Measurement of Fecal Testosterone Metabolites in Mice: Replacement of Invasive Techniques

Testosterone is the main reproductive hormone in male vertebrates and conventional methods to measure testosterone rely on invasive blood sampling procedures. Here, we aimed to establish a non-invasive alternative by assessing testosterone metabolites (TMs) in fecal and urinary samples in mice. We performed a radiometabolism study to determine the effects of daytime and sex on the metabolism and excretion pattern of radiolabeled TMs. We performed physiological and biological validations of the applied EIA to measure TMs and assessed diurnal fluctuations in TM excretions in male and female mice and across strains. We found that males excreted significantly more radiolabeled TMs via the feces (59%) compared to females (49.5%). TM excretion patterns differed significantly between urinary and fecal samples and were affected by the daytime of ³H-testosterone injection. Overall, TM excretion occurred faster in urinary than fecal samples. Peak excretion of fecal TMs occurred after 8 h when animals received the 3H-testosterone in the morning, or after 4 h when they received the 3H-testosterone injection in the evening. Daytime had no effect on the formed TMs; however, males and females formed different types of TMs. As expected, males showed higher fecal TM levels than females. Males also showed diurnal fluctuations in their TM levels but we found no differences in the TM levels of C57BL/6J and B6D2F1 hybrid males. Finally, we successfully validated our applied EIA (measuring 17β-hydroxyandrostane) by showing that hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) administration increased TM levels, whereas castration reduced them. In conclusion, our EIA proved suitable for measuring fecal TMs in mice. Our non-invasive method to assess fecal TMs can be widely used in various research disciplines like animal behavior, reproduction, animal welfare, ecology, conservation, and biomedicine.

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X-ray Micro-Tomography as a Method to Distinguish and Characterize Natural and Cultivated Pearls

Condensed Matter ◽

10.3390/condmat6040051 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 (4) ◽

pp. 51

Author(s):

Luisa Vigorelli ◽

Elisabetta Croce ◽

Debora Angelici ◽

Raffaella Navone ◽

Sabrina Grassini ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Diagnostic Techniques ◽

X Ray ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Heritage Studies ◽

Different Types ◽

Micro Tomography ◽

Invasive Techniques ◽

Tomographic Analysis ◽

Private Collections

Digital radiography and computed tomography are two fundamental diagnostic techniques in different fields of research, including cultural heritage studies and gemmology. The application of these physical methods of investigation has gained considerable importance as they are non-invasive techniques. The presented work has been mainly focused on micro-tomographic analysis. The project is concerned with the study of natural and cultivated pearls in order to develop an investigation methodology for the analysis, distinction and characterization of different types of pearls, some of them belonging to different precious jewels from private collections. The investigations, carried out on a total of 22 heterogeneous types of pearls, allowed us to establish their origin (natural or cultivated) or to confirm/deny if a hypothesis was already expressed, and as well to highlight the cultivation methodology used case by case. Furthermore, it was possible to ascertain how large and varied the market for cultured pearls is nowadays and how difficult is, in some particular cases, to ascertain their attribution to a certain origin.

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Mid-stream clean catch urine collection in newborns: a non-invasive and safe technique

International Journal of Contemporary Pediatrics ◽

10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20190496 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 6 (2) ◽

pp. 349 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Rajendra Kumar ◽

Nithin . ◽

Sudha Rudrappa

Keyword(s):

Success Rate ◽

Urine Sample ◽

Invasive Technique ◽

Urine Collection ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Invasive Method ◽

Safe Technique ◽

The Mean ◽

Invasive Techniques ◽

Mean Time

Background: The aim of this study is to determine the success rate and safety of a non-invasive technique to obtain clean-catch midstream urine samples in newborns.Methods: Prospective bedside clinical study. After obtaining written informed consent,120 consecutive newborns admitted in NICU with no dehydration, poor feeding, need for immediate urine sample by invasive method for whom urine collection was advised for various reasons who met the inclusion criteria were included in the study with consent being taken from the parents. After adequate milk intake supra pubic and lumbar para vertebral areas were stimulated in repeated cycles of 30 s until micturition began.Results: Success rate in obtaining a midstream urine sample within 5 min. The success rate was 90%. The mean time taken to collect urine was 64.24s, for males it was 62.55s and for females 65.93s.Conclusions: The technique has been demonstrated to be safe, quick and effective. The discomfort and time consumption usually associated with bag collection methods as well as invasive techniques can be avoided.

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A Non-invasive Method to Collect Fecal Samples from Wild Birds for Microbiome Studies

Microbial Ecology ◽

10.1007/s00248-018-1182-4 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 76 (4) ◽

pp. 851-855 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Sarah A. Knutie ◽

Kiyoko M. Gotanda

Keyword(s):

Wild Birds ◽

Fecal Samples ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Invasive Method

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Brightly Colored to Stay in the Dark. Revealing of the Polychromy of the Lot Sarcophagus in the Catacomb of San Sebastiano in Rome

Heritage ◽

10.3390/heritage3030047 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 858-874

Author(s):

Susanna Bracci ◽

Donata Magrini ◽

Rachele Manganelli del Fà ◽

Oana Adriana Cuzman ◽

Barbara Mazzei

Keyword(s):

Late Antiquity ◽

3D Model ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Naked Eye ◽

Executive Process ◽

Different Types ◽

Yellow Ochre ◽

Invasive Techniques

The Lot Sarcophagus is one of the most relevant funerary sculptures of late antiquity (mid-4th century AC). Some of the remarkable aspects are the following (i) it is still preserved in situ; (ii) most of the carved scenes are rarities or unicum; (iii) not all the sculpture work has been completed, which allows us to analyse the executive process; (iv) many traces of polychromy have remained. This paper is focused on the characterization of the residual polychromy by using in-situ non-invasive techniques. Furthermore, few micro samples were taken, to be analysed in laboratory to study the composition of some deposits and to define if a preparatory layer was present under the coloured layer. The data showed that the very rich polychromy of the Lot Sarcophagus was made of Egyptian blue, yellow ochre, and three different types of red: two inorganics (red ochre and cinnabar), and one organic-based (madder lake). Furthermore, some decorations, completely vanished and no longer visible to the naked eye, have been rediscovered, also providing details on the construction phases. During the project, the 3D model of the sarcophagus was acquired, which afterwards was used to map the results of the diagnostic campaign.

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Diagnostic methods for extra-temporal neocortical focal epilepsies: present and future

Arquivos de Neuro-Psiquiatria ◽

10.1590/s0004-282x2010000100025 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 68 (1) ◽

pp. 119-126 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ricardo André Amorim Leite ◽

Maria Concépcion Garcia Otaduy ◽

Gilson Edmar Gonçalves e Silva ◽

Maria Lúcia Brito Ferreira ◽

Maria de Fátima Vasco Aragão

Keyword(s):

Cerebral Metabolism ◽

Diagnostic Methods ◽

Epileptogenic Zone ◽

Proton Spectroscopy ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Surgical Evaluation ◽

Invasive Method ◽

Almost All ◽

Invasive Techniques ◽

Video Eeg

The progress of epilepsies diagnosis has been great, but, amongst the diagnostic detailing that demand research, one of the most important is the essential lateralization and localization of epileptogenic zone, considered as the cerebral cortex region, that removed, will result in a free state of seizures. The present study aims to analyze the possible uses of proton spectroscopy for clinical and pre-surgical evaluation of focal extratemporal epilepsies, since this group presents the highest difficulty degree for lateralizing and locating epileptogenic zones. In almost all cases, a non invasive diagnosis can be performed using routine electroencephalography, video-electroencephalography - considered as gold standard, and magnetic resonance imaging. However, when the results of these exams are contradictory, some patients need invasive techniques, as the intra-cranial video-EEG, using deep electrodes, sub-dural strip and grid, that are associated with increased diagnostic cost and risk of complications, as cerebral hemorrhages and intra-cranial infections. Proton spectroscopy appears as a possibility, given its capacity to evaluate cerebral metabolism, by N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA), creatine (Cre) and choline (Cho) concentrations, amongst other metabolites. This non invasive method may provide time reduction of this evaluation and reliable level improvement for this topographical diagnosis.

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Non Invasive Treatment to Relieve the Pain due to Headaches & Sinus using Vibration on Acupressure Points

International Journal of Engineering and Advanced Technology - Regular Issue ◽

10.35940/ijeat.a1129.1291s419 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1S4) ◽

pp. 585-588

Keyword(s):

Stress Condition ◽

Cost Effective ◽

Climatic Changes ◽

Invasive Treatment ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Common Term ◽

Different Types ◽

Invasive Method ◽

Frequency Changes ◽

Head Neck

Headache is a common term that causes pain in the region of head, neck, and scalp. It is a neurological disorder. The nerves are tending to be in under stress condition. The main causes of the headache are due to stress, depression, tension, anxiety and due to some climatic changes, etc. Headache is classified into different types. Migraine, cluster headache, sinus, normal headache are some of the types of headache. Most headaches can be treated with some medication and neuro stimulator devices. This paper involves the usage of vibration by non-invasive method on the acupressure point of the human body which can relief the pain. The acupressure point is a pressure point, when used in a correct method will lead to decrease the level of pain. The vibration is provided by the motor vibrator and the frequency of the vibration is controlled by the arduino (Atmega 328). Frequency changes can be monitored by the pc. This vibration based treatment will effectively reduce the pain and also the device is cost effective and more comfortable to the patient.

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The Role of Ultrasound Guided Sampling Procedures in the Diagnosis of Pelvic Masses: A Narrative Review of the Literature

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11122204 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (12) ◽

pp. 2204

Author(s):

Francesca Arezzo ◽

Vera Loizzi ◽

Daniele La Forgia ◽

Adam Abdulwakil Kawosha ◽

Erica Silvestris ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Narrative Review ◽

Histological Evaluation ◽

Ultrasound Guided ◽

Tissue Samples ◽

Pelvic Masses ◽

Different Types ◽

High Flexibility ◽

Sampling Procedures ◽

Invasive Techniques

Ultrasound-guided sampling methods are usually minimally invasive techniques applied to obtain cytological specimens or tissue samples, mainly used for the diagnosis of different types of tumors. The main benefits of ultrasound guidance is its availability. It offers high flexibility in the choice of sampling approach (transabdominal, transvaginal, and transrectal) and short duration of procedure. Ultrasound guided sampling of pelvic masses represents the diagnostic method of choice in selected patients. We carried out a narrative review of literatures regarding the ultrasound-guided methods of cytological and histological evaluation of pelvic masses as well as the positive and negative predictors for the achievement of an adequate sample.

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Evaluation of microleakage of three different types of pit and fissure sealants using invasive and non-invasive techniques (An in-vitro study)

Erbil Dental Journal ◽

10.15218/edj.2021.06 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Hiwa Khidir

Keyword(s):

In Vitro Study ◽

Vitro Study ◽

Fissure Sealants ◽

Pit And Fissure Sealants ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Different Types ◽

Invasive Techniques

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Photosensitizers Used in the Photodynamic Therapy of Rheumatoid Arthritis

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20133339 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (13) ◽

pp. 3339 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Manuel Gallardo-Villagrán ◽

David Yannick Leger ◽

Bertrand Liagre ◽

Bruno Therrien

Keyword(s):

Rheumatoid Arthritis ◽

Photodynamic Therapy ◽

Light Irradiation ◽

Excitation Wavelength ◽

Target Tissue ◽

Non Invasive ◽

Different Types ◽

Invasive Method ◽

Promising Treatment ◽

As Solubility

Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) has become one of the most promising treatment against autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), as well as in the treatment of different types of cancer, since it is a non-invasive method and easy to carry out. The three main ingredients of PDT are light irradiation, oxygen, and a photosensitizer (PS). Light irradiation depends on the type of molecule or compound to be used as a PS. The concentration of O2 fluctuates according to the medium where the target tissue is located and over time, although it is known that it is possible to provide oxygenated species to the treated area through the PS itself. Finally, each PS has its own characteristics, the efficacy of which depends on multiple factors, such as solubility, administration technique, retention time, stability, excitation wavelength, biocompatibility, and clearance, among others. Therefore, it is essential to have a thorough knowledge of the disease to select the best PS for a specific target, such as RA. In this review we will present the PSs used in the last three decades to treat RA under PDT protocol, as well as insights on the relevant strategies.

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