Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “FLASH”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 325 records · Page 18Linked to original sources

Foveal xenon flash disruption of steady-state visual evoked potentials.

The effects of foveal exposure to near maximum permissible levels of broad-band light from lamps of differing flash durations and visual angle subtense on steady-state visual evoked potentials ( SSVEP 's) were measured in four human volunteers. SSVEP 's in response to a counterphasing checkerboard pattern were recorded with a two-phase vector voltmeter used as an analog fourier analyzer and were averaged across repeated presentation of the flash from each lamp. Two microsecond flashes of approximately 0.4 degrees have minimal, although significant effects on early visual processing of a 2.77 degrees diameter 6/24 (20/80) target. Five hundred microsecond flashes of equivalent size have greater effects; larger flashes (11.3, degrees 500 mus) produced afterimages that totally obscured the target for approximately 3.4 s and also reduced the SSVEP to near zero. Recovery of the SSVEP was subjectively correlated with afterimage duration rather than target obscuration . Therefore, single short small retinal image flashes may have minimal transient effects on photopic suprathreshold vision.

Afterimage↗

Direct measurement of the tail beat frequency of human sperm by flash light synchronization.

Based on the synchronization between a periodic vibration and flashing light, we designed a device to determine the flagellar beating frequency of human sperm. The head of a spermatozoon was either held by the tip of a micropipette operated with a micromanipulator or adhered by itself on the surface of a glass slide when the sperm swam out of the micropipette into the fresh Ham's F-10 medium. The beat frequency of the flagellum was measured by synchronization of the frequency-adjustable flash light built on an inverted microscope. The light frequency synchronizer included a controller, a pulse generator, a signal counter, and a flash illuminator. During each measurement, the spermatozoon was transferred to the center of the observing field and the frequency generator created a series of signals which developed flashing signals onto the sample plane. When the vibration of the flagellum was observed as a constant two-step-like movement after frequency adjustment, the beating frequency was read from the signal counter and the count was twice that of the beat frequency of the sperm tail. As the flash signal was decreased to half of this frequency, an apparently immobilized sperm flagellum was observed and the exact beating frequency could then be determined. This device was then used to measure the effect of pentoxifylline on sperm motility. The results showed that the increase of tail beat frequency as measured by this device is well correlated with the increase of beat cross frequency as detected by a computer-assisted semen analyzer. These findings suggest that this flash light synchronization device is a reliable and useful system for the assessment of sperm motility.

Humans↗

Object-based anisotropies in the flash-lag effect.

The relative visual position of a briefly flashed stimulus is systematically modified in the presence of motion signals. We investigated the two-dimensional distortion of the positional representation of a flash relative to a moving stimulus. Analysis of the spatial pattern of mislocalization revealed that the perceived position of a flash was not uniformly displaced, but instead shifted toward a single point of convergence that followed the moving object from behind at a fixed distance. Although the absolute magnitude of mislocalization increased with motion speed, the convergence point remained unaffected. The motion modified the perceived position of a flash, but had little influence on the perceived shape of a spatially extended flash stimulus. These results demonstrate that motion anisotropically distorts positional representation after the shapes of objects are represented. Furthermore, the results imply that the flash-lag effect may be considered a special case of two-dimensional anisotropic distortion.

Adult↗

Receptor and neural visual readaptation after exposure to colored flash.

The time needed to recover optokinetic nystagmus or electroretinography complexes after a glare inducing flash was measured to study the receptor and neural visual readaptation. Electroretinographs and optokinetic nystagmus were evoked with low intensity stimuli. The light from a flash tube was filtered with an interference filter (Tmax = 536 or 622 nm) and evenly distributed into a Goldmann hemisphere observed by the subject. The Recovery of the amplitude of the a-wave of the electroretinography is quicker than the recovery of optokinetic nystagmus after a low intensity glare inducing flash. The recovery time was shorter for a red than for a green flash of equivalent dose for both recovery modalities. The time difference between electroretinography a-wave and optokinetic nystagmus recovery was the same and independent of glare inducing flash wavelength. The recovery of the amplitude of the a-wave of the electroretinography was quicker than the recovery of optokinetic nystagmus after a low intensity glare inducing flash. This time difference between the recovery modalities may in part be due to the difference between the physiological stimuli used, but it is believed that most of the time difference is because the recovery of optokinetic nystagmus monitors more of the afferent visual pathway with complex post receptor neural mechanisms than the recovery of the a-wave.

Adaptation, Ocular↗

The biphotonic photoionization of chlorpromazine during conventional flash photolysis: spin trapping results with 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide.

A novel combination of conventional flash photolysis and electron spin resonance (ESR) spin-trapping has been used to demonstrate that photoionization of chlorpromazine (CPZ), and the concomitant production of hydrated electron, occurs through a stepwise biphotonic mechanism during conventional flash photolysis at wavelengths above 290 nm. The production of hydrated electron in the flash photolysis experiment has been monitored and quantified through the use of the spin trapping agent, 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-N-oxide (DMPO). The effects of nitrous oxide, varying concentrations of CPZ and DMPO, and a range of flash intensities on the ESR spectra of the observed spin adducts of DMPO are discussed. The use of ESR spin trapping to monitor hydrated electron yields in flash photolysis experiments has the potential to permit the use of a much wider range of flash intensities than is typically possible with conventional optical experiments. Thus, there is a greater possibility of distinguishing between monophotonic and biphotonic processes.

Chlorpromazine↗

Effects of bleaching and backgrounds on the flash response of the cone system.

1. Increment-threshold functions for flashed backgrounds were measured in the human fovea under several conditions: (1) during dark adaptation following full bleaches, (2) in the presence of steady adapting backgrounds and (3) 500 msec following extinction of adapting backgrounds.2. To prevent the intense flashed backgrounds from interfering with the course of dark adaptation the inter-trial interval was continuously increased during dark adaptation. This technique may prove generally useful for presenting suprathreshold stimuli during dark adaptation.3. All the increment-threshold functions measured during dark adaptation were found to be roughly shape invariant and continuously accelerating when plotted in log-log co-ordinates. Furthermore, in order to translate a function obtained at any given time into coincidence with a function obtained at any other time, it had to be translated vertically and horizontally the same number of log units. This is equivalent to adding or removing neutral density filters from in front of the eye.4. The increment-threshold functions obtained with steady adapting backgrounds were also continuously accelerating, but could not be brought into coincidence by equal vertical and horizontal translation. However, this became possible again if the adapting background was extinguished during presentation of the flashed background.5. These results contradict the equivalent-background hypothesis. None the less, they suggest that under present conditions the effects of bleaches and backgrounds may be similar except that steady backgrounds provide additional quanta which drive the visual system part of the way up its intensity-response function.6. The conclusions above were supported by applying a simple model based on the equation R = R(max). I(n) / (I(n) + I(1) (n)), which has frequently been used to describe the peak responses of retinal neurones to flashed stimuli. Virtually all of the data reported here were fitted by this simple model with R(max) held constant.7. The parameters estimated from the model imply that the flash responses measured in the present experiments differ in at least one fundamental way from receptor responses. Even after taking into account changes in the half saturation constant I(1), steady backgrounds were found to be much less effective than flashed backgrounds in driving the visual system up its intensity-response function. A subtractive inhibitory network prior to the non-linear stages responsible for threshold saturation could explain this result.

Dark Adaptation↗

Kinetics and components of the flash photocurrent of isolated retinal rods of the larval salamander, Ambystoma tigrinum.

1. Membrane currents initiated by intense, 20 microseconds flashes (photocurrents) were recorded from isolated salamander rods by combined extracellular suction electrodes and intracellular tight-seal electrodes either in current or voltage clamp mode. The magnitudes (mean +/- 2 S.E.M.) of the maximal photoresponses recorded by the suction and by the intracellular electrode respectively were 40 +/- 5 pA (n = 18) and 35 +/- 7 mV (n = 8) for current clamp at zero current; 43 +/- 9 pA and 66 +/- 13 (n = 11) pA for voltage clamp at the zero-current holding potential, -24 +/- 3 mV. 2. Photocurrents initiated by flashes isomerizing 0.1% or more of the outer segment's rhodopsin achieved a saturated velocity and were 95% complete in less than 50 ms. The effect of incrementing flash intensity above 0.1% isomerization can be described as a translation of the photocurrent along the time axis towards the origin. Within the interval 0-50 ms the latter two-thirds of the velocity-saturated photocurrent is well described as a single-exponential decay. The decay was much faster in voltage clamp (2.8 +/- 1.2 ms, n = 11) than in current clamp mode (17 +/- 5 ms, n = 17). 3. The initial third of the velocity-saturated photocurrent, occurring over the interval from the flash to the onset of exponential decay, followed about the same time course in current and voltage clamp. The time interval occupied by this initial 'latent' phase decreased with increasing flash intensity and attained an apparent minimum of about 7 ms in response to flashes isomerizing 10% or more of the rhodopsin at ca. 22 degrees C. 4. The hypothesis that the decay of outer segment light-sensitive membrane current is the same in current and voltage clamp was supported by an analysis of the difference between outer segment currents measured successively in the two recording modes. First, the tail of the difference current decayed exponentially with a time constant approximately equal to R x C, where R and C are independently estimated slope resistance and capacitance of the rod. Secondly, the integral of the difference current, when divided by outer segment capacitance, closely approximated the hyperpolarizing light response measured under current clamp. Thus, displacement current accounted for the difference between photocurrents measured in current and voltage clamp.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Ambystoma↗

Focal liver disease: comparison of dynamic contrast-enhanced CT and T2-weighted fat-suppressed, FLASH, and dynamic gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging at 1.5 T.

Dynamic contrast medium-enhanced computed tomography (CT), T2-weighted fat-suppressed spin-echo (T2FS) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and breath-hold T1-weighted fast low-angle shot (FLASH) MR imaging before and after dynamic gadopentetate dimeglumine injection were compared in 73 patients with clinically suspected liver disease. Observer confidence for presence of focal lesions was determined by using receiver operating characteristic analysis. For all MR images, hepatic lesion-liver signal-to-noise ratios were evaluated qualitatively. and resolution and presence of artifacts were evaluated qualitatively. Lesion detection was greatest with T2FS (n = 272) and enhanced FLASH (n = 244) and was statistically greater with both of these than with CT (n = 220) and FLASH (n = 219) (P less than .03). Correct lesion characterization was greatest with enhanced FLASH (n = 236) (P less than .01), followed by CT (n = 199), FLASH (n = 164), and T2FS (n = 144). Enhanced FLASH was particularly successful in characterization of 5-mm- to 1.5-cm-diameter lesions as cystic or solid.

Adenoma↗

Investigation of hot flashes by ambulatory monitoring.

The unpredictability of hot flashes makes their investigation difficult. A method for continuous monitoring of subjective arousals and their objective correlates is here described and illustrated with results from one subject. Temperatures of special interest with respect to hot flashes--toe, cheek, vagina, and air--were recorded on a protable magnetic tape during routine living at home. The subject signaled the "on" and "off" of each perceived flash with a hand switch and also entered information in a notebook. She signaled 63 flashes on 5 days, during which the cheek and toe temperatures showed transient increments. Some of the flashes were labeled uncertain in the notebook. The subject also had 23 episodes of these temperature increments that she did not identify by signals as flashes. In these episodes, therefore, the mechanism of consciousness was not activated. Perceptions that coincided with transient temperature increments thus ranged as follows: subconscious, uncertain, definite but bearable, mildly distressful, and strongly distressful. Hence ambulatory monitoring can provide objective evidence of transient activation of the hypothalamic heat loss mechanism, whether perceived or not.

Body Temperature↗

Induction of hot flashes in premenopausal women treated with a long-acting GnRH agonist.

To examine the relationship between the occurrence of menopausal hot flashes and the pulsatile release of LH, we have investigated the serum hormone levels and the occurrence of hot flashes by objective recordings in five women with endometriosis given daily injections of a long-acting GnRH agonist (GnRH-a) for 28 days. Results were compared to the findings made in 25 young women 6-8 weeks after bilateral oophorectomy. Serum levels of estrone and estradiol were similar in the subjects given GnRH-a and the women who underwent a surgical castration. In comparison with values before GnRH-a administration, the mean FSH level was lower whereas the mean LH concentration was significantly higher (P less than 0.01) on the last day of therapy. The coefficients of variations of both gonadotropins measured during 4-h sampling periods at 20-min intervals before and at the end of GnRH-a administration were significantly reduced (P less than 0.01) with therapy. During the total of 20 h of frequent sampling in the 5 subjects, 15 pulses (20% rise from nadir) of LH and 12 pulses of FSH were detected before GnRH-a, whereas only 2 and 8 pulses, respectively, were observed on day 28 of treatment. Hot flashes were observed in both groups of patients. The proportion of women experiencing hot flashes, the rate of occurrence/h and the characteristics of the physiological changes were similar in the 2 groups of women. These data indicate that hot flashes can occur in the absence of prominent LH pulses, suggesting the pulsatile release of this hormone is merely associated with the hot flash rather than being etiological.

Castration↗

Core body temperature and circadian rhythm of hot flashes in menopausal women.

Postmenopausal hot flashes are characterized by sweating and peripheral vasodilation and occur more frequently during increased heat loads. The circadian rhythm of core body temperature (TC) is well known and suggests that hot flashes will be most frequent when core temperature is highest. This hypothesis has not been tested previously. Ten symptomatic and six asymptomatic postmenopausal women were recruited from advertisements and screened. Each received 24-h ambulatory monitoring of sternal skin conductance levels to detect hot flashes, ambient temperature, skin temperature, and TC. The last measure was recorded using an ingested radiotelemetry pill. Cosinor analysis demonstrated a circadian rhythm (P < 0.02) of hot flashes with a peak at about 1825 h. TC values of the symptomatic women were lower than those of the asymptomatic women (P < .05) from 0000-0400 h and at 1500 and 2200 h. The majority of hot flashes were preceded by elevations in TC. Thus, elevated TC may serve as one trigger of menopausal hot flashes.

Body Temperature↗

Firefly flashing is controlled by gating oxygen to light-emitting cells.

Although many aspects of firefly bioluminescence are understood, the mechanism by which adult fireflies produce light as discrete rapid flashes is not. Here we examine the most postulated theory, that flashing is controlled by gating oxygen access to the light-emitting cells (photocytes). According to this theory, the dark state represents repression of bioluminescence by limiting oxygen, which is required for bioluminescence; relief from this repression by transiently allowing oxygen access to the photocytes allows the flash. We show that normobaric hyperoxia releases the repression of light emission in the dark state of both spontaneously flashing and non-flashing fireflies, causing continual glowing, and we measure the kinetics of this process. Secondly, we determine the length of the barriers to oxygen diffusion to the photocytes in the aqueous and gas phases. Thirdly, we provide constraints upon the distance between any gas-phase gating structure(s) and the photocytes. We conclude from these data that the flash of the adult firefly is controlled by gating of oxygen to the photocytes, and demonstrate that this control mechanism is likely to act by modulating the levels of fluid in the tracheoles supplying photocytes, providing a variable barrier to oxygen diffusion.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗

Exponent of the Broca-Sulzer flash duration as a function of retinal eccentricity.

The flash duration producing maximum brightness-enhancement changes as a power function of luminance, that is, the time locus of the Broca-Sulzer flash duration TB, decreases as luminance L increases: TB = k x L beta , where beta is the duration exponent. The exponent of TB was estimated for 1-deg white flash fovea, 10-, 20-, 30-, 40-, 50-, and 60-deg temporal eccentricities of the dark-adapted human right eye. The following method of brightness maximization was used: the observer adjusted the duration of constant luminance flashes to produce a maximally bright flash. Duration was adjusted by rotating a microprocessor-based potentiometer. The results showed that the duration of the brightest flash TB decreased as L increased with the negative power exponent. Furthermore, the size of the negative exponent decreased as a function of increasing retinal eccentricity. Time-dependent brightness processing in the fovea and periphery is discussed in terms of the psychophysical brightness power function.

Dark Adaptation↗

Precision and accuracy of two blood glucose meters: FreeStyle Flash versus One Touch Ultra.

PURPOSE: The precision and accuracy of two blood glucose meters were evaluated using finger and forearm blood samples. METHODS: Duplicate blood glucose measurements on the same forearm and finger as venipuncture were performed with the FreeStyle Flash and the One Touch Ultra. Accuracy was assessed by error-grid analysis and the number of values within 10% of the laboratory reference value. Precision was determined by calculating the absolute mean percent differences in glucose values between the first and second fingers and forearm test results. Forearm testing success was defined as an accurate glucose reading obtained with one lance. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients completed the study; 93% had diabetes and 53% were female. Patients' mean +/- S.D. age was 63 +/- 12 years, and glucose measurements ranged from 69 to 354 mg/dL. All finger-stick samples fell within error-grid zones A and B; 72% and 57% of FreeStyle Flash and One Touch Ultra values fell within 10% of the laboratory reference values, respectively (p = 0.027). Forearm samples were successfully obtained in 99 and 74 patients using the FreeStyle Flash and One Touch Ultra (p < 0.001), with 64 and 36 samples, respectively, falling within 10% of the laboratory reference values (p = 0.035). There was no difference in meter precision. CONCLUSION: The FreeStyle Flash and the One Touch Ultra are precise glucose meters; however, the FreeStyle Flash was associated with greater accuracy. Success rates of forearm glucose sampling were significantly greater when the FreeStyle Flash meter was used.

Adult↗

Circadian rhythms in hot flashes in natural and surgically-induced menopause.

The aim of this study was to investigate circadian and ultradian variations in menopausal hot flash. The number of hot flashes per 2-hr period was collected from 25 diurnally-active, perimenopausal women for 1 week in January or February of each year for 3 consecutive years. Fourteen women were experiencing natural menopause (NM) (mean age 51.9 years) and 11 were experiencing surgically-induced menopause (SIM) (mean age 52.0 years). The difference in the number of hot flashes between the two types of menopause at each clock time was not statistically significant; neither was the mean number of hot flashes per 24 hr different between the two groups (Student's t-test). Data when normalized for each woman and placed end-to-end revealed by cosinor analysis circadian rhythmicity in the SIM group (P = 0.02) but not in the NM group. A 12-hr periodicity was detected in both groups (P less than 0.001 for both). An 8-hr rhythm was detected only for the NM group (P = 0.04). Both groups combined exhibited statistically significant rhythmicities with periods of 24 hr (P = 0.003), 12 hr (P less than 0.001) and 8 hr (P = 0.005). Regardless of the type of menopause, the women could be separated into two groups based on the temporal pattern of hot flashes during the day. One group was defined by the occurrence of peak frequency of flashes during the morning (0400-0959), while the second group was defined by the occurrence of the peak in the evening (1600-2159).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Activity Cycles↗

Analysis of phosphorescence decay in heterogeneous systems: consequences of finite excitation flash duration.

Analysis of phosphorescence lifetimes using the Stern-Volmer equation is a reliable means of determining quencher concentration for a uniform sample. Methods of analysis for heterogeneous systems are based on the assumption that the excitation is produced by a momentary flash. This condition is an idealization because a real flash has a finite duration and a complex time profile. In the case of a heterogeneous quencher concentration, an excitation flash produces different initial intensities and different times of peak intensity from compartments having different concentrations of quencher. We formulated a model to explore the effects of flash duration on the shape of the emission curve obtained from systems in which the heterogeneity is continuous. We developed mathematical models that can be used to recover fitting parameters of continuous distributions of reciprocal lifetimes approximated as rectangular or Gaussian distributions, or an arbitrary histogram. We also formulated a procedure to convert the distribution of reciprocal lifetimes into a volume distribution of quencher concentration. We found that (1) the Stern-Volmer ratio of phosphorescence intensities cannot be employed for interpretation of pulse phosphorometric data in terms of a volume distribution of quencher; (2) shortening the flash duration decreases the difference of initial intensities between compartments having high and low quencher concentration; (3) the parameters of the volume distribution of quencher concentration can be recovered correctly only after taking account of the difference in initial intensities; and (4) calibration of the initial intensities for a given fitting delay and flash function is necessary.

Kinetics↗

Different modulation of flash responses of fast and slow relay cells by aversive electrical brain stimulation.

Electrical activity of single neurons of the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus of rats was recorded from stereotactically fixed animals. The neurons were classified as fast or slow ones, according to their response latency to electrical stimulation of the chiasma opticum. After this, the responses to diffuse flashes, to aversive electrical stimulation of the brain (ESB) and to a combination of both, brain stimulation immediately followed by a flash, were recorded. One week prior to testing, bipolar nichrom electrodes had been implanted into the tectotegmental region for the ESB, and their effectiveness was tested behaviorally. Out of 78 neurons 56 fast and 22 slow ones were found. Fast neurons have a significantly higher background activity than slow neurons. Both classes show a modulation of flash evoked responses by the ESB, although the ESB has nearly no effect on the spontaneous discharge frequency in any of the neurons. The influence on the flash response differs according to the cell class: the class of fast neurons is predominantly facilitated up to 1100 ms after the flash application, whereas the class of slow neurons is inhibited during this period. Later on (up to 2260 ms after flash) fast cells show no clear net effect, and slow cells were still slightly inhibited.

Animals↗

Properties of memory-guided saccades toward targets flashed during smooth pursuit in human subjects.

PURPOSE: This study in human subjects investigated whether or not the saccade system can monitor smooth changes of the eye position in total darkness. METHODS: The authors studied the properties of memory-guided saccades toward targets flashed during pursuit eye movements (target velocities of 15 degrees/s, 30 degrees/s, and 45 degrees/s) in four normal human subjects. Subjects were instructed to execute memory-guided saccades toward the position of the flashed target in total darkness when the pursuit target was extinguished. RESULTS: The vector of the saccade was more highly correlated with the vector of "spatial error" (the vector from the position of the eye at the time of the saccade to the position of the flashed target in space) than with the vector of "retinal error" (the vector from the position of the eye at the time of the presentation of the flashed target to the position of the flashed target). The amplitude and direction errors of memory-guided saccades were correlated with the amplitude of the retinal error but not with amplitude of eye deviation after the presentation of the flashed target. Pursuit velocity did not affect the error of the saccade. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the saccade system can monitor smooth changes of the eye position in total darkness, regardless of the velocity of pursuit, and that the accuracy of memory-guided saccades is dependent only on the amplitude of the retinal error.

Adult↗