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At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources

Double-layered free temporal fascia flap as a two-layered tendon-gliding surface.

We report the use of a two-layered free fascial flap consisting of temporoparietal and deep temporal fascia based on a single vascular pedicle, the superficial temporal artery and vein. The flap was used to reconstruct an extensive degloving injury of the dorsum of the hand, in which multiple intact extensor tendons lay fully exposed on all sides, with exposed bone beneath them. By sandwiching the tendons between the layers of vascularized fascia, gliding surfaces were provided, both superficial and deep to the exposed tendons. The single-stage reconstruction was completed with a split-thickness skin graft. The patient returned to heavy manual work within 12 weeks of injury. He obtained an excellent range of movement without the need for tenolysis.

Adult↗

Numerical test of the damping time of layer-by-layer growth on stochastic models.

We perform Monte Carlo simulations on stochastic models such as the Wolf-Villain (WV) model and the Family model in a modified version to measure the mean separation l between islands in a submonolayer regime and the damping time t* of layer-by-layer growth oscillations in one dimension. The stochastic models are modified, allowing for diffusion within interval r upon deposition. It is found numerically that the mean separation and the damping time depend on the diffusion interval r, leading to the fact that the damping time is related to the mean separation as t* approximately l(4/3) for the WV model and t* approximately l(2) for the Family model. The numerical results are in excellent agreement with recent theoretical predictions.

Journal Article↗

Direct layer-by-layer freezing of a smectic liquid-crystal surface into the crystalline phase.

Electron diffraction and optical reflectivity have provided the direct confirmation of the existence of layer-by-layer surface transitions from the smectic-A immediately to the crystal-B phase in a liquid-crystal material, without going through an intermediate hexatic phase. The molecular interactions are found to be through retarded van der Waals forces. Our results suggest that a smectic-A film can transform into a crystal-B through three possible scenarios.

Journal Article↗

Natural layer-by-layer photonic structure in the squamae of Hoplia coerulea (Coleoptera).

The microscopic structure of the hard external parts of the body of the iridescent blue-violet chaffer beetle Hoplia coerulea is studied using scanning electron microscopy. The blue iridescence is shown to originate from the structure of the squamae within scales covering the dorsal side of the beetle. The internal structure of the scales shows a stack of planar sheets, separated by a well-organized network of spacers, a structure which belongs to the family of the layer-by-layer photonic crystals. The blue iridescence is easily explained by a planar multilayer approximation model, deduced from the observed three-dimensional structure.

Animals↗

Frequency shifts in a piezoelectric body due to a surface mass layer with consideration of the layer stiffness.

Shifts of resonant frequencies of a three-dimensional piezoelectric body of an arbitrary shape due to the addition of a thin layer of mass to its surface are studied. A first-order perturbation integral is obtained for the frequency shifts. The result generalizes that of a previous paper by considering the effect of the stiffness of the mass layer, in addition to its inertial effect.

Letter↗

Adhesion of Lactobacillus acidophilus to avian intestinal epithelial cells mediated by the crystalline bacterial cell surface layer (S-layer).

Lactobacillus acidophilus was isolated from washed and homogenized walls of the crop and caecum of an adult fowl. A strain that adhered well in the Fuller adhesion test was subcultured until colonies on Lactobacillus Selective agar changed from rough to smooth. This coincided with a change from aggregate to planktonic growth in liquid medium and a marked loss of ability to adhere. ultrastructure of cells from both types of culture was studied by electron microscopy. An S-layer formed the outermost part of the cell wall in the strongly-adherent strain, whereas this layer was covered with polymerized material or was absent in strains that lacked the ability to adhere, or those with reduced adherence.

Animals↗

The nerve fibre layer symmetry test: computerized evaluation of human retinal nerve fibre layer thickness as measured by optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To present and test a new interpretative concept, the nerve fibre layer symmetry test (NST), for computerized evaluation of retinal nerve fibre layer thickness (RNFLT) as measured by optical coherence tomography (OCT) in glaucoma. METHODS: The NST concept was constructed and tested in a pilot study. A total of 32 healthy and 40 age-matched glaucomatous eyes were included and examined by OCT, computerized perimetry, RNFL/disc photography, tonometry and a general ophthalmologic examination. RESULTS: The observed NST sensitivity and specificity were high, at 38/40 eyes (95%) and 32/32 eyes (100%), respectively, and 40/40 eyes (100%), and 31/32 eyes (97%), respectively, when correcting the OCT RNFLT measurement for the influence of variability in image signal/quality. The NST sensitivity was 8-10% higher than the single most sensitive traditional OCT RNFLT parameter; this difference was not statistically significant in this small sample. CONCLUSION: The NST showed high specificity and sensitivity for detection of RNFLT attenuation indicating early to severe glaucoma. Although promising, the NST needs to be further developed and validated in larger study samples and in patients with various stages of glaucomatous damage.

Aged↗

Quantitative layer-by-layer perimetry adapted to the Humphrey Field Analyzer. II. Centre-surround interaction produced by sustained surround stimulation.

In this paper the practical applicability of a new design of quantitative layer-by-layer perimetry is confirmed by studying centre-surround interaction produced by sustained surround stimulation in preliminary trials on four normal individuals. The results are discussed in relation to established laws for retinal light perception, and some practical aspects of the employed test design and the chosen test variables are discussed.

Adult↗

Synaptically activated Ca2+ waves in layer 2/3 and layer 5 rat neocortical pyramidal neurons.

Calcium waves in layer 2/3 and layer 5 neocortical somatosensory pyramidal neurons were examined in slices from 2- to 8-week-old rats. Repetitive synaptic stimulation evoked a delayed, all-or-none [Ca2+]i increase primarily on the main dendritic shaft. This component was blocked by 1 mM (R,S)-alpha-methyl-4-carboxyphenylglycine (MCPG), 10 microM ryanodine, 1 mg ml-1 internal heparin, and was not blocked by 400 microM internal Ruthenium Red, indicating that it was due to Ca2+ release from internal stores by inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) mobilized via activation of metabotropic glutamate receptors. Calcium waves were initiated on the apical shaft at sites between the soma to around the main branch point, mostly at insertion points of oblique dendrites, and spread in both directions along the shaft. In the proximal dendrites the peak amplitude of the resulting [Ca2+]i change was much larger than that evoked by a train of Na+ spikes. In distal dendrites the peak amplitude was comparable to the [Ca2+]i change due to a Ca2+ spike. IP3-mediated Ca2+ release also was observed in the presence of the metabotropic agonists t-ACPD and carbachol when backpropagating spikes were generated. Ca2+ entry through NMDA receptors was observed primarily on the oblique dendrites. The main differences between waves in neocortical neurons and in previously described hippocampal pyramidal neurons were, (a) Ca2+ waves in L5 neurons could be evoked further out along the main shaft, (b) Ca2+ waves extended slightly further out into the oblique dendrites and (c) higher concentrations of bath-applied t-ACPD and carbachol were required to generate Ca2+ release events by backpropagating action potentials.

Action Potentials↗

Attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared and polarization spectroscopy of in vivo human skin ablated, layer by layer, by erbium:YAG laser.

The results of an experimental study of the possibilities of monitoring erbium yttrium aluminum garnet laser-mediated ablation of human epidermis with the use of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and spectral polarization techniques are presented. The attenuated total reflection (ATR) method was used for FTIR spectroscopic measurements. Spectral polarization monitoring of the ablation was carried out by analyzing the spectra of the degree of residual linear polarization of a probe light diffusely reflected from the laser-treated region of skin. It was found that the analysis of FTIR spectra allows monitoring of the water and protein contents in the subsurface layers of the treated skin, while the degree of residual polarization measured at the wavelengths of maximal absorption of hemoglobin is sensitive to changes in the epidermis thickness and the blood content in the dermal layer (the degree of erythema).

Algorithms↗

In vitro reconstitution of a hexagonal array with a surface layer protein synthesized by Bacillus subtilis harboring the surface layer protein gene from Bacillus brevis 47.

Bacillus brevis 47 contains two surface layer proteins, termed the outer wall protein and the middle wall protein (MWP), which form a hexagonal array in the cell wall. Introduction of the MWP structural gene into Bacillus subtilis by using a low-copy-number plasmid led to the synthesis of an immunoreactive polypeptide with a molecular mass almost the same as that of the MWP synthesized by B. brevis 47. Biochemical analysis indicated that most of the MWP synthesized by B. subtilis was localized in the cytoplasmic fraction. This was further confirmed by using immunogold electron microscopy. The amino-terminal amino acid sequence of the MWP purified from the cytoplasm of B. subtilis indicated that the MWP was precursor with a signal peptide of 23 amino acid residues to the amino terminus of the mature protein. The precursor of the MWP possessed the ability to reassemble in vitro on the B. brevis 47 peptidoglycan layer, resulting in the formation of almost the same hexagonal arrays as with the mature MWP purified from B. brevis 47, judging from images averaged at a resolution of about 2.5 nm. Furthermore, a center-to-center distance of the hexagonal lattice on the envelope reconstituted by using the precursor MWP was calibrated as 18.3 nm, which was almost identical to the value of 17.8 nm obtained with the mature protein.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

OlpB, a new outer layer protein of Clostridium thermocellum, and binding of its S-layer-like domains to components of the cell envelope.

Several proteins of Clostridium thermocellum possess a C-terminal triplicated sequence related to bacterial cell surface proteins. This sequence was named the SLH domain (for S-layer homology), and it was proposed that it might serve to anchor proteins to the cell surface (A. Lupas, H. Engelhardt, J. Peters, U. Santarius, S. Volker, and W. Baumeister, J. Bacteriol. 176:1224-1233, 1994). This hypothesis was investigated by using the SLH-containing protein ORF1p from C. thermocellum as a model. Subcellular fractionation, immunoblotting, and electron microscopy of immunocytochemically labeled cells indicated that ORF1p was located on the surface of C. thermocellum. To detect C. thermocellum components interacting with the SLH domains of ORF1p, a probe was constructed by grafting these domains on the C terminus of the MalE protein of Escherichia coli. The SLH domains conferred on the chimeric protein (MalE-ORF1p-C) the ability to bind noncovalently to the peptidoglycan of C. thermocellum. In addition, 125I-labeled MalE-ORF1p-C was shown to bind to SLH-bearing proteins transferred onto nitrocellulose, and to a 26- to 28-kDa component of the cell envelope. These results agree with the hypothesis that SLH domains contribute to the binding of exocellular proteins to the cell surface of bacteria. The gene carrying ORF1 and its product, ORF1p, are renamed olpB and OlpB (for outer layer protein B), respectively.

ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters↗

Early detection of thinning of retinal nerve fiber layer in glaucomatous eyes by optical coherence tomography 3000: analysis of retinal nerve fiber layer corresponding to the preserved hemivisual field.

The retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness was measured with the optical coherence tomography using version 3.0 software (OCT3000) in 153 eyes of 153 normal subjects. The mean of the average RNFL thickness over the entire 360 degrees in the control group was 92.5 +/- 12.9 microm which was significantly thinner than the normative data of 95.9 +/- 11.4 microm included with the OCT3000 (p < 0.01). The RNFL thickness decreased with increasing age (p < 0.01, r = -0.395). The RNFL thickness was also measured in 53 eyes of 53 patients with glaucoma whose superior (13 eyes) or inferior (40 eyes) perimetric hemifields were normal. Only the RNFL thickness corresponding to the preserved perimetric hemifields were measured by OCT3000 and scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (SLO). The RNFL thickness in the superior and inferior 30 degrees sectors, the maximum and average RNFL thickness in the superior (S(max) and S(avg)), and inferior quadrants (I(max) and I(avg)) were analyzed. The S(max), S(avg), I(max), I(avg), and the RNFL thickness in the superior (p < 0.05), superotemporal and inferotemporal sectors (p < 0.01) in the glaucoma patients without a nerve fiber layer defect (SLO) were significantly thinner than in the control subjects in same age. OCT3000 measurements showed that the RNFL thickness in glaucomatous eyes with normal perimetric visual fields and SLO was significantly thinner than the RNFL thickness in normal eyes.

Adult↗

Multilayer nanocapsules of polysaccharide chitosan and alginate through layer-by-layer assembly directly on PS nanoparticles for release.

Polysaccharide multilayer nanocapsules have been fabricated in aqueous media by the layer-by-layer self-assembly of chitosan (CHI) and sodium alginate (ALG) on monodisperse polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles with a diameter of 180 nm as template, followed by removal of the templates through dissolving in THF. The pH and added salt concentration of the polyelectrolyte deposition solutions were optimized to ensure the alternating deposition. Consequently, the most suitable pH values were found to be 6.0-8.0 for ALG and 3.5 for CHI and were used in the deposition. The concentration of added NaCl used in the adsorption solutions was 0.5 M, which led to an average thickness of about 13 nm for 5 bilayers of CHI/ALG shell-wall. zeta-potential indicated the stepwise and alternating adsorption of CHI and ALG to form multilayer film on the PS nanoparticles. The characteristic bands of PS residue almost disappeared in the IR spectrum of the nanocapsule after dipped in THF, confirming thorough removal of PS templates from the core-shell particles. TEM, SEM and AFM were utilized to observe the nanocapsules of about 225 nm in diameter (by TEM). A hydrophilic drug model, acridine hydrochloride (AH), was chosen to investigate the loading and release properties of the nanocapsules. The positively charged AH spontaneously deposited into the capsule due to the electrostatic interaction with the negatively charged styrene sulfonate residues from the PS template inside the capsule. The rate of AH release became slightly slower when the capsule wall was cross-linked with glutaraldehyde, but the accumulative released amount for the cross-linked capsule was obviously reduced. These nanocapsules made from nature polysaccharides have a potential application in controlled drug release.

Acridines↗

Layer-by-layer growth of CdSe-based nanocrystal light-emitting diodes.

The partial exchange of surface-passivating trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO) on CdSe and ZnS-clad CdSe (CdSe/ZnS) nanocrystals with primary amines was utilized to grow ultra-thin films of these nanocrystals under nonaqueous conditions. This growth was achieved using 1,12-diaminododecane in a layer-by-layer assembly format, where one of the amino groups binds with the nanocrystal surface and the other regenerates the interface for further binding of nanocrystals. The nature of the growth is dependent on the relative surface affinity between the TOPO and the primary amine toward the zinc or cadmium sites on the nanocrystals. Using this technique, high-quality luminescent films of these nanocrystals can be built with well-defined thicknesses. Electroluminescent devices have been fabricated using this methodology.

Cadmium Compounds↗

Layer-by-layer nanostructured hybrid films of polyaniline and vanadium oxide.

Supramolecular structures of polyaniline (PANI) and vanadium oxide (V2O5) have been assembled via the electrostatic layer-by-layer (ELBL) technique. Strong ionic interactions and H-bonding impart unique features to the ELBL films, which are distinct from cast films obtained with the same materials. The interactions were manifested in UV-vis and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy data. They are enhanced by the intimate contact between the components, as the films are molecularly thin, with 25 A per PANI/V2O5 bilayer.

Aniline Compounds↗

Statistical characterization of morphological features of layer-by-layer polymer films by image analysis.

This article presents an image analysis-based approach to the statistical characterization of morphological features in layer-by-layer (LBL) polymer films, which depend on the experimental conditions of fabrication. The method is based on the recently introduced concept of exact dilations. This concept allows the precise determination of all possible parallel contours around any general object and, as a consequence, the respective fully accurate Voronoi partition defined by the objects. With the use of a fast wavefront propagation scheme, such diagrams can be obtained at high speed. The method has been applied to statistically characterize features such as grain size and distribution on LBL polymer films. To do this, the polymer surface is tracked from its highest z values downward to its bottom, and each new connected component is detected as a Voronoi seed. Through determination of equivalent radii of the Voronoi cells, the probability density function characterizing the distribution of the domain radius can then be obtained.

Image Processing, Computer-Assisted↗

Lanthanopolyoxotungstoborates: synthesis, characterization, and layer-by-layer assembly of europium photoluminescent nanostructured films.

New lanthanopolyoxotungstoborates, K6-xHx[Ln(BW11O39)(H2O)3].nH2O, Ln(III) = Sm, Eu, Tb, Er, were prepared and characterized by spectroscopic methods (Fourier transform infrared, Fourier transform-Raman, 11B solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance, and photoluminescence) and elemental analysis. A layer-by-layer assembly method was employed to fabricate multilayered films containing the europium heteropolyanion and the polyelectrolytes poly(sodium 4-styrenesulfonate) and poly(diallydimethylammonium chloride). The photoluminescence behavior of these final nanostructures was investigated and compared with that of the starting Eu(III) polyoxometalate used as the building unit.

Adsorption↗