Led induced chlorophyll fluorescence transient imager for measurements of health and stress status of whole plants

We have developed LED (light emitting diode) induced fluorescence transient imaging instrumentation to image the plant health/stress status by calculation of two images: Fv/Fm (variable fluorescence over saturation level of fluorescence) and the time response, tTR, of the fluorescence time curve. Within a short time interval (˜580 ms) multiple images (typically 20) are captured using the LEDs in the pulsed mode. For each pixel of the fluorescence image Fv/Fm and tTR are calculated and presented as images that correlate with the quantum yield of PSII photochemistry and the time response of this process, respectively. The advantage of the technology lies in the imaging of photosynthetic parameters within a short time interval, remotely and under light conditions. This was accomplished by the development of a high intensity pulsed LED light source (total 5 kW electrical power) and using the LEDs in the pulsed mode with a pulse width of 15 ms and time between sequential pulses of 14 ms. Using this instrumentation we investigated the effect of herbicide treatment, Sencor, on black nightshade (Solanum nigrum L.) plants. Effects of the herbicide on the first fluorescence images could be detected. At the saturation level of the fluorescence this effect disappeared. The effect of the herbicide was visualized on the Fv/Fm image and the time response tTR image. Healthy and herbicide treated parts of the plant yielded average values of Fv/Fm=0.81±0.03 and 0.06±0.02, respectively. Furthermore, the effect of drought stress was investigated on saintpaulia (Saintpaulia ionantha) plants. Under dark conditions no differences in the image of Fv/Fm and tTR could be detected between the control and the plant with drought stress. Under actinic light of 90 µmol m-2 s-1 differences were observed in images of (Fm’-F’)/Fm’ and tTR’. We conclude that for the first time images of a time response of the photosynthesis of leaves are presented. Furthermore, the proposed instrumentation can be used for high throughput screening, as a sensor in sorting machines and has potential greenhouse applications

A new lab facility for measuring bidirectional reflectance/emittance distribution functions of soils and canopies

Recently, a laboratory measurement facility has been realized for assessing the anisotropic reflectance and emittance behaviour of soils, leaves and small canopies under controlled illumination conditions. The facility consists of an ASD FieldSpec 3 spectroradiometer covering the spectral range from 350 – 2500 nm at 1 nm spectral sampling interval. The spectroradiometer is deployed using a fiber optic cable with either a 1°, 8° or 25° instantaneous field of view (IFOV). These measurements can be used to assess the plant pigment (chlorophyll, xanthophyll, etc.) and non-pigment system (water, cellulose, lignin, nitrogen, etc.). The thermal emittance is measured using a NEC TH9100 Infrared Thermal Imager. It operates in a single band covering the spectral range from 8 – 14 mm with a resolution of 0.02 K. Images are 320 (H) by 240 (V) pixels with an IFOV of 1.2 mrad. A 1000 W Quartz Tungsten Halogen (QTH) lamp is used as illumination source, approximating the radiance distribution of the sun. This one is put at a fixed position during a measurement session. Multi-angular measurements are achieved by using a robotic positioning system allowing to perform either reflectance or emittance measurements over almost a complete hemisphere. The hemisphere can be sampled continuously between 0° and 80° from nadir and up to a few degrees from the hot-spot configuration (depending on the IFOV of the measurement device) for a backscattering target. Measurement distance to targets can be varied between 0.25 and 1 m, although with a distance of more than 0.6 m it is not possible to cover the full hemisphere. The goal is to infer the BRDF (bidirectional reflectance distribution function) and BTDF (bidirectional thermal distribution function) from these multi-angular measurements for various surface types (like soils, agricultural crops, small tree canopies and artificial objects) and surface roughness. The steering of the robotic arm and the reading of the spectroradiometer and the thermal camera are all fully automated

Perioperative antioxidants for adults undergoing elective non-cardiac surgery

This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (Intervention). The objectives are as follows: To assess the benefits and harms of antioxidant use in the perioperative period in adults who undergo non‐cardiac surgery

Detection of the tulip breaking virus (TBV) in tulips using optical sensors

The tulip breaking virus (TBV) causes severe economic losses for countries that export tulips such as the Netherlands. Infected plants have to be removed from the field as soon as possible. There is an urgent need for a rapid and objective method of screening. In this study, four proximal optical sensing techniques for the detection of TBV in tulip plants were evaluated and compared with a visual assessment by crop experts as well as with an ELISA (enzyme immunoassay) analysis of the same plants. The optical sensor techniques used were an RGB color camera, a spectrophotometer measuring from 350 to 2500 nm, a spectral imaging camera covering a spectral range from 400 to 900 nm and a chlorophyll fluorescence imaging system that measures the photosynthetic activity. Linear discriminant classification was used to compare the results of these optical techniques and the visual assessment with the ELISA score. The spectral imaging system was the best optical technique and its error was only slightly larger than the visual assessment error. The experimental results appear to be promising, and they have led to further research to develop an autonomous robot for the detection and removal of diseased tulip plants in the open field. The application of this robot system will reduce the amount of insecticides and the considerable pressure on labor for selecting diseased plants by the crop expert. © 2010 The Author(s

Levenswaardering bij ouderen (LWO): de validering van een meetinstrument

De doelstelling van dit onderzoek is de aanpassing en validering van een door Lawton en collega’s ontwikkelde schaal “Valuation of Life”, door ons vertaald als Levenswaardering. Lawton et al. ontwikkelden deze schaal om te laten zien dat naast de gezondheidsgerelateerde kwaliteit-van-leven (GKvL) er een andere kwaliteitsdimensie is die inzicht kan verschaffen in de subjectieve gezondheidsutiliteit op latere leeftijd, waaronder opvattingen over de gewenste levensduur en/of over levensverlenging en –beëindiging. Na een geautoriseerde vertaling is de schaal geïmplementeerd in de vierde waarneming van de LASA studie (2001-2002). In totaal hebben 1139 respondenten van 65-95 jaar de schaal ingevuld. Uitgebreide structuuranalyses leidden tot de conclusie dat de oorspronkelijke 19-item schaal tot een schaal van Levenswaarderingbij- Ouderen van 12 items kan worden gereduceerd, welke op te delen valt in drie subschalen: Veerkracht, Ambitie en Levenslust. Er blijkt nauwelijks overlap te zijn met de GKvL terwijl de overlap met min of meer objectieve gezondheidsmaten (discriminante validiteit) beperkt blijft. Er blijkt wel een verwantschap met de zg. positieve zelfbelevingsmaten (concurrente validiteit). We concluderen dan ook dat de LWO-schaal de waardering meet die iemand aan het leven hecht, waarbij er in de schaal-items geen enkele expliciete verwijzing is naar gezondheidsaspecten. De uiteindelijke toets voor het belang van de LWO-schaal zal moeten blijken in de onafhankelijke voorspellende kracht van de gezondheidsutiliteit die in een volgend artikel nader onderzocht gaat worden

Regulation of Intestinal UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 by the Farnesoid X Receptor Agonist Obeticholic Acid Is Controlled by Constitutive Androstane Receptor through Intestinal Maturation

UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 1A1 is the only transferase capable of conjugating serum bilirubin. However, temporal delay in the development of the UGT1A1 gene leads to an accumulation of serum bilirubin in newborn children. Neonatal humanized UGT1 (hUGT1) mice, which accumulate severe levels of total serum bilirubin (TSB), were treated by oral gavage with obeticholic acid (OCA), a potent FXR agonist. OCA treatment led to dramatic reduction in TSB levels. Analysis of UGT1A1 expression confirmed that OCA induced intestinal and not hepatic UGT1A1. Interestingly, Cyp2b10, a target gene of the nuclear receptor CAR, was also induced by OCA in intestinal tissue. In neonatal hUGT1/Car(-/-) mice, OCA was unable to induce CYP2B10 and UGT1A1, confirming that CAR and not FXR is involved in the induction of intestinal UGT1A1. However, OCA did induce FXR target genes, such as Shp, in both intestines and liver with induction of Fgf15 in intestinal tissue. Circulating FGF15 activates hepatic FXR and, together with hepatic Shp, blocks Cyp7a1 and Cyp7b1 gene expression, key enzymes in bile acid metabolism. Importantly, the administration of OCA in neonatal hUGT1 mice accelerates intestinal epithelial cell maturation, which directly impacts on induction of the UGT1A1 gene and the reduction in TSB levels. Accelerated intestinal maturation is directly controlled by CAR, since induction of enterocyte marker genes sucrase-isomaitase, alkaline phosphatase 3, and keratin 20 by OCA does not occur in hUGT1/Car(-/-) mice. Thus, new findings link an important role for CAR in intestinal UGT1A1 induction and its role in the intestinal maturation pathway. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Obeticholic acid (OCA) activates FXR target genes in both liver and intestinal tissues while inducing intestinal UGT1A1, which leads to the elimination of serum bilirubin in humanized UGT1 mice. However, the induction of intestinal UGT1A1 and the elimination of bilirubin by OCA is driven entirely by activation of intestinal CAR and not FXR. The elimination of serum bilirubin is based on a CARdependent mechanism that facilitates the acceleration of intestinal epithelium cell differentiation, an event that underlies the induction of intestinal UGT1A1

Proefresultaten Ziekzoeker 2011 : spectrale en chlorofylfluorescentie beeldanalyse virus- en bacteriezieke pootaardappelen

Een vroege detectie van zieke planten met moderne vision technieken kan de kosten voor selectie in de pootaardappelteelt flink drukken. De nadruk ligt hierbij op de detectie van Erwinia, gezien de grote financiële schade. In 2010 zijn een eerste serie metingen in pootaardappelen uitgevoerd met een bestaande opstelling voor detectie van viruszieke tulpenbollen. De resultaten hiervan waren niet goed genoeg. Daarom is dit onderzoek met name gericht op het vinden van de meest geschikte opnametechniek voor het ziekzoeken, waarmee een eenduidig onderscheid te maken is tussen zieke en niet-zieke planten. Een belangrijk accent ligt op het vroegtijdig herkennen van zieke planten. De nieuwe technologieën hebben vooral meerwaarde als het herkennen mogelijk wordt voordat de symptomen door het menselijk oog waarneembaar zijn

Clinical osteoarthritis of the hip and knee and fall risk: The role of low physical functioning and pain medication

Objective: Several studies have found an increased fall risk in persons with osteoarthritis (OA). However, most prospective studies did not use a clinical definition of OA. In addition, it is not clear which factors explain this risk. Our objectives were: (1) to confirm the prospective association between clinical OA of the hip and knee and falls; (2) to examine the modifying effect of sex; and (3) to examine whether low physical performance, low physical activity and use of pain medication are mediating these relationships. Methods: Baseline and 1-year follow-up data from the European Project on OSteoArthritis (EPOSA) were used involving pre-harmonized data from five European population-based cohort studies (ages 65 85, n = 2535). Clinical OA was defined according to American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria. Falls were assessed using self-report. Results: Over the follow-up period, 27.7% of the participants fell once or more (defined as faller), and 9.8% fell twice or more (recurrent faller). After adjustment for confounding, clinical knee OA was associated with the risk of becoming a recurrent faller (relative risk=1.55; 95% confidence interval: 1.10 2.18), but not with the risk of becoming a faller. No associations between clinical hip OA and (recurrent) falls were observed after adjustment for confounding. Use of opioids and analgesics mediated the associations between clinical OA and (recurrent) falls, while physical performance and physical activity did not. Conclusion: Individuals with clinical knee OA were at increased risk for recurrent falls. This relationship was mediated by pain medication, particularly opioids. The fall risk needs to be considered when discussing the risk benefit ratio of prescribing these medicationsSources of support: The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) is financially supported by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports (grant no 311669, grant recipient D.J.H. Deeg). The Pe~nagrande study was partially supported by the National Fund for Health Research (Fondo de Investigaciones en Salud) of Spain (grant no FIS PI 05/1898; FIS RETICEF RD06/0013/1013 and FIS PS09/02143, grant recipients A. Otero, M.V. Castell). The Hertfordshire Cohort Study is supported by the Medical Research Council of Great Britain, Versus Arthritis, the British Heart Foundation and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (grant no MRC_MC_UP_A620_1014, grant recipients C. Cooper, E. Dennison). The Italian cohort was supported by the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Research Project “Aging: molecular and technological innovations for improving the health of the elderly population" (Prot. MIUR 2867, grant recipient: S. Maggi). The Swedish Twin Registry is managed by Karolinska Institutet and receives funding through the Swedish Research Council (grant no 2017-00641, grant recipient Karolinska Institutet

Validation of the ADFICE_IT Models for Predicting Falls and Recurrent Falls in Geriatric Outpatients

Objectives: Before being used in clinical practice, a prediction model should be tested in patients whose data were not used in model development. Previously, we developed the ADFICE_IT models for predicting any fall and recurrent falls, referred as Any_fall and Recur_fall. In this study, we externally validated the models and compared their clinical value to a practical screening strategy where patients are screened for falls history alone. Design: Retrospective, combined analysis of 2 prospective cohorts. Setting and Participants: Data were included of 1125 patients (aged ≥65 years) who visited the geriatrics department or the emergency department. Methods: We evaluated the models' discrimination using the C-statistic. Models were updated using logistic regression if calibration intercept or slope values deviated significantly from their ideal values. Decision curve analysis was applied to compare the models’ clinical value (ie, net benefit) against that of falls history for different decision thresholds. Results: During the 1-year follow-up, 428 participants (42.7%) endured 1 or more falls, and 224 participants (23.1%) endured a recurrent fall (≥2 falls). C-statistic values were 0.66 (95% CI 0.63-0.69) and 0.69 (95% CI 0.65-0.72) for the Any_fall and Recur_fall models, respectively. Any_fall overestimated the fall risk and we therefore updated only its intercept whereas Recur_fall showed good calibration and required no update. Compared with falls history, Any_fall and Recur_fall showed greater net benefit for decision thresholds of 35% to 60% and 15% to 45%, respectively.Conclusions and Implications: The models performed similarly in this data set of geriatric outpatients as in the development sample. This suggests that fall-risk assessment tools that were developed in community-dwelling older adults may perform well in geriatric outpatients. We found that in geriatric outpatients the models have greater clinical value across a wide range of decision thresholds compared with screening for falls history alone.</p

Predictors of resilience in older adults with lower limb osteoarthritis and persistent severe pain

Resilience refers to the process in which people function well despite adversity. Persistent severe pain may be considered an adversity in people with lower limb osteoarthritis (LLOA). The objectives of this study are: (1) to identify what proportion of older adults with LLOA and persistent severe pain show good functioning; and (2) to explore predictors of resilience. Methods: Data from the European Project on OSteoArthritis (EPOSA) were used involving standardized data from six European population-based cohort studies. LLOA is defned as clinical knee and/or hip osteoarthritis. Persistent severe pain is defned as the highest tertile of the pain subscale of the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteo‑ arthritis Index both at baseline and follow-up. Resilience is defned as good physical, mental or social functioning at follow-up despite having LLOA with persistent severe pain. Results: In total, 95 (14.9%) out of 638 individuals with LLOA had persistent severe pain. Among these, 10 (11.0%), 54 (57.4%) and 49 (53.8%) had good physical, mental and social functioning, respectively. Only 4 individuals (4.5%) were resilient in all three domains of functioning. Younger age, male sex, higher education, higher mastery, smoking and alcohol use, higher physical activity levels, absence of chronic diseases, and more contacts with friends predicted resilience in one or more domains of functioning. Conclusions: Few people with LLOA and persistent severe pain showed good physical functioning and about half showed good mental or social functioning. Predictors of resilience difered between domains, and might provide new insights for treatmentThe Indicators for Monitoring COPD and Asthma—Activity and Function in the Elderly in Ulm study (IMCA—ActiFE) was supported by the European Union (grant number 2005121) and the Ministry of Science, Baden-Württem‑ berg. The Italian cohort was supported by the National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Research Project “Aging: molecular and technological innovations for improving the health of the elderly population” (Prot. MIUR 2867). The Longitudinal Aging Study Amsterdam (LASA) is fnancially supported by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sports (grant number 311669). The Peñagrande study was partially supported by the National Fund for Health Research (Fondo de Investigaciones en Salud) of Spain (grant numbers FIS PI 05/1898, FIS RETICEF RD06/0013/1013, FIS PS09/02143). The Swedish Twin Registry is managed by Karolinska Institutet and receives funding through the Swedish Research Council (grant number 2017–00641). The Hertfordshire Cohort Study is supported by the Medical Research Council of Great Britain, Versus Arthritis, the British Heart Foundation and the International Osteopo‑rosis Foundation (grant number MRC_MC_UP_A620_1014). The funders were not involved in the study design, data collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript; and in the decision to submit the manuscript for publicatio