the variation present in cultivated material (10%. Observed heterozygosity was higher in wild species than the cultivated species for each linkage group. Our results support the Fertile Crescent both as the center of domestication and diversification of chickpea. The collection used in the present study covers all the three regions of historical chickpea cultivation, with the highest diversity in the Fertile Crescent region. Shared alleles between different gene pools suggest the possibility of gene flow among these species or incomplete lineage sorting and could indicate complicated patterns of divergence and fusion of wild chickpea taxa in the past.

  13. Cellular neural networks, the Navier-Stokes equation, and microarray image reconstruction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zineddin, Bachar; Wang, Zidong; Liu, Xiaohui

    2011-11-01

    Although the last decade has witnessed a great deal of improvements achieved for the microarray technology, many major developments in all the main stages of this technology, including image processing, are still needed. Some hardware implementations of microarray image processing have been proposed in the literature and proved to be promising alternatives to the currently available software systems. However, the main drawback of those proposed approaches is the unsuitable addressing of the quantification of the gene spot in a realistic way without any assumption about the image surface. Our aim in this paper is to present a new image-reconstruction algorithm using the cellular neural network that solves the Navier-Stokes equation. This algorithm offers a robust method for estimating the background signal within the gene-spot region. The MATCNN toolbox for Matlab is used to test the proposed method. Quantitative comparisons are carried out, i.e., in terms of objective criteria, between our approach and some other available methods. It is shown that the proposed algorithm gives highly accurate and realistic measurements in a fully automated manner within a remarkably efficient time.

  14. Use of the cDNA microarray technology in thesafety assessment of GM food plants

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Jan W.; Knudsen, Ib; Eriksen, Folmer Damsted

    This report focuses on new analytical approaches that might give more insight into possible changes in a genetically modified plant. Primarily the focus is on the new DNA microarray technique but also proteomics and metabolomics are discussed.The report describes the new techniques and evaluates ...

  15. An evaluation of two-channel ChIP-on-chip and DNA methylation microarray normalization strategies

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background The combination of chromatin immunoprecipitation with two-channel microarray technology enables genome-wide mapping of binding sites of DNA-interacting proteins (ChIP-on-chip) or sites with methylated CpG di-nucleotides (DNA methylation microarray). These powerful tools are the gateway to understanding gene transcription regulation. Since the goals of such studies, the sample preparation procedures, the microarray content and study design are all different from transcriptomics microarrays, the data pre-processing strategies traditionally applied to transcriptomics microarrays may not be appropriate. Particularly, the main challenge of the normalization of "regulation microarrays" is (i) to make the data of individual microarrays quantitatively comparable and (ii) to keep the signals of the enriched probes, representing DNA sequences from the precipitate, as distinguishable as possible from the signals of the un-enriched probes, representing DNA sequences largely absent from the precipitate. Results We compare several widely used normalization approaches (VSN, LOWESS, quantile, T-quantile, Tukey's biweight scaling, Peng's method) applied to a selection of regulation microarray datasets, ranging from DNA methylation to transcription factor binding and histone modification studies. Through comparison of the data distributions of control probes and gene promoter probes before and after normalization, and assessment of the power to identify known enriched genomic regions after normalization, we demonstrate that there are clear differences in performance between normalization procedures. Conclusion T-quantile normalization applied separately on the channels and Tukey's biweight scaling outperform other methods in terms of the conservation of enriched and un-enriched signal separation, as well as in identification of genomic regions known to be enriched. T-quantile normalization is preferable as it additionally improves comparability between microarrays. In

  16. Data Integration for Microarrays: Enhanced Inference for Gene Regulatory Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alina Sîrbu

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Microarray technologies have been the basis of numerous important findings regarding gene expression in the few last decades. Studies have generated large amounts of data describing various processes, which, due to the existence of public databases, are widely available for further analysis. Given their lower cost and higher maturity compared to newer sequencing technologies, these data continue to be produced, even though data quality has been the subject of some debate. However, given the large volume of data generated, integration can help overcome some issues related, e.g., to noise or reduced time resolution, while providing additional insight on features not directly addressed by sequencing methods. Here, we present an integration test case based on public Drosophila melanogaster datasets (gene expression, binding site affinities, known interactions. Using an evolutionary computation framework, we show how integration can enhance the ability to recover transcriptional gene regulatory networks from these data, as well as indicating which data types are more important for quantitative and qualitative network inference. Our results show a clear improvement in performance when multiple datasets are integrated, indicating that microarray data will remain a valuable and viable resource for some time to come.

  17. Data Integration for Microarrays: Enhanced Inference for Gene Regulatory Networks.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sîrbu, Alina; Crane, Martin; Ruskin, Heather J

    2015-05-14

    Microarray technologies have been the basis of numerous important findings regarding gene expression in the few last decades. Studies have generated large amounts of data describing various processes, which, due to the existence of public databases, are widely available for further analysis. Given their lower cost and higher maturity compared to newer sequencing technologies, these data continue to be produced, even though data quality has been the subject of some debate. However, given the large volume of data generated, integration can help overcome some issues related, e.g., to noise or reduced time resolution, while providing additional insight on features not directly addressed by sequencing methods. Here, we present an integration test case based on public Drosophila melanogaster datasets (gene expression, binding site affinities, known interactions). Using an evolutionary computation framework, we show how integration can enhance the ability to recover transcriptional gene regulatory networks from these data, as well as indicating which data types are more important for quantitative and qualitative network inference. Our results show a clear improvement in performance when multiple datasets are integrated, indicating that microarray data will remain a valuable and viable resource for some time to come.

  18. Cross-platform comparison of microarray data using order restricted inference

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klinglmueller, Florian; Tuechler, Thomas; Posch, Martin

    2013-01-01

    Motivation Titration experiments measuring the gene expression from two different tissues, along with total RNA mixtures of the pure samples, are frequently used for quality evaluation of microarray technologies. Such a design implies that the true mRNA expression of each gene, is either constant or follows a monotonic trend between the mixtures, applying itself to the use of order restricted inference procedures. Exploiting only the postulated monotonicity of titration designs, we propose three statistical analysis methods for the validation of high-throughput genetic data and corresponding preprocessing techniques. Results Our methods allow for inference of accuracy, repeatability and cross-platform agreement, with minimal required assumptions regarding the underlying data generating process. Therefore, they are readily applicable to all sorts of genetic high-throughput data independent of the degree of preprocessing. An application to the EMERALD dataset was used to demonstrate how our methods provide a rich spectrum of easily interpretable quality metrics and allow the comparison of different microarray technologies and normalization methods. The results are on par with previous work, but provide additional new insights that cast doubt on the utility of popular preprocessing techniques, specifically concerning the EMERALD projects dataset. Availability All datasets are available on EBI’s ArrayExpress web site (http://www.ebi.ac.uk/microarray-as/ae/) under accession numbers E-TABM-536, E-TABM-554 and E-TABM-555. Source code implemented in C and R is available at: http://statistics.msi.meduniwien.ac.at/float/cross_platform/. Methods for testing and variance decomposition have been made available in the R-package orQA, which can be downloaded and installed from CRAN http://cran.r-project.org. PMID:21317143

  19. Genetic Diversity of Turf-Type Tall Fescue Using Diversity Arrays Technology

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Baird, J. H.; Kopecký, David; Lukaszewski, A.J.; Green, R. J.; Bartoš, Jan; Doležel, Jaroslav

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 52, č. 1 (2012), s. 408-412 ISSN 0011-183X Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : Festuca arundinacea * Diversity Arrays Technology (DArT) * Low genetic polymorphism Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.513, year: 2012

  20. Tissue microarray immunohistochemical detection of brachyury is not a prognostic indicator in chordoma.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Linlin; Guo, Shang; Schwab, Joseph H; Nielsen, G Petur; Choy, Edwin; Ye, Shunan; Zhang, Zhan; Mankin, Henry; Hornicek, Francis J; Duan, Zhenfeng

    2013-01-01

    Brachyury is a marker for notochord-derived tissues and neoplasms, such as chordoma. However, the prognostic relevance of brachyury expression in chordoma is still unknown. The improvement of tissue microarray technology has provided the opportunity to perform analyses of tumor tissues on a large scale in a uniform and consistent manner. This study was designed with the use of tissue microarray to determine the expression of brachyury. Brachyury expression in chordoma tissues from 78 chordoma patients was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarray. The clinicopathologic parameters, including gender, age, location of tumor and metastatic status were evaluated. Fifty-nine of 78 (75.64%) tumors showed nuclear staining for brachyury, and among them, 29 tumors (49.15%) showed 1+ (mobile spine. However, there was no significant relationship between brachyury expression and other clinical variables. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, brachyury expression failed to produce any significant relationship with the overall survival rate. In conclusion, brachyury expression is not a prognostic indicator in chordoma.

  1. Comparative RNA-Seq and microarray analysis of gene expression changes in B-cell lymphomas of Canis familiaris.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marie Mooney

    Full Text Available Comparative oncology is a developing research discipline that is being used to assist our understanding of human neoplastic diseases. Companion canines are a preferred animal oncology model due to spontaneous tumor development and similarity to human disease at the pathophysiological level. We use a paired RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq/microarray analysis of a set of four normal canine lymph nodes and ten canine lymphoma fine needle aspirates to identify technical biases and variation between the technologies and convergence on biological disease pathways. Surrogate Variable Analysis (SVA provides a formal multivariate analysis of the combined RNA-Seq/microarray data set. Applying SVA to the data allows us to decompose variation into contributions associated with transcript abundance, differences between the technology, and latent variation within each technology. A substantial and highly statistically significant component of the variation reflects transcript abundance, and RNA-Seq appeared more sensitive for detection of transcripts expressed at low levels. Latent random variation among RNA-Seq samples is also distinct in character from that impacting microarray samples. In particular, we observed variation between RNA-Seq samples that reflects transcript GC content. Platform-independent variable decomposition without a priori knowledge of the sources of variation using SVA represents a generalizable method for accomplishing cross-platform data analysis. We identified genes differentially expressed between normal lymph nodes of disease free dogs and a subset of the diseased dogs diagnosed with B-cell lymphoma using each technology. There is statistically significant overlap between the RNA-Seq and microarray sets of differentially expressed genes. Analysis of overlapping genes in the context of biological systems suggests elevated expression and activity of PI3K signaling in B-cell lymphoma biopsies compared with normal biopsies, consistent with

  2. Sharper and faster "nano darts" kill more bacteria: a study of antibacterial activity of individually dispersed pristine single-walled carbon nanotube.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shaobin; Wei, Li; Hao, Lin; Fang, Ning; Chang, Matthew Wook; Xu, Rong; Yang, Yanhui; Chen, Yuan

    2009-12-22

    To further our understanding on the antibacterial activity of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), high purity SWCNTs with average diameter of 0.83 nm and (7,5) chirality as dominate (n,m) structure were dispersed in a biocompatible surfactant solution. Ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared radiation absorption spectroscopy was employed to monitor the aggregation of SWCNTs. The results demonstrated that individually dispersed SWCNTs were more toxic than SWCNT aggregates toward bacteria (gram-negative Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis). Individually dispersed SWCNTs can be visualized as numerous moving "nano darts" in the solution, constantly attacking the bacteria; thereby, degrading the bacterial cell integrity and causing the cell death. Controlled experimental results suggested that inhibiting cell growth and oxidative stress were not the major causes responsible for the death of cells. Furthermore, the detrimental effects of Co metal residues (up to 1 mug/mL) on SWCNT samples can be ruled out. Atomic force microscope study conducted in suspension proved that the death rates of bacteria were strongly correlated with their mechanical properties; soft cells were more vulnerable to SWCNT piercing. The antibacterial activity of SWCNTs can be remarkably improved by enhancing the SWCNT physical puncture on bacteria in the following ways: (1) dispersing SWCNTs individually to sharpen the nano darts; (2) increasing SWCNT concentration to raise the population density of nano darts; and (3) elevating the shaking speed of incubation to speed up the nano darts. This study elucidated several factors controlling the antibacterial activity of pristine SWCNTs and it provided an insight in developing strategies that can maximize the SWCNT application potentials while minimizing the health and environment risks.

  3. Assessment of Ploidy and Genome Constitution of Some Musa balbisiana Cultivars using DArT Markers

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Sales, E. K.; Butardo, N. G.; Paniagua, H. G.; Jansen, H.; Doležel, Jaroslav

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 36, č. 1 (2011), s. 11-18 ISSN 0115-463X Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50380511 Keywords : DArT * genome * Musa balbisiana Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 0.075, year: 2011 http://home.ueb.cas.cz/publikace/2011_Sales_PHILIPPINE_JOURNAL_OF_CROP_SCIENCE_11.pdf

  4. An efficient algorithm for the stochastic simulation of the hybridization of DNA to microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laurenzi Ian J

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Although oligonucleotide microarray technology is ubiquitous in genomic research, reproducibility and standardization of expression measurements still concern many researchers. Cross-hybridization between microarray probes and non-target ssDNA has been implicated as a primary factor in sensitivity and selectivity loss. Since hybridization is a chemical process, it may be modeled at a population-level using a combination of material balance equations and thermodynamics. However, the hybridization reaction network may be exceptionally large for commercial arrays, which often possess at least one reporter per transcript. Quantification of the kinetics and equilibrium of exceptionally large chemical systems of this type is numerically infeasible with customary approaches. Results In this paper, we present a robust and computationally efficient algorithm for the simulation of hybridization processes underlying microarray assays. Our method may be utilized to identify the extent to which nucleic acid targets (e.g. cDNA will cross-hybridize with probes, and by extension, characterize probe robustnessusing the information specified by MAGE-TAB. Using this algorithm, we characterize cross-hybridization in a modified commercial microarray assay. Conclusions By integrating stochastic simulation with thermodynamic prediction tools for DNA hybridization, one may robustly and rapidly characterize of the selectivity of a proposed microarray design at the probe and "system" levels. Our code is available at http://www.laurenzi.net.

  5. Butorphanol, azaperone, and medetomidine anesthesia in free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) using radiotransmitter darts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siegal-Willott, Jessica; Citino, Scott B; Wade, Scotty; Elder, Laura; Hayek, Lee-Ann C; Lance, William R

    2009-04-01

    Fourteen free-ranging white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) were successfully anesthetized for a total of 15 anesthetic events using a combination of butorphanol (mean+/-SD, 0.58+/-0.1 mg/kg), azaperone (0.37+/-0.06 mg/kg), and medetomidine (0.19+/-0.03 mg/kg) (BAM) administered by radiotelemetry darts from hunting blinds between November 2006 and May 2007. Mean time to locate deer (mean+/-SD, 17. 3+/-7 min), to recumbency (21.4+/-5 min), to initiation of data acquisition (27.5+/-8 min), total down time (37+/-6 min), and average distance run (161+/-82 m) were recorded. Physiologic monitoring was done every 5 min for a total of 20 min. Arterial blood gases were collected every 10 min. Mild to moderate hypoxemia and mildly depressed ventilation occurred in some animals. Muscle relaxation and plane of anesthesia were adequate for completion of all procedures; two deer were administered intravenous butorphanol supplementation to achieve light anesthesia (mean+/-SD, 0.19 mg/kg; 0.12 mg/kg). Recovery following intramuscular administration of naltrexone (1.34+/-0.42 mg/kg; 2x butorphanol dose) and atipamezole (0.93+/-0.14 mg/kg; 5x medetomidine dose) was rapid, smooth, and complete. Mean+/-SD recovery time was 4.5+/-1.5 min. Overall efficacy of the Pneu-Dart radiotelemetry system was 65%. Negative attributes of this protocol included long induction time and dart failure. No known mortalities occurred as a result of the study. This drug combination provided safe, reliable, short-term anesthesia of free-ranging white-tailed deer. Further evaluation for use in field procedures in other cervids is warranted.

  6. A multiplex reverse transcription PCR and automated electronic microarray assay for detection and differentiation of seven viruses affecting swine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erickson, A; Fisher, M; Furukawa-Stoffer, T; Ambagala, A; Hodko, D; Pasick, J; King, D P; Nfon, C; Ortega Polo, R; Lung, O

    2018-04-01

    Microarray technology can be useful for pathogen detection as it allows simultaneous interrogation of the presence or absence of a large number of genetic signatures. However, most microarray assays are labour-intensive and time-consuming to perform. This study describes the development and initial evaluation of a multiplex reverse transcription (RT)-PCR and novel accompanying automated electronic microarray assay for simultaneous detection and differentiation of seven important viruses that affect swine (foot-and-mouth disease virus [FMDV], swine vesicular disease virus [SVDV], vesicular exanthema of swine virus [VESV], African swine fever virus [ASFV], classical swine fever virus [CSFV], porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus [PRRSV] and porcine circovirus type 2 [PCV2]). The novel electronic microarray assay utilizes a single, user-friendly instrument that integrates and automates capture probe printing, hybridization, washing and reporting on a disposable electronic microarray cartridge with 400 features. This assay accurately detected and identified a total of 68 isolates of the seven targeted virus species including 23 samples of FMDV, representing all seven serotypes, and 10 CSFV strains, representing all three genotypes. The assay successfully detected viruses in clinical samples from the field, experimentally infected animals (as early as 1 day post-infection (dpi) for FMDV and SVDV, 4 dpi for ASFV, 5 dpi for CSFV), as well as in biological material that were spiked with target viruses. The limit of detection was 10 copies/μl for ASFV, PCV2 and PRRSV, 100 copies/μl for SVDV, CSFV, VESV and 1,000 copies/μl for FMDV. The electronic microarray component had reduced analytical sensitivity for several of the target viruses when compared with the multiplex RT-PCR. The integration of capture probe printing allows custom onsite array printing as needed, while electrophoretically driven hybridization generates results faster than conventional

  7. Array-based techniques for fingerprinting medicinal herbs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xue Charlie

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Poor quality control of medicinal herbs has led to instances of toxicity, poisoning and even deaths. The fundamental step in quality control of herbal medicine is accurate identification of herbs. Array-based techniques have recently been adapted to authenticate or identify herbal plants. This article reviews the current array-based techniques, eg oligonucleotides microarrays, gene-based probe microarrays, Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH-based arrays, Diversity Array Technology (DArT and Subtracted Diversity Array (SDA. We further compare these techniques according to important parameters such as markers, polymorphism rates, restriction enzymes and sample type. The applicability of the array-based methods for fingerprinting depends on the availability of genomics and genetics of the species to be fingerprinted. For the species with few genome sequence information but high polymorphism rates, SDA techniques are particularly recommended because they require less labour and lower material cost.

  8. Development, characterization and experimental validation of a cultivated sunflower (Helianthus annuus L. gene expression oligonucleotide microarray.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula Fernandez

    Full Text Available Oligonucleotide-based microarrays with accurate gene coverage represent a key strategy for transcriptional studies in orphan species such as sunflower, H. annuus L., which lacks full genome sequences. The goal of this study was the development and functional annotation of a comprehensive sunflower unigene collection and the design and validation of a custom sunflower oligonucleotide-based microarray. A large scale EST (>130,000 ESTs curation, assembly and sequence annotation was performed using Blast2GO (www.blast2go.de. The EST assembly comprises 41,013 putative transcripts (12,924 contigs and 28,089 singletons. The resulting Sunflower Unigen Resource (SUR version 1.0 was used to design an oligonucleotide-based Agilent microarray for cultivated sunflower. This microarray includes a total of 42,326 features: 1,417 Agilent controls, 74 control probes for sunflower replicated 10 times (740 controls and 40,169 different non-control probes. Microarray performance was validated using a model experiment examining the induction of senescence by water deficit. Pre-processing and differential expression analysis of Agilent microarrays was performed using the Bioconductor limma package. The analyses based on p-values calculated by eBayes (p<0.01 allowed the detection of 558 differentially expressed genes between water stress and control conditions; from these, ten genes were further validated by qPCR. Over-represented ontologies were identified using FatiScan in the Babelomics suite. This work generated a curated and trustable sunflower unigene collection, and a custom, validated sunflower oligonucleotide-based microarray using Agilent technology. Both the curated unigene collection and the validated oligonucleotide microarray provide key resources for sunflower genome analysis, transcriptional studies, and molecular breeding for crop improvement.

  9. The Properties of SIRT, TVM, and DART for 3D imaging of nanocomposite thin-films and sections

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Chen, D.; Goris, B.; Bleichrodt, F.; Mezerji, H.H.; Bals, S.; Batenburg, K.J.; With, de G.; Friedrich, H.

    2014-01-01

    In electron tomography, the fidelity of the 3D reconstruction strongly depends on the employed reconstruction algorithm. In this paper, the properties of SIRT, TVM and DART reconstructions are studied with respect to having only a limited number of electrons available for imaging and applying

  10. Design of an Enterobacteriaceae Pan-genome Microarray Chip

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lukjancenko, Oksana; Ussery, David

    2010-01-01

    -density microarray chip has been designed, using 116 Enterobacteriaceae genome sequences, taking into account the enteric pan-genome. Probes for the microarray were checked in silico and performance of the chip, based on experimental strains from four different genera, demonstrate a relatively high ability...... to distinguish those strains on genus, species, and pathotype/serovar levels. Additionally, the microarray performed well when investigating which genes were found in a given strain of interest. The Enterobacteriaceae pan-genome microarray, based on 116 genomes, provides a valuable tool for determination...

  11. Assessing Bacterial Interactions Using Carbohydrate-Based Microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andrea Flannery

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Carbohydrates play a crucial role in host-microorganism interactions and many host glycoconjugates are receptors or co-receptors for microbial binding. Host glycosylation varies with species and location in the body, and this contributes to species specificity and tropism of commensal and pathogenic bacteria. Additionally, bacterial glycosylation is often the first bacterial molecular species encountered and responded to by the host system. Accordingly, characterising and identifying the exact structures involved in these critical interactions is an important priority in deciphering microbial pathogenesis. Carbohydrate-based microarray platforms have been an underused tool for screening bacterial interactions with specific carbohydrate structures, but they are growing in popularity in recent years. In this review, we discuss carbohydrate-based microarrays that have been profiled with whole bacteria, recombinantly expressed adhesins or serum antibodies. Three main types of carbohydrate-based microarray platform are considered; (i conventional carbohydrate or glycan microarrays; (ii whole mucin microarrays; and (iii microarrays constructed from bacterial polysaccharides or their components. Determining the nature of the interactions between bacteria and host can help clarify the molecular mechanisms of carbohydrate-mediated interactions in microbial pathogenesis, infectious disease and host immune response and may lead to new strategies to boost therapeutic treatments.

  12. Shaping of parabolic cylindrical membrane reflectors for the Dart Precision Test Bed

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morgan, R.; Agnes, Gregory S.; Dragovan, M.; Barber, D.; Marcin, M.; White, C.; Dooley, J.; Hatheway, A.

    2004-01-01

    The DART is a new telescope architecture consisting of a single aperture formed from two cylindrical parabolic reflectors. The system is ideally suited to using tensioned membranes for the reflective surfaces, owing to the zero Gaussian curvature of a cylindrical parabola. In this paper, we present experimental measurements for shaping the membranes by using curved boundary elements to achieve coarse shaping, and a pair of precision rails shaped by moments and forces at the ends, and lightly pushed into the surface, to provide fine shape control.

  13. Evaluation of artificial time series microarray data for dynamic gene regulatory network inference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xenitidis, P; Seimenis, I; Kakolyris, S; Adamopoulos, A

    2017-08-07

    High-throughput technology like microarrays is widely used in the inference of gene regulatory networks (GRNs). We focused on time series data since we are interested in the dynamics of GRNs and the identification of dynamic networks. We evaluated the amount of information that exists in artificial time series microarray data and the ability of an inference process to produce accurate models based on them. We used dynamic artificial gene regulatory networks in order to create artificial microarray data. Key features that characterize microarray data such as the time separation of directly triggered genes, the percentage of directly triggered genes and the triggering function type were altered in order to reveal the limits that are imposed by the nature of microarray data on the inference process. We examined the effect of various factors on the inference performance such as the network size, the presence of noise in microarray data, and the network sparseness. We used a system theory approach and examined the relationship between the pole placement of the inferred system and the inference performance. We examined the relationship between the inference performance in the time domain and the true system parameter identification. Simulation results indicated that time separation and the percentage of directly triggered genes are crucial factors. Also, network sparseness, the triggering function type and noise in input data affect the inference performance. When two factors were simultaneously varied, it was found that variation of one parameter significantly affects the dynamic response of the other. Crucial factors were also examined using a real GRN and acquired results confirmed simulation findings with artificial data. Different initial conditions were also used as an alternative triggering approach. Relevant results confirmed that the number of datasets constitutes the most significant parameter with regard to the inference performance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier

  14. Evaluation of gene importance in microarray data based upon probability of selection

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fu Li M

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray devices permit a genome-scale evaluation of gene function. This technology has catalyzed biomedical research and development in recent years. As many important diseases can be traced down to the gene level, a long-standing research problem is to identify specific gene expression patterns linking to metabolic characteristics that contribute to disease development and progression. The microarray approach offers an expedited solution to this problem. However, it has posed a challenging issue to recognize disease-related genes expression patterns embedded in the microarray data. In selecting a small set of biologically significant genes for classifier design, the nature of high data dimensionality inherent in this problem creates substantial amount of uncertainty. Results Here we present a model for probability analysis of selected genes in order to determine their importance. Our contribution is that we show how to derive the P value of each selected gene in multiple gene selection trials based on different combinations of data samples and how to conduct a reliability analysis accordingly. The importance of a gene is indicated by its associated P value in that a smaller value implies higher information content from information theory. On the microarray data concerning the subtype classification of small round blue cell tumors, we demonstrate that the method is capable of finding the smallest set of genes (19 genes with optimal classification performance, compared with results reported in the literature. Conclusion In classifier design based on microarray data, the probability value derived from gene selection based on multiple combinations of data samples enables an effective mechanism for reducing the tendency of fitting local data particularities.

  15. Ability Beliefs, Task Value, and Performance as a Function of Race in a Dart-Throwing Task

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Zan; Kosma, Maria; Harrison, Louis, Jr.

    2009-01-01

    This study examines differences in self-efficacy, expectancy-related beliefs, task value, and performance in a dart-throwing task as a function of race among diverse college students using the expectancy-value model and self-efficacy theory. It also examines the predictive contributions of these beliefs on task performance within each racial…

  16. Polyadenylation state microarray (PASTA) analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beilharz, Traude H; Preiss, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    Nearly all eukaryotic mRNAs terminate in a poly(A) tail that serves important roles in mRNA utilization. In the cytoplasm, the poly(A) tail promotes both mRNA stability and translation, and these functions are frequently regulated through changes in tail length. To identify the scope of poly(A) tail length control in a transcriptome, we developed the polyadenylation state microarray (PASTA) method. It involves the purification of mRNA based on poly(A) tail length using thermal elution from poly(U) sepharose, followed by microarray analysis of the resulting fractions. In this chapter we detail our PASTA approach and describe some methods for bulk and mRNA-specific poly(A) tail length measurements of use to monitor the procedure and independently verify the microarray data.

  17. Evaluation of toxicity of the mycotoxin citrinin using yeast ORF DNA microarray and Oligo DNA microarray

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nobumasa Hitoshi

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Mycotoxins are fungal secondary metabolites commonly present in feed and food, and are widely regarded as hazardous contaminants. Citrinin, one of the very well known mycotoxins that was first isolated from Penicillium citrinum, is produced by more than 10 kinds of fungi, and is possibly spread all over the world. However, the information on the action mechanism of the toxin is limited. Thus, we investigated the citrinin-induced genomic response for evaluating its toxicity. Results Citrinin inhibited growth of yeast cells at a concentration higher than 100 ppm. We monitored the citrinin-induced mRNA expression profiles in yeast using the ORF DNA microarray and Oligo DNA microarray, and the expression profiles were compared with those of the other stress-inducing agents. Results obtained from both microarray experiments clustered together, but were different from those of the mycotoxin patulin. The oxidative stress response genes – AADs, FLR1, OYE3, GRE2, and MET17 – were significantly induced. In the functional category, expression of genes involved in "metabolism", "cell rescue, defense and virulence", and "energy" were significantly activated. In the category of "metabolism", genes involved in the glutathione synthesis pathway were activated, and in the category of "cell rescue, defense and virulence", the ABC transporter genes were induced. To alleviate the induced stress, these cells might pump out the citrinin after modification with glutathione. While, the citrinin treatment did not induce the genes involved in the DNA repair. Conclusion Results from both microarray studies suggest that citrinin treatment induced oxidative stress in yeast cells. The genotoxicity was less severe than the patulin, suggesting that citrinin is less toxic than patulin. The reproducibility of the expression profiles was much better with the Oligo DNA microarray. However, the Oligo DNA microarray did not completely overcome cross

  18. Rapid qualitative analysis of 2 flavonoids, rutin and silybin, in medical pills by direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) combined with in situ derivatization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagy, Tibor; Kuki, Ákos; Nagy, Lajos; Zsuga, Miklós; Kéki, Sándor

    2018-03-01

    Direct analysis in real-time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) with in situ silylation was used for the rapid analysis of the flavonoids silybin ((2R,3R)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-[3-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-hydroxymethyl-2,3-dihydrobenzo[1,4]dioxin-6-yl]chroman-4-one) and rutin (quercetin-3-O-rutinoside). Three different derivatization reagents, hexamethyldisilazane/trimethylchlorosilane/pyridine (HMDS/TMCS/pyridine), N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)acetamide/trimethylchlorosilane/N-trimethylsilyimidazole (BSA/TMCS/TMSI), and N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoroacetamide/trimethylchlorosilane (BSTFA/TMCS), were applied. Silybin and rutin were detected with various degrees of silylation, and the formation of dimers with pyridine and imidazole was also observed. HMDS/TMCS/pyridine was the best choice for the DART-MS analysis of silybin, and BSA/TMCS/TMSI was the most effective for the detection of rutin. The effects of the DART source temperature on desorption, ionization, in-source fragmentation, dimer formation, and hydrolysis of the trimethylsilyl groups were also studied. In addition, the collision-induced dissociation properties of the derivatized silybin and rutin were explored. With our in situ silylation method, the derivatized bioactive compounds in intact medical pills could also be detected by DART-MS. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  19. AffyMiner: mining differentially expressed genes and biological knowledge in GeneChip microarray data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xia Yuannan

    2006-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background DNA microarrays are a powerful tool for monitoring the expression of tens of thousands of genes simultaneously. With the advance of microarray technology, the challenge issue becomes how to analyze a large amount of microarray data and make biological sense of them. Affymetrix GeneChips are widely used microarrays, where a variety of statistical algorithms have been explored and used for detecting significant genes in the experiment. These methods rely solely on the quantitative data, i.e., signal intensity; however, qualitative data are also important parameters in detecting differentially expressed genes. Results AffyMiner is a tool developed for detecting differentially expressed genes in Affymetrix GeneChip microarray data and for associating gene annotation and gene ontology information with the genes detected. AffyMiner consists of the functional modules, GeneFinder for detecting significant genes in a treatment versus control experiment and GOTree for mapping genes of interest onto the Gene Ontology (GO space; and interfaces to run Cluster, a program for clustering analysis, and GenMAPP, a program for pathway analysis. AffyMiner has been used for analyzing the GeneChip data and the results were presented in several publications. Conclusion AffyMiner fills an important gap in finding differentially expressed genes in Affymetrix GeneChip microarray data. AffyMiner effectively deals with multiple replicates in the experiment and takes into account both quantitative and qualitative data in identifying significant genes. AffyMiner reduces the time and effort needed to compare data from multiple arrays and to interpret the possible biological implications associated with significant changes in a gene's expression.

  20. Integration of microarray analysis into the clinical diagnosis of hematological malignancies: How much can we improve cytogenetic testing?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peterson, Jess F.; Aggarwal, Nidhi; Smith, Clayton A.; Gollin, Susanne M.; Surti, Urvashi; Rajkovic, Aleksandar; Swerdlow, Steven H.; Yatsenko, Svetlana A.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose To evaluate the clinical utility, diagnostic yield and rationale of integrating microarray analysis in the clinical diagnosis of hematological malignancies in comparison with classical chromosome karyotyping/fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Methods G-banded chromosome analysis, FISH and microarray studies using customized CGH and CGH+SNP designs were performed on 27 samples from patients with hematological malignancies. A comprehensive comparison of the results obtained by three methods was conducted to evaluate benefits and limitations of these techniques for clinical diagnosis. Results Overall, 89.7% of chromosomal abnormalities identified by karyotyping/FISH studies were also detectable by microarray. Among 183 acquired copy number alterations (CNAs) identified by microarray, 94 were additional findings revealed in 14 cases (52%), and at least 30% of CNAs were in genomic regions of diagnostic/prognostic significance. Approximately 30% of novel alterations detected by microarray were >20 Mb in size. Balanced abnormalities were not detected by microarray; however, of the 19 apparently “balanced” rearrangements, 55% (6/11) of recurrent and 13% (1/8) of non-recurrent translocations had alterations at the breakpoints discovered by microarray. Conclusion Microarray technology enables accurate, cost-effective and time-efficient whole-genome analysis at a resolution significantly higher than that of conventional karyotyping and FISH. Array-CGH showed advantage in identification of cryptic imbalances and detection of clonal aberrations in population of non-dividing cancer cells and samples with poor chromosome morphology. The integration of microarray analysis into the cytogenetic diagnosis of hematologic malignancies has the potential to improve patient management by providing clinicians with additional disease specific and potentially clinically actionable genomic alterations. PMID:26299921

  1. Multisegment one-step RT-PCR fluorescent labeling of influenza A virus genome for use in diagnostic microarray applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vasin, A V; Plotnikova, M A; Klotchenko, S A; Elpaeva, E A; Komissarov, A B; Egorov, V V; Kiselev, O I [Research Institute of Influenza of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation, 15/17 Prof. Popova St., St. Petersburg (Russian Federation); Sandybaev, N T; Chervyakova, O V; Strochkov, V M; Taylakova, E T; Koshemetov, J K; Mamadaliev, S M, E-mail: vasin@influenza.spb.ru [Research Institute for Biological Safety Problems of the RK NBC/SC ME and S RK, Gvardeiskiy (Kazakhstan)

    2011-04-01

    Microarray technology is one of the most challenging methods of influenza A virus subtyping, which is based on the antigenic properties of viral surface glycoproteins - hemagglutinin and neuraminidase. On the example of biochip for detection of influenza A/H5N1 virus we showed the possibility of using multisegment RTPCR method for amplification of fluorescently labeled cDNA of all possible influenza A virus subtypes with a single pair of primers in influenza diagnostic microarrays.

  2. Rapid and reliable detection and identification of GM events using multiplex PCR coupled with oligonucleotide microarray.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Xiaodan; Li, Yingcong; Zhao, Heng; Wen, Si-yuan; Wang, Sheng-qi; Huang, Jian; Huang, Kun-lun; Luo, Yun-bo

    2005-05-18

    To devise a rapid and reliable method for the detection and identification of genetically modified (GM) events, we developed a multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) coupled with a DNA microarray system simultaneously aiming at many targets in a single reaction. The system included probes for screening gene, species reference gene, specific gene, construct-specific gene, event-specific gene, and internal and negative control genes. 18S rRNA was combined with species reference genes as internal controls to assess the efficiency of all reactions and to eliminate false negatives. Two sets of the multiplex PCR system were used to amplify four and five targets, respectively. Eight different structure genes could be detected and identified simultaneously for Roundup Ready soybean in a single microarray. The microarray specificity was validated by its ability to discriminate two GM maizes Bt176 and Bt11. The advantages of this method are its high specificity and greatly reduced false-positives and -negatives. The multiplex PCR coupled with microarray technology presented here is a rapid and reliable tool for the simultaneous detection of GM organism ingredients.

  3. Systematic spatial bias in DNA microarray hybridization is caused by probe spot position-dependent variability in lateral diffusion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steger, Doris; Berry, David; Haider, Susanne; Horn, Matthias; Wagner, Michael; Stocker, Roman; Loy, Alexander

    2011-01-01

    The hybridization of nucleic acid targets with surface-immobilized probes is a widely used assay for the parallel detection of multiple targets in medical and biological research. Despite its widespread application, DNA microarray technology still suffers from several biases and lack of reproducibility, stemming in part from an incomplete understanding of the processes governing surface hybridization. In particular, non-random spatial variations within individual microarray hybridizations are often observed, but the mechanisms underpinning this positional bias remain incompletely explained. This study identifies and rationalizes a systematic spatial bias in the intensity of surface hybridization, characterized by markedly increased signal intensity of spots located at the boundaries of the spotted areas of the microarray slide. Combining observations from a simplified single-probe block array format with predictions from a mathematical model, the mechanism responsible for this bias is found to be a position-dependent variation in lateral diffusion of target molecules. Numerical simulations reveal a strong influence of microarray well geometry on the spatial bias. Reciprocal adjustment of the size of the microarray hybridization chamber to the area of surface-bound probes is a simple and effective measure to minimize or eliminate the diffusion-based bias, resulting in increased uniformity and accuracy of quantitative DNA microarray hybridization.

  4. Massively multiplexed microbial identification using resequencing DNA microarrays for outbreak investigation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leski, T. A.; Ansumana, R.; Jimmy, D. H.; Bangura, U.; Malanoski, A. P.; Lin, B.; Stenger, D. A.

    2011-06-01

    Multiplexed microbial diagnostic assays are a promising method for detection and identification of pathogens causing syndromes characterized by nonspecific symptoms in which traditional differential diagnosis is difficult. Also such assays can play an important role in outbreak investigations and environmental screening for intentional or accidental release of biothreat agents, which requires simultaneous testing for hundreds of potential pathogens. The resequencing pathogen microarray (RPM) is an emerging technological platform, relying on a combination of massively multiplex PCR and high-density DNA microarrays for rapid detection and high-resolution identification of hundreds of infectious agents simultaneously. The RPM diagnostic system was deployed in Sierra Leone, West Africa in collaboration with Njala University and Mercy Hospital Research Laboratory located in Bo. We used the RPM-Flu microarray designed for broad-range detection of human respiratory pathogens, to investigate a suspected outbreak of avian influenza in a number of poultry farms in which significant mortality of chickens was observed. The microarray results were additionally confirmed by influenza specific real-time PCR. The results of the study excluded the possibility that the outbreak was caused by influenza, but implicated Klebsiella pneumoniae as a possible pathogen. The outcome of this feasibility study confirms that application of broad-spectrum detection platforms for outbreak investigation in low-resource locations is possible and allows for rapid discovery of the responsible agents, even in cases when different agents are suspected. This strategy enables quick and cost effective detection of low probability events such as outbreak of a rare disease or intentional release of a biothreat agent.

  5. The properties of SIRT, TVM, and DART for 3D imaging of tubular domains in nanocomposite thin-films and sections.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Delei; Goris, Bart; Bleichrodt, Folkert; Mezerji, Hamed Heidari; Bals, Sara; Batenburg, Kees Joost; de With, Gijsbertus; Friedrich, Heiner

    2014-12-01

    In electron tomography, the fidelity of the 3D reconstruction strongly depends on the employed reconstruction algorithm. In this paper, the properties of SIRT, TVM and DART reconstructions are studied with respect to having only a limited number of electrons available for imaging and applying different angular sampling schemes. A well-defined realistic model is generated, which consists of tubular domains within a matrix having slab-geometry. Subsequently, the electron tomography workflow is simulated from calculated tilt-series over experimental effects to reconstruction. In comparison with the model, the fidelity of each reconstruction method is evaluated qualitatively and quantitatively based on global and local edge profiles and resolvable distance between particles. Results show that the performance of all reconstruction methods declines with the total electron dose. Overall, SIRT algorithm is the most stable method and insensitive to changes in angular sampling. TVM algorithm yields significantly sharper edges in the reconstruction, but the edge positions are strongly influenced by the tilt scheme and the tubular objects become thinned. The DART algorithm markedly suppresses the elongation artifacts along the beam direction and moreover segments the reconstruction which can be considered a significant advantage for quantification. Finally, no advantage of TVM and DART to deal better with fewer projections was observed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Nanotechnology: moving from microarrays toward nanoarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hua; Li, Jun

    2007-01-01

    Microarrays are important tools for high-throughput analysis of biomolecules. The use of microarrays for parallel screening of nucleic acid and protein profiles has become an industry standard. A few limitations of microarrays are the requirement for relatively large sample volumes and elongated incubation time, as well as the limit of detection. In addition, traditional microarrays make use of bulky instrumentation for the detection, and sample amplification and labeling are quite laborious, which increase analysis cost and delays the time for obtaining results. These problems limit microarray techniques from point-of-care and field applications. One strategy for overcoming these problems is to develop nanoarrays, particularly electronics-based nanoarrays. With further miniaturization, higher sensitivity, and simplified sample preparation, nanoarrays could potentially be employed for biomolecular analysis in personal healthcare and monitoring of trace pathogens. In this chapter, it is intended to introduce the concept and advantage of nanotechnology and then describe current methods and protocols for novel nanoarrays in three aspects: (1) label-free nucleic acids analysis using nanoarrays, (2) nanoarrays for protein detection by conventional optical fluorescence microscopy as well as by novel label-free methods such as atomic force microscopy, and (3) nanoarray for enzymatic-based assay. These nanoarrays will have significant applications in drug discovery, medical diagnosis, genetic testing, environmental monitoring, and food safety inspection.

  7. A statistical model for investigating binding probabilities of DNA nucleotide sequences using microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Mei-Ling Ting; Bulyk, Martha L; Whitmore, G A; Church, George M

    2002-12-01

    There is considerable scientific interest in knowing the probability that a site-specific transcription factor will bind to a given DNA sequence. Microarray methods provide an effective means for assessing the binding affinities of a large number of DNA sequences as demonstrated by Bulyk et al. (2001, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, USA 98, 7158-7163) in their study of the DNA-binding specificities of Zif268 zinc fingers using microarray technology. In a follow-up investigation, Bulyk, Johnson, and Church (2002, Nucleic Acid Research 30, 1255-1261) studied the interdependence of nucleotides on the binding affinities of transcription proteins. Our article is motivated by this pair of studies. We present a general statistical methodology for analyzing microarray intensity measurements reflecting DNA-protein interactions. The log probability of a protein binding to a DNA sequence on an array is modeled using a linear ANOVA model. This model is convenient because it employs familiar statistical concepts and procedures and also because it is effective for investigating the probability structure of the binding mechanism.

  8. 直接实时分析质谱超速分析在药品监管中的应用%Ultra Speed Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry(DART-MS)for Drug Administration

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    王铁松; 张喆; 赵明; 车宝泉; 高青; 王威

    2011-01-01

    目的 建立直接实时分析质谱(DART-MS)超速分析方法应用于药品监管检验工作.方法 DART-MS将实时直接分析离子源(DART)与离子阱质谱联用,离子源放电电压为4kV,载气为氦气,流速为6L· min(-1),温度为400℃.在不进行样品色谱分离的前提下,直接分析被测物质或其溶液.结果 DART-MS与液质联用相比检定效率提高近50倍,对西地那非、米诺地尔等已知物质可在20s内检测出,对未知衍生物可在4 min内完成其多级质谱研究,对传统液相色谱法难以分析的辅料如混合脂肪酸甘油酯等也能准确分析.结论 DART-MS样品处理简单,方法准确速度快,能广泛应用于非法添加、药物污染、制剂辅料成分的快速检定,开创了药品监管的新方法,能有效提高对突发安全事件的反应能力.%OBJECTIVE To establish an ultra speed direct analysis in real time (DART)-ion trap mass spectrometry method for screening of shampoo and herbal remedies for the presence of illegal additives. METHODS The DART temperature was 400 ℃, the helium flow rate was 6 L · min-1 and the mass cone voltage was 4 kV. The solution was directly screened using a 12-DIP sampler. RESULTS The speed of DART-MS was 50 times faster than that of LC-MS for identifying the additives including minoxidil,sildenafil,and mixed glycerides. CONCLUSION Each additive studied was rapidly identified within 20 seconds by DART-MS/MS, sugggesting this technique can be used for drug administration. However,its sensitivity and quantitation still requires further study and improvement.

  9. Ray-tracing 3D dust radiative transfer with DART-Ray: code upgrade and public release

    Science.gov (United States)

    Natale, Giovanni; Popescu, Cristina C.; Tuffs, Richard J.; Clarke, Adam J.; Debattista, Victor P.; Fischera, Jörg; Pasetto, Stefano; Rushton, Mark; Thirlwall, Jordan J.

    2017-11-01

    We present an extensively updated version of the purely ray-tracing 3D dust radiation transfer code DART-Ray. The new version includes five major upgrades: 1) a series of optimizations for the ray-angular density and the scattered radiation source function; 2) the implementation of several data and task parallelizations using hybrid MPI+OpenMP schemes; 3) the inclusion of dust self-heating; 4) the ability to produce surface brightness maps for observers within the models in HEALPix format; 5) the possibility to set the expected numerical accuracy already at the start of the calculation. We tested the updated code with benchmark models where the dust self-heating is not negligible. Furthermore, we performed a study of the extent of the source influence volumes, using galaxy models, which are critical in determining the efficiency of the DART-Ray algorithm. The new code is publicly available, documented for both users and developers, and accompanied by several programmes to create input grids for different model geometries and to import the results of N-body and SPH simulations. These programmes can be easily adapted to different input geometries, and for different dust models or stellar emission libraries.

  10. Use of the cDNA microarray technology in the safety assessment of GM food plants

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kok, E.J.; Kleter, G.A.; Dijk, van J.P.

    2003-01-01

    This report focuses on new analytical approaches that might give more insight into possible changes in a genetically modified plant. Primarily the focus is on the new DNA microarray technique but also proteomics and metabolomics are discussed.The report describes the new techniques and evaluates the

  11. Selective recognition of DNA from olive leaves and olive oil by PNA and modified-PNA microarrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rossi, Stefano; Calabretta, Alessandro; Tedeschi, Tullia; Sforza, Stefano; Arcioni, Sergio; Baldoni, Luciana; Corradini, Roberto; Marchelli, Rosangela

    2012-01-01

    PNA probes for the specific detection of DNA from olive oil samples by microarray technology were developed. The presence of as low as 5% refined hazelnut (Corylus avellana) oil in extra-virgin olive oil (Olea europaea L.) could be detected by using a PNA microarray. A set of two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from the Actin gene of Olive was chosen as a model for evaluating the ability of PNA probes for discriminating olive cultivars. Both unmodified and C2-modified PNAs bearing an arginine side-chain were used, the latter showing higher sequence specificity. DNA extracted from leaves of three different cultivars (Ogliarola leccese, Canino and Frantoio) could be easily discriminated using a microarray with unmodified PNA probes, whereas discrimination of DNA from oil samples was more challenging, and could be obtained only by using chiral PNA probes. PMID:22772038

  12. A cell spot microarray method for production of high density siRNA transfection microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mpindi John-Patrick

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background High-throughput RNAi screening is widely applied in biological research, but remains expensive, infrastructure-intensive and conversion of many assays to HTS applications in microplate format is not feasible. Results Here, we describe the optimization of a miniaturized cell spot microarray (CSMA method, which facilitates utilization of the transfection microarray technique for disparate RNAi analyses. To promote rapid adaptation of the method, the concept has been tested with a panel of 92 adherent cell types, including primary human cells. We demonstrate the method in the systematic screening of 492 GPCR coding genes for impact on growth and survival of cultured human prostate cancer cells. Conclusions The CSMA method facilitates reproducible preparation of highly parallel cell microarrays for large-scale gene knockdown analyses. This will be critical towards expanding the cell based functional genetic screens to include more RNAi constructs, allow combinatorial RNAi analyses, multi-parametric phenotypic readouts or comparative analysis of many different cell types.

  13. Effects of Relaxing and Arousing Music during Imagery Training on Dart-Throwing Performance, Physiological Arousal Indices, and Competitive State Anxiety.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuan, Garry; Morris, Tony; Kueh, Yee Cheng; Terry, Peter C

    2018-01-01

    Music that is carefully selected to match the requirements of activities and the characteristics of individuals has been shown to produce significant impacts on performance enhancement (Priest et al., 2004). There is also evidence that music can enhance imagery (Grocke and Wigram, 2007), although few studies have investigated the effects of music on imagery in the context of sport skills. In the present study, the effects of relaxing and arousing music during imagery on dart-throwing performance, physiological arousal indices, and competitive state anxiety, were investigated among 63 novice dart throwers. Participants had moderate-to-high imagery ability and were randomly assigned to unfamiliar relaxing music (URM), unfamiliar arousing music (UAM), or no music (NM) groups. Performance was assessed by 40 dart throws at a concentric circles dartboard before and after 12 imagery sessions over 4 weeks. Measures of galvanic skin response (GSR), peripheral temperature (PT), and heart rate (HR) were taken during imagery sessions 1 and 12, and the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 Revised (CSAI-2R) was administered prior to the pre- and post-intervention performance task. Dart-throwing gain scores were significantly higher for URM than for UAM and NM, with no significant difference between UAM and NM (URM = 37.24 ± 5.66, UAM = 17.57 ± 5.30, and NM = 13.19 ± 6.14, F 2,62 = 5.03, p = 0.01, η 2 = 0.14). GSR, PT, and HR reflected lower arousal for URM than for UAM or NM. Significant decreases in somatic anxiety were evident for URM and UAM but not NM. Significant decreases in cognitive anxiety were evident for URM and NM but not UAM. Significant increases in self-confidence were evident for URM but not UAM or NM. Performance improved in all three conditions but URM was associated with the largest performance gain, the lowest physiological indices of arousal, and the most positive CSAI-2R profiles. Listening to relaxing music during imagery may have benefits for

  14. Effects of Relaxing and Arousing Music during Imagery Training on Dart-Throwing Performance, Physiological Arousal Indices, and Competitive State Anxiety

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Garry Kuan

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Music that is carefully selected to match the requirements of activities and the characteristics of individuals has been shown to produce significant impacts on performance enhancement (Priest et al., 2004. There is also evidence that music can enhance imagery (Grocke and Wigram, 2007, although few studies have investigated the effects of music on imagery in the context of sport skills. In the present study, the effects of relaxing and arousing music during imagery on dart-throwing performance, physiological arousal indices, and competitive state anxiety, were investigated among 63 novice dart throwers. Participants had moderate-to-high imagery ability and were randomly assigned to unfamiliar relaxing music (URM, unfamiliar arousing music (UAM, or no music (NM groups. Performance was assessed by 40 dart throws at a concentric circles dartboard before and after 12 imagery sessions over 4 weeks. Measures of galvanic skin response (GSR, peripheral temperature (PT, and heart rate (HR were taken during imagery sessions 1 and 12, and the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 Revised (CSAI-2R was administered prior to the pre- and post-intervention performance task. Dart-throwing gain scores were significantly higher for URM than for UAM and NM, with no significant difference between UAM and NM (URM = 37.24 ± 5.66, UAM = 17.57 ± 5.30, and NM = 13.19 ± 6.14, F2,62 = 5.03, p = 0.01, η2 = 0.14. GSR, PT, and HR reflected lower arousal for URM than for UAM or NM. Significant decreases in somatic anxiety were evident for URM and UAM but not NM. Significant decreases in cognitive anxiety were evident for URM and NM but not UAM. Significant increases in self-confidence were evident for URM but not UAM or NM. Performance improved in all three conditions but URM was associated with the largest performance gain, the lowest physiological indices of arousal, and the most positive CSAI-2R profiles. Listening to relaxing music during imagery may have benefits for

  15. GEPAS, a web-based tool for microarray data analysis and interpretation

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tárraga, Joaquín; Medina, Ignacio; Carbonell, José; Huerta-Cepas, Jaime; Minguez, Pablo; Alloza, Eva; Al-Shahrour, Fátima; Vegas-Azcárate, Susana; Goetz, Stefan; Escobar, Pablo; Garcia-Garcia, Francisco; Conesa, Ana; Montaner, David; Dopazo, Joaquín

    2008-01-01

    Gene Expression Profile Analysis Suite (GEPAS) is one of the most complete and extensively used web-based packages for microarray data analysis. During its more than 5 years of activity it has continuously been updated to keep pace with the state-of-the-art in the changing microarray data analysis arena. GEPAS offers diverse analysis options that include well established as well as novel algorithms for normalization, gene selection, class prediction, clustering and functional profiling of the experiment. New options for time-course (or dose-response) experiments, microarray-based class prediction, new clustering methods and new tests for differential expression have been included. The new pipeliner module allows automating the execution of sequential analysis steps by means of a simple but powerful graphic interface. An extensive re-engineering of GEPAS has been carried out which includes the use of web services and Web 2.0 technology features, a new user interface with persistent sessions and a new extended database of gene identifiers. GEPAS is nowadays the most quoted web tool in its field and it is extensively used by researchers of many countries and its records indicate an average usage rate of 500 experiments per day. GEPAS, is available at http://www.gepas.org. PMID:18508806

  16. Discovering biological progression underlying microarray samples.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peng Qiu

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available In biological systems that undergo processes such as differentiation, a clear concept of progression exists. We present a novel computational approach, called Sample Progression Discovery (SPD, to discover patterns of biological progression underlying microarray gene expression data. SPD assumes that individual samples of a microarray dataset are related by an unknown biological process (i.e., differentiation, development, cell cycle, disease progression, and that each sample represents one unknown point along the progression of that process. SPD aims to organize the samples in a manner that reveals the underlying progression and to simultaneously identify subsets of genes that are responsible for that progression. We demonstrate the performance of SPD on a variety of microarray datasets that were generated by sampling a biological process at different points along its progression, without providing SPD any information of the underlying process. When applied to a cell cycle time series microarray dataset, SPD was not provided any prior knowledge of samples' time order or of which genes are cell-cycle regulated, yet SPD recovered the correct time order and identified many genes that have been associated with the cell cycle. When applied to B-cell differentiation data, SPD recovered the correct order of stages of normal B-cell differentiation and the linkage between preB-ALL tumor cells with their cell origin preB. When applied to mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation data, SPD uncovered a landscape of ESC differentiation into various lineages and genes that represent both generic and lineage specific processes. When applied to a prostate cancer microarray dataset, SPD identified gene modules that reflect a progression consistent with disease stages. SPD may be best viewed as a novel tool for synthesizing biological hypotheses because it provides a likely biological progression underlying a microarray dataset and, perhaps more importantly, the

  17. Validation of the performance of a GMO multiplex screening assay based on microarray detection

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Leimanis, S.; Hamels, S.; Naze, F.; Mbongolo, G.; Sneyers, M.; Hochegger, R.; Broll, H.; Roth, L.; Dallmann, K.; Micsinai, A.; Dijk, van J.P.; Kok, E.J.

    2008-01-01

    A new screening method for the detection and identification of GMO, based on the use of multiplex PCR followed by microarray, has been developed and is presented. The technology is based on the identification of quite ubiquitous GMO genetic target elements first amplified by PCR, followed by direct

  18. Cell-Based Microarrays for In Vitro Toxicology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wegener, Joachim

    2015-07-01

    DNA/RNA and protein microarrays have proven their outstanding bioanalytical performance throughout the past decades, given the unprecedented level of parallelization by which molecular recognition assays can be performed and analyzed. Cell microarrays (CMAs) make use of similar construction principles. They are applied to profile a given cell population with respect to the expression of specific molecular markers and also to measure functional cell responses to drugs and chemicals. This review focuses on the use of cell-based microarrays for assessing the cytotoxicity of drugs, toxins, or chemicals in general. It also summarizes CMA construction principles with respect to the cell types that are used for such microarrays, the readout parameters to assess toxicity, and the various formats that have been established and applied. The review ends with a critical comparison of CMAs and well-established microtiter plate (MTP) approaches.

  19. SLIMarray: Lightweight software for microarray facility management

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marzolf Bruz

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray core facilities are commonplace in biological research organizations, and need systems for accurately tracking various logistical aspects of their operation. Although these different needs could be handled separately, an integrated management system provides benefits in organization, automation and reduction in errors. Results We present SLIMarray (System for Lab Information Management of Microarrays, an open source, modular database web application capable of managing microarray inventories, sample processing and usage charges. The software allows modular configuration and is well suited for further development, providing users the flexibility to adapt it to their needs. SLIMarray Lite, a version of the software that is especially easy to install and run, is also available. Conclusion SLIMarray addresses the previously unmet need for free and open source software for managing the logistics of a microarray core facility.

  20. Metric learning for DNA microarray data analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeuchi, Ichiro; Nakagawa, Masao; Seto, Masao

    2009-01-01

    In many microarray studies, gene set selection is an important preliminary step for subsequent main task such as tumor classification, cancer subtype identification, etc. In this paper, we investigate the possibility of using metric learning as an alternative to gene set selection. We develop a simple metric learning algorithm aiming to use it for microarray data analysis. Exploiting a property of the algorithm, we introduce a novel approach for extending the metric learning to be adaptive. We apply the algorithm to previously studied microarray data on malignant lymphoma subtype identification.

  1. Simulation of Satellite, Airborne and Terrestrial LiDAR with DART (I):Waveform Simulation with Quasi-Monte Carlo Ray Tracing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gastellu-Etchegorry, Jean-Philippe; Yin, Tiangang; Lauret, Nicolas; Grau, Eloi; Rubio, Jeremy; Cook, Bruce D.; Morton, Douglas C.; Sun, Guoqing

    2016-01-01

    Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) provides unique data on the 3-D structure of atmosphere constituents and the Earth's surface. Simulating LiDAR returns for different laser technologies and Earth scenes is fundamental for evaluating and interpreting signal and noise in LiDAR data. Different types of models are capable of simulating LiDAR waveforms of Earth surfaces. Semi-empirical and geometric models can be imprecise because they rely on simplified simulations of Earth surfaces and light interaction mechanisms. On the other hand, Monte Carlo ray tracing (MCRT) models are potentially accurate but require long computational time. Here, we present a new LiDAR waveform simulation tool that is based on the introduction of a quasi-Monte Carlo ray tracing approach in the Discrete Anisotropic Radiative Transfer (DART) model. Two new approaches, the so-called "box method" and "Ray Carlo method", are implemented to provide robust and accurate simulations of LiDAR waveforms for any landscape, atmosphere and LiDAR sensor configuration (view direction, footprint size, pulse characteristics, etc.). The box method accelerates the selection of the scattering direction of a photon in the presence of scatterers with non-invertible phase function. The Ray Carlo method brings traditional ray-tracking into MCRT simulation, which makes computational time independent of LiDAR field of view (FOV) and reception solid angle. Both methods are fast enough for simulating multi-pulse acquisition. Sensitivity studies with various landscapes and atmosphere constituents are presented, and the simulated LiDAR signals compare favorably with their associated reflectance images and Laser Vegetation Imaging Sensor (LVIS) waveforms. The LiDAR module is fully integrated into DART, enabling more detailed simulations of LiDAR sensitivity to specific scene elements (e.g., atmospheric aerosols, leaf area, branches, or topography) and sensor configuration for airborne or satellite LiDAR sensors.

  2. ESTs, cDNA microarrays, and gene expression profiling: tools for dissecting plant physiology and development.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alba, Rob; Fei, Zhangjun; Payton, Paxton; Liu, Yang; Moore, Shanna L; Debbie, Paul; Cohn, Jonathan; D'Ascenzo, Mark; Gordon, Jeffrey S; Rose, Jocelyn K C; Martin, Gregory; Tanksley, Steven D; Bouzayen, Mondher; Jahn, Molly M; Giovannoni, Jim

    2004-09-01

    Gene expression profiling holds tremendous promise for dissecting the regulatory mechanisms and transcriptional networks that underlie biological processes. Here we provide details of approaches used by others and ourselves for gene expression profiling in plants with emphasis on cDNA microarrays and discussion of both experimental design and downstream analysis. We focus on methods and techniques emphasizing fabrication of cDNA microarrays, fluorescent labeling, cDNA hybridization, experimental design, and data processing. We include specific examples that demonstrate how this technology can be used to further our understanding of plant physiology and development (specifically fruit development and ripening) and for comparative genomics by comparing transcriptome activity in tomato and pepper fruit.

  3. Dynamic Acquisition and Retrieval Tool (DART) for Comet Sample Return : Session: 2.06.Robotic Mobility and Sample Acquisition Systems

    Science.gov (United States)

    Badescu, Mircea; Bonitz, Robert; Kulczycki, Erick; Aisen, Norman; Dandino, Charles M.; Cantrell, Brett S.; Gallagher, William; Shevin, Jesse; Ganino, Anthony; Haddad, Nicolas; hide

    2013-01-01

    The 2011 Decadal Survey for planetary science released by the National Research Council of the National Academies identified Comet Surface Sample Return (CSSR) as one of five high priority potential New Frontiers-class missions in the next decade. The main objectives of the research described in this publication are: develop a concept for an end-to-end system for collecting and storing a comet sample to be returned to Earth; design, fabricate and test a prototype Dynamic Acquisition and Retrieval Tool (DART) capable of collecting 500 cc sample in a canister and eject the canister with a predetermined speed; identify a set of simulants with physical properties at room temperature that suitably match the physical properties of the comet surface as it would be sampled. We propose the use of a dart that would be launched from the spacecraft to impact and penetrate the comet surface. After collecting the sample, the sample canister would be ejected at a speed greater than the comet's escape velocity and captured by the spacecraft, packaged into a return capsule and returned to Earth. The dart would be composed of an inner tube or sample canister, an outer tube, a decelerator, a means of capturing and retaining the sample, and a mechanism to eject the canister with the sample for later rendezvous with the spacecraft. One of the significant unknowns is the physical properties of the comet surface. Based on new findings from the recent Deep Impact comet encounter mission, we have limited our search of solutions for sampling materials to materials with 10 to 100 kPa shear strength in loose or consolidated form. As the possible range of values for the comet surface temperature is also significantly different than room temperature and testing at conditions other than the room temperature can become resource intensive, we sought sample simulants with physical properties at room temperature similar to the expected physical properties of the comet surface material. The chosen

  4. Estimation of Spruce Needle-Leaf Chlorophyll Content Based on DART and PARAS Canopy Reflectance Models

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Yáñez-Rausell, L.; Malenovský, Z.; Rautiainen, M.; Clevers, J G P W.; Lukeš, Petr; Hanuš, Jan; Schaepman, M. E.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 8, č. 4 (2015), s. 1534-1544 ISSN 1939-1404 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0073 Institutional support: RVO:67179843 Keywords : Chlorophyll a plus b estimation * CHRIS-PROBA * coniferous forest * continuum removal * discrete anisotropic radiative transfer model (DART) * needle-leaf * Norway spruce * optical indices * PARAS * PROSPECT * radiative transfer * recollision probability Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 2.145, year: 2015

  5. DART MS based chemical profiling for therapeutic potential of Piper betle landraces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bajpai, Vikas; Pandey, Renu; Negi, Mahendra Pal Singh; Kumar, Nikhil; Kumar, Brijesh

    2012-12-01

    Piper betle Linn. leaves are traditionally used as a folk medicine in India and other Asiatic countries. Twenty-one P. betle landraces were analyzed using a Direct Analysis in Real Time (DART) mass spectral technique and evaluated on the basis of molecules detected in the leaves. Clustering of landraces based on three well known biologically active phenols (m/z 151,165,193) showed two broad groups with high and low phenol contents suggesting differences in their therapeutic potential. Findings of this study could be useful in rapid screening of the landraces for determining their medicinal potential and optimum utilization of the bioresource.

  6. Micro-Analyzer: automatic preprocessing of Affymetrix microarray data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guzzi, Pietro Hiram; Cannataro, Mario

    2013-08-01

    A current trend in genomics is the investigation of the cell mechanism using different technologies, in order to explain the relationship among genes, molecular processes and diseases. For instance, the combined use of gene-expression arrays and genomic arrays has been demonstrated as an effective instrument in clinical practice. Consequently, in a single experiment different kind of microarrays may be used, resulting in the production of different types of binary data (images and textual raw data). The analysis of microarray data requires an initial preprocessing phase, that makes raw data suitable for use on existing analysis platforms, such as the TIGR M4 (TM4) Suite. An additional challenge to be faced by emerging data analysis platforms is the ability to treat in a combined way those different microarray formats coupled with clinical data. In fact, resulting integrated data may include both numerical and symbolic data (e.g. gene expression and SNPs regarding molecular data), as well as temporal data (e.g. the response to a drug, time to progression and survival rate), regarding clinical data. Raw data preprocessing is a crucial step in analysis but is often performed in a manual and error prone way using different software tools. Thus novel, platform independent, and possibly open source tools enabling the semi-automatic preprocessing and annotation of different microarray data are needed. The paper presents Micro-Analyzer (Microarray Analyzer), a cross-platform tool for the automatic normalization, summarization and annotation of Affymetrix gene expression and SNP binary data. It represents the evolution of the μ-CS tool, extending the preprocessing to SNP arrays that were not allowed in μ-CS. The Micro-Analyzer is provided as a Java standalone tool and enables users to read, preprocess and analyse binary microarray data (gene expression and SNPs) by invoking TM4 platform. It avoids: (i) the manual invocation of external tools (e.g. the Affymetrix Power

  7. A Java-based tool for the design of classification microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Da; Broschat, Shira L; Call, Douglas R

    2008-08-04

    Classification microarrays are used for purposes such as identifying strains of bacteria and determining genetic relationships to understand the epidemiology of an infectious disease. For these cases, mixed microarrays, which are composed of DNA from more than one organism, are more effective than conventional microarrays composed of DNA from a single organism. Selection of probes is a key factor in designing successful mixed microarrays because redundant sequences are inefficient and limited representation of diversity can restrict application of the microarray. We have developed a Java-based software tool, called PLASMID, for use in selecting the minimum set of probe sequences needed to classify different groups of plasmids or bacteria. The software program was successfully applied to several different sets of data. The utility of PLASMID was illustrated using existing mixed-plasmid microarray data as well as data from a virtual mixed-genome microarray constructed from different strains of Streptococcus. Moreover, use of data from expression microarray experiments demonstrated the generality of PLASMID. In this paper we describe a new software tool for selecting a set of probes for a classification microarray. While the tool was developed for the design of mixed microarrays-and mixed-plasmid microarrays in particular-it can also be used to design expression arrays. The user can choose from several clustering methods (including hierarchical, non-hierarchical, and a model-based genetic algorithm), several probe ranking methods, and several different display methods. A novel approach is used for probe redundancy reduction, and probe selection is accomplished via stepwise discriminant analysis. Data can be entered in different formats (including Excel and comma-delimited text), and dendrogram, heat map, and scatter plot images can be saved in several different formats (including jpeg and tiff). Weights generated using stepwise discriminant analysis can be stored for

  8. Generic DART-MS platform for monitoring the on-demand continuous-flow production of pharmaceuticals: Advancing the quantitative protocol for caffeates in microfluidic biocatalysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Yan; Zhang, Dong-Yang; Meng, Xiang-Yun; Liu, Xi; Sheng, Sheng; Wu, Guo-Hua; Wang, Jun; Wu, Fu-An

    2017-04-15

    Today, continuous processing is regarded as an effective on-demand production technique of pharmaceuticals. Homemade microreactors packed with immobilized lipase under continuous-flow conditions were first applied to tailor the production of high-value caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) from methyl caffeate (MC) and 2-phenylethanol (PE) in cyclohexane via transesterification; however, this method is challenging due to the lack of a rapid platform for monitoring caffeates in microfluidic biocatalysis. The reactants were directly analyzed using Direct Analysis in Real Time Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS), and the corresponding ionization parameters were investigated. Special ions produced from MC (parent ion m/z 192.87 and product ion m/z 133.44) and CAPE (parent ion m/z 282.93 and product ion m/z 178.87) were determined using DART-MS 2 in the negative ion mode. The peak areas of the select reaction monitoring (SRM) signals were calculated to develop the standard curves for quantitative analyses of the concentration. Reasonable linear regression equations of MC and CAPE were obtained in the range of 3.125-50.000mg/L, with linear coefficients (R 2 ) of 0.9515 and 0.9973, limits of detection (LOD) of 0.005 and 0.003mg/L, limits of quantification (LOQ) of 0.02 and 0.01mg/L, and recovery ranges of 92.50-97.11% and 90.11-97.60%, respectively. The results using DART-MS 2 were in good agreement with those using conventional High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with a UV detector (HPLC-UV) and were successfully applied to monitor the kinetics constants and mass transfer coefficients in a continuous-flow packed bed microreactor. Thus, the DART-MS 2 method is an efficient tool for analyzing caffeates in microfluidic biocatalysis with limited sample preparation and short operating time. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Fabrication of Biomolecule Microarrays for Cell Immobilization Using Automated Microcontact Printing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foncy, Julie; Estève, Aurore; Degache, Amélie; Colin, Camille; Cau, Jean Christophe; Malaquin, Laurent; Vieu, Christophe; Trévisiol, Emmanuelle

    2018-01-01

    Biomolecule microarrays are generally produced by conventional microarrayer, i.e., by contact or inkjet printing. Microcontact printing represents an alternative way of deposition of biomolecules on solid supports but even if various biomolecules have been successfully microcontact printed, the production of biomolecule microarrays in routine by microcontact printing remains a challenging task and needs an effective, fast, robust, and low-cost automation process. Here, we describe the production of biomolecule microarrays composed of extracellular matrix protein for the fabrication of cell microarrays by using an automated microcontact printing device. Large scale cell microarrays can be reproducibly obtained by this method.

  10. Functional Characterization of Gibberellin-Regulated Genes in Rice Using Microarray System

    OpenAIRE

    Jan, Asad; Komatsu, Setsuko

    2006-01-01

    Gibberellin (GA) is collectively referred to a group of diterpenoid acids, some of which act as plant hormones and are essential for normal plant growth and development. DNA microarray technology has become the standard tool for the parallel quantification of large numbers of messenger RNA transcripts. The power of this approach has been demonstrated in dissecting plant physiology and development, and in unraveling the underlying cellular signaling pathways. To understand the molecular mechan...

  11. miRNAs modified by dietary lipids in Caco-2 cells. A microarray screening

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lidia Daimiel

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available We performed a screening of miRNAs regulated by dietary lipids in a cellular model of enterocytes, Caco-2 cells. Our aim was to describe new lipid-modified miRNAs with an implication in lipid homeostasis and cardiovascular disease [1,2]. For that purpose, we treated differentiated Caco-2 cells with micelles containing the assayed lipids (cholesterol, conjugated linoleic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and the screening of miRNAs was carried out by microarray using the μParaflo®Microfluidic Biochip Technology of LC Sciences (Huston, TX, USA. Experimental design, microarray description and raw data have been made available in the GEO database with the reference number of GSE59153. Here we described in detail the experimental design and methods used to obtain the relative expression data.

  12. Shared probe design and existing microarray reanalysis using PICKY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chou Hui-Hsien

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Large genomes contain families of highly similar genes that cannot be individually identified by microarray probes. This limitation is due to thermodynamic restrictions and cannot be resolved by any computational method. Since gene annotations are updated more frequently than microarrays, another common issue facing microarray users is that existing microarrays must be routinely reanalyzed to determine probes that are still useful with respect to the updated annotations. Results PICKY 2.0 can design shared probes for sets of genes that cannot be individually identified using unique probes. PICKY 2.0 uses novel algorithms to track sharable regions among genes and to strictly distinguish them from other highly similar but nontarget regions during thermodynamic comparisons. Therefore, PICKY does not sacrifice the quality of shared probes when choosing them. The latest PICKY 2.1 includes the new capability to reanalyze existing microarray probes against updated gene sets to determine probes that are still valid to use. In addition, more precise nonlinear salt effect estimates and other improvements are added, making PICKY 2.1 more versatile to microarray users. Conclusions Shared probes allow expressed gene family members to be detected; this capability is generally more desirable than not knowing anything about these genes. Shared probes also enable the design of cross-genome microarrays, which facilitate multiple species identification in environmental samples. The new nonlinear salt effect calculation significantly increases the precision of probes at a lower buffer salt concentration, and the probe reanalysis function improves existing microarray result interpretations.

  13. Transcriptome sequencing of the Microarray Quality Control (MAQC RNA reference samples using next generation sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thierry-Mieg Danielle

    2009-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Transcriptome sequencing using next-generation sequencing platforms will soon be competing with DNA microarray technologies for global gene expression analysis. As a preliminary evaluation of these promising technologies, we performed deep sequencing of cDNA synthesized from the Microarray Quality Control (MAQC reference RNA samples using Roche's 454 Genome Sequencer FLX. Results We generated more that 3.6 million sequence reads of average length 250 bp for the MAQC A and B samples and introduced a data analysis pipeline for translating cDNA read counts into gene expression levels. Using BLAST, 90% of the reads mapped to the human genome and 64% of the reads mapped to the RefSeq database of well annotated genes with e-values ≤ 10-20. We measured gene expression levels in the A and B samples by counting the numbers of reads that mapped to individual RefSeq genes in multiple sequencing runs to evaluate the MAQC quality metrics for reproducibility, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy and compared the results with DNA microarrays and Quantitative RT-PCR (QRTPCR from the MAQC studies. In addition, 88% of the reads were successfully aligned directly to the human genome using the AceView alignment programs with an average 90% sequence similarity to identify 137,899 unique exon junctions, including 22,193 new exon junctions not yet contained in the RefSeq database. Conclusion Using the MAQC metrics for evaluating the performance of gene expression platforms, the ExpressSeq results for gene expression levels showed excellent reproducibility, sensitivity, and specificity that improved systematically with increasing shotgun sequencing depth, and quantitative accuracy that was comparable to DNA microarrays and QRTPCR. In addition, a careful mapping of the reads to the genome using the AceView alignment programs shed new light on the complexity of the human transcriptome including the discovery of thousands of new splice variants.

  14. The use of microarrays in microbial ecology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Andersen, G.L.; He, Z.; DeSantis, T.Z.; Brodie, E.L.; Zhou, J.

    2009-09-15

    Microarrays have proven to be a useful and high-throughput method to provide targeted DNA sequence information for up to many thousands of specific genetic regions in a single test. A microarray consists of multiple DNA oligonucleotide probes that, under high stringency conditions, hybridize only to specific complementary nucleic acid sequences (targets). A fluorescent signal indicates the presence and, in many cases, the abundance of genetic regions of interest. In this chapter we will look at how microarrays are used in microbial ecology, especially with the recent increase in microbial community DNA sequence data. Of particular interest to microbial ecologists, phylogenetic microarrays are used for the analysis of phylotypes in a community and functional gene arrays are used for the analysis of functional genes, and, by inference, phylotypes in environmental samples. A phylogenetic microarray that has been developed by the Andersen laboratory, the PhyloChip, will be discussed as an example of a microarray that targets the known diversity within the 16S rRNA gene to determine microbial community composition. Using multiple, confirmatory probes to increase the confidence of detection and a mismatch probe for every perfect match probe to minimize the effect of cross-hybridization by non-target regions, the PhyloChip is able to simultaneously identify any of thousands of taxa present in an environmental sample. The PhyloChip is shown to reveal greater diversity within a community than rRNA gene sequencing due to the placement of the entire gene product on the microarray compared with the analysis of up to thousands of individual molecules by traditional sequencing methods. A functional gene array that has been developed by the Zhou laboratory, the GeoChip, will be discussed as an example of a microarray that dynamically identifies functional activities of multiple members within a community. The recent version of GeoChip contains more than 24,000 50mer

  15. Design, construction and validation of a Plasmodium vivax microarray for the transcriptome profiling of clinical isolates

    KAUST Repository

    Boopathi, Pon Arunachalam

    2016-10-09

    High density oligonucleotide microarrays have been used on Plasmodium vivax field isolates to estimate whole genome expression. However, no microarray platform has been experimentally optimized for studying the transcriptome of field isolates. In the present study, we adopted both bioinformatics and experimental testing approaches to select best optimized probes suitable for detecting parasite transcripts from field samples and included them in designing a custom 15K P. vivax microarray. This microarray has long oligonucleotide probes (60 mer) that were in-situ synthesized onto glass slides using Agilent SurePrint technology and has been developed into an 8X15K format (8 identical arrays on a single slide). Probes in this array were experimentally validated and represents 4180 P. vivax genes in sense orientation, of which 1219 genes have also probes in antisense orientation. Validation of the 15K array by using field samples (n =14) has shown 99% of parasite transcript detection from any of the samples. Correlation analysis between duplicate probes (n = 85) present in the arrays showed perfect correlation (r(2) = 0.98) indicating the reproducibility. Multiple probes representing the same gene exhibited similar kind of expression pattern across the samples (positive correlation, r >= 0.6). Comparison of hybridization data with the previous studies and quantitative real-time PCR experiments were performed to highlight the microarray validation procedure. This array is unique in its design, and results indicate that the array is sensitive and reproducible. Hence, this microarray could be a valuable functional genomics tool to generate reliable expression data from P. vivax field isolates. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.

  16. Design, construction and validation of a Plasmodium vivax microarray for the transcriptome profiling of clinical isolates

    KAUST Repository

    Boopathi, Pon Arunachalam; Subudhi, Amit; Middha, Sheetal; Acharya, Jyoti; Mugasimangalam, Raja Chinnadurai; Kochar, Sanjay Kumar; Kochar, Dhanpat Kumar; Das, Ashis

    2016-01-01

    High density oligonucleotide microarrays have been used on Plasmodium vivax field isolates to estimate whole genome expression. However, no microarray platform has been experimentally optimized for studying the transcriptome of field isolates. In the present study, we adopted both bioinformatics and experimental testing approaches to select best optimized probes suitable for detecting parasite transcripts from field samples and included them in designing a custom 15K P. vivax microarray. This microarray has long oligonucleotide probes (60 mer) that were in-situ synthesized onto glass slides using Agilent SurePrint technology and has been developed into an 8X15K format (8 identical arrays on a single slide). Probes in this array were experimentally validated and represents 4180 P. vivax genes in sense orientation, of which 1219 genes have also probes in antisense orientation. Validation of the 15K array by using field samples (n =14) has shown 99% of parasite transcript detection from any of the samples. Correlation analysis between duplicate probes (n = 85) present in the arrays showed perfect correlation (r(2) = 0.98) indicating the reproducibility. Multiple probes representing the same gene exhibited similar kind of expression pattern across the samples (positive correlation, r >= 0.6). Comparison of hybridization data with the previous studies and quantitative real-time PCR experiments were performed to highlight the microarray validation procedure. This array is unique in its design, and results indicate that the array is sensitive and reproducible. Hence, this microarray could be a valuable functional genomics tool to generate reliable expression data from P. vivax field isolates. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Integrative missing value estimation for microarray data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Jianjun; Li, Haifeng; Waterman, Michael S; Zhou, Xianghong Jasmine

    2006-10-12

    Missing value estimation is an important preprocessing step in microarray analysis. Although several methods have been developed to solve this problem, their performance is unsatisfactory for datasets with high rates of missing data, high measurement noise, or limited numbers of samples. In fact, more than 80% of the time-series datasets in Stanford Microarray Database contain less than eight samples. We present the integrative Missing Value Estimation method (iMISS) by incorporating information from multiple reference microarray datasets to improve missing value estimation. For each gene with missing data, we derive a consistent neighbor-gene list by taking reference data sets into consideration. To determine whether the given reference data sets are sufficiently informative for integration, we use a submatrix imputation approach. Our experiments showed that iMISS can significantly and consistently improve the accuracy of the state-of-the-art Local Least Square (LLS) imputation algorithm by up to 15% improvement in our benchmark tests. We demonstrated that the order-statistics-based integrative imputation algorithms can achieve significant improvements over the state-of-the-art missing value estimation approaches such as LLS and is especially good for imputing microarray datasets with a limited number of samples, high rates of missing data, or very noisy measurements. With the rapid accumulation of microarray datasets, the performance of our approach can be further improved by incorporating larger and more appropriate reference datasets.

  18. Microarray Dot Electrodes Utilizing Dielectrophoresis for Cell Characterization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatimah Ibrahim

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available During the last three decades; dielectrophoresis (DEP has become a vital tool for cell manipulation and characterization due to its non-invasiveness. It is very useful in the trend towards point-of-care systems. Currently, most efforts are focused on using DEP in biomedical applications, such as the spatial manipulation of cells, the selective separation or enrichment of target cells, high-throughput molecular screening, biosensors and immunoassays. A significant amount of research on DEP has produced a wide range of microelectrode configurations. In this paper; we describe the microarray dot electrode, a promising electrode geometry to characterize and manipulate cells via DEP. The advantages offered by this type of microelectrode are also reviewed. The protocol for fabricating planar microelectrodes using photolithography is documented to demonstrate the fast and cost-effective fabrication process. Additionally; different state-of-the-art Lab-on-a-Chip (LOC devices that have been proposed for DEP applications in the literature are reviewed. We also present our recently designed LOC device, which uses an improved microarray dot electrode configuration to address the challenges facing other devices. This type of LOC system has the capability to boost the implementation of DEP technology in practical settings such as clinical cell sorting, infection diagnosis, and enrichment of particle populations for drug development.

  19. A Java-based tool for the design of classification microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Broschat Shira L

    2008-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Classification microarrays are used for purposes such as identifying strains of bacteria and determining genetic relationships to understand the epidemiology of an infectious disease. For these cases, mixed microarrays, which are composed of DNA from more than one organism, are more effective than conventional microarrays composed of DNA from a single organism. Selection of probes is a key factor in designing successful mixed microarrays because redundant sequences are inefficient and limited representation of diversity can restrict application of the microarray. We have developed a Java-based software tool, called PLASMID, for use in selecting the minimum set of probe sequences needed to classify different groups of plasmids or bacteria. Results The software program was successfully applied to several different sets of data. The utility of PLASMID was illustrated using existing mixed-plasmid microarray data as well as data from a virtual mixed-genome microarray constructed from different strains of Streptococcus. Moreover, use of data from expression microarray experiments demonstrated the generality of PLASMID. Conclusion In this paper we describe a new software tool for selecting a set of probes for a classification microarray. While the tool was developed for the design of mixed microarrays–and mixed-plasmid microarrays in particular–it can also be used to design expression arrays. The user can choose from several clustering methods (including hierarchical, non-hierarchical, and a model-based genetic algorithm, several probe ranking methods, and several different display methods. A novel approach is used for probe redundancy reduction, and probe selection is accomplished via stepwise discriminant analysis. Data can be entered in different formats (including Excel and comma-delimited text, and dendrogram, heat map, and scatter plot images can be saved in several different formats (including jpeg and tiff. Weights

  20. Rapid process development of chromatographic process using direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry as a process analytical technology tool.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yan, Binjun; Chen, Teng; Xu, Zhilin; Qu, Haibin

    2014-06-01

    The concept of quality by design (QbD) is widely applied in the process development of pharmaceuticals. However, the additional cost and time have caused some resistance about QbD implementation. To show a possible solution, this work proposed a rapid process development method, which used direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS) as a process analytical technology (PAT) tool for studying the chromatographic process of Ginkgo biloba L., as an example. The breakthrough curves were fast determined by DART-MS at-line. A high correlation coefficient of 0.9520 was found between the concentrations of ginkgolide A determined by DART-MS and HPLC. Based on the PAT tool, the impacts of process parameters on the adsorption capacity were discovered rapidly, which showed a decreased adsorption capacity with the increase of the flow rate. This work has shown the feasibility and advantages of integrating PAT into QbD implementation for rapid process development. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. Directional radiative transfer by SCOPE, SLC and DART using laser scan derived structural forest parameters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Timmermans, Joris; Gastellu-Etchegorry, Jean Philippe; van der Tol, Christiaan; Verhoef, Wout; Vekerdy, Zoltan; Su, Zhongbo

    2017-04-01

    Accurate estimation of the radiative transfer (RT) over vegetation is the corner stone of agricultural and hydrological remote sensing applications. Present remote sensing sensors mostly use traditional optical, thermal and microwave observations. However with these traditional observations characterization of the light efficiency and photosynthetic rate can only be accomplished indirectly. A promising new method of observing these processes is by using the fluorescent emitted radiation. This approach was recently highlighted due to the selection of the FLEX sensor as a future Earth Explorer by the European Space agency (ESA). Several modelling activities have been undertaken to better understand the technical feasibilities of this sensor. Within these studies, the SCOPE model has been chosen as the baseline algorithm. This model combines a detailed RT description of the canopy, using a discrete version of the SAIL model, with a description of photosynthetic processes (by use of the Farquhar/Ball-Berry model). Consequently, this model is capable of simulating simultaneously the biophysical processes and jointly the fluorescent, optical and thermal RT. The SAIL model however is a 1D RT model and consequently provides higher uncertainties with increasing vegetation structures. The main objective of this research is to investigate the limitations of the RT model component of the SCOPE model over complex canopies. In particular the aim of this research is to evaluate the validity for increasingly structural complex canopies', on the bidirectional reflectance distribution functions (BRDF) of these canopies. This was accomplished by evaluating the simulated outgoing radiation from SCOPE/SAIL against simulations of the DART 3D RT model. In total nine different scenarios were simulated with the DART RTM with increasing structural complexity, ranging from the simple 'Plot' scenario to the highly complex 'Multiple Crown' scenario. The canopy parameters are retrieved from a

  2. Microarrays for the evaluation of cell-biomaterial surface interactions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thissen, H.; Johnson, G.; McFarland, G.; Verbiest, B. C. H.; Gengenbach, T.; Voelcker, N. H.

    2007-01-01

    The evaluation of cell-material surface interactions is important for the design of novel biomaterials which are used in a variety of biomedical applications. While traditional in vitro test methods have routinely used samples of relatively large size, microarrays representing different biomaterials offer many advantages, including high throughput and reduced sample handling. Here, we describe the simultaneous cell-based testing of matrices of polymeric biomaterials, arrayed on glass slides with a low cell-attachment background coating. Arrays were constructed using a microarray robot at 6 fold redundancy with solid pins having a diameter of 375 μm. Printed solutions contained at least one monomer, an initiator and a bifunctional crosslinker. After subsequent UV polymerisation, the arrays were washed and characterised by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Cell culture experiments were carried out over 24 hours using HeLa cells. After labelling with CellTracker ® Green for the final hour of incubation and subsequent fixation, the arrays were scanned. In addition, individual spots were also viewed by fluorescence microscopy. The evaluation of cell-surface interactions in high-throughput assays as demonstrated here is a key enabling technology for the effective development of future biomaterials.

  3. A comparative analysis of DNA barcode microarray feature size

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Smith Andrew M

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarrays are an invaluable tool in many modern genomic studies. It is generally perceived that decreasing the size of microarray features leads to arrays with higher resolution (due to greater feature density, but this increase in resolution can compromise sensitivity. Results We demonstrate that barcode microarrays with smaller features are equally capable of detecting variation in DNA barcode intensity when compared to larger feature sizes within a specific microarray platform. The barcodes used in this study are the well-characterized set derived from the Yeast KnockOut (YKO collection used for screens of pooled yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae deletion mutants. We treated these pools with the glycosylation inhibitor tunicamycin as a test compound. Three generations of barcode microarrays at 30, 8 and 5 μm features sizes independently identified the primary target of tunicamycin to be ALG7. Conclusion We show that the data obtained with 5 μm feature size is of comparable quality to the 30 μm size and propose that further shrinking of features could yield barcode microarrays with equal or greater resolving power and, more importantly, higher density.

  4. Detection and identification of intestinal pathogenic bacteria by hybridization to oligonucleotide microarrays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, Lian-Qun; Li, Jun-Wen; Wang, Sheng-Qi; Chao, Fu-Huan; Wang, Xin-Wei; Yuan, Zheng-Quan

    2005-01-01

    AIM: To detect the common intestinal pathogenic bacteria quickly and accurately. METHODS: A rapid (<3 h) experimental procedure was set up based upon the gene chip technology. Target genes were amplified and hybridized by oligonucleotide microarrays. RESULTS: One hundred and seventy strains of bacteria in pure culture belonging to 11 genera were successfully discriminated under comparatively same conditions, and a series of specific hybridization maps corresponding to each kind of bacteria were obtained. When this method was applied to 26 divided cultures, 25 (96.2%) were identified. CONCLUSION: Salmonella sp., Escherichia coli, Shigella sp., Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, Proteus sp., Bacillus cereus, Vibrio cholerae, Enterococcus faecalis, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Campylobacter jejuni can be detected and identified by our microarrays. The accuracy, range, and discrimination power of this assay can be continually improved by adding further oligonucleotides to the arrays without any significant increase of complexity or cost. PMID:16437687

  5. Frontiers in biochip technology

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Xing, Wan-Li; Cheng, Jing

    2006-01-01

    ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Haiching Ma, Yuan Wang, Amy S. Pomaybo, and Connie Tsai 2. Improvement of Microarray Technologies for Detecting Single Nucleotide Mismatch...

  6. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis of microarray breast cancer classification under feature variability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Reinders Marcel JT

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Large discrepancies in signature composition and outcome concordance have been observed between different microarray breast cancer expression profiling studies. This is often ascribed to differences in array platform as well as biological variability. We conjecture that other reasons for the observed discrepancies are the measurement error associated with each feature and the choice of preprocessing method. Microarray data are known to be subject to technical variation and the confidence intervals around individual point estimates of expression levels can be wide. Furthermore, the estimated expression values also vary depending on the selected preprocessing scheme. In microarray breast cancer classification studies, however, these two forms of feature variability are almost always ignored and hence their exact role is unclear. Results We have performed a comprehensive sensitivity analysis of microarray breast cancer classification under the two types of feature variability mentioned above. We used data from six state of the art preprocessing methods, using a compendium consisting of eight diferent datasets, involving 1131 hybridizations, containing data from both one and two-color array technology. For a wide range of classifiers, we performed a joint study on performance, concordance and stability. In the stability analysis we explicitly tested classifiers for their noise tolerance by using perturbed expression profiles that are based on uncertainty information directly related to the preprocessing methods. Our results indicate that signature composition is strongly influenced by feature variability, even if the array platform and the stratification of patient samples are identical. In addition, we show that there is often a high level of discordance between individual class assignments for signatures constructed on data coming from different preprocessing schemes, even if the actual signature composition is identical

  7. Effects of distribution density and cell dimension of 3D vegetation model on canopy NDVI simulation base on DART

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tao, Zhu; Shi, Runhe; Zeng, Yuyan; Gao, Wei

    2017-09-01

    The 3D model is an important part of simulated remote sensing for earth observation. Regarding the small-scale spatial extent of DART software, both the details of the model itself and the number of models of the distribution have an important impact on the scene canopy Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI).Taking the phragmitesaustralis in the Yangtze Estuary as an example, this paper studied the effect of the P.australias model on the canopy NDVI, based on the previous studies of the model precision, mainly from the cell dimension of the DART software and the density distribution of the P.australias model in the scene, As well as the choice of the density of the P.australiass model under the cost of computer running time in the actual simulation. The DART Cell dimensions and the density of the scene model were set by using the optimal precision model from the existing research results. The simulation results of NDVI with different model densities under different cell dimensions were analyzed by error analysis. By studying the relationship between relative error, absolute error and time costs, we have mastered the density selection method of P.australias model in the simulation of small-scale spatial scale scene. Experiments showed that the number of P.australias in the simulated scene need not be the same as those in the real environment due to the difference between the 3D model and the real scenarios. The best simulation results could be obtained by keeping the density ratio of about 40 trees per square meter, simultaneously, of the visual effects.

  8. Microarray-based screening of heat shock protein inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schax, Emilia; Walter, Johanna-Gabriela; Märzhäuser, Helene; Stahl, Frank; Scheper, Thomas; Agard, David A; Eichner, Simone; Kirschning, Andreas; Zeilinger, Carsten

    2014-06-20

    Based on the importance of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease or malaria, inhibitors of these chaperons are needed. Today's state-of-the-art techniques to identify HSP inhibitors are performed in microplate format, requiring large amounts of proteins and potential inhibitors. In contrast, we have developed a miniaturized protein microarray-based assay to identify novel inhibitors, allowing analysis with 300 pmol of protein. The assay is based on competitive binding of fluorescence-labeled ATP and potential inhibitors to the ATP-binding site of HSP. Therefore, the developed microarray enables the parallel analysis of different ATP-binding proteins on a single microarray. We have demonstrated the possibility of multiplexing by immobilizing full-length human HSP90α and HtpG of Helicobacter pylori on microarrays. Fluorescence-labeled ATP was competed by novel geldanamycin/reblastatin derivatives with IC50 values in the range of 0.5 nM to 4 μM and Z(*)-factors between 0.60 and 0.96. Our results demonstrate the potential of a target-oriented multiplexed protein microarray to identify novel inhibitors for different members of the HSP90 family. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. The properties of SIRT, TVM, and DART for 3D imaging of tubular domains in nanocomposite thin-films and sections

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    D. Chen; B. Goris (Bart); F. Bleichrodt (Folkert); H.H. Mezerji; S. Bals (Sara); K.J. Batenburg (Joost); G. de With; H. Friedrich

    2014-01-01

    htmlabstractIn electron tomography, the fidelity of the 3D reconstruction strongly depends on the employed reconstruction algorithm. In this paper, the properties of SIRT, TVM and DART reconstructions are studied with respect to having only a limited number of electrons available for imaging and

  10. Universal Reference RNA as a standard for microarray experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fero Michael

    2004-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Obtaining reliable and reproducible two-color microarray gene expression data is critically important for understanding the biological significance of perturbations made on a cellular system. Microarray design, RNA preparation and labeling, hybridization conditions and data acquisition and analysis are variables difficult to simultaneously control. A useful tool for monitoring and controlling intra- and inter-experimental variation is Universal Reference RNA (URR, developed with the goal of providing hybridization signal at each microarray probe location (spot. Measuring signal at each spot as the ratio of experimental RNA to reference RNA targets, rather than relying on absolute signal intensity, decreases variability by normalizing signal output in any two-color hybridization experiment. Results Human, mouse and rat URR (UHRR, UMRR and URRR, respectively were prepared from pools of RNA derived from individual cell lines representing different tissues. A variety of microarrays were used to determine percentage of spots hybridizing with URR and producing signal above a user defined threshold (microarray coverage. Microarray coverage was consistently greater than 80% for all arrays tested. We confirmed that individual cell lines contribute their own unique set of genes to URR, arguing for a pool of RNA from several cell lines as a better configuration for URR as opposed to a single cell line source for URR. Microarray coverage comparing two separately prepared batches each of UHRR, UMRR and URRR were highly correlated (Pearson's correlation coefficients of 0.97. Conclusion Results of this study demonstrate that large quantities of pooled RNA from individual cell lines are reproducibly prepared and possess diverse gene representation. This type of reference provides a standard for reducing variation in microarray experiments and allows more reliable comparison of gene expression data within and between experiments and

  11. Integrative missing value estimation for microarray data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhou Xianghong

    2006-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Missing value estimation is an important preprocessing step in microarray analysis. Although several methods have been developed to solve this problem, their performance is unsatisfactory for datasets with high rates of missing data, high measurement noise, or limited numbers of samples. In fact, more than 80% of the time-series datasets in Stanford Microarray Database contain less than eight samples. Results We present the integrative Missing Value Estimation method (iMISS by incorporating information from multiple reference microarray datasets to improve missing value estimation. For each gene with missing data, we derive a consistent neighbor-gene list by taking reference data sets into consideration. To determine whether the given reference data sets are sufficiently informative for integration, we use a submatrix imputation approach. Our experiments showed that iMISS can significantly and consistently improve the accuracy of the state-of-the-art Local Least Square (LLS imputation algorithm by up to 15% improvement in our benchmark tests. Conclusion We demonstrated that the order-statistics-based integrative imputation algorithms can achieve significant improvements over the state-of-the-art missing value estimation approaches such as LLS and is especially good for imputing microarray datasets with a limited number of samples, high rates of missing data, or very noisy measurements. With the rapid accumulation of microarray datasets, the performance of our approach can be further improved by incorporating larger and more appropriate reference datasets.

  12. Protein microarray: sensitive and effective immunodetection for drug residues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zer Cindy

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Veterinary drugs such as clenbuterol (CL and sulfamethazine (SM2 are low molecular weight ( Results The artificial antigens were spotted on microarray slides. Standard concentrations of the compounds were added to compete with the spotted antigens for binding to the antisera to determine the IC50. Our microarray assay showed the IC50 were 39.6 ng/ml for CL and 48.8 ng/ml for SM2, while the traditional competitive indirect-ELISA (ci-ELISA showed the IC50 were 190.7 ng/ml for CL and 156.7 ng/ml for SM2. We further validated the two methods with CL fortified chicken muscle tissues, and the protein microarray assay showed 90% recovery while the ci-ELISA had 76% recovery rate. When tested with CL-fed chicken muscle tissues, the protein microarray assay had higher sensitivity (0.9 ng/g than the ci-ELISA (0.1 ng/g for detection of CL residues. Conclusions The protein microarrays showed 4.5 and 3.5 times lower IC50 than the ci-ELISA detection for CL and SM2, respectively, suggesting that immunodetection of small molecules with protein microarray is a better approach than the traditional ELISA technique.

  13. New diagnostics for melanoma detection: from artificial intelligence to RNA microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahlgrimm-Siess, Verena; Laimer, Martin; Arzberger, Edith; Hofmann-Wellenhof, Rainer

    2012-07-01

    Early detection of melanoma remains crucial to ensuring a favorable prognosis. Dermoscopy and total body photography are well-established noninvasive aids that increase the diagnostic accuracy of dermatologists in their daily routine, beyond that of a naked-eye examination. New noninvasive diagnostic techniques, such as reflectance confocal microscopy, multispectral digital imaging and RNA microarrays, are currently being investigated to determine their utility for melanoma detection. This review presents emerging technologies for noninvasive melanoma diagnosis, and discusses their advantages and limitations.

  14. Legitimizing Political Science or Splitting the Discipline? Reflections on DA-RT and the Policy-making Role of a Professional Association

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schwartz-Shea, Peregrine; Yanow, Dvora

    2016-01-01

    We have been invited by Politics & Gender's editors to review the origins and current standing of the Data Access and Research Transparency (DA-RT) policy, an effort initiated by the eponymous American Political Science Association (APSA) Ad Hoc Committee and led primarily by Colin Elman,

  15. Radioactive cDNA microarray (II): Gene expression profiling of antidepressant treatment by human cDNA microarray

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Ji Hye; Kang, Rhee Hun; Ham, Byung Joo; Lee, Min Su; Shin, Kyung Ho; Choe, Jae Gol; Kim, Meyoung Kon [College of Medicine, Univ. of Korea, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2003-07-01

    Major depressive disorder is a prevalent psychiatric disorder in primary care, associated with impaired patient functioning and well-being. Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and is a commonly prescribed antidepressant compound. Its action is primarily attributed to selective inhibition of the reuptake of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) in the central nervous system. Objectives ; the aims of this study were two-fold: (1) to determine the usefulness for investigation of the transcription profiles in depression patients, and (2) to assess the differences in gene expression profiles between positive response group and negative response groups by fluoxetine treatment. This study included 53 patients with major depression (26 in positive response group with antidepressant treatment, 27 in negative response group with antidepressant treatment), and 53 healthy controls. To examine the difference of gene expression profile in depression patients, radioactive complementary DNA microarrays were used to evaluate changes in the expression of 1,152 genes in total. Using 33p-labeled probes, this method provided highly sensitive gene expression profiles including brain receptors, drug metabolism, and cellular signaling. Gene transcription profiles were classified into several categories in accordance with the antidepressant gene-regulation. The gene profiles were significantly up-(22 genes) and down-(16 genes) regulated in the positive response group when compared to the control group. Also, in the negative response group, 35 genes were up-regulated and 8 genes were down-regulated when compared to the control group. Consequently, we demonstrated that radioactive human cDNA microarray is highly likely to be an efficient technology for evaluating the gene regulation of antidepressants, such as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), by using high-throughput biotechnology.

  16. Radioactive cDNA microarray (II): Gene expression profiling of antidepressant treatment by human cDNA microarray

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Ji Hye; Kang, Rhee Hun; Ham, Byung Joo; Lee, Min Su; Shin, Kyung Ho; Choe, Jae Gol; Kim, Meyoung Kon

    2003-01-01

    Major depressive disorder is a prevalent psychiatric disorder in primary care, associated with impaired patient functioning and well-being. Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and is a commonly prescribed antidepressant compound. Its action is primarily attributed to selective inhibition of the reuptake of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine) in the central nervous system. Objectives ; the aims of this study were two-fold: (1) to determine the usefulness for investigation of the transcription profiles in depression patients, and (2) to assess the differences in gene expression profiles between positive response group and negative response groups by fluoxetine treatment. This study included 53 patients with major depression (26 in positive response group with antidepressant treatment, 27 in negative response group with antidepressant treatment), and 53 healthy controls. To examine the difference of gene expression profile in depression patients, radioactive complementary DNA microarrays were used to evaluate changes in the expression of 1,152 genes in total. Using 33p-labeled probes, this method provided highly sensitive gene expression profiles including brain receptors, drug metabolism, and cellular signaling. Gene transcription profiles were classified into several categories in accordance with the antidepressant gene-regulation. The gene profiles were significantly up-(22 genes) and down-(16 genes) regulated in the positive response group when compared to the control group. Also, in the negative response group, 35 genes were up-regulated and 8 genes were down-regulated when compared to the control group. Consequently, we demonstrated that radioactive human cDNA microarray is highly likely to be an efficient technology for evaluating the gene regulation of antidepressants, such as selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), by using high-throughput biotechnology

  17. Tissue microarray immunohistochemical detection of brachyury is not a prognostic indicator in chordoma.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linlin Zhang

    Full Text Available Brachyury is a marker for notochord-derived tissues and neoplasms, such as chordoma. However, the prognostic relevance of brachyury expression in chordoma is still unknown. The improvement of tissue microarray technology has provided the opportunity to perform analyses of tumor tissues on a large scale in a uniform and consistent manner. This study was designed with the use of tissue microarray to determine the expression of brachyury. Brachyury expression in chordoma tissues from 78 chordoma patients was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarray. The clinicopathologic parameters, including gender, age, location of tumor and metastatic status were evaluated. Fifty-nine of 78 (75.64% tumors showed nuclear staining for brachyury, and among them, 29 tumors (49.15% showed 1+ (<30% positive cells staining, 15 tumors (25.42% had 2+ (31% to 60% positive cells staining, and 15 tumors (25.42% demonstrated 3+ (61% to 100% positive cells staining. Brachyury nuclear staining was detected more frequently in sacral chordomas than in chordomas of the mobile spine. However, there was no significant relationship between brachyury expression and other clinical variables. By Kaplan-Meier analysis, brachyury expression failed to produce any significant relationship with the overall survival rate. In conclusion, brachyury expression is not a prognostic indicator in chordoma.

  18. High-throughput immunophenotyping of 43 ferret lymphomas using tissue microarray technology

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hammer, Anne Sofie; Williams, B.; Dietz, H.H.

    2007-01-01

    To validate the use of the tissue microarray (TMA) method for immunophenotyping of ferret lymphomas, a TMA was constructed containing duplicate 1-mm cores sampled from 112 paraffin-embedded lymphoma tissue specimens obtained from 43 ferret lymphoma cases. Immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of CD3......, CD79 alpha, and Ki-67 (MIB-1) was determined by TMA and whole mount (WM) staining of each individual case for result comparison. There was a high correlation between CD79 alpha and CD3 results comparing ferret TMA and WM sections (kappa statistic 0.71-0.73 for single-core TMA and 0.......79-0.95 for duplicate-core TMA) and between continuous data from Ki-67 staining of ferret TMA sections and WM sections (concordance correlation coefficients 0.77 for single cores and 0.87 for duplicate cores). Subsequently, a panel of commercially available antibodies was applied to the TMA for the analysis...

  19. Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Tetraploid Wheats (Triticum turgidum L. Estimated by SSR, DArT and Pedigree Data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanni Laidò

    Full Text Available Levels of genetic diversity and population genetic structure of a collection of 230 accessions of seven tetraploid Triticum turgidum L. subspecies were investigated using six morphological, nine seed storage protein loci, 26 SSRs and 970 DArT markers. The genetic diversity of the morphological traits and seed storage proteins was always lower in the durum wheat compared to the wild and domesticated emmer. Using Bayesian clustering (K = 2, both of the sets of molecular markers distinguished the durum wheat cultivars from the other tetraploid subspecies, and two distinct subgroups were detected within the durum wheat subspecies, which is in agreement with their origin and year of release. The genetic diversity of morphological traits and seed storage proteins was always lower in the improved durum cultivars registered after 1990, than in the intermediate and older ones. This marked effect on diversity was not observed for molecular markers, where there was only a weak reduction. At K >2, the SSR markers showed a greater degree of resolution than for DArT, with their identification of a greater number of groups within each subspecies. Analysis of DArT marker differentiation between the wheat subspecies indicated outlier loci that are potentially linked to genes controlling some important agronomic traits. Among the 211 loci identified under selection, 109 markers were recently mapped, and some of these markers were clustered into specific regions on chromosome arms 2BL, 3BS and 4AL, where several genes/quantitative trait loci (QTLs are involved in the domestication of tetraploid wheats, such as the tenacious glumes (Tg and brittle rachis (Br characteristics. On the basis of these results, it can be assumed that the population structure of the tetraploid wheat collection partially reflects the evolutionary history of Triticum turgidum L. subspecies and the genetic potential of landraces and wild accessions for the detection of unexplored alleles.

  20. Rational design of DNA sequences for nanotechnology, microarrays and molecular computers using Eulerian graphs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pancoska, Petr; Moravek, Zdenek; Moll, Ute M

    2004-01-01

    Nucleic acids are molecules of choice for both established and emerging nanoscale technologies. These technologies benefit from large functional densities of 'DNA processing elements' that can be readily manufactured. To achieve the desired functionality, polynucleotide sequences are currently designed by a process that involves tedious and laborious filtering of potential candidates against a series of requirements and parameters. Here, we present a complete novel methodology for the rapid rational design of large sets of DNA sequences. This method allows for the direct implementation of very complex and detailed requirements for the generated sequences, thus avoiding 'brute force' filtering. At the same time, these sequences have narrow distributions of melting temperatures. The molecular part of the design process can be done without computer assistance, using an efficient 'human engineering' approach by drawing a single blueprint graph that represents all generated sequences. Moreover, the method eliminates the necessity for extensive thermodynamic calculations. Melting temperature can be calculated only once (or not at all). In addition, the isostability of the sequences is independent of the selection of a particular set of thermodynamic parameters. Applications are presented for DNA sequence designs for microarrays, universal microarray zip sequences and electron transfer experiments.

  1. Advanced spot quality analysis in two-colour microarray experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vetter Guillaume

    2008-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Image analysis of microarrays and, in particular, spot quantification and spot quality control, is one of the most important steps in statistical analysis of microarray data. Recent methods of spot quality control are still in early age of development, often leading to underestimation of true positive microarray features and, consequently, to loss of important biological information. Therefore, improving and standardizing the statistical approaches of spot quality control are essential to facilitate the overall analysis of microarray data and subsequent extraction of biological information. Findings We evaluated the performance of two image analysis packages MAIA and GenePix (GP using two complementary experimental approaches with a focus on the statistical analysis of spot quality factors. First, we developed control microarrays with a priori known fluorescence ratios to verify the accuracy and precision of the ratio estimation of signal intensities. Next, we developed advanced semi-automatic protocols of spot quality evaluation in MAIA and GP and compared their performance with available facilities of spot quantitative filtering in GP. We evaluated these algorithms for standardised spot quality analysis in a whole-genome microarray experiment assessing well-characterised transcriptional modifications induced by the transcription regulator SNAI1. Using a set of RT-PCR or qRT-PCR validated microarray data, we found that the semi-automatic protocol of spot quality control we developed with MAIA allowed recovering approximately 13% more spots and 38% more differentially expressed genes (at FDR = 5% than GP with default spot filtering conditions. Conclusion Careful control of spot quality characteristics with advanced spot quality evaluation can significantly increase the amount of confident and accurate data resulting in more meaningful biological conclusions.

  2. Integrating Multiple Microarray Data for Cancer Pathway Analysis Using Bootstrapping K-S Test

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bing Han

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Previous applications of microarray technology for cancer research have mostly focused on identifying genes that are differentially expressed between a particular cancer and normal cells. In a biological system, genes perform different molecular functions and regulate various biological processes via interactions with other genes thus forming a variety of complex networks. Therefore, it is critical to understand the relationship (e.g., interactions between genes across different types of cancer in order to gain insights into the molecular mechanisms of cancer. Here we propose an integrative method based on the bootstrapping Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and a large set of microarray data produced with various types of cancer to discover common molecular changes in cells from normal state to cancerous state. We evaluate our method using three key pathways related to cancer and demonstrate that it is capable of finding meaningful alterations in gene relations.

  3. Implementation of plaid model biclustering method on microarray of carcinoma and adenoma tumor gene expression data

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ardaneswari, Gianinna; Bustamam, Alhadi; Sarwinda, Devvi

    2017-10-01

    A Tumor is an abnormal growth of cells that serves no purpose. Carcinoma is a tumor that grows from the top of the cell membrane and the organ adenoma is a benign tumor of the gland-like cells or epithelial tissue. In the field of molecular biology, the development of microarray technology is used in the data store of disease genetic expression. For each of microarray gene, an amount of information is stored for each trait or condition. In gene expression data clustering can be done with a bicluster algorithm, thats clustering method which not only the objects to be clustered, but also the properties or condition of the object. This research proposed Plaid Model Biclustering as one of biclustering method. In this study, we discuss the implementation of Plaid Model Biclustering Method on microarray of Carcinoma and Adenoma tumor gene expression data. From the experimental results, we found three biclusters are formed by Carcinoma gene expression data and four biclusters are formed by Adenoma gene expression data.

  4. Importance of the efficiency of double-stranded DNA formation in cDNA synthesis for the imprecision of microarray expression analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thormar, Hans G; Gudmundsson, Bjarki; Eiriksdottir, Freyja; Kil, Siyoen; Gunnarsson, Gudmundur H; Magnusson, Magnus Karl; Hsu, Jason C; Jonsson, Jon J

    2013-04-01

    The causes of imprecision in microarray expression analysis are poorly understood, limiting the use of this technology in molecular diagnostics. Two-dimensional strandness-dependent electrophoresis (2D-SDE) separates nucleic acid molecules on the basis of length and strandness, i.e., double-stranded DNA (dsDNA), single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), and RNA·DNA hybrids. We used 2D-SDE to measure the efficiency of cDNA synthesis and its importance for the imprecision of an in vitro transcription-based microarray expression analysis. The relative amount of double-stranded cDNA formed in replicate experiments that used the same RNA sample template was highly variable, ranging between 0% and 72% of the total DNA. Microarray experiments showed an inverse relationship between the difference between sample pairs in probe variance and the relative amount of dsDNA. Approximately 15% of probes showed between-sample variation (P cDNA synthesized can be an important component of the imprecision in T7 RNA polymerase-based microarray expression analysis. © 2013 American Association for Clinical Chemistry

  5. An Overview of DNA Microarray Grid Alignment and Foreground Separation Approaches

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bajcsy Peter

    2006-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper overviews DNA microarray grid alignment and foreground separation approaches. Microarray grid alignment and foreground separation are the basic processing steps of DNA microarray images that affect the quality of gene expression information, and hence impact our confidence in any data-derived biological conclusions. Thus, understanding microarray data processing steps becomes critical for performing optimal microarray data analysis. In the past, the grid alignment and foreground separation steps have not been covered extensively in the survey literature. We present several classifications of existing algorithms, and describe the fundamental principles of these algorithms. Challenges related to automation and reliability of processed image data are outlined at the end of this overview paper.

  6. 3D Reconstruction of a Fluvial Sediment Slug from Source to Sink: reach-scale modeling of the Dart River, NZ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brasington, J.; Cook, S.; Cox, S.; James, J.; Lehane, N.; McColl, S. T.; Quincey, D. J.; Williams, R. D.

    2014-12-01

    Following heavy rainfall on 4/1/14, a debris flow at Slip Stream (44.59 S 168.34 E) introduced >106 m3 of sediment to the Dart River valley floor in NZ Southern Alps. Runout over an existing fan dammed the Dart River causing a sudden drop in discharge downstream. This broad dam was breached quickly; however the temporary loss of conveyance impounded a 3 km lake with a volume of 6 x 106 m3 and depths that exceed 10 m. Quantifying the impact of this large sediment pulse on the Dart River is urgently needed to assess potential sedimentation downstream and will also provide an ideal vehicle to test theories of bed wave migration in large, extensively braided rivers. Recent advances in geomatics offer the opportunity to study these impacts directly through the production of high-resolution DEMs. These 3D snapshots can then be compared through time to quantify the morphodynamic response of the channel as it adjusts to the change in sediment supply. In this study we describe the methods and results of a novel survey strategy designed to capture of the complex morphology of the Dart River along a remote 40 km reach, from the upstream landslide source to its distal sediment sink in Lake Wakatipu. The scale of this system presents major logistical and methodological challenges, and hitherto would have conventionally be addressed with airborne laser scanning, bringing with it significant deployment constraints and costs. By contrast, we present sub-metre 3D reconstructions of the system (Figure 1), derived from highly redundant aerial photography shot with a non-metric camera from a helicopter survey that extended over an 80 km2 area. Structure-from-Motion photogrammetry was used to solve simultaneously camera position, pose and derive a 3D point cloud based on over 4000 images. Reconstructions were found to exhibit significant systematic error resulting from the implicit estimation of the internal camera orientation parameters, and we show how these effects can be minimized

  7. A comparison of alternative 60-mer probe designs in an in-situ synthesized oligonucleotide microarray

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fairbanks Benjamin D

    2006-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background DNA microarrays have proven powerful for functional genomics studies. Several technologies exist for the generation of whole-genome arrays. It is well documented that 25mer probes directed against different regions of the same gene produce variable signal intensity values. However, the extent to which this is true for probes of greater length (60mers is not well characterized. Moreover, this information has not previously been reported for whole-genome arrays designed against bacteria, whose genomes may differ substantially in characteristics directly affecting microarray performance. Results We report here an analysis of alternative 60mer probe designs for an in-situ synthesized oligonucleotide array for the GC rich, β-proteobacterium Burkholderia cenocepacia. Probes were designed using the ArrayOligoSel3.5 software package and whole-genome microarrays synthesized by Agilent, Inc. using their in-situ, ink-jet technology platform. We first validated the quality of the microarrays as demonstrated by an average signal to noise ratio of >1000. Next, we determined that the variance of replicate probes (1178 total probes examined of identical sequence was 3.8% whereas the variance of alternative probes (558 total alternative probes examined designs was 9.5%. We determined that depending upon the definition, about 2.4% of replicate and 7.8% of alternative probes produced outlier conclusions. Finally, we determined none of the probe design subscores (GC content, internal repeat, binding energy and self annealment produced by ArrayOligoSel3.5 were predictive or probes that produced outlier signals. Conclusion Our analysis demonstrated that the use of multiple probes per target sequence is not essential for in-situ synthesized 60mer oligonucleotide arrays designed against bacteria. Although probes producing outlier signals were identified, the use of ratios results in less than 10% of such outlier conclusions. We also determined that

  8. Orthotic intervention incorporating the dart-thrower's motion as part of conservative management guidelines for treatment of scapholunate injury.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Hamish; Hoy, Greg

    2016-01-01

    Case series. This paper describes conservative guidelines for the management of scapho-lunate interosseous ligament (SLIL) injury including fabrication of an orthosis that restricts active wrist movement to the dart-throwers (DTM) plane. The dart throwers' orthosis (DTO) was designed as a response to biomechanical studies suggesting that restraining motion to the DTM would off-load a deficient SLIL. After six weeks of wearing the DTO, the 5 patients in this case series initiated an exercise program that incorporated wrist proprioceptive training and specific muscle strengthening. The DTO was designed to incorporate controlled movement in order to better integrate the secondary wrist stabilizers in wrists that had a deficient SLIL. The orthosis and the exercise program harnessed proprioceptive influences using active motion within the DTM plane, and stimulated mechanoreceptors so as to enhance stability. All patients demonstrated improvement in subjective and objective outcomes including self-reported pain and function. Orthotic intervention that controls motion within the DTM, combined with an appropriate proprioceptive rehabilitation program, may provide a viable conservative treatment option for patients with a similar clinical presentation. 4. Copyright © 2016 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. [Diagnosis of a case with Williams-Beuren syndrome with nephrocalcinosis using chromosome microarray analysis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jin, S J; Liu, M; Long, W J; Luo, X P

    2016-12-02

    Objective: To explore the clinical phenotypes and the genetic cause for a boy with unexplained growth retardation, nephrocalcinosis, auditory anomalies and multi-organ/system developmental disorders. Method: Routine G-banding and chromosome microarray analysis were applied to a child with unexplained growth retardation, nephrocalcinosis, auditory anomalies and multi-organ/system developmental disorders treated in the Department of Pediatrics of Tongji Hospital Affiliated to Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology in September 2015 and his parents to conduct the chromosomal karyotype analysis and the whole genome scanning. Deleted genes were searched in the Decipher and NCBI databases, and their relationships with the clinical phenotypes were analyzed. Result: A six-month-old boy was refered to us because of unexplained growth retardation and feeding intolerance.The affected child presented with abnormal manifestation such as special face, umbilical hernia, growth retardation, hypothyroidism, congenital heart disease, right ear sensorineural deafness, hypercalcemia and nephrocalcinosis. The child's karyotype was 46, XY, 16qh + , and his parents' karyotypes were normal. Chromosome microarray analysis revealed a 1 436 kb deletion on the 7q11.23(72701098_74136633) region of the child. This region included 23 protein-coding genes, which were reported to be corresponding to Williams-Beuren syndrome and its certain clinical phenotypes. His parents' results of chromosome microarray analysis were normal. Conclusion: A boy with characteristic manifestation of Williams-Beuren syndrome and rare nephrocalcinosis was diagnosed using chromosome microarray analysis. The deletion on the 7q11.23 might be related to the clinical phenotypes of Williams-Beuren syndrome, yet further studies are needed.

  10. Spatial localisation of curcumin and rapid screening of the chemical compositions of turmeric rhizomes (Curcuma longa Linn.) using Direct Analysis in Real Time-Mass Spectrometry (DART-MS).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rahman, A F M Motiur; Angawi, Rihab F; Kadi, Adnan A

    2015-04-15

    Curcumin is a potent antioxidant agent having versatile biological activities is present in turmeric rhizomes (Curcuma longa Linn.). Powder of turmeric rhizomes is consumes as curry spicy worldwide, especially in Asia. In this study, we demonstrate that, bioactive curcumin and its analog demethoxycurcumin are chiefly concentrated in the pith rather than the other parts of the turmeric rhizomes and it was discovered using modern atmospheric ionisation source 'Direct Analysis in Real Time' (DART) connected with an Ion Trap Mass Spectrometry. In addition, all the major components present in turmeric rhizomes were detected in positive and/or in negative ion mode using DART. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Tissue microarrays for testing basal biomarkers in familial breast cancer cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rozany Mucha Dufloth

    Full Text Available CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: The proteins p63, p-cadherin and CK5 are consistently expressed by the basal and myoepithelial cells of the breast, although their expression in sporadic and familial breast cancer cases has yet to be fully defined. The aim here was to study the basal immunopro-file of a breast cancer case series using tissue microarray technology. DESIGN AND SETTING: This was a cross-sectional study at Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Brazil, and the Institute of Pathology and Mo-lecular Immunology, Porto, Portugal. METHODS: Immunohistochemistry using the antibodies p63, CK5 and p-cadherin, and also estrogen receptor (ER and Human Epidermal Receptor Growth Factor 2 (HER2, was per-formed on 168 samples from a breast cancer case series. The criteria for identifying women at high risk were based on those of the Breast Cancer Linkage Consortium. RESULTS: Familial tumors were more frequently positive for the p-cadherin (p = 0.0004, p63 (p < 0.0001 and CK5 (p < 0.0001 than was sporadic cancer. Moreover, familial tumors had coexpression of the basal biomarkers CK5+/ p63+, grouped two by two (OR = 34.34, while absence of coexpression (OR = 0.13 was associ-ated with the sporadic cancer phenotype. CONCLUSION: Familial breast cancer was found to be associated with basal biomarkers, using tissue microarray technology. Therefore, characterization of the familial breast cancer phenotype will improve the understanding of breast carcinogenesis.

  12. The Dart estuary, Devon, UK: a case study of chemical dynamics and pollutant mobility

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available Water, sediments and gill and digestive gland tissues of adult common shore crab (Carcinus maenas, collected at Noss Marina, Sandquay (Britannia Royal Naval College, the Dartmouth Pier, Warfleet Cove and Sugary Cove in the Dart estuary, Devon, UK, were analysed for major, minor and trace elements in spring 2004. Total acid-available measurements analysed included the truly dissolved component and acid-available sediments. Trace metal concentrations are associated largely with particulate and micro-particulate/colloidal phases, the latter being able to pass through standard filter papers. Wide ranges of chemical concentrations were found in the water, sediments and tissues at all the locations. In the water column, 48% of the variance is linked to the sea-salt component (Cl, Na, K, Ca, Mg, B, Li and Sr and the sediment-associated acid-available fractions are linked to Fe-rich lithogenous materials (Ba, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, V and Zn. In the sediments, trace elements of Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, Pb, Mn, Ni and V are correlated with the sea salts and associated with the fraction of fine sediments within the total sediment. In the gills and the digestive gland tissues of crabs, high concentrations of Al, Cu and Fe are found and there are correlations between acid-available trace metals of Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn, Ni, Sr and Zn. The relationships between trace metal contaminants, their site-specific concentrations, their temporal and spatial variability and the effects of human activities, such as moorland/agriculture with historic mining and recreational activities in the lower Dart estuary, are discussed.

  13. Fiscal 2000 regional consortium research and development project - regional new technology creation research and development. Development of micro-array for next generation gene analysis (1st fiscal year); 2000 nendo chiiki consortium kenkyu kaihatsu jigyo - chiiki shingijutsu soshutsu kenkyu kaihatsu seika hokokusho. Jisedai idenshi kaiseki micro array no kaihatsu (daiichi nendo)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    NONE

    2001-03-01

    Efforts are under way to construct a novel DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) micro-array for gene diagnosis on the basis of technologies of laser scan type manipulation, nanometric position detection, and micro-machining. Using these technologies, structural changes to accompany reactions induced in the probe DNA deposited on an array are detected for the identification of the DNA. Activities are conducted in the four fields of (1) the study of probe DNA fixation technology, (2) development of an optical detection system, (3) detailed check of DNA micro-array performance evaluation technologies, and (4) a comprehensive survey. In field (1), gold colloid modified DNA molecules are designed and evaluated, and the fixation of DNA to substrates and technologies for integration are studied. In field (2), the gold colloid modified DNA is fixed on a thin gold film, and then a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) is observed in the wake of hybridization. Furthermore, a Brownian motion is observed of the metal particles fixed on a glass substrate via DNA. (NEDO)

  14. Microarrays in brain research: the good, the bad and the ugly.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mirnics, K

    2001-06-01

    Making sense of microarray data is a complex process, in which the interpretation of findings will depend on the overall experimental design and judgement of the investigator performing the analysis. As a result, differences in tissue harvesting, microarray types, sample labelling and data analysis procedures make post hoc sharing of microarray data a great challenge. To ensure rapid and meaningful data exchange, we need to create some order out of the existing chaos. In these ground-breaking microarray standardization and data sharing efforts, NIH agencies should take a leading role

  15. Subject-Specific Carpal Ligament Elongation in Extreme Positions, Grip, and the Dart Thrower's Motion

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rainbow, Michael J.; Kamal, Robin N.; Moore, Douglas C.; Akelman, Edward; Wolfe, Scott W.; Crisco, Joseph J.

    2015-01-01

    This study examined whether the radiocarpal and dorsal capsular ligaments limit end-range wrist motion or remain strained during midrange wrist motion. Fibers of these ligaments were modeled in the wrists of 12 subjects over multiple wrist positions that reflect high demand tasks and the dart thrower's motion. We found that many of the volar and dorsal ligaments were within 5% of their maximum length throughout the range of wrist motion. Our finding of wrist ligament recruitment during midrange and end-range wrist motion helps to explain the complex but remarkably similar intersubject patterns of carpal motion. PMID:26367853

  16. Reflecting on the Postgraduate Experience: Teaching Research Methods and Statistics: Review of the DART-P Sponsored Workshop at PsyPAG 2013

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Emma J.; Davies, Emma. L.

    2014-01-01

    Following the success of last year's teaching and career development workshop, this year's DART-P sponsored workshop at the Psychology Postgraduate Affairs Group (PsyPAG) Annual Conference held at Lancaster University focused on postgraduate's experiences of teaching research methods. This article provides a review of the invited speakers…

  17. Significance analysis of lexical bias in microarray data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Falkow Stanley

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Genes that are determined to be significantly differentially regulated in microarray analyses often appear to have functional commonalities, such as being components of the same biochemical pathway. This results in certain words being under- or overrepresented in the list of genes. Distinguishing between biologically meaningful trends and artifacts of annotation and analysis procedures is of the utmost importance, as only true biological trends are of interest for further experimentation. A number of sophisticated methods for identification of significant lexical trends are currently available, but these methods are generally too cumbersome for practical use by most microarray users. Results We have developed a tool, LACK, for calculating the statistical significance of apparent lexical bias in microarray datasets. The frequency of a user-specified list of search terms in a list of genes which are differentially regulated is assessed for statistical significance by comparison to randomly generated datasets. The simplicity of the input files and user interface targets the average microarray user who wishes to have a statistical measure of apparent lexical trends in analyzed datasets without the need for bioinformatics skills. The software is available as Perl source or a Windows executable. Conclusion We have used LACK in our laboratory to generate biological hypotheses based on our microarray data. We demonstrate the program's utility using an example in which we confirm significant upregulation of SPI-2 pathogenicity island of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium by the cation chelator dipyridyl.

  18. Synthesis and conformational characterization of functional di-block copolymer brushes for microarray technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Di Carlo, Gabriele; Damin, Francesco [Institute of Chemistry of Molecular Recognition, National Research Council of Italy, Via M. Bianco 9, 20131 Milano (Italy); Armelao, Lidia [ISTM-CNR and INSTM, Department of Chemistry, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova (Italy); Maccato, Chiara [Department of Chemistry and INSTM, University of Padova, Via F. Marzolo 1, 35131 Padova (Italy); Unlu, Selim [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boston University, St. Mary Street 8, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, St. Mary Street 8, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Spuhler, Philipp S. [Department of Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, St. Mary Street 8, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Chiari, Marcella, E-mail: marcella.chiari@icrm.cnr.it [Institute of Chemistry of Molecular Recognition, National Research Council of Italy, Via M. Bianco 9, 20131 Milano (Italy)

    2012-02-01

    Surface initiated polymerization (SIP) coupled with reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) was used to functionalize microarray glass slides with block polymer brushes. N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and N-acryloyloxysuccinimide (NAS) (graft-poly[DMA-b-(DMA-co-NAS)]) brushes, with di-block architecture, were prepared from a novel RAFT chain transfer agent bearing a silanating moiety (RAFT silane) directly anchored onto the glass surfaces. Conformational characterization of the coatings was performed by Self Spectral Interference Fluorescence Microscopy (SSFM), an innovative technique that describes the location of a fluorescent DNA molecule relative to a surface with sub-nanometer accuracy. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the coatings composition and morphology.

  19. Synthesis and conformational characterization of functional di-block copolymer brushes for microarray technology

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Di Carlo, Gabriele; Damin, Francesco; Armelao, Lidia; Maccato, Chiara; Unlu, Selim; Spuhler, Philipp S.; Chiari, Marcella

    2012-01-01

    Surface initiated polymerization (SIP) coupled with reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization (RAFT) was used to functionalize microarray glass slides with block polymer brushes. N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and N-acryloyloxysuccinimide (NAS) (graft-poly[DMA-b-(DMA-co-NAS)]) brushes, with di-block architecture, were prepared from a novel RAFT chain transfer agent bearing a silanating moiety (RAFT silane) directly anchored onto the glass surfaces. Conformational characterization of the coatings was performed by Self Spectral Interference Fluorescence Microscopy (SSFM), an innovative technique that describes the location of a fluorescent DNA molecule relative to a surface with sub-nanometer accuracy. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the coatings composition and morphology.

  20. Facilitating functional annotation of chicken microarray data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gresham Cathy R

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Modeling results from chicken microarray studies is challenging for researchers due to little functional annotation associated with these arrays. The Affymetrix GenChip chicken genome array, one of the biggest arrays that serve as a key research tool for the study of chicken functional genomics, is among the few arrays that link gene products to Gene Ontology (GO. However the GO annotation data presented by Affymetrix is incomplete, for example, they do not show references linked to manually annotated functions. In addition, there is no tool that facilitates microarray researchers to directly retrieve functional annotations for their datasets from the annotated arrays. This costs researchers amount of time in searching multiple GO databases for functional information. Results We have improved the breadth of functional annotations of the gene products associated with probesets on the Affymetrix chicken genome array by 45% and the quality of annotation by 14%. We have also identified the most significant diseases and disorders, different types of genes, and known drug targets represented on Affymetrix chicken genome array. To facilitate functional annotation of other arrays and microarray experimental datasets we developed an Array GO Mapper (AGOM tool to help researchers to quickly retrieve corresponding functional information for their dataset. Conclusion Results from this study will directly facilitate annotation of other chicken arrays and microarray experimental datasets. Researchers will be able to quickly model their microarray dataset into more reliable biological functional information by using AGOM tool. The disease, disorders, gene types and drug targets revealed in the study will allow researchers to learn more about how genes function in complex biological systems and may lead to new drug discovery and development of therapies. The GO annotation data generated will be available for public use via AgBase website and

  1. Versatile High Resolution Oligosaccharide Microarrays for Plant Glycobiology and Cell Wall Research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Henriette Lodberg; Fangel, Jonatan Ulrik; McCleary, Barry

    2012-01-01

    Microarrays are powerful tools for high throughput analysis, and hundreds or thousands of molecular interactions can be assessed simultaneously using very small amounts of analytes. Nucleotide microarrays are well established in plant research, but carbohydrate microarrays are much less establish...

  2. Identification of differentially expressed genes in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma by microarray expression profiling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sterry Wolfram

    2006-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Carcinogenesis is a multi-step process indicated by several genes up- or down-regulated during tumor progression. This study examined and identified differentially expressed genes in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC. Results Three different biopsies of 5 immunosuppressed organ-transplanted recipients each normal skin (all were pooled, actinic keratosis (AK (two were pooled, and invasive SCC and additionally 5 normal skin tissues from immunocompetent patients were analyzed. Thus, total RNA of 15 specimens were used for hybridization with Affymetrix HG-U133A microarray technology containing 22,283 genes. Data analyses were performed by prediction analysis of microarrays using nearest shrunken centroids with the threshold 3.5 and ANOVA analysis was independently performed in order to identify differentially expressed genes (p vs. AK and SCC were observed for 118 genes. Conclusion The majority of identified differentially expressed genes in cutaneous SCC were previously not described.

  3. Variance estimation in the analysis of microarray data

    KAUST Repository

    Wang, Yuedong

    2009-04-01

    Microarrays are one of the most widely used high throughput technologies. One of the main problems in the area is that conventional estimates of the variances that are required in the t-statistic and other statistics are unreliable owing to the small number of replications. Various methods have been proposed in the literature to overcome this lack of degrees of freedom problem. In this context, it is commonly observed that the variance increases proportionally with the intensity level, which has led many researchers to assume that the variance is a function of the mean. Here we concentrate on estimation of the variance as a function of an unknown mean in two models: the constant coefficient of variation model and the quadratic variance-mean model. Because the means are unknown and estimated with few degrees of freedom, naive methods that use the sample mean in place of the true mean are generally biased because of the errors-in-variables phenomenon. We propose three methods for overcoming this bias. The first two are variations on the theme of the so-called heteroscedastic simulation-extrapolation estimator, modified to estimate the variance function consistently. The third class of estimators is entirely different, being based on semiparametric information calculations. Simulations show the power of our methods and their lack of bias compared with the naive method that ignores the measurement error. The methodology is illustrated by using microarray data from leukaemia patients.

  4. Microarray of DNA probes on carboxylate functional beads surface

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    黄承志; 李原芳; 黄新华; 范美坤

    2000-01-01

    The microarray of DNA probes with 5’ -NH2 and 5’ -Tex/3’ -NH2 modified terminus on 10 um carboxylate functional beads surface in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-carbodiimide (EDC) is characterized in the preseni paper. it was found that the microarray capacity of DNA probes on the beads surface depends on the pH of the aqueous solution, the concentra-tion of DNA probe and the total surface area of the beads. On optimal conditions, the minimum distance of 20 mer single-stranded DNA probe microarrayed on beads surface is about 14 nm, while that of 20 mer double-stranded DNA probes is about 27 nm. If the probe length increases from 20 mer to 35 mer, its microarray density decreases correspondingly. Mechanism study shows that the binding mode of DNA probes on the beads surface is nearly parallel to the beads surface.

  5. Microarray of DNA probes on carboxylate functional beads surface

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    2000-01-01

    The microarray of DNA probes with 5′-NH2 and 5′-Tex/3′-NH2 modified terminus on 10 m m carboxylate functional beads surface in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)- carbodiimide (EDC) is characterized in the present paper. It was found that the microarray capacity of DNA probes on the beads surface depends on the pH of the aqueous solution, the concentration of DNA probe and the total surface area of the beads. On optimal conditions, the minimum distance of 20 mer single-stranded DNA probe microarrayed on beads surface is about 14 nm, while that of 20 mer double-stranded DNA probes is about 27 nm. If the probe length increases from 20 mer to 35 mer, its microarray density decreases correspondingly. Mechanism study shows that the binding mode of DNA probes on the beads surface is nearly parallel to the beads surface.

  6. Parallel scan hyperspectral fluorescence imaging system and biomedical application for microarrays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Zhiyi; Ma Suihua; Liu Le; Guo Jihua; He Yonghong; Ji Yanhong

    2011-01-01

    Microarray research offers great potential for analysis of gene expression profile and leads to greatly improved experimental throughput. A number of instruments have been reported for microarray detection, such as chemiluminescence, surface plasmon resonance, and fluorescence markers. Fluorescence imaging is popular for the readout of microarrays. In this paper we develop a quasi-confocal, multichannel parallel scan hyperspectral fluorescence imaging system for microarray research. Hyperspectral imaging records the entire emission spectrum for every voxel within the imaged area in contrast to recording only fluorescence intensities of filter-based scanners. Coupled with data analysis, the recorded spectral information allows for quantitative identification of the contributions of multiple, spectrally overlapping fluorescent dyes and elimination of unwanted artifacts. The mechanism of quasi-confocal imaging provides a high signal-to-noise ratio, and parallel scan makes this approach a high throughput technique for microarray analysis. This system is improved with a specifically designed spectrometer which can offer a spectral resolution of 0.2 nm, and operates with spatial resolutions ranging from 2 to 30 μm . Finally, the application of the system is demonstrated by reading out microarrays for identification of bacteria.

  7. An Introduction to MAMA (Meta-Analysis of MicroArray data) System.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Zhe; Fenstermacher, David

    2005-01-01

    Analyzing microarray data across multiple experiments has been proven advantageous. To support this kind of analysis, we are developing a software system called MAMA (Meta-Analysis of MicroArray data). MAMA utilizes a client-server architecture with a relational database on the server-side for the storage of microarray datasets collected from various resources. The client-side is an application running on the end user's computer that allows the user to manipulate microarray data and analytical results locally. MAMA implementation will integrate several analytical methods, including meta-analysis within an open-source framework offering other developers the flexibility to plug in additional statistical algorithms.

  8. Assist-as-needed robotic trainer based on reinforcement learning and its application to dart-throwing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Obayashi, Chihiro; Tamei, Tomoya; Shibata, Tomohiro

    2014-05-01

    This paper proposes a novel robotic trainer for motor skill learning. It is user-adaptive inspired by the assist-as-needed principle well known in the field of physical therapy. Most previous studies in the field of the robotic assistance of motor skill learning have used predetermined desired trajectories, and it has not been examined intensively whether these trajectories were optimal for each user. Furthermore, the guidance hypothesis states that humans tend to rely too much on external assistive feedback, resulting in interference with the internal feedback necessary for motor skill learning. A few studies have proposed a system that adjusts its assistive strength according to the user's performance in order to prevent the user from relying too much on the robotic assistance. There are, however, problems in these studies, in that a physical model of the user's motor system is required, which is inherently difficult to construct. In this paper, we propose a framework for a robotic trainer that is user-adaptive and that neither requires a specific desired trajectory nor a physical model of the user's motor system, and we achieve this using model-free reinforcement learning. We chose dart-throwing as an example motor-learning task as it is one of the simplest throwing tasks, and its performance can easily be and quantitatively measured. Training experiments with novices, aiming at maximizing the score with the darts and minimizing the physical robotic assistance, demonstrate the feasibility and plausibility of the proposed framework. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Sensitivity and fidelity of DNA microarray improved with integration of Amplified Differential Gene Expression (ADGE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ile Kristina E

    2003-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The ADGE technique is a method designed to magnify the ratios of gene expression before detection. It improves the detection sensitivity to small change of gene expression and requires small amount of starting material. However, the throughput of ADGE is low. We integrated ADGE with DNA microarray (ADGE microarray and compared it with regular microarray. Results When ADGE was integrated with DNA microarray, a quantitative relationship of a power function between detected and input ratios was found. Because of ratio magnification, ADGE microarray was better able to detect small changes in gene expression in a drug resistant model cell line system. The PCR amplification of templates and efficient labeling reduced the requirement of starting material to as little as 125 ng of total RNA for one slide hybridization and enhanced the signal intensity. Integration of ratio magnification, template amplification and efficient labeling in ADGE microarray reduced artifacts in microarray data and improved detection fidelity. The results of ADGE microarray were less variable and more reproducible than those of regular microarray. A gene expression profile generated with ADGE microarray characterized the drug resistant phenotype, particularly with reference to glutathione, proliferation and kinase pathways. Conclusion ADGE microarray magnified the ratios of differential gene expression in a power function, improved the detection sensitivity and fidelity and reduced the requirement for starting material while maintaining high throughput. ADGE microarray generated a more informative expression pattern than regular microarray.

  10. DarT: The embryo test with the Zebrafish Danio rerio--a general model in ecotoxicology and toxicology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagel, Roland

    2002-01-01

    The acute fish test is an animal test whose ecotoxicological relevance is worthy of discussion. The primary aim of protection in ecotoxicology is the population and not the individual. Furthermore the concentration of pollutants in the environment is normally not in the lethal range. Therefore the acute fish test covers solely the situation after chemical spills. Nevertheless, acute fish toxicity data still belong to the base set used for the assessment of chemicals. The embryo test with the zebrafish Danio rerio (DarT) is recommended as a substitute for the acute fish test. For validation an international laboratory comparison test was carried out. A summary of the results is presented in this paper. Based on the promising results of testing chemicals and waste water the test design was validated by the DIN-working group "7.6 Fischei-Test". A normed test guideline for testing waste water with fish is available. The test duration is short (48 h) and within the test different toxicological endpoints can be examined. Endpoints from the embryo test are suitable for QSAR-studies. Besides the use in ecotoxicology the introduction as a toxicological model was investigated. Disturbance of pigmentation and effects on the frequency of heart-beat were examined. A further important application is testing of teratogenic chemicals. Based on the results DarT could be a screening test within preclinical studies.

  11. 3D Biomaterial Microarrays for Regenerative Medicine

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gaharwar, Akhilesh K.; Arpanaei, Ayyoob; Andresen, Thomas Lars

    2015-01-01

    Three dimensional (3D) biomaterial microarrays hold enormous promise for regenerative medicine because of their ability to accelerate the design and fabrication of biomimetic materials. Such tissue-like biomaterials can provide an appropriate microenvironment for stimulating and controlling stem...... for tissue engineering and drug screening applications....... cell differentiation into tissue-specifi c lineages. The use of 3D biomaterial microarrays can, if optimized correctly, result in a more than 1000-fold reduction in biomaterials and cells consumption when engineering optimal materials combinations, which makes these miniaturized systems very attractive...

  12. Parallel characterization of anaerobic toluene- and ethylbenzene-degrading microbial consortia by PCR-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, RNA-DNA membrane hybridization, and DNA microarray technology

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koizumi, Yoshikazu; Kelly, John J.; Nakagawa, Tatsunori; Urakawa, Hidetoshi; El-Fantroussi, Said; Al-Muzaini, Saleh; Fukui, Manabu; Urushigawa, Yoshikuni; Stahl, David A.

    2002-01-01

    A mesophilic toluene-degrading consortium (TDC) and an ethylbenzene-degrading consortium (EDC) were established under sulfate-reducing conditions. These consortia were first characterized by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) fingerprinting of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA gene fragments, followed by sequencing. The sequences of the major bands (T-1 and E-2) belonging to TDC and EDC, respectively, were affiliated with the family Desulfobacteriaceae. Another major band from EDC (E-1) was related to an uncultured non-sulfate-reducing soil bacterium. Oligonucleotide probes specific for the 16S rRNAs of target organisms corresponding to T-1, E-1, and E-2 were designed, and hybridization conditions were optimized for two analytical formats, membrane and DNA microarray hybridization. Both formats were used to characterize the TDC and EDC, and the results of both were consistent with DGGE analysis. In order to assess the utility of the microarray format for analysis of environmental samples, oil-contaminated sediments from the coast of Kuwait were analyzed. The DNA microarray successfully detected bacterial nucleic acids from these samples, but probes targeting specific groups of sulfate-reducing bacteria did not give positive signals. The results of this study demonstrate the limitations and the potential utility of DNA microarrays for microbial community analysis.

  13. Influence of woody elements of a Norway spruce canopy on nadir reflectance simulated by the DART model at very high spatial resolution

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Malenovský, Zbyněk; Martin, E.; Homolová, Lucie; Gastellu-Etchegory, J.P.; Zurita-Milla, R.; Schaepman, M.E.; Pokorný, Radek; Clevers, J.G.P.W.; Cudlín, Pavel

    2008-01-01

    Roč. 112, - (2008), s. 1-18 ISSN 0034-4257 Grant - others:-(XE) ESA-PECS project No. 98029 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z6087904 Keywords : woody elements * radiative transfer * DART * Norway spruce canopy * high spatial resolution * LAI * AISA Subject RIV: EH - Ecology, Behaviour Impact factor: 3.943, year: 2008

  14. DNA microarray-based PCR ribotyping of Clostridium difficile.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneeberg, Alexander; Ehricht, Ralf; Slickers, Peter; Baier, Vico; Neubauer, Heinrich; Zimmermann, Stefan; Rabold, Denise; Lübke-Becker, Antina; Seyboldt, Christian

    2015-02-01

    This study presents a DNA microarray-based assay for fast and simple PCR ribotyping of Clostridium difficile strains. Hybridization probes were designed to query the modularly structured intergenic spacer region (ISR), which is also the template for conventional and PCR ribotyping with subsequent capillary gel electrophoresis (seq-PCR) ribotyping. The probes were derived from sequences available in GenBank as well as from theoretical ISR module combinations. A database of reference hybridization patterns was set up from a collection of 142 well-characterized C. difficile isolates representing 48 seq-PCR ribotypes. The reference hybridization patterns calculated by the arithmetic mean were compared using a similarity matrix analysis. The 48 investigated seq-PCR ribotypes revealed 27 array profiles that were clearly distinguishable. The most frequent human-pathogenic ribotypes 001, 014/020, 027, and 078/126 were discriminated by the microarray. C. difficile strains related to 078/126 (033, 045/FLI01, 078, 126, 126/FLI01, 413, 413/FLI01, 598, 620, 652, and 660) and 014/020 (014, 020, and 449) showed similar hybridization patterns, confirming their genetic relatedness, which was previously reported. A panel of 50 C. difficile field isolates was tested by seq-PCR ribotyping and the DNA microarray-based assay in parallel. Taking into account that the current version of the microarray does not discriminate some closely related seq-PCR ribotypes, all isolates were typed correctly. Moreover, seq-PCR ribotypes without reference profiles available in the database (ribotype 009 and 5 new types) were correctly recognized as new ribotypes, confirming the performance and expansion potential of the microarray. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  15. Integrated olfactory receptor and microarray gene expression databases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Crasto Chiquito J

    2007-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene expression patterns of olfactory receptors (ORs are an important component of the signal encoding mechanism in the olfactory system since they determine the interactions between odorant ligands and sensory neurons. We have developed the Olfactory Receptor Microarray Database (ORMD to house OR gene expression data. ORMD is integrated with the Olfactory Receptor Database (ORDB, which is a key repository of OR gene information. Both databases aim to aid experimental research related to olfaction. Description ORMD is a Web-accessible database that provides a secure data repository for OR microarray experiments. It contains both publicly available and private data; accessing the latter requires authenticated login. The ORMD is designed to allow users to not only deposit gene expression data but also manage their projects/experiments. For example, contributors can choose whether to make their datasets public. For each experiment, users can download the raw data files and view and export the gene expression data. For each OR gene being probed in a microarray experiment, a hyperlink to that gene in ORDB provides access to genomic and proteomic information related to the corresponding olfactory receptor. Individual ORs archived in ORDB are also linked to ORMD, allowing users access to the related microarray gene expression data. Conclusion ORMD serves as a data repository and project management system. It facilitates the study of microarray experiments of gene expression in the olfactory system. In conjunction with ORDB, ORMD integrates gene expression data with the genomic and functional data of ORs, and is thus a useful resource for both olfactory researchers and the public.

  16. Dimension reduction methods for microarray data: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rabia Aziz

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Dimension reduction has become inevitable for pre-processing of high dimensional data. “Gene expression microarray data” is an instance of such high dimensional data. Gene expression microarray data displays the maximum number of genes (features simultaneously at a molecular level with a very small number of samples. The copious numbers of genes are usually provided to a learning algorithm for producing a complete characterization of the classification task. However, most of the times the majority of the genes are irrelevant or redundant to the learning task. It will deteriorate the learning accuracy and training speed as well as lead to the problem of overfitting. Thus, dimension reduction of microarray data is a crucial preprocessing step for prediction and classification of disease. Various feature selection and feature extraction techniques have been proposed in the literature to identify the genes, that have direct impact on the various machine learning algorithms for classification and eliminate the remaining ones. This paper describes the taxonomy of dimension reduction methods with their characteristics, evaluation criteria, advantages and disadvantages. It also presents a review of numerous dimension reduction approaches for microarray data, mainly those methods that have been proposed over the past few years.

  17. The detection and differentiation of canine respiratory pathogens using oligonucleotide microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lih-Chiann; Kuo, Ya-Ting; Chueh, Ling-Ling; Huang, Dean; Lin, Jiunn-Horng

    2017-05-01

    Canine respiratory diseases are commonly seen in dogs along with co-infections with multiple respiratory pathogens, including viruses and bacteria. Virus infections in even vaccinated dogs were also reported. The clinical signs caused by different respiratory etiological agents are similar, which makes differential diagnosis imperative. An oligonucleotide microarray system was developed in this study. The wild type and vaccine strains of canine distemper virus (CDV), influenza virus, canine herpesvirus (CHV), Bordetella bronchiseptica and Mycoplasma cynos were detected and differentiated simultaneously on a microarray chip. The detection limit is 10, 10, 100, 50 and 50 copy numbers for CDV, influenza virus, CHV, B. bronchiseptica and M. cynos, respectively. The clinical test results of nasal swab samples showed that the microarray had remarkably better efficacy than the multiplex PCR-agarose gel method. The positive detection rate of microarray and agarose gel was 59.0% (n=33) and 41.1% (n=23) among the 56 samples, respectively. CDV vaccine strain and pathogen co-infections were further demonstrated by the microarray but not by the multiplex PCR-agarose gel. The oligonucleotide microarray provides a highly efficient diagnosis alternative that could be applied to clinical usage, greatly assisting in disease therapy and control. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Washing scaling of GeneChip microarray expression

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Krohn Knut

    2010-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Post-hybridization washing is an essential part of microarray experiments. Both the quality of the experimental washing protocol and adequate consideration of washing in intensity calibration ultimately affect the quality of the expression estimates extracted from the microarray intensities. Results We conducted experiments on GeneChip microarrays with altered protocols for washing, scanning and staining to study the probe-level intensity changes as a function of the number of washing cycles. For calibration and analysis of the intensity data we make use of the 'hook' method which allows intensity contributions due to non-specific and specific hybridization of perfect match (PM and mismatch (MM probes to be disentangled in a sequence specific manner. On average, washing according to the standard protocol removes about 90% of the non-specific background and about 30-50% and less than 10% of the specific targets from the MM and PM, respectively. Analysis of the washing kinetics shows that the signal-to-noise ratio doubles roughly every ten stringent washing cycles. Washing can be characterized by time-dependent rate constants which reflect the heterogeneous character of target binding to microarray probes. We propose an empirical washing function which estimates the survival of probe bound targets. It depends on the intensity contribution due to specific and non-specific hybridization per probe which can be estimated for each probe using existing methods. The washing function allows probe intensities to be calibrated for the effect of washing. On a relative scale, proper calibration for washing markedly increases expression measures, especially in the limit of small and large values. Conclusions Washing is among the factors which potentially distort expression measures. The proposed first-order correction method allows direct implementation in existing calibration algorithms for microarray data. We provide an experimental

  19. Tumour auto-antibody screening: performance of protein microarrays using SEREX derived antigens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stempfer, René; Weinhäusel, Andreas; Syed, Parvez; Vierlinger, Klemens; Pichler, Rudolf; Meese, Eckart; Leidinger, Petra; Ludwig, Nicole; Kriegner, Albert; Nöhammer, Christa

    2010-01-01

    The simplicity and potential of minimal invasive testing using serum from patients make auto-antibody based biomarkers a very promising tool for use in diagnostics of cancer and auto-immune disease. Although several methods exist for elucidating candidate-protein markers, immobilizing these onto membranes and generating so called macroarrays is of limited use for marker validation. Especially when several hundred samples have to be analysed, microarrays could serve as a good alternative since processing macro membranes is cumbersome and reproducibility of results is moderate. Candidate markers identified by SEREX (serological identification of antigens by recombinant expression cloning) screenings of brain and lung tumour were used for macroarray and microarray production. For microarray production recombinant proteins were expressed in E. coli by autoinduction and purified His-tag (histidine-tagged) proteins were then used for the production of protein microarrays. Protein arrays were hybridized with the serum samples from brain and lung tumour patients. Methods for the generation of microarrays were successfully established when using antigens derived from membrane-based selection. Signal patterns obtained by microarrays analysis of brain and lung tumour patients' sera were highly reproducible (R = 0.92-0.96). This provides the technical foundation for diagnostic applications on the basis of auto-antibody patterns. In this limited test set, the assay provided high reproducibility and a broad dynamic range to classify all brain and lung samples correctly. Protein microarray is an efficient means for auto-antibody-based detection when using SEREX-derived clones expressing antigenic proteins. Protein microarrays are preferred to macroarrays due to the easier handling and the high reproducibility of auto-antibody testing. Especially when using only a few microliters of patient samples protein microarrays are ideally suited for validation of auto

  20. Comparison of gene coverage of mouse oligonucleotide microarray platforms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Medrano Juan F

    2006-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The increasing use of DNA microarrays for genetical genomics studies generates a need for platforms with complete coverage of the genome. We have compared the effective gene coverage in the mouse genome of different commercial and noncommercial oligonucleotide microarray platforms by performing an in-house gene annotation of probes. We only used information about probes that is available from vendors and followed a process that any researcher may take to find the gene targeted by a given probe. In order to make consistent comparisons between platforms, probes in each microarray were annotated with an Entrez Gene id and the chromosomal position for each gene was obtained from the UCSC Genome Browser Database. Gene coverage was estimated as the percentage of Entrez Genes with a unique position in the UCSC Genome database that is tested by a given microarray platform. Results A MySQL relational database was created to store the mapping information for 25,416 mouse genes and for the probes in five microarray platforms (gene coverage level in parenthesis: Affymetrix430 2.0 (75.6%, ABI Genome Survey (81.24%, Agilent (79.33%, Codelink (78.09%, Sentrix (90.47%; and four array-ready oligosets: Sigma (47.95%, Operon v.3 (69.89%, Operon v.4 (84.03%, and MEEBO (84.03%. The differences in coverage between platforms were highly conserved across chromosomes. Differences in the number of redundant and unspecific probes were also found among arrays. The database can be queried to compare specific genomic regions using a web interface. The software used to create, update and query the database is freely available as a toolbox named ArrayGene. Conclusion The software developed here allows researchers to create updated custom databases by using public or proprietary information on genes for any organisms. ArrayGene allows easy comparisons of gene coverage between microarray platforms for any region of the genome. The comparison presented here

  1. Workflows for microarray data processing in the Kepler environment

    Science.gov (United States)

    2012-01-01

    Background Microarray data analysis has been the subject of extensive and ongoing pipeline development due to its complexity, the availability of several options at each analysis step, and the development of new analysis demands, including integration with new data sources. Bioinformatics pipelines are usually custom built for different applications, making them typically difficult to modify, extend and repurpose. Scientific workflow systems are intended to address these issues by providing general-purpose frameworks in which to develop and execute such pipelines. The Kepler workflow environment is a well-established system under continual development that is employed in several areas of scientific research. Kepler provides a flexible graphical interface, featuring clear display of parameter values, for design and modification of workflows. It has capabilities for developing novel computational components in the R, Python, and Java programming languages, all of which are widely used for bioinformatics algorithm development, along with capabilities for invoking external applications and using web services. Results We developed a series of fully functional bioinformatics pipelines addressing common tasks in microarray processing in the Kepler workflow environment. These pipelines consist of a set of tools for GFF file processing of NimbleGen chromatin immunoprecipitation on microarray (ChIP-chip) datasets and more comprehensive workflows for Affymetrix gene expression microarray bioinformatics and basic primer design for PCR experiments, which are often used to validate microarray results. Although functional in themselves, these workflows can be easily customized, extended, or repurposed to match the needs of specific projects and are designed to be a toolkit and starting point for specific applications. These workflows illustrate a workflow programming paradigm focusing on local resources (programs and data) and therefore are close to traditional shell scripting or

  2. Workflows for microarray data processing in the Kepler environment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stropp Thomas

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray data analysis has been the subject of extensive and ongoing pipeline development due to its complexity, the availability of several options at each analysis step, and the development of new analysis demands, including integration with new data sources. Bioinformatics pipelines are usually custom built for different applications, making them typically difficult to modify, extend and repurpose. Scientific workflow systems are intended to address these issues by providing general-purpose frameworks in which to develop and execute such pipelines. The Kepler workflow environment is a well-established system under continual development that is employed in several areas of scientific research. Kepler provides a flexible graphical interface, featuring clear display of parameter values, for design and modification of workflows. It has capabilities for developing novel computational components in the R, Python, and Java programming languages, all of which are widely used for bioinformatics algorithm development, along with capabilities for invoking external applications and using web services. Results We developed a series of fully functional bioinformatics pipelines addressing common tasks in microarray processing in the Kepler workflow environment. These pipelines consist of a set of tools for GFF file processing of NimbleGen chromatin immunoprecipitation on microarray (ChIP-chip datasets and more comprehensive workflows for Affymetrix gene expression microarray bioinformatics and basic primer design for PCR experiments, which are often used to validate microarray results. Although functional in themselves, these workflows can be easily customized, extended, or repurposed to match the needs of specific projects and are designed to be a toolkit and starting point for specific applications. These workflows illustrate a workflow programming paradigm focusing on local resources (programs and data and therefore are close to

  3. Workflows for microarray data processing in the Kepler environment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stropp, Thomas; McPhillips, Timothy; Ludäscher, Bertram; Bieda, Mark

    2012-05-17

    Microarray data analysis has been the subject of extensive and ongoing pipeline development due to its complexity, the availability of several options at each analysis step, and the development of new analysis demands, including integration with new data sources. Bioinformatics pipelines are usually custom built for different applications, making them typically difficult to modify, extend and repurpose. Scientific workflow systems are intended to address these issues by providing general-purpose frameworks in which to develop and execute such pipelines. The Kepler workflow environment is a well-established system under continual development that is employed in several areas of scientific research. Kepler provides a flexible graphical interface, featuring clear display of parameter values, for design and modification of workflows. It has capabilities for developing novel computational components in the R, Python, and Java programming languages, all of which are widely used for bioinformatics algorithm development, along with capabilities for invoking external applications and using web services. We developed a series of fully functional bioinformatics pipelines addressing common tasks in microarray processing in the Kepler workflow environment. These pipelines consist of a set of tools for GFF file processing of NimbleGen chromatin immunoprecipitation on microarray (ChIP-chip) datasets and more comprehensive workflows for Affymetrix gene expression microarray bioinformatics and basic primer design for PCR experiments, which are often used to validate microarray results. Although functional in themselves, these workflows can be easily customized, extended, or repurposed to match the needs of specific projects and are designed to be a toolkit and starting point for specific applications. These workflows illustrate a workflow programming paradigm focusing on local resources (programs and data) and therefore are close to traditional shell scripting or R

  4. A comparison of parametric and nonparametric methods for normalising cDNA microarray data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khondoker, Mizanur R; Glasbey, Chris A; Worton, Bruce J

    2007-12-01

    Normalisation is an essential first step in the analysis of most cDNA microarray data, to correct for effects arising from imperfections in the technology. Loess smoothing is commonly used to correct for trends in log-ratio data. However, parametric models, such as the additive plus multiplicative variance model, have been preferred for scale normalisation, though the variance structure of microarray data may be of a more complex nature than can be accommodated by a parametric model. We propose a new nonparametric approach that incorporates location and scale normalisation simultaneously using a Generalised Additive Model for Location, Scale and Shape (GAMLSS, Rigby and Stasinopoulos, 2005, Applied Statistics, 54, 507-554). We compare its performance in inferring differential expression with Huber et al.'s (2002, Bioinformatics, 18, 96-104) arsinh variance stabilising transformation (AVST) using real and simulated data. We show GAMLSS to be as powerful as AVST when the parametric model is correct, and more powerful when the model is wrong. (c) 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim

  5. Evaluation of DNA microarray results in the Toxicogenomics Project (TGP) consortium in Japan.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noriyuki, Nakatsu; Igarashi, Yoshinobu; Ono, Atsushi; Yamada, Hiroshi; Ohno, Yasuo; Urushidani, Tetsuro

    2012-01-01

    An important technology used in toxicogenomic drug discovery research is the microarray, which enables researchers to simultaneously analyze the expression of a large number of genes. To build a database and data analysis system for use in assessing the safety of drugs and drug candidates, in 2002 we conducted a 5-year collaborative study in the Toxicogenomics Project (TGP1) in Japan. Experimental data generated by such studies must be validated by different laboratories for robust and accurate analysis. For this purpose, we conducted intra- and inter-laboratory validation studies with participating companies in the second collaborative study in the Toxicogenomics Project (TGP2). Gene expression in the liver of rats treated with acetaminophen (APAP) was independently examined by the participating companies using Affymetrix GeneChip microarrays. The intra- and inter-laboratory reproducibility of the data was evaluated using hierarchical clustering analysis. The toxicogenomics results were highly reproducible, indicating that the gene expression data generated in our TGP1 project is reliable and compatible with the data generated by the participating laboratories.

  6. AMDA: an R package for the automated microarray data analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Foti Maria

    2006-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarrays are routinely used to assess mRNA transcript levels on a genome-wide scale. Large amount of microarray datasets are now available in several databases, and new experiments are constantly being performed. In spite of this fact, few and limited tools exist for quickly and easily analyzing the results. Microarray analysis can be challenging for researchers without the necessary training and it can be time-consuming for service providers with many users. Results To address these problems we have developed an automated microarray data analysis (AMDA software, which provides scientists with an easy and integrated system for the analysis of Affymetrix microarray experiments. AMDA is free and it is available as an R package. It is based on the Bioconductor project that provides a number of powerful bioinformatics and microarray analysis tools. This automated pipeline integrates different functions available in the R and Bioconductor projects with newly developed functions. AMDA covers all of the steps, performing a full data analysis, including image analysis, quality controls, normalization, selection of differentially expressed genes, clustering, correspondence analysis and functional evaluation. Finally a LaTEX document is dynamically generated depending on the performed analysis steps. The generated report contains comments and analysis results as well as the references to several files for a deeper investigation. Conclusion AMDA is freely available as an R package under the GPL license. The package as well as an example analysis report can be downloaded in the Services/Bioinformatics section of the Genopolis http://www.genopolis.it/

  7. Nano-sized titanium dioxide-induced splenic toxicity: A biological pathway explored using microarray technology

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sheng, Lei [Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Wang, Ling [Library of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Sang, Xuezi; Zhao, Xiaoyang; Hong, Jie; Cheng, Shen; Yu, Xiaohong; Liu, Dong; Xu, Bingqing; Hu, Renping; Sun, Qingqing; Cheng, Jie; Cheng, Zhe; Gui, Suxin [Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China); Hong, Fashui, E-mail: Hongfsh_cn@sina.com [Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123 (China)

    2014-08-15

    Highlights: • Exposure to TiO{sub 2} NPs could be accumulated in the spleen. • Exposure to TiO{sub 2} NPs caused spleen lesions in mice. • Exposure to TiO{sub 2} NPs resulted in immune dysfunction in mice. • Exposure to TiO{sub 2} NPs caused alteration of 1041 genes expression of known function in the spleen. - Abstract: Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (TiO{sub 2} NPs) have been widely used in various areas, and its potential toxicity has gained wide attention. However, the molecular mechanisms of multiple genes working together in the TiO{sub 2} NP-induced splenic injury are not well understood. In the present study, 2.5, 5, or 10 mg/kg body weight TiO{sub 2} NPs were administered to the mice by intragastric administration for 90 consecutive days, their immune capacity in the spleen as well as the gene-expressed characteristics in the mouse damaged spleen were investigated using microarray assay. The findings showed that with increased dose, TiO{sub 2} NP exposure resulted in the increases of spleen indices, immune dysfunction, and severe macrophage infiltration as well as apoptosis in the spleen. Importantly, microarray data showed significant alterations in the expressions of 1041 genes involved in immune/inflammatory responses, apoptosis, oxidative stress, stress responses, metabolic processes, ion transport, signal transduction, cell proliferation/division, cytoskeleton and translation in the 10 mg/kg TiO{sub 2} NP-exposed spleen. Specifically, Cyp2e1, Sod3, Mt1, Mt2, Atf4, Chac1, H2-k1, Cxcl13, Ccl24, Cd14, Lbp, Cd80, Cd86, Cd28, Il7r, Il12a, Cfd, and Fcnb may be potential biomarkers of spleen toxicity following exposure to TiO{sub 2} NPs.

  8. Interim report on updated microarray probes for the LLNL Burkholderia pseudomallei SNP array

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gardner, S; Jaing, C

    2012-03-27

    The overall goal of this project is to forensically characterize 100 unknown Burkholderia isolates in the US-Australia collaboration. We will identify genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from B. pseudomallei and near neighbor species including B. mallei, B. thailandensis and B. oklahomensis. We will design microarray probes to detect these SNP markers and analyze 100 Burkholderia genomic DNAs extracted from environmental, clinical and near neighbor isolates from Australian collaborators on the Burkholderia SNP microarray. We will analyze the microarray genotyping results to characterize the genetic diversity of these new isolates and triage the samples for whole genome sequencing. In this interim report, we described the SNP analysis and the microarray probe design for the Burkholderia SNP microarray.

  9. AN IMPROVED FUZZY CLUSTERING ALGORITHM FOR MICROARRAY IMAGE SPOTS SEGMENTATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V.G. Biju

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available An automatic cDNA microarray image processing using an improved fuzzy clustering algorithm is presented in this paper. The spot segmentation algorithm proposed uses the gridding technique developed by the authors earlier, for finding the co-ordinates of each spot in an image. Automatic cropping of spots from microarray image is done using these co-ordinates. The present paper proposes an improved fuzzy clustering algorithm Possibility fuzzy local information c means (PFLICM to segment the spot foreground (FG from background (BG. The PFLICM improves fuzzy local information c means (FLICM algorithm by incorporating typicality of a pixel along with gray level information and local spatial information. The performance of the algorithm is validated using a set of simulated cDNA microarray images added with different levels of AWGN noise. The strength of the algorithm is tested by computing the parameters such as the Segmentation matching factor (SMF, Probability of error (pe, Discrepancy distance (D and Normal mean square error (NMSE. SMF value obtained for PFLICM algorithm shows an improvement of 0.9 % and 0.7 % for high noise and low noise microarray images respectively compared to FLICM algorithm. The PFLICM algorithm is also applied on real microarray images and gene expression values are computed.

  10. Addressable droplet microarrays for single cell protein analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salehi-Reyhani, Ali; Burgin, Edward; Ces, Oscar; Willison, Keith R; Klug, David R

    2014-11-07

    Addressable droplet microarrays are potentially attractive as a way to achieve miniaturised, reduced volume, high sensitivity analyses without the need to fabricate microfluidic devices or small volume chambers. We report a practical method for producing oil-encapsulated addressable droplet microarrays which can be used for such analyses. To demonstrate their utility, we undertake a series of single cell analyses, to determine the variation in copy number of p53 proteins in cells of a human cancer cell line.

  11. Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry, a process analytical technology tool for real-time process monitoring in botanical drug manufacturing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lu; Zeng, Shanshan; Chen, Teng; Qu, Haibin

    2014-03-01

    A promising process analytical technology (PAT) tool has been introduced for batch processes monitoring. Direct analysis in real time mass spectrometry (DART-MS), a means of rapid fingerprint analysis, was applied to a percolation process with multi-constituent substances for an anti-cancer botanical preparation. Fifteen batches were carried out, including ten normal operations and five abnormal batches with artificial variations. The obtained multivariate data were analyzed by a multi-way partial least squares (MPLS) model. Control trajectories were derived from eight normal batches, and the qualification was tested by R(2) and Q(2). Accuracy and diagnosis capability of the batch model were then validated by the remaining batches. Assisted with high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) determination, process faults were explained by corresponding variable contributions. Furthermore, a batch level model was developed to compare and assess the model performance. The present study has demonstrated that DART-MS is very promising in process monitoring in botanical manufacturing. Compared with general PAT tools, DART-MS offers a particular account on effective compositions and can be potentially used to improve batch quality and process consistency of samples in complex matrices. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. MICROARRAY IMAGE GRIDDING USING GRID LINE REFINEMENT TECHNIQUE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V.G. Biju

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available An important stage in microarray image analysis is gridding. Microarray image gridding is done to locate sub arrays in a microarray image and find co-ordinates of spots within each sub array. For accurate identification of spots, most of the proposed gridding methods require human intervention. In this paper a fully automatic gridding method which enhances spot intensity in the preprocessing step as per a histogram based threshold method is used. The gridding step finds co-ordinates of spots from horizontal and vertical profile of the image. To correct errors due to the grid line placement, a grid line refinement technique is proposed. The algorithm is applied on different image databases and results are compared based on spot detection accuracy and time. An average spot detection accuracy of 95.06% depicts the proposed method’s flexibility and accuracy in finding the spot co-ordinates for different database images.

  13. Kernel Based Nonlinear Dimensionality Reduction and Classification for Genomic Microarray

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lan Shu

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Genomic microarrays are powerful research tools in bioinformatics and modern medicinal research because they enable massively-parallel assays and simultaneous monitoring of thousands of gene expression of biological samples. However, a simple microarray experiment often leads to very high-dimensional data and a huge amount of information, the vast amount of data challenges researchers into extracting the important features and reducing the high dimensionality. In this paper, a nonlinear dimensionality reduction kernel method based locally linear embedding(LLE is proposed, and fuzzy K-nearest neighbors algorithm which denoises datasets will be introduced as a replacement to the classical LLE’s KNN algorithm. In addition, kernel method based support vector machine (SVM will be used to classify genomic microarray data sets in this paper. We demonstrate the application of the techniques to two published DNA microarray data sets. The experimental results confirm the superiority and high success rates of the presented method.

  14. Facilitating RNA structure prediction with microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kierzek, Elzbieta; Kierzek, Ryszard; Turner, Douglas H; Catrina, Irina E

    2006-01-17

    Determining RNA secondary structure is important for understanding structure-function relationships and identifying potential drug targets. This paper reports the use of microarrays with heptamer 2'-O-methyl oligoribonucleotides to probe the secondary structure of an RNA and thereby improve the prediction of that secondary structure. When experimental constraints from hybridization results are added to a free-energy minimization algorithm, the prediction of the secondary structure of Escherichia coli 5S rRNA improves from 27 to 92% of the known canonical base pairs. Optimization of buffer conditions for hybridization and application of 2'-O-methyl-2-thiouridine to enhance binding and improve discrimination between AU and GU pairs are also described. The results suggest that probing RNA with oligonucleotide microarrays can facilitate determination of secondary structure.

  15. A Critical Perspective On Microarray Breast Cancer Gene Expression Profiling

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sontrop, H.M.J.

    2015-01-01

    Microarrays offer biologists an exciting tool that allows the simultaneous assessment of gene expression levels for thousands of genes at once. At the time of their inception, microarrays were hailed as the new dawn in cancer biology and oncology practice with the hope that within a decade diseases

  16. arrayCGHbase: an analysis platform for comparative genomic hybridization microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Moreau Yves

    2005-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The availability of the human genome sequence as well as the large number of physically accessible oligonucleotides, cDNA, and BAC clones across the entire genome has triggered and accelerated the use of several platforms for analysis of DNA copy number changes, amongst others microarray comparative genomic hybridization (arrayCGH. One of the challenges inherent to this new technology is the management and analysis of large numbers of data points generated in each individual experiment. Results We have developed arrayCGHbase, a comprehensive analysis platform for arrayCGH experiments consisting of a MIAME (Minimal Information About a Microarray Experiment supportive database using MySQL underlying a data mining web tool, to store, analyze, interpret, compare, and visualize arrayCGH results in a uniform and user-friendly format. Following its flexible design, arrayCGHbase is compatible with all existing and forthcoming arrayCGH platforms. Data can be exported in a multitude of formats, including BED files to map copy number information on the genome using the Ensembl or UCSC genome browser. Conclusion ArrayCGHbase is a web based and platform independent arrayCGH data analysis tool, that allows users to access the analysis suite through the internet or a local intranet after installation on a private server. ArrayCGHbase is available at http://medgen.ugent.be/arrayCGHbase/.

  17. Multiplexed fluorescent microarray for human salivary protein analysis using polymer microspheres and fiber-optic bundles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nie, Shuai; Benito-Peña, Elena; Zhang, Huaibin; Wu, Yue; Walt, David R

    2013-10-10

    Herein, we describe a protocol for simultaneously measuring six proteins in saliva using a fiber-optic microsphere-based antibody array. The immuno-array technology employed combines the advantages of microsphere-based suspension array fabrication with the use of fluorescence microscopy. As described in the video protocol, commercially available 4.5 μm polymer microspheres were encoded into seven different types, differentiated by the concentration of two fluorescent dyes physically trapped inside the microspheres. The encoded microspheres containing surface carboxyl groups were modified with monoclonal capture antibodies through EDC/NHS coupling chemistry. To assemble the protein microarray, the different types of encoded and functionalized microspheres were mixed and randomly deposited in 4.5 μm microwells, which were chemically etched at the proximal end of a fiber-optic bundle. The fiber-optic bundle was used as both a carrier and for imaging the microspheres. Once assembled, the microarray was used to capture proteins in the saliva supernatant collected from the clinic. The detection was based on a sandwich immunoassay using a mixture of biotinylated detection antibodies for different analytes with a streptavidin-conjugated fluorescent probe, R-phycoerythrin. The microarray was imaged by fluorescence microscopy in three different channels, two for microsphere registration and one for the assay signal. The fluorescence micrographs were then decoded and analyzed using a homemade algorithm in MATLAB.

  18. A comprehensive comparison of random forests and support vector machines for microarray-based cancer classification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wang Lily

    2008-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Cancer diagnosis and clinical outcome prediction are among the most important emerging applications of gene expression microarray technology with several molecular signatures on their way toward clinical deployment. Use of the most accurate classification algorithms available for microarray gene expression data is a critical ingredient in order to develop the best possible molecular signatures for patient care. As suggested by a large body of literature to date, support vector machines can be considered "best of class" algorithms for classification of such data. Recent work, however, suggests that random forest classifiers may outperform support vector machines in this domain. Results In the present paper we identify methodological biases of prior work comparing random forests and support vector machines and conduct a new rigorous evaluation of the two algorithms that corrects these limitations. Our experiments use 22 diagnostic and prognostic datasets and show that support vector machines outperform random forests, often by a large margin. Our data also underlines the importance of sound research design in benchmarking and comparison of bioinformatics algorithms. Conclusion We found that both on average and in the majority of microarray datasets, random forests are outperformed by support vector machines both in the settings when no gene selection is performed and when several popular gene selection methods are used.

  19. Statistical Analysis of Microarray Data with Replicated Spots: A Case Study with Synechococcus WH8102

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    E. V. Thomas

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Until recently microarray experiments often involved relatively few arrays with only a single representation of each gene on each array. A complete genome microarray with multiple spots per gene (spread out spatially across the array was developed in order to compare the gene expression of a marine cyanobacterium and a knockout mutant strain in a defined artificial seawater medium. Statistical methods were developed for analysis in the special situation of this case study where there is gene replication within an array and where relatively few arrays are used, which can be the case with current array technology. Due in part to the replication within an array, it was possible to detect very small changes in the levels of expression between the wild type and mutant strains. One interesting biological outcome of this experiment is the indication of the extent to which the phosphorus regulatory system of this cyanobacterium affects the expression of multiple genes beyond those strictly involved in phosphorus acquisition.

  20. A Versatile Microarray Platform for Capturing Rare Cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Brinkmann, Falko; Hirtz, Michael; Haller, Anna; Gorges, Tobias M.; Vellekoop, Michael J.; Riethdorf, Sabine; Müller, Volkmar; Pantel, Klaus; Fuchs, Harald

    2015-10-01

    Analyses of rare events occurring at extremely low frequencies in body fluids are still challenging. We established a versatile microarray-based platform able to capture single target cells from large background populations. As use case we chose the challenging application of detecting circulating tumor cells (CTCs) - about one cell in a billion normal blood cells. After incubation with an antibody cocktail, targeted cells are extracted on a microarray in a microfluidic chip. The accessibility of our platform allows for subsequent recovery of targets for further analysis. The microarray facilitates exclusion of false positive capture events by co-localization allowing for detection without fluorescent labelling. Analyzing blood samples from cancer patients with our platform reached and partly outreached gold standard performance, demonstrating feasibility for clinical application. Clinical researchers free choice of antibody cocktail without need for altered chip manufacturing or incubation protocol, allows virtual arbitrary targeting of capture species and therefore wide spread applications in biomedical sciences.

  1. Microarray MAPH: accurate array-based detection of relative copy number in genomic DNA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chan Alan

    2006-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Current methods for measurement of copy number do not combine all the desirable qualities of convenience, throughput, economy, accuracy and resolution. In this study, to improve the throughput associated with Multiplex Amplifiable Probe Hybridisation (MAPH we aimed to develop a modification based on the 3-Dimensional, Flow-Through Microarray Platform from PamGene International. In this new method, electrophoretic analysis of amplified products is replaced with photometric analysis of a probed oligonucleotide array. Copy number analysis of hybridised probes is based on a dual-label approach by comparing the intensity of Cy3-labelled MAPH probes amplified from test samples co-hybridised with similarly amplified Cy5-labelled reference MAPH probes. The key feature of using a hybridisation-based end point with MAPH is that discrimination of amplified probes is based on sequence and not fragment length. Results In this study we showed that microarray MAPH measurement of PMP22 gene dosage correlates well with PMP22 gene dosage determined by capillary MAPH and that copy number was accurately reported in analyses of DNA from 38 individuals, 12 of which were known to have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A. Conclusion Measurement of microarray-based endpoints for MAPH appears to be of comparable accuracy to electrophoretic methods, and holds the prospect of fully exploiting the potential multiplicity of MAPH. The technology has the potential to simplify copy number assays for genes with a large number of exons, or of expanded sets of probes from dispersed genomic locations.

  2. Microarray MAPH: accurate array-based detection of relative copy number in genomic DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gibbons, Brian; Datta, Parikkhit; Wu, Ying; Chan, Alan; Al Armour, John

    2006-06-30

    Current methods for measurement of copy number do not combine all the desirable qualities of convenience, throughput, economy, accuracy and resolution. In this study, to improve the throughput associated with Multiplex Amplifiable Probe Hybridisation (MAPH) we aimed to develop a modification based on the 3-Dimensional, Flow-Through Microarray Platform from PamGene International. In this new method, electrophoretic analysis of amplified products is replaced with photometric analysis of a probed oligonucleotide array. Copy number analysis of hybridised probes is based on a dual-label approach by comparing the intensity of Cy3-labelled MAPH probes amplified from test samples co-hybridised with similarly amplified Cy5-labelled reference MAPH probes. The key feature of using a hybridisation-based end point with MAPH is that discrimination of amplified probes is based on sequence and not fragment length. In this study we showed that microarray MAPH measurement of PMP22 gene dosage correlates well with PMP22 gene dosage determined by capillary MAPH and that copy number was accurately reported in analyses of DNA from 38 individuals, 12 of which were known to have Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A). Measurement of microarray-based endpoints for MAPH appears to be of comparable accuracy to electrophoretic methods, and holds the prospect of fully exploiting the potential multiplicity of MAPH. The technology has the potential to simplify copy number assays for genes with a large number of exons, or of expanded sets of probes from dispersed genomic locations.

  3. Genome-scale cluster analysis of replicated microarrays using shrinkage correlation coefficient.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yao, Jianchao; Chang, Chunqi; Salmi, Mari L; Hung, Yeung Sam; Loraine, Ann; Roux, Stanley J

    2008-06-18

    Currently, clustering with some form of correlation coefficient as the gene similarity metric has become a popular method for profiling genomic data. The Pearson correlation coefficient and the standard deviation (SD)-weighted correlation coefficient are the two most widely-used correlations as the similarity metrics in clustering microarray data. However, these two correlations are not optimal for analyzing replicated microarray data generated by most laboratories. An effective correlation coefficient is needed to provide statistically sufficient analysis of replicated microarray data. In this study, we describe a novel correlation coefficient, shrinkage correlation coefficient (SCC), that fully exploits the similarity between the replicated microarray experimental samples. The methodology considers both the number of replicates and the variance within each experimental group in clustering expression data, and provides a robust statistical estimation of the error of replicated microarray data. The value of SCC is revealed by its comparison with two other correlation coefficients that are currently the most widely-used (Pearson correlation coefficient and SD-weighted correlation coefficient) using statistical measures on both synthetic expression data as well as real gene expression data from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Two leading clustering methods, hierarchical and k-means clustering were applied for the comparison. The comparison indicated that using SCC achieves better clustering performance. Applying SCC-based hierarchical clustering to the replicated microarray data obtained from germinating spores of the fern Ceratopteris richardii, we discovered two clusters of genes with shared expression patterns during spore germination. Functional analysis suggested that some of the genetic mechanisms that control germination in such diverse plant lineages as mosses and angiosperms are also conserved among ferns. This study shows that SCC is an alternative to the Pearson

  4. Advanced Data Mining of Leukemia Cells Micro-Arrays

    OpenAIRE

    Richard S. Segall; Ryan M. Pierce

    2009-01-01

    This paper provides continuation and extensions of previous research by Segall and Pierce (2009a) that discussed data mining for micro-array databases of Leukemia cells for primarily self-organized maps (SOM). As Segall and Pierce (2009a) and Segall and Pierce (2009b) the results of applying data mining are shown and discussed for the data categories of microarray databases of HL60, Jurkat, NB4 and U937 Leukemia cells that are also described in this article. First, a background section is pro...

  5. Prediction of acrylamide formation in biscuits based on fingerprint data generated by ambient ionization mass spectrometry employing direct analysis in real time (DART) ion source

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Vaclavik, Lukas; Capuano, Edoardo; Gökmen, Vural; Hajslova, Jana

    2015-01-01

    The objective of this study is the evaluation of the potential of high-throughput direct analysis in real time-high resolution mass spectrometry (DART-HRMS) fingerprinting and multivariate regression analysis in prediction of the extent of acrylamide formation in biscuit samples prepared by

  6. Network Expansion and Pathway Enrichment Analysis towards Biologically Significant Findings from Microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wu Xiaogang

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available In many cases, crucial genes show relatively slight changes between groups of samples (e.g. normal vs. disease, and many genes selected from microarray differential analysis by measuring the expression level statistically are also poorly annotated and lack of biological significance. In this paper, we present an innovative approach - network expansion and pathway enrichment analysis (NEPEA for integrative microarray analysis. We assume that organized knowledge will help microarray data analysis in significant ways, and the organized knowledge could be represented as molecular interaction networks or biological pathways. Based on this hypothesis, we develop the NEPEA framework based on network expansion from the human annotated and predicted protein interaction (HAPPI database, and pathway enrichment from the human pathway database (HPD. We use a recently-published microarray dataset (GSE24215 related to insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes (T2D as case study, since this study provided a thorough experimental validation for both genes and pathways identified computationally from classical microarray analysis and pathway analysis. We perform our NEPEA analysis for this dataset based on the results from the classical microarray analysis to identify biologically significant genes and pathways. Our findings are not only consistent with the original findings mostly, but also obtained more supports from other literatures.

  7. Microarray Data Processing Techniques for Genome-Scale Network Inference from Large Public Repositories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chockalingam, Sriram; Aluru, Maneesha; Aluru, Srinivas

    2016-09-19

    Pre-processing of microarray data is a well-studied problem. Furthermore, all popular platforms come with their own recommended best practices for differential analysis of genes. However, for genome-scale network inference using microarray data collected from large public repositories, these methods filter out a considerable number of genes. This is primarily due to the effects of aggregating a diverse array of experiments with different technical and biological scenarios. Here we introduce a pre-processing pipeline suitable for inferring genome-scale gene networks from large microarray datasets. We show that partitioning of the available microarray datasets according to biological relevance into tissue- and process-specific categories significantly extends the limits of downstream network construction. We demonstrate the effectiveness of our pre-processing pipeline by inferring genome-scale networks for the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana using two different construction methods and a collection of 11,760 Affymetrix ATH1 microarray chips. Our pre-processing pipeline and the datasets used in this paper are made available at http://alurulab.cc.gatech.edu/microarray-pp.

  8. Maskless localized patterning of biomolecules on carbon nanotube microarray functionalized by ultrafine atmospheric pressure plasma jet using biotin-avidin system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abuzairi, Tomy; Okada, Mitsuru; Purnamaningsih, Retno Wigajatri; Poespawati, Nji Raden; Iwata, Futoshi; Nagatsu, Masaaki

    2016-07-01

    Ultrafine plasma jet is a promising technology with great potential for nano- or micro-scale surface modification. In this letter, we demonstrated the use of ultrafine atmospheric pressure plasma jet (APPJ) for patterning bio-immobilization on vertically aligned carbon nanotube (CNT) microarray platform without a physical mask. The biotin-avidin system was utilized to demonstrate localized biomolecule patterning on the biosensor devices. Using ±7.5 kV square-wave pulses, the optimum condition of plasma jet with He/NH3 gas mixture and 2.5 s treatment period has been obtained to functionalize CNTs. The functionalized CNTs were covalently linked to biotin, bovine serum albumin (BSA), and avidin-(fluorescein isothiocyanate) FITC, sequentially. BSA was necessary as a blocking agent to protect the untreated CNTs from avidin adsorption. The localized patterning results have been evaluated from avidin-FITC fluorescence signals analyzed using a fluorescence microscope. The patterning of biomolecules on the CNT microarray platform using ultrafine APPJ provides a means for potential application of microarray biosensors based on CNTs.

  9. A Low Density Microarray Method for the Identification of Human Papillomavirus Type 18 Variants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meza-Menchaca, Thuluz; Williams, John; Rodríguez-Estrada, Rocío B.; García-Bravo, Aracely; Ramos-Ligonio, Ángel; López-Monteon, Aracely; Zepeda, Rossana C.

    2013-01-01

    We describe a novel microarray based-method for the screening of oncogenic human papillomavirus 18 (HPV-18) molecular variants. Due to the fact that sequencing methodology may underestimate samples containing more than one variant we designed a specific and sensitive stacking DNA hybridization assay. This technology can be used to discriminate between three possible phylogenetic branches of HPV-18. Probes were attached covalently on glass slides and hybridized with single-stranded DNA targets. Prior to hybridization with the probes, the target strands were pre-annealed with the three auxiliary contiguous oligonucleotides flanking the target sequences. Screening HPV-18 positive cell lines and cervical samples were used to evaluate the performance of this HPV DNA microarray. Our results demonstrate that the HPV-18's variants hybridized specifically to probes, with no detection of unspecific signals. Specific probes successfully reveal detectable point mutations in these variants. The present DNA oligoarray system can be used as a reliable, sensitive and specific method for HPV-18 variant screening. Furthermore, this simple assay allows the use of inexpensive equipment, making it accessible in resource-poor settings. PMID:24077317

  10. Serious limitations of the QTL/Microarray approach for QTL gene discovery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Warden Craig H

    2010-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been proposed that the use of gene expression microarrays in nonrecombinant parental or congenic strains can accelerate the process of isolating individual genes underlying quantitative trait loci (QTL. However, the effectiveness of this approach has not been assessed. Results Thirty-seven studies that have implemented the QTL/microarray approach in rodents were reviewed. About 30% of studies showed enrichment for QTL candidates, mostly in comparisons between congenic and background strains. Three studies led to the identification of an underlying QTL gene. To complement the literature results, a microarray experiment was performed using three mouse congenic strains isolating the effects of at least 25 biometric QTL. Results show that genes in the congenic donor regions were preferentially selected. However, within donor regions, the distribution of differentially expressed genes was homogeneous once gene density was accounted for. Genes within identical-by-descent (IBD regions were less likely to be differentially expressed in chromosome 2, but not in chromosomes 11 and 17. Furthermore, expression of QTL regulated in cis (cis eQTL showed higher expression in the background genotype, which was partially explained by the presence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP. Conclusions The literature shows limited successes from the QTL/microarray approach to identify QTL genes. Our own results from microarray profiling of three congenic strains revealed a strong tendency to select cis-eQTL over trans-eQTL. IBD regions had little effect on rate of differential expression, and we provide several reasons why IBD should not be used to discard eQTL candidates. In addition, mismatch probes produced false cis-eQTL that could not be completely removed with the current strains genotypes and low probe density microarrays. The reviewed studies did not account for lack of coverage from the platforms used and therefore removed genes

  11. Ramifications of projectile velocity on the ballistic dart penetration of sand

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sable, Peter Anthony

    With the advent of novel in-situ experimental measurement techniques, highly resolved quantitative observations of dynamic events within granular media can now be made. In particular, high speed imagery and digital analysis now allow for the ballistic behaviors of sand to be examined not only across a range of event velocities but across multiple length scales. In an attempt to further understand the dynamic behavior of granular media, these new experimental developments were implemented utilizing high speed photography coupled with piezo-electric stress gauges to observe visually accessible ballistic events of a dart penetrating Ottawa sand. Projectile velocities ranged from 100 to over 300 meters per second with two distinct chosen fields of view to capture bulk and grain-scale behaviors. Each event was analyzed using the digital image correlation technique, particle image velocimetry from which two dimensional, temporally resolved, velocity fields were extracted, from which bulk granular flow and compaction wave propagation were observed and quantified. By comparing bulk, in situ, velocity field behavior resultant from dart penetration, momentum transfer could be quantified measuring radius of influence or dilatant fluid approximations from which a positive correlation was found across the explored velocity regime, including self similar tendencies. This was, however, not absolute as persistent scatter was observed attributed to granular heterogeneous effects. These were tentatively measured in terms of an irreversible energy amount calculated via energy balance. Grain scale analysis reveals analogous behavior to the bulk response with more chaotic structure, though conclusions were limited by the image processing method to qualitative observations. Even so, critical granular behaviors could be seen, such as densification, pore collapse, and grain fracture from which basic heterogeneous phenomena could be examined. These particularly dominated near nose

  12. Some guidance on preparing validation plans for the DART Full System Models.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gray, Genetha Anne; Hough, Patricia Diane; Hills, Richard Guy (Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM)

    2009-03-01

    Planning is an important part of computational model verification and validation (V&V) and the requisite planning document is vital for effectively executing the plan. The document provides a means of communicating intent to the typically large group of people, from program management to analysts to test engineers, who must work together to complete the validation activities. This report provides guidelines for writing a validation plan. It describes the components of such a plan and includes important references and resources. While the initial target audience is the DART Full System Model teams in the nuclear weapons program, the guidelines are generally applicable to other modeling efforts. Our goal in writing this document is to provide a framework for consistency in validation plans across weapon systems, different types of models, and different scenarios. Specific details contained in any given validation plan will vary according to application requirements and available resources.

  13. Molecular sexing of tucuxi dolphins (Sotalia guianensis and Sotalia fluviatilis using samples from biopsy darting and decomposed carcasses

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haydée A. Cunha

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available We tested the zinc-finger sex chromosome-linked genes Zfx/Zfy and the sex-determining region Y (Sry genes for gender determination of biopsy samples from marine and riverine tucuxi dolphins (Sotalia guianensis and S. fluviatilis. We also evaluated the performance of these genes with decomposed carcasses, for which sexing cannot rely on the direct examination of the reproductive tract. Both systems proved reliable for sexing 46 fresh and decomposed samples, making them especially useful when biopsy darting is coupled with photo-identification studies.

  14. FiGS: a filter-based gene selection workbench for microarray data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yun Taegyun

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The selection of genes that discriminate disease classes from microarray data is widely used for the identification of diagnostic biomarkers. Although various gene selection methods are currently available and some of them have shown excellent performance, no single method can retain the best performance for all types of microarray datasets. It is desirable to use a comparative approach to find the best gene selection result after rigorous test of different methodological strategies for a given microarray dataset. Results FiGS is a web-based workbench that automatically compares various gene selection procedures and provides the optimal gene selection result for an input microarray dataset. FiGS builds up diverse gene selection procedures by aligning different feature selection techniques and classifiers. In addition to the highly reputed techniques, FiGS diversifies the gene selection procedures by incorporating gene clustering options in the feature selection step and different data pre-processing options in classifier training step. All candidate gene selection procedures are evaluated by the .632+ bootstrap errors and listed with their classification accuracies and selected gene sets. FiGS runs on parallelized computing nodes that capacitate heavy computations. FiGS is freely accessible at http://gexp.kaist.ac.kr/figs. Conclusion FiGS is an web-based application that automates an extensive search for the optimized gene selection analysis for a microarray dataset in a parallel computing environment. FiGS will provide both an efficient and comprehensive means of acquiring optimal gene sets that discriminate disease states from microarray datasets.

  15. Extended analysis of benchmark datasets for Agilent two-color microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kerr Kathleen F

    2007-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background As part of its broad and ambitious mission, the MicroArray Quality Control (MAQC project reported the results of experiments using External RNA Controls (ERCs on five microarray platforms. For most platforms, several different methods of data processing were considered. However, there was no similar consideration of different methods for processing the data from the Agilent two-color platform. While this omission is understandable given the scale of the project, it can create the false impression that there is consensus about the best way to process Agilent two-color data. It is also important to consider whether ERCs are representative of all the probes on a microarray. Results A comparison of different methods of processing Agilent two-color data shows substantial differences among methods for low-intensity genes. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting differentially expressed genes varies substantially for different methods. Analysis also reveals that the ERCs in the MAQC data only span the upper half of the intensity range, and therefore cannot be representative of all genes on the microarray. Conclusion Although ERCs demonstrate good agreement between observed and expected log-ratios on the Agilent two-color platform, such an analysis is incomplete. Simple loess normalization outperformed data processing with Agilent's Feature Extraction software for accurate identification of differentially expressed genes. Results from studies using ERCs should not be over-generalized when ERCs are not representative of all probes on a microarray.

  16. Fluorescent microarray for multiplexed quantification of environmental contaminants in seawater samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    The development of a fluorescent multiplexed microarray platform able to detect and quantify a wide variety of pollutants in seawater is reported. The microarray platform has been manufactured by spotting 6 different bioconjugate competitors and it uses a cocktail of 6 monoclonal and polyclonal anti...

  17. Calling biomarkers in milk using a protein microarray on your smartphone

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ludwig, S.K.J.; Tokarski, Christian; Lang, Stefan N.; Ginkel, Van L.A.; Zhu, Hongying; Ozcan, Aydogan; Nielen, M.W.F.

    2015-01-01

    Here we present the concept of a protein microarray-based fluorescence immunoassay for multiple biomarker detection in milk extracts by an ordinary smartphone. A multiplex immunoassay was designed on a microarray chip, having built-in positive and negative quality controls. After the immunoassay

  18. A new method for class prediction based on signed-rank algorithms applied to Affymetrix® microarray experiments

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vassal Aurélien

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The huge amount of data generated by DNA chips is a powerful basis to classify various pathologies. However, constant evolution of microarray technology makes it difficult to mix data from different chip types for class prediction of limited sample populations. Affymetrix® technology provides both a quantitative fluorescence signal and a decision (detection call: absent or present based on signed-rank algorithms applied to several hybridization repeats of each gene, with a per-chip normalization. We developed a new prediction method for class belonging based on the detection call only from recent Affymetrix chip type. Biological data were obtained by hybridization on U133A, U133B and U133Plus 2.0 microarrays of purified normal B cells and cells from three independent groups of multiple myeloma (MM patients. Results After a call-based data reduction step to filter out non class-discriminative probe sets, the gene list obtained was reduced to a predictor with correction for multiple testing by iterative deletion of probe sets that sequentially improve inter-class comparisons and their significance. The error rate of the method was determined using leave-one-out and 5-fold cross-validation. It was successfully applied to (i determine a sex predictor with the normal donor group classifying gender with no error in all patient groups except for male MM samples with a Y chromosome deletion, (ii predict the immunoglobulin light and heavy chains expressed by the malignant myeloma clones of the validation group and (iii predict sex, light and heavy chain nature for every new patient. Finally, this method was shown powerful when compared to the popular classification method Prediction Analysis of Microarray (PAM. Conclusion This normalization-free method is routinely used for quality control and correction of collection errors in patient reports to clinicians. It can be easily extended to multiple class prediction suitable with

  19. Incorporation of gene-specific variability improves expression analysis using high-density DNA microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Spitznagel Edward

    2003-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The assessment of data reproducibility is essential for application of microarray technology to exploration of biological pathways and disease states. Technical variability in data analysis largely depends on signal intensity. Within that context, the reproducibility of individual probe sets has not been hitherto addressed. Results We used an extraordinarily large replicate data set derived from human placental trophoblast to analyze probe-specific contribution to variability of gene expression. We found that signal variability, in addition to being signal-intensity dependant, is probe set-specific. Importantly, we developed a novel method to quantify the contribution of this probe set-specific variability. Furthermore, we devised a formula that incorporates a priori-computed, replicate-based information on probe set- and intensity-specific variability in determination of expression changes even without technical replicates. Conclusion The strategy of incorporating probe set-specific variability is superior to analysis based on arbitrary fold-change thresholds. We recommend its incorporation to any computation of gene expression changes using high-density DNA microarrays. A Java application implementing our T-score is available at http://www.sadovsky.wustl.edu/tscore.html.

  20. The MGED Ontology: a resource for semantics-based description of microarray experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whetzel, Patricia L; Parkinson, Helen; Causton, Helen C; Fan, Liju; Fostel, Jennifer; Fragoso, Gilberto; Game, Laurence; Heiskanen, Mervi; Morrison, Norman; Rocca-Serra, Philippe; Sansone, Susanna-Assunta; Taylor, Chris; White, Joseph; Stoeckert, Christian J

    2006-04-01

    The generation of large amounts of microarray data and the need to share these data bring challenges for both data management and annotation and highlights the need for standards. MIAME specifies the minimum information needed to describe a microarray experiment and the Microarray Gene Expression Object Model (MAGE-OM) and resulting MAGE-ML provide a mechanism to standardize data representation for data exchange, however a common terminology for data annotation is needed to support these standards. Here we describe the MGED Ontology (MO) developed by the Ontology Working Group of the Microarray Gene Expression Data (MGED) Society. The MO provides terms for annotating all aspects of a microarray experiment from the design of the experiment and array layout, through to the preparation of the biological sample and the protocols used to hybridize the RNA and analyze the data. The MO was developed to provide terms for annotating experiments in line with the MIAME guidelines, i.e. to provide the semantics to describe a microarray experiment according to the concepts specified in MIAME. The MO does not attempt to incorporate terms from existing ontologies, e.g. those that deal with anatomical parts or developmental stages terms, but provides a framework to reference terms in other ontologies and therefore facilitates the use of ontologies in microarray data annotation. The MGED Ontology version.1.2.0 is available as a file in both DAML and OWL formats at http://mged.sourceforge.net/ontologies/index.php. Release notes and annotation examples are provided. The MO is also provided via the NCICB's Enterprise Vocabulary System (http://nciterms.nci.nih.gov/NCIBrowser/Dictionary.do). Stoeckrt@pcbi.upenn.edu Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.

  1. A consensus linkage map of lentil based on DArT markers from three RIL mapping populations.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Duygu Ates

    Full Text Available Lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medikus is a diploid (2n = 2x = 14, self-pollinating grain legume with a haploid genome size of about 4 Gbp and is grown throughout the world with current annual production of 4.9 million tonnes.A consensus map of lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medikus was constructed using three different lentils recombinant inbred line (RIL populations, including "CDC Redberry" x "ILL7502" (LR8, "ILL8006" x "CDC Milestone" (LR11 and "PI320937" x "Eston" (LR39.The lentil consensus map was composed of 9,793 DArT markers, covered a total of 977.47 cM with an average distance of 0.10 cM between adjacent markers and constructed 7 linkage groups representing 7 chromosomes of the lentil genome. The consensus map had no gap larger than 12.67 cM and only 5 gaps were found to be between 12.67 cM and 6.0 cM (on LG3 and LG4. The localization of the SNP markers on the lentil consensus map were in general consistent with their localization on the three individual genetic linkage maps and the lentil consensus map has longer map length, higher marker density and shorter average distance between the adjacent markers compared to the component linkage maps.This high-density consensus map could provide insight into the lentil genome. The consensus map could also help to construct a physical map using a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome library and map based cloning studies. Sequence information of DArT may help localization of orientation scaffolds from Next Generation Sequencing data.

  2. A consensus linkage map of lentil based on DArT markers from three RIL mapping populations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ates, Duygu; Aldemir, Secil; Alsaleh, Ahmad; Erdogmus, Semih; Nemli, Seda; Kahriman, Abdullah; Ozkan, Hakan; Vandenberg, Albert; Tanyolac, Bahattin

    2018-01-01

    Lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medikus) is a diploid (2n = 2x = 14), self-pollinating grain legume with a haploid genome size of about 4 Gbp and is grown throughout the world with current annual production of 4.9 million tonnes. A consensus map of lentil (Lens culinaris ssp. culinaris Medikus) was constructed using three different lentils recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations, including "CDC Redberry" x "ILL7502" (LR8), "ILL8006" x "CDC Milestone" (LR11) and "PI320937" x "Eston" (LR39). The lentil consensus map was composed of 9,793 DArT markers, covered a total of 977.47 cM with an average distance of 0.10 cM between adjacent markers and constructed 7 linkage groups representing 7 chromosomes of the lentil genome. The consensus map had no gap larger than 12.67 cM and only 5 gaps were found to be between 12.67 cM and 6.0 cM (on LG3 and LG4). The localization of the SNP markers on the lentil consensus map were in general consistent with their localization on the three individual genetic linkage maps and the lentil consensus map has longer map length, higher marker density and shorter average distance between the adjacent markers compared to the component linkage maps. This high-density consensus map could provide insight into the lentil genome. The consensus map could also help to construct a physical map using a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome library and map based cloning studies. Sequence information of DArT may help localization of orientation scaffolds from Next Generation Sequencing data.

  3. Multi-task feature selection in microarray data by binary integer programming.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lan, Liang; Vucetic, Slobodan

    2013-12-20

    A major challenge in microarray classification is that the number of features is typically orders of magnitude larger than the number of examples. In this paper, we propose a novel feature filter algorithm to select the feature subset with maximal discriminative power and minimal redundancy by solving a quadratic objective function with binary integer constraints. To improve the computational efficiency, the binary integer constraints are relaxed and a low-rank approximation to the quadratic term is applied. The proposed feature selection algorithm was extended to solve multi-task microarray classification problems. We compared the single-task version of the proposed feature selection algorithm with 9 existing feature selection methods on 4 benchmark microarray data sets. The empirical results show that the proposed method achieved the most accurate predictions overall. We also evaluated the multi-task version of the proposed algorithm on 8 multi-task microarray datasets. The multi-task feature selection algorithm resulted in significantly higher accuracy than when using the single-task feature selection methods.

  4. A flexible whole-genome microarray for transcriptomics in three-spine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Primmer Craig R

    2009-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The use of microarray technology for describing changes in mRNA expression to address ecological and evolutionary questions is becoming increasingly popular. Since three-spine stickleback are an important ecological and evolutionary model-species as well as an emerging model for eco-toxicology, the ability to have a functional and flexible microarray platform for transcriptome studies will greatly enhance the research potential in these areas. Results We designed 43,392 unique oligonucleotide probes representing 19,274 genes (93% of the estimated total gene number, and tested the hybridization performance of both DNA and RNA from different populations to determine the efficacy of probe design for transcriptome analysis using the Agilent array platform. The majority of probes were functional as evidenced by the DNA hybridization success, and 30,946 probes (14,615 genes had a signal that was significantly above background for RNA isolated from liver tissue. Genes identified as being expressed in liver tissue were grouped into functional categories for each of the three Gene Ontology groups: biological process, molecular function, and cellular component. As expected, the highest proportions of functional categories belonged to those associated with metabolic functions: metabolic process, binding, catabolism, and organelles. Conclusion The probe and microarray design presented here provides an important step facilitating transcriptomics research for this important research organism by providing a set of over 43,000 probes whose hybridization success and specificity to liver expression has been demonstrated. Probes can easily be added or removed from the current design to tailor the array to specific experiments and additional flexibility lies in the ability to perform either one-color or two-color hybridizations.

  5. PIIKA 2: an expanded, web-based platform for analysis of kinome microarray data.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brett Trost

    Full Text Available Kinome microarrays are comprised of peptides that act as phosphorylation targets for protein kinases. This platform is growing in popularity due to its ability to measure phosphorylation-mediated cellular signaling in a high-throughput manner. While software for analyzing data from DNA microarrays has also been used for kinome arrays, differences between the two technologies and associated biologies previously led us to develop Platform for Intelligent, Integrated Kinome Analysis (PIIKA, a software tool customized for the analysis of data from kinome arrays. Here, we report the development of PIIKA 2, a significantly improved version with new features and improvements in the areas of clustering, statistical analysis, and data visualization. Among other additions to the original PIIKA, PIIKA 2 now allows the user to: evaluate statistically how well groups of samples cluster together; identify sets of peptides that have consistent phosphorylation patterns among groups of samples; perform hierarchical clustering analysis with bootstrapping; view false negative probabilities and positive and negative predictive values for t-tests between pairs of samples; easily assess experimental reproducibility; and visualize the data using volcano plots, scatterplots, and interactive three-dimensional principal component analyses. Also new in PIIKA 2 is a web-based interface, which allows users unfamiliar with command-line tools to easily provide input and download the results. Collectively, the additions and improvements described here enhance both the breadth and depth of analyses available, simplify the user interface, and make the software an even more valuable tool for the analysis of kinome microarray data. Both the web-based and stand-alone versions of PIIKA 2 can be accessed via http://saphire.usask.ca.

  6. PIIKA 2: an expanded, web-based platform for analysis of kinome microarray data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trost, Brett; Kindrachuk, Jason; Määttänen, Pekka; Napper, Scott; Kusalik, Anthony

    2013-01-01

    Kinome microarrays are comprised of peptides that act as phosphorylation targets for protein kinases. This platform is growing in popularity due to its ability to measure phosphorylation-mediated cellular signaling in a high-throughput manner. While software for analyzing data from DNA microarrays has also been used for kinome arrays, differences between the two technologies and associated biologies previously led us to develop Platform for Intelligent, Integrated Kinome Analysis (PIIKA), a software tool customized for the analysis of data from kinome arrays. Here, we report the development of PIIKA 2, a significantly improved version with new features and improvements in the areas of clustering, statistical analysis, and data visualization. Among other additions to the original PIIKA, PIIKA 2 now allows the user to: evaluate statistically how well groups of samples cluster together; identify sets of peptides that have consistent phosphorylation patterns among groups of samples; perform hierarchical clustering analysis with bootstrapping; view false negative probabilities and positive and negative predictive values for t-tests between pairs of samples; easily assess experimental reproducibility; and visualize the data using volcano plots, scatterplots, and interactive three-dimensional principal component analyses. Also new in PIIKA 2 is a web-based interface, which allows users unfamiliar with command-line tools to easily provide input and download the results. Collectively, the additions and improvements described here enhance both the breadth and depth of analyses available, simplify the user interface, and make the software an even more valuable tool for the analysis of kinome microarray data. Both the web-based and stand-alone versions of PIIKA 2 can be accessed via http://saphire.usask.ca.

  7. Testing a Microarray to Detect and Monitor Toxic Microalgae in Arcachon Bay in France

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda K. Medlin

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available Harmful algal blooms (HABs occur worldwide, causing health problems and economic damages to fisheries and tourism. Monitoring agencies are therefore essential, yet monitoring is based only on time-consuming light microscopy, a level at which a correct identification can be limited by insufficient morphological characters. The project MIDTAL (Microarray Detection of Toxic Algae—an FP7-funded EU project—used rRNA genes (SSU and LSU as a target on microarrays to identify toxic species. Furthermore, toxins were detected with a newly developed multiplex optical Surface Plasmon Resonance biosensor (Multi SPR and compared with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. In this study, we demonstrate the latest generation of MIDTAL microarrays (version 3 and show the correlation between cell counts, detected toxin and microarray signals from field samples taken in Arcachon Bay in France in 2011. The MIDTAL microarray always detected more potentially toxic species than those detected by microscopic counts. The toxin detection was even more sensitive than both methods. Because of the universal nature of both toxin and species microarrays, they can be used to detect invasive species. Nevertheless, the MIDTAL microarray is not completely universal: first, because not all toxic species are on the chip, and second, because invasive species, such as Ostreopsis, already influence European coasts.

  8. Review Article: Current Knowledge on Microarray Technology - An ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Abstract. The completion of whole genome sequencing projects has led to a rapid increase in the availability of genetic information. ... It has emerged as one of the most important technology in the field of molecular biology and transcriptomics.

  9. Broad spectrum microarray for fingerprint-based bacterial species identification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Frey Jürg E

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarrays are powerful tools for DNA-based molecular diagnostics and identification of pathogens. Most target a limited range of organisms and are based on only one or a very few genes for specific identification. Such microarrays are limited to organisms for which specific probes are available, and often have difficulty discriminating closely related taxa. We have developed an alternative broad-spectrum microarray that employs hybridisation fingerprints generated by high-density anonymous markers distributed over the entire genome for identification based on comparison to a reference database. Results A high-density microarray carrying 95,000 unique 13-mer probes was designed. Optimized methods were developed to deliver reproducible hybridisation patterns that enabled confident discrimination of bacteria at the species, subspecies, and strain levels. High correlation coefficients were achieved between replicates. A sub-selection of 12,071 probes, determined by ANOVA and class prediction analysis, enabled the discrimination of all samples in our panel. Mismatch probe hybridisation was observed but was found to have no effect on the discriminatory capacity of our system. Conclusions These results indicate the potential of our genome chip for reliable identification of a wide range of bacterial taxa at the subspecies level without laborious prior sequencing and probe design. With its high resolution capacity, our proof-of-principle chip demonstrates great potential as a tool for molecular diagnostics of broad taxonomic groups.

  10. CNEA/ANL collaboration program to develop an optimized version of DART validation and assessment by means of U{sub 3}Si{sub x} and U{sub 3}O{sub 8-}Al dispersed CNEA miniplate irradiation behavior.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Solis, D.

    1998-10-16

    The DART code is based upon a thermomechanical model that can predict swelling, recrystallization, fuel-meat interdiffusion and other issues related with MTR dispersed FE behavior under irradiation. As a part of a common effort to develop an optimized version of DART, a comparison between DART predictions and CNEA miniplates irradiation experimental data was made. The irradiation took place during 1981-82 for U3O8 miniplates and 1985-86 for U{sub 3}Si{sub x} at Oak Ridge Research Reactor (ORR). The microphotographs were studied by means of IMAWIN 3.0 Image Analysis Code and different fission gas bubbles distributions were obtained. Also it was possible to find and identify different morphologic zones. In both kinds of fuels, different phases were recognized, like particle peripheral zones with evidence of Al-U reaction, internal recrystallized zones and bubbles. A very good agreement between code prediction and irradiation results was found. The few discrepancies are due to local, fabrication and irradiation uncertainties, as the presence of U{sub 3}Si phase in U{sub 3}Si{sub 2} particles and effective burnup.

  11. BASE - 2nd generation software for microarray data management and analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nordborg Nicklas

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray experiments are increasing in size and samples are collected asynchronously over long time. Available data are re-analysed as more samples are hybridized. Systematic use of collected data requires tracking of biomaterials, array information, raw data, and assembly of annotations. To meet the information tracking and data analysis challenges in microarray experiments we reimplemented and improved BASE version 1.2. Results The new BASE presented in this report is a comprehensive annotable local microarray data repository and analysis application providing researchers with an efficient information management and analysis tool. The information management system tracks all material from biosource, via sample and through extraction and labelling to raw data and analysis. All items in BASE can be annotated and the annotations can be used as experimental factors in downstream analysis. BASE stores all microarray experiment related data regardless if analysis tools for specific techniques or data formats are readily available. The BASE team is committed to continue improving and extending BASE to make it usable for even more experimental setups and techniques, and we encourage other groups to target their specific needs leveraging on the infrastructure provided by BASE. Conclusion BASE is a comprehensive management application for information, data, and analysis of microarray experiments, available as free open source software at http://base.thep.lu.se under the terms of the GPLv3 license.

  12. BASE--2nd generation software for microarray data management and analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vallon-Christersson, Johan; Nordborg, Nicklas; Svensson, Martin; Häkkinen, Jari

    2009-10-12

    Microarray experiments are increasing in size and samples are collected asynchronously over long time. Available data are re-analysed as more samples are hybridized. Systematic use of collected data requires tracking of biomaterials, array information, raw data, and assembly of annotations. To meet the information tracking and data analysis challenges in microarray experiments we reimplemented and improved BASE version 1.2. The new BASE presented in this report is a comprehensive annotable local microarray data repository and analysis application providing researchers with an efficient information management and analysis tool. The information management system tracks all material from biosource, via sample and through extraction and labelling to raw data and analysis. All items in BASE can be annotated and the annotations can be used as experimental factors in downstream analysis. BASE stores all microarray experiment related data regardless if analysis tools for specific techniques or data formats are readily available. The BASE team is committed to continue improving and extending BASE to make it usable for even more experimental setups and techniques, and we encourage other groups to target their specific needs leveraging on the infrastructure provided by BASE. BASE is a comprehensive management application for information, data, and analysis of microarray experiments, available as free open source software at http://base.thep.lu.se under the terms of the GPLv3 license.

  13. Construction of a cDNA microarray derived from the ascidian Ciona intestinalis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Azumi, Kaoru; Takahashi, Hiroki; Miki, Yasufumi; Fujie, Manabu; Usami, Takeshi; Ishikawa, Hisayoshi; Kitayama, Atsusi; Satou, Yutaka; Ueno, Naoto; Satoh, Nori

    2003-10-01

    A cDNA microarray was constructed from a basal chordate, the ascidian Ciona intestinalis. The draft genome of Ciona has been read and inferred to contain approximately 16,000 protein-coding genes, and cDNAs for transcripts of 13,464 genes have been characterized and compiled as the "Ciona intestinalis Gene Collection Release I". In the present study, we constructed a cDNA microarray of these 13,464 Ciona genes. A preliminary experiment with Cy3- and Cy5-labeled probes showed extensive differential gene expression between fertilized eggs and larvae. In addition, there was a good correlation between results obtained by the present microarray analysis and those from previous EST analyses. This first microarray of a large collection of Ciona intestinalis cDNA clones should facilitate the analysis of global gene expression and gene networks during the embryogenesis of basal chordates.

  14. DNA microarray data and contextual analysis of correlation graphs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hingamp Pascal

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background DNA microarrays are used to produce large sets of expression measurements from which specific biological information is sought. Their analysis requires efficient and reliable algorithms for dimensional reduction, classification and annotation. Results We study networks of co-expressed genes obtained from DNA microarray experiments. The mathematical concept of curvature on graphs is used to group genes or samples into clusters to which relevant gene or sample annotations are automatically assigned. Application to publicly available yeast and human lymphoma data demonstrates the reliability of the method in spite of its simplicity, especially with respect to the small number of parameters involved. Conclusions We provide a method for automatically determining relevant gene clusters among the many genes monitored with microarrays. The automatic annotations and the graphical interface improve the readability of the data. A C++ implementation, called Trixy, is available from http://tagc.univ-mrs.fr/bioinformatics/trixy.html.

  15. LNA-modified isothermal oligonucleotide microarray for ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2014-10-20

    Oct 20, 2014 ... the advent of DNA microarray techniques (Lee et al. 2007). ... atoms of ribose to form a bicyclic ribosyl structure. It is the .... 532 nm and emission at 570 nm. The signal ..... sis and validation using real-time PCR. Nucleic Acids ...

  16. Chromosomal microarrays testing in children with developmental disabilities and congenital anomalies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guillermo Lay-Son

    2015-04-01

    Full Text Available OBJECTIVES: Clinical use of microarray-based techniques for the analysis of many developmental disorders has emerged during the last decade. Thus, chromosomal microarray has been positioned as a first-tier test. This study reports the first experience in a Chilean cohort. METHODS: Chilean patients with developmental disabilities and congenital anomalies were studied with a high-density microarray (CytoScan(tm HD Array, Affymetrix, Inc., Santa Clara, CA, USA. Patients had previous cytogenetic studies with either a normal result or a poorly characterized anomaly. RESULTS: This study tested 40 patients selected by two or more criteria, including: major congenital anomalies, facial dysmorphism, developmental delay, and intellectual disability. Copy number variants (CNVs were found in 72.5% of patients, while a pathogenic CNV was found in 25% of patients and a CNV of uncertain clinical significance was found in 2.5% of patients. CONCLUSION: Chromosomal microarray analysis is a useful and powerful tool for diagnosis of developmental diseases, by allowing accurate diagnosis, improving the diagnosis rate, and discovering new etiologies. The higher cost is a limitation for widespread use in this setting.

  17. Clustering approaches to identifying gene expression patterns from DNA microarray data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Do, Jin Hwan; Choi, Dong-Kug

    2008-04-30

    The analysis of microarray data is essential for large amounts of gene expression data. In this review we focus on clustering techniques. The biological rationale for this approach is the fact that many co-expressed genes are co-regulated, and identifying co-expressed genes could aid in functional annotation of novel genes, de novo identification of transcription factor binding sites and elucidation of complex biological pathways. Co-expressed genes are usually identified in microarray experiments by clustering techniques. There are many such methods, and the results obtained even for the same datasets may vary considerably depending on the algorithms and metrics for dissimilarity measures used, as well as on user-selectable parameters such as desired number of clusters and initial values. Therefore, biologists who want to interpret microarray data should be aware of the weakness and strengths of the clustering methods used. In this review, we survey the basic principles of clustering of DNA microarray data from crisp clustering algorithms such as hierarchical clustering, K-means and self-organizing maps, to complex clustering algorithms like fuzzy clustering.

  18. Gene Expression and Microarray Investigation of Dendrobium ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    blood glucose > 16.7 mmol/L were used as the model group and treated with Dendrobium mixture. (DEN ... Keywords: Diabetes, Gene expression, Dendrobium mixture, Microarray testing ..... homeostasis in airway smooth muscle. Am J.

  19. Microarray labeling extension values: laboratory signatures for Affymetrix GeneChips

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Yun-Shien; Chen, Chun-Houh; Tsai, Chi-Neu; Tsai, Chia-Lung; Chao, Angel; Wang, Tzu-Hao

    2009-01-01

    Interlaboratory comparison of microarray data, even when using the same platform, imposes several challenges to scientists. RNA quality, RNA labeling efficiency, hybridization procedures and data-mining tools can all contribute variations in each laboratory. In Affymetrix GeneChips, about 11–20 different 25-mer oligonucleotides are used to measure the level of each transcript. Here, we report that ‘labeling extension values (LEVs)’, which are correlation coefficients between probe intensities and probe positions, are highly correlated with the gene expression levels (GEVs) on eukayotic Affymetrix microarray data. By analyzing LEVs and GEVs in the publicly available 2414 cel files of 20 Affymetrix microarray types covering 13 species, we found that correlations between LEVs and GEVs only exist in eukaryotic RNAs, but not in prokaryotic ones. Surprisingly, Affymetrix results of the same specimens that were analyzed in different laboratories could be clearly differentiated only by LEVs, leading to the identification of ‘laboratory signatures’. In the examined dataset, GSE10797, filtering out high-LEV genes did not compromise the discovery of biological processes that are constructed by differentially expressed genes. In conclusion, LEVs provide a new filtering parameter for microarray analysis of gene expression and it may improve the inter- and intralaboratory comparability of Affymetrix GeneChips data. PMID:19295132

  20. A Discrete Wavelet Based Feature Extraction and Hybrid Classification Technique for Microarray Data Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaison Bennet

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Cancer classification by doctors and radiologists was based on morphological and clinical features and had limited diagnostic ability in olden days. The recent arrival of DNA microarray technology has led to the concurrent monitoring of thousands of gene expressions in a single chip which stimulates the progress in cancer classification. In this paper, we have proposed a hybrid approach for microarray data classification based on nearest neighbor (KNN, naive Bayes, and support vector machine (SVM. Feature selection prior to classification plays a vital role and a feature selection technique which combines discrete wavelet transform (DWT and moving window technique (MWT is used. The performance of the proposed method is compared with the conventional classifiers like support vector machine, nearest neighbor, and naive Bayes. Experiments have been conducted on both real and benchmark datasets and the results indicate that the ensemble approach produces higher classification accuracy than conventional classifiers. This paper serves as an automated system for the classification of cancer and can be applied by doctors in real cases which serve as a boon to the medical community. This work further reduces the misclassification of cancers which is highly not allowed in cancer detection.

  1. Bystander effect: Biological endpoints and microarray analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chaudhry, M. Ahmad [Department of Medical Laboratory and Radiation Sciences, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Vermont, 302 Rowell Building, Burlington, VT 05405 (United States) and DNA Microarray Facility, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405 (United States)]. E-mail: mchaudhr@uvm.edu

    2006-05-11

    In cell populations exposed to ionizing radiation, the biological effects occur in a much larger proportion of cells than are estimated to be traversed by radiation. It has been suggested that irradiated cells are capable of providing signals to the neighboring unirradiated cells resulting in damage to these cells. This phenomenon is termed the bystander effect. The bystander effect induces persistent, long-term, transmissible changes that result in delayed death and neoplastic transformation. Because the bystander effect is relevant to carcinogenesis, it could have significant implications for risk estimation for radiation exposure. The nature of the bystander effect signal and how it impacts the unirradiated cells remains to be elucidated. Examination of the changes in gene expression could provide clues to understanding the bystander effect and could define the signaling pathways involved in sustaining damage to these cells. The microarray technology serves as a tool to gain insight into the molecular pathways leading to bystander effect. Using medium from irradiated normal human diploid lung fibroblasts as a model system we examined gene expression alterations in bystander cells. The microarray data revealed that the radiation-induced gene expression profile in irradiated cells is different from unirradiated bystander cells suggesting that the pathways leading to biological effects in the bystander cells are different from the directly irradiated cells. The genes known to be responsive to ionizing radiation were observed in irradiated cells. Several genes were upregulated in cells receiving media from irradiated cells. Surprisingly no genes were found to be downregulated in these cells. A number of genes belonging to extracellular signaling, growth factors and several receptors were identified in bystander cells. Interestingly 15 genes involved in the cell communication processes were found to be upregulated. The induction of receptors and the cell

  2. Bystander effect: Biological endpoints and microarray analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chaudhry, M. Ahmad

    2006-01-01

    In cell populations exposed to ionizing radiation, the biological effects occur in a much larger proportion of cells than are estimated to be traversed by radiation. It has been suggested that irradiated cells are capable of providing signals to the neighboring unirradiated cells resulting in damage to these cells. This phenomenon is termed the bystander effect. The bystander effect induces persistent, long-term, transmissible changes that result in delayed death and neoplastic transformation. Because the bystander effect is relevant to carcinogenesis, it could have significant implications for risk estimation for radiation exposure. The nature of the bystander effect signal and how it impacts the unirradiated cells remains to be elucidated. Examination of the changes in gene expression could provide clues to understanding the bystander effect and could define the signaling pathways involved in sustaining damage to these cells. The microarray technology serves as a tool to gain insight into the molecular pathways leading to bystander effect. Using medium from irradiated normal human diploid lung fibroblasts as a model system we examined gene expression alterations in bystander cells. The microarray data revealed that the radiation-induced gene expression profile in irradiated cells is different from unirradiated bystander cells suggesting that the pathways leading to biological effects in the bystander cells are different from the directly irradiated cells. The genes known to be responsive to ionizing radiation were observed in irradiated cells. Several genes were upregulated in cells receiving media from irradiated cells. Surprisingly no genes were found to be downregulated in these cells. A number of genes belonging to extracellular signaling, growth factors and several receptors were identified in bystander cells. Interestingly 15 genes involved in the cell communication processes were found to be upregulated. The induction of receptors and the cell

  3. On the classification techniques in data mining for microarray data classification

    Science.gov (United States)

    Aydadenta, Husna; Adiwijaya

    2018-03-01

    Cancer is one of the deadly diseases, according to data from WHO by 2015 there are 8.8 million more deaths caused by cancer, and this will increase every year if not resolved earlier. Microarray data has become one of the most popular cancer-identification studies in the field of health, since microarray data can be used to look at levels of gene expression in certain cell samples that serve to analyze thousands of genes simultaneously. By using data mining technique, we can classify the sample of microarray data thus it can be identified with cancer or not. In this paper we will discuss some research using some data mining techniques using microarray data, such as Support Vector Machine (SVM), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Naive Bayes, k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN), and C4.5, and simulation of Random Forest algorithm with technique of reduction dimension using Relief. The result of this paper show performance measure (accuracy) from classification algorithm (SVM, ANN, Naive Bayes, kNN, C4.5, and Random Forets).The results in this paper show the accuracy of Random Forest algorithm higher than other classification algorithms (Support Vector Machine (SVM), Artificial Neural Network (ANN), Naive Bayes, k-Nearest Neighbor (kNN), and C4.5). It is hoped that this paper can provide some information about the speed, accuracy, performance and computational cost generated from each Data Mining Classification Technique based on microarray data.

  4. Evaluation of HER2 Gene Amplification in Breast Cancer Using Nuclei Microarray in Situ Hybridization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xuefeng Zhang

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH assay is considered the “gold standard” in evaluating HER2/neu (HER2 gene status. However, FISH detection is costly and time consuming. Thus, we established nuclei microarray with extracted intact nuclei from paraffin embedded breast cancer tissues for FISH detection. The nuclei microarray FISH (NMFISH technology serves as a useful platform for analyzing HER2 gene/chromosome 17 centromere ratio. We examined HER2 gene status in 152 cases of invasive ductal carcinomas of the breast that were resected surgically with FISH and NMFISH. HER2 gene amplification status was classified according to the guidelines of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and College of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP. Comparison of the cut-off values for HER2/chromosome 17 centromere copy number ratio obtained by NMFISH and FISH showed that there was almost perfect agreement between the two methods (κ coefficient 0.920. The results of the two methods were almost consistent for the evaluation of HER2 gene counts. The present study proved that NMFISH is comparable with FISH for evaluating HER2 gene status. The use of nuclei microarray technology is highly efficient, time and reagent conserving and inexpensive.

  5. Remote control of DART spectrometer and data acquisition and dynamic send of the results through internet by using the JOB function of MEASTRO 32 software

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu Guorong; Zhang Xiangyang; Liu Xuesheng; Ye Feng

    2003-01-01

    This paper introduced a method on remote control of DART spectrometer and data Acquisition and dynamic send of the results through Internet by using the JOB function of MEASTRO 32 software and a software programmed with VB. This gave an idea to realize the special networked measurement of spectrometer without the developed tool kit

  6. A statistical framework for differential network analysis from microarray data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Datta Somnath

    2010-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background It has been long well known that genes do not act alone; rather groups of genes act in consort during a biological process. Consequently, the expression levels of genes are dependent on each other. Experimental techniques to detect such interacting pairs of genes have been in place for quite some time. With the advent of microarray technology, newer computational techniques to detect such interaction or association between gene expressions are being proposed which lead to an association network. While most microarray analyses look for genes that are differentially expressed, it is of potentially greater significance to identify how entire association network structures change between two or more biological settings, say normal versus diseased cell types. Results We provide a recipe for conducting a differential analysis of networks constructed from microarray data under two experimental settings. At the core of our approach lies a connectivity score that represents the strength of genetic association or interaction between two genes. We use this score to propose formal statistical tests for each of following queries: (i whether the overall modular structures of the two networks are different, (ii whether the connectivity of a particular set of "interesting genes" has changed between the two networks, and (iii whether the connectivity of a given single gene has changed between the two networks. A number of examples of this score is provided. We carried out our method on two types of simulated data: Gaussian networks and networks based on differential equations. We show that, for appropriate choices of the connectivity scores and tuning parameters, our method works well on simulated data. We also analyze a real data set involving normal versus heavy mice and identify an interesting set of genes that may play key roles in obesity. Conclusions Examining changes in network structure can provide valuable information about the

  7. Application of TMA (Tissue micro-array) in the observation of apoptotic cascade in postradiation damage in avian medicine

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fridman, E.; Skarda, J.; Skardova, I.

    2006-01-01

    The study of apoptotic cascade by the use of relatively new technique in avian medicine: TMA may help in early detection and prevention of acquired immunodeficiency caused by the influence of a variety of pathogenic and non-pathogenic environmental factors, which may result in severe economical losses in conditions of intensive poultry farming. There has not been any report of applying this method in veterinary medicine. Tissue micro-array (TMA) technology allows rapid visualization of molecular targets in thousands of tissue specimens at a time, either at the DNA, RNA or protein level. The technique facilitates rapid translation of molecular discoveries to clinical applications. This technology has a number of advantages compared with conventional techniques: speed and high throughput, standardization and experimental uniformity, ease of use, all histochemical and molecular detection techniques can be used, decreased assay volume, preservation of original block, and conservation of valuable tissue etc. The aim of the present work were the study of immunosuppression and apoptotic cascade and possibilities of application of tissue micro-array in chicken in experimental condition and diagnostics in avian medicine in general. The selection of samples from avian primary immune organs: thymus and Bursa Fabric was done after gamma irradiation and infectious bursal virus infection (IBDV). (authors)

  8. "Harshlighting" small blemishes on microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Wittkowski Knut M

    2005-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Microscopists are familiar with many blemishes that fluorescence images can have due to dust and debris, glass flaws, uneven distribution of fluids or surface coatings, etc. Microarray scans show similar artefacts, which affect the analysis, particularly when one tries to detect subtle changes. However, most blemishes are hard to find by the unaided eye, particularly in high-density oligonucleotide arrays (HDONAs. Results We present a method that harnesses the statistical power provided by having several HDONAs available, which are obtained under similar conditions except for the experimental factor. This method "harshlights" blemishes and renders them evident. We find empirically that about 25% of our chips are blemished, and we analyze the impact of masking them on screening for differentially expressed genes. Conclusion Experiments attempting to assess subtle expression changes should be carefully screened for blemishes on the chips. The proposed method provides investigators with a novel robust approach to improve the sensitivity of microarray analyses. By utilizing topological information to identify and mask blemishes prior to model based analyses, the method prevents artefacts from confounding the process of background correction, normalization, and summarization.

  9. Concept de Plate-forme Mobile Instrumentée (PMI) pour l'inspection des ouvrages d'art

    OpenAIRE

    DERKX, F; DUMOULIN, J; SORIN, JL; LEGEAY, V

    2002-01-01

    L'inspection des ouvrages d'art est une opération nécessaire afin de maintenir le niveau de l'ouvrage et de garantir la sécurité des usagers. C'est une opération normalisée et réalisée périodiquement par des inspecteurs spécialisés. Elle consiste principalement à relever visuellement la totalité des défauts sur l'ensemble de l'ouvrage. Il est question aujourd'hui d'automatiser certaines tâches afin d'améliorer l'efficacité opérationnelle de ces contrôles à l'aide de dispositifs de vision emba...

  10. O Projeto Darte e o desenvolvimento de competências sociais e da autoestima em crianças e adolescentes

    OpenAIRE

    Messias, Marta

    2015-01-01

    Tese de mestrado, Psicologia (Secção de Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde, Núcleo de Psicologia Clínica Sistémica), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Psicologia, 2015 O presente estudo tem como objetivo principal perceber qual o impacto do Projecto Darte na autoestima e nas competências sociais dos seus participantes. O estudo decorreu na região da grande Lisboa com 40 crianças e adolescentes com idades compreendidas entre os 8 e os 17 anos de ambos os sexos. Recorreu-se a uma e...

  11. Exploring matrix factorization techniques for significant genes identification of Alzheimer’s disease microarray gene expression data

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hu Xiaohua

    2011-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The wide use of high-throughput DNA microarray technology provide an increasingly detailed view of human transcriptome from hundreds to thousands of genes. Although biomedical researchers typically design microarray experiments to explore specific biological contexts, the relationships between genes are hard to identified because they are complex and noisy high-dimensional data and are often hindered by low statistical power. The main challenge now is to extract valuable biological information from the colossal amount of data to gain insight into biological processes and the mechanisms of human disease. To overcome the challenge requires mathematical and computational methods that are versatile enough to capture the underlying biological features and simple enough to be applied efficiently to large datasets. Methods Unsupervised machine learning approaches provide new and efficient analysis of gene expression profiles. In our study, two unsupervised knowledge-based matrix factorization methods, independent component analysis (ICA and nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF are integrated to identify significant genes and related pathways in microarray gene expression dataset of Alzheimer’s disease. The advantage of these two approaches is they can be performed as a biclustering method by which genes and conditions can be clustered simultaneously. Furthermore, they can group genes into different categories for identifying related diagnostic pathways and regulatory networks. The difference between these two method lies in ICA assume statistical independence of the expression modes, while NMF need positivity constrains to generate localized gene expression profiles. Results In our work, we performed FastICA and non-smooth NMF methods on DNA microarray gene expression data of Alzheimer’s disease respectively. The simulation results shows that both of the methods can clearly classify severe AD samples from control samples, and

  12. An improved K-means clustering method for cDNA microarray image segmentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, T N; Li, T J; Shao, G F; Wu, S X

    2015-07-14

    Microarray technology is a powerful tool for human genetic research and other biomedical applications. Numerous improvements to the standard K-means algorithm have been carried out to complete the image segmentation step. However, most of the previous studies classify the image into two clusters. In this paper, we propose a novel K-means algorithm, which first classifies the image into three clusters, and then one of the three clusters is divided as the background region and the other two clusters, as the foreground region. The proposed method was evaluated on six different data sets. The analyses of accuracy, efficiency, expression values, special gene spots, and noise images demonstrate the effectiveness of our method in improving the segmentation quality.

  13. archiDART v3.0: A new data analysis pipeline allowing the topological analysis of plant root systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delory, Benjamin M; Li, Mao; Topp, Christopher N; Lobet, Guillaume

    2018-01-01

    Quantifying plant morphology is a very challenging task that requires methods able to capture the geometry and topology of plant organs at various spatial scales. Recently, the use of persistent homology as a mathematical framework to quantify plant morphology has been successfully demonstrated for leaves, shoots, and root systems. In this paper, we present a new data analysis pipeline implemented in the R package archiDART to analyse root system architectures using persistent homology. In addition, we also show that both geometric and topological descriptors are necessary to accurately compare root systems and assess their natural complexity.

  14. DNA microarray technique for detecting food-borne pathogens

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xing GAO

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Objective To study the application of DNA microarray technique for screening and identifying multiple food-borne pathogens. Methods The oligonucleotide probes were designed by Clustal X and Oligo 6.0 at the conserved regions of specific genes of multiple food-borne pathogens, and then were validated by bioinformatic analyses. The 5' end of each probe was modified by amino-group and 10 Poly-T, and the optimized probes were synthesized and spotted on aldehyde-coated slides. The bacteria DNA template incubated with Klenow enzyme was amplified by arbitrarily primed PCR, and PCR products incorporated into Aminoallyl-dUTP were coupled with fluorescent dye. After hybridization of the purified PCR products with DNA microarray, the hybridization image and fluorescence intensity analysis was acquired by ScanArray and GenePix Pro 5.1 software. A series of detection conditions such as arbitrarily primed PCR and microarray hybridization were optimized. The specificity of this approach was evaluated by 16 different bacteria DNA, and the sensitivity and reproducibility were verified by 4 food-borne pathogens DNA. The samples of multiple bacteria DNA and simulated water samples of Shigella dysenteriae were detected. Results Nine different food-borne bacteria were successfully discriminated under the same condition. The sensitivity of genomic DNA was 102 -103pg/ μl, and the coefficient of variation (CV of the reproducibility of assay was less than 15%. The corresponding specific hybridization maps of the multiple bacteria DNA samples were obtained, and the detection limit of simulated water sample of Shigella dysenteriae was 3.54×105cfu/ml. Conclusions The DNA microarray detection system based on arbitrarily primed PCR can be employed for effective detection of multiple food-borne pathogens, and this assay may offer a new method for high-throughput platform for detecting bacteria.

  15. The efficacy of microarray screening for autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa in routine clinical practice

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Huet, Ramon A. C.; Pierrache, Laurence H.M.; Meester-Smoor, Magda A.; Klaver, Caroline C.W.; van den Born, L. Ingeborgh; Hoyng, Carel B.; de Wijs, Ilse J.; Collin, Rob W. J.; Hoefsloot, Lies H.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose To determine the efficacy of multiple versions of a commercially available arrayed primer extension (APEX) microarray chip for autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (arRP). Methods We included 250 probands suspected of arRP who were genetically analyzed with the APEX microarray between January 2008 and November 2013. The mode of inheritance had to be autosomal recessive according to the pedigree (including isolated cases). If the microarray identified a heterozygous mutation, we performed Sanger sequencing of exons and exon–intron boundaries of that specific gene. The efficacy of this microarray chip with the additional Sanger sequencing approach was determined by the percentage of patients that received a molecular diagnosis. We also collected data from genetic tests other than the APEX analysis for arRP to provide a detailed description of the molecular diagnoses in our study cohort. Results The APEX microarray chip for arRP identified the molecular diagnosis in 21 (8.5%) of the patients in our cohort. Additional Sanger sequencing yielded a second mutation in 17 patients (6.8%), thereby establishing the molecular diagnosis. In total, 38 patients (15.2%) received a molecular diagnosis after analysis using the microarray and additional Sanger sequencing approach. Further genetic analyses after a negative result of the arRP microarray (n = 107) resulted in a molecular diagnosis of arRP (n = 23), autosomal dominant RP (n = 5), X-linked RP (n = 2), and choroideremia (n = 1). Conclusions The efficacy of the commercially available APEX microarray chips for arRP appears to be low, most likely caused by the limitations of this technique and the genetic and allelic heterogeneity of RP. Diagnostic yields up to 40% have been reported for next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques that, as expected, thereby outperform targeted APEX analysis. PMID:25999674

  16. Microarray analysis in the archaeon Halobacterium salinarum strain R1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jens Twellmeyer

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Phototrophy of the extremely halophilic archaeon Halobacterium salinarum was explored for decades. The research was mainly focused on the expression of bacteriorhodopsin and its functional properties. In contrast, less is known about genome wide transcriptional changes and their impact on the physiological adaptation to phototrophy. The tool of choice to record transcriptional profiles is the DNA microarray technique. However, the technique is still rarely used for transcriptome analysis in archaea. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We developed a whole-genome DNA microarray based on our sequence data of the Hbt. salinarum strain R1 genome. The potential of our tool is exemplified by the comparison of cells growing under aerobic and phototrophic conditions, respectively. We processed the raw fluorescence data by several stringent filtering steps and a subsequent MAANOVA analysis. The study revealed a lot of transcriptional differences between the two cell states. We found that the transcriptional changes were relatively weak, though significant. Finally, the DNA microarray data were independently verified by a real-time PCR analysis. CONCLUSION/SIGNIFICANCE: This is the first DNA microarray analysis of Hbt. salinarum cells that were actually grown under phototrophic conditions. By comparing the transcriptomics data with current knowledge we could show that our DNA microarray tool is well applicable for transcriptome analysis in the extremely halophilic archaeon Hbt. salinarum. The reliability of our tool is based on both the high-quality array of DNA probes and the stringent data handling including MAANOVA analysis. Among the regulated genes more than 50% had unknown functions. This underlines the fact that haloarchaeal phototrophy is still far away from being completely understood. Hence, the data recorded in this study will be subject to future systems biology analysis.

  17. Position dependent mismatch discrimination on DNA microarrays – experiments and model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michel Wolfgang

    2008-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The propensity of oligonucleotide strands to form stable duplexes with complementary sequences is fundamental to a variety of biological and biotechnological processes as various as microRNA signalling, microarray hybridization and PCR. Yet our understanding of oligonucleotide hybridization, in particular in presence of surfaces, is rather limited. Here we use oligonucleotide microarrays made in-house by optically controlled DNA synthesis to produce probe sets comprising all possible single base mismatches and base bulges for each of 20 sequence motifs under study. Results We observe that mismatch discrimination is mostly determined by the defect position (relative to the duplex ends as well as by the sequence context. We investigate the thermodynamics of the oligonucleotide duplexes on the basis of double-ended molecular zipper. Theoretical predictions of defect positional influence as well as long range sequence influence agree well with the experimental results. Conclusion Molecular zipping at thermodynamic equilibrium explains the binding affinity of mismatched DNA duplexes on microarrays well. The position dependent nearest neighbor model (PDNN can be inferred from it. Quantitative understanding of microarray experiments from first principles is in reach.

  18. Automatic Identification and Quantification of Extra-Well Fluorescence in Microarray Images.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rivera, Robert; Wang, Jie; Yu, Xiaobo; Demirkan, Gokhan; Hopper, Marika; Bian, Xiaofang; Tahsin, Tasnia; Magee, D Mitchell; Qiu, Ji; LaBaer, Joshua; Wallstrom, Garrick

    2017-11-03

    In recent studies involving NAPPA microarrays, extra-well fluorescence is used as a key measure for identifying disease biomarkers because there is evidence to support that it is better correlated with strong antibody responses than statistical analysis involving intraspot intensity. Because this feature is not well quantified by traditional image analysis software, identification and quantification of extra-well fluorescence is performed manually, which is both time-consuming and highly susceptible to variation between raters. A system that could automate this task efficiently and effectively would greatly improve the process of data acquisition in microarray studies, thereby accelerating the discovery of disease biomarkers. In this study, we experimented with different machine learning methods, as well as novel heuristics, for identifying spots exhibiting extra-well fluorescence (rings) in microarray images and assigning each ring a grade of 1-5 based on its intensity and morphology. The sensitivity of our final system for identifying rings was found to be 72% at 99% specificity and 98% at 92% specificity. Our system performs this task significantly faster than a human, while maintaining high performance, and therefore represents a valuable tool for microarray image analysis.

  19. A probabilistic framework for microarray data analysis: fundamental probability models and statistical inference.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ogunnaike, Babatunde A; Gelmi, Claudio A; Edwards, Jeremy S

    2010-05-21

    Gene expression studies generate large quantities of data with the defining characteristic that the number of genes (whose expression profiles are to be determined) exceed the number of available replicates by several orders of magnitude. Standard spot-by-spot analysis still seeks to extract useful information for each gene on the basis of the number of available replicates, and thus plays to the weakness of microarrays. On the other hand, because of the data volume, treating the entire data set as an ensemble, and developing theoretical distributions for these ensembles provides a framework that plays instead to the strength of microarrays. We present theoretical results that under reasonable assumptions, the distribution of microarray intensities follows the Gamma model, with the biological interpretations of the model parameters emerging naturally. We subsequently establish that for each microarray data set, the fractional intensities can be represented as a mixture of Beta densities, and develop a procedure for using these results to draw statistical inference regarding differential gene expression. We illustrate the results with experimental data from gene expression studies on Deinococcus radiodurans following DNA damage using cDNA microarrays. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Improvement in the amine glass platform by bubbling method for a DNA microarray.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jee, Seung Hyun; Kim, Jong Won; Lee, Ji Hyeong; Yoon, Young Soo

    2015-01-01

    A glass platform with high sensitivity for sexually transmitted diseases microarray is described here. An amino-silane-based self-assembled monolayer was coated on the surface of a glass platform using a novel bubbling method. The optimized surface of the glass platform had highly uniform surface modifications using this method, as well as improved hybridization properties with capture probes in the DNA microarray. On the basis of these results, the improved glass platform serves as a highly reliable and optimal material for the DNA microarray. Moreover, in this study, we demonstrated that our glass platform, manufactured by utilizing the bubbling method, had higher uniformity, shorter processing time, lower background signal, and higher spot signal than the platforms manufactured by the general dipping method. The DNA microarray manufactured with a glass platform prepared using bubbling method can be used as a clinical diagnostic tool.

  1. Integrating Biological Perspectives:. a Quantum Leap for Microarray Expression Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wanke, Dierk; Kilian, Joachim; Bloss, Ulrich; Mangelsen, Elke; Supper, Jochen; Harter, Klaus; Berendzen, Kenneth W.

    2009-02-01

    Biologists and bioinformatic scientists cope with the analysis of transcript abundance and the extraction of meaningful information from microarray expression data. By exploiting biological information accessible in public databases, we try to extend our current knowledge over the plant model organism Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we give two examples of increasing the quality of information gained from large scale expression experiments by the integration of microarray-unrelated biological information: First, we utilize Arabidopsis microarray data to demonstrate that expression profiles are usually conserved between orthologous genes of different organisms. In an initial step of the analysis, orthology has to be inferred unambiguously, which then allows comparison of expression profiles between orthologs. We make use of the publicly available microarray expression data of Arabidopsis and barley, Hordeum vulgare. We found a generally positive correlation in expression trajectories between true orthologs although both organisms are only distantly related in evolutionary time scale. Second, extracting clusters of co-regulated genes implies similarities in transcriptional regulation via similar cis-regulatory elements (CREs). Vice versa approaches, where co-regulated gene clusters are found by investigating on CREs were not successful in general. Nonetheless, in some cases the presence of CREs in a defined position, orientation or CRE-combinations is positively correlated with co-regulated gene clusters. Here, we make use of genes involved in the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway, to give one positive example for this approach.

  2. Microarray expression profiling of human dental pulp from single subject.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tete, Stefano; Mastrangelo, Filiberto; Scioletti, Anna Paola; Tranasi, Michelangelo; Raicu, Florina; Paolantonio, Michele; Stuppia, Liborio; Vinci, Raffaele; Gherlone, Enrico; Ciampoli, Cristian; Sberna, Maria Teresa; Conti, Pio

    2008-01-01

    Microarray is a recently developed simultaneous analysis of expression patterns of thousand of genes. The aim of this research was to evaluate the expression profile of human healthy dental pulp in order to find the presence of genes activated and encoding for proteins involved in the physiological process of human dental pulp. We report data obtained by analyzing expression profiles of human tooth pulp from single subjects, using an approach based on the amplification of the total RNA. Experiments were performed on a high-density array able to analyse about 21,000 oligonucleotide sequences of about 70 bases in duplicate, using an approach based on the amplification of the total RNA from the pulp of a single tooth. Obtained data were analyzed using the S.A.M. system (Significance Analysis of Microarray) and genes were merged according to their molecular functions and biological process by the Onto-Express software. The microarray analysis revealed 362 genes with specific pulp expression. Genes showing significant high expression were classified in genes involved in tooth development, protoncogenes, genes of collagen, DNAse, Metallopeptidases and Growth factors. We report a microarray analysis, carried out by extraction of total RNA from specimens of healthy human dental pulp tissue. This approach represents a powerful tool in the study of human normal and pathological pulp, allowing minimization of the genetic variability due to the pooling of samples from different individuals.

  3. Robust gene selection methods using weighting schemes for microarray data analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Suyeon; Song, Jongwoo

    2017-09-02

    A common task in microarray data analysis is to identify informative genes that are differentially expressed between two different states. Owing to the high-dimensional nature of microarray data, identification of significant genes has been essential in analyzing the data. However, the performances of many gene selection techniques are highly dependent on the experimental conditions, such as the presence of measurement error or a limited number of sample replicates. We have proposed new filter-based gene selection techniques, by applying a simple modification to significance analysis of microarrays (SAM). To prove the effectiveness of the proposed method, we considered a series of synthetic datasets with different noise levels and sample sizes along with two real datasets. The following findings were made. First, our proposed methods outperform conventional methods for all simulation set-ups. In particular, our methods are much better when the given data are noisy and sample size is small. They showed relatively robust performance regardless of noise level and sample size, whereas the performance of SAM became significantly worse as the noise level became high or sample size decreased. When sufficient sample replicates were available, SAM and our methods showed similar performance. Finally, our proposed methods are competitive with traditional methods in classification tasks for microarrays. The results of simulation study and real data analysis have demonstrated that our proposed methods are effective for detecting significant genes and classification tasks, especially when the given data are noisy or have few sample replicates. By employing weighting schemes, we can obtain robust and reliable results for microarray data analysis.

  4. Validation of MIMGO: a method to identify differentially expressed GO terms in a microarray dataset

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yamada Yoichi

    2012-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background We previously proposed an algorithm for the identification of GO terms that commonly annotate genes whose expression is upregulated or downregulated in some microarray data compared with in other microarray data. We call these “differentially expressed GO terms” and have named the algorithm “matrix-assisted identification method of differentially expressed GO terms” (MIMGO. MIMGO can also identify microarray data in which genes annotated with a differentially expressed GO term are upregulated or downregulated. However, MIMGO has not yet been validated on a real microarray dataset using all available GO terms. Findings We combined Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA with MIMGO to identify differentially expressed GO terms in a yeast cell cycle microarray dataset. GSEA followed by MIMGO (GSEA + MIMGO correctly identified (p Conclusions MIMGO is a reliable method to identify differentially expressed GO terms comprehensively.

  5. Multiplex RT-PCR and Automated Microarray for Detection of Eight Bovine Viruses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lung, O; Furukawa-Stoffer, T; Burton Hughes, K; Pasick, J; King, D P; Hodko, D

    2017-12-01

    Microarrays can be a useful tool for pathogen detection as it allow for simultaneous interrogation of the presence of a large number of genetic sequences in a sample. However, conventional microarrays require extensive manual handling and multiple pieces of equipment for printing probes, hybridization, washing and signal detection. In this study, a reverse transcription (RT)-PCR with an accompanying novel automated microarray for simultaneous detection of eight viruses that affect cattle [vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), bovine viral diarrhoea virus type 1 and type 2, bovine herpesvirus 1, bluetongue virus, malignant catarrhal fever virus, rinderpest virus (RPV) and parapox viruses] is described. The assay accurately identified a panel of 37 strains of the target viruses and identified a mixed infection. No non-specific reactions were observed with a panel of 23 non-target viruses associated with livestock. Vesicular stomatitis virus was detected as early as 2 days post-inoculation in oral swabs from experimentally infected animals. The limit of detection of the microarray assay was as low as 1 TCID 50 /ml for RPV. The novel microarray platform automates the entire post-PCR steps of the assay and integrates electrophoretic-driven capture probe printing in a single user-friendly instrument that allows array layout and assay configuration to be user-customized on-site. © 2016 Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada.

  6. The IronChip evaluation package: a package of perl modules for robust analysis of custom microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brazma Alvis

    2010-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Gene expression studies greatly contribute to our understanding of complex relationships in gene regulatory networks. However, the complexity of array design, production and manipulations are limiting factors, affecting data quality. The use of customized DNA microarrays improves overall data quality in many situations, however, only if for these specifically designed microarrays analysis tools are available. Results The IronChip Evaluation Package (ICEP is a collection of Perl utilities and an easy to use data evaluation pipeline for the analysis of microarray data with a focus on data quality of custom-designed microarrays. The package has been developed for the statistical and bioinformatical analysis of the custom cDNA microarray IronChip but can be easily adapted for other cDNA or oligonucleotide-based designed microarray platforms. ICEP uses decision tree-based algorithms to assign quality flags and performs robust analysis based on chip design properties regarding multiple repetitions, ratio cut-off, background and negative controls. Conclusions ICEP is a stand-alone Windows application to obtain optimal data quality from custom-designed microarrays and is freely available here (see "Additional Files" section and at: http://www.alice-dsl.net/evgeniy.vainshtein/ICEP/

  7. Development of the Ensemble Navy Aerosol Analysis Prediction System (ENAAPS and its application of the Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART in support of aerosol forecasting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    J. I. Rubin

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available An ensemble-based forecast and data assimilation system has been developed for use in Navy aerosol forecasting. The system makes use of an ensemble of the Navy Aerosol Analysis Prediction System (ENAAPS at 1 × 1°, combined with an ensemble adjustment Kalman filter from NCAR's Data Assimilation Research Testbed (DART. The base ENAAPS-DART system discussed in this work utilizes the Navy Operational Global Analysis Prediction System (NOGAPS meteorological ensemble to drive offline NAAPS simulations coupled with the DART ensemble Kalman filter architecture to assimilate bias-corrected MODIS aerosol optical thickness (AOT retrievals. This work outlines the optimization of the 20-member ensemble system, including consideration of meteorology and source-perturbed ensemble members as well as covariance inflation. Additional tests with 80 meteorological and source members were also performed. An important finding of this work is that an adaptive covariance inflation method, which has not been previously tested for aerosol applications, was found to perform better than a temporally and spatially constant covariance inflation. Problems were identified with the constant inflation in regions with limited observational coverage. The second major finding of this work is that combined meteorology and aerosol source ensembles are superior to either in isolation and that both are necessary to produce a robust system with sufficient spread in the ensemble members as well as realistic correlation fields for spreading observational information. The inclusion of aerosol source ensembles improves correlation fields for large aerosol source regions, such as smoke and dust in Africa, by statistically separating freshly emitted from transported aerosol species. However, the source ensembles have limited efficacy during long-range transport. Conversely, the meteorological ensemble generates sufficient spread at the synoptic scale to enable observational impact

  8. How the RNA isolation method can affect microRNA microarray results

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Podolska, Agnieszka; Kaczkowski, Bogumil; Litman, Thomas

    2011-01-01

    RNA microarray analysis on porcine brain tissue. One method is a phenol-guanidine isothiocyanate-based procedure that permits isolation of total RNA. The second method, miRVana™ microRNA isolation, is column based and recovers the small RNA fraction alone. We found that microarray analyses give different results...... that depend on the RNA fraction used, in particular because some microRNAs appear very sensitive to the RNA isolation method. We conclude that precautions need to be taken when comparing microarray studies based on RNA isolated with different methods.......The quality of RNA is crucial in gene expression experiments. RNA degradation interferes in the measurement of gene expression, and in this context, microRNA quantification can lead to an incorrect estimation. In the present study, two different RNA isolation methods were used to perform micro...

  9. Comparing transformation methods for DNA microarray data

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thygesen, Helene H.; Zwinderman, Aeilko H.

    2004-01-01

    Background: When DNA microarray data are used for gene clustering, genotype/phenotype correlation studies, or tissue classification the signal intensities are usually transformed and normalized in several steps in order to improve comparability and signal/noise ratio. These steps may include

  10. Analysis of the Genetic Diversity and Population Structure of Austrian and Belgian Wheat Germplasm within a Regional Context Based on DArT Markers

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed A. El-Esawi

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Analysis of crop genetic diversity and structure provides valuable information needed to broaden the narrow genetic base as well as to enhance the breeding and conservation strategies of crops. In this study, 95 Austrian and Belgian wheat cultivars maintained at the Centre for Genetic Resources (CGN in the Netherlands were characterised using 1052 diversity array technology (DArT markers to evaluate their genetic diversity, relationships and population structure. The rarefacted allelic richness recorded in the Austrian and Belgian breeding pools (A25 = 1.396 and 1.341, respectively indicated that the Austrian germplasm contained a higher genetic diversity than the Belgian pool. The expected heterozygosity (HE values of the Austrian and Belgian pools were 0.411 and 0.375, respectively. Moreover, the values of the polymorphic information content (PIC of the Austrian and Belgian pools were 0.337 and 0.298, respectively. Neighbour-joining tree divided each of the Austrian and Belgian germplasm pools into two genetically distinct groups. The structure analyses of the Austrian and Belgian pools were in a complete concordance with their neighbour-joining trees. Furthermore, the 95 cultivars were compared to 618 wheat genotypes from nine European countries based on a total of 141 common DArT markers in order to place the Austrian and Belgian wheat germplasm in a wider European context. The rarefacted allelic richness (A10 varied from 1.224 (Denmark to 1.397 (Austria. Cluster and principal coordinates (PCoA analyses divided the wheat genotypes of the nine European countries into two main clusters. The first cluster comprised the Northern and Western European wheat genotypes, whereas the second included the Central European cultivars. The structure analysis of the 618 European wheat genotypes was in a complete concordance with the results of cluster and PCoA analyses. Interestingly, a highly significant difference was recorded between regions (26.53%. In

  11. Constructing Tissue Microarrays: Protocols and Methods Considering Potential Advantages and Disadvantages for Downstream Use.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bingle, Lynne; Fonseca, Felipe P; Farthing, Paula M

    2017-01-01

    Tissue microarrays were first constructed in the 1980s but were used by only a limited number of researchers for a considerable period of time. In the last 10 years there has been a dramatic increase in the number of publications describing the successful use of tissue microarrays in studies aimed at discovering and validating biomarkers. This, along with the increased availability of both manual and automated microarray builders on the market, has encouraged even greater use of this novel and powerful tool. This chapter describes the basic techniques required to build a tissue microarray using a manual method in order that the theory behind the practical steps can be fully explained. Guidance is given to ensure potential disadvantages of the technique are fully considered.

  12. Identification of Eight Synthetic Cannabinoids, Including 5F-AKB48 in Seized Herbal Products Using DART-TOF-MS and LC-QTOF-MS as Nontargeted Screening Methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moore, Katherine N; Garvin, Demetra; Thomas, Brian F; Grabenauer, Megan

    2017-09-01

    Synthetic cannabinoids are sprayed onto plant material and smoked for their marijuana-like effects. Clandestine manufacturers modify synthetic cannabinoid structures by creating closely related analogs. Forensic laboratories are tasked with detection of these analog compounds, but targeted analytical methods are often thwarted by the structural modifications. Here, direct analysis in real time coupled to accurate mass time-of-flight mass spectrometry (DART-TOF-MS) in combination with liquid chromatography quadruple time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC-QTOF-MS) are presented as a screening and nontargeted confirmation method, respectively. Methanol extracts of herbal material were run using both methods. Spectral data from four different herbal products were evaluated by comparing fragmentation pattern, accurate mass and retention time to available reference standards. JWH-018, JWH-019, AM2201, JWH-122, 5F-AKB48, AKB48-N-(4-pentenyl) analog, UR144, and XLR11 were identified in the products. Results demonstrate that DART-TOF-MS affords a useful approach for rapid screening of herbal products for the presence and identification of synthetic cannabinoids. © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  13. Accurate detection of carcinoma cells by use of a cell microarray chip.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shohei Yamamura

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Accurate detection and analysis of circulating tumor cells plays an important role in the diagnosis and treatment of metastatic cancer treatment. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A cell microarray chip was used to detect spiked carcinoma cells among leukocytes. The chip, with 20,944 microchambers (105 µm width and 50 µm depth, was made from polystyrene; and the formation of monolayers of leukocytes in the microchambers was observed. Cultured human T lymphoblastoid leukemia (CCRF-CEM cells were used to examine the potential of the cell microarray chip for the detection of spiked carcinoma cells. A T lymphoblastoid leukemia suspension was dispersed on the chip surface, followed by 15 min standing to allow the leukocytes to settle down into the microchambers. Approximately 29 leukocytes were found in each microchamber when about 600,000 leukocytes in total were dispersed onto a cell microarray chip. Similarly, when leukocytes isolated from human whole blood were used, approximately 89 leukocytes entered each microchamber when about 1,800,000 leukocytes in total were placed onto the cell microarray chip. After washing the chip surface, PE-labeled anti-cytokeratin monoclonal antibody and APC-labeled anti-CD326 (EpCAM monoclonal antibody solution were dispersed onto the chip surface and allowed to react for 15 min; and then a microarray scanner was employed to detect any fluorescence-positive cells within 20 min. In the experiments using spiked carcinoma cells (NCI-H1650, 0.01 to 0.0001%, accurate detection of carcinoma cells was achieved with PE-labeled anti-cytokeratin monoclonal antibody. Furthermore, verification of carcinoma cells in the microchambers was performed by double staining with the above monoclonal antibodies. CONCLUSION: The potential application of the cell microarray chip for the detection of CTCs was shown, thus demonstrating accurate detection by double staining for cytokeratin and EpCAM at the single carcinoma cell level.

  14. Precision grinding of microarray lens molding die with 4-axes controlled microwheel

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yuji Yamamoto, Hirofumi Suzuki, Takashi Onishi1, Tadashi Okino and Toshimichi Moriwaki

    2007-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper deals with precision grinding of microarray lens (fly eye molding die by using a resinoid bonded diamond wheel. An ultra-precision grinding system of microarray lens molding die and new truing method of resinoid bonded diamond wheel were developed. In this system, a grinding wheel was four-dimensionally controlled with 1 nm resolution by linear scale feedback system and scanned on the workpiece surface. New truing method by using a vanadium alloy tool was developed and its performance was obtained with high preciseness and low wheel wear. Finally, the microarray lens molding dies of fine grain tungsten carbide (WC was tested with the resinoid bonded diamond wheel to evaluate grinding performance.

  15. Prediction of Pectin Yield and Quality by FTIR and Carbohydrate Microarray Analysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Baum, Andreas; Dominiak, Malgorzata Maria; Vidal-Melgosa, Silvia

    2017-01-01

    and carbohydrate microarray analysis were performed directly on the crude lime peel extracts during the time course of the extractions. Multivariate analysis of the data was carried out to predict final pectin yields. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was found applicable for determining the optimal...... extraction time for the enzymatic and acidic extraction processes, respectively. The combined results of FTIR and carbohydrate microarray analysis suggested major differences in the crude pectin extracts obtained by enzymatic and acid extraction, respectively. Enzymatically extracted pectin, thus, showed......, and that FTIR and carbohydrate microarray analysis have potential to be developed into online process analysis tools for prediction of pectin extraction yields and pectin features from measurements on crude pectin extracts....

  16. Homogeneous versus heterogeneous probes for microbial ecological microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bae, Jin-Woo; Park, Yong-Ha

    2006-07-01

    Microbial ecological microarrays have been developed for investigating the composition and functions of microorganism communities in environmental niches. These arrays include microbial identification microarrays, which use oligonucleotides, gene fragments or microbial genomes as probes. In this article, the advantages and disadvantages of each type of probe are reviewed. Oligonucleotide probes are currently useful for probing uncultivated bacteria that are not amenable to gene fragment probing, whereas the functional gene fragments amplified randomly from microbial genomes require phylogenetic and hierarchical categorization before use as microbial identification probes, despite their high resolution for both specificity and sensitivity. Until more bacteria are sequenced and gene fragment probes are thoroughly validated, heterogeneous bacterial genome probes will provide a simple, sensitive and quantitative tool for exploring the ecosystem structure.

  17. Clinical relevance of DNA microarray analyses using archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancer specimens

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadi, Al Muktafi; Wang, Dong-Yu; Youngson, Bruce J; Miller, Naomi; Boerner, Scott; Done, Susan J; Leong, Wey L

    2011-01-01

    The ability of gene profiling to predict treatment response and prognosis in breast cancers has been demonstrated in many studies using DNA microarray analyses on RNA from fresh frozen tumor specimens. In certain clinical and research situations, performing such analyses on archival formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) surgical specimens would be advantageous as large libraries of such specimens with long-term follow-up data are widely available. However, FFPE tissue processing can cause fragmentation and chemical modifications of the RNA. A number of recent technical advances have been reported to overcome these issues. Our current study evaluates whether or not the technology is ready for clinical applications. A modified RNA extraction method and a recent DNA microarray technique, cDNA-mediated annealing, selection, extension and ligation (DASL, Illumina Inc) were evaluated. The gene profiles generated from FFPE specimens were compared to those obtained from paired fresh fine needle aspiration biopsies (FNAB) of 25 breast cancers of different clinical subtypes (based on ER and Her2/neu status). Selected RNA levels were validated using RT-qPCR, and two public databases were used to demonstrate the prognostic significance of the gene profiles generated from FFPE specimens. Compared to FNAB, RNA isolated from FFPE samples was relatively more degraded, nonetheless, over 80% of the RNA samples were deemed suitable for subsequent DASL assay. Despite a higher noise level, a set of genes from FFPE specimens correlated very well with the gene profiles obtained from FNAB, and could differentiate breast cancer subtypes. Expression levels of these genes were validated using RT-qPCR. Finally, for the first time we correlated gene expression profiles from FFPE samples to survival using two independent microarray databases. Specifically, over-expression of ANLN and KIF2C, and under-expression of MAPT strongly correlated with poor outcomes in breast cancer patients. We

  18. CONFIRMING MICROARRAY DATA--IS IT REALLY NECESSARY?

    Science.gov (United States)

    The generation of corroborative data has become a commonly used approach for ensuring the veracity of microarray data. Indeed, the need to conduct corroborative studies has now become official editorial policy for at least two journals, and several more are considering introducin...

  19. DArT whole genome profiling provides insights on the evolution and taxonomy of edible Banana (Musa spp.).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sardos, J; Perrier, X; Doležel, J; Hřibová, E; Christelová, P; Van den Houwe, I; Kilian, A; Roux, N

    2016-12-01

    Dessert and cooking bananas are vegetatively propagated crops of great importance for both the subsistence and the livelihood of people in developing countries. A wide diversity of diploid and triploid cultivars including AA, AB, AS, AT, AAA, AAB, ABB, AAS and AAT genomic constitutions exists. Within each of this genome groups, cultivars are classified into subgroups that are reported to correspond to varieties clonally derived from each other after a single sexual event. The number of those founding events at the basis of the diversity of bananas is a matter of debate. We analysed a large panel of 575 accessions, 94 wild relatives and 481 cultivated accessions belonging to the section Musa with a set of 498 DArT markers previously developed. DArT appeared successful and accurate to describe Musa diversity and help in the resolution of cultivated banana genome constitution and taxonomy, and highlighted discrepancies in the acknowledged classification of some accessions. This study also argues for at least two centres of domestication corresponding to South-East Asia and New Guinea, respectively. Banana domestication in New Guinea probably followed different schemes that those previously reported where hybridization underpins the emergence of edible banana. In addition, our results suggest that not all wild ancestors of bananas are known, especially in M. acuminata subspecies. We also estimate the extent of the two consecutive bottlenecks in edible bananas by evaluating the number of sexual founding events underlying our sets of edible diploids and triploids, respectively. The attribution of clone identity to each sample of the sets allowed the detection of subgroups represented by several sets of clones. Although morphological characterization of some of the accessions is needed to correct potentially erroneous classifications, some of the subgroups seem polyclonal. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.

  20. Reproducibility of gene expression across generations of Affymetrix microarrays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haslett Judith N

    2003-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The development of large-scale gene expression profiling technologies is rapidly changing the norms of biological investigation. But the rapid pace of change itself presents challenges. Commercial microarrays are regularly modified to incorporate new genes and improved target sequences. Although the ability to compare datasets across generations is crucial for any long-term research project, to date no means to allow such comparisons have been developed. In this study the reproducibility of gene expression levels across two generations of Affymetrix GeneChips® (HuGeneFL and HG-U95A was measured. Results Correlation coefficients were computed for gene expression values across chip generations based on different measures of similarity. Comparing the absolute calls assigned to the individual probe sets across the generations found them to be largely unchanged. Conclusion We show that experimental replicates are highly reproducible, but that reproducibility across generations depends on the degree of similarity of the probe sets and the expression level of the corresponding transcript.