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Sample records for tissue samples results

  1. A Comparison of RNA-Seq Results from Paired Formalin-Fixed Paraffin-Embedded and Fresh-Frozen Glioblastoma Tissue Samples.

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    Anna Esteve-Codina

    Full Text Available The molecular classification of glioblastoma (GBM based on gene expression might better explain outcome and response to treatment than clinical factors. Whole transcriptome sequencing using next-generation sequencing platforms is rapidly becoming accepted as a tool for measuring gene expression for both research and clinical use. Fresh frozen (FF tissue specimens of GBM are difficult to obtain since tumor tissue obtained at surgery is often scarce and necrotic and diagnosis is prioritized over freezing. After diagnosis, leftover tissue is usually stored as formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissue. However, RNA from FFPE tissues is usually degraded, which could hamper gene expression analysis. We compared RNA-Seq data obtained from matched pairs of FF and FFPE GBM specimens. Only three FFPE out of eleven FFPE-FF matched samples yielded informative results. Several quality-control measurements showed that RNA from FFPE samples was highly degraded but maintained transcriptomic similarities to RNA from FF samples. Certain issues regarding mutation analysis and subtype prediction were detected. Nevertheless, our results suggest that RNA-Seq of FFPE GBM specimens provides reliable gene expression data that can be used in molecular studies of GBM if the RNA is sufficiently preserved.

  2. Tissue Sampling Guides for Porcine Biomedical Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-04-01

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

  3. Sampling Strategies and Processing of Biobank Tissue Samples from Porcine Biomedical Models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blutke, Andreas; Wanke, Rüdiger

    2018-03-06

    In translational medical research, porcine models have steadily become more popular. Considering the high value of individual animals, particularly of genetically modified pig models, and the often-limited number of available animals of these models, establishment of (biobank) collections of adequately processed tissue samples suited for a broad spectrum of subsequent analyses methods, including analyses not specified at the time point of sampling, represent meaningful approaches to take full advantage of the translational value of the model. With respect to the peculiarities of porcine anatomy, comprehensive guidelines have recently been established for standardized generation of representative, high-quality samples from different porcine organs and tissues. These guidelines are essential prerequisites for the reproducibility of results and their comparability between different studies and investigators. The recording of basic data, such as organ weights and volumes, the determination of the sampling locations and of the numbers of tissue samples to be generated, as well as their orientation, size, processing and trimming directions, are relevant factors determining the generalizability and usability of the specimen for molecular, qualitative, and quantitative morphological analyses. Here, an illustrative, practical, step-by-step demonstration of the most important techniques for generation of representative, multi-purpose biobank specimen from porcine tissues is presented. The methods described here include determination of organ/tissue volumes and densities, the application of a volume-weighted systematic random sampling procedure for parenchymal organs by point-counting, determination of the extent of tissue shrinkage related to histological embedding of samples, and generation of randomly oriented samples for quantitative stereological analyses, such as isotropic uniform random (IUR) sections generated by the "Orientator" and "Isector" methods, and vertical

  4. In-air micro-pixe analysis of tissue samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tanaka, A.; Ishii, K.; Komori, Y.

    2002-01-01

    Micro-PIXE is capable of providing spatial distributions of elements in the micro-meter scale and its application to biology is useful to elucidate the cellular metabolism. Since, in this method, a sample target is usually irradiated with proton or α-particle beams in vacuum, beam heating results in evaporation of volatile elements an shrinking of the sample. In order to avoid these side effects, we previously developed a technique of in-air micro-PIXE analysis for samples of cultured cells. In addition to these, analysis of exposed tissue samples from living subjects is highly desirable in biological and medical research. Here, we describe a technique of in-air micro-PIXE analysis of such tissue samples. The target samples of exposed tissue slices from a Donryu rat, in which a tumor had been transplanted, were analyzed with proton micro-beams of 2.6 MeV. We report that the shape of cells and the distribution of volatile elements in the tissue sample remain uncharged when using a target preparation based on a freeze-drying method. (author)

  5. Technical note: Alternatives to reduce adipose tissue sampling bias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cruz, G D; Wang, Y; Fadel, J G

    2014-10-01

    Understanding the mechanisms by which nutritional and pharmaceutical factors can manipulate adipose tissue growth and development in production animals has direct and indirect effects in the profitability of an enterprise. Adipocyte cellularity (number and size) is a key biological response that is commonly measured in animal science research. The variability and sampling of adipocyte cellularity within a muscle has been addressed in previous studies, but no attempt to critically investigate these issues has been proposed in the literature. The present study evaluated 2 sampling techniques (random and systematic) in an attempt to minimize sampling bias and to determine the minimum number of samples from 1 to 15 needed to represent the overall adipose tissue in the muscle. Both sampling procedures were applied on adipose tissue samples dissected from 30 longissimus muscles from cattle finished either on grass or grain. Briefly, adipose tissue samples were fixed with osmium tetroxide, and size and number of adipocytes were determined by a Coulter Counter. These results were then fit in a finite mixture model to obtain distribution parameters of each sample. To evaluate the benefits of increasing number of samples and the advantage of the new sampling technique, the concept of acceptance ratio was used; simply stated, the higher the acceptance ratio, the better the representation of the overall population. As expected, a great improvement on the estimation of the overall adipocyte cellularity parameters was observed using both sampling techniques when sample size number increased from 1 to 15 samples, considering both techniques' acceptance ratio increased from approximately 3 to 25%. When comparing sampling techniques, the systematic procedure slightly improved parameters estimation. The results suggest that more detailed research using other sampling techniques may provide better estimates for minimum sampling.

  6. Preparation of tissue samples for X-ray fluorescence microscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chwiej, Joanna; Szczerbowska-Boruchowska, Magdalena; Lankosz, Marek; Wojcik, Slawomir; Falkenberg, Gerald; Stegowski, Zdzislaw; Setkowicz, Zuzanna

    2005-01-01

    As is well-known, trace elements, especially metals, play an important role in the pathogenesis of many disorders. The topographic and quantitative elemental analysis of pathologically changed tissues may shed some new light on processes leading to the degeneration of cells in the case of selected diseases. An ideal and powerful tool for such purpose is the Synchrotron Microbeam X-ray Fluorescence technique. It enables the carrying out of investigations of the elemental composition of tissues even at the single cell level. The tissue samples for histopathological investigations are routinely fixed and embedded in paraffin. The authors try to verify the usefulness of such prepared tissue sections for elemental analysis with the use of X-ray fluorescence microscopy. Studies were performed on rat brain samples. Changes in elemental composition caused by fixation in formalin or paraformaldehyde and embedding in paraffin were examined. Measurements were carried out at the bending magnet beamline L of the Hamburger Synchrotronstrahlungslabor HASYLAB in Hamburg. The decrease in mass per unit area of K, Br and the increase in P, S, Fe, Cu and Zn in the tissue were observed as a result of the fixation. For the samples embedded in paraffin, a lower level of most elements was observed. Additionally, for these samples, changes in the composition of some elements were not uniform for different analyzed areas of rat brain

  7. Preparation of tissue samples for X-ray fluorescence microscopy

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    Chwiej, Joanna [Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH-University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Cracow (Poland)]. E-mail: jchwiej@novell.ftj.agh.edu.pl; Szczerbowska-Boruchowska, Magdalena [Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH-University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Cracow (Poland); Lankosz, Marek [Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH-University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Cracow (Poland); Wojcik, Slawomir [Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH-University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Cracow (Poland); Falkenberg, Gerald [Hamburger Synchrotronstrahlungslabor at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Notkestr. 85, Hamburg (Germany); Stegowski, Zdzislaw [Faculty of Physics and Applied Computer Science, AGH-University of Science and Technology, Al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Cracow (Poland); Setkowicz, Zuzanna [Department of Neuroanatomy, Institute of Zoology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060 Cracow (Poland)

    2005-12-15

    As is well-known, trace elements, especially metals, play an important role in the pathogenesis of many disorders. The topographic and quantitative elemental analysis of pathologically changed tissues may shed some new light on processes leading to the degeneration of cells in the case of selected diseases. An ideal and powerful tool for such purpose is the Synchrotron Microbeam X-ray Fluorescence technique. It enables the carrying out of investigations of the elemental composition of tissues even at the single cell level. The tissue samples for histopathological investigations are routinely fixed and embedded in paraffin. The authors try to verify the usefulness of such prepared tissue sections for elemental analysis with the use of X-ray fluorescence microscopy. Studies were performed on rat brain samples. Changes in elemental composition caused by fixation in formalin or paraformaldehyde and embedding in paraffin were examined. Measurements were carried out at the bending magnet beamline L of the Hamburger Synchrotronstrahlungslabor HASYLAB in Hamburg. The decrease in mass per unit area of K, Br and the increase in P, S, Fe, Cu and Zn in the tissue were observed as a result of the fixation. For the samples embedded in paraffin, a lower level of most elements was observed. Additionally, for these samples, changes in the composition of some elements were not uniform for different analyzed areas of rat brain.

  8. X-ray scattering for the characterization of lyophilized breast tissue samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Elshemey, Wael M.; Mohamed, Fayrouz S.; Khater, Ibrahim M.

    2013-01-01

    This work investigates the possibility of characterizing breast cancer by measuring the X-ray scattering profiles of lyophilized excised breast tissue samples. Since X-ray scattering from water-rich tissue is dominated by scattering from water, the removal of water by lyophilization would enhance the characterization process. In the present study, X-ray scattering profiles of 22 normal, 22 malignant and 10 benign breast tissue samples are measured. The cut-offs of scatter diagrams, sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of three characterization parameters (full width at half maximum (FWHM) for the peak at 1.1 nm −1 , area under curve (AUC), and ratio of 1st to 2nd scattering peak intensities (I 1 /I 2 %)) are calculated and compared to the data from non-lyophilized samples. Results show increased sensitivity (up to 100%) of the present data on lyophilized breast tissue samples compared to previously reported data for non-lyophilized samples while the specificity (up to 95.4%), diagnostic accuracy (up to 95.4%) and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve values (up to 0.9979) for both sets of data are comparable. The present study shows significant differences between normal samples and each of malignant and benign samples. Only subtle differences exist between malignant and benign lyophilized breast tissue samples where FWHM=0.7±0.1 and 0.8±0.3, AUC=1.3±0.2 and 1.4±0.2 and I 1 /I 2 %=44.9±11.0 and 52.4±7.6 for malignant and benign samples respectively. - Highlights: • X-ray scattering profiles of breast tissue samples are acquired. • Three X-ray profile characterization parameters are calculated. • The cut-offs, sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy are calculated. • They are compared to the data from non-lyophilized samples. • Results show increased sensitivity in case of lyophilized samples

  9. Analysis of chemical components from plant tissue samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laseter, J. L.

    1972-01-01

    Information is given on the type and concentration of sterols, free fatty acids, and total fatty acids in plant tissue samples. All samples were analyzed by gas chromatography and then by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combination. In each case the mass spectral data was accumulated as a computer printout and plot. Typical gas chromatograms are included as well as tables describing test results.

  10. Support vector machine classification and validation of cancer tissue samples using microarray expression data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furey, T S; Cristianini, N; Duffy, N; Bednarski, D W; Schummer, M; Haussler, D

    2000-10-01

    DNA microarray experiments generating thousands of gene expression measurements, are being used to gather information from tissue and cell samples regarding gene expression differences that will be useful in diagnosing disease. We have developed a new method to analyse this kind of data using support vector machines (SVMs). This analysis consists of both classification of the tissue samples, and an exploration of the data for mis-labeled or questionable tissue results. We demonstrate the method in detail on samples consisting of ovarian cancer tissues, normal ovarian tissues, and other normal tissues. The dataset consists of expression experiment results for 97,802 cDNAs for each tissue. As a result of computational analysis, a tissue sample is discovered and confirmed to be wrongly labeled. Upon correction of this mistake and the removal of an outlier, perfect classification of tissues is achieved, but not with high confidence. We identify and analyse a subset of genes from the ovarian dataset whose expression is highly differentiated between the types of tissues. To show robustness of the SVM method, two previously published datasets from other types of tissues or cells are analysed. The results are comparable to those previously obtained. We show that other machine learning methods also perform comparably to the SVM on many of those datasets. The SVM software is available at http://www.cs. columbia.edu/ approximately bgrundy/svm.

  11. SEM investigation of heart tissue samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Saunders, R; Amoroso, M

    2010-01-01

    We used the scanning electron microscope to examine the cardiac tissue of a cow (Bos taurus), a pig (Sus scrofa), and a human (Homo sapiens). 1mm 3 blocks of left ventricular tissue were prepared for SEM scanning by fixing in 96% ethanol followed by critical point drying (cryofixation), then sputter-coating with gold. The typical ridged structure of the myofibrils was observed for all the species. In addition crystal like structures were found in one of the samples of the heart tissue of the pig. These structures were investigated further using an EDVAC x-ray analysis attachment to the SEM. Elemental x-ray analysis showed highest peaks occurred for gold, followed by carbon, oxygen, magnesium and potassium. As the samples were coated with gold for conductivity, this highest peak is expected. Much lower peaks at carbon, oxygen, magnesium and potassium suggest that a cystallized salt such as a carbonate was present in the tissue before sacrifice.

  12. SEM investigation of heart tissue samples

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    Saunders, R; Amoroso, M [Physics Department, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies (Trinidad and Tobago)

    2010-07-01

    We used the scanning electron microscope to examine the cardiac tissue of a cow (Bos taurus), a pig (Sus scrofa), and a human (Homo sapiens). 1mm{sup 3} blocks of left ventricular tissue were prepared for SEM scanning by fixing in 96% ethanol followed by critical point drying (cryofixation), then sputter-coating with gold. The typical ridged structure of the myofibrils was observed for all the species. In addition crystal like structures were found in one of the samples of the heart tissue of the pig. These structures were investigated further using an EDVAC x-ray analysis attachment to the SEM. Elemental x-ray analysis showed highest peaks occurred for gold, followed by carbon, oxygen, magnesium and potassium. As the samples were coated with gold for conductivity, this highest peak is expected. Much lower peaks at carbon, oxygen, magnesium and potassium suggest that a cystallized salt such as a carbonate was present in the tissue before sacrifice.

  13. Trace element contamination in feather and tissue samples from Anna’s hummingbirds

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mikoni, Nicole A.; Poppenga, Robert H.; Ackerman, Joshua T.; Foley, Janet E.; Hazlehurst, Jenny; Purdin, Güthrum; Aston, Linda; Hargrave, Sabine; Jelks, Karen; Tell, Lisa A.

    2017-01-01

    Trace element contamination (17 elements; Be, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Mo, Cd, Ba, Hg, Tl, and Pb) of live (feather samples only) and deceased (feather and tissue samples) Anna's hummingbirds (Calypte anna) was evaluated. Samples were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS; 17 elements) and atomic absorption spectrophotometry (Hg only). Mean plus one standard deviation (SD) was considered the benchmark, and concentrations above the mean + 1 SD were considered elevated above normal. Contour feathers were sampled from live birds of varying age, sex, and California locations. In order to reduce thermal impacts, minimal feathers were taken from live birds, therefore a novel method was developed for preparation of low mass feather samples for ICP-MS analysis. The study found that the novel feather preparation method enabled small mass feather samples to be analyzed for trace elements using ICP-MS. For feather samples from live birds, all trace elements, with the exception of beryllium, had concentrations above the mean + 1 SD. Important risk factors for elevated trace element concentrations in feathers of live birds were age for iron, zinc, and arsenic, and location for iron, manganese, zinc, and selenium. For samples from deceased birds, ICP-MS results from body and tail feathers were correlated for Fe, Zn, and Pb, and feather concentrations were correlated with renal (Fe, Zn, Pb) or hepatic (Hg) tissue concentrations. Results for AA spectrophotometry analyzed samples from deceased birds further supported the ICP-MS findings where a strong correlation between mercury concentrations in feather and tissue (pectoral muscle) samples was found. These study results support that sampling feathers from live free-ranging hummingbirds might be a useful, non-lethal sampling method for evaluating trace element exposure and provides a sampling alternative since their small body size limits traditional sampling of blood and tissues. The

  14. Effects of Re-heating Tissue Samples to Core Body Temperature on High-Velocity Ballistic Projectile-tissue Interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Humphrey, Caitlin; Henneberg, Maciej; Wachsberger, Christian; Maiden, Nicholas; Kumaratilake, Jaliya

    2017-11-01

    Damage produced by high-speed projectiles on organic tissue will depend on the physical properties of the tissues. Conditioning organic tissue samples to human core body temperature (37°C) prior to conducting ballistic experiments enables their behavior to closely mimic that of living tissues. To minimize autolytic changes after death, the tissues are refrigerated soon after their removal from the body and re-heated to 37°C prior to testing. This research investigates whether heating 50-mm-cube samples of porcine liver, kidney, and heart to 37°C for varying durations (maximum 7 h) can affect the penetration response of a high-speed, steel sphere projectile. Longer conditioning times for heart and liver resulted in a slight loss of velocity/energy of the projectile, but the reverse effect occurred for the kidney. Possible reasons for these trends include autolytic changes causing softening (heart and liver) and dehydration causing an increase in density (kidney). © 2017 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  15. Measurement of the hyperelastic properties of 44 pathological ex vivo breast tissue samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    O'Hagan, Joseph J; Samani, Abbas

    2009-01-01

    The elastic and hyperelastic properties of biological soft tissues have been of interest to the medical community. There are several biomedical applications where parameters characterizing such properties are critical for a reliable clinical outcome. These applications include surgery planning, needle biopsy and brachtherapy where tissue biomechanical modeling is involved. Another important application is interpreting nonlinear elastography images. While there has been considerable research on the measurement of the linear elastic modulus of small tissue samples, little research has been conducted for measuring parameters that characterize the nonlinear elasticity of tissues included in tissue slice specimens. This work presents hyperelastic measurement results of 44 pathological ex vivo breast tissue samples. For each sample, five hyperelastic models have been used, including the Yeoh, N = 2 polynomial, N = 1 Ogden, Arruda-Boyce, and Veronda-Westmann models. Results show that the Yeoh, polynomial and Ogden models are the most accurate in terms of fitting experimental data. The results indicate that almost all of the parameters corresponding to the pathological tissues are between two times to over two orders of magnitude larger than those of normal tissues, with C 11 showing the most significant difference. Furthermore, statistical analysis indicates that C 02 of the Yeoh model, and C 11 and C 20 of the polynomial model have very good potential for cancer classification as they show statistically significant differences for various cancer types, especially for invasive lobular carcinoma. In addition to the potential for use in cancer classification, the presented data are very important for applications such as surgery planning and virtual reality based clinician training systems where accurate nonlinear tissue response modeling is required.

  16. Measurement of the hyperelastic properties of 44 pathological ex vivo breast tissue samples

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    O' Hagan, Joseph J; Samani, Abbas [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Western Ontario, London, ON (Canada)], E-mail: asamani@uwo.ca

    2009-04-21

    The elastic and hyperelastic properties of biological soft tissues have been of interest to the medical community. There are several biomedical applications where parameters characterizing such properties are critical for a reliable clinical outcome. These applications include surgery planning, needle biopsy and brachtherapy where tissue biomechanical modeling is involved. Another important application is interpreting nonlinear elastography images. While there has been considerable research on the measurement of the linear elastic modulus of small tissue samples, little research has been conducted for measuring parameters that characterize the nonlinear elasticity of tissues included in tissue slice specimens. This work presents hyperelastic measurement results of 44 pathological ex vivo breast tissue samples. For each sample, five hyperelastic models have been used, including the Yeoh, N = 2 polynomial, N = 1 Ogden, Arruda-Boyce, and Veronda-Westmann models. Results show that the Yeoh, polynomial and Ogden models are the most accurate in terms of fitting experimental data. The results indicate that almost all of the parameters corresponding to the pathological tissues are between two times to over two orders of magnitude larger than those of normal tissues, with C{sub 11} showing the most significant difference. Furthermore, statistical analysis indicates that C{sub 02} of the Yeoh model, and C{sub 11} and C{sub 20} of the polynomial model have very good potential for cancer classification as they show statistically significant differences for various cancer types, especially for invasive lobular carcinoma. In addition to the potential for use in cancer classification, the presented data are very important for applications such as surgery planning and virtual reality based clinician training systems where accurate nonlinear tissue response modeling is required.

  17. Measurement of the hyperelastic properties of 44 pathological ex vivo breast tissue samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Hagan, Joseph J.; Samani, Abbas

    2009-04-01

    The elastic and hyperelastic properties of biological soft tissues have been of interest to the medical community. There are several biomedical applications where parameters characterizing such properties are critical for a reliable clinical outcome. These applications include surgery planning, needle biopsy and brachtherapy where tissue biomechanical modeling is involved. Another important application is interpreting nonlinear elastography images. While there has been considerable research on the measurement of the linear elastic modulus of small tissue samples, little research has been conducted for measuring parameters that characterize the nonlinear elasticity of tissues included in tissue slice specimens. This work presents hyperelastic measurement results of 44 pathological ex vivo breast tissue samples. For each sample, five hyperelastic models have been used, including the Yeoh, N = 2 polynomial, N = 1 Ogden, Arruda-Boyce, and Veronda-Westmann models. Results show that the Yeoh, polynomial and Ogden models are the most accurate in terms of fitting experimental data. The results indicate that almost all of the parameters corresponding to the pathological tissues are between two times to over two orders of magnitude larger than those of normal tissues, with C11 showing the most significant difference. Furthermore, statistical analysis indicates that C02 of the Yeoh model, and C11 and C20 of the polynomial model have very good potential for cancer classification as they show statistically significant differences for various cancer types, especially for invasive lobular carcinoma. In addition to the potential for use in cancer classification, the presented data are very important for applications such as surgery planning and virtual reality based clinician training systems where accurate nonlinear tissue response modeling is required.

  18. Comparison of diagnostic efficacy between CLE, tissue sampling, and CLE combined with tissue sampling for undetermined pancreaticobiliary strictures: a meta-analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Ya-Dong; Qu, Ya-Wei; Liu, Hai-Feng

    2018-04-01

    The accurate diagnosis of undetermined pancreaticobiliary strictures remains challenging. Current ERCP-guided tissue sampling methods are of low sensitivity. Confocal laser endomicroscopy (CLE) is a new procedure and allows real optical biopsies that may improve the diagnosis of undetermined pancreaticobiliary strictures. The aim of this meta-analysis was to determine the diagnostic yield of CLE, tissue sampling, and CLE combined with tissue sampling for undetermined pancreaticobiliary strictures. Pubmed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library database were reviewed for relevant studies. Pooled estimates of sensitivity and specificity with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using the random-effects meta-analysis model. The summary receiver-operating characteristic (SROC) curve was constructed, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was calculated. Twelve studies involving 591 patients were enrolled in our analysis. The overall sensitivity and the specificity estimate of CLE for discriminating benign and malignant pancreaticobiliary strictures were 87% (95%CI, 83-91%) and 76% (95%CI, 70-81%), respectively. The AUC to assess the diagnostic efficacy was 0.8705. For tissue sampling, the overall sensitivity and the specificity estimate were 64% (95%CI, 57-70%) and 94% (95%CI, 90-97%), respectively. The AUC to assess the diagnostic efficacy was 0.8040. A combination of both methods increased the sensitivity (93%; 95%CI, 88-96%) with a specificity of 82% (95%CI, 74-89%). The AUC to assess the diagnostic efficacy was 0.9377. There was no publication bias by Deeks' Funnel Plot with p = .936. Compared with tissue sampling, CLE may increase the sensitivity for the diagnosis of malignant pancreaticobiliary strictures. A combination of both can effectively diagnose malignant pancreaticobiliary strictures.

  19. Culture methods of allograft musculoskeletal tissue samples in Australian bacteriology laboratories.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varettas, Kerry

    2013-12-01

    Samples of allograft musculoskeletal tissue are cultured by bacteriology laboratories to determine the presence of bacteria and fungi. In Australia, this testing is performed by 6 TGA-licensed clinical bacteriology laboratories with samples received from 10 tissue banks. Culture methods of swab and tissue samples employ a combination of solid agar and/or broth media to enhance micro-organism growth and maximise recovery. All six Australian laboratories receive Amies transport swabs and, except for one laboratory, a corresponding biopsy sample for testing. Three of the 6 laboratories culture at least one allograft sample directly onto solid agar. Only one laboratory did not use a broth culture for any sample received. An international literature review found that a similar combination of musculoskeletal tissue samples were cultured onto solid agar and/or broth media. Although variations of allograft musculoskeletal tissue samples, culture media and methods are used in Australian and international bacteriology laboratories, validation studies and method evaluations have challenged and supported their use in recovering fungi and aerobic and anaerobic bacteria.

  20. 6. Label-free selective plane illumination microscopy of tissue samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Muteb Alharbi

    2017-10-01

    Conclusion: Overall this method meets the demands of the current needs for 3D imaging tissue samples in a label-free manner. Label-free Selective Plane Microscopy directly provides excellent information about the structure of the tissue samples. This work has highlighted the superiority of Label-free Selective Plane Microscopy to current approaches to label-free 3D imaging of tissue.

  1. Elemental distribution and sample integrity comparison of freeze-dried and frozen-hydrated biological tissue samples with nuclear microprobe

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    Vavpetič, P., E-mail: primoz.vavpetic@ijs.si [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Vogel-Mikuš, K. [Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Jeromel, L. [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Ogrinc Potočnik, N. [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); FOM-Institute AMOLF, Science Park 104, 1098 XG Amsterdam (Netherlands); Pongrac, P. [Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Department of Plant Physiology, University of Bayreuth, Universitätstr. 30, 95447 Bayreuth (Germany); Drobne, D.; Pipan Tkalec, Ž.; Novak, S.; Kos, M.; Koren, Š.; Regvar, M. [Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, University of Ljubljana, Jamnikarjeva 101, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Pelicon, P. [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia)

    2015-04-01

    The analysis of biological samples in frozen-hydrated state with micro-PIXE technique at Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI) nuclear microprobe has matured to a point that enables us to measure and examine frozen tissue samples routinely as a standard research method. Cryotome-cut slice of frozen-hydrated biological sample is mounted between two thin foils and positioned on the sample holder. The temperature of the cold stage in the measuring chamber is kept below 130 K throughout the insertion of the samples and the proton beam exposure. Matrix composition of frozen-hydrated tissue is consisted mostly of ice. Sample deterioration during proton beam exposure is monitored during the experiment, as both Elastic Backscattering Spectrometry (EBS) and Scanning Transmission Ion Microscopy (STIM) in on–off axis geometry are recorded together with the events in two PIXE detectors and backscattered ions from the chopper in a single list-mode file. The aim of this experiment was to determine differences and similarities between two kinds of biological sample preparation techniques for micro-PIXE analysis, namely freeze-drying and frozen-hydrated sample preparation in order to evaluate the improvements in the elemental localisation of the latter technique if any. In the presented work, a standard micro-PIXE configuration for tissue mapping at JSI was used with five detection systems operating in parallel, with proton beam cross section of 1.0 × 1.0 μm{sup 2} and a beam current of 100 pA. The comparison of the resulting elemental distributions measured at the biological tissue prepared in the frozen-hydrated and in the freeze-dried state revealed differences in elemental distribution of particular elements at the cellular level due to the morphology alteration in particular tissue compartments induced either by water removal in the lyophilisation process or by unsatisfactory preparation of samples for cutting and mounting during the shock-freezing phase of sample preparation.

  2. Sample Preparation for Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Plant Tissues: A Review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Yonghui; Li, Bin; Malitsky, Sergey; Rogachev, Ilana; Aharoni, Asaph; Kaftan, Filip; Svatoš, Aleš; Franceschi, Pietro

    2016-01-01

    Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a mass spectrometry based molecular ion imaging technique. It provides the means for ascertaining the spatial distribution of a large variety of analytes directly on tissue sample surfaces without any labeling or staining agents. These advantages make it an attractive molecular histology tool in medical, pharmaceutical, and biological research. Likewise, MSI has started gaining popularity in plant sciences; yet, information regarding sample preparation methods for plant tissues is still limited. Sample preparation is a crucial step that is directly associated with the quality and authenticity of the imaging results, it therefore demands in-depth studies based on the characteristics of plant samples. In this review, a sample preparation pipeline is discussed in detail and illustrated through selected practical examples. In particular, special concerns regarding sample preparation for plant imaging are critically evaluated. Finally, the applications of MSI techniques in plants are reviewed according to different classes of plant metabolites. PMID:26904042

  3. Sample Preparation for Mass Spectrometry Imaging of Plant Tissues: A Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Yonghui; Li, Bin; Malitsky, Sergey; Rogachev, Ilana; Aharoni, Asaph; Kaftan, Filip; Svatoš, Aleš; Franceschi, Pietro

    2016-01-01

    Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a mass spectrometry based molecular ion imaging technique. It provides the means for ascertaining the spatial distribution of a large variety of analytes directly on tissue sample surfaces without any labeling or staining agents. These advantages make it an attractive molecular histology tool in medical, pharmaceutical, and biological research. Likewise, MSI has started gaining popularity in plant sciences; yet, information regarding sample preparation methods for plant tissues is still limited. Sample preparation is a crucial step that is directly associated with the quality and authenticity of the imaging results, it therefore demands in-depth studies based on the characteristics of plant samples. In this review, a sample preparation pipeline is discussed in detail and illustrated through selected practical examples. In particular, special concerns regarding sample preparation for plant imaging are critically evaluated. Finally, the applications of MSI techniques in plants are reviewed according to different classes of plant metabolites.

  4. Phase-Contrast Hounsfield Units of Fixated and Non-Fixated Soft-Tissue Samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Willner, Marian; Fior, Gabriel; Marschner, Mathias; Birnbacher, Lorenz; Schock, Jonathan; Braun, Christian; Fingerle, Alexander A.; Noël, Peter B.; Rummeny, Ernst J.; Pfeiffer, Franz; Herzen, Julia

    2015-01-01

    X-ray phase-contrast imaging is a novel technology that achieves high soft-tissue contrast. Although its clinical impact is still under investigation, the technique may potentially improve clinical diagnostics. In conventional attenuation-based X-ray computed tomography, radiological diagnostics are quantified by Hounsfield units. Corresponding Hounsfield units for phase-contrast imaging have been recently introduced, enabling a setup-independent comparison and standardized interpretation of imaging results. Thus far, the experimental values of few tissue types have been reported; these values have been determined from fixated tissue samples. This study presents phase-contrast Hounsfield units for various types of non-fixated human soft tissues. A large variety of tissue specimens ranging from adipose, muscle and connective tissues to liver, kidney and pancreas tissues were imaged by a grating interferometer with a rotating-anode X-ray tube and a photon-counting detector. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of formalin fixation on the quantitative phase-contrast imaging results. PMID:26322638

  5. Pattern of somatostatin receptors expression in normal and bladder cancer tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karavitakis, Markos; Msaouel, Pavlos; Michalopoulos, Vassilis; Koutsilieris, Michael

    2014-06-01

    Known risks factors for bladder cancer progression and recurrence are limited regarding their prognostic ability. Therefore identification of molecular determinants of disease progression could provide with more specific prognostic information and could be translated into new approaches for biomarker development. In the present study we evaluated, the expression patterns of somatostatin receptors 1-5 (SSTRs) in normal and tumor bladder tissues. The expression of SSTR1-5 was characterized in 45 normal and bladder cancer tissue samples using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). SSTR1 was expressed in 24 samples, SSTR2 in 15, SSTR3 in 23, SSTR4 in 16 and SSTR5 in all but one sample. Bladder cancer tissue samples expressed lower levels of SSTR3. Co-expression of SSTRs was associated with superficial disease. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that there is expression of SSTR in normal and bladder cancer urothelium. Further studies are required to evaluate the prognostic and therapeutic significance of these findings. Copyright© 2014 International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. John G. Delinassios), All rights reserved.

  6. USAXS and SAXS from cancer-bearing breast tissue samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fernandez, M.; Suhonen, H.; Keyrilaeinen, J.; Bravin, A.; Fiedler, S.; Karjalainen-Lindsberg, M.-L.; Leidenius, M.; Smitten, K. von; Suortti, P.

    2008-01-01

    USAXS and SAXS patterns from cancer-bearing human breast tissue samples were recorded at beamline ID02 of the ESRF using a Bonse-Hart camera and a pinhole camera. The samples were classified as being ductal carcinoma, grade II, and ductal carcinoma in situ, partly invasive. The samples included areas of healthy collagen, invaded collagen, necrotic ducts with calcifications, and adipose tissue. The scattering patterns were analyzed in different ways to separate the scattering contribution and the direct beam from the observed rocking curve (RC) of the analyzer. It was found that USAXS from all tissues was weak, and the effects on the analyzer RC were observed only in the low-intensity tails of the patterns. The intrinsic RC was convolved with different model functions for the impulse response of the sample, and the best fit with experiment was obtained by the Pearson VII function. Significantly different distributions for the Pearson exponent m were obtained in benign and malignant regions of the samples. For a comparison with analyzer-based imaging (ABI) or diffraction enhanced imaging (DEI) a 'long-slit' integration of the patterns was performed, and this emphasized the scattering contribution in the tails of the rocking curve

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-01-01

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

  8. Automated MALDI Matrix Coating System for Multiple Tissue Samples for Imaging Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mounfield, William P.; Garrett, Timothy J.

    2012-03-01

    Uniform matrix deposition on tissue samples for matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) is key for reproducible analyte ion signals. Current methods often result in nonhomogenous matrix deposition, and take time and effort to produce acceptable ion signals. Here we describe a fully-automated method for matrix deposition using an enclosed spray chamber and spray nozzle for matrix solution delivery. A commercial air-atomizing spray nozzle was modified and combined with solenoid controlled valves and a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) to control and deliver the matrix solution. A spray chamber was employed to contain the nozzle, sample, and atomized matrix solution stream, and to prevent any interference from outside conditions as well as allow complete control of the sample environment. A gravity cup was filled with MALDI matrix solutions, including DHB in chloroform/methanol (50:50) at concentrations up to 60 mg/mL. Various samples (including rat brain tissue sections) were prepared using two deposition methods (spray chamber, inkjet). A linear ion trap equipped with an intermediate-pressure MALDI source was used for analyses. Optical microscopic examination showed a uniform coating of matrix crystals across the sample. Overall, the mass spectral images gathered from tissues coated using the spray chamber system were of better quality and more reproducible than from tissue specimens prepared by the inkjet deposition method.

  9. RAPID PROCESSING OF ARCHIVAL TISSUE SAMPLES FOR PROTEOMIC ANALYSIS USING PRESSURE-CYCLING TECHNOLOGY

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vinuth N. Puttamallesh1,2

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Advent of mass spectrometry based proteomics has revolutionized our ability to study proteins from biological specimen in a high-throughput manner. Unlike cell line based studies, biomedical research involving tissue specimen is often challenging due to limited sample availability. In addition, investigation of clinically relevant research questions often requires enormous amount of time for sample collection prospectively. Formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE archived tissue samples are a rich source of tissue specimen for biomedical research. However, there are several challenges associated with analysing FFPE samples. Protein cross-linking and degradation of proteins particularly affects proteomic analysis. We demonstrate that barocycler that uses pressure-cycling technology enables efficient protein extraction and processing of small amounts of FFPE tissue samples for proteomic analysis. We identified 3,525 proteins from six 10µm esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC tissue sections. Barocycler allows efficient protein extraction and proteolytic digestion of proteins from FFPE tissue sections at par with conventional methods.

  10. Identification of multiple mRNA and DNA sequences from small tissue samples isolated by laser-assisted microdissection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernsen, M R; Dijkman, H B; de Vries, E; Figdor, C G; Ruiter, D J; Adema, G J; van Muijen, G N

    1998-10-01

    Molecular analysis of small tissue samples has become increasingly important in biomedical studies. Using a laser dissection microscope and modified nucleic acid isolation protocols, we demonstrate that multiple mRNA as well as DNA sequences can be identified from a single-cell sample. In addition, we show that the specificity of procurement of tissue samples is not compromised by smear contamination resulting from scraping of the microtome knife during sectioning of lesions. The procedures described herein thus allow for efficient RT-PCR or PCR analysis of multiple nucleic acid sequences from small tissue samples obtained by laser-assisted microdissection.

  11. Sex identification of polar bears from blood and tissue samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Amstrup, Steven C.; Garner, G.W.; Cronin, M.A.; Patton, J.C.

    1993-01-01

    Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) can be adversely affected by hunting and other human perturbations because of low population densities and low reproduction rates. The sustainable take of adult females may be as low as 1.5% of the population. Females and accompanying young are most vulnerable to hunting, and hunters have not consistently reported the sex composition of the harvest, therefore a method to confirm the sexes of polar bears harvested in Alaska is needed. Evidence of the sex of harvested animals is often not available, but blood or other tissue samples often are. We extracted DNA from tissue and blood samples, and amplified segments of zinc finger (ZFX and ZFY) genes from both X and Y chromosomes with the polymerase chain reaction. Digestion of amplified portions of the X chromosome with the restriction enzyme HaeIII resulted in subdivision of the original amplified segment into four smaller fragments. Digestion with HaeIII did not subdivide the original segment amplified from the Y chromosome. The differing fragment sizes produced patterns in gel electrophoresis that distinguished samples from male and female bears 100% of the time. This technique is applicable to the investigation of many wildlife management and research questions.

  12. A comparison of sample preparation strategies for biological tissues and subsequent trace element analysis using LA-ICP-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bonta, Maximilian; Török, Szilvia; Hegedus, Balazs; Döme, Balazs; Limbeck, Andreas

    2017-03-01

    Laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is one of the most commonly applied methods for lateral trace element distribution analysis in medical studies. Many improvements of the technique regarding quantification and achievable lateral resolution have been achieved in the last years. Nevertheless, sample preparation is also of major importance and the optimal sample preparation strategy still has not been defined. While conventional histology knows a number of sample pre-treatment strategies, little is known about the effect of these approaches on the lateral distributions of elements and/or their quantities in tissues. The technique of formalin fixation and paraffin embedding (FFPE) has emerged as the gold standard in tissue preparation. However, the potential use for elemental distribution studies is questionable due to a large number of sample preparation steps. In this work, LA-ICP-MS was used to examine the applicability of the FFPE sample preparation approach for elemental distribution studies. Qualitative elemental distributions as well as quantitative concentrations in cryo-cut tissues as well as FFPE samples were compared. Results showed that some metals (especially Na and K) are severely affected by the FFPE process, whereas others (e.g., Mn, Ni) are less influenced. Based on these results, a general recommendation can be given: FFPE samples are completely unsuitable for the analysis of alkaline metals. When analyzing transition metals, FFPE samples can give comparable results to snap-frozen tissues. Graphical abstract Sample preparation strategies for biological tissues are compared with regard to the elemental distributions and average trace element concentrations.

  13. GeLC-MS: A Sample Preparation Method for Proteomics Analysis of Minimal Amount of Tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Makridakis, Manousos; Vlahou, Antonia

    2017-10-10

    Application of various proteomics methodologies have been implemented for the global and targeted proteome analysis of many different types of biological samples such as tissue, urine, plasma, serum, blood, and cell lines. Among the aforementioned biological samples, tissue has an exceptional role into clinical research and practice. Disease initiation and progression is usually located at the tissue level of different organs, making the analysis of this material very important for the understanding of the disease pathophysiology. Despite the significant advances in the mass spectrometry instrumentation, tissue proteomics still faces several challenges mainly due to increased sample complexity and heterogeneity. However, the most prominent challenge is attributed to the invasive procedure of tissue sampling which restricts the availability of fresh frozen tissue to minimal amounts and limited number of samples. Application of GeLC-MS sample preparation protocol for tissue proteomics analysis can greatly facilitate making up for these difficulties. In this chapter, a step by step guide for the proteomics analysis of minute amounts of tissue samples using the GeLC-MS sample preparation protocol, as applied by our group in the analysis of multiple different types of tissues (vessels, kidney, bladder, prostate, heart) is provided.

  14. Oxidant-antioxidant status in tissue samples of oral leukoplakia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kumar Chandan Srivastava

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Imbalances between the oxidant-antioxidant status have been implicated in the pathogenesis of several diseases, including oral cancer. Majority of oral cancer are preceded by a well-recognized group of pre-malignant lesions. However, only a small fraction of those lesions, undergo malignant transformation. Hence, there is a great need to identify biological markers, which will assist in identifying lesion carrying high-risk. This study aims to evaluate and compare the status of oxidative stress and antioxidant enzymes in tissue samples of patients with various clinicopathological stages of oral pre-malignancy. Materials and Methods: A case control study consisting of 20 new histopathologically proven leukoplakia patients and equal number of age, sex, and habit matched healthy subjects were recruited for this study. Their tissue samples were subjected to evaluation of lipid peroxidation product, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and antioxidant enzymes, namely, superoxide dismutase (SOD, catalase (CAT, reduced glutathione (GSH, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx using spectrophotometric methods. The data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation. The statistical comparisons were performed by independent Student′s unpaired t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Pearson′s correlation was performed for the biochemical parameters within the group and between the groups. For statistically significant correlations, simple linear regression was performed. P- value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Significant reduction in lipid peroxidation (P < 0.001 SOD and CAT (P < 0.001 was observed in the tissue of leukoplakia patients as compared to the healthy controls. On the other hand, GSH and GPx were significantly increased in tumor samples. Conclusion: Reduced lipid peroxidation and increased activity of GSH and GPx provides the suitable environment for the tumor growth and malignant transformation in the later

  15. Typeability of PowerPlex Y (Promega) profiles in selected tissue samples incubated in various environments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niemcunowicz-Janica, Anna; Pepiński, Witold; Janica, Jacek Robert; Janica, Jerzy; Skawrońska, Małgorzata; Koc-Zórawska, Ewa

    2007-01-01

    In cases of decomposed bodies, Y chromosomal STR markers may be useful in identification of a male relative. The authors assessed typeability of PowerPlex Y (Promega) loci in post mortem tissue material stored in various environments. Kidney, spleen and pancreas specimens were collected during autopsies of five persons aged 20-30 years, whose time of death was determined within the limit of 14 hours. Tissue material was incubated at 21 degrees C and 4 degrees C in various environmental conditions. DNA was extracted by the organic method from tissue samples collected in 7-day intervals and subsequently typed using the PowerPlexY-STR kit and ABI 310. A fast decrease in the typeability rate was seen in specimens incubated in peat soil and in sand. Kidney tissue samples were typeable in all PowerPlexY-STR loci within 63 days of incubation at 4 degrees C. Faster DNA degradation was recorded in spleen and pancreas specimens. In samples with negative genotyping results, no DNA was found by fluorometric quantitation. Decomposed soft tissues are a potential material for DNA typing.

  16. Final LDRD report : development of sample preparation methods for ChIPMA-based imaging mass spectrometry of tissue samples.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maharrey, Sean P.; Highley, Aaron M.; Behrens, Richard, Jr.; Wiese-Smith, Deneille

    2007-12-01

    The objective of this short-term LDRD project was to acquire the tools needed to use our chemical imaging precision mass analyzer (ChIPMA) instrument to analyze tissue samples. This effort was an outgrowth of discussions with oncologists on the need to find the cellular origin of signals in mass spectra of serum samples, which provide biomarkers for ovarian cancer. The ultimate goal would be to collect chemical images of biopsy samples allowing the chemical images of diseased and nondiseased sections of a sample to be compared. The equipment needed to prepare tissue samples have been acquired and built. This equipment includes an cyro-ultramicrotome for preparing thin sections of samples and a coating unit. The coating unit uses an electrospray system to deposit small droplets of a UV-photo absorbing compound on the surface of the tissue samples. Both units are operational. The tissue sample must be coated with the organic compound to enable matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) and matrix enhanced secondary ion mass spectrometry (ME-SIMS) measurements with the ChIPMA instrument Initial plans to test the sample preparation using human tissue samples required development of administrative procedures beyond the scope of this LDRD. Hence, it was decided to make two types of measurements: (1) Testing the spatial resolution of ME-SIMS by preparing a substrate coated with a mixture of an organic matrix and a bio standard and etching a defined pattern in the coating using a liquid metal ion beam, and (2) preparing and imaging C. elegans worms. Difficulties arose in sectioning the C. elegans for analysis and funds and time to overcome these difficulties were not available in this project. The facilities are now available for preparing biological samples for analysis with the ChIPMA instrument. Some further investment of time and resources in sample preparation should make this a useful tool for chemical imaging applications.

  17. A probable risk factor of female breast cancer: study on benign and malignant breast tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rehman, Sohaila; Husnain, Syed M

    2014-01-01

    The study reports enhanced Fe, Cu, and Zn contents in breast tissues, a probable risk factor of breast cancer in females. Forty-one formalin-fixed breast tissues were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Twenty malignant, six adjacent to malignant and 15 benign tissues samples were investigated. The malignant tissues samples were of grade 11 and type invasive ductal carcinoma. The quantitative comparison between the elemental levels measured in the two types of specimen (benign and malignant) tissues (removed after surgery) suggests significant elevation of these metals (Fe, Cu, and Zn) in the malignant tissue. The specimens were collected just after mastectomy of women aged 19 to 59 years from the hospitals of Islamabad and Rawalpindi, Pakistan. Most of the patients belong to urban areas of Pakistan. Findings of study depict that these elements have a promising role in the initiation and development of carcinoma as consistent pattern of elevation for Fe, Cu, and Zn was observed. The results showed the excessive accumulation of Fe (229 ± 121 mg/L) in malignant breast tissue samples of patients (p factor of breast cancer. In order to validate our method of analysis, certified reference material muscle tissue lyophilized (IAEA) MA-M-2/TM was analyzed for metal studied. Determined concentrations were quite in good agreement with certified levels. Asymmetric concentration distribution for Fe, Cu, and Zn was observed in both malignant and benign tissue samples.

  18. Impact Of Tissue Sampling On Accuracy Of Ki67 Immunohistochemistry Evaluation In Breast Cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Justinas Besusparis

    2016-06-01

    The sampling requirements were dependent on the heterogeneity of the biomarker expression. To achieve a coefficient error of 10%, 5-6 cores were needed for homogeneous cases, while 11-12 cores for heterogeneous cases. In mixed tumor population, 8 TMA cores were required. Similarly, to achieve the same accuracy, approximately 4,000 nuclei must be counted when the intra-tumor heterogeneity is mixed/unknown. Tumors at the lower scale of proliferative activity would require larger sampling (10-12 TMA cores, or 5,000 nuclei to achieve the same error measurement results as for highly proliferative tumors. Our data show that optimal tissue sampling for IHC biomarker evaluation is dependent on the heterogeneity of the tissue under study and needs to be determined on a per-use basis. We propose a method that can be applied to determine the TMA sampling strategy for specific biomarkers, tissues and study targets. In addition, our findings highlight the importance of high-capacity computer-based IHC measurement techniques to improve accuracy of the testing.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2016-11-01

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

  20. Systematic bias in genomic classification due to contaminating non-neoplastic tissue in breast tumor samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Elloumi, Fathi; Hu, Zhiyuan; Li, Yan; Parker, Joel S; Gulley, Margaret L; Amos, Keith D; Troester, Melissa A

    2011-06-30

    Genomic tests are available to predict breast cancer recurrence and to guide clinical decision making. These predictors provide recurrence risk scores along with a measure of uncertainty, usually a confidence interval. The confidence interval conveys random error and not systematic bias. Standard tumor sampling methods make this problematic, as it is common to have a substantial proportion (typically 30-50%) of a tumor sample comprised of histologically benign tissue. This "normal" tissue could represent a source of non-random error or systematic bias in genomic classification. To assess the performance characteristics of genomic classification to systematic error from normal contamination, we collected 55 tumor samples and paired tumor-adjacent normal tissue. Using genomic signatures from the tumor and paired normal, we evaluated how increasing normal contamination altered recurrence risk scores for various genomic predictors. Simulations of normal tissue contamination caused misclassification of tumors in all predictors evaluated, but different breast cancer predictors showed different types of vulnerability to normal tissue bias. While two predictors had unpredictable direction of bias (either higher or lower risk of relapse resulted from normal contamination), one signature showed predictable direction of normal tissue effects. Due to this predictable direction of effect, this signature (the PAM50) was adjusted for normal tissue contamination and these corrections improved sensitivity and negative predictive value. For all three assays quality control standards and/or appropriate bias adjustment strategies can be used to improve assay reliability. Normal tissue sampled concurrently with tumor is an important source of bias in breast genomic predictors. All genomic predictors show some sensitivity to normal tissue contamination and ideal strategies for mitigating this bias vary depending upon the particular genes and computational methods used in the predictor.

  1. Prevalence of antimicrobial residues in eggs, tissue and feed samples in the State of Kuwait

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alomirah, H.; Al-Mazeedi, H.; Al-Zenki, S.; Al-Faili, B.; Al-Foudary, M.; Abuzid, A.; Al-Sayed, I.; Sidhu, J.

    2007-01-01

    A total of 238 locally produced and imported eggs, tissue (meat, poultry and aquacultured fish) and feed and feedstuffs samples were collected at different seasonal periods from different farms and retail outlets in Kuwait and screened for presence of beta-lactams, tetracyclines, sulfonamides, streptomycin, macrolides and chloramphenicol (799 tests) using Charm II system. The results indicated that all of the 222 tests performed on table egg samples were negative for the analyzed antimicrobial residues indicating adherence to the guidelines for microbial use and withdrawal. Similarly, all of the 268 tests performed on tissue samples were negative for the analyzed antimicrobial residues except for chloramphenicol. These chloramphenicol positive samples, all of the 66 tests performed were negative for beta-lactams residues. Out of the 79 feed and feedstuff samples analyzed for teracyclines residues, broiler diet and concentrate samples (5%) were above the tetracyclines MRL (100 ppb.). On the other hands, results have revealed a widespread of sulfonamide residues and to a less extent chloramphenicol in tested feed and feedstuff samples. The Charm II system was reliable for rapid screening of antimicrobial residues. In general, results obtained in our study necessitate more effective and well planned national antimicrobial residues surveillance programs focusing particularly on samples imported from highly risk sources. (author)

  2. EGFR T790M mutation testing of non-small cell lung cancer tissue and blood samples artificially spiked with circulating cell-free tumor DNA: results of a round robin trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fassunke, Jana; Ihle, Michaela Angelika; Lenze, Dido; Lehmann, Annika; Hummel, Michael; Vollbrecht, Claudia; Penzel, Roland; Volckmar, Anna-Lena; Stenzinger, Albrecht; Endris, Volker; Jung, Andreas; Lehmann, Ulrich; Zeugner, Silke; Baretton, Gustavo; Kreipe, Hans; Schirmacher, Peter; Kirchner, Thomas; Dietel, Manfred; Büttner, Reinhard; Merkelbach-Bruse, Sabine

    2017-10-01

    The European Commision (EC) recently approved osimertinib for the treatment of adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring EGFR T790M mutations. Besides tissue-based testing, blood samples containing cell-free circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) can be used to interrogate T790M status. Herein, we describe the conditions and results of a round robin trial (RRT) for T790M mutation testing in NSCLC tissue specimens and peripheral blood samples spiked with cell line DNA mimicking tumor-derived ctDNA. The underlying objectives of this two-staged external quality assessment (EQA) approach were (a) to evaluate the accuracy of T790M mutations testing across multiple centers and (b) to investigate if a liquid biopsy-based testing for T790M mutations in spiked blood samples is feasible in routine diagnostic. Based on a successfully completed internal phase I RRT, an open RRT for EGFR T790M mutation testing in tumor tissue and blood samples was initiated. In total, 48 pathology centers participated in the EQA. Of these, 47 (97.9%) centers submitted their analyses within the pre-defined time frame and 44 (tissue), respectively, 40 (plasma) successfully passed the test. The overall success rates in the RRT phase II were 91.7% (tissue) and 83.3% (blood), respectively. Thirty-eight out of 48 participants (79.2%) successfully passed both parts of the RRT. The RRT for blood-based EGFR testing initiated in Germany is, to the best of our knowledge, the first of his kind in Europe. In summary, our results demonstrate that blood-based genotyping for EGFR resistance mutations can be successfully integrated in routine molecular diagnostics complementing the array of molecular methods already available at pathology centers in Germany.

  3. A vocabulary for the identification and delineation of teratoma tissue components in hematoxylin and eosin-stained samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ramamurthy Bhagavatula

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available We propose a methodology for the design of features mimicking the visual cues used by pathologists when identifying tissues in hematoxylin and eosin (H&E-stained samples. Background: H&E staining is the gold standard in clinical histology; it is cheap and universally used, producing a vast number of histopathological samples. While pathologists accurately and consistently identify tissues and their pathologies, it is a time-consuming and expensive task, establishing the need for automated algorithms for improved throughput and robustness. Methods: We use an iterative feedback process to design a histopathology vocabulary (HV, a concise set of features that mimic the visual cues used by pathologists, e.g. "cytoplasm color" or "nucleus density." These features are based in histology and understood by both pathologists and engineers. We compare our HV to several generic texture-feature sets in a pixel-level classification algorithm. Results: Results on delineating and identifying tissues in teratoma tumor samples validate our expert knowledge-based approach. Conclusions: The HV can be an effective tool for identifying and delineating teratoma components from images of H&E-stained tissue samples.

  4. Second harmonic sound field after insertion of a biological tissue sample

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Dong; Gong, Xiu-Fen; Zhang, Bo

    2002-01-01

    Second harmonic sound field after inserting a biological tissue sample is investigated by theory and experiment. The sample is inserted perpendicular to the sound axis, whose acoustical properties are different from those of surrounding medium (distilled water). By using the superposition of Gaussian beams and the KZK equation in quasilinear and parabolic approximations, the second harmonic field after insertion of the sample can be derived analytically and expressed as a linear combination of self- and cross-interaction of the Gaussian beams. Egg white, egg yolk, porcine liver, and porcine fat are used as the samples and inserted in the sound field radiated from a 2 MHz uniformly excited focusing source. Axial normalized sound pressure curves of the second harmonic wave before and after inserting the sample are measured and compared with the theoretical results calculated with 10 items of Gaussian beam functions.

  5. Bisulfite-Based DNA Methylation Analysis from Recent and Archived Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin Embedded Colorectal Tissue Samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalmár, Alexandra; Péterfia, Bálint; Hollósi, Péter; Wichmann, Barnabás; Bodor, András; Patai, Árpád V; Schöller, Andrea; Krenács, Tibor; Tulassay, Zsolt; Molnár, Béla

    2015-09-01

    We aimed to test the applicability of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples for gene specific DNA methylation analysis after using two commercially available DNA isolation kits. Genomic DNA was isolated from 5 colorectal adenocarcinomas and 5 normal adjacent tissues from "recent", collected within 6 months, and "archived", collected more than 5 years ago, FFPE tissues using either High Pure FFPET DNA Isolation kit or QIAamp DNA FFPE Tissue kit. DNA methylation analysis of MAL, SFRP1 and SFRP2 genes, known to be hypermethylated in CRC, was performed using methylation-sensitive high resolution melting (MS-HRM) analysis and sequencing. QIAamp (Q) method resulted in slightly higher recovery in archived (HP: 1.22 ± 3.18 μg DNA; Q: 3.00 ± 4.04 μg DNA) and significantly (p < 0.05) higher recovery in recent samples compared to High Pure method (HP) (HP: 4.10 ± 2.91 μg DNA; Q: 11.51 ± 7.50 μg DNA). Both OD260/280 and OD260/230 ratios were lower, but still high in the High Pure isolated archived and recent samples compared to those isolated with QIAamp. Identical DNA methylation patterns were detected for all 3 genes tested by MS-HRM with both isolation kits in the recent group. However, despite of higher DNA recovery in QIAamp slightly more reproducible methylation results were obtained from High Pure isolated archived samples. Sequencing confirmed DNA hypermethylation in CRCs. In conclusion, reproducible DNA methylation patterns were obtained from recent samples using both isolation kits. However, long term storage may affect the reliability of the results leading to moderate differences between the efficiency of isolation kits.

  6. Use of alkaline or enzymatic sample pretreatment prior to characterization of gold nanoparticles in animal tissue by single-particle ICPMS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Löschner, Katrin; Brabrand, Myung Suk Jung; Sloth, Jens Jørgen

    2014-01-01

    , not much is known about the applicability of spICPMS for determination of NPs in complex matrices such as biological tissues. In the present study, alkaline and enzymatic treatments were applied to solubilize spleen samples from rats, which had been administered 60-nm gold nanoparticles (Au......NPs) intravenously. The results showed that similar size distributions of AuNPs were obtained independent of the sample preparation method used. Furthermore, the quantitative results for AuNP mass concentration obtained with spICPMS following alkaline sample pretreatment coincided with results for total gold...... concentration obtained by conventional ICPMS analysis of acid-digested tissue. The recovery of AuNPs from enzymatically digested tissue, however, was approximately four times lower. Spiking experiments of blank spleen samples with AuNPs showed that the lower recovery was caused by an inferior transport...

  7. Evaluation of sample preparation methods and optimization of nickel determination in vegetable tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rodrigo Fernando dos Santos Salazar

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Nickel, although essential to plants, may be toxic to plants and animals. It is mainly assimilated by food ingestion. However, information about the average levels of elements (including Ni in edible vegetables from different regions is still scarce in Brazil. The objectives of this study were to: (a evaluate and optimize a method for preparation of vegetable tissue samples for Ni determination; (b optimize the analytical procedures for determination by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (FAAS and by Electrothermal Atomic Absorption (ETAAS in vegetable samples and (c determine the Ni concentration in vegetables consumed in the cities of Lorena and Taubaté in the Vale do Paraíba, State of São Paulo, Brazil. By means of the analytical technique for determination by ETAAS or FAAS, the results were validated by the test of analyte addition and recovery. The most viable method tested for quantification of this element was HClO4-HNO3 wet digestion. All samples but carrot tissue collected in Lorena contained Ni levels above the permitted by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The most disturbing results, requiring more detailed studies, were the Ni concentrations measured in carrot samples from Taubaté, where levels were five times higher than permitted by Brazilian regulations.

  8. High-throughput simultaneous analysis of RNA, protein, and lipid biomarkers in heterogeneous tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reiser, Vladimír; Smith, Ryan C; Xue, Jiyan; Kurtz, Marc M; Liu, Rong; Legrand, Cheryl; He, Xuanmin; Yu, Xiang; Wong, Peggy; Hinchcliffe, John S; Tanen, Michael R; Lazar, Gloria; Zieba, Renata; Ichetovkin, Marina; Chen, Zhu; O'Neill, Edward A; Tanaka, Wesley K; Marton, Matthew J; Liao, Jason; Morris, Mark; Hailman, Eric; Tokiwa, George Y; Plump, Andrew S

    2011-11-01

    With expanding biomarker discovery efforts and increasing costs of drug development, it is critical to maximize the value of mass-limited clinical samples. The main limitation of available methods is the inability to isolate and analyze, from a single sample, molecules requiring incompatible extraction methods. Thus, we developed a novel semiautomated method for tissue processing and tissue milling and division (TMAD). We used a SilverHawk atherectomy catheter to collect atherosclerotic plaques from patients requiring peripheral atherectomy. Tissue preservation by flash freezing was compared with immersion in RNAlater®, and tissue grinding by traditional mortar and pestle was compared with TMAD. Comparators were protein, RNA, and lipid yield and quality. Reproducibility of analyte yield from aliquots of the same tissue sample processed by TMAD was also measured. The quantity and quality of biomarkers extracted from tissue prepared by TMAD was at least as good as that extracted from tissue stored and prepared by traditional means. TMAD enabled parallel analysis of gene expression (quantitative reverse-transcription PCR, microarray), protein composition (ELISA), and lipid content (biochemical assay) from as little as 20 mg of tissue. The mean correlation was r = 0.97 in molecular composition (RNA, protein, or lipid) between aliquots of individual samples generated by TMAD. We also demonstrated that it is feasible to use TMAD in a large-scale clinical study setting. The TMAD methodology described here enables semiautomated, high-throughput sampling of small amounts of heterogeneous tissue specimens by multiple analytical techniques with generally improved quality of recovered biomolecules.

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

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

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

    2016-01-01

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

  10. MicroRNA Expression in Laser Micro-dissected Breast Cancer Tissue Samples - a Pilot Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seclaman, Edward; Narita, Diana; Anghel, Andrei; Cireap, Natalia; Ilina, Razvan; Sirbu, Ioan Ovidiu; Marian, Catalin

    2017-10-28

    Breast cancer continues to represent a significant public health burden despite outstanding research advances regarding the molecular mechanisms of cancer biology, biomarkers for diagnostics and prognostic and therapeutic management of this disease. The studies of micro RNAs in breast cancer have underlined their potential as biomarkers and therapeutic targets; however most of these studies are still done on largely heterogeneous whole breast tissue samples. In this pilot study we have investigated the expression of four micro RNAs (miR-21, 145, 155, 92) known to be involved in breast cancer, in homogenous cell populations collected by laser capture microdissection from breast tissue section slides. Micro RNA expression was assessed by real time PCR, and associations with clinical and pathological characteristics were also explored. Our results have confirmed previous associations of miR-21 expression with poor prognosis characteristics of breast cancers such as high stage, large and highly proliferative tumors. No statistically significant associations were found with the other micro RNAs investigated, possibly due to the small sample size of our study. Our results also suggest that miR-484 could be a suitable endogenous control for data normalization in breast tissues, these results needing further confirmation by future studies. In summary, our pilot study showed the feasibility of detecting micro RNAs expression in homogenous laser captured microdissected invasive breast cancer samples, and confirmed some of the previously reported associations with poor prognostic characteristics of breast tumors.

  11. Selection of reference genes for tissue/organ samples on day 3 fifth-instar larvae in silkworm, Bombyx mori.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Genhong; Chen, Yanfei; Zhang, Xiaoying; Bai, Bingchuan; Yan, Hao; Qin, Daoyuan; Xia, Qingyou

    2018-06-01

    The silkworm, Bombyx mori, is one of the world's most economically important insect. Surveying variations in gene expression among multiple tissue/organ samples will provide clues for gene function assignments and will be helpful for identifying genes related to economic traits or specific cellular processes. To ensure their accuracy, commonly used gene expression quantification methods require a set of stable reference genes for data normalization. In this study, 24 candidate reference genes were assessed in 10 tissue/organ samples of day 3 fifth-instar B. mori larvae using geNorm and NormFinder. The results revealed that, using the combination of the expression of BGIBMGA003186 and BGIBMGA008209 was the optimum choice for normalizing the expression data of the B. mori tissue/organ samples. The most stable gene, BGIBMGA003186, is recommended if just one reference gene is used. Moreover, the commonly used reference gene encoding cytoplasmic actin was the least appropriate reference gene of the samples investigated. The reliability of the selected reference genes was further confirmed by evaluating the expression profiles of two cathepsin genes. Our results may be useful for future studies involving the quantification of relative gene expression levels of different tissue/organ samples in B. mori. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  12. A method for the determination of potassium concentration in organic tissue samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maciel, A.C.A.

    1976-12-01

    An original method has been developed to detect small variations of potassium in several samples of organic tissue. These variations are relative to elements that are biologically representative, such as carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen. The samples are irradiated with a beam of protons from a Van de Graaff accelerator (4MV). Vacancies are created in the K-shell of potassium, and x-rays are emitted when these vacancies are filled with outer electrons. These X-rays and the protons elastically scattered by the nuclei of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen are detected and their energy spectra are analysed by computer programs especially elaborated for this purpose. A technique for routine preparation of samples in the laboratory was developed including the production of aluminum support layers, and the preparation of organic tissue samples with a low temperature microtome. The unique features of this method are that it does not destroy the tissue, permitting further analysis with the microscope, and the normalization of the amount of potassium using other elements (C,O,N) instead of the total mass of the sample. (Author) [pt

  13. Implementation of immunohistochemistry on frozen ear notch tissue samples in diagnosis of bovine viral diarrhea virus in persistently infected cattle

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bedeković Tomislav

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Bovine viral diarrhea is a contagious disease of domestic and wild ruminants and one of the most economically important diseases in cattle. Bovine viral diarrhea virus belongs to the genus Pestivirus, within the family Flaviviridae. The identification and elimination of the persistently infected animals from herds is the initial step in the control and eradication programs. It is therefore necessary to have reliable methods for diagnosis of bovine viral diarrhea virus. One of those methods is immunohistochemistry. Immunohistochemistry on formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissue is a routine technique in diagnosis of persistently infected cattle from ear notch tissue samples. However, such technique is inappropriate due to complicated tissue fixation process and it requires more days for preparation. On the contrary, immunohistochemistry on frozen tissue was usually applied on organs from dead animals. In this paper, for the first time, the imunohistochemistry on frozen ear notch tissue samples was described. Findings Seventeen ear notch tissue samples were obtained during the period 2008-2009 from persistently infected cattle. Samples were fixed in liquid nitrogen and stored on -20°C until testing. Ear notch tissue samples from all persistently infected cattle showed positive results with good section quality and possibility to determinate type of infected cells. Conclusions Although the number of samples was limited, this study indicated that immunohistochemistry on formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue can be successfully replaced with immunohistochemistry on frozen ear notch tissue samples in diagnosis of persistently infected cattle.

  14. 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...

  15. Comparison of ESR1 Mutations in Tumor Tissue and Matched Plasma Samples from Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients

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    Takashi Takeshita

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: ESR1 mutation in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA is emerging as a noninvasive biomarker of acquired resistance to endocrine therapy, but there is a paucity of data comparing the status of ESR1 gene in cfDNA with that in its corresponding tumor tissue. The objective of this study is to validate the degree of concordance of ESR1 mutations between plasma and tumor tissue. METHODS: ESR1 ligand-binding domain mutations Y537S, Y537N, Y537C, and D538G were analyzed using droplet digital PCR in 35 patients with metastatic breast cancer (MBC (35 tumor tissue samples and 67 plasma samples. RESULTS: Of the 35 paired samples, 26 (74.3% were concordant: one patient had detectable ESR1 mutations both plasma (ESR1 Y537S/Y537N and tumor tissue (ESR1 Y537S/Y537C, and 25 had WT ESR1 alleles in both. Nine (25.7% had discordance between the plasma and tissue results: five had mutations detected only in their tumor tissue (two Y537S, one Y537C, one D538G, and one Y537S/Y537N/D538G, and four had mutations detected only in their plasma (one Y537S, one Y537N, and two Y537S/Y537N/D538G. Furthermore, longitudinal plasma samples from 19 patients were used to assess changes in the presence of ESR1 mutations during treatment. Eleven patients had cfDNA ESR1 mutations over the course of treatment. A total of eight of 11 patients with MBC with cfDNA ESR1 mutations (72.7% had the polyclonal mutations. CONCLUSION: We have shown the independent distribution of ESR1 mutations between plasma and tumor tissue in 35 patients with MBC.

  16. DNA damage in preserved specimens and tissue samples: a molecular assessment

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cantin Elizabeth

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The extraction of genetic information from preserved tissue samples or museum specimens is a fundamental component of many fields of research, including the Barcode of Life initiative, forensic investigations, biological studies using scat sample analysis, and cancer research utilizing formaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue. Efforts to obtain genetic information from these sources are often hampered by an inability to amplify the desired DNA as a consequence of DNA damage. Previous studies have described techniques for improved DNA extraction from such samples or focused on the effect of damaging agents – such as light, oxygen or formaldehyde – on free nucleotides. We present ongoing work to characterize lesions in DNA samples extracted from preserved specimens. The extracted DNA is digested to single nucleosides with a combination of DNase I, Snake Venom Phosphodiesterase, and Antarctic Phosphatase and then analyzed by HPLC-ESI-TOF-MS. We present data for moth specimens that were preserved dried and pinned with no additional preservative and for frog tissue samples that were preserved in either ethanol, or formaldehyde, or fixed in formaldehyde and then preserved in ethanol. These preservation methods represent the most common methods of preserving animal specimens in museum collections. We observe changes in the nucleoside content of these samples over time, especially a loss of deoxyguanosine. We characterize the fragmentation state of the DNA and aim to identify abundant nucleoside lesions. Finally, simple models are introduced to describe the DNA fragmentation based on nicks and double-strand breaks.

  17. Risk for molecular contamination of tissue samples evaluated for targeted anti-cancer therapy.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eyal Asor

    Full Text Available With the increasing usage of sensitive PCR technology for pharmacogenetics, cross contamination becomes a significant concern. Researchers employed techniques which basically include replacing laboratory equipment after each sample preparation; however, there are no recommended guidelines. In the present work we wanted to evaluate the risk of cross contamination during tissue processing using the routine precaution measures. Twenty-one surgical samples of lung adenocarcinoma were used, of which 7 contained EGFR exon 19 mutation, 7 contained EGFR exon 21 mutation (p.L858R and 7 were EGFR wild-type. The samples were ordered by alternating the mutation group to maximize the potential for cross contamination and underwent tissue sectioning and de-paraffinization. The entire process was performed using the same tools. Following DNA extraction all samples underwent PCR amplification and were scrutinized for small fractions of EGFR mutation using deep sequencing with the Ion torrent PGM technology. Twenty samples yielded results. The fraction of mutated copies was 41 ± 23% (range 11-66 for the cases with known exon 19 mutation and 48±24% (range 0-65 for the cases with known exon 21 mutations. No in-frame exon 19 deletion mutations were identified in the wild-type (WT and exon 21 groups. The fraction of EGFR exon 21 (codon 858 mutations was 0.018±0.014% (range 0-0.05% in the WT and exon 19 groups, which was not statistically different than the background sequencing artifact noise for the same base-pair alteration (p = 0.21. Our results suggest that standard precautions are sufficient for molecular pathology diagnosis of surgical samples and are not associated with increased risk of cross contamination.

  18. Screening of Viral Pathogens from Pediatric Ileal Tissue Samples after Vaccination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Laura Hewitson

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available In 2010, researchers reported that the two US-licensed rotavirus vaccines contained DNA or DNA fragments from porcine circovirus (PCV. Although PCV, a common virus among pigs, is not thought to cause illness in humans, these findings raised several safety concerns. In this study, we sought to determine whether viruses, including PCV, could be detected in ileal tissue samples of children vaccinated with one of the two rotavirus vaccines. A broad spectrum, novel DNA detection technology, the Lawrence Livermore Microbial Detection Array (LLMDA, was utilized, and confirmation of viral pathogens using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR was conducted. The LLMDA technology was recently used to identify PCV from one rotavirus vaccine. Ileal tissue samples were analyzed from 21 subjects, aged 15–62 months. PCV was not detected in any ileal tissue samples by the LLMDA or PCR. LLMDA identified a human rotavirus A from one of the vaccinated subjects, which is likely due to a recent infection from a wild type rotavirus. LLMDA also identified human parechovirus, a common gastroenteritis viral infection, from two subjects. Additionally, LLMDA detected common gastrointestinal bacterial organisms from the Enterobacteriaceae, Bacteroidaceae, and Streptococcaceae families from several subjects. This study provides a survey of viral and bacterial pathogens from pediatric ileal samples, and may shed light on future studies to identify pathogen associations with pediatric vaccinations.

  19. Rapid column extraction method for actinides and strontium in fish and other animal tissue samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Maxwell III, S.L.; Faison, D.M.

    2008-01-01

    The analysis of actinides and radiostrontium in animal tissue samples is very important for environmental monitoring. There is a need to measure actinide isotopes and strontium with very low detection limits in animal tissue samples, including fish, deer, hogs, beef and shellfish. A new, rapid separation method has been developed that allows the measurement of plutonium, neptunium, uranium, americium, curium and strontium isotopes in large animal tissue samples (100-200 g) with high chemical recoveries and effective removal of matrix interferences. This method uses stacked TEVA Resin R , TRU Resin R and DGA Resin R cartridges from Eichrom Technologies (Darien, IL, USA) that allows the rapid separation of plutonium (Pu), neptunium (Np), uranium (U), americium (Am), and curium (Cm) using a single multi-stage column combined with alphaspectrometry. Strontium is collected on Sr Resin R from Eichrom Technologies (Darien, IL, USA). After acid digestion and furnace heating of the animal tissue samples, the actinides and 89/90 Sr are separated using column extraction chromatography. This method has been shown to be effective over a wide range of animal tissue matrices. Vacuum box cartridge technology with rapid flow rates is used to minimize sample preparation time. (author)

  20. Proteomic analysis of tissue samples in translational breast cancer research

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Gromov, Pavel; Moreira, José; Gromova, Irina

    2014-01-01

    In the last decade, many proteomic technologies have been applied, with varying success, to the study of tissue samples of breast carcinoma for protein expression profiling in order to discover protein biomarkers/signatures suitable for: characterization and subtyping of tumors; early diagnosis...... the translation of basic discoveries into the daily breast cancer clinical practice. In particular, we address major issues in experimental design by reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of current proteomic strategies in the context of the analysis of human breast tissue specimens....

  1. Sample Preparation of Corn Seed Tissue to Prevent Analyte Relocations for Mass Spectrometry Imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Shin Hye; Kim, Jeongkwon; Lee, Young Jin; Lee, Tae Geol; Yoon, Sohee

    2017-08-01

    Corn seed tissue sections were prepared by the tape support method using an adhesive tape, and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) was performed. The effect of heat generated during sample preparation was investigated by time-of-flight secondary mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) imaging of corn seed tissue prepared by the tape support and the thaw-mounted methods. Unlike thaw-mounted sample preparation, the tape support method does not cause imaging distortion because of the absence of heat, which can cause migration of the analytes on the sample. By applying the tape-support method, the corn seed tissue was prepared without structural damage and MSI with accurate spatial information of analytes was successfully performed.

  2. Sample Preparation of Corn Seed Tissue to Prevent Analyte Relocations for Mass Spectrometry Imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Shin Hye; Kim, Jeongkwon; Lee, Young Jin; Lee, Tae Geol; Yoon, Sohee

    2017-08-01

    Corn seed tissue sections were prepared by the tape support method using an adhesive tape, and mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) was performed. The effect of heat generated during sample preparation was investigated by time-of-flight secondary mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) imaging of corn seed tissue prepared by the tape support and the thaw-mounted methods. Unlike thaw-mounted sample preparation, the tape support method does not cause imaging distortion because of the absence of heat, which can cause migration of the analytes on the sample. By applying the tape-support method, the corn seed tissue was prepared without structural damage and MSI with accurate spatial information of analytes was successfully performed. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

  3. Extraction of methylmercury from tissue and plant samples by acid leaching

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hintelmann, Holger; Nguyen, Hong T. [Trent University, Chemistry Department, Peterborough, ON (Canada)

    2005-01-01

    A simple and efficient extraction method based on acidic leaching has been developed for measurement of methylmercury (MeHg) in benthic organisms and plant material. Methylmercury was measured by speciated isotope-dilution mass spectrometry (SIDMS), using gas chromatography interfaced with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (GC-ICP-MS). Reagent concentration and digestion temperature were optimized for several alkaline and acidic extractants. Recovery was evaluated by addition of MeHg enriched with CH{sub 3}{sup 201}Hg{sup +}. Certified reference materials (CRM) were used to evaluate the efficiency of the procedure. The final digestion method used 5 mL of 4 mol L{sup -1} HNO{sub 3} at 55 C to leach MeHg from tissue and plant material. The digest was further processed by aqueous phase ethylation, without interference with the ethylation step, resulting in 96{+-}7% recovery of CH{sub 3}{sup 201}Hg{sup +} from oyster tissue and 93{+-}7% from pine needles. Methylmercury was stable in this solution for at least 1 week and measured concentrations of MeHg in CRM were statistically not different from certified values. The method was applied to real samples of benthic invertebrates and inter-laboratory comparisons were conducted using lyophilized zooplankton, chironomidae, and notonectidae samples. (orig.)

  4. A random sampling approach for robust estimation of tissue-to-plasma ratio from extremely sparse data.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Hui-May; Ette, Ene I

    2005-09-02

    his study was performed to develop a new nonparametric approach for the estimation of robust tissue-to-plasma ratio from extremely sparsely sampled paired data (ie, one sample each from plasma and tissue per subject). Tissue-to-plasma ratio was estimated from paired/unpaired experimental data using independent time points approach, area under the curve (AUC) values calculated with the naïve data averaging approach, and AUC values calculated using sampling based approaches (eg, the pseudoprofile-based bootstrap [PpbB] approach and the random sampling approach [our proposed approach]). The random sampling approach involves the use of a 2-phase algorithm. The convergence of the sampling/resampling approaches was investigated, as well as the robustness of the estimates produced by different approaches. To evaluate the latter, new data sets were generated by introducing outlier(s) into the real data set. One to 2 concentration values were inflated by 10% to 40% from their original values to produce the outliers. Tissue-to-plasma ratios computed using the independent time points approach varied between 0 and 50 across time points. The ratio obtained from AUC values acquired using the naive data averaging approach was not associated with any measure of uncertainty or variability. Calculating the ratio without regard to pairing yielded poorer estimates. The random sampling and pseudoprofile-based bootstrap approaches yielded tissue-to-plasma ratios with uncertainty and variability. However, the random sampling approach, because of the 2-phase nature of its algorithm, yielded more robust estimates and required fewer replications. Therefore, a 2-phase random sampling approach is proposed for the robust estimation of tissue-to-plasma ratio from extremely sparsely sampled data.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    1995-01-01

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

  6. Biomarker discovery in heterogeneous tissue samples -taking the in-silico deconfounding approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parida Shreemanta K

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background For heterogeneous tissues, such as blood, measurements of gene expression are confounded by relative proportions of cell types involved. Conclusions have to rely on estimation of gene expression signals for homogeneous cell populations, e.g. by applying micro-dissection, fluorescence activated cell sorting, or in-silico deconfounding. We studied feasibility and validity of a non-negative matrix decomposition algorithm using experimental gene expression data for blood and sorted cells from the same donor samples. Our objective was to optimize the algorithm regarding detection of differentially expressed genes and to enable its use for classification in the difficult scenario of reversely regulated genes. This would be of importance for the identification of candidate biomarkers in heterogeneous tissues. Results Experimental data and simulation studies involving noise parameters estimated from these data revealed that for valid detection of differential gene expression, quantile normalization and use of non-log data are optimal. We demonstrate the feasibility of predicting proportions of constituting cell types from gene expression data of single samples, as a prerequisite for a deconfounding-based classification approach. Classification cross-validation errors with and without using deconfounding results are reported as well as sample-size dependencies. Implementation of the algorithm, simulation and analysis scripts are available. Conclusions The deconfounding algorithm without decorrelation using quantile normalization on non-log data is proposed for biomarkers that are difficult to detect, and for cases where confounding by varying proportions of cell types is the suspected reason. In this case, a deconfounding ranking approach can be used as a powerful alternative to, or complement of, other statistical learning approaches to define candidate biomarkers for molecular diagnosis and prediction in biomedicine, in

  7. Theory of sampling and its application in tissue based diagnosis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kayser Gian

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background A general theory of sampling and its application in tissue based diagnosis is presented. Sampling is defined as extraction of information from certain limited spaces and its transformation into a statement or measure that is valid for the entire (reference space. The procedure should be reproducible in time and space, i.e. give the same results when applied under similar circumstances. Sampling includes two different aspects, the procedure of sample selection and the efficiency of its performance. The practical performance of sample selection focuses on search for localization of specific compartments within the basic space, and search for presence of specific compartments. Methods When a sampling procedure is applied in diagnostic processes two different procedures can be distinguished: I the evaluation of a diagnostic significance of a certain object, which is the probability that the object can be grouped into a certain diagnosis, and II the probability to detect these basic units. Sampling can be performed without or with external knowledge, such as size of searched objects, neighbourhood conditions, spatial distribution of objects, etc. If the sample size is much larger than the object size, the application of a translation invariant transformation results in Kriege's formula, which is widely used in search for ores. Usually, sampling is performed in a series of area (space selections of identical size. The size can be defined in relation to the reference space or according to interspatial relationship. The first method is called random sampling, the second stratified sampling. Results Random sampling does not require knowledge about the reference space, and is used to estimate the number and size of objects. Estimated features include area (volume fraction, numerical, boundary and surface densities. Stratified sampling requires the knowledge of objects (and their features and evaluates spatial features in relation to

  8. Elastic moduli of normal and pathological human breast tissues: an inversion-technique-based investigation of 169 samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samani, Abbas; Zubovits, Judit; Plewes, Donald

    2007-03-01

    Understanding and quantifying the mechanical properties of breast tissues has been a subject of interest for the past two decades. This has been motivated in part by interest in modelling soft tissue response for surgery planning and virtual-reality-based surgical training. Interpreting elastography images for diagnostic purposes also requires a sound understanding of normal and pathological tissue mechanical properties. Reliable data on tissue elastic properties are very limited and those which are available tend to be inconsistent, in part as a result of measurement methodology. We have developed specialized techniques to measure tissue elasticity of breast normal tissues and tumour specimens and applied them to 169 fresh ex vivo breast tissue samples including fat and fibroglandular tissue as well as a range of benign and malignant breast tumour types. Results show that, under small deformation conditions, the elastic modulus of normal breast fat and fibroglandular tissues are similar while fibroadenomas were approximately twice the stiffness. Fibrocystic disease and malignant tumours exhibited a 3-6-fold increased stiffness with high-grade invasive ductal carcinoma exhibiting up to a 13-fold increase in stiffness compared to fibrogalndular tissue. A statistical analysis showed that differences between the elastic modulus of the majority of those tissues were statistically significant. Implications for the specificity advantages of elastography are reviewed.

  9. Elastic moduli of normal and pathological human breast tissues: an inversion-technique-based investigation of 169 samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samani, Abbas; Zubovits, Judit; Plewes, Donald

    2007-01-01

    Understanding and quantifying the mechanical properties of breast tissues has been a subject of interest for the past two decades. This has been motivated in part by interest in modelling soft tissue response for surgery planning and virtual-reality-based surgical training. Interpreting elastography images for diagnostic purposes also requires a sound understanding of normal and pathological tissue mechanical properties. Reliable data on tissue elastic properties are very limited and those which are available tend to be inconsistent, in part as a result of measurement methodology. We have developed specialized techniques to measure tissue elasticity of breast normal tissues and tumour specimens and applied them to 169 fresh ex vivo breast tissue samples including fat and fibroglandular tissue as well as a range of benign and malignant breast tumour types. Results show that, under small deformation conditions, the elastic modulus of normal breast fat and fibroglandular tissues are similar while fibroadenomas were approximately twice the stiffness. Fibrocystic disease and malignant tumours exhibited a 3-6-fold increased stiffness with high-grade invasive ductal carcinoma exhibiting up to a 13-fold increase in stiffness compared to fibrogalndular tissue. A statistical analysis showed that differences between the elastic modulus of the majority of those tissues were statistically significant. Implications for the specificity advantages of elastography are reviewed

  10. Elastic moduli of normal and pathological human breast tissues: an inversion-technique-based investigation of 169 samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Samani, Abbas [Department of Medical Biophysics/Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Western Ontario, Medical Sciences Building, London, Ontario, N6A 5C1 (Canada); Zubovits, Judit [Department of Anatomic Pathology, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M4N 3M5 (Canada); Plewes, Donald [Department of Medical Biophysics, University of Toronto, 2075 Bayview Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, M4N 3M5 (Canada)

    2007-03-21

    Understanding and quantifying the mechanical properties of breast tissues has been a subject of interest for the past two decades. This has been motivated in part by interest in modelling soft tissue response for surgery planning and virtual-reality-based surgical training. Interpreting elastography images for diagnostic purposes also requires a sound understanding of normal and pathological tissue mechanical properties. Reliable data on tissue elastic properties are very limited and those which are available tend to be inconsistent, in part as a result of measurement methodology. We have developed specialized techniques to measure tissue elasticity of breast normal tissues and tumour specimens and applied them to 169 fresh ex vivo breast tissue samples including fat and fibroglandular tissue as well as a range of benign and malignant breast tumour types. Results show that, under small deformation conditions, the elastic modulus of normal breast fat and fibroglandular tissues are similar while fibroadenomas were approximately twice the stiffness. Fibrocystic disease and malignant tumours exhibited a 3-6-fold increased stiffness with high-grade invasive ductal carcinoma exhibiting up to a 13-fold increase in stiffness compared to fibrogalndular tissue. A statistical analysis showed that differences between the elastic modulus of the majority of those tissues were statistically significant. Implications for the specificity advantages of elastography are reviewed.

  11. A novel method for single sample multi-axial nanoindentation of hydrated heterogeneous tissues based on testing great white shark jaws.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ferrara, Toni L; Boughton, Philip; Slavich, Eve; Wroe, Stephen

    2013-01-01

    Nanomechanical testing methods that are suitable for a range of hydrated tissues are crucial for understanding biological systems. Nanoindentation of tissues can provide valuable insights into biology, tissue engineering and biomimetic design. However, testing hydrated biological samples still remains a significant challenge. Shark jaw cartilage is an ideal substrate for developing a method to test hydrated tissues because it is a unique heterogeneous composite of both mineralized (hard) and non-mineralized (soft) layers and possesses a jaw geometry that is challenging to test mechanically. The aim of this study is to develop a novel method for obtaining multidirectional nanomechanical properties for both layers of jaw cartilage from a single sample, taken from the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). A method for obtaining multidirectional data from a single sample is necessary for examining tissue mechanics in this shark because it is a protected species and hence samples may be difficult to obtain. Results show that this method maintains hydration of samples that would otherwise rapidly dehydrate. Our study is the first analysis of nanomechanical properties of great white shark jaw cartilage. Variation in nanomechanical properties were detected in different orthogonal directions for both layers of jaw cartilage in this species. The data further suggest that the mineralized layer of shark jaw cartilage is less stiff than previously posited. Our method allows multidirectional nanomechanical properties to be obtained from a single, small, hydrated heterogeneous sample. Our technique is therefore suitable for use when specimens are rare, valuable or limited in quantity, such as samples obtained from endangered species or pathological tissues. We also outline a method for tip-to-optic calibration that facilitates nanoindentation of soft biological tissues. Our technique may help address the critical need for a nanomechanical testing method that is applicable

  12. A novel method for single sample multi-axial nanoindentation of hydrated heterogeneous tissues based on testing great white shark jaws.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toni L Ferrara

    Full Text Available Nanomechanical testing methods that are suitable for a range of hydrated tissues are crucial for understanding biological systems. Nanoindentation of tissues can provide valuable insights into biology, tissue engineering and biomimetic design. However, testing hydrated biological samples still remains a significant challenge. Shark jaw cartilage is an ideal substrate for developing a method to test hydrated tissues because it is a unique heterogeneous composite of both mineralized (hard and non-mineralized (soft layers and possesses a jaw geometry that is challenging to test mechanically. The aim of this study is to develop a novel method for obtaining multidirectional nanomechanical properties for both layers of jaw cartilage from a single sample, taken from the great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias. A method for obtaining multidirectional data from a single sample is necessary for examining tissue mechanics in this shark because it is a protected species and hence samples may be difficult to obtain. Results show that this method maintains hydration of samples that would otherwise rapidly dehydrate. Our study is the first analysis of nanomechanical properties of great white shark jaw cartilage. Variation in nanomechanical properties were detected in different orthogonal directions for both layers of jaw cartilage in this species. The data further suggest that the mineralized layer of shark jaw cartilage is less stiff than previously posited. Our method allows multidirectional nanomechanical properties to be obtained from a single, small, hydrated heterogeneous sample. Our technique is therefore suitable for use when specimens are rare, valuable or limited in quantity, such as samples obtained from endangered species or pathological tissues. We also outline a method for tip-to-optic calibration that facilitates nanoindentation of soft biological tissues. Our technique may help address the critical need for a nanomechanical testing method

  13. Tissue characterization using magnetic resonance elastography: preliminary results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kruse, S.A.; Smith, J.A.; Lawrence, A.J.; Dresner, M.A.; Manduca, A.; Greenleaf, J.F.; Ehman, R.L.

    2000-01-01

    The well-documented effectiveness of palpation as a diagnostic technique for detecting cancer and other diseases has provided motivation for developing imaging techniques for non-invasively evaluating the mechanical properties of tissue. A recently described approach for elasticity imaging, using propagating acoustic shear waves and phase-contrast MRI, has been called magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). The purpose of this work was to conduct preliminary studies to define methods for using MRE as a tool for addressing the paucity of quantitative tissue mechanical property data in the literature. Fresh animal liver and kidney tissue specimens were evaluated with MRE at multiple shear wave frequencies. The influence of specimen temperature and orientation on measurements of stiffness was studied in skeletal muscle. The results demonstrated that all of the materials tested (liver, kidney, muscle and tissue-simulating gel) exhibit systematic dependence of shear stiffness on shear rate. These data are consistent with a viscoelastic model of tissue mechanical properties, allowing calculation of two independent tissue properties from multiple-frequency MRE data: shear modulus and shear viscosity. The shear stiffness of tissue can be substantially affected by specimen temperature. The results also demonstrated evidence of shear anisotropy in skeletal muscle but not liver tissue. The measured shear stiffness in skeletal muscle was found to depend on both the direction of propagation and polarization of the shear waves. (author)

  14. Identification of immune cell infiltration in hematoxylin-eosin stained breast cancer samples: texture-based classification of tissue morphologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turkki, Riku; Linder, Nina; Kovanen, Panu E.; Pellinen, Teijo; Lundin, Johan

    2016-03-01

    The characteristics of immune cells in the tumor microenvironment of breast cancer capture clinically important information. Despite the heterogeneity of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, it has been shown that the degree of infiltration assessed by visual evaluation of hematoxylin-eosin (H and E) stained samples has prognostic and possibly predictive value. However, quantification of the infiltration in H and E-stained tissue samples is currently dependent on visual scoring by an expert. Computer vision enables automated characterization of the components of the tumor microenvironment, and texture-based methods have successfully been used to discriminate between different tissue morphologies and cell phenotypes. In this study, we evaluate whether local binary pattern texture features with superpixel segmentation and classification with support vector machine can be utilized to identify immune cell infiltration in H and E-stained breast cancer samples. Guided with the pan-leukocyte CD45 marker, we annotated training and test sets from 20 primary breast cancer samples. In the training set of arbitrary sized image regions (n=1,116) a 3-fold cross-validation resulted in 98% accuracy and an area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.98 to discriminate between immune cell -rich and - poor areas. In the test set (n=204), we achieved an accuracy of 96% and AUC of 0.99 to label cropped tissue regions correctly into immune cell -rich and -poor categories. The obtained results demonstrate strong discrimination between immune cell -rich and -poor tissue morphologies. The proposed method can provide a quantitative measurement of the degree of immune cell infiltration and applied to digitally scanned H and E-stained breast cancer samples for diagnostic purposes.

  15. Detection of Flavobacterium psychrophilum from fish tissue and water samples by PCR amplification

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Wiklund, T.; Madsen, Lone; Bruun, Morten Sichlau

    2000-01-01

    investigation, the possible detection of Fl. psychrophilum from fish tissue and water samples was examined using nested PCR with DNA probes against a sequence of the 16S rRNA genes. The DNA was extracted using Chelex(R) 100 chelating resin. The primers, which were tested against strains isolated from diseased...... fish, healthy fish, fish farm environments and reference strains, proved to be specific for Fl. psychrophilum. The obtained detection limit of Fl. psychrophilum seeded into rainbow trout brain tissue was 0.4 cfu in the PCR tube, corresponding to 17 cfu mg(-1) brain tissue. The PCR-assay proved...... to be more sensitive than agar cultivation of tissue samples from the brain of rainbow trout injected with Fl. psychrophilum. In non-sterile fresh water seeded with Fl. psychrophilum the detection limit of the PCR- assay was 1.7 cfu in the PCR tube, corresponding to 110 cfu ml(-1) water. The PCR...

  16. Simultaneous sampling of tissue oxygenation and oxygen consumption in skeletal muscle.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nugent, William H; Song, Bjorn K; Pittman, Roland N; Golub, Aleksander S

    2016-05-01

    Under physiologic conditions, microvascular oxygen delivery appears to be well matched to oxygen consumption in respiring tissues. We present a technique to measure interstitial oxygen tension (PISFO2) and oxygen consumption (VO2) under steady-state conditions, as well as during the transitions from rest to activity and back. Phosphorescence Quenching Microscopy (PQM) was employed with pneumatic compression cycling to achieve 1 to 10 Hz sampling rates of interstitial PO2 and simultaneous recurrent sampling of VO2 (3/min) in the exteriorized rat spinotrapezius muscle. The compression pressure was optimized to 120-130 mmHg without adverse effect on the tissue preparation. A cycle of 5s compression followed by 15s recovery yielded a resting VO2 of 0.98 ± 0.03 ml O2/100 cm(3)min while preserving microvascular oxygen delivery. The measurement system was then used to assess VO2 dependence on PISFO2 at rest and further tested under conditions of isometric muscle contraction to demonstrate a robust ability to monitor the on-kinetics of tissue respiration and the compensatory changes in PISFO2 during contraction and recovery. The temporal and spatial resolution of this approach is well suited to studies seeking to characterize microvascular oxygen supply and demand in thin tissues. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Sample preparation procedure for PIXE elemental analysis on soft tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kubica, B.; Kwiatek, W.M.; Dutkiewicz, E.M.; Lekka, M.

    1997-01-01

    Trace element analysis is one of the most important field in analytical chemistry. There are several instrumental techniques which are applied for determinations of microscopic elemental content. The PIXE (Proton Induced X-ray Emission) technique is one of the nuclear techniques that is commonly applied for such purpose due to its multielemental analysis possibilities. The aim of this study was to establish the optimal conditions for target preparation procedure. In this paper two different approaches to the topic are presented and widely discussed. The first approach was the traditional pellet technique and the second one was mineralization procedure. For the analysis soft tissue such as liver was used. Some results are also presented on water samples. (author)

  18. Biobanking of fresh frozen tissue from clinical surgical specimens: transport logistics, sample selection, and histologic characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Botling, Johan; Micke, Patrick

    2011-01-01

    Access to high-quality fresh frozen tissue is critical for translational cancer research and molecular -diagnostics. Here we describe a workflow for the collection of frozen solid tissue samples derived from fresh human patient specimens after surgery. The routines have been in operation at Uppsala University Hospital since 2001. We have integrated cryosection and histopathologic examination of each biobank sample into the biobank manual. In this way, even small, macroscopically ill-defined lesions can be -procured without a diagnostic hazard due to the removal of uncharacterized tissue from a clinical -specimen. Also, knowledge of the histomorphology of the frozen tissue sample - tumor cell content, stromal components, and presence of necrosis - is pivotal before entering a biobank case into costly molecular profiling studies.

  19. Multimodal Raman-fluorescence spectroscopy of formalin fixed samples is able to discriminate brain tumors from dysplastic tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anand, Suresh; Cicchi, Riccardo; Giordano, Flavio; Buccoliero, Anna Maria; Pavone, Francesco Saverio

    2014-05-01

    In the recent years, there has been a considerable surge in the application of spectroscopy for disease diagnosis. Raman and fluorescence spectra provide characteristic spectral profile related to biochemical and morphological changes when tissues progress from normal state towards malignancy. Spectroscopic techniques offer the advantage of being minimally invasive compared to traditional histopathology, real time and quantitative. In biomedical optical diagnostics, freshly excised specimens are preferred for making ex-vivo spectroscopic measurements. With regard to fresh tissues, if the lab is located far away from the clinic it could pose a problem as spectral measurements have to be performed immediately after dissection. Tissue samples are usually placed in a fixative agent such as 4% formaldehyde to preserve the samples before processing them for routine histopathological studies. Fixation prevents the tissues from decomposition by arresting autolysis. In the present study, we intend to investigate the possibility of using formalin fixed samples for discrimination of brain tumours from dysplastic tissue using Raman and fluorescence spectroscopy. Formalin fixed samples were washed with phosphate buffered saline for about 5 minutes in order to remove the effects of formalin during spectroscopic measurements. In case of fluorescence spectroscopy, changes in spectral profile have been observed in the region between 550-670 nm between dysplastic and tumor samples. For Raman measurements, we found significant differences in the spectral profiles between dysplasia and tumor. In conclusion, formalin fixed samples can be potentially used for the spectroscopic discrimination of tumor against dysplastic tissue in brain samples.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2014-03-01

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

  1. Radionuclides in animal tissue samples from various regions of Austria

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tatzber, F.

    1981-06-01

    An investigation of the concentration of radioactive substances in animal species from various regions of Austria has been carried out. For bone and liver of deer, radionuclide concentrations typical for central Europe were found. The content of 90 Sr were higher in gasteropod shells than in deer bone. Similar concentrations of 90 Sr were found in isopods as in snail shells related to fresh weight, but related to Ca content the values in isopods were higher than in all other animals. Based on these results, a study of snail shells and of isopods as bioindicators for 90 Sr content in environmental control is indicated. In tissue samples of the same species, but from different regions of Austria, the fallout radionuclide concentrations were found to be related to altitude ( 90 Sr) and to the amount of precipitation ( 137 Cs). These correlation differences could point to a different deposition behaviours of 90 Sr and 137 Cs, the former being deposited mainly with solid precipitation. This seems plausible since aerosols carried over continental distances show a high sulfate content and alkaline earth metal sulfates are less soluble than alkali sulfates. Examination of absolute concentration values related to fresh tissue weight show high fallout radionuclide concentrations, as compared to natural radionuclide concentration, especially in hard tissues. These fallout levels constitute a significant radioactive load on the biosphere. Due to the long physical half-life of 90 Sr and 137 Cs, this situation will remain virtually unchanged during the next decades, even if no further nuclear weapons tests are carried out. (G.G.)

  2. Application of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry for multielement analysis in small sample amounts of thyroid tissue from Chernobyl area

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Becker, J.S.; Dietze, H.J.; Boulyga, S.F.; Bazhanova, N.N.; Kanash, N.V.; Malenchenko, A.F.

    2000-01-01

    As a result of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident in 1986, thyroid pathologies occurred among children in some regions of belarus. Besides the irradiation of children's thyroids by radioactive iodine and caesium nuclides, toxic elements from fallout are a direct risk to health. Inductively coupled plasma quadrupole-based mass spectrometry (Icp-Ms) and instrumental neutron activation analysis (IAA) were used for multielement determination in small amounts (I-10 mg) of human thyroid tissue samples. The accuracy of the applied analytical technique for small biological sample amounts was checked using NIST standard reference material oyster tissue (SRM 1566 b). Almost all essential elements as well as a number of toxic elements such as Cd, Pb, Hg, U etc. Were determined in a multitude of human thyroid tissues by quadrupole-based Icp-Ms using micro nebulization. In general, the thyroid tissue affected by pathology is characterized by higher calcium content. Some other elements, among them Sr, Zn, Fe, Mn, V, As, Cr, Ni, Pb, U, Ba, Sb, were also Accumulated in such tissue. The results obtained will be used as initial material for further specific studies of the role of particular elements in thyroid pathology development

  3. Clinical evaluation of a Mucorales-specific real-time PCR assay in tissue and serum samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Springer, Jan; Lackner, Michaela; Ensinger, Christian; Risslegger, Brigitte; Morton, Charles Oliver; Nachbaur, David; Lass-Flörl, Cornelia; Einsele, Hermann; Heinz, Werner J; Loeffler, Juergen

    2016-12-01

    Molecular diagnostic assays can accelerate the diagnosis of fungal infections and subsequently improve patient outcomes. In particular, the detection of infections due to Mucorales is still challenging for laboratories and physicians. The aim of this study was to evaluate a probe-based Mucorales-specific real-time PCR assay (Muc18S) using tissue and serum samples from patients suffering from invasive mucormycosis (IMM). This assay can detect a broad range of clinically relevant Mucorales species and can be used to complement existing diagnostic tests or to screen high-risk patients. An advantage of the Muc18S assay is that it exclusively detects Mucorales species allowing the diagnosis of Mucorales DNA without sequencing within a few hours. In paraffin-embedded tissue samples this PCR-based method allowed rapid identification of Mucorales in comparison with standard methods and showed 91 % sensitivity in the IMM tissue samples. We also evaluated serum samples, an easily accessible material, from patients at risk from IMM. Mucorales DNA was detected in all patients with probable/proven IMM (100 %) and in 29 % of the possible cases. Detection of IMM in serum could enable an earlier diagnosis (up to 21 days) than current methods including tissue samples, which were gained mainly post-mortem. A screening strategy for high-risk patients, which would enable targeted treatment to improve patient outcomes, is therefore possible.

  4. Measurement of phthalates in small samples of mammalian tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Acott, P.D.; Murphy, M.G.; Ogborn, M.R.; Crocker, J.F.S.

    1987-01-01

    Di-(2-ethylhexyl)-phthalate (DEHP) is a phthalic acid ester that is used as a plasticizer in polyvinyl chloride products, many of which have widespread medical application. DEHP has been shown to be leached from products used for storage and delivery of blood transfusions during procedures such as plasmaphoresis, hemodialysis and open heart surgery. Results of studies in this laboratory have suggested that there is an association between the absorption and deposition of DEHP (and/or related chemicals) in the kidney and the acquired renal cystic disease (ACD) frequently seen in patients who have undergone prolonged dialysis treatment. In order to determine the relationship between the two, it has been necessary to establish a method for extracting and accurately quantitating minute amounts of these chemicals in small tissue samples. The authors have now established such a method using kidneys from normal rats and from a rat model for ACD

  5. The Japanese Society of Pathology Guidelines on the handling of pathological tissue samples for genomic research: Standard operating procedures based on empirical analyses.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kanai, Yae; Nishihara, Hiroshi; Miyagi, Yohei; Tsuruyama, Tatsuhiro; Taguchi, Kenichi; Katoh, Hiroto; Takeuchi, Tomoyo; Gotoh, Masahiro; Kuramoto, Junko; Arai, Eri; Ojima, Hidenori; Shibuya, Ayako; Yoshida, Teruhiko; Akahane, Toshiaki; Kasajima, Rika; Morita, Kei-Ichi; Inazawa, Johji; Sasaki, Takeshi; Fukayama, Masashi; Oda, Yoshinao

    2018-02-01

    Genome research using appropriately collected pathological tissue samples is expected to yield breakthroughs in the development of biomarkers and identification of therapeutic targets for diseases such as cancers. In this connection, the Japanese Society of Pathology (JSP) has developed "The JSP Guidelines on the Handling of Pathological Tissue Samples for Genomic Research" based on an abundance of data from empirical analyses of tissue samples collected and stored under various conditions. Tissue samples should be collected from appropriate sites within surgically resected specimens, without disturbing the features on which pathological diagnosis is based, while avoiding bleeding or necrotic foci. They should be collected as soon as possible after resection: at the latest within about 3 h of storage at 4°C. Preferably, snap-frozen samples should be stored in liquid nitrogen (about -180°C) until use. When intending to use genomic DNA extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue, 10% neutral buffered formalin should be used. Insufficient fixation and overfixation must both be avoided. We hope that pathologists, clinicians, clinical laboratory technicians and biobank operators will come to master the handling of pathological tissue samples based on the standard operating procedures in these Guidelines to yield results that will assist in the realization of genomic medicine. © 2018 The Authors. Pathology International published by Japanese Society of Pathology and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

  6. Influence of parasite density and sample storage time on the reliability of Entamoeba histolytica-specific PCR from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Frickmann, Hagen; Tenner-Racz, Klara; Eggert, Petra; Schwarz, Norbert G; Poppert, Sven; Tannich, Egbert; Hagen, Ralf M

    2013-12-01

    We report on the reliability of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of Entamoeba histolytica from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue in comparison with microscopy and have determined predictors that may influence PCR results. E. histolytica-specific and Entamoeba dispar-specific real-time PCR and microscopy from adjacent histologic sections were performed using a collection of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue specimens obtained from patients with invasive amebiasis. Specimens had been collected during the previous 4 decades. Association of sample age, parasite density, and reliability of PCR was analyzed. E. histolytica PCR was positive in 20 of 34 biopsies (58.8%); 2 of these 20 were microscopically negative for amebae in neighboring tissue sections. PCR was negative in 9 samples with visible amebae in neighboring sections and in 5 samples without visible parasites in neighboring sections. PCR was negative in all specimens that were older than 3 decades. Low parasite counts and sample ages older than 20 years were predictors for false-negative PCR results. All samples were negative for E. dispar DNA. PCR is suitable for the detection of E. histolytica in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples that are younger than 2 decades and that contain intermediate to high parasite numbers. Negative results in older samples were due to progressive degradation of DNA over time as indicated by control PCRs targeting the human 18S rRNA gene. Moreover, our findings support previous suggestions that only E. histolytica but not E. dispar is responsible for invasive amebiasis.

  7. Application of FTA technology for sampling, recovery and molecular characterization of viral pathogens and virus-derived transgenes from plant tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ndunguru, Joseph; Taylor, Nigel J; Yadav, Jitender; Aly, Haytham; Legg, James P; Aveling, Terry; Thompson, Graham; Fauquet, Claude M

    2005-01-01

    Background Plant viral diseases present major constraints to crop production. Effective sampling of the viruses infecting plants is required to facilitate their molecular study and is essential for the development of crop protection and improvement programs. Retaining integrity of viral pathogens within sampled plant tissues is often a limiting factor in this process, most especially when sample sizes are large and when operating in developing counties and regions remote from laboratory facilities. FTA is a paper-based system designed to fix and store nucleic acids directly from fresh tissues pressed into the treated paper. We report here the use of FTA as an effective technology for sampling and retrieval of DNA and RNA viruses from plant tissues and their subsequent molecular analysis. Results DNA and RNA viruses were successfully recovered from leaf tissues of maize, cassava, tomato and tobacco pressed into FTA® Classic Cards. Viral nucleic acids eluted from FTA cards were found to be suitable for diagnostic molecular analysis by PCR-based techniques and restriction analysis, and for cloning and nucleotide sequencing in a manner equivalent to that offered by tradition isolation methods. Efficacy of the technology was demonstrated both from sampled greenhouse-grown plants and from leaf presses taken from crop plants growing in farmer's fields in East Africa. In addition, FTA technology was shown to be suitable for recovery of viral-derived transgene sequences integrated into the plant genome. Conclusion Results demonstrate that FTA is a practical, economical and sensitive method for sampling, storage and retrieval of viral pathogens and plant genomic sequences, when working under controlled conditions and in the field. Application of this technology has the potential to significantly increase ability to bring modern analytical techniques to bear on the viral pathogens infecting crop plants. PMID:15904535

  8. Application of FTA technology for sampling, recovery and molecular characterization of viral pathogens and virus-derived transgenes from plant tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Aveling Terry

    2005-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Plant viral diseases present major constraints to crop production. Effective sampling of the viruses infecting plants is required to facilitate their molecular study and is essential for the development of crop protection and improvement programs. Retaining integrity of viral pathogens within sampled plant tissues is often a limiting factor in this process, most especially when sample sizes are large and when operating in developing counties and regions remote from laboratory facilities. FTA is a paper-based system designed to fix and store nucleic acids directly from fresh tissues pressed into the treated paper. We report here the use of FTA as an effective technology for sampling and retrieval of DNA and RNA viruses from plant tissues and their subsequent molecular analysis. Results DNA and RNA viruses were successfully recovered from leaf tissues of maize, cassava, tomato and tobacco pressed into FTA® Classic Cards. Viral nucleic acids eluted from FTA cards were found to be suitable for diagnostic molecular analysis by PCR-based techniques and restriction analysis, and for cloning and nucleotide sequencing in a manner equivalent to that offered by tradition isolation methods. Efficacy of the technology was demonstrated both from sampled greenhouse-grown plants and from leaf presses taken from crop plants growing in farmer's fields in East Africa. In addition, FTA technology was shown to be suitable for recovery of viral-derived transgene sequences integrated into the plant genome. Conclusion Results demonstrate that FTA is a practical, economical and sensitive method for sampling, storage and retrieval of viral pathogens and plant genomic sequences, when working under controlled conditions and in the field. Application of this technology has the potential to significantly increase ability to bring modern analytical techniques to bear on the viral pathogens infecting crop plants.

  9. An unsupervised MVA method to compare specific regions in human breast tumor tissue samples using ToF-SIMS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bluestein, Blake M; Morrish, Fionnuala; Graham, Daniel J; Guenthoer, Jamie; Hockenbery, David; Porter, Peggy L; Gamble, Lara J

    2016-03-21

    Imaging time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) and principal component analysis (PCA) were used to investigate two sets of pre- and post-chemotherapy human breast tumor tissue sections to characterize lipids associated with tumor metabolic flexibility and response to treatment. The micron spatial resolution imaging capability of ToF-SIMS provides a powerful approach to attain spatially-resolved molecular and cellular data from cancerous tissues not available with conventional imaging techniques. Three ca. 1 mm(2) areas per tissue section were analyzed by stitching together 200 μm × 200 μm raster area scans. A method to isolate and analyze specific tissue regions of interest by utilizing PCA of ToF-SIMS images is presented, which allowed separation of cellularized areas from stromal areas. These PCA-generated regions of interest were then used as masks to reconstruct representative spectra from specifically stromal or cellular regions. The advantage of this unsupervised selection method is a reduction in scatter in the spectral PCA results when compared to analyzing all tissue areas or analyzing areas highlighted by a pathologist. Utilizing this method, stromal and cellular regions of breast tissue biopsies taken pre- versus post-chemotherapy demonstrate chemical separation using negatively-charged ion species. In this sample set, the cellular regions were predominantly all cancer cells. Fatty acids (i.e. palmitic, oleic, and stearic), monoacylglycerols, diacylglycerols and vitamin E profiles were distinctively different between the pre- and post-therapy tissues. These results validate a new unsupervised method to isolate and interpret biochemically distinct regions in cancer tissues using imaging ToF-SIMS data. In addition, the method developed here can provide a framework to compare a variety of tissue samples using imaging ToF-SIMS, especially where there is section-to-section variability that makes it difficult to use a serial hematoxylin

  10. Measurement of characteristic prompt gamma rays emitted from oxygen and carbon in tissue-equivalent samples during proton beam irradiation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polf, Jerimy C; Panthi, Rajesh; Mackin, Dennis S; McCleskey, Matt; Saastamoinen, Antti; Roeder, Brian T; Beddar, Sam

    2013-09-07

    The purpose of this work was to characterize how prompt gamma (PG) emission from tissue changes as a function of carbon and oxygen concentration, and to assess the feasibility of determining elemental concentration in tissues irradiated with proton beams. For this study, four tissue-equivalent water-sucrose samples with differing densities and concentrations of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen were irradiated with a 48 MeV proton pencil beam. The PG spectrum emitted from each sample was measured using a high-purity germanium detector, and the absolute detection efficiency of the detector, average beam current, and delivered dose distribution were also measured. Changes to the total PG emission from (12)C (4.44 MeV) and (16)O (6.13 MeV) per incident proton and per Gray of absorbed dose were characterized as a function of carbon and oxygen concentration in the sample. The intensity of the 4.44 MeV PG emission per incident proton was found to be nearly constant for all samples regardless of their carbon concentration. However, we found that the 6.13 MeV PG emission increased linearly with the total amount (in grams) of oxygen irradiated in the sample. From the measured PG data, we determined that 1.64 × 10(7) oxygen PGs were emitted per gram of oxygen irradiated per Gray of absorbed dose delivered with a 48 MeV proton beam. These results indicate that the 6.13 MeV PG emission from (16)O is proportional to the concentration of oxygen in tissue irradiated with proton beams, showing that it is possible to determine the concentration of oxygen within tissues irradiated with proton beams by measuring (16)O PG emission.

  11. Clinical use of fungal PCR from deep tissue samples in the diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases: a retrospective observational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ala-Houhala, M; Koukila-Kähkölä, P; Antikainen, J; Valve, J; Kirveskari, J; Anttila, V-J

    2018-03-01

    To assess the clinical use of panfungal PCR for diagnosis of invasive fungal diseases (IFDs). We focused on the deep tissue samples. We first described the design of panfungal PCR, which is in clinical use at Helsinki University Hospital. Next we retrospectively evaluated the results of 307 fungal PCR tests performed from 2013 to 2015. Samples were taken from normally sterile tissues and fluids. The patient population was nonselected. We classified the likelihood of IFD according to the criteria of the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Invasive Fungal Infections Cooperative Group and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG), comparing the fungal PCR results to the likelihood of IFD along with culture and microscopy results. There were 48 positive (16%) and 259 negative (84%) PCR results. The sensitivity and specificity of PCR for diagnosing IFDs were 60.5% and 91.7%, respectively, while the negative predictive value and positive predictive value were 93.4% and 54.2%, respectively. The concordance between the PCR and the culture results was 86% and 87% between PCR and microscopy, respectively. Of the 48 patients with positive PCR results, 23 had a proven or probable IFD. Fungal PCR can be useful for diagnosing IFDs in deep tissue samples. It is beneficial to combine fungal PCR with culture and microscopy. Copyright © 2017 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Online recovery of radiocesium from soil, tissue paper and plant samples by supercritical fluid extraction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kanekar, A.S.; Pathak, P.N.; Mohapatra, P.K.

    2014-01-01

    The feasibility of recovery of radio-cesium from soil, tissue papers, and plant samples has been evaluated by supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) route employing calix(4)arene-mono(crown-6) (CC) dissolved in acetonitrile. These studies showed that quantitative recovery of 137 Cs from soil samples was difficult under the conditions of these studies. However, experiments performed on tissue papers (cellulose matrix) showed quantitative recovery of 137 Cs. On the other hand, 137 Cs recovery from plant samples varied between ∼50 % (for stems) and ∼67.2 % (for leaves) employing 1x10 -3 M CC + 4 M HNO 3 dissolved in acetonitrile. (author)

  13. Comparison of Nanostring nCounter® Data on FFPE Colon Cancer Samples and Affymetrix Microarray Data on Matched Frozen Tissues.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xi Chen

    Full Text Available The prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC stage II and III patients remains a challenge due to the difficulties of finding robust biomarkers suitable for testing clinical samples. The majority of published gene signatures of CRC have been generated on fresh frozen colorectal tissues. Because collection of frozen tissue is not practical for routine surgical pathology practice, a clinical test that improves prognostic capabilities beyond standard pathological staging of colon cancer will need to be designed for formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissues. The NanoString nCounter® platform is a gene expression analysis tool developed for use with FFPE-derived samples. We designed a custom nCounter® codeset based on elements from multiple published fresh frozen tissue microarray-based prognostic gene signatures for colon cancer, and we used this platform to systematically compare gene expression data from FFPE with matched microarray array data from frozen tissues. Our results show moderate correlation of gene expression between two platforms and discovery of a small subset of genes as candidate biomarkers for colon cancer prognosis that are detectable and quantifiable in FFPE tissue sections.

  14. An integrated sample preparation to determine coccidiostats and emerging Fusarium-mycotoxins in various poultry tissues with LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jestoi, Marika; Rokka, Mervi; Peltonen, Kimmo

    2007-05-01

    The usefulness of an existing sample preparation technique used for ionophoric coccidiostats (lasalocid, monensin, salinomycin and narasin) was applied in the analysis of emerging Fusarium-mycotoxins beauvericin (BEA) and enniatins (ENNs) in poultry tissues (liver and meat). Also, maduramicin and liver as a new sample matrix was introduced. The developed methods were validated and applied for the determination of coccidiostats and BEA/ENNs in Finnish poultry tissues in 2004-2005. The validation parameters demonstrated that the integrated sample preparation technique is applicable to the parallel determination of these contaminants in poultry tissues. Of the samples analysed (276 meat and 43 liver), only trace levels of LAS, MON, SAL, NAR and MAD were detected in 7, 3, 5, 6 and 4% of the samples, respectively. Interestingly, for the first time, traces of BEA and ENNs could also be detected in animal tissues. BEA and ENNs A, A1, B and B1 were found in 2, 0.3, 0.6, 4 and 3% of the samples, respectively. The simultaneous presence of coccidiostats and mycotoxins was detected in three turkey samples in 2004.

  15. Seabird tissue archival and monitoring project: Egg collections and analytical results 1999-2002

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vander Pol, Stacy S.; Christopher, Steven J.; Roseneau, David G.; Becker, Paul R.; Day, Russel D.; Kucklick, John R.; Pugh, Rebecca S.; Simac, Kristin S.; Weston-York, Geoff

    2003-01-01

    In 1998, the U.S. Geological Survey Biological Resources Division (USGS-BRD), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge (AMNWR), and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) began the Seabird Tissue Archival and Monitoring Project (STAMP) to collect and cryogenically bank tissues from seabirds in Alaska for future retrospective analysis of anthropogenic contaminants. The approach of STAMP was similar to that of the Alaska Marine Mammal Tissue Archival Project (AMMTAP). AMMTAP was started in 1987 by NIST and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) as part of the Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program sponsored by the Minerals Management Service. Presently sponsored by the USGS-BRD, AMMTAP continues its work as part of a larger national program, the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program. AMMTAP developed carefully designed sampling and specimen banking protocols. Since 1987, AMMTAP has collected tissues from marine mammals taken in Alaska Native subsistence hunts and has cryogenically banked these tissues at the NIST National Biomonitoring Specimen Bank (NBSB). Through its own analytical work and working in partnership with other researchers both within and outside Alaska, AMMTAP has helped to develop a substantial database on contaminants in Alaska marine mammals. In contrast, data and information is limited on contaminants in Alaska seabirds, which are similar to marine mammals in that they feed near the top of the food chain and have the potential for accumulating anthropogenic contaminants. During its early planning stages, STAMP managers identified the seabird egg as the first tissue of choice for study by the project. There is a relatively long history of using bird eggs for environmental monitoring and for investigating the health status of bird populations. Since 1998, protocols for collecting and processing eggs, and cryogenically banking egg samples

  16. Threshold-dependent sample sizes for selenium assessment with stream fish tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hitt, Nathaniel P.; Smith, David R.

    2015-01-01

    Natural resource managers are developing assessments of selenium (Se) contamination in freshwater ecosystems based on fish tissue concentrations. We evaluated the effects of sample size (i.e., number of fish per site) on the probability of correctly detecting mean whole-body Se values above a range of potential management thresholds. We modeled Se concentrations as gamma distributions with shape and scale parameters fitting an empirical mean-to-variance relationship in data from southwestern West Virginia, USA (63 collections, 382 individuals). We used parametric bootstrapping techniques to calculate statistical power as the probability of detecting true mean concentrations up to 3 mg Se/kg above management thresholds ranging from 4 to 8 mg Se/kg. Sample sizes required to achieve 80% power varied as a function of management thresholds and Type I error tolerance (α). Higher thresholds required more samples than lower thresholds because populations were more heterogeneous at higher mean Se levels. For instance, to assess a management threshold of 4 mg Se/kg, a sample of eight fish could detect an increase of approximately 1 mg Se/kg with 80% power (given α = 0.05), but this sample size would be unable to detect such an increase from a management threshold of 8 mg Se/kg with more than a coin-flip probability. Increasing α decreased sample size requirements to detect above-threshold mean Se concentrations with 80% power. For instance, at an α-level of 0.05, an 8-fish sample could detect an increase of approximately 2 units above a threshold of 8 mg Se/kg with 80% power, but when α was relaxed to 0.2, this sample size was more sensitive to increasing mean Se concentrations, allowing detection of an increase of approximately 1.2 units with equivalent power. Combining individuals into 2- and 4-fish composite samples for laboratory analysis did not decrease power because the reduced number of laboratory samples was compensated for by increased

  17. Distribution of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in Japanese autopsy tissue and body fluid samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hirai, Tetsuya; Fujimine, Yoshinori; Watanabe, Shaw; Nakano, Takeshi

    2012-09-01

    Brominated flame retardants are components of many plastics and are used in products such as cars, textiles, televisions, and personal computers. Human exposure to polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants has increased exponentially during the last three decades. Our objective was to measure the body burden and distribution of PBDEs and to determine the concentrations of the predominant PBDE congeners in samples of liver, bile, adipose tissue, and blood obtained from Japanese autopsy cases. Tissues and body fluids obtained from 20 autopsy cases were analyzed. The levels of 25 PBDE congeners, ranging from tri- to hexa-BDEs, were assessed. The geometric means of the sum of the concentrations of PBDE congeners having detection frequencies >50 % (ΣPBDE) in the blood, liver, bile, and adipose tissue were 2.4, 2.6, 1.4, and 4.3 ng/g lipid, respectively. The most abundant congeners were BDE-47 and BDE-153, followed by BDE-100, BDE-99, and BDE-28+33. These concentrations of PBDE congeners were similar to other reports of human exposure in Japan but were notably lower than concentrations than those reported in the USA. Significant positive correlations were observed between the concentrations of predominant congeners and ΣPBDE among the samples analyzed. The ΣPBDE concentration was highest in the adipose tissue, but PBDEs were distributed widely among the tissues and body fluids analyzed. The PBDE levels observed in the present study are similar to those reported in previous studies in Japan and significantly lower than those reported in the USA.

  18. Biomedical analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples: The Holy Grail for molecular diagnostics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donczo, Boglarka; Guttman, Andras

    2018-06-05

    More than a century ago in 1893, a revolutionary idea about fixing biological tissue specimens was introduced by Ferdinand Blum, a German physician. Since then, a plethora of fixation methods have been investigated and used. Formalin fixation with paraffin embedment became the most widely used types of fixation and preservation method, due to its proper architectural conservation of tissue structures and cellular shape. The huge collection of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) sample archives worldwide holds a large amount of unearthed information about diseases that could be the Holy Grail in contemporary biomarker research utilizing analytical omics based molecular diagnostics. The aim of this review is to critically evaluate the omics options for FFPE tissue sample analysis in the molecular diagnostics field. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  19. Micro-PIXE on thin plant tissue samples in frozen hydrated state: A novel addition to JSI nuclear microprobe

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vavpetič, P.; Pelicon, P.; Vogel-Mikuš, K.; Grlj, N.; Pongrac, P.; Jeromel, L.; Ogrinc, N.; Regvar, M.

    2013-01-01

    Recently we completed a construction of a cryostat at Jožef Stefan Institute (JSI) nuclear microprobe enabling us to analyze various types of biological samples in frozen hydrated state using micro-PIXE/STIM/RBS. Sample load-lock system was added to our existing setup to enable us to quickly insert a sample holder with frozen hydrated tissue samples onto a cold goniometer head cooled with liquid nitrogen inside the measuring chamber. Cryotome-cut slices of frozen hydrated plant samples were mounted between two thin silicon nitride foils and then attached to the sample holder. Sufficient thermal contact between silicon nitride foils and sample holder must be achieved, as well as between the sample holder and the cold goniometer head inside the measuring chamber to prevent melting of the samples. Matrix composition of frozen hydrated tissue is consisted mostly of ice. Thinning of the sample as well as water evaporation during high vacuum and proton beam exposure was inspected by the measurements with RBS and STIM method simultaneously with micro-PIXE. For first measuring attempts a standard micro-PIXE configuration for tissue mapping was used with proton beam cross section of 1.2 × 1.2 μm 2 and a beam current of 100 pA. The temperature of the cold goniometer head was kept below 130 K throughout the entire proton beam exposure. First measurements of thin plant tissue samples in frozen hydrated state show minute sample degradation during the 10 h period of micro-PIXE measurements

  20. Determination of Magnesium in Needle Biopsy Samples of Muscle Tissue by Means of Neutron Activation Analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brune, D; Sjoeberg, H E

    1964-07-15

    Magnesium has been determined by means of neutron-activation analysis in needle biopsy samples of the order of magnitude 1 mg dry weight. The procedure applied was to extract the Mg-27 activity from irradiated muscle tissue with concentrated hydrochloric acid followed by a fast hydroxide precipitation and gamma-spectrometric measurements. The Mg activity was recovered in the muscle tissue samples to (97 {+-} 2) per cent. The sensitivity for the magnesium determination is estimated as 0.3 {mu}g.

  1. 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.

  2. Ontology-based, Tissue MicroArray oriented, image centered tissue bank

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Viti Federica

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Tissue MicroArray technique is becoming increasingly important in pathology for the validation of experimental data from transcriptomic analysis. This approach produces many images which need to be properly managed, if possible with an infrastructure able to support tissue sharing between institutes. Moreover, the available frameworks oriented to Tissue MicroArray provide good storage for clinical patient, sample treatment and block construction information, but their utility is limited by the lack of data integration with biomolecular information. Results In this work we propose a Tissue MicroArray web oriented system to support researchers in managing bio-samples and, through the use of ontologies, enables tissue sharing aimed at the design of Tissue MicroArray experiments and results evaluation. Indeed, our system provides ontological description both for pre-analysis tissue images and for post-process analysis image results, which is crucial for information exchange. Moreover, working on well-defined terms it is then possible to query web resources for literature articles to integrate both pathology and bioinformatics data. Conclusions Using this system, users associate an ontology-based description to each image uploaded into the database and also integrate results with the ontological description of biosequences identified in every tissue. Moreover, it is possible to integrate the ontological description provided by the user with a full compliant gene ontology definition, enabling statistical studies about correlation between the analyzed pathology and the most commonly related biological processes.

  3. Percutaneous computed tomography-guided core needle biopsy of soft tissue tumors: results and correlation with surgical specimen analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chojniak, Rubens; Grigio, Henrique Ramos; Bitencourt, Almir Galvao Vieira; Pinto, Paula Nicole Vieira; Tyng, Chiang J.; Cunha, Isabela Werneck da; Aguiar Junior, Samuel; Lopes, Ademar, E-mail: chojniak@uol.com.br [Hospital A.C. Camargo, Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)

    2012-09-15

    Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of percutaneous computed tomography (CT)-guided core needle biopsy of soft tissue tumors in obtaining appropriate samples for histological analysis, and compare its diagnosis with the results of the surgical pathology as available. Materials and Methods: The authors reviewed medical records, imaging and histological reports of 262 patients with soft-tissue tumors submitted to CT-guided core needle biopsy in an oncologic reference center between 2003 and 2009. Results: Appropriate samples were obtained in 215 (82.1%) out of the 262 patients. The most prevalent tumors were sarcomas (38.6%), metastatic carcinomas (28.8%), benign mesenchymal tumors (20.5%) and lymphomas (9.3%). Histological grading was feasible in 92.8% of sarcoma patients, with the majority of them (77.9%) being classified as high grade tumors. Out of the total sample, 116 patients (44.3%) underwent surgical excision and diagnosis confirmation. Core biopsy demonstrated 94.6% accuracy in the identification of sarcomas, with 96.4% sensitivity and 89.5% specificity. A significant intermethod agreement about histological grading was observed between core biopsy and surgical resection (p < 0.001; kappa = 0.75). Conclusion: CT-guided core needle biopsy demonstrated a high diagnostic accuracy in the evaluation of soft tissue tumors as well as in the histological grading of sarcomas, allowing an appropriate therapeutic planning (author)

  4. Application of FTA technology for sampling, recovery and molecular characterization of viral pathogens and virus-derived transgenes from plant tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ndunguru, Joseph; Taylor, Nigel J; Yadav, Jitender; Aly, Haytham; Legg, James P; Aveling, Terry; Thompson, Graham; Fauquet, Claude M

    2005-05-18

    Plant viral diseases present major constraints to crop production. Effective sampling of the viruses infecting plants is required to facilitate their molecular study and is essential for the development of crop protection and improvement programs. Retaining integrity of viral pathogens within sampled plant tissues is often a limiting factor in this process, most especially when sample sizes are large and when operating in developing counties and regions remote from laboratory facilities. FTA is a paper-based system designed to fix and store nucleic acids directly from fresh tissues pressed into the treated paper. We report here the use of FTA as an effective technology for sampling and retrieval of DNA and RNA viruses from plant tissues and their subsequent molecular analysis. DNA and RNA viruses were successfully recovered from leaf tissues of maize, cassava, tomato and tobacco pressed into FTA Classic Cards. Viral nucleic acids eluted from FTA cards were found to be suitable for diagnostic molecular analysis by PCR-based techniques and restriction analysis, and for cloning and nucleotide sequencing in a manner equivalent to that offered by tradition isolation methods. Efficacy of the technology was demonstrated both from sampled greenhouse-grown plants and from leaf presses taken from crop plants growing in farmer's fields in East Africa. In addition, FTA technology was shown to be suitable for recovery of viral-derived transgene sequences integrated into the plant genome. Results demonstrate that FTA is a practical, economical and sensitive method for sampling, storage and retrieval of viral pathogens and plant genomic sequences, when working under controlled conditions and in the field. Application of this technology has the potential to significantly increase ability to bring modern analytical techniques to bear on the viral pathogens infecting crop plants.

  5. A probe-based quantitative PCR assay for detecting Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae in fish tissue and environmental DNA water samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hutchins, Patrick; Sepulveda, Adam; Martin, Renee; Hopper, Lacey

    2017-01-01

    A probe-based quantitative real-time PCR assay was developed to detect Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae, which causes proliferative kidney disease in salmonid fish, in kidney tissue and environmental DNA (eDNA) water samples. The limits of detection and quantification were 7 and 100 DNA copies for calibration standards and T. bryosalmonae was reliably detected down to 100 copies in tissue and eDNA samples. The assay presented here is a highly sensitive and quantitative tool for detecting T. bryosalmonae with potential applications for tissue diagnostics and environmental detection.

  6. Equilibrium Passive Sampling of POP in Lipid-Rich and Lean Fish Tissue: Quality Control Using Performance Reference Compounds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rusina, Tatsiana P; Carlsson, Pernilla; Vrana, Branislav; Smedes, Foppe

    2017-10-03

    Passive sampling is widely used to measure levels of contaminants in various environmental matrices, including fish tissue. Equilibrium passive sampling (EPS) of persistent organic pollutants (POP) in fish tissue has been hitherto limited to application in lipid-rich tissue. We tested several exposure methods to extend EPS applicability to lean tissue. Thin-film polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) passive samplers were exposed statically to intact fillet and fish homogenate and dynamically by rolling with cut fillet cubes. The release of performance reference compounds (PRC) dosed to passive samplers prior to exposure was used to monitor the exchange process. The sampler-tissue exchange was isotropic, and PRC were shown to be good indicators of sampler-tissue equilibration status. The dynamic exposures demonstrated equilibrium attainment in less than 2 days for all three tested fish species, including lean fish containing 1% lipid. Lipid-based concentrations derived from EPS were in good agreement with lipid-normalized concentrations obtained using conventional solvent extraction. The developed in-tissue EPS method is robust and has potential for application in chemical monitoring of biota and bioaccumulation studies.

  7. 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.

  8. Virus isolation vs RT-PCR: which method is more successful in detecting VHSV and IHNV in fish tissue sampled under field conditions?

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Knüsel, R.; Bergmann, S. M.; Einer-Jensen, Katja

    2007-01-01

    in Switzerland. Compared to SPNT, the RT-PCR method detected, as with virus isolation, a much lower number of positive cases; reasons for this discrepancy are discussed. Our results indicate that RT-PCR can not only be successfully applied in field surveys, but may also be slightly more sensitive than virus......This study compared the results of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and traditional virus isolation on cell culture in detection of viral haemorrhagic septicaemia virus (VHSV) and infectious haematopoietic necrosis virus (IHNV). RT-PCR was used for 172 tissue sample pools...... (total of 859 fish) originating from a field survey on the occurrence of VHSV and IHNV in farmed and wild salmonids in Switzerland. These samples represented all sites with fish that were either identified as virus-positive by means of virus isolation (three sites, four positive tissue sample pools) and...

  9. Nested-PCR for the detection of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae in bronchial alveolar swabs, frozen tissues and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded swine lung samples: comparative evaluation with immunohistochemical findings and histological features

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paula R. Almeida

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available The diagnosis of Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae infection is often performed through histopathology, immunohistochemistry (IHC and polymerase chain reaction (PCR or a combination of these techniques. PCR can be performed on samples using several conservation methods, including swabs, frozen tissue or formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissue. However, the formalin fixation process often inhibits DNA amplification. To evaluate whether M. hyopneumoniae DNA could be recovered from FFPE tissues, 15 lungs with cranioventral consolidation lesions were collected in a slaughterhouse from swine bred in herds with respiratory disease. Bronchial swabs and fresh lung tissue were collected, and a fragment of the corresponding lung section was placed in neutral buffered formalin for 48 hours. A PCR assay was performed to compare FFPE tissue samples with samples that were only refrigerated (bronchial swabs or frozen (tissue pieces. M. hyopneumoniae was detected by PCR in all 15 samples of the swab and frozen tissue, while it was detected in only 11 of the 15 FFPE samples. Histological features of M. hyopneumoniae infection were presented in 11 cases and 7 of these samples stained positive in IHC. Concordance between the histological features and detection results was observed in 13 of the FFPE tissue samples. PCR was the most sensitive technique. Comparison of different sample conservation methods indicated that it is possible to detect M. hyopneumoniae from FFPE tissue. It is important to conduct further research using archived material because the efficiency of PCR could be compromised under these conditions.

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

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

    2015-01-01

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

  11. Direct detection of the AR-E211 G > A gene polymorphism from blood and tissue samples without DNA isolation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reptova, Silvie; Trtkova, Katerina Smesny; Kolar, Zdenek

    2014-04-01

    The pathogenesis of prostate cancer (CaP) involves alterations in a gene structure of the androgen receptor (AR). The single nucleotide polymorphism AR-E211 G > A localized in exon 1 of the AR gene (G1733A) was detected using direct polymerase chain reaction and restriction digestion (PCR-RFLP) method on blood and tissue samples without prior DNA isolation. We used blood samples of patients with a diagnosis of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) or CaP. From monitored group of CaP patients were selected specimen in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks with morphology of BPH and CaP. The main objective of our study was to develop a method based the direct PCR-RFLP analysis from blood and tissue without prior DNA isolation for faster genotyping analysis of a large number of samples. We found no statistically significant differences in allelic % of the AR-E211 G > A polymorphism between BPH and CaP patients (p ≤ 0.8462). Genotyping of the AR-E211 G > A variant in blood was not identical with tumor tissue genotyping analysis. Significant agreement between blood and tissue AR-E211 G > A polymorphism only in non-tumor tissue focus was confirmed. Although we analyzed a limited number of the tissue samples, we suppose that a presence of the minor allele A may be associated with cancer transformation-induced changes of the modified AR gene.

  12. Optical coherence tomography detection of shear wave propagation in inhomogeneous tissue equivalent phantoms and ex-vivo carotid artery samples

    Science.gov (United States)

    Razani, Marjan; Luk, Timothy W.H.; Mariampillai, Adrian; Siegler, Peter; Kiehl, Tim-Rasmus; Kolios, Michael C.; Yang, Victor X.D.

    2014-01-01

    In this work, we explored the potential of measuring shear wave propagation using optical coherence elastography (OCE) in an inhomogeneous phantom and carotid artery samples based on a swept-source optical coherence tomography (OCT) system. Shear waves were generated using a piezoelectric transducer transmitting sine-wave bursts of 400 μs duration, applying acoustic radiation force (ARF) to inhomogeneous phantoms and carotid artery samples, synchronized with a swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) imaging system. The phantoms were composed of gelatin and titanium dioxide whereas the carotid artery samples were embedded in gel. Differential OCT phase maps, measured with and without the ARF, detected the microscopic displacement generated by shear wave propagation in these phantoms and samples of different stiffness. We present the technique for calculating tissue mechanical properties by propagating shear waves in inhomogeneous tissue equivalent phantoms and carotid artery samples using the ARF of an ultrasound transducer, and measuring the shear wave speed and its associated properties in the different layers with OCT phase maps. This method lays the foundation for future in-vitro and in-vivo studies of mechanical property measurements of biological tissues such as vascular tissues, where normal and pathological structures may exhibit significant contrast in the shear modulus. PMID:24688822

  13. A practical tissue sampling method using ordinary paper for molecular detection of infectious bursal disease virus RNA by RT-PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Maw, Min Thein; Yamaguchi, Tsuyoshi; Kasanga, Christopher J; Terasaki, Kaori; Fukushi, Hideto

    2006-12-01

    A practical sampling method for bursal tissue using ordinary paper for molecular diagnosis of infectious bursal disease (IBD) was established. IBD virus-infected bursa was directly smeared on chromatography paper, filter paper, or stationery copy paper and was then fixed with absolute ethanol, Tris-HCl-saturated phenol, or phenol:chloroform:isoamyl alcohol (25:24:1). Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) card, which is designed for the collection of biological samples for molecular detection, was also used. After storage at 37 C for up to 30 days, total RNA directly extracted from the tissue fixed on the papers and FTA card were subjected to reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for detection of IBD virus (IBDV) RNA. In addition, the ability of each chemical used in the fixation and the FTA card to inactivate IBDV was evaluated. Regardless of the paper quality, storage period, and fixation method, IBDV RNA was consistently detected in all of the samples. IBDV in the bursal tissue was inactivated with phenol but not with ethanol or the unknown chemicals in FTA card. These results show that ordinary papers sustain the viral RNA, as does FTA card, but phenol fixation is superior to FTA card in inactivating IBDV. The new sampling method using ordinary paper with phenol fixation is safe, inexpensive, simple, and easy, and is thus suitable for conducting a global survey of IBD even where laboratory resources are limited. This practical method should contribute to the control of IBD worldwide.

  14. Correlates of professional burnout in a sample of employees of cell and tissue banks in Poland.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kamiński, Artur; Rozenek, Hanna; Banasiewicz, Jolanta; Wójtowicz, Stanisław; Błoński, Artur; Owczarek, Krzysztof

    2018-02-03

    Job Demands-Resources model proposes that the development of burnout follows excessive job demands and lack of job resources. Job demands are predictive of feeling of exhaustion, and lack of job resources-disengagement from work. This pilot study investigated professional burnout and its correlates in employees of Polish cell and tissue banks, many of whom were involved in procurement and processing of tissues from deceased donors, as it was hypothesized that job burnout in this population might influence the effectiveness of cell and tissue transplantation network in our country. This study utilized the Polish version of the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), which measures the two dimensions of burnout (exhaustion and disengagement), and the Psychosocial Working Conditions Questionnaire (PWC), a Polish instrument used for monitoring psychosocial stress at work. The study sample consisted of 31 participants. Their average time of working in a cell and tissue bank was 13.20 years. Majority of the PWC scales and subscales scores fell in the Average range, and the OLBI results for the Disengagement and the Exhaustion scales were in the Average range. A number of correlations between the Exhaustion or Disengagement and the PWC scales and subscales were detected, majority of which fell in the Moderate range. In spite of the limited number of participants, the results of this pilot study are consistent with the burnout literature reports. Among the detected correlates of professional burnout, it is job-related support which seems to be the most important factor which may influence the efficacy of transplantation network in Poland.

  15. Quality control in diagnostic molecular pathology in the Netherlands; proficiency testing for patient identification in tissue samples

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Thunnissen, F. B. J. M.; Tilanus, M. G. J.; Ligtenberg, M. J. L.; Nederlof, P. M.; Dinjens, W. N. M.; Meulemans, E.; van den Brule, A. J. C.; van Noesel, C. J. M.; de Leeuw, W. J. F.; Schuuring, E.

    2004-01-01

    Aims: To describe the evolution of proficiency testing for molecular diagnostic pathology with respect to determining unambiguously the patient identity of tissue samples by microsatellite analysis. Method: Four rounds of quality control exchanges of samples from different patients were sent with

  16. The presence of enterovirus, adenovirus, and parvovirus B19 in myocardial tissue samples from autopsies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Trine Skov; Hansen, Jakob; Nielsen, Lars Peter

    2014-01-01

    of adenovirus, enterovirus, and parvovirus B19 (PVB) in myocardial autopsy samples from myocarditis related deaths and in non-inflamed control hearts in an effort to clarify their significance as the causes of myocarditis in a forensic material. METHODS: We collected all autopsy cases diagnosed with myocarditis...... from 1992 to 2010. Eighty-four suicidal deaths with morphologically normal hearts served as controls. Polymerase chain reaction was used for the detection of the viral genomes (adenovirus, enterovirus, and PVB) in myocardial tissue specimens. The distinction between acute and persistent PVB infection...... was made by the serological determination of PVB-specific immunoglobulins M and G. RESULTS: PVB was detected in 33 of 112 (29 %) myocarditis cases and 37 of 84 (44 %) control cases. All of the samples were negative for the presence of adenovirus and enterovirus. Serological evidence of an acute PVB...

  17. Analysis of corrosions-products in tissue samples near surgical implants by means of LAMMA (Laser Microprobe Mass Analyzer) and ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schlagenhaufen, C.

    1996-08-01

    In this work corrosion products of surgical implants in tissue samples were identified. For the characterization of the corrosion products the LAMMA 500 (Laser Microprobe Mass Analyzer) was used. Additional analysis were made with the ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer) to determine the concentration of chromium, cobalt, nickel, and molybdenum in the tissues. In the first part several synthetic chromium- and molybdenum compounds were investigated with LAMMA. With the anionic mass spectra of the chromium-compounds it is possible to the oxidation state of chromium. The mass spectra of the synthetic compounds were used to identify, the compounds in the corrosion products. In the second part thin sections prepared from the tissue samples from the surrounding of the implants were analyzed. Several embedding and cutting methods were tested. Histological staining methods and LAMMA spectra were used to characterize the deposits in the tissue. Three different deposits were found in the tissue. In all tissues metal splinters from the implant were found. In most of the tissues iron-rich deposits were found, that were identified as iron-phosphate. As definitive corrosion products of the implant mixtures of chromium(III)phosphate, calcium molybdate, calcium phosphate and chromium(III) molybdate were identified. The ICP-MS results show in comparison to normal values, very high concentrations for chromium, nickel, cobalt and molybdenum. These results support the conclusions based on LAMMA results. The results of these investigations clearly indicate, that stainless steel implants, are not corrosion-resistant in the body. Relatively high amounts of the constituents, of the implant dissolved, and are deposited as solid compounds in the tissue next to the implant. (author)

  18. The influence of freezing and tissue porosity on the material properties of vegetable tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ralfs, Julie D.

    2002-01-01

    Tissue porosity and fluid flow have been shown to be important parameters affecting the mechanical and sensorial behaviour of edible plant tissues. The quantity of fluid and the manner with which it was released on compression of the plant tissue were also important regarding the sensory perception and a good indication of any structural damage resulting from freezing, for example. Potato, carrot and Chinese water chestnut were used to study the effects freezing has on model plant tissues. Mechanical and structural measurements of the plant tissue were correlated with sensory analysis. Conventional freezing was shown to cause severe structural damage predominantly in the form of cavities between or through cells, resulting in decreases in mechanical strength and stiffness, and samples that were perceived in the mouth as 'soft' and 'wet'. The location and size of the cavities formed from ice crystals, depended on the particular plant tissue being frozen, the processing it was subjected to prior to freezing, the size of the sample and the cooling regime employed to freeze the tissue. Cavitation in the tissue resulted in an increase in tissue porosity, which enabled fluid to flow more easily from the tissue on compression, thus affecting the mechanical properties and sensory perception. Freezing damage to plant tissues was shown to be reduced, and sometimes prevented, when active antifreeze proteins (AFPs) were introduced into the tissues by vacuum infiltration or transformation and the tissue was frozen at a suitable cooling rate. Theoretical modelling was applied to the fluid flow and porosity data to test the validity of the models and to subsequently predict the mechanical behaviour of potato from the structural properties of the tissue. (author)

  19. Radioisotopic method for the measurement of lipolysis in small samples of human adipose tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leibel, R.L.; Hirsch, J.; Berry, E.M.; Gruen, R.K.

    1984-01-01

    To facilitate the study of adrenoreceptor response in small needle biopsy samples of human subcutaneous adipose tissue, we developed a dual radioisotopic technique for measuring lipolysis rate. Aliquots (20-75 mg) of adipose tissue fragments were incubated in a buffered albumin medium containing [ 3 H]palmitate and [ 14 C]glucose, each of high specific activity. In neutral glycerides synthesized in this system, [ 14 C]glucose is incorporated exclusively into the glyceride-glycerol moiety and 3 H appears solely in the esterified fatty acid. Alpha-2 and beta-1 adrenoreceptor activation of tissue incubated in this system does not alter rates of 14 C-labeled glyceride accumulation, but does produce a respective increase or decrease in the specific activity of fatty acids esterified into newly synthesized glycerides. This alteration in esterified fatty acid specific activity is reflected in the ratio of 14 C: 3 H in newly synthesized triglycerides extracted from the incubated adipose tissue. There is a high correlation (r . 0.90) between the 14 C: 3 H ratio in triglycerides and the rate of lipolysis as reflected in glycerol release into the incubation medium. The degree of adrenoreceptor activation by various concentrations of lipolytic and anti-lipolytic substances can be assessed by comparing this ratio in stimulated tissue to that characterizing unstimulated tissue or the incubation medium. This technique permits the study of very small, unweighed tissue biopsy fragments, the only limitation on sensitivity being the specific activity of the medium glucose and palmitate. It is, therefore, useful for serial examinations of adipose tissue adrenoreceptor dose-response characteristics under a variety of clinical circumstances

  20. Biased visualization of hypoperfused tissue by computed tomography due to short imaging duration: improved classification by image down-sampling and vascular models

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mikkelsen, Irene Klaerke; Ribe, Lars Riisgaard; Bekke, Susanne Lise; Tietze, Anna; Oestergaard, Leif; Mouridsen, Kim [Aarhus University Hospital, Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus C (Denmark); Jones, P.S.; Alawneh, Josef [University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Puig, Josep; Pedraza, Salva [Dr. Josep Trueta Girona University Hospitals, Department of Radiology, Girona Biomedical Research Institute, Girona (Spain); Gillard, Jonathan H. [University of Cambridge, Department of Radiology, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Warburton, Elisabeth A. [Cambrigde University Hospitals, Addenbrooke, Stroke Unit, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Baron, Jean-Claude [University of Cambridge, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Cambridge (United Kingdom); Centre Hospitalier Sainte Anne, INSERM U894, Paris (France)

    2015-07-15

    Lesion detection in acute stroke by computed-tomography perfusion (CTP) can be affected by incomplete bolus coverage in veins and hypoperfused tissue, so-called bolus truncation (BT), and low contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). We examined the BT-frequency and hypothesized that image down-sampling and a vascular model (VM) for perfusion calculation would improve normo- and hypoperfused tissue classification. CTP datasets from 40 acute stroke patients were retrospectively analysed for BT. In 16 patients with hypoperfused tissue but no BT, repeated 2-by-2 image down-sampling and uniform filtering was performed, comparing CNR to perfusion-MRI levels and tissue classification to that of unprocessed data. By simulating reduced scan duration, the minimum scan-duration at which estimated lesion volumes came within 10 % of their true volume was compared for VM and state-of-the-art algorithms. BT in veins and hypoperfused tissue was observed in 9/40 (22.5 %) and 17/40 patients (42.5 %), respectively. Down-sampling to 128 x 128 resolution yielded CNR comparable to MR data and improved tissue classification (p = 0.0069). VM reduced minimum scan duration, providing reliable maps of cerebral blood flow and mean transit time: 5 s (p = 0.03) and 7 s (p < 0.0001), respectively. BT is not uncommon in stroke CTP with 40-s scan duration. Applying image down-sampling and VM improve tissue classification. (orig.)

  1. Biased visualization of hypoperfused tissue by computed tomography due to short imaging duration: improved classification by image down-sampling and vascular models

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mikkelsen, Irene Klaerke; Ribe, Lars Riisgaard; Bekke, Susanne Lise; Tietze, Anna; Oestergaard, Leif; Mouridsen, Kim; Jones, P.S.; Alawneh, Josef; Puig, Josep; Pedraza, Salva; Gillard, Jonathan H.; Warburton, Elisabeth A.; Baron, Jean-Claude

    2015-01-01

    Lesion detection in acute stroke by computed-tomography perfusion (CTP) can be affected by incomplete bolus coverage in veins and hypoperfused tissue, so-called bolus truncation (BT), and low contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). We examined the BT-frequency and hypothesized that image down-sampling and a vascular model (VM) for perfusion calculation would improve normo- and hypoperfused tissue classification. CTP datasets from 40 acute stroke patients were retrospectively analysed for BT. In 16 patients with hypoperfused tissue but no BT, repeated 2-by-2 image down-sampling and uniform filtering was performed, comparing CNR to perfusion-MRI levels and tissue classification to that of unprocessed data. By simulating reduced scan duration, the minimum scan-duration at which estimated lesion volumes came within 10 % of their true volume was compared for VM and state-of-the-art algorithms. BT in veins and hypoperfused tissue was observed in 9/40 (22.5 %) and 17/40 patients (42.5 %), respectively. Down-sampling to 128 x 128 resolution yielded CNR comparable to MR data and improved tissue classification (p = 0.0069). VM reduced minimum scan duration, providing reliable maps of cerebral blood flow and mean transit time: 5 s (p = 0.03) and 7 s (p < 0.0001), respectively. BT is not uncommon in stroke CTP with 40-s scan duration. Applying image down-sampling and VM improve tissue classification. (orig.)

  2. Coexistence of Epstein-Barr virus and Parvovirus B19 in tonsillar tissue samples: quantitative measurement by real-time PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahiner, Fatih; Gümral, Ramazan; Yildizoğlu, Üzeyir; Babayiğit, Mustafa Alparslan; Durmaz, Abdullah; Yiğit, Nuri; Saraçli, Mehmet Ali; Kubar, Ayhan

    2014-08-01

    In this study, we aimed to investigate the presence and copy number of six different viruses in tonsillar tissue samples removed surgically because of chronic recurrent tonsillitis or chronic obstructive tonsillar hypertrophy. In total, 56 tissue samples (tonsillar core) collected from 44 children and 12 adults were included in this study. The presence of viruses was investigated using a new TaqMan-based quantitative real-time PCR assay. Of the 56 tissue samples, 67.9% (38/56) were positive for at least one of the six viruses. Epstein-Barr virus was the most frequently detected virus, being found in 53.6% (30/56), followed by human Parvovirus B19 21.4% (12/56), human adenovirus 12.5% (7/56), human Cytomegalovirus 5.4% (3/56), BK polyomavirus 1.8% (1/56), and Herpes simplex virus 1.8% (1/56). Precancerous or cancerous changes were not detected in the tonsillar tissue samples by pathologic examination, whereas lymphoid hyperplasia was observed in 24 patients. In contrast to other viruses, B19 virus was present in high copy number in tonsillar tissues. The rates of EBV and B19 virus with high copy number (>500.000 copies/ml) were higher in children than in adults, and a positive relationship was also found between the presence of EBV and the presence of B19 virus with high copy number (P=0.037). It is previously reported that some viral agents are associated with different chronic tonsillar pathologies. In the present study, the presence of B19 virus in tonsillar core samples was investigated quantitatively for the first time, and our data suggests that EBV infections could be associated with B19 virus infections or could facilitate B19 virus replication. However, further detailed studies are needed to clarify this observation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Office-based narrow band imaging-guided flexible laryngoscopy tissue sampling: A cost-effectiveness analysis evaluating its impact on Taiwanese health insurance program.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Tuan-Jen; Li, Hsueh-Yu; Liao, Chun-Ta; Chiang, Hui-Chen; Chen, I-How

    2015-07-01

    Narrow band imaging (NBI)-guided flexible laryngoscopy tissue sampling for laryngopharyngeal lesions is a novel technique. Patients underwent the procedure in an office-based setting without being sedated, which is different from the conventional technique performed using direct laryngoscopy. Although the feasibility and effects of this procedure were established, its financial impact on the institution and Taiwanese National Health Insurance program was not determined. This is a retrospective case-control study. From May 2010 to April 2011, 20 consecutive patients who underwent NBI flexible laryngoscopy tissue sampling were recruited. During the same period, another 20 age-, sex-, and lesion-matched cases were enrolled in the control group. The courses for procedures and financial status were analyzed and compared between groups. Office-based NBI flexible laryngoscopy tissue sampling procedure took 27 minutes to be completed, while 191 minutes were required for the conventional technique. Average reimbursement for each case was New Taiwan Dollar (NT$)1264 for patients undergoing office-based NBI flexible laryngoscopy tissue sampling, while NT$10,913 for those undergoing conventional direct laryngoscopy in the operation room (p institution suffered a loss of at least NT$690 when performing NBI flexible laryngoscopy tissue sampling. Office-based NBI flexible laryngoscopy tissue sampling is a cost-saving procedure for patients and the Taiwanese National Health Insurance program. It also saves the procedure time. However, the net financial loss for the institution and physician would limit its popularization unless reimbursement patterns are changed. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  4. Simultaneous Determination of 30 Trace Elements in Cancerous and Noncancerous Human Tissue Samples with Gamma-ray Spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Samsahl, K; Brune, D; Wester, P O

    1963-10-15

    The following trace elements were quantitatively determined by gamma-ray spectrometry in T samples of non-cancerous and 5 samples of cancerous human tissue: P, Ca, Cr, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Br, Rb, Mo, Ag, Cd, Sb, Cs, La, Au, and Hg. In some of the samples the following elements were qualitatively determined: Ti+Sc, Ga, Sr, In, Ba, Ce, Hf, Os, Pt, and U. Most of the trace elements were found to be present in much higher concentrations in the non-cancerous than in the corresponding cancerous liver samples. In a typical run one sample each of cancerous and non-cancerous tissue was irradiated together with standards of the elements to be determined in a thermal flux of 2.10{sup 13} n/cm{sup 2}/sec. for 24 hours. The radioactive trace elements were separated into 16, and in some cases 18, groups by means of a chemical group separation method. Subsequently, the gamma spectrometric measurements were performed. Two persons can manage the chemical separations and measure the different activities from a run in 1,5 days. A new method of comparing unknown samples with standards was developed.

  5. Principles, Techniques, and Applications of Tissue Microfluidics

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wade, Lawrence A.; Kartalov, Emil P.; Shibata, Darryl; Taylor, Clive

    2011-01-01

    The principle of tissue microfluidics and its resultant techniques has been applied to cell analysis. Building microfluidics to suit a particular tissue sample would allow the rapid, reliable, inexpensive, highly parallelized, selective extraction of chosen regions of tissue for purposes of further biochemical analysis. Furthermore, the applicability of the techniques ranges beyond the described pathology application. For example, they would also allow the posing and successful answering of new sets of questions in many areas of fundamental research. The proposed integration of microfluidic techniques and tissue slice samples is called "tissue microfluidics" because it molds the microfluidic architectures in accordance with each particular structure of each specific tissue sample. Thus, microfluidics can be built around the tissues, following the tissue structure, or alternatively, the microfluidics can be adapted to the specific geometry of particular tissues. By contrast, the traditional approach is that microfluidic devices are structured in accordance with engineering considerations, while the biological components in applied devices are forced to comply with these engineering presets.

  6. The influence of freezing and tissue porosity on the material properties of vegetable tissues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ralfs, Julie D

    2002-07-01

    Tissue porosity and fluid flow have been shown to be important parameters affecting the mechanical and sensorial behaviour of edible plant tissues. The quantity of fluid and the manner with which it was released on compression of the plant tissue were also important regarding the sensory perception and a good indication of any structural damage resulting from freezing, for example. Potato, carrot and Chinese water chestnut were used to study the effects freezing has on model plant tissues. Mechanical and structural measurements of the plant tissue were correlated with sensory analysis. Conventional freezing was shown to cause severe structural damage predominantly in the form of cavities between or through cells, resulting in decreases in mechanical strength and stiffness, and samples that were perceived in the mouth as 'soft' and 'wet'. The location and size of the cavities formed from ice crystals, depended on the particular plant tissue being frozen, the processing it was subjected to prior to freezing, the size of the sample and the cooling regime employed to freeze the tissue. Cavitation in the tissue resulted in an increase in tissue porosity, which enabled fluid to flow more easily from the tissue on compression, thus affecting the mechanical properties and sensory perception. Freezing damage to plant tissues was shown to be reduced, and sometimes prevented, when active antifreeze proteins (AFPs) were introduced into the tissues by vacuum infiltration or transformation and the tissue was frozen at a suitable cooling rate. Theoretical modelling was applied to the fluid flow and porosity data to test the validity of the models and to subsequently predict the mechanical behaviour of potato from the structural properties of the tissue. (author)

  7. Evaluation of Chromosomal Disorders in Tissue and Blood Samples in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Parvaneroo

    2004-12-01

    Full Text Available Statement of Problem: Many studies have indicated that genetic disturbances are common findings in patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC. Identification of these changes can be helpful in diagnostic procedures of these tumors.Purpose: The aim of this study was to appraise the chromosomal disorders in blood and tissue patients with OSCC.Methods and Materials: In this descriptive study, the study group consisted of all OSCC patients who were referred to the Faculty of Dentistry, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Maxillofacial Surgery Clinic of Shariati Hospital, and Amir Aalam Hospital fromSeptember 2000 to November 2002. In order to study chromosomal disorders in the peripheral blood lymphocytes, 5 mL of blood was obtained from each patient In patients with the large lesion, a piece of involved tissue were obtained and cultured for 24 hours.This led to 29 blood samples and 16 tissue specimens and any relation between OSCC and age, sex, smoking and alcohol use were evaluated.Results: In this study, OSCC was more common in males than in females (3 to 5. 31% of our patients were smokers, and one had a history of alcoholic consumption. There was an increase in incidence of OSCC with age. In this study, all patients had numerical(aneuploidy, polyploidy and structural chromosomal disorders (double minute, fragment,breakage and dicentric. There was significant difference between blood and tissue chromosomal disorders (aneuploidy, polyploidy,breakage in OSCC patients.Conclusion: It can be concluded that chromosomes in patients with OSCC might show some genetic aberration and evaluation of involved tissue might be better way for determining this disorders.

  8. Combined Bisulfite Restriction Analysis for brain tissue identification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samsuwan, Jarunya; Muangsub, Tachapol; Yanatatsaneejit, Pattamawadee; Mutirangura, Apiwat; Kitkumthorn, Nakarin

    2018-05-01

    According to the tissue-specific methylation database (doi: 10.1016/j.gene.2014.09.060), methylation at CpG locus cg03096975 in EML2 has been preliminarily proven to be specific to brain tissue. In this study, we enlarged sample size and developed a technique for identifying brain tissue in aged samples. Combined Bisulfite Restriction Analysis-for EML2 (COBRA-EML2) technique was established and validated in various organ samples obtained from 108 autopsies. In addition, this technique was also tested for its reliability, minimal DNA concentration detected, and use in aged samples and in samples obtained from specific brain compartments and spinal cord. COBRA-EML2 displayed 100% sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing brain tissue from other tissues, showed high reliability, was capable of detecting minimal DNA concentration (0.015ng/μl), could be used for identifying brain tissue in aged samples. In summary, COBRA-EML2 is a technique to identify brain tissue. This analysis is useful in criminal cases since it can identify the vital organ tissues from small samples acquired from criminal scenes. The results from this analysis can be counted as a medical and forensic marker supporting criminal investigations, and as one of the evidences in court rulings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Results of groundwater monitoring and vegetation sampling at Everest, Kansas, in 2009 .

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    LaFreniere, L. M.; Environmental Science Division

    2010-05-13

    In April 2008, the Commodity Credit Corporation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (CCC/USDA) conducted groundwater sampling for the analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the existing network of monitoring points at Everest, Kansas (Argonne 2008). The objective of the 2008 investigation was to monitor the distribution of carbon tetrachloride contamination in groundwater previously identified in CCC/USDA site characterization and groundwater sampling studies at Everest in 2000-2006 (Argonne 2001, 2003, 2006a,b). The work at Everest is being undertaken on behalf of the CCC/USDA by Argonne National Laboratory, under the oversight of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The findings of the 2008 investigation were as follows: (1) Measurements of groundwater levels obtained manually and through the use of automatic recorders demonstrated a consistent pattern of groundwater flow - and inferred contaminant migration - to the north-northwest from the former CCC/USDA facility toward the Nigh property, and then west-southwest from the Nigh property toward the intermittent creek that lies west of the former CCC/USDA facility and the Nigh property. (2) The range of concentrations and the areal distribution of carbon tetrachloride identified in the groundwater at Everest in April 2008 were generally consistent with previous results. The results of the 2008 sampling (reflecting the period from 2006 to 2008) and the earlier investigations at Everest (representing the period from 2000 to 2006) show that no significant downgradient extension of the carbon tetrachloride plume occurred from 2000 to 2008. (3) The slow contaminant migration indicated by the monitoring data is qualitatively consistent with the low groundwater flow rates in the Everest aquifer unit estimated previously on the basis of site-specific hydraulic testing (Argonne 2006a,b). (4) The April 2008 and earlier sampling results demonstrate that the limits of the plume have been

  10. Mid-term clinical results of tissue-engineered vascular autografts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsumura, Goki; Shin'oka, Toshiharu; Hibino, Narutoshi; Saito, Satoshi; Sakamoto, Takahiko; Ichihara, Yuki; Hobo, Kyoko; Miyamoto, Shin'ka; Kurosawa, Hiromi

    2007-01-01

    Prosthetic and bioprosthetic materials currently in use lack growth potential and therefore must be repeatedly replaced in pediatric patients as they grow. Tissue engineering is a new discipline that offers the potential for creating replacement structures from autologous cells and biodegradable polymer scaffolds. In May 2000, we initiated clinical application of tissue-engineered vascular grafts seeded with cultured cells. However, cell culturing is time-consuming, and xenoserum must be used. To overcome these disadvantages, we began to use bone marrow cells, readily available on the day of surgery, as a cell source. Since September 2001, tissue-engineered grafts seeded with autologous bone marrow cells have been implanted in 44 patients. The patients or their parents were fully informed and had given consent to the procedure. A 3 to 10 ml/kg specimen of bone marrow was aspirated with the patient under general anesthesia before the skin incision. The polymer tube serving as a scaffold for the cells was composed of a copolymer of lactide and ε-caprolactone (50:50) which degrades by hydrolysis. Polyglycolic or poly-l-lactic acid woven fabric was used for reinforcement. Twenty-six tissue-engineered conduits and 19 tissue-engineered patches were used for the repair of congenital heart defects. The patients' ages ranged from 1 to 24 years (median 7.4 years). All patients underwent a catheterization study, CT scan, or both, for evaluation after the operation. There were 4 late deaths due to heart failure with or without multiple organ failure or brain bleeding in this series; these were unrelated to the tissue-engineered graft function. One patient required percutaneous balloon angioplasty for tubular graft-stenosis and 4 patients for the stenosis of the patch-shaped tissue engineered material. Two patients required re-do operation; one for recurrent pulmonary stenosis and another for a resulting R-L shunt after the lateral tunnel method. Kaplan-Meier analysis in

  11. Statistical Analysis Of Tank 19F Floor Sample Results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harris, S.

    2010-01-01

    Representative sampling has been completed for characterization of the residual material on the floor of Tank 19F as per the statistical sampling plan developed by Harris and Shine. Samples from eight locations have been obtained from the tank floor and two of the samples were archived as a contingency. Six samples, referred to in this report as the current scrape samples, have been submitted to and analyzed by SRNL. This report contains the statistical analysis of the floor sample analytical results to determine if further data are needed to reduce uncertainty. Included are comparisons with the prior Mantis samples results to determine if they can be pooled with the current scrape samples to estimate the upper 95% confidence limits (UCL95%) for concentration. Statistical analysis revealed that the Mantis and current scrape sample results are not compatible. Therefore, the Mantis sample results were not used to support the quantification of analytes in the residual material. Significant spatial variability among the current scrape sample results was not found. Constituent concentrations were similar between the North and South hemispheres as well as between the inner and outer regions of the tank floor. The current scrape sample results from all six samples fall within their 3-sigma limits. In view of the results from numerous statistical tests, the data were pooled from all six current scrape samples. As such, an adequate sample size was provided for quantification of the residual material on the floor of Tank 19F. The uncertainty is quantified in this report by an UCL95% on each analyte concentration. The uncertainty in analyte concentration was calculated as a function of the number of samples, the average, and the standard deviation of the analytical results. The UCL95% was based entirely on the six current scrape sample results (each averaged across three analytical determinations).

  12. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF TANK 18F FLOOR SAMPLE RESULTS

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Harris, S.

    2010-09-02

    Representative sampling has been completed for characterization of the residual material on the floor of Tank 18F as per the statistical sampling plan developed by Shine [1]. Samples from eight locations have been obtained from the tank floor and two of the samples were archived as a contingency. Six samples, referred to in this report as the current scrape samples, have been submitted to and analyzed by SRNL [2]. This report contains the statistical analysis of the floor sample analytical results to determine if further data are needed to reduce uncertainty. Included are comparisons with the prior Mantis samples results [3] to determine if they can be pooled with the current scrape samples to estimate the upper 95% confidence limits (UCL{sub 95%}) for concentration. Statistical analysis revealed that the Mantis and current scrape sample results are not compatible. Therefore, the Mantis sample results were not used to support the quantification of analytes in the residual material. Significant spatial variability among the current sample results was not found. Constituent concentrations were similar between the North and South hemispheres as well as between the inner and outer regions of the tank floor. The current scrape sample results from all six samples fall within their 3-sigma limits. In view of the results from numerous statistical tests, the data were pooled from all six current scrape samples. As such, an adequate sample size was provided for quantification of the residual material on the floor of Tank 18F. The uncertainty is quantified in this report by an upper 95% confidence limit (UCL{sub 95%}) on each analyte concentration. The uncertainty in analyte concentration was calculated as a function of the number of samples, the average, and the standard deviation of the analytical results. The UCL{sub 95%} was based entirely on the six current scrape sample results (each averaged across three analytical determinations).

  13. Effect of soil and water environment on typeability of PowerPlex Y (Promega) in selected tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niemcunowicz-Janica, Anna; Pepinski, Witold; Janica, Jacek Robert; Skawronska, Malgorzata; Janica, Jerzy; Koc-Zorawska, Ewa; Stolyszewski, Ireneusz

    2007-01-01

    In cases of decomposed bodies Y chromosomal STR markers may be useful in identification of a male relative. The authors assessed typeability PowerPlex Y (Promega) loci in tissue material stored in water and soil environment. Tissue material was collected during autopsies of five persons aged 20-30 years with time of death determined within the limit of 14 hours. Heart muscle, liver and lung specimens were stored in pond water, sea water, sand and peat soil. DNA was extracted by organic method from tissue samples collected in 7-day intervals. Liver specimens were typeable in all PowerPlex Y loci within 100 days of storage in pond water with gradual decline at DYS392 in sea water. Heart muscle specimens stored in pond water exhibited allelic loss at DYS19, DYS385, DYS389II and DYS392, while all loci were typeable in sea water stored samples. For lung specimens allelic loss was noted throughout the profile. Storage of liver specimens in peat soil for more than 14 days resulted in allelic drop-out, and after 21 days no profiles were typeable. Heart muscle specimens were typeable in all PowerPlex Y systems after 35-day storage in sand, while allelic drop-out and subsequent lack of profiles were noted after 14 and 35 days respectively. Lung specimens stored in garden soil exhibited allelic drop-out and subsequent lack of profiles after 7 and 21 days, respectively. All PowerPlex Y loci were typeable in the latter material in sand up to day 35 with gradual decline of longer amplicons (DYS19, DYS385, DYS389II and DYS392).

  14. Effect of soil and water environment on typeability of PowerPlex Y (Promega in selected tissue samples.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ewa Koc-Zorawska

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available In cases of decomposed bodies Y chromosomal STR markers may be useful in identification of a male relative. The authors assessed typeability PowerPlex Y (Promega loci in tissue material stored in water and soil environment. Tissue material was collected during autopsies of five persons aged 20-30 years with time of death determined within the limit of 14 hours. Heart muscle, liver and lung specimens were stored in pond water, sea water, sand and peat soil. DNA was extracted by organic method from tissue samples collected in 7-day intervals. Liver specimens were typeable in all PowerPlex Y loci within 100 days of storage in pond water with gradual decline at DYS392 in sea water. Heart muscle specimens stored in pond water exhibited allelic loss at DYS19, DYS385, DYS389II and DYS392, while all loci were typeable in sea water stored samples. For lung specimens allelic loss was noted throughout the profile. Storage of liver specimens in peat soil for more than 14 days resulted in allelic drop-out, and after 21 days no profiles were typeable. Heart muscle specimens were typeable in all PowerPlex Y systems after 35-day storage in sand, while allelic drop-out and subsequent lack of profiles were noted after 14 and 35 days respectively. Lung specimens stored in garden soil exhibited allelic drop-out and subsequent lack of profiles after 7 and 21 days, respectively. All PowerPlex Y loci were typeable in the latter material in sand up to day 35 with gradual decline of longer amplicons (DYS19, DYS385, DYS389II and DYS392.

  15. Leptine: an hormone secreted by adipose tissue. First study in Uruguayan population sample

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pisabarro, Raul; Irrazabal, Ernesto; Recalde, Alicia; Barrios, Enrique; Arocena, Beatriz; Garcia Loriente, Jose Maria; Lorenzo Bonifazio, Juan

    1999-01-01

    The recent discovery of leptine, an hormone secreted by adipose tissue which modulates the energetic expenditure has signified a gigantic advance in studying obesity facts. In spite of a recent description of absence of leptine in humans, the obesity human model answers to leptine resistance. In this paper, we revise the actual concepts and show leptine values of a sample of 101 middle aged uruguayans, male and female, of normal weight and over weighted (table 1), correlated with corporal mass index (CMI) as an indirect measure of total body fat and waist diameter as an indirect measure of visceral fat, and hips (periferical fat). Bioimpedance studies were carried out to get the corporal composition. Results: good correlation between corporal fat and leptine, but fat distribution was not found representative. All in all, this data set confirms the correlation between leptine and total body fat mass

  16. Collecting and Storing Tissue, Blood, and Bone Marrow Samples From Patients With Rhabdomyosarcoma or Other Soft Tissue Sarcoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-12-11

    Adult Rhabdomyosarcoma; Childhood Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor; Chordoma; Desmoid Tumor; Metastatic Childhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Nonmetastatic Childhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Previously Treated Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma; Previously Untreated Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma; Recurrent Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Recurrent Childhood Rhabdomyosarcoma; Recurrent Childhood Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Stage I Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Stage II Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Stage III Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma; Stage IV Adult Soft Tissue Sarcoma

  17. DNA from keratinous tissue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bengtsson, Camilla F.; Olsen, Maja E.; Brandt, Luise Ørsted

    2011-01-01

    Keratinous tissues such as nail, hair, horn, scales and feather have been used as a source of DNA for over 20 years. Particular benefits of such tissues include the ease with which they can be sampled, the relative stability of DNA in such tissues once sampled, and, in the context of ancient...... genetic analyses, the fact that sampling generally causes minimal visual damage to valuable specimens. Even when freshly sampled, however, the DNA quantity and quality in the fully keratinized parts of such tissues is extremely poor in comparison to other tissues such as blood and muscle – although little...... systematic research has been undertaken to characterize how such degradation may relate to sample source. In this review paper we present the current understanding of the quality and limitations of DNA in two key keratinous tissues, nail and hair. The findings indicate that although some fragments of nuclear...

  18. Liquid scintillation alpha counting and spectrometry and its application to bone and tissue samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McDowell, W.J.; Weiss, J.F.

    1976-01-01

    Three methods for determination of alpha-emitting nuclides using liquid scintillation counting are compared, and the pertinent literature is reviewed. Data showing the application of each method to the measurement of plutonium concentration in tissue and bone samples are presented. Counting with a commercial beta-liquid scintillation counter and an aqueous-phase-accepting scintillator is shown to be accurate only in cases where the alpha activity is high (several hundred counts/min or more), only gross alpha counting is desired, and beta-gamma emitters are known to be absent from the sample or present at low levels compared with the alpha activity. Counting with the same equipment and an aqueous immiscible scintillator containing an extractant for the nuclide of interest (extractive scintillator) is shown to allow better control of alpha peak shift due to quenching, a significant reduction of beta-gamma interference, and, usually, a low background. The desirability of using a multichannel pulse-height analyzer in the above two counting methods is stressed. The use of equipment and procedures designed for alpha liquid scintillation counting is shown to allow alpha spectrometry with an energy resolution capability of 200 to 300 keV full-peak-width-at-half-peak-height and a background of 0.3 to 1.0 counts/min, or as low as 0.01 counts/min if pulse-shape discrimination methods are used. Methods for preparing animal bone and tissue samples for assay are described

  19. The magnitude of linear dichroism of biological tissues as a result of cancer changes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bojchuk, T. M.; Yermolenko, S. B.; Fedonyuk, L. Y.; Petryshen, O. I.; Guminetsky, S. G.; Prydij, O. G.

    2011-09-01

    The results of studies of linear dichroism values of different types of biological tissues (human prostate, esophageal epithelial human muscle tissue in rats) both healthy and infected tumor at different stages of development are shown here. The significant differences in magnitude of linear dichroism and its spectral dependence in the spectral range λ = 330 - 750 nm both among the objects of study, and between biotissues: healthy (or affected by benign tumors) and cancer patients are established. It is researched that in all cases in biological tissues (prostate gland, esophagus, human muscle tissue in rats) with cancer the linear dichroism arises, the value of which depends on the type of tissue and time of the tumor process. As for healthy tissues linear dichroism is absent, the results may have diagnostic value for detecting and assessing the degree of development of cancer.

  20. Recent Results from the SAMPLE Experiment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Takeyasu M.

    2004-01-01

    The previous two SAMPLE experiments yielded a measurement of the axial e-N form factor G A e substantially different from the theoretical estimate. In order to confirm this observation, a third SAMPLE experiment was carried out at a lower beam energy of 125 MeV (Q2 = 0.038 (GeV/c)2) on a deuterium target. The data analysis is now at the final stage and the results are consistent with the theoretical prediction of the axial form factor G A e . Also, reevaluation of the background dilution factor and the electromagnetic radiative correction for the 200 MeV deuterium data lead to updated results, which are also consistent with the theoretical prediction

  1. Sample processing, protocol, and statistical analysis of the time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) of protein, cell, and tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barreto, Goncalo; Soininen, Antti; Sillat, Tarvo; Konttinen, Yrjö T; Kaivosoja, Emilia

    2014-01-01

    Time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS) is increasingly being used in analysis of biological samples. For example, it has been applied to distinguish healthy and osteoarthritic human cartilage. This chapter discusses ToF-SIMS principle and instrumentation including the three modes of analysis in ToF-SIMS. ToF-SIMS sets certain requirements for the samples to be analyzed; for example, the samples have to be vacuum compatible. Accordingly, sample processing steps for different biological samples, i.e., proteins, cells, frozen and paraffin-embedded tissues and extracellular matrix for the ToF-SIMS are presented. Multivariate analysis of the ToF-SIMS data and the necessary data preprocessing steps (peak selection, data normalization, mean-centering, and scaling and transformation) are discussed in this chapter.

  2. Determination of 35S-aminoacyl-transfer ribonucleic acid specific radioactivity in small tissue samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Samarel, A.M.; Ogunro, E.A.; Ferguson, A.G.; Lesch, M.

    1981-01-01

    Rate determination of protein synthesis utilizing tracer amino acid incorporation requires accurate assessment of the specific radioactivity of the labeled precursor aminoacyl-tRNA pool. Previously published methods presumably useful for the measurement of any aminoacyl-tRNA were unsuccessful when applied to [ 35 S]methionine, due to the unique chemical properties of this amino acid. Herein we describe modifications of these methods necessary for the measurement of 35 S-aminoacyl-tRNA specific radioactivity from small tissue samples incubated in the presence of [ 35 S]methionine. The use of [ 35 S]methionine of high specific radioactivity enables analysis of the methionyl-tRNA from less than 100 mg of tissue. Conditions for optimal recovery of 35 S-labeled dansyl-amino acid derivatives are presented and possible applications of this method are discussed

  3. Evaluation of endogenous control genes for gene expression studies across multiple tissues and in the specific sets of fat- and muscle-type samples of the pig.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gu, Y R; Li, M Z; Zhang, K; Chen, L; Jiang, A A; Wang, J Y; Li, X W

    2011-08-01

    To normalize a set of quantitative real-time PCR (q-PCR) data, it is essential to determine an optimal number/set of housekeeping genes, as the abundance of housekeeping genes can vary across tissues or cells during different developmental stages, or even under certain environmental conditions. In this study, of the 20 commonly used endogenous control genes, 13, 18 and 17 genes exhibited credible stability in 56 different tissues, 10 types of adipose tissue and five types of muscle tissue, respectively. Our analysis clearly showed that three optimal housekeeping genes are adequate for an accurate normalization, which correlated well with the theoretical optimal number (r ≥ 0.94). In terms of economical and experimental feasibility, we recommend the use of the three most stable housekeeping genes for calculating the normalization factor. Based on our results, the three most stable housekeeping genes in all analysed samples (TOP2B, HSPCB and YWHAZ) are recommended for accurate normalization of q-PCR data. We also suggest that two different sets of housekeeping genes are appropriate for 10 types of adipose tissue (the HSPCB, ALDOA and GAPDH genes) and five types of muscle tissue (the TOP2B, HSPCB and YWHAZ genes), respectively. Our report will serve as a valuable reference for other studies aimed at measuring tissue-specific mRNA abundance in porcine samples. © 2011 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  4. Experimental investigations into sample preparation of Alzheimer tissue specimens for nuclear microprobe analysis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pinheiro, T [CEC-JRC, Central Bureau for Nuclear Measurements, Geel (Belgium); Tapper, U A.S. [Dept. of Nuclear Physics, Lund Inst. of Science and Tech. (Sweden); Sturesson, K; Brun, A [Div. of Neuropathology, Dept. of Pathology, Lund University Hospital (Sweden)

    1991-03-01

    Nuclear microprobe analysis was applied to the study of elemental distribution in brains sections of patients with a diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. Stained and nonstained cryosections were studied. The work carried out shows that serious elemental losses follow the sample staining procedure. Major losses occurred in a simple rinse of the tissue section, probably reducing most of the in-vivo gradients, which show that generally very little information can be gained from stained sections. However, in many cases stained sections are compulsory because of the requirement to recognize the area which is to be studied. All the elemental maps obtained for the neurofibrillary deposits indicate a localized concentration for Si and probably also Al, associated with the senile plaque core. Neither of these elements were found in the staining solutions used. The validity of the results is discussed as well as the possible link of Al and/or Si in the development of Alzheimer's desease. (orig.).

  5. Investigation of the “true” extraction recovery of analytes from multiple types of tissues and its impact on tissue bioanalysis using two model compounds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yuan, Long, E-mail: long.yuan@bms.com [Bioanalytical Sciences, Research & Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Ma, Li [Biotransformation, Research & Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Dillon, Lisa [Discovery Toxicology, Research & Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Fancher, R. Marcus; Sun, Huadong [Metabolism and Pharmacokinetics, Research & Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Zhu, Mingshe [Biotransformation, Research & Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Lehman-McKeeman, Lois [Discovery Toxicology, Research & Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Aubry, Anne-Françoise [Bioanalytical Sciences, Research & Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States); Ji, Qin C., E-mail: qin.ji@bms.com [Bioanalytical Sciences, Research & Development, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Princeton, NJ 08543 (United States)

    2016-11-16

    LC-MS/MS has been widely applied to the quantitative analysis of tissue samples. However, one key remaining issue is that the extraction recovery of analyte from spiked tissue calibration standard and quality control samples (QCs) may not accurately represent the “true” recovery of analyte from incurred tissue samples. This may affect the accuracy of LC-MS/MS tissue bioanalysis. Here, we investigated whether the recovery determined using tissue QCs by LC-MS/MS can accurately represent the “true” recovery from incurred tissue samples using two model compounds: BMS-986104, a S1P{sub 1} receptor modulator drug candidate, and its phosphate metabolite, BMS-986104-P. We first developed a novel acid and surfactant assisted protein precipitation method for the extraction of BMS-986104 and BMS-986104-P from rat tissues, and determined their recoveries using tissue QCs by LC-MS/MS. We then used radioactive incurred samples from rats dosed with {sup 3}H-labeled BMS-986104 to determine the absolute total radioactivity recovery in six different tissues. The recoveries determined using tissue QCs and incurred samples matched with each other very well. The results demonstrated that, in this assay, tissue QCs accurately represented the incurred tissue samples to determine the “true” recovery, and LC-MS/MS assay was accurate for tissue bioanalysis. Another aspect we investigated is how the tissue QCs should be prepared to better represent the incurred tissue samples. We compared two different QC preparation methods (analyte spiked in tissue homogenates or in intact tissues) and demonstrated that the two methods had no significant difference when a good sample preparation was in place. The developed assay showed excellent accuracy and precision, and was successfully applied to the quantitative determination of BMS-986104 and BMS-986104-P in tissues in a rat toxicology study. - Highlights: • Investigated the “true” recovery in six different tissues using incurred

  6. Investigation of the “true” extraction recovery of analytes from multiple types of tissues and its impact on tissue bioanalysis using two model compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yuan, Long; Ma, Li; Dillon, Lisa; Fancher, R. Marcus; Sun, Huadong; Zhu, Mingshe; Lehman-McKeeman, Lois; Aubry, Anne-Françoise; Ji, Qin C.

    2016-01-01

    LC-MS/MS has been widely applied to the quantitative analysis of tissue samples. However, one key remaining issue is that the extraction recovery of analyte from spiked tissue calibration standard and quality control samples (QCs) may not accurately represent the “true” recovery of analyte from incurred tissue samples. This may affect the accuracy of LC-MS/MS tissue bioanalysis. Here, we investigated whether the recovery determined using tissue QCs by LC-MS/MS can accurately represent the “true” recovery from incurred tissue samples using two model compounds: BMS-986104, a S1P 1 receptor modulator drug candidate, and its phosphate metabolite, BMS-986104-P. We first developed a novel acid and surfactant assisted protein precipitation method for the extraction of BMS-986104 and BMS-986104-P from rat tissues, and determined their recoveries using tissue QCs by LC-MS/MS. We then used radioactive incurred samples from rats dosed with 3 H-labeled BMS-986104 to determine the absolute total radioactivity recovery in six different tissues. The recoveries determined using tissue QCs and incurred samples matched with each other very well. The results demonstrated that, in this assay, tissue QCs accurately represented the incurred tissue samples to determine the “true” recovery, and LC-MS/MS assay was accurate for tissue bioanalysis. Another aspect we investigated is how the tissue QCs should be prepared to better represent the incurred tissue samples. We compared two different QC preparation methods (analyte spiked in tissue homogenates or in intact tissues) and demonstrated that the two methods had no significant difference when a good sample preparation was in place. The developed assay showed excellent accuracy and precision, and was successfully applied to the quantitative determination of BMS-986104 and BMS-986104-P in tissues in a rat toxicology study. - Highlights: • Investigated the “true” recovery in six different tissues using incurred tissue

  7. Statistical literacy and sample survey results

    Science.gov (United States)

    McAlevey, Lynn; Sullivan, Charles

    2010-10-01

    Sample surveys are widely used in the social sciences and business. The news media almost daily quote from them, yet they are widely misused. Using students with prior managerial experience embarking on an MBA course, we show that common sample survey results are misunderstood even by those managers who have previously done a statistics course. In general, they fare no better than managers who have never studied statistics. There are implications for teaching, especially in business schools, as well as for consulting.

  8. Real time monitoring of pulsatile change in hemoglobin concentrations of cerebral tissue by a portable tissue oximeter with a 10-Hz sampling rate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shiga, Toshikazu; Chihara, Eiichi; Tanabe, Kazuhisa; Tanaka, Yoshifumi; Yamamoto, Katsuyuki

    1998-01-01

    A portable CW tissue oximeter of a 10-Hz sampling rate was developed for examination of pulsatile components of the output signals as a mean of checking the signal reliability during long-term monitoring. Feasible studies were performed on a healthy subject. Changes in Hb and HbO2 signals of cerebral tissue were continuously measured by placing a photoprobe on the forehead during 6-hour sleep. Pulsatile changes in Hb and HbO2 were steadily observed over a whole period of the recording. The phase relation of pulsation in Hb and HbO2 was almost inverse. Not only information for reliable monitoring but also physiological parameters with respect to cerebral circulation and metabolism could be obtained by measuring the pulsatile components.

  9. Measurement of tissue free water tritium in biological samples by liquid scintillation counter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wu Zongmei; Zheng Xiaomin

    1993-01-01

    The authors introduced a method of extracting tissue free water tritium (TFWT) by the azeotropic distribution with toluene and of measuring the activity of the TFWT in biological samples by liquid scintillation counter. The TFWT recovery ratio of pine needles (fresh), green vegetables, radish, rice, pork (muscle) and milk is 0.90, 0.95, 0.96, 0.90, 0.52 and 0.85, and TFWT activity is 1.8, 3.2, 1.8, 2.7, 3.3 and 4.0 Bq/L-H 2 O, respectively

  10. Molecular glycopathology by capillary electrophoresis: Analysis of the N-glycome of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded mouse tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Donczo, Boglarka; Szarka, Mate; Tovari, Jozsef; Ostoros, Gyorgyi; Csanky, Eszter; Guttman, Andras

    2017-06-01

    Capillary electrophoresis with laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF) detection was used to analyze endoglycosidase released and fluorophore-labeled N-glycans from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) mouse tissue samples of lung, brain, heart, spleen, liver, kidney and intestine. The FFPE samples were first deparaffinized followed by solubilization and glycoprotein retrieval. PNGase F mediated release of the N-linked oligosaccharides was followed by labeling with aminopyrene trisulfonate. After CE-LIF glycoprofiling of the FFPE mouse tissues, the N-glycan pool of the lung specimen was subject to further investigation by exoglycosidase array based carbohydrate sequencing. Structural assignment of the oligosaccharides was accomplished by the help of the GUcal software and the associated database, based on the mobility shifts after treatments with the corresponding exoglycosidase reaction mixtures. Sixteen major N-linked carbohydrate structures were sequenced from the mouse lung FFPE tissue glycome and identified, as high mannose (3) neutral biantennary (3) sialylated monoantennary (1) and sialylated bianennary (9) oligosaccharides. Two of these latter ones also possessed alpha(1-3) linked galactose residues. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  11. Numerical and structural genomic aberrations are reliably detectable in tissue microarrays of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumor samples by fluorescence in-situ hybridization.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heike Horn

    Full Text Available Few data are available regarding the reliability of fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH, especially for chromosomal deletions, in high-throughput settings using tissue microarrays (TMAs. We performed a comprehensive FISH study for the detection of chromosomal translocations and deletions in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE tumor specimens arranged in TMA format. We analyzed 46 B-cell lymphoma (B-NHL specimens with known karyotypes for translocations of IGH-, BCL2-, BCL6- and MYC-genes. Locus-specific DNA probes were used for the detection of deletions in chromosome bands 6q21 and 9p21 in 62 follicular lymphomas (FL and six malignant mesothelioma (MM samples, respectively. To test for aberrant signals generated by truncation of nuclei following sectioning of FFPE tissue samples, cell line dilutions with 9p21-deletions were embedded into paraffin blocks. The overall TMA hybridization efficiency was 94%. FISH results regarding translocations matched karyotyping data in 93%. As for chromosomal deletions, sectioning artefacts occurred in 17% to 25% of cells, suggesting that the proportion of cells showing deletions should exceed 25% to be reliably detectable. In conclusion, FISH represents a robust tool for the detection of structural as well as numerical aberrations in FFPE tissue samples in a TMA-based high-throughput setting, when rigorous cut-off values and appropriate controls are maintained, and, of note, was superior to quantitative PCR approaches.

  12. Endoductal tissue sampling of biliary strictures through endoscopic retrograde cholangiopan creatography (ERCP).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pugliese, V; Antonelli, G; Vincenti, M; Gatteschi, B

    1997-01-01

    Pathological proof of malignant in biliary strictures is useful in the preoperative setting as it helps define therapeutic planning and prognosis, and reduces the length of the subsequent surgical intervention. However, it is difficult to obtain. The aim of this study was to evaluate the yield of histological and cytological examination of endobiliary samples obtained during endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Endobiliary forceps biopsy and brush cytology were performed during ERCP examination in 52 consecutive patients, 36 with malignant and 16 with benign strictures. Histology and cytology turned out to have the same sensitivity (53%). The gain in sensitivity achieved by combining the two techniques was limited, reaching a value of 61%. The specificity, however, was 100% for both methods. Most of the few complications observed were due to sphincterotomy and subsided spontaneously or with medical treatment. However, one patient experienced a serous complication and chose to be treated by surgical intervention. The complication was caused by forceps biopsy. This study shows that 1) sampling of biliary strictures during ERCP is the primary approach to tissue diagnosis; 2) brush cytology alone is sufficient in clinical practice; 3) forceps biopsy must always be used to sample intra-ampullary strictures but should be considered as a secondary step to sample strictures located more proximally, in the bile ducta, if previous cytology was negative.

  13. Versatile electrochemial sensor for tissue culturing and sample handling

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bakmand, Tanya; Kwasny, Dorota; Al Atraktchi, Fatima Al-Zahraa

    2014-01-01

    Culturing of organtypic brain tissues is a routine procedure in neural research. The visual inspection of the medium is the only way of determining the state of the tissue. At the end of culturing, post-processing techniques such as HPLC can be used to measure the concentration of the secreted...

  14. SU-F-J-193: Efficient Dose Extinction Method for Water Equivalent Path Length (WEPL) of Real Tissue Samples for Validation of CT HU to Stopping Power Conversion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, R; Baer, E; Jee, K; Sharp, G; Flanz, J; Lu, H

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: For proton therapy, an accurate model of CT HU to relative stopping power (RSP) conversion is essential. In current practice, validation of these models relies solely on measurements of tissue substitutes with standard compositions. Validation based on real tissue samples would be much more direct and can address variations between patients. This study intends to develop an efficient and accurate system based on the concept of dose extinction to measure WEPL and retrieve RSP in biological tissue in large number of types. Methods: A broad AP proton beam delivering a spread out Bragg peak (SOBP) is used to irradiate the samples with a Matrixx detector positioned immediately below. A water tank was placed on top of the samples, with the water level controllable in sub-millimeter by a remotely controlled dosing pump. While gradually lowering the water level with beam on, the transmission dose was recorded at 1 frame/sec. The WEPL were determined as the difference between the known beam range of the delivered SOBP (80%) and the water level corresponding to 80% of measured dose profiles in time. A Gammex 467 phantom was used to test the system and various types of biological tissue was measured. Results: RSP for all Gammex inserts, expect the one made with lung-450 material (<2% error), were determined within ±0.5% error. Depends on the WEPL of investigated phantom, a measurement takes around 10 min, which can be accelerated by a faster pump. Conclusion: Based on the concept of dose extinction, a system was explored to measure WEPL efficiently and accurately for a large number of samples. This allows the validation of CT HU to stopping power conversions based on large number of samples and real tissues. It also allows the assessment of beam uncertainties due to variations over patients, which issue has never been sufficiently studied before.

  15. SU-F-J-193: Efficient Dose Extinction Method for Water Equivalent Path Length (WEPL) of Real Tissue Samples for Validation of CT HU to Stopping Power Conversion

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, R; Baer, E; Jee, K; Sharp, G; Flanz, J; Lu, H [Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: For proton therapy, an accurate model of CT HU to relative stopping power (RSP) conversion is essential. In current practice, validation of these models relies solely on measurements of tissue substitutes with standard compositions. Validation based on real tissue samples would be much more direct and can address variations between patients. This study intends to develop an efficient and accurate system based on the concept of dose extinction to measure WEPL and retrieve RSP in biological tissue in large number of types. Methods: A broad AP proton beam delivering a spread out Bragg peak (SOBP) is used to irradiate the samples with a Matrixx detector positioned immediately below. A water tank was placed on top of the samples, with the water level controllable in sub-millimeter by a remotely controlled dosing pump. While gradually lowering the water level with beam on, the transmission dose was recorded at 1 frame/sec. The WEPL were determined as the difference between the known beam range of the delivered SOBP (80%) and the water level corresponding to 80% of measured dose profiles in time. A Gammex 467 phantom was used to test the system and various types of biological tissue was measured. Results: RSP for all Gammex inserts, expect the one made with lung-450 material (<2% error), were determined within ±0.5% error. Depends on the WEPL of investigated phantom, a measurement takes around 10 min, which can be accelerated by a faster pump. Conclusion: Based on the concept of dose extinction, a system was explored to measure WEPL efficiently and accurately for a large number of samples. This allows the validation of CT HU to stopping power conversions based on large number of samples and real tissues. It also allows the assessment of beam uncertainties due to variations over patients, which issue has never been sufficiently studied before.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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

  17. Clinical procedure for colon carcinoma tissue sampling directly affects the cancer marker-capacity of VEGF family members

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pringels, Sarah; Van Damme, Nancy; De Craene, Bram; Pattyn, Piet; Ceelen, Wim; Peeters, Marc; Grooten, Johan

    2012-01-01

    mRNA levels of members of the Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor family (VEGF-A, -B, -C, -D, Placental Growth Factor/PlGF) have been investigated as tissue-based markers of colon cancer. These studies, which used specimens obtained by surgical resection or colonoscopic biopsy, yielded contradictory results. We studied the effect of the sampling method on the marker accuracy of VEGF family members. Comparative RT-qPCR analysis was performed on healthy colon and colon carcinoma samples obtained by biopsy (n = 38) or resection (n = 39) to measure mRNA expression levels of individual VEGF family members. mRNA levels of genes encoding the eicosanoid enzymes cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) and of genes encoding the hypoxia markers glucose transporter 1 (GLUT-1) and carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX) were included as markers for cellular stress and hypoxia. Expression levels of COX2, 5-LOX, GLUT-1 and CAIX revealed the occurrence in healthy colon resection samples of hypoxic cellular stress and a concurrent increment of basal expression levels of VEGF family members. This increment abolished differential expression of VEGF-B and VEGF-C in matched carcinoma resection samples and created a surgery-induced underexpression of VEGF-D. VEGF-A and PlGF showed strong overexpression in carcinoma samples regardless of the sampling method. Sampling-induced hypoxia in resection samples but not in biopsy samples affects the marker-reliability of VEGF family members. Therefore, biopsy samples provide a more accurate report on VEGF family mRNA levels. Furthermore, this limited expression analysis proposes VEGF-A and PlGF as reliable, sampling procedure insensitive mRNA-markers for molecular diagnosis of colon cancer

  18. DNA Sampling Hook

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — The DNA Sampling Hook is a significant improvement on a method of obtaining a tissue sample from a live fish in situ from an aquatic environment. A tissue sample...

  19. An analytical model for nanoparticles concentration resulting from infusion into poroelastic brain tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pizzichelli, G; Di Michele, F; Sinibaldi, E

    2016-02-01

    We consider the infusion of a diluted suspension of nanoparticles (NPs) into poroelastic brain tissue, in view of relevant biomedical applications such as intratumoral thermotherapy. Indeed, the high impact of the related pathologies motivates the development of advanced therapeutic approaches, whose design also benefits from theoretical models. This study provides an analytical expression for the time-dependent NPs concentration during the infusion into poroelastic brain tissue, which also accounts for particle binding onto cells (by recalling relevant results from the colloid filtration theory). Our model is computationally inexpensive and, compared to fully numerical approaches, permits to explicitly elucidate the role of the involved physical aspects (tissue poroelasticity, infusion parameters, NPs physico-chemical properties, NP-tissue interactions underlying binding). We also present illustrative results based on parameters taken from the literature, by considering clinically relevant ranges for the infusion parameters. Moreover, we thoroughly assess the model working assumptions besides discussing its limitations. While not laying any claims of generality, our model can be used to support the development of more ambitious numerical approaches, towards the preliminary design of novel therapies based on NPs infusion into brain tissue. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Vibrational Micro-Spectroscopy of Human Tissues Analysis: Review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bunaciu, Andrei A; Hoang, Vu Dang; Aboul-Enein, Hassan Y

    2017-05-04

    Vibrational spectroscopy (Infrared (IR) and Raman) and, in particular, micro-spectroscopy and micro-spectroscopic imaging have been used to characterize developmental changes in tissues, to monitor these changes in cell cultures and to detect disease and drug-induced modifications. The conventional methods for biochemical and histophatological tissue characterization necessitate complex and "time-consuming" sample manipulations and the results are rarely quantifiable. The spectroscopy of molecular vibrations using mid-IR or Raman techniques has been applied to samples of human tissue. This article reviews the application of these vibrational spectroscopic techniques for analysis of biological tissue published between 2005 and 2015.

  1. Sugar and acid interconversion in tomato fruits based on biopsy sampling of locule gel and pericarp tissue

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Schouten, R.E.; Woltering, E.J.; Tijskens, L.M.M.

    2016-01-01

    This study deals with quantifying sugar and acids levels important for the perceived taste of tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum). Sugar and acids levels were measured repeatedly on the same tomato using tissue samples obtained with a biopsy needle in combination with HPLC protocols. Biopsies of

  2. Biophotonics in diagnosis and modeling of tissue pathologies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serafetinides, A. A.; Makropoulou, M.; Drakaki, E.

    2008-12-01

    Biophotonics techniques are applied to several fields in medicine and biology. The laser based techniques, such as the laser induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy and the optical coherence tomography (OCT), are of particular importance in dermatology, where the laser radiation could be directly applied to the tissue target (e.g. skin). In addition, OCT resolves architectural tissue properties that might be useful as tumour discrimination parameters for skin as well as for ocular non-invasive visualization. Skin and ocular tissues are complex multilayered and inhomogeneous organs with spatially varying optical properties. This fact complicates the quantitative analysis of the fluorescence and/or light scattering spectra, even from the same tissue sample. To overcome this problem, mathematical simulation is applied for the investigation of the human tissue optical properties, in the visible/infrared range of the spectrum, resulting in a better discrimination of several tissue pathologies. In this work, we present i) a general view on biophotonics applications in diagnosis of human diseases, ii) some specific results on laser spectroscopy techniques, as LIF measurements, applied in arterial and skin pathologies and iii) some experimental and theoretical results on ocular OCT measurements. Regarding the LIF spectroscopy, we examined the autofluorescence properties of several human skin samples, excised from humans undergoing biopsy examination. A nitrogen laser was used as an excitation source, emitting at 337 nm (ultraviolet excitation). Histopathology examination of the samples was also performed, after the laser spectroscopy measurements and the results from the spectroscopic and medical analysis were compared, to differentiate malignancies, e.g. basal cell carcinoma tissue (BCC), from normal skin tissue. Regarding the OCT technique, we correlated human data, obtained from patients undergoing OCT examination, with Monte Carlo simulated cornea and retina tissues

  3. Ineffectiveness of rat liver tissues in the screening of connective tissue disease

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aziz, Khalil A.

    2004-01-01

    To assess the effectiveness of using rat liver tissue (RLT) for the screening of connective tissue disease (CTD). Results of patient samples submitted to the Clinical Immunology Laboratory, Brimingham Heartlands Hospital, Bordsley Green East, Brimingham, United Kingdom for the investigation of CTD between 2001 and 2002 were analyzed. Positive results for anti-double stranded DNA (dsDNA) antibodies and anti-extractable nuclear antigen (ENA) antibodies were correlated with the results of the corresponding antinuclear antibodies (ANA), obtained by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) using RLT. In the second part of study samples that were previously tested positive for anti-ENA or anti-dsDNA antibodies were investigated prospectively for ANA using both RLTand human epithelial (Hep-2) cell line. The IIF method employing RLT for screening of CTD, failed to detect ANA patterns from 45% and 25%of patients sample know to contain antibodies to dsDNA and ENA.The anti -dsDNA antibodies that failed to be detected by the RLTwere of low avidity and their clinical significance is unknown. In contrast the antibodies to ENAwere mostly directed against the Ro antigen.In cotrast and like RLT, Hep-2 cell line failed to detect the low avidity anti-dsDNA antibdies.The present study has clearly shown that RLT are ineffective for screening of CTD. It is recommended that laboratories which ars still using these tissues should consider replacing them with the Hep-2 cell line. (author)

  4. Determination of protein carbonyls in plasma, cell extracts, tissue homogenates, isolated proteins: Focus on sample preparation and derivatization conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Weber, Daniela; Davies, Michael J; Grune, Tilman

    2015-08-01

    Protein oxidation is involved in regulatory physiological events as well as in damage to tissues and is thought to play a key role in the pathophysiology of diseases and in the aging process. Protein-bound carbonyls represent a marker of global protein oxidation, as they are generated by multiple different reactive oxygen species in blood, tissues and cells. Sample preparation and stabilization are key steps in the accurate quantification of oxidation-related products and examination of physiological/pathological processes. This review therefore focuses on the sample preparation processes used in the most relevant methods to detect protein carbonyls after derivatization with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine with an emphasis on measurement in plasma, cells, organ homogenates, isolated proteins and organelles. Sample preparation, derivatization conditions and protein handling are presented for the spectrophotometric and HPLC method as well as for immunoblotting and ELISA. An extensive overview covering these methods in previously published articles is given for researchers who plan to measure protein carbonyls in different samples. © 2015 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  5. Grinding and polishing instead of sectioning for the tissue samples with a graft: Implications for light and electron microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mukhamadiyarov, Rinat A; Sevostyanova, Victoria V; Shishkova, Daria K; Nokhrin, Andrey V; Sidorova, Olga D; Kutikhin, Anton G

    2016-06-01

    A broad use of the graft replacement requires a detailed investigation of the host-graft interaction, including both histological examination and electron microscopy. A high quality sectioning of the host tissue with a graft seems to be complicated; in addition, it is difficult to examine the same tissue area by both of the mentioned microscopy techniques. To solve these problems, we developed a new technique of epoxy resin embedding with the further grinding, polishing, and staining. Graft-containing tissues prepared by grinding and polishing preserved their structure; however, sectioning frequently required the explantation of the graft and led to tissue disintegration. Moreover, stained samples prepared by grinding and polishing may then be assessed by both light microscopy and backscattered scanning electron microscopy. Therefore, grinding and polishing outperform sectioning when applied to the tissues with a graft. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Sample Results from MCU Solids Outage

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peters, T.; Washington, A.; Oji, L.; Coleman, C.; Poirier, M.

    2014-09-22

    Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) has received several solid and liquid samples from MCU in an effort to understand and recover from the system outage starting on April 6, 2014. SRNL concludes that the presence of solids in the Salt Solution Feed Tank (SSFT) is the likely root cause for the outage, based upon the following discoveries: A solids sample from the extraction contactor #1 proved to be mostly sodium oxalate; A solids sample from the scrub contactor#1 proved to be mostly sodium oxalate; A solids sample from the Salt Solution Feed Tank (SSFT) proved to be mostly sodium oxalate; An archived sample from Tank 49H taken last year was shown to contain a fine precipitate of sodium oxalate; A solids sample from ; A liquid sample from the SSFT was shown to have elevated levels of oxalate anion compared to the expected concentration in the feed. Visual inspection of the SSFT indicated the presence of precipitated or transferred solids, which were likely also in the Salt Solution Receipt Tank (SSRT). The presence of the solids coupled with agitation performed to maintain feed temperature resulted in oxalate solids migration through the MCU system and caused hydraulic issues that resulted in unplanned phase carryover from the extraction into the scrub, and ultimately the strip contactors. Not only did this carryover result in the Strip Effluent (SE) being pushed out of waste acceptance specification, but it resulted in the deposition of solids into several of the contactors. At the same time, extensive deposits of aluminosilicates were found in the drain tube in the extraction contactor #1. However it is not known at this time how the aluminosilicate solids are related to the oxalate solids. The solids were successfully cleaned out of the MCU system. However, future consideration must be given to the exclusion of oxalate solids into the MCU system. There were 53 recommendations for improving operations recently identified. Some additional considerations or

  7. Profiling of adrenocorticotropic hormone and arginine vasopressin in human pituitary gland and tumor thin tissue sections using droplet-based liquid-microjunction surface-sampling-HPLC-ESI-MS-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kertesz, Vilmos; Calligaris, David; Feldman, Daniel R; Changelian, Armen; Laws, Edward R; Santagata, Sandro; Agar, Nathalie Y R; Van Berkel, Gary J

    2015-08-01

    Described here are the results from the profiling of the proteins arginine vasopressin (AVP) and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from normal human pituitary gland and pituitary adenoma tissue sections, using a fully automated droplet-based liquid-microjunction surface-sampling-HPLC-ESI-MS-MS system for spatially resolved sampling, HPLC separation, and mass spectrometric detection. Excellent correlation was found between the protein distribution data obtained with this method and data obtained with matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) chemical imaging analyses of serial sections of the same tissue. The protein distributions correlated with the visible anatomic pattern of the pituitary gland. AVP was most abundant in the posterior pituitary gland region (neurohypophysis), and ATCH was dominant in the anterior pituitary gland region (adenohypophysis). The relative amounts of AVP and ACTH sampled from a series of ACTH-secreting and non-secreting pituitary adenomas correlated with histopathological evaluation. ACTH was readily detected at significantly higher levels in regions of ACTH-secreting adenomas and in normal anterior adenohypophysis compared with non-secreting adenoma and neurohypophysis. AVP was mostly detected in normal neurohypophysis, as expected. This work reveals that a fully automated droplet-based liquid-microjunction surface-sampling system coupled to HPLC-ESI-MS-MS can be readily used for spatially resolved sampling, separation, detection, and semi-quantitation of physiologically-relevant peptide and protein hormones, including AVP and ACTH, directly from human tissue. In addition, the relative simplicity, rapidity, and specificity of this method support the potential of this basic technology, with further advancement, for assisting surgical decision-making. Graphical Abstract Mass spectrometry based profiling of hormones in human pituitary gland and tumor thin tissue sections.

  8. Imaging of human breast tissue using polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verma, Y.; Gautam, M.; Divakar Rao, K.; Swami, M. K.; Gupta, P. K.

    2011-12-01

    We report a study on the use of polarization sensitive optical coherence tomography (PSOCT) for discriminating malignant (invasive ductal carcinoma), benign (fibroadenoma) and normal (adipocytes) breast tissue sites. The results show that while conventional OCT, that utilizes only the intensity of light back-scattered from tissue microstructures, is able to discriminate breast tissues as normal (adipocytes) and abnormal (malignant and benign) tissues, PS-OCT helps in discriminating between malignant and benign tissue sites also. The estimated values of birefringence obtained from the PSOCT imaging show that benign breast tissue samples have significantly higher birefringence as compared to the malignant tissue samples.

  9. NS3 protease resistance-associated substitutions in liver tissue and plasma samples from patients infected by hepatitis C virus genotype 1A or 1B.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morsica, Giulia; Andolina, Andrea; Merli, Marco; Messina, Emanuela; Hasson, Hamid; Lazzarin, Adriano; Uberti-Foppa, Caterina; Bagaglio, Sabrina

    2017-08-01

    The presence of naturally occurring resistance-associated substitutions (RASs) in the HCV-protease domain has been poorly investigated in the liver, the main site of HCV replication. We evaluated the natural resistance of the virus to NS3 protease inhibitors in liver tissue and plasma samples taken from HCV-infected patients. RASs were investigated by means of viral population sequencing in liver tissue samples from 18 HCV-infected patients harbouring genotype 1a or genotype 1b; plasma samples from 12 of these patients were also available for virological investigation. A discordant genotype was found in two of the 12 patients (16.6%) who provided samples from both compartments. Sequence analysis of the NS3 protease domain showed the presence of RASs in four of the 18 liver tissue samples (22.2%), two of which showed cross-resistance to protease inhibitors in clinical use or phase 2-3 trials. The analysis of the 12 paired tissues and plasma samples excluded the presence of RASs in the plasma compartment. The dominance of discordant genotypes in the paired liver and plasma samples of some HCV-infected patients suggests mixed infection possibly leading to the selective advantage of different genotype in the two compartments. The presence of RASs at intra-hepatic level is not uncommon and may lead to the early emergence of cross-resistant strains.

  10. Probing focal cortical dysplasia in formalin fixed samples using tissue optical spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anand, Suresh; Cicchi, Riccardo; Giordano, Flavio; Buccoliero, Anna Maria; Conti, Valerio; Guerrini, Renzo; Pavone, Francesco Saverio

    2016-03-01

    Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is one of most common causes of intractable epilepsy in pediatric population and these are often insensitive to anti-epileptic drugs. FCD is characterized by a disarray in localized regions of the cerebral cortex and abnormal neurons which results them to misfire with incorrect signals. Resective neurosurgery to remove or disconnect the affected parts from the rest of the brain seems to be a viable option to treat FCD. Before neurosurgery the subject could undergo imaging studies including magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or computed tomography (CT) scans. On the downside FCD could be elusive in MRI images and may be practically invisible in CT scans. Furthermore, unnecessary removal of normal tissues is to be taken into consideration as this could lead to neurological defects. In this context, optical spectroscopy have been widely investigated as an alternative technique for the detection of abnormal tissues in different organ sites. Disease progression is accompanied by a number of architectural, biochemical and morphological changes. These variations are reflected in the spectral intensity and line shape. Here, in this proof of concept study we propose to investigate the application of tissue optical spectroscopy based on fluorescence excitation at two wavelength 378 and 445 nm coupled along with Raman spectroscopy for the detection of FCD on formalin fixed tissue specimens from pediatric subjects. For fluorescence at both the excitation wavelengths FCD showed a decreased intensity at longer wavelength when compared to normal tissues. Also, differences exist in the Raman spectral profiles of normal and FCD.

  11. Evidence of presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in bovine tissue samples by multiplex PCR: possible relevance to reverse zoonosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mittal, M; Chakravarti, S; Sharma, V; Sanjeeth, B S; Churamani, C P; Kanwar, N S

    2014-04-01

    Bovine tuberculosis, caused by Mycobacterium bovis, remains one of the most important zoonotic health concerns worldwide. The transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis from humans to animals also occurs especially in countries where there is close interaction of humans with the animals. In the present study, thirty bovine lung tissue autopsy samples from an organized dairy farm located in North India were screened for the presence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex by smear microscopy, histopathological findings and PCR. Differential diagnosis of M. tuberculosis and M. bovis was made based on the deletion of mce-3 operon in M. bovis. The present study found eight of these samples positive for M. tuberculosis by multiplex PCR. Sequencing was performed on two PCR-positive representative samples and on annotation, and BLAST analysis confirmed the presence of gene fragment specific to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The presence of M. tuberculosis in all the positive samples raises the possibility of human-to-cattle transmission and possible adaptation of this organism in bovine tissues. This study accentuates the importance of screening and differential diagnosis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in humans and livestock for adopting effective TB control and eradication programmes. © 2014 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

  12. Epo receptors are not detectable in primary human tumor tissue samples.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steve Elliott

    Full Text Available Erythropoietin (Epo is a cytokine that binds and activates an Epo receptor (EpoR expressed on the surface of erythroid progenitor cells to promote erythropoiesis. While early studies suggested EpoR transcripts were expressed exclusively in the erythroid compartment, low-level EpoR transcripts were detected in nonhematopoietic tissues and tumor cell lines using sensitive RT-PCR methods. However due to the widespread use of nonspecific anti-EpoR antibodies there are conflicting data on EpoR protein expression. In tumor cell lines and normal human tissues examined with a specific and sensitive monoclonal antibody to human EpoR (A82, little/no EpoR protein was detected and it was not functional. In contrast, EpoR protein was reportedly detectable in a breast tumor cell line (MCF-7 and breast cancer tissues with an anti-EpoR polyclonal antibody (M-20, and functional responses to rHuEpo were reported with MCF-7 cells. In another study, a functional response was reported with the lung tumor cell line (NCI-H838 at physiological levels of rHuEpo. However, the specificity of M-20 is in question and the absence of appropriate negative controls raise questions about possible false-positive effects. Here we show that with A82, no EpoR protein was detectable in normal human and matching cancer tissues from breast, lung, colon, ovary and skin with little/no EpoR in MCF-7 and most other breast and lung tumor cell lines. We show further that M-20 provides false positive staining with tissues and it binds to a non-EpoR protein that migrates at the same size as EpoR with MCF-7 lysates. EpoR protein was detectable with NCI-H838 cells, but no rHuEpo-induced phosphorylation of AKT, STAT3, pS6RP or STAT5 was observed suggesting the EpoR was not functional. Taken together these results raise questions about the hypothesis that most tumors express high levels of functional EpoR protein.

  13. Detection of neuronal tissue in meat using tissue specific DNA modifications

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harris N.

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available A method has been developed to differentiate between non-muscle tissues such as liver, kidney and heart and that of muscle in meat samples using tissue specific DNA detection. Only muscle tissue is considered meat from the point of view of labelling (Food Labelling [Amendment] (England Regulations 2003 and Quantitative Ingredient Declaration (QUID, and also certain parts of the carcass are prohibited to be used in raw meat products (Meat Products [England] Regulations 2003. Included in the prohibited offal are brain and spinal cord. The described methodology has therefore been developed primarily to enforce labelling rules but also to contribute to the enforcement of BSE legislation on the detection of Central Nervous System (CNS tissue. The latter requires the removal of Specified Risk Material (SRM, such as bovine and ovine brain and spinal cord, from the food chain. Current methodologies for detection of CNS tissue include histological examination, analysis of cholesterol content and immunodetection. These can potentially be time consuming, less applicable to processed samples and may not be readily adapted to high throughput sample analysis. The objective of this work was therefore to develop a DNAbased detection assay that exploits the sensitivity and specificity of PCR and is potentially applicable to more highly processed food samples. For neuronal tissue, the DNA target selected was the promoter for Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP, a gene whose expression is restricted to astroglial cells within CNS tissue. The promoter fragments from both cattle and sheep have been isolated and key differences in the methylation patterns of certain CpG dinucleotides in the sequences from bovine and sheep brain and spinal cord and the corresponding skeletal muscle identified. These have been used to design a PCR assay exploiting Methylation Specific PCR (MSP to specifically amplify the neuronal tissue derived sequence and therefore identify the

  14. Effect of luminescence transport through adipose tissue on measurement of tissue temperature by using ZnCdS nanothermometers

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volkova, Elena K.; Yanina, Irina Yu.; Sagaydachnaya, Elena; Konyukhova, Julia G.; Kochubey, Vyacheslav I.; Tuchin, Valery V.

    2018-02-01

    The spectra of luminescence of ZnCdS nanoparticles (ZnCdS NPs) were measured and analyzed in a wide temperature range: from room to human body and further to a hyperthermic temperature resulting in tissue morphology change. The results show that the signal of luminescence of ZnCdS NPs placed within the tissue is reasonably good sensitive to temperature change and accompanied by phase transitions of lipid structures of adipose tissue. It is shown that the presence of a phase transition in adipose tissue upon its heating (polymorphic transformations of lipids) leads to a nonmonotonic temperature dependence of the intensity of luminescence for the nanoparticles introduced into adipose tissue. This is due to a change in the light scattering by the tissue. The light scattering of adipose tissue greatly distorts the results of temperature measurements. The application of these nanoparticles is possible for temperature measurements in very thin or weakly scattering samples.

  15. Determination of /sup 35/S-aminoacyl-transfer ribonucleic acid specific radioactivity in small tissue samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Samarel, A.M.; Ogunro, E.A.; Ferguson, A.G.; Lesch, M.

    1981-11-15

    Rate determination of protein synthesis utilizing tracer amino acid incorporation requires accurate assessment of the specific radioactivity of the labeled precursor aminoacyl-tRNA pool. Previously published methods presumably useful for the measurement of any aminoacyl-tRNA were unsuccessful when applied to (/sup 35/S)methionine, due to the unique chemical properties of this amino acid. Herein we describe modifications of these methods necessary for the measurement of /sup 35/S-aminoacyl-tRNA specific radioactivity from small tissue samples incubated in the presence of (/sup 35/S)methionine. The use of (/sup 35/S)methionine of high specific radioactivity enables analysis of the methionyl-tRNA from less than 100 mg of tissue. Conditions for optimal recovery of /sup 35/S-labeled dansyl-amino acid derivatives are presented and possible applications of this method are discussed.

  16. Comparison of the suitability of alkaline or enzymatic sample pre-treatment for characterization of silver nanoparticles in human tissue by single particle ICP-MS

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vidmar, Janja; Buerki-Thurnherr, Tina; Löschner, Katrin

    2018-01-01

    and their size are required for studying NP accumulation in placental tissue. In the present study, we applied and compared two sample preparation techniques, alkaline and enzymatic treatment, followed by single particle ICP-MS (spICP-MS) analysis, for characterizing AgNPs spiked to human placental tissue. Both...... sample preparation approaches are currently used for AgNPs in biological tissues but have not been directly compared yet. We showed that the method using enzymatic tissue treatment followed by spICP-MS is efficient for determination of mass and number concentration and size distribution of AgNPs in human...... placental tissues. Properties of the AgNPs were preserved during enzymatic digestion and comparable with the primary particles. The matrix effect on the determination of Ag sensitivity and transport efficiency in spICP-MS analysis was systematically evaluated as well. The method was applied to human...

  17. Determination of chromium, cobalt and nickel in tissue samples by radiochemical activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reisell, A.; Lakomaa, E.L.

    1983-03-01

    A radiochemical neutron activation analysis method for the determination of chromium, cobalt and nickel in tissue samples. A radiochemical neutron activation analysis method for the determination of chromium, cobalt and nickel has been developed. The destruction device used consisted of a combined wet-ashing-distillation and ion-exchange system. Six samples could be treated at the same time. The samples were wet-ashed with H*L2SO*L4-H*L2O*L2 mixture. Volatile elements were distilled as bromide compounds with HBr*H-. The distillation residue in 8M HCl was passed through hydrated antimony pentoxide (HAP) in order to remove disturbing *H2*H4Na-activity and through a Dowex 2 x 8 column so as to retain *H6*H0Co (formed from *H5*H8Ni). Chromium was elutriated from the column and precipitated as Cr(OH)*L3 for the removal of disturbing *H3*H2P-activity. The standards and samples were treated in a similar manner each so that the yield determination is not necessarily needed. The yields by tracer experiments were (43 +- 5) % for Cr, (93 +- 4) % for Co and (88 +- 14) % for Ni. The precision and accuracy of the method were studied by using reference materials of the National Bureau of Standards (NBS) and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

  18. Sample Results From Tank 48H Samples HTF-48-14-158, -159, -169, and -170

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peters, T. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Hang, T. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

    2015-04-28

    Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 48H in support of determining the cause for the unusually high dose rates at the sampling points for this tank. A set of two samples was taken from the quiescent tank, and two additional samples were taken after the contents of the tank were mixed. The results of the analyses of all the samples show that the contents of the tank have changed very little since the analysis of the previous sample in 2012. The solids are almost exclusively composed of tetraphenylborate (TPB) salts, and there is no indication of acceleration in the TPB decomposition. The filtrate composition shows a moderate increase in salt concentration and density, which is attributable to the addition of NaOH for the purposes of corrosion control. An older modeling simulation of the TPB degradation was updated, and the supernate results from a 2012 sample were run in the model. This result was compared to the results from the 2014 recent sample results reported in this document. The model indicates there is no change in the TPB degradation from 2012 to 2014. SRNL measured the buoyancy of the TPB solids in Tank 48H simulant solutions. It was determined that a solution of density 1.279 g/mL (~6.5M sodium) was capable of indefinitely suspending the TPB solids evenly throughout the solution. A solution of density 1.296 g/mL (~7M sodium) caused a significant fraction of the solids to float on the solution surface. As the experiments could not include the effect of additional buoyancy elements such as benzene or hydrogen generation, the buoyancy measurements provide an upper bound estimate of the density in Tank 48H required to float the solids.

  19. Binding of (/sup 3/H) progesterone to normal and neoplastic tissue samples from tumour bearing breasts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pollow, K; Sinnecker, R; Schmidt-Gollwitzer, M; Boquoi, E; Pollow, B [Institut fuer Molekularbiologie und Biochemie, Frauenklinik Charlottenburg der Freien Universitat, Berlin (G.F.R.)

    1977-01-01

    Macromolecular components of normal human mammary cytosol (obtained from 'non-malignant tissue samples' from cancer bearing breasts) which bind (/sup 3/H)progesterone in vitro were characterized by sucrose gradient centrifugation, gel filtration on Agarose, ion exchange chromatography, isoelectric focusing, competition studies and kinetic parameters. The size of the cytoplasmic binding components vary with the concentration of KCl. In the absence of KCl, the major components are characterized by sedimentation coefficients of about 4 S and 8 S. In solutions containing 0.3M KCl, the cytoplasmic components sediment at 4 S in sucrose gradient. The corticosteroid-binding component of normal human mammary cytosol both sediment at about the same rate in the presence of 0.3M KCl and chromatograph as a single component on Agarose. The isoelectric point of the progesterone-binding component of normal human mammary cytosol was located around pH 5.0. The progesterone-binding component was more thermo-labile than serum CBG. CBG was inactivated at temperatures above 45 deg C but temperature above 20 deg C destroyed specific progesterone receptor binding. Progesterone receptor concentrations in normal mammary cytosol of premenopausal women depended on the menstrual cycle. The binding of progesterone was highest around the time of ovulation. In breast tumor tissue samples the progesterone receptor concentration was lower than in the normal mammary cytosol (obtained in each case from the same tumor-bearing breast). In 5 out of 37 breast tumor samples progesterone binding activity could not be detected.

  20. SAMPLE RESULTS FROM THE INTEGRATED SALT DISPOSITION PROGRAM MACROBATCH 4 TANK 21H QUALIFICATION SAMPLES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peters, T.; Fink, S.

    2011-06-22

    Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 21H to qualify them for use in the Integrated Salt Disposition Program (ISDP) Batch 4 processing. All sample results agree with expectations based on prior analyses where available. No issues with the projected Salt Batch 4 strategy are identified. This revision includes additional data points that were not available in the original issue of the document, such as additional plutonium results, the results of the monosodium titanate (MST) sorption test and the extraction, scrub strip (ESS) test. This report covers the revision to the Tank 21H qualification sample results for Macrobatch (Salt Batch) 4 of the Integrated Salt Disposition Program (ISDP). A previous document covers initial characterization which includes results for a number of non-radiological analytes. These results were used to perform aluminum solubility modeling to determine the hydroxide needs for Salt Batch 4 to prevent the precipitation of solids. Sodium hydroxide was then added to Tank 21 and additional samples were pulled for the analyses discussed in this report. This work was specified by Task Technical Request and by Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TTQAP).

  1. Microscopic histological characteristics of soft tissue sarcomas: analysis of tissue features and electrical resistance.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tosi, A L; Campana, L G; Dughiero, F; Forzan, M; Rastrelli, M; Sieni, E; Rossi, C R

    2017-07-01

    Tissue electrical conductivity is correlated with tissue characteristics. In this work, some soft tissue sarcomas (STS) excised from patients have been evaluated in terms of histological characteristics (cell size and density) and electrical resistance. The electrical resistance has been measured using the ex vivo study on soft tissue tumors electrical characteristics (ESTTE) protocol proposed by the authors in order to study electrical resistance of surgical samples excised by patients in a fixed measurement setup. The measurement setup includes a voltage pulse generator (700 V, 100 µs long at 5 kHz, period 200 µs) and an electrode with 7 needles, 20 mm-long, with the same distance arranged in a fixed hexagonal geometry. In the ESTTE protocol, the same voltage pulse sequence is applied to each different tumor mass and the corresponding resistance has been evaluated from voltage and current recorded by the equipment. For each tumor mass, a histological sample of the volume treated by means of voltage pulses has been taken for histological analysis. Each mass has been studied in order to identify the sarcoma type. For each histological sample, an image at 20× or 40× of magnification was acquired. In this work, the electrical resistance measured for each tumor has been correlated with tissue characteristics like the type, size and density of cells. This work presents a preliminary study to explore possible correlations between tissue characteristics and electrical resistance of STS. These results can be helpful to adjust the pulse voltage intensity in order to improve the electrochemotherapy efficacy on some histotype of STS.

  2. High-fidelity meshes from tissue samples for diffusion MRI simulations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panagiotaki, Eleftheria; Hall, Matt G; Zhang, Hui; Siow, Bernard; Lythgoe, Mark F; Alexander, Daniel C

    2010-01-01

    This paper presents a method for constructing detailed geometric models of tissue microstructure for synthesizing realistic diffusion MRI data. We construct three-dimensional mesh models from confocal microscopy image stacks using the marching cubes algorithm. Random-walk simulations within the resulting meshes provide synthetic diffusion MRI measurements. Experiments optimise simulation parameters and complexity of the meshes to achieve accuracy and reproducibility while minimizing computation time. Finally we assess the quality of the synthesized data from the mesh models by comparison with scanner data as well as synthetic data from simple geometric models and simplified meshes that vary only in two dimensions. The results support the extra complexity of the three-dimensional mesh compared to simpler models although sensitivity to the mesh resolution is quite robust.

  3. Continuous wave terahertz reflection imaging of human colorectal tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Doradla, Pallavi; Alavi, Karim; Joseph, Cecil S.; Giles, Robert H.

    2013-03-01

    Continuous wave terahertz (THz) imaging has the potential to offer a safe, non-ionizing, and nondestructive medical imaging modality for delineating colorectal cancer. Fresh excisions of normal colon tissue were obtained from surgeries performed at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester. Reflection measurements of thick sections of colorectal tissues, mounted in an aluminum sample holder, were obtained for both fresh and formalin fixed tissues. The two-dimensional reflection images were acquired by using an optically pumped far-infrared molecular gas laser operating at 584 GHz with liquid Helium cooled silicon bolometer detector. Using polarizers in the experiment both co-polarized and cross-polarized remittance form the samples was collected. Analysis of the images showed the importance of understanding the effects of formalin fixation while determining reflectance level of tissue response. The resulting co- and cross-polarized images of both normal and formalin fixed tissues showed uniform terahertz response over the entire sample area. Initial measurements indicated a co-polarized reflectance of 16%, and a cross-polarized reflectance of 0.55% from fresh excisions of normal colonic tissues.

  4. Most Recent Sampling Results for Annex III Building

    Science.gov (United States)

    Contains email from Scott Miller, US EPA to Scott Kramer. Subject: Most Recent Sampling Results for Annex III Building. (2:52 PM) and Gore(TM) Surveys Analytical Results U.S. Geological Survey, Montgomery, AL.

  5. Evaluation of Two Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Kits for Chikungunya Virus IgM Using Samples from Deceased Organ and Tissue Donors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altrich, Michelle L.; Nowicki, Marek J.

    2016-01-01

    The identification of nearly 3,500 cases of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection in U.S. residents returning in 2014 and 2015 from areas in which it is endemic has raised concerns within the transplant community that, should recently infected individuals become organ and/or tissue donors, CHIKV would be transmitted to transplant recipients. Thus, tests designed to detect recent CHIKV infection among U.S. organ and tissue donors may become necessary in the future. Accordingly, we evaluated 2 enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for CHIKV IgM readily available in the United States using 1,000 deidentified serum or plasma specimens collected from donors between November 2014 and March 2015. The Euroimmun indirect ELISA identified 38 reactive specimens; however, all 38 were negative for CHIKV IgG and IgM in immunofluorescence assays (IFAs) conducted at a reference laboratory and, thus, were falsely reactive in the Euroimmun CHIKV IgM assay. The InBios IgM-capture ELISA identified 26 reactive samples, and one was still reactive (index ≥ 1.00) when retested using the InBios kit with a background subtraction modification to identify false reactivity. This reactive specimen was CHIKV IgM negative but IgG positive by IFAs at two reference laboratories; plaque reduction neutralization testing (PRNT) demonstrated CHIKV-specific reactivity. The IgG and PRNT findings strongly suggest that the InBios CHIKV IgM-reactive result represents true reactivity, even though the IgM IFA result was negative. If testing organ/tissue donors for CHIKV IgM becomes necessary, the limitations of the currently available CHIKV IgM ELISAs and options for their optimization must be understood to avoid organ/tissue wastage due to falsely reactive results. PMID:27535838

  6. Simultaneous extraction and clean-up of polychlorinated biphenyls and their metabolites from small tissue samples using pressurized liquid extraction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kania-Korwel, Izabela; Zhao, Hongxia; Norstrom, Karin; Li, Xueshu; Hornbuckle, Keri C.; Lehmler, Hans-Joachim

    2008-01-01

    A pressurized liquid extraction-based method for the simultaneous extraction and in situ clean-up of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), hydroxylated (OH)-PCBs and methylsulfonyl (MeSO2)-PCBs from small (< 0.5 gram) tissue samples was developed and validated. Extraction of a laboratory reference material with hexane:dichloromethane:methanol (48:43:9, v/v) and Florisil as fat retainer allowed an efficient recovery of PCBs (78–112%; RSD: 13–37%), OH-PCBs (46±2%; RSD: 4%) and MeSO2-PCBs (89±21%; RSD: 24%). Comparable results were obtained with an established analysis method for PCBs, OH-PCBs and MeSO2-PCBs. PMID:19019378

  7. Concentration of uranium in human cancerous tissues of Southern Iraqi patients using fission track analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Al-Hamzawi, A.A.; Al-Qadisiyah University, Qadisiyah; Jaafar, M.S.; Tawfiq, N.F.

    2015-01-01

    The technique of nuclear fission track analysis with solid state nuclear track detectors CR-39 has been applied to determine concentrations of uranium in cancerous samples of human tissues that excised from patients in the three key southern Iraqi governorates namely, Basrah, Dhi-Qar, and Muthanna. These provinces were the sites of intensive military events during the Gulf Wars in 1991 and 2003. The investigation was based on the study of 24 abnormal samples and 12 normal samples for comparing the results. These samples include four types of soft tissues (kidney, breast, stomach and uterus). The results show that uranium concentrations in the normal tissues ranged between (1.42-4.76 μg kg -1 ), whereas in the cancerous tissues ranged between (3.37-7.22 μg kg -1 ). The uranium concentrations in the normal tissues were significantly lower than in the abnormal tissues (P < 0.001). (author)

  8. Solid sampling-graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for the direct determination of boron in plant tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Resano, M.; Briceno, J.; Aramendia, M.; Belarra, M.A.

    2007-01-01

    In this work, the potential of graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry for the direct determination of B in plant tissues has been investigated. Three certified reference materials (NIST SRM 1570a spinach leaves, NIST SRM 1573a tomato leaves and BCR CRM 679 white cabbage) were selected for this study, the goal always being to develop a fast procedure that could be robust enough to provide a satisfactory performance for all of them, without any modifications in the conditions applied. The use of a suitable chemical modifier was found to be essential for obtaining a reproducible and sufficiently sensitive signal for boron solutions. In this regard, the performance of the combination of citric acid plus W (added as a permanent modifier) was noteworthy, resulting in well-defined signal profiles, a remarkable analyte stabilization during the pyrolysis step (up to 2100 deg. C) and minimal memory effects. This mixture of modifiers provided a good performance for the direct analysis of solid samples as well, but only if a suitable temperature program, favoring the interaction between the analyte and the modifiers, was used. Thus, such a temperature program, with two pyrolysis steps and the addition of NH 4 NO 3 in order to carry out the in situ sample microdigestion, was optimized. Under these conditions, the peak areas obtained for both solid samples and aqueous standards were comparable. Finally, the analysis of the samples was carried out. In all cases, a good agreement with the certified values was obtained, while R.S.D. values ranged between 6 and 10%. It can be concluded that the method proposed shows significant advantages for the determination of this complicated element in solid samples such as the use of aqueous standards for calibration, a high sample throughput (20 min per sample), a suitable limit of detection (0.3 μg g -1 ) and reduced risk of analyte losses and contamination

  9. High-resolution analysis of the mechanical behavior of tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hudnut, Alexa W.; Armani, Andrea M.

    2017-06-01

    The mechanical behavior and properties of biomaterials, such as tissue, have been directly and indirectly connected to numerous malignant physiological states. For example, an increase in the Young's Modulus of tissue can be indicative of cancer. Due to the heterogeneity of biomaterials, it is extremely important to perform these measurements using whole or unprocessed tissue because the tissue matrix contains important information about the intercellular interactions and the structure. Thus, developing high-resolution approaches that can accurately measure the elasticity of unprocessed tissue samples is of great interest. Unfortunately, conventional elastography methods such as atomic force microscopy, compression testing, and ultrasound elastography either require sample processing or have poor resolution. In the present work, we demonstrate the characterization of unprocessed salmon muscle using an optical polarimetric elastography system. We compare the results of compression testing within different samples of salmon skeletal muscle with different numbers of collagen membranes to characterize differences in heterogeneity. Using the intrinsic collagen membranes as markers, we determine the resolution of the system when testing biomaterials. The device reproducibly measures the stiffness of the tissues at variable strains. By analyzing the amount of energy lost by the sample during compression, collagen membranes that are 500 μm in size are detected.

  10. Correlation study of trace metals in malignant and normal breast tissues by AAS technique

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahman, S.

    2012-01-01

    The study reports the application of atomic absorption spectrophotometry (AAS) for quantification of Fe, Cu and Zn in forty one formalin-fixed biopsy breast carcinoma tissue and adjoining fifteen normal tissue samples. These tissues samples were of category two breast carcinoma patients and of normal subjects. The qualitative comparison between the elements levels measured in the two types of specimens suggests significant elevation of these metals in the histopathological samples of carcinoma tissue. The samples were collected from women aged 19-51 years. Most of the patients belong to urban areas of Pakistan and middle to high socioeconomic status with the exception of few. Findings of study depicts that these elements have an important role in the initiation and development of carcinoma as consistent pattern of elevation for Fe, Cu and Zn was observed. The results showed the excessive accumulation of Fe (166.9 mg/L) in tissue samples of breast carcinoma patients (p < 0.01) than that in normal tissues samples (23.5 mg/L). In order to validate our method of analysis certified reference material Muscle Tissue Lyophilised (IAEA) MA-M-2/TM was analyzed for Fe, Cu and Zn. Determined concentrations were in good agreement with certified levels. The concentration distribution of trace elements Cu, Zn and Fe measured in the malignant tissues were found to be higher when compared to benign tissues, indicating the involvement of these metals in the breast malignancy. Results also indicate that excess iron may play a role in breast carcinogenesis. (Orig./A.B.)

  11. The measurement of radioactive microspheres in biological samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mernagh, J.R.; Spiers, E.W.; Adiseshiah, M.

    1976-01-01

    Measurements of the distribution of radioactive microspheres are used in investigations of regional coronary blood flow, but the size and shape of the heart varies for different test animals, and the organ is frequently divided into smaller pieces for studies of regional perfusion. Errors are introduced by variations in the distribution of the radioactive source and the amount of Compton scatter in different samples. A technique has therefore been developed to allow the counting of these tissue samples in their original form, and correction factors have been derived to inter-relate the various counting geometries thus encountered. Dogs were injected with microspheres labelled with 141 Ce, 51 Cr or 85 Sr. The tissue samples did not require remodelling to fit a standard container, and allowance was made for the inhomogeneous distribution in the blood samples. The activities in the centrifuged blood samples were correlated with those from the tissue samples by a calibration procedure involving comparisons of the counts from samples of microspheres embedded in sachets of gelatine, and similar samples mixed with blood and then centrifuged. The calibration data have indicated that 51 Cr behaves anomalously, and its use as a label for microspheres may introduce unwarranted errors. A plane cylindrical 10 x 20 cm NaI detector was used, and a 'worst case' correction of 20% was found to be necessary for geometry effects. The accuracy of this method of correlating different geometries was tested by remodelling the same tissue sample into different sizes and comparing the results, and the validity of the technique was supported by agreement of the final results with previously published data. (U.K.)

  12. Analytical results of Tank 38H core samples -- Fall 1999

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Swingle, R.F.

    2000-01-01

    Two samples were pulled from Tank 38H in the Fall of 1999: a variable depth sample (VDS) of the supernate was pulled in October and a core sample from the salt layer was pulled in December. Analysis of the rinse from the outside of the core sample indicated no sign of volatile or semivolatile organics. Both supernate and solids from the VDS and the dried core sample solids were analyzed for isotopes which could pose a criticality concern and also for elements which could serve as neutron poisons, as well as other elements. Results of the elemental analyses of these samples show significant elements present to mitigate the potential for nuclear criticality. However, it should be noted the results given for the VDS solids elemental analyses may be higher than the actual concentration in the solids, since the filter paper was dissolved along with the sample solids

  13. Spiked natural matrix materials as quality assessment samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feiner, M.S.; Sanderson, C.G.

    1988-01-01

    The Environmental Measurements Laboratory has conducted the Quality Assessment Program since 1976 to evaluate the quality of the environmental radioactivity data, which is reported to the Department of Energy by as many as 42 commercial contractors involved in nuclear work. In this program, matrix materials of known radionuclide concentrations are distributed routinely to the contractors and the reported results are compared. The five matrices used are: soil, vegetation, animal tissue, water and filter paper. Environmental soil, vegetation and animal tissue are used, but the water and filter paper samples are prepared by spiking with known amounts of standard solutions traceable to the National Bureau of Standards. A summary of results is given to illustrate the successful operation of the program. Because of the difficulty and high cost of collecting large samples of natural matrix material and to increase the versatility of the program, an attempt was recently made to prepare the soil, vegetation and animal tissue samples with spiked solutions. A description of the preparation of these reference samples and the results of analyses are presented along with a discussion of the pitfalls and advantages of this approach. 19 refs.; 6 tabs

  14. A New Paradigm for Tissue Diagnostics: Tools and Techniques to Standardize Tissue Collection, Transport, and Fixation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bauer, Daniel R; Otter, Michael; Chafin, David R

    2018-01-01

    Studying and developing preanalytical tools and technologies for the purpose of obtaining high-quality samples for histological assays is a growing field. Currently, there does not exist a standard practice for collecting, fixing, and monitoring these precious samples. There has been some advancement in standardizing collection for the highest profile tumor types, such as breast, where HER2 testing drives therapeutic decisions. This review examines the area of tissue collection, transport, and monitoring of formalin diffusion and details a prototype system that could be used to help standardize tissue collection efforts. We have surveyed recent primary literature sources and conducted several site visits to understand the most error-prone processes in histology laboratories. This effort identified errors that resulted from sample collection techniques and subsequent transport delays from the operating room (OR) to the histology laboratories. We have therefore devised a prototype sample collection and transport concept. The system consists of a custom data logger and cold transport box and takes advantage of a novel cold + warm (named 2 + 2) fixation method. This review highlights the beneficial aspects of standardizing tissue collection, fixation, and monitoring. In addition, a prototype system is introduced that could help standardize these processes and is compatible with use directly in the OR and from remote sites.

  15. Gene expression profiling of human breast tissue samples using SAGE-Seq.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Zhenhua Jeremy; Meyer, Clifford A; Choudhury, Sibgat; Shipitsin, Michail; Maruyama, Reo; Bessarabova, Marina; Nikolskaya, Tatiana; Sukumar, Saraswati; Schwartzman, Armin; Liu, Jun S; Polyak, Kornelia; Liu, X Shirley

    2010-12-01

    We present a powerful application of ultra high-throughput sequencing, SAGE-Seq, for the accurate quantification of normal and neoplastic mammary epithelial cell transcriptomes. We develop data analysis pipelines that allow the mapping of sense and antisense strands of mitochondrial and RefSeq genes, the normalization between libraries, and the identification of differentially expressed genes. We find that the diversity of cancer transcriptomes is significantly higher than that of normal cells. Our analysis indicates that transcript discovery plateaus at 10 million reads/sample, and suggests a minimum desired sequencing depth around five million reads. Comparison of SAGE-Seq and traditional SAGE on normal and cancerous breast tissues reveals higher sensitivity of SAGE-Seq to detect less-abundant genes, including those encoding for known breast cancer-related transcription factors and G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). SAGE-Seq is able to identify genes and pathways abnormally activated in breast cancer that traditional SAGE failed to call. SAGE-Seq is a powerful method for the identification of biomarkers and therapeutic targets in human disease.

  16. SE Marine Mammal Histology/Tissue data

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Tissue samples are collected from stranded marine mammals in the Southeastern United States. These tissue samples are examined histologically and evaluated to...

  17. Effect of substrate choice and tissue type on tissue preparation for spectral histopathology by Raman microspectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fullwood, Leanne M; Griffiths, Dave; Ashton, Katherine; Dawson, Timothy; Lea, Robert W; Davis, Charles; Bonnier, Franck; Byrne, Hugh J; Baker, Matthew J

    2014-01-21

    Raman spectroscopy is a non-destructive, non-invasive, rapid and economical technique which has the potential to be an excellent method for the diagnosis of cancer and understanding disease progression through retrospective studies of archived tissue samples. Historically, biobanks are generally comprised of formalin fixed paraffin preserved tissue and as a result these specimens are often used in spectroscopic research. Tissue in this state has to be dewaxed prior to Raman analysis to reduce paraffin contributions in the spectra. However, although the procedures are derived from histopathological clinical practice, the efficacy of the dewaxing procedures that are currently employed is questionable. Ineffective removal of paraffin results in corruption of the spectra and previous experiments have shown that the efficacy can depend on the dewaxing medium and processing time. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of commonly used spectroscopic substrates (CaF2, Spectrosil quartz and low-E slides) and the influence of different histological tissue types (normal, cancerous and metastatic) on tissue preparation and to assess their use for spectral histopathology. Results show that CaF2 followed by Spectrosil contribute the least to the spectral background. However, both substrates retain paraffin after dewaxing. Low-E substrates, which exhibit the most intense spectral background, do not retain wax and resulting spectra are not affected by paraffin peaks. We also show a disparity in paraffin retention depending upon the histological identity of the tissue with abnormal tissue retaining more paraffin than normal.

  18. Detection and quantitation analysis of cocaine and metabolites in fixed liver tissue and formalin solutions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cingolani, Mariano; Cippitelli, Marcello; Froldi, Rino; Gambaro, Veniero; Tassoni, Giovanna

    2004-01-01

    This study reports the results of the detection and quantitation of cocaine and its metabolites in liver tissues fixed in formalin and in the formalin solutions in which the same tissues were fixed. Toxicological analyses were performed on formalin-fixed liver samples from four cases of death of cocaine abusers and on formalin solutions (10% buffered, pH 7) in which the samples were preserved. Analyses carried out at the time of autopsy on body fluids and tissues allowed identification of cocaine and the metabolite benzoylecgonine. Liver tissue samples were preserved in formalin solutions for four weeks before analysis. Results only showed the presence of benzoylecgonine in the studied materials. The mean levels of recovery of benzoylecgonine in fixed tissues were 12.31% in liver and 84.47% in formalin from liver. Results indicated that benzoylecgonine has good stability, even in biological specimens subjected to chemical fixation.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    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.

  20. Automated Liquid Microjunction Surface Sampling-HPLC-MS/MS Analysis of Drugs and Metabolites in Whole-Body Thin Tissue Sections

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kertesz, Vilmos [ORNL; Van Berkel, Gary J [ORNL

    2013-01-01

    A fully automated liquid extraction-based surface sampling system utilizing a commercially available autosampler coupled to high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) detection is reported. Discrete spots selected for droplet-based sampling and automated sample queue generation for both the autosampler and MS were enabled by using in-house developed software. In addition, co-registration of spatially resolved sampling position and HPLC-MS information to generate heatmaps of compounds monitored for subsequent data analysis was also available in the software. The system was evaluated with whole-body thin tissue sections from propranolol dosed rat. The hands-free operation of the system was demonstrated by creating heatmaps of the parent drug and its hydroxypropranolol glucuronide metabolites with 1 mm resolution in the areas of interest. The sample throughput was approximately 5 min/sample defined by the time needed for chromatographic separation. The spatial distributions of both the drug and its metabolites were consistent with previous studies employing other liquid extraction-based surface sampling methodologies.

  1. Some Physical, Chemical, and Biological Parameters of Samples of Scleractinium Coral Aquaculture Skeleton Used for Reconstruction/Engineering of the Bone Tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Popov, A A; Sergeeva, N S; Britaev, T A; Komlev, V S; Sviridova, I K; Kirsanova, V A; Akhmedova, S A; Dgebuadze, P Yu; Teterina, A Yu; Kuvshinova, E A; Schanskii, Ya D

    2015-08-01

    Physical and chemical (phase and chemical composition, dynamics of resorption, and strength properties), and biological (cytological compatibility and scaffold properties of the surface) properties of samples of scleractinium coral skeletons from aquacultures of three types and corresponding samples of natural coral skeletons (Pocillopora verrucosa, Acropora formosa, and Acropora nobilis) were studied. Samples of scleractinium coral aquaculture skeleton of A. nobilis, A. formosa, and P. verrucosa met the requirements (all study parameters) to materials for osteoplasty and 3D-scaffolds for engineering of bone tissue.

  2. Evaluation of five DNA extraction methods for purification of DNA from atherosclerotic tissue and estimation of prevalence of Chlamydia pneumoniae in tissue from a Danish population undergoing vascular repair

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lindholt Jes S

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To date PCR detection of Chlamydia pneumoniae DNA in atherosclerotic lesions from Danish patients has been unsuccessful. To establish whether non-detection was caused by a suboptimal DNA extraction method, we tested five different DNA extraction methods for purification of DNA from atherosclerotic tissue. Results The five different DNA extraction methods were tested on homogenate of atherosclerotic tissue spiked with C. pneumoniae DNA or EB, on pure C. pneumoniae DNA samples and on whole C. pneumoniae EB. Recovery of DNA was measured with a C. pneumoniae-specific quantitative real-time PCR. A DNA extraction method based on DNA-binding to spin columns with a silica-gel membrane (DNeasy Tissue kit showed the highest recovery rate for the tissue samples and pure DNA samples. However, an automated extraction method based on magnetic glass particles (MagNA Pure performed best on intact EB and atherosclerotic tissue spiked with EB. The DNeasy Tissue kit and MagNA Pure methods and the highly sensitive real-time PCR were subsequently used on 78 atherosclerotic tissue samples from Danish patients undergoing vascular repair. None of the samples were positive for C. pneumoniae DNA. The atherosclerotic samples were tested for inhibition by spiking with two different, known amounts of C. pneumoniae DNA and no samples showed inhibition. Conclusion As a highly sensitive PCR method and an optimised DNA extraction method were used, non-detection in atherosclerotic tissue from the Danish population was probably not caused by use of inappropriate methods. However, more samples may need to be analysed per patient to be completely certain on this. Possible methodological and epidemiological reasons for non-detection of C. pneumoniae DNA in atherosclerotic tissue from the Danish population are discussed. Further testing of DNA extraction methods is needed as this study has shown considerable intra- and inter-method variation in DNA recovery.

  3. Results of Plutonium Intercalibration in Seawater and Seaweed Samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fukai, R.; Murray, C.N.

    1976-01-01

    The results of the intercalibration exercise for the measurement of plutonium-239 and 228 in two seawater samples SW-I-1 and SW-I-2 and a marine algae sample AG-I-1 are presented. Seventeen laboratories from 8 countries as well as the IAEA International Laboratory of Marine Radioactivity took part. A discussion of the results and methods used in the analysis is given. It is concluded that in spite of the complicated chemical procedures involved in plutonium analysis, the scatter of the reported results was much smaller than that for fission product radionuclides such as strontium-90, ruthenium-106, cesium-137 etc. (author)

  4. The impact of laser ablation on optical soft tissue differentiation for tissue specific laser surgery-an experimental ex vivo study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stelzle Florian

    2012-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Optical diffuse reflectance can remotely differentiate various bio tissues. To implement this technique in an optical feedback system to guide laser surgery in a tissue-specific way, the alteration of optical tissue properties by laser ablation has to be taken into account. It was the aim of this study to evaluate the general feasibility of optical soft tissue differentiation by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy under the influence of laser ablation, comparing the tissue differentiation results before and after laser intervention. Methods A total of 70 ex vivo tissue samples (5 tissue types were taken from 14 bisected pig heads. Diffuse reflectance spectra were recorded before and after Er:YAG-laser ablation. The spectra were analyzed and differentiated using principal component analysis (PCA, followed by linear discriminant analysis (LDA. To assess the potential of tissue differentiation, area under the curve (AUC, sensitivity and specificity was computed for each pair of tissue types before and after laser ablation, and compared to each other. Results Optical tissue differentiation showed good results before laser exposure (total classification error 13.51%. However, the tissue pair nerve and fat yielded lower AUC results of only 0.75. After laser ablation slightly reduced differentiation results were found with a total classification error of 16.83%. The tissue pair nerve and fat showed enhanced differentiation (AUC: 0.85. Laser ablation reduced the sensitivity in 50% and specificity in 80% of the cases of tissue pair comparison. The sensitivity of nerve–fat differentiation was enhanced by 35%. Conclusions The observed results show the general feasibility of tissue differentiation by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy even under conditions of tissue alteration by laser ablation. The contrast enhancement for the differentiation between nerve and fat tissue after ablation is assumed to be due to laser removal of the

  5. Performance comparison of machine learning methods for prognosis of hormone receptor status in breast cancer tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalinli, Adem; Sarikoc, Fatih; Akgun, Hulya; Ozturk, Figen

    2013-06-01

    We examined the classification and prognostic scoring performances of several computer methods on different feature sets to obtain objective and reproducible analysis of estrogen receptor status in breast cancer tissue samples. Radial basis function network, k-nearest neighborhood search, support vector machines, naive bayes, functional trees, and k-means clustering algorithm were applied to the test datasets. Several features were employed and the classification accuracies of each method for these features were examined. The assessment results of the methods on test images were also experimentally compared with those of two experts. According to the results of our experimental work, a combination of functional trees and the naive bayes classifier gave the best prognostic scores indicating very good kappa agreement values (κ=0.899 and κ=0.949, p<0.001) with the experts. This combination also gave the best dichotomization rate (96.3%) for assessment of estrogen receptor status. Wavelet color features provided better classification accuracy than Laws texture energy and co-occurrence matrix features. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Concentration of organochlorines in human brain, liver, and adipose tissue autopsy samples from Greenland

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Dewailly, Éric; Mulvad, Gert; Pedersen, Henning S.

    1999-01-01

    Organochlorines are persistent lipophilic compounds that accumulate in Inuit people living in circumpolar countries. Organochlorines accumulate as a result of the Inuits' large consumption of sea mammal fat; however, available data are limited to blood lipids, milk fat, and adipose tissue. We rep...

  7. A Method for Preparing Spaceflight RNAlater-Fixed Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae Tissue for Scanning Electron Microscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eric R. Schultz

    2013-07-01

    Full Text Available Premise of the study: In spaceflight experiments, tissues for morphologic study are fixed in 3% glutaraldehyde, while tissues for molecular study are fixed in RNAlater; thus, an experiment containing both study components requires multiple fixation strategies. The possibility of using RNAlater-fixed materials for standard SEM-based morphometric investigation was explored to expand the library of tissues available for analysis and maximize usage of samples returned from spaceflight, but these technologies have wide application to any situation where recovery of biological resources is limited. Methods and Results: RNAlater-fixed samples were desalinated in distilled water, dehydrated through graded methanol, plunged into liquid ethane, and transferred to cryovials for freeze-substitution. Sample tissues were critical point dried, mounted, sputter-coated, and imaged. Conclusions: The protocol resulted in acceptable SEM images from RNAlater-fixed Arabidopsis thaliana tissue. The majority of the tissues remained intact, including general morphology and finer details such as root hairs and trichomes.

  8. Development of a real-time PCR to detect Demodex canis DNA in different tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ravera, Ivan; Altet, Laura; Francino, Olga; Bardagí, Mar; Sánchez, Armand; Ferrer, Lluís

    2011-02-01

    The present study reports the development of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to detect Demodex canis DNA on different tissue samples. The technique amplifies a 166 bp of D. canis chitin synthase gene (AB 080667) and it has been successfully tested on hairs extracted with their roots and on formalin-fixed paraffin embedded skin biopsies. The real-time PCR amplified on the hairs of all 14 dogs with a firm diagnosis of demodicosis and consistently failed to amplify on negative controls. Eleven of 12 skin biopsies with a morphologic diagnosis of canine demodicosis were also positive. Sampling hairs on two skin points (lateral face and interdigital skin), D. canis DNA was detected on nine of 51 healthy dogs (17.6%) a much higher percentage than previously reported with microscopic studies. Furthermore, it is foreseen that if the number of samples were increased, the percentage of positive dogs would probably also grow. Moreover, in four of the six dogs with demodicosis, the samples taken from non-lesioned skin were positive. This finding, if confirmed in further studies, suggests that demodicosis is a generalized phenomenon in canine skin, due to proliferation of local mite populations, even though macroscopic lesions only appear in certain areas. The real-time PCR technique to detect D. canis DNA described in this work is a useful tool to advance our understanding of canine demodicosis.

  9. Practical experience in post-mortem tissue donation in consideration of the European tissue law.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karbe, Thomas; Braun, Christian; Wulff, Birgit; Schröder, Ann Sophie; Püschel, Klaus; Bratzke, Hansjürgen; Parzeller, Markus

    2010-03-01

    In consequence of the European guidelines of safety and quality standards for the donation, retrieval, storing and distribution of human tissues and cells the purpose of tissue transplantation was implemented into German legislation in May 2007. The law came into effect on August 1st 2007 considering of the European rules. The Institutes for Legal Medicine of the University of Frankfurt/Main and the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf developed a model for tissue retrieval. The Institute of Legal Medicine (I.f.R.) at the University Medical Center Hamburg cooperates with the German Institute of Cell and Tissue Replacement (Deutsches Institut für Zell--und Gewebeersatz DIZG). Potential post-mortem tissue donors (PMTD) among the deceased are selected by standardized sets of defined criteria. The procedure is guided by the intended exclusion criteria of the tissue regulation draft (German Transplant Law TPG GewV) in accordance with the European Guideline (2006/17/EC). Following the identification of the donor and subsequent removal of tissue, the retrieved samples were sent to the DIZG, a non-profit tissue bank according to the tissue regulation. Here the final processing into transplantable tissue grafts takes place, which then results in the allocation of tissue to hospitals in Germany and other European countries. The Center of Legal Medicine at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University Medical Center Frankfurt/Main cooperates since 2000 with Tutogen, a pharmaceutical company. Harvesting of musculoskeletal tissues follows corresponding regulations. To verify the outcome of PMTD at the I.f.R. Hamburg, two-statistic analysis over 12 and 4 months have been implemented. Our results have shown an increasing number of potential appropriate PMTD within the second inquiry interval but a relatively small and unvaryingly rate of successful post-mortem tissue retrievals similar to the first examination period. Thus, the aim of the model developed by the I.f.R. is to

  10. LIBS analysis of artificial calcified tissues matrices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kasem, M A; Gonzalez, J J; Russo, R E; Harith, M A

    2013-04-15

    In most laser-based analytical methods, the reproducibility of quantitative measurements strongly depends on maintaining uniform and stable experimental conditions. For LIBS analysis this means that for accurate estimation of elemental concentration, using the calibration curves obtained from reference samples, the plasma parameters have to be kept as constant as possible. In addition, calcified tissues such as bone are normally less "tough" in their texture than many samples, especially metals. Thus, the ablation process could change the sample morphological features rapidly, and result in poor reproducibility statistics. In the present work, three artificial reference sample sets have been fabricated. These samples represent three different calcium based matrices, CaCO3 matrix, bone ash matrix and Ca hydroxyapatite matrix. A comparative study of UV (266 nm) and IR (1064 nm) LIBS for these three sets of samples has been performed under similar experimental conditions for the two systems (laser energy, spot size, repetition rate, irradiance, etc.) to examine the wavelength effect. The analytical results demonstrated that UV-LIBS has improved reproducibility, precision, stable plasma conditions, better linear fitting, and the reduction of matrix effects. Bone ash could be used as a suitable standard reference material for calcified tissue calibration using LIBS with a 266 nm excitation wavelength. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. Relative sensitivity of conventional and real-time PCR assays for detection of SFG Rickettsia in blood and tissue samples from laboratory animals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zemtsova, Galina E; Montgomery, Merrill; Levin, Michael L

    2015-01-01

    Studies on the natural transmission cycles of zoonotic pathogens and the reservoir competence of vertebrate hosts require methods for reliable diagnosis of infection in wild and laboratory animals. Several PCR-based applications have been developed for detection of infections caused by Spotted Fever group Rickettsia spp. in a variety of animal tissues. These assays are being widely used by researchers, but they differ in their sensitivity and reliability. We compared the sensitivity of five previously published conventional PCR assays and one SYBR green-based real-time PCR assay for the detection of rickettsial DNA in blood and tissue samples from Rickettsia- infected laboratory animals (n = 87). The real-time PCR, which detected rickettsial DNA in 37.9% of samples, was the most sensitive. The next best were the semi-nested ompA assay and rpoB conventional PCR, which detected as positive 18.4% and 14.9% samples respectively. Conventional assays targeting ompB, gltA and hrtA genes have been the least sensitive. Therefore, we recommend the SYBR green-based real-time PCR as a tool for the detection of rickettsial DNA in animal samples due to its higher sensitivity when compared to more traditional assays.

  12. Sensitivity of HER-2/neu antibodies in archival tissue samples: potential source of error in immunohistochemical studies of oncogene expression.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Press, M F; Hung, G; Godolphin, W; Slamon, D J

    1994-05-15

    HER-2/neu oncogene amplification and overexpression of breast cancer tissue has been correlated with poor prognosis in women with both node-positive and node-negative disease. However, several studies have not confirmed this association. Review of these studies reveals the presence of considerable methodological variability including differences in study size, follow-up time, techniques and reagents. The majority of papers with clinical follow-up information are immunohistochemical studies using archival, paraffin-embedded breast cancers, and a variety of HER-2/neu antibodies have been used in these studies. Very little information, however, is available about the ability of the antibodies to detect overexpression following tissue processing for paraffin-embedding. Therefore, a series of antibodies, reported in the literature or commercially available, were evaluated to assess their sensitivity and specificity as immunohistochemical reagents. Paraffin-embedded samples of 187 breast cancers, previously characterized as frozen specimens for HER-2/neu amplification by Southern blot and for overexpression by Northern blot, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry, were used. Two multitumor paraffin-embedded tissue blocks were prepared from the previously analyzed breast cancers as a panel of cases to test a series of previously studied and/or commercially available anti-HER-2/neu antibodies. Immunohistochemical staining results obtained with 7 polyclonal and 21 monoclonal antibodies in sections from paraffin-embedded blocks of these breast cancers were compared. The ability of these antibodies to detect overexpression was extremely variable, providing an important explantation for the variable overexpression rate reported in the literature.

  13. X-ray phase-contrast tomosynthesis for improved breast tissue discrimination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Schleede, Simone; Bech, Martin; Grandl, Susanne; Sztrókay, Aniko; Herzen, Julia; Mayr, Doris; Stockmar, Marco; Potdevin, Guillaume

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: Attenuation-based tomosynthesis has proven to successfully resolve the glandular tissue overlap present in mammography. However, the ability of tomosynthesis to differentiate tumorous and glandular tissue remains limited, due to the small differences in X-ray attenuation in breast tissue. One possibility to overcome this limitation and to further increase the diagnostic value of tomosynthesis exams, is the application of recently developed grating-based phase-contrast methods, which provide complementary information on the phase shift and the local scattering power of the sample. In this study, we report on first phase-contrast breast tomosynthesis results of a mastectomy sample slice with an invasive ductal carcinoma. Material and methods: A slice of a mastectomy sample with histologically proven invasive ductal cancer was imaged at the synchrotron radiation source ESRF (Grenoble, France). We used a two-grating interferometer setup at the ninth fractional Talbot distance and with an X-ray energy of 23 keV. In grating interferometry absorption, differential phase, and scattering images are recorded simultaneously. The tomosynthesis scan comprises 61 projections. Multimodal tomosynthesis results were reconstructed using a standard filtered back-projection approach. Our findings are supported by a comparison of tomographic views to histopathology. Results: Phase-contrast tomosynthesis combines the advantage of improved soft-tissue discrimination in phase-contrast imaging with the ability of tomosynthesis to provide a third dimension so that improved feature visibility is not hampered by superposition artifacts. Our results indicate superior diagnostic value due to the depth resolution supplied in tomosynthesis imaging; a region of necrotic tissue that is obscured in a projection image can clearly be depicted in one single tomosynthesis slice. Compared to absorption tomosynthesis alone, soft tissue contrast is significantly enhanced in phase

  14. Experimental investigation and theoretical modelling of the nonlinear acoustical behaviour of a liver tissue and comparison with a tissue mimicking hydrogel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casciaro, Sergio; Demitri, Christian; Conversano, Francesco; Casciaro, Ernesto; Distante, Alessandro

    2008-02-01

    Native harmonics generated by nonlinear distortion of ultrasound during propagation in a medium may cause misinterpretations in spectral analysis when studying contrast agents. The aim of this paper is to quantitatively evaluate nonlinear propagation effects of diagnostic ultrasound pulses in biological tissues and to assess whether a cellulose-based hydrogel can be a suitable material for tissue mimicking purposes. Hydrogel and pig liver tissue samples of various thicknesses were insonified in a through-transmission set-up, employing 2.25-MHz pulses with different mechanical index (MI) values (range 0.06-0.60). Second harmonic and first harmonic amplitudes were extracted from spectra of received signals and their ratio was then used to compare hydrogel and liver behaviours. Resulting trends are very similar for sample thicknesses up to 8 cm and highlight a significant increase in nonlinearity for MI > 0.3, for both liver and hydrogel. A numerical procedure was also employed to calculate pressure distribution along the beam axis: these theoretical results showed a very good agreement with experimental data in the low pressure range, though failed in predicting the MI threshold. In conclusion, the hydrogel resulted to be a suitable material for manufacturing tissue mimicking phantoms, in particular to study contrast agent behaviour with a "low power approach".

  15. Characterization of human breast cancer tissues by infrared imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Verdonck, M; Denayer, A; Delvaux, B; Garaud, S; De Wind, R; Desmedt, C; Sotiriou, C; Willard-Gallo, K; Goormaghtigh, E

    2016-01-21

    Fourier Transform InfraRed (FTIR) spectroscopy coupled to microscopy (IR imaging) has shown unique advantages in detecting morphological and molecular pathologic alterations in biological tissues. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of IR imaging as a diagnostic tool to identify characteristics of breast epithelial cells and the stroma. In this study a total of 19 breast tissue samples were obtained from 13 patients. For 6 of the patients, we also obtained Non-Adjacent Non-Tumor tissue samples. Infrared images were recorded on the main cell/tissue types identified in all breast tissue samples. Unsupervised Principal Component Analyses and supervised Partial Least Square Discriminant Analyses (PLS-DA) were used to discriminate spectra. Leave-one-out cross-validation was used to evaluate the performance of PLS-DA models. Our results show that IR imaging coupled with PLS-DA can efficiently identify the main cell types present in FFPE breast tissue sections, i.e. epithelial cells, lymphocytes, connective tissue, vascular tissue and erythrocytes. A second PLS-DA model could distinguish normal and tumor breast epithelial cells in the breast tissue sections. A patient-specific model reached particularly high sensitivity, specificity and MCC rates. Finally, we showed that the stroma located close or at distance from the tumor exhibits distinct spectral characteristics. In conclusion FTIR imaging combined with computational algorithms could be an accurate, rapid and objective tool to identify/quantify breast epithelial cells and differentiate tumor from normal breast tissue as well as normal from tumor-associated stroma, paving the way to the establishment of a potential complementary tool to ensure safe tumor margins.

  16. Early embryonic chromosome instability results in stable mosaic pattern in human tissues.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasmik Mkrtchyan

    Full Text Available The discovery of copy number variations (CNV in the human genome opened new perspectives on the study of the genetic causes of inherited disorders and the aetiology of common diseases. Here, a single-cell-level investigation of CNV in different human tissues led us to uncover the phenomenon of mitotically derived genomic mosaicism, which is stable in different cell types of one individual. The CNV mosaic ratios were different between the 10 individuals studied. However, they were stable in the T lymphocytes, immortalized B lymphoblastoid cells, and skin fibroblasts analyzed in each individual. Because these cell types have a common origin in the connective tissues, we suggest that mitotic changes in CNV regions may happen early during embryonic development and occur only once, after which the stable mosaic ratio is maintained throughout the differentiated tissues. This concept is further supported by a unique study of immortalized B lymphoblastoid cell lines obtained with 20 year difference from two subjects. We provide the first evidence of somatic mosaicism for CNV, with stable variation ratios in different cell types of one individual leading to the hypothesis of early embryonic chromosome instability resulting in stable mosaic pattern in human tissues. This concept has the potential to open new perspectives in personalized genetic diagnostics and can explain genetic phenomena like diminished penetrance in autosomal dominant diseases. We propose that further genomic studies should focus on the single-cell level, to better understand the aetiology of aging and diseases mediated by somatic mutations.

  17. Identification of proteins from cambium tissues of the chinese white poplar (populus tomentosa) sampled during the growing season

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xie, J.; Liu, S.; Qi, Q.; Hou, Y.

    2014-01-01

    Various protein extraction methods have been used to investigate Chinese white poplar (Populus tomentosa) proteomics. However, extracting and characterizing proteins from woody plants remains a challenge. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis is a powerful, widely used method for the analysis of complex protein mixtures extracted from biological samples. The technique separates mixtures of proteins along two dimensions, by isoelectric point and molecular weight, and can resolve thousands of different proteins. Here, we report a new application of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis to investigate the proteomics of P. tomentosa cambium tissues over the course of a growing season. Of three protein extraction methods that we compared (the Tris-phenol method, trichloroacetic acid-acetone method, and trichloroacetic acid-acetone-phenol method), trichloroacetic acid-acetone was the most efficient approach for protein extraction from cambium tissues of P. tomentosa. After extraction, the proteins were separated using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The protein quantities of six spots changed over the course of the growing season from February to July. Five spots were identified using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight/time-of-flight mass spectrometry, and the sixth spot was identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The proteins included enolase, class Ia chitinase, and four unnamed proteins. Our results show the best approach to proteomics in P. tomentosa and reveal trends in protein activities during a growing season in this tree species. (author)

  18. Cryopreservation of tissue engineered constructs for bone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kofron, Michelle D; Opsitnick, Natalie C; Attawia, Mohamed A; Laurencin, Cato T

    2003-11-01

    The large-scale clinical use of tissue engineered constructs will require provisions for its mass availability and accessibility. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the effects of low temperature (-196 degrees C) on the tissue engineered biological system. Initial studies used samples of the osteoblast-like cell line (SaOS-2) adhered to a two-dimensional poly(lactide-co-glycolide) thin film (2D-PLAGA) or a three-dimensional poly(lactide-co-glycolide) sintered microsphere matrix (3D-PLAGA) designed for bone tissue engineering. Experimental samples were tested for their ability to maintain cell viability, following low temperature banking for one week, in solutions of the penetrating cryoprotective agents, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol, and glycerol. Results indicated the DMSO solution yielded the greatest percent cell survival for SaOS-2 cells adhered to both the 2D- and 3D-PLAGA scaffolds; therefore, DMSO was used to cryopreserve mineralizing primary rabbit osteoblasts cells adhered to 2D-PLAGA matrices for 35 days. Results indicated retention of the extracellular matrix architecture as no statistically significant difference in the pre- and post-thaw mineralized structures was measured. Percent cell viability of the mineralized constructs following low temperature storage was approximately 50%. These are the first studies to address the issue of preservation techniques for tissue engineered constructs. The ability to successfully cryopreserve mineralized tissue engineered matrices for bone may offer an unlimited and readily available source of bone-like materials for orthopaedic applications.

  19. 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.

  20. 3D non-affine finite strains measured in isolated bovine annulus fibrosus tissue samples

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Huyghe, J.M.R.J.; Talen-Jongeneelen, C.J.M.

    2012-01-01

    Understanding of the mechanics of disc tissue calls for measurement of strains in physiological conditions. Because the intervertebral disc is gripped between two vertebrae, the swelling is constrained in vivo, resulting in a intradiscal pressure of 0.1–0.2 MPa in supine position. The excision of

  1. Fit for purpose frozen tissue collections by RNA integrity number-based quality control assurance at the Erasmus MC tissue bank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kap, Marcel; Oomen, Monique; Arshad, Shazia; de Jong, Bas; Riegman, Peter

    2014-04-01

    About 5000 frozen tissue samples are collected each year by the Erasmus Medical Center tissue bank. Two percent of these samples are randomly selected annually for RNA isolation and RNA Integrity Number (RIN) measurement. A similar quality assessment was conducted during centralization of a 20-year-old tissue collection from the cancer institute, a 15-year-old liver sample archive (-80°C), and a 13-year-old clinical pathology frozen biopsy archive (Liquid Nitrogen). Samples were divided into either high-quality (RIN ≥6.5) or low-quality overall categories, or into four "fit-for-purpose" quality groups: RIN procurement protocols used for these samples needed immediate evaluation. When the distribution of RIN values of the different collections were compared, no significant differences were found, despite differences in average storage time and temperature. According to the principle of "fit-for-purpose" distribution, the vast majority of samples are considered good enough for most downstream techniques. In conclusion, an annual tissue bank quality control procedure provides useful information on tissue sample quality and sheds light on where and if improvements need to be made.

  2. Pre-Analytical Considerations for Successful Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS: Challenges and Opportunities for Formalin-Fixed and Paraffin-Embedded Tumor Tissue (FFPE Samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gladys Arreaza

    2016-09-01

    Full Text Available In cancer drug discovery, it is important to investigate the genetic determinants of response or resistance to cancer therapy as well as factors that contribute to adverse events in the course of clinical trials. Despite the emergence of new technologies and the ability to measure more diverse analytes (e.g., circulating tumor cell (CTC, circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA, etc., tumor tissue is still the most common and reliable source for biomarker investigation. Because of its worldwide use and ability to preserve samples for many decades at ambient temperature, formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor tissue (FFPE is likely to be the preferred choice for tissue preservation in clinical practice for the foreseeable future. Multiple analyses are routinely performed on the same FFPE samples (such as Immunohistochemistry (IHC, in situ hybridization, RNAseq, DNAseq, TILseq, Methyl-Seq, etc.. Thus, specimen prioritization and optimization of the isolation of analytes is critical to ensure successful completion of each assay. FFPE is notorious for producing suboptimal DNA quality and low DNA yield. However, commercial vendors tend to request higher DNA sample mass than what is actually required for downstream assays, which restricts the breadth of biomarker work that can be performed. We evaluated multiple genomics service laboratories to assess the current state of NGS pre-analytical processing of FFPE. Significant differences in pre-analytical capabilities were observed. Key aspects are highlighted and recommendations are made to improve the current practice in translational research.

  3. X-ray phase-contrast tomosynthesis for improved breast tissue discrimination.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schleede, Simone; Bech, Martin; Grandl, Susanne; Sztrókay, Aniko; Herzen, Julia; Mayr, Doris; Stockmar, Marco; Potdevin, Guillaume; Zanette, Irene; Rack, Alexander; Weitkamp, Timm; Pfeiffer, Franz

    2014-03-01

    Attenuation-based tomosynthesis has proven to successfully resolve the glandular tissue overlap present in mammography. However, the ability of tomosynthesis to differentiate tumorous and glandular tissue remains limited, due to the small differences in X-ray attenuation in breast tissue. One possibility to overcome this limitation and to further increase the diagnostic value of tomosynthesis exams, is the application of recently developed grating-based phase-contrast methods, which provide complementary information on the phase shift and the local scattering power of the sample. In this study, we report on first phase-contrast breast tomosynthesis results of a mastectomy sample slice with an invasive ductal carcinoma. A slice of a mastectomy sample with histologically proven invasive ductal cancer was imaged at the synchrotron radiation source ESRF (Grenoble, France). We used a two-grating interferometer setup at the ninth fractional Talbot distance and with an X-ray energy of 23 keV. In grating interferometry absorption, differential phase, and scattering images are recorded simultaneously. The tomosynthesis scan comprises 61 projections. Multimodal tomosynthesis results were reconstructed using a standard filtered back-projection approach. Our findings are supported by a comparison of tomographic views to histopathology. Phase-contrast tomosynthesis combines the advantage of improved soft-tissue discrimination in phase-contrast imaging with the ability of tomosynthesis to provide a third dimension so that improved feature visibility is not hampered by superposition artifacts. Our results indicate superior diagnostic value due to the depth resolution supplied in tomosynthesis imaging; a region of necrotic tissue that is obscured in a projection image can clearly be depicted in one single tomosynthesis slice. Compared to absorption tomosynthesis alone, soft tissue contrast is significantly enhanced in phase-contrast tomosynthesis views, where fibrous structures

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ding Wei

    2010-11-01

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

  5. Analytical results from Tank 38H criticality Sample HTF-093

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wilmarth, W.R.

    2000-01-01

    Resumption of processing in the 242-16H Evaporator could cause salt dissolution in the Waste Concentration Receipt Tank (Tank 38H). Therefore, High Level Waste personnel sampled the tank at the salt surface. Results of elemental analysis of the dried sludge solids from this sample (HTF-093) show significant quantities of neutron poisons (i.e., sodium, iron, and manganese) present to mitigate the potential for nuclear criticality. Comparison of this sample with the previous chemical and radiometric analyses of H-Area Evaporator samples show high poison to actinide ratios

  6. A PIXE analysis for measuring the trace elements concentration in breast tissue of Iranian women

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vatankhah, S.; Moosavi, K.; Salimi, J.; Geranpayeh, L.; Perovani, H.

    2003-01-01

    A powerful and improved technique, proton induced x-ray emission has been performed-yielding the elemental composition of 17 samples of surgically excised malignant and normal tumors of breast tissue. The samples without any further process as thick targets were put on cap ton foil backing. There are no homogenizing processes. The proton induced x-ray emission spectra analysis was performed using he non-linear least square fitting code AXIL and GUPIX. The samples are taken form patients in the wide range of age and are bombarded by 2.0 MeV energy proton beams produced by van de Graaff accelerator in vacuum. The quantitative comparison between two of tissue was evaluated by assessing the presence of calcium. Potassium, Iron, Copper and Zinc, as minor and trace elements. results in this study indicate that relative values of Cu/Zn, P/K and also Ca and S in being type were higher than those in those in malignant type, but the concentration of Fe and Zn in cancerous tissues was significantly higher than those for being type. Results suggest significant elevation of zinc in the pathological tissues. Cu/Zn ratio for both type of tissues are evaluated. The results show that this ratio in patients with breast cancer is significantly lower than the normal group. Selenium and arsenic was not obtained in any of 17 samples. Most of the tissues of benign kind (fibrocystic and fib ro adenoma)contain cadmium. Calcium concentration in normal tissues is significantly higher than tumorous tissues

  7. Comparison of fatty acid composition of subcutaneous, pericardial and epicardial adipose tissue and atrial tissue in patients with heart disease

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Eschen, Rikke Bülow; Gu, Jiwei; Andreasen, Jan Jesper

    2016-01-01

    (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), from three different adipose tissue compartments [epicardial (EAT), pericardial (PAT) and subcutaneous (SAT)]. Furthermore, we studied the correlation between the content of EPA and DHA in these compartments and in atrial tissue (AT). METHODS We obtained AT from......OBJECTIVES The content in adipose tissue of marine n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) is a marker of long-term fish consumption and data suggest an antiarrhythmic effect of n-3 PUFAs. We investigated the correlation between adipose tissue content of the major n-3 PUFAs, eicosapentaenoic acid...... auricles, EAT above the right ventricle, PAT, and SAT below the sternum from 50 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Samples were frozen at -80°C and the content of n-3 PUFAs determined by gas chromatography with results given in relative weight%. RESULTS EPA and DHA were significantly correlated in EAT...

  8. Spectroscopic analysis of bladder cancer tissues using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Al-Muslet, Nafie A.; Ali, Essam E.

    2012-03-01

    Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers in Africa. It takes several days to reach a diagnosis using histological examinations of specimens obtained by endoscope, which increases the medical expense. Recently, spectroscopic analysis of bladder cancer tissues has received considerable attention as a diagnosis technique due to its sensitivity to biochemical variations in the samples. This study investigated the use of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy to analyze a number of bladder cancer tissues. Twenty-two samples were collected from 11 patients diagnosed with bladder cancer from different hospitals without any pretreatment. From each patient two samples were collected, one normal and another cancerous. FTIR spectrometer was used to differentiate between normal and cancerous bladder tissues via changes in spectra of these samples. The investigations detected obvious changes in the bands of proteins (1650, 1550 cm-1), lipids (2925, 2850 cm-1), and nucleic acid (1080, 1236 cm-1). The results show that FTIR spectroscopy is promising as a rapid, accurate, nondestructive, and easy to use alternative method for identification and diagnosis of bladder cancer tissues.

  9. Genetic Characterization of Echinococcus granulosus from a Large Number of Formalin-Fixed, Paraffin-Embedded Tissue Samples of Human Isolates in Iran

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rostami, Sima; Torbaghan, Shams Shariat; Dabiri, Shahriar; Babaei, Zahra; Mohammadi, Mohammad Ali; Sharbatkhori, Mitra; Harandi, Majid Fasihi

    2015-01-01

    Cystic echinococcosis (CE), caused by the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, presents an important medical and veterinary problem globally, including that in Iran. Different genotypes of E. granulosus have been reported from human isolates worldwide. This study identifies the genotype of the parasite responsible for human hydatidosis in three provinces of Iran using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples. In this study, 200 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples from human CE cases were collected from Alborz, Tehran, and Kerman provinces. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of the partial mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 gene were performed for genetic characterization of the samples. Phylogenetic analysis of the isolates from this study and reference sequences of different genotypes was done using a maximum likelihood method. In total, 54.4%, 0.8%, 1%, and 40.8% of the samples were identified as the G1, G2, G3, and G6 genotypes, respectively. The findings of the current study confirm the G1 genotype (sheep strain) to be the most prevalent genotype involved in human CE cases in Iran and indicates the high prevalence of the G6 genotype with a high infectivity for humans. Furthermore, this study illustrates the first documented human CE case in Iran infected with the G2 genotype. PMID:25535316

  10. Irradiation chamber and sample changer for biological samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kraft, G.; Daues, H.W.; Fischer, B.; Kopf, U.; Liebold, H.P.; Quis, D.; Stelzer, H.; Kiefer, J.; Schoepfer, F.; Schneider, E.

    1980-01-01

    This paper describes an irradiaton system with which living cells of different origin are irradiated with heavy ion beams (18 <- Z <- 92) at energies up to 10 MeV/amu. The system consists of a beam monitor connected to the vacuum system of the accelerator and the irradiation chamber, containing the biological samples under atmospheric pressure. The requirements and aims of the set up are discussed. The first results with saccharomyces cerevisiae and Chinese Hamster tissue cells are presented. (orig.)

  11. 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.

  12. Detection of Bacillus anthracis in the air, soil and animal tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kušar D.

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available The objective of the present work was to establish effective and rapid diagnostic methods for the detection of Bacillus anthracis, a highly virulent zoonotic pathogen, in the air, soil and animal (or human tissue samples. Liquid culture of B. anthracis was aerosolized and four air sampling procedures were employed. Detection of B. anthracis in the air samples was successful with RCS High Flow sampler (culturebased detection and when sampling through the air filter (molecular detection using SmartHelix Complex Samples DNA Extraction Kit. Liquid B. anthracis culture was also employed for spiking the homogenised bovine lymphatic gland tissue and soil samples. DNA extraction was performed using three different commercial kits for each sample type. High Pure PCR Template Preparation Kit was the most effective for DNA extraction from animal tissue samples. Detection in the soil was successful when PowerSoil DNA Isolation Kit was used. Our results indicate that B. anthracis can be monitored in different matrices by rapid molecular methods when appropriate sampling and DNA extraction procedures are employed prior to PCR assay. The selected rapid protocols can be implemented in specialized veterinary or human diagnostic laboratories with moderate costs.

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

    Science.gov (United States)

    da Cunha Santos, Gilda

    2018-03-01

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

  14. Relative sensitivity of conventional and real-time PCR assays for detection of SFG Rickettsia in blood and tissue samples from laboratory animals.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Galina E Zemtsova

    Full Text Available Studies on the natural transmission cycles of zoonotic pathogens and the reservoir competence of vertebrate hosts require methods for reliable diagnosis of infection in wild and laboratory animals. Several PCR-based applications have been developed for detection of infections caused by Spotted Fever group Rickettsia spp. in a variety of animal tissues. These assays are being widely used by researchers, but they differ in their sensitivity and reliability. We compared the sensitivity of five previously published conventional PCR assays and one SYBR green-based real-time PCR assay for the detection of rickettsial DNA in blood and tissue samples from Rickettsia- infected laboratory animals (n = 87. The real-time PCR, which detected rickettsial DNA in 37.9% of samples, was the most sensitive. The next best were the semi-nested ompA assay and rpoB conventional PCR, which detected as positive 18.4% and 14.9% samples respectively. Conventional assays targeting ompB, gltA and hrtA genes have been the least sensitive. Therefore, we recommend the SYBR green-based real-time PCR as a tool for the detection of rickettsial DNA in animal samples due to its higher sensitivity when compared to more traditional assays.

  15. Telomerase activity as a marker for malignancy in feline tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cadile, C D; Kitchell, B E; Biller, B J; Hetler, E R; Balkin, R G

    2001-10-01

    To establish the diagnostic significance of the telomeric repeat amplification protocol (TRAP) assay in detecting feline malignancies. Solid tissue specimens collected from 33 client-owned cats undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures at the University of Illinois Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital between July 1997 and September 1999 and an additional 20 tissue samples were collected from 3 clinically normal control cats euthanatized at the conclusion of an unrelated study. The TRAP assay was used for detection of telomerase activity. Each result was compared to its respective histopathologic diagnosis. Twenty-nine of 31 malignant and 1 of 22 benign or normal tissue samples had telomerase activity, indicating 94% sensitivity and 95% specificity of the TRAP assay in our laboratory. The diagnostic significance of telomerase activity has been demonstrated in humans and recently in dogs by our laboratory. We tested feline samples to determine whether similar patterns of telomerase activity exist. On the basis of our results, the TRAP assay may be clinically useful in providing a rapid diagnosis of malignancy in cats. The telomerase enzyme may also serve as a therapeutic target in feline tumors.

  16. Bomb radiocarbon in metabolically inert tissues from terrestrial and marine mammals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bada, J.L.; Vrolijk, C.D.; Brown, S.; Druffel, E.R.M.; Hedges, R.E.M.

    1987-01-01

    We report here radiocarbon measurements of monkey eye lens nucleus proteins and a narwhal tusk, biological tissues which have sampled the bomb radiocarbon signal in different ways. The results confirm the metabolic inertness of eye lens nucleus proteins and demonstrate the feasibility of measuring radiocarbon in small samples of biological tissue using accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS). The narwhal tusk provides a unique record of the radiocarbon activity in Arctic Ocean waters over most of the 20th century

  17. Comparison of the Multiple-sample means with composite sample results for fecal indicator bacteria by quantitative PCR and culture

    Science.gov (United States)

    ABSTRACT: Few studies have addressed the efficacy of composite sampling for measurement of indicator bacteria by QPCR. In this study, composite results were compared to single sample results for culture- and QPCR-based water quality monitoring. Composite results for both methods ...

  18. Exploring Technostress: Results of a Large Sample Factor Analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Jonušauskas, Steponas; Raišienė, Agota Giedrė

    2016-01-01

    With reference to the results of a large sample factor analysis, the article aims to propose the frame examining technostress in a population. The survey and principal component analysis of the sample consisting of 1013 individuals who use ICT in their everyday work was implemented in the research. 13 factors combine 68 questions and explain 59.13 per cent of the answers dispersion. Based on the factor analysis, questionnaire was reframed and prepared to reasonably analyze the respondents’ an...

  19. Digital sorting of complex tissues for cell type-specific gene expression profiles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhong, Yi; Wan, Ying-Wooi; Pang, Kaifang; Chow, Lionel M L; Liu, Zhandong

    2013-03-07

    Cellular heterogeneity is present in almost all gene expression profiles. However, transcriptome analysis of tissue specimens often ignores the cellular heterogeneity present in these samples. Standard deconvolution algorithms require prior knowledge of the cell type frequencies within a tissue or their in vitro expression profiles. Furthermore, these algorithms tend to report biased estimations. Here, we describe a Digital Sorting Algorithm (DSA) for extracting cell-type specific gene expression profiles from mixed tissue samples that is unbiased and does not require prior knowledge of cell type frequencies. The results suggest that DSA is a specific and sensitivity algorithm in gene expression profile deconvolution and will be useful in studying individual cell types of complex tissues.

  20. Quantitation of repaglinide and metabolites in mouse whole-body thin tissue sections using droplet-based liquid microjunction surface sampling-high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Weiqi; Wang, Lifei; Van Berkel, Gary J; Kertesz, Vilmos; Gan, Jinping

    2016-03-25

    Herein, quantitation aspects of a fully automated autosampler/HPLC-MS/MS system applied for unattended droplet-based surface sampling of repaglinide dosed thin tissue sections with subsequent HPLC separation and mass spectrometric analysis of parent drug and various drug metabolites were studied. Major organs (brain, lung, liver, kidney and muscle) from whole-body thin tissue sections and corresponding organ homogenates prepared from repaglinide dosed mice were sampled by surface sampling and by bulk extraction, respectively, and analyzed by HPLC-MS/MS. A semi-quantitative agreement between data obtained by surface sampling and that by employing organ homogenate extraction was observed. Drug concentrations obtained by the two methods followed the same patterns for post-dose time points (0.25, 0.5, 1 and 2 h). Drug amounts determined in the specific tissues was typically higher when analyzing extracts from the organ homogenates. In addition, relative comparison of the levels of individual metabolites between the two analytical methods also revealed good semi-quantitative agreement. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  1. A novel method for sample preparation of fresh lung cancer tissue for proteomics analysis by tumor cell enrichment and removal of blood contaminants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Orre Lotta

    2010-02-01

    was an effective removal of contaminants from red blood cells and plasma proteins resulting in larger proteome coverage compared to the direct lysis of frozen samples. This sample preparation method may be successfully implemented for the discovery of lung cancer biomarkers on tissue samples using mass spectrometry-based proteomics.

  2. Methadone Recycling Sustains Drug Reservoir in Tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linares, Oscar A; Fudin, Jeffrey; Daly, Annemarie; Schiesser, William E; Boston, Raymond C

    2015-09-01

    We hypothesize that there is a tissue store of methadone content in humans that is not directly accessible, but is quantifiable. Further, we hypothesize the mechanism by which methadone content is sustained in tissue stores involves methadone uptake, storage, and release from tissue depots in the body (recycling). Accordingly, we hypothesize that such tissue stores, in part, determine plasma methadone levels. We studied a random sample of six opioid-naïve healthy subjects. We performed a clinical trial simulation in silico using pharmacokinetic modeling. We found a large tissue store of methadone content whose size was much larger than methadone's size in plasma in response to a single oral dose of methadone 10 mg. The tissue store measured 13-17 mg. This finding could only be explained by the contemporaneous storage of methadone in tissue with dose recycling. We found that methadone recycles 2-5 times through an inaccessible extravascular compartment (IAC), from an accessible plasma-containing compartment (AC), before exiting irreversibly. We estimate the rate of accumulation (or storage) of methadone in tissue was 0.029-7.29 mg/h. We predict 39 ± 13% to 83 ± 6% of methadone's tissue stores "spillover" into the circulation. Our results indicate that there exists a large quantifiable tissue store of methadone in humans. Our results support the notion that methadone in humans undergoes tissue uptake, storage, release into the circulation, reuptake from the circulation, and re-release into the circulation, and that spillover of methadone from tissue stores, in part, maintain plasma methadone levels in humans.

  3. Optimal molecular profiling of tissue and tissue components: defining the best processing and microdissection methods for biomedical applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodriguez-Canales, Jaime; Hanson, Jeffrey C; Hipp, Jason D; Balis, Ulysses J; Tangrea, Michael A; Emmert-Buck, Michael R; Bova, G Steven

    2013-01-01

    Isolation of well-preserved pure cell populations is a prerequisite for sound studies of the molecular basis of any tissue-based biological phenomenon. This updated chapter reviews current methods for obtaining anatomically specific signals from molecules isolated from tissues, a basic requirement for productive linking of phenotype and genotype. The quality of samples isolated from tissue and used for molecular analysis is often glossed over or omitted from publications, making interpretation and replication of data difficult or impossible. Fortunately, recently developed techniques allow life scientists to better document and control the quality of samples used for a given assay, creating a foundation for improvement in this area. Tissue processing for molecular studies usually involves some or all of the following steps: tissue collection, gross dissection/identification, fixation, processing/embedding, storage/archiving, sectioning, staining, microdissection/annotation, and pure analyte labeling/identification and quantification. We provide a detailed comparison of some current tissue microdissection technologies and provide detailed example protocols for tissue component handling upstream and downstream from microdissection. We also discuss some of the physical and chemical issues related to optimal tissue processing and include methods specific to cytology specimens. We encourage each laboratory to use these as a starting point for optimization of their overall process of moving from collected tissue to high-quality, appropriately anatomically tagged scientific results. Improvement in this area will significantly increase life science quality and productivity. The chapter is divided into introduction, materials, protocols, and notes subheadings. Because many protocols are covered in each of these sections, information relating to a single protocol is not contiguous. To get the greatest benefit from this chapter, readers are advised to read through the entire

  4. ATMAD: robust image analysis for Automatic Tissue MicroArray De-arraying.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nguyen, Hoai Nam; Paveau, Vincent; Cauchois, Cyril; Kervrann, Charles

    2018-04-19

    Over the last two decades, an innovative technology called Tissue Microarray (TMA), which combines multi-tissue and DNA microarray concepts, has been widely used in the field of histology. It consists of a collection of several (up to 1000 or more) tissue samples that are assembled onto a single support - typically a glass slide - according to a design grid (array) layout, in order to allow multiplex analysis by treating numerous samples under identical and standardized conditions. However, during the TMA manufacturing process, the sample positions can be highly distorted from the design grid due to the imprecision when assembling tissue samples and the deformation of the embedding waxes. Consequently, these distortions may lead to severe errors of (histological) assay results when the sample identities are mismatched between the design and its manufactured output. The development of a robust method for de-arraying TMA, which localizes and matches TMA samples with their design grid, is therefore crucial to overcome the bottleneck of this prominent technology. In this paper, we propose an Automatic, fast and robust TMA De-arraying (ATMAD) approach dedicated to images acquired with brightfield and fluorescence microscopes (or scanners). First, tissue samples are localized in the large image by applying a locally adaptive thresholding on the isotropic wavelet transform of the input TMA image. To reduce false detections, a parametric shape model is considered for segmenting ellipse-shaped objects at each detected position. Segmented objects that do not meet the size and the roundness criteria are discarded from the list of tissue samples before being matched with the design grid. Sample matching is performed by estimating the TMA grid deformation under the thin-plate model. Finally, thanks to the estimated deformation, the true tissue samples that were preliminary rejected in the early image processing step are recognized by running a second segmentation step. We

  5. Study of electron densities of normal and neoplastic human breast tissues by Compton scattering using synchrotron radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Antoniassi, M.; Conceicao, A.L.C. [Departamento de Fisica-Faculdade de Filosofia Ciencias e Letras de Ribeirao Preto-Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo (Brazil); Poletti, M.E., E-mail: poletti@ffclrp.usp.br [Departamento de Fisica-Faculdade de Filosofia Ciencias e Letras de Ribeirao Preto-Universidade de Sao Paulo, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

    2012-07-15

    Electron densities of 33 samples of normal (adipose and fibroglangular) and neoplastic (benign and malignant) human breast tissues were determined through Compton scattering data using a monochromatic synchrotron radiation source and an energy dispersive detector. The area of Compton peaks was used to determine the electron densities of the samples. Adipose tissue exhibits the lowest values of electron density whereas malignant tissue the highest. The relationship with their histology was discussed. Comparison with previous results showed differences smaller than 4%. - Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electron density of normal and neoplastic breast tissues was measured using Compton scattering. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Monochromatic synchrotron radiation was used to obtain the Compton scattering data. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The area of Compton peaks was used to determine the electron densities of samples. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Adipose tissue shows the lowest electron density values whereas the malignant tissue the highest. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Comparison with previous results showed differences smaller than 4%.

  6. Study of electron densities of normal and neoplastic human breast tissues by Compton scattering using synchrotron radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Antoniassi, M.; Conceição, A.L.C.; Poletti, M.E.

    2012-01-01

    Electron densities of 33 samples of normal (adipose and fibroglangular) and neoplastic (benign and malignant) human breast tissues were determined through Compton scattering data using a monochromatic synchrotron radiation source and an energy dispersive detector. The area of Compton peaks was used to determine the electron densities of the samples. Adipose tissue exhibits the lowest values of electron density whereas malignant tissue the highest. The relationship with their histology was discussed. Comparison with previous results showed differences smaller than 4%. - Highlights: ► Electron density of normal and neoplastic breast tissues was measured using Compton scattering. ► Monochromatic synchrotron radiation was used to obtain the Compton scattering data. ► The area of Compton peaks was used to determine the electron densities of samples. ► Adipose tissue shows the lowest electron density values whereas the malignant tissue the highest. ► Comparison with previous results showed differences smaller than 4%.

  7. Analysis of lung tissue using ion beams

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alvarez, J.L.; Barrera, R.; Miranda, J.

    2002-01-01

    In this work a comparative study is presented of the contents of metals in lung tissue from healthy patients and with lung cancer, by means of two analytical techniques: Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE) and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS). The samples of cancerous tissue were taken from 26 autopsies made to individuals died in the National Institute of Respiratory Disease (INER), 22 of cancer and 4 of other non-cancer biopsies. When analyzing the entirety of the samples, in the cancerous tissues, there were increments in the concentrations of S (4%), K (635%), Co (85%) and Cu (13%). Likewise, there were deficiencies in the concentrations of Cl (59%), Ca (6%), Fe (26%) and Zn (7%). Only in the cancerous tissues there were appearances of P, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Br and Sr. The tissue samples were classified according to cancer types (adenocarcinomas, epidermoides and of small cell carcinoma), personal habits (smokers and alcoholic), genetic predisposition and residence place. There was a remarkable decrease in the concentration of Ca and a marked increment in the Cu in the epidermoide tissue samples with regard to those of adenocarcinoma or of small cells cancer. Also, decrements were detected in K and increments of Fe, Co and Cu in the sample belonging to people that resided in Mexico City with regard to those that resided in the State of Mexico

  8. Results of EDS uranium samples characterization after hydrogen loading

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chicea, D.; Dash, J.

    2003-01-01

    Several experiments of loading natural uranium foils with hydrogen were done. Electrolysis was used for loading hydrogen into uranium, because it is the most efficient way for H loading. The composition of the surface and near surface of the samples was determined using an Oxford EDS spectrometer on a Scanning Electron Microscope, manufactured by ISI. Images were taken with several magnifications up to 3.4KX. Results reveal that when low current density was used, the surface patterns changed from granules on the surface having a typical size of 2-4 microns to pits under the surface having a typical size under one micron. When high current density was used the surface changed and presented deep fissures. The deep fissures are the result of the mechanical strain induced by the lattice expansion caused by hydrogen absorption. The surface composition was determined before and after hydrogen loading. Uranium, thorium platinum and carbon concentration were measured. Experiments suggest that the amount of thorium increases on the uranium sample with the total electric charge transported through electrolyte. Carbon concentration was found to decrease on the surface of the sample as the total electric charge transported through electrolyte increased. Platinum is used in electrolysis experiment as anode primarily because it does not dissolve in electrolyte and therefore it is not electro-deposited on the cathode surface. The results of the platinum concentration measurements on the surface of the samples we loaded with hydrogen reveal that the platinum concentration increased dramatically as the current density increased and that created platinum spots on the cathode surface. Work is in progress on the subject. (authors)

  9. Dietary intake and burden of lanthanide in main organs and tissues for Chinese man

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu Hongda; Liu Qingfeng; Ouyang Li; Liu Husheng; Wang Naifen; Liu Yaqiong; Zhang Yongbao; Wang Ke; Chen Rusong

    2004-01-01

    Objective: To determine lanthanide concentrations in dietary foods and main organs or tissues for Chinese adult man and to estimate their daily intakes by ingestion and organ or tissue burdens. Methods: Ten kinds of organ or tissue samples collected in autopsy from 21 supplemental subjects of 4 areas with different dietary types in China who died suddenly, and had been healthy and normal before death. The concentrations of 11 lanthanide in foods and 14 lanthanide in these organ or tissue samples, including those collected from 31 subjects in the past, were analyzed by using ICP-MS or INAA technique as well as necessary QC measures. With uses of the local diet composition and relevant organ or tissue weights for Chinese Reference Man, their daily intakes and organ or tissue burdens were estimated. Results: The concentrations of 14 lanthanide in 12 categories of foods and 10 kinds of organ or tissue samples, their dietary daily intakes and organ or tissue burdens for Chinese adult men were obtained. Conclusion: Besides updating the relevant data of La, Ce and Eu in 5 kinds of organ or tissue and diet, this research obtained data on concentrations of other 11 lanthanide in Chinese foods and 10 kinds of organ or tissue, their daily intakes and burdens for the first time in China. The results provide more systematic bases for developing the parameters of Chinese Reference Man than before. This study provides also comparative data for different kinds of lanthanide, foods, organs or tissues and also the background values of Chinese soil

  10. Resonant acoustic spectroscopy of soft tissues using embedded magnetomotive nanotransducers and optical coherence tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Oldenburg, Amy L; Boppart, Stephen A

    2010-01-01

    We present a new method for performing dynamic elastography of soft tissue samples. By sensing nanoscale displacements with optical coherence tomography, a chirped, modulated force is applied to acquire the mechanical spectrum of a tissue sample within a few seconds. This modulated force is applied via magnetic nanoparticles, named 'nanotransducers', which are diffused into the tissue, and which contribute negligible inertia to the soft tissue mechanical system. Using this novel system, we observed that excised tissues exhibit mechanical resonance modes which are well described by a linear damped harmonic oscillator. Results are validated by using cylindrical tissue phantoms of agarose in which resonant frequencies (30-400 Hz) are consistent with longitudinal modes and the sample boundary conditions. We furthermore show that the Young's modulus can be computed from their measured resonance frequencies, analogous to resonant ultrasound spectroscopy for stiff material analysis. Using this new technique, named magnetomotive resonant acoustic spectroscopy (MRAS), we monitored the relative stiffening of an excised rat liver during a chemical fixation process.

  11. Results of tritium measurement in environmental samples and drainage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koike, Ryoji; Hirai, Yasuo

    1983-01-01

    In Ibaraki prefecture, the tritium concentration in the drainage from the nuclear facilities has been measured since 1974. Then, with the start of operation of the fuel reprocessing plant in 1977, the tritium concentration in environmental samples was to be measured also in order to examine the effect of the drainage on the environment. The results of the tritium measurement in Ibaraki prefecture up to about 1980 are described: sampling points, sampling and measuring methods, the tritium concentration in the drainage, air, inland water and seawater, respectively. The drainages have been taken from Japan Atomic Power Company, Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute, and Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (with the fuel reprocessing plant). The samples of air, inland water and seawater have been taken in the areas concerned. The tritium concentration was measured by a low-background liquid scintillation counter. The measured values in the environment have been generally at low level, not different from other areas. (Mori, K.)

  12. Trace elements in digestive cancer tissue by PIXE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ciortea, C.; Constantinescu, O.; Cata, I.; Dumitriu, D. E.; Enulescu, A.; Fluerasu, D.; Pantelica, A.; Penescu, L. C.; Piticu, I.; Radu, A. T.; Vargolici, M.; Ciortea, M.; Staniceanu, F.; Popescu, E.; Donciu, D.; Moldovan, A.; Popescu, L.; Burghelea, B.

    2004-01-01

    Elemental composition study of digestive cancer tissue with different localizations (esophagus, stomach, colon) by using PIXE analysis is presented. A number of 20 tumor and normal (control) tissue samples were analyzed. Thin targets were prepared by mineralization of the lyophilized tissue with nitric acid and dropping on 2 μm Mylar foil. The measurements were carried out in vacuum using 3 MeV protons delivered by the tandem accelerator in Bucharest, Romania. The following elements were identified: S, Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn. Although the results show relatively large variations from a sample to another there were obtained mean ratios of tumor/normal concentrations which are significantly greater than one, in the limit of the standard deviation for the following elements: K (1.45±0.28), Ca (1.30±0.21), Cr (2.33±0.56), and Zn (1.18±0.15). For the other determined elements, no significant difference between the tumor and normal tissues, in the limit of the present standard deviation, was found. (authors)

  13. Trace elements in digestive cancer tissue by PIXE

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ciortea, Constantin; Constantinescu, Olimpiu; Filimon, Andrei

    2005-01-01

    Elemental composition study of digestive cancer tissue with different localizations (esophagus, stomach, colon), by using PIXE analysis, is presented. A number of 20 tumors and normal (control) tissue samples was analyzed. Thin targets were prepared by mineralization with nitric acid of the lyophilized tissue and dropping on 2 μm Mylar foil. The measurements were carried out in vacuum using 3 MeV protons delivered by the Tandem Accelerator in Bucharest, Romania. The following elements were determined: S, Cl, K, Ca, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu and Zn. Although the results show relatively large variations from a sample to another, there were obtained mean ratios of tumor/normal concentrations which are significantly greater than one, in the limit of the standard deviation, for the following elements: K(1.45 ± 0.28), Ca(1.30 ± 0.21), Cr(2.33 ± 0.56), and Zn(1.18 ± 0.15). For other elements determined, no significant difference between the tumor and normal tissues , in the limit of the present standard deviation, was found. (authors)

  14. Photoacoustic imaging in both soft and hard biological tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, T; Dewhurst, R J

    2010-01-01

    To date, most Photoacoustic (PA) imaging results have been from soft biotissues. In this study, a PA imaging system with a near-infrared pulsed laser source has been applied to obtain 2-D and 3-D images from both soft tissue and post-mortem dental samples. Imaging results showed that the PA technique has the potential to image human oral disease, such as early-stage teeth decay. For non-invasive photoacoustic imaging, the induced temperature and pressure rises within biotissues should not cause physical damage to the tissue. Several simulations based on the thermoelastic effect have been applied to predict initial temperature and pressure fields within a tooth sample. Predicted initial temperature and pressure rises are below corresponding safety limits.

  15. Genetic Sample Inventory

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This database archives genetic tissue samples from marine mammals collected primarily from the U.S. east coast. The collection includes samples from field programs,...

  16. Human papillomavirus in anal biopsy tissues and liquid-based cytology samples of HIV-positive and HIV-negative Thai men who have sex with men

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tippawan Pankam

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Background: Men who have sex with men (MSM are at high risk of developing human papillomavirus (HPV-related anal cancer. We compared HPV genotypes in anal tissues (Bx and anal liquid-based cytology fluid (LBC from HIV-positive and HIV-negative MSM. Methods: Bx (32 normal, 41 low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL and 22 high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL, along with LBC from the same visit, were selected from 61 HIV-positive and 34 HIV-negative MSM who enrolled into a prospective cohort in Bangkok, Thailand. HPV genotyping was performed on Bx and LBC. Results: Any HPV and high-risk HPV (HR-HPV prevalence were 63.2% and 60.0% in Bx and 71.6% and 62.1% in LBC, respectively. HIV-positive MSM had higher rates of HR-HPV genotypes detection (70.5% vs. 47.1%, p=0.03 in LBC than HIV-negative MSM. HPV16 (27% was the most common HR-HPV found in HSIL tissue. In HIV-positive MSM, the frequency of HR-HPV detection increased with histopathologic grading in both Bx and LBC samples. HSIL was associated with the presence of any HR-HPV(OR 7.6 (95%CI 1.8–31.9; P=0.006 in LBC and in Bx((OR 5.6 (95%CI 1.4–22.7; P=0.02. Conclusions: Our data strongly support the integration of HR-HPV screening on LBC samples, along with HPV vaccination, into an anal cancer prevention program. Keywords: Human papillomavirus, Anal tissues, Men who have sex with men, HIV, Thailand

  17. Use of Sequenom sample ID Plus® SNP genotyping in identification of FFPE tumor samples.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica K Miller

    Full Text Available Short tandem repeat (STR analysis, such as the AmpFlSTR® Identifiler® Plus kit, is a standard, PCR-based human genotyping method used in the field of forensics. Misidentification of cell line and tissue DNA can be costly if not detected early; therefore it is necessary to have quality control measures such as STR profiling in place. A major issue in large-scale research studies involving archival formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE tissues is that varying levels of DNA degradation can result in failure to correctly identify samples using STR genotyping. PCR amplification of STRs of several hundred base pairs is not always possible when DNA is degraded. The Sample ID Plus® panel from Sequenom allows for human DNA identification and authentication using SNP genotyping. In comparison to lengthy STR amplicons, this multiplexing PCR assay requires amplification of only 76-139 base pairs, and utilizes 47 SNPs to discriminate between individual samples. In this study, we evaluated both STR and SNP genotyping methods of sample identification, with a focus on paired FFPE tumor/normal DNA samples intended for next-generation sequencing (NGS. The ability to successfully validate the identity of FFPE samples can enable cost savings by reducing rework.

  18. IgG4-positive cell infiltration in various cardiovascular disorders - results from histopathological analysis of surgical samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hourai, Ryoto; Kasashima, Satomi; Sohmiya, Koichi; Yamauchi, Yohei; Ozawa, Hideki; Hirose, Yoshinobu; Ogino, Yasuhiro; Katsumata, Takahiro; Daimon, Masahiro; Fujita, Shu-Ichi; Hoshiga, Masaaki; Ishizaka, Nobukazu

    2017-02-03

    The diagnosis of Immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4)-related disease (IgG4-RD), in general, depends on serum IgG4 concentrations and histopathological findings; therefore, diagnosis of IgG4-RD in cardiovascular organs/tissues is often difficult owing to the risk of tissue sampling. Prevalence of IgG4-positive lymphoplasmacytic infiltration in 103 consecutive cardiovascular surgical samples from 98 patients with various cardiovascular diseases was analyzed immunohistochemically. The diagnoses of the enrolled patients included aortic aneurysm (abdominal, n = 8; thoracic, n = 9); aortic dissection (n = 20); aortic stenosis (n = 24), aortic regurgitation (n = 10), and mitral stenosis/regurgitation (n = 17). In total, 10 (9.7%) of the 103 specimens showed IgG4-positive cell infiltration with various intensities; five of these were aortic valve specimens from aortic stenosis, and IgG4-positive cell infiltration was present at >10 /HPF in three of them. In one aortic wall sample from an abdominal aortic aneurysm, various histopathological features of IgG4-RD, such as IgG4-positive cell infiltration, obliterating phlebitis, and storiform fibrosis, were observed. IgG4-positive cell infiltration was observed in 9.7% of the surgical cardiovascular specimens, mainly in the aortic valve from aortic stenosis and in the aortic wall from aortic aneurysm. Whether IgG4-positive cell infiltration has pathophysiological importance in the development or progression of cardiovascular diseases should be investigated in future studies.

  19. Tank 214-AW-105, grab samples, analytical results for the final report

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Esch, R.A.

    1997-01-01

    This document is the final report for tank 241-AW-105 grab samples. Twenty grabs samples were collected from risers 10A and 15A on August 20 and 21, 1996, of which eight were designated for the K Basin sludge compatibility and mixing studies. This document presents the analytical results for the remaining twelve samples. Analyses were performed in accordance with the Compatibility Grab Sampling and Analysis Plan (TSAP) and the Data Quality Objectives for Tank Farms Waste Compatibility Program (DO). The results for the previous sampling of this tank were reported in WHC-SD-WM-DP-149, Rev. 0, 60-Day Waste Compatibility Safety Issue and Final Results for Tank 241-A W-105, Grab Samples 5A W-95-1, 5A W-95-2 and 5A W-95-3. Three supernate samples exceeded the TOC notification limit (30,000 microg C/g dry weight). Appropriate notifications were made. No immediate notifications were required for any other analyte. The TSAP requested analyses for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) for all liquids and centrifuged solid subsamples. The PCB analysis of the liquid samples has been delayed and will be presented in a revision to this document

  20. Increased Expression of Herpes Virus-Encoded hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miR-H9-5p in Cancer-Containing Prostate Tissue Compared to That in Benign Prostate Hyperplasia Tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Seok Joong Yun

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Purpose: Previously, we reported the presence of virus-encoded microRNAs (miRNAs in the urine of prostate cancer (CaP patients. In this study, we investigated the expression of two herpes virus-encoded miRNAs in prostate tissue. Methods: A total of 175 tissue samples from noncancerous benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH, 248 tissue samples from patients with CaP and BPH, and 50 samples from noncancerous surrounding tissues from these same patients were analyzed for the expression of two herpes virus-encoded miRNAs by real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR and immunocytochemistry using nanoparticles as molecular beacons. Results: Real-time reverse transcription-PCR results revealed significantly higher expression of hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miRH9- 5p in surrounding noncancerous and CaP tissues than that in BPH tissue (each comparison, P<0.001. Of note, these miRNA were expressed equivalently in the CaP tissues and surrounding noncancerous tissues. Moreover, immunocytochemistry clearly demonstrated a significant enrichment of both hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miR-H9 beacon-labeled cells in CaP and surrounding noncancerous tissue compared to that in BPH tissue (each comparison, P<0.05 for hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2- miR-H9. Conclusions: These results suggest that increased expression of hsv1-miR-H18 and hsv2-miR-H95p might be associated with tumorigenesis in the prostate. Further studies will be required to elucidate the role of these miRNAs with respect to CaP and herpes viral infections.

  1. Organochlorine pesticide levels in female adipose tissue from Puebla, Mexico.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waliszewski, Stefan M; Sanchez, K; Caba, M; Saldariaga-Noreña, H; Meza, E; Zepeda, R; Valencia Quintana, R; Infanzon, R

    2012-02-01

    The objective of this study was to determine the levels of organochlorine pesticides HCB, α-β-γ-HCH, pp'DDE, op'DDT and pp'DDT in adipose tissue of females living in Puebla, Mexico. Organochlorine pesticides were analyzed in 75 abdominal adipose tissue samples taken during 2010 by autopsy at the Forensic Services of Puebla. The results were expressed as mg/kg on fat basis. In analyzed samples the following pesticides were detected: p,p'-DDE in 100% of samples at mean 1.464 mg/kg; p,p'-DDT in 96.0.% of samples at mean 0.105 mg/kg; op'DDT in 89.3% of monitored samples at mean 0.025 mg/kg and β-HCH in 94.7% of the samples at mean 0.108 mg/kg. To show if organochlorine pesticide levels in monitored female's adipose tissues are age dependant, the group was divided in three ages ranges (13-26, 26-57 and 57-96 years). The mean and median levels of all organochlorine pesticides increase significantly (p 0.05). The present results compared to previous ones from 2008 indicates an increase in the concentrations during the 2010 study, but only the differences for pp'DDE and op'DDT were statistically significant. The 2010 group of females was older compared to the 2008 group. The presence of organochlorine pesticide residues is still observed, indicating uniform and permanent exposure to the pesticides by Puebla inhabitants.

  2. Quantitatively differentiating microstructural variations of skeletal muscle tissues by multispectral Mueller matrix imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Yang; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Ma, Hui

    2016-10-01

    Polarized light is sensitive to the microstructures of biological tissues and can be used to detect physiological changes. Meanwhile, spectral features of the scattered light can also provide abundant microstructural information of tissues. In this paper, we take the backscattering polarization Mueller matrix images of bovine skeletal muscle tissues during the 24-hour experimental time, and analyze their multispectral behavior using quantitative Mueller matrix parameters. In the processes of rigor mortis and proteolysis of muscle samples, multispectral frequency distribution histograms (FDHs) of the Mueller matrix elements can reveal rich qualitative structural information. In addition, we analyze the temporal variations of the sample using the multispectral Mueller matrix transformation (MMT) parameters. The experimental results indicate that the different stages of rigor mortis and proteolysis for bovine skeletal muscle samples can be judged by these MMT parameters. The results presented in this work show that combining with the multispectral technique, the FDHs and MMT parameters can characterize the microstructural variation features of skeletal muscle tissues. The techniques have the potential to be used as tools for quantitative assessment of meat qualities in food industry.

  3. Glycomic profiling of tissue sections by LC-MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Yunli; Zhou, Shiyue; Khalil, Sarah I; Renteria, Calvin L; Mechref, Yehia

    2013-04-16

    Because routine preparation of glycan samples involves multiple reaction and cleaning steps at which sample loss occurs, glycan analysis is typically performed using large tissue samples. This type of analysis yields no detailed molecular spatial information and requires special care to maintain proper storage and shipping conditions. We describe here a new glycan sample preparation protocol using minimized sample preparation steps and optimized procedures. Tissue sections and spotted samples first undergo on-surface enzymatic digestion to release N-glycans. The released glycans are then reduced and permethylated prior to online purification and LC-electrospray ionization (ESI)-MS analysis. The efficiency of this protocol was initially evaluated using model glycoproteins and human blood serum (HBS) spotted on glass or Teflon slides. The new protocol permitted the detection of permethylated N-glycans derived from 10 ng RNase B. On the other hand, 66 N-glycans were identified when injecting the equivalent of permethylated glycans derived from a 0.1-μL aliquot of HBS. On-tissue enzymatic digestion of nude mouse brain tissue permitted the detection of 43 N-glycans. The relative peak areas of these 43 glycans were comparable to those from a C57BL/6 mouse reported by the Consortium for Functional Glycomics (CFG). However, the sample size analyzed in the protocol described here was substantially smaller than for the routine method (submicrogram vs mg). The on-tissue N-glycan profiling method permits high sensitivity and reproducibility and can be widely applied to assess the spatial distribution of glycans associated with tissue sections, and may be correlated with immunoflourescence imaging when adjacent tissue sections are analyzed.

  4. Detection of EWS/FLI-1 fusion in non-Ewing soft tissue tumors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trancău, I O; Huică, R; Surcel, M; Munteanu, A; Ursaciuc, C

    2015-01-01

    EWS/FLI-1 fusion mainly appears in Ewing's sarcoma or the primitive neuroectodermal tumors and represents a genomic marker for these tumors. However, it can appear with lower frequency in other soft tissue tumors. The paper investigates the presence of EWS/FLI-1 fusion in clinically diagnosed sarcoma belonging to different non-Ewing connective tissue tumors in order to search for a possible new biomarker valuable for investigators. 20 patients with soft tissue tumors, who underwent surgery, were tested. Intra-operative samples of normal and tumor tissue were collected for histopathological diagnosis and genetics determinations. The patients' RNA from tumor and normal peritumoral tissue was extracted and EWS/FLI-1 fusion screened by quantitative real-time PCR. The relative expression of the fusion in the tumor sample was compared to the similar expression in normal tissue. The amplification in the threshold zone was shown by 5 samples (25%): 2 clear cell sarcoma, 1 fibrosarcoma, 1 malignant tumor of nerve sheath, 1 metastatic adenocarcinoma. We differentiated between the unspecific amplification and concluded that these are weak positive results. Genomic investigation may establish the tumor malignancy and its possible affiliation earlier than histopathology. It can support the screening of EWS/FLI-1 fusion in a larger variety of clinically diagnosed soft tissue tumors.

  5. Office-based narrow band imaging-guided flexible laryngoscopy tissue sampling: A cost-effectiveness analysis evaluating its impact on Taiwanese health insurance program

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tuan-Jen Fang

    2015-07-01

    Conclusion: Office-based NBI flexible laryngoscopy tissue sampling is a cost-saving procedure for patients and the Taiwanese National Health Insurance program. It also saves the procedure time. However, the net financial loss for the institution and physician would limit its popularization unless reimbursement patterns are changed.

  6. Dental tissue as a thermoluminescence dosimetry dosimeter

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Solaimani, F.; Zahmatkesh, M.H.; Akhlaghpoor, Sh.

    2003-01-01

    Background: Thermoluminescence dosimetry is one of the dosimetry procedures used widely as routine and personal dosimeters. In order to extend this kind of dosimeters, dental tissue has been examined and was found promising as a Thermoluminescence Dosimetry dosimeter. Materials and Methods: In this study, 70 health teeth were collected. The only criterion, wich was considered for selection of the teeth, was the healthiness of them regardless of age and gender of the donors. All collected samples were washed and cleaned and milled uniformly. The final powder had a uniform grain size between 100-300 micrometer. The sample was divided into four groups. Group A and B were used for measurement of density and investigation of variation of thermoluminescent characteristics with temperature respectively. Groups C and D were used for investigation of variation of thermoluminescent intensity with dose and fading of this intensity with time. In all cases the results obtained with dental tissue were compared to a standard LiF, thermoluminescence dosimetry dosimeter. Results: It was found that, average density of the dental tissue was 1.570 g/cm 3 , which is comparable to density of LiF, which is 1.612g/cm 3 . It was also concluded that the range of 0-300 d ig C , dental tissue has a simple curve with two specific peaks at 140 and 25 d ig C respectively. The experiment also showed that, the variation of relative intensity versus dose is linear in the range of 0.04-0.1 Gy. The fading rate of dental tissue is higher than LiF but still in the acceptable range (14% per month in compare to 5.2% per month). Conclusion: Dental tissue as a natural dosimeter is comparable with Thermoluminescence Dosimetry and can be used in accidental events with a good approximation

  7. The use of laser microdissection in the identification of suitable reference genes for normalization of quantitative real-time PCR in human FFPE epithelial ovarian tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cai, Jing; Li, Tao; Huang, Bangxing; Cheng, Henghui; Ding, Hui; Dong, Weihong; Xiao, Man; Liu, Ling; Wang, Zehua

    2014-01-01

    Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is a powerful and reproducible method of gene expression analysis in which expression levels are quantified by normalization against reference genes. Therefore, to investigate the potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for epithelial ovarian cancer by qPCR, it is critical to identify stable reference genes. In this study, twelve housekeeping genes (ACTB, GAPDH, 18S rRNA, GUSB, PPIA, PBGD, PUM1, TBP, HRPT1, RPLP0, RPL13A, and B2M) were analyzed in 50 ovarian samples from normal, benign, borderline, and malignant tissues. For reliable results, laser microdissection (LMD), an effective technique used to prepare homogeneous starting material, was utilized to precisely excise target tissues or cells. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and nonparametric (Kruskal-Wallis) tests were used to compare the expression differences. NormFinder and geNorm software were employed to further validate the suitability and stability of the candidate genes. Results showed that epithelial cells occupied a small percentage of the normal ovary indeed. The expression of ACTB, PPIA, RPL13A, RPLP0, and TBP were stable independent of the disease progression. In addition, NormFinder and geNorm identified the most stable combination (ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP) and the relatively unstable reference gene GAPDH from the twelve commonly used housekeeping genes. Our results highlight the use of homogeneous ovarian tissues and multiple-reference normalization strategy, e.g. the combination of ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP, for qPCR in epithelial ovarian tissues, whereas GAPDH, the most commonly used reference gene, is not recommended, especially as a single reference gene.

  8. The use of laser microdissection in the identification of suitable reference genes for normalization of quantitative real-time PCR in human FFPE epithelial ovarian tissue samples.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jing Cai

    Full Text Available Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR is a powerful and reproducible method of gene expression analysis in which expression levels are quantified by normalization against reference genes. Therefore, to investigate the potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for epithelial ovarian cancer by qPCR, it is critical to identify stable reference genes. In this study, twelve housekeeping genes (ACTB, GAPDH, 18S rRNA, GUSB, PPIA, PBGD, PUM1, TBP, HRPT1, RPLP0, RPL13A, and B2M were analyzed in 50 ovarian samples from normal, benign, borderline, and malignant tissues. For reliable results, laser microdissection (LMD, an effective technique used to prepare homogeneous starting material, was utilized to precisely excise target tissues or cells. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA and nonparametric (Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare the expression differences. NormFinder and geNorm software were employed to further validate the suitability and stability of the candidate genes. Results showed that epithelial cells occupied a small percentage of the normal ovary indeed. The expression of ACTB, PPIA, RPL13A, RPLP0, and TBP were stable independent of the disease progression. In addition, NormFinder and geNorm identified the most stable combination (ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP and the relatively unstable reference gene GAPDH from the twelve commonly used housekeeping genes. Our results highlight the use of homogeneous ovarian tissues and multiple-reference normalization strategy, e.g. the combination of ACTB, PPIA, RPLP0, and TBP, for qPCR in epithelial ovarian tissues, whereas GAPDH, the most commonly used reference gene, is not recommended, especially as a single reference gene.

  9. Evaluation of HER2/neu oncoprotein in serum & tissue samples of women with breast cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shailaja Shukla

    2016-01-01

    Interpretation & conclusions: The results suggest that elevated serum HER2 level was associated with a clinicopathological aggressive phenotype of breast carcinoma and was related to tissue HER2 overexpression. Therefore, serum HER2 may be useful for monitoring the course of the disease and response to treatment.

  10. Subcutaneous adipose tissue classification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    A. Sbarbati

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available The developments in the technologies based on the use of autologous adipose tissue attracted attention to minor depots as possible sampling areas. Some of those depots have never been studied in detail. The present study was performed on subcutaneous adipose depots sampled in different areas with the aim of explaining their morphology, particularly as far as regards stem niches. The results demonstrated that three different types of white adipose tissue (WAT can be differentiated on the basis of structural and ultrastructural features: deposit WAT (dWAT, structural WAT (sWAT and fibrous WAT (fWAT. dWAT can be found essentially in large fatty depots in the abdominal area (periumbilical. In the dWAT, cells are tightly packed and linked by a weak net of isolated collagen fibers. Collagenic components are very poor, cells are large and few blood vessels are present. The deep portion appears more fibrous then the superficial one. The microcirculation is formed by thin walled capillaries with rare stem niches. Reinforcement pericyte elements are rarely evident. The sWAT is more stromal; it is located in some areas in the limbs and in the hips. The stroma is fairly well represented, with a good vascularity and adequate staminality. Cells are wrapped by a basket of collagen fibers. The fatty depots of the knees and of the trochanteric areas have quite loose meshes. The fWAT has a noteworthy fibrous component and can be found in areas where a severe mechanic stress occurs. Adipocytes have an individual thick fibrous shell. In conclusion, the present study demonstrates evident differences among subcutaneous WAT deposits, thus suggesting that in regenerative procedures based on autologous adipose tissues the sampling area should not be randomly chosen, but it should be oriented by evidence based evaluations. The structural peculiarities of the sWAT, and particularly of its microcirculation, suggest that it could represent a privileged source for

  11. Assessment of DNA quality in processed tuna muscle tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zora Piskatá

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available Authentication of tuna fish products is necessary to assure consumers of accurate labelling of food products. The quality of species specific DNA crucially affects the efficiency of amplification during the subsequent PCR. The problem in DNA detection in canned products lies in the possibility of the fragmentation of DNA during the processing technologies and the use of ingredients (oil, salt, spice, that may inhibit the PCR reaction. In this study three DNA extraction methods were compared: DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit, DNeasy mericon Food Kit and Chemagic DNA tissue 10 Kit. The quantity and quality of DNA were evaluated by measuring DNA concentration and ratios A260/A280. Several parameters were estimated: the effect of whole and mechanically treated muscle, sterilization procedure used in canned process (high temperature in combination with high pressure and addition of raw materials. The highest DNA concentrations were observed in non-processed muscle that is not influenced by the sterilization process. Canned whole muscle demonstrated lower DNA yield, and furthermore, the mechanical treatment (canned ground resulted in lower values of DNA concentration that was registered by using all three types of DNA extraction kits. DNeasy mericon Food Kit produced DNA of higher concentration in non-processed sample, Chemagic DNA tissue 10 Kit delivered higher DNA yields than kits DNeasy Blood and Tissue Kit and DNeasy mericon Food Kit in canned samples, although the purity was lower, but still within the range 1.7 - 2.0. DNA was considered to be satisfactorily pure in all three types of samples and using all three types of DNA isolation. In case of the samples enriched of ingredients and treated with sterilization process as whole or ground muscle Chemagic DNA tissue 10 Kit produced in all samples (whole and ground muscle the highest values of DNA concentration, but almost all values of A260/A280 were lower than 1.7. Therefore DNeasy mericon Food Kit

  12. MicroRNA Expression in Formalin-fixed Paraffin-embedded Cancer Tissue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Boisen, Mogens Karsbøl; Dehlendorff, Christian; Linnemann, Dorte

    2015-01-01

    of miRNA expression in FFPE tissue samples from patients with colorectal (CRC) and pancreatic (PC) cancer and to quantify the variability associated with sample age and fixation. METHODS: High-throughput miRNA profiling results from 203 CRC and 256 PC FFPE samples as well as from 37 paired frozen....../FFPE samples from nine other CRC tumors (methodological samples) were used. Candidate reference miRNAs were identified by their correlation with global mean expression. The stability of reference genes was analyzed according to published methods. The association between sample age and global mean mi...... to global mean expression in each cancer type. Nine of these miRNAs were present in both lists, and miR-103a-3p was the most stable reference miRNA for both CRC and PC FFPE tissue. The optimal number of reference miRNAs was 4 in CRC and 10 in PC. Sample age had a significant effect on global mi...

  13. Viscoelastic Properties of Human Tracheal Tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safshekan, Farzaneh; Tafazzoli-Shadpour, Mohammad; Abdouss, Majid; Shadmehr, Mohammad B

    2017-01-01

    The physiological performance of trachea is highly dependent on its mechanical behavior, and therefore, the mechanical properties of its components. Mechanical characterization of trachea is key to succeed in new treatments such as tissue engineering, which requires the utilization of scaffolds which are mechanically compatible with the native human trachea. In this study, after isolating human trachea samples from brain-dead cases and proper storage, we assessed the viscoelastic properties of tracheal cartilage, smooth muscle, and connective tissue based on stress relaxation tests (at 5% and 10% strains for cartilage and 20%, 30%, and 40% for smooth muscle and connective tissue). After investigation of viscoelastic linearity, constitutive models including Prony series for linear viscoelasticity and quasi-linear viscoelastic, modified superposition, and Schapery models for nonlinear viscoelasticity were fitted to the experimental data to find the best model for each tissue. We also investigated the effect of age on the viscoelastic behavior of tracheal tissues. Based on the results, all three tissues exhibited a (nonsignificant) decrease in relaxation rate with increasing the strain, indicating viscoelastic nonlinearity which was most evident for cartilage and with the least effect for connective tissue. The three-term Prony model was selected for describing the linear viscoelasticity. Among different models, the modified superposition model was best able to capture the relaxation behavior of the three tracheal components. We observed a general (but not significant) stiffening of tracheal cartilage and connective tissue with aging. No change in the stress relaxation percentage with aging was observed. The results of this study may be useful in the design and fabrication of tracheal tissue engineering scaffolds.

  14. Complete solubilization of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue may improve proteomic studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Shan-Rong; Taylor, Clive R; Fowler, Carol B; Mason, Jeffrey T

    2013-04-01

    Tissue-based proteomic approaches (tissue proteomics) are essential for discovering and evaluating biomarkers for personalized medicine. In any proteomics study, the most critical issue is sample extraction and preparation. This problem is especially difficult when recovering proteins from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue sections. However, improving and standardizing protein extraction from FFPE tissue is a critical need because of the millions of archival FFPE tissues available in tissue banks worldwide. Recent progress in the application of heat-induced antigen retrieval principles for protein extraction from FFPE tissue has resulted in a number of published FFPE tissue proteomics studies. However, there is currently no consensus on the optimal protocol for protein extraction from FFPE tissue or accepted standards for quantitative evaluation of the extracts. Standardization is critical to ensure the accurate evaluation of FFPE protein extracts by proteomic methods such as reverse phase protein arrays, which is now in clinical use. In our view, complete solubilization of FFPE tissue samples is the best way to achieve the goal of standardizing the recovery of proteins from FFPE tissues. However, further studies are recommended to develop standardized protein extraction methods to ensure quantitative and qualitative reproducibility in the recovery of proteins from FFPE tissues. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Histological observation on dental hard tissue irradiated by ultrashort-pulsed laser

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchizono, Takeyuki; Awazu, Kunio; Igarashi, Akihiro; Kato, Junji; Hirai, Yoshito

    2006-04-01

    In the field of dentistry, effectiveness of USPL irradiation is researched because USPL has less thermal side effect to dental hard tissue. In this paper, we observed morphological change and optical change of dental hard tissue irradiated by USPL for discussing the safety and effectiveness of USPL irradiation to dental hard tissues. Irradiated samples were crown enamel and root dentin of bovine teeth. Lasers were Ti:sapphire laser, which had pulse duration (P d)of 130 fsec and pulse repetition rate (f) of 1kHz and wavelength (l) of 800nm, free electron laser (FEL), which had P d of 15 μsec and f of 10Hz and wavelength of 9.6μm, and Er:YAG laser, which had P d of 250 μsec and f of 10Hz and wavelength of 2.94μm. After laser irradiation, the sample surfaces and cross sections were examined with SEM and EDX. The optical change of samples was observed using FTIR. In SEM, the samples irradiated by USPL had sharp and accurate ablation with no crack and no carbonization. But, in FEL and Er:YAG laser, the samples has rough ablation with crack and carbonization. It was cleared that the P/Ca ratio of samples irradiated by USPL had same value as non-irradiated samples. There was no change in the IR absorption spectrum between samples irradiated by USPL and non-irradiated sample. But, they of samples irradiated by FEL and Er:YAG laser, however, had difference value as non-irradiated samples. These results showed that USPL might be effective to ablate dental hard tissue without thermal damage.

  16. A novel specialized suture and inserting device for the resuspension of ptotic facial tissues: early results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bisaccia, Emil; Kadry, Razan; Saap, Liliana; Rogachefsky, Arlene; Scarborough, Dwight

    2009-04-01

    In the past decade, the popularity of minimally invasive procedures for facial rejuvenation has increased. To describe a new specialized suture, and its associated technique, used to elevate sagging tissues of the face and neck. A detailed description of the technique and the results obtained in 20 patients in whom we have used this novel approach. Attention was given to appropriate patient selection. The primary focus was on the correction of the jowl, jawline, and neck subunits. It involves the percutaneous introduction of a novel 3-0 polypropylene suture that has 10 absorbable hollow cones along its axis that are equally interspersed with knots. Once the absorbable cones are resorbed into the surrounding tissues, the non-absorbable suture component can be removed without compromising the aesthetic outcome. All patients demonstrated improvement in these areas, with minimal complications. One patient required resuspension using the open technique. (Excessive ptotic tissue was later excised for an optimal cosmetic result.) The suture and technique described in this article provide a major contribution to the correction of ptosis of facial tissues. When done in conjunction with other procedures, such as neck and jowl microliposuction, this technique has proven to be a useful addition to facial rejuvenation.

  17. Analysis of lung tissue particles among silicosis cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    B Case

    2005-10-01

    Full Text Available Background and Aims:Lung tissue samples of several miners, millers, sandblaster, welders andconstruction workers with historical exposure to mineral particles were analyzed. These subjectshad significant respiratory exposure to silica particles and demanded compensation foroccupational lung diseases.Method: Lung tissue samples were observed under an Electron microscope with 10000Xmagnification. Mineral particles were sized and analyzed by EDS detector based on X-rayspectrophotometry.Results: The results have indicated that the lung particle burden of the subjects was closelyrelated to their occupational history. The highest level of mineral silica particles were found in thelungs of miners and sandblasters. The highest concentration of metallic particles was found in thelungs of welders and miners in ferric mining industry. Severity of lung fibrosis was directlyrelated to the lung free silica concentration. However, no association was found between particlediameter and severity of fibrosis. In addition, lung particle burden of silicotic cases with lungcancer contained a much higher concentration of metallic particles and asbestos fibres that thelung of those subject with silicosis only.Conclusion: Although workers in mining and construction may be predominantly exposed tosilica particles including quartz, the role of other mineral particles including asbestos fibres,metallic fibres and other minerals should be taken into account in the genesis of occupational lungdisease in particular lung cancer. Lung tissue sample analysis can provide valuable informationto assess the legal and compensation cases.

  18. Advancements in mass spectrometry for biological samples: Protein chemical cross-linking and metabolite analysis of plant tissues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klein, Adam [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2015-01-01

    This thesis presents work on advancements and applications of methodology for the analysis of biological samples using mass spectrometry. Included in this work are improvements to chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (CXMS) for the study of protein structures and mass spectrometry imaging and quantitative analysis to study plant metabolites. Applications include using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) to further explore metabolic heterogeneity in plant tissues and chemical interactions at the interface between plants and pests. Additional work was focused on developing liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods to investigate metabolites associated with plant-pest interactions.

  19. Relationship between promoter methylation & tissue expression of MGMT gene in ovarian cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    V Shilpa

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background & objectives: Epigenetic alterations, in addition to multiple gene abnormalities, are involved in the genesis and progression of human cancers. Aberrant methylation of CpG islands within promoter regions is associated with transcriptional inactivation of various tumour suppressor genes. O 6 -methyguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT is a DNA repair gene that removes mutagenic and cytotoxic adducts from the O 6 -position of guanine induced by alkylating agents. MGMT promoter hypermethylation and reduced expression has been found in some primary human carcinomas. We studied DNA methylation of CpG islands of the MGMT gene and its relation with MGMT protein expression in human epithelial ovarian carcinoma. Methods: A total of 88 epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC tissue samples, 14 low malignant potential (LMP tumours and 20 benign ovarian tissue samples were analysed for MGMT promoter methylation by nested methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP after bisulphite modification of DNA. A subset of 64 EOC samples, 10 LMP and benign tumours and five normal ovarian tissue samples were analysed for protein expression by immunohistochemistry. Results: The methylation frequencies of the MGMT gene promoter were found to be 29.5, 28.6 and 20 per cent for EOC samples, LMP tumours and benign cases, respectively. Positive protein expression was observed in 93.8 per cent of EOC and 100 per cent in LMP, benign tumours and normal ovarian tissue samples. Promoter hypermethylation with loss of protein expression was seen only in one case of EOC. Interpretation & conclusions: Our results suggest that MGMT promoter hypermethylation does not always reflect gene expression.

  20. SEAMIST trademark soil sampling for tritiated water: First year's results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mallon, B.; Martins, S.A.; Houpis, J.L.; Lowry, W.; Cremer, C.D.

    1992-01-01

    SEAMIST trademark is a recently developed sampling system that enables one to measure various soil parameters by means of an inverted, removable, impermeable membrane tube inserted in a borehole. This membrane tube can have various measuring devices installed on it, such as gas ports, adsorbent pads, and electrical sensors. These membrane tubes are made of a laminated polymer. The Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, has installed two of these systems to monitor tritium in soil resulting from a leak in an underground storage tank. One tube is equipped with gas ports to sample soil vapor and the other with adsorbent pads to sample soil moisture. Borehole stability was maintained using either sand-filled or air-inflated tubes. Both system implementations yielded concentrations or activities that compared well with the measured concentrations of tritium in the soil taken during borehole construction. In addition, an analysis of the data suggest that both systems prevented the vertical migration of tritium in the boreholes. Also, a neutron probe was successfully used in a blank membrane inserted in one of the boreholes to monitor the moisture in the soil without exposing the probe to the tritium. The neutron log showed excellent agreement with the soil moisture content measured in soil samples taken during borehole construction. This paper describes the two SEAMIST trademark systems used and presents sampling results and comparisons

  1. The PAXgene(® tissue system preserves phosphoproteins in human tissue specimens and enables comprehensive protein biomarker research.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sibylle Gündisch

    Full Text Available Precise quantitation of protein biomarkers in clinical tissue specimens is a prerequisite for accurate and effective diagnosis, prognosis, and personalized medicine. Although progress is being made, protein analysis from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded tissues is still challenging. In previous reports, we showed that the novel formalin-free tissue preservation technology, the PAXgene Tissue System, allows the extraction of intact and immunoreactive proteins from PAXgene-fixed and paraffin-embedded (PFPE tissues. In the current study, we focused on the analysis of phosphoproteins and the applicability of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2D-PAGE and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA to the analysis of a variety of malignant and non-malignant human tissues. Using western blot analysis, we found that phosphoproteins are quantitatively preserved in PFPE tissues, and signal intensities are comparable to that in paired, frozen tissues. Furthermore, proteins extracted from PFPE samples are suitable for 2D-PAGE and can be quantified by ELISA specific for denatured proteins. In summary, the PAXgene Tissue System reliably preserves phosphoproteins in human tissue samples, even after prolonged fixation or stabilization times, and is compatible with methods for protein analysis such as 2D-PAGE and ELISA. We conclude that the PAXgene Tissue System has the potential to serve as a versatile tissue fixative for modern pathology.

  2. Monitoring temporal microstructural variations of skeletal muscle tissues by multispectral Mueller matrix polarimetry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Yang; He, Honghui; He, Chao; Ma, Hui

    2017-02-01

    Mueller matrix polarimetry is a powerful tool for detecting microscopic structures, therefore can be used to monitor physiological changes of tissue samples. Meanwhile, spectral features of scattered light can also provide abundant microstructural information of tissues. In this paper, we take the 2D multispectral backscattering Mueller matrix images of bovine skeletal muscle tissues, and analyze their temporal variation behavior using multispectral Mueller matrix parameters. The 2D images of the Mueller matrix elements are reduced to the multispectral frequency distribution histograms (mFDHs) to reveal the dominant structural features of the muscle samples more clearly. For quantitative analysis, the multispectral Mueller matrix transformation (MMT) parameters are calculated to characterize the microstructural variations during the rigor mortis and proteolysis processes of the skeletal muscle tissue samples. The experimental results indicate that the multispectral MMT parameters can be used to judge different physiological stages for bovine skeletal muscle tissues in 24 hours, and combining with the multispectral technique, the Mueller matrix polarimetry and FDH analysis can monitor the microstructural variation features of skeletal muscle samples. The techniques may be used for quick assessment and quantitative monitoring of meat qualities in food industry.

  3. Distribution of Human papilloma virus genotypes in cervical cancer tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stamenković M.

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates in Serbia are among the highest in Europe and data on Human papilloma virus (HPV type distribution are scarce. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of HPV types in archival specimens of cervical cancer tissues of women in the Serbian population. A total of 45 paraffin-embedded tissue samples of cervical carcinoma were used in this study. The procedure included deparaffinization of tissue samples, DNA extraction, PCR, gel electrophoresis and HPV genotyping by direct sequencing. HPV was detected in 32 samples (71%. Genotyping revealed the presence of 6 high-risk HPV types 16, 18, 33, 45, 53 and 58, where HPV type 16 was the most prevalent type (73.7%. The results of this study and further studies will provide more detailed information about HPV genotype distribution and may contribute to the formulation of national guidelines for the prevention of cervical cancer. [175073

  4. Raman spectroscopic analysis of human skin tissue sections ex-vivo: evaluation of the effects of tissue processing and dewaxing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali, Syed M.; Bonnier, Franck; Tfayli, Ali; Lambkin, Helen; Flynn, Kathleen; McDonagh, Vincent; Healy, Claragh; Clive Lee, T.; Lyng, Fiona M.; Byrne, Hugh J.

    2013-06-01

    Raman spectroscopy coupled with K-means clustering analysis (KMCA) is employed to elucidate the biochemical structure of human skin tissue sections and the effects of tissue processing. Both hand and thigh sections of human cadavers were analyzed in their unprocessed and formalin-fixed, paraffin-processed (FFPP), and subsequently dewaxed forms. In unprocessed sections, KMCA reveals clear differentiation of the stratum corneum (SC), intermediate underlying epithelium, and dermal layers for sections from both anatomical sites. The SC is seen to be relatively rich in lipidic content; the spectrum of the subjacent layers is strongly influenced by the presence of melanin, while that of the dermis is dominated by the characteristics of collagen. For a given anatomical site, little difference in layer structure and biochemistry is observed between samples from different cadavers. However, the hand and thigh sections are consistently differentiated for all cadavers, largely based on lipidic profiles. In dewaxed FFPP samples, while the SC, intermediate, and dermal layers are clearly differentiated by KMCA of Raman maps of tissue sections, the lipidic contributions to the spectra are significantly reduced, with the result that respective skin layers from different anatomical sites become indistinguishable. While efficient at removing the fixing wax, the tissue processing also efficiently removes the structurally similar lipidic components of the skin layers. In studies of dermatological processes in which lipids play an important role, such as wound healing, dewaxed samples are therefore not appropriate. Removal of the lipids does however accentuate the spectral features of the cellular and protein components, which may be more appropriate for retrospective analysis of disease progression and biochemical analysis using tissue banks.

  5. Testing results of Monte Carlo sampling processes in MCSAD

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pinnera, I.; Cruz, C.; Abreu, Y.; Leyva, A.; Correa, C.; Demydenko, C.

    2009-01-01

    The Monte Carlo Simulation of Atom Displacements (MCSAD) is a code implemented by the authors to simulate the complete process of atom displacement (AD) formation. This code makes use of the Monte Carlo (MC) method to sample all the processes involved in the gamma and electronic radiation transport through matter. The kernel of the calculations applied to this code relies on a model based on an algorithm developed by the authors, which firstly splits out multiple electron elastic scattering events from those single ones at higher scattering angles and then, from the last one, sampling those leading to AD at high transferred atomic recoil energies. Some tests have been developed to check the sampling algorithms with the help of the corresponding theoretical distribution functions. Satisfactory results have been obtained, which indicate the strength of the methods and subroutines used in the code. (Author)

  6. Vitrification of in vitro matured oocytes collected from surplus ovarian medulla tissue resulting from fertility preservation of ovarian cortex tissue

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Yin, Huiqun; Jiang, Hong; Kristensen, Stine Gry

    2016-01-01

    PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate the maturation rate of immature oocytes collected from ovarian medulla tissue normally discarded during preparation of ovarian cortical tissue for fertility preservation. Further we evaluated survival of derived MII oocytes following vitrification...... and warming. METHODS: 36 patients aged from 8 to 41 years who had one ovary excised for fertility preservation were included. Oocytes were collected from the medulla tissue and matured in vitro 44-48 h followed by vitrification. Number of oocytes collected, the rates of maturation and post-warming survival...... of cortical tissue may pose a risk of relapse, but the IVM approach is currently too inefficient to be the only method used for fertility preservation....

  7. Establishment of the optimum two-dimensional electrophoresis system of ovine ovarian tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, J L; Zhang, L P; Wu, J P; Wang, J; Ding, Q

    2014-08-26

    Lambing performance of sheep is the most important economic trait and is regarded as a critic factoring affecting the productivity in sheep industry. Ovary plays the most roles in lambing trait. To establish the optimum two-dimensional electrophoresis system (2-DE) of ovine ovarian tissue, the common protein extraction methods of animal tissue (trichloroacetic acid/acetone precipitation and direct schizolysis methods) were used to extract ovine ovarian protein, and 17-cm nonlinear immobilized PH 3-10 gradient strips were used for 2-DE. The sample handling, loading quantity of the protein sample, and isoelectric focusing (IEF) steps were manipulated and optimized in this study. The results indicate that the direct schizolysis III method, a 200-μg loading quantity of the protein sample, and IEF steps II (20°C active hydration, 14 h→500 V, 1 h→1000 V 1 h→1000-9000 V, 6 h→80,000 VH→500 V 24 h) are optimal for 2-DE analysis of ovine ovarian tissue. Therefore, ovine ovarian tissue proteomics 2-DE was preliminarily established by the optimized conditions in this study; meanwhile, the conditions identified herein could provide a reference for ovarian sample preparation and 2-DE using tissues from other animals.

  8. Tissue-based standoff biosensors for detecting chemical warfare agents

    Science.gov (United States)

    Greenbaum, Elias; Sanders, Charlene A.

    2003-11-18

    A tissue-based, deployable, standoff air quality sensor for detecting the presence of at least one chemical or biological warfare agent, includes: a cell containing entrapped photosynthetic tissue, the cell adapted for analyzing photosynthetic activity of the entrapped photosynthetic tissue; means for introducing an air sample into the cell and contacting the air sample with the entrapped photosynthetic tissue; a fluorometer in operable relationship with the cell for measuring photosynthetic activity of the entrapped photosynthetic tissue; and transmitting means for transmitting analytical data generated by the fluorometer relating to the presence of at least one chemical or biological warfare agent in the air sample, the sensor adapted for deployment into a selected area.

  9. Tissue free water tritium separation from foodstuffs by azeotropic distillation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Constantin, F.; Ciubotaru, A.; Popa, D.

    1998-01-01

    In this paper the tritium separation from tissue free water in foodstuffs by azeotropic distillation is described. Tritium in tissue water is assayed by liquid scintillation counting using well-established quenched correction method. The mean value of the tritium concentration in tissue water from foodstuffs is about 6-12 Bq/l very similar to the tritium mean concentration measured in the surface waters of the area where the samples have been collected (about 12 Bq/l. Therefore, the tritium content in the water fraction of the food samples can be considered in equilibrium with the local environmental water sources. The azeotropic distillation it is an accessible separation method which does not need a sophisticated and expansive distillation apparatus. It is a fast method of separation tissue free water from foodstuffs being very important in the surveillance activity of the environmental within nuclear electric plant. It is suitable for processing a small quantity of samples and for a production type facility when a large number of samples must be processed because the solvent can be purified and reused. The azeotropic distillation has some limits being used to separate water from samples with high content of water (85-90%) and simple a simple chemical structures as: vegetables, fruits, cereal, soil, vegetation. According to the results obtained, the organic substituents of milk, wine, meat (casein, lactose, milk fat, alcohol, esters) may enhance the chemisorption of tritium on through exchange organic hydrogen as -OH, -SH, -NH, -COOH with tritium. Also, the tissue water separation by azeotropic distillation is not complete and can not guarantee the absence of the vaporization isotope effect of the HTO/H 2 O system., However, the azeotropic distillation is the preferred method of the water extraction from food samples, which makes it useful for the tritium transfer from soil to foodstuffs. (authors)

  10. Tissue free water tritium separation from foodstuffs by azeotropic distillation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Constantin, F; Ciubotaru, A; Popa, D [Inspectorate of Public Health of Bucharest (Romania)

    1999-12-31

    In this paper the tritium separation from tissue free water in foodstuffs by azeotropic distillation is described. Tritium in tissue water is assayed by liquid scintillation counting using well-established quenched correction method. The mean value of the tritium concentration in tissue water from foodstuffs is about 6-12 Bq/l very similar to the tritium mean concentration measured in the surface waters of the area where the samples have been collected (about 12 Bq/l. Therefore, the tritium content in the water fraction of the food samples can be considered in equilibrium with the local environmental water sources. The azeotropic distillation it is an accessible separation method which does not need a sophisticated and expansive distillation apparatus. It is a fast method of separation tissue free water from foodstuffs being very important in the surveillance activity of the environmental within nuclear electric plant. It is suitable for processing a small quantity of samples and for a production type facility when a large number of samples must be processed because the solvent can be purified and reused. The azeotropic distillation has some limits being used to separate water from samples with high content of water (85-90%) and simple a simple chemical structures as: vegetables, fruits, cereal, soil, vegetation. According to the results obtained, the organic substituents of milk, wine, meat (casein, lactose, milk fat, alcohol, esters) may enhance the chemisorption of tritium on through exchange organic hydrogen as -OH, -SH, -NH, -COOH with tritium. Also, the tissue water separation by azeotropic distillation is not complete and can not guarantee the absence of the vaporization isotope effect of the HTO/H{sub 2}O system., However, the azeotropic distillation is the preferred method of the water extraction from food samples, which makes it useful for the tritium transfer from soil to foodstuffs. (authors) 2 tabs.

  11. Organic analysis of ambient samples collected near Tank 241-C-103: Results from samples collected on May 12, 1994

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Clauss, T.W.; Ligotke, M.W.; McVeety, B.D.; Lucke, R.B.; Young, J.S.; McCulloch, M.; Fruchter, J.S.; Goheen, S.C.

    1995-06-01

    This report describes organic analyses results from ambient samples collected both upwind and through the vapor sampling system (VSS) near Hanford waste storage Tank 241-C-103 (referred to as Tank C-103). The results described here were obtained to support safety and toxicological evaluations. A summary of the results for inorganic and organic analytes is listed. Quantitative results were obtained for organic compounds. Five organic tentatively identified compounds (TICS) were observed above the detection limit of (ca.) 10 ppbv, but standards for most of these were not available at the time of analysis, and the reported concentrations are semiquantitative estimates. In addition, we looked for the 40 standard TO-14 analytes. We observed 39. Of these, only one was observed above the 2-ppbv calibrated instrument detection limit. Dichloromethane was above the detection limits using both methods, but the result from the TO-14 method is traceable to a standard gas mixture and is considered more accurate. Organic analytes were found only in the sample collected through the VSS, suggesting that these compounds were residual contamination from a previous sampling job. Detailed descriptions of the results appear in the text

  12. Evaporation process in histological tissue sections for neutron autoradiography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Espector, Natalia M; Portu, Agustina; Santa Cruz, Gustavo A; Saint Martin, Gisela

    2018-05-01

    The analysis of the distribution and density of nuclear tracks forming an autoradiography in a nuclear track detector (NTD) allows the determination of 10 B atoms concentration and location in tissue samples from Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) protocols. This knowledge is of great importance for BNCT dosimetry and treatment planning. Tissue sections studied with this technique are obtained by cryosectioning frozen tissue specimens. After the slicing procedure, the tissue section is put on the NTD and the sample starts drying. The thickness varies from its original value allowing more particles to reach the detector and, as the mass of the sample decreases, the boron concentration in the sample increases. So in order to determine the concentration present in the hydrated tissue, the application of corrective coefficients is required. Evaporation mechanisms as well as various factors that could affect the process of mass variation are outlined in this work. Mass evolution for tissue samples coming from BDIX rats was registered with a semimicro analytical scale and measurements were analyzed with software developed to that end. Ambient conditions were simultaneously recorded, obtaining reproducible evaporation curves. Mathematical models found in the literature were applied for the first time to this type of samples and the best fit of the experimental data was determined. The correlation coefficients and the variability of the parameters were evaluated, pointing to Page's model as the one that best represented the evaporation curves. These studies will contribute to a more precise assessment of boron concentration in tissue samples by the Neutron Autoradiography technique.

  13. A novel semi-quantitative method for measuring tissue bleeding.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vukcevic, G; Volarevic, V; Raicevic, S; Tanaskovic, I; Milicic, B; Vulovic, T; Arsenijevic, S

    2014-03-01

    In this study, we describe a new semi-quantitative method for measuring the extent of bleeding in pathohistological tissue samples. To test our novel method, we recruited 120 female patients in their first trimester of pregnancy and divided them into three groups of 40. Group I was the control group, in which no dilation was applied. Group II was an experimental group, in which dilation was performed using classical mechanical dilators. Group III was also an experimental group, in which dilation was performed using a hydraulic dilator. Tissue samples were taken from the patients' cervical canals using a Novak's probe via energetic single-step curettage prior to any dilation in Group I and after dilation in Groups II and III. After the tissue samples were prepared, light microscopy was used to obtain microphotographs at 100x magnification. The surfaces affected by bleeding were measured in the microphotographs using the Autodesk AutoCAD 2009 program and its "polylines" function. The lines were used to mark the area around the entire sample (marked A) and to create "polyline" areas around each bleeding area on the sample (marked B). The percentage of the total area affected by bleeding was calculated using the formula: N = Bt x 100 / At where N is the percentage (%) of the tissue sample surface affected by bleeding, At (A total) is the sum of the surfaces of all of the tissue samples and Bt (B total) is the sum of all the surfaces affected by bleeding in all of the tissue samples. This novel semi-quantitative method utilizes the Autodesk AutoCAD 2009 program, which is simple to use and widely available, thereby offering a new, objective and precise approach to estimate the extent of bleeding in tissue samples.

  14. Nuclear magnetic resonance relaxation times for human lung cancer and lung tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matsuura, Yoshifumi; Shioya, Sumie; Kurita, Daisaku; Ohta, Takashi; Haida, Munetaka; Ohta, Yasuyo; Suda, Syuichi; Fukuzaki, Minoru.

    1994-01-01

    We investigated the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation times, T 1 and T 2 , for lung cancer tissue, and other samples of lung tissue obtained from surgical specimens. The samples were nine squamous cell carcinomas, five necrotic squamous cell carcinomas, 15 adenocarcinomas, two benign mesotheliomas, and 13 fibrotic lungs. The relaxation times were measured with a 90 MHz NMR spectrometer and the results were correlated with histological changes. The values of T 1 and T 2 for squamous cell carcinoma and mesothelioma were significantly longer than those of adenocarcinoma and fibrotic lung tissue. There were no significant differences in values of T 1 and T 2 between adenocarcinoma and lung tissue. The values of T 1 and T 2 for benign mesothelioma were similar to those of squamous cell carcinoma, which suggested that increases in T 1 and T 2 are not specific to malignant tissues. (author)

  15. A new classification method for MALDI imaging mass spectrometry data acquired on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boskamp, Tobias; Lachmund, Delf; Oetjen, Janina; Cordero Hernandez, Yovany; Trede, Dennis; Maass, Peter; Casadonte, Rita; Kriegsmann, Jörg; Warth, Arne; Dienemann, Hendrik; Weichert, Wilko; Kriegsmann, Mark

    2017-07-01

    Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization imaging mass spectrometry (MALDI IMS) shows a high potential for applications in histopathological diagnosis, and in particular for supporting tumor typing and subtyping. The development of such applications requires the extraction of spectral fingerprints that are relevant for the given tissue and the identification of biomarkers associated with these spectral patterns. We propose a novel data analysis method based on the extraction of characteristic spectral patterns (CSPs) that allow automated generation of classification models for spectral data. Formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from N=445 patients assembled on 12 tissue microarrays were analyzed. The method was applied to discriminate primary lung and pancreatic cancer, as well as adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma of the lung. A classification accuracy of 100% and 82.8%, resp., could be achieved on core level, assessed by cross-validation. The method outperformed the more conventional classification method based on the extraction of individual m/z values in the first application, while achieving a comparable accuracy in the second. LC-MS/MS peptide identification demonstrated that the spectral features present in selected CSPs correspond to peptides relevant for the respective classification. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: MALDI Imaging, edited by Dr. Corinna Henkel and Prof. Peter Hoffmann. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Effects of pressure rise on cw laser ablation of tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    LeCarpentier, Gerald L.; Motamedi, Massoud; Welch, Ashley J.

    1991-06-01

    The objectives of this research were to identify mechanisms responsible for the initiation of continuous wave (cw) laser ablation of tissue and investigate the role of pressure in the ablation process. Porcine aorta samples were irradiated in a chamber pressurized from 1 X 10-4 to 12 atmospheres absolute pressure. Acrylic and Zn-Se windows in the experimental pressure chamber allowed video and infrared cameras to simultaneously record mechanical and thermal events associated with cw argon laser ablation of these samples. Video and thermal images of tissue slabs documented the explosive nature of cw laser ablation of soft biological media and revealed similar ablation threshold temperatures and ablation onset times under different environmental pressures; however, more violent initiation explosions with decreasing environmental pressures were observed. These results suggest that ablation initiates with thermal alterations in the mechanical strength of the tissue and proceeds with an explosion induced by the presence superheated liquid within the tissue.

  17. Estimation of AUC or Partial AUC under Test-Result-Dependent Sampling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Xiaofei; Ma, Junling; George, Stephen; Zhou, Haibo

    2012-01-01

    The area under the ROC curve (AUC) and partial area under the ROC curve (pAUC) are summary measures used to assess the accuracy of a biomarker in discriminating true disease status. The standard sampling approach used in biomarker validation studies is often inefficient and costly, especially when ascertaining the true disease status is costly and invasive. To improve efficiency and reduce the cost of biomarker validation studies, we consider a test-result-dependent sampling (TDS) scheme, in which subject selection for determining the disease state is dependent on the result of a biomarker assay. We first estimate the test-result distribution using data arising from the TDS design. With the estimated empirical test-result distribution, we propose consistent nonparametric estimators for AUC and pAUC and establish the asymptotic properties of the proposed estimators. Simulation studies show that the proposed estimators have good finite sample properties and that the TDS design yields more efficient AUC and pAUC estimates than a simple random sampling (SRS) design. A data example based on an ongoing cancer clinical trial is provided to illustrate the TDS design and the proposed estimators. This work can find broad applications in design and analysis of biomarker validation studies.

  18. Tylosin depletion in edible tissues of turkeys.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Montesissa, C; De Liguoro, M; Santi, A; Capolongo, F; Biancotto, G

    1999-10-01

    The depletion of tylosin residues in edible turkey tissues was followed after 3 days of administration of tylosin tartrate at 500 mg l-1 in drinking water, to 30 turkeys. Immediately after the end of the treatment (day 0) and at day 1, 3, 5 and 10 of withdrawal, six turkeys (three males and three females) per time were sacrificed and samples of edible tissues were collected. Tissue homogenates were extracted, purified and analysed by HPLC according to a method previously published for the analysis of tylosin residues in pig tissues. In all tissues, tylosin residues were already below the detection limits of 50 micrograms kg-1 at time zero. However, in several samples of tissues (skin + fat, liver, kidney, muscle), from the six turkeys sacrificed at that time, one peak corresponding to an unknown tylosin equivalent was detected at measurable concentrations. The identification of this unknown compound was performed by LC-MS/MS analysis of the extracts from incurred samples. The mass fragmentation of the compound was consistent with the structure of tylosin D (the alcoholic derivative of tylosin A), the major metabolite of tylosin previously recovered and identified in tissues and/or excreta from treated chickens, cattle and pigs.

  19. Lung Tissue Concentrations of Pyrazinamide among Patients with Drug-Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heinrichs, M. Tobias; Nikolaishvili, Ketino; Sabulua, Irina; Bablishvili, Nino; Gogishvili, Shota; Avaliani, Zaza; Tukvadze, Nestani; Little, Brent; Bernheim, Adam; Read, Timothy D.; Guarner, Jeannette; Derendorf, Hartmut; Peloquin, Charles A.; Blumberg, Henry M.; Vashakidze, Sergo

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT Improved knowledge regarding the tissue penetration of antituberculosis drugs may help optimize drug management. Patients with drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis undergoing adjunctive surgery were enrolled. Serial serum samples were collected, and microdialysis was performed using ex vivo lung tissue to measure pyrazinamide concentrations. Among 10 patients, the median pyrazinamide dose was 24.7 mg/kg of body weight. Imaging revealed predominant lung lesions as cavitary (n = 6 patients), mass-like (n = 3 patients), or consolidative (n = 1 patient). On histopathology examination, all tissue samples had necrosis; eight had a pH of ≤5.5. Tissue samples from two patients were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis by culture (pH 5.5 and 7.2). All 10 patients had maximal serum pyrazinamide concentrations within the recommended range of 20 to 60 μg/ml. The median lung tissue free pyrazinamide concentration was 20.96 μg/ml. The median tissue-to-serum pyrazinamide concentration ratio was 0.77 (range, 0.54 to 0.93). There was a significant inverse correlation between tissue pyrazinamide concentrations and the amounts of necrosis (R = −0.66, P = 0.04) and acid-fast bacilli (R = −0.75, P = 0.01) identified by histopathology. We found good penetration of pyrazinamide into lung tissue among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis with a variety of radiological lesion types. Our tissue pH results revealed that most lesions had a pH conducive to pyrazinamide activity. The tissue penetration of pyrazinamide highlights its importance in both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant antituberculosis treatment regimens. PMID:28373198

  20. Lung Tissue Concentrations of Pyrazinamide among Patients with Drug-Resistant Pulmonary Tuberculosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kempker, Russell R; Heinrichs, M Tobias; Nikolaishvili, Ketino; Sabulua, Irina; Bablishvili, Nino; Gogishvili, Shota; Avaliani, Zaza; Tukvadze, Nestani; Little, Brent; Bernheim, Adam; Read, Timothy D; Guarner, Jeannette; Derendorf, Hartmut; Peloquin, Charles A; Blumberg, Henry M; Vashakidze, Sergo

    2017-06-01

    Improved knowledge regarding the tissue penetration of antituberculosis drugs may help optimize drug management. Patients with drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis undergoing adjunctive surgery were enrolled. Serial serum samples were collected, and microdialysis was performed using ex vivo lung tissue to measure pyrazinamide concentrations. Among 10 patients, the median pyrazinamide dose was 24.7 mg/kg of body weight. Imaging revealed predominant lung lesions as cavitary ( n = 6 patients), mass-like ( n = 3 patients), or consolidative ( n = 1 patient). On histopathology examination, all tissue samples had necrosis; eight had a pH of ≤5.5. Tissue samples from two patients were positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis by culture (pH 5.5 and 7.2). All 10 patients had maximal serum pyrazinamide concentrations within the recommended range of 20 to 60 μg/ml. The median lung tissue free pyrazinamide concentration was 20.96 μg/ml. The median tissue-to-serum pyrazinamide concentration ratio was 0.77 (range, 0.54 to 0.93). There was a significant inverse correlation between tissue pyrazinamide concentrations and the amounts of necrosis ( R = -0.66, P = 0.04) and acid-fast bacilli ( R = -0.75, P = 0.01) identified by histopathology. We found good penetration of pyrazinamide into lung tissue among patients with pulmonary tuberculosis with a variety of radiological lesion types. Our tissue pH results revealed that most lesions had a pH conducive to pyrazinamide activity. The tissue penetration of pyrazinamide highlights its importance in both drug-susceptible and drug-resistant antituberculosis treatment regimens. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  1. A Cancer-Indicative microRNA Pattern in Normal Prostate Tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thorsten Schlomm

    2013-03-01

    Full Text Available We analyzed the levels of selected micro-RNAs in normal prostate tissue to assess their potential to indicate tumor foci elsewhere in the prostate. Histologically normal prostate tissue samples from 31 prostate cancer patients and two cancer negative control groups with either unsuspicious or elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA levels (14 and 17 individuals, respectively were analyzed. Based on the expression analysis of 157 microRNAs in a pool of prostate tissue samples and information from data bases/literature, we selected eight microRNAs for quantification by real-time polymerase chain reactions (RT-PCRs. Selected miRNAs were analyzed in histologically tumor-free biopsy samples from patients and healthy controls. We identified seven microRNAs (miR-124a, miR-146a & b, miR-185, miR-16 and let-7a & b, which displayed significant differential expression in normal prostate tissue from men with prostate cancer compared to both cancer negative control groups. Four microRNAs (miR-185, miR-16 and let-7a and let-7b remained to significantly discriminate normal tissues from prostate cancer patients from those of the cancer negative control group with elevated PSA levels. The transcript levels of these microRNAs were highly indicative for the presence of cancer in the prostates, independently of the PSA level. Our results suggest a microRNA-pattern in histologically normal prostate tissue, indicating prostate cancer elsewhere in the organ.

  2. A comparison of results for samples collected with bailers constructed of different materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Thomey, N.; Ogle, R.; Jackson, J.

    1992-01-01

    A bailer is one of the most common sampling devices used to collect ground water samples. Bailers constructed from various materials are available; teflon, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyethylene, and stainless steel are all commonly used. It is widely recognized that sample results can be affected by the material from which the bailer is constructed. Teflon and stainless steel are usually recommended based upon their inert properties. The cost of these bailers is significantly higher than other types. For the purposes of petroleum storage tank investigations, sampling devices that would not compromise sample quality but be more economical than teflon or stainless steel would be especially desirable. Water samples were collected using the different types of bailers; teflon, stainless steel, PVC, and polyethylene. Split samples were analyzed for benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, total xylenes, and Total Petroleum Hydrocarbons. The analytical results were compared to determine if differences were due to normal analytical variances or due to interaction of the sample with the sampling device. No difference was noted in the results which were obtained

  3. Differentiating cancerous from normal breast tissue by redox imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, He N.; Tchou, Julia; Feng, Min; Zhao, Huaqing; Li, Lin Z.

    2015-02-01

    Abnormal metabolism can be a hallmark of cancer occurring early before detectable histological changes and may serve as an early detection biomarker. The current gold standard to establish breast cancer (BC) diagnosis is histological examination of biopsy. Previously we have found that pre-cancer and cancer tissues in animal models displayed abnormal mitochondrial redox state. Our technique of quantitatively measuring the mitochondrial redox state has the potential to be implemented as an early detection tool for cancer and may provide prognostic value. We therefore in this present study, investigated the feasibility of quantifying the redox state of tumor samples from 16 BC patients. Tumor tissue aliquots were collected from both normal and cancerous tissue from the affected cancer-bearing breasts of 16 female patients (5 TNBC, 9 ER+, 2 ER+/Her2+) shortly after surgical resection. All specimens were snap-frozen with liquid nitrogen on site and scanned later with the Chance redox scanner, i.e., the 3D cryogenic NADH/oxidized flavoprotein (Fp) fluorescence imager. Our preliminary results showed that both NADH and Fp (including FAD, i.e., flavin adenine dinucleotide) signals in the cancerous tissues roughly tripled to quadrupled those in the normal tissues (pcancerous tissues than in the normal ones (pcancer and non-cancer breast tissues in human patients and this novel redox scanning procedure may assist in tissue diagnosis in freshly procured biopsy samples prior to tissue fixation. We are in the process of evaluating the prognostic value of the redox imaging indices for BC.

  4. Assessment of tissue-specific cortisol activity with regard to degeneration of the suspensory ligaments in horses with pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hofberger, Sina C; Gauff, Felicia; Thaller, Denise; Morgan, Ruth; Keen, John A; Licka, Theresia F

    2018-02-01

    OBJECTIVE To identify signs of tissue-specific cortisol activity in samples of suspensory ligament (SL) and neck skin tissue from horses with and without pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). SAMPLE Suspensory ligament and neck skin tissue samples obtained from 26 euthanized horses with and without PPID. PROCEDURES Tissue samples were collected from 12 horses with and 14 horses without PPID (controls). Two control horses had received treatment with dexamethasone; data from those horses were not used in statistical analyses. The other 12 control horses were classified as old horses (≥ 14 years old) and young horses (≤ 9 years old). Standard histologic staining, staining for proteoglycan accumulation, and immunostaining of SL and neck skin tissue sections for glucocorticoid receptors, insulin, 11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1, and 11β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 were performed. Findings for horses with PPID were compared with findings for young and old horses without PPID. RESULTS Compared with findings for old and young control horses, there were significantly more cells stained for glucocorticoid receptors in SL samples and for 11 β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 in SL and skin tissue samples from horses with PPID. Insulin could not be detected in any of the SL or skin tissue samples. Horses with PPID had evidence of SL degeneration with significantly increased proteoglycan accumulation. Neck skin tissue was found to be significantly thinner in PPID-affected horses than in young control horses. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Results suggested that tissue-specific dysregulation of cortisol metabolism may contribute to the SL degeneration associated with PPID in horses.

  5. The Perspectives of Haematological Cancer Patients on Tissue Banking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turon, Heidi; Waller, Amy; Clinton-McHarg, Tara; Boyes, Allison; Fleming, Jennifer; Marlton, Paula; Harrison, Simon J; Sanson-Fisher, Rob

    2016-01-01

    A high level of support for tissue banking has been identified amongst both the general public and patients. However, much debate remains about the regulatory framework of tissue banks. This study explored the views of haematological cancer patients regarding tissue banking and how tissue banks should operate. Haematological cancer patients from three outpatient clinics in Australia completed a questionnaire examining their preferences for tissue banking as well as items about their sociodemographic characteristics, disease and treatment history. The majority of participants (95%) reported being willing to allow their leftover tissue to be used for medical research. Three quarters (76%) supported the idea of their medical record being linked to their tissue sample, and 77% preferred a blanket (one-off) consent model for future research use of their tissue sample. Only 57 (27%) participants had been asked to give a tissue sample for research, 98% of whom gave permission. The majority of haematological cancer patients are willing to donate their leftover tissue to a tissue bank and have their medical records linked to tissue samples and prefer a one-off consent process. These novel data from potential donors inform the debate about how tissue banks might operate. Strategic Research Partnership Grant from the Cancer Council NSW to the Newcastle Cancer Control Collaborative (New-3C) and infrastructure funding from the Hunter Medical Research Institute (HMRI). A.W. is supported by an Australian Research Council DECRA fellowship (DE150101262). T.C.M. was supported by a Leukaemia Foundation of Queensland Post-Doctoral Fellowship. A.B. is supported by National Health and Medical Research Council (APP1073317) and Cancer Institute NSW (13/ECF/1-37) Early Career Fellowships.

  6. Trace elemental analysis in cancer-afflicted tissues of penis and testis by PIXE technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Naga Raju, G.J. [Swami Jnanananda Laboratories for Nuclear Research, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam 530 003 (India); John Charles, M. [Swami Jnanananda Laboratories for Nuclear Research, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam 530 003 (India); Bhuloka Reddy, S. [Swami Jnanananda Laboratories for Nuclear Research, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam 530 003 (India)]. E-mail: sbr_r@yahoo.com; Sarita, P. [Swami Jnanananda Laboratories for Nuclear Research, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam 530 003 (India); Seetharami Reddy, B. [Swami Jnanananda Laboratories for Nuclear Research, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam 530 003 (India); Rama Lakshmi, P.V.B. [Pathology Department, Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam 530 002 (India); Vijayan, V. [Institute of Physics, Sachivalaya Marg, Bhubaneswar 751 001 (India)

    2005-04-01

    PIXE technique was employed to estimate the trace elemental concentrations in the biological samples of cancerous penis and testis. A 3 MeV proton beam was employed to excite the samples. From the present results it can be seen that the concentrations of Cl, Fe and Co are lower in the cancerous tissue of the penis when compared with those in normal tissue while the concentrations of Cu, Zn and As are relatively higher. The concentrations of K, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Br, Sr and Pb are in agreement within standard deviations in both cancerous and normal tissues. In the cancerous tissue of testis, the concentrations of K, Cr and Cu are higher while the concentrations of Fe, Co and Zn are lower when compared to those in normal tissue of testis. The concentrations of Cl, Ca, Ti and Mn are in agreement in both cancerous and normal tissues of testis. The higher levels of Cu lead to the development of tumor. Our results also support the underlying hypothesis of an anticopper, antiangiogenic approach to cancer therapy. The Cu/Zn ratios of both penis and testis were higher in cancer tissues compared to that of normal.

  7. Impact of pre-analytical factors on the proteomic analysis of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Seonaid M; Craven, Rachel A; Nirmalan, Niroshini J; Harnden, Patricia; Selby, Peter J; Banks, Rosamonde E

    2013-04-01

    Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples represent a tremendous potential resource for biomarker discovery, with large numbers of samples in hospital pathology departments and links to clinical information. However, the cross-linking of proteins and nucleic acids by formalin fixation has hampered analysis and proteomic studies have been restricted to using frozen tissue, which is more limited in availability as it needs to be collected specifically for research. This means that rare disease subtypes cannot be studied easily. Recently, improved extraction techniques have enabled analysis of FFPE tissue by a number of proteomic techniques. As with all clinical samples, pre-analytical factors are likely to impact on the results obtained, although overlooked in many studies. The aim of this review is to discuss the various pre-analytical factors, which include warm and cold ischaemic time, size of sample, fixation duration and temperature, tissue processing conditions, length of storage of archival tissue and storage conditions, and to review the studies that have considered these factors in more detail. In those areas where investigations are few or non-existent, illustrative examples of the possible importance of specific factors have been drawn from studies using frozen tissue or from immunohistochemical studies of FFPE tissue. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. [Microbiological diagnosis of infections of the skin and soft tissues].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Burillo, Almudena; Moreno, Antonio; Salas, Carlos

    2007-11-01

    Skin and soft tissue infections are often seen in clinical practice, yet their microbiological diagnosis is among the most complex of laboratory tasks. The diagnosis of a skin and a soft tissue infection is generally based on clinical criteria and not microbiological results. A microbiological diagnosis is reserved for cases in which the etiology of infection is required, e.g., when the infection is particularly severe, when less common microorganisms are suspected as the causative agent (e.g. in immunocompromised patients), when response to antimicrobial treatment is poor, or when a longstanding wound does not heal within a reasonable period of time. We report the indications, sampling and processing techniques, and interpretation criteria for various culture types, including quantitative cultures from biopsy or tissue specimens and semiquantitative and qualitative cultures performed on all types of samples. For non-invasive samples taken from open wounds, application of the Q index to Gram stains is a cost-effective way to standardize sample quality assessment and interpretation of the pathogenic involvement of the different microorganisms isolated from cultures. All these issues are covered in the SEIMC microbiological procedure number 22: Diagnóstico microbiológico de las infecciones de piel y tejidos blandos (Microbiological diagnosis of infections of the skin and soft tissues) (2nd ed., 2006, www.seimc.org/protocolos/microbiologia).

  9. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for optical soft tissue differentiation as remote feedback control for tissue-specific laser surgery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stelzle, Florian; Tangermann-Gerk, Katja; Adler, Werner; Zam, Azhar; Schmidt, Michael; Douplik, Alexandre; Nkenke, Emeka

    2010-04-01

    Laser surgery does not provide haptic feedback for operating layer-by-layer and thereby preserving vulnerable anatomical structures like nerve tissue or blood vessels. Diffuse reflectance spectra can facilitate remote optical tissue differentiation. It is the aim of the study to use this technique on soft tissue samples, to set a technological basis for a remote optical feedback system for tissue-specific laser surgery. Diffuse reflectance spectra (wavelength range: 350-650 nm) of ex vivo types of soft tissue (a total of 10,800 spectra) of the midfacial region of domestic pigs were remotely measured under reduced environmental light conditions and analyzed in order to differentiate between skin, mucosa, muscle, subcutaneous fat, and nerve tissue. We performed a principal components (PC) analysis (PCA) to reduce the number of variables. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was utilized for classification. For the tissue differentiation, we calculated the specificity and sensitivity by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis and the area under curve (AUC). Six PCs were found to be adequate for tissue differentiation with diffuse reflectance spectra using LDA. All of the types of soft tissue could be differentiated with high specificity and sensitivity. Only the tissue pairs nervous tissue/fatty tissue and nervous tissue/mucosa showed a decline of differentiation due to bio-structural similarity. However, both of these tissue pairs could still be differentiated with a specificity and sensitivity of more than 90%. Analyzing diffuse reflectance spectroscopy with PCA and LDA allows for remote differentiation of biological tissue. Considering the limitations of the ex vivo conditions, the obtained results are promising and set a basis for the further development of a feedback system for tissue-specific laser surgery. (c) 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  10. Solid sample atomic absorption spectroscopy in a chemical contaminant monitoring pilot project

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Klein, J.; Schmidt, H.; Dirscherl, C.; Muntau, H.

    1987-09-01

    The Institute for Technology and Hygiene of Food of Animal Origin is developing a practible system of monitoring the distribution of toxic substances in the environment, using the dairy cows as bioindicators. A pilot project has been established to solve basic problems as sampling strategy, sample preparation, analysis and data handling. In the preliminary stage of this study the new technique of SS-AAS turned out to be a useful tool. In order to test overall analytical reliability of the data obtained all analytical procedures applied for the different matrices are controlled by the use of reference material of similar matrix compositions. Results of studies on the distribution of admium and lead are reported; the representativity of small sample amounts of cortical tissue (50-60 mg and 1-2 mg dry mass) has additionally been investigated. Direct analysis of wet tissue aliquots (5-10 mg) was not feasible. A possible method of sample preparation of wet tissue is presented which yields reliable results within 10 min of operation time.

  11. Three-dimensional assembly of tissue-engineered cartilage constructs results in cartilaginous tissue formation without retainment of zonal characteristics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schuurman, W; Harimulyo, E B; Gawlitta, D; Woodfield, T B F; Dhert, W J A; van Weeren, P R; Malda, J

    2016-04-01

    Articular cartilage has limited regenerative capabilities. Chondrocytes from different layers of cartilage have specific properties, and regenerative approaches using zonal chondrocytes may yield better replication of the architecture of native cartilage than when using a single cell population. To obtain high seeding efficiency while still mimicking zonal architecture, cell pellets of expanded deep zone and superficial zone equine chondrocytes were seeded and cultured in two layers on poly(ethylene glycol)-terephthalate-poly(butylene terephthalate) (PEGT-PBT) scaffolds. Scaffolds seeded with cell pellets consisting of a 1:1 mixture of both cell sources served as controls. Parallel to this, pellets of superficial or deep zone chondrocytes, and combinations of the two cell populations, were cultured without the scaffold. Pellet cultures of zonal chondrocytes in scaffolds resulted in a high seeding efficiency and abundant cartilaginous tissue formation, containing collagen type II and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) in all groups, irrespective of the donor (n = 3), zonal population or stratified scaffold-seeding approach used. However, whereas total GAG production was similar, the constructs retained significantly more GAG compared to pellet cultures, in which a high percentage of the produced GAGs were secreted into the culture medium. Immunohistochemistry for zonal markers did not show any differences between the conditions. We conclude that spatially defined pellet culture in 3D scaffolds is associated with high seeding efficiency and supports cartilaginous tissue formation, but did not result in the maintenance or restoration of the original zonal phenotype. The use of pellet-assembled constructs leads to a better retainment of newly produced GAGs than the use of pellet cultures alone. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  12. The effect of hard tissue surgical changes on soft tissue displacement: a pilot CBCT study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardo Koerich

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Introduction: This pilot study had as main objective to test the reliability of a new method to evaluate orthognathic surgery outcomes and also, to understand the effect of hard tissue changes on soft tissue displacement. Methods: The sample consisted of eight patients that underwent bimaxillary advancement and had CBCT at two time points (before surgery and 6-8 months follow-up. Voxel-based cranial base superimposition was used to register the scans. A different technique of iterative closest point (ICP was used to measure and correlate the changes. The average displacement of 15 areas (4 hard tissue and 11 soft tissue were measured twice. Results: ICC was > 0.99 for all areas. Changes in the tip of the nose did not correlate with changes in any maxillary area, whereas soft tissue A point, A point and upper lips had correlation with several areas. The highest correlation for the maxilla was between the upper lip and the left/right supra cheilion (p< 0.001, r= 0.91 and p< 0.001, r= 0.93, respectively. In the mandible, the majority of the correlations involved soft tissue pogonion, pogonion and lower incisors, with the strongest one between pogonion and lower incisors (p< 0.001, r= 0.98. Conclusion: With the proper case selection, ICP is a reliable method that can be used to assess three-dimensional changes.

  13. Molecular diagnosis of rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis from fresh tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zaman, Kamran; Rudramurthy, Shivaprakash Mandya; Das, Ashim; Panda, Naresh; Honnavar, Prasanna; Kaur, Harsimran; Chakrabarti, Arunaloke

    2017-08-01

    We aimed to evaluate a PCR-based technique for the diagnosis of mucormycosis and the identification of fungi from fresh tissue specimens in patients with rhino-orbito-cerebral-mucormycosis (ROCM). Fifty cases of ROCM were included in the study. Conventional identification was performed using microscopy and culture. Molecular diagnosis was performed by amplifying the ribosomal DNA using pan-fungal ITS primers and semi-nested Mucorales-specific primers of the 18S region. The amplified products were sequenced to identify the agents. The utility of PCR-RFLP of the 18S region of rDNA was evaluated to identify the Mucorales. The ROCM cases were diagnosed by the demonstration of aseptate ribbon-like hyphae in biopsy specimens collected from the patients. Isolation was possible in 24 (48 %) samples. The ITS2 PCR confirmed mucormycosis in 27 cases (54 %; CI 59.4-68.2). By comparison, Mucorales-specific PCR was able to amplify DNA and the sequence enabled the identification of Mucorales speciesin all the patients. PCR-RFLP of the 18S region of rDNA could only identify the agent to genus level. The molecular technique was able to identify Mucorales species in 26 (42 %) cases that were negative by culture. Mucorales-specific semi-nested PCR targeting the 18S region is a better technique than ITS2 PCR for diagnosis. PCR-RFLP of the 18S region helps in identification to genus level.

  14. Research results: preserving newborn blood samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

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

    2012-11-07

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

  15. The decrease in silicon concentration of the connective tissues with age in rats is a marker of connective tissue turnover.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jugdaohsingh, Ravin; Watson, Abigail I E; Pedro, Liliana D; Powell, Jonathan J

    2015-06-01

    Silicon may be important for bone and connective tissue health. Higher concentrations of silicon are suggested to be associated with bone and the connective tissues, compared with the non-connective soft tissues. Moreover, in connective tissues it has been suggested that silicon levels may decrease with age based upon analyses of human aorta. These claims, however, have not been tested under controlled conditions. Here connective and non-connective tissues were collected and analysed for silicon levels from female Sprague-Dawley rats of different ages (namely, 3, 5, 8, 12, 26 and 43 weeks; n=8-10 per age group), all maintained on the same feed source and drinking water, and kept in the same environment from weaning to adulthood. Tissues (696 samples) were digested in nitric acid and analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry for total silicon content. Fasting serum samples were also collected, diluted and analysed for silicon. Higher concentrations of silicon (up to 50-fold) were found associated with bone and the connective tissues compared with the non-connective tissues. Although total silicon content increased with age in all tissues, the highest connective tissue silicon concentrations (up to 9.98 μg/g wet weight) were found in young weanling rats, decreasing thereafter with age (by 2-6 fold). Fasting serum silicon concentrations reflected the pattern of connective tissue silicon concentrations and, both measures, when compared to collagen data from a prior experiment in Sprague-Dawley rats, mirrored type I collagen turnover with age. Our findings confirm the link between silicon and connective tissues and would imply that young growing rats have proportionally higher requirements for dietary silicon than mature adults, for bone and connective tissue development, although this was not formally investigated here. However, estimation of total body silicon content suggested that actual Si requirements may be substantially lower than

  16. The decrease in silicon concentration of the connective tissues with age in rats is a marker of connective tissue turnover☆

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jugdaohsingh, Ravin; Watson, Abigail I.E.; Pedro, Liliana D.; Powell, Jonathan J.

    2015-01-01

    Silicon may be important for bone and connective tissue health. Higher concentrations of silicon are suggested to be associated with bone and the connective tissues, compared with the non-connective soft tissues. Moreover, in connective tissues it has been suggested that silicon levels may decrease with age based upon analyses of human aorta. These claims, however, have not been tested under controlled conditions. Here connective and non-connective tissues were collected and analysed for silicon levels from female Sprague–Dawley rats of different ages (namely, 3, 5, 8, 12, 26 and 43 weeks; n = 8–10 per age group), all maintained on the same feed source and drinking water, and kept in the same environment from weaning to adulthood. Tissues (696 samples) were digested in nitric acid and analysed by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry for total silicon content. Fasting serum samples were also collected, diluted and analysed for silicon. Higher concentrations of silicon (up to 50-fold) were found associated with bone and the connective tissues compared with the non-connective tissues. Although total silicon content increased with age in all tissues, the highest connective tissue silicon concentrations (up to 9.98 μg/g wet weight) were found in young weanling rats, decreasing thereafter with age (by 2–6 fold). Fasting serum silicon concentrations reflected the pattern of connective tissue silicon concentrations and, both measures, when compared to collagen data from a prior experiment in Sprague–Dawley rats, mirrored type I collagen turnover with age. Our findings confirm the link between silicon and connective tissues and would imply that young growing rats have proportionally higher requirements for dietary silicon than mature adults, for bone and connective tissue development, although this was not formally investigated here. However, estimation of total body silicon content suggested that actual Si requirements may be substantially

  17. 1300 nm and 890 nm OCT images of oral cancer tissue engineered models and biopsy samples offer complimentary performance (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Boadi, Joseph; Byers, Robert A.; Fernandes, Jon; Mittar, Shweta; Hearnden, Vanessa; Lu, Zenghai; MacNeil, Sheila; Thornhill, Martin; Murdoch, Craig; Hunter, Keith D.; McKechnie, Alasdair; Matcher, Stephen J.

    2016-02-01

    OCT has demonstrated great potential to non-invasively detect oral epithelial cancers, potentially guiding biopsy and surgical resection. On non-ophthalmic tissues the preferred illumination wavelength is 1300 nm. Previous studies on skin have shown that useful image data can also be obtained at shorter wavelengths, with systems at 1060 nm and 820 nm offering reduced depth penetration but higher contrast. Here we apply a similar comparison to tissue engineered models of oral cancer and also to human biopsy samples, generally finding a similar trend. 1300 nm multi-beam OCT (Michelson Diagnostics EX1301) visualises stromal structures and surface keratin more clearly, providing useful image contrast down to around 1 mm. This system was compared with an ultra-high resolution home-built system operating at 890 nm (2.5 micron resolution vs 7.5 micron axial resolution for the EX1301). The UHR system reveals epithelial features more clearly, especially in the DOK pre-invasive cell line model and the biopsy samples. The relative effects of center wavelength vs axial resolution in generating the differential, wavelength-dependent contrast are assessed and the OCT biopsy images are compared with contemporary histology.

  18. Sample information - RED | LSDB Archive [Life Science Database Archive metadata

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available type C : Control sample T : Target sample treatment Keyword Treatment keyword Physiology1 Physiological con...Cultivar Tissue stage detail Details of tissue stage stage Keyword Developmental stage other stage Keyword... Other developmental stage tissue Keyword Collected organ other tissue Keyword Othe

  19. SAMPLE RESULTS FROM THE INTEGRATED SALT DISPOSITION PROGRAM MACROBATCH 5 TANK 21H QUALIFICATION MST, ESS AND PODD SAMPLES

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peters, T.; Fink, S.

    2012-04-24

    Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) performed experiments on qualification material for use in the Integrated Salt Disposition Program (ISDP) Batch 5 processing. This qualification material was a composite created from recent samples from Tank 21H and archived samples from Tank 49H to match the projected blend from these two tanks. Additionally, samples of the composite were used in the Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and extraction-scrub-strip (ESS) tests. ARP and ESS test results met expectations. A sample from Tank 21H was also analyzed for the Performance Objectives Demonstration Document (PODD) requirements. SRNL was able to meet all of the requirements, including the desired detection limits for all the PODD analytes. This report details the results of the Actinide Removal Process (ARP), Extraction-Scrub-Strip (ESS) and Performance Objectives Demonstration Document (PODD) samples of Macrobatch (Salt Batch) 5 of the Integrated Salt Disposition Program (ISDP).

  20. Neutron activation analysis of trace elements in biological tissue

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Velandia, J A; Perkons, A K

    1974-01-01

    Thermal Neutron Activation Analysis with Instrumental Ge(Li) Gamma Spectrometry was used to determine the amounts of more than 30 trace constituents in heart tissue of rats and kidney tissue of rabbits. The results were confirmed by a rapid ion-exchange group separation method in the initial stages of the experiments. The samples were exposed to thermal neutrons for periods between 3 minutes and 14 hours. Significant differences in the amounts and types of trace elements in the two different tissue types are apparent, however, are probably due to specific diets. Tables of relevant nuclear data, standard concentrations, radiochemical separation recoveries, and quantitative analytical results are presented. The ion-exchange group separation scheme and typical examples of the instrumental gamma ray spectra are shown. The techniques developed in this study are being used for a large scale constituent survey of various diseased and healthy human tissues.

  1. [Transciptome among Mexicans: a large scale methodology to analyze the genetics expression profile of simultaneous samples in muscle, adipose tissue and lymphocytes obtained from the same individual].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bastarrachea, Raúl A; López-Alvarenga, Juan Carlos; Kent, Jack W; Laviada-Molina, Hugo A; Cerda-Flores, Ricardo M; Calderón-Garcidueñas, Ana Laura; Torres-Salazar, Amada; Torres-Salazar, Amanda; Nava-González, Edna J; Solis-Pérez, Elizabeth; Gallegos-Cabrales, Esther C; Cole, Shelley A; Comuzzie, Anthony G

    2008-01-01

    We describe the methodology used to analyze multiple transcripts using microarray techniques in simultaneous biopsies of muscle, adipose tissue and lymphocytes obtained from the same individual as part of the standard protocol of the Genetics of Metabolic Diseases in Mexico: GEMM Family Study. We recruited 4 healthy male subjects with BM1 20-41, who signed an informed consent letter. Subjects participated in a clinical examination that included anthropometric and body composition measurements, muscle biopsies (vastus lateralis) subcutaneous fat biopsies anda blood draw. All samples provided sufficient amplified RNA for microarray analysis. Total RNA was extracted from the biopsy samples and amplified for analysis. Of the 48,687 transcript targets queried, 39.4% were detectable in a least one of the studied tissues. Leptin was not detectable in lymphocytes, weakly expressed in muscle, but overexpressed and highly correlated with BMI in subcutaneous fat. Another example was GLUT4, which was detectable only in muscle and not correlated with BMI. Expression level concordance was 0.7 (p< 0.001) for the three tissues studied. We demonstrated the feasibility of carrying out simultaneous analysis of gene expression in multiple tissues, concordance of genetic expression in different tissues, and obtained confidence that this method corroborates the expected biological relationships among LEPand GLUT4. TheGEMM study will provide a broad and valuable overview on metabolic diseases, including obesity and type 2 diabetes.

  2. Low dose X -ray effects on catalase activity in animal tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Focea, R.; Nadejde, C.; Creanga, D.; Luchian, T.

    2012-12-01

    This study was intended to investigate the effect of low-dose X ray-irradiation upon the activity of catalase (CAT) in freshly excised chicken tissues (liver, kidney, brain, muscle). The tissue samples were irradiated with 0.5Gy and 2Gy respectively, in a 6 MV photon beam produced by a clinical linear accelerator (VARIAN CLINAC 2100SC). The dose rate was of 260.88cGy/min. at 100 cm source to sample distance. The catalase level was assayed spectrophotometrically, based on reaction kinetics, using a catalase UV assay kit (SIGMA). Catalase increased activity in various tissue samples exposed to the studied X ray doses (for example with 24 % in the liver cells, pbonds that ensure the specificity of CAT active site) but the resulted balance of the two concurrent processes indicates the cell ability of decomposing the hydrogen peroxide-with benefits for the cell physiology restoration for the chosen low dose radiation.

  3. Correlation of Claudins6 (CLDN6 gene expression in meningioma tissue with the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs/ tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMPs and epithelialmesenchymal transition (EMT genes

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    An-Qiang Yang

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To study the correlation of Claudins6 (CLDN6 gene expression in meningioma tissue with the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs/tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinase (TIMPs and epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT genes. Methods: Meningioma tissue samples that were surgically removed in Yibin First People’s Hospital between April 2014 and May 2017 were selected, normal arachnoid tissue samples that were collected from decompressive craniectomy in Yibin First People’s Hospital during the same period were selected, and the expression of CLDN6, MMPs/TIMPs and EMT genes in tissues were determined. Results: CLDN6 protein expression in meningioma tissue was significantly lower than that in normal arachnoid tissue; EMMPRIN, MMP2, MMP9, Vimentin and N-cadherin protein expression in meningioma tissue were significantly higher than those in normal arachnoid tissue while TIMP1, TIMP2, E-cadherin and α-catenin protein expression were significantly lower than those in normal arachnoid tissue; EMMPRIN, MMP2, MMP9, Vimentin and N-cadherin protein expression in meningioma tissue with higher CLDN6 expression were significantly lower than those in meningioma tissue with lower CLDN6 expression while TIMP1, TIMP2, E-cadherin and α-catenin protein expression were significantly higher than those in meningioma tissue with lower CLDN6 expression. Conclusion: Lowly expressed CLDN6 gene in meningioma tissue can increase the hydrolysis activity of MMPs, induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition and thus promote the invasive growth of meningioma.

  4. Evaluation of analytical results on DOE Quality Assessment Program Samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaquish, R.E.; Kinnison, R.R.; Mathur, S.P.; Sastry, R.

    1985-01-01

    Criteria were developed for evaluating the participants analytical results in the DOE Quality Assessment Program (QAP). Historical data from previous QAP studies were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods to determine the interlaboratory precision that had been attained. Performance criteria used in other similar programs were also reviewed. Using these data, precision values and control limits were recommended for each type of analysis performed in the QA program. Results of the analysis performed by the QAP participants on the November 1983 samples were statistically analyzed and evaluated. The Environmental Measurements Laboratory (EML) values were used as the known values and 3-sigma precision values were used as control limits. Results were submitted by 26 participating laboratories for 49 different radionuclide media combinations. The participants reported 419 results and of these, 350 or 84% were within control limits. Special attention was given to the data from gamma spectral analysis of air filters and water samples. both normal probability and box plots were prepared for each nuclide to help evaluate the distribution of the data. Results that were outside the expected range were identified and suggestions made that laboratories check calculations, and procedures on these results

  5. Assessing the quality of force feedback in soft tissue simulation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basafa, Ehsan; Sefati, Shahin; Okamura, Allison M

    2011-01-01

    Many types of deformable models have been proposed for simulation of soft tissue in surgical simulators, but their realism in comparison to actual tissue is rarely assessed. In this paper, a nonlinear mass-spring model is used for realtime simulation of deformable soft tissues and providing force feedback to a human operator. Force-deformation curves of real soft tissue samples were obtained experimentally, and the model was tuned accordingly. To test the realism of the model, we conducted two human-user experiments involving palpation with a rigid probe. First, in a discrimination test, users identified the correct category of real and virtual tissue better than chance, and tended to identify the tissues as real more often than virtual. Second, users identified real and virtual tissues by name, after training on only real tissues. The sorting accuracy was the same for both real and virtual tissues. These results indicate that, despite model limitations, the simulation could convey the feel of touching real tissues. This evaluation approach could be used to compare and validate various soft-tissue simulators.

  6. Genetic Sample Inventory - NRDA

    Data.gov (United States)

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This database archives genetic tissue samples from marine mammals collected in the North-Central Gulf of Mexico from 2010-2015. The collection includes samples from...

  7. Pulsed Tm:YAG laser ablation of knee joint tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Wei-Qiang; Vari, Sandor G.; Duffy, J. T.; Miller, J. M.; Weiss, Andrew B.; Fishbein, Michael C.; Grundfest, Warren S.

    1992-06-01

    We investigated the effect of a free-running 2.01 micron pulsed Tm:YAG laser on bovine knee joint tissues. Ablation rates of fresh fibrocartilage, hyaline cartilage, and bone were measured in saline as a function of laser fluence (160 - 640 J/cm2) and fiber core size (400 and 600 microns). All tissues could be effectively ablated and the ablation rate increased linearly with the increasing fluence. Use of fibers of different core sizes, while maintaining constant energy fluence, did not result in significant difference in ablation rate. Histology analyses of the ablated tissue samples reveal average Tm:YAG radiation induced thermal damage (denatunalization) zones ranging between 130 and 540 microns, depending on the laser parameters and the tissue type.

  8. The differentiation of malignant and benign human breast tissue at surgical margins and biopsy using x-ray interaction data and Bayesian classification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mersov, A.; Mersov, G.; Al-Ebraheem, A.; Cornacchi, S.; Gohla, G.; Lovrics, P.; Farquharson, M.J.

    2014-01-01

    Worldwide, about 1.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually with an estimated 465,000 deaths. Accordingly, there is a need for high accuracy and speed in diagnosis of lesions suspected of being cancerous. This study assesses the interaction data collected from low energy x-rays within breast tissue samples. Trace element concentrations are assessed using x-ray fluorescence, as well as electron density, and molecular structure which are examined using incoherent and coherent scatter, respectively. Our work to date has shown that such data can provide a quantitative measure of certain tissue characterising parameters and hence, through appropriate modelling, could be used to classify samples for uses such as surgical margin detection and biopsy examination. The parameters used in this study for comparing the normal and tumour tissue sample populations are: levels of elements Ca, Cu, Fe, Br, Zn, Rb, K; the area, FWHM and amplitude from peaks fitted to the coherent scatter profile that are associated with fat, fibre and water content; the ratio of the Compton and coherent scatter peak area, FWHM and amplitude from the incoherent scatter profile. The novelty of the approach to this work lies in the fact that the classification process does not rely on one source of data but combines several measurements, the data from which in this application are modelled using a method based on Bayesian classification. The reliability of the classifications was assessed by its application to diagnostically known data that was not itself included in the thresholds determination. The results of the classification of over 70 breast tissue samples will be presented in this study. Bayesian modelling was carried out using selected significant parameters for classification resulting in 71% of normal tissue samples (n=35) and 66% of tumour tissue samples (n=35) being correctly classified when using all the samples. Bayesian classification using the same variables on all

  9. Hepatic mitochondrial function analysis using needle liver biopsy samples.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michael J J Chu

    Full Text Available BACKGROUNDS AND AIM: Current assessment of pre-operative liver function relies upon biochemical blood tests and histology but these only indirectly measure liver function. Mitochondrial function (MF analysis allows direct measurement of cellular metabolic function and may provide an additional index of hepatic health. Conventional MF analysis requires substantial tissue samples (>100 mg obtained at open surgery. Here we report a method to assess MF using <3 mg of tissue obtained by a Tru-cut® biopsy needle making it suitable for percutaneous application. METHODS: An 18G Bard® Max-core® biopsy instrument was used to collect samples. The optimal Tru-cut® sample weight, stability in ice-cold University of Wisconsin solution, reproducibility and protocol utility was initially evaluated in Wistar rat livers then confirmed in human samples. MF was measured in saponin-permeabilized samples using high-resolution respirometry. RESULTS: The average mass of a single rat and human liver Tru-cut® biopsy was 5.60±0.30 and 5.16±0.15 mg, respectively (mean; standard error of mean. Two milligram of sample was found the lowest feasible mass for the MF assay. Tissue MF declined after 1 hour of cold storage. Six replicate measurements within rats and humans (n = 6 each showed low coefficient of variation (<10% in measurements of State-III respiration, electron transport chain (ETC capacity and respiratory control ratio (RCR. Ischemic rat and human liver samples consistently showed lower State-III respiration, ETC capacity and RCR, compared to normal perfused liver samples. CONCLUSION: Consistent measurement of liver MF and detection of derangement in a disease state was successfully demonstrated using less than half the tissue from a single Tru-cut® biopsy. Using this technique outpatient assessment of liver MF is now feasible, providing a new assay for the evaluation of hepatic function.

  10. Micro-Raman spectroscopy of tissue samples for oral pathology follow-up monitoring

    Science.gov (United States)

    Delfino, I.; Camerlingo, C.; Zenone, F.; Perna, G.; Capozzi, V.; Cirillo, N.; Gaeta, G. M.; Lepore, M.

    2010-04-01

    An "in vitro" study of Raman spectra from oral human tissues is reported in order to the develop a diagnostic method suitable for "in vivo" oral pathology follow-up. The investigated pathology is Pemphigus Vulgaris (PV) for which new techniques for guiding and monitoring therapy would be particularly useful. Raman spectra were obtained in the wavenumber regions from 1000 to 1800 cm-1 and 2700 to 3200 cm-1 from tissues from patients at different stages of pathology (active PV, under therapy and in PV remission stage) as confirmed by histopathological and immunofluorescence analysis. Differences in the spectra depending on tissue illness stage arise in 1150-1250 cm-1 (amide III) and 1420-1450 cm-1 (CH3 deformation) regions and around 1650 cm-1 (amide I) and 2930 cm-1 (CH3 symmetric stretch). A wavelet deconvolution procedure was applied to the spectra for better discriminating among the three different stages of illness and a linear regression analysis was used to fully exploit the content of information of Raman spectra.

  11. TH-AB-209-12: Tissue Equivalent Phantom with Excised Human Tissue for Assessing Clinical Capabilities of Coherent Scatter Imaging Applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Albanese, K; Morris, R; Spencer, J [Medical Physics Graduate Program, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Greenberg, J [Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Kapadia, A [Carl E Ravin Advanced Imaging Laboratories, Durham, NC (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: Previously we reported the development of anthropomorphic tissue-equivalent scatter phantoms of the human breast. Here we present the first results from the scatter imaging of the tissue equivalent breast phantoms for breast cancer diagnosis. Methods: A breast phantom was designed to assess the capability of coded aperture coherent x-ray scatter imaging to classify different types of breast tissue (adipose, fibroglandular, tumor). The phantom geometry was obtained from a prone breast geometry scanned on a dedicated breast CT system. The phantom was 3D printed using the segmented DICOM breast CT data. The 3D breast phantom was filled with lard (as a surrogate for adipose tissue) and scanned in different geometries alongside excised human breast tissues (obtained from lumpectomy and mastectomy procedures). The raw data were reconstructed using a model-based reconstruction algorithm and yielded the location and form factor (i.e., momentum transfer (q) spectrum) of the materials that were imaged. The measured material form factors were then compared to the ground truth measurements acquired by x-ray diffraction (XRD) imaging. Results: Our scatter imaging system was able to define the location and composition of the various materials and tissues within the phantom. Cancerous breast tissue was detected and classified through automated spectral matching and an 86% correlation threshold. The total scan time for the sample was approximately 10 minutes and approaches workflow times for clinical use in intra-operative or other diagnostic tasks. Conclusion: This work demonstrates the first results from an anthropomorphic tissue equivalent scatter phantom to characterize a coherent scatter imaging system. The functionality of the system shows promise in applications such as intra-operative margin detection or virtual biopsy in the diagnosis of breast cancer. Future work includes using additional patient-derived tissues (e.g., human fat), and modeling additional organs

  12. Biobanking of Fresh-Frozen Cancer Tissue: RNA Is Stable Independent of Tissue Type with Less Than 1 Hour of Cold Ischemia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Sang Yong; Jun, Jonghyun; Park, Miyeon; Park, Seo Kyu; Choi, Wonju; Park, Kyunghee; Jang, Kee-Taek; Lee, Myoyong

    2018-02-01

    The effects of preanalytical variables in tissue processing and storage periods on RNA quality of tissues have been well documented in each type of cancer. However, few studies have been performed on a comparative assessment of the impacts across different cancer tissues, even though it is well known that RNase activity is highly variable in various tissue types and RNase-rich tissues have been found to yield low-quality RNA. We investigated the impacts of cold ischemia times and long-term storage on RNA integrity in various types of cancer tissue, which had been fresh-frozen and collected at the Samsung Medical Center Biobank. RNA quality was also evaluated with regard to histopathological variables. We analyzed RNA integrity number (RIN) data, which had been obtained from our quality control (QC) processes over the last 7 years. Approximately 2% of samples were randomly selected and processed to measure RIN quarterly and after 6 years of storage for QC purposes. Fresh-frozen tumor tissues yielded high-quality RNA regardless of tumor type and histopathological features. Up to 1-hour cold ischemia times and up to 6-year storage times did not adversely influence RNA integrity. Only 3 samples showed RIN of <7 out of a total of 396 analyzed tumor tissues. Tissue quality was not adversely affected by long-term storage or limited variations of cold ischemia times. The low-quality samples could be correlated with the structural composition or intratumoral heterogeneity of tissues. The strict application of standardized protocols for tissue collection is the key for high-quality biobanking.

  13. The Apollo lunar samples collection analysis and results

    CERN Document Server

    Young, Anthony

    2017-01-01

    This book focuses on the specific mission planning for lunar sample collection, the equipment used, and the analysis and findings concerning the samples at the Lunar Receiving Laboratory in Texas. Anthony Young documents the collection of Apollo samples for the first time for readers of all backgrounds, and includes interviews with many of those involved in planning and analyzing the samples. NASA contracted with the U.S. Geologic Survey to perform classroom and field training of the Apollo astronauts. NASA’s Geology Group within the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, helped to establish the goals of sample collection, as well as the design of sample collection tools, bags, and storage containers. In this book, detailed descriptions are given on the design of the lunar sampling tools, the Modular Experiment Transporter used on Apollo 14, and the specific areas of the Lunar Rover vehicle used for the Apollo 15, 16, and 17 missions, which carried the sampling tools, bags, and other related equipment ...

  14. In vitro double-integrating-sphere optical properties of tissues between 630 and 1064 nm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beek, J. F.; Blokland, P.; Posthumus, P.; Aalders, M.; Pickering, J. W.; Sterenborg, H. J. C. M.; van Gemert, M. J. C.

    1997-11-01

    The optical properties (absorption and scattering coefficients and the scattering anisotropy factor) were measured in vitro for cartilage, liver, lung, muscle, myocardium, skin, and tumour (colon adenocarcinoma CC 531) at 630, 632.8, 790, 850 and 1064 nm. Rabbits, rats, piglets, goats, and dogs were used to obtain the tissues. A double-integrating-sphere setup with an intervening sample was used to determine the reflectance, and the diffuse and collimated transmittances of the sample. The inverse adding - doubling algorithm was used to determine the optical properties from the measurements. The overall results were comparable to those available in the literature, although only limited data are available at 790 - 850 nm. The results were reproducible for a specific sample at a specific wavelength. However, when comparing the results of different samples of the same tissue or different lasers with approximately the same wavelength (e.g. argon dye laser at 630 nm and HeNe laser at 632.8 nm) variations are large. We believe these variations in optical properties should be explained by biological variations of the tissues. In conclusion, we report on an extensive set of in vitro absorption and scattering properties of tissues measured with the same equipment and software, and by the same group. Although the accuracy of the method requires further improvement, it is highly likely that the other existing data in the literature have a similar level of accuracy.

  15. Exploring Technostress: Results of a Large Sample Factor Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Steponas Jonušauskas

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available With reference to the results of a large sample factor analysis, the article aims to propose the frame examining technostress in a population. The survey and principal component analysis of the sample consisting of 1013 individuals who use ICT in their everyday work was implemented in the research. 13 factors combine 68 questions and explain 59.13 per cent of the answers dispersion. Based on the factor analysis, questionnaire was reframed and prepared to reasonably analyze the respondents’ answers, revealing technostress causes and consequences as well as technostress prevalence in the population in a statistically validated pattern. A key elements of technostress based on factor analysis can serve for the construction of technostress measurement scales in further research.

  16. The national DBS brain tissue network pilot study: need for more tissue and more standardization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vedam-Mai, V; Krock, N; Ullman, M; Foote, K D; Shain, W; Smith, K; Yachnis, A T; Steindler, D; Reynolds, B; Merritt, S; Pagan, F; Marjama-Lyons, J; Hogarth, P; Resnick, A S; Zeilman, P; Okun, M S

    2011-08-01

    Over 70,000 DBS devices have been implanted worldwide; however, there remains a paucity of well-characterized post-mortem DBS brains available to researchers. We propose that the overall understanding of DBS can be improved through the establishment of a Deep Brain Stimulation-Brain Tissue Network (DBS-BTN), which will further our understanding of DBS and brain function. The objectives of the tissue bank are twofold: (a) to provide a complete (clinical, imaging and pathological) database for DBS brain tissue samples, and (b) to make available DBS tissue samples to researchers, which will help our understanding of disease and underlying brain circuitry. Standard operating procedures for processing DBS brains were developed as part of the pilot project. Complete data files were created for individual patients and included demographic information, clinical information, imaging data, pathology, and DBS lead locations/settings. 19 DBS brains were collected from 11 geographically dispersed centers from across the U.S. The average age at the time of death was 69.3 years (51-92, with a standard deviation or SD of 10.13). The male:female ratio was almost 3:1. Average post-mortem interval from death to brain collection was 10.6 h (SD of 7.17). The DBS targets included: subthalamic nucleus, globus pallidus interna, and ventralis intermedius nucleus of the thalamus. In 16.7% of cases the clinical diagnosis failed to match the pathological diagnosis. We provide neuropathological findings from the cohort, and perilead responses to DBS. One of the most important observations made in this pilot study was the missing data, which was approximately 25% of all available data fields. Preliminary results demonstrated the feasibility and utility of creating a National DBS-BTN resource for the scientific community. We plan to improve our techniques to remedy omitted clinical/research data, and expand the Network to include a larger donor pool. We will enhance sample preparation to

  17. Hard and soft tissue correlations in facial profiles: a canonical correlation study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shamlan MA

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Manal A Shamlan,1 Abdullah M Aldrees2 1Faculty of Dentistry, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, 2Division of Orthodontics, Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, College of Dentistry, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Background: The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between facial hard and soft tissues in normal Saudi individuals by studying the canonical correlation between specific hard tissue landmarks and their corresponding soft tissue landmarks. Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was designed, with a sample size of 60 Saudi adults (30 males and 30 females who had a class I skeletal and dental relationship and normal occlusion. Lateral cephalometric radiographs of the study sample were investigated using a series of 29 linear and angular measurements of hard and soft tissue features. The measurements were calculated electronically using Dolphin® software, and the data were analyzed using canonical correlation. Results: Eighty-four percent of the variation in the soft tissue was explained by the variation in hard tissue. Conclusion: The position of the upper and lower incisors and inclination of the lower incisors influence upper lip length and lower lip position. The inclination of the upper incisors is associated with lower lip length. Keywords: facial profile, hard tissue, soft tissue, canonical correlation

  18. Raman Spectroscopy of Ocular Tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ermakov, Igor V.; Sharifzadeh, Mohsen; Gellermann, Warner

    excised tissue samples and synthetic preparations and thus to identify potential biomarkers for the onset of this disease. Using resonance Raman detection techniques, the concentration and spatial distribution of macular pigment, a protective compound, can be detected in the living human retina Useable in clinical settings for patient screening, the technology is suitable to investigate correlations between pigment concentration levels and risk for macular degeneration and to monitor increases in pigment levels occurring as a result of dietary intervention strategies.

  19. Tear and decohesion of bovine pericardial tissue.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tobaruela, Almudena; Elices, Manuel; Bourges, Jean Yves; Rojo, Francisco Javier; Atienza, José Miguel; Guinea, Gustavo

    2016-10-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate quantitatively the fracture-by tear and delamination-of bovine pericardium tissues which are usually employed for the manufacture of bioprosthetic valves. A large number of samples (77) were tested in root-to-apex and circumferential directions, according to a standardised tear test (ASTM D 1938). Before performing the tear test, some samples were subjected to 1000 cycles of fatigue to a maximum stress of 3MPa. Fracture toughness of tearing and delamination were computed by following a simple fracture model. The study showed significantly lower values of delamination toughness compared with tear delamination. Moreover, tear forces were different in each test direction, revealing a clear orthotropic behaviour. All these results, as well as the testing procedure, could be of value for future research in the physiological function of pericardium tissues and clinical applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  20. Differentiated embryonic chondrocytes 1 expression of periodontal ligament tissue and gingival tissue in the patients with chronic periodontitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hu, Shenlin; Shang, Wei; Yue, Haitao; Chen, Ruini; Dong, Zheng; Hu, Jinhua; Mao, Zhao; Yang, Jian

    2015-04-01

    To evaluate the DEC1 expression of periodontal ligament tissue and gingival tissue in the patients with chronic periodontitis. 20 non-smoking patients with chronic periodontitis and 20 healthy individuals were enrolled. Periodontal ligament tissue and gingival tissue samples from healthy subjects were collected during teeth extraction for orthodontic reason or the third molar extraction. The parallel samples from patients with chronic periodontitis were obtained during periodontal flap operations or teeth extraction as part of periodontal treatment. The DEC1 expression and the alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of both the periodontal ligament tissue and gingival tissue were determined by Western blot, Immunohistochemistry and ALP Detection Kit. The DEC1 expression of periodontal ligament tissue in the patients with chronic periodontitis decreased significantly along with the decreased ALP activity. On the contrary, the DEC1 expression of gingival tissue in the patients with chronic periodontitis increased significantly. Further study found that the DEC1 expression of gingival tissue increased mainly in the suprabasal layer of gingival epithelial cells but decreased in the gingival connective tissue of the patients with chronic periodontitis. The DEC1 expression decreases in the periodontal ligament tissue which is related to the osteogenic capacity, whereas the DEC1 expression increases in the suprabasal layer of gingival epithelial cells which are involved in immune inflammatory response in the patients with chronic periodontitis. The findings provide a new target to explore the pathology and the therapy of periodontitis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. BIOCOMPATIBILITY OF AZITROMICYN ON CONNECTIVE TISSUE

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shafira Kurnia

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: periodontal disease is commonly caused by bacteria, especially actinomyces actinomycetemcomitans and porphyromonas gingivalis have an abilty enter epithelial cells objectives: to investigate systemic azithromycin as the antibiotic of choice for periodontal disease based on biocomptability test in connective tissue. Material and Methods: BHK 21 cell lines were exposed to 0.025%, 0.050%, 0.075%, and 0.1% azithromycin solution for seven times. Samples were put in incubator for 24 hours. Result: Azitrromycin 0.050%-0.1% showed significant difference between life cells percentage and control, however, azithromycin 0.025% revealed insignificant difference with control. Conclusion: 0.025% azithromycin was considered biocompatible with connective tissue and 0.050% was not.

  2. Maintaining Breast Cancer Specimen Integrity and Individual or Simultaneous Extraction of Quality DNA, RNA, and Proteins from Allprotect-Stabilized and Nonstabilized Tissue Samples

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Mee, Blanaid C.

    2011-12-29

    The Saint James\\'s Hospital Biobank was established in 2008, to develop a high-quality breast tissue BioResource, as a part of the breast cancer clinical care pathway. The aims of this work were: (1) to ascertain the quality of RNA, DNA, and protein in biobanked carcinomas and normal breast tissues, (2) to assess the efficacy of AllPrep® (Qiagen) in isolating RNA, DNA, and protein simultaneously, (3) to compare AllPrep with RNEasy® and QIAamp® (both Qiagen), and (4) to examine the effectiveness of Allprotect® (Qiagen), a new tissue stabilization medium in preserving DNA, RNA, and proteins. One hundred eleven frozen samples of carcinoma and normal breast tissue were analyzed. Tumor and normal tissue morphology were confirmed by frozen sections. Tissue type, tissue treatment (Allprotect vs. no Allprotect), extraction kit, and nucleic acid quantification were analyzed by utilizing a 4 factorial design (SPSS PASW 18 Statistics Software®). QIAamp (DNA isolation), AllPrep (DNA, RNA, and Protein isolation), and RNeasy (RNA isolation) kits were assessed and compared. Mean DNA yield and A260\\/280 values using QIAamp were 33.2 ng\\/μL and 1.86, respectively, and using AllPrep were 23.2 ng\\/μL and 1.94. Mean RNA yield and RNA Integrity Number (RIN) values with RNeasy were 73.4 ng\\/μL and 8.16, respectively, and with AllPrep were 74.8 ng\\/μL and 7.92. Allprotect-treated tissues produced higher RIN values of borderline significance (P=0.055). No discernible loss of RNA stability was detected after 6 h incubation of stabilized or nonstabilized tissues at room temperature or 4°C or in 9 freeze-thaw cycles. Allprotect requires further detailed evaluation, but we consider AllPrep to be an excellent option for the simultaneous extraction of RNA, DNA, and protein from tumor and normal breast tissues. The essential presampling procedures that maintain the diagnostic integrity of pathology specimens do not appear to compromise the quality of molecular isolates.

  3. 3D on-chip microscopy of optically cleared tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yibo; Shin, Yoonjung; Sung, Kevin; Yang, Sam; Chen, Harrison; Wang, Hongda; Teng, Da; Rivenson, Yair; Kulkarni, Rajan P.; Ozcan, Aydogan

    2018-02-01

    Traditional pathology relies on tissue biopsy, micro-sectioning, immunohistochemistry and microscopic imaging, which are relatively expensive and labor-intensive, and therefore are less accessible in resource-limited areas. Low-cost tissue clearing techniques, such as the simplified CLARITY method (SCM), are promising to potentially reduce the cost of disease diagnosis by providing 3D imaging and phenotyping of thicker tissue samples with simpler preparation steps. However, the mainstream imaging approach for cleared tissue, fluorescence microscopy, suffers from high-cost, photobleaching and signal fading. As an alternative approach to fluorescence, here we demonstrate 3D imaging of SCMcleared tissue using on-chip holography, which is based on pixel-super-resolution and multi-height phase recovery algorithms to digitally compute the sample's amplitude and phase images at various z-slices/depths through the sample. The tissue clearing procedures and the lens-free imaging system were jointly optimized to find the best illumination wavelength, tissue thickness, staining solution pH, and the number of hologram heights to maximize the imaged tissue volume, minimize the amount of acquired data, while maintaining a high contrast-to-noise ratio for the imaged cells. After this optimization, we achieved 3D imaging of a 200-μm thick cleared mouse brain tissue over a field-of-view of based microscope (20× 0.75NA). Moreover, the lens-free microscope achieves an order-of-magnitude better data efficiency compared to its lens-based counterparts for volumetric imaging of samples. The presented low-cost and high-throughput lens-free tissue imaging technique enabled by CLARITY can be used in various biomedical applications in low-resource-settings.

  4. Tissue banking in a regional hospital: a promising future concept? First report on fresh frozen tissue banking in a hospital without an integrated institute of pathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    von Strauss und Torney, Marco; Güller, Ulrich; Rezaeian, Farid; Brosi, Philippe; Terracciano, Luigi; Zuber, Markus

    2012-10-01

    Vital tissue provided by fresh frozen tissue banking is often required for genetic tumor profiling and tailored therapies. However, the potential patient benefits of fresh frozen tissue banking are currently limited to university hospitals. The objective of the present pilot study--the first one in the literature--was to evaluate whether fresh frozen tissue banking is feasible in a regional hospital without an integrated institute of pathology. Patients with resectable breast and colon cancer were included in this prospective study. Both malignant and healthy tissue were sampled using isopentan-based snap-freezing 1 h after tumor resection and stored at -80 °C before transfer to the main tissue bank of a University institute of pathology. The initial costs to set up tissue banking were 35,662 US$. Furthermore, the running costs are 1,250 US$ yearly. During the first 13 months, 43 samples (nine samples of breast cancer and 34 samples of colon cancer) were collected from 41 patients. Based on the pathology reports, there was no interference with standard histopathologic analyses due to the sample collection. This is the first report in the literature providing evidence that tissue banking in a regional hospital without an integrated institute of pathology is feasible. The interesting findings of the present pilot study must be confirmed by larger investigations.

  5. Characterization of tissue metabolism of thyroid hormones in very premature infants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pavelka, S.; Kopecky, J.; Brauner, P.

    1998-01-01

    Thyroid status was characterized in very preterm infants (gestational age 23-32 wk; n = 61) from birth through day 14; in those infants who died within 16 days of delivery (n = 10) it was also correlated with the metabolism of thyroid hormones in peripheral tissues (brain, liver, kidney, skeletal muscle, and different localities of adipose tissue). The results obtained support the view that peripheral tissues of very premature infants are involved in local generation of triiodothyronine (T 3 ) and inactivation of thyroid hormones, but do not represent a major source of circulating T 3 . In this study observations on postnatal development of plasma thyroid hormone levels in normal and critically ill premature neonates are presented. Enzyme activities of all three types of iodothyronine deiodinases were followed in autopsy samples from brain, liver, kidney, muscle, and adipose tissue depots, to better characterize the relationships between peripheral metabolism of thyroid hormones and thyroid status in critically ill very preterm newborns. Plasma concentrations of total T 3 , total T 4 , and total rT 3 were estimated by competitive radioimmunoassay. Plasma TSH concentrations were measured by microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Measurable activities of deiodinases of type I, II and II were detected post mortem in all tissue samples, except for type II activity in kidney. No correlation between postnatal age and the enzyme activities was found in in different tissues in the group of infants who died by 16 days of age. All activities were the highest in liver and differed significantly in particular tissues. Obtained results suggest tat, in contrast to adults, iodothyronine metabolism in peripheral tissues of premature newborns seems to be dominated by thyroid hormones inactivation, and T 3 production mainly for local use inside tissues. (authors)

  6. Organochlorine compounds in streambed sediment and in biological tissue from streams and their relations to land use, central Arizona

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gebler, Joseph B.

    2000-01-01

    Streambed-sediment samples from 13 sites and biological-tissue samples from 11 sites in the Gila River Basin in central Arizona were analyzed for 32 organochlorine compounds in streambed sediment and 28 compounds in biological tissue during 1996 as part of the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program. The objectives of the study were to determine the occurrence and distribution of organochlorine compounds and their relation to land use. Sampling sites were categorized on the basis of major land uses in the basin or the source of water in the stream. Because land uses were mixed or had changed over time, some land-use categories were combined. Sites were categorized as forest/rangeland (6), forest/urban (1), urban (4), or agricultural/urban (2). Thirteen organochlorine compounds were detected in streambed-sediment samples, and 10 were detected in tissue samples. The number of compounds found in streambed-sediment samples from individual sites ranged from 0 to 10, and the range for individual tissue samples was 0 to 7. Comparison of the number of detections in streambed-sediment samples to the number of detections in tissue samples from particular sites where both were sampled yielded five instances where more compounds were detected in streambed sediment, six instances where more compounds were detected in tissue, and five instances where the number of detections in streambed sediment and tissue were equal. The frequency of detection of particular compounds for sites where both streambed sediment and tissue were sampled resulted in five compounds being detected more frequently in streambed sediment, five more frequently in tissue, and three compounds that were equally frequent in streambed sediment and in tissue. Few contaminants were detected in samples from the forest/rangeland sites; greater numbers of compounds were detected at the urban sites and at the forest/urban site. The greatest number of compounds and the highest concentrations

  7. The pathology of facial vein blood sampling in mice

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Ket; Harslund, Jakob le Fèvre; Bollen, Peter

    2014-01-01

    vein blood sampling. Therefore, we investigated if this technique was associated with pathological changes of the jaw region. Methods: 43 NMRI mice were subjected to facial vein blood sampling by using the lancet method during 12 months, starting at the age of 8 weeks. The mice were restrained manually......, and the tissue of the jaw was evaluated. Results: In the 23 mice, from which blood samples had been taken 2 days previously, 5 mice had no signs of gross pathological changes, whereas 12 mice had signs of minimal local subcutaneous bleeding and 6 mice had moderate local subcutaneous bleeding. No additional gross...... pathological changes were observed. In the 23 mice, from which blood samples had been taken 4 weeks earlier, no hemorrhage or signs of scar tissue formation could be observed. Histological slides are currently being processed (HE staining) and will be evaluated and discussed....

  8. Results of the Characterization and Dissolution Tests of Samples from Tank 16H

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hay, M.S.

    1999-01-01

    Samples from Tank 16H annulus and one sample from the tank interior were characterized to provide a source term for use in fate and transport modeling. Four of the annulus samples appeared to be similar based on visual examination and were combined to form a composite. One of the annulus samples appeared to be different from the other four based on visual examination and was analyzed separately. The analytical results of the tank interior sample indicate the sample is composed predominantly of iron containing compounds. Both of the annulus samples are composed mainly of sodium salts, however, the composite sample contained significantly more sludge/sand material of low solubilitity. The characterization of the tank 16H annulus and tank interior samples was hampered by the high dose rate and the nature of the samples. The difficulties resulted in large uncertainties in the analytical data. The large uncertainties coupled with the number of important species below detection limits indicate the need for reanalysis of the Tank 16H samples as funding becomes available. Recommendations on potential remedies for these difficulties are provided. In general, none of the reagents appeared to be effective in dissolving the composite sample even after two contacts at elevated temperature. In contrast to the composite sample, all of the reagents dissolved a large percentage of the HTF-087 solids after two contacts at ambient temperature

  9. Tissue distribution of enrofloxacin in African clawed frogs (Xenopus laevis) after intramuscular and subcutaneous administration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Felt, Stephen; Papich, Mark G; Howard, Antwain; Long, Tyler; McKeon, Gabriel; Torreilles, Stéphanie; Green, Sherril

    2013-03-01

    As part of an enrofloxacin pharmacokinetic study, concentrations of enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin (metabolite) were measured in various tissues (brain, heart, kidney, liver, lung, and spleen) collected from treated (subcutaneous delivery, n = 3; intramuscular delivery, n = 3; untreated controls, n = 2) adult female Xenopus laevis by using HPLC. Enrofloxacin was rapidly absorbed after administration by either route and readily diffused into all sampled tissues. Enrofloxacin and ciprofloxacin were present in the tissue samples collected at 8 h. The highest average tissue concentrations for enrofloxacin were found in kidney, with the lowest concentrations in liver. Ciprofloxacin tissue concentrations paralleled but were always lower than those of enrofloxacin for all time points and tissues except brain and kidney. These results, together with previously published pharmacokinetic data and known minimal inhibitory concentrations of common pathogenic bacteria, provide a strong evidence-based rationale for choosing enrofloxacin to treat infectious diseases in X. laevis.

  10. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of telomerase activity in benign and malignant thyroid tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Rongxiu; Fang Peihua; Tan Jian; Lu Mei; Li Yigong

    2002-01-01

    Objective: To study the status of telomerase activity during the development of thyroid tumors, and to determine whether telomerase activity can be used clinically as a molecular marker in the differential diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Methods: Telomerase activity was measured in 37 thyroid carcinomas, 33 benign thyroid lesions and 30 normal thyroid tissue samples by means of a modified TRAP-PCR. The assay was also applied to 15 fine needle aspirates (FNAs) of thyroid carcinomas to test its sensitivity. Results: Thirty-one of 37 thyroid carcinomas (83.8%), 7 of 33 benign thyroid lesions (21.2%), and 4 of 30 adjacent normal thyroid tissue samples expressed telomerase activity, 15 FNAs also had positive telomerase activity, just as their corresponding tissue specimens. The quantitative analysis showed that the telomerase activity was significantly higher in thyroid carcinomas than that in benign thyroid tissue samples. And medullary carcinomas and anaplastic carcinomas had higher levels of telomerase activity than papillary carcinomas. Conclusions: Telomerase activity is a good marker for thyroid carcinomas. The quantitative TRAP-PCR might have more potential application in the differential diagnosis of tumors and the estimation of tumor progression and prognosis. And this sensitive assay could become a useful new modality for supplementing microscopic cytopathology in the detection of cancer cells in small tissue samples and FNAs

  11. Nonlinear ultrasound propagation through layered liquid and tissue-equivalent media: computational and experimental results at high frequency

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Williams, Ross; Cherin, Emmanuel; Lam, Toby Y J; Tavakkoli, Jahangir; Zemp, Roger J; Foster, F Stuart

    2006-01-01

    Nonlinear propagation has been demonstrated to have a significant impact on ultrasound imaging. An efficient computational algorithm is presented to simulate nonlinear ultrasound propagation through layered liquid and tissue-equivalent media. Results are compared with hydrophone measurements. This study was undertaken to investigate the role of nonlinear propagation in high frequency ultrasound micro-imaging. The acoustic field of a focused transducer (20 MHz centre frequency, f-number 2.5) was simulated for layered media consisting of water and tissue-mimicking phantom, for several wide-bandwidth source pulses. The simulation model accounted for the effects of diffraction, attenuation and nonlinearity, with transmission and refraction at layer boundaries. The parameter of nonlinearity, B/A, of the water and tissue-mimicking phantom were assumed to be 5.2 and 7.4, respectively. The experimentally measured phantom B/A value found using a finite-amplitude insert-substitution method was shown to be 7.4 ± 0.6. Relative amounts of measured second and third harmonic pressures as a function of the fundamental pressures at the focus were in good agreement with simulations. Agreement within 3% was found between measurements and simulations of the beam widths of the fundamental and second harmonic signals following propagation through the tissue phantom. The results demonstrate significant nonlinear propagation effects for high frequency imaging beams

  12. Translational Research in Pediatrics IV: Solid Tissue Collection and Processing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gillio-Meina, Carolina; Zielke, H Ronald; Fraser, Douglas D

    2016-01-01

    Solid tissues are critical for child-health research. Specimens are commonly obtained at the time of biopsy/surgery or postmortem. Research tissues can also be obtained at the time of organ retrieval for donation or from tissue that would otherwise have been discarded. Navigating the ethics of solid tissue collection from children is challenging, and optimal handling practices are imperative to maximize tissue quality. Fresh biopsy/surgical specimens can be affected by a variety of factors, including age, gender, BMI, relative humidity, freeze/thaw steps, and tissue fixation solutions. Postmortem tissues are also vulnerable to agonal factors, body storage temperature, and postmortem intervals. Nonoptimal tissue handling practices result in nucleotide degradation, decreased protein stability, artificial posttranslational protein modifications, and altered lipid concentrations. Tissue pH and tryptophan levels are 2 methods to judge the quality of solid tissue collected for research purposes; however, the RNA integrity number, together with analyses of housekeeping genes, is the new standard. A comprehensive clinical data set accompanying all tissue samples is imperative. In this review, we examined: the ethical standards relating to solid tissue procurement from children; potential sources of solid tissues; optimal practices for solid tissue processing, handling, and storage; and reliable markers of solid tissue quality. Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

  13. [Cartilage tissue reconstruction by the polymer biomaterials--early macroscopic and histological results].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Scierski, Wojciech; Polok, Aleksandra; Namysłowski, Grzegorz; Nozyński, Jerzy; Turecka, Lucyna; Urbaniec, Natalia; Pamuła, Elzbieta

    2009-09-01

    The surgical treatment of large cartilage defects in the region of head and neck is often impossible because of the atrophy of surrounding tissues and lack of suitable material for reconstruction. In the surgical treatment many of methods and reconstructive materials have been used. For many years the suitable synthetic material for the cartilage defects reconstruction has been searched for. Was to evaluate two different biomaterials with proper mechanical and biological features for the cartilage replacement. Two type of biomaterials in this study were used: resorbable polymer - poly(L-lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) acting as a supportive matrix. A thin layer of sodium hyaluronate (Hyal) was also deposited on the surface as well in the pore walls of PLG scaffolds in order to provide biologically active molecules promoting differentiation and regeneration of the tissue. The studies were performed on the 50 animals--rabbits divided into 2 groups. The animals were operated in the general anaesthesia. The incision was done along the edge of the rabbit's auricle. Perichondrium and cartilage of the auricle on the surface 4 x 3 cm were prepared. Subperichondrically 1 x 1 cm fragment of the cartilage was removed by the scissors. This fragment was then replaced by the biomaterials: PLG in first group of 25 rabbits and PLG-Hyal in second group 25 rabbits. The tissues were sutured with polyglycolide Safil 3-0. The animals obtained Enrofloxacin for three days after the operation. Then 1, 4 and 12 weeks after the surgery the animals were painlessly euthanized by an overdose of Morbital. Implants and surrounding tissues were excised and observed macroscopically and using an optical microscope. In all the observation periods we observed proper macroscopic healing process of biomaterials. We didn't stated strong inflammatory process and necrosis around the implanted biomaterials. The histological and macroscopic examinations indicated that both materials developed in this study have

  14. Preliminary results of laser tissue welding in extravesical reimplantation of the ureters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirsch, A J; Dean, G E; Oz, M C; Libutti, S K; Treat, M R; Nowygrod, R; Hensle, T W

    1994-02-01

    One exciting potential use of laparoscopic technology is the extravesical reimplantation of the ureters. We have assessed the efficacy of laser-activated fibrinogen solder to close vesical muscle flaps over submucosal ureters (Lich-Gregoir technique) in a canine model. Four dogs were subjected to unilateral flap closures via a protein solder (indocyanine green and fibrinogen) applied to the bladder serosa and exposed to 808 nm. continuous wave diode laser energy. Contralateral reimplantation was performed using 4-zero vicryl muscle flap closures (controls). At 7, 14 and 28 days postoperatively, intravenous pyelograms confirmed bilateral ureteral patency. At intravesical pressures above 100 cm. H2O, there was no evidence of wound disruption in either group. Nondisrupted wound closures were sectioned and strained until ultimate breakage to determine tensile strength. At each study interval the laser-welded closures withstood greater stress than the controls. Although these data represent single tissue samples and are not amenable to statistical analysis, laser-welded closures appeared to be stronger at each study interval. In conclusion, laser-welded vesical wound closures appear at least as strong as suture closures in the canine model.

  15. Trace metals in mussel shells and corresponding soft tissue samples: a validation experiment for the use of Perna perna shells in pollution monitoring

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Bellotto, V.R. [Vale do Itajai University (UNIVALI), CTTMAR (Center for Technology Earth and Ocean Science), Itajai (Brazil); Miekeley, N. [Pontifical Catholic University (PUC-Rio), Department of Chemistry, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil)

    2007-10-15

    The uptake of Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in soft tissue of Perna perna mussels and their shells has been studied in aquarium experiments in which mussels were exposed for 30 or 60 days to seawater spiked with different concentrations of these contaminants (125 and 500 {mu}g L{sup -1}). Tissue samples were analyzed after acid digestion by conventional solution nebulization ICP-MS. Laser ablation ICP-MS was used for the quantitative determination of trace elements in different areas of the corresponding shells. With the exception of Mn and Zn, all other elements studied showed a significant concentration enhancements in soft tissue, with the magnitude of this enhancement following the order: Cr > Ni > Cd > Cu > Pb. A corresponding increase in most contaminants, although less pronounced, was also observed in the newly formed growth rings of mussel shells, contributing to the validation of Perna perna mussel shell as a bioindicator of toxic elements. (orig.)

  16. Ablation of clinically relevant kidney tissue volumes by high-intensity focused ultrasound: Preliminary results of standardized ex-vivo investigations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Häcker, Axel; Peters, Kristina; Knoll, Thomas; Marlinghaus, Ernst; Alken, Peter; Jenne, Jürgen W; Michel, Maurice Stephan

    2006-11-01

    To investigate strategies to achieve confluent kidney-tissue ablation by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). Our model of the perfused ex-vivo porcine kidney was used. Tissue ablation was performed with an experimental HIFU device (Storz Medical, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland). Lesion-to-lesion interaction was investigated by varying the lesion distance (5 to 2.5 mm), generator power (300, 280, and 260 W), cooling time (10, 20, and 30 seconds), and exposure time (4, 3, and 2 seconds). The lesion rows were analyzed grossly and by histologic examination (hematoxylin-eosin and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide staining). It was possible to achieve complete homogeneous ablation of a clinically relevant tissue volume but only by meticulous adjustment of the exposure parameters. Minimal changes in these parameters caused changes in lesion formation with holes within the lesions and lesion-to-lesion interaction. Our preliminary results show that when using this new device, HIFU can ablate a large tissue volume homogeneously in perfused ex-vivo porcine tissue under standardized conditions with meticulous adjustment of exposure parameters. Further investigations in vivo are necessary to test whether large tissue volumes can be ablated completely and reliably despite the influence of physiologic tissue and organ movement.

  17. Micro-polarimetry for pre-clinical diagnostics of pathological changes in human tissues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Golnik, Andrzej; Golnik, Natalia; Pałko, Tadeusz; Sołtysiński, Tomasz

    2008-05-01

    The paper presents a practical study of several methods of image analysis applied to polarimetric images of regular and malignant human tissues. The images of physiological and pathologically changed tissues from body and cervix of uterus, intestine, kidneys and breast were recorded in transmitted light of different polarization state. The set up of the conventional optical microscope with CCD camera and rotating polarizer's were used for analysis of the polarization state of the light transmitted through the tissue slice for each pixel of the camera image. The set of images corresponding to the different coefficients of the Stockes vectors, a 3×3 subset of the Mueller matrix as well as the maps of the magnitude and in-plane direction of the birefringent components in the sample were calculated. Then, the statistical analysis and the Fourier transform as well as the autocorrelation methods were used to analyze spatial distribution of birefringent elements in the tissue samples. For better recognition of tissue state we proposed a novel method that takes advantage of multiscale image data decomposition The results were used for selection of the optical characteristics with significantly different values for regular and malignant tissues.

  18. Preservation of Multiple Mammalian Tissues to Maximize Science Return from Ground Based and Spaceflight Experiments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Sungshin; Ray, Hami E; Lai, San-Huei; Alwood, Joshua S; Globus, Ruth K

    2016-01-01

    months at -80°C had variable results, depending on the specific tissue analyzed. RNA quality of liver, heart, and kidneys were minimally affected after 6-7 months of storage at -80°C, whereas RNA degradation was evident in tissues such as small intestine, bone, and bone marrow when they were collected from the carcasses frozen for 2.5 months. These results demonstrate that 1) the protocols developed for spaceflight experiments with on-orbit dissections support the retrieval of high quality samples for RNA expression and some protein analyses, despite delayed preservation post-euthanasia or prolonged storage, and 2) many additional tissues for gene expression analysis can be obtained by dissection even following prolonged storage of the tissue in situ at -80°C. These findings have relevance both to high value, ground-based experiments when sample collection capability is severely constrained, and to spaceflight experiments that entail on-orbit sample recovery by astronauts.

  19. In vitro determination of inorganic constituents in bone tissues using neutron activation analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takata, Marcelo Kazuo

    2003-01-01

    In the past years, there has been an increasing interest in bone analyses since they are deposits of essential and toxic elements. Besides they have supporting function of human body and protect vital organs. Besides, analyses of inorganic constituents in bones have been carried out to study bone diseases such as osteoporosis and tumors in bones. In this work, an adequate experimental procedure was established for bone tissue treatment, and instrumental neutron activation analysis was applied to trace element determinations in freeze-dried cortical and trabecular tissues and whole bone ash from animal (porcine and bovine) and human ribs. Using short and long-period irradiations at the IEA-R1 nuclear research reactor, the elements Ba, Br, Ca, Cl, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, P, Rb, Sb, Sr and Zn were determined in bone tissues. To validate the analytical methodology, biological certified reference materials were analyzed and their results showed good precision and accuracy. Besides analyses of a bovine rib bone presented precise data for most elements with relative standard deviations lower than 14 %. This result demonstrated that the procedure defined for bone tissue treatment was appropriate to obtain homogeneous samples. However, the calcination was not suitable for whole bone treatment due to loss of Br and Cl. Statistical t test was applied to compare the results obtained for different tissues of bone and also the results found for ribs of two animal species. Comparisons between the results obtained for correspondent tissues of porcine and bovine ribs present different element concentration. Moreover, cortical and trabecular tissues of humans presented different concentrations for all the elements analyzed in this work. These findings indicate that trace elements in bone samples have to be separately studied. (author)

  20. Altitudinal variations of ground tissue and xylem tissue in terminal shoot of woody species: implications for treeline formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Hong; Wang, Haiyang; Liu, Yanfang; Dong, Li

    2013-01-01

    1. The terminal shoot (or current-year shoot), as one of the most active parts on a woody plant, is a basic unit determining plant height and is potentially influenced by a variety of environmental factors. It has been predicted that tissues amount and their allocation in plant stems may play a critical role in determining plant size in alpine regions. The primary structure in terminal shoots is a key to our understanding treeline formation. The existing theories on treeline formation, however, are still largely lacking of evidence at the species level, much less from anatomy for the terminal shoot. 2. The primary structures within terminal shoot were measured quantitatively for 100 species from four elevation zones along the eastern slope of Gongga Mountain, southwestern China; one group was sampled from above the treeline. An allometric approach was employed to examine scaling relationships interspecifically, and a principal components analysis (PCA) was performed to test the relation among primary xylem, ground tissue, species growth form and altitude. 3. The results showed that xylem tissue size was closely correlated with ground tissue size isometrically across species, while undergoing significant y- or/and x-intercept shift in response to altitudinal belts. Further, a conspicuous characteristic of terminal shoot was its allocation of contrasting tissues between primary xylem and ground tissues with increasing elevation. The result of the PCA showed correlations between anatomical variation, species growth form/height classes and environment. 4. The current study presents a comparative assessment of the allocation of tissue in terminal shoot across phylogenically and ecologically diverse species, and analyzes tissue, function and climate associations with plant growth forms and height classes among species. The interspecific connection between primary xylem ratio and plant size along an elevation gradient suggests the importance of primary xylem in explaining

  1. Altitudinal variations of ground tissue and xylem tissue in terminal shoot of woody species: implications for treeline formation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hong Chen

    Full Text Available 1. The terminal shoot (or current-year shoot, as one of the most active parts on a woody plant, is a basic unit determining plant height and is potentially influenced by a variety of environmental factors. It has been predicted that tissues amount and their allocation in plant stems may play a critical role in determining plant size in alpine regions. The primary structure in terminal shoots is a key to our understanding treeline formation. The existing theories on treeline formation, however, are still largely lacking of evidence at the species level, much less from anatomy for the terminal shoot. 2. The primary structures within terminal shoot were measured quantitatively for 100 species from four elevation zones along the eastern slope of Gongga Mountain, southwestern China; one group was sampled from above the treeline. An allometric approach was employed to examine scaling relationships interspecifically, and a principal components analysis (PCA was performed to test the relation among primary xylem, ground tissue, species growth form and altitude. 3. The results showed that xylem tissue size was closely correlated with ground tissue size isometrically across species, while undergoing significant y- or/and x-intercept shift in response to altitudinal belts. Further, a conspicuous characteristic of terminal shoot was its allocation of contrasting tissues between primary xylem and ground tissues with increasing elevation. The result of the PCA showed correlations between anatomical variation, species growth form/height classes and environment. 4. The current study presents a comparative assessment of the allocation of tissue in terminal shoot across phylogenically and ecologically diverse species, and analyzes tissue, function and climate associations with plant growth forms and height classes among species. The interspecific connection between primary xylem ratio and plant size along an elevation gradient suggests the importance of primary

  2. Connective tissue grafts for thickening peri-implant tissues at implant placement. One-year results from an explanatory split-mouth randomised controlled clinical trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wiesner, Günter; Esposito, Marco; Worthington, Helen; Schlee, Markus

    2010-01-01

    Nothing to declare. To evaluate whether connective tissue grafts performed at implant placement could be effective in augmenting peri-implant soft tissues. Ten partially edentulous patients requiring at least one single implant in the premolar or molar areas of both sides of the mandible were randomised to have one side augmented at implant placement with a connective soft tissue graft harvested from the palate or no augmentation. After 3 months of submerged healing, abutments were placed and within 1 month definitive crowns were permanently cemented. Outcome measures were implant success, any complications, peri-implant marginal bone level changes, patient satisfaction and preference, thickness of the soft tissues and aesthetics (pink aesthetic score) evaluated by an independent and blinded assessor 1 year after loading. One year after loading, no patients dropped out, no implants failed and no complications occurred. Both groups lost statistically significant amounts of peri-implant bone 1 year after loading (0.8 mm in the grafted group and 0.6 mm in the non-grafted group), but there was no statistically significant difference between groups. Soft tissues at augmented sites were 1.3 mm thicker (P Connective tissue grafts are effective in increasing soft tissue thickness, thus improving aesthetics. Longer follow-ups are needed to evaluate the stability of peri-implant tissues over time.

  3. Usefulness of pulse-wave doppler tissue sampling and dobutamine stress echocardiography for identification of false positive inferior wall defects in SPECT

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Altinmakas, S.; Dagdeviren, B.; Turkmen, M.; Gursurer, M.; Say, B.; Tezel, T.; Ersek, B.

    2000-01-01

    False positive inferior wall perfusion defects restrict the accuracy of SPECT in diagnosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). Pulse-Wave Tissue Doppler (PWTD) has been recently proposed to assess regional wall motion velocities. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the presence of CAD by using PWTD during dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) in patients with an inferior perfusion defect detected by SPECT and compare PWTD parameters of normal cases with patients who had inferior perfusion defect and CAD. Sixty-five patients (mean age 58±8 years, 30 men) with a normal LV systolic function at rest according to echocardiographic evaluation with an inferior ischemia determined by SPECT and a control group (CG) of 34 normal cases (mean age 56±7 years, 16 men) were included in this study. All patients underwent a standard DSE (up to 40 μg/kg/min with additional atropine during sub-maximum heart rate responses). Pulse-wave Doppler tissue sampling of inferior wall was performed in the apical 2-chamber view at rest and stress. The coronary angiography was performed within 24 hours. The results were evaluated for the prediction of significant right coronary artery (RCA) and/or left circumflex coronary artery (CX) with narrowing (≥50% diameter stenosis, assessed by quantitative coronary angiography). It was observed that the peak stress mean E/A ratio was lower in patients with CAD when compared to patients without CAD (0.78±0.2 versus 1.29±0.11 p<0.0001). Also the peak stress E/A ratio of normal cases was significantly higher than patients who had CAD (1.19±0.3 versus 0.78±0.2 p<0.0001). When the cut off point for the E/A ratio was determined as 1, the sensitivity and specificity of dobutamine stress PWTD E/A were 89% and 86%, respectively. The peak stress E/A ratio was higher than 1 in all patients with a false positive perfusion defect. Systolic S velocity increase during DSE was significantly lower in patients with CAD (54%±17 versus 99%±24 p=0

  4. Chromatin immunoprecipitation improvements for the processing of small frozen pieces of adipose tissue.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Daniel Castellano-Castillo

    Full Text Available Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP has gained importance to identify links between the genome and the proteome. Adipose tissue has emerged as an active tissue, which secretes a wide range of molecules that have been related to metabolic and obesity-related disorders, such as diabetes, cardiovascular failure, metabolic syndrome, or cancer. In turn, epigenetics has raised the importance in discerning the possible relationship between metabolic disorders, lifestyle and environment. However, ChIP application in human adipose tissue is limited by several factors, such as sample size, frozen sample availability, high lipid content and cellular composition of the tissue. Here, we optimize the standard protocol of ChIP for small pieces of frozen human adipose tissue. In addition, we test ChIP for the histone mark H3K4m3, which is related to active promoters, and validate the performance of the ChIP by analyzing gene promoters for factors usually studied in adipose tissue using qPCR. Our improvements result in a higher performance in chromatin shearing and DNA recovery of adipocytes from the tissue, which may be useful for ChIP-qPCR or ChIP-seq analysis.

  5. Methods to Quantify Nickel in Soils and Plant Tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bruna Wurr Rodak

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available In comparison with other micronutrients, the levels of nickel (Ni available in soils and plant tissues are very low, making quantification very difficult. The objective of this paper is to present optimized determination methods of Ni availability in soils by extractants and total content in plant tissues for routine commercial laboratory analyses. Samples of natural and agricultural soils were processed and analyzed by Mehlich-1 extraction and by DTPA. To quantify Ni in the plant tissues, samples were digested with nitric acid in a closed system in a microwave oven. The measurement was performed by inductively coupled plasma/optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES. There was a positive and significant correlation between the levels of available Ni in the soils subjected to Mehlich-1 and DTPA extraction, while for plant tissue samples the Ni levels recovered were high and similar to the reference materials. The availability of Ni in some of the natural soil and plant tissue samples were lower than the limits of quantification. Concentrations of this micronutrient were higher in the soil samples in which Ni had been applied. Nickel concentration differed in the plant parts analyzed, with highest levels in the grains of soybean. The grain, in comparison with the shoot and leaf concentrations, were better correlated with the soil available levels for both extractants. The methods described in this article were efficient in quantifying Ni and can be used for routine laboratory analysis of soils and plant tissues.

  6. Proinflammatory tissue response and recovery of adipokines during 4 days of subcutaneous large-pore microdialysis

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Clausen, Trine Schnedler; Kaastrup, Peter; Stallknecht, Bente

    2009-01-01

    was originally designed for sampling of small molecules but recently the availability of catheters with large-pore membranes has made it possible to recover larger molecules such as adipokines. The present study investigated tissue response towards large-pore microdialysis catheters inserted into human SAT for 4......INTRODUCTION: Subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT) is increasingly being recognized as a highly active tissue secreting adipokines involved in many physiological and pathophysiological processes. Microdialysis is a technique used for in vivo sampling of interstitial fluid from e.g. SAT. The technique......: Insertion of a large-pore microdialysis catheter into human SAT results in tissue trauma leading to changes in the interstitial concentrations of IL-1beta, IL-6, IL-8, MCP-1, TNF-alpha and adiponectin....

  7. Real-time optoacoustic monitoring of temperature in tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Larina, Irina V; Larin, Kirill V; Esenaliev, Rinat O

    2005-01-01

    To improve the safety and efficacy of thermal therapy, it is necessary to map tissue temperature in real time with submillimetre spatial resolution. Accurate temperature maps may provide the necessary control of the boundaries of the heated regions and minimize thermal damage to surrounding normal tissues. Current imaging modalities fail to monitor tissue temperature in real time with high resolution and accuracy. We investigated a non-invasive optoacoustic method for accurate, real-time monitoring of tissue temperature during thermotherapy. In this study, we induced temperature gradients in tissue and tissue-like samples and monitored the temperature distribution using the optoacoustic technique. The fundamental harmonic of a Q-switched Nd : YAG laser (λ = 1064 nm) was used for optoacoustic wave generation and probing of tissue temperature. The tissue temperature was also monitored with a multi-sensor temperature probe inserted in the samples. Good agreement between optoacoustically measured and actual tissue temperatures was obtained. The accuracy of temperature monitoring was better than 1 0 C, while the spatial resolution was about 1 mm. These data suggest that the optoacoustic technique has the potential to be used for non-invasive, real-time temperature monitoring during thermotherapy

  8. 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.

  9. Gamma ray spectrometry results from core samples collected for RESUME 95

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sanderson, D.C.W.; Allyson, J.D.; Toivonen, H.; Honkamaa, T.

    1997-01-01

    Field sampling of an airfield at Vesivehmaa, near Vaeaeksy, Finland (Area I) was carried out between 26-29 May 1995, to establish the radionuclide deposition and inventory of Chernobyl derived 137 Cs, and natural radionuclides. The objective was to establish a common calibration site for in-situ and airborne gamma spectrometers, for Exercise RESUME 95 conducted in August 1995. The report presents the sampling details, handling and treatment. The analyses are discussed with particular emphasis given to 137 Ca, 134 Cs, 40 K, 214 Bi and 208 radionuclides, and the quantification of their respective deposition and inventories. The results have been used to estimate the effective concentrations of nuclides at the calibration site for in-situ and airborne gamma spectrometry, and the depth distribution. For 137 Cs the weighted mean activity per unit area takes on values of 50.7±5.2 kBq m -2 at 1 m ground clearance, 51.1±6.9 kBq m -2 at 50 m height and 47.9±8.5 kBq m -2 at 100 m. The similarity of these values confirms the suitability of the Vesivehmaa site for comparison of in-situ and airborne results despite variations of a factor of two between results from individual cores. The mean α/ρ value for 137 Cs in Area I is 0.77±0.10 cm 2 g -1 (relaxation mass per unit area, β 1.31±0.15 gcm -2 ). Additional soil sampling across parts of Area II (a 6x3 km area selected for mapping Chernobyl deposition) was carried out. The mean level of 137 Cs activity from these samples was 92.4±63 kBq m -2 , a sample taken near Laihansuo showing the largest value obtained at 172 kBq m -2 . (EG)

  10. Expression Analysis of Previously Verified Fecal and Plasma Dow-regulated MicroRNAs (miR-4478, 1295-3p, 142-3p and 26a-5p), in FFPE Tissue Samples of CRC Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghanbari, Reza; Rezasoltani, Sama; Hashemi, Javad; Mohamadkhani, Ashraf; Tahmasebifar, Arash; Arefian, Ehsan; Mobarra, Naser; Asadi, Jahanbakhsh; Nazemalhosseini Mojarad, Ehsan; Yazdani, Yaghoub; Knuutila, Sakari; Malekzadeh, Reza

    2017-02-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common causes of cancer-related mortality worldwide. Early diagnosis of this neoplasm is critical and may reduce patients' mortality. MicroRNAs are small non-coding RNA molecules whose expression pattern can be altered in various diseases such as CRC. In this study, we evaluated the expression levels of miR-142-3p, miR-26a-5p (their reduced expression in plasma samples of CRC patients was previously confirmed), miR-4478 and miR-1295-3p (their reduced expression in stool samples of CRC patients was previously confirmed) in tissue samples of CRC patients in comparison to healthy subjects. To achieve this purpose, total RNA including small RNA was extracted from 53 CRC and 35 normal subjects' Formalin-fixed, Paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples using the miRNeasy FFPE Mini Kit. The expression levels of these four selected miRNAs were measured using quantitative Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR). We found that the expression levels of miR-4478 and miR-1295b-3p (two previously down-regulated fecal miRNAs) were significantly decreased in FFPE samples of CRC patients compared to healthy controls. On the other hand, no significant differences were seen in expression levels of miR-142-3p and miR-26a-5p (two previously down-regulated circulating miRNAs) in FFPE samples between these two groups. Regarding current findings, it may be concluded that to diagnose CRC patients based on the miRNAs approach, stool samples are more likely preferable to plasma samples; nevertheless, additional studies with more samples are needed to confirm the results.

  11. Capillary electrophoresis - Mass spectrometry metabolomics analysis revealed enrichment of hypotaurine in rat glioma tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Peng; Ji, Min; Fang, Xueyan; Liu, Yingyang; Yu, Zhigang; Cao, Yunfeng; Sun, Aijun; Zhao, Liang; Zhang, Yong

    2017-11-15

    Glioma is one of the most lethal brain malignancies with unknown etiologies. Many metabolomics analysis aiming at diverse kinds of samples had been performed. Due to the varied adopted analytical platforms, the reported disease-related metabolites were not consistent across different studies. Comparable metabolomics results are more likely to be acquired by analyzing the same sample types with identical analytical platform. For tumor researches, tissue samples metabolomics analysis own the unique advantage that it can gain more direct insight into disease-specific pathological molecules. In this light, a previous reported capillary electrophoresis - mass spectrometry human tissues metabolomics analysis method was employed to profile the metabolome of rat C6 cell implantation gliomas and the corresponding precancerous tissues. It was found that 9 metabolites increased in the glioma tissues. Of them, hypotaurine was the only metabolite that enriched in the malignant tissues as what had been reported in the relevant human tissues metabolomics analysis. Furthermore, hypotaurine was also proved to inhibit α-ketoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases (2-KDDs) through immunocytochemistry staining and in vitro enzymatic activity assays by using C6 cell cultures. This study reinforced the previous conclusion that hypotaurine acted as a competitive inhibitor of 2-KDDs and proved the value of metabolomics in oncology studies. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  12. Superoxide Dismutase (SOD Enzyme Activity Assay in Fasciola spp. Para-sites and Liver Tissue Extract

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Assady

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: The purpose of this comparative study was to detect superoxide dismutase (SOD activities in Fasciola hepatica, F. gigantica parasites, infected and healthy liver tissues in order to determine of species effects and liver infection on SODs activity level.Methods: Fasciola spp. parasites and sheep liver tissues (healthy and infected liver tissues, 10 samples for each, were collected, homogenized and investigated for protein measurement, protein detection and SOD enzyme activity assay. Protein concentration was measured by Bradford method and SODs band protein was detected on SDS-PAGE. SODs activity was determined by iodonitrotetrazolium chloride, INT, and xanthine substrates. Independent samples t-test was conducted for analysis of SODs activities difference.Results: Protein concentration means were detected for F. hepatica 1.3 mg/ ml, F. gigantica 2.9 mg/ml, healthy liver tissue 5.5 mg/ml and infected liver tissue 1.6 mg/ml (with similar weight sample mass. Specific enzyme activities in the samples were obtained 0.58, 0.57, 0.51, 1.43 U/mg for F. hepatica, F. gigantica, healthy liver and infected liver respectively. Gel electrophoresis of Fasciola spp. and sheep liver tissue extracts revealed a band protein with MW of 60 kDa. The statistical analysis revealed significant difference between SOD activities of Fasciola species and also between SOD activity of liver tissues (P<.05.Conclusion: Fasciola species and liver infection are effective causes on SOD enzyme activity level.

  13. Effects of tissue fixation and dehydration on tendon collagen nanostructure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Turunen, Mikael J; Khayyeri, Hanifeh; Guizar-Sicairos, Manuel; Isaksson, Hanna

    2017-09-01

    Collagen is the most prominent protein in biological tissues. Tissue fixation is often required for preservation or sectioning of the tissue. This may affect collagen nanostructure and potentially provide incorrect information when analyzed after fixation. We aimed to unravel the effect of 1) ethanol and formalin fixation and 2) 24h air-dehydration on the organization and structure of collagen fibers at the nano-scale using small and wide angle X-ray scattering. Samples were divided into 4 groups: ethanol fixed, formalin fixed, and two untreated sample groups. Samples were allowed to air-dehydrate in handmade Kapton pockets during the measurements (24h) except for one untreated group. Ethanol fixation affected the collagen organization and nanostructure substantially and during 24h of dehydration dramatic changes were evident. Formalin fixation had minor effects on the collagen organization but after 12h of air-dehydration the spatial variation increased substantially, not evident in the untreated samples. Generally, collagen shrinkage and loss of alignment was evident in all samples during 24h of dehydration but the changes were subtle in all groups except the ethanol fixed samples. This study shows that tissue fixation needs to be chosen carefully in order to preserve the features of interest in the tissue. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Molecular identification of Mucorales in human tissues: contribution of PCR electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alanio, A; Garcia-Hermoso, D; Mercier-Delarue, S; Lanternier, F; Gits-Muselli, M; Menotti, J; Denis, B; Bergeron, A; Legrand, M; Lortholary, O; Bretagne, S

    2015-06-01

    Molecular methods are crucial for mucormycosis diagnosis because cultures are frequently negative, even if microscopy suggests the presence of hyphae in tissues. We assessed PCR/electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS) for Mucorales identification in 19 unfixed tissue samples from 13 patients with proven or probable mucormycosis and compared the results with culture, quantitative real-time PCR, 16S-23S rRNA gene internal transcribed spacer region (ITS PCR) and 18S PCR sequencing. Concordance with culture identification to both genus and species levels was higher for PCR/ESI-MS than for the other techniques. Thus, PCR/ESI-MS is suitable for Mucorales identification, within 6 hours, for tissue samples for which microscopy results suggest the presence of hyphae. Copyright © 2015 European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. The fluorescence in the diagnosis of dental tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Puron, E.; Homs, R.; Paya, R. M.

    2012-01-01

    An experimental method for obtaining fluorescence of the dental tissue is described. A comparative analysis for the behaviour of the tissue fluorescence, both, healthy or intact enamel and carious samples is presented; the comparison of the obtained results with the ones described in the literature is done. Optical methods for the detection of carious lesions have the advantage of being minimally invasive. For this reason, induced fluorescence with a blue light to detect the presence of the Streptococcus in the oral cavity is proposed as an identifier method for find initial caries in dentistry in our country. (Author)

  16. Spectral staining of tumor tissue by fiber optic FTIR spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salzer, Reiner; Steiner, Gerald; Kano, Angelique; Richter, Tom; Bergmann, Ralf; Rodig, Heike; Johannsen, Bernd; Kobelke, Jens

    2003-07-01

    Infrared (IR) optical fiber have aroused great interest in recent years because of their potential in in-vivo spectroscopy. This potential includes the ability to be flexible, small and to guide IR light in a very large range of wavelengths. Two types - silver halide and chalcogenide - infrared transmitting fibers are investigated in the detection of a malignant tumor. As a test sample for all types of fibers we used a thin section of an entire rat brain with glioblastoma. The fibers were connected with a common infrared microscope. Maps across the whole tissue section with more than 200 spectra were recorded by moving the sample with an XY stage. Data evaluation was performed using fuzzy c-means cluster analysis (FCM). The silver halide fibers provided excellent results. The tumor was clearly discernible from healthy tissue. Chalcogenide fibers are not suitable to distinguish tumor from normal tissue because the fiber has a very low transmittance in the important fingerprint region.

  17. A strategy for extending the applicability of a validated plasma calibration curve to quantitative measurements in multiple tissue homogenate samples: a case study from a rat tissue distribution study of JI-101, a triple kinase inhibitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gurav, Sandip Dhondiram; Jeniffer, Sherine; Punde, Ravindra; Gilibili, Ravindranath Reddy; Giri, Sanjeev; Srinivas, Nuggehally R; Mullangi, Ramesh

    2012-04-01

    A general practice in bioanalysis is that, whatever the biological matrix the analyte is being quantified in, the validation is performed in the same matrix as per regulatory guidelines. In this paper, we are presenting the applicability of a validated LC-MS/MS method in rat plasma for JI-101, to estimate the concentrations of JI-101 in various tissues that were harvested in a rat tissue distribution study. A simple protein precipitation technique was used to extract JI-101 and internal standard from the tissue homogenates. The recovery of JI-101 in all the matrices was found to be >70%. Chromatographic separation was achieved using a binary gradient using mobile phase A (acetonitrile) and B (0.2% formic acid in water) at a flow rate of 0.30 mL/min on a Prodigy ODS column with a total run time of 4.0 min. The MS/MS ion transitions monitored were 466.1 → 265 for JI-101 and 180.1 → 110.1 for internal standard. The linearity range was 5.02-4017 ng/mL. The JI-101 levels were quantifiable in the various tissue samples harvested in this study. Therefore, the use of a previously validated JI-101 assay in plasma circumvented the tedious process of method development/validation in various tissue matrices. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  18. Assessment of permeation of lipoproteins in human carotid tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosn, Mohamad G.; Syed, Saba H.; Leba, Michael; Morrisett, Joel D.; Tuchin, Valery V.; Larin, Kirill V.

    2010-02-01

    Cardiovascular disease is among the leading causes of death in the United States. Specifically, atherosclerosis is an increasingly devastating contributor to the tally and has been found to be a byproduct of arterial permeability irregularities in regards to lipoprotein penetration. To further explore arterial physiology and molecular transport, the imaging technique of Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) was employed. With OCT, the permeation of glucose (MW = 180 Da), low density lipoprotein (LDL; MW = 2.1 × 106 Da), and high density lipoprotein (HDL; MW = 2.5 × 105 Da) in human carotid tissue was studied to determine the effect of different molecular characteristics on permeation in atherosclerotic tissues. The permeability rates calculated from the diffusion of the molecular agents into the abnormal carotid tissue samples is compared to those of normal, healthy tissue. The results show that in the abnormal tissue, the permeation of agents correlate to the size constraints. The larger molecules of LDL diffuse the slowest, while the smallest molecules of glucose diffuse the fastest. However, in normal tissue, LDL permeates at a faster rate than the other two agents, implying the existence of a transport mechanism that facilitates the passage of LDL molecules. These results highlight the capability of OCT as a sensitive and specific imaging technique as well as provide significant information to the understanding of atherosclerosis and its effect on tissue properties.

  19. Summary of Test Results for Daya Bay Rock Samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Onishi, Celia Tiemi; Dobson, Patrick; Nakagawa, Seiji

    2004-01-01

    A series of analytical tests was conducted on a suite of granitic rock samples from the Daya Bay region of southeast China. The objective of these analyses was to determine key rock properties that would affect the suitability of this location for the siting of a neutrino oscillation experiment. This report contains the results of chemical analyses, rock property measurements, and a calculation of the mean atomic weight

  20. Proteomic Analysis of Human Tendon and Ligament: Solubilization and Analysis of Insoluble Extracellular Matrix in Connective Tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sato, Nori; Taniguchi, Takako; Goda, Yuichiro; Kosaka, Hirofumi; Higashino, Kosaku; Sakai, Toshinori; Katoh, Shinsuke; Yasui, Natsuo; Sairyo, Koichi; Taniguchi, Hisaaki

    2016-12-02

    Connective tissues such as tendon, ligament and cartilage are mostly composed of extracellular matrix (ECM). These tissues are insoluble, mainly due to the highly cross-linked ECM proteins such as collagens. Difficulties obtaining suitable samples for mass spectrometric analysis render the application of modern proteomic technologies difficult. Complete solubilization of them would not only elucidate protein composition of normal tissues but also reveal pathophysiology of pathological tissues. Here we report complete solubilization of human Achilles tendon and yellow ligament, which is achieved by chemical digestion combined with successive protease treatment including elastase. The digestion mixture was subjected to liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. The low specificity of elastase was overcome by accurate mass analysis achieved using FT-ICR-MS. In addition to the detailed proteome of both tissues, we also quantitatively determine the major protein composition of samples, by measuring peak area of some characteristic peptides detected in tissue samples and in purified proteins. As a result, differences between human Achilles tendon and yellow ligament were elucidated at molecular level.

  1. Extraction of DNA from Forensic Biological Samples for Genotyping.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stray, J E; Liu, J Y; Brevnov, M G; Shewale, J G

    2010-07-01

    Biological forensic samples constitute evidence with probative organic matter. Evidence believed to contain DNA is typically processed for extraction and purification of its nucleic acid content. Forensic DNA samples are composed of two things, a tissue and the substrate it resides on. Compositionally, a sample may contain almost anything and for each, the type, integrity, and content of both tissue and substrate will vary, as will the contaminant levels. This fact makes the success of extraction one of the most unpredictable steps in genotypic analysis. The development of robust genotyping systems and analysis platforms for short tandem repeat (STR) and mitochondrial DNA sequencing and the acceptance of results generated by these methods in the court system, resulted in a high demand for DNA testing. The increasing variety of sample submissions created a need to isolate DNA from forensic samples that may be compromised or contain low levels of biological material. In the past decade, several robust chemistries and isolation methods have been developed to safely and reliably recover DNA from a wide array of sample types in high yield and free of PCR inhibitors. In addition, high-throughput automated workflows have been developed to meet the demand for processing increasing numbers of samples. This review summarizes a number of the most widely adopted methods and the best practices for DNA isolation from forensic biological samples, including manual, semiautomated, and fully automated platforms. Copyright © 2010 Central Police University.

  2. Whole-genome gene expression profiling of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Craig April

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available We have developed a gene expression assay (Whole-Genome DASL, capable of generating whole-genome gene expression profiles from degraded samples such as formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE specimens.We demonstrated a similar level of sensitivity in gene detection between matched fresh-frozen (FF and FFPE samples, with the number and overlap of probes detected in the FFPE samples being approximately 88% and 95% of that in the corresponding FF samples, respectively; 74% of the differentially expressed probes overlapped between the FF and FFPE pairs. The WG-DASL assay is also able to detect 1.3-1.5 and 1.5-2 -fold changes in intact and FFPE samples, respectively. The dynamic range for the assay is approximately 3 logs. Comparing the WG-DASL assay with an in vitro transcription-based labeling method yielded fold-change correlations of R(2 approximately 0.83, while fold-change comparisons with quantitative RT-PCR assays yielded R(2 approximately 0.86 and R(2 approximately 0.55 for intact and FFPE samples, respectively. Additionally, the WG-DASL assay yielded high self-correlations (R(2>0.98 with low intact RNA inputs ranging from 1 ng to 100 ng; reproducible expression profiles were also obtained with 250 pg total RNA (R(2 approximately 0.92, with approximately 71% of the probes detected in 100 ng total RNA also detected at the 250 pg level. When FFPE samples were assayed, 1 ng total RNA yielded self-correlations of R(2 approximately 0.80, while still maintaining a correlation of R(2 approximately 0.75 with standard FFPE inputs (200 ng.Taken together, these results show that WG-DASL assay provides a reliable platform for genome-wide expression profiling in archived materials. It also possesses utility within clinical settings where only limited quantities of samples may be available (e.g. microdissected material or when minimally invasive procedures are performed (e.g. biopsied specimens.

  3. Analysis of the research sample collections of Uppsala biobank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Engelmark, Malin T; Beskow, Anna H

    2014-10-01

    Uppsala Biobank is the joint and only biobank organization of the two principals, Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital. Biobanks are required to have updated registries on sample collection composition and management in order to fulfill legal regulations. We report here the results from the first comprehensive and overall analysis of the 131 research sample collections organized in the biobank. The results show that the median of the number of samples in the collections was 700 and that the number of samples varied from less than 500 to over one million. Blood samples, such as whole blood, serum, and plasma, were included in the vast majority, 84.0%, of the research sample collections. Also, as much as 95.5% of the newly collected samples within healthcare included blood samples, which further supports the concept that blood samples have fundamental importance for medical research. Tissue samples were also commonly used and occurred in 39.7% of the research sample collections, often combined with other types of samples. In total, 96.9% of the 131 sample collections included samples collected for healthcare, showing the importance of healthcare as a research infrastructure. Of the collections that had accessed existing samples from healthcare, as much as 96.3% included tissue samples from the Department of Pathology, which shows the importance of pathology samples as a resource for medical research. Analysis of different research areas shows that the most common of known public health diseases are covered. Collections that had generated the most publications, up to over 300, contained a large number of samples collected systematically and repeatedly over many years. More knowledge about existing biobank materials, together with public registries on sample collections, will support research collaborations, improve transparency, and bring us closer to the goals of biobanks, which is to save and prolong human lives and improve health and quality of life.

  4. Investigation of ultrashort-pulsed laser on dental hard tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Uchizono, Takeyuki; Awazu, Kunio; Igarashi, Akihiro; Kato, Junji; Hirai, Yoshito

    2007-02-01

    Ultrashort-pulsed laser (USPL) can ablate various materials with precious less thermal effect. In laser dentistry, to solve the problem that were the generation of crack and carbonized layer by irradiating with conventional laser such as Er:YAG and CO II laser, USPL has been studied to ablate dental hard tissues by several researchers. We investigated the effectiveness of ablation on dental hard tissues by USPL. In this study, Ti:sapphire laser as USPL was used. The laser parameter had the pulse duration of 130 fsec, 800nm wavelength, 1KHz of repetition rate and the average power density of 90~360W/cm2. Bovine root dentin plates and crown enamel plates were irradiated with USPL at 1mm/sec using moving stage. The irradiated samples were analyzed by SEM, EDX, FTIR and roughness meter. In all irradiated samples, the cavity margin and wall were sharp and steep, extremely. In irradiated dentin samples, the surface showed the opened dentin tubules and no smear layer. The Ca/P ratio by EDX measurement and the optical spectrum by FTIR measurement had no change on comparison irradiated samples and non-irradiated samples. These results confirmed that USPL could ablate dental hard tissue, precisely and non-thermally. In addition, the ablation depths of samples were 10μm, 20μm, and 60μm at 90 W/cm2, 180 W/cm2, and 360 W/cm2, approximately. Therefore, ablation depth by USPL depends on the average power density. USPL has the possibility that can control the precision and non-thermal ablation with depth direction by adjusting the irradiated average power density.

  5. Office-based narrow band imaging-guided flexible laryngoscopy tissue sampling: A cost-effectiveness analysis evaluating its impact on Taiwanese health insurance program

    OpenAIRE

    Fang, Tuan-Jen; Li, Hsueh-Yu; Liao, Chun-Ta; Chiang, Hui-Chen; Chen, I-How

    2015-01-01

    Narrow band imaging (NBI)-guided flexible laryngoscopy tissue sampling for laryngopharyngeal lesions is a novel technique. Patients underwent the procedure in an office-based setting without being sedated, which is different from the conventional technique performed using direct laryngoscopy. Although the feasibility and effects of this procedure were established, its financial impact on the institution and Taiwanese National Health Insurance program was not determined. Methods: This is a ...

  6. Protein Kinase A Regulatory Subunits in Human Adipose Tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mantovani, Giovanna; Bondioni, Sara; Alberti, Luisella; Gilardini, Luisa; Invitti, Cecilia; Corbetta, Sabrina; Zappa, Marco A.; Ferrero, Stefano; Lania, Andrea G.; Bosari, Silvano; Beck-Peccoz, Paolo; Spada, Anna

    2009-01-01

    OBJECTIVE—In human adipocytes, the cAMP-dependent pathway mediates signals originating from β-adrenergic activation, thus playing a key role in the regulation of important metabolic processes, i.e., lipolysis and thermogenesis. Cyclic AMP effects are mainly mediated by protein kinase A (PKA), whose R2B regulatory isoform is the most expressed in mouse adipose tissue, where it protects against diet-induced obesity and fatty liver development. The aim of the study was to investigate possible differences in R2B expression, PKA activity, and lipolysis in adipose tissues from obese and nonobese subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—The expression of the different PKA regulatory subunits was evaluated by immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and real-time PCR in subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissue samples from 20 nonobese and 67 obese patients. PKA activity and glycerol release were evaluated in total protein extract and adipocytes isolated from fresh tissue samples, respectively. RESULTS—Expression techniques showed that R2B was the most abundant regulatory protein, both at mRNA and protein level. Interestingly, R2B mRNA levels were significantly lower in both subcutaneous and visceral adipose tissues from obese than nonobese patients and negatively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, insulin levels, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance. Moreover, both basal and stimulated PKA activity and glycerol release were significantly lower in visceral adipose tissue from obese patients then nonobese subjects. CONCLUSIONS—Our results first indicate that, in human adipose tissue, there are important BMI-related differences in R2B expression and PKA activation, which might be included among the multiple determinants involved in the different lipolytic response to β-adrenergic activation in obesity. PMID:19095761

  7. Effect of topical anaesthetics on interstitial colloid osmotic pressure in human subcutaneous tissue sampled by wick technique.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hans Jørgen Timm Guthe

    Full Text Available To measure colloid osmotic pressure in interstitial fluid (COP(i from human subcutaneous tissue with the modified wick technique in order to determine influence of topical application of anaesthetics, dry vs. wet wick and implantation time on COP(i.In 50 healthy volunteers interstitial fluid (IF was collected by subcutaneous implantation of multi-filamentous nylon wicks. Study subjects were allocated to two groups; one for comparing COP(i obtained from dry and saline soaked wicks, and one for comparing COP(i from unanaesthetized skin, and skin after application of a eutectic mixture of local anaesthetic (EMLA®, Astra Zeneca cream. IF was sampled from the skin of the shoulders, and implantation time was 30, 60, 75, 90 and 120 min. Colloid osmotic pressure was measured with a colloid osmometer. Pain assessment during the procedure was compared for EMLA cream and no topical anaesthesia using a visual analogue scale (VAS in a subgroup of 10 subjects.There were no significant differences between COP(i obtained from dry compared to wet wicks, except that the values after 75 and 90 min. were somewhat higher for the dry wicks. Topical anaesthesia with EMLA cream did not affect COP(i values. COP(i decreased from 30 to 75 min. of implantation (23.2 ± 4.4 mmHg to 19.6 ± 2.9 mmHg, p = 0.008 and subsequently tended to increase until 120 min. EMLA cream resulted in significant lower VAS score for the procedure.COP(i from subcutaneous tissue was easily obtained and fluid harvesting was well tolerated when topical anaesthetic was used. The difference in COP(i assessed by dry and wet wicks between 75 min. and 90 min. of implantation was in accordance with previous reports. The use of topical analgesia did not influence COP(i and topical analgesia may make the wick technique more acceptable for subjects who dislike technical procedures, including children.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01044979.

  8. Letter from Kirk Kessler, EPS to Galo Jackson, USEPA. Subject: Results of the July 2011 Sampling in the Former Brunswick-Altamaha Canal South of the LCP Chemicals Site, Brunswick, Ga, Revision Dated April 19, 2012

    Science.gov (United States)

    Results report of sediment and fish tissue samples collected from the former Brunswick-Altamaha Canal, in a segment of the canal south of the LCP Chemicals Site in Brunswick, Georgia in July 2010. Region ID: 04 DocID: 10843428, DocDate: 04-19-2012

  9. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for the measurement of tissue oxygen saturation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sircan-Kucuksayan, A; Canpolat, M; Uyuklu, M

    2015-01-01

    Tissue oxygen saturation (StO 2 ) is a useful parameter for medical applications. A spectroscopic method has been developed to detect pathologic tissues, due to a lack of normal blood circulation, by measuring StO 2 . In this study, human blood samples with different levels of oxygen saturation have been prepared and spectra were acquired using an optical fiber probe to investigate the correlation between the oxygen saturation levels and the spectra. A linear correlation between the oxygen saturation and ratio of the intensities (760 nm to 790 nm) of the spectra acquired from blood samples has been found. In a validation study, oxygen saturations of the blood samples were estimated from the spectroscopic measurements with an error of 2.9%. It has also been shown that the linear dependence between the ratio and the oxygen saturation of the blood samples was valid for the blood samples with different hematocrits. Spectra were acquired from the forearms of 30 healthy volunteers to estimate StO 2 prior to, at the beginning of, after 2 min, and at the release of total vascular occlusion. The average StO 2 of a forearm before and after the two minutes occlusion was significantly different. The results suggested that optical reflectance spectroscopy is a sensitive method to estimate the StO 2 levels of human tissue. The technique developed to measure StO 2 has potential to detect ischemia in real time. (paper)

  10. Is adipose tissue a place for Mycobacterium tuberculosis persistence?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olivier Neyrolles

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the etiological agent of tuberculosis (TB, has the ability to persist in its human host for exceptionally long periods of time. However, little is known about the location of the bacilli in latently infected individuals. Long-term mycobacterial persistence in the lungs has been reported, but this may not sufficiently account for strictly extra-pulmonary TB, which represents 10-15% of the reactivation cases. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We applied in situ and conventional PCR to sections of adipose tissue samples of various anatomical origins from 19 individuals from Mexico and 20 from France who had died from causes other than TB. M. tuberculosis DNA could be detected by either or both techniques in fat tissue surrounding the kidneys, the stomach, the lymph nodes, the heart and the skin in 9/57 Mexican samples (6/19 individuals, and in 8/26 French samples (6/20 individuals. In addition, mycobacteria could be immuno-detected in perinodal adipose tissue of 1 out of 3 biopsy samples from individuals with active TB. In vitro, using a combination of adipose cell models, including the widely used murine adipose cell line 3T3-L1, as well as primary human adipocytes, we show that after binding to scavenger receptors, M. tuberculosis can enter within adipocytes, where it accumulates intracytoplasmic lipid inclusions and survives in a non-replicating state that is insensitive to the major anti-mycobacterial drug isoniazid. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Given the abundance and the wide distribution of the adipose tissue throughout the body, our results suggest that this tissue, among others, might constitute a vast reservoir where the tubercle bacillus could persist for long periods of time, and avoid both killing by antimicrobials and recognition by the host immune system. In addition, M. tuberculosis-infected adipocytes might provide a new model to investigate dormancy and to evaluate new drugs for the treatment of

  11. Sample preparation for the HAW project and experimental results from the HFR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Garcia Celma, A.; Wees, H. van; Miralles, L.

    1990-09-01

    This report deals with the preparation and analysis of samples, during the period May 1989-November 1989, for the High-Active Waste (HAW) project, a large-scale in situ test being performed underground in the Asse salt mine, Remlingen FRG. The development of the technical procedures required, and the scientific results, which regard mostly characterization of Potasas del Llobregat sample, are reported. Prior to using the samples in both the H.A.W. and the H.F.R. experiments they have to be machined to fit their holders. Technical improvements for machining samples of salt are reported. (H.W.). 9 refs.; 68 figs.; 10 tabs

  12. Telomere length in normal and neoplastic canine tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cadile, Casey D; Kitchell, Barbara E; Newman, Rebecca G; Biller, Barbara J; Hetler, Elizabeth R

    2007-12-01

    To determine the mean telomere restriction fragment (TRF) length in normal and neoplastic canine tissues. 57 solid-tissue tumor specimens collected from client-owned dogs, 40 samples of normal tissue collected from 12 clinically normal dogs, and blood samples collected from 4 healthy blood donor dogs. Tumor specimens were collected from client-owned dogs during diagnostic or therapeutic procedures at the University of Illinois Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital, whereas 40 normal tissue samples were collected from 12 control dogs. Telomere restriction fragment length was determined by use of an assay kit. A histologic diagnosis was provided for each tumor by personnel at the Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at the University of Illinois. Mean of the mean TRF length for 44 normal samples was 19.0 kilobases (kb; range, 15.4 to 21.4 kb), and the mean of the mean TRF length for 57 malignant tumors was 19.0 kb (range, 12.9 to 23.5 kb). Although the mean of the mean TRF length for tumors and normal tissues was identical, tumor samples had more variability in TRF length. Telomerase, which represents the main mechanism by which cancer cells achieve immortality, is an attractive therapeutic target. The ability to measure telomere length is crucial to monitoring the efficacy of telomerase inhibition. In contrast to many other mammalian species, the length of canine telomeres and the rate of telomeric DNA loss are similar to those reported in humans, making dogs a compelling choice for use in the study of human anti-telomerase strategies.

  13. Direct detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex in bovine and bubaline tissues through nested-PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Araújo, Cristina P; Osório, Ana Luiza A R; Jorge, Klaudia S G; Ramos, Carlos A N; Souza Filho, Antonio F; Vidal, Carlos E S; Vargas, Agueda P C; Roxo, Eliana; Rocha, Adalgiza S; Suffys, Philip N; Fonseca, Antônio A; Silva, Marcio R; Barbosa Neto, José D; Cerqueira, Valíria D; Araújo, Flábio R

    2014-01-01

    Post-mortem bacterial culture and specific biochemical tests are currently performed to characterize the etiologic agent of bovine tuberculosis. Cultures take up to 90 days to develop. A diagnosis by molecular tests such as PCR can provide fast and reliable results while significantly decreasing the time of confirmation. In the present study, a nested-PCR system, targeting rv2807, with conventional PCR followed by real-time PCR, was developed to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTC) organisms directly from bovine and bubaline tissue homogenates. The sensitivity and specificity of the reactions were assessed with DNA samples extracted from tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacteria, as well as other Actinomycetales species and DNA samples extracted directly from bovine and bubaline tissue homogenates. Regarding the analytical sensitivity, DNA of the M. bovis AN5 strain was detected up to 1.5 pg by nested-PCR, whereas DNA of M. tuberculosis H37Rv strain was detected up to 6.1 pg. The nested-PCR system showed 100% analytical specificity for MTC when tested with DNA of reference strains of non-tuberculous mycobacteria and closely-related Actinomycetales. A clinical sensitivity level of 76.7% was detected with tissues samples positive for MTC by means of the culture and conventional PCR. A clinical specificity of 100% was detected with DNA from tissue samples of cattle with negative results in the comparative intradermal tuberculin test. These cattle exhibited no visible lesions and were negative in the culture for MTC. The use of the nested-PCR assay to detect M. tuberculosis complex in tissue homogenates provided a rapid diagnosis of bovine and bubaline tuberculosis.

  14. Tissue spray ionization mass spectrometry for rapid recognition of human lung squamous cell carcinoma

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Yiping; Chen, Liru; Zhou, Wei; Chingin, Konstantin; Ouyang, Yongzhong; Zhu, Tenggao; Wen, Hua; Ding, Jianhua; Xu, Jianjun; Chen, Huanwen

    2015-05-01

    Tissue spray ionization mass spectrometry (TSI-MS) directly on small tissue samples has been shown to provide highly specific molecular information. In this study, we apply this method to the analysis of 38 pairs of human lung squamous cell carcinoma tissue (cancer) and adjacent normal lung tissue (normal). The main components of pulmonary surfactants, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC, m/z 757.47), phosphatidylcholine (POPC, m/z 782.52), oleoyl phosphatidylcholine (DOPC, m/z 808.49), and arachidonic acid stearoyl phosphatidylcholine (SAPC, m/z 832.43), were identified using high-resolution tandem mass spectrometry. Monte Carlo sampling partial least squares linear discriminant analysis (PLS-LDA) was used to distinguish full-mass-range mass spectra of cancer samples from the mass spectra of normal tissues. With 5 principal components and 30 - 40 Monte Carlo samplings, the accuracy of cancer identification in matched tissue samples reached 94.42%. Classification of a tissue sample required less than 1 min, which is much faster than the analysis of frozen sections. The rapid, in situ diagnosis with minimal sample consumption provided by TSI-MS is advantageous for surgeons. TSI-MS allows them to make more informed decisions during surgery.

  15. High Definition Confocal Imaging Modalities for the Characterization of Tissue-Engineered Substitutes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayrand, Dominique; Fradette, Julie

    2018-01-01

    Optimal imaging methods are necessary in order to perform a detailed characterization of thick tissue samples from either native or engineered tissues. Tissue-engineered substitutes are featuring increasing complexity including multiple cell types and capillary-like networks. Therefore, technical approaches allowing the visualization of the inner structural organization and cellular composition of tissues are needed. This chapter describes an optical clearing technique which facilitates the detailed characterization of whole-mount samples from skin and adipose tissues (ex vivo tissues and in vitro tissue-engineered substitutes) when combined with spectral confocal microscopy and quantitative analysis on image renderings.

  16. Culture-Independent Identification of Mycobacterium avium Subspecies paratuberculosis in Ovine Tissues: Comparison with Bacterial Culture and Histopathological Lesions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kamal R. Acharya

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Johne’s disease is a chronic debilitating enteropathy of ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP. Current abattoir surveillance programs detect disease via examination of gross lesions and confirmation by histopathological and/or tissue culture, which is time-consuming and has relatively low sensitivity. This study aimed to investigate whether a high-throughput quantitative PCR (qPCR test is a viable alternative for tissue testing. Intestine and mesenteric lymph nodes were sourced from sheep experimentally infected with MAP and the DNA extracted using a protocol developed for tissues, comprised enzymatic digestion of the tissue homogenate, chemical and mechanical lysis, and magnetic bead-based DNA purification. The extracted DNA was tested by adapting a previously validated qPCR for fecal samples, and the results were compared with culture and histopathology results of the corresponding tissues. The MAP tissue qPCR confirmed infection in the majority of sheep with gross lesions on postmortem (37/38. Likewise, almost all tissue culture (61/64 or histopathology (52/58 positives were detected with good to moderate agreement (Cohen’s kappa statistic and no significant difference to the reference tests (McNemar’s Chi-square test. Higher MAP DNA quantities corresponded to animals with more severe histopathology (odds ratio: 1.82; 95% confidence interval: 1.60, 2.07. Culture-independent strain typing on tissue DNA was successfully performed. This MAP tissue qPCR method had a sensitivity equivalent to the reference tests and is thus a viable replacement for gross- and histopathological examination of tissue samples in abattoirs. In addition, the test could be validated for testing tissue samples intended for human consumption.

  17. Phenylalanine kinetics in human adipose tissue.

    OpenAIRE

    Coppack, S W; Persson, M; Miles, J M

    1996-01-01

    Very little is known about the regulation of protein metabolism in adipose tissue. In this study systemic, adipose tissue, and forearm phenylalanine kinetics were determined in healthy postabsorptive volunteers before and during a 2-h glucose infusion (7 mg.kg-1.min-1). [3H]Phenylalanine was infused and blood was sampled from a radial artery, a subcutaneous abdominal vein, and a deep forearm vein. Adipose tissue and forearm blood flow were measured with 133Xe and plethysmography, respectively...

  18. Gamma ray spectrometry results from core samples collected for RESUME 95

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanderson, D.C.W.; Allyson, J.D. [SURRC, East Kilbride, Scotland (United Kingdom); Toivonen, H.; Honkamaa, T. [STUK, Helsinki (Finland)

    1997-12-31

    Field sampling of an airfield at Vesivehmaa, near Vaeaeksy, Finland (Area I) was carried out between 26-29 May 1995, to establish the radionuclide deposition and inventory of Chernobyl derived {sup 137}Cs, and natural radionuclides. The objective was to establish a common calibration site for in-situ and airborne gamma spectrometers, for Exercise RESUME 95 conducted in August 1995. The report presents the sampling details, handling and treatment. The analyses are discussed with particular emphasis given to {sup 137}Ca, {sup 134}Cs, {sup 40}K, {sup 214}Bi and {sup 208} radionuclides, and the quantification of their respective deposition and inventories. The results have been used to estimate the effective concentrations of nuclides at the calibration site for in-situ and airborne gamma spectrometry, and the depth distribution. For {sup 137}Cs the weighted mean activity per unit area takes on values of 50.7{+-}5.2 kBq m{sup -2} at 1 m ground clearance, 51.1{+-}6.9 kBq m{sup -2} at 50 m height and 47.9{+-}8.5 kBq m{sup -2} at 100 m. The similarity of these values confirms the suitability of the Vesivehmaa site for comparison of in-situ and airborne results despite variations of a factor of two between results from individual cores. The mean {alpha}/{rho} value for {sup 137}Cs in Area I is 0.77{+-}0.10 cm{sup 2}g{sup -1} (relaxation mass per unit area, {beta} 1.31{+-}0.15 gcm{sup -2}). Additional soil sampling across parts of Area II (a 6x3 km area selected for mapping Chernobyl deposition) was carried out. The mean level of {sup 137}Cs activity from these samples was 92.4{+-}63 kBq m{sup -2}, a sample taken near Laihansuo showing the largest value obtained at 172 kBq m{sup -2}. (EG). 17 refs.

  19. Gamma ray spectrometry results from core samples collected for RESUME 95

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sanderson, D C.W.; Allyson, J D [SURRC, East Kilbride, Scotland (United Kingdom); Toivonen, H; Honkamaa, T [STUK, Helsinki (Finland)

    1998-12-31

    Field sampling of an airfield at Vesivehmaa, near Vaeaeksy, Finland (Area I) was carried out between 26-29 May 1995, to establish the radionuclide deposition and inventory of Chernobyl derived {sup 137}Cs, and natural radionuclides. The objective was to establish a common calibration site for in-situ and airborne gamma spectrometers, for Exercise RESUME 95 conducted in August 1995. The report presents the sampling details, handling and treatment. The analyses are discussed with particular emphasis given to {sup 137}Ca, {sup 134}Cs, {sup 40}K, {sup 214}Bi and {sup 208} radionuclides, and the quantification of their respective deposition and inventories. The results have been used to estimate the effective concentrations of nuclides at the calibration site for in-situ and airborne gamma spectrometry, and the depth distribution. For {sup 137}Cs the weighted mean activity per unit area takes on values of 50.7{+-}5.2 kBq m{sup -2} at 1 m ground clearance, 51.1{+-}6.9 kBq m{sup -2} at 50 m height and 47.9{+-}8.5 kBq m{sup -2} at 100 m. The similarity of these values confirms the suitability of the Vesivehmaa site for comparison of in-situ and airborne results despite variations of a factor of two between results from individual cores. The mean {alpha}/{rho} value for {sup 137}Cs in Area I is 0.77{+-}0.10 cm{sup 2}g{sup -1} (relaxation mass per unit area, {beta} 1.31{+-}0.15 gcm{sup -2}). Additional soil sampling across parts of Area II (a 6x3 km area selected for mapping Chernobyl deposition) was carried out. The mean level of {sup 137}Cs activity from these samples was 92.4{+-}63 kBq m{sup -2}, a sample taken near Laihansuo showing the largest value obtained at 172 kBq m{sup -2}. (EG). 17 refs.

  20. Collagen-chitosan scaffold - Lauric acid plasticizer for skin tissue engineering on burn cases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Widiyanti, Prihartini; Setyadi, Ewing Dian; Rudyardjo, Djony Izak

    2017-02-01

    The prevalence of burns in the world is more than 800 cases per one million people each year and this is the second highest cause of death due to trauma after traffic accident. Many studies are turning to skin substitute methods of tissue engineering. The purpose of this study is to determine the composition of the collagen, chitosan, and lauric acid scaffold, as well as knowing the results of the characterization of the scaffold. The synthesis of chitosan collagen lauric acid scaffold as a skin tissue was engineered using freeze dried method. Results from making of collagen chitosan lauric acid scaffold was characterized physically, biologically and mechanically by SEM, cytotoxicity, biodegradation, and tensile strength. From the morphology test, the result obtained is that pore diameter size ranges from 94.11 to 140.1 µm for samples A,B,C,D, which are in the range of normal pore size 63-150 µm, while sample E has value below the standard which is about 37.87 to 47.36 µm. From cytotoxicity assay, the result obtained is the percentage value of living cells between 20.11 to 21.51%. This value is below 50% the standard value of living cells. Incompatibility is made possible because of human error mainly the replication of washing process over the standard. Degradation testing obtained values of 19.44% - 40% by weight which are degraded during the 7 days of observation. Tensile test results obtained a range of values of 0.192 - 3.53 MPa. Only sample A (3.53 MPa) and B (1.935 MPa) meet the standard values of skin tissue scaffold that is 1-24 MPa. Based on the results of the characteristics of this study, composite chitosan collagen scaffold with lauric acid plasticizer has a potential candidate for skin tissue engineering for skin burns cases.

  1. Do neurotransmitters sampled by brain microdialysis reflect functional release?

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Westerink, BHC; Timmerman, W

    1999-01-01

    Brain microdialysis is an invasive sampling technique and will always cause damage to nervous tissue. For proper interpretation of the results, possible sources of interference need to be identified. The present review discusses the possible artefacts of the microdialysis technique and evaluates

  2. Fluorescence suppression using wavelength modulated Raman spectroscopy in fiber-probe-based tissue analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Praveen, Bavishna B; Ashok, Praveen C; Mazilu, Michael; Riches, Andrew; Herrington, Simon; Dholakia, Kishan

    2012-07-01

    In the field of biomedical optics, Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool for probing the chemical composition of biological samples. In particular, fiber Raman probes play a crucial role for in vivo and ex vivo tissue analysis. However, the high-fluorescence background typically contributed by the auto fluorescence from both a tissue sample and the fiber-probe interferes strongly with the relatively weak Raman signal. Here we demonstrate the implementation of wavelength-modulated Raman spectroscopy (WMRS) to suppress the fluorescence background while analyzing tissues using fiber Raman probes. We have observed a significant signal-to-noise ratio enhancement in the Raman bands of bone tissue, which have a relatively high fluorescence background. Implementation of WMRS in fiber-probe-based bone tissue study yielded usable Raman spectra in a relatively short acquisition time (∼30  s), notably without any special sample preparation stage. Finally, we have validated its capability to suppress fluorescence on other tissue samples such as adipose tissue derived from four different species.

  3. Rapid intra-operative diagnosis of kidney cancer by attenuated total reflection infrared spectroscopy of tissue smears.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pucetaite, Milda; Velicka, Martynas; Urboniene, Vidita; Ceponkus, Justinas; Bandzeviciute, Rimante; Jankevicius, Feliksas; Zelvys, Arunas; Sablinskas, Valdas; Steiner, Gerald

    2018-01-09

    Herein, a technique to analyze air-dried kidney tissue impression smears by means of attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy is presented. Spectral tumor markers-absorption bands of glycogen-are identified in the ATR-IR spectra of the kidney tissue smear samples. Thin kidney tissue cryo-sections currently used for IR spectroscopic analysis lack such spectral markers as the sample preparation causes irreversible molecular changes in the tissue. In particular, freeze-thaw cycle results in degradation of the glycogen and reduction or complete dissolution of its content. Supervised spectral classification was applied to the recorded spectra of the smears and the test spectra were classified with a high accuracy of 92% for normal tissue and 94% for tumor tissue, respectively. For further development, we propose that combination of the method with optical fiber ATR probes could potentially be used for rapid real-time intra-operative tissue analysis without interfering with either the established protocols of pathological examination or the ordinary workflow of operating surgeon. Such approach could ensure easier transition of the method to clinical applications where it may complement the results of gold standard histopathology examination and aid in more precise resection of kidney tumors. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. Oxidative stress and antioxidant activity in orbital fibroadipose tissue in Graves' ophthalmopathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hondur, Ahmet; Konuk, Onur; Dincel, Aylin Sepici; Bilgihan, Ayse; Unal, Mehmet; Hasanreisoglu, Berati

    2008-05-01

    To investigate the oxidative stress and antioxidant activity in the orbit in Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO). Orbital fibroadipose tissue samples were obtained from 13 cases during orbital fat decompression surgery. All cases demonstrated features of moderate or severe GO according to the European Group on Graves' Orbitopathy classification. The disease activity was evaluated with the Clinical Activity Score, and the clinical features of GO were evaluated with the Ophthalmopathy Index. Orbital fibroadipose tissue samples of 8 patients without any thyroid or autoimmune disease were studied as controls. In the tissue samples, lipid hydroperoxide level was examined to determine the level of oxidative stress; glutathione level to determine antioxidant level; superoxide dismutase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase activities to determine antioxidant activity. Lipid hydroperoxide level and all three antioxidant enzyme activities were found to be significantly elevated, while glutathione level significantly diminished in tissue samples from GO cases compared to controls (p < 0.05). Glutathione levels in tissue samples of GO cases showed negative correlation with Ophthalmopathy Index (r = -0.59, p < 0.05). The antioxidant activity in the orbit is enhanced in GO. However, the oxidative stress appears to be severe enough to deplete the tissue antioxidants and leads to oxidative tissue damage. This study may support the possible value of antioxidant treatment in GO.

  5. Hypospadias repair using laser tissue soldering (LTS): preliminary results of a prospective randomized study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirsch, Andrew J.; Cooper, Christopher S.; Canning, Douglas A.; Snyder, Howard M., III; Zderic, Stephen A.

    1998-07-01

    Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate laser tissue soldering using an 808 nm diode laser and wavelength- matched human albumin solder for urethral surgery in children. Methods: Currently, 30 boys, ages 3 months to 8 years were randomized to standard suturing (n equals 22) or 'sutureless' laser hypospadias repair (n equals 18). Laser soldering was performed with a human albumin solder doped with indocyanine green dye (2.5 mg/ml) using a laser power output of 0.5 W, pulse duration of 0.5 sec, and interval of 0.1 sec. Power density was approximately 16 W/cm2. In the laser group, sutures were used for tissue alignment only. At the time of surgery, neourethral and penile lengths, operative time for urethral repair, and number of sutures/throws were measured. Postoperatively, patients were examined for complications of wound healing, stricture, or fistula formation. Results: Mean age, severity of urethral defect, type of repair, and neourethra length were equivalent between the two groups. Operative time was significantly faster for laser soldering in both simple (1.6 plus or minus 0.21 min, p less than 0.001) and complex (5.4 plus or minus 0.28 min, p less than 0.0001) hypospadias repairs compared to controls (10.6 plus or minus 1.4 min and 27.8 plus or minus 2.9 min, respectively). The mean number of sutures used in the laser group for simple and complex repairs (3.3 plus or minus 0.3 and 8.1 plus or minus 0.64, respectively) were significantly (p less than 0.0001) less than for controls (8.2 plus or minus 0.84 and 20 plus or minus 2.3, respectively). Followup was between 3 months and 14 months. The overall complication rate in the laser group (11%) was lower than the controls (23%). However, statistical significance (p less than 0.05) was achieved only for the subgroup of patients undergoing simple repairs (LTS, 100% success versus suturing, 69% success). Conclusions: These preliminary results indicate that laser tissue soldering for hypospadias repair

  6. Brain tissue stiffness is a sensitive marker for acidosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Holtzmann, Kathrin; Gautier, Hélène O B; Christ, Andreas F; Guck, Jochen; Káradóttir, Ragnhildur Thóra; Franze, Kristian

    2016-09-15

    Carbon dioxide overdose is frequently used to cull rodents for tissue harvesting. However, this treatment may lead to respiratory acidosis, which potentially could change the properties of the investigated tissue. Mechanical tissue properties often change in pathological conditions and may thus offer a sensitive generic readout for changes in biological tissues with clinical relevance. In this study, we performed force-indentation measurements with an atomic force microscope on acute cerebellar slices from adult rats to test if brain tissue undergoes changes following overexposure to CO2 compared to other methods of euthanasia. The pH significantly decreased in brain tissue of animals exposed to CO2. Concomitant with the drop in pH, cerebellar grey matter significantly stiffened. Tissue stiffening was reproduced by incubation of acute cerebellar slices in acidic medium. Tissue stiffness provides an early, generic indicator for pathophysiological changes in the CNS. Atomic force microscopy offers unprecedented high spatial resolution to detect such changes. Our results indicate that the stiffness particularly of grey matter strongly correlates with changes of the pH in the cerebellum. Furthermore, the method of tissue harvesting and preparation may not only change tissue stiffness but very likely also other physiologically relevant parameters, highlighting the importance of appropriate sample preparation. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Pitfalls of improperly procured adjacent non-neoplastic tissue for somatic mutation analysis using next-generation sequencing

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lei Wei

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The rapid adoption of next-generation sequencing provides an efficient system for detecting somatic alterations in neoplasms. The detection of such alterations requires a matched non-neoplastic sample for adequate filtering of non-somatic events such as germline polymorphisms. Non-neoplastic tissue adjacent to the excised neoplasm is often used for this purpose as it is simultaneously collected and generally contains the same tissue type as the neoplasm. Following NGS analysis, we and others have frequently observed low-level somatic mutations in these non-neoplastic tissues, which may impose additional challenges to somatic mutation detection as it complicates germline variant filtering. Methods We hypothesized that the low-level somatic mutation observed in non-neoplastic tissues may be entirely or partially caused by inadvertent contamination by neoplastic cells during the surgical pathology gross assessment or tissue procurement process. To test this hypothesis, we applied a systematic protocol designed to collect multiple grossly non-neoplastic tissues using different methods surrounding each single neoplasm. The procedure was applied in two breast cancer lumpectomy specimens. In each case, all samples were first sequenced by whole-exome sequencing to identify somatic mutations in the neoplasm and determine their presence in the adjacent non-neoplastic tissues. We then generated ultra-deep coverage using targeted sequencing to assess the levels of contamination in non-neoplastic tissue samples collected under different conditions. Results Contamination levels in non-neoplastic tissues ranged up to 3.5 and 20.9 % respectively in the two cases tested, with consistent pattern correlated with the manner of grossing and procurement. By carefully controlling the conditions of various steps during this process, we were able to eliminate any detectable contamination in both patients. Conclusion The results demonstrated that the

  8. SOLVENT HOLD TANK SAMPLE RESULTS FOR MCU-13-189, MCU-13-190, AND MCU-13-191: QUARTERLY SAMPLE FROM SEPTEMBER 2013

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fondeur, F.; Taylor-Pashow, K.

    2013-10-31

    Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed solvent samples from Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU) in support of continuing operations. A quarterly analysis of the solvent is required to maintain solvent composition within specifications. Analytical results of the analyses of Solvent Hold Tank (SHT) samples MCU-13-189, MCU-13-190, and MCU-13-191 received on September 4, 2013 are reported. The results show that the solvent (remaining heel in the SHT tank) at MCU contains excess Isopar L and a deficit concentration of modifier and trioctylamine when compared to the standard MCU solvent. As with the previous solvent sample results, these analyses indicate that the solvent does not require Isopar L trimming at this time. Since MCU is switching to NGS, there is no need to add TOA nor modifier. SRNL also analyzed the SHT sample for {{sup 137}Cs content and determined the measured value is within tolerance and the value has returned to levels observed in 2011.

  9. Normalization with Corresponding Naïve Tissue Minimizes Bias Caused by Commercial Reverse Transcription Kits on Quantitative Real-Time PCR Results.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Andreas Garcia-Bardon

    Full Text Available Real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR is the gold standard for expression analysis. Designed to improve reproducibility and sensitivity, commercial kits are commonly used for the critical step of cDNA synthesis. The present study was designed to determine the impact of these kits. mRNA from mouse brains were pooled to create serial dilutions ranging from 0.0625 μg to 2 μg, which were transcribed into cDNA using four different commercial reverse-transcription kits. Next, we transcribed mRNA from brain tissue after acute brain injury and naïve mice into cDNA for qPCR. Depending on tested genes, some kits failed to show linear results in dilution series and revealed strong variations in cDNA yield. Absolute expression data in naïve and trauma settings varied substantially between these kits. Normalization with a housekeeping gene failed to reduce kit-dependent variations, whereas normalization eliminated differences when naïve samples from the same region were used. The study shows strong evidence that choice of commercial cDNA synthesis kit has a major impact on PCR results and, consequently, on comparability between studies. Additionally, it provides a solution to overcome this limitation by normalization with data from naïve samples. This simple step helps to compare mRNA expression data between different studies and groups.

  10. Finite-element modeling of soft tissue rolling indentation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sangpradit, Kiattisak; Liu, Hongbin; Dasgupta, Prokar; Althoefer, Kaspar; Seneviratne, Lakmal D

    2011-12-01

    soft tissue sample using the ABAQUS FE software package. The aim of this work is to more precisely locate abnormalities within soft tissue organs using RFEM and hence aid surgeons to improve diagnostic ability. The soft tissue is modeled as a nonlinear hyperelastic material with geometrical nonlinearity. The proposed RFEM was validated on a silicone phantom and a porcine kidney sample. The results show that the proposed method can predict the wheel-tissue interaction forces of rolling indentation with good accuracy and can also accurately identify the location and depth of simulated tumors.

  11. Does Preoperative Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Influence the Diagnostic Potential of Periprosthetic Tissues in Hip or Knee Infections?

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bedenčič, Klemen; Kavčič, Martina; Faganeli, Nataša; Mihalič, Rene; Mavčič, Blaž; Dolenc, Jožica; Bajc, Zlatka; Trebše, Rihard

    2016-01-01

    Undiagnosed low-grade prosthetic joint infections (PJI) are recognized as an important reason for early failure of presumably aseptic revisions. Preoperatively administered antimicrobial prophylaxis reduces the incidence of PJI but it may reduce the sensitivity of microbiologic periprosthetic tissue cultures and consequently increase the incidence of undiagnosed septic prosthetic joint failures, which can lead to catastrophic serial revisions. We wished to determine whether administration of preoperative antibiotics decreases the likelihood of diagnosing PJI in patients undergoing revision hip or knee arthroplasty in whom infection is suspected. We prospectively enrolled and evaluated 40 patients (29 with THAs and 11 with TKAs) who met the following inclusion criteria: older than 18 years, with suspected PJI of unknown cause, undergoing surgical revision. After arthrotomy, three tissue samples were obtained for microbiologic analysis and diagnosis, and antimicrobial prophylaxis (cefazolin 2 g intravenously) then was administered. Later during the procedure, but before débridement and irrigation, the second set of three tissue samples was obtained from the same surgical area and was cultured. Tissue concentration of prophylactic antibiotic was verified with the second set of samples. A positive culture result was defined as one or more positive cultures (growth on agar at or before 14 days). We then compared the yield on the microbiologic cultures obtained before administration of antibiotics with the yield on the cultures obtained after antibiotics were administered. An a priori analysis was performed; with the numbers available, we had 98% power to detect a difference in diagnostic sensitivity of 33%. With the numbers available, we found no difference in the likelihood that an infection would be diagnosed between the samples obtained before and after administration of antimicrobial prophylaxis (odds ratio [OR] for positive microbial culture = 0.99; 95% CI, 0

  12. Optical imaging of oral pathological tissue using optical coherence tomography and synchrotron radiation computed microtomography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cânjǎu, Silvana; Todea, Carmen; Sinescu, Cosmin; Negrutiu, Meda L.; Duma, Virgil; Mǎnescu, Adrian; Topalǎ, Florin I.; Podoleanu, Adrian Gh.

    2013-06-01

    The efforts aimed at early diagnosis of oral cancer should be prioritized towards developing a new screening instrument, based on optical coherence tomography (OCT), to be used directly intraorally, able to perform a fast, real time, 3D and non-invasive diagnosis of oral malignancies. The first step in this direction would be to optimize the OCT image interpretation of oral tissues. Therefore we propose plastination as a tissue preparation method that better preserves three-dimensional structure for study by new optical imaging techniques. The OCT and the synchrotron radiation computed microtomography (micro-CT) were employed for tissue sample analyze. For validating the OCT results we used the gold standard diagnostic procedure for any suspicious lesion - histopathology. This is a preliminary study of comparing features provided by OCT and Micro-CT. In the conditions of the present study, OCT proves to be a highly promising imaging modality. The use of x-ray based topographic imaging of small biological samples has been limited by the low intrinsic x-ray absorption of non-mineralized tissue and the lack of established contrast agents. Plastination can be used to enhance optical imagies of oral soft tissue samples.

  13. Analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue via proteomic techniques and misconceptions of antigen retrieval.

    Science.gov (United States)

    O'Rourke, Matthew B; Padula, Matthew P

    2016-01-01

    Since emerging in the late 19(th) century, formaldehyde fixation has become a standard method for preservation of tissues from clinical samples. The advantage of formaldehyde fixation is that fixed tissues can be stored at room temperature for decades without concern for degradation. This has led to the generation of huge tissue banks containing thousands of clinically significant samples. Here we review techniques for proteomic analysis of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples with a specific focus on the methods used to extract and break formaldehyde crosslinks. We also discuss an error-of-interpretation associated with the technique known as "antigen retrieval." We have discovered that this term has been mistakenly applied to two disparate molecular techniques; therefore, we argue that a terminology change is needed to ensure accurate reporting of experimental results. Finally, we suggest that more investigation is required to fully understand the process of formaldehyde fixation and its subsequent reversal.

  14. 3D Printer Generated Tissue iMolds for Cleared Tissue Using Single- and Multi-Photon Microscopy for Deep Tissue Evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Sean J; Rothstein, Jeffrey D

    2017-01-01

    Pathological analyses and methodology has recently undergone a dramatic revolution. With the creation of tissue clearing methods such as CLARITY and CUBIC, groups can now achieve complete transparency in tissue samples in nano-porous hydrogels. Cleared tissue is then imagined in a semi-aqueous medium that matches the refractive index of the objective being used. However, one major challenge is the ability to control tissue movement during imaging and to relocate precise locations post sequential clearing and re-staining. Using 3D printers, we designed tissue molds that fit precisely around the specimen being imaged. First, images are taken of the specimen, followed by importing and design of a structural mold, then printed with affordable plastics by a 3D printer. With our novel design, we have innovated tissue molds called innovative molds (iMolds) that can be generated in any laboratory and are customized for any organ, tissue, or bone matter being imaged. Furthermore, the inexpensive and reusable tissue molds are made compatible for any microscope such as single and multi-photon confocal with varying stage dimensions. Excitingly, iMolds can also be generated to hold multiple organs in one mold, making reconstruction and imaging much easier. Taken together, with iMolds it is now possible to image cleared tissue in clearing medium while limiting movement and being able to relocate precise anatomical and cellular locations on sequential imaging events in any basic laboratory. This system provides great potential for screening widespread effects of therapeutics and disease across entire organ systems.

  15. Tissue

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Morrissey

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Purpose. In vivo gene therapy directed at tissues of mesenchymal origin could potentially augment healing. We aimed to assess the duration and magnitude of transene expression in vivo in mice and ex vivo in human tissues. Methods. Using bioluminescence imaging, plasmid and adenoviral vector-based transgene expression in murine quadriceps in vivo was examined. Temporal control was assessed using a doxycycline-inducible system. An ex vivo model was developed and optimised using murine tissue, and applied in ex vivo human tissue. Results. In vivo plasmid-based transgene expression did not silence in murine muscle, unlike in liver. Although maximum luciferase expression was higher in muscle with adenoviral delivery compared with plasmid, expression reduced over time. The inducible promoter cassette successfully regulated gene expression with maximum levels a factor of 11 greater than baseline. Expression was re-induced to a similar level on a temporal basis. Luciferase expression was readily detected ex vivo in human muscle and tendon. Conclusions. Plasmid constructs resulted in long-term in vivo gene expression in skeletal muscle, in a controllable fashion utilising an inducible promoter in combination with oral agents. Successful plasmid gene transfection in human ex vivo mesenchymal tissue was demonstrated for the first time.

  16. Results For The Third Quarter 2010 Tank 50 WAC Slurry Sample: Chemical And Radionuclide Contaminant Results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reigel, M.; Bibler, N.

    2010-01-01

    This report details the chemical and radionuclide contaminant results for the characterization of the 2010 Third Quarter sampling of Tank 50 for the Saltstone Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC). Information from this characterization will be used by Liquid Waste Operations (LWO) to support the transfer of low-level aqueous waste from Tank 50 to the Salt Feed Tank in the Saltstone Facility in Z-Area, where the waste will be immobilized. This information is also used to update the Tank 50 Waste Characterization System. The following conclusions are drawn from the analytical results provided in this report: (i) The concentrations of the reported chemical and radioactive contaminants were less than their respective WAC targets or limits unless noted in this section. (ii) The reported detection limits for 94 Nb, 247 Cm and 249 Cf are above the requested limits from Reference 4. However, they are below the limits established in Reference 3. (iii) The reported detection limit for 242m Am is greater than the requested limit from Attachment 8.4 of the WAC. (iv) The reported detection limit for Isopar L is greater than the limit from Table 3 of the WAC. (v) The reported concentration of Isopropanol is greater than the limit from Table 4 of the WAC. (vi) Isopar L and Norpar 13 have limited solubility in aqueous solutions making it difficult to obtain consistent and reliable sub-samples. The values reported in this memo are the concentrations in the sub-sample as detected by the GC/MS; however, the results may not accurately represent the concentrations of the analytes in Tank 50.

  17. Tissue grown in space in NASA Bioreactor

    Science.gov (United States)

    2001-01-01

    Dr. Lisa E. Freed of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and her colleagues have reported that initially disc-like specimens tend to become spherical in space, demonstrating that tissues can grow and differentiate into distinct structures in microgravity. The Mir Increment 3 (Sept. 16, 1996 - Jan. 22, 1997) samples were smaller, more spherical, and mechanically weaker than Earth-grown control samples. These results demonstrate the feasibility of microgravity tissue engineering and may have implications for long human space voyages and for treating musculoskeletal disorders on earth. Final samples from Mir and Earth appeared histologically cartilaginous throughout their entire cross sections (5-8 mm thick), with the exception of fibrous outer capsules. Constructs grown on Earth (A) appeared to have a more organized extracellular matrix with more uniform collagen orientation as compared with constructs grown on Mir (B), but the average collagen fiber diameter was similar in the two groups (22 +- 2 nm) and comparable to that previously reported for developing articular cartilage. Randomly oriented collagen in Mir samples would be consistent with previous reports that microgravity disrupts fibrillogenesis. These are transmission electron micrographs of constructs from Mir (A) and Earth (B) groups at magnifications of x3,500 and x120,000 (Inset). The work is sponsored by NASA's Office of Biological and Physical Research. The bioreactor is managed by the Biotechnology Cell Science Program at NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC). NASA-sponsored bioreactor research has been instrumental in helping scientists to better understand normal and cancerous tissue development. In cooperation with the medical community, the bioreactor design is being used to prepare better models of human colon, prostate, breast and ovarian tumors. Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

  18. Relationships of mercury concentrations across tissue types, muscle regions and fins for two shark species

    KAUST Repository

    O'Bryhim, Jason R.

    2017-01-31

    Mercury (Hg) exposure poses a threat to both fish and human health. Sharks are known to bioaccumulate Hg, however, little is known regarding how Hg is distributed between different tissue groups (e.g. muscle regions, organs). Here we evaluated total mercury (THg) concentrations from eight muscle regions, four fins (first dorsal, left and right pectorals, caudal-from both the inner core and trailing margin of each fin), and five internal organs (liver, kidney, spleen, heart, epigonal organ) from two different shark species, bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo) and silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) to determine the relationships of THg concentrations between and within tissue groups. Total Hg concentrations were highest in the eight muscle regions with no significant differences in THg concentrations between the different muscle regions and muscle types (red and white). Results from tissue collected from any muscle region would be representative of all muscle sample locations. Total Hg concentrations were lowest in samples taken from the fin inner core of the first dorsal, pectoral, and caudal (lower lobe) fins. Mercury concentrations for samples taken from the trailing margin of the dorsal, pectoral, and caudal fins (upper and lower lobe) were also not significantly different from each other for both species. Significant relationships were found between THg concentrations in dorsal axial muscle tissue and the fin inner core, liver, kidney, spleen and heart for both species as well as the THg concentrations between the dorsal fin trailing margin and the heart for the silky shark and all other sampled tissue types for the bonnethead shark. Our results suggest that biopsy sampling of dorsal muscle can provide data that can effectively estimate THg concentrations in specific organs without using more invasive, or lethal methods.

  19. Sampling Key Populations for HIV Surveillance: Results From Eight Cross-Sectional Studies Using Respondent-Driven Sampling and Venue-Based Snowball Sampling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Amrita; Stahlman, Shauna; Hargreaves, James; Weir, Sharon; Edwards, Jessie; Rice, Brian; Kochelani, Duncan; Mavimbela, Mpumelelo; Baral, Stefan

    2017-10-20

    In using regularly collected or existing surveillance data to characterize engagement in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) services among marginalized populations, differences in sampling methods may produce different pictures of the target population and may therefore result in different priorities for response. The objective of this study was to use existing data to evaluate the sample distribution of eight studies of female sex workers (FSW) and men who have sex with men (MSM), who were recruited using different sampling approaches in two locations within Sub-Saharan Africa: Manzini, Swaziland and Yaoundé, Cameroon. MSM and FSW participants were recruited using either respondent-driven sampling (RDS) or venue-based snowball sampling. Recruitment took place between 2011 and 2016. Participants at each study site were administered a face-to-face survey to assess sociodemographics, along with the prevalence of self-reported HIV status, frequency of HIV testing, stigma, and other HIV-related characteristics. Crude and RDS-adjusted prevalence estimates were calculated. Crude prevalence estimates from the venue-based snowball samples were compared with the overlap of the RDS-adjusted prevalence estimates, between both FSW and MSM in Cameroon and Swaziland. RDS samples tended to be younger (MSM aged 18-21 years in Swaziland: 47.6% [139/310] in RDS vs 24.3% [42/173] in Snowball, in Cameroon: 47.9% [99/306] in RDS vs 20.1% [52/259] in Snowball; FSW aged 18-21 years in Swaziland 42.5% [82/325] in RDS vs 8.0% [20/249] in Snowball; in Cameroon 15.6% [75/576] in RDS vs 8.1% [25/306] in Snowball). They were less educated (MSM: primary school completed or less in Swaziland 42.6% [109/310] in RDS vs 4.0% [7/173] in Snowball, in Cameroon 46.2% [138/306] in RDS vs 14.3% [37/259] in Snowball; FSW: primary school completed or less in Swaziland 86.6% [281/325] in RDS vs 23.9% [59/247] in Snowball, in Cameroon 87.4% [520/576] in RDS vs 77.5% [238/307] in Snowball) than the snowball

  20. Rheology and TIC/TOC results of ORNL tank samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pareizs, J. M.; Hansen, E. K.

    2013-01-01

    The Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL)) was requested by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to perform total inorganic carbon (TIC), total organic carbon (TOC), and rheological measurements for several Oak Ridge tank samples. As received slurry samples were diluted and submitted to SRNL-Analytical for TIC and TOC analyses. Settled solids yield stress (also known as settled shear strength) of the as received settled sludge samples were determined using the vane method and these measurements were obtained 24 hours after the samples were allowed to settled undisturbed. Rheological or flow properties (Bingham Plastic viscosity and Bingham Plastic yield stress) were determined from flow curves of the homogenized or well mixed samples. Other targeted total suspended solids (TSS) concentrations samples were also analyzed for flow properties and these samples were obtained by diluting the as-received sample with de-ionized (DI) water

  1. Structural changes in connective tissues caused by a moderate laser heating

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bagratashvili, Viktor N; Bagratashvili, N V; Sviridov, A P; Shakh, G Sh; Ignat'eva, Natalia Yu; Lunin, Valery V; Grokhovskaya, T E; Averkiev, S V

    2002-01-01

    The structural changes in adipose and fibrous tissues caused by 2- and 3-W IR laser irradiation are studied by the methods of IR and Raman spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry. It is shown that heating of fibrous tissue samples to 50 0 C and adipose tissue samples to 75 0 C by IR laser radiation changes the supramolecular structure of their proteins and triacylglycerides, respectively, without the intramolecular bond breaking. Heating of fibrous tissue to 70 0 C and adipose tissue to 90 - 110 0 C leads to a partial reversible denaturation of proteins and to oxidation of fats.

  2. Implementation of a new rapid tissue processing method--advantages and challenges

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Munkholm, Julie; Talman, Maj-Lis; Hasselager, Thomas

    2008-01-01

    Conventional tissue processing of histologic specimens has been carried out in the same manner for many years. It is a time-consuming process involving batch production, resulting in a 1-day delay of the diagnosis. Microwave-assisted tissue processing enables a continuous high flow of histologic...... specimens through the processor with a processing time of as low as 1h. In this article, we present the effects of the automated microwave-assisted tissue processor on the histomorphologic quality and the turnaround time (TAT) for histopathology reports. We present a blind comparative study regarding...... the histomorphologic quality of microwave-processed and conventionally processed tissue samples. A total of 333 specimens were included. The microwave-assisted processing method showed a histomorphologic quality comparable to the conventional method for a number of tissue types, including skin and specimens from...

  3. The impact of hydration changes in fresh bio-tissue on THz spectroscopic measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Png, G M; Ng, B W-H; Mickan, S P; Abbott, D; Choi, J W; Zhang, X-C

    2008-01-01

    We present a study of how residual hydration in fresh rat tissue samples can vastly alter their extracted terahertz (THz) optical properties and influence their health assessment. Fresh (as opposed to preserved) tissue most closely mimics in vivo conditions, but high water content creates many challenges for tissue handling and THz measurement. Our THz measurements of fresh tissue over time highlight the effect of tissue hydration on tissue texture and dimension, the latter directly influencing the accuracy of calculated optical properties. We then introduce lyophilization (freeze drying) as a viable solution for overcoming hydration and freshness problems. Lyophilization removes large amounts of water while retaining sample freshness. In addition, lyophilized tissue samples are easy to handle and their textures and dimensions do not vary over time, allowing for consistent and stable THz measurements. A comparison of lyophilized and fresh tissue shows for the first time that freeze drying may be one way of overcoming tissue hydration issues while preserving tissue cellular structure. Finally, we compare THz measurements from fresh tissue against necrotic tissue to verify freshness over time. Indeed, THz measurements from fresh and necrotic tissues show marked differences

  4. Sample Results from the Interim Salt Disposition Program Macrobatch 8 Tank 21H Qualification Samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peters, T. B. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Washington, A. L. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

    2015-01-01

    Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 21H in support of qualification of Macrobatch (Salt Batch) 8 for the Interim Salt Disposition Program (ISDP). An Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and several Extraction-Scrub- Strip (ESS) tests were also performed. This document reports characterization data on the samples of Tank 21H as well as simulated performance of ARP and the Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) Unit (MCU). No issues with the projected Salt Batch 8 strategy are identified. A demonstration of the monosodium titanate (MST) (0.2 g/L) removal of strontium and actinides provided acceptable average decontamination factors for plutonium of 2.62 (4 hour) and 2.90 (8 hour); and average strontium decontamination factors of 21.7 (4 hour) and 21.3 (8 hour). These values are consistent with results from previous salt batch ARP tests. The two ESS tests also showed acceptable performance with extraction distribution ratios (D(Cs)) values of 52.5 and 50.4 for the Next Generation Solvent (NGS) blend (from MCU) and NGS (lab prepared), respectively. These values are consistent with results from previous salt batch ESS tests. Even though the performance is acceptable, SRNL recommends that a model for predicting extraction behavior for cesium removal for the blended solvent and NGS be developed in order to improve our predictive capabilities for the ESS tests.

  5. Sample results from the Interim Salt Disposition Program Macrobatch 8 Tank 21H qualification samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peters, T. B. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Washington, II, A. L. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

    2015-01-13

    Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) analyzed samples from Tank 21H in support of qualification of Macrobatch (Salt Batch) 8 for the Interim Salt Disposition Program (ISDP). An Actinide Removal Process (ARP) and several Extraction-Scrub-Strip (ESS) tests were also performed. This document reports characterization data on the samples of Tank 21H as well as simulated performance of ARP and the Modular Caustic Side Solvent Extraction (CSSX) Unit (MCU). No issues with the projected Salt Batch 8 strategy are identified. A demonstration of the monosodium titanate (MST) (0.2 g/L) removal of strontium and actinides provided acceptable average decontamination factors for plutonium of 2.62 (4 hour) and 2.90 (8 hour); and average strontium decontamination factors of 21.7 (4 hour) and 21.3 (8 hour). These values are consistent with results from previous salt batch ARP tests. The two ESS tests also showed acceptable performance with extraction distribution ratios (D(Cs)) values of 52.5 and 50.4 for the Next Generation Solvent (NGS) blend (from MCU) and NGS (lab prepared), respectively. These values are consistent with results from previous salt batch ESS tests. Even though the performance is acceptable, SRNL recommends that a model for predicting extraction behavior for cesium removal for the blended solvent and NGS be developed in order to improve our predictive capabilities for the ESS tests.

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

    KAUST Repository

    Horiuchi, Youko

    2015-12-23

    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-eQTLs. Expression

  7. Ultrastructural evaluation of gingival connective tissue in hereditary gingival fibromatosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pêgo, Sabina Pena B; de Faria, Paulo Rogério; Santos, Luis Antônio N; Coletta, Ricardo D; de Aquino, Sibele Nascimento; Martelli-Júnior, Hercílio

    2016-07-01

    To describe the ultrastructural features of hereditary gingival fibromatosis (HGF) in affected family members and compare microscopic findings with normal gingival (NG) tissue. Gingival tissue samples from nine patients with HGF from five unrelated families were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy. Nine NG tissue samples were used for comparison. Areas containing collagen fibrils forming loops and folds were observed in both groups, whereas oxytalan fibers were frequently identified in the HGF group. The diameter of collagen fibrils and the interfibrillar space among them were more uniform in the NG group than in the HGF group. Fibroblasts were the most common cells found in both the HGF and NG groups and exhibited enlarged, rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondria with well-preserved crests, conspicuous nucleoli, and euchromatic chromatin. Other cells, such as mast cells, plasma cells, and macrophages, were also observed. HGF tissues had ultrastructural characteristics that were very similar to those of NG tissues. Oxytalan fibers were observed more frequently in the HGF samples than in the NG samples. Other studies of HGF in patients from different families should be performed to better understand the pathogenesis of this hereditary condition. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Adipose tissue extracts plasma ammonia after sprint exercise in women and men

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Esbjörnsson, Mona; Bülow, Jens; Norman, Barbara

    2006-01-01

    This study evaluates a possible contribution of adipose tissue to the elimination of plasma ammonia (NH(3)) after high-intensity sprint exercise. In 14 healthy men and women, repeated blood samples for plasma NH(3) analyses were obtained from brachial artery and from a subcutaneous abdominal vein......) with glutamate resulting in its conversion to glutamine. Adipose tissue may thus play an important physiological role in eliminating plasma NH(3) and thereby reducing the risk of NH(3) intoxication after high-intensity exercise.......This study evaluates a possible contribution of adipose tissue to the elimination of plasma ammonia (NH(3)) after high-intensity sprint exercise. In 14 healthy men and women, repeated blood samples for plasma NH(3) analyses were obtained from brachial artery and from a subcutaneous abdominal vein...... before and after three repeated 30-s cycle sprints separated by 20 min of recovery. Biopsies from subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue were obtained and analyzed for glutamine and glutamate content. After exercise, both arterial and abdominal venous plasma NH(3) concentrations were lower in women than...

  9. Comparing Microbiome Sampling Methods in a Wild Mammal: Fecal and Intestinal Samples Record Different Signals of Host Ecology, Evolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ingala, Melissa R; Simmons, Nancy B; Wultsch, Claudia; Krampis, Konstantinos; Speer, Kelly A; Perkins, Susan L

    2018-01-01

    The gut microbiome is a community of host-associated symbiotic microbes that fulfills multiple key roles in host metabolism, immune function, and tissue development. Given the ability of the microbiome to impact host fitness, there is increasing interest in studying the microbiome of wild animals to better understand these communities in the context of host ecology and evolution. Human microbiome research protocols are well established, but wildlife microbiome research is still a developing field. Currently, there is no standardized set of best practices guiding the collection of microbiome samples from wildlife. Gut microflora are typically sampled either by fecal collection, rectal swabbing, or by destructively sampling the intestinal contents of the host animal. Studies rarely include more than one sampling technique and no comparison of these methods currently exists for a wild mammal. Although some studies have hypothesized that the fecal microbiome is a nested subset of the intestinal microbiome, this hypothesis has not been formally tested. To address these issues, we examined guano (feces) and distal intestinal mucosa from 19 species of free-ranging bats from Lamanai, Belize, using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to compare microbial communities across sample types. We found that the diversity and composition of intestine and guano samples differed substantially. In addition, we conclude that signatures of host evolution are retained by studying gut microbiomes based on mucosal tissue samples, but not fecal samples. Conversely, fecal samples retained more signal of host diet than intestinal samples. These results suggest that fecal and intestinal sampling methods are not interchangeable, and that these two microbiotas record different information about the host from which they are isolated.

  10. Comparing Microbiome Sampling Methods in a Wild Mammal: Fecal and Intestinal Samples Record Different Signals of Host Ecology, Evolution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Melissa R. Ingala

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available The gut microbiome is a community of host-associated symbiotic microbes that fulfills multiple key roles in host metabolism, immune function, and tissue development. Given the ability of the microbiome to impact host fitness, there is increasing interest in studying the microbiome of wild animals to better understand these communities in the context of host ecology and evolution. Human microbiome research protocols are well established, but wildlife microbiome research is still a developing field. Currently, there is no standardized set of best practices guiding the collection of microbiome samples from wildlife. Gut microflora are typically sampled either by fecal collection, rectal swabbing, or by destructively sampling the intestinal contents of the host animal. Studies rarely include more than one sampling technique and no comparison of these methods currently exists for a wild mammal. Although some studies have hypothesized that the fecal microbiome is a nested subset of the intestinal microbiome, this hypothesis has not been formally tested. To address these issues, we examined guano (feces and distal intestinal mucosa from 19 species of free-ranging bats from Lamanai, Belize, using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing to compare microbial communities across sample types. We found that the diversity and composition of intestine and guano samples differed substantially. In addition, we conclude that signatures of host evolution are retained by studying gut microbiomes based on mucosal tissue samples, but not fecal samples. Conversely, fecal samples retained more signal of host diet than intestinal samples. These results suggest that fecal and intestinal sampling methods are not interchangeable, and that these two microbiotas record different information about the host from which they are isolated.

  11. Waterjet cutting of periprosthetic interface tissue in loosened hip prostheses: an in vitro feasibility study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kraaij, Gert; Tuijthof, Gabrielle J M; Dankelman, Jenny; Nelissen, Rob G H H; Valstar, Edward R

    2015-02-01

    Waterjet cutting technology is considered a promising technology to be used for minimally invasive removal of interface tissue surrounding aseptically loose hip prostheses. The goal of this study was to investigate the feasibility of waterjet cutting of interface tissue membrane. Waterjets with 0.2 mm and 0.6 mm diameter, a stand-off distance of 5 mm, and a traverse speed of 0.5 mm/s were used to cut interface tissue samples in half. The water flow through the nozzle was controlled by means of a valve. By changing the flow, the resulting waterjet pressure was regulated. Tissue sample thickness and the required waterjet pressures were measured. Mean thickness of the samples tested within the 0.2 mm nozzle group was 2.3 mm (SD 0.7 mm) and within the 0.6 mm nozzle group 2.6 mm (SD 0.9 mm). The required waterjet pressure to cut samples was between 10 and 12 MPa for the 0.2 mm nozzle and between 5 and 10 MPa for the 0.6 mm nozzle. Cutting bone or bone cement requires about 3 times higher waterjet pressure (30-50 MPa, depending on used nozzle diameter) and therefore we consider waterjet cutting as a safe technique to be used for minimally invasive interface tissue removal. Copyright © 2015 IPEM. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Perfluoroalkyl substances in aquatic environment-comparison of fish and passive sampling approaches.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cerveny, Daniel; Grabic, Roman; Fedorova, Ganna; Grabicova, Katerina; Turek, Jan; Kodes, Vit; Golovko, Oksana; Zlabek, Vladimir; Randak, Tomas

    2016-01-01

    The concentrations of seven perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were investigated in 36 European chub (Squalius cephalus) individuals from six localities in the Czech Republic. Chub muscle and liver tissue were analysed at all sampling sites. In addition, analyses of 16 target PFASs were performed in Polar Organic Chemical Integrative Samplers (POCISs) deployed in the water at the same sampling sites. We evaluated the possibility of using passive samplers as a standardized method for monitoring PFAS contamination in aquatic environments and the mutual relationships between determined concentrations. Only perfluorooctane sulphonate was above the LOQ in fish muscle samples and 52% of the analysed fish individuals exceeded the Environmental Quality Standard for water biota. Fish muscle concentration is also particularly important for risk assessment of fish consumers. The comparison of fish tissue results with published data showed the similarity of the Czech results with those found in Germany and France. However, fish liver analysis and the passive sampling approach resulted in different fish exposure scenarios. The total concentration of PFASs in fish liver tissue was strongly correlated with POCIS data, but pollutant patterns differed between these two matrices. The differences could be attributed to the metabolic activity of the living organism. In addition to providing a different view regarding the real PFAS cocktail to which the fish are exposed, POCISs fulfil the Three Rs strategy (replacement, reduction, and refinement) in animal testing. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Sample preparation and fractionation for proteome analysis and cancer biomarker discovery by mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmed, Farid E

    2009-03-01

    Sample preparation and fractionation technologies are one of the most crucial processes in proteomic analysis and biomarker discovery in solubilized samples. Chromatographic or electrophoretic proteomic technologies are also available for separation of cellular protein components. There are, however, considerable limitations in currently available proteomic technologies as none of them allows for the analysis of the entire proteome in a simple step because of the large number of peptides, and because of the wide concentration dynamic range of the proteome in clinical blood samples. The results of any undertaken experiment depend on the condition of the starting material. Therefore, proper experimental design and pertinent sample preparation is essential to obtain meaningful results, particularly in comparative clinical proteomics in which one is looking for minor differences between experimental (diseased) and control (nondiseased) samples. This review discusses problems associated with general and specialized strategies of sample preparation and fractionation, dealing with samples that are solution or suspension, in a frozen tissue state, or formalin-preserved tissue archival samples, and illustrates how sample processing might influence detection with mass spectrometric techniques. Strategies that dramatically improve the potential for cancer biomarker discovery in minimally invasive, blood-collected human samples are also presented.

  14. Guidelines for collecting vouchers and tissues intended for genomic work (Smithsonian Institution: Botany Best Practices

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vicki Funk

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The introduction of Next Generation Sequencing into the disciplines of plant systematics, ecology, and metagenomics, among others, has resulted in a phenomenal increase in the collecting and storing of tissue samples and their respective vouchers. This manual suggests standard practices that will insure the quality and preservation of the tissue and vouchers and their respective data. Although written for use by the Smithsonian Institution botanists it suggests a framework for collecting tissues and vouchers that other research programs can adapt to their own needs. It includes information on collecting voucher specimens, collecting plant tissue intended for genomic analysis, how to manage these collections, and how to incorporate the data into a database management system. It also includes many useful references for collecting and processing collections. We hope it will be useful for a variety of botanists but especially those who know how to collect plants and want to collect tissue samples that will be useful for genomic research, and those who are skilled in lab work and want to know how to properly voucher and record their tissue collections.

  15. The volume of fluid injected into the tissue expander and the tissue expansion

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mahmood Omranifard

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Background: Replacement of the lost tissue is the major concerns of the plastic surgeons. Expanded area should be coherent with the surrounding tissue. Tissue expansion technique is the reforming methods the skin tissue scarcities. Several methods for tissue expansion are available; including usage of silicon balloon and injecting fluid into the tissue expander. Materials and Methods: In a clinical trial study, 35 patients, with burn scars, in the face, skull and neck area were studied. We provided a tissue expander device with capacities of 125, 250 and 350cc. Fluid was injected inside the device, 3 consecutive weeks with 1-week interval. After 3 months the device was set out and the tissue expansion was measured using a transparent board and the results were analyzed. Multiple regression was done by SPSS 20 to analyze the data. Results: Regression model showed Skin expansion was positively correlated with the volume of the injected fluid. For each centimeter square of skin expansion, about 6-8 ml of fluid must be injected. Conclusion: Correction of skin defects resulting from burning scar is possible using tissue expanders. The tissue expansion is correlated with the amount of the injected fluid.

  16. [Confirming Indicators of Qualitative Results by Chromatography-mass Spectrometry in Biological Samples].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, S D; Zhang, D M; Zhang, W; Zhang, W F

    2017-04-01

    Because of the exist of complex matrix, the confirming indicators of qualitative results for toxic substances in biological samples by chromatography-mass spectrometry are different from that in non-biological samples. Even in biological samples, the confirming indicators are different in various application areas. This paper reviews the similarities and differences of confirming indicators for the analyte in biological samples by chromatography-mass spectrometry in the field of forensic toxicological analysis and other application areas. These confirming indicators include retention time (RT), relative retention time (RRT), signal to noise (S/N), characteristic ions, relative abundance of characteristic ions, parent ion-daughter ion pair and abundance ratio of ion pair, etc. Copyright© by the Editorial Department of Journal of Forensic Medicine.

  17. Thrombomodulin Expression in Tissues From Dogs With Systemic Inflammatory Disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, S D; Baker, P; DeLay, J; Wood, R D

    2016-07-01

    Thrombomodulin (TM) is a membrane glycoprotein expressed on endothelial cells, which plays a major role in the protein C anticoagulation pathway. In people with inflammation, TM expression can be down-regulated on endothelial cells and a soluble form released into circulation, resulting in increased risk of thrombosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation. TM is present in dogs; however, there has been minimal investigation of its expression in canine tissues, and the effects of inflammation on TM expression in canine tissues have not been investigated. The objective of this study was to evaluate endothelial TM expression in tissues from dogs with systemic inflammatory diseases. A retrospective evaluation of tissue samples of lung, spleen, and liver from dogs with and without systemic inflammatory diseases was performed using immunohistochemistry (IHC) and a modified manual IHC scoring system. TM expression was significantly reduced in all examined tissues in dogs diagnosed with septic peritonitis or acute pancreatitis. © The Author(s) 2016.

  18. Report on emerging technologies for translational bioinformatics: a symposium on gene expression profiling for archival tissues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Waldron Levi

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background With over 20 million formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE tissue samples archived each year in the United States alone, archival tissues remain a vast and under-utilized resource in the genomic study of cancer. Technologies have recently been introduced for whole-transcriptome amplification and microarray analysis of degraded mRNA fragments from FFPE samples, and studies of these platforms have only recently begun to enter the published literature. Results The Emerging Technologies for Translational Bioinformatics symposium on gene expression profiling for archival tissues featured presentations of two large-scale FFPE expression profiling studies (each involving over 1,000 samples, overviews of several smaller studies, and representatives from three leading companies in the field (Illumina, Affymetrix, and NuGEN. The meeting highlighted challenges in the analysis of expression data from archival tissues and strategies being developed to overcome them. In particular, speakers reported higher rates of clinical sample failure (from 10% to 70% than are typical for fresh-frozen tissues, as well as more frequent probe failure for individual samples. The symposium program is available at http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/ffpe. Conclusions Multiple solutions now exist for whole-genome expression profiling of FFPE tissues, including both microarray- and sequencing-based platforms. Several studies have reported their successful application, but substantial challenges and risks still exist. Symposium speakers presented novel methodology for analysis of FFPE expression data and suggestions for improving data recovery and quality assessment in pre-analytical stages. Research presentations emphasized the need for careful study design, including the use of pilot studies, replication, and randomization of samples among batches, as well as careful attention to data quality control. Regardless of any limitations in quantitave transcriptomics for

  19. Investigation of real tissue water equivalent path lengths using an efficient dose extinction method

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Rongxiao; Baer, Esther; Jee, Kyung-Wook; Sharp, Gregory C.; Flanz, Jay; Lu, Hsiao-Ming

    2017-07-01

    For proton therapy, an accurate conversion of CT HU to relative stopping power (RSP) is essential. Validation of the conversion based on real tissue samples is more direct than the current practice solely based on tissue substitutes and can potentially address variations over the population. Based on a novel dose extinction method, we measured water equivalent path lengths (WEPL) on animal tissue samples to evaluate the accuracy of CT HU to RSP conversion and potential variations over a population. A broad proton beam delivered a spread out Bragg peak to the samples sandwiched between a water tank and a 2D ion-chamber detector. WEPLs of the samples were determined from the transmission dose profiles measured as a function of the water level in the tank. Tissue substitute inserts and Lucite blocks with known WEPLs were used to validate the accuracy. A large number of real tissue samples were measured. Variations of WEPL over different batches of tissue samples were also investigated. The measured WEPLs were compared with those computed from CT scans with the Stoichiometric calibration method. WEPLs were determined within  ±0.5% percentage deviation (% std/mean) and  ±0.5% error for most of the tissue surrogate inserts and the calibration blocks. For biological tissue samples, percentage deviations were within  ±0.3%. No considerable difference (extinction measurement took around 5 min to produce ~1000 WEPL values to be compared with calculations. This dose extinction system measures WEPL efficiently and accurately, which allows the validation of CT HU to RSP conversions based on the WEPL measured for a large number of samples and real tissues.

  20. TP53 Staining in Tissue Samples of Chronic Lymphocytic Lymphoma Cases: An Immunohistochemical Survey of 51 Cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    İbrahim Kulaç

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Objective: Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL is the most common lymphoproliferative disease in adults. The aim of this study is to find out if the extent of proliferation centers or the immunohistochemical expression of p53 is related to disease prognosis. Materials and Methods: In the scope of this study, 54 biopsy specimens from 51 patients (50 of lymph nodes; the others of spleen, tonsil, orbit, and liver diagnosed with CLL at the Hacettepe University Department of Pathology in 2000-2013 were reevaluated. The clinical and demographic data of the patients were obtained from our patient database. Biopsy samples were assessed semi-quantitatively for the percentage of proliferation center/total biopsy area (PC/TBA and an immunohistochemical study was performed on representative blocks of tissues for p53 expression. Results: When the patients were divided into two categories according to Rai stage as high and low (stages 0, 1, and 2 vs. stages 3 and 4, it was seen that patients with low Rai stage had a better prognosis than those with high stages (p=0.030. However, there was no statistically significant correlation between overall survival and PC/TBA ratio or p53 expression levels. Conclusion: In our cohort, PC/TBA ratio and immunopositivity of p53 did not show correlations with overall survival.

  1. Antimicrobial properties of nudibranchs tissues extracts from South Andaman, India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kota Veeraswamy Reddy

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available Objective: To evaluate the antimicrobial properties of tissues extracts of different nudibranchs such as Phyllidia varicosa, Plakobranchus ocellatus, Phyllidiella rosans and Halgerda stricklandi against bacterial and fungal pathogens. Methods: Nudibranchs tissue samples were subjected to organic solvent extraction for antimicrobial activity by well diffusion method. Results: The crude extract 50 μL (0.2 mg of Phyllidia varicosa showed the maximum inhibitory zone (22 mm against Shigella flexneri. Plakobranchus ocellatus extract of 50 μL (0.2 mg showed the maximum inhibitory zone against Shigella flexneri (22 mm and Staphylococcus aureus (19 mm and no significant activity was found against the fungal pathogens. Conclusions: This work reveals that nudibranch tissues contain the antimicrobial secondary metabolites, which leads the significant activity against bacterial pathogens and further emphasizes detailed study on novel drug discovery from nudibranch tissues against certain human bacterial infections.

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

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Domnic Mijele

    2016-12-01

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

  3. Genome-wide massively parallel sequencing of formaldehyde fixed-paraffin embedded (FFPE tumor tissues for copy-number- and mutation-analysis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michal R Schweiger

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cancer re-sequencing programs rely on DNA isolated from fresh snap frozen tissues, the preparation of which is combined with additional preservation efforts. Tissue samples at pathology departments are routinely stored as formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE samples and their use would open up access to a variety of clinical trials. However, FFPE preparation is incompatible with many down-stream molecular biology techniques such as PCR based amplification methods and gene expression studies. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we investigated the sample quality requirements of FFPE tissues for massively parallel short-read sequencing approaches. We evaluated key variables of pre-fixation, fixation related and post-fixation processes that occur in routine medical service (e.g. degree of autolysis, duration of fixation and of storage. We also investigated the influence of tissue storage time on sequencing quality by using material that was up to 18 years old. Finally, we analyzed normal and tumor breast tissues using the Sequencing by Synthesis technique (Illumina Genome Analyzer, Solexa to simultaneously localize genome-wide copy number alterations and to detect genomic variations such as substitutions and point-deletions and/or insertions in FFPE tissue samples. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The application of second generation sequencing techniques on small amounts of FFPE material opens up the possibility to analyze tissue samples which have been collected during routine clinical work as well as in the context of clinical trials. This is in particular important since FFPE samples are amply available from surgical tumor resections and histopathological diagnosis, and comprise tissue from precursor lesions, primary tumors, lymphogenic and/or hematogenic metastases. Large-scale studies using this tissue material will result in a better prediction of the prognosis of cancer patients and the early identification of patients which

  4. Serpine2 deficiency results in lung lymphocyte accumulation and bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Solleti, Siva Kumar; Srisuma, Sorachai; Bhattacharya, Soumyaroop; Rangel-Moreno, Javier; Bijli, Kaiser M; Randall, Troy D; Rahman, Arshad; Mariani, Thomas J

    2016-07-01

    Serine proteinase inhibitor, clade E, member 2 (SERPINE2), is a cell- and extracellular matrix-associated inhibitor of thrombin. Although SERPINE2 is a candidate susceptibility gene for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, the physiologic role of this protease inhibitor in lung development and homeostasis is unknown. We observed spontaneous monocytic-cell infiltration in the lungs of Serpine2-deficient (SE2(-/-)) mice, beginning at or before the time of lung maturity, which resulted in lesions that resembled bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue (BALT). The initiation of lymphocyte accumulation in the lungs of SE2(-/-) mice involved the excessive expression of chemokines, cytokines, and adhesion molecules that are essential for BALT induction, organization, and maintenance. BALT-like lesion formation in the lungs of SE2(-/-) mice was also associated with a significant increase in the activation of thrombin, a recognized target of SE2, and excess stimulation of NF-κB, a major regulator of chemokine expression and inflammation. Finally, systemic delivery of thrombin rapidly stimulated lung chemokine expression in vivo These data uncover a novel mechanism whereby loss of serine protease inhibition leads to lung lymphocyte accumulation.-Solleti, S. K., Srisuma, S., Bhattacharya, S., Rangel-Moreno, J., Bijli, K. M., Randall, T. D., Rahman, A., Mariani, T. J. Serpine2 deficiency results in lung lymphocyte accumulation and bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue formation. © FASEB.

  5. Novel technique for online characterization of cartilaginous tissue properties.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Tai-Yi; Huang, Chun-Yuh; Yong Gu, Wei

    2011-09-01

    The goal of tissue engineering is to use substitutes to repair and restore organ function. Bioreactors are an indispensable tool for monitoring and controlling the unique environment for engineered constructs to grow. However, in order to determine the biochemical properties of engineered constructs, samples need to be destroyed. In this study, we developed a novel technique to nondestructively online-characterize the water content and fixed charge density of cartilaginous tissues. A new technique was developed to determine the tissue mechano-electrochemical properties nondestructively. Bovine knee articular cartilage and lumbar annulus fibrosus were used in this study to demonstrate that this technique could be used on different types of tissue. The results show that our newly developed method is capable of precisely predicting the water volume fraction (less than 3% disparity) and fixed charge density (less than 16.7% disparity) within cartilaginous tissues. This novel technique will help to design a new generation of bioreactors which are able to actively determine the essential properties of the engineered constructs, as well as regulate the local environment to achieve the optimal conditions for cultivating constructs.

  6. Determination and correlation of spatial distribution of trace elements in normal and neoplastic breast tissues evaluated by μ-XRF

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Silva, M.P.; Oliveira, M.A.; Poletti, M.E.

    2012-01-01

    Full text: Some trace elements, naturally present in breast tissues, participate in a large number of biological processes, which include among others, activation or inhibition of enzymatic reactions and changes on cell membranes permeability, suggesting that these elements may influence carcinogenic processes. Thus, knowledge of the amounts of these elements and their spatial distribution in normal and neoplastic tissues may help in understanding the role of these elements in the carcinogenic process and tumor progression of breast cancers. Concentrations of trace elements like Ca, Fe, Cu and Zn, previously studied at LNLS using TXRF and conventional XRF, were elevated in neoplastic breast tissues compared to normal tissues. In this study we determined the spatial distribution of these elements in normal and neoplastic breast tissues using μ-XRF technique. We analyzed 22 samples of normal and neoplastic breast tissues (malignant and benign) obtained from paraffin blocks available for study at the Department of Pathology HC-FMRP/USP. From the blocks, a small fraction of material was removed and subjected to histological sections of 60 μm thick made with a microtome. The slices where placed in holder samples and covered with ultralen film. Tissue samples were irradiated with a white beam of synchrotron radiation. The samples were positioned at 45 degrees with respect to the incident beam on a table with 3 freedom degrees (x, y and z), allowing independent positioning of the sample in these directions. The white beam was collimated by a 20 μm microcapillary and samples were fully scanned. At each step, a spectrum was detected for 10 s. The fluorescence emitted by elements present in the sample was detected by a Si (Li) detector with 165 eV at 5.9 keV energy resolution, placed at 90 deg with respect to the incident beam. Results reveal that trace elements Ca-Zn and Fe-Cu could to be correlated in malignant breast tissues. Quantitative results, achieved by Spearman

  7. ALP gene expression in cDNA samples from bone tissue engineering using a HA/TCP/Chitosan scaffold

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stephanie, N.; Katarina, H.; Amir, L. R.; Gunawan, H. A.

    2017-08-01

    This study examined the potential use of hydroxyapatite (HA)/tricalcium phosphate (TCP)/Chitosan as a bone tissue engineering scaffold. The potential for using HA/TCP/chitosan as a scaffold was analyzed by measuring expression of the ALP osteogenic gene in cDNA from bone biopsies from four Macaque nemestrina. Experimental conditions included control (untreated), treatment with HA/TCP 70:30, HA/TCP 50:50, and HA/TCP/chitosan. cDNA samples were measured quantitively with Real-Time PCR (qPCR) and semi-quantitively by gel electrophoresis. There were no significant differences in ALP gene expression between treatment subjects after two weeks, but the HA/TCP/chitosan treatment gave the highest level of expression after four weeks. The scaffold using the HA/TCP/chitosan combination induced a higher level of expression of the osteogenic gene ALP than did scaffold without chitosan.

  8. Viscoelastic properties of bovine orbital connective tissue and fat: constitutive models.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoo, Lawrence; Gupta, Vijay; Lee, Choongyeop; Kavehpore, Pirouz; Demer, Joseph L

    2011-12-01

    Reported mechanical properties of orbital connective tissue and fat have been too sparse to model strain-stress relationships underlying biomechanical interactions in strabismus. We performed rheological tests to develop a multi-mode upper convected Maxwell (UCM) model of these tissues under shear loading. From 20 fresh bovine orbits, 30 samples of connective tissue were taken from rectus pulley regions and 30 samples of fatty tissues from the posterior orbit. Additional samples were defatted to determine connective tissue weight proportion, which was verified histologically. Mechanical testing in shear employed a triborheometer to perform: strain sweeps at 0.5-2.0 Hz; shear stress relaxation with 1% strain; viscometry at 0.01-0.5 s(-1) strain rate; and shear oscillation at 1% strain. Average connective tissue weight proportion was 98% for predominantly connective tissue and 76% for fatty tissue. Connective tissue specimens reached a long-term relaxation modulus of 668 Pa after 1,500 s, while corresponding values for fatty tissue specimens were 290 Pa and 1,100 s. Shear stress magnitude for connective tissue exceeded that of fatty tissue by five-fold. Based on these data, we developed a multi-mode UCM model with variable viscosities and time constants, and a damped hyperelastic response that accurately described measured properties of both connective and fatty tissues. Model parameters differed significantly between the two tissues. Viscoelastic properties of predominantly connective orbital tissues under shear loading differ markedly from properties of orbital fat, but both are accurately reflected using UCM models. These viscoelastic models will facilitate realistic global modeling of EOM behavior in binocular alignment and strabismus.

  9. Analysis of Chloroquine and Metabolites Directly from Whole-body Animal Tissue Sections by Liquid Extraction Surface Analysis (LESA) and Tandem Mass Spectrometry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Parson, Whitney B [ORNL; Koeniger, Stormy L [Abbott Laboratories; Johnson, Robert W [Abbott Laboratories; Erickson, Jamie [Abbott Laboratories; Tian, Yu [Abbott Laboratories; Stedman, Christopher A. [Abbott Laboratories; Schwartz, Annette [Abbott Laboratories; Tarcsa, Edit [Abbott Laboratories; Cole, Roderic [ORNL; Van Berkel, Gary J [ORNL

    2012-01-01

    The rapid and direct analysis of the amount and spatial distribution of exogenous chloroquine and chloroquine metabolites from tissue sections by liquid extraction surface sampling analysis coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LESA-MS) was demonstrated. LESA-MS results compared well with previously published chloroquine quantification data collected by organ excision, extraction and fluorescent detection. The ability to directly sample and analyze spatially-resolved exogenous molecules from tissue sections with minimal sample preparation and analytical method development has the potential to facilitate the assessment of target tissue penetration of pharmaceutical compounds, to establish pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) relationships, and to complement established pharmacokinetic methods used in the drug discovery process during tissue distribution assessment.

  10. Cyclic Loading of Growing Tissue in a Bioreactor: Mathematical Model and Asymptotic Analysis

    KAUST Repository

    Pohlmeyer, J. V.

    2013-10-24

    A simplified 2D mathematical model for tissue growth within a cyclically-loaded tissue engineering scaffold is presented and analyzed. Such cyclic loading has the potential to improve yield and functionality of tissue such as bone and cartilage when grown on a scaffold within a perfusion bioreactor. The cyclic compression affects the flow of the perfused nutrient, leading to flow properties that are inherently unsteady, though periodic, on a timescale short compared with that of tissue proliferation. A two-timescale analysis based on these well-separated timescales is exploited to derive a closed model for the tissue growth on the long timescale of proliferation. Some sample numerical results are given for the final model, and discussed. © 2013 Society for Mathematical Biology.

  11. Study of gastric cancer samples using terahertz techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wahaia, Faustino; Kasalynas, Irmantas; Seliuta, Dalius; Molis, Gediminas; Urbanowicz, Andrzej; Carvalho Silva, Catia D.; Carneiro, Fatima; Valusis, Gintaras; Granja, Pedro L.

    2014-08-01

    In the present work, samples of healthy and adenocarcinoma-affected human gastric tissue were analyzed using transmission time-domain THz spectroscopy (THz-TDS) and spectroscopic THz imaging at 201 and 590 GHz. The work shows that it is possible to distinguish between normal and cancerous regions in dried and paraffin-embedded samples. Plots of absorption coefficient α and refractive index n of normal and cancer affected tissues, as well as 2-D transmission THz images are presented and the conditions for discrimination between normal and affected tissues are discussed.

  12. Use of high-resolution ultrasound to measure changes in plantar fascia thickness resulting from tissue creep in runners and walkers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welk, Aaron B; Haun, Daniel W; Clark, Thomas B; Kettner, Norman W

    2015-01-01

    This study sought to use high-resolution ultrasound to measure changes in plantar fascia thickness as a result of tissue creep generated by walking and running. Independent samples of participants were obtained. Thirty-six walkers and 25 runners walked on a treadmill for 10 minutes or ran for 30 minutes, respectively. Standardized measures of the thickness of the plantar fascia were obtained in both groups using high-resolution ultrasound. The mean thickness of the plantar fascia was measured immediately before and after participation. The mean plantar fascia thickness was decreased by 0.06 ± 0.33 mm SD after running and 0.03 ± 0.22 mm SD after walking. The difference between groups was not significant. Although the parameters of this study did not produce significant changes in the plantar fascia thickness, a slightly higher change in the mean thickness of the plantar fascia in the running group deserves further investigation. Copyright © 2015 National University of Health Sciences. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Effect of order of draw of blood samples during phlebotomy on routine biochemistry results.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sulaiman, Raashda A; Cornes, Michael P; Whitehead, Simon J; Othonos, Nadia; Ford, Clare; Gama, Rousseau

    2011-11-01

    To investigate whether incorrect order of draw of blood samples during phlebotomy causes in vitro potassium ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid EDTA (kEDTA) contamination of blood samples. Serum kEDTA, potassium, calcium, magnesium, alkaline phosphatase, zinc and iron concentrations were measured in blood samples drawn before and after collecting blood into kEDTA containing sample tubes by an experienced phlebotomist using the Sarstedt Safety Monovette system. EDTA was undetectable in all samples. The concentrations of other analytes were similar in blood samples drawn before and after collection of the EDTA blood sample. Order of draw of blood samples using the Sarstedt Safety Monovette system has no effect on serum biochemistry results, when samples are taken by an experienced phlebotomist.

  14. Analytical results from salt batch 9 routine DSSHT and SEHT monthly samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Peters, T. B. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

    2017-06-01

    Strip Effluent Hold Tank (SEHT) and Decontaminated Salt Solution Hold Tank (DSSHT) samples from several of the “microbatches” of Integrated Salt Disposition Project (ISDP) Salt Batch (“Macrobatch”) 9 have been analyzed for 238Pu, 90Sr, 137Cs, cations (Inductively Coupled Plasma Emission Spectroscopy - ICPES), and anions (Ion Chromatography Anions - IC-A). The analytical results from the current microbatch samples are similar to those from previous macrobatch samples. The Cs removal continues to be acceptable, with decontamination factors (DF) averaging 25700 (107% RSD). The bulk chemistry of the DSSHT and SEHT samples do not show any signs of unusual behavior, other than lacking the anticipated degree of dilution that is calculated to occur during Modular Caustic-Side Solvent Extraction Unit (MCU) processing.

  15. Ex vivo characterization of normal and adenocarcinoma colon samples by Mueller matrix polarimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Iftikhar; Ahmad, Manzoor; Khan, Karim; Ashraf, Sumara; Ahmad, Shakil; Ikram, Masroor

    2015-05-01

    Mueller matrix polarimetry along with polar decomposition algorithm was employed for the characterization of ex vivo normal and adenocarcinoma human colon tissues by polarized light in the visible spectral range (425-725 nm). Six derived polarization metrics [total diattenuation (DT ), retardance (RT ), depolarization(ΔT ), linear diattenuation (DL), retardance (δ), and depolarization (ΔL)] were compared for normal and adenocarcinoma colon tissue samples. The results show that all six polarimetric properties for adenocarcinoma samples were significantly higher as compared to the normal samples for all wavelengths. The Wilcoxon rank sum test illustrated that total retardance is a good candidate for the discrimination of normal and adenocarcinoma colon samples. Support vector machine classification for normal and adenocarcinoma based on the four polarization properties spectra (ΔT , ΔL, RT ,and δ) yielded 100% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, while both DTa nd DL showed 66.6%, 33.3%, and 83.3% accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, respectively. The combination of polarization analysis and given classification methods provides a framework to distinguish the normal and cancerous tissues.

  16. Quantitative extraction of nucleotides from frozen muscle samples of Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) and rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) : Effects of time taken to sample and extraction method

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thomas, P.M.; Bremner, Allan; Pankhurst, N.W.

    2000-01-01

    time taken to sample, method 2 resulted in higher adenylate and lower IMP concentration than method I. These results indicate that method 2 is most effective in obtaining realistic nucleotide concentrations from fish muscle because it maintains the tissue temperature below the critical freeze zone, (-0...

  17. On multielement analysis of biological samples with the aid of neutron activation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Iyengar, G.V.

    1980-01-01

    A main objective of this study was elucidation of problems of sampling and sample preparation methods for multielement analysis of environmental and biological specimens. Another was assessment of the potentials of multielement neutron activation analysis (NAA) in environmental and biological research. In an attempt to explain the great differences in the elemental concentration ranges between biopsy and autopsy samples as reported in the literature, it was shown that post mortem changes induce great variations in the apparent elemental composition of autopsy specimens resulting in serious systematic errors. Applications of NAA to analysis of tissues of experimental animals, human tissues in health and disease, and environmental samples are illustrated with several examples. The suitability of NAA for routine analysis of elements such as Cr, Mo and Se, which are difficult to determine by other methods has been specially discussed. (author)

  18. 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

  19. Feasibility of full-field optical coherence microscopy in ultra-structural imaging of human colon tissues

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Choi, Eun Seo [Chosun University, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Woo June; Ryu, Seon Young; Lee, Byeong Ha [Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Lee, Jae Hyuk; Bom, Hee Seung; Lee, Byeong Il [Chonnam National University Hospital, Gwangju (Korea, Republic of)

    2010-06-15

    We demonstrated the imaging feasibility of full-field optical coherence microscopy (FF-OCM) in pathological diagnosis of human colon tissues. FF-OCM images with high transverse resolution were obtained at different depths of the samples without any dye staining or physical slicing, and detailed microstructures of human colon tissues were visualized. Morphological differences in normal tissues, cancer tissues, and tissues under transition were observed and matched with results seen in conventional optical microscope images. The optical biopsy based on FF-OCM could overcome the limitations on the number of physical cuttings of tissues and could perform high-throughput mass diagnosis of diseased tissues. The proved utility of FF-OCM as a comprehensive and efficient imaging modality of human tissues showed it to be a good alternative to conventional biopsy.

  20. Feasibility of full-field optical coherence microscopy in ultra-structural imaging of human colon tissues

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Choi, Eun Seo; Choi, Woo June; Ryu, Seon Young; Lee, Byeong Ha; Lee, Jae Hyuk; Bom, Hee Seung; Lee, Byeong Il

    2010-01-01

    We demonstrated the imaging feasibility of full-field optical coherence microscopy (FF-OCM) in pathological diagnosis of human colon tissues. FF-OCM images with high transverse resolution were obtained at different depths of the samples without any dye staining or physical slicing, and detailed microstructures of human colon tissues were visualized. Morphological differences in normal tissues, cancer tissues, and tissues under transition were observed and matched with results seen in conventional optical microscope images. The optical biopsy based on FF-OCM could overcome the limitations on the number of physical cuttings of tissues and could perform high-throughput mass diagnosis of diseased tissues. The proved utility of FF-OCM as a comprehensive and efficient imaging modality of human tissues showed it to be a good alternative to conventional biopsy.

  1. The classification of secondary colorectal liver cancer in human biopsy samples using angular dispersive x-ray diffraction and multivariate analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Theodorakou, Chrysoula; Farquharson, Michael J

    2009-01-01

    The motivation behind this study is to assess whether angular dispersive x-ray diffraction (ADXRD) data, processed using multivariate analysis techniques, can be used for classifying secondary colorectal liver cancer tissue and normal surrounding liver tissue in human liver biopsy samples. The ADXRD profiles from a total of 60 samples of normal liver tissue and colorectal liver metastases were measured using a synchrotron radiation source. The data were analysed for 56 samples using nonlinear peak-fitting software. Four peaks were fitted to all of the ADXRD profiles, and the amplitude, area, amplitude and area ratios for three of the four peaks were calculated and used for the statistical and multivariate analysis. The statistical analysis showed that there are significant differences between all the peak-fitting parameters and ratios between the normal and the diseased tissue groups. The technique of soft independent modelling of class analogy (SIMCA) was used to classify normal liver tissue and colorectal liver metastases resulting in 67% of the normal tissue samples and 60% of the secondary colorectal liver tissue samples being classified correctly. This study has shown that the ADXRD data of normal and secondary colorectal liver cancer are statistically different and x-ray diffraction data analysed using multivariate analysis have the potential to be used as a method of tissue classification.

  2. Mathematical modelling of tissue formation in chondrocyte filter cultures.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Catt, C J; Schuurman, W; Sengers, B G; van Weeren, P R; Dhert, W J A; Please, C P; Malda, J

    2011-12-17

    In the field of cartilage tissue engineering, filter cultures are a frequently used three-dimensional differentiation model. However, understanding of the governing processes of in vitro growth and development of tissue in these models is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to further characterise these processes by means of an approach combining both experimental and applied mathematical methods. A mathematical model was constructed, consisting of partial differential equations predicting the distribution of cells and glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), as well as the overall thickness of the tissue. Experimental data was collected to allow comparison with the predictions of the simulation and refinement of the initial models. Healthy mature equine chondrocytes were expanded and subsequently seeded on collagen-coated filters and cultured for up to 7 weeks. Resulting samples were characterised biochemically, as well as histologically. The simulations showed a good representation of the experimentally obtained cell and matrix distribution within the cultures. The mathematical results indicate that the experimental GAG and cell distribution is critically dependent on the rate at which the cell differentiation process takes place, which has important implications for interpreting experimental results. This study demonstrates that large regions of the tissue are inactive in terms of proliferation and growth of the layer. In particular, this would imply that higher seeding densities will not significantly affect the growth rate. A simple mathematical model was developed to predict the observed experimental data and enable interpretation of the principal underlying mechanisms controlling growth-related changes in tissue composition.

  3. NEW METHOD FOR DETERMINATION OF ACTINIDES AND STRONTIUM IN ANIMAL TISSUE

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Maxwell, S; Jay Hutchison, J; Don Faison, D

    2007-05-07

    The analysis of actinides in animal tissue samples is very important for environmental monitoring. There is a need to measure actinide isotopes with very low detection limits in animal tissue samples, including fish, deer, hogs, beef and shellfish. A new, rapid actinide separation method has been developed and implemented that allows the measurement of plutonium, neptunium, uranium, americium, curium and strontium isotopes in large animal tissue samples (100-200 g) with high chemical recoveries and effective removal of matrix interferences. This method uses stacked TEVA Resin{reg_sign}, TRU Resin{reg_sign} and DGA-Resin{reg_sign} cartridges from Eichrom Technologies (Darien, IL, USA) that allows the rapid separation of plutonium (Pu), neptunium (Np), uranium (U), americium (Am), and curium (Cm) using a single multi-stage column combined with alpha spectrometry. Sr-90 is collected on Sr Resin{reg_sign} from Eichrom Technologies (Darien, IL, USA). After acid digestion and furnace heating of the animal tissue samples, the actinides and Sr-89/90 are separated using column extraction chromatography. This method has been shown to be effective over a wide range of animal tissue matrices. By using vacuum box cartridge technology with rapid flow rates, sample preparation time is minimized.

  4. OBT analysis method using polyethylene beads for limited quantities of animal tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, S.B.; Stuart, M.

    2015-01-01

    This study presents a polyethylene beads method for OBT determination in animal tissues and animal products for cases where the amount of water recovered by combustion is limited by sample size or quantity. In the method, the amount of water recovered after combustion is enhanced by adding tritium-free polyethylene beads to the sample prior to combustion in an oxygen bomb. The method reduces process time by allowing the combustion water to be easily collected with a pipette. Sufficient water recovery was achieved using the polyethylene beads method when 2 g of dry animal tissue or animal product were combusted with 2 g of polyethylene beads. Correction factors, which account for the dilution due to the combustion water of the beads, are provided for beef, chicken, pork, fish and clams, as well as egg, milk and cheese. The method was tested by comparing its OBT results with those of the conventional method using animal samples collected on the Chalk River Laboratories (CRL) site. The results determined that the polyethylene beads method added no more than 25% uncertainty when appropriate correction factors are used. - Highlights: • Polyethylene beads method for OBT determination in animal tissues and animal products were determined. • The method reduces process time. • The polyethylene beads method added no more than 25% uncertainty when appropriate correction factors are used

  5. Investigation of elemental distribution in lung samples by X-ray fluorescence microtomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pereira, Gabriela R.; Rocha, Henrique S.; Lopes, Ricardo T.

    2007-01-01

    X-Ray Fluorescence Microtomography (XRFCT) is a suitable technique to find elemental distributions in heterogeneous samples. While x-ray transmission microtomography provides information about the linear attenuation coefficient distribution, XRFCT allows one to map the most important elements in the sample. The x-ray fluorescence tomography is based on the use of the X-ray fluorescence emitted from the elements contained in a sample so as to give additional information to characterize the object under study. In this work a rat lung and two human lung tissue samples have been investigated in order to verify the efficiency of the system in determination of the internal distribution of detected elements in these kinds of samples and to compare the elemental distribution in the lung tissue of an old human and a fetus. The experiments were performed at the X-Ray Fluorescence beamline (XRF) of the Brazilian Synchrotron Light Source (LNLS), Campinas, Brazil. A white beam was used for the excitation of the elements and the fluorescence photons have been detected by a HPGe detector. All the tomographies have been reconstructed using a filtered-back projection algorithm. It was possible to visualize the distribution of high atomic number elements on both, artificial and tissues samples. It was compared the quantity of Zn, Cu and Fe for the lung human tissue samples and verify that these elements have a higher concentration on the fetus tissue sample than the adult tissue sample. (author)

  6. Gasbuggy, New Mexico, Hydrologic and Natural Gas Sampling and Analysis Results for 2009

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    2009-11-01

    The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Legacy Management conducted hydrologic and natural gas sampling for the Gasbuggy, New Mexico, site on June 16, and 17, 2009. Hydrologic sampling consists of collecting water samples from water wells and surface water locations. Natural gas sampling consists of collecting both gas samples and samples of produced water from gas production wells. The water well samples were analyzed for gamma-emitting radionuclides and tritium. Surface water samples were analyzed for tritium. Water samples from gas production wells were analyzed for gamma-emitting radionuclides, gross alpha, gross beta, and tritium. Natural gas samples were analyzed for tritium and carbon-14. Water samples were analyzed by ALS Laboratory Group in Fort Collins, Colorado, and natural gas samples were analyzed by Isotech Laboratories in Champaign, Illinois. Concentrations of tritium and gamma-emitting radionuclides in water samples collected in the vicinity of the Gasbuggy site continue to demonstrate that the sample locations have not been impacted by detonation-related contaminants. Results from the sampling of natural gas from producing wells demonstrate that the gas wells nearest the Gasbuggy site are not currently impacted by detonation-related contaminants. Annual sampling of the gas production wells nearest the Gasbuggy site for gas and produced water will continue for the foreseeable future. The sampling frequency of water wells and surface water sources in the surrounding area will be reduced to once every 5 years. The next hydrologic sampling event at water wells, springs, and ponds will be in 2014.

  7. Impact of tissue surface properties on the desorption electrospray ionization imaging of organic acids in grapevine stem.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dong, Yonghui; Guella, Graziano; Franceschi, Pietro

    2016-03-30

    Desorption electrospray ionization (DESI) imaging is a fast analytical technique used to assess spatially resolved biological processes over unmodified sample surfaces. Although DESI profiling experiments have demonstrated that the properties of the sample surface significantly affect the outcomes of DESI analyses, the potential implications of these phenomena in imaging applications have not yet been explored extensively. The distribution of endogenous and exogenous organic acids in pith and out pith region of grapevine stems was investigated by using DESI imaging, ion chromatography and direct infusion methods. Several common normalization strategies to account for the surface effect, including TIC normalization, addition of the internal standard in the spray solvent and deposition of the standard over the sample surface, were critically evaluated. DESI imaging results show that, in our case, the measured distributions of these small organic acids are not consistent with their 'true' localizations within the tissues. Furthermore, our results indicate that the common normalization strategies are not able to completely compensate for the observed surface effect. Variations in the tissue surface properties across the tissue sample can greatly affect the semi-quantitative detection of organic acids. Attention should be paid when interpreting DESI imaging results and an independent analytical validation step is important in untargeted DESI imaging investigations. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  8. Measurement of {alpha} particle energy loss in biological tissue below 2 MeV

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stella, S. [Department of Nuclear and Theoretical Physics, University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy); National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pavia (Italy); Bortolussi, S. [Department of Nuclear and Theoretical Physics, University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy); National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pavia (Italy)], E-mail: silva.bortolussi@pv.infn.it; Bruschi, P.; Portella, C. [Department of Nuclear and Theoretical Physics, University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy); Altieri, S. [Department of Nuclear and Theoretical Physics, University of Pavia, Pavia (Italy); National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN), Pavia (Italy)

    2009-09-01

    The energy loss of {alpha} particles crossing biological tissue at energies between 0.8 and 2.2 MeV has been measured. This energy range is very important for boron neutron capture therapy, based on the {sup 10}B(n,{alpha}){sup 7}Li reaction, which emits {alpha} particles with energies of 1.78 and 1.47 MeV. One of the methods used for the measurement of the boron concentration in tissue is based on the deconvolution of the {alpha} spectra obtained from neutron irradiation of thin (70 {mu}m) tissue samples. For this technique, a knowledge of the behaviour of the energy loss of the particles in the irradiated tissue is of critical importance. In particular, the curve of the residual energy as a function of the distance travelled in the tissue must be known. In this paper, the results of an experiment carried out with an {sup 241}Am source and a series of cryostatic sections of rat-lung tissue are presented. The experimental measurements are compared with the results of Monte Carlo calculations performed with the MCNPX code.

  9. Genetic evidence reveals improvement opportunities for tissue preparation in forensic analysis

    OpenAIRE

    Romero, Rosa Elena; Sandoval, Alejandro; Arango, Juliana; Camargo, Martha Lucia

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: Paraffin embedded tissues are an excellent alternative to obtain dna, especially when it is not possible to have fresh samples or when the tissue storage and preservation is not feasible; therefore, this sample is the only item available for matching purposes. The success in any genetic analysis implies having adequate tissue fixation and suitable dna extraction methods that allow to obtain good quality and quantity molecules, free of biological, chemical and microbiological con...

  10. Several genes encoding ribosomal proteins are over-expressed in prostate-cancer cell lines: confirmation of L7a and L37 over-expression in prostate-cancer tissue samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaarala, M H; Porvari, K S; Kyllönen, A P; Mustonen, M V; Lukkarinen, O; Vihko, P T

    1998-09-25

    A cDNA library specific for mRNA over-expressed in prostate cancer was generated by subtractive hybridization of transcripts originating from prostatic hyperplasia and cancer tissues. cDNA encoding ribosomal proteins L4, L5, L7a, L23a, L30, L37, S14 and S18 was found to be present among 100 analyzed clones. Levels of ribosomal mRNA were significantly higher at least in one of the prostate-cancer cell lines, LNCaP, DU-145 and PC-3, than in hyperplastic tissue, as determined by slot-blot hybridization. Furthermore, L23a- and S14-transcript levels were significantly elevated in PC-3 cells as compared with those in the normal prostate epithelial cell line PrEC. Generally, dramatic changes in the mRNA content of the ribosomal proteins were not detected, the most evident over-expression being that of L37 mRNA, which was 3.4 times more abundant in LNCaP cells than in hyperplastic prostate tissue. The over-expression of L7a and L37 mRNA was confirmed in prostate-cancer tissue samples by in situ hybridization. Elevated cancer-related expression of L4 and L30 has not been reported, but levels of the other ribosomal proteins are known to be increased in several types of cancers. These results therefore suggest that prostate cancer is comparable with other types of cancers, in that a larger pool of some ribosomal proteins is gained during the transformation process, by an unknown mechanism.

  11. Characterization of Tank 16H Annulus Samples Part II: Leaching Results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hay, M.; Reboul, S.

    2012-01-01

    The closure of Tank 16H will require removal of material from the annulus of the tank. Samples from Tank 16H annulus were characterized and tested to provide information to evaluate various alternatives for removing the annulus waste. The analysis found all four annulus samples to be composed mainly of Si, Na, and Al and lesser amounts of other elements. The XRD data indicate quartz (SiO 2 ) and sodium aluminum nitrate silicate hydrate (Na 8 (Al 6 Si 6 O 24 )(NO 3 ) 2 .4H 2 O) as the predominant crystalline mineral phases in the samples. The XRD data also indicate the presence of crystalline sodium nitrate (NaNO 3 ), sodium nitrite (NaNO 2 ), gibbsite (Al(OH) 3 ), hydrated sodium bicarbonate (Na 3 H(CO 3 ) 2 .2H 2 O), and muscovite (KAl 2 (AlSi 3 O 10 )(OH) 2 ). Based on the weight of solids remaining at the end of the test, the water leaching test results indicate 20-35% of the solids dissolved after three contacts with an approximately 3:1 volume of water at 45 C. The chemical analysis of the leachates and the XRD results of the remaining solids indicate sodium salts of nitrate, nitrite, sulfate, and possibly carbonate/bicarbonate make up the majority of the dissolved material. The majority of these salts were dissolved in the first water contact and simply diluted with each subsequent water contact. The water leaching removed large amounts of the uranium in two of the samples and approximately 1/3 of the 99 Tc from all four samples. Most of the other radionuclides analyzed showed low solubility in the water leaching test. The oxalic acid leaching test result indicate approximately 34-47% of the solids in the four annulus samples will dissolve after three contacts with an approximately 3:1 volume of acid to solids at 45 C. The same sodium salts found in the water leaching test comprise the majority of dissolved material in the oxalic acid leaching test. However, the oxalic acid was somewhat more effective in dissolving radionuclides than the water leach. In

  12. Segmentation of Connective Tissue in Meat from Microtomography Using a Grating Interferometer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Einarsdottir, Hildur; Ersbøll, Bjarne Kjær; Larsen, Rasmus

    microtomography provides high resolution, the thin structures of the connective tissues are difficult to segment. This is mainly due to partial object voxels, image noise and artifacts. The segmentation of connective tissue is important for quantitative analysis purposes. Factors such as the surface area......, relative volume and the statistics of the electron density of the connective tissue could prove useful for understanding the structural changes occurring in the meat sample due to heat treatment. In this study a two step segmentation algorithm was implemented in order to segment connective tissue from...... the a priori probability of neighborhood dependencies, and the field can either be isotropic or anisotropic. For the segmentation of connective tissue, the local information of the structure orientation and coherence is extracted to steer the smoothing (anisotropy) of the final segmentation. The results show...

  13. Low dose X –ray effects on catalase activity in animal tissue

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Focea, R; Nadejde, C; Creanga, D; Luchian, T

    2012-01-01

    This study was intended to investigate the effect of low-dose X ray-irradiation upon the activity of catalase (CAT) in freshly excised chicken tissues (liver, kidney, brain, muscle). The tissue samples were irradiated with 0.5Gy and 2Gy respectively, in a 6 MV photon beam produced by a clinical linear accelerator (VARIAN CLINAC 2100SC). The dose rate was of 260.88cGy/min. at 100 cm source to sample distance. The catalase level was assayed spectrophotometrically, based on reaction kinetics, using a catalase UV assay kit (SIGMA). Catalase increased activity in various tissue samples exposed to the studied X ray doses (for example with 24 % in the liver cells, p<0.05) suggested the stimulation of the antioxidant enzyme biosynthesis within several hours after exposure at doses of 0.5 Gy and 2 Gy; the putative enzyme inactivation could also occur (due to the injuries on the hydrogen bonds that ensure the specificity of CAT active site) but the resulted balance of the two concurrent processes indicates the cell ability of decomposing the hydrogen peroxide-with benefits for the cell physiology restoration for the chosen low dose radiation.

  14. 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.

  15. Proteomic patterns analysis with multivariate calculations as a promising tool for prompt differentiation of early stage lung tissue with cancer and unchanged tissue material

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Grodzki Tomasz

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Lung cancer diagnosis in tissue material with commonly used histological techniques is sometimes inconvenient and in a number of cases leads to ambiguous conclusions. Frequently advanced immunostaining techniques have to be employed, yet they are both time consuming and limited. In this study a proteomic approach is presented which may help provide unambiguous pathologic diagnosis of tissue material. Methods Lung tissue material found to be pathologically changed was prepared to isolate proteome with fast and non selective procedure. Isolated peptides and proteins in ranging from 3.5 to 20 kDa were analysed directly using high resolution mass spectrometer (MALDI-TOF/TOF with sinapic acid as a matrix. Recorded complex spectra of a single run were then analyzed with multivariate statistical analysis algorithms (principle component analysis, classification methods. In the applied protocol we focused on obtaining the spectra richest in protein signals constituting a pattern of change within the sample containing detailed information about its protein composition. Advanced statistical methods were to indicate differences between examined groups. Results Obtained results indicate changes in proteome profiles of changed tissues in comparison to physiologically unchanged material (control group which were reflected in the result of principle component analysis (PCA. Points representing spectra of control group were located in different areas of multidimensional space and were less diffused in comparison to cancer tissues. Three different classification algorithms showed recognition capability of 100% regarding classification of examined material into an appropriate group. Conclusion The application of the presented protocol and method enabled finding pathological changes in tissue material regardless of localization and size of abnormalities in the sample volume. Proteomic profile as a complex, rich in signals spectrum of proteins

  16. Tank 241-C-111 headspace gas and vapor sample results - August 1993 samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Huckaby, J.L.

    1994-01-01

    Tank 241-C-111 is on the ferrocyanide Watch List. Gas and vapor samples were collected to assure safe conditions before planned intrusive work was performed. Sample analyses showed that hydrogen is about ten times higher in the tank headspace than in ambient air. Nitrous oxide is about sixty times higher than ambient levels. The hydrogen cyanide concentration was below 0.04 ppbv, and the average NO x concentration was 8.6 ppmv

  17. Value of amniocentesis versus fetal tissue for cytogenetic analysis in cases of fetal demise.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bryant Borders, Ann E; Greenberg, Jessica; Plaga, Stacey; Shepard-Hinton, Megan; Yates, Carin; Elias, Sherman; Shulman, Lee P

    2009-01-01

    Use of fetal tissue for cytogenetic analysis in cases of second- and third-trimester fetal demise frequently results in unacceptably high failure rates. We reviewed our ongoing use of amniocentesis prior to uterine evacuation to determine if this provided a better source of cells for cytogenetic analysis. We compared cytogenetic results using fetal tissues obtained following uterine evacuation to our ongoing use of amniotic fluid cell obtained by transabdominal amniocentesis prior to uterine evacuation from 2003 to 2008. In 49 of the 63 cases evaluated by fetal tissue biopsies performed after uterine evacuation, a karyotypic analysis was obtained (77.8%). Among the 38 cases evaluated by amniocentesis, an amniotic fluid sample and fetal cytogenetic results were obtained in all 38 (100%) cases. Our findings indicate that amniocentesis is a more reliable source of cytogenetic information than fetal tissue in cases of second- and third-trimester fetal demise.

  18. Intra-operative on-line discrimination of kidney cancer from normal tissue by IR ATR spectroscopy of extracellular fluid

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urboniene, V.; Velicka, M.; Ceponkus, J.; Pucetaite, M.; Jankevicius, F.; Sablinskas, V.; Steiner, G.

    2016-03-01

    Determination of cancerous and normal kidney tissues during partial, simple or radical nephrectomy surgery was performed by using differences in the IR absorption spectra of extracellular fluid taken from the corresponding tissue areas. The samples were prepared by stamping of the kidney tissue on ATR diamond crystal. The spectral measurements were performed directly in the OR during surgery for 58 patients. It was found that intensities of characteristic spectral bands of glycogen (880-1200 cm-1) in extracellular fluid are sensitive to the type of the tissue and can be used as spectral markers of tumours. Characteristic spectral band of lactic acid (1730 cm-1) - product of the anaerobic glycolysis, taking place in the cancer cells is not suitable for use as a spectral marker of cancerous tissue, since it overlaps with the band of carbonyl stretch in phospholipids and fatty acids. Results of hierarchical cluster analysis of the spectra show that the spectra of healthy and tumour tissue films can be reliably separated into two groups. On the other hand, possibility to differentiate between tumours of different types and grades remains in question. While the fluid from highly malignant G3 tumour tissue contains highly pronounced glycogen spectral bands and can be well separated from benign and G1 tumours by principal component analysis, the variations between spectra from sample to sample prevent from obtaining conclusive results about the grouping between different tumour types and grades. The proposed method is instant and can be used in situ and even in vivo.

  19. Scintigraphy and venous sampling in endocrine adrenal diseases. Clinical results in 85 patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feltrin, G.P.; Maffessanti, M.; Miotto, D.; Mantero, F.; Macri, G.; Romani, S.

    1979-01-01

    The results obtained by adrenal scanning and venous sampling in 85 patients affected by various forms of adrenal pathology are reported and discussed. Pheochromocytoma rarely needs venous catheterization and blood sampling, since arteriography is almost always capable to visualize it. Scintigraphy alone is generally accurate enough to distinguish between bilateral hyperplasia and tumors in Cushing's and adrenogenital syndromes (100% of personal observations); only a tumoral situation benefits by venous catheterization. Blood samples and venography must be preceded by scintigraphy in Conn's syndrome

  20. Results for the first quarter calendar year 2017 tank 50H salt solution sample

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Crawford, C. L. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

    2017-04-12

    In this memorandum, the chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the First Quarter Calendar Year 2017 (CY17) sample of Tank 50H salt solution are presented in tabulated form. The First Quarter CY17 Tank 50H samples [a 200 mL sample obtained 6” below the surface (HTF-50-17-7) and a 1 L sample obtained 66” from the tank bottom (HTF-50-17-8)] were obtained on January 15, 2017 and received at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) on January 16, 2017. Prior to obtaining the samples from Tank 50H, a single pump was run at least 4.4 hours and the samples were pulled immediately after pump shut down. All volatile organic analysis (VOA) and semi-volatile organic analysis (SVOA) were performed on the surface sample and all other analyses were performed on the variable depth sample. The information from this characterization will be used by Savannah River Remediation (SRR) for the transfer of aqueous waste from Tank 50H to the Saltstone Production Facility, where the waste will be treated and disposed of in the Saltstone Disposal Facility. This memorandum compares results, where applicable, to Saltstone Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) limits and targets. The chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the characterization of the First Quarter CY17 sampling of Tank 50H were requested by SRR personnel and details of the testing are presented in the SRNL Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TTQAP). This memorandum is part of Deliverable 2 from SRR request. Data pertaining to the regulatory limits for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals will be documented at a later time per the TTQAP for the Tank 50H saltstone task.

  1. Proteomic analysis of minute amount of colonic biopsies by enteroscopy sampling

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Xing [Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); Xu, Yanli [Fuyang People’s Hospital (China); Meng, Qian [Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); Zheng, Qingqing [Digestive Endoscopic Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital (China); Wu, Jianhong [Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China); Wang, Chen; Jia, Weiping [Shanghai Key Laboratory of Diabetes Mellitus, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Diabetes Institute, Shanghai Clinical Center for Diabetes, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital (China); Figeys, Daniel [Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, and Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, University of Ottawa (Canada); Chang, Ying, E-mail: emulan@163.com [Digestive Endoscopic Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University Affiliated Sixth People’s Hospital (China); Zhou, Hu, E-mail: zhouhu@simm.ac.cn [Department of Analytical Chemistry and CAS Key Laboratory of Receptor Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences (China)

    2016-08-05

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of malignant tumor worldwide. Currently, although many researchers have been devoting themselves in CRC studies, the process of locating biomarkers for CRC early diagnosis and prognostic is still very slow. Using a centrifugal proteomic reactor-based proteomic analysis of minute amount of colonic biopsies by enteroscopy sampling, 2620 protein groups were quantified between cancer mucosa and adjacent normal colorectal mucosa. Of which, 403 protein groups were differentially expressed with statistic significance between cancer and normal tissues, including 195 up-regulated and 208 down-regulated proteins in cancer tissues. Three proteins (SOD3, PRELP and NGAL) were selected for further Western blot validation. And the resulting Western blot experimental results were consistent with the quantitative proteomic data. SOD3 and PRELP are down-regulated in CRC mucosa comparing to adjacent normal tissue, while NGAL is up-regulated in CRC mucosa. In conclusion, the centrifugal proteomic reactor-based label-free quantitative proteomic approach provides a highly sensitive and powerful tool for analyzing minute protein sample from tiny colorectal biopsies, which may facilitate CRC biomarkers discovery for diagnoses and prognoses. -- Highlights: •Minute amount of colonic biopsies by endoscopy is suitable for proteomic analysis. •Centrifugal proteomic reactor can be used for processing tiny clinic biopsy sample. •SOD3 and PRELP are down-regulated in CRC, while NGAL is up-regulated in CRC.

  2. Proteomic analysis of minute amount of colonic biopsies by enteroscopy sampling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Xing; Xu, Yanli; Meng, Qian; Zheng, Qingqing; Wu, Jianhong; Wang, Chen; Jia, Weiping; Figeys, Daniel; Chang, Ying; Zhou, Hu

    2016-01-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common types of malignant tumor worldwide. Currently, although many researchers have been devoting themselves in CRC studies, the process of locating biomarkers for CRC early diagnosis and prognostic is still very slow. Using a centrifugal proteomic reactor-based proteomic analysis of minute amount of colonic biopsies by enteroscopy sampling, 2620 protein groups were quantified between cancer mucosa and adjacent normal colorectal mucosa. Of which, 403 protein groups were differentially expressed with statistic significance between cancer and normal tissues, including 195 up-regulated and 208 down-regulated proteins in cancer tissues. Three proteins (SOD3, PRELP and NGAL) were selected for further Western blot validation. And the resulting Western blot experimental results were consistent with the quantitative proteomic data. SOD3 and PRELP are down-regulated in CRC mucosa comparing to adjacent normal tissue, while NGAL is up-regulated in CRC mucosa. In conclusion, the centrifugal proteomic reactor-based label-free quantitative proteomic approach provides a highly sensitive and powerful tool for analyzing minute protein sample from tiny colorectal biopsies, which may facilitate CRC biomarkers discovery for diagnoses and prognoses. -- Highlights: •Minute amount of colonic biopsies by endoscopy is suitable for proteomic analysis. •Centrifugal proteomic reactor can be used for processing tiny clinic biopsy sample. •SOD3 and PRELP are down-regulated in CRC, while NGAL is up-regulated in CRC.

  3. [Identification and management of intra-operative suspicious tissues in 20 transsphenoidal surgery cases].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jun-Feng; Ke, Chang-Shu; Chen, Xi; Xu, Yu; Zhang, Hua-Qiu; Chen, Juan; Gan, Chao; Li, Chao-Xi; Lei, Ting

    2013-05-01

    To determine appropriate protocols for the identification and management of intra operative suspicious tissues during transsphenoidal surgery. Clinical data and pathological reports of 20 patients with intra-operative suspicious tissues during transsphenoidal surgeries were analyzed retrospectively. The methods for discriminating between adenoma and normal pituitary tissues were reviewed. The postoperative pathological reports revealed that adenoma and normal pituitary tissues coexisted in 9 samples, while 5 samples were identified as normal pituitary tissues, 2 as adenoma tissues, and 4 as other tissues. Adenomas were distinguished from normal pituitary tissues on the basis of intra-operative appearance, texture, blood supply and possible existence of boundary. If decisions are difficult to made during surgeries from the appearance of the suspicious tissues, pathological examinations are advised as a guidance for the next steps.

  4. Solvent hold tank sample results for MCU-16-1363-1365. November 2016 monthly sample

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fondeur, F. F. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); Jones, D. H. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

    2017-03-22

    Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) received one set of three Solvent Hold Tank (SHT) samples (MCU-16-1363-1364-1365), pulled on 11/15/2016 for analysis. The samples were combined and analyzed for composition. Analysis of the composite sample MCU-16-1363-1364-1365 indicated the Isopar™L concentration is at its nominal level (100%). The extractant (MaxCalix) and the modifier (CS- 7SB) are 8% and 2 % below their nominal concentrations. The suppressor (TiDG) is 7% below its nominal concentration. This analysis confirms the trim and Isopar™ additions to the solvent in November. This analysis also indicates the solvent did not require further additions. Based on the current monthly sample, the levels of TiDG, Isopar™L, MaxCalix, and modifier are sufficient for continuing operation but are expected to decrease with time. Periodic characterization and trimming additions to the solvent are recommended.

  5. Investigation of enrofloxacin residues in broiler tissues using ELISA and LC-MS/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panzenhagen, Pedro Henrique N; Aguiar, Waldemir S; Gouvêa, Raquel; de Oliveira, Andréa M G; Barreto, Fabiano; Pereira, Virgínia L A; Aquino, Maria Helena C

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the efficiency of an enrofloxacin ELISA test kit to detect the presence of enrofloxacin residues in broiler tissues compared with LC-MS/MS. Broiler tissues from 72 samples consisting of 60 breast muscle, six pools of livers (500 g each) and six pools of kidneys (500 g each) were obtained from six different slaughterhouses. Breast muscle from 10 carcasses and pools of livers and kidneys from approximately 200 carcasses of the same flock were collected from each slaughterhouse. ELISA and HPLC were used to identify and quantify the contamination of the samples with enrofloxacin. A total of 72% of the analysed samples contained enrofloxacin residues detected by the ELISA and 22.2% were detected by LC-MS/MS. The mean values of enrofloxacin contamination found in chicken breast by ELISA and HPLC were 8.63 and 12.25 μg kg(-1), respectively. None of the samples exceeded the maximum limit of 100 μg kg(-1) by both methods set by the European Union as well as the Brazilian Agriculture Ministry. All positive samples for enrofloxacin residues detected by LC-MS/MS were also positive by ELISA. These data confirm the efficiency of the ELISA test, and suggest its use as a screening method for enrofloxacin residues in poultry tissues due to its quick results, low price and ease of applicability.

  6. Hole Burning Imaging Studies of Cancerous and Analogous Normal Ovarian Tissues Utilizing Organelle Specific Dyes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Matsuzaki, Satoshi [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

    2004-01-01

    Presented in this dissertation is the successful demonstration that nonphotochemical hole burning (NPWB) imaging can be used to study in vitro tissue cellular systems for discerning differences in cellular ultrastructures due to cancer development. This has been accomplished with the surgically removed cancerous ovarian and analogous normal peritoneal tissues from the same patient and the application of a fluorescent mitochondrion specific dye, Molecular Probe MitoFluor Far Red 680 (MF680), commonly known as rhodamine 800, that has been proven to exhibit efficient NPHB. From the results presented in Chapters 4 and 5 , and Appendix B, the following conclusions were made: (1) fluorescence excitation spectra of MF680 and confocal microscopy images of thin sliced tissues incubated with MF680 confirm the site-specificity of the probe molecules in the cellular systems. (2) Tunneling parameters, {lambda}{sub 0} and σΛ, as well as the standard hole burning parameters (namely, γ and S), have been determined for the tissue samples by hole growth kinetics (HGK) analyses. Unlike the preliminary cultured cell studies, these parameters have not shown the ability to distinguish tissue cellular matrices surrounding the chromophores. (3) Effects of an external electric (Stark) field on the nonphotochemical holes have been used to determine the changes in permanent dipole moment (fΔμ) for MF680 in tissue samples when burn laser polarization is parallel to the Stark field. Differences are detected between fΔμs in the two tissue samples, with the cancerous tissue exhibiting a more pronounced change (1.35-fold increase) in permanent dipole moment change relative to the normal analogs. It is speculated that the difference may be related to differences in mitochondrial membrane potentials in these tissue samples. (4) In the HGK mode, hole burning imaging (HBI) of cells adhered to coverslips and cooled to liquid helium temperatures in the complete absence of

  7. Spatial cluster analysis of nanoscopically mapped serotonin receptors for classification of fixed brain tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sams, Michael; Silye, Rene; Göhring, Janett; Muresan, Leila; Schilcher, Kurt; Jacak, Jaroslaw

    2014-01-01

    We present a cluster spatial analysis method using nanoscopic dSTORM images to determine changes in protein cluster distributions within brain tissue. Such methods are suitable to investigate human brain tissue and will help to achieve a deeper understanding of brain disease along with aiding drug development. Human brain tissue samples are usually treated postmortem via standard fixation protocols, which are established in clinical laboratories. Therefore, our localization microscopy-based method was adapted to characterize protein density and protein cluster localization in samples fixed using different protocols followed by common fluorescent immunohistochemistry techniques. The localization microscopy allows nanoscopic mapping of serotonin 5-HT1A receptor groups within a two-dimensional image of a brain tissue slice. These nanoscopically mapped proteins can be confined to clusters by applying the proposed statistical spatial analysis. Selected features of such clusters were subsequently used to characterize and classify the tissue. Samples were obtained from different types of patients, fixed with different preparation methods, and finally stored in a human tissue bank. To verify the proposed method, samples of a cryopreserved healthy brain have been compared with epitope-retrieved and paraffin-fixed tissues. Furthermore, samples of healthy brain tissues were compared with data obtained from patients suffering from mental illnesses (e.g., major depressive disorder). Our work demonstrates the applicability of localization microscopy and image analysis methods for comparison and classification of human brain tissues at a nanoscopic level. Furthermore, the presented workflow marks a unique technological advance in the characterization of protein distributions in brain tissue sections.

  8. TH-CD-206-01: Expectation-Maximization Algorithm-Based Tissue Mixture Quantification for Perfusion MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Han, H; Xing, L; Liang, Z; Li, L

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of estimating the tissue mixture perfusions and quantifying cerebral blood flow change in arterial spin labeled (ASL) perfusion MR images. Methods: The proposed perfusion MR image analysis framework consists of 5 steps: (1) Inhomogeneity correction was performed on the T1- and T2-weighted images, which are available for each studied perfusion MR dataset. (2) We used the publicly available FSL toolbox to strip off the non-brain structures from the T1- and T2-weighted MR images. (3) We applied a multi-spectral tissue-mixture segmentation algorithm on both T1- and T2-structural MR images to roughly estimate the fraction of each tissue type - white matter, grey matter and cerebral spinal fluid inside each image voxel. (4) The distributions of the three tissue types or tissue mixture across the structural image array are down-sampled and mapped onto the ASL voxel array via a co-registration operation. (5) The presented 4-dimensional expectation-maximization (4D-EM) algorithm takes the down-sampled three tissue type distributions on perfusion image data to generate the perfusion mean, variance and percentage images for each tissue type of interest. Results: Experimental results on three volunteer datasets demonstrated that the multi-spectral tissue-mixture segmentation algorithm was effective to initialize tissue mixtures from T1- and T2-weighted MR images. Compared with the conventional ASL image processing toolbox, the proposed 4D-EM algorithm not only generated comparable perfusion mean images, but also produced perfusion variance and percentage images, which the ASL toolbox cannot obtain. It is observed that the perfusion contribution percentages may not be the same as the corresponding tissue mixture volume fractions estimated in the structural images. Conclusion: A specific application to brain ASL images showed that the presented perfusion image analysis method is promising for detecting subtle changes in tissue perfusions

  9. TH-CD-206-01: Expectation-Maximization Algorithm-Based Tissue Mixture Quantification for Perfusion MRI

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Han, H; Xing, L [Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA (United States); Liang, Z [Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY (United States); Li, L [City University of New York College of Staten Island, Staten Island, NY (United States)

    2016-06-15

    Purpose: To investigate the feasibility of estimating the tissue mixture perfusions and quantifying cerebral blood flow change in arterial spin labeled (ASL) perfusion MR images. Methods: The proposed perfusion MR image analysis framework consists of 5 steps: (1) Inhomogeneity correction was performed on the T1- and T2-weighted images, which are available for each studied perfusion MR dataset. (2) We used the publicly available FSL toolbox to strip off the non-brain structures from the T1- and T2-weighted MR images. (3) We applied a multi-spectral tissue-mixture segmentation algorithm on both T1- and T2-structural MR images to roughly estimate the fraction of each tissue type - white matter, grey matter and cerebral spinal fluid inside each image voxel. (4) The distributions of the three tissue types or tissue mixture across the structural image array are down-sampled and mapped onto the ASL voxel array via a co-registration operation. (5) The presented 4-dimensional expectation-maximization (4D-EM) algorithm takes the down-sampled three tissue type distributions on perfusion image data to generate the perfusion mean, variance and percentage images for each tissue type of interest. Results: Experimental results on three volunteer datasets demonstrated that the multi-spectral tissue-mixture segmentation algorithm was effective to initialize tissue mixtures from T1- and T2-weighted MR images. Compared with the conventional ASL image processing toolbox, the proposed 4D-EM algorithm not only generated comparable perfusion mean images, but also produced perfusion variance and percentage images, which the ASL toolbox cannot obtain. It is observed that the perfusion contribution percentages may not be the same as the corresponding tissue mixture volume fractions estimated in the structural images. Conclusion: A specific application to brain ASL images showed that the presented perfusion image analysis method is promising for detecting subtle changes in tissue perfusions

  10. Bacterial and fungal microflora in surgically removed lung cancer samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Toloudi Maria

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Clinical and experimental data suggest an association between the presence of bacterial and/or fungal infection and the development of different types of cancer, independently of chemotherapy-induced leukopenia. This has also been postulated for the development of lung cancer, however the prevalence and the exact species of the bacteria and fungi implicated, have not yet been described. Aim To determine the presence of bacterial and fungal microflora in surgically extracted samples of patients with lung cancer. Materials and methods In this single-center prospective, observational study, tissue samples were surgically extracted from 32 consecutive patients with lung cancer, and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR was used to identify the presence of bacteria and fungi strains. Results The analysis of the electrophoresis data pointed out diversity between the samples and the strains that were identified. Mycoplasma strains were identified in all samples. Strains that appeared more often were Staphylococcus epidermidis, Streptococcus mitis and Bacillus strains, followed in descending frequency by Chlamydia, Candida, Listeria, and Haemophilus influenza. In individual patients Legionella pneumophila and Candida tropicalis were detected. Conclusions A diversity of pathogens could be identified in surgically extracted tissue samples of patients with lung cancer, with mycoplasma strains being present in all samples. These results point to an etiologic role for chronic infection in lung carcinogenesis. Confirmation of these observations and additional studies are needed to further characterize the etiologic role of inflammation in lung carcinogenesis.

  11. Virus characterization and discovery in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bodewes, Rogier; van Run, Peter R W A; Schürch, Anita C; Koopmans, Marion P G; Osterhaus, Albert D M E; Baumgärtner, Wolfgang; Kuiken, Thijs; Smits, Saskia L

    2015-03-01

    Detection and characterization of novel viruses is hampered frequently by the lack of properly stored materials. Especially for the retrospective identification of viruses responsible for past disease outbreaks, often only formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples are available. Although FFPE tissues can be used to detect known viral sequences, the application of FFPE tissues for detection of novel viruses is currently unclear. In the present study it was shown that sequence-independent amplification in combination with next-generation sequencing can be used to detect sequences of known and unknown viruses, although with relatively low sensitivity. These findings indicate that this technique could be useful for detecting novel viral sequences in FFPE tissues collected from humans and animals with disease of unknown origin, when other samples are not available. In addition, application of this method to FFPE tissues allows to correlate with the presence of histopathological changes in the corresponding tissue sections. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Results For The Third Quarter Calendar Year 2016 Tank 50H Salt Solution Sample

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Crawford, C. [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL)

    2016-10-13

    In this memorandum, the chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the Third Quarter Calendar Year 2016 (CY16) sample of Tank 50H salt solution are presented in tabulated form. The Third Quarter CY16 Tank 50H samples (a 200 mL sample obtained 6” below the surface (HTF-5-16-63) and a 1 L sample obtained 66” from the tank bottom (HTF-50-16-64)) were obtained on July 14, 2016 and received at Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL) on the same day. Prior to obtaining the samples from Tank 50H, a single pump was run at least 4.4 hours, and the samples were pulled immediately after pump shut down. The information from this characterization will be used by Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) & Saltstone Facility Engineering for the transfer of aqueous waste from Tank 50H to the Saltstone Production Facility, where the waste will be treated and disposed of in the Saltstone Disposal Facility. This memorandum compares results, where applicable, to Saltstone Waste Acceptance Criteria (WAC) limits and targets. Data pertaining to the regulatory limits for Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) metals will be documented at a later time per the Task Technical and Quality Assurance Plan (TTQAP) for the Tank 50H saltstone task. The chemical and radionuclide contaminant results from the characterization of the Third Quarter CY16 sampling of Tank 50H were requested by Savannah River Remediation (SRR) personnel and details of the testing are presented in the SRNL TTQAP.

  13. Facial soft tissue thickness in North Indian adult population

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tanushri Saxena

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available Objectives: Forensic facial reconstruction is an attempt to reproduce a likeness of facial features of an individual, based on characteristics of the skull, for the purpose of individual identification - The aim of this study was to determine the soft tissue thickness values of individuals of Bareilly population, Uttar Pradesh, India and to evaluate whether these values can help in forensic identification. Study design: A total of 40 individuals (19 males, 21 females were evaluated using spiral computed tomographic (CT scan with 2 mm slice thickness in axial sections and soft tissue thicknesses were measured at seven midfacial anthropological facial landmarks. Results: It was found that facial soft tissue thickness values decreased with age. Soft tissue thickness values were less in females than in males, except at ramus region. Comparing the left and right values in individuals it was found to be not significant. Conclusion: Soft tissue thickness values are an important factor in facial reconstruction and also help in forensic identification of an individual. CT scan gives a good representation of these values and hence is considered an important tool in facial reconstruction- This study has been conducted in North Indian population and further studies with larger sample size can surely add to the data regarding soft tissue thicknesses.

  14. The comparison of thermal tissue injuries caused by ultrasonic scalpel and electrocautery use in rabbit tongue tissue

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beriat, Guclu Kaan; Akmansu, Sefik Halit; Ezerarslan, Hande; Dogan, Cem; Han, Unsal; Saglam, Mehmet; Senel, Oytun Okan; Kocaturk, Sinan

    2012-01-01

    The aim of this study compares to the increase in tissue temperature and the thermal histological effects of ultrasonic scalpel, bipolar and unipolar electrosurgery incisions in the tongue tissue of rabbits. This study evaluates the histopathological changes related to thermal change and the maximum temperature values in the peripheral tissue brought about by the incisions carried out by the three methods in a comparative way. To assess thermal tissue damage induced by the three instruments, maximum tissue temperatures were measured during the surgical procedure and tongue tissue samples were examined histopathologically following the surgery. The mean maximum temperature values of the groups were 93.93±2.76 C° for the unipolar electrocautery group, whereas 85.07±5.95 C° for the bipolar electrocautery group, and 108.23±7.64 C° for the ultrasonic scalpel group. There was a statistically significant relationship between the increase in maximum temperature values and the separation among tissue layers, edema, congestion, necrosis, hemorrhage, destruction in blood vessel walls and fibrin accumulation, and between the existence of fibrin thrombus and tissue damage depth (pelectrocautery use gives way to less temperature increase in the tissues and less thermal tissue damage in comparison to the other methods. PMID:22938541

  15. Photoacoustic-based sO2 estimation through excised bovine prostate tissue with interstitial light delivery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mitcham, Trevor; Taghavi, Houra; Long, James; Wood, Cayla; Fuentes, David; Stefan, Wolfgang; Ward, John; Bouchard, Richard

    2017-09-01

    Photoacoustic (PA) imaging is capable of probing blood oxygen saturation (sO 2 ), which has been shown to correlate with tissue hypoxia, a promising cancer biomarker. However, wavelength-dependent local fluence changes can compromise sO 2 estimation accuracy in tissue. This work investigates using PA imaging with interstitial irradiation and local fluence correction to assess precision and accuracy of sO 2 estimation of blood samples through ex vivo bovine prostate tissue ranging from 14% to 100% sO 2 . Study results for bovine blood samples at distances up to 20 mm from the irradiation source show that local fluence correction improved average sO 2 estimation error from 16.8% to 3.2% and maintained an average precision of 2.3% when compared to matched CO-oximeter sO 2 measurements. This work demonstrates the potential for future clinical translation of using fluence-corrected and interstitially driven PA imaging to accurately and precisely assess sO 2 at depth in tissue with high resolution.

  16. [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

  17. Bacteriology laboratories and musculoskeletal tissue banks in Australia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Varettas, Kerry

    2012-11-01

    In Australia, there are six Therapeutic Goods Administration-licensed clinical bacteriology laboratories providing bacterial and fungal bioburden testing of allograft musculoskeletal samples sent from 10 tissue banks. Musculoskeletal swab and/or tissue biopsy samples are collected at the time of allograft retrieval and sent to bacteriology laboratories for bioburden testing, in some cases requiring interstate transport. Bacteria and fungi may be present within the allograft at the time of retrieval or contaminated from an external source. The type of organism recovered will determine if the allograft is rejected for transplant, which may include all allografts from the same donor. Bacteriology staff also provides unpaid support of tissue banks through meeting involvement, consultations, licence-related activities, validations and research funded by their organisation and not part of any contractual agreement. Bacteriology laboratories and tissue banks must be compliant to the Code of Good Manufacturing Practice - Human Blood and Tissues and regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration. Clinical bacteriology laboratories also require mandatory accreditation to Standards Australia International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) 15189:2009 medical laboratories - particular requirements for quality and competence, and may also attain Standards Australia/New Zealand Standard ISO 9001:2000 quality management systems certification. Bacteriology laboratories and musculoskeletal tissue banks are integral partners in providing safe allograft musculoskeletal tissue for transplant. © 2012 The Author. ANZ Journal of Surgery © 2012 Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

  18. Fibrosis of the pancreas: the initial tissue damage and the resulting pattern.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Klöppel, Günter; Detlefsen, Sönke; Feyerabend, Bernd

    2004-07-01

    Fibrosis in the pancreas is caused by such processes as necrosis/apoptosis, inflammation or duct obstruction. The initial event that induces fibrogenesis in the pancreas is an injury that may involve the interstitial mesenchymal cells, the duct cells and/or the acinar cells. Damage to any one of these tissue compartments of the pancreas is associated with cytokine-triggered transformation of resident fibroblasts/pancreatic stellate cells into myofibroblasts and the subsequent production and deposition of extracellular matrix. Depending on the site of injury in the pancreas and the involved tissue compartment, predominantly inter(peri)lobular fibrosis (as in alcoholic chronic pancreatitis), periductal fibrosis (as in hereditary pancreatitis), periductal and interlobular fibrosis (as in autoimmune pancreatitis) or diffuse inter- and intralobular fibrosis (as in obstructive chronic pancreatitis) develops.

  19. Automatic Segmentation of Abdominal Adipose Tissue in MRI

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mosbech, Thomas Hammershaimb; Pilgaard, Kasper; Vaag, Allan

    2011-01-01

    of intensity in-homogeneities. This effect is estimated by a thin plate spline extended to fit two classes of automatically sampled intensity points in 3D. Adipose tissue pixels are labelled with fuzzy c-means clustering and locally determined thresholds. The visceral and subcutaneous adipose tissue...

  20. Temperature Fields in Soft Tissue during LPUS Treatment: Numerical Prediction and Experiment Results

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kujawska, Tamara; Wojcik, Janusz; Nowicki, Andrzej

    2010-01-01

    Recent research has shown that beneficial therapeutic effects in soft tissues can be induced by the low power ultrasound (LPUS). For example, increasing of cells immunity to stress (among others thermal stress) can be obtained through the enhanced heat shock proteins (Hsp) expression induced by the low intensity ultrasound. The possibility to control the Hsp expression enhancement in soft tissues in vivo stimulated by ultrasound can be the potential new therapeutic approach to the neurodegenerative diseases which utilizes the known feature of cells to increase their immunity to stresses through the Hsp expression enhancement. The controlling of the Hsp expression enhancement by adjusting of exposure level to ultrasound energy would allow to evaluate and optimize the ultrasound-mediated treatment efficiency. Ultrasonic regimes are controlled by adjusting the pulsed ultrasound waves intensity, frequency, duration, duty cycle and exposure time. Our objective was to develop the numerical model capable of predicting in space and time temperature fields induced by a circular focused transducer generating tone bursts in multilayer nonlinear attenuating media and to compare the numerically calculated results with the experimental data in vitro. The acoustic pressure field in multilayer biological media was calculated using our original numerical solver. For prediction of temperature fields the Pennes' bio-heat transfer equation was employed. Temperature field measurements in vitro were carried out in a fresh rat liver using the 15 mm diameter, 25 mm focal length and 2 MHz central frequency transducer generating tone bursts with the spatial peak temporal average acoustic intensity varied between 0.325 and 1.95 W/cm 2 , duration varied from 20 to 500 cycles at the same 20% duty cycle and the exposure time varied up to 20 minutes. The measurement data were compared with numerical simulation results obtained under experimental boundary conditions. Good agreement between the