Detection of tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) and plasminogen activator inhibitor 2(PAI-2) in gingival crevicular fluid from healthy, gingivitis and periodontitis patients

Background: The regulation of plasminogen activation is a key element in controlling proteolytic events in the extracellular matrix. Our previous studies had demonstrated that in inflamed gingival tissues, tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is significantly increased in the extracellular matrix of the connective tissue and that interleukin 1 beta (IL-1 beta) can up regulate the level of t-PA and plasminogen activator inhibitor-2 (PAI-2) synthesis by human gingival fibroblasts. Method: In the present study, the levels of t-PA and PAI-2 in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were measured from healthy, gingivitis and periodontitis sites and compared before and after periodontal treatment. Crevicular fluid from 106 periodontal sites in 33 patients were collected. 24 sites from 11 periodontitis patients received periodontal treatment after the first sample collection and post-treatment samples were collected 14 days after treatment. All samples were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for t-PA and PAI-2. Results: The results showed that significantly high levels of t-PA and PAI-2 in GCF were found in the gingivitis and periodontitis sites. Periodontal treatment led to significant decreases of PAI-2, but not t-PA, after 14 days. A significant positive linear correlation was found between t-PA and PAI-2 in GCF (r=0.80, p

The tear film and contact lens wear

Contact lenses have become a popular method of vision correction for millions of people globally. As with all devices designed for use within the body, interactions occur between the implanted material and the surrounding biological fluid. A common complaint of lens wearers is that they often experience symptoms of dry eye whilst wearing lenses. This sensation is often heightened towards the end of the day. Through the course of this study, various analytical techniques have been utilised including one dimensional electrophoresis and Western Blotting to study the protein profiles of tear samples. By studying the tears of non-contact lens wearers, it was possible to analyse what could be considered normal, healthy, individuals. A clinical study was also undertaken which followed a population of individuals from the neophyte stage to one whereby they were accustomed lens wearers. Tears were monitored at regular intervals throughout the course of this study and worn contact lenses were also analysed for proteins that had been deposited both on and within the lens. Contact lenses disrupt the tear film in a physical manner by their very presence. They are also thought to cause the normal protein profile to deviate from what would be considered normal. The tear film deposits proteins and lipids onto and within the lens. The lens may therefore be depriving the tear film of certain necessary components. The ultimate aim of this thesis was to discover how, and to what extent, lenses affected tear proteins and if there were any proteins in the tear fluid that had the potential to be used as biochemical markers. Should this be achievable it may be possible to identify those individuals who were more likely to become intolerant lens wearers. This study followed the changes taking place to the tear film as an effect of wearing contact lenses. Twenty-eight patients wore two different types of silicone hydrogel lenses in both a daily wear and a continuous wear regime. The tear protein profiles of the lens-wearers were compared with a control group of non-lens wearing individuals. The considerable amount of data that was generated enabled the clearly observable changes to the four main tear proteins to be monitored.

Solids mixing and segregation in a gas spout-fluid bed-effect of the distributor design

This work is concerned with the assessment of a newer version of the spout-fluid bed where the gas is supplied from a common plenum and the distributor controls the operational phenomenon. Thus the main body of the work deals with the effect of the distributor design on the mixing and segregation of solids in a spout-filled bed. The effect of distributor design in the conventional fluidised bed and of variation of the gas inlet diameter in a spouted bed were also briefly investigated for purpose of comparison. Large particles were selected for study because they are becoming increasingly important in industrial fluidised beds but have not been thoroughly investigated. The mean particle diameters of the fraction ranged from 550 to 2400 mm, and their specific gravity from 0.97 to 2.45. Only work carried out with binary systems is reported here. The effect of air velocity, particle properties, bed height, the relative amount of jetsam and flotsam and initial conditions on the steady-state concentration profiles were assessed with selected distributors. The work is divided into three sections. Sections I and II deal with the fluidised bed and spouted bed systems. Section III covers the development of the spout-filled bed and its behaviour with reference to distributor design and it is shown how benefits of both spouting and fluidising phenomena can be exploited. In the fluidisation zone, better mixing is achieved by distributors which produce a large initial bubble diameter. Some common features exist between the behaviour of unidensity jetsam-rich systems and different density flotsam-rich systems. The shape factor does not seem to have an affect as long as it is only restricted to the minor component. However, in the case of the major component, particle shape significantly affects the final results. Studies of aspect ratio showed that there is a maximum (1.5) above which slugging occurs and the effect of the distributor design is nullified. A mixing number was developed for unidensity spherical rich systems, which proved to be extremely useful in quantifying the variation in mixing and segregation with changes in distributor design.

The development of a novel Bio-MEMS filtration chip for the separation of specific cells in fluid suspension

In the clinical/microbiological laboratory there are currently several ways of separating specific cells from a fluid suspension. Conventionally cells can be separated based on size, density, electrical charge, light-scattering properties, and antigenic surface properties. Separating cells using these parameters can require complex technologies and specialist equipment. This paper proposes new Bio-MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) filtration chips manufactured using deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) technology that, when used in conjunction with an optical microscope and a syringe, can filter and grade cells for size without the requirement for additional expensive equipment. These chips also offer great versatility in terms of design and their low cost allows them to be disposable, eliminating sample contamination. The pumping mechanism, unlike many other current filtration techniques, leaves samples mechanically and chemically undamaged. In this paper the principles behind harnessing passive pumping are explored, modelled, and validated against empirical data, and their integration into a microfluidic device to separate cells from a mixed population suspension is described. The design, means of manufacture, and results from preliminary tests are also presented. © IMechE 2007.

Visible Body Modification (VBM): Operationalizing Grooming Standards

The purpose of this study was to build on a previous one that focused on the effect of visible body modification (WM) on employment. In this study, samples from actual employee manuals used in the hospitality industry were collected and analyzed, specifically looking at policies regarding visible tattoos and body piercings. Examples from those employee manuals are presented, along with suggestions for operators looking to change or clarify their grooming standards.

Lattice boltzmann modeling of fluid flow to determine the permeability of a karst specimen

A limestone sample was scanned using computed tomography (CT) and the hydraulic conductivity of the 3D reconstructed sample was determined using Lattice- Boltzmann methods (LBM) at varying scales. Due to the shape and size of the original sample, it was challenging to obtain a consistent rectilinear test sample. Through visual inspection however, 91 mm and 76 mm samples were digitally cut from the original. The samples had porosities of 58% and 64% and produced hydraulic conductivity values of K= 13.5 m/s and K=34.5 m/s, respectively. Both of these samples were re-sampled to 1/8 and 1/64 of their original size to produce new virtual samples at lower resolutions of 0.542 mm/lu and 1.084 mm/lu, while still representing the same physical dimensions. The hydraulic conductivity tended to increase slightly as the resolution became coarser. In order to determine an REV, the 91 mm sample was also sub-sampled into blocks that were 1/8 and 1/64 the size of the original. The results were consistent with analytical expectations such as those produced by the Kozeny-Carman equation. A definitive REV size was not reached, however, indicating the need for a larger sample. The methods described here demonstrate the ability of LBM to test rock structures and sizes not normally attainable.

Data compilation on the biological response to ocean acidification: environmental and experimental context of data sets and related literature

The exponential growth of studies on the biological response to ocean acidification over the last few decades has generated a large amount of data. To facilitate data comparison, a data compilation hosted at the data publisher PANGAEA was initiated in 2008 and is updated on a regular basis (doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.149999). By January 2015, a total of 581 data sets (over 4 000 000 data points) from 539 papers had been archived. Here we present the developments of this data compilation five years since its first description by Nisumaa et al. (2010). Most of study sites from which data archived are still in the Northern Hemisphere and the number of archived data from studies from the Southern Hemisphere and polar oceans are still relatively low. Data from 60 studies that investigated the response of a mix of organisms or natural communities were all added after 2010, indicating a welcomed shift from the study of individual organisms to communities and ecosystems. The initial imbalance of considerably more data archived on calcification and primary production than on other processes has improved. There is also a clear tendency towards more data archived from multifactorial studies after 2010. For easier and more effective access to ocean acidification data, the ocean acidification community is strongly encouraged to contribute to the data archiving effort, and help develop standard vocabularies describing the variables and define best practices for archiving ocean acidification data.

Concentrations of major and minor constituents of samples from the lower end of the cores from the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Table 2)

The pore water chemistry of mud volcanoes from the Olimpi Mud Volcano Field and the Anaximander Mountains in the eastern Mediterranean Sea have been studied for three major purposes: (1) modes and velocities of fluid transport were derived to assess the role of (upward) advection, and bioirrigation for benthic fluxes. (2) Differences in the fluid chemistry at sites of Milano mud volcano (Olimpi area) were compiled in a map to illustrate the spatial heterogeneity reflecting differences in fluid origin and transport in discrete conduits in near proximity. (3) Formation water temperatures of seeping fluids were calculated from theoretical geothermometers to predict the depth of fluid origin and geochemical reactions in the deeper subsurface. No indications for downward advection as required for convection cells have been found. Instead, measured pore water profiles have been simulated successfully by accounting for upward advection and bioirrigation. Advective flow velocities are found to be generally moderate (3-50 cm/y) compared to other cold seep areas. Depth-integrated rates of bioirrigation are 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than advective flow velocities documenting the importance of bioirrigation for flux considerations in surface sediments. Calculated formation water temperatures from the Anaximander Mountains are in the range of 80 to 145 °C suggesting a fluid origin from a depth zone associated with the seismic decollement. It is proposed that at that depth clay mineral dehydration leads to the formation and advection of fluids reduced in salinity relative to sea water. This explains the ubiquitous pore water freshening observed in surface sediments of the Anaximander Mountain area. Multiple fluid sources and formation water temperatures of 55 to 80 °C were derived for expelled fluids of the Olimpi area.

A New Method for Modeling Free Surface Flows and Fluid-structure Interaction with Ocean Applications

The computational modeling of ocean waves and ocean-faring devices poses numerous challenges. Among these are the need to stably and accurately represent both the fluid-fluid interface between water and air as well as the fluid-structure interfaces arising between solid devices and one or more fluids. As techniques are developed to stably and accurately balance the interactions between fluid and structural solvers at these boundaries, a similarly pressing challenge is the development of algorithms that are massively scalable and capable of performing large-scale three-dimensional simulations on reasonable time scales. This dissertation introduces two separate methods for approaching this problem, with the first focusing on the development of sophisticated fluid-fluid interface representations and the second focusing primarily on scalability and extensibility to higher-order methods.

We begin by introducing the narrow-band gradient-augmented level set method (GALSM) for incompressible multiphase Navier-Stokes flow. This is the first use of the high-order GALSM for a fluid flow application, and its reliability and accuracy in modeling ocean environments is tested extensively. The method demonstrates numerous advantages over the traditional level set method, among these a heightened conservation of fluid volume and the representation of subgrid structures.

Next, we present a finite-volume algorithm for solving the incompressible Euler equations in two and three dimensions in the presence of a flow-driven free surface and a dynamic rigid body. In this development, the chief concerns are efficiency, scalability, and extensibility (to higher-order and truly conservative methods). These priorities informed a number of important choices: The air phase is substituted by a pressure boundary condition in order to greatly reduce the size of the computational domain, a cut-cell finite-volume approach is chosen in order to minimize fluid volume loss and open the door to higher-order methods, and adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is employed to focus computational effort and make large-scale 3D simulations possible. This algorithm is shown to produce robust and accurate results that are well-suited for the study of ocean waves and the development of wave energy conversion (WEC) devices.

Perioperative cerebrospinal fluid and plasma inflammatory markers after orthopedic surgery.

BACKGROUND: Postoperative delirium is prevalent in older patients and associated with worse outcomes. Recent data in animal studies demonstrate increases in inflammatory markers in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) even after aseptic surgery, suggesting that inflammation of the central nervous system may be part of the pathogenesis of postoperative cognitive changes. We investigated the hypothesis that neuroinflammation was an important cause for postoperative delirium and cognitive dysfunction after major non-cardiac surgery. METHODS: After Institutional Review Board approval and informed consent, we recruited patients undergoing major knee surgery who received spinal anesthesia and femoral nerve block with intravenous sedation. All patients had an indwelling spinal catheter placed at the time of spinal anesthesia that was left in place for up to 24 h. Plasma and CSF samples were collected preoperatively and at 3, 6, and 18 h postoperatively. Cytokine levels were measured using ELISA and Luminex. Postoperative delirium was determined using the confusion assessment method, and cognitive dysfunction was measured using validated cognitive tests (word list, verbal fluency test, digit symbol test). RESULTS: Ten patients with complete datasets were included. One patient developed postoperative delirium, and six patients developed postoperative cognitive dysfunction. Postoperatively, at different time points, statistically significant changes compared to baseline were present in IL-5, IL-6, I-8, IL-10, monocyte chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α, IL-6/IL-10, and receptor for advanced glycation end products in plasma and in IFN-γ, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, MCP-1, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, IL-8/IL-10, and TNF-α in CSF. CONCLUSIONS: Substantial pro- and anti-inflammatory activity in the central neural system after surgery was found. If confirmed by larger studies, persistent changes in cytokine levels may serve as biomarkers for novel clinical trials.

Characteristics of samples obtained during Pokhodsk 2012-2013 campaigns in the joint Russian-German POLYGON Project

Polygonal tundra, thermokarst basins and pingos are common and characteristic periglacial features of arctic lowlands underlain by permafrost in Northeast Siberia. Modern polygonal mires are in the focus of biogeochemical, biological, pedological, and cryolithological research with special attention to their carbon stocks and greenhouse-gas fluxes, their biodiversity and their dynamics and functioning under past, present and future climate scenarios. Within the frame of the joint German-Russian DFG-RFBR project Polygons in tundra wetlands: state and dynamics under climate variability in Polar Regions (POLYGON) field studies of recent and of late Quaternary environmental dynamics were carried out in the Indigirka lowland and in the Kolyma River Delta in summer 2012 and summer 2013. Using a multidisciplinary approach, several types of polygons and thermokarst lakes were studied in different landscapes units in the Kolyma Delta in 2012 around the small fishing settlement Pokhodsk. The floral and faunal associations of polygonal tundra were described during the fieldwork. Ecological, hydrological, meteorological, limnological, pedological and cryological features were studied in order to evaluate modern and past environmental conditions and their essential controlling parameters. The ecological monitoring and collection program of polygonal ponds were undertaken as in 2011 in the Indigirka lowland by a former POLYGON expedition (Schirrmeister et al. [eds.] 2012). Exposures, pits and drill cores in the Kolyma Delta were studied to understand the cryolithological structures of frozen ground and to collect samples for detailed paleoenvironmental research of the late Quaternary past. Dendrochronological and ecological studies were carried out in the tree line zone south of the Kolyma Delta. Based on previous work in the Indigirka lowland in 2011 (Schirrmeister et al. [eds.] 2012), the environmental monitoring around the Kytalyk research station was continued until the end of August 2012. In addition, a classical exposure of the late Pleistocene permafrost at the Achchaygy Allaikha River near Chokurdakh was studied. The ecological studies near Pokhodsk were continued in 2013 (chapter 13). Other fieldwork took place at the Pokhodsk-Yedoma-Island in the northwestern part of the Kolyma Delta.

(Table 1) Li, B and Sr isotopic composition and concentration in ODP Leg 209 samples

Spinel harzburgites from ODP Leg 209 (Sites 1272A, 1274A) drilled at the Mid-Atlantic ridge between 14°N and 16°N are highly serpentinized (50-100%), but still preserve relics of primary phases (olivine >= orthopyroxene >> clinopyroxene). We determined whole-rock B and Li isotope compositions in order to constrain the effect of serpentinization on d11B and d7Li. Our data indicate that during serpentinization Li is leached from the rock, while B is added. The samples from ODP Leg 209 show the heaviest d11B (+29.6 to +40.52 per mil) and lightest d7Li (-28.46 to +7.17 per mil) found so far in oceanic mantle. High 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.708536 to 0.709130) indicate moderate water/rock ratios (3 to 273, on the average 39), in line with the high degree of serpentinization observed. Applying the known fractionation factors for 11B/10B and 7Li/6Li between seawater and silicates, serpentinized peridotite in equilibrium with seawater at conditions corresponding to those of the studied drill holes (pH: 8.2; temperature: 200 °C) should have d11B of +21.52 per mil and d7Li of +9.7 per mil. As the data from ODP Leg 209 are clearly not in line with this, we modelled a process of seawater-rock interaction where d11B and d7Li of seawater evolve during penetration into the oceanic plate. Assuming chemical equilibrium between fluid and a rock with d11B and d7Li of ODP Leg 209 samples, we obtain d11B and d7Li values of +50 to +60 per mil, -2 to +12 per mil, respectively, for the coexisting fluid. In the oceanic domain, no hydrothermal fluids with such high d11B have yet been found, but are predicted by theoretical calculations. Combining the calculated water/rock ratios with the d7Li and d11B evolution in the fluid, shows that modification of d7Li during serpentinization requires higher water/rock ratios than modification of d11B. Extremely heavy d11B in serpentinized oceanic mantle can potentially be transported into subduction zones, as the B budget of the oceanic plate is dominated by serpentinites. Extremely light d7Li is unlikely to survive as the Li budget is dominated by the oceanic crust, even at small fractions.