A novel method for blood vessel detection from retinal images

Background  

The morphological changes of the retinal blood vessels in retinal images are important indicators for diseases like diabetes, hypertension and glaucoma. Thus the accurate segmentation of blood vessel is of diagnostic value.     

A novel transposon-based method for elimination of large bacterial plasmids

Elimination or modification of large plasmids of bacteria is often an essential step in functional analysis of these replicons. However, the conventional plasmid-curing procedures such as ethidium bromide and heat treatment are insufficient in many cases. For instance, curing of the large virulence plasmid of Salmonella Enteritidis 2,102 has failed when these treatments were applied. To overcome the difficulties, a two-step transposon-based curing method has been developed. First, a Tn10-based transposable unit carrying a Km(R) marker gene and the joined IS30 ends transposes from a replication deficient conjugative plasmid into the target replicon. Then, the inducible IS30 transposase, using the highly reactive joined IS30 ends, mediates deletions or gives rise to the loss of the target plasmid. The efficiency of the method has been monitored by the frequency of Km(S) colonies after induction of IS30 transposase, and it was shown that the Km(S) phenotype often accompanied the complete loss of the virulence plasmid or the formation of deletion derivatives. The procedure has been successfully applied also in removing the large virulence plasmid from enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC O147), suggesting that the transposon-based method can be a useful tool for eliminating native plasmids in several bacteria.     

A novel approach to yard planning under vessel arrival uncertainty

Many container terminals in the world adopt the consolidated yard planning strategy, where containers to be loaded into the same vessel are stacked in groups. This has been a good strategy because when a vessel is loading, yard cranes will be stationed at these locations, and the trucks shuttle between the quay cranes and the yard cranes almost in a conveyor belt fashion. These locations are optimally chosen such that no two groups of containers are stacked in close vicinity if they are to be loaded simultaneously. However, when there is a change in vessel arrival schedule, it may cause congestion of trucks at yard locations where groups of containers in near vicinity are loading simultaneously. While the Robust Optimisation community may suggest having a robust plan—a plan that is immune to uncertainty, in this paper, we will like to find a solution that allows us to change easily when uncertainty reveals—a plan that is nimble. While the optimum solution for the nimble plan could be intractable, we explore various heuristics that enable us to find good solutions.     

A novel lake-zoning framework for large lakes based on numerical modelling

Because of the high spatial heterogeneity of the ecosystem properties of large lakes, the characterisation of lake zones is particularly helpful for designing zone-specific strategies for water management practices. In this study, we developed a lake-zoning framework by investigating the lateral dispersion of inflow pollutants through dye-tracking experiments in a case study of a large shallow lake (Lake Chaohu) in China. A two-dimensional hydrodynamic and mass transport model was used to quantify the impacts of inflow rivers on this lake. Results from 2012 to 2014 showed that the lake zoning results were more stable at the annual scale than at the seasonal scale, implying that the seasonal scale is not suitable for the establishment of lake zones. A driving factor analysis showed that inflow discharge was a more critical factor determining lake zones than wind conditions. In contrast to previous lake zoning methods, the proposed framework implements lake zoning quantitatively through hydrodynamic modelling.     

Microencapsulation technology: A novel method for monoclonal antibody production

Monoclonal antibodies have been envisioned as useful agents for human therapeutic and diagnostic applications in vivo. Recent results from human clinical trials suggest that this potential is becoming a reality. Attention is now shifting to the development of methods to produce monoclonal antibodies of a quality acceptable for widespread human use and in sufficient quantity to be a commercially viable product. Microencapsulation technology has been demonstrated to be suited to the large-scale production of both human and murine monoclonal antibodies of high purity and activity, for use in applications both in vitro and in vivo.     

A novel hybrid technology for remediation of molasses-based raw effluents

A novel three-step technology for treatment of four molasses-based raw industrial effluents, varying in their COD, color and turbidity is reported here. Sequential steps involved in this treatment are; (1) sonication of the effluents, (2) whole-fungal treatment of these by a ligninolytic marine fungus and (3) biosorption of the residual color with heat-inactivated biomass of the same fungus. Sonication reduced the foul odor and turbidity of the effluents. It increased biodegradability of the effluents in the second stage of treatment. Laccase production in the presence of all the four effluents was directly correlated with their decolorization. After the third step, a reduction of 60-80% in color, 50-70% in COD and 60-70% in total phenolics were achieved. Comparative mass and nuclear magnetic resonance spectra indicated increasing degradation of the effluent components after each stage. Toxicity (LC₅₀ values) against Artemia larvae was reduced by two to five folds.     

bves: A novel gene expressed during coronary blood vessel development

We have used a subtractive method to clone novel messages enriched in the heart. Here we show that one such message, bves (blood vessel/epicardial substance) is a novel protein that is highly conserved between chicken and mouse. The bves message is detected at high levels in early chick hearts. Using anti-Bves antibodies, we show expression in cells of the proepicardial organ, migrating epicardium, epicardial-derived mesenchyme, and smooth muscle of the developing intracardiac arterial system, including the coronary arteries. Our data suggest that Bves is an early marker of developing vascular smooth muscle cells. In addition, the expression pattern of Bves protein reveals the patterning of intracardiac vascular smooth muscle and possible insights into the cellular regulation of smooth muscle differentiation during vasculogenesis.     

A novel NMR method for determining the interfaces of large protein-protein complexes

Identification of the interfaces of large (Mr > 50,000) protein-protein complexes in solution by high resolution NMR has typically been achieved using experiments involving chemical shift perturbation and/or hydrogen-deuterium exchange of the main chain amide groups of the proteins. Interfaces identified using these techniques, however, are not always identical to those revealed using X-ray crystallography. In order to identify the contact residues in a large protein-protein complex more accurately, we developed a novel NMR method that uses cross-saturation phenomena in combination with TROSY detection in an optimally deuterium labeled system.     

Spherezymes: A novel structured self-immobilisation enzyme technology

Background  

Enzymes have found extensive and growing application in the field of chemical organic synthesis and resolution of chiral intermediates. In order to stabilise the enzymes and to facilitate their recovery and recycle, they are frequently immobilised. However, immobilisation onto solid supports greatly reduces the volumetric and specific activity of the biocatalysts. An alternative is to form self-immobilised enzyme particles.     

类人胶原蛋白-丝素蛋白血管支架的制备及性能表征

为了提高血管支架的力学性能,将生物相容性良好的新型生物材料类人胶原蛋白(基因工程技术、高密度发酵生产)与丝素蛋白以质量比9:1、7:3、5:5复合,采用真空冷冻方法制备管状血管支架。研究了不同配比血管支架材料的表面结构、表面元素组成、力学性能、降解和生物相容性。结果表明:当类人胶原蛋白与丝素蛋白的质量比为7:3混合时,类人胶原蛋白-丝素蛋白管状支架具有均匀的多孔结构,孔径为(60±5)μm,孔隙率达到85%以上;获得了较理想的力学性能:应变为50%±5%,应力为(332±16)kPa;具有相对慢的降解速率;提高了细胞的黏附与增殖,具有良好的生物相容性。     

限氧自养硝化-反硝化生物脱氮新技术

限氧自养硝化—反硝化是部分硝化与厌氧氨氧化相耦联的生物脱氮反应过程,通过严格控制溶解氧在0．1～0．3mg·L^-1,实现硝化反应控制在亚硝酸阶段,然后以硝化阶段剩余的NH4^+作为电子供体,在厌氧条件下实现反硝化,该反应过程是完全的自养硝化—反硝化过程,具有能耗低、脱氮效率高、反应系统占地面积小等优点,适用于处理COD／NH4^+—N低的废水,是一种非常有应用前景的生物脱氮技术,文中详细介绍了限氧自养硝化—反硝化生物脱氮反应过程的研究进展,讨论了其微生物学机理及应用前景。     

A novel method for the efficient entrapment of calcium in large unilamellar phospholipid vesicles

A technique for the efficient entrapment of high concentrations of Ca2+ in large unilamellar phospholipid vesicles (LUVs), using the carboxylic acid antibiotic ionophore A23187 (calcimycin) is demonstrated. It is shown that rapid A23187-mediated entrapment of Ca2+, corresponding to essentially 100% sequestration of the extravesicular cation may be achieved for egg yolk phosphatidylcholine LUVs (100 nm) in the presence of a transmembrane proton gradient (acidic interior). Interior-exterior concentration cation gradients of over 400-fold may be readily achieved, with interior Ca2+ concentrations in excess of 250 mM. It is shown that the extent and efficiency of the A23187-mediated uptake process is affected by the intravesicular buffering capacity and the extravesicular Ca2+ concentration in a manner that is consistent with a Ca2(+)-H+ exchange process. In the absence of a pH gradient, or the presence of a reversed gradient (basic interior), only background levels of cation uptake are detected. The driving force for A23187-mediated uptake of Ca2+ is shown to depend on the intravesicular proton pool rather than on a chelation process. This protocol provides a novel method for the efficient entrapment of high concentrations of Ca2+ and other cations in phospholipid vesicles.     

GMATo: A novel tool for the identification and analysis of microsatellites in large genomes

Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR), also called microsatellite, is very useful for genetic marker development and genome application. The increasing whole sequences of more and more large genomes provide sources for SSR mining in silico. However currently existing SSR mining tools can’t process large genomes efficiently and generate no or poor statistics. Genome-wide Microsatellite Analyzing Tool (GMATo) is a novel tool for SSR mining and statistics at genome aspects. It is faster and more accurate than existed tools SSR Locator and MISA. If a DNA sequence was too long, it was chunked to short segments at several Mb followed by motifs generation and searching using Perl powerful pattern match function. Matched loci data from each chunk were then merged to produce final SSR loci information. Only one input file is required which contains raw fasta DNA sequences and output files in tabular format list all SSR loci information and statistical distribution at four classifications. GMATo was programmed in Java and Perl with both graphic and command line interface, either executable alone in platform independent manner with full parameters control. Software GMATo is a powerful tool for complete SSR characterization in genomes at any size.

Availability

The soft GMATo is freely available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/gmato/files/?source=navbar or on contact     

A large panel of novel microsatellite markers for the bank vole (Myodes glareolus)

We describe a set of 66 highly polymorphic microsatellite loci isolated from the bank vole, Myodes (Clethrionomys) glareolus. These microsatellites were characterized for a long-term study on periodically fluctuating density of the bank vole population in Central Finland. We detected six to 38 alleles per locus in the population sampled at two different density phases, and the levels of observed and expected heterozygosities varied between 0.17 and 1.00, and between 0.72 and 0.95, respectively. This microsatellite panel serves as an informative tool for population and molecular genetic studies.     

Phorbol ester induces diaphragmed fenestrae in large vessel endothelium in vitro

The endothelium of visceral capillaries is fenestrated, whereas that of large vessels is not. We show here that the tumor promoter, 4 beta-phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA), triggers formation of diaphragmed fenestrae in endothelial cells cultured from the calf pulmonary artery and the human umbilical vein. This demonstrates that large vessel endothelial cells have the potential to express, in response to exogenous signals, a structural specialization uniquely associated with the endothelium of visceral capillaries in vivo.