Stomata damage, photosynthesis, and transpiration evaluation of aquatic lirium after ultrasound irradiation.

PURPOSE: Evaluate the structural damage and the changes in the photosynthesis and transpiration rates of aquatic lirium leaves caused by ultrasound (US) irradiation in search of environmentally friendly methodologies for the control of this weed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Aquatic lirium plants were extracted from Xochimilco water canals in Mexico City. A part of the group of plants was selected for irradiation, and the rest formed the control group. The irradiation plants group was exposed to US irradiation of 17 kHz frequency and 30 W × 4 output power for 2 h, at noon and 25 °C room temperature. The structural analysis was done with a MOTICAM 1 digital camera, 800 × 600 pixels, incorporated into the MOTIC PSM-1000 optical microscope and edited with Motic Images Plus 2.0 ML software. The total stomata density and the damaged stomata density were determined by dividing the numbers of total and damaged stomata by the visual field area (67,917 mm2), respectively. The leaves' photosynthesis and transpiration rates were measured using an LI-6400XT Portable Photosynthesis System. RESULTS: Significant damage was observed in the stomata and epidermal cells, finding that the average ratio between the damaged and total stomata densities as a function of time (days) showed an exponential increase described by a Box-Lucas equation with a saturation value near unity and a maximum rate of change of the density of damaged stomata on zero-day (immediately after irradiation), decreasing as the days go by. The transpiration rate showed a sudden increase during the first hour after irradiation, reaching a maximum of 36% of its value before irradiation. It then quickly fell during the next 6 days and more slowly until the 21st day, decreasing 79.9% of its value before irradiation. The photosynthetic rate showed similar behavior with a 37.7% maximum increment and a 73.6% minimum decrease of its value before irradiation. CONCLUSIONS: The results of structural stomata damage on the ultrasound-irradiated aquatic lirium leaves are consistent with an excessive ultrasound stimulation on stomata's mechanical operation by guard cells that produce the measured significant increase of the photosynthetic and transpiration rates during the first hour after irradiation. The initial high evaporation could alter the water potential gradient, with a possible generation of tensions in the xylem that could cause embolism in their conduits. The loss of xylem conductivity or hydraulic failure would be consistent with the observed significant fall in the photosynthesis and transpiration rates of the aquatic lirium leaves after its sudden rise in the first hour after irradiation.

Ultrasound irradiation effect on photosynthesis and transpiration of aquatic lirium plants.

PURPOSE: To find possible causes of the photobaric response decrease in photoacoustic measurements on Aquatic Lirium plants after ultrasonic irradiations reported elsewhere contributing to understanding the effect of ultrasonic irradiation on them and searching for environmentally friendly methodologies to control this weed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The plants were extracted from their natural habitat in Xochimilco water canals, Mexico City. The irradiations on the plants were carried out to 2 hours exposure time, 17 kHz frequency, and 30 W x 4 output power. We used the photoacoustic spectroscopy technique at room temperature in the range of 400-750 nm to analyze the optical absorption response of photosynthetic pigments before and after ultrasonic irradiations. To monitor the leave transpiration rate, we used an LI-COR 6400XT portable system, expressed in units of mols H2O per second per unit area of the leaf surface. RESULTS: We obtained a significant decrease of the chlorophylls bands amplitude in the photoacoustic spectroscopy spectra and a drastic reduction in the leaves transpiration rate of irradiated plants that depends on the time elapsed after irradiation. Remarkable physical changes in the leaves and petioles of the irradiated plants were observed with the naked eye. CONCLUSIONS: A significantly decreasing photosynthesis and transpiration in the leaves of the irradiated lirium plants were obtained. Together with the observed physical changes in the leaves and petioles, these results suggest an alteration in the water transport and the overall gas exchange mechanisms affecting the irradiated leaves' transpiration and photosynthesis processes that agree with the photobaric response decrease reported elsewhere. Due to the fundamental role of stomata in these mechanisms, it is suggested, as a possible cause, that the ultrasonic-induced disruption of stomata's mechanical operation by guard cells prevents them from performing their function normally. A hypothesis to be confirmed in future studies, for which a line of action is proposed.

System for Face Recognition under Different Facial Expressions Using a New Associative Hybrid Model Amαß-KNN for People with Visual Impairment or Prosopagnosia.

Face recognition is a natural skill that a child performs from the first days of life; unfortunately, there are people with visual or neurological problems that prevent the individual from performing the process visually. This work describes a system that integrates Artificial Intelligence which learns the face of the people with whom the user interacts daily. During the study we propose a new hybrid model of Alpha-Beta Associative memories (Amαß) with Correlation Matrix (CM) and K-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), where the Amαß-CMKNN was trained with characteristic biometric vectors generated from images of faces from people who present different facial expressions such as happiness, surprise, anger and sadness. To test the performance of the hybrid model, two experiments that differ in the selection of parameters that characterize the face are conducted. The performance of the proposed model was tested in the databases CK+, CAS-PEAL-R1 and Face-MECS (own), which test the Amαß-CMKNN with faces of subjects of both sexes, different races, facial expressions, poses and environmental conditions. The hybrid model was able to remember 100% of all the faces learned during their training, while in the test in which faces are presented that have variations with respect to those learned the results range from 95.05% in controlled environments and 86.48% in real environments using the proposed integrated system.

Evaluation of tolerability and efficacy of imatinib mesylate in elderly patients with chronic phase CML: ELDERGLI study.

Imatinib mesylate (IM) is the treatment of choice in patients with newly diagnosed chronic myeloid leukemia (CML), irrespectively of their age. Nevertheless, information regarding tolerability and responses in advanced-age patients, a subgroup in which co-morbidities and other factors may influence outcome, is scarce, since they were excluded from most clinical trials. In this observational study (ELDERGLI), information regarding demographics, concomitant medication, physical examination, performance status, hemogram, biochemistry, hematologic, cytogenetic and molecular responses, time to progression, adverse events (AE) and severe adverse events (SAE) were prospectively recorded in a series of 36 elderly patients with CML, with a median age of 76.6 years. Most patients had cardiovascular co-morbidities, especially hypertension. Regarding IM toxicity, around one third of patients required treatment interruptions because of adverse events, especially hematologic toxicity (66% of cases that needed dose interruptions). When analyzing non hematologic adverse events, the most frequent ones were superficial edemas and GI symptoms. Of note, 9 of patients experienced an infection episode during the follow-up, and 4 were diagnosed during the study period of another type of cancer. Finally, cardiovascular events were reported in 7 patients, most of them with prior cardiovascular risk factors. Regarding responses, after 12 months of imatinib therapy, the rate of complete hematologic response (CHR), complete cytogenetic response (CCyR) and major molecular response (MMolR) were 89%, 72% and 55% respectively. In summary, IM display, in advanced-age patients with chronic phase CML, an efficacy and safety profile comparable to younger patients.

Proposal and validation of a new functional ambulation classification scale for clinical use.

OBJECTIVE: To validate a new functional ambulation classification. DESIGN: Validity study. SETTING: In- and outpatients of a district hospital rehabilitation service. PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-one patients with poststroke hemiplegic gait disorders compared with a control group of 5 healthy people. Interventions Not applicable. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Three independent examiners assessed the functional ambulation levels of each patient in blind trials. Interrater reliability was analyzed among the examiners. Walking velocity (slow, normal, fast) was measured with a manual chronometer, and the number of steps taken over a 48-hour period was recorded with a step counter. The linear correlation was calculated from among functional level classification, walking velocity, and the number of steps taken. RESULTS: There was a good interrater reliability among the examiners (kappa=.74). A significant association and a linear correlation were found between functional ambulation level, walking velocity, and the number of steps taken. CONCLUSIONS: The proposed classification is reliable and valid for determining the different levels of walking abilities.

Walking recovery after an acute stroke: assessment with a new functional classification and the Barthel Index.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate walking recovery after an acute stroke by using both a new functional classification and the Barthel Index, and to identify factors associated with good recovery. DESIGN: A 1-year inception cohort study. SETTING: In- and outpatient setting in a district hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-six patients with a prognosis of intermediate walking recovery. INTERVENTION: Conventional physical rehabilitation under professional supervision. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Walking capacity was assessed with a new classification scale and the Barthel Index during 5 patient evolution stages (admission to the hospital, hospital and physiotherapy discharge, clinical review, end of study). We also assessed the severity of the paresis of the affected lower limb, the time lapse between the stroke until the recovery of the weight-bearing capacity of the affected leg, and finally the time until standing balance was regained. RESULTS: We detected improvement in walking capacity throughout the follow-up process with our new classification scale, but not with the Barthel Index. Significant improvements were observed from the initial assessment, from 1 month onward, and from 3 to 12 months. The functional level of the final ambulation correlated negatively and significantly with the initial time to achieve weight-bearing capacity on the affected leg and also with the standing balance. There was also a significant correlation with the severity of lower-extremity paresis. CONCLUSIONS: Patients experienced an improvement in walking recovery throughout the first year after their stroke. The early weight-bearing capacity of the affected leg and standing balance were associated with higher walking levels 1 year after the stroke.