Commercial Systems (commercial + system)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Effects of Parasite Attributes and Injected Current Parameters on Electromagnetic Detection of Parasites in Fish Muscle

JOURNAL OF FOOD SCIENCE, Issue 9 2002
G.S. Choudhury
ABSTRACT: We examined the potential of an electromagnetic parasite detection technique to become the basis of an automated commercial system. The effects of parasite orientation and position, presence offish bone, and applied signal strength and frequency on resultant magnetic field strength were determined by scanning a conducting cell containing fish fillet and parasite below a SQUID magnetometer. The parasite orientation affected peak-to-peak voltage of the magnetic dipole. The parasite position with respect to myotome structure seemed to affect the orientation of the dipolar signal. A fish bone was readily detected. The magnetic field strength was independent of the frequency of the injected current and scaled with amplitude=. [source]


USE OF LITHIUM DILUTION AND PULSE CONTOUR ANALYSIS CARDIAC OUTPUT DETERMINATION IN ANAESTHETISED HORSES , A CLINICAL EVALUATION

JOURNAL OF VETERINARY EMERGENCY AND CRITICAL CARE, Issue S1 2004
Gayle D Hallowell
Pulse contour analysis is a relatively new method of continuously monitoring cardiac output. The objective of this study was to evaluate the suitability of the human algorithm for calculation of continuous cardiac output from the pulse waveform, for use in anaesthetised horses. Cardiac output was measured in 27 anaesthetised clinical cases comparing lithium dilution (LiDCO) with a preceding, calibrated cardiac output measured from the pulse waveform (PulseCO) using a commercial system (LiDCOplus, LiDCO Ltd., Cambridge, UK). These comparisons were repeated every 20,30 min. Positive inotropes or vasopressors were administered when clinically indicated. Cardiac output values obtained ranged from 15.2,52.2 L/min, with cardiac indices from 30.7,114.9 ml/kg/min. Eighty-nine comparisons were obtained. The mean bias was 0.24 ml/kg/min +/,6.48 ml/kg/min. The limits of agreement were ,12.72,13.2 ml/kg/min. The 95% confidence interval for the upper limit of agreement was 12.07,14.33 ml/kg/min and for the lower limit of agreement was ,11.59,13.85 ml/kg/min. Linear regression analysis demonstrated a correlation coefficient (r2) of 0.89 and produced an equation of PulseCO (mls kg,1 minute,1)=0.9226LiDCO (mls kg,1minute,1) +5.354. This method of pulse contour analysis is a relatively non-invasive and reliable way of monitoring continuous cardiac output in the horse under anaesthesia. The ability to easily continuously monitor cardiac output may improve morbidity and mortality in the anaesthetised horse. [source]


Dynamic range expansion of receiver by using optimized gain adjustment for high-field MRI

CONCEPTS IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE, Issue 4 2010
C.H. Oh
Abstract In high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system, the signal-to-noise ratio of MR signal is so high that the receiver frequently cannot cover the full dynamic range of the MR signal. Although this problem can be overcome by using a compander (compressor and expander) composed of logarithmic amplifiers and a ROM table to retrieve the nonlinearity of the logarithmic amplifiers or by simply increasing the number of bits of analog-to-digital converter, the methods can be costly and complex or even impossible for most commercial systems. In addition, the spectrometer has to be specifically designed to operate in those modes. In this article, we developed a simple dynamic range improvement method using a receiver with optimized variable gain control in which function can be implemented without any hardware modification to the spectrometer, if the spectrometer can do gain control during a scan. Simulations as well as experiments for the brain and resolution phantom have been performed, and the results demonstrate the utility of the proposed method. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Concepts Magn Reson Part A 36A: 243,254, 2010. [source]


Green Approaches to Field Nitrate Analysis: An Electroanalytical Perspective

ELECTROANALYSIS, Issue 7 2009
Radha Desai
Abstract The different approaches that have been taken in the development of analytical methods for the determination of nitrate within the field are reviewed. The emphasis has been placed on providing a critical appraisal of the chemistry that underpins current commercial systems and the need to remove the dependence on heavy metal and concentrated acid components. The search for more environmentally acceptable and user friendly systems has long been pursued and the present communication seeks to explore the recent development in portable testing technologies and how they might evolve in the future. In particular, the role of electrochemical techniques in the latter are investigated and their potential application compared and contrasted with the more traditional wet chemical detection strategies. [source]


About yes/no queries against possibilistic databases

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS, Issue 7 2007
Patrick Bosc
This article is concerned with the handling of imprecise information in databases. The need for dealing with imprecise data is more and more acknowledged in order to cope with real data, even if commercial systems are most of the time unable to manage them. Here, the possibilistic setting is taken into consideration because it is less demanding than the probabilistic one. Then, any imprecise piece of information is modeled as a possibility distribution intended for constraining the more or less acceptable values. Such a possibilistic database has a natural interpretation in terms of a set of regular databases, which provides the basic gateway to interpret queries. However, if this approach is sound, it is not realistic, and it is necessary to consider restricted queries for which a calculus grounded on the possibilistic database, that is, where the operators work directly on possibilistic relations, is feasible. Extended yes/no queries are dealt with here, where their general form is: "to what extent is it possible and certain that tuple t (given) belongs to the answer to Q," where Q is an algebraic relational query. A strategy for processing such queries efficiently is proposed under some assumptions as to the operators appearing in Q. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 22: 691,721, 2007. [source]


Comparison of 16S rRNA sequencing with conventional and commercial phenotypic techniques for identification of enterococci from the marine environment

JOURNAL OF APPLIED MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2006
D.F. Moore
Abstract Aims:, To compare accuracy of genus and species level identification of presumptive enterococci isolates from the marine environment using conventional biochemical testing, four commercial identification systems and 16S rRNA sequence analysis. Methods and Results:, Ninety-seven environmental bacterial isolates identified as presumptive enterococci on mEI media were tested using conventional and Enterococcus genus screen biochemical tests, four commercial testing systems and 16S rRNA sequencing. Conventional and Enterococcus genus screen biochemical testing, 16S rRNA sequencing and two commercial test systems achieved an accuracy of ,94% for Enterococcus genus confirmation. Conventional biochemical testing and 16S rRNA sequencing achieved an accuracy of ,90% for species level identification. Conclusions:, For confirmation of Enterococcus genus from mEI media, conventional or genus screen biochemical testing, 16S rRNA sequencing and the four commercial systems were correct 79,100% of the time. For speciation to an accuracy of 90% or better, either conventional biochemical testing or 16S rRNA sequencing is required. Significance and Impact of the Study:, Accurate identification of presumptive environmental Enterococcus isolates to genus and species level is an integral part of laboratory quality assurance and further characterization of Enterococcus species from pollution incidents. This investigation determines the ability of six different methods to correctly identify environmental isolates. [source]


A Forensic Laboratory Tests the Berkeley Microfabricated Capillary Array Electrophoresis Device,

JOURNAL OF FORENSIC SCIENCES, Issue 4 2008
Susan A. Greenspoon Ph.D.
Abstract:, Miniaturization of capillary electrophoresis onto a microchip for forensic short tandem repeat analysis is the initial step in the process of producing a fully integrated and automated analysis system. A prototype of the Berkeley microfabricated capillary array electrophoresis device was installed at the Virginia Department of Forensic Science for testing. Instrument performance was verified by PowerPlex® 16 System profiling of single source, sensitivity series, mixture, and casework samples. Mock sexual assault samples were successfully analyzed using the PowerPlex® Y System. Resolution was assessed using the TH01, CSF1PO, TPOX, and Amelogenin loci and demonstrated to be comparable with commercial systems along with the instrument precision. Successful replacement of the Hjerten capillary coating method with a dynamic coating polymer was performed. The accurate and rapid typing of forensic samples demonstrates the successful technology transfer of this device into a practitioner laboratory and its potential for advancing high-throughput forensic typing. [source]


A survey of the 2001 to 2005 quartz crystal microbalance biosensor literature: applications of acoustic physics to the analysis of biomolecular interactions

JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR RECOGNITION, Issue 3 2007
Matthew A. Cooper
Abstract The widespread exploitation of biosensors in the analysis of molecular recognition has its origins in the mid-1990s following the release of commercial systems based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR). More recently, platforms based on piezoelectric acoustic sensors (principally ,bulk acoustic wave' (BAW), ,thickness shear mode' (TSM) sensors or ,quartz crystal microbalances' (QCM)), have been released that are driving the publication of a large number of papers analysing binding specificities, affinities, kinetics and conformational changes associated with a molecular recognition event. This article highlights salient theoretical and practical aspects of the technologies that underpin acoustic analysis, then reviews exemplary papers in key application areas involving small molecular weight ligands, carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, viruses, bacteria, cells and lipidic and polymeric interfaces. Key differentiators between optical and acoustic sensing modalities are also reviewed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Advances in MR imaging of the skin,

NMR IN BIOMEDICINE, Issue 7 2006
Jacques Bittoun
Abstract MR imaging of the skin is challenging because of the small size of the structures to be visualized. By increasing the gradient amplitude and/or duration, skin layers can be visualized with a voxel size of the order of 20,µm, clearly the smallest obtained for in vivo images in a whole-body imager. Currently, the gradient strength of most commercial systems enables acquisition of such a small voxel size, and the main difficulty has thus become to achieve sufficient detection sensitivity. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) can be increased either by increasing the magnetic field strength or by minimizing noise with small coils; cooling copper coils or superconducting coils can enhance the SNR by a factor of 3 or more. MR imaging, because of the large number of parameters it is able to measure, can provide more than the microscopic architecture of the skin: physical parameters such as relaxation times, magnetization transfer or diffusion, and chemical parameters such as the water and fat contents or phosphorus metabolism. In spite of the amount of information they have provided to date, MR imaging and spectroscopy have had limited clinical applications, mainly because cutaneous pathologies are easily accessible to the naked eye and surgery. However, MR technologies indeed represent powerful research tools to study normal and diseased skin. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


An experimental assessment on the effects of photoperiod treatments on the somatic and gonadal growth of the juvenile European purple sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus

AQUACULTURE RESEARCH, Issue 7 2010
Eimear McCarron
Abstract Determining the optimum light conditions for sea urchins reared in land-based systems is vital for the future use and assessment of possible commercial systems of sea urchin farming. The effects of two different light regimes, complete darkness and a long day photoperiod of 16 h light:8 h darkness, on the somatic and gonadal growth of the European sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus (19.5,23.0 mm) was investigated using the commercial UrchinPlatterÔ System over a 6-month period (5 March to 5 September). Hatchery-produced P. lividus were transported to the Aquaculture Fisheries Development Centre (AFDC, University College, Cork UCC). Before arrival at the AFDC, sea urchins were reared on a diet of Laminaria digitata. Females were the predominant species of the animal group, displaying a reproductive Stage III (growing stage) where gametogenesis was commencing. Results show that darkness supports higher somatic growth than the photoperiod treatment. Feeding rates were higher for sea urchins reared under darkness with gonadal growth increasing for both experimental treatments. Individuals reared under darkness had a higher per cent change in gonad index from the initial sample taken at the beginning of the experiment. [source]


Correlation between the procedure for antifungal susceptibility testing for Candida spp. of the European Committee on Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) and four commercial techniques

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION, Issue 6 2005
M. Cuenca-Estrella
Abstract The correlation between results obtained with the European Committee on Antibiotic Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) antifungal susceptibility testing procedure (document 7.1) and four commercial systems was evaluated for a collection of 93 clinical isolates of Candida spp. Overall, agreement between the EUCAST procedure and the Sensititre YeastOne and Etest methods was 75% and 90.4%, respectively. The correlation indices (p < 0.01) between the EUCAST and commercial methods were 0.92 for Sensititre YeastOne, 0.89 for Etest, ,,0.90 for Neo-Sensitabs, and 0.95 for Fungitest. Amphotericin B MICs obtained by Sensititre YeastOne were consistently higher than with the EUCAST method and, although very major errors were not observed, 91% of MICs were misclassified. Amphotericin B- and fluconazole-resistant isolates were identified correctly with Sensititre YeastOne, Etest and Fungitest. Neo-Sensitabs identified amphotericin B-resistant isolates, but misclassified >,5% of fluconazole-resistant isolates as susceptible. The commercial methods, particularly Etest and Fungitest, appeared to be suitable alternatives to the EUCAST procedure for antifungal susceptibility testing of clinical isolates of Candida. [source]