Integration of image exposure time into a modified laser speckle imaging method

Speckle-based methods have been developed to characterize tissue blood flow and perfusion. One such method, called modified laser speckle imaging (mLSI), enables computation of blood flow maps with relatively high spatial resolution. Although it is known that the sensitivity and noise in LSI measurements depend on image exposure time, a fundamental disadvantage of mLSI is that it does not take into account this parameter. In this work, we integrate the exposure time into the mLSI method and provide experimental support of our approach with measurements from an in vitro flow phantom.

First dark matter results from the XENON100 experiment

The XENON100 experiment, in operation at the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso in Italy, is designed to search for dark matter weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) scattering off 62 kg of liquid xenon in an ultralow background dual-phase time projection chamber. In this Letter, we present first dark matter results from the analysis of 11.17 live days of nonblind data, acquired in October and November 2009. In the selected fiducial target of 40 kg, and within the predefined signal region, we observe no events and hence exclude spin-independent WIMP-nucleon elastic scattering cross sections above 3.4 × 10⁻⁴⁴  cm² for 55  GeV/c² WIMPs at 90% confidence level. Below 20  GeV/c², this result constrains the interpretation of the CoGeNT and DAMA signals as being due to spin-independent, elastic, light mass WIMP interactions.

Immunomodulatory effects of specific bacterial components of Lactobacillus plantarum KFCC11389P on the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7

AIMS

The objective of this study was to investigate the ability of specific bacterial components of Lactobacillus plantarum KFCC11389P to induce anti-inflammatory mediators in cell cultures of the murine macrophage cell line, RAW 264.7.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with viable bacterial cells (VC), heat-killed (HK) cells, cell walls (CW) or ultrafiltrates of metabolic products (UF). An increase in the levels of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha was observed in VC, HK and CW, but this effect was much lower in UF. VC stimulated higher levels of interleukin (IL)-6 releases as well as nitric oxide production than HK. In contrast, UF and its separated molecule, fraction 4, were much strong IL-10 inducers. Fraction 4 (8.1 kDa), especially, inhibited the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-6 (89% decrease) and TNF-alpha (55% decrease), in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated murine macrophages.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study indicate that metabolic products of Lact. plantarum KFCC11389P could influence the immune-modulating activity via IL-10, and pretreatment with this specific molecule could inhibit LPS-induced release of IL-6 and TNF-alpha.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Our findings suggest that the specific molecules of Lact. plantarum KFCC11389P may be useful for the treatment of acute inflammatory responses such as Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis.

Effects of irradiation on cytokine production in a mouse model of Behçet's disease

OBJECTIVE

Low-dose whole-body irradiation is known to have anti-inflammatory effects. The objectives of this study were to verify that cytokine augmentation is induced by irradiation in vivo, and to assess the effectiveness of radiation in treating Behçet's disease (BD).

METHODS

Whole-body and half-body irradiation with single doses of 10cGy, 2Gy and 10Gy were delivered to normal mice, and cytokine and chemokine levels were analyzed in PBMC and sera. BD-like mice were treated with low-dose, half-body 10cGy irradiation.

RESULTS

In normal mice, PBMC cytokine mRNA levels peaked four days after irradiation. Of the cytokines and chemokines examined, the levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-12p40, TNF-alpha, TGF-b, MIP-1alpha and IL-18 were all influenced by radiation treatment. Of these, IL-4, an ameliorating factor for BD, was the most elevated following low-dose irradiation (10cGy group). FACS analysis showed intracellular IL-4-staining of 7.24+/-0.92% of PBMC from irradiated mice compared to 1.3+/-0.1% from non-irradiated, normal mice (p<0.005). Serum IL-4 levels were also significantly increased (6.08+/-1.7 pg/ml) relative to control (1.83+/-0.8; p<0.005).

CONCLUSION

Augmentation of cytokine production may contribute to the anti-inflammatory effects of low dose irradiation and amelioration of BD symptoms in this mouse model.