A 7-year-old girl was referred to the otolaryngology clinic for a left pharyngeal lesion noted lesion 18 months prior. What is your diagnosis?

BackgroundThere is a current need to develop a technique for bacterial screening of platelet donations that is more rapid, sensitive, and economical than alternatives. The objective of this research was to perform a pilot test of the viability of Fountain Flow Cytometry (FFC), for the rapid and sensitive detection of bacteria in platelet donations. MethodsPlatelet samples were inoculated with serial dilutions of five selected bacterial strains. Samples were then centrifuged, reconstituted in buffer, and stained with a live/dead bacterial stain cocktail. The resulting aqueous sample was measured by FFC, in which the sample passed as a stream in front of an LED, which excited the fluorescent labels. Fluorescence was detected with a digital camera as the sample flowed toward it. ResultsFountain Flow Cytometry enumeration yielded results that were linear with bacterial concentration, having an R-2 of 0.98 with a detection efficiency of 92%3%. Measurements of uninoculated samples showed a false-positive detection rate at similar to 400 colony forming units (CFU)/mL. Detection of bacterial concentrations in platelets above this threshold can be made in similar to 15minutes, including sample preparation time. ConclusionThis pilot study supports the efficacy of FFC for the rapid and sensitive screening of platelet donations for bacteria.

Fountain Flow Cytometry (FFC) is a simple and inexpensive technology that is adaptable to situations requiring detection and enumeration of cells/organisms at low concentrations, but is limited to particles of relatively high fluorescence intensity. This work presents the basic physics behind the novel scheme Fountain Flow Cytometry employs for the detection of target particles, a hybrid of conventional flow cytometry and video epifluorescence microscopy. The method is based on LED-induced fluorescence of labeled particles and requires no filtration step. Unlike conventional flow cytometry, the resulting fluorescence is measured with a digital camera as the measured sample flows toward the camera along the optical axis. An automated target particle recognition and enumeration computer program, Biocount, is used to count particles. FFC allows for detection of target particles in transparent and translucent fluids, such as environmental water, blood, and beverages. In addition, FFC can be used for detection of target particles in the presence of high photometric background, including unbound fluorescent dye. This facilitates use of the technique in situations where cells are unwashed. Current applications extend, but are not limited to, particles from µm-size bacteria to multi-millimeter-sized multicellular organisms.

While numerous detection methods exist for environmental heavy metal monitoring, easy-to-use technologies combining rapidity with in vivo measurements are lacking. Multiwell systems exploiting transgenic tadpoles are ideal but require time-consuming placement of individuals in wells. We developed a real-time flow-through system, based on Fountain Flow cytometry, which measures in situ contaminant-induced fluorescence in transgenic amphibian larvae immersed in water samples. The system maintains the advantages of transgenic amphibians, but requires minimal human intervention. Portable and self-contained, it allows on-site measurements. Optimization exploited a transgenic Xenopus laevis bearing a chimeric gene with metal responsive elements fused to eGFP. The transgene was selectively induced by 1 microM Zn(2+). Using this tadpole we show the continuous flow method to be as rapid and sensitive as image analysis. Flow-through readings thus accelerate the overall process of data acquisition and render fluorescent monitoring of tadpoles suitable for on-site tracking of heavy metal pollution.

An air vehicle model (AVM) was constructed in the Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) modeling environment. The purpose of the model is to demonstrate a concept whereby a highly extensible simulation can be used to integrate many discrete subsystem tools into a single system model. The AVM uses minimal user inputs to calculate the size and weight of the components such as the wing, tail, fuselage, engine, etc. Engine performance is calculated using a complete NPSS engine that models all of the major engine components to accurately capture off-design performance. A sample engine and air vehicle were used to demonstrate the AVM's ability to size an entire air vehicle, run the integrated vehicle and the engine through a mission profile, and converge upon a solution of air vehicle takeoff gross weight and design range. I. Introduction here is a need today for a software application that can not only size and price an air vehicle during the conceptual phase via trade studies but also be able to reanalyze the interactions of the various vehicle components at various fidelities throughout the vehicle's life cycle. The application needs to be capable of integrating higher fidelity component codes into the system model in order to increase the accuracy of the simulation and analyze interaction changes due to individual component modifications. This application must also be able to readily add new component or analysis codes to the model with minimal effort. The Numerical Propulsion System Simulation (NPSS) was selected as the tool to demonstrate this concept. Its ability to simulate complex systems and readily interface with external legacy and Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) engineering software applications made it the best choice to fulfill the goals of this project. An additional benefit in using NPSS for this project is that most aircraft engine manufacturers are upgrading to NPSS as their primary engine modeling environment. Building the AVM in NPSS will allow them to use it to assist in the design and development of their engines to more easily meet air vehicle design requirements. It will also allow all users ready access to more detailed engine parameter data during the AVM mission segment. As shown in Fig. 1, we have created both an NPSS engine and an air vehicle model within the NPSS architecture. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate such an NPSS Integrated Air Vehicle Model (AVM) application. A sample air vehicle type and engine were used to demonstrate the AVM's ability to size an entire air vehicle, run the integrated vehicle and the engine through a mission profile, and converge upon a solution of air vehicle takeoff gross weight and design range. The initial airframe chosen to demonstrate the AVM is a narrow body commercial transport. The initial integration capability selected was the airframe/engine interface using a high bypass non-mixed flow turbofan parametric model. Follow-up efforts to this paper will include interfacing legacy codes to demonstrate the ability to replace the basic algorithms of any of the components with other vehicle types and with higher fidelity applications. And

A small, low mass and low power imaging spectrometer for airborne remote sensing of atmospheric and surface properties called the prototype airborne visible imaging spectrometer (PAVIS) has been designed, constructed, and field-tested by the airborne sensors initiative team at Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. Originally a breadboard spectrometer, PAVIS was developed to validate in the laboratory that a large concave grating on a moderately aspheric surface with minimal scattering could be fabricated, and that both spectral and spatial performance could be optimized simultaneously. The airborne sensor is being developed to demonstrate that useful scientific data approaching the quality of AVIRIS and the MODIS airborne simulator whiskbroom scanning spectrometers can be obtained with a compact pushbroom imaging spectrometer.

Aims: To test Fountain Flow (TM) Cytometry (FFC) for the rapid and sensitive detection of Naegleria lovaniensis amoebae (an analogue for Naegleria fowleri) in natural river waters.Methods and Results: Samples were incubated with one of two fluorescent labels to facilitate detection: ChemChrome V6, a viability indicator, and an R-phycoerytherin (RPE) immunolabel to detect N. lovaniensis specifically. The resulting aqueous sample was passed as a stream in front of alight-emitting diode, which excited the fluorescent labels. The fluorescence was detected with a digital camera as the sample flowed toward the imager. Detections of N. lovaniensis were made in inoculated samples of natural water from eight rivers in France and the United States. FFC enumeration yielded results that are consistent with other counting methods: solid-phase cytometry, flow cytometry, and hemocytometry, down to concentrations of 0.06 amoebae ml(-1), using a flow rate of 15 ml min(-1).Conclusions: This study supports the efficacy of using FFC for the detection of viable protozoa in natural waters and indicates that use of RPE illuminated at 530 nm and detected at 585 nm provides a satisfactory means of attenuating background.Significance and Impact of the Study: Because of the severe global public health issues with drinking water and sanitation, there is an urgent need to develop a technique for the real-time detection of viable pathogens in environmental samples at low concentrations. FFC addresses this need.

BackgroundThe pathogenesis of endotoxemic tubular dysfunction with failure in urine concentration is poorly understood.Urea plays an important role in the urinary concentrating mechanism and expression of the urea transporters UT-A1, UT-A2, UT-A3, UT-A4 and UT-B is essential for tubular urea reabsorption.The present study attempts to assess the regulation of renal urea transporters during severe inflammation in vivo.Materials and methods By agreement of the animal protection committee C57BL/6J, mice were injected with lipopolysaccharides (LPS, 10 mg/kg) or proinflammatory cytokines.Hemodynamic, renal parameters and the expression of renal urea transporters were investigated.To clarify the role of cytokines and renal ischemia in the regulation of renal urea transporters, experiments were performed with cytokine knockout mice, mice treated with low-dose LPS (1, 5 mg/kg) as a sepsis model without induction of hypotension, glucocorticoid-treated mice, and mice with renal artery clipping serving as a model for renal ischemia.Results and discussion LPS-injected mice (10 mg/kg) presented with reduced glomerular filtration rate, fractional urea excretion and inner medulla osmolality associated with a marked decrease in expression of UT-A1, UT-A2, UT-A3, UT-A4 and UT-B (Figure 1).Similar alterations were observed after application of TNFα, IL-1β, IFNγ or IL-6.LPS-induced downregulation of urea transporters was not affected in knockout mice with deficient TNFα, IL-receptor-1, IFNγ or IL-6.Glucocorticoid treatment inhibited LPS-induced increases of tissue TNFα, IL-1β, IFNγ or IL-6 concentration, diminished LPS-induced renal dysfunction and attenuated the downregulation of renal urea transporters.Injection of low-dose LPS (1, 5 mg/kg) also led to renal dysfunction paralleled by a downregulation of renal urea transporters without alterations in blood pressure.Renal ischemia induced by renal artery clipping did not influence the expression of urea transporters.Conclusion Our findings demonstrate downregulation of renal urea transporters that probably accounts for tubular dysfunction during sepsis.Furthermore, they suggest that downregulation of Figure 1 (abstract P1) Effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (10 mg/kg), dexamethasone (10 mg/kg) and the combination of both on UT-A1, UT-A2, UT-A3, UT-A4 and UT-B mRNA in the kidney 6, 12 and 24 hours after intraperitoneal injection.Values are related to signals obtained for β-actin mRNA and presented as the percentage of vehicle control.Mean ± SEM of six animals per group.*P < 0.05 versus control, # P < 0.05 versus LPS treatment.S2

Background: Pathogenic microorganisms are known to cause widespread waterborne disease worldwide. There is an urgent need to develop a technique for the real-time detection of pathogens in environmental samples at low concentrations, < 10 microorganisms/ml, in large sample volumes, >= 100 ml.Methods: A novel method, Fountain Flow (TM) cytometry, for the rapid and sensitive detection of individual microorganisms in aqueous samples is presented. Each sample is first incubated with a fluorescent label and then passed as a stream in front of a laser, which excites the label. The fluorescence is detected with a CCD imager as the sample flows toward the imager along its optical axis. The feasibility of Fountain Flow cytometry (FFC) is demonstrated by the detection of Escherichia coli labeled with ChemChrome CV6 and SYBR Gold in buffer and natural river water.Results: Detections of labeled E coli were made in aqueous suspensions with an efficiency of 96% +/- 14% down to a concentration similar to 200 bacteria/ml.Conclusions: The feasibility of FFC is demonstrated by the detection of E coli in buffer and natural river water. FFC should apply to the detection of a wide range of pathogenic microorganisms including amoebae. (c) 2006 International Society for Analytical Cytology

: The objective of this research is to test the feasibility of an innovative approach to rare cell detection: using a CCD to image an entrained flow through a rectangular glass tube. This approach is especially useful for the detection of rare cells where a high volumetric flow rate is desired. We present the results of our work with Nile red labeled 1-micron polystyrene beads as labeled cell simulants. This technique has key advantages over current alternatives, including: (1) high volumetric flow rate, 2)capability of detecting single microorganisms (3) automatic operation, and (4) easy implementation in a rugged, portable system.