Assessment of myocardial viability by MR imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandstede, Joern J.W.

2003-01-01

Diagnosis of myocardial viability after infarction focuses on the prediction of functional improvement of dysfunctional myocardium after revascularization therapy. Magnetic resonance imaging provides different approaches for the detection of myocardial viability. Measurement of end-diastolic wall thickness is easy to perform and has a high sensitivity, but a low specificity, and can only be used 4 months after myocardial infarction due to infarct healing processes. Low-dose dobutamine stress has a good sensitivity with a high specificity for the prediction of wall motion improvement, but this is only true for patients with a singular dysfunctional area and only slightly depressed cardiac function. Late enhancement allows for direct visualization of necrotic or scarred tissue. By measuring the transmural extent of late enhancement, the probability of mechanical improvement can precisely be given. Imaging of microvascular obstruction by first-pass perfusion or late enhancement gives additional information on viability and patient prognosis. Metabolic imaging techniques, such as 31 P-MR spectroscopy and 23 Na-MR imaging, provide further insights into the mechanisms of myocardial infarction and viability. In conclusion, cardiac MRI offers several clinically usable approaches for the assessment of myocardial viability and will probably become the method of choice in the near future. (orig.)

Viability and Management Targets of Mediterranean Demersal Fisheries: The Case of the Aegean Sea.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

George Tserpes

Full Text Available Management of the Mediterranean demersal stocks has proven challenging mainly due to the multi-species character of the fisheries. In the present work, we focus on the multi-species demersal fisheries of the Aegean Sea (eastern Mediterranean aiming to study the effects of different management measures on the main commercial stocks, as well as to explore the economic viability of the fisheries depending upon these resources, by means of simulated projections. Utilizing the limited available data, our results demonstrated that, under the current exploitation pattern, the economic viability of the fleets is threatened, particularly if fuel prices increase. Additionally, the biological targets set for the most exploited species, such as hake, will not be met under the current management regime. The projections also showed that the only management scenario under which both resource sustainability and economic viability of the fisheries are ensured is the decrease of fleet capacity in terms of vessel numbers. In this case, however, measures to support the fisheries-dependent communities need to be implemented to prevent the collapse of local economies due to employment decrease. Scenarios assuming selectivity improvements would be also beneficial for the stocks but they showed low economic performance and their application would threaten the viability of the fleets, particularly that of the trawlers.

Solar energy parking canopy demonstration project

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cylwik, Joe [City of Big Bear Lake, Big Bear, CA (United States); David, Lawrence [City of Big Bear Lake, Big Bear, CA (United States)

2015-09-24

The goal of this pilot/demonstration program is to measure the viability of using solar photovoltaic (PV) technology at three locations in a mountain community environment given the harsh weather conditions. An additional goal is to reduce long-term operational costs, minimize green house gas emissions, lower the dependency on energy produced from fossil fuels, and improve the working environment and health of city employees and residents.

Pollen Viability and Autogamy Fitness in Bauhinia forficata Link (Fabaceae

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luana Camila Capitani

2018-05-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Bauhinia forficata (Fabaceae occurs in many phytophysiognomies of southern Brazil, however its ecological relevance is not well understood. The present study was developed in the Central Depression of Rio Grande do Sul and aimed to determine variations in pollen viability along flowering, ability to perform autogamy and dye efficiency for the viability test. Pollen viability was determined by colorimetry as well as the ability to perform autogamy by isolating floral buds, being evaluated in eleven matrices. Average pollen viability was 81.43%, with the highest average value obtained with the dye 2,3,5- Triphenyltetrazolium Chloride (TTC (84.11%. Safranin was not a good indicator at the tested concentration. No correlation was found between pollen viability and flowering time. The species demonstrated an inability to perform autogamy.

Viability Theory

CERN Document Server

Aubin, Jean-Pierre; Saint-Pierre, Patrick

2011-01-01

Viability theory designs and develops mathematical and algorithmic methods for investigating the adaptation to viability constraints of evolutions governed by complex systems under uncertainty that are found in many domains involving living beings, from biological evolution to economics, from environmental sciences to financial markets, from control theory and robotics to cognitive sciences. It involves interdisciplinary investigations spanning fields that have traditionally developed in isolation. The purpose of this book is to present an initiation to applications of viability theory, explai

Sperm viability staining in ecology and evolution: potential pitfalls

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Holman, Luke

2009-01-01

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

Single cell adhesion force measurement for cell viability identification using an AFM cantilever-based micro putter

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yajing; Nakajima, Masahiro; Kojima, Seiji; Homma, Michio; Kojima, Masaru; Fukuda, Toshio

2011-11-01

Fast and sensitive cell viability identification is a key point for single cell analysis. To address this issue, this paper reports a novel single cell viability identification method based on the measurement of single cell shear adhesion force using an atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilever-based micro putter. Viable and nonviable yeast cells are prepared and put onto three kinds of substrate surfaces, i.e. tungsten probe, gold and ITO substrate surfaces. A micro putter is fabricated from the AFM cantilever by focused ion beam etching technique. The spring constant of the micro putter is calibrated using the nanomanipulation approach. The shear adhesion force between the single viable or nonviable cell and each substrate is measured using the micro putter based on the nanorobotic manipulation system inside an environmental scanning electron microscope. The adhesion force is calculated based on the deflection of the micro putter beam. The results show that the adhesion force of the viable cell to the substrate is much larger than that of the nonviable cell. This identification method is label free, fast, sensitive and can give quantitative results at the single cell level.

Link overlap, viability, and mutual percolation in multiplex networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Min, Byungjoon; Lee, Sangchul; Lee, Kyu-Min; Goh, K.-I.

2015-01-01

Many real-world complex systems are best modeled by multiplex networks. The multiplexity has proved to have broad impact on the system’s structure and function. Most theoretical studies on multiplex networks to date, however, have largely ignored the effect of the link overlap across layers despite strong empirical evidences for its significance. In this article, we investigate the effect of the link overlap in the viability of multiplex networks, both analytically and numerically. After a short recap of the original multiplex viability study, the distinctive role of overlapping links in viability and mutual connectivity is emphasized and exploited for setting up a proper analytic framework. A rich phase diagram for viability is obtained and greatly diversified patterns of hysteretic behavior in viability are observed in the presence of link overlap. Mutual percolation with link overlap is revisited as a limit of multiplex viability problem, and the controversy between existing results is clarified. The distinctive role of overlapping links is further demonstrated by the different responses of networks under random removals of overlapping and non-overlapping links, respectively, as well as under several link-removal strategies. Our results show that the link overlap facilitates the viability and mutual percolation; at the same time, the presence of link overlap poses a challenge in analytical approaches to the problem

Viability Test Device for anisakid nematodes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael Kroeger

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Up to now the visual inspection of mobility of isolated anisakid larvae serves as a measure of viability and possible risk of infection. This paper presents a new method to rule out unreliability – caused by the temporary immobility of the larvae and by the human uncertainty factor of visual observation. By means of a Near infrared (NIR imaging method, elastic curvature energies and geometric shape parameters were determined from contours, and used as a measure of viability. It was based on the modelling of larvae as a cylindrical membrane system. The interaction between curvatures, contraction of the longitudinal muscles, and inner pressure enabled the derivation of viability from stationary form data. From series of spectrally signed images within a narrow wavelength range, curvature data of the larvae were determined. Possible mobility of larvae was taken into account in statistical error variables. Experiments on individual living larvae, long-term observations of Anisakis larvae, and comparative studies of the staining method and the VTD measurements of larvae from the tissue of products confirmed the effectiveness of this method. The VTD differentiated clearly between live and dead nematode larvae isolated from marinated, deep-frozen and salted products. The VTD has been proven as excellent method to detect living anisakid nematode larvae in fishery products and is seen as useful tool for fish processing industry and control authorities. Keywords: Biophysics

Real-time viability and apoptosis kinetic detection method of 3D multicellular tumor spheroids using the Celigo Image Cytometer.

Science.gov (United States)

Kessel, Sarah; Cribbes, Scott; Bonasu, Surekha; Rice, William; Qiu, Jean; Chan, Leo Li-Ying

2017-09-01

The development of three-dimensional (3D) multicellular tumor spheroid models for cancer drug discovery research has increased in the recent years. The use of 3D tumor spheroid models may be more representative of the complex in vivo tumor microenvironments in comparison to two-dimensional (2D) assays. Currently, viability of 3D multicellular tumor spheroids has been commonly measured on standard plate-readers using metabolic reagents such as CellTiter-Glo® for end point analysis. Alternatively, high content image cytometers have been used to measure drug effects on spheroid size and viability. Previously, we have demonstrated a novel end point drug screening method for 3D multicellular tumor spheroids using the Celigo Image Cytometer. To better characterize the cancer drug effects, it is important to also measure the kinetic cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on 3D multicellular tumor spheroids. In this work, we demonstrate the use of PI and caspase 3/7 stains to measure viability and apoptosis for 3D multicellular tumor spheroids in real-time. The method was first validated by staining different types of tumor spheroids with PI and caspase 3/7 and monitoring the fluorescent intensities for 16 and 21 days. Next, PI-stained and nonstained control tumor spheroids were digested into single cell suspension to directly measure viability in a 2D assay to determine the potential toxicity of PI. Finally, extensive data analysis was performed on correlating the time-dependent PI and caspase 3/7 fluorescent intensities to the spheroid size and necrotic core formation to determine an optimal starting time point for cancer drug testing. The ability to measure real-time viability and apoptosis is highly important for developing a proper 3D model for screening tumor spheroids, which can allow researchers to determine time-dependent drug effects that usually are not captured by end point assays. This would improve the current tumor spheroid analysis method to potentially better

Linking population viability, habitat suitability, and landscape simulation models for conservation planning

Science.gov (United States)

Michael A. Larson; Frank R., III Thompson; Joshua J. Millspaugh; William D. Dijak; Stephen R. Shifley

2004-01-01

Methods for habitat modeling based on landscape simulations and population viability modeling based on habitat quality are well developed, but no published study of which we are aware has effectively joined them in a single, comprehensive analysis. We demonstrate the application of a population viability model for ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapillus)...

Experimental programme to demonstrate the viability of the supercontainer concept for HLW

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van Humbeeck, Hughes; De Bock, Chris; Bastiaens, Wim; Van Cotthem, Alain

2008-01-01

The EIG EURIDICE (a joint venture between the Belgian Organisation for Radioactive Waste Management - ONDRAF/NIRAS - and the Belgian Nuclear Research Centre - SCKoCEN) is responsible for performing large-scale tests, technical demonstrations and experiments to assess the feasibility of a final disposal of vitrified radioactive waste in deep clay layers. This is part of the Belgian Research and Development programme managed by ONDRAF/NIRAS. The current Belgian reference design for vitrified HLW and spent fuel assemblies is the so-called Supercontainer design. The vitrified waste canisters or spent fuel assemblies are enclosed in a carbon steel overpack which has to prevent contact between water from the host formation and the waste during the thermal phase. In order to maintain favourable chemical conditions to avoid corrosion during this period (several hundred or even thousand of years), the overpack is surrounded by a high alkaline concrete buffer of about 70 cm thick. The buffer also provides permanent radiological shielding for the workers, simplifying handling and other operations. All the components of the Supercontainer are constructed in above ground installations, thus creating favourable QA/QC conditions. After the emplacement of the Supercontainers in the disposal galleries, the remaining space will be backfilled. Tests to demonstrate the viability and the construction feasibility of the supercontainer design have been initiated. The viability programme includes Tests to verify the feasibility to construct and emplace the components of the supercontainers, and tests to verify the feasibility to backfill the disposal galleries once the supercontainers are placed. Supercontainer construction: Tests in column to verify the construction feasibility (risk of cracking) of the buffer with two different types of concrete (a self-compacting concrete - SCC - and a rheoplastic concrete RPC) were performed in collaboration with the Belgian concrete factory Socea. A

Assessment of bacterial endospore viability with fluorescent dyes.

Science.gov (United States)

Laflamme, C; Lavigne, S; Ho, J; Duchaine, C

2004-01-01

To validate three fluorescence viability assays designed primarily for vegetative cells on pure Bacillus endospores. Purified fresh and gamma-irradiated Bacillus endospores (Bacillus cereus, B. coagulans and two strains of B. subtilis) were used. The viability assays were: 5-cyano-2,3-diotolyl tetrazolium chloride (CTC) to test respiratory activity and early germination, DiBAC4(3) and Live/Dead BacLight to measure membrane energization and permeabilization, respectively. Gamma irradiation treatment completely eliminated spore culturability and was used as negative control. The untreated spores showed respiratory activity after 1 h of incubation and this was characteristic of almost 100% of spores after 24 h. The membrane potential assessment gave no answer about spore viability. A lower proportion of untreated spores had permeabilized membrane compared with gamma-irradiated spores using Live/Dead BacLight (P plate count. This study shows that fluorescence tests could be applied to assess viability in potentially pathogenic Bacillus spore preparations within 1 h.

Viability and Virulence of Entomopathogenic Nematodes Exposed to Ultraviolet Radiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Shapiro-Ilan, David I; Hazir, Selcuk; Lete, Luis

2015-09-01

Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) can be highly effective biocontrol agents, but their efficacy can be reduced due to exposure to environmental stress such as from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Our objectives were to 1) compare UV tolerance among a broad array of EPN species, and 2) investigate the relationship between reduced nematode viability (after exposure to UV) and virulence. Nematodes exposed to a UV radiation (254 nm) for 10 or 20 min were assessed separately for viability (survival) and virulence to Galleria mellonella. We compared 9 different EPN species and 15 strains: Heterorhabditis bacteriophora (Baine, fl11, Oswego, and Vs strains), H. floridensis (332), H. georgiana (Kesha), H. indica (HOM1), H. megidis (UK211), Steinernema carpocapsae (All, Cxrd, DD136, and Sal strains), S. feltiae (SN), S. rarum (17C&E), and S. riobrave (355). In viability assessments, steinernematids, particularly strains of S. carpocapsae, generally exhibited superior UV tolerance compared with the heterorhabditids. However, some heterorhabditids tended to be more tolerant than others, e.g., H. megidis and H. bacteriophora (Baine) were most susceptible and H. bacteriophora (Vs) was the only heterorhabditid that did not exhibit a significant effect after 10 min of exposure. All heterorhabditids experienced reduced viability after 20 min exposure though several S. carpocapsae strains did not. In total, after 10 or 20 min exposure, the viability of seven nematode strains did not differ from their non-UV exposed controls. In virulence assays, steinernematids (particularly S. carpocapsae strains) also tended to exhibit higher UV tolerance. However, in contrast to the viability measurements, all nematodes experienced a reduction in virulence relative to their controls. Correlation analysis revealed that viability among nematode strains is not necessarily related to virulence. In conclusion, our results indicate that the impact of UV varies substantially among EPNs, and viability alone

Effect on the viability in populations of Drosophila Melanogaster chronically exposed to Radon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salceda, V.M.

2004-01-01

A four generations population of Drosophila melanogaster chronically subjected to the following radon concentrations were analyzed: 30 ± 7, 12 ± 2, 43 ± 5, 25 ± 7, 14 ± 2, 6 ± 2, 78 ± 1, 58 ± 5 and 74 ± 7 k B/m 3 with estimated doses of 1.209, 0.1, 2.088, 0.869, 0.156, 0.03, 3.18, 2.12 and 2.878 mGy by generation and their respective ones witness, in order to determine the effect of the radiation in the induction of detrimental genes, also measuring the effect of the viability with regard to the fecundity and the differential viability in categories of genes with smaller effects. So much the induction of detrimental genes like the distribution of the viability with regard to the fecundity for categories they did not show inductor effect due to the treatment with radon. Notwithstanding, the changes caused by the relating treatment to the fecundity they caused in three of the four comparisons possible significant results in the production of descendants, improving the adaptation of the populations, like it has been demonstrated by other authors

Low temperature co-fired ceramic packaging of CMOS capacitive sensor chip towards cell viability monitoring.

Science.gov (United States)

Halonen, Niina; Kilpijärvi, Joni; Sobocinski, Maciej; Datta-Chaudhuri, Timir; Hassinen, Antti; Prakash, Someshekar B; Möller, Peter; Abshire, Pamela; Kellokumpu, Sakari; Lloyd Spetz, Anita

2016-01-01

Cell viability monitoring is an important part of biosafety evaluation for the detection of toxic effects on cells caused by nanomaterials, preferably by label-free, noninvasive, fast, and cost effective methods. These requirements can be met by monitoring cell viability with a capacitance-sensing integrated circuit (IC) microchip. The capacitance provides a measurement of the surface attachment of adherent cells as an indication of their health status. However, the moist, warm, and corrosive biological environment requires reliable packaging of the sensor chip. In this work, a second generation of low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology was combined with flip-chip bonding to provide a durable package compatible with cell culture. The LTCC-packaged sensor chip was integrated with a printed circuit board, data acquisition device, and measurement-controlling software. The packaged sensor chip functioned well in the presence of cell medium and cells, with output voltages depending on the medium above the capacitors. Moreover, the manufacturing of microfluidic channels in the LTCC package was demonstrated.

Non-destructive technique for determining the viability of soybean (Glycine max) seeds using FT-NIR spectroscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Kusumaningrum, Dewi; Lee, Hoonsoo; Lohumi, Santosh; Mo, Changyeun; Kim, Moon S; Cho, Byoung-Kwan

2018-03-01

The viability of seeds is important for determining their quality. A high-quality seed is one that has a high capability of germination that is necessary to ensure high productivity. Hence, developing technology for the detection of seed viability is a high priority in agriculture. Fourier transform near-infrared (FT-NIR) spectroscopy is one of the most popular devices among other vibrational spectroscopies. This study aims to use FT-NIR spectroscopy to determine the viability of soybean seeds. Viable and artificial ageing seeds as non-viable soybeans were used in this research. The FT-NIR spectra of soybean seeds were collected and analysed using a partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) to classify viable and non-viable soybean seeds. Moreover, the variable importance in projection (VIP) method for variable selection combined with the PLS-DA was employed. The most effective wavelengths were selected by the VIP method, which selected 146 optimal variables from the full set of 1557 variables. The results demonstrated that the FT-NIR spectral analysis with the PLS-DA method that uses all variables or the selected variables showed good performance based on the high value of prediction accuracy for soybean viability with an accuracy close to 100%. Hence, FT-NIR techniques with a chemometric analysis have the potential for rapidly measuring soybean seed viability. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Influence of CAD/CAM all-ceramic materials on cell viability, migration ability and adenylate kinase release of human gingival fibroblasts and oral keratinocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pabst, A M; Walter, C; Grassmann, L; Weyhrauch, M; Brüllmann, D D; Ziebart, T; Scheller, H; Lehmann, K M

2014-05-01

The aim of this study was to analyze the influence of four CAD/CAM all-ceramic materials on cell viability, migration ability and adenylate kinase (ADK) release of human gingival fibroblasts (HGF) and oral keratinocytes (HOK). HGF and HOK were cultured on disc-shaped CAD/CAM all-ceramic materials (e.max CAD LT, e.max CAD HT, Empress CAD and Mark II) and on discs made of tissue culture polystyrene surface (TCPS) serving as control. Cell viability was analyzed by using an MTT assay, and migration ability was investigated by a scratch assay. A ToxiLight assay has been performed to analyze the effect of all-ceramic materials on ADK release and cell apoptosis. At MTT assay for HGF, no significant decrease of cell viability could be detected at all points of measurement (p each > 0.05), while HOK demonstrated a significant decrease in cell viability especially on Empress CAD and Mark II at each point of measurement (p each materials at all points of measurement (between -36 % and -71 %; p each ceramic materials could be investigated. This study disclosed significant differences in cell viability and migration ability of HGF and HOK on CAD/CAM all-ceramic materials. CAD/CAM all-ceramic materials can influence oral cell lines responsible for soft tissue creation which may affect the esthetic outcome.

Morphological observation and analysis using automated image cytometry for the comparison of trypan blue and fluorescence-based viability detection method.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Leo Li-Ying; Kuksin, Dmitry; Laverty, Daniel J; Saldi, Stephanie; Qiu, Jean

2015-05-01

The ability to accurately determine cell viability is essential to performing a well-controlled biological experiment. Typical experiments range from standard cell culturing to advanced cell-based assays that may require cell viability measurement for downstream experiments. The traditional cell viability measurement method has been the trypan blue (TB) exclusion assay. However, since the introduction of fluorescence-based dyes for cell viability measurement using flow or image-based cytometry systems, there have been numerous publications comparing the two detection methods. Although previous studies have shown discrepancies between TB exclusion and fluorescence-based viability measurements, image-based morphological analysis was not performed in order to examine the viability discrepancies. In this work, we compared TB exclusion and fluorescence-based viability detection methods using image cytometry to observe morphological changes due to the effect of TB on dead cells. Imaging results showed that as the viability of a naturally-dying Jurkat cell sample decreased below 70 %, many TB-stained cells began to exhibit non-uniform morphological characteristics. Dead cells with these characteristics may be difficult to count under light microscopy, thus generating an artificially higher viability measurement compared to fluorescence-based method. These morphological observations can potentially explain the differences in viability measurement between the two methods.

Viability of Pushrod Dilatometry Techniques for High Temperature In-Pile Measurements

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

J. E. Daw; J. L. Rempe; D. L. Knudson; K. G. Condie; J. C. Crepeau

2008-03-01

To evaluate the performance of new fuel, cladding, and structural materials for use in advanced and existing nuclear reactors, robust instrumentation is needed. Changes in material deformation are typically evaluated out-of-pile, where properties of materials are measured after samples were irradiated for a specified length of time. To address this problem, a series of tests were performed to examine the viability of using pushrod dilatometer techniques for in-pile instrumentation to measure deformation. The tests were performed in three phases. First, familiarity was gained in the use and accuracy of this system by testing samples with well defined thermal elongation characteristics. Second, high temperature data for steels, specifically SA533 Grade B, Class 1 (SA533B1) Low Alloy Steel and Stainless Steel 304 (SS304), found in Light Water Reactor (LWR) vessels, were aquired. Finally, data were obtained from a short pushrod in a horizontal geometry to data obtained from a longer pushrod in a vertical geometry, the configuration likely to be used for in-situ measurements. Results of testing show that previously accepted data for the structural steels tested, SA533B1 and SS304, are inaccurate at high temperatures (above 500 oC) due to extrpolation of high temperature data. This is especially true for SA533B1, as previous data do not account for the phase transformation of the material between 730 oC and 830 oC. Also, comparison of results for horizontal and vertical configurations show a maximum percent difference of 2.02% for high temperature data.

Influence of electrospun scaffolds prepared from distinct polymers on proliferation and viability of endothelial cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Matveeva, V. G., E-mail: matveeva-vg@mail.ru; Antonova, L. V., E-mail: antonova.la@mail.ru; Velikanova, E. A.; Sergeeva, E. A.; Krivkina, E. O.; Glushkova, T. V.; Kudryavtseva, Yu. A.; Barbarash, O. L.; Barbarash, L. S. [Research Institute for Complex Issues of Cardiovascular Diseases, Kemerovo, 650002 (Russian Federation)

2015-10-27

We compared electrospun nonwoven scaffolds from polylactic acid (PLA), polycaprolactone (PCL), and polyhydroxybutyrate/valerate (PHBV)/polycaprolactone (PHBV/PCL). The surface of PHBV/PCL and PCL scaffolds was highly porous and consisted of randomly distributed fibers, whilst the surface of PLA scaffolds consisted of thin straight fibers, which located more sparsely, forming large pores. Culture of EA.hy 926 endothelial cells on these scaffolds during 7 days and further fluorescent microscopy demonstrated that the surface of PHBV/PCL scaffolds was most favorable for efficient adhesion, proliferation, and viability of endothelial cells. The lowest proliferation rate and cell viability were detected on PLA scaffolds. Therefore, PHBV/PCL electrospun nonwoven scaffolds demonstrated the best results regarding endothelial cell proliferation and viability as compared to PCL and PLA scaffolds.

NPP Cernavoda unit 2 economic viability: The challenge for an advanced financing scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Condu, M.; Popescu, D.

1999-01-01

The completion of Cernavoda Unit-2 being no doubt, the viability of the project was analyzed and strengthened. Economic justification of the decision to complete Unit-2 is described, including assessment of its safety design guides, design requirements and engineering design solutions in the light of changes in codes, guideline, standards and actual regulatory requirements. Cost-benefit analysis demonstrates the economic viability of the project

Rapid, portable and cost-effective yeast cell viability and concentration analysis using lensfree on-chip microscopy and machine learning

KAUST Repository

Feizi, Alborz

2016-09-24

Monitoring yeast cell viability and concentration is important in brewing, baking and biofuel production. However, existing methods of measuring viability and concentration are relatively bulky, tedious and expensive. Here we demonstrate a compact and cost-effective automatic yeast analysis platform (AYAP), which can rapidly measure cell concentration and viability. AYAP is based on digital in-line holography and on-chip microscopy and rapidly images a large field-of-view of 22.5 mm2. This lens-free microscope weighs 70 g and utilizes a partially-coherent illumination source and an opto-electronic image sensor chip. A touch-screen user interface based on a tablet-PC is developed to reconstruct the holographic shadows captured by the image sensor chip and use a support vector machine (SVM) model to automatically classify live and dead cells in a yeast sample stained with methylene blue. In order to quantify its accuracy, we varied the viability and concentration of the cells and compared AYAP\\'s performance with a fluorescence exclusion staining based gold-standard using regression analysis. The results agree very well with this gold-standard method and no significant difference was observed between the two methods within a concentration range of 1.4 × 105 to 1.4 × 106 cells per mL, providing a dynamic range suitable for various applications. This lensfree computational imaging technology that is coupled with machine learning algorithms would be useful for cost-effective and rapid quantification of cell viability and density even in field and resource-poor settings.

Rapid, portable and cost-effective yeast cell viability and concentration analysis using lensfree on-chip microscopy and machine learning.

Science.gov (United States)

Feizi, Alborz; Zhang, Yibo; Greenbaum, Alon; Guziak, Alex; Luong, Michelle; Chan, Raymond Yan Lok; Berg, Brandon; Ozkan, Haydar; Luo, Wei; Wu, Michael; Wu, Yichen; Ozcan, Aydogan

2016-11-01

Monitoring yeast cell viability and concentration is important in brewing, baking and biofuel production. However, existing methods of measuring viability and concentration are relatively bulky, tedious and expensive. Here we demonstrate a compact and cost-effective automatic yeast analysis platform (AYAP), which can rapidly measure cell concentration and viability. AYAP is based on digital in-line holography and on-chip microscopy and rapidly images a large field-of-view of 22.5 mm 2 . This lens-free microscope weighs 70 g and utilizes a partially-coherent illumination source and an opto-electronic image sensor chip. A touch-screen user interface based on a tablet-PC is developed to reconstruct the holographic shadows captured by the image sensor chip and use a support vector machine (SVM) model to automatically classify live and dead cells in a yeast sample stained with methylene blue. In order to quantify its accuracy, we varied the viability and concentration of the cells and compared AYAP's performance with a fluorescence exclusion staining based gold-standard using regression analysis. The results agree very well with this gold-standard method and no significant difference was observed between the two methods within a concentration range of 1.4 × 10 5 to 1.4 × 10 6 cells per mL, providing a dynamic range suitable for various applications. This lensfree computational imaging technology that is coupled with machine learning algorithms would be useful for cost-effective and rapid quantification of cell viability and density even in field and resource-poor settings.

Low temperature co-fired ceramic packaging of CMOS capacitive sensor chip towards cell viability monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Niina Halonen

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Cell viability monitoring is an important part of biosafety evaluation for the detection of toxic effects on cells caused by nanomaterials, preferably by label-free, noninvasive, fast, and cost effective methods. These requirements can be met by monitoring cell viability with a capacitance-sensing integrated circuit (IC microchip. The capacitance provides a measurement of the surface attachment of adherent cells as an indication of their health status. However, the moist, warm, and corrosive biological environment requires reliable packaging of the sensor chip. In this work, a second generation of low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC technology was combined with flip-chip bonding to provide a durable package compatible with cell culture. The LTCC-packaged sensor chip was integrated with a printed circuit board, data acquisition device, and measurement-controlling software. The packaged sensor chip functioned well in the presence of cell medium and cells, with output voltages depending on the medium above the capacitors. Moreover, the manufacturing of microfluidic channels in the LTCC package was demonstrated.

Viability, invariance and applications

CERN Document Server

Carja, Ovidiu; Vrabie, Ioan I

2007-01-01

The book is an almost self-contained presentation of the most important concepts and results in viability and invariance. The viability of a set K with respect to a given function (or multi-function) F, defined on it, describes the property that, for each initial data in K, the differential equation (or inclusion) driven by that function or multi-function) to have at least one solution. The invariance of a set K with respect to a function (or multi-function) F, defined on a larger set D, is that property which says that each solution of the differential equation (or inclusion) driven by F and issuing in K remains in K, at least for a short time.The book includes the most important necessary and sufficient conditions for viability starting with Nagumo's Viability Theorem for ordinary differential equations with continuous right-hand sides and continuing with the corresponding extensions either to differential inclusions or to semilinear or even fully nonlinear evolution equations, systems and inclusions. In th...

PBMC and MDAMB-231 cellular viability after telecobalt irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrade, Lidia M.; Campos, Tarcisio P.R.

2002-01-01

Radiotherapy by gamma rays are used for cancer treatment. Ionizing radiation effects on cells has been investigated. Studies in vitro were developed using tumor cell lines and ionizing radiation. The aim of this research was to test the cellular viability response of two cell types through MTT assay: human peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and human breast carcinoma cell line MDAMB-231. These cells were irradiated with 60 Co source Theratron 80 radiotherapy machine from Atomic Energy Canada Limited with 20 x 20 cm field at 136.4 cGy/min, surface source distance 70 cm. Culture flasks contained 10 4 , 10 5 and 10 6 cells were irradiated with 100 Gy, 25 Gy, and 50 Gy using non fractionated doses. Cellular viability were evaluated 1h, 24h, 48h and 72h after irradiation and samples were measured by optical density at 595nm. Our results show that PBMC cells present lower cellular viability post irradiation. On the other hand, MDAMB-231 cells maintain viability after 50 Gy irradiation at 72h indicating cellular radioresistance. (author)

Toward an integrated approach to nutritional quality, environmental sustainability, and economic viability: research and measurement gaps.

Science.gov (United States)

Herforth, Anna; Frongillo, Edward A; Sassi, Franco; Mclean, Mireille Seneclauze; Arabi, Mandana; Tirado, Cristina; Remans, Roseline; Mantilla, Gilma; Thomson, Madeleine; Pingali, Prabhu

2014-12-01

Nutrition is affected by numerous environmental and societal causes. This paper starts with a simple framework based on three domains: nutritional quality, economic viability, and environmental sustainability, and calls for an integrated approach in research to simultaneously account for all three. It highlights limitations in the current understanding of each domain, and how they influence one another. Five research topics are identified: measuring the three domains (nutritional quality, economic viability, environmental sustainability); modeling across disciplines; furthering the analysis of food systems in relation to the three domains; connecting climate change and variability to nutritional quality; and increasing attention to inequities among population groups in relation to the three domains. For an integrated approach to be developed, there is a need to identify and disseminate available metrics, modeling techniques, and tools to researchers, practitioners, and policy makers. This is a first step so that a systems approach that takes into account potential environmental and economic trade-offs becomes the norm in analyzing nutrition and food-security patterns. Such an approach will help fill critical knowledge gaps and will guide researchers seeking to define and address specific research questions in nutrition in their wider socioeconomic and environmental contexts. © 2014 New York Academy of Sciences.

High speed measurement of corn seed viability using hyperspectral imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Ambrose, Ashabahebwa; Kandpal, Lalit Mohan; Kim, Moon S.; Lee, Wang-Hee; Cho, Byoung-Kwan

2016-03-01

Corn is one of the most cultivated crops all over world as food for humans as well as animals. Optimized agronomic practices and improved technological interventions during planting, harvesting and post-harvest handling are critical to improving the quantity and quality of corn production. Seed germination and vigor are the primary determinants of high yield notwithstanding any other factors that may play during the growth period. Seed viability may be lost during storage due to unfavorable conditions e.g. moisture content and temperatures, or physical damage during mechanical processing e.g. shelling, or over heating during drying. It is therefore vital for seed companies and farmers to test and ascertain seed viability to avoid losses of any kind. This study aimed at investigating the possibility of using hyperspectral imaging (HSI) technique to discriminate viable and nonviable corn seeds. A group of corn samples were heat treated by using microwave process while a group of seeds were kept as control group (untreated). The hyperspectral images of corn seeds of both groups were captured between 400 and 2500 nm wave range. Partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) was built for the classification of aged (heat treated) and normal (untreated) corn seeds. The model showed highest classification accuracy of 97.6% (calibration) and 95.6% (prediction) in the SWIR region of the HSI. Furthermore, the PLS-DA and binary images were capable to provide the visual information of treated and untreated corn seeds. The overall results suggest that HSI technique is accurate for classification of viable and non-viable seeds with non-destructive manner.

Demonstration of Detection and Ranging Using Solvable Chaos

Science.gov (United States)

Corron, Ned J.; Stahl, Mark T.; Blakely, Jonathan N.

2013-01-01

Acoustic experiments demonstrate a novel approach to ranging and detection that exploits the properties of a solvable chaotic oscillator. This nonlinear oscillator includes an ordinary differential equation and a discrete switching condition. The chaotic waveform generated by this hybrid system is used as the transmitted waveform. The oscillator admits an exact analytic solution that can be written as the linear convolution of binary symbols and a single basis function. This linear representation enables coherent reception using a simple analog matched filter and without need for digital sampling or signal processing. An audio frequency implementation of the transmitter and receiver is described. Successful acoustic ranging measurements are presented to demonstrate the viability of the approach.

Doctors' perspectives on the viability of rural practice.

Science.gov (United States)

Jones, J A; Humphreys, J S; Adena, M A

2004-01-01

characteristics' (all approximately 23%), 'GP activities and workload' (16%) and 'Professional support' (12%). Eight main factors were identified by practitioners as threats to viability. 'Workforce' was nominated by 57% of respondents, followed by 'Financial' (44%), 'Medico-legal' (33%), 'Administration-political' (16%), 'Community characteristics' (15%), 'GP-practice characteristics' and 'Personal circumstances' (10%) and 'Family circumstances' (3%). Across RRMA 3 to 5 the order of the percentage of respondents identifying each factor was generally consistent, with significant differences in the magnitude of the percentages for three contributing factors and four risk factors. While respondent numbers in RRMA 6 and 7 communities were low, significance testing did reveal differences between them and the rural communities on two contributing and one risk factor. Practice viability is a major factor affecting the attractiveness of rural and remote practice for intending and existing GPs. Initiatives designed to contribute to viability will not be successful unless measures are also adopted to address perceived threats. This study highlights the systemic nature of the factors which contribute to and threaten practice viability. Although a primary component of practice viability is economic, with income from consultations being critical, the importance of the interrelationships between the main viability factors should not be underestimated. Clearly a multifaceted systemic response is required to overcome problems associated with rural workforce recruitment of future and burnout of current rural GPs.

Cytotoxicity and Effects on Cell Viability of Nickel Nanowires

KAUST Repository

Rodriguez, Jose E.

2013-05-01

Recently, magnetic nanoparticles are finding an increased use in biomedical applications and research. Nanobeads are widely used for cell separation, biosensing and cancer therapy, among others. Due to their properties, nanowires (NWs) are gaining ground for similar applications and, as with all biomaterials, their cytotoxicity is an important factor to be considered before conducting biological studies with them. In this work, the cytotoxic effects of nickel NWs (Ni NWs) were investigated in terms of cell viability and damage to the cellular membrane. Ni NWs with an average diameter of 30-34 nm were prepared by electrodeposition in nanoporous alumina templates. The templates were obtained by a two-step anodization process with oxalic acid on an aluminum substrate. Characterization of NWs was done using X-Ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-Ray analysis (EDAX), whereas their morphology was observed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Cell viability studies were carried out on human colorectal carcinoma cells HCT 116 by the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide) cell proliferation colorimetric assay, whereas the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) homogenous membrane fluorimetric assay was used to measure the degree of cell membrane rupture. The density of cell seeding was calculated to obtain a specific cell number and confluency before treatment with NWs. Optical readings of the cell-reduced MTT products were measured at 570 nm, whereas fluorescent LDH membrane leakage was recorded with an excitation wavelength of 525 nm and an emission wavelength of 580 - 640 nm. The effects of NW length, cell exposure time, as well as NW:cell ratio, were evaluated through both cytotoxic assays. The results show that cell viability due to Ni NWs is affected depending on both exposure time and NW number. On the other hand, membrane rupture and leakage was only significant at later exposure times. Both

Importance of Donor Chondrocyte Viability for Osteochondral Allografts.

Science.gov (United States)

Cook, James L; Stannard, James P; Stoker, Aaron M; Bozynski, Chantelle C; Kuroki, Keiichi; Cook, Cristi R; Pfeiffer, Ferris M

2016-05-01

Osteochondral allograft (OCA) transplantation provides a biological treatment option for functional restoration of large articular cartilage defects in multiple joints. While successful outcomes after OCA transplantation have been linked to viable donor chondrocytes, the importance of donor cell viability has not been comprehensively validated. To use a canine model to determine the importance of donor chondrocyte viability at the time of implantation with respect to functional success of femoral condylar OCAs based on radiographic, gross, cell viability, histologic, biochemical, and biomechanical outcome measures. Controlled laboratory study. After approval was obtained from the institutional animal care and use committee, adult female dogs (N = 16) were implanted with 8-mm cylindrical OCAs from male dogs in the lateral and medial femoral condyles of 1 knee. OCAs were preserved for 28 or 60 days after procurement, and chondrocyte viability was quantified before implantation. Two different storage media, temperatures, and time points were used to obtain a spectrum of percentage chondrocyte viability at the time of implantation. A successful outcome was defined as an OCA that was associated with graft integration, maintenance of hyaline cartilage, lack of associated cartilage disorder, and lack of fibrillation, fissuring, or fibrous tissue infiltration of the allograft based on subjective radiographic, gross, and histologic assessments at 6 months after implantation. Chondrocyte viability ranged from 23% to 99% at the time of implantation. All successful grafts had >70% chondrocyte viability at the time of implantation, and no graft with chondrocyte viability <70% was associated with a successful outcome. Live-dead stained sections and histologic findings with respect to cell morphological features suggested that successful grafts were consistently composed of viable chondrocytes in lacunae, while grafts that were not successful were composed of nonviable

Drying process strongly affects probiotics viability and functionalities.

Science.gov (United States)

Iaconelli, Cyril; Lemetais, Guillaume; Kechaou, Noura; Chain, Florian; Bermúdez-Humarán, Luis G; Langella, Philippe; Gervais, Patrick; Beney, Laurent

2015-11-20

Probiotic formulations are widely used and are proposed to have a variety of beneficial effects, depending on the probiotic strains present in the product. The impact of drying processes on the viability of probiotics is well documented. However, the impact of these processes on probiotics functionality remains unclear. In this work, we investigated variations in seven different bacterial markers after various desiccation processes. Markers were composed of four different viability evaluation (combining two growth abilities and two cytometric measurements) and in three in vitro functionalities: stimulation of IL-10 and IL-12 production by PBMCs (immunomodulation) and bacterial adhesion to hexadecane. We measured the impact of three drying processes (air-drying, freeze-drying and spray-drying), without the use of protective agents, on three types of probiotic bacteria: Bifidobacterium bifidum, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus zeae. Our results show that the bacteria respond differently to the three different drying processes, in terms of viability and functionality. Drying methods produce important variations in bacterial immunomodulation and hydrophobicity, which are correlated. We also show that adherence can be stimulated (air-drying) or inhibited (spray-drying) by drying processes. Results of a multivariate analysis show no direct correlation between bacterial survival and functionality, but do show a correlation between probiotic responses to desiccation-rewetting and the process used to dry the bacteria. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Noninvasive Real-Time Assessment of Cell Viability in a Three-Dimensional Tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Mahfouzi, Seyed Hossein; Amoabediny, Ghassem; Doryab, Ali; Safiabadi-Tali, Seyed Hamid; Ghanei, Mostafa

2018-04-01

Maintaining cell viability within 3D tissue engineering scaffolds is an essential step toward a functional tissue or organ. Assessment of cell viability in 3D scaffolds is necessary to control and optimize tissue culture process. Monitoring systems based on respiration activity of cells (e.g., oxygen consumption) have been used in various cell cultures. In this research, an online monitoring system based on respiration activity was developed to monitor cell viability within acellular lung scaffolds. First, acellular lung scaffolds were recellularized with human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells, and then, cell viability was monitored during a 5-day period. The real-time monitoring system generated a cell growth profile representing invaluable information on cell viability and proliferative states during the culture period. The cell growth profile obtained by the monitoring system was consistent with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide analysis and glucose consumption measurement. This system provided a means for noninvasive, real-time, and repetitive investigation of cell viability. Also, we showed the applicability of this monitoring system by introducing shaking as an operating parameter in a long-term culture.

Exogenous HGF Bypasses the Effects of ErbB Inhibition on Tumor Cell Viability in Medulloblastoma Cell Lines.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Walderik W Zomerman

Full Text Available Recent clinical trials investigating receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK inhibitors showed a limited clinical response in medulloblastoma. The present study investigated the role of micro-environmental growth factors expressed in the brain, such as HGF and EGF, in relation to the effects of hepatocyte growth factor receptor (MET and epidermal growth factor receptor family (ErbB1-4 inhibition in medulloblastoma cell lines. Medulloblastoma cell lines were treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors crizotinib or canertinib, targeting MET and ErbB1-4, respectively. Upon treatment, cells were stimulated with VEGF-A, PDGF-AB, HGF, FGF-2 or EGF. Subsequently, we measured cell viability and expression levels of growth factors and downstream signaling proteins. Addition of HGF or EGF phosphorylated MET or EGFR, respectively, and demonstrated phosphorylation of Akt and ERK1/2 as well as increased tumor cell viability. Crizotinib and canertinib both inhibited cell viability and phosphorylation of Akt and ERK1/2. Specifically targeting MET using shRNA's resulted in decreased cell viability. Interestingly, addition of HGF to canertinib significantly enhanced cell viability as well as phosphorylation of Akt and ERK1/2. The HGF-induced bypass of canertinib was reversed by addition of crizotinib. HGF protein was hardly released by medulloblastoma cells itself. Addition of canertinib did not affect RTK cell surface or growth factor expression levels. This manuscript points to the bypassing capacity of exogenous HGF in medulloblastoma cell lines. It might be of great interest to anticipate on these results in developing novel clinical trials with a combination of MET and EGFR inhibitors in medulloblastoma.

From "Gut Feeling" to Objectivity: Machine Preservation of the Liver as a Tool to Assess Organ Viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, Christopher J E; Jochmans, Ina

2018-01-01

The purpose of this review was to summarise how machine perfusion could contribute to viability assessment of donor livers. In both hypothermic and normothermic machine perfusion, perfusate transaminase measurement has allowed pretransplant assessment of hepatocellular damage. Hypothermic perfusion permits transplantation of marginal grafts but as yet has not permitted formal viability assessment. Livers undergoing normothermic perfusion have been investigated using parameters similar to those used to evaluate the liver in vivo. Lactate clearance, glucose evolution and pH regulation during normothermic perfusion seem promising measures of viability. In addition, bile chemistry might inform on cholangiocyte viability and the likelihood of post-transplant cholangiopathy. While the use of machine perfusion technology has the potential to reduce and even remove uncertainty regarding liver graft viability, analysis of large datasets, such as those derived from large multicenter trials of machine perfusion, are needed to provide sufficient information to enable viability parameters to be defined and validated .

Viability of Staphylococcus xylosus isolated from artisanal sausages for application as starter cultures in meat products.

Science.gov (United States)

Fiorentini, Angela Maria; Sawitzki, Maristela Cortez; Bertol, Teresinha Marisa; Sant'anna, Ernani S

2009-01-01

Viability of Staphylococcus xylosus isolated from artisanal sausages for application as starter cultures in meat products Viability of Staphylococcus xylosus strains AD1 and U5 isolated from natural fermented sausages was investigated as starter cultures in fermented sausages produced in the South Region of Brazil. The study demonstrated that the Staphylococcus xylosus strains AD1 and U5 showed significant growth during fermentation, stability over freeze-dried process, negative reaction for staphylococcal enterotoxins and viability for using as a single-strain culture or associated with lactic acid bacteria for production of fermented sausages.

Viability and vigour of ageing winter wheat grains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stanisław Grzesiuk

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The viability and vigour of ageing winter wheat caryopses of the cvs. Grana and Jana were tested. Viability was determined on the basis of germination capacity and rate, and vigour on the basis of the over-all activity of hydrogenases in the sprouts, exudate conductometry, analysis of sprout growth, oxygen uptake and mitochondrial protein content in the sprouts. What is called energy (or rate of germination and over-all dehydrogenase activity in embryos and sprouts and the electroconductivity of exudates were found to be very good measures of the vigour of ageing caryopses. The latter two indices of vigour should be determined at a strictly defined moment of swelling and germination. Good measures of caryopse vigour are also respiration during swelling and at the beginning of germination and mitochondrial protein content in the sprouts or seedlings. There is a high correlation between the vigour of ageing grain and its bioenergetic indices.

Study of wettability and cell viability of H implanted stainless steel

Science.gov (United States)

Shafique, Muhammad Ahsan; Ahmad, Riaz; Rehman, Ihtesham Ur

2018-03-01

In the present work, the effect of hydrogen ion implantation on surface wettability and biocompatibility of stainless steel is investigated. Hydrogen ions are implanted in the near-surface of stainless steel to facilitate hydrogen bonding at different doses with constant energy of 500 KeV, which consequently improve the surface wettability. Treated and untreated sample are characterized for surface wettability, incubation of hydroxyapatite and cell viability. Contact angle (CA) study reveals that surface wettability increases with increasing H-ion dose. Raman spectroscopy shows that precipitation of hydroxyapatite over the surface increase with increasing dose of H-ions. Cell viability study using MTT assay describes improved cell viability in treated samples as compared to the untreated sample. It is found that low dose of H-ions is more effective for cell proliferation and the cell count decreases with increasing ion dose. Our study demonstrates that H ion implantation improves the surface wettability and biocompatibility of stainless steel.

Hospital board effectiveness: relationships between board training and hospital financial viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Molinari, C; Morlock, L; Alexander, J; Lyles, C A

1992-01-01

This study examined whether hospital governing boards that invest in board education and training are more informed and effective decision-making bodies. Measures of hospital financial viability (i.e., selected financial ratios and outcomes) are used as indicators of hospital board effectiveness. Board participation in educational programs was significantly associated with improved profitability, liquidity, and occupancy levels, suggesting that investment in the education of directors is likely to enhance hospital viability and thus increase board effectiveness.

Multifractal resilience and viability

Science.gov (United States)

Tchiguirinskaia, I.; Schertzer, D. J. M.

2017-12-01

The term resilience has become extremely fashionable and there had been many attempts to provide operational definition and in fact metrics going beyond a set of more or less ad-hoc indicators. The viability theory (Aubin and Saint-Pierre, 2011) have been used to give a rather precise mathematical definition of resilience (Deffuant and Gilbert, 2011). However, it does not grasp the multiscale nature of resilience that is rather fundamental as particularly stressed by Folke et al (2010). In this communication, we first recall a preliminary attempt (Tchiguirinskaia et al., 2014) to define multifractal resilience with the help of the maximal probable singularity. Then we extend this multifractal approach to the capture basin of the viability, therefore the resilient basin. Aubin, J P, A. Bayen, and P Saint-Pierre (2011). Viability Theory. New Directions. Springer, Berlin,. Deffuant, G. and Gilbert, N. (eds) (2011) Viability and Resilience of Complex Systems. Springer Berlin.Folke, C., S R Carpenter, B Walker, M Sheffer, T Chapin, and J Rockstroem (2010). Resilience thinking: integrating re- silience, adaptability and transformability. Ecology and So- ciety, 14(4):20, Tchiguirinskaia,I., D. Schertzer, , A. Giangola-Murzyn and T. C. Hoang (2014). Multiscale resilience metrics to assess flood. Proceedings of ICCSA 2014, Normandie University, Le Havre, France -.

Assessment of myocardial perfusion and metabolism for assessment of myocardial viability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Beller, G.

1996-01-01

Identifying preserved myocardial viability in the presence of severe regional left ventricular dysfunction is becoming increasingly more important for clinical decision-making to better select those patients with coronary artery disease who will benefit most from revascularization. 201 Tl remains the most commonly employed radionuclide for detecting both ischemia and viability. A severe persistent defect with 201 Tl uptake compared to peak to improved perfusion and corresponding improved function after revascularisation. Detection of defect reversibility on 201 Tl imaging is enhanced by 'reinjection' of a second 201 Tl dose after acquisition of redistribution images. Initial and 4-hour rest/redistribution imaging has proven most usefull for detection of viability in the resting state in patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. The greater the extent of preoperative viability, the greater is the improvement in regional and global function after revascularisation. 99 Tc sestamibi has also been demonstrated to be extracted by myocardial cells in proportion to regional blood flow in the presence of viable myocities. Although this agrnt does not redistribute after intravenous injection, its >50% uptake of the tracer implies viablility and predicts improved regional function after revascularisation. Finally positron emission tomography with 18 F fluorodeoxoglucose (FDG) is perhaps the most sensitive noninvasive imaging technique for detection of viability in stunned or hibernating myocardium. A mismatch pattern between regional flow and FDG uptake as approximately an 80-85% positive preicted value for predicting improved function in asynergic myocardial regions after revascualarisation

Molecular assays for determining Mycobacterium leprae viability in tissues of experimentally infected mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, Grace L; Ray, Nashone A; Lahiri, Ramanuj; Gillis, Thomas P; Krahenbuhl, James L; Williams, Diana L; Adams, Linda B

2013-01-01

The inability of Mycobacterium leprae to grow on axenic media has necessitated specialized techniques in order to determine viability of this organism. The purpose of this study was to develop a simple and sensitive molecular assay for determining M. leprae viability directly from infected tissues. Two M. leprae-specific quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) assays based on the expression levels of esxA, encoding the ESAT-6 protein, and hsp18, encoding the heat shock 18 kDa protein, were developed and tested using infected footpad (FP) tissues of both immunocompetent and immunocompromised (athymic nu/nu) mice. In addition, the ability of these assays to detect the effects of anti-leprosy drug treatment on M. leprae viability was determined using rifampin and rifapentine, each at 10 mg/kg for 1, 5, or 20 daily doses, in the athymic nu/nu FP model. Molecular enumeration (RLEP PCR) and viability determinations (qRT-PCR) were performed via Taqman methodology on DNA and RNA, respectively, purified from ethanol-fixed FP tissue and compared with conventional enumeration (microscopic counting of acid fast bacilli) and viability assays (radiorespirometry, viability staining) which utilized bacilli freshly harvested from the contralateral FP. Both molecular and conventional assays demonstrated growth and high viability of M. leprae in nu/nu FPs over a 4 month infection period. In contrast, viability was markedly decreased by 8 weeks in immunocompetent mice. Rifapentine significantly reduced bacterial viability after 5 treatments, whereas rifampin required up to 20 treatments for the same efficacy. Neither drug was effective after a single treatment. In addition, host gene expression was monitored with the same RNA preparations. hsp18 and esxA qRT-PCR are sensitive molecular indicators, reliably detecting viability of M. leprae in tissues without the need for bacterial isolation or immediate processing, making these assays applicable for in vivo drug screening and

Wave-Rotor-Enhanced Gas Turbine Engine Demonstrator

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Welch, Gerard

1999-01-01

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory, NASA Glenn Research Center, and Rolls-Royce Allison are working collaboratively to demonstrate the benefits and viability of a wave-rotor-topped gas turbine engine...

Relationship between humidity and influenza A viability in droplets and implications for influenza's seasonality.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wan Yang

Full Text Available Humidity has been associated with influenza's seasonality, but the mechanisms underlying the relationship remain unclear. There is no consistent explanation for influenza's transmission patterns that applies to both temperate and tropical regions. This study aimed to determine the relationship between ambient humidity and viability of the influenza A virus (IAV during transmission between hosts and to explain the mechanisms underlying it. We measured the viability of IAV in droplets consisting of various model media, chosen to isolate effects of salts and proteins found in respiratory fluid, and in human mucus, at relative humidities (RH ranging from 17% to 100%. In all media and mucus, viability was highest when RH was either close to 100% or below ∼50%. When RH decreased from 84% to 50%, the relationship between viability and RH depended on droplet composition: viability decreased in saline solutions, did not change significantly in solutions supplemented with proteins, and increased dramatically in mucus. Additionally, viral decay increased linearly with salt concentration in saline solutions but not when they were supplemented with proteins. There appear to be three regimes of IAV viability in droplets, defined by humidity: physiological conditions (∼100% RH with high viability, concentrated conditions (50% to near 100% RH with lower viability depending on the composition of media, and dry conditions (<50% RH with high viability. This paradigm could help resolve conflicting findings in the literature on the relationship between IAV viability in aerosols and humidity, and results in human mucus could help explain influenza's seasonality in different regions.

A Classification Method for Seed Viability Assessment with Infrared Thermography

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sen Men

2017-04-01

Full Text Available This paper presents a viability assessment method for Pisum sativum L. seeds based on the infrared thermography technique. In this work, different artificial treatments were conducted to prepare seeds samples with different viability. Thermal images and visible images were recorded every five minutes during the standard five day germination test. After the test, the root length of each sample was measured, which can be used as the viability index of that seed. Each individual seed area in the visible images was segmented with an edge detection method, and the average temperature of the corresponding area in the infrared images was calculated as the representative temperature for this seed at that time. The temperature curve of each seed during germination was plotted. Thirteen characteristic parameters extracted from the temperature curve were analyzed to show the difference of the temperature fluctuations between the seeds samples with different viability. With above parameters, support vector machine (SVM was used to classify the seed samples into three categories: viable, aged and dead according to the root length, the classification accuracy rate was 95%. On this basis, with the temperature data of only the first three hours during the germination, another SVM model was proposed to classify the seed samples, and the accuracy rate was about 91.67%. From these experimental results, it can be seen that infrared thermography can be applied for the prediction of seed viability, based on the SVM algorithm.

Demonstration of measurement-only blind quantum computing

Science.gov (United States)

Greganti, Chiara; Roehsner, Marie-Christine; Barz, Stefanie; Morimae, Tomoyuki; Walther, Philip

2016-01-01

Blind quantum computing allows for secure cloud networks of quasi-classical clients and a fully fledged quantum server. Recently, a new protocol has been proposed, which requires a client to perform only measurements. We demonstrate a proof-of-principle implementation of this measurement-only blind quantum computing, exploiting a photonic setup to generate four-qubit cluster states for computation and verification. Feasible technological requirements for the client and the device-independent blindness make this scheme very applicable for future secure quantum networks.

LIVE/DEAD YEAST VIABILITY STAINING AS A TOOL FOR IMPROVING ARTISANAL PILSNER BEER PRODUCTION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Benedetta Bottari

2014-10-01

Full Text Available The production of an artisanal beer, made by brewers using traditional practices on a small scale, is founded on the empirical adjustment of parameters, including yeasts handling and serial repitching. The aim of this study was to monitor yeast viability during different stages of artisanal beer productions through the Live/Dead Yeast viability staining and to correlate it with fermentation dynamics in order to increase process standardization and to maintain the quality of final products. Yeast viability and fermentation activities were evaluated during seven fermentation cycles of an artisanal pilsner beer. Yeast inoculated with higher viability performed generally better in fermentation, resulting in faster sugar consumption, faster ethanol production and stability. Handling yeast and serial repitching based on Live/Dead viability measurements, could be the key way to ensure reliable manufacture of high quality beer and to improve process standardization particularly for microbreweries, where variability of production can be a challenging point.

Demonstration of measurement-only blind quantum computing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greganti, Chiara; Roehsner, Marie-Christine; Barz, Stefanie; Walther, Philip; Morimae, Tomoyuki

2016-01-01

Blind quantum computing allows for secure cloud networks of quasi-classical clients and a fully fledged quantum server. Recently, a new protocol has been proposed, which requires a client to perform only measurements. We demonstrate a proof-of-principle implementation of this measurement-only blind quantum computing, exploiting a photonic setup to generate four-qubit cluster states for computation and verification. Feasible technological requirements for the client and the device-independent blindness make this scheme very applicable for future secure quantum networks. (paper)

Study of functional viability of SU-8-based microneedles for neural applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fernández, Luis J; Altuna, Ane; Tijero, Maria; Vilares, Roman; Berganzo, Javier; Blanco, F J; Gabriel, Gemma; Villa, Rosa; Rodríguez, Manuel J; Batlle, Montse

2009-01-01

This paper presents the design, fabrication, packaging and first test results of SU-8-based microneedles for neural applications. By the use of photolithography, sputtering and bonding techniques, polymer needles with integrated microchannels and electrodes have been successfully fabricated. The use of photolithography for the patterning of the fluidic channel integrated in the needle allows the design of multiple outlet ports at the needle tip, minimizing the possibility of being blocked by the tissue. Furthermore, the flexibility of the polymer reduces the risk of fracture and tissue damage once the needle is inserted, while it is still rigid enough to allow a perfect insertion into the neural tissue. Fluidic and electric characterization of the microneedles has shown their viability for drug delivery and monitoring in neural applications. First drug delivery tests in ex vivo tissue demonstrated the functional viability of the needle to deliver drugs to precise points. Furthermore, in vivo experiments have demonstrated lower associated damages during insertion than those by stereotaxic standard needles

The relationship between myocardial blood flow and myocardial viability after reperfusion. Myocardial viability assessed by 15O-water-PET

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukagoshi, Joichi

1994-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between myocardial blood flow and myocardial viability in the ischemic canine myocardium after reperfusion. Transient ischemia was induced by 60-, 90-, and 180-minute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured in the areas in which regional contractility was severely impaired (ehocardiographically akinetic or dyskinetic) in the early reperfusion period by 15 O-water positron emission tomography (PET) 12 hours and 4 weeks after reperfusion. An MBF ratio of ischemic to nonischemic regions 12 hours after reperfusion was inversely correlated with the amount of histologically determined tissue necrosis (r=-0.74). The regional contractility recovered 4 weeks later in the areas where an MBF ratio was 0.48 or greater, but did not recover in the areas with a lower MBF ratio. Thus, myocardial viability can be appropriately predicted in the early phase of myocardial perfusion by PET with 15 O-water even in the absence of metabolic imaging. (author)

Pollen viability and membrane lipid composition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bilsen, van D.G.J.L.

1993-01-01

In this thesis membrane lipid composition is studied in relation to pollen viability during storage. Chapter 1 reviews pollen viability, membranes in the dry state and membrane changes associated with cellular aging. This chapter is followed by a study of age-related changes in phospholipid

[Knockdown of PRDX6 in microglia reduces neuron viability after OGD/R injury].

Science.gov (United States)

Tan, Li; Zhao, Yong; Jiang, Beibei; Yang, Bo; Zhang, Hui

2016-08-01

Objective To observe the effects of peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) knockdown in the microglia on neuron viability after oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation (OGD/R). Methods Microglia was treated with lentivirus PRDX6-siRNA and Ca(2+)-independent phospholipase A2 (iPLA2) inhibitor, 1-hexadecyl-3-(trifluoroethgl)-sn-glycerol-2 phosphomethanol (MJ33). Twenty-four hours later, it was co-cultured with primary neuron to establish the microglia-neuron co-culture OGD/R model. According to the different treatment of microglia, the cells were divided into normal group, OGD/R group, negative control-siRNA treated OGD/R group, PRDX6-siRNA treated OGD/R group and PRDX6-siRNA combined with MJ33 treated OGD/R group. Western blot analysis and real-time quantitative PCR were respectively performed to detect PRDX6 protein and mRNA levels after knockdown of PRDX6 in microglia. The iPLA2 activity was measured by ELISA. MTS and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay were used to measure neuron viability and cell damage. The oxidative stress level of neuron was determined by measuring superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malonaldehyde (MDA) content. Results In PRDX6-siRNA group, neuron viability was inhibited and oxidative stress damage was aggravated compared with OGD/R group. In PRDX6-siRNA combined with MJ33 group, cell viability was promoted and oxidative stress damage was alleviated compared with PRDX6-siRNA group. Conclusion PRDX6 in microglia protects neuron against OGD/R-induced injury, and iPLA2 activity has an effect on PRDX6.

A simple method to measure cell viability in proliferation and cytotoxicity assays

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ricardo Carneiro Borra

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Resazurin dye has been broadly used as indicator of cell viability in several types of assays for evaluation of the biocompatibility of medical and dental materials. Mitochondrial enzymes, as carriers of diaphorase activities, are probably responsible for the transference of electrons from NADPH + H+ to resazurin, which is reduced to resorufin. The level of reduction can be quantified by spectrophotometers since resazurin exhibits an absorption peak at 600 ηm and resorufin at 570 ηm wavelengths. However, the requirement of a spectrophotometer and specific filters for the quantification could be a barrier to many laboratories. Digital cameras containing red, green and blue filters, which allow the capture of red (600 to 700 ηm and green (500 to 600 ηm light wavelengths in ranges bordering on resazurin and resorufin absorption bands, could be used as an alternative method for the assessment of resazurin and resorufin concentrations. Thus, our aim was to develop a simple, cheap and precise method based on a digital CCD camera to measure the reduction of resazurin. We compared the capability of the CCD-based method to distinguish different concentrations of L929 and normal Human buccal fibroblast cell lines with that of a conventional microplate reader. The correlation was analyzed through the Pearson coefficient. The results showed a strong association between the measurements of the method developed here and those made with the microplate reader (r² = 0.996; p < 0.01 and with the cellular concentrations (r² = 0.965; p < 0.01. We concluded that the developed Colorimetric Quantification System based on CCD Images allowed rapid assessment of the cultured cell concentrations with simple equipment at a reduced cost.

More Pitfalls with Sperm Viability Staining and a Viability-Based Stress Test to Characterize Sperm Quality

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara A. Eckel

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Sperm viability (SV, the proportion of live sperm in a sample, is a widely applied measure of sperm quality but few studies test its robustness. At least three reasons make SV problematic as a surrogate for sperm quality. First, reviewing the ecological literature revealed that previously identified methodological pitfalls have not been overcome, including low cross-study standardization of protocols, inadequate statistical treatment, and unaccounted for within-sample heterogeneity. Second, SV is affected by biological variation such as between species, reproductive organs, or sperm age cohorts. Third, the proportion of live sperm extracted from males appears more related to male than to sperm quality in the sense of the future performance of sperm. We propose an alternative method to assess sperm quality by characterizing the temporal decrease of SV in a stressor medium and illustrate in two species, the common bedbug (Cimex lectularius and the fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster how some common methodological pitfalls may be circumvented. Our data empirically support the well-known but little-considered facts that (i non-blind measurements may alter SV and (ii that SV frequently have non-significant repeatability within one sample. (iii Cross-sectional sampling of ejaculates showed that this heterogeneity even masked a biological pattern—the sperm stratification within males. We show (iv that this shortcoming can be overcome by following the temporal decline of SV of a sperm subsample in a stress test. Finally, (v comparing the staining pattern of sperm between Cimex and Drosophila, we found that in the latter, the visibility of sperm is substantially delayed (30 min when sperm density is high. We show that this delay in stained sperm visibility was, however, not biased toward dead or live sperm. To measure sperm quality, we advocate analyzing the temporal decline in SV in a stressor medium over current protocols that use SV per se and

A Review: The Probiotic Bacteria Viability under Different Conditions

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Lavinia Florina CALINOIU

2016-11-01

Full Text Available This review summarized the current knowledge on probiotics and on the effects that different conditions have under this type of bacteria. The purpose of this review was to evaluate the survival rate/resistance or viability of different probiotic bacteria under several conditions, such as: processing, food composition, storage, freezing, thawing, refrigeration, temperature, oxygen, pH, gastrointestinal environment and package. Nowadays, the demand on probiotic functional foods is increasing rapidly, as the consumers became more aware about the potential health benefits, due to the fact that probiotics help in maintaining the balance and composition of intestinal flora and protect it from pathogens. A daily ingestion of 108–109 CFU ml−1 probiotic microorganisms is crucial in order to be able to demonstrate an effect in our organism, considering the dose and the effect of storage/gastrointestinal environments on the probiotic viability. Microencapsulation of probiotics in different polysaccharides was proven to be an ideal way to preserve and protect the cells from detrimental factors during processing, storage or resistance in the gastrointestinal transit, as many studies demonstrate it. There is a general interest in the improvement of the physical and mechanical stability of the polymers used in probiotics encapsulation, to ensure high population of probiotics not only in food during storage, but also after gastrointestinal digestion. Also, the carrier plays a very important role and should be carefully examined.

Design measures in evolutionary water cooled reactors to optimize for economic viability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, S.J.; Yu, S.K.W.; Appell, B.

1999-01-01

Since the mid 1980s, there have been various efforts to develop evolutionary water cooled reactors based on the current operating plant experience. To sustain and improve the economic viability, particular attention has been paid to the following aspects in developing evolutionary water cooled reactors: design simplification and increased operating margins, standardization in design as well as construction and operation, integration of operating plant insights, and consideration of safety, operability and constructability during the design stage. This paper reviews each item and discusses several examples from some of the evolutionary water cooled reactors being developed. (author)

Terminology for pregnancy loss prior to viability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kolte, A M; Bernardi, L A; Christiansen, O B

2015-01-01

Pregnancy loss prior to viability is common and research in the field is extensive. Unfortunately, terminology in the literature is inconsistent. The lack of consensus regarding nomenclature and classification of pregnancy loss prior to viability makes it difficult to compare study results from...... different centres. In our opinion, terminology and definitions should be based on clinical findings, and when possible, transvaginal ultrasound. With this Early Pregnancy Consensus Statement, it is our goal to provide clear and consistent terminology for pregnancy loss prior to viability....

Expert opinion on risks to the long-term viability of residential recycled water schemes: An Australian study.

Science.gov (United States)

West, Camilla; Kenway, Steven; Hassall, Maureen; Yuan, Zhiguo

2017-09-01

The water sector needs to make efficient and prudent investment decisions by carefully considering the long-term viability of water infrastructure projects. To support the assessment and planning of residential recycled water schemes in Australia, we have sought to clarify scheme objectives and to further define the array of critical risks that can impact the long-term viability of schemes. Building on historical information, we conducted a national survey which elicited responses from 88 Australian expert practitioners, of which 64% have over 10 years of industry experience and 42% have experience with more than five residential recycled water schemes. On the basis of expert opinion, residential recycled water schemes are considered to be highly relevant for diversifying and improving water supply security, reducing wastewater effluent discharge and pollutant load to waterways and contributing to sustainable urban development. At present however, the inability to demonstrate an incontestable business case is posing a significant risk to the long-term viability of residential recycled water schemes. Political, regulatory, organisational and financial factors were also rated as critical risks, in addition to community risk perception and fall in demand. The survey results shed further light on the regulatory environment of residential recycled water schemes, with regulatory participants rating the level and impact of risk factors higher than other survey participants in most cases. The research outcomes provide a comprehensive understanding of the critical risks to the long-term viability of residential recycled water schemes, thereby enabling the specification of targeted risk management measures at the assessment and planning stage of a scheme. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effect of zeolite addition on viability of paddy straw mushroom spawn

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DJUMHAWAN RATMAN PERMANA

2007-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to increase the viability of the paddy straw mushroom spawn by adding natural stone on the media’s composition for the paddy straw mushroom spawn. Mycelium of the paddy straw mushroom was take from the pure development of the paddy straw mushroom which was planted on the various treatment for media e.i. 100% cotton media and rice bran + 0% zeolite (A, 75% cotton media and rice bran + 25% zeolite (B, 50% cotton media and rice bran + 50% zeolite (C, 25% cotton and rice bran + 75% zeolite (D, 0% cotton media and rice bran + 100% rice bran (E. Each treatment was observed for the length of mycelium, the concentration of reduced sugar, total carbon and water content, spawn media weight, pH and temperature. Results demonstrated that there is a positive effect of zeolite added to the paddy straw mushroom media. The zeolite able to adsorbed nutrient through its pores, so the mycelium of the paddy straw mushroom able to use the nutrient gradually and equally appropriate with its growth. Therefore the viability of the paddy straw mushroom is increase. Result showed that the B is the best viability in the Potetos Dectrose Agar (PDA media, that has viability power up to 50 days after inoculation and the temperature are 29,6 0C, then followed by treatment C, D, A and E, each has viability power up to 42; 38; 34; 22 days after inoculation and the maximum length of each mycelium are 17.5; 9.2; 0.9; 0.5 cm, but in the treatment D being contaminated by Aspergillus sp.

Nanodiamonds on tetrahedral amorphous carbon significantly enhance dopamine detection and cell viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Peltola, Emilia; Wester, Niklas; Holt, Katherine B; Johansson, Leena-Sisko; Koskinen, Jari; Myllymäki, Vesa; Laurila, Tomi

2017-02-15

We hypothesize that by using integrated carbon nanostructures on tetrahedral amorphous carbon (ta-C), it is possible to take the performance and characteristics of these bioelectrodes to a completely new level. The integrated carbon electrodes were realized by combining nanodiamonds (NDs) with ta-C thin films coated on Ti-coated Si-substrates. NDs were functionalized with mixture of carboxyl and amine groups ND andante or amine ND amine , carboxyl ND vox or hydroxyl groups ND H and drop-casted or spray-coated onto substrate. By utilizing these novel structures we show that (i) the detection limit for dopamine can be improved by two orders of magnitude [from 10µM to 50nM] in comparison to ta-C thin film electrodes and (ii) the coating method significantly affects electrochemical properties of NDs and (iii) the ND coatings selectively promote cell viability. ND andante and ND H showed most promising electrochemical properties. The viability of human mesenchymal stem cells and osteoblastic SaOS-2 cells was increased on all ND surfaces, whereas the viability of mouse neural stem cells and rat neuroblastic cells was improved on ND andante and ND H and reduced on ND amine and ND vox. The viability of C6 cells remained unchanged, indicating that these surfaces will not cause excess gliosis. In summary, we demonstrated here that by using functionalized NDs on ta-C thin films we can significantly improve sensitivity towards dopamine as well as selectively promote cell viability. Thus, these novel carbon nanostructures provide an interesting concept for development of various in vivo targeted sensor solutions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Abundance, viability and culturability of Antarctic bacteria

Digital Repository Service at National Institute of Oceanography (India)

LokaBharathi, P.A.; DeSouza, M.J.B.D.; Nair, S.; Chandramohan, D.

The viability of total number of bacteria decide the mineralisation rate in any ecosystem and ultimately the fertility of the region. This study aims at establishing the extent of viability in the standing stock of the Antarctic bacterial population...

In vitro Cell Viability by CellProfiler® Software as Equivalent to MTT Assay.

Science.gov (United States)

Gasparini, Luciana S; Macedo, Nayana D; Pimentel, Elisângela F; Fronza, Marcio; Junior, Valdemar L; Borges, Warley S; Cole, Eduardo R; Andrade, Tadeu U; Endringer, Denise C; Lenz, Dominik

2017-07-01

This study evaluated in vitro cell viability by the colorimetric MTT stands for 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay compared to image analysis by CellProfiler ® software. Hepatoma (Hepa-1c1c7) and fibroblast (L929) cells were exposed to isolated substances, camptothecin, lycorine, tazettine, albomaculine, 3-epimacronine, trispheridine, galanthine and Padina gymnospora , Sargassum sp. methanolic extract, and Habranthus itaobinus Ravenna ethyl acetate in different concentrations. After MTT assay, cells were stained with Panotic dye kit. Cell images were obtained with an inverted microscope equipped with a digital camera. The images were analyzed by CellProfiler ® . No cytotoxicity at the highest concentration analyzed for 3-epimacronine, albomaculine, galanthine, trispheridine, P. gymnospora extract and Sargassum sp. extract where detected. Tazettine offered cytotoxicity only against the Hepa1c1c7 cell line. Lycorine, camptothecin, and H. itaobinus extract exhibited cytotoxic effects in both cell lines. The viability methods tested were correlated demonstrated by Bland-Atman test with normal distribution with mean difference between the two methods close to zero, bias value 3.0263. The error was within the limits of the confidence intervals and these values had a narrow difference. The correlation between the two methods was demonstrated by the linear regression plotted as R 2 . CellProfiler ® image analysis presented similar results to the MTT assay in the identification of viable cells, and image analysis may assist part of biological analysis procedures. The presented methodology is inexpensive and reproducible. In vitro cell viability assessment with MTT (3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2, 5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay may be replaced by image analysis by CellProfiler ® . The viability methods

Traffic networks as information systems a viability approach

CERN Document Server

Aubin, Jean-Pierre

2017-01-01

This authored monograph covers a viability to approach to traffic management by advising to vehicles circulated on the network the velocity they should follow for satisfying global traffic conditions;. It presents an investigation of three structural innovations: The objective is to broadcast at each instant and at each position the advised celerity to vehicles, which could be read by auxiliary speedometers or used by cruise control devices. Namely, 1. Construct regulation feedback providing at each time and position advised velocities (celerities) for minimizing congestion or other requirements. 2. Taking into account traffic constraints of different type, the first one being to remain on the roads, to stop at junctions, etc. 3. Use information provided by the probe vehicles equipped with GPS to the traffic regulator; 4. Use other global traffic measures of vehicles provided by different types of sensors; These results are based on convex analysis, intertemporal optimization and viability theory as mathemati...

Relevance of control theory to design and maintenance problems in time-variant reliability: The case of stochastic viability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rougé, Charles; Mathias, Jean-Denis; Deffuant, Guillaume

2014-01-01

The goal of this paper is twofold: (1) to show that time-variant reliability and a branch of control theory called stochastic viability address similar problems with different points of view, and (2) to demonstrate the relevance of concepts and methods from stochastic viability in reliability problems. On the one hand, reliability aims at evaluating the probability of failure of a system subjected to uncertainty and stochasticity. On the other hand, viability aims at maintaining a controlled dynamical system within a survival set. When the dynamical system is stochastic, this work shows that a viability problem belongs to a specific class of design and maintenance problems in time-variant reliability. Dynamic programming, which is used for solving Markovian stochastic viability problems, then yields the set of design states for which there exists a maintenance strategy which guarantees reliability with a confidence level β for a given period of time T. Besides, it leads to a straightforward computation of the date of the first outcrossing, informing on when the system is most likely to fail. We illustrate this approach with a simple example of population dynamics, including a case where load increases with time. - Highlights: • Time-variant reliability tools cannot devise complex maintenance strategies. • Stochastic viability is a control theory that computes a probability of failure. • Some design and maintenance problems are stochastic viability problems. • Used in viability, dynamic programming can find reliable maintenance actions. • Confronting reliability and control theories such as viability is promising

The ATP/DNA Ratio Is a Better Indicator of Islet Cell Viability Than the ADP/ATP Ratio

Science.gov (United States)

Suszynski, T.M.; Wildey, G.M.; Falde, E.J.; Cline, G.W.; Maynard, K. Stewart; Ko, N.; Sotiris, J.; Naji, A.; Hering, B.J.; Papas, K.K.

2009-01-01

Real-time, accurate assessment of islet viability is critical for avoiding transplantation of nontherapeutic preparations. Measurements of the intracellular ADP/ATP ratio have been recently proposed as useful prospective estimates of islet cell viability and potency. However, dead cells may be rapidly depleted of both ATP and ADP, which would render the ratio incapable of accounting for dead cells. Since the DNA of dead cells is expected to remain stable over prolonged periods of time (days), we hypothesized that use of the ATP/DNA ratio would take into account dead cells and may be a better indicator of islet cell viability than the ADP/ATP ratio. We tested this hypothesis using mixtures of healthy and lethally heat-treated (HT) rat insulinoma cells and human islets. Measurements of ATP/DNA and ADP/ATP from the known mixtures of healthy and HT cells and islets were used to evaluate how well these parameters correlated with viability. The results indicated that ATP and ADP were rapidly (within 1 hour) depleted in HT cells. The fraction of HT cells in a mixture correlated linearly with the ATP/DNA ratio, whereas the ADP/ADP ratio was highly scattered, remaining effectively unchanged. Despite similar limitations in both ADP/ADP and ATP/DNA ratios, in that ATP levels may fluctuate significantly and reversibly with metabolic stress, the results indicated that ATP/DNA was a better measure of islet viability than the ADP/ATP ratio. PMID:18374063

A flow cytometric method for assessing viability of intraerythrocytic hemoparasites.

Science.gov (United States)

Wyatt, C R; Goff, W; Davis, W C

1991-06-24

We have developed a rapid, reliable method of evaluating growth and viability of intraerythrocytic protozoan hemoparasites. The assay involves the selective uptake and metabolic conversion of hydroethidine to ethidium by live parasites present in intact erythrocytes. The red fluorescence imparted by ethidium intercalated into the DNA of the parasite permits the use of flow cytometry to distinguish infected erythrocytes with viable parasites from uninfected erythrocytes and erythrocytes containing dead parasites. Comparison of the fluorochromasia technique of enumerating the number and viability of hemoparasites in cultured erythrocytes with enumeration in Giemsa-stained films and uptake of [3H]hypoxanthine demonstrated the fluorochromasia technique yields comparable results. Studies with the hemoparasite, Babesia bovis, have shown the fluorochromasia technique can also be used to monitor the effect of parasiticidal drugs on parasites in vitro. The cumulative studies with the fluorochromasia assay suggest the assay will also prove useful in investigations focused on analysis of the immune response to hemoparasites and growth in vitro.

Demonstrating Heisenberg-limited unambiguous phase estimation without adaptive measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Higgins, B L; Wiseman, H M; Pryde, G J; Berry, D W; Bartlett, S D; Mitchell, M W

2009-01-01

We derive, and experimentally demonstrate, an interferometric scheme for unambiguous phase estimation with precision scaling at the Heisenberg limit that does not require adaptive measurements. That is, with no prior knowledge of the phase, we can obtain an estimate of the phase with a standard deviation that is only a small constant factor larger than the minimum physically allowed value. Our scheme resolves the phase ambiguity that exists when multiple passes through a phase shift, or NOON states, are used to obtain improved phase resolution. Like a recently introduced adaptive technique (Higgins et al 2007 Nature 450 393), our experiment uses multiple applications of the phase shift on single photons. By not requiring adaptive measurements, but rather using a predetermined measurement sequence, the present scheme is both conceptually simpler and significantly easier to implement. Additionally, we demonstrate a simplified adaptive scheme that also surpasses the standard quantum limit for single passes.

Technical Viability of Battery Second Life: A Study from the Ageing Perspective

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Martinez-Laserna, Egoitz; Sarasketa-Zabala, Elixabet; Villareal, Igor

2018-01-01

Reusing electric vehicle batteries once they have been retired from the automotive application is stated as one of the possible solutions to reduce electric vehicle costs. Many publications in literature have analysed the economic viability of such a solution, and some car manufacturers have...... of Lithium-ion (Li-ion) NMC/C battery State of Health (SOH) and ageing history over the second life performance, on two different applications: a residential demand management application and a power smoothing renewable integration application. The performance and degradation of second life batteries...... recently started running several projects to demonstrate the technical viability of the so-called battery second life. Nevertheless, the degradation behaviour of second life batteries remains unknown and represents one of the biggest gaps in the literature. The present work aims at evaluating the effects...

A case study of bats and white-nose syndrome demonstrating how to model population viability with evolutionary effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Maslo, Brooke; Fefferman, Nina H

2015-08-01

Ecological factors generally affect population viability on rapid time scales. Traditional population viability analyses (PVA) therefore focus on alleviating ecological pressures, discounting potential evolutionary impacts on individual phenotypes. Recent studies of evolutionary rescue (ER) focus on cases in which severe, environmentally induced population bottlenecks trigger a rapid evolutionary response that can potentially reverse demographic threats. ER models have focused on shifting genetics and resulting population recovery, but no one has explored how to incorporate those findings into PVA. We integrated ER into PVA to identify the critical decision interval for evolutionary rescue (DIER) under which targeted conservation action should be applied to buffer populations undergoing ER against extinction from stochastic events and to determine the most appropriate vital rate to target to promote population recovery. We applied this model to little brown bats (Myotis lucifugus) affected by white-nose syndrome (WNS), a fungal disease causing massive declines in several North American bat populations. Under the ER scenario, the model predicted that the DIER period for little brown bats was within 11 years of initial WNS emergence, after which they stabilized at a positive growth rate (λ = 1.05). By comparing our model results with population trajectories of multiple infected hibernacula across the WNS range, we concluded that ER is a potential explanation of observed little brown bat population trajectories across multiple hibernacula within the affected range. Our approach provides a tool that can be used by all managers to provide testable hypotheses regarding the occurrence of ER in declining populations, suggest empirical studies to better parameterize the population genetics and conservation-relevant vital rates, and identify the DIER period during which management strategies will be most effective for species conservation. © 2015 Society for Conservation

The relationship between myocardial blood flow and myocardial viability after reperfusion. Myocardial viability assessed by [sup 15]O-water-PET

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsukagoshi, Joichi (Gunma Univ., Maebashi (Japan). School of Medicine)

1994-09-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between myocardial blood flow and myocardial viability in the ischemic canine myocardium after reperfusion. Transient ischemia was induced by 60-, 90-, and 180-minute occlusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Myocardial blood flow (MBF) was measured in the areas in which regional contractility was severely impaired (ehocardiographically akinetic or dyskinetic) in the early reperfusion period by [sup 15]O-water positron emission tomography (PET) 12 hours and 4 weeks after reperfusion. An MBF ratio of ischemic to nonischemic regions 12 hours after reperfusion was inversely correlated with the amount of histologically determined tissue necrosis (r=-0.74). The regional contractility recovered 4 weeks later in the areas where an MBF ratio was 0.48 or greater, but did not recover in the areas with a lower MBF ratio. Thus, myocardial viability can be appropriately predicted in the early phase of myocardial perfusion by PET with [sup 15]O-water even in the absence of metabolic imaging. (author).

NWIS casting measurements taken during demonstrations to Russian visitors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mullens, J.A.; Valentine, T.E.; Mihalczo, J.T.

1998-01-01

This report describes a set of NWIS measurements made during demonstrations to Russian visitors on August 28, 1997. These measurements will be given to the Russian visitors from Arzamus-16 as part of their NWIS training (part of a DOE laboratory-to-laboratory exchange program). These measurements are made on standard highly enriched Uranium annular castings (as used for storage). Associated NWIS calibration runs were made in air (no casting, just the NWIS Californium source and detectors)

[Performance of Thallium 201 rest-redistribution spect to predict viability in recent myocardial infarction].

Science.gov (United States)

Coll, Claudia; González, Patricio; Massardo, Teresa; Sierralta, Paulina; Humeres, Pamela; Jofré, Josefina; Yovanovich, Jorge; Aramburú, Ivonne; Brugère, Solange; Chamorro, Hernán; Ramírez, Alfredo; Kunstmann, Sonia; López, Héctor

2002-03-01

The detection of viability after acute myocardial infarction is primordial to select the most appropriate therapy, to decrease cardiac events and abnormal remodeling. Thallium201 SPECT is one of the radionuclide techniques used to detect viability. To evaluate the use of Thallium201 rest-redistribution SPECT to detect myocardial viability in reperfused patients after a recent myocardial infarction. Forty one patients with up to of 24 days of evolution of a myocardial infarction were studied. All had angiographically demonstrated coronary artery disease and were subjected to a successful thrombolysis, angioplasty or bypass grafting. SPECT Thallium201 images were acquired at rest and after 4 h of redistribution. These results were compared with variations in wall motion score, studied at baseline and after 3 or 4 months with echocardiography. The sensitivity of rest-redistribution Thallium201 SPECT, to predict recovery of wall motion was 91% when patient analysis was performed and 79% when segmental analysis was done in the culprit region. The figures for specificity were 56 and 73% respectively. Rest-distribution Thallium201 SPECT has an excellent sensitivity to predict myocardial viability in recent myocardial infarction. The data obtained in this study is similar to that reported for chronic coronary artery disease.

Possible overestimation of surface disinfection efficiency by assessment methods based on liquid sampling procedures as demonstrated by in situ quantification of spore viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Grand, I; Bellon-Fontaine, M-N; Herry, J-M; Hilaire, D; Moriconi, F-X; Naïtali, M

2011-09-01

The standard test methods used to assess the efficiency of a disinfectant applied to surfaces are often based on counting the microbial survivors sampled in a liquid, but total cell removal from surfaces is seldom achieved. One might therefore wonder whether evaluations of microbial survivors in liquid-sampled cells are representative of the levels of survivors in whole populations. The present study was thus designed to determine the "damaged/undamaged" status induced by a peracetic acid disinfection for Bacillus atrophaeus spores deposited on glass coupons directly on this substrate and to compare it to the status of spores collected in liquid by a sampling procedure. The method utilized to assess the viability of both surface-associated and liquid-sampled spores included fluorescence labeling with a combination of Syto 61 and Chemchrome V6 dyes and quantifications by analyzing the images acquired by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The principal result of the study was that the viability of spores sampled in the liquid was found to be poorer than that of surface-associated spores. For example, after 2 min of peracetic acid disinfection, less than 17% ± 5% of viable cells were detected among liquid-sampled cells compared to 79% ± 5% or 47% ± 4%, respectively, when the viability was evaluated on the surface after or without the sampling procedure. Moreover, assessments of the survivors collected in the liquid phase, evaluated using the microscopic method and standard plate counts, were well correlated. Evaluations based on the determination of survivors among the liquid-sampled cells can thus overestimate the efficiency of surface disinfection procedures.

Viability costs of reproduction and behavioral compensation in western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis).

Science.gov (United States)

Laidlaw, Clinton T; Condon, Jacob M; Belk, Mark C

2014-01-01

The cost of reproduction hypothesis suggests that current reproduction has inherent tradeoffs with future reproduction. These tradeoffs can be both in the form of energy allocated to current offspring as opposed to somatic maintenance and future reproduction (allocation costs), or as an increase in mortality as a result of morphological or physiological changes related to reproduction (viability costs). Individuals may be able to decrease viability costs by altering behavior. Female western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis experience a reduction in swimming ability as a consequence of pregnancy. We test for a viability cost of reproduction, and for behavioral compensation in pregnant female G. affinis by measuring survival of females in early and later stages of pregnancy when exposed to predation. Late-stage pregnant females experience a 70% greater probability of mortality compared to early-stage pregnant females. The presence of a refuge roughly doubled the odds of survival of both early and late-stage pregnant females. However, there was no interaction between refuge availability and stage of pregnancy. These data do not provide evidence for behavioral compensation by female G. affinis for elevated viability costs incurred during later stages of pregnancy. Behavioral compensation may be constrained by other aspects of the cost of reproduction.

Viability costs of reproduction and behavioral compensation in western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clinton T Laidlaw

Full Text Available The cost of reproduction hypothesis suggests that current reproduction has inherent tradeoffs with future reproduction. These tradeoffs can be both in the form of energy allocated to current offspring as opposed to somatic maintenance and future reproduction (allocation costs, or as an increase in mortality as a result of morphological or physiological changes related to reproduction (viability costs. Individuals may be able to decrease viability costs by altering behavior. Female western mosquitofish, Gambusia affinis experience a reduction in swimming ability as a consequence of pregnancy. We test for a viability cost of reproduction, and for behavioral compensation in pregnant female G. affinis by measuring survival of females in early and later stages of pregnancy when exposed to predation. Late-stage pregnant females experience a 70% greater probability of mortality compared to early-stage pregnant females. The presence of a refuge roughly doubled the odds of survival of both early and late-stage pregnant females. However, there was no interaction between refuge availability and stage of pregnancy. These data do not provide evidence for behavioral compensation by female G. affinis for elevated viability costs incurred during later stages of pregnancy. Behavioral compensation may be constrained by other aspects of the cost of reproduction.

Effects of ultraviolet radiation on viability of isolated Beta vulgaris and Hordeum vulgare protoplasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bornman, J.F.; Bjoern, L.O.; Bornman, C.H.

1982-01-01

Estimates of viability as measured by vital straining with fluorescein diacetate were carried out on freshly isolated and partially aged (16-hour-old) Beta vulgaris and Hordeum vulgare mesophyll protoplasts following irradiation with UV-B. Damage to the photosynthetic system by UV-B was determined by delayed light emission (DLE). In the case of freshly isolated Protoplasts Beta was approximately 30% more susceptible than Hordeum following 3h irradiation, with viability decreasing from 90% to 40%. After storage of protoplasts on ice for 16 h UV-B radiation markedly depressed viability in both species, but in the case of Hordeum there was a substantial initial loss of nearly 70% in viability over the first hour of irradiation. The first 10 min of UV-B radiation decreased the intensity of DLE by 40% without appreciably affecting the decay rate. Longer treatment times did not give a proportional effect so that even after 60 min of UV-B the inhibition did not exceed 60%. This suggested that although the enzyme system responsible for FDA hydrolysis may be partially inactivated (viability was 75-80% as compared with 90% in the control), the UV-B did not penetrate the innermost parts of the chloroplasts, but left some thylakoids undamaged. (orig.)

Sperm viability and gene expression in honey bee queens (Apis mellifera) following exposure to the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid and the organophosphate acaricide coumaphos.

Science.gov (United States)

Chaimanee, Veeranan; Evans, Jay D; Chen, Yanping; Jackson, Caitlin; Pettis, Jeffery S

2016-06-01

Honey bee population declines are of global concern. Numerous factors appear to cause these declines including parasites, pathogens, malnutrition and pesticides. Residues of the organophosphate acaricide coumaphos and the neonicotinoid insecticide imidacloprid, widely used to combat Varroa mites and for crop protection in agriculture, respectively, have been detected in wax, pollen and comb samples. Here, we assess the effects of these compounds at different doses on the viability of sperm stored in the honey bee queens' spermatheca. Our results demonstrate that sub-lethal doses of imidacloprid (0.02ppm) decreased sperm viability by 50%, 7days after treatment. Sperm viability was a downward trend (about 33%) in queens treated with high doses of coumaphos (100ppm), but there was not significant difference. The expression of genes that are involved in development, immune responses and detoxification in honey bee queens and workers exposed to chemicals was measured by qPCR analysis. The data showed that expression levels of specific genes were triggered 1day after treatment. The expression levels of P450 subfamily genes, CYP306A1, CYP4G11 and CYP6AS14 were decreased in honey bee queens treated with low doses of coumaphos (5ppm) and imidacloprid (0.02ppm). Moreover, these two compounds suppressed the expression of genes related to antioxidation, immunity and development in queens at day 1. Up-regulation of antioxidants by these compounds in worker bees was observed at day 1. Coumaphos also caused a repression of CYP306A1 and CYP4G11 in workers. Antioxidants appear to prevent chemical damage to honey bees. We also found that DWV replication increased in workers treated with imidacloprid. This research clearly demonstrates that chemical exposure can affect sperm viability in queen honey bees. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sphingosine kinase activity is not required for tumor cell viability.

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Karen Rex

Full Text Available Sphingosine kinases (SPHKs are enzymes that phosphorylate the lipid sphingosine, leading to the formation of sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P. In addition to the well established role of extracellular S1P as a mitogen and potent chemoattractant, SPHK activity has been postulated to be an important intracellular regulator of apoptosis. According to the proposed rheostat theory, SPHK activity shifts the intracellular balance from the pro-apoptotic sphingolipids ceramide and sphingosine to the mitogenic S1P, thereby determining the susceptibility of a cell to apoptotic stress. Despite numerous publications with supporting evidence, a clear experimental confirmation of the impact of this mechanism on tumor cell viability in vitro and in vivo has been hampered by the lack of suitable tool reagents. Utilizing a structure based design approach, we developed potent and specific SPHK1/2 inhibitors. These compounds completely inhibited intracellular S1P production in human cells and attenuated vascular permeability in mice, but did not lead to reduced tumor cell growth in vitro or in vivo. In addition, siRNA experiments targeting either SPHK1 or SPHK2 in a large panel of cell lines failed to demonstrate any statistically significant effects on cell viability. These results show that the SPHK rheostat does not play a major role in tumor cell viability, and that SPHKs might not be attractive targets for pharmacological intervention in the area of oncology.

ABC of the cardiac magnetic resonance. Part 1: perfusion, viability and coronary anatomy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loureiro, Ricardo; Rached, Heron; Castro, Claudio C.; Cerri, Giovanni G.; Favaro, Daniele; Baptista, Luciana; Andrade, Joalbo; Rochitte, Carlos E.; Parga Filho, Jose; Avila, Luiz F.; Piva, Rosa M.V.

2003-01-01

The objective of this work is to demonstrate the fundamental concepts, the basic sequences and the clinical and potential applications of cardiac magnetic resonance as a diagnostic technique in updated radiology and cardiology practices. In this second part, we present basic aspects of the cardiac magnetic resonance application in the coronary anatomy and myocardial perfusion and viability. (author)

Extreme-Dipper Profile, Increased Aortic Stiffness, and Impaired Subendocardial Viability in Hypertension.

Science.gov (United States)

Amah, Guy; Ouardani, Rahma; Pasteur-Rousseau, Adrien; Voicu, Sebastian; Safar, Michel E; Kubis, Nathalie; Bonnin, Philippe

2017-04-01

In treated hypertensives, extreme-dippers with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) exhibit more severe nighttime cardiac ischemia than dippers. After excluding confounding factors such as diabetes, CAD or chronic kidney disease (CKD), we assessed whether subendocardial viability, determined by the Buckberg index, was more significantly impaired in extreme-dippers than in dippers. Two hundred thirteen consecutive treated hypertensives (156 dippers, 57 extreme-dippers), were included. After 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring, patients underwent radial applanation tonometry (with determination of: subendocardial viability ratio [SEVR], central augmentation index [AIx], and pulse pressure amplification [PPamp]), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) measurement, and cycle ergometer stress testing. Extreme-dippers showed higher cfPWV (8.99 ± 2.16 vs. 8.29 ± 1.69 m/s, P = 0.014), higher AIx (29.7 ± 9.4 vs. 26.4 ± 10.4%, P = 0.042), lower PPamp (1.22 ± 0.14 vs. 1.30 ± 0.15, P < 0.001), lower SEVR (146 ± 23% vs. 157 ± 26%, P = 0.007), and lower nighttime diastolic BP (DBP) (70 ± 9 vs. 75 ± 9 mm Hg, P < 0.001) than dippers. SEVR and cfPWV were inversely correlated. Among extreme-dippers, women exhibited lower SEVR (138 ± 21% vs. 161 ± 23%, P = 0.004), PPamp (1.16 ± 0.10 vs. 1.31 ± 0.15, P < 0.001), and nighttime DBP (67 ± 8 mm Hg vs. 72 ± 8 mm Hg, P = 0.017) than men. Extreme-dipper treated hypertensives with no history of CAD, diabetes or CKD, present increased aortic stiffness and low PPamp. Furthermore, this is the first demonstration of the greater likelihood of these patients to exhibit impaired subendocardial viability compared to dippers. Extreme-dipper hypertensive patients, women in particular, may have a significantly higher risk of silent myocardial ischemia, thus justifying systematic screening. © American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd 2017. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Laser solder welding of articular cartilage: tensile strength and chondrocyte viability.

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Züger, B J; Ott, B; Mainil-Varlet, P; Schaffner, T; Clémence, J F; Weber, H P; Frenz, M

2001-01-01

The surgical treatment of full-thickness cartilage defects in the knee joint remains a therapeutic challenge. Recently, new techniques for articular cartilage transplantation, such as mosaicplasty, have become available for cartilage repair. The long-term success of these techniques, however, depends not only on the chondrocyte viability but also on a lateral integration of the implant. The goal of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of cartilage welding by using albumin solder that was dye-enhanced to allow coagulation with 808-nm laser diode irradiation. Conventional histology of light microscopy was compared with a viability staining to precisely determine the extent of thermal damage after laser welding. Indocyanine green (ICG) enhanced albumin solder (25% albumin, 0.5% HA, 0.1% ICG) was used for articular cartilage welding. For coagulation, the solder was irradiated through the cartilage implant by 808-nm laser light and the tensile strength of the weld was measured. Viability staining revealed a thermal damage of typically 500 m in depth at an irradiance of approximately 10 W/cm(2) for 8 seconds, whereas conventional histologies showed only half of the extent found by the viability test. Heat-bath investigations revealed a threshold temperature of minimum 54 degrees C for thermal damage of chondrocytes. Efficient cartilage bonding was obtained by using bovine albumin solder as adhesive. Maximum tensile strength of more than 10 N/cm(2) was achieved. Viability tests revealed that the thermal damage is much greater (up to twice) than expected after light microscopic characterization. This study shows the feasibility to strongly laser weld cartilage on cartilage by use of a dye-enhanced albumin solder. Possibilities to reduce the range of damage are suggested. Copyright 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A viability analysis for a stock/price model

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Jerry, Chakib; Raissi, Nadia

2012-09-01

We examine the conditions for the sustainability of a stock/price system based on the use of a marine renewable resource. Instead of studying the environmental and economic interactions in terms of optimal control, we focus on the viability of the system. These viability/crisis situations are defined by a set of economic state constraints. This constraints combine a guaranteed consumption and a minimum income for fishermen. Using the mathematical concept of viability kernel, we reveal that with only economics constraints we guarantee a perennial stock/price system.

Cell viability and MRI performance of highly efficient polyol-coated magnetic nanoparticles

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arteaga-Cardona, Fernando; Gutiérrez-García, Eric; Hidalgo-Tobón, Silvia; López-Vasquez, Ciro; Brito-Barrera, Yazmín A.; Flores-Tochihuitl, Julia; Angulo-Molina, Aracely; Reyes-Leyva, Julio R.; González-Rodríguez, Roberto; Coffer, Jeffery L.; Pal, Umapada

2016-01-01

This work aimed at determining conditions that would allow us to control the size of the NPs and create a system with characteristics apt for biomedical applications. We describe a comprehensive study on the synthesis and physical characterization of two highly sensitive sets of triethylene glycol (TREG) and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) to be evaluated for use as magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents. The ferrofluids demonstrated excellent colloidal stability in deionized water at pH 7.0 as indicated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) data. The magnetic relaxivities, r_2, were measured on a 1.5 T clinical MRI instrument. Values in the range from 205 to 257 mM"−"1 s"−"1 were obtained, varying proportionally to the SPIONs’ sizes and coating nature. Further in vitro cell viability tests and in vivo biodistribution analyses of the intravenously administered nanoparticles showed that the prepared systems have good biocompatibility and migrate to several organs, mainly the meninges, spleen, and liver. Based on these results, our findings demonstrated the potential utility of these nanosystems as clinical contrast agents for MR imaging.

Cell viability and MRI performance of highly efficient polyol-coated magnetic nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Arteaga-Cardona, Fernando [Universidad de las Américas de Puebla, Departamento de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas (Mexico); Gutiérrez-García, Eric [Instituto Literario, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de México (Mexico); Hidalgo-Tobón, Silvia, E-mail: shid@xanum.uam.mx [Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Departamento de Física (Mexico); López-Vasquez, Ciro; Brito-Barrera, Yazmín A. [Universidad de las Américas de Puebla, Departamento de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas (Mexico); Flores-Tochihuitl, Julia [Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Facultad de Estomatología (Mexico); Angulo-Molina, Aracely [Universidad de Sonora, Departamento de Ciencias Químico-Biológicas (Mexico); Reyes-Leyva, Julio R. [Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Centro de Investigación Biomédica de Oriente (CIBIOR) (Mexico); González-Rodríguez, Roberto; Coffer, Jeffery L. [Texas Christian University, Department of Chemistry (United States); Pal, Umapada [Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla, Apdo, Instituto de Física (Mexico); and others

2016-11-15

This work aimed at determining conditions that would allow us to control the size of the NPs and create a system with characteristics apt for biomedical applications. We describe a comprehensive study on the synthesis and physical characterization of two highly sensitive sets of triethylene glycol (TREG) and polyethylene glycol (PEG)-coated superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) to be evaluated for use as magnetic resonance (MR) contrast agents. The ferrofluids demonstrated excellent colloidal stability in deionized water at pH 7.0 as indicated by dynamic light scattering (DLS) data. The magnetic relaxivities, r{sub 2}, were measured on a 1.5 T clinical MRI instrument. Values in the range from 205 to 257 mM{sup −1} s{sup −1} were obtained, varying proportionally to the SPIONs’ sizes and coating nature. Further in vitro cell viability tests and in vivo biodistribution analyses of the intravenously administered nanoparticles showed that the prepared systems have good biocompatibility and migrate to several organs, mainly the meninges, spleen, and liver. Based on these results, our findings demonstrated the potential utility of these nanosystems as clinical contrast agents for MR imaging.

Lake eutrophication and environmental change: A viability framework for resilience, vulnerability and adaptive capacity

Science.gov (United States)

Mathias, Jean-Denis; Rougé, Charles; Deffuant, Guillaume

2013-04-01

We present a simple stochastic model of lake eutrophication to demonstrate how the mathematical framework of viability theory fosters operational definitions of resilience, vulnerability and adaptive capacity, and then helps understand which response one should bring to environmental changes. The model represents the phosphorus dynamics, given that high concentrations trigger a regime change from oligotrophic to eutrophic, and causes ecological but also economic losses, for instance from tourism. Phosphorus comes from agricultural inputs upstream of the lake, and we will consider a stochastic input. We consider the system made of both the lake and its upstream region, and explore how to maintain the desirable ecological and economic properties of this system. In the viability framework, we translate these desirable properties into state constraints, then examine how, given the dynamics of the model and the available policy options, the properties can be kept. The set of states for which there exists a policy to keep the properties is called the viability kernel. We extend this framework to both major perturbations and long-term environmental changes. In our model, since the phosphorus inputs and outputs from the lake depend on rainfall, we will focus on extreme rainfall events and long-term changes in the rainfall regime. They can be described as changes in the state of the system, and may displace it outside the viability kernel. Its response can then be described using the concepts of resilience, vulnerability and adaptive capacity. Resilience is the capacity to recover by getting back to the viability kernel where the dynamics keep the system safe, and in this work we assume it to be the first objective of management. Computed for a given trajectory, vulnerability is a measure of the consequence of violating a property. We propose a family of functions from which cost functions and other vulnerability indicators can be derived for any trajectory. There can be

Population-specific life histories contribute to metapopulation viability

Science.gov (United States)

Halsey, Samniqueka J.; Bell, Timothy J.; McEachern, A. Kathryn; Pavlovic, Noel B.

2016-01-01

Restoration efforts can be improved by understanding how variations in life-history traits occur within populations of the same species living in different environments. This can be done by first understanding the demographic responses of natural occurring populations. Population viability analysis continues to be useful to species management and conservation with sensitivity analysis aiding in the understanding of population dynamics. In this study, using life-table response experiments and elasticity analyses, we investigated how population-specific life-history demographic responses contributed to the metapopulation viability of the Federally threatened Pitcher's thistle (Cirsium pitcheri). Specifically, we tested the following hypotheses: (1) Subpopulations occupying different environments within a metapopulation have independent demographic responses and (2) advancing succession results in a shift from a demographic response focused on growth and fecundity to one dominated by stasis. Our results showed that reintroductions had a positive contribution to the metapopulation growth rate as compared to native populations which had a negative contribution. We found no difference in succession on the contribution to metapopulation viability. In addition, we identified distinct population-specific contributions to metapopulation viability and were able to associate specific life-history demographic responses. For example, the positive impact of Miller High Dunes population on the metapopulation growth rate resulted from high growth contributions, whereas increased time of plant in stasis for the State Park Big Blowout population resulted in negative contributions. A greater understanding of how separate populations respond in their corresponding environment may ultimately lead to more effective management strategies aimed at reducing extinction risk. We propose the continued use of sensitivity analyses to evaluate population-specific demographic influences on

Effect on the viability in populations of Drosophila Melanogaster chronically exposed to Radon; Efecto sobre la viabilidad en poblaciones de Drosophila melanogaster cronicamente expuestas a Radon

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Salceda, V M [Depto. de Biologia, ININ, Km.36.5 Carr. Mexico-Toluca, Salazar, Edo. de Mexico (Mexico)

2004-07-01

A four generations population of Drosophila melanogaster chronically subjected to the following radon concentrations were analyzed: 30 {+-} 7, 12 {+-} 2, 43 {+-} 5, 25 {+-} 7, 14 {+-} 2, 6 {+-} 2, 78 {+-} 1, 58 {+-} 5 and 74 {+-} 7 k B/m{sup 3} with estimated doses of 1.209, 0.1, 2.088, 0.869, 0.156, 0.03, 3.18, 2.12 and 2.878 mGy by generation and their respective ones witness, in order to determine the effect of the radiation in the induction of detrimental genes, also measuring the effect of the viability with regard to the fecundity and the differential viability in categories of genes with smaller effects. So much the induction of detrimental genes like the distribution of the viability with regard to the fecundity for categories they did not show inductor effect due to the treatment with radon. Notwithstanding, the changes caused by the relating treatment to the fecundity they caused in three of the four comparisons possible significant results in the production of descendants, improving the adaptation of the populations, like it has been demonstrated by other authors.

Rotor blade boundary layer measurement hardware feasibility demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Clark, D. R.; Lawton, T. D.

1972-01-01

A traverse mechanism which allows the measurement of the three dimensional boundary layers on a helicopter rotor blade has been built and tested on a full scale rotor to full scale conditions producing centrifugal accelerations in excess of 400 g and Mach numbers of 0.6 and above. Boundary layer velocity profiles have been measured over a range of rotor speeds and blade collective pitch angles. A pressure scanning switch and transducer were also tested on the full scale rotor and found to be insensitive to centrifugal effects within the normal main rotor operating range. The demonstration of the capability to measure boundary layer behavior on helicopter rotor blades represents the first step toward obtaining, in the rotating system, data of a quality comparable to that already existing for flows in the fixed system.

Effect of smokeless tobacco products on human oral bacteria growth and viability

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Min; Jin, Jinshan; Pan, Hongmiao; Feng, Jinhui; Cerniglia, Carl E.; Yang, Maocheng; Chen, Huizhong

2017-01-01

To evaluate the toxicity of smokeless tobacco products (STPs) on oral bacteria, seven smokeless tobacco aqueous extracts (STAEs) from major brands of STPs and three tobacco-specific N-nitrosamines (TSNAs) were used in a growth and viability test against 38 oral bacterial species or subspecies. All seven STAEs showed concentration-dependent effects on the growth and viability of tested oral bacteria under anaerobic culture conditions, although there were strain-to-strain variations. In the presence of 1 mg/ml STAEs, the growth of 4 strains decreased over 0.32–2.14 log10 fold, while 14 strains demonstrated enhanced growth of 0.3–1.76 log10 fold, and the growth of 21 strains was not significantly affected. In the presence of 10 mg/ml STAEs, the growth of 17 strains was inhibited 0.3–2.11 log10 fold, 18 strains showed enhanced growth of 0.3–0.97 log10 fold, and 4 strains were not significantly affected. In the presence of 50 mg/ml STAEs, the growth of 32 strains was inhibited 0.3–2.96 log10 fold, 8 strains showed enhanced growth of 0.3–1.0 log10 fold, and 2 strains were not significantly affected. All seven STAEs could promote the growth of 4 bacterial strains, including Eubacterium nodatum, Peptostreptococcus micros, Streptococcus anginosus, and Streptococcus constellatus. Exposure to STAEs modulated the viability of some bacterial strains, with 21.1–66.5% decrease for 4 strains at 1 mg/ml, 20.3–85.7% decrease for 10 strains at 10 mg/ml, 20.0–93.3% decrease for 27 strains at 50 mg/ml, and no significant effect for 11 strains at up to 50 mg/ml. STAEs from snuffs inhibited more tested bacterial strains than those from snus indicating that the snuffs may be more toxic to the oral bacteria than snus. For TSNAs, cell growth and viability of 34 tested strains were not significantly affected at up to 100 μg/ml; while the growth of P. micros was enhanced 0.31–0.54 log10 fold; the growth of Veillonella parvula was repressed 0.33–0.36 log10 fold; and the

MD1405: Demonstration of forced dynamic aperture measurements at injection

CERN Document Server

Carlier, Felix Simon; Persson, Tobias Hakan Bjorn; Tomas Garcia, Rogelio; CERN. Geneva. ATS Department

2017-01-01

Accurate measurements of dynamic aperture become more important for the LHC as it advances into increasingly nonlinear regimes of operations, as well as for the High Luminosity LHC where machine nonlinearities will have a significantly larger impact. Direct dynamic aperture measurements at top energy in the LHC are challenging, and conventional single kick methods are not viable. Dynamic aperture measurements under forced oscillation of AC dipoles have been proposed as s possible alternative observable. A first demonstration of forced DA measurements at injections energy is presented.

Coconut milk and probiotic milk as storage media to maintain periodontal ligament cell viability: an in vitro study.

Science.gov (United States)

Saini, Divya; Gadicherla, Prahlad; Chandra, Prakash; Anandakrishna, Latha

2017-06-01

The viability of periodontal ligament (PDL) cells is a significant determinant of the long-term prognosis of replanted avulsed teeth. A storage medium is often required to maintain the viability of these cells during the extra-alveolar period. Many studies have been carried out to search for the most suitable storage medium for avulsed teeth, but an ideal solution has not yet been found. The purpose of the study was to compare and analyze the ability of coconut milk and probiotic milk to maintain PDL cell viability. In an in vitro setting, 69 caries free human premolars with normal periodontium that had been extracted for orthodontic purposes were randomly divided into two experimental groups on the basis of storage media used (i.e., coconut milk or probiotic milk) and a Hanks' balanced salt solution (HBSS) control group (23 samples per group). Immediately after extraction, the teeth were stored dry for 20 min and then immersed for 30 min in one of the storage media. The teeth were then subjected to collagenase-dispase assay and labeled with 0.5% trypan blue staining solution for determination of cell viability. The number of viable cells was counted under a light microscope and statistically analyzed using anova and post hoc Tukey test (P ≤ 0.05). Statistical analysis demonstrated there was a significant difference (P coconut milk and probiotic milk as well as HBSS in maintaining cell viability. However, there was no significant difference between probiotic milk and HBSS in ability to maintain PDL cell viability (P > 0.05). Coconut milk may not be suitable as an interim transport media due to poor maintenance of cell viability. However, probiotic milk was able to maintain PDL cell viability as well as HBSS. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Examination of viability and quality of ovarian tissue after cryopreservation using simple laboratory methods in ewe

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guerin Jean F

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The objective of the present study is to assess viability tests and to evaluate follicle ovarian tissue quality after freezing-thawing procedures. Methods Ewe's ovaries were harvested at the slaughterhouse, after dissection each ovarian specimen was divided into two groups: fresh tissue (control group and frozen tissue. In the first part of the study, the follicles viability was assessed by trypan blue staining, calcein AM/ethidium homodimer-1 staining (LIVE/DEAD viability/cytotoxicity kit, Molecular Probes and morphology in the two groups. In the second part of the study the quality of the whole ovarian tissue was evaluated by the quantification of the release of lactate dehydrogenase measurement (Cytotoxicity Detection kit ROCHE, DNA fragmentation by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin nick end labelling (TUNEL in primordial and primary follicles (ApopDETEK Kit system Enzo and morphology in the two groups. 100 Follicles (primordial and primary were counted on both fresh and frozen hemiovary to assess this various tests. Results Ovarian follicle viability assessment was similar using trypan blue or calcein/ethidium staining. Follicles showed a decreased viability after freezing-thawing. After cryopreservation, a significant correlation between the percentage of normal follicles and viability rate was found using trypan blue (r = 0.82, p Conclusion We suggest the use of trypan blue staining for the histological assessment of viability, the use of LDH assay for the cytotoxicity assessement and finally the use of DNA fragmentation assessment to valid different freezing-thawing protocols.

Myocardial viability assessment using nuclear imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsunari, Ichiro; Hisada, Kinichi; Taki, Junichi; Nakajima, Kenichi; Tonami, Norihisa

2003-01-01

Myocardial assessment continues to be an issue in patients with coronary artery disease and left ventricular dysfunction. Nuclear imaging has long played an important role in this field. In particular, PET imaging using 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose is regarded as the metabolic gold standard of tissue viability, which has been supported by a wide clinical experience. Viability assessment using SPECT techniques has gained more wide-spread clinical acceptance than PET, because it is more widely available at lower cost. Moreover, technical advances in SPECT technology such as gated-SPECT further improve the diagnostic accuracy of the test. However, other imaging techniques such as dobutamine echocardiography have recently emerged as competitors to nuclear imaging. It is also important to note that they sometimes may work in a complementary fashion to nuclear imaging, indicating that an appropriate use of these techniques may significantly improve their overall accuracy. In keeping these circumstances in mind, further efforts are necessary to further improve the diagnostic performance of nuclear imaging as a reliable viability test. (author) 107 refs

MRI of ovarian torsion: Correlation of imaging features with the presence of perifollicular hemorrhage and ovarian viability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petkovska, Iva, E-mail: dr.iva.petkovska@gmail.com [Department of Medical Imaging, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ (United States); Duke, Eugene; Martin, Diego R.; Irani, Zeenia [Department of Medical Imaging, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ (United States); Geffre, Christopher P. [Department of Pathology, University of Arizona College of Public Health, Tucson, AZ (United States); Cragun, Janiel M. [Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ (United States); Costello, James R.; Arif-Tiwari, Hina; Czeyda-Pommersheim, Ferenc; Udayasankar, Unni [Department of Medical Imaging, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ (United States); Kalb, Bobby, E-mail: bkalb@radiology.arizona.edu [Department of Medical Imaging, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ (United States)

2016-11-15

Purpose: The purpose of our study is to test for: (a) correlation between the presence of a perifollicular T2-hypointense rim on MRI with the presence of perifollicular hemorrhage on histology; and (b) correlation between this finding and diminished ovarian viability after intra-operative detorsion. Methods and materials: Our IRB-approved, retrospective study evaluated 780 patients between August 2012 and February 2016 with ovarian torsion as a diagnostic consideration on the emergency department note. Patients were included if they had preoperative MRI and intraoperatively confirmed case of ovarian torsion. MRIs were retrospectively reviewed for presence of perifollicular T2 hypointense rim in the torsed ovary. Two arms of analysis were performed: (a) assessment of perifollicular hemorrhage on histological exam; and (b) assessment of ovarian viability after intra-operative detorsion. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of MRI for predicting ovarian viability in the setting of torsion was performed. κ test assessed level of agreement between readers. Results: 24 patients included in one of the two arms; 20 in viability analysis and 12 in perifollicular hemorrhage analysis (8 in both). The presence of T2-hypointense rim on MRI demonstrated 88.9% sensitivity and 66.7% specificity for the diagnosis of perifollicular hemorrhage on histology, and 91.7% sensitivity and 100% specificity for predicting intraoperative viability. Conclusion: The presence of a perifollicular T2 hypointense rim on MRI in the setting of ovarian torsion correlates with perifollicular hemorrhage on histopathologic exam, and may also be a useful predictor of ovarian viability in patients presenting with ovarian torsion.

The effect of pressure and shear on tissue viability of human skin in relation to the development of pressure ulcers: a systematic review.

Science.gov (United States)

Hoogendoorn, Iris; Reenalda, Jasper; Koopman, Bart F J M; Rietman, Johan S

2017-08-01

Pressure ulcers are a significant problem in health care, due to high costs and large impact on patients' life. In general, pressure ulcers develop as tissue viability decreases due to prolonged mechanical loading. The relation between load and tissue viability is highly influenced by individual characteristics. It is proposed that measurements of skin blood flow regulation could provide good assessment of the risk for pressure ulcer development, as skin blood flow is essential for tissue viability. . Therefore, the aim of this systematic review is to gain insight in the relation between mechanical load and the response of the skin and underlying tissue to this loading measured in-vivo with non-invasive techniques. A systematic literature search was performed to identify articles analysing the relation between mechanical load (pressure and/or shear) and tissue viability measured in-vivo. Two independent reviewers scored the methodological quality of the 22 included studies. Methodological information as well as tissue viability parameters during load application and after load removal were extracted from the included articles and used in a meta-analysis. Pressure results in a decrease in skin blood flow parameters, compared to baseline; showing a larger decrease with higher magnitudes of load. The steepness of the decrease is mostly dependent on the anatomical location. After load removal the magnitude of the post-reactive hyperaemic peak is related to the magnitude of pressure. Lastly, shear in addition to pressure, shows an additional negative effect, but the effect is less apparent than pressure on skin viability. Copyright © 2017 Tissue Viability Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Group B streptococcal beta-hemolysin/cytolysin directly impairs cardiomyocyte viability and function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mary E Hensler

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Group B Streptococcus (GBS is a leading cause of neonatal sepsis where myocardial dysfunction is an important contributor to poor outcome. Here we study the effects of the GBS pore-forming beta-hemolysin/cytolysin (Bh/c exotoxin on cardiomyocyte viability, contractility, and calcium transients. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: HL-1 cardiomyocytes exposed to intact wild-type (WT or isogenic Deltabeta h/c mutant GBS, or to cell-free extracts from either strain, were assessed for viability by trypan blue exclusion and for apoptosis by TUNEL staining. Functionality of exposed cardiomyocytes was analyzed by visual quantitation of the rate and extent of contractility. Mitochondrial membrane polarization was measured in TMRE-loaded cells exposed to GBS beta h/c. Effects of GBS beta h/c on calcium transients were studied in fura-2AM-loaded primary rat ventricular cardiomyocytes. Exposure of HL-1 cardiomyocytes to either WT GBS or beta h/c extracts significantly reduced both rate and extent of contractility and later induced necrotic and apoptotic cell death. No effects on cardiomyocyte viability or function were observed after treatment with Deltabeta h/c mutant bacteria or extracts. The beta h/c toxin was associated with complete and rapid loss of detectable calcium transients in primary neonatal rat ventricular cardiomyocytes and induced a loss of mitochondrial membrane polarization. These effects on viability and function were abrogated by the beta h/c inhibitor, dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our data show a rapid loss of cardiomyocyte viability and function induced by GBS beta h/c, and these deleterious effects are inhibited by DPPC, a normal constituent of human pulmonary surfactant.. These findings have clinical implications for the cardiac dysfunction observed in neonatal GBS infections.

Possible Overestimation of Surface Disinfection Efficiency by Assessment Methods Based on Liquid Sampling Procedures as Demonstrated by In Situ Quantification of Spore Viability ▿

Science.gov (United States)

Grand, I.; Bellon-Fontaine, M.-N.; Herry, J.-M.; Hilaire, D.; Moriconi, F.-X.; Naïtali, M.

2011-01-01

The standard test methods used to assess the efficiency of a disinfectant applied to surfaces are often based on counting the microbial survivors sampled in a liquid, but total cell removal from surfaces is seldom achieved. One might therefore wonder whether evaluations of microbial survivors in liquid-sampled cells are representative of the levels of survivors in whole populations. The present study was thus designed to determine the “damaged/undamaged” status induced by a peracetic acid disinfection for Bacillus atrophaeus spores deposited on glass coupons directly on this substrate and to compare it to the status of spores collected in liquid by a sampling procedure. The method utilized to assess the viability of both surface-associated and liquid-sampled spores included fluorescence labeling with a combination of Syto 61 and Chemchrome V6 dyes and quantifications by analyzing the images acquired by confocal laser scanning microscopy. The principal result of the study was that the viability of spores sampled in the liquid was found to be poorer than that of surface-associated spores. For example, after 2 min of peracetic acid disinfection, less than 17% ± 5% of viable cells were detected among liquid-sampled cells compared to 79% ± 5% or 47% ± 4%, respectively, when the viability was evaluated on the surface after or without the sampling procedure. Moreover, assessments of the survivors collected in the liquid phase, evaluated using the microscopic method and standard plate counts, were well correlated. Evaluations based on the determination of survivors among the liquid-sampled cells can thus overestimate the efficiency of surface disinfection procedures. PMID:21742922

Enhancement of sperm motility and viability by turmeric by-product dietary supplementation in roosters.

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Wenjing; Kanno, Chihiro; Oshima, Eiki; Kuzuma, Yukiko; Kim, Sung Woo; Bai, Hanako; Takahashi, Masashi; Yanagawa, Yojiro; Nagano, Masashi; Wakamatsu, Jun-Ichi; Kawahara, Manabu

2017-10-01

Improving sperm motility and viability are major goals to improve efficiency in the poultry industry. In this study, the effects of supplemental dietary turmeric by-product (TBP) from commercial turmeric production on sperm motility, viability, and antioxidative status were examined in domestic fowl. Mature Rhode Island Red roosters were divided into two groups - controls (groupC) without TBP administration and test subjects (groupT) fed a basal diet supplemented with 0.8g of TBP/day in a temperature-controlled rearing facility (Experiment 1) and 1.6g/day under heat stress (Experiment 2) for 4 weeks. In Experiment 1, TBP dietary supplementation increased the sperm motility variables straight-line velocity, curvilinear velocity, and linearity based on a computer-assisted semen analysis, 2 weeks following TBP supplementation. In Experiment 2, using flow cytometry, sperm viability at 3 and 4 weeks following TBP supplementation was greater in Group T than C, and this increase was consistent with a reduction in reactive oxygen species (ROS) production at 2 and 4 weeks. The results of both experiments clearly demonstrate that dietary supplementation with TBP enhanced sperm motility in the controlled-temperature conditions as well as sperm viability, and reduced ROS generation when heat stress prevailed. Considering its potential application in a range of environments, TBP may serve as an economical and potent antioxidant to improve rooster fertility. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

An Optimized Injectable Hydrogel Scaffold Supports Human Dental Pulp Stem Cell Viability and Spreading

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T. D. Jones

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction. HyStem-C™ is a commercially available injectable hydrogel composed of polyethylene glycol diacrylate (PEGDA, hyaluronan (HA, and gelatin (Gn. These components can be mechanically tuned to enhance cell viability and spreading. Methods. The concentration of PEGDA with an added disulfide bond (PEGSSDA was varied from 0.5 to 8.0% (w/v to determine the optimal concentration for injectable clinical application. We evaluated the cell viability of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs embedded in 2% (w/v PEGSSDA-HA-Gn hydrogels. Volume ratios of HA : Gn from 100 : 0 to 25 : 75 were varied to encourage hDPSC spreading. Fibronectin (Fn was added to our model to determine the effect of extracellular matrix protein concentration on hDPSC behavior. Results. Our preliminary data suggests that the hydrogel gelation time decreased as the PEGSSDA cross-linker concentration increased. The PEGSSDA-HA-Gn was biocompatible with hDPSCs, and increased ratios of HA : Gn enhanced cell viability for 14 days. Additionally, cell proliferation with added fibronectin increased significantly over time at concentrations of 1.0 and 10.0 μg/mL in PEGDA-HA-Gn hydrogels, while cell spreading significantly increased at Fn concentrations of 0.1 μg/mL. Conclusions. This study demonstrates that PEG-based injectable hydrogels maintain hDPSC viability and facilitate cell spreading, mainly in the presence of extracellular matrix (ECM proteins.

Present assessment of myocardial viability by nuclear imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Saha, G B; MacIntyre, W J; Brunken, R C; Go, R T; Raja, S; Wong, C O; Chen, E Q

1996-10-01

Prospective delineation of viable from nonviable myocardium in patients with coronary artery disease in an important factor in deciding whether a patient should be revascularized or treated medically. Two common techniques--single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron-emission computed tomography (PET)--are used in nuclear medicine using various radiopharmaceuticals for the detection of myocardial viability in patients. Thallium-201 (201Tl) and technetium-99m (99mTc)-sestamibi are the common radiopharmaceuticals used in different protocols using SPECT, whereas fluoride-18 (18F)-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) and rubidium-82 (82Rb) are most widely used in PET. The SPECT protocols involve stress/redistribution, stress/redistribution/reinjection, and rest/redistribution imaging techniques. Many studies have compared the results of 201Tl and (99mTc)-sestamibi SPECT with those of FDG PET; in some studies, concordant results have been found between delayed thallium and FDG results, indicating that 201Tl, although considered a perfusion agent, shows myocardial viability. Discordant results in a number of studies have been found between sestamibi and FDG, suggesting that the efficacy of sestamibi as a viability marker has yet to be established. Radiolabeled fatty acids such as iodine-123 (123I)-para-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid and carbon-11 (11C)-palmitic acid have been used for the assessment of myocardial viability with limited success. 11C-labeled acetate is a good marker of oxidative metabolism in the heart and has been used to predict the reversibility of wall motion abnormalities. (18F)-FDG is considered the marker of choice for myocardial viability, although variable results are obtained under different physiological conditions. Detection of myocardial viability can be greatly improved by developing new equipment and radiopharmaceuticals of better quality.

Measurement of plasma parameters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The physics issues of the measurements of the plasma properties necessary to provide both the control and science data for achieving the goals of the ITER device are discussed. The assessment of the requirements for these measurements is first discussed, together with priorities that relate to the experimental program. Subsequently, some of the proposed measurement techniques, the plasma diagnostics, are described with particular emphasis on their implementation on ITER and their capability to meet the requirements. A judgement on the present status of the diagnostic program on ITER is provided with some indication of the research and development program necessary to demonstrate viability of techniques or their implementation. (author)

The effects of storage conditions on the viability of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

SARAKA DANIEL

2015-01-07

Jan 7, 2015 ... E-mail: ndsaraka@yahoo.fr, ndsaraka@gmail.com. Tel: 225 ..... sample viability and control of contaminants that may mask the ... viability and composition of the Escherichia coli flora in faecal ... Microbiologie alimentaire, 8e.

A business model design framework for viability : a business ecosystem approach

NARCIS (Netherlands)

D'Souza, Austin; Velthuijsen, Hugo; Wortmann, J.C.; Huitema, George

2015-01-01

Purpose: To facilitate the design of viable business models by proposing a novel business model design framework for viability. Design: A design science research method is adopted to develop a business model design framework for viability. The business model design framework for viability is

Viability tests of LIPI-MC mould collection in ampoule of L-drying preservation after one year of storage at 5ºC

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MUHAMMAD ILYAS

2007-01-01

Full Text Available A study on viability test of several LIPI-MC mould isolates in ampoule of L-drying preservation after one year storage at 5º C had been conducted. In this study, cell survival level of 34 ampoules number from eight mould generas and 17 species had been counted. The objective of this study was to observe the survival or viability level of several mould isolates in ampoule L-drying preservation after one year storage at 5º C. The measurement of viability level was based on the average of colony forming unit density (CFU/ml. The result showed that there were seven mould isolates have hingh viabilitiy, 18 isolates have medium viabilitiy, two isolates have low viability, and five isolates have lost its viability.

Trehalose preincubation increases mesenchymal (CD271+ stem cells post-cryopreservation viability

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Indra Kusuma

2016-10-01

Full Text Available Background: Dimethyl sulfoxide (Me2SO is a common cryoprotective agent widely used in cell preservation system. Me2SO is currently known to cause epigenetic changes which are  critical in stem cells development and cellular differentiation. Therefore, it is imperative to develop cryopreservation techniques that protect cellular functions and avert Me2SO adverse effect. Trehalose was able to protect organism in extreme condition such as dehydration and cold. This study aimed to verify the protective effect of trehalose preincubation procedure in cryopreservation.Methods: The study was conducted using experimental design. Thawed mesenchymal (CD271+ stem cells from YARSI biorepository were used for the experiment. Trehalose preincubation was performed for 1 hour, internalized trehalose was confirmed by FTIR-ATR measurement. Three groups consisted of (1 cryopreserved without trehalose preincubation, (2 cryopreserved with trehalose preincubation, and (3 did not undergo cryopreservation were evaluated after 24 hours in LN2 for viability in culture. The absorbance from each group was measured at 450 nm. The analysis performed using paired student t test.Results: Viability of thawed mesenchymal (CD271+ stem cells that undergo trehalose preincubation prior cryopreservation was significantly higher (p<0.05 compared to group without trehalose preincubation. Higher viability observed between group with trehalose preincubation compared with controlled group suggests protection to trypsinization. Mesenchymal (CD271+ stem cells incubated for 1 hour in 100 mM trehalose supplemented medium  results in 15%  trehalose loading efficiency.Conclusion: These findings confirm the protective effect of trehalose preincubation in cryopreservation. Future research should be directed to elucidate the trehalose internalization mechanism and eventually the protective mechanism of trehalose in mammalian cell cryopreservation.

Flow cytometric evaluation of antibiotic effects on viability and mitochondrial function of refrigerated spermatozoa of Nile tilapia

Science.gov (United States)

Segovia, M.; Jenkins, J.A.; Paniagua-Chavez, C.; Tiersch, T.R.

2000-01-01

Improved techniques for storage and evaluation of fish sperm would enhance breeding programs around the world. The goal of this study was to test the effect of antibiotics on refrigerated sperm from Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) by use of flow cytometry with 2 dual-staining protocols for objective assessment of sperm quality. Concentrations of 1 x 109 sperm/mL were suspended in Ringer's buffer at 318 mOsmol/kg (pH 8.0). The fluorescent stains Sybr 14 (10 ??M), propidium iodide (2.4 mM), and rhodamine 123 (0.13 ??M) were used to assess cell viability and mitochondrial function. Three concentrations of ampicillin, gentamicin, and an antibiotic/antimycotic solution were added to fresh spermatozoa. Motility estimates and flow cytometry measurements were made daily during 7 d of refrigerated storage (4 ??C). The highest concentrations of gentamicin and antibiotic/antimycotic and all 3 concentrations of ampicillin significantly reduced sperm viability. The highest of each of the 3 antibiotic concentrations significantly reduced mitochondrial function. This study demonstrates that objective sperm quality assessments can be made using flow cytometry and that addition of antibiotics at appropriate concentrations can lengthen refrigerated storage time for tilapia spermatozoa. With minor modifications, these protocols can be adapted for use with sperm from other species and with other tissue types.

A rapid, reliable method of evaluating growth and viability of intraerythrocytic protozoan hemoparasites using fluorescence flow cytometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Davis, W C; Wyatt, C R; Hamilton, M J; Goff, W L

1992-01-01

Fluorescence flow cytometry was employed to assess the potential of a vital dye, hydroethidine, for use in the detection and monitoring of the viability of hemoparasites in infected erythrocytes, using Babesia bovis as a model parasite. The studies demonstrated that hydroethidine is taken up by B. bovis and metabolically converted to the DNA binding fluorochrome, ethidium. Following uptake of the dye, erythrocytes containing viable parasites were readily distinguished and quantitated. Timed studies with the parasiticidal drug, Ganaseg, showed that it is possible to use the fluorochrome assay to monitor the effects of the drug on the rate of replication and viability of B. bovis in culture. The assay provides a rapid method for evaluation of the in vitro effect of drugs on hemoparasites and for analysis of the effect of various components of the immune response, such as lymphokines, monocyte products, antibodies, and effector cells (T, NK, LAK, ADCC) on the growth and viability of intraerythrocytic parasites.

A rapid, reliable method of evaluating growth and viability of intraerythrocytic protozoan hemoparasites using fluorescence flow cytometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

W. C. Davis

1992-01-01

Full Text Available Fluorescence flow cytometry was employed to assess the potential of a vital dye, hydroethiedine, for use in the detection and monitoring of the viability of hemoparasites in infected erythrocytes, using Babesia bovis as a model parasite. The studies demonstrated that hydroethidine is taken up by B. bovis and metabolically converted to the DNA binding fluorochrone, ethidium. Following uptake of the dye, erythrocytes contamine viable parasites were readily distinguished and quantitated. Timed studies with the parasiticidal drug, Ganaseg, showed that it is possible to use the fluorochrome assay to monitor the effects of the drug on the rate of replication and viability of B. bovis in culture. The assay provides a rapid method for evaluation of the in vitro effect of drugs on hemoparasites and for analysis of the effect of various components of the immune response, such as lymphokines, monocyte products, antibodies, and effector cells (T, NK, LAK, ADCC on the growth and viability of intraerythrocytic parasites.

STUDY ON POLLEN VIABILITY AS BIOINDICATOR OF AIR QUALITY

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Florentina ŞTEFLEA

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this research is to estimate the relationship between pollen viability and atmospheric pollution (in polluted and non-polluted conditions. The study was carried out in the city of Timisoara. Two areas, with different intensity of road traffic (very high and absent but all characterized by the presence of the same plant species, were selected. The pollen of herbaceous spontaneous species, arboreal species and a shrub species was used (Robinia pseudacacia, Aesculus x carnea, Catalpa bignonioides, Albizzia julibrissin, Rosa canina, Sambucus nigra, Malva neglecta, Ranunculus acer, Trifolium repens, Cichorium intybus. The pollen of these species was treated with TTC (2, 3, 5 Tryphenil-Tetrazolium-Chloride staining solution and viability was then estimated by light microscopy. The results of the mean pollen viability percentage of the examined species are reported. Pollen viability of herbaceous plants is significantly different between the two environments.

Effect of fluoride on the cell viability, cell organelle potential, and photosynthetic capacity of freshwater and soil algae.

Science.gov (United States)

Chae, Yooeun; Kim, Dokyung; An, Youn-Joo

2016-12-01

Although fluoride occurs naturally in the environment, excessive amounts of fluoride in freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems can be harmful. We evaluated the toxicity of fluoride compounds on the growth, viability, and photosynthetic capacity of freshwater (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata) and terrestrial (Chlorococcum infusionum) algae. To measure algal growth inhibition, a flow cytometric method was adopted (i.e., cell size, granularity, and auto-fluorescence measurements), and algal yield was calculated to assess cell viability. Rhodamine123 and fluorescein diacetate were used to evaluate mitochondrial membrane potential (MMA, ΔΨ m ) and cell permeability. Nine parameters related to the photosynthetic capacity of algae were also evaluated. The results indicated that high concentrations of fluoride compounds affected cell viability, cell organelle potential, and photosynthetic functions. The cell viability measurements of the three algal species decreased, but apoptosis was only observed in C. infusionum. The MMA (ΔΨ m ) of cells exposed to fluoride varied among species, and the cell permeability of the three species generally decreased. The decrease in the photosynthetic activity of algae may be attributable to the combination of fluoride ions (F - ) with magnesium ions (Mg 2+ ) in chlorophyll. Our results therefore provide strong evidence for the potential risks of fluoride compounds to microflora and microfauna in freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using Bayesian Population Viability Analysis to Define Relevant Conservation Objectives.

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Adam W Green

Full Text Available Adaptive management provides a useful framework for managing natural resources in the face of uncertainty. An important component of adaptive management is identifying clear, measurable conservation objectives that reflect the desired outcomes of stakeholders. A common objective is to have a sustainable population, or metapopulation, but it can be difficult to quantify a threshold above which such a population is likely to persist. We performed a Bayesian metapopulation viability analysis (BMPVA using a dynamic occupancy model to quantify the characteristics of two wood frog (Lithobates sylvatica metapopulations resulting in sustainable populations, and we demonstrate how the results could be used to define meaningful objectives that serve as the basis of adaptive management. We explored scenarios involving metapopulations with different numbers of patches (pools using estimates of breeding occurrence and successful metamorphosis from two study areas to estimate the probability of quasi-extinction and calculate the proportion of vernal pools producing metamorphs. Our results suggest that ≥50 pools are required to ensure long-term persistence with approximately 16% of pools producing metamorphs in stable metapopulations. We demonstrate one way to incorporate the BMPVA results into a utility function that balances the trade-offs between ecological and financial objectives, which can be used in an adaptive management framework to make optimal, transparent decisions. Our approach provides a framework for using a standard method (i.e., PVA and available information to inform a formal decision process to determine optimal and timely management policies.

Viability of dielectrophoretically trapped neuronal cortical cells in culture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heida, Tjitske; Vulto, P; Rutten, Wim; Marani, Enrico

2001-01-01

Negative dielectrophoretic trapping of neural cells is an efficient way to position neural cells on the electrode sites of planar micro-electrode arrays. The preservation of viability of the neural cells is essential for this approach. This study investigates the viability of postnatal cortical rat

Flow cytometric assessment of viability of lactic acid bacteria

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bunthof, C.J.; Bloemen, K.; Breeuwer, P.; Rombouts, F.M.; Abee, T.

2001-01-01

The viability of lactic acid bacteria is crucial for their applications as dairy starters and as probiotics. We investigated the usefulness of flow cytometry (FCM) for viability assessment of lactic acid bacteria. The esterase substrate carboxyfluorescein diacetate (cFDA) and the dye exclusion DNA

Amyloid-beta aggregates cause alterations of astrocytic metabolic phenotype: impact on neuronal viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Allaman, Igor; Gavillet, Mathilde; Bélanger, Mireille; Laroche, Thierry; Viertl, David; Lashuel, Hilal A; Magistretti, Pierre J

2010-03-03

Amyloid-beta (Abeta) peptides play a key role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and exert various toxic effects on neurons; however, relatively little is known about their influence on glial cells. Astrocytes play a pivotal role in brain homeostasis, contributing to the regulation of local energy metabolism and oxidative stress defense, two aspects of importance for neuronal viability and function. In the present study, we explored the effects of Abeta peptides on glucose metabolism in cultured astrocytes. Following Abeta(25-35) exposure, we observed an increase in glucose uptake and its various metabolic fates, i.e., glycolysis (coupled to lactate release), tricarboxylic acid cycle, pentose phosphate pathway, and incorporation into glycogen. Abeta increased hydrogen peroxide production as well as glutathione release into the extracellular space without affecting intracellular glutathione content. A causal link between the effects of Abeta on glucose metabolism and its aggregation and internalization into astrocytes through binding to members of the class A scavenger receptor family could be demonstrated. Using astrocyte-neuron cocultures, we observed that the overall modifications of astrocyte metabolism induced by Abeta impair neuronal viability. The effects of the Abeta(25-35) fragment were reproduced by Abeta(1-42) but not by Abeta(1-40). Finally, the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-kinase) pathway appears to be crucial in these events since both the changes in glucose utilization and the decrease in neuronal viability are prevented by LY294002, a PI3-kinase inhibitor. This set of observations indicates that Abeta aggregation and internalization into astrocytes profoundly alter their metabolic phenotype with deleterious consequences for neuronal viability.

Pollen viability and germination in Jatropha ribifolia and Jatropha ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The aim of this work is to assess pollen viability using the staining technique and in vitro germination with different concentrations of sucrose in Jatropha ribifolia and Jatropha mollissima, contributing to the knowledge of the reproductive biology and subsidizing their conservation, management and utilization. Pollen viability ...

Polyvinylpyrrolidone-Based Bio-Ink Improves Cell Viability and Homogeneity during Drop-On-Demand Printing

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Wei Long Ng

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Drop-on-demand (DOD bioprinting has attracted huge attention for numerous biological applications due to its precise control over material volume and deposition pattern in a contactless printing approach. 3D bioprinting is still an emerging field and more work is required to improve the viability and homogeneity of printed cells during the printing process. Here, a general purpose bio-ink was developed using polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP macromolecules. Different PVP-based bio-inks (0%–3% w/v were prepared and evaluated for their printability; the short-term and long-term viability of the printed cells were first investigated. The Z value of a bio-ink determines its printability; it is the inverse of the Ohnesorge number (Oh, which is the ratio between the Reynolds number and a square root of the Weber number, and is independent of the bio-ink velocity. The viability of printed cells is dependent on the Z values of the bio-inks; the results indicated that the cells can be printed without any significant impairment using a bio-ink with a threshold Z value of ≤9.30 (2% and 2.5% w/v. Next, the cell output was evaluated over a period of 30 min. The results indicated that PVP molecules mitigate the cell adhesion and sedimentation during the printing process; the 2.5% w/v PVP bio-ink demonstrated the most consistent cell output over a period of 30 min. Hence, PVP macromolecules can play a critical role in improving the cell viability and homogeneity during the bioprinting process.

Viability of mesenchymal stem cells during electrospinning

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G. Zanatta

2012-02-01

Full Text Available Tissue engineering is a technique by which a live tissue can be re-constructed and one of its main goals is to associate cells with biomaterials. Electrospinning is a technique that facilitates the production of nanofibers and is commonly used to develop fibrous scaffolds to be used in tissue engineering. In the present study, a different approach for cell incorporation into fibrous scaffolds was tested. Mesenchymal stem cells were extracted from the wall of the umbilical cord and mononuclear cells from umbilical cord blood. Cells were re-suspended in a 10% polyvinyl alcohol solution and subjected to electrospinning for 30 min under a voltage of 21 kV. Cell viability was assessed before and after the procedure by exclusion of dead cells using trypan blue staining. Fiber diameter was observed by scanning electron microscopy and the presence of cells within the scaffolds was analyzed by confocal laser scanning microscopy. After electrospinning, the viability of mesenchymal stem cells was reduced from 88 to 19.6% and the viability of mononuclear cells from 99 to 8.38%. The loss of viability was possibly due to the high viscosity of the polymer solution, which reduced the access to nutrients associated with electric and mechanical stress during electrospinning. These results suggest that the incorporation of cells during fiber formation by electrospinning is a viable process that needs more investigation in order to find ways to protect cells from damage.

Viability of a New Road Infrastructure with Heterogeneous Users in Madrid Access

OpenAIRE

Pedro Cantos-Sanchez; Rafael Moner-Colonques; Jose J. Sempere-Monerris; Oscar Alvarez

2008-01-01

This paper explores the importance of heterogeneity in value of time when assessing the viability of a new road infrastructure to alleviate congestion problems. The Spanish government has developed a congestion pricing demonstration entering Madrid city centre, where road users have to choose between a free but highly congested road and a priced free-flowing road. We consider a continuum of users who differ in their value of time. Users dislike congestion and this is more so the more a user v...

A new microtitre plate screening method for evaluating the viability of aerobic respiring bacteria in high surface biofilms.

Science.gov (United States)

Pérez, L M; Alvarez, B L; Codony, F; Fittipaldi, M; Adrados, B; Peñuela, G; Morató, J

2010-09-01

It is difficult to determine the effects of bactericidal compounds against bacteria in a biofilm because classical procedures for determining cell viability require several working days, multiple complicated steps and are frequently only applicable to cells in suspension. We attempt to develop a compact, inexpensive and versatile system to measure directly the extent of biofilm formation from water systems and to determine the viability of respiring bacteria in high surface biofilms. It has been reported that the reduction of tetrazolium sodium salts, such as XTT (sodium 3,3'-[1-[(phenylamino)carbonyl]-3,4-tetrazolium]Bis(4-methoxy)-6-nitro)benzene sulfonic acid hydrate), during active bacterial metabolism can be incorporated into a colorimetric method for quantifying cell viability. XTT is reduced to a soluble formazan compound during bacterial aerobic metabolism such that the amount of formazan generated is proportional to the bacterial biomass. We show here, for the first time, that this colorimetric approach can be used to determine the metabolic activity of adherent aerobic bacteria in a biofilm as a measure of cell viability. This technique has been used to estimate viability and proliferation of bacteria in suspension, but this is the first application to microbial communities in a real undisturbed biofilm. This simple new system can be used to evaluate the complex biofilm community without separating the bacteria from their support. Thus, the results obtained by this practice may be more representative of the circumstances in a natural system, opening the possibility to multiple potential applications.

Controlling laser-induced jet formation for bioprinting mesenchymal stem cells with high viability and high resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ali, Muhammad; Pages, Emeline; Ducom, Alexandre; Fontaine, Aurelien; Guillemot, Fabien

2014-01-01

Laser-assisted bioprinting is a versatile, non-contact, nozzle-free printing technique which has demonstrated high potential for cell printing with high resolution. Improving cell viability requires determining printing conditions which minimize shear stress for cells within the jet and cell impact at droplet landing. In this context, this study deals with laser-induced jet dynamics to determine conditions from which jets arise with minimum kinetic energies. The transition from a sub-threshold regime to jetting regime has been associated with a geometrical parameter (vertex angle) which can be harnessed to print mesenchymal stem cells with high viability using slow jet conditions. Finally, hydrodynamic jet stability is also studied for higher laser pulse energies which give rise to supersonic but turbulent jets. (paper)

Pollen diversity, viability and floral structure of some Musa genotypes

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Pollen diversity, viability and floral structure of some Musa genotypes. ... This experiment was designed to study the floral structure, pollen morphology and the potential pollen viability of five Musa genotypes obtained ... HOW TO USE AJOL.

Viability, Apoptosis, Proliferation, Activation, and Cytokine Secretion of Human Keratoconus Keratocytes after Cross-Linking

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xuefei Song

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of cross-linking (CXL on viability, apoptosis, proliferation, activation, and cytokine secretion of human keratoconus (KC keratocytes, in vitro. Methods. Primary KC keratocytes were cultured in DMEM/Ham’s F12 medium supplemented with 10% FCS and underwent UVA illumination (370 nm, 2 J/cm2 during exposure to 0.1% riboflavin and 20% Dextran in PBS. Twenty-four hours after CXL, viability was assessed using Alamar blue assay; apoptosis using APO-DIRECT Kit; proliferation using ELISA-BrdU kit; and CD34 and alpha-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA expression using flow cytometry. Five and 24 hours after CXL, FGFb, HGF, TGFβ1, VEGF, KGF, IL-1β, IL-6, and IL-8 secretion was measured using enzyme-linked-immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA. Results. Following CXL, cell viability and proliferation decreased (P0.06. Five hours after CXL, FGFb secretion increased significantly (P=0.037; however no other cytokine secretion differed significantly from controls after 5 or 24 hours (P>0.12. Conclusions. Cross-linking decreases viability, triggers apoptosis, and inhibits proliferation, without an impact on multipotent hematopoietic stem cell transformation and myofibroblastic transformation of KC keratocytes. CXL triggers FGFb secretion of KC keratocytes transiently (5 hours, normalizing after 24 hours.

Survey of the Definition of Fetal Viability and the Availability, Indications, and Decision Making Processes for Post-Viability Termination of Pregnancy for Fetal Abnormalities and Health Conditions in Canada.

Science.gov (United States)

Hull, Danna; Davies, Gregory; Armour, Christine M

2016-06-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the definition of fetal viability and the availability, indications, and decision making processes for post-viability termination of pregnancy for fetal abnormalities and health conditions in Canada. An online survey of members of the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors, the Canadian College of Medical Geneticists, and the Canadian Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine who provide direct counselling to, or management of, prenatal patients in Canada (total sample size 815). Results of this study showed that the majority of respondents indicated that their centre will offer post-viability termination of pregnancy (98/123; 80 %). Sixty-seven percent (68/101) of respondents reported the definition of fetal viability to be 24 weeks' gestation. Most respondents reported that a collaborative decision making process was used to determine if post-viability termination of pregnancy would be offered (136/170; 80 %). For conditions presumed to be lethal/likely lethal, the majority of respondents would "sometimes" or "always" offer post-viability termination of pregnancy, whereas for conditions presumed to have a mild effect, the majority of respondents would "rarely" or "never" offer post-viability termination of pregnancy. Ninety percent (77/86) of respondents reported that perinatal hospice is offered as an alternative to termination of pregnancy. In conclusion, this study suggests that although post-viability termination is available in many provinces in Canada, variation in the definition of fetal viability and indications appear to exist. While these variations may lead to unequal access to post-viability termination of pregnancy across Canada, they might also represent the complexity of the decision making process and the importance of examining individual factors to ensure that the most appropriate decision is made in each case.

An updated methodology to review developing-country vaccine manufacturer viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Luter, Nicholas; Kumar, Ritu; Hozumi, Dai; Lorenson, Tina; Larsen, Shannon; Gowda, Bhavya; Batson, Amie

2017-07-05

In 1997, Milstien, Batson, and Meaney published "A Systematic Method for Evaluating the Potential Viability of Local Vaccine Producers." The paper identified characteristics of successful vaccine manufacturers and developed a viability framework to evaluate their performance. This paper revisits the original study after two decades to determine the ability of the framework to predict manufacturer success. By reconstructing much of the original dataset and conducting in-depth interviews, the authors developed informed views on the continued viability of manufacturers in low- and middle-income country markets. Considering the marked changes in the market and technology landscape since 1997, the authors find the viability framework to be predictive and a useful lens through which to evaluate manufacturer success or failure. Of particular interest is how incumbent and potentially new developing-country vaccine manufacturers enter and sustain production in competitive international markets and how they integrate (or fail to integrate) new technology into the production process. Ultimately, most manufacturers will need to meet global quality standards to be viable. As governments and donors consider investments in vaccine producers, the updated viability factors will be a useful tool in evaluating the prospects of manufacturers over the mid to long term. The paper emphasizes that while up-front investments are important, other critical factors-including investments in a national regulatory authority, manufacturer independence, and ability to adapt and adopt new technology-are necessary to ensure viability. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

The in vitro viability and growth of fibroblasts cultured in the presence of different bone grafting materials (NanoBone and Straumann Bone Ceramic).

Science.gov (United States)

Kauschke, E; Rumpel, E; Fanghänel, J; Bayerlein, T; Gedrange, T; Proff, P

2006-02-01

Different clinical applications, including dentistry, are making increasing demands on bone grafting material. In the present study we have analysed the viability, proliferation and growth characteristics of fibroblasts cultured in vitro together with two different bone grafting materials, NanoBone and Straumann Bone Ceramic, over a period of 24 and 28 days respectively. Viability was measured at least every 72 hours by using the alamarBlue assay, a test that measures quantitatively cell proliferation and viability but does not require cell fixation or extraction. After one week of culture fibroblast viability was as high as in controls for both grafting materials and remained high (> 90%) for the duration of the experiment. Cell growth was evaluated microscopically. Scanning electron microscopy revealed a dense fibroblast growth at the surface of both bone grafting materials after three weeks of in vitro culture. Generally, our in vitro analyses contribute to further insights into cell - scaffold interactions.

Viability of seeds of two representatives from Apocynaceae family

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y.A. Aviekin

2015-05-01

Full Text Available The viability of some Apocynaceae seeds depending on the duration of storage under conditions of low temperature was studied. Extracted embryos from the seeds of Pachypodium lamerei Drake and Adenium obesum (Forssk. Roem. et Schult with different storage history were analyzed. Embryos were stained by acidic fuchsine what allows identification of viable and destructed cells. Destructed cells were stained much more intensively, while viable cells remained unstained. Observed results showed dependence of viability of P. lamerei and A. obesum seeds from term of storage. It was obtained that the seeds of investigated succulent species, just like in many other tropical plants, rapidly lost their viability and should be described as microbiotic.

Demonstration of quantum logic gates in liquid crystal nuclear magnetic resonance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marjanska, Malgorzata; Chuang, Isaac L.; Kubinec, Mark G.

2000-01-01

1 H- 13 C heteronuclear dipolar couplings are used to produce the NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) version of a two bit controlled-NOT quantum logic gate. This gate is coupled with the Hadamard gate to complete a circuit which generates the Einstein-Podolsky-Rosen (EPR) state which is the maximally entangled state of a pair of spins. The EPR state is crucial for the potential exponential speed advantage of quantum computers over their classical counterparts. We sample the deviation density matrix of the two spin system to verify the presence of the EPR state. EPR state lifetimes are also measured with this technique, thereby demonstrating the viability of liquid crystals as a platform for quantum computing. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Viability of using energy storage for frequency regulation on power grid

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Y. S.; Hau, L. C.; Loh, K. Y.; Lim, K. Y.; Lyons, P. F.; Taylor, P. C.

2018-05-01

This project is about the development and integration of a real-time network simulator in the laboratory using hardware in the loop (HIL) for the purpose of frequency regulation. Frequency regulation is done using the energy storage system (ESS) and a real-time network test bed developed in the smart energy laboratory in Newcastle University. An IEEE Test System was built in the OPAL-RT network simulator to mimic the power grid with renewable energy sources. The study demonstrates the viability of using an ESS to regulate the frequency under an increased penetration of renewable energy sources.

Vaginal Lactobacilli Reduce Neisseria gonorrhoeae Viability through Multiple Strategies: An in Vitro Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Foschi

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (GC underline the need of “antibiotic-free” strategies for the control of gonorrhea. The aim of this study was to assess the anti-gonococcal activity of 14 vaginal Lactobacillus strains, belonging to different species (L. crispatus, L. gasseri, L. vaginalis, isolated from healthy pre-menopausal women. In particular, we performed “inhibition” experiments, evaluating the ability of both lactobacilli cells and culture supernatants in reducing GC viability, at two different contact times (7 and 60 min. First, we found that the acidic environment, associated to lactobacilli metabolism, is extremely effective in counteracting GC growth, in a pH- and time-dependent manner. Indeed, a complete abolishment of GC viability by lactobacilli supernatants was observed only for pH values < 4.0, even at short contact times. On the contrary, for higher pH values, no 100%-reduction of GC growth was reached at any contact time. Experiments with organic/inorganic acid solutions confirmed the strict correlation between the pH levels and the anti-gonococcal effect. In this context, the presence of lactate seemed to be crucial for the anti-gonococcal activity, especially for pH values in the range 4.4–5.3, indicating that the presence of H+ ions is necessary but not sufficient to kill gonococci. Moreover, experiments with buffered supernatants led to exclude a direct role in the GC killing by other bioactive molecules produced by lactobacilli. Second, we noticed that lactobacilli cells are able to reduce GC viability and to co-aggregate with gonococci. In this context, we demonstrated that released-surface components with biosurfactant properties, isolated from “highly-aggregating” lactobacilli, could affect GC viability. The antimicrobial potential of biosurfactants isolated from lactobacilli against pathogens has been largely investigated, but this is the first report about a

A simple viability analysis for unicellular cyanobacteria using a new autofluorescence assay, automated microscopy, and ImageJ

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Schulze Katja

2011-11-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Currently established methods to identify viable and non-viable cells of cyanobacteria are either time-consuming (eg. plating or preparation-intensive (eg. fluorescent staining. In this paper we present a new and fast viability assay for unicellular cyanobacteria, which uses red chlorophyll fluorescence and an unspecific green autofluorescence for the differentiation of viable and non-viable cells without the need of sample preparation. Results The viability assay for unicellular cyanobacteria using red and green autofluorescence was established and validated for the model organism Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Both autofluorescence signals could be observed simultaneously allowing a direct classification of viable and non-viable cells. The results were confirmed by plating/colony count, absorption spectra and chlorophyll measurements. The use of an automated fluorescence microscope and a novel ImageJ based image analysis plugin allow a semi-automated analysis. Conclusions The new method simplifies the process of viability analysis and allows a quick and accurate analysis. Furthermore results indicate that a combination of the new assay with absorption spectra or chlorophyll concentration measurements allows the estimation of the vitality of cells.

Simultaneous measurements of temperature and density in air flows using UV laser spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Fletcher, D. G.; Mckenzie, R. L.

1991-01-01

The simultaneous measurement of temperature and density using laser-induced fluorescence of oxygen in combination with Q-branch Raman scattering of nitrogen and oxygen is demonstrated in a low-speed air flow. The lowest density and temperature measured in the experiment correspond to the freestream values at Mach 5 in the Ames 3.5-Foot Hypersonic Wind Tunnel for stagnation conditions of 100 atm and 1000 K. The experimental results demonstrate the viability of the optical technique for measurements that support the study of compressible turbulence and the validation of numerical codes in supersonic and hypersonic wind tunnel flows.

Detecting viability transitions of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells by Raman micro-spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, H; Chen, P; Fang, H; Lin, L; Tang, G Q; Mu, G G; Gong, W; Liu, Z P; Wu, H; Zhao, H; Han, Z C

2011-01-01

Recent research suggests that human umbilical cord derived mesenchymal stem cells (hUC-MSCs) can be promising candidates for cell-based therapy. Since large population and high viability are generally required, detecting viability transitions of these cells is crucial for their population expansion and quality control. Here, as a non-invasive method, Raman micro-spectroscopy is applied to examine hUC-MSCs with different viability. Using peak fitting and statistic t-test, the Raman peaks with obvious differences between the cells with high viability (> 90%) and low viability ( -1 , symmetric stretching of C–C in lipids at 877 cm -1 and CH deformation in proteins at 1342 cm -1 show the most significant changes (p < 0.001). When the cell viability decreases, the intensities of the former two peaks are both about doubled while that of the latter peak reduces by about 30%. Based on these results, we propose that the viability of hUC-MSCs can be characterized by these three peaks. And their intensity changes can be understood from the model of excessive reactive oxygen species interacting with the bio-macromolecules

The GAN Exonuclease or the Flap Endonuclease Fen1 and RNase HII Are Necessary for Viability of Thermococcus kodakarensis.

Science.gov (United States)

Burkhart, Brett W; Cubonova, Lubomira; Heider, Margaret R; Kelman, Zvi; Reeve, John N; Santangelo, Thomas J

2017-07-01

Many aspects of and factors required for DNA replication are conserved across all three domains of life, but there are some significant differences surrounding lagging-strand synthesis. In Archaea , a 5'-to-3' exonuclease, related to both bacterial RecJ and eukaryotic Cdc45, that associates with the replisome specifically through interactions with GINS was identified and designated GAN (for G INS- a ssociated n uclease). Despite the presence of a well-characterized flap endonuclease (Fen1), it was hypothesized that GAN might participate in primer removal during Okazaki fragment maturation, and as a Cdc45 homologue, GAN might also be a structural component of an archaeal CMG (Cdc45, MCM, and GINS) replication complex. We demonstrate here that, individually, either Fen1 or GAN can be deleted, with no discernible effects on viability and growth. However, deletion of both Fen1 and GAN was not possible, consistent with both enzymes catalyzing the same step in primer removal from Okazaki fragments in vivo RNase HII has also been proposed to participate in primer processing during Okazaki fragment maturation. Strains with both Fen1 and RNase HII deleted grew well. GAN activity is therefore sufficient for viability in the absence of both RNase HII and Fen1, but it was not possible to construct a strain with both RNase HII and GAN deleted. Fen1 alone is therefore insufficient for viability in the absence of both RNase HII and GAN. The ability to delete GAN demonstrates that GAN is not required for the activation or stability of the archaeal MCM replicative helicase. IMPORTANCE The mechanisms used to remove primer sequences from Okazaki fragments during lagging-strand DNA replication differ in the biological domains. Bacteria use the exonuclease activity of DNA polymerase I, whereas eukaryotes and archaea encode a flap endonuclease (Fen1) that cleaves displaced primer sequences. RNase HII and the GINS-associated exonuclease GAN have also been hypothesized to assist in primer

Morphology and viability of castor bean genotypes pollen grains

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Selma Alves Silva Diamantino

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to characterize the morphology and viability of the pollen of 15 genotypes of castor bean (Ricinus communis L. and to generate information that can assist in the selection of highly promising male parents for future use in genetic improvement programs aimed at producing seeds for oil extraction. Acetolysis and scanning electron microscopy was used to characterize the morphology of the pollen. The viability of the pollen grains was estimated by in vitro germination and colorimetric analysis (acetocarmine 2% and 2, 3, 5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride 1%. For the in vitro germination, pollen grains were grown in 10 types of solidified culture medium consisting of different concentrations of sucrose, boric acid, calcium nitrate, magnesium sulfate and potassium nitrate. The pollen grains had the following characteristics: medium size, isopolar and subspheroidal shape, radial symmetry, circular ambit, 3-colporate, elongated endoapertures, tectate exine and granulated sexine. The acetocarmine dye overestimated pollen viability. The media M5 and M8 were the most efficient at promoting the germination of pollen grains. The studied genotypes had high levels of viability and can therefore be used as male parents in genetic improvement programs.

Preservation of seed viability during 25 years of storage under standard genebank conditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Treuren, van R.; Groot, de E.C.; Hintum, van T.J.L.

2013-01-01

Maintaining sufficient viability is critical to the sustainability of ex situ conserved seed collections. For this reason, accessions are regenerated when viability falls below a predefined threshold. Viability is monitored by determining the germination ability of accessions at predefined time

Effect of Chlorine on Giardia lamblia Cyst Viability

OpenAIRE

Jarroll, Edward L.; Bingham, Alan K.; Meyer, Ernest A.

1981-01-01

The effect of chlorine concentration on Giardia lamblia cyst viability was tested under a variety of conditions. The ability of Giardia cysts to undergo excystation was used as the criterion of viability. The experimental variables employed included temperature (25, 15, and 5°C), pH (6, 7, and 8), chlorine-cyst contact time (10, 30, and 60 min), and chlorine concentration (1 to 8 mg/liter). In the pH range studied, cyst survival generally was observed to increase as buffer pH increased. Water...

Short Peptides Enhance Single Cell Adhesion and Viability onMicroarrays

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Veiseh, Mandana; Veiseh, Omid; Martin, Michael C.; Asphahani,Fareid; Zhang, Miqin

2007-01-19

Single cell patterning holds important implications forbiology, biochemistry, biotechnology, medicine, and bioinformatics. Thechallenge for single cell patterning is to produce small islands hostingonly single cells and retaining their viability for a prolonged period oftime. This study demonstrated a surface engineering approach that uses acovalently bound short peptide as a mediator to pattern cells withimproved single cell adhesion and prolonged cellular viabilityon goldpatterned SiO2 substrates. The underlying hypothesis is that celladhesion is regulated bythe type, availability, and stability ofeffective cell adhesion peptides, and thus covalently bound shortpeptides would promote cell spreading and, thus, single cell adhesion andviability. The effectiveness of this approach and the underlyingmechanism for the increased probability of single cell adhesion andprolonged cell viability by short peptides were studied by comparingcellular behavior of human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells on threemodelsurfaces whose gold electrodes were immobilized with fibronectin,physically adsorbed Arg-Glu-Asp-Val-Tyr, and covalently boundLys-Arg-Glu-Asp-Val-Tyr, respectively. The surface chemistry and bindingproperties were characterized by reflectance Fourier transform infraredspectroscopy. Both short peptides were superior to fibronectin inproducing adhesion of only single cells, whereas the covalently boundpeptide also reduced apoptosis and necrosisof adhered cells. Controllingcell spreading by peptide binding domains to regulate apoptosis andviability represents a fundamental mechanism in cell-materialsinteraction and provides an effective strategy in engineering arrays ofsingle cells.

Guidance manual for conducting technology demonstration activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jolley, R.L.; Morris, M.I.; Singh, S.P.N.

1991-12-01

This demonstration guidance manual has been prepared to assist Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems), staff in conducting demonstrations. It is prepared in checklist style to facilitate its use and assumes that Energy Systems personnel have project management responsibility. In addition to a detailed step-by-step listing of procedural considerations, a general checklist, logic flow diagram, and several examples of necessary plans are included to assist the user in developing an understanding of the many complex activities required to manage technology demonstrations. Demonstrations are pilot-scale applications of often innovative technologies to determine the commercial viability of the technologies to perform their designed function. Demonstrations are generally conducted on well-defined problems for which existing technologies or processes are less than satisfactory in terms of effectiveness, cost, and/or regulatory compliance. Critically important issues in demonstration management include, but are not limited to, such factors as communications with line and matrix management and with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Energy Systems staff responsible for management oversight, budgetary and schedule requirements, regulatory compliance, and safety

Guidance manual for conducting technology demonstration activities

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jolley, Robert L.; Morris, Michael I.; Singh, Suman P.N.

1991-12-01

This demonstration guidance manual has been prepared to assist Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc. (Energy Systems), staff in conducting demonstrations. It is prepared in checklist style to facilitate its use and assumes that Energy Systems personnel have project management responsibility. In addition to a detailed step-by-step listing of procedural considerations, a general checklist, logic flow diagram, and several examples of necessary plans are included to assist the user in developing an understanding of the many complex activities required to manage technology demonstrations. Demonstrations are pilot-scale applications of often innovative technologies to determine the commercial viability of the technologies to perform their designed function. Demonstrations are generally conducted on well-defined problems for which existing technologies or processes are less than satisfactory in terms of effectiveness, cost, and/or regulatory compliance. Critically important issues in demonstration management include, but are not limited to, such factors as communications with line and matrix management and with the US Department of Energy (DOE) and Energy Systems staff responsible for management oversight, budgetary and schedule requirements, regulatory compliance, and safety.

Altered arterial stiffness and subendocardial viability ratio in young healthy light smokers after acute exercise.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert J Doonan

Full Text Available Studies showed that long-standing smokers have stiffer arteries at rest. However, the effect of smoking on the ability of the vascular system to respond to increased demands (physical stress has not been studied. The purpose of this study was to estimate the effect of smoking on arterial stiffness and subendocardial viability ratio, at rest and after acute exercise in young healthy individuals.Healthy light smokers (n = 24, pack-years = 2.9 and non-smokers (n = 53 underwent pulse wave analysis and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity measurements at rest, and 2, 5, 10, and 15 minutes following an exercise test to exhaustion. Smokers were tested, 1 after 12h abstinence from smoking (chronic condition and 2 immediately after smoking one cigarette (acute condition. At rest, chronic smokers had higher augmentation index and lower aortic pulse pressure than non-smokers, while subendocardial viability ratio was not significantly different. Acute smoking increased resting augmentation index and decreased subendocardial viability ratio compared with non-smokers, and decreased subendocardial viability ratio compared with the chronic condition. After exercise, subendocardial viability ratio was lower, and augmentation index and aortic pulse pressure were higher in non-smokers than smokers in the chronic and acute conditions. cfPWV rate of recovery of was greater in non-smokers than chronic smokers after exercise. Non-smokers were also able to achieve higher workloads than smokers in both conditions.Chronic and acute smoking appears to diminish the vascular response to physical stress. This can be seen as an impaired 'vascular reserve' or a blunted ability of the blood vessels to accommodate the changes required to achieve higher workloads. These changes were noted before changes in arterial stiffness or subendocardial viability ratio occurred at rest. Even light smoking in young healthy individuals appears to have harmful effects on vascular

Kaempferol nanoparticles achieve strong and selective inhibition of ovarian cancer cell viability

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Haitao; Jiang, Bingbing; Li, Bingyun; Li, Zhaoliang; Jiang, Bing-Hua; Chen, Yi Charlie

2012-01-01

Ovarian cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death for women throughout the Western world. Kaempferol, a natural flavonoid, has shown promise in the chemoprevention of ovarian cancer. A common concern about using dietary supplements for chemoprevention is their bioavailability. Nanoparticles have shown promise in increasing the bioavailability of some chemicals. Here we developed five different types of nanoparticles incorporating kaempferol and tested their efficacy in the inhibition of viability of cancerous and normal ovarian cells. We found that positively charged nanoparticle formulations did not lead to a significant reduction in cancer cell viability, whereas nonionic polymeric nanoparticles resulted in enhanced reduction of cancer cell viability. Among the nonionic polymeric nanoparticles, poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO-PPO-PEO) nanoparticles incorporating kaempferol led to significant reduction in cell viability of both cancerous and normal cells. Poly(DL-lactic acid-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) nanoparticles incorporating kaempferol resulted in enhanced reduction of cancer cell viability together with no significant reduction in cell viability of normal cells compared with kaempferol alone. Therefore, both PEO-PPO-PEO and PLGA nanoparticle formulations were effective in reducing cancer cell viability, while PLGA nanoparticles incorporating kaempferol had selective toxicity against cancer cells and normal cells. A PLGA nanoparticle formulation could be advantageous in the prevention and treatment of ovarian cancers. On the other hand, PEO-PPO-PEO nanoparticles incorporating kaempferol were more effective inhibitors of cancer cells, but they also significantly reduced the viability of normal cells. PEO-PPO-PEO nanoparticles incorporating kaempferol may be suitable as a cancer-targeting strategy, which could limit the effects of the nanoparticles on normal cells while retaining their potency against cancer cells. We

Viability Study for an Unattended UF_6 Cylinder Verification Station: Phase I Final Report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, Leon E.; Miller, Karen A.; Garner, James R.; Branney, Sean; McDonald, Benjamin S.; Webster, Jennifer B.; Zalavadia, Mital A.; Todd, Lindsay C.; Kulisek, Jonathan A.; Nordquist, Heather; Deshmukh, Nikhil S.; Stewart, Scott

2016-01-01

In recent years, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has pursued innovative techniques and an integrated suite of safeguards measures to address the verification challenges posed by the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle. Among the unattended instruments currently being explored by the IAEA is an Unattended Cylinder Verification Station (UCVS) that could provide automated, independent verification of the declared relative enrichment, "2"3"5U mass, total uranium mass and identification for all declared UF_6 cylinders in a facility (e.g., uranium enrichment plants and fuel fabrication plants). Under the auspices of the United States and European Commission Support Programs to the IAEA, a project was undertaken to assess the technical and practical viability of the UCVS concept. The US Support Program team consisted of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL, lead), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Savanah River National Laboratory (SRNL). At the core of the viability study is a long-term field trial of a prototype UCVS system at a Westinghouse fuel fabrication facility. A key outcome of the study is a quantitative performance evaluation of two nondestructive assay (NDA) methods being considered for inclusion in a UCVS: Hybrid Enrichment Verification Array (HEVA), and Passive Neutron Enrichment Meter (PNEM). This report provides context for the UCVS concept and the field trial: potential UCVS implementation concepts at an enrichment facility; an overview of UCVS prototype design; field trial objectives and activities. Field trial results and interpretation are presented, with a focus on the performance of PNEM and HEVA for the assay of over 200 ''typical'' Type 30B cylinders, and the viability of an ''NDA Fingerprint'' concept as a high-fidelity means to periodically verify that the contents of a given cylinder are consistent with previous scans. A modeling study, combined with field-measured instrument

Effects of Redox Modulation on Cell Proliferation, Viability, and Migration in Cultured Rat and Human Tendon Progenitor Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuk Wa Lee

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Tendon healing is slow and usually results in inferior fibrotic tissue formation. Recently, application of tendon derived stem cells (TDSCs improved tendon healing in animal studies. In a chicken model, local injection of antioxidants reduced tendon adhesion after tendon injury. An in vitro study demonstrated that supplementation of H2O2 reduced tenogenic marker expression in TDSCs. These findings suggested that the possibility of TDSCs is involved in tendon healing and the cellular activities of TDSCs might be affected by oxidative stress of the local environment. After tendon injury, oxidative stress is increased. Redox modulation might affect healing outcomes via affecting cellular activities in TDSCs. To study the effect of oxidative stress on TDSCs, the cellular activities of rat/human TDSCs were measured under different dosages of vitamin C or H2O2 in this study. Lower dose of vitamin C increased cell proliferation, viability and migration; H2O2 affected colony formation and suppressed cell migration, cell viability, apoptosis, and proliferation. Consistent with previous studies, oxidative stresses (H2O2 affect both recruitment and survival of TDSCs, while the antioxidant vitamin C may exert beneficial effects at low doses. In conclusion, redox modulation affected cellular activities of TDSCs and might be a potential strategy for tendon healing treatment.

Evaluation of radical scavenging activity, intestinal cell viability and antifungal activity of Brazilian propolis by-product.

Science.gov (United States)

de Francisco, Lizziane; Pinto, Diana; Rosseto, Hélen; Toledo, Lucas; Santos, Rafaela; Tobaldini-Valério, Flávia; Svidzinski, Terezinha; Bruschi, Marcos; Sarmento, Bruno; Oliveira, M Beatriz P P; Rodrigues, Francisca

2018-03-01

Propolis is a natural adhesive resinous compound produced by honeybees to protect hives from bacteria and fungi, being extremely expensive for food industry. During propolis production, a resinous by-product is formed. This resinous waste is currently undervalued and underexploited. Accordingly, in this study the proximate physical and chemical quality, as well as the antioxidant activity, radical scavenging activity and cell viability of this by-product were evaluated and compared with propolis in order to boost new applications in food and pharmaceutical industries. The results revealed that the by-product meets the physical and chemical quality standards expected and showed that the propolis waste contains similar amounts of total phenolic content (TPC) and total flavonoid content (TFC) to propolis. Also, a good scavenging activity against reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS, respectively) determined by the assays of superoxide anion radical (O 2 - ), hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), hypochlorous acid (HOCl), nitric oxide (NO) and peroxyl radical (ROO) were determined. Linear positive correlations were established between the TPC of both samples and the antioxidant activity evaluated by three different methods (DPPH, ABTS and FRAP assays). The extracts were also screened for cell viability assays in two different intestinal cell lines (HT29-MTX and Caco-2), showing a viability concentration-dependent. Similarly, the Artemia salina assay, used to assess toxicity, demonstrated the concentration influence on results. Finally, the antifungal activity against ATCC species of Candida was demonstrated. These results suggest that propolis by-product can be used as a new rich source of bioactive compounds for different areas, such as food or pharmaceutical. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Space mutagenic effects on cistanche deserticola seed viability and parasitic condition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Rong; Zhou Feng; Yu Jing; Chen Jun; Sun Suqin; Liu Yougang; Liu Tongning

2009-01-01

The seeds of Cistanche deserticola which from a single plant with fine properties were carried to the space by the recoverable experiment satellite 'Shijian No.8'. After space loading, the seed viability and characters of infrared spectroscopy were analyzed and then planted to observe and investigate the variation and heredity. The results showed that compared to the control group, the seed viability and germination rate increased observably after space loading. As well, the plants grew much healthier at the seedling stage. The results indicated that space loading has obvious promote effects on the seed viability, germination rate and disease resistance of Cistanche deserticola. The analysis results of infrared spectroscopy showed the contents of protein and carbohydrate were increased distinctly and the contents of oil or fat reduced somewhat in the seeds after space loading. The intensity ratio between characteristic absorption peak of protein and characteristic absorption peak of fat (I 1625 /I 1745 ) were increased from 1.07 to 1.16, which could be related to the enhancement of seed viability and the reduction of germination restraint substances. It could be concluded that microgravity and intense radiation in the space caused seed viability and material metabolism change. (authors)

Effects of trehalose supplementation on cell viability and oxidative stress variables in frozen-thawed bovine calf testicular tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Xiao-Gang; Wang, Yan-Hua; Han, Cong; Hu, Shan; Wang, Li-Qiang; Hu, Jian-Hong

2015-06-01

Trehalose is widely used for cryopreservation of various cells and tissues. Until now, the effect of trehalose supplementation on cell viability and antioxidant enzyme activity in frozen-thawed bovine calf testicular tissue remains unexplored. The objective of the present study was to compare the effect of varying doses of trehalose in cryomedia on cell viability and key antioxidant enzymes activities in frozen-thawed bovine calf testicular tissue. Bovine calf testicular tissue samples were collected and cryopreserved in the cryomedias containing varying doses (0, 5, 10, 15, 20 and 25%; v/v) of trehalose, respectively. Cell viability, total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) activity, catalase (CAT) activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, glutathione (GSH) content and malondialdehyde (MDA) content were measured and analyzed. The results showed that cell viability, T-AOC activity, SOD activity, CAT activity and GSH content of frozen-thawed bovine calf testicular tissue was decreased compared with that of fresh group (Pcell viability and antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD and CAT) among frozen-thawed groups (P0.05). In conclusion, the cryomedia added 15% trehalose reduced the oxidative stress and improved the cryoprotective effect of bovine calf testicular tissue. Further studies are required to obtain more concrete results on the determination of antioxidant capacity of trehalose in frozen-thawed bovine calf testicular tissue. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Population viability analysis on domestic horse breeds (Equus caballus)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thirstrup, Janne Pia; Bach, Lars; Loeschcke, Volker

2009-01-01

simulation package was used for the population viability analysis. First, we investigated the future viability of these breeds based on present demographic and environmental parameters. Second, a sensitivity analysis revealed the most important variables for the viability of these breeds. Third, we examined...... concerning reproduction of the mares had the greatest impact, with the number of mares actively breeding being the most influential on the population forecasts. The results suggest that closing the Knabstrupper studbooks can be done only if increasing the number of mares actively breeding counteracts...... the loss of genetic variation attributable to such a management strategy. It is recommended, based on these results, that the number of Frederiksborg and Knabstrupper mares actively breeding must be increased to approximately 30% in the 2 breeds that are presently using only 13%, while leaving the third...

Turnover of Glycerolipid Metabolite Pool and Seed Viability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xiao-Long Hu

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Hydration–dehydration cycles can frequently cause stress to seeds, but can also be used to improve germination. However, the molecular basis of the stress caused is poorly understood. Herein, we examine the effects of hydration–dehydration cycles on seed viability and profile the membrane glycerolipid molecular species. We find that seed viability was not affected during the first two cycles, but significantly decreased as further cycles were applied, until all viability was lost. The abundances of seven glycerolipid classes increased and decreased through hydration and dehydration, respectively, but the phosphatidic acid and diacylglycerol abundances changed in the opposite sense, while total glycerolipid contents remained constant. This suggests that during hydration–dehydration cycles, turnover of glycerolipid metabolite pools take place, while no significant lipid synthesis or degradation is involved. As further hydration–dehydration cycles occurred, lipid unsaturation increased, plastidic lipids decreased, and phosphatidylserine acyl chains lengthened. The latter two could be lethal for seeds. Our findings reveal a novel model of membrane lipid changes, and provide new insights into the responses of seeds to hydration–dehydration cycles.

Ca-Lignosulphonate and sclerotial viability of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

MATTEO MONTANARI

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Lignosulphonates, low cost by-products of the pulping process, have shown suppressive effects against some diseases caused by soil-borne pathogens. In this study, the effect of 1.5% v/v calcium lignosulphonate (Ca-Ls amendment to two commercial potting mixes (peat + coconut fibres; PC; and municipal compost + peat + pumice; MCPP on the viability of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum sclerotia was investigated. Sclerotia were buried in the Ca-Ls amended substrates for 30 days. Non-amended PC and MCPP, sterile sand and sterile PC with and without Ca-Ls were used as controls. The viability of sclerotia recovered from PC and MCPP amended with Ca-Ls was reduced by 50 and 42% respectively compared to control treatments. Ca-Ls amendment decreased sclerotial viability by enhancing the activity of the indigenous mycoparasitic fungi, Fusarium oxysporum, Mucor spp. and Trichoderma spp. The biocontrol ability of Ca-Ls against sclerotia was due to the stimulation of microbial activity and is, therefore, strictly dependent on the microbial composition of the substrate.

The cybernetics of viability: an overview

Science.gov (United States)

Nechansky, Helmut

2011-10-01

A three-level approach to viability is developed, considering (1) living systems, (2) a niche, understood as the area within the reach of their actions, and (3) an environment. A systematic analysis of the interrelations between these levels shows that living systems emerge with matter/energy processing systems. These can add controller structures when producing excess energy. A three-sensor controller structure enables a living system to deal with unfavourable and scarce environments. Further evolution of these controller structures offers improved ways to act on niches. Maintaining niches in scarce environments can require technology or economy. So social systems emerge, which are understood as aggregates of living systems. Basic patterns of interactions within social systems are analysed. So the introduction of the notion of the niche into the discussion of viability allows us to explain phenomena ranging from properties of single living systems to societal organization.

Development of non-destructive sorting technique for viability of watermelon seed by using hyperspectral image processing

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Hyun Jin; Seo, Young Wook; Lohumi, Santosh; Park, Eun Soo; Cho, Byoung Kwan [Biosystems Machinery Engineering, Chungnam National University, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Dae Yong [Logistics institude, CJ Korea Express, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2016-02-15

Seed viability is one of the most important parameters that is directly related with seed germination performance and seedling emergence. In this study, a hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system having a range of 1000 –2500 nm was used to classify viable watermelon seeds from nonviable seeds. In order to obtain nonviable watermelon seeds, a total of 96 seeds were artificially aged by immersing the seeds in hot water (25°C) for 15 days. Further, hyperspectral images for 192 seeds (96 normal and 96 aged) were acquired using the developed HSI system. A germination test was performed for all the 192 seeds in order to confirm their viability. Spectral data from the hyperspectral images of the seeds were extracted by selecting pixels from the region of interest. Each seed spectrum was averaged and preprocessed to develop a classification model of partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The developed PLS-DA model showed a classification accuracy of 94.7% for the calibration set, and 84.2% for the validation set. The results demonstrate that the proposed technique can classify viable and nonviable watermelon seeds with a reasonable accuracy, and can be further converted into an online sorting system for rapid and nondestructive classification of watermelon seeds with regard to viability.

Development of non-destructive sorting technique for viability of watermelon seed by using hyperspectral image processing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Hyun Jin; Seo, Young Wook; Lohumi, Santosh; Park, Eun Soo; Cho, Byoung Kwan; Kim, Dae Yong

2016-01-01

Seed viability is one of the most important parameters that is directly related with seed germination performance and seedling emergence. In this study, a hyperspectral imaging (HSI) system having a range of 1000 –2500 nm was used to classify viable watermelon seeds from nonviable seeds. In order to obtain nonviable watermelon seeds, a total of 96 seeds were artificially aged by immersing the seeds in hot water (25°C) for 15 days. Further, hyperspectral images for 192 seeds (96 normal and 96 aged) were acquired using the developed HSI system. A germination test was performed for all the 192 seeds in order to confirm their viability. Spectral data from the hyperspectral images of the seeds were extracted by selecting pixels from the region of interest. Each seed spectrum was averaged and preprocessed to develop a classification model of partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The developed PLS-DA model showed a classification accuracy of 94.7% for the calibration set, and 84.2% for the validation set. The results demonstrate that the proposed technique can classify viable and nonviable watermelon seeds with a reasonable accuracy, and can be further converted into an online sorting system for rapid and nondestructive classification of watermelon seeds with regard to viability

Economic Viability and Marketing Strategies of Periwinkle ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Economic Viability and Marketing Strategies of Periwinkle Tympanotonus Fuscatus in Rivers State, Nigeria. ... The results indicated that marketing strategies are enroute, through harvesters (collectors), ... EMAIL FULL TEXT EMAIL FULL TEXT

Challenge testing of gametes to enhance their viability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Callesen, Henrik

2010-01-01

of survival mechanism that enables them to come through the process. The details of the mechanism remain unknown but, if identified, it could have immense potential as a new way to improve the viability of embryos produced by ART. However, few publications describe systematic ways to challenge test gametes...... and then to use the results as a basis for improving gamete viability. Furthermore, new methods to monitor the reactions of gametes to such challenge tests are needed. In the present review, these two issues are discussed, as are some of the conditions necessary before a challenge test protocol can be part...

Early assessment of tissue viability with radioiodinated heptadecanoic acid in reperfused canine myocardium: Comparison with thallium-201

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chappuis, F.; Meier, B.; Belenger, J.; Blaeuenstein, P.L.; Lerch, R.

1990-01-01

Myocardial scintigraphy with heptadecanoic acid labeled with iodine-123 (123I-HDA) may allow early noninvasive delineation of viable myocardium after reperfusion. In this study myocardial uptake of 123I-HDA was compared with that of thallium-201 in six closed-chest dogs after 5 hours of occlusion followed by 1 hour of reperfusion of the left anterior descending coronary artery. Myocardial blood flow was measured with microspheres, and myocardial viability was assessed by means of triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining. In viable areas of the reperfused region, 123I-HDA uptake, thallium-201 uptake, and myocardial blood flow were similar to those measured in the control circumflex region. However, in infarcted areas they were reduced to 48 +/- 2% (mean +/- SEM; p less than 0.001), 59 +/- 3% (p less than 0.001), and 74 +/- 5% (p less than 0.001) of control values, respectively. Results of multiple regression analysis showed that thallium-201 uptake primarily reflected the level of flow during reperfusion, whereas 123I-HDA uptake was dependent on both myocardial blood flow and viability. At each level of flow, 123I-HDA uptake was significantly lower in infarcted than in viable myocardium. By means of discriminant analysis, 123I-HDA uptake was found to be the single most important predictor of viability, whereas thallium-201 was only of limited importance. Myocardial 123I-HDA uptake greater than or equal to 71% or myocardial thallium-201 uptake greater than or equal to 73% best differentiated viable from infarcted myocardium. According to these criteria, 123I-HDA predicted myocardial viability with a sensitivity of 77%, a specificity of 84% and a predictive accuracy of 81%

Assessment of the technical viability of reactor options for plutonium disposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Primm, R.T. III.

1996-01-01

Various reactor concepts for the disposition of surplus Pu have been proposed by reactor vendors; not all have attained the same level of technical viability. Studies were performed to differentiate between reactor concepts by devising a quantitative index for technical viability. For a quantitative assessment, three issues required resolution: the definition of a technical maturity scale, the treatment of ''subjective'' factors which cannot be easily represented in a quantitative format, and the protocol for producing a single technical viability figure-of-merit for each alternative. Alternatives involving the use of foreign facilities were found to be the most technically viable

Correlation of bacterial viability with uptake of (14C) acetate into phenolic glycolipid-1 of Mycobacterium leprae within Schwannoma cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mistry, Y.; Antia, N.H.; Mukherjee, R.

1989-01-01

The viability of Mycobacterium leprae, maintained within 33B Schwannoma cells, was estimated in terms of incorporation of ( 14 C) acetate into its specific phenolic glycolipid-1. This measure of viability was correlated with two other assays, viz., fluorescein diacetate/ethidium bromide staining and mouse footpad growth. Observation of a 2-fold increase in the number of intracellular Mycobacterium leprae over an experimental period of 12 days also corroborated this contention. Furthermore, on addition of anti-leprosy drugs to these intracellular Mycobacterium leprae there was significant decrease in phenolic glycolipid-1 synthesis indicative of loss of viability of the organisms. This study also established the importance of the host cell for active bacillary metabolism, as Mycobacterium leprae maintained in cell-free conditions showed no incorporation into phenolic glycolipid-1. Moreover, compromising the host's protein synthesis capacity with cycloheximide, also led to reduction in bacillary metabolism. As this system measures the metabolic synthesis of a unique Mycobacterium leprae component, it would be useful for development and screening of compounds acting against specific bacillary targets. (author). 19 refs., 5 tabs

Effect of salt hyperosmotic stress on yeast cell viability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Logothetis Stelios

2007-01-01

Full Text Available During fermentation for ethanol production, yeasts are subjected to different kinds of physico-chemical stresses such as: initially high sugar concentration and low temperature; and later, increased ethanol concentrations. Such conditions trigger a series of biological responses in an effort to maintain cell cycle progress and yeast cell viability. Regarding osmostress, many studies have been focused on transcriptional activation and gene expression in laboratory strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The overall aim of this present work was to further our understanding of wine yeast performance during fermentations under osmotic stress conditions. Specifically, the research work focused on the evaluation of NaCl-induced stress responses of an industrial wine yeast strain S. cerevisiae (VIN 13, particularly with regard to yeast cell growth and viability. The hypothesis was that osmostress conditions energized specific genes to enable yeast cells to survive under stressful conditions. Experiments were designed by pretreating cells with different sodium chloride concentrations (NaCl: 4%, 6% and 10% w/v growing in defined media containing D-glucose and evaluating the impact of this on yeast growth and viability. Subsequent fermentation cycles took place with increasing concentrations of D-glucose (20%, 30%, 40% w/v using salt-adapted cells as inocula. We present evidence that osmostress induced by mild salt pre-treatments resulted in beneficial influences on both cell viability and fermentation performance of an industrial wine yeast strain.

Repeated cycles of chemical and physical disinfection and their influence on Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis viability measured by propidium monoazide F57 quantitative real time PCR.

Science.gov (United States)

Kralik, Petr; Babak, Vladimir; Dziedzinska, Radka

2014-09-01

Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) has a high degree of resistance to chemical and physical procedures frequently used for the elimination of other bacteria. Recently, a method for the determination of viability by exposure of MAP to propidium monoazide (PMA) and subsequent real time quantitative PCR (qPCR) was established and found to be comparable with culture. The aim of this study was to apply the PMA qPCR method to determine the impact of increasing concentration or time and repeated cycles of the application of selected disinfectants on MAP viability. Different MAP isolates responded to the same type of stress in different ways. The laboratory strain CAPM 6381 had the highest tolerance, while the 8819 low-passage field isolate was the most sensitive. Ultraviolet exposure caused only a partial reduction in MAP viability; all MAP isolates were relatively resistant to chlorine. Only the application of peracetic acid led to the total elimination of MAP. Repeated application of the treatments resulted in more significant decreases in MAP viability compared to single increases in the concentration or time of exposure to the disinfectant. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium bifidum BB-12 in Rice Pudding

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tulay Ozcan

2010-06-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to determine the survival of two probiotic micro-organisms (Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium bifidum BB-12 in a rice pudding, the impact of these bacteria on hygienic quality, and to verify the perspectives of the product with regard to consumer sensorial acceptance. The products were monitored for the microbial population, pH, titratable acidity and consistency, during storage at 4±1 °C for up to 21 days. Sensory preference was also tested. Even though the viability of the probiotic bacteria was reduced over 21 days of storage, the viable cell concentrations were still sufficient to obtain the desired therapeutic impact. The counts of yeasts-moulds and Staphylococcus spp. decreased in samples with added probiotic bacteria. The sensorial properties of probiotic rice pudding demonstrated similar acceptability to the control up to 14 days and declined thereafter. Rice pudding was considered suitable food for the delivery of probiotic micro-organisms, with sufficient viability and acceptable sensory characteristics.

Viability of infrared FEL facilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwettman, H.A.

2004-01-01

Infrared FELs have broken important ground in optical science in the past decade. The rapid development of optical parametric amplifiers and oscillators, and THz sources, however, has changed the competitive landscape and compelled FEL facilities to identify and exploit their unique advantages. The viability of infrared FEL facilities depends on targeting unique world-class science and providing adequate experimental beam time at competitive costs

Heterozygous effects of irradiated chromosomes on viability in Drosophila melanogaster

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simmons, M.J.

1976-01-01

Two large experiments were conducted in order to evaluate the heterozygous effects of irradiated chromosomes on viability. Mutations were accumulated on several hundred second chromosomes by delivering doses of 2,500R over either two or four generations for total x-ray exposures of 5,000R or 10,000R. Chromosomes treated with 5,000R were screened for lethals after the first treatment, and surviving nonlethals were used to generate families of fully treated chromosomes. The members of these families shared the effects of the first irradiation, but differed with respect to those of the second. The chromosomes treated with 10,000R were not grouped into families since mutations were accumulated independently on each chromosome in that experiment. Heterozygous effects on viability of the irradiated chromosomes were tested in both isogenic (homozygous) and nonisogenic (heterozygous) genetic backgrounds. In conjunction with these tests, homozygous viabilities were determined by the marked-inversion technique. This permitted a separation of the irradiated chromosomes into those which were drastic when made homozygous and those which were not. The results indicate that drastic chromosomes have deleterious effects in heterozygous condition, since viability was reduced by 2 to 4 percent in tests performed with the 10,000R chromosomes, and by 1 percent in those involving the 5,000R material. Within a series of tests, the effects were more pronounced when the genetic background was homozygous. These results suggest that the mutants induced by high doses of x-rays are principally drastic ones which show deleterious effects on viability in heterozygous condition

S6Ks isoforms contribute to viability, migration, docetaxel resistance and tumor formation of prostate cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amaral, Camila L.; Freitas, Lidia B.; Tamura, Rodrigo E.; Tavares, Mariana R.; Pavan, Isadora C. B.; Bajgelman, Marcio C.; Simabuco, Fernando M.

2016-01-01

The S6 Kinase (S6K) proteins are some of the main downstream effectors of the mammalian Target Of Rapamycin (mTOR) and act as key regulators of protein synthesis and cell growth. S6K is overexpressed in a variety of human tumors and is correlated to poor prognosis in prostate cancer. Due to the current urgency to identify factors involved in prostate cancer progression, we aimed to reveal the cellular functions of three S6K isoforms–p70-S6K1, p85-S6K1 and p54-S6K2–in prostate cancer, as well as their potential as therapeutic targets. In this study we performed S6K knockdown and overexpression and investigated its role in prostate cancer cell proliferation, colony formation, viability, migration and resistance to docetaxel treatment. In addition, we measured tumor growth in Nude mice injected with PC3 cells overexpressing S6K isoforms and tested the efficacy of a new available S6K1 inhibitor in vitro. S6Ks overexpression enhanced PC3-luc cell line viability, migration, resistance to docetaxel and tumor formation in Nude mice. Only S6K2 knockdown rendered prostate cancer cells more sensitive to docetaxel. S6K1 inhibitor PF-4708671 was particularly effective for reducing migration and proliferation of PC3 cell line. These findings demonstrate that S6Ks play an important role in prostate cancer progression, enhancing cell viability, migration and chemotherapy resistance, and place both S6K1 and S6K2 as a potential targets in advanced prostate cancer. We also provide evidence that S6K1 inhibitor PF-4708671 may be considered as a potential drug for prostate cancer treatment. The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12885-016-2629-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users

Demonstration of a Fast, Precise Propane Measurement Using Infrared Spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Zahniser, M. S.; Roscioli, J. R.; Nelson, D. D.; Herndon, S. C.

2016-12-01

Propane is one of the primary components of emissions from natural gas extraction and processing activities. In addition to being an air pollutant, its ratio to other hydrocarbons such as methane and ethane can serve as a "fingerprint" of a particular facility or process, aiding in identifying emission sources. Quantifying propane has typically required laboratory analysis of flask samples, resulting in low temporal resolution and making plume-based measurements infeasible. Here we demonstrate fast (1-second), high precision (infrared spectroscopy at 2967 wavenumbers. In addition, we explore the impact of nearby water and ethane absorption lines on the accuracy and precision of the propane measurement. Finally, we discuss development of a dual-laser instrument capable of simultaneous measurements of methane, ethane, and propane (the C1-C3 compounds), all within a small spatial package that can be easily deployed aboard a mobile platform.

The effect of pH on cell viability, cell migration, cell proliferation, wound closure, and wound reepithelialization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kruse, Carla R; Singh, Mansher; Targosinski, Stefan

2017-01-01

primary keratinocyte and fibroblast function in vitro and on wound healing in vivo. In vitro, primary human keratinocytes and fibroblasts were cultured in different levels of pH (5.5-12.5) and the effect on cell viability, proliferation, and migration was studied. A rat full-thickness wound model was used...... to investigate the effect of pH (5.5-9.5) on wound healing in vivo. The effect of pH on inflammation was monitored by measuring IL-1 α concentrations from wounds and cell cultures exposed to different pH environments. Our results showed that both skin cell types tolerated wide range of pH very well. They further...... demonstrated that both acidic and alkaline environments decelerated cell migration in comparison to neutral environments and interestingly alkaline conditions significantly enhanced cell proliferation. Results from the in vivo experiments indicated that a prolonged, strongly acidic wound environment prevents...

Antimicrobial and cell viability measurement of bovine serum albumin capped silver nanoparticles (Ag/BSA) loaded collagen immobilized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) film.

Science.gov (United States)

Bakare, Rotimi; Hawthrone, Samantha; Vails, Carmen; Gugssa, Ayele; Karim, Alamgir; Stubbs, John; Raghavan, Dharmaraj

2016-03-01

Bacterial infection of orthopedic devices has been a major concern in joint replacement procedures. Therefore, this study is aimed at formulating collagen immobilized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) film loaded with bovine serum albumin capped silver nanoparticles (Ag/BSA NPs) to inhibit bacterial growth while retaining/promoting osteoblast cells viability. The nanoparticles loaded collagen immobilized PHBV film was characterized for its composition by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Anodic Stripping Voltammetry. The extent of loading of Ag/BSA NPs on collagen immobilized PHBV film was found to depend on the chemistry of the functionalized PHBV film and the concentration of Ag/BSA NPs solution used for loading nanoparticles. Our results showed that more Ag/BSA NPs were loaded on higher molecular weight collagen immobilized PHEMA-g-PHBV film. Maximum loading of Ag/BSA NPs on collagen immobilized PHBV film was observed when 16ppm solution was used for adsorption studies. Colony forming unit and optical density measurements showed broad antimicrobial activity towards Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa at significantly lower concentration i.e., 0.19 and 0.31μg/disc, compared to gentamicin and sulfamethoxazole trimethoprim while MTT assay showed that released nanoparticles from Ag/BSA NPs loaded collagen immobilized PHBV film has no impact on MCTC3-E1 cells viability. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Modelling the viability of heat recovery from combined sewers.

Science.gov (United States)

Abdel-Aal, M; Smits, R; Mohamed, M; De Gussem, K; Schellart, A; Tait, S

2014-01-01

Modelling of wastewater temperatures along a sewer pipe using energy balance equations and assuming steady-state conditions was achieved. Modelling error was calculated, by comparing the predicted temperature drop to measured ones in three combined sewers, and was found to have an overall root mean squared error of 0.37 K. Downstream measured wastewater temperature was plotted against modelled values; their line gradients were found to be within the range of 0.9995-1.0012. The ultimate aim of the modelling is to assess the viability of recovering heat from sewer pipes. This is done by evaluating an appropriate location for a heat exchanger within a sewer network that can recover heat without impacting negatively on the downstream wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). Long sewers may prove to be more viable for heat recovery, as heat lost can be reclaimed before wastewater reaching the WWTP.

E-cigarettes: voltage- and concentration-dependent loss in human lung adenocarcinoma viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Otręba, Michał; Kośmider, Leon; Knysak, Jakub; Warncke, Jared D; Sobczak, Andrzej

2018-04-17

E-cigarettes are used by millions of people despite the fact that the harmful effect of aerosol emitted from these products to the human organism is still not clear. In this paper, toxicity of vapor generated using different solutions and battery output voltage on A549 cells viability is presented. The obtained EC 50 values for commercially available propylene glycol/glycerol solution 1:1 e-liquids based on 3.2 V (0.127%), 4.0 V (0.112%) and 4.8 V (0.038%) were about 1.5-4.5 times higher than in tobacco smoke (0.0086%). Furthermore, it was shown that the increase of battery output voltage decreased A549 cell viability. In addition, commercially available extracts were more cytotoxic than laboratory made extracts. Owing to the expansiveness of e-cigarettes, it is very important to estimate their impact on public health. Our results not only confirm less cytotoxicity of e-liquid aerosol than cigarette smoke, but also demonstrate that solutions used in e-liquids and, for the first time, battery output voltage have a significant impact on cytotoxicity of e-cigarette vapor. Thus, the results of this study are very important for the current and future legal regulations on e-cigarettes. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Detection of viability by percent thallium uptake with conventional thallium scintigraphy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imai, Kamon; Araki, Yasushi; Horiuchi, Kou-ichi; Yumikura, Sei; Saito, Satoshi; Ozawa, Yukio; Kan-matsuse, Katsuo; Hagiwara, Kazuo.

1994-01-01

Thallium myocardial scintigraphy (TMS) is used for diagnosis of viability in infarcted myocardium before coronary revascularization. Underestimation of viability by TMS has been reported by many investigators. To evaluate viability precisely, thallium re-injection method or 24 hour delayed imaging is performed. However, these techniques are not convenient and are difficult to perform in clinical practice. Percent T1-uptake method was developed for predicting myocardial viability. To evaluate usefulness of this method, TMS was performed before and after PTCA in 23 patients with myocardial infarction. Left ventricle was divided into 3 layers, then each layer was divided into 4 segments (12 segments in total). Forth three segments showed recovery of perfusion on TMS after PTCA. Viability in infarcted myocardium is predicted by 1) redistribution (RD), 2) %T1-uptake≥45% on the image immediately after exercise (TE), and 3) %T1-uptake≥45% on delayed image (TD). Sensitivity was RD: 60%, TE: 90% and TD: 95% (p<0.001 vs. RD). Specificity was RD: 74%, TE: 68%, and TD: 60% (NS). Predictive accuracy (PA) was RD: 69%, TE: 77%, TD: 73% (NS). Compared with RD, %T1-uptake, either TE or TD, increased sensitivity with slightly improved PA, but decreased specificity slightly. Therefore %T1-uptake would be a sensitive and useful predictor to find patients who are most likely to benefit from re-vascularization. (author)

Acute Ischemia Induced by High-Density Culture Increases Cytokine Expression and Diminishes the Function and Viability of Highly Purified Human Islets of Langerhans.

Science.gov (United States)

Smith, Kate E; Kelly, Amy C; Min, Catherine G; Weber, Craig S; McCarthy, Fiona M; Steyn, Leah V; Badarinarayana, Vasudeo; Stanton, J Brett; Kitzmann, Jennifer P; Strop, Peter; Gruessner, Angelika C; Lynch, Ronald M; Limesand, Sean W; Papas, Klearchos K

2017-11-01

Encapsulation devices have the potential to enable cell-based insulin replacement therapies (such as human islet or stem cell-derived β cell transplantation) without immunosuppression. However, reasonably sized encapsulation devices promote ischemia due to high β cell densities creating prohibitively large diffusional distances for nutrients. It is hypothesized that even acute ischemic exposure will compromise the therapeutic potential of cell-based insulin replacement. In this study, the acute effects of high-density ischemia were investigated in human islets to develop a detailed profile of early ischemia induced changes and targets for intervention. Human islets were exposed in a pairwise model simulating high-density encapsulation to normoxic or ischemic culture for 12 hours, after which viability and function were measured. RNA sequencing was conducted to assess transcriptome-wide changes in gene expression. Islet viability after acute ischemic exposure was reduced compared to normoxic culture conditions (P < 0.01). Insulin secretion was also diminished, with ischemic β cells losing their insulin secretory response to stimulatory glucose levels (P < 0.01). RNA sequencing revealed 657 differentially expressed genes following ischemia, with many that are associated with increased inflammatory and hypoxia-response signaling and decreased nutrient transport and metabolism. In order for cell-based insulin replacement to be applied as a treatment for type 1 diabetes, oxygen and nutrient delivery to β cells will need to be maintained. We demonstrate that even brief ischemic exposure such as would be experienced in encapsulation devices damages islet viability and β cell function and leads to increased inflammatory signaling.

Increased viability and resilience of haemolymph cells in blue mussels following pre-treatment with acute high-dose gamma irradiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jaeschke, B. [Stockholm University (Sweden)

2014-07-01

In an initial experiment, blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) were exposed to a range of acute high doses of gamma radiation in the laboratory. Haemolymph was extracted and the haemocytes (blood cells) were scored for cell viability (% living cells) under a microscope, directly after irradiation (0.04, 0.4 or 4 Gy) and again after a subsequent treatment with hydrogen peroxide in vitro (final H{sub 2}O{sub 2} conc.: 0.2 μM). Cell viability in controls (0 Gy) was approximately 100% and no cell death was observable from radiation exposure alone. When treated with H{sub 2}O{sub 2} a decrease in cell viability was seen across all treatments, however this decrease in viability was reduced with increasing radiation pre-treatment (0 Gy = 53%; 0.04 Gy = 66%; 0.4 Gy = 75%; 4 Gy = 83%). To investigate the mechanism for this therapeutic effect observed, the experiment was repeated. Using mussels from a different location, the same, but more extensive method of irradiation (0[control], 0.04, 0.4 Gy, 5 or 40 Gy) and H{sub 2}O{sub 2} treatment was used. Additional haemolymph sub-samples were taken for analysis of catalase concentration. In this second experiment, viability of cells from controls was only 62%, indicating the mussels were in a poorer condition than those of the previous experiment. The lowest level of radiation exposure (0.04 Gy) further decreased the viability (56%). However, at higher doses the viability was increased compared to control, which then gradually declined with increasing dose (0.4 Gy = 75%; 5 Gy = 72%; 40 Gy = 65%). Catalase analysis demonstrated a complimentary pattern of activity of the antioxidant in the haemolymph, directly correlating with radiation dose (0 Gy = 0.2 U; 0.04 Gy = 0.1 U; 0.4 Gy = 1.3 U; 5 Gy = 0.9 U; 40 Gy = 0.1 Gy). Treatment with H{sub 2}O{sub 2} decreased cell viability across all treatments, but no pattern between radiation treatments was discernable. The results indicate that an acute dose of radiation not only has negligible

A Comparison of Three Methods for the Analysis of Skin Flap Viability: Reliability and Validity.

Science.gov (United States)

Tim, Carla Roberta; Martignago, Cintia Cristina Santi; da Silva, Viviane Ribeiro; Dos Santos, Estefany Camila Bonfim; Vieira, Fabiana Nascimento; Parizotto, Nivaldo Antonio; Liebano, Richard Eloin

2018-05-01

Objective: Technological advances have provided new alternatives to the analysis of skin flap viability in animal models; however, the interrater validity and reliability of these techniques have yet to be analyzed. The present study aimed to evaluate the interrater validity and reliability of three different methods: weight of paper template (WPT), paper template area (PTA), and photographic analysis. Approach: Sixteen male Wistar rats had their cranially based dorsal skin flap elevated. On the seventh postoperative day, the viable tissue area and the necrotic area of the skin flap were recorded using the paper template method and photo image. The evaluation of the percentage of viable tissue was performed using three methods, simultaneously and independently by two raters. The analysis of interrater reliability and viability was performed using the intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland Altman Plot Analysis was used to visualize the presence or absence of systematic bias in the evaluations of data validity. Results: The results showed that interrater reliability for WPT, measurement of PTA, and photographic analysis were 0.995, 0.990, and 0.982, respectively. For data validity, a correlation >0.90 was observed for all comparisons made between the three methods. In addition, Bland Altman Plot Analysis showed agreement between the comparisons of the methods and the presence of systematic bias was not observed. Innovation: Digital methods are an excellent choice for assessing skin flap viability; moreover, they make data use and storage easier. Conclusion: Independently from the method used, the interrater reliability and validity proved to be excellent for the analysis of skin flaps' viability.

Myocardial viability assessment with dynamic low-dose iodine-123-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid metabolic imaging: comparison with myocardial biopsy and reinjection SPECT thallium after myocardial infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, G L; Schad, N C; Magill, H L; Vander Zwaag, R

1994-04-01

Aggressive cardiac revascularization requires recognition of stunned and hibernating myocardium, and cost considerations may well govern the technique used. Dynamic low-dose (1 mCi) [123I]iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA) metabolic imaging is a potential alternative to PET using either 18FDG or 15O-water. Resting IPPA images were obtained from patients with severe ischemic cardiomyopathy, and transmural myocardial biopsies were obtained during coronary bypass surgery to confirm viability. Thirty-nine of 43 (91%) biopsies confirmed the results of the IPPA images with a sensitivity for viability of 33/36 (92%) and a specificity of 6/7 (86%). Postoperatively, wall motion improved in 80% of IPPA-viable, dysfunctional segments. Furthermore, when compared to reinjection thallium (SPECT-TI) scans after myocardial infarction, IPPA-SPECT-TI concordance occurred in 27/35 (77%) (K = 0.536, p = 0.0003). Similar to PET, IPPA demonstrated more viability than SPECT-TI, 26/35 (74%) versus 18/35 (51%) (p = 0.047). Metabolic IPPA cardiac viability imaging is a safe, inexpensive technique that may be a useful alternative to PET.

Cine viability magnetic resonance imaging of the heart without increased scan time.

Science.gov (United States)

Hassanein, Azza S; Khalifa, Ayman M; Ibrahim, El-Sayed H

2016-02-01

Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides information about myocardial morphology, function, and viability from cine, tagged, and late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) images, respectively. While the cine and tagged images are acquired in a time-resolved fashion, the LGE images are acquired at a single timeframe. The purpose of this work is to develop a method for generating cine LGE images without additional scan time. The motion field is extracted from the tagged images, and is then used to guide the deformation of the infarcted region from the acquired LGE image at the acquired timeframe to any other timeframe. Major techniques for motion estimation, including harmonic phase (HARP) and optical flow analysis, are tested in this work for motion estimation. The proposed method is tested on numerical phantom and images from four human subjects. The generated cine LGE images showed both viability and wall motion information in the same set of images without additional scan time or image misregistration problems. The band-pass optical flow analysis resulted in the most accurate motion estimation compared to other methods, especially HARP, which fails to track points at the myocardial boundary. Infarct transmurality from the generated images showed good agreement with myocardial strain, and wall thickening showed good agreement with that measured from conventional cine images. In conclusion, the developed technique allows for generating cine LGE images that enable simultaneous display of wall motion and viability information. The generated images could be useful for estimating myocardial contractility reserve and for treatment prognosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Present trends in the detection of myocardial viability using nuclear cardiology tests

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peix Gonzalez, Amalia; Garcia Barreto, David

1999-01-01

The myocardial viability diagnosis is important for those who will undergo myocardial revascularization whether by surgery or coronary angioplasty. Our purpose is to present some of the present trends in the detection of myocardial viability using nuclear cardiology tests. Emphasis is made on the estimation of radiopharmaceutical uptake and the use of vasodilators in perfusion scintigraphy mainly with technetium-labeled compounds. Also, the current possibilities for a myocardial metabolism study using single-photon emission-computed tomography as well as some clinical implications of myocardial viability are set forth

Spatiotemporal image correlation spectroscopy measurements of flow demonstrated in microfluidic channels

Science.gov (United States)

Rossow, Molly; Mantulin, William W.; Gratton, Enrico

2009-03-01

Accurate blood flow measurements during surgery can improve an operation's chance of success. We developed near-infrared spatio-temporal image spectroscopy (NIR-STICS), which has the potential to make blood flow measurements that are difficult to accomplish with existing methods. Specifically, we propose the technique and we show feasibility on phantom measurements. NIR-STICS has the potential of measuring the fluid velocity in small blood vessels (less than 1 mm in diameter) and of creating a map of blood flow rates over an area of approximately 1 cm2. NIR-STICS employs near-infrared spectroscopy to probe inside blood vessel walls and spatiotemporal image correlation spectroscopy to directly-without the use of a model-extract fluid velocity from the fluctuations within an image. We present computer simulations and experiments on a phantom system that demonstrate the effectiveness of NIR-STICS.

The viability of Lactobacillus fermentum CECT5716 is not essential to exert intestinal anti-inflammatory properties.

Science.gov (United States)

Rodríguez-Nogales, Alba; Algieri, Francesca; Vezza, Teresa; Garrido-Mesa, Natividad; Olivares, Mónica; Comalada, Mònica; Riccardi, Carlo; Utrilla, Ma Pilar; Rodríguez-Cabezas, Ma Elena; Galvez, Julio

2015-04-01

Probiotics have been used as alternative therapies in intestinal inflammatory disorders. Many studies have shown that different bacterial probiotic strains possess immuno-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties. However, there is an increasing interest in the use of non-viable bacteria to reduce the risk of microbial translocation and infection. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the viability of L. fermentum CECT5716 is essential to exert its intestinal anti-inflammatory effect. We compared the preventative effects of viable and non-viable probiotic in the TNBS model of rat colitis. In vitro studies were also performed in Caco-2 and RAW 264.7 cells to evaluate the probiotic effects on IL-8, IL-1β and nitrite production, and p44/42 and p38 MAP kinase protein expressions. In vitro results revealed a decrease in the stimulated production of pro-inflammatory mediators regardless of the viability of the probiotic. Likewise, both forms of the probiotic administered to colitic rats produced a significant reduction of IL-1β and TNF-α levels and colonic iNOS expression. In conclusion, both live and dead L. fermentum CECT5716 have been demonstrated to attenuate the inflammatory process and diminish the production of some of the inflammatory mediators. In fact, the viability of this probiotic did not affect its immuno-modulatory and anti-inflammatory properties.

ECONOMICAL VIABILITY OF PRESERVATIVE TREATMENT OF Prosopis juliflora (SW) D.C. WOOD SUBMITTED TO SAP DISPLACEMENT METHOD

OpenAIRE

Desmoulis Wanderley de Farias Sobrinho; Juarez Benigno Paes; Judernor Fernandes Filgueiras

2008-01-01

This work aimed to evaluate the economical viability of preservative treatment of Prosopis juliflora (Sw) D.C. roundpieces treated with Osmose CCB commercial preservative applied by sap displacement method in rural property and to comparetheir costs with Mimosa caesalpiniifolia, Mimosa tenuiflora and Prosopis juliflora non-treated pieces costs. The treatment of Prosopisjuliflora wood demonstrated to be economically viable when compared to alternatives using the Equivalent Annual Costs (EACs),...

Human Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Cell Reactions to 316L Stainless Steel: An in Vitro Study on Cell Viability and Interleukin-6 Expression

Science.gov (United States)

Anwar, Iwan Budiwan; Santoso, Asep; Saputra, Eko; Ismail, Rifky; Jamari, J.; Van der Heide, Emile

2017-01-01

Purpose: Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cell (hBMC) reactions to 316L stainless steel (316L-SS) have never been evaluated. The objective of this study was to assess cell viability and interleukin-6 expression of hBMC cultures upon treatment with a 316L-SS implant. Methods: A cytotoxicity analysis was conducted with a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium (MTT) assay after a period of 24, 48 and 72 hours of incubation. Expression of interleukin-6 was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: Cell viability measurement was performed via IC50 formula. All treatment group showed a > 50 % cell viability with a range of 56,5 - 96,9 % at 24 hours, 51,8-77,3% at 48 hours and 70,1- 120 % at 72 hours. Interleukin-6 expression was downregulated subsequent to treatment with 316L-SS compared to the control group. Conclusion: We found that 316L-SS did not exhibit toxicity towards hBMC culture. PMID:28761837

Bioluminescence-based cytotoxicity assay for simultaneous evaluation of cell viability and membrane damage in human hepatoma HepG2 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Uno, Katsuhiro; Murotomi, Kazutoshi; Kazuki, Yasuhiro; Oshimura, Mitsuo; Nakajima, Yoshihiro

2018-05-01

We have developed a bioluminescence-based non-destructive cytotoxicity assay in which cell viability and membrane damage are simultaneously evaluated using Emerald luciferase (ELuc) and endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-targeted copepod luciferase (GLuc-KDEL), respectively, by using multi-integrase mouse artificial chromosome (MI-MAC) vector. We have demonstrated that the time-dependent concentration response curves of ELuc luminescence intensity and WST-1 assay, and GLuc-KDEL luminescence intensity and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity in the culture medium accompanied by cytotoxicity show good agreement in toxicant-treated ELuc- and GLuc-KDEL-expressing HepG2 stable cell lines. We have clarified that the increase of GLuc-KDEL luminescence intensity in the culture medium reflects the type of cell death, including necrosis and late apoptosis, but not early apoptosis. We have also uncovered a strong correlation between GLuc-KDEL luminescence intensity in the culture medium and the extracellular release of high mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a representative damage-associated molecular pattern (DAMP) molecule. The bioluminescence measurement assay using ELuc and GLuc-KDEL developed in this study can simultaneously monitor cell viability and membrane damage, respectively, and the increase of GLuc-KDEL luminescence intensity in the culture medium accompanied by the increase of cytotoxicity is an index of necrosis and late apoptosis associated with the extracellular release of DAMP molecules. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Sustainable model for financial viability of decentralized biomass gasifier based power projects

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Palit, D.; Malhotra, R.; Kumar, Atul

2011-01-01

This paper made a modest attempt for designing a sustainable model for financial viability of biomass gasifier power projects for enhancing electricity access in India and other developing countries. For long term sustainability of distributed generation projects in remote rural areas, viability

Effect of storage temperature on Streptococcus mutans viability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Lídia Soares COTA

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Introduction Proper storage conditions and maintenance of viable biological material plays an important role in microbiological research, allowing for the opportunity to conduct future studies. Objective To evaluate the viability of Streptococcus mutans strains that were previously grown and stored under different temperatures for approximately eight years. Material and method In this study, we evaluated 393 bacterial isolates that were stored in a freezer at -80°C (G1 and 200 isolates stored in a freezer at -20°C (G2. Aliquots of each sample were plated on blood agar and mitis-salivarius bacitracin sucrose agar-solidified medium. After incubating under microaerophilic conditions in an incubator at 37°C for 72 hours, the presence, morphology and purity of bacterial growth was observed. The data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics. Result Microbial viability was observed in almost all samples (99.7% in G1, whereas all isolates stored at -20°C were considered inviable. Conclusion The viability of S. mutans is influenced by the storage temperature of the samples, and the strains remain viable when stored under ideal temperature conditions (-80°C, even when stored for a long period of time.

Demonstration of an automated electromanometer for measurement of solution volume in accountability vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suda, S.; Keisch, B.; Hayashi, M.; Onuma, T.; Fukuari, Y.

1981-09-01

A system for measuring the liquid volume in input and plutonium product accountability vessels, based upon a desktop-computer-controlled electromanometer, was installed at the Tokai-Mura reprocessing plant. In-tank temperatures, pressure measurements relating to volume and density, and load-cell weights are measured cyclically and recorded. The system feasibility was demonstrated through a series of tests including vessel calibration and the effects of thermal expansion, and through use during thirteen months of on-line plant operation. The value to the operator of the recording, display, replay, data handling, and report generation features of the system was demonstrated as was the enhanced precision of the electromanometer as compared to the conventional water-filled manometer system. The automated electromanometer system consists of a pneumatic scanner, a precision electromanometer, electronic scanner, a digital voltmeter, and a desktop computer with disc and tape mass storage, cathode-ray tube (CRT) graphics display, and printer output. The desktop computer is used to control the pneumatic and electronic scanners and the digital voltmeter and to log in the measurement data

Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation of Titanium Implant Surfaces: Microgroove-Structures Improve Cellular Adhesion and Viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Hartjen, Philip; Hoffmann, Alexia; Henningsen, Anders; Barbeck, Mike; Kopp, Alexander; Kluwe, Lan; Precht, Clarissa; Quatela, Olivia; Gaudin, Robert; Heiland, Max; Friedrich, Reinhard E; Knipfer, Christian; Grubeanu, Daniel; Smeets, Ralf; Jung, Ole

2018-01-01

Plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO) is an established electrochemical treatment technique that can be used for surface modifications of metal implants. In this study we to treated titanium implants with PEO, to examine the resulting microstructure and to characterize adhesion and viability of cells on the treated surfaces. Our aim was to identify an optimal surface-modification for titanium implants in order to improve soft-tissue integration. Three surface-variants were generated on titanium alloy Ti6Al4V by PEO-treatment. The elemental composition and the microstructures of the surfaces were characterized using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and profilometry. In vitro cytocompatibility of the surfaces was assessed by seeding L929 fibroblasts onto them and measuring the adhesion, viability and cytotoxicity of cells by means of live/dead staining, XTT assay and LDH assay. Electron microscopy and profilometry revealed that the PEO-surface variants differed largely in microstructure/topography, porosity and roughness from the untreated control material as well as from one another. Roughness was generally increased after PEO-treatment. In vitro, PEO-treatment led to improved cellular adhesion and viability of cells accompanied by decreased cytotoxicity. PEO-treatment provides a promising strategy to improve the integration of titanium implants with surrounding tissues. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Developing a research and practice tool to measure walkability: a demonstration project.

Science.gov (United States)

Giles-Corti, Billie; Macaulay, Gus; Middleton, Nick; Boruff, Bryan; Bull, Fiona; Butterworth, Iain; Badland, Hannah; Mavoa, Suzanne; Roberts, Rebecca; Christian, Hayley

2014-12-01

Growing evidence shows that higher-density, mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods encourage active transport, including transport-related walking. Despite widespread recognition of the benefits of creating more walkable neighbourhoods, there remains a gap between the rhetoric of the need for walkability and the creation of walkable neighbourhoods. Moreover, there is little objective data to benchmark the walkability of neighbourhoods within and between Australian cities in order to monitor planning and design intervention progress and to assess built environment and urban policy interventions required to achieve increased walkability. This paper describes a demonstration project that aimed to develop, trial and validate a 'Walkability Index Tool' that could be used by policy makers and practitioners to assess the walkability of local areas; or by researchers to access geospatial data assessing walkability. The overall aim of the project was to develop an automated geospatial tool capable of creating walkability indices for neighbourhoods at user-specified scales. The tool is based on open-source software architecture, within the Australian Urban Research Infrastructure Network (AURIN) framework, and incorporates key sub-component spatial measures of walkability (street connectivity, density and land use mix). Using state-based data, we demonstrated it was possible to create an automated walkability index. However, due to the lack of availability of consistent of national data measuring land use mix, at this stage it has not been possible to create a national walkability measure. The next stage of the project is to increase useability of the tool within the AURIN portal and to explore options for alternative spatial data sources that will enable the development of a valid national walkability index. AURIN's open-source Walkability Index Tool is a first step in demonstrating the potential benefit of a tool that could measure walkability across Australia. It

Microencapsulation of probiotics in hydrogel particles: enhancing Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris LM0230 viability using calcium alginate beads.

Science.gov (United States)

Yeung, Timothy W; Arroyo-Maya, Izlia J; McClements, David J; Sela, David A

2016-04-01

Probiotics are beneficial microbes often added to food products to enhance the health and wellness of consumers. A major limitation to producing efficacious functional foods containing probiotic cells is their tendency to lose viability during storage and gastrointestinal transit. In this study, the impact of encapsulating probiotics within food-grade hydrogel particles to mitigate sensitivity to environmental stresses was examined. Confocal fluorescence microscopy confirmed that Lactococcus lactis were trapped within calcium alginate beads formed by dripping a probiotic-alginate mixture into a calcium solution. Encapsulation improved the viability of the probiotics during aerobic storage: after seven days, less than a two-log reduction was observed in encapsulated cells stored at room temperature, demonstrating that a high concentration of cells survived relative to non-encapsulated bacteria. These hydrogel beads may have applications for improving the stability and efficacy of probiotics in functional foods.

Techno-economic viability assessments of greener propulsion technology under potential environmental regulatory policy scenarios

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nalianda, D.K.; Kyprianidis, K.G.; Sethi, V.; Singh, R.

2015-01-01

Highlights: • An advanced method is presented for techno-economic assessment under potential environmental regulatory policy scenarios. • The viability of the contra-rotating open rotor concept is investigated under various environmental policies. • CO_2 taxation is needed to drive the aerospace industry towards greener solutions. - Abstract: Sustainability of the aviation industry, as any other industry, depends on the elasticity of demand for the product and profitability through minimising operating costs. Of paramount importance is assessing and understanding the interdependency and effects of environmentally optimised solutions and emission mitigation policies. This paper describes the development and application of assessment methodologies to better understand the effects of environmental taxation/energy policies aimed at environmental pollution reduction and the future potential economic impact they may have on the adaptation of “greener” novel technologies. These studies are undertaken using a Techno-economic Environmental Risk Assessment approach. The methodology demonstrated allows the assessment of the economic viability of new technologies compared to conventional technologies, for various CO_2 emission taxation and fuel price scenarios. It considers relative increases in acquisition price and maintenance costs. A study undertaken as a ‘proof of concept’ compares a Counter Rotating Open Rotor aircraft with a conventional aircraft for short range operations. It indicates that at current fuel price and with no carbon taxation, a highly fuel efficient technology, such as the one considered, could be rendered economically unviable. The work goes on to demonstrate that in comparison to the conventional aircraft, any economic benefits that may be accrued from improvement in fuel consumption through such a technology, may well be negated through increases in acquisition price and maintenance costs. The work further demonstrates that if policy

Viability in holder of irradiated cells: distinguish between repair and cell multiplication

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Araujo, A.C. de.

1980-01-01

In experiments in which liquid holding recovery (LHR) was measured, the majority of cellular population is formed by non-viable cells and cell multiplication may be important for LHR expression. In order to distinguish between recuperation of viability (true LHR) and cell multiplication, it was necessary to employ improved plating techniques and a fluctuation test based on Poisson distribution. Our results are an indication that this fluctuation test, used together with the traditional method, is a good tool to distinguish repair from cell multiplication. (author)

Human islet viability and function is maintained during high density shipment in silicone rubber membrane vessels

Science.gov (United States)

Kitzmann, Jennifer P; Pepper, Andrew R; Lopez, Boris G; Pawlick, Rena; Kin, Tatsuya; O’Gorman, Doug; Mueller, Kathryn R; Gruessner, Angelika C; Avgoustiniatos, Efstathios S; Karatzas, Theodore; Szot, Greg L; Posselt, Andrew M; Stock, Peter G; Wilson, John R; Shapiro, AM; Papas, Klearchos K

2014-01-01

The shipment of human islets from processing centers to distant laboratories is beneficial for both research and clinical applications. The maintenance of islet viability and function in transit is critically important. Gas-permeable silicone rubber membrane (SRM) vessels reduce the risk of hypoxia-induced death or dysfunction during high-density islet culture or shipment. SRM vessels may offer additional advantages: they are cost-effective (fewer flasks, less labor needed), safer (lower contamination risk), and simpler (culture vessel can also be used for shipment). Human islets(IE) were isolated from two manufacturing centers and shipped in 10cm2 surface area SRM vessels in temperature and pressure controlled containers to a distant center following at least two days of culture (n = 6). Three conditions were examined: low density (LD), high density (HD), and a micro centrifuge tube negative control (NC). LD was designed to mimic the standard culture density for human islet preparations (200 IE/cm2), while HD was designed to have a 20-fold higher tissue density, which would enable the culture of an entire human isolation in 1–3 vessels. Upon receipt, islets were assessed for viability, measured by oxygen consumption rate normalized to DNA content (OCR/DNA), and quantity, measured by DNA, and, when possible, potency and function with dynamic glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) measurements and transplants in immunodeficient B6 rag mice. Post-shipment OCR/DNA was not reduced in HD versus LD, and was substantially reduced in the NC condition. HD islets exhibited normal function post-shipment. Based on the data we conclude that entire islet isolations (up to 400,000 IE) may be shipped using a single, larger SRM vessel with no negative effect on viability and ex vivo and in vivo function. PMID:25131090

Viability Study for an Unattended UF₆ Cylinder Verification Station: Phase I Final Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Smith, Leon E. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Miller, Karen A. [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Garner, James R. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Branney, Sean [Savannah River Site (SRS), Aiken, SC (United States). Savannah River National Lab. (SRNL); McDonald, Benjamin S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Webster, Jennifer B. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Zalavadia, Mital A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Todd, Lindsay C. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Kulisek, Jonathan A. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Nordquist, Heather [Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States); Deshmukh, Nikhil S. [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Stewart, Scott [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)

2016-05-31

In recent years, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has pursued innovative techniques and an integrated suite of safeguards measures to address the verification challenges posed by the front end of the nuclear fuel cycle. Among the unattended instruments currently being explored by the IAEA is an Unattended Cylinder Verification Station (UCVS) that could provide automated, independent verification of the declared relative enrichment, ²³⁵U mass, total uranium mass and identification for all declared UF₆ cylinders in a facility (e.g., uranium enrichment plants and fuel fabrication plants). Under the auspices of the United States and European Commission Support Programs to the IAEA, a project was undertaken to assess the technical and practical viability of the UCVS concept. The US Support Program team consisted of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL, lead), Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Savanah River National Laboratory (SRNL). At the core of the viability study is a long-term field trial of a prototype UCVS system at a Westinghouse fuel fabrication facility. A key outcome of the study is a quantitative performance evaluation of two nondestructive assay (NDA) methods being considered for inclusion in a UCVS: Hybrid Enrichment Verification Array (HEVA), and Passive Neutron Enrichment Meter (PNEM). This report provides context for the UCVS concept and the field trial: potential UCVS implementation concepts at an enrichment facility; an overview of UCVS prototype design; field trial objectives and activities. Field trial results and interpretation are presented, with a focus on the performance of PNEM and HEVA for the assay of over 200 “typical” Type 30B cylinders, and the viability of an “NDA Fingerprint” concept as a high-fidelity means to periodically verify that the contents of a given cylinder are consistent with previous scans. A modeling study, combined with field-measured

The type and composition of alginate and hyaluronic-based hydrogels influence the viability of stem cells of the apical papilla.

Science.gov (United States)

Lambricht, Laure; De Berdt, Pauline; Vanacker, Julie; Leprince, Julian; Diogenes, Anibal; Goldansaz, Hadi; Bouzin, Caroline; Préat, Véronique; Dupont-Gillain, Christine; des Rieux, Anne

2014-12-01

The goal of the present work was to evaluate in vitro and in vivo the influence of various types and compositions of natural hydrogels on the viability and metabolic activity of SCAPs. Two alginate, three hyaluronic-based (Corgel™) hydrogel formulations and Matrigel were characterized for their mechanical, surface and microstructure properties using rheology, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. A characterized SCAP cell line (RP89 cells) was encapsulated in the different experimental hydrogel formulations. Cells were cultured in vitro, or implanted in cyclosporine treated mice. In vitro cell viability was evaluated using a Live/Dead assay and in vitro cellular metabolic activity was evaluated with a MTS assay. In vivo cell apoptosis was evaluated by a TUNEL test and RP89 cells were identified by human mitochondria immunostaining. Hydrogel composition influenced their mechanical and surface properties, and their microstructure. In vitro cell viability was above 80% after 2 days but decreased significantly after 7 days (60-40%). Viability at day 7 was the highest in Matrigel (70%) and then in Corgel 1.5 (60%). Metabolic activity increased over time in all the hydrogels, excepted in alginate SLM. SCAPs survived after 1 week in vivo with low apoptosis (<1%). The highest number of RP89 cells was found in Corgel 5.5 (140cells/mm(2)). Collectively, these data demonstrate that SCAP viability was directly modulated by hydrogel composition and suggest that a commercially available hyaluronic acid-based formulation might be a suitable delivery vehicle for SCAP-based dental pulp regeneration strategies. Copyright © 2014 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Economic Viability of Brewery Spent Grain as a Biofuel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Morrow, Charles [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2016-01-01

This report summarizes an investigation into the technical feasibility and economic viability of use grain wastes from the beer brewing process as fuel to generate the heat needed in subsequent brewing process. The study finds that while use of spent grain as a biofuel is technically feasible, the economics are not attractive. Economic viability is limited by the underuse of capital equipment. The investment in heating equipment requires a higher utilization that the client brewer currently anticipates. It may be possible in the future that changing factors may swing the decision to a more positive one.

Viability Assessment Volume 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1998-01-01

Since May 1996, under its draft Civilian Radioactive Waste Management Program Plan (DOE 1996), DOE has been carrying out a 5-year program of work to support the decision in 2001 by the Secretary of Energy on whether or not to recommend the site to the President. Part of this program was to address major unresolved technical issues and to complete an assessment of the viability of the Yucca Mountain site by 1998. Affirming the DOE plans, Congress directed DOE in the 1997 Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act to provide a viability assessment of the Yucca Mountain site to Congress and the President. This Viability Assessment (VA) document is the DOE report to Congress and the President. They are expected to use the VA to make an informed decision about program direction and funding. Drawing on 15 years of scientific investigation and design work at Yucca Mountain, the VA summarizes a large technical basis of field investigations, laboratory tests, models, analyses, and engineering, described in cited references. The VA identifies the major uncertainties relevant to the technical defensibility of DOE analyses and designs, the DOE approach to managing these uncertainties, and the status of work toward the site recommendation and LA. The VA also identifies DOE plans for the remaining work, and the estimated costs of completing an LA and constructing and operating a repository. The attention to uncertainties is important because DOE must evaluate how the repository will perform during the next 10,000 years or longer. Uncertainties exist because of variability in the natural (geologic and hydrologic) systems at Yucca Mountain and because of imperfect scientific understanding of the natural processes that might affect the repository system. This is Volume 1 and it covers, Introduction and Site Characteristics, includes a high-level summary of the results of the VA and some additional background information. (The overview is bound separately.) Section 1 of Volume

Influence of harvesting and processing methods on organic viability of soybean seed

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Đukanović Lana

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Organic viability of soybean seed for three soybean varieties - elite (Bosa, ZPS 015 and Nena depending on methods of manipulation with seeds during harvesting and processing phase were determined in this paper. Trial was conducted in Zemun Polje during 1999; manual and mechanized harvesting or processing methods were applied. Seed germination was tested using ISTA methods (Standard method and Cold test. Following parameters were evaluated: germination viability, germination, rate-speed of emergence, length of hypocotile and main root Rate-speed of emergence was based on number of emerged plants per day. Length of hypocotile or root and percent of germination determined vigour index. Based on obtained results it maybe concluded that methods of seed manipulation during harvesting or processing phase were influenced on soybean seed quality parameters evaluated. Ways of seed manipulation - methods evaluated were influenced organic viability of soybean seed by decreasing germination viability, total germination and length of main root.

Nuclear Power Options Viability Study. Volume 4. Bibliography

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trauger, D B; White, J D; Sims, J W [eds.

1986-09-01

Documents in the Nuclear Power Options Viability Study (NPOVS) bibliography are classified under one of four headings or categories as follows: nuclear options; light water reactors; liquid metal reactors; and high temperature reactors. The collection and selection of these documents, beginning early in 1984 and continuing through March of 1986, was carried out in support of the study's objective: to explore the viabilities of several nuclear electric power generation options for commercial deployment in the United States between 2000 and 2010. There are approximately 550 articles, papers, reports, and books in the bibliography that have been selected from some 2000 surveyed. The citations have been made computer accessible to facilitate rapid on-line retrieval by keyword, author, corporate author, title, journal name, or document number.

Nuclear Power Options Viability Study. Volume 4. Bibliography

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trauger, D.B.; White, J.D.; Sims, J.W.

1986-09-01

Documents in the Nuclear Power Options Viability Study (NPOVS) bibliography are classified under one of four headings or categories as follows: nuclear options; light water reactors; liquid metal reactors; and high temperature reactors. The collection and selection of these documents, beginning early in 1984 and continuing through March of 1986, was carried out in support of the study's objective: to explore the viabilities of several nuclear electric power generation options for commercial deployment in the United States between 2000 and 2010. There are approximately 550 articles, papers, reports, and books in the bibliography that have been selected from some 2000 surveyed. The citations have been made computer accessible to facilitate rapid on-line retrieval by keyword, author, corporate author, title, journal name, or document number

Increased viability of fibroblasts when pretreated with ceria nanoparticles during serum deprivation.

Science.gov (United States)

Genier, Francielli S; Bizanek, Maximilian; Webster, Thomas J; Roy, Amit K

2018-01-01

Conditions of cellular stress are often the cause of cell death or dysfunction. Sustained cell stress can lead to several health complications, such as extensive inflammatory responses, tumor growth, and necrosis. To prevent disease and protect human tissue during these conditions and to avoid medication side effects, nanomaterials with unique characteristics have been applied to biological systems. This paper introduces the pretreatment in human dermal fibroblasts with cerium oxide nanoparticles during nutritional stress. For this purpose, human dermal fibroblast cells received cell culture media with concentrations of 250 µg/mL and 500 µg/mL of nano-cerium oxide before being exposed to 24, 48, and 72 hours of serum starvation. Contrast images demonstrated higher cell confluence and cell integrity in cells pretreated with ceria nanoparticles compared to untreated cells. It was confirmed by MTS assay after 72 hours of serum starvation that higher cell viability was achieved with ceria nanoparticles. The results demonstrate the potential of cerium oxide nanoparticles as protective agents during cellular starvation.

Radiopeptide internalisation and externalisation assays: Cell viability and radioligand integrity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raza Naqvi, Syed Ali; Sosabowski, Jane K.; Ahamad Nagra, Saeed; Ishfaq, Malik M.; Mather, Stephen J.; Matzow, Torkjel

2011-01-01

Various aspects of radiopeptide receptor-mediated cell internalisation and externalisation assays were assessed, including the integrity of externalised peptides and the effect of varying the pH and incubation time of the acid wash step (to remove surface receptor-bound ligand) on efficacy and cell viability. The observed intact proportion of externalised peptide was 5-10%, and acid wash buffers with pH 2.8 or below were found to be detrimental to cell viability and integrity, particularly following prolonged incubation times.

Is cell viability always directly related to corrosion resistance of stainless steels?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salahinejad, E.; Ghaffari, M.; Vashaee, D.; Tayebi, L.

2016-01-01

It has been frequently reported that cell viability on stainless steels is improved by increasing their corrosion resistance. The question that arises is whether human cell viability is always directly related to corrosion resistance in these biostable alloys. In this work, the microstructure and in vitro corrosion behavior of a new class of medical-grade stainless steels were correlated with adult human mesenchymal stem cell viability. The samples were produced by a powder metallurgy route, consisting of mechanical alloying and liquid-phase sintering with a sintering aid of a eutectic Mn–Si alloy at 1050 °C for 30 and 60 min, leading to nanostructures. In accordance with transmission electron microscopic studies, the additive particles for the sintering time of 30 min were not completely melted. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic experiments suggested the higher corrosion resistance for the sample sintered for 60 min; however, a better cell viability on the surface of the less corrosion-resistant sample was unexpectedly found. This behavior is explained by considering the higher ion release rate of the Mn–Si additive material, as preferred sites to corrosion attack based on scanning electron microscopic observations, which is advantageous to the cells in vitro. In conclusion, cell viability is not always directly related to corrosion resistance in stainless steels. Typically, the introduction of biodegradable and biocompatible phases to biostable alloys, which are conventionally anticipated to be corrosion-resistant, can be advantageous to human cell responses similar to biodegradable metals. - Highlights: • Cell viability vs. corrosion resistance for medical-grade stainless steels • The stainless steel samples were prepared by powder metallurgy. • Unpenetrated additive played a critical role in the correlation.

Is cell viability always directly related to corrosion resistance of stainless steels?

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Salahinejad, E., E-mail: salahinejad@kntu.ac.ir [Faculty of Materials Science and Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Ghaffari, M. [Bruker AXS Inc., 5465 East Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711 (United States); Vashaee, D. [Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27606 (United States); Tayebi, L. [Department of Developmental Sciences, Marquette University School of Dentistry, Milwaukee, WI 53201 (United States); Department of Engineering Science, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PJ (United Kingdom)

2016-05-01

It has been frequently reported that cell viability on stainless steels is improved by increasing their corrosion resistance. The question that arises is whether human cell viability is always directly related to corrosion resistance in these biostable alloys. In this work, the microstructure and in vitro corrosion behavior of a new class of medical-grade stainless steels were correlated with adult human mesenchymal stem cell viability. The samples were produced by a powder metallurgy route, consisting of mechanical alloying and liquid-phase sintering with a sintering aid of a eutectic Mn–Si alloy at 1050 °C for 30 and 60 min, leading to nanostructures. In accordance with transmission electron microscopic studies, the additive particles for the sintering time of 30 min were not completely melted. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic experiments suggested the higher corrosion resistance for the sample sintered for 60 min; however, a better cell viability on the surface of the less corrosion-resistant sample was unexpectedly found. This behavior is explained by considering the higher ion release rate of the Mn–Si additive material, as preferred sites to corrosion attack based on scanning electron microscopic observations, which is advantageous to the cells in vitro. In conclusion, cell viability is not always directly related to corrosion resistance in stainless steels. Typically, the introduction of biodegradable and biocompatible phases to biostable alloys, which are conventionally anticipated to be corrosion-resistant, can be advantageous to human cell responses similar to biodegradable metals. - Highlights: • Cell viability vs. corrosion resistance for medical-grade stainless steels • The stainless steel samples were prepared by powder metallurgy. • Unpenetrated additive played a critical role in the correlation.

A rapid, reliable method of evaluating growth and viability of intraerythrocytic protozoan hemoparasites using fluorescence flow cytometry

OpenAIRE

Davis,W. C.; Wyatt,C. R.; Hamilton,M. J.; Goff,W. L.

1992-01-01

Fluorescence flow cytometry was employed to assess the potential of a vital dye, hydroethiedine, for use in the detection and monitoring of the viability of hemoparasites in infected erythrocytes, using Babesia bovis as a model parasite. The studies demonstrated that hydroethidine is taken up by B. bovis and metabolically converted to the DNA binding fluorochrone, ethidium. Following uptake of the dye, erythrocytes contamine viable parasites were readily distinguished and quantitated. Timed s...

Tissues viability and blood flow sensing based on a new nanophotonics method

Science.gov (United States)

Yariv, Inbar; Haddad, Menashe; Duadi, Hamootal; Motiei, Menachem; Fixler, Dror

2018-02-01

Extracting optical parameters of turbid medium (e.g. tissue) by light reflectance signals is of great interest and has many applications in the medical world, life science, material analysis and biomedical optics. The reemitted light from an irradiated tissue is affected by the light's interaction with the tissue components and contains the information about the tissue structure and physiological state. In this research we present a novel noninvasive nanophotonics technique, i.e., iterative multi-plane optical property extraction (IMOPE) based on reflectance measurements. The reflectance based IMOPE was applied for tissue viability examination, detection of gold nanorods (GNRs) within the blood circulation as well as blood flow detection using the GNRs presence within the blood vessels. The basics of the IMOPE combine a simple experimental setup for recording light intensity images with an iterative Gerchberg-Saxton (G-S) algorithm for reconstructing the reflected light phase and computing its standard deviation (STD). Changes in tissue composition affect its optical properties which results in changes in the light phase that can be measured by its STD. This work presents reflectance based IMOPE tissue viability examination, producing a decrease in the computed STD for older tissues, as well as investigating their organic material absorption capability. Finally, differentiation of the femoral vein from adjacent tissues using GNRs and the detection of their presence within blood circulation and tissues are also presented with high sensitivity (better than computed tomography) to low quantities of GNRs (<3 mg).

Impact of age and diagnosis on viability during centrifugation and cryopreservation of peripheral blood stem cell products.

Science.gov (United States)

Civriz Bozdag, S; Bay, M; Ayyıldız, E; Topcuoglu, P; Ilhan, O

2012-08-01

The viability of the hematopoietic stem cells infused to the patient is important for transplant outcome. We evaluated 31 peripheral blood stem cell product collected from 15 patients. We aimed to check the viabilities of the cells from patients with different age and diagnosis, in different stages of the cryopreservation procedure. We showed a markedly decreased viability rate after centrifugation and addition of DMSO. Percentages of viabilities were similar between young and old patients in each step. Type of hematological malignancy did not make a significant influence on the viability. High speed centrifugation has a negative impact on the viability. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perfusion Computed Tomography for the Assessment of Myocardial Viability — a Case Series

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Morariu Mirabela

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Myocardial viability plays an important role in preventing the development of left ventricular remodeling following an acute myocardial infarction. A preserved viability in the infarcted area has been demonstrated to be associated with a lower amplitude of the remodeling process, while the extent of the non-viable myocardium is directly correlated with the amplitude of the remodeling process. A number of methods are currently in use for the quantification of the viable myocardium, and some of them are based on the estimation of myocardial perfusion during pharmacologic stress. 64-slice Multi-detector Computed Tomography (MDCT during vasodilator stress test, associated with CT Coronary Angiography (CCTA has a high diagnostic accuracy in evaluating myocardial perfusion. In this article, we present a sequence of 3 clinical cases that presented with symptoms of myocardial ischemia, who underwent 64-slice MDCT imaging at rest and during adenosine stress test, in order to assess the extent of the hypoperfused myocardial areas. Coronary artery anatomy and the Coronary Calcium Score was assessed for all 3 patients by performing CT Coronary Angiography. The combination of CT Angiography and adenosine stress CT myocardial perfusion imaging can accurately detect atherosclerosic lesions that cause perfusion abnormalities, compared with the combination of invasive angiography and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT.

Prevalence and viability of group A rotavirus in dairy farm water sources.

Science.gov (United States)

Castells, M; Schild, C; Caffarena, D; Bok, M; Giannitti, F; Armendano, J; Riet-Correa, F; Victoria, M; Parreño, V; Colina, R

2018-03-01

To analyse group A rotavirus (RVA) environmental contamination in waters used for calves' consumption and to assess viral viability in dairy farm water sources. We analysed 202 samples of water used for calves' consumption and RVA was detected by RT-qPCR in 35·1% (95% CI: 28·9-42·0%). A marked pattern of seasonality was observed with higher frequency of detection in colder than warmer months (P = 0·002). There was no association between viral load and season or between the number of milking cows in the herd and the detection of RVA in the farm. The viability of the RVA particles detected was confirmed by isolation of RVA in cell culture from 5 of 10 water samples. Furthermore, an RVA waterborne outbreak of neonatal calf diarrhoea was described. We demonstrate that RVA is frequent in dairy farm waters, and that the virus is infectious and capable of generating a diarrhoea outbreak. Neonatal diarrhoea syndrome leads to economic losses to the livestock industry worldwide. To determine transmission routes is essential to take action in this regard and reduce the impact that this syndrome has for the livestock production. The results obtained in this work alert the dairy industry and highlight that mitigation strategies are crucial to improve the microbiological quality of this water. © 2018 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

Evaluation of pollen viability, stigma receptivity and fertilization ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

AJL

2013-11-13

Nov 13, 2013 ... by field artificial pollination were analyzed in this study. The maximum pollen viability .... the day before anthesis to avoid self-pollination. Subsequently, between ..... The Lagerstroemia handbook/checklist. Ameri. Association ...

Viability study of photodiodes utilization in determination of soil water content by gamma transmission

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Santos, L.A.P.; Khoury, H.; Carneiro, C.J.G.

1991-01-01

An experiment to verify the viability of using silicon photodetectors in a sup(241)Am γ-ray spectroscopy system for measuring soil water content was carried out in disturbed soil cores. The good correlation between the logarithm of the attenuation factor and the water content, r sup(2)=0.99, proves that the low efficiency of these detectors is not a limiting factor in measuring the water content. Furthermore, the small dimensions of the silicon photodetectors and associate electronic equipment are important characteristics that could permit the construction of a portable gammametry system to be used under field conditions. (author)

Preliminary viability studies of fibroblastic cells cultured on microcrystalline and nanocrystalline diamonds produced by chemical vapour deposition method

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ana Amélia Rodrigues

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Implant materials used in orthopedics surgery have demonstrated some disadvantages, such as metallic corrosion processes, generation of wear particles, inflammation reactions and bone reabsorption in the implant region. The diamond produced through hot-filament chemical vapour deposition method is a new potential biomedical material due to its chemical inertness, extreme hardness and low coefficient of friction. In the present study we analysis two samples: the microcrystalline diamond and the nanocrystalline diamond. The aim of this study was to evaluate the surface properties of the diamond samples by scanning electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. Cell viability and morphology were assessed using thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide, cytochemical assay and scanning electron microscopy, respectively. The results revealed that the two samples did not interfere in the cell viability, however the proliferation of fibroblasts cells observed was comparatively higher with the nanocrystalline diamond.

Viability of Event Management Business in Batangas City, Philippine: Basis for Business Operation Initiatives

OpenAIRE

Jeninah Christia D. Borbon

2016-01-01

The research study on Viability of Event Management Business in Batangas City: Basis for Business Operation Initiatives aimed to assess the viability of this type of business using Thompson’s (2005) Dimension of Business Viability as its tool in order to create business operation initiatives. It provided a good framework for defining success factors in entrepreneurial operation initiatives in a specific business type – event management. This study utilized event organizers based i...

Rapid, portable and cost-effective yeast cell viability and concentration analysis using lensfree on-chip microscopy and machine learning

KAUST Repository

Feizi, Alborz; Zhang, Yibo; Greenbaum, Alon; Guziak, Alex; Luong, Michelle; Chan, Raymond Yan Lok; Berg, Brandon; Ozkan, Haydar; Luo, Wei; Wu, Michael; Wu, Yichen; Ozcan, Aydogan

2016-01-01

and cost-effective automatic yeast analysis platform (AYAP), which can rapidly measure cell concentration and viability. AYAP is based on digital in-line holography and on-chip microscopy and rapidly images a large field-of-view of 22.5 mm2. This lens

FNR demonstration experiments Part II: Subcadmium neutron flux measurements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wehe, D.K.; King, J.S.

1983-01-01

The FNR HEU-LEU Demonstration Experiments include a comprehensive set of experiments to identify and quantify significant operational differences between two nuclear fuel enrichments. One aspect of these measurements, the subcadmium flux profiling, is the subject of this paper. The flux profiling effort has been accomplished through foil and wire activations, and by rhodium self-powered neutron detector (SPND) mappings. Within the experimental limitations discussed, the program to measure subcadmium flux profiles, lead to the following conclusions: (1) Replacement of a single fresh HEU element by a fresh LEU element at the center of an equilibrium HEU core produces a local flux depression. The ratio of HEU to LEU local flux is 1.19 ± .036, which is, well within experimental uncertainty, equal to the inverse of the U-235 masses for the two elements. (2) Whole core replacement of a large 38 element equilibrium HEU core by a fresh or nearly unburned LEU core reduces the core flux and raises the flux in both D 2 O and H 2 O reflectors. The reduction in the central core region is 40% to 10.0% for the small fresh 29 element LEU core, and 16% to 18% for a 31 element LEU core 482) with low average burnup 2 O reflector fluxes relative to core fluxes as measured by SPND with a fixed value of sensitivity, are in gross disagreement with the same flux ratios measured by Fe and Rh wire activations. Space dependent refinements of S are calculated to give some improvement in the discrepancy but the major part of the correction remains to be resolved

Assessment of myocardial viability by exercise stress myocardial tomography with 201Tl

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Narita, Michihiro; Kurihara, Tadashi; Murano, Kenichi; Usami, Masahisa

1992-01-01

Exercise stress (Ex) and redistribution (RD) myocardial tomography with Tl-201 has been widely used for evaluating myocardial viability. But recent studies have demonstrated that reinjection (ReI) study following RD study is necessary for detecting reversible ischemic myocardium. On the other hand, decreased myocardial washout of Tl-201 after Ex is an indicator of myocardial ischemia. So we have studied the usefulness of myocardial Tl-201 washout rate (WOR) for the evaluation of myocardial viability by comparing it with ReI images. Ex and RD myocardial tomographies were obtained immediately after Ex and 3 hours later. After RD study a small amount of Tl-201 was injected and ReI imaging was repeated. We studied 64 myocardial segments (in 58 patients with coronary artery disease) in which Ex-induced perfusion defects persisted in RD images. According to the changes of perfusion defects between Ex, RD and ReI images, they were classified into 3 types: Type I; perfusion defect on the RD image was identical to ReI image (75%). Type I was divided into 2 subgroups whether perfusion defect at Ex was unchanged (Ia, 42%) or improved (Ib, 33%) on the RD image. Type II; perfusion defect at Ex was reduced on the RD image and it improved furthermore at ReI image (17%). Type III; perfusion defect was the same at Ex and RD but it was reduced on the ReI image (8%). WOR less than 30% was defined as abnormal when Ex heart rate exceeded 120 bpm and lung-myocardial Tl-201 uptake ratio was less than 0.45. The differentiation between Type Ia and Type III is of great importance. History of myocardial infarction, effort angina and Ex induced ST depression could not differentiate these 2 groups. WOR abnormality was observed in all of Type III, but WOR was normal in Type Ia. In conclusion, WOR abnormality in Ex-RD myocardial imaging is useful for evaluating myocardial viability. ReI imaging is necessary for the precise evaluation of viable muscle mass and for inadequate Ex. (author)

Oleuropein-Enriched Olive Leaf Extract Affects Calcium Dynamics and Impairs Viability of Malignant Mesothelioma Cells

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Carla Marchetti

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Malignant mesothelioma is a poor prognosis cancer in urgent need of alternative therapies. Oleuropein, the major phenolic of olive tree (Olea europaea L., is believed to have therapeutic potentials for various diseases, including tumors. We obtained an oleuropein-enriched fraction, consisting of 60% w/w oleuropein, from olive leaves, and assessed its effects on intracellular Ca2+ and cell viability in mesothelioma cells. Effects of the oleuropein-enriched fraction on Ca2+ dynamics and cell viability were studied in the REN mesothelioma cell line, using fura-2 microspectrofluorimetry and MTT assay, respectively. Fura-2-loaded cells, transiently exposed to the oleuropein-enriched fraction, showed dose-dependent transient elevations of cytosolic Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+i. Application of standard oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, and of the inhibitor of low-voltage T-type Ca2+ channels NNC-55-0396, suggested that the effect is mainly due to oleuropein acting through its hydroxytyrosol moiety on T-type Ca2+ channels. The oleuropein-enriched fraction and standard oleuropein displayed a significant antiproliferative effect, as measured on REN cells by MTT cell viability assay, with IC50 of 22 μg/mL oleuropein. Data suggest that our oleuropein-enriched fraction from olive leaf extract could have pharmacological application in malignant mesothelioma anticancer therapy, possibly by targeting T-type Ca2+ channels and thereby dysregulating intracellular Ca2+ dynamics.

Radiopeptide internalisation and externalization assays: cell viability and radioligand integrity.

Science.gov (United States)

Naqvi, Syed Ali Raza; Sosabowski, Jane K; Nagra, Saeed Ahamad; Ishfaq, Malik M; Mather, Stephen J; Matzow, Torkjel

2011-01-01

Various aspects of radiopeptide receptor-mediated cell internalisation and externalization assays were assessed, including the integrity of externalized peptides and the effect of varying the pH and incubation time of the acid wash step (to remove surface receptor-bound ligand) on efficacy and cell viability. The observed intact proportion of externalized peptide was 5-10%, and acid wash buffers with pH 2.8 or below were found to be detrimental to cell viability and integrity, particularly following prolonged incubation times. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Demonstrating the viability and value of community-based monitoring schemes in catchment science

Science.gov (United States)

Starkey, Eleanor; Parkin, Geoff; Quinn, Paul; Large, Andy

2016-04-01

Hydrological catchments are complex systems which need to be monitored over time in order to characterise their behaviour on a local level, model, implement mitigation measures and meet policy targets. Despite hydrometric monitoring techniques being well developed, data is often inadequate within rural areas. Local knowledge and experiences are also vital sources of information in this sector but they are not routinely harvested. Long-term evidence is required to provide stakeholders with confidence and innovation is required to fully engage with and inform the public. Citizen science and volunteered geographical information (VGI) projects are encouraging volunteers to participate in crowdsourcing activities and generate new knowledge, but they have not been fully investigated within catchment science. A citizen science approach has therefore been implemented within the 42km2 Haltwhistle Burn catchment (northern England) using effective engagement techniques. This catchment responds rapidly, experiences flash flood events, and like many, it does not benefit from any traditional monitoring equipment. Participation levels confirm that members of the public do want to monitor their local water environment, with flooding being a key driver. Regular 'River Watch' volunteers and passers-by are sharing their knowledge and monitoring rainfall, river levels, water quality parameters, sediment issues, flood events and performance of flood risk management features. This has enabled a variety of low-cost data collection and submission tools to be tested over a two year period. Training has encouraged good quality data to be collected and volunteers are ready to capture meaningful information during unexpected flood events. Although volunteers are capable of collecting quantitative information, photographs and videos are submitted more readily. Twitter has also been used to share real-time observations successfully. A traditional monitoring network has been running in parallel

GSK-3α Is a Novel Target of CREB and CREB-GSK-3α Signaling Participates in Cell Viability in Lung Cancer.

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Sin-Aye Park

Full Text Available Overexpression or activation of cyclic AMP-response element-binding protein (CREB has been known to be involved in several human malignancies, including lung cancer. Genes regulated by CREB have been reported to suppress apoptosis, induce cell proliferation, inflammation, and tumor metastasis. However, the critical target genes of CREB in lung cancer have not been well understood. Here, we identified GSK-3α as one of the CREB target genes which is critical for the viability of lung cancer cells. The CREB knockdown significantly reduced the expression of GSK-3α and the direct binding of CREB on the promoter of GSK3A was identified. Kaplan-Meier analysis with a public database showed a prognostic significance of aberrant GSK-3α expression in lung cancer. Inhibition of GSK-3α suppressed cell viability, colony formation, and tumor growth. For the first time, we demonstrated that GSK-3α is regulated by CREB in lung cancer and is required for the cell viability. These findings implicate CREB-GSK-3α axis as a novel therapeutic target for lung cancer treatment.

Applying the system viability framework for cross-scalar governance of nested social-ecological systems in the Guiana Shield, South America

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Andrea Berardi

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Linking and analyzing governance of natural resources at different scales requires the development of a conceptual framework for analyzing social-ecological systems that can be easily applied by a range of stakeholders whose interests lie at different scales, but where the results of the analysis can be compared in a straightforward way. We outline the system viability framework, which allows participants to characterize a range of strategies in response to environment challenges for maintaining the long-term survival of their particular system of interest. Working in the Guiana Shield, South America, and with a range of local, regional, and international stakeholders, our aim was to use system viability to (1 investigate synergies and conflicts between distinct scales of governance, (2 identify scale-related challenges, and (3 test the framework as a conceptual tool for supporting cross-scalar analysis for environmental governance. At the international and national levels, a number of civil society organizations explored system viability indicators that would measure the successful implementation of governance mechanisms relevant to sustainable development and natural resource management. At the local level, we used participatory video and photography within two indigenous territories to enable local participants to identify indicators of viability within community governance systems. A grounded theory approach was then used to identify common themes across the different scales of analysis. Five key themes emerged: land rights, leadership, partnerships, lifestyle, and identity. We found that although most categories of interest were theoretically aligned across scales, all perceived systems of interest were struggling to face up to various cross-scalar challenges undermining different system viability responses. In conclusion, we highlight how the system viability framework can be used with a disparate variety of stakeholders as a practical

The role of adrenergic activation on murine luteal cell viability and progesterone production.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jing; Tang, Min; Jiang, Huaide; Wu, Bing; Cai, Wei; Hu, Chuan; Bao, Riqiang; Dong, Qiming; Xiao, Li; Li, Gang; Zhang, Chunping

2016-09-15

Sympathetic innervations exist in mammalian CL. The action of catecholaminergic system on luteal cells has been the focus of a variety of studies. Norepinephrine (NE) increased progesterone secretion of cattle luteal cells by activating β-adrenoceptors. In this study, murine luteal cells were treated with NE and isoprenaline (ISO). We found that NE increased the viability of murine luteal cells and ISO decreased the viability of luteal cells. Both NE and ISO promoted the progesterone production. Nonselective β-adrenergic antagonist, propranolol reversed the effect of ISO on cell viability but did not reverse the effect of NE on cell viability. Propranolol blocked the influence of NE and ISO on progesterone production. These results reveal that the increase of luteal cell viability induced by NE is not dependent on β-adrenergic activation. α-Adrenergic activation possibly contributes to it. Both NE and ISO increased progesterone production through activating β-adrenergic receptor. Further study showed that CyclinD2 is involved in the increase of luteal cell induced by NE. 3β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase, LHR, steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), and PGF2α contribute to the progesterone production induced by NE and ISO. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Viability of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus casei in fermented milk products during refrigerated storage.

Science.gov (United States)

Nighswonger, B D; Brashears, M M; Gilliland, S E

1996-02-01

The viability was investigated of five strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus and one strain of Lactobacillus casei that were added as adjuncts to yogurt and cultured buttermilk during 28 d of refrigerated storage at 5 to 7 degrees C. A modification of LBS (Lactobacillus selection) agar was used for the enumeration of L. acidophilus and L. casei. The medium allowed the colony formation of the adjunct bacteria while preventing colony formation of the traditional yogurt or buttermilk starter cultures. At each sampling period, colonies from the selective agar medium were isolated for confirmation of identity to confirm that only L. acidophilus and L. casei were enumerated, that their characteristics did not change during storage, or both. The strains of L. acidophilus varied in both cultured products. In buttermilk, L. acidophilus MUH-41, O-16, and L-1 exhibited no significant loss in viability, but strains 43121 and La-5 did. No significant loss in viability of L. acidophilus MUH-41 and L-1 occurred in yogurt prepared using culture CM2; however, strains 43121, O-16, and La-5 lost viability. In the yogurt prepared using culture YC-4, L. acidophilus 43121 exhibited no significant loss in viability, but MUH-41, O-16, L-1, and La-5 did. There was no loss in viability of L. casei GG during storage of any of the cultured products.

Viability of the World Health Organization quality of life measure to assess changes in quality of life following treatment for alcohol use disorder.

Science.gov (United States)

Kirouac, Megan; Stein, Elizabeth R; Pearson, Matthew R; Witkiewitz, Katie

2017-11-01

Quality of life is an outcome often examined in treatment research contexts such as biomedical trials, but has been studied less often in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment. The importance of considering QoL in substance use treatment research has recently been voiced, and measures of QoL have been administered in large AUD treatment trials. Yet, the viability of popular QoL measures has never been evaluated in AUD treatment samples. Accordingly, the present manuscript describes a psychometric examination of and prospective changes in the World Health Organization Quality of Life measure (WHOQOL-BREF) in a large sample (N = 1383) of patients with AUD recruited for the COMBINE Study. Specifically, we examined the construct validity (via confirmatory factor analyses), measurement invariance across time, internal consistency reliability, convergent validity, and effect sizes of post-treatment changes in the WHOQOL-BREF. Confirmatory factor analyses of the WHOQOL-BREF provided acceptable fit to the current data and this model was invariant across time. Internal consistency reliability was excellent (α > .9) for the full WHOQOL-BREF for each timepoint; the WHOQOL-BREF had good convergent validity, and medium effect size improvements were found in the full COMBINE sample across time. These findings suggest that the WHOQOL-BREF is an appropriate measure to use in samples with AUD, that the WHOQOL-BREF scores may be examined over time (e.g., from pre- to post-treatment), and the WHOQOL-BREF may be used to assess improvements in quality of life in AUD research.

Viability of the Alaskan breeding population of Steller’s eiders

Science.gov (United States)

Dunham, Kylee; Grand, James B.

2016-10-11

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is tasked with setting objective and measurable criteria for delisting species or populations listed under the Endangered Species Act. Determining the acceptable threshold for extinction risk for any species or population is a challenging task, particularly when facing marked uncertainty. The Alaskan breeding population of Steller’s eiders (Polysticta stelleri) was listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in 1997 because of a perceived decline in abundance throughout their nesting range and geographic isolation from the Russian breeding population. Previous genetic studies and modeling efforts, however, suggest that there may be dispersal from the Russian breeding population. Additionally, evidence exists of population level nonbreeding events. Research was conducted to estimate population viability of the Alaskan breeding population of Steller’s eiders, using both an open and closed model of population process for this threatened population. Projections under a closed population model suggest this population has a 100 percent probability of extinction within 42 years. Projections under an open population model suggest that with immigration there is no probability of permanent extinction. Because of random immigration process and nonbreeding behavior, however, it is likely that this population will continue to be present in low and highly variable numbers on the breeding grounds in Alaska. Monitoring the winter population, which includes both Russian and Alaskan breeding birds, may offer a more comprehensive indication of population viability.

Role of redistribution and 24 hour reinjection images to assess myocardial viability in patients with acute myocardial infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoon, Seok Nam; Pai, Moon Sun; Park, Chan H.; Yoon, Myung Ho; Choi, Byung Il

1998-01-01

We evaluated the importance of redistribution and 24 hour reinjection images in Tl-201 SPECT assessment of myocardial viability after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). We performed dipyridamole stress-4 hour redistribution-24 hour reinjection Tl-201 SPECT in 43 patients with recent AMI (4-16 days). The myocardium was divided into 16 segments and perfusion grade was measured visually with 4 point score from 0 to 3 (absent uptake to normal uptake). A perfusion defect with stress score 2 was considered moderate. A defect was considered severe if the stress score was 0 or 1 (absent uptake or severe perfusion decrease). Moderate defect on stress image were considered viable and and segments with severe defect were considered viable if they showed improvement of 1 score or more on redistribution or reinjection images. We compared the results of viability assessment in stress-redistribution and stress-reinjection images. On visual analysis, 344 of 688 segments (50%) had abnormal perfusion. Fify two (15%) had moderate perfusion defects and 292 (85%) had severe perfusion defects on stress image. Of 292 severe stress defects, 53 were irreversible on redistribution and reversible on reinjection images, and 15 were reverseble on redistribution and irreversible on reinjection images. Two hundred twenty four of 292 segments (76.7%) showed concordant results on stress-redistribution and stress- reinjection images. Therefore 24 hour reinjection image changed viability status from necrotic to viable in 53 segments of 292 severe stress defect (18%). However, myocardial viability was underestimated in only 5% (15/292) of severe defects by 24 hour reinjection. The 24 hour reinjection imaging is useful in the assessment of myocardial viability. It is more sensitive than 4 hour redistribution imaging. However, both redistribution and reinjection images are needed since they complement each other

Viability of lactobacillus acidophilus in various vaginal tablet formulations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fazeli M.R.

2006-07-01

Full Text Available The lactobacilli which are present in vaginal fluids play an important role in prevention of vaginosis and there are considerable interests in formulation of these friendly bacteria into suitable pharmaceutical dosage forms. Formulating these microorganisms for vaginal application is a critical issue as the products should retain viability of lactobacilli during formulation and also storage. The aim of this study was to examine the viability and release of Lactobacillus acidophilus from slow-release vaginal tablets prepared by using six different retarding polymers and from two effervescent tablets prepared by using citric or adipic acid. The Carbomer–based formulations showed high initial viablility compared to those based on HPMC-LV, HPMC-HV, Polycarbophil and SCMC polymers which showed one log decrease in viable cells. All retarding polymers in slow release formulations presented a strong bacterial release at about 2 h except Carbomer polymers which showed to be poor bacterial releasers. Although effervescent formulations produced a quick bacterial release in comparison with polymer based slow-release tablets, they were less stable in cold storage. Due to the strong chelating characteristic of citric acid, the viability was quickly lost for aqueous medium of citric acid in comparison with adipic acid based effervescent tablets.

Effect of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) and Tween 80 on Cell Viability in an Air-Cathode Microbial Fuel Cell

KAUST Repository

Fregoso, Luisa

2011-07-01

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) generate current via electrochemical reactions produced by bacteria attached to the anode that oxidize organic matter. Due to their high volume use in household products, some concentration of surfactant will reach wastewater treatment plants. The average surfactant concentration in wastewater ranges from 10 to 20 mg L-1, and up to 300 mg L-1, for domestic and industrial wastewaters, respectively. This study aimed to demonstrate the feasibility of enhancing power production by adding Tween 80 and SDS surfactants to air-cathode MFCs, and their effect in cell viability at the anodic biofilm. In order to analyze the effect of anionic and nonionic surfactants in MFCs performance, eight MFCs were spiked with two types of surfactants, the anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and the nonionic surfactant Tween® 80 at two different concentrations 10 and 100 mg L-1. Cell viability at the anodic biofilms was examined using the LIVE/DEAD BacLight viability assay and images were visualized with a confocal laser scanning microscope. The electrochemical results demonstrate that, for an air-cathode MFC operating on 1 g L-1 acetate in a fed-batch mode, reactors where SDS was added show a lower overall performance, maximum PD of 544 mW m-2, CE of 12.3%, Rint of 322 Ω (10 mg L-1) and maximum PD of 265 mW m-2, CE of 9.4%, Rint of 758 Ω (100 mg L-1). Reactors where Tween 80 was added show quite stable performance, maximum PD of 623 mW m-2, CE of 15.4%, Rint of 216 Ω (10 mg L-1) and maximum PD of 591 mW m-2, CE of 10.8%, Rint of 279 Ω (100 mg L-1), compared with reactors operating at only acetate as a substrate, maximum PD of 574 mW m-2. Confocal microscopy images confirm this observation and biofilm viability appeared severely compromised in SDS reactors, especially at high concentrations. This study has opened up a whole new research area in determining which types of surfactants are toxic to the anodic biofilm and to further investigate the

A summary of the environmental restoration program retrieval demonstration project at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McQuary, J.

1991-02-01

This report provides a summary of the Environmental Restoration Program's Retrieval Demonstration Project at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. This project developed concepts for demonstrating facilities and equipment for the retrieval of buried transuranic mixed waste at the INEL. Included is a brief assessment of the viability, cost effectiveness, and safety of retrieval based on the developed concept. Changes made in Revision 1 reflect editorial changes only. 31 refs., 1 fig

Optimizing cell viability in droplet-based cell deposition

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hendriks, Jan; Visser, C.W.; Henke, S.J.; Leijten, Jeroen Christianus Hermanus; Saris, Daniël B.F.; Sun, Chao; Lohse, Detlef; Karperien, Hermanus Bernardus Johannes

2015-01-01

Biofabrication commonly involves the use of liquid droplets to transport cells to the printed structure. However, the viability of the cells after impact is poorly controlled and understood, hampering applications including cell spraying, inkjet bioprinting, and laser-assisted cell transfer. Here,

Gallic acid reduces cell viability, proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis in human cervical cancer cells

Science.gov (United States)

ZHAO, BING; HU, MENGCAI

2013-01-01

Gallic acid is a trihydroxybenzoic acid, also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, which is present in plants worldwide, including Chinese medicinal herbs. Gallic acid has been shown to have cytotoxic effects in certain cancer cells, without damaging normal cells. The objective of the present study was to determine whether gallic acid is able to inhibit human cervical cancer cell viability, proliferation and invasion and suppress cervical cancer cell-mediated angiogenesis. Treatment of HeLa and HTB-35 human cancer cells with gallic acid decreased cell viability in a dose-dependent manner. BrdU proliferation and tube formation assays indicated that gallic acid significantly decreased human cervical cancer cell proliferation and tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells, respectively. Additionally, gallic acid decreased HeLa and HTB-35 cell invasion in vitro. Western blot analysis demonstrated that the expression of ADAM17, EGFR, p-Akt and p-Erk was suppressed by gallic acid in the HeLa and HTB-35 cell lines. These data indicate that the suppression of ADAM17 and the downregulation of the EGFR, Akt/p-Akt and Erk/p-Erk signaling pathways may contribute to the suppression of cancer progression by Gallic acid. Gallic acid may be a valuable candidate for the treatment of cervical cancer. PMID:24843386

Spatio-Temporal Image Correlation Spectroscopy Measurements of Flow Demonstrated in Microfluidic Channels

Science.gov (United States)

Rossow, Molly; Mantulin, William W.; Gratton, Enrico

2009-01-01

Accurate blood flow measurements during surgery can improve the operations chance of success. We developed Near-infrared Spatio-Temporal Image Spectroscopy (NIR-STICS), which has the potential to make blood flow measurements that are difficult to accomplish with existing methods. Specifically, we propose the technique and we show feasibility on phantom measurements. NIR-STICS has the potential of measuring the fluid velocity in small blood vessels (less than 1mm in diameter) and of creating a map of blood flow rates over an area of approximately 1cm2. NIR-STICS employs near-infrared spectroscopy to probe inside blood vessel walls and spatio-temporal image correlation spectroscopy to directly—without the use of a model—extract fluid velocity from the fluctuations within an image. Here we present computer simulations and experiments on a phantom system that demonstrate the effectiveness of NIR-STICS. PMID:19405744

Photothermal effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the viability of BT-474 cancer cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chou, Hung-Tao; Wang, Tsung-Pao; Lee, Chi-Young; Tai, Nyan-Hwa; Chang, Hwan-You

2013-01-01

Functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) were conjugated to an antibody of BT-474 cancer cells (f-MWCNTs-ab), and the photothermal effect of the f-MWCNTs-ab for BT-474 cancer cell destruction was demonstrated. After near-infrared irradiation, the f-MWCNTs-ab were more capable of killing cancer cells and possessed higher cell specificity than f-MWCNTs. Quantitative results showed that the viability of the cancer cells was affected by the concentration of the f-MWCNTs-ab solution, irradiation time, and settling time after irradiation. The membrane impermeable fluorescence dye ethidium bromide was used to detect cell viability after near-infrared irradiation, and the results agreed with those obtained from the Alamar Blue cell viability assay. The EtBr fluorescence results suggest that the cell membrane, attached to f-MWCNTs-ab, was damaged after irradiation, which led to cell death and necrosis. Using confocal microscopy, a few f-MWCNTs-ab were detected in the cell, indicating the endocytosis effect. The results not only explain the improved efficiency of thermotherapy but also indicate that necrosis may result from protein denaturation attributing to the heated f-MWCNTs-ab in the cell. Highlights: ► f-MWCNTs conjugated with anti-HER2 antibody by chemical method. ► Kill breast cancer cells by using low dose f-MWCNTs-ab due to photothermal effect. ► Use EtBr fluorescent to prove that the cell membrane was broken by heated f-MWCNTs. ► Few f-MWCNTs-ab were detected in the cell indicating the endocytosis effect. ► Necrosis may result from protein denaturation due to contact with the heated CNTs.

In vitro germination and viability of pollen grain of coconut accessions1

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Catrine Regina Feitosa Moura

Full Text Available Storage as a means of maintaining the pollen viability is important for the preservation of the genetic variability, facilitates the exchange of germplasm and greatly contributes to the generation of variability obtained from artificial crosses, increasing the efficiency of breeding programs. The objective of this study was to select different culture media for the in vitro germination of pollen grain of dwarf and tall coconut accessions, as well as to determine the viability of pollen grain at room temperature conditions. For this purpose, Brazil Green Dwarf (BGD and Brazilian Tall (BRA pollen grains derived from the Coconut Active Germplasm Bank of Embrapa Coastal Tablelands Sergipe were used. To evaluate the effect of different culture media on the in vitro germination of pollen grains of anão verde do Brasil de Jiqui (AVeBrJ and gigante do Brasil Praia do Forte (GBrPF accessions, they were inoculated on to Petri dishes containing 2 ml of culture media. The pollen viability was assessed by staining with 1% acetic carmine and in vitro germination at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours. The culture medium of Lora is suitable to assess the in vitrogermination of pollen grain of the AVeBrJ and GBrPF accessions. The pollen grain of the AVeBrJ accession showed intermediate viability (66.87% at room temperature up to 23.14 hours by in vitro germination. The pollen grain of the GBrPF accession showed high viability, above 70%, at room temperature up to 120 hours by in vitro germination.

Is cell viability always directly related to corrosion resistance of stainless steels?

Science.gov (United States)

Salahinejad, E; Ghaffari, M; Vashaee, D; Tayebi, L

2016-05-01

It has been frequently reported that cell viability on stainless steels is improved by increasing their corrosion resistance. The question that arises is whether human cell viability is always directly related to corrosion resistance in these biostable alloys. In this work, the microstructure and in vitro corrosion behavior of a new class of medical-grade stainless steels were correlated with adult human mesenchymal stem cell viability. The samples were produced by a powder metallurgy route, consisting of mechanical alloying and liquid-phase sintering with a sintering aid of a eutectic Mn-Si alloy at 1050 °C for 30 and 60 min, leading to nanostructures. In accordance with transmission electron microscopic studies, the additive particles for the sintering time of 30 min were not completely melted. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopic experiments suggested the higher corrosion resistance for the sample sintered for 60 min; however, a better cell viability on the surface of the less corrosion-resistant sample was unexpectedly found. This behavior is explained by considering the higher ion release rate of the Mn-Si additive material, as preferred sites to corrosion attack based on scanning electron microscopic observations, which is advantageous to the cells in vitro. In conclusion, cell viability is not always directly related to corrosion resistance in stainless steels. Typically, the introduction of biodegradable and biocompatible phases to biostable alloys, which are conventionally anticipated to be corrosion-resistant, can be advantageous to human cell responses similar to biodegradable metals. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Factors influencing [F-18]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (F-18 FDG) uptake in melanoma cells. The role of proliferation rate, viability, glucose transporter expression and hexokinase activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamada, Kiyoshi; Brink, I.; Bisse, E.; Epting, T.; Engelhardt, R.

2005-01-01

Using human (SK-MEL 23, SK-MEL 24 and G361) and murine (B16) melanoma cell lines, the coregulatory potential of the uptake of the positron emission tomography (PET) tracer, [Fluorine-18]2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (F-18 FDG) has been investigated in relationship to tumor characteristics. Comparative studies among the four melanoma cell lines demonstrated that the lowest FDG uptake in SK-MEL 24 corresponded strongly to the data for DT (population doubling time) and MTT (tetrazolium salt) cell viability as well as hexokinase (HK) activity, but was not related to the glucose transporter 1 (GLUT 1) expression level. Furthermore, the FDG uptake in each melanoma cell line measured by cell cycle kinetics was significantly positively correlated to both the proliferation index (PI=S/G 2 M phase fractions) and the cell viability, though with one exception relating to the proliferation index (PI) of the lowest FDG uptake cell line, SK-MEL 24. No positive correlation was found between the expression of GLUT 1 and FDG uptake in any individual cell line. However, the HK activities in SK-MEL 23 and 24 showed considerable positive relationships with FDG uptake. Our present study suggests that both the proliferation rate and the cell viability of melanoma cells may be key factors for FDG uptake and that HK activity, rather than GLUT 1 expression, seems to be a major factor. (author)

Experimental Development and Demonstration of Ultrasonic Measurement Diagnostics for Sodium Fast Reactor Thermal-hydraulics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tokuhiro, Akira; Jones, Byron

2013-09-13

This research project will address some of the principal technology issues related to sodium-cooled fast reactors (SFR), primarily the development and demonstration of ultrasonic measurement diagnostics linked to effective thermal convective sensing under normatl and off-normal conditions. Sodium is well-suited as a heat transfer medium for the SFR. However, because it is chemically reactive and optically opaque, it presents engineering accessibility constraints relative to operations and maintenance (O&M) and in-service inspection (ISI) technologies that are currently used for light water reactors. Thus, there are limited sensing options for conducting thermohydraulic measurements under normal conditions and off-normal events (maintenance, unanticipated events). Acoustic methods, primarily ultrasonics, are a key measurement technology with applications in non-destructive testing, component imaging, thermometry, and velocimetry. THis project would have yielded a better quantitative and qualitative understanding of the thermohydraulic condition of solium under varied flow conditions. THe scope of work will evaluate and demonstrate ultrasonic technologies and define instrumentation options for the SFR.

Effects of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors and Platelet-Rich Fibrin on Proliferation and Viability of Human Gingival Fibroblasts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Surena Vahabi

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Objectives: Platelet preparations are commonly used to enhance bone and soft tissue regeneration. Considering the existing controversies on the efficacy of platelet products for tissue regeneration, more in vitro studies are required. The aim of the present study was to compare the in vitro effects of plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF and platelet-rich fibrin (PRF on proliferation and viability of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs.Materials and Methods: Anitua's PRGF and Choukran's PRF were prepared according to the standard protocols. After culture periods of 24, 48 and 72 hours, proliferation of HGFs was evaluated by the methyl thiazol tetrazolium assay. Statistical analysis was performed using one-way ANOVA followed by Tukey-Kramer’s multiple comparisons and P-values<0.05 were considered statistically significant.Results: PRGF treatment induced statistically significant (P<0.001 proliferation of HGF cells compared to the negative control (100% viability at 24, 48 and 72 hours in values of 123%±2.25%, 102%±2.8% and 101%±3.92%, respectively. The PRF membrane treatment of HGF cells had a statistically significant effect on cell proliferation (21%±1.73%, P<0.001 at 24 hours compared to the negative control. However, at 48 and 72 hours after treatment, PRF had a negative effect on HGF cell proliferation and caused 38% and 60% decrease in viability and proliferation compared to the negative control, respectively. The HGF cell proliferation was significantly higher in PRGF than in PRF group (P< 0.001.Conclusion: This study demonstrated that PRGF had a strong stimulatory effect on HGF cell viability and proliferation compared to PRF.

Potential carbon credit and community expectations towards viability ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Nicholaus family

marginal (incremental) revenues from forest carbon stock as well as the conceptual trend of forest biomass indicates that, there is ... Key words: Carbon stock payments, community preferences and REDD+ project viability. INTRODUCTION .... following criteria were used in selecting respondents especially households: 1) ...

Effect of different cryo-protectants on the viability of frozen/thawed semen from boars of the Piau breed.

Science.gov (United States)

Pinho, R O; Lima, D M A; Shiomi, H H; Siqueira, J B; Silva, H T; Lopes, P S; Guimarães, S E F; Guimarães, J D

2014-05-01

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of different cryo-protectants (glycerol, dimethylacetamide and dimethylformamide alone or combined and added to lactose-egg yolk extender) on the viability of frozen/thawed semen from the Piau breed as assessed by in vitro testing. Frozen semen samples (n=20) were used from five male swine. Five different freezing extenders, including 2% glycerol (Group 1 - G), 2% glycerol and 3% dimethylacetamide (Group 2 - GA), 2% glycerol and 3% dimethylformamide (Group 3 - GF), 5% dimethylacetamide (Group 4 - A) and 5% dimethylformamide (group 5 - F), were evaluated. To assess post-thawing sperm quality, sperm motility and morphology were evaluated. Sperm viability was determined using the hypoosmotic swelling test, supravital staining, and a fluorescent assay (carboxyfluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide). The mean total sperm motility of semen immediately after thawing was 46.2±1.3, 57.7±1.5, 53.2±2.1, 51.7±1.2, and 46.5±1.6% for groups 1-5, respectively. Groups 2 (GA) and 3 (GF) had greater motility values (P0.05). The other complementary tests (hypoosmotic swelling test and supra-vital staining) demonstrated that sperm in Groups 2 (GA), 3 (GF) and 4 (A) had the greatest viability and there were no significant differences among these three groups (P>0.05). The most effective cryo-protectant combinations likely minimized and controlled the deleterious processes that occur in the sperm cell during freezing/thawing, thus improving post-thawing sperm viability. In conclusion, the combination of amides (3%) and glycerol (2%) or dimethylacetamide (5%) alone were more efficient at cryo-protection than glycerol alone for semen freezing in the Piau swine breed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study progress of cardiac MRI technology in assessment of myocardial viability after myocardial infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Jing; Zhang Hao

2013-01-01

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) is one of the most common diseases that cause disability and death around the world. Correctly and effectively assessing the myocardial viability after myocardial infarction can reduce the disabled rate and mortality rate. At present, many methods could be used to assess myocardial viability. The cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR) technology has a lot of advantages compared to other methods. In this paper, we reviewed the research progress of CMR in assessment of myocardial viability after myocardial infarction, and compared CMR with other technologies. (authors)

Combining expedited cleanup with innovative technology demonstrations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hagood, M.C.; Rohay, V.J.; Valcich, P.J.; Brouns, T.M.; Cameron, R.J.

1993-04-01

A Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA) expedited response action (ERA) has been initiated at the Hanford Site, Washington, for the removal of carbon tetrachloride from contaminated soils to mitigate further contamination of the groundwater. Soil vapor extraction with aboveground collection and treatment was chosen as the preferred remedial technology for the first phase of the ERA. At the same time, innovative technology demonstrations are being conducted in coordination with the ERA to determine the viability of emerging technologies that can be used to characterize, remediate, and monitor carbon tetrachloride and cocontaminants. The overall goal is to improve the performance and decrease the costs of carbon tetrachloride remediation while maintaining a safe working environment

First density profile measurements using frequency modulation of the continuous wave reflectometry on JETa)

Science.gov (United States)

Meneses, L.; Cupido, L.; Sirinelli, A.; Manso, M. E.; Jet-Efds Contributors

2008-10-01

We present the main design options and implementation of an X-mode reflectometer developed and successfully installed at JET using an innovative approach. It aims to prove the viability of measuring density profiles with high spatial and temporal resolution using broadband reflectometry operating in long and complex transmission lines. It probes the plasma with magnetic fields between 2.4 and 3.0 T using the V band [~(0-1.4)×1019 m-3]. The first experimental results show the high sensitivity of the diagnostic when measuring changes in the plasma density profile occurring ITER relevant regimes, such as ELMy H-modes. The successful demonstration of this concept motivated the upgrade of the JET frequency modulation of the continuous wave (FMCW) reflectometry diagnostic, to probe both the edge and core. This new system is essential to prove the viability of using the FMCW reflectometry technique to probe the plasma in next step devices, such as ITER, since they share the same waveguide complexity.

Stimulation of human gingival fibroblasts viability and growth by roots treated with high intensity lasers, photodynamic therapy and citric acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Karam, Paula Stephania Brandão Hage; Ferreira, Rafael; Oliveira, Rodrigo Cardoso; Greghi, Sebastião Luiz Aguiar; de Rezende, Maria Lúcia Rubo; Sant'Ana, Adriana Campos Passanezi; Zangrando, Mariana Schutzer Ragghianti; Damante, Carla Andreotti

2017-09-01

The aim of this study was to compare the effect of root biomodification by lasers, citric acid and antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) on viability and proliferation of human gingival fibroblasts (FGH). Groups were divided in control (CC - only cells), and root fragments treated by: scaling and root planing (positice control - SC), Er:YAG (ER-60mJ,10pps,10Hz,10s,2940nm), Nd:YAG (ND-0.5W,15Hz,10s,1640nm), antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (PDT-InGaAIP,30mW,45J/cm 2 ,30s,660nm,toluidine blue O), citric acid plus tetracycline (CA). Fibroblasts (6th passage, 2×10 3 ) were cultivated in a 24-h conditioned medium by the treated root fragments. Cell viability was measured by MTT test at 24, 48, 72 and 96h. In a second experiment, FGH cells (10 4 ) were cultivated on root fragments which received the same treatments. After 24, 48, 72h the number of cells was counted in SEM pictures. In addition, chemical elements were analyzed by energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). Data was analyzed by two-way ANOVA (first experiment), repeated measures ANOVA (second experiment) and ANOVA (EDS experiment) tests complemented by Tukey's test (pplaning stimulated fibroblast viability while Er:YAG and Nd:YAG treated root surfaces presented higher number of cells. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

FINAL SIMULATION RESULTS FOR DEMONSTRATION CASE 1 AND 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David Sloan; Woodrow Fiveland

2003-10-15

The goal of this DOE Vision-21 project work scope was to develop an integrated suite of software tools that could be used to simulate and visualize advanced plant concepts. Existing process simulation software did not meet the DOE's objective of ''virtual simulation'' which was needed to evaluate complex cycles. The overall intent of the DOE was to improve predictive tools for cycle analysis, and to improve the component models that are used in turn to simulate equipment in the cycle. Advanced component models are available; however, a generic coupling capability that would link the advanced component models to the cycle simulation software remained to be developed. In the current project, the coupling of the cycle analysis and cycle component simulation software was based on an existing suite of programs. The challenge was to develop a general-purpose software and communications link between the cycle analysis software Aspen Plus{reg_sign} (marketed by Aspen Technology, Inc.), and specialized component modeling packages, as exemplified by industrial proprietary codes (utilized by ALSTOM Power Inc.) and the FLUENT{reg_sign} computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code (provided by Fluent Inc). A software interface and controller, based on an open CAPE-OPEN standard, has been developed and extensively tested. Various test runs and demonstration cases have been utilized to confirm the viability and reliability of the software. ALSTOM Power was tasked with the responsibility to select and run two demonstration cases to test the software--(1) a conventional steam cycle (designated as Demonstration Case 1), and (2) a combined cycle test case (designated as Demonstration Case 2). Demonstration Case 1 is a 30 MWe coal-fired power plant for municipal electricity generation, while Demonstration Case 2 is a 270 MWe, natural gas-fired, combined cycle power plant. Sufficient data was available from the operation of both power plants to complete the cycle

Evaluation of measurement reproducibility using the standard-sites data, 1994 Fernald field characterization demonstration project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rautman, C.A.

1996-02-01

The US Department of Energy conducted the 1994 Fernald (Ohio) field characterization demonstration project to evaluate the performance of a group of both industry-standard and proposed alternative technologies in describing the nature and extent of uranium contamination in surficial soils. Detector stability and measurement reproducibility under actual operating conditions encountered in the field is critical to establishing the credibility of the proposed alternative characterization methods. Comparability of measured uranium activities to those reported by conventional, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-certified laboratory methods is also required. The eleven (11) technologies demonstrated included (1) EPA-standard soil sampling and laboratory mass-spectroscopy analyses, and currently-accepted field-screening techniques using (2) sodium-iodide scintillometers, (3) FIDLER low-energy scintillometers, and (4) a field-portable x-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Proposed advanced characterization techniques included (5) alpha-track detectors, (6) a high-energy beta scintillometer, (7) electret ionization chambers, (8) and (9) a high-resolution gamma-ray spectrometer in two different configurations, (10) a field-adapted laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES) technique, and (11) a long-range alpha detector. Measurement reproducibility and the accuracy of each method were tested by acquiring numerous replicate measurements of total uranium activity at each of two ''standard sites'' located within the main field demonstration area. Meteorological variables including temperature, relative humidity. and 24-hour rainfall quantities were also recorded in conjunction with the standard-sites measurements

Demonstration of a Sensitive Method to Measure Nuclear-Spin-Dependent Parity Violation

Science.gov (United States)

Altuntaş, Emine; Ammon, Jeffrey; Cahn, Sidney B.; DeMille, David

2018-04-01

Nuclear-spin-dependent parity violation (NSD-PV) effects in atoms and molecules arise from Z0 boson exchange between electrons and the nucleus, and from the magnetic interaction between electrons and the parity-violating nuclear anapole moment. We demonstrate measurements of NSD-PV that use an enhancement of the effect in diatomic molecules, here using the test system 138Ba 19. Our sensitivity surpasses that of any previous atomic parity violation measurement. We show that systematic errors can be suppressed to at least the level of the present statistical sensitivity. We measure the matrix element W of the NSD-PV interaction with total uncertainty δ W /(2 π )<0.7 Hz , for each of two configurations where W must have different signs. This sensitivity would be sufficient to measure NSD-PV effects of the size anticipated across a wide range of nuclei including 137Ba in 137BaF, where |W |/(2 π )≈5 Hz is expected.

Enhanced seed viability and lipid compositional changes during natural aging by suppressing phospholipase Dα in soybean seed

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Junghoon; Welti, Ruth; Roth, Mary; Schapaugh, William T.; Li, Jiarui; Trick, Harold N.

2013-01-01

Summary Changes in phospholipid composition and consequent loss of membrane integrity are correlated with loss of seed viability. Furthermore, phospholipid compositional changes affect the composition of the triacylglycerols, i.e. the storage lipids. Phospholipase D (PLD) catalyzes the hydrolysis of phospholipids to phosphatidic acid, and PLDα is an abundant PLD isoform. Although wild type seeds stored for 33 months were non-viable, 30 to 50% of PLDα-knockdown (PLD-KD) soybean seeds stored for 33 months germinated. Wild type and PLD-KD seeds increased in lysophospholipid levels and in triacylglycerol fatty acid unsaturation during aging, but the levels of lysophospholipids increased more in wild type than in PLD-KD seeds. The loss of viability of wild type seeds was correlated with alterations in ultrastructure, including detachment of the plasma membrane from the cell wall complex and disorganization of oil bodies. The data demonstrate that, during natural aging, PLDα affects the soybean phospholipid profile and the triacylglycerol profile. Suppression of PLD activity in soybean seed has potential for improving seed quality during long-term storage. PMID:21895945

Alcohol management in community sports clubs: impact on viability and participation.

Science.gov (United States)

Crundall, Ian

2012-08-01

Whether improved alcohol management delivers additional benefits to clubs in the form of financial viability, expanded membership, increased spectators and greater capacity for competition. Measures were derived from 657 Australian community sporting clubs enrolled in the Good Sports program. The program assists clubs to manage alcohol through an accreditation process that sets minimum standards for regulatory compliance, club practices and policies. Measures were taken from survey information collected prior to Level 1 accreditation and at the third and final level of club accreditation. Income was found to increase and reliance on alcohol as a funding source was found to diminish over time. Membership increased and was accelerated among females, young people and non-players. No changes in the number of junior and senior teams or players were found. Improved alcohol management can produce a range of benefits beyond responsible drinking patterns that add to club sustainability.

In vitro comparison of new bisphosphonic acids and zoledronate effects on human gingival fibroblasts viability, inflammation and matrix turnover.

Science.gov (United States)

De Colli, Marianna; Tortorella, Paolo; Marconi, Guya Diletta; Agamennone, Mariangela; Campestre, Cristina; Tauro, Marilena; Cataldi, Amelia; Zara, Susi

2016-11-01

Bisphosphonates (BPs) are drugs clinically used in resorptive diseases. It was already proved that some clinically relevant BPs can inhibit a class of enzymes called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), required during tissue remodelling. Combining the arylsulfonamide function with the bisphosphonic group, several compounds were synthesized to obtain selective inhibitors of MMPs. The aim of the present study was to compare the effect of zoledronic acid (ZA), the most potent bisphosphonate available as therapy, with new sulfonamide containing BPs in an in vitro model of human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs). Western blot was used to measure procollagen I, β1 integrin MMP-8 and MMP-9, phase contrast and MTT for cell viability; L-lactate-dehydrogenase (LDH) measurement was performed for toxicity evaluation and ELISA for prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) secretion assessment. When compared with ZA, the treatment with the newly synthesized compounds shows increasing viability, procollagen I expression and decreased expression of β1 integrin in HGFs. Higher levels of released LDH, PGE 2 and MMP-9 expression are recorded in ZA-treated HGFs. Increased levels of MMP-8 are recorded in newly synthesized compounds-treated samples. These findings allowed to conclude that new tested BPs did not affect HGFs viability and adhesion, did not induce cellular toxicity, were not responsible for inflammatory event induction and could preserve the physiological matrix turnover. It could be hypothesized that the new molecules were better tolerated by soft tissues, resulting in lesser side effects.

Seed viability of five wild Saudi Arabian species by germination and X-ray tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Hammad, B A; Al-Ammari, B S

2017-09-01

Our objective was to evaluate the usefulness of the germination vs. the X-ray test in determining the initial viability of seeds of five wild species ( Moringa peregrina , Abrus precatorius , Arthrocnemum macrostachyum , Acacia ehrenbergiana and Acacia tortilis ) from Saudi Arabia. Usually several days were required to determine the viability of all five species via germination tests. However, X-ray test will give immediate results on filled/viable seeds. Seeds of all species, except Acacia ehrenbergiana and Acacia tortilis showed high viability in both germination (96-72% at 25/15 °C, 94-70% at 35/25 °C) and X-ray (100-80%) test. Furthermore, there was a general agreement between the germination (19%, 14% at 25/15 °C and 17% and 12% at 35/25 °C) and X-ray (8%, 4%) tests in which seed viability of Acacia ehrenbergiana and Acacia tortilis was very low due to insect damaged embryo as shown in X-ray analysis. Seeds of Abruspreca torius have physical dormancy, which was broken by scarification in concentrated sulfuric acid (10 min), and they exhibited high viability in both the germination (83% at 25/15 °C and 81% at 35/25 °C) and X-ray (96%) tests. Most of the nongerminated seeds of the five species except those of Acacia ehrenbergiana and Acacia tortilis , were alive as judged by the tetrazolium test (TZ). Thus, for the five species examined, the X-ray test was proved to be a good and rapid predictor of seed viability.

Eggs viability of Aedes aegypti Linnaeus (Diptera, Culicidae under different environmental and storage conditions in Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V. C. Soares-Pinheiro

Full Text Available Abstract The viability of Aedes aegypti eggs was assessed in the Amazon region. The eggs were maintained under different conditions: indoors (insectarium and outdoors (natural environment, as well as in different storage types (plastic cup, paper envelope, plastic bag for different days. Egg viability was measured as the mean of hatchings observed from egg-bearing sheets of filter paper immersed in water, using three sheets randomly selected from each storage type and at both sites. There were significant differences in the viability of Ae. aegypti eggs with respect to the location (F=30.40; DF=1; P<0.0001, storage type (F=17.66; DF=2; P<0.0001, and time of storage (F=49.56; DF=9; P<0.0001. The interaction between storage site versus storage type was also significant (F=15.96; DF=2; P<0.0001. A higher hatching mean was observed for the eggs kept in the insectarium than for those outdoors (32.38 versus 7.46. Hatching rates of egg batches stored for 12 to 61 days ranged between 84 and 90%. A reduction was observed between 89 and 118 days, with values of 63 and 48%, respectively. With respect to type of storage, mean egg hatching was higher for the eggs in plastic cups (44.46. It was concluded that the viability of the eggs of Ae. aegypti in the Amazon region remains high up to 4 months, after which it declines drastically, although in this study hatching occurred for up to 8 months in very low percentages.

Economic viability of new launched school lunch programmes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Jørgen Dejgård; Smed, Sinne; Mørkbak, Morten Raun

2013-01-01

activities related to the schools’ support and the users’ feeling of ownership, as well as internal professionalism and leadership in the implementation of the school lunch programme are important for the viability of the programme. Strong performance on the latter factors might to some extent compensate...

Influence of gamma irradiation on pollen viability, germination ability ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

STORAGESEVER

2009-12-15

Dec 15, 2009 ... minor cross-incompatibilities and physiological studies of incompatibility ... campanula shape of the flowers attractive for insect. (bees are ..... irradiation of cacao (Theobroma cacao L.) pollen: Effect on pollen grain viability ...

Effects of voluntary exercise on the viability, proliferation and BDNF levels of bone marrow stromal cells in rat pups born from morphine- dependent mothers during pregnancy.

Science.gov (United States)

Haydari, Sakineh; Safari, Manouchehr; Zarbakhsh, Sam; Bandegi, Ahmad Reza; Miladi-Gorji, Hossein

2016-11-10

This study was designed to investigate whether free access to a running wheel during pregnancy in morphine-dependent mothers would influence the viability, proliferation and BDNF levels of bone marrow stromal cells in rat pups. Pregnant rats were made dependent by chronic administration of morphine in drinking water simultaneously with free access to a running wheel. Male pups are weaned at 21days of birth and their bones marrows were aspirated from the femurs and tibias and also the bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) cultured. MTT assay was used to determine cell viability and proliferation rate. The level of BDNF was measured in the supernant of BMSCs culture by ELISA. The sedentary morphine-dependent mothers' pups showed a significant increase in the percentage cell viability and proliferation rate and also a significant decrease in the BDNF protein levels in BMSCs. The rat pups borne from exercising the control and morphine-dependent mothers exhibited an increase in the percentage viability, proliferation rate and BDNF levels of the BMSCs. This study showed that maternal exercise during pregnancy in morphine-dependent and non-dependent mothers, with increasing of BDNF levels increased the proliferation and viability of BMSCs in the rat pups. Also, chronic administration of morphine during pregnancy was able to increase the proliferation and viability of BMSCs in the rat pups. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

A new measurement method of actual focal spot position of an x-ray tube using a high-precision carbon-interspaced grid

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, H. W.; Lim, H. W.; Jeon, D. H.; Park, C. K.; Cho, H. S.; Seo, C. W.; Lee, D. Y.; Kim, K. S.; Kim, G. A.; Park, S. Y.; Kang, S. Y.; Park, J. E.; Kim, W. S.; Woo, T. H.; Oh, J. E.

2018-06-01

This study investigated the effectiveness of a new method for measuring the actual focal spot position of a diagnostic x-ray tube using a high-precision antiscatter grid and a digital x-ray detector in which grid magnification, which is directly related to the focal spot position, was determined from the Fourier spectrum of the acquired x-ray grid’s image. A systematic experiment was performed to demonstrate the viability of the proposed measurement method. The hardware system used in the experiment consisted of an x-ray tube run at 50 kVp and 1 mA, a flat-panel detector with a pixel size of 49.5 µm, and a high-precision carbon-interspaced grid with a strip density of 200 lines/inch. The results indicated that the focal spot of the x-ray tube (Jupiter 5000, Oxford Instruments) used in the experiment was located approximately 31.10 mm inside from the exit flange, well agreed with the nominal value of 31.05 mm, which demonstrates the viability of the proposed measurement method. Thus, the proposed method can be utilized for system’s performance optimization in many x-ray imaging applications.

Cost viability of 3D printed house in UK

Science.gov (United States)

Tobi, A. L. Mohd; Omar, S. A.; Yehia, Z.; Al-Ojaili, S.; Hashim, A.; Orhan, O.

2018-03-01

UK has been facing housing crisis due to the rising price of the property on sale. This paper will look into the viability of 3D printing technology as an alternative way for house construction on UK. The analysis will be carried out based on the data until the year of 2014 due to limited resources availability. Details cost breakdown on average size house construction cost in UK were analysed and relate to the cost viability of 3D printing technology in reducing the house price in UK. It is found that the 3D printing generates saving of up to around 35% out of total house price in UK. This cost saving comes from the 3D printed construction of walls and foundations for material and labour cost.

The catastrophic decline of the Sumatran rhino (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni in Sabah: Historic exploitation, reduced female reproductive performance and population viability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Kretzschmar

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The reasons for catastrophic declines of Sumatran rhinos are far from clear and data necessary to improve decisions for conservation management are often lacking. We reviewed literature and assembled a comprehensive data set on surveys of the Sumatran rhino subspecies (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis harrissoni in the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo to chart the historical development of the population in Sabah and its exploitation until the present day. We fitted resource selection functions to identify habitat features preferred by a remnant population of rhinos living in the Tabin Wildlife Reserve in Sabah, and ran a series of population viability analyses (PVAs to extract the key demographic parameters most likely to affect population dynamics. We show that as preferred habitat, the individuals in the reserve were most likely encountered in elevated areas away from roads, in close distance to mud-volcanoes, with a low presence of human trespassers and a wallow on site, and within a neighbourhood of dense forest and grassland patches preferably on Fluvisols and Acrisols. Our population viability analyses identified the percentage of breeding females and female lifetime reproductive period as the crucial parameters driving population dynamics, in combination with total protection even moderate improvements could elevate population viability substantially. The analysis also indicates that unrestrained hunting between 1930 and 1950 drastically reduced the historical rhino population in Sabah and that the remnant population could be rescued by combining the effort of total protection and stimulation of breeding activity. Based on our results, we recommend to translocate isolated reproductively healthy individuals to protected locations and to undertake measures to maximise conceptions, or running state-of-the-art reproductive management with assisted reproduction techniques. Our study demonstrates that a judicious combination of techniques can do

Using the New Postacute Care Quality Measures to Demonstrate the Value of Occupational Therapy.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandhu, Sharmila; Furniss, Jeremy; Metzler, Christina

As the health care system continues to evolve toward one based on quality not quantity, demonstrating the value of occupational therapy has never been more important. Providing high-quality services, achieving optimal outcomes, and identifying and promoting occupational therapy's distinct value are the responsibilities of all practitioners. In relation to the Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation (IMPACT) Act of 2014, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is implementing new functional items and related outcome performance measures across postacute care (PAC) settings. Practitioners can demonstrate the role and value of occupational therapy services through their participation in data collection and the interpretation of the resulting performance measures. In this column, we review the objectives of the IMPACT Act, introduce the new self-care and mobility items and outcome performance measures being implemented in PAC settings, and describe ways to use these new data to advocate for occupational therapy. We also discuss American Occupational Therapy Association initiatives to provide materials and guidance for occupational therapy practitioners to contribute to PAC data collection. Copyright © 2018 by the American Occupational Therapy Association, Inc.

Biochemical Characteristics and Viability of Probiotic and Yogurt Bacteria in Yogurt during the Fermentation and Refrigerated Storage

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F Sarvari

2014-09-01

Full Text Available This research aimed to investigate the viability of probiotic bacteria (Lactobacillus acidophilus LA-5 and Bifidobacterium lactis BB-12 and yogurt bacteria (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus in yogurt during the fermentation, immediately after fermentation and during refrigerated storage (21 d, 4˚C. Also the biochemical characteristics of milk as affected by the commercial 4-strain mixed starter culture were investigated. Storage time affected the viability of all bacterial species. The concentration of lactic acid during the fermentation increased in parallel with the titrable acidity, and the concentration of acetic acid was proportional to the viability of Bifidobacterium lactis. The acetaldehyde level was decreased in the yogurt from day 0 up to the end of the storage. Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus were multiplied considerably during the fermentation. Streptococcus thermophilus could maintain its viability to the highest level, but Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus lost its viability rapidly during the cold storage compared to Streptococcus thermophilus. The multiplication and viability of probiotic bacteria were also influenced by the associative strains and species of yogurt organisms. Bifidobacteria counts were satisfactory. The loss of viability for bifidobacteria was gradual and steady during the storage, and they showed good stability during the storage as compared to Lactobacillus acidophilus.

Experimental demonstration of the finite measurement time effect on the Feynman-{alpha} technique

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wallerbos, E.J.M.; Hoogenboom, J.E

1998-09-01

The reactivity of a subcritical system is determined by fitting two different theoretical models to a measured Feynman-{alpha} curve. The first model is the expression usually found in the literature, which can be shown to be the expectation value of the experimental quality if the measurement time is infinite. The second model is a new expression which is the expectation value of the experimental quantity for a finite measurement time. The reactivity inferred with the new model is seen to be independent of the length of the fitting interval, whereas the reactivity inferred with the conventional model is seen to vary. This difference demonstrates the effect of the finite measurement time. As a reference, the reactivity is also measured with the pulsed-neutron source method. It is seen to be in good agreement with the reactivity obtained with the Feynman-{alpha} technique when the new expression is applied.

Photothermal effects of multi-walled carbon nanotubes on the viability of BT-474 cancer cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chou, Hung-Tao [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Sec. 2 Kuang-Fu Rd., Hsin-chu 30013, Taiwan (China); Wang, Tsung-Pao [Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Sec. 2 Kuang-Fu Rd., Hsin-chu 30013, Taiwan (China); Lee, Chi-Young [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Sec. 2 Kuang-Fu Rd., Hsin-chu 30013, Taiwan (China); Tai, Nyan-Hwa, E-mail: nhtai@mx.nthu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Sec. 2 Kuang-Fu Rd., Hsin-chu 30013, Taiwan (China); Chang, Hwan-You, E-mail: hychang@mx.nthu.edu.tw [Department of Medical Science, National Tsing Hua University, No. 101, Sec. 2 Kuang-Fu Rd., Hsin-chu 30013, Taiwan (China)

2013-03-01

Functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (f-MWCNTs) were conjugated to an antibody of BT-474 cancer cells (f-MWCNTs-ab), and the photothermal effect of the f-MWCNTs-ab for BT-474 cancer cell destruction was demonstrated. After near-infrared irradiation, the f-MWCNTs-ab were more capable of killing cancer cells and possessed higher cell specificity than f-MWCNTs. Quantitative results showed that the viability of the cancer cells was affected by the concentration of the f-MWCNTs-ab solution, irradiation time, and settling time after irradiation. The membrane impermeable fluorescence dye ethidium bromide was used to detect cell viability after near-infrared irradiation, and the results agreed with those obtained from the Alamar Blue cell viability assay. The EtBr fluorescence results suggest that the cell membrane, attached to f-MWCNTs-ab, was damaged after irradiation, which led to cell death and necrosis. Using confocal microscopy, a few f-MWCNTs-ab were detected in the cell, indicating the endocytosis effect. The results not only explain the improved efficiency of thermotherapy but also indicate that necrosis may result from protein denaturation attributing to the heated f-MWCNTs-ab in the cell. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer f-MWCNTs conjugated with anti-HER2 antibody by chemical method. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Kill breast cancer cells by using low dose f-MWCNTs-ab due to photothermal effect. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Use EtBr fluorescent to prove that the cell membrane was broken by heated f-MWCNTs. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Few f-MWCNTs-ab were detected in the cell indicating the endocytosis effect. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Necrosis may result from protein denaturation due to contact with the heated CNTs.

Viability of bull semen extended with commercial semen extender ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Andrea Raseona

stored at 24 °C. Sperm motility parameters, morphology, and viability were analysed ... body size, slow average daily weight gain, decreased fertility, extended .... were determined by counting a total of 200 spermatozoa per each stained slide.

Cyclic compression maintains viability and induces chondrogenesis of human mesenchymal stem cells in fibrin gel scaffolds.

Science.gov (United States)

Pelaez, Daniel; Huang, Chun-Yuh Charles; Cheung, Herman S

2009-01-01

Mechanical loading has long been shown to modulate cartilage-specific extracellular matrix synthesis. With joint motion, cartilage can experience mechanical loading in the form of compressive, tensile or shearing load, and hydrostatic pressure. Recent studies have demonstrated the capacity of unconfined cyclic compression to induce chondrogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) in agarose culture. However, the use of a nonbiodegradable material such as agarose limits the applicability of these constructs. Of the possible biocompatible materials available for tissue engineering, fibrin is a natural regenerative scaffold, which possesses several desired characteristics including a controllable degradation rate and low immunogenicity. The objective of the present study was to determine the capability of fibrin gels for supporting chondrogenesis of hMSCs under cyclic compression. To optimize the system, three concentrations of fibrin gel (40, 60, and 80 mg/mL) and three different stimulus frequencies (0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 Hz) were used to examine the effects of cyclic compression on viability, proliferation and chondrogenic differentiation of hMSCs. Our results show that cyclic compression (10% strain) at frequencies >0.5 Hz and gel concentration of 40 mg/mL fibrinogen appears to maintain cellular viability within scaffolds. Similarly, variations in gel component concentration and stimulus frequency can be modified such that a significant chondrogenic response can be achieved by hMSC in fibrin constructs after 8 h of compression spread out over 2 days. This study demonstrates the suitability of fibrin gel for supporting the cyclic compression-induced chondrogenesis of mesenchymal stem cells.

Effect of Isolation Techniques on Viability of Bovine Blood Neutrophils

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P. Sláma

2006-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of selected isolation methods on the viability of neutrophil granulocytes (neutrophils from the blood of healthy Holstein x Bohemian Red Pied crossbred heifers was evaluated. Two methods of neutrophil isolation were used: a neutrophil isolation on the basis of hypotonic erythrocyte lysis (in two variants: after the erythrocyte lysis proper, the cells were centrifuged at either 200 g or 1000 g, and b neutrophil isolation with FACS Lysing Solution as the lysing agent. The viability of the isolated neutrophils was evaluated on the basis of apoptosis and necrosis. The results obtained with flow cytometry (FCM suggest that, from the isolation techniques used, the method based on FACS Lysing Solution impaired the neutrophil viability least. After the application of this method, 5.36 ± 2.15% of neutrophils were apoptotic and 0.51 ± 0.12% were necrotic. In contrast, when the hypotonic erythrocyte lysis was used, the proportion of apoptotic neutrophils amounted to 42.14 ± 7.12% and 49.00 ± 14.70%, respectively, and 41.12 ± 5.55% and 36.91 ± 24.38% respectively of necrotic neutrophils (P < 0.01. This was also confirmed by the light microscopy. After the isolation with FASC Lysing Solution, 1.92 ± 1.74% of neutrophils were apoptotic and 1.05 ± 0.76% were necrotic, as distinct from after the hypotonic erythrocyte lysis where 9.43 ± 3.69% of neutrophils were apoptotic and 12.67 ± 4.74% of necrotic after centrifugation at 200 g, while 12.60 ± 4.35 were apoptotic and 14.96 ± 12.64% were necrotic after centrifugation at 1000 g. It follows from the above-mentioned data that hypotonic lysis is not a suitable method for the isolation of neutrophils, as the method itself markedly affects cell viability.

Influence of boundary-layer dynamics on pollen dispersion and viability

Science.gov (United States)

Arritt, Raymond W.; Viner, Brian J.; Westgate, Mark E.

2013-04-01

Adoption of genetically modified (GM) crops has raised concerns that GM traits can accidentally cross into conventional crops or wild relatives through the transport of wind-borne pollen. In order to evaluate this risk it is necessary to account both for dispersion of the pollen grains and environmental influences on pollen viability. The Lagrangian approach is suited to this problem because it allows tracking the environmental temperature and moisture that pollen grains experience as they travel. Taking advantage of this capability we have combined a high-resolution version of the WRF meteorological model with a Lagrangian particle dispersion model to predict maize pollen dispersion and viability. WRF is used to obtain fields of wind, turbulence kinetic energy, temperature, and humidity which are then used as input to the Lagrangian dispersion model. The dispersion model in turn predicts transport of a statistical sample of a pollen cloud from source plants to receptors. We also use the three-dimensional temperature and moisture fields from WRF to diagnose changes in moisture content of the pollen grains and consequent loss of viability. Results show that turbulent motions in the convective boundary layer counteract the large terminal velocity of maize pollen grains and lift them to heights of several hundred meters, so that they can be transported long distances before settling to the ground. We also found that pollen lifted into the upper part of the boundary layer remains more viable than has been inferred using surface observations of temperature and humidity. This is attributed to the thermal and moisture structure that typifies the daytime atmospheric boundary layer, producing an environment of low vapor pressure deficit in the upper boundary layer which helps maintain pollen viability.

Effect of voltage-gated sodium channels blockers on motility and viability of human sperm in vitro

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Hammad Ahmad Gakhar

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Objective: To test the effect of voltage-gated sodium channels (VGSCs blockers on the motility and viability of human sperm in-vitro and to evaluate the tested compounds as potential contact spermicidal.Methods: Sperm samples were obtained from healthy nonsmoking volunteers of age 25-30 years who had not taken any drug 3 months before and during the course of the study. The effect of VGSCs blockers evaluated from two pharmacological classes including antiarrhythmic (amiodarone, procainamide and disopyramide and antiepileptic (carbamazepine, oxcarbazepine, phenytoin, and lamotrigine drugs. They were tested on the in-vitro motility and viability of human sperm using Computer Assisted Semen Analyzer.Results: All tested drugs except oxcarbazepine showed dose dependent inhibition of total motility with significant reduction (P<0.05 at the maximum concentration of 200 μΜ when compared with the control. The concentrations of drugs that reduced total sperm motility to 50% of control (half maximal inhibitory concentration were 2.76, 14.16 and 20.29 μΜ for phenytoin, lamotrigine and carbamazepine, respectively; and 2.53, 5.32 and 0.37 μΜ for amiodarone, procainamide and disopyramide, respectively. The anti-motility effects were reversible to various degrees. There was statistically insignificant difference in the inhibition of sperm viability among amiodarone, procainamide and disopyramide. Phenytoin demonstrated the most potent spermicidal action.Conclusions: VGSCs blockers have significant adverse effects on in-vitro motility of human spermatozoa. So in-vivo studies are required to determine their potential toxicological effects on human semen quality, which is an important factor regarding fertility. Moreover, these drugs have the potential to be developed into contact spermicidal.

Determination of Complement-Mediated Killing of Bacteria by Viability Staining and Bioluminescence

OpenAIRE

Virta, Marko; Lineri, Sanna; Kankaanpää, Pasi; Karp, Matti; Peltonen, Karita; Nuutila, Jari; Lilius, Esa-Matti

1998-01-01

Complement-mediated killing of bacteria was monitored by flow cytometric, luminometric, and conventional plate counting methods. A flow cytometric determination of bacterial viability was carried out by using dual staining with a LIVE/DEAD BacLight bacterial viability kit. In addition to the viable cell population, several other populations emerged in the fluorescence histogram, and there was a dramatic decrease in the total cell count in the light-scattering histogram in the course of the co...

Seed viability of five wild Saudi Arabian species by germination and X-ray tests

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B.A. Al-Hammad

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Our objective was to evaluate the usefulness of the germination vs. the X-ray test in determining the initial viability of seeds of five wild species (Moringa peregrina, Abrus precatorius, Arthrocnemum macrostachyum, Acacia ehrenbergiana and Acacia tortilis from Saudi Arabia. Usually several days were required to determine the viability of all five species via germination tests. However, X-ray test will give immediate results on filled/viable seeds. Seeds of all species, except Acacia ehrenbergiana and Acacia tortilis showed high viability in both germination (96–72% at 25/15 °C, 94–70% at 35/25 °C and X-ray (100–80% test. Furthermore, there was a general agreement between the germination (19%, 14% at 25/15 °C and 17% and 12% at 35/25 °C and X-ray (8%, 4% tests in which seed viability of Acacia ehrenbergiana and Acacia tortilis was very low due to insect damaged embryo as shown in X-ray analysis. Seeds of Abruspreca torius have physical dormancy, which was broken by scarification in concentrated sulfuric acid (10 min, and they exhibited high viability in both the germination (83% at 25/15 °C and 81% at 35/25 °C and X-ray (96% tests. Most of the nongerminated seeds of the five species except those of Acacia ehrenbergiana and Acacia tortilis, were alive as judged by the tetrazolium test (TZ. Thus, for the five species examined, the X-ray test was proved to be a good and rapid predictor of seed viability.

Determination of intestinal viability by Doppler ultrasonography in venous infarction.

Science.gov (United States)

Cooperman, M; Martin, E W; Carey, L C

1980-01-01

The accuracy of Doppler ultrasound in predicting the viability of ischemic intestine secondary to venous obstruction was assessed. Twenty loops of ischemic intestine were created in dogs by temporarily obstructing venous return from the bowel. Doppler arterial flow signals within the intestine quickly disappeared following venous occlusion. In ten segments, arterial signals promptly returned following release of venous occlusion. Nine of these ten segments were viable at reoperation 24 hours later. In ten segments, no arterial signals could be detected following release of venous occlusion, and only one segment proved to be viable. Doppler ultrasound findings were far more accurate in distinguishing between viable and nonviable intestine thatn were clinical guides to intestinal viability. PMID:7352777

Mechanism of H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress regulating viability and biocontrol ability of Rhodotorula glutinis.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jian; Li, Boqiang; Qin, Guozheng; Tian, Shiping

2015-01-16

The use of antagonistic yeasts to control postharvest pathogens is a promising alternative to fungicides. The effectiveness of the antagonists against fungal pathogens is greatly dependent on their viability, which is usually mediated by reactive oxygen species (ROS). Here, we investigated the effects of H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress on the viability and biocontrol efficacy of Rhodotorula glutinis and, using flow cytometric analysis, observed the changes of ROS accumulation and apoptosis in the yeast cells with or without H₂O₂ treatment. We found that the viability of R. glutinis decreased in a time- and dose-dependent manner under H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress. Compared to the control, yeast cells exposed to oxidative stress exhibited more accumulation of ROS and higher levels of protein oxidative damage, but showed lower efficacy for biocontrol of Penicillium expansum causing blue mold rot on peach fruit. The results indicate that apoptosis is a main cause of the cell viability loss in R. glutinis, which is attributed to ROS accumulation under oxidative stress. These findings offer a plausible explanation that oxidative stress affects biocontrol efficacy of R. glutinis via regulating its viability and cell apoptosis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental Measurement-While-Drilling System and Horizontal Directional Drilling Technology Demonstration, Hanford Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, C.V.; Lockwood, G.J.; Normann, R.A.; Myers, D.A.; Gardner, M.G.; Williamson, T.; Huffman, J.

1999-01-01

The Environmental Measurement-While-Drilling (EMWD) system and Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) were successfully demonstrated at the Mock Tank Leak Simulation Site and the Drilling Technology Test Site, Hanford, Washington. The use of directional drilling offers an alternative to vertical drilling site characterization. Directional drilling can develop a borehole under a structure, such as a waste tank, from an angled entry and leveling off to horizontal at the desired depth. The EMWD system represents an innovative blend of new and existing technology that provides the capability of producing real-time environmental and drill bit data during drilling operations. The technology demonstration consisted of the development of one borehole under a mock waste tank at a depth of approximately minus8 m (minus27 ft.), following a predetermined drill path, tracking the drill path to within a radius of approximately1.5 m (5 ft.), and monitoring for zones of radiological activity using the EMWD system. The purpose of the second borehole was to demonstrate the capability of drilling to a depth of ∼ -21 m (-70 ft.), the depth needed to obtain access under the Hanford waste tanks, and continue drilling horizontally. This report presents information on the HDD and EMWD technologies, demonstration design, results of the demonstrations, and lessons learned

Cosmological viability conditions for f(T) dark energy models

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Setare, M.R.; Mohammadipour, N., E-mail: rezakord@ipm.ir, E-mail: N.Mohammadipour@uok.ac.ir [Department of Science, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2012-11-01

Recently f(T) modified teleparallel gravity where T is the torsion scalar has been proposed as the natural gravitational alternative for dark energy. We perform a detailed dynamical analysis of these models and find conditions for the cosmological viability of f(T) dark energy models as geometrical constraints on the derivatives of these models. We show that in the phase space exists two cosmologically viable trajectory which (i) The universe would start from an unstable radiation point, then pass a saddle standard matter point which is followed by accelerated expansion de sitter point. (ii) The universe starts from a saddle radiation epoch, then falls onto the stable matter era and the system can not evolve to the dark energy dominated epoch. Finally, for a number of f(T) dark energy models were proposed in the more literature, the viability conditions are investigated.

Prolonging the viability of Lactobacillus plantarum through the addition of prebiotics into the medium.

Science.gov (United States)

Altieri, Clelia; Bevilacqua, Antonio; Sinigaglia, Milena

2011-08-01

This article reports on the effects of prebiotics on the growth/death kinetics, metabolism, and biomass production by 2 strains of Lactobacillus plantarum (c19 and DSMZ 2601, isolated from table olives and purchased from a Public Collection, respectively). The research was divided into 3 different steps, in order to highlight the optimal combination for cell viability and experiments were performed under the conditions of an accelerated shelf life test; thus, 3 combinations were pointed out (fructooligosaccharides [FOS], 5 g/L; glucose + inulin, 2.5 + 2.5 g/L; glucose + FOS, 2.5 + 2.5 g/L). A sample containing only glucose was used as control. The results highlighted that the 3 combinations aforementioned prolonged cell viability over the time both under low and high inoculum conditions (3 and 9 log CFU/mL, respectively); however, FOS alone caused a reduction of biomass production, even if cell number was not affected by this compound. Therefore, as a final result of this research, the combination glucose + FOS could be proposed as a suitable mean to achieve an optimal production of biomass and prolong cell viability over the time. Food producers require a prolonged viability of probiotic bacteria in functional foods; this goal is usually achieved by refrigeration. In this article, the prolongation of cell viability through the addition of prebiotics was proposed. © 2011 Institute of Food Technologists®

The Viability of the Lactobacillus Rhamnosus IL4.2 Strain in Simulated Gastrointestinal Conditions

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Emanuel Vamanu

2011-05-01

Full Text Available The viability maintenance of Lactobacillus rhamnosus IL4.2 strain in gastrointestinal conditions represents one of the most important characteristics regarding its use for obtaining probiotic products. The tests were performed with a cell suspension kept in 0.5% NaCl. The influence of pepsin (3 g/l at pH of 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3, as well as of pancreatin (1 g/l in the presence of bile salts (1.5, 2, 3 and 5 mg/ml were determined. The influence of casein and mucin, in a concentration of 1 g/l, was also established in the aforementioned conditions. It was observed that mucin presented a longer viability maintenance, fact also confirmed by the calculation of the mathematical parameters of viability and mortality, when mucin was either used or not, especially in the case of gastric transit. The results proved that the tested strain maintained its viability even at pH between 1.8 - 2 and at an even higher concentration, of 2 mg/ml of bile salts, but up to two hours as of the exposure to the conditions of the simulated small intestinal juice. Such results were also confirmed by the cumulated effect of the simulated gastric and small intestinal juice, the strain thus increasing its viability with an average of 10% in the presence of mucin.

Effect of Storage Temperature on Beauveria bassiana (Bals. Vuill. Viability on Several Carriers

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Sri Sukamto

2006-05-01

Full Text Available One of the entomopatogenous fungus types commonly observed and showed potency as myco-insectiside is Beauveria bassiana(Bals. Vuill.In order to support effectiveness and patogenous activity of B. bassiana, it is necessary to add a carrying agent that protects its spores from ultra violet ray. This study aims to investigate the effect of storage temperature on viability of B. Bassianaspores on the carrier material. The observation was carried out in the Laboratory of Plant Diseases, Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute. The research was arranged in completely randomized design by three factors. The first factor was carrier (C, that consists of C1 = rice flour, C2 = maize flour and C3 = tapioca flour. The second factor was dosage (D, that consists of D1 = 1 g B. bassiana+ 1 g carrier; D2 = 1 g B. bassiana+ 5 g carrier and D3 = 1 g B. bassiana+ 10 g carrier. The third factor was temperature of the storage (T,that consists of T1 = 5oC; T2 = 23oC and T3 = 29oC. Viability of B. Bassiana spores was examined by observing development of 100 blastopores randomly and determined under light microscope with 400 times magnification. Observation was conducted in two replicates after the spores of B. bassiana were kept in the storage for 2, 4, 8 and 16 weeks. The result showed that by adding 1 g tapioca flour and temperature of storage of 5oC was potentiall in keeping viability of B. bassianaspores at least for 2 months. It was due to that tapioca flour gave better effect than rice and maize flours in keeping the storage and appropriate low temperature. Viability of B. bassianaspores decreased with increasing carrier dosage, temperature and duration of the storage. Whereas, storage at 5oC was found to be a better condition in keeping viability of dry pure B. bassianaspores longer than conditions of 23o and 29oC. Key word:Beauveria bassiana, temperature, viability,carrier.

Continuous Quadrupole Magnetic Separation of Islets during Digestion Improves Purified Porcine Islet Viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Weegman, Bradley P; Kumar Sajja, Venkata Sunil; Suszynski, Thomas M; Rizzari, Michael D; Scott Iii, William E; Kitzmann, Jennifer P; Mueller, Kate R; Hanley, Thomas R; Kennedy, David J; Todd, Paul W; Balamurugan, Appakalai N; Hering, Bernhard J; Papas, Klearchos K

2016-01-01

Islet transplantation (ITx) is an emerging and promising therapy for patients with uncontrolled type 1 diabetes. The islet isolation and purification processes require exposure to extended cold ischemia, warm-enzymatic digestion, mechanical agitation, and use of damaging chemicals for density gradient separation (DG), all of which reduce viable islet yield. In this paper, we describe initial proof-of-concept studies exploring quadrupole magnetic separation (QMS) of islets as an alternative to DG to reduce exposure to these harsh conditions. Three porcine pancreata were split into two parts, the splenic lobe (SPL) and the combined connecting/duodenal lobes (CDL), for paired digestions and purifications. Islets in the SPL were preferentially labeled using magnetic microparticles (MMPs) that lodge within the islet microvasculature when infused into the pancreas and were continuously separated from the exocrine tissue by QMS during the collection phase of the digestion process. Unlabeled islets from the CDL were purified by conventional DG. Islets purified by QMS exhibited significantly improved viability (measured by oxygen consumption rate per DNA, p < 0.03) and better morphology relative to control islets. Islet purification by QMS can reduce the detrimental effects of prolonged exposure to toxic enzymes and density gradient solutions and substantially improve islet viability after isolation.

Continuous Quadrupole Magnetic Separation of Islets during Digestion Improves Purified Porcine Islet Viability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bradley P. Weegman

2016-01-01

Full Text Available Islet transplantation (ITx is an emerging and promising therapy for patients with uncontrolled type 1 diabetes. The islet isolation and purification processes require exposure to extended cold ischemia, warm-enzymatic digestion, mechanical agitation, and use of damaging chemicals for density gradient separation (DG, all of which reduce viable islet yield. In this paper, we describe initial proof-of-concept studies exploring quadrupole magnetic separation (QMS of islets as an alternative to DG to reduce exposure to these harsh conditions. Three porcine pancreata were split into two parts, the splenic lobe (SPL and the combined connecting/duodenal lobes (CDL, for paired digestions and purifications. Islets in the SPL were preferentially labeled using magnetic microparticles (MMPs that lodge within the islet microvasculature when infused into the pancreas and were continuously separated from the exocrine tissue by QMS during the collection phase of the digestion process. Unlabeled islets from the CDL were purified by conventional DG. Islets purified by QMS exhibited significantly improved viability (measured by oxygen consumption rate per DNA, p<0.03 and better morphology relative to control islets. Islet purification by QMS can reduce the detrimental effects of prolonged exposure to toxic enzymes and density gradient solutions and substantially improve islet viability after isolation.

Approximate viability for nonlinear evolution inclusions with application to controllability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Omar Benniche

2016-12-01

Full Text Available We investigate approximate viability for a graph with respect to fully nonlinear quasi-autonomous evolution inclusions. As application, an approximate null controllability result is given.

Punicalagin and (-)-Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Rescue Cell Viability and Attenuate Inflammatory Responses of Human Epidermal Keratinocytes Exposed to Airborne Particulate Matter PM10.

Science.gov (United States)

Seok, Jin Kyung; Lee, Jeong-Won; Kim, Young Mi; Boo, Yong Chool

2018-01-01

Airborne particulate matter with a diameter of < 10 µm (PM10) causes oxidative damage, inflammation, and premature skin aging. In this study, we evaluated whether polyphenolic antioxidants attenuate the inflammatory responses of PM10-exposed keratinocytes. Primary human epidermal keratinocytes were exposed in vitro to PM10 in the absence or presence of punicalagin and (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), which are the major polyphenolic antioxidants found in pomegranate and green tea, respectively. Assays were performed to determine cell viability, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and expression of NADPH oxidases (NOX), proinflammatory cytokines, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1. PM10 decreased cell viability and increased ROS production in a dose-dependent manner. It also increased the expression levels of NOX-1, NOX-2, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and MMP-1. Punicalagin was not cytotoxic up to 300 μM, and (-)-EGCG was cytotoxic above 30 μM, respectively. Further, punicalagin (3-30 μM) and EGCG (3-10 μM) rescued the viability of PM10-exposed cells. They also attenuated ROS production and the expression of NOX-1, NOX-2, TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, IL-8, and MMP-1 stimulated by PM10. This study demonstrates that polyphenolic antioxidants, such as punicalagin and (-)-EGCG, rescue keratinocyte viability and attenuate the inflammatory responses of these cells due to airborne particles. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Effect of antiaggregants on the in vitro viability, cell count and stability of abalone (Haliotis iris) haemocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Grandiosa, Roffi; Bouwman, Mai-Louise; Young, Tim; Mérien, Fabrice; Alfaro, Andrea C

2018-07-01

The ability to successfully prepare and preserve haemocyte cells for microscopy and flow cytometry is critical for the investigation of animal immune systems. In this study, we observed the total cell count, in vitro viability and stability of New Zealand black-footed abalone (Haliotis iris) haemocytes with different antiaggregants and handling protocols. Haemocyte stability was evaluated by direct observation of haemocytes under the microscope and calculating the aggregation index. Haemocyte counts and viability were measured via flow cytometry and tested for the effect of different antiaggregants (Alsever's solution at three concentrations, and specialised blood collection tubes containing lithium heparin and K 2 EDTA) at different temperatures and storage times. Results showed that Alsever's solution is an effective antiaggregant at haemolymph:antiaggregant dilution ratios of 1:1, 1:2 and 1:3. Lithium heparin was ineffective as an antiaggregant, whereas K 2 EDTA was similarly as effective as Alsever's solution. The influence of different mixing techniques (vortex, pipetting and flipping) were subsequently tested using the K 2 EDTA Microtainer ® tubes, revealing that proper mixing should be performed immediately. High cell viability can be achieved by mixing samples by either 10 s of vortexing (1000 rpm), 10 times pipetting or 20 times flipping. The in vitro storage of abalone haemocytes in AS and K 2 EDTA as antiaggregants at ambient room temperature was highly effective for up to 24 h (75-85% viability; 0.05-0.15 aggregation index) and is recommended for haemocyte studies in H. iris. Utilization of K 2 EDTA Microtainer ® tubes were advantageous since they are more cost effective compared to Alsever's solution, and samples can be prepared more efficiently. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Assessing Technical and Programmatic Viability of Nuclear Waste and Material Stream Disposition Plans

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

R. S. Hill; B. Griebenow

1999-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Environmental Management (EM) has responsibility for cleanup and disposition of nuclear wastes and excess materials that are a legacy of the nuclear arms race. In fulfilling this responsibility, EM applies a systems engineering approach to identify baseline disposition plans for the wastes and materials (storage, stabilization, treatment, and disposal), assess the path viability, and develop integration opportunities to improve the disposition viability or to combine, eliminate, and/or simplify activities, technologies, and facilities across the DOE Complex, evaluate the baseline and alternatives to make informed decisions, and implement and track selected opportunities. This paper focuses on processes used to assess the disposition path viability - the likelihood that current planning for disposition of nuclear waste and materials can be implemented

SmATG7 is required for viability in the homothallic ascomycete Sordaria macrospora.

Science.gov (United States)

Nolting, Nicole; Bernhards, Yasmine; Pöggeler, Stefanie

2009-08-01

In filamentous ascomycetes, autophagy is involved in several developmental processes. Nevertheless, until now little is known about its role in fruiting-body development. We therefore isolated a gene of the homothallic ascomycete Sordaria macrospora with high sequence similarity to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae autophagy-related gene ATG7, encoding a core autophagy regulator. This is the first characterization of an ATG7 homolog in filamentous ascomycetes. A S. cerevisiae complementation assay demonstrated that the S. macrospora Smatg7 gene functionally replaces the yeast homolog. We were not able to generate a homokaryotic knock-out mutant in S. macrospora, suggesting that Smatg7 is required for viability. However, a heterokaryotic DeltaSmatg7/Smatg7 strain and transformants generated by RNA interference showed considerable morphological phenotypes during fruiting-body development. Using real-time PCR, we demonstrated that in the wild type, the transcriptional expression of Smatg7 is markedly up-regulated under amino acid starvation conditions and at late stages during sexual development. Moreover, we showed that transcriptionally down-regulation of Smatg7 disturbs autophagy in S. macrospora.

Myocardial Viability on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance.

Science.gov (United States)

Souto, Ana Luiza Mansur; Souto, Rafael Mansur; Teixeira, Isabella Cristina Resende; Nacif, Marcelo Souto

2017-05-01

The study of myocardial viability is of great importance in the orientation and management of patients requiring myocardial revascularization or angioplasty. The technique of delayed enhancement (DE) is accurate and has transformed the study of viability into an easy test, not only for the detection of fibrosis but also as a binary test detecting what is viable or not. On DE, fibrosis equal to or greater than 50% of the segmental area is considered as non-viable, whereas that below 50% is considered viable. During the same evaluation, cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) may also use other techniques for functional and perfusion studies to obtain a global evaluation of ischemic heart disease. This study aims to highlight the current concepts and broadly emphasize the use of CMR as a method that over the last 20 years has become a reference in the detection of infarction and assessment of myocardial viability. Resumo O estudo de viabilidade miocárdica é de grande importância para a orientação e manejo de pacientes que necessitam de cirurgia de revascularização miocárdica ou angioplastia. A técnica de realce tardio (RT) é precisa e transformou o estudo de viabilidade em um teste fácil, não só para a detecção de fibrose, mas também como um modelo binário para a detecção do que é ou não é viável. Uma fibrose identificada pelo RT é considerada como não viável quando igual ou maior do que 50% da área segmentar e como viável quando menor que 50%. A ressonância magnética cardíaca (RMC) também pode lançar mão de outras técnicas para estudo funcional e de perfusão para uma avaliação global da doença isquêmica do coração no mesmo exame. Este estudo tem como objetivo destacar os conceitos atuais e enfatizar amplamente o uso da RMC como um método que nos últimos 20 anos se tornou referência na detecção de infarto e avaliação de viabilidade miocárdica.

75 FR 42474 - The Future of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC) Subcommittee on Competitiveness and Viability...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-21

... of Aviation Advisory Committee (FAAC) Subcommittee on Competitiveness and Viability; Notice of... Transportation, announces the second meeting of the FAAC Subcommittee on Competitiveness and Viability, which... recommendations to the Secretary of Transportation to ensure the competitiveness of the U.S. aviation industry and...

Viability of small seeds found in feces of the Central American tapir on Barro Colorado Island, Panama.

Science.gov (United States)

Capece, Paula I; Aliaga-Rossel, Enzo; Jansen, Patrick A

2013-03-01

Tapirs are known as effective dispersers of large-seeded tree species, but their role in dispersing small-seeded plant species has yet to be established. Tapir feces have been reported to contain large numbers of small seeds, but whether these are viable has rarely been evaluated. We determined the abundance and viability of small seeds in feces of Central American tapir (Tapirus bairdii) on Barro Colorado Island, Panama. A total of 72 fecal samples were collected opportunistically from 4 tapir latrine sites. Seeds were manually extracted from feces and classified by size. Seed viability was estimated by opening each seed and examining for the presence of at least 1 intact firm white endosperm. In total, we obtained 8166 seeds of at least 16 plant species. Small-seeded species dominated, with 96% of all seeds found measuring tapirs potentially serve as effective dispersers of a wide range of small-seeded plant species. © 2012 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd, ISZS and IOZ/CAS.

The Plasma Hearth Process demonstration project for mixed waste treatment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Geimer, R.; Dwight, C.; McClellan, G.

1994-01-01

The Plasma Hearth Process (PHP) demonstration project is one of the key technology projects in the Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Technology Development (OTD) Mixed Waste Integrated Program (MWIP). Testing to date has yielded encouraging results in displaying potential applications for the PHP technology. Early tests have shown that a wide range of waste materials can be readily processed in the PHP and converted to a vitreous product. Waste materials can be treated in their original container as received at the treatment facility, without pretreatment. The vitreous product, when cooled, exhibits excellent performance in leach resistance, consistently exceeding the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) requirements. Performance of the Demonstration System during test operations has been shown to meet emission requirements. An accelerated development phase, being conducted at both bench- and pilot-scale on both nonradioactive and radioactive materials, will confirm the viability of the process. It is anticipated that, as a result of this accelerated technology development and demonstration phase, the PHP will be ready for a final field-level demonstration within three years

Effect of chlorinated ethene conversion on viability and activity of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Hylckama Vlieg, Johan E.T.; Koning, Wim de; Janssen, Dick B.

1997-01-01

The effect of transformation of chlorinated ethenes on the cell viability of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b was investigated. A comparison of the loss of viability with the decrease in transformation rates shelved that for the monooxygenase-mediated transformation of all chlorinated ethenes except

Sperm viability assessment in marine invertebrates by fluorescent staining and spectrofluorimetry: A promising tool for assessing marine pollution impact.

Science.gov (United States)

Gallo, Alessandra; Boni, Raffaele; Tosti, Elisabetta

2018-01-01

The viability of spermatozoa is a crucial parameter to evaluate their quality that is an important issue in ecotoxicological studies. Here, a new method has been developed to rapidly determine the viability of spermatozoa in three marine invertebrates: the ascidian Ciona intestinalis, the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus and the mollusc Mytilus galloprovincialis. This method employed the dual DNA fluorescent staining coupled with spectrofluorimetric analysis. The dual fluorescent staining used the SYBR-14 stained live spermatozoa and propidium iodide stained degenerated cells that had lost membrane integrity. Stain uptake was assessed by confocal microscopy and then the percentage of live and dead spermatozoa was quantified by spectrofluorimetric analysis. The microscopic examination revealed three populations of spermatozoa: living-SYBR-14 stained, dead-PI stained, and dying-doubly stained spermatozoa. The fluorescence emission peak values recorded in a spectrofluorimeter provide the portion of live and dead spermatozoa showing a significant negative correlation. The stain combination was further validated using known ratios of live and dead spermatozoa. The present study demonstrated that the dual DNA staining with SYBR-14 and propidium iodide was effective in assessing viability of spermatozoa in marine invertebrates and that spectrofluorimetric analysis can be successfully employed to evaluate the percentage of live and dead spermatozoa. The method develop herein is simple, accurate, rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective, so it could be a useful tool by which marine pollutants may be screened for spermiotoxicity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Optically induced dielectropheresis sorting with automated medium exchange in an integrated optofluidic device resulting in higher cell viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Gwo-Bin; Wu, Huan-Chun; Yang, Po-Fu; Mai, John D

2014-08-07

We demonstrated the integration of a microfluidic device with an optically induced dielectrophoresis (ODEP) device such that the critical medium replacement process was performed automatically and the cells could be subsequently manipulated by using digitally projected optical images. ODEP has been demonstrated to generate sufficient forces for manipulating particles/cells by projecting a light pattern onto photoconductive materials which creates virtual electrodes. The production of the ODEP force usually requires a medium that has a suitable electrical conductivity and an appropriate dielectric constant. Therefore, a 0.2 M sucrose solution is commonly used. However, this requires a complicated medium replacement process before one is able to manipulate cells. Furthermore, the 0.2 M sucrose solution is not suitable for the long-term viability of cells. In comparison to conventional manual processes, our automated medium replacement process only took 25 minutes. Experimental data showed that there was up to a 96.2% recovery rate for the manipulated cells. More importantly, the survival rate of the cells was greatly enhanced due to this faster automated process. This newly developed microfluidic chip provided a promising platform for the rapid replacement of the cell medium and this was also the first time that an ODEP device was integrated with other active flow control components in a microfluidic device. By improving cell viability after cell manipulation, this design may contribute to the practical integration of ODEP modules into other lab-on-a-chip devices and biomedical applications in the future.

Enhanced seed viability and lipid compositional changes during natural ageing by suppressing phospholipase Dα in soybean seed.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Junghoon; Welti, Ruth; Roth, Mary; Schapaugh, William T; Li, Jiarui; Trick, Harold N

2012-02-01

Changes in phospholipid composition and consequent loss of membrane integrity are correlated with loss of seed viability. Furthermore, phospholipid compositional changes affect the composition of the triacylglycerols (TAG), i.e. the storage lipids. Phospholipase D (PLD) catalyses the hydrolysis of phospholipids to phosphatidic acid, and PLDα is an abundant PLD isoform. Although wild-type (WT) seeds stored for 33 months were non-viable, 30%-50% of PLDα-knockdown (PLD-KD) soybean seeds stored for 33 months germinated. WT and PLD-KD seeds increased in lysophospholipid levels and in TAG fatty acid unsaturation during ageing, but the levels of lysophospholipids increased more in WT than in PLD-KD seeds. The loss of viability of WT seeds was correlated with alterations in ultrastructure, including detachment of the plasma membrane from the cell wall complex and disorganization of oil bodies. The data demonstrate that, during natural ageing, PLDα affects the soybean phospholipid profile and the TAG profile. Suppression of PLD activity in soybean seed has potential for improving seed quality during long-term storage. © 2011 The Authors. Plant Biotechnology Journal © 2011 Society for Experimental Biology, Association of Applied Biologists and Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Towards an understanding of the influence of national culture on organisational viability: An exploratory study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Awuzie Bankole O.

2017-06-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Viability connotes a system’s ability to become ultra-stable through effective self-regulation of its internal processes and information processing among its subsystems. Applying this to an infrastructure delivery system (IDS context, this study proposes that an IDS can successfully deliver on client requirements only if they attain and maintain viability. Research into the influence of National Culture (NC on an IDS’s viability appears to be lacking; hence this study. Adopting a multi-case study, qualitative research design, this study explores three IDSs involved in the delivery of infrastructure projects in two different NC contexts; Nigeria and the United Kingdom. 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted across the cases to provide for an in-depth understanding of existing interactions between participants in these delivery systems: client/project sponsor; main contractor and sub-contractors and to understand the influence of the prevailing national culture on such interactions, if any. Findings indicate that NC in project delivery environments influence the ability of IDSs to attain viability, especially as it pertains to the sustenance of Team Quality Attributes (TWQ within the system. Based on these findings, it is expected that in modelling IDSs for viability, adequate consideration should be given to the prevailing NC by project managers and planners.

Aptamer-based viability impedimetric sensor for bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Labib, Mahmoud; Zamay, Anna S; Kolovskaya, Olga S; Reshetneva, Irina T; Zamay, Galina S; Kibbee, Richard J; Sattar, Syed A; Zamay, Tatiana N; Berezovski, Maxim V

2012-11-06

The development of an aptamer-based viability impedimetric sensor for bacteria (AptaVISens-B) is presented. Highly specific DNA aptamers to live Salmonella typhimurium were selected via the cell-systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) technique. Twelve rounds of selection were performed; each comprises a positive selection step against viable S. typhimurium and a negative selection step against heat killed S. typhimurium and a mixture of related pathogens, including Salmonella enteritidis, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Citrobacter freundii to ensure the species specificity of the selected aptamers. The DNA sequence showing the highest binding affinity to the bacteria was further integrated into an impedimetric sensor via self-assembly onto a gold nanoparticle-modified screen-printed carbon electrode (GNP-SPCE). Remarkably, this aptasensor is highly selective and can successfully detect S. typhimurium down to 600 CFU mL(-1) (equivalent to 18 live cells in 30 μL of assay volume) and distinguish it from other Salmonella species, including S. enteritidis and S. choleraesuis. This report is envisaged to open a new venue for the aptamer-based viability sensing of a variety of microorganisms, particularly viable but nonculturable (VBNC) bacteria, using a rapid, economic, and label-free electrochemical platform.

Comparison of methods used for assessing the viability and vitality of yeast cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Kwolek-Mirek, Magdalena; Zadrag-Tecza, Renata

2014-11-01

Determination of cell viability is the most commonly used method for assessing the impact of various types of stressors in toxicity research and in industrial microbiology studies. Viability is defined as a percentage of live cells in a whole population. Although cell death is one of the consequences of toxicity, chemical or physical factors may exert their toxic effects through a number of cellular alterations that may compromise cell ability to divide without necessarily leading to cell death. This aspect represents the term 'cell vitality' defined as physiological capabilities of cells. It is important to note that cell viability and cell vitality represent two different aspects of cell functions, and both are required for the estimation of the physiological state of a cell after exposure to various types of stressors and chemical or physical factors. In this paper, we introduced a classification of available methods for estimating both viability and vitality in Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast cells (wild-type and Δsod1 mutant) in which the effects of selected oxidants causing oxidative stress is evaluated. We present the advantages as well as disadvantages of the selected methods and assess their usefulness in different types of research. © 2014 Federation of European Microbiological Societies. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.

In Vitro Pollen Viability and Pollen Germination in Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melekber Sulusoglu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Pollen quality is important for growers and breeders. This study was carried out to determine in vitro pollen viability and pollen germination in seven genotypes of cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus L.. Two pollen viability tests, TTC (2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride and IKI (iodine potassium iodide, were used. Pollen traits of genotypes were studied using an in vitro medium containing 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% sucrose to determine the best sucrose concentrations for germination. In the second step, the germinated pollen was counted 1, 4, 6, 10, 12, 24, and 48 hours later until there was no further germination. The viability rates were different according to genotypes and tests used. The IKI and TTC staining tests and pollen germination had low correlation (r2 = 0.0614 and r2 = 0.0015, resp.. Painted pollen rate was higher and pollen was well-stained with IKI test and pollen viability estimated with TTC staining test was better than that estimated with the IKI staining test. 15% sucrose gave the best germination rates in most of the genotypes. Pollen germination rates were recorded periodically from one hour to 48 hours in 15% sucrose and the results showed that pollen germination rates increased after 6 hours of being placed in culture media.

In vitro pollen viability and pollen germination in cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus L.).

Science.gov (United States)

Sulusoglu, Melekber; Cavusoglu, Aysun

2014-01-01

Pollen quality is important for growers and breeders. This study was carried out to determine in vitro pollen viability and pollen germination in seven genotypes of cherry laurel (Prunus laurocerasus L.). Two pollen viability tests, TTC (2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride) and IKI (iodine potassium iodide), were used. Pollen traits of genotypes were studied using an in vitro medium containing 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% sucrose to determine the best sucrose concentrations for germination. In the second step, the germinated pollen was counted 1, 4, 6, 10, 12, 24, and 48 hours later until there was no further germination. The viability rates were different according to genotypes and tests used. The IKI and TTC staining tests and pollen germination had low correlation (r(2) = 0.0614 and r(2) = 0.0015, resp.). Painted pollen rate was higher and pollen was well-stained with IKI test and pollen viability estimated with TTC staining test was better than that estimated with the IKI staining test. 15% sucrose gave the best germination rates in most of the genotypes. Pollen germination rates were recorded periodically from one hour to 48 hours in 15% sucrose and the results showed that pollen germination rates increased after 6 hours of being placed in culture media.

A note on the viability of Gauss-Bonnet cosmology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chingangbam, R.; Sami, M.; Tretyakov, P.V.; Toporensky, A.V.

2008-01-01

In this Letter, we analyze the viability of a vacuum Gauss-Bonnet cosmology by examining the dynamics of the homogeneous and anisotropic background in 4+1 dimensions. The trajectories of the system either originate from the standard singularity or from non-standard type, the later is characterized by the divergence of time derivative of the Hubble parameters for its finite value. At the onset, the system should relax to Einstein phase at late times as the effect of Gauss-Bonnet term becomes negligible in the low energy regime. However, we find that most of the trajectories emerging from the standard big-bang singularity lead to future re-collapse whereas the system beginning its evolution from the non-standard singularity enters the Kasner regime at late times. This leads to the conclusion that the measure of trajectories giving rise to a smooth evolution from a standard singularity to the Einstein phase is negligibly small for generic initial conditions

Viability of Event Management Business in Batangas City, Philippine: Basis for Business Operation Initiatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeninah Christia D. Borbon

2016-11-01

Full Text Available The research study on Viability of Event Management Business in Batangas City: Basis for Business Operation Initiatives aimed to assess the viability of this type of business using Thompson’s (2005 Dimension of Business Viability as its tool in order to create business operation initiatives. It provided a good framework for defining success factors in entrepreneurial operation initiatives in a specific business type – event management. This study utilized event organizers based in Batangas, a southern popular province, which also is a great popular destination for many types of events. Findings showed that the event management business in Batangas City is generally a personal event type of business whose year of operation ranges from one to three years, mostly link to church or reception venues and usually offers on the day coordination. In the assessment of its perceived viability, it was found out that this type of business is moderately viable in terms of market, technical, business model, management model, economic and financial, and exit strategy. Among all the dimensions tested, only market, management model, economic and financial, and exit strategy showed significant relationship with the profile variables of the event management business. From the enumerated problems encountered, those that got the highest rate were demanding clients, overbooking of reservation/exceeding number of guests and failure to meet spectators and/or competitors expectations. And, the recommended business operation initiatives were based on the weaknesses discovered using Thompson’s Dimension of Business Viability Model.

Sustainable model for financial viability of decentralized biomass gasifier based power projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palit, Debajit; Malhotra, Ramit; Kumar, Atul

2011-01-01

This paper made a modest attempt for designing a sustainable model for financial viability of biomass gasifier power projects for enhancing electricity access in India and other developing countries. For long term sustainability of distributed generation projects in remote rural areas, viability from both project implementing agency (PIA) and the end-users need to be ensured. The minimum required prices of electricity from both PIA and end-user perspective have been estimated. While for PIA the cost recovery is the key for viability, the affordability to pay the electricity cost is crucial for the end users. Analysis carried out in this paper on the basis of data obtained from operational projects implemented in India reveal that it is essential to operate the system at a higher capacity utilization factor. While this can be achieved though creating convergence with locally relevant economic activity, it is also observed that micro-enterprises cannot pay beyond a certain price of electricity to keep it sustainable. This paper sets forth a case for developing a regulatory mechanism to extend the tariff fixation for the projects and providing cross-subsidies to ensure long term sustainability of off-grid project. - Highlights: → We design sustainable financial model for viability of biomass gasifier projects. → Analysis based on field data obtained from operational projects in India. Estimated electricity pricing from both implementing agency and end-users perspective. → A regulatory mechanism for tariff fixation and cross subsidization is recommended.

[Evaluation on intervention measures of comprehensive control for parasitic diseases in demonstration plot of Xiangyun County].

Science.gov (United States)

Wen-Juan, Li; Shao-Rong, Chen; Yan-Hong, Li; Wen, Fang; Chun-Rong, Ke; Li-Bo, Wang

2011-10-01

To evaluate the effect of comprehensive intervention measures to control and prevent parasitic diseases in the demonstration plot of Xiangyun County, so as to provide the evidence for establishing appropriate measures of parasitic diseases control and prevention. The baseline data of soil-transmitted nematode infections were obtained in 2006. A series of intervention measures, including health education, deworming, drinking water improvement,latrine improvement, and environment reconstruction, were performed for three years and the effect of the comprehensive intervention measures was evaluated by the national expert group in 2009. The awareness rate of parasitic disease knowledge of residents in 2009 (86.96%) was significantly higher than that in 2006 (35.20%) (Chi2 = 122.95, P transmitted nematode infections, the infection rates of Ascaris lumbricoides in both 2006 and 2009 were the highest and the rates were 18.74% and 2.08%, respectively. In the demonstration plots for parasitic diseases control and prevention of Xiangyun County, the effect of the comprehensive intervention measures which take health education as the forerunner and give priority to control source of parasite infection is remarkable. The measures implemented can achieve the purpose to reduce the infection rates of parasites and improve human health.

Pollen diversity, viability and floral structure of some Musa genotypes

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Prof. Ogunji

Pollen diversity, viability and floral structure of some Musa genotypes ... at the Faculty of Agriculture & Natural Resources Management farm, Ebonyi State University,. Abakaliki. ..... Roots, tuber, plantains and bananas in human nutrition. Rome,.

Puget Sound steelhead life cycle model analyses - Population Viability Analysis

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This research was initiated by the Puget Sound Steelhead Technical Recovery Team to develop viability criteria for threatened Puget Sound steelhead and to support...

Feasibility Demonstration of Exciplex Fluorescence Measurements in Evaporating Laminar Sprays of Diesel Fuel

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-15

code) 1 FEASIBILITY DEMONSTRATION OF EXCIPLEX FLUORESCENCE MEASUREMENTS IN EVAPORATING LAMINAR SPRAYS OF DIESEL FUEL Final Technical Report Grant...fluorescence is found to increase with temperature up to 538 K and then declines. Fluorescence from the liquid phase, i.e. the exciplex (Naphthalene+TMPD...to have as well characterized a description of the spray environment and assess conclusively the potential of the exciplex approach for more

Viability and resilience of complex systems concepts, methods and case studies from ecology and society

CERN Document Server

Deffuant, Guillaume

2011-01-01

One common characteristic of a complex system is its ability to withstand major disturbances and the capacity to rebuild itself. Understanding how such systems demonstrate resilience by absorbing or recovering from major external perturbations requires both quantitative foundations and a multidisciplinary view of the topic. This book demonstrates how new methods can be used to identify the actions favouring the recovery from perturbations on a variety of examples including the dynamics of bacterial biofilms, grassland savannahs, language competition and Internet social networking sites. The reader is taken through an introduction to the idea of resilience and viability and shown the mathematical basis of the techniques used to analyse systems. The idea of individual or agent-based modelling of complex systems is introduced and related to analytically tractable approximations of such models. A set of case studies illustrates the use of the techniques in real applications, and the final section describes how on...

Effect of cryopreservation and lyophilization on viability and growth of strict anaerobic human gut microbes.

Science.gov (United States)

Bircher, Lea; Geirnaert, Annelies; Hammes, Frederik; Lacroix, Christophe; Schwab, Clarissa

2018-04-17

Strict anaerobic gut microbes have been suggested as 'next-generation probiotics' for treating several intestinal disorders. The development of preservation techniques is of major importance for therapeutic application. This study investigated cryopreservation (-80°C) and lyophilization survival and storage stability (4°C for 3 months) of the strict anaerobic gut microbes Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia intestinalis, Anaerostipes caccae, Eubacterium hallii and Blautia obeum. To improve preservation survival, protectants sucrose and inulin (both 5% w/v) were added for lyophilization and were also combined with glycerol (15% v/v) for cryopreservation. Bacterial fitness, evaluated by maximum growth rate and lag phase, viability and membrane integrity were determined using a standardized growth assay and by flow cytometry as markers for preservation resistance. Lyophilization was more detrimental to viability and fitness than cryopreservation, but led to better storage stability. Adding sucrose and inulin enhanced viability and the proportion of intact cells during lyophilization of all strains. Viability of protectant-free B. thetaiotaomicron, A. caccae and F. prausnitzii was above 50% after cryopreservation and storage and increased to above 80% if protectants were present. The addition of glycerol, sucrose and inulin strongly enhanced the viability of B. obeum, E. hallii and R. intestinalis from 0.03-2% in protectant-free cultures to 11-37%. This is the first study that quantitatively compared the effect of cryopreservation and lyophilization and the addition of selected protectants on viability and fitness of six strict anaerobic gut microbes. Our results suggest that efficiency of protectants is process- and species-specific. © 2018 The Authors. Microbial Biotechnology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd and Society for Applied Microbiology.

Growth and viability of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus in traditional yoghurt enriched by honey and whey protein concentrate.

Science.gov (United States)

Glušac, J; Stijepić, M; Đurđević-Milošević, D; Milanović, S; Kanurić, K; Vukić, V

2015-01-01

The ability of whey protein concentrate (WPC) (1% w/v) and/or honey (2% and 4% w⁄v) to improve lactic acid bacteria (Streptococcus thermophilus and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus) growth and viability in yoghurt during a 21 day period of storage was investigated. Another focus of this study was to examine fermentation kinetics and post-acidification rates through pH and lactic acid content measurements over the 21 day period. The addition of WPC and acacia honey accelerated fermentation and improved lactic acid bacteria (LAB) growth over the 21 days, but honey proportion did not significantly affect the viability of LAB. Moreover, adding honey and WPC did not support the overproduction of lactic acid, which positively influenced yoghurt stability during the 21 day storage period.

Financial viability of district mutual health insurance schemes of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Since its implementation, unsubstantiated reports indicate increasing health care and administra-tive costs of the various DMHIS across the country without any corresponding increase in the premium level. We sought to assess the financial viability of the DMHIS in Lawra (LDMHIS) and Sissala East (SEDMHIS) districts, ...

The effects of storage conditions on the viability of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Long-terms recoverability of enteropathogens is necessary for future epidemiological studies to screen stool samples when conditions do not permit immediate processing. The aim of this study was to determine the viability and the recoverability of three enteropathogens bacteria (Yersinia enterocolitica, Vibrio cholerae O: 1 ...

Effect of Pretreatments on Seed Viability During Fruit Development ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Fiifi Baidoo

picked from standing trees and/or forest floors, attain maximum viability and ... increase in germination potential (60%) of seeds treated with polyethylene .... Key: 60* = There was no germination 60 days after sowing; MC = Moisture content; Germ. ...... Paper presented at the pre-germplasm collection meeting on Irvingia.

Effects of the antimicrobial peptide protegrine 1 on sperm viability and bacterial load of boar seminal doses.

Science.gov (United States)

Sancho, S; Briz, M; Yeste, M; Bonet, S; Bussalleu, E

2017-10-01

The presence of bacteria adversely affects boar sperm quality of seminal doses intended for artificial insemination. Currently, the most common measure to prevent bacteriospermia is the addition of antibiotics in semen extenders; however, mounting evidence shows that microbial resistance exists. A promising alternative to replace antibiotics are antimicrobial peptides. In this study, the effects of the antimicrobial peptide protegrine 1 (PG1) on the sperm viability and bacterial load of boar seminal doses were evaluated. Three different concentrations of PG1 (2.5, 25 and 100 μg/ml) were tested over a storing period of 10 days at 17°C. Sperm viability was analysed by fluorescence microscopy (SYBR14/propidium iodide), and bacterial load was assessed by plating 100 μl of each sample in Luria-Bertani medium and incubated at 37°C for 72 hr under aerobic conditions. Protegrine 1 was effective in controlling the bacterial load in all the assessed concentrations (p < .05), reaching the lowest values at the highest concentrations of the antimicrobial peptide. Nevertheless, sperm viability was significantly (p < .05) reduced by all tested concentrations of this peptide, the most cytotoxic effects being observed at the highest PG1 concentrations. Despite these results, the use of PG1 as an alternative to antibiotics cannot be totally discarded, as further studies using the truncated form of this peptide are needed. © 2017 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Usefulness of radionuclide scintiphotography to evaluate preserved kidney viability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sato, Koshi; Yokota, Kazuhiko; Uchida, Hisanori

1987-01-01

GAMMA imaging of the renal cortical microcirculation is a safe and non-invasive method for assessment of kidney viability before transplantation. We used trifluoperazine (TFP), urokinase and verapamil from 24 to 120 hour kidney preservation in dogs. For these preserved kidneys, we used radionuuclide scintiphotography to evaluate kidney viability. After preservation, these kidneys were perfused with technitium -99m labeled microspheres, and imaging of the renal vasculature was obtained by scintigraphy. The distribution of the microspheres was assessed visually and by computer analysis. Modified Collins' solution perfused kidneys show very poor cortical uptake with marked increase in uptake in the hilar region after preservation. In contrast, cortical flow remained relatively well preserved in kidneys perfused and preserved by use of modified Collins' solotion with TFP, urokinase and urokinase + verapamil. There was a direct correlation between these results and the capacity of kidneys treated in the same fashion to sustain life after retransplantation into the original host. (author)

Equine ovarian tissue viability after cryopreservation and in vitro culture

Science.gov (United States)

The efficiency of several cryoprotective agents were compared using both slow-freezing and vitrification methods. Results indicate that the viability of ovarian tissue cells increases when DMSO (slow-freezing) and ethylene glycol (vitrification) are used....

Optical-fiber interferometer for velocity measurements with picosecond resolution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng Jidong; Tan Hua; Wang Xiang; Ma Yun; Hu Shaolou; Wang Xiaosong

2006-01-01

The conventional Doppler laser-interference velocimeters are made up of traditional optical elements such as lenses and mirrors and will generally restrict its applications in multipoint velocity measurements. By transfering the light from multimode optical fiber to single-mode optical fiber and using the currently available conventional telecommunications elements, the authors have constructed a velocimeter called all-fiber displacement interferometer system for any reflector. The unique interferometer system is only made up of fibers or fiber-coupled components. The viability of this technique is demonstrated by measuring the velocity of an interface moving at velocity of 2133 m/s with 50 ps time resolution. In addition, the concept of optical-fiber mode conversion would provide a way to develop various optical-fiber sensors

Viability and growth characteristics of Lactobacillus in soymilk supplemented with B-vitamins.

Science.gov (United States)

Ewe, Joo-Ann; Wan-Abdullah, Wan-Nadiah; Liong, Min-Tze

2010-02-01

Ten strains of Lactobacillus were evaluated for their viability in soymilk. Lactobacillus acidophilus ATCC 314, L. acidophilus FTDC 8833, L. acidophilus FTDC 8633 and L. gasseri FTDC 8131 displayed higher viability in soymilk and were thus selected to be evaluated for viability and growth characteristics in soymilk supplemented with B-vitamins. Pour plate analyses showed that the supplementation of all B-vitamins studied promoted the growth of lactobacilli to a viable count exceeding 7 log CFU/ml. alpha-Galactosidase specific activity of lactobacilli as determined spectrophotometrically showed an increase upon supplementation of B-vitamins. High-performance liquid chromatography analyses revealed that this led to increased hydrolysis of soy oligosaccharides and subsequently higher utilization of simple sugars. Production of organic acids as determined via high-performance liquid chromatography also showed an increase, accompanied by a decrease in pH of soymilk. Additionally, the supplementation of B-vitamins also promoted the synthesis of riboflavin and folic acid by lactobacilli in soymilk. Our results indicated that B-vitamin-supplemented soymilk is a good proliferation medium for strains of lactobacilli.

Encapsulation in alginate-skim milk microspheres improves viability of Lactobacillus bulgaricus in stimulated gastrointestinal conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Pan, Ling-Xia; Fang, Xiu-Juan; Yu, Zhen; Xin, Yang; Liu, Xiao-Ying; Shi, Lu-E; Tang, Zhen-Xing

2013-05-01

Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (L. bulgaricus) was encapsulated in alginate-skim milk microspheres. Characteristics of encapsulated L. bulgaricus, such as pH stability, bile stability, storage stability and release property, were studied in this paper. The viability of free L. bulgaricus was not observed after 1 min in simulated gastric fluids (SGF) at pH 2.5 or 2.0. Compared with that of free L. bulgaricus, the viability of encapsulated L. bulgaricus only decreased 0.7 log CFU/g and 2 log CFU/g after 2.0 h incubation in SGF at pH 2.5 and pH 2.0, respectively. L. bulgaricus was also sensitive to bile solution. The viability of free L. bulgaricus was fully lost after 1 h incubation in 1 and 2% bile solution, while the viability of encapsulated L. bulgaricus was only lost 2 log CFU/g and 2.6 log CFU/g in 1 and 2% bile solution at the same time, respectively. Encapsulated L. bulgaricus could be completely released from microspheres in simulated intestinal fluid (pH 6.8) within 2 h. The viability of encapsulated L. bulgaricus retained around 8 log CFU/g when stored at 4°C for 30 days. The current encapsulation technique enables a large proportion of L. bulgaricus to remain good bioactive in a simulated gastrointestinal tract environment.

Montana Integrated Carbon to Liquids (ICTL) Demonstration Program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fiato, Rocco A. [Accelergy Corporation, Houston, TX (United States); Sharma, Ramesh [Univ. of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND (United States). Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC); Allen, Mark [Accelergy Corporation, Houston, TX (United States). Integrated Carbon Solutions; Peyton, Brent [Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States); Macur, Richard [Montana State Univ., Bozeman, MT (United States). Dept. of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences; Cameron, Jemima [Australian Energy Company Ltd., Hovea (Australia). Australian American Energy Corporation (AAEC)

2013-12-01

Integrated carbon-to-liquids technology (ICTL) incorporates three basic processes for the conversion of a wide range of feedstocks to distillate liquid fuels: (1) Direct Microcatalytic Coal Liquefaction (MCL) is coupled with biomass liquefaction via (2) Catalytic Hydrodeoxygenation and Isomerization (CHI) of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) or trigylceride fatty acids (TGFA) to produce liquid fuels, with process derived (3) CO₂ Capture and Utilization (CCU) via algae production and use in BioFertilizer for added terrestrial sequestration of CO₂, or as a feedstock for MCL and/or CHI. This novel approach enables synthetic fuels production while simultaneously meeting EISA 2007 Section 526 targets, minimizing land use and water consumption, and providing cost competitive fuels at current day petroleum prices. ICTL was demonstrated with Montana Crow sub-bituminous coal in MCL pilot scale operations at the Energy and Environmental Research Center at the University of North Dakota (EERC), with related pilot scale CHI studies conducted at the University of Pittsburgh Applied Research Center (PARC). Coal-Biomass to Liquid (CBTL) Fuel samples were evaluated at the US Air Force Research Labs (AFRL) in Dayton and greenhouse tests of algae based BioFertilizer conducted at Montana State University (MSU). Econometric modeling studies were also conducted on the use of algae based BioFertilizer in a wheat-camelina crop rotation cycle. We find that the combined operation is not only able to help boost crop yields, but also to provide added crop yields and associated profits from TGFA (from crop production) for use an ICTL plant feedstock. This program demonstrated the overall viability of ICTL in pilot scale operations. Related work on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of a Montana project indicated that CCU could be employed very effectively to reduce the overall carbon footprint of the MCL/CHI process. Plans are currently being made to conduct larger

Pollen viability and its effect on fruit set of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

ALFIN WIDIASTUTI

2008-01-01

Full Text Available The research was aimed at studying (1 the decline of pollen viability during storage, and (2 the effect of pollen amount on fruit set of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.. The experiment was conducted at PT. Dami Mas Sejahtera and PT. Sinar Mas Agro Resource and Technology (SMART Tbk, Riau from February to August 2004. The first experiment was investigated up to six months storage period in the refrigerator, whereas in the second experiment a randomized complete block design with two factors was used: length of storage, i.e. 0, 1 and 2 months and amount of pollen, i.e. 0.022, 0.044, 0.066, 0.088, and 0.11 g mixed with powder to 10g to pollinate an inflorescence. The result showed that the viability of pollen started to decline three months after storage from about 92% to 83%, and declined to about 75% after six months of storage. Result of the second experiment showed that storage of pollen up to two months did not affect percentage of normal fruit, although the percentage of parthenocarpic fruits was decreased. This could be due to the high viability of pollen as the viability was remained high (about 90% after being stored for two months in the refrigerator. Pollen with high viability could be used in a smaller amount to pollinate a female inflorescence without affecting fruit set of about 70-76%.SD037 had a higher reproductive success than SD038 and SD39.

Quantitative proteomic analysis of the inhibitory effects of CIL-102 on viability and invasiveness in human glioma cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teng, Chih-Chuan; Kuo, Hsing-Chun; Sze, Chun-I

2013-01-01

CIL-102 (1-[4-(furo[2,3-b]quinolin-4-ylamino)phenyl]ethanone), the major active agent of the alkaloid derivative, has been demonstrated to exert anticancer effects. Herein, we present an investigation focused on the identification of the target(s) of CIL-102's action and the mechanism of its action in apoptotic and anti-invasive pathways. Proteomic approaches were used to purify and identify the protein substrates using 2D difference gel electrophoresis (2D SDS-PAGE) to assess changes in the expression of relevant protein treatment with CIL-102 that resulted in the inhibition of viability and invasion. Our results demonstrate that CIL-102 treatment of U87 cells decreased cell proliferation and invasiveness. CIL-102 dose-dependent induction of apoptosis and inhibitory invasiveness were accompanied by sustained phosphorylation of JNK1/2 and p70S6K as well as generation of the reactive oxygen species. In addition, differential proteins displayed between CIL-102-treated and untreated U87 were determined and validated. There were 11 differentially expressed proteins between the CIL-102-treated and untreated groups. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CIL-102 inhibited cancer cell proliferation and reduced anti-invasion properties by up-regulating the levels of FUMH (Fumarate hydratase). The investigation demonstrated that there was an increase in the cellular levels of FUMH in the CIL-102 reduction in viability and invasion via the activation of JNK1/2 and mTOR signaling modules. NAC administration and shRNA FUMH conferred resistance to CIL-102-inhibited HIF1α and MMP-2 levels via inhibition of JNK1/2 and mTOR activation. We concluded that CIL-102-induced an apoptosis cascade and decreased aggressiveness in astrocytoma cells by modulation of mitochondria function, providing a new mechanism for CIL-102 treatment. - Highlights: • We found the effect of CIL-102 on neuroblastoma cells. • Fumarate hydratase as a CIL-102's target by proteomic differential displays. • CIL

Quantitative proteomic analysis of the inhibitory effects of CIL-102 on viability and invasiveness in human glioma cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Teng, Chih-Chuan [Institute of Nursing and Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan (China); Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion Research Center, CGUST, Taiwan (China); Institute of Basic Medicine Science, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (China); Kuo, Hsing-Chun [Institute of Nursing and Department of Nursing, Chang Gung University of Science and Technology, Taiwan (China); Chronic Diseases and Health Promotion Research Center, CGUST, Taiwan (China); Department of Medical Research China Medical University Hospital, Taichung, Taiwan (China); Sze, Chun-I, E-mail: szec@mail.ncku.edu.tw [Institute of Basic Medicine Science, Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy and Pathology, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan (China)

2013-11-01

CIL-102 (1-[4-(furo[2,3-b]quinolin-4-ylamino)phenyl]ethanone), the major active agent of the alkaloid derivative, has been demonstrated to exert anticancer effects. Herein, we present an investigation focused on the identification of the target(s) of CIL-102's action and the mechanism of its action in apoptotic and anti-invasive pathways. Proteomic approaches were used to purify and identify the protein substrates using 2D difference gel electrophoresis (2D SDS-PAGE) to assess changes in the expression of relevant protein treatment with CIL-102 that resulted in the inhibition of viability and invasion. Our results demonstrate that CIL-102 treatment of U87 cells decreased cell proliferation and invasiveness. CIL-102 dose-dependent induction of apoptosis and inhibitory invasiveness were accompanied by sustained phosphorylation of JNK1/2 and p70S6K as well as generation of the reactive oxygen species. In addition, differential proteins displayed between CIL-102-treated and untreated U87 were determined and validated. There were 11 differentially expressed proteins between the CIL-102-treated and untreated groups. Furthermore, we demonstrated that CIL-102 inhibited cancer cell proliferation and reduced anti-invasion properties by up-regulating the levels of FUMH (Fumarate hydratase). The investigation demonstrated that there was an increase in the cellular levels of FUMH in the CIL-102 reduction in viability and invasion via the activation of JNK1/2 and mTOR signaling modules. NAC administration and shRNA FUMH conferred resistance to CIL-102-inhibited HIF1α and MMP-2 levels via inhibition of JNK1/2 and mTOR activation. We concluded that CIL-102-induced an apoptosis cascade and decreased aggressiveness in astrocytoma cells by modulation of mitochondria function, providing a new mechanism for CIL-102 treatment. - Highlights: • We found the effect of CIL-102 on neuroblastoma cells. • Fumarate hydratase as a CIL-102's target by proteomic differential

Density, Viability Conidia And Symptoms of Metarhizium anisopliae infection on Oryctes rhinoceros larvae

Science.gov (United States)

Indriyanti, D. R.; Putri, R. I. P.; Widiyaningrum, P.; Herlina, L.

2017-04-01

M. anisopliae is parasitic fungus on insect pests; it is used as a biocontrol agent. M. anisopliae can be propagated on maize or rice substrate. M. anisopliae is currently sold in the form of kaolin powder formulations. Before it is used to check the density, viability and pathogenicity of M. anisopliae. However the problem is the kaolin powder very soft, so it difficult to distinguish between kaolin and conidia. This article gives information on how to calculate conidia density, viability and symptoms of M. anisopliae infection on Oryctes rhinoceros larvae. The study was conducted in the laboratory to determine the density and viability. The pathogenicity testing was done using pots. The Pot is containing soil substrate mixed with M. Anispoliae and ten tails O. Rhinoceros larvae per pot. The results showed that the density of M. anisopliae conidia was 1.81 x 108 conidia mL-1 and the viability was 94% within 24 hours. The larval mortality began to emerge in the 1st week, and all larvae died at the sixth week. The symptom of M. anisopliae infection on Oryctes rhinoceros larvae, there was a black spot on the larval integument. The larvae movements become slow and poor appetite; it will die within 3-7 days. The larvae die hard, and the white hyphae grow on the body surface that turns green.

Exposure to the proton scavenger glycine under alkaline conditions induces Escherichia coli viability loss.

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Donna Vanhauteghem

Full Text Available Our previous work described a clear loss of Escherichia coli (E. coli membrane integrity after incubation with glycine or its N-methylated derivatives N-methylglycine (sarcosine and N,N-dimethylglycine (DMG, but not N,N,N-trimethylglycine (betaine, under alkaline stress conditions. The current study offers a thorough viability analysis, based on a combination of real-time physiological techniques, of E. coli exposed to glycine and its N-methylated derivatives at alkaline pH. Flow cytometry was applied to assess various physiological parameters such as membrane permeability, esterase activity, respiratory activity and membrane potential. ATP and inorganic phosphate concentrations were also determined. Membrane damage was confirmed through the measurement of nucleic acid leakage. Results further showed no loss of esterase or respiratory activity, while an instant and significant decrease in the ATP concentration occurred upon exposure to either glycine, sarcosine or DMG, but not betaine. There was a clear membrane hyperpolarization as well as a significant increase in cellular inorganic phosphate concentration. Based on these results, we suggest that the inability to sustain an adequate level of ATP combined with a decrease in membrane functionality leads to the loss of bacterial viability when exposed to the proton scavengers glycine, sarcosine and DMG at alkaline pH.

Exposure to the Proton Scavenger Glycine under Alkaline Conditions Induces Escherichia coli Viability Loss

Science.gov (United States)

Vanhauteghem, Donna; Janssens, Geert Paul Jules; Lauwaerts, Angelo; Sys, Stanislas; Boyen, Filip; Cox, Eric; Meyer, Evelyne

2013-01-01

Our previous work described a clear loss of Escherichia coli (E. coli) membrane integrity after incubation with glycine or its N-methylated derivatives N-methylglycine (sarcosine) and N,N-dimethylglycine (DMG), but not N,N,N-trimethylglycine (betaine), under alkaline stress conditions. The current study offers a thorough viability analysis, based on a combination of real-time physiological techniques, of E. coli exposed to glycine and its N-methylated derivatives at alkaline pH. Flow cytometry was applied to assess various physiological parameters such as membrane permeability, esterase activity, respiratory activity and membrane potential. ATP and inorganic phosphate concentrations were also determined. Membrane damage was confirmed through the measurement of nucleic acid leakage. Results further showed no loss of esterase or respiratory activity, while an instant and significant decrease in the ATP concentration occurred upon exposure to either glycine, sarcosine or DMG, but not betaine. There was a clear membrane hyperpolarization as well as a significant increase in cellular inorganic phosphate concentration. Based on these results, we suggest that the inability to sustain an adequate level of ATP combined with a decrease in membrane functionality leads to the loss of bacterial viability when exposed to the proton scavengers glycine, sarcosine and DMG at alkaline pH. PMID:23544135

Accurate measurement of peripheral blood mononuclear cell concentration using image cytometry to eliminate RBC-induced counting error.

Science.gov (United States)

Chan, Leo Li-Ying; Laverty, Daniel J; Smith, Tim; Nejad, Parham; Hei, Hillary; Gandhi, Roopali; Kuksin, Dmitry; Qiu, Jean

2013-02-28

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) have been widely researched in the fields of immunology, infectious disease, oncology, transplantation, hematological malignancy, and vaccine development. Specifically, in immunology research, PBMCs have been utilized to monitor concentration, viability, proliferation, and cytokine production from immune cells, which are critical for both clinical trials and biomedical research. The viability and concentration of isolated PBMCs are traditionally measured by manual counting with trypan blue (TB) using a hemacytometer. One of the common issues of PBMC isolation is red blood cell (RBC) contamination. The RBC contamination can be dependent on the donor sample and/or technical skill level of the operator. RBC contamination in a PBMC sample can introduce error to the measured concentration, which can pass down to future experimental assays performed on these cells. To resolve this issue, RBC lysing protocol can be used to eliminate potential error caused by RBC contamination. In the recent years, a rapid fluorescence-based image cytometry system has been utilized for bright-field and fluorescence imaging analysis of cellular characteristics (Nexcelom Bioscience LLC, Lawrence, MA). The Cellometer image cytometry system has demonstrated the capability of automated concentration and viability detection in disposable counting chambers of unpurified mouse splenocytes and PBMCs stained with acridine orange (AO) and propidium iodide (PI) under fluorescence detection. In this work, we demonstrate the ability of Cellometer image cytometry system to accurately measure PBMC concentration, despite RBC contamination, by comparison of five different total PBMC counting methods: (1) manual counting of trypan blue-stained PBMCs in hemacytometer, (2) manual counting of PBMCs in bright-field images, (3) manual counting of acetic acid lysing of RBCs with TB-stained PBMCs, (4) automated counting of acetic acid lysing of RBCs with PI-stained PBMCs

In vitro pollen quantity, viability and germination tests in quince

African Journals Online (AJOL)

use

2011-11-21

Nov 21, 2011 ... rootstock pollens were collected in April from the unopened pink balloon-stage flowers on mature trees ..... their pollen characteristics to be used in cross breeding ... viability and germination levels for pistachio and terebinth in.

LncRNA-LET inhibits cell viability, migration and EMT while induces apoptosis by up-regulation of TIMP2 in human granulosa-like tumor cell line KGN.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Qingfang; Zhang, Wenke; Meng, Jinlai; Ma, Li; Li, Aihua

2018-04-01

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disease characterized by hyperandrogenism, irregular menses, and polycystic ovaries. Several long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are aberrantly expressed in PCOS patients; however, little is known about the effects of the lncRNA-low expression in tumor (lncRNA-LET) on PCOS. We aimed to explore the effects of lncRNA-LET on human granulosa-like tumor cell line, KGN. Expression of lncRNA-LET in normal IOSE80 cells and granulosa cells was determined by qRT-PCR. KGN cell viability, apoptosis and migration were measured by trypan blue exclusion method, flow cytometry assay and wound healing assay, respectively. TGF-β1 was used to induce epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) process. LncRNA-LET expression and mRNA expressions of TIMP2 and EMT-related proteins were measured by qRT-PCR. Western blot analysis was used to measure the protein expression of apoptosis-related proteins, EMT-related proteins, TIMP2, and the proteins in the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch signaling pathways. lncRNA-LET was down-regulated in KGN cells, and its overexpression inhibited cell viability and migration, and promoted apoptosis in KGN cells. Overexpression of lncRNA-LET increased the expression of E-cadherin and decreased the expressions of N-cadherin and vimentin in KGN cells. These effects of lncRNA-LET on KGN cells were reversed by TIMP2 suppression. Overexpression of TIMP2 inhibited cell viability, migration and EMT process, and increased apoptosis by activating the Wnt/β-catenin and Notch pathways. Overexpression of lncRNA-LET inhibits cell viability, migration and EMT process, and increases apoptosis in KGN cells by up-regulating the expression of TIMP2 and activating the Wnt/β-catenin and notch signaling pathways. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Gallic acid suppresses cell viability, proliferation, invasion and angiogenesis in human glioma cells

OpenAIRE

Lu, Yong; Jiang, Feng; Jiang, Hao; Wu, Kalina; Zheng, Xuguang; Cai, Yizhong; Katakowski, Mark; Chopp, Michael; To, Shing-Shun Tony

2010-01-01

Gallic acid, an organic acid, also known as 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, is cytotoxic against certain cancer cells, without harming normal cells. The objective of this study is to evaluate whether gallic acid can inhibit glioma cell viability, proliferation, invasion and reduce glioma cell mediated angiogenesis. Treatment of U87 and U251n glioma cells with gallic acid inhibited cell viability in a dose- and time-dependent manner. BrdU and tube formation assays indicated that gallic acid sign...

The reducibility of heLa cell viability by Sargassum polycystum extracts

Science.gov (United States)

Firdaus, M.; Setijawati, D.; Islam, I.; Nursyam, H.; Kartikaningsih, H.; Yufidasari, H. S.; Prihanto, A. A.; Nurdiani, R.; Jaziri, A. A.

2018-04-01

Cervical cancer is the second largest cause of death-related cancer in women. The efficacy of cancer drugs is still low. Bioactive of brown seaweed has been studied by in vitro and in vivo as anticancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Sargassum polycystum extracts on HeLa cell, to recognize bioactive on extract and estimate the interaction between the bioactive and target protein. S. polycystum was found from Talango Island waters and HeLa cell was obtained from Indonesian Science Institute. Sample was extracted by ethanol, ethyl acetate and hexane, concentrated and finally, extracts were assayed on HeLa cell. The viability of this cell was quantified on ELISA-Reader. The bioactive compounds of the extract were elucidated by GC-MS. The interaction between bioactive and target protein was evaluated by using in silico method. The result showed that the lowest viability of HeLa cell on n-hexane extracts treatment. The n-hexane extract of this seaweed contained benzenepropanoic acid. This compound reduced HeLa cell viability by reducing of thrombin concentration. In conclusion, the benzene propanoic acid of S. polycystum was the cytotoxic agent and it is potential agent for anti-cervical cancer.

Improvement on The Ellis and Roberts Viability Model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guoyan Zhou

2016-05-01

Full Text Available With data sets of germination percent and storage time of seed lot of wheat and sorghum stored at three different storage temperature(t, °C with three different water content (m, % of seeds, together with data set of buckwheat and lettuce reported in literatures, the possibility that seed survival curve were transformed into line by survival proportion and the relationship that logarithm of average viability period (logp50 and standard deviation of seed death distribution in time (δwith t, m and interaction between t and m were analysed. Result indicated that survival proportion transformed seed survival curve to line were much easier than the probability adopted by Ellis and Roberts, and the most important factor affecting logp50 and δ of seed lot was interaction between t and m. Thus, Ellis and Roberts viability model were suggested to be improved as Ki=Vi-p/10K-CWT (t×m to predict longevity of seed lot with initial germination percent unknown, a new model of Gi/G0=A-P/10K-CWT(t×m was constructed to predict longevity of seed lot with initial germination percent already known.

Effect of radiation dosage changes on the cell viability and the apoptosis induction on normal and tumorigenic cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Park, In Woo; Choi, Soon Chul; Lee, Sam Sun; Heo, Min Suk

1999-01-01

The study was aimed to detect the differences in the cell viability and the apoptosis induction after irradiation on normal and tumorigenic cells. The study, that was generated for two human normal cells (RHEK, HGF-1) and two human tumor cells (KB, HT-1080), was tested using MTT assay at 1 day and 3 day after irradiation and TUNEL assay under confocal laser scanning microscope at 1 day after irradiation. Single irradiation of 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 8 Gy were applied to the cells. The two fractions of 1, 2, 4, and 8 Gy were separated with a 4 hour time interval. The irradiation was done with 5.38 Gy/min dose rate using Cs-137 irradiator at room temperature. 1. In 3-day group, the cell viability of HGF-1 cell was significantly decreased at 2, 4 and 8 Gy irradiation, the cell viability of KB cell was significantly decreased at 8 Gy irradiation and the cell viability of HT-1080 cell was significantly decreased at 4 and 8 Gy irradiation. 2. There was significant difference between RHEK and KB cell line in the cell viability of 3-day group at 8 Gy irradiation. There was significant difference between RHEK and HGF-1 cell line in the cell viability of 3-day group at 4 and 8 Gy irradiation. 3. There was a significantly decreased cell viability in 3-day group than those in 1-day group at 2, 4 and 8 Gy on HGF-1 cell, at 4 and 8 Gy on HT-1080 cell, at 8 Gy on KB cell.4. We could detect DNA fragmented cells only on KB cell. Number of apoptotic cells of KB cell was significantly increased at 4 and 8 Gy irradiation. However, there was no correlation between cell viability and apoptosis.5. On all 4 cell lines, there were no differences between single and split irradiation method in cell viability and apoptosis.

Immersed transient eddy current flow metering: a calibration-free velocity measurement technique for liquid metals

Science.gov (United States)

Krauter, N.; Stefani, F.

2017-10-01

Eddy current flow meters are widely used for measuring the flow velocity of electrically conducting fluids. Since the flow induced perturbations of a magnetic field depend both on the geometry and the conductivity of the fluid, extensive calibration is needed to get accurate results. Transient eddy current flow metering has been developed to overcome this problem. It relies on tracking the position of an impressed eddy current system that is moving with the same velocity as the conductive fluid. We present an immersed version of this measurement technique and demonstrate its viability by numerical simulations and a first experimental validation.

Immersed transient eddy current flow metering: a calibration-free velocity measurement technique for liquid metals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krauter, N; Stefani, F

2017-01-01

Eddy current flow meters are widely used for measuring the flow velocity of electrically conducting fluids. Since the flow induced perturbations of a magnetic field depend both on the geometry and the conductivity of the fluid, extensive calibration is needed to get accurate results. Transient eddy current flow metering has been developed to overcome this problem. It relies on tracking the position of an impressed eddy current system that is moving with the same velocity as the conductive fluid. We present an immersed version of this measurement technique and demonstrate its viability by numerical simulations and a first experimental validation. (paper)

Xanthohumol, a Prenylated Chalcone from Hops, Inhibits the Viability and Stemness of Doxorubicin-Resistant MCF-7/ADR Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ming Liu

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Xanthohumol is a unique prenylated flavonoid in hops (Humulus lupulus L. and beer. Xanthohumol has been shown to possess a variety of pharmacological activities. There is little research on its effect on doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer cells (MCF-7/ADR and the cancer stem-like cells exiting in this cell line. In the present study, we investigate the effect of xanthohumol on the viability and stemness of MCF-7/ADR cells. Xanthohumol inhibits viability, induces apoptosis, and arrests the cell cycle of MCF-7/ADR cells in a dose-dependent manner; in addition, xanthohumol sensitizes the inhibition effect of doxorubicin on MCF-7/ADR cells. Interestingly, we also find that xanthohumol can reduce the stemness of MCF-7/ADR cells evidenced by the xanthohumol-induced decrease in the colony formation, the migration, the percentage of side population cells, the sphere formation, and the down-regulation of stemness-related biomarkers. These results demonstrate that xanthohumol is a promising compound targeting the doxorubicin resistant breast cancer cells and regulating their stemness, which, therefore, will be applied as a potential candidate for the development of a doxorubicin-resistant breast cancer agent and combination therapy of breast cancer.

Antimony trichloride induces a loss of cell viability via reactive oxygen species-dependent autophagy in A549 cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Xinyuan; Xing, Fengjun; Cong, Yewen; Zhuang, Yin; Han, Muxi; Wu, Zhiqiang; Yu, Shali; Wei, Haiyan; Wang, Xiaoke; Chen, Gang

2017-12-01

Antimony (Sb) is one of the most prevalent heavy metals and frequently leads to biological toxicity. Although autophagy is believed to be involved in metal-associated cytotoxicity, there is no evidence of its involvement following exposure. Moreover, the underlying mechanism of autophagy remains unclear. In this study, treatment with antimony trichloride caused autophagy in a dose- and time-dependent manner in A549 cells but did not affect the level of Atg5 or Atg7 mRNA expression. Furthermore, Sb enhanced autophagic flux while upregulating p62 gene and protein levels. The classic mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is not involved in Sb-induced autophagy. However, Sb-induced autophagy and the upregulation of p62 were inhibited by treatment with the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine (NAC). Subsequent analyses demonstrated that the inhibition of autophagy protected A549 cells from a loss of cell viability, while the activation of autophagy by rapamycin had the opposite effect. These data suggest that reactive oxygen species-dependent autophagy mediates Sb-stimulated cell viability loss in A549 cells. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human periodontal ligament cell viability in milk and milk substitutes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson, Robert M; Liewehr, Frederick R; West, Leslie A; Patton, William R; McPherson, James C; Runner, Royce R

2003-03-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of several milk substitutes compared to whole milk in maintaining the viability of human periodontal ligament (PDL) cells on avulsed teeth. PDL cells were obtained from freshly extracted, healthy third molars and cultured in Eagle's minimal essential media (EMEM). The cells were plated onto 24-well culture plates and allowed to attach for 24 h. EMEM was replaced with refrigerated whole milk (positive control), reconstituted powdered milk, evaporated milk, or one of two baby formulas (Similac or Enfamil). Tap water served as the negative control. Tissue culture plates were incubated with the experimental media at 37 degrees C for 1, 2, 4, or 8 h. Cell viability was determined by a cell proliferation assay (CellTiter 96 AQ Assay), with absorbance read at 450 nM. A two-way ANOVA (p effect on PDL cell viability between any of the materials and whole milk. At 2 h, Enfamil and Similac performed significantly better than whole milk, whereas evaporated milk performed worse. At 4 h, Enfamil performed better than whole milk, whereas all other milk substitutes performed worse. At 8 h, all substitutes performed worse than whole milk. These results suggest that Enfamil, which is supplied in powder form that does not require special storage and has a shelf life of 18 months, is a more effective storage medium for avulsed teeth than pasteurized milk for at least 4 h.

Determination of seed viability of eight wild Saudi Arabian species by germination and X-ray tests.

Science.gov (United States)

Al-Turki, Turki A; Baskin, Carol C

2017-05-01

Our purpose was to evaluate the usefulness of the germination vs. the X-ray test in determining the initial viability of seeds of eight wild species ( Salvia spinosa , Salvia aegyptiaca , Ochradenus baccatus , Ochradenus arabicus , Suaeda aegyptiaca , Suaeda vermiculata , Prosopisfarcta and Panicumturgidum ) from Saudi Arabia. Several days were required to determine viability of all eight species via germination tests, while immediate results on filled/viable seeds were obtained with the X-ray test. Seeds of all the species, except Sa.aegyptiaca , showed high viability in both the germination (98-70% at 25/15 °C, 93-66% at 35/25 °C) and X-ray (100-75%) test. Furthermore, there was general agreement between the germination (10% at 25/15 °C and 8% at 35/25 °C) and X-ray (5%) tests that seed viability of Sa.aegyptiaca was very low, and X-ray analysis revealed that this was due to poor embryo development. Seeds of P.farcta have physical dormancy, which was broken by scarification in concentrated sulfuric acid (10 min), and they exhibited high viability in both the germination (98% at 25/15 °C and 93% at 35/25 °C) and X-ray (98%) test. Most of the nongerminated seeds of the eight species except those of Sa.aegyptiaca were alive as judged by the tetrazolium test (TZ). Thus, for the eight species examined, the X-ray test was a good and rapid predictor of seed viability.

Population Viability of Avian Endangered Species: the PVAvES Program

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Melton, Robert

2001-01-01

.... The program is designed to assess the viability of endangered bird species populations on U.S. Army lands. It also facilitates the comparison of alternative ecological scenarios based on different assumptions about the effects of natural or human...

[New valvular homografts. Prospects and limits of their viability. Report of 42 implantations].

Science.gov (United States)

Bloch, G; Mesnildrey, P; Hanotel, M C; Heurtematte, Y; Cachera, J P; Paul, M; Astier, A; Beaujean, F; Dubertret, L; Galle, P

1990-10-01

The regain of interest in aortic homograft bioprostheses is related to the prospects of improved viability resulting from explanation from organ donors, preservation in rich tissue culture media, together with the progress made in techniques of cryopreservation. Viability studies examining morphology of electron microscopy and tests of tissue culture confirm this notion of longer viability. These properties raise hopes of satisfactory long-term results while acknowledging outstanding antigenic problems which require strict A-B-O system compatibility. The results of a preliminary series of 42 valve homografts implanted at Henri Mondor Hospital over the last 5 years are reported. Twenty-one bioprostheses were implanted on the right side in congenital heart disease with good results in every case. Twenty-one were implanted in the aortic position in children and show no signs of degeneration as yet. One poor result was related to a technical error in calibration. The rebirth of this technique raises certain hopes, especially in aortic valve replacement.

Variation of weigh and viability of seeds of Pinus tropicalis from different populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Bonilla Vichot

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Pinus tropicalis Morelet is endemic in the province of Pinar del Rio and Isla de la Juventud. In this paper the variation is evaluated in weight and viability of seeds from 4 seed areas of the province of Pinar del Rio, Cuba, which were harvested in July and stored for five months at room temperature until They were made to the corresponding analysis. Samples of each of the sources weretaken to determine the weight of 1000 seeds, as established methodology ISTA (1993. Viability was also determined from the tetrazolium Test. It was observed that the individual weight of the seeds of Pinus tropicalis has 0,0051g values to 0,050g, while the average weight of 1000 seeds shows variation by origin, showing the greatest weight to the seeds from the seed mass Ceja del Negro (orchard seedling genetically enhanced trees, which directly influences the quality of seeds. The viability was also superior in the origin of Ceja del Negro.

An easy 'one tube' method to estimate viability of Cryptosporidium oocysts using real-time qPCR

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Paziewska-Harris, A.; Schoone, G.; Schallig, H. D. F. H.

2016-01-01

Viability estimation of the highly resistant oocysts of Cryptosporidium remains a key issue for the monitoring and control of this pathogen. We present here a simple 'one tube' quantitative PCR (qPCR) protocol for viability estimation using a DNA extraction protocol which preferentially solubilizes

Nanofibrous Chitosan-Polyethylene Oxide Engineered Scaffolds: A Comparative Study between Simulated Structural Characteristics and Cells Viability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad Kazemi Pilehrood

2014-01-01

Full Text Available 3D nanofibrous chitosan-polyethylene oxide (PEO scaffolds were fabricated by electrospinning at different processing parameters. The structural characteristics, such as pore size, overall porosity, pore interconnectivity, and scaffold percolative efficiency (SPE, were simulated by a robust image analysis. Mouse fibroblast cells (L929 were cultured in RPMI for 2 days in the presence of various samples of nanofibrous chitosan/PEO scaffolds. Cell attachments and corresponding mean viability were enhanced from 50% to 110% compared to that belonging to a control even at packed morphologies of scaffolds constituted from pores with nanoscale diameter. To elucidate the correlation between structural characteristics within the depth of the scaffolds’ profile and cell viability, a comparative analysis was proposed. This analysis revealed that larger fiber diameters and pore sizes can enhance cell viability. On the contrary, increasing the other structural elements such as overall porosity and interconnectivity due to a simultaneous reduction in fiber diameter and pore size through the electrospinning process can reduce the viability of cells. In addition, it was found that manipulation of the processing parameters in electrospinning can compensate for the effects of packed morphologies of nanofibrous scaffolds and can thus potentially improve the infiltration and viability of cells.

Identifying genetic variants that affect viability in large cohorts.

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Hakhamanesh Mostafavi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available A number of open questions in human evolutionary genetics would become tractable if we were able to directly measure evolutionary fitness. As a step towards this goal, we developed a method to examine whether individual genetic variants, or sets of genetic variants, currently influence viability. The approach consists in testing whether the frequency of an allele varies across ages, accounting for variation in ancestry. We applied it to the Genetic Epidemiology Research on Adult Health and Aging (GERA cohort and to the parents of participants in the UK Biobank. Across the genome, we found only a few common variants with large effects on age-specific mortality: tagging the APOE ε4 allele and near CHRNA3. These results suggest that when large, even late-onset effects are kept at low frequency by purifying selection. Testing viability effects of sets of genetic variants that jointly influence 1 of 42 traits, we detected a number of strong signals. In participants of the UK Biobank of British ancestry, we found that variants that delay puberty timing are associated with a longer parental life span (P~6.2 × 10-6 for fathers and P~2.0 × 10-3 for mothers, consistent with epidemiological studies. Similarly, variants associated with later age at first birth are associated with a longer maternal life span (P~1.4 × 10-3. Signals are also observed for variants influencing cholesterol levels, risk of coronary artery disease (CAD, body mass index, as well as risk of asthma. These signals exhibit consistent effects in the GERA cohort and among participants of the UK Biobank of non-British ancestry. We also found marked differences between males and females, most notably at the CHRNA3 locus, and variants associated with risk of CAD and cholesterol levels. Beyond our findings, the analysis serves as a proof of principle for how upcoming biomedical data sets can be used to learn about selection effects in contemporary humans.

Phenotypic flexibility in exotic quinoa (chenopodium quinoa willd.) germplasm for seedling vigor and viability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Munir, H.; Basra, S.M.A.; Cheema, M.A.

2011-01-01

Exotic quinoa genotypes were evaluated for seedling vigor, viability, heritability, and genotypic and phenotypic variations under lab. conditions. A total of 25 genotypes of quinoa underwent comparison. Distinct demarcation among these genotypes was observed for final germination percentage, mean germination time, time to 50% germination, germination index, root/shoot length and root:shoot ratio. Viable, vigorous genotypes and poorly performing genotypes were identified and grouped from the available exotic germplasm. This selection was made on the assumption that resistance to climatic adversities and better sustainability under poor storage conditions are issues of immense importance in post harvest handling of quinoa seed. For selection of vigorous quinoa genotypes, final germination percentage (more than 90%) and root (more than 3.5 cm) or shoot lengths (more than 4.0 cm) presented themselves as important associated traits, in addition to germination index (22 to 33) and seedling survival percentage (between 90-100%). However, final germination percentage and root length were demonstrated to be reliable and environment-proof traits for the crop. Exotic quinoa genotypes were evaluated for seedling vigor, viability, heritability, and genotypic and phenotypic variations under lab. conditions. A total of 25 genotypes of quinoa underwent comparison. Distinct demarcation among these genotypes was observed for final germination percentage, mean germination time, time to 50% germination, germination index, root/shoot length and root:shoot ratio. Viable, vigorous genotypes and poorly performing genotypes were identified and grouped from the available exotic germplasm. This selection was made on the assumption that resistance to climatic adversities and better sustainability under poor storage conditions are issues of immense importance in post harvest handling of quinoa seed. For selection of vigorous quinoa genotypes, final germination percentage (more than 90%) and

Online Oxide Contamination Measurement and Purification Demonstration

Science.gov (United States)

Bradley, D. E.; Godfroy, T. J.; Webster, K. L.; Garber, A. E.; Polzin, K. A.; Childers, D. J.

2011-01-01

Liquid metal sodium-potassium (NaK) has advantageous thermodynamic properties indicating its use as a fission reactor coolant for a surface (lunar, martian) power system. A major area of concern for fission reactor cooling systems is system corrosion due to oxygen contaminants at the high operating temperatures experienced. A small-scale, approximately 4-L capacity, simulated fission reactor cooling system employing NaK as a coolant was fabricated and tested with the goal of demonstrating a noninvasive oxygen detection and purification system. In order to generate prototypical conditions in the simulated cooling system, several system components were designed, fabricated, and tested. These major components were a fully-sealed, magnetically-coupled mechanical NaK pump, a graphite element heated reservoir, a plugging indicator system, and a cold trap. All system components were successfully demonstrated at a maximum system flow rate of approximately 150 cc/s at temperatures up to 550 C. Coolant purification was accomplished using a cold trap before and after plugging operations which showed a relative reduction in oxygen content.

Allium White Rot Suppression with Composts and Trichoderma viride in Relation to Sclerotia Viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Coventry, E; Noble, R; Mead, A; Marin, F R; Perez, J A; Whipps, J M

2006-09-01

ABSTRACT Allium white rot (AWR) is a serious disease of Allium spp. caused by the sclerotium-forming fungus Sclerotium cepivorum. This work has examined the effects of onion waste compost (OWC) and spent mushroom compost (SMC), with and without Trichoderma viride S17A, on sclerotia viability and AWR in glasshouse and field experiments. Incorporation of OWC into soil reduced the viability of sclerotia and the incidence of AWR on onion plants in glasshouse pot bioassays, whereas SMC or T. viride S17A only reduced incidence of AWR. In two field trials, OWC reduced sclerotia viability and was as effective in reducing AWR as a fungicide (Folicur, a.i. tebuconazole). Field application of SMC had no effect on sclerotia viability and did not control AWR. However, the addition of T. viride S17A to SMC facilitated proliferation of T. viride S17A in the soil and increased the healthy onion bulb yield. The results indicate two mechanisms for the suppression of AWR: (i) reduction in the soil population of viable sclerotia, which may be due to volatile sulfur compounds detected in OWC but absent in SMC, and (ii) prevention of infection of onion plants from sclerotia following amendment of soil with OWC, SMC, or T. viride S17A.

Edaravone enhances the viability of ischemia/reperfusion flaps.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Dong-Yi; Kang, Shen-Song; Zhang, Zheng-Wen; Wu, Rui

2017-02-01

The purpose of the experiment was to study the efficacy of edaravone in enhancing flap viability after ischemia/reperfusion (IR) and its mechanism. Forty-eight adult male SD rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group (n=16), IR group (n=16), and edaravone-treated IR group (n=16). An island flap at left lower abdomen (6.0 cm×3.0 cm in size), fed by the superficial epigastric artery and vein, was created in each rat of all the three groups. The arterial blood flow of flaps in IR group and edaravone-treated IR group was blocked for 10 h, and then the blood perfusion was restored. From 15 min before reperfusion, rats in the edaravone-treated IR group were intraperitoneally injected with edaravone (10 mg/kg), once every 12 h, for 3 days. Rats in the IR group and control group were intraperitoneally injected with saline, with the same method and frequency as the rats in the edaravone-treated IR group. In IR group and edaravone-treated IR group, samples of flaps were harvested after reperfusion of the flaps for 24 h. In the control group, samples of flaps were harvested 34 h after creation of the flaps. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA) and activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were determined, and changes in organizational structure and infiltration of inflammatory cells were observed by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, apoptotic cells of vascular wall were marked by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay, and the apoptotic rate of cells in vascular wall was calculated. The ultrastructural changes of vascular endothelial cells were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Seven days after the operation, we calculated the flap viability of each group, and marked vessels of flaps by immunohistochemical staining for calculating the average number of subcutaneous vessels. The results showed that the content of MDA, the number of multicore inflammatory cells and apoptotic rate of cells in vascular wall

Recovery of autonomic nervous activity after myocardial infarction demonstrated by short-term measurements of SDNN

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vaage-Nilsen, M; Rasmussen, Verner; Jensen, Gorm Boje

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Heart rate variability (HRV) has been demonstrated to be a risk factor after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In the present study serial measurement of SDNN (standard deviation of the mean of qualified NN-interval) in short intervals was used to assess HRV changes after AMI, and det......OBJECTIVE: Heart rate variability (HRV) has been demonstrated to be a risk factor after acute myocardial infarction (AMI). In the present study serial measurement of SDNN (standard deviation of the mean of qualified NN-interval) in short intervals was used to assess HRV changes after AMI......, and determine the role of these as independent risk factors compared to clinical, arrhythmic, ischemic and anamnestic variables. Measurements from a normal healthy middle-aged male population were used as reference (n = 63). METHODS: SDNN from a five-minute period during day and night-time, respectively......, was examined in 103 patients 1 week (n = 54), 1 month (n = 72) and 12-16 months (n = 54) after infarction. RESULTS: Day SDNN did not change during one-and-a-half years after AMI, and was significantly reduced compared with healthy males. Night SDNN, low after 1 week, with recovery 1 month after AMI...

Improvement of viability of probiotic bacteria, organoleptic qualities and physical characteristics in kefir using transglutaminase and xanthan.

Science.gov (United States)

Sabooni, Pooria; Pourahmad, Rezvan; Adeli, Hamid Reza Mahdavi

2018-01-01

Using kefir as a probiotic food carrier has many benefits. At the same time, it is considered an appropriate product for the dairy industry. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of xanthan gum and transglutaminase enzyme on the viability of probiotics and the organoleptic qualities and physicochemical characteristics of kefir. Three levels of transglutaminase enzyme (50, 100 and 150 ppm), and xanthan gum (0.05%, 0.1% and 0.2%) were used. Sensory and physicochemical properties and viability of probiotic bac- teria were measured over 2 weeks of storage at 4°C. By increasing the amounts of xanthan gum and transglutaminase, the viscosity of the samples was increased and syneresis was reduced significantly (P < 0.05). The kefir sample containing 150 ppm enzyme and 0.2% gum had the highest number of probiotic bacteria. Moreover, the highest organoleptic scores were found for this sample. It can be concluded that adding 150 ppm transglutaminase and 0.2% xanthan improved the vi- ability of probiotics and the physical and organoleptic characteristics of kefir.

Effect of fibrin glue derived from snake venom on the viability of autogenous split-thickness skin graft

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S.C. Rahal

2004-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of snake venom derived from fibrin glue on the viability of split-thickness skin graft. Nine crossbreed dogs were used. Full-thickness skin segments measuring 4 x 4 cm were bilaterally excised from the proximal radial area on each dog. A split-thickness skin graft was harvestedfrom left lateral thoracic area using a freehand graft knife, and was secured to the left recipient bed using several simple interrupted sutures of 3-0 nylon (sutured graft. A split-thickness skin graft was harvested from the right lateral thoracic area using a graft knife. Fibrin glue derived from snake venom was applied to the recipient bed, and 8 equidistant simple interrupted sutures of 3-0 nylon were used to secure the skin graft (glued graft. Viable and nonviable areas were traced on a transparent sheet and measured using a Nikon Photomicroscope connected to a KS-300 image analysis system. The skin graft and recipient bed were collected from three dogs at day 7, 15, and 30 postoperative. The glued grafts had statistically higher graft viability than sutured grafts. Histological examination showed that the tissue repair process in the glued grafts was more accentuated than sutured grafts. It was possible to conclude that fibrin glue derived from snake venom increased survival of autogenous split-thickness skin graft.

Effect of alcohol on insulin secretion and viability of human pancreatic islets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolić Dragan

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction/Objective. There are controversial data in the literature on the topic of effects of alcohol on insulin secretion, apoptosis, and necrosis of the endocrine and exocrine pancreas. The goal of this research was to determine how alcohol affects the insulin secretion and viability of human adult pancreatic islets in vitro during a seven-day incubation. Methods. Human pancreatic tissue was digested with Collagenase XI, using a non-automated method. Cultures were incubated in Roswell Park Memorial Institute (RPMI medium containing alcohol (10 μl of alcohol in 100 ml of medium. Insulin stimulation index (SI and viability of the islets were determined on the first, third, and seventh day of cultivation. Results. Analysis of the viability of the islets showed that there wasn’t significant difference between the control and the test group. In the test group, viability of the cultures declined with the time of incubation. SI of the test group was higher compared to the control group, by 50% and 25% on the first and third day of cultivation, respectively. On the seventh day, insulin secretion was reduced by 25%. The difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05. In the test group, significant decline in insulin secretion was found on the third and seventh day of incubation (p ≤ 0.05. Conclusion. Alcohol can increase or decrease insulin secretion of islets cultures, which may result in an inadequate response of pancreatic β-cells to blood glucose, leading to insulin resistance, and increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. [Project of the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development, Grant no. 41002

Testing a dual-fluorescence assay to monitor the viability of filamentous cyanobacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Tylor J; Hildreth, Michael B; Gu, Liping; Zhou, Ruanbao; Gibbons, William R

2015-06-01

Filamentous cyanobacteria are currently being engineered to produce long-chain organic compounds, including 3rd generation biofuels. Because of their filamentous morphology, standard methods to quantify viability (e.g., plate counts) are not possible. This study investigated a dual-fluorescence assay based upon the LIVE/DEAD® BacLight™ Bacterial Viability Kit to quantify the percent viability of filamentous cyanobacteria using a microplate reader in a high throughput 96-well plate format. The manufacturer's protocol calls for an optical density normalization step to equalize the numbers of viable and non-viable cells used to generate calibration curves. Unfortunately, the isopropanol treatment used to generate non-viable cells released a blue pigment that altered absorbance readings of the non-viable cell solution, resulting in an inaccurate calibration curve. Thus we omitted this optical density normalization step, and carefully divided cell cultures into two equal fractions before the isopropanol treatment. While the resulting calibration curves had relatively high correlation coefficients, their use in various experiments resulted in viability estimates ranging from below 0% to far above 100%. We traced this to the apparent inaccuracy of the propidium iodide (PI) dye that was to stain only non-viable cells. Through further analysis via microplate reader, as well as confocal and wide-field epi-fluorescence microscopy, we observed non-specific binding of PI in viable filamentous cyanobacteria. While PI will not work for filamentous cyanobacteria, it is possible that other fluorochrome dyes could be used to selectively stain non-viable cells. This will be essential in future studies for screening mutants and optimizing photobioreactor system performance for filamentous cyanobacteria. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Pollen viability of Salix myrtilloides L. – an endangered species in Poland

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Magdalena Pogorzelec

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Salix myrtilloides L. (swamp willow is the most endangered species among the boreal Salix species in Poland. The number and size of its population have been decreasing constantly since the 1990s. The main aim of the study was to determine the viability of collected S. myrtilloides pollen and optimal conditions for its in vitro germination. The pollen of S. myrtilloides was collected from 25 male individuals from a population growing in the mid-forest peat bog Dekowina (Sobibór Landscape Park in May 2014. Two methods were applied to estimate the viability of fresh and stored pollen: staining pollen with 2% acetocarmine solution and in vitro germinability. Various temperature (11°C, 23°C and light conditions as well as different concentrations of glucose (1%, 2.5%, 5%, or 7.5% were tested for the optimization of in vitro germination. We documented relatively high S. myrtilloides pollen viability. Pollen tube growth was found to be largely affected by both glucose content in the medium and thermal conditions during germination. Fresh pollen germinated most effectively on the medium with 2.5% glucose (stored pollen – in 5% glucose, at 23°C and in the presence of light. We conclude that pollen viability of S. myrtilloides does not seem to be a limiting factor for reproductive success. Moreover, the pollen is not sterile even after storage for 12 months. The S. myrtilloides individuals from the Dekowina peat bog produce viable pollen grains that are able to germinate and therefore it can be used to pollinate other populations present in the Polesie Lubelskie region for gene pool enrichment.

Conceptual Design and Demonstration of Space Scale for Measuring Mass in Microgravity Environment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youn-Kyu Kim

2015-12-01

Full Text Available In this study, a new idea for developing a space scale for measuring mass in a microgravity environment was proposed by using the inertial force properties of an object to measure its mass. The space scale detected the momentum change of the specimen and reference masses by using a load-cell sensor as the force transducer based on Newton’s laws of motion. In addition, the space scale calculated the specimen mass by comparing the inertial forces of the specimen and reference masses in the same acceleration field. By using this concept, a space scale with a capacity of 3 kg based on the law of momentum conservation was implemented and demonstrated under microgravity conditions onboard International Space Station (ISS with an accuracy of ±1 g. By the performance analysis on the space scale, it was verified that an instrument with a compact size could be implemented and be quickly measured with a reasonable accuracy under microgravity conditions.

n Vitro Immunomodulatory Effect of R10 Fraction of Garlic on Viability and Production of TNF-? in CD8+ T Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Ghazanfari

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Introduction & Objective: -cells, especially CD8+ T lymphocytes are the most important cells in anti-tumor response. Previously R10 fraction of garlic extract was reported as an immuno-modulator which induced an effective cellular immunity and Th1 responses. In this study the in vitro immunomodulatory effect of R10 on CD8+ T cells viability and production of TNF-? were evaluated. Materials & Methods: In this experimental study, using monoclonal antibodies attached to magnetic beads with isolating columns by magnetic bead method, CD8+ T cells from spleen cells of Balb/C mice were isolated. R10 fraction based on molecular weight was prepared using Ultra filtration. MTT assay was used to evaluate cell viability. TNF-? level was meas-ured in the supernatant of culture of CD8+ T cells by ELISA. Obtained data was compared and analyzed using Nonparametric Test and Keraskel & Wanny's Test tests.. Results: The findings indicate that all dilutions of R10 fraction increased cell viability of CD8+ T cells in comparison with the negative control group and in the presence of ConA with dilution of 1:50 of R10 fraction significantly increased cell viability of CD8+ T Cells com-pared to ConA alone. Secretion of TNF-? significantly increased by all dilutions of R10 frac-tion. Conclusion: These findings suggest that R10 fraction of garlic can be used as an Immuno-modulator drug candidate for induction of cellular Immunity in tumor therapy. Sci J Hamadan Univ Med Sci 2014; 20 (4:273-279

An evaluation of the effects of long term cryopreservation, cause of death, and time between death and donation on heart valve leaflet viability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strachan, K.

1999-01-01

The protocol for cryopreservation of allograft heart valves at the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria was based on validation studies on the viability of the heart valve leaflets at the time of processing. The heart block is removed within 24 hours of death and the aor-tic and pulmonary valves trimmed immediately following retrieval. Following this processing, the valves are incubated in antibiotics at 30 degree C for 6 to 8 hours before being frozen in 10% DMSO at a controlled rate. A sample of tricuspid valve leaflet is placed in Krebs solution at the time of trimfning and is used for viability studies. Leaflet viability studies have been perfon-ned on all heart valves retrieved from 1993 to the present day at the Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria. Viability involves a qualitative assessment of the cellular outgrowth by leaflet fibroblasts, this assessment ranging from '-' for no outgrowth to '++++' for maximum outgrowth. Surgeons do not request valves with any particular viability and will use them whether they are viable or not. This evaluation was to determine the effects of long-term cryopreservation, cause of death, and also time lapse of heart removal following death on the viability of the retrieved leaflets. The aim of investigating the effects of long-term cryopreservation was to determine whether there was any correlation between initial viability and viability following storage for several months to several years. It was also decided to investigate whether there was any correlation between time length between death and heart retrieval and the viability. It was also thought that the cause of death may have had an effect on the viability, for example, did death by carbon monoxide poisoning have an effect on the viability of heart valve cells. Heart valves, which had been cryopreserved but could not be transplanted for various reasons were used to study the effects of cryopreservation in this study. These were thawed according to protocol and a sample of the valve

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

1996-06-01

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

BVES Regulates Intestinal Stem Cell Programs and Intestinal Crypt Viability after Radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Reddy, Vishruth K.; Short, Sarah P.; Barrett, Caitlyn W.; Mittal, Mukul K.; Keating, Cody E.; Thompson, Joshua J.; Harris, Elizabeth I.; Revetta, Frank; Bader, David M.; Brand, Thomas; Washington, M. Kay; Williams, Christopher S.

2016-01-01

Blood Vessel Epicardial Substance (BVES/Popdc1) is a junctional-associated transmembrane protein that is underexpressed in a number of malignancies and regulates epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. We previously identified a role for BVES in regulation of the Wnt pathway, a modulator of intestinal stem cell programs, but its role in small intestinal (SI) biology remains unexplored. We hypothesized that BVES influences intestinal stem cell programs and is critical to SI homeostasis after radiation injury. At baseline, Bves−/− mice demonstrated increased crypt height, as well as elevated proliferation and expression of the stem cell marker Lgr5 compared to wildtype (WT) mice. Intercross with Lgr5-EGFP reporter mice confirmed expansion of the stem cell compartment in Bves−/− mice. To examine stem cell function after BVES deletion, we employed ex vivo 3D-enteroid cultures. Bves−/− enteroids demonstrated increased stemness compared to WT, when examining parameters such as plating efficiency, stem spheroid formation, and retention of peripheral cystic structures. Furthermore, we observed increased proliferation, expression of crypt-base columnar “CBC” and “+4” stem cell markers, amplified Wnt signaling, and responsiveness to Wnt activation in the Bves−/− enteroids. Bves expression was downregulated after radiation in WT mice. Moreover, after radiation, Bves−/− mice demonstrated significantly greater small intestinal crypt viability, proliferation, and amplified Wnt signaling in comparison to WT mice. Bves−/− mice also demonstrated elevations in Lgr5 and Ascl2 expression, and putative damage-responsive stem cell populations marked by Bmi1 and TERT. Therefore, BVES is a key regulator of intestinal stem cell programs and mucosal homeostasis. PMID:26891025

Demonstration of measuring sea fog with an SNSPD-based Lidar system.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Jiang; Chen, Yajun; Zhang, Labao; Jia, Xiaoqing; Feng, Zhijun; Wu, Ganhua; Yan, Xiachao; Zhai, Jiquan; Wu, Yang; Chen, Qi; Zhou, Xiaoying; Wang, Zhizhong; Zhang, Chi; Kang, Lin; Chen, Jian; Wu, Peiheng

2017-11-08

The monitor of sea fogs become more important with the rapid development of marine activities. Remote sensing through laser is an effective tool for monitoring sea fogs, but still challengeable for large distance. We demonstrated a Long-distance Lidar for sea fog with superconducting nanowire single-photon detector (SNSPD), which extended the ranging area to a 180-km diameter area. The system, which was verified by using a benchmark distance measurement of a known island, is applied to the Mie scattering weather prediction Lidar system. The fog echo signal distribution in the range of 42.3∼63.5 km and 53.2∼74.2 km was obtained by the Lidar system. Then the fog concentration and the velocity of the fog were deduced from the distribution, which is consistent with the weather prediction. The height of the sea fog is about two hundred meter while the visibility at this height is about 90 km due to the Earth's radius of curvature. Therefore, the capability of this SNSPD-based Lidar was close to the theoretical limit for sea fog measurements for extremely high signal-to-noise ratio of SNSPD.

Demonstration of essentiality of entanglement in a Deutsch-like quantum algorithm

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, He-Liang; Goswami, Ashutosh K.; Bao, Wan-Su; Panigrahi, Prasanta K.

2018-06-01

Quantum algorithms can be used to efficiently solve certain classically intractable problems by exploiting quantum parallelism. However, the effectiveness of quantum entanglement in quantum computing remains a question of debate. This study presents a new quantum algorithm that shows entanglement could provide advantages over both classical algorithms and quantum algo- rithms without entanglement. Experiments are implemented to demonstrate the proposed algorithm using superconducting qubits. Results show the viability of the algorithm and suggest that entanglement is essential in obtaining quantum speedup for certain problems in quantum computing. The study provides reliable and clear guidance for developing useful quantum algorithms.

Viability and proliferation of endothelial cells upon exposure to GaN nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Braniste, Tudor; Tiginyanu, Ion; Horvath, Tibor; Raevschi, Simion; Cebotari, Serghei; Lux, Marco; Haverich, Axel; Hilfiker, Andres

2016-01-01

Nanotechnology is a rapidly growing and promising field of interest in medicine; however, nanoparticle-cell interactions are not yet fully understood. The goal of this work was to examine the interaction between endothelial cells and gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductor nanoparticles. Cellular viability, adhesion, proliferation, and uptake of nanoparticles by endothelial cells were investigated. The effect of free GaN nanoparticles versus the effect of growing endothelial cells on GaN functionalized surfaces was examined. To functionalize surfaces with GaN, GaN nanoparticles were synthesized on a sacrificial layer of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles using hydride vapor phase epitaxy. The uptake of GaN nanoparticles by porcine endothelial cells was strongly dependent upon whether they were fixed to the substrate surface or free floating in the medium. The endothelial cells grown on surfaces functionalized with GaN nanoparticles demonstrated excellent adhesion and proliferation, suggesting good biocompatibility of the nanostructured GaN.

The economic and social viability of Tanzanian Wildlife Management Areas

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Homewood, Katherine; Bluwstein, Jevgeniy; Lund, Jens Friis

This policy brief contributes to assessing the economic and social viability of Tanzania’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) through preliminary findings by the ‘Poverty and ecosystem Impacts of Tanzania’s Wildlife Management Areas’ (PIMA) project, focusing on benefits, costs, and their distribution...

Viability analysis of EMBRAPA's swine manure treatment system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miele, Marcelo; Kunz, Airton; Seganfredo, Milton Antonio; Steinmetz, Ricardo [EMBRAPA Suinos e Aves, Concordia, SC (Brazil)], E-mail: mmiele@cnpsa.embrapa.br; Bortoli, Marcelo [Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina (UFSC), Florianopolis, SC (Brazil)

2008-07-01

The swine manure treatment is based on several technologies, such as pond systems, composting, biodigesters, and compact process like the EMBRAPA's Swine Manure Treatment System. The last one can reach high quality effluent with reduced pollution, although it demands higher investment and costs. For this reason it is necessary to manage revenues with byproducts and carbon credit markets. The aim of this study was to present a viability analysis of EMBRAPA's swine manure treatment system considering its potential revenues facing higher costs. Using market prices and measured data from a prototype running in south Brazil, the study calculated costs, revenues, profit, net present value and internal rate return. It also estimated these indicators assuming scale economies. The results showed that the investment can pay its costs by its insertion in the carbon credit market and other revenues like the energy substitution. It also showed the importance to reach scale economies. (author)

Comparison of the effect of three autogenous bone harvesting methods on cell viability in rabbits

Science.gov (United States)

Moradi Haghgoo, Janet; Arabi, Seyed Reza; Hosseinipanah, Seyyed Mohammad; Solgi, Ghasem; Rastegarfard, Neda; Farhadian, Maryam

2017-01-01

Background. This study was designed to compare the viability of autogenous bone grafts, harvested using different methods, in order to determine the best harvesting technique with respect to more viable cells. Methods. In this animal experimental study, three harvesting methods, including manual instrument (chisel), rotary device and piezosurgery, were used for harvesting bone grafts from the lateral body of the mandible on the left and right sides of 10 rabbits. In each group, 20 bone samples were collected and their viability was assessed using MTS kit. Statistical analyses, including ANOVA and post hoc Tukey tests, were used for evaluating significant differences between the groups. Results. One-way ANOVA showed significant differences between all the groups (P=0.000). Data analysis using post hoc Tukey tests indicated that manual instrument and piezosurgery had no significant differences with regard to cell viability (P=0.749) and the cell viability in both groups was higher than that with the use of a rotary instrument (P=0.000). Conclusion. Autogenous bone grafts harvested with a manual instrument and piezosurgery had more viable cells in comparison to the bone chips harvested with a rotary device. PMID:28748046

Viability and Biochemical Content Changes in Seed Storage of Jabon Putih (Anthocephalus Cadamba (Roxb Miq.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naning Yuniarti

2015-08-01

Full Text Available Seed deterioration is the process of deteriorated seed in view of viability that changed the physiological and chemical content. The aim of this research is to find out the effect of moisture content and storage on viability and biochemical content of jabon putih seed. Completely Randomized Design was used for decreasing moisture content based on seed drying time for 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 hours, and Completely Randomized Factorial Design was used for the combination of moisture content (drying time for 0, 24, 48, 72, 96, 120 hours and room storage (ambient room, air-conditioned room, refrigerator. The results of this research are: (1 seed drying time and seed storage affected the change of seed viability and biochemical content, (2 seed drying time and seed storage influence significantly the value of moisture content, germination percentage, and biochemical content (lipid, carbohydrate, protein, (3 The longer time of seed drying and seed storage has decreased the seed moisture content, germination percentage, and the carbohydrate content, but it has increased the content of lipid and protein, and (4 the seeds were stored in refrigerator has better viability compared to dry cold storage and ambient room.

Effects of extracellular calcium on viability and osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow stromal cells in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Shaowen; Wang, Wei; Lin, Zhongqin; Zhou, Ping; Zhang, Xiaolei; Zhang, Wei; Chen, Qingyu; Kou, Dongquan; Ying, Xiaozhou; Shen, Yue; Cheng, Xiaojie; Yu, Ziming; Peng, Lei; Lu, Chuanzhu

2013-09-01

Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) have been extensively used for tissue engineering. However, the effect of Ca(2+) on the viability and osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs has yet to be evaluated. To determine the dose-dependent effect of Ca(2+) on viability and osteogenesis of BMSCs in vitro, BMSCs were cultured in calcium-free DMEM medium supplemented with various concentrations of Ca(2+) (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 mM) from calcium citrate. Cell viability was analyzed by MTT assay and osteogenic differentiation was evaluated by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) assay, Von Kossa staining, and real-time PCR. Ca(2+) stimulated BMSCs viability in a dose-dependent manner. At slightly higher concentrations (4 and 5 mM) in the culture, Ca(2+) significantly inhibited the activity of ALP on days 7 and 14 (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), significantly suppressed collagen synthesis (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05), and significantly elevated calcium deposition (P < 0.01) and mRNA levels of osteocalcin (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) and osteopontin (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05). Therefore, elevated concentrations of extracellular calcium may promote cell viability and late-stage osteogenic differentiation, but may suppress early-stage osteogenic differentiation in BMSCs.

CONSERVATION OF THE VIABILITY AND VIGOR OF Araucaria angustifolia (Bert. O. Kuntze SEEDS DURING THE STORAGE

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Cristhyane Garcia

2014-12-01

Full Text Available The conservation of Araucaria seeds is widely compromised in function of their recalcitrant feature, which hampers the planning of recovery actions of the degraded populations. Therefore, the objective of this study was to monitor the physiological changes in Araucaria seeds under controlled storage conditions, in order to get insights as to the viability and vigor conservation. The physiological quality of freshly harvested seeds was evaluated and every 60 days throughout the 180 days-storage period in laboratory ambient without thermal control, refrigerator (5 ° C, and freezer (-18 ° C until the final period of 180 days. After each sampling period, the seed viability (germination and tetrazolium tests and vigor (artificial aging, germination speed index – IVG and electrical conductivity were assessed. A reduction in the normal seedlings percentage was noticed over the period of storage of Araucaria seeds. The conservation in freezer and the lack of thermal control caused a complete loss of the seed viability at 60 and 180 days of storage, respectively. However, the refrigerator storage promoted the conservation of seed viability, with 64% germination after 180 days of storage, an event associated with the reduction of the metabolic activity of seeds. Based on the viability and vigor tests, it was concluded that storage in refrigerator provided longer storage periods to Araucaria seeds in comparison to the other storage conditions herein studied.

Effects of Antiseptic Solutions Commonly Used in Dentistry on Bone Viability, Bone Morphology, and Release of Growth Factors.

Science.gov (United States)

Sawada, Kosaku; Fujioka-Kobayashi, Masako; Kobayashi, Eizaburo; Schaller, Benoit; Miron, Richard J

2016-02-01

Antiseptic solutions are commonly used in dentistry for a number of sterilization procedures, including harvesting of bone chips, irrigation of extraction sockets, and sterilization of osteonecrotic bone. Despite its widespread use, little information is available regarding the effects of various antiseptic solutions on bone cell viability, morphology, and the release of growth factors. The antiseptic solutions included 1) 0.5% povidone iodine (PI), 2) 0.2% chlorhexidine diguluconate (CHX), 3) 1% hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and 4) 0.25% sodium hypochlorite (HYP). Bone samples collected from porcine mandibular cortical bone were rinsed in the antiseptic solutions for 10 minutes and assessed for cell viability using an MTS assay and protein release of transforming growth factor (TGF-β1), bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), interleukin (IL)-1β, and receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at 15 minutes and 4 hours after rinsing. After antiseptic rinsing, changes to the surface protein content showed marked alterations, with an abundant protein layer remaining on CHX-rinsed bone samples. The amount of surface protein content gradually decreased in the following order: CHX, H2O2, PI, and HYP. A similar trend was also observed for the relative cell viability from within bone samples after rinsing, with up to 6 times more viable cells found in the CHX-rinsed bone samples than in the HYP- and PI-rinsed samples. An analysis of the growth factors found that both HYP and PI had significantly lower VEGF and TGF-β1 protein release from bone samples at 15 minutes and 4 hours after rinsing compared with CHX and H2O2. A similar trend was observed for RANKL and IL-1β protein release, although no change was observed for BMP2. The results from the present study have demonstrated that antiseptic solutions present with very different effects on bone samples after 10 minutes of

An inter-laboratory comparison of urinary 3-hydroxypropylmercapturic acid measurement demonstrates good reproducibility between laboratories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bailey Brian

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Biomarkers have been used extensively in clinical studies to assess toxicant exposure in smokers and non-smokers and have recently been used in the evaluation of novel tobacco products. The urinary metabolite 3-HPMA, a metabolite of the major tobacco smoke toxicity contributor acrolein, is one example of a biomarker used to measure exposure to tobacco smoke. A number of laboratories have developed liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS based methods to measure urinary 3-HPMA; however, it is unclear to what extent the data obtained by these different laboratories are comparable. Findings This report describes an inter-laboratory comparison carried out to evaluate the comparability of 3-HPMA measurement between four laboratories. A common set of spiked and authentic smoker and non-smoker urine samples were used. Each laboratory used their in-house LC-MS/MS method and a common internal standard. A comparison of the repeatability ('r', reproducibility ('R', and coefficient of variation for 3-HPMA demonstrated that within-laboratory variation was consistently lower than between-laboratory variation. The average inter-laboratory coefficient of variation was 7% for fortified urine samples and 16.2% for authentic urine samples. Together, this represents an inter-laboratory variation of 12.2%. Conclusion The results from this first inter-laboratory comparison for the measurement of 3-HPMA in urine demonstrate a reasonably good consensus between laboratories. However, some consistent measurement biases were still observed between laboratories, suggesting that additional work may be required to further reduce the inter-laboratory coefficient of variation.

Proof of Economic Viability of Blended Learning Business Models

Science.gov (United States)

Druhmann, Carsten; Hohenberg, Gregor

2014-01-01

The discussion on economically sustainable business models with respect to information technology is lacking in many aspects of proven approaches. In the following contribution the economic viability is valued based on a procedural model for design and evaluation of e-learning business models in the form of a case study. As a case study object a…

Assessment of Viability Appraisal Practice by Estate Surveyors and Valuers in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

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Oyetunji Abiodun Kolawale

2017-01-01

Full Text Available A capital investment appraisal is a means of ensuring value for money. It is not meant to provide an indication of profit or loss, but rather a comparison of costs in relation to those areas where there is an opportunity or an inclination for change. The decision to invest in a project is based on the expectation of future returns since a rational investor does not expect to incur loss on his capital outlay. This decision making is usually hinged on advice obtained during pre-investment appraisal. This study is aimed at evaluating the mode of practicing investment viability appraisal by Estate Surveyors and Valuers in Lagos metropolis. The data for the study was obtained by randomly administering structured questionnaires on eighty-seven (87 practicing Estate Surveyors and Valuers in the study area and the findings were analyzed through descriptive statistical tools such as the Likert scale to present the result. Findings revealed that the payback period is the most adopted appraisal technique in practice as evidenced with a mean score of 3.57. The objective (s of the investor is also the most significant factor being considered while selecting appraisal technique with a mean score of 3.83 while the problems of actual return varying from the expected return and also difficulty in the repayment of loans always result when a wrong viability technique is employed. The success of any viability study goes beyond knowing the objective (s of the investor; therefore, it was recommended that appraisers should ensure that they are equipped with adequate knowledge required for the execution of feasibility and on viability studies because knowing the right viability criteria for a particular objective will help in advising an investor on a course of action that will best achieve the developer’s objective.

Inbreeding avoidance influences the viability of reintroduced populations of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus.

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Penny A Becker

Full Text Available The conservation of many fragmented and small populations of endangered African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus relies on understanding the natural processes affecting genetic diversity, demographics, and future viability. We used extensive behavioural, life-history, and genetic data from reintroduced African wild dogs in South Africa to (1 test for inbreeding avoidance via mate selection and (2 model the potential consequences of avoidance on population persistence. Results suggested that wild dogs avoided mating with kin. Inbreeding was rare in natal packs, after reproductive vacancies, and between sibling cohorts (observed on 0.8%, 12.5%, and 3.8% of occasions, respectively. Only one of the six (16.7% breeding pairs confirmed as third-order (or closer kin consisted of animals that were familiar with each other, while no other paired individuals had any prior association. Computer-simulated populations allowed to experience inbreeding had only a 1.6% probability of extinction within 100 years, whereas all populations avoiding incestuous matings became extinct due to the absence of unrelated mates. Populations that avoided mating with first-order relatives became extinct after 63 years compared with persistence of 37 and 19 years for those also prevented from second-order and third-order matings, respectively. Although stronger inbreeding avoidance maintains significantly more genetic variation, our results demonstrate the potentially severe demographic impacts of reduced numbers of suitable mates on the future viability of small, isolated wild dog populations. The rapid rate of population decline suggests that extinction may occur before inbreeding depression is observed.

Comment Response on the Final Report: Peer Review of the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (TSPA-VA)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pendleton, M. W.

1999-01-01

The Management and Operating Contractor established a Performance Assessment Peer Review Panel (hereinafter ''the Panel'') at the request of the U.S. Department of Energy Yucca Mountain Site Characterization Office. The objectives of the peer review were to provide: (1) A formal, independent evaluation and critique of Viability Assessment of a Repository at Yucca Mountain: Total System Performance Assessment, Volume 3 (DOE 1998a; hereinafter ''Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment'') that was conducted in support of the Viability Assessment of a Repository at Yucca Mountain (DOE 1998b). (2) Suggestions for improvements as the U.S. Department of Energy prepares to develop the documentation for a Total System Performance Assessment to support a potential License Application. The Panel conducted a phased review over a two-year period to observe the development and, ultimately, to review the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (DOE 1998a). During the development of the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (DOE 1998a), the Panel submitted three Interim Reports (Whipple et al., 1997a, 1997b, and 1998) to the Management and Operating Contractor with recommendations and comments on the process models, model abstractions, and draft documentation for the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (DOE 1998a). The Panel's Final Report Total System Performance Assessment Peer Review Panel (Whipple et al. 1999; hereinafter ''Final Report'') on the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (DOE 1998a) is based primarily on the completed Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (DOE 1998a), the Total System Performance Assessment-Viability Assessment (TSPA-VA) Analyses Technical Basis Document (CRWMS M and O 1998), and the cited references. The Final Report (Whipple et al. 1999) includes the major points from the three Interim Reports (Whipple et al. 1997a, 1997b, and 1998

Proteus mirabilis viability after lithotripsy of struvite calculi

Science.gov (United States)

Prabakharan, Sabitha; Teichman, Joel M. H.; Spore, Scott S.; Sabanegh, Edmund; Glickman, Randolph D.; McLean, Robert J. C.

2000-05-01

Urinary calculi composed of struvite harbor urease-producing bacteria within the stone. The photothermal mechanism of holmium:YAG lithotripsy is uniquely different than other lithotripsy devices. We postulated that bacterial viability of struvite calculi would be less for calculi fragmented with holmium:YAG irradiation compared to other lithotripsy devices. Human calculi of known struvite composition (greater than 90% magnesium ammonium phosphate hexahydrate) were incubated with Proteus mirabilis. Calculi were fragmented with no lithotripsy (controls), or shock wave, intracorporeal ultrasonic, electrohydraulic, pneumatic, holmium:YAG or pulsed dye laser lithotripsy. After lithotripsy, stone fragments were sonicated and specimens were serially plated for 48 hours at 38 C. Bacterial counts and the rate of bacterial sterilization were compared. Median bacterial counts (colony forming units per ml) were 8 X 106 in controls and 3 X 106 in shock wave, 3 X 107 in ultrasonic, 4 X 105 in electrohydraulic, 8 X 106 in pneumatic, 5 X 104 in holmium:YAG and 1 X 106 in pulsed dye laser lithotripsy, p less than 0.001. The rate of bacterial sterilization was 50% for holmium:YAG lithotripsy treated stones versus 0% for each of the other cohorts, p less than 0.01. P. mirabilis viability is less after holmium:YAG irradiation compared to other lithotripsy devices.

Assessment of myocardial viability using 123I-labeled iodophenylpentadecanoic acid at sustained low flow or after acute infarction and reperfusion.

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, J Y; Ruiz, M; Calnon, D A; Watson, D D; Beller, G A; Glover, D K

1999-05-01

123I-labeled iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA) is a synthetic fatty acid that may be useful for determination of myocardial viability. We investigated the uptake and clearance kinetics of this tracer in canine models of ischemia and infarction. In protocol 1, 185 MBq (5 mCi) 123I-IPPA were injected intravenously in 19 dogs with 50% left anterior descending artery (LAD) flow reduction. In 9 dogs, 201TI was coinjected. In protocol 2, 5 dogs underwent LAD occlusion for 3 h, and 123I-IPPA was injected 60 min after reperfusion. All dogs had flow measured by microspheres, regional systolic thickening by ultrasonic crystals and measurements of postmortem risk area and infarct size. Tracer activities were quantified by gamma well counting and by serial imaging. In protocol 1 dogs with sustained low flow (50% +/- 4%) and absence of systolic thickening (-3.2% +/- 1%), 123I-IPPA defect magnitude (LAD/left circumflex artery [LCX] count ratios) decreased from 0.65 +/- 0.02 to 0.74 +/- 0.02 at 30 min and to 0.84 +/- 0.03 at 2 h (P < 0.01), indicative of rest redistribution. Final transmural 123I-IPPA LAD/LCX activity ratio (0.99 +/- 0.05) was significantly greater than the flow ratio (0.53 +/- 0.04) at injection, confirming complete rest redistribution. The final 123I-IPPA activity ratio was significantly greater than the 201TI ratio over the 2-h period (P < 0.01). In protocol 2 dogs that underwent 3 h of total LAD occlusion and reflow (infarct size = 51% +/- 13% of risk area), viability was overestimated with 123I-IPPA, because uptake averaged 64% of normal in the central necrotic region, where flow averaged < 10% of normal. These findings suggest that serial 123I-IPPA imaging may be useful for assessing myocardial viability under conditions of sustained low flow and myocardial asynergy, such as appears to exist in patients with chronic coronary artery disease and depressed left ventricular function. In contrast, 123I-IPPA given early after reperfusion following prolonged

Usefulness of BMIPP SPECT to evaluate myocardial viability, contractile reserve and coronary stenotic progression after reperfusion in acute myocardial infarction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Katsunuma, Eita; Kurokawa, Shingo; Takahashi, Motoi; Fukuda, Naoto; Kurosawa, Toshiro; Izumi, Tohru

2001-01-01

Using combined 123 I-BMIPP (BMIPP), 201 Tl (Tl) and 99m Tc-PYP (PYP) myocardial SPECT imaging, risk areas of acute myocardial infarction were documented in the acute stage, and then these images were evaluated for how well they reflected muscle viability, contractile reserve and coronary stenotic progression subsequent to reperfusion therapy. Patients who only experienced a first attack of myocardial infarction were enrolled. In total, 36 cases who had had the occluded artery successfully reperfused were examined during the past year. They had no significant vessel disease except for the culprit single artery. The patients were comprised of 32 men and 4 women. The mean age was 59.5 years. All patients underwent coronary angiography and left ventricular (LV) angiography in the emergency room. BMIPP/Tl and PYP myocardial SPECT were conducted in the acute stage and chronic stage. In the chronic stage LV angiography was repeated to assess the improvement of LV wall motion. The response to postextrasystolic potentiation (PESP) testing was performed to estimate myocardial contractile reserve. The risk area of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was documented by reduced BMIPP accumulation. The size of reduced BMIPP accumulation was larger than that of PYP accumulation. A BMIPP/Tl discrepancy and PYP accumulation were documented to assess myocardial viability. Both improvement in LV wall motion and augmentation of PESP response were more closely related to a BMIPP/Tl discrepancy in the presence or absence of PYP accumulation. Therefore, it would be possible to evaluate myocardial viability and contractile reserve by the BMIPP/Tl discrepancy. In patients with good viability, it is important to predict whether there is coronary stenotic progression or not. In this study, we demonstrated that most patients with improved BMIPP images had no significant progression at the site of intervention. Serial observation of BMIPP images from the acute stage to the chronic stage might

Operating experience, measurements, and analysis of the LEU whole core demonstration at the FNR

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weha, D.K.; Drumm, C.R.; King, J.S.; Martin, W.R.; Lee, J.C.

1984-01-01

The 2-MW Ford Nuclear Reactor at the University of Michigan is serving as the demonstration reactor for the MTR-type low enrichment (LEU) fuel for the Reduced Enrichment for Research and Test Reactor program. Operational experience gained through six months of LEU core operation and seven months of mixed HEU-LEU core operation is presented. Subcadmium flux measurements performed with rhodium self-powered neutron detectors and iron wire activations are compared with calculations. Measured reactivity parameters are compared for HEU and LEU cores. Finally, the benchmark calculations for several HEU, LEU, and mixed HEU-LEU FNR cores and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) benchmark problem are presented. (author)

Supply Chain Viability for the North American Microwave Power Tube Industry

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Philippi, Therese M

2002-01-01

The DoD Defense Production (DPA) Act Title III program sponsored this project in response to a critical supply base issue with the objective of strengthening the supplier base to ensure it's future viability...

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

Science.gov (United States)

MacLeod, Colin M.; Roe, Amy S.

1956-01-01

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

Serum-dependent effects of tamoxifen and cannabinoids upon C6 glioma cell viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobsson, S O; Rongård, E; Stridh, M; Tiger, G; Fowler, C J

2000-12-15

In the present study, the effects of the combination of tamoxifen ((Z)-2[p-(1,2-diphenyl-1-butenyl)phenoxy]-N,N-dimethylamine citrate) and three cannabinoids (Delta(9)-tetrahydrocannabinol [Delta(9)-THC], cannabidiol, and anandamide [AEA]) upon the viability of C6 rat glioma cells was assessed at different incubation times and using different culturing concentrations of foetal bovine serum (FBS). Consistent with previous data for human glioblastoma cells, the tamoxifen sensitivity of the cells was increased as the FBS content of the culture medium was reduced from 10 to 0.4 and 0%. The cells expressed protein kinase C alpha and calmodulin (the concentration of which did not change significantly as the FBS concentration was reduced), but did not express estrogen receptors. Delta(9)-THC and cannabidiol, but not AEA, produced a modest reduction in cell viability after 6 days of incubation in serum-free medium, whereas no effects were seen in 10% FBS-containing medium. There was no observed synergy between the effects of tamoxifen and the cannabinoids upon cell viability.

Economic viability of geriatric hip fracture centers.

Science.gov (United States)

Clement, R Carter; Ahn, Jaimo; Mehta, Samir; Bernstein, Joseph

2013-12-01

Management of geriatric hip fractures in a protocol-driven center can improve outcomes and reduce costs. Nonetheless, this approach has not spread as broadly as the effectiveness data would imply. One possible explanation is that operating such a center is not perceived as financially worthwhile. To assess the economic viability of dedicated hip fracture centers, the authors built a financial model to estimate profit as a function of costs, reimbursement, and patient volume in 3 settings: an average US hip fracture program, a highly efficient center, and an academic hospital without a specific hip fracture program. Results were tested with sensitivity analysis. A local market analysis was conducted to assess the feasibility of supporting profitable hip fracture centers. The results demonstrate that hip fracture treatment only becomes profitable when the annual caseload exceeds approximately 72, assuming costs characteristic of a typical US hip fracture program. The threshold of profitability is 49 cases per year for high-efficiency hip fracture centers and 151 for the urban academic hospital under review. The largest determinant of profit is reimbursement, followed by costs and volume. In the authors’ home market, 168 hospitals offer hip fracture care, yet 85% fall below the 72-case threshold. Hip fracture centers can be highly profitable through low costs and, especially, high revenues. However, most hospitals likely lose money by offering hip fracture care due to inadequate volume. Thus, both large and small facilities would benefit financially from the consolidation of hip fracture care at dedicated hip fracture centers. Typical US cities have adequate volume to support several such centers.

Ibrutinib (ImbruvicaTM) potently inhibits ErbB receptor phosphorylation and cell viability of ErbB2-positive breast cancer cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Grabinski, Nicole; Ewald, Florian

2014-12-01

Ibrutinib (formerly PCI-32765) is a specific, irreversible, and potent inhibitor of Burton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) developed for the treatment of several forms of blood cancer. It is now an FDA-approved drug marketed under the name Imbruvica(TM) (Pharmacyclics, Inc.) and successfully used as an orally administered second-line drug in the treatment of mantle cell lymphoma. Since BTK is predominantly expressed in hematopoietic cells, the sensitivity of solid tumor cells to Ibrutinib has not been analyzed. In this study, we determined the effect of Ibrutinib on breast cancer cells. We demonstrate that Ibrutinib efficiently reduces the phosphorylation of the receptor tyrosine kinases ErbB1, ErbB2 and ErbB3, thereby suppressing AKT and MAPK signaling in ErbB2-positive (ErbB2+) breast cancer cell lines. Treatment with Ibrutinib significantly reduced the viability of ErbB2+ cell lines with IC50 values at nanomolar concentrations, suggesting therapeutic potential of Ibrutinib in breast cancer. Combined treatment with Ibrutinib and the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor BEZ235 synergistically reduces cell viability of ErbB2+ breast cancer cells. Combination indices below 0.25 at 50% inhibition of cell viability were determined by the Chou-Talalay method. Therefore, the combination of Ibrutinib and canonical PI3K pathway inhibitors could be a new and effective approach in the treatment of breast cancer with activated ErbB receptors. Ibrutinib could thus become a valuable component of targeted therapy in aggressive ErbB2+ breast cancer.

Determination of lactic acid bacteria viability in the small intestine of catfish (Pangasius Djambal) by using the 32P radioisotope

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sugoro, I.; Citraresmini, A.; Murni, A.P.; Fairuz, D.

2015-01-01

The viability of probiotics is important to be determined, as is its probiotics potency in the small intestine of fish. The result can be used as a basis to determine the feeding frequency of the probiotics to the fish. The aim of this study is to gain information about the viability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in the small intestine of fish by using the 32 P isotope technique. Catfish (Pangasius djambal) was used as a test fish, and the LAB with the code of P2.1 PTB was the subject of the experiment. Before its viability was tested, the LAB had been labelled with radioisotope 32 P, then mixed into catfish feed. Its viability could be determined by counting the activity of 32 P. The results showed that the percentage of LAB viability in the small intestine of catfish declined until day 7. The percentage of LAB viability was decreased at an amount of 30% at day 3. Based on this result, the feeding frequency of LAB P2.1 PTB is every 3 days. (author)

Determination of Lactic Acid Bacteria Viability in the Small Intestine of Catfish (Pangasius djambal by Using the 32P Radioisotope

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

I. Sugoro

2015-04-01

Full Text Available The viability of probiotics is important to be determined, as is its probiotic potency in the small instestine of fish. The result can be used as a basis to determine the feeding frequency of the probiotics to the fish.The aim of this study is to gain information about the viability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB in the small intestine of fish by using the 32P isotope technique. Catfish (Pangasius djambal was used as a test fish, and the LAB with the code of P2.1 PTB was the subject of the experiment. Before its viability was tested, the LAB had been labelled with radioisotope 32P, then mixed into catfish feed. Its viability could be determined by counting the activity of 32P. The results showed that the percentage of LAB viability in the small intestine of catfish declined until day 7. The percentage of LAB viability was decreased at an amount of 30% at day 3. Based on this result, the feeding frequency of LAB P2.1 PTB is every 3 days.

Longevity and viability of Taenia solium eggs in the digestive system of the beetle Ammophorus rubripes.

Science.gov (United States)

Gomez-Puerta, Luis Antonio; Lopez-Urbina, Maria Teresa; Garcia, Hector Hugo; Gonzalez, Armando Emiliano

2014-03-01

The present study evaluated the capacity of Ammophorus rubripes beetles to carry Taenia solium eggs, in terms of duration and viability of eggs in their digestive system. One hundred beetles were distributed into five polyethylene boxes, and then they were infected with T. solium eggs. Gravid proglottids of T. solium were crushed and then mixed with cattle feces. One gram of this mixture was placed in each box for 24 hours, after which each group of beetles was transferred into a new clean box. Then, five beetles were dissected every three days. Time was strongly associated with viability (r=0.89; PTaenia solium eggs were present in the beetle's digestive system for up to 39 days (13th sampling day out of 20), gradually reducing in numbers and viability, which was 0 on day 36 post-infection. Egg viability was around 40% up to day 24 post-infection, with a median number of eggs of 11 per beetle at this time. Dung beetles may potentially contribute towards dispersing T. solium eggs in endemic areas.

Storage effect on viability and biofunctionality of human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Falah, Mizied; Rayan, Anwar; Srouji, Samer

2015-09-01

In our recent studies, the transplantation of human adipose tissue-derived stromal cells (ASCs) has shown promise for treatment of diseases related to bone and joint disorders. For the current clinical applications, ASCs were formulated and suspended in PlasmaLyte A supplemented with heparin, glucose and human serum albumin, balanced to pH 7.4 with sodium bicarbonate. This cell solution constitutes 20% of the overall transplanted mixture and is supplemented with hyaluronic acid (60%) and OraGraft particles (20%). We intended to investigate the effect of this transplantation mixture on the viability and biofunctionality of ASCs in bone formation. Freshly harvested cells were resuspended and incubated in the indicated mixture for up to 48 h at 4°C. Cell viability was assessed using trypan blue and AlamarBlue, and cell functionality was determined by quantifying their adhesion rate in vitro and bone formation in an ectopic mouse model. More than 80% of the ASCs stored in the transplantation mixture were viable for up to 24 h. Cell viability beyond 24 h in storage decreased to approximately 50%. In addition, an equal degree of bone formation was observed between the cells transplanted following incubation in transplantation mixture for up to 24 h and zero-time non-incubated cells (control). The viability and functionality of ASCs stored in the presented formulation will make such cell therapy accessible to larger and more remote populations. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Cellular Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The economic and financing viability of the OPR-1000 construction at Muria Peninsula

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moch Djoko Birmano; Mochamad Nasrullah

2005-01-01

The study of the economic and financing viability of the OPR-1000 construction at Muria Peninsula have been done. This study is carried out with steps as follows: updating of newest OPR-1000 technical and economic data; survey of financing sources; the calculation of electricity generation cost, electricity tariff, construction cost of OPR-1000; and calculation of OPR-1000 financing viability by using feasibility criteria such as Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and capital payback period. The calculation of generation cost, electricity tariff, construction cost and financing viability criteria (IRR, NPV, Payback Period)by using KEPCO Spread Sheet. From the results of calculations how that the electricity generation cost is 4.0866 cent/kWh, while the electricity tariff is 6.6399 cent/kWh(after Value Added Tax). The total construction cost of OPR-1000 is US $4,092.09 million (included interest and financial fee, excluded initial nuclear fuel). The calculation of financing viability in base case obtained that value of IRR, NPV and Payback Period for total investment is 10.37%. US$90.52 million and 12.11 years respectively. From these results can be concluded that with the electricity tariff of 6.640 cent/kWh or 0.0664 US$/kWh, basically this project of OPR-1000 construction is very feasible and beneficial. From investment side, this project can attract investor because the rate of capital return is high enough, profit in the end of economic life is big enough and payback period is short. (author)

The effect of Aloe vera gel on viability of dental pulp stem cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Sholehvar, Fatemeh; Mehrabani, Davood; Yaghmaei, Parichehr; Vahdati, Akbar

2016-10-01

Dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) can play a prominent role in tissue regeneration. Aloe vera L. (Liliaceae) contains the polysaccharide of acemannan that was shown to be a trigger factor for cell proliferation, differentiation, mineralization, and dentin formation. This study sought to determine the viability of DPSCs in Aloe vera in comparison with Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS). Twelve rabbits underwent anesthesia, and their incisor teeth were extracted; the pulp tissue was removed, chopped, treated with collagenase and plated in culture flasks. DPSCs from passage 3 were cultured in 24-well plates, and after 3 days, the culture media changed to 10, 25, 50, and 100% concentrations of Aloe vera at intervals of 45 and 90 min and 3 and 6 h. Distilled water was used as negative and HBSS as positive control for comparison. The cell morphology, viability, population doubling time (PDT), and growth kinetics were evaluated. RT-PCR was carried out for characterization and karyotyping for chromosomal stability. Aloe vera showed a significant higher viability than HBSS (74.74%). The 50% Aloe vera showed higher viability (97.73%) than other concentrations. PDT in 50% concentration was 35.1 h and for HBSS was 49.5 h. DPSCs were spindle shaped and were positive for CD73 and negative for CD34 and CD45. Karyotyping was normal. Aloe vera as an inexpensive and available herb can improve survival of avulsed or broken teeth in emergency cases as a transfer media. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Tracing Conidial Fate and Measuring Host Cell Antifungal Activity Using a Reporter of Microbial Viability in the Lung

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anupam Jhingran

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Fluorescence can be harnessed to monitor microbial fate and to investigate functional outcomes of individual microbial cell-host cell encounters at portals of entry in native tissue environments. We illustrate this concept by introducing fluorescent Aspergillus reporter (FLARE conidia that simultaneously report phagocytic uptake and fungal viability during cellular interactions with the murine respiratory innate immune system. Our studies using FLARE conidia reveal stepwise and cell-type-specific requirements for CARD9 and Syk, transducers of C-type lectin receptor and integrin signals, in neutrophil recruitment, conidial uptake, and conidial killing in the lung. By achieving single-event resolution in defined leukocyte populations, the FLARE method enables host cell profiling on the basis of pathogen uptake and killing and may be extended to other pathogens in diverse model host organisms to query molecular, cellular, and pharmacologic mechanisms that shape host-microbe interactions.

Front-End Electronics for Verification Measurements: Performance Evaluation and Viability of Advanced Tamper Indicating Measures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, E.; Conrad, R.; Morris, S.; Ramuhalli, P.; Sheen, D.; Schanfein, M.; Ianakiev, K.; Browne, M.; Svoboda, J.

2015-01-01

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) continues to expand its use of unattended, remotely monitored measurement systems. An increasing number of systems and an expanding family of instruments create challenges in terms of deployment efficiency and the implementation of data authentication measures. A collaboration between Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Idaho National Laboratory (INL), and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) is working to advance the IAEA's capabilities in these areas. The first objective of the project is to perform a comprehensive evaluation of a prototype front-end electronics package, as specified by the IAEA and procured from a commercial vendor. This evaluation begins with an assessment against the IAEA's original technical specifications and expands to consider the strengths and limitations over a broad range of important parameters that include: sensor types, cable types, and the spectrum of industrial electromagnetic noise that can degrade signals from remotely located detectors. A second objective of the collaboration is to explore advanced tamper-indicating (TI) measures that could help to address some of the long-standing data authentication challenges with IAEA's unattended systems. The collaboration has defined high-priority tampering scenarios to consider (e.g., replacement of sensor, intrusion into cable), and drafted preliminary requirements for advanced TI measures. The collaborators are performing independent TI investigations of different candidate approaches: active time-domain reflectometry (PNNL), passive noise analysis (INL), and pulse-by-pulse analysis and correction (LANL). The initial investigations focus on scenarios where new TI measures are retrofitted into existing IAEA UMS deployments; subsequent work will consider the integration of advanced TI methods into new IAEA UMS deployments where the detector is separated from the front-end electronics. In this paper, project progress

Viability of G4 after Spray-Drying and Freeze-Drying

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stephenie Wong

2010-01-01

Full Text Available Viability of Bifidobacterium pseudocatenulatum G4 following spray-drying and freeze-drying in skim milk was evaluated. After spray-drying, the strain experienced over 99% loss in viability regardless of the air outlet temperature (75 and 85 °C and the heat-adaptation temperature (45 and 65 °C, 30 min. The use of heat-adaptation treatment to improve the thermotolerance of this strain was ineffective. On the other hand, the strain showed a superior survival at 71.65%–82.07% after freeze-drying. Viable populations of 9.319–9.487 log 10 cfu/g were obtained when different combinations of skim milk and sugar were used as cryoprotectant. However, the addition of sugars did not result in increased survival during the freeze-drying process. Hence, 10% (w/v skim milk alone is recommended as a suitable protectant and drying medium for this strain. The residual moisture content obtained was 4.41% ± 0.44%.

Low-dose dose-response for reduced cell viability after exposure of human keratinocyte (HEK001 cells to arsenite

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kenneth T. Bogen

Full Text Available The in vitro arsenite (AsIII cytotoxicity dose-response (DR of human keratinocytes (HEK001 was examined at greater statistical resolution than ever previously reported using the MTT assay to determine cell viability. Fifty-four 96-well plates were treated with AsIII concentrations of 0.25, 0.5, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 15, 20, 25, or 30 μM. Because of unexpected variation in viability response patterns, a two-stage DR analysis was used in which data on plate-specific viability (%, estimated as 100% times the ratio of measured viability in exposed to unexposed cells, were fit initially to a generalized lognormal response function positing that HEK001 cells studied consisted of: a proportion P of relatively highly sensitive (HS cells, a proportion Po of relatively resistant cells, and a remaining (1–P–Po fraction of typical-sensitivity (TS cells exhibiting the intermediate level of AsIII sensitivity characteristic of most cells in each assay. The estimated fractions P and Po were used to adjust data from all 54 plates (and from the 28 plates yielding the best fits to reflect the condition that P = Po = 0 to provide detailed DR analysis specifically for TS cells. Four DR models fit to the combined adjusted data were each very predictive (R2 > 0.97 overall but were inconsistent with at least one of the data set examined (p  0.30 and exceeded 100% significance (p ≤ 10−6. A low-dose hormetic model provided the best fit to the combined adjusted data for TS cells (R2 = 0.995. Marked variability in estimates of P (the proportion of apparent HS cells was unexpected, not readily explained, and warrants further study using additional cell lines and assay methods, and in vivo. Keywords: Arsenic, Arsenate, Cell culture, Cell death, Cytotoxicity, HEK001 cells

Exercise regulates breast cancer cell viability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Dethlefsen, Christine; Lillelund, Christian; Midtgaard, Julie

2016-01-01

.003) and cytokines. Yet, these systemic adaptations had no effect on breast cancer cell viability in vitro. During 2 h of acute exercise, increases in serum lactate (6-fold, p ... no impact. Our data question the prevailing dogma that training-dependent baseline reductions in risk factors mediate the protective effect of exercise on breast cancer. Instead, we propose that the cancer protection is driven by accumulative effects of repeated acute exercise responses.......Purpose: Exercise decreases breast cancer risk and disease recurrence, but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. Training adaptations in systemic factors have been suggested as mediating causes. We aimed to examine if systemic adaptations to training over time, or acute exercise responses...

Viability, biofilm formation, and MazEF expression in drug-sensitive and drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains circulating in Xinjiang, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhao, Ji-Li; Liu, Wei; Xie, Wan-Ying; Cao, Xu-Dong; Yuan, Li

2018-01-01

Tuberculosis (TB) caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) is one of the most common chronic infectious amphixenotic diseases worldwide. Prevention and control of TB are greatly difficult, due to the increase in drug-resistant TB, particularly multidrug-resistant TB. We speculated that there were some differences between drug-sensitive and drug-resistant MTB strains and that mazEF 3,6,9 toxin-antitoxin systems (TASs) were involved in MTB viability. This study aimed to investigate differences in viability, biofilm formation, and MazEF expression between drug-sensitive and drug-resistant MTB strains circulating in Xinjiang, China, and whether mazEF 3,6,9 TASs contribute to MTB viability under stress conditions. Growth profiles and biofilm-formation abilities of drug-sensitive, drug-resistant MTB strains and the control strain H37Rv were monitored. Using molecular biology experiments, the mRNA expression of the mazF 3, 6, and 9 toxin genes, the mazE 3, 6, and 9 antitoxin genes, and expression of the MazF9 protein were detected in the different MTB strains, H37RvΔ mazEF 3,6,9 mutants from the H37Rv parent strain were generated, and mutant viability was tested. Ex vivo culture analyses demonstrated that drug-resistant MTB strains exhibit higher survival rates than drug-sensitive strains and the control strain H37Rv. However, there was no statistical difference in biofilm-formation ability in the drug-sensitive, drug-resistant, and H37Rv strains. mazE 3,6 mRNA-expression levels were relatively reduced in the drug-sensitive and drug-resistant strains compared to H37Rv. Conversely, mazE 3,9 expression was increased in drug-sensitive strains compared to drug-resistant strains. Furthermore, compared with the H37Rv strain, mazF 3,6 expression was increased in drug-resistant strains, mazF 9 expression was increased in drug-sensitive strains, and mazF 9 exhibited reduced expression in drug-resistant strains compared with drug-sensitive strains. Protein expression of mazF9

The viability of business data mining in the sports environment ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Data mining can be viewed as the process of extracting previously unknown information from large databases and utilising this information to make crucial business decisions (Simoudis, 1996: 26). This paper considers the viability of using data mining tools and techniques in sports, particularly with regard to mining the ...

The implications of habitat management on the population viability of the endangered Ohlone tiger beetle (Cicindela ohlone metapopulation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tara M Cornelisse

Full Text Available Despite their role in providing ecosystem services, insects remain overlooked in conservation planning, and insect management approaches often lack a rigorous scientific basis. The endangered Ohlone tiger beetle (Cicindela ohlone occurs in a 24-km(2 area in Santa Cruz County, California. The once larger metapopulation now consists of subpopulations inhabiting five patches of coastal prairie where it depends on bare ground for mating, foraging, and oviposition. Human activities have eliminated natural disturbances and spread invasive grasses, reducing C. ohlone's bare-ground habitat. Management actions to restore critical beetle habitat consist of cattle and horse grazing, maintaining slow bicycle speeds on occupied public trails, and artificial creation of bare-ground plots. Recreational biking trails help maintain bare ground, but can cause beetle mortality if left unregulated. We tracked C. ohlone survivorship and estimated fecundity for three years. We then constructed a stage-structured population projection matrix model to estimate population viability among the five patches, and to evaluate the success of management interventions. We demonstrate that habitat creation, regulation of bicycle speed, and migration between patches increase C. ohlone survival and population viability. Our results can be directly applied to management actions for conservation outcomes that will reduce species extinction risk and promote recolonization of extirpated patches.

AVNG system demonstration

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thron, Jonathan Louis [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Mac Arthur, Duncan W [Los Alamos National Laboratory; Kondratov, Sergey [VNIIEF; Livke, Alexander [VNIIEF; Razinkov, Sergey [VNIIEF

2010-01-01

An attribute measurement system (AMS) measures a number of unclassified attributes of potentially classified material. By only displaying these unclassified results as red or green lights, the AMS protects potentially classified information while still generating confidence in the measurement result. The AVNG implementation that we describe is an AMS built by RFNC - VNIIEF in Sarov, Russia. To provide additional confidence, the AVNG was designed with two modes of operation. In the secure mode, potentially classified measurements can be made with only the simple red light/green light display. In the open mode, known unclassified material can be measured with complete display of the information collected from the radiation detectors. The AVNG demonstration, which occurred in Sarov, Russia in June 2009 for a joint US/Russian audience, included exercising both modes of AVNG operation using a number of multi-kg plutonium sources. In addition to describing the demonstration, we will show photographs and/or video taken of AVNG operation.

Ovarian fluid mediates the temporal decline in sperm viability in a fish with sperm storage.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Clelia Gasparini

Full Text Available A loss of sperm viability and functionality during sperm transfer and storage within the female reproductive tract can have important fitness implications by disrupting fertilization and impairing offspring development and survival. Consequently, mechanisms that mitigate the temporal decline in sperm function are likely to be important targets of selection. In many species, ovarian fluid is known to regulate and maintain sperm quality. In this paper, we use the guppy Poecilia reticulata, a highly polyandrous freshwater fish exhibiting internal fertilization and sperm storage, to determine whether ovarian fluid (OF influences the decline in sperm viability (the proportion of live sperm in the ejaculate over time and whether any observed effects depend on male sexual ornamentation. To address these questions we used a paired experimental design in which ejaculates from individual males were tested in vitro both in presence and absence of OF. Our results revealed that the temporal decline in sperm viability was significantly reduced in the presence of OF compared to a saline control. This finding raises the intriguing possibility that OF may play a role in mediating the decline in sperm quality due to the deleterious effects of sperm ageing, although other possible explanations for this observation are discussed. Interestingly, we also show that the age-related decline in sperm viability was contingent on male sexual ornamentation; males with relatively high levels of iridescence (indicating higher sexual attractiveness exhibited a more pronounced decline in sperm viability over time than their less ornamented counterparts. This latter finding offers possible insights into the functional basis for the previously observed trade-off between these key components of pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection.

Impact of lithium alone or in combination with haloperidol on oxidative stress parameters and cell viability in SH-SY5Y cell culture.

Science.gov (United States)

Gawlik-Kotelnicka, Oliwia; Mielicki, Wojciech; Rabe-Jabłońska, Jolanta; Lazarek, Jerry; Strzelecki, Dominik

2016-02-01

It has been reported that lithium may inhibit lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation. Lithium salts also appear to stimulate cell proliferation, increase neurogenesis, and delay cell death. Oxidative stress and neurodegeneration may play an important role in the pathophysiology of bipolar disorder and the disease course thereof. The aim of this research is to estimate the influence of lithium (alone and in combination with haloperidol) on the parameters of oxidative stress and viability of SH-SY5Y cell lines in neutral and pro-oxidative conditions. The evaluated oxidative stress parameter was lipid peroxidation. The viability of the cell lines was measured utilising the MTT test. In neutral conditions, higher levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances were observed in those samples which contained both haloperidol and lithium than in other samples. However, these differences were not statistically significant. Cell viability was significantly higher in therapeutic lithium samples than in the controls; samples of haloperidol alone as well as those of haloperidol with lithium did not differ from controls. The results of our study may indicate that lithium possess neuroprotective properties that may be partly due to antioxidative effects. The combination of lithium and haloperidol may generate increased oxidative stress.

The combination of ultrasound with antibiotics released from bone cement decreases the viability of planktonic and biofilm bacteria: an in vitro study with clinical strains.

Science.gov (United States)

Ensing, Geert T; Neut, Daniëlle; van Horn, Jim R; van der Mei, Henny C; Busscher, Henk J

2006-12-01

Antibiotic-loaded bone cements are used for the permanent fixation of joint prostheses. Antibiotic-loaded cements significantly decrease the incidence of infection. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the viability of bacteria derived from patients with a prosthesis-related infection could be further decreased when antibiotic release from bone cements was combined with application of pulsed ultrasound. Escherichia coli ATCC 10798, Staphylococcus aureus 7323, coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS 7368 and CoNS 7391) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa 5148 were grown planktonically in suspension and as a biofilm on three different bone cements: Palacos R without gentamicin as control, gentamicin-loaded Palacos R-G and gentamicin/clindamycin-loaded Copal. The viability of planktonic and biofilm bacteria was measured in the absence and presence of pulsed ultrasound for 40 h. Ultrasound itself did not affect bacterial viability. However, application of pulsed ultrasound in combination with antibiotic release by antibiotic-loaded bone cements yielded a reduction of both planktonic and biofilm bacterial viability compared with antibiotic release without application of ultrasound. This study shows that antibiotic release in combination with ultrasound increases the antimicrobial efficacy further than antibiotic release alone against a variety of clinical isolates. Application of ultrasound in combination with antibiotic release in clinical practice could therefore lead to better prevention or treatment of prosthesis-related infections.

Use of fluorescent redox indicators to evaluate cell proliferation and viability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rasmussen, E.S.

1999-01-01

The performance of two cell viability test kits based on the use of redox indicators yielding fluorescent products, the AlamarBlue assay and a resazurin-based in vitro toxicology assay kit from Sigma, was compared in the present study. Cultures of human neonatal foreskin fibroblasts were exposed...... for 168 h of continuous exposure, but showed equal levels of cytostatic effects in cultures with a low initial cell density after 72 h of exposure. Similar characteristics of the dye solutions were observed by high-performance Liquid chromatography (HPLC) separation and UV spectroscopy, and the major...... components were tentatively identified as resazurin and resorufin. The AlamarBlue assay has gained wide application as a cell viability indicator that allows continuous monitoring of cell proliferation or cytotoxicity in human and animal cells, bacteria, and fungi, but no studies with the deliberate use...

Increased viability of fibroblasts when pretreated with ceria nanoparticles during serum deprivation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Genier FS

2018-02-01

Full Text Available Francielli S Genier,1 Maximilian Bizanek,1 Thomas J Webster,1,2 Amit K Roy1,2 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 2Wenzhou Institute of Biomaterials and Engineering (WIBE, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Conditions of cellular stress are often the cause of cell death or dysfunction. Sustained cell stress can lead to several health complications, such as extensive inflammatory responses, tumor growth, and necrosis. To prevent disease and protect human tissue during these conditions and to avoid medication side effects, nanomaterials with unique characteristics have been applied to biological systems. This paper introduces the pretreatment in human dermal fibroblasts with cerium oxide nanoparticles during nutritional stress. For this purpose, human dermal fibroblast cells received cell culture media with concentrations of 250 µg/mL and 500 µg/mL of nano-cerium oxide before being exposed to 24, 48, and 72 hours of serum starvation. Contrast images demonstrated higher cell confluence and cell integrity in cells pretreated with ceria nanoparticles compared to untreated cells. It was confirmed by MTS assay after 72 hours of serum starvation that higher cell viability was achieved with ceria nanoparticles. The results demonstrate the potential of cerium oxide nanoparticles as protective agents during cellular starvation. Keywords: cerium oxide, nanoparticles, serum starvation, human dermal fibroblasts

Determination of Lactic Acid Bacteria Viability in the Small Intestine of Catfish (Pangasius djambal by Using the 32P Radioisotope

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I. Sugoro

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The viability of probiotics is important to be determined, as is its probiotic potency in the small instestine of fish. The result can be used as a basis to determine the feeding frequency of the probiotics to the fish.The aim of this study is to gain information about the viability of lactic acid bacteria (LAB in the small intestine of fish by using the 32P isotope technique. Catfish (Pangasius djambal was used as a test fish, and the LAB with the code of P2.1 PTB was the subject of the experiment. Before its viability was tested, the LAB had been labelled with radioisotope 32P, then mixed into catfish feed. Its viability could be determined by counting the activity of 32P. The results showed that the percentage of LAB viability in the small intestine of catfish declined until day 7. The percentage of LAB viability was decreased at an amount of 30% at day 3. Based on this result, the feeding frequency of LAB P2.1 PTB is every 3 days. Received: 04 October 2014 Revised: 26 March 2015; Accepted: 05 April 2015

Viability Assessment of Cryptosporidium parvum Oocysts by Vital Dyes: Dry Mounts Overestimate the Number of “Ghost” Oocysts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Petersen, Heidi Huus; Enemark, Heidi L.

2017-01-01

Viability assessment of Cryptosporidium parvum oocysts is crucial for evaluation of the public health significance of this important zoonotic protozoon. Viability is commonly assessed in wet mounts after acid pretreatmentand staining with fluorogenic vital dyes. However, in some studies, oocyst v...

Preliminary conceptual study of engineering-scale pyroprocess demonstration facility

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moon, Seong-In; Chong, Won-Myung; You, Gil-Sung; Ku, Jeong-Hoe; Kim, Ho-Dong

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► The conceptual design of a pyroprocess demonstration facility was performed. ► The design requirements for the pyroprocess hot cell and equipment were determined. ► The maintenance concept for the pyroprocess hot cell was presented. -- Abstract: The development of an effective management technology of spent fuel is important to enhance environmental friendliness, cost viability and proliferation resistance. In Korea, pyroprocess technology has been considered as a fuel cycle option to solve the spent fuel accumulation problems. PRIDE (PyRoprocess Integrated inactive DEmonstration facility) has been developed from 2007 to 2012 in Korea as a cold test facility to support integrated pyroprocessing and an equipment demonstration, which is essential to verify the pyroprocess technology. As the next stage of PRIDE, the design requirements of an engineering-scale demonstration facility are being developed, and the preliminary conceptual design of the facility is being performed for the future. In this paper, the main design requirements for the engineering-scale pyroprocess demonstration facility were studied in the throughput of 10tHM a year. For the preliminary conceptual design of the facility, the design basis of the pyroprocess hot cell was suggested, and the main equipment, main process area, operation area, maintenance area, and so on were arranged in consideration of the effective operation of the hot cells. Also, the argon system was designed to provide and maintain a proper inert environment for the pyroprocess. The preliminary conceptual design data will be used to review the validity of the engineering-scale pyroprocess demonstration facility that enhances both safety and nonproliferation

Monitoring the viability of citrus rootstocks seeds stored under refrigeration

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Sérgio Alves de Carvalho

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The citrus nursery tree is produced through the bud grafting process, in which rootstock is usually grown from seed germination. The objective of this research was to evaluate, in two dissimilar environmental conditions, the viability and polyembryony expression of five citrus rootstocks seeds stored in different periods under refrigeration. The rootstock varieties evaluated were: Rangpur lime (Citrus limonia Osb. cv. Limeira, Trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata Raf. cv. Limeira, Citrumelo (P. trifoliata x C. paradisi Macf. cv. Swingle, Sunki mandarin (C. sunki Hort. ex Tanaka and Volkamer lemon (C. volkameriana Ten. & Pasq. cv. Catania 2. The experimental design was the randomized blocks in a 11 x 5 x 2 factorial scheme, evaluating from time zero to the tenth month of storage, the five varieties of rootstock in two environments: germination and growth B.O.D type chamber (Biological Oxygen Demand - Eletrolab Brand Model FC 122 at 25 °C; and greenhouse seedbed with partial temperature control (22 °C to 36 °C and humidity control (75-85%. The plot had 24 seeds in four replicates, using trays with substrate in greenhouse and Petri dishes with filter paper in B.O.D. chamber. The seed germination rate and polyembryony expression were evaluated monthly. It was concluded that Trifoliate and Citrumelo Swingle seeds can be stored for up to seven months, while Volkamer lemon, Rangpur lime and Sunki seeds can be stored for up to ten months. The polyembryony expression rate was slightly higher when measured in greenhouse than in B.O.D. chamber and remained stable in both environments until the seventh month, from which dropped sharply. Citrumelo Swingle seeds expressed the highest polyembryony rate (18.8%, followed by Rangpur lime and Volkamer lemon (average value of 13.7%, Sunki (9.4% and Trifoliate (3.2%. Despite some differences among varieties, the viability of rootstock stored seeds can be monitored either in the greenhouse or in B

Imaging techniques in nuclear cardiology for the assessment of myocardial viability

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Slart, RHJA; Bax, JJ; van Veldhuisen, DJ; van der Wall, EE; Dierckx, RAJO; Jager, PL

The assessment of myocardial viability has become an important aspect of the diagnostic and prognostic work-up of patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy. Although revascularization may be considered in patients with sufficient viable myocardium, patients with predominantly scar tissue should be

Dragon's Blood Sap (Croton Lechleri) As Storage Medium For Avulsed Teeth: In Vitro Study Of Cell Viability.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Christine Men; Hamanaka, Elizane Ferreira; Hoshida, Thayse Yumi; Sell, Ana Maria; Hidalgo, Mirian Marubayashi; Silveira, Catarina Soares; Poi, Wilson Roberto

2016-01-01

Tooth replantation success depends on the condition of cementum periodontal ligament after tooth avulsion; which is influenced by storage medium. The dragon's blood (Croton lechleri) sap has been suggested as a promising medium because it supports collagen formation and exhibits healing, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of dragon's blood sap as a storage medium for avulsed teeth through evaluation of functional and metabolic cell viability. This in vitro study compared the efficacy of different storage media to maintain the viability of human peripheral blood mononuclear and periodontal ligament cells. A 10% dragon's blood sap was tested while PBS was selected as its control. Ultra pasteurized whole milk was used for comparison as a commonly used storage medium. DMEM and distilled water were the positive and negative controls, respectively. The viability was assessed through trypan blue exclusion test and colorimetric MTT assay after 1, 3, 6, 10 and 24 h of incubation. The dragon's blood sap showed promising results due to its considerable maintenance of cell viability. For trypan blue test, the dragon's blood sap was similar to milk (psap showed better results than all storage media, even better than milk (psap was as effective as milk, the gold standard for storage medium. The experimental sap preserved the membrane of all cells and the functional viability of periodontal ligament cells.

Economic viability of biogas technology in a Bangladesh village

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biswas, W.K.; Lucas, N.J.D.

1997-01-01

We estimate energy consumption for domestic cooking and biogas energy resources for 21 clusters of households in a village. Data were analyzed on a cluster basis, with investments shared. Under the present conditions, biogas technology would not be economically viable. Economic analysis involving viability tools including additional benefits of biogas technology indicate that creating a market for local biogas would make such a project feasible. (Author)

Comparative Evaluation of Cell Viability Immediately After Osteotomy for Implants With Drills and Piezosurgery: Immunohistochemistry Analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, Cassiano Costa Silva; Batista, Fábio Roberto de Souza; Jacob, Ricardo Garcia Mureb; Nogueira, Lamis Meorin; Carvalho, Abrahão Cavalcante Gomes de Souza; Gealh, Walter Cristiano; Garcia-Júnior, Idelmo Rangel; Okamoto, Roberta

2018-05-08

To evaluate the effect of reusing drills and piezosurgery tips during implant osteotomy on immediate bone cell viability through immunohistochemical analysis. Six male rabbits were divided into 2 groups and then divided into 5 subgroups-correspond to drills and tips used 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 times, respectively. All animals received 10 osteotomies in each tibia, by use of the classic drilling procedure in one group (G1) and the piezosurgery device in the other group (G2). For immunohistochemical technique were utilized the osteoprotegerin, RANKL, osteocalcin, and caspase 3. Control procedures were performed by omitting the primary antibodies (negative control). Bone formation and resorption responses presented in more intense way during the piezosurgery. The expression of osteocalcin had become quite intense in piezosurgery groups, but with reduced immunostaining from the 30th osteotomy. The caspase 3 showed the viability of the osteoblast from the 20th osteotomy with piezosurgery and remained constant until the 50th. Piezosurgery provides greater osteoblastic cell viability than the system of conventional drilling. This study will provide data so that the authors can recycle the drills and tips for implant placement, thus enabling a better cell viability for osseointegration.

Inhibition of Geranylgeranyl Transferase-I Decreases Cell Viability of HTLV-1-Transformed Cells

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Cynthia A. Pise-Masison

2011-10-01

Full Text Available Human T-cell leukemia virus type-1 (HTLV-1 is the etiological agent of adult T-cell leukemia (ATL, an aggressive and highly chemoresistant malignancy. Rho family GTPases regulate multiple signaling pathways in tumorigenesis: cytoskeletal organization, transcription, cell cycle progression, and cell proliferation. Geranylgeranylation of Rho family GTPases is essential for cell membrane localization and activation of these proteins. It is currently unknown whether HTLV-1-transformed cells are preferentially sensitive to geranylgeranylation inhibitors, such as GGTI-298. In this report, we demonstrate that GGTI-298 decreased cell viability and induced G2/M phase accumulation of HTLV-1-transformed cells, independent of p53 reactivation. HTLV-1-LTR transcriptional activity was inhibited and Tax protein levels decreased following treatment with GGTI-298. Furthermore, GGTI-298 decreased activation of NF-κB, a downstream target of Rho family GTPases. These studies suggest that protein geranylgeranylation contributes to dysregulation of cell survival pathways in HTLV-1-transformed cells.

Terminology for pregnancy loss prior to viability: a consensus statement from the ESHRE early pregnancy special interest group

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kolte, A. M.; Bernardi, L. A.; Christiansen, O. B.; Quenby, S.; Farquharson, R. G.; Goddijn, M.; Stephenson, M. D.

2015-01-01

Pregnancy loss prior to viability is common and research in the field is extensive. Unfortunately, terminology in the literature is inconsistent. The lack of consensus regarding nomenclature and classification of pregnancy loss prior to viability makes it difficult to compare study results from

Usefulness of myocardial parametric imaging to evaluate myocardial viability in experimental and in clinical studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Korosoglou, G; Hansen, A; Bekeredjian, R; Filusch, A; Hardt, S; Wolf, D; Schellberg, D; Katus, H A; Kuecherer, H

2006-03-01

To evaluate whether myocardial parametric imaging (MPI) is superior to visual assessment for the evaluation of myocardial viability. Myocardial contrast echocardiography (MCE) was assessed in 11 pigs before, during, and after left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion and in 32 patients with ischaemic heart disease by using intravenous SonoVue administration. In experimental studies perfusion defect area assessment by MPI was compared with visually guided perfusion defect planimetry. Histological assessment of necrotic tissue was the standard reference. In clinical studies viability was assessed on a segmental level by (1) visual analysis of myocardial opacification; (2) quantitative estimation of myocardial blood flow in regions of interest; and (3) MPI. Functional recovery between three and six months after revascularisation was the standard reference. In experimental studies, compared with visually guided perfusion defect planimetry, planimetric assessment of infarct size by MPI correlated more significantly with histology (r2 = 0.92 versus r2 = 0.56) and had a lower intraobserver variability (4% v 15%, p < 0.05). In clinical studies, MPI had higher specificity (66% v 43%, p < 0.05) than visual MCE and good accuracy (81%) for viability detection. It was less time consuming (3.4 (1.6) v 9.2 (2.4) minutes per image, p < 0.05) than quantitative blood flow estimation by regions of interest and increased the agreement between observers interpreting myocardial perfusion (kappa = 0.87 v kappa = 0.75, p < 0.05). MPI is useful for the evaluation of myocardial viability both in animals and in patients. It is less time consuming than quantification analysis by regions of interest and less observer dependent than visual analysis. Thus, strategies incorporating this technique may be valuable for the evaluation of myocardial viability in clinical routine.

The effects of monosodium urate monohydrate crystals on chondrocyte viability and function: implications for development of cartilage damage in gout.

Science.gov (United States)

Chhana, Ashika; Callon, Karen E; Pool, Bregina; Naot, Dorit; Gamble, Gregory D; Dray, Michael; Pitto, Rocco; Bentley, Jarome; McQueen, Fiona M; Cornish, Jillian; Dalbeth, Nicola

2013-12-01

Cartilage damage is frequently observed in advanced destructive gout. The aim of our study was to investigate the effects of monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals on chondrocyte viability and function. The alamarBlue assay and flow cytometry were used to assess the viability of primary human chondrocytes and cartilage explants following culture with MSU crystals. The number of dead chondrocytes in cartilage explants cultured with MSU crystals was quantified. Real-time PCR was used to determine changes in the relative mRNA expression levels of chondrocytic genes. The histological appearance of cartilage in joints affected by gout was also examined. MSU crystals rapidly reduced primary human chondrocyte and cartilage explant viability in a dose-dependent manner (p gout, normal cartilage architecture was lost, with empty chondrocyte lacunae observed. MSU crystals have profound inhibitory effects on chondrocyte viability and function. Interactions between MSU crystals and chondrocytes may contribute to cartilage damage in gout through reduction of chondrocyte viability and promotion of a catabolic state.

Assessment of tissue viability by polarization spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Nilsson, G.; Anderson, C.; Henricson, J.; Leahy, M.; O'Doherty, J.; Sjöberg, F.

2008-09-01

A new and versatile method for tissue viability imaging based on polarization spectroscopy of blood in superficial tissue structures such as the skin is presented in this paper. Linearly polarized light in the visible wavelength region is partly reflected directly by the skin surface and partly diffusely backscattered from the dermal tissue matrix. Most of the directly reflected light preserves its polarization state while the light returning from the deeper tissue layers is depolarized. By the use of a polarization filter positioned in front of a sensitive CCD-array, the light directly reflected from the tissue surface is blocked, while the depolarized light returning from the deeper tissue layers reaches the detector array. By separating the colour planes of the detected image, spectroscopic information about the amount of red blood cells (RBCs) in the microvascular network of the tissue under investigation can be derived. A theory that utilizes the differences in light absorption of RBCs and bloodless tissue in the red and green wavelength region forms the basis of an algorithm for displaying a colour coded map of the RBC distribution in a tissue. Using a fluid model, a linear relationship (cc. = 0.99) between RBC concentration and the output signal was demonstrated within the physiological range 0-4%. In-vivo evaluation using transepidermal application of acetylcholine by the way of iontophoresis displayed the heterogeneity pattern of the vasodilatation produced by the vasoactive agent. Applications of this novel technology are likely to be found in drug and skin care product development as well as in the assessment of skin irritation and tissue repair processes and even ultimately in a clinic case situation.

Cost Assessment Methodology and Economic Viability of Tidal Energy Projects

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eva Segura

2017-11-01

Full Text Available The exploitation of technologies with which to harness the energy from ocean currents will have considerable possibilities in the future thanks to their enormous potential for electricity production and their high predictability. In this respect, the development of methodologies for the economic viability of these technologies is fundamental to the attainment of a consistent quantification of their costs and the discovery of their economic viability, while simultaneously attracting investment in these technologies. This paper presents a methodology with which to determine the economic viability of tidal energy projects, which includes a technical study of the life-cycle costs into which the development of a tidal farm can be decomposed: concept and definition, design and development, manufacturing, installation, operation and maintenance and dismantling. These cost structures are additionally subdivided by considering their sub-costs and bearing in mind the main components of the tidal farm: the nacelle, the supporting tidal energy converter structure and the export power system. Furthermore, a technical study is developed in order to obtain an estimation of the annual energy produced (and, consequently, the incomes generated if the electric tariff is known by considering its principal attributes: the characteristics of the current, the ability of the device to capture energy and its ability to convert and export the energy. The methodology has been applied (together with a sensibility analysis to the particular case of a farm composed of first generation tidal energy converters in one of the Channel Island Races, the Alderney Race, in the U.K., and the results have been attained by means of the computation of engineering indexes, such as the net present value, the internal rate of return, the discounted payback period and the levelized cost of energy, which indicate that the proposed project is economically viable for all the case studies.

Sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation: financial viability case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Swinwood, J.F.; Kotler, J.

1990-01-01

This paper examines the financial viability of sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation, by examining the following three North American scenarios: 1. Small volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs; 2. Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing low sludge disposal costs; 3. Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs. (author)

Sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation: financial viability case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Swinwood, J.F.; Kotler, J. (Nordion International Inc., Kanata, Ontario (Canada))

1990-01-01

This paper examines the financial viability of sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation, by examining the following three North American scenarios: 1. Small volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs; 2. Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing low sludge disposal costs; 3. Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs. (author).

Sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation: Financial viability case studies

Science.gov (United States)

Swinwood, Jean F.; Kotler, Jiri

This paper examines the financial viability of sewage sludge pasteurization by gamma radiation, by examining the following three North American scenarios: 1) Small volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs. 2) Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing low sludge disposal costs. 3) Large volume sewage treatment plant experiencing high sludge disposal costs.

The impact of the postharvest environment on the viability and virulence of decay fungi.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jia; Sui, Yuan; Wisniewski, Michael; Xie, Zhigang; Liu, Yiqing; You, Yuming; Zhang, Xiaojing; Sun, Zhiqiang; Li, Wenhua; Li, Yan; Wang, Qi

2018-07-03

Postharvest decay of fruits, vegetables, and grains by fungal pathogens causes significant economic losses. Infected produce presents a potential health risk since some decay fungi produce mycotoxins that are hazardous to human health. Infections are the result of the interplay between host resistance and pathogen virulence. Both of these processes, however, are significantly impacted by environmental factors, such as temperature, UV, oxidative stress, and water activity. In the present review, the impact of various physical postharvest treatments (e.g., heat and UV) on the viability and virulence of postharvest pathogens is reviewed and discussed. Oxidative injury, protein impairment, and cell wall degradation have all been proposed as the mechanisms by which these abiotic stresses reduce fungal viability and pathogenicity. The response of decay fungi to pH and the ability of pathogens to modulate the pH of the host environment also affect pathogenicity. The effects of the manipulation of the postharvest environment by ethylene, natural edible coatings, and controlled atmosphere storage on fungal viability are also discussed. Lastly, avenues of future research are proposed.

Is there a viability-vulnerability tradeoff? Sex differences in fetal programming.

Science.gov (United States)

Sandman, Curt A; Glynn, Laura M; Davis, Elysia Poggi

2013-10-01

In this paper we evaluate the evidence for sex differences in fetal programming within the context of the proposed viability-vulnerability tradeoff. We briefly review the literature on the factors contributing to primary and secondary sex ratios. Sex differences in fetal programming are assessed by summarizing previously published sex difference findings from our group (6 studies) and also new analyses of previously published findings in which sex differences were not reported (6 studies). The review and reanalysis of studies from our group are consistent with the overwhelming evidence of increasing risk for viability among males exposed to environmental adversity early in life. New evidence reported here support the argument that females, despite their adaptive agility, also are influenced by exposure to early adversity. Two primary conclusions are (i) female fetal exposure to psychobiological stress selectively influences fear/anxiety, and (ii) the effects of female fetal exposure to stress persist into preadolescence. These persisting effects are reflected in increased levels of anxiety, impaired executive function and neurological markers associated with these behaviors. A tacit assumption is that females, with their adaptive flexibility early in gestation, escape the consequences of early life exposure to adversity. We argue that the consequences of male exposure to early adversity threaten their viability, effectively culling the weak and the frail and creating a surviving cohort of the fittest. Females adjust to early adversity with a variety of strategies, but their escape from the risk of early mortality and morbidity has a price of increased vulnerability expressed later in development. © 2013.

Relationship between collateral circulation and myocardial viability of 18F-FDG PET/CT subtended by chronic total occluded coronary arteries.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Wei; Li, Jianan; Mi, Hongzhi; Song, Xiantao; Jiao, Jian; Li, Quan

2018-04-01

To analyze the relationship between the collateral flow of coronary chronic total occlusion (CTO) and myocardial viability detected by 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging. A prospective analysis of 104 patients diagnosed by coronary angiography. All patients underwent resting myocardial perfusion imaging and PET/CT within 1 week. The collateral circulation was graded with Rentrop classification as no or poor collateral circulation in 16 CTO vessels, moderate collateral circulation in 34 CTO vessels, and good collateral circulation in 69 CTO vessels. Myocardial viability was determined with myocardial perfusion imaging and PET. The patterns were interpreted as mismatch, match and normal perfusion and 18 F-FDG uptake. There was no significant correlation between the severity and extent of perfusion defect, myocardial viability and collateral circulation grade. The myocardial viability was normal in mild and moderate hypokinetic regions and decreased in severe hypokinetic and akinesis-dyskinesis regions. The presence of collateral circulation was a sensitive (89%) but not a specific (31%) sign of myocardial viability. In patients with CTO, collateral circulation does not seem to be an effective way for predicting myocardial viability. Further analysis of PET patterns of viable myocardium is needed to guide further revascularization and predict functional improvement and survival benefit.

Hydrostatic Compress Force Enhances the Viability and Decreases the Apoptosis of Condylar Chondrocytes through Integrin-FAK-ERK/PI3K Pathway

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Dandan; Kou, Xiaoxing; Jin, Jing; Xu, Taotao; Wu, Mengjie; Deng, Liquan; Fu, Lusi; Liu, Yi; Wu, Gang; Lu, Haiping

2016-01-01

Reduced mechanical stimuli in many pathological cases, such as hemimastication and limited masticatory movements, can significantly affect the metabolic activity of mandibular condylar chondrocytes and the growth of mandibles. However, the molecular mechanisms for these phenomena remain unclear. In this study, we hypothesized that integrin-focal adhesion kinase (FAK)-ERK (extracellular signal–regulated kinase)/PI3K (phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase) signaling pathway mediated the cellular response of condylar chondrocytes to mechanical loading. Primary condylar chondrocytes were exposed to hydrostatic compressive forces (HCFs) of different magnitudes (0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kPa) for 2 h. We measured the viability, morphology, and apoptosis of the chondrocytes with different treatments as well as the gene, protein expression, and phosphorylation of mechanosensitivity-related molecules, such as integrin α2, integrin α5, integrin β1, FAK, ERK, and PI3K. HCFs could significantly increase the viability and surface area of condylar chondrocytes and decrease their apoptosis in a dose-dependent manner. HCF of 250 kPa resulted in a 1.51 ± 0.02-fold increase of cell viability and reduced the ratio of apoptotic cells from 18.10% ± 0.56% to 7.30% ± 1.43%. HCFs could significantly enhance the mRNA and protein expression of integrin α2, integrin α5, and integrin β1 in a dose-dependent manner, but not ERK1, ERK2, or PI3K. Instead, HCF could significantly increase phosphorylation levels of FAK, ERK1/2, and PI3K in a dose-dependent manner. Cilengitide, the potent integrin inhibitor, could dose-dependently block such effects of HCFs. HCFs enhances the viability and decreases the apoptosis of condylar chondrocytes through the integrin-FAK-ERK/PI3K pathway. PMID:27827993

Viability of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts in milk, Hank's balanced salt solution and coconut water as storage media.

Science.gov (United States)

Souza, B D M; Lückemeyer, D D; Reyes-Carmona, J F; Felippe, W T; Simões, C M O; Felippe, M C S

2011-02-01

To evaluate the effectiveness of various storage media at 5 °C for maintaining the viability of human periodontal ligament fibroblasts (PDLF). Plates with PDLF were soaked in recently prepared Hank's balanced salt solution (HBSS), skimmed milk, whole milk, Save-A-Tooth(®) system's HBSS (Save), natural coconut water, industrialized coconut water or tap water (negative control) at 5 °C for 3, 6, 24, 48, 72, 96 and 120 h. Minimum essential medium (MEM) at 37 °C served as the positive control. PDL cell viability was determined by MTT assay. Data were statistically analysed by Kruskal-Wallis test complemented by the Scheffé test (α=5%). The greatest number of viable cells was observed for MEM. Skimmed and whole milk, followed by natural coconut water and HBSS, were the most effective media in maintaining cell viability (Pmilk had the greatest capacity to maintain PDLF viability when compared with natural coconut water, HBSS, Save, industrialized coconut water and tap water. © 2010 International Endodontic Journal.

The effect of 'allergenic' and 'nonallergenic' antibiotics on dog keratinocyte viability in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Voie, Katrine L; Lucas, Benjamin E; Schaeffer, David; Kim, Dewey; Campbell, Karen L; Lavergne, Sidonie N

2013-10-01

Immune-mediated adverse drug reactions (drug hypersensitivity) are relatively common in veterinary medicine, but their pathogenesis is not well understood. For an unknown reason, delayed drug hypersensitivity often targets the skin. Antibiotics, especially β-lactams and sulfonamides, are commonly associated with these adverse events. The 'danger theory' hypothesizes that 'danger' signals, such as drug-induced cell death, might be part of the pathogenesis of drug hypersensitivity reactions. The goal of this study was to determine whether antibiotics that are commonly associated with cutaneous drug hypersensitivity (allergenic) decrease canine keratinocyte viability in vitro more than antibiotics that rarely cause such reactions (nonallergenic). Immortalized canine keratinocytes (CPEK cells) were exposed to a therapeutic range of drug concentrations of four 'allergenic' antibiotics (two β-lactams, i.e. amoxicillin and cefalexin, and two sulfonamides, i.e. sulfamethoxazole and sulfadimethoxine) or two 'nonallergenic' antibiotics (enrofloxacin and amikacin) over 48 h (2, 4, 8, 24 and 48 h). The reactive nitroso metabolite of sulfamethoxazole was also tested. Cefalexin (2 mmol/L) significantly decreased cell viability after 48 h (28 ± 7%; P = 0.035). The nitroso metabolite of sulfamethoxazole (100 μmol/L) decreased cell viability after 2 h (21 ± 7%; P = 0.049), but cell numbers were increased after 8 h (22 ± 6%; P = 0.018). In addition, enrofloxacin (500 μmol/L) also significantly decreased cell viability by 37% (±6%; P = 0.0035) at 24 h and by 70% (±8%; P good predictor of the 'allergenic' potential of an antibiotic. Further work is required to investigate other drug-induced 'danger' signals in dog keratinocytes exposed to 'allergenic' antibiotics in vitro. © 2013 ESVD and ACVD.

Novel Cell Preservation Technique to Extend Bovine In Vitro White Blood Cell Viability.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilie L Laurin

Full Text Available Although cell-mediated immunity based diagnostics can be integral assays for early detection of various diseases of dairy cows, processing of blood samples for these tests is time-sensitive, often within 24 hours of collection, to maintain white blood cell viability. Therefore, to improve utility and practicality of such assays, the objective of this study was to assess the use of a novel white blood cell preservation technology in whole bovine blood. Blood samples from ten healthy cows were each divided into an unpreserved control sample and a test sample preserved with commercially-available cell transport medium. Samples were maintained at room temperature and stimulated with the mitogens pokeweed and concanavalinA, as well as with interleukin-12 p40. Stimulation was completed on days 1, 5, and 8 post-sampling. Viability of white blood cells was assessed through interferon gamma production determined with a commercial enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. In addition, mononuclear cell viability was assessed with propidium iodide flow cytometry. Greater interferon gamma production was observed on days 5 and 8 post-collection in preserved samples, with both pokeweed and concanavalinA stimulating positive interferon gamma production on day 5 post-collection. A greater proportion of the amount of interferon gamma produced on day 1 continued to be produced on days 5 and 8 post-collection with concanavalinA stimulation (with or without interleukin 12 as compared to pokeweed stimulation. Additionally, viable mononuclear cells were still present at eight days post-collection, with a higher mean proportion detected at days 5 and 8 in all stimulated preserved samples. This practical and simple method to extend in vitro white blood cell viability could benefit the efficient utilization of cell-based blood tests in ruminants.

Cell viability, reactive oxygen species, apoptosis, and necrosis in myoblast cultures exposed to low-level infrared laser.

Science.gov (United States)

Alexsandra da Silva Neto Trajano, Larissa; da Silva, Camila Luna; de Carvalho, Simone Nunes; Cortez, Erika; Mencalha, André Luiz; de Souza da Fonseca, Adenilson; Stumbo, Ana Carolina

2016-07-01

Low-level infrared laser is considered safe and effective for treatment of muscle injuries. However, the mechanism involved on beneficial effects of laser therapy are not understood. The aim was to evaluate cell viability, reactive oxygen species, apoptosis, and necrosis in myoblast cultures exposed to low-level infrared laser at therapeutic fluences. C2C12 myoblast cultures at different (2 and 10 %) fetal bovine serum (FBS) concentrations were exposed to low-level infrared laser (808 nm, 100 mW) at different fluences (10, 35, and 70 J/cm(2)) and evaluated after 24, 48, and 72 h. Cell viability was evaluated by WST-1 assay; reactive oxygen species (ROS), apoptosis, and necrosis were evaluated by flow cytometry. Cell viability was decreased atthe lowest FBS concentration. Laser exposure increased the cell viability in myoblast cultures at 2 % FBS after 48 and 72 h, but no significant increase in ROS was observed. Apoptosis was decreased at the higher fluence and necrosis was increased at lower fluence in myoblast cultures after 24 h of laser exposure at 2 % FBS. No laser-induced alterations were obtained at 10 % FBS. Results show that level of reactive oxygen species is not altered, at least to those evaluated in this study, but low-level infrared laser exposure affects cell viability, apoptosis, and necrosis in myoblast cultures depending on laser fluence and physiologic conditions of cells.

Comparison of Germination and Viability Tests for Southern Hardwood Seed

Science.gov (United States)

F. T. Bonner; J. L. Gammage

1967-01-01

This paper summarizes a 3-year evaluation of 10 methods for testing germinability and viability of the seed of six species of southern hardwood. In five of the methods, the seeds were germinated. In the others, visual, biochemical, or physical properties were the criteria. Cutting tests were best for sweetgum and Nuttall oak seed, while cutting or water germination...

Boar sperm storage capacity of BTS and Androhep Plus: viability, motility, capacitation, and tyrosine phosphorylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dubé, Charlotte; Beaulieu, Martin; Reyes-Moreno, Carlos; Guillemette, Christine; Bailey, Janice L

2004-09-01

Androhep Plus, a long-term extender (up to 7 days) and Beltsville Thawing Solution (BTS), a short-term extender (up to 3 days), are commonly used for liquid storage of porcine semen. To test the hypothesis that modifications in sperm viability, motility, chlortetracycline (CTC) fluorescence patterns, and protein tyrosine phosphorylation occur during semen storage in extenders, we compared these end points at different periods of storage in either Androhep Plus or BTS. Sperm from five boars were assessed daily over 12 days of storage (n = 5 ejaculates from different boars). Viability was not different (P extenders, except on Day 2, when Androhep Plus maintained better viability. Differences in the percentage of motile (total) sperm due to extender were evident on Days 2, 4, 5, and 6, when Androhep Plus was superior to BTS (P extender as early as Day 2; storage in Androhep Plus induced higher levels of pattern B sperm (P extenders; these may affect the fertilizing capacity of the semen.

Demonstration of a software design and statistical analysis methodology with application to patient outcomes data sets.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayo, Charles; Conners, Steve; Warren, Christopher; Miller, Robert; Court, Laurence; Popple, Richard

2013-11-01

With emergence of clinical outcomes databases as tools utilized routinely within institutions, comes need for software tools to support automated statistical analysis of these large data sets and intrainstitutional exchange from independent federated databases to support data pooling. In this paper, the authors present a design approach and analysis methodology that addresses both issues. A software application was constructed to automate analysis of patient outcomes data using a wide range of statistical metrics, by combining use of C#.Net and R code. The accuracy and speed of the code was evaluated using benchmark data sets. The approach provides data needed to evaluate combinations of statistical measurements for ability to identify patterns of interest in the data. Through application of the tools to a benchmark data set for dose-response threshold and to SBRT lung data sets, an algorithm was developed that uses receiver operator characteristic curves to identify a threshold value and combines use of contingency tables, Fisher exact tests, Welch t-tests, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests to filter the large data set to identify values demonstrating dose-response. Kullback-Leibler divergences were used to provide additional confirmation. The work demonstrates the viability of the design approach and the software tool for analysis of large data sets.

Framework for Assessing Viability of Threatened and Endangered Chinook Salmon and Steelhead in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Basin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Steven T. Lindley

2007-02-01

Full Text Available Protected evolutionarily significant units (ESUs of salmonids require objective and measurable criteria for guiding their recovery. In this report, we develop a method for assessing population viability and two ways to integrate these population-level assessments into an assessment of ESU viability. Population viability is assessed with quantitative extinction models or criteria relating to population size, population growth rate, the occurrence of catastrophic declines, and the degree of hatchery influence. ESU viability is assessed by examining the number and distribution of viable populations across the landscape and their proximity to sources of catastrophic disturbance. Central Valley spring-run and winter-run Chinook salmon ESUs are not currently viable, according to the criteria-based assessment. In both ESUs, extant populations may be at low risk of extinction, but these populations represent a small portion of the historical ESUs, and are vulnerable to catastrophic disturbance. The winter-run Chinook salmon ESU, in the extreme case, is represented by a single population that spawns outside of its historical spawning range. We are unable to assess the status of the Central Valley steelhead ESU with our framework because almost all of its roughly 80 populations are classified as data deficient. The few exceptions are those populations with a closely associated hatchery, and the naturally-spawning fish in these streams are at high risk of extinction. Population monitoring in this ESU is urgently needed. Global and regional climate change poses an additional risk to the survival of salmonids in the Central Valley. A literature review suggests that by 2100, mean summer temperatures in the Central Valley region may increase by 2-8°C, precipitation will likely shift to more rain and less snow, with significant declines in total precipitation possible, and hydrographs will likely change, especially the the southern Sierra Nevada mountains

Storage Viability and Optimization Web Service

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stadler, Michael; Marnay, Christ; Lai, Judy; Siddiqui, Afzal; Limpaitoon, Tanachai; Phan, Trucy; Megel, Olivier; Chang, Jessica; DeForest, Nicholas

2010-10-11

Non-residential sectors offer many promising applications for electrical storage (batteries) and photovoltaics (PVs). However, choosing and operating storage under complex tariff structures poses a daunting technical and economic problem that may discourage potential customers and result in lost carbon and economic savings. Equipment vendors are unlikely to provide adequate environmental analysis or unbiased economic results to potential clients, and are even less likely to completely describe the robustness of choices in the face of changing fuel prices and tariffs. Given these considerations, researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) have designed the Storage Viability and Optimization Web Service (SVOW): a tool that helps building owners, operators and managers to decide if storage technologies and PVs merit deeper analysis. SVOW is an open access, web-based energy storage and PV analysis calculator, accessible by secure remote login. Upon first login, the user sees an overview of the parameters: load profile, tariff, technologies, and solar radiation location. Each parameter has a pull-down list of possible predefined inputs and users may upload their own as necessary. Since the non-residential sectors encompass a broad range of facilities with fundamentally different characteristics, the tool starts by asking the users to select a load profile from a limited cohort group of example facilities. The example facilities are categorized according to their North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code. After the load profile selection, users select a predefined tariff or use the widget to create their own. The technologies and solar radiation menus operate in a similar fashion. After these four parameters have been inputted, the users have to select an optimization setting as well as an optimization objective. The analytic engine of SVOW is LBNL?s Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM), which is a mixed

JNK1/2 Activation by an Extract from the Roots of Morus alba L. Reduces the Viability of Multidrug-Resistant MCF-7/Dox Cells by Inhibiting YB-1-Dependent MDR1 Expression

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Youn Kyung Choi

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Cancer cells acquire anticancer drug resistance during chemotherapy, which aggravates cancer disease. MDR1 encoded from multidrug resistance gene 1 mainly causes multidrug resistance phenotypes of different cancer cells. In this study, we demonstrate that JNK1/2 activation by an extract from the root of Morus alba L. (White mulberry reduces doxorubicin-resistant MCF-7/Dox cell viability by inhibiting YB-1 regulation of MDR1 gene expression. When MCF-7 or MCF-7/Dox cells, where MDR1 is highly expressed were treated with an extract from roots or leaves of Morus alba L., respectively, the root extract from the mulberry (REM but not the leaf extract (LEM reduced cell viabilities of both MCF-7 and MCF-7/Dox cells, which was enhanced by cotreatment with doxorubicin. REM but not LEM further inhibited YB-1 nuclear translocation and its regulation of MDR1 gene expression. Moreover, REM promoted phosphorylation of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase 1/2 (JNK1/2 and JNK1/2 inhibitor, SP600125 and rescued REM inhibition of both MDR1 expression and viabilities in MCF-7/Dox cells. Consistently, overexpression of JNK1, c-Jun, or c-Fos inhibited YB-1-dependent MDR1 expression and reduced viabilities in MCF-7/Dox cells. In conclusion, our data indicate that REM-activated JNK-cJun/c-Fos pathway decreases the viability of MCF-7/Dox cells by inhibiting YB-1-dependent MDR1 gene expression. Thus, we suggest that REM may be useful for treating multidrug-resistant cancer cells.

Egg quality traits and predictors of embryo and fry viability in red snapper Lutjanus campechanus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Agnès Bardon-Albaret

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The quality of red snapper eggs is highly variable and unpredictable in aquaculture, leading to high mortality during early larval rearing. In this work, the viability of red snapper eggs was monitored from fertilization until unfed larvae expired because of exhaustion of vitelline reserves to determine egg quality traits in this species. The spawns were obtained via strip spawning wild-caught females following hormonal induction with chorionic gonadotropin. Females were induced immediately after capture (wild group, n = 17 or held captive for the entire maturation period prior to induction (captive group, n = 7. Candidate predictors of egg quality measured on the female parent at the time of induction or on the spawn at ovulation were evaluated using correlation and multiple regression analysis. The fertilization rate, the hatching rate, and the duration of survival of unfed larvae post hatch were weakly correlated to each other (-0.23 < r < −0.08, revealing occurrence of distinct and independent components of egg quality. Spawns from captive females were characterized by a longer latency interval between hormonal induction and ovulation, lower fecundity, and lower hatching rates, as compared to those from wild females. Among the wild brood fish, a positive correlation was observed between the age of the female and the hatching rate. The best model optimized during stepwise multiple regression analysis of hatching rate data only explained 34% of the variance for this trait and no model could be optimized for the prediction of fertilization rate or the duration of survival post hatch. These results highlight the need to develop alternative egg quality measures to predict the viability of fry with confidence.

Anthropogenic Impacts on Mortality and Population Viability of the Monarch Butterfly.

Science.gov (United States)

Malcolm, Stephen B

2018-01-07

Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are familiar herbivores of milkweeds of the genus Asclepias, and most monarchs migrate each year to locate these host plants across North American ecosystems now dominated by agriculture. Eastern migrants overwinter in high-elevation forests in Mexico, and western monarchs overwinter in trees on the coast of California. Both populations face three primary threats to their viability: (a) loss of milkweed resources for larvae due to genetically modified crops, pesticides, and fertilizers; (b) loss of nectar resources from flowering plants; and (c) degraded overwintering forest habitats due to commercially motivated deforestation and other economic activities. Secondary threats to population viability include (d) climate change effects on milkweed host plants and the dynamics of breeding, overwintering, and migration; (e) the influence of invasive plants and natural enemies; (f) habitat fragmentation and coalescence that promote homogeneous, species-depleted landscapes; and (g) deliberate culture and release of monarchs and invasive milkweeds.

Edible flowers - antioxidant activity and impact on cell viability

OpenAIRE

Kuceková, Zdenka; Mlček, Jiří; Humpolíček, Petr; Rop, Otakar

2013-01-01

The phenolic compound composition, antioxidant activity and impact on cell viability of edible flower extracts of Allium schoenoprasum; Bellis perennis; Cichorium intybus; Rumex acetosa; Salvia pratensis; Sambucus nigra; Taraxacum officinale; Tragopogon pratensis; Trifolium repens and Viola arvensis was examined for the first time. Total phenolic content of the flowers of these plants fell between 11.72 and 42.74 mg of tannin equivalents/kg of dry matter. Antioxidant activity ranged from 35.5...

Viability of human corneal keratocytes during organ culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller-Pedersen, T; Møller, H J

1996-01-01

The viability of human corneal keratocytes was assessed during four weeks of 'closed system' organ culture at 31 degrees C. After 28 days of culturing, the entire keratocyte population was still alive and viable because all cells incorporated uridine; a parameter for RNA-synthesis. During the first...... of keratan sulphate proteoglycan suggested that approximately 1% of the total content was lost during the period. In conclusion, our current organ culture technique can maintain a viable keratocyte population for four weeks; a viable stroma can be grafted within this period....

Metabolic cardiac imaging in severe coronary disease: assessment of viability with iodine-123-iodophenylpentadecanoic acid and multicrystal gamma camera, and correlation with biopsy.

Science.gov (United States)

Murray, G; Schad, N; Ladd, W; Allie, D; vander Zwagg, R; Avet, P; Rockett, J

1992-07-01

Fifteen patients with coronary disease and resting left ventricular ejection fractions of less than or equal to 0.35 underwent resting metabolic cardiac imaging utilizing 1 mCi [123I]iodophenylpentadecanoic acid (IPPA) intravenously and a multicrystal gamma camera. Parametric images of regional rates of IPPA clearance and accumulation were generated. Forty-two vascular territories (22 infarcted) were evaluated by metabolic imaging as well as transmural myocardial biopsy. Despite resting akinesis or dyskinesis in 20/22 (91%) infarcted territories, 16/22 (73%) of these territories were metabolically viable. Transmural myocardial biopsies in all patients (43 sites, 42 vascular territories) during coronary bypass surgery confirmed IPPA results in 39/43 patients (91%). When compared to biopsy, scan sensitivity for viability was 33/36 (92%) with a specificity of 6/7 (86%). Eighty percent of bypassed, infarcted but IPPA viable segments demonstrated improved regional systolic wall motion postoperatively as assessed by exercise radionuclide angiography. We conclude resting IPPA imaging identifies viable myocardium, thereby providing a safe, cost-effective technique for myocardial viability assessment.

Peptidoglycan crosslinking relaxation plays an important role in Staphylococcus aureus WalKR-dependent cell viability.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aurelia Delaune

Full Text Available The WalKR two-component system is essential for viability of Staphylococcus aureus, a major pathogen. We have shown that WalKR acts as the master controller of peptidoglycan metabolism, yet none of the identified regulon genes explain its requirement for cell viability. Transmission electron micrographs revealed cell wall thickening and aberrant division septa in the absence of WalKR, suggesting its requirement may be linked to its role in coordinating cell wall metabolism and cell division. We therefore tested whether uncoupling autolysin gene expression from WalKR-dependent regulation could compensate for its essential nature. Uncoupled expression of genes encoding lytic transglycosylases or amidases did not restore growth to a WalKR-depleted strain. We identified only two WalKR-regulon genes whose expression restored cell viability in the absence of WalKR: lytM and ssaA. Neither of these two genes are essential under our conditions and a ΔlytM ΔssaA mutant does not present any growth defect. LytM is a glycyl-glycyl endopeptidase, hydrolyzing the pentaglycine interpeptide crossbridge, and SsaA belongs to the CHAP amidase family, members of which such as LysK and LytA have been shown to have D-alanyl-glycyl endopeptidase activity, cleaving between the crossbridge and the stem peptide. Taken together, our results strongly suggest that peptidoglycan crosslinking relaxation through crossbridge hydrolysis plays a crucial role in the essential requirement of the WalKR system for cell viability.

Assessment of factors that impact on the viability of contract farming ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The farmer's scale, years of experience, availability of inputs, crop grown, production area and access to finances were all identified as the significant factors affecting contract farming viability. It was recommended that farmers refrain from side marketing and contractors stick to contractual agreements in terms of payments ...

Pollen viability, physiology, and production of maize plants exposed to pyraclostrobin+epoxiconazole.

Science.gov (United States)

Junqueira, Verônica Barbosa; Costa, Alan Carlos; Boff, Tatiana; Müller, Caroline; Mendonça, Maria Andréia Corrêa; Batista, Priscila Ferreira

2017-04-01

The use of fungicides in maize has been more frequent due to an increase in the incidence of diseases and also the possible physiological benefits that some of these products may cause. However, some of these products (e.g., strobilurins and triazoles) may interfere with physiological processes and the formation of reproductive organs. Therefore, the effect of these products on plants at different developmental stages needs to be better understood to reduce losses and maximize production. The effect of the fungicide pyraclostrobin+epoxiconazole (P+E) was evaluated at different growth stages in meiosis, pollen grain viability and germination, physiology, and production of maize plants in the absence of disease. An experiment was carried out with the hybrid DKB390 PROII and the application of pyraclostrobin+epoxiconazole at the recommended dose and an untreated control at 3 different timings (S1 - V10; S2 - V14; S3 - R1) with 5 replications. Gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, pollen viability and germination, as well as the hundred-grain weight were evaluated. Anthers were collected from plants of S1 for cytogenetic analysis. The fungicide pyraclostrobin+epoxiconazole reduced the viability of pollen grains (1.4%), but this was not enough to reduce production. Moreover, no differences were observed in any of the other parameters analyzed, suggesting that P+E at the recommended dose and the tested stages does not cause toxic effects. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of storage materials on viability and proximate composition of ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Viability of the G. kola seeds stored in polyethylene bag (PB) was highest (100%) followed by that of the seeds stored in fresh plantain leaf (FPL) (86.67 ± 13.33%); cement bag paper (CBP) (73.33 ± 17.64%); dry plantain leaf (DPL) (60.00%) and the control which was exposed to the ambient temperature in the laboratory ...

Quantum measurement and orientation tracking of fluorescent nanodiamonds inside living cells

Science.gov (United States)

McGuinness, L. P.; Yan, Y.; Stacey, A.; Simpson, D. A.; Hall, L. T.; MacLaurin, D.; Prawer, S.; Mulvaney, P.; Wrachtrup, J.; Caruso, F.; Scholten, R. E.; Hollenberg, L. C. L.

2011-06-01

Fluorescent particles are routinely used to probe biological processes. The quantum properties of single spins within fluorescent particles have been explored in the field of nanoscale magnetometry, but not yet in biological environments. Here, we demonstrate optically detected magnetic resonance of individual fluorescent nanodiamond nitrogen-vacancy centres inside living human HeLa cells, and measure their location, orientation, spin levels and spin coherence times with nanoscale precision. Quantum coherence was measured through Rabi and spin-echo sequences over long (>10 h) periods, and orientation was tracked with effective 1° angular precision over acquisition times of 89 ms. The quantum spin levels served as fingerprints, allowing individual centres with identical fluorescence to be identified and tracked simultaneously. Furthermore, monitoring decoherence rates in response to changes in the local environment may provide new information about intracellular processes. The experiments reported here demonstrate the viability of controlled single spin probes for nanomagnetometry in biological systems, opening up a host of new possibilities for quantum-based imaging in the life sciences.

Ebselen alters mitochondrial physiology and reduces viability of rat hippocampal astrocytes.

Science.gov (United States)

Santofimia-Castaño, Patricia; Salido, Ginés M; González, Antonio

2013-04-01

The seleno-organic compound and radical scavenger ebselen (2-phenyl-1,2-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one) have been extensively employed as an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective compound. However, its glutathione peroxidase activity at the expense of cellular thiols groups could underlie certain deleterious actions of the compound on cell physiology. In this study, we have analyzed the effect of ebselen on rat hippocampal astrocytes in culture. Cellular viability, the intracellular free-Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]c), the mitochondrial free-Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]m), and mitochondrial membrane potential (ψm) were analyzed. The caspase-3 activity was also assayed. Our results show that cell viability was reduced by treatment of cells with ebselen, depending on the concentration employed. In the presence of ebselen, we observed an initial transient increase in [Ca(2+)]c that was then followed by a progressive increase to an elevated plateau. We also observed a transient increase in [Ca(2+)]m in the presence of ebselen that returned toward a value over the prestimulation level. The compound induced depolarization of ψm and altered the permeability of the mitochondrial membrane. Additionally, a disruption of the mitochondrial network was observed. Finally, we did not detect changes in caspase-3 activation in response to ebselen treatment. Collectively, these data support the likelihood of ebselen, depending on the concentration employed, reduces viability of rat hippocampal astrocytes via its action on the mitochondrial activity. These may be early effects that do not involve caspase-3 activation. We conclude that, depending on the concentration used, ebselen might exert deleterious actions on astrocyte physiology that could compromise cell function.

Diagnostic value of dobutamine echocardiography in myocardial viability of about 85 cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

El Hammami, El Mondher

2009-01-01

Stress echocardiography in low-dose dobutamine is part of the proposed techniques for the identification of viable myocardium. Unlike isotopic techniques that analyze the viability in terms of perfusion and membrane integrity, the echo dobutamine studying the functional aspect of sustain ability is - to - say the existence of a reservation contraction in segments asynergic. To establish the diagnostic value of echo dobutamine in search of sustain ability we conducted a prospective study to nearly 85 patients all presented with a recent myocardial infarction whose average age is 55 years and the sex ratio is 0.95. The examination was performed for all our patients on average twelfth day of myocardial infarction, improved segmental kinetics at least one grade in at least two adjacent segments relative to the ground state is considered as ultrasound test of the viability.

Ovulation order mediates a trade-off between pre-hatching and post-hatching viability in an altricial bird.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Keith W Sockman

2008-03-01

Full Text Available Simultaneously dependent siblings often compete for parentally provided resources. This competition may lead to mortality, the probability of which may be a function, in part, of the individual offspring's production order. In birds, serial ovulation followed by hatching asynchrony of simultaneous dependents leads to differences in post-hatching survival that largely depend on ovulation (laying order. This has led to the widespread assumption that early-laid eggs are of greater value and therefore should possess different maternally manipulated characteristics than later-laid eggs. However, this perspective ignores the potential effect of laying order on pre-hatching viability, an effect which some studies suggest should offset the effect of laying order on post-hatching viability. I examined the relationship between laying order and hatching and fledging probability in wild, free-living Lincoln's sparrows (Melospiza lincolnii. In broods with complete hatching success, first-laid and therefore first-hatched offspring had the highest probability of fledging, and fledging probability declined with increasing laying order. However, first-laid eggs were less likely than later-laid eggs to hatch. This effect of laying order on pre-hatching viability seemed to offset that on post-hatching viability, and, consistently, maternal investment in egg size varied little if at all with respect to laying order. These results suggest that ovulation order mediates a trade-off between pre-hatching and post-hatching viability and should encourage a re-evaluation of the solitary role post-embryonic survival often plays when researchers make assumptions about the value of propagules based on the order in which they are produced.

Monosodium urate monohydrate crystals inhibit osteoblast viability and function: implications for development of bone erosion in gout.

Science.gov (United States)

Chhana, Ashika; Callon, Karen E; Pool, Bregina; Naot, Dorit; Watson, Maureen; Gamble, Greg D; McQueen, Fiona M; Cornish, Jillian; Dalbeth, Nicola

2011-09-01

Bone erosion is a common manifestation of chronic tophaceous gout. To investigate the effects of monosodium urate monohydrate (MSU) crystals on osteoblast viability and function. The MTT assay and flow cytometry were used to assess osteoblast cell viability in the MC3T3-E1 and ST2 osteoblast-like cell lines, and primary rat and primary human osteoblasts cultured with MSU crystals. Quantitative real-time PCR and von Kossa stained mineralised bone formation assays were used to assess the effects of MSU crystals on osteoblast differentiation using MC3T3-E1 cells. The numbers of osteoblasts and bone lining cells were quantified in bone samples from patients with gout. MSU crystals rapidly reduced viability in all cell types in a dose-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect on cell viability was independent of crystal phagocytosis and was not influenced by differing crystal length or addition of serum. Long-term culture of MC3T3-E1 cells with MSU crystals showed a reduction in mineralisation and decreased mRNA expression of genes related to osteoblast differentiation such as Runx2, Sp7 (osterix), Ibsp (bone sialoprotein), and Bglap (osteocalcin). Fewer osteoblast and lining cells were present on bone directly adjacent to gouty tophus than bone unaffected by tophus in patients with gout. MSU crystals have profound inhibitory effects on osteoblast viability and differentiation. These data suggest that bone erosion in gout occurs at the tophus-bone interface through alteration of physiological bone turnover, with both excessive osteoclast formation, and reduced osteoblast differentiation from mesenchymal stem cells.

Preparation of pre-confluent retinal cells increases graft viability in vitro and in vivo: a mouse model.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kevin P Kennelly

Full Text Available PURPOSE: Graft failure remains an obstacle to experimental subretinal cell transplantation. A key step is preparing a viable graft, as high levels of necrosis and apoptosis increase the risk of graft failure. Retinal grafts are commonly harvested from cell cultures. We termed the graft preparation procedure "transplant conditions" (TC. We hypothesized that culture conditions influenced graft viability, and investigated whether viability decreased following TC using a mouse retinal pigment epithelial (RPE cell line, DH01. METHODS: Cell viability was assessed by trypan blue exclusion. Levels of apoptosis and necrosis in vitro were determined by flow cytometry for annexin V and propidium iodide and Western blot analysis for the pro- and cleaved forms of caspases 3 and 7. Graft viability in vivo was established by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL and cleaved caspase 3 immunolabeling of subretinal allografts. RESULTS: Pre-confluent cultures had significantly less nonviable cells than post-confluent cultures (6.6%±0.8% vs. 13.1%±0.9%, p<0.01. Cell viability in either group was not altered significantly following TC. Caspases 3 and 7 were not altered by levels of confluence or following TC. Pre-confluent cultures had low levels of apoptosis/necrosis (5.6%±1.1% that did not increase following TC (4.8%±0.5%. However, culturing beyond confluence led to progressively increasing levels of apoptosis and necrosis (up to 16.5%±0.9%. Allografts prepared from post-confluent cultures had significantly more TUNEL-positive cells 3 hours post-operatively than grafts of pre-confluent cells (12.7%±3.1% vs. 4.5%±1.4%, p<0.001. Subretinal grafts of post-confluent cells also had significantly higher rates of cleaved caspase 3 than pre-confluent grafts (20.2%±4.3% vs. 7.8%±1.8%, p<0.001. CONCLUSION: Pre-confluent cells should be used to maximize graft cell viability.

Dynamic HypA zinc site is essential for acid viability and proper urease maturation in Helicobacter pylori.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Ryan C; Hu, Heidi Q; Merrell, D Scott; Maroney, Michael J

2015-04-01

Helicobacter pylori requires urease activity in order to survive in the acid environment of the human stomach. Urease is regulated in part by nickelation, a process that requires the HypA protein, which is a putative nickel metallochaperone that is generally associated with hydrogenase maturation. However, in H. pylori, HypA plays a dual role. In addition to an N-terminal nickel binding site, HypA proteins also contain a structural zinc site that is coordinated by two rigorously conserved CXXC sequences, which in H. pylori are flanked by His residues. These structural Zn sites are known to be dynamic, converting from Zn(Cys)4 centers at pH 7.2 to Zn(Cys)2(His)2 centers at pH 6.3 in the presence of Ni(ii) ions. In this study, mutant strains of H. pylori that express zinc site variants of the HypA protein are used to show that the structural changes in the zinc site are important for the acid viability of the bacterium, and that a reduction in acid viability in these variants can be traced in large measure to deficient urease activity. This in turn leads to a model that connects the Zn(Cys)4 coordination to urease maturation.

Imaging of tumor viability in lung cancer. Initial results using 23Na-MRI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Henzler, T.; Apfaltrer, P.; Haneder, S.; Schoenberg, S.O.; Fink, C.; Konstandin, S.; Schad, L.; Schmid-Bindert, G.; Manegold, C.; Wenz, F.

2012-01-01

23 Na-MRI has been proposed as a potential imaging biomarker for the assessment of tumor viability and the evaluation of therapy response but has not yet been evaluated in patients with lung cancer. We aimed to assess the feasibility of 23 Na-MRI in patients with lung cancer. Three patients with stage IV adenocarcinoma of the lung were examined on a clinical 3 Tesla MRI system (Magnetom TimTrio, Siemens Healthcare, Erlangen, Germany). Feasibility of 23 Na-MRI images was proven by comparison and fusion of 23 Na-MRI with 1 H-MR, CT and FDG-PET-CT images. 23 Na signal intensities (SI) of tumor and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of the spinal canal were measured and the SI ratio in tumor and CSF was calculated. One chemonaive patient was examined before and after the initiation of combination therapy (Carboplatin, Gemcitabin, Cetuximab). All 23 Na-MRI examinations were successfully completed and were of diagnostic quality. Fusion of 23 Na-MRI images with 1 H-MRI, CT and FDG-PET-CT was feasible in all patients and showed differences in solid and necrotic tumor areas. The mean tumor SI and the tumor/CSF SI ratio were 13.3 ± 1.8 x 103 and 0.83 ± 0.14, respectively. In necrotic tumors, as suggested by central non-FDG-avid areas, the mean tumor SI and the tumor/CSF ratio were 19.4 x 103 and 1.10, respectively. 23 Na-MRI is feasible in patients with lung cancer and could provide valuable functional molecular information regarding tumor viability, and potentially treatment response. (orig.)

Efficacy of propidium iodide and FUN-1 stains for assessing viability in basidiospores of Rhizopogon roseolus.

Science.gov (United States)

Fernández-Miranda, Elena; Majada, Juan; Casares, Abelardo

2017-01-01

The use of spores in applications of ectomycorrhizal fungi requires information regarding spore viability and germination, especially in genera such as Rhizopogon with high rates of spore dormancy. The authors developed a protocol to assess spore viability of Rhizopogon roseolus using four vital stains to quantify spore viability and germination and to optimize storage procedures. They showed that propidium iodide is an excellent stain for quantifying nonviable spores. Observing red fluorescent intravacuolar structures following staining with 2-chloro-4-(2,3-dihydro-3-methyl-(benzo-1,3-thiazol-2-yl)-methylidene)-1-phenylquinolinium iodide (FUN-1) can help identify viable spores that are activated. At 6 mo and 1 y, the spores kept in a water suspension survived better than those left within intact, dry gasterocarps. Our work highlights the importance of temperature, nutrients, and vitamins for maturation and germination of spores of R. roseolus during 1 y of storage.

Assessment of probiotic viability during Cheddar cheese manufacture and ripening using propidium monoazide-PCR quantification

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Emilie eDesfossés-Foucault

2012-10-01

Full Text Available The use of a suitable food carrier such as cheese could significantly enhance probiotic viability during storage. The main goal of this study was to assess viability of commercial probiotic strains during Cheddar cheesemaking and ripening (four to six months by comparing the efficiency of microbiological and molecular approaches. Molecular methods such as quantitative PCR (qPCR allow bacterial quantification, and DNA-blocking molecules such as propidium monoazide (PMA select only the living cells’ DNA. Cheese samples were manufactured with a lactococci starter and with one of three probiotic strains (Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12, Lactobacillus rhamnosus RO011 or Lactobacillus helveticus RO052 or a mixed culture containing B. animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 and L. helveticus RO052 (MC1, both lactobacilli strains (MC2 or all three strains (MC3. DNA extractions were then carried out on PMA-treated and non-treated cell pellets in order to assess PMA treatment efficiency, followed by quantification using the 16S rRNA gene, the elongation factor Tu gene (tuf or the transaldolase gene (tal. Results with intact/dead ratios of bacteria showed that PMA-treated cheese samples had a significantly lower bacterial count than non-treated DNA samples (P<0.005, confirming that PMA did eliminate dead bacteria from PCR quantification. For both quantification methods, the addition of probiotic strains seemed to accelerate the loss of lactococci viability in comparison to control cheese samples, especially when L. helveticus RO052 was added. Viability of all three probiotic strains was also significantly reduced in mixed culture cheese samples (P<0.0001, B. animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 being the most sensitive to the presence of other strains. However, all probiotic strains did retain their viability (log nine cfu/g of cheese throughout ripening. This study was successful in monitoring living probiotic species in Cheddar cheese samples through PMA-qPCR.

Advances and Challenges in Viability Detection of Foodborne Pathogens

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dexin Zeng

2016-11-01

Full Text Available Foodborne outbreaks are a serious public health and food safety concern worldwide. There is a great demand for rapid, sensitive, specific, and accurate methods to detect microbial pathogens in foods. Conventional methods based on cultivation of pathogens have been the gold standard protocols; however, they take up to a week to complete. Molecular assays such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR, sequencing, microarray technologies have been widely used in detection of foodborne pathogens. Among molecular assays, PCR technology conventional and real-time PCR (qPCR is most commonly used in the foodborne pathogen detection because of its high sensitivity and specificity. However, a major drawback of PCR is its inability to differentiate the DNA from dead and viable cells, and this is a critical factor for the food industry, regulatory agencies and the consumer. To remedy this shortcoming, researchers have used biological dyes such as ethidium monoazide (EMA and propidium monoazide (PMA to pretreat samples before DNA extraction to intercalate the DNA of dead cells in food samples, and then proceed with regular DNA preparation and qPCR. By combining PMA treatment with qPCR (PMA-qPCR, scientists have applied this technology to detect viable cells of various bacterial pathogens in foods. The incorporation of PMA into PCR-based assays for viability detection of pathogens in foods has increased significantly in the last decade. On the other hand, some downsides with this approach have been noted, particularly to achieve complete suppression of signal of DNA from the dead cells present in some particular food matrix. Nowadays, there is a tendency of more and more researchers adapting this approach for viability detection; and a few commercial kits based on PMA are available in the market. As time goes on, more scientists apply this approach to a broader range of pathogen detections, this viability approach (PMA or other chemicals such as platinum compound

Influence of bromouracil density labelling on viability of UV irradiated Escherichia coli cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brozmanova, J [Slovenska Akademia Vied, Bratislava (Czechoslovakia). Vyskumny Ustav Onkologicky

1976-01-01

Influence of 5-bromouracil cultivation on cell viability and DNA synthesis in the Escherichia coli B/r thy/sup -/ trp/sup -/ Hcr/sup +/ and Escherichia coli C thy-321 strains was followed. It was found that a 120 min cultivation in the bromouracil medium (unirradiated cells) does not essentially influence the viability of the two investigated strains but has an inhibitory effect on DNA synthesis in cells of the E. coli B/r Hcr/sup +/ strain. However, cultivation with bromouracil after ultraviolet irradiation leads to a decreased surviving ability of the irradiated cells of both investigated strains. Repair of damage induced by ultraviolet radiation probably exhausts a considerable proportion of repair activity, so that additional injury produced by bromouracil cultivation cannot be liquidated immediately.

Profitability and viability of catfish enterprises in Abia State of Nigeria ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This study was designed to analyze profitability and viability of catfish farming in Abia State of Nigeria. Simple random sampling technique was used in selecting 50 catfish farmers that provided the data used for the study. The primary data were collected with the aid of structured questionnaire, administered through ...

Influence of a range of extreme environmental factors on tripartite lichen Peltigera aphthosa thallus viability

Science.gov (United States)

Irina, Insarova; Dyakov, Max; Ptushenko, Vasiliy; Shtaer, Oksana

Lichens are symbiotic organisms consisting of at least two genetic different partners: a heterotrophic fungus (mycobiont) and a phototrophic alga or cyanobacterium (photobiont). Lichens are ubiquitous at global scale. These symbiotic organisms represent the dominant type of “vegetation” at 8 - 10% of land (Larson, 1987). Abiotic stress’ resistance is notable for lichens among all eukaryotes. Lichens are often called “extremophiles” for their ability to acclimate the most severe environmental conditions. These features allow regarding lichens as a group of organisms which is potentially able to keep viability under open space conditions and to survive within Mars-like atmosphere types. The research presented was carried out in the network of spacecraft Bion-1 experiments involving the investigation of physiological and ultrastructural changes in biological objects survivable under open space conditions. Similar researches were already conducted on bipartite lichen species. The most attention was paid to the influence of UV and other space radiation types on lichen viability in those works. Thus we have taken tripartite lichen Peltigera aphthosa as a main research object and temperature fluctuations from extremely high to extremely low values in accordance to solar and umbral orbit sides - for the main extreme environmental factors. These factors were the less studied in previous works. During the research the influence of incubation under anaerobic conditions, multi-time effects of high and low temperatures and their interchange on respiratory metabolism, photosynthetic apparatus condition and the ultrastructure of P. aphthosa thalli was assessed. The data obtained demonstrate that activity either mycobiont or photobiont in tripartite lichen Peltigera aphthosa keep near unchanged under influence of all stress factors explored on dry thalli.

The role of taxation policy and incentives in wind-based distributed generation projects viability. Ontario case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Albadi, M.H.; El-Saadany, E.F.

2009-01-01

Taxation policy and incentives play a vital role in wind-based distributed generation projects viability. In this paper, a thorough techno-economical evaluation of wind-based distributed generation projects is conducted to investigate the effect of taxes and incentives in the economic viability of investments in this sector. This paper considers the effects of Provincial income taxes, capital cost allowance (CCA), property taxes, and wind power production Federal incentives. The case study is conducted for different wind turbines and wind speed scenarios. Given turbine and wind speed data, the Capacity Factor (CF) of each turbine and wind speed scenario was calculated. Net Present Value (NPV) and Internal Rate of Return (IRR) for different scenarios were then used to assess the project's viability considering Ontario Standard Offer Program (SOP) for wind power. (author)

Utilizing photon number parity measurements to demonstrate quantum computation with cat-states in a cavity

Science.gov (United States)

Petrenko, A.; Ofek, N.; Vlastakis, B.; Sun, L.; Leghtas, Z.; Heeres, R.; Sliwa, K. M.; Mirrahimi, M.; Jiang, L.; Devoret, M. H.; Schoelkopf, R. J.

2015-03-01

Realizing a working quantum computer requires overcoming the many challenges that come with coupling large numbers of qubits to perform logical operations. These include improving coherence times, achieving high gate fidelities, and correcting for the inevitable errors that will occur throughout the duration of an algorithm. While impressive progress has been made in all of these areas, the difficulty of combining these ingredients to demonstrate an error-protected logical qubit, comprised of many physical qubits, still remains formidable. With its large Hilbert space, superior coherence properties, and single dominant error channel (single photon loss), a superconducting 3D resonator acting as a resource for a quantum memory offers a hardware-efficient alternative to multi-qubit codes [Leghtas et.al. PRL 2013]. Here we build upon recent work on cat-state encoding [Vlastakis et.al. Science 2013] and photon-parity jumps [Sun et.al. 2014] by exploring the effects of sequential measurements on a cavity state. Employing a transmon qubit dispersively coupled to two superconducting resonators in a cQED architecture, we explore further the application of parity measurements to characterizing such a hybrid qubit/cat state architecture. In so doing, we demonstrate the promise of integrating cat states as central constituents of future quantum codes.

In Vivo Tes of Dicofol on Cocoon Production and Viability of Earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus Fr. Mull

Science.gov (United States)

Sumarmin, R.; Huda, N. K.; Yuniarti, E.

2018-04-01

The uncontrol using of pesticides, harmful to the environment, health, and it would have impact to non-target animal as earthworm. This study describes the effect of the Dicofol to cocoon production and viability of earthworm Pontoscolex corethrurus Fr. Mull., has been done in-July - Augustus 2016 at the zoology laboratory of Biology Department of Universitas Negeri Padang. The experiment used the Completely Randomized Design (4 treatments 6 replications). The treatments are with 0 g / l (P1), 0.002 g / L (P2), 0.004 g / L (P3), and 0.006 g / L (P4) and 0.008 g / L of Dicofol that diluted to water. The Data of production and viability of earthworm cocoons Pontoscolex corethrurus Fr. Mull collected during 30 days in alternate day. Data analyzed by ANOVA and Duncan New Multiple Range Test at p <0.05. The results Showed that the average number of cocoons production at P1 30 cocoons (the highest), 16 cocoons P2, P3 7 cocoons, and the P4 and P5 0 cocoons (the Lowest). The average percentage of cocoons viability were highest in P1, and P2 (100%); P3 (10%) and the cancel at P4 and P5 (0%). It can conclude that the pesticide Dicofol decreased the production and viability of the earthworm cocoons Pontoscolex corethrurus Fr. Mull.

Neonatal viability evaluation by Apgar score in puppies delivered by cesarean section in two brachycephalic breeds (English and French bulldog).

Science.gov (United States)

Batista, M; Moreno, C; Vilar, J; Golding, M; Brito, C; Santana, M; Alamo, D

2014-05-01

This study tried to define neonatal viability after cesarean section in brachycephalic breeds and the efficacy of an adapted Apgar test to assess newborn survival. Data from 44 cesarean sections and 302 puppies were included. Before surgery (59-61 days after ovulation), an ultrasound evaluation defined the fetal biparietal diameter (BPD). Immediately after the uterine delivery, the pups were evaluated to detect birth defects and then, a modified Apgar score (range: 0-10) was used to define neonatal health at 5min (Apgar 1) and 60min (Apgar 2) after neonatal delivery; puppies were classified into three categories: critical neonates (score: 0-3), moderate viability neonates (score: 4-6) and normal viability neonates (score: 7-10). Mean (±SEM) value of BPD was 30.8±0.1mm and 28.9±0.1mm in English and French Bull-Dog fetus, respectively. The incidence of spontaneous neonatal mortality (4.98%, 14/281) and birth defects (6.95%) were not influenced by the sex; however, congenital anomalies and neonatal mortality were higher (p<0.01) in those litters with a greater number of neonates. In Apgar 1, the percentage of critical neonates, moderate viability neonates and normal viability neonates were 20.5%, 46.3% and 33.1% respectively; sixty minutes after birth, the critical neonates only represented 10.3% of the total puppies. Almost all neonates (238/239) showing moderate or normal viability at Apgar 1, survived for the first 24h after birth. The results of the study showed a direct relationship (p<0.01) between the Apgar score and neonatal viability. Therefore, the routine performance of the Apgar score would appear to be essential in the assessment of the status of brachycephalic breed puppies. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Method and Germination Paper Substrate on Viability of Eucalyptus Pellita F. Mull Seed

OpenAIRE

Yuniarti, Naning; Megawati, Megawati; Leksono, Budi

2017-01-01

Improper seed handling of Eucalyptus pellita will reduce seed quality, so as to improve the viability of the seed proper handling techniques are needed. To investigate the seed germination potency as a result of seed handling germination seed tests are needed. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of germination method and paper substrate on the viability of E. pellita seeds. Seeds used in this study were from seedling seed orchard in South Sumatra, South Kalimantan, and Riau. ...

Preservation of viability and antibacterial activity of Lactobacillus spp. in calcium alginate beads.

Science.gov (United States)

Brachkova, Mariya I; Duarte, Maria A; Pinto, João F

2010-12-23

The objective of the study was to produce calcium alginate beads able to deliver Lactobacillus spp. (Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Lactobacillus lactis) with preserved viability and antibacterial activity. Four types of beads, containing entrapped (E), surface and entrapped (ES), surface (S) and concentrated surface and entrapped lactobacilli (C(ES)) were prepared and physically characterized. The antibacterial activity of lactobacilli cultures before and after immobilization, freeze-drying and throughout storage was studied in relationship to the viable number of lactobacilli. Multi-resistant clinical isolates (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycine-resistant Enterococcus faecalis, VIM-2-metalo-β-lactamase producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa and CTX-M-15-β-lactamase producing strains: Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae) were used as indicator strains. Alginate beads in which lactobacilli proliferated to the beads surface (ES and C(ES)) differed significantly from the other types of beads in their physicochemical properties, showing smoother surface morphology, more spherical shape, bigger weight, lower calcium content, density and crushing force. Lactobacilli cultures, at high cell concentrations (10(8)cfu/ml) were active against both Gram-positive and negative multi-resistant bacteria. Beads containing both entrapped and surface lactobacilli (ES) resulted in viability and antibacterial activity most similar to non-processed lactobacilli cultures. The viability and antibacterial activity of the immobilized lactobacilli remained stable after 6 months storage. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A key inactivation factor of HeLa cell viability by a plasma flow

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sato, Takehiko; Yokoyama, Mayo [Institute of Fluid Science, Tohoku University, 2-1-1 Katahira, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8577 (Japan); Johkura, Kohei, E-mail: sato@ifs.tohoku.ac.jp [Department of Histology and Embryology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto 390-8621 (Japan)

2011-09-21

Recently, a plasma flow has been applied to medical treatment using effects of various kinds of stimuli such as chemical species, charged particles, heat, light, shock wave and electric fields. Among them, the chemical species are known to cause an inactivation of cell viability. However, the mechanisms and key factors of this event are not yet clear. In this study, we focused on the effect of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} in plasma-treated culture medium because it is generated in the culture medium and it is also chemically stable compared with free radicals generated by the plasma flow. To elucidate the significance of H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, we assessed the differences in the effects of plasma-treated medium and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-added medium against inactivation of HeLa cell viability. These two media showed comparable effects on HeLa cells in terms of the survival ratios, morphological features of damage processes, permeations of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} into the cells, response to H{sub 2}O{sub 2} decomposition by catalase and comprehensive gene expression. The results supported that among chemical species generated in a plasma-treated culture medium, H{sub 2}O{sub 2} is one of the main factors responsible for inactivation of HeLa cell viability. (fast track communication)

Studies in Fat Grafting: Part I. Effects of Injection Technique on in vitro Fat Viability and in vivo Volume Retention

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Michael T.; Paik, Kevin J.; Atashroo, David A.; Hyun, Jeong S.; McArdle, Adrian; Senarath-Yapa, Kshemendra; Zielins, Elizabeth R.; Tevlin, Ruth; Duldulao, Chris; Hu, Michael S.; Walmsley, Graham G.; Parisi-Amon, Andreina; Momeni, Arash; Rimsa, Joe R.; Commons, George W.; Gurtner, Geoffrey C.; Wan, Derrick C.; Longaker, Michael T.

2014-01-01

Background Fat grafting has become increasingly popular for the correction of soft tissue deficits at many sites throughout the body. Long-term outcomes, however, depend on delivery of fat in the least traumatic fashion to optimize viability of the transplanted tissue. In this study, we compare the biologic properties of fat following injection using two methods. Methods Lipoaspiration samples were obtained from five female donors and cellular viability, proliferation, and lipolysis were evaluated following injection using either a modified Coleman technique or an automated, low shear device. Comparisons were made to minimally processed, uninjected fat. Volume retention was also measured over twelve weeks following injection of fat under the scalp of immunodeficient mice using either the modified Coleman technique or the Adipose Tissue Injector. Finally, fat grafts were analyzed histologically. Results Fat viability and cellular proliferation were both significantly greater with the Adipose Tissue Injector relative to injection with the modified Coleman technique. In contrast, significantly less lipolysis was noted using the automated device. In vivo fat volume retention was significantly greater than with the modified Coleman technique at 4, 6, 8, and 12 week time points. This corresponded with significantly greater histological scores for healthy fat and lower scores for injury following injection with the device. Conclusions Biological properties of injected tissues reflect how disruptive and harmful techniques for placement of fat may be, and our in vitro and in vivo data both support the use of the automated, low shear devices compared to the modified Coleman technique. PMID:24622574

Resuscitation at the limits of viability--an Irish perspective.

LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

Khan, R A

2012-02-01

BACKGROUND: Advances in neonatal care continue to lower the limit of viability. Decision making in this grey zone remains a challenging process. OBJECTIVE: To explore the opinions of healthcare providers on resuscitation and outcome in the less than 28-week preterm newborn. DESIGN\\/METHODS: An anonymous postal questionnaire was sent to health care providers working in maternity units in the Republic of Ireland. Questions related to neonatal management of the extreme preterm infant, and estimated survival and long-term outcome. RESULTS: The response rate was 55% (74% obstetricians and 70% neonatologists). Less than 1% would advocate resuscitation at 22 weeks, 10% of health care providers advocate resuscitation at 23 weeks gestation, 80% of all health care providers would resuscitate at 24 weeks gestation. 20% of all health care providers would advocate cessation of resuscitation efforts on 22-25 weeks gestation at 5 min of age. 65% of Neonatologists and 54% trainees in Paediatrics would cease resuscitation at 10 min of age. Obstetricians were more pessimistic about survival and long term outcome in newborns delivered between 23 and 27 weeks when compared with neonatologists. This difference was also observed in trainees in paediatrics and obstetrics. CONCLUSION: Neonatologists, trainees in paediatrics and neonatal nurses are generally more optimistic about outcome than their counterparts in obstetrical care and this is reflected in a greater willingness to provide resuscitation efforts at the limits of viability.

Effects of ambroxol on biofilm adhesion and viability of Pseudomonas aeruginosa quorum sensing defective strain

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Qi LU

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Objective　To investigate the effects of ambroxol on the biofilm viability and pristine adhesion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa wild (PAO1 and quorum sensing defective strain (QS, gene deletion of ∆lasI and ∆rhlI. Methods　The biofilm was treated by different concentrations (0, 1.875, 3.75mg/ml of ambroxol. The number of colony was measured with agar plate, multifunction fluorometer was used to measure the fluorescence intensity of PAO1 and QS strains at the bottom of 96-well plate. The adhesion ratio (% was calculated to determine the effects of ambroxol on bacterial biofilm adhesion. Results　Ambroxol treatment reduced the survival rate of the mutant strains compared to that of wild strain, even though the QS strain had increased the adhesion in the presence of ambroxol compared to that of wild strain (P<0.05. Conclusion　Ambroxol has a property of significantly antagonizing quorum-sensing system, suggesting that it might be of importance in treatment against chronic Pseudomonasaeruginosainfections.

Projecting the success of plant restoration with population viability analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, T.J.; Bowles, M.L.; McEachern, A.K.; Brigham, C.A.; Schwartz, M.W.

2003-01-01

Conserving viable populations of plant species requires that they have high probabilities of long-term persistence within natural habitats, such as a chance of extinction in 100 years of less than 5% (Menges 1991, 1998; Brown 1994; Pavlik 1994; Chap. 1, this Vol.). For endangered and threatened species that have been severely reduces in range and whose habitats have been fragmented, important species conservation strategies may include augmenting existing populations or restoring new viable populations (Bowles and Whelan 1994; Chap. 2, this Vol.). Restoration objectives may include increasing population numbers to reduce extinction probability, deterministic manipulations to develop a staged cohort structure, or more complex restoration of a desired genetic structure to allow outcrossing or increase effective population size (DeMauro 1993, 1994; Bowles et al. 1993, 1998; Pavlik 1994; Knapp and Dyer 1998; Chap. 2, this Vol.). These efforts may require translocation of propagules from existing (in situ) populations, or from ex situ botanic gardens or seed storage facilities (Falk et al. 1996; Guerrant and Pavlik 1998; Chap. 2, this Vol.). Population viability analysis (PVA) can provide a critical foundation for plant restoration, as it models demographic projections used to evaluate the probability of population persistence and links plant life history with restoration strategies. It is unknown how well artificially created populations will meet demographic modeling requirements (e.g., due to artificial cohort transitions) and few, if any, PVAs have been applied to restorations. To guide application of PVA to restored populations and to illustrate potential difficulties, we examine effects of planting different life stages, model initial population sizes needed to achieve population viability, and compare demographic characteristics between natural and restored populations. We develop and compare plant population restoration viability analysis (PRVA) case studies of

Alternating current electric field effects on neural stem cell viability and differentiation.

Science.gov (United States)

Matos, Marvi A; Cicerone, Marcus T

2010-01-01

Methods utilizing stem cells hold tremendous promise for tissue engineering applications; however, many issues must be worked out before these therapies can be routinely applied. Utilization of external cues for preimplantation expansion and differentiation offers a potentially viable approach to the use of stem cells in tissue engineering. The studies reported here focus on the response of murine neural stem cells encapsulated in alginate hydrogel beads to alternating current electric fields. Cell viability and differentiation was studied as a function of electric field magnitude and frequency. We applied fields of frequency (0.1-10) Hz, and found a marked peak in neural stem cell viability under oscillatory electric fields with a frequency of 1 Hz. We also found an enhanced propensity for astrocyte differentiation over neuronal differentiation in the 1 Hz cultures, as compared to the other field frequencies we studied. Published 2010 American Institute of Chemical Engineers

Adjustment of tetrazolium methodology for the evaluation of Melanoxylon brauna seeds viability

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Viviana Borges Corte

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The objective of this work was to adjust the tetrazolium test methodology to Melanoxylon brauna seeds. The seeds werepre-conditioned by immersion in distilled water at 25ºC for 24 hours. The tegument of the seeds were removed and the embryos weresubmerged in the tetrazolium solution (pH 6.5 at concentration of 0.05, 0.1 and 0.3%, and were kept in the dark at 25ºC temperaturefor 10 and 24 hours. The embryos were evaluated for the intensity of color, presence of milky areas, aspect of the tissues, and locationof the color. The embryos were individually classified into nine viability classes. They were also submitted to the germination andseedling emergence tests. The best correlations between the standard tests of seed germination of Melanoxylon brauna were those with0.3% concentration for 10 hours. The viability is represented by classes 1, 2 and 3.

Study on human chondrocyte culture viability for autologous transplantation in clinical application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christiane Lombello

2003-06-01

Full Text Available Objective: The limited regenerative capacity of the cartilage tissuemakes the treatment of chondral lesions difficult. The techniquescurrently available to treat cartilage lesions may relieve symptoms,but do not regenerate the injured tissue. Autologous chondrocytetransplantation uses cell biology and cell culture techniques toregenerate the hyaline cartilage. Methods: In this study, we analyzechondrocyte biopsy collection and culture for autologoustransplantation. Ultrastructural analyses of hyaline cartilage biopsieswere performed 0, 6, 24 and 48 hours after collection. The tissue evenafter 48 hours. Eleven cell culture assays were performed to evaluateisolation, viability, morphology, proliferation and absence ofcontaminants. Results: The cell culture techniques used allowedchondrocyte proliferation. Rates on cell viability were maintained abovethe acceptable patterns (above 90. Control of cell culture laboratoryconditions showed absence of contaminants, assuring safety of theprocess. The chondrocytes obtained presented the morphology typicalof cultured cell monolayers. Conclusion: The results indicate viabilityof chondrocyte culture technique for clinical application in autologoustransplantation.

Biological restoration of major transportation facilities domestic demonstration and application project (DDAP): technology development at Sandia National Laboratories.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ramsey, James L., Jr. (.,; .); Melton, Brad; Finley, Patrick; Brockman, John; Peyton, Chad E.; Tucker, Mark David; Einfeld, Wayne; Griffith, Richard O.; Brown, Gary Stephen; Lucero, Daniel A.; Betty, Rita G.; McKenna, Sean Andrew; Knowlton, Robert G.; Ho, Pauline

2006-06-01

The Bio-Restoration of Major Transportation Facilities Domestic Demonstration and Application Program (DDAP) is a designed to accelerate the restoration of transportation nodes following an attack with a biological warfare agent. This report documents the technology development work done at SNL for this DDAP, which include development of the BROOM tool, an investigation of surface sample collection efficiency, and a flow cytometry study of chlorine dioxide effects on Bacillus anthracis spore viability.

Determination of pollen grain viability and germination levels for pistachio and terebinth in Aydin /Turkey ecology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gunver-Dalkilic, G; Dayi-Dogru, O

2011-04-15

With this research, the viability levels, production potentials, and storage periods of pollen of naturally grown four male terebinth types (Pistacia terebinthus L.) and four male pistachios (Pistacia vera L.) grafted on terebinth trees were determined in Uzunlar Village, Aydin Province. For the aim of determining the pollen viability levels, TTC, IKI, and safranine solutions were used. The viability ratio ranged between 88.24% (safranine test) and 70.18% (TTC test) in pistachio trees, between 85.36% (IKI test) and 63.73% (safranine test) in terebinth types. The average amount of pollen within a flower resolved by hemacytometric method was changed between 135 000 and 176 250 depend on species and types. While the germination percentage of pollen of pistachio trees and terebinth types was 71% and 26%, respectively in the beginning of storage, that of pollen in the room conditions after fourth day, in the refrigerator from tenth day and in the deep freezer from second month was decreased to zero. (author)

Critical Factors Influencing Viability of Wave Energy Converters in Off-Grid Luxury Resorts and Small Utilities

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aksel Botne Sandberg

2016-12-01

Full Text Available This paper examines technical and non-technical factors that are critical to the viability of commercialization of wave energy converters in off-grid luxury resorts and small utilities. Critical factors are found by investigating Levelized Cost of Energy, and using the tools PESTEL and Porter’s five competitive forces. Identified factors are then applied on three business cases to investigate their impact on viability. The results show that one of the main challenges facing off-grid commercialization is the few wave energy converter units installed per location, negating the economy of scale that large wave energy farms count on to achieve competitive cost levels. In addition, factors like current cost of energy, available wave resources, distance from shore, infrastructure, supply chain logistics, and electricity demand are found to be deciding factors for viability. Despite these challenges, it is found that there are potentially viable off-grid business cases for commercialization of wave energy converters.

Determination of pollen grain viability and germination levels for pistachio and terebinth in Aydin /Turkey ecology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gunver-Dalkilic, G.; Dayi-Dogru, O.

2011-01-01

With this research, the viability levels, production potentials, and storage periods of pollen of naturally grown four male terebinth types (Pistacia terebinthus L.) and four male pistachios (Pistacia vera L.) grafted on terebinth trees were determined in Uzunlar Village, Aydin Province. For the aim of determining the pollen viability levels, TTC, IKI, and safranine solutions were used. The viability ratio ranged between 88.24% (safranine test) and 70.18% (TTC test) in pistachio trees, between 85.36% (IKI test) and 63.73% (safranine test) in terebinth types. The average amount of pollen within a flower resolved by hemacytometric method was changed between 135 000 and 176 250 depend on species and types. While the germination percentage of pollen of pistachio trees and terebinth types was 71% and 26%, respectively in the beginning of storage, that of pollen in the room conditions after fourth day, in the refrigerator from tenth day and in the deep freezer from second month was decreased to zero. (author)

Effects of hydrostatic pressure and supercritical carbon dioxide on the viability of Botryococcus braunii algae cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yildiz-Ozturk, Ece; Ilhan-Ayisigi, Esra; Togtema, Arnoud; Gouveia, Joao; Yesil-Celiktas, Ozlem

2018-05-01

In bio-based industries, Botryococcus braunii is identified as a potential resource for production of hydrocarbons having a wide range of applications in chemical and biopolymer industries. For a sustainable production platform, the algae cultivation should be integrated with downstream processes. Ideally the algae are not harvested, but the product is isolated while cultivation and growth is continued especially if the doubling time is slow. Consequently, hydrocarbons can be extracted while keeping the algae viable. In this study, the effects of pressure on the viability of B. braunii cells were tested hydrostatically and under supercritical CO 2 conditions. Viability was determined by light microscopy, methylene blue uptake and by re-cultivation of the algae after treatments to follow the growth. It was concluded that supercritical CO 2 was lethal to the algae, whereas hydrostatic pressure treatments up to 150 bar have not affected cell viability and recultivation was successful. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relocation work of temporary thermocouples for measuring the vessel cooling system in the safety demonstration test

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)