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Spatial distribution of glutathione, glutathione-related and antioxidant enzymes in cultured mouse embryos.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the detoxifying capacity of organogenesis-stage murine concepti cultured in vitro. Investigative attention was particularly focused on the embryonic tissue distribution of cytoprotective pathways. Glutathione (GSH) status, GSH-related and antioxidant enzymes were assayed in the embryo proper (EP), visceral yolk sac (VYS) and ectoplacental cone (EC) of 29.44 +/- 1.56 (mean +/- SD) somite pairs concepti. All the tissues displayed significant and comparable concentrations of GSH, further supporting this tripeptide as critical in protection against embryotoxicants. The totality of enzymatic activities was detectable in the selected embryonic compartments. In terms of spatial distribution analysis, maximal activities were found in EC (glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, superoxide dismutase and glyoxalase I and II), and VYS (glutathione transferase and catalase). These results indicate: (1) the organogenesis-stage conceptus, in addition to significant amounts of GSH, expresses constitutive activities of GSH-related and antioxidant enzymes; (2) maximal activity levels are detectable in the embryonic sites which, at the developmental stage selected for assay, serve (VYS) or are evolving to serve (EC) embryo/maternal exchange, and thus represent the primary sites of interaction with foreign compounds.

Animals↗

Interaction between water flow and spatial distribution of microbial growth in a two-dimensional flow field in saturated porous media.

Bacterial growth and its interaction with water flow was investigated in a two-dimensional flow field in a saturated porous medium. A flow cell (56 x 44 x 1 cm) was filled with glass beads and operated under a continuous flow of a mineral medium containing nitrate as electron acceptor. A glucose solution was injected through an injection port, simulating a point source contamination. Visible light transmission was used to observe the distribution of the growing biomass and water flow during the experiment. At the end of the experiment (on day 31), porous medium samples were destructively collected and analyzed for abundance of total and active bacterial cells, bacterial cell volume and concentration of polysaccharides and proteins. Microbial growth was observed in two stripes along the length of the flow cell, starting at the glucose injection port, where highest biomass concentrations were obtained. The spatial distribution of biomass indicated that microbial activity was limited by transverse mixing between glucose and nitrate media, as only in the mixing zone between the media high biological activities were achieved. The ability of the biomass to change the flow pattern in the flow cell was observed, indicating that the biomass was locally reducing the hydraulic conductivity of the porous medium. This bioclogging effect became evident when the injection of the glucose solution was turned off and water flow still bypassed the area around the glucose injection port, preserving the flow pattern as it was during the injection of the glucose solution. As flow bypass was possible in this system, the average hydraulic properties of the flow cell were not affected by the produced biomass. Even in the vicinity of the injection port, the total volume of the bacterial cells remained below 0.01% of the pore space and was unlikely to be responsible for the bioclogging. However, the bacteria produced large amounts of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which likely caused the observed bioclogging effects.

Benzenesulfonates↗

The theory of thermoluminescence with an arbitrary spatial distribution of traps.

There are two basic analytical models for thermoluminescence (TL). The first relates to the uniform distribution of traps. The second relates to the pairs of traps and recombination centres placed close to each other. In both cases, it was possible to formulate a set of differential equations describing charge carriers' kinetics. Some recent results, both experimental and theoretical, show that this simple picture may not be applicable, especially in dosimetric applications of TL. There are strong indications that many measured TL glow curves come from clusters of spatially associated traps and recombination centres. The kinetics of TL and some relevant processes in spatially correlated systems was studied numerically using Monte Carlo simulations. In this paper, new equations are presented for TL in a system with an arbitrary spatial distribution of traps and recombination centres. An analytical formulation allows easier comparison of the theory with experimentally observed data.

Models, Theoretical↗

Spatial distribution of Ca2+ influx in turtle Purkinje cell dendrites in vitro: role of a transient outward current.

1. Intracellular recordings were made from Purkinje cells in a slice preparation of the turtle cerebellum. Simultaneously, changes in [Ca2+]i in all regions of the cell were detected with high-speed fluorescence imaging of injected fura-2. Cells were stimulated either intrasomatically or synaptically. In addition, the cells were polarized locally with an external electrical field aligned parallel to the soma-dendritic axis. 2. The soma, smooth dendrites, and spiny dendrites displayed voltage-dependent changes in [Ca2+]i. Changes in the somatic region were correlated with Na+ spike firing and local depolarization. Small [Ca2+]i changes in the spiny dendrites were correlated with graded potentials and larger changes with Ca2+ action potentials. Individual Ca2+ spike transients sometimes occurred separately in different dendritic regions demonstrating localized firing. 3. The amplitude and spatial extent of spike-related [Ca2+]i transients were increased with intrasomatic depolarizing prestimulus membrane potentials and reduced by hyperpolarizing prestimulus potentials. This dependence and the latency to Ca2+ spike activation were strongly reduced by 4-aminopyridine (4-AP). These results suggest that a transient A-like current regulates the generation of Ca2+ spikes and the localization of Ca2+ influx in turtle Purkinje cell dendrites. 4. Both electric field depolarization and intrasomatic depolarization affected the generation of Ca2+ spikes and [Ca2+]i signals in a similar manner. Strong field stimulation could evoke focal depolarization at the tips of the spiny dendrites and cause local Ca2+ spike generation near the pial surface. When both stimuli were used, their effects were additive. 5. Climbing fiber (CF) or parallel fiber (PF) stimulation were associated with the generation of dendritic Ca2+ transients. In some experiments the PF-induced Ca2+ transients were confined to a small part of the spiny dendrites. The spatial distribution and the amplitude of these transients were influenced by somatic depolarization or field stimulation in a manner similar to their effect on directly evoked Ca2+ spikes and consistent with the involvement of a transient outward current in the control of the synaptically induced Ca2+ influx. 6. These results suggest that the intrinsic potassium conductances dynamically modulate spatial integration and influence the compartmentalization of Ca2+ spikes and [Ca2+]i changes in the dendrites.

Animals↗

Energy and spatial distribution of multiple order Compton scatter in SPECT: a Monte Carlo investigation.

Energy and spatial projection distributions were simulated for gamma camera imaging of multiple order Compton scattered photons. SPECT imaging of a line source of radioactivity located in a water filled cylindrical phantom was modelled using Monte Carlo techniques. Photon trajectories were followed from emission to detection including the effects of all physical interactions and the resulting energy spectra and spatial projections were sorted as a function of the number of times the photon underwent Compton scattering before detection. Analysis of energy spectra demonstrates that Compton events up to second order overlap with the non-scattered events and distributions are peaked at lower energies as the scattering order increases. Analysis of spatial projections shows that, with increasing order, Compton events produce tails on the line spread function which progress from roughly exponential to nearly flat distributions. The use of Monte Carlo modelling thus allows a detailed investigation of the spatial and energy distribution of Compton scatter which could not be performed using present experimental techniques.

Models, Theoretical↗

Spatial distribution of enamel proteins and fibronectin at early stages of rat incisor tooth formation.

Enamel proteins are secreted very early during amelogenesis, that is prior to mantle dentine formation, raising the possibility that they may participate in epithelial-mesenchymal interactions taking place during tooth development. These first enamel proteins associate with elements of the basement membrane interposed between the differentiating ameloblasts and odontoblasts. Fibronectin, a component of the basement membrane, is redistributed and accumulates along the apical portion of odontoblasts during their terminal differentiation. In order to determine whether any correlation exists between the redistribution of fibronectin and the secretion of the first enamel proteins, the spatial distribution of these two extracellular matrix proteins was examined during the presecretory stage of amelogenesis. Male Wistar rats were perfused with a formaldehyde-based fixative, and undemineralized and EDTA demineralized incisors were dehydrated in methanol and embedded in Lowicryl K4M resin. Ultrathin tissue sections were then processed for post-embedding, colloidal-gold immunocytochemistry with antibodies to enamel proteins, fibronectin or type III collagen. In the region of ameloblasts facing pulp, labelling for fibronectin was weak and mostly associated with the lamina fibroreticularis of the basement membrane separating differentiating ameloblasts and odontoblasts. As the mantle predentine formed the immunoreaction for fibronectin increased, particularly in the region of the basement membrane. Enamel proteins were also immunodetected in association with the lamina fibroreticularis and gradually accumulated as patches within mantle dentine and at its interface with ameloblasts. Von Korff collagen bundles, present between odontoblasts and in dentine, were immunolabelled for fibronectin and for type III collagen. Patches of granular material, immunoreactive for fibronectin and/or enamel proteins, were found along the odontoblastic processes and cell bodies. Although no evidence was obtained indicating a precise colocalization of fibronectin and enamel proteins, the results confirm that these two proteins can be found within similar extracellular compartments during mantle predentine-dentine formation. These data suggest that enamel proteins, by themselves or synergistically with other proteins, may play a part in the differentiation and/or formative events taking place at the ameloblast-odontoblast interface during the early stages of tooth development.

Ameloblasts↗

Temporal and spatial distribution of glochidial larval stages of European unionid mussels (Mollusca: Unionidae) on host fishes.

Glochidia are the larval stage of freshwater unionid mussels that parasitize the fins and gill apparatus of fish. A total of 22 fish species were examined for the presence of glochidia whose distribution on individual hosts was studied on three common fish species, the roach Rutilus rutilus (L.), perch Percafluviatilis L. and bitterling Rhodeus sericeus (Pallas). Between 1997 and 1999, the fish were obtained from the rivers Morava and Kyjovka and surrounding water pools in the Czech Republic. The glochidia of two genera, Unio and Anodonta, were found. Anodonta glochidia were observed on 10 fish species, Unio glochidia on 17 fish species. There was a difference in spatial distribution of glochidia on the body of the host fish. Unio glochidia were predominantly located on the gills, whereas most Anodonta glochidia were found on the fins, with the highest numbers of glochidia were observed on the margin of the pectoral fins. For the gill apparatus, Unio glochidia were found predominantly on the second and third arch. Anodonta glochidia were predominantly found during winter and spring (November-May), whereas Unio glochidia were more abundant during May and June. The number of glochidia was positively correlated with fish length in perch highly infected by Anodonta glochidia and perch infected by Unio glochidia. Of the three fish species, the highest occurrence of parasites was found on perch with fewer observed on roach. In spite of the close relationship between bitterling and unionid mussels, glochidiosis was rare on this fish species.

Animals↗

Spatial distributions of residuals produced inside a spallation target.

The spallation target model of an accelerator driven system (ADS), consisting of six 5 cm thick and 16 cm in diameter Pb segments, was constructed. Three sets of 17 Bi samples (1/2 inch in diameter and 1 mm thick) were placed in 3 Pb disc-shaped holders inside the target at 5, 10 and 15 cm from its front. After irradiation with 660 MeV proton beam gamma-spectra of radioisotopes produced in Bi were collected several times for each sample with the use of HPGe detectors in order to identify the radioisotopes and to determine their absolute activities. Their spatial distributions were then compared with respective values obtained in the calculations made with the use of FLUKA and/or MCNPX code. A fair agreement with the experiment has been observed.

Bismuth↗

Spatial distribution and quantitation of free luminal [Ca] within the InsP3-sensitive internal store of individual BHK-21 cells: ion dependence of InsP3-induced Ca release and reloading.

Free [Ca] within organelles of permeabilized BHK-21 cells was measured using ratio imaging of compartmentalized mag-fura-2. In BHK-21 cells, this dye monitors free [Ca] in principally one type of ATP-dependent Ca-sequestering organelle in which intrastore Ca was released uniformly and entirely by 100 nM thapsigargin or removal of ATP or Ca from the bath, and was reduced by 85% upon treatment with a supramaximal dose of InsP3 (6 microM). Examination of the spatial distribution of InsP3-sensitive Ca stores showed that InsP3 released Ca throughout all regions of the cell, although we often noted a perinuclear region (which we speculate may correspond to the Golgi apparatus) with reduced responsiveness to InsP3. InsP3-induced changes of intraluminal Mg could not be detected. Cyclic ADP-ribose, ryanodine, caffeine, mitochondrial inhibitors, and GTP, agents known to influence intraorganellar Ca sequestration in other cell types, were all without effect on the mag-fura-2 ratio. In situ calibration of the mag-fura-2 ratio with Ca ionophores revealed that the average free intraorganellar [Ca] was initially 188 +/- 21 microM in the presence of 170 nM free Ca and 3 mM ATP, and was reduced to 25 +/- 5 microM upon stimulation with 6 microM InsP3. The ionic dependence of the release and reloading process was also investigated. The presence of either K, Na, or Cl could consistently support both InsP3-induced release and the refilling of stores with Ca, but physiological concentrations of HCO3 were effective in sustaining the response in only 24% of cells examined.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

Spatial distribution of [14C]2-deoxyglucose uptake in the glomerular layer of the rat olfactory bulb following early odor preference learning.

Previous work has shown that odors induce focal uptake of [14C]2-deoxyglucose (2-DG) within the glomerular layer of the main olfactory bulb and that the amount of 2-DG accumulated in these foci increases after early odor learning. To determine if learning-associated changes in 2-DG uptake occur across the entire glomerular layer, we have mapped uptake throughout the layer at fixed angles in coronal sections through the bulb. Resulting arrays for individual bulbs were corrected for differing bulb size and averaged across experimental groups to address the spatial distribution of uptake. The average arrays revealed at least three discrete fields of uptake in naive, peppermint-exposed rats at postnatal day 19 that were not seen in air-exposed littermates. In agreement with previous studies, early preference training with peppermint odor given on postnatal days 1-18 increased 2-DG uptake at postnatal day 19 within odor-dependent patches of uptake in the posterior half of the midlateral bulb, whereas odor-dependent, ventrolateral patches of uptake did not increase to the same extent. In addition, early preference learning was associated with significantly increased 2-DG uptake average over the entire analyzed glomerular layer. These increases were smaller than those within odor-dependent foci and were distributed widely across the glomerular layer, showing low overlap between trained and control rats in anterior regions where peppermint odor did not stimulate 2-DG uptake. The widely distributed increases in 2-DG uptake after learning may reflect changed activity of centrifugal projections that diffusely innervate the glomerular layer.

Animals↗

The spatial distribution of attention in S-R compatibility.

In certain choice reaction time experiments the subjects, although not specifically instructed to do so, perform a parcellation of space into right and left components. Previous research has shown that when the stimulus locations are marked on the screen, the subdivision of space into right and left halves is bound to the point where the subject has been instructed to focus selective attention. It is not known whether, in the absence of specific instructions, subjects are able to focus selective attention between stimulus locations when no marker is present. We tried to clarify this problem by introducing a 'probe' stimulus that could map the spatial distribution of attention in subjects engaged in a compatibility task. The results suggest that, in the absence of visual cues marking the stimulus positions, attention is kept in the disengaged modality before the presentation of the stimuli. In this state of disengagement a powerful tendency to orient to the rightmost side of the display, within each visual field, is apparent. Various interpretations of this finding are discussed.

Adolescent↗

The hierarchical spatial distribution of chloroplast DNA polymorphism across the introduced range of Silene vulgaris.

Silene vulgaris was introduced into North America sometime prior to 1800. In order to document the population structure that has developed since that time, collections were made from 56 local populations distributed among 9 geographical regions in eastern North America. Individual plants were characterized for chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) haplotype by restriction fragment size analysis of four noncoding regions of cpDNA amplified by polymerase chain reaction. A total of 19 cpDNA haplotypes were detected using this method. The overall gene diversity of 0.85 is quite similar to the diversity detected in these same regions of cpDNA in a previously published sample of S. vulgaris taken from across much of Europe. The spatial distribution of the North American cpDNA diversity was quantified by hierarchical F-statistics that partitioned the genetic variance into variation among local populations within regions, and variation among regions. The average FST among populations within regions was 0.66 and the FST among regions was 0.09. The among-region variation was due to both differences among regions in the frequency of two most common haplotypes, and to the presence of a number of region-specific haplotypes. In order to test for isolation by distance at the regional level, FST values were calculated for all possible pairs of regions, and regressed against the geographical distance between those regions. There was no evidence for isolation by distance. It is suggested that the local population structure is generated by recent extinction/colonization dynamics, and that the among-region structure reflects demographic events associated with range expansion following introduction to North America.

DNA, Chloroplast↗

The spatial distribution of health resources within countries and communities: examples from India and Zambia.

"Between one country and another, one province and another and even one locality and another there will always exist a certain inequality in the conditions of life, which it will be possible to reduce to a minimum but never entirely remove", Friedrich Engels, 1875, Quoted from D. M. Smith's Where the Grass is Greener; Geographical Perspectives on Inequality. London, 1979. And it is true that there are wide disparities in the availability of welfare facilities including health at international, national, regional and inter-regional levels. At the same time such disparities are increasing over time. In terms of spatial distribution, not only the developing world but even developed countries such as the U.S.A. and the United Kingdom, face problems resulting from wide imbalances in the provision of welfare facilities. In this paper, an attempt has been made to study inequalities in the distribution of health facilities in India and Zambia.

Delivery of Health Care↗

The relative spatial distribution of in vitro-CFCs in the bone marrow, responding to specific growth factors.

Haemopoietic progenitor cells are stimulated by a range of growth factors which promote colony growth in culture. The progenitors are a part of an age-structured developmental hierarchy in the tissue. The growth factors, although overlapping in their effects, stimulate cells preferentially at different stages in this programme. Femoral bone marrow was fractionated into axial (close to the central venous sinus) and marginal (close to the bone surface) cells. Progenitors which responded to IL-3, GM-CSF, G-CSF, M-CSF and SCF were then assayed in soft agar cultures. Consequent plots of their spatial distributions showed that the more primitive cells in vitro (responding to IL-3) were concentrated close to the bone surface. The peak concentrations of cells responding primarily to growth factors with progressively more affinity to more mature progenitor cells correspondingly appeared progressively further from the bone surface and closer to the point of release at the central venous sinus. This suggests that the developmental/maturational process in haemopoiesis is accompanied by a progressive movement of cells from the bone surface towards the central axial regions of the bone cavities. The most primitive cells are however exposed, close to the centre of the cavity, by a combination of SCF and G-CSF (or by a 50-fold increase in G-CSF concentration alone). These results corroborate earlier data which indicate a developmental movement of cells from the centre of the marrow tissue towards the bone surface and back again, sequentially encountering a series of growth factors which promote their differentiation into mature cells, for release at the central venous sinus.

Animals↗

Spatial distribution of DNA-synthesizing cells in colonic crypts of the guinea pig.

The ascending colon of a guinea pig injected with tritiated thymidine was cut serially, autoradiographed and stained with periodic-acid Schiff-hematoxylin. Maps of transversely sectioned crypts were prepared with the use of a microscope eye-piece projector. The number and angular positions of pulselabelled (DNA-synthesizing) cells around the circumference of transverse sections of the crypt were recorded. A method of 'statistics of the circumference' was applied in order to find the variances of angular distances between labelled cells and thereby to find the type of arrangement of DNA-synthesizinbg cells in the crypt. The spatial distribution of DNA-synthesizing cells both around the crypt circumference and along the crypt, was found to be non-random. While the pattern of non-randommess around the crypt circumference is such that the DNA-synthesizing cells tend to occupy positions in the crypt circumference at maximal distances from each other, DNA-synthesizing cells along the crypt tend to occupy positions at minimal distances from each other. DNA-synthesizing cells are arranged in the crypt in rows, each consisting of several cells and each parallel to the long axis of the crypt. Apparently the dividing cell of the crypt produces either two proliferating or two differentiating cells. No evidence of differential mitosis could be found.

Animals↗

Analytical theory of the nonequilibrium spatial distribution of RNA polymerase translocations.

A continuum Fokker-Planck model is considered for the RNA polymerase in the elongation phase, where the topology of a single free energy profile as a function of the translocation variable distinguishes the Brownian ratchet and power stroke mechanisms. The model yields a simple analytical stationary solution for arbitrary functional forms of the free energy. With the translocation potential of mean force estimated by the time-series data of the recent high-resolution single-molecule experiment [Abbondanzieri et al., Nature (London) 438, 460 (2005)], predictions of the model for the mechanical properties agree with experiments quantitatively with reasonable values of parameters. The evolution of the spatial distribution of translocation variable away from equilibrium with increasing nucleoside triphosphate concentration shows qualitatively different behavior in the two alternative scenarios, which could serve as an additional measurable signature of the underlying mechanism.

Computer Simulation↗

BioGraf 3D: an algorithm for optimization and graphical representation of nuclear structure spatial distributions.

BioGraf 3D is a computer algorithm for rapid three dimensional visualization and analysis of digitized three dimensional biological data to aid in the subsequent generation of models of nuclei or cells. This graphically oriented program permits unlimited three dimensional perspective viewpoints of data in onscreen single frame, zoom or stereo forms. Analysis of data is enhanced by an optimization problem solution which determines viewpoint coordinates whereby maximum clustering of preselected structures is achieved. Mathematical representation of the transformations and optimization is presented in detail. Biograf 3D is written in the C programming language for IBM and compatible personal computers. In this study BioGraf 3D is utilized to examine the infrastructure of the nucleus and the spatial distribution of meiotic chromosomes in the hermaphroditic nematode Caenorhabditis elegans.

Algorithms↗

Spatial distribution of red blood cells in individual skeletal muscle capillaries during extreme hemodilution.

The effect of extreme hemodilution on single capillary red blood cell (RBC) distribution and microcirculatory hemodynamic parameters was studied in the resting rabbit tenuissimus muscle. Systematic hematocrit was progressively reduced to 26 +/- 3% of control by isovolemic hemodilution with a 6% dextran solution (70,000 MW). Heart rate and mean arterial pressure were monitored and noted to be constant throughout the procedure to ensure isovolemic exchange. Hemodilution induced an increase in the median spatial distance between RBCs within a capillary segment and a broadening of the range. Comparison of histograms constructed from normalized RBC spacing data relative to the median at each dilution level showed no statistical deviation from control, suggesting that spatial RBC distribution during capillary transit is independent of hematocrit reduction. Thus progressive hemodilution, while reducing capillary hematocrit and increasing the median spacing, did not alter the relative spatial distribution of RBCs within a vessel. The hemodynamic parameters analyzed were capillary hematocrit (HCTc), RBC flux (RBCf), and RBC velocity (VRBC). The reduction of the systemic hematocrit (HCTs) was not followed by a proportional fall in HCTc, implying a Hctc regulation. RBCf was maintained by an overall increase in VRBC which reached 101 +/- 61% of the control level at an average HCTs of 11 +/- 1.4%. The relative pattern of RBC spacing remained fixed, despite the change in cell number and modification of velocity. During extreme hemodilution, the potential supply of oxygen to the tissue remained constant and the pattern of RBC delivery pass the tissue was unchanged.

Animals↗