A transferable bio-optical model for quantification of inland water caynobacterial pigments

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)Cyanobacterial blooms are currently one of the most important issues faced by environmental agencies, water authorities and public health organizations. Remote sensing provides an advanced approach to monitor cyanobacteria by detecting and quantifying chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) and phycocaynin (PC). In this thesis, an analytical bio-optical model, more typically applied to ocean waters, was modified to accommodate the complexity of inland waters. The newly developed models work well to estimate inherent optical properties, including absorption and backscattering coefficients, in eight different study sites distributed around the globe. Based on derived absorption coefficients, Chl-a and PC concentrations were accurately retrieved for data sets collected annually from 2006 to 2010, and the estimation accuracy exceeded that of currently used algorithms. An important advantage of the model is that low concentrations of Chl-a and PC can be predicted more accurately, enabling early warning of cyanobacterial blooms. In addition, the results also indicated good spatial and temporal transferability of the algorithms, since no specific calibration procedures were required for data sets collected in a different sites and seasons. The compatibility of the newly developed algorithm with MERIS spectra provides the possibility for routine surveillance of cyanobacterial growth in inland waters

Array-based techniques for fingerprinting medicinal herbs

Poor quality control of medicinal herbs has led to instances of toxicity, poisoning and even deaths. The fundamental step in quality control of herbal medicine is accurate identification of herbs. Array-based techniques have recently been adapted to authenticate or identify herbal plants. This article reviews the current array-based techniques, eg oligonucleotides microarrays, gene-based probe microarrays, Suppression Subtractive Hybridization (SSH)-based arrays, Diversity Array Technology (DArT) and Subtracted Diversity Array (SDA). We further compare these techniques according to important parameters such as markers, polymorphism rates, restriction enzymes and sample type. The applicability of the array-based methods for fingerprinting depends on the availability of genomics and genetics of the species to be fingerprinted. For the species with few genome sequence information but high polymorphism rates, SDA techniques are particularly recommended because they require less labour and lower material cost

Detection of Brucellae in peripheral blood mononuclear cells for monitoring therapeutic efficacy of brucellosis infection.

BACKGROUND: Brucellosis is one of the most severe widespread zoonoses caused by the Gram-negative bacterium Brucella species. The diagnosis and clinical assessment of human brucellosis are very important for the management of patients, while there is a lack of effective methods to detect Brucellae. Classical culture of Brucella species is time consuming and often fails. A simple and sensitive assay is needed for diagnosis of Brucella infection and monitoring of treatment in man. METHODS: Blood samples and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 154 patients hospitalized for brucellosis. Brucella antibodies were detected by Rose Bengal Plate Test (RBPT), Standard Tube Agglutination Test (SAT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Intracellular Brucellae were detected by blood culture and immunofluorescence staining (IFS). RESULTS: Among 154 brucellosis patients, 59.7% (92/154) were antibody reactive by RBPT, 81.8% (126/154) by SAT and 95.5% (147/154) by ELISA, respectively. Only 3.2% (5/154) of patient blood samples resulted in positive Brucella culture, while 68.8% (106/154) carried IFS detectable Brucella antigens in PBMCs. Gender (P = 0.01) but not age (P > 0.05) was a significant risk factor. The frequency of intracellular Brucella antigens was similar between patients receiving different treatment regimens (P > 0.05). However, a significant decrease of intracellular Brucellae was observed only in patients with acute brucellosis after the third course of treatment (P < 0.05), suggesting that current regimens to treat chronic brucellosis were not effective. CONCLUSIONS: IFS appears a sensitive assay for detection of Brucella antigens in PBMCs and could be used for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring of brucellosis in clinical practice

Laying Bare: Agamben, Chandler, and The Responsibility to Protect

This paper demonstrates the hidden similarities between Raymond Chandler’s prototypical noir The Big Sleep, and the United Nations Responsibility to Protect (R2P) document. By taking up the work of philosopher Giorgio Agamben, this paper shows that the bare life produces the form of protection embodied by Philip Marlowe in Chandler’s novel and by the United Nations Security Council in R2P. Agamben’s theorizing of the extra-legal status of the sovereign pertains to both texts, in which the protector exists outside of the law. Philip Marlowe, tasked with preventing the distribution of pornographic images, commits breaking-and-entering, withholding evidence, and murder. Analogously, R2P advocates for the Security Council’s ability to trespass laws that safeguard national sovereignty in order to prevent “bare” atrocities against human life. As Agamben demonstrates, the extra-legal position of the protector is made possible by “stripping bare” human life. This paper also gestures towards limitations of Agamben’s thought by indicating, through a comparison of these two texts, that bare life produces states of exception as the object of protection rather than punishment

Combating the Tribo-Corrosion of LDX2404 Lean Duplex Stainless Steel by Low Temperature Plasma Nitriding

A lean duplex stainless steel, LDX2404, was DC plasma nitrided under a range of treatment conditions. The microstructure characterisation evaluation of the treated samples revealed that a dense, super-hard surface layer can be produced by low-temperature (&lt;450 &deg;C) plasma treatments. The original austenite phase became S-phase and the ferrite phase was supersaturated with nitrogen and &epsilon;-Fe3N nitride precipitated from it. When plasma nitriding was carried out at above 450 &deg;C, chromium nitrides precipitated in the surface nitrided layer. Compared to the untreated samples, the surface hardness of the lean duplex stainless steel (DSS) is increased up to four times. The dry wear resistance increased when increasing the treatment temperature. In contrast, the low-temperature treated samples showed the best performance in the electrochemical corrosion and corrosion-wear tests; the performance of the high temperature (&gt;450 &deg;C) plasma nitrided samples was found to be significantly worse than that of the untreated material

Application of a nerve stereoscopic reconstruction technique based on ultrasonic images in the diagnosis of neuralgic amyotrophy

Objective: To propose a nerve stereoscopic reconstruction technique based on ultrasound imaging for site diagnosis, intuitive reflection of disease severity, and classification of neuralgic amyotrophy (NA).Methods: We enrolled 44 patients with NA who underwent high-frequency ultrasonography examination. Multiple sites on the normal side and the affected side were scanned to calculate the ratio of the cross-section area (CSA) of the affected side to the normal side at each location measured, i.e., the cross-section area swelling ratio (CSASR). The CSASR of 44 patients and 30 normal controls was analyzed to determine their threshold value for the diagnosis of NA. Then, ultrasound images of the cross-section were used to reconstruct the stereoscopic model of the nerve on the affected side and the normal side. Using the CSASR values in each measurement location, a CSASR stereoscopic model was developed.Results: The threshold value of CSASR for ultrasound diagnosis of NA was 1.55. The average diseased segments per patient was 2.49 ± 1.97, with an average overall length of 10.03 ± 7.95 cm. Nerve stereoscopic reconstruction could be conducted for swelling, torsion, incomplete constriction, and complete constriction.Conclusion: The ultrasound image reconstruction method proposed in this study can accurately determine the site, range, and type of neuropathies in patients with NA, and simultaneously provide complete and accurate data information and intuitive morphological information