Determination of proanthocyanidins in fresh grapes and grape products using liquid chromatography with mass spectrometric detection.

Fresh grapes and grape products, such as grape wine and grape juice, were analyzed for proanthocyanidins (PACs) using liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometric (MS) detection. PACs were successfully separated and analyzed on the basis of their protonated molecules, allowing the identification of PACs in different degrees of polymerization from monomers to oligomers (up to 7 units), and in various isomeric forms. Using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with MS detection, the PAC monomers, (+)-catechin (C), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-catechin gallate (CG), and (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG), were successfully quantified using selected ion monitoring (SIM) mode.

Triaging transient ischemic attack and minor stroke patients using acute magnetic resonance imaging.

We examined whether the presence of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) lesions and vessel occlusion on acute brain magnetic resonance images of minor stroke and transient ischemic attack patients predicted the occurrence of subsequent stroke and functional outcome. 120 transient ischemic attack or minor stroke (National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale < or = 3) patients were prospectively enrolled. All were examined within 12 hours and had a magnetic resonance scan within 24 hours.

A novel method to derive separate gray and white matter cerebral blood flow measures from MR imaging of acute ischemic stroke patients.

Perfusion-weighted imaging (PWI) measures can predict tissue outcome in acute ischemic stroke. Accuracy might be improved if differential tissue susceptibility to ischemia is considered. We present a novel voxel-by-voxel analysis to characterize cerebral blood flow (CBF) separately in gray (GM) and white matter (WM).

MR perfusion and diffusion in acute ischemic stroke: human gray and white matter have different thresholds for infarction.

It is thought that gray and white matter (GM and WM) have different perfusion and diffusion thresholds for cerebral infarction in humans. We sought to determine these thresholds with voxel-by-voxel, tissue-specific analysis of co-registered acute and follow-up magnetic resonance (MR) perfusion- and diffusion-weighted imaging. Quantitative cerebral blood flow (CBF), cerebral blood volume (CBV), mean transit time (MTT), and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) maps were analyzed from nine acute stroke patients (imaging acquired within 6 h of onset).

Pediatric knee fractures.

Purpose Of Review: Fractures about the knee are a common occurrence in children, and characteristics of the growing skeleton make children susceptible to specific fractures that do not occur in adults. The purpose of this review is to help the clinician to recognize, understand, and appropriately treat these injuries.

Recent Findings: Pediatric knee fractures are diagnosed by a comprehensive history and physical examination supplemented with appropriate imaging modalities.

Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery preparation: not an improvement over conventional diffusion-weighted imaging at 3T in acute ischemic stroke.

Background And Purpose: Change in signal intensity due to acute ischemic stroke can be detected on diffusion-weighted (DW) images soon after symptom onset. Fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) DW imaging suppresses signal intensity from water and has been suggested to be better than conventional DW imaging as a diagnostic imaging technique in acute stroke. We compared the signal intensity-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise-ratio (CNR) between ischemic and normal tissues by using these two sequences.

Analytical methods to determine phytoestrogenic compounds.

The analytical methods for the determination of phytoestrogenic compounds in edible plants, plant products and biological matrices are reviewed. The detection, qualitative and quantitative methods based on different chromatographic separations of gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary electrophoresis (CE) coupled with various detections by ultraviolet absorption (UV), electrochemical detection (ED), fluorescence detection, mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), as well as non-chromatographic immunoassay are each extensively examined and compared. An overview on phytoestrogen chemistry, bioactivities and health effects, plant precursors, metabolism and sample preparation is also presented.

In vivo and in vitro activities of the seed extract of Piper guineense Schum. and Thonn. against skin and gill monogenean parasites of gold fish (Carassius auratus auratus).

Methanol extracts of the seeds of Piper guineense (Piperaceae) were active against gold fish (Carassius auratus auratus L. Pisces Cyprinidae) monogenean parasites. The seed extract of P.

Antioxidant activity of plant extracts on the inhibition of citral off-odor formation.

Grape seed, pomegranate seed, green tea, and black tea extracts were used to inhibit the off-odor from citral degradation. A 0.1 M citrate buffer (pH 3), containing 100 ppm citral and 200 ppm gallic acid equivalent plant extract, was incubated at 40 degrees C.

LC/UV/ESI-MS analysis of isoflavones in Edamame and Tofu soybeans.

High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (HPLC/UV/ESI-MSD) was applied to the study of isoflavones in both Edamame and Tofu soy varieties, from which the immature fresh soybeans or the mature soybean seeds are consumed, respectively. Positive atmospheric pressure interface (API) MS and MS/MS were used to provide molecular mass information and led to the identification of a total 16 isoflavones, including three aglycones, three glycosides, two glycoside acetates, and eight glycoside malonates. The major isoflavones in soybean seeds were daidzein and genistein glycoside and their malonate conjugates.

Interobserver variation of ASPECTS in real time.

Background: The Alberta Stroke Program Early CT Score (ASPECTS) has been used to quantify early ischemic changes on computed tomography (CT) brain scans of acute stroke patients. We sought to assess the reliability of the score when performed in real time as compared with an expert rating performed at a later time point.

Methods: Two hundred fourteen patients presenting with acute ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack were prospectively recruited if they had a brain CT scan performed within 12 hours of symptom onset.

Is intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) safe for use in patients over 80 years old with acute ischaemic stroke? - The Calgary experience.

Background: Acute ischaemic stroke is common in older people. There is one licensed acute treatment, intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator, but little information is available on its safety in over 80 year olds.

Design: Review of prospectively collected data on 62 consecutive patients, aged 80 years and over, treated with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator in a tertiary centre.

Determination of isoflavones in red clover and related species by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with ultraviolet and mass spectrometric detection.

High-performance liquid chromatography-UV-electrospray ionization-mass spectrometric detector (HPLC-UV-ESI-MSD) method for determination of isoflavones in red clover (Trifolium pratense L.) and related species has been developed. The separated isoflavones including aglycones, glycosides and glycoside malonates, were individually analyzed and identified by their molecular ions and characteristic fragment ion peaks using LC-MSD under MS and MS-MS mode, and in comparison with the standard isoflavones.

Quantification of protodioscin and rutin in asparagus shoots by LC/MS and HPLC methods.

A liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method with selected ion monitoring was developed and validated to analyze the contents of protodioscin and rutin in asparagus. The distribution of rutin and protodioscin within the shoots was found to vary by location, with the tissue closest to the rhizome found to be a rich source of protodioscin, at an average level of 0.025% tissue fresh weight in the three tested lines, while the upper youngest shoot tissue contained the highest amount of rutin at levels of 0.

Determination of proanthocyanidins in grape products by liquid chromatography/mass spectrometric detection under low collision energy.

A method has been established for the identification of proanthocyanidins and quantification of individual monoproanthocyanidins using liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometric detection (LC/ESI-MSD) for raw grape products. The separated monoproanthocyanidins and oligoproanthocyanidins were individually analyzed and identified by their molecular ion peaks using LC/MS. Using HPLC/ESI-MSD, the proanthocyanidin monomers, (+)-catechin (C), (-)-epicatechin (EC), (-)-catechin gallate (CG), and (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG) in grape products were successfully quantified by LC/MS/MS detection of protonated molecular ions and characteristic fragment ions for each component under the optimized low collision energy level of 20%.

Delineating the sites and progression of in vivo atrophy in multiple system atrophy using fluid-registered MRI.

We describe the pattern and progression of atrophy delineated using fluid registration of serial magnetic resonance imaging scans in a case of multiple system atrophy (MSA). The in vivo findings were consistent with those found at postmortem, including significant supratentorial atrophy concurrent with an unusual degree of cognitive impairment for MSA.

Reliability of assessing percentage of diffusion-perfusion mismatch.

Background And Purpose: Emergent neurovascular imaging holds promise in identifying new and optimum target populations for thrombolysis in stroke. Recent research has focused on patients with diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI)-perfusion-weighted MRI (PWI) mismatch as a marker of tissue at risk of infarction and a means to select the most suitable candidates for thrombolysis. The present study sought to estimate the reliability of assessing the percentage of DWI-PWI mismatch.

What is causing crescendo transient ischemic attacks?

Background And Methods: We discuss a case report from a patient who had symptoms of transient neurological deficits in the presence of a chronic subdural hematoma and severe carotid stenosis. Multi-modality imaging was used to guide management.

Results: The symptoms settled without carotid intervention and were presumed due to the subdural hematoma.

Analysis of antioxidative phenolic compounds in artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.).

Artichoke leaf is an herbal medicine known for a long time. A systematic antioxidant activity-directed fractionation procedure was used to purify antioxidative components from the aqueous methanol extractions of artichoke heads and leaves in this study. Seven active polyphenolic compounds were purified from artichoke, and structural elucidation of each was achieved using MS and NMR.

CT assessment of conjugate eye deviation in acute stroke.

Conjugate eye deviation seen on clinical examination helps to localize pathology in acute ischemic stroke. Eye deviation can also be assessed on a CT head scan. The authors found that CT eye deviation reliably lateralizes to the ischemic hemisphere (positive predictive value 93%) without reference to clinical examination.