Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) as a method to compare body composition differences according to cancer stage and type

Background & Aims Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) is a non-invasive method of measuring human body composition . This offers the potential to evaluate nutritional and hydration states in cancer. Analysis of BIVA data using z-score (the number of standard deviations away from the mean value of the reference group) has the potential to facilitate comparisons between different cancer types. The aim of this study was to use the BIVA Reactance (R) / Reactance (Xc) z-score method to evaluate body composition differences in cancer, using data from previously published BIVA studies. Methods Previous studies using BIVA in cancer were identified from the literature. Bioimpedance measures were analysed using the BIVA RXc z-score graph. The mean vector impedance measures from the studied populations were transformed into standard deviates (with respect to the mean and standard deviation of the reference populations). Body composition was classified according to vector placement (i.e. normal athletic, cachectic, oedematous and dehydrated). Results Seven male and three cancer female populations were evaluated. Body composition was classified as normal for the majority (n=5), followed by cachexia (n=4) and athletic (n=1) respectively. Variation in body composition for the studied populations appeared to be related to factors, such as gender, disease type and severity. Conclusions The BIVA RXc z-score method has potential to evaluate body composition differences between cancer groups. This method can study body composition, according to cancer type, stage, gender and ethnicity. Limitations of the method relate to issues appropriate reference populations and variability between bioimpedance analysers. Better body composition assessment has the potential to personalise therapeutic, nutrition and hydration management. Further work is essential to facilitate in-depth evaluation in these areas, in order to achieve meaningful use of the BIVA method in clinical practice

Bioimpedance Vector Pattern in Taiwanese and Polish College Students Detected by Bioelectric Impedance Vector Analysis: Preliminary Observations

Background and Objectives. The study was conducted to evaluate soft tissue hydration and mass through pattern analysis of vector plots as height, normalized resistance, and reactance measurements by bioelectric impedance vector analysis in Taiwanese and Polish college students. Methods. Whole-body measurements were made with ImpediMed bioimpedance analysis SFB7 BioImp v1.55 (Pinkenba Qld 4008, Australia) in 16 Taiwanese and Polish men and 16 Taiwanese and Polish women. Results. Mean vectors of Taiwanese men and women groups versus the Polish men and women groups were characterized by almost the same normalized resistance component with reactance component (separate 95% confidence limits, P < 0.05) indicating that there were no differences of soft tissue hydration and mass. Interpretation and Conclusion. The evaluation of soft tissue hydration and mass through pattern analysis of vector plots as height, normalized resistance, and reactance measurements by bioelectric impedance vector analysis in Taiwanese and Polish college students did not differ between these two diverse ethnic groups. Further observational research investigating these properties in larger groups would be welcomed to elucidate and/or confirm these findings

Studies of phase diagram and glass transitions of a liquid crystal with ferro- and antiferroelectric phasesl

Based on the results of the differential scanning calorimetry, of transmitted light intensity measurements and of texture observations the phase diagram of 4-(6-hepta-fluoro-butano-iloxy-hexy-loxy)bi-phenyl-4'-carbo-xy-late(S)-4-(methylo-hepty-loxy-1-carbonyl)-phenyl (4H6) was obtained. The following phases were identified on cooling: isotropic, smectic A, smectic C*, smectic C*A phases and a highly ordered phase called SmX and its glass. During heating transformation from glass of SmX to SmX phase and then transition to a metastable Cr2 phase, evolving to the more stable Cr1 phase, were observed. On further heating SmC*A, SmC* and Sm phases were identified. When Cr2 was cooled, a glass transition was also observed

Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) – new possibilities of prenatal diagnosis

Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) is a relatively new method of molecular diagnosis. It enables a relative quantitative assessment of up to 50 different PCR amplicons in one reaction by the use of a very small amount of examined DNA. Nowadays MLPA is becoming a very helpful tool in prenatal diagnosis and is widely used for the detection of aneuploidies, familial single gene disorders, common microdeletion syndromes, sub-telomeric alterations and identification of marker chromosomes in fetuses. This review demonstrates possible applications of MLPA in prenatal diagnosis

How Children Are Protected From COVID-19? A Historical, Clinical, and Pathophysiological Approach to Address COVID-19 Susceptibility

The origin and the global spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in early 2020 was accompanied by high rates of mortality in regions belonging to the ancient silk road, such as the south of China, Iran, Turkey and the northern parts of Italy. However, children seem to be spared in the epidemic as very small percentage worldwide being ill. The protection of children and neonates suggests the involvement of a specific component of adaptive immunity present at early development. Native immunoglobulin belonging to the class of IgM is abundantly present in neonates and children and is known for its recognition of self- and altered self-antigens. Native IgM may be able to neutralize virus by the recognition of endogenous “danger signal” encoded in the viral envelope and originally imprinted in the membranes of infected and stressed cells. Noteworthy, thrombosis and vasculitis, two symptoms in severely affected adult and pediatric patients are shared between COVID-19 and patients with Behcet’s disease, an autoimmune disorder exhibiting a region-specific prevalence in countries of the former silk road. Molecular mechanisms and clinical indicators suggest reactive oxygen species as trigger factor for severe progression of COVID-19 and establish a link to the innate immune defense against bacteria. The selective pressure exerted by bacterial pathogens may have shaped the genetics of inhabitants at this ancient trade route in favor of bacterial defense, to the detriment of severe COVID-19 progression in the 21th century

MONITOROWANIE HODOWLI KOMÓRKOWYCH W CZASIE RZECZYWISTYM PRZY ZASTOSOWANIU NIKLOWYCH KONDENSATORÓW GRZEBIENIOWYCH

The aim of the study was to present a method for assessing the condition of cell culture by measuring the impedance of cells cultured in the presence of nickel. For this purpose, an impedance measurement technique using nickel comb capacitors was used. The capacitor electrodes were made using a thin film magnetron sputtering. In the experimental part, the culture of cells of mouse fibroblasts on the prepared substrate was performed. The cell culture lasted 43 hours and showed that the presented technique allows it to be used to analyze the effect of nickel on cells.Celem pracy było przedstawienie metody oceny stanu hodowli komórkowej poprzez pomiar impedancji komórek hodowanych w obecności niklu. W tym celu zastosowano technikę pomiaru impedancji z wykorzystaniem niklowych kondensatorów grzebieniowych. Cienkowarstwowe elektrody kondensatora wykonano metodą rozpylania magnetronowego. W części eksperymentalnej przeprowadzono hodowlę komórek mysich fibroblastów na przygotowanym podłożu. Hodowla komórkowa trwała 43 godziny i wykazała, że przedstawiona technika mogłaby być zastosowana do analizy wpływu niklu na komórki

Studies of new antiferroelectric liquid crystal based on quantum-chemical model

Physical properties of new thermotropic antiferroelectric liquid crystal have been studied. Experiments were done by use of complementary methods such as differential scanning calorimetry, polarizing optical microscopy and X-ray powder diffractometry. Acquired data from X-ray powder diffractometry was examined under application of quantum chemical approach. It has been found that compound studied exhibits stable enantiotropic antiferroelectric SmC_{A}^{*} phase in the wide temperature range while ferroelectric phase SmC^{*} is very narrow

Dielectric spectroscopy studies of 4-cyano-3-fluorophenyl 4-butylbenzoate liquid crystal at high pressure

For 4-cyano-3- uorophenyl 4-butylbenzoate, nematic glassformer at ambient pressure, dielectric relaxation studies were performed under elevated pressure. In the isobaric experiment, on cooling the nematic phase two superarrhenius -relaxations, ascribed to the reorientations of molecules around short axes and precession of long molecular axes were found and the Arrhenius -relaxation related to intramolecular motions. Complexity of dynamics at elevated and ambient pressure is similar. Shift towards lower frequencies was found for both-relaxations