Search

The use of various mathematical models to represent saturation in a synchronous machine is considered, with emphasis on quadrature axis saturation. Calculated transient-response results are compared in order to find an accurate and computationally economical method of allowing for saturation.

The hydrogen bonding behavior of a homologous series of small molecule and polymeric urethanes, thiourethanes, and dithiourethanes was investigated in solution, melt, and solid states. The relative hydrogen bonding strengths in both small molecule and polymer systems were evaluated, and the results were compared to theoretical calculations of hydrogen bonding strength. The results for NMR and FTIR analysis of the small molecule models indicated that the NH protons on the carbamate and thiocarbamates have greater hydrogen bonding strengths than the NH protons of the dithiocarbamate. The polyurethane and polythiourethanes were found to have approximately equivalent physical and mechanical properties as a result of a similar extent of hydrogen bonding, whereas the polydithiourethane, due to a lower degree of hydrogen bonding, has reduced thermal and mechanical transition temperatures as well as lower hardness values. The polythiourethane and polydithiourethane networks exhibit narrower glass transitions comp...

Objectives: Darbepoetin alfa (Aranesp®) is a novel erythropoiesis stimulating protein that has beenshown in adult trials to have safety and tolerability equivalent to recombinant human erythropoietin.However, to date there is only limited published data on the use of Aranesp inpaediatric patients.The objective of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of darbepoetin in children withchronic and endstage kidney disease.Methods: From 2003 to 2006, 30 children with either chronic or end stage kidney disease wereenrolled in a prospective observational study. The initialdose of darbepoetin was 0.45 mcg/kgweekly (either IV or SC) and subsequent dose was titrated to achieve haemoglobin (Hb) between110 and 130 g/dl.Results: Data analysis to date includes 22 patients (16 male : 6 female) whose agesranged from 1month to 17 years (mean 9 years). Hb improved significantly with darbepoetin treatment from mean84 g/dl (range 64-107) at start of treatment to 115 g/dl (range 81-147, p

The UK’s transport infrastructure is one of the most heavily used in the world. The performance of these networks is critically dependent on the performance of cutting and embankment slopes which make up £20B of the £60B asset value of major highway infrastructure alone. The rail network in particular is also one of the oldest in the world: many of these slopes are suffering high incidents of instability (increasing with time). This paper describes the development of a fundamental understanding of earthwork material and system behaviour, through the systematic integration of research across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Spatially these range from microscopic studies of soil fabric, through elemental materials behaviour to whole slope modelling and monitoring and scaling up to transport networks. Temporally, historical and current weather event sequences are being used to understand and model soil deterioration processes, and climate change scenarios to examine their potential effects on slope performance in futures up to and including the 2080s. The outputs of this research are being mapped onto the different spatial and temporal scales of infrastructure slope asset management to inform the design of new slopes through to changing the way in which investment is made into aging assets. The aim ultimately is to help create a more reliable, cost effective, safer and more resilient transport system.

The UK’s transport infrastructure is one of the most heavily used in the world. The performance of these networks is critically dependent on the performance of cutting and embankment slopes which make up £20B of the £60B asset value of major highway infrastructure alone. The rail network in particular is also one of the oldest in the world: many of these slopes are suffering high incidents of instability (increasing with time). This paper describes the development of a fundamental understanding of earthwork material and system behaviour, through the systematic integration of research across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Spatially these range from microscopic studies of soil fabric, through elemental materials behaviour to whole slope modelling and monitoring and scaling up to transport networks. Temporally, historical and current weather event sequences are being used to understand and model soil deterioration processes, and climate change scenarios to examine their potential effects on slope performance in futures up to and including the 2080s. The outputs of this research are being mapped onto the different spatial and temporal scales of infrastructure slope asset management to inform the design of new slopes through to changing the way in which investment is made into aging assets. The aim ultimately is to help create a more reliable, cost effective, safer and more resilient transport system.

Quantum mechanical methods are becoming increasingly useful and applicable tools to complement and support experiment. Nonetheless, some barriers to further applications of theoretical models still remain. A coupled cluster singles and doubles (CCSD) calculation, a reliable ab initio method, scales approximately on the order of 𝑂(𝑁⁶), where 𝑁 is a measure of the system size. This unfortunately limits the use of such high-accuracy methods to relatively small systems. Coupled cluster property calculations must be used in conjunction with reduced-scaling methods in order to broaden the range of applications to larger systems. In this work, we introduce some of the underlying theory behind such calculations and test the performance of several local correlation techniques for polarizabilities, optical rotations, and excited state properties. In general, when the computational cost is significantly reduced, the necessary accuracy is lost. Polarizabilities are less sensitive to the truncation schemes than optical rotations, and the excitation data is often only in agreement with the canonical result for the first few excited states. Additionally, we present a novel application of equation-of-motion coupled cluster singles and doubles to simulated circularly polarized luminescence spectra of eight chiral ketones. Both the absorption in the ground state and emission from the excited states were examined. Extensive geometry analyses were performed, revealing that optimized structures at the density functional theory were adequate for the calculation accurate coupled cluster excitation data. Ph. D.

The design is intended for aircraft although any vehicle or even a man-mobile system could use the concept. An automatically reconfigurable antenna using MEMS RF switches is driven to seek signals consistent with the current location of the system. The antenna feeds a Software Defined Radio (SDR) that scans for signals and when a signal is found, it is identified and then the azimuth to the signal is used, along with a signal strength parameter, to confirm the location of the system. This is an extension of the now obsolete Automatic Direction Finder (ADF) aircraft navigation tool that used AM broadcast non-directional beacons (NDB), many of which are still in service. The current system can access any radio signal within the limits of the reconfigurable antenna and the SDR.

Genomic DNA was amplified about 5 billion-fold from single, flow-sorted bacterial cells by the multiple displacement amplification (MDA) reaction, using φ 29 DNA polymerase. A 662-bp segment of the 16S rRNA gene could be accurately sequenced from the amplified DNA. MDA methods enable new strategies for studying nonculturable microorganisms.

Chlamydia felis is an important ocular pathogen in cats worldwide. A multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) system for the detection of tandem repeats across the whole genome of C. felis strain Fe/C-56 was developed. Nine selected genetic loci were tested by MLVA in 17 C. felis isolates, including the C. felis Baker vaccine strain, and 122 clinical samples from different geographic origins. Analysis of the results identified 25 distinct C. felis MLVA patterns. In parallel, a recently described multilocus sequence typing scheme for the typing of Chlamydia was applied to 13 clinical samples with 12 different C. felis MLVA patterns. Rare sequence differences were observed. Thus, the newly developed MLVA system provides a highly sensitive high-resolution test for the differentiation of C. felis isolates from different origins that is suitable for molecular epidemiological studies.

The aim of this study was to establish the prevalence of anemia in stable pediatric renal transplant recipients and to examine the association of anemia with renal function, immunosuppressants, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, and growth, as well as iron, vitamin B(12), and folate stores. This is a cross-sectional study of the 50 renal transplant recipients currently followed at our center. Patient data were collected regarding hematological parameters, growth, medications, renal function, underlying renal disease, delayed graft function, episodes of rejection, and iron or erythropoietin therapy post transplantation. The mean hemoglobin level (Hb) was 110 g/l and the overall prevalence of anemia was 60%, including 30% who were severely anemic (Hb100 g/l). There was a high rate of iron deficiency (34%) and serum iron was the parameter of iron metabolism most closely associated with anemia. Hb in patients with low serum iron was 90.7 g/l versus 114.4 g/l in those with normal serum iron ( P0.01). Both univariate and multiple linear regression determined tacrolimus dose and creatinine clearance to be significant factors associated with anemia. Tacrolimus dose correlated with a 10 g/l reduction in Hb for every increase of tacrolimus dose of 0.054 mg/kg per day ( P=0.001). The dose of mycophenolate was positively correlated with Hb, but this was likely to be confounded by our practice of dose reduction in the setting of anemia. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor use was not associated with anemia. Severely anemic patients tended to be shorter, with a mean Z-score for height of -1.8 compared with -0.9 for those with normal Hb ( P=0.02). Anemia is a significant and common problem in pediatric renal transplant patients. Deteriorating renal function is an important cause, but other factors like iron deficiency and immunosuppression are involved. Definition of iron deficiency is difficult and serum iron may be a valuable indicator. Medication doses, nutritional status, need for erythropoietin and iron, as well as poor graft function and growth require systematic scrutiny in the care of the anemic renal transplant recipient.

The activities of several enzymes involved in plant protection against stress were assayed to determine physiological aspects of the perennial noxious weed leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) that might render the plant vulnerable to integrated pest management procedures. Stresses imposed on leafy spurge plants were heat (41°C up to 48 h), cold (5°C up to 25 days), drought (up to 5 days) and feeding by a flea beetle (Aphthona lacertosa), a biocontrol insect used for control of leafy spurge (1- and 2-day feedings). The effects varied with the stress imposed and the times of exposure. The effects on the specific activity of gluthathione S-transferase in plants exposed to the four stresses were: more than doubled in heat, remained at essentially control levels in the cold, increased by 50% during drought, and increased by 20% or less in flea beetle-fed plants. Glutathione reductase specific activity decreased slightly with heat, nearly doubled with cold, increased almost 60% during drought, and remained essentially unchanged in beetle-fed plants. Catalase-specific activity decreased in plants under all four stresses. The specific activities of superoxide dismutase remained essentially constant in plants exposed to heat, increased in the cold, increased very slightly during drought, and increased in beetle-fed plants. Ascorbate peroxidase specific activity increased with the high temperature, was significantly higher only at 3 days during drought but returned to control levels or below by 5 days, and was greatly inhibited in flea beetle-fed plants. The effects of cold on ascorbate peroxidase-specific activity are not well defined. Initial experiments indicated little change up to 24 days, but subsequent experiments resulted in a significant decrease at 25 days, with recovery closer to control levels in plants returned to 25°C for 1 day.

Immunohistochemistry is a method that can provide complementary diagnostic and prognostic information to morphological observations and soluble assays. Sensitivity, specificity, or requirements for arduous sample preparation or signal amplification procedures often limit the application of this approach to routine clinical specimens. Rolling circle amplification (RCA) generates a localized signal via an isothermal amplification of an oligonucleotide circle. The application of this approach to immunohistochemistry could extend the utility of these methods to include a more complete set of immunological and molecular probes. RCA-mediated signal amplification was successfully applied to the sensitive and specific detection of a variety of cell surface antigens (CD3, CD20, and epithelial membrane antigen) and intracellular molecules (vimentin and prostate-specific antigen) within a variety of routinely fixed specimens, as well as samples prepared for flow cytometry. RCA technology, which has an intrinsically wide dynamic range, is a robust and simple procedure that can provide a universal platform for the localization of a wide variety of molecules as a function of either antigenicity or nucleic acid sequence. The use of RCA in this way could enhance the use of markers of current interest as well as permit the integration of emerging information from genomics and proteomics intocell- and tissue-based analyses.

Denys-Drash syndrome (DDS) and Frasier syndrome (FS) are two related conditions caused by mutations of the Wilms tumor gene, WT1. Both syndromes are characterized by male pseudohermaphroditism, a progressive glomerulopathy, and the development of genitourinary tumors. DDS and FS have previously been distinguished by differences in nephropathy, with DDS patients demonstrating diffuse mesangial sclerosis (DMS) in contrast to focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) in FS patients. The clinicopathological features and genotype analysis of two patients with WT1 mutations are presented in this report. Genotype analysis of the first patient revealed a previously undescribed mutation in exon 8 of the WT1 gene. The second patient presented with a rapidly progressive nephropathy characterized histologically by DMS, but was found to have the genetic mutation seen in FS patients. A summary of all reported patients with the characteristic mutation associated with FS demonstrates the clinical overlap of this syndrome with DDS. This suggests that both these conditions should be considered as part of the spectrum of disease due to WT1 gene mutations rather than as separate diseases. Clinical classification remains important for prognosis, as the underlying renal disease appears to predict the progression of nephropathy independently of the genetic abnormality.

Gymneia moniliformis Harley, spec. nov. Inter species Gymneiae habitu inflorescentiae et tubo calycis fructificantis infra faucem valde deflexi conveniens sed spica inflorescentiae graciliore 8–10 mm lato, numquam 15–30 mm lato et tubo calycis fructantis usque ad 3 mm longum numquam 4–6.5 mm et cum lobis subulatis 1.6–2 mm longis numquam 3.5–5 mm a speciebus ceteris distinguenda. Type:— BRAZIL. Pará: Município of Novo Progresso, Serra do Cachimbo, estrada Santarem−Cuiaba, BR-163, km 794, base aerea, margem do Rio Braco-Norte, afluente do Rio Curua, 9º 22' S, 54º 54' W, 26 April 1983, Amaral, Silva, Monteiro, Lima, Brako, Reese, & Dibben 963 (holotype MG!; isotypes F!, K!, NY!, RB!). Herb or subshrub up to c. 1 m tall, stems woody and branched below, 4–5 mm diam., quadrangular with faces 1- to 2-ribbed, upper (flowering) stems unbranched, c. 2 mm diam., often purplish tinged, with very elongate internodes and leafless nodes, hairy on the faces with slender, white, elongate, appressed hairs, angles glabrescent. Leaves borne towards base, opposite, petiole 7–30 mm long, distinctly grooved above, with indumentum as on stems, lamina 3.5–7.5(–9.5) × 1.8–4.5(–6.0) cm, broadly ovate to ovate oblong, membranous, discolorous, apex somewhat rounded, base cordate or ± truncate, margin irregularly toothed with many small serrate to serrate-dentate teeth, very variable in size and shape, the upper leaves smaller and narrower and more shortly petiolate, upper surface of lamina dark green with thickened cuticle and impressed veins, thinly hairy, with short, erect, broad-based hairs, lower surface white-tomentose, with long, slender, weak, curled hairs, veins prominent, reticulate. Inflorescence a terminal, erect, elongate, unbranched, spiciform thyrse, 16–37 × 0.8–1.0 cm of ± remote, sessile verticillasters, becoming more remote as inflorescence axis elongates, the lowest Flowers subsessile, calyx at anthesis c. 3.3–3.5 mm long, tube 1.0− 1.5 mm long, narrowly infundibular, slightly hooded around posterior lobe, just below oblique throat, and longer on posterior side, thin-walled, externally thinly lanate with long, white, slender hairs, denser at base, and with scattered sessile glands, internally ± glabrous, lobes 1.5–1.7 mm long, unequal, triangular acuminate with posterior lobe longer and broader, lobes ciliate on margin with long, slender, white, curled hairs, calyx in fruit accrescent, 4.2–5.0 mm long, tube 2.3–3.0 mm long, inflated, ellipsoid-urceolate, slightly contracted and strongly deflexed just below oblique throat, thin-walled below and crustaceous in upper portion, lobes 1.6–2.0 mm long, rigid; corolla c. 3.7 mm long, lilac, with darker markings on posterior lip, stamens with anterior filaments thickened, ± glabrous, but with few long, hairs at junction with anther, posterior filaments more slender, hairy, style glabrous, stylopodium absent, stigma lobes almost obsolete, forming a scarcely bilobed terminal swelling. Nutlets c. 1.0 × 0.6–0.7 mm, oblong-ovoid with slightly truncate apex, weakly rugulose, glabrous, mid-brown, apparently not mucilaginous when wet. (Fig. 1). The newly described species is characterized by its very slender spikes of remote verticillasters of congested flowers, borne on an erect axis, with the leaves near the base of the stem. Unfortunately the leaves in the available material have been partly eaten and are poorly preserved. It agrees with the other species of the genus in having a long spike-like thyrse of verticillasters, the flowers strongly congested and with subulate bracts and bracteoles, and with the fruiting calyx strongly deflexed just below the throat. It differs from all other species in the much more slender spike 8–10 mm wide, as opposed to 1.5–3 cm in the other species, fruiting calyx with tube 2.3–3 mm long in G. moniliformis, as opposed to 4−6.5 mm long in the other species, and with subulate, spreading lobes 1.6–2 mm long (3.5–5 mm in other species). Phenology:—The single collection, made in April, bears both flowers and fruit, but the phenological range of flower and fruit production must await further collections. Distribution:—Only known from type material from the Serra do Cachimbo, Pará State, Brazil. Note:— Gymneia moniliformis was detected while preparing an account of the Labiatae of Amazonian Brazil (see Harley 2012) and is known only from the type material. Confined to the Serra do Cachimbo in Pará State, it represents a remarkable northern range extension for the genus. The locality on the herbarium label gives the Município as Itaituba. However, in 1993, the new Município of Novo Progresso, which includes the Serra do Cachimbo, was created. The Serra do Cachimbo is an extensive mountain area in western Pará, east of the Rio Teles Pires and where the state of Pará meets those of Mato Grosso and Amazonas. Habitat:—Geologically the area where the plant was collected appears to be primarily composed of sandstones, with a covering of well developed terra firme forests, although it can be surmised that there are also savanna areas present. The area is still poorly known botanically and further novelties can be expected. Conservation status:—With only one collection known, and no other record in the last 30 years, from an area not well collected, it seems best to register it as Data Deficient, according to IUCN Red List Criteria (IUCN 2001), with the hope that further observations will enable a reliable evaluation of its status., Published as part of Harley, R. M., 2013, Notes on the genus Gymneia (Lamiaceae: Ocimeae, Hyptidinae) with two new species from Brazil, pp. 57-64 in Phytotaxa 148 (1) on pages 58-59, DOI: 10.11646/phytotaxa.148.1.4, http://zenodo.org/record/5100409, {"references":["IUCN. (2001) IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria: Version 3.1. IUCN Species Survival Commission. IUCN, Gland, Switzerland & Cambridge, UK, 70 pp."]}

Left ventricular abnormalities in children, adolescents and young adults with renal disease. The cardiac abnormalities that complicate chronic renal failure and renal replacement therapy are not well characterized in young people. These abnormalities are becoming more important because successful renal transplantation has resulted in children with end-stage renal failure living longer. Echocardiographic abnormalities of cardiac function and structure were studied in children and young adults (< 27 years old) with chronic renal failure (CRF, N = 32), end-stage renal failure treated with chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD, N = 10) or renal transplantation (N = 30) or controls (N = 60). Left ventricular mass indexed for height (LVM/Ht and LVM/Ht2.7) and body surface area (LVM/SA), fractional shortening, measurement of left ventricular diastolic function (peak E and A wave velocities and the E/A ratio) and structural (such as valvular) abnormalities were determined by echocardiography. The median (and range) of LVM/Ht in the groups were control 51.8 (23.1 to 119.8), CRF 60.2 (22.2 to 135.8), CPD 80.2 (44.5 to 100.9) and transplant group 97.8 (51.2 to 182.1) g/m. The increases in LVM/Ht, LVM/Ht2.7 and LVM/SA in the transplant group were significant (P < 0.01). The CRF group had significantly increased LVM/Ht2.7 and LVM/SA (P < 0.01). Systolic function was not significantly different between the groups. A significant correlation between creatinine and LVM indexed for height was found in the CRF group. Systolic or diastolic blood pressure could not be correlated with LVM indices in the transplant group. Changes in diastolic function were found (increased peak A wave velocity and decreased E/A ratios in the CRF and CPD groups, and increased peak E wave velocity in the transplant group). The study demonstrated that left ventricular hypertrophy is a frequent and often severe finding in children with chronic renal failure and those treated with renal replacement therapy. Factors other than hypertension and anaemia are important, and evidence was found for a link between serum creatinine and increased left ventricular mass prior to end-stage renal failure.

Results of renal transplantation in very young children with end-stage chronic renal failure have been poor compared with those in older children and adults. Consequently small children either may not be treated or may be placed on chronic dialysis programmes. Between 1988 and 1992, six children under the age of 5 years received seven renal transplants at the Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, Australia; five from live donors and two from cadaver donors. All children were treated with peritoneal dialysis before transplantation, and immunosuppressed with a standardized regimen of cyclosporine, azathioprine and prednisolone. An extraperitoneal incision was used, and the donor renal vessels were anastomosed to the lower abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava or the common iliac vein. All children received intensive monitoring and fluid replacement during the peri-operative period. Patient survival was 100%. One cadaver graft failed 1 week after transplantation because of irreversible acute rejection. This child subsequently received a successful second transplant. Two children developed postoperative urinary fistulae which were treated successfully by further operation. Current renal function in all children is excellent. The success of this programme has led us to review our attitude towards renal transplantation in this age group and to advocate live donor renal transplantation as the treatment of choice in very young children with end-stage chronic renal failure whenever possible.

Defects seen on early cortical scintigrams of the renal cortex in children with urinary tract infection may represent acute inflammatory change or established scar. The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between these defects and age, sex, the presence and grade of vesicoureteral reflux, and infective organism in a cohort of children examined after their first proved urinary tract infection.We prospectively examined 193 consecutive patients less than 5 years old who were seen at the ambulatory pediatric department during a 3-year period and had a first proved urinary tract infection. Children with obstructed or solitary kidneys were excluded. All patients were imaged with scintigraphy of the renal cortex and radiographic voiding cystourethrography within 15 days of diagnosis. The association of age, sex, the presence and grade of vesicoureteral reflux, and infective organism with a defect (acute pyelonephritis or a renal scar) seen on a cortical renal scan was studied.The prevalence of cortical defects was greater in the kidneys of patients less than 2 years old (96/290, 33%) than in older children (16/96, 17%) and greater in those with vesicoureteral reflux (41/92, 45%) than in those without it (71/294, 24%). Vesicoureteral reflux was absent in 63% (71/112) of kidneys with a cortical defect. No association with sex or infective organism was established. As well as having a greater prevalence of cortical defects, 145 (75%) of the 193 urinary tract infections included in the study were in children less than 2 years old. The kidneys of these younger patients also had a greater severity and prevalence of vesicoureteral reflux (74/290, 26%) than did those of older children (18/96, 19%).Early cortical defects are associated with an age less than 2 years and vesicoureteral reflux. However, the association of early defects with the presence and grade of vesicoureteral reflux is confounded by the declining prevalence and severity of reflux with age. A significant proportion of cortical defects occur in the absence of vesicoureteral reflux, and the contribution of reflux to scar formation might be less than previously considered.

It has been claimed that low protein diets slow deterioration of chronic renal failure (CRF) by reducing renal solute load. The anabolic effect of recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH) also has potential to reduce renal solute load and thereby slow progression of renal failure. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of rhGH on growth, renal solute load and renal function in children with CRF. Seven prepubertal children, aged 2-14 years, with moderately severe CRF (creatinine clearance 7.7-23.4 mL/min per 1.73m2) were treated with daily subcutaneous rhGH, 1 U/kg per week for 10-12 months. As expected, mean height velocity standard deviation scores (SDS) increased, from -2.87 before treatment to +3.39 on rhGH, and mean height increased from -3.1 to -2.4 SDS. Serum urea concentrations decreased in most patients during the first month of growth hormone treatment from a mean of 20.0 +/- 7.7 mmol/L to 14.8 +/- 5.8 mmol/L (P = 0.006). The serum urea then returned to pretreatment levels over the next few months. In the 12 months before treatment with growth hormone, mean creatinine clearance decreased from 19.3 mL/min per 1.73 m2 to 16.7 mL/min per 1.73 m2. In the next 12 months on rhGH mean creatinine clearance decreased further to 13.5 mL/min per 1.73 m2. Therefore the rate of deterioration of renal function was unaffected during treatment with growth hormone. Initial treatment with rhGH is associated with decrease in serum urea concentrations in children with CRF, probably mediated by stimulation of anabolic incorporation of dietary nitrogen into body protein.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Rolling circle amplification (RCA) generates a localized signal via isothermal amplification of an oligonucleotide circle reporter sequence. The application of this approach to flow cytometry could extend the utility of existing methods by enhancing the sensitivities and specificities for various applications, including early diagnosis of cancer and of hematologic and other abnormalities. RCA technology is applicable to a variety of platforms for the simultaneous detection of molecules as a function of either antigenicity or nucleic acid sequence (1)(2)(3)(4). In flow cytometry, cells of interest are characterized based on population gating. Efficient gating strategies are crucial for accurate immunophenotyping, more so in a heterogeneous cell suspension such as peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Usually a combination of light scatter (forward and side) and immunophenotypic markers is critical in identifying the specific cells of interest. A panel of antibodies is usually used to characterize a subset of cells based on their surface markers. However, cells can be best characterized only when the staining for each of these markers is bright enough to clearly differentiate them from unstained cells. This requires specific antibodies and intense detection signals. Abundantly expressed cell surface markers are not difficult to stain and identify compared with rare surface antigens, which are currently gaining importance in diagnostics and clinical studies. Therefore, the common challenge in clinical or diagnostic flow analysis is insufficient signal (low-intensity signals) leading to inefficient use of the existing antibody library. RCA technology can help overcome these problems. The RCA technology (RCATTM) also allows for multiplexing or multiparametric analysis of various markers simultaneously, supporting the expanding use of complex marker panels for disease diagnosis and prognosis. RCA-mediated signal amplification has been successfully applied to the detection of cell surface antigens (e.g., …

A well-known method for sampling AC is to use a meter designed with split-core transformer. The latter is a simple device consisting of a coil that has been opened and hinged such that the coil may be placed around a conductor and closed such that the AC in the conductor will induce a secondary current in the coil that can then be detected and displayed by the meter without having to open the conductor. Our lab is experimenting with this type of instrument for smart grid device development and it was found that short of simulation and/or in situ fieldwork, we were unable to adequately model a high voltage transmission line in the lab to suit our purpose. This paper describes a novel device with which to conduct such experiments that is easily fabricated from locally available materials.