Grey Degree Research Articles

Expression of fibrillin-1 in congenital bicuspid aortic valves

To detect the expression of fibrillin-1 in congenital bicuspid aortic valves, and to investigate the molecular mechanism of congenital bicuspid aortic valves. Specimens of aortic valve were obtained from 12 pediatric patients with congenital bicuspid aortic valve, 11 boys and 1 girl, aged 16.7 (10 - 18), including 5 cases of aortic stenosis (AS), 8 of aortic insufficiency (AI), and 1 of AS and AI, undergoing valve replacement, 8 children who died accidentally without cardiovascular system and collagen system diseases, 6 boys and 2 girls, aged 9.1 (1 - 17), collected in autopsy [normal (tricuspid) aortic valve controls], and 18 pediatric patients of rheumatic valvular heart disease with diseased tricuspid aortic valves who underwent aortic valve replacement, 13 boys and 5 girls, aged 16.5 (12 - 18) (rheumatic valvular heart disease controls). HE staining and light microscopy were conducted. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of fibrillin-1 in the aortic valves. Microscopy showed that the tissue structure of the congenital bicuspid aortic valves was unclear with hyperplasia of fibrous tissue. The grey degree value of fibrillin-1 of the congenital bicuspid aortic valve group was 170 +/- 10, significantly lower than those of normal aortic valve group and diseased tricuspid aortic valve group (126 +/- 8 and 73 +/- 16 respectively, both P < 0.05). There were not significant difference in the grey degree value of fibrillin-1 among the patients of congenital bicuspid aortic valves with AS, AI, and AS + AI (167 +/- 6, 171 +/- 8, and 168 +/- 6 respectively). The expression of fibrillin-1 is significantly reduced in congenital bicuspid aortic valves which may contribute to the morphological changes of the aortic valve leaflets and their resultant functional failure in congenital bicuspid aortic valves.

Huayu capsule enhances limb-catching capability of rats with experimental open traumatic brain injury*

Background It is hard to cure the open traumatic brain injury (TBI), especially for the brain functional recovery after brain injury. In this regard, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has a wide prospect. Objective To observe the effect of Huayu capsule on limb-catching capability of rat models of open TBI, and investigate its possible mechanism. Design Randomized and controlled study. Setting Grade 3 Pharmacological Laboratory of TCM, State Administration of TCM, Chengdu University of TCM. Materials This study was performed from October 2005 to January 2006. Fifty Sprague-Dawley rats of either gender, aged 3 months old, weighing from 190 to 220 g, were involved in this study. Huayu capsule was made and supplied by the Department of TCM Processing of Chengdu University of TCM, Lot No. 050121; Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid was manufactured by Jilin Aodong Yanbian Pharmaceutical Industry Co.,Ltd., Lot No. 050406. Methods Open right parietal lobe TBI rat models were made as described in references. The involved rat models were randomized into 5 groups according to gender and body mass: model group, high-, middle-, low-dose Huayu capsule groups and Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid group, with 10 rats in each. Rats in the model group were administrated with distilled water of 5 mL/kg; Rats in the high-, middle- and low-dose Huayu capsule groups were administrated with 1.030, 0.515, 0.258 g/kg raw herbs; Rats in the Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid group were administrated with Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid of 5 mL/kg, intragastrically once a day for 7 days successively for all after recovering consciousness from anesthetization. ▪ One hour after administration on the 6 th day, rats in each group were placed on a 100 cm fine straight iron wire paralleling to the ground and 20 cm above the operational table. The time of the rats keeping on the wire was counted and it indicated the nerve-muscle catching capability. The longer the remained time, the better the nerve-muscle catching capability. ▪ Twenty-four hours after the administration on the 7 th day, the samples of the whole brain were carefully taken out and stained by toluidine blue for observing the morphology of cells in the injured brain tissue. ▪ The nerve cells in 4 visual fields from 4 directions (upper, lower, left, right) of injured area of brain tissue were counted. The amount was the total number of the four visual fields. The nerve cells in the injured brain tissue were measured by the same way. ▪ On the basis of nerve cell counting, the content of Nissl's body in the corresponding nerve cells was measured. Main outcome measures ▪ Nerve-muscle catching capability. ▪ Histopathomorphological examination of the injured areas in brain. ▪ Measurement of nerve cells and macrophages in the injured areas of brain. ?Measurement of content of Nissl's body in the injured areas of brain. Results All the 50 rats were involved in the final analysis. ▪ The catching time of rats in the high- and middle-dose Huayu capsule groups as well as Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid group was extended to (23.6±10.12),(18.6±8.17) and (22.6±9.43) s, respectively, which was significantly higher than that in the model group [(12.1±4.15) s, P < 0.05-0.01]. ▪ The injured areas of brain tissue of rats in the Huayu capsule-treated groups and Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid group were decreased to different extents. The nerve cells adjacent to brain injured area were increased. ▪ The number of macrophages around the brain injured area of rats in the high- and middle-dose Huayu capsule groups as well as Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid group was 63.9±7.99, 59.7±7.41 and 62.9±7.37, respectively, which was significantly larger than that in the model group(49.2±8.00, P < 0.01). The number of nerve cells adjacent to brain injured area of rats in the high-, middle-, and low-dose Huayu capsule groups as well as Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid group was 86.2±25.93, 93.5±31.79, 92.1±14.54 and 125.2±34.25, respectively, which was significantly larger than that in the model group(62.5±16.98, P < 0.05-0.01). ▪ The total area, the total and integral absorbance, the average gray degree of Nissl's body in the cytoplasm of nerve cells of rats in the Huayu capsule-treated groups and Xuefuzhuyu oral liquid group were all significantly increased ( P < 0.05-0.01). Conclusion Huayu capsule at different doses can promote the limb-catching capability of rat models of open TBI to different extent. This promoting effect may be related to increasing macrophages in the injured area, lessening the apoptosis of nerve cells and increasing the content of Nissl's body in the nerve cells.

Multi‐attribute grey incidence decision model for interval number

PurposeBased on the characteristics of interval number, the distance of interval number is defined. And based on the grey incidence degree theory, the degree of interval number incidence is defined. These extend grey incidence analysis theory from real number sequence to interval number sequence.Design/methodology/approachStudies the multi‐attribute incidence decision‐making problems for interval number and models the incidence decision‐making model of multi‐attribute interval number.FindingsAn application example is given based on grey incidence decision model with multi‐attribute interval number.Research limitations/implicationsThis new model can avoid the difficulty of seeking the dummy optimal scheme and the negative optimal scheme, and it regards evaluated scheme as a whole to seek the optimal scheme.Practical implicationsIt is easy to realizing on computer and the evaluated result is more objective than the results obtained by other methods.Originality/valueStudies multi‐attribute decision‐making problems.

Increased taste intensity perception exhibited by patients with chronic back pain

There is overlap between brain regions involved in taste and pain perception, and cortical injuries may lead to increases as well as decreases in sensitivity to taste. Recently it was shown that chronic back pain (CBP) is associated with a specific pattern of brain atrophy. Since CBP is characterized by increased sensitivity to pain, we reasoned that the sense of taste might also be enhanced in CBP. Detection and recognition thresholds were established for a sour taste and ratings of both suprathreshold taste intensity and pleasantness–unpleasantness perception were collected for sweet, sour, salty and bitter stimuli in 11 CBP patients and 11 matched control subjects. As a control, ratings were also collected for visual assessment of degree of grayness. There was no difference between CBP and control subjects for visual grayness rating. On the other hand, CBP patients in comparison to control subjects rated gustatory stimuli as significantly more intense but no more or less pleasant and showed a trend towards a lower detection threshold (i.e. increased sensitivity). The selectivity of the taste disturbance suggests interaction between pain and taste at specific brain sites and provides further evidence that CBP involves specific brain abnormalities.

Grey degree and grey prediction of groundwater head

Boundary types and geologic conditions, which possess random and obscure characteristics, produce variations in groundwater heads. In this study, a groundwater flow system was regarded as a grey system and a grey degree defined and quantified those characteristics. Data were obtained from field records in Gao-Shu and De-Xie Stations, which are located in the upper and middle sites of Pingtung Plain, Taiwan, respectively. An estimated interval was used to represent the upper and lower groundwater head limits. The analyses showed that the grey degree in the wet season was smaller than in the dry season. This was due to the greater uncertainty in groundwater pumping and rainfall recharge in the dry season. With high confidence levels, the grey degree of the groundwater heads decreased. Under spatial distribution, the uncertainty of the groundwater pumping and rainfall recharge in the middle zone was greater than in the upper zone because the middle zone included residential districts and agricultural regions. Thus, the grey degree in the upper zone was less than the middle zone. The grey model can be used to predict a groundwater head based on the observed groundwater head data and the random degree in the groundwater head each month can be judged by the grey interval.

A matching algorithm based on hybrid matrices consisting of reference differences and disparities

Unique correct correspondence cannot be obtained only by use of gray correlation technique, which describes gray similar degree of feature points between the left and right images too unilaterally. The gray correlation technique is adopted to extract gray correlation peaks as a coarse matching set called multi-peak set. The disparity gradient limited constraint is utilized to optimize the multi-peak set. Unique match will be obtained by calculating the correlation of hybrid matrices consisting of reference differences and disparities from the multi-peak set. Two of the known corresponding points in the left and right images, respectively, are set as a pair of reference points to determine search direction and search scope at first. After the unique correspondence is obtained by calculating the correlation of the hybrid matrices from the multi-peak set, the obtained match is regarded as a new reference point till all feature points in the left (or right) image have been processed. Experimental results proved that the proposed algorithm was feasible and accurate.

Improved absolute grey incidence degree and its application

On the basis of the given absolute incidence degree, a new absolute incidence degree is defined. It not only possesses the characteristic of invariant translational transformation, but also can describe the incidence property between every two sequences exactly.

Grey model of direct solar radiation intensity on the horizontal plane for cooling loads calculation

According to the tenets of Grey System Theory, this paper analyzes the stochastic characteristics of the attenuation rate of solar radiation intensity, and then presents a grey model for direct solar radiation on the horizontal plane on sunny days. By combining the definitive physical model with the grey parameter, this grey model describes the attenuation pattern of solar radiation intensity more comprehensively and more reasonably. Based on the principle of message assembly, the authors find out two envelope curves which describe the maximum and minimum limits of the collective influence of all stochastic factors, and estimate the optimum varying interval of a grey parameter in the model with the help of the least square method. Finally, a concept of a grey degree is proposed to represent the degree of confidence for the optimum value of a grey parameter, thus providing a reasonable theoretical base for calculating the intensity of solar radiation on sunny days.

Predictions based on Munsell notation. II. Principal hue components

With Munsell colors j, observers made assessments on the degree of grayness N(j), 0∼10, and the degrees of principal hues ξα(j) in the chromatic part ζ(j) = 10 − N(j). Based on these data, the optimum directions of principal hue vectors {fα}, common for colors from 4∼7V, were determined, where α means 4 (R, Y, G, B) or 5 (R, Y, G, B, P). Coordinates &xcirc;α of points (H, V/C) on these vectors and ratios ηα = ξα/ζ are called the absolute and relative principal hue components. These values, ξα(j), ζ(j), and ηα(j), provide the foundation for denoting a color j by (Hj, Vj/Cj). Curves representing ξα(H‖V, C) or ηα(H‖V, C) as functions of Munsell H with fixed levels of V and C are compared with chromatic response functions on the equal-energy spectrum. Of the five Munsell principal hues, Purple was shown not indispensable. The most representative blue was found not at 5B, but close to 5PB in both 4- and 5-Hue assessments. It was discussed how to predict assessments ξα from &xcirc;α and ζ from Munsell Chroma, and ηα by an appropriate combination of &xcirc;α and ζ. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 24, 19–32, 1999

Grey curve and its general problems

In this paper, we introduce a conception of grey curve according to the grey system theory, define the grey degree of the grey curve, and discuss the basic properties of the grey curve.

The Adrenal Medullae Autotransplanted into the Thalami Still Produce Enkephalins

Enkephalin, an endogenous opioids, plays an important role in pain modulation. As enkephalin is produced by the adrenal medulla, a possible treatment for reduction of refractory pain is by adrenal medullary transplantation. One possible target for this transplantation is within the thalamus, a major site for processing ascending and descending nociceptive information. In the present study, quantitative estimates of L-enkephalin and M-enkephalin contents were determined in homogeneous adrenal medullae transplants. Male guinea pigs and Wistar rats (8 weeks old) were used. Right adrenal medullae were used as control. Following a two month survival time, animals were perfused with Zamboni's fixative. Thirty micron section were cut through the thalamic grafts and the left adrenal medulla and the tissue processed immunocytochemically for L-enkephalin and M-enkephalin. A micro-imaging analytic system was used to semi-quantitate the amount of L-enkephalin and M-enkephalin through the grey degrees of the immunostains. A students t-test was used to determine if the differences between the experimental and control groups were statistically significant. The results indicated that, following a two month survival time, there was a significant increase in the contents of L-enkephalin and M-enkephalin in the grafts of the thalami of both the guinea pigs and rats in comparison to control. This result suggests that L-enkephalin and M-enkephalin were produced by the grafts transplanted into the thalamus.

Morphometric measurement of collagen in liver tissue with posthepatitis liver cirrhosis portal hypertension.

A correct estimation of the collagen content in cirrhosis liver tissue and analysis of its relation to the degree of liver function injury are important to the clinician in the establishment of the diagnosis in the liver diseases. The author has performed the morphometric measurement of collagen with liver tissue pathological section by using TJTY-300 image analysis system. It was found that the cirrhotic liver tissue's collagen area and collagen average grey degree were notably higher than those in normal men (P < 0.05), average optical density was markedly lower than that in normal men (P < 0.05), integral optical density had no significant difference (P > 0.05) between patients and normal controls, but the integral optical density in cirrhotic liver was 1.21 times that of normal men. It suggests that the collagen content in cirrhotic liver tissue increased obviously, the average density of the increased collagen was lower than that in the normal liver tissue and the density of increased collagen was not homogeneous. Comparison between normal controls and patients with different Child-Pugh liver function grades in liver tissue collagen parameters revealed that the cirrhotic liver's collagen content can, to different degree, directly reflect the function status of cirrhotic liver.

Study on wood composites density uniformity by X-ray

X-ray is irradiated in some wood composites (multi-layer particleboard, single-layer particleboard. reconsolidated wood,). According to the gray degree principle (0 –255 grade degree) and the corresponding relation between density and gray. X-ray negatives are scanned. The numbers and pictures of every degree density are obtained and accurate composite densities are counted.

Grey linear programming, its solving approach, and its application

Abstract In systems analysis, uncertainties may exist in model parameters and input data. Those uncertainties can propagate through the analysis and generate uncertainty in the results. Grey systems theory offers a method for incorporating uncertainties into systems analysis. In this paper, a new method of solution for a grey linear programming (GLP) model is advanced. The GLP model allows grey messages concerning the model parameters and input data to be communicated into optimization processes and solutions. A new application field—grey systems analysis of water resource planning and decision making under uncertainty—is introduced, and a case study is reported of water quantity allocation and quality planning in a drainage basin area connected to a water delivery canal in Xiamen, China. The results indicate that the solutions derived are feasible for the study area. Sensitivity tests of the effects of grey inputs on grey outputs are reported. It is indicated that the grey degrees of the solutions increase along with increases of those of input grey coefficients. When the grey degrees of input grey coefficients increase from 10% to 15% and 20%, those of grey solutions increase from 18.76% to 35.00% and 82.35%, correspondingly. The test results indicate that the grey solutions (grey outputs) can reflect the effects of input grey messages.

Ein einfacher zusammenhang zwischen der �quivalenzbeziehung und der unterschiedsempfindlichkeit f�r zwei musterparameter bei der honigbiene

Bees were trained to react to differences both in the size and in the degree of greyness of discs. To measure the differential sensitivity on these parameters, differences in size and shade of grey (“Δ-intervals”) were established such as lead to a specific choice reaction (Fig. 3). The Δ-intervals may be described for both parameters by Weber's rule (Fig. 4). The main result is the following relationship between the differential sensitivity and the equivalence curve as defined by cross modality matching. The bee treats two discs, which differ from a reference disc in diameter or in degree of greyness, as equivalent when both differ from the reference disc by an equal number of Δ-intervals (Fig. 6). The choice reactions between the reference disc and the discs of the equivalent pair are the same for these parameters. This does not hold for another parameter (Fig. 7A and B). Problems of infering from the Δ-intervals to the differential sensitivity are then discussed.

Äquivalenz zwischen größen- und helligkeitsunterschieden im rahmen der visuellen wahrnehmung der honigbiene

After being trained on large (+) and small (-) black discs Honeybees reacted in tests both to differences in size and in degree of greyness. In transfer experiments these parameters were tested against one another. It was established that for any grey disc there is a smaller black disc which the bee chooses with equal frequency (50:50)-notwithstanding the fact that it can clearly distinguish between them. This 50:50-ratio can be accepted as an indication that the bee perceives these discs as `equally different' from the rewarded training figure. This provides a measure for comparing different parameters based on the bee itself. A test using a third pattern (rings) revealed the relation `equally different' to be transitive and, hence, an equivalence relation. Different perceptual parameters are postulated and treated as coordinates of an abstract vector space (perceptual space).

Achromotrichia due to copper deficiency.

A purified diet, similar to diets used in many other laboratories has been employed in this laboratory as a presumably adequate diet for the albino rat. Recently it was observed that black rats on this diet developed an achromotrichia which could be prevented by liver or yeast. Further investigation disclosed that the activity of these substances was due to copper. Achromotrichia due to copper deficiency has been described previously (1–6). In most of these studies the achromotrichia developed on diets composed principally of milk or other crude dietary materials. The present report will describe a type of achromotrichia responding to copper which was produced with a highly purified ration which permitted normal growth and hemoglobin production. Methods. Black, Long-Evans, male rats from the National Institutes of Health colony were housed individually in raised, wire bottom cages and placed on the diets when 21 to 29 days of age with weights of 25 to 59 g. Each group in individual experiments was balanced by litter and weight. The composition of the basal diet 1718B is indicated in Table I. The O&M salt mixture (7) and salt No. 550∗ were prepared in this laboratory following the original instructions. Copper analyses† were by the carbamate method(8). Hematocrits were determined as outlined by Van Allen (9). The degree of grayness was evaluated for each animal on an arbitrary 0 to 4 + scale. To facilitate the comparison of different groups of rats on the same or different diets the plus marks assigned to each rat in a group were totaled and divided by the number of rats in the group to give a Grayness Index. Thus, an index of 4 would represent maximum grayness in every rat.