Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “Spatial Distribution”

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 1,729 records · Page 96Linked to original sources

Relationship of regional wall motion abnormalities detected by biplane transesophageal echocardiography and electrocardiographic changes in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery.

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that new regional wall motion abnormalities (RWMAs) are infrequently associated with electrocardiographic (ECG) ischemic changes during coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. The evaluation of apical or basal areas by biplane transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) may clarify the relationship between RWMA and ECG changes. METHODS: Biplane TEE and ECG (leads II and V5) were continuously monitored in a total of 98 patients undergoing CABG surgery to determine the incidence and characteristics of RWMAs and to relate these findings to ECG changes. RESULTS: Twenty-four new RWMAs were detected in 21 (21%) patients. Incidences of new RWMAs in each view were found to be as follows: 12 (50%) in short-axis view (SAV); 5 (21%) in long-axis view (LAV); and 7 (29%) in both views. Ten of the 24 new RWMA episodes (42%) corresponded to ECG ischemic changes. These new ECG changes were significantly more common when the new RWMAs appeared on both views (86%) as compared with the LAV alone (0%) (p < 0.01) or with SAV alone (33%). Moreover, in patients with a greater number of abnormal segments (> 3), new RWMAs were significantly (p < 0.05) associated with ECG changes. CONCLUSION: Biplane TEE provides additional information about spatial distribution of new RWMAs. This study was the first to demonstrate that a clear relationship between TEE and ECG ischemia exists. When these new RWMAs exhibited a large spatial distribution, the frequency of ECG ischemic changes increased.

Aged↗

Phosphorus distribution in the nucleosome.

The spatial distribution of phosphorus within active fraction nucleosomes reveals that the path of the DNA is consistent with one and three-fourths turns of DNA supercoiled around the outside of the protein core. This phosphorus distribution, obtained with an imaging electron spectrometer in a conventional transmission electron microscope, simultaneously establishes new limits of sensitivity for elemental microanalysis.

Animals↗

There is no simple adequate sampling scheme for estimating the myelinated fibre size distribution in human peripheral nerve: a statistical ultrastructural study.

Morphometric studies of peripheral nerves (PN) usually involve some sampling of the myelinated fibres (MF). In order to scrutinize the statistical properties of the sampling processes in common use and the reliability of the resulting estimates, a quantitative analysis of human superficial peroneal nerves from 8 different normal subjects was undertaken at the ultrastructural level, both in terms of MF spatial distribution and of their size distribution. This study used sampling rates involving more than 10% of the whole myelinated fibre population observed in each nerve fascicle. However, in nearly all the fascicles evaluated, the sampling fluctuations are so high that neither the number of axons nor their diameter distribution can be assessed with enough accuracy. A systematic study of the myelinated fibres shows that the spatial distribution of their size is not uniform. This marked heterogeneity in the MF size distribution imposes measurement of large enough samples (500 or 600 MFs usually represent about one-half or two-thirds of the whole MF population) in a way to secure a reliable enough estimate of the density and size distributions. However, the practical usefulness of sampling schemes requiring more than one-half of the whole MF population in a nerve fascicle, is questionable.

Adult↗

Spatial variation in springtime food resources influences the winter body mass of roe deer fawns.

It is well established that the dynamics of mammalian populations vary in time, in relation to density and weather, and often in interaction with phenotypic differences (sex, age and social status). Habitat quality has recently been identified as another significant source of individual variability in vital rates of deer, including roe deer where spatial variations in fawn body mass were found to be only about a tenth of temporal variations. The approach used was to classify the habitat into blocks a priori, and to analyse variation in animal performance among the predefined areas. In a fine-grained approach, here we use data collected over 24 years on 1,235 roe deer fawns captured at known locations and the plant species composition sampled in 2001 at 578 sites in the Chizé forest to determine the spatial structure at a fine scale of both vegetation and winter body mass of fawns, and then to determine links between the two. Space and time played a nearly equal role in determining fawn body masses of both sexes, each accounting for about 20% of variance and without any interaction between them. The spatial distribution of fawn body mass was perennial over the 24 years considered and predicted values showed a 2 kg range according to location in the reserve, which is much greater than suggested in previous work and is enough to have strong effects on fawn survival. The spatial distribution and the range of predicted body masses were closely similar in males and females. The result of this study is therefore consistent with the view that the life history traits of roe deer are only weakly influenced by sexual selection. The occurrence of three plant species that are known to be important food items in spring/summer roe deer diets, hornbeam ( Carpinus betulus), bluebell ( Hyacinthoides sp.) and Star of Bethlehem ( Ornithogalum sp.) was positively related to winter fawn body mass. The occurrence of species known to be avoided in spring/summer roe deer diets [e.g. butcher's broom ( Ruscus aculeatus) and beech ( Fagus sylvatica)], was negatively related to fawn body mass. We conclude that the spatial variation in the body mass of fawns in winter in this forest is as important as the temporal variation, and that the distribution of plant species that are actively selected during spring and summer is an important determinant of spatial variation in winter fawn body mass. The availability of these plants is therefore likely to be a key factor in the dynamics of roe deer populations.

Adaptation, Physiological↗

Distribution of spatial and nonspatial information in dorsal hippocampus.

The hippocampus in the mammalian brain is required for the encoding of current and the retention of past experience. Previous studies have shown that the hippocampus contains neurons that encode information required to perform spatial and nonspatial short-term memory tasks. A more detailed understanding of the functional anatomy of the hippocampus would provide important insight into how such encoding occurs. Here we show that hippocampal neurons in the rat are distributed anatomically in distinct segments along the length of the hippocampus. Each longitudinal segment contains clusters of neurons that become active when the animal performs a task with spatial attributes. Within these same segments are ordered arrangements of neurons that encode the nonspatial aspects of the task appropriate to those spatial features. Thus, anatomical segregation of spatial information, together with the interleaved representation of nonspatial information, represents a structural framework that may help to resolve conflicting views of hippocampal function.

Animals↗

Isolation of bright aggregate fluctuations in a multipopulation image correlation spectroscopy system using intensity subtraction.

Image correlation spectroscopy allows sensitive measurement of the spatial distribution and aggregation state of fluorescent membrane macro molecules. When studying a single population system (i.e., aggregates of similar brightness), an accurate measure can be made of the aggregate number per observation area, but this measurement becomes much more complex in a distributed population system (i.e., bright and faint aggregates). This article describes an alternate solution that involves extraction of the bright aggregate population information. This novel development for image correlation spectroscopy, termed intensity subtraction analysis, uses sequential uniform intensity subtraction from raw confocal images. Sequential intensity subtraction results in loss of faint aggregate fluctuations that are smaller in magnitude than fluctuations due to the brightest aggregates. The resulting image has correlatable fluctuations originating from only the brightest population, permitting quantification of this population's distribution and further cross-correlation measurements. The feasibility of this technique is demonstrated using fluorescent microsphere images and biological samples. The technique is further used to examine the spatial distribution of a plasma-membrane-labeled fluorescent synthetic ganglioside, and to cross-correlate this probe with various membrane markers. The evidence provided demonstrates that bright aggregates of the fluorescent ganglioside are associated with clathrin-coated pits, membrane microvilli, and detergent-resistant membranes.

Animals↗

Community structure of digenean parasites of sparid and labrid fishes of the Mediterranean sea: a new approach.

The aim of this work was to study the structure of the parasite communities of Digeneans of 2 families of Teleost fishes (Sparidae and Labridae) of the Mediterranean sea. We tried to quantify the importance of both the microhabitat requirements of the parasite species and the effect of host biological factors on the parasite communities. We applied, for the first time in parasite community studies, the Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) to analyse (i) the spatial distribution of parasite species within the digestive tract of the hosts; (ii) the host's biological factors (such as diet, host length, gregariousness and abundance) that may influence this spatial distribution of parasite species. Our results showed that potential microhabitats were vacant in the 2 host families studied revealing a lack of niche saturation because either there was little inter- and/or intraspecific competition or there were enough available space and resources within the host. Our results also indicated that the position of the parasite in the digestive tract is much more important than host biological factors for the structure of parasite community. Finally, we highlight the potential use of the CCA method for controlling for phylogenetic constraints in multi-species analyses.

Animals↗

Rallian "equivalent" cylinders reconsidered: comparisons with literal compartments.

In Rall's "equivalent" cylinder morphological-to-electrical transformation, neuronal arborizations are reduced to single unbranched core-conductors. The conventional assumption that such an "equivalent" reconstructs the electrical properties of the fibers it represents was tested directly; electrical properties and responses of "equivalent" cylinders were compared with those of their literal branch constituents for fibers with a single symmetrical bifurcation. The numerical solution methods were validated independently by their accurate reconstruction of the responses of an analog circuit configured with compartmental architecture to solve the cable equation for passive fibers with a symmetrical bifurcation. In passive fibers, "equivalent" cylinders misestimated the spatial distribution of voltage amplitudes and steady-state input resistance, partly due to the lack of axial current bifurcation. In active fibers with a single propagating action potential, the spatial distributions of point-to-point conduction velocity values (measured in meters/second) for a literal branch point differed significantly from those of their "equivalent" cylinders. "Equivalent" cylinders also underestimated the diameter-dependent delay in propagation through the branch point and branches, due to the larger "equivalent" diameter. Corrections to the "equivalent" cylinder did not reconcile differences between "equivalent" and literal models. However, "equivalent" and literal branch fibers had the same (a) steady-state resistance "looking into" an isolated symmetrical branch point and (b) geometry-independent point-to-point propagation velocity when measured in space constants per millisecond except within +/-1 space constant from the geometrical inhomogeneity. In summary, Rall's "equivalent" cylinders did not accurately reconstruct all passive or active electrophysiological properties and responses of their literal compartments. For the modeling of individual neurons, the requirement of single-branch resolution is discussed.

Animals↗

Virtual-space receptive fields of single auditory nerve fibers.

1. Sounds reaching the tympanic membranes are first modified by the acoustic properties of the torso, head, and external ear. For certain frequencies in the incident sound there results a complex, direction-dependent spatial distribution of sound pressure at the eardrum such that, within a sound field, localized areas of pressure maxima are flanked by areas of pressure minima. Listeners may use these spatial maxima and minima in localizing the source of a sound in space. The results presented describe how information about this spatial pressure pattern is transmitted from the cochlea to the central auditory system via single fibers of the auditory nerve. 2. Discharges of single fibers of the auditory nerve were studied in Nembutal-anesthetized cats [characteristic frequencies (CFs) ranged from 0.4 to 40 kHz]. Click stimuli were derived from sound-pressure waveforms that were generated by a loudspeaker placed at 1,800 locations around the cat's head and recorded at the tympanic membrane with miniature microphones. Recorded signals were converted to acoustic stimuli and delivered to the ear via a calibrated and sealed earphone. The full complement of signals is referred to as "virtual acoustic space," and the spatial distribution of discharges to this array of signals is referred to as a "virtual-space receptive field" (VSRF). 3. Fibers detect both pressure maxima and pressure minima in virtual acoustic space. Thus VSRFs take on complex shapes. 4. VSRFs of fibers of the same or similar CF having low spontaneous rates had the same overall pattern as those from high-spontaneous rate (HSR) fibers. For HSR fibers, the VSRF is obscured by the high background spike activity. 5. Comparison of the VSRF and isolevel contour maps of the stimulus derived at various frequencies revealed that auditory nerve fibers most accurately extract spectral information contained in the stimulus at a frequency close to or slightly higher than CF.

Animals↗

Extracellular currents and potentials of the active myelinated nerve fiber.

This paper is concerned with the accurate and rapid calculation of extracellular potentials and currents from an active myelinated nerve fiber in a volume conductor, under conditions of normal and abnormal conduction. The neuroelectric source for the problem is characterized mathematically by using a modified version of the distributed parameter model of L. Goldman and J. S. Albus (1968, Biophys. J., 8:596-607) for the myelinated nerve fiber. Solution of the partial differential equation associated with the model provides a waveform for the spatial distribution of the transmembrane potential V(z). This model-generated waveform is then used as input to a second model that is based on the principles of electromagnetic field theory, and allows one to calculate easily the spatial distribution for the potential everywhere in the surrounding volume conductor for the nerve fiber. In addition, the field theoretic model may be used to calculate the total longitudinal current in the extracellular medium (I0L(z)) and the transmembrane current per unit length (im(z)); both of these quantities are defined in connection with the well-known core conductor model and associated cable equations in electrophysiology. These potential and current quantities may also be calculated as functions of time and as such, are useful in interpreting measured I0L(t) and im(t) data waveforms. An analysis of the accuracy of conventionally used measurement techniques to determine I0L(t) and im(t) is performed, particularly with regard to the effect of electrode separation distance and size of the volume conductor on these measurements. Also, a simulation of paranodal demyelination at a single node of Ranvier is made and its effects on potential and current waveforms as well as on the conduction process are determined. In particular, our field theoretic model is used to predict the temporal waveshape of the field potentials from the active, non-uniformly conducting nerve fiber in a finite volume conductor.

Mathematics↗

Myotube morphology, and expression and distribution of collagen type I during normal and low score normal avian satellite cell myogenesis.

Myogenic satellite cells are essential for postnatal muscle growth and the regeneration of muscle in response to injury. An understanding of how the extracellular matrix affects satellite cell activity, and the temporal and spatial expression of extracellular matrix macromolecules is largely unknown. In the avian genetic muscle weakness, low score normal (LSN), satellite cell proliferation and differentiation rates are significantly lower than that observed in normal chicken satellite cells, which may be attributed to a late embryonic increase in the expression of decorin. Satellite cell-derived morphological properties, collagen type I expression, and the spatial distribution of collagen type I were investigated during normal and LSN satellite cell proliferation and differentiation. These studies showed a decrease in LSN myotube length and the number of nuclei per myotube. Collagen type I expression was similar between the LSN and normal satellite cell cultures during the course of proliferation and differentiation. However, the spatial distribution of collagen type I was altered in the LSN cultures 48 h after the initiation of fusion. The LSN cultures exhibited a premature extracellular distribution of collagen type I compared to the normal satellite cells.

Animals↗

Singularities in primate orientation maps.

We report the results of an analysis of orientation maps in primate striate cortex with focus on singularities and their distribution. Data were obtained from squirrel monkeys and macaque monkeys of different ages. We find the approximately 80% of singularities that are nearest neighbors have the opposite sign and that the spatial distribution of singularities differs significantly from a random distribution of points. We do not find evidence for consistent geometric patterns that singularities may form across the cortex. Except for a different overall alignment of orientation bands and different periods of repetition, maps obtained from different animals and different ages are found similar with respect to the measures used. Orientation maps are then compared with two different pattern models that are currently discussed in the literature: bandpass-filtered white noise, which accounts very well for the overall map structure, and the field analogy model, which specifies the orientation map by the location of singularities and their properties. The bandpass-filtered noise approach to orientation patterns correctly predicts the sign correlations between singularities and accounts for the deviations in the spatial distribution of singularities away from a random dot pattern. The field analogy model can account for the structure of certain local patches of the orientation map but not for the whole map. Neither of the models is completely satisfactory, and the structure of the orientation map remains to be fully explained.

Aging↗

Estimation of double-strand break quality based on track-structure calculations.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether double-strand break (DSB) quality is related to the complexity of radiation-induced damage or to the spatial distribution of initial DSBs. The analysis was based on track structure calculations and DNA damage modelling. The results obtained indicate that the quality of DSBs is related to their initial spatial distribution rather than to their complexity.

DNA Damage↗

Magnetic resonance imaging of the behaviour of oil-in-water emulsions in the gastric lumen of man.

Pre-processed foods often contain a high percentage of lipid, present as emulsions stabilised with various surface-active agents. The acidic gastric environment can affect the behaviour of such emulsions, modifying the lipid spatial distribution and, in turn, the rate of gastric emptying and nutrient delivery to the gut. The aim of the present study was to use echo-planar magnetic resonance imaging (EPI) to determine the behaviour of model olive oil emulsions during gastric processing. Six healthy male volunteers were intubated nasogastrically on two separate occasions and fed 500 ml 15 % (w/w) olive oil-in-water, surfactant-stabilised emulsions designed to have identical droplet size distribution and which were either stable or unstable under gastric acid conditions. EPI was used to assess the oil fraction of the intragastric emulsions, gastric emptying and to visualise the spatial distribution of the oil at 10, 30 and 50 min postprandially. The in vivo imaging measurements of the oil volume fraction of the emulsions correlated well (r 0.66, acid-stable; r 0.52, acid-unstable) with that assayed in the gastric aspirates. Compared with the acid-stable emulsion, the acid-unstable emulsion in the gastric lumen rapidly separated into lipid-depleted 'aqueous' and lipid layers. Phase separation in the acid-unstable meal allowed the oil-depleted component to empty first and more rapidly than the stable emulsion as determined by the gastric emptying curves. These pilot data suggest that gastric processing and emptying of high-fat foods could be manipulated by careful choice of emulsifier.

Adult↗

Relationship between segmental thallium-201 uptake and regional myocardial blood flow in patients with coronary artery disease.

The relationship between the spatial distribution of thallium-201 in myocardial perfusion scintigrams and the distribution of left ventricular regional myocardial blood flow was examined in 25 patients undergoing coronary arteriography. Thallium-201 myocardial scintigrams were obtained after symptom-limited exercise and after a 4 hr delay. Regional myocardial blood flow was measured by the xenon-133 clearance method in patients at rest and during rapid atrial pacing to a double product comparable with that achieved during exercise stress testing. Patterns of regional thallium-201 activity and regional myocardial blood flow, recorded in similar left anterior oblique projections, were compared for left ventricular segments supplied by the left anterior descending (LAD) and left circumflex (CIRC) arteries. In 11 patients without significant lesions of the left coronary artery (group 1), thallium-201 was homogeneously distributed in the LAD and CIRC distributions in scintigrams taken during peak exercise; these scintigrams correspond to homogeneous regional myocardial blood flow in the LAD and CIRC regions during pacing-induced stress. In 14 patients with significant lesions of the left coronary artery (group 2), ratios of regional thallium-201 activity in the LAD and CIRC distributions of exercise scintigrams correlated well (r = .84) with ratios of regional myocardial blood flow measured during rapid pacing. Background subtraction altered the relationship between relative thallium-201 uptake and regional myocardial blood flow, causing overestimation of the magnitude of flow reduction on exercise scintigrams. These data indicate that: (1) in patients with normal left coronary arteries, thallium-201 is homogeneously distributed to the left ventricle, reflecting the homogeneous distribution of regional myocardial blood flow over a wide range of mean left ventricular flow rates and (2) in patients with significant lesions of the left coronary artery, the relative spatial distribution of thallium-201 activity in exercise perfusion scintigrams reflects the distribution of regional myocardial blood flow.

Adult↗

[Use of spectral correlation method in a study of human emotional states].

Application of a new approach to EEG analysis, i.e. of the method of spectral correlation, permitted identification of significant differences in spatial distribution of spectral power correlation for emotions of different quality, namely: anger and fear. It was shown that against the background of fear the topographic distribution of intracortical connections in the delta band was more extensive and included frontal, central, temporal, parietal and occipital regions. The emotion of anger evoked changes in the picture of spatial distribution of intracortical connections in the alpha band which resulted in appearance of a powerful focus of connections in the frontal regions. The greatest number of connections was found for the emotion of anger in the beta band--22 statistically significant correlations. Thus, a generalization of connections in the EEG high frequency bands is noted for the emotion of anger which is not characteristic of the emotion of fear.

Adult↗

Dynamics and genealogy of strains in spatially extended host-pathogen models.

We examine the dynamics of evolution in a generic spatial model of a pathogen infecting a population of hosts, or an analogous predator-prey system. Previous studies of this model have found a range of interesting phenomena that differ from the well-mixed version. We extend these studies by examining the spatial and temporal dynamics of strains using genealogical tracing. When transmissibility can evolve by mutation, strains of intermediate transmissibility dominate even though high-transmissibility mutants have a short-term reproductive advantage. Mutant strains continually arise and grow rapidly for many generations but eventually go extinct before dominating the system. We find that, after a number of generations, the mutant pathogen characteristics strongly impact the spatial distribution of their local host environment, even when there are diverse types coexisting. Extinction is due to the depletion of susceptibles in the local environment of these mutant strains. Studies of spatial and genealogical relatedness reveal the self-organized spatial clustering of strains that enables their impact on the local environment. Thus, we find that selection acts against the high-transmissibility strains on long time-scales as a result of the feedback due to environmental change. Our study shows that averages over space or time should not be assumed to adequately describe the evolutionary dynamics of spatially distributed host-pathogen systems.

Animals↗

Simulations of cell-surface integrin binding to nanoscale-clustered adhesion ligands.

Clustering of ligated integrins strongly influences integrin signaling and mechanical linkages between integrins and intracellular structures. Extracellular spatial organization of integrin ligands in clusters may facilitate clustering of bound integrins and thus potentially regulate cellular responses to a defined average amount of ligand in the extracellular environment. The possible role of such ligand clustering effects in controlling overall receptor occupancy is studied here using a simple mass-action equilibrium model as well as a two-dimensional Monte Carlo lattice description of the cell-substrate interface, where cell surface receptors are free to diffuse in the plane of the interface and interact with the substrate-immobilized ligand. Results from the analytical treatment and simulation data indicate that for a single-state model in which receptor-ligand binding equilibria are not influenced by neighboring complexes, clustering of ligand does not enhance total receptor binding. However, if receptor binding energy increases in the presence of neighboring ligated receptors, strong ligand spatial distribution effects arise. Nonlinear responses to increasing ligand density are also observed even in the case of random ligand placement due to stochastic juxtaposition of ligand molecules. These results describe how spatial distribution of ligand presented by the extracellular matrix or by synthetic biomimetic materials might control cell responses to external ligands, and suggest a feedback mechanism by which focal contact formation might be initiated.

Animals↗