The Role of DNA Methylation in Xylogenesis in Different Tissues of Poplar

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Qingshi Wang

2016-07-01

Full Text Available In trees, xylem tissues play a key role in the formation of woody tissues, which have important uses for pulp and timber production; also DNA methylation plays an important part in gene regulation during xylogenesis in trees. In our study, methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (MSAP analysis was used to analyze the role cytosine methylation plays in wood formation in the commercially important tree species Populus tomentosa. This analysis compared the methylation patterns between xylem tissues (developing xylem and mature xylem and non-xylem tissues (cambium, shoot apex, young leaf, mature leaf, phloem, root, male catkin, and female catkin and found 10,316 polymorphic methylation sites. MSAP identified 132 candidate genes with the same methylation patterns in xylem tissues, including seven wood-related genes. The expression of these genes differed significantly between xylem and non-xylem tissue types (P<0.01. This indicated that the difference of expression of specific genes with unique methylation patterns, rather than relative methylation levels between the two tissue types plays a critical role in wood biosynthesis. However, 46.2% of candidate genes with the same methylation pattern in vascular tissues (cambium, phloem, and developing xylem did not have distinct expression patterns in xylem and non-xylem tissue. Also, bisulfite sequencing and transcriptome sequencing of MYB, NAC and FASCICLIN-LIKE AGP 13 revealed that the location of cytosine methylation in the gene might affect the expression of different transcripts from the corresponding gene. The expression of different transcripts that produce distinct proteins from a single gene might play an important role in the regulation of xylogenesis.

Lipoprotein Lipase mRNA expression in different tissues of farm ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) controls triacylglycerol partitioning between adipose tissues and muscles, so it is important enzyme for fattening of animals .The present work was planned to clarify the use of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of LPL mRNA expression in different tissues representing internal organs of ...

Proteomic differences between native and tissue-engineered tendon and ligament.

Science.gov (United States)

Kharaz, Yalda A; Tew, Simon R; Peffers, Mandy; Canty-Laird, Elizabeth G; Comerford, Eithne

2016-05-01

Tendons and ligaments (T/Ls) play key roles in the musculoskeletal system, but they are susceptible to traumatic or age-related rupture, leading to severe morbidity as well as increased susceptibility to degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis. Tissue engineering represents an attractive therapeutic approach to treating T/L injury but it is hampered by our poor understanding of the defining characteristics of the two tissues. The present study aimed to determine differences in the proteomic profile between native T/Ls and tissue engineered (TE) T/L constructs. The canine long digital extensor tendon and anterior cruciate ligament were analyzed along with 3D TE fibrin-based constructs created from their cells. Native tendon and ligament differed in their content of key structural proteins, with the ligament being more abundant in fibrocartilaginous proteins. 3D T/L TE constructs contained less extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins and had a greater proportion of cellular-associated proteins than native tissue, corresponding to their low collagen and high DNA content. Constructs were able to recapitulate native T/L tissue characteristics particularly with regard to ECM proteins. However, 3D T/L TE constructs had similar ECM and cellular protein compositions indicating that cell source may not be an important factor for T/L tissue engineering. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Scintigraphic measurements of gastric emptying corrected for differences in tissue attenuation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lauritzen, J.B.; Hoejgaard, L.; Uhrenholdt, A. (Copenhagen Univ. (Denmark). Hvidovre Hospital)

1983-10-01

In order to evaluate the importance of variations in tissue attenuation in scintigraphic measurements of gastric emptying, both in vivo and in vitro measurements of count rates from an encapsulated sup(99m)Tc dose were performed in different parts of the stomach. The obtained individual tissue correction factors were applied in the calculation of gastric emptying rates by gamma camera in healthy volunteers. The results showed that the anterior gamma camera scan without correction for differences in tissue attenuation underestimated the gastric emptying rate by 11% if the results were expressed as percentage meal emptied over 60 minutes.

Self-sufficiency, free trade and safety.

Science.gov (United States)

Rautonen, Jukka

2010-01-01

The relationship between free trade, self-sufficiency and safety of blood and blood components has been a perennial discussion topic in the blood service community. Traditionally, national self-sufficiency has been perceived as the ultimate goal that would also maximize safety. However, very few countries are, or can be, truly self-sufficient when self-sufficiency is understood correctly to encompass the whole value chain from the blood donor to the finished product. This is most striking when plasma derived medicines are considered. Free trade of blood products, or competition, as such can have a negative or positive effect on blood safety. Further, free trade of equipment and reagents and several plasma medicines is actually necessary to meet the domestic demand for blood and blood derivatives in most countries. Opposing free trade due to dogmatic reasons is not in the best interest of any country and will be especially harmful for the developing world. Competition between blood services in the USA has been present for decades. The more than threefold differences in blood product prices between European blood services indicate that competition is long overdue in Europe, too. This competition should be welcomed but carefully and proactively regulated to avoid putting safe and secure blood supply at risk. Copyright 2009 The International Association for Biologicals. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tissue differences in fragile X mosaics: Mosaicism in blood cells may differ greatly from skin

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dobkin, C.S.; Nolin, S.L.; Cohen, I. [NYS Institute for Basic Research in Developmental Disabilities, Staten Island, NY (United States)] [and others

1996-08-09

The fragile X mutation is diagnosed from the structure of the FMR1 gene in blood cell DNA. An estimated 12 to 41% of affected males are mosaics who carry both a {open_quotes}full mutation{close_quotes} allele from which there is no gene expression and a {open_quotes}premutation{close_quotes} allele which has normal gene expression. We compared the DNA in blood cells and skin fibroblasts from four mosaic fragile X males to see if there was a difference in the relative amounts of premutation and full mutation alleles within the tissues of these individuals. Two of these males showed striking differences in the ratio of premutation to full mutation in different tissues while the other two showed only slight differences. These observations conform with the widely accepted hypothesis that the fragile X CGG repeat is unstable in somatic tissue during early embryogenesis. Accordingly, the mosaicism in brain and skin, which are both ectodermal in origin, may be similar to each other but different from blood which is not ectodermal in origin. Thus, the ratio of full mutation to premutation allele in skin fibroblasts might be a better indicator of psychological impairment than the ratio in blood cells. 24 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

β-adrenergic relaxation of smooth muscle: differences between cells and tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scheid, C.R.

1987-01-01

The present studies were carried out in an attempt to resolve the controversy about the Na + dependence of β-adrenergic relaxation in smooth muscle. Previous studies on isolated smooth muscle cells from the toad stomach had suggested that at least some of the actions of β-adrenergic agents, including a stimulatory effect on 45 Ca efflux, were dependent on the presence of a normal transmembrane Na + gradient. Studies by other investigators using tissues derived from mammalian sources had suggested that the relaxing effect of β-adrenergic agents was Na + independent. Uncertainty remained as to whether these discrepancies reflected differences between cells and tissues or differences between species. Thus, in the present studies, the authors utilized both tissues and cells from the same source, the stomach muscle of the toad Bufo marinus, and assessed the Na + dependence of β-adrenergic relaxation. They found that elimination of a normal Na + gradient abolished β-adrenergic relaxation of isolated cells. In tissues, however, similar manipulations had no effect on relaxation. The reasons for this discrepancy are unclear but do not appear to be attributable to changes in smooth muscle function following enzymatic dispersion. Thus the controversy concerning the mechanisms of β-adrenergic relaxation may reflect inherent differences between tissues and cells

The effect of irradiation on function in self-renewing normal tissues with differing proliferative organisation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wheldon, T.E.; Michalowski, A.S.

1982-01-01

The primary effect of irradiation on self-renewing normal tissues is sterilisation of their proliferative cells, but how this translates into failure of tissue function depends on the mode of organisation of the tissue concerned. It has recently been suggested (Michalowski, 1981) that proliferative normal tissues may be classed as ''hierarchical'' (like haemopoietic tissues) or as ''flexible'' (like liver parenchyma) and that radiation injury to tissue function develops by different pathways in these tissues. Mathematical model studies confirm the different radiation responses of differently organized tissues. Tissues of the ''flexible'' or ''F-type'' category display a variety of novel radiobiological properties, different from those of the more familiar ''hierarchical'' or ''H-type'' tissues. The ''F-type'' responses are strongly influenced by radiation-sterilised (''doomed'') cells, and is is suggested that the role of ''doomed'' cells has been undervalued relative to that of clonogenic survivors. Since ''F-type'' tissues have characteristically low rates of cell renewal, it is possible that these tissues are preferentially responsible for late effects of irradiation in clinical radiotherapy. (author)

Stable hydrogen, oxygen and sulfur isotopes composition in different tissues of cattle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Fengmei; Shi Guangyu; Wang Huiwen; Yang Shuming

2012-01-01

In order to research on stable hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur isotopes composition in different tissues of cattle, as well as the breed, δ 2 H and δ 34 S values of different defatted muscle, cattle tail hair, blood, liver, also δ 2h and δ 18 O values of water from muscle were determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry. The stable sulfur isotope composition was not affected by cattle variety, meanwhile the hydrogen was uncertain; the δ 2 H and δ 34 S values between different defatted muscle, blood, liver, cattle hair were significantly different, at the same time the δ 34 S and δ 2 H values between each tissue were not significantly correlated; the δ 2 H values were strongly correlated with the δ 18 O values of muscle water. The above results indicated that stable sulfur and hydrogen isotopes fractionation in the various tissues were discrepant, thus the proper tissue should be selected according to the purpose and object in the beef traceability. (authors)

Different endothelin receptor affinities in dog tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loeffler, B.M.L.; Loehrer, W.

1991-01-01

Endothelin (ET) is a long-lasting potent vasoconstrictor-peptide. Here the authors report different binding affinities of endothelin-1 (ET-1) to ET-receptors of various dog tissues. Crude microsomal fractions were prepared after homogenisation of dog tissues in 50 mM Tris/HCl, 20 mM MnCl2, 1 mM EDTA, pH 7.4 by differential centrifugation. Aliquots of microsomal fractions (70 micrograms of protein) were incubated at 25 degrees C for 180 min in the presence of 20 pM 125I-ET-1 and various concentrations of cold ET-1. Four different ET-1 receptor binding affinities were found: adrenals, cerebrum, liver, heart, skeletal muscle and stomach microsomal membranes contained high affinity binding sites (Kd 50 - 80 pM, Bmax 60 - 250 fmol/mg). In cerebellum and spleen medium affinity ET-1 receptors (Kd 350 pM, Bmax 880 and 1200 fmol/mg respectively) were present. In comparison lung and kidney microsomes contained a low affinity ET-1 receptor (Kd 800 and 880 pM, Bmax 1600 and 350 fmol/mg). Receptors of even lower affinity were present in heart, intestine and liver microsomes with Kd values of 3 - 6 nM

Supplementary Material for: Global expression differences and tissue specific expression differences in rice evolution result in two contrasting types of differentially expressed genes

KAUST Repository

Horiuchi, Youko; Harushima, Yoshiaki; Fujisawa, Hironori; Mochizuki, Takako; Fujita, Masahiro; Ohyanagi, Hajime; Kurata, Nori

2015-01-01

Abstract Background Since the development of transcriptome analysis systems, many expression evolution studies characterized evolutionary forces acting on gene expression, without explicit discrimination between global expression differences and tissue specific expression differences. However, different types of gene expression alteration should have different effects on an organism, the evolutionary forces that act on them might be different, and different types of genes might show different types of differential expression between species. To confirm this, we studied differentially expressed (DE) genes among closely related groups that have extensive gene expression atlases, and clarified characteristics of different types of DE genes including the identification of regulating loci for differential expression using expression quantitative loci (eQTL) analysis data. Results We detected differentially expressed (DE) genes between rice subspecies in five homologous tissues that were verified using japonica and indica transcriptome atlases in public databases. Using the transcriptome atlases, we classified DE genes into two types, global DE genes and changed-tissues DE genes. Global type DE genes were not expressed in any tissues in the atlas of one subspecies, however changed-tissues type DE genes were expressed in both subspecies with different tissue specificity. For the five tissues in the two japonica-indica combinations, 4.6 ± 0.8 and 5.9 ± 1.5 % of highly expressed genes were global and changed-tissues DE genes, respectively. Changed-tissues DE genes varied in number between tissues, increasing linearly with the abundance of tissue specifically expressed genes in the tissue. Molecular evolution of global DE genes was rapid, unlike that of changed-tissues DE genes. Based on gene ontology, global and changed-tissues DE genes were different, having no common GO terms. Expression differences of most global DE genes were regulated by cis

Transplantation of frozen-thawed ovarian tissue

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gellert, S E; Pors, S E; Kristensen, Stine Gry

2018-01-01

. CONCLUSION: This study found no indications of sufficient numbers of malignant cells present in the ovarian tissue to cause recurrence of cancer after OTT. Further, it is unlikely that OTC affects the well-being of children born. OTC is now an established method of fertility preservation in Denmark......PURPOSE: The purpose of the study is to review all peer-reviewed published reports of women receiving ovarian tissue transplantation (OTT) with frozen/thawed tissue (OTC) with respect to age, diagnosis, transplantation site, fertility outcome, and potential side effects, including data from all...... women in the Danish program. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed in PubMed combined with results from all patients who had received OTT in Denmark up to December 2017. RESULTS: OTT has been reported from 21 different countries comprising a total of 360 OTT procedures in 318...

Sufficient vitamin K status combined with sufficient vitamin D status is associated with better lower extremity function: a prospective analysis of two knee osteoarthritis cohorts.

Science.gov (United States)

Shea, M Kyla; Loeser, Richard F; McAlindon, Timothy E; Houston, Denise K; Kritchevsky, Stephen B; Booth, Sarah L

2017-10-17

Vitamins K and D are important for the function of vitamin K-dependent proteins in joint tissues. It is unclear if these nutrients are mutually important to functional outcomes related to knee osteoarthritis (OA). We evaluated the association of vitamin K and D sufficiency with lower-extremity function in the Health, Aging Body Composition Knee OA Sub-study (Health ABC) and conducted a replication analysis in an independent cohort, the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI). In Health ABC (60% female, 75±3 years) baseline nutrient status was measured using circulating vitamin K and 25(OH)D. Lower-extremity function was assessed using the short physical performance battery (SPPB) and usual 20-meter gait speed. In the OAI (58% female, 61±9 years), baseline nutrient intake was estimated by food frequency questionnaire. Lower-extremity function was assessed using usual 20-meter gait speed and chair stand completion time. Multivariate mixed models were used to evaluate the association of vitamin K and D status and intake with lower-extremity function over 4-5 years. Health ABC participants with sufficient plasma vitamin K (≥1.0 nmol/L) and serum 25(OH)D (≥50 nmol/L) generally had better SPPB scores and faster usual gait speed over follow-up (p≤0.002). In the OAI, sufficient vitamin K and vitamin D intake combined was associated with overall faster usual gait speed and chair stand completion time over follow-up (p≤0.029). Sufficient vitamin K status combined with sufficient vitamin D status was associated with better lower-extremity function in two knee OA cohorts. These findings merit confirmation in vitamin K and D co-supplementation trials. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of different tissue de-paraffinization procedures for infrared spectral imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Nallala, Jayakrupakar; Lloyd, Gavin Rhys; Stone, Nicholas

2015-04-07

In infrared spectral histopathology, paraffin embedded tissues are often de-paraffinized using chemical agents such as xylene and hexane. These chemicals are known to be toxic and the routine de-waxing procedure is time consuming. A comparative study was carried out to identify alternate de-paraffinization methods by using paraffin oil and electronic de-paraffinization (using a mathematical computer algorithm) and their effectiveness was compared to xylene and hexane. Sixteen adjacent tissue sections obtained from a single block of a normal colon tissue were de-paraffinized using xylene, hexane and paraffin oil (+ hexane wash) at five different time points each for comparison. One section was reserved unprocessed for electronic de-paraffinization based on a modified extended multiplicative signal correction (EMSC). IR imaging was carried out on these tissue sections. Coefficients based on the fit of a pure paraffin model to the IR images were then calculated to estimate the amount of paraffin remaining after processing. Results indicate that on average xylene removes more paraffin in comparison to hexane and paraffin oil although the differences were small. This makes paraffin oil, followed by a hexane wash, an interesting and less toxic alternative method of de-paraffinization. However, none of the chemical methods removed paraffin completely from the tissues at any given time point. Moreover, paraffin was removed more easily from the glandular regions than the connective tissue regions indicating a form of differential paraffin retention based on the histology. In such cases, the use of electronic de-paraffinization to neutralize such variances across different tissue regions might be considered. Moreover it is faster, reduces scatter artefacts by index matching and enables samples to be easily stored for further analysis if required.

Skeletal muscle tissue transcriptome differences in lean and obese female beagle dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, R W; Vester Boler, B M; Ridge, T K; Graves, T K; Swanson, K S

2013-08-01

Skeletal muscle is a large and insulin-sensitive tissue that is an important contributor to metabolic homeostasis and energy expenditure. Many metabolic processes are altered with obesity, but the contribution of muscle tissue in this regard is unclear. A limited number of studies have compared skeletal muscle gene expression of lean and obese dogs. Using microarray technology, our objective was to identify genes and functional classes differentially expressed in skeletal muscle of obese (14.6 kg; 8.2 body condition score; 44.5% body fat) vs. lean (8.6 kg; 4.1 body condition score; 22.9% body fat) female beagle adult dogs. Alterations in 77 transcripts was observed in genes pertaining to the functional classes of signaling, transport, protein catabolism and proteolysis, protein modification, development, transcription and apoptosis, cell cycle and differentiation. Genes differentially expressed in obese vs. lean dog skeletal muscle indicate oxidative stress and altered skeletal muscle cell differentiation. Many genes traditionally associated with lipid, protein and carbohydrate metabolism were not altered in obese vs. lean dogs, but genes pertaining to endocannabinoid metabolism, insulin signaling, type II diabetes mellitus and carnitine transport were differentially expressed. The relatively small response of skeletal muscle could indicate that changes are occurring at a post-transcriptional level, that other tissues (e.g., adipose tissue) were buffering skeletal muscle from metabolic dysfunction or that obesity-induced changes in skeletal muscle require a longer period of time and that the length of our study was not sufficient to detect them. Although only a limited number of differentially expressed genes were detected, these results highlight genes and functional classes that may be important in determining the etiology of obesity-induced derangement of skeletal muscle function. © 2013 The Authors, Animal Genetics © 2013 Stichting International Foundation

THE PLACE OF RETRACTION CORDS AMONG THE TISSUE DISPLACEMENT METHODS

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Stoyan Yankov

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Gingival displacement is performed to create sufficient space between the finishing line and the gingival tissue, to allow the injection of the adequate bulk of the impression material into the expanded crevice. Control of moisture in the sulcus is also necessary. The variety of methods for tissue management can be broadly classified into surgical and non-surgical. Objective: To analyse the properties of tissue displacement methods, described in the literature for the last 4 years and display the prefered choices of the practitioners. Material and method: A time range from the last 4 years was set. Using the keywords “retraction cord” and “survey,” we found 64 from 115 articles in total, relevant to our topic. Patents, citations and books weren’t included in this review. Results from the overview of the properties of the different tissue management methods indicate that retraction cords take a significant place among them and can be recognised as a classical and well known method. Conclusions: The studies from the articles show adequate sulcal width right after retraction with most methods, sufficient haemostasis can also be obtained. Every each method, however, is accompanied by several drawbacks. Concidering all the quallities of the different tissue dispalcent methods, there is no specific evidence to promote the use of a single technique over any other. The selection of the method for gingival retraction primarily depends on each clinical case. However, the retraction cord technique remains to be the prefered method for gingival management due to its many advantages.

Pathway-specific differences between tumor cell lines and normal and tumor tissue cells

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Tozeren Aydin

2006-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cell lines are used in experimental investigation of cancer but their capacity to represent tumor cells has yet to be quantified. The aim of the study was to identify significant alterations in pathway usage in cell lines in comparison with normal and tumor tissue. Methods This study utilized a pathway-specific enrichment analysis of publicly accessible microarray data and quantified the gene expression differences between cell lines, tumor, and normal tissue cells for six different tissue types. KEGG pathways that are significantly different between cell lines and tumors, cell lines and normal tissues and tumor and normal tissue were identified through enrichment tests on gene lists obtained using Significance Analysis of Microarrays (SAM. Results Cellular pathways that were significantly upregulated in cell lines compared to tumor cells and normal cells of the same tissue type included ATP synthesis, cell communication, cell cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, purine, pyrimidine and pyruvate metabolism, and proteasome. Results on metabolic pathways suggested an increase in the velocity nucleotide metabolism and RNA production. Pathways that were downregulated in cell lines compared to tumor and normal tissue included cell communication, cell adhesion molecules (CAMs, and ECM-receptor interaction. Only a fraction of the significantly altered genes in tumor-to-normal comparison had similar expressions in cancer cell lines and tumor cells. These genes were tissue-specific and were distributed sparsely among multiple pathways. Conclusion Significantly altered genes in tumors compared to normal tissue were largely tissue specific. Among these genes downregulation was a major trend. In contrast, cell lines contained large sets of significantly upregulated genes that were common to multiple tissue types. Pathway upregulation in cell lines was most pronounced over metabolic pathways including cell nucleotide metabolism and oxidative

Proteomics analysis of apoptosis-regulating proteins in tissues with different radiosensitivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

An, Jeung-Hee; Seong, Jin-Sil

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify of radiosusceptibility proteins in tissues with different radiosensitivity. C3H/HeJ mice were exposed to 10 Gy. The tissues were processed for proteins extraction and were analyzed by 2-dimensional electrophoresis. The proteins were identified by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionizing time-of-flight mass spectrometry and validated by immunohistochemical staining and Western blotting. The peaks of apoptosis levels were 35.3±1.7% and 0.6±0.2% in the spleen and the liver, respectively, after ionizing radiation. Analysis of liver tissue showed that the expression level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) related proteins such as cytochrome c, glutathione S transferase, NADH dehydrogenase and peroxiredoxin VI increased after radiation. The expression level of cytochrome c increased to 3-fold after ionizing radiation in both tissues. However in spleen tissue, the expression level of various kinds of apoptosis regulating proteins increased after radiation. These involved iodothyronine, CD 59A glycoprotein precursor, fas antigen and tumor necrosis factor -inducible protein TSG-6nprecursor after radiation. The difference in the apoptosis index between the liver and spleen tissues is closely associated with the expression of various kinds of apoptosis-related proteins. The result suggests that the expression of apoptosis-related protein and redox proteins play important roles in this radiosusceptibility. (author)

Optical signature of nerve tissue-Exploratory ex vivo study comparing optical, histological, and molecular characteristics of different adipose and nerve tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Balthasar, Andrea J R; Bydlon, Torre M; Ippel, Hans; van der Voort, Marjolein; Hendriks, Benno H W; Lucassen, Gerald W; van Geffen, Geert-Jan; van Kleef, Maarten; van Dijk, Paul; Lataster, Arno

2018-05-14

During several anesthesiological procedures, needles are inserted through the skin of a patient to target nerves. In most cases, the needle traverses several tissues-skin, subcutaneous adipose tissue, muscles, nerves, and blood vessels-to reach the target nerve. A clear identification of the target nerve can improve the success of the nerve block and reduce the rate of complications. This may be accomplished with diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) which can provide a quantitative measure of the tissue composition. The goal of the current study was to further explore the morphological, biological, chemical, and optical characteristics of the tissues encountered during needle insertion to improve future DRS classification algorithms. To compare characteristics of nerve tissue (sciatic nerve) and adipose tissues, the following techniques were used: histology, DRS, absorption spectrophotometry, high-resolution magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR) spectroscopy, and solution 2D 13 C- 1 H heteronuclear single-quantum coherence spectroscopy. Tissues from five human freshly frozen cadavers were examined. Histology clearly highlights a higher density of cellular nuclei, collagen, and cytoplasm in fascicular nerve tissue (IFAS). IFAS showed lower absorption of light around 1200 nm and 1750 nm, higher absorption around 1500 nm and 2000 nm, and a shift in the peak observed around 1000 nm. DRS measurements showed a higher water percentage and collagen concentration in IFAS and a lower fat percentage compared to all other tissues. The scattering parameter (b) was highest in IFAS. The HR-MAS NMR data showed three extra chemical peak shifts in IFAS tissue. Collagen, water, and cellular nuclei concentration are clearly different between nerve fascicular tissue and other adipose tissue and explain some of the differences observed in the optical absorption, DRS, and HR-NMR spectra of these tissues. Some differences observed between fascicular

Study of temperature increase and optic depth penetration in photo irradiated human tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stolik, Suren; Delgado, Jose A.; Perez, Arllene M.; Anasagasti, Lorenzo

2009-01-01

Optical radiation is widely applied in the treatment and diagnosis of different pathologies. If the power density of the incident light is sufficiently high to induce a significant temperature rise in the irradiated tissue, then it is also needed the knowledge of the thermal properties of the tissue for a complete understanding of the therapeutic effects. The thermal penetration depth of several human tissues has been measured applying the diffusion approximation of the radiative transfer equation for the distribution of optical radiation. The method, the experimental setup and the results are presented and discussed. (Author)

Proteomic differences between native and tissue?engineered tendon and ligament

OpenAIRE

Kharaz, Yalda A.; Tew, Simon R.; Peffers, Mandy; Canty?Laird, Elizabeth G.; Comerford, Eithne

2016-01-01

Tendons and ligaments (T/Ls) play key roles in the musculoskeletal system, but they are susceptible to traumatic or age?related rupture, leading to severe morbidity as well as increased susceptibility to degenerative joint diseases such as osteoarthritis. Tissue engineering represents an attractive therapeutic approach to treating T/L injury but it is hampered by our poor understanding of the defining characteristics of the two tissues. The present study aimed to determine differences in the ...

Microwave Tissue Ablation: Biophysics, Technology and Applications

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

Microwave ablation is an emerging treatment option for many cancers, cardiac arrhythmias and other medical conditions. During treatment, microwaves are applied directly to tissues to produce rapid temperature elevations sufficient to produce immediate coagulative necrosis. The engineering design criteria for each application differ, with individual consideration for factors such as desired ablation zone size, treatment duration, and procedural invasiveness. Recent technological developments in applicator cooling, power control and system optimization for specific applications promise to increase the utilization of microwave ablation in the future. This article will review the basic biophysics of microwave tissue heating, provide an overview of the design and operation of current equipment, and outline areas for future research for microwave ablation. PMID:21175404

Tissue-Specific Fatty Acids Response to Different Diets in Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

Science.gov (United States)

Böhm, Markus; Schultz, Sebastian; Koussoroplis, Apostolos-Manuel; Kainz, Martin J.

2014-01-01

Fish depend on dietary fatty acids (FA) to support their physiological condition and health. Exploring the FA distribution in common carp (Cyprinus carpio), one of the world's most consumed freshwater fish, is important to understand how and where FA of different sources are allocated. We investigated diet effects on the composition of polar and neutral lipid fatty acids (PLFA and NLFA, respectively) in eight different tissues (dorsal and ventral muscle, heart, kidney, intestine, eyes, liver and adipose tissue) of common carp. Two-year old carp were exposed to three diet sources (i.e., zooplankton, zooplankton plus supplementary feeds containing vegetable, VO, or fish oil, FO) with different FA composition. The PLFA and NLFA response was clearly tissue-specific after 210 days of feeding on different diets. PLFA were generally rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated FA and only marginally influenced by dietary FA, whereas the NLFA composition strongly reflected dietary FA profiles. However, the NLFA composition in carp tissues varied considerably at low NLFA mass ratios, suggesting that carp is able to regulate the NLFA composition and thus FA quality in its tissues when NLFA contents are low. Finally, this study shows that FO were 3X more retained than VO as NLFA particularly in muscle tissues, indicating that higher nutritional quality feeds are selectively allocated into tissues and thus available for human consumption. PMID:24733499

Tissue-specific fatty acids response to different diets in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Böhm, Markus; Schultz, Sebastian; Koussoroplis, Apostolos-Manuel; Kainz, Martin J

2014-01-01

Fish depend on dietary fatty acids (FA) to support their physiological condition and health. Exploring the FA distribution in common carp (Cyprinus carpio), one of the world's most consumed freshwater fish, is important to understand how and where FA of different sources are allocated. We investigated diet effects on the composition of polar and neutral lipid fatty acids (PLFA and NLFA, respectively) in eight different tissues (dorsal and ventral muscle, heart, kidney, intestine, eyes, liver and adipose tissue) of common carp. Two-year old carp were exposed to three diet sources (i.e., zooplankton, zooplankton plus supplementary feeds containing vegetable, VO, or fish oil, FO) with different FA composition. The PLFA and NLFA response was clearly tissue-specific after 210 days of feeding on different diets. PLFA were generally rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated FA and only marginally influenced by dietary FA, whereas the NLFA composition strongly reflected dietary FA profiles. However, the NLFA composition in carp tissues varied considerably at low NLFA mass ratios, suggesting that carp is able to regulate the NLFA composition and thus FA quality in its tissues when NLFA contents are low. Finally, this study shows that FO were 3X more retained than VO as NLFA particularly in muscle tissues, indicating that higher nutritional quality feeds are selectively allocated into tissues and thus available for human consumption.

Tissue-specific fatty acids response to different diets in common carp (Cyprinus carpio L..

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Markus Böhm

Full Text Available Fish depend on dietary fatty acids (FA to support their physiological condition and health. Exploring the FA distribution in common carp (Cyprinus carpio, one of the world's most consumed freshwater fish, is important to understand how and where FA of different sources are allocated. We investigated diet effects on the composition of polar and neutral lipid fatty acids (PLFA and NLFA, respectively in eight different tissues (dorsal and ventral muscle, heart, kidney, intestine, eyes, liver and adipose tissue of common carp. Two-year old carp were exposed to three diet sources (i.e., zooplankton, zooplankton plus supplementary feeds containing vegetable, VO, or fish oil, FO with different FA composition. The PLFA and NLFA response was clearly tissue-specific after 210 days of feeding on different diets. PLFA were generally rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated FA and only marginally influenced by dietary FA, whereas the NLFA composition strongly reflected dietary FA profiles. However, the NLFA composition in carp tissues varied considerably at low NLFA mass ratios, suggesting that carp is able to regulate the NLFA composition and thus FA quality in its tissues when NLFA contents are low. Finally, this study shows that FO were 3X more retained than VO as NLFA particularly in muscle tissues, indicating that higher nutritional quality feeds are selectively allocated into tissues and thus available for human consumption.

Spatially Different Tissue-Scale Diffusivity Shapes ANGUSTIFOLIA3 Gradient in Growing Leaves.

Science.gov (United States)

Kawade, Kensuke; Tanimoto, Hirokazu; Horiguchi, Gorou; Tsukaya, Hirokazu

2017-09-05

The spatial gradient of signaling molecules is pivotal for establishing developmental patterns of multicellular organisms. It has long been proposed that these gradients could arise from the pure diffusion process of signaling molecules between cells, but whether this simplest mechanism establishes the formation of the tissue-scale gradient remains unclear. Plasmodesmata are unique channel structures in plants that connect neighboring cells for molecular transport. In this study, we measured cellular- and tissue-scale kinetics of molecular transport through plasmodesmata in Arabidopsis thaliana developing leaf primordia by fluorescence recovery assays. These trans-scale measurements revealed biophysical properties of diffusive molecular transport through plasmodesmata and revealed that the tissue-scale diffusivity, but not the cellular-scale diffusivity, is spatially different along the leaf proximal-to-distal axis. We found that the gradient in cell size along the developmental axis underlies this spatially different tissue-scale diffusivity. We then asked how this diffusion-based framework functions in establishing a signaling gradient of endogenous molecules. ANGUSTIFOLIA3 (AN3) is a transcriptional co-activator, and as we have shown here, it forms a long-range signaling gradient along the leaf proximal-to-distal axis to determine a cell-proliferation domain. By genetically engineering AN3 mobility, we assessed each contribution of cell-to-cell movement and tissue growth to the distribution of the AN3 gradient. We constructed a diffusion-based theoretical model using these quantitative data to analyze the AN3 gradient formation and demonstrated that it could be achieved solely by the diffusive molecular transport in a growing tissue. Our results indicate that the spatially different tissue-scale diffusivity is a core mechanism for AN3 gradient formation. This provides evidence that the pure diffusion process establishes the formation of the long-range signaling

Use of focused ultrasonication in activity-based profiling of deubiquitinating enzymes in tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Nanduri, Bindu; Shack, Leslie A; Rai, Aswathy N; Epperson, William B; Baumgartner, Wes; Schmidt, Ty B; Edelmann, Mariola J

2016-12-15

To develop a reproducible tissue lysis method that retains enzyme function for activity-based protein profiling, we compared four different methods to obtain protein extracts from bovine lung tissue: focused ultrasonication, standard sonication, mortar & pestle method, and homogenization combined with standard sonication. Focused ultrasonication and mortar & pestle methods were sufficiently effective for activity-based profiling of deubiquitinases in tissue, and focused ultrasonication also had the fastest processing time. We used focused-ultrasonicator for subsequent activity-based proteomic analysis of deubiquitinases to test the compatibility of this method in sample preparation for activity-based chemical proteomics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Different Double Immunostaining Protocols for Paraffin Embedded Liver Tissue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexander Schütz

1999-01-01

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

Comparative studies on the distribution of rhodanese in different tissues of domestic animals.

Science.gov (United States)

Aminlari, M; Gilanpour, H

1991-01-01

1. The activity of rhodanese in different tissues of some domestic animals was measured. 2. Rhodanese was present in all tissues studied. 3. The activity of rhodanese in most tissues of sheep was higher than other animals studied. 4. In sheep and cattle the epithelium of rumen, omasum and reticulum were the richest sources of rhodanese. Significant activity of rhodanese was also present in liver and kidney. 5. In camel the liver contained the highest level of rhodanese followed by lung and rumen epithelium. Camel liver contained a third of the activity of sheep liver. 6. Equine liver had a third of the activity of sheep liver. Other tissues showed low levels of rhodanese activity. 7. Dog liver contained only 4% of the activity of sheep liver. In this animal, brain was the richest source of rhodanese. 8. The results are discussed in terms of efficacy of different tissues of animals in cyanide detoxification.

Mechanical cues in orofacial tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Science.gov (United States)

Brouwer, Katrien M; Lundvig, Ditte M S; Middelkoop, Esther; Wagener, Frank A D T G; Von den Hoff, Johannes W

2015-01-01

Cleft lip and palate patients suffer from functional, aesthetical, and psychosocial problems due to suboptimal regeneration of skin, mucosa, and skeletal muscle after restorative cleft surgery. The field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine (TE/RM) aims to restore the normal physiology of tissues and organs in conditions such as birth defects or after injury. A crucial factor in cell differentiation, tissue formation, and tissue function is mechanical strain. Regardless of this, mechanical cues are not yet widely used in TE/RM. The effects of mechanical stimulation on cells are not straight-forward in vitro as cellular responses may differ with cell type and loading regime, complicating the translation to a therapeutic protocol. We here give an overview of the different types of mechanical strain that act on cells and tissues and discuss the effects on muscle, and skin and mucosa. We conclude that presently, sufficient knowledge is lacking to reproducibly implement external mechanical loading in TE/RM approaches. Mechanical cues can be applied in TE/RM by fine-tuning the stiffness and architecture of the constructs to guide the differentiation of the seeded cells or the invading surrounding cells. This may already improve the treatment of orofacial clefts and other disorders affecting soft tissues. © 2015 by the Wound Healing Society.

The Ability of Tissue Engineered Skin Accelerating the Closure of Different Wound

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2005-01-01

1 IntroductionIn the past several decades, a number of reseacher have described the principal efficacy of tissue engineered skin to promote wound healing of venous and diabetic ulcers. But the true value of tissue-engineered skin products in different wound care remains yet to be more clearly defined. In this trial, we analysis the effective of tissue-engineered skin (ActivSkin) in the management of burns, donor sites and ulcers, which were also the frequently injury caused with warfare, disaster and terror...

A Comparison of Tissue Spray and Lipid Extract Direct Injection Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry for the Differentiation of Eutopic and Ectopic Endometrial Tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Chagovets, Vitaliy; Wang, Zhihao; Kononikhin, Alexey; Starodubtseva, Natalia; Borisova, Anna; Salimova, Dinara; Popov, Igor; Kozachenko, Andrey; Chingin, Konstantin; Chen, Huanwen; Frankevich, Vladimir; Adamyan, Leila; Sukhikh, Gennady

2018-02-01

Recent research revealed that tissue spray mass spectrometry enables rapid molecular profiling of biological tissues, which is of great importance for the search of disease biomarkers as well as for online surgery control. However, the payback for the high speed of analysis in tissue spray analysis is the generally lower chemical sensitivity compared with the traditional approach based on the offline chemical extraction and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry detection. In this study, high resolution mass spectrometry analysis of endometrium tissues of different localizations obtained using direct tissue spray mass spectrometry in positive ion mode is compared with the results of electrospray ionization analysis of lipid extracts. Identified features in both cases belong to three lipid classes: phosphatidylcholines, phosphoethanolamines, and sphingomyelins. Lipids coverage is validated by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with mass spectrometry of lipid extracts. Multivariate analysis of data from both methods reveals satisfactory differentiation of eutopic and ectopic endometrium tissues. Overall, our results indicate that the chemical information provided by tissue spray ionization is sufficient to allow differentiation of endometrial tissues by localization with similar reliability but higher speed than in the traditional approach relying on offline extraction.

Design of a modified endoscope illuminator for spectral imaging of colorectal tissues

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Browning, Craig M.; Mayes, Samuel; Rich, Thomas C.; Leavesley, Silas J.

2017-02-01

The gold standard for locating colonic polyps is a white light endoscope in a colonoscopy, however, polyps smaller than 5 mm can be easily missed. Modified procedures such as narrow band imaging have shown only marginal increases in detection rates. Spectral imaging is a potential solution to improve the sensitivity and specificity of colonoscopies by providing the ability to distinguish molecular fluorescence differences in tissues. The goal of this work is to implement a spectral endoscopic light source to acquire spectral image data of colorectal tissues. A beta-version endoscope light source was developed, by retrofitting a white light endoscope light source (Olympus, CLK-4) with 16 narrow band LEDs. This redesigned, beta-prototype uses high-power LEDs with a minimum output of 500 mW to provide sufficient spectral output (0.5 mW) through the endoscope. A mounting apparatus was designed to provide sufficient heat dissipation. Here, we report recent results of our tests to characterize the intensity output through the light source and endoscope to determine the flat spectral output for imaging and intensity losses through the endoscope. We also report preliminary spectral imaging data from transverse pig colon that demonstrates the ability to result in working practical spectral data. Preliminary results of this revised prototype spectral endoscope system demonstrate that there is sufficient power to allow the imaging process to continue and potentially determine spectral differences in cancerous and normal tissue from imaging ex vivo pairs. Future work will focus on building a spectral library for the colorectal region and refining the user interface the system for in vivo use.

Histological Evaluation of Decellularized Skeletal Muscle Tissue Using Two Different Decellularization Agents

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Hana Hrebíková

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of the present study was to determine effect of two decellularized agents, sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS and Triton X-100, to the skeletal muscle tissue. Final scaffold was evaluated by several histological techniques to analyse preservation of essential structures including collagen and elastic fibres, basement membranes, glycosaminoglycans and also to confirm elimination of nuclear and cytoplasmic components which are redundant in effectively prepared decellularized scaffolds. Comparison of tissue scaffolds processed with different detergents proved that SDS is superior to Triton X-100 as it can effectively decellularize muscle tissue.

Suitability of Different Natural and Synthetic Biomaterials for Dental Pulp Tissue Engineering.

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Galler, Kerstin M; Brandl, Ferdinand P; Kirchhof, Susanne; Widbiller, Matthias; Eidt, Andreas; Buchalla, Wolfgang; Göpferich, Achim; Schmalz, Gottfried

2018-02-01

Dental pulp tissue engineering is possible after insertion of pulpal stem cells combined with a scaffold into empty root canals. Commonly used biomaterials are collagen or poly(lactic) acid, which are either difficult to modify or to insert into such a narrow space. New hydrogel scaffolds with bioactive, specifically tailored functions could optimize the conditions for this approach. Different synthetic and natural hydrogels were tested for their suitability to engineer dental pulp. Two functionalized modifications of polyethylene glycol were developed in this study and compared to a self-assembling peptide, as well as to collagen and fibrin. Cell viability of dental pulp stem cells in test materials was assessed over two weeks. Cells in selected test materials laden with dentin-derived growth factors were inserted into human tooth roots and implanted subcutaneously into immunocompromised mice. In vitro cell culture exhibited distinct differences between scaffold types, where viability was significantly higher in natural compared to synthetic materials. In vivo experiments showed considerable differences regarding scaffold degradation, soft tissue formation, vascularization, and odontoblast-like cell differentiation. Fibrin appeared most suitable to enable generation of a pulp-like tissue and differentiation of cells into odontoblasts at the cell-dentin interface. In conclusion, natural materials, especially fibrin, proved to be superior compared to synthetic scaffolds regarding cell viability and dental pulp-like tissue formation.

Effect of whole body irradiation on different tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Casati, V.; Nardino, A.; Tomassi, I.; Becciolini, A.; Rizzi, M.; Martelli, T.

1979-01-01

The uptake and elimination of 14 C leucine were analysed in controls and in rats irradiated 2 h before injection with 8 Gy whole-body irradiation. Plasma, small intestine, kidney and skin were assayed after homogenization for TCA soluble and insoluble activity curves. In highly differentiated tissues with poor proliferative activity and low protein turnover, the uptake and elimination of the tracer did not appear to be affected by irradiation. In the small intestine differences between control and irradiated animals seemed significant. (Auth.)

Mesenchymal stem cells from different murine tissues have differential capacity to metabolize extracellular nucleotides.

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Iser, Isabele C; Bracco, Paula A; Gonçalves, Carlos E I; Zanin, Rafael F; Nardi, Nance B; Lenz, Guido; Battastini, Ana Maria O; Wink, Márcia R

2014-10-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have shown a great potential for cell-based therapy and many different therapeutic purposes. Despite the recent advances in the knowledge of MSCs biology, their biochemical and molecular properties are still poorly defined. Ecto-nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolases (E-NTPDases) and ecto-5'-nucleotidase (eNT/CD73) are widely expressed enzymes that hydrolyze extracellular nucleotides, generating an important cellular signaling cascade. Currently, studies have evidenced the relationship between the purinergic system and the development, maintenance, and differentiation of stem cells. The objective of this study is to identify the NTPDases and eNT/CD73 and compare the levels of nucleotide hydrolysis on MSCs isolated from different murine tissues (bone marrow, lung, vena cava, kidney, pancreas, spleen, skin, and adipose tissue). MSCs from all tissues investigated expressed the ectoenzymes at different levels. In MSCs from pancreas and adipose tissue, the hydrolysis of triphosphonucleosides was significantly higher when compared to the other cells. The diphosphonucleosides were hydrolyzed at a higher rate by MSC from pancreas when compared to MSC from other tissues. The differential nucleotide hydrolysis activity and enzyme expression in these cells suggests that MSCs play different roles in regulating the purinergic system in these tissues. Overall MSCs are an attractive adult-derived cell population for therapies, however, the fact that ecto-nucleotide metabolism can affect the microenvironment, modulating important events, such as immune response, makes the assessment of this metabolism an important part of the characterization of MSCs to be applied therapeutically. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Influence trend of temperature distribution in skin tissue generated by different exposure dose pulse laser

Science.gov (United States)

Shan, Ning; Wang, Zhijing; Liu, Xia

2014-11-01

Laser is widely applied in military and medicine fields because of its excellent capability. In order to effectively defend excess damage by laser, the thermal processing theory of skin tissue generated by laser should be carried out. The heating rate and thermal damage area should be studied. The mathematics model of bio-tissue heat transfer that is irradiated by laser is analyzed. And boundary conditions of bio-tissue are discussed. Three layer FEM grid model of bio-tissue is established. The temperature rising inducing by pulse laser in the tissue is modeled numerically by adopting ANSYS software. The changing trend of temperature in the tissue is imitated and studied under the conditions of different exposure dose pulse laser. The results show that temperature rising in the tissue depends on the parameters of pulse laser largely. In the same conditions, the pulse width of laser is smaller and its instant power is higher. And temperature rising effect in the tissue is very clear. On the contrary, temperature rising effect in the tissue is lower. The cooling time inducing by temperature rising effect in the tissue is longer along with pulse separation of laser is bigger. And the temperature difference is bigger in the pulse period.

The study on facial soft tissue thickness using Han population in Xinjiang.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jierui; Zhao, Xi; Mi, Congbo; Raza, Iqbal

2016-09-01

Facial profile is an important aspect in physical anthropology, forensic science, and cosmetic research. Thus, facial soft tissue measurement technology plays a significant role in facial restoration. A considerable amount of work has investigated facial soft tissue thickness, which significantly varies according to gender, age, and race. However, only few studies have considered the nutritional status of the investigated individuals. Moreover, no sufficient research among Chinese ethnic groups, particularly Xinjiang population in China, is currently available. Hence, the current study investigated the adaptability of facial soft tissue to the underlying hard tissue among young adults of Han population in Xinjiang, China; the analysis was performed on the basis of gender, skeletal class, and body mass index (BMI). Measurements were obtained from the lateral cephalometric radiographs of 256 adults aged 18-26 years old. Differences in soft tissue thickness were observed between genders and among skeletal classes. With regard to gender, significant differences in soft tissue thickness were found at rhinion, glabella, subnasale, stomion, labrale superius, pogonion, and gnathion among different BMI groups. Thus, nutritional status should be considered when reconstructing an individual's facial profile. Results showed that the thinnest and thickest craniofacial soft tissues existed in rhinion and lip regions, respectively. Overall, this research provides valuable data for forensic facial reconstruction and identification of young adults in Xinjiang, China. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Endoscopic Approach for Tissue Expansion for Different Cosmetic ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Background/Purpose: The use of tissue expanders in plastic and reconstruction surgery is now well established for large defects in adults & children. Tissue expansion is one of the reconstructive surgeon's alternatives in providing optimal tissue replacement when skin shortage is a major problem. Predesigned plan about ...

Tissue equivalence in neutron dosimetry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nutton, D.H.; Harris, S.J.

1980-01-01

A brief review is presented of the essential features of neutron tissue equivalence for radiotherapy and gives the results of a computation of relative absorbed dose for 14 MeV neutrons, using various tissue models. It is concluded that for the Bragg-Gray equation for ionometric dosimetry it is not sufficient to define the value of W to high accuracy and that it is essential that, for dosimetric measurements to be applicable to real body tissue to an accuracy of better than several per cent, a correction to the total absorbed dose must be made according to the test and tissue atomic composition, although variations in patient anatomy and other radiotherapy parameters will often limit the benefits of such detailed dosimetry. (U.K.)

Design Approaches to Myocardial and Vascular Tissue Engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Akintewe, Olukemi O; Roberts, Erin G; Rim, Nae-Gyune; Ferguson, Michael A H; Wong, Joyce Y

2017-06-21

Engineered tissues represent an increasingly promising therapeutic approach for correcting structural defects and promoting tissue regeneration in cardiovascular diseases. One of the challenges associated with this approach has been the necessity for the replacement tissue to promote sufficient vascularization to maintain functionality after implantation. This review highlights a number of promising prevascularization design approaches for introducing vasculature into engineered tissues. Although we focus on encouraging blood vessel formation within myocardial implants, we also discuss techniques developed for other tissues that could eventually become relevant to engineered cardiac tissues. Because the ultimate solution to engineered tissue vascularization will require collaboration between wide-ranging disciplines such as developmental biology, tissue engineering, and computational modeling, we explore contributions from each field.

[Attitude towards organ and tissue donation in Europe : Prerequisite for osteochondral allograft treatment].

Science.gov (United States)

Schmidt, S; Schulte, A; Schwarz, S; Hofmann, N; Tietz, S; Boergel, M; Sixt, S U

2017-11-01

The biggest obstacle to overcome for routine treatment of various pathologies with fresh osteochondral allograft is the availability of tissue for transplantation. Large fresh osteochondral allografts are usually harvested from organ donors, but in contrast to organs, tissues can be procured after cardiac arrest. Medical staff as well the general public are much less aware of the possibilities and requirements of tissue donation compared to organ donation. This review aims to highlight the current situation of organ and tissue donation in Europe and to raise this much needed awareness. For this research, PubMed database was scanned using the terms "tissue/organ donation", "bone donation/transplantation", "cartilage transplantation/allografts" and "osteochrondral allografts". Relatives of potential donors are often not approached because physicians and nurses do not feel sufficiently prepared for this task and, thus, are reluctant to address this topic. Different options could alleviate the pressure medical staff is feeling. Furthermore, there are different factors influencing consent that can be addressed to increase donation rates. Currently, a lot of potential concerning musculoskeletal tissue grafts remains unused. Most importantly, families should be encouraged to speak about their potenzial will to donate and educational programs should be established to increase trust in organ and tissue donation and the allocation system and to increase knowledge about the importance of transplantation medicine. But joined efforts of different parts of the medical systems and different organizations involved in tissue transplantation should improve the situation for patients waiting for much needed transplants.

Numerical study of water diffusion in biological tissues using an improved finite difference method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Junzhong; Does, Mark D; Gore, John C

2007-01-01

An improved finite difference (FD) method has been developed in order to calculate the behaviour of the nuclear magnetic resonance signal variations caused by water diffusion in biological tissues more accurately and efficiently. The algorithm converts the conventional image-based finite difference method into a convenient matrix-based approach and includes a revised periodic boundary condition which eliminates the edge effects caused by artificial boundaries in conventional FD methods. Simulated results for some modelled tissues are consistent with analytical solutions for commonly used diffusion-weighted pulse sequences, whereas the improved FD method shows improved efficiency and accuracy. A tightly coupled parallel computing approach was also developed to implement the FD methods to enable large-scale simulations of realistic biological tissues. The potential applications of the improved FD method for understanding diffusion in tissues are also discussed. (note)

Distribution of /sup 125/I-thyroxine in different organs and tissues of dietically obese rats

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hartmann, K.; Voss, C.; Huebner, G. (Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitaet, Greifswald (German Democratic Republic)); Weber, A. (Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universitaet, Greifswald (German Democratic Republic). Radiologische Klinik)

1985-04-01

The distribution of /sup 125/I-thyroxine (% dose/g tissue; tissue/plasma radioactivity ratio) was investigated in different tissues of 28-week-old obese Wistar rats. Obesity was induced by high-fat diet (HFD) and confirmed by carcass analysis; in heavy obese animals the relative and absolute fat content is increased twofold and threefold, respectively, compared to control rats fed on a low-fat diet (LFD). Heavy HFD rats exhibit diminished /sup 125/I-T/sub 4/ distribution in the 'slow pool' (fat tissue, muscle) and unchanged values in the 'fast pool' (liver, kidneys) in comparison with LFD rats with low body weight. The differences in distribution presented here are not caused by the diet per se, but they are the consequence of the obesity of the animal, because no differences in the /sup 125/I-T/sub 4/ distribution were found in the /sup 125/I-T/sub 4/ between HFD and LFD rats with relatively equal body weight and body composition. The reduced T/sub 4/ distribution in the fat tissue of obese rats is discussed in connection with possibly decreased lipolysis in this tissue and possible causal participation in the beginning of obesity.

Periodontal tissue engineering strategies based on nonoral stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Requicha, João Filipe; Viegas, Carlos Alberto; Muñoz, Fernando; Reis, Rui Luís; Gomes, Manuela Estima

2014-01-01

Periodontal disease is an inflammatory disease which constitutes an important health problem in humans due to its enormous prevalence and life threatening implications on systemic health. Routine standard periodontal treatments include gingival flaps, root planning, application of growth/differentiation factors or filler materials and guided tissue regeneration. However, these treatments have come short on achieving regeneration ad integrum of the periodontium, mainly due to the presence of tissues from different embryonic origins and their complex interactions along the regenerative process. Tissue engineering (TE) aims to regenerate damaged tissue by providing the repair site with a suitable scaffold seeded with sufficient undifferentiated cells and, thus, constitutes a valuable alternative to current therapies for the treatment of periodontal defects. Stem cells from oral and dental origin are known to have potential to regenerate these tissues. Nevertheless, harvesting cells from these sites implies a significant local tissue morbidity and low cell yield, as compared to other anatomical sources of adult multipotent stem cells. This manuscript reviews studies describing the use of non-oral stem cells in tissue engineering strategies, highlighting the importance and potential of these alternative stem cells sources in the development of advanced therapies for periodontal regeneration. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Transforming the energy system: Why municipalities strive for energy self-sufficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Engelken, Maximilian; Römer, Benedikt; Drescher, Marcus; Welpe, Isabell

2016-01-01

Despite evidence that a rising number of municipalities in Germany are striving for energy self-sufficiency, there is little understanding of the driving factors behind this development. We investigate economic, ecological, social and energy system related factors that drive municipalities to strive for energy self-sufficiency with a focus on electricity supply. The empirical data for this study is based on insights generated through expert interviews (N =19) with mayors, energy experts and scientists as well as a quantitative study among mayors and energy officers (N =109) of German municipalities. Results show that environmental awareness, tax revenues and greater independence from private utilities are positively related to the mayors’ attitude towards the realization of energy self-sufficiency. Furthermore, citizens, the political environment, the mayor's political power, and his/her financial resources are relevant factors for a municipality striving for energy self-sufficiency. Policymakers need to decide whether or not to support mayors in this development. For suitable policy interventions, the results suggest the importance of an integrated approach that considers a combination of identified factors. Finally, we propose a morphological box to structure different aspects of energy self-sufficiency and categorize the present study. - Highlights: • Municipalities striving for energy self-sufficiency can play a key role in the transition of the energy system. • Tax revenues and environmental awareness main drivers behind mayors’ attitude towards energy self-sufficiency. • Citizens and the political environment main influencers of mayors striving for energy self-sufficiency. • 19 expert interviews analyzed for the framework of the study based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB). • 109 mayors and energy officers participated in the quantitative main survey.

Different methods of dentin processing for application in bone tissue engineering: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabatabaei, Fahimeh Sadat; Tatari, Saeed; Samadi, Ramin; Moharamzadeh, Keyvan

2016-10-01

Dentin has become an interesting potential biomaterial for tissue engineering of oral hard tissues. It can be used as a scaffold or as a source of growth factors in bone tissue engineering. Different forms of dentin have been studied for their potential use as bone substitutes. Here, we systematically review different methods of dentin preparation and the efficacy of processed dentin in bone tissue engineering. An electronic search was carried out in PubMed and Scopus databases for articles published from 2000 to 2016. Studies on dentin preparation for application in bone tissue engineering were selected. The initial search yielded a total of 1045 articles, of which 37 were finally selected. Review of studies showed that demineralization was the most commonly used dentin preparation process for use in tissue engineering. Dentin extract, dentin particles (tooth ash), freeze-dried dentin, and denatured dentin are others method of dentin preparation. Based on our literature review, we can conclude that preparation procedure and the size and shape of dentin particles play an important role in its osteoinductive and osteoconductive properties. Standardization of these methods is important to draw a conclusion in this regard. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2616-2627, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The Effects of Simple Necessity and Sufficiency Relationships on Children's Causal Inferences

Science.gov (United States)

Siegler, Robert S.

1976-01-01

Attempted to determine (1) whether developmental differences existed in children's comprehension of simple necessity and simple sufficiency relationships, and (2) the source of developmental differences in children's causal reasoning. (SB)

The need for a sufficient number of low level sera in comparisons of different serum vitamin B12 assays

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gijzen, A.H.J.; Kock, H.W. de; Meulendijk, P.N.; Schmidt, N.A.; Schopman, W.; Tertoolen, J.F.W.; Voogd, C.E.

1983-01-01

Eight radiochemical methods for the assay of vitamin B 12 in serum were compared with the microbiological assay with Lactobacillus leichmannii ATCC 7830 using 198 individual sera of patients. There was a good agreement between the results of most samples with some kits and the microbiological assay. However, especially in the sera of vitamin B 12 -deficient patients large discrepancies between the results could occur. These variations were due to both the kits used and the performance of the assays in different laboratories. A sufficient number of non-pooled sera of vitamin B 12 -deficient patients should be included in investigations to validate radiochemical methods. (Auth.)

Microbial Communities in Different Tissues of Atta sexdens rubropilosa Leaf-cutting Ants.

Science.gov (United States)

Vieira, Alexsandro S; Ramalho, Manuela O; Martins, Cintia; Martins, Vanderlei G; Bueno, Odair C

2017-10-01

Bacterial endosymbionts are common in all insects, and symbiosis has played an integral role in ant evolution. Atta sexdens rubropilosa leaf-cutting ants cultivate their symbiotic fungus using fresh leaves. They need to defend themselves and their brood against diseases, but they also need to defend their obligate fungus gardens, their primary food source, from infection, parasitism, and usurpation by competitors. This study aimed to characterize the microbial communities in whole workers and different tissues of A. sexdens rubropilosa queens using Ion Torrent NGS. Our results showed that the microbial community in the midgut differs in abundance and diversity from the communities in the postpharyngeal gland of the queen and in whole workers. The main microbial orders in whole workers were Lactobacillales, Clostridiales, Enterobacteriales, Actinomycetales, Burkholderiales, and Bacillales. In the tissues of the queens, the main orders were Burkholderiales, Clostridiales, Syntrophobacterales, Lactobacillales, Bacillales, and Actinomycetales (midgut) and Entomoplasmatales, unclassified γ-proteobacteria, and Actinomycetales (postpharyngeal glands). The high abundance of Entomoplasmatales in the postpharyngeal glands (77%) of the queens was an unprecedented finding. We discuss the role of microbial communities in different tissues and castes. Bacteria are likely to play a role in nutrition and immune defense as well as helping antimicrobial defense in this ant species.

Antimicrobial activity of different tissues of snakehead fish Channa striatus (Bloch

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pravin Kumar N

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Objective: The aim of this study was to identify the presence of antimicrobial activity in different organs/tissues (gills, blood, skin, liver, intestine, kidney, tissue and ovary extract of snakehead fish Channa striatus. Methods: A total of 48 fractions from the organs and tissue extracts were obtained by solid-phase extraction and the fractions were assayed for antimicrobial activity. The screening of antimicrobial activity for all the fractions were tested against 8 human pathogens including Gram positive (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Gram negative bacteria (Salmonella enteritidis, Shigella flexneri, Acinetobacter baumanni, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae using the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (BSAC standardized disc susceptibility test method. The activity was measured in terms of zone of inhibition in mm. Results: The results indicated that, among the 8 organs/tissues tested only blood and gills extract fractions (40 and 60 % ACN fraction showed inhibition against Escherichia coli and 60 % ACN fraction of gill extract showed inhibition against Salmonella enteritidis. Protein profile analysis by SDS-PAGE showed that antimicrobial activity of the partially purified blood and gill tissue extracts might be due to low molecular weight peptides. Conclusions: The present study showed that, gill and blood extracts of Channa striatus can be a potential source of an antimicrobial protein for specific human pathogens.

Sonic hedgehog in the notochord is sufficient for patterning of the intervertebral discs.

Science.gov (United States)

Choi, Kyung-Suk; Lee, Chanmi; Harfe, Brian D

2012-01-01

The intervertebral discs, located between adjacent vertebrae, are required for stability of the spine and distributing mechanical load throughout the vertebral column. All cell types located in the middle regions of the discs, called nuclei pulposi, are derived from the embryonic notochord. Recently, it was shown that the hedgehog signaling pathway plays an essential role during formation of nuclei pulposi. However, during the time that nuclei pulposi are forming, Shh is expressed in both the notochord and the nearby floor plate. To determine the source of SHH protein sufficient for formation of nuclei pulposi we removed Shh from either the floor plate or the notochord using tamoxifen-inducible Cre alleles. Removal of Shh from the floor plate resulted in phenotypically normal intervertebral discs, indicating that Shh expression in this tissue is not required for disc patterning. In addition, embryos that lacked Shh in the floor plate had normal vertebral columns, demonstrating that Shh expression in the notochord is sufficient for pattering the entire vertebral column. Removal of Shh from the notochord resulted in the absence of Shh in the floor plate, loss of intervertebral discs and vertebral structures. These data indicate that Shh expression in the notochord is sufficient for patterning of the intervertebral discs and the vertebral column. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adipose tissue endocannabinoid system gene expression: depot differences and effects of diet and exercise

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Rongze

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Alterations of endocannabinoid system in adipose tissue play an important role in lipid regulation and metabolic dysfunction associated with obesity. The purpose of this study was to determine whether gene expression levels of cannabinoid type 1 receptor (CB1 and fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH are different in subcutaneous abdominal and gluteal adipose tissue, and whether hypocaloric diet and aerobic exercise influence subcutaneous adipose tissue CB1 and FAAH gene expression in obese women. Methods Thirty overweight or obese, middle-aged women (BMI = 34.3 ± 0.8 kg/m2, age = 59 ± 1 years underwent one of three 20-week weight loss interventions: caloric restriction only (CR, N = 9, caloric restriction plus moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (CRM, 45-50% HRR, N = 13, or caloric restriction plus vigorous-intensity aerobic exercise (CRV, 70-75% HRR, N = 8. Subcutaneous abdominal and gluteal adipose tissue samples were collected before and after the interventions to measure CB1 and FAAH gene expression. Results At baseline, FAAH gene expression was higher in abdominal, compared to gluteal adipose tissue (2.08 ± 0.11 vs. 1.78 ± 0.10, expressed as target gene/β-actin mRNA ratio × 10-3, P Conclusions There are depot differences in subcutaneous adipose tissue endocannabinoid system gene expression in obese individuals. Aerobic exercise training may preferentially modulate abdominal adipose tissue endocannabinoid-related gene expression during dietary weight loss. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00664729.

Automatic method for selective enhancement of different tissue densities at digital chest radiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McNitt-Gray, M.F.; Taira, R.K.; Eldredge, S.L.; Razavi, M.

1991-01-01

This paper reports that digital chest radiographs often are too bright and/or lack contrast when viewed on a video display. The authors have developed a method that can automatically provide a series of look-up tables that selectively enhance the radiographically soft or dense tissues on a digital chest radiograph. This reduces viewer interaction and improves displayed image quality. On the basis of a histogram analysis, gray-level ranges are approximated for the patient background, radiographically soft tissues, and radiographically dense tissues. A series of look-up tables is automatically created by varying the contrast in each range to achieve a level of enhancement for a selected tissue range. This is repeated for differing amounts of enhancement and for each tissue range. This allows the viewer to interactively select a tissue density range and degree of enhancement at the time of display via precalculated look-up tables. Preclinical trials in pediatric radiology using computed radiography images show that this method reduces viewer interaction and improves or maintains the displayed image quality

The Relationship between Organizational Support Perceptions and Self-Sufficiencies of Logistics Sector Employees

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sefer Gumus

2016-01-01

Full Text Available This study was performed in order to examine the relationship between organizational support perceptions and self-sufficiency levels of logistics sector employees and to determine whether organizational support perceptions and self-sufficiency levels of employees differ according to some specification. The questionnaire form consisting of perceived organizational support scale in accordance with the purpose, general self-sufficiency scale and personal information form, was applied to 124 employees of 3 separate logistics firms operating in Istanbul. The data obtained from the questionnaire were analyzed using SPSS17.0 statistical software package on computer. In the assessment of data, descriptive characteristics of employees were determined by frequency and percentage statistics and the self-sufficiency and perceived organizational support levels by the mean and standard deviation statistics. The t test, Tukey test and one-way Anova tests were utilized in determining employees' self-sufficiency and perceived organizational support levels differentiation according to descriptive characteristics, and correlation analysis was utilized in determining the relationship between self-sufficiency and perceived organizational support levels of employees. In conclusion, it was determined that there was statistical relationship between organizational support and self-sufficiency levels perceived by logistics sector employees. Accordingly, when employees' perceived organizational support levels increase then self-sufficiency levels also increase, and when perceived organizational support levels decrease then self-sufficiency levels also decrease.

How, When, and Where? Assessing Renewable Energy Self-Sufficiency at the Neighborhood Level.

Science.gov (United States)

Grosspietsch, David; Thömmes, Philippe; Girod, Bastien; Hoffmann, Volker H

2018-02-20

Self-sufficient decentralized systems challenge the centralized energy paradigm. Although scholars have assessed specific locations and technological aspects, it remains unclear how, when, and where energy self-sufficiency could become competitive. To address this gap, we develop a techno-economic model for energy self-sufficient neighborhoods that integrates solar photovoltaics (PV), conversion, and storage technologies. We assess the cost of 100% self-sufficiency for both electricity and heat, comparing different technical configurations for a stylized neighborhood in Switzerland and juxtaposing these findings with projections on market and technology development. We then broaden the scope and vary the neighborhood's composition (residential share) and geographic position (along different latitudes). Regarding how to design self-sufficient neighborhoods, we find two promising technical configurations. The "PV-battery-hydrogen" configuration is projected to outperform a fossil-fueled and grid-connected reference configuration when energy prices increase by 2.5% annually and cost reductions in hydrogen-related technologies by a factor of 2 are achieved. The "PV-battery" configuration would allow achieving parity with the reference configuration sooner, at 21% cost reduction. Additionally, more cost-efficient deployment is found in neighborhoods where the end-use is small commercial or mixed and in regions where seasonal fluctuations are low and thus allow for reducing storage requirements.

Spinal Tissue Loading Created by Different Methods of Spinal Manipulative Therapy Application.

Science.gov (United States)

Funabashi, Martha; Nougarou, François; Descarreaux, Martin; Prasad, Narasimha; Kawchuk, Gregory N

2017-05-01

Comparative study using robotic replication of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) vertebral kinematics together with serial dissection. The aim of this study was to quantify loads created in cadaveric spinal tissues arising from three different forms of SMT application. There exist many distinct methods by which to apply SMT. It is not known presently whether different forms of SMT application have different effects on spinal tissues. Should the method of SMT application modulate spinal tissue loading, quantifying this relation may help explain the varied outcomes of SMT in terms of effect and safety. SMT was applied to the third lumbar vertebra in 12 porcine cadavers using three SMT techniques: a clinical device that applies forces through a hand-held instrument (INST), a manual technique of applying SMT clinically (MAN) and a research device that applies parameters of manual SMT through a servo-controlled linear actuator motor (SERVO). The resulting kinematics from each SMT application were tracked optically via indwelling bone pins. The L3/L4 segment was then removed, mounted in a parallel robot and the resulting kinematics from SMT replayed for each SMT application technique. Serial dissection of spinal structures was conducted to quantify loading characteristics of discrete spinal tissues. In terms of load magnitude, SMT application with MAN and SERVO created greater forces than INST in all conditions (P < 0.05). Additionally, MAN and SERVO created comparable posterior forces in the intact specimen, but MAN created greater posterior forces on IVD structures compared to SERVO (P < 0.05). Specific methods of SMT application create unique vertebral loading characteristics, which may help explain the varied outcomes of SMT in terms of effect and safety. N/A.

The feasibility and challenges of energy self-sufficient wastewater treatment plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gu, Yifan; Li, Yue; Li, Xuyao; Luo, Pengzhou; Wang, Hongtao; Robinson, Zoe P.; Wang, Xin; Wu, Jiang; Li, Fengting

2017-01-01

Highlights: •Various influencing factors of energy use in WWTPs are characterized. •Benchmark energy consumption in WWTPs in different countries are highlighted. •Energy recovery or saving technologies in WWTPs are summarized. •Recent advances in optimization of energy recovery technologies are highlighted. •Feasibility and challenges of energy self-sufficient WWTPs are explored. -- Abstract: Energy efficiency optimization is crucial for wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) because of increasing energy costs and concerns about global climate change. Energy efficiency optimization can be achieved through a combination of energy recovery from the wastewater treatment process and energy saving-related technologies. Through these two approaches energy self-sufficiency of WWTPs is achievable, and research is underway to reduce operation costs and energy consumption and to achieve carbon neutrality. In this paper, we analyze energy consumption and recovery in WWTPs and characterize the factors that influence energy use in WWTPs, including treatment techniques, treatment capacities, and regional differences. Recent advances in the optimization of energy recovery technologies and theoretical analysis models for the analysis of different technological solutions are presented. Despite some challenges in implementation, such as technological barriers and high investment costs, particularly in developing countries, this paper highlights the potential for more energy self-sufficient WWTPs to be established in the future.

Aluminum concentrations in central and peripheral areas of malignant breast lesions do not differ from those in normal breast tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodrigues-Peres, Raquel Mary; Cadore, Solange; Febraio, Stefanny; Heinrich, Juliana Karina; Serra, Katia Piton; Derchain, Sophie F M; Vassallo, Jose; Sarian, Luis Otavio

2013-01-01

Aluminum is used in a wide range of applications and is a potential environmental hazard. The known genotoxic effects of aluminum might play a role in the development of breast cancer. However, the data currently available on the subject are not sufficient to establish a causal relationship between aluminum exposure and the augmented risk of developing breast cancer. To achieve maximum sensitivity and specificity in the determination of aluminum levels, we have developed a detection protocol using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The objective of the present study was to compare the aluminum levels in the central and peripheral areas of breast carcinomas with those in the adjacent normal breast tissues, and to identify patient and/or tumor characteristics associated with these aluminum levels. A total of 176 patients with breast cancer were included in the study. Samples from the central and peripheral areas of their tumors were obtained, as well as from the surrounding normal breast tissue. Aluminum quantification was performed using GFAAS. The average (mean ± SD) aluminum concentrations were as follows: central area, 1.88 ± 3.60 mg/kg; peripheral area, 2.10 ± 5.67 mg/kg; and normal area, 1.68 ± 11.1 mg/kg. Overall and two-by-two comparisons of the aluminum concentrations in these areas indicated no significant differences. We detected a positive relationship between aluminum levels in the peripheral areas of the tumors, age and menopausal status of the patients (P = .02). Using a sensitive quantification technique we detected similar aluminum concentrations in the central and peripheral regions of breast tumors, and in normal tissues. In addition, we did not detect significant differences in aluminum concentrations as related to the location of the breast tumor within the breast, or to other relevant tumor features such as stage, size and steroid receptor status. The next logical step is the assessment of whether the aluminum

An experimental study on the mechanical properties of rat brain tissue using different stress-strain definitions.

Science.gov (United States)

Karimi, Alireza; Navidbakhsh, Mahdi

2014-07-01

There are different stress-strain definitions to measure the mechanical properties of the brain tissue. However, there is no agreement as to which stress-strain definition should be employed to measure the mechanical properties of the brain tissue at both the longitudinal and circumferential directions. It is worth knowing that an optimize stress-strain definition of the brain tissue at different loading directions may have implications for neuronavigation and surgery simulation through haptic devices. This study is aimed to conduct a comparative study on different results are given by the various definitions of stress-strain and to recommend a specific definition when testing brain tissues. Prepared cylindrical samples are excised from the parietal lobes of rats' brains and experimentally tested by applying load on both the longitudinal and circumferential directions. Three stress definitions (second Piola-Kichhoff stress, engineering stress, and true stress) and four strain definitions (Almansi-Hamel strain, Green-St. Venant strain, engineering strain, and true strain) are used to determine the elastic modulus, maximum stress and strain. The highest non-linear stress-strain relation is observed for the Almansi-Hamel strain definition and it may overestimate the elastic modulus at different stress definitions at both the longitudinal and circumferential directions. The Green-St. Venant strain definition fails to address the non-linear stress-strain relation using different definitions of stress and triggers an underestimation of the elastic modulus. The results suggest the application of the true stress-true strain definition for characterization of the brain tissues mechanics since it gives more accurate measurements of the tissue's response using the instantaneous values.

Are there sex differences in Fetal Abdominal Subcutaneous Tissue (FAST) measurements?

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Farah, Nadine

2012-02-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine if Fetal Abdominal Subcutaneous Tissue (FAST) measurements using antenatal ultrasound differ between male and female fetuses. STUDY DESIGN: Women who had an ultrasound examination for fetal growth between 20 and 40 weeks gestation were studied. Women with diabetes mellitus were excluded. The fetal anterior abdominal subcutaneous tissue was measured on the anterior abdominal wall in millimetres anterior to the margins of the ribs, using magnification at the level of the abdominal circumference. The fetal sex was recorded after delivery. RESULTS: A total of 557 fetuses were measured, 290 male and 267 female. The FAST measurements increased with gestational age. The FAST increased at the same rate for both male and female fetuses and at any given week there was no sex difference. CONCLUSIONS: The increased fat composition in females reported after birth was not found in abdominal wall subcutaneous fat measurements using ultrasound during pregnancy. Antenatal centile charts for FAST do not need to be based on sex.

Vitrification of human ovarian tissue: effect of different solutions and procedures.

Science.gov (United States)

Amorim, Christiani Andrade; David, Anu; Van Langendonckt, Anne; Dolmans, Marie-Madeleine; Donnez, Jacques

2011-03-01

To test the effect of different vitrification solutions and procedures on the morphology of human preantral follicles. Pilot study. Gynecology research unit in a university hospital. Ovarian biopsies were obtained from nine women aged 22-35 years. Ovarian tissue fragments were subjected to [1] different vitrification solutions to test their toxicity or [2] different vitrification methods using plastic straws, medium droplets, or solid-surface vitrification before in vitro culture. Number of morphologically normal follicles after toxicity testing or vitrification with the different treatments determined by histologic analysis. In the toxicity tests, only VS3 showed similar results to fresh tissue before and after in vitro culture (fresh controls 1 and 2). In addition, this was the only solution able to completely vitrify. In all vitrification procedures, the percentage of normal follicles was lower than in controls. However, of the three protocols, the droplet method yielded a significantly higher proportion of normal follicles. Our experiments showed VS3 to have no deleterious effect on follicular morphology and to be able to completely vitrify, although vitrification procedures were found to affect human follicles. Nevertheless, the droplet method resulted in a higher percentage of morphologically normal follicles. Copyright © 2011 American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Changes in the endopolyploidy pattern of different tissues in diploid and tetraploid Phalaenopsis aphrodite subsp. formosana (Orchidaceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wen-Huei; Tang, Ching-Yan; Lin, Tsai-Yun; Weng, Yuan-Chen; Kao, Yu-Lin

2011-07-01

Endopolyploidy is frequently observed during development in plant species. Patterns of endopolyploidy are diverse in the various organs of different plant species. However, little is known about the role of endopolyploidization and its significance in orchids. This study was undertaken to determine the extent of endopolyploidy in different tissues of the diploid and tetraploid genotypes of Phalaenopsis aphrodite subsp. formosana and to examine the factors that contribute to increased ploidy levels. Endopolyploidy occurs in various tissues of diploid and tetraploid orchids, at different developmental stages and under different culture conditions, as determined by flow cytometry. In this study, different patterns of endopolyploidy were observed in parts of the protocorms, leaves, roots and flowers. Endopolyploidy was found in all tissues studied except the pollinia and the tetraploid ovaries. A higher degree of endopolyploidy was observed in mature tissues compared to young tissues, greenhouse-grown plants compared to in vitro plants and diploid plants compared to tetraploid plants. We discuss the relationships between endopolyploidization and several factors related to plant growth, as well as some practical considerations of these findings. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sufficiency does energy consumption become a moral issue?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muller, Adrian (Socio-economic Inst. and Univ. Research Priority Programme in Ethics, Univ. of Zuerich, Zuerich (Switzerland))

2009-07-01

Reducing the externalities from energy use is crucial for sustainability. There are basically four ways to reduce externalities from energy use: increasing technical efficiency ('energy input per unit energy service'), increasing economic efficiency ('internalising external costs'), using 'clean' energy sources with few externalities, or sufficiency ('identifying 'optimal' energy service levels'). A combination of those strategies is most promising for sustainable energy systems. However, the debate on sustainable energy is dominated by efficiency and clean energy strategies, while sufficiency plays a minor role. Efficiency and clean energy face several problems, though. Thus, the current debate should be complemented with a critical discussion of sufficiency. In this paper, I develop a concept of sufficiency, which is adequate for liberal societies. I focus on ethical foundations for sufficiency, as the discussion of such is missing or cursory only in the existing literature. I first show that many examples of sufficiency can be understood as (economic) efficiency, but that the two concepts do not coincide. I then show that sufficiency based on moralization of actions can be understood as implementation of the boundary conditions for social justice that come with notions of liberal societies, in particular the duty not to harm other people. By this, to increase sufficiency becomes a duty beyond individual taste. I further illustrate this in the context of the adverse effects of climate change as externalities from energy use.

Human endothelial colony-forming cells expanded with an improved protocol are a useful endothelial cell source for scaffold-based tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Denecke, Bernd; Horsch, Liska D; Radtke, Stefan; Fischer, Johannes C; Horn, Peter A; Giebel, Bernd

2015-11-01

One of the major challenges in tissue engineering is to supply larger three-dimensional (3D) bioengineered tissue transplants with sufficient amounts of nutrients and oxygen and to allow metabolite removal. Consequently, artificial vascularization strategies of such transplants are desired. One strategy focuses on endothelial cells capable of initiating new vessel formation, which are settled on scaffolds commonly used in tissue engineering. A bottleneck in this strategy is to obtain sufficient amounts of endothelial cells, as they can be harvested only in small quantities directly from human tissues. Thus, protocols are required to expand appropriate cells in sufficient amounts without interfering with their capability to settle on scaffold materials and to initiate vessel formation. Here, we analysed whether umbilical cord blood (CB)-derived endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs) fulfil these requirements. In a first set of experiments, we showed that marginally expanded ECFCs settle and survive on different scaffold biomaterials. Next, we improved ECFC culture conditions and developed a protocol for ECFC expansion compatible with 'Good Manufacturing Practice' (GMP) standards. We replaced animal sera with human platelet lysates and used a novel type of tissue-culture ware. ECFCs cultured under the new conditions revealed significantly lower apoptosis and increased proliferation rates. Simultaneously, their viability was increased. Since extensively expanded ECFCs could still settle on scaffold biomaterials and were able to form tubular structures in Matrigel assays, we conclude that these ex vivo-expanded ECFCs are a novel, very potent cell source for scaffold-based tissue engineering. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

An in vitro evaluation of the degree of pulp tissue dissolution through different root canal irrigation protocols.

Science.gov (United States)

Amato, Massimo; Pantaleo, Giuseppe; Abtellatif, Dina; Blasi, Andrea; Gagliani, Massimo; Iandolo, Alfredo

2018-01-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate in vitro , using artificial lateral canals, the rate of dissolution of the pulp tissue through different protocols of canal irrigation. One hundred artificial canals provided with lateral canals have been used. Each lateral canal was filled with pulp tissue and calibrated to 0.002 mg. All canals were irrigated using five different protocols. Five groups have been used for the experiment: Group A, distilled water (control); Group B, preheated NaOCl; Group C, NaOCl heated inside the canal; Group D, NaOCl ultrasonically activated; and Group E, NaOCl heated inside the canal with ultrasonic activation. All samples were weighed through professional microbalance in three different phases: before insertion of the pulp tissue into the lateral canal, after insertion of the pulp tissue and, finally, after different protocols of irrigation. A statistical analysis with Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney test was performed. The partial dissolution of the pulp tissue inside the artificial lateral canal occurs only using the protocol with NaOCl heated inside the canal with ultrasonic activation. Other irrigation protocols are not able to dissolve the pulp tissue. The main objective of endodontic therapy is the removal of damaged tissues and bacteria. Modern literature highlights that it is impossible to remove all the pulp tissues and bacteria from the whole endodontic space. Hence, to achieve excellence and get positive results in the short and long term, it is necessary to use techniques and technologies that may increase the degree of root canal detersion.

Connective Tissue Characteristics around Healing Abutments of Different Geometries: New Methodological Technique under Circularly Polarized Light.

Science.gov (United States)

Delgado-Ruiz, Rafael Arcesio; Calvo-Guirado, Jose Luis; Abboud, Marcus; Ramirez-Fernandez, Maria Piedad; Maté-Sánchez de Val, José Eduardo; Negri, Bruno; Gomez-Moreno, Gerardo; Markovic, Aleksa

2015-08-01

To describe contact, thickness, density, and orientation of connective tissue fibers around healing abutments of different geometries by means of a new method using coordinates. Following the bilateral extraction of mandibular premolars (P2, P3, and P4) from six fox hound dogs and a 2-month healing period, 36 titanium implants were inserted, onto which two groups of healing abutments of different geometry were screwed: Group A (concave abutments) and Group B (wider healing abutment). After 3 months the animals were sacrificed and samples extracted containing each implant and surrounding soft and hard tissues. Histological analysis was performed without decalcifying the samples by means of circularly polarized light under optical microscope and a system of vertical and horizontal coordinates across all the connective tissue in an area delimited by the implant/abutment, epithelium, and bone tissue. In no case had the connective tissue formed a connection to the healing abutment/implant in the internal zone; a space of 35 ± 10 μm separated the connective tissue fibers from the healing abutment surface. The total thickness of connective tissue in the horizontal direction was significantly greater in the medial zone in Group B than in Group A (p connective tissue thickness. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Digital tissue and what it may reveal about the brain.

Science.gov (United States)

Morgan, Josh L; Lichtman, Jeff W

2017-10-30

Imaging as a means of scientific data storage has evolved rapidly over the past century from hand drawings, to photography, to digital images. Only recently can sufficiently large datasets be acquired, stored, and processed such that tissue digitization can actually reveal more than direct observation of tissue. One field where this transformation is occurring is connectomics: the mapping of neural connections in large volumes of digitized brain tissue.

A new test phantom with different breast tissue compositions for image quality assessment in conventional and digital mammography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pachoud, Marc; Lepori, D; Valley, Jean-Francois; Verdun, Francis R

2004-01-01

Our objective is to describe a new test phantom that permits the objective assessment of image quality in conventional and digital mammography for different types of breast tissue. A test phantom, designed to represent a compressed breast, was made from tissue equivalent materials. Three separate regions, with different breast tissue compositions, are used to evaluate low and high contrast resolution, spatial resolution and image noise. The phantom was imaged over a range of kV using a Contour 2000 (Bennett) mammography unit with a Kodak MinR 2190-MinR L screen-film combination and a Senograph 2000D (General Electric) digital mammography unit. Objective image quality assessments for different breast tissue compositions were performed using the phantom for conventional and digital mammography. For a similar mean glandular dose (MGD), the digital system gives a significantly higher contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) than the screen-film system for 100% glandular tissue. In conclusion, in mammography, a range of exposure conditions is used for imaging because of the different breast tissue compositions encountered clinically. Ideally, the patient dose-image quality relationship should be optimized over the range of exposure conditions. The test phantom presented in this work permits image quality parameters to be evaluated objectively for three different types of breast tissue. Thus, it is a useful tool for optimizing the patient dose-image quality relationship

Analysis of Neurotransmitter Tissue Content of Drosophila melanogaster in Different Life Stages

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Drosophila melanogaster is a widely used model organism for studying neurological diseases with similar neurotransmission to mammals. While both larva and adult Drosophila have central nervous systems, not much is known about how neurotransmitter tissue content changes through development. In this study, we quantified tyramine, serotonin, octopamine, and dopamine in larval, pupal, and adult fly brains using capillary electrophoresis coupled to fast-scan cyclic voltammetry. Tyramine and octopamine content varied between life stages, with almost no octopamine being present in the pupa, while tyramine levels in the pupa were very high. Adult females had significantly higher dopamine content than males, but no other neurotransmitters were dependent on sex in the adult. Understanding the tissue content of different life stages will be beneficial for future work comparing the effects of diseases on tissue content throughout development. PMID:25437353

Noninvasive electrical impedance sensor for in vivo tissue discrimination at radio frequencies.

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Yu; Du, Jun; Yang, Qing; Zhang, Jianxun

2014-09-01

Compared to traditional open surgery, minimally invasive surgery (MIS) allows for a more rapid and less painful recovery. However, the lack of significant haptic feedback in MIS can make tissue discrimination difficult. This paper tests a noninvasive electrical impedance sensor for in vivo discrimination of tissue types in MIS. The sensor consists of two stainless steel spherical electrodes used to measure the impedance spectra over the frequency range of 200 kHz to 5 MHz. The sensor helps ensure free movement on an organ surface and prevents soft tissues from being injured during impedance measurement. Since the recorded electrical impedance is correlated with the force pressed on the electrode and the mechanical property of the tissue, the electrode-tissue contact impedance is calculated theoretically. We show that the standard deviation of the impedance ratio at each frequency point is sufficient to distinguish different tissue types. Both in vitro experiment in a pig kidney and in vivo experiment in rabbit organs were performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the electrical impedance sensor. The experimental results indicated that the sensor, used with the proposed data-processing method, provides accurate and reliable biological tissue discrimination. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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

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J. Rieger

2013-07-01

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

Microdissection of gonadal tissues for gene expression analyses

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jørgensen, Anne; Dalgaard, Marlene Danner; Sonne, Si Brask

2011-01-01

Laser microdissection permits isolation of specific cell types from tissue sections or cell cultures. This may be beneficial when investigating the role of specific cells in a complex tissue or organ. In tissues with easily distinguishable morphology, a simple hematoxylin staining is sufficient...... phosphatase enzyme, such as fetal germ cells, testicular carcinoma in situ cells, and putatively also other early stem cell populations. We have applied these protocols for microdissection of rat Leydig cells, fetal human and zebrafish germ cells, and human testicular germ cell tumors, but the staining...

Characterization of the anisotropic mechanical behavior of human abdominal wall connective tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Astruc, Laure; De Meulaere, Maurice; Witz, Jean-François; Nováček, Vit; Turquier, Frédéric; Hoc, Thierry; Brieu, Mathias

2018-06-01

Abdominal wall sheathing tissues are commonly involved in hernia formation. However, there is very limited work studying mechanics of all tissues from the same donor which prevents a complete understanding of the abdominal wall behavior and the differences in these tissues. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences between the mechanical properties of the linea alba and the anterior and posterior rectus sheaths from a macroscopic point of view. Eight full-thickness human anterior abdominal walls of both genders were collected and longitudinal and transverse samples were harvested from the three sheathing connective tissues. The total of 398 uniaxial tensile tests was conducted and the mechanical characteristics of the behavior (tangent rigidities for small and large deformations) were determined. Statistical comparisons highlighted heterogeneity and non-linearity in behavior of the three tissues under both small and large deformations. High anisotropy was observed under small and large deformations with higher stress in the transverse direction. Variabilities in the mechanical properties of the linea alba according to the gender and location were also identified. Finally, data dispersion correlated with microstructure revealed that macroscopic characterization is not sufficient to fully describe behavior. Microstructure consideration is needed. These results provide a better understanding of the mechanical behavior of the abdominal wall sheathing tissues as well as the directions for microstructure-based constitutive model. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Transcriptional profiling differences for articular cartilage and repair tissue in equine joint surface lesions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stromberg Arnold J

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Full-thickness articular cartilage lesions that reach to the subchondral bone yet are restricted to the chondral compartment usually fill with a fibrocartilage-like repair tissue which is structurally and biomechanically compromised relative to normal articular cartilage. The objective of this study was to evaluate transcriptional differences between chondrocytes of normal articular cartilage and repair tissue cells four months post-microfracture. Methods Bilateral one-cm2 full-thickness defects were made in the articular surface of both distal femurs of four adult horses followed by subchondral microfracture. Four months postoperatively, repair tissue from the lesion site and grossly normal articular cartilage from within the same femorotibial joint were collected. Total RNA was isolated from the tissue samples, linearly amplified, and applied to a 9,413-probe set equine-specific cDNA microarray. Eight paired comparisons matched by limb and horse were made with a dye-swap experimental design with validation by histological analyses and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR. Results Statistical analyses revealed 3,327 (35.3% differentially expressed probe sets. Expression of biomarkers typically associated with normal articular cartilage and fibrocartilage repair tissue corroborate earlier studies. Other changes in gene expression previously unassociated with cartilage repair were also revealed and validated by RT-qPCR. Conclusion The magnitude of divergence in transcriptional profiles between normal chondrocytes and the cells that populate repair tissue reveal substantial functional differences between these two cell populations. At the four-month postoperative time point, the relative deficiency within repair tissue of gene transcripts which typically define articular cartilage indicate that while cells occupying the lesion might be of mesenchymal origin, they have not recapitulated differentiation to

Telomere length differences between subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue in humans

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Lakowa, Nicole; Trieu, Nhu; Flehmig, Gesine [Department of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig (Germany); Lohmann, Tobias [Municipal Clinic Dresden-Neustadt, Dresden (Germany); Schön, Michael R. [Städtisches Klinikum Karlsruhe, Clinic of Visceral Surgery, Karlsruhe (Germany); Dietrich, Arne [Department of Surgery, University of Leipzig, Leipzig (Germany); IFB AdiposityDiseases, University of Leipzig, Leipzig (Germany); Zeplin, Philip Helge; Langer, Stefan [Department of Orthopaedics, Traumatology and Plastic Surgery, University of Leipzig, Leipzig (Germany); Stumvoll, Michael; Blüher, Matthias [Department of Medicine, University of Leipzig, Leipzig (Germany); Klöting, Nora, E-mail: nora.kloeting@medizin.uni-leipzig.de [IFB AdiposityDiseases, Junior Research Group 2 “Animal Models of Obesity”, University of Leipzig, Leipzig (Germany)

2015-02-13

Adipocyte hypertrophy and hyperplasia have been shown to be associated with shorter telomere length, which may reflect aging, altered cell proliferation and adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction. In individuals with obesity, differences in fat distribution and AT cellular composition may contribute to obesity related metabolic diseases. Here, we tested the hypotheses that telomere lengths (TL) are different between: (1) abdominal subcutaneous and omental fat depots, (2) superficial and deep abdominal subcutaneous AT (SAT), and (3) adipocytes and cells of the stromal vascular fraction (SVF). We further asked whether AT TL is related to age, anthropometric and metabolic traits. TL was analyzed by quantitative PCR in total human genomic DNA isolated from paired subcutaneous and visceral AT of 47 lean and 50 obese individuals. In subgroups, we analyzed TL in isolated small and large adipocytes and SVF cells. We find significantly shorter TL in subcutaneous compared to visceral AT (P < 0.001) which is consistent in men and subgroups of lean and obese, and individuals with or without type 2 diabetes (T2D). Shorter TL in SAT is entirely due to shorter TL in the SVF compared to visceral AT (P < 0.01). SAT TL is most strongly correlated with age (r = −0.205, P < 0.05) and independently of age with HbA1c (r = −0.5, P < 0.05). We found significant TL differences between superficial SAT of lean and obese as well as between individuals with our without T2D, but not between the two layers of SAT. Our data indicate that fat depot differences in TL mainly reflect shorter TL of SVF cells. In addition, we found an age and BMI-independent relationship between shorter TL and HbA1c suggesting that chronic hyperglycemia may impair the regenerative capacity of AT more strongly than obesity alone. - Highlights: • Telomere lengths (TL) differ between fat depots mainly due to different lengths in SVF. • TL is not associated with gender, BMI and T2D. • The tendency for

Telomere length differences between subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue in humans

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Lakowa, Nicole; Trieu, Nhu; Flehmig, Gesine; Lohmann, Tobias; Schön, Michael R.; Dietrich, Arne; Zeplin, Philip Helge; Langer, Stefan; Stumvoll, Michael; Blüher, Matthias; Klöting, Nora

2015-01-01

Adipocyte hypertrophy and hyperplasia have been shown to be associated with shorter telomere length, which may reflect aging, altered cell proliferation and adipose tissue (AT) dysfunction. In individuals with obesity, differences in fat distribution and AT cellular composition may contribute to obesity related metabolic diseases. Here, we tested the hypotheses that telomere lengths (TL) are different between: (1) abdominal subcutaneous and omental fat depots, (2) superficial and deep abdominal subcutaneous AT (SAT), and (3) adipocytes and cells of the stromal vascular fraction (SVF). We further asked whether AT TL is related to age, anthropometric and metabolic traits. TL was analyzed by quantitative PCR in total human genomic DNA isolated from paired subcutaneous and visceral AT of 47 lean and 50 obese individuals. In subgroups, we analyzed TL in isolated small and large adipocytes and SVF cells. We find significantly shorter TL in subcutaneous compared to visceral AT (P < 0.001) which is consistent in men and subgroups of lean and obese, and individuals with or without type 2 diabetes (T2D). Shorter TL in SAT is entirely due to shorter TL in the SVF compared to visceral AT (P < 0.01). SAT TL is most strongly correlated with age (r = −0.205, P < 0.05) and independently of age with HbA1c (r = −0.5, P < 0.05). We found significant TL differences between superficial SAT of lean and obese as well as between individuals with our without T2D, but not between the two layers of SAT. Our data indicate that fat depot differences in TL mainly reflect shorter TL of SVF cells. In addition, we found an age and BMI-independent relationship between shorter TL and HbA1c suggesting that chronic hyperglycemia may impair the regenerative capacity of AT more strongly than obesity alone. - Highlights: • Telomere lengths (TL) differ between fat depots mainly due to different lengths in SVF. • TL is not associated with gender, BMI and T2D. • The tendency for

Different sources of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids affects apparent digestibility, tissue deposition, and tissue oxidative stability in growing female rats

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Benedito Vagner A

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Numerous health benefits associated with increased omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA consumption has lead to an increasing variety of available n-3 PUFA sources. However, sources differ in the type, amount, and structural form of the n-3 PUFAs. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the effect of different sources of ω-3 PUFAs on digestibility, tissue deposition, eicosanoid metabolism, and oxidative stability. Methods Female Sprague-Dawley rats (age 28 d were randomly assigned (n = 10/group to be fed a high fat 12% (wt diet consisting of either corn oil (CO or n-3 PUFA rich flaxseed (FO, krill (KO, menhaden (MO, salmon (SO or tuna (TO oil for 8 weeks. Rats were individually housed in metabolic cages to determine fatty acid digestibility. Diet and tissue fatty acid composition was analyzed by gas chromatography and lipid classes using thin layer chromatography. Eicosanoid metabolism was determined by measuring urinary metabolites of 2-series prostaglandins (PGs and thromoboxanes (TXBs using enzyme immunoassays. Oxidative stability was assessed by measuring thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS and total antioxidant capacity (TAC using colorimetric assays. Gene expression of antioxidant defense enzymes was determined by real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR. Results Rats fed KO had significantly lower DHA digestibility and brain DHA incorporation than SO and TO-fed rats. Of the n-3 PUFA sources, rats fed SO and TO had the highest n-3 PUFAs digestibility and in turn, tissue accretion. Higher tissue n-3 LC-PUFAs had no significant effect on 2-series PG and TXB metabolites. Despite higher tissue n-3 LC-PUFA deposition, there was no increase in oxidation susceptibility indicated by no significant increase in TBARS or decrease in TAC and gene expression of antioxidant defense enzymes, in SO or TO-fed rats. Conclusions On the basis that the optimal n-3 PUFA sources should

DYNAMIC SUFFICIENCY OF THE MAGNETICALLY SUSPENDED TRAIN

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V. A. Polyakov

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The basic criterion of the magnetically suspended train's consumer estimation is a quality of its mechanical motion. This motion is realized in unpredictable conditions and, for purposefulness preservation, should adapt to them. Such adaptation is possible only within the limits of system’s dynamic sufficiency. Sufficiency is understood as presence at system of resources, which allow one to realize its demanded motions without violating actual restrictions. Therefore presence of such resources is a necessary condition of preservation of required purposefulness of train's dynamics, and verification of the mentioned sufficiency is the major component of this dynamic research. Methodology. Methods of the set theory are used in work. Desirable and actual approachability spaces of the train are found. The train is considered dynamically sufficient in zones of the specified spaces overlapping. Findings. Within the limits of the accepted treatment of train's dynamic sufficiency, verification of its presence, as well as a stock (or deficiency of preservations can be executed by the search and the subsequent estimation of such overlapping zones. Operatively (directly during motion it can be realized on the train's ODC with use, for example, of computer mathematics system Mathematica. It possesses extensive opportunities of highly efficient and, at the same time, demanding an expense concerning small resources information manipulation. The efficiency of using of created technique is illustrated on an example of vehicle's acceleration research. Calculation is executed with use of the constructed computer model of interaction of an independent traction electromagnetic subsystem of an artifact with its mechanical subsystem. Originality. The technique of verification of the high-speed magnetically suspended train's dynamic sufficiency is developed. The technique is highly efficient, it provides sufficient presentation and demands an expense of the

Differences between time domain and Fourier domain optical coherence tomography in imaging tissues.

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Gao, W; Wu, X

2017-11-01

It has been numerously demonstrated that both time domain and Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) can generate high-resolution depth-resolved images of living tissues and cells. In this work, we compare the common points and differences between two methods when the continuous and random properties of live tissue are taken into account. It is found that when relationships that exist between the scattered light and tissue structures are taken into account, spectral interference measurements in Fourier domain OCT (FDOCT) is more advantageous than interference fringe envelope measurements in time domain OCT (TDOCT) in the cases where continuous property of tissue is taken into account. It is also demonstrated that when random property of tissue is taken into account FDOCT measures the Fourier transform of the spatial correlation function of the refractive index and speckle phenomena will limit the effective limiting imaging resolution in both TDOCT and FDOCT. Finally, the effective limiting resolution of both TDOCT and FDOCT are given which can be used to estimate the effective limiting resolution in various practical applications. © 2017 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2017 Royal Microscopical Society.

[Prostate cancer detection by assessing stiffness of different tissues using shear wave ultrasound elastog- raphy].

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Glybochko, P V; Alyaev, Yu G; Amosov, A V; Krupinov, G E; Ganzha, T M; Vorobev, A V; Lumpov, I S; Semendyaev, R I

2016-08-01

Early detection of prostate cancer (PCa) remains a challenging issue. There are studies underway aimed to develop and implement new methods for prostate cancer screening by tumor imaging and obtaining tissue samples from suspicious areas for morphological examination. One of these new methods is shear wave ultrasound elastography (SWUE). The current literature is lacking sufficient coverage of informativeness and specificity of SWUE in the prostate cancer detection, there is no clear criteria for assessing tissue stiffness at different values of PSA and tumor grade, and in prostate hyperplasia and prostatitis. To evaluate the informativeness and specificity of SWUE compared with other diagnostic methods. SWUE has been used in the Clinic of Urology of Sechenov First MSMU since October 2015. During this period, 302 patients were examined using SWUE. SWUE was performed with Aixplorer ultrasound system (Super Sonic Imagine), which provides a single-stage SWUE imaging with both B-mode and real-time mode. The first group (prospective study) included 134 men aged 47 to 81 years with suspected prostate cancer scheduled to either initial or repeat prostate biopsy. PSA levels ranged from 4 to 24 ng/ml. The second group (retrospective study) comprised 120 men with confirmed prostate cancer and PSA levels between 4 and 90 ng/ml. The third group (the control group), comprised 48 healthy men whose PSA level did not exceed 3 ng/ml. All patients of the groups 1 and 2 underwent a standard comprehensive examination. Patients in group 1 were subsequently subjected to transrectal prostate biopsy guided by localization of areas with abnormal tissue stiffness. PCa was detected in 100 of 134 patients. 217 patients of groups 1 and 2 underwent radical prostatectomy. In 28 of them, the match between the cancer location and differentiation in the removed prostate and SWUE findings before surgery was examined. Contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of pelvic organs was performed in 63

Changes of stable isotopes carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 in different tissues of cattle

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun Fengmei; Yu Hongxia; Wu Wei; Yang Shuming

2009-01-01

Stable isotope analysis is a potential tool for tracing food origin. The stable carbon and nitrogen isotope composition in different tissues of two varieties of cattle under the same culture condition were investigated. δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of different defatted muscle and crude fat, cattle tail hair, blood, liver and feed were determined by isotope ratio mass spectrometry, and statistical analysis was carried out. The results showed that stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen composition was not affected by cattle variety; the δ 13 C values between different defatted muscle, blood, liver and cattle hair were not significantly different, but δ 15 N value in the liver was much higher than other muscle and the δ 13 C values didn't show difference among all the crude fat samples. So these results indicated that isotope fractionation in the various tissue was discrepant. (authors)

Global expression differences and tissue specific expression differences in rice evolution result in two contrasting types of differentially expressed genes

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Horiuchi, Youko; Harushima, Yoshiaki; Fujisawa, Hironori; Mochizuki, Takako; Fujita, Masahiro; Ohyanagi, Hajime; Kurata, Nori

2015-01-01

Since the development of transcriptome analysis systems, many expression evolution studies characterized evolutionary forces acting on gene expression, without explicit discrimination between global expression differences and tissue

The investigation on different light harvesting layers and their sufficient effect on the photovoltaic characteristics in dye sensitized solar cell

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Mohammad Mazloum-Ardakani

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Titanium dioxide-based nanofibers (TiO2 nanofiber were prepared by an electrospinning technique. The electrospun composite fibers were synthesized at different concentrations of titanium isopropoxide (25.35, 50.69, 76.05 wt% and calcinated at different temperatures (450 oC, 650 oC and 850 oC for 2 h. The diameters of nanofibers decreased by increasing the inorganic part of composite nanofibers and principally depicted anatase, anatase- rutile and rutile phases. By increasing temperature from 450 oC to 850 oC, the anatase phase decreased whereas the rutile phase increased. The different optimized TiO2 nanofibers were prepared and utilized as a sufficient scattering layer for the photoanode in dye sensitized solar cells. Then, the electron transport and recombination in TiO2 nanofiber based dye sensitized solar cells (DSSCs was investigated. It was shown that the electron life time in DSSCs with TiO2 nanofibers, as a scattering layer, increases in different photoanode electrodes compared to that on DSSCs based on nanoparticles. As a result, conversion efficiency of 5.6% is realized, which is 55.37% higher than TiO2 photoanodes without addition of nanofibers as a scattering layer.

The Long Road from the Kidney Bazaar: A Commentary on Pakistan’s Progress Towards Self-sufficiency in Organ Transplantation

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Dominique E. Martin

2011-09-01

Full Text Available The dark history of transplant tourism in Pakistan demonstrates the hazards of unregulated cross-border markets in human organs. Trading on existing national and international social inequities, ‘transplant tourism’ offers dubious benefits for transplant recipients and attractive profits to those facilitating the industry at the expense of the world’s poor. The impact of Pakistan’s 2007 Transplantation of Human Organs and Tissue Ordinance and the sustained efforts of transplant professionals and societal groups led by the Sindh Institute of Urology and Transplantation, show that organ trading can be effectively discouraged and equitable programs of organ procurement and transplantation pursued despite multiple challenges. In this paper, the factors that have contributed to Pakistan’s progress towards self-sufficiency in organ transplantation are identified and discussed. The case of Pakistan highlights the need for countries to protect their own organ and tissue providers who may be vulnerable in the global healthcare market. Pakistan provides an excellent example for other countries in the region and throughout the world to consider when regulating their own transplantation programs and considering the pursuit of national self-sufficiency.

Difference in volatile composition between the pericarp tissue and inner tissue of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit

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Numerous studies have reported the volatile profiles in the whole fruit or pericarp tissue of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit; however, information is limited on the volatile composition in the inner tissue and its contribution to tomato aroma. For this, the pericarps and inner tissues of “Money...

Full experimental modelling of a liver tissue mimicking phantom for medical ultrasound studies employing different hydrogels.

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Casciaro, Sergio; Conversano, Francesco; Musio, Stefano; Casciaro, Ernesto; Demitri, Christian; Sannino, Alessandro

2009-04-01

Tissue mimicking phantoms have been widely reported to be an important tool for development, optimisation and performance testing of ultrasound-based diagnostic techniques. In particular, modern applications of tissue mimicking phantoms often include characterisation of the nonlinear behaviour of experimental ultrasound contrast agents. In such cases, the tissue-mimicking materials should be chosen not only based on the values of their density, speed of sound and attenuation coefficient, but also considering their effect on the appearance of "native harmonics" due to nonlinear distortion of ultrasound signal during propagation. In a previous paper it was demonstrated that a cellulose-based hydrogel is suitable to simulate nonlinear acoustical behaviour of liver tissue for thicknesses up to 8 cm. In this paper we present the experimental characterisation of the nonlinear acoustical behaviour of a different polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA)-based hydrogel, in order to assess whether and how it can improve the performances and overcome some limitations of the cellulose-based hydrogel as liver tissue-mimicking material. Samples of pig liver tissue, cellulose-based hydrogel and PEGDA-based hydrogel were insonified in a through-transmission set-up, employing 2.25-MHz pulses with different mechanical index (MI) values. Second harmonic and first harmonic amplitudes were extracted from the spectra of received signals and their difference was then used to compare sample behaviours. Obtained results show how a new more accurate and combined experimental model of linear and nonlinear acoustical behaviour of liver tissue is feasible. In fact, a further confirmation of the cellulose-based hydrogel effectiveness to precisely simulate the liver tissue for penetration depths up to 8 cm was provided, and it was also shown that the employment of the PEGDA-based hydrogel can extend the range of useful tissue-mimicking material thicknesses up to 11 cm, moreover allowing a

[Expression of saponin biosynthesis related genes in different tissues of Panax quinquefolius].

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Wang, Kang-Yu; Liu, Wei-Can; Zhang, Mei-Ping; Zhao, Ming-Zhu; Wang, Yan-Fang; Li, Li; Sun, Chun-Yu; Hu, Ke-Xin; Cong, Yue-Yi; Wang, Yi

2018-01-01

The relationship between saponin content of Panax quinquefolius in different parts of the organization and expression of ginsenoside biosynthesis related gene was obtained by the correlation analysis between saponin content and gene expression. The 14 tissue parts of P. quinquefolius were studied, six saponins in P. quinquefolius. Samples (ginsenoside Rg₁, Re, Rb₁, Rc, Rb₂ and Rd), group saponins and total saponins were determined by high performance liquid chromatography and vanillin-sulfuric acid colorimetric method. Simultaneously, the expression levels of 7 ginsenoside biosynthesis related genes ( SQS, OSC, DS, β-AS, SQE, P450 and FPS ) in different tissues of P. quinquefolius were determined by Real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR. Although 7 kinds of ginsenoside biosynthesis related enzyme gene in the P. quinquefolius involved in ginsenoside synthesis, the expression of β-AS and P450 genes had no significant effect on the content of monosodium saponins, grouping saponins and total saponins, FPS, SQS, OSC, DS and SQE had significant or extremely significant on the contents of single saponins Re, Rg1, Rb1, Rd, group saponin PPD and PPT, total saponin TMS and total saponin TS ( P saponins, grouping saponins and total saponins in P. quinquefolius was affected by the interaction of multiple enzyme genes in the saponin synthesis pathway, the content of saponins in different tissues of P. quinquefolius was determined by the differences in the expression of key enzymes in the biosynthetic pathway. Therefore, this study further clarified that FPS, SQS, OSC, DS and SQE was the key enzyme to control the synthesis of saponins in P. quinquefolius by correlation analysis, the biosynthesis of ginsenosides in P. quinquefolius was regulated by these five kind of enzymes in cluster co-expression of interaction mode. Copyright© by the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association.

Some growth factors in neoplastic tissues of brain tumors of different histological structure

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O. I. Kit

2016-01-01

-β1 (BenderMedSystem, Austria.Results. We have found both common and distinctive features in the content of growth factors in neoplastic tissues of different histological structure and corresponding peritumoral areas. Common metabolic features of glioblastomas, brain metastases and meningiomas include various increase in the level of VEGF-A, VEGF-R1, VEGF-C, IFR-1, IFR-2 and VEGF-C/VEGF-R3 index ratio. Differences included the fact that the level of VEGF-R3 and TGF-β1 did not increase in the benign tumor, while the level of EGF and VEGF-A/VEGF-R1 index ratio were below the control values in contrast to the values of malignant tumors.Conclusions• In the neoplastic tissues of glioblastomas and peritumoral area there is a strong positive correlation between the level of VEGF-A with the level of EGF, IGF-1, IGF-II and TGF-β1.• In the metastatic tissue there is a strong positive correlation between the level of VEGF-A with the level of EGF, IGF-1, IGF-II and TGF-β1. However, correlations had a different nature in the peritumoral zone tissues near to metastases: there was a strong positive correlation of VEGF-A level with TGF-β1 only, while there was a strong negative correlation with the level of IGF-1 and IGF-II, there were no correlations with EGF level.• In meningioma tissues VEGF-A levels correlated only with the level of insulin-like growth factors: there was a strong positive correlation with IGF-1 and IGF-II, correlation has been found with the level of EGF and TGF-β1.• In descending order VEGF-C was detected in glioblastoma tissue, in metastatic tumors, meningiomas, peritumoral zones of glioblastomas and metastases. However, in all of these samples the level of the studied factor significantly exceeded the value in intact brain tissue. VEGFR-3 level was elevated in glioblastoma tissue only. 

Dentine microhardness after different methods for detection and removal of carious dentine tissue

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Fernanda Brandão Mollica

2012-08-01

Full Text Available There are several methods for identifying carious dentinal tissue aiming to avoid removal of healthy dentinal tissue. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to test different methods for the detection of carious dentinal tissue regarding the amount of carious tissue removed and the remaining dentin microhardness after caries removal. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The dentin surfaces of 20 bovine teeth were exposed and half of the surface was protected with nail polish. Cariogenic challenge was performed by immersion in a demineralizing solution for 14 days. After transverse cross-section of the crown, the specimens were divided into four groups (n=10, according to the method used to identify and remove the carious tissue: "Papacárie", Caries-detector dye, DIAGNOdent and Tactile method. After caries removal, the cross-sectional surface was included in acrylic resin and polished. In a microhardness tester, the removed dentin thickness and the Vickers microhardness of the following regions were evaluated: remaining dentin after caries removal and superficial and deep healthy dentin. RESULTS: ANOVA and Tukey's test (α=0.05 were performed, except for DIAGNOdent, which did not detect the presence of caries. Results for removed dentin thickness were: "Papacárie" (424.7±105.0; a, Caries-detector dye (370.5±78.3; ab, Tactile method (322.8±51.5; bc. Results for the remaining dentin microhardness were: "Papacárie" (42.2±10.5; bc, Caries-detector dye (44.6±11.8; abc, Tactile method (24.3±9.0; d. CONCLUSIONS: DIAGNOdent did not detect the presence of carious tissue; Tactile method and "Papacárie" resulted in the least and the most dentinal thickness removal, respectively; Tactile method differed significantly from "Papacárie" and Caries-detector dye in terms of the remaining dentin microhardness, and Tactile method was the one which presented the lowest microhardness values.

Monte Carlo simulation of different positron emitting radionuclides incorporated in a soft tissue volume

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olaya D, H.; Martinez O, S. A.; Sevilla M, A. C.; Vega C, H. R.

2015-10-01

Monte Carlo calculations were carried out where compounds with positron-emitters radionuclides, like FDG ( 18 F), Acetate ( 11 C), and Ammonium ( 13 N), were incorporated into a soft tissue volume, in the aim to estimate the type of particles produced their energies, their mean free paths, and the absorbed dose at different distances with respect to the center of the volume. The volume was modeled with a radius larger than the maximum range of positrons in order to produce 0.511 keV annihilation gamma-ray photons. With the obtained results the equivalent dose, in various organs and tissues able to metabolize different radiopharmaceutical drugs, can be estimated. (Author)

Vaccine procurement and self-sufficiency in developing countries.

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Woodle, D

2000-06-01

This paper discusses the movement toward self-sufficiency in vaccine supply in developing countries (and countries in transition to new economic and political systems) and explains special supply concerns about vaccine as a product class. It traces some history of donor support and programmes aimed at self-financing, then continues with a discussion about self-sufficiency in terms of institutional capacity building. A number of deficiencies commonly found in vaccine procurement and supply in low- and middle-income countries are characterized, and institutional strengthening with procurement technical assistance is described. The paper also provides information about a vaccine procurement manual being developed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Health Organization (WHO) for use in this environment. Two brief case studies are included to illustrate the spectrum of existing capabilities and different approaches to technical assistance aimed at developing or improving vaccine procurement capability. In conclusion, the paper discusses the special nature of vaccine and issues surrounding potential integration and decentralization of vaccine supply systems as part of health sector reform.

Potency testing of mesenchymal stromal cell growth expanded in human platelet lysate from different human tissues.

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Fazzina, R; Iudicone, P; Fioravanti, D; Bonanno, G; Totta, P; Zizzari, I G; Pierelli, L

2016-08-25

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been largely investigated, in the past decade, as potential therapeutic strategies for various acute and chronic pathological conditions. MSCs isolated from different sources, such as bone marrow (BM), umbilical cord tissue (UCT) and adipose tissue (AT), share many biological features, although they may show some differences on cumulative yield, proliferative ability and differentiation potential. The standardization of MSCs growth and their functional amplification is a mandatory objective of cell therapies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cumulative yield and the ex vivo amplification potential of MSCs obtained from various sources and different subjects, using defined culture conditions with a standardized platelet lysate (PL) as growth stimulus. MSCs isolated from BM, UCT and AT and expanded in human PL were compared in terms of cumulative yield and growth potential per gram of starting tissue. MSCs morphology, phenotype, differentiation potential, and immunomodulatory properties were also investigated to evaluate their biological characteristics. The use of standardized PL-based culture conditions resulted in a very low variability of MSC growth. Our data showed that AT has the greater capacity to generate MSC per gram of initial tissue, compared to BM and UCT. However, UCT-MSCs replicated faster than AT-MSCs and BM-MSCs, revealing a greater proliferation capacity of this source irrespective of its lower MSC yield. All MSCs exhibited the typical MSC phenotype and the ability to differentiate into all mesodermal lineages, while BM-MSCs showed the most prominent immunosuppressive effect in vitro. The adoption of standardized culture conditions may help researchers and clinicians to reveal particular characteristics and inter-individual variability of MSCs sourced from different tissues. These data will be beneficial to set the standards for tissue collection and MSCs clinical-scale expansion both for cell banking

Mechanics of Fluid-Filled Interstitial Gaps. I. Modeling Gaps in a Compact Tissue.

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Parent, Serge E; Barua, Debanjan; Winklbauer, Rudolf

2017-08-22

Fluid-filled interstitial gaps are a common feature of compact tissues held together by cell-cell adhesion. Although such gaps can in principle be the result of weak, incomplete cell attachment, adhesion is usually too strong for this to occur. Using a mechanical model of tissue cohesion, we show that, instead, a combination of local prevention of cell adhesion at three-cell junctions by fluidlike extracellular material and a reduction of cortical tension at the gap surface are sufficient to generate stable gaps. The size and shape of these interstitial gaps depends on the mechanical tensions between cells and at gap surfaces, and on the difference between intracellular and interstitial pressures that is related to the volume of the interstitial fluid. As a consequence of the dependence on tension/tension ratios, the presence of gaps does not depend on the absolute strength of cell adhesion, and similar gaps are predicted to occur in tissues of widely differing cohesion. Tissue mechanical parameters can also vary within and between cells of a given tissue, generating asymmetrical gaps. Within limits, these can be approximated by symmetrical gaps. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metabolomics reveals variation and correlation among different tissues of olive (Olea europaea L.

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Rao Guodong

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Metabolites in olives are associated with nutritional value and physiological properties. However, comprehensive information regarding the olive metabolome is limited. In this study, we identified 226 metabolites from three different tissues of olive using a non-targeted metabolomic profiling approach, of which 76 named metabolites were confirmed. Further statistical analysis revealed that these 76 metabolites covered different types of primary metabolism and some of the secondary metabolism pathways. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA statistical assay was performed to calculate the variations within the detected metabolites, and levels of 65 metabolites were differentially expressed in different samples. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA dendrograms showed variations among different tissues that were similar to the metabolite profiles observed in new leaves and fruit. Additionally, 5776 metabolite-metabolite correlations were detected by a Pearson correlation coefficient approach. Screening of the calculated correlations revealed 3136, 3025, and 5184 were determined to metabolites and had significant correlations in three different combinations, respectively. This work provides the first comprehensive metabolomic of olive, which will provide new insights into understanding the olive metabolism, and potentially help advance studies in olive metabolic engineering.

Aluminum concentrations in central and peripheral areas of malignant breast lesions do not differ from those in normal breast tissues

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

Background Aluminum is used in a wide range of applications and is a potential environmental hazard. The known genotoxic effects of aluminum might play a role in the development of breast cancer. However, the data currently available on the subject are not sufficient to establish a causal relationship between aluminum exposure and the augmented risk of developing breast cancer. To achieve maximum sensitivity and specificity in the determination of aluminum levels, we have developed a detection protocol using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry (GFAAS). The objective of the present study was to compare the aluminum levels in the central and peripheral areas of breast carcinomas with those in the adjacent normal breast tissues, and to identify patient and/or tumor characteristics associated with these aluminum levels. Methods A total of 176 patients with breast cancer were included in the study. Samples from the central and peripheral areas of their tumors were obtained, as well as from the surrounding normal breast tissue. Aluminum quantification was performed using GFAAS. Results The average (mean ± SD) aluminum concentrations were as follows: central area, 1.88 ± 3.60 mg/kg; peripheral area, 2.10 ± 5.67 mg/kg; and normal area, 1.68 ± 11.1 mg/kg. Overall and two-by-two comparisons of the aluminum concentrations in these areas indicated no significant differences. We detected a positive relationship between aluminum levels in the peripheral areas of the tumors, age and menopausal status of the patients (P = .02). Conclusions Using a sensitive quantification technique we detected similar aluminum concentrations in the central and peripheral regions of breast tumors, and in normal tissues. In addition, we did not detect significant differences in aluminum concentrations as related to the location of the breast tumor within the breast, or to other relevant tumor features such as stage, size and steroid receptor status. The next

Immunological comparison of the NADH:nitrate reductase from different cucumber tissues

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Jolanta Marciniak

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Soluble nitrate reductase from cucumber roots (Cucumis sativus L. was isolated and purified with blue-Sepharose 4B. Specific antibodies against the NR protein were raised by immunization of a goat. Using polyclonal antibodies anti-NR properties of the nitrate reductase from various cucumber tissues were examined. Experiments showed difference in immuno-logical properties of nitrate reductase (NR from cotyledon roots and leaves.

Optical-Thermal Response of Laser-Irradiated Tissue

CERN Document Server

Welch, Ashley J

2011-01-01

The second edition of 'Optical-Thermal Response of Laser-Irradiated Tissue' maintains the standard of excellence established in the first edition, while adjusting the content to reflect changes in tissue optics and medical applications since 1995. The material concerning light propagation now contains new chapters devoted to electromagnetic theory for coherent light. The material concerning thermal laser-tissue interactions contains a new chapter on pulse ablation of tissue. The medical applications section now includes several new chapters on Optical Coherent Tomography, acoustic imaging, molecular imaging, forensic optics and nerve stimulation. A detailed overview is provided of the optical and thermal response of tissue to laser irradiation along with diagnostic and therapeutic examples including fiber optics. Sufficient theory is included in the book so that it is suitable for a one or two semester graduate or for senior elective courses. Material covered includes: 1. light propagation and diagnostic appl...

Monte Carlo simulation of different positron emitting radionuclides incorporated in a soft tissue volume

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Olaya D, H.; Martinez O, S. A. [Universidad Pedagogica y Tecnologica de Colombia, Grupo de Fisica Nuclear Aplicada y Simulacion, Av. Central del Norte 39-115, 150003 Tunja, Boyaca (Colombia); Sevilla M, A. C. [Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Departamento de Fisica, Grupo CRYOMAG, 111321 Bogota D. C. (Colombia); Vega C, H. R., E-mail: grupo.finuas@uptc.edu.co [Universidad Autonoma de Zacatecas, Unidad Academica de Estudios Nucleares, Cipres No. 10, Fracc. La Penuela, 98060 Zacatecas, Zac. (Mexico)

2015-10-15

Monte Carlo calculations were carried out where compounds with positron-emitters radionuclides, like FDG ({sup 18}F), Acetate ({sup 11}C), and Ammonium ({sup 13}N), were incorporated into a soft tissue volume, in the aim to estimate the type of particles produced their energies, their mean free paths, and the absorbed dose at different distances with respect to the center of the volume. The volume was modeled with a radius larger than the maximum range of positrons in order to produce 0.511 keV annihilation gamma-ray photons. With the obtained results the equivalent dose, in various organs and tissues able to metabolize different radiopharmaceutical drugs, can be estimated. (Author)

The role of mechanical loading in ligament tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Benhardt, Hugh A; Cosgriff-Hernandez, Elizabeth M

2009-12-01

Tissue-engineered ligaments have received growing interest as a promising alternative for ligament reconstruction when traditional transplants are unavailable or fail. Mechanical stimulation was recently identified as a critical component in engineering load-bearing tissues. It is well established that living tissue responds to altered loads through endogenous changes in cellular behavior, tissue organization, and bulk mechanical properties. Without the appropriate biomechanical cues, new tissue formation lacks the necessary collagenous organization and alignment for sufficient load-bearing capacity. Therefore, tissue engineers utilize mechanical conditioning to guide tissue remodeling and improve the performance of ligament grafts. This review provides a comparative analysis of the response of ligament and tendon fibroblasts to mechanical loading in current bioreactor studies. The differential effect of mechanical stimulation on cellular processes such as protease production, matrix protein synthesis, and cell proliferation is examined in the context of tissue engineering design.

Image-based characterization of foamed polymeric tissue scaffolds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mather, Melissa L; Morgan, Stephen P; Crowe, John A; White, Lisa J; Shakesheff, Kevin M; Tai, Hongyun; Howdle, Steven M; Kockenberger, Walter

2008-01-01

Tissue scaffolds are integral to many regenerative medicine therapies, providing suitable environments for tissue regeneration. In order to assess their suitability, methods to routinely and reproducibly characterize scaffolds are needed. Scaffold structures are typically complex, and thus their characterization is far from trivial. The work presented in this paper is centred on the application of the principles of scaffold characterization outlined in guidelines developed by ASTM International. Specifically, this work demonstrates the capabilities of different imaging modalities and analysis techniques used to characterize scaffolds fabricated from poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) using supercritical carbon dioxide. Three structurally different scaffolds were used. The scaffolds were imaged using: scanning electron microscopy, micro x-ray computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and terahertz pulsed imaging. In each case two-dimensional images were obtained from which scaffold properties were determined using image processing. The findings of this work highlight how the chosen imaging modality and image-processing technique can influence the results of scaffold characterization. It is concluded that in order to obtain useful results from image-based scaffold characterization, an imaging methodology providing sufficient contrast and resolution must be used along with robust image segmentation methods to allow intercomparison of results

Different doses of supplemental vitamin D maintain interleukin-5 without altering skeletal muscle strength: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in vitamin D sufficient adults

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Barker Tyler

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Supplemental vitamin D modulates inflammatory cytokines and skeletal muscle function, but results are inconsistent. It is unknown if these inconsistencies are dependent on the supplemental dose of vitamin D. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the influence of different doses of supplemental vitamin D on inflammatory cytokines and muscular strength in young adults. Methods Men (n = 15 and women (n = 15 received a daily placebo or vitamin D supplement (200 or 4000 IU for 28-d during the winter. Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OHD, cytokine concentrations and muscular (leg strength measurements were performed prior to and during supplementation. Statistical significance of data were assessed with a two-way (time, treatment analysis of variance (ANOVA with repeated measures, followed by a Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference to test multiple pairwise comparisons. Results Upon enrollment, 63% of the subjects were vitamin D sufficient (serum 25(OHD ≥ 30 ng/ml. Serum 25(OHD and interleukin (IL-5 decreased (P P P P Conclusion In young adults who were vitamin D sufficient prior to supplementation, we conclude that a low-daily dose of supplemental vitamin D prevents serum 25(OHD and IL-5 concentration decreases, and that muscular strength does not parallel the 25(OHD increase induced by a high-daily dose of supplemental vitamin D. Considering that IL-5 protects against viruses and bacterial infections, these findings could have a broad physiological importance regarding the ability of vitamin D sufficiency to mediate the immune systems protection against infection.

Adenovirus 36 DNA in Adipose Tissue of Patient with Unusual Visceral Obesity

Science.gov (United States)

Salehian, Behrouz; Forman, Stephen J.; Kandeel, Fouad R.; Bruner, Denise E.; He, Jia

2010-01-01

Massive adipose tissue depositions in the abdomen and thorax sufficient to interfere with respiration developed in a patient with multiple medical problems. Biopsy of adipose tissue identified human adenovirus 36 (Adv 36) DNA. Adv 36 causes adipogenesis in animals and humans. Development of massive lipomatosis may be caused by Adv 36. PMID:20409382

Mucosal vaccination by the intranasal route. Nose-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT)-Structure, function and species differences.

Science.gov (United States)

Pabst, Reinhard

2015-08-26

The advantage of mucosal vaccination in viral and bacterial infections in different age groups is of enormous clinical relevance. The advantages and potential hazards of intranasal vaccination have always to be considered. The intranasal route for vaccination is very successful for some antigens. Specific adjuvants are necessary. In the nose of rodents there is a structured lymphoid tissue (nose-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT)). This abbreviation should not be used for nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue, as this includes parts of the tonsils. In children lymphoid tissue is more dispersed in the nose and not concentrated at the bottom of the dorsal nose ducts as in rodents. There are no data on organized lymphoid tissue in the nose of adults. In NALT of rodents there is a unique structure of adhesion molecule expression; the postnatal development and the different composition of T and B lymphocytes in comparison with Peyer's patches document the uniqueness of this lymphoid organ. There is also a mucosa in the nose with antigen-presenting dendritic cells. Thus, it is often unclear whether intranasal vaccination is initiated via NALT or the diffuse nasal mucosa. There are still many open questions e. g., which adjuvant is necessary for a specific virus, bacterium or other allergen, how many doses are critical for an effective nasal vaccination. Species differences are of major importance when extrapolating results from rodents to humans. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subcutaneous and gonadal adipose tissue transcriptome differences in lean and obese female dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Grant, Ryan W; Vester Boler, Brittany M; Ridge, Tonya K; Graves, Thomas K; Swanson, Kelly S

2013-12-01

Canine obesity leads to shortened life span and increased disease incidence. Adipose tissue depots are known to have unique metabolic and gene expression profiles in rodents and humans, but few comparisons of depot gene expression have been performed in the dog. Using microarray technology, our objective was to identify differentially expressed genes and enriched functional pathways between subcutaneous and gonadal adipose of lean and obese dogs to better understand the pathogenesis of obesity in the dog. Because no depot × body weight status interactions were identified in the microarray data, depot differences were the primary focus. A total of 946 and 703 transcripts were differentially expressed (FDR P metabolism and synthesis and degradation of ketone bodies. We have identified a core set of genes differentially expressed between subcutaneous and gonadal adipose tissue in dogs regardless of body weight. These genes contribute to depot-specific differences in immune function, extracellular matrix remodeling and lysosomal function and may contribute to the physiological differences noted between depots. © 2013 The Authors, Animal Genetics © 2013 Stichting International Foundation for Animal Genetics.

Gender differences in the activities of aspirin-esterases in rat tissues

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Benedito M.A.C.

1998-01-01

Full Text Available The activities of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid-esterases were measured in several tissues (liver, kidney, adrenal glands, brain and serum from adult male and female Wistar rats. In males, both aspirin-esterase I (assayed at pH 5.5 and II (assayed at pH 7.4 activities were higher in liver homogenates when compared to females (aspirin-esterase I: males 48.9 ± 4.8 (N = 8 and females 29.3 ± 4.2 (N = 8 nmol of salicylic acid formed min-1 mg protein-1; aspirin-esterase II: males 41.4 ± 4.1 (N = 8 and females 26.1 ± 4.5 (N = 8 nmol of salicylic acid formed min-1 mg protein-1, P<0.001. In serum, enzyme activity was higher in females than in males (aspirin-esterase I: males 0.85 ± 0.06 (N = 6 and females 1.18 ± 0.11 (N = 6 nmol of salicylic acid formed min-1 mg protein-1; aspirin-esterase II: males 1.03 ± 0.13 (N = 6 and females 1.34 ± 0.11 (N = 6 nmol of salicylic acid formed min-1 mg protein-1, P<0.001. In the other tissues assayed, no statistically significant difference between males and females was found. There were no statistically significant differences when the enzymes were assayed in different phases of the estrous cycle in liver and serum. These results show that the differences in aspirin-esterase activity observed between males and females are not due to the estrous cycle. The gender difference obtained in our study may indicate an involvement of gonadal hormones in the control of the hydrolysis of aspirin. This possibility is currently under investigation.

Radiation doses to the tissues of rat from tritiated thymidine administered by three different routes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, Hiroshi; Iwakura, Tetsuo; Mabuchi, Yasuo.

1984-01-01

Biological behaviour of tritiated thymidine were investigated in rat over 120 days after oral, intraperitoneal or intravenous administration and the absorbed doses to different tissues were estimated. The result of present study revealed that the absorbed dose from tritiated thymidine varied with the route of administration. Among the three routes of administration, intraperitoneal injection gave the highest dose to all of the tissues examined. A significant difference due to the route of administration was found in spleen and small intestine, where the doses were, respectively, 3.3 and 4.5 times higher after intraperitoneal injection than after oral ingestion. The difference was substantially dependent on the dose value from non-volatile tritium which would be incorporated into DNA. Present observation suggests that the radiation hazards of tritiated thymidine differ depending on the route of entry into the body. (author)

Tissue distribution and elimination after oral and intravenous administration of different titanium dioxide nanoparticles in rats

Science.gov (United States)

2014-01-01

Objective The aim of this study was to obtain kinetic data that can be used in human risk assessment of titanium dioxide nanomaterials. Methods Tissue distribution and blood kinetics of various titanium dioxide nanoparticles (NM-100, NM-101, NM-102, NM-103, and NM-104), which differ with respect to primary particle size, crystalline form and hydrophobicity, were investigated in rats up to 90 days post-exposure after oral and intravenous administration of a single or five repeated doses. Results For the oral study, liver, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes were selected as target tissues for titanium (Ti) analysis. Ti-levels in liver and spleen were above the detection limit only in some rats. Titanium could be detected at low levels in mesenteric lymph nodes. These results indicate that some minor absorption occurs in the gastrointestinal tract, but to a very limited extent. Both after single and repeated intravenous (IV) exposure, titanium rapidly distributed from the systemic circulation to all tissues evaluated (i.e. liver, spleen, kidney, lung, heart, brain, thymus, reproductive organs). Liver was identified as the main target tissue, followed by spleen and lung. Total recovery (expressed as % of nominal dose) for all four tested nanomaterials measured 24 h after single or repeated exposure ranged from 64-95% or 59-108% for male or female animals, respectively. During the 90 days post-exposure period, some decrease in Ti-levels was observed (mainly for NM-100 and NM-102) with a maximum relative decrease of 26%. This was also confirmed by the results of the kinetic analysis which revealed that for each of the investigated tissues the half-lifes were considerable (range 28–650 days, depending on the TiO2-particle and tissue investigated). Minor differences in kinetic profile were observed between the various particles, though these could not be clearly related to differences in primary particle size or hydrophobicity. Some indications were observed for an

Sufficient education attainment for a decent standard of living in modern Australia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emily Joy Callander

2012-06-01

Full Text Available Education attainment will impact upon an individual’s capacity to engage in the labour force, their living standards and hence their poverty status. As such, education should be included in measures of poverty. However, it is not known what a sufficient level of education to have a decent standard of living is. Using the 2003 Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers different levels of education attainment were tested for their association with labour force participation and income. Based upon this, it was concluded that Year 12 or higher is a sufficient level of education attainment for 15 to 64 year olds; and Year 10 or higher for people over the age of 65 years. This is in line with current government policies to improve Year 12 completion rates. Knowing what a ‘sufficient level of education attainment’ is, allows education to be included in multidimensional measures of poverty that view education as a key dimension of disadvantage.

Species difference between rat and hamster in tissue accumulation of mercury after administration of methylmercury

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Omata, Saburo; Kasama, Hidetaka; Hasegawa, Hiroshi; Hasegawa, Kazuhiro; Sugano, Hiroshi; Ozaki, Kunio

1986-01-01

The accumulation of mercury in tissues of the rat and hamster was determined after the administration of a single dose of 203 Hg-methylmercury chloride (10 mg/kg body weight). (1) On day 2, the mercury contents of hamster tissues were higher than those of rat tissues, except for red blood cells, in which the mercury content was about 6-fold higher in the rat than in the hamster. (2) After that time, the mercury content of hamster tissues decreased rather steeply and on day 16 it had reached 14-25% in nervous tissues and 7-15% in other tissues, of the levels on day 2. (3) In the rat, on the other hand, the mercury content of nervous tissues on day 16 was higher than that on day 2 (106-220%), except for dorsal roots and dorsal root ganglia, which showed slight decreases (75-94% of the levels on day 2). In non-neural tissues, the decreases up to day 16 were also small (71-92% of the levels on day 2). (4) Thus, both the uptake and elimination of mercury seem to be more rapid in the tissues of hamster compared with those of the rat. Similar trends of mercury accumulation and elimination were observed when animals received multiple injections of methylmercury that induced acute methylmercury intoxication. (5) Significant biotransmormation of the injected methylmercury to inorganic mercury was detected in the liver, kidney and spleen of both animal species. Although the percentages of inorganic mercury in these tissues wer not so different between the two species on day 2, they became exceedingly high in the tissues of hamster at the later stage, except in the kidney cytosol, in which the values were close in both animal species between day 2 and day 16. (orig.)

DNA entropy reveals a significant difference in complexity between housekeeping and tissue specific gene promoters.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, David; Finan, Chris; Newport, Melanie J; Jones, Susan

2015-10-01

The complexity of DNA can be quantified using estimates of entropy. Variation in DNA complexity is expected between the promoters of genes with different transcriptional mechanisms; namely housekeeping (HK) and tissue specific (TS). The former are transcribed constitutively to maintain general cellular functions, and the latter are transcribed in restricted tissue and cells types for specific molecular events. It is known that promoter features in the human genome are related to tissue specificity, but this has been difficult to quantify on a genomic scale. If entropy effectively quantifies DNA complexity, calculating the entropies of HK and TS gene promoters as profiles may reveal significant differences. Entropy profiles were calculated for a total dataset of 12,003 human gene promoters and for 501 housekeeping (HK) and 587 tissue specific (TS) human gene promoters. The mean profiles show the TS promoters have a significantly lower entropy (pentropy distributions for the 3 datasets show that promoter entropies could be used to identify novel HK genes. Functional features comprise DNA sequence patterns that are non-random and hence they have lower entropies. The lower entropy of TS gene promoters can be explained by a higher density of positive and negative regulatory elements, required for genes with complex spatial and temporary expression. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel method for isolation of epithelial cells from ovine esophagus for tissue engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Macheiner, Tanja; Kuess, Anna; Dye, Julian; Saxena, Amulya K

2014-01-01

The yield of a critical number of basal epithelial cells with high mitotic rates from native tissue is a challenge in the field of tissue engineering. There are many protocols that use enzymatic methods for isolation of epithelial cells with unsatisfactory results for tissue engineering. This study aimed to develop a protocol for isolating a sufficient number of epithelial cells with a high Proliferating Index from ovine esophagus for tissue engineering applications. Esophageal mucosa was pretreated with dispase-collagenase solution and plated on collagen-coated culture dishes. Distinction of the various types of epithelial cells and developmental stages was done with specific primary antibodies to Cytokeratins and to Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA). Up to approximately 8100 epithelial cells/mm2 of mucosa tissue were found after one week of migration. Cytokeratin 14 (CK 14) was positive identified in cells even after 83 days. At the same time the Proliferating Index was 71%. Our protocol for isolation of basal epithelial cells was successful to yield sufficient numbers of cells predominantly with proliferative character and without noteworthy negative enzymatic affection. The results at this study offer the possibility of generation critical cell numbers for tissue engineering applications.

Finite difference time domain (FDTD) modeling of implanted deep brain stimulation electrodes and brain tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Gabran, S R I; Saad, J H; Salama, M M A; Mansour, R R

2009-01-01

This paper demonstrates the electromagnetic modeling and simulation of an implanted Medtronic deep brain stimulation (DBS) electrode using finite difference time domain (FDTD). The model is developed using Empire XCcel and represents the electrode surrounded with brain tissue assuming homogenous and isotropic medium. The model is created to study the parameters influencing the electric field distribution within the tissue in order to provide reference and benchmarking data for DBS and intra-cortical electrode development.

Information geometry and sufficient statistics

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Ay, N.; Jost, J.; Le, Hong-Van; Schwachhöfer, L.

2015-01-01

Roč. 162, 1-2 (2015), s. 327-364 ISSN 0178-8051 Institutional support: RVO:67985840 Keywords : Fisher quadratic form * Amari-Chentsov tensor * sufficient statistic Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 2.204, year: 2015 http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00440-014-0574-8

Tissue analysis of Clarias gariepinus juveniles injected with different ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The starch value (SV) and unsaponification values (USPV) were not affected, the saponification value (SPV) only increased between 25.00 and 0.0 μlg-1 and declined at 75 μlg-1. The decrease in values of SPV in treated fish tissues has implication on energy metabolism. Of the four tissues values (PV, SV, SPV and USPV) ...

Enough is as good as a feast - sufficiency as policy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Darby, Sarah [Lower Carbon Futures, Environmental Change Inst., Oxford Univ. Centre for the Environment (United Kingdom)

2007-07-01

The concept of sufficiency has a long history, related as it is to the timeless issues of how best to distribute and use resources. Where energy is concerned, absolute reductions in demand are increasingly seen as necessary in response to climate change and energy security concerns. There is an acknowledgement that, collectively if not individually, humans have gone beyond safe limits in their use of fuels. The relatively wealthy and industrialised nations urgently need to move beyond a primary focus on efficiency to the more contentious issues surrounding demand reduction and sufficiency. The paper considers definitions of energy sufficiency, looks at a recent attempt to model future energy use in terms of efficiency and sufficiency, and discusses quantitative and qualitative aspects of sufficiency and how they might become institutionalised. There are many arguments in favour of sufficiency but they often founder in the face of political requirements for market growth and the employment generated by it. Some options for 'sufficiency policy' are selected, including a focus on energy in relation to livelihoods, energy implications of our use of time and making energy use more transparent.

Biological Differences Between Prostate Cancer Cells that Metastasize to Bone Versus Soft Tissue Sites

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Pienta, Kenneth J

2004-01-01

.... Comparisons were made between patients as well as within the same patient. No consistent differences were found between bone and soft tissue sites that could explain the predilection of prostate cancer cells to metastasize to bone...

Optimizing signal output: effects of viscoelasticity and difference frequency on vibroacoustic radiation of tissue-mimicking phantoms

Science.gov (United States)

Namiri, Nikan K.; Maccabi, Ashkan; Bajwa, Neha; Badran, Karam W.; Taylor, Zachary D.; St. John, Maie A.; Grundfest, Warren S.; Saddik, George N.

2018-02-01

Vibroacoustography (VA) is an imaging technology that utilizes the acoustic response of tissues to a localized, low frequency radiation force to generate a spatially resolved, high contrast image. Previous studies have demonstrated the utility of VA for tissue identification and margin delineation in cancer tissues. However, the relationship between specimen viscoelasticity and vibroacoustic emission remains to be fully quantified. This work utilizes the effects of variable acoustic wave profiles on unique tissue-mimicking phantoms (TMPs) to maximize VA signal power according to tissue mechanical properties, particularly elasticity. A micro-indentation method was utilized to provide measurements of the elastic modulus for each biological replica. An inverse relationship was found between elastic modulus (E) and VA signal amplitude among homogeneous TMPs. Additionally, the difference frequency (Δf ) required to reach maximum VA signal correlated with specimen elastic modulus. Peak signal diminished with increasing Δf among the polyvinyl alcohol specimen, suggesting an inefficient vibroacoustic response by the specimen beyond a threshold of resonant Δf. Comparison of these measurements may provide additional information to improve tissue modeling, system characterization, as well as insights into the unique tissue composition of tumors in head and neck cancer patients.

Quantitatively characterizing the microstructural features of breast ductal carcinoma tissues in different progression stages by Mueller matrix microscope.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Yang; Qi, Ji; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Liu, Shaoxiong; Wu, Jian; Elson, Daniel S; Ma, Hui

2017-08-01

Polarization imaging has been recognized as a potentially powerful technique for probing the microstructural information and optical properties of complex biological specimens. Recently, we have reported a Mueller matrix microscope by adding the polarization state generator and analyzer (PSG and PSA) to a commercial transmission-light microscope, and applied it to differentiate human liver and cervical cancerous tissues with fibrosis. In this paper, we apply the Mueller matrix microscope for quantitative detection of human breast ductal carcinoma samples at different stages. The Mueller matrix polar decomposition and transformation parameters of the breast ductal tissues in different regions and at different stages are calculated and analyzed. For more quantitative comparisons, several widely-used image texture feature parameters are also calculated to characterize the difference in the polarimetric images. The experimental results indicate that the Mueller matrix microscope and the polarization parameters can facilitate the quantitative detection of breast ductal carcinoma tissues at different stages.

Proteomic Profiles Reveal the Function of Different Vegetative Tissues of Moringa oleifera.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Lei; Zou, Qiong; Wang, Jinxing; Zhang, Junjie; Liu, Zeping; Chen, Xiaoyang

2016-12-01

Moringa oleifera is a rich source of bioactive compounds and is widely used in traditional medicine and food for its nutritional value; however, the protein and peptide components of different tissues are rarely discussed. Here, we describe the first investigation of M. oleifera proteomes using mass spectrometry and bioinformatics methods. We aimed to elucidate the protein profiles of M. oleifera leaves, stem, bark, and root. Totally 202 proteins were identified from four vegetative organs. We identified 101 proteins from leaves, 51 from stem, 94 from bark and 67 from root, finding that only five proteins existed in both four vegetative parts. The calculated pI of most of the proteins is distributed in 5-10 and the molecular weight distributed below 100 kDa. Functional classification analysis revealed that proteins which are involved in catalytic activities are the most abundant both in leaves, stem, bark and root. Identification of several heat shock proteins in four vegetative tissues might be adaptive for resistance to high temperature environmental stresses of tropical or subtropical areas. Some enzymes involved in antioxidant processes were also identified in M. oleifera leaves, stem, bark and root. Among the four tissues studies here, leaves protein content and molecular diversity were the highest. The identification of the flocculating protein MO2.1 and MO2.2 in the bark and root provides clue to clarify the antimicrobial molecular mechanisms of root and bark. This study provides information on the protein compositions of M. oleifera vegetative tissues that will be beneficial for potential drug and food supplement development and plant physiology research.

Characterization of RNA isolated from eighteen different human tissues: results from a rapid human autopsy program.

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Douglas G; Whetzel, Alexis M; Serrano, Geidy; Sue, Lucia I; Lue, Lih-Fen; Beach, Thomas G

2016-09-01

Many factors affect the integrity of messenger RNA from human autopsy tissues including postmortem interval (PMI) between death and tissue preservation and the pre-mortem agonal and disease states. In this communication, we describe RNA isolation and characterization of 389 samples from 18 different tissues from elderly donors who were participants in a rapid whole-body autopsy program located in Sun City, Arizona ( www.brainandbodydonationprogram.org ). Most tissues were collected within a PMI of 2-6 h (median 3.15 h; N = 455), but for this study, tissue from cases with longer PMIs (1.25-29.25 h) were included. RNA quality was assessed by RNA integrity number (RIN) and total yield (ng RNA/mg tissue). RIN correlated with PMI for heart (r = -0.531, p = 0.009) and liver (r = -558, p = 0.0017), while RNA yield correlated with PMI for colon (r = -485, p = 0.016) and skin (r = -0.460, p = 0.031). RNAs with the lowest integrity were from skin and cervix where 22.7 and 31.4 % of samples respectively failed to produce intact RNA; by contrast all samples from esophagus, lymph node, jejunum, lung, stomach, submandibular gland and kidney produced RNA with measurable RINs. Expression levels in heart RNA of 4 common housekeeping normalization genes showed significant correlations of Ct values with RIN, but only one gene, glyceraldehyde-3 phosphate dehydrogenase, showed a correlation of Ct with PMI. There were no correlations between RIN values obtained for liver, adrenal, cervix, esophagus and lymph node and those obtained from corresponding brain samples. We show that high quality RNA can be produced from most human autopsy tissues, though with significant differences between tissues and donors. The RNA stability and yield did not depend solely on PMI; other undetermined factors are involved, but these do not include the age of the donor.

Effective atomic numbers of some tissue substitutes by different methods: A comparative study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vishwanath P Singh

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Effective atomic numbers of some human organ tissue substitutes such as polyethylene terephthalate, red articulation wax, paraffin 1, paraffin 2, bolus, pitch, polyphenylene sulfide, polysulfone, polyvinylchloride, and modeling clay have been calculated by four different methods like Auto-Z eff, direct, interpolation, and power law. It was found that the effective atomic numbers computed by Auto-Z eff , direct and interpolation methods were in good agreement for intermediate energy region (0.1 MeV < E < 5 MeV where the Compton interaction dominates. A large difference in effective atomic numbers by direct method and Auto-Z eff was observed in photo-electric and pair-production regions. Effective atomic numbers computed by power law were found to be close to direct method in photo-electric absorption region. The Auto-Z eff , direct and interpolation methods were found to be in good agreement for computation of effective atomic numbers in intermediate energy region (100 keV < E < 10 MeV. The direct method was found to be appropriate method for computation of effective atomic numbers in photo-electric region (10 keV < E < 100 keV. The tissue equivalence of the tissue substitutes is possible to represent by any method for computation of effective atomic number mentioned in the present study. An accurate estimation of Rayleigh scattering is required to eliminate effect of molecular, chemical, or crystalline environment of the atom for estimation of gamma interaction parameters.

Sex differences in metabolic and adipose tissue responses to juvenile-onset obesity in sheep.

Science.gov (United States)

Bloor, Ian D; Sébert, Sylvain P; Saroha, Vivek; Gardner, David S; Keisler, Duane H; Budge, Helen; Symonds, Michael E; Mahajan, Ravi P

2013-10-01

Sex is a major factor determining adipose tissue distribution and the subsequent adverse effects of obesity-related disease including type 2 diabetes. The role of gender on juvenile obesity and the accompanying metabolic and inflammatory responses is not well established. Using an ovine model of juvenile onset obesity induced by reduced physical activity, we examined the effect of gender on metabolic, circulatory, and related inflammatory and energy-sensing profiles of the major adipose tissue depots. Despite a similar increase in fat mass with obesity between genders, males demonstrated a higher storage capacity of lipids within perirenal-abdominal adipocytes and exhibited raised insulin. In contrast, obese females became hypercortisolemic, a response that was positively correlated with central fat mass. Analysis of gene expression in perirenal-abdominal adipose tissue demonstrated the stimulation of inflammatory markers in males, but not females, with obesity. Obese females displayed increased expression of genes involved in the glucocorticoid axis and energy sensing in perirenal-abdominal, but not omental, adipose tissue, indicating a depot-specific mechanism that may be protective from the adverse effects of metabolic dysfunction and inflammation. In conclusion, young males are at a greater risk than females to the onset of comorbidities associated with juvenile-onset obesity. These sex-specific differences in cortisol and adipose tissue could explain the earlier onset of the metabolic-related diseases in males compared with females after obesity.

Explicit formula of finite difference method to estimate human peripheral tissue temperatures during exposure to severe cold stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Khanday, M A; Hussain, Fida

2015-02-01

During cold exposure, peripheral tissues undergo vasoconstriction to minimize heat loss to preserve the maintenance of a normal core temperature. However, vasoconstricted tissues exposed to cold temperatures are susceptible to freezing and frostbite-related tissue damage. Therefore, it is imperative to establish a mathematical model for the estimation of tissue necrosis due to cold stress. To this end, an explicit formula of finite difference method has been used to obtain the solution of Pennes' bio-heat equation with appropriate boundary conditions to estimate the temperature profiles of dermal and subdermal layers when exposed to severe cold temperatures. The discrete values of nodal temperature were calculated at the interfaces of skin and subcutaneous tissues with respect to the atmospheric temperatures of 25 °C, 20 °C, 15 °C, 5 °C, -5 °C and -10 °C. The results obtained were used to identify the scenarios under which various degrees of frostbite occur on the surface of skin as well as the dermal and subdermal areas. The explicit formula of finite difference method proposed in this model provides more accurate predictions as compared to other numerical methods. This model of predicting tissue temperatures provides researchers with a more accurate prediction of peripheral tissue temperature and, hence, the susceptibility to frostbite during severe cold exposure. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Vitamin-antioxidant sufficiency of winter sports athletes].

Science.gov (United States)

Beketova, N A; Kosheleva, O V; Pereverzeva, O G; Vrzhesinskaia, O A; Kodentsova, V M; Solntseva, T N; Khanfer'ian, R A

2013-01-01

The sufficiency of 169 athletes (six disciplines: bullet shooting, biathlon, bobsleigh, skeleton, freestyle skiing, snowboarding) with vitamins A, E, C, B2, and beta-carotene has been investigated in April-September 2013. All athletes (102 juniors, mean age--18.5 +/- 0.3 years, and 67 adult high-performance athletes, mean age--26.8 +/- 0.7 years) were sufficiently supplied with vitamin A (70.7 +/- 1.7 mcg/dl). Mean blood serum retinol level was 15% higher the upper limit of the norm (80 mcg/dl) in biathletes while median reached 90.9 mcg/dl. Blood serum level of tocopherols (1.22 +/- 0.03 mg/dl), ascorbic acid (1.06 +/- 0.03 mg/dl), riboflavin (7.1 +/- 0.4 ng/ml), and beta-carotene (25.1 +/- 1.7 mcg/dl) was in within normal range, but the incidence of insufficiency of vitamins E, C, B2, and carotenoid among athletes varied in the range of 0-25, 0-17, 15-67 and 42-75%, respectively. 95% of adults and 80% of younger athletes were sufficiently provided with vitamin E. Vitamin E level in blood serum of juniors involved in skeleton and biathlon was lower by 51 and 72% (p antioxidants (beta-carotene and vitamins E and C). In other sports, the relative quantity of athletes sufficiently supplied with these essential nutrients did not exceed 56%. The quota of supplied with all antioxidants among bullet shooters (31.1%) and bobsledders (23.5%) was significantly (p antioxidant (mainly beta-carotene) was most often recorded among persons engaged in bullet shooting (67%). The simultaneous lack of all three antioxidants was found only in freestylers and bobsledders (about 5%). Decreased level of antioxidants in blood serum in 40% of athletes was combined with vitamin B2 deficiency. The data obtained suggest the necessity to optimize diet vitamin content of all athletes, taking into account the age and gender differences. Contrary to prevailing stereotypes the optimization must involve not only an increase in the consumption of vitamins (vitamins E, B group) and carotenoids, but

Feasibility of using tissue microarray cores of paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissue for measurement of gene expression: a proof-of-concept study.

Science.gov (United States)

Drury, Suzanne; Salter, Janine; Baehner, Frederick L; Shak, Steven; Dowsett, Mitch

2010-06-01

To determine whether 0.6 mm cores of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue, as commonly used to construct immunohistochemical tissue microarrays, may be a valid alternative to tissue sections as source material for quantitative real-time PCR-based transcriptional profiling of breast cancer. Four matched 0.6 mm cores of invasive breast tumour and two 10 microm whole sections were taken from eight FFPE blocks. RNA was extracted and reverse transcribed, and TaqMan assays were performed on the 21 genes of the Oncotype DX Breast Cancer assay. Expression of the 16 recurrence-related genes was normalised to the set of five reference genes, and the recurrence score (RS) was calculated. RNA yield was lower from 0.6 mm cores than from 10 microm whole sections, but was still more than sufficient to perform the assay. RS and single gene data from cores were highly comparable with those from whole sections (RS p=0.005). Greater variability was seen between cores than between sections. FFPE sections are preferable to 0.6 mm cores for RNA profiling in order to maximise RNA yield and to allow for standard histopathological assessment. However, 0.6 mm cores are sufficient and would be appropriate to use for large cohort studies.

Patch esophagoplasty using an in-body-tissue-engineered collagenous connective tissue membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Okuyama, Hiroomi; Umeda, Satoshi; Takama, Yuichi; Terasawa, Takeshi; Nakayama, Yasuhide

2018-02-01

Although many approaches to esophageal replacement have been investigated, these efforts have thus far only met limited success. In-body-tissue-engineered connective tissue tubes have been reported to be effective as vascular replacement grafts. The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of an In-body-tissue-engineered collagenous connective tissue membrane, "Biosheet", as a novel esophageal scaffold in a beagle model. We prepared Biosheets by embedding specially designed molds into subcutaneous pouches in beagles. After 1-2months, the molds, which were filled with ingrown connective tissues, were harvested. Rectangular-shaped Biosheets (10×20mm) were then implanted to replace defects of the same size that had been created in the cervical esophagus of the beagle. An endoscopic evaluation was performed at 4 and 12weeks after implantation. The esophagus was harvested and subjected to a histological evaluation at 4 (n=2) and 12weeks (n=2) after implantation. The animal study protocols were approved by the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Centre Research Institute Committee (No. 16048). The Biosheets showed sufficient strength and flexibility to replace the esophagus defect. All animals survived with full oral feeding during the study period. No anastomotic leakage was observed. An endoscopic study at 4 and 12weeks after implantation revealed that the anastomotic sites and the internal surface of the Biosheets were smooth, without stenosis. A histological analysis at 4weeks after implantation demonstrated that stratified squamous epithelium was regenerated on the internal surface of the Biosheets. A histological analysis at 12weeks after implantation showed the regeneration of muscle tissue in the implanted Biosheets. The long-term results of patch esophagoplasty using Biosheets showed regeneration of stratified squamous epithelium and muscular tissues in the implanted sheets. These results suggest that Biosheets may be useful as a novel esophageal

Energy Self-Sufficient Island

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bratic, S.; Krajacic, G.; Duic, N.; Cotar, A.; Jardas, D.

2011-01-01

In order to analyze energy self-sufficient island, example of a smaller island, connected to the power system of a bigger island with an undersea cable, was taken. Mounting substation 10/0,4 is situated on the island and for the moment it provides enough electricity using the medium voltage line. It is assumed that the island is situated on the north part of the Adriatic Sea. The most important problem that occurs on the island is the population drop that occurs for a significant number of years, therefore, life standard needs to be improved, and economic development needs to be encouraged immediately. Local authorities to stimulate sustainable development on the island through different projects, to breath in a new life to the island, open new jobs and attract new people to come live there. Because of the planned development and increase of the population, energy projects, planned as a support to sustainable development, and later achievement of the energy self-sufficiency, is described in this paper. Therefore, Rewisland methodology appliance is described taking into the account three possible scenarios of energy development. Each scenario is calculated until year 2030. Also, what is taken into the account is 100% usage of renewable sources of energy in 2030. Scenario PTV, PP, EE - This scenario includes installation of solar photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors on the buildings roofs, as well as well as implementation of energy efficiency on the island (replacement of the street light bulbs with LED lightning, replacement of the old windows and doors on the houses, as well as the installation of the thermal insulation). Scenario PV island - This scenario, similarly to the previous one, includes installation of solar photovoltaic modules and solar thermal collectors an the residential buildings, as well as the 2 MW photovoltaic power plant and ''Green Hotel'', a building that satisfies all of its energy needs completely from renewable energy sources

Comparative analysis among the small RNA populations of source, sink and conductive tissues in two different plant-virus pathosystems.

Science.gov (United States)

Herranz, Mari Carmen; Navarro, Jose Antonio; Sommen, Evelien; Pallas, Vicente

2015-02-22

In plants, RNA silencing plays a fundamental role as defence mechanism against viruses. During last years deep-sequencing technology has allowed to analyze the sRNA profile of a large variety of virus-infected tissues. Nevertheless, the majority of these studies have been restricted to a unique tissue and no comparative analysis between phloem and source/sink tissues has been conducted. In the present work, we compared the sRNA populations of source, sink and conductive (phloem) tissues in two different plant virus pathosystems. We chose two cucurbit species infected with two viruses very different in genome organization and replication strategy; Melon necrotic spot virus (MNSV) and Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV). Our findings showed, in both systems, an increase of the 21-nt total sRNAs together with a decrease of those with a size of 24-nt in all the infected tissues, except for the phloem where the ratio of 21/24-nt sRNA species remained constant. Comparing the vsRNAs, both PNRSV- and MNSV-infected plants share the same vsRNA size distribution in all the analyzed tissues. Similar accumulation levels of sense and antisense vsRNAs were observed in both systems except for roots that showed a prevalence of (+) vsRNAs in both pathosystems. Additionally, the presence of overrepresented discrete sites along the viral genome, hot spots, were identified and validated by stem-loop RT-PCR. Despite that in PNRSV-infected plants the presence of vsRNAs was scarce both viruses modulated the host sRNA profile. We compare for the first time the sRNA profile of four different tissues, including source, sink and conductive (phloem) tissues, in two plant-virus pathosystems. Our results indicate that antiviral silencing machinery in melon and cucumber acts mainly through DCL4. Upon infection, the total sRNA pattern in phloem remains unchanged in contrast to the rest of the analyzed tissues indicating a certain tissue-tropism to this polulation. Independently of the

A Comparison of the Dosimetric Parameters of Cs-137 Brachytherapy Source in Different Tissues with Water Using Monte Carlo Simulation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sedigheh Sina

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Introduction After the publication of Task Group number 43 dose calculation formalism by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM, this method has been known as the most common dose calculation method in brachytherapy treatment planning. In this formalism, the water phantom is introduced as the reference dosimetry phantom, while the attenuation coefficient of the sources in the water phantom is different from that of different tissues. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of the phantom materials on the TG-43 dosimetery parameters of the Cs-137 brachytherapy source using MCNP4C Monte Carlo code. Materials and Methods In this research, the Cs-137 (Model Selectron brachytherapy source was simulated in different phantoms (bone, soft tissue, muscle, fat, and the inhomogeneous phantoms of water/bone of volume 27000 cm3 using MCNP4C Monte Carlo code. *F8 tally was used to obtain the dose in a fine cubical lattice. Then the TG-43 dosimetry parameters of the brachytherapy source were obtained in water phantom and compared with those of different phantoms. Results The percentage difference between the radial dose function g(r of bone and the g(r of water phantom, at a distance of 10 cm from the source center is 20%, while such differences are 1.7%, 1.6% and 1.1% for soft tissue, muscle, and fat, respectively. The largest difference of the dose rate constant of phantoms with those of water is 4.52% for the bone phantom, while the differences for soft tissue, muscle, and fat are 1.18%, 1.27%, and 0.18%, respectively. The 2D anisotropy function of the Cs-137 source for different tissues is identical to that of water. Conclusion The results of the simulations have shown that dose calculation in water phantom would introduce errors in the dose calculation around brachytherapy sources. Therefore, it is suggested that the correction factors of different tissues be applied after dose calculation in water phantoms, in order to

NMR imaging of cell phone radiation absorption in brain tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Gultekin, David H.; Moeller, Lothar

2013-01-01

A method is described for measuring absorbed electromagnetic energy radiated from cell phone antennae into ex vivo brain tissue. NMR images the 3D thermal dynamics inside ex vivo bovine brain tissue and equivalent gel under exposure to power and irradiation time-varying radio frequency (RF) fields. The absorbed RF energy in brain tissue converts into Joule heat and affects the nuclear magnetic shielding and the Larmor precession. The resultant temperature increase is measured by the resonance frequency shift of hydrogen protons in brain tissue. This proposed application of NMR thermometry offers sufficient spatial and temporal resolution to characterize the hot spots from absorbed cell phone radiation in aqueous media and biological tissues. Specific absorption rate measurements averaged over 1 mg and 10 s in the brain tissue cover the total absorption volume. Reference measurements with fiber optic temperature sensors confirm the accuracy of the NMR thermometry. PMID:23248293

Photoacoustic spectroscopic differences between normal and malignant thyroid tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Li; Xie, Wengming; Li, Hui

2012-12-01

The thyroid is one of the main endocrine glands of human body, which plays a crucial role in the body's metabolism. Thyroid cancer mortality ranks only second to ovarian cancer in endocrine cancer. Routine diagnostic methods of thyroid diseases in present clinic exist misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis to varying degrees. Those lead to miss the best period of cancer treatment--early. Photoacoustic spectroscopy technology is a new tool, which provides an effective and noninvasive way for biomedical materials research, being highly sensitive and without sample pretreatment. In this paper, we use photoacoustic spectroscopy technology (PAST) to detect the absorption spectrum between normal and malignant thyroid tissues. The result shows that the photoacoustic spectroscopy technology (PAST) could differentiate malignant thyroid tissue from normal thyroid tissue very well. This technique combined with routine diagnostic methods has the potential to increase the diagnostic accuracy in clinical thyroid cancer diagnosis.

Review on patents for mechanical stimulation of articular cartilage tissue engineering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Donkelaar, van C.C.; Schulz, R.M.

2008-01-01

To repair articular cartilage defects in osteoarthritic patients with three-dimensional tissue engineered chondrocyte grafts, requires the formation of new cartilage with sufficient mechanical properties. The premise is that mechanical stimulation during the culturing process is necessary to reach

Navigating behavioral energy sufficiency. Results from a survey in Swiss cities on potential behavior change.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidl, Roman; Moser, Corinne; Blumer, Yann

2017-01-01

Many countries have some kind of energy-system transformation either planned or ongoing for various reasons, such as to curb carbon emissions or to compensate for the phasing out of nuclear energy. One important component of these transformations is the overall reduction in energy demand. It is generally acknowledged that the domestic sector represents a large share of total energy consumption in many countries. Increased energy efficiency is one factor that reduces energy demand, but behavioral approaches (known as "sufficiency") and their respective interventions also play important roles. In this paper, we address citizens' heterogeneity regarding both their current behaviors and their willingness to realize their sufficiency potentials-that is, to reduce their energy consumption through behavioral change. We collaborated with three Swiss cities for this study. A survey conducted in the three cities yielded thematic sets of energy-consumption behavior that various groups of participants rated differently. Using this data, we identified four groups of participants with different patterns of both current behaviors and sufficiency potentials. The paper discusses intervention types and addresses citizens' heterogeneity and behaviors from a city-based perspective.

Early nutritional support and physiotherapy improved long-term self-sufficiency in acutely ill older patients.

Science.gov (United States)

Hegerová, Petra; Dědková, Zuzana; Sobotka, Luboš

2015-01-01

An acute disease is regularly associated with inflammation, decreased food intake, and low physical activity; the consequence is loss of muscle mass. However, the restoration of muscle tissue is problematic, especially in older patients. Loss of muscle mass leads to further decrease of physical activity which leads, together with recurring disease, to the progressive muscle mass loss accompanied by loss of self-sufficiency. Early nutrition support and physical activity could reverse this situation. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether an active approach based on early nutritional therapy and exercise would influence the development of sarcopenia and impaired self-sufficiency during acute illness. Two hundred patients >78 y were admitted to a hospital internal medicine department and participated in a prospective, randomized controlled study. The patients were randomized to a control group receiving standard treatment (n = 100) or to an intervention group (n = 100). The intervention consisted of nutritional supplements (600 kcal, 20 g/d protein) added to a standard diet and a simultaneous intensive rehabilitation program. The tolerance of supplements and their influence on spontaneous food intake, self-sufficiency, muscle strength, and body composition were evaluated during the study period. The patients were then regularly monitored for 1 y post-discharge. The provision of nutritional supplements together with early rehabilitation led to increased total energy and protein intake while the intake of standard hospital food was not reduced. The loss of lean body mass and a decrease in self-sufficiency were apparent at discharge from the hospital and 3 mo thereafter in the control group. Nutritional supplementation and the rehabilitation program in the study group prevented these alterations. A positive effect of nutritional intervention and exercise during the hospital stay was apparent at 6 mo post-discharge. The early nutritional intervention

Intracellular pH in Gastric and Rectal Tissue Post Cardiac Arrest

Science.gov (United States)

Fisher, Elaine M.; Steiner, Richard P.; LaManna, Joseph C.

We directly measured pHi using the pH sensitive dye, neutral red. We defined pHi for rectal and gastric tissue in whole tissue and by layer under control and arrest conditions. Fifteen minutes of arrest was not sufficient time to alter the pHi at the rectal or gastric site. On initial inspection, the stomach may be more sensitive to ischemic changes than the rectum. Understanding the mechanism by which PCO2 generation is used to track clinical changes is vital to the early detection of tissue dysoxia in order to effectively treat and manage critically ill patients.

Adhesion to the host cell surface is sufficient to mediate Listeria monocytogenes entry into epithelial cells

Science.gov (United States)

Ortega, Fabian E.; Rengarajan, Michelle; Chavez, Natalie; Radhakrishnan, Prathima; Gloerich, Martijn; Bianchini, Julie; Siemers, Kathleen; Luckett, William S.; Lauer, Peter; Nelson, W. James; Theriot, Julie A.

2017-01-01

The intestinal epithelium is the first physiological barrier breached by the Gram-positive facultative pathogen Listeria monocytogenes during an in vivo infection. Listeria monocytogenes binds to the epithelial host cell receptor E-cadherin, which mediates a physical link between the bacterium and filamentous actin (F-actin). However, the importance of anchoring the bacterium to F-actin through E-cadherin for bacterial invasion has not been tested directly in epithelial cells. Here we demonstrate that depleting αE-catenin, which indirectly links E-cadherin to F-actin, did not decrease L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells in tissue culture. Instead, invasion increased due to increased bacterial adhesion to epithelial monolayers with compromised cell–cell junctions. Furthermore, expression of a mutant E-cadherin lacking the intracellular domain was sufficient for efficient L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells. Importantly, direct biotin-mediated binding of bacteria to surface lipids in the plasma membrane of host epithelial cells was sufficient for uptake. Our results indicate that the only requirement for L. monocytogenes invasion of epithelial cells is adhesion to the host cell surface, and that E-cadherin–mediated coupling of the bacterium to F-actin is not required. PMID:28877987

Comparison of two different abutment designs on marginal bone loss and soft tissue development

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Patil, Ratnadeep C.; den Hartog, Laurens; van Heereveld, Christiaan; Jagdale, Aditi; Dilbaghi, Anjali; Cune, Marco S.

2014-01-01

PURPOSE: To assess the response of soft tissues around two different abutment designs in healed sites in the esthetic zone. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six subjects received two endosseous implants in healed, bilateral implant sites in the esthetic zone in the maxilla or the mandible. After 17 to

Four different diode lasers comparison on soft tissues surgery: a preliminary ex vivo study

Science.gov (United States)

Merigo, Elisabetta; Sozzi, Michele; Rocca, Jean-Paul; Poli, Federica; Selleri, Stefano; Cucinotta, Annamaria

2016-01-01

Objectives: The introduction of diode lasers in dentistry had several advantages, principally consisting on the reduced size, reduced cost and possibility to beam delivering by optical fibbers. Up today only the wavelengths around 810 and 980 nm were the most utilized in oral surgery but recently more different lasers had been proposed. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of four diode laser wavelengths (810, 980, 1470 and 1950 nm) for the ablation of soft tissues. Material and methods: Specimens were surgically collected from the dorsal surface of four bovine tongues and irradiated by four different diode wavelengths. Thermal increase was measured by two thermocouples, the first at a depth of 0.5 mm, and the second at a depth of 2 mm. Initial and final surface temperatures were recorded by IR thermometer. Epithelial changes, connective tissue modifications, presence of vascular modification and incision morphology were histologically evaluated by two blind pathologists. Results: The time necessary to perform the excision varied between 271 seconds (808 nm, 2W) and 112 seconds (1950 nm, 4W). Temperature increase superficial level varied from 16.3° (980 nm, 4W) and 9.2° (1950 nm, 2 W). The most significant deep temperature increase was recorded by 980 nm, 4 W (17.3°) and the lowest by 1950 nm, 2 W (9.7°). The width of epithelial tissue injuries varied between 74 pm from 1950 nm diode laser at 2 W to 540 pm for 1470 nm diode laser at 4 W. Conclusion: The quality of incision was better and the width of overall tissue injuries was minor in the specimens obtained with higher wavelength (1950 nm) at lower power (2W). PMID:27721562

Effects of tissue-preparation-induced callose synthesis on estimates of plasmodesma size exclusion limits.

Science.gov (United States)

Radford, J E; White, R G

2001-01-01

Plasmodesmata are often characterised by their size exclusion limit (SEL), which is the molecular weight of the largest dye, introduced by microinjection, that will move from cell to cell. In this study, we investigated whether commonly used techniques for isolation and manipulation of tissues, and microinjection of fluorescent dyes, affected the SEL, and whether any such effects could be ameliorated by inhibiting callose deposition. We examined young root epidermal cells of Arabidopsis thaliana and staminal hair cells of Tradescantia virginiana, two tissues often used in experiments on symplastic transport. Transport in root tips dissected from the main plant body and in stamen hairs removed from the base of the stamen filament was compared with transport in undissected roots and stamen hairs attached to the base of the filament, respectively. Tissues were microinjected with fluorescent dyes (457 Da to > 3 kDa) with or without prior incubation in the callose deposition inhibitors 2-deoxy-D-glucose or aniline blue fluorochrome. In both tissues, dissection reduced the SEL, which was largely prevented by prior incubation in 2-deoxy-D-glucose but not by incubation in aniline blue fluorochrome. Thus, standard methods for tissue preparation can cause sufficient callose deposition to reduce cell-to-cell transport, and this needs to be considered in studies employing microinjection. Introduction of the dyes by pressure injection rather than iontophoresis decreased the SEL in A. thaliana but increased it in T. virginiana, showing that these two injection techniques do not necessarily give identical results and that plasmodesmata in different tissues may respond differently to similar experimental procedures.

Bremsstrahlung parameters of praseodymium-142 in different human tissues. A dosimetric perspective for 142Pr radionuclide therapy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bakht, M.K.; Jabal-Ameli, H.; Ahmadi, S.J.; Sadeghi, M.; Sadjadi, S.; Tenreiro, Claudio

2012-01-01

Praseodymium-142 [T 1/2 =19.12 h, E β -=2.162 MeV (96.3%), E γ =1575 keV (3.7%)] is one of the 141 Pr radioisotopes. Many studies have been attempted to assess the significance of usage 142 Pr in radionuclide therapy. In many studies, the dosimetric parameters of 142 Pr sources were calculated by modeling 142 Pr sources in the water phantom and scoring the energy deposited around it. However, the medical dosimetry calculations in water phantom consider Bremsstrahlung production, raising the question: ''How important is to simulate human tissues instead of using water phantom?'' This study answers these questions by estimation of 142 Pr Bremsstrahlung parameters. The Bremsstrahlung parameters of 142 Pr as therapeutic beta nuclides in different human tissues (adipose, blood, brain, breast, cell nucleus, eye lens, gastrointestinal tract, heart, kidney, liver, lung deflated, lymph, muscle, ovary, pancreas, cartilage, red marrow, spongiosa, yellow marrow, skin, spleen, testis, thyroid and different skeleton bones) were calculated by extending the national council for radiation protection model. The specific Bremsstrahlung constant (Γ Br ), probability of energy loss by beta during Bremsstrahlung emission (P Br ) and Bremsstrahlung activity (A release ) Br were estimated. It should be mentioned that Monte Carlo simulation was used for estimation of 142 Pr Bremsstrahlung activity based on the element compositions of different human tissues and the calculated exposures from the anthropomorphic phantoms. Γ Br for yellow marrow was smallest amount (1.1962 x 10 -3 C/kg-cm 2 /MBq-h) compared to the other tissues and highest for cortical bone (2.4764 x 10 -3 C/kg-cm 2 /MBq-h), and, overall, Γ Br for skeletal tissues were greater than other tissues. In addition, Γ Br breast was 1.8261 x 10 -3 C/kg-cm 2 /MBq-h which was greater than sacrum and spongiosa bones. Moreover, according to (A release ) Br of 142 Pr, the patients receiving 142 Pr do not have to be hospitalized for

Poly (Ethylene Glycol)-Based Hydrogels as Self-Inflating Tissue Expanders with Tunable Mechanical and Swelling Properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Jamadi, Mahsa; Shokrollahi, Parvin; Houshmand, Behzad; Joupari, Mortaza Daliri; Mashhadiabbas, Fatemeh; Khademhosseini, Ali; Annabi, Nasim

2017-08-01

Tissue expansion is used by plastic/reconstructive surgeons to grow additional skin/tissue for replacing or repairing lost or damaged soft tissues. Recently, hydrogels have been widely used for tissue expansion applications. Herein, a self-inflating tissue expander blend composition from three different molecular weights (2, 6, and 10 kDa) of poly (ethylene glycol) diacrylate (PEGDA) hydrogel with tunable mechanical and swelling properties is presented. The in vitro results demonstrate that, of the eight studied compositions, P6 (PEGDA 6 kDa:10 kDa (50:50)) and P8 (PEGDA 6 kDa:10 kDa (35:65)) formulations provide a balance of mechanical property and swelling capability suitable for tissue expansion. Furthermore, these expanders can be compressed up to 60% of their original height and can be loaded and unloaded cyclically at least ten times with no permanent deformation. The in vivo results indicate that these two engineered blend compositions are capable to generate a swelling pressure sufficient to dilate the surrounding tissue while retaining their original shape. The histological analyses reveal the formation of fibrous capsule at the interface between the implant and the subcutaneous tissue with no signs of inflammation. Ultimately, controlling the PEGDA chain length shows potential for the development of self-inflating tissue expanders with tunable mechanical and swelling properties. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Transgenic zebrafish reveal tissue-specific differences in estrogen signaling in response to environmental water samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Gorelick, Daniel A; Iwanowicz, Luke R; Hung, Alice L; Blazer, Vicki S; Halpern, Marnie E

2014-04-01

Environmental endocrine disruptors (EEDs) are exogenous chemicals that mimic endogenous hormones such as estrogens. Previous studies using a zebrafish transgenic reporter demonstrated that the EEDs bisphenol A and genistein preferentially activate estrogen receptors (ERs) in the larval heart compared with the liver. However, it was not known whether the transgenic zebrafish reporter was sensitive enough to detect estrogens from environmental samples, whether environmental estrogens would exhibit tissue-specific effects similar to those of BPA and genistein, or why some compounds preferentially target receptors in the heart. We tested surface water samples using a transgenic zebrafish reporter with tandem estrogen response elements driving green fluorescent protein expression (5xERE:GFP). Reporter activation was colocalized with tissue-specific expression of ER genes by RNA in situ hybridization. We observed selective patterns of ER activation in transgenic fish exposed to river water samples from the Mid-Atlantic United States, with several samples preferentially activating receptors in embryonic and larval heart valves. We discovered that tissue specificity in ER activation was due to differences in the expression of ER subtypes. ERα was expressed in developing heart valves but not in the liver, whereas ERβ2 had the opposite profile. Accordingly, subtype-specific ER agonists activated the reporter in either the heart valves or the liver. The use of 5xERE:GFP transgenic zebrafish revealed an unexpected tissue-specific difference in the response to environmentally relevant estrogenic compounds. Exposure to estrogenic EEDs in utero was associated with adverse health effects, with the potentially unanticipated consequence of targeting developing heart valves.

Human Stromal (Mesenchymal) Stem Cells from Bone Marrow, Adipose Tissue and Skin Exhibit Differences in Molecular Phenotype and Differentiation Potential

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Al-Nbaheen, May; Vishnubalaji, Radhakrishnan; Ali, Dalia

2013-01-01

Human stromal (mesenchymal) stem cells (hMSCs) are multipotent stem cells with ability to differentiate into mesoderm-type cells e.g. osteoblasts and adipocytes and thus they are being introduced into clinical trials for tissue regeneration. Traditionally, hMSCs have been isolated from bone marrow......, but the number of cells obtained is limited. Here, we compared the MSC-like cell populations, obtained from alternative sources for MSC: adipose tissue and skin, with the standard phenotype of human bone marrow MSC (BM-MSCs). MSC from human adipose tissue (human adipose stromal cells (hATSCs)) and human skin......, MSC populations obtained from different tissues exhibit significant differences in their proliferation, differentiation and molecular phenotype, which should be taken into consideration when planning their use in clinical protocols....

Effects of different inorganic arsenic species in Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae) tissues after short-time exposure: Bioaccumulation, biotransformation and biological responses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ventura-Lima, Juliane; Fattorini, Daniele; Regoli, Francesco; Monserrat, Jose M.

2009-01-01

Differences in the toxicological and metabolic pathway of inorganic arsenic compounds are largely unknown for aquatic species. In the present study the effects of short-time and acute exposure to As III and As V were investigated in gills and liver of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae), measuring accumulation and chemical speciation of arsenic, and the activity of glutathione-S-transferase omega (GST Ω), the rate limiting enzyme in biotransformation of inorganic arsenic. Oxidative biomarkers included antioxidant defenses (total glutathione-S-transferases, glutathione reductase, glutathione, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase), total scavenging capacity toward peroxyl radicals, reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurement and lipid peroxidation products. A marked accumulation of arsenic was observed only in gills of carps exposed to 1000 ppb As V . Also in gills, antioxidant responses were mostly modulated through a significant induction of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity which probably contributed to reduce ROS formation; however this increase was not sufficient to prevent lipid peroxidation. No changes in metal content were measured in liver of exposed carps, characterized by lower activity of GST Ω compared to gills. On the other hand, glutathione metabolism was more sensitive in liver tissue, where a significant inhibition of glutathione reductase was concomitant with increased levels of glutathione and higher total antioxidant capacity toward peroxyl radicals, thus preventing lipid peroxidation and ROS production. The overall results of this study indicated that exposure of C. carpio to As III and As V can induce different responses in gills and liver of this aquatic organism. - Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) presented marked differences between gills and liver after arsenic exposure in terms of antioxidant responses and also in biotransformation.

Improving the Perception of Self-Sufficiency towards Creative Drama

Science.gov (United States)

Pekdogan, Serpil; Korkmaz, Halil Ibrahim

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of a Creative Drama Based Perception of Self-sufficiency Skills Training Program on 2nd grade bachelor degree students' (who are attending a preschool teacher training program) perception of self-sufficiency. This is a quasi-experimental study. Totally 50 students were equally divided into…

Structural differences and architectural features of two different polypropylene slings (TVT-O and I-STOP) have no impact on biocompatibility and tissue reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Przydacz, Mikolaj; Adli, Oussama El Yazami; Mahfouz, Wally; Loutochin, Oleg; Bégin, Louis R; Corcos, Jacques

2017-06-30

To evaluate the impact of design features of the synthetic mid-urethral slings on tissue integrity and inflammatory responses. In total 30 female Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with type I monofilamentous, macroporous polypropylene meshes: Gynecare TVT-Obturator tape ® (Ethicon Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Somerville, NJ, USA) and I-STOP ® (CL Medical Inc., Lyon, France). All animal groups were sacrificed at set time intervals - 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 12 months - and the abdominal wall was harvested with mesh strips for histological evaluation. All mesh strips appeared to be well incorporated into the abdominal wall, and no signs of shrinkage was noticed. All specimens showed a thin/delicate, loose, fibrous interface between the synthetic graft plate and abdominal wall, along with mild inflammatory reactions from 6 weeks to 12 months. Both mesh brands induced comparable, minimal foreign body reactions and integrated well into the host tissues despite differences in architectural features. TVT-O ® and I-STOP ® evoked similar low-grade inflammatory responses up to 12 months in this animal model. Structural differences and architectural features of polypropylene slings used in this study have had no impact on tissue integrity and inflammatory responses.

Reassessing Rogers' necessary and sufficient conditions of change.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Jeanne C

2007-09-01

This article reviews the impact of Carl Rogers' postulate about the necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic change on the field of psychotherapy. It is proposed that his article (see record 2007-14630-002) made an impact in two ways; first, by acting as a spur to researchers to identify the active ingredients of therapeutic change; and, second, by providing guidelines for therapeutic practice. The role of the necessary and sufficient conditions in process-experiential therapy, an emotion-focused therapy for individuals, and their limitations in terms of research and practice are discussed. It is proposed that although the conditions are necessary and important in promoting clients' affect regulation, they do not take sufficient account of other moderating variables that affect clients' response to treatment and may need to be balanced with more structured interventions. Notwithstanding, Rogers highlighted a way of interacting with clients that is generally acknowledged as essential to effective psychotherapy practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Deuterium-tritium fuel self-sufficiency in fusion reactors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdou, M.A.; Vold, E.L.; Gung, C.Y.; Youssef, M.Z.; Shin, K.

1986-01-01

Conditions necessary to achieve deuterium-tritium fuel self-sufficiency in fusion reactors are derived through extensive modeling and calculations of the required and achievable tritium breeding ratios as functions of the many reactor parameters and candidate design concepts. It is found that the excess margin in the breeding potential is not sufficient to cover all present uncertainties. Thus, the goal of attaining fuel self-sufficiency significantly restricts the allowable parameter space and design concepts. For example, the required breeding ratio can be reduced by (A) attaining high tritium fractional burnup, >5%, in the plasma, (B) achieving very high reliability, >99%, and very short times, <1 day, to fix failures in the tritium processing system, and (C) ensuring that nonradioactive decay losses from all subsystems are extremely low, e.g., <0.1% for the plasma exhaust processing system. The uncertainties due to nuclear data and calculational methods are found to be significant, but they are substantially smaller than those due to uncertainties in system definition

Changes in UCP expression in tissues of Zucker rats fed diets with different protein content.

Science.gov (United States)

Masanés, R M; Yubero, P; Rafecas, I; Remesar, X

2002-09-01

The effect of dietary protein content on the uncoupling proteins (UCP) 1, 2 and 3 expression in a number of tissues of Zucker lean and obese rats was studied. Thirty-day-old male Zucker lean (Fa/?) and obese (fa/fa) rats were fed on hyperproteic (HP, 30% protein), standard (RD, 17% protein) or hypoproteic (LP, 9% protein) diets ad libitum for 30 days. Although dietary protein intake affected the weights of individual muscles in lean and obese animals, these weights were similar. In contrast, huge differences were observed in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and liver weights. Lean rats fed on the LP diet generally increased UCP expression, whereas the HP group had lower values. Obese animals, HP and LP groups showed higher UCP expression in muscles, with slight differences in BAT and lower values for UCP3 in subcutaneous adipose tissue. The mean values of UCP expression in BAT of obese rats were lower than in their lean counterpart, whereas the expression in skeletal muscle was increased. Thus, expression of UCPs can be modified by dietary protein content, in lean and obese rats. A possible thermogenic function of UCP3 in muscle and WAT in obese rats must be taken into account.

Inter-tissue differences in fatty acid incorporation as a result of dietary oil manipulation in Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni).

Science.gov (United States)

Beckmann, Crystal L; Mitchell, James G; Stone, David A J; Huveneers, Charlie

2014-06-01

Fatty acid profile analysis is a tool for dietary investigation that may complement traditional stomach contents analysis. While recent studies have shown that the liver of sharks fed different diets have differing fatty acid profiles, the degree to which diet is reflected in shark blood serum and muscle tissue is still poorly understood. An 18-week controlled feeding experiment was undertaken using captive Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni). Sharks were fed exclusive diets of artificial pellets treated with fish or poultry oil and sampled every 6 weeks. The fatty acid profiles from liver, blood serum, and muscle were affected differently, with the period from which significant differences were observed varying by tissue and diet type. The total fatty acid profiles of fish oil and poultry oil fed sharks were significantly different from week 12 onwards in the liver and blood serum, but significant differences were only observed by week 18 in the muscle tissue of sharks fed different diets. The drivers of dissimilarity which aligned with dietary input were 14:0, 18:2n-6, 20:5n-3, 18:1n-9 and 22:6n-3 in the liver and blood serum. Dietary fatty acids accumulated more consistently in the liver than in the blood plasma or muscle, likely due to its role as the central organ for fat processing and storage. Blood serum and muscle fatty acid profiles were influenced by diet, but fluctuated over-time. The low level of correlation between diet and muscle FA profiles is likely a result of low levels of fat (shark muscle tissues. Our findings describe inter-tissue differences in the incorporation of fatty acids from the diet to consumer, which should be taken into account when interpreting dietary patterns from fatty acid profiles.

The macrophage A2B adenosine receptor regulates tissue insulin sensitivity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hillary Johnston-Cox

Full Text Available High fat diet (HFD-induced type 2 diabetes continues to be an epidemic with significant risk for various pathologies. Previously, we identified the A2b adenosine receptor (A2bAR, an established regulator of inflammation, as a regulator of HFD-induced insulin resistance. In particular, HFD was associated with vast upregulation of liver A2bAR in control mice, and while mice lacking this receptor showed augmented liver inflammation and tissue insulin resistance. As the A2bAR is expressed in different tissues, here, we provide the first lead to cellular mechanism by demonstrating that the receptor's influence on tissue insulin sensitivity is mediated via its expression in macrophages. This was shown using a newly generated transgenic mouse model expressing the A2bAR gene in the macrophage lineage on an otherwise A2bAR null background. Reinstatement of macrophage A2bAR expression in A2bAR null mice fed HFD restored insulin tolerance and tissue insulin signaling to the level of control mice. The molecular mechanism for this effect involves A2bAR-mediated changes in cyclic adenosine monophosphate in macrophages, reducing the expression and release of inflammatory cytokines, which downregulate insulin receptor-2. Thus, our results illustrate that macrophage A2bAR signaling is needed and sufficient for relaying the protective effect of the A2bAR against HFD-induced tissue inflammation and insulin resistance in mice.

Long-Term Resource Adequacy, Long-Term Flexibility Requirements, and Revenue Sufficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Milligan, Michael [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bloom, Aaron P [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Townsend, Aaron [National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Ela, Erik [Electric Power Research Institute; Botterud, Audun [Argonne National Laboratory; Levin, Todd [Argonne National Laboratory

2018-02-15

Variable generation (VG) can reduce market prices over time and also the energy that other suppliers can sell in the market. The suppliers that are needed to provide capacity and flexibility to meet the long-term reliability requirements may, therefore, earn less revenue. This chapter discusses the topics of resource adequacy and revenue sufficiency - that is, determining and acquiring the quantity of capacity that will be needed at some future date and ensuring that those suppliers that offer the capacity receive sufficient revenue to recover their costs. The focus is on the investment time horizon and the installation of sufficient generation capability. First, the chapter discusses resource adequacy, including newer methods of determining adequacy metrics. The chapter then focuses on revenue sufficiency and how suppliers have sufficient opportunity to recover their total costs. The chapter closes with a description of the mechanisms traditionally adopted by electricity markets to mitigate the issues of resource adequacy and revenue sufficiency and discusses the most recent market design changes to address these issues.

Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging: a non-invasive method to evaluate significant differences between malignant and normal tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rudisch, Ansgar; Kremser, Christian; Judmaier, Werner; Zunterer, Hildegard; DeVries, Alexander F.

2005-01-01

Purpose: An ever recurring challenge in diagnostic radiology is the differentiation between non-malignant and malignant tissue. Based on evidence that microcirculation of normal, non-malignant tissue differs from that of malignant tissue, the goal of this study was to assess the reliability of dynamic contrast-enhanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dcMRI) for differentiating these two entities. Materials and methods: DcMRI data of rectum carcinoma and gluteus maximus muscles were acquired in 41 patients. Using an fast T1-mapping sequence on a 1.5-T whole body scanner, T1-maps were dynamically retrieved before, during and after constant rate i.v. infusion of a contrast medium (CM). On the basis of the acquired data sets, PI-values were calculated on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The relevance of spatial heterogeneities of microcirculation was investigated by relative frequency histograms of the PI-values. Results: A statistically significant difference between malignant and normal tissue was found for the mean PI-value (P < 0.001; 8.95 ml/min/100 g ± 2.45 versus 3.56 ml/min/100 g ± 1.20). Additionally relative frequency distributions of PI-values with equal class intervals of 2.5 ml/min/100 g revealed significant differences between the histograms of muscles and rectum carcinoma. Conclusion: We could show that microcirculation differences between malignant and normal, non-malignant tissue can be reliably assessed by non-invasive dcMRI. Therefore, dcMRI holds great promise in the aid of cancer assessment, especially in patients where biopsy is contraindicated

[Tissue repositories for research at Sheba Medical Center(SMC].

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Yehudit; Barshack, Iris; Onn, Amir

2013-06-01

Cancer is the number one cause of death in both genders. Breakthroughs in the understanding of cancer biology, the identification of prognostic factors, and the development of new treatments are increasingly dependent on access to human cancer tissues with linked clinicopathological data. Access to human tumor samples and a large investment in translational research are needed to advance this research. The SMC tissue repositories provide researchers with biological materials, which are essential tools for cancer research. SMC tissue repositories for research aim to collect, document and preserve human biospecimens from patients with cancerous diseases. This is in order to provide the highest quality and well annotated biological biospecimens, used as essential tools to achieve the growing demands of scientific research needs. Such repositories are partners in acceLerating biomedical research and medical product development through clinical resources, in order to apply best options to the patients. Following Institutional Review Board approval and signing an Informed Consent Form, the tumor and tumor-free specimens are coLLected by a designated pathologist at the operating room only when there is a sufficient amount of the tumor, in excess of the routine needs. Blood samples are collected prior to the procedure. Other types of specimens collected include ascites fluid, pleural effusion, tissues for Optimal Cutting Temperature [OCT] and primary culture etc. Demographic, clinical, pathologicaL, and follow-up data are collected in a designated database. SMC has already established several organ or disease-specific tissue repositories within different departments. The foundation of tissue repositories requires the concentrated effort of a multidisciplinary team composed of paramedical, medical and scientific professionals. Research projects using these specimens facilitate the development of 'targeted therapy', accelerate basic research aimed at clarifying molecular

Computational cell quantification in the human brain tissues based on hard x-ray phase-contrast tomograms

Science.gov (United States)

Hieber, Simone E.; Bikis, Christos; Khimchenko, Anna; Schulz, Georg; Deyhle, Hans; Thalmann, Peter; Chicherova, Natalia; Rack, Alexander; Zdora, Marie-Christine; Zanette, Irene; Schweighauser, Gabriel; Hench, Jürgen; Müller, Bert

2016-10-01

Cell visualization and counting plays a crucial role in biological and medical research including the study of neurodegenerative diseases. The neuronal cell loss is typically determined to measure the extent of the disease. Its characterization is challenging because the cell density and size already differs by more than three orders of magnitude in a healthy cerebellum. Cell visualization is commonly performed by histology and fluorescence microscopy. These techniques are limited to resolve complex microstructures in the third dimension. Phase- contrast tomography has been proven to provide sufficient contrast in the three-dimensional imaging of soft tissue down to the cell level and, therefore, offers the basis for the three-dimensional segmentation. Within this context, a human cerebellum sample was embedded in paraffin and measured in local phase-contrast mode at the beamline ID19 (ESRF, Grenoble, France) and the Diamond Manchester Imaging Branchline I13-2 (Diamond Light Source, Didcot, UK). After the application of Frangi-based filtering the data showed sufficient contrast to automatically identify the Purkinje cells and to quantify their density to 177 cells per mm3 within the volume of interest. Moreover, brain layers were segmented in a region of interest based on edge detection. Subsequently performed histological analysis validated the presence of the cells, which required a mapping from the two- dimensional histological slices to the three-dimensional tomogram. The methodology can also be applied to further tissue types and shows potential for the computational tissue analysis in health and disease.

Sufficient conditions for Lagrange, Mayer, and Bolza optimization problems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Boltyanski V.

2001-01-01

Full Text Available The Maximum Principle [2,13] is a well known necessary condition for optimality. This condition, generally, is not sufficient. In [3], the author proved that if there exists regular synthesis of trajectories, the Maximum Principle also is a sufficient condition for time-optimality. In this article, we generalize this result for Lagrange, Mayer, and Bolza optimization problems.

Two-photon induced collagen cross-linking in bioartificial cardiac tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Kuetemeyer, Kai; Kensah, George; Heidrich, Marko; Meyer, Heiko; Martin, Ulrich; Gruh, Ina; Heisterkamp, Alexander

2011-08-01

Cardiac tissue engineering is a promising strategy for regenerative therapies to overcome the shortage of donor organs for transplantation. Besides contractile function, the stiffness of tissue engineered constructs is crucial to generate transplantable tissue surrogates with sufficient mechanical stability to withstand the high pressure present in the heart. Although several collagen cross-linking techniques have proven to be efficient in stabilizing biomaterials, they cannot be applied to cardiac tissue engineering, as cell death occurs in the treated area. Here, we present a novel method using femtosecond (fs) laser pulses to increase the stiffness of collagen-based tissue constructs without impairing cell viability. Raster scanning of the fs laser beam over riboflavin-treated tissue induced collagen cross-linking by two-photon photosensitized singlet oxygen production. One day post-irradiation, stress-strain measurements revealed increased tissue stiffness by around 40% being dependent on the fibroblast content in the tissue. At the same time, cells remained viable and fully functional as demonstrated by fluorescence imaging of cardiomyocyte mitochondrial activity and preservation of active contraction force. Our results indicate that two-photon induced collagen cross-linking has great potential for studying and improving artificially engineered tissue for regenerative therapies.

Tissue tolerance under the combination treatment of maxillary cancer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Egawa, J [Teikyo Univ., Tokyo (Japan). Faculty of Medicine; Ono, I; Suzuki, K; Takeda, C; Ebihara, S

1977-06-01

The tissue tolerance doses of the maxillary sinus structures were estimated when they were subjected to treatment for maxillary cancer by the usual combination of surgery, radiotherapy, and regional arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil. Equivalent single dose calculation was applied with irreversible tissue damage as an indicator. The retardation of epithelialization of the maxillary sinus operated upon appeared to be correlated with the dose delivered. The study indicated that 2,200 rad expressed by equivalent single dose is a safe dose level for sufficient epithelialization. The safety dose level for the bony structure, exposed by surgery, seemed to be at 1,800 rad.

The Impact of Repeated Freeze-Thaw Cycles on the Quality of Biomolecules in Four Different Tissues.

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Xiaoli; Wang, Min; Li, Lingling; Chen, Fang; Zhang, Yanyang; Li, Qian; Zhou, Junmei

2017-10-01

High-quality biosamples are valuable resources for biomedical research. However, some tissues are stored without being sectioned into small aliquots and have to undergo repeated freeze-thaw cycles throughout prolonged experimentation. Little is known regarding the effects of repeated freeze-thaw cycles on the quality of biomolecules in tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of repeated freeze-thaw (at room temperature or on ice) cycles on biomolecules and gene expression in four different types of tissues. Each fresh tissue was sectioned into seven aliquots and snap-frozen before undergoing repeated freeze-thaw cycles at room temperature or on ice. Biomolecules were extracted and analyzed. Both relative and absolute quantification were used to detect the changes in gene expression. The results indicated that the impact of repeated freeze-thaw cycles on RNA integrity varied by tissue type. Gene expression, including the housekeeping gene, was affected in RNA-degraded samples according to absolute quantification rather than relative quantification. Furthermore, our results suggest that thawing on ice could protect RNA integrity compared with thawing at room temperature. No obvious degradation of protein or DNA was observed with repeated freeze-thaw cycles either at room temperature or on ice. This research provides ample evidence for the necessity of sectioning fresh tissues into small aliquots before snap-freezing, thus avoiding degradation of RNA and alteration of gene expression resulting from repeated freeze-thaw cycles. For frozen tissue samples that were already in storage and had to be used repeatedly during their lifecycle, thawing on ice or sectioned at ultralow temperature is recommended.

Ethnic and sex differences in bone marrow adipose tissue and bone mineral density relationship.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, W; Chen, J; Gantz, M; Punyanitya, M; Heymsfield, S B; Gallagher, D; Albu, J; Engelson, E; Kotler, D; Pi-Sunyer, X; Shapses, S

2012-09-01

The relationship between bone marrow adipose tissue and bone mineral density is different between African Americans and Caucasians as well as between men and women. This suggests that the mechanisms that regulate the differentiation and proliferation of bone marrow stromal cells may differ in these populations. It has long been established that there are ethnic and sex differences in bone mineral density (BMD) and fracture risk. Recent studies suggest that bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) may play a role in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. It is unknown whether ethnic and sex differences exist in the relationship between BMAT and BMD. Pelvic BMAT was evaluated in 455 healthy African American and Caucasian men and women (age 18-88 years) using whole-body T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. BMD was measured using whole-body dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. A negative correlation was observed between pelvic BMAT and total body BMD or pelvic BMD (r = -0.533, -0.576, respectively; P BMAT. Menopausal status significantly entered the regression model with total body BMD as the dependent variable. African Americans had higher total body BMD than Caucasians for the same amount of BMAT, and the ethnic difference for pelvic BMD was greater in those participants with a higher BMAT. Men and premenopausal women had higher total body BMD levels than postmenopausal women for the same amount of BMAT. An inverse relationship exists between BMAT and BMD in African American and Caucasian men and women. The observed ethnic and sex differences between BMAT and BMD in the present study suggest the possibility that the mechanisms regulating the differentiation and proliferation of bone marrow stromal cells may differ in these populations.

The use of animal tissues alongside human tissue: Cultural and ethical considerations.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaw, Anu; Jones, D Gareth; Zhang, Ming

2016-01-01

Teaching and research facilities often use cadaveric material alongside animal tissues, although there appear to be differences in the way we handle, treat, and dispose of human cadaveric material compared to animal tissue. This study sought to analyze cultural and ethical considerations and provides policy recommendations on the use of animal tissues alongside human tissue. The status of human and animal remains and the respect because of human and animal tissues were compared and analyzed from ethical, legal, and cultural perspectives. The use of animal organs and tissues is carried out within the context of understanding human anatomy and function. Consequently, the interests of human donors are to be pre-eminent in any policies that are enunciated, so that if any donors find the presence of animal remains unacceptable, the latter should not be employed. The major differences appear to lie in differences in our perceptions of their respective intrinsic and instrumental values. Animals are considered to have lesser intrinsic value and greater instrumental value than humans. These differences stem from the role played by culture and ethical considerations, and are manifested in the resulting legal frameworks. In light of this discussion, six policy recommendations are proposed, encompassing the nature of consent, respect for animal tissues as well as human remains, and appropriate separation of both sets of tissues in preparation and display. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Culture of equine bone marrow mononuclear fraction and adipose tissue-derived stromal vascular fraction cells in different media

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gesiane Ribeiro

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study was to evaluate the culture of equine bone marrow mononuclear fraction and adipose tissue - derived stromal vascular fraction cells in two different cell culture media. Five adult horses were submitted to bone marrow aspiration from the sternum, and then from the adipose tissue of the gluteal region near the base of the tail. Mononuclear fraction and stromal vascular fraction were isolated from the samples and cultivated in DMEM medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum or in AIM-V medium. The cultures were observed once a week with an inverted microscope, to perform a qualitative analysis of the morphology of the cells as well as the general appearance of the cell culture. Colony-forming units (CFU were counted on days 5, 15 and 25 of cell culture. During the first week of culture, differences were observed between the samples from the same source maintained in different culture media. The number of colonies was significantly higher in samples of bone marrow in relation to samples of adipose tissue.

Sufficient conditions for uniqueness of the weak value

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dressel, J; Jordan, A N

2012-01-01

We review and clarify the sufficient conditions for uniquely defining the generalized weak value as the weak limit of a conditioned average using the contextual values formalism introduced in Dressel, Agarwal and Jordan (2010 Phys. Rev. Lett. http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.104.240401). We also respond to criticism of our work by Parrott (arXiv:1105.4188v1) concerning a proposed counter-example to the uniqueness of the definition of the generalized weak value. The counter-example does not satisfy our prescription in the case of an underspecified measurement context. We show that when the contextual values formalism is properly applied to this example, a natural interpretation of the measurement emerges and the unique definition in the weak limit holds. We also prove a theorem regarding the uniqueness of the definition under our sufficient conditions for the general case. Finally, a second proposed counter-example by Parrott (arXiv:1105.4188v6) is shown not to satisfy the sufficiency conditions for the provided theorem. (paper)

Study of Different Tissue Density Effects on the Dose Distribution of a 103Pd Brachytherapy Source Model MED3633

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Asghar Mowlavi

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Introduction: Clinical application of encapsulated radioactive brachytherapy sources has a major role in cancer treatment. In the present research, the effects of different tissue densities on the dose distribution of a 103Pd brachytherapy source in a spherical phantom of 50 cm radius have been studied. Material and Methods: As is well known, absorbed dose in tissue depends to its density, but this difference is not clear in measurements. Therefore, we applied the MCNP code to evaluate the effect of density on the dose distribution. 103Pd brachytherapy sources are used to treat prostate, breast and other cancers. Results: Absorbed dose has been calculated and presented around a source placed in the center of the phantom for different tissue densities. Also, we derived anisotropy and radial dose functions and compared our Monte Carlo results with experimental results of Rivard and Li et al. for F(1, θ and g(r in 1.040 g/cm3 tissue. Conclusion: The results of this study show that relative dose variations around the source center are very considerable at different densities, because of the presence of a photoabsorber (Au-Cu alloy in the source core. Dose variation exceeds 80% at the point (Z = 2.4 mm, Y = 0 mm. Computed values of anisotropy and radial dose functions are in good agreement with the experimental results of Rivard and Li et al.

Increasing urban water self-sufficiency: New era, new challenges

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rygaard, Martin; Binning, Philip John; Albrechtsen, Hans-Jørgen

2011-01-01

and 15 in-depth case studies, solutions used to increase water self-sufficiency in urban areas are analyzed. The main drivers for increased self-sufficiency were identified to be direct and indirect lack of water, constrained infrastructure, high quality water demands and commercial and institutional...... pressures. Case studies demonstrate increases in self-sufficiency ratios to as much as 80% with contributions from recycled water, seawater desalination and rainwater collection. The introduction of alternative water resources raises several challenges: energy requirements vary by more than a factor of ten...... amongst the alternative techniques, wastewater reclamation can lead to the appearance of trace contaminants in drinking water, and changes to the drinking water system can meet tough resistance from the public. Public water-supply managers aim to achieve a high level of reliability and stability. We...

Energy self-sufficient sensory ball screw drive; Energieautarker sensorischer Kugelgewindetrieb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bertram, Oliver

2012-07-01

Nowadays the availability of machine tools plays a decisive role in competition to increase in productivity. From state of the art it arises, that ball screw drives are the most abusive component in feed drives because of abrasive wear. Furthermore condition monitoring enables avoiding unplanned machine failure and increasing the availability of the deployed production facility. Thereby the application of additional sensors allows the direct acquisition of wear correlative measurements. To reduce the required effort for integration and increase the robustness, reliability and clarity in industrial environment energy self-sufficient sensor systems can be applied. In this thesis the development and investigation of an energy self-sufficient sensory ball screw drive with direct measurement of wear correlative pretension for condition monitoring application is described. The prototype measures the pretension with force sensors based on strain gauges. The sensor system includes microcontroller-based electronics for signal processing as well as wireless data transmission with ZigBee-standard. A hybrid system assures the energy supply of the sensor system. On the one hand a stepper motor generator produces electrical energy from the motion energy of the ball screw drive. On the other hand an energy buffer based on super caps is reloaded in stationary position by wireless energy transmission. For verification a prototype system is build up. In measurements the sensory and energetic characteristics of the energy self-sufficient sensor systems are analyzed. Moreover, the functionality of the ball screw drive as well as the signal characteristics of the force sensors are examined for different pretensions. In addition, pretension losses due to wear are established in realized endurance trials, which means that timely maintenance can be planned.

High-spatial-resolution mapping of the oxygen concentration in cortical tissue (Conference Presentation)

Science.gov (United States)

Jaswal, Rajeshwer S.; Yaseen, Mohammad A.; Fu, Buyin; Boas, David A.; Sakadžic, Sava

2016-03-01

Due to a lack of imaging tools for high-resolution imaging of cortical tissue oxygenation, the detailed maps of the oxygen partial pressure (PO2) around arterioles, venules, and capillaries remain largely unknown. Therefore, we have limited knowledge about the mechanisms that secure sufficient oxygen delivery in microvascular domains during brain activation, and provide some metabolic reserve capacity in diseases that affect either microvascular networks or the regulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF). To address this challenge, we applied a Two-Photon PO2 Microscopy to map PO2 at different depths in mice cortices. Measurements were performed through the cranial window in the anesthetized healthy mice as well as in the mouse models of microvascular dysfunctions. In addition, microvascular morphology was recorded by the two-photon microscopy at the end of each experiment and subsequently segmented. Co-registration of the PO2 measurements and exact microvascular morphology enabled quantification of the tissue PO2 dependence on distance from the arterioles, capillaries, and venules at various depths. Our measurements reveal significant spatial heterogeneity of the cortical tissue PO2 distribution that is dominated by the high oxygenation in periarteriolar spaces. In cases of impaired oxygen delivery due to microvascular dysfunction, significant reduction in tissue oxygenation away from the arterioles was observed. These tissue domains may be the initial sites of cortical injury that can further exacerbate the progression of the disease.

Lead–acid batteries coupled with photovoltaics for increased electricity self-sufficiency in households

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira e Silva de, Guilherme; Hendrick, Patrick

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Grid parity is reached for PV installations up to nearly 40% self-sufficiency. • Reaching beyond 40% self-sufficiency requires storage and support policies. • Peak consumption remains constant but load variability rises with self-sufficiency. • Changes in power plants portfolio and wholesale electricity prices are expected. • Limiting feed-in power is a promising solution for reducing load variability. - Abstract: With distributed generation of electricity growing in importance (especially with photovoltaics) and buildings being one of the main consumers of energy in modern societies, distributed storage of energy in buildings is expected to become increasingly present. This paper analyses the use of residential lead–acid energy storage coupled with photovoltaics and its possible interaction with the grid for different limits of feed-in power without any support policies. In the literature, these subjects are often treated independently and for very specific, non-optimised cases, thus motivating further research. Results show that reaching self-sufficiency values up to 40% is possible, close to grid parity values, and only with photovoltaics. Beyond 40%, energy storage must be used, strongly raising the cost of the electricity consumed and therefore the need for support policies for widespread adoption. Also, peak power consumption from the grid remains constant and load variability rises, suggesting that an increase in self-sufficiency would be accompanied by lower utilisation factors of power plants and, consequently, higher wholesale electricity prices during no sunshine hours. Limiting feed-in power attenuates the increased load variability and only slightly affects the economic viability of such installations. These results present a novel optimisation tool for developers and should be considered in future studies of distributed photovoltaics and energy storage as well as in energy policy.

Influence of overlying tissue and probe geometry on the sensitivity of a near-infrared tissue oximeter.

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, W; Haishu, D; Fenghua, T; Jun, Z; Qing, X; Xianwu, T

2001-02-01

In this paper, the influences of overlying tissue and detecting distance between the source and the detector on the measurement of a tissue oximeter were discussed. The signal-noise-ratio of the detector was also examined. A semi-infinite multi-layer Monte Carlo model was induced to simulate the migration of the photons in the skin, adipose and muscle. The thickness of the adipose layer and the separation between the source and the detector in the muscle were changed to simulate the clinical application. Partial pathlength was introduced as a characteristic parameter to evaluate the sensitivity of the oximeter. A two-wavelength (700 and 830 nm) tissue oximeter was developed to verify the results of the simulation. The Monte Carlo simulation results showed that the sensitivity of the near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) oximeter declined greatly with increasing overlying tissue thickness. Increasing the distance between the light source and the detector improved the sensitivity. However, in order to achieve a sufficiently high signal-to-noise ratio, it was necessary to limit this distance. The results of a bicycle ergometer exercise verified the above results and showed that, for a special adipose thickness (AT), there may be a reasonable range of the emitter-detector separation.

Denmark. Self-sufficiency and reserves management

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Erceville, H. d'.

1997-01-01

Since 1991, Denmark is a self-sufficient and a net petroleum and natural gas exporting country. Like all neighboring countries of the North sea, this country enjoys many advantages. However, Denmark exports and imports about a third of its hydrocarbons. This policy is a way to control its reserves for the future. (J.S.)

Simultaneous Analysis of Anthocyanin and Non-Anthocyanin Flavonoid in Various Tissues of Different Lotus (Nelumbo) Cultivars by HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Sha; Xiang, Yue; Deng, Jiao; Liu, Yanling; Li, Shaohua

2013-01-01

A validated HPLC-DAD-ESI-MSn method for the analysis of non-anthocyanin flavonoids was applied to nine different tissues of twelve lotus genotypes of Nelumbo nucifera and N. lutea, together with an optimized anthocyanin extraction and separation protocol for lotus petals. A total of five anthocyanins and twenty non-anthocyanin flavonoids was identified and quantified. Flavonoid contents and compositions varied with cultivar and tissue and were used as a basis to divide tissues into three groups characterized by kaempferol and quercetin derivatives. Influences on flower petal coloration were investigated by principal components analyses. High contents of kaempferol glycosides were detected in the petals of N. nucifera while high quercetin glycoside concentrations occurred in N. lutea. Based on these results, biosynthetic pathways leading to specific compounds in lotus tissues are deduced through metabolomic analysis of different genotypes and tissues and correlations among flavonoid compounds. PMID:23646125

A comparison study of different physical treatments on cartilage matrix derived porous scaffolds for tissue engineering applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moradi, Ali; Pramanik, Sumit; Ataollahi, Forough; Pingguan-Murphy, Belinda; Abdul Khalil, Alizan; Kamarul, Tunku

2014-01-01

Native cartilage matrix derived (CMD) scaffolds from various animal and human sources have drawn attention in cartilage tissue engineering due to the demonstrable presence of bioactive components. Different chemical and physical treatments have been employed to enhance the micro-architecture of CMD scaffolds. In this study we have assessed the typical effects of physical cross-linking methods, namely ultraviolet (UV) light, dehydrothermal (DHT) treatment, and combinations of them on bovine articular CMD porous scaffolds with three different matrix concentrations (5%, 15% and 30%) to assess the relative strengths of each treatment. Our findings suggest that UV and UV–DHT treatments on 15% CMD scaffolds can yield architecturally optimal scaffolds for cartilage tissue engineering. (paper)

The cross-tissue metabolic response of abalone (Haliotis midae) to functional hypoxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Venter, Leonie; Loots, Du Toit; Mienie, Lodewyk J; Jansen van Rensburg, Peet J; Mason, Shayne; Vosloo, Andre; Lindeque, Jeremie Z

2018-03-23

Functional hypoxia is a stress condition caused by the abalone itself as a result of increased muscle activity, which generally necessitates the employment of anaerobic metabolism if the activity is sustained for prolonged periods. With that being said, abalone are highly reliant on anaerobic metabolism to provide partial compensation for energy production during oxygen-deprived episodes. However, current knowledge on the holistic metabolic response for energy metabolism during functional hypoxia, and the contribution of different metabolic pathways and various abalone tissues towards the overall accumulation of anaerobic end-products in abalone are scarce. Metabolomics analysis of adductor muscle, foot muscle, left gill, right gill, haemolymph and epipodial tissue samples indicated that South African abalone ( Haliotis midae) subjected to functional hypoxia utilises predominantly anaerobic metabolism, and depends on all of the main metabolite classes (proteins, carbohydrates and lipids) for energy supply. Functional hypoxia caused increased levels of anaerobic end-products: lactate, alanopine, tauropine, succinate and alanine. Also, elevation in arginine levels was detected, confirming that abalone use phosphoarginine to generate energy during functional hypoxia. Different tissues showed varied metabolic responses to hypoxia, with functional hypoxia showing excessive changes in the adductor muscle and gills. From this metabolomics investigation, it becomes evident that abalone are metabolically able to produce sufficient amounts of energy when functional hypoxia is experienced. Also, tissue interplay enables the adjustment of H. midae energy requirements as their metabolism shifts from aerobic to anaerobic respiration during functional hypoxia.This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper. © 2018. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

The cross-tissue metabolic response of abalone (Haliotis midae to functional hypoxia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonie Venter

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Functional hypoxia is a stress condition caused by the abalone itself as a result of increased muscle activity, which generally necessitates the employment of anaerobic metabolism if the activity is sustained for prolonged periods. With that being said, abalone are highly reliant on anaerobic metabolism to provide partial compensation for energy production during oxygen-deprived episodes. However, current knowledge on the holistic metabolic response for energy metabolism during functional hypoxia, and the contribution of different metabolic pathways and various abalone tissues towards the overall accumulation of anaerobic end-products in abalone are scarce. Metabolomics analysis of adductor muscle, foot muscle, left gill, right gill, haemolymph and epipodial tissue samples indicated that South African abalone (Haliotis midae subjected to functional hypoxia utilises predominantly anaerobic metabolism, and depends on all of the main metabolite classes (proteins, carbohydrates and lipids for energy supply. Functional hypoxia caused increased levels of anaerobic end-products: lactate, alanopine, tauropine, succinate and alanine. Also, elevation in arginine levels was detected, confirming that abalone use phosphoarginine to generate energy during functional hypoxia. Different tissues showed varied metabolic responses to hypoxia, with functional hypoxia showing excessive changes in the adductor muscle and gills. From this metabolomics investigation, it becomes evident that abalone are metabolically able to produce sufficient amounts of energy when functional hypoxia is experienced. Also, tissue interplay enables the adjustment of H. midae energy requirements as their metabolism shifts from aerobic to anaerobic respiration during functional hypoxia. This article has an associated First Person interview with the first author of the paper.

Apparatus and method for enhancing tissue repair in mammals

Science.gov (United States)

Goodwin, Thomas J. (Inventor); Parker, Clayton R. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

An apparatus is introduced for the use of enhancing tissue repair in mammals. The apparatus includes a sleeve; an electrically conductive coil; a sleeve support; an electrical circuit configured to supply the coil with a square wave time varying electrical current sufficient to create approximately 0.05 gauss to 0.5 gauss. When in use, the sleeve of the apparatus is placed on a mammalian body part and the time varying electromagnetic force of from approximately 0.05 gauss to 0.5 gauss is generated on the mammalian body for an extended period of time so that the tissue is encouraged to be regenerated in the mammalian body part at a rate in excess of the normal tissue regeneration rate relative to regeneration without application of the time varying electromagnetic force.

Is docosahexaenoic acid synthesis from α-linolenic acid sufficient to supply the adult brain?

Science.gov (United States)

Domenichiello, Anthony F; Kitson, Alex P; Bazinet, Richard P

2015-07-01

Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is important for brain function, and can be obtained directly from the diet or synthesized in the body from α-linolenic acid (ALA). Debate exists as to whether DHA synthesized from ALA can provide sufficient DHA for the adult brain, as measures of DHA synthesis from ingested ALA are typically <1% of the oral ALA dose. However, the primary fate of orally administered ALA is β-oxidation and long-term storage in adipose tissue, suggesting that DHA synthesis measures involving oral ALA tracer ingestion may underestimate total DHA synthesis. There is also evidence that DHA synthesized from ALA can meet brain DHA requirements, as animals fed ALA-only diets have brain DHA concentrations similar to DHA-fed animals, and the brain DHA requirement is estimated to be only 2.4-3.8 mg/day in humans. This review summarizes evidence that DHA synthesis from ALA can provide sufficient DHA for the adult brain by examining work in humans and animals involving estimates of DHA synthesis and brain DHA requirements. Also, an update on methods to measure DHA synthesis in humans is presented highlighting a novel approach involving steady-state infusion of stable isotope-labeled ALA that bypasses several limitations of oral tracer ingestion. It is shown that this method produces estimates of DHA synthesis that are at least 3-fold higher than brain uptake rates in rats. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Effects of tissue mechanical properties on susceptibility to histotripsy-induced tissue damage

Science.gov (United States)

Vlaisavljevich, Eli; Kim, Yohan; Owens, Gabe; Roberts, William; Cain, Charles; Xu, Zhen

2014-01-01

Histotripsy is a non-invasive tissue ablation method capable of fractionating tissue by controlling acoustic cavitation. To determine the fractionation susceptibility of various tissues, we investigated histotripsy-induced damage on tissue phantoms and ex vivo tissues with different mechanical strengths. A histotripsy bubble cloud was formed at tissue phantom surfaces using 5-cycle long ultrasound pulses with peak negative pressure of 18 MPa and PRFs of 10, 100, and 1000 Hz. Results showed significantly smaller lesions were generated in tissue phantoms of higher mechanical strength. Histotripsy was also applied to 43 different ex vivo porcine tissues with a wide range of mechanical properties. Gross morphology demonstrated stronger tissues with higher ultimate stress, higher density, and lower water content were more resistant to histotripsy damage in comparison to weaker tissues. Based on these results, a self-limiting vessel-sparing treatment strategy was developed in an attempt to preserve major vessels while fractionating the surrounding target tissue. This strategy was tested in porcine liver in vivo. After treatment, major hepatic blood vessels and bile ducts remained intact within a completely fractionated liver volume. These results identify varying susceptibilities of tissues to histotripsy therapy and provide a rational basis to optimize histotripsy parameters for treatment of specific tissues.

Connective Tissue Disorders

Science.gov (United States)

... of connective tissue. Over 200 disorders that impact connective tissue. There are different types: Genetic disorders, such as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, Marfan syndrome, and osteogenesis imperfecta Autoimmune disorders, such as lupus and scleroderma Cancers, like some types of soft tissue sarcoma Each ...

Chromatically encoded high-speed photography of cavitation bubble dynamics inside inhomogeneous ophthalmic tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Tinne, N.; Matthias, B.; Kranert, F.; Wetzel, C.; Krüger, A.; Ripken, T.

2016-03-01

The interaction effect of photodisruption, which is used for dissection of biological tissue with fs-laser pulses, has been intensively studied inside water as prevalent sample medium. In this case, the single effect is highly reproducible and, hence, the method of time-resolved photography is sufficiently applicable. In contrast, the reproducibility significantly decreases analyzing more solid and anisotropic media like biological tissue. Therefore, a high-speed photographic approach is necessary in this case. The presented study introduces a novel technique for high-speed photography based on the principle of chromatic encoding. For illumination of the region of interest within the sample medium, the light paths of up to 12 LEDs with various emission wavelengths are overlaid via optical filters. Here, MOSFET-electronics provide a LED flash with a duration diodes are externally triggered with a distinct delay for every LED. Furthermore, the different illumination wavelengths are chromatically separated again for detection via camera chip. Thus, the experimental setup enables the generation of a time-sequence of laser-tissue interaction inside anisotropic biological tissue and for the optimization of the surgical process with high-repetition rate fs-lasers. Additionally, this application is also suitable for the investigation of other microscopic, ultra-fast events in transparent inhomogeneous materials.

Effects of different concentrations of pollen extract on brain tissues of Oncorhynchus mykiss

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehmet Fuat Gulhan

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Objective: To determine the antioxidant capacities of pollen extract applied at different concentrations on biochemical parameters in brain tissues of rainbow trouts. Methods: The effective concentration of pollen was determined with some biochemical parameters in brain tissues of fish treated at various concentrations of the pollen extract (0.5, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 30 mg/L for 96 h. The malondialdehyde levels, total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, oxidative stress index and amounts of total free sulfhydryl groups were analyzed in fish brain. Results: The malondialdehyde levels decreased in groups of 0.5, 2.5, 5, 10, 20 and 30 mg/L pollen-treated compared to control group (P<0.05. The highest level of total antioxidant status (P<0.05 and the lowest value (P<0.05 of the total oxidant status was 10 mg/L concentration of pollen. Oxidative stress index and level of sulfhydryl groups showed lowest values (P<0.05 in 10 mg/L pollen treated group compared with control group. Conclusions: To apply the pollen to fish reduces the detrimental effects and modulates oxidative status via activating antioxidant defense systems at brain tissue. As a result, pollen can be added up to 10 mg/L to the medium of rainbow trout to improve health of fish.

Food Self-Sufficiency across scales: How local can we go?

Science.gov (United States)

Pradhan, Prajal; Lüdeke, Matthias K. B.; Reusser, Dominik E.; Kropp, Jürgen P.

2013-04-01

"Think global, act local" is a phrase often used in sustainability debates. Here, we explore the potential of regions to go for local supply in context of sustainable food consumption considering both the present state and the plausible future scenarios. We analyze data on the gridded crop calories production, the gridded livestock calories production, the gridded feed calories use and the gridded food calories consumption in 5' resolution. We derived these gridded data from various sources: Global Agro-ecological Zone (GAEZ v3.0), Gridded Livestock of the World (GLW), FAOSTAT, and Global Rural-Urban Mapping Project (GRUMP). For scenarios analysis, we considered changes in population, dietary patterns and possibility of obtaining the maximum potential yield. We investigate the food self-sufficiency multiple spatial scales. We start from the 5' resolution (i.e. around 10 km x 10 km in the equator) and look at 8 levels of aggregation ranging from the plausible lowest administrative level to the continental level. Results for the different spatial scales show that about 1.9 billion people live in the area of 5' resolution where enough calories can be produced to sustain their food consumption and the feed used. On the country level, about 4.4 billion population can be sustained without international food trade. For about 1 billion population from Asia and Africa, there is a need for cross-continental food trade. However, if we were able to achieve the maximum potential crop yield, about 2.6 billion population can be sustained within their living area of 5' resolution. Furthermore, Africa and Asia could be food self-sufficient by achieving their maximum potential crop yield and only round 630 million populations would be dependent on the international food trade. However, the food self-sufficiency status might differ under consideration of the future change in population, dietary patterns and climatic conditions. We provide an initial approach for investigating the

Effects of different inorganic arsenic species in Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae) tissues after short-time exposure: Bioaccumulation, biotransformation and biological responses

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ventura-Lima, Juliane [Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, RS (Brazil); Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias Fisiologicas - Fisiologia Animal Comparada (FURG), Rio Grande, RS (Brazil); Fattorini, Daniele; Regoli, Francesco [Istituto di Biologia e Genetica, Universita Politecnica delle Marche, 60100, Ancona (Italy); Monserrat, Jose M., E-mail: josemmonserrat@pesquisador.cnpq.b [Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande - FURG, Rio Grande, RS (Brazil); Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Ciencias Fisiologicas - Fisiologia Animal Comparada (FURG), Rio Grande, RS (Brazil)

2009-12-15

Differences in the toxicological and metabolic pathway of inorganic arsenic compounds are largely unknown for aquatic species. In the present study the effects of short-time and acute exposure to As{sup III} and As{sup V} were investigated in gills and liver of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio (Cyprinidae), measuring accumulation and chemical speciation of arsenic, and the activity of glutathione-S-transferase omega (GST OMEGA), the rate limiting enzyme in biotransformation of inorganic arsenic. Oxidative biomarkers included antioxidant defenses (total glutathione-S-transferases, glutathione reductase, glutathione, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase), total scavenging capacity toward peroxyl radicals, reactive oxygen species (ROS) measurement and lipid peroxidation products. A marked accumulation of arsenic was observed only in gills of carps exposed to 1000 ppb As{sup V}. Also in gills, antioxidant responses were mostly modulated through a significant induction of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity which probably contributed to reduce ROS formation; however this increase was not sufficient to prevent lipid peroxidation. No changes in metal content were measured in liver of exposed carps, characterized by lower activity of GST OMEGA compared to gills. On the other hand, glutathione metabolism was more sensitive in liver tissue, where a significant inhibition of glutathione reductase was concomitant with increased levels of glutathione and higher total antioxidant capacity toward peroxyl radicals, thus preventing lipid peroxidation and ROS production. The overall results of this study indicated that exposure of C. carpio to As{sup III} and As{sup V} can induce different responses in gills and liver of this aquatic organism. - Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) presented marked differences between gills and liver after arsenic exposure in terms of antioxidant responses and also in biotransformation.

Experimental study and constitutive modeling of the viscoelastic mechanical properties of the human prolapsed vaginal tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Peña, Estefania; Calvo, B; Martínez, M A; Martins, P; Mascarenhas, T; Jorge, R M N; Ferreira, A; Doblaré, M

2010-02-01

In this paper, the viscoelastic mechanical properties of vaginal tissue are investigated. Using previous results of the authors on the mechanical properties of biological soft tissues and newly experimental data from uniaxial tension tests, a new model for the viscoelastic mechanical properties of the human vaginal tissue is proposed. The structural model seems to be sufficiently accurate to guarantee its application to prediction of reliable stress distributions, and is suitable for finite element computations. The obtained results may be helpful in the design of surgical procedures with autologous tissue or prostheses.

33 CFR 115.30 - Sufficiency of State authority for bridges.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... for bridges. 115.30 Section 115.30 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY BRIDGES BRIDGE LOCATIONS AND CLEARANCES; ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES § 115.30 Sufficiency of State authority for bridges. An opinion of the attorney general of the State as to the sufficiency of State...

Determination of the Elasticity of Breast Tissue during the Menstrual Cycle Using Real-Time Shear Wave Elastography.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Xiang; Wang, Jian-Nan; Fan, Zhi-Ying; Kang, Shu; Liu, Yan-Jun; Zhang, Yi-Xia; Wang, Xue-Mei

2015-12-01

We examined breast tissue elasticity during the menstrual cycle using real-time shear wave elastography (RT-SWE), a recent technique developed for soft tissue imaging. Written informed consent for RT-SWE was obtained from all eligible patients, who were healthy women aged between 19 and 52 y. Young's moduli of the breast tissue in the early follicular, late phase and luteal phase were compared. There were no significant differences in the mean, maximum and minimum elasticity values (Emean, Emax and Emin) and standard deviation (ESD). RT-SWE of glandular tissue revealed that ESD was increased in the early follicular phase compared with the luteal phase. Means ± SD of Emin, Emax and Emean in glandular tissue were 5.174 ± 2.138, 8.308 ± 3.166 and 6.593 ± 2.510, respectively, and in adipose tissue, 3.589 ± 2.083, 6.733 ± 3.522 and 4.857 ± 2.564, respectively. There were no significant differences in stiffness between glandular and adipose tissues throughout the menstrual cycle, but glandular tissue stiffness was lower in the luteal phase than in the early follicular phase. On the basis of these observations in normal healthy women, we believe we have obtained sufficient information to establish the baseline changes in human breast elasticity during the menstrual cycle. In the future, we intend to compare the elasticity values of healthy breast tissue with those of breast tissue affected by various pathologies. Our results reveal the significant potential of RT-SWE in the rapid and non-invasive clinical diagnosis of breast diseases, such as breast cancers. Copyright © 2015 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Enough is as good as a feast - sufficiency as policy. Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Darby, Sarah

2007-01-01

The concept of sufficiency has a long history, related as it is to the timeless issues of how best to distribute and use resources. Where energy is concerned, absolute reductions in demand are increasingly seen as necessary in response to climate change and energy security concerns. There is an acknowledgement that, collectively if not individually, humans have gone beyond safe limits in their use of fuels. The relatively wealthy and industrialised nations urgently need to move beyond a primary focus on efficiency to the more contentious issues surrounding demand reduction and sufficiency. The paper considers definitions of energy sufficiency, looks at a recent attempt to model future energy use in terms of efficiency and sufficiency, and discusses quantitative and qualitative aspects of sufficiency and how they might become institutionalised. There are many arguments in favour of sufficiency but they often founder in the face of political requirements for market growth and the employment generated by it. Some options for 'sufficiency policy' are selected, including a focus on energy in relation to livelihoods, energy implications of our use of time and making energy use more transparent

Enough is as good as a feast - sufficiency as policy. Volume 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Darby, Sarah [Lower Carbon Futures, Environmental Change Inst., Oxford Univ. Centre for the Environment (United Kingdom)

2007-07-01

The concept of sufficiency has a long history, related as it is to the timeless issues of how best to distribute and use resources. Where energy is concerned, absolute reductions in demand are increasingly seen as necessary in response to climate change and energy security concerns. There is an acknowledgement that, collectively if not individually, humans have gone beyond safe limits in their use of fuels. The relatively wealthy and industrialised nations urgently need to move beyond a primary focus on efficiency to the more contentious issues surrounding demand reduction and sufficiency. The paper considers definitions of energy sufficiency, looks at a recent attempt to model future energy use in terms of efficiency and sufficiency, and discusses quantitative and qualitative aspects of sufficiency and how they might become institutionalised. There are many arguments in favour of sufficiency but they often founder in the face of political requirements for market growth and the employment generated by it. Some options for 'sufficiency policy' are selected, including a focus on energy in relation to livelihoods, energy implications of our use of time and making energy use more transparent.

Skin penetration and tissue permeation after topical administration of diclofenac.

Science.gov (United States)

Hagen, Martina; Baker, Mark

2017-09-01

Topical delivery of drugs is an alternative to oral administration, often with similar efficacy but potentially a more favorable tolerability profile. However, topical formulations need to be able to penetrate the skin and permeate to the target areas in quantities sufficient to exert a therapeutic effect. Many factors can affect this process, including the physicochemical properties of the drug, the formulation used, and the site and mode of application. It is believed that measurement of drug concentrations at the sites of action may be an indicator of their likely efficacy. This review addresses these issues, with reference to topically administered diclofenac in osteoarthritis. Articles relevant to this review were identified after a systematic search of Medline and Embase, using the key words "diclofenac", "topical administration" and "osteoarthritis" in the search strategy. The sparse data available indicate that topical diclofenac can penetrate and permeate to deeper tissues, with a lower plasma to tissue ratio than oral diclofenac. The tissue diclofenac levels after topical delivery are sustained over time (at least several hours). However, there is not enough data to establish how diclofenac levels in the joint compare with IC 50 levels (50% of the maximum inhibition of prostaglandin synthesis) established following oral administration. After topical application, diclofenac can penetrate the skin and permeate to deeper tissues, where it reaches a concentration that appears to be sufficient to exert a therapeutic effect. More robust methods are required for in vivo characterization to better estimate the clinical efficacy of topically applied drugs.

Tissue tolerance under the combination treatment of maxillary cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Egawa, Jun; Ono, Isamu; Suzuki, Kunio; Takeda, Chisato; Ebihara, Satoshi.

1977-01-01

The tissue tolerance doses of the maxillary sinus structures were estimated when they were subjected to treatment for maxillary cancer by the usual combination of surgery, radiotherapy and regional arterial infusion of 5-fluorouracil. Equivalent single dose calculation was applied with irreversible tissue damage as an indicator. The retardation of epithelialization of the maxillary sinus operated upon appeared to be correlated with the dose delivered. The study indicated that 2,200 rad expressed by equivalent single dose is a safe dose level for sufficient epithelialization. The safety dose level for the bony structure, exposed by surgery, seemed to be at 1,800 rad. (auth.)

Quantification is Neither Necessary Nor Sufficient for Measurement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mari, Luca; Maul, Andrew; Torres Irribarra, David; Wilson, Mark

2013-01-01

Being an infrastructural, widespread activity, measurement is laden with stereotypes. Some of these concern the role of measurement in the relation between quality and quantity. In particular, it is sometimes argued or assumed that quantification is necessary for measurement; it is also sometimes argued or assumed that quantification is sufficient for or synonymous with measurement. To assess the validity of these positions the concepts of measurement and quantitative evaluation should be independently defined and their relationship analyzed. We contend that the defining characteristic of measurement should be the structure of the process, not a feature of its results. Under this perspective, quantitative evaluation is neither sufficient nor necessary for measurement

Tissue-specific incorporation and genotoxicity of different forms of tritium in the marine mussel, Mytilus edulis

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaeschke, Benedict C., E-mail: ben@ecology.su.s [Ecotoxicology Research and Innovation Centre, School of Biomedical and Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom); Millward, Geoffrey E. [Consolidated Radio-isotope Facility, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom); Moody, A. John; Jha, Awadhesh N. [Ecotoxicology Research and Innovation Centre, School of Biomedical and Biological Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA (United Kingdom)

2011-01-15

Marine mussels (Mytilus edulis) were exposed to seawater spiked with tritiated water (HTO) at a dose rate of 122 and 79 {mu}Gy h{sup -1} for 7 and 14 days, respectively, and tritiated glycine (T-Gly) at a dose rate of 4.9 {mu}Gy h{sup -1} over 7 days. This was followed by depuration in clean seawater for 21 days. Tissues (foot, gills, digestive gland, mantle, adductor muscle and byssus) and DNA extracts from tissues were analysed for their tritium activity concentrations. All tissues demonstrated bio-accumulation of tritium from HTO and T-Gly. Tritium from T-Gly showed increased incorporation into DNA compared to HTO. About 90% of the initial activity from HTO was depurated within one day, whereas T-Gly was depurated relatively slowly, indicating that tritium may be bound with different affinities in tissues. Both forms of tritium caused a significant induction of micronuclei in the haemocytes of mussels. Our findings identify significant differential impacts on Mytilus edulis of the two chemical forms of tritium and emphasise the need for a separate classification and control of releases of tritiated compounds, to adequately protect the marine ecosystem. - Tritium from tritiated glycine demonstrates greater accumulation and persistence in tissues and enhanced genotoxicity in haemocytes of marine mussels, compared to tritium from tritiated water.

The level of energy sufficiency - why all the controversy?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maillard, D.

2000-01-01

It as become fashionable in certain circles to attempt to demolish the notion of energy sufficiency, a concept which is now seen as being archaic and unsuitable. To back up their claims, proponents of this standpoint take great pleasure in attacking the corresponding indicator - the rate of energy sufficiency calculated as a ratio of national primary energy production and the total consumption of primary energy (in the same unit and without climatic corrections). Confirming its precarious, conventional and debatable nature seems in their eyes to be the best means of ensuring that both the word, the concept and the measuring method of energy sufficiency are consigned to the dustbin of economic history. After having examined with perhaps a certain irony some of the usual criticisms, I intend to proceed with a re-examination of questions which in my eyes appear to be essential. (author)

Tissue engineering of bovine articular cartilage within porous poly(ether ester) copolymer scaffolds with different structures

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mahmood, Tahir A.; Shastri, V. Prasad; van Blitterswijk, Clemens; Langer, Robert; Riesle, J.U.

2005-01-01

The potential of porous poly(ether ester) scaffolds made from poly(ethylene glycol) terephthalate: poly(butylene terephthalate) (PEGT:PBT) block copolymers produced by various methods to enable cartilaginous tissue formation in vitro was studied. Scaffolds were fabricated by two different processes:

Mercury, cadmium and lead in different tissues of fishes and in zooplankton from the Andaman Sea

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

Kureishy, T.W.; Sanzgiri, S.; George, M.D.; Braganca, A.

Several fishes, representing different trophic levels, and some zooplankton samples were analysed for Hg, Cd and Pb There is a wide variation in the concentrations of these elements Hg is quite low in practically all the tissues Cd and Pb show...

Potential of Different Coleus blumei Tissues for Rosmarinic Acid Production

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rosemary Vuković

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Rosmarinic acid is one of the main active components of Coleus blumei and is known to have numerous health benefi ts. The pharmacological significance of rosmarinic acid and its production through in vitro culture has been the subject of numerous studies. Here, the ability of different tissues to accumulate rosmarinic acid and sustainability in production over long cultivation have been tested. Calli, tumours, normal roots and hairy roots were established routinely by application of plant growth regulators or by transformation with agrobacteria. The differences among the established tumour lines were highly heterogeneous. Hairy root lines showed the highest mean growth rate and consistency in rosmarinic acid production. Although some tumour lines produced more rosmarinic acid than the hairy root lines, over a long cultivation period their productivity was unstable and decreased. Further, the effects of plant growth regulators on growth and rosmarinic acid accumulation were tested. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid significantly reduced tumour growth and rosmarinic acid production. 1-Naphthaleneacetic acid strongly stimulated hairy root growth whilst abscisic acid strongly enhanced rosmarinic acid production. Hairy roots cultured in an airlift bioreactor exhibited the highest potential for mass production of rosmarinic acid.

Hamp1 mRNA and plasma hepcidin levels are influenced by sex and strain but do not predict tissue iron levels in inbred mice.

Science.gov (United States)

McLachlan, Stela; Page, Kathryn E; Lee, Seung-Min; Loguinov, Alex; Valore, Erika; Hui, Simon T; Jung, Grace; Zhou, Jie; Lusis, Aldons J; Fuqua, Brie; Ganz, Tomas; Nemeth, Elizabeta; Vulpe, Chris D

2017-11-01

Iron homeostasis is tightly regulated, and the peptide hormone hepcidin is considered to be a principal regulator of iron metabolism. Previous studies in a limited number of mouse strains found equivocal sex- and strain-dependent differences in mRNA and serum levels of hepcidin and reported conflicting data on the relationship between hepcidin ( Hamp1 ) mRNA levels and iron status. Our aim was to clarify the relationships between strain, sex, and hepcidin expression by examining multiple tissues and the effects of different dietary conditions in multiple inbred strains. Two studies were done: first, Hamp1 mRNA, liver iron, and plasma diferric transferrin levels were measured in 14 inbred strains on a control diet; and second, Hamp1 mRNA and plasma hepcidin levels in both sexes and iron levels in the heart, kidneys, liver, pancreas, and spleen in males were measured in nine inbred/recombinant inbred strains raised on an iron-sufficient or high-iron diet. Both sex and strain have a significant effect on both hepcidin mRNA (primarily a sex effect) and plasma hepcidin levels (primarily a strain effect). However, liver iron and diferric transferrin levels are not predictors of Hamp1 mRNA levels in mice fed iron-sufficient or high-iron diets, nor are the Hamp1 mRNA and plasma hepcidin levels good predictors of tissue iron levels, at least in males. We also measured plasma erythroferrone, performed RNA-sequencing analysis of liver samples from six inbred strains fed the iron-sufficient, low-iron, or high-iron diets, and explored differences in gene expression between the strains with the highest and lowest hepcidin levels. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Both sex and strain have a significant effect on both hepcidin mRNA (primarily a sex effect) and plasma hepcidin levels (primarily a strain effect). Liver iron and diferric transferrin levels are not predictors of Hamp1 mRNA levels in mice, nor are the Hamp1 mRNA and plasma hepcidin levels good predictors of tissue iron levels, at least

A single lysis solution for the analysis of tissue samples by different proteomic technologies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Gromov, P.; Celis, J.E.; Gromova, I.

2008-01-01

-based proteomics (reverse-phase lysate arrays or direct antibody arrays), allowing the direct comparison of qualitative and quantitative data yielded by these technologies when applied to the same samples. The usefulness of the CLB1 solution for gel-based proteomics was further established by 2D PAGE analysis...... dissease, is driving scientists to increasingly use clinically relevant samples for biomarker and target discovery. Tissues are heterogeneous and as a result optimization of sample preparation is critical for generating accurate, representative, and highly reproducible quantitative data. Although a large...... number of protocols for preparation of tissue lysates has been published, so far no single recipe is able to provide a "one-size fits all" solubilization procedure that can be used to analyse the same lysate using different proteomics technologies. Here we present evidence showing that cell lysis buffer...

Error Bounds: Necessary and Sufficient Conditions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Outrata, Jiří; Kruger, A.Y.; Fabian, Marián; Henrion, R.

2010-01-01

Roč. 18, č. 2 (2010), s. 121-149 ISSN 1877-0533 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA100750802 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z10750506; CEZ:AV0Z10190503 Keywords : Error bounds * Calmness * Subdifferential * Slope Subject RIV: BA - General Mathematics Impact factor: 0.333, year: 2010 http://library.utia.cas.cz/separaty/2010/MTR/outrata-error bounds necessary and sufficient conditions.pdf

The Army Ethic-Inchoate but Sufficient

Science.gov (United States)

2015-06-12

are constraints imposed by this thesis. Delimitations include the scope, jus ad bellum, cultural relativism , descriptive ethics , and implementation...politicians. Third, this thesis will not look in depth at cultural relativism and how changes in laws and society’s philosophical and ethical ...THE ARMY ETHIC –INCHOATE BUT SUFFICIENT A thesis presented to the Faculty of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College

Tissue physiology and the response to heat

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Horsman, Michael Robert

2006-01-01

physiological effects should occur in normal tissues, such combination therapies must be carefully applied. Heating tumours to higher temperatures typically causes a transient increase in perfusion during heating, followed by vascular collapse which if sufficient will increase tumour necrosis. The speed...... and degree of vascular collapse is dependent on heating time, temperature and tumour model used. Such vascular collapse generally occurs at temperatures that cause a substantial blood flow increase in certain normal tissues, thus preferential anti-tumour effects can be achieved. The tumour vascular supply...... can also be exploited to improve the response to heat. Decreasing blood flow, using transient physiological modifiers or longer acting vascular disrupting agents prior to the initiation of heating, can both increase the accumulation of physical heat in the tumour, as well as increase heat sensitivity...

Comparison of Glucosinolate Profiles in Different Tissues of Nine Brassica Crops

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Shiva Ram Bhandari

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Glucosinolate (GSL profiles and concentrations in various tissues (seeds, sprouts, mature root, and shoot were determined and compared across nine Brassica species, including cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, radish, baemuchae, pakchoi, Chinese cabbage, leaf mustard, and kale. The compositions and concentrations of individual GSLs varied among crops, tissues, and growth stages. Seeds had highest total GSL concentrations in most of crops, whereas shoots had the lowest GSL concentrations. Aliphatic GSL concentrations were the highest in seeds, followed by that in sprouts, shoots, and roots. Indole GSL concentration was the highest in the root or shoot tissues in most of the crops. In contrast, aromatic GSL concentrations were highest in roots. Of the nine crops examined, broccoli exhibited the highest total GSL concentration in seeds (110.76 µmol·g−1 and sprouts (162.19 µmol·g−1, whereas leaf mustard exhibited the highest total GSL concentration in shoots (61.76 µmol·g−1 and roots (73.61 µmol·g−1. The lowest GSL concentrations were observed in radish across all tissues examined.

Artificial Self-Sufficient P450 in Reversed Micelles

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Teruyuki Nagamune

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Cytochrome P450s are heme-containing monooxygenases that require electron transfer proteins for their catalytic activities. They prefer hydrophobic compounds as substrates and it is, therefore, desirable to perform their reactions in non-aqueous media. Reversed micelles can stably encapsulate proteins in nano-scaled water pools in organic solvents. However, in the reversed micellar system, when multiple proteins are involved in a reaction they can be separated into different micelles and it is then difficult to transfer electrons between proteins. We show here that an artificial self-sufficient cytochrome P450, which is an enzymatically crosslinked fusion protein composed of P450 and electron transfer proteins, showed micelle-size dependent catalytic activity in a reversed micellar system. Furthermore, the presence of thermostable alcohol dehydrogenase promoted the P450-catalyzed reaction due to cofactor regeneration.

Sexual dimorphism in circulating leptin concentrations is not accounted for by differences in adipose tissue distribution.

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Rosenbaum, M; Pietrobelli, A; Vasselli, J R; Heymsfield, S B; Leibel, R L

2001-09-01

Circulating concentrations of leptin normalized to total adipose tissue mass are significantly greater in females than in males. Rates of leptin expression (per gram of adipose tissue) are significantly greater in subcutaneous (SAT) than visceral (VAT) adipose tissue and the relative amount of fat stored as SAT vs VAT is significantly greater in pre-menopausal females than in males. Gender-related differences in the relative amounts of SAT and VAT may account for the greater circulating leptin concentration relative to fat-mass in females than males. We examined body composition and anatomic fat distribution by dual energy X-ray-absorptiometry (DEXA) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and post-absorptive circulating concentrations of leptin and insulin in 58 subjects (26 females, 32 males). Stepwise multiple linear regression analyses, treating gender as a dichotomous variable, were performed to determine inter-relationships among leptin concentrations and insulin concentrations, VAT and SAT. Body composition by DEXA and MRI were highly correlated (r(2)=0.97, P<0.0001). There were significant gender effects on leptin/total fat mass (males, 0.17+/-0.01 ng/ml/kg; females, 0.49+/-0.05 ng/ml/kg; P<0.0001) and relative amounts of fat in SAT and VAT depots (ratio of SAT/VAT; males, 12.3+/-1.5; females, 32.9+/-3.2; P<0.0001). Circulating leptin concentration was significantly correlated with insulin concentration (P=0.001), SAT (P<0.0001) and gender (P=0.033). Circulating concentrations of insulin were significantly correlated with VAT, but not SAT, in males and with SAT, but not VAT, in females. The sexual dimorphism in the relationship between leptin and adipose tissue mass cannot be explained by differences in the relative amounts of VAT and SAT. Thus, the sexual dimorphism in plasma leptin concentration appears to reflect, at least in part, effects of circulating concentrations of gonadal steroids (especially androgens) and/or primary genetic differences that are

The importance of establishing an international network of tissue banks and regional tissue processing centers.

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Morales Pedraza, Jorge

2014-03-01

During the past four decades, many tissue banks have been established across the world with the aim of supplying sterilized tissues for clinical use and research purposes. Between 1972 and 2005, the International Atomic Energy Agency supported the establishment of more than sixty of these tissue banks in Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, Africa and Eastern Europe; promoted the use of the ionizing radiation technique for the sterilization of the processed tissues; and encouraged cooperation between the established tissue banks during the implementation of its program on radiation and tissue banking at national, regional and international levels. Taking into account that several of the established tissue banks have gained a rich experience in the procurement, processing, sterilization, storage, and medical use of sterilized tissues, it is time now to strengthen further international and regional cooperation among interested tissue banks located in different countries. The purpose of this cooperation is to share the experience gained by these banks in the procurement, processing, sterilization, storage, and used of different types of tissues in certain medical treatments and research activities. This could be done through the establishment of a network of tissue banks and a limited number of regional tissue processing centers in different regions of the world.

The effects of different lying positions on interface pressure, skin temperature, and tissue blood flow in nursing home residents.

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Källman, Ulrika; Engström, Maria; Bergstrand, Sara; Ek, Anna-Christina; Fredrikson, Mats; Lindberg, Lars-Göran; Lindgren, Margareta

2015-03-01

Although repositioning is considered an important intervention to prevent pressure ulcers, tissue response during loading in different lying positions has not been adequately explored. To compare the effects of different lying positions on interface pressure, skin temperature, and tissue blood flow in nursing home residents. From May 2011 to August 2012, interface pressure, skin temperature, and blood flow at three tissue depths were measured for 1 hr over the sacrum in 30° supine tilt and 0° supine positions and over the trochanter major in 30° lateral and 90° lateral positions in 25 residents aged 65 years or older. Measurement of interface pressure was accomplished using a pneumatic pressure transmitter connected to a digital manometer, skin temperature using a temperature sensor, and blood flow using photoplethysmography and laser Doppler flowmetry. Interface pressure was significantly higher in the 0° supine and 90° lateral positions than in 30° supine tilt and 30° lateral positions. The mean skin temperature increased from baseline in all positions. Blood flow was significantly higher in the 30° supine tilt position compared to the other positions. A hyperemic response in the post pressure period was seen at almost all tissue depths and positions. The 30° supine tilt position generated less interface pressure and allowed greater tissue perfusion, suggesting that this position is the most beneficial. © The Author(s) 2014.

Proteomics analyses for the global proteins in the brain tissues of different human prion diseases.

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Shi, Qi; Chen, Li-Na; Zhang, Bao-Yun; Xiao, Kang; Zhou, Wei; Chen, Cao; Zhang, Xiao-Mei; Tian, Chan; Gao, Chen; Wang, Jing; Han, Jun; Dong, Xiao-Ping

2015-04-01

Proteomics changes of brain tissues have been described in different neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. However, the brain proteomics of human prion disease remains less understood. In the study, the proteomics patterns of cortex and cerebellum of brain tissues of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, and G114V genetic CJD were analyzed with isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation combined with multidimensional liquid chromatography and MS analysis, with the brains from three normal individuals as controls. Global protein profiling, significant pathway, and functional categories were analyzed. In total, 2287 proteins were identified with quantitative information both in cortex and cerebellum regions. Cerebellum tissues appeared to contain more up- and down-regulated proteins (727 proteins) than cortex regions (312 proteins) of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, and G114V genetic CJD. Viral myocarditis, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, lysosome, oxidative phosphorylation, protein export, and drug metabolism-cytochrome P450 were the most commonly affected pathways of the three kinds of diseases. Almost coincident biological functions were identified in the brain tissues of the three diseases. In all, data here demonstrate that the brain tissues of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, fatal familial insomnia, and G114V genetic CJD have obvious proteomics changes at their terminal stages, which show the similarities not only among human prion diseases but also with other neurodegeneration diseases. This is the first study to provide a reference proteome map for human prion diseases and will be helpful for future studies focused on potential biomarkers for the diagnosis and therapy of human prion diseases. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

COMPARISON OF THE QUALITY OF RNA ISOLATED FROM THE RAINBOW TROUT (Oncorhynchus mykiss TISSUE IN FOUR DIFFERENT WAYS

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Irena Vardić

2004-03-01

Full Text Available Rapid and accurate diagnostic procedures for identification of reared fish diseases are important in order to reduce serious losses in relation of diseases outbrakes. Therefore, molecular biology methods are required for such types of investigations. First level in these experiments are DNA or RNA isolation. Tissue preparation for isolation of RNA, which is used in further RT-PCR (reverse transcription-polymerise chain reaction analysis is the key step on which is the whole process of analysis dependent. Our goal was to compare quality and integrity of RNA isolated from the rainbow trout tissue, which was prepared in four different ways: fresh tissue, frozen tissue, in formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue as well as in methacarn-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue. Isolated RNA was analyzed in gel electrophoresis on non-denaturated, 1% agarose gel. Quality and integrity of RNA was proved by RT-PCR reaction with primers for ß-actin gene. Additional, prepared tissue was tested on presence of two fish viruses: viral haemorrhagic septicaemia (VHS virus and infectious haematopoietic necrosis (IHN virus in RT-PCR reaction with primers specific for these viruses. RNA isolated from fresh and frozen tissue was of high quality, integrity and quantity. RNA isolated from in methacarn-fixed, paraffin embedded tissue was quite disintegrated, but in RT-PCR with primers for ß-actin gave expected products. These products were absent after RT-PCR reaction with in formallin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. That agrees with the facts from the literature about very agressive affect of formalin as a fixative on RNA in tissue. Inspected fish were not infected with VHS and IHN viruses and that was in agreement with results of clinical examination and pathological analysis. According to our knowledge, this is the first successful RNA isolation from in methacarn-fixed, paraffin embedded fish tissue. Isolated RNA can be used for further analysis in RT-PCR reaction. This

Using taphonomy to infer differences in soft tissues between taxa: an example using basal and derived forms of Solnhofen pterosaurs.

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Beardmore, S R; Lawlor, E; Hone, D W E

2017-08-01

In fossilised vertebrates, the presence of soft tissues is the most obvious way to determine aspects of anatomy and functional morphology; however, occurrences are rare and other lines of evidence must be sought to indicate its extent and strength. For example, pterosaurs possessed a large wing membrane that enabled powered flight but other tissues are not widely preserved. A semi-quantitative analysis comparing skeletal articulation and completeness of the pterodactyloid Pterodactylus and non-pterodactyloid pterosaur Rhamphorhynchus from Solnhofen-type deposits implies there were anatomical differences between soft-tissue structure and attachments articulating skeletal joints of each. Typically, skeletons of Pterodactylus disarticulate to a greater extent than those of Rhamphorhynchus, which in turn suggests decay progressed to more advanced states in the former. However, this generalisation masks a mosaic of differences between different body parts, for example Rhamphorhynchus tends to lose the wings as complete units but retains a complete and still articulated tail in a greater number of specimens than Pterodactylus.

Morpho-functional differences at tissue level in some radents of arid zone: common vole and laboratory mouse C57B1 differing in radioresistance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popova, M.F.; Bulyakova, N.V

1987-01-01

An assumption is made, that mechanisms of physiological regenration of the investigation tissues in rodents of arid zones, located in different continents, differ in principle. Physiological regeneration in Rhombomys opimus and meriones unguiculatis inhabiting the Kara Kum desert and the Baikal region mainly occurs in the results of intracellular repair and in Dipodomus merriamy from Mexican Sonora desert - to a great extent by way of intensive cell division and replacement of cellular populations by other ones. The reason for the different detected lies most probably in different ways of evolution of these animals

Apparatus for enhancing tissue repair in mammals

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Goodwin, Thomas J. (Inventor); Parker, Clayton R. (Inventor)

2007-01-01

An apparatus is disclosed for enhancing tissue repair in mammals, with the apparatus comprising: a sleeve for encircling a portion of a mammalian body part, said sleeve comprising an electrically conductive coil capable of generating an electromagnetic field when an electrical current is applied thereto, means for supporting the sleeve on the mammalian body part; and means for supplying the electrically conductive coil with a square wave time varying electrical current sufficient to create a time varying electromagnetic force of from approximately 0.05 gauss to 0.05 gauss within the interior of the coil in order that when the sleeve is placed on a mammalian body part and the time varying electromagnetic force of from approximately 0.05 gauss to 0.05 gauss is generated on the mammalian body part for an extended period of time, tissue regeneration within the mammalian body part is increased to a rate in excess of the normal tissue regeneration rate that would occur without application of the time varying electromagnetic force.

Tissue and serum samples of patients with papillary thyroid cancer with and without benign background demonstrate different altered expression of proteins

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Mardiaty Iryani Abdullah

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Background Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC is mainly diagnosed using fine-needle aspiration biopsy. This most common form of well-differentiated thyroid cancer occurs with or without a background of benign thyroid goiter (BTG. Methods In the present study, a gel-based proteomics analysis was performed to analyse the expression of proteins in tissue and serum samples of PTC patients with (PTCb; n = 6 and without a history of BTG (PTCa; n = 8 relative to patients with BTG (n = 20. This was followed by confirmation of the levels of proteins which showed significant altered abundances of more than two-fold difference (p < 0.01 in the tissue and serum samples of the same subjects using ELISA. Results The data of our study showed that PTCa and PTCb distinguish themselves from BTG in the types of tissue and serum proteins of altered abundance. While higher levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin (A1AT and heat shock 70 kDa protein were associated with PTCa, lower levels of A1AT, protein disulfide isomerase and ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 N seemed apparent in the PTCb. In case of the serum proteins, higher abundances of A1AT and alpha 1-beta glycoprotein were detected in PTCa, while PTCb was associated with enhanced apolipoprotein A-IV and alpha 2-HS glycoprotein (AHSG. The different altered expression of tissue and serum A1AT as well as serum AHSG between PTCa and PTCb patients were also validated by ELISA. Discussion The distinctive altered abundances of the tissue and serum proteins form preliminary indications that PTCa and PTCb are two distinct cancers of the thyroid that are etiologically and mechanistically different although it is currently not possible to rule out that they may also be due other reasons such as the different stages of the malignant disease. These proteins stand to have a potential use as tissue or serum biomarkers to discriminate the three different thyroid neoplasms although this requires further validation in clinically

Metabolomics and transcriptomics identify pathway differences between visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue in colorectal cancer patients: the ColoCare study.

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Liesenfeld, David B; Grapov, Dmitry; Fahrmann, Johannes F; Salou, Mariam; Scherer, Dominique; Toth, Reka; Habermann, Nina; Böhm, Jürgen; Schrotz-King, Petra; Gigic, Biljana; Schneider, Martin; Ulrich, Alexis; Herpel, Esther; Schirmacher, Peter; Fiehn, Oliver; Lampe, Johanna W; Ulrich, Cornelia M

2015-08-01

Metabolic and transcriptomic differences between visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) compartments, particularly in the context of obesity, may play a role in colorectal carcinogenesis. We investigated the differential functions of their metabolic compositions. Biochemical differences between adipose tissues (VAT compared with SAT) in patients with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) were investigated by using mass spectrometry metabolomics and gene expression profiling. Metabolite compositions were compared between VAT, SAT, and serum metabolites. The relation between patients' tumor stage and metabolic profiles was assessed. Presurgery blood and paired VAT and SAT samples during tumor surgery were obtained from 59 CRC patients (tumor stages I-IV) of the ColoCare cohort. Gas chromatography time-of-flight mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry were used to measure 1065 metabolites in adipose tissue (333 identified compounds) and 1810 metabolites in serum (467 identified compounds). Adipose tissue gene expression was measured by using Illumina's HumanHT-12 Expression BeadChips. Compared with SAT, VAT displayed elevated markers of inflammatory lipid metabolism, free arachidonic acid, phospholipases (PLA2G10), and prostaglandin synthesis-related enzymes (PTGD/PTGS2S). Plasmalogen concentrations were lower in VAT than in SAT, which was supported by lower gene expression of FAR1, the rate-limiting enzyme for ether-lipid synthesis in VAT. Serum sphingomyelin concentrations were inversely correlated (P = 0.0001) with SAT adipose triglycerides. Logistic regression identified lipids in patients' adipose tissues, which were associated with CRC tumor stage. As one of the first studies, we comprehensively assessed differences in metabolic, lipidomic, and transcriptomic profiles between paired human VAT and SAT and their association with CRC tumor stage. We identified markers of inflammation in VAT, which

Improvement of Brain Tissue Oxygenation by Inhalation of Carbogen

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ashkanian, M.; Borghammer, P.; Gjedde, A.

2008-01-01

tomography (PET) to measure CBF and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO(2)) during inhalation of test gases (O(2), CO(2), carbogen and atmospheric air) in 10 healthy volunteers. Arterial blood gases were recorded during administration of each gas. The data were analyzed with volume-of-interest and voxel...... is sufficient for optimal oxygenation of healthy brain tissue, whereas carbogen induces concomitant increases of CBF and Sa(O2)....

Multispectral Enhancement Method to Increase the Visual Differences of Tissue Structures in Stained Histopathology Images

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Pinky A. Bautista

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper we proposed a multispectral enhancement scheme in which the spectral colors of the stained tissue-structure of interest and its background can be independently modified by the user to further improve their visualization and color discrimination. The colors of the background objects are modified by transforming their N-band spectra through an NxN transformation matrix, which is derived by mapping the representative samples of their original spectra to the spectra of their target colors using least mean square method. On the other hand, the color of the tissue structure of interest is modified by modulating the transformed spectra with the sum of the pixel’s spectral residual-errors at specific bands weighted through an NxN weighting matrix; the spectral error is derived by taking the difference between the pixel’s original spectrum and its reconstructed spectrum using the first M dominant principal component vectors in principal component analysis. Promising results were obtained on the visualization of the collagen fiber and the non-collagen tissue structures, e.g., nuclei, cytoplasm and red blood cells (RBC, in a hematoxylin and eosin (H&E stained image.

Comparative Study of the Accumulation of Ni in Different Tissues of Mussels and Soft Clams

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Chalkiadakis O.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Two bivalves, the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, and the soft clam Callista chione were exposed to various Ni concentrations for a total period of 20 days, and then a depuration period of 10 days followed. Nickel accumulation in gills, mantle and the remaining body of the animals was measured after 5, 10, 15 and 20 days of exposure to Ni-contaminated seawater. The two organisms showed different behavior regarding Ni accumulation in all three tissues examined. In all concentrations, Ni accumulation increased with time in all three tissues of Mytilus galloprovincialis with gills being the most effective accumulator per dry mass. On the other hand, Callista chione showed an initial response to Ni contamination the first 5 days, followed by stabilization or even a slight decrease of Ni accumulation.

Chemical profiling of Jatropha tissues under different torrefaction conditions: application to biomass waste recovery.

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Taiji Watanabe

Full Text Available Gradual depletion of the world petroleum reserves and the impact of environmental pollution highlight the importance of developing alternative energy resources such as plant biomass. To address these issues, intensive research has focused on the plant Jatropha curcas, which serves as a rich source of biodiesel because of its high seed oil content. However, producing biodiesel from Jatropha generates large amounts of biomass waste that are difficult to use. Therefore, the objective of our research was to analyze the effects of different conditions of torrefaction on Jatropha biomass. Six different types of Jatropha tissues (seed coat, kernel, stem, xylem, bark, and leaf were torrefied at four different temperature conditions (200°C, 250°C, 300°C, and 350°C, and changes in the metabolite composition of the torrefied products were determined by Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance analyses. Cellulose was gradually converted to oligosaccharides in the temperature range of 200°C-300°C and completely degraded at 350°C. Hemicellulose residues showed different degradation patterns depending on the tissue, whereas glucuronoxylan efficiently decomposed between 300°C and 350°C. Heat-induced depolymerization of starch to maltodextrin started between 200°C and 250°C, and oligomer sugar structure degradation occurred at higher temperatures. Lignin degraded at each temperature, e.g., syringyl (S degraded at lower temperatures than guaiacyl (G. Finally, the toxic compound phorbol ester degraded gradually starting at 235°C and efficiently just below 300°C. These results suggest that torrefaction is a feasible treatment for further processing of residual biomass to biorefinery stock or fertilizer.

Differences in in vivo muscle fascicle and tendinous tissue behavior between the ankle plantarflexors during running.

Science.gov (United States)

Lai, A K M; Lichtwark, G A; Schache, A G; Pandy, M G

2018-03-30

The primary human ankle plantarflexors, soleus (SO), medial gastrocnemius (MG), and lateral gastrocnemius (LG) are typically regarded as synergists and play a critical role in running. However, due to differences in muscle-tendon architecture and joint articulation, the muscle fascicles and tendinous tissue of the plantarflexors may exhibit differences in their behavior and interactions during running. We combined in vivo dynamic ultrasound measurements with inverse dynamics analyses to identify and explain differences in muscle fascicle, muscle-tendon unit, and tendinous tissue behavior of the primary ankle plantarflexors across a range of steady-state running speeds. Consistent with their role as a force generator, the muscle fascicles of the uniarticular SO shortened less rapidly than the fascicles of the MG during early stance. Furthermore, the MG and LG exhibited delays in tendon recoil during the stance phase, reflecting their ability to transfer power and work between the knee and ankle via tendon stretch and storage of elastic strain energy. Our findings add to the growing body of evidence surrounding the distinct mechanistic functions of uni- and biarticular muscles during dynamic movements. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

New Sufficient LMI Conditions for Static Output Stabilization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Adegas, Fabiano Daher

2014-01-01

This paper presents new linear matrix inequality conditions to the static output feedback stabilization problem. Although the conditions are only sufficient, numerical experiments show excellent success rates in finding a stabilizing controller....

Magnetic Thermal Ablation Using Ferrofluids: Influence of Administration Mode on Biological Effect in Different Porcine Tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bruners, Philipp; Hodenius, Michael; Baumann, Martin; Oversohl, Jessica; Guenther, Rolf W.; Schmitz-Rode, Thomas; Mahnken, Andreas H.

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of magnetic thermal ablation in different porcine tissues using either a singular injection or a continuous infusion of superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. In the first setting samples of three ferrofluids containing different amounts of iron (1:171, 2:192, and 3:214 mg/ml) were singularly interstitially injected into specimens of porcine liver, kidney, and muscle (n = 5). Then the specimens were exposed to an alternating magnetic field (2.86 kA/m, 190 kHz) generated by a circular coil for 5 min. In the second experimental setup ferrofluid samples were continuously interstitially infused into the tissue specimens during the exposure to the magnetic field. To measure the temperature increase two fiber-optic temperature probes with a fixed distance of 0.5 cm were inserted into the specimens along the puncture tract of the injection needle and the temperature was measured every 15 s. Finally, the specimens were dissected, the diameters of the created thermal lesions were measured, and the volumes were calculated and compared. Compared to continuous infusion, a single injection of ferrofluids resulted in smaller coagulation volumes in all tissues. Significant differences regarding coagulation volume were found in kidney and muscle specimens. The continuous infusion technique led to more elliptically shaped coagulation volumes due to larger diameters along the puncture tract. Our data show the feasibility of magnetic thermal ablation using either a single interstitial injection or continuous infusion for therapy of lesions in muscle, kidney, and liver. Continuous infusion of ferrofluids results in larger zones of necrosis compared to a single injection technique.

Polonium-210 and radiocaesium in muscle tissue of fish from different Nordic marine areas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Holm, E.

1994-01-01

210 Po and radiocaesium were analyzed in the muscle tissue of different species of fish from the Baltic Sea, the Norwegian Sea and Icelandic waters. On the basis of the results a dose assessment was made which demonstrates that the dose to the population from 210 Po originating from the consumption of fish from the Baltic Sea is similar so that from radiocaesium, even after the Chernobyl accident. For the other areas the dose from radiocaesium is smaller but of the same importance as that from 210 Po. Differences in salinity are of minor importance compared to the food chains with respect to 210 Po. (orig.)

Retention of the metabolized trace elements in biological tissues following different drying procedures. I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iyengar, G.V.; Kasperek, K.; Feinendegen, L.E.

1978-01-01

Loss of Sb, Co, I, Hg, Se and Zn during freeze-drying and oven-drying at 80, 105 and 120 0 C were studied in rat tissues that contained metabolized radioactive isotopes. No loss was observed for any of the 6 elements on freeze-drying. However, tissue-specific differences were observed in many cases for Hg, Se, I and Sb on oven-drying. A significant loss of Hg was observed in liver even at 80 0 C, and for brain at 105 0 C. Se was lost from whole blood, brain, lung and muscle at 120 0 C, Sb was lost from whole blood at 105 0 C, but from brain, kidney, lung and spleen at 120 0 C. Iodine was also lost from whole blood, kidney, blood serum, erythrocytes, brain, lung and muscle at 120 0 C. Although the losses were statistically significant, they remained in most cases between 2 and 10% with the exception of Hg at 120 0 C, where the losses in some of the tissues were unpredictable. For urine, freeze-drying and oven-drying at 80 0 C was found to be relatively safe for Hg and I. At 105 0 C and above, serious loss of Hg was observed. In this experiment, the elements Zn, Co, Sb and Se were not studied for urine. (Auth

Implementing necessary and sufficient standards for radioactive waste management at LLNL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sims, J.M.; Ladran, A.; Hoyt, D.

1995-01-01

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the U.S. Department of Energy, Oakland Field Office (DOE/OAK), are participating in a pilot program to evaluate the process to develop necessary and sufficient sets of standards for contractor activities. This concept of contractor and DOE jointly and locally deciding on what constitutes the set of standards that are necessary and sufficient to perform work safely and in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, grew out of DOE's Department Standards Committee (Criteria for the Department's Standards Program, August 1994, DOE/EH/-0416). We have chosen radioactive waste management activities as the pilot program at LLNL. This pilot includes low-level radioactive waste, transuranic (TRU) waste, and the radioactive component of low-level and TRU mixed wastes. Guidance for the development and implementation of the necessary and sufficient set of standards is provided in open-quotes The Department of Energy Closure Process for Necessary and Sufficient Sets of Standards,close quotes March 27, 1995 (draft)

Evaluation of Appropriate Reference Genes for Reverse Transcription-Quantitative PCR Studies in Different Tissues of a Desert Poplar via Comparision of Different Algorithms

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Hou-Ling Wang

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Despite the unshakable status of reverse transcription-quantitative PCR in gene expression analysis, it has certain disadvantages, including that the results are highly dependent on the reference genes selected for data normalization. Since inappropriate endogenous control genes will lead to inaccurate target gene expression profiles, the validation of suitable internal reference genes is essential. Given the increasing interest in functional genes and genomics of Populus euphratica, a desert poplar showing extraordinary adaptation to salt stress, we evaluated the expression stability of ten candidate reference genes in P. euphratica roots, stems, and leaves under salt stress conditions. We used five algorithms, namely, ΔCt, NormFinder, geNorm, GrayNorm, and a rank aggregation method (RankAggreg to identify suitable normalizers. To support the suitability of the identified reference genes and to compare the relative merits of these different algorithms, we analyzed and compared the relative expression levels of nine P. euphratica functional genes in different tissues. Our results indicate that a combination of multiple reference genes recommended by GrayNorm algorithm (e.g., a combination of Actin, EF1α, GAPDH, RP, UBQ in root should be used instead of a single reference gene. These results are valuable for research of gene identification in different P. euphratica tissues.

Impact of Different Analytic Approaches on the Analysis of the Breast Fibroglandular Tissue Using Diffusion Weighted Imaging

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Yoon Jung Choi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. This study investigated the impact of the different region of interest (ROI approaches on measurement of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC values in the breast firbroglandular tissue (FT. Methods. Breast MR images of 38 women diagnosed with unilateral breast cancer were studied. Percent density (PD and ADC were measured from the contralateral normal breast. Four different ROIs were used for ADC measurement. The measured PD and ADC were correlated. Results. Among the four ROIs, the manually placed small ROI on FT gave the highest mean ADC (ADC = 1839 ± 343 [×10−6 mm2/s], while measurement from the whole breast gave the lowest mean ADC (ADC = 933 ± 383 [×10−6 mm2/s]. The ADC measured from the whole breast was highly correlated with PD with r=0.95. In slice-to-slice comparison, the central slices with more FT had higher ADC values than the peripheral slices did, presumably due to less partial volume effect from fat. Conclusions. Our results indicated that the measured ADC heavily depends on the composition of breast tissue contained in the ROI used for the ADC measurements. Women with low breast density showing lower ADC values were most likely due to the partial volume effect of fatty tissues.

Temperature dynamics of soft tissues during diode laser cutting by different types of fiber opto-thermal converters

Science.gov (United States)

Belikov, Andrey V.; Skrypnik, Alexei V.; Smirnov, Sergey N.; Semyashkina, Yulia V.

2017-03-01

The results of in vitro study of the soft tissue temperature dynamics during 980 nm diode laser cutting by different types (CLEAR, FILM, VOLUMETRIC) of fiber opto-thermal converters (FOTC) are presented. It was found that the use of CLEAR fiber end (tip) at the laser power below 8.5 W doesn't lead to the soft tissue (chicken meat) destruction. The chicken meat destruction (cutting) begins when irradiated by 8.5 W laser radiation for approximately 9.0 s. At the power of 9.0 W this time decreases up to 7.0 s, at 9.5 W - to 6.0 s, at 10.0 W - to 3.5 s. The moment of soft tissue cutting start correlates with the moment of black layer (absorber) formation at the fiber end and appearance of visually identifiable laser cut walls on the photos; the temperature in this case rapidly increases up to 850 °C. It was determined that the FILM FOTC begins to cut the soft tissue immediately after exposure of laser radiation with power of 4.0 W, the temperature in this case reaches 900 °C. It was determined that the VOLUMETRIC FOTC begins to cut the tissue immediately after exposure at the power of 1.0 W, the temperature in this case reaches 600 °C. VOLUMETRIC FOTC can produce more effective cuts of the soft tissue at the laser power of 4.0 W, in this case, the temperature is above 1200 °C.

Sufficient conditions for positivity of non-Markovian master equations with Hermitian generators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilkie, Joshua; Wong Yinmei

2009-01-01

We use basic physical motivations to develop sufficient conditions for positive semidefiniteness of the reduced density matrix for generalized non-Markovian integrodifferential Lindblad-Kossakowski master equations with Hermitian generators. We show that it is sufficient for the memory function to be the Fourier transform of a real positive symmetric frequency density function with certain properties. These requirements are physically motivated, and are more general and more easily checked than previously stated sufficient conditions. We also explore the decoherence dynamics numerically for some simple models using the Hadamard representation of the propagator. We show that the sufficient conditions are not necessary conditions. We also show that models exist in which the long time limit is in part determined by non-Markovian effects

In vitro histological evaluation of the surgical margins made by different laser wavelengths in tongue tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Azevedo, Ana-Salvaterra; Ferreira, Fernando; Delgado, Maria-Leonor; Garcês, Fernanda; Carreira, Sofia; Martins, Marco; Suarez-Quintanilla, Juan

2016-01-01

Background Lasers have become standard tools for the surgical treatment of oral lesions. The purpose of this study is to determine the surgical margins and histologically evaluate the tissue thermal effects induced by different types of surgical instruments. Material and Methods Cuts were made in pork tongues’ mucosa with different lasers (Er:YAG at 2W with and without air / water spray and at 4W with and without air / water spray; CO2 at 3.5W and 7W in pulsed mode and at 7W in continuous mode; the diode laser at 3.5W and boost 3.5W in pulsed mode; Nd:YAG at 6W, 40Hz and electroscalpel at 5W and conventional scalpel as control. Macroscopic and microscopic morphological changes were evaluated. Results The results of this study showed that the surgical instruments that caused greater tissue damage extension were: the Nd:YAG laser (670.68μm), the diode 3.5W and boost PW (626.82μm), the CO2 7W CW (571.18μm), the CO2 at 7W PW (485.45μm), the diode 3.5W PW (456.15μm), the electroscalpel (409.57μm) and lastly the CO2 laser 3.5W PW (306.19μm) and Er:YAG (74.66μm) laser, regardless of power, mode or air / water spray used. An association between the Tissue Damage Extension and the Degree of Carbonization (r = 0.789; P = 0.01), and an association between the Tissue Damage Extension and Regularity of the Incision were found (r = -, 299; P = 0.01). Conclusions The results of this study suggest that lasers can be used in soft tissues biopsies of the oral cavity, enabling a correct histopathological analysis, as long as the biological effects of each laser type are considered. The Er:YAG laser revealed its potential for biopsies of the oral mucosa ensuring a successful histological evaluation and the CO2 laser at 3,5W in pulsed mode presented itself as the best choice for surgeries with hemostasis. Key words:CO2 laser, diode laser, Er:YAG laser, laser surgery, Nd:YAG laser, oral mucosa, thermal effect. PMID:27703606

Adipose tissue engineering: state of the art, recent advances and innovative approaches.

Science.gov (United States)

Tanzi, Maria Cristina; Farè, Silvia

2009-09-01

Adipose tissue is a highly specialized connective tissue found either in white or brown forms, the white form being the most abundant in adult humans. Loss or damage of white adipose tissue due to aging or pathological conditions needs reconstructive approaches. To date, two main strategies are being investigated for generating functional adipose tissue: autologous tissue/cell transplantation and adipose tissue engineering. Free-fat transplantation rarely achieves sufficient tissue augmentation owing to delayed neovascularization, with subsequent cell necrosis and graft volume shrinkage. Tissue engineering approaches represent, instead, a more suitable alternative for adipose tissue regeneration; they can be performed either with in situ or de novo adipogenesis. In situ adipogenesis or transplantation of encapsulated cells can be useful in healing small-volume defects, whereas restoration of large defects, where vascularization and a rapid volumetric gain are strict requirements, needs de novo strategies with 3D scaffold/filling matrix combinations. For adipose tissue engineering, the use of adult mesenchymal stem cells (both adipose- and bone marrow-derived stem cells) or of preadipocytes is preferred to the use of mature adipocytes, which have low expandability and poor ability for volume retention. This review intends to assemble and describe recent work on this topic, critically presenting successes obtained and drawbacks faced to date.

Repair kinetics in tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thames, H.D.

1989-01-01

Monoexponential repair kinetics is based on the assumption of a single, dose-independent rate of repair of sublethal injury in the target cells for tissue injury after exposure to ionizing radiation. Descriptions of the available data based on this assumption have proved fairly successful for both acutely responding (skin, lip mucosa, gut) and late-responding (lung, spinal cord) normal tissues. There are indications of biphasic exponential repair in both categories, however. Unfortunately, the data usually lack sufficient resolution to permit unambiguous determination of the repair rates. There are also indications that repair kinetics may depend on the size of the dose. The data are conflicting on this account, however, with suggestions of both faster and slower repair after larger doses. Indeed, experiments that have been explicitly designed to test this hypothesis show either no effect (gut, spinal cord), faster repair after higher doses (lung, kidney), or slower repair after higher doses (skin). Monoexponential repair appears to be a fairly accurate description that provides an approximation to a more complicated picture, the elucidation of whose details will, however, require very careful and extensive experimental study. (author). 30 refs.; 1 fig

The boar pheromone 16-androstenone: radioimmunoassay in adipose tissue following semi-micro saponification

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaufmann, G.; Schubert, K.

1986-01-01

A radioimmunoassay (RIA) for the determination of 5α-16-androsten-3-one in porcine adipose tissue is described. The tissue samples are subjected to alcaline saponification in small tubes, without previous extraction. 2 variants were developed, with or without reflux condensation. This purification step is followed by RIA treatment of the neutral extract. The sensitivity of the method was found to be 0.05 and 0.03 μg/g, respectively, and was thus just sufficient for the detection of androstenone in adipose tissue of sows and castrated boars (0.02-0.06 μg/g). A mean value of 2.03 μg (0.13-8.2 μg/g) of androstenone was found per gram of adipose tissue of 64 boars aged between 8 and 9 months. (author)

Pulp and periodontal tissue repair - regeneration or tissue metaplasia after dental trauma. A review

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andreasen, Jens O

2012-01-01

Healing subsequent to dental trauma is known to be very complex, a result explained by the variability of the types of dental trauma (six luxations, nine fracture types, and their combinations). On top of that, at least 16 different cellular systems get involved in more severe trauma types each o...... of tissue replaces the injured). In this study, a review is given of the impact of trauma to various dental tissues such as alveolar bone, periodontal ligament, cementum, Hertvigs epithelial root sheath, and the pulp....... of them with a different potential for healing with repair, i.e. (re-establishment of tissue continuity without functional restitution) and regeneration (where the injured or lost tissue is replaced with new tissue with identical tissue anatomy and function) and finally metaplasia (where a new type...

Sample sufficiency of chinese pink grown in different substrates

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Sidinei José lopes

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The cravina is an excellent plant to build up gardens due to its early flowering, abundant flowering and great performance in spring and autumn. The objective was to estimate the sample size for plant chinese pink, grown on different substrates, and check the variability of the sample size between growth parameters and production and substrates. They used seven treatments (substrates: S1 = 50% soil + 50% rice husk ash; S2 = 80% soil + 20% earthworm castings; S3 = 80% rice husk ash + 20% earthworm castings; S4 = 40% soil + 40% rice husk ash + 20% earthworm castings; S5 = 100% peat; S6 = 100% commercial substrate Mecplant®; S7 = 50% peat + 50% rice husk ash, with 56 repetitions each, totaling 392 plants of garden pink, which was evaluated in 17 of growth and production parameters. The methodology used to bootstrap resampling, with replacement, for each character within each substrate with predetermined error: 5, 10, 20 and 40% of the average (D%. To a 95% confidence interval, with D = 20%, the substrate 50% soil and 50% of rice husk ash had the largest sample size 11 characters; when comparing the characters , the number of flower buds had the highest sample size on average 113 plants. Using samples of 44 plant chinese pink for commercial substrate Mecplant® meet the lower precisions or equal to 20% for all variables. There is variation in sample size in relation to the substrate used and the variable evaluated in chinese pink plants.

Expressiveness and frequency differences of hip joint tissues pathomorphological changes in diseases complicated by femoroacetabular impingement syndrome

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V. V. Grigorovsky

2013-12-01

Full Text Available Preface. Last years the increasing value in pathogenesis of hip joint osteoarthrosis (ОА both in adult patients and in children and teenagers is attached to articular surfaces congruence violation of the femoral head and acetabulum that is formed by articular cartilage and labrum, the last one by head movements in the maximum hip flexion and adduction enters in femoroacetabular impingement (FAI with edge of the head and allied site of the neck and is mechanically damaged. Purpose of the work. To establish hip joint tissues pathomorphological changes, to which FAI syndrome leads, and on the basis of graded expressiveness quantification of pathological changes to define differences of their occurrence frequency in groups of patients in some diseases with affected hip joint. Materials and research methods. 65 biopsies of hip joint tissues: proximal femoral epimetaphysis, acetabulum, acetabular lip and joint capsule –from patients with aseptic femoral head necrosis (АNFH and juvenile slipped femoral capital epiphysis (JSFCE. After study of qualitative features of hip joint tissues injury, some graded morphological indices characterizing conditions of affected joints, as occurrence frequencies of pathological changes of certain gradation, and also their comparison in groups of monitoring with calculation of their distinctions significance, were estimated. Results and their discussion. Clinical-pathomorphological research has revealed the various pathological changes shown by signs of discirculatory, chronic dystrophic-destructive and inflammatory processes in tissues of the femoral head, neck, acetabulum and joint capsule. FAI, causing secondary dystrophic-destructive changes in hip joint tissues, has different rates of development in various primary pathology: in JSCFE anatomic conditions of FAI develop faster, in АNFH – more slowly in the dynamics of secondary changes, the last ones do not differ statistically in various nosologies on rates

Effect of different BNCT protocols on DNA synthesis in precancerous and normal tissues in an experimental model of oral cancer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heber, Elisa M.; Aromando, Romina; Trivillin, Veronica A.; Itoiz, Maria E.; Kreimann, Erica L.; Schwint, Amanda E.; Nigg, David W.

2006-01-01

We previously reported the therapeutic success of different BNCT protocols in the treatment of oral cancer, employing the hamster cheek pouch model. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of these BNCT protocols on DNA synthesis in precancerous and normal tissue in this model and assess the potential lag in the development of second primary tumors in precancerous tissue. The data are relevant to potential control of field cancerized tissue and tolerance of normal tissue. We evaluated DNA synthesis in precancerous and normal pouch tissue 1-30 days post-BNCT mediated by BPA, GB-10 or BPA + GB-10 employing incorporation of bromo-deoxyuridine as an end-point. The BNCT-induced potential lag in the development of second primary tumors in precancerous tissue was monitored. A drastic, statistically significant reduction in DNA synthesis occurred in pacancerous tissue as early as 1 day post-BNCT and was sustained at virtually all time points until 30 days post-BNCT for all protocols. The histological categories evaluated individually within precancerous tissue (dysplasia, hyperplasia and NUMF [no unusual microscopic features]) responded similarly. DNA synthesis in normal tissue treated with BNCT oscillated around the very low pre-treatment values. A BNCT-induced lag in the development of second primary tumors was observed. BNCT induced a drastic fall in DNA synthesis in precancerous tissue that would be associated to the observed lag in the development of second primary tumors. The minimum variations in DNA synthesis in BNCT-treated normal tissue would correlate with the absence of normal tissue radiotoxicity. The present data would contribute to optimize therapeutic efficacy in the treatment of field-cancerized areas. (author)

Tissue engineering in dentistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Abou Neel, Ensanya Ali; Chrzanowski, Wojciech; Salih, Vehid M; Kim, Hae-Won; Knowles, Jonathan C

2014-08-01

of this review is to inform practitioners with the most updated information on tissue engineering and its potential applications in dentistry. The authors used "PUBMED" to find relevant literature written in English and published from the beginning of tissue engineering until today. A combination of keywords was used as the search terms e.g., "tissue engineering", "approaches", "strategies" "dentistry", "dental stem cells", "dentino-pulp complex", "guided tissue regeneration", "whole tooth", "TMJ", "condyle", "salivary glands", and "oral mucosa". Abstracts and full text articles were used to identify causes of craniofacial tissue loss, different approaches for craniofacial reconstructions, how the tissue engineering emerges, different strategies of tissue engineering, biomaterials employed for this purpose, the major attempts to engineer different dental structures, finally challenges and future of tissue engineering in dentistry. Only those articles that dealt with the tissue engineering in dentistry were selected. There have been a recent surge in guided tissue engineering methods to manage periodontal diseases beyond the traditional approaches. However, the predictable reconstruction of the innate organisation and function of whole teeth as well as their periodontal structures remains challenging. Despite some limited progress and minor successes, there remain distinct and important challenges in the development of reproducible and clinically safe approaches for oral tissue repair and regeneration. Clearly, there is a convincing body of evidence which confirms the need for this type of treatment, and public health data worldwide indicates a more than adequate patient resource. The future of these therapies involving more biological approaches and the use of dental tissue stem cells is promising and advancing. Also there may be a significant interest of their application and wider potential to treat disorders beyond the craniofacial region. Considering the

An Actomyosin-Arf-GEF Negative Feedback Loop for Tissue Elongation under Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

West, Junior J; Zulueta-Coarasa, Teresa; Maier, Janna A; Lee, Donghoon M; Bruce, Ashley E E; Fernandez-Gonzalez, Rodrigo; Harris, Tony J C

2017-08-07

In response to a pulling force, a material can elongate, hold fast, or fracture. During animal development, multi-cellular contraction of one region often stretches neighboring tissue. Such local contraction occurs by induced actomyosin activity, but molecular mechanisms are unknown for regulating the physical properties of connected tissue for elongation under stress. We show that cytohesins, and their Arf small G protein guanine nucleotide exchange activity, are required for tissues to elongate under stress during both Drosophila dorsal closure (DC) and zebrafish epiboly. In Drosophila, protein localization, laser ablation, and genetic interaction studies indicate that the cytohesin Steppke reduces tissue tension by inhibiting actomyosin activity at adherens junctions. Without Steppke, embryogenesis fails, with epidermal distortions and tears resulting from myosin misregulation. Remarkably, actomyosin network assembly is necessary and sufficient for local Steppke accumulation, where live imaging shows Steppke recruitment within minutes. This rapid negative feedback loop provides a molecular mechanism for attenuating the main tension generator of animal tissues. Such attenuation relaxes tissues and allows orderly elongation under stress. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparison of Species and Cell-Type Differences in Fraction Unbound of Liver Tissues, Hepatocytes, and Cell Lines.

Science.gov (United States)

Riccardi, Keith; Ryu, Sangwoo; Lin, Jian; Yates, Phillip; Tess, David; Li, Rui; Singh, Dhirender; Holder, Brian R; Kapinos, Brendon; Chang, George; Di, Li

2018-04-01

Fraction unbound ( f u ) of liver tissue, hepatocytes, and other cell types is an essential parameter used to estimate unbound liver drug concentration and intracellular free drug concentration. f u,liver and f u,cell are frequently measured in multiple species and cell types in drug discovery and development for various applications. A comparison study of 12 matrices for f u,liver and f u,cell of hepatocytes in five different species (mouse, rat, dog, monkey, and human), as well as f u,cell of Huh7 and human embryonic kidney 293 cell lines, was conducted for 22 structurally diverse compounds with the equilibrium dialysis method. Using an average bioequivalence approach, our results show that the average difference in binding to liver tissue, hepatocytes, or different cell types was within 2-fold of that of the rat f u,liver Therefore, we recommend using rat f u,liver as a surrogate for liver binding in other species and cell types in drug discovery. This strategy offers the potential to simplify binding studies and reduce cost, thereby enabling a more effective and practical determination of f u for liver tissues, hepatocytes, and other cell types. In addition, f u under hepatocyte stability incubation conditions should not be confused with f u,cell , as one is a diluted f u and the other is an undiluted f u Cell density also plays a critical role in the accurate measurement of f u,cell . Copyright © 2018 by The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.

Evaluation of different near-infrared spectroscopy technologies for assessment of tissue oxygen saturation during a vascular occlusion test.

Science.gov (United States)

Steenhaut, Kevin; Lapage, Koen; Bové, Thierry; De Hert, Stefan; Moerman, Annelies

2017-12-01

An increasing number of NIRS devices are used to provide measurements of peripheral tissue oxygen saturation (S t O 2 ). The aim of the present study is to test the hypothesis that despite technological differences between devices, similar trend values will be obtained during a vascular occlusion test. The devices compared are NIRO-200NX, which measures S t O 2 and oxyhemoglobin by spatially resolved spectroscopy and the Beer-Lambert law, respectively, and INVOS 5100C and Foresight Elite, which both measure S t O 2 with the Beer-Lambert law, enhanced with the spatial resolution technique. Forty consenting adults scheduled for CABG surgery were recruited. The respective sensors of the three NIRS devices were applied over the brachioradial muscle. Before induction of anesthesia, 3 min of ischemia were induced by inflating a blood pressure cuff at the upper arm, whereafter cuff pressure was rapidly released. Tissue oxygenation measurements included baseline, minimum and maximum values, desaturation and resaturation slopes, and rise time. Comparisons between devices were performed with the Kruskal-Wallis test with post hoc Mann-Whitney pairwise comparisons. Agreement was evaluated using Bland-Altman plots. Oxyhemoglobin measured with NIRO responded faster than the other NIRS technologies to changes in peripheral tissue oxygenation (20 vs. 27-40 s, p ≤ 0.01). When comparing INVOS with Foresight, oxygenation changes were prompter (upslope 311 [92-523]%/min vs. 114[65-199]%/min, p ≤ 0.01) and more pronounced (minimum value 36 [21-48] vs. 45 [40-51]%, p ≤ 0.01) with INVOS. Significant differences in tissue oxygen saturation measurements were observed, both within the same device as between different devices using the same measurement technology.

[Is standard-echocardiography sufficient for identification of responders?].

Science.gov (United States)

Neuss, M; Flach, P; Ali, T; Butter, C

2006-01-01

During recent years cardiac re-synchronization has become an important tool in the treatment of patients with signs and symptoms of heart failure and de-synchronized contraction of the heart. This article describes the pathophysiological basis of de-synchronized contraction due to left bundle branch block and the use of conventional echocardiography to unmask whether the electrical abnormality is accompanied by an asynchronous contraction in the individual patient. The altered contraction in the de-synchronized heart is analysed on different levels: atrioventricular dyssynchrony describes the disturbed mechanical coupling of the ventricles and atria, interventricular dyssynchrony describes the disturbed mechanical coupling of the left and right ventricle, and intraventricular dyssynchrony describes the uncoordinated contraction of the left ventricle. Since tissue Doppler imaging is implemented only in the top level echo machines of the respective manufacturers, this article uses parameters derived from standard echo techniques to analyse the different aspects of dyssynchrony.

Label-free LC-MSe in tissue and serum reveals protein networks underlying differences between benign and malignant serous ovarian tumors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wouter Wegdam

Full Text Available PURPOSE: To identify proteins and (molecular/biological pathways associated with differences between benign and malignant epithelial ovarian tumors. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES: Serum of six patients with a serous adenocarcinoma of the ovary was collected before treatment, with a control group consisting of six matched patients with a serous cystadenoma. In addition to the serum, homogeneous regions of cells exhibiting uniform histology were isolated from benign and cancerous tissue by laser microdissection. We subsequently employed label-free liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MSe to identify proteins in these serum and tissues samples. Analyses of differential expression between samples were performed using Bioconductor packages and in-house scripts in the statistical software package R. Hierarchical clustering and pathway enrichment analyses were performed, as well as network enrichment and interactome analysis using MetaCore. RESULTS: In total, we identified 20 and 71 proteins that were significantly differentially expressed between benign and malignant serum and tissue samples, respectively. The differentially expressed protein sets in serum and tissue largely differed with only 2 proteins in common. MetaCore network analysis, however inferred GCR-alpha and Sp1 as common transcriptional regulators. Interactome analysis highlighted 14-3-3 zeta/delta, 14-3-3 beta/alpha, Alpha-actinin 4, HSP60, and PCBP1 as critical proteins in the tumor proteome signature based on their relative overconnectivity. The data have been deposited to the ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD001084. DISCUSSION: Our analysis identified proteins with both novel and previously known associations to ovarian cancer biology. Despite the small overlap between differentially expressed protein sets in serum and tissue, APOA1 and Serotransferrin were significantly lower expressed in both serum and cancer tissue samples, suggesting a tissue-derived effect in serum

Combined spectroscopic imaging and chemometric approach for automatically partitioning tissue types in human prostate tissue biopsies

Science.gov (United States)

Haka, Abigail S.; Kidder, Linda H.; Lewis, E. Neil

2001-07-01

We have applied Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopic imaging, coupling a mercury cadmium telluride (MCT) focal plane array detector (FPA) and a Michelson step scan interferometer, to the investigation of various states of malignant human prostate tissue. The MCT FPA used consists of 64x64 pixels, each 61 micrometers 2, and has a spectral range of 2-10.5 microns. Each imaging data set was collected at 16-1 resolution, resulting in 512 image planes and a total of 4096 interferograms. In this article we describe a method for separating different tissue types contained within FTIR spectroscopic imaging data sets of human prostate tissue biopsies. We present images, generated by the Fuzzy C-Means clustering algorithm, which demonstrate the successful partitioning of distinct tissue type domains. Additionally, analysis of differences in the centroid spectra corresponding to different tissue types provides an insight into their biochemical composition. Lastly, we demonstrate the ability to partition tissue type regions in a different data set using centroid spectra calculated from the original data set. This has implications for the use of the Fuzzy C-Means algorithm as an automated technique for the separation and examination of tissue domains in biopsy samples.

Attended but unseen: visual attention is not sufficient for visual awareness.

Science.gov (United States)

Kentridge, R W; Nijboer, T C W; Heywood, C A

2008-02-12

Does any one psychological process give rise to visual awareness? One candidate is selective attention-when we attend to something it seems we always see it. But if attention can selectively enhance our response to an unseen stimulus then attention cannot be a sufficient precondition for awareness. Kentridge, Heywood & Weiskrantz [Kentridge, R. W., Heywood, C. A., & Weiskrantz, L. (1999). Attention without awareness in blindsight. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B, 266, 1805-1811; Kentridge, R. W., Heywood, C. A., & Weiskrantz, L. (2004). Spatial attention speeds discrimination without awareness in blindsight. Neuropsychologia, 42, 831-835.] demonstrated just such a dissociation in the blindsight subject GY. Here, we test whether the dissociation generalizes to the normal population. We presented observers with pairs of coloured discs, each masked by the subsequent presentation of a coloured annulus. The discs acted as primes, speeding discrimination of the colour of the annulus when they matched in colour and slowing it when they differed. We show that the location of attention modulated the size of this priming effect. However, the primes were rendered invisible by metacontrast-masking and remained unseen despite being attended. Visual attention could therefore facilitate processing of an invisible target and cannot, therefore, be a sufficient precondition for visual awareness.

Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sahil Aggarwal, BS

2018-04-01

nature of necrotizing fasciitis, prompt surgical evaluation is paramount. Emergent debridement is required (often revealing a characteristic “dishwater” pus because even broad-spectrum antibiotics are not sufficient to completely resolve cases of necrotizing fasciitis.1 Topics: Necrotizing soft tissue infection, computed tomography, sepsis, cellulitis

EVALUATION OF FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN DISTRICTS

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R. E. Mansurov

2017-01-01

Full Text Available The article presents the author's method for estimation of the level of food self-sufficiency for the main types of food products in the regions of Republic of Tatarstan. The proposed method is based on the use of analytical methods and mathematical comparative analysis to compose a final rating. The proposed method can be used in the system of regional management of agro-industrial complex on the federal and local level. Relevance. The relevance of this work is caused by on the one hand a hardening of foreign policy that may negatively impact on national food security, and on the other hand the state crisis of the domestic agricultural sector. All this requires the development of new approaches to regional agribusiness management. Goal. To develop a methodology is used to assess the level of food self-sufficiency. To rate the level of self-sufficiency in main types of foodstuff in regions of Republic of Tatarstan. Materials and Methods. Statistical data of the results of the AIC of the Republic of Tatarstan for 2016 was used for the study. Analytical methods, including mathematical analysis and comparison were used. Results. Based on the analysis of the present situation for ensuring of food security in Russia it was shown that now it is necessary to develop effective indicators identifying the level of self-sufficiency in basic food regions. It was also revealed that there are no such indicators in system of regional agrarian and industrial complex at present time. As a result of analysis existing approaches the author's method of rating the level of self-sufficiency of regions was offered. This method was adopted on the example of the Republic of Tatarstan. Conclusions. The proposed method of rating estimation of self-sufficiency for basic foodstuffs can be used in the regional agroindustrial complex management system at the federal and local level. It can be used to rank areas in terms of their self-sufficiency for basic foodstuffs. This

Global Sufficient Optimality Conditions for a Special Cubic Minimization Problem

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiaomei Zhang

2012-01-01

Full Text Available We present some sufficient global optimality conditions for a special cubic minimization problem with box constraints or binary constraints by extending the global subdifferential approach proposed by V. Jeyakumar et al. (2006. The present conditions generalize the results developed in the work of V. Jeyakumar et al. where a quadratic minimization problem with box constraints or binary constraints was considered. In addition, a special diagonal matrix is constructed, which is used to provide a convenient method for justifying the proposed sufficient conditions. Then, the reformulation of the sufficient conditions follows. It is worth noting that this reformulation is also applicable to the quadratic minimization problem with box or binary constraints considered in the works of V. Jeyakumar et al. (2006 and Y. Wang et al. (2010. Finally some examples demonstrate that our optimality conditions can effectively be used for identifying global minimizers of the certain nonconvex cubic minimization problem.

PASSIVE CAVITATION DETECTION DURING PULSED HIFU EXPOSURES OF EX VIVO TISSUES AND IN VIVO MOUSE PANCREATIC TUMORS

OpenAIRE

Li, Tong; Chen, Hong; Khokhlova, Tatiana; Wang, Yak-Nam; Kreider, Wayne; He, Xuemei; Hwang, Joo Ha

2014-01-01

Pulsed high-intensity focused ultrasound (pHIFU) has been demonstrated to enhance vascular permeability, disrupt tumor barriers and enhance drug penetration into tumor tissue through acoustic cavitation. Monitoring of cavitation activity during pHIFU treatments and knowing the ultrasound pressure levels sufficient to reliably induce cavitation in a given tissue are therefore very important. Here, three metrics of cavitation activity induced by pHIFU and evaluated by confocal passive cavitatio...

Transcriptome architecture across tissues in the pig

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Folch Josep M

2008-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Artificial selection has resulted in animal breeds with extreme phenotypes. As an organism is made up of many different tissues and organs, each with its own genetic programme, it is pertinent to ask: How relevant is tissue in terms of total transcriptome variability? Which are the genes most distinctly expressed between tissues? Does breed or sex equally affect the transcriptome across tissues? Results In order to gain insight on these issues, we conducted microarray expression profiling of 16 different tissues from four animals of two extreme pig breeds, Large White and Iberian, two males and two females. Mixed model analysis and neighbor – joining trees showed that tissues with similar developmental origin clustered closer than those with different embryonic origins. Often a sound biological interpretation was possible for overrepresented gene ontology categories within differentially expressed genes between groups of tissues. For instance, an excess of nervous system or muscle development genes were found among tissues of ectoderm or mesoderm origins, respectively. Tissue accounted for ~11 times more variability than sex or breed. Nevertheless, we were able to confidently identify genes with differential expression across tissues between breeds (33 genes and between sexes (19 genes. The genes primarily affected by sex were overall different than those affected by breed or tissue. Interaction with tissue can be important for differentially expressed genes between breeds but not so much for genes whose expression differ between sexes. Conclusion Embryonic development leaves an enduring footprint on the transcriptome. The interaction in gene × tissue for differentially expressed genes between breeds suggests that animal breeding has targeted differentially each tissue's transcriptome.

In situ tissue regeneration: chemoattractants for endogenous stem cell recruitment.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanden Berg-Foels, Wendy S

2014-02-01

Tissue engineering uses cells, signaling molecules, and/or biomaterials to regenerate injured or diseased tissues. Ex vivo expanded mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have long been a cornerstone of regeneration therapies; however, drawbacks that include altered signaling responses and reduced homing capacity have prompted investigation of regeneration based on endogenous MSC recruitment. Recent successful proof-of-concept studies have further motivated endogenous MSC recruitment-based approaches. Stem cell migration is required for morphogenesis and organogenesis during development and for tissue maintenance and injury repair in adults. A biomimetic approach to in situ tissue regeneration by endogenous MSC requires the orchestration of three main stages: MSC recruitment, MSC differentiation, and neotissue maturation. The first stage must result in recruitment of a sufficient number of MSC, capable of effecting regeneration, to the injured or diseased tissue. One of the challenges for engineering endogenous MSC recruitment is the selection of effective chemoattractant(s). The objective of this review is to synthesize and evaluate evidence of recruitment efficacy by reported chemoattractants, including growth factors, chemokines, and other more recently appreciated MSC chemoattractants. The influence of MSC tissue sources, cell culture methods, and the in vitro and in vivo environments is discussed. This growing body of knowledge will serve as a basis for the rational design of regenerative therapies based on endogenous MSC recruitment. Successful endogenous MSC recruitment is the first step of successful tissue regeneration.

Expression of claudin-11, -23 in different gastric tissues and its relationship with the risk and prognosis of gastric cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Youzhu; Jing, Jingjing; Sun, Liping; Gong, Yuehua; Chen, Moye; Wang, Zeyang; Sun, Mingjun; Yuan, Yuan

2017-01-01

Claudins play an important role in regulating the permeability of epithelial and endothelial cells and in the maintenance of cell polarity. We aimed to investigate expression of claudin-11, -23 in different gastric tissues and its relationship with clinicopathologic parameters and prognosis of gastric cancer. We compared their expression levels in the paired cancerous tissues versus those in the adjacent noncancerous tissues by real-time PCR, western blotting and immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the expression of claudin-11, -23 was greatly increased in paracancerous gastric tissue compared with cancerous tissue. We also compared their expression levels of tissues from gastric cancer, superficial gastritis, and atrophic gastritis by immunohistochemistry. The results indicated that the expression of claudin-11 and 23 was significantly higher in superficial gastritis than that in atrophic gastritis and gastric cancer. The expression of claudin-23 was significantly lower in atrophic gastritis than that in gastric cancer, but no obviously difference was observed for claudin-11. As for analysis of clinicopathologic parameters of gastric cancer, logistic multiple regression indicated that claudin-11 was significantly associated with sex, smoking, alcohol, H. pylori infection and Borrmann classification while claudin-23 was significantly associated with vessel cancer embolus. Cox multivariate survival analysis indicated that gastric cancer patients with negative claudin-23 expression had significantly longer overall survival. In conclusion, the expression of claudin-11, -23 was remarkably downregulated in gastric cancer. Abnormal expression of these proteins was significantly correlated with some clinicopathologic parameters. In particular, claudin-23 positive expression was associated with poor prognostic outcomes of gastric cancer patients and may therefore serve as an independent prognosticator of patient survival.

Do sufficient vitamin D levels at the end of summer in children and adolescents provide an assurance of vitamin D sufficiency at the end of winter? A cohort study.

Science.gov (United States)

Shakeri, Habibesadat; Pournaghi, Seyed-Javad; Hashemi, Javad; Mohammad-Zadeh, Mohammad; Akaberi, Arash

2017-10-26

The changes in serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) in adolescents from summer to winter and optimal serum vitamin D levels in the summer to ensure adequate vitamin D levels at the end of winter are currently unknown. This study was conducted to address this knowledge gap. The study was conducted as a cohort study. Sixty-eight participants aged 7-18 years and who had sufficient vitamin D levels at the end of the summer in 2011 were selected using stratified random sampling. Subsequently, the participants' vitamin D levels were measured at the end of the winter in 2012. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to determine optimal cutoff points for vitamin D at the end of the summer to predict sufficient vitamin D levels at the end of the winter. The results indicated that 89.7% of all the participants had a decrease in vitamin D levels from summer to winter: 14.7% of them were vitamin D-deficient, 36.8% had insufficient vitamin D concentrations and only 48.5% where able to maintain sufficient vitamin D. The optimal cutoff point to provide assurance of sufficient serum vitamin D at the end of the winter was 40 ng/mL at the end of the summer. Sex, age and vitamin D levels at the end of the summer were significant predictors of non-sufficient vitamin D at the end of the winter. In this age group, a dramatic reduction in vitamin D was observed over the follow-up period. Sufficient vitamin D at the end of the summer did not guarantee vitamin D sufficiency at the end of the winter. We found 40 ng/mL as an optimal cutoff point.

Radiological criteria in assessing different types of proliferation in the mammary tissue with the help of microradiography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Berger, M.S.

1983-01-01

26 tissue blocks of female patients with proliferating mastopathy were prepared as 2 mm-thick slices and a specimen radiogram was made of each. In all cases, the assessment of the histopathological examination lead to the result: benign. As complicated mastopathies must be regarded as risk factors with regard to later occurrence of a carcinoma, a microradiography of the sample tissue was made initially. This can help to show especially calcified micro spots in the tissue which might be an indication of malignant growth. Slices of 70 μm in thickness were taken pictures of in the microradiography chamber. The microcalcifications which could be recognized were compared to the results of the specimen radiography and the histological findings. In 15 cases, a far bigger number of micro-carlcifications (5 fold) could be established in the microradiogram; there were no such significant differences in the presentation of the calcifications in the other cases. As the tissue slice in specimen radiography is 2.5 times as thick, also the quantity of calcification must be correspondingly more. As, however, in 15 cases microradiography showed even more calcification than in the specimen radiogram, this proves the efficiency of microradiography for imaging microcalcifications. (orig./MG) [de

Neutron activation and PIXE analysis of oyster tissues cultivated at different ocean depths for trace elements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukushima, M.; Nakano, Y.; Chatt, A.

2005-01-01

Difference in trace element concentrations in oyster tissues cultivated in Japan on hanging ropes at different sea depths were investigated using INAA and PIXE. Three groups of oyster were collected from a single rope at 1 m, 6 m, and 11 m depths. From each group, five oysters were chosen and removed from the shell after washing in tap water. Two groups of organ, namely hepatopancreas and muscle, and gill and mantle were separated from soft tissues, freeze-dried, and pulverized. One portion of the powdered samples was irradiated for a short time at the Dalhousie University SLOWPOKE-2 reactor in Canada for Ag and Se analysis. Another portion was irradiated for one hour in Kyoto University Reactor in Osaka, Japan for Fe, Rb, Sc, and Zn analysis. The third portion was digested in a microwave oven after the addition of an indium solution (as an internal standard) and concentrated nitric acid for analysis by PIXE. More than twenty elements were determined by PIXE. The organs in oysters have different roles. For example, hepatopancreas and muscle are thought to accumulate elements after ingestion of plankton from sea water while gill and mantle are always in contact with sea water. As a result, there were differences in levels of some elements between the two groups of organ. In addition, levels of most elements were found to be depth dependent. The variations in Fe and Zn concentrations of the two organ groups at 3 different depths are shown in Table 1. Details of the method and results will be presented.

POLITICAL ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF RICE SELF-SUFFICIENCY IN INDONESIA

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Sri Nuryanti

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Rice self-sufficiency is an important programme in Indonesia. The programme has four major targets, i.e. increasing production, stabilizing prices and reserve stocks, and minimizing import. For that purpose, the government gave a mandate to a parastatal, namely National Logistic Agency (Bulog in implementing the rice policies. Some studies found that involvement of such a parastatal could lead to government failure in budget allocation. The study aimed to estimate social cost of rice self-sufficiency programme based on the implementation of rice instrument policies by Bulog. The study used the national annual data of 2002–2014 period. The method used was the political preference function model to estimate economic rent and dead-weight loss using rice price elasticity of demand and supply. The result showed that in terms of percentage of food security budget, the average of economic rent reached IDR 6.37 trillion per annum (18.54%, while the average of dead-weight loss amounted at IDR 0.90 trillion per annum (2.34%. It proved that rice self-sufficiency programme along with the involvement of Bulog was economically inefficient. The government should provide better agricultural infrastructure, review governmental procurement prices, and stop rice import policy to remedy market failure.

Toxicity and oxidative stress of canine mesenchymal stromal cells from adipose tissue in different culture passages

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Arícia Gomes Sprada

2015-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Stem cells in regenerative therapy have received attention from researchers in recent decades. The culture of these cells allows studies about their behavior and metabolism. Thus, cell culture is the basis for cell therapy and tissue engineering researches. A major concern regarding the use of cultivated stem cell in human or veterinary clinical routine is the risk of carcinogenesis. Cellular activities require a balanced redox state. However, when there is an imbalance in this state, oxidative stress occurs. Oxidative stress contributes to cytotoxicity, which may result in cell death or genomic alterations, favoring the development of cancer cells. The aim of this study was to determine whether there are differences in the behavior of cultured mesenchymal stem cells from canine adipose tissue according to its site of collection (omentum and subcutaneous evaluating the rate of proliferation, viability, level of oxidative stress and cytotoxicity over six passages. For this experiment, two samples of adipose tissue from subcutaneous and omentum where taken from a female dog corpse, 13 years old, Pitbull. The results showed greater levels of oxidative stress in the first and last passages of both groups, favoring cytotoxicity and cell death.

Role of sufficient statistics in stochastic thermodynamics and its implication to sensory adaptation

Science.gov (United States)

Matsumoto, Takumi; Sagawa, Takahiro

2018-04-01

A sufficient statistic is a significant concept in statistics, which means a probability variable that has sufficient information required for an inference task. We investigate the roles of sufficient statistics and related quantities in stochastic thermodynamics. Specifically, we prove that for general continuous-time bipartite networks, the existence of a sufficient statistic implies that an informational quantity called the sensory capacity takes the maximum. Since the maximal sensory capacity imposes a constraint that the energetic efficiency cannot exceed one-half, our result implies that the existence of a sufficient statistic is inevitably accompanied by energetic dissipation. We also show that, in a particular parameter region of linear Langevin systems there exists the optimal noise intensity at which the sensory capacity, the information-thermodynamic efficiency, and the total entropy production are optimized at the same time. We apply our general result to a model of sensory adaptation of E. coli and find that the sensory capacity is nearly maximal with experimentally realistic parameters.

Pricing and crude oil self-sufficiency. [Canada

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1979-11-01

How Canada should go about achieving crude oil self-sufficiency and who should develop Canada's petroleum resources are discussed. The degree of urgency and the level of commitment required by government, industry, and consumers are evaluated. What the price should be of Canadian crude oil and who should establish this price are also discussed. The economic aspects of investment, return, and taxation are also included. (DC)

Effects of different acute hypoxic regimens on tissue oxygen profiles and metabolic outcomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Reinke, Christian; Bevans-Fonti, Shannon; Drager, Luciano F; Shin, Mi-Kyung; Polotsky, Vsevolod Y

2011-09-01

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes intermittent hypoxia (IH) during sleep. Both obesity and OSA are associated with insulin resistance and systemic inflammation, which may be attributable to tissue hypoxia. We hypothesized that a pattern of hypoxic exposure determines both oxygen profiles in peripheral tissues and systemic metabolic outcomes, and that obesity has a modifying effect. Lean and obese C57BL6 mice were exposed to 12 h of intermittent hypoxia 60 times/h (IH60) [inspired O₂ fraction (Fi(O₂)) 21-5%, 60/h], IH 12 times/h (Fi(O₂) 5% for 15 s, 12/h), sustained hypoxia (SH; Fi(O₂) 10%), or normoxia while fasting. Tissue oxygen partial pressure (Pti(O₂)) in liver, skeletal muscle and epididymal fat, plasma leptin, adiponectin, insulin, blood glucose, and adipose tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured. In lean mice, IH60 caused oxygen swings in the liver, whereas fluctuations of Pti(O₂) were attenuated in muscle and abolished in fat. In obese mice, baseline liver Pti(O₂) was lower than in lean mice, whereas muscle and fat Pti(O₂) did not differ. During IH, Pti(O₂) was similar in obese and lean mice. All hypoxic regimens caused insulin resistance. In lean mice, hypoxia significantly increased leptin, especially during SH (44-fold); IH60, but not SH, induced a 2.5- to 3-fold increase in TNF-α secretion by fat. Obesity was associated with striking increases in leptin and TNF-α, which overwhelmed effects of hypoxia. In conclusion, IH60 led to oxygen fluctuations in liver and muscle and steady hypoxia in fat. IH and SH induced insulin resistance, but inflammation was increased only by IH60 in lean mice. Obesity caused severe inflammation, which was not augmented by acute hypoxic regimens.

Validation of reference genes in Solenopsis invicta in different developmental stages, castes and tissues.

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Daifeng Cheng

Full Text Available To accurately assess gene expression levels, it is essential to normalize real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR data with suitable internal reference genes. For the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, reliable reference genes to assess the transcript expression levels of the target genes have not been previously investigated. In this study, we examined the expression levels of five candidate reference genes (rpl18, ef1-beta, act, GAPDH, and tbp in different developmental stages, castes and tissues of S. invicta. To evaluate the suitability of these genes as endogenous controls, three software-based approaches (geNorm, BestKeeper and NormFinder and one web-based comprehensive tool (RefFinder were used to analyze and rank the tested genes. Furthermore, the optimal number of reference gene(s was determined by the pairwise variation value. Our data showed that two of the five candidate genes, rpl18 and ef1-beta, were the most suitable reference genes because they have the most stable expression among different developmental stages, castes and tissues in S. invicta. Although widely used as reference gene in other species, in S. invicta the act gene has high variation in expression and was consequently excluded as a reliable reference gene. The two validated reference genes, rpl18 and ef1-beta, can be widely used for quantification of target gene expression with RT-qPCR technology in S. invicta.

Frozen and fresh ovarian tissue require different culture media to promote in vitro development of bovine preantral follicles.

Science.gov (United States)

Castro, Simone Vieira; Carvalho, Adeline Andrade; Silva, Cleidson Manoel Gomes; Santos, Francielli Weber; Campello, Cláudio Cabral; de Figueiredo, José Ricardo; Rodrigues, Ana Paula Ribeiro

2014-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of different media in the in vitro culture of bovine preantral follicles that were used either fresh or following slow freezing treatment. Frozen and fresh noncultured or cultured ovarian fragments were processed for histological, viability, and cell proliferation analyses. For cryopreservation, a solution containing 1.5 M ethylene glycol was frozen in a programmable biological freezer. After thawing, a portion of the samples was destined for frozen controls. The remainder were cultured in vitro for 5 days in three media: α-MEM, McCoy, or M199. Samples from these culture media were collected on days 1 and 5 for quantification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and for hormonal assays. In fresh-cultured tissues, the percentage of morphologically normal follicles was significantly higher when cultured in M199 compared to that in the other media. In frozen-cultured tissues, McCoy medium was significantly superior to the other media, and was the only treatment that helped in maintaining the viability similar to fresh and frozen controls. Upon quantification of the nucleolus organizer region, we observed greater proliferation of granulosa cells in the frozen-cultured tissues with McCoy medium, and lesser proliferation in fresh-cultured tissues only with α-MEM. In frozen-cultured tissues, ROS levels were highest at day 1 and progressively reduced during culture, independent of the media used. In conclusion, under the conditions used in this study, the M199 and McCoy media are recommended for the culture of follicles derived from fresh and frozen ovarian tissues, respectively.

Practical obstacles and their mitigation strategies in compressional optical coherence elastography of biological tissues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vladimir Y. Zaitsev

2017-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we point out some practical obstacles arising in realization of compressional optical coherence elastography (OCE that have not attracted sufficient attention previously. Specifically, we discuss (i complications in quantification of the Young modulus of tissues related to partial adhesion between the OCE probe and soft intervening reference layer sensor, (ii distorting influence of tissue surface curvature/corrugation on the subsurface strain distribution mapping, (iii ways of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR enhancement in OCE strain mapping when periodic averaging is not realized, and (iv potentially significant influence of tissue elastic nonlinearity on quantification of its stiffness. Potential practical approaches to mitigate the effects of these complications are also described.

Frequency dependence of complex moduli of brain tissue using a fractional Zener model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kohandel, M; Sivaloganathan, S; Tenti, G; Darvish, K

2005-01-01

Brain tissue exhibits viscoelastic behaviour. If loading times are substantially short, static tests are not sufficient to determine the complete viscoelastic behaviour of the material, and dynamic test methods are more appropriate. The concept of complex modulus of elasticity is a powerful tool for characterizing the frequency domain behaviour of viscoelastic materials. On the other hand, it is well known that classical viscoelastic models can be generalized by means of fractional calculus to describe more complex viscoelastic behaviour of materials. In this paper, the fractional Zener model is investigated in order to describe the dynamic behaviour of brain tissue. The model is fitted to experimental data of oscillatory shear tests of bovine brain tissue to verify its behaviour and to obtain the material parameters

Bone Healing in Transverse Maxillary Defects with Different Surgical Procedures Using Anorganic Bovine Bone in Humans

OpenAIRE

Beltrán, Victor; Matthijs, Andries; Borie, Eduardo; Fuentes, Ramón; Valdivia-Gandur, Iván; Engelke, Wilfried

2013-01-01

The centripetal resorption of maxilla is a continuous process after tooth loss. For treatment of deficient bone sites, autologous bone grafts may be used, as an alternative, biomaterials can be applied which do not require intra- or extraoral donor sites. The present report we describe the use of anorganic bovine bone (ABB) based on three case reports under different modes: Membrane, rigid barrier and connective tissue graft. Clinical results show that under all conditions, sufficient hard ti...

The influence of different pathogens on the lysozyme activity into tissues of rat oral cavity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. P. Levitsky

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Aim: To determine action of the different pathogens on the lysozyme activity into tissues of oral cavity and serum. Methods: The lysozyme activities was determined into oral mucosa cheek, tongue gum and serum of 158 white rats (11 series experiments. The pathogens were used: atropine, protamine sulfat, indometacyn, bee poison, hydrasine sulfat, cytostatic cyclofosfan, lincomycin, lipopolysaccharide, composition of antibiotic and omeprasol for ACBT Results: The  whole of pathogens decreased lysozyme activity (mean in 1,6-2,5 times into oral tissues and on 16 % into serum. The specific lowering of lysozyme activities (Δ%/mg pathogen was low most for lipopolysaccharide, especially after oral application usage (exceeding was in tens times. Conclusion: The lysozyme activity lowering may play significant role in pathogenesis of stomatologic diseases/ Lipopolysaccharide (LPS send lysozyme activity lowering most especially after oral application. Probably, the antilysozyme action of pathogens realize by LPS. The stomatogenic factor in pathogenesis and profilactic of noninfection diseases is important.

When is there sufficient information from the Site Investigations?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andersson, Johan; Munier, Raymond; Stroem, Anders; Soederbaeck, Bjoern; Almen, Karl-Erik; Olsson, Lars

2004-04-01

SKB has started site investigations for a deep repository for spent nuclear fuel at two different sites in Sweden. The investigations should provide necessary information for a licence application aimed at starting underground exploration. The investigations and analyses of them are supposed to provide the broad knowledge base that is required to achieve the overall goals of the site investigation phase. The knowledge will be utilized to evaluate the suitability of investigated sites for the deep repository and must be comprehensive enough to: Show whether the selected site satisfies requirements on safety and technical aspects. Serve as a basis for adaptation of the deep repository to the characteristics of the site with an acceptable impact on society and the environment. Permit comparisons with other investigated sites. Furthermore, the investigations are discontinued when the reliability of the site description has reached such a level that the body of data for safety assessment and design is sufficient, or until the body of data shows that the rock does not satisfy the requirements. These objectives are valid, but do not provide sufficient and concrete guidance. For this reason SKB has conducted this project which should acquire concrete guidance on how to judge when the surface based Site Investigation Phase does not need to continue. After a general assessment of the problem, the following specific objectives of the current work were identified: Demonstrate concretely how the assessed uncertainties in a Site Description based on a specific level of investigations, together with expected feedback from Safety Assessment and Engineering, can be used to decide whether the site investigations are sufficient - or need to continue. This demonstration will be based on a practical application of relevant aspects of decision analysis tools. Highlight and make concrete the type of feedback to be expected from Safety Assessment and Engineering and show how this feedback

When is there sufficient information from the Site Investigations?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andersson, Johan [JA Streamflow AB, Aelvsjoe (Sweden); Munier, Raymond; Stroem, Anders; Soederbaeck, Bjoern [Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Co., Stockholm (Sweden); Almen, Karl-Erik [KEA Geo-konsult (Sweden); Olsson, Lars [Geostatistik AB, Tumba (Sweden)

2004-04-01

SKB has started site investigations for a deep repository for spent nuclear fuel at two different sites in Sweden. The investigations should provide necessary information for a licence application aimed at starting underground exploration. The investigations and analyses of them are supposed to provide the broad knowledge base that is required to achieve the overall goals of the site investigation phase. The knowledge will be utilized to evaluate the suitability of investigated sites for the deep repository and must be comprehensive enough to: Show whether the selected site satisfies requirements on safety and technical aspects. Serve as a basis for adaptation of the deep repository to the characteristics of the site with an acceptable impact on society and the environment. Permit comparisons with other investigated sites. Furthermore, the investigations are discontinued when the reliability of the site description has reached such a level that the body of data for safety assessment and design is sufficient, or until the body of data shows that the rock does not satisfy the requirements. These objectives are valid, but do not provide sufficient and concrete guidance. For this reason SKB has conducted this project which should acquire concrete guidance on how to judge when the surface based Site Investigation Phase does not need to continue. After a general assessment of the problem, the following specific objectives of the current work were identified: Demonstrate concretely how the assessed uncertainties in a Site Description based on a specific level of investigations, together with expected feedback from Safety Assessment and Engineering, can be used to decide whether the site investigations are sufficient - or need to continue. This demonstration will be based on a practical application of relevant aspects of decision analysis tools. Highlight and make concrete the type of feedback to be expected from Safety Assessment and Engineering and show how this feedback

Variation in alternative splicing across human tissues

OpenAIRE

Yeo, Gene; Holste, Dirk; Kreiman, Gabriel; Burge, Christopher B

2004-01-01

Background: Alternative pre-mRNA splicing (AS) is widely used by higher eukaryotes to generate different protein isoforms in specific cell or tissue types. To compare AS events across human tissues, we analyzed the splicing patterns of genomically aligned expressed sequence tags (ESTs) derived from libraries of cDNAs from different tissues. Results: Controlling for differences in EST coverage among tissues, we found that the brain and testis had the highest levels of exon skipping. The most p...

Bystander CD4+ T lymphocytes survive in HIV-infected human lymphoid tissue

Science.gov (United States)

Grivel, Jean-Charles; Biancotto, Angelique; Ito, Yoshinori; Lima, Rosangela G.; Margolis, Leonid B.

2003-01-01

HIV infection is associated with depletion of CD4(+) T cells. The mechanisms of this phenomenon remain to be understood. In particular, it remains controversial whether and to what extent uninfected ("bystander") CD4(+) T cells die in HIV-infected individuals. We address this question using a system of human lymphoid tissue ex vivo. Tissue blocks were inoculated with HIV-1. After productive infection was established, they were treated with the reverse transcriptase inhibitor nevirapine to protect from infection those CD4(+) T cells that had not yet been infected. These CD4(+) T cells residing in HIV-infected tissue are by definition bystanders. Our results demonstrate that after nevirapine application the number of bystander CD4(+) T cells is conserved. Thus, in the context of HIV-infected human lymphoid tissue, productive HIV infection kills infected cells but is not sufficient to cause the death of a significant number of uninfected CD4(+) T cells.

Linear and branched perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) isomer patterns differ among several tissues and blood of polar bears.

Science.gov (United States)

Greaves, Alana K; Letcher, Robert J

2013-09-01

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is a globally distributed persistent organic pollutant that has been found to bioaccumulate and biomagnify in aquatic food webs. Although principally in its linear isomeric configuration, 21-35% of the PFOS manufactured via electrochemical fluorination is produced as a branched structural isomer. PFOS isomer patterns were investigated in multiple tissues of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from East Greenland. The liver (n = 9), blood (n = 19), brain (n = 16), muscle (n = 5), and adipose (n = 5) were analyzed for linear PFOS (n-PFOS), as well as multiple mono- and di-trifluoromethyl-substituted branched isomers. n-PFOS accounted for 93.0 ± 0.5% of Σ-PFOS isomer concentrations in the liver, whereas the proportion was significantly lower (p<0.05) in the blood (85.4 ± 0.5%). Branched isomers were quantifiable in the liver and blood, but not in the brain, muscle, or adipose. In both the liver and blood, 6-perfluoromethylheptane sulfonate (P6MHpS) was the dominant branched isomer (2.61 ± 0.10%, and 3.26 ± 0.13% of Σ-PFOS concentrations, respectively). No di-trifluoromethyl-substituted isomers were detectable in any of the tissues analyzed. These tissue-specific isomer patterns suggest isomer-specific pharmacokinetics, perhaps due to differences in protein affinities, and thus differences in protein interactions, as well transport, absorption, and/or metabolism in the body. Crown Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Influence of different types of light on the response of the pulp tissue in dental bleaching: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Benetti, Francine; Lemos, Cleidiel Aparecido Araújo; de Oliveira Gallinari, Marjorie; Terayama, Amanda Miyuki; Briso, André Luiz Fraga; de Castilho Jacinto, Rogério; Sivieri-Araújo, Gustavo; Cintra, Luciano Tavares Angelo

2018-05-01

This systematic review (PROSPERO register: CRD42016053140) investigated the influence of different types of light on the pulp tissue during dental bleaching. Two independent authors conducted a systematic search and risk of bias evaluations. An electronic search was undertaken (PubMed/Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other databases) until May 2017. The population, intervention, comparison, outcomes (PICO) question was: "Does the light in dental bleaching change the response of the pulp to the bleaching procedure?" The intervention involved pulp tissue/cells after bleaching with light, while the comparison involved pulp tissue/cells after bleaching without light. The primary outcome was the inflammation/cytotoxicity observed in pulp after bleaching. Out of 2210 articles found, 12 articles were included in the review; four were in vivo studies (one study in dogs/others in human), and eight were in vitro studies (cell culture/with artificial pulp chamber or not). The light source used was halogen, light-emitting diode (LED), and laser. Only one in vivo study that used heat to simulate light effects showed significant pulp inflammation. Only two in vitro studies demonstrated that light influenced cell metabolism; one using halogen light indicated negative effects, and the other using laser therapy indicated positive effects. Given that animal and in vitro studies have been identified, there remain some limitations for extrapolation to the human situation. Furthermore, different light parameters were used. The effects of dental bleaching on the pulp are not influenced by different types of light, but different light parameters can influence these properties. There is insufficient evidence about the influence of different types of light on inflammation/cytotoxicity of the pulp.

Wear measurement of dental tissues and materials in clinical studies: A systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Wulfman, C; Koenig, V; Mainjot, A K

2018-06-01

This study aims to systematically review the different methods used for wear measurement of dental tissues and materials in clinical studies, their relevance and reliability in terms of accuracy and precision, and the performance of the different steps of the workflow taken independently. An exhaustive search of clinical studies related to wear of dental tissues and materials reporting a quantitative measurement method was conducted. MedLine, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library and Web of Science databases were used. Prospective studies, pilot studies and case series (>10 patients), as long as they contained a description of wear measurement methodology. Only studies published after 1995 were considered. After duplicates' removal, 495 studies were identified, and 41 remained for quantitative analysis. Thirty-four described wear-measurement protocols, using digital profilometry and superimposition, whereas 7 used alternative protocols. A specific form was designed to analyze the risk of bias. The methods were described in terms of material analyzed; study design; device used for surface acquisition; matching software details and settings; type of analysis (vertical height-loss measurement vs volume loss measurement); type of area investigated (entire occlusal area or selective areas); and results. There is a need of standardization of clinical wear measurement. Current methods exhibit accuracy, which is not sufficient to monitor wear of restorative materials and tooth tissues. Their performance could be improved, notably limiting the use of replicas, using standardized calibration procedures and positive controls, optimizing the settings of scanners and matching softwares, and taking into account unusable data. Copyright © 2018 The Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intramuscular Connective Tissue Differences in Spastic and Control Muscle: A Mechanical and Histological Study

Science.gov (United States)

de Bruin, Marije; Smeulders, Mark J.; Kreulen, Michiel; Huijing, Peter A.; Jaspers, Richard T

2014-01-01

Cerebral palsy (CP) of the spastic type is a neurological disorder characterized by a velocity-dependent increase in tonic stretch reflexes with exaggerated tendon jerks. Secondary to the spasticity, muscle adaptation is presumed to contribute to limitations in the passive range of joint motion. However, the mechanisms underlying these limitations are unknown. Using biopsies, we compared mechanical as well as histological properties of flexor carpi ulnaris muscle (FCU) from CP patients (n = 29) and healthy controls (n = 10). The sarcomere slack length (mean 2.5 µm, SEM 0.05) and slope of the normalized sarcomere length-tension characteristics of spastic fascicle segments and single myofibre segments were not different from those of control muscle. Fibre type distribution also showed no significant differences. Fibre size was significantly smaller (1933 µm2, SEM 190) in spastic muscle than in controls (2572 µm2, SEM 322). However, our statistical analyses indicate that the latter difference is likely to be explained by age, rather than by the affliction. Quantities of endomysial and perimysial networks within biopsies of control and spastic muscle were unchanged with one exception: a significant thickening of the tertiary perimysium (3-fold), i.e. the connective tissue reinforcement of neurovascular tissues penetrating the muscle. Note that this thickening in tertiary perimysium was shown in the majority of CP patients, however a small number of patients (n = 4 out of 23) did not have this feature. These results are taken as indications that enhanced myofascial loads on FCU is one among several factors contributing in a major way to the aetiology of limitation of movement at the wrist in CP and the characteristic wrist position of such patients. PMID:24977410

Macro- and microelements in the rat liver, kidneys, and brain tissues; sex differences and effect of blood removal by perfusion in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Orct, Tatjana; Jurasović, Jasna; Micek, Vedran; Karaica, Dean; Sabolić, Ivan

2017-03-01

Concentrations of macro- and microelements in animal organs indicate the animal health status and represent reference data for animal experiments. Their levels in blood and tissues could be different between sexes, and could be different with and without blood in tissues. To test these hypotheses, in adult female and male rats the concentrations of various elements were measured in whole blood, blood plasma, and tissues from blood-containing (nonperfused) and blood-free liver, kidneys, and brain (perfused in vivo with an elements-free buffer). In these samples, 6 macroelements (Na, Mg, P, S, K, Ca) and 14 microelements (Fe, Mn, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, I, As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Li, B, Sr) were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry following nitric acid digestion. In blood and plasma, female- or male-dominant sex differences were observed for 6 and 5 elements, respectively. In nonperfused organs, sex differences were observed for 3 (liver, brain) or 9 (kidneys) elements, whereas in perfused organs, similar differences were detected for 9 elements in the liver, 5 in the kidneys, and none in the brain. In females, perfused organs had significantly lower concentrations of 4, 5, and 2, and higher concentrations of 10, 4, and 7 elements, respectively, in the liver, kidneys, and brain. In males, perfusion caused lower concentrations of 4, 7, and 2, and higher concentrations of 1, 1, and 7 elements, respectively, in the liver, kidneys, and brain. Therefore, the residual blood in organs can significantly influence tissue concentrations of various elements and their sex-dependency. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Quantitative maps of protein phosphorylation sites across 14 different rat organs and tissues

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lundby, Alicia; Secher, Anna; Lage, Kasper

2012-01-01

Deregulated cellular signalling is a common hallmark of disease, and delineating tissue phosphoproteomes is key to unravelling the underlying mechanisms. Here we present the broadest tissue catalogue of phosphoproteins to date, covering 31,480 phosphorylation sites on 7,280 proteins quantified ac...

Evolution favors protein mutational robustness in sufficiently large populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Venturelli Ophelia S

2007-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background An important question is whether evolution favors properties such as mutational robustness or evolvability that do not directly benefit any individual, but can influence the course of future evolution. Functionally similar proteins can differ substantially in their robustness to mutations and capacity to evolve new functions, but it has remained unclear whether any of these differences might be due to evolutionary selection for these properties. Results Here we use laboratory experiments to demonstrate that evolution favors protein mutational robustness if the evolving population is sufficiently large. We neutrally evolve cytochrome P450 proteins under identical selection pressures and mutation rates in populations of different sizes, and show that proteins from the larger and thus more polymorphic population tend towards higher mutational robustness. Proteins from the larger population also evolve greater stability, a biophysical property that is known to enhance both mutational robustness and evolvability. The excess mutational robustness and stability is well described by mathematical theory, and can be quantitatively related to the way that the proteins occupy their neutral network. Conclusion Our work is the first experimental demonstration of the general tendency of evolution to favor mutational robustness and protein stability in highly polymorphic populations. We suggest that this phenomenon could contribute to the mutational robustness and evolvability of viruses and bacteria that exist in large populations.

Effect of chest wall radiotherapy in different manners using tissue equivalent bolus on skin and lung of cavia cobayas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huang Wei; Qu Yaqin; Song Xiangfu; Liu Shixin; Jia Xiaojing; Guo He; Yang Lei

2009-01-01

Objective: To probe the influence of electron beam radiotherapy in different manners using different tissue equivalent boluses on skin and lung. Methods: Adult female cavia cobayas were randomly divided into four groups as control group, half-time with bolus group, half-time with bolus group and without bolus group. Acute-irradiation animal models were established using electron beam in different manners with or without 0.5 cm tissue equivalent bolus. Pathological changes in lung, hair vesicle and fibroblast cell count were analyzed 40 clays after irradiation. Results: The radiation dermatitis in the group with bolus was slighter than that of the group without bolus, but the radiation pneumonia was reverse. With bolus, the radiation dermatitis of haft-time group was slighter than that of full-time group. The injury repair of half-time group was more active than full-time group. Conclusions: The treatment of haft-time bolus could protect lung without serious skin complications. (authors)

Calculation of microplanar beam dose profiles in a tissue/lung/tissue phantom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Company, F.Z.; Allen, B.J.

1998-01-01

Recent advances in synchrotron generated x-ray beams with a high fluence rate permit investigation of the application of an array of closely spaced, parallel or converging microplanar beams in radiotherapy. The proposed technique takes advantage of the hypothesized repair mechanism of capillary cells between alternate microbeam zones, which regenerates the lethally irradiated endothelial cells. The lateral and depth doses of 100 keV microplanar beams are investigated for different beam dimensions and spacings in a tissue, lung and tissue/lung/tissue phantom. The EGS4 Monte Carlo code is used to calculate dose profiles at different depths and bundles of beams (up to 20x20cm square cross section). The maximum dose on the beam axis (peak) and the minimum interbeam dose (valley) are compared at different depths, bundles, heights, widths and beam spacings. (author)

Energy self-sufficiency in Northampton, Massachusetts

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1979-10-01

The study is not an engineering analysis but begins the process of exploring the potential for conservation and local renewable-resource development in a specific community, Northampton, Massachusetts, with the social, institutional, and environmental factors in that community taken into account. Section I is an extensive executive summary of the full study, and Section II is a detailed examination of the potential for increased local energy self-sufficiency in Northampton, including current and future demand estimates, the possible role of conservation and renewable resources, and a discussion of the economic and social implications of alternative energy systems. (MOW)

Signaling Interplay between Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue and Multiple Myeloma cells

OpenAIRE

Falank, Carolyne; Fairfield, Heather; Reagan, Michaela R.

2016-01-01

In the year 2000, Hanahan and Weinberg (1) defined the six Hallmarks of Cancer as: self-sufficiency in growth signals, evasion of apoptosis, insensitivity to antigrowth mechanisms, tissue invasion and metastasis, limitless replicative potential, and sustained angiogenesis. Eleven years later, two new Hallmarks were added to the list (avoiding immune destruction and reprograming energy metabolism) and two new tumor characteristics (tumor-promoting inflammation and genome instability and mutati...

[Clinical-morphological and histometric characteristics of soft tissue wounds in maxilla-facial region of patients in different terms after trauma].

Science.gov (United States)

Fedorina, T A; Braĭlovskaia, T V

2009-01-01

504 patients with open traumas of face soft tissues which were given primary surgical wounds treatment with reconstructive operations in maxilla-facial surgical clinics of Samara State Medical University in 2005-2008 also received detailed description. The results of statistical analysis of patients' surgical treatment for the previous 5 year period were listed. It was noted that in the majority of cases (75,5%) patients turned to stomatological aid in first hours or first day and night after receiving the injury, more often there were isolated soft tissue injuries (73,3%), tear-contused and cut wounds put together 80,5%. Morphological and histometric studies of operational-biopsy material let determine the character of changes of leucocyte infiltration and of epithelium - stromal interrelation in different zones of wound edges in patients incoming in different terms after trauma. Objective criteria of tissue excision volumes were received in the process of surgical wound treatment. During last 3 years esthetic results of patient treatment with maxilla-facial traumas improved, the postoperative complications frequency was reduced by 8,1% if compared with the previous 5-year period.

Mesenchymal stem cells cannot affect mRNA expression of toll-like receptors in different tissues during sepsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pedrazza, Leonardo; Pereira, Talita Carneiro Brandão; Abujamra, Ana Lucia; Nunes, Fernanda Bordignon; Bogo, Maurício Reis; de Oliveira, Jarbas Rodrigues

2017-07-01

Experimental animal models and human clinical studies support a crucial role for TLRs in infectious diseases. The aim of this study was to test the ability of MSCs, which have immunomodulatory effects, of altering the mRNA expression of toll-like receptors during a experimental model of sepsis in different tissues. Three experimental groups (male C57BL/6 mice) were formed for the test: control group, untreated septic group and septic group treated with MSCs (1 × 10 6 cells/animal). Lungs, cortex, kidney, liver and colon tissue were dissected after 12 h of sepsis induction and TLR2/3/4/9 mRNA were evaluated by RT-qPCR. We observed a decrease of TLR2 and 9 mRNA expression in the liver of the sepsis group, while TLR3 was decreased in the lung and liver. No change was found between the sepsis group and the sepsis + MSC group. In this model of experimental sepsis the MSCs were unable to modify the mRNA expression of the different toll-like receptors evaluated.

Spatial organization and correlation properties quantify structural changes on mesoscale of parenchymatous plant tissue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valous, N. A.; Delgado, A.; Sun, D.-W., E-mail: dawen.sun@ucd.ie [School of Biosystems Engineering, University College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Belfield, Dublin 4, Dublin (Ireland); Drakakis, K. [Complex and Adaptive Systems Laboratory, University College Dublin, National University of Ireland, Belfield, Dublin 4, Dublin (Ireland)

2014-02-14

The study of plant tissue parenchyma's intercellular air spaces contributes to the understanding of anatomy and physiology. This is challenging due to difficulty in making direct measurements of the pore space and the complex mosaic of parenchymatous tissue. The architectural complexity of pore space has shown that single geometrical measurements are not sufficient for characterization. The inhomogeneity of distribution depends not only on the percentage content of phase, but also on how the phase fills the space. The lacunarity morphometric, as multiscale measure, provides information about the distribution of gaps that correspond to degree of spatial organization in parenchyma. Additionally, modern theories have suggested strategies, where the focus has shifted from the study of averages and histograms to the study of patterns in data fluctuations. Detrended fluctuation analysis provides information on the correlation properties of the parenchyma at different spatial scales. The aim is to quantify (with the aid of the aforementioned metrics), the mesostructural changes—that occur from one cycle of freezing and thawing—in the void phase of pome fruit parenchymatous tissue, acquired with X-ray microcomputed tomography. Complex systems methods provide numerical indices and detailed insights regarding the freezing-induced modifications upon the arrangement of cells and voids. These structural changes have the potential to lead to physiological disorders. The work can further stimulate interest for the analysis of internal plant tissue structures coupled with other physico-chemical processes or phenomena.

Spatial organization and correlation properties quantify structural changes on mesoscale of parenchymatous plant tissue

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valous, N. A.; Delgado, A.; Sun, D.-W.; Drakakis, K.

2014-01-01

The study of plant tissue parenchyma's intercellular air spaces contributes to the understanding of anatomy and physiology. This is challenging due to difficulty in making direct measurements of the pore space and the complex mosaic of parenchymatous tissue. The architectural complexity of pore space has shown that single geometrical measurements are not sufficient for characterization. The inhomogeneity of distribution depends not only on the percentage content of phase, but also on how the phase fills the space. The lacunarity morphometric, as multiscale measure, provides information about the distribution of gaps that correspond to degree of spatial organization in parenchyma. Additionally, modern theories have suggested strategies, where the focus has shifted from the study of averages and histograms to the study of patterns in data fluctuations. Detrended fluctuation analysis provides information on the correlation properties of the parenchyma at different spatial scales. The aim is to quantify (with the aid of the aforementioned metrics), the mesostructural changes—that occur from one cycle of freezing and thawing—in the void phase of pome fruit parenchymatous tissue, acquired with X-ray microcomputed tomography. Complex systems methods provide numerical indices and detailed insights regarding the freezing-induced modifications upon the arrangement of cells and voids. These structural changes have the potential to lead to physiological disorders. The work can further stimulate interest for the analysis of internal plant tissue structures coupled with other physico-chemical processes or phenomena

Sexual dimorphism in hepatic, adipose tissue and peripheral tissue insulin sensitivity in obese humans

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Kasper W. ter Horst

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Glucose and lipid metabolism differ between men and women, and women tend to have better whole-body or muscle insulin sensitivity. This may be explained, in part, by differences in sex hormones and adipose tissue distribution. Few studies have investigated gender differences in hepatic, adipose tissue and whole-body insulin sensitivity between severely obese men and women. In this study, we aimed to determine the differences in glucose metabolism between severely obese men and women using tissue-specific measurements of insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity was compared between age and body mass index (BMI-matched obese men and women by a two-step euglycemic hyperinsulinemic clamp with infusion of [6,6-2H2]glucose. Basal endogenous glucose production and insulin sensitivity of the liver, adipose tissue and peripheral tissues were assessed. Liver fat content was assessed by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in a subset of included subjects. We included 46 obese men and women (age, 48±2 vs 46±2 years, p=0.591; BMI, 41±1 vs 41±1 kg/m2, p=0.832. There was no difference in basal endogenous glucose production (14.4±1.0 vs 15.3±0.5 µmol•kg fat-free mass-1•min-1, p=0.410, adipose tissue insulin sensitivity (insulin-mediated suppression of free fatty acids, 71.6±3.6 vs 76.1±2.6%, p=0.314 or peripheral insulin sensitivity (insulin-stimulated rate of disappearance of glucose, 26.2±2.1 vs 22.7±1.7 µmol•kg-1•min-1, p=0.211. Obese men were characterized by lower hepatic insulin sensitivity (insulin-mediated suppression of endogenous glucose production, 61.7±4.1 vs 72.8±2.5% in men vs women, resp., p=0.028. Finally, these observations could not be explained by differences in liver fat content (men vs women, 16.5±3.1 vs 16.0±2.5%, p=0.913, n=27.We conclude that obese men have lower hepatic, but comparable adipose tissue and peripheral tissue, insulin sensitivity compared to similarly obese women. Hepatic insulin resistance may

[Distributions of H3K27me3 and its modification enzymes in different tissues of mice].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yuying; Wang, Xinli; Zhang, Ran; Zhang, Zhiyan; Wang, Yu; Yang, Bo; Wang, Guanjie; Zhang, Xin; Ma, Fuhao; Xu, Hongye; Wu, Xiaohui; Zhang, Feng; Li, Qing

2017-11-01

Objective To investigate the levels of trimethylated histone 3 at lysine residue 27 (H3K27me3) and its modification enzymes Zeste gene enhancer homolog 2 (EZH2), lysine-specific demethylase 6B (Kdm6B/JMJD3) and lysine-specific demethylase 6A (Kdm6A/UTX) in tissues and organs of 7-day and 2-month postnatal mice. Methods Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of H3K27me3 and its modification enzymes EZH2, JMJD3 and UTX in the brain, salivary glands, back fat, thymus, lung, heart, stomach, intestines, liver, testes, and skin of 7-day and 2-month mice. Real-time quantitative PCR was used to confirm the results. The relationships between H3K27me3 and its modification enzymes were analyzed statistically. Results Immunohistochemistry showed H3K27me3 persistently present in all examined tissues of 7-day and 2-month mice. EZH2 was persistently expressed in the brain, heart, liver, and skin of 7-day and 2-month mice, but only expressed in the salivary glands, adipose tissues, thymus, lung, intestines, and testes of 2-month mice. JMJD3 was expressed in the brain, salivary glands, adipose tissues, lung, heart, stomach, intestines, testes, skin of 7-day mice, but was not expressed in the lung, adipose tissues and stomach of 2-month mice. UTX was expressed in the brain, salivary glands, adipose tissues, lung, heart, testes, skin of 7-day mice, but only expressed in the testes of 2-month mice. Most mRNA of H3K27 modification enzymes were moderately or highly expressed as their immunohistochemical results were positive. Conclusion There was H3K27me3 persistently present in the all examined tissues at different stages. EZH2 was mostly expressed in the brain, salivary glands, adipose tissues, thymus, lung, heart, intestines, liver, testes and skin of 2-month-old mice. JMJD3 and UTX were mostly expressed in the brain, salivary glands, adipose tissues, lung, heart, skin and testes of 7-day-old mice. No significant association was found between the distribution of H3K

Intellectual Freedom and Economic Sufficiency as Educational Entitlements.

Science.gov (United States)

Morse, Jane Fowler

2001-01-01

Using the theories of John Stuart Mill and Karl Marx, this article supports the educational entitlements of intellectual freedom and economic sufficiency. Explores these issues in reference to their implications for teaching, the teaching profession and its training. Concludes that ideas cannot be controlled by the interests of the dominant class.…

Biocompatibility of different intracanal medications in rat bucal submucosa tissue

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tereza Aparecida Delle Vedove Semenoff

2008-02-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to analyze the buccal tissue responses of Wistar rats to 2% chlorhexidine solution, calcium hydroxide and the association of both products. For this purpose, 30 specimens were randomly implanted in the filtrum of the four upper and lower hemiarches with a polyethylene tube containing one of the following substances: 2% chlorhexidine solution, calcium hydroxide and 2% chlorhexidine solution (test groups; calcium hydroxide and distilled water and distilled water (control groups. Ten rats each were distributed according to time interval of evaluation at 7, 15 and 30 days. The histological sections were stained with Harris hematoxylin and eosin. Analysis was performed with an optical microscope at x100, x200 and x400 magnifications by an expert examiner blinded to the materials. The sections were classified by scores attributed to inflammatory events and by a ranking determined according to the severity of the inflammation. The results of the inflammatory events and severity ranking were submitted to the Kruskal-Wallis test at a 0.05 level of significance. No statistically significant difference occurred among the tested materials; however, all materials showed a decreased of severity with respect to longer time intervals.

Exploring plant tissue culture in Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal: in vitro propagation and secondary metabolite production.

Science.gov (United States)

Shasmita; Rai, Manoj K; Naik, Soumendra K

2017-12-26

Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (family: Solanaceae), commonly known as "Indian Ginseng", is a medicinally and industrially important plant of the Indian subcontinent and other warmer parts of the world. The plant has multi-use medicinal potential and has been listed among 36 important cultivated medicinal plants of India that are in high demand for trade due to its pharmaceutical uses. The medicinal importance of this plant is mainly due to the presence of different types of steroidal lactones- withanolides in the roots and leaves. Owing to low seed viability and poor germination, the conventional propagation of W. somnifera falls short to cater its commercial demands particularly for secondary metabolite production. Therefore, there is a great need to develop different biotechnological approaches through tissue and organ culture for seasonal independent production of plants in large scale which will provide sufficient raw materials of uniform quality for pharmaceutical purposes. During past years, a number of in vitro plant regeneration protocols via organogenesis and somatic embryogenesis and in vitro conservation through synthetic seed based encapsulation technology have been developed for W. somnifera. Several attempts have also been made to standardize the protocol of secondary metabolite production via tissue/organ cultures, cell suspension cultures, and Agrobacterium rhizogenes-mediated transformed hairy root cultures. Employment of plant tissue culture based techniques would provide means for rapid propagation and conservation of this plant species and also provide scope for enhanced production of different bioactive secondary metabolites. The present review provides a comprehensive report on research activities conducted in the area of tissue culture and secondary metabolite production in W. somnifera during the past years. It also discusses the unexplored areas which might be taken into consideration for future research so that the medicinal properties and

Reliability of implant surgical guides based on soft-tissue models.

Science.gov (United States)

Maney, Pooja; Simmons, David E; Palaiologou, Archontia; Kee, Edwin

2012-12-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the accuracy of implant surgical guides fabricated on diagnostic casts. Guides were fabricated with radiopaque rods representing implant positions. Cone beam computerized tomograms were taken with guides in place. Accuracy was evaluated using software to simulate implant placement. Twenty-two sites (47%) were considered accurate (13 of 24 maxillary and 9 of 23 mandibular sites). Soft-tissue models do not always provide sufficient accuracy for fabricating implant surgical guides.

Tissue-specific mRNA expression profiling in grape berry tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Grimplet, Jerome; Deluc, Laurent G; Tillett, Richard L; Wheatley, Matthew D; Schlauch, Karen A; Cramer, Grant R; Cushman, John C

2007-01-01

Background Berries of grape (Vitis vinifera) contain three major tissue types (skin, pulp and seed) all of which contribute to the aroma, color, and flavor characters of wine. The pericarp, which is composed of the exocarp (skin) and mesocarp (pulp), not only functions to protect and feed the developing seed, but also to assist in the dispersal of the mature seed by avian and mammalian vectors. The skin provides volatile and nonvolatile aroma and color compounds, the pulp contributes organic acids and sugars, and the seeds provide condensed tannins, all of which are important to the formation of organoleptic characteristics of wine. In order to understand the transcriptional network responsible for controlling tissue-specific mRNA expression patterns, mRNA expression profiling was conducted on each tissue of mature berries of V. vinifera Cabernet Sauvignon using the Affymetrix GeneChip® Vitis oligonucleotide microarray ver. 1.0. In order to monitor the influence of water-deficit stress on tissue-specific expression patterns, mRNA expression profiles were also compared from mature berries harvested from vines subjected to well-watered or water-deficit conditions. Results Overall, berry tissues were found to express approximately 76% of genes represented on the Vitis microarray. Approximately 60% of these genes exhibited significant differential expression in one or more of the three major tissue types with more than 28% of genes showing pronounced (2-fold or greater) differences in mRNA expression. The largest difference in tissue-specific expression was observed between the seed and pulp/skin. Exocarp tissue, which is involved in pathogen defense and pigment production, showed higher mRNA abundance relative to other berry tissues for genes involved with flavonoid biosynthesis, pathogen resistance, and cell wall modification. Mesocarp tissue, which is considered a nutritive tissue, exhibited a higher mRNA abundance of genes involved in cell wall function and

Tissue-specific mRNA expression profiling in grape berry tissues

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cramer Grant R

2007-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Berries of grape (Vitis vinifera contain three major tissue types (skin, pulp and seed all of which contribute to the aroma, color, and flavor characters of wine. The pericarp, which is composed of the exocarp (skin and mesocarp (pulp, not only functions to protect and feed the developing seed, but also to assist in the dispersal of the mature seed by avian and mammalian vectors. The skin provides volatile and nonvolatile aroma and color compounds, the pulp contributes organic acids and sugars, and the seeds provide condensed tannins, all of which are important to the formation of organoleptic characteristics of wine. In order to understand the transcriptional network responsible for controlling tissue-specific mRNA expression patterns, mRNA expression profiling was conducted on each tissue of mature berries of V. vinifera Cabernet Sauvignon using the Affymetrix GeneChip® Vitis oligonucleotide microarray ver. 1.0. In order to monitor the influence of water-deficit stress on tissue-specific expression patterns, mRNA expression profiles were also compared from mature berries harvested from vines subjected to well-watered or water-deficit conditions. Results Overall, berry tissues were found to express approximately 76% of genes represented on the Vitis microarray. Approximately 60% of these genes exhibited significant differential expression in one or more of the three major tissue types with more than 28% of genes showing pronounced (2-fold or greater differences in mRNA expression. The largest difference in tissue-specific expression was observed between the seed and pulp/skin. Exocarp tissue, which is involved in pathogen defense and pigment production, showed higher mRNA abundance relative to other berry tissues for genes involved with flavonoid biosynthesis, pathogen resistance, and cell wall modification. Mesocarp tissue, which is considered a nutritive tissue, exhibited a higher mRNA abundance of genes involved in cell

Redox self-sufficient whole cell biotransformation for amination of alcohols.

Science.gov (United States)

Klatte, Stephanie; Wendisch, Volker F

2014-10-15

Whole cell biotransformation is an upcoming tool to replace common chemical routes for functionalization and modification of desired molecules. In the approach presented here the production of various non-natural (di)amines was realized using the designed whole cell biocatalyst Escherichia coli W3110/pTrc99A-ald-adh-ta with plasmid-borne overexpression of genes for an l-alanine dehydrogenase, an alcohol dehydrogenase and a transaminase. Cascading alcohol oxidation with l-alanine dependent transamination and l-alanine dehydrogenase allowed for redox self-sufficient conversion of alcohols to the corresponding amines. The supplementation of the corresponding (di)alcohol precursors as well as amino group donor l-alanine and ammonium chloride were sufficient for amination and redox cofactor recycling in a resting buffer system. The addition of the transaminase cofactor pyridoxal-phosphate and the alcohol dehydrogenase cofactor NAD(+) was not necessary to obtain complete conversion. Secondary and cyclic alcohols, for example, 2-hexanol and cyclohexanol were not aminated. However, efficient redox self-sufficient amination of aliphatic and aromatic (di)alcohols in vivo was achieved with 1-hexanol, 1,10-decanediol and benzylalcohol being aminated best. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

CANDU: Meeting the demand for energy self-sufficiency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lawson, D.S.

1985-01-01

The success of the CANDU program can been seen quickly by examining the comparison of typical electricity bills in various provinces of Canada. The provinces of Quebec and Manitoba benefit b extensive hydro electric schemes, many of which were constructed years ago at low capital cost. In Ontario, the economic growth has outstripped these low cost sources of hydro power and hence the province has to rely on thermal sources of electricity generation. The success of the CANDU program is shown by the fact that it can contribute over a third of electricity in Ontario while keeping the total electricity rate comparable with that of those provinces that can rely on low cost hydro sources. Energy self-sufficiency encompasses a spectrum of requirements. One consideration would be the reliable supply and control of fuel during the operating life of a power plant: A greater degree of self-sufficiency would be obtained by having an involvement in the building and engineering of the power plant prior to its operation

Oxygen delivery in irradiated normal tissue

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kiani, M.F.; Ansari, R. [Univ. of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN (United States). School of Biomedical Engineering; Gaber, M.W. [St. Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN (United States)

2003-03-01

Ionizing radiation exposure significantly alters the structure and function of microvascular networks, which regulate delivery of oxygen to tissue. In this study we use a hamster cremaster muscle model to study changes in microvascular network parameters and use a mathematical model to study the effects of these observed structural and microhemodynamic changes in microvascular networks on oxygen delivery to the tissue. Our experimental observations indicate that in microvascular networks while some parameters are significantly affected by irradiation (e.g. red blood cell (RBC) transit time), others remain at the control level (e.g. RBC path length) up to 180 days post-irradiation. The results from our mathematical model indicate that tissue oxygenation patterns are significantly different in irradiated normal tissue as compared to age-matched controls and the differences are apparent as early as 3 days post irradiation. However, oxygen delivery to irradiated tissue was not found to be significantly different from age matched controls at any time between 7 days to 6 months post-irradiation. These findings indicate that microvascular late effects in irradiated normal tissue may be due to factors other than compromised tissue oxygenation. (author)

Bone Marrow Adipose Tissue: To Be or Not To Be a Typical Adipose Tissue?

OpenAIRE

Hardouin, Pierre; Rharass, Tareck; Lucas, Stéphanie

2016-01-01

Bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) emerges as a distinct fat depot whose importance has been proved in the bone–fat interaction. Indeed, it is well recognized that adipokines and free fatty acids released by adipocytes can directly or indirectly interfere with cells of bone remodeling or hematopoiesis. In pathological states, such as osteoporosis, each of adipose tissues – subcutaneous white adipose tissue (WAT), visceral WAT, brown adipose tissue (BAT), and BMAT – is differently associated wi...

Information trimming: Sufficient statistics, mutual information, and predictability from effective channel states

Science.gov (United States)

James, Ryan G.; Mahoney, John R.; Crutchfield, James P.

2017-06-01

One of the most basic characterizations of the relationship between two random variables, X and Y , is the value of their mutual information. Unfortunately, calculating it analytically and estimating it empirically are often stymied by the extremely large dimension of the variables. One might hope to replace such a high-dimensional variable by a smaller one that preserves its relationship with the other. It is well known that either X (or Y ) can be replaced by its minimal sufficient statistic about Y (or X ) while preserving the mutual information. While intuitively reasonable, it is not obvious or straightforward that both variables can be replaced simultaneously. We demonstrate that this is in fact possible: the information X 's minimal sufficient statistic preserves about Y is exactly the information that Y 's minimal sufficient statistic preserves about X . We call this procedure information trimming. As an important corollary, we consider the case where one variable is a stochastic process' past and the other its future. In this case, the mutual information is the channel transmission rate between the channel's effective states. That is, the past-future mutual information (the excess entropy) is the amount of information about the future that can be predicted using the past. Translating our result about minimal sufficient statistics, this is equivalent to the mutual information between the forward- and reverse-time causal states of computational mechanics. We close by discussing multivariate extensions to this use of minimal sufficient statistics.

Modulatory Role of Aloe vera on Gamma Irradiation Induced Histological Changes in Different Tissues of Rats

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rezk, R.G.

2005-01-01

Aloe Vera is known for its wide medicinal properties. This study was performed to evaluate the role of Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) in the amelioration of the histological disorders that occurr in different tissues of albino rats exposed to 7 Gy whole body gamma irradiation, delivered as a single dose. Aloe vera (leaf juice filtrate) was supplemented daily to rats (0.25 ml/kg b wt/day) by gavage, 5 days before irradiation and 10 days after irradiation. Experimental investigations performed 7 and 10 days after exposure to radiation showed that Aloe vera treatment has significantly improved the radiation-induced inflammation, haemorrhage, widening and dilated blood vessela, necrosis, atrophy sloughing in liver, spleen and small intestine (jejenum) tissues of irradiated rats. It is concluded that the synergistic relationship between the elements found in the leaf of Aloe vera could be a useful adjunct for maintaining the integrity of histological architecture

Self-sufficiency of an autonomous reconfigurable modular robotic organism

CERN Document Server

Qadir, Raja Humza

2015-01-01

This book describes how the principle of self-sufficiency can be applied to a reconfigurable modular robotic organism. It shows the design considerations for a novel REPLICATOR robotic platform, both hardware and software, featuring the behavioral characteristics of social insect colonies. Following a comprehensive overview of some of the bio-inspired techniques already available, and of the state-of-the-art in re-configurable modular robotic systems, the book presents a novel power management system with fault-tolerant energy sharing, as well as its implementation in the REPLICATOR robotic modules. In addition, the book discusses, for the first time, the concept of “artificial energy homeostasis” in the context of a modular robotic organism, and shows its verification on a custom-designed simulation framework in different dynamic power distribution and fault tolerance scenarios. This book offers an ideal reference guide for both hardware engineers and software developers involved in the design and implem...

Different Effects of Implanting Sensory Nerve or Blood Vessel on the Vascularization, Neurotization, and Osteogenesis of Tissue-Engineered Bone In Vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Fan, Jun-jun; Mu, Tian-wang; Qin, Jun-jun; Bi, Long; Pei, Guo-xian

2014-01-01

To compare the different effects of implanting sensory nerve tracts or blood vessel on the osteogenesis, vascularization, and neurotization of the tissue-engineered bone in vivo, we constructed the tissue engineered bone and implanted the sensory nerve tracts (group SN), blood vessel (group VB), or nothing (group Blank) to the side channel of the bone graft to repair the femur defect in the rabbit. Better osteogenesis was observed in groups SN and VB than in group Blank, and no significant difference was found between groups SN and VB at 4, 8, and 12 weeks postoperatively. The neuropeptides expression and the number of new blood vessels in the bone tissues were increased at 8 weeks and then decreased at 12 weeks in all groups and were highest in group VB and lowest in group Blank at all three time points. We conclude that implanting either blood vessel or sensory nerve tract into the tissue-engineered bone can significantly enhance both the vascularization and neurotization simultaneously to get a better osteogenesis effect than TEB alone, and the method of implanting blood vessel has a little better effect of vascularization and neurotization but almost the same osteogenesis effect as implanting sensory nerve. PMID:25101279

Random lasing in human tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polson, Randal C.; Vardeny, Z. Valy

2004-01-01

A random collection of scatterers in a gain medium can produce coherent laser emission lines dubbed 'random lasing'. We show that biological tissues, including human tissues, can support coherent random lasing when infiltrated with a concentrated laser dye solution. To extract a typical random resonator size within the tissue we average the power Fourier transform of random laser spectra collected from many excitation locations in the tissue; we verified this procedure by a computer simulation. Surprisingly, we found that malignant tissues show many more laser lines compared to healthy tissues taken from the same organ. Consequently, the obtained typical random resonator was found to be different for healthy and cancerous tissues, and this may lead to a technique for separating malignant from healthy tissues for diagnostic imaging

Tissue Discrimination by Uncorrected Autofluorescence Spectra: A Proof-of-Principle Study for Tissue-Specific Laser Surgery

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Katja Tangermann-Gerk

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Laser surgery provides a number of advantages over conventional surgery. However, it implies large risks for sensitive tissue structures due to its characteristic non-tissue-specific ablation. The present study investigates the discrimination of nine different ex vivo tissue types by using uncorrected (raw autofluorescence spectra for the development of a remote feedback control system for tissue-selective laser surgery. Autofluorescence spectra (excitation wavelength 377 ± 50 nm were measured from nine different ex vivo tissue types, obtained from 15 domestic pig cadavers. For data analysis, a wavelength range between 450 nm and 650 nm was investigated. Principal Component Analysis (PCA and Quadratic Discriminant Analysis (QDA were used to discriminate the tissue types. ROC analysis showed that PCA, followed by QDA, could differentiate all investigated tissue types with AUC results between 1.00 and 0.97. Sensitivity reached values between 93% and 100% and specificity values between 94% and 100%. This ex vivo study shows a high differentiation potential for physiological tissue types when performing autofluorescence spectroscopy followed by PCA and QDA. The uncorrected autofluorescence spectra are suitable for reliable tissue discrimination and have a high potential to meet the challenges necessary for an optical feedback system for tissue-specific laser surgery.

Comparison of methods for calculating conditional expectations of sufficient statistics for continuous time Markov chains

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tataru, Paula Cristina; Hobolth, Asger

2011-01-01

past evolutionary events (exact times and types of changes) are unaccessible and the past must be inferred from DNA sequence data observed in the present. RESULTS: We describe and implement three algorithms for computing linear combinations of expected values of the sufficient statistics, conditioned......BACKGROUND: Continuous time Markov chains (CTMCs) is a widely used model for describing the evolution of DNA sequences on the nucleotide, amino acid or codon level. The sufficient statistics for CTMCs are the time spent in a state and the number of changes between any two states. In applications...... of the algorithms is available at www.birc.au.dk/~paula/. CONCLUSIONS: We use two different models to analyze the accuracy and eight experiments to investigate the speed of the three algorithms. We find that they have similar accuracy and that EXPM is the slowest method. Furthermore we find that UNI is usually...

Probability of cavitation for single ultrasound pulses applied to tissues and tissue-mimicking materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Maxwell, Adam D; Cain, Charles A; Hall, Timothy L; Fowlkes, J Brian; Xu, Zhen

2013-03-01

In this study, the negative pressure values at which inertial cavitation consistently occurs in response to a single, two-cycle, focused ultrasound pulse were measured in several media relevant to cavitation-based ultrasound therapy. The pulse was focused into a chamber containing one of the media, which included liquids, tissue-mimicking materials, and ex vivo canine tissue. Focal waveforms were measured by two separate techniques using a fiber-optic hydrophone. Inertial cavitation was identified by high-speed photography in optically transparent media and an acoustic passive cavitation detector. The probability of cavitation (P(cav)) for a single pulse as a function of peak negative pressure (p(-)) followed a sigmoid curve, with the probability approaching one when the pressure amplitude was sufficient. The statistical threshold (defined as P(cav) = 0.5) was between p(-) = 26 and 30 MPa in all samples with high water content but varied between p(-) = 13.7 and >36 MPa in other media. A model for radial cavitation bubble dynamics was employed to evaluate the behavior of cavitation nuclei at these pressure levels. A single bubble nucleus with an inertial cavitation threshold of p(-) = 28.2 megapascals was estimated to have a 2.5 nm radius in distilled water. These data may be valuable for cavitation-based ultrasound therapy to predict the likelihood of cavitation at various pressure levels and dimensions of cavitation-induced lesions in tissue. Copyright © 2013 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Overview on Techniques to Construct Tissue Arrays with Special Emphasis on Tissue Microarrays

Science.gov (United States)

Vogel, Ulrich

2014-01-01

With the advent of new histopathological staining techniques (histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, in situ hybridization) and the discovery of thousands of new genes, mRNA, and proteins by molecular biology, the need grew for a technique to compare many different cells or tissues on one slide in a cost effective manner and with the possibility to easily track the identity of each specimen: the tissue array (TA). Basically, a TA consists of at least two different specimens per slide. TAs differ in the kind of specimens, the number of specimens installed, the dimension of the specimens, the arrangement of the specimens, the embedding medium, the technique to prepare the specimens to be installed, and the technique to construct the TA itself. A TA can be constructed by arranging the tissue specimens in a mold and subsequently pouring the mold with the embedding medium of choice. In contrast, preformed so-called recipient blocks consisting of the embedding medium of choice have punched, drilled, or poured holes of different diameters and distances in which the cells or tissue biopsies will be deployed manually, semi-automatically, or automatically. The costs of constructing a TA differ from a few to thousands of Euros depending on the technique/equipment used. Remarkably high quality TAs can be also achieved by low cost techniques. PMID:27600339

FOOD SELF-SUFFICIENCY OF THE EUROPEAN UNION COUNTRIES – ENERGETIC APPROACH

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Arkadiusz Sadowski

2016-06-01

Full Text Available The paper covers the issues of a basic social need, namely alimentation. The aim of the research is to evaluate the energetic food self-sufficiency and its changes in the European Union countries. The research has been conducted using the author’s methodology basing on the amount of energy produced and consumed in 1990-2009. The analyses proved that within the considered period, the European Union became an importer of net energy comprised in agricultural products. The excess in produced energy was mainly observed by the countries of European lowland. Moreover in most of the countries, a decrease in the analyzed factor was observed when compared with the 1990-1999 period. On the other hand, in relation to the new member states the increase in food energetic self-sufficiency was observed. The conclusion has been drawn that, while the general food self-sufficiency is mainly determined by environmental factors, its dynamics is primarily influenced by the factors connected with agricultural policy.

Trends of reactive hyperaemia responses to repetitive loading on skin tissue of rats - Implications for pressure ulcer prevention.

Science.gov (United States)

Yapp, Jong-Heng; Kamil, Raja; Rozi, M; Mohtarrudin, Norhafizah; Loqman, M Y; Ezamin, A R; Ahmad, Siti Anom; Abu Bakar, Zuki

2017-08-01

Tissue recovery is important in preventing tissue deterioration, which is induced by pressure and may lead to pressure ulcers (PU). Reactive hyperaemia (RH) is an indicator used to identify people at risk of PU. In this study, the effect of different recovery times on RH trend is investigated during repetitive loading. Twenty-one male Sprague-Dawley rats (seven per group), with body weight of 385-485 g, were categorised into three groups and subjected to different recovery times with three repetitive loading cycles. The first, second, and third groups were subjected to short (3 min), moderate (10 min), and prolonged (40 min) recovery, respectively, while fixed loading time and pressure (10 min and 50 mmHg, respectively). Peak hyperaemia was measured in the three cycles to determine trends associated with different recovery times. Three RH trends (increasing, decreasing, and inconsistent) were observed. As the recovery time is increased (3 min vs. 10 min vs. 40 min), the number of samples with increasing RH trend decreases (57% vs. 29% vs. 14%) and the number of samples with inconsistent RH trend increases (29% vs. 57% vs. 72%). All groups consists of one sample with decreasing RH trend (14%). Results confirm that different recovery times affect the RH trend during repetitive loading. The RH trend may be used to determine the sufficient recovery time of an individual to avoid PU development. Copyright © 2017 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Engineering Musculoskeletal Tissue Interfaces

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Ece Bayrak

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Tissue engineering aims to bring together biomaterials, cells, and signaling molecules within properly designed microenvironments in order to create viable treatment options for the lost or malfunctioning tissues. Design and production of scaffolds and cell-laden grafts that mimic the complex structural and functional features of tissues are among the most important elements of tissue engineering strategy. Although all tissues have their own complex structure, an even more complex case in terms of engineering a proper carrier material is encountered at the tissue interfaces, where two distinct tissues come together. The interfaces in the body can be examined in four categories; cartilage-bone and ligament-bone interfaces at the knee and the spine, tendon-bone interfaces at the shoulder and the feet, and muscle-tendon interface at the skeletal system. These interfaces are seen mainly at the soft-to-hard tissue transitions and they are especially susceptible to injury and tear due to the biomechanical inconsistency between these tissues where high strain fields are present. Therefore, engineering the musculoskeletal tissue interfaces remain a challenge. This review focuses on recent advancements in strategies for musculoskeletal interface engineering using different biomaterial-based platforms and surface modification techniques.

Impact of Market Behavior, Fleet Composition, and Ancillary Services on Revenue Sufficiency

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Frew, Bethany [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Gallo, Giulia [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Brinkman, Gregory [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Milligan, Michael [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Clark, Kara [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Bloom, Aaron [National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

2016-06-01

Revenue insufficiency, or the missing money problem, occurs when the revenues that generators earn from the market are not sufficient to cover both fixed and variable costs to remain in the market and/or justify investments in new capacity, which may be needed for reliability. The near-zero marginal cost of variable renewable generators further exacerbates these revenue challenges. Estimating the extent of the missing money problem in current electricity markets is an important, nontrivial task that requires representing both how the power system operates and how market participants behave. This paper explores the missing money problem using a production cost model that represented a simplified version of the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) energy-only market for the years 2012-2014. We evaluate how various market structures -- including market behavior, ancillary services, and changing fleet compositions -- affect net revenues in this ERCOT-like system. In most production cost modeling exercises, resources are assumed to offer their marginal capabilities at marginal costs. Although this assumption is reasonable for feasibility studies and long-term planning, it does not adequately consider the market behaviors that impact revenue sufficiency. In this work, we simulate a limited set of market participant strategic bidding behaviors by means of different sets of markups; these markups are applied to the true production costs of all gas generators, which are the most prominent generators in ERCOT. Results show that markups can help generators increase their net revenues overall, although net revenues may increase or decrease depending on the technology and the year under study. Results also confirm that conventional, variable-cost-based production cost simulations do not capture prices accurately, and this particular feature calls for proxies for strategic behaviors (e.g., markups) and more accurate representations of how electricity markets work. The

Follicular dendritic cell-specific prion protein (PrP expression alone is sufficient to sustain prion infection in the spleen.

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Laura McCulloch

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Prion diseases are characterised by the accumulation of PrP(Sc, an abnormally folded isoform of the cellular prion protein (PrP(C, in affected tissues. Following peripheral exposure high levels of prion-specific PrP(Sc accumulate first upon follicular dendritic cells (FDC in lymphoid tissues before spreading to the CNS. Expression of PrP(C is mandatory for cells to sustain prion infection and FDC appear to express high levels. However, whether FDC actively replicate prions or simply acquire them from other infected cells is uncertain. In the attempts to-date to establish the role of FDC in prion pathogenesis it was not possible to dissociate the Prnp expression of FDC from that of the nervous system and all other non-haematopoietic lineages. This is important as FDC may simply acquire prions after synthesis by other infected cells. To establish the role of FDC in prion pathogenesis transgenic mice were created in which PrP(C expression was specifically "switched on" or "off" only on FDC. We show that PrP(C-expression only on FDC is sufficient to sustain prion replication in the spleen. Furthermore, prion replication is blocked in the spleen when PrP(C-expression is specifically ablated only on FDC. These data definitively demonstrate that FDC are the essential sites of prion replication in lymphoid tissues. The demonstration that Prnp-ablation only on FDC blocked splenic prion accumulation without apparent consequences for FDC status represents a novel opportunity to prevent neuroinvasion by modulation of PrP(C expression on FDC.

Synchrotron X-ray CT of rose peduncles. Evaluation of tissue damage by radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Herppich, Werner B.; Zabler, Simon; Dawson, Martin; Choinka, Gerard; Manke, Ingo

2015-01-01

''Bent-neck'' syndrome, an important postharvest problem of cut roses, is probably caused by water supply limitations and/or the structural weakness of vascular bundles of the peduncle tissue. For this reason, advanced knowledge about the microstructures of rose peduncles and their cultivar specific variations may lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (SXCT), especially phase-based CT, is a highly suitable technique to nondestructively investigate plants' micro anatomy. SXCT with monochromatic X-ray beams of 30, 40 and 50 keV photon energy was used to evaluate the three-dimensional inner structures of the peduncles of 3 rose cultivars that differ greatly in their bent-neck susceptibility. Results indicated that this technique achieves sufficiently high spatial resolution to investigate complex tissues. However, further investigations with chlorophyll fluorescence analysis (CFA) and optical microscope imagery reveal different kinds of heavy damage of the irradiated regions induced by synchrotron X-rays; in a cultivar-specific manner, partial destruction of cell walls occurred a few hours after X-ray irradiation. Furthermore, a delayed inhibition of photosynthesis accompanied by the degradation of chlorophyll was obvious from CFA within hours and days after the end of CT measurements. Although SXCT is certainly well suited for three-dimensional anatomical analysis of rose peduncles, the applied technique is not nondestructive.

Synchrotron X-ray CT of rose peduncles. Evaluation of tissue damage by radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herppich, Werner B. [Leibniz-Institut fuer Agrartechnik Potsdam-Bornim e.V., Potsdam (Germany). Abt. Technik im Gartenbau; Matsushima, Uzuki [Iwate Univ., Morioka (Japan). Faculty of Agriculture; Graf, Wolfgang [Association for Technology and Structures in Agriculture (KTBL), Darmstadt (Germany); Zabler, Simon [Fraunhofer-Institut fuer Integrierte Schaltungen (IIS), Wuerzburg (Germany). Project group NanoCT Systems (NCTS); Dawson, Martin [Salford Univ., Greater Manchester (United Kingdom); Choinka, Gerard; Manke, Ingo [Helmholtz Center Berlin for Materials and Energy (HZB), Berlin (Germany)

2015-02-01

''Bent-neck'' syndrome, an important postharvest problem of cut roses, is probably caused by water supply limitations and/or the structural weakness of vascular bundles of the peduncle tissue. For this reason, advanced knowledge about the microstructures of rose peduncles and their cultivar specific variations may lead to a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms. Synchrotron X-ray computed tomography (SXCT), especially phase-based CT, is a highly suitable technique to nondestructively investigate plants' micro anatomy. SXCT with monochromatic X-ray beams of 30, 40 and 50 keV photon energy was used to evaluate the three-dimensional inner structures of the peduncles of 3 rose cultivars that differ greatly in their bent-neck susceptibility. Results indicated that this technique achieves sufficiently high spatial resolution to investigate complex tissues. However, further investigations with chlorophyll fluorescence analysis (CFA) and optical microscope imagery reveal different kinds of heavy damage of the irradiated regions induced by synchrotron X-rays; in a cultivar-specific manner, partial destruction of cell walls occurred a few hours after X-ray irradiation. Furthermore, a delayed inhibition of photosynthesis accompanied by the degradation of chlorophyll was obvious from CFA within hours and days after the end of CT measurements. Although SXCT is certainly well suited for three-dimensional anatomical analysis of rose peduncles, the applied technique is not nondestructive.

Maximizing Health or Sufficient Capability in Economic Evaluation? A Methodological Experiment of Treatment for Drug Addiction.

Science.gov (United States)

Goranitis, Ilias; Coast, Joanna; Day, Ed; Copello, Alex; Freemantle, Nick; Frew, Emma

2017-07-01

Conventional practice within the United Kingdom and beyond is to conduct economic evaluations with "health" as evaluative space and "health maximization" as the decision-making rule. However, there is increasing recognition that this evaluative framework may not always be appropriate, and this is particularly the case within public health and social care contexts. This article presents a methodological case study designed to explore the impact of changing the evaluative space within an economic evaluation from health to capability well-being and the decision-making rule from health maximization to the maximization of sufficient capability. Capability well-being is an evaluative space grounded on Amartya Sen's capability approach and assesses well-being based on individuals' ability to do and be the things they value in life. Sufficient capability is an egalitarian approach to decision making that aims to ensure everyone in society achieves a normatively sufficient level of capability well-being. The case study is treatment for drug addiction, and the cost-effectiveness of 2 psychological interventions relative to usual care is assessed using data from a pilot trial. Analyses are undertaken from a health care and a government perspective. For the purpose of the study, quality-adjusted life years (measured using the EQ-5D-5L) and years of full capability equivalent and years of sufficient capability equivalent (both measured using the ICECAP-A [ICEpop CAPability measure for Adults]) are estimated. The study concludes that different evaluative spaces and decision-making rules have the potential to offer opposing treatment recommendations. The implications for policy makers are discussed.

Expression of a single, viral oncoprotein in skin epithelium is sufficient to recruit lymphocytes.

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Allison Choyce

Full Text Available Established cancers are frequently associated with a lymphocytic infiltrate that fails to clear the tumour mass. In contrast, the importance of recruited lymphocytes during premalignancy is less well understood. In a mouse model of premalignant skin epithelium, transgenic mice that express the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16 E7 oncoprotein under a keratin 14 promoter (K14E7 mice display epidermal hyperplasia and have a predominant infiltrate of lymphocytes consisting of both CD4 and CD8 T cells. Activated, but not naïve T cells, were shown to preferentially traffic to hyperplastic skin with an increased frequency of proliferative CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells expressing CCR6 within the tissue. Disruption of the interaction between E7 protein and retinoblastoma tumour suppressor protein (pRb led to reduced epithelial hyperplasia and T cell infiltrate. Finally, while K14E7 donor skin grafts are readily accepted onto syngeneic, non-transgenic recipients, these same skin grafts lacking skin-resident lymphocytes were rejected. Our data suggests that expression of a single oncoprotein in the epidermis is sufficient for lymphocyte trafficking (including immunosuppressive lymphocytes to premalignant skin.

Can New Zealand achieve self-sufficiency in its nursing workforce?

Science.gov (United States)

North, Nicola

2011-01-01

This paper reviews impacts on the nursing workforce of health policy and reforms of the past two decades and suggests reasons for both current difficulties in retaining nurses in the workforce and measures to achieve short-term improvements. Difficulties in retaining nurses in the New Zealand workforce have contributed to nursing shortages, leading to a dependence on overseas recruitment. In a context of global shortages and having to compete in a global nursing labour market, an alternative to dependence on overseas nurses is self-sufficiency. Discursive paper. Analysis of nursing workforce data highlighted threats to self-sufficiency, including age structure, high rates of emigration of New Zealand nurses with reliance on overseas nurses and an annual output of nurses that is insufficient to replace both expected retiring nurses and emigrating nurses. A review of recent policy and other documents indicates that two decades of health reform and lack of a strategic focus on nursing has contributed to shortages. Recent strategic approaches to the nursing workforce have included workforce stocktakes, integrated health workforce development and nursing workforce projections, with a single authority now responsible for planning, education, training and development for all health professions and sectors. Current health and nursing workforce development strategies offer wide-ranging and ambitious approaches. An alternative approach is advocated: based on workforce data analysis, pressing threats to self-sufficiency and measures available are identified to achieve, in the short term, the maximum impact on retaining nurses. A human resources in health approach is recommended that focuses on employment conditions and professional nursing as well as recruitment and retention strategies. Nursing is identified as 'crucial' to meeting demands for health care. A shortage of nurses threatens delivery of health services and supports the case for self-sufficiency in the nursing

Different Cells Make Different Proteins: A Laboratory Exercise Illustrating Tissue-Specific Protein Expression in Animals

Science.gov (United States)

Ibarguren, Izaskun; Villamarín, Antonio

2017-01-01

All the cells of higher organisms have the same DNA but not the same proteins. Each type of specialised cell that forms a tissue has its own pattern of gene expression and, consequently, it contains a particular set of proteins that determine its function. Here, we describe a laboratory exercise addressed to undergraduate students that aims to…

Vancomycin pre-treatment impairs tissue healing in experimental colitis: Importance of innate lymphoid cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Di; Cai, Chenwen; Zheng, Qing; Jin, Shuang; Song, Dongjuan; Shen, Jun; Ran, Zhihua

2017-01-29

The interplay between luminal microbes and innate immunity during colonic epithelial repair has been well noted. At the same time, antibiotic has widely been used during flare-ups of ulcerative colitis. The possible effects of luminal microbiota disruption caused by antibiotics usage on epithelial repairing have been scarcely discussed. Innate lymphoid cells (ILCs) embedded in the lamina propria can be modulated by gut microbes, resulting in altered colonic IL-22/pSTAT3 levels, which is considered a prominent molecular axis in tissue repairing after epithelium damage. This study aimed to investigate whether antibiotics could interfere with ILCs-dependent tissue repair. Dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis was established in mice pre-treated with reagent of different antibiotic spectrum. Both morphological and molecular markers of tissue repair after DSS cessation were detected. ILCs population and function status were also recorded. Further attention was paid to the response of dendritic cells after antibiotics treatment, which were claimed to regulate colonic ILC3s in an IL-23 dependent way. Using of vancomycin resulted in delayed tissue repairing after experimental colitis. Both colonic IL-22/pSTAT3 axis and ILC3 population were found decreased in this situation. Vancomycin treatment diminished the upstream IL-23 and producer dendritic cell population. The reduced dendritic cell number may due to inadequate chemokines and colony-stimulating factors supply. Presence of vancomycin-sensitive microbiota is required for the maturation of ILC3-activating dendritic cells hence maintain the sufficient IL-22/pSTAT3 level in the colon during tissue healing. Manipulation of colonic microbiota may help achieve colonic mucosal healing post inflammation and injury. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Novel scalable silicone elastomer and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) composite materials for tissue engineering and drug delivery applications

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mohanty, Soumyaranjan; Hemmingsen, Mette; Wojcik, Magdalena

2013-01-01

material with increased hydrophilicity in regard to virgin silicone elastomer, making it suitable as a scaffold for tissue engineering and with the concomitant possibility for delivering drug from the scaffold to the tissue. Interpenetrating polymer networks (IPNs) of silicone elastomer and PHEMA......In recent years hydrogels have received increasing attention as potential materials for applications in regenerative medicine. They can be used for scaffold materials providing structural integrity to tissue constructs, for controlled delivery of drugs and proteins to cell and tissues......, and for support materials in tissue growth. However, the real challenge is to obtain sufficiently good mechanical properties of the hydrogel. The present study shows the combination of two normally non-compatible materials, silicone elastomer and poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA), into a novel composite...

Protein signature of lung cancer tissues.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael R Mehan

Full Text Available Lung cancer remains the most common cause of cancer-related mortality. We applied a highly multiplexed proteomic technology (SOMAscan to compare protein expression signatures of non small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC tissues with healthy adjacent and distant tissues from surgical resections. In this first report of SOMAscan applied to tissues, we highlight 36 proteins that exhibit the largest expression differences between matched tumor and non-tumor tissues. The concentrations of twenty proteins increased and sixteen decreased in tumor tissue, thirteen of which are novel for NSCLC. NSCLC tissue biomarkers identified here overlap with a core set identified in a large serum-based NSCLC study with SOMAscan. We show that large-scale comparative analysis of protein expression can be used to develop novel histochemical probes. As expected, relative differences in protein expression are greater in tissues than in serum. The combined results from tissue and serum present the most extensive view to date of the complex changes in NSCLC protein expression and provide important implications for diagnosis and treatment.

Confocal multispot microscope for fast and deep imaging in semicleared tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Adam, Marie-Pierre; Müllenbroich, Marie Caroline; Di Giovanna, Antonino Paolo; Alfieri, Domenico; Silvestri, Ludovico; Sacconi, Leonardo; Pavone, Francesco Saverio

2018-02-01

Although perfectly transparent specimens are imaged faster with light-sheet microscopy, less transparent samples are often imaged with two-photon microscopy leveraging its robustness to scattering; however, at the price of increased acquisition times. Clearing methods that are capable of rendering strongly scattering samples such as brain tissue perfectly transparent specimens are often complex, costly, and time intensive, even though for many applications a slightly lower level of tissue transparency is sufficient and easily achieved with simpler and faster methods. Here, we present a microscope type that has been geared toward the imaging of semicleared tissue by combining multispot two-photon excitation with rolling shutter wide-field detection to image deep and fast inside semicleared mouse brain. We present a theoretical and experimental evaluation of the point spread function and contrast as a function of shutter size. Finally, we demonstrate microscope performance in fixed brain slices by imaging dendritic spines up to 400-μm deep.

2,3-diphosphoglycerate and oxygen supply of tissues in cardiosurgical diabetics.

Science.gov (United States)

Beder, I; Mataseje, A; Kittova, M; Carsky, J; Fischer, V

2005-01-01

The oxygen supply of tissues was studied under haemodilution in cardiosurgical diabetic and non-diabetic patients. There were 30 cardiosurgery patients examined, 9 were patients with diabetes mellitus.and 21 were non-diabetic patients. Venous blood samples were examined preoperatively, intraoperatively and for 10 days after operation. Haemodilution caused a decrease in haematocrit values in both groups, as well as in the erythrocyte count and haemoglobin concentration. Postoperatively, an increase was recorded in haematological values in both groups, the values had not reached the baseline even by 10th day. Increased values of blood oxygen saturation and partial oxygen pressure during the operation returned to baseline in both groups in the postoperative days. Values of p50 did not change in both groups for the period of observation. The obtained data suggest that sufficient oxygen supply to tissues was ensured under haemodilution in cardiosurgery patients in both groups. These results confirm multifactorial dependence of blood oxygen transport to tissues (Tab. 1, Fig. 3, Ref. 13).

Tissues segmentation based on multi spectral medical images

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Ya; Wang, Ying

2017-11-01

Each band image contains the most obvious tissue feature according to the optical characteristics of different tissues in different specific bands for multispectral medical images. In this paper, the tissues were segmented by their spectral information at each multispectral medical images. Four Local Binary Patter descriptors were constructed to extract blood vessels based on the gray difference between the blood vessels and their neighbors. The segmented tissue in each band image was merged to a clear image.

Glioma Surgical Aspirate: A Viable Source of Tumor Tissue for Experimental Research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Day, Bryan W.; Stringer, Brett W.; Wilson, John; Jeffree, Rosalind L.; Jamieson, Paul R.

2013-01-01

Brain cancer research has been hampered by a paucity of viable clinical tissue of sufficient quality and quantity for experimental research. This has driven researchers to rely heavily on long term cultured cells which no longer represent the cancers from which they were derived. Resection of brain tumors, particularly at the interface between normal and tumorigenic tissue, can be carried out using an ultrasonic surgical aspirator (CUSA) that deposits liquid (blood and irrigation fluid) and resected tissue into a sterile bottle for disposal. To determine the utility of CUSA-derived glioma tissue for experimental research, we collected 48 CUSA specimen bottles from glioma patients and analyzed both the solid tissue fragments and dissociated tumor cells suspended in the liquid waste fraction. We investigated if these fractions would be useful for analyzing tumor heterogeneity, using IHC and multi-parameter flow cytometry; we also assessed culture generation and orthotopic xenograft potential. Both cell sources proved to be an abundant, highly viable source of live tumor cells for cytometric analysis, animal studies and in-vitro studies. Our findings demonstrate that CUSA tissue represents an abundant viable source to conduct experimental research and to carry out diagnostic analyses by flow cytometry or other molecular diagnostic procedures

[Comparison of two different real-time PCR systems in postmortem diagnosis of tuberculosis in paraffin-embedded tissues].

Science.gov (United States)

Yağmur, Gülhan; Albayrak, Nurhan; Daş, Taner; Yıldırım, Muzaffer; Ozgün, Ayşe; Büyük, Yalçın

2014-10-01

Tuberculosis (TB) is one of those infections with high morbidity and mortality in all around the world. Hundreds of people died from this disease without diagnosed or due to resistant strains in Turkey. Therefore, it is important to identify postmortem cases who have died from tuberculosis. Molecular methods have been widely used as well as conventional methods in the diagnosis of tuberculosis. The aim of this study was to compare the two different real-time polymerase chain reaction (Rt-PCR) system in the postmortem diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infections in paraffin-embedded tissues. A total of 40 paraffin-embedded tissue samples [lung (n= 35), brain (n= 2), heart (n= 2), lymph node (n= 1)] in which histopathologic findings consistent with TB (necrotizing granulomatous inflammation, gelatinous caseous pneumonia, necrotic fibrous nodul) obtained from 37 autopsy cases (31 male, 6 female; age range: 25-85 yrs) were included in the study. Paraffin-embedded tissues were deparafinized with xylene and ethyl alcohol and then DNA isolation was done with QIAsymphony DSP Virus/Pathogen Midi kit in the QIAsymphony device. DNA amplification process was performed by Rt-PCR using the kit Artus® M. tuberculosis RG-PCR in the Rotor-Gene® Q device (Qiagen, Germany). Likewise, after deparafinization process, samples placed in the cartridge and isolation and Rt-PCR was performed by Xpert® MTB/RIF (Cepheid, USA) system, simultaneosly. Seventeen and 20 out of the 40 paraffin-embedded tissues yielded positive results with Qiagen and Xpert system, respectively. M.tuberculosis DNA was found positive in 13 (32.5%) and negative in 16 (40%) of the samples by both of the systems, exhibiting 72.5% (29/40) of concordance. On the other hand, seven (17.5%) samples that were positive with Xpert system yielded negative result with the Qiagen, while four (10%) samples that were positive with Qiagen yielded negative result with the Xpert system. Of the 20 positive cases detected with

The Ebola Virus Glycoprotein Contributes to but Is Not Sufficient for Virulence In Vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Groseth, Allison; Marzi, Andrea; Hoenen, Thomas; Herwig, Astrid; Gardner, Don; Becker, Stephan; Ebihara, Hideki; Feldmann, Heinz

2012-01-01

Among the Ebola viruses most species cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans; however, Reston ebolavirus (REBOV) has not been associated with human disease despite numerous documented infections. While the molecular basis for this difference remains unclear, in vitro evidence has suggested a role for the glycoprotein (GP) as a major filovirus pathogenicity factor, but direct evidence for such a role in the context of virus infection has been notably lacking. In order to assess the role of GP in EBOV virulence, we have developed a novel reverse genetics system for REBOV, which we report here. Together with a previously published full-length clone for Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV), this provides a unique possibility to directly investigate the role of an entire filovirus protein in pathogenesis. To this end we have generated recombinant ZEBOV (rZEBOV) and REBOV (rREBOV), as well as chimeric viruses in which the glycoproteins from these two virus species have been exchanged (rZEBOV-RGP and rREBOV-ZGP). All of these viruses could be rescued and the chimeras replicated with kinetics similar to their parent virus in tissue culture, indicating that the exchange of GP in these chimeric viruses is well tolerated. However, in a mouse model of infection rZEBOV-RGP demonstrated markedly decreased lethality and prolonged time to death when compared to rZEBOV, confirming that GP does indeed contribute to the full expression of virulence by ZEBOV. In contrast, rREBOV-ZGP did not show any signs of virulence, and was in fact slightly attenuated compared to rREBOV, demonstrating that GP alone is not sufficient to confer a lethal phenotype or exacerbate disease in this model. Thus, while these findings provide direct evidence that GP contributes to filovirus virulence in vivo, they also clearly indicate that other factors are needed for the acquisition of full virulence. PMID:22876185

The Ebola virus glycoprotein contributes to but is not sufficient for virulence in vivo.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Allison Groseth

Full Text Available Among the Ebola viruses most species cause severe hemorrhagic fever in humans; however, Reston ebolavirus (REBOV has not been associated with human disease despite numerous documented infections. While the molecular basis for this difference remains unclear, in vitro evidence has suggested a role for the glycoprotein (GP as a major filovirus pathogenicity factor, but direct evidence for such a role in the context of virus infection has been notably lacking. In order to assess the role of GP in EBOV virulence, we have developed a novel reverse genetics system for REBOV, which we report here. Together with a previously published full-length clone for Zaire ebolavirus (ZEBOV, this provides a unique possibility to directly investigate the role of an entire filovirus protein in pathogenesis. To this end we have generated recombinant ZEBOV (rZEBOV and REBOV (rREBOV, as well as chimeric viruses in which the glycoproteins from these two virus species have been exchanged (rZEBOV-RGP and rREBOV-ZGP. All of these viruses could be rescued and the chimeras replicated with kinetics similar to their parent virus in tissue culture, indicating that the exchange of GP in these chimeric viruses is well tolerated. However, in a mouse model of infection rZEBOV-RGP demonstrated markedly decreased lethality and prolonged time to death when compared to rZEBOV, confirming that GP does indeed contribute to the full expression of virulence by ZEBOV. In contrast, rREBOV-ZGP did not show any signs of virulence, and was in fact slightly attenuated compared to rREBOV, demonstrating that GP alone is not sufficient to confer a lethal phenotype or exacerbate disease in this model. Thus, while these findings provide direct evidence that GP contributes to filovirus virulence in vivo, they also clearly indicate that other factors are needed for the acquisition of full virulence.

Towards a sufficiency-driven business model : Experiences and opportunities

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bocken, N.M.P.; Short, SW

2016-01-01

Business model innovation is an important lever for change to tackle pressing sustainability issues. In this paper, ‘sufficiency’ is proposed as a driver of business model innovation for sustainability. Sufficiency-driven business models seek to moderate overall resource consumption by curbing

Characterization of housekeeping genes in zebrafish: male-female differences and effects of tissue type, developmental stage and chemical treatment

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Callard Gloria V

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Research using the zebrafish model has experienced a rapid growth in recent years. Although real-time reverse transcription PCR (QPCR, normalized to an internal reference ("housekeeping" gene, is a frequently used method for quantifying gene expression changes in zebrafish, many commonly used housekeeping genes are known to vary with experimental conditions. To identify housekeeping genes that are stably expressed under different experimental conditions, and thus suitable as normalizers for QPCR in zebrafish, the present study evaluated the expression of eight commonly used housekeeping genes as a function of stage and hormone/toxicant exposure during development, and by tissue type and sex in adult fish. Results QPCR analysis was used to quantify mRNA levels of bactin1, tubulin alpha 1(tuba1, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (gapdh, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (g6pd, TATA-box binding protein (tbp, beta-2-microglobulin (b2m, elongation factor 1 alpha (elfa, and 18s ribosomal RNA (18s during development (2 – 120 hr postfertilization, hpf; in different tissue types (brain, eye, liver, heart, muscle, gonads of adult males and females; and after treatment of embryos/larvae (24 – 96 hpf with commonly used vehicles for administration and agents that represent known environmental endocrine disruptors. All genes were found to have some degree of variability under the conditions tested here. Rank ordering of expression stability using geNorm analysis identified 18s, b2m, and elfa as most stable during development and across tissue types, while gapdh, tuba1, and tpb were the most variable. Following chemical treatment, tuba1, bactin1, and elfa were the most stably expressed whereas tbp, 18s, and b2m were the least stable. Data also revealed sex differences that are gene- and tissue-specific, and treatment effects that are gene-, vehicle- and ligand-specific. When the accuracy of QPCR analysis was tested using

Entrepreneurship by any other name: self-sufficiency versus innovation.

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Parker Harris, Sarah; Caldwell, Kate; Renko, Maija

2014-01-01

Entrepreneurship has been promoted as an innovative strategy to address the employment of people with disabilities. Research has predominantly focused on the self-sufficiency aspect without fully integrating entrepreneurship literature in the areas of theory, systems change, and demonstration projects. Subsequently there are gaps in services, policies, and research in this field that, in turn, have limited our understanding of the support needs and barriers or facilitators of entrepreneurs with disabilities. A thorough analysis of the literature in these areas led to the development of two core concepts that need to be addressed in integrating entrepreneurship into disability employment research and policy: clarity in operational definitions and better disability statistics and outcome measures. This article interrogates existing research and policy efforts in this regard to argue for a necessary shift in the field from focusing on entrepreneurship as self-sufficiency to understanding entrepreneurship as innovation.

A survey of the interaction of calcium ions with mitochondria from different tissues and species

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Carafoli, Ernesto; Lehninger, Albert L.

1971-01-01

A survey was made of the capacity of mitochondria isolated from a number of different tissues and species to accumulate Ca2+ from the suspending medium during electron transport. The species examined included the rat, mouse, rabbit, hamster, guinea pig, cow, chicken, turtle, blowfly, yeast and Neurospora crassa. The tissues examined included vertebrate liver, kidney, brain, heart, spleen, thyroid and adrenal cortex, and the flight muscle of the blowfly. The mitochondria from all vertebrate tissues examined showed: (a) stimulation of State 4 respiration by added Ca2+ (Ca2+/~ activation ratio about 2.0), accompanied by accumulation of Ca2+ and ejection of H+, with a H+/Ca2+ ratio about 1.0; (b) a requirement of phosphate for accumulation of large amounts of Ca2+; (c) respiration-independent high-affinity binding sites for Ca2+; (d) endogenous Ca2+, which is largely released by uncoupling agents. However, mitochondria from yeast and blowfly flight muscle are unable to accumulate Ca2+ in a respiration-dependent process and possess no high-affinity Ca2+-binding sites. These findings support the view that the high-affinity sites represent the ligand-binding sites of a specific Ca2+ `permease' or transport system in the membrane. The relatively high affinity for Ca2+, which equals or exceeds the affinity for ADP, and the generally uniform characteristics of Ca2+ transport in all the vertebrate mitochondria tested strongly suggest that respiration-linked Ca2+ accumulation plays a general and fundamental role in vertebrate cell physiology. PMID:5129264

DNA-methylation profiling of fetal tissues reveals marked epigenetic differences between chorionic and amniotic samples.

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Christel Eckmann-Scholz

Full Text Available Epigenetic mechanisms including DNA methylation are supposed to play a key role in fetal development. Here we have investigated fetal DNA-methylation levels of 27,578 CpG loci in 47 chorionic villi (CVS and 16 amniotic cell (AC samples. Methylation levels differed significantly between karyotypically normal AC and CVS for 2,014 genes. AC showed more extreme DNA-methylation levels of these genes than CVS and the differentially methylated genes are significantly enriched for processes characteristic for the different cell types sampled. Furthermore, we identified 404 genes differentially methylated in CVS with trisomy 21. These genes were significantly enriched for high CG dinucleotid (CpG content and developmental processes associated with Down syndrome. Our study points to major tissue-specific differences of fetal DNA-methylation and gives rise to the hypothesis that part of the Down syndrome phenotype is epigenetically programmed in the first trimester of pregnancy.

A method for quantifying mechanical properties of tissue following viral infection.

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Vy Lam

Full Text Available Viral infection and replication involves the reorganization of the actin network within the host cell. Actin plays a central role in the mechanical properties of cells. We have demonstrated a method to quantify changes in mechanical properties of fabricated model three-dimensional (3D connective tissue following viral infection. Using this method, we have characterized the impact of infection by the human herpesvirus, cytomegalovirus (HCMV. HCMV is a member of the herpesvirus family and infects a variety of cell types including fibroblasts. In the body, fibroblasts are necessary for maintaining connective tissue and function by creating mechanical force. Using this 3D connective tissue model, we observed that infection disrupted the cell's ability to generate force and reduced the cumulative contractile force of the tissue. The addition of HCMV viral particles in the absence of both viral gene expression and DNA replication was sufficient to disrupt tissue function. We observed that alterations of the mechanical properties are, in part, due to a disruption of the underlying complex actin microfilament network established by the embedded fibroblasts. Finally, we were able to prevent HCMV-mediated disruption of tissue function by the addition of human immune globulin against HCMV. This study demonstrates a method to quantify the impact of viral infection on mechanical properties which are not evident using conventional cell culture systems.

Phylloquinone and Menaquinone-4 Tissue Distribution at Different Life Stages in Male and Female Sprague–Dawley Rats Fed Different VK Levels Since Weaning or Subjected to a 40% Calorie Restriction since Adulthood

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Guylaine Ferland

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Whether through the vitamin K-dependent proteins or the individual K vitamers, vitamin K (VK is associated with a number of age-related conditions (e.g., osteoporosis, atherosclerosis, insulin resistance, cognitive decline. In light of this, we investigated the influence of lifetime dietary VK exposure on the tissue distribution of phylloquinone (K1 and menaquinone-4 (MK-4 vitamers in 3-, 12- and 22-month-old male and female rats fed different K1 diets since weaning or subjected to a 40% calorie restricted diet (CR since adulthood. Dietary K1 intakes around the minimal amount required for normal blood coagulation had no significant influence on body weights of both male and female rats at different life stages. Tissue contents of the K vitamers differed according to organs, were generally higher in females than in males, and increased with K1 intake. The MK-4/total VK ratios tended to be increased in old age possibly reflecting an increased physiological demand for MK-4 during aging. Our study also confirmed the greater susceptibility of male rats to low VK containing diet, notably at a younger age. Despite lifelong higher K1 intakes per unit body weight, tissue K1 and MK-4 contents at 20 months were generally lower in CR rats compared to their ad libitum (AL counterparts. Whether the lower tissue MK-4 content is the result of lower synthesis from K1 or greater tissue utilization remains to be determined. However, the more youthful coagulation profile observed in old CR rats (vs. AL rats tends to support the notion that CR is associated with greater utilization of the K vitamers to sustain physiological functions.

Six weeks of continuous joint distraction appears sufficient for clinical benefit and cartilaginous tissue repair in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

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van der Woude, J A D; van Heerwaarden, R J; Spruijt, S; Eckstein, F; Maschek, S; van Roermund, P M; Custers, R J H; van Spil, W E; Mastbergen, S C; Lafeber, F P J G

2016-10-01

Knee joint distraction (KJD) is a surgical joint-preserving treatment in which the knee joint is temporarily distracted by an external frame. It is associated with joint tissue repair and clinical improvement. Initially, patients were submitted to an eight-week distraction period, and currently patients are submitted to a six-week distraction period. This study evaluates whether a shorter distraction period influences the outcome. Both groups consisted of 20 patients. Clinical outcome was assessed by WOMAC questionnaires and VAS-pain. Cartilaginous tissue repair was assessed by radiographic joint space width (JSW) and MRI-observed cartilage thickness. Baseline data between both groups were comparable. Both groups showed an increase in total WOMAC score; 24±4 in the six-week group and 32±5 in the eight-week group (both p<0.001). Mean JSW increased 0.9±0.3mm in the six-week group and 1.1±0.3mm in the eight-week group (p=0.729 between groups). The increase in mean cartilage thickness on MRI was 0.6±0.2mm in the eight-week group and 0.4±0.1mm in the six-week group (p=0.277). A shorter distraction period does not influence short-term clinical and structural outcomes statistically significantly, although effect sizes tend to be smaller in six week KJD as compared to eight week KJD. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

3D Scaffolds with Different Stiffness but the Same Microstructure for Bone Tissue Engineering.

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Chen, Guobao; Dong, Chanjuan; Yang, Li; Lv, Yonggang

2015-07-29

A growing body of evidence has shown that extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffness can modulate stem cell adhesion, proliferation, migration, differentiation, and signaling. Stem cells can feel and respond sensitively to the mechanical microenvironment of the ECM. However, most studies have focused on classical two-dimensional (2D) or quasi-three-dimensional environments, which cannot represent the real situation in vivo. Furthermore, most of the current methods used to generate different mechanical properties invariably change the fundamental structural properties of the scaffolds (such as morphology, porosity, pore size, and pore interconnectivity). In this study, we have developed novel three-dimensional (3D) scaffolds with different degrees of stiffness but the same 3D microstructure that was maintained by using decellularized cancellous bone. Mixtures of collagen and hydroxyapatite [HA: Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2] with different proportions were coated on decellularized cancellous bone to vary the stiffness (local stiffness, 13.00 ± 5.55 kPa, 13.87 ± 1.51 kPa, and 37.7 ± 19.6 kPa; bulk stiffness, 6.74 ± 1.16 kPa, 8.82 ± 2.12 kPa, and 23.61 ± 8.06 kPa). Microcomputed tomography (μ-CT) assay proved that there was no statistically significant difference in the architecture of the scaffolds before or after coating. Cell viability, osteogenic differentiation, cell recruitment, and angiogenesis were determined to characterize the scaffolds and evaluate their biological responses in vitro and in vivo. The in vitro results indicate that the scaffolds developed in this study could sustain adhesion and growth of rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and promote their osteogenic differentiation. The in vivo results further demonstrated that these scaffolds could help to recruit MSCs from subcutaneous tissue, induce them to differentiate into osteoblasts, and provide the 3D environment for angiogenesis. These findings showed that the method we developed can build scaffolds with

[Influence of deuterium depleted water on freeze-dried tissue isotopic composition and morphofunctional body performance in rats of different generations].

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Dzhimak, S S; Baryshev, M G; Basov, A A; Timakov, A A

2014-01-01

The influence of deuterium depleted water on the body of different rats generations was investigated in physiological conditions. As a result of this study it was established that the most significant and rapid reduction in D/H equilibrium was observed in plasma (by 36.2%), and lyophilized kidney tissues (by 15.8%). Less pronounced deuterium decrease was characteristic of liver tissue (9.3%) and heart (8.5%). Stabilization of the isotopic exchange reaction rate was fixed in the blood and tissues of rats, starting from the second generation. At the same time when deuterium depleted water (40 ppm) was used in dietary intake, the change in morphological and functional parameters in laboratory animals associated with the processes of adaptation to the effects of substress isotopic D/H gradient was also noted. The study shows that modification of:only drinking water intake regime can't significantly change the deuterium content in tissues of metabolically active organs, because of the concurrent deuterium receipt in food substances of plant and animal origin.

Expression characteristic of CXCR1 in different breast tissues and the relevance between its expression and efficacy of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

Science.gov (United States)

Xue, Miao-Qun; Liu, Jun; Sang, Jian-Feng; Su, Lei; Yao, Yong-Zhong

2017-07-25

To investigate chemokine receptor CXCR1 expression characteristic in different breast tissues and analyze the relationship between CXCR1 expression changes in breast cancer tissue and efficacy of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy. Chemokine receptor CXCR1 was lowly expressed in normal breast tissues and breast fibroadenoma, but highly expressed in breast cancer. It was significantly correlated with pathological stage, tumor cell differentiation, and lymph node metastasis (P breast cancer tissues decreased. Among these 104 breast cancer patients with different molecular subtypes, the survival rate with Luminal A was the highest, followed by the Luminal B breast cancer, TNBC was the worst. 104 cases with breast carcinoma, 20 cases with normal breast and 20 cases with breast fibroadenoma were included and followed up. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of CXCR1 in the various tissues. The relationship between the CXCR1 expression changes in breast cancer biopsies and surgical specimens, as well as the efficacy of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, was analyzed. Chemokine receptor CXCR1 could be used as an indicator to predict benign or malignant breast disease, and it can even predict the malignancy degree of breast cancer, as well as its invasive ability and prognosis.

Online Learning in Higher Education: Necessary and Sufficient Conditions

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Lim, Cher Ping

2005-01-01

The spectacular development of information and communication technologies through the Internet has provided opportunities for students to explore the virtual world of information. In this article, the author discusses the necessary and sufficient conditions for successful online learning in educational institutions. The necessary conditions…

Determinants of 25(OH)D sufficiency in obese minority children: selecting outcome measures and analytic approaches.

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Zhou, Ping; Schechter, Clyde; Cai, Ziyong; Markowitz, Morri

2011-06-01

To highlight complexities in defining vitamin D sufficiency in children. Serum 25-(OH) vitamin D [25(OH)D] levels from 140 healthy obese children age 6 to 21 years living in the inner city were compared with multiple health outcome measures, including bone biomarkers and cardiovascular risk factors. Several statistical analytic approaches were used, including Pearson correlation, analysis of covariance (ANCOVA), and "hockey stick" regression modeling. Potential threshold levels for vitamin D sufficiency varied by outcome variable and analytic approach. Only systolic blood pressure (SBP) was significantly correlated with 25(OH)D (r = -0.261; P = .038). ANCOVA revealed that SBP and triglyceride levels were statistically significant in the test groups [25(OH)D 25 ng/mL]. ANCOVA also showed that only children with severe vitamin D deficiency [25(OH)D model regression analyses found evidence of a threshold level in SBP, with a 25(OH)D breakpoint of 27 ng/mL, along with a 25(OH)D breakpoint of 18 ng/mL for triglycerides, but no relationship between 25(OH)D and parathyroid hormone. Defining vitamin D sufficiency should take into account different vitamin D-related health outcome measures and analytic methodologies. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

VACUUM THERAPY – PREVENTION OF HYPOXIA OF CAVERNOUS TISSUE PATIENTS AFTER RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY

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A. E. Osadchinskii

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Patients, after radical prostatectomy with the use of nerve-sparing techniques, without carrying out penile rehabilitation, are at risk of forming cavernous fibrosis with the emergence of subsequent persistent erectile dysfunction. In order to minimize damage to cavernous tissue and early restoration of erectile function during the period of neuropraxia, it is necessary to ensure a sufficient level of oxygenation. The role of applying vacuum in penile rehabilitation for the prevention of hypoxia of cavernous tissue is not fully understood, due to the lack of data on the gaseous composition of the blood at the time of reaching the vacuum of erection. The purpose of this work was to review the scientific studies devoted to the study of vacuum induced penile erection in animals or humans, which indicates high results due to increased oxygenation of cavernous tissue.

Sex differences during the course of diet-induced obesity in mice: adipose tissue expandability and glycemic control

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Medříková, Daša; Jílková, Zuzana; Bardová, Kristina; Janovská, Petra; Rossmeisl, Martin; Kopecký, Jan

2012-01-01

Roč. 36, č. 2 (2012), s. 262-272 ISSN 0307-0565 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) 7E10059; GA MŠk(CZ) OC08008; GA ČR(CZ) GA303/08/0664 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50110509 Keywords : sex differences * inflammation * adipose tissue expandability * insulin sensitivity * mice Subject RIV: FB - Endocrinology, Diabetology, Metabolism, Nutrition Impact factor: 5.221, year: 2012

Seasonal variation in nitrogen pools and 15N/13C natural abundances in different tissues of grassland plants

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J. K. Schjoerring

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Seasonal changes in nitrogen (N pools, carbon (C content and natural abundance of 13C and 15N in different tissues of ryegrass plants were investigated in two intensively managed grassland fields in order to address their ammonia (NH3 exchange potential. Green leaves generally had the largest total N concentration followed by stems and inflorescences. Senescent leaves had the lowest N concentration, indicating N re-allocation. The seasonal pattern of the Γ value, i.e. the ratio between NH4+ and H+ concentrations, was similar for the various tissues of the ryegrass plants but the magnitude of Γ differed considerably among the different tissues. Green leaves and stems generally had substantially lower Γ values than senescent leaves and litter. Substantial peaks in Γ were observed during spring and summer in response to fertilization and grazing. These peaks were associated with high NH4+ rather than with low H+ concentrations. Peaks in Γ also appeared during the winter, coinciding with increasing δ15N values, indicating absorption of N derived from mineralization of soil organic matter. At the same time, δ13C values were declining, suggesting reduced photosynthesis and capacity for N assimilation. δ15N and δ13C values were more influenced by mean monthly temperature than by the accumulated monthly precipitation. In conclusion, ryegrass plants showed a clear seasonal pattern in N pools. Green leaves and stems of ryegrass plants generally seem to constitute a sink for NH3, while senescent leaves have a large potential for NH3 emission. However, management events such as fertilisation and grazing may create a high NH3 emission potential even in green plant parts. The obtained results provide input for future modelling of plant-atmosphere NH3 exchange.

Soft tissue modelling with conical springs.

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Omar, Nadzeri; Zhong, Yongmin; Jazar, Reza N; Subic, Aleksandar; Smith, Julian; Shirinzadeh, Bijan

2015-01-01

This paper presents a new method for real-time modelling soft tissue deformation. It improves the traditional mass-spring model with conical springs to deal with nonlinear mechanical behaviours of soft tissues. A conical spring model is developed to predict soft tissue deformation with reference to deformation patterns. The model parameters are formulated according to tissue deformation patterns and the nonlinear behaviours of soft tissues are modelled with the stiffness variation of conical spring. Experimental results show that the proposed method can describe different tissue deformation patterns using one single equation and also exhibit the typical mechanical behaviours of soft tissues.

Biomaterials for Tissue Engineering

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Lee, Esther J.; Kasper, F. Kurtis; Mikos, Antonios G.

2013-01-01

Biomaterials serve as an integral component of tissue engineering. They are designed to provide architectural framework reminiscent of native extracellular matrix in order to encourage cell growth and eventual tissue regeneration. Bone and cartilage represent two distinct tissues with varying compositional and mechanical properties. Despite these differences, both meet at the osteochondral interface. This article presents an overview of current biomaterials employed in bone and cartilage applications, discusses some design considerations, and alludes to future prospects within this field of research. PMID:23820768

Kinetics of naphthalene metabolism in target and non-target tissues of rodents and in nasal and airway microsomes from the Rhesus monkey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Buckpitt, Alan, E-mail: arbuckpitt@ucdavis.edu [Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Morin, Dexter [Department of Molecular Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Murphy, Shannon; Edwards, Patricia; Van Winkle, Laura [Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95616 (United States); Center for Health and the Environment, UC Davis, Davis, CA 95616 United States (United States)

2013-07-15

Naphthalene produces species and cell selective injury to respiratory tract epithelial cells of rodents. In these studies we determined the apparent K{sub m}, V{sub max}, and catalytic efficiency (V{sub max}/K{sub m}) for naphthalene metabolism in microsomal preparations from subcompartments of the respiratory tract of rodents and non-human primates. In tissues with high substrate turnover, major metabolites were derived directly from naphthalene oxide with smaller amounts from conjugates of diol epoxide, diepoxide, and 1,2- and 1,4-naphthoquinones. In some tissues, different enzymes with dissimilar K{sub m} and V{sub max} appeared to metabolize naphthalene. The rank order of V{sub max} (rat olfactory epithelium > mouse olfactory epithelium > murine airways ≫ rat airways) correlated well with tissue susceptibility to naphthalene. The V{sub max} in monkey alveolar subcompartment was 2% that in rat nasal olfactory epithelium. Rates of metabolism in nasal compartments of the monkey were low. The catalytic efficiencies of microsomes from known susceptible tissues/subcompartments are 10 and 250 fold higher than in rat airway and monkey alveolar subcompartments, respectively. Although the strong correlations between catalytic efficiencies and tissue susceptibility suggest that non-human primate tissues are unlikely to generate metabolites at a rate sufficient to produce cellular injury, other studies showing high levels of formation of protein adducts support the need for additional studies. - Highlights: • Naphthalene is metabolized with high catalytic efficiency in susceptible tissue. • Naphthalene is metabolized at low catalytic efficiency in non-susceptible tissue. • Respiratory tissues of the non human primate metabolize naphthalene slowly.

Assessing sufficient capability: A new approach to economic evaluation.

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Mitchell, Paul Mark; Roberts, Tracy E; Barton, Pelham M; Coast, Joanna

2015-08-01

Amartya Sen's capability approach has been discussed widely in the health economics discipline. Although measures have been developed to assess capability in economic evaluation, there has been much less attention paid to the decision rules that might be applied alongside. Here, new methods, drawing on the multidimensional poverty and health economics literature, are developed for conducting economic evaluation within the capability approach and focusing on an objective of achieving "sufficient capability". This objective more closely reflects the concern with equity that pervades the capability approach and the method has the advantage of retaining the longitudinal aspect of estimating outcome that is associated with quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), whilst also drawing on notions of shortfall associated with assessments of poverty. Economic evaluation from this perspective is illustrated in an osteoarthritis patient group undergoing joint replacement, with capability wellbeing assessed using ICECAP-O. Recommendations for taking the sufficient capability approach forward are provided. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

LYCOPENE EFFICIENCY IN THE MODULATION OF OXIDATIVE DAMAGE IN DIFFERENT TISSUES OF GAMMA IRRADIATED RATS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

EL-TAHAWY, N.A.; NADA, A.S.; REZK, R.G.

2008-01-01

Exposure to ionizing radiation induces oxidative stress that has been recognized as an important etiological factor in the causation of several chronic diseases. Lycopene, a carotenoid almost exclusively present in tomatoes and tomatoes products, is a lipid soluble antioxidant claimed to possess cardio protective and anticancer properties. The present study was designed to determine the possible modulator effects of lycopene on radiation-induced oxidative damage to liver, spleen and lung tissues. Animals were supplemented with lycopene (5 mg/kg body weight/ day) by gavages for two weeks before whole body exposure to gamma rays and within the period of irradiation (3 successive doses, each of 3 Gy at 72 hours intervals). Animals were sacrificed on the 3 r d day post the last irradiation session.The results obtained in the present study showed that whole body gamma irradiation produced oxidative stress manifested by significant elevation in lipid peroxides levels measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) associated with significant decrease of nitric oxide (NO) content. Non-significant change in total cupper (Cu) in the three tissues was recorded while significant increase of total iron (Fe) was observed in liver and spleen tissues only. Liver tissue of irradiated rats showed significant decrease in the activities of the antioxidant enzymes as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT). In spleen tissues, there was a significant increase of SOD and significant decrease of CAT activities while in lung tissues, both SOD and CAT activities showed significant increase.Histological observations of photomicrograph of liver sections showed that radiation-induced sever damage obvious by dilated portal vein, ruptured hepatocytes, necrotic, pyknotic, karyolitic nuclei and vacuolated cytoplasm. In spleen tissue, radiation was induced degeneration of lymphatic nodules, dilation follicular artery and marked hemorrhage. In lung tissue, radiation- induces ill

Adaptive Breast Radiation Therapy Using Modeling of Tissue Mechanics: A Breast Tissue Segmentation Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juneja, Prabhjot; Harris, Emma J.; Kirby, Anna M.; Evans, Philip M.

2012-01-01

Purpose: To validate and compare the accuracy of breast tissue segmentation methods applied to computed tomography (CT) scans used for radiation therapy planning and to study the effect of tissue distribution on the segmentation accuracy for the purpose of developing models for use in adaptive breast radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients receiving postlumpectomy radiation therapy for breast cancer underwent CT imaging in prone and supine positions. The whole-breast clinical target volume was outlined. Clinical target volumes were segmented into fibroglandular and fatty tissue using the following algorithms: physical density thresholding; interactive thresholding; fuzzy c-means with 3 classes (FCM3) and 4 classes (FCM4); and k-means. The segmentation algorithms were evaluated in 2 stages: first, an approach based on the assumption that the breast composition should be the same in both prone and supine position; and second, comparison of segmentation with tissue outlines from 3 experts using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). Breast datasets were grouped into nonsparse and sparse fibroglandular tissue distributions according to expert assessment and used to assess the accuracy of the segmentation methods and the agreement between experts. Results: Prone and supine breast composition analysis showed differences between the methods. Validation against expert outlines found significant differences (P<.001) between FCM3 and FCM4. Fuzzy c-means with 3 classes generated segmentation results (mean DSC = 0.70) closest to the experts' outlines. There was good agreement (mean DSC = 0.85) among experts for breast tissue outlining. Segmentation accuracy and expert agreement was significantly higher (P<.005) in the nonsparse group than in the sparse group. Conclusions: The FCM3 gave the most accurate segmentation of breast tissues on CT data and could therefore be used in adaptive radiation therapy-based on tissue modeling. Breast tissue segmentation

Adaptive Breast Radiation Therapy Using Modeling of Tissue Mechanics: A Breast Tissue Segmentation Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Juneja, Prabhjot, E-mail: Prabhjot.Juneja@icr.ac.uk [Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton (United Kingdom); Harris, Emma J. [Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton (United Kingdom); Kirby, Anna M. [Department of Academic Radiotherapy, Royal Marsden National Health Service Foundation Trust, Sutton (United Kingdom); Evans, Philip M. [Joint Department of Physics, Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton (United Kingdom)

2012-11-01

Purpose: To validate and compare the accuracy of breast tissue segmentation methods applied to computed tomography (CT) scans used for radiation therapy planning and to study the effect of tissue distribution on the segmentation accuracy for the purpose of developing models for use in adaptive breast radiation therapy. Methods and Materials: Twenty-four patients receiving postlumpectomy radiation therapy for breast cancer underwent CT imaging in prone and supine positions. The whole-breast clinical target volume was outlined. Clinical target volumes were segmented into fibroglandular and fatty tissue using the following algorithms: physical density thresholding; interactive thresholding; fuzzy c-means with 3 classes (FCM3) and 4 classes (FCM4); and k-means. The segmentation algorithms were evaluated in 2 stages: first, an approach based on the assumption that the breast composition should be the same in both prone and supine position; and second, comparison of segmentation with tissue outlines from 3 experts using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC). Breast datasets were grouped into nonsparse and sparse fibroglandular tissue distributions according to expert assessment and used to assess the accuracy of the segmentation methods and the agreement between experts. Results: Prone and supine breast composition analysis showed differences between the methods. Validation against expert outlines found significant differences (P<.001) between FCM3 and FCM4. Fuzzy c-means with 3 classes generated segmentation results (mean DSC = 0.70) closest to the experts' outlines. There was good agreement (mean DSC = 0.85) among experts for breast tissue outlining. Segmentation accuracy and expert agreement was significantly higher (P<.005) in the nonsparse group than in the sparse group. Conclusions: The FCM3 gave the most accurate segmentation of breast tissues on CT data and could therefore be used in adaptive radiation therapy-based on tissue modeling. Breast tissue

The difference of scoring dose to water or tissues in Monte Carlo dose calculations for low energy brachytherapy photon sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Landry, Guillaume; Reniers, Brigitte; Pignol, Jean-Philippe; Beaulieu, Luc; Verhaegen, Frank

2011-03-01

The goal of this work is to compare D(m,m) (radiation transported in medium; dose scored in medium) and D(w,m) (radiation transported in medium; dose scored in water) obtained from Monte Carlo (MC) simulations for a subset of human tissues of interest in low energy photon brachytherapy. Using low dose rate seeds and an electronic brachytherapy source (EBS), the authors quantify the large cavity theory conversion factors required. The authors also assess whether ap plying large cavity theory utilizing the sources' initial photon spectra and average photon energy induces errors related to spatial spectral variations. First, ideal spherical geometries were investigated, followed by clinical brachytherapy LDR seed implants for breast and prostate cancer patients. Two types of dose calculations are performed with the GEANT4 MC code. (1) For several human tissues, dose profiles are obtained in spherical geometries centered on four types of low energy brachytherapy sources: 125I, 103Pd, and 131Cs seeds, as well as an EBS operating at 50 kV. Ratios of D(w,m) over D(m,m) are evaluated in the 0-6 cm range. In addition to mean tissue composition, compositions corresponding to one standard deviation from the mean are also studied. (2) Four clinical breast (using 103Pd) and prostate (using 125I) brachytherapy seed implants are considered. MC dose calculations are performed based on postimplant CT scans using prostate and breast tissue compositions. PTV D90 values are compared for D(w,m) and D(m,m). (1) Differences (D(w,m)/D(m,m)-1) of -3% to 70% are observed for the investigated tissues. For a given tissue, D(w,m)/D(m,m) is similar for all sources within 4% and does not vary more than 2% with distance due to very moderate spectral shifts. Variations of tissue composition about the assumed mean composition influence the conversion factors up to 38%. (2) The ratio of D90(w,m) over D90(m,m) for clinical implants matches D(w,m)/D(m,m) at 1 cm from the single point sources, Given

Tissue specificity of the hormonal response in sex accessory tissues is associated with nuclear matrix protein patterns.

Science.gov (United States)

Getzenberg, R H; Coffey, D S

1990-09-01

The DNA of interphase nuclei have very specific three-dimensional organizations that are different in different cell types, and it is possible that this varying DNA organization is responsible for the tissue specificity of gene expression. The nuclear matrix organizes the three-dimensional structure of the DNA and is believed to be involved in the control of gene expression. This study compares the nuclear structural proteins between two sex accessory tissues in the same animal responding to the same androgen stimulation by the differential expression of major tissue-specific secretory proteins. We demonstrate here that the nuclear matrix is tissue specific in the rat ventral prostate and seminal vesicle, and undergoes characteristic alterations in its protein composition upon androgen withdrawal. Three types of nuclear matrix proteins were observed: 1) nuclear matrix proteins that are different and tissue specific in the rat ventral prostate and seminal vesicle, 2) a set of nuclear matrix proteins that either appear or disappear upon androgen withdrawal, and 3) a set of proteins that are common to both the ventral prostate and seminal vesicle and do not change with the hormonal state of the animal. Since the nuclear matrix is known to bind androgen receptors in a tissue- and steroid-specific manner, we propose that the tissue specificity of the nuclear matrix arranges the DNA in a unique conformation, which may be involved in the specific interaction of transcription factors with DNA sequences, resulting in tissue-specific patterns of secretory protein expression.

Sufficient conditions for a period incrementing big bang bifurcation in one-dimensional maps

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Avrutin, V; Granados, A; Schanz, M

2011-01-01

Typically, big bang bifurcation occurs for one (or higher)-dimensional piecewise-defined discontinuous systems whenever two border collision bifurcation curves collide transversely in the parameter space. At that point, two (feasible) fixed points collide with one boundary in state space and become virtual, and, in the one-dimensional case, the map becomes continuous. Depending on the properties of the map near the codimension-two bifurcation point, there exist different scenarios regarding how the infinite number of periodic orbits are born, mainly the so-called period adding and period incrementing. In our work we prove that, in order to undergo a big bang bifurcation of the period incrementing type, it is sufficient for a piecewise-defined one-dimensional map that the colliding fixed points are attractive and with associated eigenvalues of different signs

Sufficient conditions for a period incrementing big bang bifurcation in one-dimensional maps

Science.gov (United States)

Avrutin, V.; Granados, A.; Schanz, M.

2011-09-01

Typically, big bang bifurcation occurs for one (or higher)-dimensional piecewise-defined discontinuous systems whenever two border collision bifurcation curves collide transversely in the parameter space. At that point, two (feasible) fixed points collide with one boundary in state space and become virtual, and, in the one-dimensional case, the map becomes continuous. Depending on the properties of the map near the codimension-two bifurcation point, there exist different scenarios regarding how the infinite number of periodic orbits are born, mainly the so-called period adding and period incrementing. In our work we prove that, in order to undergo a big bang bifurcation of the period incrementing type, it is sufficient for a piecewise-defined one-dimensional map that the colliding fixed points are attractive and with associated eigenvalues of different signs.

Release of Zn from maternal tissues in pregnant rats deficient in Zn or Zn and Ca

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hurley, L.S.; Masters, D.G.; Lonnerdal, B.; Keen, C.L.

1986-01-01

Earlier studies have shown that diets that increase tissue catabolism reduce the teratogenic effects of Zn deficiency. The hypothesis that Zn may be released from body tissues when the metabolic state is altered was further tested. Nonpregnant Sprague Dawley females were injected with Zn-65; after equilibration, the two major pools of Zn, bone and muscle, had different specific activities (SA), muscle being much higher. Females were mated and fed diets adequate in Zn and Ca (C) or deficient in Zn (ZnD) or deficient in both Zn and Ca (ZnCaD). Calculations using weight loss in ZnD and ZnCaD rats, Zn content of maternal bone and muscle, and total fetal Zn at term indicated that in ZnCaD rats a relatively small amount of Zn from bone early in pregnancy was sufficient to prevent abnormal organogenesis, but most fetal Zn came from breakdown of maternal muscle in the last 3 days of pregnancy. Isotope data supported this conclusion. SA of Zn in ZnD fetuses was equal and high, indicating that most Zn came from the same maternal tissue. High muscle SA prior to mating, and increased SA in tibia and liver during pregnancy suggest that muscle provided Zn for other maternal tissues as well as fetuses. In contrast, SA in C fetuses was less than 30% of that of the D groups, consistent with the earlier hypothesis that most fetal Zn in C rats is accrued directly from the diet

PET Imaging of CRF1 with [11C]R121920 and [11C]DMP696: is the target of sufficient density?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sullivan, Gregory M.; Parsey, Ramin V.; Kumar, J.S. Dileep; Arango, Victoria; Kassir, Suham A.; Huang, Yung-yu; Simpson, Norman R.; Van Heertum, Ronald L.; Mann, J. John

2007-01-01

Aim: Overstimulation of the CRF type 1 receptor (CRF1) is implicated in anxiety and depressive disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vivo binding characteristics of [ 11 C]R121920 and [ 11 C]DMP696 in the nonhuman primate for application in positron emission tomography (PET) studies of CRF1. Methods: PET imaging with the two novel CRF1 radioligands was performed in baboon. In vitro binding studies for CRF1 were performed in postmortem brain tissue of baboon and human to assess sufficiency of receptor density for PET. Results: Both [ 11 C]R121920 and [ 11 C]DMP696 distributed rapidly and uniformly throughout the brain. Washout was comparable across brain regions, without differences in volume of distribution between regions reported to have high and low in vitro CRF1 binding. Membrane-enriched tissue homogenate assay using [ 125 I]Tyr 0 -sauvagine and specific CRF1 antagonists CP154,526 and SN003 in human occipital cortex yielded maximal binding (B max ) of 63.3 and 147.3 fmol/mg protein, respectively, and in human cerebellar cortex yielded B max of 103.6 and 64.6 fmol/mg protein, respectively. Dissociation constants (K D ) were subnanomolar. In baboon, specific binding was not detectable in the same regions; therefore, B max and K D were not measurable. Autoradiographic results were consistent except there was also detectable CRF1-specific binding in baboon cerebellum. Conclusion: Neither [ 11 C]R121920 nor [ 11 C]DMP696 demonstrated quantifiable regional binding in vivo in baboon. In vitro results suggest CRF1 density in baboon may be insufficient for PET. Studies in man may generate more promising results due to the higher CRF1 density compared with baboon in cerebral cortex and cerebellum

Cancerous tissue mapping from random lasing emission spectra

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polson, R C; Vardeny, Z V

2010-01-01

Random lasing emission spectra have been collected from both healthy and cancerous tissues. The two types of tissue with optical gain have different light scattering properties as obtained from an average power Fourier transform of their random lasing emission spectra. The difference in the power Fourier transform leads to a contrast between cancerous and benign tissues, which is utilized for tissue mapping of healthy and cancerous regions of patients

Towards an ideal polymer scaffold for tendon/ligament tissue engineering

Science.gov (United States)

Sahoo, Sambit; Ouyang, Hong Wei; Goh, James Cho-Hong; Tay, Tong-Earn; Toh, Siew Lok

2005-04-01

Tissue engineering holds promise in treating injured tendons and ligaments by replacing the injured tissues with "engineered tissues" with identical mechanical and functional characteristics. A biocompatible, biodegradable, porous scaffold with optimized architecture, sufficient surface area for cell attachment, growth and proliferation, faborable mechanical properties, and suitable degradation rate is a pre-requisite to achieve success with this aproach. Knitted poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) scaffolds comprising of microfibers of 25 micron diameter were coated with PLGA nanofibers on their surfaces by electrospinning technique. A cell suspension of pig bone marrow stromal cells (BMSC) was seeded on the scaffolds by pipetting, and the cell-scaffold constructs were cultured in a CO2 incubator, at 37°C for 1-2 weeks. The "engineered tissues" were then assessed for cell attachment and proliferation, tissue formation, and mechanical properties. Nanofibers, of diameter 300-900 nm, were spread randomly over the knitted scaffold. The reduction in pore-size from about 1 mm (in the knitted scaffold) to a few micrometers (in the nano-microscaffold) allowed cell seeding by direct pipetting, and eliminated the need of a cell-delivery system like fibrin gel. BMSCs were seen to attach and proliferate well on the nano-microscaffold, producing abundant extracellular matrix. Mechanical testing revealed that the cell-seeded nano-microscaffolds possessed slightly higher values of failure load, elastic-region stiffness and toe-region stiffness, than the unseeded scaffolds. The combination of superior mechanical strength and integrity of knitted microfibers, with the large surface area and improved hydrophilicity of the electrospun nanofibers facilitated cell attachment and new tissue formation. This holds promise in tissue engineering of tendon/ligament.

An integrative transcriptomic approach to identify depot differences in genes and microRNAs in adipose tissues from high fat fed mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Wijayatunga, Nadeeja N; Pahlavani, Mandana; Kalupahana, Nishan S; Kottapalli, Kameswara Rao; Gunaratne, Preethi H; Coarfa, Cristian; Ramalingam, Latha; Moustaid-Moussa, Naima

2018-02-06

Obesity contributes to metabolic disorders such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Characterization of differences between the main adipose tissue depots, white (WAT) [including subcutaneous (SAT) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT)] and brown adipose tissue (BAT) helps to identify their roles in obesity. Thus, we studied depot-specific differences in whole transcriptome and miRNA profiles of SAT, VAT and BAT from high fat diet (HFD/45% of calories from fat) fed mice using RNA sequencing and small RNA-Seq. Using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we validated depot-specific differences in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress related genes and miRNAs using mice fed a HFD vs. low fat diet (LFD/10% of calories from fat). According to the transcriptomic analysis, lipogenesis, adipogenesis, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and unfolded protein response (UPR) were higher in VAT compared to BAT, whereas energy expenditure, fatty acid oxidation and oxidative phosphorylation were higher in BAT than in VAT of the HFD fed mice. In contrast to BAT, ER stress marker genes were significantly upregulated in VAT of HFD fed mice than the LFD fed mice. For the first time, we report depot specific differences in ER stress related miRNAs including; downregulation of miR-125b-5p, upregulation miR-143-3p, and miR-222-3p in VAT following HFD and upregulation of miR-30c-2-3p only in BAT following a HFD in mice than the LFD mice. In conclusion, HFD differentially regulates miRNAs and genes in different adipose depots with significant induction of genes related to lipogenesis, adipogenesis, inflammation, ER stress, and UPR in WAT compared to BAT.

CT Imaging of facial trauma. The role of different types of reconstruction. Part II - soft tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myga-Porosilo, J.; Sraga, W.; Borowiak, H.; Jackowska, Z.; Kluczewska, E.; Skrzelewski, S.

2011-01-01

Background: Injury to facial soft tissues as a complication of skeleton fractures is an important problem among patients with facial trauma. The aim of this work was to assess the value of multiplanar and three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction computed tomography (CT) images obtained by using multi-detector row technology in spiral data acquisition in patients with facial injuries of soft tissue. Material/Methods: Sixty-seven patients diagnosed with injury to the facial skeleton underwent a CT scan with the use of GE Hispeed Qx/i scanner. For each patient: a two-dimensional (2D) multiplanar reconstruction (MPR), maximum intensity projection (MIP), and 3D volume rendering (VR) were conducted. Post-injury lesions of soft tissues were assessed. During the assessment of the post-injury lesions of soft tissues, the following features were evaluated: Extra ocular muscle and fat tissue herniation through fractures in the medial and inferior orbital walls. Fluid in the sinuses and in the nasal cavity. Subcutaneous tissue emphysema. Results: For subcutaneous emphysema and sinus fluid imaging, both the axial and the 2D image reconstruction proved comparably effective. However, 2D reconstructions were superior to transverse plane images with regard to herniations into fractures of the inferior orbital wall. 3D reconstruction has no importance in diagnosing soft tissue injuries. Conclusions: Multiplanar CT reconstructions increase the effectiveness of imaging of orbital tissue herniations, especially in case of fractures in the inferior orbital wall. In suspected soft tissue herniations, as well as prior to surgical treatment, spiral CT with 2D multiplanar reconstructions should be the method of choice. (authors)

Refueling availability for alternative fuel vehicle markets: Sufficient urban station coverage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melaina, Marc; Bremson, Joel

2008-01-01

Alternative fuel vehicles can play an important role in addressing the challenges of climate change, energy security, urban air pollution and the continued growth in demand for transportation services. The successful commercialization of alternative fuels for vehicles is contingent upon a number of factors, including vehicle cost and performance. Among fuel infrastructure issues, adequate refueling availability is one of the most fundamental to successful commercialization. A commonly cited source reports 164,300 refueling stations in operation nationwide. However, from the perspective of refueling availability, this nationwide count tends to overstate the number of stations required to support the widespread deployment of alternative fuel vehicles. In terms of spatial distribution, the existing gasoline station networks in many urban areas are more than sufficient. We characterize a sufficient level of urban coverage based upon a subset of cities served by relatively low-density station networks, and estimate that some 51,000 urban stations would be required to provide this sufficient level of coverage to all major urban areas, 33 percent less than our estimate of total urban stations. This improved characterization will be useful for engineering, economic and policy analyses. (author)

Cellulose/poly-(m-phenylene isophthalamide) porous film as a tissue-engineered skin bioconstruct

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Jae Woong; Han, Sung Soo; Zo, Sum Mi; Choi, Soon Mo

2018-06-01

Regarding the porous structure, coagulated cellulose may not provide sufficient voids for cell proliferation, resulting in tissue growth. For this reason, it was blended with poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA), which could produce a porous structure in the resulting construct. The aim of this study was to confirm the potential of a novel cellulose/PMIA porous film as a tissue-engineered bioconstruct for impaired skin. The films were fabricated by a coagulation process added with a peel-off method, and the structural, mechanical properties were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and capillary flow porometry. CRL-2310 human keratinocytes were used to determine the biocompatibility of the prepared films. The attachment and proliferation of cells were investigated by scanning electron microscopy, DAPI staining, and a cell viability assay. The results show that cellulose/PMIA porous films have potential use as wound matrices for skin tissue genesis.

[Effect of oxidative stress-associated damage to the lung tissue caused by different body mass index in the rat models].

Science.gov (United States)

Li, X Y; Zhang, X J; Zhao, J H; Xu, J Y

2016-12-12

Objective: To investigate the influence of different diets on serum protein expression levels of 4-hydroxynonenal (4-HNE), thioredoxin (Trx), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and the activities of Trx and TrxR, and to explore the effect of damage to the lung tissue and the underlying mechanisms of different body mass index caused by different diets in the rat models . Method: Healthy clean male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group, emaciation group and fat group, which were raised by different diets for 6 months.Then the rats were sacrificed and the serum and lung tissue were prepared. The levels of 4-HNE, Trx and TrxR in peripheral blood were quantitatively analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA), and the activities of Trx and TrxR were measured by chemical methods. Results: Compared with the normal group, the lung tissue had more apparent emphysema in the emaciation and the fat groups under light microscope, and more inflammatory cell infiltration in alveolar septum was observed in the fat group.The levels of 4-HNE in the fat group[(24.7±8.7)mg/L]was significantly higher than that in the normal group[(15.4±4.7)mg/L, P 0.05)in the levels of 4-HNE between the emaciation and the normal groups. The levels of TrxR in the emaciation group[(7.7±1.4)μg/ml]was significantly higher than that in the normal and the fat groups[(6.2±1.1), (4.9±1.4)μg/ml, all P 0.05). The activity of Trx in the emaciation group[(32.4±8.5)×10 -3 A ·min -1 ·mg -1 ]was significantly higher than that in the normal group[(19.6±3.3)×10 -3 A ·min -1 ·mg -1 ]and the fat group[(11.3±7.5)×10 -3 A ·min -1 ·mg -1 , all P 0.05). Conclusion: Both high BMI and low BMI can affect the oxidative stress of the body, resulting in increased oxidants and decreased antioxidants, and can cause damage to the lung tissue in the rat models.

Wavelet-based feature extraction applied to small-angle x-ray scattering patterns from breast tissue: a tool for differentiating between tissue types

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Falzon, G; Pearson, S; Murison, R; Hall, C; Siu, K; Evans, A; Rogers, K; Lewis, R

2006-01-01

This paper reports on the application of wavelet decomposition to small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) patterns from human breast tissue produced by a synchrotron source. The pixel intensities of SAXS patterns of normal, benign and malignant tissue types were transformed into wavelet coefficients. Statistical analysis found significant differences between the wavelet coefficients describing the patterns produced by different tissue types. These differences were then correlated with position in the image and have been linked to the supra-molecular structural changes that occur in breast tissue in the presence of disease. Specifically, results indicate that there are significant differences between healthy and diseased tissues in the wavelet coefficients that describe the peaks produced by the axial d-spacing of collagen. These differences suggest that a useful classification tool could be based upon the spectral information within the axial peaks

Differences in metal sequestration between zebra mussels from clean and polluted field locations.

Science.gov (United States)

Voets, Judith; Redeker, Erik Steen; Blust, Ronny; Bervoets, Lieven

2009-06-04

Organisms are able to detoxify accumulated metals by, e.g. binding them to metallothionein (MT) and/or sequestering them in metal-rich granules (MRG). The different factors involved in determining the capacity or efficiency with which metals are detoxified are not yet known. In this work we studied how the sub-cellular distribution pattern of cadmium, copper and zinc in whole tissue of zebra mussels from clean and polluted surface waters is influenced by the total accumulated metal concentration and by its physiological condition. Additionally we measured the metallothionein concentration in the mussel tissue. Metal concentration increased gradually in the metal-sensitive and detoxified sub-cellular fractions with increasing whole tissue concentrations. However, metal concentrations in the sensitive fractions did not increase to the same extent as metal concentrations in whole tissues. In more polluted mussels the contribution of MRG and MT became more important. Nevertheless, metal detoxification was not sufficient to prevent metal binding to heat-sensitive low molecular weight proteins (HDP fraction). Finally we found an indication that metal detoxification was influenced by the condition of the zebra mussels. MT content could be explained for up to 83% by variations in Zn concentration and physiological condition of the mussels.

Differences in metal sequestration between zebra mussels from clean and polluted field locations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voets, Judith; Redeker, Erik Steen; Blust, Ronny; Bervoets, Lieven

2009-01-01

Organisms are able to detoxify accumulated metals by, e.g. binding them to metallothionein (MT) and/or sequestering them in metal-rich granules (MRG). The different factors involved in determining the capacity or efficiency with which metals are detoxified are not yet known. In this work we studied how the sub-cellular distribution pattern of cadmium, copper and zinc in whole tissue of zebra mussels from clean and polluted surface waters is influenced by the total accumulated metal concentration and by its physiological condition. Additionally we measured the metallothionein concentration in the mussel tissue. Metal concentration increased gradually in the metal-sensitive and detoxified sub-cellular fractions with increasing whole tissue concentrations. However, metal concentrations in the sensitive fractions did not increase to the same extent as metal concentrations in whole tissues. In more polluted mussels the contribution of MRG and MT became more important. Nevertheless, metal detoxification was not sufficient to prevent metal binding to heat-sensitive low molecular weight proteins (HDP fraction). Finally we found an indication that metal detoxification was influenced by the condition of the zebra mussels. MT content could be explained for up to 83% by variations in Zn concentration and physiological condition of the mussels.

Differences in metal sequestration between zebra mussels from clean and polluted field locations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Voets, Judith [Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Redeker, Erik Steen [Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Institute for Materials Research, Chemistry Division, Hasselt University, Agoralaan Building D G1-36, B 3590 Diepenbeek (Belgium); Blust, Ronny [Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp (Belgium); Bervoets, Lieven, E-mail: Lieven.bervoets@ua.ac.be [Laboratory for Ecophysiology, Biochemistry and Toxicology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Groenenborgerlaan 171, 2020 Antwerp (Belgium)

2009-06-04

Organisms are able to detoxify accumulated metals by, e.g. binding them to metallothionein (MT) and/or sequestering them in metal-rich granules (MRG). The different factors involved in determining the capacity or efficiency with which metals are detoxified are not yet known. In this work we studied how the sub-cellular distribution pattern of cadmium, copper and zinc in whole tissue of zebra mussels from clean and polluted surface waters is influenced by the total accumulated metal concentration and by its physiological condition. Additionally we measured the metallothionein concentration in the mussel tissue. Metal concentration increased gradually in the metal-sensitive and detoxified sub-cellular fractions with increasing whole tissue concentrations. However, metal concentrations in the sensitive fractions did not increase to the same extent as metal concentrations in whole tissues. In more polluted mussels the contribution of MRG and MT became more important. Nevertheless, metal detoxification was not sufficient to prevent metal binding to heat-sensitive low molecular weight proteins (HDP fraction). Finally we found an indication that metal detoxification was influenced by the condition of the zebra mussels. MT content could be explained for up to 83% by variations in Zn concentration and physiological condition of the mussels.

Extraction and characterization of naturally occurring bioactive peptides from different tissues from Salmon (Salmo salar)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Falkenberg, Susan Skanderup; Nielsen, Henrik Hauch

2011-01-01

used. Combination of different extraction conditions such as with/without boiling, with/without inhibitor and variation of pH resulted in a total of 36 extracts. The activity of the extracts was analyzed in vitro for ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibiting activity, and anti-oxidative activity...... (Free Radical Scavenging assay). A number of extracts showed high ACE inhibiting and anti-oxidative activity. The extracts were then size fractionated by ultrafiltration using a 10 kDa filter, and relevant fractions below 10 kDa from gills, skin and belly flap were further fractionated by gel...... is therefore to extract and identify naturally occurring bioactive peptides from different tissues from salmon. A number of aqueous extracts were made from gills, skin and belly flap. In order to preserve the bioactivity of the peptides mild extraction procedures as acidic, basic and aqueous solutions were...

Economic Valuation of Sufficient and Guaranteed Irrigation Water Supply for Paddy Farms of Guilan Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Kavoosi Kalashami

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Cultivation of the strategic crop of rice highly depends to the existence of sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water, and water shortage stresses have irreparable effects on yield and quality of productions. Decrease of the Sefidrud river inflow in Guilan province which is the main source of supplying irrigation water for 171 thousand hectares under rice cropping area of this province, has been challenged sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply in many regions of mentioned province. Hence, in present study estimating the value that paddy farmers place on sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply has been considered. Economic valuation of sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply improves water resource management policies in demand side. Requested data set were obtained on the base of a survey and are collected from 224 paddy farms in rural regions that faced with irrigation water shortages. Then, using open-ended valuation approach and estimation of Tobit model via ML and two stages Heckman approach, eliciting paddy farmers' willingness to pay for sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water supply has been accomplished. Results revealed that farmers in investigated regions willing to pay 26.49 percent more than present costs of providing irrigation water in order to have sufficient and guaranteed irrigation water.

Tissue Fatty Acid Profile is Differently Modulated from Olive Oil and Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in ApcMin/+ Mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Tutino, Valeria; Caruso, Maria G; De Leonardis, Giampiero; De Nunzio, Valentina; Notarnicola, Maria

2017-11-16

Fatty acid profile can be considered an appropriate biomarker for investigating the relations between the patterns of fatty acid metabolism and specific diseases, as cancer, cardiovascular and degenerative diseases. Aim of this study was to test the effects of diets enriched with olive oil and omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) on fatty acid profile in intestinal tissue of ApcMin/+ mice. Three groups of animals were considered: control group, receiving a standard diet; olive oilgroup, receiving a standard diet enriched with olive oil; omega-3 group, receiving a standard diet enriched with salmon fish. Tissue fatty acid profile was evaluated by gas chromatography method. Olive oil and omega-3 PUFAs in the diet differently affect the tissue fatty acid profile. Compared to control group, the levels of Saturated Fatty Acids (SFAs) were lower in olive oil group, while an increase of SFAs was found in omega-3 group. Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs) levels were enhanced after olive oil treatment, and in particular, a significant increase of oleic acid levels was detected; MUFAs levels were instead reduced in omega-3 group in line with the decrease of oleic acid levels. The total PUFAs levels were lower in olive oil respect to control group. Moreover, a significant induction of Saturation Index (SI) levels was observed after omega-3 PUFAs treatment, while its levels were reduced in mice fed with olive oil. Our data demonstrated a different effect of olive oil and omega-3 PUFAs on tissue lipid profile in APCMin/+ mice. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Ideal energy self-sufficient bioclimatic house

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Talamo, C.

1990-04-01

This paper points out some of the interesting architectural features of a conceptual house being designed to be self-sufficient relative to the use of conventional energy sources. Brief notes are given on the following special design characteristics: the house's orientation and form - essentially a V - shaped two storey design with an orientation such as to maximize the surface area exposed to winter insolation; its special low emissivity glazing equipped with nightfall insulating screens; the adoption of maximized insulation, in which case cost benefits were assessed based on amortization over the entire life span of the house; hybrid space heating and ventilation systems involving the integration of pumps and ventilators for air circulation, and the use of a varied mix of active and passive solar heating and cooling systems.

An exploratory study on differences in cumulative plantar tissue stress between healing and non-healing plantar neuropathic diabetic foot ulcers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Netten, Jaap J.; van Baal, Jeff G.; Bril, Adriaan; Wissink, Marieke; Bus, Sicco A.

2018-01-01

Mechanical stress is important in causing and healing plantar diabetic foot ulcers, but almost always studied as peak pressure only. Measuring cumulative plantar tissue stress combines plantar pressure and ambulatory activity, and better defines the load on ulcers. Our aim was to explore differences

Stem cell-derived angiogenic/vasculogenic cells: Possible therapies for tissue repair and tissue engineering

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zwaginga, J. J.; Doevendans, P.

2003-01-01

1. The recent ability to isolate stem cells and study their specific capacity of self-renewal with the formation of different cell types has opened up exciting vistas to help the repair of damaged tissue and even the formation of new tissue. In the present review, we deal with the characteristics

Plant growth responses to elevated atmospheric CO2 are increased by phosphorus sufficiency but not by arbuscular mycorrhizas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jakobsen, Iver; Smith, Sally E.; Smith, F. Andrew

2016-01-01

Capturing the full growth potential in crops under future elevated CO2 (eCO2) concentrations would be facilitated by improved understanding of eCO2 effects on uptake and use of mineral nutrients. This study investigates interactions of eCO2, soil phosphorus (P), and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM......) symbiosis in Medicago truncatula and Brachypodium distachyon grown under the same conditions. The focus was on eCO2 effects on vegetative growth, efficiency in acquisition and use of P, and expression of phosphate transporter (PT) genes. Growth responses to eCO2 were positive at P sufficiency, but under low......-P conditions they ranged from non-significant in M. truncatula to highly significant in B. distachyon. Growth of M. truncatula was increased by AM at low P conditions at both CO2 levels and eCO2×AM interactions were sparse. Elevated CO2 had small effects on P acquisition, but enhanced conversion of tissue P...

Treatment of edentulism: optimizing outcomes with tissue management and impression techniques.

Science.gov (United States)

Salinas, Thomas J

2009-02-01

Significant numbers of patients throughout the world seek treatment for edentulism. The trend toward tissue-integrated prostheses has been a monumental step in restoring edentulous patients to function; however, this treatment can be out of reach for those who fail to qualify or those who do not have sufficient resources to afford it. In these cases, conventional dentures remain an important primary course of treatment. Attention to detail when diagnosing, treatment planning, and performing treatment for these patients is still a prime consideration for the best possible outcome. In particular, many experienced denture wearers are afflicted with chronically inflamed denture-bearing mucosa. Clinicians must recognize the need for tissue conditioning, choices of impression materials, and accepted fabrication techniques that can have favorable outcomes when matched with patients who are philosophical and realistic in their expectations. The purpose of this article is to review impression philosophies, associated materials, and methods of tissue conditioning. Retention and stability of the denture bases can be augmented by the routine use of denture adhesive, and indications for use of denture adhesive will be discussed.

Present dose limits and their relation to radiosensitivity of different organs and tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1987-01-01

Dose equivalent limits in relation to dose thresholds are considered for injury of various tissues and organs to evaluate the protection agains non-stochastic irradiation effects by the existing system of dose limitation for radiotherapeutic personnel. Data on tissue radiosensitivity in relation to non-stochastic effects, obtained from radiotherapeutic experience, are presented. Dose threshold values, derived for patients, with a correction in the direction of increase, may be applied to conditions of occupational exposure except for bone marrow, gonads and eye lens, where threshold doses are lower

Migration and Tissue Tropism of Innate Lymphoid Cells

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Kim, Chang H.; Hashimoto-Hill, Seika; Kim, Myunghoo

2016-01-01

Innate lymphoid cell (ILCs) subsets differentially populate various barrier and non-barrier tissues, where they play important roles in tissue homeostasis and tissue-specific responses to pathogen attack. Recent findings have provided insight into the molecular mechanisms that guide ILC migration into peripheral tissues, revealing common features among different ILC subsets as well as important distinctions. Recent studies have also highlighted the impact of tissue-specific cues on ILC migration, and the importance of the local immunological milieu. We review these findings here and discuss how the migratory patterns and tissue tropism of different ILC subsets relate to the development and differentiation of these cells, and to ILC-mediated tissue-specific regulation of innate and adaptive immune responses. In this context we outline open questions and important areas of future research. PMID:26708278

The 3H-thymidine incorporation into the DNA of different tissues of the guinea pip after BCG-vaccination and the radiation insultus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Langbein, U.

1976-01-01

The radioprotective effects of BCG vaccines have been examined. The 3 H-thymidine incorporation into the DNA of different tissues of the guinea-pig after solitary whole-body irradiation by the doses of 160, 400, and 700 R have been used as a parameter for radiation injuries and radioprotection. The specific activity of DNA has been detected by means of liquid scintillation counting and by indirect photomeric determination of the amount at 7 h p.r. It has been revealed that independent of the chosen irradiation dose, there was no significant difference in the rate of DNA synthesis in the duodenal, testicular, bone marrow, liver, and lymphatic ganglion tissues of animals vaccinated 30 days before irradiation insultus and the rate of DNA synthesis in normal animals. Based on medical evidence, effect principles which can be observed on other antigenous radioprotective substances can be excluded this time. The dose effect curve has qualitatively the same features as the curves of cell cultures and synchronized cell systems in mammals. Furthermore, the process of DNA synthesis was observed for 56 days. During this observation period there was no significant difference to be seen in the rate of duodenal, testicular, bone marrow, and liver tissues in vaccinated and in normal animals. Only in lymphatic tissues the synthesis rate of vaccinated animals has shown a significantly more decreasing tendency than that of normal animals. A relation concerning radioprotective substances containing SH-groups and 'short-term' protectors (endotoxines) could be excluded because of medical evidence. It is suggested to carry out further tests with parameters affecting the RES in order to comprehend radioprotection after BCG vaccination. (orig./MG) [de

Micronutrients in the life cycle: Requirements and sufficient supply

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K. Biesalski Hans

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Macronutrients (fat, protein, carbohydrates deliver energy and important material to ensure the entire body composition. Micronutrients are needed to keep this process of continuous construction and re-construction running. Consequently, the requirement for micronutrients will differ depending on the individual need which is related to the different metabolic conditions within the life cycle. Within the first 1000 days of life, from conception to the end of the second year of life the requirement for micronutrients is high and if the supply is inadequate that might have consequences for physical and at least cognitive development. In particular, iron, iodine, vitamin D and folate are micronutrients which might become critical during that period. Due to the fact that clinical symptoms of deficiencies develop late, but inadequate supply of one or more micronutrients may have consequences for health the term hidden hunger has been introduced to describe that situation. In particular the time period of pregnancy and early childhood is critical and hidden hunger is a worldwide problem, affecting >2 billion people, primarily females and children. The importance of different requirements during the life cycle is usually not considered. In addition, we do not really know what the individual requirement is. The estimation of the requirement is based on studies calculating the supply of a micronutrient to avoid a deficiency disease within a healthy population and is not based on sound scientific methodology or data. We need to consider that at different moments in the life cycle the supply might become critical in particular in case of a disease or sudden increase of metabolic turnover. In this narrative review we summarize data from studies dealing with different micronutrient requirements in pregnancy, exercise, vegan diet, adolescents and elderly. Knowledge of critical periods and related critical micronutrients might help to avoid hidden hunger and

Soft tissue reconstruction for calcaneal fractures or osteomyelitis.

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Attinger, C; Cooper, P

2001-01-01

A systematic approach of the surgical management of a calcaneal fracture can minimize the potential of soft tissue complications. When reducing a closed calcaneal fracture, the incision used affects the postoperative complications. The L-shaped incision with the horizontal limb lying on the lateral glabrous junction ensures maximum blood flow to either side of the incision. Whether or not the wound can be closed primarily depends on the preexisting edema, the lost calcaneal height, and the delay between the fracture and reduction (Fig. 20). The wrinkle test is a good indicator that the incision can be closed primarily if the amount of height restored is minimal. If the edema is too great, steps should be taken to reduce it sufficiently to allow successful wound closure. If the wound, after reduction, is too wide to allow primary closure, an ADM flap laterally or an AHM flap medially should be used. For larger defects, a free flap should be considered. The three important steps to reconstruction of soft tissue defects around the calcaneus include good blood supply, a infection-free wound, and the simplest soft tissue reconstructive option that covers the wound successfully. Adequate blood supply can be determined by the use of Doppler. If the supply is inadequate, revascularization is necessary before proceeding. Achieving a clean wound requires aggressive debridement, intravenous antibiotics, and good wound care. Adjuncts that can help in achieving a clean wound include topical antibiotics (silver sulfadiazine), the VAC, and hyperbaric oxygen. Osteomyelitis has to be treated aggressively. Any suspicious bone has to be removed. Only clean, healthy, bleeding bone is left behind. Antibiotic beads can be useful when there is doubt as to whether the cancellous bone is infection-free. The beads are not a substitute for good debridement, however. Soft tissue reconstruction ranges from delayed primary closure to the use of microsurgical free flaps (Fig. 21). When bone or

An artificial self-sufficient cytochrome P450 directly nitrates fluorinated tryptophan analogs with a different regio-selectivity.

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Zuo, Ran; Zhang, Yi; Huguet-Tapia, Jose C; Mehta, Mishal; Dedic, Evelina; Bruner, Steven D; Loria, Rosemary; Ding, Yousong

2016-05-01

Aromatic nitration is an immensely important industrial process to produce chemicals for a variety of applications, but it often suffers from multiple unsolved challenges. Enzymes as biocatalysts have been increasingly used for organic chemistry synthesis due to their high selectivity and environmental friendliness, but nitration has benefited minimally from the development of biocatalysis. In this work, we aimed to develop TxtE as practical biocatalysts for aromatic nitration. TxtE is a unique class I cytochrome P450 enzyme that nitrates the indole of l-tryptophan. To develop cost-efficient nitration processes, we fused TxtE with the reductase domains of CYP102A1 (P450BM3) and of P450RhF to create class III self-sufficient biocatalysts. The best engineered fusion protein was comparable with wild type TxtE in terms of nitration performance and other key biochemical properties. To demonstrate the application potential of the fusion enzyme, we nitrated 4-F-dl-tryptophan and 5-F-l-tryptophan in large scale enzymatic reactions. Tandem MS/MS and NMR analyses of isolated products revealed altered nitration sites. To our knowledge, these studies represent the first practice in developing biological nitration approaches and lay a solid basis to the use of TxtE-based biocatalysts for the production of valuable nitroaromatics. Copyright © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tissue-specific Differences in Immune Cell Subsets Located in the Naso-oropharyngeal-associated Lymphoid Tissues.

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Bankvall, M; Jontell, M; Wold, A; Östman, S

2018-01-01

Defining the immune cells within the naso-oropharyngeal-associated lymphoid tissues would promote the development of efficient orally and nasally delivered immunotherapies. The aim was to compare murine antigen-presenting cells (APCs) and T cell subsets in the nose-associated lymphoid tissues (NALT), cervical lymph nodes (CLN), mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) and peripheral lymph nodes (PLN) using flow cytometry and in vitro proliferation assays. Overall, the NALT contained a higher proportion of APCs and a lower proportion of T cells compared to the CLN, MLN and PLN. The APCs of the NALT more often belonged to the CD11c + CD11b + and the CD11c neg CD11b + subsets as compared to the other sites. Both of these APC populations showed little sign of activation, that is low expression of the markers CD40, CD86 and IAd. Instead, the APCs of the NALT more often co-expressed CX3CR1 and CD206, markers associated with a tolerogenic function. No increase in the proportion of regulatory T cells was observed in the NALT. Instead, the T cells frequently exhibited a memory/effector phenotype, expressing the homing markers α4β7, CCR4 and CCR9, but rarely the naïve phenotype cell surface marker CD45RB. In contrast, the T cells at the other sites were mostly of the naïve phenotype. In addition, cells from the NALT did not proliferate upon in vitro stimulation with Con A, whereas the cells from the other sites did. Taken together, these results suggest that the NALT is primarily an effector site rather than one for activation and differentiation, despite it being regarded as a site of induction. © 2017 The Foundation for the Scandinavian Journal of Immunology.

Tumor tissue slice cultures as a platform for analyzing tissue-penetration and biological activities of nanoparticles.

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Merz, Lea; Höbel, Sabrina; Kallendrusch, Sonja; Ewe, Alexander; Bechmann, Ingo; Franke, Heike; Merz, Felicitas; Aigner, Achim

2017-03-01

The success of therapeutic nanoparticles depends, among others, on their ability to penetrate a tissue for actually reaching the target cells, and their efficient cellular uptake in the context of intact tissue and stroma. Various nanoparticle modifications have been implemented for altering physicochemical and biological properties. Their analysis, however, so far mainly relies on cell culture experiments which only poorly reflect the in vivo situation, or is based on in vivo experiments that are often complicated by whole-body pharmacokinetics and are rather tedious especially when analyzing larger nanoparticle sets. For the more precise analysis of nanoparticle properties at their desired site of action, efficient ex vivo systems closely mimicking in vivo tissue properties are needed. In this paper, we describe the setup of organotypic tumor tissue slice cultures for the analysis of tissue-penetrating properties and biological activities of nanoparticles. As a model system, we employ 350μm thick slice cultures from different tumor xenograft tissues, and analyze modified or non-modified polyethylenimine (PEI) complexes as well as their lipopolyplex derivatives for siRNA delivery. The described conditions for tissue slice preparation and culture ensure excellent tissue preservation for at least 14days, thus allowing for prolonged experimentation and analysis. When using fluorescently labeled siRNA for complex visualization, fluorescence microscopy of cryo-sectioned tissue slices reveals different degrees of nanoparticle tissue penetration, dependent on their surface charge. More importantly, the determination of siRNA-mediated knockdown efficacies of an endogenous target gene, the oncogenic survival factor Survivin, reveals the possibility to accurately assess biological nanoparticle activities in situ, i.e. in living cells in their original environment. Taken together, we establish tumor (xenograft) tissue slices for the accurate and facile ex vivo assessment of

The use of a DNA stabilizer in human dental tissues stored under different temperature conditions and time intervals

Science.gov (United States)

TERADA, Andrea Sayuri Silveira Dias; da SILVA, Luiz Antonio Ferreira; GALO, Rodrigo; de AZEVEDO, Aline; GERLACH, Raquel Fernanda; da SILVA, Ricardo Henrique Alves

2014-01-01

Objective The present study evaluated the use of a reagent to stabilize the DNA extracted from human dental tissues stored under different temperature conditions and time intervals. Material and Methods A total of 161 teeth were divided into two distinct groups: intact teeth and isolated dental pulp tissue. The samples were stored with or without the product at different time intervals and temperature. After storage, DNA extraction and genomic DNA quantification were performed using real-time PCR; the fragments of the 32 samples that represented each possible condition were analyzed to find the four pre-selected markers in STR analysis. Results The results of the quantification showed values ranging from 0.01 to 10,246.88 ng/μL of DNA. The statistical difference in the quantity of DNA was observed when the factors related to the time and temperature of storage were analyzed. In relation to the use of the specific reagent, its use was relevant in the group of intact teeth when they were at room temperature for 30 and 180 days. The analysis of the fragments in the 32 selected samples was possible irrespective of the amount of DNA, confirming that the STR analysis using an automated method yields good results. Conclusions The use of a specific reagent showed a significant difference in stabilizing DNA in samples of intact human teeth stored at room temperature for 30 and 180 days, while the results showed no justification for using the product under the other conditions tested. PMID:25141206

Sufficiency of the Nuclear Fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pevec, D.; Knapp, V.; Matijevic, M.

2008-01-01

Estimation of the nuclear fuel sufficiency is required for rational decision making on long-term energy strategy. In the past an argument often invoked against nuclear energy was that uranium resources are inadequate. At present, when climate change associated with CO 2 emission is a major concern, one novel strong argument for nuclear energy is that it can produce large amounts of energy without the CO 2 emission. Increased interest in nuclear energy is evident, and a new look into uranium resources is relevant. We examined three different scenarios of nuclear capacity growth. The low growth of 0.4 percent per year in nuclear capacity is assumed for the first scenario. The moderate growth of 1.5 percent per year in nuclear capacity preserving the present share in total energy production is assumed for the second scenario. We estimated draining out time periods for conventional resources of uranium using once through fuel cycle for the both scenarios. For the first and the second scenario we obtained the draining out time periods for conventional uranium resources of 154 years and 96 years, respectively. These results are, as expected, in agreement with usual evaluations. However, if nuclear energy is to make a major impact on CO 2 emission it should contribute much more in the total energy production than at present level of 6 percent. We therefore defined the third scenario which would increase nuclear share in the total energy production from 6 percent in year 2020 to 30 percent by year 2060 while the total world energy production would grow by 1.5 percent per year. We also looked into the uranium requirement for this scenario, determining the time window for introduction of uranium or thorium reprocessing and for better use of uranium than what is the case in the once through fuel cycle. The once through cycle would be in this scenario sustainable up to about year 2060 providing most of the expected but undiscovered conventional uranium resources were turned

Evaluating Iron Content and Tissue Microstructure with Off-Resonance Saturation MRI

Science.gov (United States)

Fahmy, Sherif R.

We present three magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, each focused on applying off-resonance saturation (ORS) imaging to a different context or application. Particularly, we are interested in using ORS to evaluate the uptake of superparamagnetic MRI contrast agents in biological tissue, and to evaluate endogenous iron content. This relies on ORS being applied at low off-resonance frequency offsets where most of the negative contrast is due to signal loss from direct saturation of the water content of the sample. Additionally, we wish to combine this information with magnetization transfer contrast, which is obtained by applying ORS at offsets that are far from the resonance frequency, where magnetization transfer (MT) becomes the dominant effect rather than direct saturation (DS). In the first study, we observed the uptake of ultra-small superparamagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles in a simple model system by imaging the uptake in healthy murine liver in vivo, and by testing different metrics to quantify the uptake. Through this process, we discovered an approach that provides high sensitivity and specificity in low-signal scenarios. In the second study, we evaluated image contrast between brain regions in healthy human adults, and related these to the expected iron content in different regions based on age. Images were evaluated based on different MRI contrast mechanisms including quantitative transverse relaxation rates, as well as parameters obtained from ORS imaging. We also performed a field inhomogeneity adjustment on low-offset ORS data using the information obtained from the coarsely sampled ORS spectrum, and this was sufficient to correct for the inhomogeneities. In the third study, we used transverse relaxation, DS - which is strongly dependent on iron content, and MT contrast, in order to classify ex vivo brain samples having Alzheimer's disease pathology and normal controls, and were able to find strong classifiers. The three studies helped

Crosstalk between Substrates and Rho-Associated Kinase Inhibitors in Cryopreservation of Tissue-Engineered Constructs

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Arindam Bit

2017-01-01

Full Text Available It is documented that human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs can be differentiated into various types of cells to present a tool for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine. Thus, the preservation of stem cells is a crucial factor for their effective long-term storage that further facilitates their continuous supply and transportation for application in regenerative medicine. Cryopreservation is the most important, practicable, and the only established mechanism for long-term preservation of cells, tissues, and organs, and engineered tissues; thus, it is the key step for the improvement of tissue engineering. A significant portion of MSCs loses cellular viability while freeze-thawing, which represents an important technical limitation to achieving sufficient viable cell numbers for maximum efficacy. Several natural and synthetic materials are extensively used as substrates for tissue engineering constructs and cryopreservation because they promote cell attachment and proliferation. Rho-associated kinase (ROCK inhibitors can improve the physiological function and postthaw viability of cryopreserved MSCs. This review proposes a crosstalk between substrate topology and interaction of cells with ROCK inhibitors. It is shown that incorporation of ionic nanoparticles in the presence of an external electrical field improves the generation of ROCK inhibitors to safeguard cellular viability for the enhanced cryopreservation of engineered tissues.

Lasers in Esthetic Dentistry: Soft Tissue Photobiomodulation, Hard Tissue Decontamination, and Ceramics Conditioning

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Karen Müller Ramalho

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The increasing concern and the search for conservative dental treatments have resulted in the development of several new technologies. Low and high power lasers can be cited as one of these new technologies. Low power lasers act at cellular level leading to pain reduction, modulation of inflammation, and improvement of tissue healing. High power lasers act by increasing temperature and have the potential to promote microbial reduction and ablation of hard and soft tissues. The clinical application of both low and high power lasers requires specific knowledge concerning laser interaction with biological tissues, so that the correct irradiation protocol can be established. The present case report describes the clinical steps of two metal-ceramic crowns development in a 60-year-old patient. Three different laser wavelengths were applied throughout the treatment with different purposes: Nd:YAG laser (1,064 nm for dentin decontamination, diode (660 nm for soft tissue biomodulation, and Er:YAG laser (2,940 nm for inner ceramic surface conditioning. Lasers were successfully applied in the present case report as coadjutant in the treatment. This coadjutant technology can be a potential tool to assist treatment to reach the final success.

Estrogen receptor protein content is different in abdominal than gluteal subcutaneous adipose tissue of overweight-to-obese premenopausal women.

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Gavin, Kathleen M; Cooper, Elizabeth E; Hickner, Robert C

2013-08-01

Premenopausal women demonstrate a distinctive gynoid body fat distribution and circulating estrogen status is associated with the maintenance of this adiposity patterning. Estrogen's role in modulation of regional adiposity may occur through estrogen receptors (ERs), which are present in human adipose tissue. The purpose of this study was to determine regional differences in the protein content of ERα, ERβ, and the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor (GPER) between the abdominal (AB) and gluteal (GL) subcutaneous adipose tissue of overweight-to-obese premenopausal women. Biopsies of the subcutaneous AB and GL adipose tissue were performed in 15 premenopausal women (7 Caucasian/8 African American, 25.1 ± 1.8 years, BMI 29.5 ± 0.5kg/m(2)). Adipose tissue protein content was measured by western blot analysis and correlation analyses were conducted to assess the relationship between ER protein content and anthropometric indices/body composition measurements. We found that ERα protein was higher in AB than GL (AB 1.0 ± 0.2 vs GL 0.67 ± 0.1 arbitrary units [AU], P=0.02), ERβ protein was higher in GL than AB (AB 0.78 ± 0.12 vs GL 1.3 ± 0.2 AU, P=0.002), ERα/ERβ ratio was higher in AB than GL (AB 1.9 ± 0.4 vs GL 0.58 ± 0.08 AU, P=0.007), and GPER protein content was similar in AB and GL (P=0.80) subcutaneous adipose tissue. Waist-to-hip ratio was inversely related to gluteal ERβ (r(2)=0.315, P=0.03) and positively related to gluteal ERα/ERβ ratio (r(2)=0.406, P=0.01). These results indicate that depot specific ER content may be an important underlying determinant of regional effects of estrogen in upper and lower body adipose tissue of overweight-to-obese premenopausal women. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Complete self-sufficiency planning: designing and building disaster-ready hospitals.

Science.gov (United States)

Brands, Chad K; Hernandez, Raquel G; Stenberg, Arnold; Carnes, Gary; Ellen, Jonathan; Epstein, Michael; Strouse, Timothy

2013-01-01

The need for healthcare systems and academic medical centers to be optimally prepared in the event of a disaster is well documented. Events such as Hurricane Katrina demonstrate a major gap in disaster preparedness for at-risk medical institutions. To address this gap, we outline the components of complete self-sufficiency planning in designing and building hospitals that will function at full operational capacity in the event of a disaster. We review the processes used and outcomes achieved in building a new critical access, freestanding children's hospital in Florida. Given that hurricanes are the most frequently occurring natural disaster in Florida, the executive leadership of our hospital determined that we should be prepared for worst-case scenarios in the design and construction of a new hospital. A comprehensive vulnerability assessment was performed. A building planning process that engaged all of the stakeholders was used during the planning and design phases. Subsequent executive-level review and discussions determined that a disaster would require the services of a fully functional hospital. Lessons learned from our own institution's previous experiences and those of medical centers involved in the Hurricane Katrina disaster were informative and incorporated into an innovative set of hospital design elements used for construction of a new hospital with full operational capacity in a disaster. A freestanding children's hospital was constructed using a new framework for disaster planning and preparedness that we have termed complete self-sufficiency planning. We propose the use of complete self-sufficiency planning as a best practice for disaster preparedness in the design and construction of new hospital facilities.

On necessity and sufficiency in counseling and psychotherapy (revisited).

Science.gov (United States)

Lazarus, Arnold A

2007-09-01

It seems to me that Carl Rogers (see record 2007-14639-002) was far too ambitious in trying to specify general conditions of necessity and sufficiency that would be relevant to the entire spectrum of problems and the diverse expectancies and personalities of the people who seek our help. Rogers' position and orientation almost totally overlook the array of problems under the rubric of "response deficits" that stem from misinformation and missing information and call for active correction, training, and retraining. Rogers also paid scant attention to problems with significant biological determinants. Nevertheless, as exemplified by his seminal 1957 article and many other articles and books, Rogers made major contributions within the domain of the therapeutic alliance. Today, the scientific emphasis looks at accountability, the need to establish various treatments of choice, and the need to understand their presumed mechanisms. Treatment efficacy and generalizability across different methodologies are now considered key issues. The efficacy narrowing and clinically self-limiting consequences of adhering to one particular school of thought are now self-evident to most. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

AAV vector encoding human VEGF165-transduced pectineus muscular flaps increase the formation of new tissue through induction of angiogenesis in an in vivo chamber for tissue engineering: A technique to enhance tissue and vessels in microsurgically engineered tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Moimas, Silvia; Manasseri, Benedetto; Cuccia, Giuseppe; Stagno d'Alcontres, Francesco; Geuna, Stefano; Pattarini, Lucia; Zentilin, Lorena; Giacca, Mauro; Colonna, Michele R

2015-01-01

In regenerative medicine, new approaches are required for the creation of tissue substitutes, and the interplay between different research areas, such as tissue engineering, microsurgery and gene therapy, is mandatory. In this article, we report a modification of a published model of tissue engineering, based on an arterio-venous loop enveloped in a cross-linked collagen-glycosaminoglycan template, which acts as an isolated chamber for angiogenesis and new tissue formation. In order to foster tissue formation within the chamber, which entails on the development of new vessels, we wondered whether we might combine tissue engineering with a gene therapy approach. Based on the well-described tropism of adeno-associated viral vectors for post-mitotic tissues, a muscular flap was harvested from the pectineus muscle, inserted into the chamber and transduced by either AAV vector encoding human VEGF165 or AAV vector expressing the reporter gene β-galactosidase, as a control. Histological analysis of the specimens showed that muscle transduction by AAV vector encoding human VEGF165 resulted in enhanced tissue formation, with a significant increase in the number of arterioles within the chamber in comparison with the previously published model. Pectineus muscular flap, transduced by adeno-associated viral vectors, acted as a source of the proangiogenic factor vascular endothelial growth factor, thus inducing a consistent enhancement of vessel growth into the newly formed tissue within the chamber. In conclusion, our present findings combine three different research fields such as microsurgery, tissue engineering and gene therapy, suggesting and showing the feasibility of a mixed approach for regenerative medicine.

Detection and volume estimation of artificial hematomas in the subcutaneous fatty tissue: comparison of different MR sequences at 3.0 T.

Science.gov (United States)

Ogris, Kathrin; Petrovic, Andreas; Scheicher, Sylvia; Sprenger, Hanna; Urschler, Martin; Hassler, Eva Maria; Yen, Kathrin; Scheurer, Eva

2017-06-01

In legal medicine, reliable localization and analysis of hematomas in subcutaneous fatty tissue is required for forensic reconstruction. Due to the absence of ionizing radiation, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is particularly suited to examining living persons with forensically relevant injuries. However, there is limited experience regarding MRI signal properties of hemorrhage in soft tissue. The aim of this study was to evaluate MR sequences with respect to their ability to show high contrast between hematomas and subcutaneous fatty tissue as well as to reliably determine the volume of artificial hematomas. Porcine tissue models were prepared by injecting blood into the subcutaneous fatty tissue to create artificial hematomas. MR images were acquired at 3T and four blinded observers conducted manual segmentation of the hematomas. To assess segmentability, the agreement of measured volume with the known volume of injected blood was statistically analyzed. A physically motivated normalization taking into account partial volume effect was applied to the data to ensure comparable results among differently sized hematomas. The inversion recovery sequence exhibited the best segmentability rate, whereas the T1T2w turbo spin echo sequence showed the most accurate results regarding volume estimation. Both sequences led to reproducible volume estimations. This study demonstrates that MRI is a promising forensic tool to assess and visualize even very small amounts of blood in soft tissue. The presented results enable the improvement of protocols for detection and volume determination of hemorrhage in forensically relevant cases and also provide fundamental knowledge for future in-vivo examinations.

Body frame size in school children is related to the amount of adipose tissue in different depots but not to adipose distribution.

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Guzmán-de la Garza, Francisco J; González Ayala, Alejandra E; Gómez Nava, Marisol; Martínez Monsiváis, Leislie I; Salinas Martínez, Ana M; Ramírez López, Erik; Mathiew Quirós, Alvaro; Garcia Quintanilla, Francisco

2017-09-10

The main aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that body frame size is related to the amount of fat in different adipose tissue depots and to fat distribution in schoolchildren. Children aged between 5 and 10 years were included in this cross-sectional study (n = 565). Body frame size, adiposity markers (anthropometric, skinfolds thickness, and ultrasound measures), and fat distribution indices were analyzed. Correlation coefficients adjusted by reliability were estimated and analyzed by sex; the significance of the difference between two correlation coefficients was assessed using the Fisher z-transformation. The sample included primarily urban children; 58.6% were normal weight, 16.1% overweight, 19.6% obese, and the rest were underweight. Markers of subcutaneous adiposity, fat mass and fat-free mass, and preperitoneal adiposity showed higher and significant correlations with the sum of the biacromial + bitrochanteric diameter than with the elbow diameter, regardless of sex. The fat distribution conicity index presented significant but weak correlations; and visceral adipose tissue, hepatic steatosis, and the waist-for-hip ratio were not significantly correlated with body frame size measures. Body frame size in school children was related to the amount of adipose tissue in different depots, but not adipose distribution. More studies are needed to confirm this relationship and its importance to predict changes in visceral fat deposition during growth. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Differential Temporal Evolution Patterns in Brain Temperature in Different Ischemic Tissues in a Monkey Model of Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion

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Zhihua Sun

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Brain temperature is elevated in acute ischemic stroke, especially in the ischemic penumbra (IP. We attempted to investigate the dynamic evolution of brain temperature in different ischemic regions in a monkey model of middle cerebral artery occlusion. The brain temperature of different ischemic regions was measured with proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H MRS, and the evolution processes of brain temperature were compared among different ischemic regions. We found that the normal (baseline brain temperature of the monkey brain was 37.16°C. In the artery occlusion stage, the mean brain temperature of ischemic tissue was 1.16°C higher than the baseline; however, this increase was region dependent, with 1.72°C in the IP, 1.08°C in the infarct core, and 0.62°C in the oligemic region. After recanalization, the brain temperature of the infarct core showed a pattern of an initial decrease accompanied by a subsequent increase. However, the brain temperature of the IP and oligemic region showed a monotonously and slowly decreased pattern. Our study suggests that in vivo measurement of brain temperature could help to identify whether ischemic tissue survives.

Anatomy of the Gynecomastia Tissue and Its Clinical Significance

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Blau, Mordecai; Hazani, Ron

2016-01-01

Background: Gynecomastia is a very common entity in men, and several authors estimate that approximately 50% to 70% of the male population has palpable breast tissue. Much has been published with regard to the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of gynecomastia. However, the anatomy of the gynecomastia tissue remains elusive to most surgeons. Purpose: The purpose of this article was to define the shape and consistency of the glandular tissue based on the vast experience of the senior author (MB). Patients and Methods: Between the years 1980 and 2014, a total of 5124 patients have been treated for gynecomastia with surgical excision, liposuction, or a combination of both. A total of 3130 specimens were collected with 5% of the cases being unilateral. Results: The specimens appear to have a unifying shape of a head, body, and tail. The head is semicircular in shape and is located more medially toward the sternum. The majority of the glandular tissue consists of a body located immediately deep to the nipple areolar complex. The tail appears to taper off of the body more laterally and toward the insertion of the pectoralis major muscle onto the humerus. Conclusions: This large series of gynecomastia specimens demonstrates a unique and unifying finding of a head, body, and tail. Understanding the anatomy of the gynecomastia gland can serve as a guide to gynecomastia surgeons to facilitate a more thorough exploration and subsequently sufficient gland excision. PMID:27622122

Tritium metabolism in rat tissues

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeda, H.

1982-01-01

As part of a series of studies designed to evaluate the relative radiotoxicity of various tritiated compounds, metabolism of tritium in rat tissues was studied after administration of tritiated water, leucine, thymidine, and glucose. The distribution and retention of tritium varied widely, depending on the chemical compound administered. Tritium introduced as tritiated water behaved essentially as body water and became uniformly distributed among the tissues. However, tritium administered as organic compounds resulted in relatively high incorporation into tissue constituents other than water, and its distribution differed among the various tissues. Moreover, the excretion rate of tritium from tissues was slower for tritiated organic compounds than for tritiated water. Administrationof tritiated organic compounds results in higher radiation doses to the tissues than does administration of tritiated water. Among the tritiated compounds examined, for equal radioactivity administered, leucine gave the highest radiation dose, followed in turn by thymidine, glucose, and water. (author)

Development and characterization of a spheroidal coculture model of endothelial cells and fibroblasts for improving angiogenesis in tissue engineering

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wenger, Andreas; Kowalewski, Nadja; Stahl, Andreas

2005-01-01

Neovascularization is a critical step in tissue engineering applications since implantation of voluminous grafts without sufficient vascularity results in hypoxic cell death of central tissues. We have developed a three-dimensional spheroidal coculture system consisting of human umbilical vein...... endothelial cells (HUVECs) and human primary fibroblasts (hFBs) to improve angiogenesis in tissue engineering applications. Morphological analysis of cryosections from HUVEC/hFB cospheroids revealed a characteristic temporal and spatial organization with HUVECs located in the center of the cospheroid...... to the formation of heterogenic cell contacts between HUVECs and hFBs within the cospheroid. The model system introduced in this study is suitable for the development of a preformed lumenized capillary-like network ex vivo and may therefore be useful for improving angiogenesis in in vivo tissue engineering...

ROLE OF TAURINE ON THE LEVEL OF SOME ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS AND OXIDATIVE STRESS IN DIFFERENT TISSUES OF RATS EXPOSED TO GAMMA RADIATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ANIS, L.M.

2008-01-01

Whole body exposure to ionizing radiation induces the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the different tissues provoking oxidative damage and organ dysfunction. The present study was designed to determine the possible protective effect of taurine against gamma radiation-induced disorders in iron (Fe), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn) and magnesium (Mg) in parallel to radiation-induced oxidative stress in liver, spleen and heart tissues. Irradiated rats were whole body exposed to 6.5 Gy gamma radiations. Taurine treated irradiated rats received 250 mg taurine/kg body weight/day for 10 successive days before irradiation. Animals were sacrificed on 1 st , 7 th and 14 th days after irradiation. The results obtained demonstrated significant increases in Fe, Cu, Zn and Mg levels in the liver. Significant increases of Fe and Cu and significant decrease of Zn and non-significant changes in Mg were observed in the spleen. Heart tissues showed significant decrease in the level of iron and non-significant changes in the levels of Cu, Zn and Mg. Alterations in the levels of essential elements were associated with oxidative stress. Significant decreases of SOD and CAT activities along with significant increase of TBARS levels were recorded in the different tissues after irradiation. Taurine administration pre-irradiation has significantly attenuated the radiation-induced oxidative stress and alteration in the levels of essential elements. It could be concluded that taurine might protect from oxidative damage induced by gamma irradiation

Radiosterilization of Tissues Preserved for Clinical Purposes: Effect on Tissue Antigenicity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ostrowski, K.; Kossowska, B.; Moskalewski, S.; Komender, A.; Kurnatowski, W.

1967-01-01

The first part of the paper contains practical considerations on the radiosterilization of preserved human bone, human and calf cartilage, cow’s fascia and aponeurosis, based on material from the Tissue Bank which produces about 2500 transplants yearly. The method of preservation and packing of each type of tissue is mentioned briefly. The preserved tissues are irradiated in a cobalt bomb or in a nuclear reactor. The conditions of irradiation and the control of sterility are described. The advantages and disadvantages of radiosterilization are discussed on the basis of the authors’ own experience and clinical reports of surgeons using radiosterilized tissues in practice. In the second part of the paper, experimental studies on the influence of freezing, lyophilization and radiosterilization on tissue antigenicity are reported. The regional lymph node reacts to an antigenic stimulus by an increased production of large, pyroninophylic cells, so-called ''blast'' cells. The rabbits used as recipients received grafts of allogeneic cancellous bone, fresh or subjected to different experimental procedures. Smears from lymph node cell suspension were prepared and the percentage of blast cells was estimated. On the basis of the lymph node response, it appears that freezing and lyophilization, as well as radiosterilization, may abolish the antigenicity of cancellous bone. The practical implication of these results for methods of preservation of tissues for clinical purposes is discussed. (author)

Flaxseed Oil Alleviates Chronic HFD-Induced Insulin Resistance through Remodeling Lipid Homeostasis in Obese Adipose Tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Xiao; Tang, Yuhan; Liu, Peiyi; Xiao, Lin; Liu, Liegang; Shen, Ruiling; Deng, Qianchun; Yao, Ping

2017-11-08

Emerging evidence suggests that higher circulating long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3PUFA) levels were intimately associated with lower prevalence of obesity and insulin resistance. However, the understanding of bioactivity and potential mechanism of α-linolenic acid-rich flaxseed oil (ALA-FO) against insulin resistance was still limited. This study evaluated the effect of FO on high-fat diet (HFD)-induced insulin resistance in C57BL/6J mice focused on adipose tissue lipolysis. Mice after HFD feeding for 16 weeks (60% fat-derived calories) exhibited systemic insulin resistance, which was greatly attenuated by medium dose of FO (M-FO), paralleling with differential accumulation of ALA and its n-3 derivatives across serum lipid fractions. Moreover, M-FO was sufficient to effectively block the metabolic activation of adipose tissue macrophages (ATMs), thereby improving adipose tissue insulin signaling. Importantly, suppression of hypoxia-inducible factors HIF-1α and HIF-2α were involved in FO-mediated modulation of adipose tissue lipolysis, accompanied by specific reconstitution of n-3PUFA within adipose tissue lipid fractions.

Monitoring phthalates in the tissues of broiler chicks with feedstuffs different phthalate contents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alžbeta Jarošová

2010-01-01

Full Text Available For the monitoring of distribution and accumulation of phthalic acid esters (PAE in animal tissues, samples of muscle, mesenteric fat (fat, skin and liver from broiler chicks ROSS 308 were used. The chicks were divided into 4 groups (50 chicks each. All the chicks were given commercial diets (complete feed, KKS for broiler chicks (starter – BR1; grower – BR2 and finisher – BR3. The experimental diets were supplemented with vegetable oil (RO with low (group N or high (group V phthalate contents, or animal fat with a high phthalate content (group Z. Neither the control diets (K, nor the grower (BR1 diets contained vegetable oils or animal fat. The N chicks were given the grower (BR2 and finisher (BR3 diets supplemented with 5% and 3% vegetable oil, respectively. The V chicks were given BR2 and BR3 diets with 5% and 3% vegetable oil, respectively. The Z chicks were given BR2 and BR3 diets with 5% and 3% animal fat, respectively. Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP and di-(2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP were found in the tissues of chicks in all the experimental groups. The DBP content in the muscle ranged from 0.03 to 0.55 mg . kg−1, in the adipose tissue from < 0.20 to 2.56 mg . kg−1, in the skin from < 0.20 to 1.49 mg . kg−1, and in the liver from 0.03 to 0.13 mg . kg−1. The content of DEHP in the muscle ranged from 0.03 to 1.15 mg . kg−1, in the adipose tissue from 0.25 to 9.85 mg . kg−1, in the skin from < 0.20 to 4.68 mg . kg−1, and in the liver from 0.16 to 0.24 mg . kg−1. The highest concentrations of DBP of 1.28 ± 1.00 mg . kg−1 of fresh sample (an average value from 8 chicks was determined in the adipose tissue of V chicks. The highest concentration of DEHP of 3.27 ± 2.87 mg . kg−1 of fresh sample (mean of 8 chicks was also determined in the V group. The accumulation of DEHP was 3.2; 2.6 and 2.9 times higher than that of DBP in the muscle, adipose tissue and skin

Scientific and industrial status of tissue engineering ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Tissue engineering is a newly emerging field targeting many unresolved health problems. So far, the achievements of this technology in the production of different tissue engineered substitutes were promising. This review is intended to describe, briefly and in a simple language, what tissue engineering is, what the ...

A portrait of tissue phosphoprotein stability in the clinical tissue procurement process.

Science.gov (United States)

Espina, Virginia; Edmiston, Kirsten H; Heiby, Michael; Pierobon, Mariaelena; Sciro, Manuela; Merritt, Barbara; Banks, Stacey; Deng, Jianghong; VanMeter, Amy J; Geho, David H; Pastore, Lucia; Sennesh, Joel; Petricoin, Emanuel F; Liotta, Lance A

2008-10-01

Little is known about the preanalytical fluctuations of phosphoproteins during tissue procurement for molecular profiling. This information is crucial to establish guidelines for the reliable measurement of these analytes. To develop phosphoprotein profiles of tissue subjected to the trauma of excision, we measured the fidelity of 53 signal pathway phosphoproteins over time in tissue specimens procured in a community clinical practice. This information provides strategies for potential surrogate markers of stability and the design of phosphoprotein preservative/fixation solutions. Eleven different specimen collection time course experiments revealed augmentation (+/-20% from the time 0 sample) of signal pathway phosphoprotein levels as well as decreases over time independent of tissue type, post-translational modification, and protein subcellular location (tissues included breast, colon, lung, ovary, and uterus (endometrium/myometrium) and metastatic melanoma). Comparison across tissue specimens showed an >20% decrease of protein kinase B (AKT) Ser-473 (p 20% increases within 90-min postprocurement. Endothelial nitric-oxide synthase Ser-1177 did not change over the time period evaluated with breast or leiomyoma tissue. Treatment with phosphatase or kinase inhibitors alone revealed that tissue kinase pathways are active ex vivo. Combinations of kinase and phosphatase inhibitors appeared to stabilize proteins that exhibited increases in the presence of phosphatase inhibitors alone (ATF-2 Thr-71, SAPK/JNK Thr-183/Tyr-185, STAT1 Tyr-701, JAK1 Tyr-1022/1023, and PAK1/PAK2 Ser-199/204/192/197). This time course study 1) establishes the dynamic nature of specific phosphoproteins in excised tissue, 2) demonstrates augmented phosphorylation in the presence of phosphatase inhibitors, 3) shows that kinase inhibitors block the upsurge in phosphorylation of phosphoproteins, 4) provides a rational strategy for room temperature preservation of proteins, and 5) constitutes a

Sex-specific differences in transcriptome profiles of brain and muscle tissue of the tropical gar.

Science.gov (United States)

Cribbin, Kayla M; Quackenbush, Corey R; Taylor, Kyle; Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin; Kelley, Joanna L

2017-04-07

cellular functioning, signaling, immune response, and tissue-specific functions. This study identified differentially expressed transcripts between male and female gar in muscle and brain tissue. The majority of differentially expressed transcripts had sex-specific expression. Expanding on these findings to other developmental stages, populations, and species may lead to the identification of genetic factors contributing to the skewed sex ratio seen in the tropical gar and of sex-specific differences in expression in other species. Finally, the transcriptome assembly will open future research avenues on tropical gar development, cell function, environmental resistance, and evolution in the context of other early vertebrates.

Piezoelectric materials for tissue regeneration: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajabi, Amir Hossein; Jaffe, Michael; Arinzeh, Treena Livingston

2015-09-01

The discovery of piezoelectricity, endogenous electric fields and transmembrane potentials in biological tissues raised the question whether or not electric fields play an important role in cell function. It has kindled research and the development of technologies in emulating biological electricity for tissue regeneration. Promising effects of electrical stimulation on cell growth and differentiation and tissue growth has led to interest in using piezoelectric scaffolds for tissue repair. Piezoelectric materials can generate electrical activity when deformed. Hence, an external source to apply electrical stimulation or implantation of electrodes is not needed. Various piezoelectric materials have been employed for different tissue repair applications, particularly in bone repair, where charges induced by mechanical stress can enhance bone formation; and in neural tissue engineering, in which electric pulses can stimulate neurite directional outgrowth to fill gaps in nervous tissue injuries. In this review, a summary of piezoelectricity in different biological tissues, mechanisms through which electrical stimulation may affect cellular response, and recent advances in the fabrication and application of piezoelectric scaffolds will be discussed. The discovery of piezoelectricity, endogenous electric fields and transmembrane potentials in biological tissues has kindled research and the development of technologies using electrical stimulation for tissue regeneration. Piezoelectric materials generate electrical activity in response to deformations and allow for the delivery of an electrical stimulus without the need for an external power source. As a scaffold for tissue engineering, growing interest exists due to its potential of providing electrical stimulation to cells to promote tissue formation. In this review, we cover the discovery of piezoelectricity in biological tissues, its connection to streaming potentials, biological response to electrical stimulation and

Sufficient condition for black-hole formation in spherical gravitational collapse