Biomedical subjects

Yalin Wang

Publications and source records attributed to Yalin Wang.

16 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Study on a novel circulating cooling solid-phase microextraction method.

A novel solid-phase microextraction (SPME) setup, circulating cooling solid-phase microextraction (CC-SPME), is developed for determining organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water. The linearity area of this method is 0.5-120 microg/l, its RSD value is less than 10% and detection limit is in the low ng/l when it is used to detect gamma-hexachlorocyclohexane, which is better than traditional headspace SPME (HS-SPME) and direct immersion SPME (DI-SPME) methods. The influence of factors such as pH, ionic intensity, adsorption time, and adsorption temperature were also investigated, respectively.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2006

The effects of jet cavitation on the growth of Microcystis aeruginosa.

Different operating factors of jet cavitation method affecting one of cyanobacterial's (Microcystis aeruginosa) growths were investigated. The inhibition on M. aeruginosa growth by the jet cavitation method depended strongly on the hydraulic characteristics of cavitation tube, inlet pressure, cavitation number, light and different algae concentrations. The inhibitive efficiency of 64.58% in field water sample was obtained by this method. Moreover, the ultrastructural changes of M. aeruginosa before and after treatment were observed by the transmission electron microscope (TEM). The changes of UV-Visible spectra further demonstrated the inhibitive behaviors of jet cavitation on the growth of M. aeruginosa. The experimental results showed that jet cavitation method was a potential physical technology that could effectively inhibit the growth of M. aeruginosa.

Biomass↗

PubMed2006

Determination of 17 kinds of banned organochlorine pesticides in water by activated carbon fiber-solid phase microextraction coupled with GC-MS.

Activated carbon fiber (ACF) as extraction fiber for solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and its application for the analysis of banned organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were investigated. Firstly, ACF was activated by different concentration of zinc chloride, which indicated that ACF activated by 60% zinc chloride had a reasonable specific surface area, pore volume and pore distribution. Secondly, the parameters for the ACF-SPME procedure, the adsorption and desorption conditions, were also optimized when coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Thirdly, the ACF-SPME was used to analyze 17 kinds of OCPs in water. The linearity of most pesticides was found to be between 0.2 and 50 microg/l with GC-MS under the selected ion monitoring (SIM) acquisition mode. The limits of detection (LOD) at the sub microg/l were obtained. The work demonstrated here shows that ACF is a promising alternative for the SPME procedure.

Carbon↗

PubMed2005

Brain surface parameterization using Riemann surface structure.

We develop a general approach that uses holomorphic 1-forms to parameterize anatomical surfaces with complex (possibly branching) topology. Rather than evolve the surface geometry to a plane or sphere, we instead use the fact that all orientable surfaces are Riemann surfaces and admit conformal structures, which induce special curvilinear coordinate systems on the surfaces. Based on Riemann surface structure, we can then canonically partition the surface into patches. Each of these patches can be conformally mapped to a parallelogram. The resulting surface subdivision and the parameterizations of the components are intrinsic and stable. To illustrate the technique, we computed conformal structures for several types of anatomical surfaces in MRI scans of the brain, including the cortex, hippocampus, and lateral ventricles. We found that the resulting parameterizations were consistent across subjects, even for branching structures such as the ventricles, which are otherwise difficult to parameterize. Compared with other variational approaches based on surface inflation, our technique works on surfaces with arbitrary complexity while guaranteeing minimal distortion in the parameterization. It also offers a way to explicitly match landmark curves in anatomical surfaces such as the cortex, providing a surface-based framework to compare anatomy statistically and to generate grids on surfaces for PDE-based signal processing.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2005

Automated surface matching using mutual information applied to Riemann surface structures.

Many medical imaging applications require the computation of dense correspondence vector fields that match one surface with another. To avoid the need for a large set of manually-defined landmarks to constrain these surface correspondences, we developed an algorithm to automate the matching of surface features. It extends the mutual information method to automatically match general 3D surfaces (including surfaces with a branching topology). First, we use holomorphic 1-forms to induce consistent conformal grids on both surfaces. High genus surfaces are mapped to a set of rectangles in the Euclidean plane, and closed genus-zero surfaces are mapped to the sphere. Mutual information is used as a cost functional to drive a fluid flow in the parameter domain that optimally aligns stable geometric features (mean curvature and the conformal factor) in the 2D parameter domains. A diffeomorphic surface-to-surface mapping is then recovered that matches anatomy in 3D. We also present a spectral method that ensures that the grids induced on the target surface remain conformal when pulled through the correspondence field. Using the chain rule, we express the gradient of the mutual information between surfaces in the conformal basis of the source surface. This finite-dimensional linear space generates all conformal reparameterizations of the surface. We apply the method to hippocampal surface registration, a key step in subcortical shape analysis in Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2005

Optimization of brain conformal mapping with landmarks.

To compare and integrate brain data, data from multiple subjects are typically mapped into a canonical space. One method to do this is to conformally map cortical surfaces to the sphere. It is well known that any genus zero Riemann surface can be conformally mapped to a sphere. Therefore, conformal mapping offers a convenient method to parameterize cortical surfaces without angular distortion, generating an orthogonal grid on the cortex that locally preserves the metric. To compare cortical surfaces more effectively, it is advantageous to adjust the conformal parameterizations to match consistent anatomical features across subjects. This matching of cortical patterns improves the alignment of data across subjects, although it is more challenging to create a consistent conformal (orthogonal) parameterization of anatomy across subjects when landmarks are constrained to lie at specific locations in the spherical parameter space. Here we propose a new method, based on a new energy functional, to optimize the conformal parameterization of cortical surfaces by using landmarks. Experimental results on a dataset of 40 brain hemispheres showed that the landmark mismatch energy can be greatly reduced while effectively preserving conformality. The key advantage of this conformal parameterization approach is that any local adjustments of the mapping to match landmarks do not affect the conformality of the mapping significantly. We also examined how the parameterization changes with different weighting factors. As expected, the landmark matching error can be reduced if it is more heavily penalized, but conformality is progressively reduced.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Stereotyped odor-evoked activity in the mushroom body of Drosophila revealed by green fluorescent protein-based Ca2+ imaging.

To study the representation of olfactory information in higher brain centers, we expressed a green fluorescent protein-based Ca2+ sensor, G-CaMP, in the Drosophila mushroom body (MB). Using two-photon microscopy, we imaged odor-evoked G-CaMP fluorescence transients in MB neurons [Kenyon cells (KCs)] with single-cell resolution. Odors produced large fluorescence transients in a subset of KC somata and in restricted regions of the calyx, the neuropil of the MB. In different KCs, odor-evoked fluorescence transients showed diverse changes with odor concentration: in some KCs, fluorescence transients were evoked by an odor at concentrations spanning several orders of magnitude, whereas in others only at a narrow concentration range. Different odors produced fluorescence transients in different subsets of KCs. The spatial distributions of KCs showing fluorescence transients evoked by a given odor were similar across individuals. For some odors, individual KCs with fluorescence transients evoked by a particular odor could be found in similar locations in different flies with spatial precisions on the order of the size of KC somata. These results indicate that odor-evoked activity can have remarkable spatial specificity in the MB.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

TARGETing "when" and "where".

In Drosophila, the cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) pathway has been shown to be crucial for learning and memory, but whether this represents a developmental or a specific effect has not been resolved. Research with a new targeting system that allows both spatial and temporal control of gene expression shows that expression of rutabaga-encoded adenylyl cyclase, a component of the cAMP signaling pathway, in the mushroom bodies of adult flies is necessary and sufficient to rescue the learning defect of rutabaga mutant. This demonstrates an acute role for Rutabaga in learning and memory.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Mapping cortical change in Alzheimer's disease, brain development, and schizophrenia.

This paper describes algorithms that can identify patterns of brain structure and function associated with Alzheimer's disease, schizophrenia, normal aging, and abnormal brain development based on imaging data collected in large human populations. Extraordinary information can be discovered with these techniques: dynamic brain maps reveal how the brain grows in childhood, how it changes in disease, and how it responds to medication. Genetic brain maps can reveal genetic influences on brain structure, shedding light on the nature-nurture debate, and the mechanisms underlying inherited neurobehavioral disorders. Recently, we created time-lapse movies of brain structure for a variety of diseases. These identify complex, shifting patterns of brain structural deficits, revealing where, and at what rate, the path of brain deterioration in illness deviates from normal. Statistical criteria can then identify situations in which these changes are abnormally accelerated, or when medication or other interventions slow them. In this paper, we focus on describing our approaches to map structural changes in the cortex. These methods have already been used to reveal the profile of brain anomalies in studies of dementia, epilepsy, depression, childhood- and adult-onset schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, fetal alcohol syndrome, Tourette syndrome, Williams syndrome, and in methamphetamine abusers. Specifically, we describe an image analysis pipeline known as cortical pattern matching that helps compare and pool cortical data over time and across subjects. Statistics are then defined to identify brain structural differences between groups, including localized alterations in cortical thickness, gray matter density (GMD), and asymmetries in cortical organization. Subtle features, not seen in individual brain scans, often emerge when population-based brain data are averaged in this way. Illustrative examples are presented to show the profound effects of development and various diseases on the human cortex. Dynamically spreading waves of gray matter loss are tracked in dementia and schizophrenia, and these sequences are related to normally occurring changes in healthy subjects of various ages.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2004

Removal of fulvic acid from water electrochemically using active carbon fiber electrode.

Humic acids (HA) are a group of widely existing natural organic compounds and potential contaminants to underground water reservoirs. Fulvic acid (FA) is a typical humic acid of relatively low molecular weight. Electrochemical removal of FA from water by active carbon fiber (ACF) electrodes was studied by using light scattering photometer (LSP), fluorescence spectroscopy and total organic carbon analyzer (TOC). The experiments showed that FA molecules aggregated and that the average particle diameter in FA solution increased from below 10 nm to hundreds of nanometers during the treatment process. When iron was added to the anode, the FA could be coagulated efficiently at the early stage of the treatment. The proposed mechanism of the removal process is: adsorption of FA on ACF surface --> aggregation of FA --> desorption of FA aggregates from ACF --> coagulation of FA aggregates by nFe(OH)(2).mFe(OH)(3) dissolved from anode. Experiments were also repeated using graphite and stainless-steel electrodes, and the results were compared with that of ACF electrodes. FA aggregation was not observed in these experiments and most FA was not removed from the solution. At the end of this paper, FA samples from Huai River sediment were successfully treated using the ACF electrode.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2004

Analysis of organochlorine pesticides in water by novel activated carbon fiber-solid phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

This study describes a fast activated carbon fiber-solid phase microextraction (ACF-SPME) method for determining organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in water. The pesticides in this study consist of Hexachlorobenzene (HCB) and alpha-, beta-, gamma-hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs). The optimal experimental procedures for the adsorption and desorption of four OCPs were evaluated. The linearity was obtained with a RSD of 20% for the OCPs studied over a range from 1.0 to 100 microg/L. The limits of detection at ng/L level were achieved with GC-MS under selected ion monitoring (SIM) acquisition mode. The proposed method was applied to the determination of OCPs concentration in tap water. The results have demonstrated the suitability of the ACF-SPME-GC-MS approach for the analysis of multi-residue OCPs in water. Compared to the commercial fiber, ACF has shown its advantages in solvent-resistance, thermal stability, and the cost. The results obtained in this study suggest that ACF is a promising choice in solid phase microextraction.

Adsorption↗

PubMed2004

Genus zero surface conformal mapping and its application to brain surface mapping.

We developed a general method for global conformal parameterizations based on the structure of the cohomology group of holomorphic one-forms for surfaces with or without boundaries (Gu and Yau, 2002), (Gu and Yau, 2003). For genus zero surfaces, our algorithm can find a unique mapping between any two genus zero manifolds by minimizing the harmonic energy of the map. In this paper, we apply the algorithm to the cortical surface matching problem. We use a mesh structure to represent the brain surface. Further constraints are added to ensure that the conformal map is unique. Empirical tests on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data show that the mappings preserve angular relationships, are stable in MRIs acquired at different times, and are robust to differences in data triangulation, and resolution. Compared with other brain surface conformal mapping algorithms, our algorithm is more stable and has good extensibility.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2003

Blockade of neurotransmission in Drosophila mushroom bodies impairs odor attraction, but not repulsion.

Olfaction can elicit a rich perceptual experience. It is not known, however, whether olfactory information is decomposed into various components and processed in distinct perceptual centers as in other sensory systems, such as vision, where neural representations of different visual sensations are segregated in different cortical regions, despite the fact that multiple structures of the primary olfactory cortex receive projections from the olfactory bulb. Here, we use Drosophila as a model to investigate whether different olfactory information may be processed in separate brain structures. Organizations of the peripheral olfactory system are remarkably similar from mammals to insects. As in vertebrates, the olfactory pathway in Drosophila follows similar convergence and divergence, and multiple high-order structures in the Drosophila brain, including the mushroom body (MB) and lateral horn (LH) of the protocerebrum, receive olfactory input. We specifically blocked neurotransmission in the MB while leaving the LH unaffected and examined its effect on olfactory avoidance and attraction behaviors. We show that blocking MB activity disrupted responses to attractive, but not repulsive, odors, and this finding suggests that attractive and repulsive olfactory information may be separately processed in higher olfactory centers of the Drosophila brain.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Genus zero surface conformal mapping and its application to brain surface mapping.

It is well known that any genus zero surface can be mapped conformally onto the sphere and any local portion thereof onto a disk. However, it is not trivial to find a general method which finds a conformal mapping between two general genus zero surfaces. We propose a new variational method which can find a unique mapping between any two genus zero manifolds by minimizing the harmonic energy of the map. We demonstrate the feasibility of our algorithm by applying it to the cortical surface matching problem. We use a mesh structure to represent the brain surface. Further constraints are added to ensure that the conformal map is unique. Empirical tests on MRI data show that the mappings preserve angular relationships, are stable in MRIs acquired at different times, and are robust to differences in data triangulation, and resolution. Compared with other brain surface conformal mapping algorithms, our algorithm is more stable and has good extensibility.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2002

Adjusted active carbon fibers for solid phase microextraction.

Adjusted active carbon fiber (AACF) was evaluated for Solid Phase Microextraction (SPME), which showed higher sensitivity and stability than traditional coating fibers. The characteristics of AACF result from two different activation methods (chemical and water vapor) and from variable activation conditions (temperature and time). The fiber treated by water vapor appears to have stronger affinity to polar compounds, while that treated by chemical activation appears to have stronger affinity to non-polar compounds. For different target compounds ranged from non-polar to polar, AACF design could be effective with specific selections and sensitivities. As applications in this paper, benzoic acid in soy sauce was extracted onto water-vapor-activated-fiber, then analyzed using gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS). The chemical-activated-fiber SPME was applied in the analysis of benzene series compounds (BTEX) in water matrix. Compared with standard carbon disulfide extraction method, chemical-activated-fiber SPME is more convenient due to its simple process and turns to be of relative low detection limits.

Carbon↗

PubMed2002

Prevalence of subclinical vitamin A deficiency and its affecting factors in 8 669 children of China.

OBJECTIVE: The survey will reveal current status of subclinical vitamin A deficiency (SVAD) and explore its affecting factors in children of China. METHODS: Totally 8 669 children aged under 6 years were randomly selected from 14 provinces for clinical examination, health and dietary questionnaire and serum level of vitamin A measurement with fluorescence method. The cut-off value for SVAD was defined as </= 0.70 micro mol/L. RESULTS: Prevalence of SVAD was 11.7% and that of suspected SVAD 39.2% in all subjects, which decreased with the increase of gross domestic product, average annual family income, mother's schooling and children's age. Prevalence of SVAD and suspected SVAD higher in rural areas (15.0%) than in urban areas (5.2%), and higher in children with a minority mother (22.6%) than in those with a Han nationality mother (8.7%). Prevalence of SVAD and suspected SVAD was higher in children whose blood samples were collected within one week in-taking vitamin A-rich food (12.6%-22.6%) than those in-taking vitamin A daily (4.1%-10.0%), and higher in children suffering from respiratory infection, fever and diarrhea two weeks before their blood collection (15.2%-20.3%) than in those without those diseases (10.1%-11.1%). Logistic regression analysis showed that poor family economic status, living in rural areas, children with a minority mother, younger age, no-dairy milk products intake, and respiratory infection and fever all were risk factors for SVAD. CONCLUSIONS: More than half of children under six years old in China (50.9%) had vitamin A nutrition problem. Varied factors played roles to different extent in SVAD in children.

Child↗