An Inexpensive Microphotometer System for Measuring Silver Grain Densities in Autoradiographs

An inexpensive microphotometric system is described which will facilitate reading grain-dense areas in autoradiographic material. It is reliable, easy to operate and adaptable to most light microscopes with a dark field condenser. in addition to the microscope, the components include a photodiode, an operational amplifier and a digital mV meter. Data are presented to demonstrate the sensitivity of the system and to illustrate the differential variability between the microphotometer ad the counting of grains by eye.     

A Microcomputer-Based System for Continuous Measurement and Recording Fruit Diameter in Relation to Environmental Factors

A robust yet sensitive field system for continuously measuringand logging diameters of up to eight fruits, together with relevantmeteorological variables such as radiation, temperature andhumidity, is described. The system uses linear variable differentialtransformers to monitor fruit diameter changes and data-loggingis controlled by a microcomputer. A detailed analysis of errorsis presented. Application of the system to the study of environmentalcontrol of diurnal fluctuations in diameter of apple fruitsis described. Key words: Apple, Data logger, LVDTs (linear variable differential transformers)     

Physiological and Ecological Studies in the Analysis of Plant Environment: VIII. An Inexpensive Integrating Recorder for the Measurement of Daylight

The design is based on the principle that changes in the currentpassing through a vacuum emission cell, induced by variationsin the light quanta received, control the rate of charge ofa condenser. When the striking voltage of a discharge tube isreached the resultant flow of current energizes an electromagneticrelay which, in turn, is connected with a Post Office counter.In order to eliminate possible errors due to changes in temperature,the compartment containing the discharge tube is kept at a constanthigh temperature (100° F.), while a stabilized mains sourceof electricity is used. A ground-glass diffusing dome is usedand a filter to exclude infra-red and ultra-violet radiation.With a photometric cell of relatively uniform sensitivity inthe visible spectrum the recorder gave a linear response upto the maximum intensity investigated. No change in the calibrationfactor occurred in two summers' continuous use in the open.The electrical components, including the photo-electric cell,cost c. £25, while the construction only demands normalworkshop facilities.     

An Excellent and Inexpensive Substitute for Immersion Oil in Microscopy

Commercial immersion oils are recommended for microscopy because their refractive index of 1.515 matches that of the crown glass of oil immersion objectives. Some of the oils offered in the past have been less than ideal. Thickened cedarwood oil is prone to drying and could be difficult to remove if allowed to do so (Lillie and Fullmer 1976). Until 1976 immersion oils manufactured in the United States often contained substantial proportions of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), now recognized as highly dangerous toxins (Nashel and Fischmann 1983). A substitute was therefore sought that would be free of such objections.     

Production of Aflatoxin on Wheat and Oats: Measurement with a Recording Densitometer

A method has been developed for the production of aflatoxin by growing Aspergillus flavus NRRL 3145 on solid substrate wheat. Optimal yields of 900 mug of aflatoxin G(1) and 900 mug of aflatoxin B(1) per g of substrate were obtained in 4 to 5 days at 28 C. A study of aflatoxin production on hulls and groats of oats and on whole oats by A. flavus strains NRRL 2999, NRRL 3000, and NRRL 3145 revealed that aflatoxin was produced on all three substrates, although production was very slight on hulls. Strain NRRL 3145 grown on solid substrate groats produced the largest amounts of aflatoxin: 580 mug of B(1) and 450 mug of G(1) per g of substrate. A densitometric method for reading thin-layer chromatographic plates is described; this is more objective and more accurate than the visual methods previously used for the determination of all four aflatoxins.     

NIKEI: A New Inexpensive and Non-Invasive Scoring System to Exclude Advanced Fibrosis in Patients with NAFLD

Aims

To develop, validate and compare a non-invasive fibrosis scoring system for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) derived from routinely obtained clinical and biochemical parameters.

Methods

267 consecutive patients with biopsy proven fatty liver or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis were randomly assigned to the estimation (2/3) or validation (1/3) group to develop a model for the prediction of advanced fibrosis. Univariate statistics were performed to compare patients with and without advanced fibrosis, and following a multivariate logistic regression analysis a new scoring system was constructed. This non-invasive Koeln-Essen-index (NIKEI) was validated and compared to the FIB-4 index by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). We evaluated a stepwise combination of both scoring systems for the precise prediction of advanced fibrosis. To set in contrast, we additionally tested the diagnostic accuracy of the AST/ALT ratio, BARD score and the NAFLD fibrosis score in our cohort.

Results

Age, AST, AST/ALT ratio, and total bilirubin were identified as significant predictors of advanced fibrosis and used to construct the NIKEI with an AUC of 0.968 [0.937; 0.998] compared to 0.929 [0.869; 0.989] for the FIB-4 index. The absence of advanced fibrosis could be confirmed with excellent accuracy (99–100%). The positive predictive value of the FIB-4 index was higher (100% vs. 60%), however, the false negative rate was also high (33%). With a stepwise combination of both indices 82%–84% of biopsies would have been avoidable without a single misclassification. The AUROC for AST/ALT ratio, the NAFLD fibrosis score, and the BARD score were 0.81 (95% CI, 0.72–0.90), 0.96 (95% CI 0.92–0.99), and 0.67 (95% CI 0.55–0.78), respectively.

Conclusion

The NIKEI can reliably exclude advanced fibrosis in subjects with NAFLD. In combination with the FIB-4 index misclassification with inadequate clinical management can be avoided while the need for liver biopsies can be reduced.     

Simulation of an Inductive Discharge in Argon with the Gas Flow and Inhomogeneous Gas Temperature

Plasma Physics Reports - With the purpose to create new methods for monitoring the parameters of low-temperature nonequilibrium plasma, a numerical drift-diffusion model of an inductive RF...     

A Radio-Telemetry System for Navigation and Recording Neuronal Activity in Free-Roaming Rats

A radio-telemetry recording system is presented which is applied to stimulate specific brain areas and record neuronal activity in a free-roaming rat.The system consists of two major parts:stationary section and mobile section.The stationary section contains a laptop,a Micro Control Unit (MCU),an FM transmitter and a receiver.The mobile section is composed of the headstage and the backpack (which includes the mainboard,FM transmitter,and receiver),which can generate biphasic microcurrent pulses and simultaneously acquire neuronal activity.Prior to performing experiments,electrodes are implanted in the Ventral Posterolateral (VPL) thalamic nucleus,primary motor area (M 1) and Medial Forebrain Bundle (MFB) of the rat.The stationary section modulates commands from the laptop for stimulation and demodulates signals for neuronal activity recording.The backpack is strapped on the back of the rat and executes commands from the stationary section,acquires neuronal activity,and transmits the neuronal activity singles of the waking rat to the stationary section.All components in the proposed system are commercially available and are fabricated from Surface Mount Devices (SMD) in order to reduce the size (25 mm × 15 mm × 2 mm) and weight (10 g with battery).During actual experiments,the backpack,which is powered by a rechargeable Lithium battery (4 g),can generate biphasic microcurrent pulse stimuli and can also record neuronal activity via the FM link with a maximum transmission rate of 1 kbps for more than one hour within a 200 m range in an open field or in a neighboring chamber.The test results show that the system is able to remotely navigate and control the rat without any prior training,and acquire neuronal activity with desirable features such as small size,low power consumption and high precision when compared with a commercial 4-channel bio-signal acquisition and processing system.     

A Computer-Controlled Video System for Real-Time Recording of Insect Flight in Three Dimensions

A computer-controlled video system for real-time recording of insect flight in three dimensions is described. The flight paths of moths were recorded in a flight tunnel using two CCD cameras placed adjacent to each other at angles of 45 and 135° to the flight tunnel axis and separated by a distance of 120 cm. They were connected to two 2⁸-level gray-scale frame grabbers via two external synchronizers. The two-dimensional coordinates of the flying insect were obtained from the two cameras at 40-ms intervals and transferred to host computer for processing and monitor for real-time display. Due to speed limitation in the image acquisition hardware, construction of the three-dimensional file was carried off-line. The flying insect was rendered as a dark spot in a bright background using a homogeneous light source. As the insect enters into the field of view of the two cameras, the light distribution changes, and the frame grabber detects only those variation in the light distribution which results from a flying insect. The target insect can be as small as 3 pixels and can be tracked in a stereoscopic field of view 60 cm long and 50 cm high. A method was developed that allowed for scalar scoring of various pheromone sources to assess their attractiveness using vector flight parameters. This method was applied successfully for optimization of pheromone blend of the grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana.     

Geometrical and Physical Modeling of Dilute Adsorbable Gas Flow in Porous Media: An Insider's Account of the Nicholson-Petropoulos Contribution

Abstract

Our joint research grew out of our postdoctoral work with RMB on related topics, namely gas flow in single capillaries (DN) and in porous media (JP); which led us to the realization that the conventional interpretation (in terms of pore models) of gas transport, especially adsorbable gas transport, in porous adsorbents, porous separating barriers and porous catalysts, was rather rudimentary.     

Micro-drive Array for Chronic in vivo Recording: Tetrode Assembly

The tetrode, a bundle of four electrodes, has proven to be a valuable tool for the simultaneous recording of multiple neurons in-vivo. The differential amplitude of action potential signatures over the channels of a tetrode allows for the isolation of single-unit activity from multi-unit signals. The ability to precisely control the stereotaxic location and depth of the tetrode is critical for studying coordinated neural activity across brain regions. In combination with a micro-drive array, it is possible to achieve precise placement and stable control of many tetrodes over the course of days to weeks. In this protocol, we demonstrate how to fabricate and condition tetrodes using basic tools and materials, install the tetrodes into a multi-drive tetrode array for chronic in-vivo recording in the rat, make ground wire connections to the micro-drive array, and attach a protective cone onto the micro-drive array in order to protect the tetrodes from physical contact with the environment. Open in a separate windowClick here to view.^{(90M, flv)}     

Micro-drive Array for Chronic in vivo Recording: Drive Fabrication

Chronic recording of large populations of neurons is a valuable technique for studying the function of neuronal circuits in awake behaving rats. Lightweight recording devices carrying a high density array of tetrodes allow for the simultaneous monitoring of the activity of tens to hundreds of individual neurons. Here we describe a protocol for the fabrication of a micro-drive array with twenty one independently movable micro-drives. This device has been used successfully to record from hippocampal and cortical neurons in our lab. We show how to prepare a custom designed, 3-D printed plastic base that will hold the micro-drives. We demonstrate how to construct the individual micro-drives and how to assemble the complete micro-drive array. Further preparation of the drive array for surgical implantation, such as the fabrication of tetrodes, loading of tetrodes into the drive array and gold-plating, is covered in a subsequent video article.Open in a separate windowClick here to view.^{(88M, flv)}     

An Integrated Flow Cytometry-Based System for Real-Time,High Sensitivity Bacterial Detection and Identification

Foodborne illnesses occur in both industrialized and developing countries, and may be increasing due to rapidly evolving food production practices. Yet some primary tools used to assess food safety are decades, if not centuries, old. To improve the time to result for food safety assessment a sensitive flow cytometer based system to detect microbial contamination was developed. By eliminating background fluorescence and improving signal to noise the assays accurately measure bacterial load or specifically identify pathogens. These assays provide results in minutes or, if sensitivity to one cell in a complex matrix is required, after several hours enrichment. Conventional assessments of food safety require 48 to 56 hours. The assays described within are linear over 5 orders of magnitude with results identical to culture plates, and report live and dead microorganisms. This system offers a powerful approach to real-time assessment of food safety, useful for industry self-monitoring and regulatory inspection.     

Control of Carbon and Electron Flow in Clostridium acetobutylicum Fermentations: Utilization of Carbon Monoxide to Inhibit Hydrogen Production and to Enhance Butanol Yields

Extracts prepared from non-solvent-producing cells of Clostridium acetobutylicum contained methyl viologen-linked hydrogenase activity (20 U/mg of protein at 37°C) but did not display carbon monoxide dehydrogenase activity. CO addition readily inhibited the hydrogenase activity of cell extracts or of viable metabolizing cells. Increasing the partial pressure of CO (2 to 10%) in unshaken anaerobic culture tube headspaces significantly inhibited (90% inhibition at 10% CO) both growth and hydrogen production by C. acetobutylicum. Growth was not sensitive to low partial pressures of CO (i.e., up to 15%) in pH-controlled fermentors (pH 4.5) that were continuously gassed and mixed. CO addition dramatically altered the glucose fermentation balance of C. acetobutylicum by diverting carbon and electrons away from H₂, CO₂, acetate, and butyrate production and towards production of ethanol and butanol. The butanol concentration was increased from 65 to 106 mM and the butanol productivity (i.e., the ratio of butanol produced/total acids and solvents produced) was increased by 31% when glucose fermentations maintained at pH 4.5 were continuously gassed with 85% N₂-15% CO versus N₂ alone. The results are discussed in terms of metabolic regulation of C. acetobutylicum saccharide fermentations to achieve maximal butanol or solvent yield.     

The AERO System: A 3D-Like Approach for Recording Gene Expression Patterns in the Whole Mouse Embryo

We have recently constructed a web-based database of gene expression in the mouse whole embryo, EMBRYS (http://embrys.jp/embrys/html/MainMenu.html). To allow examination of gene expression patterns to the fullest extent possible, this database provides both photo images and annotation data. However, since embryos develop via an intricate process of morphogenesis, it would be of great value to track embryonic gene expression from a three dimensional perspective. In fact, several methods have been developed to achieve this goal, but highly laborious procedures and specific operational skills are generally required. We utilized a novel microscopic technique that enables the easy capture of rotational, 3D-like images of the whole embryo. In this method, a rotary head equipped with two mirrors that are designed to obtain an image tilted at 45 degrees to the microscope stage captures serial images at 2-degree intervals. By a simple operation, 180 images are automatically collected. These 2D images obtained at multiple angles are then used to reconstruct 3D-like images, termed AERO images. By means of this system, over 800 AERO images of 191 gene expression patterns were captured. These images can be easily rotated on the computer screen using the EMBRYS database so that researchers can view an entire embryo by a virtual viewing on a computer screen in an unbiased or non-predetermined manner. The advantages afforded by this approach make it especially useful for generating data viewed in public databases.