MRI Relaxation Rates: A Quantitative Approach to Track Tumour Cells Expressing MagA

Using magnetic resonance imaging, relaxation rate measurements were performed in cancer cells overexpressing a magnetotactic bacterial gene, MagA. Measurements of magnetic resonance relaxation rates in this expression system is important for optimizing cell detection and specificity, for developing quantification methods, and for refinement of gene-based iron contrast using magnetosome associated genes. We measured the total transverse relaxation rate (R2*), its irreversible and reversible components (R2 and R2′, respectively) and the longitudinal relaxation rate (R1) in MDA-MB-435 tumor cells. Clonal lines overexpressing MagA were cultured in the presence and absence of iron supplementation, and mounted in a spherical phantom for relaxation rate measurements at 3Tesla. In addition to MR measures, cellular changes in iron were evaluated by inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Values of R2* and R2ʹ were significantly higher (p \u3c .01, accounting for multiple comparisons) in iron-supplemented, MagA- expressing cells compared to unsupplemented cells. R2* provided the greatest absolute difference and R2′ showed the greatest relative difference, consistent with the notion that R2′ may be a more specific indicator of iron-based contrast than R2, as has been observed in brain tissue. R2 differences between the supplemented and non-supplement MagA- expressing cells showed a trend (p \u3c .05) toward significance. R1 differences between these conditions were not significant. For parental cells, no significant differences between iron-supplemented and unsupplemented cells were observed in any of the relaxation rates. The results highlight the potential of magnetotactic bacterial gene expression for detecting labeled cells

Quality testing of staple yarn by an instrument with dual sensing and its comparative study with capacitive sensing

An instrument employing both image processing and optical sensing in a single run has been developed to evaluate yarn quality parameters such as irregularity, imperfections and hairiness. Dedicated software, inbuilt within the system, is also developed, which measures the attributes from both the sensors, and a best fit representation is made. The irregularity and imperfections obtained from proposed instrument are compared with those obtained from universally accepted capacitive sensing Uster tester, whereas hairs/meter are compared with Zweigle tester. The cotton, cotton-polyester blended and jute yarns have been tested in all the systems. The repeatability and reliability of results in both image processing and optical sensing are found insignificant in 5% confidence level. It is observed that the yarns with diameter value up to 0.65 mm can be evaluated by optical sensor, but above this threshold, image processing may be done successfully. Uster tester result mostly corroborates with image processing. Optical sensor shows higher values than image processing

Design and development of an instrument for testing electrical insulation of technical textiles

An attempt has been made to develop an instrument to measure the electrical insulation of technical textiles. Developeddigital instrument measures resistance in terms of Mohm/Gohm in the transverse direction of textile material up to 2 cmthickness with 99.6% accuracy. The same sample has been tested 30 times and the deviation between minimum andmaximum values is found insignificant at 1% confidence level. This instrument is user friendly, low cost, precise and easy tocalibrate. Some tests using developed instrument show that the electrical resistance of fabric decreases with the increase intemperature, moisture content and area density of fabric. The electrical resistances, however, increases with thickness offabric. The instrument is useful to understand the suitability of fabric for electrical insulating products like gloves, jackets,floor-covering, etc

Physiology: Morphological characteristics of preimplantation stage endometrium in the rhesus monkey

The morphological characteristics of endometrium on day 6 after ovulation of conception (group 1) and non-fecund, menstrual (group 2) cycles have been studied in the rhesus monkey (n = 30). A conception cycle was distinguished by the presence of a developmentally normal, age—stage-synchronized embryo. Thus, 78% of the mated cycles (n = 18) yielding synchronous embryos (12 zona-encased and two zona-free blastocysts) were used for this study. On day 6 after ovulation, no significant changes in the serum concentrations of oestrogen and progesterone were seen in conception cycles (n = 14) compared with the non-mated, normal ovulatory cycles (n = 12). Morphometric analyses revealed that on day 6 of gestation (n = 8), endometrium differed from the corresponding non-mated luteal phase (n = 7) with significant increases in epithelial mitosis (P < 0.01), height of glandular epithelium (P < 0.05), volume ratio of gland cell to gland (P < 0.03), degree of pseudostratification (P < 0.02), and higher frequency of supranuclear, adluminal accumulation of vacuoles in gland cells (P < 0.05). The degree of stromal oedema was higher (P < 0.02) in fecund cycles but there was no change in venular diameter. In a separate set of experiments, estimates of tissue vascular response revealed a higher (P < 0.02) endometrial extravascular albumin space on the same day of gestation; there were no differences, however, in endometrial blood volume, or in the number of von Willebrand antigen-positive capillaries and small vessels between the two groups (group 1, n = 6; group 2, n = 5). The overall results of the present study together with our earlier reports support the hypothesis that differential changes occur in luteal phase endometrium functionalis in the presence of preimplantation stage blastocyst in the rhesus monke

Primary Metabolism of Chickpea Is the Initial Target of Wound Inducing Early Sensed Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. ciceri Race I

BACKGROUND: Biotrophic interaction between host and pathogen induces generation of reactive oxygen species that leads to programmed cell death of the host tissue specifically encompassing the site of infection conferring resistance to the host. However, in the present study, biotrophic relationship between Fusarium oxysporum and chickpea provided some novel insights into the classical concepts of defense signaling and disease perception where ROS (reactive oxygen species) generation followed by hypersensitive responses determined the magnitude of susceptibility or resistant potentiality of the host. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Microscopic observations detected wound mediated in planta pathogenic establishment and its gradual progression within the host vascular tissue. cDNA-AFLP showed differential expression of many defense responsive elements. Real time expression profiling also validated the early recognition of the wound inducing pathogen by the host. The interplay between fungus and host activated changes in primary metabolism, which generated defense signals in the form of sugar molecules for combating pathogenic encounter. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The present study showed the limitations of hypersensitive response mediated resistance, especially when foreign encounters involved the food production as well as the translocation machinery of the host. It was also predicted from the obtained results that hypersensitivity and active species generation failed to impart host defense in compatible interaction between chickpea and Fusarium. On the contrary, the defense related gene(s) played a critical role in conferring natural resistance to the resistant host. Thus, this study suggests that natural selection is the decisive factor for selecting and segregating out the suitable type of defense mechanism to be undertaken by the host without disturbing its normal metabolism, which could deviate from the known classical defense mechanisms

Electrical resistance of jute fabrics

55-59Electrical resistance of jute canvas, hessian and cross-laid needle-punched nonwoven fabrics has been measured in a laboratory made set-up. Effect of gauge length, voltage, moisture, fibre orientation, temperature, area density has been studied and analysed. It is observed that electrical resistance increases with the increase in gauge length and decreases with the increase in input voltage, moisture, temperature and area density. Jute hessian, canvas and nonwoven fabrics show the resistance value in descending order. Length-wise electrical resistance is higher than width-wise resistance of jute needle-punched nonwoven fabric, whereas in case of canvas and hessian the effect is reversed

Quality testing of staple yarn by an instrument with dual sensing and its comparative study with capacitive sensing

269-276An instrument employing both image processing and optical sensing in a single run has been developed to evaluate yarn quality parameters such as irregularity, imperfections and hairiness. Dedicated software, inbuilt within the system, is also developed, which measures the attributes from both the sensors, and a best fit representation is made. The irregularity and imperfections obtained from proposed instrument are compared with those obtained from universally accepted capacitive sensing Uster tester, whereas hairs/meter are compared with Zweigle tester. The cotton, cotton-polyester blended and jute yarns have been tested in all the systems. The repeatability and reliability of results in both image processing and optical sensing are found insignificant in 5% confidence level. It is observed that the yarns with diameter value up to 0.65 mm can be evaluated by optical sensor, but above this threshold, image processing may be done successfully. Uster tester result mostly corroborates with image processing. Optical sensor shows higher values than image processing

Design and development of an instrument for testing electrical insulation of technical textiles

402-409An attempt has been made to develop an instrument to measure the electrical insulation of technical textiles. Developed digital instrument measures resistance in terms of Mohm/Gohm in the transverse direction of textile material up to 2 cm thickness with 99.6% accuracy. The same sample has been tested 30 times and the deviation between minimum and maximum values is found insignificant at 1% confidence level. This instrument is user friendly, low cost, precise and easy to calibrate. Some tests using developed instrument show that the electrical resistance of fabric decreases with the increase in temperature, moisture content and area density of fabric. The electrical resistances, however, increases with thickness of fabric. The instrument is useful to understand the suitability of fabric for electrical insulating products like gloves, jackets, floor-covering, etc