Simultaneous Preservation Research Articles

Gold(I)‐Catalyzed Diazo Cross‐Coupling: A Selective and Ligand‐Controlled Denitrogenation/Cyclization Cascade

AbstractAn unprecedented gold‐catalyzed ligand‐controlled cross‐coupling of diazo compounds by sequential selective denitrogenation and cyclization affords N‐substituted pyrazoles in a position‐switchable mode. This novel transformation features selective decomposition of one diazo moiety and simultaneous preservation of the other one from two substrates. Notably, the choice of the ancillary ligand to the gold complex plays a pivotal role on the chemo‐ and regioselectivity of the reactions.

Improved reproducibility in genome-wide DNA methylation analysis for PAXgene-fixed samples compared with restored formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded DNA

Formalin fixation has been the standard method for conservation of clinical specimens for decades. However, a major drawback is the high degradation of nucleic acids, which complicates its use in genome-wide analyses. Unbiased identification of biomarkers, however, requires genome-wide studies, precluding the use of the valuable archives of specimens with long-term follow-up data. Therefore, restoration protocols for DNA from formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) samples have been developed, although they are cost-intensive and time-consuming. An alternative to FFPE and snap-freezing is the PAXgene Tissue System, developed for simultaneous preservation of morphology, proteins, and nucleic acids. In the current study, we compared the performance of DNA from either PAXgene or formalin-fixed tissues to snap-frozen material for genome-wide DNA methylation analysis using the Illumina 450K BeadChip. Quantitative DNA methylation analysis demonstrated that the methylation profile in PAXgene-fixed tissues showed, in comparison with restored FFPE samples, a higher concordance with the profile detected in frozen samples. We demonstrate, for the first time, that DNA from PAXgene conserved tissue performs better compared with restored FFPE DNA in genome-wide DNA methylation analysis. In addition, DNA from PAXgene tissue can be directly used on the array without prior restoration, rendering the analytical process significantly more time- and cost-effective.

Combustion process shaping by use of different strategies of multiple fuel injection in a CI model engine

Technological advancement in combustion systems of diesel engines triggers the need of fulfilling many contradictory requirements. Among those are such issues as maintenance of environmental standards in terms of the exhaust emissions with a simultaneous preservation of the thermodynamic properties of the combustion process and fuel consumption. The paper discusses the results of research on the influence of the strategies of fuel dose division on the combustion process and operational indexes in a model engine. The paper also contains an exhaust gas analysis conducted with the use of a rapid compression machine. The investigations of the combustion process (development of the self-ignition spots) were conducted using high speed camera. The recorded images related to the period from the onset of the injection to the beginning of the appearance of combustion spots have also been analyzed. The following have been varied: number of doses, size of doses, dwell times and excess air coefficient. The authors performed a comparative analysis of the thermodynamic indexes of the combustion process obtained from the indicator tracings. The achieved results show possibilities of the influencing on the combustion process course and emission of exhaust toxic compounds by application of multiple injection and its properly selected strategy containing proportions in fuel doses and dwell times between them.

Effects of γ-irradiation on the α-tocopherol and fatty acids content of raw unpeeled almond kernels (Prunus dulcis)

The present study evaluated fatty acid composition and α-tocopherol content of almond as a function of irradiation dose in order to determine dose levels causing minimal undesirable changes to almonds. Raw unpeeled almonds variety Tuono (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) D. A. Webb) were irradiated using 60Co source at dose of 0.5, 1.5, 3, 6, 8 and 10 kGy.Both control and irradiated samples were kept frozen and immediately analyzed. The data obtained showed no change in fatty acid compositions up to a dose of 10 kGy; on the contrary, a general trend observed is that increasing the dose of irradiation resulted in the decrease of α-tocopherol content. The study has shown that irradiation is an effective tool in simultaneous preservation of α-tocopherol, that is the main vitamin-E active compound, and fatty acids content in almonds at low doses.

Ocena jakości głosu po usunięciu nowotworów T1 i T2 głośni z jednoczesną rekonstrukcją fałdu głosowego uszypułowanym płatem z mięśnia mostkowo-tarczowego

IntroductionIn recent years there has been an increasing number of cases of cancer, including cancer of the larynx. The choice of treatment should be primarily dictated by the complete elimination of cancer, but from the point of view of the patient, an important factor to keep in mind, is the quality of the voice that will be created at the end of the therapeutic process. AimThe aim of this study was to evaluate the voice quality of patients after partial surgery of the larynx with vocal fold reconstruction pedunculated sterno-thyroid muscle flap. Materials and MethodsThe study included 30 men aged 53–72 years who were treated at the Clinic of Otorhinolaryngology Department of Medical-Dental Medical University of Warsaw on account of cancer of the larynx, qualified according to the TNM classification T1 or T2. The radical removal of cancer was associated with resection of one vocal fold, laryngeal pouches and ventricular fold. In 15 patients, included to the group I at the end of phase oncology surgery, a reconstruction of “vocal fold” pedunculated sterno-thyroid muscle flap were performed simultaneously. The group II consisted of 15 patients who underwent surgery that removed only the cancerous lesions. Impact assessments arising after surgery of voice disorders on quality of life were made using the self-test failure of the voice (Voice Handicap Index in the Pruszewicz modification). The nature of the created voice was studied using GRBAS scale. All patients performed the laryngostroboscope examination. With “IRIS” program, prepared by a team at Wrocław University of Technology, the voice was recorded, and then was subjected to acoustic analysis. In addition, noise level and the maximum phonation time was measured. ResultsThe results indicate that the patients of group I gained a better voice confirming the values of objective acoustic analysis. The assessment made by the scale GRBAS patients who supplemented the resulting loss after tumour removal, with much less hoarseness of voice, did not have the hyperkinesis and there was no puff character. They had the better flow of voice and phonation time of vowels “a” was much longer. The assessment of quality of life of patients in group I made in a test of the VHI was higher than in group II. The laryngostroboscope examination confirmed a good phonatory occlusion and a nearly regular, healthy vocal fold vibration in patients who had received flap of muscle. ConclusionsEvaluation of the quality of voice after removing the tumor multiplicity in the glottis with simultaneous reconstruction “vocal fold” has confirmed that this is a very good surgical technique, which allows radically curing cancer for the simultaneous preservation of a good voice. The operation has limited indications for radiotherapy because of the desire to preserve the phonatory function of the larynx, and thus avoids the negative effects of radiation.

Oxycodone/naloxone as a therapeutic option in a patient with chronic pain and opioid-induced bowel dysfunction.

Oxycodone/naloxone as a therapeutic option in a patient with chronic pain and opioid-induced bowel dysfunction.

Variations and changes in library catalogues. The “Theological” case of the library of Monteripido in Perugia

Library catalogues are often valuable tools for understanding facts and processes that have taken place inside a library through the time. An exemplary case are the catalogues of the Franciscan library of Monteripido in Perugia, in particular those catalogues devoted to the category of Moral Theology. The comparison between the catalogues drawn up in different time periods in this subject suggests a change of theological orientation of the Convent, in the framework of the doctrinal dispute between Rigorism and Probabilism. The two oldest catalogues, dating back to 1770’s, are organised according to the topographic disposition of the books. They are so rich of annotations regarding the works and the authors indexed that can be regarded as an authentic Historia Literaria. They were probably drawn up by Carlo Maria Angeletti and, after his death, by an unknown hand. The comparison between these two repertories and the later alphabetic indexes – 1790 and 1795 – raises questions of considerable importance for the history of the convent of Monteripido. If by the majority of authors one can notice a certain accordance between the catalogues, in some cases the older repertories have more entries than the new ones. The most striking case is that of Daniele Concina, a key figure in the Rigorism, whose works in the library decreased from 27 attested by the older catalogues to only 5 in the new ones. The sharp decrease of these works, combined with the simultaneous preservation of the works of the most distinguished exponents of Probabilism – evidenced by the most recent repertoires of the library – suggests that, in the span of time between the catalogues, and in particular after the death of Angeletti, the convent of the Franciscans has changed its theological orientation, turning from Rigorism to Probabilism. The library of the Monte, therefore, through its catalogues, reflects this change.

Absolutely robust control systems

A new approach to constructing robust feedback control systems for nonlinear nonstationary SISO plants with an incomplete mathematical model is proposed. Based on the Lyapunov function method, the initial system is transformed into a degenerate linear system (reduced system) with components of a model of an indeterminate plant being involved in its right part. The robust control strategy lies in suppressing a plant’s model as a potential source of parasite dynamics and reducing the reduced system to a homogeneous equation. The proposed OBS suppressor hyperobserver of a model’s dynamics allows one to reduce the effect of various uncertainties to an indefinitely small value with the simultaneous preservation of the desired dynamics of the reduced system. The desired qualitative characteristics of the reduced system are set by choosing the tuning parameters of a PD controller of the (n − 1)th order. The contrastive analysis of the solutions to a benchmark problem using the Matlab/Simulink package leads to a number of conclusions that are of great practical importance.

Design and Exploratory Neuropharmacological Evaluation of Novel Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone Analogs and Their Brain-Targeting Bioprecursor Prodrugs

Efforts to take advantage of the beneficial activities of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) in the brain are hampered by its poor metabolic stability and lack of adequate central nervous system bioavailability. We report here novel and metabolically stable analogs that we derived from TRH by replacing its amino-terminal pyroglutamyl (pGlu) residue with pyridinium-containing moieties. Exploratory studies have shown that the resultant compounds were successfully delivered into the mouse brain after systemic administration via their bioprecursor prodrugs, where they manifested neuropharmacological responses characteristic of the endogenous parent peptide. On the other hand, the loss of potency compared to TRH in a model testing antidepressant-like effect with a simultaneous preservation of analeptic activity has been observed, when pGlu was replaced with trigonelloyl residue. This finding may indicate an opportunity for designing TRH analogs with potential selectivity towards cholinergic effects.

Dialectical Constellations Of Progress: New Visions Of Public Higher Education For The Twenty-First Century

Neoliberalism is in the process of transforming higher education from a social good into a market good. For neoliberals, all social institutions, including education, should be subject to the market. Yet this market vision can have detrimental effects on higher education because it negates all critical and humanistic aspects of it. The Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2011 is a state policy that aims to restructure higher education into a market good and is a direct reflection of neoliberalism. This paper will argue that scholars and educationalists must not only fight neoliberalism and return education to a social good, but also help higher education progress to something totally new. Dialectics entails the simultaneous preservation of what is beneficial and the destruction of what is oppressive in state affairs. It is the hope that a dialectical critique of the Virginia Higher Education Opportunity Act can transform higher education from its current state as a market good into a rich and complex entity that can contribute to true progress for the state of Virginia.

Phase Randomization of Natural Color Images with Simultaneous Preservation of First and Second Order Statistics

Phase Randomization of Natural Color Images with Simultaneous Preservation of First and Second Order Statistics

Abstract 4071: PAXgene Tissue: A new tissue fixation technology for simultaneous preservation of morphology and nucleic acids

Abstract Introduction: PAXgene Tissue (PAXgene) is a new, formalin-free fixation technology developed for simultaneous preservation of morphology and biomolecules in tissue samples. PAXgene fixed, paraffin embedded (PFPE) tissue is suitable for conventional histochemical and immunohistochemical staining as well as for extraction of high quality nucleic acids. Material and Methods: Cases of human lung, breast and colorectal cancer were divided and fixed in formalin, PAXgene, or snap frozen in liquid nitrogen (LN2). PAXgene fixed, stabilized specimens were stored for up to four days at room temperature prior to processing. Formalin fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) and PFPE tissue morphologies were compared using H&E stain. RNA, miRNA and DNA were isolated from FFPE, PFPE and LN2 tissue. RNA expression was analyzed in 96-well RT-qPCR arrays with pre-designed assays, and miRNA expression profiling was performed with single Sybr-green or primer/probe based assays. DNA was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis, long-range, and multiplex PCR. Results: Morphology of PFPE samples was similar to or indistinguishable from FFPE tissue. A high correlation of both RNA and miRNA gene expression results was observed between PFPE and LN2 samples. For all PCR assays, Ct values were within +/− 2 Ct. In contrast, poor correlation was observed between RNA from FFPE compared to RNA from LN2 with differences of up to 10 Cts. Correlation of FFPE to LN2 was higher in the case of miRNA but was still not as high as that of miRNA from PFPE. High molecular weight DNA which performed well in PCR could be isolated from LN2 and PFPE tissue, but DNA from FFPE failed in long-range PCR and showed biased or no amplification in multiplexed PCR. Conclusion: The PAXgene Tissue fixation technology preserves morphology and nucleic acids in tissue samples. It enables morphological and multimodal research biomarker testing with one sample. PAXgene Tissue is for research use only. It is not intended for diagnostic use. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4071. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-4071

Perkutane CT-gesteuerte Hochdosis-Brachytherapie (CT-HDRBT) von primären und metastatischen Lungentumoren in nicht chirurgischen Kandidaten

To evaluate the safety and efficacy of CT-guided high-dose brachytherapy (CT-HDRBT) ablation of primary and metastatic lung tumors. Between November 2007 and May 2010, all consecutive patients with primary or metastatic lung tumors, unsuitable for surgery, were treated with CT-HDRBT. Imaging follow-up after treatment was performed with contrast-enhanced CT at 6 weeks, 3 months and every 6 months after the procedure. The endpoints of the study were local tumor control and time to progression. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate survival functions and local tumor progression rates. 34 procedures were carried out on 33 lesions in 22 patients. The mean diameter of the tumors was 33.3 mm (SD = 20.4). The first contrast-enhanced CT showed that complete ablation was achieved in all lesions. The mean minimal tumor enclosing dose was 18.9 Gy (SD = 2). Three patients developed a pneumothorax after the procedure. The mean follow-up time was 13.7 (3 - 29) months. 2 of 32 lesions (6.25 %) developed a local tumor progression. 8 patients (36.3 %) developed a distant tumor progression. After 17.7 months, 13 patients were alive and 9 patients had died. CT-HDRBT ablation is a safe and attractive treatment option for patients with lung malignancies and allows targeted destruction of tumor tissue with simultaneous preservation of important lung structures. Furthermore, CT-HDRBT is independent of the size of the lesion and its location within the lung parenchyma.

Abstract C98: Evaluation of the PAXgene tissue system: Preservation of morphology and gene expression in human melanoma.

Abstract Introduction: PreAnalytiX has recently developed the PAXgene® Tissue System, a formalin-free tissue fixation method for simultaneous preservation of tissue morphology and biomolecules. In this study, PAXgene Tissue was used to stabilize human melanoma specimens. Mirrored samples of melanoma were fixed with either neutral buffered formalin or PAXgene Tissue, or snap frozen in liquid nitrogen (LN2) and were compared for preservation of morphology, antigenicity, RNA and noncoding small RNAs. Materials and Methods: Three cases of melanoma were equally divided into two parts: one part was fixed with PAXgene Tissue reagents, the second part of cases 1 and 2 were fixed with formalin and the second part of case 3 was snap-frozen in LN2. Formalin and PAXgene Tissue fixed samples were processed and embedded in paraffin (resulting in FFPE and PFPE tissue respectively). Tissue sections were stained with H&E or immunohistochemically for Ki-67 and S100. RNA or total RNA including miRNA was purified from all samples and analyzed for purity, integrity and performance in RT-qPCR assays on a TaqMan® PCR Array for expression analysis of 32 different human endogenous control genes and in 26 different single assays specific for non-coding, small RNAs. Summary of results: H&E morphology was well preserved in sections of FFPE and PFPE. After optimization of the heat induced epitope retrieval step for PFPE samples, antigen localization, staining intensities, and number of stained cells were equivalent in FFPE and PFPE tissue for Ki67 and S100. RNA purity was generally high with A260/A280 values >1.9 for all samples. RNA integrity as measured on Agilent Bioanalyzer ranged from 7.7 to 9.5 for LN2 samples, between 3.7 to 6.7 for PFPE and 2.1 to 2.8 for FFPE samples. Correlation of gene expression results in qRT-PCR was high between RNA from PFPE and LN2 (R2 = 0.99). Correlation between mRNA from PFPE and FFPE tissue was much lower (R2 =0.86). In contrast, when all the results from 26 different single non-coding, small RNA specific qRT-PCR assays were compared, there was a high correlation between miRNAs from PFPE with LN2 (R2 = 0.99) as with PFPE and FFPE (R2 = 0.99). Conclusion: The PAXgene Tissue System preserves morphology, antigenicity, RNA and miRNA profiles in human melanoma specimens enabling morphological and multimodal biomarker testing with one sample. Disclaimer: For research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. No claim or representation is intended to provide information for the diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of disease. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR-NCI-EORTC International Conference: Molecular Targets and Cancer Therapeutics; 2011 Nov 12-16; San Francisco, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Ther 2011;10(11 Suppl):Abstract nr C98.

Simultaneous Mean Brightness Preservation and Contrast Improvement via Multi-Peak Histogram Equalization

Histogram Equalization is a traditional image improvement method for enhancing image contrast. However, this image contrast improvement is unsuitable for some consumer electronic applications since mean brightness of output image is different from that of the original image. Nevertheless, when the average brightness of the output image is close to the mean brightness of the original image, its contrast is also decreased thereby reducing efficiency of contrast improvement algorithm. In this paper, we propose a method that not only preserves the mean brightness but also improves the contrast of the output image. By separating the Histogram into Sub-histograms or Multi-peak histogram based on local minima, each sub-histogram will be spread out in a maximum dynamic range based on their gray level interval proportions. Subsequently, the conventional histogram equalization is independently applied to sub-histogram of each peak. To preserve the mean brightness, positions of local minima will be finely adjusted by shifting them within a certain gray scale interval. During each adjustment, sub-histograms of the two local minima which connected to the new local minimum point are re-equalized again. Finally, standard deviation will be normalized in order to improve contrast of the output image.

From clinical sites to biorepositories: effectiveness in blood sample management.

Today's biobanks must work to take full advantage of collected samples, while maximizing sample quality and minimizing costs to sustain operations for a long period of time. This is a tall order that will require collaboration and compromise for both end-users and collection sites. This article discusses the efforts of the Génome Québec-Centre Hospitalier Affilié Universitaire Régional de Chicoutimi Biobank to fractionate blood samples for the simultaneous preservation of plasma and DNA-containing layers while minimizing resources required for shipping and transport. This article also describes methods for successful reproducible application of the plasma-depleted blood sample to GenPlates (GenVault, Carlsbad, CA).

Значение биологизированного кормового севооборота в повышении плодородия слитых черноземов Адыгеи

Рассмотрены важные аспекты повышения урожайности сельскохозяйственных культур в биологизированном кормовом севообороте, с одновременным сохранением и повышением почвенного плодородия слитых черноземов предгорной зоны Республики Адыгеи.

3D Cell Growth and Proliferation on a RGD Functionalized Nanofibrillar Hydrogel Based on a Conformationally Restricted Residue Containing Dipeptide

Three-dimensional (3D) hydrogels incorporating a compendium of bioactive molecules can allow efficient proliferation and differentiation of cells and can thus act as successful tissue engineering scaffolds. Self-assembled peptide-based hydrogels can be worthy candidates for such applications as peptides are biocompatible, biodegradable and can be easily functionalized with desired moieties. Here, we report 3D growth and proliferation of mammalian cells (HeLa and L929) on a dipeptide hydrogel chemically functionalized with a pentapeptide containing Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) motif. The method of functionalization is simple, direct and can be adapted to other functional moieties as well. The functionalized gel was noncytotoxic, exhibited enhanced cell growth promoting properties, and promoted 3D growth and proliferation of cells for almost 2 weeks, with simultaneous preservation of their metabolic activities. The presence of effective cell growth supporting properties in a simple and easy to functionalize dipeptide hydrogel is unique and makes it a promising candidate for tissue engineering and cell biological applications.

Overexpression of Tau Proteins Antagonizes Amyloid-β-Potentiated Apoptosis Through Mitochondria-Caspase-3 Pathway in N2a Cells

It has been a puzzle why the tangle-bearing neurons in Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain do not die preferentially of apoptosis even though they are actually challenged by multiple proapoptotic factors. Recently, we have reported that phosphorylation of tau can antagonize apoptosis induced by exogenous apoptotic inducers. Amyloid-beta (Abeta), a recognized endogenous proapoptotic factor, is significantly increased in the AD brains, however, it is not known whether tau could abate the Abeta-potentiated apoptosis. Here, we observed that the cells bearing high level of Abeta were more vulnerable than the controls to H2O2-induced apoptosis, and this effect of Abeta was associated with decrease of Bcl-2, elevation of Bax and cytosolic cytochrome-c, as well as activation of caspase-3, suggesting that Abeta could potentiate the oxidant-induced cell apoptosis with involvement of mitochondria-caspase-3 pathway. More importantly, we also found that expression of tau that became hyperphosphorylated could reduce the Abeta-potentiated apoptosis with simultaneous preservation of Bcl-2 and suppression of Bax, cytosolic cytochrome-c, and caspase-3 activity, implying that overexpression of tau that became hyperphosphorylated can attenuate the Abeta-potentiated cell apoptosis through mitochondria-caspase-3 pathway. These findings provide an explanation of the chronic nature of neurodegeneration of neurons with neurofibrillary pathology of abnormal hyperphosphorylated tau in AD and related tauopathies.

Effects of dinitrosyl iron complex with glutathione and its components on ischemic rat heart during reperfusion

The effects of the drug, a complex of dinitrosyl iron with glutathione lyophilized on dextrane, and its components: glutathione, nitrosoglutathione, dextrane, as well as nitric oxide released from dinitrosyl iron with glutathione--on the energy metabolism and functional recovery of isolated perfused rat heart subjected to global ischemia and reperfusion have been studied. The infusion of 100 nM dinitrosyl iron with glutathione after ischemia substantially enhanced the recovery of coronary flow, the cardiac contractile and pump functions during reperfusion with simultaneous preservation of myocardial high-energy phosphates, and cell membrane integrity. It was shown by the EPR method that these effects were associated with the transfer of Fe+(NO+)2 groups from dinitrosyl iron with glutathione to thiol-containing proteins of cardiomyocytes and coronary vessels. The combined infusion of 100 nM dinitrosyl iron with glutathione and 25 MM 2-(phenyl)-4,4,5,5-tetramethyl-imidazoline-1-oxyl-3-oxide (PTIO), a nitric oxide scavenger, after ischemia profoundly reduced the metabolic and functional recovery of reperfused hearts. After the postischemic administration of a 100 nM aliquot of hydrolysate of dinitrosyl iron with glutathione (a completely decomposed complex), the recovery of coronary flow, the majority of cardiac function indices, as well as the myocardial metabolic state and cell membrane injury did not differ from those in control or were significantly lower. The results obtained demonstrate that that inclusion of Fe+(NO+)2 groups into myocardial tissue and a spontaneous release of nitric oxide trigger the cardioprotective mechanisms of action of dinitrosyl iron with glutathione on ischemic heart.