Evaluation of BALB/c mice behavior and relations to the immune response after treatment with H3N2 homeopathic solutions

In Brazil, homeopathic medicines are prepared according to the Homeopathic Pharmacopeia, regulated by ANVISA. Among several categories of medicines, there is the biotherapic group, which is prepared from etiologic agents. In this study, we developed a biotherapic from influenza A virus, aiming the influenza infection prevention. Influenza is a disease that affects thousands of people worldwide every year, with an important economic impact, what motivates the development of new low cost therapies. The H3N2 biotherapic developed in this study was administered to Balb/c mice to evaluate their immune response to viral specific antigens and behavior (homeopathic proving). Sixty-two 4 weeks old Balb/c mice were divided into five experimental groups (n=14 per group), after approval by the Ethics Committee of Animal Use (Protocol DFBCICB 037) and stimulated daily, blindly, with 1% (v/v) different homeopathic medicines, for a maximum period of 42 days. The tested medicines were: biotherapic 30x prepared from inactivated influenza A virus; biotherapic 30x prepared with infectious influenza A virus; and thymulin 5cH, a thymus hormone. The two control groups were treated with water 30x and nothing (baseline group). After 21 days of treatment, half of the animals from each group was challenged subcutaneously with the viral hemagglutinin antigen (7 mg / 200 mL) and monitored by 21 days further, to evaluate the humoral immune response and general behavior, using an open field device. The remaining animals were evaluated by the same behavioral tests at the end of the first 21 days, as an attempt to define the proving features. After euthanasia, all animals were autopsied and the spleen, lungs, heart and mediastine lymph nodes were weighed. Histometry of the spleen follicles was also made. Histopathological and behavioral analyses showed absence of behavioral effects, however, there was increase of spleen lymphoid follicles diameter in immunized animals treated with thymulin and with the biotherapic prepared from infectious influenza A, when compared to the control group. This experiment is being repeated using flow cytometry to complete the analysis and confirm the results.

Parameter Space Mapping for Blood Oxygenation Measurement with Low Field NMR

<p><b>Blood oxygenation is a critical physiological parameter for patient health. The clinical importance of this parameter means that measurement of blood oxygenation is a routine part of care. Magnetic resonance provides a way to measure blood oxygenation through the paramagnetic effect of deoxy-haemoglobin, which decreases the T2 relaxation time of blood. This effect has been well characterised at high fields (>1:5 T) for use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and it is a contributing factor to the Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent contrast used in functional MRI. However there are relatively few studies of this effect at low magnetic fields, and these have only looked at extreme levels of oxygenation/deoxygenation. To study this effect for potential application in a low-field device, we measured this effect to determine how factors such as oxygenation, field strength and CPMG echo time affect the T2 of blood.</b></p> <p>A continuous flow circuit, similar to a cardiopulmonary bypass circuit, was used to control parameters such as oxygen saturation and temperature, before the blood sample flowed into a variable field magnet (set at fields between 5-40 MHz), where a series of CPMG experiments with echo times ranging from 1 ms to 20 ms were performed to measure the T2. Additionally, the oxygen saturation was continually monitored by an optical sensor, for comparison with the T2 changes. This allowed us to test the sensitivity of this effect at low fields.</p> <p>These results show that at low fields, the T2 relaxation change still follows the trends shown in the literature, with a dependence on B0 squared, and on the fraction of deoxyhaemoglobin squared. Additionally, these results were also compared with two theoretical models for the dependence on echo time, which have previously been tested at high fields: the Luz-Meiboom equation, and the Jensen and Chandra model. Both models gave good agreement with the data measured at low fields. These experiments show that the T2 changes in blood due to oxygenation are still visible at low field, and that this technique should be feasible in a low field device.</p>

Parameter Space Mapping for Blood Oxygenation Measurement with Low Field NMR

<p><b>Blood oxygenation is a critical physiological parameter for patient health. The clinical importance of this parameter means that measurement of blood oxygenation is a routine part of care. Magnetic resonance provides a way to measure blood oxygenation through the paramagnetic effect of deoxy-haemoglobin, which decreases the T2 relaxation time of blood. This effect has been well characterised at high fields (>1:5 T) for use in Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and it is a contributing factor to the Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent contrast used in functional MRI. However there are relatively few studies of this effect at low magnetic fields, and these have only looked at extreme levels of oxygenation/deoxygenation. To study this effect for potential application in a low-field device, we measured this effect to determine how factors such as oxygenation, field strength and CPMG echo time affect the T2 of blood.</b></p> <p>A continuous flow circuit, similar to a cardiopulmonary bypass circuit, was used to control parameters such as oxygen saturation and temperature, before the blood sample flowed into a variable field magnet (set at fields between 5-40 MHz), where a series of CPMG experiments with echo times ranging from 1 ms to 20 ms were performed to measure the T2. Additionally, the oxygen saturation was continually monitored by an optical sensor, for comparison with the T2 changes. This allowed us to test the sensitivity of this effect at low fields.</p> <p>These results show that at low fields, the T2 relaxation change still follows the trends shown in the literature, with a dependence on B0 squared, and on the fraction of deoxyhaemoglobin squared. Additionally, these results were also compared with two theoretical models for the dependence on echo time, which have previously been tested at high fields: the Luz-Meiboom equation, and the Jensen and Chandra model. Both models gave good agreement with the data measured at low fields. These experiments show that the T2 changes in blood due to oxygenation are still visible at low field, and that this technique should be feasible in a low field device.</p>

Development and Validation of an ISA100.11a Simulation Model for Accurate Industrial WSN Planning and Deployment

During the planning, design, and optimization of an industrial wireless sensor network (IWSN), the proposed solutions need to be validated and evaluated. To reduce the time and expenses, highly accurate simulators can be used for these tasks. This paper presents the development and experimental validation of an ISA100.11a simulation model for industrial wireless sensor networks (IWSN). To achieve high simulation accuracy, the ISA100.11a software stack running on two types of certified devices (i.e., an all-in-one gateway and a field device) is integrated with the ns-3 simulator. The behavior of IWSNs is analyzed in four different types of test scenarios: (1) through simulation using the proposed ISA100.11a simulation model, (2) on an experimental testbed using ISA100.11a certified devices, (3) in a Gateway-in-the-loop Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) scenario, and (4) in a Node-in-the-loop HIL scenario. Moreover, the scalability of the proposed simulation model is evaluated. Several metrics related to the timing of events and communication statistics are used to evaluate the behavior and performance of the tested IWSNs. The results analysis demonstrates the potential of the proposed model to accurately predict IWSN behavior.

Feasibility of peripheral OCT imaging using a novel integrated SLO ultra-widefield imaging swept-source OCT device

Purpose To describe the feasibility of peripheral OCT imaging in retinal diseases using a novel full-field device. Methods A total of 134 consecutive eyes were referred and imaged on the Optos Silverstone swept-source OCT (SS-OCT) (Optos PLC; Dunfermline, UK). Scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) images and the associated SS-OCT images were obtained in the posterior pole, mid-periphery or far periphery based on the nature of the referral and on new areas of interest observed in the optomap images at the time of imaging. Results A total of 134 eyes (96 patients) were enrolled in the study. One hundred and twenty-five eyes (91 patients) with 38 retinal pathologies were prospectively assessed and 9 eyes (5 patients) were excluded due to incomplete image acquisition. The average age of the subjects was 54 years (range 21–92 years). Thirty-nine out of 125 eyes (31%) had macular pathologies. Eighty-six out of 125 eyes (69%) had peripheral only pathologies, an area which cannot be visualized by standard OCT devices with a 50 degree field-of-view. Conclusions The ability to capture peripheral pathologies using an integrated SLO-UWF imaging with full-field swept-source provided high-grade anatomical insight that confirmed the medical and surgical management in a majority of cases. Its use in the mid- and far periphery provides a holistic clinical picture, which can potentially aid in the understanding of various retinal pathologies.