We developed a new enzymatic-catalyzing producing process of glucose laurate monoester. In the process we used Candida antarctica lipase B-displaying Pichia pastoris whole-cells as biocatalyst, glucose as the acyl acceptor and lauric acid as the acyl donor. The product glucose laurate monoester was purified by silica gel column chromatography and preparative liquid chromatography, and identified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Then we optimized the process from various aspects, such as solvent composition, ratio of dmethyl sulfoxide to 2-Methyl-2-butanol (V/V), catalyst dosage, substrate concentration, water activity and temperature. The optimal reaction conditions were: glucose 0.5 mmol/L, lauric acid 1.0 mmol/L, ratio of 2-Methyl-2-butanol to Dmethyl sulfoxide is 7:3 in 5 mL volume, temperature 60 degrees C, the best initial water activity of whole-cells biocatalyst is 0.11. The maximum glucose conversion could be 48.7% after 72 h.
Biocatalysis ; Candida ; enzymology ; Esters ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Fungal Proteins ; Genetic Engineering ; Glucose ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Laurates ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Lipase ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Pichia ; genetics ; metabolism ; Recombinant Proteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics

The design and development of multi-dimensional ultrasonic reconstruction and visualization system (MURVS) have been described in the present paper. This system is basically composed of four modules: the data input/output module, image segmentation and arrangement module, multi-dimensional reconstruction module, and the dynamic visualization module. At first, some algorithms used in the system are introduced by the authors, including the AVI segmentation algorithm, three-dimensional interpolation algorithm, and volume rendering algorithms. Then the key questions of techniques to be discussed are: how to design the main modules, how to solve the dynamic visualization problem, and how to implement the system. The experiments indicate that MURVS is able to reconstruct all three-dimensional data fields in one cardiac cycle of a patient within 4 seconds, and dynamically display the motion of the heart. It allows the medical professionals to select different parameters when observing the reconstructed results. This is very helpful for medical professionals to reach more accurate diagnoses of their patients' diseases.
Adult ; Algorithms ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Mitral Valve Stenosis ; diagnostic imaging

The authors first segment the right ventricle regions from the echocardiographics by introducig a seeded region growth algorithm. Then they reconstrunct the three dimensional data field of right ventricle by using rotary scanning interpolation algorithm. And then, the authors propose a layer-by-layer, row-by-row, and voxel-by-voxel approach based on the interpolation results to estimate the volume of right ventricle. Finally, some right ventricle functional parameters such as EDV (End-diastolic volume), ESV (End-systolic volume), and RVEF (Right ventricular ejection fraction) are computed according to the volume results. The volume variation curves of several patients during a cardiac cycle have been successfully plotted out. The obtained results are compared with those from Tomtec medial image workstation. The comparison indicates the proposed approach is practical and meaningful.
Algorithms ; Echocardiography, Three-Dimensional ; instrumentation ; methods ; Heart Ventricles ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Ventricular Dysfunction, Right ; diagnostic imaging ; physiopathology ; Ventricular Function, Right

Cell culture is one of the usual methods for studying living cell and tissue, the method presented in this paper is based on image processing and analyzing technology for activity estimation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). The existing activity estimation methods are costly, complex and invasive. In this method, thresholding is used to preprocess image and to separate out the growth hallow. Then the area is calculated by counting the pixels of the growth hallow. The changes of the activity estimated by this method are similar to those by corresponding cellular experiments. Compared with the existing methods in biology, medicine or medical cellular science, this method is easier, faster, cost-effective and non-invasive. The proposed method has been proved to be efficient by primary experiments of MSCs.
Animals ; Cells, Cultured ; Femur ; cytology ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Mesenchymal Stromal Cells ; cytology ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

This study aims to provide a computer-aided method for the diagnosis of fatty liver by B-scan ultrasonic imaging. Fatty liver is referred to the infiltration of triglycerides and other fats of the liver cells, which affected the texture of liver tissue. In this paper, some features including mean intensity ratio, as well as angular second moment, entropy and inverse differential moment of gray level co-occurrence matrix were extracted from B-scan ultrasonic liver images. Feature vectors which indicated two classes of images were created with the four features. Then we used kappa-means clustering algorithm, self-organized feature mapping (SOFM) artificial neural network and back-propagation (BP) artificial neural network to classify these vectors. The accuracy rate of kappa-means clustering algorithm was 100% for normal liver and 63.6% for fatty liver. The results of SOFM neural network showed that the accuracy rate was 84.8% for normal liver and 90.9% for fatty liver. The accuracy rate of neural network was 100% both for normal liver and fatty liver. This technology could detect the characteristics of B-scan images of normal liver and fatty liver more accurately. It could greatly improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of fatty liver.
Diagnosis, Differential ; Fatty Liver ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; Neural Networks (Computer) ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography

Objective To improve the precision of the traditional segmentation of echocardiogram, by suppressing the influence from inherent speckle noises in medical ultrasonic images. Method An automatic segmentation method based on reconstructed morphology was proposed in this paper. First, the opening and closing operations by reconstruction were imposed to the ultrasonic image. Second, the top-hat operation was used to extract the bright and/or dark features and to find out the boundaries corresponding to these features, whereby implemented the automatic segmentation. Result The segmented echocardiogram had less artificial boundaries resulted from speckle noise, and could accurately be extracted the artery and ventricle. Conclusion The presented method can detect both dark and bright objects accurately, and the boundary has a fine continuity. In addition, the algorithm is also applicable to the extraction of sole bright/dark features, accordingly to reduce the complexity and time needed and to improve the accuracy.

The correlations between surface energy parameters and carbon phase components in six diamond like carbon film (DLC) samples made in different ways and processing conditions were further investigated using the analysis of T-type correlation degree in the Grey system theory based on our earlier studies such as the determination of carbon phase and surface energy parameters, the analyses of carbon phase components, surface energy parameters and adhesive characteristic of platelets for DLC. The results showed: (1) as a whole critical surface tension has the closest relation with carbon phase components, chromatic dispersion branch of surface tension takes the second place, but for the other four parameters, the correlation is weak; (2) DLC phase has larger negative correlation (degrees -0.57, -0.33) with critical surface tension and chromatic dispersion branch of surface tension, while its correlation degrees with the other four parameters related to polarity are all positive values smaller than 0.20; (3) C-H phase and C-O phase have larger positive correlation (degrees 0.48, 0.25) with critical surface tension. We have come to three conclusions (1) DLC phase plays a dominant part in hemocompatibilioty of DLC by powerfully decreasing humidification and limitedly increasing polarity; (2) the energy mechanism of platelet deformation enhanced by C-H phase and C-O phase involves increasing the critical surface tension of DLC; (3) the hemocompatibility of DLC can be evaluated by using the critical surface tension as index and using the content of DLC phase and additional content limitation of C-H phase and C-O phase as standard. This study has provided a theoretical basis for evaluating the hemocompatibility of DLC based on surface properties.
Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Carbon ; chemistry ; Diamond ; chemistry ; Humans ; Male ; Materials Testing ; Membranes, Artificial ; Models, Biological ; Platelet Adhesiveness ; drug effects ; Surface Properties

In this study, the diamond like carbon (DLC) samples made from different processes and processing conditions, were subjected to the test of platelet adhesion. The surface energy parameters such as surface tension, critical surface tension, interface tension, adhesive power, and polar branch and chromatic dispersion branch of surface tension based on determining balanced contact angle of ethanol, water and different ratios of ethanol/water solution on surfaces of the samples were calculated, respectively. Then the effects of these parameters on the amounts and deformation index of the platelets adhering to the samples were assessed by analyzing the T-type correlation degree in the Grey system. The results showed: (1) all degrees of correlation between surface energy parameters and adhesion amounts of platelet are positive, but for deformation index, the correlation degrees are negative except for critical surface tension; (2) the adhesion amounts of platelet increase with the rising polar branch of surface tension, while the deformation index increases with rising chromatic dispersion branch of surface tension; (3) Both adhesion amounts and deformation index of platelet are positively correlated with critical surface tension to a higher degrees; (4) the effects of polar branch of surface tension on adhesion amounts and deformation index of platelet keep pace with the surface tension, interface tension and adhesive power. Thus two important conclusions have been obtained: (1) the adhesive characteristic of platelets to the surface of DLC is closely related with the surface energy of DLC; the hemocompatibility of DLC is decided by the balance between the polarity of DLC surface and the limited humidifying water on the surface; there is a blood compatible range delimited by critical surface tension; (2) adhesion and deformation of platelets on surface of DLC have different energy mechanism: polar surface is advantageous to the adhesion, while the deformation is achieved with the aid of chromatic dispersion action stem from the surface.
Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Carbon ; chemistry ; Diamond ; chemistry ; Humans ; Materials Testing ; Platelet Adhesiveness ; Surface Properties

Traditional 3D ultrasound reconstruction system can just depict 3D anatomical structure, so it is very difficult to give an accurate assessment of the functionality of the heart. In this study, a dynamic 3D reconstruction method of tissue Doppler ultrasound heart images is set up based on the combination of 3D reconstruction and tissue Doppler imaging technique. Dynamic 3D acceleration field of heart movement is reconstructed to supply a new approach of accurate assessment of functionality of the heart. The key problem of vector interpolation and fusion imaging in the process of acceleration vector field reconstruction is solved. The 3D acceleration field of heart movement and anatomical structure is reconstructed separately from the original tissue Doppler acceleration images and showed in the same field. The experimental results testified that the 3D space relationship of acceleration and anatomical structure is correct and this method can supply more information for the assessment of heart functionality.
Echocardiography, Doppler ; Heart ; anatomy & histology ; Humans ; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted ; Movement

In order to evaluate diamond like carbon film (DLC), DLC containing Si, graphite, diamond film (DF), low temperature isotropic carbon film (LTIC) and SiC, we investigated the correlations between surface energy parameters and hemocompatibility indices such as kinetic clotting time, hemolysis and platelet consumption. An analysis of T-type correlation degree in the Grey system theory was performed. The results showed: (1) all of correlation degrees between kinetic clotting time and polar surface energy parameters were positive, but for critical surface tension, the correlation degree was negative; among five of surface energy parameters, interface tension had the highest relation degree (0.63) with kinetic clotting time, and critical surface tension (-0.43) took the second place; (2) on the contrary, all of correlation degrees between hemolysis and polar surface energy parameters were negative, but for critical surface tension, the correlation degree was positive; and that which had closer correlations with hemolysis were still interface tension (-0.43) and critical surface tension (0.29); (3) critical surface tension had the highest relation degree (0.68) with platelet consumption, and surface tension (0.32) took the second place; (4) kinetic clotting time possessed higher negative correlation degrees with hemolysis (-0.57) and platelet consumption (-0.36). These data indicate that kinetic clotting time depended on a balance between the polarity of surface and the limited humidifying of water on the surface, and that platelet consumption was based on good humidification and power polarity of surface, while hemolysis was promoted by the aid of chromatic dispersion action stemming from the surface and fully humidifying of water on the surface. There was "seesaw effect" between kinetic clotting time and hemolysis or platelet consumption, hence the hemocompatibility of carbonaceous biomaterials could be equivalently evaluated by using kinetic clotting time as an index. It has been confirmed: (1) successive occurrences, including adhesion, deformation and collection of platelets on the material surfaces as results of protein adsorption, are the major mechanism of blood coagulation of carbonaceous materials; (2) the hemocompatibility of carbonaceous biomaterials can be evaluated by using critical surface tension as an index. These findings may underpin the hemocompatibility evaluation of carbonaceous biomaterials based on surface properties.
Adsorption ; Biocompatible Materials ; chemistry ; Blood Platelets ; cytology ; Carbon ; chemistry ; Diamond ; chemistry ; Feasibility Studies ; Graphite ; chemistry ; Hemolysis ; Platelet Adhesiveness ; Surface Properties