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At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Extracting oblique planes from serial CT sections.

Although geometric principles describing planes oblique to an orthogonal image data set are well understood, no implementation has been offered for their practical specification, extraction, and display in a clinical environment. Fast image generation and ease of user specification-requisite credentials for successful clinical implementations-are handicapped by the large volume of data to process. Other difficulties further complicate an interactive solution. Once oblique planes are generated, their orientation is often difficult to perceive without visual cues that aid their registration with standard image formats. In addition, Moire patterns introduced by digital aliasing often currupt resultant views. In this paper, techniques are outlined for simplifying oblique plane specification, a methodology is presented for image construction, and an interactive approach is illustrated to register images for such general view planes. Finally, digital aliasing of oblique planes is discussed, and a solution is given for this application.

Computers↗

Coupling SFE to uterotonic bioassay: an on-line approach to analysing medicinal plants.

Supercritical fluid extraction has been directly coupled on-line to a uterotonic bioassay, using guinea pig uterine smooth muscle in vitro. This technique was developed for the detection of uterotonic compounds present in medicinal plants used during pregnancy to induce or augment labour. The direct passage of CO2 into the muscle chamber led to adiabatic cooling of the physiological fluid and inhibition of muscle contraction. This was alleviated by the construction of a CO2 reduction interface together with the passage of carbogen which aided in the rapid displacement of excess CO2. The on-line system was evaluated with four plants (Clivia miniata (Lindl.) Regel, Ekebergia capensis Sparrm., Grewia occidentalis L. and Asclepias fruticosa L.) that are currently used during pregnancy by some black South African women. Extractions were performed with water modified supercritical CO2. Fractions of supercritical fluid extracts, obtained by sequentially increasing the pressure from 200 to 300 and 400 atm at constant temperature were transferred directly to the muscle chamber to identify the active fractions. The 400 atm extracts of C. miniata, A. fruticosa and E. capensis displayed maximum uterotonic activity while only the 300 atm extract of G. occidentalis induced uterine muscle contraction. This technique proved to be a safe and sensitive method for analyzing medicinal plants that contain uterotonic substances hence assisting in rapidly validating the uterotonic properties and detecting any toxic effects of these extracts.

Animals↗

Reproductive responses in male rats fed extracts of fescue seed infected by the endophytic fungus Acremonium coenophialum.

This study was undertaken to determine whether a methanol extract of endophyte-infected tall fescue seed contained the factor(s) that were responsible for the decrease in male reproductive potential when rats were fed toxic tall fescue seed. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley male rats (ca. 225 g.) were randomly allocated to one of three dietary treatments containing 50% (w/w) rodent chow and 50%: (1) noninfected tall fescue seed; (2) noninfected tall fescue seed treated with concentrated methanol effluent from serial methanol extraction of infected seed; and (3) the extracted seed residue of seed that was greater than 95% infected by Acremonium coenophialum. Parameters assessed were testicular weight, epidydimal weight, parenchymal weight, progressive sperm motility, sperm motility, sperm count and daily sperm production potential. Significant reduction (P less than 0.05) for feed intake, average daily gain, testicular weight, epidydimal weight and daily sperm production potential were observed for treatment 2. These data suggest that the serial methanol extract contains the factor(s) responsible for the lowered reproductive potential in male rats. The extract contained 15,578 micrograms/ml of pyrrolizidine alkaloids and only trace amounts of ergopeptides. These results suggest that N-formyl and N-acetyl loline may play an important role in the fescue toxicity noted in the exposed rats.

Acremonium↗

Soft tissue tendon graft fixation in serially dilated or extraction-drilled tibial tunnels: a porcine model study using high-resolution quantitative computerized tomography.

BACKGROUND: Tibial tunnel preparation may contribute to improved soft tissue graft fixation. HYPOTHESIS: Step dilation produces greater tunnel wall bone volume than does extraction drilling and increases fixation strength. Bioabsorbable interference screw divergence decreases fixation strength, regardless of tunnel preparation method. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Twenty porcine tibias were divided into 2 groups of 10 with matching mean apparent bone mineral density. One group received 9-mm-diameter extraction-drilled tunnels, and the other group received 7-mm-diameter extraction-drilled tunnels followed by step dilation to 9 mm. High-resolution quantitative computerized tomography scans and voxel analysis techniques determined tunnel wall bone volume fraction. Screws secured 8.5-mm-diameter porcine grafts in the tunnels. Repeat scans were used to determine screw divergence. Cyclic loading was performed in a servohydraulic device before load to failure testing. RESULTS: The step dilation group had greater tunnel wall bone volume/total volume than did the extraction drilled group; however, a significant increase in fixation strength was not detected. Specimens with screw divergence angles less than 15 degrees had superior fixation and insertion torques compared with specimens with angles 15 degrees or more. Screw divergence correlated more strongly with fixation strength than did mean apparent bone mineral density or screw insertion torque. CONCLUSION: Step dilation increased tunnel wall bone volume/total volume, but fixation strength did not improve. Screw divergence >or=15 degrees decreases graft-bone tunnel fixation whether or not step dilation is performed. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Screw alignment plays a greater role in anterior cruciate ligament graft fixation than does extraction drilling or step dilation tunnel preparation methods in healthy bone.

Absorbable Implants↗

An in vitro evaluation of human cytochrome P450 3A4 inhibition by selected commercial herbal extracts and tinctures.

Serial dilutions of 21 commercial ethanolic herbal extracts and tinctures, and 13 related pure plant compounds have been analyzed for their in vitro cytochrome P450 3A4 (CYP3A4) inhibitory capability via a fluorometric microtitre plate assay. Roughly 75% of the commercial products and 50% of the pure compounds showed significant inhibition of CYP3A4 metabolite formation. For each herbal product and pure compound exhibiting dose-dependency, the inhibition values were used to generate median inhibitory concentration (IC50) curves using linear regression. Among the commercial extracts, Hydrastis canadensis (goldenseal), Hypericum perforatum (St. John's wort), and Uncaria tomentosa (cat's claw) had the lowest IC50 values at < 1% full strength, followed by Echinacea angustifolia roots, Trifolium pratense (wild cherry), Matricaria chamomilla (chamomile), and Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice), which had IC50 values ranging from 1%-2% of full strength. Dillapiol, hypericin, and naringenin had the lowest IC50 values among the pure plant compounds at < 0.5 mM; dillapiol was the most potent inhibitor at 23.3 times the concentration of the positive CYP3A4 inhibitor ketoconazole. Utilizing high-throughput screening methodologies for assessing CYP3A4 inhibition by natural products has important implications for predicting the likelihood of potential herbal-drug interactions, as well as determining candidates for further in-depth analyses.

Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A↗

Design and evaluation of Bacteroides DNA probes for the specific detection of human fecal pollution.

Because Bacteroides spp. are obligate anaerobes that dominate the human fecal flora, and because some species may live only in the human intestine, these bacteria might be useful to distinguish human from nonhuman sources of fecal pollution. To test this hypothesis, PCR primers specific for 16S rRNA gene sequences of Bacteroides distasonis, B. thetaiotaomicron, and B. vulgatus were designed. Hybridization with species-specific internal probes was used to detect the intended PCR products. Extracts from 66 known Bacteroides strains, representing 10 related species, were used to confirm the specificity of these PCR-hybridization assays. To test for specificity in feces, procedures were developed to prepare DNA of sufficient purity for PCR. Extracts of feces from 9 humans and 70 nonhumans (cats, dogs, cattle, hogs, horses, sheep, goats, and chickens) were each analyzed with and without an internal positive control to verify that PCR amplification was not inhibited by substances in the extract. In addition, serial dilutions from each extract that tested positive were assayed to estimate the relative abundance of target Bacteroides spp. in the sample. Depending on the primer-probe set used, either 78 or 67% of the human fecal extracts tested had high levels of target DNA. On the other hand, only 7 to 11% of the nonhuman extracts tested had similarly high levels of target DNA. An additional 12 to 20% of the nonhuman extracts had levels of target DNA that were 100- to 1,000-fold lower than those found in humans.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗