Qualification of the most statistically "sensitive" diffusion tensor imaging parameters for detection of spinal cord injury

Qualification of the most statistically "sensitive" diffusion parameters using Magnetic Resonance (MR) Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) of the control and injured spinal cord of a rat in vivo and in vitro after the trauma is reported. Injury was induced in TH12/TH13 level by a controlled "weight-drop". In vitro experiments were performed in a home-built MR microscope, with a 6.4 T magnet, in vivo samples were measured in a 9.4 T/21 horizontal magnet The aim of this work was to find the most effective diffusion parameters which are useful in the statistically significant detection of spinal cord tissue damage. Apparent diffusion tensor (ADT) weighted data measured in vivo and in vitro on control and injured rat spinal cord (RSC) in the transverse planes and analysis of the diffusion anisotropy as a function of many parameters, which allows statisticall expose of the existence of the damage are reported

Multi Matrix Vector Coherent States

A class of vector coherent states is derived with multiple of matrices as vectors in a Hilbert space, where the Hilbert space is taken to be the tensor product of several other Hilbert spaces. As examples vector coherent states with multiple of quaternions and octonions are given. The resulting generalized oscillator algebra is briefly discussed. Further, vector coherent states for a tensored Hamiltonian system are obtained by the same method. As particular cases, coherent states are obtained for tensored Jaynes-Cummings type Hamiltonians and for a two-level two-mode generalization of the Jaynes-Cummings model.Comment: 24 page

Counting of RBCs and WBCs in noisy normal blood smear microscopic images

This work focuses on the segmentation and counting of peripheral blood smear particles which plays a vital role in medical diagnosis. Our approach profits from some powerful processing techniques. Firstly, the method used for denoising a blood smear image is based on the Bivariate wavelet. Secondly, image edge preservation uses the Kuwahara filter. Thirdly, a new binarization technique is introduced by merging the Otsu and Niblack methods. We have also proposed an efficient step-by-step procedure to determine solid binary objects by merging modified binary, edged images and modified Chan-Vese active contours. The separation of White Blood Cells (WBCs) from Red Blood Cells (RBCs) into two sub-images based on the RBC (blood’s dominant particle) size estimation is a critical step. Using Granulometry, we get an approximation of the RBC size. The proposed separation algorithm is an iterative mechanism which is based on morphological theory, saturation amount and RBC size. A primary aim of this work is to introduce an accurate mechanism for counting blood smear particles. This is accomplished by using the Immersion Watershed algorithm which counts red and white blood cells separately. To evaluate the capability of the proposed framework,experiments were conducted on normal blood smear images. This framework was compared to other published approaches and found to have lower complexity and better performance in its constituent steps; hence, it has a better overall performance

Norditerpenoids with selective anti-cholinesterase activity from the roots of Perovskia atriplicifolia Benth

Inhibition of cholinesterases remains one of a few available treatment strategies for neurodegenerative dementias such as Alzheimer's disease and related conditions. The current study was inspired by previous data on anticholinesterase properties of diterpenoids from Perovskia atriplicifolia and other Lamiaceae species. The acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) inhibition by the three new natural compounds-(1R,15R)-1-acetoxycryptotanshinone (1), (1R)-1-acetoxytanshinone IIA (2), and (15R)-1-oxoaegyptinone A (3)-as well as, new for this genus, isograndifoliol (4) were assessed. Three of these compounds exhibited profound inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and much weaker inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE). All compounds (1-4) selectively inhibited BChE (IC(50) = 2.4, 7.9, 50.8, and 0.9 µM, respectively), whereas only compounds 3 and 4 moderately inhibited AChE (IC(50) 329.8 µM and 342.9 µM). Molecular docking and in silico toxicology prediction studies were also performed on the active compounds. Natural oxygenated norditerpenoids from the traditional Central Asian medicinal plant P. atriplicifolia are selective BChE inhibitors. Their high potential makes them useful candidate molecules for further investigation as lead compounds in the development of a natural drug against dementia caused by neurodegenerative diseases

Impact resistanse laminates used to transport vehicle of bodywork parts

Powszechnie stosowane na osłony, zderzaki, obudowy maszyn i urządzeń laminaty poliestrowo-szklane z racji pełnionej funkcji są narażone na różnego rodzaju dynamiczne oddziaływanie siły skupionej. Uderzenia często mają charakter powtarzających się cyklicznie zdarzeń. W artykule zaprezentowano wyniki badań dotyczące laminatów poliestrowo-szklanych wzmocnionych matami oraz tkaninami poddanych kilkudziesięciokrotnym uderzeniom. Zastosowano znormalizowaną metodę spadającego grota, metodę stopniowego wyznaczania. Wyniki pomiarów wskazują na dużą odporność na przebicie laminatów wykonanych z tkanin szklanych, równocześnie wskazują na znalezienie rozsądnego kompromisu pomiędzy laminatami o znacznej sztywności, tańszych, wykonanych z mat, a dużą wytrzymałością na uderzenia laminatów o stosunkowo niskiej sztywności przy małej liczbie warstw tkanin, przez to tańszych.Commonly used on the cover, bumpers, machinery and equipment enclosures polyester-glass laminates because of their function are exposed to various types of dynamic interaction of concentrated force. Strokes often are cyclically repeated events. The article presents the results of research on fi berglass reinforced mats and textiles of glass fi ber treated multiple repeated impacts. Used a standardized method of falling the mainsail, progressive method of selection. The measurement results indicate a high resistance to puncture laminates made from glass fabric, while point to fi nd a reasonable compromise between the laminates of substantial the stiffness, cheaper, made of a mat, and the high impact resistance of laminates with relatively low the stiffness at low number of layers of fabrics