Shape Of Heart Research Articles

HF01-17 AN ANCIENT PLANT WITH APHRODISIAC EFFECT FOR MALES AND CONTRACEPTIVE EFFECT FOR FEMALES

You have accessJournal of UrologyHistory of Urology Forum I (HF01)1 Sep 2021HF01-17 AN ANCIENT PLANT WITH APHRODISIAC EFFECT FOR MALES AND CONTRACEPTIVE EFFECT FOR FEMALES Ekrem Guner Ekrem GunerEkrem Guner More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000001992.17AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Since creation, mankind has been on various searches which would contribute to their sexual lives. A plant from the Ferula family called "Silphion" became one of the most important trade and wealth sources of the city of "Cyrene". Plinius stated that Silphion was more valuable than silver at its own weight. METHODS: Herbal resources used in the sexual life of ancient people were investigated in this study. RESULTS: Greeks discovered a plant called silphion which grows in nature when they built the city of Cyrene-Libya. It was mainly famous for being an aphrodisiac for males and an efficient contraceptive after sexual intercourse for females. The plant was regarded as a sacred plant which was gifted to humans by gods because of its effects. Alkaloid substances in its seeds provided an aphrodisiac effect by increasing the libido in males and provided a contraceptive effect by deteriorating the menstrual cycle and even caused miscarriages in females. As a result, the males didn't experience lack of sexual desire and erectile dysfunction and females had sexual intercourse without conception fear. Plinius described silphion in his work as "The women drink it with wine and apply it into their genital organs(vagina-cervix) with a piece of soft wool to start their menstruation". Soranus suggested to put a chickpea size "Cyrenaic" seed in one or two cups of water and drink it to prevent pregnancy. The seeds of the plant which was associated with eroticism in that period had the shape of heart. It is claimed that the origin of the heart symbol representing love today dated back to the shape of this seed. The Cyrenians minted the images of the plant and its heart-shaped seeds on their coins (Figure 1) Figure 1ab. Today's Ferula communis plant associated with the ancient silphion plant,Turkey Figure 1c. Tetradrachm, Silphium plant with leaves and flowers Figure 1d. Hemistater Silphium plant with leaves and flowers Figure 1e. Hemidrachm, Silphion fruit Figure 1f. Hemidrachms, Silphion fruit. CONCLUSIONS: Silphium provided important contributions in both male and female sexual life in the ancient age. Neither Greeks nor Romans achieved to breed them outside their habitat and thus silphium vanished. Although it is not known whether it is still present somewhere in Libya today, investigating the original plant and the members of it’s similar family seems crucial due to the undeniable effects of silphium. Source of Funding: None © 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 206Issue Supplement 3September 2021Page: e234-e234 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2021 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Ekrem Guner More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Loading ...

Novel Speckle Tracking Analysis Showed Excellent Reproducibility for Size and Shape of the Fetal Heart and Good Reproducibility for Strain and Fractional Shortening

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate reproducibility and agreement of fetal cardiac shape and deformation using FetalHQ. Methods: Fifty normal fetuses at 20–38 weeks of gestation were evaluated. Two operators independently selected an optimal cardiac cycle using FetalHQ^®™software for speckle tracking analysis. Intra- and interobserver correlation coefficient and limits of agreement for cardiac shape and deformation were estimated. Results: Global cardiac markers: high correlation (r = 0.98) and agreement (mean difference, standard deviation [MD, SD] 5.07, 75.8) for ventricular area; moderate correlation (r = 0.78) and agreement (MD, SD: 0.016, 0.08) for global sphericity index (SI) and for left ventricle (LV) global strain (r = 0.65; MD, SD: −4.48, 11.9); and low but still significant correlation (r = 0.58) and agreement (MD, SD: −3.77, 12.27) for right ventricle (RV) global strain. For individual ventricular parameters: high correlation for LV ([median r; range] 0.98; 0.93–0.99) and RV (r = 0.98; 0.97–1.0) SI, and for LV (r = 0.92: 0.56–0.99) and RV (r = 0.96; 0.67–0.99) end diastolic diameters; moderate correlation for LV fractional shortening (r = 0.53; 0.87–0.98); and no significant correlation for RV fractional shortening (r = 0.36; 0.32–0.97). Inter- and intraobserver correlation and agreement were similar for all evaluated parameters. Conclusion: Speckle tracking analysis of the fetal heart provides reliable estimations of global and LV shape and deformation. Low correlation in the RV can be related to anatomical structures such as the moderator band.

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Mode I Fracture Process of Rock by Semi-Circular Bend Specimen

The semi-circular bend (SCB) specimen is widely used to measure fracture toughness of brittle materials such as rock. In this work, the stress field, fracture process zone (FPZ), and crack propagation velocity of SCB specimen are analyzed during the fracture process of rock specimens. The FPZ of specimen is obtained by experimental and numerical methods under a three-point bend test. The stress concentration zones of specimen present a heart shape at peak load points. FPZ forms before macro fracture occurs. The macro fracture form inside FPZ in a post-peak region of a load–displacement curve. The crack propagation process of specimen include two stages, namely the rapid crack initial development stage, and the final crack splitting stage. The maximum crack propagation velocity of specimen is about 267 m/s, and the average crack propagation velocity is about 111 m/s.

Adsorption properties of albumin and fibrinogen on hydrophilic/hydrophobic TiO2 surfaces: A molecular dynamics study

In serval experimental researches, UV-induced hydrophilicity enabled better hemocompatibility in the TiO2 surface, which was considered to be caused by the removal of the carboxylic acid contamination from the surface. In this paper, we altered the surface wetting property by applying the formate contamination on the rutile (110) surface, and systematically investigated the adsorption properties of albumin and fibrinogen on hydrophilic/hydrophobic TiO2 surface. Unique contacts were found between the charged residues and the hydrophilic surface, anchoring the protein on the surface. The small size and the heart shape of albumin make it easy to cross the stable water layers near the surface. Besides, albumin has a higher proportion of charged residues, so it can form more unique contacts on the hydrophilic surface. Therefore, the albumin tends to adsorb on the hydrophilic surface. For the hydrophobic surface, the water layers near the surface are weakened, which helps the fibrinogen diffusing to the surface and adjusting its orientation. Although the hydrophobic surface cannot form the unique contacts, the larger size of fibrinogen can provide more residues to form enough ordinary contacts after adjusting, and then achieves stable adsorption. Therefore, fibrinogen tends to adsorb on the hydrophobic surface.

IDENTIFIKASI FENOMENA SELF-INCOMPATIBILITY PADA Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L.

Hybridization is one way to produce Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. which have various shape and colour of flowers. However, this is hampered by the possibility of self-incompatibility in Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. To identify self-incompatibility in Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. the simplest methods are used by observing the morphology and anatomy of fruit development, followed by a descriptive analysis of the data that has been obtained. The analysis results on crossing artificial pollination to 103 flowers of single pink Hibiscus rosa-sinensis L. show that the fruits survive until day 7 after pollination. Furthermore, the data show that there is no fruit, seed, and embryo development. Indeed the fruit turns yellow and finally shed. But the self artificial pollination shows that 35 seeds develop from 96 pollinations. The longer seed, which 13 days after pollination, grew up. The globular embryo could find on 3 DAP (day after pollination) fruit set, and the 9 DAP fruit set shows the development of heart shape. The result suggests that the phenomenon of self-incompatibility on Hibiscus rosa sinensis L. predicts as postzygotic self-incompatibility.

Морфометричні показники міокарда щурів при дії загальної гіпотермії

Hypothermia is a situation in which the internal body temperature drops below 35 degrees Celsius. The article presents the relevance, theoretical aspects and features of the action of general hypothermia on the heart in general and cardiomyocytes in particular. The purpose of the study was to study the changes in the myocardium under the action of general hypothermia at different levels of structural organization. The object of the study were the hearts of laboratory adult rats. The study involved 20 animals. The longitudinal section shows that the right ventricle is much thinner than the left and its cavity is presented in the form of a crescent. The interventricular septum is thicker than the wall of the right ventricle and goes into its cavity. Results. To establish the shape of the heart and track the dynamic changes at the organ level, we calculated an index showing the ratio of the width of the heart to its length. In 80% of cases, the heart shape of intact rats was conical, the index averaged 55%, only 20% elliptical, the index was more than 65%. We did not observe other forms of heart in the group of intact rats. In the experimental groups, a spherical heart shape appeared. The thickness of the anterior wall of the left ventricle for 10 days from the beginning of the experiment was 3.15±0.11 mm, the side wall 3.1±0.11 mm, the posterior wall 2.45±0.04 mm, interventricular septum 2.95±0.09 mm. In the right ventricle, the thickness of the anterior wall is 1.04±0.03 mm, the posterior wall is 1.36±0.04 mm. On the 30th day from the beginning of the experiment, the thickness of the anterior wall of the left ventricle was 3.21±0.11 mm, the side wall 2.65±0.06 mm, the posterior wall 3.27±0.09 mm, the interventricular septum 3.14±0.13 mm. In the right ventricle, the thickness of the anterior wall is 1.09±0.04 mm, the posterior wall is 1.38±0.03 mm. Conclusions. The increase in heart mass, change in its shape due to changes in the middle third of the heart wall of both the left and right ventricles. The highest rates were in the middle third of the heart (zone "B"): In all layers of the myocardium there is an increase in the diameter of cardiomyocytes, a decrease in the distance between individual cardiomyocytes and their groups. The distance between adjacent cardiomyocytes in the left ventricle is: in the outer layer 1/8 of the diameter of the cardiomyocyte, between groups of cardiomyocytes 1/4 of the diameter of the cardiomyocyt

Identity: The ongoing integration of our heritage and our allegiance

Identity is a key issue as people negotiate transition between communities in today’s world. This article proposes a model of identity as a process of integration between the node of origin or heritage – where we have come from – and the node of desire or allegiance – where we place our loyalty. The node of origin may be the intersection of different contributing communities. Ways of using our bodies and community rituals are formative of our identity. Models embody community values. The process of integration (or disintegration) between the nodes of womb and heart shapes who we are becoming. Giving allegiance to Jesus brings changes across both nodes, redefining other loyalties and relationships. The node of origin is not displaced but repurposed. We gain new models. A shift of community, particularly of faith, can include disjuncture on the way to resolution, but not abandonment. Dual belonging enables both origin and allegiance to be honoured. This model suggests that discipleship requires three tasks: of narrative, of relationship and of practice (re-formed behaviour).

Cechy morfometryczne wybranych żył serca standardowych i mutacyjnych odmian barwnych norki amerykańskiej (Neovison vison)

The aim of the study was to estimate the values of metric traits of selected mink heart veins of standard and mutation colour variants. The study was conducted on 342 hearts of seven-month-old males and 405 hearts of seven-month-old females. Mink colour, resulting from mutation or from crossbreeding mutational colour variants with each other. Metric traits of the coronary sinus, great cardiac vein, middle cardiac vein, posterior vein, and small cardiac vein were determined by photographic recording of the sub-epicardial picture of these vessels after filling them with a water-dilutable dye for acrylic paints together with a 30% food gelatin solution. In addition, the number of the veins forming the great cardiac vein and that of the posterior veins of the left ventricle were determined. Based on the measurement of the width and length of the mink hearts, the heart shape was determined. Differences were found between the traits of the mink heart vessels of standard and mutational colour variants, but they did not allow to formulate clearly the thesis about the effect of mutations on these traits.

Structure design and mechanical performance test of a direct ventricular assist device pneumatic flexible actuator.

The purpose of this research is to overcome the shortcomings of the current direct ventricular assist device in structure design, material selection and design a pneumatic flexible actuator that can be used to drive a fully flexible cup-shaped direct ventricular assist device according to the human heart shape. In this study, the structural parameters of the flexible actuator are initially determined based on the existing research, then the flexible actuator model is constructed with SOLIDWORKS, then the model is imported into ABAQUS for finite element simulation, lastly, the actuator structure is optimized according to the simulation results. The flexible actuator is made by molding, and its mold is made by 3D printing. Finally, the final structural plan is determined by testing the mechanical properties of the flexible actuator. The pneumatic flexible actuator designed in this research can be combined into the required direct ventricular assist device in a reasonable way, which will provide ideas for the design of a fully flexible direct ventricular assist device.

Automated heart segmentation using a convolutional neural network accelerates 3D model creation for cardiac surgery

Abstract Funding Acknowledgements Type of funding sources: Private grant(s) and/or Sponsorship. Main funding source(s): Japan Organization of Occupational Health and Safety onbehalf J3D Introduction Improvements in cardiovascular imaging have contributed to the accurate diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. In recent years, we can find a new demand from surgical departments, i.e., 3D heart models of patients for preoperative simulations. However, a 3D surgical model needs a detailed segmentation of heart structures from clinical images because these details are essential for achieving accurate polygon data of an exact 3D model. Thus, in most cases, manual segmentation is required for complicated heart shapes such as the chamber wall, valves, and papillary muscles, which causes a prolonged duration time. Purpose We aim to achieve an automated heart segmentation using a convolutional neural network (CNN) trained using deep learning techniques for the rapid creation of 3D surgical heart models of individual patients. Methods We constructed our original CNN program based on the latest artificial intelligence techniques and trained it to extract shapes of the heart from cardiac computed tomography (CT) images. The training data was 361 slices selected from CT scans of 10 patients. We used data augmentation to increase the amount and diversity of the data into 24,052 slices. The training result with the best Intersection over Union (IoU), one of the evaluation metrics used in deep learning, was saved. Finally, we used the best-trained CNN to construct 3D polygon data of two surgical cases of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (HOCM) for preoperative assessments. Results The IoU attained 0.85 after deep learning. The time required to complete the 3D polygon data for the first HOCM case was 5 minutes for segmentation by the trained CNN and 3 hours for data correction by a human operator. Similarly, the time required for the second case was 5 minutes for segmentation without manual correction. We had to correct the segmentation for the first case because we needed an exact 3D model for the preoperative assessment (Fig. 1). According to our records of the other eight 3D heart models in the lab, the work for a 3D polygon shape from CT images needs a median 30 hours (quartiles 23-50 hours) when the procedure is fully manual and non-continuous with breaks in between. Conclusion The CNN-based segmentation aided the constructing heart shapes from cardiac CT images of preoperative patients. Although the performance, reaching IoU of 0.85, was insufficient for fully automatic segmentation, the methodology can shorten the process duration from several hours to several minutes for detailed segmentation of heart structures. We previously applied the CNN-based segmentation to the aorta, aortic stenosis valves, and atheromatous plaque in clinical images, demonstrating adequate segmentation performance. The proposed methodology can be applied as a fundamental technology of cardiovascular imaging for obtaining the actual structures of a target object as 3D coordinate values or a 3D model within a reasonable duration time. Abstract Figure 1

Dynamic imaging of zebrafish heart with multi-planar light sheet microscopy.

Light sheet fluorescence microscopy has become a research hotspot in biomedicine because of low phototoxicity, high speed, and high resolution. However, the conventional methods to acquire three-dimensional spatial information are mainly based on scanning, which inevitably increases photodamage and is not real-time. Here, we propose a method to generate controllable multi-planar illumination with a dielectric isosceles triangular array and a design of multi-planar light sheet fluorescence microscopy system. We carry out experiments of three-dimensional illumination beam measurement, volumetric imaging of fluorescent microspheres, and dynamic in vivo imaging of zebrafish heart to evaluate the performance of this system. In addition, we apply this system to study the effects of bisphenol fluorene on the heart shape and heart-beating rate of zebrafish. Our experiment results indicate that the multi-planar light sheet microscopy system provides a novel and feasible method for three-dimensional selected plane imaging and low-phototoxicity in vivo imaging.

Pubic to Scalp F.U.E. Hair Transplant for Transgender

A male to female Transgender. She has bitemporal receding from androgenic alopecia, which is not very desirable. She seeks some kind of camouflage, after female hormone, Minoxidil and Finasteride particular hairstyle, hairpieces, etc. Her last resource is Hair Transplant to cure her baldness. FUE from the occipital scalp (927FU) and pubic (405FU) area then transplant to the bald spot is the final solution. 1,332FU was done. Hairline construction follows the “Line Thai Micro Hairline principle.” Nine months later, she comes back with a very soft, smooth heart shape feminine hairline.

PATHOGENETIC ROLE OF MYOCARDIAL FIBROSIS: FOCUS ON EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX

The main cardiovascular diseases affect the processes of myocardial remodeling, which further contributes to the formation of systolic or diastolic heart dysfunction. The formation of myocardial dysfunction is primarily associated with left ventricular hypertrophy when under hemodynamic loading, firstly, wall rigidity increases, secondly, myocardial fibrosis is formed. The latter is one of the key factors of the hypertrophic process caused by the accumulation of collagen, which leads to a aggravation of the left ventricle relaxation processes. Cardiac remodeling is defined as a group of molecular, cellular, and interstitial changes that are clinically manifested by alterations in the size, shape, and function of heart as a result of the heart muscle injury. It has been determined that fibrosis is an early morphological sign of injury in patients with left ventricular overload, as well as a factor in the development of diastolic and systolic dysfunctions. Compensatory left ventricular hypertrophy transforms into heart failure due to the fibrosis development. In hypertrophy the content of elastic collagen type III decreases and rigid collagen type I increases. The essential role of the extracellular matrix in myocardial fibrosis formation is emphasized. Cardiac fibrosis is a process of pathological remodeling of the extracellular matrix, which leads to abnormalities in its composition and dysfunction of the heart muscle. The extracellular matrix plays a key role in organogenesis and post−traumatic healing in tissue injuries. The study of intercellular interactions of the extracellular matrix will provide a better understanding of the mechanisms of changes in geometry and function of the heart, and investigation of the activity of matrix components will open new opportunities for targeted therapeutic effects on molecular mechanisms of cardiac remodeling. Key words: diastolic dysfunction, extracellular matrix, myocardial fibrosis, cardiomyocytes, fibroblasts.

Lingual Frenectomy: Interdisciplinary Treatment with Speech Therapy and Paediatric Dentistry: A Literature Review.

Dentistry has been demonstrating concern with the quality of life of human beings, understanding that oral health is part of the whole in which one seeks to know specific needs and prevention. Ankyloglossia is a congenital oral anomaly which can cause difficulties in performing orofacial functions in which the mouth opening is affected and the tongue’s tip has a rectangular or heart shape. Speech therapy and paediatric dentistry are essential as they can avoid surgical procedure in the child. The objective of this literature review was to study the importance and interaction of paediatric dentistry with speech therapy in the treatment of patients with ankyloglossia. Therefore, it is believed that the current model of healthcare should be more integralised in order to provide a less interventive and more preventive treatment.

Ability of water hyacinth, heartshape false pickerelweedand water lettuce as chlorine phitoremediation in water

This study aims to determine the ability of water hyacinth, heartshape false pickerelweed, and water lettuce as phytoremediation of chlorine in water; to determine the ability of those plants, as well as to accumulate and translocate chlorine in water, bioconcentration factor (BCF), and translocation factor (TF). The research method was used, namely the experimental design method to find the effect of certain treatments on controlled conditions. The results of the study concluded that water hyacinth (Eicchorniacrassipes (Mart.) Solms), heart shape false pickerelweed (Monochoria vaginalis (Burm.F) Presi), and water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.) have the ability as phytoremediating agents for chlorine in water, with absorption respectively 79.58% for water hyacinth, 73.60% heartshape false pickerelweed, and 87.39% for water lettuce. These plantsare hyperaccumulators if the absorption / accumulation rate is at least 1000 ppm of contaminants. Thus, the three types of plants (Eichhorniacrassipes, Monochoria vaginalis, and Pistia stratiotes) can be categorized as hyperaccumulator plants for chlorine because their accumulation levels are respectively 1492.35 ppm (E.crassipes), 1374 ppm (M. vaginalis), and 1631.28 ppm (P. stratiotes).

3D heart morphological changes in response to developmental temperature in zebrafish: More than ventricle roundness.

A new, three-dimensional geometric morphometric approach was assessed to study the effect of developmental temperature on fish heart shape utilizing geometric morphometrics of three-dimensional landmarks captured on digitally reconstructed zebrafish hearts. This study reports the first three-dimensional analysis of the fish heart and demonstrates significant shape modifications occurring after three developmental temperature treatments (TD = 24, 28 or 32°C) at two distinct developmental stages (juvenile and adult fish). Elevation of TD induced ventricle roundness in juveniles, males and females. Furthermore, significant differences that have not been described so far in heart morphometric indices (i.e., ventricle sphericity, bulbus arteriosus elongation and relative location, heart asymmetry) were identified. Sex proved to be a significant regulating factor of heart shape plasticity in response to TD. This methodology offers unique benefits by providing a more precise representation of heart shape changes in response to developmental temperature that are otherwise not discernable with the previously described two-dimensional methods. Our work provides the first evidence of three-dimensional shape alterations of the zebrafish heart adding to the emerging rationale of temperature-driven plastic responses of global warming and seasonal temperature disturbances in wild fish populations and in other ectothermic vertebrates as well (amphibians and reptiles).

Rock Deformation and Strain-Rate Characterization during Hydraulic Fracturing Treatments: Insights for Interpretation of Low-Frequency Distributed Acoustic-Sensing Signals

SummaryLow-frequency distributed acoustic-sensing (LF-DAS) data are promising attributes for detecting fracture hits and fracture characterization. However, measured signals from different wells exhibiting various characteristics and mechanisms attributing to the difference are not well understood, which makes the interpretation of field LF-DAS data most challenging. In this study, our in-house hydraulic fracturing simulator is used to simulate fracture propagation. The induced rock deformation and corresponding strain-rate variations along offset monitor wells are analyzed and related to specific fracture features. The mechanisms for LF-DAS signals are investigated through five synthetic case studies with single fracture propagation. A typical strain-rate waterfall plot of LF-DAS measurements during the fluid injection phase of a fracturing treatment can be divided into two distinct regions. A heart-shaped extending region forms as the fracture approaches to the monitor well, indicating that the magnitude of extension keeps increasing as the fracture tip gets closer to the monitor well. After the fracture hits the monitor well, the extending region shrinks to a line (the field-measured data may be a wide band, depending on the spatial resolution of the measurement), and a two-wing compressing zone is observed, illustrating large compressional strain variations on both sides of the fracture. As the fracture continues propagating, the strain rate tends to be stable, the characteristics of which depend on specific fracture geometry and propagation conditions. The size and shape of observable signatures on LF-DAS data are directly influenced by fracture width, height, and height growth. Larger fracture width results in larger sizes of heart-shaped extending region and two-wing compressing region in the strain-rate waterfall plot. Larger fracture height also induces a larger heart-shaped extending region before the fracture hits. However, a fracture with larger height could lead to larger extension along the fiber near the fracture, which results in less overall compression and a zone of decreasing compression in the vicinity of the fracture as the fracture propagates away from the fiber after the fracture hit. This signature is more pronounced when the fracture height growth is considered.The interpretation of a field example with four clusters based on our forward physical modeling results indicates that, although the distinct signatures of field data are not as obvious as the simulation results because of low measurement resolution and unavoidable noise, they do convey valuable information on fracture characteristics. There is a shrinkage of the extending zone from a heart shape to a band at the fracture-hit time. During simultaneous multifracture propagation, fracture-hit time of each fracture, which determines the fracture propagation speed and perforation efficiency, can be identified. The discontinuous extending band after fracture hit could be attributed to the intermittent stop and restart of fracture propagation and relative fracture opening/closing. The results of this study help to better interpret the real-time LF-DAS data and provide critical insights into hydraulic fracture characterization using LF-DAS data.

Evaluation of biochemical changes during different stages of somatic embryogenesis in a vulnerable timber tree Dalbergia latifolia (Indian rosewood)

In Dalbergia latifolia Roxb. (Indian rosewood), a premium-quality vulnerable timber tree species belonging to Family Fabaceae, direct somatic embryogenesis was achieved. Immature cotyledons from green pods were collected from trees at 90 d after flowering and somatic embryo formation was achieved on Murashige and Skoog’s medium supplemented with 0.5 mg L−1 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid and 0.1 mg L−1 kinetin. Different developmental stages, ranging from globular, heart-shaped, torpedo, and cotyledonary stage, were recorded during the complete formation of somatic embryos. Globular somatic embryos gradually converted into heart shape after 35 to 40 d, torpedo shape after 50 to 55 d, and dicotyledonary-shaped embryos after 60 d of culture. The individual isolated somatic embryos with well-developed cotyledons were transferred on medium containing 0.5 mg L−1 benzyl adenine and 0.1 mg L−1 abscisic acid to promote development into plantlets. Biochemical changes in soluble sugars, total carbohydrates, phenols, and nitrate reductase activity were monitored at 5-d intervals from 0 to 60 d. Soluble sugar content (%) increased from 5.26% to 28.05% during the culture period. Minimum sugar content was noted in the globular stage, followed by heart-shaped and torpedo stage and maximum sugar content was observed in cotyledonary somatic embryo stage. A similar trend was observed in total carbohydrate content also (12.83% to 41.23%). A significant variation in the phenol content and nitrate reductase activity of the somatic embryos was observed and the peak values were achieved at 35 d in phenol content (4.25%) and 30 d in nitrate reductase activity (0.79 μmol NO2 h−1 g−1). Therefore, it was concluded that increasing levels of endogenous soluble sugar and carbohydrate play an important role during the formation of somatic embryos. These findings can be utilized to study the underlying carbohydrate and nitrogen metabolic pathways during somatic embryogenesis.

Flywheel-like diaphragm-based fiber-optic Fabry–Perot frequency tailored acoustic sensor

A novel design method for a fiber-optic Fabry–Perot (FP) acoustic sensor based on a flywheel-like diaphragm has been proposed and experimentally demonstrated. Through theory analysis and simulation, we have established a sensing model based on the flywheel-like diaphragm and illustrated the acoustic sensor’s resonant frequency regulation method. A flywheel-like diaphragm-based acoustic sensor has been fabricated and a dual-wavelength system is used to demodulate the phase fluctuation caused by the acoustic wave. Experimental results show that the proposed acoustic sensor has an acoustic pressure sensitivity of 1.3967 rad Pa−1 and noise-limited minimum detectable pressure of . The signal to noise ratio (SNR) of 1 kHz, 9 kHz, and 20 kHz are achieved to be 10.39 dB, 60.51 dB, and 37.14 dB, respectively. Over a fairly broad response range (1 kHz to 20 kHz), the average SNR is up to 45.57 dB. Moreover, our acoustic sensor’s directivity map approximates to a heart shape. Its excellent frequency response characteristics, sensitivity, and directivity pattern are believed to have bright application prospects.

Effect of Posture on Electrical Axis of Heart During Different Phases of Breathing in Normal Subjects

Introduction: Body postural changes are commonly used in the management of patients with acute cardiopulmonary dysfunction. Size, shape and position of heart are related to the body type, posture and respiration. Effect of change in body posture on electrical axis of heart has not been well documented. .The present study was conducted to study the effect of posture on electrical axis of heart during different phases of breathing in normal subjects. Aim: To study the effect of posture on electrical axis of heart during different phases of breathing. Materials and Method: With the help of INCO RMS Vesta 101 electrocardiograph, ECG was recorded in the following normal breathing, deep inspiration and deep expiration in supine, standing and sitting posture. Results: The mean cardiac axis after deep expiration in supine posture was +47.29 degrees, in the sitting posture it was +32.67 degrees and in standing posture it was +30.69 degrees. The decrease in cardiac axis upon assuming sitting posture was significantly different from the value obtained during supine posture (P<0.05). The decrease in cardiac axis upon assuming standing posture was significantly different from the value obtained during supine posture (P<0.01). Conclusion: It was found inter-individual variability in electrical axis of heart which can be explained on the basis of orientation of heart in the chest. In the present study, the decrease in cardiac axis due to postural variation from supine to sitting and standing was more pronounced after deep expiration. There was decrease in electrical axis of heart (shift to left) when subject changed the posture from supine to sitting and standing.