RESUMO

Electrical bioimpedance is a non-invasive and radiation-free technique that was proposed to be used in different clinical areas, however, its practical use is limited due to its low capacity to discriminate between tissues. In order to overcome this limitation, our research group proposes to incorporate the contrast media into the electrical bioimpedance procedure. The main objective of the present study was to assess the crystalloid solutions as a possible contrast media to discriminate between different tissue types in the bioimpedance technique. Two medical-grade crystalloid solutions (Hartmann and NaCl 0.9%) were injected into three biological ex vivo models: kidney, liver, and brain. BIOPAC system was used to acquire bioimpedance data before and after the injections. The data was adjusted to the Debye electrical model. The analysis of measured values showed substantial bioimpedance disparities in tissues subjected to isotonic solutions. The NaCl solution exhibited more pronounced changes in electrical parameters compared to the Hartmann solution. Similarly, NaCl solution displayed superior discriminatory capabilities among tissues, with variations of 465%, 157%, and 206%. Distinct spectral modifications were identified, with tissues demonstrating unique responses at each frequency of analysis relative to untreated tissue. Variations in bandwidth alterations were discernible among tissues, providing clear distinctions. In conclusion, the research showed that the crystalloid solution exhibited greater sensitivity and superior tissue contrast at specific frequencies. This study's findings underscore the feasibility of implementing crystalloid solutions to enhance tissue discrimination, similar to the effects of contrast agents.

Assuntos

Técnicas Biossensoriais , Cloreto de Sódio , Soluções Cristaloides , Meios de Contraste , Impedância Elétrica

RESUMO

Components released in excretory-secretory products of Toxocara canis larvae (TES) include phosphatidylethanolamine-binding proteins (TES26), mucins (TES120, MUC2-5), and C-type lectins (TES32, TES70) and their biochemical, immunological, and diagnostic properties have been extensively studied albeit proteinase activities towards physiological substrates are almost unknown. Proteolytic activities in TES samples were first analyzed by gel electrophoresis with gelatin as substrate. Major activities of ~400, 120, and 32 kDa in TES were relatively similar over a broad pH range (5.5-9.0) and all these were of the serine-type as leupeptin abolished gelatinolysis. Further, the ~400 kDa component degraded all physiological substrates tested (laminin, fibronectin, albumin, and goat IgG) and the 120 kDa component degraded albumin and goat IgG while proteinases of lower MW (45, 32, and 26 kDa) only degraded laminin and fibronectin, preferentially at alkaline pH (9.0). By protein modeling approaches using the known sequences of TES components, only TES26 and MUC4 displayed folding patterns significantly related to reference serine proteinases. These data suggest that most of serine proteinase activities secreted in vitro by infective larvae of T. canis have intriguing nature but otherwise help the parasite to affect multiple components of somatic organs and bodily fluids within the infected host.

Assuntos

Antígenos de Helmintos/química , Antígenos de Helmintos/metabolismo , Proteínas de Helminto/química , Proteínas de Helminto/metabolismo , Peptídeo Hidrolases/química , Peptídeo Hidrolases/metabolismo , Toxocara canis/enzimologia , Animais , Densitometria , Eletroforese em Gel de Poliacrilamida , Larva/enzimologia , Modelos Moleculares , Proteólise , Especificidade por Substrato

RESUMO

Near-infrared spectroscopy provides useful biological information after the radiation has penetrated through the tissue, within the therapeutic window. One of the significant shortcomings of the current applications of spectroscopic techniques to a live subject is that the subject may be uncooperative and the sample undergoes significant temporal variations, due to his health status that, from radiometric point of view, introduce measurement noise. We describe a novel wavelength selection method for monitoring, based on a standard deviation map, that allows low-noise sensitivity. It may be used with spectral transillumination, transmission, or reflection signals, including those corrupted by noise and unavoidable temporal effects. We apply it to the selection of two wavelengths for the case of pulse oximetry. Using spectroscopic data, we generate a map of standard deviation that we propose as a figure-of-merit in the presence of the noise introduced by the living subject. Even in the presence of diverse sources of noise, we identify four wavelength domains with standard deviation, minimally sensitive to temporal noise, and two wavelengths domains with low sensitivity to temporal noise.

Assuntos

Algoritmos , Artefatos , Interpretação Estatística de Dados , Diagnóstico por Computador/métodos , Oximetria/métodos , Oxigênio/sangue , Humanos , Reprodutibilidade dos Testes , Sensibilidade e Especificidade

RESUMO

Here, we fully characterize the genomes of 14 Plasmodium falciparum patient isolates taken recently from the Iquitos region using genome scanning, a microarray-based technique that delineates the majority of single-base changes, indels, and copy number variants distinguishing the coding regions of two clones. We show that the parasite population in the Peruvian Amazon bears a limited number of genotypes and low recombination frequencies. Despite the essentially clonal nature of some isolates, we see high frequencies of mutations in subtelomeric highly variable genes and internal var genes, indicating mutations arising during self-mating or mitotic replication. The data also reveal that one or two meioses separate different isolates, showing that P. falciparum clones isolated from different individuals in defined geographical regions could be useful in linkage analyses or quantitative trait locus studies. Through pairwise comparisons of different isolates we discovered point mutations in the apicoplast genome that are close to known mutations that confer clindamycin resistance in other species, but which were hitherto unknown in malaria parasites. Subsequent drug sensitivity testing revealed over 100-fold increase of clindamycin EC(50) in strains harboring one of these mutations. This evidence of clindamycin-resistant parasites in the Amazon suggests that a shift should be made in health policy away from quinine + clindamycin therapy for malaria in pregnant women and infants, and that the development of new lincosamide antibiotics for malaria should be reconsidered.

Assuntos

Instabilidade Cromossômica , Mapeamento Cromossômico , Clindamicina , Resistência a Medicamentos/genética , Malária Falciparum/parasitologia , Plasmodium falciparum/genética , Antimaláricos/uso terapêutico , Sequência de Bases , Instabilidade Cromossômica/genética , Mapeamento Cromossômico/métodos , Clindamicina/uso terapêutico , Variações do Número de Cópias de DNA , Feminino , Frequência do Gene , Genoma de Protozoário , Genótipo , Humanos , Lactente , Malária Falciparum/diagnóstico , Malária Falciparum/tratamento farmacológico , Malária Falciparum/genética , Masculino , Modelos Biológicos , Modelos Moleculares , Dados de Sequência Molecular , Linhagem , Peru , Gravidez , Telômero/genética

RESUMO

Recently, we have introduced a transillumination technique for biomedical diagnosis. The technique, pass-through photon-based transillumination, relies on interferometric measurements to recover the information of interest. In this work, we present the forward-calculated analytical interferograms that describe the behavior of the system. Stochastic modeling of radiation interacting with tissue enables determination of amplitude and phase parameters, indispensable for computation of the interferograms. Sample variability is assessed by studying tissue phantoms similar to those used in the experimental verification of the technique and that are representative of (abnormal) dental tissues. For tissue characterization, perfect recovery of the integrated attenuation ensues by employing spatially compact radiation sources. For tissue imaging, spatially extended sources with broad bandwidth are superior due to the implicit longitudinal coherence filter. For both applications, sample variability issues may be neutralized by permitting spatial divergence of scattered photons.

Assuntos

Simulação por Computador , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador , Modelos Teóricos , Fótons , Odontologia/métodos , Diagnóstico por Imagem , Humanos , Espalhamento de Radiação

RESUMO

We present the mathematical foundation and the experimental validation of a technique that utilizes pass-through (ballistic) photons in a partial coherence interferometric transillumination setup for biomedical analyses. We demonstrate that the implementation depends closely on tissue under test, incident power, spatial and spectral characteristics of the radiation source, and detection electronics. With the aid of the complex material coherence function concept, we foresee tissue characterization and diagnostic imaging as potential applications for the technique. We propose a normalization procedure for in vitro and in vivo measurements, where nontissue-related quantities are canceled out. The validation of the proposal is achieved by obtaining the sample coherence function of a tissue phantom. The expected exponential attenuation is confirmed, and the corresponding scattering coefficients are determined. A good agreement between theory and experiment, for the initial set of samples, serves to establish that pass-through photon-based transillumination is feasible for selected biomedical applications.

Assuntos

Iluminação/métodos , Modelos Biológicos , Nefelometria e Turbidimetria/métodos , Fotometria/métodos , Simulação por Computador , Luz , Fótons , Espalhamento de Radiação

RESUMO

Developing larvae of Toxocara canis may secrete several kinds of enzymes within the egg perivitelline fluid (EPF) prior to and during hatching. In particular, proteinases in EPF could play a role in larval emergence within the host gastrointestinal lumen but its presence and nature is unknown. In this work, proteolytic activities in hatching fluid of T. canis were identified and analysed by substrate gel electrophoresis at different pH values and by using type specific protease inhibitors. Three bands of 91, 68 and 38 kDa showed gelatinolytic activity and all proteinase activity from EPF was of the aspartic-type since it was inhibited by pepstatin A. Interestingly, a significantly higher proteolytic activity was observed at acidic pH (< or =5.5). These data suggest that T. canis developmentally secretes and accumulates in EPF aspartic proteinases with a pH-dependent activity that might help the parasite to take advantage of conditions in the host gastrointestinal microenvironment where egg hatching is induced and executed.

Assuntos

Óvulo/enzimologia , Peptídeo Hidrolases/metabolismo , Toxocara canis/enzimologia , Animais , Proteínas de Helminto/metabolismo , Peptídeo Hidrolases/isolamento & purificação , Toxocara canis/embriologia

RESUMO

We describe a new method for determining the homogeneous upconversion coefficient by using only three measurements: two fluorescence decays as a function of time and the relationship of normalized fluorescence with excitation power. This technique results in increased accuracy upon employment of a smaller number of measurements. Specifically, the intermediate steps of finding the absorption cross section of the doped material, the emission spectrum of the pumping source, and its spatial power distribution are not necessary. Our technique employs only one experimental setup: changing the pumping conditions. Furthermore, it incorporates dual-function fitting to reduce the uncertainty and error propagation. This method will find ample applications in the study and characterization of erbium-doped materials used in lasers and optical amplifiers, where precise knowledge of efficiency and losses is of uppermost importance.

RESUMO

A segmented or diluted aperture optical system will undergo phase errors as a result of errors in the positioning of the segments. The errors associated with a segmented primary mirror limit the image quality obtainable with synthetic aperture telescopes. Here we study the effects of segmentation errors on image quality, considering both the phase angle and the amplitude of the optical transfer function (OTF). We show that, in these kinds of telescope, phasing and alignment errors among segments reduce the amplitude and distort the phase angle of the OTF.

RESUMO

We use the point spread function and the modulation transfer function (MTF) as two figures-of-merit to evaluate the performance of the multiaperture interferometric configurations for the detection of a faint planet in the vicinity of its bright star. We design nonredundant interferometric layouts that provide satisfactory coverage of the spatial frequencies of interest. We propose a design incorporating a rotating, rotationally shearing interferometer in a gravity-free environment and compare its performance with the Earth-based, fixed, linear configurations. The side peak of its MTF may be centered on the coordinate associated with a likely planet spatial frequency, resulting in planet signal enhancement and isolation.